China to advance global security governance, carry forward implementation of Resolution 1540

Xinhua) 16:59, June 26, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China intends to advance global security governance and carry forward implementation of Resolution 1540, according to Sun Xiaobo, Director-General of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Sun made the remarks on Tuesday during the 4th Training Course for UNSCR 1540 Points of Contact in the Asia-Pacific Region in Beijing.

The training course was jointly held by Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations Security Council 1540 Committee and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Representatives from 27 Asia-Pacific countries and 14 international and regional organizations and mechanisms participated in the training course.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 1540. Resolution 1540 requires member states to enhance export controls and other measures, fulfill the international obligations of non-proliferation and prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, it regulates that non-proliferation actions shall not damage member states' legitimate right to the peaceful use of science and technology.

Sun said that the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1540 provides an important opportunity for the international community to further promote the comprehensive, balanced and sustainable implementation of the Resolution. This will help advance the building of a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory non-proliferation export control order.

Guided by the Global Security Initiative, China strongly supports a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. Moreover, China urges the international community to uphold true multilateralism and emphasizes the importance of the UN as the main platform for non-proliferation governance, Sun said.

Sun also emphasized the importance of adopting a balanced approach to development and security. While it is important to implement non-proliferation and export control measures to safeguard international security, it is equally important to provide unimpeded access to the advantages of scientific and technological advancements for the peaceful objectives for all countries.

Since China took the lead in hosting a training course for UNSCR 1540 Points of Contact, the training course has become an important public good provided by China in the field of international security.

Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ambassador Jose Javier De La Gasca, Chair of the UN Security Council 1540 Committee and other speakers expressed their gratitude to the government of China for hosting this important event for the fourth time.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
China aims to ensure preschool access for all through law

Xinhua) 10:47, June 27, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese legislators are considering a law to ensure that preschool education is accessible to all children.

The draft preschool education law was submitted on Tuesday to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a second reading.

Among the highlights of the draft were provisions to promote free preschool education and facilitate easier kindergarten admission for disabled children.

"This is good news. It indicates more national input and greater attention to preschool education," said a young mother surnamed Tang.

China's population slightly declined over the past two years. The number of children enrolled in kindergartens has been decreasing, leading to reduced class sizes and the shutdown of some kindergartens. Despite this, government spending on preschool education has maintained a rising trend.

Experts say such a trend is beneficial for enhancing the quality of preschool education. With smaller class sizes, children can receive better education.

Last year, 40.93 million children were enrolled in kindergartens in China, accounting for 91.1 percent of all preschool-aged children.

NON-PROFIT KINDERGARTENS

The draft stipulates that efforts should be made to gradually implement free preschool education where conditions allow.

Amid a low birth rate, the combination of the country's free preschool education and the three-child policy will jointly enhance the quality of the population, said Zhan Zhongle, a professor at Peking University.

In recent years, China has made significant strides in overhauling preschool education, converting many private kindergartens with exorbitant fees into non-profit institutions.

According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), in 2023, a total of 236,000 non-profit kindergartens, both public and private, made up 86.2 percent of all kindergartens and served 90.8 percent of enrolled children in China.

To consolidate this achievement, the draft stipulates the need to actively promote non-profit preschool education and mandates government support at all levels for the functioning of such kindergartens.

Apart from making preschool education accessible to all children, China is committed to reducing regional disparities.

The draft stipulates that the country should prioritize directing educational resources to rural, border and underdeveloped areas. It also has plans to establish a financial aid system for preschool children from impoverished households.

"The move underscores the country's and society's care for children, ensuring that the most underprivileged children have equal access to educational opportunities," said lawyer Fang Yan.

The regional gap is narrowing. From 2013 to 2023, all 17 provincial-level regions that saw kindergarten enrollment rates increase by over 20 percentage points were in the country's less-developed central and western parts, according to the MOE.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

The draft law is also expected to facilitate easier kindergarten admissions for children with disabilities.

Non-profit kindergartens should admit children with disabilities who are capable of adapting to life in kindergarten, and provide assistance to such children, according to the draft.

Cai Lei, head of Qisehua Kindergarten in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, was delighted to learn about the new provisions. "Our suggestions have been incorporated into the draft law more quickly and effectively than I anticipated."

As the head of a kindergarten for both disabled and non-disabled children, Cai proposed suggestions for advancing inclusive education when lawmakers sought feedback on the draft law.

Cai believes that inclusive education not only embodies equality between disabled and non-disabled children but also nurtures compassion and a sense of social responsibility among non-disabled children.

"Admitting disabled children is only the beginning; the greater challenge lies in providing adequate teacher training and special equipment," Zhan said.

The draft demands that kindergartens admitting disabled children must either be equipped with necessary rehabilitation facilities and personnel or establish cooperation with special education and rehabilitation institutions.

At Qisehua, non-barrier ramps and bathrooms assist disabled children in adapting to kindergarten life. Special musical instruments, picture books and chairs are used for the rehabilitation of children with visual impairments, autism and language delay.

Qisehua Kindergarten is one of Henan's 194 pilot kindergartens for inclusive preschool education. Since 2015, nearly 2,000 disabled children have been enrolled in these pilot kindergartens, according to the provincial education bureau.

Fang noted that special education training for teachers remains inadequate across China, and there is still much room for improvement in inclusive education.

"I hope that following the enactment of the law, more supporting policies will be rolled out to bolster special education training for teachers," Fang said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




Speakers:

Mr. Erkin Tuniyaz, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Mr. Chen Weijun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee and executive vice chairman of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Ms. Sun Hongmei, vice chairperson of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Mr. Wang Kuiran, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission and deputy director of the commission

Chairperson:

Ms. Xing Huina, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

May 21, 2024

Xing Huina:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). This is the 21st press conference in the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Erkin Tuniyaz, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee and chairman of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to brief you on Xinjiang's practices in advancing Chinese modernization with breakthroughs in high-quality development, and to take your questions. Also present today are Mr. Chen Weijun, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee and executive vice chairman of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; Ms. Sun Hongmei, vice chairperson of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; and Mr. Wang Kuiran, secretary of the Leading Party Members Group of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission and deputy director of the commission.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Erkin Tuniyaz for his introduction.

Erkin Tuniyaz:

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to meet you here. First of all, on behalf of the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee, Xinjiang regional government, and the people of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your long-term interest in as well as support and assistance for Xinjiang.

The CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core attaches great importance to the work related to Xinjiang, and shows special care for the people of all ethnic groups in the region. General Secretary Xi Jinping once stated, with deep affection, that he has always closely followed the development and progress of Xinjiang. He made consecutive visits to Xinjiang in 2022 and 2023, where he delivered important speeches and made significant instructions, charting the course and drawing the blueprint for the region.

Over the past two years, the central government's transfer payments to Xinjiang have reached 1.05 trillion yuan, while 19 provinces and cities provided pairing assistance to Xinjiang, collectively offering over 39 billion yuan of funds. Through these efforts, the 25.98 million residents of diverse ethnic groups in Xinjiang have deeply felt the special care from General Secretary Xi Jinping and the CPC Central Committee, as well as the profound friendship of the people across the nation.

We have consistently kept in mind the instructions and pressed ahead with gratitude, firmly adhering to Xinjiang's strategic positioning in the country's overall development. We have fully and faithfully implemented the Party's strategy for governing Xinjiang on all fronts, coordinated development and security as well as opening-up and stability, and promoted high-quality development with a focus on improving people's well-being. Last year, the growth rates of the six major indicators in Xinjiang, namely GDP, investment, consumption, imports and exports, fiscal revenue, and residents' income, all ranked among the top five nationwide, making it the best year in recent times in terms of the quality and efficiency of the region's economic and social development.

First, we have promoted high-standard domestic and external opening-up, working to build Xinjiang into a crucial corridor connecting Asia and Europe and a gateway for the country's westward opening-up. We have adhered to the principle of "welcoming in and going global," and enhanced high-level visits and practical cooperation with Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, especially the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. We have deepened exchanges and cooperation with provinces and cities providing pairing assistance to Xinjiang as well as neighboring provinces and regions. The construction of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone has been fully initiated, securing a historical breakthrough in Xinjiang's opening-up. In the past two years, Xinjiang's imports and exports have increased by 57% and 45.9%, respectively. The China-Europe and China-Asia freight trains passing through Xinjiang have made up over 60% of the national total, with the "Tianshan" freight train services operating regularly. Xinjiang is opening its door even wider.

Second, we have been actively fostering a modern industrial system to cultivate a strategic fulcrum for the new development pattern. Leveraging Xinjiang's resource endowments and industrial foundation, we have accelerated the development of eight major industrial clusters, including oil and gas, coal, coal-fired power and coal-based chemicals , green mining, and strategic emerging industries. Now, the industrial system integrating the primary, secondary and tertiary industries is becoming increasingly sound. Driven by major projects, we have advanced the implementation of 11 100-billion-yuan level projects across Xinjiang and 11 10-billion-yuan level projects in southern Xinjiang. Last year, the output of industrial silicon and polysilicon increased by 27.3% and 26.8%, respectively. The number of tourists reached a record high, with tourism revenue increasing by 2.27 times. The development of a number of high-level innovation platforms such as the Xinjiang base of the Huairou Laboratory and a laboratory of photovoltaic materials and batteries, has been expedited, empowering the transformation and upgrading of industries. We have actively absorbed industries transferred from the central and eastern regions of the country, constantly exploring effective pathways to serve and integrate into the new development pattern.

Third, we have furthered the construction of the "three bases and one corridor," with the aim of establishing a national strategic base for energy and resource security. Based on the nation's needs and Xinjiang's capacities, we have constantly advanced the construction of the national large-scale base for oil and gas production, processing and storage, the national large-scale base for coal, coal-fired power and coal-based chemicals, the national large-scale base for wind power, and the national energy and resources land corridor, representing Xinjiang's contributions to ensuring national energy and key mineral resources security. In 2023, Xinjiang's oil and gas production equivalent reached 66.06 million metric tons, ranking first nationwide for three consecutive years. The increase in raw coal production stood at 46 million metric tons, with the growth ranking second nationwide. The installed capacity of new energy such as wind and photovoltaic power has exceeded 70 million kilowatts, representing nearly one-fifth of the region's total . Xinjiang supplied 120 million metric tons of locally produced coal and 126.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to other parts of the country in 2023 , illuminating and warming countless households across the country.

Fourth, we have accelerated agricultural development to invigorate the autonomous region, forging an important national supply base for quality agricultural and animal husbandry products. We have focused on ensuring national food security and the security of important agricultural product supplies, leveraging the advantages and releasing the potential of modern agriculture. In 2023, food output increased by over 6 billion jin (3 million metric tons), accounting for 34.4% of the total national increase. After achieving a balance of food supply and demand within its jurisdiction, with slight surpluses, the autonomous region now produces additional food to supply other parts of the nation. Its cotton output has reached 5.112 million metric tons, accounting for 91% of the national total, with a mechanical harvest rate of 89%. The main quality indicators were the best of the past five years. The output of aquatic products reached 183,900 metric tons, ranking first among the five provincial regions in the northwest of China. Salmon and other seafood produced in Xinjiang have become new favorites nationwide.

Fifth, we have firmly safeguarded ethnic unity and national reunification, creating a strategic shield of national geo-security. We have insisted on law-based governance, achieving stability through unity, nurturing people's souls with culture, enriching the public, bringing prosperity, and developing the region with a long-term goal. The entire society has continued to improve, with the perception of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation developing deep roots. The sinicization of Islam has made solid progress in Xinjiang. Interaction, exchange, and integration among various ethnic groups have expanded. More than 75% of fiscal expenditures were used to ensure and improve the people's wellbeing, capitalizing on development achievements to continuously improve people's lives and rally their support.

In the first quarter of this year, Xinjiang's GDP grew by 5.6% year on year, with the total value added of the industrial enterprises above the designated size increasing by 8%. Fixed-asset investment rose 12.8%, general public budget revenue grew by 10.7%, and foreign trade surged by 42.7%. Key indicators outperformed expectations, marking a strong start. Going forward, we will continue to thoroughly implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and instructions, and practice the strategy for the governance of Xinjiang in the new era in a thorough, accurate, and comprehensive manner. Our aim is to improve livelihoods, strengthen social cohesion, promote high-quality socioeconomic development, and make new and greater contributions to building a great country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Recently, the TV series "To the Wonder" has received widespread attention and sparked heated discussions. We sincerely invite everyone to visit Xinjiang, discover its beauty, and be enchanted by our hospitality.

I will end my introduction here. Thank you, everyone!
The outgoing United Nations humanitarian chief warned Wednesday that a spread of the Israel-Hamas war to Lebanon would be potentially apocalyptic, as fighting raged in the southern Gaza Strip.

Martin Griffiths described Lebanon as the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints, especially its southern border with Israel which has seen daily cross-border violence since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

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Its beyond planning. Its potentially apocalyptic, warned Griffiths whose term as UN humanitarian coordinator ends this week.

A war involving Lebanon will draw in Syria it will draw in others, he told reporters in Geneva. Its very alarming.

Germany on Wednesday echoed a Canadian warning from the day before, urging their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country.

German nationals are urgently requested to leave Lebanon, updated foreign ministry advice in Berlin said.

The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time.

On Tuesday, Ottawa advised Canadians to leave Lebanon while they can.

The UNs Griffiths spoke as witnesses reported intense fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in Gazas southern city of Rafah, amid the fears of a wider war.

With the conflict nearing its 10th month, Israels top ally the United States warned of the risk of a major conflict with Hezbollah following an escalation in threats after months of cross-border fire.

However, Israeli bombardment in Gaza appeared to ease days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the wars intense phase was nearing its end, and as his defence minister was in Washington.

Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his visiting Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation, Austin said.

Gallant, for his part, said: We only fight those who seek to harm us.

He also said significant progress had been made in addressing Israeli concerns about the flow of US weaponry.

Netanyahu has publicly accused US President Joe Bidens administration of slowing down the weapons deliveries, claims officials in Washington have repeatedly denied.

Top Israeli officials, including the premier, have indicated openness to a diplomatic resolution of the Lebanon border tensions, though Gallant said Israel should be ready for every possible scenario.

Israels military said last week plans for a Lebanon offensive had been approved and validated, prompting new threats from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

In Rafah, on Gazas border with Egypt, witnesses reported overnight clashes, and Israels military said warplanes struck a rocket launch site.

Mohammad al-Mughayyir, a civil defence official in Hamas-run Gaza, told AFP rescuers had recovered 15 bodies from various areas in Rafah city.

The civil defence agency and medics said at least four people, including three children, were killed in a strike on a house in Beit Lahia, in the north.

However, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP there have been almost no attacks and the rest of the areas in the Gaza Strip are calm compared to yesterday.

An air raid on Tuesday killed Fadi al-Wadiya, an employee of medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) whom Israels military called a significant operative for the Islamic Jihad group which has fought alongside Hamas.

MSF posted on X that it was outraged by the killing in Gaza City of Wadiya and five other people including three children as he cycled to work.

Israels military said Wadiya had developed and advanced the terrorist organisations rocket array.

UN and humanitarian agencies have repeatedly warned that aid workers are not safe in Gaza, impeding their desperately needed efforts delivering aid for Gazas 2.4 million people.

In Cyprus, USAID officials said just 1,000 tonnes of the 7,000 tonnes of aid shipped to Gaza had been distributed because of looting and security problems.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war started with Hamass October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israels retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,718 people, also mostly civilians, Hamas-run Gazas health ministry said.

The deaths include 10 members of Qatar-based Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyehs family, including his sister, who Palestinian officials said were killed on Tuesday.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned of the wars dire impact on children.

We have every day 10 children who are losing one leg or two legs on average, Lazzarini told reporters, adding that means around 2,000 children after more than 260 days of this brutal war.

Netanyahu on Sunday said the war in its intense phase is about to end in Rafah, which the Israeli military sees as Hamass last stronghold, with some troops to be redeployed to the northern border with Lebanon.

Mairav Zonszein, an International Crisis Group analyst, said the military would likely move to rolling operations in Gaza and always keep some troops on the ground in strategic areas there.
Marcos says protests no longer enough

President Marcos said Thursday that the Philippines needs to do more than protest Beijings illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea.

We have filed over a hundred protests. We have already made a similar number of demarches, Mr. Marcos told reporters.

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We have to do more than just that, he said, without

specifying what other steps Manila might take.

The Philippines this week filed a diplomatic protest over a brutal incident in Ayungin Shoal between Filipino troops and China Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia personnel on June 17, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday.

Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe surrounded and boarded three Filipino navy boats last week, foiling what the Armed Forces of the Philippines said was a resupply mission to troops manning the grounded warship BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal.

Mr. Marcos also reiterated that while the June 17 incident did not constitute an armed attack, it was deliberate and illegal.

Its not armed. There was no gunshot. They did not point a gun at us, but it was a deliberate action to stop our people, the commander-in-chief said.

So, although there were no arms involved, nonetheless, it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by Chinese forces.

The June 17 incident was the latest and most serious in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to nearly all of the strategically located waterway.

The clashes have raised concern the conflict will draw in the United States, which is bound by a 1951 mutual defense pact to come to Manilas aid in case of an armed attack on its forces or vessels in the Pacific theater.

In a readout, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said he reaffirmed Washingtons ironclad commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty during a call with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Manila likewise raised concerns that Chinese forces might take action against BRP Sierra Madre, where a small garrison of Filipino Marines stationed aboard the decrepit vessel relies on frequent resupply for survival.

On Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told a Senate hearing that Manila hopes to convene a meeting with Beijing early next month specifically to discuss the recent incidents.

Ayungin Shoal lies about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometers from Chinas nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters around the shoal and has turned several reefs into artificial militarized islands. With AFP

Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: Marcos says Philippines must do more than protest China sea actions
Seven alleged New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter with government troops in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday afternoon, the military said Thursday.

In a statement released by the Philippine Armys 703rd Infantry Brigade (703IB), several high-powered firearms were also recovered following the encounter with the slain members of Komiteng Rehiyong Gitnang Luzon (Regional Committee of Central Luzon) in Barangay Malbang.

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No casualties were reported on the side of the government, the military said. The slain suspected rebels have yet to be identified, it added.

According to the military, recovered from the encounter site were three M14 rifles, six M16 rifles, one M16 with M203 attached rifle, one low-powered firearm, subversive documents, and personal belongings.

Hot pursuit operations are ongoing to clear the encounter site and ensure the safety of the community, the Army said.

Lieutenant Colonel Jerald Reyes, commanding officer of the 84th Infantry Battalion (84IB), said the unit launched the combat operations against the alleged rebel group as they reportedly threatened residents in the area.

We stopped their plan to regain their influence in the community using intimidation. Actually, we chased them from Aurora to Nueva Vizcaya, now here in Nueva Ecija, Reyes said.

The Army battled about 20 NPA guerrillas, according to Major Jimson Masangkay, spokesman for the 7th Infantry Division.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has waged one of the worlds longest Maoist insurgencies.

The Philippine military estimates there are fewer than 2,000 guerrillas left, and firefights have become less frequent.

Hundreds of communist rebels have surrendered in recent years in exchange for financial assistance and livelihood opportunities, according to the government.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Joseph Norwin Pasamonte, commander of the 703IB, said the troops will maintain their strong commitment to the community in preserving the peace that we have been working on for years.  With Agence France Presse



Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Philippine army says seven leftist rebels killed in clash
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said the proposed 30-day suspension of toll fees in the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX) has been approved.

In a post on his X account, the President welcomed the Toll Regulatory Boards (TRB) approval of the toll fee suspension from July 1 to 30 this year.

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The Toll Regulatory Board composed of the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Finance, National Economic Development Authority, and the private sector has approved the recommendation to temporarily stop collecting toll feeson all parts of CAVITEX from July 1 to July 30 this year, Mr. Marcos said.

We thank the TRB for their swift action on this recommendation from the Philippine Reclamation Authority. We also appreciate the MVP Group for supporting this proposal, he added.

The suspension applies to both RFID and cash transactions across all sections of CAVITEX.
Timor-Lestes Court of Appeals granted the Philippine governments request for the extradition of fugitive and former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. to face trials for multiple murder charges, the Department of Justice said.

The Department of Justice confirms the grant of the extradition request made by the Philippine government. The information was relayed to us by the Attorney-General of Timor Leste, DOJ Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano said in a text message to reporters.

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We have won, he added.

Teves is wanted for the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and others at the home of the slain governor on March 4, 2023.

We look forward to the arrival of Mr. Teves so that he may finally face the charges against him in our local courts, Clavano said.

The DOJ official, however, did not say when Teves can actually be extradited to the Philippines.

The Teves camp has yet to issue a statement on the court decision.

Clavano said Timor Leste authorities were likewise ordered to secure all borders air, land and sea to ensure Teves will not get out of Dili.

We are working closely with our international counterparts in Timor Leste to ensure that the Philippine government may attain justice for the alleged victims of Teves crying for justice despite the evasive attitude of fugitive/terrorist designated and former lawmaker, he said.

The obvious goal of the other camp is to leave Timor Leste and rejoin his family in another country. This is why all boarders have been notified that Teves is a flight risk. However, the Timor Leste government assures us that he will not leave, Clavano said.

Aside from the murder of Degamo, Teves and others have also been charged for the deaths of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019.

The legislator was expelled by the House of Representatives in August last year for disorderly conduct and continued absence despite an expired travel authority.
SEOUL  North Korea test-fired what appeared to be a hypersonic missile on Wednesday, but the launch ended in a mid-air explosion, an official from Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The early morning launch came just hours after Pyongyang sent another flurry of trash-bearing balloons southward, this time forcing a three-hour halt to flights in and out of South Koreas Incheon airport.

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The missile took off from an area in or around Pyongyang at about 5:30 am and South Korean and US intelligence agencies were conducting a detailed analysis, Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The JCS official said the test of what appeared to be a hypersonic missile ended in failure after a journey of some 250 kilometers.

More smoke than usual appeared to emanate from the missile, raising the possibility of combustion issues, the official said, adding it may have been powered by solid propellants.

Japan also confirmed the launch, with its coast guard saying the missile splashed down in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.

Vessels please be careful about information to come and refrain from approaching if fallen objects are spotted, and report relevant information to the coast guard, it said on its website.

The test follows North Korea launching hundreds more trash-carrying balloons southward on Monday and Tuesday, the latest in a series of border barrages that have sparked a tit-for-tat propaganda campaign.

Seouls military said the balloons were carrying mostly paper waste that posed no safety risk to the public.

But the latest batch of North Korean balloons disrupted takeoffs and landings at Incheon International Airport, an official told AFP.

Both domestic and international flight arrivals and departures were suspended  from 1:46 am (1646 GMT) to 4:43 am, an Incheon International Airport Corporation official said.

At around 4:08 am, it was confirmed that a trash-carrying balloon had fallen near Gate 248 of T2, and military authorities collected it. The airport is operating as normal since 4:44 a.m, the official added.

Pyongyang has already sent more than a thousand balloons carrying trash in what it says is retaliation for balloons carrying propaganda criticising Kims rule floated north by activists.

In response, Seoul has fully suspended a tension-reducing military deal and restarted some propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers along the border.

Kim Jong Uns sister and key government spokeswoman Kim Yo Jong warned this month that Seoul would undoubtedly witness the new counteraction of the DPRK if the leaflet drops and loudspeaker broadcasts continued.

An activist in the South confirmed Friday that he had launched more balloons.

Legally, South Korea cannot sanction activists sending balloons across the border due to a 2023 court ruling that bans it as an unjustifiable infringement on free speech.

Experts have warned that the balloons inadvertently cause border tensions to escalate quickly.

On Tuesday, Yoon visited a US aircraft carrier that arrived in South Korea at the weekend for joint military drills aimed at countering North Korean threats.

The drills, which include Japan, are set to go ahead later this month.

Pyongyang has routinely criticised such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.

North Koreas last missile launch before Wednesdays failed test came on May 30, when Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing a volley of around 10 short-range ballistic missiles.

Analysts have suggested the nuclear-armed North could be testing and ramping up production of artillery and cruise missiles before sending them to Russia for use in Ukraine.
On Thursday, May 23, in an atmosphere of celebration and accomplishment, 19 Latino community members emerged as graduates from the Latino Business Force course at Centro Unido Latino Americano.

Based in Marion, Centro Unido Latino Americano or CULA is a nonprofit organization devoted to creating educational, economic and recreational opportunities for the Latinx community.

The core of our work is always the community we serve as we strive to establish equitable philanthropic resources for all people, reads the website. CULA seeks to create secure spaces, establish cross-cultural partnerships and promote social justice, health equity and inclusive education opportunities for our Latinx community and beyond.

The Latino Business Force classes are a hands-on experience that focus heavily on business ownership, according to a news release from CULA.

Centro Unidos workforce coordinator, Melissa Flores, teaches on topics like bookkeeping, taxes, marketing and human resources. The training is verified by McDowell Technical Community College and participants receive their certificate of completion from the college. In the first cohort, there were 20 students who completed the program and three of them registered new businesses in North Carolina shortly thereafter, the release said.

This course equips community members with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape, the release said. The Latino Business Force program offers instruction in areas such as business startup essentials, licensing procedures, strategic marketing and financial management. Participants are provided with the tools and resources to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into realities, according to the news release.

We are immensely proud of our graduates and their remarkable achievements, Margarita Ramirez, executive director of Centro Unido Latino Americano, said in the news release. Their resilience, passion and entrepreneurial spirit serve as an inspiration to us all. Our goal is to break down barriers, and create spaces where our community can better their lives and their families.
Burkina Fasos military rulers have been criticized for their approach to counter-terrorism after an attack this month killed more than 100 Burkinabe soldiers in an army base.

The attack, in the northern town of Mansila, marked the highest loss for the Burkina Faso army since it started battling terrorist groups more than a decade ago.

The BBC wrote that the attack also highlights speculations about unrest within the security forces.

The attack was claimed by Jihadist group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda inspired group.

Junta leader Capt Ibrahim Traore broke his silence on the attack, 10 days after it happened.

He said the military had launched an operation after the assault, and sent reinforcement troops.

A day after the Mansila attack, state broadcaster RTB TV in the capital was hit by a rocket, leading many observers to float the possibility of a mutiny.

As Jihadist groups continue to wreak havoc in the wider Sahel, Burkina Faso suffered the most accounting for almost a quarter of people killed in terrorist attacks globally in 2023, according to Sydney-based Institute for Economics & Peace.

The countrys army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. While the nation celebrates its achievements, it continues to take on the critical task of fulfilling the ambitious goals set forth in the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).

To keep the public up to date on progress made in this regard across the country, the State Council Information Office (SCIO) hosted a series of press conferences on the regional efforts of promoting high-quality development.

From March 19 to June 14, senior officials from each of China's 31 provincial-level regions came to Beijing to provide a comprehensive overview of their work and future plans. These events offered a unique window into China's dynamic regional developments, revealing the country's commitment to high-quality development through developing new quality productive forces, higher levels of opening up, and green transitions.

New quality productive forces

Marked by innovation, new quality productive forces represent a departure from traditional economic growth models, aligning with China's new development philosophy which prioritizes innovation and sustainability. They encompass high-tech, efficient, and high-quality productivity methods.

Officials from China's capital Beijing said that the city will focus on building itself into a major international sci-tech innovation center and leveraging its capital city status to develop new quality productive forces.

In 2023, technology contract transactions in Beijing exceeded 850 billion yuan (US$119.74 billion), with an average of 337 technology enterprises established daily, said Beijing Mayor Yin Yong at a press conference on March 19.

Amid a new round of global technological and industrial changes, the capital city will continue to improve its sci-tech research capabilities, deepen the reform of the sci-tech system, and strengthen efforts to cultivate and introduce new talent, Yin said.

On March 28, 2024, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing about Shanghai's efforts of promoting high-quality development. [Photo by Zhao Yifan/China SCIO]

Officials from China's eastern metropolis Shanghai said the city aims to upgrade traditional industries, like automotive, steel, and chemical engineering through digital and green low-carbon transitions, as well as through leveraging new technologies, models, and business forms, so as to make traditional industries a cornerstone of new quality productive forces.

While prioritizing the development of its three leading sectors including integrated circuits, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence, the city has made plans to break through bottlenecks in technologies, improve the resilience and security of its industrial and supply chains, and build multi-billion dollar industrial clusters in electronic information, advanced materials, trendy consumer goods, and other sectors.

Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said that the city will continue to focus on emerging sectors like the digital economy, green low-carbon industries, the metaverse, and smart devices, and plans to be an early mover in future-oriented sectors like healthcare, smart technologies, energy, space, and new materials.

A five-seat electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft takes flight in its demonstration near Shekou Cruise Home port in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong province, on Feb. 27, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The southern economic powerhouse Guangdong has been pioneering future-oriented industries, especially in the low-altitude economy. The province currently dominates the consumer drone market, with products making up 90% of the national share and over 70% of the global market.

In February, Guangdong witnessed the maiden flight of the world's first cross-sea and cross-city electric air taxi. This route, connecting Shenzhen to Zhuhai, takes about 20 minutes by air, compared to roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes by car.

Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong announced at a press conference on March 29 that the province plans to start manned flights by 2026, potentially giving rise to a new trillion-yuan industrial cluster.

High-level opening up

Various regional governments in China said they will remain committed to opening up further to the outside world, and promote free trade and free market.

Liu Xiaoming, governor of southern island province of Hainan, said it is accelerating preparations for independent customs operations while taking steps to promoting socioeconomic development, seeking to position itself at the forefront of China's high-level opening up.

Hainan has put in place a free trade port policy system featuring "facilitation and liberalization for the flow of trade, investment, cross-border capital, personnel and transportation, and the secure and orderly flow of data," Liu said.

This aerial photo taken on April 4, 2023, shows the Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Foreign investment in Hainan has been on the rise, with the number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises in the province growing at an average annual rate of 65% since 2018, Liu said. There are currently 6,543 foreign-funded enterprises operating in the province, he added.

Serving as a gateway to ASEAN countries, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region aims to provide more convenience for business operation and the dual circulation of domestic and international markets.

"We aim to greatly enhance facilitation in investment, trade, consumption, capital flow, exchanges, logistics and transportation," said Lan Tianli, chairman of the autonomous region, adding that further improvements will be made in transportation, cross-regional industrial and supply chains, systematic opening up, and business environment.

Currently, Guangxi is building the Pinglu Canal, the first major canal project since the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Guangxi governor said the project will significantly streamline logistics between southwestern China, western China, and ASEAN countries once completed.

Lan said the region will also fully align itself with the trade rules of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and seize more development opportunities by better integrating with the neighboring Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

With 60% of its GDP attributed to foreign trade, the development of an open economy is of paramount importance to Zhejiang, said the province's vice governor, Lu Shan.

To attract global enterprises, Lu said Zhejiang is committed to creating a world-class business environment. He said that the province will implement a management system for foreign investment featuring pre-establishment national treatment and negative list, and regularly host roundtable meetings with foreign enterprises to address operational challenges. "We sincerely hope more outstanding foreign enterprises will choose Zhejiang as a key investment destination in China," Lu said.

The province also aims to strengthen its presence abroad by leveraging the economic activities of its extensive global diaspora. "We will promote actions to expand markets and increase orders, supporting private enterprises in global expansion," Lu said. At the press conference, he revealed Zhejiang's plans to develop overseas industrial parks, build small yet impactful Belt and Road e-commerce projects, and nurture local multinational companies.

Green, low-carbon development

In its pursuit of high-quality development, China is also accelerating its pace of green transitions.

The country's coal-rich Shanxi province is rapidly modernizing its coal mining operations with intelligent technologies and exploring alternative energy sources as part of a major push toward green development.

Currently, all underground coal mining operations in Shanxi are mechanized, and 54% of its coal production capacity is achieved through intelligent mining. Over 80% of its coal production capacity stands at an advanced level, said Shanxi's Executive Vice Governor Wu Wei on May 15.

He said Shanxi is also vigorously producing unconventional natural gas and prioritizing the development of new energy sources. More than 90% of new buildings in the province are green structures, and over 90% of heating systems in both urban and rural areas utilize clean energy, Wu said.

Northern China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region is leveraging its abundant wind and solar power potential to revolutionize its energy landscape, transforming itself into a hub for clean, sustainable power generation, according to its senior officials.

Last year, Inner Mongolia supplied 306.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to areas outside the autonomous region, which was triple the annual output of the Three Gorges Dam, said Wang Lixia, the autonomous region's chairwoman.

In pursuit of green development, Inner Mongolia plans to take the lead in the country to establish a new energy-dominated supply system and a new power system, said Huang Zhiqiang, executive vice chairman of the autonomous region.

As part of its ambitious green transition goals, the scale of installed capacity of new energy in Inner Mongolia, which has already exceeded 100 million kilowatts, will surpass that of thermal power by 2025, and its new energy power generation will exceed thermal power generation by 2030, Huang said.

This aerial photo taken on June 9, 2022, shows sheep walking through a photovoltaic power station in Gonghe county of Hainan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, northwestern China's Qinghai province. [Photo/Xinhua]

In pursuit of sustainable and high-quality development, Qinghai province emphasizes transforming its ecology and economy through "vigorously advancing the industrialization of ecology and the ecologicalization of industry," Governor Wu Xiaojun said at a press conference on May 24.

Wu cited the "photovoltaic sheep" project, where solar panels installed in the desert reduced water evaporation by 30% and wind speed by 50%, transforming barren land into green pastures and increasing income for farmers and herders. "The project is a triple-win that synergizes ecological protection, clean energy development, and increased income," Wu said.

Last year, Qinghai's installed clean energy capacity exceeded 51 million kilowatts, accounting for 93% of its total capacity. The province is also leveraging its clean energy advantages to advance green industries. For instance, Qinghai's dry, cool climate allows data centers to use 40% less energy for cooling compared to the national average. Moreover, Wu noted that developing the computing sector in Qinghai is estimated to reduce costs by 20% and operating expenses by 30%, with a shorter payback period, making the province a premium destination for developing the green computing industry.
In a troubling development for Malis fragile democracy, opposition politicians arrested in a recent government crackdown have been transferred to prisons across the country. This move has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, who view it as another setback in a nation where the junta has suspended all political activities.

Eleven opposition figures were detained earlier this month during a private meeting, sparking outrage from Malis National Human Rights Commission. The dissidents face serious charges, including conspiracy against the government and breach of public order, though they have yet to face trial.

This crackdown is part of a broader pattern of political repression in Mali. Since February, the junta has dissolved political parties and suspended all political activities, citing the need to maintain public order. The opposition has appealed to the Supreme Court, but the timeline for consideration remains unclear.

The political climate in Mali has become increasingly hostile, with journalists and activists facing threats and disappearances. Many international correspondents have left the country due to restrictions on their work.

Human rights experts warn that the juntas heavy-handed approach is pushing Mali towards a political impasse. They argue that resolving the countrys complex security crisis requires inclusive dialogue and respect for political pluralism, rather than dogmatic repression.

This escalating crackdown highlights the growing challenges to freedom of expression and political dissent in Mali, raising concerns about the countrys future stability and democratic prospects.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reached a significant decision in the case against Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, a key figure in the 2012 Islamist takeover of Timbuktu, Mali. The court found Al Hassan guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, marking a crucial moment in international justice for the region.

Al Hassan, a prominent member of the Ansar Dine Islamist group, was convicted for his role in imposing a harsh interpretation of sharia law on Timbuktus population. The judges determined he played a central part in the Islamic police force, orchestrating public floggings and other cruel treatments.

While the court acknowledged the occurrence of gender-based crimes during the occupation, including rape and forced marriages, it did not find Al Hassan directly responsible for these acts. The verdict also acquitted him of charges related to the destruction of Timbuktus ancient shrines and tombs.

The 47-year-old defendant, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, now faces potential life imprisonment. This case follows a previous ICC conviction related to the Timbuktu occupation, underlining the courts ongoing examination of events in Mali since 2012.

This verdict represents a significant step in addressing war crimes in the Sahel region, highlighting the international communitys commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for atrocities committed during times of conflict.
In a dramatic turn of events, Kenyas President William Ruto has announced the withdrawal of a contentious finance bill following widespread and violent protests that left at least 22 people dead. The decision marks a significant concession from the government in the face of intense public pressure.

The proposed legislation, which included unpopular tax hikes, sparked the largest demonstrations since Rutos election in 2022. Protesters stormed parliament, setting parts of the complex ablaze and stealing the ceremonial mace. Initially, Ruto responded with a hard-line stance, deploying the military to quell the unrest.

However, in a surprising about-face, Ruto acknowledged the clear message from Kenyans rejecting the bill. He emphasized the original intent to address Kenyas massive $80 billion debt burden but conceded that public opinion had prevailed.

The presidents climbdown has been widely interpreted as a victory for Kenyas youth, who were at the forefront of the protests. However, uncertainty remains about planned future demonstrations, with some protesters now calling for Rutos resignation.

This crisis presents a significant challenge to Rutos leadership, who came to power promising economic reforms and a bottom-up approach to benefit the less fortunate. As Kenya grapples with high unemployment and economic struggles, the government now faces the task of finding alternative solutions to its financial challenges while addressing growing public discontent.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom, state lawmakers, and health industry leaders have a small window to reach an agreement on billions of new dollars for Medi-Cal before it's put to voters in November.

An initiative, supported by virtually every sector of the state's health care industry as well as the local Republican and Democratic parties, would lock in the money for Medi-Cal, California's version of the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income residents. The funds would be used primarily to increase payment rates for health care professionals who serve Medi-Cal patients.

Newsom, a Democrat, initially supported using the money for that purpose. But after California's fiscal situation darkened, he reversed course in May, proposing to divert most of it to reduce the state's $45 billion budget deficit.

The money is from a tax on managed-care health plans that's been around for two decades but has historically been used to offset existing state spending rather than support new investments in Medi-Cal.

"The importance of this ballot initiative is finally being serious about investing in the viability of the Medi-Cal system," said Adam Dougherty, chief of emergency medicine at Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento. "The MCO tax literally touches every aspect of the Medi-Cal system, and it can't be at the mercy of year-to-year budget crises."

Michael Genest, a former finance director under Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, noted that several ballot initiatives approved by voters in the past continue to narrow the state's fiscal choices, including one that limits property tax increases and another that guarantees a large share of the state budget to schools.

"We do ballot-box budgeting in the state of California. We've done it forever. And everything we've done in that regard has turned out to be very hard on fiscal stability," Genest said.

It's possible that the Coalition to Protect Access to Care, made up of doctors, hospitals, health plans, and other medical providers, could settle their differences with state leaders before a June 27 deadline to withdraw the initiative.

Newsom's desire to claw back most of the promised money puts him at odds with proponents of the initiative, many of whom have long counted themselves among his allies. Elana Ross, a spokesperson for Newsom, declined to comment on the status of the initiative.

In May, Newsom proposed using about $6.7 billion previously earmarked for Medi-Cal pay hikes and some other health care priorities, mostly in 2025 and 2026, to offset existing state spending. His proposal would retain Medi-Cal payment increases totaling around $300 million a year for some primary care, mental health, and maternity services.

The legislature passed a new budget on June 13 largely following the governor's wishes by canceling the planned Medi-Cal increases in 2025. But Newsom hasn't signed off.

"What was approved represents a two-house agreement between the Senate and the Assemblynot an agreement with the governor," said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for the state's Department of Finance. "We'll respectfully decline to speculate on what the contours of a final agreement would look like."

Revenue from the managed-care tax allows the state to draw matching federal dollars, more than doubling the amount available. Federal and state money would also be used to reimburse the health plans for nearly all the taxes they paid, theoretically having no effect on insurance premiums.

California is among 19 states that have such an "MCO tax" in place to help fund their Medicaid programs. Using the tax revenue to pay Medi-Cal providers more is "a generational opportunity to fundamentally fix access to care for Medi-Cal recipients," said Dustin Corcoran, CEO of the California Medical Association and a spokesperson for the ballot initiative.

Corcoran said internal polling shows the initiative has public support by "very healthy margins," though he declined to share specific numbers.

If the initiative does end up on the November ballot and is approved, it would override any compromise Newsom strikes with lawmakers. It would restore the previously planned Medi-Cal investments for 2025 and 2026. And it would make the increased funding, and more of it, permanent starting in 2027, though that would require federal approval.

Proponents of the initiative say it is fundamentally a question of health equity. Medi-Cal covers medical and mental health services for nearly 15 million Californians, well over a third of the state, many of them among the poorest and most vulnerable residents. The program has a budget of about $157 billion, including recent expansions to cover all immigrants regardless of legal status and a $12 billion experiment to offer socioeconomic supports not traditionally covered by health insurance.

But access to care is notoriously spotty for many Medi-Cal patients, in part because low payment rates discourage providers from seeing them. The shortage is particularly acute in specialty care.

"Our patients wait months for access to specialists or travel great distances to see them," said Joel Ramirez, chief medical officer of Camarena Health, a chain of over 20 community clinics based in Madera. "Higher rates would allow for more providers."

Ramirez said 60% to 70% of Camarena's patients are on Medi-Cal, many of them farmworkers. "It's a tall ask for them to find time off work and get the transportation to travel an hour for an appointment," he said. "Whatever condition that patient has that needs the attention of a specialist is being either untreated or incompletely treated."

Dougherty, Sutter Medical Center's ER chief, said that over half of his patients are on Medi-Cal and the ER is always at full capacity, with the waiting rooms jammed and an insufficient number of beds. The initiative, he said, "allows us to hire more staff, add more beds, create more infrastructure for the volume we're seeing."

2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Credit: JACC: Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.100945

Physician-scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine have conducted a nationwide study evaluating the predictive value of cardiovascular health scores for mortality.

Their study, recently published in JACC: Advances, compares two cardiovascular health metrics developed by the American Heart AssociationLife's Simple 7 (LS7) and its updated version, the Life's Essential 8 (LE8)to the well-established Pooled Cohort Equation recognized by the American College of Cardiology.

In 2022, the AHA recognized sleep as a vital determinant of cardiovascular health. Therefore, the prior cardiovascular health metric, the LS7 score, was revamped into the LE8 with the inclusion of sleep as a critical health component.

"This marked a significant evolution in our approach to measuring cardiovascular health," said Naman S. Shetty, M.D., lead author of the study and research fellow in the UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease. "This research delves into the comparative predictive validity of these tools for mortality, providing a thorough analysis relevant for clinicians and patients."

The study questions whether these cardiovascular health scores should be used for mortality risk prediction by comparing them with a validation risk prediction tool, the PCE.

The research utilized extensive national population-level data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018, a biennial survey that is conducted to assess the health and nutrition status of the United States population by examining a carefully selected group of individuals who represent the national population.

"This comprehensive dataset of approximately 22,000 participants allowed the researchers to determine the predictive capacities of these health scores to a population of approximately 157 million U.S. individuals," said Mokshad Gaonkar, the biostatistician leading the analysis for the project and statistician at UAB.

"The value of the NHANES is further enhanced by the linkage of participant data to the National Death Index, which allowed the research to examine the outcomes of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality."

The researchers found that LE8 and LS7 scores offered similar predictive values for both of their study outcomes, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. However, the PCEs outperformed the LE8 and LS7 scores in their mortality risk prediction value.

"Apart from including the cardiovascular risk factors, the PCEs integrate demographic factors such as age, sex and race and also provide separate risk estimation algorithms based on sex and race," Shetty said.

"Furthermore, the PCEs also incorporate weights for each cardiovascular risk factor to accurately reflect the increase in risk of cardiovascular outcomes with changes in the risk factors. Our results underscore the PCE's enhanced utility in clinical environments, where precise risk assessment is critical to effective patient management and treatment planning."

Pankaj Arora, M.D., the senior author and a cardiologist at the UAB Cardiovascular Institute, emphasized the broader implications of their findings.

"The LE8 and LS7 scores are invaluable for broad public health surveillance and interventions aimed at enhancing community health outcomes," Arora said. "However, when it comes to individual risk assessment in clinical practice, the current study highlights the comprehensive nature of the PCE, which makes it a superior choice due to its nuanced approach to mortality risk prediction.

"Therefore, the study calls for a shift of research efforts away from assessing the risk prediction value of the LE8 and LS7 scores and focusing on their intended use of characterizing and tracking cardiovascular health."

More information: Naman S. Shetty et al, Association of Life's Essential 8 and Simple 7 Scores With Mortality, JACC: Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.100945
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Are heat waves more deadly for women? This question initiated a study now published in "Significance Magazine" analyzing how extreme temperatures affect mortality differently for men and women, focusing on India.

The research team, including Yi-Ting Lin, a University of Michigan doctoral student in biostatistics, and Bhramar Mukherjee, professor and chair of the Department of Biostatistics at U-M School of Public Health, examined 30 years of gender-stratified mortality data related to extreme temperatures in India.

"After reviewing several existing studies, we find that studies from the Global North consistently show gender disparities in temperature-related mortality," Mukherjee said.

"However, such clarity is not the case for the Global South. The natural question is, is this disproportionate effect on women present there, too? If so, how can we quantify this mortality difference between genders? This initial analysis is just the tip of the iceberg of what we have worked on for the last 10 months."

The team, which includes researchers Ramit Debnath and Ronita Bardhan of Cambridge University, believes enriching the data will allow us to employ more sophisticated analytic tools to uncover the truth.

"Clarity on vulnerable subgroups more susceptible to heat-related deaths will enable policymakers to design effective intervention strategies targeted to these subgroups," Ling said. "Downstream, this will ensure greater climate action equity."

The study provides initial evidence from analyzing yearly extreme weather-related mortality data that women bear a more significant adversarial burden from extreme weather events than men.

The team identified that gender is crucial in climate studies because of the biological and physiological differences between the sexes and the significant sociocultural distinctions that influence how individuals experience and respond to climate impacts.

Understanding gender-specific differences in the temperature-mortality relationship is crucial, the researchers say. Gender roles, deeply rooted in society, often disadvantage women in terms of their daily activities (such as cooking and expected clothing practices) and their lack of economic and social agency to access cooling resources that require energy expenditures, they say.

"Women in the Global South are disproportionately affected by extreme temperatures," the team wrote. "Rigid cultural norms and societal expectations restrict their ability to cope with and respond to increasing temperatures. These disparities are not just a matter of physical health but are compounded by social inequities that heighten the risks faced by women during extreme weather events."

More information: Long read: Are heatwaves more deadly for women? significancemagazine.com/long-  re-deadly-for-women/
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One in five U.K. health care workers may not be fully immunized against measles, new research has found.

In a letter published in The Lancet, a team of immunology experts led by Professor Alex Richter at the University of Birmingham examined measles immunity in two groups of health care workers (HCWs).

The findings revealed that among a cohort of more than 400 HCWs, 13% of participants lacked measles antibodies, with a further 7.5% had borderline antibody status. Birth year was the major factor that determined immune status. Unusually for immunity, the younger the HCW the more likely they were to have a negative antibody result. This was confirmed in a second older HCW cohort from across the U.K.

The researchers suggest that the likely cause for this is that they were not vaccinated as there has been so few measles infections over the last 20 years until recently, and so they were unlikely to have acquired immunity through infection. Erroneous concerns about MMR vaccine safety that emerged in 1998 compromised vaccine uptake in those born after 1998.

Alex Richter, professor and honorary consultant in clinical immunology at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the letter, said, "Measles cases are currently at high levels across the country. Our new research highlights a concerning gap in measles immunity among health care workers, who may unwittingly be putting themselves and vulnerable populations at avoidable risk.

"Health care workers in patient-facing roles, especially those working with children and immune-compromised individuals, are at risk of contracting and spreading measles if they are not fully immune to measles."

Dr. Antonia Ho, clinical senior lecturer and consultant in infectious diseases at the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for Virus Research and first author, said, "Health care workers should check their vaccine history if they are uncertain and offered vaccination.

"Vaccination remains the most effective method of controlling measles. Therefore, every effort should be made to support health care workers, who are on the front lines of patient care, to ensure they are protected against measles to safeguard themselves and their patients."

More information: Antonia Ho et al, Implications of suboptimal measles immunity in UK health-care workers, The Lancet (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01011-0 Journal information: The Lancet
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Researchers captured the structure of a new neutralizing antibody (blue) binding to the measles fusion glycoprotein (green). This antibody elicits a unique neutralizing mechanism explained through a combination of cell-based assays and structural biology. Credit: Dawid Zyla, LJI

What happens when the measles virus meets a human cell? The viral machinery unfolds in just the right way to reveal key pieces that let it fuse itself into the host cell membrane.

Once the fusion process is complete, the host cell is a goner. It belongs to the virus now.

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) Center for Vaccine Innovation are working to develop new measles vaccines and therapeutics that stop this fusion process. The researchers recently harnessed an imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy to showin unprecedented detailhow a powerful antibody can neutralize the virus before it completes the fusion process.

The study, "A neutralizing antibody prevents post-fusion transition of measles virus fusion protein," is published in Science.

"What's exciting about this study is that we've captured snapshots of the fusion process in action," explains LJI Professor, President and CEO Erica Ollmann Saphire, Ph.D., who co-led the study with Matteo Porotto, Ph.D., Professor of Viral Molecular Pathogenesis (in Pediatrics) at Columbia University.

"The series of images is like a flip book where we see snapshots along the way of the fusion protein unfolding, but then we see the antibody locking it together before it can complete the last stage in the fusion process. We think other antibodies against other viruses will do the same thing but have not been imaged like this before."

Indeed, this work may prove important beyond measles. Measles virus is just one member of the larger paramyxovirus family, which also includes the deadly Nipah virus. Nipah virus is known for being less contagious but causing a much higher mortality rate than measles.

"What we learn about the fusion process can be medically relevant for Nipah, parainfluenza viruses, and Hendra virus," says study first author and LJI Postdoctoral Researcher Dawid Zyla, Ph.D. "These are all viruses with pandemic potential."

The urgent need for measles treatments

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that tends to strike children the hardest. Despite extensive vaccine efforts, the virus remains a major health threat.

According to the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, measles caused around 136,000 deaths globally in 2022, with recent outbreaks in over a dozen U.S. states. The victims were mostly children under age five who were unvaccinated or undervaccinated.

"Measles causes more childhood deaths than any other vaccine-preventable disease, and it's also one of the most infectious viruses known," says Saphire.

It's not just young children at risk, explains Zyla. "The current vaccine works well, but it cannot be taken by pregnant people or people with compromised immune systems," Zyla says.

There is no specific treatment for measles, so researchers are looking for antibodies to use as an emergency treatment to prevent severe disease.

To better understand how the measles virus fuses with cells, the LJI team turned to an antibody called mAb 77. Researchers have found that mAb 77 targets the measles fusion glycoprotein, the piece of viral machinery measles uses to enter human cells via a specialized process called fusion.

Could mAb 77 work as a therapeutic antibody against measles? To find out, the LJI scientists investigated exactly how the antibody combats the virus.

Study first author and LJI Postdoctoral Researcher Dawid Zyla, Ph.D. Credit: Matthew Ellenbogen, LJI Creative Producer

Membrane fusion, interrupted

The LJI team needed to engineer a version of the measles fusion glycoproteina harmless fragment of the virusstable enough to image with a cryo-electron microscope. To do this, Zyla worked closely with scientists in Porotto's laboratory at Columbia University.

Porotto's group had uncovered some strange mutations in a measles variant that attacked peoples' central nervous systems. This mutated variant had some weak points in its fusion glycoprotein structure. To compensate, the virus had evolved special stabilizing mutations. "The virus has to mutate to go into the brain, but then it needs these stabilizing mutations to compensate," says Porotto.

Thanks to these discoveries at Columbia, Zyla had a handy blueprint for engineering a fusion glycoprotein with these same stabilizing mutations. This new fusion glycoprotein could be mass produced in cell culture, and it was sturdy enough for structural investigations.

"We got extremely good yields for the glycoprotein, which also enabled us to do structural biology and biochemical and biophysical studies," says Zyla.

Next, the researchers started capturing images with the help of the LJI Cryoelectron Microscopy Core. The new images showed the fusion glycoprotein together "in complex" with mAb 77.

The researchers found mAb 77 arrests the virus in the middle of the fusion processwhen fusion glycoprotein is already part way done "folding" into the right conformation to complete membrane fusion. At last, the researchers could see exactly how mAb 77 locks together pieces of the fusion glycoprotein to prevent viral infection.

"It was striking to see what this intermediate step in the fusion process actually looks like," says Zyla.

Next steps for stopping measles

Now that they know how mAb 77 works, the researchers hope the antibody could be used as part of a treatment cocktail to protect people against measles or to treat people with active measles infection.

In a follow-up experiment, the researchers showed that mAb 77 provided significant protection against measles in cotton rat models of measles virus infection. Cotton rats pretreated with mAb 77 prior to measles virus exposure showed either no infection or reduced signs of infection in their lung tissue.

Going forward, Saphire and Zyla are interested in studying different antibodies against measles. "We'd like to stop fusion at different points in the process and investigate other therapeutic opportunities," Zyla says.

Zyla also plans to continue working closely with measles researchers at Columbia University. "The combination of structural biology expertise from LJI and cell biology and virology expertise from Columbia was key to pushing this project forward," says Zyla.

More information: Dawid S. Zyla et al, A neutralizing antibody prevents postfusion transition of measles virus fusion protein, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adm8693. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm8693 Journal information: Science
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New revelations, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, reveal the recent activities of Philip Morris International (PMI) and its Japanese affiliate, Philip Morris Japan (PMJ).

An analysis of leaked documents by the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) at The University of Bath, shows that PMI, the largest transnational tobacco company in the world, and its subsidiary PMJ, secretly funded Kyoto University academics to carry out research on smoking cessation. There is also evidence that PMJ funded a life sciences consultancy, run by a Japanese professor at Tokyo University, to build a network of experts to influence public health policy.

TCRG examined 24 leaked documents dating from 20122020 made available at the University of California San Francisco's Truth Tobacco Archive.

Key findings from the TCRG research:

PMJ contracted a third-party external research organization, CMIC, to secretly fund a study on smoking cessation conducted by Kyoto University academics. No public record of PMJ's funding or involvement in this study was found.

PMJ paid life sciences consultancy, FTI-Innovations, 3,000,000 (approx. 20,000) a month between 2014 and 2019 to conduct various science-related tasks, such as networking with scientists and promoting PMI's science and products at academic events. This arrangement was kept secret both within and outside the company. FTI-Innovations is run by a professor at Tokyo University.

Dr. Sophie Braznell, author of the paper, said, "Despite claiming to conduct transparent science, PMI has been covertly funding research and attempting to influence science and policy to create a favorable environment for its products. This contradicts PMI's supposed transformation efforts and raises serious concerns about the company's research ethics. We must urgently reform the ways tobacco research is funded and governed to protect science from vested corporate interests, and ensure the public and policymakers have the truly transparent and independent science they need.

Louis Laurence, author of the paper, said, "The tobacco industry's tactics still endanger our health, showing we urgently need to clean up science from their unhealthy grip. We must find ways to fund research that's honest and open, keeping tobacco's influence far away from the truth of science."

PMI has a track record of scientific misconduct and misinformation

The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) claims to be independent, but TCRG research has found that it is solely funded by PMI and published by PMI-favorable research.

Journalist investigations and academic reviews of PMI's science have raised serious concerns over the quality and ethical standing of PMI's clinical research.

In 2022, a review by TCRG found PMI's clinical trials on its heated tobacco products were at high risk of bias and poor quality.

A 2020 TCRG report on PMI detailed the company's "relentless lobbying, PR campaigns and multifaceted approaches to influencing science and public health in order to manage the future direction of tobacco control."

Dr. Braznell said, "PMI continues to prioritize maximizing profits rather than improving public health. The manipulation of science for profit harms us all, especially policymakers and consumers trying to make potentially life-changing decisions. It slows down and undermines public health policies, while encouraging the widespread use of harmful products."

The study also builds on TCRG's previous research on the manipulation of science for profit. To analyze the documents, the researchers used the Science for Profit Model. This was developed by TCRG researcher Dr. Tess Legg, who said, "We cannot ignore the alarming implications of these revelations. The tobacco industry's influence on science undermines the credibility of research and threatens public health. It is imperative that we take decisive action to protect the integrity of scientific inquiry from vested interests."

In addition to the paper, the research has contributed to work by STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog.

More information: Sophie Braznell et al, "Keep it a secret": leaked documents suggest Philip Morris International, and its Japanese affiliate, continue to exploit science for profit, Nicotine and Tobacco Research (2024). DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae101 Journal information: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
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The farmers' co-op here is a center of hope every spring. It's where farmers buy seed and fertilizer for the summer's crops, and where they seek tips to maximize their harvest of corn and soybeans.

But on a recent morning, a dozen mental health professionals gathered at the Key Cooperative Agronomy Center to discuss why so many farmers quietly struggle with untreated anxiety and depression.

Studies have concluded that suicide is unusually common among farmers. Researchers believe it's not just because many farmers have other risk factors, such as rural addresses and access to guns.

The tragic trend has caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which sponsors training sessions like the one in Grinnell to help health care professionals learn how to talk to farmers about the pressures they face in wringing a living out of the land.

"A lot of them are born to it. They don't have any choice," family therapist David Brown explained to the session's participants. He noted many farms have been passed down for generations. Current owners feel that if they fail, they would be letting down their grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren.

Brown, who works for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, led the training in Grinnell. He said farmers' fate hinges on factors out of their control. Will the weather be favorable? Will world events cause prices to soar or crash? Will political conflicts spark changes in federal agricultural support programs? Will a farmer suffer an injury or illness that makes them unable to perform critical chores?

Brown said surveys show many farmers are reluctant to seek mental health care, partly because they think therapists or doctors couldn't understand their lives.

Tina Recker, a mental health therapist in northeastern Iowa, attended the training session. She has lived on farms, and she has seen how the profession can become a person's entire identity. "It's just farm, farm, farm, farm," she told the group. "If something goes wrong with it, that's your whole world."

It's difficult to estimate how much of farmers' increased risk of suicide is due to their profession.

Part of the reason for the elevated rate could be that many farmers are middle-aged or older men, who tend to be more at risk in general. "But it's broader than that for sure," said Edwin Lewis, a USDA administrator who helps oversee efforts to address the situation.

The Grinnell training session was part of a federal program called the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. Lewis said the program, which also funds counseling hotlines and support groups, spends $10 million a year.

Jason Haglund sees the issue from multiple angles. He's a mental health advocate who farms part-time near the central Iowa town of Boone. He and his brother-in-law raise corn and soybeans on the 500-acre farm where Haglund grew up. His family has farmed in the area since the 1880s. His parents hung on despite going into bankruptcy during the 1980s farm crisis, and he embraces his role as caretaker of their legacy.

Haglund is trained as an alcohol and drug addiction counselor, and he co-hosts an Iowa podcast about the need to improve mental health care.

He said it can be stressful to run any kind of family business. But farmers have a particularly strong emotional tie to their heritage, which keeps many in the profession.

"Let's be honest: Farming at all these days isn't necessarily a good financial decision," he said.

Farmers traditionally have valued self-sufficiency, he said. They try to solve their own problems, whether it's a busted tractor or a debilitating bout of anxiety.

"With the older generation, it's still, "Suck it up and get over it,'" Haglund said. Many younger people seem more willing to talk about mental health, he said. But in rural areas, many lack access to mental health care.

Farmers' suicide risk is also heightened by many of them owning guns, which provide an immediate means to act on deadly impulses, Haglund said.

Guns are an accepted part of rural life, in which they are seen as a useful tool to control pests, he said. "You can't go into a rural community and say, "We're going to take your guns away,'" he said. But a trusted therapist or friend might suggest that a depressed person temporarily hand over their guns to someone else who can safely store them.

Haglund said health care professionals shouldn't be the only ones learning how to address mental stresses. He encourages the public to look into "mental health first aid," a national effort to spread knowledge about symptoms of struggle and how they can be countered.

A 2023 review of studies on farmer suicides in multiple countries, including the U.S., cited cultural and economic stresses.

"Farmers who died by suicide, particularly men, were described as hard-working, strong, private people who took great pride in being the stoic breadwinners of their families. They were often remembered as members of a unique and fading culture who were poorly understood by outsiders," wrote the authors, from the University of Alberta in Canada.

Rebecca Purc-Stephenson, a psychology professor who helped write the paper, said health professionals face two challenges: persuading farmers to seek help for mental stress, then encouraging them to keep coming back for therapy.

Back at the training in Iowa, instructors urged mental health professionals to have flexible schedules, and to be understanding when farmers postpone appointments at the last minute.

Maybe one of their animals is sick and needs attention. Maybe a machine broke and needs to be fixed immediately. Maybe the weather is perfect for planting or harvesting.

"Time is money," said Brown, the therapist leading the training.

The session's lessons included what to ask and not ask when meeting farmers. A big no-no is inquiring right away about how much land they are working. "If you ask them how many acres they're farming, that's like asking to see their bank account," warned Rich Gassman, director of Iowa's Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, who assisted with the lesson.

It would be better to start by asking what they enjoy about farming, the instructors said.

Many farmers also need to talk through emotional issues surrounding when, how, or even if the next generation will take over the family operation.

Tim Christensen, a farm management specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said some standard advice on how to deal with stress could backfire with farmers.

For example, he said, a health care professional should never advise a farmer to relax by taking a couple of weeks off. Most of them can't get away from their responsibilities for that long, he said.

"There's a common saying on the farm: No good vacation goes unpunished."

Warning signs of mental struggle

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention lists these signs that a person might be considering suicide:

The person talks about killing themselves, feeling hopeless, having no reason to live, being a burden to others, feeling trapped, or having unbearable pain.

The person increases their use of alcohol or drugs, sleeps too much or too little, displays fatigue or aggression, withdraws from activities and family and friends, visits or calls people to say goodbye, gives away possessions, or searches online for a way to end their life.

People considering suicide often seem depressed, anxious, irritable, angry, ashamed, or uninterested in activities. In some cases, they may appear to feel sudden relief or improvement in their mood.

People in crisis can reach the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting "988."

2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The tradition of millet cultivation dates back more than 5,000 years in Mizhi county of Yulin city, northwest China's Shaanxi province. Known throughout the country for its glutinous texture, aromatic flavor, and high nutritional value, Mizhi millet has become a flagship product of the region.

Farmlands in Mizhi county, Yulin city, northwest China's Shaanxi province, June 26, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

Li Rui, director of the agriculture bureau of Mizhi county, noted the significant shift from traditional practices: "Previously, millet farming was at the mercy of the elements, a considerable challenge due to our county's limited rainfall. However, the adoption of dry farming techniques has revolutionized this dependence, ensuring a reliable water supply during the millet's critical growth phases."

Mizhi has developed an innovative irrigation system that collects rainwater in ditches, uses solar power to pump the water, stores it in flexible pipes, and then delivers it directly to the plants' roots through a network of underground pipes. This approach has enabled the use of surplus rain in times of drought.

Jiang Dehuai, a local farmer from Gaoxigou village in Mizhi county, told China.org.cn, "Adopting this model has not only reduced our planting costs but also significantly boosted our yields, effectively doubling my income from farming."

In 2022, millet yield under the integrated rainwater harvesting model reached 400 kilograms per mu (0.067 hectares), a 40% increase compared to previous years. The new model also reduced water usage by 30% per mu and increased net income by 1,000 yuan ($140) per mu.

Mizhi's commitment to sustainable millet production extends beyond water conservation. The county has also embraced techniques that reduce chemical fertilizer use and enhance efficiency while adopting eco-friendly pest control methods.

"We've established five 10,000-mu demonstration zones and 15 1,000-mu demonstration fields. In 2023, the county's millet planting area reached 150,000 mu, with a total yield of 36,000 tons," Li noted.

Millet varieties on display in a millet-themed museum in Mizhi county, Yulin city, northwest China's Shaanxi province, June 26, 2024. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

In 2021, Mizhi millet was recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a national rural specialty product.

Gao Yuan, deputy director of Mizhi county, highlighted the county's comprehensive approach to millet production. "Mizhi has focused on the entire millet industry chain, developing more than 10 types of intensively processed products, such as millet tea, millet rice crust, millet coffee, millet vinegar, and millet wine," Gao said.

In 2023, the county's annual millet processing capacity surpassed 180,000 tons, generating a value of 750 million yuan and creating over 700 jobs.

Mizhi county, a national model for integrating e-commerce into rural areas, has established a county-level e-commerce public service center that includes exhibition, sales, live broadcasting, warehousing, and incubation facilities. In 2023, online sales revenue of millet-based agricultural specialty products surpassed 200 million yuan.
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One person died from an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least 275 people in the United Kingdom during the past month, health officials said Thursday.

The outbreak that led to 122 people being hospitalized was linked to lettuce in pre-packaged sandwiches, the U.K. Health Security Agency said.

Two patients with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli died in May but only one of the deaths was likely linked to the infection, the agency said. Both of the people who died had underlying medical conditions.

E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals, according to the Mayo Clinic. While most strains are harmless and cause relatively brief diarrhea, some strains can cause a range of conditions, including urinary tract infection, cystitis, intestinal infection and vomiting, with the worst cases leading to life-threatening blood poisoning.

More than 80% of the people sickened in the latest outbreak had bloody diarrhea, the UKHSA said.

Companies that make sandwiches sold by major grocery stores and retail chains throughout the U.K. issued voluntary recalls of sandwiches, wraps and salads beginning June 14.

New cases have declined recently.

The investigation into the source of the outbreak is ongoing.

 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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A common algorithm to check for endometrial cancer is not reliable for Black women, according to a new study published today in JAMA Oncology.

In Black patients with concerning symptoms, a tissue biopsy is strongly recommended to rule out endometrial cancer instead of using transvaginal ultrasound, the report concluded.

Endometrial cancer is the most common type of gynecological cancer in the United States. It is one of the few types of cancer now on the rise, especially among Black women, who are more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease. This cancer can cause symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and difficulty urinating, according to the American Cancer Society.

A transvaginal ultrasound is an imaging technique that allows the care team to view a woman's pelvic organs in more detail than a pelvic ultrasound allows.

The study looked back at ultrasound data from 1,500 Black women who ended up undergoing hysterectomy at 10 health centers. The study found that having a thinner endometrium measured on transvaginal ultrasound did not mean that there was no cancer risk. In fact, nearly 10% of patients with endometrial cancer had endometrial thickness below a common cut-off point of 4 millimeters.

"This is just not acceptable," said Dr. Kemi Doll, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Doll is the lead author of the paper. The test is supposed to be 99% to 100% accurate for ruling out endometrial cancer, but that's not the experience of Black women, she noted.

"What we found in real-world clinical scenarios, is that it's just not accurate enough to be safely employed as a strategy among Black people. Whereas, a tissue biopsy is conclusive," she said.

A transvaginal ultrasound is a type of imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the pelvis. It involves inserting a probe into the vagina and moving it around to capture images of the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and other structures.

Transvaginal ultrasound can measure the thickness of the endometrium, which is an indicator of endometrial cancer. A normal endometrial thickness is usually less than 4 millimeters in postmenopausal women. A thicker endometrium can suggest the presence of abnormal cells or tumors.

If a transvaginal ultrasound shows a thickened endometrium, a biopsy may be performed to confirm the diagnosis of endometrial cancer. But if the thickness of the endometrium is under 4 millimeters, then the tissue biopsy may not be performed, authors noted, because it may be assumed that the patient is cancer free.

That protocol can be deadly for Black patients.

"We found that 9.5% of the cancers in Black women were detected below the threshold of 4 millimeters, and 11.5% of the cancers would have been missed at 5 millimeters," she said.

The diagnostic triage protocols were established for the general population, Doll explained. But when looking at the outcomes of Black women in particular, she surmised that four complicating factors were at play: decreased visibility of the cancers, increased presence of fibroids within the endometrium, a larger body size and the skill of the technician doing the scans.

"You might have a cancerous lesion in one area, but not another, but if you don't look in that specific area, you might assume (the patient) is cancer free," she said.

When you have a high-risk group, such as Black women, coming to a doctor with symptoms of endometrial cancer, Doll said, "you need to do more." In this case, a tissue sample should be the first test for this cancer, not an optional follow-up test, she said.

This study backs up previous studies which found racial bias in accuracy of ultrasound for endometrial cancer diagnosis. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2019, Black women have a higher risk of having a false-negative transvaginal ultrasound than white women. This means that their endometrial thickness is measured as normal, even though they have endometrial cancer.

Another study a year later, led by Doll, found the algorithm underperforms in Black women for two reasons: fibroids, which are much more common in Black women, can distort the quality of the images; and Black women often have high-risk cancers that may cause less thickening of the endometrium.

The American Cancer Society notes that more nearly 70,000 womenof all ethnicitieswill be diagnosed with uterine cancer this year and more than 13,000 will die of the disease.

This newest finding published today involved a retrospective diagnostic study of electronic health record data and secondary administrative data in Black individuals who underwent a hysterectomy in 10 hospitals affiliated with one health system. The analysis was performed in 2023. Other medical centers involved in the study include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Michigan and Duke University.
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Governments and public health agencies may need to focus on political affiliation when developing strategies to tackle obesity, according to new research by Loughborough University.

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, analyzed data from more than 2,500 people who were asked to provide information on their socio-demographic characteristics, health outcomes, height/weight and the political party voted for at the 2019 UK General Election.

The researchers found that Conservative voters were more likely to be living with obesity (between 42%54% higher odds) than those who voted Labor or the Liberal Democrats. Conservative voters also had on average significantly higher BMI scores (~1 unit) than those voting Labor and the Liberal Democrats.

There was no evidence participants living in constituencies won by Conservative MPs were more likely to be living with obesity than those in constituencies won by other party MPs.

Researchers from Loughborough's Center for Lifestyle Medicine and Behavior (CLiMB) say the findings support those from the United States, which suggest that county/state rates of obesity are positively associated with voting for the Republican Party presidential candidate.

Speaking about the new study, lead author Amanda Daley, Professor of Behavioral Medicine and Director of CLiMB, said, "Health remains an important political issue and a top priority for voters. In this nationally representative sample, after adjusting for age group, gender, ethnicity, indicators of deprivation and country, voters for the Conservative Party had a higher BMI score and were more likely to be living with obesity than Labor and Liberal Democrats voters.

"This finding is notable as obesity increases the risk of morbidity, dying prematurely and has substantial economic consequences for health care services across the world. Given that almost 14 million people voted for the Conservative Party at the 2019 UK general election, the largest majority since 1987, governments and public health agencies may benefit from focusing on the political affiliation of the public when developing obesity prevention and reduction strategies."

All the data for this study was taken from the Ipsos Knowledge Panel and was collected between 24 and 30 June 2021.

More information: A. J. Daley et al, Political voting in the United Kingdom 2019 general election and risk of living with obesity in a nationally representative sample, International Journal of Obesity (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41366-024-01569-5 Journal information: International Journal of Obesity
Now under construction, a local nonprofit's new home base will serve as an expanded center offering all-encompassing services for single Montana mothers.

Mountain Home Montana is expanding its campus to a 41,000-square-foot building in Missoulas South Hills. The new center is a reflection of Missoula's increasing cost of living and Mountain Home's growing waitlist of single mothers struggling to afford to live in Montana.

This place started 25 years ago, and my goodness look what we are now, said Laura Snyder, founder of the nonprofit, on Wednesday at a groundbreaking ceremony.

The new site, on 23rd Avenue where Hillside Health and Rehabilitation used to be housed, gives Mountain Home much more space to house mothers, provide child care and offer other services for guests, like substance abuse treatment.

We help build a community so moms have the support they need to move out of poverty and create a sustainable future for their families, Snyder said. As the cost of housing and child care continue to grow, and our supportive services continue to shrink, our services are needed even more.

Mountain Homes waiting lists have grown to about 30 families at any given time, Snyder said.

Hannah Dashnaw-Wisherd connected with Mountain Home when she was running out of options  she was pregnant and houseless at 19 after coming out of foster care.

What I found at Mountain Home was more than a place to live," she said. "I found a community to support me."

Building a life at Mountain Home gave Dashnaw-Wisherd the tools she needed to heal. Her son, now 1, goes to the nonprofits child care center and the two live in an apartment together. This fall, Dashnaw-Wisherd will be going to school at the University of Montana for social work.

Mountain Home bought the building last year. Its serene setting, surrounded by fields, wildflowers and birds chirping, is an ideal place for moms to heal and settle as they transition to stability. Snyder said its been stripped down to the bare bones and needs a lot of work to be ready for clients. The tentative opening date is scheduled for May of 2025.

This building will help us serve 20 more families (from Mountain Homes current capacity) and increase our trauma-informed child care, Snyder said. She noted Mountain Home has the first trauma-informed child care in Montana, which means they have on-site child therapists.

Clients with substance abuse issues will also have access to a residential space specifically for people in recovery at the new campus. Wrap-around care and services to help parents with health care, employment and other needs will also be offered.

The nonprofit brought in about $8 million in the last year for the Hillside building renovations, something Snyder said is a reflection of the communitys belief in the work Mountain Home is doing.

Snyder announced on Wednesday that the Tykeson Family Foundation is giving a $500,000 matching grant to Mountain Home to push them to their fundraising goal.

Their expansion into this location is a game changer, Amy Tykeson said.

Mountain Homes two-generation model of giving care to both mothers and children works, Tykeson said, and is one of the reasons her family has opted to support the Missoula organization.

Over 25 years its really withstood the test of time, she said.

Mountain Home currently operates out of a building on South Avenue. Interim Mountain Home Executive Director Libby Burnell said her team is exploring options for what they want to do with that space once the Hillside site opens.

Mountain Home also works with families who aren't living on-site, and the number of people needing those services is growing, too, so there's an ever-expanding need for services, Burnell said.
OKLAHOMA CITY  State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced at an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting that public school districts will be required to incorporate the Bible in their curricula effective immediately.

Citing a state statute that directs the Oklahoma State Board of Education to adopt academic standards that include the study of important historical documents, Walters made the announcement at the beginning of Thursdays meeting. He said each school district will be required to incorporate the Bible in its curriculum and ensure that a copy is kept in every classroom.

My staff has been looking at Oklahoma state statutes, he said. Weve been looking at the Oklahoma Academic Standards, and its crystal clear  that the Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, the basis of our legal system and is frankly  one of the most foundational documents for the Constitution and foundation of our country.

Although Walters said repeatedly that Bibles must be kept in every public school classroom in the state, a memorandum from Walters to superintendents, Oklahomas congressional delegation, Gov. Kevin Stitt, House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat states that the edict applies only to grades five through 12.

The memorandum also states that OSDE may supply teaching materials for the Bible, as permissible, to ensure uniformity in delivery.

Walters did not say what version of the Bible would be authorized.

By law, the state establishes Oklahoma Academic Standards, which serve as expectations for what students should know and be able to do by the end of the school year, but what curriculum and materials are used to meet those expectations is decided by locally elected school boards.

When reached Thursday afternoon, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office said state law already allows teachers to have Bibles in the classroom and incorporate them into instruction.

After the meeting, Walters told reporters that the biblical instruction would be strictly from a historical perspective and would focus solely on its role in American history.

However, he did not provide a timeline on when guidance on the memo would be released. The earliest Tulsa-area schools to start the 2024-25 academic year begin classes on Aug. 7.

Weve got to make sure that our kids look back at our founding and can have an understanding of the role the Bible and the faith of the founders played, said Walters. And were going to make sure Oklahomans understand that.

The announcement was met with sharp criticism Thursday from several members of the Oklahoma Legislature, as well as from some of the communities that would be directly affected by its implementation.

State Reps. Melissa Provenzano and John Waldron, Democrats from Tulsa who are former public school educators, in a shared statement advised district leaders to carefully review and follow existing state law when it comes to religious instruction in schools.

In 2016, Oklahoma voters rejected a state question that would have amended the state constitution to remove language barring the use of public funds for religious purposes.

We know from the outcome of SQ 790 that Oklahomans are overwhelmingly against using public dollars to fund religious purposes, Provenzano said. The Oklahoma Constitution is very clear on what is allowed when it comes to public education.

Waldron called the directive ridiculous and unconstitutional with no connection to the academic goals set for state public schools.

Sen. Carri Hicks, another former classroom teacher, also released comments on the directive from Walters, saying, This new order does not provide solutions to the real problems facing our schools, and yet again, more taxpayer dollars that could have better supported our students and teachers will likely be diverted to address legal challenges.

In an email Thursday morning, Adam Soltani, executive director of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also condemned the announcement.

Religious freedom, as outlined in the Constitution, allows for the academic instruction of religion in subjects such as geography, social studies and history, Soltani wrote. To require religious scripture, regardless of which one it may be, to be incorporated into lessons in our schools, however, is a clear violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution and infringes on the rights of our students and their families.

Ryan Walters should reconsider his actions of using his position and influence to promote what appears to be a personal Christian Nationalist agenda, as it does not contribute to the advancement of our childrens education.

Walters announcement was also denounced by the Oklahoma Education Association, whose members would be among those expected to carry out the directive.

In a written statement, the organization pointed to a recent Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling upholding Edmond Public Schools inclusion of The Kite Runner and The Glass Castle in its library as proof of school districts right to decide what materials to include in their curricula rather than the state superintendents.

Teaching about the historical context of religion (and the Bible) is permissible; however, teaching religious doctrine is not permissible, the OEA said in the statement. Public schools cannot indoctrinate students with a particular religious belief or religious curriculum.

The State Superintendent cannot usurp local control and compel education professionals to violate the Constitution.



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Two giant pandas departed from Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday evening, embarking on a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation in the United States.

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

It marks a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between the two countries, following the agreement signed in February between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Diego Zoo.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The duo are accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians during the journey.

The pair will transit through Hong Kong and are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Thursday.

The CCRCGP has conducted scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, disease control of giant pandas and related public education.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) failed to effectively inform President William Ruto about the impending magnitude of the Anti-Finance Bill protests.

During a press conference in Mombasa on Wednesday, the DP claimed that the unit instead provided false information, linking him and former President Uhuru Kenyatta to the violent riots.

And I sympathise with my boss President William Ruto because this information was not available to him. We have a dysfunctional National Intelligence Service that has exposed the President, the government and the people of Kenya, Gachagua said.

He has now called for the resignation of NIS Director General Noordin Haji.

There has been a failure in intelligence and advise received. The President has now agreed we need to listen to the people. The security sector was caught off-guard by the intensity of the protests. Had NIS DG Noordin Haji done his job, we would not be where we are today, said the DP.

Gachagua added, Haji must take responsibility for the deaths and the breach of Parliament. He must resign.

The DP at the same time called for dialogue to avoid recurrence of events that were witnessed during the anti-Finance Bill protests that rocked the country on Tuesday.
Radio Africa Group Founder and CEO Patrick Quarcoo has retired after serving 24 years.

According to a memo sent to the staff, Quarcoo will officially leave the group on July 24.

When I started Radio Africa Group in 2000, my vision was to create a platform that could inform, inspire, and connect people across Kenya and the continent, Quarcoo said.

As I retire, Radio Africa Group is entering a pivotal phase of its journey. This transition provides a unique opportunity for the company to realign its strategies, focusing on cost efficiencies, enhancing our profitability and content initiatives.

Quarcoo thanked the Radio Africa Group staff for their support and dedication, acknowledging the tremendous growth achieved during his tenure.

We have grown from a single-frequency radio station to a thriving group of six influential stations with over 40 transmitters across Kenya, with an expansion into Nigeria, a newspaper and a significant digital presence,, he said.

I am confident that the new leadership team will drive the needed changes with the same passion and commitment that we have always upheld. They are well-equipped to take the company forward, leveraging our strong foundation to achieve even greater success.

To his management team, Quarcoo expressed pride in their collective accomplishments. He also praised advertisers for their unwavering support and partnership over the years.

Thank you all for being a part of this remarkable journey. I wish you all the best in the exciting times ahead.
A team of lawyers has petitioned to stop President William Ruto from signing the Finance Bill 2024 into law.

The petitioners argue that there was no lawful or effective public participation on the Bill, which the National Assembly approved on Tuesday.

Lawyers Kibe Mungai, Ndegwa Njiru, Fanya Mambo Kinuthia, Peter Koira, Lempaa Suiyianka, and the Mt. Kenya Jurist Association are also challenging the budget-making process for the upcoming financial year, arguing that it was unlawful and marked by controversy, acrimony, and political contestation.

On account of the willful refusal, neglect and failure by the Finance CS to comply with Article 221(1) of the Constitution, no lawful or effective public participation on the Finance Bill, 2024 has taken place because the Government is effectively asserting powers to raise additional revenue without a budget authorized by the Constitution, court documents read.

The lawyers note that the Finance CS published the revenue estimates on June 4, 2024, after the National Assembly Budget Committee had completed public participation hearings and submitted its report to the National Assembly.

The budget-making process has been undermined by the involvement and dictation of the policy preferences and agenda of foreign governments and corporations spearheaded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which has taken effective control of Kenyas National Treasury to the detriment of the sovereignty of the Kenyan people in matters of public finance, they further add.

The petitioners urge the Chief Justice to appoint a five-judge bench to hear this matter of national priority.
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Russia on Wednesday warned South Korea of its potential supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine, saying it will "lead to a deterioration of bilateral relations."

"We would like to warn the Republic of Korea against rash steps that could lead to irreversible consequences for Russian-South Korean relations," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Moscow.

Russia will not indifferently watch as South Korean weapons and equipment are transferred to the Ukrainian side, the diplomat said, adding that Seoul's supply of lethal weapons to Kiev will lead to a deterioration in relations between Russia and South Korea.

Last week, local reports cited the office of the South Korean president, saying that Seoul will reconsider the possibility of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine after Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement.
According to data from the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG), at least 53 deaths occurred on Tuesday following anti-Finance Bill, 2024 protests in Nairobi.

Of these fatalities, 23 were recorded between 7 am and 6 pm across the county, with an additional 30 recorded at night in the Githurai area.

The group, an umbrella body of human rights organizations, described the events in Githurai as a massacre fueled by an inciteful address delivered by Ruto at State House the previous day, characterizing it as a threat to Kenyans as the massacre started at 10 pm.

PRWGs data also indicates that 53 individuals were arrested and over 17 were abducted in Nairobi alone.

In Githurai alone, police shot and killed at least 30 innocent people at night. At least 100 more are nursing gunshot wounds, the statement adds.

The group condemned the police for using excessive force, including live bullets and snipers, against the protesters.

It is not the protesters who are treasonous, it is Ruto, they asserted, attributing the looting and destruction on Tuesday to a security failure attributable to the regime.

Article 1 of Kenyas Constitution stipulates that all sovereign power belongs to the people. When Kenyans took to the streets in large numbers, they exercised their lawful right to reclaim their power.

Parliament is Kenyas property, anyone can access it because they hold the power. At no point are police allowed to blast peoples heads because Kenyans have occupied their rightful house, they emphasized.

The joint team operates a situation room to monitor the evolving situation and fears that the number of fatalities could increase as they continue to receive updates.
Kiambu County Senator Karungo wa Thangwa has proposed establishing an Ad-Hoc Committee on youth governance concerns and Gen Z engagement.

In a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Karungo emphasized that the committee would operate within a specified timeframe to ensure focused and timely action.

He urged the Speaker to prioritize the proposal, noting its significant importance to the nations youth and future.

THAT, pursuant to Standing Order 199, this Senate resolves to establish an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the governance concerns raised by young demonstrators, particularly those of the Generation Z cohort, and the circumstances leading to the recent widespread demonstrations, Karungo stated, underscoring that Gen-Z concerns are of national importance, necessitating urgent consideration by the Senate.

Our nation is currently witnessing widespread demonstrations and picketing primarily involving young citizens categorized as Generation Z, he added.

The lawmaker also pointed out that Generation Z was not included in the recently concluded national dialogue, which resulted in various proposals currently under legislative consideration.

Karungo emphasized that young people in Kenya are now actively engaging in the countrys governance for the first time in its political history.

He further stated that establishing such a committee would bring Generation Z closer to legislative bodies as they address their grievances.

Karungo wa Thangwa highlighted that the committee to be established will investigate the circumstances leading to the widespread anti-finance bill demonstrations. It will also examine the emerging generational shifts, challenges, fears, and expectations to inform appropriate policy interventions.

Additionally, the committee will audit the legal and legislative framework for youth empowerment and involvement in governance and the management of state affairs.
The US State Department has praised the Kenyan government for fulfilling its commitment to deploy police in Haiti to help restore law and order.

On Tuesday, the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince to initiate a long-awaited peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean country.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken described the arrival of the Multinational Security Support mission, aimed at supporting Haitian National Police anti-gang operations, as a crucial step towards restoring security in Haiti.

We commend Kenya for leading this mission and will continue to provide robust support alongside our partners, Blinken posted.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the significance of the Kenyan police arrival for the mission in Haiti. She revealed that the US is contributing $360 million in funding to the mission and stands united with international partners like Kenya to ensure safety, security, and stability for all Haitians.

Proud to see the first contingent of Kenyan-led MSS police forces arrive safely in Haiti, authorized by U.S.-led UN Security Council Resolution 2699, she said.

On Monday, President William Ruto flagged off the first group of 400 police officers for the United Nations peace mission in Haiti.

The President expressed confidence that the Kenyan contingent, along with others from contributing countries, will help restore lasting peace in conflict-ravaged Haiti.

This mission is one of the most urgent, important, and historic in the history of global solidarity. It is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a mission to take a stand for humanity, Ruto said.

The President highlighted that Haiti has endured a relentless onslaught by external and internal forces, resulting in instability, the loss of thousands of lives, countless shattered dreams, and the deprivation of basic social services for millions.

This has subjected millions to harrowing poverty, hardship, and disease, he said.

Currently, Haiti is torn apart by vicious gang violence, which has diminished the States capacity to function and provide essential services. Development cannot take place under these conditions and, if nothing is done, millions of children, women, and men will continue to suffer without the prospect of relief, Ruto added.
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The screenshot captured from a video released by Yemen's Houthi group on June 26, 2024 shows that a hypersonic missile is launched from an undisclosed desert area in Yemen. Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week. [Photo/Xinhua]

Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week.

The Houthis released a video statement purporting to show the launch of the missile, dubbed "Hadim 2," without disclosing the exact timing of the attack. The video depicts a long, yellow rocket with Roman numerals on its fins, launched from a mobile platform in an unidentified desert location.

The statement described the Hadim 2 as a solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missile manufactured by Houthi military facilities.

The group said this marked the first public revelation of the missile, used to target the Israeli-related cargo ship MSC Sarach V. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking the vessel on Tuesday.

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center reported on Monday that the Liberian-flagged MSC Sarah V was targeted by a missile in the Arabian Sea but not struck. No causalty or ship damage was reported.

The Houthis have escalated attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, using drones and missiles. They justify these actions as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Several explosions were heard on Wednesday night in what appeared to be a new Israeli missile attack targeting areas south of the Syrian capital Damascus, local media reported.

The strikes hit an area near the Sayyida Zaynab suburb in the southern countryside of Damascus, according to eyewitnesses and the Sham FM radio.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said explosions were heard in the countryside of Damascus in tandem with the firing of Syrian air defense missiles.
Nancy Abu-Bonsrah, MD, MPH, C12, broke a glass ceiling and made headlines in 2017 when she became the first African-American female resident in the history of the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital neurosurgery program. Seven years later, she is again making history as the first African-American female to complete the seven-year program at the hospital that is the birthplace of neurosurgery.

In reflecting on her education journey, Dr. Abu-Bonsrah expressed her gratitude to the faculty of the Mount St, Marys University School of Natural Science and Mathematics (SNSM), in particular SNSM Dean Christine McCauslin, Ph.D. Im especially grateful for the mentorship from Dr. Christine McCauslin during my time at the Mount. Her support for me, personally and professionally, knew no bounds., she said.

Im also grateful to several of the science faculty, including Dr. Kreke, Dr. Staiger, Dr. Miles and Dr. Ward, among others. The science department holds a special place in my heart. I am lucky to have had their encouragement through the years! she added.

Dean McCauslin taught Dr. Abu-Bonsrahs introductory biology class and soon became a mentor when the gifted student joined McCauslins lab as a research assistant. "I count it a privilege to have worked with Dr. Abu-Bonsrah during her time at the Mount. Her dedication and hard work have paved the way for her to break down barriers and establish herself in a field that accepts only the best," she said. "More importantly, Dr. Abu-Bonsrah epitomizes the mission of our institution, an ethical leader who cares deeply and commits to serving her patients to the best of her ability every day.

During her 12 years at Hopkins, starting with medical school, Abu-Bonsrah pursued her clinical interests in neurosurgery, neurotrauma and neurosurgical capacity building in her birth country of Ghana and other low-and-middle-income countries. In addition to her Doctor of Medicine, awarded in 2017, she also earned a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2022, which was supported by the Global Health Scholarship and MPH Scholarship Awards. She has co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications.

As a neurosurgery resident, Dr. Abu-Bonsrah won the Neurosurgeon Research and Education Foundation (NREF) Directed Residency Scholarship and the Hopkins Neurosurgery Department Irving J. Sherman Traveling Fellowship Award in 2021. She was a finalist in 2022 for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Practice Awards  Excellence in International Public Health Practice. She also received the Association for Academic Surgery/Association for Academic Surgery Foundation (AAS/AASF) Global Surgery Research Award in 2022 and the Hopkins Neurosurgery Department Louise Eisenhardt Award in 2023.

Dr. Abu-Bonsrah became a member of Delta Omega Alpha, the honor society for public health programs, in 2022 and was inducted this year into Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society, as a resident.

Now that Dr. Abu-Bonsrahs training as a neurosurgeon is complete, she and her husband, Kwabena Yamoah, MD, are headed to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to work at UPMC Williamsport Hospital. They will be accompanied by their children and family. Dr. Yamoah is a specialist in interventional radiology.
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The civil aviation ministry on Friday ordered a thorough inspection of the structural strength of all airports in the country, following the roof collapse incident at the Delhi airport that left one dead and at least six persons injured.





Following the incident that happened at around 5 am on Friday at Terminal 1, the operations at the terminal have been suspended and the flights that are to operate from there have been shifted to T2 and T3.





Sources in the know said that more than 100 flights that were to be operated from T1 have been cancelled by IndiGo and SpiceJet.





At a review meeting convened by Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, it was also decided that a 24x7 war room will be set up for efficient management of passengers at T2 and T3.





"The war room will ensure the full refund of cancelled flights or provide alternative travel route tickets," an official statement said.





Further, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been directed to issue a circular to all minor and major airports to conduct a thorough inspection of structural strength.





These inspections must be completed within the next 2-5 days and the reports are to be submitted to the ministry.





"Based on the findings, the need for increased safety measures and the development of long term policies to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents will be formulated at priority," the statement said.





Structural engineers from IIT Delhi have been asked to immediately assess the incident at the Delhi airport.





T1 has only domestic flight operations by IndiGo and SpiceJet. The airport -- which has three terminals T1, T2 and T3 -- handles around 1,400 flight movements daily.





Besides, an 'advisory has been released to all airlines to ensure that this situation does not lead to a steep increase in airfare. Airlines to maintain fare stability to avoid passenger inconvenience'.





Naidu held the review meeting with senior officials of the ministry, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). -- PTI


Media advisory: New commander to lead SIU Air Force ROTC

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill.  A Southern Illinois native will take over command of the Air Force ROTC unit at Southern Illinois University Carbondale during a ceremony June 28.

Lt. Col. Chay M. Derbigny will become commander and a professor of aerospace studies for Air Force ROTC Detachment 205 at 10 a.m. Friday, June 28, at Saluki Alumni Plaza, located between Woody and Pulliam halls on the SIU campus. Derbigny, a native of Murphysboro, will take over for Lt. Col. Jessica H. Dwyer, who is heading to the Pentagon to serve as deputy division chief for acquisition force development. Dwyer became AFROTC commander at SIU in June 2021.

Media advisory

Reporters, photographers and news crews are invited to cover the guidon transfer ceremony. Contact the detachment at afrotc@siu.edu or 618-453-2481 for more information.

In his new role, Derbigny will lead all training, education, assessment and recruitment of prospective Air Force and Space Force officers enrolled at SIU, as well as students enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University and John A. Logan College. He most recently served as the director for Maxwell AFBs 2024 Beyond the Horizon Air and Space Show and as an academic instructor and executive officer for the commandant, Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), Maxwell AFB. ACSC is the world's premier in-residence and distance-learning professional military education college for mid-career officers and civilians, focusing on the education and development of air-minded joint leaders.

Although born in Murphysboro, Derbigny grew up mainly in the Chicago suburbs. He was commissioned in 2008 through the U.S. Air Force Academy and has spent much of his career in special operations and air education and training aviation assignments, deploying extensively.
SIU Carbondale again earns national honors for assisting transfer students

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Southern Illinois University Carbondale once again is receiving honors for its commitment as one of the nations top transfer-friendly institutions by an academic honors society for associate-degree granting colleges and universities.

SIU Carbondale is among 228 public and private colleges and universities listed on Phi Theta Kappa Honor Societys 2024 Transfer Honor Roll, which recognizes excellence in the development and support of dynamic and innovative pathways for community college transfer students. This is the second straight year SIU Carbondale has received the honor.

Wendell Williams, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management, said the honor bestowed on the top 25% highest-rated colleges reflects SIUs commitment to student success and engagement, a pillar of the Imagine 2030 strategic plan.

Two years in a row is a great accomplishment, said Williams, noting that SIU Carbondale does everything it can to eliminate barriers, save students time and money, and provide seamless pathways to an affordable, high-quality bachelors degree at a premier doctoral university.

The Saluki Step Ahead program, which brings the education of a four-year research university to place-bound students in community colleges in Illinois and beyond, has also met with success. Announced in September 2021, the program now has agreements with 49 community college campuses in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. More than 200 students have enrolled at SIU through the program, according to Josi Rawls, associate director for transfer relations.

As the transfer landscape begins to change, SIU Carbondale remains committed to staying on the forefront of innovation in this field, Rawls said. Saluki Step Ahead has been our latest project to increase accessibility to transfer students across the nation. The program provides a unique opportunity to pursue a bachelor's degree in a number of fields, at a reduced price. The immediate success of Saluki Step Ahead proves SIU and our degrees are highly sought after, as long as we can meet the students where they are. SIU Carbondale is proud to be recognized as a top destination for transfer students and be named to the 2024 PTK Honor Roll."

The honor roll is determined by 40 key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, including college cost and financial aid, campus life, admission practices and bachelors degree completion, according to the organization.
Mediawire New Delhi [India], June 27: Touted among the most spirited and colourful countries around the world, the Republic of Korea, or South Korea, effortlessly fuses its unique culture, immersive experiences, and innovative technology with great balance. Bustling city streets aglow in neon hues, dramatic landscapes dotted with hills and forested trails, a burgeoning food scene, and deep artisanal culture that takes you 5,000 years back in time--South Korea is every intrepid traveller's dream come true. Add to it hypermodern architecture dominating the glittering skylines, safe and sustainable convention locations, global connectivity, and an impressive range of government-led initiatives for smooth operations together make this East Asian nation an exceptional destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). "Korea offers a unique blend of modern infrastructure and rich cultural heritage, making it an ideal destination. From state-of-the-art convention centres to historical venues, the nation caters to all your MICE needs with exceptional facilities and seamless connectivity. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is committed to providing unparalleled support to Indian companies. We offer comprehensive assistance before, during, and after your visit, ensuring a smooth and successful MICE experience," assures Myong Kil Yun, Regional Director, India & SAARC Countries, KTO. When it comes to business travel, the country's strategic location, state-of-the-art infrastructure, unique venues, and vibrant K-culture make it an irresistible choice for Indian companies seeking to host MICE events. So, wherever work takes you in South Korea, expect pleasure to tag along! Here's why: * Strategic Location and Connectivity South Korea's geographical positioning is enough, for starters, to place it high on the MICE travel map. Situated at the crossroads of Northeast Asia, it offers convenient access to major Asian markets--thanks to a total of eight international airports nationwide, five cruise terminals, and seven domestic airports. Incheon International Airport, which is only a 45-minute train ride away from Seoul, has flight connections to 58 countries and 189 cities across the globe. Flights from India to South Korea are available from multiple cities with several airlines. The airport is well-connected through direct flights from Delhi as well as has numerous one-stop flight options on offer, ensuring seamless travel between the two countries. Additionally, there are transport services including the AREX airport express train line, KTX--the country's flagship bullet train line, as well as Korea Tour Card, Discover Seoul Pass, SAFEX (luggage storage and delivery card), Let's Korail (rail pass), and more to ensure that visitors in South Korea can travel freely and conveniently. * World-Class MICE Infrastructure Whether you're headed to Seoul for a conference or fancy working from Incheon, South Korea's outstanding MICE infrastructure makes sure your business trip is a breeze. KTO India extends complete support to Indian MICE groups travelling to South Korea, by offering a smooth end-to-end experience--from visa facilitation to logistical assistance. Further, the country ranked second in the Union of International Associations (UIA) Global Meetings Statistics in 2021, attributed to its large-scale convention centres, luxury hotels, and super-fast global internet connectivity with 5G technology. There are a total of 19 regional entities specialised in MICE and 17 cutting-edge convention centres with international accreditation. As the largest exhibition centre in the country, Korea International Exhibition Centre (KINTEX) in Goyang has 40 meeting rooms and 10 exhibition halls that span 1,08,556 square metres. The capital city Seoul is home to the COEX Convention and Exhibition Centre, one of Asia's largest, with over 36,000 square metres of exhibition space, luxe accommodations, shopping malls, and cultural attractions. The Busan Exhibition and Convention Centre (BEXCO) is known for its impressive facilities and scenic coastal location. The eco-friendly Songdo Convensia in Incheon is another premier venue, designed to host large-scale conferences and exhibitions. With the cobalt-blue Northern Pacific stretching on the south and towering Hallasan Mountain in the north, Jeju Convention International Centre (JCIC) is the perfect pick if you are on a lookout for a scenic convention location. * Unique Venues KTO has been fostering the Korea Unique Venue program since 2017, offering 52 handpicked spaces, where you can feel the distinct concept of the city hosting your MICE event, while enjoying the indigenous charms of the region. These are not your typical MICE facilities like a convention centre or a business hotel, but a selection of unique venues--ranging from museums, temples, to folk villages, islands, and culture parks--that allows you to not only immerse in Korean tradition and culture, but also experience art, leisure sports, Korean Wave, natural scenery, and more. * Unforgettable Experiences Sure, work trips mean serious business, but after long days of work, it is only fair to make some time for putting your feet up, slowing down, and exploring your destination du jour. And South Korea, a land of dynamic contrasts and unique experiences, is the perfect place to find the balance you seek on your business trips. From visiting the K-star road at Gangnam in Seoul to a BTS Hybe Store tour to Hologram K-pop concerts, there's a lot to do in case you wish to immerse in the global phenomenon of K-pop culture. If that's not your thing, spend your days immersed in 5,000-year-old culture--stay in a temple or a traditional hanok guest house, visit all 16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, or wear traditional hanbok and saunter around at your own pace in a historic monument or village. Once done, stop by a Korean-style spa for some much-needed R&R through dips in a hot spring and healing therapies. * Delectable Cuisine A major hotspot for food tourism, South Korea is the perfect place to experience the true authentic flavours of Korean cuisine that go beyond just kimchi and bibimbap. Korean cuisine, Hansik, is getting popular among gastronomes, including India, thanks to its delicious flavours, health benefits, and aesthetics. From the traditional gujeolpan (platter of nine delicacies), to the pop-culture inspired chimaek (chicken and beer) and Korean BBQ--make sure to indulge wholeheartedly. Also, with more than 100+ Indian-friendly restaurants and a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options, there's something for everyone in South Korea. Designed to effortlessly cater to all your MICE requirements, South Korea's diverse offerings and immersive experiences promise to help you make the most of your business travel from India. Contact Korea Tourism Organization India (New Delhi) at india@knto.or.kr, or visit the official website of Korea MICE Bureau (KMB) for further information. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
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Children receive food relief at Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip city of Jabalia, on June 8, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

The entire Gaza Strip is at high risk of famine, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Wednesday.

The alarm was raised as a new report has shown that almost the entire population is facing "acute food insecurity, with 1 in 5 Gazans being on the verge of famine," FAO stated.

Around 459,000 people in Gaza (22 percent) are in a state of "catastrophic food insecurity," while almost the entire population (96 percent) is facing "crisis levels of acute food insecurity or higher," according to the paper published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Global Initiative.

The situation is a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and current restrictions on humanitarian convoys into Gaza.

Commenting on the latest findings at a press conference in New York, FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said the agency had observed a high risk of famine over the last eight months. "The relentless hostilities ... as well as limited access to those in need of urgent humanitarian aid have had severe impacts on the entire population in Gaza," he said.

Despite some recent improvements in the flow and access to food and water in northern Gaza, the situation remains very fragile, and vulnerable to a rapid deterioration into famine, he added. While intense ground operations in northern Gaza continue, forced displacement of people could exacerbate the food security situation in the whole Gaza Strip.

"With some 96 percent of the population facing ... acute food insecurity, any deterioration may push more people into catastrophic levels of hunger," the FAO chief economist stressed. "(This would happen) For example, if the level of permits and access of humanitarian trucks to Gaza declines and does not increase substantially."

The FAO is scaling up efforts to prepare essential food production inputs for transportation to Gaza by mobilizing advanced procurement arrangements, once access is granted. It has appealed for around 40 million U.S. dollars, of which 29 million would be allocated to Gaza and 11 million to the West Bank.

Before the conflict, agriculture provided 20-30 percent of daily consumption, but more than 57 percent of agricultural land in Gaza has been damaged as of May 2024, the FAO said.
NewsVoir Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], June 27: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) is essential for over 500 metabolic processes, yet its levels naturally decline with age. Research shows that NMN supplements can significantly increase NAD levels, improving cellular health, energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial function, and potentially supporting longevity. Navigating through the myriad of brands claiming to offer 'Top-rated NMN' products can be challenging. To know more: decodeage.com. Decode Age NMN Supplement Decode Age's NMN is renowned for its exceptional purity and efficacy in boosting NAD+ levels, crucial for DNA repair and energy production. Verified in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, this supplement is available in both capsule and powder forms to suit various preferences. It is vegan-friendly, non-GMO, and gluten-free, produced in GMP-certified, FDA-Registered facilities, and subjected to third-party testing to ensure high potency and quality. ProHealth NMN ProHealth's NMN Pro supplements are designed to enhance NAD+ levels, supporting overall health and longevity. Utilizing Uthever NMN, noted for its high purity and clinical-grade effectiveness, these supplements are available in capsule and powder forms, engineered to maximize NMN absorption and efficacy. Renue by Science Renue by Science offers a range of NMN supplements designed to enhance NAD+ levels and support anti-ageing. Their innovative product line includes sublingual tablets, powders, and a unique liposomal gel, each designed to maximize NMN bioavailability. LongeVit by Decode Age LongeVit by Decode Age is a comprehensive anti-ageing solution, blending NMN with potent ingredients such as CoQ10, Pterostilbene, Curcumin, and Piperine. This synergistic mix not only boosts cellular health but also targets cognitive, cardiovascular, and joint health. Produced in GMP-certified, FDA-Registered facilities and third-party tested for high potency and quality assurance, LongeVit offers a balanced and effective approach to managing ageing processes. Wonderfeel Youngr NMN The Wonderfeel Youngr NMN supplement, developed by Harvard MD Andrew Salzman, is designed for those aiming to improve organ and cellular health while supporting eco-friendly initiatives. Its natural formula boosts cellular energy and activates longevity genes, enhancing DNA repair and cellular function. The packaging is environmentally friendly, featuring a refillable bottle and biodegradable refills. Factors to Consider When Choosing NMN Supplements 1.Clinically Studied: Opt for clinically tested NMN supplements with proven results in human studies. 2. Purity Level: Choose NMN supplements that offer the highest concentration of the active ingredient for an optimal experience. 3. Bioavailability: Focus on how effectively the NMN is absorbed into the bloodstream, moving beyond just the purity of the product. 4. Product Quality: Opt for NMN supplements from reputable, FDA-approved companies known for rigorous quality control and third-party purity testing. 5. Safety and Efficacy: Select clinically tested, FDA-approved NMN supplements, being conscious of potential risks and benefits. NMN supplements are highly sought after for their ability to support healthy ageing and improve well-being by enhancing NAD levels. When selecting from the many available options, it's important to prioritize supplements with high-quality ingredients, pure formulations, correct dosages, and reliable third-party testing. Decode Age NMN supplements stand out due to their superior quality, making them a top pick for those seeking a supplement that supports healthy ageing and boosts energy and cognitive functions. This choice is reinforced by positive customer feedback and proven safety. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Model Economic Township Limited (METL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, welcomes its first German customer, BEUMER India, to the integrated greenfield Smart City, MET City in Jhajjar, Haryana, on Thursday. According to a company release, this addition expands the MET City family to over 570 companies from 10 countries, solidifying its position as a premier business destination in India. BEUMER Group plans a substantial investment exceeding 2 billion Rupees in this cutting-edge facility, which is set to provide employment opportunities for 750 individuals. The ground-breaking and stone-laying ceremony for BEUMER India's new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in MET City marks a significant milestone. The event signifies MET City's ongoing commitment to providing top-tier, sustainable infrastructure that attracts multinational companies to establish their presence in Haryana and across India. BEUMER Group, a global leader in material handling solutions, has aligned with the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, furthering its growth trajectory with this new facility. The ceremony saw the participation of senior representatives from BEUMER Group and MET City, highlighting the strong ties between the two entities. This new facility not only strengthens BEUMER India's global footprint but also boosts the local economy by supporting small businesses in and around MET City. MET City has rapidly emerged as one of India's largest integrated greenfield Smart Cities, offering a dynamic environment that spans diverse geographies and industries. Its core philosophy centres on creating a destination that attracts investment, generates modern employment opportunities and develops world-class urban infrastructure for its residents. The city hosts companies from various sectors, including defence, engineering, electronics, auto components, medical devices, FMCG, footwear, plastics, and consumer products, making it a hub of economic activity and innovation. MET City is distinguished as one of India's largest IGBC Platinum-rated Integrated Smart Cities and serves as the sole Japan Industrial Township (JIT) in Haryana. It accommodates six Japanese companies from industries ranging from electronics to auto-components to medical devices. Additionally, MET City hosts six South Korean companies and several European firms, with BEUMER India being the latest European addition. BEUMER Group has been an active participant in India's economy since 2003, evolving from serving solely the cement industry to diversifying into multiple sectors. The company has made strategic acquisitions in India, such as ENEXCO Technologies and FAM India, to enhance its product offerings and customer experience. BEUMER India already operates a modern manufacturing unit in Naurangpur, Haryana, and the expanding customer base prompted the need for a new facility to meet growing demand. MET City's state-of-the-art plug-and-play infrastructure made it the strategic choice for BEUMER India's new plant, ensuring seamless coordination with its existing Naurangpur facility and efficient logistics management. The construction of BEUMER India's new facility is expected to be completed by 2025, with plans to commission it by September 2025. This new chapter in BEUMER India's journey will see the company delivering innovative products and solutions, enriching lives, and contributing significantly to the local economy. SV Goyal, CEO & WTD of MET City, expressed his excitement, stating, "We are excited to welcome Beumer India to the MET City family, marking a significant milestone in our journey of inviting and hosting multinational companies at MET City. India & Germany have a long-standing strategic relationship, which gets better each day through investments companies are making in each other's country." He added, "Beumer India is a shining example of strong Indo-German ties and will not only strengthen our resolve for delivering best-in-class infrastructure but will also establish MET City as one of the largest Integrated Smart City open for business for the world. In the recently concluded financial year, MET City achieved a remarkable growth of 60% Y-O-Y. MET City is a pioneering project with an investment of INR 20,000+ crores already committed by METL and Units there and has employed 48,000 people." Rudolf Hausladen, CEO of BEUMER Group, emphasized, "This expansion reflects BEUMER Group's strategic focus and commitment to long-term success in India. The new production site plays an important part in our global factory footprint, strengthening our position as a quality leader and partner of choice for our customers." Nitin Vyas, Cluster Asia CEO of BEUMER Group, said, "Our new production site at Reliance MET City offers convenient ease of business and synergy in approaching infrastructure and facilities with a vision towards sustainable development. Setting up a manufacturing unit in the context is truly 'plug and play', with Reliance staying true to its goal of developing a 'Model Economic Township." MET City (METL) is developing a world-class Greenfield Smart city on over 8,000 acres of land in the district of Jhajjar near Gurugram in Haryana. More than 570+ companies including some of the best national and international corporates have set up their bases in MET City. (ANI)
The Sensex soared 470.71 points to reach 79,159.89, while the Nifty rose by 164.10 points to stand at 24,032.90.

The day began with a mild setback as the stock market opened flat, initially showing slight declines following a record-high close in the previous trading session.

The Sensex commenced trading 94.13 points lower at 78,580.12, while the Nifty opened at 23,849.55 after a drop of 19.25 points. The early market sentiment was tempered by weaker cues from Asian markets, influencing initial trading patterns.

Throughout the morning session, the market displayed a mixed performance among Nifty-listed companies, with 21 stocks witnessing gains and 29 experiencing declines.

Investors closely monitored sectors ranging from banking and finance to technology and healthcare, contributing to the overall market dynamics.

The surge past significant milestones by both the Sensex and Nifty reflects strong investor confidence amidst favorable domestic economic indicators and global market stability.

Analysts attribute today's record-breaking performance to renewed optimism over corporate earnings, sustained foreign institutional investments (FIIs), and positive cues from global indices.

Market experts suggest that the ongoing bullish trend underscores India's resilience in the face of global economic uncertainties, positioning the country as a robust investment destination. As trading progresses, market participants continue to monitor sector-specific developments and policy announcements for further insights into future market trends.

The record-breaking levels achieved by the Sensex and Nifty today mark a significant milestone in India's financial markets, highlighting their role as key drivers of economic growth and investor sentiment. (ANI)
BusinessWire India New Delhi [India], June 27: Insta Ahaar FoodTech Pvt Ltd is thrilled to announce the launch of its groundbreaking INSTA INFLUENCERS program, aiming to redefine how influencers monetize their platforms and engage with their followers. Insta Ahaar offers a diverse range of ready-to-eat products available in convenient cuppa and value sachet formats. These products are designed to cater to the dynamic preferences of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, providing nutritious and delicious meal options that align with their on-the-go lifestyles. Introducing the INSTA INFLUENCERS Program: A New Era of Partnership To celebrate the launch, Insta Ahaar is introducing the INSTA INFLUENCERS Program, one of the most lucrative in the industry. Designed to foster genuine partnerships, the program offers its influencer partners one of the highest revenue shares. The unique approach focuses on influencer marketing as a key building block, recognizing that target audiences deserve authentic and engaging interactions with the brand. Vatsal Mittal, Managing Director of Insta Ahaar, commented, "The introduction of the INSTA INFLUENCERS program is a testament to our commitment to innovation and collaboration. This program not only benefits influencers but also allows us to connect with a broader audience in a more meaningful way." How the INSTA INFLUENCERS Program Works The INSTA INFLUENCERS Program enables Insta Ahaar to establish a network of influencers who will use their platforms to promote Insta Ahaar products. Each validated influencer receives a unique INSTA code, which offers a discount to customers and a commission to the influencers for every order placed using their code. This digitized program aims to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure accurate data maintenance. Alok Singh, Business Head of Insta Ahaar, added, "Our goal with the INSTA INFLUENCERS program is to create a win-win situation for both the influencers and our brand. This initiative will drive significant growth and engagement for Insta Ahaar." For more information and to apply to the INSTA INFLUENCERS program (open only to top micro & mini - influencers), visit Insta Influencer Link. Why Join Insta Ahaar's Influencer Revolution Insta Ahaar's influencer program is not just about promotion but about creating meaningful relationships. Here are some of the standout features of the program: * High Revenue Share: The program offers one of the highest revenue shares, making it an attractive opportunity for influencers looking to monetize their following.* Exclusive INSTA Code: Influencers can offer their followers a unique INSTA code, enhancing their engagement and providing a direct link to Insta Ahaar's products.* Support for Growth: The aim is to help influencers expand their reach on Instagram and Facebook, providing tools and support to maximize their impact.* Sales-Driven Focus: Unlike traditional influencer programs, this one is focused on increasing product distribution, offering real value to both influencers and their followers. Anukampa Wadhwa, one of the first influencers to join the program, shared her enthusiasm: "Being a part of the INSTA INFLUENCERS program is an incredible opportunity. I am thrilled to partner with a brand that aligns with my values and offers products that my audience will love." Celebrating the Launch: A Milestone Event The influencer program was officially launched at a ceremony at Nehru Place, inaugurated by Alok Singh, Business Head of Insta Ahaar. The event marked a significant milestone for the brand, setting the stage for a new era of influencer-driven marketing. Anmol Wadhwani, another successful influencer who joined the program, said, "The INSTA INFLUENCERS program is a transformative approach. The support and revenue opportunities provided by Insta Ahaar are unmatched, and I am excited to be on this journey with them." Honoring a 50-Year Legacy: The Ahaar Story Insta Ahaar is not just a brand but a subsidiary of Ahaar, which has been serving consumers since 1982. Ahaar's legacy as a trusted name in the food industry provides a strong foundation for Insta Ahaar, combining decades of expertise with a fresh, innovative approach to meet the demands of today's young consumers. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Wholesale volumes across various segments of the automobile industry in June 2024 are anticipated to reflect a subdued trend, primarily attributed to the absence of wedding dates, according to Anand Rathi report. Analysts project a mixed performance with two-wheeler (2W) volumes showing resilience, while passenger vehicles (PVs) and commercial vehicles (CVs) are expected to see slight declines. Tractor volumes are likely to remain flat during this period. The overall scenario for June suggests a single-digit decline in wholesale volumes for listed two-wheeler companies, despite an overall growth trajectory led by Honda and its favorable base from the previous year. Year-to-date (YTD) growth figures for the sector have been robust, registering a significant 15 per cent increase. Looking ahead, industry experts foresee a promising outlook across segments, with two-wheelers expected to outperform other categories. Projections for FY25 indicate an anticipated growth rate of 11 per cent for two-wheelers, 5 per cent for both PVs and CVs, and 4 per cent for tractors. The positive sentiment underscores a bullish stance on the automotive sector, with key original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motors, and Mahindra & Mahindra identified as preferred picks. In the two-wheeler segment, TVS Motors is anticipated to report a 3 per cent increase in volumes, contrasting with a 16 per cent decline expected for Royal Enfield. Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto are likely to see marginal declines of 5 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively. The retail market faced challenges with a month-on-month (m/m) decline of 10-15 per cent in the absence of auspicious wedding dates. For passenger vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra is projected to lead with a 32 per cent rise in volumes, while market leader Maruti Suzuki is expected to maintain flat volumes. Tata Motors, however, may witness a 5 per cent decline in volumes. Variations in blended discounts were noted m/m, with increases for Maruti Suzuki but reductions for Tata Motors. Commercial vehicle volumes are expected to experience a slight downturn, with VECV (Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles) likely to achieve a 6 per cent increase and Ashok Leyland a 4 per cent rise. Conversely, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are expected to see declines of 3 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively. The tractor market is anticipated to show stable volumes, with both Mahindra & Mahindra and Escorts expected to report a modest 1 per cent increase. (ANI)
NewsVoir Chandigarh [India], June 27: Chitkara University, a leading multi-disciplinary educational institution in Chandigarh, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company. The MoU will facilitate the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the University Campus. The CoE aims to provide industry-specific training, equipping students with critical skills and significantly improving their employability for future industry opportunities. The MoU was signed between Chitkara University and Wipro Limited and was attended by key representatives from both organisations. Representing Wipro Ltd were Sanjeev Jain, COO; Jasjit Kang, Senior Vice President & Business Head, Digital Operations & Platforms; and Sandesh Kumar, General Manager & Next Gen Talent Hiring. Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor of Chitkara University, said, "We are delighted to partner with Wipro in establishing this Centre of Excellence. This initiative will provide our students with invaluable industry exposure and skill development, paving the way for their successful careers in the IT sector." Sanjeev Jain, COO, Wipro Ltd., added, "This collaboration with Chitkara University reflects our commitment to nurturing young talent and preparing them for the rigours that are typically part of the IT industry. By integrating practical training with academic learning, we aim to bridge the gap between education and industry requirements." The CoE will focus on engaging with students through pre-skilling training, targeting those from the 5th to the 8th semesters of eligible engineering branches. The program will commence with Wipro hiring assessments for interested students in the 5th semester. Shortlisted students will participate in a credit course in the 6th and 7th semesters, designed by Wipro's competency team. Successful completion of the course will lead to Wipro's selection process, with students receiving a Letter of Intent (LOI) and internship opportunities upon passing the 7th semester. This collaboration builds on the long-standing association between Wipro and Chitkara University, where Wipro has been recruiting engineering students through campus recruitment drives for nearly two decades. The Centre of Excellence at Chitkara University marks a significant step towards strengthening industry-academia collaboration and enhancing the employability of engineering graduates. In the year 2002, Chitkara Educational Trust established its Punjab campus 30 kilometres from Chandigarh, on the Chandigarh-Patiala National Highway. In the year 2010 Chitkara University was established by the Punjab State Legislature under "The Chitkara University Act". Chitkara University offers multi-disciplinary programs, all of which are designed to be industry-relevant. As a result of this student-centric approach, Chitkara University is renowned as one of the best private universities in the North India region. From business management programs to programs in nursing and medical laboratory technologies; and from computer science, electronics and mechanical engineering programs, to hotel management and architecture--Chitkara University, Punjab is a veritable cornucopia of educational services. For more information, visit www.chitkara.edu.in. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
New Delhi [India], June 27: When you think about investing your hard-earned money in the forex market, isn't it the first question you fight with--but with whom? Which brokers are reliable? Can we trust them? WikiFX is the solution to all your confusion and questions.

What is WikiFX?

WikiFX is a leading global third-party forex industry information service platform. WikiFX is dedicated to providing investors with accurate, comprehensive, and diversified information, helping users identify the reliability of forex brokers, reducing decision-making costs, and effectively avoiding risks. Currently, WikiFX has information on approximately 53,070 forex brokers.

Key Features of WikiFX

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1. Provides Information in 16 languages: WikiFX offers detailed information in 16 different languages. By providing content in multiple languages, WikiFX ensures that traders can stay informed and make well-informed decisions regardless of their native language.

2. Wide Reach: WikiFX has provided global forex broker information verification services for over 21 million users from more than 180 countries and regions. WikiFX has established branch offices in 14 countries including Japan, Australia, Dubai, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cyprus, Nigeria, Egypt, India, etc.

3. Latest News: WikiFX keeps its users up to date on the latest forex market news. It provides broker-specific news and broker reviews. It helps users to become informed traders rather than simply traders.

4. Rating System: WikiFX evaluates brokers directly through five evaluation dimensions, including the license index, regulation index, business index, software index, and risk control index.

5. Comparing and Complaint Features: Investors can conduct cross-comparisons of multiple brokers on WikiFX. They can make informed decisions about using this feature. WikiFX's Exposure Service allows investors to post-exposure content in the Exposure section and submit relevant evidence.

Download the WiKiFX app to catch the latest news about the forex market.

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(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
PRNewswire Port Vila [Vanuatu], June 27: Leading multi-asset broker, Vantage Markets has secured the esteemed "Best Trading Experience - Global 2024" award from Ultimate Fintech. This significant milestone underscores Vantage's unwavering commitment to delivering unparalleled trading environments for clients worldwide. The Ultimate Fintech Awards are renowned for recognising excellence and innovation in the fintech and trading sectors. Vantage's win in the "Best Trading Experience" category reaffirms its position as a leader in providing high-quality and innovative trading solutions. Vantage's success in securing this award highlights its ongoing efforts to enhance the trading experience for its clients, starting from novice traders to seasoned investors. From the continued enhancement of its user-friendly Vantage App, to the expansion of its comprehensive educational resources, and the provision of transparent and low fees, Vantage ensures that traders have the right tools and knowledge to navigate the financial markets with confidence. "We are thrilled to receive the 'Best Trading Experience - Global 2024' award from Ultimate Fintech," says Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy & Trading Officer at Vantage. "This recognition is a testament to our team's relentless dedication to providing an exceptional trading environment for our clients. At Vantage, we are committed to continually enhancing our offerings and delivering a superior trading experience to traders worldwide." Vantage's track record of success includes previous global accolades such as "Best CFD Broker", "Most Trusted Broker", and "Best Value Broker" in 2024, further solidifying its position as an industry leader. With this latest award, Vantage reaffirms its promise of providing the best possible trading experience to empower traders to capitalise on market opportunities and potentially achieve their financial goals. For more information about Vantage and its award-winning trading solutions, please visit www.vantagemarkets.com. About Vantage Vantage Markets (or Vantage) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play. trade smarter @vantage Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449707/Image.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 27: Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh that teaches Prakash Yoga of Brahmavidya proudly celebrates its 27th year. In honor of this milestone, Guru Jayant Divekar ji, founder of Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh, was featured in The RedAsh Show hosted by Ashish Lal, which is a popular Podcast on YouTube. The podcast titled "From IIT-IIM to a Spiritual Guru" delves deeper into the teachings and philosophies that have guided countless individuals on their spiritual journeys. It also explores the life of Guru Jayant Divekar ji, his childhood, the journey to two premier institutes of India, IIT Delhi & IIM Bangalore, and then the unexpected transformation to becoming a revered spiritual guru. A Legacy of Enlightenment Guru Jayant Divekar ji, who has dedicated his entire life in the realm of spiritual education, established Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh in 1997 with the aim of providing accessible and spiritual teachings that also had great physical and mental benefits. His deep understanding of Brahmavidya, combined with a compassionate approach to teaching, has helped more than 2 lakh students or 'sadhaks' who have been benefited through it. The Podcast Series: A New Chapter To commemorate the 27th year, Guru Jayant Divekar ji is featuring in a podcast series that explores the essence of spirituality in our practical lives. These episodes of The RedAsh Show aim to reach a wider audience, making the teachings more accessible to everyone. Each episode features discussions on various topics, including the history of Brahmavidya, its principles, and practical applications in daily life. Apart from Guru Jayant Divekar ji, the podcast will also include interviews with long-time practitioners, providing insights into their personal experiences and the transformative impact of these teachings. Listeners can look forward to a rich tapestry of knowledge, wisdom, and practical advice to enhance their spiritual journey. Episode 1: From IIT-IIM to a Spiritual Guru The first episode of The RedAsh Show titled "From IIT-IIM to a Spiritual Guru" of the podcast was released on Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh's YouTube channel on the 10th International Day of Yoga i.e. on 21st June 2024. It delves into Guruji's remarkable journey from academic excellence to spiritual enlightenment. Guruji, a distinguished figure in India's spiritual landscape, recounted his early life in Pune, where his father worked with the Pune Municipal Transport. He reminisced about his childhood in Shrirampur near Ahmednagar, a modest village where he attended school until the fifth grade. Despite a typical middle-class upbringing, his path to spiritual awakening began early and has defined his life ever since. "How did Guruji's academic prowess lead him to pursue higher education, culminating in his admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore?" "How was the camaraderie and the balance between freedom and responsibility in hostel days that shaped his formative years?" "How a book changed his life forever?" These are some of the questions among many that Guruji answered in the first episode of the podcast. Join the Celebration As Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh marks this significant milestone, Guru Jayant Divekar ji invites everyone to join in the celebrations and explore the transformative power of these teachings. Whether you are a long-time practitioner or new to Prakash Yoga of Brahmavidya, this is an opportunity to deepen your understanding and enhance your spiritual journey. Guru Jayant Divekar ji Guru Jayant Divekar ji, the founder of Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh, has dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of Prakash Yoga of Brahmavidya. He had no spiritual inclination in the initial years. After his engineering, management, and marriage, a phase changed his life completely that led to his spiritual journey. The RedAsh Show Hosted by Ashish Lal, the Founder of RedAsh Films, "The RedAsh Show" is a renowned platform that explores diverse topics with influential personalities. Through engaging conversations and deep insights, the show inspires listeners to explore new perspectives and enrich their lives. Podcast Availability The podcast series will be available on Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@BrahmavidyaSadhakSangh/). Each episode promises to be a source of inspiration and guidance, offering valuable insights into the timeless wisdom of Brahmavidya. How to Watch The First Episode? Watch the debut episode of "The RedAsh Show," featuring Guru Jayant Divekar ji celebrating 27 years of Brahmavidya Sadhak Sangh. Here's the link to watch the first episode - https://youtu.be/akK8WuKNsDU?si=Oe-oAIWvVeW0LJcb. Stay Connected For more information about the podcast series, upcoming events, and other offerings, visit Prakash Yoga of Brahmavidya's website www.brahmavidya.net, or follow us on social media. Contact Details Hrishikesh Singh (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the approval of the Government of India, has introduced a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, covering the period from 2024 to 2027, said RBI on Thursday. Under this new framework, the RBI will enter into bilateral swap agreements with the central banks of SAARC countries that wish to use the swap facility. The purpose of these agreements is to provide a safety net for short-term foreign exchange liquidity needs or balance of payment crises in SAARC countries until more permanent solutions are established. A currency swap between two countries is an agreement or contract to exchange currencies with predetermined terms and conditions. The SAARC Currency Swap Facility originally began on November 15, 2012. Its primary goal was to offer financial support for short-term foreign exchange requirements or balance of payment issues among SAARC nations. The revised framework for 2024-2027 introduces a new INR Swap Window, which includes various concessions for swap support in Indian Rupees. The total amount available under this facility is Rs 250 billion. This move aims to enhance financial cooperation among SAARC countries by providing them with easier access to Indian Rupees. In addition to the INR Swap Window, the RBI will also continue to offer swap arrangements in US Dollars and Euros through a separate US Dollar/Euro Swap Window. The overall amount available under this facility is USD 2 billion. This ensures that SAARC countries have access to multiple currencies for their short-term financial needs. The Currency Swap Facility is available to all SAARC member countries, provided they sign the bilateral swap agreements with the RBI. This framework is designed to strengthen economic ties and provide financial stability within the SAARC region, helping member countries manage their foreign exchange needs more effectively. (ANI)
The 73rd meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) was held in New Delhi on June 21, said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday. The meeting was focused on evaluating eight major infrastructure projects, including two from the Ministry of Railways (MoR) and six from the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC). It was chaired by Rajeev Singh Thakur, Additional Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The first project from the Ministry of Railways involves the construction of a fourth broad-gauge railway line spanning 160 kilometers from Manmad to Jalgaon in Maharashtra's Nashik and Jalgaon districts. With an estimated investment of Rs 2,594 crores, this project aims to increase the capacity of the existing railway line, facilitating smoother movement of cargo and passenger trains. It aligns with national infrastructure priorities and is crucial for meeting future transportation demands in the region. The second project from the Ministry of Railways involves the construction of third and fourth broad-gauge railway lines covering 130.5 kilometers from Bhusawal in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district to Burhanpur and Khandwa districts in Madhya Pradesh. This project, estimated to cost Rs 3,285 crores, is expected to significantly enhance section capacity, promote regional development, and increase Indian Railways' market share in the logistics sector. This will contribute to economic growth and provide sustainable transportation solutions for the region. Both railway projects are part of the Energy Mineral Cement Corridor (EMCC) program, aimed at providing connectivity to coal, cement, and mineral production areas. Additionally, four NICDC projects focus on developing Integrated Manufacturing Clusters (IMCs) in Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Hisar in Haryana, and Gaya in Bihar, with an estimated investment of Rs 8,175 crores. These projects aim to create state-of-the-art manufacturing hubs adhering to Industry 4.0 standards, incorporating smart technologies, logistics, residential and commercial facilities, and educational and healthcare services. The IMCs will cater to sectors such as e-mobility, food processing, FMCG, leather, and apparel. Two other NICDC projects involve developing the Oravakal Industrial Area in Kurnool district and the Kopparthy Industrial Area in YSR Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, with an estimated investment of Rs 5,367 crores. These projects aim to build advanced infrastructure to attract industries and are strategically located near major highways, railway lines, and seaports. They are expected to stimulate socio-economic progress and generate significant employment opportunities. During the meeting, all projects were evaluated for their integrated planning and adherence to the PM GatiShakti principles. The ministry emphasized the socio-economic benefits, improved connectivity, reduced transit costs, and enhanced efficiency these projects are expected to bring. The ministry stated that these projects will play a crucial role in improving connectivity, enhancing logistics efficiency, and establishing advanced manufacturing ecosystems across India. They are poised to drive industrial growth, boost competitiveness, and significantly contribute to the nation's economic development goals. (ANI)
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 27: Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals announced the acquisition of the India and Bhutan businesses of Yash Pharma. The transaction, facilitated by boutique investment banking firm Growthally Advisors, is expected to not only expand the therapeutic reach of Jagsonpal but will also have a strong bearing on improving its market ranking. This acquisition is all the more significant as two companies with complementary strengths are merging. Jagsonpal has already built a 60-year legacy with its strong presence in gynaecology and orthopaedics. This now gets further enhanced as Yash Pharma's well-established portfolio of 33 dermatology and paediatrics brands becomes part of their offerings. Not only does this strategic move diversify Jagsonpal's product offerings, but it also allows them to establish their presence in a new market segment worth Rs 20,000 crore (Source: IQVIA), with significant growth opportunities available. As stated in Investor presentation of Jagsonpal, "This acquisition is the perfect recipe for Jagsonpal. Yash Pharma's strengths in dermatology and paediatrics can now be leveraged to align with our long-term growth objectives. Now, with our portfolio getting extended with this access to new customer segments, the company is poised to significantly strengthen our market position." Growthally Advisors: Navigating this Strategic Growth Course Growthally Advisors Pvt. Ltd., as a Boutique Investment Banking firm with strong understanding and expertise on Indian Pharmaceutical and Healthcare markets, helped navigate this seemingly complex transaction using their inherent expertise in executing mergers and acquisitions. A common alignment of their vision of delivering sustainable and profitable long-term growth was in perfect alignment with Jagsonpal's needs. Bhupinder Garg, Managing Director of Growthally Advisors, states, "We are proud to have been facilitators of this mutually rewarding partnership. We have always been helping emerging corporates in an Indian Pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry in unlocking their long-term objectives through innovative solutions that optimise their growth trajectory. We believe that this transaction is a perfect example of how strategic acquisitions can ensure benefits for all stakeholders." Ravi Jaisalmeria, Director of Growthally Advisors further added," GrowthAlly has not limited its expertise to M&A advisory. They offer a comprehensive suite of services that includes private equity, debt syndication, startup fundraise, corporate leasing and CFO services. With a holistic approach of empowering businesses throughout their growth journey, clients receive both the strategic guidance and financial advisory necessary for capitalising on emerging opportunities for achieving their long-term goals. Shekhar Bhuwania, Director of GrowthAlly Advisors further stated,"The Indian pharmaceutical sector, in particular, will be growing at a significant rate. Strategically planned collaborations and acquisitions will prove to be major driving forces towards unlocking the huge potential this industry has. This makes us always remain committed towards partnering with businesses that need help navigating through this exciting journey in their ultimate quest of sustainable growth." Mergers and acquisitions: Their role in fuelling India's growth story With strategic partnerships and mergers now increasingly common within India's huge pharmaceutical industry, it also calls for utmost caution for the entire process. As pharma companies gear up to chart their courses in an increasingly competitive market, Boutique Investment banking firm like Growthally Advisors have an important role to play. This comes through their expertise in identifying and executing transactions that drive long-term value creation. Mergers and Acquisitions: Fuelling Growth in India's Pharmaceutical Sector Mergers and Acquisitions have become commonplace in India's rapidly expanding pharmaceutical sector that is expected to cross USD 130 billion by 2030. In just Q1 2024, 24 M&A deals worth a total value of USD 456.3 million have already been finalized (Source: GlobalData's Deals Database). This further highlights the common quest of Indian pharma companies to diversify portfolios, enter new markets, and access innovative technologies. The benefits are multiple: combining R&D capabilities can expedite drug development while also providing access to new technologies. Other highlighted benefits include boosted market share, improved financial performance, while also generating synergies through streamlined operations. However, M&A in pharma comes with challenges. Integrating diverse company cultures and systems can be disruptive. Regulatory hurdles, including antitrust laws, can either delay or derail the entire process. Additionally, pipeline risks and potential damage to reputation can pose significant obstacles. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
India PR Distribution Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 27: Techno India University, West Bengal, is thrilled to announce the launch of two innovative undergraduate programs: BBA (H) with a specialization in Business Analytics and BCA (H) with a specialization in Data Science & Artificial Intelligence. These four-year degree programs are being introduced in collaboration with IBM and will commence in the 2024 academic session. These programs are designed to equip students with cutting-edge skills and knowledge in their respective fields, supported by IBM's extensive industry expertise. To further enhance their learning experience, students will have the chance to participate in hackathons and various other activities organized by IBM at regular intervals. These events will foster creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. IBM's collaboration with Techno India University extends beyond the classroom and aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements, ensuring that graduates are job-ready and equipped to thrive in the evolving technological landscape. "We are excited to partner with IBM to offer these groundbreaking programs that will empower our students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in the fields of business analytics, data science, and artificial intelligence," said Meghdut Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director & Chief Innovation Officer at Techno India Group. "Our work with Techno India University is designed to empower graduates with the expertise needed to thrive in today's competitive market. By providing access to advanced software training and industry recognized certifications within their curriculum, the students will have the requisite tools they need to successfully meet current industry demands vastly increasing their employment opportunities," said Viswanath Ramaswamy, Vice President, Technology, IBM India & South Asia. Techno India University, West Bengal Techno India University, West Bengal, is a premier institution dedicated to providing high-quality education across various disciplines. With a commitment to innovation and excellence, the university aims to create a conducive learning environment that nurtures future leaders and professionals. For more information about these programs and the admissions process: Contact: 08062642222 Visit: Techno India Group, Salt Lake (Main Campus) - EM 4, Sec V, Salt Lake Website: www.technoindiauniversity.ai. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
The Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Minister for Social Welfare Subhash Phaldesai inaugurated the screening of the Konkani short film 'Kalkhi Vaat' on the occasion of International Day against Drugs at Maquinez Palace at Campal, Panaji. The film is produced by Jyoti Kuncolienkar and has been jointly financed by the Ministry of Social Justice Government of India and the Directorate of Social Welfare Goa. The Chief Minister said that the Government strives to make Goa drug-free. "Through anti-narcotic cells, the Government has booked those indulging in these malpractices and the stock of drugs worth crores of rupees which was seized has been destroyed, " CM Pramod Sawant said. "We are working to arrest drug trafficking in Goa which has ruined the lives of our youth," CM Pramod Sawant added. During the event, he appealed to the drug addicts to come to the rehabilitation centre where they would be freed from drug addiction. The Chief Minister also appreciated those who have worked hard to produce the film. He appealed to the youth to keep themselves away from the drug menace. Minister for Social Welfare Subhash Phal Dessai said there is a need to work together to eliminate drug abuse, and illicit trafficking of drugs and save our youth. "We should not allow the talent, creativity, and excellence of our youth to go to waste. The need of the hour he said is to lay stress on the information campaign to create awareness and hope that the parents and children will watch this film together to get themselves acquainted with the ill effects of drugs," the minister said. Speaking about the film the minister added that we will screen this film in all schools and colleges in the state to educate our youth about how drugs spoil our lives. "Those who fall prey to drugs need to go to the rehabilitation centre where they will be treated rehabilitated and freed from drug addiction," the minister said. The Producer of the film, Jyoti Kuncolienkar highlighted the purpose behind producing the film. "This film has been produced keeping in mind our young generation. We have to keep our children away from drugs. She hoped that the parents would come to know how children are getting inflicted with the consumption of drugs," she said. She added that the film would fulfil the purpose of educating our youth to be away from drugs. The Director of Social Welfare, Ajit Panchwadkar stated that the Government has initiated various measures to curb the menace of drugs in Goa. These measures which have been undertaken by the Government are nothing but a movement aimed to spread awareness in our society and to bring much-needed awareness among the people. He said that the film will help our youth to learn about the bad effects of drugs and how it spoils lives. The film director Shirish Rane, producer Jyoti Cuncolienkar, assistant director Juilee Parag Parkhi, cinematographer Avinash Lohar and others were present The Goa Chief Minister honoured director Shirish Rane, producer Jyoti Cuncolienkar, assistant director Juilee Parag Parkhi, cinematographer Avinash Lohar, Maurya Chari, Paul Fernandes, Rupa Chari, Mohan Chandelkar, Ajit Kamat and others. Secretary Social Welfare E Vallavan L. A. S, Under Secretary Government of India George, assistant director Nutan Dicholkar, and film crew were present at the function. (ANI)
Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed regret today over former MLA Kumaraswamy's derogatory remarks towards government employees, calling them "slaves." Speaking at the 'Government at your doorstep' program in the taluk, Shivakumar stated, "I apologize for the statement made by the former MLA regarding government employees who dedicate their lives to serving the people." He was indirectly referring to Union Minister Kumaraswamy calling government employees "slaves" when he was the MLA of Channapatna. He emphasized the noble nature of government work, quoting the slogan adorning the Vidhana Soudha, and invoked the legacy of Kengal Hanumanthaiah from the district, underscoring the principled commitment of government employees. "Government work is God's work, slogan is written on Vidhana Soudha built by Kengal Hanumanthaiah, who hailed from this district. Government employees work on the same principle," he added. Shivakumar warned officials that strict action would be initiated if they demanded bribes from farmers and poor people. "Tell me if any government officer or employee asks for bribes, I will handle it. Government employees get salaries while farmers don't get a salary or pension. Officials have to step into the shoes of farmers and the poor and understand their needs," he said. "The previous MLA had not done anything for the constituency, but I won't discuss that now. I will work hard to win over you. I have brought the government to your doorstep to resolve your issues. Many people are asking for pension, house and sites, we will look into it. The previous MLA did not have any intention of doing these things," he added. "I will get a special grant of Rs 150-200 crores to complete all the pending works in the taluk. The work of providing 1.5 TMC water from Sattegala is being supplied at the cost of Rs 540 crore. Rs 1.40 crore has been sanctioned to erect a retaining wall against Kodihalla," he explained. "We will be setting up world-class Karnataka public schools in the district and work on some of the schools has started in association with Toyota," he said. (ANI)
Three terrorists were neutralized in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in the Gandoh, Bhaderwah sector of district Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, ADGP Jammu Anand Jain said. The search operation is still underway to find the hidden terrorists, arms, and ammunition. Speaking with ANI, the ADGP of Jammu, Anand Jain said, "Three terrorists have been neutralized in this encounter, and arms and ammunition have been recovered from them. A search operation is going on in the area. We launched a search operation as soon as we received information of the presence of terrorists... Two M-4s and one AK-47 rifle have been recovered..." In a press conference, the ADGP Jammu said, "We have recovered two M-4s and one AK-47 gun, grenades, and basic necessities stuff from the terrorists." Indicating stricter actions against the ones who provided the habitation to terrorists, Jain stated, "We will take stricter against the ones who provided habitation to the terrorists. Also, I want to urge people to help us in finding out those people." On the emergence of new terror organizations, the ADGP asserted, "There is the presence of groups in this area and a search operation is underway. As the investigation into the Chhattergala incident is also underway, so, it''s yet to be discovered if it''s a new scheme of terror organizations." Furthermore, he assured that there is no threat to the Amarnath Yatra and an investigation is underway to find out the terrorists whose sketches were issued. Earlier, on Wednesday, it was reported that two terrorists had been killed in an ongoing joint operation in the Gandoh area of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir. "Two more terrorists have been neutralized in an ongoing joint operation in the Gandoh, Bhaderwah sector of district Doda," ADGP Jammu said in a post on X. Arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession, he said. (ANI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of "creating fake narratives" and alleged that most of the paper leaks occurred when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister of the state. Hitting out at the opposition, Fadnavis said, "After getting some votes by creating fake narratives, I feel that the opposition has now got into the mindset of telling lies. We will expose this factory, which creates fake narratives, in the upcoming assembly session." Ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature session that will commence on Thursday, the BJP-led Mahayuti government conducted a press conference on Wednesday. The Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance on Wednesday boycotted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's tea party on the eve of the state legislature monsoon session, accusing the government of failing to address issues of the masses including farmers. On the opposition boycott tea party, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, "The opposition does not want to have a discussion. This was the last session therefore we had thought that they (opposition) would come...They are only interested in drama..." The monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature will be held from 27th June to 12th July. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on Friday. Slamming Shivsena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray for creating false narratives, Fadnavis in a press conference asserted, "Most of the paper leaks occurred when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister of the state and they are questioning us." Amid the row over NEET and UGC NET examinations, Nationalist Congress Party leader (Sharad Chandra Pawar faction) Rohit Pawar-led delegation held a meeting with Governor Ramesh Bais on Monday and demanded that the Maharashtra government enact a law similar to the one adopted by the Centre to curb paper leaks and irregularities.Furthermore, the MLA called the meeting a 'positive discussion' and informed that the Governor has assured action on those issues. Addressing the media, Rohit Pawar said, "We met the Governor, and several issues were discussed. We have tried many times to bring the law passed by the central government regarding paper leaks into the state. We have also raised the issue of the drug racket at Pune University." Reacting to Rohit Pawar's claim of increased drug culture in Pune, Fadnavis stated, "We have started a fight against the drugs, the Pune Porsche incident was unfortunate, the state government has taken a tough stand." On the issue of paper-leak, Rohit Pawar said, "We have talked to the governor about the issue of paper leaks. Earlier, Uttarakhand governor had taken measures concerning the paper-leaks and brought anti-paper leak laws. Similarly, we have pledged to the governor to take measures and bring anti-paper leak law to address this issue." (ANI)
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Chairman Kishor Makwana, on Wednesday, met the families of hooch tragedy victims in the Karunapuram area as the death toll increased to 63 and criticised the Tamil Nadu government for not taking action against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor in the state. He offered his condolences to the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of those who are undergoing treatment. After meeting with the victims, Kishor Makwana said, "I offer my condolences to the deceased in the Hooch tragedy and pray for the speedy recovery of those undergoing treatment. We met the kin of the deceased." Quoting the data of last year's death due to illicit liquor, Makwana criticized the government for not taking action against the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor and said, "The manufacture and sale of illicit liquor had been going on in the area for a long time but the administration and government did not pay attention. Last year, 23 people lost their lives in a similar tragedy in the state. Most of the deceased belong to the SC/ST community." Furthermore, he demanded jobs, homes, and education allowances for the victim families by stating, "The deceased were all very poor and the only earning members of their families. Their families should be given jobs, homes, and education allowance for their children. The commission demands strict action to ensure such incidents are not repeated." The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took a suo moto cognisance of the same, and issued notices to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and the Director-General of state police, seeking a detailed report on the incident within a week. Earlier, on Wednesday, a three-member delegation of the National Commission for Women, led by Khushbu Sundar, visited the families of victims who lost their lives by consuming illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. The NCW had earlier taken suo motto cognizance of a media report on the deaths of people in the incident and constituted a three-member inquiry committee, led by NCW Member Khushbu Sundar, to look into the matter. As per it, the NCW delegation led by Khushbu Sundar has come to Kallakurichi district to inquire about the incident and to meet the family members of the persons who have died by drinking illicit liquor in Kallakurichi district. Khushbu Sundar said that she would submit the inquiry report tomorrow itself and again urged for a CBI investigation into the matter. The death toll in the hooch tragedy rose to 63 as per Kallakurich District Collectorate data on Wednesday evening. Currently, 88 people are undergoing treatment in total, out of which 47 are admitted to the Government Kallakurichi Medical College and Hospital and 63 have been discharged in total from the Government Kallakurichi Medical College, as per the hospital authorities. 9 people have been admitted to the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Puducherry and a total of six have been discharged from the hospital. A total of five people have passed away at JIPMER. 29 people are undergoing treatment at Salem Medical College, while 22 have passed away, as reported by hospital authorities. Two people are currently admitted to the Villupuram Medical College and two have been discharged from there. One person has been admitted to the Royapettah Greater Hospital in Chennai. Two people admitted to Sri Sanjeevi Hospital have been discharged. The total number of people affected by the consumption of illicit liquor has now increased to 225. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in New Delhi on Wednesday and congratulated him for his re-election as 'Speaker'. The Chief Minister also held meetings with Union Minister JP Nadda and Arvind Panagariya, the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. Upon his meeting with Om Birla, Dhami said, "I congratulate Om Birla as he has been re-elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. In the last 5 years, he has conducted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha brilliantly and provided the opportunity to both, the ruling party and the opposition leaders to speak in Parliament. This new Parliament, which has been formed under the leadership of PM Modi, is a big achievement. It will set new records, strengthen the resolve of Viksit Bharat and there will be a healthy debate inside the Parliament..." Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also met Bharatiya Janata Party President Jagat Prakash Nadda and congratulated him for taking over the responsibility of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha. Furthermore, the Chief Minister also discussed his state affairs with the Union Minister, including topics related to the economic condition, needs, and development of the state. During the meeting, the Chief Minister also presented him with local products from the House of Himalayas brand. In a row of meetings, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also had a meeting with Arvind Panagariya, the Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, in New Delhi to discuss the various topics pertaining to the state's economic condition, needs, and development. Earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and said that the meeting was held to speed up the pace of work in the state. "The Lok Sabha session is going on... All the work in the states is done by the government with the cooperation of all MPs. This meeting has been held today to speed up the pace of work in the state," CM Dhami said. (ANI)
The first phase of Mumbai Metro 3, will run between SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone) and Bandra Kurla Complex. The project will be completed by the end of December 2024 which was initially scheduled to be completed by September 2024.

In the Cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday, gave its nod to give state government's share of Rs 1,163 crore directly to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation, instead of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

According to the government, the project has achieved the completion of 98 percent and its revised cost is Rs 37,275.50 crore.

Line 3 (Aqua Line) of the Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit metro line in the city of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. (ANI)
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, while addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Central Electronics on Wednesday said that the imposition of an emergency had plunged the world's largest democracy (India) into darkness and asserted that these days will never be seen again in the country. Meanwhile, addressing the event as Chief Guest at Central Electronics Limited (CEL), the Vice President also lauded the turnaround of CEL from a loss-making PSU to a 'Mini Ratna Company'. Recalling the dark days of an emergency, Dhankhar asserted that the days of emergency will never be seen again as the constitutional democracy is very strong in Bharat and now constitutionally guaranteed at the village, State, and Union levels. Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of Central Electronics Limited (CEL), Dhankhar acknowledged the role of scientists and technologists in the country and called them architects of the new India. Applauding the turnaround of CEL from a loss-making PSU on the verge of disinvestment to the conferment of 'Miniratna' status, the Vice-President noted that CEL is a role model for others to energize themselves, and motivates themselves so that they also grow similarly. "This story is not just about technological advancements; it is about transforming lives, empowering communities, and securing our nation's strategic interests with innovation, resilience, and excellence", he further added. Noting the remarkable strides made by CEL in the field of solar energy, Dhankhar underlined that renewable energy is not just an alternative; it is the future. "By focusing on sustainable energy solutions, CEL is contributing to a greener, cleaner India. CEL's innovations have brought sustainable energy solutions closer to the common man," he added. He further called for promoting research to develop battery technologies and charging infrastructure to promote green mobility in the country. Underscoring the changing security landscape marked by electronic warfare techniques, artificial intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance, Dhankhar highlighted the strategic importance of CEL in safeguarding national interests. "At the heart of all these [disruptive technologies] is electronics. Electronics form the core, the base of any future technological development and expansion," he stressed. Lauding the recent steps taken in the country to support the electronics manufacturing ecosystem, Dhankhar said that the Indigenous capacity building for electronics design and manufacturing is significantly crucial to achieving 'Aatmanirbharta'. Earlier, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also unveiled the Golden Jubilee Logo of Central Electronics Limited and inaugurated the Multipurpose Hall 'Swarn Mandapam'. Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Secretary, DSIR & Director General, CSIR, Chetan Prakash Jain, CMD CEL, members of the CEL family, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
Intensifying its probe into alleged irregularities in this year's National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate or NEET-UG, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Wednesday visited a school in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and interrogated the Oasis school staff including the principal. Two persons were released by CBI after questioning in the NEET paper leak case. These individuals are identified as the principal and staff of the Hazaribagh-based Oasis school who were interrogated at the CCL guest house at Charhi, a town in the Hazaribagh district. The Special CBI Court in Patna has sent two accused in the NEET question paper leak case to be placed on CBI remand following a request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday. Accused Baldev Kumar Alias Chintu and Mukesh Kumar were remanded to the custody of CBI, which is probing the NEET-UG question paper leak case. At present, 18 accused have been placed in custody for interrogation. The hearing in the NEET paper leak case was completed today on the bench of CBI Special Judicial Magistrate Harsh Vardhan Singh. The CBI gave its decision in the CBI court on the application to take the accused on remand. The court sent the accused, Chintu Kumar and Mukesh Kumar, on CBI remand. Now the CBI will take them on remand and conduct further interrogation. Days after the Union Health Ministry postponed the National Eligibility and Entrance Test postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2024 examination slated for June 23, President of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences Abhijat Sheth said on Tuesday that the SOPs and protocols will be reviewed as soon as possible and the next date for the examination will be declared by next week. Sheth's statement came after a review meeting held between officials of the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences and the Union Health Ministry, to assess the situation and input received by the government before postponing the examination. The government has postponed the NEET-PG 2024 examinations following rising controversy regarding alleged "irregularities" in the NEET-UG exam held on May 5. The Bihar government issued a notification on Monday regarding handing over the NEET-UG paper leak case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Notably, the Bihar government handed over the investigation of alleged irregularities in the 2024 NEET-UG exam to the CBI for a thorough probe. After taking over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG exams in 2024, the CBI formed special teams to investigate the case, the central agency said in a statement on Sunday. This comes after the central government entrusted the CBI with the matter of alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam in 2024 for a comprehensive investigation. (ANI)
The leaders and workers of the AIADMK will hold a hunger strike in Chennai on Thursday condemning the DMK Government over the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the same which claimed 63 lives. AIADMK leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Edappadi Palaniswami and other senior leaders will also participate in the strike. The strike will start at 9 am and end at 5 pm. Ever since the Assembly Session began principle opposition in the assembly AIADMK created a ruckus demanding a CBI inquiry into the illicit liquor tragedy and demanded the resignation of CM MK Stalin. A resolution was also passed on Wednesday in the assembly to suspend AIADMK for disrupting the assembly proceedings. Tamil Nadu Speaker M. Appavu ordered the eviction of the AIADMK MLAs who disrupted the assembly proceedings. The MLAs had demanded an adjournment of the Q&A session and continued to raise slogans over the tragedy. Speaker Appavu stated, "Many important issues need to be discussed in the Assembly. The caste census resolution is to be passed. The CM also felt that the Opposition must be part of this. So, the CM intervened and requested not to suspend AIADMK MLAs for the entire session. As per rule 56, AIADMK gave a motion for adjournment. But they are not ready to listen to what I am saying." He added, "We never stopped AIADMK leaders from speaking in the assembly. But they should speak at the required time. It is painful to see in a democratic assembly, the AIADMK leaders keep on disrupting the proceedings. If this continues, how will other MLAs speak about their constituency?" Earlier, on Wednesday, a three-member delegation of the National Commission for Women, led by Khushbu Sundar, visited the families of victims who lost their lives by consuming illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. The NCW had earlier taken suo motto cognizance of a media report on the deaths of people in the incident and constituted a three-member inquiry committee, led by NCW Member Khushbu Sundar, to look into the matter. The death toll in the hooch tragedy rose to 63 as per Kallakurich District Collectorate data on Wednesday evening. Currently, 88 people are undergoing treatment in total, out of which 47 are admitted to the Government Kallakurichi Medical College and Hospital and 63 have been discharged in total from the Government Kallakurichi Medical College, as per the hospital authorities. 9 people have been admitted to the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) Puducherry and a total of six have been discharged from the hospital. A total of five people have passed away at JIPMER. 29 people are undergoing treatment at Salem Medical College, while 22 have passed away, as reported by hospital authorities. Two people are currently admitted to the Villupuram Medical College and two have been discharged from there. One person has been admitted to the Royapettah Greater Hospital in Chennai. Two people admitted to Sri Sanjeevi Hospital have been discharged. The total number of people affected by the consumption of illicit liquor has now increased to 225. (ANI)
Residents of Okhla Phase 2 and Kusumpur Pahari in Delhi heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as they received water supply through tankers amid acute water shortage in the national capital. Virendra Pandit, a resident said, "There is a slight improvement in the water supply but we are still facing a water crisis. Except for some days, we have been provided proper water supply. Our water problems have been resolved to some extent." When asked about the tap water supply, he said, "We have been receiving dirty water in taps for the last three to four years. Hence, we are not using it." Another resident of Okhla Phase 2, Sudama said, "The water problems in the area have been slightly resolved. The water is being supplied on alternate days. We have been provided unclean water in taps for the last two or three years." Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday met AAP Minister Atishi who was hospitalised in Delhi's Lok Nayak Hospital after her health deteriorated during her indefinite hunger strike against the water crisis in Delhi. AAP MP Sanjay Singh was seen accompanying Yadav during his visit to the hospital. Atishi started her indefinite hunger strike, protesting for Haryana to release Delhi's water share on June 22. According to the AAP press release, a health checkup done on the minister revealed that her blood pressure and sugar levels dropped drastically. "The speed with which Atishi's blood sugar level and blood pressure have dropped has been described by doctors as dangerous," said AAP. The AAP has alleged that the neighbouring state of Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day (MGD) less water every day, which has severely affected the lives of 28 lakh people in Delhi, adding to the problem of water shortage. Notably, the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party are part of the opposition's INDIA bloc. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh said that the indefinite strike called by Delhi Minister Atishi against the water crisis has been called off but they will continue to raise the issue in Parliament by mobilising the opposition parties. Meanwhile, parts of Delhi received spells of heavy rainfall, bringing much-needed respite from the sweltering heat on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the weather for the next seven days, predicting generally cloudy skies and varying intensities of rain accompanied by gusty winds. (ANI)
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami along with party workers are sitting on hunger strike demanding a CBI inquiry into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and the resignation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the "inefficiency of the DMK government". "Our demand is the dismissal of Stalin's government, to begin with. Taking legal action against the atrocities of illicit drugs, which are being distilled by DMK functionaries only. There is full support of Stalin and his government..." said AIADMK senior leader C. Ponnaiyan. AIADMK Senior Leader and Former Minister C Vijayabaskar stated that they have come on the public forum realising that there is no way to raise concern in the Assembly "...There is no provision to raise our voice in the Assembly forum. So, now we have turned to the public forum...We need to find the root cause, and who all are involved...CBI is the right agency to find the root cause" said AIADMK Senior Leader and Former Minister C Vijayabaskar. Former AIADMK MP Jayakumar Jayavardhan highlighted that this is the second hooch tragedy in the state and said that this must not be accepted. "The government machinery does not work due to inefficiency at its core. This incident has shown the failure of district and police administrations and state intelligence. Through appropriate forums, we have raised this issue. AIADMK has conducted a statewide protest in every district. It has raised our voice in the legislative assembly because of which we have been thrown out. We have also moved to the High Court in this regard," said Jayavardhan. Jayavardhan further demanded the resignation of CM Satin "due to the inefficiency of DMK government" and a CBI probe into the matter. Notably, a resolution was also passed on Wednesday in the assembly to suspend AIADMK for disrupting the assembly proceedings. Tamil Nadu Speaker M. Appavu ordered the eviction of the AIADMK MLAs who disrupted the assembly proceedings. The MLAs had demanded an adjournment of the Q&A session and continued to raise slogans over the tragedy. (ANI)
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has requested all Bar Associations to refrain from any form of agitation or protest at this juncture and assured that it will initiate discussions with the Union Government, represented by the Union Home Minister and the Union Law Minister, to convey the concerns of the legal fraternity. BCI through a media statement stated that the numerous representations received from Bar Associations and State Bar Councils across the nation, expressing strong protests against the newly introduced criminal laws i.e. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). It stated that these Bar Associations have signalled their intent to engage in indefinite agitations and protests unless these laws are suspended and subjected to thorough nationwide discussions, including a comprehensive review by Parliament. Concerns have been raised that several provisions of these new laws are perceived to be anti-people, more draconian than the colonial-era laws they intend to replace, and pose a serious threat to the fundamental rights of citizens. Notable legal luminaries such as Kapil Sibal (President, SCBA and Member of Parliament), Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Mukul Rohatgi, Vivek Tankha, P. Wilson (Senior Advocates and Members of Parliament), Dushyant Dave (Senior Advocate & former President, SCBA), Indira Jaising (Senior Advocate), along with a large number of Senior Advocates and other Advocates from several High Courts and Trial Courts, have voiced strong opposition to these laws. Several Bar Associations have also called for a fresh examination of the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), apart from having a relook at the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), asserting that these laws contravene the principles of fundamental rights and natural justice. After careful consideration of these demands and concerns, the Bar Council of India requests all Bar Associations to refrain from any form of agitation or protest at this juncture. "The BCI will initiate discussions with the Union Government, represented by the Union Home Minister and the Union Law Minister, to convey the concerns of the legal fraternity," stated Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of Bar Council of India. The BCI will also seek the intervention of the Union Minister for Environment, Bhupendra Yadav, who is an advocate, to mediate in this matter. Additionally, the BCI requests all Bar Associations and Senior Advocates to submit specific provisions of the new laws they deem unconstitutional or detrimental, to facilitate a productive dialogue with the Government. The Bar Council of India recalls the assurances provided by the Union Home Minister at the International Lawyers' Conference organized by the BCI in September 2023, where it was stated that the Government is willing to amend any provision of these laws if valid reasons and plausible suggestions are presented, stated the media statement issued by BCI. Upon receiving specific suggestions from the Bar Associations, the BCI will constitute a committee comprising noted Senior Advocates, former Judges, impartial Social Activists, and Journalists to propose necessary amendments to these new laws. The Bar Council of India assured the Bar Associations and the legal fraternity that these issues are being taken seriously and there is no cause for immediate concern.Consequently, there is no immediate necessity for agitation, protests, or strikes in relation to this issue, said BCI. (ANI)
In a mandatory regulatory filing, InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the parent company of Indigo has disclosed that the Bureau of Immigration which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 lakh over alleged visa-related violations. The airline received the communication regarding the fine on June 11.

On Impact on financial, operation or other activities of the listed entity, quantifiable in monetary terms to the extent possible, the company informed that there is "no material impact on financials, operations or other activities of the company."

On the delay in disclosing this information to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the company stated that it was exploring possibilities for filing of appeal against the order. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami paid a courtesy call to Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in New Delhi and wished him on assuming the charge of Union Minister, Housing and Urban Affairs and Union Minister of Energy. The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to approve the permanent allocation of 500 MW additional power supply from central thermal plants to the state of Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said, "In Uttarakhand, only hydroelectric power generation centres are available for power generation, as a result of which more than 55 per cent of the energy in the total energy mix of the state is obtained from hydroelectric power sources. Only 15 per cent of the energy in the state's energy mix is obtained from coal-based plants. As a result, the lack of base load capacity in the state is becoming a difficult challenge for the energy security of the state." On average, only 300-400 MW of energy is obtained from the hydroelectric power sources of the state in winter, which makes the energy security situation more serious. The construction of hydroelectric projects of about 4800 MW capacity in the state is pending in various High Courts or at other levels mainly due to environmental reasons, due to which the gap between demand and availability of electricity in the state is continuously increasing due to the lack of development of hydropower available in the state. The Chief Minister said that in the Resource Adequacy Studies conducted this year by the Central Electricity Authority, New Delhi, it has also been recommended to obtain 1200 MW additional electricity from coal-based thermal plants in the Energy Mix of Uttarakhand state by the year 2027-28. The target is to double the economy of the state in the next five years. To achieve this goal, there is a need to increase the infrastructure of the state extensively, in which investment is being attracted mainly in the areas of industrialization, the service sector in which infrastructure related to tourism is the main, agriculture and forestry and education etc. in the state, as a result of which a sharp increase in the electricity demand is expected in future. The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to approve the permanent allocation of 500 MW additional power supply from Central Thermal Plants to the State of Uttarakhand to meet the base load requirements of the State and to reduce the gap between demand and availability of power. (ANI)
The Tamil Nadu government will build a new international airport in Hosur for socio-economic development altogether in Hosur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the assembly on Thursday. Making a statement in the Assembly under Rule 110, Stalin said the new airport would come up at an area of 2,000 acres to manage about 30 million passengers a year. "For past years, Hosur district has been attracting major investments in Electronic Vehicles. To make Hosur an important economic zone various plans are being implemented in Hosur...This government is considering that an airport is needed in Hosur for the social development of Hosur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri. International Airport would be set up in Hosur on 2000 acres to manage 30 million passengers per year," the CM said in the assembly. M K Stalin listed out their Dravidian model government achievements in Tamil Nadu and said "Under the Dravidian model government, Tamil Nadu is getting developed in all sectors. Especially very importantly in big industries. Many world industries are looking forward to investing in Tamil Nadu." CM Stalin also announced setting up a Grand Library and Science Centre in Trichy similar to Libraries in Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore. "Grand Library and Science Center to be set up in Trichy following the Libraries in Madhurai, Coimbatore," he further said. Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin moved a resolution in the State Assembly urging the Central Government to immediately commence the census work, along with a caste-based population census this time. This House considers that caste-based Population Census is essential to formulate policies to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities in education, economy, and employment to every citizen of India, the resolution order mentioned. This House, therefore unanimously urges the Union Government to immediately commence the census work, which is due in the year 2021 along with the caste-based Population Census, this time, the resolution order stated further. (ANI)
The Indian Youth Congress on Thursday staged a protest in the national capital against the alleged NEET scam and continued paper leaks in various examinations. The protest, which saw hundreds of IYC members gather in Delhi, was a response to the recent controversy surrounding the NEET-UG exam. Allegations of paper leaks and irregularities have led to significant unrest among students and parents. Youth Congress Chief BV Srinivas said, "Thousands of IYC workers have come out on the streets of Delhi today, becoming the voice of students suffering from the atrocities of paper leak." The NEET-UG exam, held on May 5, 2024, has been mired in controversy, with allegations of cheating and impersonation. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the exam, has faced severe criticism, leading to protests and legal actions. The Union Health Ministry has postponed the NEET-PG 2024 examination, with new dates to be announced soon. The government has replaced the chief of the NTA and formed a committee to review and improve its functioning. The Supreme Court is also scheduled to hear petitions related to the issue on July 8. On Wednesday, the Bihar government handed the investigation over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has already taken several accused into custody. Intensifying its probe into alleged irregularities a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Wednesday visited a school in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and interrogated the Oasis school staff including the principal. Two persons were released by CBI after questioning in the NEET paper leak case. These individuals are identified as the principal and staff of the Hazaribagh-based Oasis school who were interrogated at the CCL guest house at Charhi, a town in the Hazaribagh district. The Special CBI Court in Patna has sent two accused in the NEET question paper leak case to be placed on CBI remand following a request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday. (ANI)
Giant pandas rack up air miles

10:53, June 27, 2024 By Yan Dongjie ( China Daily

Editor's note:As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

JORGE CORTES/LI XIAOTIAN/YAN DONGJIE/CHINA DAILY

Huang Shan always carries some apples and carrots with him when he flies with giant pandas, as he knows they like sweet snacks.

As a giant panda breeder at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan province, Huang has accompanied giant pandas on flights to countries such as Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and Finland in the past decade. This month, he'll fly with Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to San Diego in the United States.

"We usually prepare bamboo, bamboo shoots, and special steamed bread for the pandas on the plane. The snacks are for comforting them if they get anxious," Huang said.

Even before they board the flight, Yuan Chuan and Xin Bao have had to go through more than two months of quarantine, and Huang has been alongside them every step of the way to provide compassionate care and behavioral training.

"Through compassionate care, which means I stay with them every day, feeding and interacting with them, the pandas become more familiar with me and trust me more. This means that when I accompany them to go abroad, I can help them get used to the new environment, food, and new breeders easier," he said.

The well-being of China's giant pandas overseas is a great concern of the panda center's experts, and Huang is pleased that San Diego Zoo has renovated the enclosure for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao according to the suggestions of Chinese experts, who visited the site in March.

"Chinese experts always inspect the overseas enclosures to make sure they are comfortable and safe for the giant pandas to live in," said Li Desheng, deputy director of the conservation and research center.

Last year, the center inspected all 63 domestic enclosures for giant pandas and 23 cooperating institutions abroad. From the evaluation results, each cooperating institution meets the requirements, and the giant pandas are overall in good health, according to the center.

"The total number of giant pandas and their descendants involved in international cooperation exceeds 240, contributing significantly to the development of the current captive population of 728 giant pandas," Li said.

Giant panda cubs born overseas are required to be brought to China before they reach the age of 4.

This year, China is actively advancing a new round of giant panda conservation cooperation with countries such as the US and Spain.

"Through international cooperative research projects, China has achieved significant success in the field of wild giant panda conservation, nurturing a large number of talent. The accumulation of these basic research results and talent cultivation has further propelled China's efforts in wild giant panda conservation," said Liu Dingzhen, a professor from the School of Life Sciences at Beijing Normal University.

"Meanwhile, the international conservation funds raised through panda cooperative projects have played a positive role in China's wildlife conservation. They have promoted the establishment of panda conservation areas in China, advancing the protection and restoration of the giant panda's wild population and habitat."

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday held a meeting regarding the issues associated with the hawkers and encroachment in the state. All the concerned officials were present during the meeting. In Thursday's review meeting at Nabanna Sabhaghar, she assured that vendors' livelihoods are a top priority. Their stalls will not face bulldozing but will be rehabilitated instead. "We will talk to the hawkers committee in Kolkata and work on hawkers rehabilitation, carts of state colour will have to be given to keep their goods. There should be a dedicated building. This system will be in every district. There should be a building near the markets where there will be fire fighting arrangements," said the Bengal Chief Minister. She further said that fire incidents have been reported in the Bada Bazaar but there is no renovation happening over there. A list of all markets will be made and nobody's livelihood will be snatched. "I don't believe in providing spaces by escorting money and then, running bulldozers over them. Hawkers should be made to sit where there is a proper place, there will be no encroachment on the irrigation canal. UDMA secretary will visit every district and prepare a report on how hawkers will sit," she added. Earlier on Monday, CM Mamata chaired a meeting with the Howrah Municipal Corporation and said that the biggest problem with which the city is grappling is encroachment and asserted that encroachment on government land will be investigated. During the meeting, the West Bengal Chief Minister said that the government land has been encroached upon, Howrah Police and State Chief Secretary are directed to investigate, and action will be taken against whoever is behind this. She highlighted that the encroachment is the biggest problem, and people have been made to sit as soon as they see vacant space. Some people are taking money in return and some people are giving money. Focussing on Howrah the CM said that the city is full of illegal construction, drain is not there yet. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that President Droupadi Murmu's address to both the House of Parliament presented a roadmap of progress and good governance. PM Modi shared a post on X and called the President's address comprehensive adding that it covered the strides India has been making and also the potential that lies ahead. "Rashtrapati Ji's address to both Houses of Parliament was comprehensive and presented a roadmap of progress and good governance. It covered the strides India has been making and also the potential that lies ahead. Her address also mentioned some of the major challenges we have to collectively overcome to ensure a qualitative change in the lives of our citizens," the Prime Minister wrote on X. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said that the President gave a message of solidarity, of taking the country forward and how can we make it a developed country by 2047. "It's a very good, positive message and it's a special occasion. The President gave us a message of solidarity, of taking the country forward and how can we make it a developed country by 2047. There's a clear vision and a clear path that she laid down. Our democratic institutions are strong. We take pride in them. We have faith in them," he said. "She spoke about the excellent role the Election Commission has played, the way common people have come out and voted, the way women have decided their future by coming and voting for a government and a representative of their choice," the Union Minister added. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said, "President's Address mentions the decisions of the government. The new schemes will come through the Budget but there is no meaning in the Opposition criticising it. President's Address was good...There is no fact in the allegations of the Opposition." Earlier, President Murmu on Thursday assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she said. "In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," President Murmu added. In her address to the Parliament, the President said that the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy. "The resolve to Reform, Perform and Transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world today. In 10 years, India has risen from the 11th largest economy to the fifth largest. From the year 2021 to the year 2024, India has grown at an average rate of 8 per cent," she said. "Despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate. This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in the national interest in the last 10 years. Today, India contributes to 15 per cent of the global growth. My Government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world," the President added. (ANI)
Congress MP KC Venugopal on Thursday wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over his statement in Parliament regarding the emergency imposed in June 1975. He called it a grave matter that impacts the Parliament's credibility. "I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting upon the very credibility of the institution of Parliament. Yesterday that is 26 June 2024, at the time of offering felicitations on your election as Speaker Lok Sabha, there was a general camaraderie in the House as such occasions generate," wrote the Congress MP. Further calling the Lok Sabha Speaker's emergency remark "shocking", he wrote, "However, what followed thereafter, which is a reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, regarding the declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the 'first duties' from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions." "I, on behalf of the Indian National Congress, express our profound concern and anguish over this travesty of Parliamentary traditions," the letter concluded. Speaking to ANI, he said that the political statements from the Speaker's mouth could have been avoided. "Lok Sabha Speaker officially declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition today. It was a courtesy from Rahul Gandhi to meet and thank him. Political statements from the Speaker's mouth could have been avoided yesterday, this kind of political message will not give a message of cooperation. What was there in the President's address? It was the same as last time. There was nothing new. No expectation for the youth, women, poor, farmers of the country..." the Congress MP told ANI. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution condemning the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as Speaker Om Birla read out the resolution condemning the act and said that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India. On the occasion of the completion of 50 years of Emergency imposed in 1975, Birla praised the strength and determination of all those who strongly opposed the Emergency, fought and protected India's democracy. (ANI)
Ansari tricked victims by posing as customer care representatives and persuading them to transfer money.

On 19th March 2024, Neelam Gupta from Anand Niketan from Delhi filed a complaint after losing around Rs. 2 lakh. She received a call about a delayed Indian Post parcel and was asked to make a payment of Rs. 3 through a link sent via WhatsApp. After entering her details, Rs. 1,79,000 and Rs. 21,000 were debited from her account.

Investigations revealed the money was transferred to a Canara Bank account in Mumbai.

Technical analysis traced the fraud to Jamtara, revealing multiple SIM cards active in one device linked to Ansari.

A police team conducted raids in Jamtara, arresting Ansari and recovering four smartphones with SIM cards.

Ansari admitted his involvement in the crime and had a prior cyber fraud case.

Further analysis found two more complaints linked to him on the MHA Portal.

Earlier on May 9, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Jharkhand government and fintech companies to redirect the state's talent involved in cybercrimes towards ethical hacking.

Addressing the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce in Ranchi, she emphasized the potential for financial regulators and the government to engage these individuals in combating cyber fraud.

From 2019 to July 2023, Jharkhand reported 5,350 cybercrime cases, with significant numbers in Ranchi, Dhanbad, Deoghar, Jamshedpur, and Hazaribagh. Despite a slight decrease, the state recorded 967 cybercrime cases in 2022, ranking second highest in the country.

Notably, Jamtara dubbed the "phishing capital of India," accounts for 2.4% of national cybercrimes.

In response, the Jharkhand Police established a Cyber Crime Police Station in 2016 to address serious cybercrimes.

Sitharaman also highlighted that corruption and lack of infrastructure hinder Jharkhand's progress, wasting the state's talent. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two persons from Bihar's Patna in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. A senior official with the CBI confirmed the arrest of two persons identified as Manish Prakash and Ashutosh. The arrested individuals were found to be operating from Patna. He said that while the accused, Ashutosh, was arranging safe house premises for the students, the other accused, Manish, used to take the candidates to a school to 'prepare' them for the exam. "Manish Prakash transported the students in his car. While the students were accommodated in Ashutosh's house," the CBI officer pointed out. These are the first arrests made by the CBI in the NEET paper leak case. Both accused were produced in court, he said. On Monday, the CBI took over the NEET (UG) paper leak case reported in Patna (Bihar), another cheating case in Godhra (Gujarat), and three alleged impersonations in the examination in Rajasthan. Earlier in the day, referring to the irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, President Droupadi Murmu said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducted the NEET-UG examination, is facing criticism over alleged irregularities. This prompted a series of protests across the country, with demonstrators and political parties demanding to disband the NTA. The Supreme Court on Thursday sought a response from the National Testing Agency (NTA) on the petition that claimed "inconsistent" calculation of marks on the OMR sheets used for the NEET-UG 2024 exam. A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti issued a notice and sought the NTA's response by July 8, the date of the next hearing. Several petitions were filed in the apex court seeking direction to recall NEET-UG 2024 results and to conduct the examination afresh, alleging paper leakage and malpractices in the test held on May 5. The apex court had already refused to stay the counselling of NEET-UG, 2024. The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the NTA, is the pathway for admissions into MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country. (ANI)
Delhi's Saket Court on Thursday called for an Action Taken Report (ATR) while hearing a plea filed by industrialist Bina Modi's Personal Security Officer (PSO) against her younger son Samir Modi. The PSO has sought direction for registration of a non-cognizable report (NCR) and an investigation into allegations made by him against Samir Modi. It is submitted that PSO Surender Prasad Ram has served the CRPF for 20 years and NSG for two years. Now he is serving as PSO for Bina Modi. Metropolitan Magistrate Aridaman Singh Cheema issued a direction to the Delhi police to file an ATR. The matter has been listed on July 12 for a hearing. PSO Surender Prasad Ram has moved an application seeking investigation by the police authorities in respect of the alleged offences committed by Samir Modi, punishable under Sections 323/352/506 of the Indian Penal Code, and for registration of a non-cognizable report (NCR) against him. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, along with advocate Ronak Singh, appeared for the applicant. Senior advocate Pahwa argued that the police authorities have not taken action on the two complaints of 31.05.2024 and June 4, 2024, filed by the complainant with Police Station Sarita Vihar. It was also argued that, however, the police have lodged an FIR on the complaint filed by Samir Modi with respect to the alleged incident that took place on May 30, 2024, in the office where a meeting was going on and the PSO Ram was posted at the gate of the meeting room. He was just doing his duty. During the hearing, CCTV footage was also played in the courtroom, showing the alleged incident. In the footage, Samir Modi and PSO Ram are seen. It is alleged in the application that on May 30, 2024, the complainant was posted as the PSO to Bina Modi at the office of Godfrey Phillips India Ltd. (GPIL), situated at Omaxe Square, Jasola District Centre, Jasola, New Delhi. On May 30, 2024, a meeting was going on in the "Cavanders" meeting room located on the 4th floor of GPIL's Office, the plea stated. It is stated that after reaching the GPIL's Office around 12:00 PM, Samir Modi allegedly tried to enter the meeting room while the meeting was going on, and the door of the meeting room was closed. The plea said that the complainant (PSO) respectfully stepped between Samir Modi and the doors to the Meeting Room. He then requested that Samir Modi allow him to seek permission from inside the meeting room for his entry, the plea added. The Complainant made the request on his own accord since the doors of the Meeting Room were closed. It is alleged that after hearing such a request from the complainant, Samir Modi became enraged, verbally abused the complainant, grabbed the complainant's collar and physically assaulted the complainant repeatedly. The complainant was allegedly also abused, intimidated and threatened with dire consequences if he did not allow him to enter the meeting room, the plea stated. All this while, the Complainant remained calm and simply kept repeating his request to allow him to get permission since a meeting was already going on. This is clearly evident from the CCTV footage, which fortunately records the alleged incident, the counsel argued. It is alleged that the Complainant, being an ordinary citizen, has suffered physical and mental harm due to the actions of Samir Modi and remains in fear for his own well-being. The PSO had filed the complaint with Sarita Vihar for registration of NCR but no action was taken by the police. An FIR has already been filed by on the basis of complaint lodged by Samir Modi against the PSO for allegedly assaulting him on May 30, 2024. After the incident, Modi had to be hospitalised as his index finger was grievously injured. (ANI)
A meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc will be held today at 5 p.m. at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence here in the national capital. According to the sources, discussions are likely to be held on the post of Lok Sabha deputy speaker. Earlier on Wednesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Om Birla was appointed as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for the second time in a row after the motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was adopted by the House through a voice vote. The house echoed with 'Ayes' and 'Noes' and the pro-tem speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared Om Birla as the Speaker of the lower house. The opposition which had named K Suresh as the Speaker candidate of the INDIA bloc did not press for a division vote. However, the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has kept mum over the post of Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha, which has been being demanded by the opposition INDIA bloc. The INDIA bloc leaders have been stressing that the post of Deputy Speaker should be held by the opposition. However, after receiving no clarity from the BJP over the same, the INDIA bloc nominated Congress MP K Suresh for the post of Speaker, paving the way for an election for the post. The Deputy Speaker presides over the House when the post of the Speaker is vacant. Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu, earlier today, criticized the imposition of 'emergency' in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers," said the president while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the President's Address to the joint session of both Houses of Parliament and said that it is a tradition and the speech in reality represents the government's views. "This is the tradition and it happens every time. We listen to the President. That is actually the speech of the Government," said Akhilesh Yadav. Earlier on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution condemning the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as Speaker Om Birla read out the resolution condemning the act and said that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India. The 'Sengol' also found its prominence in Parliament on Thursday amid the ongoing political controversy ignited by Samajwadi Party (SP) Member of Parliament (MP) RK Chaudhary's recent comments calling it a symbol of monarchy. "The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. The BJP government, under PM Modi, installed the Sengol in Parliament. 'Sengol' means 'Raj-Dand' or 'Raja ka Danda'. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by 'Raja ka danda' or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution," said Chaudhary. (ANI)
Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Thursday flagged off the Indian Army D5 Motorcycle Expedition from the National War Memorial in the national capital. The expedition is being conducted by the Indian Army to commemorate the 25th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War of 1999. "General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Flagged Off the Indian Army D5 Motorcycle Expedition from National War Memorial, New Delhi today. The Expedition is being conducted by the Indian Army to commemorate the 25th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War of 1999," as per a Ministry of Defence press release. The Flag Off event was attended by Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Senior Serving Officers, Kargil War Veterans, Veer Naris and Veterans. Prior to Flag Off, the COAS interacted with the riders and handed over Motorcycle Expedition Flag to the Team Leader. Archana Pande, President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) felicitated Veer Naris during the event. "This Pan-India Expedition had commenced on 12th June 2024 from three corners of the country- Dinjan in the East, Dwarka in the West, and Dhanushkodi in the South. Three teams comprising eight motorcyclists each traversed through diverse terrains and challenging routes before reaching Delhi. The teams were flagged in at Delhi Cantt on June 26, 2024, by General Deepak Kapoor (Retired), former COAS. General Deepak Kapoor lauded the Kargil War Veterans for their bravery, commended the expedition teams and expressed gratitude to the sponsors for their support. The event witnessed an enthusiastic participation by approximately 500 persons including Serving Officers, Kargil War Veterans, Veer Naris and families," as per the release. Beyond Delhi the teams have now proceeded ahead along two different routes to Dras. One through Ambala, Amritsar, Jammu, Udhampur and Srinagar covering 1,085 km while the other via Chandimandir, Manali, Sarchu, Nyoma, Tangtse and Leh covering 1,509 km. "The expedition will culminate at Gun Hill in Dras, a place etched in history for its strategic importance during the Kargil War. On their way, the riders are reaching out to Kargil War Heroes, Veterans and Veer Naris residing enroute, paying homage at War Memorials, raising awareness and encouraging youth to join the Indian Army," as per the release. The expedition is being led by the Regiment of Artillery which played a pivotal role to ensure success in Operation Vijay. As the riders travel to their destination in Dras, they will carry with them the stories of courage, sacrifice and patriotism. "This expedition is a tribute to the valour and sacrifices of heroes of Kargil War and a symbol of enduring spirit of the Indian Army. The event is being sponsored by HeroMotocorp, HPCL, Apollo Hospitals, IFFCO and Bank of Baroda as a tribute to the Kargil War Heroes," the release said. (ANI)
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi along with other opposition leaders met Speaker Om Birla in his chamber in Parliament on Thursday. This is the opposition's first meeting with the Lok Sabha Speaker after National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla, was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Speaking about the meeting, Congress MP KC Venugopal told ANI that the meeting was a courtesy from Rahul Gandhi to meet and thank Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition today. "Lok Sabha Speaker officially declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition today. It was a courtesy from Rahul Gandhi to meet and thank him. Political statements from the Speaker's mouth could have been avoided yesterday. What was there in the President's address? It was the same as last time. There was nothing new. No expectation for the youth, women, poor, farmers of the country, "Venugopal told ANI. Earlier after assuming charge as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in a post on X said that together Congress will raise the voice of every Indian in Parliament, protect our Constitution, and hold the NDA government accountable for their actions. "I thank Congress President @kharge ji, and all the Congress leaders and Babbar Sher karyakartas from across the country for their overwhelming support and warm wishes. Together, we will raise the voice of every Indian in Parliament, protect our Constitution, and hold the NDA government accountable for their actions," the Congress leader said in a post on X on Wednesday. Notably, Lok Sabha did not have a Leader of the Opposition in the last 10 years because no political party, other than the ruling party, was able to secure the minimum Lok Sabha seats required to nominate a Leader of the Opposition. The leader of the largest opposition party having not less than one-tenth seats of the total strength of the Lok Sabha is recognised as the leader of the opposition (LoP). LoP will be a member of crucial committees such as Public Accounts (Chairman), Public Undertakings, Estimates and several Joint Parliamentary Committees. The LoP is entitled to be a member of various selection committees responsible for appointing heads of statutory bodies like the Central Vigilance Commission, the Central Information Commission, the CBI, the NHRC, and the Lokpal. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on June 24 and will conclude on July 3. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. (ANI)
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday slammed President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, stating that for the past decade, it has no longer been a Presidential address but PM Narendra Modi's address. "This is no longer a Presidential address. This has been the PM Modi address for past 10 years. Whatever Modi ji wants will come out in her speech," Raut said. "It is a minority government, Modi ji has already lost the majority, but there is no mention of it...Even after 50 years, they are talking about an Emergency, there has been an Emergency in this country for 10 years, remove that...," he added. Raut's remarks highlight his belief that the President's address echoed the agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than presenting an independent Presidential message. In a similar vein, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi criticized the address, stating it was "like old wine in a new bottle." He lamented the lack of mention of minorities and unemployment in the speech. "In the entire address, there was no mention of minorities or unemployment. US State Secretary Antony Blinken said yesterday that there has been an increase in hate speech in India and religious places of minorities are getting demolished. There was nothing new in the address, it was like an old wine in a new bottle," Owaisi said. "Re-NEET should have been done. There are paper leaks everywhere. They are playing with the lives of 25 lakh youth and their families...," he added talking about the recent controversial NEET exam paper leak case. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the joint session of both Houses of Parliament assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she said. "In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," President Murmu added. "I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. All of you have come here after winning the trust of the voters of the country. Very few people get this privilege of serving the country and the people. I have full faith that you will fulfil your duties with the spirit of the nation first and will become a medium for fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore countrymen," she said. (ANI)
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised President Droupadi Murmu's Thursday's customary address to the joint session of both houses of Parliament, saying that instead of mentioning Emergency, current issues affecting the country should have been included in the address. "There was no logic in talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years. She should have spoken about today's issues," Tharoor told ANI. "We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemployment. The word Manipur did not come from President Murmu or PM Modi. Issues like the India-China border should have been taken up in the address," he added. Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint session of the Parliament and criticised the imposition of 'emergency' in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers," said the president while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament. Speaking on the row over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) exam 2024, the President said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. "It is a continuous effort of the government to ensure that the youth of the country gets adequate opportunity to display their talent. My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations", she said. The president's address has triggered reactions from the leaders of the INDIA bloc. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies. "Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections," Kharge wrote on his official account on 'X'. He further criticized the President's address asserting that it was scripted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which appeared as an attempt by him to reject the public mandate. "Listening to the President's address written by the Modi government felt like Modi Ji is trying every possible way to deny the public mandate. The mandate was against him because the people of the country rejected his slogan of "crossing 400" and kept the BJP away from the figure of 272," Kharge said in a post on X. (ANI)
Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Chief Jayant Choudhary on Thursday heaped praise on President Droupadi Murmu's joint address, stating that the President gave the House a message of solidarity. In a conversation with ANI, Choudhary said, "It's a very good, positive message and it's a special occasion. The President gave us a message of solidarity, of taking the country forward. There's a clear vision and a clear path that she laid down." The Union Minister further pointed out that the President spoke about the excellent role the Election Commission had played during the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. "Our democratic institutions are strong. We take pride in them. We have faith in them. She spoke about the excellent role the Election Commission has played, the way common people have come out and voted, the way women have decided their own future by coming and voting for a government and a representative of their choice..." he added. President Murmu, in her joint address to the Parliament, assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she said. "In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," President Murmu added. The President congratulated the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. She also expressed her gratitude to the Election Commission of India for holding the elections peacefully. "On behalf of crores of countrymen, I would like to express gratitude Election Commission of India. This was the biggest election in the world. Decades-long records of voting have been broken in J&K. For the past 4 decades, Kashmir witnessed low voting amid shutdowns and strikes. India's enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces," she said. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary stated that the first-time MPs learnt a lot from President Droupadi Murmu's address. "I always say that the Opposition's work is to say something or the other all the time. I believe that the President concisely told us what has the NDA government done for the country and what they want to do for the country in future. She gave information about every scheme, first-time MPs were able to learn a lot from her speeches..." she said while speaking to ANI. Meanwhile, the President's address has also triggered reactions from the opposition INDIA bloc. President Murmu criticized the imposition of an 'emergency' in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers," she said. Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain "cheap applause" by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies. "Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections," Kharge wrote on his official 'X' account. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, imposed a 21-month state of emergency. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which is considered one of the most controversial periods in India's political history. (ANI)
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while reviewing the CM Helpline through a virtual medium from Uttarakhand Sadan, New Delhi on Thursday directed officials to ensure timely resolution of all complaints received on the CM Helpline and the pending complaints should be resolved in the next 15 days. Pending complaints must be resolved positively within the next 15 days. Dhami has given strict instructions for departmental officials to seek clarification from officers who have not logged into the CM Helpline portal in the past month. If satisfactory reasons are not provided, action will be taken against the concerned officers. The Chief Minister emphasized that any future laxity in departmental work will hold the departmental secretary and head of the department responsible. He directed officers from block-level positions to departmental secretaries to regularly communicate with complainants to address public grievances, advocating for harmonious dialogue. Dhami also instructed all District Magistrates to prepare a roster for BDC (Block Development Committee) meetings in their districts, ensuring 100% attendance of related departmental officers. District-level officers should also attend these meetings, with the District Magistrate and Chief Development Officer aiming to be present at every BDC meeting. He also called for regular organization of Tehsil Diwas by all District Magistrates, with senior district officers participating to resolve public issues. Information on the resolution of complaints during Tehsil Diwas should be uploaded to the Chief Minister Jan-Samarpan Tehsil Diwas portal regularly. Expressing displeasure over complaints pending for more than 180 days, the CM directed departmental secretaries to resolve these issues swiftly, with specific attention to the demands mentioned in the complaints. The objective, he emphasized, should be to resolve, not merely close, complaints. Regular training in line with the CM Helpline module should be conducted, ensuring that concerned officers attend. Dhami instructed all departmental secretaries and heads to review the CM Helpline-1905 in the second week of each month, resolving complaints promptly and uploading minutes of review meetings on the portal regularly. During the meeting, the Chief Minister personally spoke to seven complainants via the CM Helpline. Issues of three complainants were resolved, while Dhami assured the remaining four that their problems would be addressed soon. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also launched the CM Helpline WhatsApp chatbot, encouraging awareness through various social media platforms. (ANI)
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on Thursday that he was disappointed with President Droupadi Murmu's joint address to both houses of Parliament. "We had expectations from the President's address in both Houses of the Parliament but I was disappointed. She spoke on certain things which were not required..." said Singh in a conversation with ANI. President Droupadi Murmu, earlier today, addressed the joint session of the Parliament and criticized the imposition of 'emergency' in 1975 under the Congress government led by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. "Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country plunged into chaos during the emergency, but the nation was victorious against such unconstitutional powers," said the president while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament. President Murmu further assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she said. "In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," President Murmu added. Speaking on the row over the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) exam 2024, the President said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. "It is a continuous effort of the government to ensure that the youth of the country gets adequate opportunity to display their talent. My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations", she said. Meanwhile, the President's address has triggered reactions from the leaders of the INDIA bloc. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to gain cheap applause by making the President deliver a speech filled with lies. "Modi Ji is trying to gain cheap applause by making the Honorable President speak lies, which the people of India have already rejected in the 2024 elections," Kharge wrote on his official account on 'X'. He further criticized the President's address asserting that it was scripted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, which appeared as an attempt by him to reject the public mandate. "Listening to the President's address written by the Modi government felt like Modi Ji is trying every possible way to deny the public mandate. The mandate was against him because the people of the country rejected his slogan of "crossing 400" and kept the BJP away from the figure of 272," Kharge said in a post on X. (ANI)
Bhopal district collector on Thursday took action against four private schools for violating the Madhya Pradesh Niji Vidyalaya (Fees Tatha Sambandhit Vishayon Ka Viniyaman) Adhiniyam, 2017 and increasing school fees beyond the prescribed limit. The collector also issued an order against the four private schools namely DPS School Kolar Road Bhopal, Sri Chaitanya Techno School Kolar road Bhopal, Sage International School Kolar road Bhopal and Campion School Bhouri, Bhopal to return the tuition fees to parents for not following the rules. The order further stated that a fine would be imposed against the said schools. "Today, the District Collector has issued an order against DPS School Kolar Road Bhopal, Sri Chaitanya Techno School Kolar Road Bhopal, Campion School Bhouri, Bhopal and Sage International School Kolar Road Bhopal to return the fees taken to the parents for not following the Fee Act 2017 (Madhya Pradesh Niji Vidyalaya (Fees Tatha Sambandhit Vishayon Ka Viniyaman) Adhiniyam, 2017). A fine will also be imposed against them," statement in the order read. Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh told ANI, "On the direction of the Chief Minister, schools are being investigated to see where the fees have increased beyond the prescribed limit. Therefore, the schools wherein the fees have increased beyond the prescribed limit, action is being taken to impose fines against them. They will have to return the excess fees to the students. Right now, action has been taken against four schools in the district." The collector also said that there were 30-31 more schools where complaints about increasing fees were found and they would take action against them too. "There are 30-31 schools in which such complaints have been found and we will take action against them. We have got all the schools in the state capital Bhopal verified by forming a team under the leadership of SDM, and wherever such a situation is found, we will take action," collector Singh added (ANI)
The Delhi High Court has recently permitted a businessman, namely Umesh Shahra, to travel abroad by suspending the lookout circular (LOC) issued against him while following the view taken by the Bombay High Court in the judgement of 'Viraj Chetan Shah vs. Union of India & Ors.', wherein the power of the Chairman, Managing Directors/ Chief Executive of all the public sector banks to request the opening of LOCs against a person was quashed. Appearing for the applicant, Advocates Ayush Jindal & Pankush Goyal, argued before the Court that of the 3 LOCs issued against the applicant at the behest of the CBI and the Bank of Baroda, none survive and thus the same ought to be quashed at the instant, thereby permitting the applicant to travel abroad. Adv. Ayush Jindal argued that the LOC at the behest of the CBI was opened in an FIR/RC against the applicant in 2021, however, the said FIR stands quashed by an order of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in November 2023 and no cognizable offence is lying against the applicant; the LOC on the basis of the same does not survive and thus is liable to be quashed. Advocate Jindal further apprised the Court that prior to the judgement of the Bombay High Court, the banks arbitrarily used to issue LOCs against a person with the sole intention of recovering money without initiating any criminal proceedings. Adv. Ayush Jindal further submitted that the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an Office Memorandum in 2010 laying down the guidelines for issuing lookout circulars (LOCs); however, as per the said Memorandum, LOCs could not be opened at the instance of the banks. It was only in 2018 that a memorandum was issued by the Ministry of Finance, thereby empowering the heads of public sector banks to issue requests for the opening of lookout circulars. By virtue of this office memorandum, the Chairman (State Bank of India), Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers (MDs & CEOs) of all public sector banks could request the opening of LOCs against the persons. Adv. Jindal further went ahead and apprised the Court that in 2021, an Office Memorandum, which now holds the field, was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the issuance of lookout circulars. In terms of the said OM, an LOC can be issued at the request of the chairman, managing Directors/ or chief executive of all public sector banks. A request is given by a person who is authorised under the said OM to the Bureau of Immigration and then the Bureau of Immigration at the request of the said officer, opens the LOC. The lawyer further argued that the Division Bench judgement of the Bombay High Court, wherein the Court, vide its judgement in Viraj Chetan Shah vs. Union of India & Ors., has quashed a particular clause of the Office Memorandum of 2010, equivalent to clause 6 of the Office Memorandum of 2021, whereby the Chairman, Managing Directors/ Chief Executive of all public sector banks could request the opening of an LOC. The lawyer also submitted that the LOC has been issued against the applicant only because of an existing debt and the bank cannot open a LOC as an arm-twisting tactic to recover debt from a person who has even otherwise entered into a one-time settlement (OTS) with the bank to pay off the said debt. A lookout circular is a major impediment for a person who wants to travel abroad. (ANI)
Two newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs, Reyat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee, launched a sit-in protest in front of the BR Ambedkar statue at the premises of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Thursday after Governor CV Anand Bose declined to administer the oath or delegate the responsibility to the Speaker. Sayantika and Reyat won the assembly bye-elections from the Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies, respectively, the results of which were declared on June 5. TMC MLA Reyat Hossain Sarkar won from Bhagwangola in the recently concluded bye-election with 107,096 votes, while TMC MLA Sayantika Banerjee won from Baranagar with 69,251 votes. Both the TMC MLAs failed to take oath following a dispute over the venue of the swearing-in ceremony. The standoff between the Governor and the state's ruling party, TMC, was triggered by a Raj Bhavan communication inviting the two newly elected MLAs of Bhagwangola and Baranagar, Reyat Hossain Sarkar and Banerjee, respectively, to take oath at the Governor's House on Wednesday. While the Speaker asserted that the Governor should have come to the state assembly as the newly elected MLAs are not becoming members of Raj Bhavan but of the State Assembly. TMC MLA Sayantika Banerjee said that Governor CV Ananda Bose should come to the Assembly and conduct the two newly elected TMC MLAs' oath-taking ceremony or give authority to the speaker to conduct the ceremony. "We respect him (the Governor), his chair, and the Constitution, but he is not giving us respect or customising the Constitution. He should come to the Assembly and conduct our oath-taking ceremony or give this authority to the speaker. We are sitting here with the Constitution... We are elected, unlike a nominated position like you (Governor)," Banerjee told ANI. TMC MLA Reyat Hossain Sarkar told ANI that they demand that their oath-taking ceremony be held in the Assembly. "The Governor is in his ego; we don't have any issue with that. We are newly elected MLAs; people have elected us, and we are not selected. We appeal to the entire nation that whatever tradition is there in other states, the speaker, deputy speaker, or governor conducts the oath of MLAs in the Assembly... I don't know why the Governor is in ego and doing injustice to West Bengal; our demand is that our oath be conducted in the Assembly," Sarkar said. (ANI)
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, met Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting focused on the ongoing and proposed projects to enhance road connectivity in Uttarakhand. During the discussion, Chief Minister Dhami emphasized the importance of improving road infrastructure in the state. He requested Minister Gadkari to issue notifications for six routes that were upgraded to National Highway status in principle in 2016. Additionally, Dhami advocated for the notification of routes connecting the Kumaon and Garhwal regions as National Highways. Chief Minister Dhami also proposed the conversion of the road from Mohkampur ROB to Ajabpur ROB into an elevated road. He sought approval for the remaining work on the ring road currently under construction in Dehradun. Furthermore, Dhami requested the inclusion of the proposed scheme to enhance the connectivity between Dehradun and Mussoorie in the 'Vision-2047' plan and the final approval for the Afzalgarh-Bhaguwala bypass proposal. Earlier in the day, Dhami, while reviewing the CM Helpline through a virtual medium from Uttarakhand Sadan, New Delhi directed officials to ensure timely resolution of all complaints received on the CM Helpline and the pending complaints should be resolved in the next 15 days. Pending complaints must be resolved positively within the next 15 days. Dhami has given strict instructions for departmental officials to seek clarification from officers who have not logged into the CM Helpline portal in the past month. If satisfactory reasons are not provided, action will be taken against the concerned officers. The Chief Minister emphasized that any future laxity in departmental work will hold the departmental secretary and head of the department responsible. He directed officers from block-level positions to departmental secretaries to regularly communicate with complainants to address public grievances, advocating for harmonious dialogue. Dhami also instructed all District Magistrates to prepare a roster for BDC (Block Development Committee) meetings in their districts, ensuring 100 per cent attendance of related departmental officers. District-level officers should also attend these meetings, with the District Magistrate and Chief Development Officer aiming to be present at every BDC meeting. He also called for regular organization of Tehsil Diwas by all District Magistrates, with senior district officers participating to resolve public issues. Information on the resolution of complaints during Tehsil Diwas should be uploaded to the Chief Minister Jan-Samarpan Tehsil Diwas portal regularly. Expressing displeasure over complaints pending for more than 180 days, the CM directed departmental secretaries to resolve these issues swiftly, with specific attention to the demands mentioned in the complaints. The objective, he emphasized, should be to resolve, not merely close, complaints. Regular training in line with the CM Helpline module should be conducted, ensuring that concerned officers attend. Dhami instructed all departmental secretaries and heads to review the CM Helpline-1905 in the second week of each month, resolving complaints promptly and uploading minutes of review meetings on the portal regularly. During the meeting, the Chief Minister personally spoke to seven complainants via the CM Helpline. Issues of three complainants were resolved, while Dhami assured the remaining four that their problems would be addressed soon. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also launched the CM Helpline WhatsApp chatbot, encouraging awareness through various social media platforms. (ANI)
https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1806281834155684224

"Delighted to meet with Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji at the New Parliament House, New Delhi. I also conveyed the enthusiasm of sisters & brothers of #Tripura for Modi 3.0. We also discussed various developmental issues in order to fulfill our commitment of #ViksitBharat," the Tripura CM said in a post on X.

The Tripura Chief Minister also met the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today.

https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1806311725328711873

"Today at the New Parliament Building met & greeted Hon'ble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji. I also congratulated & wished him for his 2nd term as Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation," Saha said in a post on X.

On the same day, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha also met with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his official residence in New Delhi.

https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1806214829096505771

"Met Hon'ble @DefenceMinIndia Shri @rajnathsingh Ji at his official residence in New Delhi. I congratulated him for Modi 3.0," Manik Saha said in another post on X.

Saha also met with Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda in the Parliament House today.

https://x.com/DrManikSaha2/status/1806294254991646736

Taking to his X account Saha said, "Today, on behalf of the people of Tripura, I met with the Honorable Shri J.P. Nadda Ji, the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, at the Parliament House in New Delhi to extend our greetings and congratulations." (ANI)
A meeting of the leaders of the opposition coalition, the INDIA bloc, was held at Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi after the joint session of Parliament on Thursday. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, TMC MP Derek O'Brien, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi, DMK MPs K Kanimozhi, and Tiruchi Siva among others attended the meeting. "Attended the meeting of floor leaders of all parties of the INDIA bloc under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today in Delhi. We, in the House, are unitedly committed to fighting for the issues and rights of the people," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on Facebook. According to sources, many major issues including the ongoing row over the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) were discussed in the meeting. During the meeting, the leaders decided to give notice in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on Friday demanding a discussion on the NEET examination issue, the sources said. Also, the INDIA bloc leaders will stage a demonstration on July 1, Monday, at the Gandhi Statue in Parliament on alleged political vendetta, misuse of central agencies including CBI and ED against the opposition, the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, other ministers, former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and three ministers in West Bengal, they added. "Several issues were discussed today in the meeting. There will be a debate on all the issues in the Parliament whether the President's address or the election of the speaker. You will see this in the coming days," Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said while speaking to ANI after the meeting. He said that the INDIA bloc leaders have also decided to participate in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address on Monday, July 1. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday and the Rajya Sabha session commenced on Thursday. Both sessions will conclude on July 3. (ANI)
Odisha Law minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Prithviraj Harichandan on Thursday welcomed the centre's decision to implement new criminal laws and said that the old laws were not compatible with the Indian system. The new criminal laws will come into force on July 1. "It is clear and pertinent that this old law was not conversant with the Indian system... The new law will help to reduce the pendency of cases in courts. It will help the victims to get justice at the earliest", Harichandan said while speaking to ANI. The Odisha minister further stressed that a lot of things have been catered to in the new criminal laws. "A lot of things will be taken care of by this new law. We welcome the step that has been taken by the PM and the Government of India..." he said. The three laws, i.e., the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, replace the earlier criminal laws, namely, the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, police custody under general criminal laws has been increased from 15 days to 90 days, depending on the nature of the offence. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will have 358 sections (instead of 511 sections in the IPC). A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the bill, and the imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 of them. The amount of the fine has been increased in 83 crimes and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty of community service has been introduced for six crimes and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the bill. Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita will have 531 sections (in place of 484 sections of CrPC). A total of 177 provisions have been changed in the bill, and nine new sections as well as 39 new sub-sections have been added to it. The draft act has added 44 new provisions and clarifications. Timelines have been added to 35 sections and audio-video provision has been added at 35 places. A total of 14 sections have been repealed and removed from the bill Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will have 170 provisions (instead of the original 167 provisions), and a total of 24 provisions have been changed. Two new provisions and six sub-provisions have been added and six provisions have been repealed or deleted from the bill. The recent criminal justice reform in India marks a significant shift in priorities, placing crimes against women, children, and the nation at the forefront. This stands in stark contrast to colonial-era laws, where concerns like treason and treasury offenses outweighed the needs of ordinary citizens. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to the founder of Bengaluru, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda on his 515th birth anniversary. "Tributes to Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda on his birth anniversary. He was a visionary known for his foresight and administrative skills. He was a pioneer in boosting economic wellbeing, agriculture, irrigation and more. Bengaluru, the city he nurtured, is globally admired for its dynamism, vibrancy and innovation. Our government will keep working to fulfil his vision for society and uphold the values he cherished. Sharing pictures from the 'Statue of Prosperity', which I had the honour of inaugurating in 2022," PM Modi said in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the "Statue of Prosperity" in 2022, a 108-feet bronze statue of Bengaluru founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. The statue has been built to commemorate the contribution of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the founder of the city, towards the growth of Bengaluru. "Conceptualized and sculpted by Ram V Sutar of Statue of Unity fame, 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel have gone into making this statue," PMO said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid tribute to Nadaprabhu Kempegowda on his 515th birth anniversary saying "I bow to Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Ji on his Jayanti." "I bow to Sri Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Ji on his Jayanti. A towering leader in our history, Kempegowda Ji envisioned and founded the city of Bengaluru as early as the 16th century. The legendary figure also paved the way for the overall advancement of our society by patronizing reforms, art, learning, agriculture, and economic growth. Kempegowda Ji's life and vision will continue to guide us on the path of nation-building," Amit Shah said in a post on X. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah garlanded and showered flowers on the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Vidhan Soudha on the occasion of his birth anniversary. (ANI)
Following Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's order, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) demolished over half a dozen hookah parlours, bars and restaurants that were found operating without permission in different areas of the city on Thursday. The civic body's deputy commissioner, Gajanan Godapur, said that a heavy police force was also deployed in the respective areas during the demolition action to prevent any untoward incidents. "We have launched a drive to demolish illegal hookah parlours, bars and restaurants under Thane Municipal Corporation limits. Around seven to eight such structures were demolished today and the action will continue in the future as well. These unauthorised establishments belonged to people involved in drug-related illegal activities," the deputy commissioner told ANI. "Apart from this, the Anti-Narcotics Cell and Thane Crime Branch are also keeping an eye on people involved in the sale and supply of drugs. Demolition action is also being taken against all illegal structures, including the ones where drugs are sold and purchased," he pointed out. Earlier, Chief Minister Shinde directed the Municipal Commissioners and Police Commissioners of Thane and Mira-Bhainder to demolish unauthorised pubs, bars, restaurants and drug-related illegal constructions across the city. CM Shinde directed on Wednesday to take strict action against illegal pubs and bars in the city to make Thane and Mira-Bhainder city drug-free, as per a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). This also follows demolition actions taken in Pune city on the orders of the Chief Minister. After a video that showed minors consuming drugs in the washroom of a bar went viral on the internet, CM Eknath Shinde ordered the Pune Police Commissioner and Municipal Commissioner to demolish unauthorised constructions related to drugs. Following this, the Pune Police raided and sealed a popular bar in the city for allegedly serving drugs to minors, sparking outrage and leading to the suspension of four police officials for dereliction of duty. (ANI)
During this, a detailed discussion was held with him on further strengthening the air connectivity in Uttarakhand, according to a press release from the Chief Minister's office.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister requested that the Union Minister start the process of expanding Pantnagar Airport in Udham Singh Nagar district soon.

Along with this, the Chief Minister also requested to expedite the process of granting permission for the expansion of Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun and giving the airport the status of an international airport.

On Thursday, Dhami also met Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi

The meeting focused on the ongoing and proposed projects to enhance road connectivity in Uttarakhand.

During the discussion, Chief Minister Dhami emphasised the importance of improving road infrastructure in the state. He requested that Minister Gadkari issue notifications for six routes that were upgraded to National Highway status in principle in 2016.

Additionally, Dhami advocated for the notification of routes connecting the Kumaon and Garhwal regions as National Highways.

Chief Minister Dhami also proposed the conversion of the road from Mohkampur ROB to Ajabpur ROB into an elevated road. He sought approval for the remaining work on the ring road currently under construction in Dehradun. (ANI)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday alleged that after the June 4 Lok Sabha election results, some individuals from a particular community feel that they have been given a licence to carry out illegal activities. He stated that the police have been instructed to take strict legal action against these individuals. "After the Lok Sabha elections in Assam, some people from a particular community feel that they have been given a license to do illegal activities. Some such cases have also come to light. I have instructed the police that strict legal action should be taken against these people," CM Sarma said. The Assam Chief Minister highlighted the recent rape incidents in Mazbat, Dhekiajuli, and Dudhnoi, and mob violence incidents in Kokrajhar and Barpeta villages and said that certain sections has indulged in such crimes. He added that he has directed the state police to take strong action against them. "We are concerned about the spike in such incidents and that a certain section has indulged in such crimes. I directed the state police to take strong action against them," Assam CM said. As per Election Commission of India (ECI) data, in the 2024 general election, the BJP won nine seats, Congress won three, and the and the BJP's allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples' Party, Liberal (UPPL) got one each out of the total 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. (ANI)
West Bengal's Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday welcomed the Calcutta High Court decision to give the Central Government full discretion to deploy Central Armed Paramilitary Forces in West Bengal to save the victims of Post Poll Violence and termed the decision as historic. https://x.com/SuvenduWB/status/1806311899807834459 "One more failure of the State Machinery has come to the forefront. The Hon'ble High Court at Calcutta in a Public Interest Litigation filed by me to save the victims from Post Poll Violence has essentially conferred the entire discretion of deploying Central Armed Paramilitary Forces in West Bengal to the Central Government. I welcome this historic decision of the Hon'ble Court which will save a lot of lives in this failed State of West Bengal," Suvendu Adhikari said in a post on X. Incidents of post-poll violence poured in from several pockets of West Bengal where BJP workers were allegedly beaten and their offices were vandalised, after the declaration of Lok Sabha 2024 results. On June 13, West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, was stopped by the police from entering the Raj Bhavan to meet West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose with alleged victims of post-poll violence. Earlier this month, West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari had written to Governor CV Ananda Bose, raising concerns about the All India Trinamool Congress' alleged role in post-poll violence, urging him to take steps to prevent a recurrence of the situation after elections in 2024. In the letter, Adhikari had alleged that the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces, stationed after the polls, are not being utilised to control the worsening situation where the ruling party's goons are targeting BJP workers. Meanwhile, local BJP workers alleged that the BJP party office located at Goragacha, Taratala was demolished without any notice from the local administration on Thursday. Talking about the demolition of the BJP party office at Goragacha, party worker MB Mahesh told ANI that the office was demolished by a bulldozer without notice. He added that the TMC is doing this because of the BJP's strengthening presence here. "I don't understand why the BJP office was demolished by a bulldozer without notice...They are doing this because BJP strengthening its presence here...Nearby there is a TMC office where illegal activities are carried out," Mahesh said. (ANI)
Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, Vinod K Jacob, inaugurated the Odisha State Tourism and One District One Product (ODOP) walls at the Consular hall of the Embassy to promote the tourist attractions of Odisha. The inauguration was held in the presence of several members of the Odiya community living in Bahrain. https://x.com/IndiaInBahrain/status/1805922895324967228 "Ambassador of India H.E. Shri Vinod K. Jacob inaugurated the Odisha State Tourism and One District One Product (ODOP) walls at the Consular hall of the Embassy in the presence of members of Odiya Community living in Bahrain," the Indian Embassy in Bahrain said in a press release. "These walls highlight touristic attractions as well as exquisite products identified under ODOP scheme, of the state of Odisha," it added. A short cultural presentation and ''Taste of Odisha'', culinary delicacies was arranged by the Odiya community on this occasion. On the occasion, Ambassador Jacob spoke in Odiya and also thanked the Odiya community for assisting the Embassy in sourcing the ODOP items. Further, he said that the initiative is aimed to promote the Odiya culture and promote Odisha as a tourism destination. "I am very happy to inaugurate the ODOP wall...this will go on for two and a half months, during which we have two objectives. With the help of the Odiya community in Bahrain to promote the various projects of Odisha...we also want to promote Odisha as a tourism destination. Odisha has great history, it has excellent warm, welcoming people," he said. "We want to take the help of the Bahrain-Odiya community here to push the message of Odisha as one of the best places to visit," the Ambassador added. He said the Indian Embassy there has organised similar events for states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. He also urged the Odiya community there to participate in the initiative. "This is our fifth initiative with Odisha. Next time we are planning to do it with some other state. I expect the Odiya community in Bahrain to contribute actively and take ownership of this," Ambassador Jacob further said. Under the ''Focus state/union territory'' initiative of the Embassy of India, touristic and ODOP products of a particular state are being promoted in Bahrain for a period of around one month. Notably, Odisha is the fifth focus state to be featured at the State/Union Territory Wall in the Consular hall, after Rajasthan, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. The Embassy had engaged the diaspora of Karnataka in procuring and displaying the ODOP items for the first time. Odisha is the second focus state featured in the Consular Hall, where the ODOP items are also displayed, the release stated. Several ODOP products of Odisha were exhibited at the Embassy. The ODOP items will be displayed for a month. ODOP initiative aims to select, brand, and promote at least one product from each district of the country to enable holistic socio-economic growth across all regions. Under this initiative, all products have been selected by States/UTs by taking into consideration the existing ecosystem on the ground, products identified under Districts as Export Hubs and GI-tagged products, the release added. (ANI)
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was appointed as the next chief of the transatlantic military alliance NATO on Wednesday, a development that comes during a critical time for European security amid Russia's war in Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported. Ambassadors from the alliance's 32 members took the decision at a meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Rutte was appointed after his only rival for the post, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, quit the race last week after he failed to gain traction. Bowing out of Dutch politics after nearly 14 years as PM, Rutte will take over from Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on October 1, NATO said in a statement. Rutte gained early support from key members of the alliance, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, after declaring his interest in the post last year. Following his appointment, Rutte called it a "tremendous honour" and described NATO as a "cornerstone of our collective security", in a post on X. https://x.com/MinPres/status/1805887841576128984 Other countries, particularly those in Eastern Europe, had argued the job should go to someone from their region for the first time, but they eventually supported Rutte, as reported by Al Jazeera. Hungary lifted its objections earlier this month, after Rutte agreed that Budapest would not be obligated in the future to send personnel or provide funds for a new support plan for Ukraine. Turkey had also voiced opposition to Rutte's bid but relented in April. Notably, NATO takes decisions by consensus so Rutte, could only be confirmed once being backed by all the alliance members. Stoltenberg, who led NATO for a decade, said he welcomed the selection of Rutte as his successor. "Mark is a true transatlanticist, a strong leader, and a consensus-builder," he said. "I know I am leaving NATO in good hands." Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian PM, took over the alliance's leadership in 2014, a few months after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was confident that the incoming chief will keep NATO "strong and united, as we work to strengthen our collective defence and support Ukraine's fight for freedom". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Rutte as a "principled and strong leader, who has demonstrated his decisiveness and vision on many occasions over the past years". Rutte will face the challenge of sustaining allies' support for Ukraine's fight against Russia's invasion while guarding against NATO being drawn directly into a war with Moscow, according to Al Jazeera. Notably, Rutte has been a tough critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a staunch ally of Ukraine. However, the Kremlin said the appointment will not "change anything". He will also have to contend with the possibility that NATO-sceptic former US President Donald Trump may return to the White House after November's election Trump's possible return has unnerved NATO leaders, as the former President had called into question the US willingness to support other members of the alliance if they were attacked. (ANI)
Washington DC [US], June 27 (ANI/WAM): Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has visited Washington DC for talks with Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce, to discuss strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. Dr. Al Zeyoudi, accompanied by Yousef Al Otaiba, United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States, also led the UAE delegation of government officials and business leaders to the 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit, an event that promotes and facilitates business investment in the US, to explore expanding opportunities for the UAE private sector. During his meeting with Secretary Raimondo, Al Zeyoudi reaffirmed the importance of economic relations with the US, which is the UAE's third-largest global trade partner and accounts for 27% of America's non-oil trade with the Arab World. In 2023, the two nations shared bilateral trade worth US$40 billion, a 20.1% increase on the previous year and 50.2 per cent growth compared to 2019. The pair discussed areas of mutual interest, including the ongoing collaboration on renewable energy development.At the SelectUSA Investment Summit, which is hosted by the US Department of Commerce and brings together public officials and corporate leaders, Al Zeyoudi also met Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey to discuss how UAE-based businesses, investors and family offices can either enter or expand their presence in the US market in areas of mutual interest, such as clean energy, logistics, infrastructure development and advanced technology. The Summit's workshops and seminars also enabled the delegation to learn about the various investment opportunities across the USA, enabling them to identify potential areas for collaboration and the means to access them. Addressing attendees from the US business community at a session organized by the UAE-US Business Council, Al Zeyoudi said: "The United States of America remains one of our most trusted international allies and a vital trade and investment partner. Our relationship is not only strong and enduring, it continues to find productive new horizons, from collaboration in renewable energy to agri-tech and advanced technology. Our visit to the States this week is a reflection of our commitment to finding new avenues of cooperation and to building partnerships at the public- and private-sector levels that further our economic diversification ambitions. SelectUSA is not only the ideal platform to discover the opportunities in the US market but to also to showcase the dynamism of the UAE's ecosystem, which is already home to more than 1,500 US companies." The UAE is the largest Arab investor in the USA with assets of more than US$38.1 billion, accounting for over 50 per cent of Arab investment into the country as of 2022. UAE investments in the US over the last five years have grown by US$12 billion across a variety of sectors with a focus on transportation, business services and ICT. Majority UAE-owned firms employ over 24,300 US workers and help to increase US exports, contributing US$1.4 billion to the value of US goods exported in 2021. The UAE delegation included more than 65 participants, most notably Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al Hawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment, Juma Mohammed Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs, and Saud H. Al Nowais, UAE Commercial Attache (Counselor) for the UAE Embassy, in addition to senior executives from government and private sector companies such as the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Mubadala, EDGE Group, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), LuLu Group International, and Emirates Aluminum. (ANI/WAM)
A Launch Service Agreement was signed between India's NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and Australia's Space Machine Company to further deepen space collaboration between the two nations. The agreement was signed at an event in the national capital on Wednesday. It was attended by ISRO chief S Somanath and the Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green. https://x.com/AusHCIndia/status/1805947570784551206 Addressing the event, the ISRO chief said, "We have heard that the vision for the next 25 years, Amrit Kaal, has already been announced. That was only just two months back. So what we have been doing is converting that vision into actionable items." He elaborated on several missions that ISRO is working on, including further exploration of the the moon. "We will, by 2028...have the first launch of the station. So to make that happen by 2028, we have engineered the BAS first module, and that will go on LVM3. So for that, there is another proposal: how to build it, what are the technologies required, what timeline we will build and what everything costs. That has been put in a separate proposal, which will be put before the government again for approval," S Somanath said. "The third element is the Chandrayaan series of missions, which requires... further exploration of the Moon until we land on Moon. So we have worked out a configuration with Chandrayaan-4, how to bring samples back from Moon to Earth. And that we propose with multiple launches because our current rocket capability is not enough to go on one mission and then bring back samples," he added. The Australian envoy addressed the event and said that Canberra is very proud of the engagement between the two nations in the space industry. "Just on behalf of the Australian government, I want to say how proud we are to see this important first emblem of the engagement between Australia in the space industry. We are...big backers of the Indian space industry and that's why we've developed a special mechanism to support Australia and India space collaboration an ideal first outcome is to have an Australian payload on outstanding work advice-based machines and by their energy and collaborators, I wish them the very best," he said. https://x.com/AusHCIndia/status/1805897764301131880 Taking to social media platform X, he said that Australia will fund specific partnerships to the tune of Rs 100 crore over the next three years. "The Indian #space industry has taken off. Australia is a committed partner - and are ready to share our dark skies, tracking assets & deep #science capabilities for mutual benefit. We will also be funding specific partnerships to the tune of Rs 100 crore over the next three years," he stated. He also hailed the signing of the Launch Service Agreement between India's NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and Australia's Space Machine Company. "Terrific to witness the signing of a historic Launch Service Agreement b/w Autralia @SpaceMachinesCo & India @NSIL_India. This Space MAIT-RI Mission will mark a defining moment in our space collaboration- the first time an firm has commissioned an -made SSLV- launch to begin in 2026," envoy Green stated. (ANI)
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an organisation India has strongly criticised in the past, has again raised 'concerns' over religious freedoms, citing the alleged rise in 'hate speech', demolitions and anti-conversion laws. The report annually surveys religious freedoms around the world and aims to provide a "fact-based, comprehensive view of the state of religious freedom" in nearly 200 countries and territories. The findings come a few weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his third term in office and India and the United States agreed to strengthen cooperation in high technology areas during a visit by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to New Delhi. "In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities," US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told reporters at an event in Washington on Monday. The US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, Rashad Hussain also expressed concerns about the situation in India. "In India, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities, or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges," he said. Earlier in May, India rejected a similar report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom that accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "reinforcing discriminatory nationalist policies" and termed the organisation "biased" with "political agenda." "The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is known as a biased organization with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report," MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press briefing. "We really have no expectation that USCIRF will even seek to understand India's diverse, pluralistic and democratic ethos. Their efforts to interfere in the largest electoral exercise of the world will never succeed," he added. The USCIRF had then alleged that the Indian government "failed to address" communal violence disproportionately affecting Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, Jews, and Adivasis (indigenous peoples) in 2023. Among its key findings, the report calls out several countries including India, China, Russia, and Iran for violations of explicitly targeting members from certain faith communities. A detailed section of the report also mentioned the alleged "targeted attacks against religious minorities in India." The report expresses several concerns over India's religious freedom. It claims religious conversion is "legally prohibited" in multiple states, religious minorities are "attacked on a regular basis", and alleges that Muslims face systemic discrimination. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also noted that in the United States, hate crimes against both Muslims and Jews "have gone up dramatically." The US also raised concerns about Pakistan, where Blinken condemned blasphemy laws that "help foster a climate of intolerance and hatred that can lead to vigilantism and mob violence." Secretary Blinken also mentioned the imprisonment and exile of Muslim Uyghurs in China, as well as the repression of Tibetan Buddhists, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners. (ANI)
Delegates from various nations arrived at the Parliament ahead of President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint session of both Houses. Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, and envoys of other nations arrived at the Parliament. Officials welcomed the diplomats upon arrival at the Parliament. President Droupadi Murmu is addressing the joint sitting of Parliament shortly, which will be her first presidential address after the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Following the President's address, a motion of thanks will be moved in both Houses of Parliament, which will be discussed by the members. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on Monday and the Rajya Sabha session will start today. Congress chief and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge said that they are expecting at least a good speech this year adding that it should not be a government speech, instead it should be a President's address. "Let's see what new programs they are going to give and how many programs they implemented last and the year before that. We are expecting at least a good speech this year. It should not be a government speech, it should be the President's address," he said. SP chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav said that the President's address is a tradition and it happens every time. "This is the tradition and it happens every time. We listen to the President. That is actually the speech of the Government," he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Om Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the second time in a row after the motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was adopted by the House through a voice vote on Wednesday. Speaking on occasion, Birla urged that there should be a new vision and resolve for the 18th Lok Sabha. He called for the 18th Lok Sabha to be a centre of creative thinking and new ideas, which would establish high levels of parliamentary traditions and dignity, and added that the aim of the House should be to fulfil the resolve of Viksit Bharat. Even as the newly elected speaker was making his speech, the opposition parties continued sloganeering "Stop Dictatorship". Afterwards, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till June 27. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate and MP from Kota, Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha after the motion for the same was moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seconded by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The motion was adopted by the house through a voice vote. This is the first Lok Sabha session post-general elections in which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 293 seats while the INDIA bloc secured 234 seats. The BJP, however, couldn't reach a majority on its own, as it secured the win in only 240 seats. (ANI)
Israel's Embassy in India on Wednesday hosted a farewell dinner to honour the departing diplomats, including Ambassador Naor Gilon, Deputy Chief of Mission Ohad Nakash Kaynar, and Political Counselor Hagar Spiro-Tal. Speaking on the occasion, Naor Gilon called it an "honour" to represent Israel in India. He stressed that the bond between Israel and India is "unique" and built on shared values and mutual respect. He expressed gratitude for the warm relations and cooperation experienced during his tenure. Gilon said, "It has been an honour to represent Israel in this incredible country. The bond between Israel and India is unique, built on shared values and mutual respect. I am filled with gratitude for the warmth and friendship extended to us by the people of India." "Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones and forged an unbreakable bond. I will always cherish the friendships, the warmth, and the profound respect for India's heritage and its people. A part of our hearts will remain forever in India," he added. Deputy Chief of Mission Ohad Nakash Kaynar and Political Counselor Spiro-Tal also spoke about achievements in diplomatic, economic, and cultural exchanges between India and Israel, according to the Israel Embassy in India statement. The diplomats are scheduled to depart from India in August after completion of their respective tenures. According to the statement, the farewell dinner for Israeli diplomats was attended by embassy friends, including prominent diplomatic community members, Indian government officials, business leaders, and cultural icons. In a statement, Israel's Embassy in India stated, "The Embassy of Israel in India remains committed to enhancing the people-to-people and bilateral relations while exploring new avenues of cooperation in technology, agriculture, education, and more. The departing diplomats leave behind a legacy of strengthened ties and a roadmap for continued collaboration." (ANI)
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), in its report, revealed that the rain-related incidents claimed lives in the Sui area of Dera Bugti.

One of the injured persons is critical, the PDMA said, according to ARY News.

Following heavy rains, an emergency was declared in the hospitals in the area, to treat the injured people.

Maximum areas in Dera Bugti district of Balochistan were without electricity due to the collapse of several electricity poles.

According to the PDMA report, the Pakistan Army, FC, and PDMA have initiated a rescue effort in the affected regions, and people have been relocated to safer locations.

A weather forecast earlier predicted rain was expected with wind/thunderstorms in Balochistan's Lasbella, Khuzdar, Awaran, Jhal Magsi, Kalat, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Zhob, and Barkhan districts.

With sewer manholes not intended for proper rainwater drainage, several regions across Pakistan continue to face the wrath of torrential rains, resulting in loss of lives and, at times, clogged roads, flooding of fields, and excessive traffic jams. (ANI)
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan on Wednesday requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa to hear the party's petitions regarding the May 9 incidents, election symbol review, and February 8 "mega polls fraud" without further delay, to reveal the truth, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. While addressing a press conference, Hasan said the Constitution did not allow ignoring crucial petitions and focusing on trivial matters. He urged CJP to fix pending petitions of the PTI, including the May 9 incidents, review petition, level playing fields, and "mega polls robbery" conducted on February 8, for hearing. Raoof Hasan expressed disappointment that he wrote several letters to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) regarding the level playing field and other important matters. However, the CJP did not pay attention to his concerns. He alleged that those actions were part of the "notorious London Plan" and asked whether the CJP and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) were also involved in the matter. Hasan said the CJP repeatedly raised questions during court proceedings over PTI's intra-party polls despite the party conducting three elections, including one under the guidelines of the Supreme Court. He said that the ECP still questioned the conduct of intra-party polls. He stated that the Supreme Court instead of criticizing the PTI, should take responsibility for depriving their party of a level playing field during general elections, detaining and threatening candidates, proposers, and seconders, according to a Dawn report. Raoof Hasan said that PTI was asked to respect the constitutional body. However, he questioned whether the electoral watchdog that conducted elections on February 8 deserved respect, considering the unanimous consensus among international organizations and the US Congress that the February 8 polls were "rigged". He said that the US Congress passed a resolution that raised questions about the election's credibility and transparency. He also spoke about the Chinese delegation's concerns regarding political instability in Pakistan, Dawn reported. Pakistan held its 12th national general election on February 8, amid allegations of rigging and the shutdown of cellular and internet services. The PTI dominated the election results, with the highest number of successful candidates in the February 8 general elections. However, the party has alleged rigging in the polls. On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution, in support of democracy and human rights in Pakistan and called for a "thorough and independent investigation" into interference claims in Pakistan's 2024 elections. The resolution -- passed with 85 per cent of House members participating and 98 per cent voting in its favour -- urged US President Joe Biden to collaborate with Pakistan in "upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law". The resolution, HR 901, titled 'Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan' was introduced by Congressman McCormick of Georgia and Congressman Kildee of Michigan and co-sponsored by over 100 colleagues. "It underscores the importance of upholding democratic values and respecting the rights of the people of Pakistan as they face economic instability and security threats," an official statement read. "The near-unanimous passage of this resolution sends a clear message to the government of Pakistan that the United States stands with the people of Pakistan in their pursuit of democracy, free and fair elections, and respect for individual freedoms and human rights. It is crucial that the new government in Pakistan commits to rooting out corruption and promoting democratic values to ensure a stable and prosperous future for all citizens," it added. The resolution emphasised the importance of free and fair elections, calling for a thorough and independent investigation into any claims of interference or irregularities in Pakistan's 2024 elections, as reported by Dawn. It also condemned efforts to suppress democratic participation in Pakistan. It specifically denounced harassment, intimidation, violence, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on internet access, as well as any violations of human, civil, or political rights. (ANI)
Denmark's Ambassador to India, Freddy Svane, has called President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament "fantastic." He stated that Denmark looks forward to seeing India grow economically as a strong power in the world. Asked about President Murmu's address, Svane said, "It was fantastic. It's a long agenda of what has to be done here, and we look forward to see India growing economically as a strong power of this world. So it's a great, great, great thing." Delegates from various nations arrived at the Parliament to hear President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint session of both Houses. Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, and envoys of other nations arrived at the Parliament. Officials welcomed the diplomats upon arrival at the Parliament. In her address, President Murmu assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she said. "In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," President Murmu added. She congratulated the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. She also expressed her gratitude to the Election Commission of India for holding the elections peacefully. "I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. All of you have come here after winning the trust of the voters of the country. Very few people get this privilege of serving the country and the people. I have full faith that you will fulfil your duties with the spirit of the nation first and will become a medium for fulfilling the aspirations of 140 crore countrymen," she said. "On behalf of crores of countrymen, I would like to express gratitude Election Commission of India. This was the biggest election in the world. Decades-long records of voting have been broken in J&K. For the past 4 decades, Kashmir witnessed low voting amid shutdowns and strikes. India's enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces," President Murmu added. The President said that the government is working for lasting peace in the North East adding that several old problems have been addressed in the last 10 years. "Government is working for lasting peace in North East; several old problems addressed in last 10 years. Every kind of connectivity is being enhanced in the North East. Development work is being carried forward in every sector like education, health, tourism, employment etc. A semiconductor plant is being built in Assam at a cost of Rs 27 thousand crores. That means North East is also going to be a centre for Made in India chips," she said. In her address to the Parliament, the President said that the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy. "The resolve to Reform, Perform and Transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world today. In 10 years, India has risen from the 11th largest economy to the fifth largest. From the year 2021 to the year 2024, India has grown at an average rate of 8 per cent," she said. "Despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate. This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in the national interest in the last 10 years. Today, India contributes to 15 per cent of the global growth. My Government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world," the President added. (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], June 27 (ANI/WAM): The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the Fujairah Tourism and Antiquities Department today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate knowledge sharing and attract more visitors to their museums, boosting tourism and driving economic growth in both emirates. The partnership, signed by Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Under-Secretary of DCT Abu Dhabi, and Saeed Al Samahi, General Director of Fujairah Tourism and Antiquities Department, will allow the entities to exchange knowledge and expertise, develop joint training programmes, and engage local and global tourists through joint marketing and promotional activities. This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to promoting the cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi and Fujairah by exchanging artefacts and artworks, which will attract greater numbers of visitors and deepen public understanding of their respective histories. Al Hosani said this MoU enables collaboration between the two museums through joint programmes and promotions. He added that highlighting both emirates' rich artistic and cultural heritage will foster pride in national identity and promote cross-cultural understanding. For his part, Al Samahi stated that this MoU strengthens cooperation and sheds light on Fujairah's historical and cultural richness, "Furthermore, this collaboration will open new prospects for all emirates in the UAE to exchange tourism experiences and explore pioneering practices, as we work to make Fujairah an attractive destination for both domestic and international tourism," he noted. In recent years, Abu Dhabi has transformed into a global hub for culture and creativity. Its Saadiyat Cultural District is home to the renowned Louvre Abu Dhabi and a growing community of institutions and attractions, which will soon welcome the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Tourism is a key pillar in Abu Dhabi's long-term economic diversification strategy. The emirate recently launched its Tourism Strategy 2030, which will see the sector add AED90 billion to the UAE's GDP annually by 2030 and attract 39.3 million visitors every year to Abu Dhabi. (ANI/WAM)
Two NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams have no planned date to return to Earth and they are waiting aboard the International Space Station (ISS) amid several mechanical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, ABC News reported. The two NASA astronauts were scheduled to return on June 14. However, the pair has no set date to return to Earth as their return has been delayed multiple times. In a statement, Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, said, "We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," according to ABC News report. Stich added, "We are letting the data drive our decision-making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking." The Starliner with flight commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and flight pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams onboard was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida on June 5. The Starliner arrived at the ISS on June 6. The mission is part of the larger Commercial Crew Program at NASA, which wanted to see whether Boeing's spacecraft could be certified to carry out routine missions to and from the ISS. Boeing and NASA have said the crew is currently not in danger as they are aboard the ISS with plenty of supplies in orbit and the schedule of the station is relatively open through mid-August. NASA and Boeing said Wilmore and Williams are "integrated" with the Expedition 71 crew aboard the ISS and are assisting the crew with operations of the station as needed and completing "objectives" required for NASA's possible certification of Starliner, ABC News reported. In a statement, Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager of Boeing's Starliner program, said, "The crew's feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they know that every bit of learning we do on the Crew Flight Test will improve and sharpen our experience for future crews." Starliner has faced several issues even before launch. The flight test was originally tentatively scheduled for May 6. However, it was delayed after a problem with an oxygen valve on a rocket from United Launch Alliance (ULA), which makes and operates the rockets that launch spacecraft into orbit. The launch date was later set for May 25. However, a small helium leak was found in the service module, which comprises support systems and instruments for operating a spacecraft, ABC News reported. Helium leaks and a thruster issue then threatened to delay the docking of Starlines. After docking at the ISS for five days, NASA and Boeing said the spacecraft was experiencing five "small" helium leaks. At the time, NASA and Boeing said enough helium was available for the return mission. (ANI)
The Sindhi Foundation, a Washington, DC-based organisation dedicated to the human rights of Sindhis, has sought assistance from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the recovery of an abducted minor Sindhi Hindu girl, Priya Kumari. This announcement was made by Sufi Munawar Laghari, the executive director of the Sindhi Foundation, in a press release issued from Geneva on Thursday. Sufi Munawar Laghari, a renowned human rights activist from Sindh living in exile in Washington DC, stated in the press release, "The Sindhi diaspora is issuing an SOS call to the United Nations Human Rights Council to help us rescue an innocent minor Sindhi girl who has been missing for the last three years." He asserted that the minor girl is believed to be in the illegal custody of powerful Shahs of Sindh, backed by the Pakistani army. Laghari emphasised that the frequent abduction of Sindhi minor girls and young women, along with their forced conversions, is a matter of grave concern in Sindh. This situation warrants the immediate intervention of the UNHRC to initiate an international independent investigation into the matter. Laghari demanded, "The UNHRC should exert pressure on Pakistan to immediately return the minor girl Priya Kumari safe and alive to her parents and persuade Pakistan to take necessary measures to stop the abductions of young Sindhi women and minor girls and their forced conversions in Sindh." Munawar Laghari also announced that the Sindhi Foundation plans to organise a demonstration against the abductions of Priya Kumari and other Sindhi minor girls and young women, as well as their forced conversions, on July 8th. The demonstration will take place around the Broken Chair sculpture in front of the UNHRC building in Geneva. Additionally, Sufi Munawar Laghari will present a memorandum to the chair of the UNHRC, informing them of the atrocities committed against Sindhis in Sindh. He has also appealed to people and organisations concerned with human rights to join and express their support and solidarity with Priya Kumari, her parents, and other abducted daughters of Sindh. He urged them to exert pressure on the Pakistani state to stop these forced conversions. (ANI)
Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, delivered a resounding endorsement of India's future prospects following President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint session of Parliament, saying this is "indeed India's century!" He also expressed optimism about the future of bilateral relations between India and Singapore. In a social media post on X, High Commissioner Wong highlighted the significance of President Murmu's address, stating, "Attended Hon'ble President Droupadi Murmu address to both Houses of Parliament this AM w fellow HOMs. This is indeed India's Century! Singapore looks fwd to taking our excellent bilat rlns to even great heights. Jai Hind!" https://x.com/SGinIndia/status/1806233593582322023 The High Commissioner, along with his delegation, attended the session and shared moments captured inside the Parliament premises, including a selfie with his fellow diplomats. India and Singapore have enjoyed robust diplomatic ties, marked by cooperation in various sectors including trade, defence, and technology. President Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament today which was her first presidential address after the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. In her address, President Murmu assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. The President also said that the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy. She added that India has united the world on many issues during its G20 presidency. The African Union was made the 27th member of the grouping under India's Presidency, and noted that the move has strengthened the "trust of the African continent as well as the entire Global South," she said in her address. Delegates from various nations arrived at the Parliament ahead of President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint session of both Houses. Apart from Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, and envoys of other nations arrived at the Parliament. This is the first Lok Sabha session post-general elections in which the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 293 seats while the INDIA bloc secured 234 seats. The BJP, however, couldn't reach a majority on its own, as it secured the win in only 240 seats. (ANI)
Philippines' Ambassador to India, Jose Francisco Ignacio, expressed pride in President Droupadi Murmu mentioning the BrahMos project between India and the Philippines during her address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday. Highlighting the project as a crucial element of bilateral relations between the two nations in their 75th year of diplomatic ties, Ambassador Ignacio remarked positively on the current trajectory of India-Philippines relations. "We are very proud that the President made mention of our BrahMos project with India, which is an important part of our bilateral relations in the 75th year. India-Philippines relations are going very well," Ignacio told ANI. In January 2022, the Philippines concluded a USD 375 million deal with India for three batteries of shore-based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, becoming the first export customer for the joint venture missile between India and Russia. The first batch of missiles was delivered this April. President Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, which was her first presidential address after the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. "The BrahMos missile defence deal with the Philippines has strengthened India's standing in the defence export sector," said President Murmu in her address. Meanwhile, on the President's address, the Ambassador of Slovakia to India, Robert Maxian, said he was privileged to listen to the President's address. "It was a privilege to listen to the Presidential speech today. We would like to widen our cooperation with India by increasing our trade and investment," Maxian told ANI. In her address, President Murmu assured the nation that in the upcoming Parliament sessions, major economic and social decisions, and historical steps will be announced during the Union Budget. President Murmu also said that the government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy. She added that India has united the world on many issues during its G20 presidency. Delegates from various nations arrived at the Parliament ahead of President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint session of both Houses. Apart from Ambassador Ignacio, Singapore's High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, and envoys of other nations also arrived at the Parliament. (ANI)
Holding the US responsible for the terrorist attack at Sevastopol, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine, with support from the United States and its satellites, committed heinous crimes against civilians in Russia. "There is no doubt that the United States is involved in this ominous crime. Washington and its satellites have created and nurtured the neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv. They are cherishing and supporting their Ukrainian puppets, using them to wage a war against Russia, and encouraging them to commit acts of international terrorism and kill Russian civilians, including with the use of cluster munitions, one of the most terrible types of inhumane weapons. A response to this crime will inevitably follow," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the attack in Sevastopol. Four people, including two children, lost their lives in the Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian-controlled Sevastopol in overnight attacks on June 23. The Russian-installed officials said that over 100 people also suffered shrapnel wounds, as per Al Jazeera. "On June 23, the Kyiv regime, with support from the United States and its satellites, committed yet another heinous terrorist crime against civilians in Russia by firing missiles at Sevastopol. For their terrorist attack, they specially chose a day--Holy Trinity Sunday--one of the most important holidays celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Four people were killed, including a two-year-old boy, who was playing on the municipal beach, and a nine-year-old girl, whereas 151 people applied for medical assistance; 82 people--55 adults and 27 children--were hospitalized, many of them in a grave condition, the Russian Foreign Ministry added. According to the Defence Ministry of Russia, the attackers used US ATACMS operational missiles with cluster warheads for greater kill ability. All flight data was entered by US military crews based on US reconnaissance satellite inputs. A Global Hawk US reconnaissance drone was on duty off Crimea. "The Investigative Committee of Russia has promptly started an investigation into this crime. All those implicated in this and other terrorist attacks in the territory of the Russian Federation will incur inevitable punishment." the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "The Russian Federation is again urging them to give a proper assessment to yet another outrage perpetrated by the Kyiv regime and the West. Russia expresses its sincere gratitude for the condolences conveyed by officials from friendly states and by members of the European and US public. The words of commiseration continue to come in," it added. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday, condemning the incident as a "proxy war" instigated by Washington and vowing retaliatory measures in response. Ever since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has consistently framed the conflict as a proxy war with Western support. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed reporters, asserting that the US supplies weapons to Ukraine to safeguard its sovereignty. Ambassador Tracy conveyed regret over any civilian casualties resulting from the recent escalation, as reported by Al Jazeera. The Kremlin has strongly criticised the US decision to allow Ukraine to deploy supplied weapons against targets within Russian territory, warning of potential escalation and repercussions. It said that the "western capitals continue to criminally hush up the Zelenskyy regime's barbarous actions." (ANI)
The Indian delegation was led by Air Vice Marshal Prashant Mohan.

"7th Joint Staff Talks between India & Maldives were held at Male on 27 June 24. A delegation led by Air Vice Marshal Prashant Mohan, VM, participated from the Indian side," said the Indian High Commission in the Maldives in a post on X.

The 6th Joint Staff Talks (JST) between India and the Maldives were held in New Delhi on December 20, 2022. The meeting was conducted in a friendly, warm and extremely cordial atmosphere.

The discussions then focused on the ongoing and new initiatives under the ambit of existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanism of all the three services and further strengthening the engagements. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has written back to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, in response to his letter, urging him to secure the release of all fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Jaishankar, in his letter, said that the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained. "As of June 26, 34 Indian fishermen are under judicial remand of Sri Lanka, and six others are convicted and serving sentences in Sri Lankan jail. The Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained," Jaishankar wrote. Jaishankar assured Stalin that the efforts to address the interests of the Indian fishing community still continue. "After coming to office in 2014, the NDA Government has endeavoured to address the livelihood interests of our fishing community and its humanitarian aspects. These efforts continue," the EAM said. "Their multiple dimensions, including through engaging the Government of Sri Lanka. You may be assured that we give the utmost priority to the welfare and security of Indian fishermen and will always do so," he added. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1806278997124505651 In his letter directed to the EAM, Stalin had said, "The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended one mechanised fishing boat bearing registration number IND-TN-12-MM-5138 and ten fishermen from Nagapattinam Fishing Harbour on June 25, 2024." He underlined that in the year 2024 alone, 203 fishermen and 27 boats have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. "The frequent arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan authorities have created an insecure atmosphere among the fishermen community," the Tamil Nadu CM had said. He requested Jaishankar's "immediate intervention" to secure the release of 47 fishermen and 166 fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. The Tamil Nadu CM requested' the EAM's immediate intervention to convene the Joint Working Group to prevent further arrests and secure the release of all 47 fishermen and 166 fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Stalin said that such incidents disrupt the livelihood of the fishermen and instill a sense of fear and uncertainty in their entire community. The families of the fishermen had requested that the central and state governments take appropriate action to ensure timely release of the fishermen arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy. (ANI)
The Government of India has made a whopping contribution of USD 1,169,746 for 'Hindi @ UN' project to expand the use of Hindi in the United Nations. The Government of India has been making continuous efforts to expand the use of Hindi in the United Nations. As part of these efforts, 'Hindi @ UN' project, in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information, was launched in 2018 with an objective to enhance the public outreach of the United Nations in Hindi language, and to spread greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking people around the world, read a press release from India's Permanent Mission to UN, New York. https://x.com/IndiaUNNewYork/status/1806275533212209424 India has been partnering with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) since 2018 by providing an extra-budgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news and multimedia content of DGC in Hindi language, the release added. "Since 2018, the UN News in Hindi is disseminated through UN's website and social media handles - Twitter, Instagram and a UN Facebook Hindi page. A UN News-Hindi audio bulletin (UN Radio) is released every week," it also said. Its weblink is available at the UN Hindi News website as well as at the Soundcloud - "UN News-Hindi". To continue with this initiative, a cheque of USD 1,169,746 was handed over today by Ambassador R Ravindra, Cd'A & DPR, to Ian Phillips, Director and Officer In-Charge (News and Media Division), United Nations Department of Global Communications, it added. Almost a year ago, India's then Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj handed over a cheque to Melissa Fleming, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Global Communications towards the expansion of usage of the Hindi language in the United Nations. With 50,000 current followers on Twitter, 29,000 on Instagram and 15,000 on Facebook, UN Hindi social media accounts publish nearly 1000 posts every year. The Hindi UN News website with 1.3 million annual impressions remains in the top ten in internet search engines. (ANI)
In a surprising departure from its usual protocol, the US Supreme Court formally dismissed an appeal concerning Idaho's stringent abortion ban on Thursday, CNN reported. This dismissal effectively blocks the enforcement of the state law, which previously permitted abortions only in cases where the life of the pregnant woman was at stake. The court's action came swiftly after the opinion was mistakenly published on its website, highlighting the gravity and urgency of the issue at hand. The decision comes amid a charged political atmosphere leading up to the 2024 US elections, where abortion rights have emerged as a pivotal issue for Democrats. The Biden-Harris campaign has strategically aligned itself with advocates of reproductive rights, leveraging public sentiment and legal challenges to state-level abortion restrictions implemented after the landmark 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade, as reported by CNN. "We have consistently seen high turnout and victories for Democrats in elections following the Dobbs decision," noted a campaign spokesperson. The strategy has focused on personal testimonies from women directly affected by restrictive abortion laws, underscoring the campaign's commitment to safeguarding women's health and autonomy. President Biden's administration has positioned itself at the forefront of defending abortion rights, particularly through federal law such as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). This law, which mandates emergency care including abortion services, is seen by the administration as a critical safeguard against state-level bans that threaten women's access to reproductive healthcare. "EMTALA remains a vital tool to ensure that women in states with restrictive laws can still access necessary medical care," emphasised a senior administration official. The White House has coordinated efforts across federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to support legal challenges and investigate complaints related to EMTALA violations. Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, has spearheaded these efforts, working closely with the Justice Department to uphold federal protections for abortion rights. Ahead of the Supreme Court's recent decision, HHS launched initiatives to streamline patient complaints and scrutinise hospitals accused of violating EMTALA provisions. The timing of the Supreme Court's action coincides with heightened political tensions, evident in the forthcoming presidential debate where abortion policy is expected to feature prominently. Democratic strategists anticipate leveraging the stark contrast between President Biden's pro-choice stance and former President Trump's record of appointing conservative justices who favor restrictive abortion measures. "Trump's influence over the Supreme Court has reshaped reproductive rights in America," warned Biden's campaign manager. The administration has capitalised on public concern over potential judicial appointments in a bid to galvanise support among voters wary of further restrictions on abortion rights, according to CNN. Recent judicial decisions, including the court's rejection of challenges to medications like mifepristone used in abortion procedures, have underscored the ongoing vulnerability of reproductive rights under conservative-leaning courts. Democrats have seized upon these rulings to mobilise their base against what they describe as "MAGA attacks" on healthcare freedoms. Throughout his presidency, Trump has proudly touted his role in appointing justices who contributed to overturning Roe v Wade, framing it as a victory for his conservative agenda. In response, President Biden has cautioned voters about the implications of additional conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, warning of potential setbacks to women's rights and healthcare access. "The appointment of Supreme Court justices is a critical issue in this election," Biden emphasised during a recent fundraising event, highlighting the stakes for reproductive rights in the upcoming election cycle. With the possibility of future judicial nominations hanging in the balance, both parties are gearing up for a contentious battle over the future direction of the nation's highest court, CNN reported. (ANI)
The gift, which arrived today, comprises 400 kg of Harivanga mangoes, 50 kg of Hilsa fish, and 50 kg of Rosogolla, symbolising cultural affinity and mutual respect between the two neighbouring nations.

Mohammad A Chaudhry, First Secretary of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, highlighted the significance of the gesture, emphasising its role in maintaining strong diplomatic relations.

"Today, we received 400 kg of Harivanga mangoes, 50 kg of Hilsa fish, and 50 kg of Rosogolla for the Honorable Chief Minister of Tripura from our Honorable Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina," he remarked.

Officials have promptly arranged for the delivery of these gifts to the Chief Minister's office, underscoring the importance both countries place on fostering a cooperative and amicable relationship.

"We are delighted to receive these gifts from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Such gestures play a significant role in maintaining and enhancing the cordial relations between Bangladesh and India," stated a spokesperson from the Chief Minister's office.

The exchange of cultural symbols and gifts between Bangladesh and India reflects the deep-rooted historical and cultural connections shared by the two nations. This latest exchange further solidifies the commitment to mutual prosperity and cooperation.

The gesture comes a few days after Bangladesh PM Hasina concluded her two-day State visit to India.

As the gifts are prepared for immediate handover, the Chief Minister's office expressed gratitude for the Prime Minister of Bangladesh's gesture, highlighting its importance in nurturing the enduring friendship between the people of Bangladesh and Tripura. (ANI)
"The unresolved reality, nine months into the war, at a time when tens of thousands of people from two areas of Israel are displaced from their homes, with the looming possibility of a war in the north, is unacceptable," Englman wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel maintains that his ministry is only responsible for evacuating residents to shelter in local schools when ordered by the government. Anyone relocating to a hotel, or voluntarily, is the Defence Ministry's responsibility, according to Arbel.

However, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant maintains that the Interior Ministry is responsible for all evacuees, regardless of whether they evacuated voluntarily or by government instruction.

Resolving the ministerial impasse "is of paramount importance in regulating the treatment of the evacuated population," Englman wrote.

The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.

Since October 7, Hezbollah rocket barrages and drone attacks have killed 10 civilians and 15 soldiers. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent thousands of residents of northern Israel from returning to their homes.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Hezbollah's rocket fire has intensified since June as Israeli and Hezbollah leaders have escalated their rhetoric.

Speaking with reporters in Washington on Wednesday, Gallant said Israel could send Lebanon "back to the Stone Age." (ANI/TPS)
In addition, IAF fighter jets attacked military buildings of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in the areas of Hula and Aitaroun in southern Lebanon.

At the same time, the IDF forces fired artillery into the areas of Wadi Hamoula and near Naqoura, both in southern Lebanon.

In addition, on Wednesday night, terrorist infrastructures of the Hezbollah organization were attacked in the areas of Odaisseh and Al-Khiam in Lebanon. (ANI/TPS)
Ackermann expressed his excitement, stating, "I'm very excited because everybody knows how much I like mangoes." He noted the current dominance of mangoes from Brazil and West Africa in European supermarkets, adding, "Europeans deserve to have good mangoes coming from South Asia, from India in particular."

"So what we have now is indeed the first batch of mangoes from North India. Several varieties of mangoes are coming to Belgium. I think it's a very good sign that North-Indian mangoes are coming to Europe, especially Germany," he added.

The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with India's Ministry of Agriculture, aims to establish a sustainable framework for regular exports of Indian agricultural products to Germany and other European countries.

Ackermann highlighted the potential for deeper economic cooperation, noting, "There is enormous potential in these agricultural cooperation[s]."

The introduction of various North Indian mango varieties into Belgian markets marks a significant step towards diversifying European mango imports. Ackermann expressed hope that this initiative would lead to broader agricultural collaborations and increased trade opportunities between India and Germany.

Acknowledging the predominance of mango imports from Brazil and West Africa in European supermarkets, Ambassador Ackermann underlined the importance of diversifying the market with high-quality Indian produce.

Ackermann also underscored the cultural openness in Germany towards Indian cuisine, emphasising the significance of bringing high-quality mangoes from India to Europe.

"This project with the Ministry of Agriculture highlights the vast potential India offers to the European market," Ackermann stated. "There is a growing openness and appreciation for Indian food in Germany, and I believe it's high time mangoes from India reach European stores."

He highlighted the collaborative effort aimed at regularising Indian produce exports to Germany and other European nations, foreseeing substantial benefits in agricultural cooperation. (ANI)
The ship's visit coincided with the celebration of the 48th National Day of the Seychelles on June 29.

An Indian Navy marching contingent along with a Naval band will participate in the military parade organised as part of the Seychelles National Day celebrations.

The deployment of an Indian Naval ship marks the sustained participation of an Indian military contingent since 1976 reaffirming bonhomie between the two nations, according to the ministry's press release.

During the port call, social interactions, engagements with the Seychelles Defence Force, special yoga sessions, ships open to visitors, and community outreach programmes are scheduled. An aerial demonstration of the indigenously built Naval ALH is also planned during the port call.

Deployment of INS Sunayna is in consonance with the vision of Security & Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) promoting collaborative efforts to ensure maritime security in the IOR.

This comes after INS Sunayna's two-day-long visit to Port Louis on June 24.

INS Sunayna last visited Port Victoria in Seychelles on June 18, where the ship undertook joint Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) Surveillance with the Seychelles Coast Guard during the deployment.

The INS Sunayna's visit to Seychelles aimed at further strengthening the camaraderie and mutual cooperation between the two navies in line with the vision of SAGAR.

Following its arrival, the INS Sunayna was received by officials of the Seychelles Coast Guard and the Embassy of India.

Moreover, during the ship's visit, the Indian Navy and Seychelles Defence Forces' personnel engaged in official and social interactions and cross-deck visits.

The ship also undertook joint EEZ surveillance with the Seychelles Coast Guard during the deployment. (ANI)
Shamnaz, a state minister at the Ministry of Environment, was arrested alongside two other suspects on June 23 and they were remanded in custody for seven days.

She was suspended from her post on Wednesday by Maldives' Environment Ministry.

Shamnaz, who had been previously listed on the Environment Ministry's website as a political appointee, is no longer named on the list. Rather, her name has been moved to the list of former political appointees, as per Maldives-based Sun.

Maldives-based Sun has cited reports that Shamnaz was arrested for performing 'black magic' on President Mohamed Muizzu.

According to Adhadhu, she was arrested on charges of using witchcraft to get closer to the Maldives President.

However, the Maldives government has yet to make an official comment regarding the case.

Chief police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan, told Sun on Wednesday morning that police were investigating a case involving Shamnaz and two other individuals.

Shamnaz is the ex-wife of Minister of the President's Office Adam Rameez, Adhadhu reported.

Shamnaz had previously served as a member of the Male City Council with President Muizzu, back when he was serving as the city's mayor.

Following Muizzu's election to office last year, Shamnaz resigned from the council and was appointed as a state minister at Muliaage, the official residence of the president. She was later transferred to the Environment Ministry. (ANI)
In a major development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top leader Omar Ayub Khan stepped down as the secretary-general of the party, Geo News reported. Ayub said he is stepping down from the post to focus on his role as the leader of the Opposition in Pakistan's national assembly. "I am most grateful to [former] PM Imran Khan sahib for accepting my resignation as Secretary General PTI to focus on my role as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan," he posted on his official X handle on Thursday. Ayub said he had tendered his resignation on June 22, 2024, to jailed PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. "Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Shibli Faraz sahib conveyed my message to [former] PM Imran Khan sahib today during their meeting in Adyala Jail," he added. The NA opposition leader further said further changes would be made in the organisational structure of the PTI in the coming days on the directions of the party founder. "I want to thank all members of the PTI family, Parliamentarians, and Tanzeem Office Holders who have worked tirelessly and braved tremendous hardships for [ex] PM Imran Khan sahib and PTI." The development came amid reports of rifts in the ranks of the PTI. Earlier, Geo News reported citing sources that PTI-backed 27 Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) lawmakers deliberated on the option of resignation from the National Assembly in protest against the party's top leadership. The insiders said that 21 out of 27, of its lawmakers hinted at forming a forward bloc over top leadership's inability to secure the release of party founder Imran Khan from jail. They also "conveyed a message" to PTI chief Barrister Gohar and Secretary-General Omar Ayub to make 'serious efforts' for incarcerated leaders' release. The disgruntled lawmakers complained that some leaders were eyeing higher posts instead of focusing on the PTI founder and party leaders' release. Ayub was appointed as the PTI secretary-general last year after his predecessor Asad Umar quit the party and active politics, joining the ranks of dozens of party members who parted ways with former PM Khan in the aftermath of violent May 9 protests that saw attacks on public and military installations, as reported by Geo News. His resignation came on the same day when a district and sessions court in Islamabad shattered the PTI's hopes for the release of the party founder as Khan and his wife's pleas seeking suspension of their sentences were rejected. Khan, the deposed prime minister who was ousted from power via the opposition's no-confidence motion in April 2022, has been facing a slew of charges ranging from corruption to terrorism since his removal as the premier. He has been behind bars since August last year after he was sentenced in the Toshakhana case and subsequently sentenced in other cases ahead of the February 8 elections. Despite securing relief in other cases including Euro190 million reference and Toshakhana, and acquittal in the cipher case earlier this month, the former premier remains behind bars due to his conviction in the Iddat case. (ANI)
Chinese Communist Party, the ruling party in the country has expelled two former defence ministers as part of an 'anti-corruption crackdown', Al Jazeera reported citing state media. The two expelled ex-ministers are Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who was sacked last year after going missing, and his predecessor Wei Fenghe. The expulsion of Li and predecessor Wei Fenghe for "serious violation of party discipline and the law" was reported by the official news agency Xinhua on Thursday, the purge coming at a time of increasing tension between China and the United States over the fate of Taiwan. Li was removed in October 2023 after only a few months in office following his disappearance from public view for almost two months. Xinhua reported that his case had been referred to military prosecutors, potentially setting up a trial that could lead to him getting life in prison. The party's powerful Politburo of senior leaders convened on Thursday to review Li's status. They ruled that Li had "betrayed his original mission and lost his party spirit and principles", according to state broadcaster CCTV. Li is alleged to have "seriously polluted the political environment and industrial ethos in the field of military equipment, and caused great damage to the party's cause, national defence and the construction of the armed forces." The former defence minister was also accused of bribery, suspected of "taking advantage of his position and taking huge sums of money to seek benefits for others ... and giving money to others to seek inappropriate benefits", said CCTV. Wei, who retired as defence minister in 2023 after five years in office, was accused of accepting money and gifts in violation of the rules and taking advantage of his post to seek benefits for others, accepting money and valuables in return, according to Xinhua. Wei's case has also been referred to military prosecutors. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also party's leader and heads the armed forces as chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made the fight against corruption a hallmark of his rule since taking power more than a decade ago, Al Jazeera reported. However, insiders have alleged a widespread purge of officers suspected of conspiring with outside forces or simply being insufficiently loyal to Xi. High-ranking officers occupy an elevated position in Chinese politics and can command extensive privileges. Meanwhile, the CCP is set to hold a highly anticipated meeting on July 15-18, focusing on future strategies amid rising geopolitical tensions over tariff hikes by the US and the European Union. (ANI)
4 NATO countries are calling for a defense line along Europe's 700-mile border with Russia and Belarus

4 NATO countries are calling for a defense line along Europe's 700-mile border with Russia and Belarus

The Baltic states and Poland have called for a defense line along Europe's border with Russia, per Reuters.

They said it would protect the EU from Russia's "military" and "hybrid" threats.

Frontline NATO countries are facing intensifying Russian hybrid warfare threats.

NATO member states Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland have urged the EU to build defensive infrastructure along its 700-mile-long border with Russia and Belarus, according to Reuters.

The leaders of the four countries, which all share a land border with either Russia or Belarus, called for "extraordinary" measures to protect them and their allies.

"Building a defense infrastructure system along the EU external border with Russia and Belarus will address the dire and urgent need to secure the EU from military and hybrid threats," they said in a joint letter sent to the EU chairman, per Reuters.

They said the plan should be discussed at a two-day summit in Brussels starting on June 27, during which time EU leaders will discuss defense funding, among other items.

Given the size and cost of the effort  which some EU diplomats estimate would be about $2.7 billion  bloc-wide action is needed to support it both politically and financially, the letter said, per Reuters.

It didn't specify exactly what military or civilian means should be deployed.

Front-line NATO countries have faced intensifying Russian hybrid warfare threats, unconventional methods that Russia seems to be using that blur the line between war and peace and that fall into what is called the "gray zone."

Recent examples include Russia's coast guard removing buoys demarcating the territorial waters between Russia and Estonia on the Narva River in May, a day after a leaked Russian proposal outlined plans to redraw Russia's territorial waters with Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland.

The Baltic region has also experienced increased jamming of commercial aircraft's satellite navigation systems, which seems to be coming from Russia.

Meanwhile, EU officials have accused Russia and Belarus of driving migrants toward Lithuania's border with neighboring Poland.

Influence operations have also targeted all three Baltic countries, with Estonia experiencing a rise in sabotages that damaged an undersea gas pipeline and telecommunications cables between the country and Finland in October.

In response to these threats, and the threat of a potential Russian invasion, NATO and European countries close to Ukraine and Russia have started drafting their own defensive plans to protect their borders.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Dr. Sejal Hathi meets with officials at Colonia Paz in Lebanon in March, 2024 as part of her statewide "listening tour."

Dr. Sejal Hathi meets with officials at Colonia Paz in Lebanon in March, 2024 as part of her statewide "listening tour." (Courtesy of Oregon Health Authority)

The sudden firing of the Oregon Health Authoritys longtime diversity and inclusion director has sparked shock among her allies  prompting a backlash as the agencys new director, Sejal Hathi, tries to make progress on a range of issues.

After the agency issued a press release on June 21 saying shed left her position, Leann Johnson confirmed to The Lund Report on Friday that she had been terminated. One of two Black people in the authoritys leadership, for more than nine years shed directed its Equity and Inclusion Division, overseeing a broad array of programs intended to reduce health disparities. The firing came two days after Juneteenth, the national holiday commemorating the end of slavery.

Now, Hathi faces a furor over the firing even as the new agency chief wrestles with a daunting list of challenges that include the states behavioral health crisis as well as calls for further reform of its Medicaid system, known as the Oregon Health Plan, which provides free care to 1.4 million low-income Oregonians. On top of that, Hathi has said she is focused on the state goal of eliminating health inequities in Oregon by 2030  an effort in which Johnson played a central role.

Esther Kim, director of the state-funded Oregon Health Equity Alliance, said Johnsons firing brings into question OHAs vision for this work going forward.

Mica Contreras, executive director of the Linn Benton Lincoln Health Equity Alliance said, I am extremely troubled by the firing, adding that it has created a lot of distrust about the agencys work on equity.

Its not just external critics that question the firing. Current and former employees of the agency are taking to social media to publicly question the treatment of Johnson.

Beth Sanders, an OHA equity manager who worked for Johnson, posted on LinkedIn that she was shocked, saying Johnson was fired for doing equity work She is a true equity leader and mentor to so many.

Happy Juneteenth, by the way we fired your equity champion who was vocal about improving the lives of Black Oregonians and other communities of color.

 Liz Gharst, former Oregon Health Authority communications supervisor

Another of Johnsons employees, Danielle Droppers, agreed in a comment, calling the firing disgraceful.

Liz Gharst, a former Oregon Health Authority communications supervisor who worked with Johnson on equity issues, added a LinkedIn comment of her own:

At this point, either agencies should be actually committed to dismantling systemic racism or just stop talking about it, she wrote. Happy Juneteenth, by the way we fired your equity champion who was vocal about improving the lives of Black Oregonians and other communities of color. Leann is inspirational and brilliant, she deserved better.

Oregon Health Authority officials have declined to provide an explanation for the firing. In the press release announcing the change, Hathi was quoted as committed to the work Johnson left behind: The Equity and Inclusion Division is vital to OHA and the communities we serve. Its important for us to ensure that the Equity and Inclusion Division is not alone in the work to change our policies and programs, dismantle systemic racism and meet the needs of the communities most harmed by health inequities. A commitment to health equity lives in every corner of OHA, and the practice of equity is  and must be  everyones job.

Asked to comment in light of speculation that Gov. Tina Koteks office would have been consulted on the move, a state spokesperson confirmed that the governor had. The spokesperson further said that the governor does not comment on personnel matters and that Hathi has discretion over hiring and firing.

The governor believes that applying a racial justice and equity lens to policy making is inextricably linked to the ability of the agency and state government as a whole to serve Oregonians, Elisabeth Shepard wrote. This includes policy, budget, workforce and initiatives across the enterprise and identifying racial justice and equity as a stand alone priority. The Governor has full confidence in Director Hathi to carry out this priority.

Health authority spokesperson Robb Cowie similarly told The Lund Report in an email that the agency does not comment on personnel matters.

He added that Hathi recognizes Leann Johnsons more than eight years leading the division. He added that Hathi is committed to supporting the divisions staff in their work to guide and strengthen health equity practice across OHA, foster stronger relationships with community partners and eliminate health inequities.

Polarizing work

Johnson had long been the agencys strongest voice on combating racism and tackling societal and structural factors that cause racial and other disparities to persist. Last month she received a national leadership award for her work on minority health.

With a budget of about $26 million a year, her office oversees a mix of internal functions  such as overseeing reviews of complaints about workplace civil rights including favoritism in hiring and promotions  as well as external ones, including the state health care interpreter program and its traditional health worker program, which conducts outreach to marginalized communities.

The office also oversees a system of regional health equity coalitions that Johnson championed. Among her efforts was a push to give equity-focused groups more control over Medicaid funding, which sparked opposition from the coordinated care organizations that contract with the Oregon Health Plan.

Supporters credit her with helping the agency more effectively communicate with marginalized groups during the pandemic, helping support a high vaccination rate. Her influence, they say, was reflected in the agencys unconventional efforts to do outreach and provide relief to eliminate inequities included grants for Black and indigenous strippers and sex workers as well as the Snack Bloc during the George Floyd protests downtown.

The divisions teachings have sparked controversy at times, such as when Droppers, Johnsons employee, sent an email characterizing urgency as a white supremacy value  which went viral among conservative media outlets.

A leader in this field is no longer leading. We need these leaders. Its a loss.

 Emmett Wheatfall, former Clackamas County official

Emmett Wheatfall, who administered Clackamas Countys equity and inclusion programs before his position was eliminated in 2019, told The Lund Report that after Johnsons firing, he worries about what he called the tidal wave pushing DEI professionals out of their jobs in the public and private sector.

Wheatfall did not work directly with Johnson, but knew her from conferences and meetings. He described her firing as painful.

A leader in this field is no longer leading, he said. We need these leaders. Its a loss.

Julie Harrison, a former Oregon Department of Human Services employee, said Johnson was her mentor when she first went to work for the state.

She is phenomenal, said Harrison, who retired in 2022. She said that one of Johnsons biggest strengths was her ability to complete daily tasks while keeping her eye on her broader vision of elevating the health of people of color who had fallen through the cracks in a system that wasnt designed for them.

I am really hopeful that this isnt an indication that Oregon isnt going to roll back, Harrison added. That would be incredibly devastating.

This story was originally published by The Lund Report, a nonprofit and Oregons only news organization focused on health care coverage.

The post Firing of Oregon Health Authority diversity chief sparks backlash appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Hours before the two presumptive nominees were slated to hit the debate stage for the first time in the 2024 presidential race, First Lady Jill Biden stopped in Virginia Beach on her way to Atlanta to support her husband, President Joe Biden.

You all know that theres two visions for America and youll see them tonight when you watch the debate, she told the crowd that had gathered inside of the Biden-Harris campaign office in Virginia Beach for a sign-making event.

Youve already chosen your vision, or you wouldnt be here, she said to the crowd of Biden supporters. The vision youve chosen is for strong, steady leadership versus the other vision, which is chaos and corruption.

First Lady Jill Biden speaks to a crowd gathered for a sign making party at a Biden-Harris campaign office in Virginia Beach. She stopped at the office on her way to Atlanta for the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle to support her husband, President Joe Biden.

Earlier, another crowd had gathered near the entrance to parking lot of the strip mall where the campaign office was held. They wore red hats with make America great again embroidered on them, held signs in support of former President Donald Trump, the GOP presumptive nominee, and wore shirts with slogans on them like Joe and the hoe got to go.

The First Ladys visit, announced Tuesday, underscores Virginias standing as a battleground state during the 2024 presidential election. Her visit came after Trump had announced his plan on Saturday to visit Chesapeake for a campaign rally on the day after the first presidential debate.

I want you, tonight when you see them debating, I want you to hear Joes words but most of all, I want you to listen to his heart, the First Lady said, as she rallied the group to help get out the vote efforts in the largely active and retired military community.

The pro-Trump demonstration had cleared out of the area by the time the First Lady left in her motorcade.

Democratic voters on the pending debate

Barbara Nesbitt, a retired teacher, said she is happy there wont be an audience at tonights debate.

It wont be such a clown show, she said. Shes a little nervous, ahead of the 2024 rematch in November, but she said she hopes Biden wins overwhelmingly. To let them know were not stupid in America, she said.

Maurice Hawkins, a Democratic voter in Virginia Beach, noted that the commonwealth has voted for a Democratic president since 2008, when former President Barack Obama won his first term in office. The last Democratic presidential nominee to win in Virginia before Obama was former President Lyndon B. Johnson. Biden won Virginia by 10 points over Trump in 2020.

In Virginia, we know that were a battle ground state, year-in, year-out. All our races are tight. This area is going to be a strategic region in regards to voter turnout, to determine how Virginia will go out, he said, referring to the Hampton Roads region  which includes both Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

Sandra Brandt, chair of the Second Congressional District Democratic Party, said she feels confident Biden will perform well in the debate.

I feel good, I think the president has been looking at all of the issues, she said. I think hell do an excellent job.

She noted that the Democratic Party has a lot of work ahead, between June and November, but she feels confident in Bidens chances of winning the election.

Tonight will be historic, Charles Stanton, 69, chair of the Norfolk City Democratic Party said, in the parking lot of the strip mall after the event had wrapped.

He called himself an optimist on America and said he hoped the 10% or 15% of undecided voters will shift to the Democratic camp after the debate.

We are going to have one candidate on the stage with a historic record of accomplishment and another candidate on the stage with a historic record of being indicted 88 times, convicted 34 times, he said. Its just not a choice, I mean it truly is decency versus debauchery.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: First Lady visits Virginia Beach before debate, Trump to Chesapeake Friday
Caught on video: A video shared by FNN shows an apparentlya inebriated man repeatedly harassing Ho on the street despite her telling him "no" and waving him off. The man continued to pursue Ho even when she tried to hide inside a bookstore . As she was leaving the store, the man reportedly touched her buttocks twice, prompting Ho to defend herself by kicking him in the groin before calling the police.

In an update on her Instagram, Ho clarified that the man was not a Japanese citizen, adding that she never had the chance to confirm his nationality. Elsewhere in the post, Ho thanked the police for their assistance, writing, In light of this incident, I am very grateful to the Japanese police for their efforts in apprehending the suspect. They even arranged for a translator to help me with my statement. The Japanese police worked very hard, and I am super grateful for their efforts.
Can Mitch McConnell bring wins for Kentucky after November? Some think he still can

When Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell entered office in 1984, he had the worst seat in the chamber.

During his 40-year career, the senior senator earned the best seat when elected as Republican Party leader in 2006 and has had a seat at the table "in the room where it happens" ever since.

"At the end of the negotiations because we haven't passed all the appropriations bills, the final decision is made by four people, and I've been one of those for people for 18 years," McConnell told The Courier Journal on Tuesday. "So, it gives me the extra opportunity to help my state."

Kentucky likely loses that seat at the table in less than six months when McConnell steps down from his leadership post.

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was the guest speaker at Greater Louisville Inc.'s "Capitol Connection Luncheon" at the Galt House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Although McConnell's approval ratings recently sank to the single digits, many Kentuckians and politicians praise him for keeping the state at the top of his priorities.

His impact on Kentucky is enormous and is going to be felt by generations, outgoing Kentucky State Senate Floor Leader Damon Thayer said. Quite simply one of the most consequential Kentuckians in the history of the commonwealth.

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McConnell finishes his term in 2026 and hasn't announced if he'll seek reelection. He recently turned 82 and is the second-ever Kentuckian to be a party leader in the Senate following Alben W. Barkley who led Democrats from 1937 until he became vice president in 1949.

But Kentucky won't lose all its clout once McConnell steps back because his success isn't only because of his leadership position.

It's his approach to politics. It's his longevity in the Senate. It's his relationships. It's his institutional knowledge.

Where does McConnell go next?

Some think McConnell's next move will be to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee, having the seniority to step into that position.

"If he becomes the chair of appropriations, he still would be in a great position to earmark things and make sure that our economic priorities are met over the next few years," former Kentucky GOP Secretary of State Trey Grayson said. But it won't be the same because he won't be able to have impact all types of policies.

Still, the amount of influence lost won't be drastic.

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was the guest speaker at Greater Louisville Inc.'s "Capitol Connection Luncheon" at the Galt House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024

"I can tell you a senior senator from Kentucky with all his experience, I don't really see the fact that his impact is going to diminish one iota," University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel said. "He's deeply committed to his role as a senior senator and continued service to our nation."

Tres Watson, a longtime Kentucky political consultant and former GOP spokesman, said Kentucky will still have an outsized influence on the way policy is made  especially the budget  as others will still see him as a leader.

That's because while McConnell's serving as a leader allowed him to be a part of policy negotiations, his approach to politics gave Kentucky a strong voice in national conversations despite being considered a medium-sized state.

One part of McConnells persona is how he built his career, University of Kentucky political science professor Stephen Voss said.

McConnell was not a showman (and ) was not a politician who worked hard to be in the center of the big controversies of the day, Voss said. McConnell built his career out of a reputation for helping the state and helping the folks back home."

The senior senators approach to politics is what separates him from Sen. Rand Paul, who Voss said is more likely to wade into hot-button controversies, including the anti-vaccination movement.

McConnell builds his reputation by bringing wins back to Kentucky, including playing a key role in the tobacco buyout, securing a federal transportation appropriation for the Parklands of Floyds Fork Project, and advocating for policy supporting Kentucky's agriculture industry.

U.S. Senator Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke at the Swearing-In Ceremony of the Constitutional Officers at the Kentucky Capitol. Jan. 2, 2024

Those wins are not forgotten.

Eddie Melton, Kentucky Farm Bureau, said McConnell's support for the tobacco buyout in 2004 is one of his greatest accomplishments and proved he is a forward-thinking senator.

"I think he saw that the industry was changing, and (tobacco) is an asset that farmers had," Melton said. "He actually helped work that through that asset before it went completely away, (and) people were compensated for it."

The Fair and Equitable Tobacco Reform Act, which passed in 2004, ended federal tobacco quotas and established the Tobacco Transition Payment Program that gave annual payments to eligible tobacco quota holders and producers. B. Todd Bright, director of the communications division for the Kentucky Farm Bureau, said Kentucky farmers received $2.5 billion from the buyout.

Dan Jones, founder and board chair of 21st Century Parks/The Parklands, was surprised when McConnell secured $38 million in 2005 for the Parklands of Floyds Fork project. At first, Jones thought the project, a 20-mile and 4,000-acre addition to the Louisville Park System, would only receive $5 million.

Jones said McConnell understands the significance of federal funding for local projects because of his background as a former county judge executive.

"To have somebody at his level of authority and power at the federal government, who once was at the totally opposite end of the scale running a small or midsize city government, has to be somewhat unique," Jones said. "That kind of grassroots ability has to make you a better politician, certainly when it comes to understanding trying to get federal grants and direct them to local and state level projects."

Longevity creates relationships and institutional knowledge

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sat together in the Capitol rotunda before a swearing-in ceremony on the first day of the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly in Frankfort, Ky. Jan. 2, 2024

Has longevity helped McConnell bring wins for Kentucky? Being a senator is like any other job he said: the longer someone is in it and if they're good it, the better they get.

"It is an opportunity to do more when you learn more about the job, when you stay there longer, and when you become more consequential," McConnell said.

McConnell, first elected in 1984, is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history. That longevity is what helped build relationships between the commonwealth and Washington D.C.

He's pulled many chairs up to the table at the federal level to ensure that the voices of regular Kentuckians are heard and our stories are told, said Eric King, University of Kentucky's assistant vice president for federal relations and former McConnell staffer. "He's connected our communities, our institutions, with decision makers at the federal level, driving that progress that we make as an institution and other institutions like ours, across Kentucky.

At the University of Louisville, McConnell extends those relationships by bringing high-profile politicians to the McConnell Center, which works to recruit Kentucky's "next generation of great leaders" through scholarships and hosting the Distinguished Speaker Series.

"One of the things that (McConnell is) so proud of when we're talking about bipartisan, the individuals that come to campus are incredibly bipartisan," Schatzel said. "At the time when he was vice president, Joe Biden came, President Bush came, Ted Kennedy came, (and) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton."

How McConnell views the political game also matters to his success.

"He has an ability to persuade his colleagues to see things his way, and plays the long game," Thayer said. "He doesn't play the short term...other people are playing checkers while he is playing chess."

Moving forward, McConnell said he will focus on pushing back against isolationism, but that doesn't mean he will have any less interest in Kentucky.

"I think I'm in a position from a seniority point of view and from the fact I was formally leader to continue to have a big impact on Kentucky," McConnell said.

More: Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel resigns

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'Not a showman': Why McConnell brings home wins for Kentucky
Isabel Cadena (left) and her daughter, Cyndi Cadena, pose for a portrait in front of their temporary home in Bent, New Mexico after evacuating from Ruidoso wildfires in June 2024 (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM).

As Jesus Cadena sat on his front porch in Ruidoso, smoking cigarettes and watching the helicopters and airplanes drop water over the South Fork Fire, he had no way of knowing that according to New Mexico State Police he was officially unaccounted for in a disaster.

Cadena and his family are one of thousands who reunited during the hours after the South Fork and Salt fires tore through neighborhoods and forest in southeastern New Mexico. A list of unaccounted people that has grown and shrunk since the fires ignited on June 17 now sits at one, officials with the Village of Ruidoso said on Wednesday.

Two people died in the fire.

Yesterday, officials reported that a list of 89 people it was aware of were unaccounted for were a priority to contact after the fires and floods.

Michael Scales, a Lincoln County emergency management specialist, told Source New Mexico that all people unaccounted for on the list given to the Lincoln County Sheriffs Department were located by midday Wednesday.

Ruidoso police are still looking for the final person on the list.

Cadenas reunite after evacuation orders separated family

Thousands of Ruidoso-area residents had to evacuate their homes and businesses last week, fleeing from the treacherous South Fork and Salt fires which continue to smolder.

But for some people, heartbreak was the first emotion they experienced as loved ones chose to stay behind.

Cyndi Cadena was one evacuee who had to leave an elderly parent behind in Ruidoso.

I talked to my mom and dad and my mom tried to persuade my dad and he still didnt want to leave, she said.

Cadena takes care of her octogenarian parents in their Ruidoso home near the Walmart Supercenter. Isabel and Jesus Cadena built the cabin in the late 1970s and have lived in the Sacramento Mountain community since.

When the fire started last Monday, Cyndi Cadena said she talked with her brother who works for Mescalero Apache Telecom. As he saw the fires worsen, he told his family they needed to get out of the area.

Cyndi Cadena said the family was initially told to go to the senior center in Ruidoso Downs, but then they were directed farther away to Roswell.

We were finding out that Roswell was getting full and theres no place to stay, she said.

Members of the family were able to eventually find space in Roswell, but Cyndi and her parents stayed, trying to help other elderly community members navigate the chaos at the senior center.

I was trying to help, you know, because everyone needed help, Cyndi said.

The three Cadenas remained in the area into the early Tuesday morning hours.

Jesus Cadena did not want to leave. Several hours later he was running low on oxygen.

Cyndi Cadena said as the smoke settled in the sky, the chaos seemed to calm a bit, so she took her parents back to their home and got her father hooked up to his home ventilator. This gave her a chance to grab several more things from the house, let her parents rest and feed them.

Around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, she said she was ready to take them all down the mountain through Hondo, to Roswell and eventually safety. After trying to persuade her father again, she closed the windows, sealed up the house and left with her mother.

I said lets go mom, we gotta go and I hugged my dad and I just went out the door and prayed, she said through tears.

Her brother-in-law stayed behind to take care of the older Cadena and look in on other elderly residents who did not want to leave Ruidoso.

The Cadena women traveled over and around northern Ruidoso and made their way to Alamogordo where they stayed with family until Thursday. Because internet and cellular service was down back home, they had no way of communicating with the family that stayed.

She called hotlines dedicated to reuniting people during the fire, asking if anyone knew if her father was still in Ruidoso. Her calls placed Jesus Cadena on a list of officially unaccounted for people that emergency responders tracked during fires and floods.

Cyndi Cadena also called New Mexico State Police for a welfare check, which revealed that her father and brother-in-law were still at the family house.

The familys concerns were calmed last Thursday during a Facetime call with Jesus Cardena.

My mom got to see him so they were sentimental and everything, Cyndi Cadena said about her parents talking through the phone.

She said it gave her mother some comfort to be able to at least see her husband, who still refused to leave Ruidoso because he wanted to wait for the rain that followed.

The family remained separated until Sunday evening, June 23 when evacuation orders were lifted and residents were able to return to their homes and assess the damage.

Cadena told Source New Mexico via text message that they were able to go to Ruidoso Downs where they all reunited.

The family home was untouched, but many other community members were not so lucky.

The post Only one person still unaccounted for following destructive Ruidoso wildfires appeared first on Source New Mexico.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China is set to expand its international collaborations in upcoming lunar exploration endeavors following the successful operation of payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA), France, Italy, and Pakistan in China's Chang'e-6 mission.

The country's Chang'e-7 lunar exploration mission will carry six international scientific instruments, and Chang'e-8 will offer 200 kilograms of international payload capacity and has garnered over 30 applications, said Liu Yunfeng, deputy director of the China National Space Administration's (CNSA) international cooperation department.

The Chang'e-7 mission, scheduled for launch around 2026, is poised to survey the lunar south pole region. The Chang'e-8 probe will be launched around 2028 to carry out experiments on lunar resource utilization and, along with Chang'e-7, constitute the basic model of an international lunar research station by 2035.

The CNSA has signed cooperation documents with more than ten countries and international organizations on the International Lunar Research Station project, said Liu at a press conference on Thursday.

In the Chang'e-6 mission, China has fulfilled its commitment to allocate 10 kilograms of payload capacity on the lander and another 10 kilograms on the orbiter for international cooperation, said Hu Hao, chief designer of the Chang'e-6 mission, at the conference.

According to Liu, the international collaborative tasks in the mission have been going well. The French payload DORN worked for 32 hours, and ESA payload NILS worked for 3 hours and 50 minutes on the moon's surface.

Liu also said that the Italian laser retroreflector installed on top of the lander operated normally.

China delivered data provided by a CubeSat aboard its Chang'e-6 spacecraft to Pakistan on May 10. The cube satellite, ICUBE-Q, was developed by Pakistan's Institute of Space Technology and China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

"Despite differences in language, work culture, and developmental protocols, we have worked hand in hand to conduct an extensive array of tests over the past year and more and completed the task successfully," said Hu.

"The invaluable experience can enrich our expertise and prepare us to tackle even more sophisticated tasks in the future," Hu added. 
As part of its recently signed mutual aid pact with Russia, North Korea is planning to send forces into in Ukraine as early as next month, according to Reuters. The agreement calls for Pyongyang to send construction and engineering forces to Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine for rebuilding work. The outlet cited a South Korean government official quoted by the South Korean TV Chosun cable network. There was no indication of how many personnel would be involved or the exact nature of their work. Regardless of what they do or where they go, those forces would be cannon fodder, the Pentagons top spokesman said Tuesday. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder was responding to a question about the Russia-North Korea agreement. Ryder said North Korea should think twice about fighting in Ukraine. Thats certainly something to keep an eye on, he told reporters on Tuesday about the potential for North Korean troops to set foot in Ukraine. I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning my choices on sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine. And weve seen the kinds of casualties that Russian forces  but again, something that well keep an eye on. North Korean troops fighting in Ukraine would be 'cannon fodder,' Pentagon says. "I think that if I were North Korean military personnel management, I would be questioning  sending my forces to be cannon fodder in an illegal war against Ukraine."https://t.co/2WWCUzpUVT The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) June 26, 2024 North Korea has already been providing artillery shells and missiles to Russia. There are growing concerns that Russian expertise might be used to help with the further development of Pyongyangs ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons  as well as other weapons and technologies. Even just sending large numbers of laborers to setup fortifications and rebuild critical military infrastructure in occupied areas would be a problem for Ukraine. The possibility of North Korean despot Kim Jong-un sending personnel to Ukraine on Russias behalf is something we previously explored almost a year ago. Last August, a Russian talk show host claimed that 100,000 North Korean volunteers were ready to assist Russia in Ukraine. Russia Channel One talk show host Igor Korotchenko suggested Russia welcome the North Koreans help not only on the frontlines but also as workers. Pyongyang confirmed a plan to send laborers to rebuild occupied Ukraine, according to a report from NK News at the time. Clearly, that has yet to transpire. However, as the war in Ukraine drags on, relations between Moscow and Pyongyang continue to grow amid mutual need by both nations. Whether North Korean forces actually do arrive in Ukraine remains to be seen, but the threat that they will is exacerbating tensions on two continents. Before diving into more developments from the conflict in Ukraine, The War Zone readers can review our previous coverage here. The Latest On the battlefield, there was little real movement by either side. In Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian forces recently advanced within Vovchansk (about 30 miles northeast of Kharkiv City) amid continued fighting in the northern part of that region on June 25. Geolocated footage published on June 25 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently marginally advanced along Soborna Street in central Vovchansk, ISW reported. In Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces reportedly advanced along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on June 25, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline in this area. In Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces recently advanced southeast of Siversk during a platoon-sized mechanized assault, according to ISW. Geolocated footage published on June 24 shows Ukrainian forces repelling a platoon-sized mechanized assault comprised of four armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) south of Spirne (southeast of Siversk) during which Russian forces marginally advanced. Russian forces in the oblast continued offensive operations near Chasiv Yar and near Torestks on June 25 but did not make any confirmed advances. They did however make marginal advances northwest of Avdiivka. Limited positional engagements continued in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area near Urozhaine and Staromayorske (both south of Velyka Novosilka) on June 25, ISW noted. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, positional fighting continued in western Zaporizhia Oblast near Robotyne, Verbove (east of Robotyne), and Mala Tokmachka (northeast of Robotyne) on June 25, but there were no changes to the frontline. In Kherson Oblast, fighting continued in the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast, including near Krynky, on June 25, but there were no changes to the frontline. NEW: Ukrainian forces recently regained lost positions in Vovchansk in northern Kharkiv Oblast, and Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk and Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.Two major international bodiesthe International Criminal Court (ICC) and the European Court of Human pic.twitter.com/x4Pg0u2Ah2 Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) June 25, 2024 The War Zone has obtained new satellite imagery from this morning of the Russian space tracking site hit Monday by U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles. The high-resolution images of Russias NIP-16 space communications and tracking site in Vitino, Crimea, show no major damage to structures or antennas. There were clearly multiple large grass fires though. That doesnt mean there wasnt damage, there likely was, especially if this was an ATACMS submunition strike, but shrapnel damage is not going to be visible in this resolution of imagery. Still, no structures are burned out or partially destroyed. The images below are from today and from May 20th for comparison: PHOTO  2024 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION. PHOTO  2024 PLANET LABS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION. After spotting heavy traffic in a building in Kherson Oblast, Russian forces struck the building with a glide bomb, the Russian Archangel of the Special Forces Telegram channel reported Wednesday. Our reconnaissance UAV operators noticed cars coming and going day and night, Archangel of the Special Forces stated. Various equipment is being brought in, and enemy FPV operators are also flying from this place, as the retreaters pointed out. Having drawn conclusions, they were hit by an ODAB (Obyomno-Detoniruyushchaya Aviatsionnaya Bomba) series fuel-air explosive (or thermobaric) bomb with a UMPC-1500 glide bomb kit, the Telegram channel reported. The video shows the weapon flying toward then striking the building, followed by a huge eruption of orange-yellow flames. Russian ODAB-1500 UMPK thermobaric glide bomb hits a claimed Ukrainian UAV control centre in L'vove, Kherson region. pic.twitter.com/7z1E8fNwcD Clash Report (@clashreport) June 26, 2024 There was a major shakeup in the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Monday. President Volodymyr Zelensky replaced Lt. Gen. Yurii Sodol, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Brig. Gen. Andrii Hnatov, former head of staff and deputy commander of Operational Command Pivden (South), according to Ukrainian Pravda. We discussed staffing issues at a meeting, Zelensky said on his official site. Zelensky did not specify the reasons for the dismissal, Ukrainian Pravda noted. However, on 24 Bohdan Krotevych, Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade of the National Guard, filed a request with the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) calling for an investigation into Sodol due to heavy losses of personnel the publication wrote. Krotevych was among the Ukrainian troops trapped in the Azov steel plant during the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022. You can read more about that in our exclusive interviews with him at the time. 1/3 Zelensky appoints Brigadier General Hnatov to replace Ukrainian Joint Forces' Commander Sodol. Update by @joni_askola pic.twitter.com/qEZLaQVLqS Artur Rehi (@ArturRehi) June 24, 2024 For the first time in 15 months, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday spoke with his Russian counterpart. Austin, who initiated the call, spoke by phone today with Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belusov, the Pentagons top spokesman told reporters Tuesday afternoon. During the call, the Secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russias ongoing war against Ukraine, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder. The last time Secretary Austin spoke to his Russian counterpart, then Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, was on March 15, 2023. Ryder declined to answer several questions seeking greater detail about the Austin-Belusov discussion. For the first time in 15 months, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Russian counterpart. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) Andrew Harnik The German Defence Ministry is planning to order over two million artillery shells worth a record 15 billion (about $16 billion) to replenish its stockpile, Der Spiegel reported. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has submitted a draft contract with manufacturers Diehl Defense and Nammo Raufoss to the parliamentary budget committee, the publication reported. The contract entails the purchase of up to 2.35 million 155mm artillery shells. The shells will be manufactured and delivered by 2030. Germany wants an initial order 200,000 rounds of ammunition to replenish its stockpiles. The contract also states that NATO members and Ukraine can order additional artillery shells under this agreement, with the overall framework providing for the possibility of purchasing 2.3 million rounds of ammunition. The German government is putting together another massive framework deal to purchase up to 2.35 million rounds of artillery ammunition.The deal with Diehl Defense and Nammo Raufoss would be worth up to 15 billion euros, and would cover future orders for Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/VbOWjXYf8N OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 25, 2024 The first shipment of artillery shells from an international effort spearheaded by the Czech Republic has arrived in Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced Tuesday on Twitter. The ammunition from that initiative arrived in Ukraine some time ago, he said without offering any specific date. We do what it takes. The Czechs said in May that the first 50,000 to 100,000 artillery shells would reach Ukraine in June, Reuters reported. Officials in that country said they so far had around 1.7 billion euros ($1.82 billion) in payments or firm commitments from 15 donor countries, which was enough for half a million artillery rounds to be delivered to Ukraine by the end of the year, Reuters explained. The initiative, first announced by Czech President Petr Pavel in February, aims to procure 800,000 artillery shells for Ukraine, Euromaidan Press reported. Prvni zasilka munice z nasi iniciativy pred casem dorazila na Ukrajinu. Delame, co je treba. Petr Fiala (@P_Fiala) June 25, 2024 As the U.S. need for artillery shells grows amid the war in Ukraine and planning for potential future conflicts, a new plant in Texas is set to begin rolling shell bodies off its assembly lines in the coming months. The first of three production lines at the new General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems 155mm shell body plant in Mesquite will be fully operational by the fall, The Wall Street Journal reported. Employees of the main subcontractor, the Turkish firm Repkon, are finishing the installation and commissioning of that first line and are already working on the second line. Each line will produce 10,000 shell bodies per month, the publication reported. WSJ reports that the first of three production lines at the new General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems 155mm shell body plant in Mesquite will be fully operational by the fall. As previously reported, workers from Turkish firm Repkon, the main subcontractor, are https://t.co/mglkWHunw5 pic.twitter.com/YDOSL8yKT6 Colby Badhwar (@ColbyBadhwar) June 24, 2024 When it comes to shells it needs, the news has improved for Ukraine. During a visit to the frontlines, Reuters found that one artillery unit in Donetsk  the scene of heavy fighting -was able to fire their U.S.-donated M109 A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers at will. That marks a significant change from recent complaints of a shell hunger limiting the number of rounds Ukrainian troops could fire, which contributed to Russian advances. That hunger has been slaked in large measure by the long-delayed delivery of U.S. donations. Ukraine has managed to overcome "shell famine"  Reuters A commander of one of the AFU units told journalists: earlier, ammunition was strictly rationed, which gave the Russian infantry the opportunity to act more aggressively. Now the Ukrainian troops can fire at the enemy at pic.twitter.com/F5LgM94FZm NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 25, 2024 Despite Western sanctions, Russia has managed to ramp the manufacturing of weapons to fight Ukraine, according to a new report by a London-based think tank. Overly cautious decision-making by Western governments and delays in sharing intelligence among Western allies has hampered the ability to limit Russias weapons production, according to the report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Although the U.S. and its partners have touted an array of sanctions over the past two years to choke off Moscows access to key parts needed to build weapons, Russia has dramatically increased the production of artillery rounds, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to NBC News, citing the report. Russia's weapons production has actually increased dramatically despite Western sanctions, report says https://t.co/X4I2dyNRKB Dan De Luce (@dandeluce) June 26, 2024 The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov charging them with war crimes for ordering attacks on Ukraines power infrastructure. Between at least Oct. 10, 2022, and at least March 9, 2023, the two were allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian objects (Article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute) and the war crime of causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or damage to civilian objects (Article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute), and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts under article 7(1)(k) of the Rome Statute, ICC said Tuesday in a media release. ICC found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructureDuring this time frame, a large number of strikes against numerous electric power plants and sub-stations were carried out by the Russian armed forces in multiple locations in Ukraine. You can see one of those attacks in the video below. Russia reportedly hit the Kremenchuk Hydroelectric Power Plant pic.twitter.com/g2v1QWNMxW Giorgi Revishvili (@revishvilig) October 31, 2022 The ICC also found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged strikes were directed against civilian objects, and for those installations that may have qualified as military objectives at the relevant time, the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage. In addition, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health, thus bearing criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts. Of course, it is one thing to charge these two, actually taking them into custody is another. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against the current Secretary of the Russian Security Council and former Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, as well as for the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov. pic.twitter.com/v2KjRffZXM Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) June 25, 2024 Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraines power infrastructure continue unabated. In the last seven Russian strikes alone, Ukraine has lost about nine gigawatts of generating capacity, according to Volodymyr Kudrytsky, head of Ukrenergo. To put that in perspective, Kudrytsky likened that to three months of energy consumption in all of the Netherlands and the combined consumption of Slovakia and the Baltic states. "Ukraine has lost about 9 gigawatts of generating capacity after the last 7 Russian attacks on energy facilities, which is equivalent to the volume of energy consumption of the Netherlands for 3 months (!) or the COMBINED consumption of Slovakia and the Baltic States," - https://t.co/xnBNNTZ3Rl pic.twitter.com/FD5rVlbdAa Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) June 25, 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering revamping his nations nuclear weapons doctrine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday during a press conference, NBC News reported. President Putin has said that work is underway to bring the doctrine into line with current realities, Peskov told reporters without elaborating, the network reported. Peskovs statement came after a senior member of the Russian parliament said on Sunday that Moscow could reduce the decision-making time for using nuclear weapons stipulated in official policy if it believes that threats are increasing, according to NBC. Last month, we reported that Russia announced plans to conduct drills practicing the use of tactical nuclear weapons, in response to what it claimed were provocative threats from the West. The planned exercise followed earlier Kremlin warnings of an increased risk of nuclear confrontation as Western allies continue their military support of Ukraine, subject to a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022. #BREAKING Kremlin: We have begun reviewing Russian nuclear doctrine to bring it into line with current realities  Al Jazeera pic.twitter.com/64bD7TiPZy War Intel (@warintel4u) June 24, 2024 In the wake of the recently signed Russian-North Korean arms pact, South Korea stepped up its rhetoric about the potential supply of arms to Ukraine, something it has yet to do. National security adviser Chang Ho-jin said Sunday that South Korea will not be bound by anything with regard to its assistance to Ukraine if Russia provides North Korea with precision weapons, South Koreas Yonhap News reported. Director of National Security Chang made the remark during a TV appearance, underscoring the point that Seouls decision on whether to provide weapons to Ukraine depends on how Russias military cooperation with North Korea goes, the publication reported. I would like to emphasize that it all depends on what Russia will do, Chang said on KBS TV. Will there be any line remaining for us if Russia gives precision weapons to North Korea? Changs remark means South Korea could provide lethal weapons to Ukraine if Russia crosses the line. South Koreas provision of arms to Ukraine would be a very big deal, something we posited earlier this month. You can read about it here. BREAKING: South Korea says it will arm Ukraine if Russia supplies North Korea with precision weapons Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) June 23, 2024 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited frontline troops in Donetsk Oblast on Wednesday with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and its new Ground Forces commander. I was pleased to personally visit and thank our heroic and efficient 110th and 47th brigades, Zelensky said on Twitter. I also thanked our combat medics, both men and women, who perform the most important work of stabilizing the wounded, saving lives, and providing maximum support. Witnessing such dedication and willingness to help is truly touching. In the Donetsk region, I held a detailed meeting on security and support for the people, he added. We addressed many issues, including ensuring essential services such as water, social issues, evacuation, defense assistance, and housing restoration. I visited the Donetsk region together with our warriors, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, and the new Commander of the Joint Forces, General Hnatov. Today, I officially introduced him to all those responsible for defense in the Donetsk region and received reports directly from pic.twitter.com/q5tJjWhbh6 Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) June 26, 2024 On Tuesday, Zelensky expressed confidence that his nation will soon join the European Union. Historic moment, he said Tuesday in his evening address. Ukraine has officially begun accession negotiations with the European Union. Weve worked hard to reach this point. Today we held the first intergovernmental conference, and we are committed to fulfilling every requirement to navigate through all chapters of our relations with the EU, culminating in an accession treaty for Ukraine. Historic moment: Ukraine has officially begun accession negotiations with the European Union. We've worked hard to reach this point. Today we held the first intergovernmental conference, and we are committed to fulfilling every requirement to navigate through all chapters of our pic.twitter.com/o2s6RkFDUK Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) June 25, 2024 The Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko thanked U.S. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink for badly needed demining equipment. Among the donated items was a GCS-200 demining machine, handed over to the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, Ukrainian National Police of Ukraine explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams received Dodge RAM trucks, X-ray machines, two types of blasting machines, metal detectors, and more. This aid, which is constantly flowing to Ukraine, affects our stability and will continue to affect our stability after the end of the war. We are saving people, demining territories and continuing to rebuild our state, the Minister of Internal Affairs said. Today I joined Minister Klymenko to donate equipment to the brave Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams at @NPU_GOV_UA & @MVS_UA who demine Ukraines farmland, remove missile fragments, & destroy left behind explosives, Brink said in a Tweet. They risk their lives to save lives every day. Today I joined Minister Klymenko to donate equipment to the brave Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams at @NPU_GOV_UA & @MVS_UA who demine Ukraines farmland, remove missile fragments, & destroy left behind explosives. They risk their lives to save lives every day. pic.twitter.com/tvtbMRwfLM Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) June 25, 2024 German authorities are pushing back on reporting that a May fire at a German arms manufacturing plant was caused by saboteurs. They see no evidence of sabotage following the alleged arson attack at the Berlin factory owned by German metal manufacturer Diehl, Der Spiegel reported on June 25. The factory belongs to Diehl Metal Applications, a subsidiary of the Diehl group that manufactures IRIS-T air defense systems. A total of 18 in two variants have been donated by Germany to Ukraine. According to Der Spiegel, the Berlin police believe an accident was the likely cause of the fire, while the Prosecutors Office in Karlsruhe and the Berlin Public Prosecutor Generals Office say they have found no evidence of arson. We assume that the cause was a technical defect that was not our fault, a Diehl spokesperson told Der Spiegel. The denial of arson comes after allegations that the fire was the work of Russian saboteurs trying to disrupt the flow of arms to Ukraine as reported by The Wall Street Journal and the German Bild publication, citing unnamed security officials. After BILD & WSJ had reported that a foreign intelligence service had forwarded intercepted communications to the German government that were supposed to provide concrete indications of Russian involvement in the fire at Diehl Metall, SPIEGEL now reports that investigators and https://t.co/QNb18kzrir pic.twitter.com/6m4sZpKi26 German Aid to Ukraine (@deaidua) June 25, 2024 New information is coming to light about how Ukraine has improved its fleet of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), also known as sea drones. We know theyve already added rocket launchers and infrared-guided R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missiles. Now it turns out Ukraine added sea mines to its sea drones last year, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Security Service of Ukraine has equipped its Sea Baby drones with the capability to remotely mine maritime routesAccording to The Wall Street Journal, this tactic has already destroyed 4 Russian ships. pic.twitter.com/Phc7kYTGrC NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 24, 2024 The tactic  developed by Ukraines Security Service (SBU  used Sea Baby USVs to plant over 15 underwater mines near Russian-occupied Crimea, the publication reported. This operation damaged four Russian warships, including Project 1239 Bora-class missile corvette Samum, Project 22160 Vasily Bykov class patrol ship Pavel Derzhavin, a large tugboat, and a modern minesweeper Vladimir Kozitsky. The SBU developed this strategy after Russia fortified Sevastopols port entrance against direct drone attacks. The plastic bottom mines, weighing 180 kg (almost 400 pounds) are nearly undetectable in shallow, silty waters, the publication reported. After six weeks of intelligence gathering, SBUs Sea Baby drones covertly placed two mines along Russian naval routes. Ukrainian surface drone "Sea Baby" with two universal bottom mines on board pic.twitter.com/1b27G4lpMd Military news (@front_ukrainian) June 25, 2024 Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman, declined to comment on a CNN story suggesting that the Biden administration might soon lift the ban on U.S. military contractors working to fix donated equipment in Ukraine. Im not going to comment on any reports of internal discussions or proposals that may or may not be under consideration, he told reporters. You know, the bottom line is, the President and the Secretary have been clear that were not going to send us troops to fight in Ukraine, and that wont change. CNN reported that, once approved, the change would likely be enacted this year, officials said, and would allow the Pentagon to provide contracts to American companies for work inside Ukraine for the first time since Russia invaded in 2022. Officials said they hope it will speed up the maintenance and repairs of weapons systems being used by the Ukrainian military. As an example of that, we noted in February that a pair of battle-damaged M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) had to be returned to the U.S. for repairs. News: The Biden administration is moving toward lifting a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help the countrys military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems, per 4 US officials. w/@OrenCNN https://t.co/7wM8iEvIxx Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) June 25, 2024 Under a new plan being pushed by two top advisors to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, Ukraine would only get new arms from the U.S. if it agrees to peace negotiations with Russia, according to Reuters. At the same time, the U.S. would warn Moscow that any refusal to negotiate would result in increased U.S. support for Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told the news outlet in an exclusive interview. He is one of Trumps national security advisers. The Trump campaign tried to create some distance from that proposal. Spokesperson Steven Cheung told Reuters that only statements made by the former president or authorized members of his campaign should be deemed official. As Reuters noted, the proposal is the most detailed plan yet by associates of Trump who has bragged about being able to quickly settle the war in Ukraine if he beats President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election. He has yet to say how though. It would mark a major shift in the U.S. position on the war and would face opposition from European allies and within Trumps own Republican Party, Reuters added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has his own 10-point peace plan, would almost surely object, as would many Ukrainians. On Tuesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, including from The War Zone, that only Ukraine gets to decide when and how to make peace. Exclusive: Trump handed plan to halt US military aid to Kyiv unless it talks peace with Moscow  https://t.co/3XI8nxSLWC Jonathan Landay (@JonathanLanday) June 25, 2024 There have been numerous recorded instances of Ukraines donated Bradley Fighting Vehicle taking out Russian armor. On Wednesday, Ukraines 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade released video showing one of its Bradleys taking out a drone with its Bushmaster M242 25 mm automatic cannon. Bradley IFV shot down a russian FPV drone with a Bushmaster gun. We have already seen how this IFV destroys russian tanks, armored vehicles, and positions. And now it also destroys drones. : 47th Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/dHV1BWviiI Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 26, 2024 The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said it carried out an attack Tuesday on a field ammunition depot in Russias Voronezh region, about 125 miles from the border. A video released by GUR shows a plume of smoke rising in the distance as the sound of ammunition cooking off can be heard. #           25  2024            - . https://t.co/ceT0wwvPb0 pic.twitter.com/KUMXHOc6K0 Defence intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) June 25, 2024 The attack on the depot in the Olkhovat district was carried out by soldiers of the Department of Active Actions of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, GUR stated. The fire, which GUR said was still burning as of 3 a.m. local time (10 a.m. Eastern), consumed about 3,500 square meters (about 11,500 square feet). Considering the size of the warehouse, it seems that it will explode for a long time, GUR wrote on its Telegram channel. The Russian Astra Telegram channel claimed Ukraine used two drones to conduct the attack on a warehouse with more than 3,000 shells. Satellite imagery confirmed that the geolocated site came under attack. Comparison of the @planet satellite images of the Russian ammo depot in Olkhovatka, Voronezh Oblast, captured on June 19 and June 25. pic.twitter.com/eclaINO8aR Mark Krutov (@kromark) June 25, 2024 Entrance to the city has been blocked. A state of emergency in the area has been declared by the governor due to 'explosive objects'. https://t.co/WDalBmBjwk pic.twitter.com/LA1eUeEHZN NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) June 25, 2024 Last week, we reported that Yeysk Airfield was targeted in a massive Ukrainian multi-domain drone strike. The Ukrainian Navy on Tuesday offered new details about that strike. Not only is the airfield home to a major tactical jet forward operating base, which includes Sukhoi Su-34 Fullbacks, there are additional Russian military facilities nearby. Including, it turns out, a training site for drone operators. The Ukrainian Navy said it destroyed scores of drones in the attack. In a significant strike, Ukraine has destroyed 120 drones at a Russian UAV training center in Yeisk, Krasnodar Krai.https://t.co/cN9E56GKok UNITED24 Media (@United24media) June 25, 2024 The Ukrainian Navy said on Telegram that, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine, it hit the military training ground of the 726th Air Defense Training Center at Yeysk on June 21. This institution is engaged in the training of military personnel for the use of UAVs of various types, the Ukrainian Navy stated. It claimed to have destroyed 20 Shahed-136 drones, 50 Lancet loitering munitions as well as 40 Zala and 10 SuperCam reconnaissance drones. There are also casualties among the instructors and technical staff from Yelabuga, the Ukrainian Navy claimed. The War Zone cannot independently verify any of these claims, but satellite imagery after the attacked showed the facility was indeed attacked. The aftermath of Ukraine's strike on the air defense training center near Yeysk air base in Russia is visible in new satellite imageryThis site is more than 130 kilometers from the front line in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/dZrZX5wTws Brady Africk (@bradyafr) June 22, 2024 Video claiming to show the destruction of a German-donated IRIS-T SLM medium-range surface-to-air missile system emerged on social media. Posted by the Russian The_Wrong-Side Telegram channel, it opens with a drone view of the systems transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) parked in a tree line in a small village near the city of Krivyi Rih. It then cuts to an explosion resulting in a white cloud, followed by a wider image of several smoldering vehicles, one of which appears to be the IRIS-T TEL. The strike, about 120 miles from the front lines, was carried out by an Iskander short-range ballistic missile with a cluster munition warhead, The_Wrong_Side claimed. That warhead was used so effectively that in addition to the launcher, a vehicle in the neighboring forest belt was also destroyed, The_Wrong_Side stated. Russian Forces managed to destroy, for the first time, a Ukrainian IRIS-T SLM(Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile System) TEL, along with a support Vehicle in the nearby Forest Belt using a Iskander-M SRBM.The heavy scorch marks and fire indicate the TEL was real. pic.twitter.com/PVnbFh4Jmk WarVehicleTracker (@WarVehicle) June 24, 2024 Last June, we wrote about a Russian drone attacking a Hensoldt TRML-4D truck-mounted radar, a key component of the IRIS-T system. A launcher was hit as well. Russia has made repeated claims about destroying these systems, of which Germany has donated eight. However, the Oryx open-source tracking group has only acknowledged damage to the aforementioned radar. The actual number of damaged or destroyed IRIS-T systems could be higher, though, because Oryx only tabulates losses it can visually verify. You can see that attack in the video below: #Ukraine: A Ukrainian TRML-4D multi-functional radar from the IRIS-T SLM air defense system was taken out of action by a Russian Lancet loitering munition. pic.twitter.com/OX7RocZXbM Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) June 7, 2023 You can see an example of a Russian submunition in this video, which shows a Ukrainian technician using one hand to disassemble a fragmentation variant. It contains more than 300 steel balls in cast aluminum hemispheres. A Ukrainian technician uses one hand to disassemble a Russian ShOAB-0.5 fragmentation submunition. Over 300 steel balls are embedded in the cast aluminum hemispheres. The fuze requires strong centrifugal force to arm as the submunition's flutes cause it to spin to the ground. pic.twitter.com/tQDoBbVmHV Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) June 24, 2024 Video has emerged claiming to be the first recorded use by Ukraine of US-donated M30 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) munitions carrying 404 M101 Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) submunitions. You can see the troops standing in the intersection of two tree lines, then the submunitions explode over a wide area. Likely the first footage of Ukrainian forces using a US-supplied M30 GMLRS rocket, carrying 404 M101 DPICM submunitions, to target a Russian grouping in Zaporizhia. The M30, previously not supplied in favor of the M30A1, brings a new cluster munition capability to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/t0QIVO6Gsp OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 23, 2024 Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kasciunas said that his country may withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a decision to do so may be made in the near future Lithuanian Lrytas news outlet reported. I hope that in the near future the issue of withdrawal from the Convention will be considered, he said. My time is running out, so I have to deal with everything. Lithuania plans to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of Cluster MunitionsThe decision may be taken as soon as possible, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said. pic.twitter.com/YMH7FwsFOq NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 26, 2024 The last minutes of a Ukrainians soldiers life are captured in this very graphic video. It shows Ukrainian troops firing as they advanced up a set of stairs in a heavily damaged building in Bakhmut. The soldier, who recorded in the scene via a helmet camera, is the second in line. As he lays down covering fire for the soldier on the point, he is hit and slumps to the ground. The video ends with his fellow soldiers trying to save him. https://twitter.com/goreclipps/status/1805546582307389646?s=12 Ukraine displayed an array of tracked uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV) that range from machinegun-toting models to those that can haul supplies. It is unknown how many of these have made it to the battlefield, but as aerial drones have proliferated, UGVs are beginning to have a greater presence on the battlefield. Ukrainian unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in various modifications.This is just part of them. pic.twitter.com/RGqqjUTC1A Clash Report (@clashreport) June 24, 2024 Foreign Policy Research Institute Senior Fellow Rob Lee scoffed at comments made last week by a senior French officer about the value of electronic warfare countermeasures against drones. No one knows what percentage of UAVs are lost to EW in Ukraine, Lee said on Twitter. Its often impossible to tell, UAV pilots have an incentive to blame EW whenever they lose a UAV/miss a target, and it will vary depending on the type of UAV. Lee was reacting to comments made last week by French Army Chief of Staff Gen. Pierre Schill during the Eurosatory defense show in Paris. Schill essentially said that the now-ubiquitous banes of troops on both sides are a passing fancy, already being mitigated by electronic warfare countermeasures. Already today, 75% of drones on the battlefield in Ukraine are lost to electronic warfare, the general told reporters. No one knows what percentage of UAVs are lost to EW in Ukraine. Its often impossible to tell, UAV pilots have an incentive to blame EW whenever they lose a UAV/miss a target, and it will vary depending on the type of UAV. https://t.co/yByUbLVIJt Rob Lee (@RALee85) June 25, 2024 Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to complain about the flow of FPV drones. Among other issues, they say that units only get them if they are requested by a commander. 11/ Case in point that explains the thread above  a Russian FPV manufacturing effort announced its partnership with a specific FPV operating unit in the Russian military with intent to supply them directly as requested, likely because this unit's commander reached out. Other pic.twitter.com/0KIiLY7yQb Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) June 23, 2024 During a desperate encounter, a Ukrainian soldier took on two Russian troops in a trench, which you can watch below. Out of ammunition, the Ukrainian soldier tossed a grenade at the Russians, who are just around a bend. The grenade exploded, leaving one Russian immobile and the other stunned. The Ukrainian then reloaded and fired at the Russians, killing them both. One-on-one melee combat in a trench.Ukrainian soldier vs. two Russian soldiers. pic.twitter.com/VSYWhFIEo6 Clash Report (@clashreport) June 23, 2024 Russian troops, who have largely unable to shoot down Ukrainian First-Person View (FPV) drones, found a new way to counter them. As you can see in this video below, Russian troops on a Chinese-made DesertCross All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) were chased by a Ukrainian FPV but lived to see another day after a desperate attempt to survive worked. One of the soldiers tossed his rifle at the drone, detonating it before it could injure the troops. Orc used his riffle to stone fpv drone coming to hit them, and it actually save them. pic.twitter.com/n38j5lNeUA Getty (@gettylegion) June 24, 2024 Russian troops have added a new addition to their so-called turtle tanks. Thanking those who donated to his crowd-sourcing fundraising efforts, a Russian soldier added chains to the front of his tank, which is covered in metal sheeting. The chains were being added, he explained, so that the turtled tank can help clear mines. However, as you can see in the video below, they dont reach the ground, so it remains unclear how that will work. Assembly of the Russian "Homosexual" or "turtle" type tank  author thanks his followers for raising money for the chains.https://t.co/bWa3c5chP0 pic.twitter.com/TaJMpqYf2z WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) June 25, 2024 A long history of looking at images of enemy weapons like aircraft and ships for future identification has continued in this conflict. Russian troops are studying Ukrainian drones. ruSSian air defense crew's guide to recognizing Ukrainian drones.1/ pic.twitter.com/k1IzcYwreW    (@TheDeadDistrict) June 22, 2024 On Tuesday we wrote about two waves of U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missile strikes on Crimea, including one on the Russian Black Sea port city of Sevastopol. Video emerged Tuesday from that attack showing cluster munitions from one of those missiles raining down in the ocean and on a crowded beach, sending vacationers scurrying for cover. The video, which shows the cluster munitions falling in a straight line, adds further validation to suggestions that the missile was hit by a Russian air defense munition. The video from Sevastopol shows about 10x less M74 bomblets spread over an area over twice the size of a normal ATACMS strike. The interception likely caused the release of the bomblets, with many not reaching the required spin to arm and detonate. pic.twitter.com/1vJ60crQsx Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) June 25, 2024 U.S. officials also say that the ATACMS was intercepted, causing the submunitions to rain down on the beach. According to U.S. officials a weekend attack in Crimea, which killed four people and injured 151 according to Moscow, appears to be Russia intercepting an ATACM missile that was targeting a missile launcher, causing the missile to explode and raining shrapnel down on the beach. Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) June 25, 2024 Drones arent just used to kill troops and destroy vehicles. They are also used for resupply. After downing one of those Russian resupply drones, Ukrainian troops found an interesting haul. It was a care package consisting of Italian coffee, dehydrated food and some over-the-counter medications. A Russian resupply drone brought down by jamming is examined. The care package contains Italian coffee, dehydrated food, something in a can, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac (a stronger anti-inflammatory) and Gastal (antacid). pic.twitter.com/IAR5HUeMjQ Roy (@GrandpaRoy2) June 25, 2024 And finally, for these Ukrainian stationary bikers, it is damn the Russian attacks, full speed ahead. As a thick black plume from a Russian strike on the Black Sea port city of Odesa rose in the background, a group of about a half-dozen women furiously peddled atop a roof in that city. They think they can kill us, but they dont know what it means to be Ukrainian, one of the women remarks. Odessa today pic.twitter.com/6FNEArG9jV Russian Market (@runews) June 24, 2024 Thats it for now. Contact: howard@thewarzone.com

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A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine surfaced in the Norwegian Sea.

It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.

The show of force came weeks after Russia sent a submarine and naval fleet to Cuba.

A US Navy nuclear-powered ballistic submarine popped up in the Norwegian Sea this week in a rare show of force. It was accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and two naval aircraft.

US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet announced the movement of the USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) in the Norwegian Sea on Tuesday, writing that the sub was joined by the USS Normandy (CG 60) as well as a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and an E-6B Mercury strategic communications plane.

Multi-Domain Readiness in action  @USNavy  guided-missile cruiser #USSNormandy (CG 60) and ballistic missile submarine #USSTennessee (SSBN 734) steam alongside in the #NorwegianSea while a P-8A Poseidon and E-6B Mercury fly overhead, June 23, 2024. pic.twitter.com/8Uttvmkny9  U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) June 25, 2024

Per the US military post on X, the fleet was in the Norwegian Sea on Sunday. The specific intention wasn't overtly stated, but these assets send a message to potential adversaries.

The flex notably comes amid persistent tensions with Russia, which has been rattling the nuclear saber lately, and just a few weeks after Russia sent a naval flotilla, including one of its own nuclear-powered subs, to Cuba.

The USS Tennessee is an Ohio-class ballistic-missile sub able to carry as many as 20 Trident nuclear missiles. Its accompanying E-6B Mercury "provides survivable, reliable, and endurable airborne Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) for the president, secretary of defense, and US Strategic Command," according to Naval Air Systems Command.

Like the Air Force E-4B "Nightwatch," the Navy plane is sometimes called the "Doomsday plane," as it can relay National Command Authority directives to US submarines as part of the "Take Charge and Move Out" mission and fulfill "Looking Glass" obligations, which involves directing nuclear forces if the ground-based options are gone.

The E-6B Mercury had been tracked flying an operation off the coast of Norway on Sunday, which Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, wrote on X "indicated forward operations with nuclear missile submarines."

As suspected, deployment of E-6B TACAMO nuclear command, control and communication aircraft to Norway indicated forward operations with nuclear missile submarines. https://t.co/EqaeAH2oK6



What I didn't expect was one of them surfacing off Norway in a blunt signal to Russia.  https://t.co/SK7NHMNYtq  Hans Kristensen (@nukestrat) June 25, 2024

While Kristensen said this was expected, he said he didn't expect to see a nuclear sub surface, calling it "a blunt signal to Russia."

The Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arriving at Havana's harbor on June 12. ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images

As the "boomers," or ballistic-missile subs, are an element of the US nuclear triad, the US Navy doesn't regularly reveal where they are. Other elements of the submarine force also tend to be far less visible than the surface fleet.

But since 2020, it has been more frequently making its presence known in the North Atlantic and nearby seas, particularly around Norway and other NATO allies. Part of this reflects increased cooperation between Norway, the US, and other NATO partners.

Deliberately revealing the locations of submarines signals to Russia that American submarines are active in waters nearby, and it does so at a time when Russian subs are increasingly active in the Atlantic and even off US shores. The boomers also notably send a message of nuclear deterrence.

The US has made similar revelations in other parts of the world with its Ohio-class cruise-missile submarines, which carry 154 land-attack Tomahawks.

Russia, too, is often intentional with how and when it reveals the movements of its subs, particularly its Severodvinsk-class submarines, which have concerned NATO officials for years.

Russia made a show of having one of these vessels, the first-in-class Severodvinsk, surface off Norway in July 2022, and another one of these submarines, the Kazan, was spotted in Cuba earlier this month during a five-day official visit. Other Russian vessels, such as the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, joined the Kazan during the visit ahead of an air and maritime exercise in the Caribbean.

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SAPPORO, Jun 27 (News On Japan) - A man in his 50s has been diagnosed with encephalitis after being bitten by a tick, according to the Sapporo City Health Department. This is the sixth reported case of tick-borne encephalitis in Japan.

The patient, a resident of Sapporo, was bitten on the leg by a tick while gathering wild plants in Hokkaido in mid-May. He later developed a fever and numbness in his limbs, prompting him to seek medical attention.

Upon receiving a notification from the medical institution suspecting tick-borne encephalitis, the Sapporo City Health Department requested testing from the Hokkaido Institute of Public Health. On June 24, the infection was confirmed.

The patient remains hospitalized in Sapporo.

The health department advises people to minimize skin exposure when entering grassy areas.

Source: TBS
TOKYO, Jun 27 (News On Japan) - A police officer in his 50s was attacked by a woman with scissors at Shinjuku Station on Thursday, leaving him unconscious with blood streaming from his head.

Security camera footage captured the incident just before it occurred.

Shortly after 5 a.m. on the 27th, the officer approached a woman in her 50s near a police box. Shortly after, the woman reportedly drew scissors.

The officer attempted to distance himself from the woman, but he stumbled and fell, hitting the back of his head and losing consciousness.

The woman is suspected of then attempting to stab the officer multiple times in the chest with the scissors.

Fortunately, the officer was unharmed, as he was wearing a stab-proof vest.

The officer regained consciousness after being transported to a hospital.

The officer, who was briefly unconscious, stated, 'I only remember tripping and falling.'

The woman was apprehended by another officer who arrived at the scene. She is believed to be homeless.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident as an attempted murder.

Source: ANN
TOKYO, Jun 27 (News On Japan) - A former breeder in Saitama Prefecture has been arrested on suspicion of killing dogs that were deemed non-reproductive by sealing them in bags.

Yukio Watanabe, 81, was arrested on June 27 on charges of violating the Animal Welfare Act. In May, a search was conducted at his home in Moroyama Town, Saitama.

The investigation began following a tip-off in August 2023, alleging that the breeder had starved dogs he deemed non-reproductive and sealed them in cages to kill them. During the search, three dogs were found dead in cages.

The dogs, including Pomeranians and Toy Poodles, were suspected to have been suffocated by being enclosed in sealed cages.

The following exchange occurred during the search:

Investigator: "It seems out of touch with public standards. You wouldnt tell the animal control people about this method, would you?"

Watanabe: "Theres not much need to ask them (the animal control)."

Investigator: "Have they ever asked you about it?"

Watanabe: "No, never."

Investigator: "Including costs for feed and waste disposal?"

Watanabe: "That costs around 150,000 to 300,000 yen."

Investigator: "From the sales?"

Watanabe: "Without it, I couldnt manage."

Watanabe, who sold puppies at auction sites, reportedly earned about 27 million yen in 2022. Prior to his arrest, he had admitted in voluntary questioning that keeping non-reproductive dogs alive was costly and that he had killed them to take responsibility for their fate.

At Watanabe's breeding facility, around 180 dogs, including breeding dogs and puppies for sale, were kept. Police rescued 17 dogs in poor health.

Following the search, Watanabe filed for business closure and abandoned the care of the rescued dogs.

On June 27, Watanabe was arrested on suspicion of suffocating three dogs. He admitted to sealing one dog in a plastic bag while it was still alive but denied that the other two were alive at the time, partially denying the charges.

Source: FNN
Jun 28 (NHK) - Police in Tokyo have arrested a 31-year-old daughter of the couple whose burnt bodies were found in a mountain area in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, this April. She is the 7th person arrested in the double-murder case.

The victims, Takarajima Ryutaro, and his wife, Sachiko, ran a company that operated many restaurants in Tokyo's Ueno district.

On Thursday, the police arrested their daughter, Manami, for her suspected role in the murder case.

Since the bodies were found in woods in the town of Nasu in April, six men have been arrested and indicted on charges of damaging and abandoning the bodies. The six were also arrested again on suspicion of murder.

The police believe Sekine Seiha, the 32-year-old common-law husband of the victims' daughter, is the mastermind.

The police say that an analysis of smartphone records has led them to believe that Manami herself was also involved in the murder case.

She had served as an executive of the company run by her parents, but she left the post in January this year.

Her common-law husband, Sekine, also worked as a manager at the company. He reportedly had major differences with Takarajima and his wife over business policies regarding marketing and allocation of employees.

The police suspect that the internal conflict in business may have led to the murders.
Wakayama, Jun 28 (News On Japan) - Peach Aviation has found a sweet way to promote Wakayama's famous peaches. Passengers aboard Peach Aviation flights are being handed large, succulent peaches.

These peaches, a specialty of Wakayama Prefecture, are part of an event that the airline has been hosting with Kinokawa City for the past 12 years. The initiative aims to boost the airline's brand recognition while also showcasing the appeal of local products.

Known for their melt-in-your-mouth texture and sweetness, about 650 of these peaches were distributed to passengers traveling from countries such as South Korea, China, and Bangkok.

"I'm so happy! I'm glad I flew with Peach," one passenger remarked. Another traveler from Australia added, "Big surprise. Very cute."

The surprise gift of a perfectly ripe peach brought smiles to the faces of many passengers.

Source: MBS
Finding the right job or filling a vacant position is not easy. However, in Bakersfield, temp agencies are making this process seamless for both job seekers and employers. This blog will highlight the trending temporary positions in the area, explain the benefits of working with a temp agency, and demonstrate how these agencies can support both employees and businesses.

Trending Temp Positions in Bakersfield

Based on the data from Government Jobs, here are the top 5 trending temporary positions in Bakersfield:

Animal Control Officer: This position involves enforcing animal control laws and regulations, responding to animal-related complaints, and managing shelter operations. Duties include capturing stray animals, investigating cases of animal cruelty, and educating the public about responsible pet ownership.

Aquatics Coordinator: Responsible for overseeing the operation of aquatic facilities, coordinating special events and programs, and ensuring the safety of guests. This includes managing lifeguard staff, maintaining water quality standards, and organizing swim lessons and aquatic fitness classes.

Fleet Equipment Mechanic: In charge of maintaining and repairing city fleet vehicles, including cars, trucks, and heavy equipment. This role requires diagnosing mechanical issues, performing routine maintenance, and ensuring all vehicles meet safety standards and are ready for use.

Park Ranger: Responsible for patrolling and maintaining parks and recreational areas, ensuring visitor safety, and providing information to visitors. Duties include enforcing park rules, conducting guided tours, assisting with conservation efforts, and providing first aid when necessary.

Public Works Maintenance Crew Leader: Supervises a crew in performing maintenance tasks for public works projects such as road repair and landscaping. This involves planning and coordinating daily activities, ensuring project deadlines are met, and overseeing the proper use of equipment and materials.

Customer Service Representative: A customer service representative in Bakersfield handles inquiries and concerns from customers, processes orders, and provides information about products or services. This role requires strong communication skills, the ability to resolve issues efficiently, and maintaining a positive relationship with customers.

Administrative Assistant: Administrative assistants provide support to managers and employees by assisting with daily office tasks such as scheduling appointments, organizing files, and maintaining databases. Additional responsibilities may include preparing reports, managing correspondence, and coordinating meetings and travel arrangements.

Warehouse Worker: Warehouse workers are responsible for receiving, storing, and distributing goods from a warehouse facility. Physical strength is required for this job as it may involve heavy lifting. Other duties include inventory management, operating forklifts, and ensuring the cleanliness and organization of the warehouse.

Receptionist: A receptionist serves as the first point of contact for visitors and clients, answers phone calls, schedules appointments, and performs administrative tasks such as filing and data entry. Receptionists are also responsible for maintaining the reception area, greeting guests warmly, and directing them to the appropriate person or department.

Why Choose a Temp Agency?

A temp agency is an organization that connects job seekers with temporary employment opportunities. These agencies work with a variety of businesses in different industries to provide short-term staffing solutions. Here are some reasons why utilizing a temp agency may be beneficial for both job seekers and employers:

For Job Seekers:

Access to a wide range of job opportunities: Temp agencies work with numerous companies, allowing job seekers to explore different industries and positions.

Gain valuable experience: Temporary jobs can provide job seekers with the opportunity to gain new skills, expand their resume, and network within various organizations.

Flexibility: Temp positions often have flexible schedules, allowing individuals to work around other commitments or responsibilities.

For Employers:

Save time and resources: Working with a temp agency can save businesses time and resources in the hiring process. The agency handles recruiting, screening, and administrative tasks such as payroll and benefits.

Cost-effective: Hiring temporary workers can be more cost-effective for businesses

than hiring full-time employees with benefits.

Flexibility: Hiring temporary workers provides businesses with the flexibility to adjust their workforce according to their needs, such as seasonal or project-based work.

How A Temp Agency Can Help

Any leading temp agency in Bakersfield will strive to connect job seekers and employers for mutual benefit. Here are some ways they can help:

For Job Seekers:

Personalized job matching: Temp agencies work closely with job seekers to understand their skills, experience, and career goals in order to match them with the most suitable job opportunities.

Career advice: Temp agencies can provide valuable insights and tips on resume writing, interview preparation, and other aspects of the job search process.

Ongoing support: Many temp agencies offer ongoing support throughout the temporary assignment, providing individuals with a point of contact for any questions or concerns that may arise.

For Employers:

Pre-screening candidates: Temp agencies conduct thorough screenings and background checks on potential candidates, including verifying employment history and checking references. This process saves businesses significant time and ensures they only receive qualified applicants who meet their specific requirements.

Easy transition to permanent positions: If a temporary worker proves to be a good fit for a company, temp agencies can help facilitate the transition to a permanent position by handling all the necessary paperwork and negotiations, making it a seamless and efficient process for both the employer and the employee.

Cost-effective solutions: Temp agencies offer competitive rates and handle all administrative tasks associated with hiring temporary workers, including payroll, benefits, and compliance with labor laws. This not only saves businesses time and resources but also reduces the risk of legal complications and administrative burdens.

Conclusion

Any leading temp agency near Bakersfield probably takes an active role in matching up job seekers and employers for temporary staffing job orders. Using a temp agency can really pay off if youre looking for temporary work or temporary employees for your business. From

flexible schedules to cost savings, theres a multitude of reasons why a temp agency might be right for you.

Therefore, if you need temps and need help solving your temporary staffing needs, looking for or accepting temporary jobs in Bakersfield, please contact any temp agency that can help match you with valued employees and/or quality job seekers.
LUSAKA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board has approved the third review of Zambia's extended credit facility, greenlighting an immediate disbursement of about 569.7 million U.S. dollars, a senior government official said on Thursday.

The disbursement includes approval for an additional 30 percent quota, or 385.7 million dollars, requested by the government, said Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane. This funding aims to preserve macroeconomic stability and support Zambia's response to external shocks. Additionally, it includes the fourth tranche under the extended credit facility arrangement, amounting to about 184 million dollars.

This new funding will bring Zambia's total disbursement under the extended credit facility program to around 1.1 billion dollars, Musokotwane said, noting that the IMF's decision reflects the progress Zambia has made in achieving the goals of its home-grown reform agenda, which focuses on restoring macroeconomic stability, fiscal and debt sustainability, and enhancing human development.

"The board's approval comes at a critical time when the country needs financing to respond effectively to the drought, which has severely impacted agriculture production and electricity generation," Musokotwane said in a statement.

The latest announcement from the international lender will boost investor confidence and enhance foreign direct investment, he added, reaffirming the government's commitment to the reform process. The new funds are expected to strengthen Zambia's economic reform strategy and increase economic resilience in the face of a challenging global economic environment.

The IMF approved Zambia's economic credit facility arrangement in 2022, providing 1.3 billion dollars in funding support. 
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To apply for a funded trading account, you need to complete an online application. This form usually asks for your trading history, experience level, and financial goals. Once submitted, the application is reviewed, and you may be required to participate in a trading evaluation.

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Achieving success with funded trading requires effective strategies and disciplined trading practices. Lets explore some key strategies that can help you maximize your returns.

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Risk management is critical in trading. With funded trading accounts, its essential to manage risk effectively to protect the funds capital and your trading career. Utilize stop-loss orders to limit potential losses and avoid over-leveraging your trades. Diversifying your trades across different assets can also mitigate risk and increase your chances of profitability.

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By Juliet Umeh

The former Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Konga, one of Nigerias e-commerce giants, Mr Nick Imudia, has allegedly committed suicide in his home.

According to reports, Imudia, who was until his death, the CEO of D.light, a leading innovator in the distribution and financing of residential solar energy solutions and transformational household products, killed himself on the night of Tuesday, June 25, by jumping from the balcony of his Lekki, Lagos apartment.

The report said: Before making the jump, he had called his US-based brother to give him instructions on how to distribute his wealth should anything happen to him.

He also called his young daughter from a previous relationship and told her he would always be there for her and that all she needed to do was to look in the sky and he would see her.

His friends, family and associates are in shock as to why he would commit suicide.

No one is sure why he took his own life.

From the Ika South local government area of Delta State, Nick was previously married to the mother of his young daughter who was also from the same local government with him. The marriage ended due to irreconcilable differences.

Before Konga, Nick had stints with TCL/Alcatel as a regional director and Microsoft Device and Services as the GM/MD for West and Central Africa.
By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Renowned professor of International Law, and Deputy Vice-chancellor,Academic, University of Abuja, Aisha Sani Maikudi, has been appointed acting vice-chancellor of the University by the Senate.

A statement on Thursday, by Dr Habib Yakoob,Acting Director, Directorate of Information and University Relations, said, Her appointment was announced following her nomination at the valedictory Senate meeting held yesterday (Wednesday 26th June 2024) on the Main campus.

According to the vice-chancellor, Professor Abdul-Rasheed NaAllah, Maikudis appointment was in a temporary capacity effective after the tenure of the current vice-chancellor, pending the ratification by the Governing Council.

NaAllah rounds off his tenure on 30th June 2024 after a five-year impactful and transformational leadership at the University, it said.

In her acceptance speech, Maikudi expressed gratitude to members of the Senate for the confidence reposed in her.

She said, I want to extend my deepest respect and appreciation to you all for the strong support and unwavering commitment that you have accorded me, the statement quoted the acting vice chancellor as saying.

Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi was born on 31st January 1983, the youngest female professor of Law in the Northwestern Nigeria and the University of Abuja.

She attended Queens College, Lagos where she obtained her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

She proceeded to the University of Reading, graduating with LLB in 2004 and LLM from the London School of Economics & Political Science in 2005; and later bagged a PhD in International Law in 2015 from the University of Abuja.

Maikudi joined the service of the University of Abuja on 4th September 2008 as Lecturer II and rose to the rank of professor in 2022.

She became the first female Deputy Dean, at the Universitys Faculty of Law, in 2018; and later, the pioneer director, University of Abuja International Centre in 2019.

Maikudi has attended several National and International conferences in the UK, US, South Africa, Germany, Italy, and Egypt, etc as well as conducted several research on United Nations Law and has written extensively in the area.

She is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), and International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).
By Justina Otio

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi has called for urgent reforms in the healthcare sector of the country.

Speaking as a guest speaker at the 6th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, held in Awka, Anambra State on Wednesday, Obi emphasized that health, particularly life expectancy, is a critical measure of development.

He highlighted that Nigerias Human Development Index (HDI) ranking remains low, even after 25 years of democratic governance.

When you want to measure this Human Development Index, the most critical measure number one is Health  life expectancy.

Life expectancy as we know today in Nigeria is among the lowest in the world. We are about 65 years, compared to India at about 70, Bangladesh at about 72, Egypt at about 71, and the Philippines at about 70, Obi stated.

The former Anambra governor outlined several issues plaguing Nigerias healthcare system, such as the countrys minimal functioning primary healthcare facilities, alarmingly high infant mortality rates, expensive imported drugs, amongst others.

He also criticised the governments approach to healthcare, stating,We have a system that does not understand what they are supposed to do to help our citizens.

He suggested several solutions including, investing in critical areas of healthcare, supporting local drug manufacturing, designing affordable insurance schemes and lifting people out of poverty to enable their participation in healthcare programs, among others.

We must dismantle this criminality called Nigeria today and make it a country where people will know that they are elected to serve the people and they focus on doing the right thing, Obi added.
By afolabi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the conducts and actions of the two lawyers representing former governor Yahaya Bello are anathema to the legal profession and brings it into disrepute.

The anti-graft agency said the refusal of the lawyers to produce their client in court after signing an undertaking to do so amounted to professional misconduct and contempt of court.

The EFCC wants the Federal High Court in Abuja to put the lawyers, Abdulwahab Mohammed and Adeola Adedipe, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, on trial for the offence.

The EFCC accused the two senior lawyers of frustrating the arraignment and prosecution of Bello by deliberately protecting him from appearing in court.

In an application by its lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, EFCC specifically asked Justice Emeka Nwite to invoke Rule 31 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners in the country to sanction the two lawyers and protect the sanctity and respect of the court.

Pinheiro SAN said that the two lawyers have allegedly been using their knowledge of law and procedures to frustrate the trial of the former governor in the criminal charges against him.

The EFCC counsel, who claimed to have spent 38 years as a lawyer and 19 years as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, told Justice Nwite that he has never seen, in his 38 years of practice, where lawyers, as officers of the court, would deliberately denigrate the same court.

In response, Adedipe, who took time to defend himself in the matter, applied to withdraw from appearing further for the former governor in the trial.
Moscow has effectively dismantled and largely taken over the Wagner Group and its African operations, once led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, in the year since the mercenaries launched a mutiny against President Vladimir Putins government, according to experts.

For years, the Kremlin worked through the paramilitary group to covertly prop up authoritarian leaders, exploit natural resources, and fight extremists in a number of African countries, including Libya, Sudan, Mali, and Burkina Faso. But in the wake of the short-lived mutiny in June 2023, led by the Wagner group, a shadowy web of political advisers, entrepreneurs, and mercenaries, Moscow has largely taken over its African operations.

Since Prigozhins demise in a plane crash, Russia has reportedly been carving up Wagners assets and redistributing them to branches of the Kremlin. According to interviews with a dozen intelligence officials, diplomats and military from Russia, Ukraine, and Western countries, the Russian Ministry of Defense has taken control of Wagners mercenary arm in Africa and placed it under a bigger umbrella group, Africa Corp.

The Wagner Group was incredibly important geopolitically and economically to Russia, so it was never going to disappear as some people suggested, says Sorcha MacLeod, a member of the UNs working group on mercenaries and lecturer at the University of Copenhagen. Experts say Wagners operations in Africa have been subsumed by other Russian state and paramilitary units, allegedly with the only exception being the Central African Republic (CAR) where Wagner is still operating in any shadow of its former shape, allegedly controlled by Prigozhins son Pavel. Following Prigozhins death, a senior Russian defense official reportedly toured African capitals, assuring officials that the services provided by the group would not dissipate.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday (26 June) convicted an al-Qaida-linked jihadist who was accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during Islamist militants one-year rule over Malis Timbuktu in 2012.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was found guilty of playing a key role in a reign of terror unleashed by insurgents on the historic desert city in northern Mali, once dubbed the Pearl of the Desert.

In 2012, a coalition of Islamic extremists occupied the ancient city of Timbuktu in the Saharan desert. They imposed a brutal regime, murdering and raping those they considered to be non-believers and destroying centuries-old holy sites that they saw as blasphemous.

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague accuse Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, who was arrested in 2018, of being one of those extremists and even a leading figure among them. They say he was a key member of Ansar Dine (Defenders of the Faith), a militant group that ruled northern Mali between April 2012 and January 2013.

He will be sentenced at a later date, but for the crimes he is convicted of he could be awarded life imprisonment. The charges brought against him by the ICC, which started the Timbuktu war crimes trial on Tuesday, included torture, persecution, rape, enforced marriages, and sexual slavery  with his crimes against women particularly marked  as well as destroying religious and historic buildings, and brutally imposing bans on music, dance, art and sport.

Prosecutors say Al Hassan was a key member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group with links to al-Qaida that took over Timbuktu in early 2012 and held it for almost a year. The former Islamist leader is also accused of personally overseeing floggings and amputations, including cutting peoples hands off for petty thefts, while he served as de facto chief of the Islamic police during Ansar Dines reign over Timbuktu.

At the beginning of his trial, the ICCs chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told the court: Today marks the beginning of the long-awaited trial of the unimaginable crimes which have been committed in Mali.

Al Hassan was directly involved in the violence and torture inflicted on the men, the women and the children of Timbuktu. He worked in the heart of a repressive, persecuting system, she said.

Al Hassan is the second Islamist to go on trial in The Hague in relation to war crimes connected with Timbuktu. In 2016, the ICC sentenced former Ansar Dine leader Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi to nine years imprisonment after he admitted to destroying historic shrines in the city.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant against the leader of Ansar Eddine, terrorist Iyad Ag Ghaly and urged states to cooperate to bring him before justice, in a clear allusion to Algeria.

Ghaly is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in northern Mali.

A Tuareg descendant of the Ifoghah tribe, Ag Ghaly was notorious for leading Ansar Eddine, which once had control of Timbuktu, jointly with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

Mali had previously openly accused Algeria of acting in connivance with Tuareg extremists such as Iyad Ag Ghali.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday (26 June) rejected to sign a controversial finance bill into law after peaceful protests turned deadly when protesters stormed parliament and scores of people were shot dead.

A day after what was the biggest and most direct assault on Kenyas government in decades, the president now says the bill caused widespread dissatisfaction and he has listened and conceded. The violent protests that shook the nation and turned deadly amount to a major setback for Ruto, who came to power vowing to help Kenyans cope with rising costs. Instead, he has seen much of the country, led by the so-called Generation Z, unite in opposition to his latest attempt at economic reforms. The proposed bill was meant to allow Rutos government to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill caused more economic pain as millions struggle to get by.

The people have spoken, Ruto said in a press conference. It is necessary for us to have a conversation as a nation on how to manage the affairs of the country together.

Since his U-turn, speculations have swirled about what changed Rutos mind, with some experts suggesting that Western pressure likely forced the Kenyan president to backtrack after deadly violence. Since his election in 2022, Ruto has drawn close to Western powers, and to the US in particular, Ruto has emerged as the most viable East African leader to back.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press release that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken talked with the Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday and thanked him for taking steps to reduce tensions and pledging to engage in dialogue with the protestors and civil society.

The Secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses. The Secretary also welcomed President Rutos commitment to Kenyans constitutionally-endowed rights, including peaceful assembly and due process for those detained.

Even as cloud hangs over his credibility, as experts point out, I dont believe it is genuine, I think he is just buying time, says Willis Okumu, a senior researcher with Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
The U.S. government has denounced the harassment and prosecution endured by religious minorities in Algeria, which continues to be included in the U.S. special Watch List of countries engaging or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.

In its latest annual report on international religious freedom, the U.S. State Department said Algerian authorities prosecuted last year individuals for offenses related to their religious identity or the practice of their beliefs. The Algerian regime also continued to prevent religious minorities from establishing houses of worship and forcibly closed dozens of Protestant churches, said the report.

In 2023, several Ahmadi Muslims in Algeria faced charges ranging from blasphemy to illegal fundraising. Christians also suffered from restrictions and religious intolerance, added the report, citing cases of abuses involving violence, detention, mass resettlement, discrimination and violation of freedom of religious belief and expression.

In November, an Algerian court sentenced five members of the Tizi Ghenif church to three years in prison and a fine for unauthorized worship and producing religious materials for distribution.

In October, the same court sentenced Pastor Allahoum of the Ouacif church to two months in prison and a fine for opening a place of worship without authorization. Both cases were pending appeal.

Leaders of the Protestant Church of Algeria (EPA) said that six EPA-affiliated churches closed following either direct orders from the government or a decision by church leaders due to significant pressure from authorities. Only three EPA-affiliated churches remained open at the end of the year.

Some Christian leaders and congregants affirmed that non-Muslims faced social pressure for practicing a non-Muslim faith. Some local media outlets occasionally criticized Ahmadi Islam as sects or deviations from Islam.

Advancing the freedom of religion or belief has been a core objective of U.S. foreign policy ever since Congress passed and enacted the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998.

The U.S. administration stresses the urgent need to end the abuses of religious minority communities, respect their rights and places of worship.
Village officials in central Laos on Saturday (June 22) arrested a pastor and five other Christians as they prayed in preparation for worship services the next day, according to a rights watchdog.

Tahae village authorities arrested the church leader, identified only as Pastor Mum, and the other Christians in Tahae village, Xaibouathong District, Khammouane Province, according to Sirikoon Prasertsee, director of Human Rights Watcher for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF).

The arrests took place on Saturday at Mr. Mums home while they were meeting for prayer in preparation for Sunday morning worship on the following day, Prasertsee said. They are currently being imprisoned in Xaibouathong District prison.

She identified the other five Lao Christians as Liang, a 40-year-old man; Pa, a 24-year-old man; Laen, a 50-year-old woman; Lan, a 23-year-old woman; and Khoon, a 28-year-old woman.

After Pastor Mum put his faith in Christ in 2019 upon experiencing Gods healing, he established a church that worshipped freely in his home until a new village chief, identified only as Lang, took office in May, she said.

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Others in Tahae village and nearby villages also have exercised their right to religious freedom to accept the Christian faith, Prasertsee said. The new main village chief was appointed to govern Tahae village, and the crackdown on Christian freedom and practices became severe that led to the arrest of Mr. Mum and five Lao believers.

Village chief Lang made the arrests along with deputy village chief Khampune, deputy village chief Ang and three security officials identified only as Bounma, Jit and Kam, she said.

Article 30 of the Lao Constitution recognizes the right and freedom of Lao citizens to believe or not to believe in religion, she noted.

The U.S. Department of States 2023 report on international religious freedom, released on Wednesday (June 26), states that religious leaders in Laos asserted that even though authorities in urban areas and in some districts had a strong understanding of laws governing religious activities, improper restrictions on religious freedom remained prevalent in rural areas.

Reports continued of local authorities, especially in isolated villages, discriminating against and sometimes expelling followers of minority religious groups, particularly Christians, for refusing to renounce their faith, the report states.

Lao Evangelical Church leaders said local authorities pressured 79 Christian families from Xaybuathong, Yommalath and Bualapha districts in Khammouane Province to sign documents renouncing their faith last year, according to the State Department report.

In October, Sa Mouay District officials reportedly forced eight or more families from three villages and destroyed their homes following their conversion to Christianity, the report states.

In September and October, local officials in rural areas in Sa Mouay District, Salavan Province, reportedly destroyed homes of Christian converts across four villages, forcing families to leave, the report states. According to sources, officials offered land to some of the families for rebuilding homes in one village but without other compensation.

Of Laos population of 7.9 million people, 64.7 percent are Buddhists, 1.7 percent Christian and 31.4 percent report having no religion, a category that includes those with animist beliefs who do not fit into other categories), according to the 2015 census. The remaining 2.2 percent belonged to other religious groups or did not state an answer, according to the State Department report.
US Sen, J. D. Vance, (R-OH) addresses the conservative Turning Point Peoples Convention on June 16, 2024 at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan. Photo: Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

Editors Note: This story has been updated to reflect the news that Donald Trump selected J.D. Vance to be his running mate on Monday.

When Hillbilly Elegy came out in 2016, author J.D. Vance cut a unique figure, attractive to liberals and conservatives alike. The best-selling book traced his ascent from a dysfunctional family in Kentucky and Ohio to Yale Law, and suddenly Vance was everywhere. He warned of a white working class in crisis and bemoaned the rise of Donald Trump, though his explanations were always limited in scope. During this election season, it appears that many Americans have reached for a new pain reliever, he wrote in a piece for The Atlantic. It enters minds, not through lungs or veins, but through eyes and ears, and its name is Donald Trump. To him, Trump was a symptom primarily of cultural crisis, not racial resentment.

Vance sounds quite different now, at least on the surface. Soon after Trump was elected, he began to grovel and was repaid with a Trump endorsement that helped make him a Republican senator from Ohio. Today he is Trumps running mate. What happened, exactly? I dont know why or how, but Vance became not a voice for the voiceless but an echo of the loudmouth, wrote the conservative pundit Mona Charen in a 2021 piece for the Bulwark, adding that the Republican base is so warped that ambitious men feel the need to sink into the sewer in search of political success. Charen doesnt get it: Vance has always been a sewer creature.

Unlike Charen, I read Hillbilly Elegy in 2016 and promptly loathed its author. I grew up in Appalachia, a region he attempts to diagnose, and his act repulsed me; it was fraudulent and reactionary all at once. Since then he has changed his mind about Trump, but I dont think he has fundamentally changed his perspective on the world. If Im right, then what weve seen from Vance is not some wholesale transformation but the work of a shapeshifter without peer. He changes form, but not substance. He adapts to fill whatever space hes in because thats what it takes to win power. That shouldnt surprise anyone who read Hillbilly Elegy.

In a scene that sticks with me even now, Vance attends a fancy dinner at Yale where he is entirely out of his element. He orders a white wine, and when a server asks him if hed prefer sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay, he thinks shes screwing with him. Later he asks for sparkling water, which he claims he has never consumed, and spits it out. Then there are eating utensils, a bewildering number of them. Why, I wondered, did I need three spoons? he writes. He excuses himself, calls his worldlier girlfriend, Usha, for advice, and she tells him to start with the outside utensils and work his way in. Thus educated, he performs well for the rest of the dinner and even lands a job offer at a law firm. He is, after all, at Yale. The interviews were about passing a social test  a test of belonging, of holding your own in a corporate boardroom, of making connections with potential future clients, he concludes.

Vance was somewhat correct here, and again when he observes that he has been playing a rigged game. Successful people dont flood the job market with resumes, hoping that some employer will grace them with an interview, he wrote. They network.

When a person first confronts the realities of elite power, they have a decision to make. Play along or burn it down. Vance has always played along with whoever can offer him the most power. He was never a voice for the voiceless, as Charen once called him; with his book, he sold out the working poor for prestige. Hillbilly Elegy traded in old stereotypes about poverty and Appalachia and fed them to elites with resounding success. When Appalachians object to a 2009 ABC News segment on a supposed epidemic of Mountain Dew mouth in the regions children, Vance criticizes them. Hillbillies, he argues, tend to overstate and to understate, to glorify the good and ignore the bad in ourselves. In his familys Kentucky hometown, the people are hardworking, except of course for the many food stamp recipients who show little interest in honest work, he complains. After a pharmacy clerk forbade his uncle from playing with a toy, Vances grandparents entered the store and threw merchandise around while his grandmother screamed, Kick his fucking ass! He may be telling the truth about his family, but the rest of his story is a lie. Appalachia wasnt impoverished by cultural decline or personal choices but by capitalist extraction and government austerity. He says nothing useful about the region, whose residents defy caricature if you know or care for them at all.

Whatever concern Vance feels for the poor and working class is laced through with disdain. Take the retail job that turned him into an amateur sociologist, he writes. I also learned how people gamed the welfare system, he claims. Theyd sell the groceries they bought with food stamps, he claimed. Some went through his checkout line while talking on their cell phones  the audacity! I could never understand why our lives felt like a struggle while those living off of government largesse enjoyed trinkets that I only dreamed about, he writes.

In Hillbilly Elegy, he praises Charles Murray, infamous for his spurious theories about racial differences in IQ. Murrays seminal book, Losing Ground, was simply another book about Black folks that could have been written about hillbillies  which addressed the way our government encouraged social decay through the welfare state, Vance writes, mingling Murrays anti-Black junk science with his own skepticism of government aid. Elites gobbled it up because he flattered and affirmed them, told them everything they wanted to hear about the masses at their door. Lifted up by a few years in the Marines and by the Ivy League, to say nothing of his own ambition, Vance had become one of them.

Its easy to write Vance off as a cynic who only believes in himself. According to this view, he transformed himself in pursuit of power. Vance is a striver, true. That is evident in Hillbilly Elegy. Hes also a person of real conviction. That is evident in Hillbilly Elegy, too. The book is deeply political. In it, he imagines a different and more orderly America, where the church can teach lessons of Christian love, family and purpose. He asks hillbillies if they are tough enough to admit their behavior harms their children. Vance believes he has the moral authority to offer such lessons. He writes that he escaped the worst of my cultures inheritance. To what end?

Though Vance was never a liberal, hes soured on liberalism  and liberal democracy  since his public ascent in 2016. (Theres an irony to that, given the books initial appeal to liberal audiences and its embrace by Hollywood.) These days he promotes election denial and called for a Washington Post editor to be investigated for comparing Trump to a dictator. The professors are the enemy, he said in a speech to the National Conservatism Conference in 2021. Months later he told Vanity Fair that Trump, if re-elected, should fire every civil servant in the administrative state and replace them with our people.

In a more recent interview with Ross Douthat, he said, The thing that I kept thinking about liberalism in 2019 and 2020 is that these guys have all read Carl Schmitt  theres no law, theres just power. And the goal here is to get back in power. As proof, he cited the sexual-assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, for whom his wife clerked, and the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted after the murder of George Floyd. Vance probably overstates the influence of Schmitt, an antisemitic political theorist who joined the Nazi Party, on liberal Americans. His defense of Kavanaugh and his implied criticisms of Black Lives Matter show a similar tendency at work. Kavanaugh is now a Supreme Court justice. The George Floyd protests are over, and nobody defunded the police. If this is how liberals bid for power, its not working. Whats to fear? Yet to Vance, the very act of outcry is intolerable. He is an authoritarian to his core.

When he broke with elites, he only broke with liberalism; his anti-democratic friends on the right are no less rarefied. He has only shocked the gullible. To them, he once seemed like a real working-class mouthpiece. But hes been something else all along, something equally authentic: an aspiring despot.
A few Trump endorsees lost primaries, but one of his prize extremist protegees, Lauren Boebert, won easily. Photo: AAron Ontivero/Denver Post/Getty Images

Elections Dailys Eric Cunningham summed up a lot of the sentiment about the primary elections on June 25 with the headline Revenge of the Moderates. He explained:

The death of centrism may [be] greatly exaggerated. In last nights primaries across Colorado, New York, South Carolina, and Utah, voters from both parties revolted against extremist candidates on both sides of the aisle in favor of moderate candidates.

Thats a bit of a startling assertion, given the generally polarized tenor of the 2024 election cycle, so its worth examining. The marquee contest of the night, and the most expensive U.S. House primary ever, was in New York, where Democratic congressman Jamaal Bowman lost decisively to Westchester County executive George Latimer. Yes, Bowman was a prominent member of the Squad, and indeed, Latimers campaign criticized him for inadequate party loyalty. But the overriding issue in this contest wasnt progressive versus moderate ideology in general, but Bowmans outspoken hostility to Israel, or, as he once called it, the settler colonialist project. He was a clumsy politician grotesquely ill suited for a district with a sizable Jewish Democratic voting population that was easy to mobilize to oust him. The pro-Israel lobbying organization AIPAC saw an opening, and the super-PAC aligned with it spent massively  almost redundantly  to gain the win. There was nothing especially moderate about Bowmans predictable defenestration.

Meanwhile, after 255 Republican primary endorsements in 2024, Trump finally had some losers: three, to be precise. One was in a Senate race in Utah, long a bastion of Trump-skeptic if not exactly moderate Republicans. The champion of that conservative if not MAGA tribe in the Beehive State, Mitt Romney, is retiring from the Senate this year, and he backed Representative John Curtis, who unlike Romney has endorsed the 45th presidents 2024 bid. But Trump endorsed (and the MAGA-dominated state party backed) suburban mayor Trent Staggs for the Senate seat, and as expected, he lost to Curtis.

Even less surprisingly, Trump endorsee Mark Burns narrowly lost a congressional primary in South Carolina to conservative activist Sheri Biggs, who was backed by Trump buddy Governor Henry McMaster and other key state officials. Burns is a flamboyant televangelist who earned Trumps endorsement by backing him early in 2016, when Black MAGA figures were few and far between. Burns has sparked some controversy in the past for questionable biographic claims and shaky campaign-financing practices. He only won a third of the vote in the first round of primary balloting (on a day when Trump endorsees won two other highly competitive congressional primaries in the Palmetto State). So Biggs winning wasnt a shocker, particularly since her campaign website describes her as a Conservative Christian, Pro-Life, Pro-Second Amendment, Pro-Trump Republican.

The most decisive loss of a Trump endorsee occurred in Colorado, where highly controversial state party chair Dave Williams was trounced by conservative activist and commentator Jeff Crank in a primary for an open Republican-held U.S. House seat. But Williamss radioactive status was his own doing, not Trumps, as Colorado Politics recently explained:

A move to fire Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dave Williams following the state GOPs attacks on Pride Month gained steam Monday as a dozen county Republican parties added their names to a list of petitioners calling on state party officials to force Williams from office 

Williams, a candidate in this months primary for the El Paso County-based seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, told Colorado Politics he relishes the chance to defend the state partys recent messages targeting the LGBTQ community, including a mass email titled God Hates Pride and a call for supporters to burn all the Pride flags.

Williams also infuriated many local Republicans by pushing the state party to make a host of primary endorsements, abandoning its traditions of neutrality in such contests. His vanquisher Crank calls himself a conservative fighter and was endorsed by Trump crony and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and by the PAC of the extremist anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. A moderate he is not.

Meanwhile, in the same state, a Trump endorsee whose conservative extremism is unimpeachable, Lauren Boebert, easily defeated a host of rivals after carpetbagging her way into a safer Republican district than the one she has represented for the past four years.

All in all, Trump didnt have a good night, but his mastery of the GOP should not be questioned, and the Republican politicians who defeated his endorsees are all putting themselves into the MAGA-party harness for November. As for the Squad, two other members (Cori Bush of Missouri and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota) are still facing tough primary challenges  with AIPAC playing heavily in both races  but any struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party is definitely playing second fiddle to the unified effort to give Biden another term. No matter what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan fatuously say about a Democratic-Republican uniparty, Team Polarization is the reigning champ of U.S. politics for the foreseeable future.
Photo: Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

In 2021 and 2022, two sets of families of the 20 children murdered during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting won separate defamation suits against Alex Jones. The founder of Infowars had spent the better part of a decade lying about these families: saying they were actors, that the shooting was faked, that there was a massive government cover-up. The lies spurred his followers to harass and threaten the surviving Sandy Hook family members as they grieved for their 6- and 7-year-old children. (It was only when Jones was under oath that he admitted he knew the shootings werent staged.) The two cases ultimately ended up awarding about $1.5 billion in damages to the families, more money than either Jones or any of his companies has ever had on hand. (He had been spending lavishly on himself but has not paid out anything to the families.) The surviving families have been split on what is the best way to hold Jones accountable for his lies: shut down Infowars or keep it alive and garnish the money he makes from broadcasting.

On Thursday morning, a judge in a Texas federal bankruptcy case took one step closer to shutting it down.

At issue is what to do with the sites parent company, Free Speech Systems, and who should end up owning it after Jones filed for bankruptcy protection. One group  called the Connecticut families for where they filed their suit  wants the company to go into bankruptcy and then be sold off by a court-appointed trustee. Its a solution that was supported by the bankruptcy trustee, and would end Infowars but wouldnt necessarily stop Jones from taking his rants elsewhere. A group of families who filed suit in Texas wants to go another route: take control of his companys assets and sell them off. In this scenario, Infowars and Jones could still broadcast, but the deal could increase how much the families get paid, at least in the short term. It is, in an ironic twist, a position that was supported by Jones himself. The reality is that both scenarios come up against the same problem  that no matter what happens in court, Jones is unlikely to shut up.

The conflict spilled out into the open earlier this month. On June 14, the judge in the Houston federal bankruptcy court case was asked to consider which of the two families plans it should consider regarding Infowars parent company, FSS. The standard isnt what is the worst possible thing to do to Alex Jones to make him suffer, said Avi Moshenberg, an attorney for the Texas families, according to a transcript of the proceeding. The standard is, What is in the best interest of the creditors? All the evidence points to one answer; its to let FSS continue as an ongoing concern so that the creditors can collect.

Judge Christopher M. Lopez appeared to agree. The federal court removed InfoWars from bankruptcy last week. Moshenberg, who represents one of the families, then asked a state court to transfer all of FSS assets  including cash, ownership of the website, and Joness personal holdings  into his clients account. The Connecticut families then sought to stop the order and place the company back in bankruptcy, which, they argued, would make for a more equitable distribution of his assets. In a filing, the Connecticut families quoted the bankruptcy trustee in calling the Texas families move a value-destructive money-grab, and warned that these actions, if allowed to continue, would have substantial  if not disastrous  impacts.

During a Thursday hearing, Judge Lopez rebuked lawyers for the Texas families for going to the state court and questioned whether they had misled the state court in order to gain control over Joness assets. Im aware that there was an order by the state court. In my view, it conflicts with my order, so you are not to turn over the bank accounts, he told a lawyer for the Texas families. I dont think the state court was actually informed, at all, of these issues. Lopez stayed the state court ruling, and added that he would amend his previous order so there was no ambiguity around putting FSS into Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

While Lopezs comments on Thursday clearly broke in favor of the Connecticut families, its not clear what the long-term impact will be on Jones. Attorneys for both sides have said that their ultimate goals are complicated by Joness First Amendment rights. Jones has resisted any settlement agreements that would limit his ability to talk about Sandy Hook, according to one person familiar with the discussions. And even if Infowars is shut down, there would be nothing, in theory, stopping him from being hired by another company to continue some version of his show  then make it harder for the families to collect on his earnings.

The Connecticut families have always sought a fair and equitable distribution of Free Speech Systems assets for all of the families, and todays decision sets us back on that path, says Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Connecticut families. We are pleased that the bankruptcy court instructed the Chapter 7 Trustee not to turn over FSS property or bank accounts to any party at this time.

Despite the court order, Jones still appears to be broadcasting through Infowars. In a post on X, he even acknowledged how difficult it would be for the Sandy Hook families to ever keep him from talking. Infowars is only this building, and equipment, and our great crew. They can go anywhere. I can work anywhere. Theyre not shutting anything down. Its all just a big, giant tug-of-war trying to close down this facility, which they see as some victory to mount our head on the wall, he said in a video. Infowars is hard to kill. And Im hard to shut down.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

Donald Trumps legal troubles seemed certain to derail the 2024 election cycle at first glance. He would be walking into a presidential campaign having been indicted in four different cases with charges ranging from business fraud to obstruction of justice to racketeering. But while Trump has racked up several substantial losses recently, including being convicted on 34 counts in his hush-money trial, the most serious charges against him are on hold for the foreseeable future.

The federal governments January 6 case, headed by special counsel Jack Smith, has been delayed indefinitely as the Supreme Court mulls Trumps presidential-immunity argument. Smiths classified-docs case against Trump has also been taken off the court calendar with no new start date in sight. And Fani Williss Georgia election-interference case is also stalled as an appeals court is set to decide whether the Fulton County district attorney is disqualified from overseeing the case. Will any of the other criminal cases reach a courtroom before Novembers election? Heres where things currently stand with Trumps many trials:

January 6 and the 2020 Election Aftermath Case type: Criminal

Where: U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Prosecutor: Jack Smith, DOJ special counsel

Status: On hold In the single weightiest case he faces, Trump was indicted on August 1 for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the attack on the Capitol. Though Trumps legal team pushed for a 2026 trial and Smith had requested that proceedings begin just after the New Year, Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered a trial start date of March 4, 2024. But the trial has been taken off the court calendar entirely in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on Trumps argument that he should have immunity for actions that took place while he was president. The court officially issued its 6-3 ruling on July 1st, finding that current and former presidents cannot be prosecuted for official acts taken while in office. The decision leaves Chutkan in the position to determine which parts of the indictment qualify as unofficial acts, something that will likely delay the trial even further.

Classified Documents at Mar-a-Lago Case type: Criminal

Where: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

Prosecutor: Jack Smith, DOJ special counsel

Status: Dismissed A year after the FBI recovered dozens of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago, Trump was hit with the first-ever federal indictment of a former president in June 2023. He was charged with 37 counts, including willful retention of national defense information and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Then in July 2023, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment that included an additional three charges against Trump and alleged that he plotted with two employees to destroy incriminating security-camera footage. The case was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, whose handling of the trial has prompted questions among legal experts. She delayed the original May start date of the trial by taking a leisurely pace with addressing pretrial motions and issues, a boon to Trump, who has sought to put off the case until after the election. On July 15, Cannon dismissed the case, ruling that Smiths appointment was unconstitutional just weeks after Justice Clarence Thomas raised a similar argument as part of his concurrence in the Supreme Courts Trump immunity ruling. Smith has the ability to appeal Cannons ruling, but the chance of a trial in this matter occurring before the November election now seems slim at best.

Election Tampering in Georgia Case type: Criminal

Where: Fulton County, Georgia

Prosecutor: Fani Willis, Fulton County district attorney

Status: On hold with no set start date A grand jury indicted Trump and 18 other defendants under the states Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act on August 14, 2023, following a two-year investigation into election interference by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis. The defendants, which include members of Trumps inner circle like Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, and Sidney Powell, are alleged to have taken part in a criminal conspiracy to change the outcome of the 2020 election. In addition to violations of the states RICO act, the defendants face numerous charges, including forgery and criminal attempt to commit influencing witnesses. But the trial, which was anticipated to begin this year, was derailed following the revelation that Willis had a past romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a prosecutor on her team. Willis was allowed to remain on the case after a grueling hearing, but Trumps legal team has appealed that decision, pausing the proceedings indefinitely.

Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case type: Criminal

Where: New York County

Prosecutor: Alvin Bragg, Manhattan district attorney

Status: Trump was convicted on all 34 felony counts on May 31. His sentencing is scheduled for July 11. On March 30, 2023, a grand jury voted to indict Trump, making him the first former president to face criminal charges. Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer, had paid $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from sharing her story about an alleged past affair with Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. Cohen has maintained that his former boss directed him to make the payoff, reimbursed him in a series of payments for the cost, and cooked the Trump Organizations books to cover it up. Trump surrendered in Manhattan and was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree over how the payments to Cohen were recorded by the Trump Organization. The trial began this year on April 15 and lasted six weeks, featuring testimony from Cohen, Daniels, and exNational Enquirer publisher David Pecker. On May 31, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all counts in a historic verdict. He was set to be sentenced on July 11, but Trump has asked Judge Juan Merchan to consider the Supreme Courts recent immunity decision in the matter. The Manhattan district attorney did not oppose Trumps motion to delay sentencing, likely pushing the hearing back by at least two weeks.

Business Fraud in New York Case type: Civil

Where: New York County

Prosecutor: Letitia James, New York attorney general

Status: Trump was found liable for business fraud and ordered to pay $454 million in February 2024. In September 2022, New York attorney general Letitia James filed a lawsuit against Trump alleging that he had committed fraud by misrepresenting his net worth and the valuations of several of his properties as a means to deceive banks and lenders. The suit named three of Trumps adult children  Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric  as well as the Trump Organization, though Ivanka was later dropped from the suit. James initially sought $250 million and to permanently bar the Trumps from operating a business in New York State. After finding Trump, his sons, and several Trump Organization execs liable for fraud in 2023, Judge Arthur Engoron handed down a $454 million judgment on Trump on February 16 and barred him from running his company for three years. In April, Trump posted his $175 million bond as he waits for a hearing on his appeal.

E. Jean Carroll Case type: Civil

Where: New York Supreme Court

Attorney: Roberta Kaplan

Status: Trump was found liable for battery and defamation in May 2023 and was found liable in a second defamation trial in January 2024. In a 2019 New York cover story, writer E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. After Trump accused her of lying, Carroll, represented by Roberta Kaplan, sued him for defamation. Then she sued for damages over the alleged assault, taking advantage of a recent New York law that extends the statute of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse. The trial began in April 2023, and on May 9, a jury ruled that Trump was liable for sexual assault and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. A second defamation trial began in federal court in New York on January 15, 2024, and lasted a week, with Carroll testifying that Trump destroyed her reputation after she accused him of assault. A jury found Trump liable for defamation after three hours of deliberation, ordering him to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages. Trump and his legal team have vowed to appeal both verdicts.

This post has been updated.
One of Bells favorite ties comes from Drakes, the king of downtown New York menswear brands. Drakes is a classic option for tasteful, unique ties, all of which are handmade in London. It offers everything from your standard stripes and dots to complex paisley prints, and you can get them in silk, wool, or cashmere, says Bell. Straddled somewhere between modern and classic, the designs feel like a nod to trends while still looking like something youll want to wear for decades to come.

[Editors note: This exact tie is currently out of stock, but the brown colorway is still available for the same price, and you can browse all Drakes ties here.]
Canadas oil output is booming as producers ramp up projects and extraction amid expanded market access and narrowing discounts of the Canadian heavy crude to the U.S. benchmark.

The Trans Mountain Expansion Project, now finally completed and operational after years of delays, is changing the fortunes of the oil sands producers in Alberta, giving them access to markets in Asia and the U.S. West Coast.

Constrained for years due to insufficient egress, Canadas oil now has nearly 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of additional market access. The expanded Trans Mountain pipeline is tripling the capacity of the original pipeline to 890,000 bpd from 300,000 bpd to carry crude from Albertas oil sands to British Columbia on the Pacific Coast.

And producers are taking advantage of this. They began ramping up production at the end of last year in anticipation of the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) start in the first half of this year. Canadian oil firms now get more bang for their buck as the discount of Western Canada Select (WCS), the benchmark for Canadian heavy crude sold at Hardisty in Alberta, has narrowed relative to the U.S. crude oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) in recent weeks.

Moreover, the production increases in the oil sands are the result of the expansion of operational projects with existing infrastructure, so the capital expenditure  which is very high for this type of crude extraction  has been lower than for building projects from scratch.

The rise in Canadas oil sands output, mostly thanks to the Trans Mountain Expansion, is making the country one of the top non-OPEC+ contributors to growing global supply this year, alongside the United States, Guyana, and Brazil.

Some analysts even forecast that Canada could be the single largest source of oil supply growth, ahead of the U.S. or Guyana.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Canada could be the largest source of increased oil supply across the globe in 2024, Marc Ercolao, economist at TD Economics, wrote in a report earlier this year.

This year, output growth in Canada could be 300,000 bpd 500,000 bpd, putting the nation in the running to be the largest source of global oil supply growth, Ercolao said.

Related: Novatek Proceeds With Arctic LNG 2 Despite New Sanctions on Russia

Global oil supply growth estimates vary based on differing projections from forecasters and agencies, but Canadian oil could account for 2567% of incremental supply in 2024, the economist noted.

Canada should be able to capitalize on higher prices paid for our oil as well as the forthcoming ability to get Western oil reaching international markets, Ercolao added.

Increased Egress, Higher Prices

TMX is set to boost the price of Canadas heavy crude oil for years to come, top executives at the major energy firms say.

In 2023, WCS was valued at an average of US$17.90 per barrel less than WTI. Early in 2024, that discount had widened to about US$18.50 per barrel before narrowing to less than US$13 per barrel in early April 2024, just before TMX entered in service, data from Canada Energy Regulator (CER) showed.

Crude oil production has been growing in western Canada, with Alberta hitting record-high production of 4.53 million bpd in December 2023. TMX is set to increase total western Canadian crude oil export pipeline capacity by 13%, helping to relieve capacity constraints on export pipelines, the regulator noted last month.

Overall, the capacity of the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline will represent 17% of the total pipeline export capacity available to Canadian crude oil shippers, CER said.

While the biggest Canadian oil producers reported a mixed bag of Q1 earnings this spring, all of them expect TMX to boost Canadas oil prices and to be a major asset for the industry for years to come.

Drew Zieglgansberger, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Cenovus Energy, said, Were pretty excited on behalf of the industry and Canada to have another great asset available to us.

Oil Sands Firms Outperform U.S. Shale Producers

Investors have welcomed the renewed optimism in the industry and the higher returns to shareholders Canadian producers have started to offer.

The four largest oil sands producers in Canada have seen their stocks gain 37% in the past 12 months, while the index of the biggest U.S. oil and gas firms has trailed this average gain by 19 percentage points, according to data compiled by The Wall Street Journal.

While oil-sands projects are more capital-intensive and need years to start-up, they can pump crude for years and decades, unlike the shale formations in the U.S.

Oil sands are costly to produce, but theres no shortage of the resource, Wells Fargo equity analyst Roger Read told the Journal.

Things are looking up for Canadian producers, at least in the near to medium term. And Firms have started to reward shareholders.

Canadian Natural Resources, for example, said in its Q1 earnings release last month that Commencing in 2024, we are returning 100% of free cash flow to shareholders, as per our free cash flow allocation policy, and continue to manage the allocation on a forward-looking annual basis.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Preservationists are accusing government agencies in Azerbaijan of architectural vandalism as the capital, Baku, prepares to host the annual United Nations climate conference.

The UN conclave of environmentalists will convene in Baku in November. Azerbaijani authorities are already hard at work sprucing up the host city. But according to local architects and others, their methods to improve the citys look are doing more harm than good.

A torrent of criticism has circulated on social media. One Baku-based architect Abdul Huseynov voiced alarm on Facebook in mid-June about touch ups to an historic building in the city center, writing that a water-based primer intended for coating wall and ceiling, concrete and brick plastered surfaces is being used to cover stone cornices and column capitals  which is unacceptable!

Another architect, Dilgam Ismayilov, called out government agencies and the Baku Maintenance Service, a company that has long gained contracts to carry out major renovation projects in the capital, alleging that up to 200 buildings in Baku have been restored using improper techniques and materials.

Enough already! he wrote in one post. Will someone put an end to this? This [the latest makeover] is directly hostile to this city, this citys history.

Baku Maintenance Service representatives issued a statement defending the companys work, calling the social media criticism groundless.

Meanwhile, officials have heard the criticism and reacted  to a point. The chief of Bakus municipal Architecture and Urban Planning Department, Riad Gasimov, announced some renovations have been paused and that that the Baku Maintenance Service has started washing off treatments to some building facades.

Ismayilov contends that a larger problem with the COP29 prep-work is that there is no systematic plan to guide government repairs and renovations. He also complained that officials did not give experts, or the general public, an opportunity to offer input.

If the protection of our city is of concern to these [government] institutions, they should organize a commission that is open to the public, and that commission should be made up of people who love the city and experts, not those who make decisions in their offices, Ismayilov wrote. Bakus image continues to be lost. Well, at least the Presidents Administration, which oversees these institutions, should know that what these people are doing is not showing off the country well in front of the guests coming to COP29.

This is not the first controversy connected to methods used to update the citys visual appeal before it hosts a major international event. Before the 2015 European Games, officials authorized work to resurface Soviet-era buildings with polymeric foam, a highly flammable material. A fire at one apartment building later resulted in 15 deaths and dozens more injuries, prompting President Ilham Aliyev to subsequently order the removal of the flammable materials from renovated buildings.

In addition to public grumbling about renovation work, grievances are percolating among some Baku residents over the issue of vanishing green space.

In addition, a protest in Baku marking the first anniversary of the June 2023 violent police crackdown on environmental protesters in the village of Soyudlu, located in the western district of Gadabay, prompted a swift response from security forces. On June 21, police raided the home of labor rights activist Sara Rahimova, accusing her of posting fliers containing the slogans "#JusticeSoyudlu" and "#FuckCOP29" in public areas in Baku. The Feminist Peace Collective, a South Caucasus-based initiative, issued a statement saying Rahimovas act was designed to remind the cries of a community oppressed and ravaged by the insidious forces of capitalist extractivism and authoritarian rule.

Official preparations for COP29 also have a political dimension. The countrys largely rubber-stamp parliament has appealed to President Aliyev to call snap elections, citing COP29. The election was supposed to be held in the fall. By moving the election forward, it wont conflict with the climate conference. It would be the second snap election this year in Azerbaijan, after Aliyev won 92 percent of the vote in an early presidential vote in February.

By Eurasianet.org

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In a significant development for Argentina's energy sector, the country's first ultra-deepwater exploration well, Argerich-1, has been declared dry. Drilled by Norway's Equinor at the CAN-100 block in the Argentina Norte basin, approximately 300km off the coast of Buenos Aires province, this pioneering project did not yield the anticipated hydrocarbons.

The Argerich-1 well, a collaboration between Equinor, state-controlled YPF (35%), and Shell (30%), aimed to tap into Argentina's offshore hydrocarbon potential. Despite extensive drilling efforts, Equinor confirmed that no clear signs of hydrocarbons were detected. "Although we have been able to confirm the geological model, no clear signs of hydrocarbons have been found, so the well is considered dry," Equinor stated following reports by local media outlet EconoJournal.

This setback comes after previous offshore exploration attempts in Argentina's shallower waters, such as the Colorado basin, saw limited success. Historically, Argentina's offshore hydrocarbons have been predominantly extracted from the Austral basin, with gas being the primary product.

Despite this result, Equinor remains committed to further exploration in the region. The company holds full ownership of the CAN-108 license and a 50% stake in CAN-102, operated by YPF. Equinor's interests also extend to the Malvinas Oeste and Austral basins, with significant stakes in multiple licenses.

Argentina's government has been proactive in fostering offshore exploration, awarding 18 areas to nine company groups during the 2018-19 licensing round. This effort, intended to attract $724 million in investment, underscores the nation's belief in the offshore sector's potential, likening its geological formations to those in West Africa, where substantial discoveries have been made.

Despite the dry well, Argentina's offshore hydrocarbon potential remains vast. According to a YPF presentation, the country's offshore resources are estimated at 31 billion barrels of oil equivalent, compared to the 29 billion barrels in the onshore Vaca Muerta formation.

While the dry well is a setback, it also provides valuable data for future exploration, underscoring the ongoing commitment of companies like Equinor to unlocking Argentina's offshore energy potential.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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BP has halted hiring across the company and paused new offshore wind power projects as it seeks to reassure investors it is on the right path, focusing on its core business in oil and gas.

Thats according to a Reuters report that quoted unnamed sources from the company, which until last year used to be one of the most ambitious transition fans in the energy industry.

The sources told the publication that the move was part of a shift in priorities under CEO Murray Auchincloss that involves reducing investments in costly transition projects such as offshore wind whose payback period is unacceptable long for the companys new top man.

The supermajor was already reconsidering its transition path under previous CEO Bernard Looney who was ousted earlier this year after an internal scandal. Wind, solar and other low-carbon projects that BP had entered were failing to deliver the profits they were supposed to deliver, causing the company to sour on the transition push somewhat.

BP even got pressured by an activist investor to drop the transition altogetheran odd demand by an activist investor in this day and age but one with a sound basis. Hedge fund Bluebell argued that BOs attempts to become a transition company were destroying shareholder value as it involved a move away from oil and gas that was planned to be faster than the pace, at which the world as a whole could move away from them.

BP meanwhile cut its oil and gas output reduction target, from the original 40% by 2030 to 25%, explaining that the move was due to the disruption in energy markets caused by the war in Ukraine.

Now, however, the Reuters sources told the publication that BP actually plans to invest in more oil and gas assets, with a focus on the Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. shale patch. At the same time, BP will look for low-carbon opportunities as long as they have shorter payback periods, the sources also said.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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A $10-billion wind power project in Egypt, one of the worlds biggest, is set to see its construction start by March 2026, delayed from this year due to the process of land acquisition, the chairman of one of the companies involved in the project told Bloomberg.

The wind farm with a planned capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW) is being developed by Infinity Power, the largest African renewable energy developer, Hassan Allam Utilities, and the UAE's flagship renewable energy company, Masdar.

The construction was delayed from the initial timeline which envisaged breaking ground in 2024, due to the process of acquiring the land for the wind power development in the Upper Egyptian region of West Sohag, Mohamed Mansour, chairman of Infinity Power, told Bloomberg in an interview published on Thursday.

Last month, Hassan Allam Utilities, Infinity Power, and Masdar signed a Land Access Agreement for the 10-GW wind project with the Egyptian Government, taking a major step toward construction start.

The huge wind project is expected to produce 47,790 GWh of clean energy per year and cut around 9% of Egypts annual carbon emissions by displacing 23.8 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

The wind farm will also help Egypt meet its strategic objective of sourcing 42% of its energy from renewables by 2030. The 10-GW wind farm will save the country an estimated US$5 billion in natural gas costs per year, Infinity Power said in May.

Egypt needs a mega power project as it struggles with natural gas shortages, which have forced authorities to implement rolling blackouts.

Currently, Egypt is looking to import in the coming months the highest number of LNG cargoes in years as it looks to ease the strain on its grid and industry amid energy shortages that have led to rolling blackouts this summer.

This week, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that Egypt needs to import $1.18 billion worth of fuel oil and natural gas to end the blackouts, hoping that the power cuts could be halted after the shipments arrive at the end of July.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Hundreds of people responded to a gospel call by evangelist Franklin Graham, son of the late Billy Graham, at two God Loves You Tour events held in the UK. Graham went to the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham on June 15 and then the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 22.

The hope-filled preaching was complemented by worship led by award-winning artists Taya, known for her Oceans song with Hillsong, three-time Grammy Award winner Michael W. Smith, Dennis Agajanian and the Tommy Coomes Band.

Maybe youre here tonight and youre wanting to know, who is Jesus? Franklin Graham said to a crowd of more than 7,500 people gathered at the Glasgow venue.

Jesus Christ is Gods Son and He came on a rescue mission to save you from your sins. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) stated that hundreds responded to the gospel call to surrender to Jesus Christ at the event in Scotland. The association asked for prayers for each new believer.

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Some 450 churches from the Midlands were involved in organizing the Birmingham event.

There is a historic association between the Graham family and the city. Billy Graham spoke in Birmingham too, some 40 years ago at Villa Park. That event in 1984 saw tens of thousands of lives changed as people came to faith in Christ, according to BGEA.

Some of the Birmingham churches have been involved with both Billy and Franklin Graham evangelistic outreaches in the past four decades. They see a new generation in desperate need to hear about the hope found in Jesus.

"Birmingham, one of the youngest cities in Europe, is full of people searching for identity, hope and purpose. Many are asking Where do I fit?, said the Rev. Kirk McAtear, pastor of Trinity Birmingham Church.

The message that Franklin Graham will be sharing during the God Loves You Tour has the power to change our city. The gospel provides peace, healing, and answers to those who are searching.

Reuben Morley, the youth festival director for the God Loves You Tour, said before the event, that contrary to statistics showing young people turning away from God, an excitement is building among our youth.

We've witnessed hundreds of Gen Z and Gen Alpha attendees at our pre-tour events, where they are being equipped with tools to deepen their relationship with God and gain the confidence to share their faith with others!

Graham has preached the gospel in the U.K. many times before and spoke of his excitement about returning to the country. This will be the ninth time I will have preached in the UK and Im just as excited as the first time that I preached in the UK 25 years ago, he said.

Just like every time before, Im coming with a message of Good News. Im coming to share how people can have a real and personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, commented Graham, who serves as the President of the BGEA

Meanwhile, evangelist Will Graham, son of Franklin and grandson of Billy, is bringing the hope-filled message about Jesus to Australia this Saturday (June 29). He will feature at the Look Up Celebration being held in Australias Gold Coast.

More than 380 churches are involved and about 1,000 people have completed Christian Life and Witness courses, in preparation, teaching them how to live out their faith and share it with others.
Polands energy firm Orlen has warned gas companies in three other central European countries that it could seize their payments to Gazprom for natural gas imports as part of a claim against the Russian gas giant for losses Poland has incurred, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

Gazprom cut off gas supply to Poland in 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, after demanding that customers pay for Russias gas supply in rubles. Poland and several other EU countries refused to pay in rubles and Gazprom cut off supply to them.

But the Russian giant has continued to deliver gas to Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia, and the gas companies in these countries have been warned by Orlen of Poland that it could seize their payments to Gazprom.

In the spring of 2023, Europol Gaz, solely owned by Orlen, filed a $1.45-billion claim against Gazprom in an arbitration lawsuit seeking overdue payments for gas transmission. Europol Gaz owns the Polish section of the Yamal gas pipeline from Russia.

Now, in letters sent to Hungarys MVM CEEnergy, Slovakias SPP, and to an Austrian company, Polands Orlen has warned that their payments to Gazprom could be seized. Slovakia and Hungary have recently adopted decrees and legislation that protects their gas companies from potential claims and seizures of payments.

The warnings and claims are not reassuring for Europes energy supply and highlight the divisions among EU member states on the basis of their dependence on Gazproms still available gas supply to EU nations.

Uncertainty over Russian gas supply led to brief price spikes in Europes benchmark gas prices earlier this month, after German energy giant Uniper terminated its long-term Russian gas supply. The decision was made possible after an arbitration tribunal awarded Uniper the right to terminate the contracts and awarded it more than $14 billion (13 billion euros) in damages for the gas volumes that Gazprom Export has not supplied since the middle of 2022.

Last month, OMV warned that Gazprom could halt gas supply to Austria due to a foreign court ruling that could interrupt OMV payments to Gazprom Export, without specifying the case.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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The expanded Trans Mountain oil pipeline will rely on spot customers to see a positive equity return or return on capital in 2026, according to company filings with Canadian regulators reviewed by Reuters.

The expanded Trans Mountain pipeline is tripling the capacity of the original pipeline to 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 300,000 bpd to carry crude from Albertas oil sands to British Columbia on the Pacific Coast.

The Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMX), which became operational last month, has reserved 20% of its capacity  or 178,000 bpd  to uncommitted customers, or spot shippers.

Trans Mountains financial projections in the regulatory filings over tolls reveal that the government-owned corporation expects its capacity to be 96% full starting in 2025. This would result in a positive equity return in 2026, according to the companys forecasts.

However, if there are zero spot shipments, Trans Mountain will not see a positive equity return until 2031.

Tolls for the spot capacity are higher and would generate more income for TMX but they are not easily predictable as they depend on demand for Canadas crude and on the price of Canadas heavy crude, Western Canada Select (WCS).

This month, TMX is running at around 80% full capacity, while a little bit of the spot capacity is being used, Mark Maki, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer at Trans Mountain Corporation, told Reuters earlier in June.

We're basically running at effectively right around contract level with a little bit of spot on the system, Maki told Reuters.

Volumes are expected to rise ahead of the winter, the executive added.

The Federal Government of Canada bought TMX from Kinder Morgan back in 2018, together with related pipeline and terminal assets. That cost the federal government $3.3 billion (C$4.5 billion) at the time. Since then, the costs for the pipeline expansion have soared to nearly $23 billion (C$30.9 billion).

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)

Americans may be hard to please when it comes to sandwiches. Every U.S. state has its signature sandwich, and individuals often have their own favorites.

But, in Okinawa, there are sandwiches deserving of a spot on the list and Bros Sandwich Stand in Onna Village is serving up some tasty contenders.

Since its opening about a 5-minute drive from Cape Maeda in December of 2017 with the concept Okinawa and American culture mix, the joint has become quite popular in an area with many restaurants and cafes to choose from.

On a sunny day, this place is most likely crowded with folks enjoying a relaxing lunch break after a snorkeling tour at the Blue Grotto. On a rainy day, the place stills draws people in looking for a tasty sandwich. A visit to Bros can make you happy on any given day.

Sandwiches served at Bros are nothing like compact ones you find at a Japanese convenience store or supermarket. Bros sandwiches stand out for not only their taste, but also their presentation and size ensuring youll get your fill. Bros Sand (980 yen or $9), the eaterys signature sandwich, is a good example. Bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce, ham, onions, and fried egg draw beautiful layers of colors in between three slices of toasted bread.

Once you chomp down on the delicately sweet and buttery homemade bread stacked with fresh vegetables, sweet and soft ham, thick and mouth-watering bacon and melting cheese, you know why this place is a popular hangout.

Other signature sandwiches at Bros, which offers take-out, include the Philly Cheese Sand, Spam Egg Sand and the Three Cheese Sand.

Sandwiches may be a simple food, but Bros reminds you that they can be more than some meat slapped between two pieces of bread. The cooks at Bros have turned sandwich-making into an art form. They may not serve them up as a quickly as a fast food chain store, but their sandwiches are well worth the wait.

So, head over to Bros and relax as these sandwich Picassos prepare a masterpiece worthy of adding to your favorites list.

Bros Sandwich Stand

GPS Coordinates: N 26.438532, E 127.774148

Hours: 10 a.m.  4 p.m. *Closed on Wednesdays *Wi-Fi available

Website: https://www.thebrosokinawa.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrossandwichstand/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrossandwichstand/?hl=ja
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  After Melania Trump missed key events in her husband's presidential bid earlier this year  from the kickoff of the 2024 election in Iowa to Donald Trumps Super Tuesday victory party  reporters asked the former first lady whether she planned to hit the campaign trail. Her response: Stay tuned.

But since making that comment in March, after she and Donald Trump voted in Florida's primary, Melania Trump has largely refrained from public appearances. The few exceptions have included a couple of fundraisers in April.

The former first lady noticeably did not accompany the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on any of the days of his more than monthlong hush money trial in New York. She was not there last month for the guilty verdict or the following day for his remarks at Trump Tower. She also did not appear June 14 at a 78th birthday party organized for Trump by his fan club, or at any of the campaign rallies he held in recent months.

Her absence during the trial and for other important moments is unusual, said Katherine Jellison, a professor of history at Ohio University who studies first ladies. But Jellison said maybe it should not come as a surprise as Melania Trump seems reluctant to follow the traditional public role of a politician's wife.

But everything the Trumps do seems to be against the standard playbook of how candidates and spouses behave," Jellison said.

Melania Trump's behavior deviates from how other politicians have relied on their spouses. Sometimes male politicians turn to their wives to try to reach out to female voters. Candidates also may be joined by their spouses as a way of giving voters more of a sense of what the candidate is like outside the political arena.

During this year's GOP primary, for example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wife, Casey DeSantis, traveled with him, granted interviews and formed a coalition named Mamas for DeSantis before he suspended his bid for the nomination. Vivek Ramaswamy's wife, Dr. Apoorva Ramaswamy, also was on the campaign trail, often appearing along with their two young children to talk about the importance of family.

The Associated Press reached out to 15 people who have been in major fundraisers or in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate recently. None said they had encountered Melania Trump on the Florida property.

Her office has not responded to several requests for comment. Her only public statement of late came two days after the Florida Republican Party announced with fanfare that son Barron Trump, 18, was chosen as a state delegate for the Republican National Convention and her office said he could not make it, citing prior commitments.

Reporters at the New York courthouse during Trumps felony trial repeatedly asked him, Wheres Melania? but he never answered. Trump allies cited their sons school calendar as the main reason for her absence without denying it was a delicate time for the family.

Trumps attorney, Todd Blanche, was asked whether there were talks about her accompanying him to court.

That wasnt a discussion that I wanted to have, Blanche responded, speaking to Miami trial attorney David Oscar Markus for his For The Defense podcast. "This was a tough case because of the nature of the charges, the evidence that came in, the history, how long it had been.

Some of the testimony aired how Trump allegedly had sex with porn actor Stormy Daniels in July 2006, about four months after Melania Trump had given birth to Barron; Trump has denied Daniels' claim. Trumps former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen testified that Trump did not appear to care about how the story of an encounter he was looking to bury would hurt his marriage as much as he cared about it damaging his 2016 presidential aspirations.

But Hope Hicks, Trumps 2016 campaign communications chief, testified that Trump was concerned in 2016 about how a story related to Playboy model Karen MacDougal would be viewed by his wife and wanted her to make sure newspapers were not delivered to their residence.

Melania Trump did not post anything on her social media accounts after her husband was convicted on 34 felony counts. That's in contrast to Trump's elder sons, who quickly condemned the verdict. Daughter Ivanka Trump posted on Instagram a photo of her as a toddler with a younger Trump and the message I love you dad. Tiffany Trump, his younger daughter, accompanied him to the courthouse last month for the trial's closing arguments.

I think its very hard for her," Trump said about his wife, in an interview with Fox News after the verdict. "I mean, shes fine. But, you know, she has to read all this crap.

Where US first ladies went to college Martha Dandridge Custis Washington Abigail Smith Adams Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson Dolley Payne Todd Madison Elizabeth Kortright Monroe Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams Rachel Donelson Jackson Hannah Hoes Van Buren Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison Letitia Christian Tyler Julia Gardiner Tyler Sarah Childress Polk Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor Abigail Powers Fillmore Jane Means Appleton Pierce Harriet Lane Mary Todd Lincoln Eliza McCardle Johnson Julia Dent Grant Lucy Ware Webb Hayes Lucretia Rudolph Garfield Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur Frances Folsom Cleveland Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison Frances Folsom Cleveland Ida Saxton McKinley Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt Helen Herron Taft Ellen Axson Wilson Edith Bolling Galt Wilson Florence Kling Harding Grace Anna Goodhue Coolidge Lou Henry Hoover Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Elizabeth Virginia Wallace Truman Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson Patricia Ryan Nixon Elizabeth Bloomer Ford Rosalynn Smith Carter Nancy Davis Reagan Barbara Pierce Bush Hillary Rodham Clinton Laura Welch Bush Michelle Obama Melania Trump Jill Biden
One person (name withheld) has been arrested in connection with the murder of Oyo House of Reps member Temitope Olatoye aka Sugar.

Olatoye was shot dead in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State on Saturday during the Governorship/Assembly polls.

The Commissioner of Police Mr Shina Olukolu on Tuesday said a team of police investigators led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) has succeeded in arresting one person (names withheld) in connection with the killing of federal lawmaker.

He said with the arrest, all those involved in the gruesome murder will be picked up.

Olukolu, who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Olugbenga Fadeyi a Superintendent of Police, disclosed the suspect has made confessional statement linking him to the killing of the lawmaker.

According to the state police boss, the police are closer to arresting all those involved in the Saturdays killing of Hon. Olatoye.

Confirming the arrest of the suspect, Olukolu said others were being sought for, expressing assurance that there would be other developments.

We have arrested one person in connection with the killing of the lawmaker and he is helping the police with useful information that will eventually lead to the arrest of all those that have hands in the dastardly act. I can tell you that we are getting closer to the killers, he said.

The police said aside the suspect linked with Olatoyes case, about 18 persons, six guns, nine live cartridges, axe, knives and other miscellaneous items were recovered.

While stating Olatoyes death was in no way connected with the elections, the police Commissioner said that there were enough facts and evidences available that will lead to the arrest of the other culprits.

The Police Commissioner said that he got the information about the gruesome murder of Sugar from the Divisional Police Officer at Iyana Offa, while he was monitoring the governorship and state House of Assembly elections on Saturday.

I learnt that Sugar was ambushed and, in the process, sustained gunshot injuries in the head.

He was immediately evacuated to the UCH for medical attention, but, unfortunately, he died at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital while receiving treatment, he said.

He added the area where the incident occurred was cordoned while he directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) to personally lead the team of investigators.

The deceased was the Federal House of Representatives representing Lagelu /Akinyele Federal Constituency and the Chairman, House Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning.

Olatoye was an active member of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state.

The 47-year-old was allegedly shot by political thugs on Saturday during the governorship election in Oyo state.
Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State, at a PDP stakeholders meeting at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Bauchi, expressed willingness to accept constructive criticism to enable him make success in his administration of the state.

The governor was of the view that for the administration to meet the expectations of the citizenry, he would ensure the engagement of all the relevant stakeholders for the well-being of the people, particularly, women and children.

Governor Mohammed promised that his administration will not repeat the mistakes of the previous administrations in the state in order not to be rejected by the people the state.

The PDP State Chairman, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam, had explained that the meeting was to discuss on the challenges facing the party. He assured readiness of the PDP administration to respond to the expectations and aspirations of citizens.

The Deputy Governor, Senator Bala Tela; Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dallami Ahmed Kawule; former Speaker of the Assembly, Bappah Haruna Disina; Senator Abdul Ahmed Ninigi, Senator Sulaiman Nazif Gamawa and Senator Isah Hamma Misau, also contributed to reinforcing the governors assurance to run a responsive government in Bauchi State.

Other stakeholders at the meeting include: former State Chairman, Garba Mohammed Noma; and the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim.

The Speakers condemned those planning to cause disharmony among stakeholders of the party which they said has been affecting the development of the state.

While assuring the governor of their loyalty and support, the stakeholders appealed to him to ensure the fulfillment of his campaign promises.

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A 17-year-old housewife, Rabi Rabiu has confessed to killing her husband over a phone charger at Danjaku village in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.

KanyiDaily had reported that Rabi was arrested by the police for stabbing her 25-year-old husband, Shamsu Salisu, to death during a heated argument between them.

While being paraded at the Katsina State Police Command Headquarters on Tuesday, Rabi explained amidst sobs tha a misunderstanding on who should first charge their mobile telephone led to a scuffle in which her husband died.

According to her, the incident happened in the morning when public power supply was restored in their community and she wanted to charge her phones.

Rabi said Salisu equally wanted to charge his phones at the same time, so an argument led to a scuffle between the two of them.

She added that Salisu drew out a knife, which she snatched and stabbed him. Rabi said:

The incident happened early in the morning during prayer time. Public power supply was restored in our area and I wanted to charge my phones, while Salisu also wanted to charge his. Unfortunately, we were arguing over who should use the charger first when Salisu drew out a knife and I snatched it from him and stabbed him in the stomach and he later died. Our marriage was just 51-day-old and we were yet to have children, but I still love him. I never knew that the stab would lead to his death.

The spokesman for the command, SP Gambo Isah, while parading the housewife, said:

On January 29, 2020, around 5.30am, the DPO, Malumfashi Division, responded to a distress call based on a report that one Shamsu Salisu, 25, of the Almakiyayi village, Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, had an altercation with his wife, one Rabi Rabiu, 17, of the same address, but later while he was asleep, the wife stabbed him with a knife in several places in his body, including his abdomen. As a result, he sustained serious injuries. The police team rushed the victim to the Malumfashi General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead. In the course of investigation, the police recovered a sharp knife and a bed sheet stained with blood. Investigation is ongoing.

This is coming weeks after a High Court sitting in Abuja sentenced a woman, Maryam Sanda, to death by hanging for stabbing her husband, Bilyaminu, to death.




Mother marries her own son in Malawi

An evergreen story of a 47-year-old mother in Malawi who damned condemnation and reproach from her people to marry her biological 30-year-old son has been revealed.

The story about the womans controversial love for her son caused serious outrage on social media.

In a publication in one of the Malawian newspapers some years ago, the woman, Memory Njemani revealed that she married her son because she has invested a lot in his education.

In her opinion, its her investment so another woman cannot reap where she did not sow.

I invested a lot of money in the education of my son. Why should another woman be married to him and enjoy my hard work I invested in him? That will not happen. Im marrying my son so that we dont empower other women who have been aborting  she lamented.

However, social media users have accused the mother of bewitching her son into marrying her because no man in his right senses will make such a move.

See photos below:
To carry on the spirit of Flying Tigers

11:00, June 27, 2024 By K. C. Ma ( People's Daily

Editor's Note

February 27, 2024, marked the beginning of our "Me and China" writing campaign, a joint effort by People's Daily and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Following that, we have received multiple submissions from people around the world, in which they recount their experiences in China or interactions with their Chinese friends.

Today, we are excited to launch the "Me and China" column on People's Daily to publish the most inspiring stories of our foreign friends. Let's come together to rejoice in their warm interactions, exchanges, and friendship with Chinese people.

My bond with the Flying Tigers dates back to the 1980s, a time when China just started its reform and opening-up process, leading to a surge in foreign visitors and a growing need for interpreters. Leveraging my Chinese language proficiency, I started working as an accompanying interpreter for American tourists in China.

In the following years, I had the privilege of accompanying many veterans of Flying Tigers on their return visits to China, retracing the places where they had fought and lived.

Walking alongside these veterans and immersing myself in their daily lives, I came to understand their courageous acts and heard the stories of their wartime experiences. I was deeply moved by their stories and began to gather historical documents for research. I hope that the spirit of Flying Tigers will be carried on from generation to generation among Chinese and American peoples to reinforce the historical underpinning of people-to-people exchanges between our two countries.

To better facilitate the research, working together with my colleague, we started preparing for the establishment of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization in 2002, which was officially launched in 2007, primarily composed of Flying Tigers veterans, their families, and sponsors.

Throughout the years, we have been involved in building the Flying Tiger Heritage Park in Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and donated nearly 3,000 historical artifacts to the park, including a C-47 aircraft. During World War II, the Flying Tigers created "The Hump" airlift to transport much-needed supplies to China. More than 1,000 Chinese and American airmen lost their lives on this air route, with C-47 being their primary aircraft.

In 2015, we discovered this still operational C-47 aircraft in Australia and refurbished it for the purpose of recreating the historic "The Hump" airlift. We invited five pilots with exceptional C-47 experienced veterans from the United States (US) and Australia, with an average age of 71.8, to pilot this 72-year-old "vintage aircraft."

In August 2016, the veterans started their journey from Australia. Over the course of 90 days, they flew across six countries, encountered two engine replacements, and made an emergency landing. Without navigation equipment, they relied entirely on manual piloting to navigate through the Himalayas. Finally, they arrived in Guilin. As they stepped out of the plane onto the Chinese ground, the airport erupted in applause. Everyone present was filled with excitement and admiration!

Since 2003, I have organized over 20 trips to China for Flying Tigers veterans and their families and friends, as well as enthusiasts of Flying Tigers history. Through these visits, I have experienced numerous emotions and witnessed the profound friendship between the Flying Tigers veterans and the Chinese people, a friendship that had withstood the test of blood and fire. These experiences have deeply engraved in my heart, reinforcing my commitment to carrying on the spirit of the Flying Tigers.

Over the years, there is one visit to China that has remained vivid in my memory. It was in March 2004 when I accompanied a group of 32 Flying Tigers veterans and their friends and families to China. Despite a long flight of over 10 hours, these elderly veterans showed no signs of fatigue. Their eyes were filled with excitement and determination as they set foot on Chinese soil, from which they had been separated for over 60 years.

We visited multiple places during the trip. In Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei province, the veterans reunited with the Chinese guerrilla fighters who had previously saved them. They slowly made their way towards each other. Though only a few steps apart, for them it was a distance spanning decades. They embraced each other tightly, shaking hands with all their strength, and a flood of excited words burst forth, expressing the deep friendship forged in the fires of war.

During a subsequent gathering, a Chinese guerrilla veteran, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, showed us a photo he had cherished for many years - a group picture with Flying Tigers members. Following that, he began to recount a true story.

On a late autumn day in 1943, a plane flown by a pilot of the Flying Tigers was hit by the Japanese army, which forced him to parachute and land near the outskirts of Shijiazhuang.

The Japanese soldiers launched an extensive search for him. Promptly detecting the situation, nearby Chinese guerrilla fighters immediately initiated an emergency rescue mission. Due to the lack of natural hiding spots in the Haihe Plain where Shijiazhuang is located, the guerrilla fighters led him to a hidden underground tunnel.

Even in the tunnel, the searching sounds of Japanese troops could be heard from time to time. Hiding with them was a young woman with an infant. Due to the thin air, the baby cried incessantly, struggling to breathe. To prevent the Japanese soldiers from hearing any sound, the young woman tightly covered the baby's mouth with her own hands until the soldiers left.

Eventually, the Flying Tigers member was successfully rescued, but the adorable baby lost its life due to suffocation, forever leaving its mother's loving embrace. Later, the guerrilla fighters escorted the pilot through various challenges and safely brought him back to the main base camp.

As the story was told, all Flying Tigers veterans stood up to pay their respect with a moment of silence and a military salute, while the Chinese guerrilla veterans rose in response and returned the salute. They then held each other close in a tight embrace.

As the gathering came to close, the guerrilla veteran solemnly entrusted us with the important task of finding this pilot, an honorable mission we were proud to undertake. In our extensive search over the years, we have reviewed a large number of historical documents, hosted gatherings and birthday celebrations for Flying Tigers members and their families, and visited Flying Tigers veterans who are of similar age to the pilot, all in an effort to trace his whereabouts. Regrettably, we have not been able to fulfill this wish yet.

Even after two decades, the story I heard in Shijiazhuang still resurfaces frequently in my mind. I am determined to keep looking for this pilot, hoping that the old comrades have another chance to reunite.

For me, carrying on the invaluable legacy of Flying Tigers has become a mission I will pursue throughout my life. I will continue to tell the story of Flying Tigers, promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between the US and China and deepening the friendship among Chinese and American peoples from generation to generation.

(K.C. Ma is the vice president of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization.)

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
An American pediatrician group is calling on U.S. medical institutions to follow some of their European counter parts in considering science rather than ideology in the care for transgender children. In recent months, an increasing number of medical professionals have come forward lamenting how an important health care and mental health issue has been politicized and voices pointing to scientific facts or calling for more rigorous research have been effectively silenced.

A global survey reported by Statista in May showed just three percent of respondents identifying as transgender from 30 countries in 2023. This latest data also relates to those describing themselves as non-binary/non-conforming/gender-fluid, or in another way.

Yet gender affirming surgery tripled in the U.S. between 2016 to 2019, according to JAMA Network. In a similar period 2017-2021, for children and teens, Reuters commissioned health tech firm Komodo, which found that for some youngsters within this demographic (42,000 to be exact), there was a triple uptake in diagnoses of gender dysphoria in the country.

The European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology and the Paediatric Endocrinology Society also examined data from 25 centers across the U.S., South America and Europe, finding that from 2014-2017 there had been an increase in referrals. Pediatric doctors across the world, both Christian and otherwise, have expressed widespread public concerns about the pressing issue.

The European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) presented a cautious but resolute approach when issuing a statement in February this year on the clinical management of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria. Whilst advocating a rights approach, based on the individual childs needs, the academy said urgent research was needed.

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An international research programme to define optimal treatment and outcomes, based on meticulous observation and comparator studies, should be urgently funded and performed, the EAP statement read. In the interim, children and parents must receive appropriate support and care while issues are resolved.

The now defunct Tavistock gender clinic in London, England has made headlines as an example of inappropriate support and care. Official figures show 382 children aged up to six were referred to the clinic before it closed in July 2022. About 70 of these youngsters were aged three or four years old.

An analysis of the Gender Identity Development Service run by Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, by retired pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass, commissioned by NHS England, and known as the Cass Review, deemed services at the clinic such as giving puberty blockers neither safe or viable.

The Cass Review also found that clinical staff on an international basis have reported that adolescents seem to have more complex presentations (p90, Cass Review) and with greater mental health and psychosocial needs, as well as additional diagnoses of ASD and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Data also showed that rates of depression, anxiety and eating disorders were higher in the gender clinic referred population than in the general population.

It is widely accepted that exposure to sexuality is happening at a younger age, added Cass (p119, Cass report). The impact of this on young peoples understanding of their sexuality and/or gender identity is unclear.

The reality is that for young individuals, different social-cultural influences impact their understanding of both gender and sexual identity, opined Cass, adding: and this is an area that warrants better exploration and understanding.

On June 17, the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance in Germany published results showing that two out of three young people medically diagnosed with gender dysphoria will grow out of it within five years.

Meanwhile, harmful surgeries on children with gender dysphoria must stop immediately according to the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), which signed a joint declaration on June 6 with other concerned medical groups and individuals opposing the practice.

The Doctors Protecting Children Declaration authored by ACPeds stated that scientific evidence clearly showed that children risked being put in serious harm by unwarranted surgical interventions, alongside puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatment.

The experts said such interventions have shown to be ineffective in improving the health, physical and mental, of adolescents with gender dysphoria.

The declaration called on the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to adhere to evidence-based research and utilize comprehensive evaluations and therapies for youth with gender dysphoria.

It is time that these American medical institutions follow the science and the lead of our European professional colleagues and cease to promote protocols that harm children, including the promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents who experience distress over their biological sex, said Dr. Jill Simons, pediatrician and Executive Director of ACPeds.

The issue of cultural responses to trans rights was recently addressed on Tuesday (June 18) by columnist Michael Deacon, who is not religious, for The Telegraph newspaper in the U.K. He referenced the bizarre fact that former Prime Minister Tony Blair felt compelled to issue a public statement recently, saying men have penises and women have vaginas. He said it had become commonplace for politicians in the West to air publicly their views on basic human biology.

Senior political figures are endlessly asked, with a straight face, whether women have penises and men have vaginas. Its not considered at all surreal, or even mildly unusual. Its become as run-of-the-mill as asking about taxes or immigration or NHS [National Health Service] waiting lists. And when  as Sir Tony Blair did yesterday  a senior political figure confirms that he or she grasps the basics of human biology, it makes headline news, and is thought to be wildly controversial.

The whole business is a lesson in just how quickly, and dramatically, society can change. In next to no time these days, an idea can go from extreme to mainstream. Or, if not mainstream, then at least prevalent among the kind of people who get to decide what the rest of us are permitted to say and think.

Other U.S. health organizations signing the ACPeds declaration earlier this month included Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (AHM), American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), American College of Family Medicine (ACFM), Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance (CHCLA), Catholic Medical Association (CMA), Child & Parental Rights Campaign (CPRC), Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), Coalition of Jewish Values, Colorado Principled Physicians, Genspect, Honey Lake Clinic, National Association of Catholic Nurses, National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), and North Carolina Physicians For Freedom (NCPFF). About 100 leading child doctors, nurses, psychotherapists and other health professionals also signed the declaration.

ACPeds has created a website www.biologicalintegrity.org to help parents, teenagers, doctors, schools and politicians navigate the topic of gender dysphoria.
Ose Anenih, the son of ex-PDP Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, has reacted to the state pardon granted to late Chief Anthony Enahoro, by Nigerian Ruler, Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Late Chief Enahoro was one of Nigerias foremost anti-colonial and pro-democracy activists. He was born the eldest of ten children in Uromi in the present Edo State of Nigeria.

Checks by BreakingTimes revealed that Buhari had given a pardon to late Chief Enahoro forgetting that he was pardoned by Gen. Gowon in 1966 and appointed Minister of Information thereafter.

Anenih took to his Twitter handle, @ose_Anenih and wrote:

Buharis Presidency is the most incompetent Nigeria has ever had, perhaps because theyre mirroring the most incompetent president we have ever seen.

This was how they appointed dead people into boards, now these jokers have pardoned a man previously pardoned 54 years ago.

Buharis Presidency is the most incompetent Nigeria has ever had, perhaps because theyre mirroring the most incompetent president we have ever seen. This was how they appointed dead people into boards, now these jokers have pardoned a man previously pardoned 54 years ago. ?? https://t.co/ApogTL2X2A pic.twitter.com/KnlySv3RQm  Ose Anenih (@ose_anenih) April 11, 2020

BreakingTimes reported during the week that Buhari granted a state pardon to late Prof. Ambrose Ali, late Chief Anthony Enahoro, ex-Lieutenant Colonel Moses Effiong, Major EJ Olanrewaju, and Ajayi Olusola Babalola, who were ex-convicts.

Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, made this known at a world press conference to announce Buharis amnesty to the inmates, explaining that the ruler had also approved the release of 2,600 inmates across various custodial centres in the country in a move to decongest the custodial centres.
My kidnappers had three laptops and a tracking device they used inside the forest. They knew when they had intruders and could see the people through the laptop. They also saw a friend of mine who went to the police station in Benin to report and they called, warned him that they will kill me if he ever tried that again.

Those were the words of a Lagos teacher who was kidnapped on May 24 around .

The victim, who narrated how the kidnappers killed one of the victims whose family could not raise the ransom, said he was yet to overcome the horror of the five days he spent in their custody.

Narrating how the gunmen picked him, the teacher said he had left Lagos that fateful day en route Benin to attend a social event of a family friend, adding that they got to Okada around 7pm and it was raining.

He said the gunmen mounted a roadblock as though they were policemen and wore police raincoats.

The teacher said: It happened between Okoada and Olariwa. We were climbing the hill and almost five to six vehicles were going together. Suddenly, the kidnappers blocked the road like police. They were wearing police raincoats.

Suddenly, we heard gunshots towards the checkpoint and at the back. We stopped and attempted a U-turn but before we could do it, two guys blocked us and said, dont go, dont go.

The vehicle in front of us narrowly reversed but they caught him. The other one escaped, the one behind me did not escape. At that time, I thought they were armed robbers. One of the guys met me and demanded for my money and phone, which I gave him.

They asked where I work and I told them I am a civil servant, precisely a teacher. Then, they intercepted a commercial bus (belonging to a popular operator), brought down all the passengers and collected their money too.

They asked us to come down from the vehicle. I was with my brother in the car and another person. They collected my car key. They asked where I came from and I told them Ekiti State.

We laid down until one of the bus passengers and I were asked to go to another corner while the others were ordered to enter their bus and fly away. They threw my car key to my brother. Since they didnt know how to drive, they left the vehicle there.

The kidnappers asked me and the other man to follow them into the bush. As we were moving, one of them was searching our phones. Unfortunately for me, my salary alert came in. They searched the other mans phone and his account balance was not up to N75, 000. They asked him where he worked and he said he was a teacher in Warri.

They used something to hit his back twice, that he was a poor man and that they are kidnappers but he should get lost. The men now told me that I had been kidnapped and we continued to move. We had trekked about two kilometres into the bush when they released the other man.

Continuing, the man said the kidnappers hit his waist with the butt of an AK47 rifle, adding that he was showed how serious they were the following morning when they killed a victim who was tied to a tree.

The teacher said he was asked to contact five members of his family who would not endanger his life; otherwise, he would be killed like the other victim.

We trekked several kilometres into the forest. On getting to the bush, they already had someone in their custody, a fair complexion man. The next morning, the man wanted to escape; they just killed him. That was when I knew I was in the land of death and only God could save me.

The first day I did not eat anything. They had a small pot with which they cooked concoction rice. They offered me food, I refused to eat and I told them I am hypertensive and asthmatic. All the while, I was laid down on the bush with my eyes covered with handkerchief. There was no house/hut. It was under the tree.

They were four and I think they are from Edo State. They asked my family to bring N10 million. God saved my life. The guy who stayed with me was using cutlass and stick to hit me on my head and my back. The first day, it was their AK47 they used to hit my waist. They said if my people do not comply, they will waste me like they did to the other man.

One strange thing is that there were people there farming, but they were not aware of what was happening. In the day time, the kidnappers pretended like they were coming from the farm. They usually moved in and out and we did not stay in a particular location. We kept walking inside the forest. In a day, we stayed in up to three or four locations.

The second day, they went out and bought rice wrapped in leaves with meat for me. They also bought water in sachet on Sunday. They didnt go outside the forest on Monday but cooked there.

There was a night some herders almost saw them inside the bush.

One of the herders was flashing torchlight on them but they stood still like trees until the man flashing the torchlight moved away. We didnt leave that location until around 2am when the herders had left.

All through, they used my phone to communicate with my family, except on the last day when the ransom was being brought that they used another number.

They gave my family a number to call when they got to Ore and warned that the money should not get to Benin, or else they would not collect it.

After collecting the money, they told my family to go around University of Benin (UNIBEN) and wait. They didnt release me until they counted the money and saw it was complete.

The man that led them is between 50-60 years. He would be a retired policeman or a security agent. He is the one who used the laptop to monitor.

I have a friend in Benin who went to the police station after he learnt of my kidnap. The gang leader called me, after they opened my eyes. He showed me the guy and asked who he was. I said, he is my friend.

I was shown the guy on the computer; that was when I was frightened. So, they called the number, the location was shown. They called my friend and warned him. I begged them that he was not my family, that he was my friend and that they could see that none of my family members went to the police station.

That was because when they heard anything police, their anger increased. It is a video and call recording.

On Sunday, policemen were around that particular axis and he was seeing them. So, anytime they saw policemen, it meant danger for me. They were seeing people through the laptop. They showed me. They knew where there was network in the bush.

There was a device they had that showed them where to pass. There is no way I can identify or know the place. If there was any intruder around, they would know. So, they would open their laptop to check.

He (gang leader) told my family that he was a computer guru and that they were not from Nigeria. But his language didnt depict it. He sounded like an Edo person. He said he came to Nigeria and he didnt have anything to do and he wanted to go back; so, he needed a flight ticket.

There were two elders and two boys the man was training. One of the boys had a pistol; the other used a cutlass and stick. But the man had an AK47 and magazine. He tied them together.

In the night he dropped the magazine and went out to look for food. I was released 5:30pm on Tuesday.

I thank God for my safe return. My family paid them N2 million cash. They counted the money and opened my eyes, saying that I was lucky. They returned my phone. The way they were doing it was obvious they knew the area very well.

The police have to do something. The kidnappers warned me that I shouldnt pass that road after 6pm,he said.

But security experts said it was impossible for the kidnappers to have such tracking devices, insisting that they are only sold to government.

A senior police officer, who spoke to our on the issue, said the kidnappers might have used psychology on the victim and possibly leveraged on insider information from the police station the mens friend went to.

The officer said: Yes devices like that exist but I can tell you that it is impossible for the kidnappers to have it. They are not sold to individual or companies. They are sold to government. There is no agency in Nigeria today that can buy it.

Besides, it is not something that can be moved around or installed in a laptop. They are usually giant equipment that are stationary.

I think it is possible that the kidnappers have conspirators in the police or like the victim said, one of them is a serving or retired policeman who has worked in a unit where they do tracking.

If that is the case, it is possible he would have sent the number of the person to the security contact and requested for location, which will be easily given to him.

I would have said they used pure psychology on the victim if he did not claim to have seen the video. Maybe, they made a video call without his knowing. But to say they have video tracking device installed in their laptops that they carry about? That is impossible.

Asked if there is a possibility the syndicate could have hacked into such a device, another source claimed it was impossible because Nigeria presently doesnt even have such a device. For Nigeria to have one, all the telecommunication companies will be brought on-board. All the security services will also be onboard, he said.

Source: The Nation

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Popular Ivorian musician, Houon Ange Didier, popularly known as DJ Arafat is dead.





The 33-year-old died on Monday at about 8am following a bike accident Sunday night in Abidjan, Cote DIvoire.





According to reports, his motorcycle was hit by a car driven by a journalist from Radio Cote dIvoire.





DJ Arafat was reportedly unconscious while being rushed to the hospital before he died on Monday.





According to BBC Afrique, he was a highly celebrated and accomplished Coupe Decale Artist.





He won the Best Francophone Award at the 2015 MAMAs and was nominated for Best African Act at the 2015 MTV EMA.





In May 2019, DJ Arafats Moto Moto hit 1 million YouTube views in less than 24 hours.





Music superstar Davido took to his twitter and Instagram pages to pay tributes to the late artiste.





He simply wrote: RIP Yorobo. I love you.
Creative Impact Unpacked

11 effectiveness trends from Cannes Lions 2024

The Creative Impact content stream at the Festival, co-curated by WARC and LIONS, combined new research, fresh points of view, and some of the worlds best marketers, showing not just why creativity matters, but when and how to apply it.

And this year was a classic. Our focus was the phrase used by marketing professor Scott Galloway in Cannes last year: The era of brand is over.

In our view this is mistaken. We heard from digital-native companies learning the power of strong brands. We investigated the space where creativity meets commerce. We looked at the role of brand and creative communications within marketing, and within the broader business. We gained new data on what does and doesnt work, and much more. In short, there is a strong 21st-century case for creative brand-building. And we increasingly have the knowledge to make it happen.

This report summarises what we at WARC learned from Creative Impact 2024, and the wider festival.

Get complimentary access to the full report for a limited time* by completing this form.

Are you a WARC subscriber? Login to access the full report.

*until 11 October 2024
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.

100 years ago

June 27, 1924: Miss Pansie Ingram was struck by lightning when a bolt crashed into the top of a tree in front of her home and then jumped to the house, 210 S. McLean St. in Lincoln. She was flung a distance of 6 or 7 feet, striking the wall and remaining unconscious for a time. She had black and blue bruises all over her body, and said it felt like a million needle points pricking her. Ingram was struck by lightning once before, about 10 years ago, when she was standing under a tree at her former home on Elm Street. Read the story.

75 years ago

June 27, 1949: Mrs. D.T. Miles, credited with starting the first daily vacation Bible school in the United States and possibly the world in Heyworth 55 years ago, was the guest speaker as the Hopedale Methodist and Presbyterian churches concluded their summer Bible program. "Sunday school didn't provide enough for the children here," said Miles, describing the reason for starting the school in 1894. Read the story.

50 years ago

June 27, 1974: Kelley Jordan, 10-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Jordan, 115 Bone Drive, Normal, submitted a design which was chosen as the grand prize winner from more than 400,000 submitted by Illinois schoolchildren for the 1976 Illinois license plate. Secretary of State Michael J. Howlett announced the winning entry during an awards program today in Springfield. Read the story.

25 years ago

June 27, 1999: With last June's big windstorm, a standoff in a school parking lot and the weathering the worst blizzard in 20 years, Mark Peterson's first year as Normal city manager has been an eventful one. "I've never worked harder in my life," he told the Pantagraph. "But I've never had as much fun in a job as this past year." Looking ahead, he said he is excited about the town's major capital improvements that include widening Raab Road and building a second softball complex at Maxwell Park. Read the story.

From stilettos to sneakers, Pantagraph shoe ads through the years  Moore & Lain's - Sept. 8, 1891 Boston Shoe Store - July 3, 1896 McLean Moore - April 2, 1909 W.H. Roland - April 5, 1909 Gerhart Shoe Co. - April 13, 1909 William Fahey - Aug. 31, 1923 Gerhart's - Oct. 6, 1926 Carl's - March 4, 1938 Hanger Boot Shop - April 26, 1938 Bunnell Bros. - May 6, 1938 Penney's - May 31, 1946 Town & Country Shoes - Dec. 17, 1948 War Surplus Store - March 29, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - April 4, 1949 Schiff's Shoes - April 26, 1949 Kinney's - June 2, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - June 2, 1949 Schiff's Shoe Store - June 3, 1949 The Bootery - June 5, 1949 Livingston's - June 5, 1949 Carl's - June 5, 1949 Gerhart's - June 5, 1949 Gerhart's - Sept. 19, 1954 Schiff's Shoe Store - Sept. 19, 1954 Livingston's - Jan. 2, 1956 Roland's - Feb. 22, 1957 Schiff's Shoe Store - Sept. 5, 1958 Branom's Junior Boot Shop - Sept. 7, 1958 The Bootery - Sept. 7, 1958 Livingston's - Aug. 7, 1959 Carl's - Sept. 3, 1959 Barkers - Dec. 1, 1960 Roland's - June 6, 1963 Livingston's - June 6, 1963 Marben's - May 5, 1967 Murray's - Sept. 3, 1973 Roland's - Sept. 3, 1973 Mary Jane Shoes - Sept. 6, 1973 Bergner's - March 30, 1980 Read's of Normal - Aug. 21, 1981 Brown's Sporting Goods - June 3, 1982 Hush Puppies - Feb. 2, 1984 Brown's Sporting Goods - Aug. 9, 1984 Bergener's - Nov. 10, 1985 JC Penney - April 10, 1992 Bergner's - May 26, 1999 Murray's Shoes - June 2, 1999 Bergner's - June 3, 1999
Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
Sudan contributed to the highest global number of human displacement in 2023 according to a United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) report. Released days after observing World Refugee Day on June 20th, the UNHCR Global Trends report revealed that more than 7.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Sudan due to the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces that started in April 2023.

In addition to the war, Sudan is one of the countries experiencing severe or extreme levels of climate-related hazards. The 6 million internally displaced people are now exposed to extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods and extreme heat, in addition to a worsening humanitarian situation.

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense. These have often impacted countries experiencing new or escalating conflicts. In these situations where capacities to adapt are severely limited, climate-related hazards are exacerbating vulnerabilities such as poverty, triggering harmful coping strategies, noted the UN report.

Approximately 1.2 million Sudanese sought refuge in neighboring countries of Egypt, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan by the end of 2023, with that number expected to go higher, a year after the conflict.

The UN agency noted that Sudans neighbors healthcare, education, social housing and legal framework are insufficient to accommodate the refugees. It added that 9.1 million people in Sudan are facing a dire humanitarian situation, the largest number of people ever recorded to have remained displaced within their own country at end-year.

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The situation in Sudan is exacerbated by the fact that over 1 million refugees from South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Syria had settled in Sudan before the conflict. Many have now been forced to return to their home countries prematurely or move on to other countries, often arriving in remote and difficult-to-access locations that lack essential services, said the report.

The UNHCR report also included the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 2.8 million people were displaced as the conflict between government forces and armed groups escalated in 2023 pushing the total number of Internally Displaced Persons in DRC to 6.3 million people. In Somalia, four years of famine, flash floods in April 2023 and persistent attacks by Al Shabaab militants pushed 1.1 million people to leave their homes.

By the end of 2023, 117.3 million people around the world are living as internally displaced, refugees or asylum-seekers compared to 108.5 in 2022, an increase of 8.8 percent. Nearly half of the 68.3 million internally displaced people are from African countries impacted by war, persecution and adverse weather conditions.

Speaking during the World Refugee Day, UNHCR High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, said that 700,000 people have fled the war in Sudan and are now living in South Sudan. Some fled this country long ago to escape South Sudans civil war; now they are being forced back to a place still struggling to recover from years of fighting and famine. Others are Sudanese - teachers, doctors, shopkeepers and farmers - who must now navigate life as refugees, said Grandi when he visited Jamjang Refugee Camp in South Sudan.

Tom Albinson, the President of the International Association for Refugees, said that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Middle East host 85% of the refugees despite the stretched resources needed to support the refugees.

The vast majority who flee their countries due to persecution or war, go next door. They are not trying to get further away. They all dream, for the first five years at least, of going back home one day. But when they realize thats not going to happen, then their choices are very limited, Albinson told CDI in an interview published for World Refugee Sunday.

Speaking from his 44-years experience working with refugees, Albinson added that the Church stands as a beacon of hope in providing; safe, supportive and social communities in refugee camps, introducing and teaching a Christian worldview, providing emotional and psychosocial support and impacting practical skills to enable refugees to earn a living.

At the same time, many countries experiencing conflict can be difficult environments for Christians who may suffer discrimination or persecution for their faith.

In a statement calling for urgent intervention in Sudan, the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA) said that the conflict has aggravated tensions around religious freedom in Sudan. The association highlighted increased cases of churches being torched and congregations being harassed over the past one year.

The displacement of millions has led to the breakdown of community structures, including our church communities. Many congregations have been scattered, with members fleeing to different parts of the country or abroad. This scattering has disrupted the spiritual and communal support systems that churches provide, leaving individuals isolated and struggling to maintain their faith and practices in the face of extreme adversity, noted AEA.

While supporting AEAs position, the General Secretary of Evangelical Alliance of Sudan, Rafat Samir said that despite the dire humanitarian need and the uncertainty occasioned by the war, many Christians continue to gather, finding ways to worship and support each other even in the face of danger.

The church in Sudan remains a beacon of hope and resilience, said Samir.
Bolivia's presidential palace has been stormed by soldiers as the country's president warned of an unfolding "coup".



Troops blocked off the entrances to La Paz's Murillo Square, where key government buildings are located, before ramming the doors of the main government building. Soldiers then entered the building.



Armoured vehicles and troops have taken up positions on the square.



President Luis Arce had earlier warned on social media of "irregular mobilisations of some army units". "Democracy must be respected," he said.



Bolivian minister Maria Nela Prada published a video on her Facebook account showing the view from a window in a government building.



Im in the palace of the people. As you can see this is the Plaza Murillo taken by armed tanks and troops," she said.



Mr Arce subsequently urged Bolivians to mobilise against a "coup d'etat"



"We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat in favour of democracy," Arce said in a televised message to the country alongside his ministers inside the presidential palace.



"We cannot allow coup attempts to take Bolivian lives once again," he added.



The military officer in charge of the troops which took over central La Paz, General Juan Jose Zuniga, said he recognised President Arce "for the moment" but that there would be a change of ministers and cabinet.



"We are going to recover this homeland," General Juan Jose Zuniga said from Murillo Square after it was taken by troops.



"An elite has taken over the country, vandals who have destroyed the country," Gen Zuniga said. "The army intends to restore true democracy."



He said "political prisoners" including jailed former leader Jeanine Anez would be freed.



Rumours have been swirling for days that Gen Zuniga was on the verge of being dismissed.



The military chief had appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest former left-wing president Evo Morales if he ran for office again next year.



Mr Morales - who quit as president and was replaced by Ms Anez after the chief of the army urged him to step down amid protests over allegations of vote-rigging in the 2019 election - called on supporters of democracy to strike and block roads.



"I ask democratically-minded people to defend the homeland from certain military groups that act against democracy and the people," he said.



Formerly allies, Mr Morales is currently opposed to Mr Arce.



The apparent coup attempt has sparked international condemnation.



The US said it was monitoring the situation in Bolivia closely, and urged restraint, the White House national security spokesman said.



EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU condemned any attempt to break the constitutional order.



Mexico's President Andres Lopez Obrador said he expressed "strongest condemnation of the attempted coup".



Mr Arce was elected after a period of instability following the 2019 election.



Mr Morales, the first president to come from Bolivia's indigenous majority, carried out a radical programme after winning power in 2005, aimed at addressing extreme social divisions and inequalities.



The former coca union leader resigned in 2019 after attempting to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in power. He was succeeded by opposition senator Jeanine Anez, who declared herself interim president in November 2019.



However in a re-run of the 2019 election a year later, Mr Arce won, returning the Mas socialist party to power. Ms Anez was sentenced to 10 years in jail for "decisions contrary to the constitution".

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has called for calm and restraint amidst escalating tensions involving Adamus Resources Limited, a mining company operating in the Western Region of Ghana.



The appeal follows recent disputes over the company's management, particularly concerning the Interim Management Committee (IMC) established by the Accra High Court of Justice (Commercial Division 7) on July 27, 2023, which has faced obstruction in executing its duties.



On Wednesday, April 17, 2024, the IMC was barred by the companys security personnel and police officers at the main entrance of Adamus Resources Limited's operational headquarters in the Ellembelle District.



This prevented the committee from entering the premises to familiarize themselves with the company's operations and interact with the workers.



In a statement released on Thursday, June 27, the Ministry emphasized the necessity of peaceful dialogue and negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflicts.



The Ministry urged all parties involved to avoid actions that could escalate the situation and jeopardize the safety and well-being of the affected communities.



The Ministry also clarified that the government is not a party to the ongoing legal tussle and does not support any side in the dispute. It emphasized the importance of respecting the judicial process and allowing the courts to resolve the issue peacefully.



In its appeal for calm and restraint, the Ministry reiterated its commitment to ensuring that mining activities in Ghana adhere to legal and ethical standards.



It called on all stakeholders to cooperate in finding a resolution that promotes peace and stability in the region.



"The Ministry has faith in the courts of our country to deal with all the matters in issue. The Ministry will, however, take the necessary measures to engage the parties to attempt an amicable resolution of the matter."



"In the meantime, the Ministry calls on all parties to refrain from dealing with the matter in the media or taking such actions that could prejudice the fair adjudication of the matters in court. The Ministry, also, urges the parties to refrain from actions that tend to jeopardise the smooth running of the Company, pending the determination of the matters before the Court," an excerpt of the statement said.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Traditional rulers from the Central Region made a significant appearance in court to show their support for Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament, who is facing charges in the ongoing ambulance procurement case.



The show of solidarity from the chiefs underscores the importance of the case to the people of the Central Region and highlights the influential role that traditional leaders continue to play in Ghanaian society.



The presence of these traditional rulers in court was seen as a powerful gesture, demonstrating their belief in Dr. Ato Forson's innocence and their support for his leadership. T



he chiefs, dressed in their regal attire, were a prominent and dignified presence in the courtroom, drawing considerable attention from the public and the media.



Dr. Ato Forson, who is being prosecuted for alleged financial malfeasance related to the procurement of ambulances during his tenure as Deputy Finance Minister, has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.



He has argued that the charges against him are politically motivated and has vowed to vigorously defend himself in court. The support from the traditional rulers is likely to bolster his morale and public image.



The case has generated significant public interest, with many Ghanaians closely following the developments.



The involvement of the traditional rulers from the Central Region adds a new dimension to the case, highlighting the broader social and cultural implications.



It also reflects the deep ties between political leaders and traditional authorities in Ghana, where chiefs often play a critical role in local governance and community affairs.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In the ongoing trial, the third accused person has testified that the letter from the first accused, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, regarding the establishment of Letters of Credit (LCs), was addressed to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and not to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD).



Mr Jakpa highlighted that the letter authorising the establishment of Letters of Credit (LCs) for the procurement of ambulances was addressed to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and was on the then Finance Minister, Seth Terkper's behalf.



This detail, he argued, is crucial in understanding the context and appropriateness of the authorisation process.



Jakpa's assertion came as a defense against the allegations that Dr. Ato Forson acted improperly in the ambulance procurement process.



The 3rd accused emphasised that the procedure followed by Dr. Forson was consistent with standard governmental practices, and the letter directed to the BoG aligns with the usual protocols for such financial transactions.



This, Jakpa noted, should mitigate claims of wrongdoing attributed to Dr Ato Forson.



The controversy surrounding the procurement of the ambulances has seen Dr. Ato Forson accused of financial malfeasance, with prosecutors arguing that he bypassed established procedures.



However, Jakpa countered this by stating that addressing the letter to the BoG was not only appropriate but also necessary for the timely and efficient execution of the procurement.



He argued that the BoG is the correct entity for handling such transactions, as it oversees the country's monetary policy and financial operations.



In court, Jakpa detailed how the BoG, rather than the CAGD, is typically responsible for issuing LCs due to its role in managing the nation's foreign exchange and international financial transactions.



He pointed out that this distinction is critical in ensuring that financial processes adhere to proper channels, thus reinforcing that Dr. Ato Forson's actions were in line with standard practices.



However, the prosecution argues that the seal on the document indicates the authority of the former Deputy Minister, not the Minister

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ing. David Owusu Adonteng, the Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has urged political parties in Ghana to prioritize road safety measures in their manifestos. This call comes as road traffic accidents continue to pose a significant public health challenge in the country.



Ing. Adonteng emphasized that integrating road safety into political agendas is crucial for reducing accidents and saving lives. By doing so, political parties can demonstrate their commitment to the well-being and safety of citizens, making road safety a pivotal issue in national development.



He highlighted the need for comprehensive strategies that address various aspects of road safety, including infrastructure improvements, strict enforcement of traffic laws, and promoting safe driving practices.



He stressed that road safety should not be treated as a peripheral issue but should instead be a central component of national policy, deserving serious attention in political discourse.



The Acting Director General pointed out that election periods in Ghana witness heightened political activities, increased movement of people, and a surge in vehicular traffic due to rallies, campaigns, and other election-related events.



This situation underscores the urgency of prioritizing road safety measures during such critical periods to mitigate the risk of accidents and ensure public safety.



In engaging with transport and logistics officers from various political parties, Adonteng urged them to collaborate in revising and introducing road safety codes.



He encouraged political parties to incorporate robust road safety strategies into their 2024 manifestos, demonstrating a proactive approach to safeguarding lives and promoting responsible governance.



Overall, Adonteng's appeal highlights the intersection of public health, governance, and safety, urging political stakeholders to embrace proactive measures that enhance road safety and contribute to national development goals.



Adonteng's engagement with transport and logistics officers from political parties underscores the NRSA's proactive stance in advocating for road safety.



By collaborating directly with political stakeholders, he aims to ensure that road safety measures are not only discussed but also effectively implemented as integral components of national policy and party manifestos.



The call to revise and introduce road safety codes reflects a commitment to updating regulatory frameworks to align with evolving road safety challenges. This proactive approach is crucial given the dynamic nature of road traffic and the increasing complexity of urban transport systems.



Moreover, emphasizing road safety during election periods is particularly pertinent. The heightened political activities and increased vehicular movement present heightened risks for road accidents. By integrating road safety into their agendas, political parties can demonstrate their responsiveness to public concerns and prioritize the safety of citizens amidst the fervor of electoral campaigns.



Adonteng's advocacy also underscores the broader societal impact of road safety initiatives. Beyond reducing accidents and fatalities, effective road safety measures contribute to economic productivity by minimizing disruptions caused by accidents and enhancing public confidence in transportation systems.



Looking ahead to the 2024 manifesto development, the NRSA's engagement serves as a pivotal opportunity for political parties to differentiate themselves through concrete commitments to road safety.



By outlining comprehensive strategies that encompass infrastructure improvements, stringent enforcement measures, and public awareness campaigns, parties can set benchmarks for responsible governance and societal well-being.



Ing. David Owusu Adonteng's proactive engagement with political parties not only highlights the urgency of prioritizing road safety but also positions the NRSA as a catalyst for meaningful policy dialogue and action.



By fostering collaboration and advocacy, he underscores the critical role of political leadership in shaping a safer and more resilient transportation environment for all Ghanaians.







Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The American Soybean Association (ASA) through the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program, has partnered Agrihouse Foundation to organize the 4th edition of the Ghana Poultry Day, scheduled to hold on Monday July 1, 2024, at the forecourt of the statehouse.



The annual advocacy event, which is pushing for the recognition and celebration of July 1, as the Ghana Poultry, is also intentionally putting to light the market opportunities, trade and investment components, as well as the nutritional values in patronizing and consuming our poultry.



In his statement, the Africa Director for The American Soybean Association (ASA) through the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program, Mr. Chris Slemp, expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Our partnership with Agrihouse Foundation for the 4th Ghana Poultry Day aligns perfectly with our mission to improve food security."



The WISHH program has a crucial mission to improve nutrition, through the continuous promotion of soy in human health and Poultry as a key source of protein, Mr. Chris Slemp added.



"In 2019, Ghana was recognized as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, but inefficiencies in the poultry value chain have hindered sector growth and protein production. Poultry and egg producers in the country continuously face challenges such as high production costs, limited access to quality feed, and widespread misconceptions about poultry products.



"By our partnership with Agrihouse Foundation, we aim to contribute to education, knowledge sharing and offer practical approaches and success modules, that stakeholders and potential investors could consider and adopt, to improve their poultry business, enhance the quality and accessibility of poultry feed for producers, strengthen market connections for locally produced commodities used in feed and poultry production, and enhance poultry quality to meet Ghanas protein needs."



He remarked expressing his profound gratitude to the American Soybean Association (ASA) through the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program for their sponsorship of this year's 4th Ghana Poultry Day, Ms. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, stated, We are excited to have the American Soybean Association (ASA) World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) on board as a key partner for the organization of the 4th Ghana Poultry Day."



WISHHs expertise and commitment to improving the Poultry sector and ultimately ensuring food security is invaluable.



Our utmost desire is to advocate for, empower, build capacity and share in-depth knowledge on how, we could develop, build and sustain a strong Poultry sector, with all value chains and players vibrant and active, and having this strong support from WISHH, is very instrumental in helping us achieve this aim.



We remain confident, that together, we can collectively inspire and build a greater appreciation, value, positive outlook, visibility, acceptance and increase in consumption and patronage of our poultry.



The Ghana Poultry Day, set to take place at the forecourt of the State House on Monday, July 1, 2024, will feature a dynamic program of activities headlined by a personality-advocate chef cooking competition.



About twenty (20) chefs including Members of Parliament, Queen-mothers, women farmers, students and media personalities will be cooking different recipes, with chicken, free for the public to sample.



Additionally, the event will host insightful town hall discussions, bringing together industry leaders to explore opportunities in the poultry sector and discuss strategies for driving investment in the poultry value chain.



There will also be an Exhibition; where stakeholders across the value chain and other industries will come together to showcase their products and services, forging new partnerships and driving economic growth.



The full day event is open to the general public. We encourage and invite everyone to come through the Forecourt of the State House to gain more insight, network and sample for free, the many different food recipes, that will be made, with our poultry, Alberta concluded.



Other partners on board supporting to champion and advocate for the declaration of July 1st as the Ghana Poultry Day includes, Ghana Tourism Authority, Ghana National Egg Secretariat, Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, Amass Farms, Labianca Company Limited.



Others includes Safaree Tissue, Wilmar International, Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Project, Wilmar International ,September Spices, Maphlix Trust Ghana limited, Agrogenics .













Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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On Thursday, June 27, a protest took place at the High Court in connection with the ongoing ambulance purchase trial involving Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and the third accused, Richard Jakpa.



Protesters gathered at the forecourt of the Law Court Complex following the fourth proceeding of the trial, demonstrating their support for Dr. Ato Forson.



The demonstrators chanted local Ghanaian songs, with red cloth strips tied around their necks as a symbol of solidarity.



Notably, for the first time, traditional rulers from the Central Region were present at the court to show their support for Dr. Forson.



Members of Parliament from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), along with the Central Regional Chairman of the party, also attended the Law Complex to back the Minority Leader.



After the proceedings, NDC National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi briefed the media, accusing the Attorney General of displaying ignorance.



He argued that the only person whose case has weakened and whose character has been revealed as dishonorable throughout the trial is not Richard Jakpa or Dr. Ato Forson, but rather Attorney General Godfred Dame.



Mr. Gyamfi claimed that evidence presented by the third accused, Mr. Jakpa, during cross-examination indicated that it was actually the Attorney General who first suggested a meeting with Mr. Jakpa.



He emphasised that this revelation has significant implications for the integrity of the prosecution's case.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Scottish government has released more than 500 inmates back to the streets to relieve overcrowding in prisons.



Jails across the UK are in crisis with governors in England and Wales warning they could run out of space within days.



On Wednesday, June 26, the SNP government in Edinburgh allowed more than 500 Scottish inmates, serving short-term sentences, out early in a bid to tackle the issue.



Prisoners inside for under four years who have 180 days or less left to serve are being released in waves over the coming weeks across all Scottish prisons.



Sex offenders and domestic abusers are among those exempt, with governors handed a veto. The charity Victim Support Scotland told Sky News the system will lead to reoffending.



Kate Wallace, its chief executive, said: "The last time this happened, over 40% had re-offended within six months. That created more victims, and we are fully expecting that to be the case again.



Victims are concerned about the risks to their own personal safety, and we are aware already of some prisoners who have been in contact with victims saying that they are going to be released, and it being used as a coercive control tool.



The Scottish Prison Service insists safety is a priority.



A spokesman said: "Governors have vetoed anyone they found posed an immediate risk to individuals or groups, with the help of intelligence from police and social work."



The Prison Governors' Association (PGA) claims police will be unable to detain people because there's not enough room behind bars.













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More people are set to become German citizens as the government's new citizenship reforms take effect today, Thursday, June 27, 2024.



The liberalisation means Germany will, for the first time, allow multiple citizenship on principle  rather than as an exception for EU and Swiss nationals and those who can prove "special hardships."



Around 200,100 people from 157 different countries were naturalised as German citizens in 2023, the highest number in a single year since the turn of the millennium, according to new German government's statistics.



The total number of naturalisations increased by around 31,000 (or 19%) compared to 2022's total, a slightly smaller increase than the approximately 37,000 (28%) recorded in comparison to 2021.



"Finally, our law is doing justice to our diverse society," Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a recent statement. "Finally, we recognise the life stories and achievements of many people in our country who immigrated a long time ago and have helped our country to move forward. The message is very clear: You belong to Germany!"



Around 14% of the population in Germany do not have German citizenship. According to government statistics, 168,545 people were naturalized in Germany in 2022  just 3.1% of foreign nationals who have been living in Germany for at least 10 years, though the number has been rising in recent years.



That number is set to increase substantially in the coming year: State governments across Germany have already reported a rise in applications.



The new rules will give new rights to non-Germans who have been living in Germany for some time. The center-left government, made up of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), hopes to increase the number of naturalisations and thus create incentives for faster integration.



The opposition parties, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is partly made up of right-wing extremists, and the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), claim that the German passport will become cheapened.



Here are the main changes:

Multiple nationalities



Applicants to become naturalised citizens will no longer have to give up their previous nationality to become German.



Accelerated procedure



People will be able to apply for German citizenship after lawfully living in the country for five years, rather than the previous eight.





Special achievements rewarded



Naturalisation will be possible after just three years for something the German Interior Ministry calls "special achievements in integration." Such achievements might include not only learning German, but also excellence at school or in professional life, engaging in civic life or running for political office.



Easier access to citizenship for children



All children born in Germany to foreign parents will in future acquire German citizenship if at least one parent has been living in Germany lawfully for more than five years and has permanent residency.



The controversial "option regulation"  which forced the children of foreign parents to choose a nationality at 18  is now abolished.



Special recognition for 'guest worker' generation



The so-called guest worker generation  mainly Turkish people who moved to West Germany in the 1960s to work  will no longer have to take a naturalisation test. They simply have to prove oral language skills to gain German citizenship. Many are expected to use this opportunity.



The same also applies for foreign workers who moved to the former East Germany to work under a similar program.



Earning a living



Though the new rules apply to everyone in principle, applicants for naturalisation will still have to prove they can earn their own living (though again, people from the guest worker generation can still apply regardless).



Commitment to democracy and anti-racism



A commitment to the democratic order set out in the German constitution has always been a requirement for anyone applying for naturalization. This now specifically excludes anyone found to have committed antisemitic, racist or other inhumane acts. Those who reject equal rights for men and women or live in polygamous marriages are also not eligible for a German passport.



Newly naturalized Germans are also required to commit to protecting Jewish life in the country. The list of questions in the naturalization test is expected to be adapted accordingly.

Source: DW.COM









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Moses Asaga, a former Member of Parliament for Nabdam in the Upper East Region, has denied claims of owning illicitly acquired properties in Dubai.



The accusations surfaced following a report by the UK-based think tank, the Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which implicated several former appointees of the Mahama administration, including Asaga, Iusah Fuseini, and others.



The OCCRP report titled How Dirty Money Finds a Home in Dubai Real Estate, published on May 14, 2024, suggested that these individuals had amassed real estate in Dubai worth millions of dollars during their tenure in power.



The report also highlighted Dubais reputation for financial secrecy, suggesting it has become a sanctuary for funds from questionable sources.



However, the former Nabdam MP in a response to Citi News dismissed the claims and described them as a political machination, questioning the focus on his investment.



Asaga argued that his 30-year career, which includes significant roles at Ecobank, GNPC, and as a Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister for Employment, more than justifies his ability to invest $133,000 in such properties.



He challenged the narrative of wrongdoing by comparing property prices in Ghana, where new apartments are sold for upwards of $200,000 and luxury residences in Trassaco which can fetch between $1 million and $5 million.



I thought I had done something criminal and corrupt worth investigating. $133, 000, shouldnt I be able to own such an investment? What are the prices of Trasaaco properties $1m- $3m who are staying there? Is it not politicians and majority NPP functionaries? Has the OCCRP gone to put a story on them? This is a political machination.



So, they think for my 30-year working life I should not have an investment of that paltry amount. Before politics, I worked with Ecobank, and GNPC and was Deputy Minister of Finance, Minister for Employment, and CEO of NPA. I could not afford an investment of $133,000 for a student one-bedroom apartment. What is the crime and corruption involved in this?



In Ghana, new apartments are being sold for $200,000 plus, and Trasaco is $1m$5m. Who stays in them is [it] not bankers, CEOs of GNPC, COCOBOD, BOST, and politicians, he quizzed.

Source: citinewsroom









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Most churchgoers believe that the wider publics perceptions of Christians in the U.S is declining, according to a major study collecting the views of more than 1,000 American Protestant believers.

Lifeway Research released results from the study conducted last September yesterday (June 25), with figures showing that 69 percent of people attending church believe that public perspectives of believers in the U.S. are getting worse.



This is despite the fact that more than half (53 percent) of U.S. Protestant church goers believe that Americans currently have a positive perception of Christians.



The percentage of churchgoers who believe most Americans view Christians positively is remarkably close to a recent national poll indicating 53% of Americans view Christianity favorably, said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. Though a majority agree, fewer than one in six churchgoers is strongly convinced most Americans view Christians positively.



The demographics differ within those agreeing that most Americans have a positive perception of Christians. Men (56%) are more likely than women (49%) to have this view. Ethnicities also differ with both African Americans (66%) and Hispanics (65%) more favorable to this perception than whites (48%) and other racial groups (44%).



Church denominations also show different results for the same question with restorationist movement churchgoers (61%) and Baptists (57%) more agreeable than non-denominational church members (45%). Evangelicals (49%) are less likely than non-evangelicals (57%) to agree on this point.



The headline figure of 69 percent believing the public perception of Christians is worsening in the U.S., equal to seven out of every 10 churchgoers, also breaks down further with some demographic groups having a more negative view than others.



Those under the other ethnicities group (84%) are the most likely to see peoples perceptions of Christians in the U.S. as getting worse. On a racial basis, whites (71%) are more likely to agree with this notion than Hispanics (61%) or African Americans (60%).

Baptists (73%) and non-denominational churchgoers (73%) are more likely than Lutherans (61%) to agree that public perceptions of Christians are declining. Evangelicals with this view are 73 percent compared to non-evangelicals at 61 percent.



Responsibility for the alleged decline in public perception of Christians in the U.S. has been blamed on Christians themselves and the rest of America, according to Lifeway Research's findings.



Surely the small growth in other religions in the U.S. and large numbers of Americans that once called themselves Christians, but no longer do, impacted churchgoer perceptions, said McConnell. Not all who left the faith have ill feelings toward Christianity, but indifference is definitely a worse perception than once identifying as one.



Some 66 percent of churchgoers (two out of three) say fewer Americans believing in God is the cause for public perception of Christians worsening. An alarming point arguably is that 45 percent see Christians not acting any different than those who arent Christians. This correlates to Americans rejecting the Christian faith for claiming to be the only way to God (40%) and Christians often looking down on those who arent Christians (38%).



Many churchgoers admit Christians are getting in the way of the message of Jesus Christ, said McConnell. But if the only reason Christians are not accepted is because people reject the message of Jesus Christ, Christians have already chosen whose approval they desire.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the lawmaker for North Tongu, has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of state capture.



He cited the president's failure to intervene in the sale of hotels owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to Agric Minister Bryan Acheampong as evidence to support his accusation.



President Akufo-Addo refused to stop the sale of our SSNIT hotels when he met organized labour yesterday (Tuesday, June 25). Akufo-Addos appointed SSNIT board chair, Elizabeth Ohene is also boldly justifying the stinky deal despite overwhelming opposition from Ghanaians and the protest of labour representatives on her board.



Its now confirmed beyond any scintilla of doubt  President Akufo-Addo is the chief-architect of all the putrefying State Capture. Its time to declare our own version of what just happened in Kenya. Watch out for the big announcement soon he wrote on his X platform.





President Akufo-Addo refused to stop the sale of our SSNIT hotels when he met organized labour yesterday.



Akufo-Addos appointed SSNIT board chair, Elizabeth Ohene is also boldly justifying the stinky deal despite overwhelming opposition from Ghanaians and the protest of labour  Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) June 26, 2024

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The General Secretary of the largest opposition party, National Democratic (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has called on Ghanaians to vote out the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP)-led government in the upcoming December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections for the economic instability they have brought upon the citizenry and businesses.



According to him, after Ghanaians have voted the NPP out, the next NDC government will prosecute all government officials found guilty of corruption and corruption related matters.



He highlighted the importance of a census building by rallying behind the NDC to vote out the NPP from office.



In an interview on 'The Point of View' on Channel One Tv, Mr. Fifi Kwetey applauded some members of the NPP for their display of patriotism by coming forward to provide valuable information to the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, exposing the scandals involving high-ranking government officials.



According to him, the demonstration of courage and commitment to transparency is commendable, acknowledging that their efforts have contributed significantly to holding the government accountable for its actions



He said, I believe that regardless of our differences, the common love we have for our country should unite us at all moments . . . I remember during the recent June 4, in my speech, I actually saluted a lot of patriots who are in the NPP. Who in the midst of all these difficulties, continue to do a lot of patriotic duties?



"I can tell you, for example, a lot of the scandals, which my good brother MP for North Tongu [is working on]. A lot of information coming up is from patriots of NPP. Who are simply sick and tired of whats going on. I can tell you, they do it in the interest of our country.



There are still good people in the NPP. The plan should be to be able to have a coalition of genuine Ghanaian patriots.



Unfortunately, for those who are in charge of NPP today, the level of patriotism is so low, that is why first they need to lose. The country must unite to make sure that they are punished, and prosecuted, to be an example to even NDC in the future," he stressed.









Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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NDC Member of Parliament for North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has thrown a jab at the former Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Freddie Blay, over the ongoing impasse surrounding the alleged sale of some hotels belonging to Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).



The North Tongu lawmaker has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over the alleged sale of some hotels belonging to SSNIT to Rock City Hotel, a hotel belonging to the NPP Member of Parliament for Abetifi and the minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.



Mr. Blay, in an interview on TV3 on June 24, 2024, affirmed that his son, who is into the Tourism and Hospitality sector, submitted a bid of not less than 200 million for about seven SSNIT hotels but lost to the highest bidder.



In spite of his inability to discuss the denomination in which the bidding was conducted, all indications revealed that the bidding was done in the United States Dollars (USD).



In his official Facebook Page, Mr. Ablakwa wrote, We were told Bryan Acheampong offered the highest bid of US$ 61 million; now former NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay also says his 34-year-old son offered 150 to 200 million for the SSNIT hotel.



However, in a related post on Facebook on Thursday, June 27, 2024, Mr. Ablakwa posted, Mr. Freddie Blay must understand that even though I dont know how US$200million looks like, I certainly know how the truth looks like."



Read his full facebook post below:



Mr. Freddie Blay must understand that even though I dont know how US$200million looks like, I certainly know how the truth looks like.



See attached a full publication of the November 2020 Joint Venture Agreement between Freddie Blays son, Kwaw Blay; his estranged business partner Loic Devos Jnr; and Labadi Beach Hotel.



This JV covers the same beachfront the Blays are now publicly claiming ownership over.



If the beachfront did not belong to Labadi Beach Hotel as Mr. Freddie Blay now claims, why did they first approach Labadi Beach Hotel and why did they enter into a joint venture agreement which concedes the obvious  that Labadi Beach Hotel owns its beachfront.



Insiders at the helpless Labadi Beach Hotel now regret signing this JV as they couldnt have predicted at the time that it was all a trap meant to give Kwaw Blay initial access.



Remember the JV was violently breached causing Labadi Beach Hotel to lose substantial revenue even ahead of Labadi losing its beachfront.



I am also attaching a statement by the management of Labadi Beach Hotel issued on November 13, 2023 following a Bright Simmons social media post about political heavyweights encroaching on the hotels beachfront. From the statement, Labadi Beach Hotels MD promised to reclaim its beachfront  unfortunately, the forces they came up against were just too powerful.



Please analyze the documents and make your own conclusions.



I wont be intimidated with threats of legal action truth stands, and only truth guarantees freedom.



State Capture shall surely be defeated.



For God and Country.



Ghana First 

Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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Former President and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has expressed his gratitude to the government of South Korea for forgiving Ghana's debt.



He said the gesture "will significantly bolster our debt restructuring efforts during these challenging economic times."



The former President expressed his appreciation for the South Korea's gesture when the Ambassador of the country to Ghana, Park Kyongsig, paid a courtesy call on him in his office.



Mr Mahama, who shared snippets of his interaction with the South Korean Ambassado on his social media page highlighted some of the initiatives he intends to undertake when he is voted for as President in the upcoming December 7 general elections.



"I also shared with Ambassador Park the National Democratic Congress plans to establish rice mills and Farmer Service Centres to boost our agricultural sector," he said.



In addition, he said, "It was an honour to meet with Ambassador Park Kyongsig of South Korea to discuss the invaluable support and investments South Korea has committed to Ghana."



Mr Mahama said their interaction also focused on a "$2 billion framework arrangement, a substantial investment that will significantly impact crucial sectors such as healthcare, education, environment, and agriculture. This arrangement, coupled with the introduction of new rice varieties, holds immense potential for enhancing food sufficiency in Ghana. South Korea's commitment to bolstering our agricultural sector is truly commendable and will undoubtedly make a substantial difference."



The NDC flagbearer also raised concerns about the independence of the Electoral Commission as the country prepares for the upcoming December polls, saying "I urged South Korea and the international community to swiftly advocate for free and fair elections in Ghana, an issue of utmost importance."





Source: graphiconline.com/fakebook









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A Kenyan protester smoked teargas from a canister thrown at him by the Anti-Riot police officers during the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests in Kenya.



Youths of Kenya have displayed courage as they take to the streets to protest the bill. At least 22 citizens have died in the protests after being shot by Anti-Riot police.



Yet, Kenyan youths remain undeterred and have continued to protest.



In one incident, tear gas was thrown in the direction of protesters and one protester who caught the canister smoked it like a vape.



He even shared it with another protester. The young man can be heard saying he wants one with strawberry flavour.



This makes him the first human known to smoke tear gas.



After days of protests, Kenya's President William Ruto made a dramatic U-turn. Ruto announced that the government's controversial tax bill will be withdrawn.



In spite if the President's declaration, Kenyan demonstrators plan to resume protests on Thursday, June 27.



Prominent protesters dismissed his comments, with one, Hanifa Adan, labelling it a PR move after the violence at rallies earlier in the week.



Adan said earlier that protesters would march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people, with some supporters planning to bring flowers in memory of the dead.



You cannot kill all of us, she said on X.



Another protester, Nelly, said she intended to join the march on Thursday, criticising Rutos approach as a case of too little, too late.



He could have done this earlier without people having to die, she said. So let it be known that we are marching tomorrow for a better future Kenya.



Watch the video below.





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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

(a) Modeled storage over time for each scenario averaged over the 100 model runs. Note that the scenarios are numbered as previously shown in the text. (b) Distribution of storage values for each scenario. The plots show the median, interquartile range, and maximum/minimum values in each of the scenarios through time. Credit: JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1752-1688.13191

The increased demand for clean water and its limited supply has made water management one of the most pressing challenges facing society today. Changing attitudes about water conservation could significantly impact water consumption and help address this issue, according to research led by Renee Obringer, assistant professor of energy and mineral engineering at Penn State.

The findings were published in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.

Many factors including population growth, agricultural needs and land use change all contribute to an increased demand for water, especially in urban areas, Obringer said. Climate change and drought may also reduce the availability of water in some areas.

Water managers have primarily looked to solve increasing water needs by expanding or developing new water sources and supplies, such as enlarging reservoirs or extracting groundwater, but such solutions don't address the root of the issue.

According to Obringer, a socio-hydrology approach that accounts for how people influence water systems through their own consumption patterns is needed to understand the best way to manage stresses to the water system.

"It's important that we acknowledge the fact that humans play a role in our hydrological system," Obringer said. "Even in the farthest corners of the planet, things are changing because of us and how we use water. We wanted to see if an individual's decisions or water conservation attitude could impact the community's water availability and see what emerges if those attitudes are changed."

Previous socio-hydrology research assessed how socioeconomic status and end-use intentions influenced consumption, but consumer attitudes and social norms were excluded, as they confused predictive models, resulting in overpredictions or misrepresentations of the water system, Obringer said.

"In periods of drought, cities often encourage, possibly even mandate, reduced water consumption to help conserve the water supply," Obringer said. "However, without changing the underlying values, beliefs and attitudes associated with water conservation, it is unlikely that these initiatives will be successful, particularly in the long term."

With the understanding that attitudes influence behavior, Obringer and her collaboratorDave White, director of the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State Universitydeveloped an agent-based model (ABM) to investigate the impact of water conservation attitudes on overall water availability in Phoenix. ABMs are computer models used to simulate real-world systems that are made up of individual units, like people, and their interactions with each other and their environment.

"The primary entities in our model are the agents, which represent households in the city of Phoenix," Obringer said. "Using results from a previous household survey conducted across three metropolitan areas in the Colorado River Basin, we considered the Phoenix households to belong in one of seven archetypal groups that have different attitudes toward water conservation and participation in conservation programs.

"Since the region is experiencing a decades-long megadrought, Phoenix residents were familiar with water conservation policies and drought situations."

The seven archetypes used to classify Phoenix households were: neutral, individualist, would-be-participant, concerned, participant, confident denier and disengaged. Participant and would-be-participant are similar archetypes in that they both recognize the need for conservation programs, but the "would-be-participants" stated that they did not know how to get involved. And, the researchers said, while their work was limited to Phoenix, the archetypes and model could be applied to other areas, provided the data was available.

"The power of dynamic ABMs is they can account for the changing relationships that occur between water systems, climate and consumption to capture the nuances in a modern society," Obringer said, noting that the agents' water conservation attitudes can drive changes in consumption and ultimately the system's behavior. "The static models used in the past work primarily as a snapshot in time and assumed that the relationships are stationary."

The team conducted more than 100 model runs to validate the model's accuracy before applying it to five hypothetical scenarios, which ranged from converting partial participants to full participants and "disengaged" to "concerned." They then conducted an additional 100 model runs for each scenario.

The researchers found the biggest effect on overall water availability occurred when the "would-be-participants" archetype converted into "participants." In one scenario, when half of the "would-be-participants" converted, there was a 4.5% increase in water supplya significant amount according to the researchers.

The researchers suggested that a rebate program or educational campaign targeting renters could help encourage such conversion in the real world.

"Our results indicated that the best course of action was to focus intervention efforts on a subset of residents that recognize the problem but are unsure how to help," Obringer said. "These residents, the 'would-be participants,' are not only willing to participate in water conservation programs but are also among the most prevalent archetypes in Phoenix.

"This indicates that even getting a fraction of the households to shift archetypes can benefit the water system through increased supply."

Targeted campaigns have a high chance of success and are more likely to make a significant difference in the water availability, according to the researchers.

"The model doesn't show what policy or program would successfully persuade any specific group," Obringer said. "However, the ability to test scenarios and see what sort of groups or ideas are most worthy of targeting is invaluable in places where they're accounting for every gallon of water."

Obringer said she plans to build on the model, with the next step focused on incorporating predicted climate models to see how different scenarios might play out in the future due to climate change. The goal is to eventually test demand management policies or additional variables such as predicted population growth.

"I think one of the critical things that we were see in these results is that, while individuals might not think that they can make any difference, all you need is a critical massand it doesn't necessarily mean a lot of peopleworking towards the same goal to change the outcome," Obringer said.

"That encouraging participatory, collective action can make an impact and hopefully lead to happier, healthier communities."

More information: Renee Obringer et al, Simulating sociohydrological responses to climatic conditions in Phoenix, Arizona, JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association (2024). DOI: 10.1111/1752-1688.13191
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Chemical structural formulae trigger stress reactions in many pupils. Credit: RUB, Marquard

Structural formulas are a source of dread for many students, but they're an essential tool in biology lessons. A joint study has shown that the stress levels of students working with chemical formulas are significantly reduced if they are given simple tips on how to deal with these formulas.

The research was led by biology didactics expert Dr. Nina Minkley from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, and chemistry didactics expert Dr. Sascha Bernholt from the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education in Kiel, Germany.

"Thereby, also their overall performance increases," says Minkley, head of the study. She and her team had 136 high school students take a test with and without tips and compared their performance and stress levels. They published their findings in the journal Research in Science Education on June, 26, 2024.

Chemical formulas are actually taught in chemistry classes, where they are systematically introduced at the junior level. In biology, they're used in several fields, for example when studying the photosynthesis reaction.

"Experience and previous studies have shown that complex structural formulas in particular can lead to stress reactions, and many students have considerable difficulties with them and try to avoid them," reports Minkley. "In biology classes, however, there's not enough time to systematically introduce the formulas all over again."

H stands for hydrogen

Her idea was, therefore, to give the students tips that would make it easier to master formulas. One such tip could be that the letter H stands for hydrogen, or that carbon, denoted by the letter C, can have a maximum of four bonding partners.

For their experiment, the researchers first asked a group of 136 high school students to take a preliminary test to determine their prior knowledge of structural formulas. The participants then wrote a test in which half of them received tips and the other half didn't. The researchers compared the results of the tests as well as the subjectively perceived stress levels and the stress levels measured objectively using heart rate variability.

Less stress, better performance

"We observed that the students who'd received tips were less stressed and performed better than the control group who hadn't been given any tips," says Minkley. The researchers factored out the impact of prior knowledge for the purpose of the study.

"Such simple hints, which are easy for teachers to give, could help students to focus on the essentials in assignments and testswhich are, after all, not about understanding the structural formula."

The research team also argues that too much stress can lead to cognitive decline, which can hinder the recall of previously learned information. This problem could be avoided by providing tips on the formulas.

In addition to stress and performance, the team also assessed the impact of the tips on the students' self-efficacy. "We found that there was virtually no difference," concludes Minkley. "The students were well aware that their knowledge of structural formulas was incompletewith or without tips."

More information: Nina Minkley et al, Effects of (Short) Clues on Performance, Stress, and Self-Efficacy in the Accomplishment of Tasks with Complex Molecular Representations, Research in Science Education (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s11165-024-10180-7
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The known status of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild white-tailed deer by county in the 201920 season according to the results of surveillance testing by US state wildlife agencies. CWD Detected represents counties where governing wildlife officials confirmed at least one CWD-positive case in wild, white-tailed deer in the 201920 season. CWD Not Detected represents counties where governing wildlife officials conducted CWD testing in 201920 in wild, white-tailed deer, but did not confirm CWD in any subject. Not Considered represents counties that did not exist in the Pooled Dataset. Map was created in QGIS (version 3.32.2-Lima). Credit: Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65002-7

Wildlife experts have developed a regional computer modeland user-friendly appthat predicts counties in 16 states where wildlife managers should target their surveillance of chronic wasting disease in deer, helping them conserve scarce money and labor resources.

The modeldescribed in a paper published June 22 in Scientific Reportshighlights areas with similar conditions to counties known to harbor chronic wasting disease, so agencies can then focus their efforts.

The model was made possible by pooling chronic wasting disease and other data from wildlife agencies in 16 eastern and midwestern states. The collaboration breaks a cycle of agencies staying siloed within their states, which has made regional assessments difficult in spite of their importance, because deer don't honor human boundaries.

"We're not making a lot of progress on our own, so we need to do it more collectively," said Krysten Schuler, assistant research professor in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health and director of the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab in the College of Veterinary Medicine. "We can use these big data techniques by pooling our data resources that will help us move farther ahead faster, as chronic wasting disease has been found in 34 states."

At the same time, a closer look at the data reveals that while the geographic spread appears wide, the disease has appeared in a relatively few number of counties across those states, Schuler said, "The scale at which you're looking at this matters."

So far, chronic wasting disease infects only animals in the deer familywhite-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moosebut scientists worry it might jump to other animals, including humans. Infected deer spread prions, misfolded proteins that persist in the environment, which are spread through urine, saliva and carcasses and can infect other deer when ingested.

The disease leads to neurological disorders, weight loss, abnormal behavior, lack of fear and death. It has been eradicated from New York state after appearing in 2005, but reintroduction from other affected states remains a constant threat, further underscoring the need for surveillance. If detected early, wildlife professionals can cull deer before the disease spreads.

In addition to the data of chronic wasting disease cases, developers also incorporated other information such as state regulations, human activities and risk factors, as people are known to move prions in live animals and carcasses, and landscape features such as streams where deer may congregate and spread disease, and soil. Prions are ionically charged and bind to certain soil types, including clay.

The team used existing algorithms and applied them to predicting chronic wasting disease for the first time. Using 2020 data, four different algorithms were tested to predict which counties might be positive for chronic wasting disease, and the results were then checked against 2021 data. Each algorithm emphasized different risk factors. The Light Boosting Gradient model was found to be the most reliable predictor, given the regional data.

"If we add more data in, we may have stronger conclusions about which risk factors are most important, because collecting data is one of the challenges in ecology," Schuler said.

The Cornell Wildlife Health Lab's Surveillance Optimization Project for Chronic Wasting Disease provides resources for wildlife professionals, including custom software for agencies to standardize and manage their chronic wasting disease data, a Chronic Wasting Disease Data Warehouse with other computer models, and disease data from other states.

Study co-authors include researchers from the University of California, Davis; Michigan State University; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the University of Tennessee; the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; departments of natural resources in Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin; the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources; the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

More information: Md Sohel Ahmed et al, Predicting chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer at the county scale using machine learning, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65002-7 Journal information: Scientific Reports
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

As temperatures soared into the 90s, the heat and humidity hit the concrete in Astoria, Queens, and bounced into the air. People moved along the scorched sidewalk slowly, their clothes drenched with sweat.

Elianne Alvarado, 44, who was raised in New York City and has lived here for most of her life, ascended the steps to the elevated Astoria Boulevard subway station, fanning herself with a sheet of paper. She was looking forward to escaping the heat in an air-conditioned train.

"I don't ever remember it being this hot," Alvarado told Stateline. "I remember other summers being nice, not that hot. But this week has been crazy."

The heat wave that pummeled New York state and much of the East Coast and Midwest last week and into the weekend broke daily records in several cities. On June 19, Boston (98 degrees); Hartford, Connecticut (97); and Providence, Rhode Island (91), all set new highs for that date. In New York City, temperatures reached the low 90snot a record, but plenty hot enough to cause misery, especially with humidity and the radiant heat from concrete and asphalt.

The Northeast is not the hottest part of the country, but several states in the region are among those where average temperatures have increased the most over the past two decades.

In recent years, climate change has forced states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York to take extreme heat more seriously. In preparing for a hotter future, some of them are copying the policies of states that are used to sizzling temperatures, such as Arizona, Florida and Louisiana.

Public health officials in Connecticut and New York, for example, are partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that their most vulnerable residentsolder and lower-income peopleare better prepared for extreme heat and other aspects of climate change. And in April, New Jersey published a draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, recognizing that, "while the state remains committed to reducing emissions, New Jersey is past the point of avoiding all climate change impacts and needs to enact measures to adapt."

"New Jersey is a northern state, and it is not necessarily the folks that are hardest hit by this phenomenon of extreme heat compared to, for example, the desert Southwest," said Nathaly Agosto Filion, deputy chief climate resilience officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

"But for that reason, much of our built environment is maybe not as well designed to withstand the impacts, and much of our population sort of undervalues the extent to which it is a problem for our communities."

New Jersey's draft plan includes 133 action items, but the first priority is helping New Jerseyans cope with the heat. The state aims to do that by beefing up emergency preparedness and response; providing public cooling centers; planting more trees; and adopting workplace safety rules, among many other steps. It also plans a public information campaign to make peopleespecially vulnerable populations such as older and homeless peopleaware of the risks of extreme heat.

"We're also talking about outdoor workers, we're also talking about athletes, we're also talking about folks that are pregnant or breastfeedingthese are all subpopulations that are really important to engage," Agosto Filion said.

'Hot box' apartments

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United Statesand those deaths are increasing as average temperatures rise, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 2,302 people died from heat-related causes last year, up from 1,722 in 2022 and 1,602 in 2021.

Those totals are likely an underestimate, because heat waves make death more likely from other causes as well. A New York City analysis in 2022, for example, found an annual average of 360 heat-exacerbated deaths in the city compared with 10 caused directly by heat.

Ladd Keith, an associate professor of planning at the University of Arizona who focuses on climate change, said cities and states should have different plans to cope with extreme heat, because housing and development differ so dramatically among communities.

One challenge, Keith explained, is that many homes were designed for climates that have changed dramatically. Many "hot box" apartments in New York don't have air conditioning because decades ago it was rarely needed. In the Pacific Northwest, many homes have large windows to let in light, but they let in too much heat during the now-warmer summers. Homes designed to rely on air conditioning, like those in Arizona, quickly become miserable if the power goes out.

Keith said that for the most part, the rising temperatures haven't been enough to convince most Americans that heat is a serious threatyet.

"Even though the awareness is growing, we really haven't had this watershed moment, or what I call a 'heatshed' moment, where we've said, "We really need to take this seriously as a climate risk,'" Keith told Stateline.

Southern experience

But public officials in some states are focused on the threat.

The New York State Department of Health is one of 13 recipients, mostly state and local agencies across the country, of a CDC climate resilience grant. Neil Muscatiello, who heads the department's bureau of environmental health, said the goal is "to identify how we think climate change is going to be impacting New Yorkers, particularly vulnerable populations, and then work on adaptations or interventions to help reduce those risks."

The agency, noting that people can fall ill at lower temperatures, recently changed New York's heat alert threshold from 100 degrees to 95 degrees. Last week, it was tracking emergency room visits and coordinating with other state and local agencies on getting vulnerable people to cooling centers.

Muscatiello said the department is also learning from other jurisdictions that have dealt with heat for years.

"It is a really collaborative process, not only with CDC, but also with other state partners. We're always interested to hear what they're doing."

Southern cities and states have long integrated heat resilience into their public health programs and have lessons to share.

In 2021, Miami-Dade County, Florida, became the first jurisdiction in the world with a chief heat officer. Since then, Phoenix and other cities have followed suit.

One policy change Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dade's heat officer, made was to lower the thresholds for heat advisories and warnings. The county now issues advisories when the heat index what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperaturereaches 105 degrees, down from the previous 108 degrees. The new standard for a heat warning is a heat index of 110 degrees, down from 113 degrees. She made the changes because heat-related illness can happen at the lower temperatures.

Gilbert also created an outreach strategy to help homeless people cope with extreme heat, including placing cooling centers in areas where there are many people living on the streets.

"We are doing a lot of great services to people who are unsheltered. That doesn't mean we don't miss people. We are doing a lot of messaging to employers with employees doing work, but that doesn't mean we won't miss people," Gilbert said. "We know there are gaps. There is definitely more work to be done. That's what we are focused on."

Like Florida, Louisiana has long experience with extreme heat. But the state's public health response still has to evolve with the warming planet, said Michelle Lackovic, who is the project lead for Louisiana's Occupational Heat-Related Illness Prevention Program at the Louisiana Department of Health. Last year, she said, the state had more heat-related emergency department visits and fatalities than ever before.

Last summer the Louisiana Department of Health created a public, online dashboard for heat-related illness and daily counts of emergency room visits that it updates weekly during the hot months. The data is also broken down by sex, age, race and geography, so that the public can be aware of who may be most susceptible to the rising temperatures.

The state experienced over three weeks of temperatures above 95 degrees last year, Sundee Winder, an executive director at the health department, told Stateline.

"Drought, wildfires, saltwater intrusion, all of those things were a result of that extensive heat last year that was unprecedented for our state," Winder told Stateline. "So, we continue to improve our dashboard, make it more user-friendly, and share the times of day that we see [people should] avoid."

2024 States Newsroom. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Kathleen Turner, the Oscar, and Tony-Award-nominated actress, will play Madame Armfedt in the Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical 'A Little Night Music' at Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine.

The limited engagement will open on Thursday, July 18, and run until Saturday, Aug. 17, under Hunter Foster's direction.

'A Little Night Music' is based on the Ingmar Bergman-directed and -written film 'Smiles of a Summer Night.' The production features a book by Wheeler and a score by Sondheim.

The story centers on three groups of seemingly mismatched lovers who are unsatisfied with their current relationship.

The most well-known song from Sondheim's Tony-winning music is 'Send in the Clowns,' which emerged as an unexpected radio hit following the Broadway production opening in 1973. The score also includes 'Every Day a Little Death,' 'A Weekend in the Country,' and 'The Miller's Son.'

In 1990, Turner received a Tony nomination for her role in 'Cat in a Hot Tin Roof.' She was also nominated for her role in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' in 2005. Her Broadway credits include 'High,' 'The Graduate,' and 'Indiscretions.'

Furthermore, Turner has many on-screen credits, including 'War of the Roses,' 'Romancing the Stone,' 'Body Heat,' and 'Peggy Sue Got Married.' Her latest Broadway production was the drama 'High,' which debuted in 2011 and closed after just 28 previews and eight regular performances.

The world premiere of a new concert version of the musical, featuring Cynthia Erivo and Ruthie Ann Miles, with orchestrations of a 53-piece orchestra by Tunick, will be on Thursday, June 27, at Lincoln Center. The musical itself was last performed by Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt on Broadway in 2009.

Ogunquit's 'A Little Night Music' is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.

Tickets are available at OgunquitPlayhouse.org.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The number of girls in England taking a GCSE in computing has more than halved since 2015, which could lead to continued male dominance of the digital space and harm the UK's aim to be a technology "superpower," researchers warn today.

In 2015, 43% of those who took the GCSE in ICT were girls. But last year just 21% taking the newer GCSE Computer Science in 2023 were girls.

The research was led by King's College London, in partnership with Professor Billy Wong at the University of Reading.

Professor Wong said, "The changes made to the secondary school computer science curriculum have only served to reduce the potential for equity between genders. In addition, girls are particularly affected by gender disparities, teacher dissatisfaction, negative stereotypes, and outdated policies.

"There is also a serious lack of visible role models for girls in computer science. When we asked pupils to name famous computing people, male tech entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were mentioned frequently. Only two womenGrace Hopper and Ada Lovelaceboth of whom are long deceased, featured in the pupils' top 10.

"Our previous research also showed that the GCSE computer science curriculum does not cater to the interests of girls and their potential careers. It clearly isn't working and must be overhauled, with equity in mind."

Of the girls who did not take the GCSE, 74% said that they didn't expect to enjoy the curriculum. Girls tend to be significantly more interested in topics such as digital media and project work, which was included in the old ICT curriculum but is extremely limited in the new Computer Science curriculum.

To ensure computing is a subject that appeals to more young people the authors make a set of recommendations including the urgent need for curriculum reform, improving support for computing teachers and changing the current narrative around computing to focus beyond male tech entrepreneurs.

They point out that a wider range of digital skills are vital for individuals to participate in modern society and will be needed if the UK is to realize its aim to become a "science and technology superpower."

Principal investigator Dr. Peter Kemp, Senior Lecturer in Computing Education at King's College London, said, "It is imperative that we see action to encourage more girls to take computing at school so they can develop the digital skills they will need to be able to participate in and shape our world.

"The current GCSE is focused on computer science and developing programming skills, and this seems to deter some young people, in particular girls, from taking up the subject. We need to ensure computing is a subject that is appealing to all pupils and meets the needs of young people and society."

The Subject Choice, Attainment and Representation in Computing project (SCARI) surveyed of almost 5,000 students. There were also interviews with 45 stakeholders, including teachers and school leaders. Nine-hundred sixty school documents were analyzed, as well. This revealed that many teachers and senior school leaders were dissatisfied with the new GCSE Computer Science specification and felt unprepared to teach it.

The teachers called for better access to continuous professional development, especially around ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as subject-specific training.

Pete Dring, Head of Computing, Fulford School, York, said, "Every student should be leaving school with the digital skills required to thrive in the workplace and society. We need to reform the curriculum to include a comprehensive computing GCSE that provides essential skills and knowledge beyond just computer science."

To encourage more girls to take computing and to give all young people access to better digital skills, the report recommends:

reforming the computing curriculum with a focus on broader digital skills

promoting and enhancing teaching training and professional development

supporting inclusive computing education in schools

reframing the computing narrative

showcasing diverse digital opportunities

increasing access to out of school digital making.

The authors call for a concerted commitment from policymakers, educators, business and other relevant parties. Otherwise, they warn: "The lack of women in computing may lead to heightened vulnerabilities and the dominance of men in shaping the modern world."

Dr. Emily Tanner, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation, said, "This report demonstrates that changes are needed to ensure that girls have equal access to the digital and technological jobs of the future. Stronger links between employers and educators would help the curriculum keep pace with rapid changes in the labor market."
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This artists impression shows the view from the planet in the TOI-178 system found orbiting furthest from the star. New research by Adrien Leleu and his colleagues with several telescopes, including ESOs Very Large Telescope, has revealed that the resonant system boasts six exoplanets and that all but the one closest to the star are locked in a rare rhythm as they move in their orbits. Credit: ESO/L. Calcada/spaceengine.org

An international team led by UNIGE, UNIBE and PlanetS has shown the existence of two distinct populations of sub-Neptunes, resolving a debate in the scientific community.

The majority of stars in our galaxy are home to planets. The most abundant are the sub-Neptunes, planets between the size of Earth and Neptune. Calculating their density poses a problem for scientists: Depending on the method used to measure their mass, two populations are highlighted, the dense and the less dense.

Is this due to an observational bias or the physical existence of two distinct populations of sub-Neptunes? Recent work by the NCCR PlanetS, the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Bern (UNIBE) argues for the latter. The study is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Exoplanets are abundant in our galaxy. The most common are those between the radius of the Earth (about 6,400 km) and Neptune (about 25,000 km), known as "sub-Neptunes." It is estimated that 30% to 50% of sun-like stars contain at least one of these.

Calculating the density of these planets is a scientific challenge. To estimate their density, we must first measure their mass and radius. The problem is that planets whose mass is measured by the TTV (Transit-Timing Variation) method are less dense than planets whose mass has been measured by the radial velocity method, the other possible measurement method.

"The TTV method involves measuring variations in transit timing. Gravitational interactions between planets in the same system will slightly modify the moment at which the planets pass in front of their star," explains Jean-Baptiste Delisle, scientific collaborator in the Astronomy Department of the UNIGE Faculty of Science and co-author of the study.

"The radial velocity method, on the other hand, involves measuring the variations in the star's velocity induced by the presence of the planet around it."

Eliminating any bias

An international team led by scientists from NCCR PlanetS, UNIGE and UNIBE has published a study explaining this phenomenon. It is due not to selection or observational biases, but to physical reasons.

"The majority of systems measured by the TTV method are in resonance," explains Adrien Leleu, assistant professor in the Astronomy Department of the UNIGE Faculty of Science and principal author of the study.

Two planets are in resonance when the ratio between their orbital periods is a rational number. For example, when a planet makes two orbits around its star, another planet makes exactly one. If several planets are in resonance, it forms a chain of Laplace resonances.

"We therefore wondered whether there was an intrinsic connection between density and the resonant orbital configuration of a planetary system," continues the researcher.

To establish the link between density and resonance, astronomers first had to rule out any bias in the data by rigorously selecting planetary systems for statistical analysis. For example, a large, low-mass planet detected in transit requires more time to be detected in radial velocities.

This increases the risk of observations being interrupted before the planet is visible in the radial velocity data, and therefore before its mass is estimated.

"This selection process would lead to a bias in the literature in favor of higher masses and densities for planets characterized with the radial velocity method. As we have no measurement of their masses, the less dense planets would be excluded from our analyses," explains Leleu.

Once this data cleaning had been carried out, the astronomers were able to determine, using statistical tests, that the density of sub-Neptunes is lower in resonant systems than their counterparts in non-resonant systems, regardless of the method used to determine their mass.

A question of resonance

The scientists suggest several possible explanations for this link, including the processes involved in the formation of planetary systems. The study's main hypothesis is that all planetary systems converge towards a resonance chain state in the first few moments of their existence, but only 5% remain stable.

The other 95% become unstable. The resonance chain then breaks down, generating a series of "catastrophes," such as collisions between planets. The planets fuse together, increasing their density and then stabilizing in non-resonant orbits.

This process generates two very distinct populations of sub-Neptunes: dense and less dense. "The numerical models of planetary system formation and evolution that we have developed at Bern over the last two decades reproduce exactly this trend: Planets in resonance are less dense.

"This study, moreover, confirms that most planetary systems have been the site of giant collisions, similar or even more violent than the one that gave rise to our moon," concludes Yann Alibert, professor at UNIBE's Space Research and Planetary Sciences Division (WP) and co-director of the Center for Space and Habitability and co-author of the study.
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Extreme levels (90% coral cover) of coral bleaching, including recent mortality due to bleaching stress, at Russell Island, Great Barrier Reef, in 2017. Credit: Neal Cantin, Australian Institute of Marine Science

Coral bleaching is becoming much more common as a result of increasingly severe and frequent marine heat waves. Four global mass bleaching events have happened since 1998. Two of these were in the past decade.

Unless greenhouse gas emissions are cut to slow global warming, our new research shows that, by 2080, coral bleaching will start in spring, rather than late summer. Some events will last into autumn. The Great Barrier Reef's maximum annual heat stress will double by 2050 if emissions do not slow.

Marine heat waves stress corals, which then expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissue. These corals are left white and weakened. While not all bleached corals die immediately, prolonged heat stress harms their health and reproduction.

Our research used daily data on sea surface temperatures (instead of monthly data that models typically use) and supercomputing to produce high-resolution projections of marine heat waves. We showed the risk of coral bleaching will be greatest along the equator. That's also where the most biodiverse coral reefs are found.

Coral reefs cover only 1% of our oceans, but host at least 25% of all marine species. More than half a billion people worldwide depend on coral reefs for food.

So coral reefs are vital for the health of the ocean and people. They are also among the ecosystems most at risk from climate change.

Longer bleaching season will hit spawning

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitors marine heat waves globally. Seasonal coral bleaching alerts are based on this data. Predicting coral bleaching risk over entire decades has proved much more challenging.

Recent improvements in climate modeling now allow marine heat waves and coral bleaching risks to be predicted with high accuracy. Using daily projections of heat stress from many global climate models, we show the severity and duration of coral bleaching will soon reach uncharted territory.

By mid-century coral bleaching is expected to start in spring for most of Earth's reefs, rather than late summer as is typical today. In equatorial regions, corals will be at high risk of bleaching all year round by the end of the century.

In many regions, corals spawn only once a year. These spectacular mass spawning events happen in a single week following a full moon in spring.

By 2040, this spawning event could coincide with severe bleaching risk. This would greatly reduce their reproductive success, causing large-scale coral loss.

Equatorial regions most at risk

We show the future risk of severe coral bleaching is uneven globally.

The greatest risk is along the equator. Equatorial regions are home to the most biodiverse coral reefs, including conservation hotspots such as the Coral Triangle. To make matters worse, marine life in these regions is particularly vulnerable to accelerated climate change.

Many equatorial species are already living at temperatures near their upper tolerance. They also generally have low abilities to move to track shifting climates. This leaves them at high risk of extinction.

Future risk of coral bleaching under a high-emission scenario (top) and benefit from climate mitigation (bottom). Credit: Adapted from Mellin et al. Science Advances 2024

Our research shows equatorial regions are set to benefit least from efforts to curb emissions. We expect significant emission cuts will reduce the annual duration of severe bleaching conditions in all areas except these regions.

The projected highest climate impacts coincide with highest social reliance on coral reefs. This will challenge human populations that rely heavily on their local reefs for their livelihoods and nutrition.

Improving coral reef management

Our research identifies Earth's reef regions that are at lowest risk of increased bleaching. This will help conservation managers and policymakers prioritize efforts to limit loss of coral reef biodiversity.

We predict much less risk of coral bleaching in regions such as the northern coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, Socotra Island (opposite the Gulf of Aden) and Alor Kecil in Indonesia. Seasonal upwellings occur here, bringing cooler water to the surface that's likely to limit the severity of heat waves.

Identifying these future havens for coral reefs will help maximize the success of coral conservation strategies such as assisted evolution, coral restoration or transplantation.

These strategies can help maintain healthy coral populations at local scales, particularly if used on reefs where future climate impacts will be lower. By pinpointing these havens, our research will strengthen coral conservation.

Our research includes a user-friendly web-based tool for mapping future coral bleaching. It will help pinpoint locations for effective management interventions.

Curbing greenhouse gas emissions is the main solution to reduce future climate impacts on corals. However, other strategies are also vital to maximize coral reefs' adaptation to climate change.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

In today's hyper-partisan environment, do states led by Republican governors have different budgetary priorities than those led by Democrats?

They do indeed, in normal economic times. However, in times of negative economic shockseither within a state or in neighboring statesDemocratic and Republican governors tend to share a similar budgetary response by increasing spending in certain categories while also cutting discretionary spending.

That's the assessment made in a research paper, "Bad times keep us together: Policy priorities and economic shocks," co-authored by Andrew Q. Philips, associate professor in the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Political Science. Social Science Quarterly published the work this year.

While much has been made of the political divide between Republicans and Democrats, research on their spending priorities at the state level in several budgetary categories remains somewhat sparse, according to Philips, whose research focus includes political economy, specifically budgets as a reflection of government priorities.

To gauge the budgetary priorities of state governments, Philips and his three co-authors focused on 10 budgetary categories that compose most state expenditures: elementary education, higher education, transportation, social services, housing, natural resources and sanitation, public safety, labor market policy, interest on the debt and "other." The data came from U.S. Census Annual Survey of Government Finance for the 48 contiguous states between the years 1977 and 2007.

Partisan spending priorities

"Our research finds support for the idea that partisanship drives the allocation of budgetary expenditures. So, to answer the question: Do Democratic and Republican governors have different ideological priorities regarding spending? In good economic times, the answer is 'yes,'" Philips says.

"That makes sense, and we are certainly not the first ones to show thatalthough I believe we do it in a different way, because of the compositional approach we take to spending, rather than focusing on certain categories, such as unemployment."

The research found that Democratic governors tended to spend comparatively more on labor market policy (which includes unemployment, workers' compensation and jobs training programs) as well as housing, while Republicans tend to spend a bit more on public safety and transportation, according to Philips.

"A lot of these are the usual suspects," he says of spending priorities relating to a governor's political affiliation. "I think the cooler part of the paper is: What happens when the economy is not doing well? In those cases, what we find is that it actually matters less what the party of the governor is, because no matter their (party affiliation), they tend to respond in a similar manner to these shocks that we look at within a state."

For example, if a state's unemployment rate increases, Philips says both Democratic and Republican governors will allocate a larger portion of the budget to cover unemployment, worker's compensation and job retraining. At the same time, because most states are required to have balanced budgets, increases in those segments will come at the expense of discretionary expenses in other areas.

"Economic pressures constrain the ability of governors to act," Philips explains. "And so, I might be a Republican governor who wants to increase spending on public safety as a percentage of the budget, but ifall of a suddenthere's more unemployment, I likely have to address that more direct need. So, even if public safety is what I want to spend more on, I need to address the more pressing need."

It's not surprising that governorsregardless of party affiliationpursue similar policies when faced with economic shocks, because as politicians, they face pressures to act from other elected officials, the media andperhaps most importantlyvoters, Philips says.

"The worry is that, if you are an incumbent and the (state) economy is not doing well, there's lot of evidence from political science that they get punished at polls," he adds.

Still, because budgets are established in advance, Philips says there's generally not a lot a governor can do in the immediate aftermath of an economic shock.

"I think the overarching statement is that, in the short run, like a one-year period, they tend to do the same thingand often they often don't do much," he says of both Democratic and Republican governors. "These (state) budgets are really sticky. They get allocated the year before  and it's hard to make changes, even if they (governors) want to."

Another possible economic shock is a drop in a state's per capita personal income, which Philips says in the longer term (five years or more) can reduce budgets for social services, labor market policy, public safety and interest on the debt.

In that case, both Republican and Democratic governors will cut spending for labor market policy, he says, adding that Republican governors will cut it slightly more, as a percentage of the budget. And Democratic and Republican governors will both cut funding for elementary education and higher education, although Democrat governors will cut expenses by a larger amount, percentage-wise, he says.

Negative effects from neighboring states

Philips says another interesting aspect of the paper is that it found economic shocks to states had correlating effects on the budgets of neighboring states.

"I think there are various mechanisms as to how that could happen," he says. "For example, there could be a common factor, such as the national economy going down and everyone is receiving this simultaneous shock. Or, there could be a spillover effect. For example, on the East Coast, where the states are pretty close together, it's not uncommon for people to live in New Jersey and commute to New York. So, if the economy is suddenly doing poorly in New Jersey, that could be felt in New York, and in how New York responds to setting its budget."

When a neighboring state experiences negative economic shock in the form of a decrease in personal income, in the short run, both Republican and Democratic governors in their home state respond in nearly identical ways, by sharply decreasing elementary education and increasing social services and labor market policy, the research paper found.

"If there are negative economic shocks in nearby statesno matter the partisanshipthey (governors) tend to respond relatively similarly," Philips says.

Notably, the study illustrates that that for negative economic shocksspecifically, increases in unemployment or decreases in personal incomebudgetary reactions are similar when the shock happens within a state versus when a shock occurs in surrounding states, he adds.

Phillips says he believes there are many aspects of budgetary policy at the state level that could still be explored. For example, Philips says his paper compared states where the Republican or Democratic governor also had a state legislature of the same party, which raises the question of whether a governor serving in a state where the legislature is controlled by the opposition party would be required to make more compromises to get things done.

Another possible area to study: Comparing whether governors who are term-limited with those who are not to determine if it had any impact on whether governors kept their budget priorities after experiencing an economic shock.

Still, Philips says he believes his research has broken new ground on the similarities in budgetary priorities between Republican and Democratic governors during in times of economic shock, particularly when partisanship appears to be on the rise.

"It's very easy in today's age to think that the policies of Democrats and Republicans couldn't be more different, and certainly on the national stage I think that's true to some extent," he says.

"For a variety of reasons, during periods of economic shock, I think our research has shown that it's a bit different at the state level. Because, as a governor, I might wake up to an economic crisis, and even if at the end of the day I want my budget to look like budgetary menu A, the events at the time might force me to make my budget look like budgetary menu B. And there's a trade-off between: When can I stick with my priorities versus being stuck with menu B."

More information: Christine S. Lipsmeyer et al, Bad times keep us together: Policy priorities and economic shocks, Social Science Quarterly (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ssqu.13382 Journal information: Social Science Quarterly
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A scientist samples lake methane emissions in Swedens Skogaryd Research Catchment. Credit: J. Lundin/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Accurate estimates of atmospheric greenhouse gas levels are needed to understand and address the drivers of climate change. Of particular interest is atmospheric methane, which has increased in concentration by 160% since preindustrial times and accounted for 35% of warming from greenhouse gases from 2010 to 2019.

The Global Methane Budget (GMB) debuted in 2016 to track trends and estimates of both anthropogenic and natural methane emissions.

Updated in 2020, the GMB integrates research from top-down studies, which provide broad, regional-level pictures of methane sources and sinks, and bottom-up studies, which provide more detailed views of specific emissions sources. But uncertainties (quantitative estimations of error) in the data behind the GMB vary from sector to sector.

In an article published in Earth's Future, Judith Rosentreter and colleagues surveyed 53 methane experts, including both modelers and empiricists, to learn about the magnitude, distribution, and types of uncertainties in measurements of global methane sources and sinks.

The experts were asked to rate uncertainty levels related to various methane sources and sinks, such as wetlands, fossil fuels, and wildfires. They were also asked to share their personal confidence levels (a subjective measure ranging from "very low confidence" to "very high confidence," not referring to statistical confidence) for a range of both top-down and bottom-up methane emissions estimates from sectors such as fossil fuels, soil uptake, and agriculture and waste.

The experts ranked the GMB's "other natural sources" category as having both the highest uncertainty and lowest confidence, reflecting uncertainty in methane emissions data from sources such as fresh water, vegetation, and coastal and ocean areas, as well as in parameters for wetland models.

Confidence was particularly low in bottom-up estimates of these other sources. In addition to those results, about 67% of the experts surveyed felt that atmospheric methane will play a larger role in global warming by 2050.

The authors suggest that rather than labeling methane emissions as either natural or anthropogenic, emissions should be categorized along a gradient between the two. Using this method, they calculated that more than 76% of global methane emissions are either fully human caused or related to human influencesabout 26% higher than anthropogenic contributions suggested by the 2020 GMB.

They also suggest ways to reduce uncertainty in the GMB, including further researching the role of permafrost thaw and extending methane observation networks to poorly monitored regions.

More information: Judith A. Rosentreter et al, Revisiting the Global Methane Cycle Through Expert Opinion, Earth's Future (2024). DOI: 10.1029/2023EF004234 Journal information: Earth's Future

This story is republished courtesy of Eos, hosted by the American Geophysical Union. Read the original story here.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Temporal and locational variations in power generation result in relatively large fluctuations in the power supply and power prices. Grid infrastructure providers are increasingly forced to intervene in order to balance supply and demand and avoid power outages. Consequently, the EU Commission is assessing a possible split of the German uniform price zone and the day-ahead market into smaller price zones.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have shown that smaller price zones would have little effect on the power price or re-dispatch measures. By contrast, the use of nodal pricing would reduce overall costs for providing energy by 9%. The study is published in the journal Operations Research.

What political discussions are taking place on this topic, and what does your research show?

Current discussions revolve around dividing Germany into two to four bidding zones instead of the current uniform zone. The EU Commission has ordered a bidding zone review to reassess the price zones in the EU. In our study, we used the data set from the bidding zone review to analyze trends in power prices and the costs of re-dispatch measures under the assumption that Germany was divided into the proposed bidding zones. Never before was such a comprehensive data set available for analysis.

In addition, we calculated local (nodal) prices. Under a zonal price system, a single hourly price applies for the entire bidding zone. By contrast, a nodal system sets an individual price for each node.

How much would a nodal pricing rule reduce the total power costs?

With power price zones, it was evident that there would be practically no difference between the individual zonal prices. At the same time, the price variance and re-dispatch costs would not decrease significantly compared to the power price in a German uniform price zone. Several experts had expected a stronger impact from a zonal split. However, we do not see this in the data set provided for the bidding zone review.

With our calculations we were able to show that the lowest total costs would result if Germany were to use nodal pricing. Compared to the uniform price or zonal pricing, the total costs would be around 9% lower. That is in particular due to the fact that the market mechanism takes network restrictions into account and that it succeeds in efficiently allocating the available resources. As a result, costly re-dispatch measures are largely avoided.

To understand these effects, one must consider how power pricing currently works in Germany.

Power prices across Europe are determined in a day-ahead auction. Across Europe there are various price zones, each with its own electricity prices. The zones can be entire countries. However, some countries, such as Italy, are divided into several zones.

What is the situation in Germany?

Germany has only one price zone. It may happen, however, that large amounts of wind energy are generated in northern Germany, for example, while demand is particularly high in the south. But due to the limited grid capacity, not enough power can be transmitted from the north to the south. The uniform price for Germany determined in the day-ahead auction does not take this into account.

What problems result from the uniform price?

Under the current pricing mechanism, there is little incentive to adjust consumption on the demand side when electricity is in short supplybecause the price at locations where power is scarce is the same everywhere in Germany.

In the example I mentioned, the production of wind power needs to be throttled in the north while expensive gas-fired power stations are fired up in the south to cover demand there. These re-dispatch measures are very costly. In 2023 they totaled 3.1 billion euros. That amount was passed on to consumers.

How could that be changed?

By replacing uniform prices for large power pricing zones by locational prices set for individual nodes in the grid. This system operates in many countries around the world, including the U.S. Texas has more than 4000 nodes, for example. Due to the fluctuating power supply, some nodes have excess supply at some times and less at others. This results in temporary downward or upward price movements at those locations.

When prices rise, there would be an incentive for the industry to reduce demand at these nodes. Either production would be shifted elsewhere or energy storage would be utilized. The demand-side flexibility would help grid operators to stabilize the network and substantially reduce the need for re-dispatch measures.

More information: Mete Seref Ahunbay et al, Pricing Optimal Outcomes in Coupled and Non-convex Markets: Theory and Applications to Electricity Markets, Operations Research (2024). DOI: 10.1287/opre.2023.0401
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Antikythera mechanism. Credit: National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece

Techniques developed to analyze the ripples in spacetime detected by one of the 21st century's most sensitive pieces of scientific equipment have helped cast new light on the function of the oldest known analog computer.

Astronomers from the University of Glasgow have used statistical modeling techniques developed to analyze gravitational waves to establish the likely number of holes in one of the broken rings of the Antikythera mechanisman ancient artifact which was showcased in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

While the movie version enabled the intrepid archaeologist to travel through time, the Glasgow team's results provide fresh evidence that one of the components of the Antikythera mechanism was most likely used to track the Greek lunar year. They also offer new insight into the remarkable craftsmanship of the ancient Greeks.

The mechanism was discovered in 1901 by divers exploring a sunken shipwreck near the Aegean island of Antikythera. Although the shoebox-sized mechanism had broken into fragments and eroded, it quickly became clear that it contained a complex series of gears which were unusually intricately tooled.

Decades of subsequent research and analysis have established that the mechanism dates from the second century BCE and functioned as a kind of hand-operated mechanical computer. Exterior dials connected to the internal gears allowed users to predict eclipses and calculate the astronomical positions of planets on any given date with an accuracy unparalleled by any other known contemporary device.

In 2020, new X-ray images of one of the mechanism's rings, known as the calendar ring, revealed fresh details of regularly spaced holes that sit beneath the ring. Since the ring was broken and incomplete, however, it wasn't clear how just how many holes were there originally. Initial analysis by Antikythera researcher Chris Budiselic and colleagues suggested it was likely somewhere between 347 and 367.

Now, in a new paper published in the Horological Journal, the Glasgow researchers describe how they used two statistical analysis techniques to reveal new details about the calendar ring.

They show that the ring is vastly more likely to have had 354 holes, corresponding to the lunar calendar, than 365 holes, which would have followed the Egyptian calendar. The analysis also shows that 354 holes is hundreds of times more probable than a 360-hole ring, which previous research had suggested as a possible count.

Professor Graham Woan, of the University of Glasgow's School of Physics & Astronomy, is one of the authors of the paper. He said, "Towards the end of last year, a colleague pointed to me to data acquired by YouTuber Chris Budiselic, who was looking to make a replica of the calendar ring and was investigating ways to determine just how many holes it contained.

"It struck me as an interesting problem, and one that I thought I might be able to solve in a different way during the Christmas holidays, so I set about using some statistical techniques to answer the question."

Professor Woan used a technique called Bayesian analysis, which uses probability to quantify uncertainty based on incomplete data, to calculate the likely number of holes in the mechanism using the positions of the surviving holes and the placement of the ring's surviving six fragments. His results showed strong evidence that the mechanism's calendar ring contained either 354 or 355 holes.

At the same time, one of Professor Woan's colleagues at the University's Institute for Gravitational Research, Dr. Joseph Bayley, had also heard about the problem. He adapted techniques used by their research group to analyze the signals picked up by the LIGO gravitational wave detectors, which measure the tiny ripples in spacetime, caused by massive astronomical events like the collision of black holes, as they pass through the Earth, to scrutinize the calendar ring.

The Markov Chain Monte Carlo and nested sampling methods Woan and Bayley used provided a comprehensive probabilistic set of results, again suggested that the ring most likely contained 354 or 355 holes in a circle of radius 77.1mm, with an uncertainty of about 1/3 mm. It also reveals that the holes were precisely positioned with extraordinary accuracy, with an average radial variation of just 0.028mm between each hole.

Bayley, a co-author of the paper, is a research associate at the School of Physics & Astronomy. He said, "Previous studies had suggested that the calendar ring was likely to have tracked the lunar calendar, but the dual techniques we've applied in this piece of work greatly increase the likelihood that this was the case.

"It's given me a new appreciation for the Antikythera mechanism and the work and care that Greek craftspeople put into making itthe precision of the holes' positioning would have required highly accurate measurement techniques and an incredibly steady hand to punch them.

Professor Woan added, "It's a neat symmetry that we've adapted techniques we use to study the universe today to understand more about a mechanism that helped people keep track of the heavens nearly two millennia ago.

"We hope that our findings about the Antikythera mechanism, although less supernaturally spectacular than those made by Indiana Jones, will help deepen our understanding of how this remarkable device was made and used by the Greeks."

More information: An improved calendar ring hole-count for the Antikythera mechanism. bhi.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2  -HJJuly24-AOTM-2.pdf
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Ants found on the inside of a car, hitching a ride to find a new home. Credit: Scotty Yang for Virginia Tech

Insects are masters of transportation and get around by flying, crawling, swimming, burrowing, and even gliding. Now, ants have been observed using a new method of getting around: hitchhiking. These social insects pack up the whole family, including their queen, and hop in the car for an opportunistic ride to a new area where they can set up a home.

Scotty Yang, assistant professor in the Virginia Tech Department of Entomology within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, recently published a paper in Ecological Entomology describing this automotive phenomenon.

His observations of this ant behavior spanned 20172023, when he observed nine species of ants hitchhiking on personal vehicles. Of these nine species, seven were considered invasive to the places they were found.

It has been well documented that insects can hitch a ride on vehicles, but typically the research focuses on agricultural machinery or the trucking industry. Yang's work is the first to look at ants hitching on everyday vehicles.

Yang's study was a citizen science effort that incorporated social media reports from people throughout Taiwan. The work primarily studied ant populations and their hitchhiking on the island, and it included examples of species such as the ghost ant and the black cocoa ant. In the study, factors such as the time of year, weather, type of car, location, duration of stay, and number of ants were examined to better understand the patterns which gave rise to a successful hitchhiker colony.

"We saw social media posts where people were devastated about finding their cars covered in ants," Yang said. "Although we felt sorry for them, we wanted to examine whether these events had anything in common."

Based on the data collected, Yang learned that hitchhiking ants need three main things to succeed: The ants must be able to climb the surface of the vehicle, the ants must be exhibiting foraging/colonizing behaviors, and the ants must be able to withstand the temperature of the part of the vehicle they settle in.

Tracking invasive insects and how they spread is an important subject for entomologists because these creatures can represent threats to native species of plants and animals. The spread of invasive ants was previously thought to occur primarily through the transport of agricultural, arboreal, and horticultural materials such as logs, plants, and dirt. The impact of noncommercial transport of ants was poorly understood.

Most personal vehicles offer no real food or shelter, but when ants live in overcrowded colonies, they look to leave and find a new, bigger home. Native species of ants tend to face these pressures less frequently, meaning invasive species are more likely to hitchhike, further dispersing these insects into new areas.

As an entomologist based at Virginia Tech, Yang explained how this study could have broad impact in Virginia and the Eastern United States. Of the 100 worst invasive species in the world, five are species of ants and two of these are already established in Virginia: the red imported fire ant and the Argentine ant. These ants have been found in increasingly northern territories, potentially drawn to rising seasonal temperatures over the past decade.

Yang suggests that hitchhiking events will provide more chances for these ants to arrive in new locations, speeding the ants' spread. He hopes to implement a similar citizen science program in Virginia to the one he conducted in Taiwan, with the goal of tracking the spread of invasive ants and their connection to personal vehicles.

More information: FengChuan Hsu et al, Free ride without raising a thumb: A citizen science project reveals the pattern of active ant hitchhiking on vehicles and its ecological implications, Ecological Entomology (2024). DOI: 10.1111/een.13336 Journal information: Ecological Entomology
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

In 1974, on a survey in Hadar in the remote badlands of Ethiopia, U.S. paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson and graduate student Tom Gray found a piece of an elbow joint jutting from the dirt in a gully. It proved to be the first of 47 bones of a single individualan early human ancestor whom Johanson nicknamed "Lucy." Her discovery would overturn what scientists thought they knew about the evolution of our own lineage.

Lucy was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis, an extinct hominina group that includes humans and our fossil relatives. Australopithecus afarensis lived from 3.8 million years ago to 2.9 million years ago, in the region that is now Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. Dated to 3.2 million years ago, Lucy was the oldest and most complete human ancestor ever found at the time of her discovery.

Two features set humans apart from all other primates: big brains and standing and walking on two legs instead of four. Prior to Lucy's discovery, scientists thought that our large brains must have evolved first, because all known human fossils at the time already had large brains. But Lucy stood on two feet and had a small brain, not much larger than that of a chimpanzee.

This was immediately clear when scientists reconstructed her skeleton in Cleveland, Ohio. A photographer took a picture of 4-year-old Grace Latimerwho was visiting her father, Bruce Latimer, a member of the research teamstanding next to Lucy. The two were roughly the same size, providing a simple illustration of Lucy's small stature and brain. And Lucy was not a young child: Based on her teeth and bones, scientists estimated that she was fully adult when she died.

The photo also demonstrated how human Lucy wasespecially her posture. Along with the 1978 discovery in Tanzania of fossilized footprint trails 3.6 million years old, made by members of her species, Lucy proved unequivocally that standing and walking upright was the first step in becoming human. In fact, large brains did not show up in our lineage until well over 1 million years after Lucy lived.

Lucy's bones show adaptations that allow for upright posture and bipedal locomotion. In particular, her femur, or upper leg bone, is angled; her spine is S-curved; and her pelvis, or hip bone, is short and bowl-shaped.

These features can also be found in modern human skeletons. They allow us, as they enabled Lucy, to stand, walk and run on two legs without falling overeven when balanced on one foot in mid-stride.

In the 50 years since Lucy's discovery, her impact on scientists' understanding of human origins has been immeasurable. She has inspired paleoanthropologists to survey unexplored areas, pose new hypotheses and develop and use novel techniques and methodologies.

Even as new fossils are discovered, Lucy remains central to modern research on human origins. As an anthropologist and paleoecologist, I know that she is still the reference point for understanding the anatomy of early human ancestors and the evolution of our own bodies. Knowledge of the human fossil record and the evolution of our lineage have exponentially increased, building on the foundation of Lucy's discovery.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Being nursed by a single parent could be an evolutionary strategy to curb the spread of harmful microbes in mammals, according to a novel theory developed by mathematicians.

The rainforests of Malaysia are home to the only known case of a wild male mammal that produces milk. The Dayak fruit bat is a vanishingly rare case of male milk production, despite the fact that the potential for breastfeeding remains in place in most male mammals.

In the 1970s, evolutionary theorists posited that the near absence of lactation in males, even though offspring could benefit from the extra nutrition provided, could be attributed to the uncertainty of paternity: As male mammals can't be sure they are the biological father, this reduces their evolutionary drive to invest heavily in offspring care, including breastfeeding.

Now, mathematicians from the University of York have suggested a complementary perspective. Their hypothesis, published in Nature Communications, suggests that the reason male mammals don't breastfeed might be driven by the rich community of microbes that lives in breast milk, which plays an important part in establishing the gut microbiome of the infant.

The theory demonstrates how the transmission of the milk microbiome from both parents would allow harmful microbes to spread through mammalian populations. Maternal-only lactation stops this, as restricting transmission of the milk microbiome to females in effect acts as a sieve, retaining just the microbes with beneficial effects.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. George Constable from the Department of Mathematics at the University of York, said, "We became fascinated with this topic when we read about Azara's owl monkeys. They turn previous assumptions about why males don't breastfeed upside down because they are the most devoted dads in the primate world: They do 8090% of childcare and only hand their babies back to their female partners for nursing.

"When both parents are involved in feeding, the chance of a microbe being passed along and getting an initial foothold in a population is essentially doubled. So our theory suggests selection against the transmission of harmful microbes through mammary milk could be an additional selection pressure against male lactation."

First author of the study, Dr. Brennen Fagan, working at the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity and the Mathematics Department at the University of York, added, "Breast milk is a living substance and it plays a key role in establishing the gut microbiome of mammals, which is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and fungi, along with their genetic material. This ecosystem plays a crucial role in health, including by helping to protect animals against disease, helping to digest food and in many other ways we are only just discovering.

"While microbes are not inherently harmful or beneficial; it's their presence and abundance that dictate the overall health of this internal community. A 'wrong actor' at the early point of an animal's life could change the microbiome at a pivotal moment."

The mathematical model highlights the advantage of being fed by just one parent, but the researchers say it makes evolutionary sense for this to be the mother because there has already been an inevitable transmission of microbes during birth and perhaps also in the womb.

Dr. Constable added, "This theory fits with a pattern of strategies mammals have adopted in an evolutionary bid to limit the spread of potentially harmful elements. Notably, in humans, mitochondrial DNA is exclusively passed down from the mother. This mechanism serves as a natural filter, maintaining genetic integrity by suppressing the proliferation of detrimental mutations. Additionally, the prevalence of monogamous relationships among certain species has been suggested as an adaptive response aimed at minimizing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)."

The researchers caution that their hypothesis is not intended as the basis for any judgments about the different ways of feeding human infants.

Dr. Fagan added, "Our model is very much focused on the long-term evolution of the animal kingdom. The model does not tell us about individual families making individual choices on how to safely feed their children, especially not for humans in the modern world. Our hypothesis fills a gap in evolutionary theory and is concerned with selection pressures on mammals at population level and over very long periods of time spanning multiple generations."

More information: Maternal transmission as a microbial symbiont sieve, and the absence of lactation in male mammals, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49559-5 Journal information: Nature Communications
The mostly volunteer Columbus Symphony Orchestra named William McClain of Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, as the seventh music director in its 100-year history.

Starting on July 1, McClain will become the orchestra's director as it enters its 102nd season, making it one of the state's oldest ensembles. The upcoming season will host concerts in October and December 2024, February, April, and June 2025.

McClain will succeed Josh Aerie, who served in the role for eight years before leaving to focus more on his cello career. This past season, McClain was among several music director finalists who led a concert that included a program of works he had personally chosen.

He has played at major U.S. and abroad venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Sheremetev Palace in St. Petersburg, and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

"I am so honored to be the next music director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra of Indiana!" McClain wrote on his Facebook page. "It is such a fun group of musicians. I can't wait for what's coming next."

He conducted the ensemble in its season-ending performance on Sunday, June 2 at The Commons. Days before, he said in an interview with Republic that his role as an associate professor of music at Millikin University would be ideal for mentoring and instructing primarily non-professional musicians from diverse backgrounds.

Furthermore, he currently performs on viola with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra in Georgia. He was a former member of the Tri-Cities Opera Orchestra and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

McClain is also starting his fifth season as the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra's conductor and music director.

"William is very encouraging, and he can work with the orchestra in a way that is very special," Rachel Wilkin, the local symphony's past board president and the music director search committee co-chair, said. "He has a background working with a variety of other community groups. With that background, he's possesses a of things that we were looking for in a conductor."
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A white sturgeon. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Jiaqian AirplaneFan Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

The largest freshwater fish in North America, which was once abundant in California's major rivers and San Francisco Bay, has declined in numbers to a point that state officials will consider whether to protect the fish as a threatened species under the state's Endangered Species Act.

White sturgeon can grow to more than 10 feet long and spend much of their lives in San Francisco Bay, swimming upstream in rivers to spawn. Some white sturgeon are thought to live as long as a century.

Recent population estimates indicate the fish have been struggling to survive in the face of multiple pressures.

The California Fish and Game Commission voted last week to accept a petition that calls for placing white sturgeon on the state's endangered species list. The commission's decision that protections may be warranted starts a review by state fisheries experts, who are expected to present a report within about a year. The commission will then decide whether to declare white sturgeon a threatened species.

Proponents of imposing protections say the fish are threatened by diversions of water that reduce river flows, harmful algae blooms that can trigger fish kills, and overfishing by recreational anglers. They say the fish are particularly vulnerable because they spawn infrequentlyonly in wet years that bring high river flows.

The giant size of white sturgeon makes them an outlier among fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta estuary.

"They're even larger than a mountain lion," Jon Rosenfield, science director for the group San Francisco Baykeeper, said in a speech to the commission. "This is an ancient lineage. White sturgeon diverged from other sturgeon and paddlefish about 46 million years ago. In that time, they've withstood everything that Mother Nature had to throw at them, which makes it particularly poignant that they're having trouble surviving us."

San Francisco Baykeeper and other groups, including California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Restore the Delta, submitted the petition last year calling for listing the species as threatened.

If the state ultimately declares white sturgeon a threatened species, the protections could further complicate debates over water management and ecological protections in the delta, the central hub of the state's water system, where pumps fill aqueducts that supply farms and cities across California.

Advocates for protecting the fish argue that the state's plans for infrastructure projects such as Sites reservoir and a proposed water tunnel in the delta would further imperil the species.

"Their population is in decline, and there's an imminent threat to further degrade their habitat by diverting high river flows," Rosenfield told the commission.

He and other conservationists said stresses on the species will probably worsen with climate change.

"They're in bad condition. They've been declining for a while now," Rosenfield said. "So they need protection under the Endangered Species Act."

Representatives of water agencies urged the commission not to accept the petition. Jennifer Pierre, general manager of the State Water Contractors, and Federico Barajas of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority said in a letter to the commission that the petition is flawed and incomplete, lacks evidence and "does not rely on the best available science."

They also said the petition ignores regulations that are already in place providing protection for white sturgeon.

Pierre and Barajas, who together represent agencies that provide water for about 29 million people and 1.9 million acres of farmland, argued that claims the species would be harmed by the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites reservoir are unfounded, and that water diversions for those projects would be subject to state and federal permits and environmental restrictions.

"The current regulatory framework is protective," Pierre and Barajas wrote, adding that available data show the population size has been stable over the last 14 years.

Others who spoke against the petition run businesses with recreational fishing boats.

The commission's decision means that white sturgeon will temporarily fall under protections while the state considers the petition. Fishing for sturgeon has been allowed until recently based on fish size and other restrictions, but fishing will now be prohibited while the state review is underway.

Other fish species that are currently listed by the state or the federal government as threatened or endangered in the Bay-Delta watershed include longfin smelt, delta smelt, spring-run Chinook salmon, winter-run Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and the distinct population of green sturgeon.

Environmental regulations that are designed to protect fish species at times trigger restrictions on pumping at the state and federal facilities that draw water from the delta.

Sturgeon are distinguished by their shark-like, torpedo-shaped bodies and rows of bony plates called scutes within their skin. They have been called living fossils because their ancestors swam in rivers and estuaries 200 million years ago, and they survived the mass extinction that doomed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

Because of their long lives, the giant fish are also called "the redwoods of the bay."

In the late 1800s, California had a commercial fishery for white sturgeon, but the population soon crashed and the fishery was shut down in the early 20th century.

In 1954, the state opened a recreational fishery for white sturgeon.

Boaters have continued to catch the fish legally under state regulations, which until recently allowed a limited catch of fish 40 to 60 inches long.

Others have turned to illegal fishing for the prized sturgeon roe, selling the caviar for profit. In recent years, some poaching investigations by state officials have led to arrests.

According to state estimates, the population of white sturgeon that are of a size to be legally caught has declined from between 150,000 and 200,000 in the 1980s to the most recent five-year average of 33,000 fish.

That estimate, however, does not account for losses during an algal bloom in San Francisco Bay in 2022, when white sturgeon were among large numbers of fish that died.

Biologists with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct the review of the species' status. The process allows officials one year, but they may request a six-month extension to complete their analysis.

The state's population estimates have been calculated through the standard method of catching fish, attaching dime-size metal tags at the base of their dorsal fin, and releasing them. In past years, those who catch the fish have turned in the tags for cash rewards, helping biologists calculate estimates of how many fish there are in the estuary.

"There have been persistent long-term declines," said John Kelly, the statewide sturgeon coordinator for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. "They face a number of challenges."

The review will involve analyzing available data from agencies, academic researchers and other sources, Kelly said, and will also undergo a peer-review process.

White sturgeon can venture from San Francisco Bay into the ocean, but they are thought to spend most of their lives in the estuary. There are other populations of the species in the Pacific Northwest, including in the Columbia River as well as British Columbia's Fraser River.

Rosenfield said one way to help California's white sturgeon would be to allow only catch-and-release fishing, which is popular on the Fraser River.

"It's been very, very successful. The fish are much bigger than our fish because they live longer," he said.

"People can still enjoy fishing for these fish," he said. "They can enjoy them without killing them."

2024 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Wild Egyptian fruit bat in flight. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Researchers have found that nerve cells in the hippocampus region of the brain encode complex information on numerous characteristics of other individuals in the same social group.

The work, which is being carried out in bats, is the first to show this in a large, mixed-sex group of wild, social animals, and is important because it sheds light on how the brain operates and generates thinking processes and behavior.

Professor Nachum Ulanovsky, Head of the Center for Learning, Memory and Cognition at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, has published numerous studies on how the brain works in bats. In his presentation to the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024, he described previous studies on how bats navigate, learn and remember details of the spaces they fly in, and how they interact socially.

In his new study, he digs deeper into how the nerve cells (neurons) in a specific region of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and spatial understanding, play a much more complex role. He believes that as the bat hippocampus is very similar to the human hippocampus, similar findings will be discovered in humans in the future.

"Our brain makes us who we are. Our behaviors, emotions, thoughts, memories, our successes and failures are all determined by our brains. It is therefore a fascinating question: How does the brain operate? How does the brain generate behavior and cognition? To address this in a detailed manner, we must record the activity of individual neuronsthe basic operating units of the brainwhile humans or animals perform various behaviors and cognitive tasks. This is technically easier to do in animals than in humans, which is why recording the activity of individual neurons in behaving animals is crucial for understanding the brain," he said.

Wild Egyptian fruit bat in flight. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Prof. Ulanovsky and his colleagues created a "bat cave" in their laboratory for colonies of wild Egyptian fruit bats, which are highly social mammals. Each group had between five and ten bats with roughly equal proportions of males and females. The bat cave measured 2.7 x 2.3 x 2.6 meters, and it was equipped with large and small nets between which the bats could fly. The bats knew each other, lived together in the bat cave for several months and were free to fly and interact with each other.

The researchers attached tiny wireless-electrophysiology systems to each bat, which recorded the electrical activity of neurons in the bats' brains during natural behaviors, such as flight, navigation and social interactions. The bats were also tagged and bar-coded, which enabled the researchers to track the locations and identities of the bats in 3D. The researchers used video cameras to record the bats' head directions and social interactions when they were hanging in the nets.

Prof. Ulanovsky said, "We discovered a whole host of very strong social signals in the hippocampus. We found that neurons in the hippocampus represented the positions and identities of multiple other bats, creating a social-spatial representationthat is, the neurons encoded who was located where. Moreover, these neurons represented highly important social factors such as the sex of the other bat, its place in the dominance hierarchy (is it a dominant or a subordinate bat?), its social affiliation (is the other bat my friend or not?), and also represented specific forms of social interaction.

"This study suggests that beyond the classical roles of the hippocampus in representing memory and space, the hippocampus may have an additional role in social processing. In particular, it may link these three aspectssocial, space and memoryinto one unified representation of social-spatial memories.

"Brain research typically focuses on the behaviors of individual animals and humans, and when social behaviors are studied, they are usually investigated in pairs of animals that are socially interacting. But many of our social behaviors inherently involve multiple individuals: Think of your class, your family dinner, the last party you went to, or the latest ball game that you watched. These are all group social behaviors. Nevertheless, to date there have been very few studies of neuronal activity in the brains of animals that are socially interacting in a group. In particular, there have been very few such studies of this in the hippocampus."

Wild Egyptian fruit bats in flight. Credit: Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

He believes it is important to study the brain in animals that are behaving naturally and in social groups, and not just during the controlled behaviors that are normally used in brain research, as the results can be different.

"I plan to continue studying the brain during ever more naturalistic behaviors, both social behaviors and navigation behaviors. The bat hippocampus and its connections are extremely similar to the human hippocampus in terms of their structure. Therefore, I expect that similar findings will be discovered in humans in the future," he concluded.

Professor Richard Roche, Deputy Head of the Department of Psychology at Maynooth University, Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland, is chair of the FENS communication committee and was not involved in the research. He said, "If we can understand the mechanisms that contribute to who we are, where we are, our characters, our motivations, our emotions, how we think and so much else, then we can begin to discover what is different when we have conditions such as depression, anxiety, autism or other conditions related to how our brains behave.

"This fascinating work by Professor Ulanovsky uncovers how individual neurons in the hippocampus are encoding important information about the environment that these bats are living in and about other bats in their social groups. This gives us indicators of what to look for and where to look when we investigate this in humans."

More information: "Hippocampal coding beyond the representation of self-location", by Professor Nachum Ulanovsky, Session S34: The dynamism of the hippocampal neural code, 09.47-10.05, Friday 28 June, Hall B: fens2024.abstractserver.com/pr  ls/presentations/263

Provided by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies
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Statues depicting the high dignitary Nefer and his wife (Abusir, Egypt). Credit: Martin Frouz and the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University.

Repetitive tasks carried out by ancient Egyptian scribeshigh-status men with the ability to write who performed administrative tasksand the positions they sat in while working may have led to degenerative skeletal changes, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.

Petra Brukner Havelkova and colleagues examined the skeletal remains of 69 adult males30 of whom were scribeswho were buried in the necropolis at Abusir, Egypt between 2700 and 2180 BCE.

They identified degenerative joint changes that were more common among scribes compared to men with other occupations. These were in the joints connecting the lower jaw to the skull, the right collarbone, the top of the right humerus (where it meets the shoulder), the first metacarpal bone in the right thumb, the bottom of the thigh (where it meets the knee), and throughout the spine, but particularly at the top.

The authors also identified bone changes that could be indicative of physical stress caused by repeated use in the humerus and left hip bone, which were more common among scribes than men with other occupations. Other skeletal features that were more common among scribes were an indentation on both kneecaps and a flattened surface on a bone in the lower part of the right ankle.

Model of the skull of Nefer"overseer of the scribes of the crew" and "overseer of the royal document scribes". Credit: Veronika Dulikova, Czech Institute of Egyptology; data processing and creation of 3D model Vladimir Bruna, Zdenek Marek, Department of Geoinformatics, UJEP Most. Czech Institute of Egyptology, Charles University

The authors suggest that the degenerative changes observed in the spines and shoulders of scribes could result from them sitting for prolonged periods in a cross-legged position with the head bent forwards, the spine flexed, and their arms unsupported.

However, changes to knees, hips, and ankles could indicate that scribes may have preferred to sit with the left leg in a kneeling or cross-legged position and the right leg bent with the knee pointing upwards (in a squatting or crouching position).

The authors note that statues and wall decorations in tombs have depicted scribes sitting in both positions, in addition to standing, while working. Degeneration to the jaw joints could have resulted from scribes chewing the ends of rush stems to form brush-like heads they could write with, while degeneration to the right thumb could have been caused by repeatedly pinching their pens.

The findings provide greater insight into the lives of scribes in ancient Egypt during the third millennium BCE.

More information: Petra Brukner Havelkova, Ancient Egyptian scribes and specific skeletal occupational risk markers (Abusir, Old Kingdom), Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63549-z. www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-63549-z Journal information: Scientific Reports
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The darker the country on the map, the higher the number of lynchings per million inhabitants. Each black dot represents a lynching event. Credit: Enzo Nussio

In late March 2024, an eight-year-old girl went missing in Taxco, a small Mexican town two-and-a-half hours' drive south of Mexico City. Even before the police found the girl's lifeless body, the local community had already identified a woman they suspected of being responsible for the disappearance.

Dozens of the town's residents gathered outside the suspect's house, smashed down the door and dragged her out into the street. The mob then proceeded to beat the woman to death in front of the cameras of several media organizations who were in town for an event. Although police were present, they failed to intervene quickly or decisively enough.

Such cases of lynching are common not only in Mexico but also in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africayet there is still no consensus among researchers as to why a group of civilians would suddenly take the law into their own hands and use physical violence against alleged wrongdoers. In an attempt to answer this question, ETH conflict researcher Enzo Nussio has created the first cross-national lynching dataset that covers the whole of Latin America.

Nussio, who works in the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, recently published papers on this topic in several scholarly journalsand his work sheds new light on a little-understood phenomenon. "We see cases of lynching primarily in places where a weak state is combined with a close-knit local community that prioritizes collective security over the lives of alleged wrongdoers," he says. This, he adds, also explains what happened in Taxco.

Lynching incidents systematically investigated for the first time

Although lynching is a common form of collective violence, much of the research on this topic is based on case studies of individual lynchings. Attempts to carry out a systematic and comparative examination of multiple cases across different countries have previously been hampered by a lack of data. This gap has now been filled by a new dataset created by Nussio and co-author Govinda Clayton.

Compiled on the basis of media reports, their dataset covers 2,818 lynchings carried out in 18 Latin American countries from 2010 to 2019, 543 of which resulted in at least one fatality. The most frequent trigger for the violence was alleged theft, followed by alleged murder and child abuse. Slightly fewer than half of all lynchings were perpetrated by groups consisting of between 20 and 99 individuals; just under a third involved groups of over 100.

With 261 cases over 10 years, Guatemala is the country with the highest lynching rate in relation to its population of some 14 million people. Next comes Bolivia, followed by Mexico, whichat 1,134is the country with the largest absolute number of lynching events. This data, which the researchers have shared on an interactive website, provides a unique insight into the factors behind lynchings.

Weak states conducive to lynchings

"Numerous studies have shown that lynching occurs primarily in places where the state and its security forces are unable to protect the civilian population from crime," Nussio says. People in these places tend to feel like victims and develop a need to take justice into their own hands.

This is compounded by the fact that state institutions in weak states are often perceived to be illegitimate and corrupt. "For example, when even the police don't obey the law or are in league with criminals, normal citizens then feel less of an obligation to uphold the law themselves," Nussio says. Consequently, violent vigilantism ends up becoming a legitimate tool of social control and local security.

Solidarity, peer pressure and shared values play an important role

Yet this context alone is not enough to explain why people suddenly resort to violence. Why do ordinary civilians take part in acts of often brutal violence against alleged wrongdoers if they stand to benefit from the deterrent effect of these acts even as non-participants? Nussio argues that the reason lies in close-knit community ties.

He starts by providing evidence to support this hypothesis on the level of the individual: based on a representative survey carried out in Mexico City, he shows how people who have personal ties to many people in their community are more inclined to participate in lynchings, or are more likely to have already done so.

Nussio draws on the same survey data to explain why this might be the case. "Having many personal ties to your neighbors or to the local community provides the basis for solidarity and peer pressure," he says. The more a person is connected to their community, the more likely they are to feel responsible for keeping it safe.

Moreover, the cost of non-participation is higher, since individuals who stand up to a lynch mob are putting their reputation as a cooperative member of the community at risk. "If I decide not to participate, then maybe my neighbors won't come to my aid the next time someone threatens me," says Nussio, explaining the social logic of peer pressure.

Furthermore, Nussio believes that, in the moral hierarchy, collective security ranks above the physical integrity of the individual in communities or neighborhoods in which many people have close ties to one another. In Taxco, for example, the perceived security of the community was seen as more important than the individual rights of the alleged wrongdoer.

Checked with earthquake data

But Nussio's research is not confined to the level of the individual. He is also keen to discover why lynching rates in Mexico vary so markedly from one area to the next. "Lynchings occur more frequently in municipalities where neighbors have closer ties," he says. Close communities are regarded as those in which members regularly work together and help each other. To determine how willing people are to cooperate, Nussio analyzed the answers from a representative survey encompassing the whole of Mexico.

To corroborate the results of this analysis, he also took advantage of a natural experiment in the form of an earthquake that struck the Mexico City region in 2017. Published research has shown that natural disasters such as earthquakes can bring communities closer together. Higher lynching rates would therefore be expected in those communities that were most exposed to the earthquake. "That's exactly what I found in my analysis. There was a clear link between the earthquake and higher lynching rates," Nussio says.

In a separate study on the tsunami that struck the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2004, Nussio and Clayton showed that this correlation is not restricted to Mexico. Once again, their findings showed a significant increase in the lynching rate in post-tsunami Aceh as compared to other parts of Indonesia.

Lynching in the West

Cases of lynching are now very rare in Western countries. Nussio attributes this to people's trust in the state and its security forces to maintain order, keep them safe and ensure criminals are brought to justice. Moreover, Western societies tend to be significantly more individualistic than those in Latin America and Southeast Asia. People feel less commitment and responsibility towards their neighbors or local community.

More information: Enzo Nussio, The "Dark Side" of Community Ties: Collective Action and Lynching in Mexico, American Sociological Review (2024). DOI: 10.1177/00031224241253268 Enzo Nussio et al, Introducing the Lynching in Latin America (LYLA) dataset, Journal of Peace Research (2024). DOI: 10.1177/00223433231220275 Enzo Nussio, How Moral Beliefs Influence Collective Violence. Evidence From Lynching in Mexico, Comparative Political Studies (2023). DOI: 10.1177/00104140231223747 Enzo Nussio et al, Special Symposium, Collective Vigilantism in Global Comparative Perspective A Wave of Lynching: Morality and Authority in Post-Tsunami Aceh, Comparative Politics (2022). DOI: 10.5129/001041523X16645676522699 Journal information: American Sociological Review
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Ephemeral vs. non-ephemeral streams that make up the Connecticut River basin. "On a day in which every stream in the Connecticut River is flowing with its average annual condition, 59% the water entering Long Island Sound was sourced from these ephemeral streamsa.k.a., dry gullies in the woods," Gleason says. Credit: Craig B. Brinkerhoff

The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that rivers that only flow in response to weather eventscalled ephemeral streamsdo not fall under the protection of the Clean Water Act. Research published in the journal Science, led by University of Massachusetts Amherst recent doctoral graduate Craig Brinkerhoff and co-authored by colleagues at Yale University, suggests that this now leaves many U.S. waterways vulnerable to pollution.

Consider the Connecticut River, says Colin Gleason, Armstrong Professor of civil and environmental engineering at UMass Amherst and an author on the paper.

The Connecticut has rules regulating where and what kinds of sediments, nutrients and pollutants can be dumped into the river, "and if you now just go up into the hills and dump it in a dry gully there's every chance it ends up in the main stem of the Connecticut that you've worked so hard to protect once it rains," he explains.

While perennial streams flow continually, an ephemeral stream does not contain groundwater, so these non-perennial streams only run when they fill up with rain.

The researchers set out to determine just how much water these sometimes-dry river beds contribute to a river system's total output.

They found that, on average, ephemeral streams contribute 55% of the water that comes out of the mouth of regional river systems across the United States, but there is a strong east-west divide.

River basins west of the Mississippi are more influenced by ephemeral streams than eastern rivers. For instance, 94% of the water coming out of the river systems in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and Humboldt County, California, comes from ephemeral streams.

This makes sense, says Brinkerhoff. "Normally, when we think about ephemeral streams, we think of dry riverbeds in the desert," he explains. "The groundwater table is always way below the land surface."

But the researchers were surprised to discover just how influential these ephemeral streams were on the East Coast as well: "Even on the East Coast, even in a humid place where there's a ton of groundwater, ephemeral streams are still exerting a big influence," Brinkerhoff continues.

94% of the water coming out of the river systems in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and Humboldt County, California, comes from ephemeral streams. Credit: Craig Brinkerhoff

Gleason points to his home watershed to illustrate this point. "On a day in which every stream in the Connecticut River is flowing with its average annual condition, 59% of the water entering Long Island Sound was sourced from these ephemeral streamsa.k.a., dry gullies in the woods," he says.

However, these ephemeral streams are no longer regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA). Last summer, in the case of "Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency," a majority of the Supreme Court defined the bodies of water that fall under CWA protection as "only those relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water forming geographical features that are described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes."

"The Clean Water Act regulates where and how much we can dump into water bodieswater bodies being rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs, etc.," says Brinkerhoff. And the implications of this new research for water pollution are clear.

"[Ephemeral streams are] not flowing most of the time, but then you get a big enough rainstorm and all of a sudden you're pushing the stuff that's been accumulating in those rivers downstream. In theory, pollution in those ephemeral streams will ultimately influence water many kilometers away that is, at least nominally, still regulated by the Clean Water Act," he says.

Doug Kysar, Joseph M. Field Professor of Law at Yale Law School, and one of the study's authors, says that this work helps provide a constitutional basis to include ephemeral streams in the CWA.

"Water pollution is a transboundary issue that clearly implicates interstate commerce, such that Congress could regulate ephemeral streams even if they are not the kind of 'navigable waters' that Congress has historically exerted federal authority over."

However, he also says that it's more likely that this responsibility will fall to state and local governments. "The irony is that the federal Clean Water Act was adopted precisely because state and local governments were thought to be doing a poor job of protecting the nation's waterways," he adds.

"Our research helps to explain why that would be the case, as it shows just how far downstream from an ephemeral waterway the ultimate impacts of pollution can be felt. States don't necessarily have incentives to adopt costly water protections when the benefits will be felt by ecosystems out of state."

Using hydrology models, theory and field data, the researchers built a model that identifies every ephemeral stream in the contiguous U.S. and determines the percentage of a river's flow (for its annual average condition) that came from these ephemeral streams.

One thing the researchers emphasize is that the size of the river basin used for their modeling does influence the results. The 55% figure is only true when you divide river basins into a certain sizeif they had used smaller basins, the ephemeral influence would be larger, and if they used bigger basins, the influence would be less.

But even using the scale they didwhich is the second-largest river basin scale defined by the U.S. Geological Surveyephemeral streams still influenced more than half of rivers' total water output. In other words, 55% is a quite surprising finding for rivers so large, the researchers say. Previous thinking was that ephemeral streams only influence their immediate areas.

"Our study provides more concrete evidence that all of these things are connected," says Brinkerhoff. "We can't regulate water bodies ad hoc."

More information: Craig B. Brinkerhoff, Ephemeral stream water contributions to United States drainage networks, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.adg9430. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg9430 Journal information: Science
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Agronomist Jim Smart and Mexican farmers Miguel Morales Beltran and Hector Rodriquez Mediola discuss the 1996 drought that caused this irrigation ditch near Rio Bravo, Mexico, to dry up. Credit: Jack Dykinga

Scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Southwest Climate Hub and California Climate Hub have developed a browsable map-based tool that addresses water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest.

The Water Adaptation Techniques Atlas (WATA) consolidates more than 200 case studies on research and practices that water managers and producers can use to find location-specific and topical information to make informed decisions regarding water management.

Over the years, urban areas and agriculture have expanded in the Southwest region. For the past century, water use in the Southwest has been sustained through the capture, storage, and distribution of surface water, aided by dams, canals, and associated infrastructure, while extraction of groundwater has also intensified.

However, water scarcity has become a pressing issue with extremely hot temperatures and severe prolonged droughts in a region already challenged by its arid and semi-arid conditions. As reservoir and aquifer levels drop, information about strategies to adapt to this new reality is urgently needed.

WATA provides information based on research from USDA's Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and other sources about practices for lessening the gap between water demand and available supply, with an emphasis on cropping and irrigation practices across the Southwest, including Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

The solutions documented in WATA include centuries-old techniques employed by the indigenous peoples of the Southwest region to grow crops in arid lands, as well as novel technologies such as aquaponics (integrating fish and plant crop production) and agrivoltaics (integrating solar energy and crop production). Several cases highlight tools and technologies for matching irrigation application to plant water needs using soil moisture sensors, remote sensing, or weather data.

Dissemination of information about adaptation options is critical, as individuals, organizations, and communities look to take proactive measures to adapt to climate change. Managers, researchers, and educators can use the case studies, research outcomes, and practices available in WATA to identify new strategies to help mitigate the effects of temporary water shortage and expected longer-term water scarcity.

The development of WATA is an ongoing collaborative project that started in 2020 among USDA-ARS, USDA Southwest Climate Hub, USDA California Climate Hub, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, and USDA's Economic Research Service. Scientists will continue to incorporate new research findings and feedback from agricultural experts and others concerned with water scarcity in the Southwest.

The recent article published in the journal PLOS Water titled "The water adaptation techniques atlas: A new geospatial library of solutions to water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest" provides additional details on the project.

More information: Noah Silber-Coats et al, The water adaptation techniques atlas: A new geospatial library of solutions to water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest, PLOS Water (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000246 Journal information: PLOS Water
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Seagrass (Zostera Marina). Credit: University of Groningen, Laura Govers

Once upon a time, seagrass meadows of about 150 square kilometers covered the bottom of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Now, seagrasses have all but disappeared, just like in many other places in the world. But these unique saltwater plants play a vital role in an ecosystem.

Ecologists Jeanine Olsen, Tjisse van der Heide, and Laura Govers of the University of Groningen are working to help seagrass return to our waters. On the occasion of the World Seagrass Conference, 1721 June in Naples, Italy, the BBC premiered a mini documentary on Govers' work .

Rows of researchers and volunteers walk along the mudflats with an adapted caulking gun, injecting a mix of mud and seagrass seeds into the sediment at specified distances. Elsewhere, 3D-printed biodegradable plastic structures are sunk into the ground to make sure that the newly planted seagrasses don't immediately wash away. These new techniques for seagrass restoration have brought ecologists Laura Govers and Tjisse van der Heide several successes.

Jeanine Olsen, Emeritus Professor of Molecular Ecology, takes a different approach: she is looking at seagrass genomes in her search for climate-proof seagrass. Currently, seeds and plants for seagrass restoration projects are sometimes imported from warmer regions to stay ahead of the rising temperatures due to climate change.

However, Olsen explains that simply taking plants from the Mediterranean Sea and planting them in the Netherlands is a bit too simplistic. Genetic information is needed to figure out whether a plant is compatible.

Volunteers and researchers inject seagrass seeds into the sediment with a caulking gun. Credit: University of Groningen, Laura Govers

Why it is important, yet difficult

Attempts at seagrass restoration have been ongoing for decades. This is because seagrasses play a fundamental role as the base for an ecosystem. Seagrass meadows provide shelter and food for marine animals, keep the sediment from eroding, and store a lot of carbon. But once seagrass has disappeared from a place, it's difficult to get new plants to grow back again.

This is because seagrass has many beneficial effects on its environment, from which the seagrass benefits in turn: seagrass stabilizes the sediment, traps floating mud particles, dampens the waves, and adds oxygen to the sediment. Unfortunately, these positive effects only occur once a large seagrass meadow has been established. Van der Heide says, "When trying to grow new seagrass, these positive effects are not taking place yet, and there's a great chance the small plants are washed away."

3D-printed structures help a vulnerable newly planted seagrass to prosper. Credit: University of Groningen, Eduardo Infantes

The dispenser injection seeding method

Govers says, "Before, seagrass shoots with seeds were hung in the sea in mesh bags and the seed would mostly wash out and get lost. Out of millions of seeds, only a few would successfully grow where they were seeded. With our seed injection method, we've found a way to give these seeds a better chance." Govers investigated exactly at what depth and at what distance from each other these seeds should be injected for optimal results.

Thanks to this method, the largest restored intertidal seagrass meadow worldwide can now be found next to the small Wadden Island Griend. Seagrass meadows can be one of two types: subtidal seagrass always grows underwater, while intertidal seagrass emerges above water during low tide. This last type is typically an annual plant that produces many seeds, which makes it a suitable candidate for the seed injection method.

Govers plants the seeds in collaboration with local and national organizations, but the method has been picked up worldwide and is now used in restoration projects in England, Wales, France, the US, and Australia, to name a few. "Each of these projects makes their own adjustments to our method," Govers explains. "Because what's effective in one system, can be very ineffective in another."

Seagrass dampens wave action. Credit: University of Groningen, Laura Govers

Imitating good circumstances

There are fewer success stories about subtidal seagrassthe kind that always grows underwater. These plants are often perennial, and as a result, the positive effects they have on their environment has a bigger factor in their success. "So we thought: can we simulate these positive effects?" Van der Heide says. "This way, we can help the plants to get beyond the difficult first step of establishing a new seagrass meadow."

Van der Heide's biodegradable structures dampen the waves and stabilize the mud. "And it works," he reports. "But for now it is a case of good concept, bad execution." That is because the bioplastic used to produce these structures, in collaboration with the industry, turned out to need a lot of time to degrade. In the meantime they disintegrated, leaving pieces of material floating around in the sea.

But Van der Heide recently obtained a grant to develop new prototypes for seagrass restoration as well as for mussel beds and salt marsh plants. Van der Heide says, "We bought a second-hand robotic arm from a car factory to be able to 3D-print, and we're now going to try to develop new materials as well as new shapes. So I'm becoming an industrial designer as well as an ecologist."

Seagrass stabilizes the sediment. Credit: University of Groningen, Marjolijn Christianen

Searching for the best candidates

Seagrass seeds and plants for restoration projects are normally taken from nearby locations, such as the German Wadden area in case of the Dutch Wadden Sea. But, on the basis of the plants' genome, Olsen and her colleagues from Sweden, Germany, and the US are now able to pinpoint specific genes for ecologically important traits. Olsen adds, "This will help to ensure that the right plants are introduced in the right places."

For instance, Olsen and her colleagues can use this information to find out how plants deal with rising temperatures, varying salinity, cloudy water, or ocean acidification. "One of the coolest findings so far," Olsen reports, 'is the fact that genes are often duplicated.' With two of the same gene, the plant can safely 'experiment' with one of them, without the risk of self-extinction."
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Soil science Ph.D. student Shuohao Cai places a sensing rod, which has multifunctional sensing stickers positioned to enable multi-depth measurements, in soil at UW-Madison's Hancock Agricultural Research Station to test the team's technology. Credit: Kuan-Yu.

University of WisconsinMadison engineers have developed low-cost sensors that allow for real-time, continuous monitoring of nitrate in soil types that are common in Wisconsin. These printed electrochemical sensors could enable farmers to make better informed nutrient management decisions and reap economic benefits.

"Our sensors could give farmers a greater understanding of the nutrient profile of their soil and how much nitrate is available for the plants, helping them to make more precise decisions on how much fertilizer they really need," says Joseph Andrews, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UWMadison who led the research. "If they can buy less fertilizer, the cost savings could be quite significant at large-acreage farms."

While nitrate is an essential nutrient for growing crops, excess nitrate can leach out of soil and into groundwater. This type of pollution is dangerous for people who drink contaminated well water and is harmful for the environment. The researchers' new sensors could also be used as an agricultural research tool to monitor nitrate leaching and help guide best practices for mitigating its harmful effects.

Current methods for monitoring nitrate in the soil are laborious, expensive and don't provide real-time data. That's why Andrews, an expert in printed electronics, and his team set out to create a better and less costly solution.

For this project, the researchers used an inkjet printing process to fabricate potentiometric sensors, a type of thin-film electrochemical sensor. Potentiometric sensors are commonly used to accurately measure nitrate in liquid solutions. However, these sensors aren't typically suitable for use in soil environments, where coarse soil particles will scratch them and interfere with obtaining accurate measurements.

"The main challenge we were trying to solve is figuring out a way to enable these electrochemical sensors to work well in the harsh environment of soil and accurately sense nitrate ions," Andrews says.

The team's solution was to place a layer over the sensor made from polyvinylidene fluoride. Andrews says this material has two key features. First, it has very tiny pores, about 400 nanometers in size, that allow nitrate ions to pass through while blocking soil particles. Second, it's hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water and acts like a sponge to absorb it.

Schematic description of the working principle behind the open circuit potentiometric sensing enabled by the PVDF membrane. Credit: Advanced Materials Technologies (2024). DOI: 10.1002/admt.202301140

"So, any nitrate-laden water gets preferentially soaked into our sensor, and this is really important because soil also acts like a sponge, and you're going to have a losing battle for getting moisture to come to your sensor unless you can match the water absorption potential of soil," Andrews says. "These features of the polyvinylidene fluoride layer enable us to extract the nitrate-laden water, get it to the surface of our sensor and accurately sense nitrate."

The researchers detailed their advance in a paper published in March 2024 in the journal Advanced Material Technologies.

The team has tested its sensors in two different soil types that are relevant for Wisconsinsandy soil, which is common in the north-central part of the state, and silt loam soil, which is common in southwestern Wisconsinand found that the sensors produced accurate results.

The researchers are now incorporating their nitrate sensors into a multifunctional sensing system they call a "sensing sticker," in which three different kinds of sensors are mounted on a flexible plastic surface with an adhesive on the back. These stickers also contain moisture and temperature sensors.

The researchers will attach several sensing stickers to a rod, positioning them at different heights, and then bury the rod in the soil. This setup allows them to take measurements at multiple depths in the soil.

"By measuring the nitrate, moisture and temperature at different depths, we can now quantify the process of nitrate leaching and capture how nitrate is moving through the soil, which hasn't been possible before," Andrews says.

In summer 2024, the researchers plan to conduct further testing with their sensors by deploying 30 sensing rods in the soil at UWMadison's Hancock Agricultural Research Station and Arlington Agricultural Research Station.

UWMadison co-authors on the paper include Kuan-Yu Chen, Aatresha Biswas, Shuohao Cai, and Jingyi Huang, a professor of soil science.

More information: KuanYu Chen et al, Inkjet Printed Potentiometric Sensors for Nitrate Detection Directly in Soil enabled by a Hydrophilic Passivation Layer, Advanced Materials Technologies (2024). DOI: 10.1002/admt.202301140 Journal information: Advanced Materials Technologies
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Imagine you're seeking asylum in the Netherlands due to your sexual orientation or gender identity. The immigration authorities might question you about your sexuality. Ph.D. candidate Elias Tissandier-Nasom, who is researching asylum applications submitted by LGBTQI+ children, explains that the process is often degrading and confrontational.

The strictest ever asylum admission system

The new Dutch government isn't sugarcoating it: The Netherlands will have "the strictest ever asylum admission system." The Outline Agreement [link in Dutch] reflects the intention of the political parties PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB to limit legal aid to asylum seekers "'as much as possible'" and increase the burden of proof for asylum applications. This tough stance may compromise the Netherlands' obligations towards LGBTQI+ people, warns the young French researcher.

"Over the past few decades, a lot of progress has been made across the globe in recognizing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people. But that legal protection could come under pressure again due to migration, which is an issue that individual countries are allowed to make their own decisions on.

"That means countries are free to decide to admit fewer migrants. However, they're also required to continue protecting vulnerable peopleincluding LGBTQI+ people who apply for asylum. That results in a complex mix of conflicting priorities."

LGBTQI+ children and asylum

The strict new measures are likely to have an added sting for children seeking asylum due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Elias focuses specifically on this group of asylum seekers: "This is an underrepresented group of migrantsthere's still too little focus on this group, both within the academic arena and within legal organizations."

Elias doesn't have specific numbers about the size of this group. He explains, "For privacy reasons, the number of people applying for asylum on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity isn't being monitored. It could be dangerous for LGBTQI+ people if that information were to end up in the wrong hands."

And yet, Elias says that the group does exist. Through his activism work and a previous job at an NGO that supports LGBTQI+ people, he helped them with their asylum applications.

Elias says it's a vulnerable group. "The migration journey is extremely difficult for anyone. Definitely for childrenand especially if they're part of the LGBTQI+ community. Like other asylum seekers, they have to deal with smugglers and extreme violence in those journeys."

But, he continues, the most difficult is part is yet to come, when they arrive at the border of whatever country and are 'questioned by the immigration authorities."

Proof of sexual orientation or transgender identity: Questioning that crosses a line

In principle, people whose lives are in danger in their home country because of their sexual orientation are granted asylum in the Netherlands, just like anyone who is denied access to medical care that would enable them to transitionif that care is even available.

The immigration authorities are permitted to verify the credibility of a person's grounds for seeking asylum as specified on their application. But the big question is this: what kind of evidence do the immigration authorities need in cases like this in order to establish whether someone's telling the truth?

Elias says, "The fact that someone identifies as LGBTQI+ should be enough. To assess the credibility of what someone's saying, the immigration employee might ask the person about when they became aware of their sexual orientation, for example.

"What isn't meant to happenbut definitely doesis that people are questioned about which sexual acts they have participated in. It's degrading to assume that someone else can be a judge of that, as it's an extremely private matter."

The Western idea of a 'social coming out'

Another example that Elias gives is that when it comes to identity, LGBTQI+ people are asked which steps they have taken so far. "Often, there's an underlying Western idea of a 'social coming out,' where you tell people your preferred pronounshe, she, they. That might be acceptable here, but some cultures take a very different approach to that."

Children face even greater challenges

Assessing the credibility of asylum claims submitted by LGBTQI+ children is even more difficult. How can children express their sexual preference or gender identity? Elias explains, "The problem is that the asylum procedure was not created with children in mind.

"Take transgender persons, for example. Besides the 'social coming out,' transgender persons are also expected to have attempted to access medical care that would enable their transition. But at the same time, children living in countries where transgender persons are accepted cannot even begin the transition process until they're at least 16 to 18 years old.

"So, what can we really expect? Children are essentially already being treated as adults, while their stories are not always believed because the adult questioning them thinks children cannot know these things for sure yet."

So what's the way forward?

For the purposes of his research, Elias will conduct interviews with staff from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) and its equivalent in France, his home country. He then plans to produce a guidebook for practitioners in the field of immigration, such as IND staff, asylum lawyers who assist people with asylum applications and NGOs that advocate for children's rights.

"People aren't aware of the problems that migrant LGBTQI+ children faceincluding the people responsible for assessing asylum applications. I don't think it's a case of ill willit really comes from a lack of knowledge. With the right information and guidance aimed at protecting people rather than excluding them, I think asylum procedures would be better tailored to this vulnerable group."
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Kyle Jaros, associate professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame, fields questions from state- and local-level officials during the U.S.-China Subnational Symposium at the University of Michigan's Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies in April 2024. Jaros shared his expertise as part of his role as a fellow of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations' Public Intellectuals Program. Credit: University of Notre Dame

State-level officials such as governors, state legislators and attorneys general are shaping U.S.-China relations as the two countries navigate a strained geopolitical relationship, according to new research by political scientist Kyle Jaros.

"The state level has independent importance in the U.S.-China relationshipit's not just a reflection of what's happening at the national level," said Jaros, associate professor of global affairs in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. "The actions taken by state and local officialsand their Chinese counterpartsnot only affect their own communities, but also play a key role in shaping the overall U.S.-China relationship."

While the U.S. Constitution clearly states that foreign policy is the responsibility of the federal government, it also leaves space for cities and states to have international relationships and even to enter into certain kinds of agreements, Jaros said.

Known as subnational diplomacy or paradiplomacy, state-level relations with China are the focus of a new study by Jaros and Sara Newland of Smith College, published in Publius: The Journal of Federalism, a publication of Oxford University Press.

Jaros and Newland, who were recently awarded a grant from the Luce Foundation to fund this work, found that states vary widely in how they engage with China and range from confrontation to cooperation or a combination of the two.

"Broadly speaking, our data analysis shows some states that are clearly pro-engagement," said Jaros, who currently serves as a visiting senior fellow for U.S.-China subnational relations for the Truman Center in Washington, D.C. "They feel that it is still appropriate to have at least some forms of business cooperation with China and may pursue climate cooperation, tourism cooperation or educational partnerships."

To assess states' engagement with China, Jaros and Newland tracked changing patterns of state-level U.S.-China relations using an original dataset on cooperative and confrontational policies across all 50 U.S. states.

Of the 50 states, California serves as a leading example of a state that has continued to adopt policies that foster people-to-people contact with China, Jaros said. For example, Gov. Gavin Newsom made a high-profile trip to China in October 2023 to advance climate partnerships and economic changes, laying the groundwork for Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to San Francisco the following month. Florida and Texas lie at the other end of the spectrum, Jaros said, adopting confrontational policies that curb contact between state institutions (such as government or universities) and China. Florida, for example, now restricts Chinese citizens' and businesses' abilities to purchase land or real estate in the state, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly articulated his concern that the Communist party is infiltrating Florida's institutions.

In Indiana, the picture is more complicated, according to Jaros and Newland's in-depth case study of the state, which was included in the research.

"Until 2022, Indiana engaged fairly regularly with official Chinese counterparts, even as concerns and criticisms from some quarters increased," Jaros said. "While some forms of low-key economic and educational cooperation are continuing today, many areas that once seemed appropriate or safe are now seen by Indiana officials as off-limits or dangerous."

For years, Indiana has pursued state-level cooperation with China, as the state is home to several major corporations, including leading pharmaceutical and engineering companies, that see the Chinese market as crucial to their overall strategy. In addition, numerous small businesses see China as a crucial part of their supply chain, relying on it as a sizable export market.

And yet, last year, Indiana state legislators voted to divest the state's pension fund from China, and the state has banned new sister city relationships with China. In 2021, state Attorney General Todd Rokita launched an investigation into Valparaiso University's Confucius Institute, alleging that it functioned as a propaganda arm for the Chinese Communist Party.

Jaros has met with the State Department's Subnational Diplomacy Unit about his work, and he and Newland are studying how the federal government can help U.S. states and cities coordinate knowledge-sharing and also how it can provide useful information to lower levels of government.

In his capacity as a Truman fellow, Jaros is also expanding the research to include city-level diplomacy. This summer, he and Newland, who is also a Truman fellow, will meet with city officials, chamber of commerce members and other local groups in Los Angeles; Hartford, Connecticut; Des Moines, Iowa; and Jacksonville, Florida.

"We will solicit views from the local level both for their own sake and also to bring some of it back to share with policymakers in Washington, to help them have a better awareness of how what they are doing affects local communities," Jaros said.

A fellow of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations' Public Intellectuals Program, Jaros regularly briefs state and local officials on the U.S.-China relationship. In April, he delivered a presentation at the committee's subnational symposium, held in coordination with the University of Michigan.

Jaros said the next stage of the research includes examining the consequences of what is happening at the state level, including its policy implications.

"We see policy impacts at several different levels: city, state and federal," he said. "This work has implications for how cities and states think about what kinds of interactions with China are appropriate right now and what kinds of caution are needed."

More information: Kyle A Jaros et al, Paradiplomacy in Hard Times: Cooperation and Confrontation in Subnational U.S.China Relations, Publius: The Journal of Federalism (2024). DOI: 10.1093/publius/pjae014
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MIT professor Erica James has a new book out detailing a long-term research project about Haitian immigrants in Boston. Credit: Erica James by M. Scott Brauer

When the Haitian Multi-Service Center opened in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston in 1978, it quickly became a valued resource. Haitian immigrants likened it to Ellis Island, Plymouth Rock, and Haiti's own Citadel, a prominent fort. The center, originally located in an old Victorian convent house in St. Leo Parish, provided health care, adult education, counseling, immigration and employment services, and more.

Such services require substantial funding. Before long, Boston's Cardinal Bernard Francis Law merged the Haitian Multi-Service Center into the Greater Boston Catholic Charities network, whose deeper pockets kept the center intact.

Law required that Catholic welfare promote the church's doctrine. Catholic HIV/AIDS prevention programs started emphasizing only abstinence, not contraception. Meanwhile, the center also received state and federal funding that required grantees to promote medical "best practices" that contrasted with church doctrines.

In short, even while the center served as a community beacon, there were tensions around its funding and functionwhich in turn reflect bigger tensions about our civic fabric.

"These conflicts are about what the role of government is and where the line is, if there is a line, between public and private, and who ultimately is responsible for the health and well-being of individuals, families, and larger populations," says MIT scholar Erica Caple James, who has long studied nongovernmental programs.

Now James has written a new book on the subject, "Life at the Center: Haitians and Corporate Catholicism in Boston," published this spring by the University of California Press and offering a meticulous study of the Haitian Multi-Service Center that illuminates several issues at once.

In it, James, the Professor of Medical Anthropology and Urban Studies in MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning, carefully examines the relationship between the Haitian community, the Catholic Church, and the state, analyzing how the church's "pastoral power" is exercised and to whose benefit.

The book also chronicles the work of the center's staff, revealing how everyday actions are connected to big-picture matters of power and values. And the book explores larger questions about community, belonging, and finding meaning in work and lifethings not unique to Boston's Haitian Americans but made visible in this study.

Who makes the rules?

Trained as a psychiatric anthropologist, James has studied Haiti since the 1990s; her 2010 book "Democratic Insecurities" examined post-trauma aid programs in Haiti. James was asked to join the Haitian Multi-Service Center's board in 2005, and served until 2010. She developed the new book as a study of a community in which she was participating.

Over several decades, Boston's Haitian American population has become one of the city's most significant immigrant communities. Haitians fleeing violence and insecurity often gained a foothold in the city, especially in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods as well as some suburbs.

The Haitian Multi-Service Center became integral to the lives of many people trying to gain stability and prosperity. And, from residential clergy to those in need of emergency shelter, people were always at the site.

As James writes, the center "literally was a home for many stakeholders, and for others, a home away from a homeland left behind."

Church support for the center worked partly because many Haitians felt aligned with the church, attending services and Catholic schools; in turn the church provided uniquely substantial support for the Haitian American community.

That also meant some high-profile issues were resolved according to church doctrine. For example, the center's education efforts about HIV/AIDS transmission did not include contraception, due to the church's emphasis on abstinencewhich many workers considered less effective. Some staff members would even step outside the center to distribute condoms to community members, thus not violating policy.

"We started as a grassroots organization.  Now we have a church making decisions for the community," said the former director of the center's HIV/AIDS prevention programming. By 1996, the center's adult literacy staff resigned en masse over policy differences, with some workers asserting in a 1996 memo that the church "has assumed a proprietary role over our work in the Haitian community."

Coalition, not consensus

Another policy tension surrounding Catholic charities emerged after same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts in 2004. In 2005, a reporter revealed that over the previous 18 years the church had facilitated 13 adoptions of difficult-to-place children with gay couples in the state. After this practice became publicized, the church announced in 2006 that its century of adoption work would end, so as to not violate either church or state laws.

Ultimately, James says, "There are structural dimensions that were baked in, which almost inevitably produced tensions at the institutional or organizational level."

And yet, as James chronicles attentively, there was hardly consensus about the church's role in the center. The center's Haitian American community members were a coalition, not a bloc; some welcomed the church's presence at the center for spiritual or practical reasons, or both.

"Many Haitians felt there was value from [the center] being independent, but there are others who felt it would be difficult to maintain otherwise," James says.

Some of the community members even expressed lingering respect for Boston's Cardinal Law, a central figure of the Catholic Church abuse scandal that emerged in 2002; Law had personally championed the charitable work the church had been performing for Haitians in Boston. In this light, another question emerging from the book, James says, is, "What encourages people to remain loyal to an imperfect institution?"

Keepers of the flame

Some of the people most loyal to the Haitian Multi-Service Center were its staff, whose work James carefully details. Some staff had themselves previously benefitted from the center's services. The institution's loyal workers, James writes, served as "keepers of the flame," understanding its history, building community connections, and extending their own identities through good works for others.

For these kinds of institutions, James notes, "They seem most successful when there is transparency, solidarity, a strong sense of purpose.  It [shows] why we do our jobs and what we do to find meaning."

"Life at the Center" has generated positive feedback from other scholars. As Linda Barnes, a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, has stated, "One could read "Life at the Center' multiple times and, with each reading, encounter new dimensions. Erica Caple James's work is exceptional."

What of the Haitian Multi-Service Center today? In 2006, it was moved and is now housed in Catholic Charities' Yawkey Center, along with other entities. Some of the workers and community members, James notes in the book, consider the center to have died over the years, compared to its stand-alone self. Others simply consider it transformed. Many have strong feelings, one way or another, about the place that helped orient them as they forged new lives.

As James writes, "It has been difficult to reconcile the intense emotions shared by many of the Center's stakeholdersconfusion, anger, disbelief, and frustration, still expressed with intensity even decades lateralongside reminiscences of love, joy, laughter, and care in rendering service to Haitians and others in need."

As "Life at the Center" makes clear, that intensity stems from the shared mission many people had, of finding their way in a new and unfamiliar country, in the company of others. And as James writes, in concluding the book, "fulfillment of a mission is never solely about single acts of individuals, but rather the communal striving toward aiding, educating, empowering, and instilling hope in others."

More information: Erica Caple James, Life at the Center: Haitians and Corporate Catholicism in Boston (2024). DOI: 10.1525/luminos.188

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
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Across the Midwest during the warmer months, studying the sky for signs of storms and tornadoes becomes one of the most popular pastimes.

Dan Chavas, an associate professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at Purdue University's College of Science, takes it further: All day every day, he studies what makes tornadoes tick. Working at the intersection of climate science and meteorology, he looks at the big picture of what causes severe storms and tornadoesand what dictates where they occur.

"I study both the climate and extreme weather," Chavas says. "My research asks, "Why do we have severe thunderstorms or tornadoes at all?" There are specific regions on Earth that have more storms, more tornadoes than other places. What creates these stormy regions?"

The central and eastern regions of the United States are among the top spots for severe thunderstorms and form the hot spot for the Earth's most damaging and frequent tornadoes. Chavas uses real-world computer models to conduct experiments to determine what contributes to the formation of these storms.

"We have had these decades-old assumptions about what causes storms," he says. "We're validating those hypotheses and figuring out what makes North America such a hot spot."

Moving heaven and earth

Chavas isn't a storm chaser. He's not out there in a weather van topped with satellite wires hunting down individual storms for the insights they might yield. Nor can he grow storms in his lab or unleash tornadoes to understand their anatomy or behavior.

Instead, he harnesses decades of rich, detailed historical data and complex computer models to imagine and test what-if scenarios. He's a storm tester.

"We use weather and climate models, as well as extensive databases of thunderstorms, lightning strikes, atmospheric data and more, to ask, "What if the world was different?'" Chavas says. "We can use these models as laboratories to ask questions like 'What happens to the weather if you flatten the Rocky Mountains? What about if you fill in the Gulf of Mexico? What aspects of the modern continental and mountain configurations really matter? Let's actually test this prevailing, conventional wisdom.'"

Both of those hypotheticalsflattening the Rockies and filling in the Gulf of Mexicoare the focus of studies Chavas and his team have conducted.

For more than 50 years, established wisdom said that the Gulf of Mexico, a source of warm, wet air flowing inland to the east of the Rocky Mountains, plays a major role in the formation of North America's tornadoes. But no one knew for sure.

"It was a very reasonable hypothesis," Chavas says. "There were a lot of very reasonable explanations. But no one had been able to test these 50-year-old ideas because they came about when there weren't climate models with the necessary computational power. Now we can really start to understand the physics of the situation."

When his team virtually filled in the Gulf of Mexico with land, they found that a dry Gulf of Mexico affected the frequency and severity of storms far less than they had expected. Without the Gulf of Mexico, severe thunderstorms shifted eastward from the central Great Plains into Illinois, although they were reduced over southern Texas.

"Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes form in environments with specific ingredients for how temperature, moisture, and especially wind speed and direction change with height in the atmosphere," Chavas says.

"The climate determines where and when those ingredients can be found together to produce these types of storms. Computer models let us understand why the ingredients are there in the first place and what role they each play in the weather we see."

In his most recent study with graduate student Funing Li, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team compared severe weather potential in North America, famous for tornadoes, with South America, which has a geography similar to North America's and also many severe thunderstorms, but far fewer tornadoes.

They found that the rough texture of the land surface east of the Andes mountains, its roughness determined in part by the hills and tall trees of the Amazon region, may play a large role in preventing tornadoes over central South America. In contrast, in North America many tornadoes form east of the Rockies, where air flows in from the much smoother ocean surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

The team first used climate model experiments in which equatorial South America was smoothed to be similar to an ocean surface, which drastically increased central South America's tornado potential. They also performed experiments in which the Gulf of Mexico region was roughened to be similar to a forested land surface, which strongly suppressed North American tornado potential.

"A rough surface upstream means that downstream the wind is no longer changing speed and direction with height very strongly near the surface, which we refer to as 'wind shear,'" Chavas says. "It doesn't change ingredients for severe thunderstorms, but the wind shear in the 1 kilometer of air above the ground is a critical ingredient for tornadoes."

Storm warning

Real weather and real-world applications fascinate Chavas, a fascination born after a storm-torn tree fell on his house in Wisconsin when he was 4 years old.

The real-world implications of his researchwhat will the weather be like next week, next month, next year and next centuryare what drives him.

"If we want to understand how climate change will affect weather in the future, we need to understand how climate determines weather in the first place," Chavas says. "We don't have a very good understanding of how climate controls the severe weather we have."

Understanding how surface roughness and land use changes weather, for example, may enable future humans to better predictand even partially affectweather patterns. If the rough land of the Amazon, including a component from the trees of the Amazon, protects South America from tornadoes, could the regrowth of the United States' eastern forests affect tornadoes, too?

Climate change affects the flow patterns of the atmosphere and moisture distribution on land, Chavas says.

"If we change the land surface and the trajectory of air flowing inland from the Gulf of Mexico, it may have a direct impact on these ingredients that give rise to tornadoes farther inland. When we think about climate change, we think about it getting hotter and the land getting drier.

"But if the jet stream changes where and how quickly air flows inland, it can change where and how tornadoes form. Places that didn't see them before may see them more, and places that had more may see fewer," he says. "We need to understand the weather now to help us better predict the weather of the future."

More information: Funing Li et al, Upstream surface roughness and terrain are strong drivers of contrast in tornado potential between North and South America, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315425121 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Keir Starmer has pledged that a Labor government would introduce voting for 16- and 17-year-olds in Westminster elections.

Rishi Sunak has claimed that votes at 16 is simply a tactic to shore up future support for Labor, given that younger people are less likely to vote Conservative.

But research conducted in countries where young people already vote at this age suggests that the move would actually be beneficial for overall democratic engagement in the UK. It would be even more powerful if it was paired with lessons at school on citizenship and political involvement.

Skeptics tend to worry that young people lack the maturity to participate in elections. However, there is significant positive evidence of the capacities of young people in these countries and of the benefits of votes at 16.

Several countries, including Austria, Argentina and Malta, have lowered the voting age to 16 for national elections. Some other countries, such as Scotland and Wales in the UK and some states in Germany, allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local or regional elections. Research in these places allows us to understand more about the impact of introducing votes at 16.

In particular, evidence shows that 16- and 17-year-olds have similar levels of motivation to participate in politics as older age groups, and are able to select candidates whose policies most align with the teenagers' own standpoints. Their youth does not mean that they are less able to make reasoned political decisions.

There is also evidence that 16- and 17-year-olds are actually more likely to vote than 18- to 24-year-olds when their schools provide them with appropriate political information and help engage them with voting. This can include discussing key issues and ensuring young people have information about the process for voter registration, the powers and duties of those being elected and the policy differences between candidates and parties.

What's more, if high turnout rates can be achieved among 16- and 17-year-olds this should then bode well for their future levels of turnout. There is evidence that if voters cast their ballot in one of the first elections they are eligible to, they are more likely to continue to do so in future.

Informed and involved

A key way to encourage 16-year-olds to engage with electionsand set them on the path to lifelong political engagementis through citizenship education. Evidence from the UK and internationally has shown the positive impact that well-delivered citizenship education can have on students.

For example, a research study conducted in 28 countries suggested that classroom discussion of political issues increases civic knowledge. Subsequently, that increase in civic knowledge make future political participation more likely.

Research carried out in the UK has found that citizenship education leads to increases in political knowledge and political participation. It also increases young people's confidence in their ability to act in the political realm, and their belief in the value of the political system and their ability to effect change.

UK citizenship education

Citizenship education was introduced in secondary schools in England by Labor in 2002. It was intended to help young people understand political concepts and promote civic and political participation. Although citizenship education has been retained in the national curriculum by subsequent governments, it is not really up to scratch.

Under the Conservatives it has been slimmed down and its focus shifted towards constitutional history and financial literacy. A greater emphasis has been placed on voluntary work. In addition, academies and free schools have been given the freedom to opt out of following the national curriculum.

What is needed now is a more comprehensive citizenship curriculum in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It should be designed to prepare 16- and 17-year-olds to vote and to engage confidently in other forms of political action.

To be effective, this citizenship education should be taught to all secondary school students. It needs to be underpinned by a commitment from the government and schools to get young people involved in politics. It should equip them for critical and informed political thinking, so they possess knowledge about the political system and how to engage in political activities.

Media literacy is also important. Young people need to be able to recognize problems associated with fake news and conspiracy theories in society.

Activities such as mock elections and classroom debates would help young people hone their political understanding and reasoning skills. Crucially, citizenship education should show young people that they can make a difference.

Together, the introduction of votes at 16 and improved citizenship lessons in UK schools would provide young people with a greater voice in politics. It would allow them to confidently play a bigger role in helping society address significant contemporary problems.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Opening up new routes for Bornean elephants, like the Sabah Softwoods wildlife corridor, will help to ensure that different populations can continue to mix. Credit: Cheryl Cheah

A newly confirmed elephant subspecies is already at risk of extinction.

Bornean elephants have wider faces and smaller bodies than other Asian elephants. Standing just 2.5 meters tall, they narrowly beat the African forest elephant to the title of the smallest living elephant.

Though they were first named in 1950, disagreement over whether these mammals should be their own subspecies has limited protections for them. While scientists debated the semantics, the elephant's habitat has been decimated by logging for timber and planting oil palm, confining the animals to a small area of northeastern Borneo.

New research has finally confirmed the status of the Bornean elephant as a subspecies, which is now considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The scientists who carried out the assessment for the Red List, including the WWF Malaysia's Dr. Cheryl Cheah, hope that it will help to boost support for the threatened mammals.

"As a distinct subspecies of the Asian elephant, these animals are unique to the island of Borneo and part of our natural heritage," Cheryl says. "The inclusion of Bornean elephants on the Red List is a pivotal step to galvanize conservation efforts and direct resources to areas of utmost importance."

"Their classification as "Endangered' underscores the urgency of collaborative conservation action to limit human-elephant conflict and prevent the further loss and fragmentation of their habitat."

"Managing both of these issues effectively will be crucial to safeguard their future survival."

Vivek Menon, the chair of the IUCN's Asian Elephant Specialist Group, adds, "This range-restricted taxon has never been listed before. The assessment of its threat should spur its conservation by Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as directing conservation focus to it in terms of resources and science."

What's different about the Bornean elephant?

Borneo's elephants are among the most isolated population of Asian elephant, living at the easterly end of the species' range in the Malaysian state of Sabah and across the border in the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. Historically, Asian elephants have been divided into three subspecies: Sumatran, Sri Lankan and Indian.

But the status of the Bornean elephant has been uncertain for a long time. Some zoologists suggested they belong to the Sumatran subspecies, while a variety of other divisions had also been proposed. Most theories haven't stood the test of time.

"Back in 1950, a Sri Lankan scientist named Paulus Deraniyagala described a lot of subspecies, including the Bornean elephant," Adrian explains. "At the time, it was accepted that anything that was slightly different from the broader species would be named, which is something we're much more careful about today."

"While many of these subspecies haven't found support over the past 70 years, the Bornean elephant has continued to be a topic of debate. I felt that it was time to do an objective study to provide concrete data on this."

Adrian and a team of researchers delved into the collections of museums around the world to investigate, comparing the skulls of over 120 Asian elephants from across their range. This included more than 30 skulls from the Natural History Museum, including the type specimen originally used to name the Bornean elephant.

Their analysis found that the subspecies have smaller and wider heads than their relatives, as well as a narrower gap where the trunk would be.

"Bornean elephants are noticeably smaller than their relatives, and it's possible that this could be the start of an island effect," Adrian says. "The fact they only occupy a small portion of the island could play into this."

"However, at this point it's very hard to say why exactly they're smaller. They're not very diverse genetically, so it's also possible that their genetics have a bearing on this as well."

Previous genetic studies have shown that Bornean elephants are distinct from their Asian relatives. They're thought to have split from other Asian elephants during the past 300,000 years, but it's currently uncertain how they got onto the island.

It's possible the elephants may have walked to Borneo from the mainland when sea levels were lower than they are now, or evolved on a nearby island and were imported to Borneo by humans. Adrian and his team are currently investigating this issue in their ongoing research.

Either way, the researchers believe that the skull and genetic evidence provides a convincing argument that these animals should be recognized as a subspecies in their own right.

Protecting Borneo's biodiversity

Naming the Bornean elephant as a subspecies might seem inconsequential, but it will have an impact on how the elephants are treated. As a subspecies with a unique evolutionary history means there's now greater impetus to protect the population.

This change couldn't come at a more vital moment. It's thought that there are only 1,000 Bornean elephants left in the wild, with the team's research revealing that their population has fallen sharply over the past 75 years. They are now found in less than half the area they were decades ago.

The causes of the decline are common for much of Borneo's wildlife: palm oil plantations and logging. Deforestation has created small forest fragments which aren't big enough to support the elephants. As a result, humans and elephants are increasingly coming into conflict as the animals leave the forests in search of food.

Addressing these issues will not be easy as the Malaysian and Indonesian governments, as well as conservation organizations, try to balance the needs of the elephants with those of local people. However, the team are hopeful that placing the Bornean elephant on the Red List will lead to renewed efforts to protect the subspecies.

"Elephants are a keystone species which play a crucial role in the rainforests, dispersing seeds and making clearings," Adrian says. "They also need a large area of habitat, so by conserving these elephants, we'll be protecting many other species as well as the wider ecosystem."

The researchers are calling for the forests in which the elephants live to be protected and linked up to other forest fragments. This might involve redirecting roads or opening up wildlife corridors through oil palm plantations to allow the animals to move around.

Alongside work with local people to minimize human-elephant conflict, the team believe that these actions will go a long way to preserving the subspecies. The steps to protect the Bornean elephant are within our grasp, but only time will tell if we take them or not.

This story is republished courtesy of Natural History Museum. Read the original story here.
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Measures that enable increased throughput of population-based C. elegans chemotaxis assays. (A) Schematic of a 4-lane assay plate (standard microtiter plate footprint) showing foam inserts. (B) Top and side view dimensions of a single foam insert. Panels (A) and (B) illustrate the assay starting zone (light blue), position of the test compound (side with notched corner, orange), and the reference or solvent (opposite, dark blue). (C) Image collected on a flatbed scanner of a single 4-well assay plate (left) containing Gelrite gellan gum (top 2 lanes) and agar (bottom 2 lanes). Transparent test patterns (Neuroplant logo, 1951 USAF test pattern) placed on the surface of the solid media are used to illustrate improved clarity for gellan gum compared to agar. Intensity histogram drawn from the image of the test pattern imaged through gellan gum (top) and agar (bottom). (D) Still images of a time lapse observation of worms suspended in chemotaxis buffer with (+, left) and without (, right) Optiprep solution of iodixanol (7:3 chemotaxis buffer: Optiprep). Credit: PLOS Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002672

Plants are powerhouses of molecular manufacturing. Over the eons, they have evolved to produce a plethora of small moleculessome are beneficial and valuable to humans, while others can be deadly. For years, a good way for scientists looking for new medicines to distinguish beneficial plant-derived molecules from harmful ones has been through a scientific sniff testdab a bit of the molecule at one end of a petri dish and drop tiny nematode worms (C. elegans) at the other, then wait to see if the chemically sensitive worms move toward or away from the compound in question, a process known as chemotaxis.

This "artisanal" method is achingly slow. It can take two hours to assay a single new molecule. But now a team at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University, led by Miriam Goodman, a professor of molecular and cell biology, has developed hardware and software that turns an off-the-shelf flatbed scanner into a lab platform that can evaluate dozens of chemotaxis samples in minutes. The platform can prep 20 plates at a time and fit four plates on a scanner to perform 80 chemical assays in about an hour.

"In the artisanal days, if someone were really skilled and had done all the prep work and had all the materials, it might take two weeks to do that many assays," Goodman said. The team describes the components of their DIY platform and offers the open-source code in a new paper in the journal PLOS Biology.

The big idea

It sounds simple, but developing the platform has been anything but for the team, which included co-investigators Seung "Sue" Y. Rhee, Director of the Plant Resilience Institute at Michigan State University (formerly of the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford); and Thomas R. Clandinin, professor of neurobiology at Stanford. It took the trio and their labs more than five years to design, create, test, and evaluate their approach from inception to publication.

The project, dubbed the "Neuro-Plant Initiative," required experts in neurosciences, animal and plant biology, laboratory sciences, mechanical engineering, and computer science. The team now hopes the platform will become ubiquitous and lead to rapid discovery of promising new molecules for use in medical, biology, agricultural, and neurosciences labs currently mired in artisanal methods.

"In the nematode research community, there are roughly 1,200 labs across the world," Goodman noted. The platform could prove useful for discovering other kinds of chemicals or identifying which species of bacteria attract or repel nematodes that eat bacteria, she explained.

Myriad possibilities

Co-author Sue Rhee, who is MSU Foundation Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Plant Biology, and Plant, Soil & Microbiology studies how plants make myriad compounds and use them to communicate with their environments. Of the hundreds of thousands of compounds that plants produce, Rhee says we know very little about how they are made or used in nature.

"A long-standing dogma is that they are used to defend against pests or to attract pollinators, but only a tiny number of these compounds have known roles," Rhee said. "Through this ingenious high-throughput chemotaxis assay, I hope that we can start to unravel these chemical mysteries at scale."

Co-author Thomas Clandinin is a neurobiologist who studies how animals use specific sensory inputs to select appropriate behavioral actions. His lab contributed to the development of a way to stabilize worms when suspended in liquid, facilitating automated methods for dispensing worms at the scale needed to move away from the artisanal method.

"Developing this automated method to examine chemotaxis behavior at scale will open a host of new possibilities for exploring the rich connections between odors and their receptors," Clandinin said.

Next steps

Next, Goodman hopes to put their invention to work in her own neurosciences lab to understand the neural and chemical basis of the nematodes' ability to distinguish good molecules from bad. She is pursuing a collaboration with researchers at Harvard University to use calcium imaging to record the activity of all the worm's olfactoryor smell-sensitiveneurons as it is moving toward or away from a molecule. In that work, Goodman plans on making use of her assay platform to do behavioral research at a greater scale, manipulating individual neurons in the worms' nervous systems and eventually matching compounds to receptors.

The nematodes' sniff test is a skill shared by many animals, including humans, Goodman points out. She hopes to apply these learnings in neuroscience to that intriguing subject, work she is certain will be accelerated by this new platform. Whether in worms or humans, she says, the chemical receptors in the olfactory system binding to these molecules are holding on to the exact same chemical.

"The shape of those binding pockets ought to be similar in both beings. Even if they are dissimilar, it will be helpful to know that," Goodman said. "That is research I'm really excited about."

More information: Emily Fryer et al, A high-throughput behavioral screening platform for measuring chemotaxis by C. elegans, PLOS Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002672 Journal information: PLoS Biology
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Young voters from the millennial generation and Gen Z are emerging as the demographic center of power in American politics, but new studies by UC Berkeley researchers find they are fatalistic about critical problems such as economic inequality, climate change and the future of democracy.

Younger voters had a broad, decisive impact on the 2020 presidential election and congressional elections in 2018 and 2022, according to research released today by the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans (BIFYA). Now, with the 2024 presidential election just months away, the institute's analysis raises concerns about possibly low turnout among young voters in November.

Two new studies offer a deeply detailed look at the social values and political behaviors of voters aged 1843and jarring insights into their generational zeitgeist. Some findings diverge sharply from prevailing stereotypes about the political behavior of young voters.

Surprisingly, the institute reports, the values of Gen Z and millennial voters across the political spectrum are converging toward agreement on key issues. But the researchers found a substantial generation gap in American politics: Both young liberals and young conservatives want effective government action to solve challenges, while their parents and grandparents have been in conflict for a half-century over the role of government.

At the same time, however, many young voters appear to share a belief that fractured, dysfunctional government systems are incapable of addressing critical challenges that fall heavily on their generations. A sense of fatalism extends across the right, center and left, according to the researchers.

"Millennials and Gen Zers are generations unlike any other because of the risks they face," said Erin Heys, the institute's policy director and senior researcher. "From the housing crisis to the threat of climate change and AI, young people are feeling hopeless about the challenges in front of them, and are disillusioned with a political system that is unresponsive to their needs."

"In this pivotal election year, whether or not young people decide to vote could very well decide the outcome of the election," said Sarah Swanbeck, BIFYA's executive director. "These new papers give us an important first glimpse into one factor that could affect whether or not young people turn up at the polls: their increasing feeling of fatalism and a sense that the American Dream is farther and farther out of reach."

The Berkeley institute, founded in 2015, undertakes pathbreaking research to better understand the unique challenges that younger generations are facing and to develop the public policy interventions needed to solve them. The institute is affiliated with Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.

A historic passing of power from old to young

The institute's new research comes at a generational inflection point in U.S. politics.

Incumbent President Joe Biden is 81 years old, and his challenger, former President Donald Trump, is 78. It's almost certain that the 2024 election will represent the end of an era in which politicians from the World War II and post-war generations dominated U.S. political leadership.

By some measures, millennials and Gen Z voters by 2028 will account for half of the electorate. And millions of young Gen Zers will be eligible to vote for the first time this year.

As a group, those tens of millions of young Americans face risks that older generations could scarcely imagine: extreme economic inequality, climate change and warp-speed technological change that is shaking political and economic stability in the U.S. and much of the world.

The Berkeley research finds that they're disillusioned because older generations have failed to address those and other problems and seem to be simply handing them off to their children.

How will younger voters respond?

While they have the numbers to determine the outcome of elections, the new BIFYA study points to other research showing that young conservatives are defecting from the Republican Party, just as millions of young liberals and progressives are disconnecting from the Democratic Party.

Many are so disillusioned that they could opt out of political engagement altogether, the research finds. That concern is underscored in a new poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS), which finds that many votersand especially young votersmay stay home on Election Day because they don't like the choices.

But, the institute's research concludes, the change of generations also may create conditions for younger elected leaders to put aside political warfare and seek instead new ideas to solve problems.

Walk away from politics? Or rise up and change the world?

The Berkeley institute's new research comes in two working papers that explore the complex factors that shape political attitudes and behavior, and additional papers are planned for release in the coming months.

In the study "Generational Values and Political Participation in Recent U.S. Elections," Heys describes millennials and Gen Zers as a contingent that is "fundamentally different" from earlier generations.

They have endured the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Great Recession in 2008. They have witnessed the election of Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president, and the election of Donald Trump, whose MAGA allies attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election by force.

These voters are more diverse and more tech-savvy, and they have contributed forcefully to movements such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter. The COVID pandemic, too, made a lasting cultural imprint on the generation.

They have emerged from those crucible experiences as decisively more liberal than earlier generations, Heys writes. Their values are more egalitarian. They have a more critical view of the flaws in American democracy and the unequal distribution of wealth and power.

Indeed, she found that values among young conservatives and liberals are more "homogenous" than for older generations.

"The values of young conservatives, in particular, are changing, with young conservatives more egalitarian and fatalistic in comparison to older age cohorts of conservatives," Heys writes. "This changing value structure may play out in the attitudes of young conservatives, who have been found to hold more liberal views on issues like racial equality, climate change, universal health care and abortion."

Heys cites other research showing that fewer than half of young people who grew up in conservative households now consider themselves Republicans. But, she adds, the trend is similar for the Democratic Party.

Indeed, dissatisfaction with the political status quo seems widespreadand that translates into a sense of fatalism.

"Young people think that much in their lives is outside of their control," she writes. They "are pessimistic about their own futures and the fate of the country, and are feeling pessimistic about the American Dream, believing that while it was once true, it is no longer within reach for younger generations."

Clear and troubling implications for future elections

The institute expands on these themes in the study "Cultural Evolution: Measuring Differences in Generational Values."

Evidence has been accumulating for years "that young people across the ideological spectrum are more tolerant and open-minded toward people from all backgrounds, and are more likely to support progressive policy issues," Heys writes.

A key finding is that young people across political boundaries are more likely to believe "that government should do more to solve society's problems, even if it means higher taxes for all," the study says. But the failure of government to address issues that directly affect the lives of young peoplesuch as climate, and the costs of education, housing and health carefuels pervasive fatalism.

Yet the trends are not uniform. Heys find young men skew more toward individualism, and that young women lean more toward egalitarian values. And among young people of color, there is a trend toward more individualism and a less egalitarian, collective orientation.

What's the political impact of these values? In a series of interviews with young voters, BIFYA found that "young people who chose not to vote in the 2020 election were disillusioned with the political system and thought it had been taken over by special interests. They  did not think that the political system represented their interests or responded to the economic, social, and environmental risks they faced in their everyday lives."

Those findings have clearand troublingimplications for November's election and future elections.

Still, the institute's leaders see a path toward political hope and healing as the younger Americans rise into power.

"We are encouraged that young people from across the ideological spectrum are more aligned in their value structure than their elders," Heys said. "This means that as younger generations become the dominant electoral force in the years ahead, they'll be more likely to coalesce around new policy ideas to solve today's pressing problems."

But for that to happen, Swanbeck added, "candidates looking to engage with and inspire this group of young voters will need to provide an antidote to this sense of dread by offering real solutions to the existential threats with which younger generations are grappling."

More information: Generational Values and Political Participation in Recent U.S. Elections. youngamericans.berkeley.edu/20  ecent-u-s-elections/ Cultural Evolution: Measuring Differences in Generational Values. youngamericans.berkeley.edu/20  generational-values/
The plan to redevelop the former Meads Nursery property in Queensbury into a multi-family housing development has been altered in an attempt to appease the neighbors who had privacy and stormwater concerns. Foothills Builders planned to construct 64 multi-family units at the site on Ridge Road near the intersection with Quaker Road, but they have trimmed the proposal.

The original plan had a sprawling configuration consisting of 16 buildings with four units each, as well as a community building, trails, and a courtyard for residents, as previously reported.

The revised site design shows a new configuration of the residential buildings and the removal of the community building.

What we have is a revised proposal that essentially pulls the buildings into the center, said Jeffrey Meyer, the projects attorney representing Foothills Builders.

At a May Queensbury Town Board meeting to discuss re-zoning the property from commercial uses into residential uses, Joe Leuci, an owner of Foothills Builders, briefly discussed the revised site design.

Were going to pull the buildings in towards the middle more, to give ourselves more room for screening and green space in between the new buildings and the existing neighbors, Leuci said.

The number of housing units will remain at 64, according to the plan.

Since the beginning, this project to redevelop Meads Nursery has faced significant backlash from the surrounding neighbors on Meadowbrook and Ridge roads. They fear increased traffic with greater population density, environmental issues regarding nearby wetlands, as well as privacy and stormwater drainage concerns.

Reading the comments that weve received from the public about respecting the property lines and (about) building in as many buffers as humanly possiblewe did just that, Meyer added.

Our stormwater management was adequate for more intensive development, so I see zero concerns about the ability to make this work, said project engineer Matt Huntington of Studio A architecture.

The reduced parking and the removal of the community building were done intentionally to try and maximize green space, and provide as large a setback from the neighbors properties as possible, Meyer said.

Despite these attempts, the surrounding neighbors still oppose the construction of this redevelopment of Meads Nursery, and request more measures be taken before approval.

A sturdy and aesthetically pleasing fence is essential to do to protect privacy and security of my property. I urge careful consideration of fencing options to mitigate any visual or spatial encroachments. Preserving privacy of my home is paramount, wrote Tanya Summers, a resident on Ridge Road, in a letter to the planning board.

Given the increase in population density with the addition of 64 units, I am concerned about potential noise disturbances that could disrupt the tranquility of my residence, Summers wrote. Adequate noise mitigation measures must be implemented to address this concern. Attention to these matters is crucial in ensuring the harmonious coexistence of existing and future residents in our community.

That screening from the residential side is a critical aspect of this, said Stephen Traver, chair of the Queensbury planning board. Traver reminded project engineer Matt Huntington to keep that buffering at the top of the priority list before the site plan review begins later this summer.

Jackie Cordell, another resident on Ridge Road, agreed with her neighbor, Summers, on the noise and privacy concerns. However, Cordell also noted the absence of the community building.

Its a requirement when you have greater than 50 units for there to be a community space and that was removed from the plans, Cordell told the board. Im just kind of curious as to what the plan for a community space, if not a building, would be?

Cordell said the lack of a community space could push the flow of gatherings onto her or her neighbors properties. The community space issue could be addressed during site plan review. Cordell also suggested reducing the density by removing another residential building from the plan.

Another sticking point on the project has been cleared.

A vote taken last month by the town board changed the zoning on the property from commercial intensive to moderate density residential, with a 3-to-1 vote. At the time, there had been a question of whether the vote needed a majority or super-majority to win approval.

The sticky wicket came from neighbors of the project who signed petitions asking to stop the project as it was. However, not enough of the petitions came from the landowners closest to the project, so the majority vote was enough to enact the change.

Town officials confirmed that the petitions were not enough to require the super-majority.

Many of the planning board members were receptive to the revised site design and reconfiguration.

The plans are an improvement. The arrangement is better, Traver said.

As expected, the project was tabled for later this summer, possibly August, in order to complete engineering requirements, especially regarding stormwater, according to Traver.
ATLANTIC CITY  The state Economic Development Authority gave both supporters and opponents of offshore wind projects an opportunity to learn about them from their developers on Wednesday.

Dozens gathered at Atlantic Cape Community College, Worthington Campus, in the city to meet with various representatives from Leading Light Wind, Attentive Energy Two, Atlantic Shores, Mid-Atlantic Offshore Development and the Department of Environmental Protection.

These open houses are a tremendous opportunity for New Jersey residents to learn about the exciting advancements in offshore wind energy and how they will contribute to our states sustainable future, Tim Sullivan, CEO of the NJEDA, said in a statement.

This was the agencys third open house this month, with the others taking place at the Mercer County Community College in Trenton and at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.

Throughout the three-hour long session, attendees had their questions answered and were provided with information about workforce development programs, environmental monitoring, port infrastructure, transmission programs and lease areas for the project.

Gov. Phil Murphy set a goal in 2022 for the state to reach 11 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2040 to power 4.5 million homes, according to the NJEDA.

Three developers, Atlantic Shores, Attentive and Leading Light, were then brought in to construct wind farms off the coast.

A fourth developer, Orsted, was supposed to build two wind farms featuring 98 turbines, but announced last year it scrapped those plans due to cost of materials and other economical factors.

Leading Light Wind is expected to build 40 miles off Long Beach Island and the project would consist of 100 turbines, enough to power a million homes,

Attentive Energy Two, would be built 42 miles off Seaside Heights and would not be visible from the shoreline. It is a joint venture between Paris-based TotalEnergies and London-based Corio Generation, and would power more than 650,000 homes.

Lastly, Atlantic Shores would be located about eight miles off LBI and generate enough energy for 700,000 homes. This project is a joint collaboration between Shell New Energies and EDF-RE Offshore Development.

A substation, which will be located in Howell Township, Monmouth County, would then serve as an onshore point of interconnection for the electricity generated from each area. The station, constructed by Mid-Atlantic Offshore Development, is expected to be able to collect and integrate 4800 megawatts of electricity onto the electric grid.

Offshore wind energy would boost the economy by providing thousands of jobs in the construction industry and reduce electrical costs for residents, according to Atlantic Shores.

However, the projects have been met with scrutiny since they were first announced. Multiple towns have expressed concerns with offshore wind and several local groups, including Protect Our Coast NJ, have organized community protests.

I think its a good thing, said Christina Martinez, 55, of Atlantic City. Theres plenty of room out in the ocean, so you dont have to worry about space and its going to do wonders for the workforce.

Some who attended Wednesdays event were on the opposite sides of the spectrum.

The amount of materials and labor that would go into this is ridiculous, said Gary Wilson, 65, of Brigantine. I appreciate all of the people involved for putting this event on and coming out here though. It was nice to chat with them and get filled in on what theyre trying to do but it still doesnt change my feeling toward it. I think the amount of effort is just unnecessary, and plus it cant could be good for the birds out there.
A new endowment fund has started at the Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine announced that Karen and Greg Harper stepped forward to establish their own endowment fund at the foundation.

According to Greg, this new fund  the Karen and Greg Harper Endowment Fund  was specifically established by the couple to support local causes that are important to them. This includes live performances, venues for live events, trails and animal welfare initiatives in Muscatine County.

This fund was something my wife (Karen) thought to set up, Greg said. Her and I felt that we wanted to support the Community Foundation and Muscatine events, and this was the best way to do that. So thats why we started our own little fund that others can contribute to and add to so that we can have better events and activities in Muscatine.

Greg also said that helping support Muscatine events is one of his and Karen's biggest passions. They hope the funds grow over time and that there is a use for the money in the future, he said.

Everything starts small before it can get big, and everything always needs a little bit of help  and the Community Foundation is a great organization that further enhances the community," Greg said.

Ali Vargus-Stogdill, Philanthropy Specialist for Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, thanked the couple for their gift and their newfound partnership with the group.

The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is excited to see Karen and Greg Harpers commitment to Muscatine County through this endowment fund, Vargus-Stogdill said. Their focus on supporting live performances, event venues, trails, and animal welfare initiatives reflects their passion for both cultural enrichment and environmental stewardship in our community.

Vargus-Stogdill also said the field of interest fund will allow the Community Foundation to respond to needs and opportunities within Karen and Greg's area of interest. Endowment funds, Vargus-Stogdill said, provide financial stability that can foster innovation, growth and sustainability within the community.

For those who wish to contribute to the Karen and Greg Harper Endowment Fund, they can do so through the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine website at www.givinggreater.org or by stopping by the Community Foundations office, located at 215 W. Mississippi Drive.

Those interested in establishing a fund of their own can contact Ali Vargus-Stogdill at avargusstogdill@givinggreater.org or 563-263-3863.
Changes to Iowas special education system, regulations on consumable hemp and new procedures for traffic cameras are set to take effect Monday, among the dozens of new laws passed during this years legislative session.

July 1 is the beginning of the fiscal year and the date new laws take effect, unless otherwise stated. Iowas majority-Republican General Assembly this year passed more than 180 laws dealing with health care, education, crime and agriculture.

One law that was set to take effect  which would create a state crime for illegal reentry of immigrants  is currently blocked in federal court.

Here is a look at some of the major laws taking effect Monday.

Special education overhaul

Parts of a wide-ranging law intended to overhaul the funding and structure of the states special education network will take effect Monday, but other provisions will not go into effect for another year or two.

The law, which drew the most controversy during this years session and was Gov. Kim Reynolds top legislative goal, will bring much of the operations of the states area education agencies under a new Special Education Division in the Department of Education.

Schools eventually will receive most of their special education dollars directly but will need to spend them with the AEAs.

The piece of the law creating the Special Education Division takes effect July 1. The division will assume oversight and administrative duties over the AEAs and will hire up to 53 new employees  13 in Des Moines and up to 40 in the states AEA districts.

The creation of a task force to study the delivery of special education in Iowa takes effect Monday, with the task force required to submit its report by Dec. 31.

Special education dollars will remain with the AEAs during the coming school year, but schools will receive 40 percent of the funds for media services and education services that now go to the AEAs. They can use that money with the AEAs or with an outside party, and it can be spent on any general fund purpose.

Iowa teachers will see an increase in their minimum salary starting this fall under another major piece of the law.

For the upcoming school year, the minimum teacher salary will be bumped up to $47,500. Teachers who have been working at least 12 years will be paid a minimum of $60,000. Those salaries will increase to $50,000 and $62,000, respectively, for the 2025-26 school year.

State lawmakers also included $14 million in the law to increase pay of school support staff like paraeducators.

New crimes take effect

Lawmakers this year also passed legislation creating several new crimes, including those aimed at cracking down on child exploitation and the use of digitally altered images.

The new laws criminalize the nonconsensual use of someones likeness in pornographic images and videos that have been digitally altered. The laws add the distribution of such deepfake pornography using artificial intelligence to the states harassment laws.

One law specifies anyone using the likeness of a child to create an altered pornographic image can be charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

State lawmakers also increased penalties for falsely reporting a crime to draw police response, known as swatting, and created the crimes of grooming, looting and organized retail theft.

The former makes it a crime to "seduce, solicit, lure, or entice" a child, or a person believed to be a child, to engage in an unlawful sex act, either in person or through written communication or electronic means. The offense is a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Lawmakers also made looting  defined as two or more people entering a home, business or vehicle and stealing or damaging property  a crime. The law allows a person or business whose property is damaged to bring a civil action against any person involved in the looting.

The new crime of organized retail theft targets groups of people who coordinate smash and grab robberies of retail stores. Penalties range from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class C felony, depending on the value of stolen property.

New limits on traffic cameras

A new law regulating traffic cameras in the state will make it harder for cities to install the cameras and issue tickets.

Local governments will need to seek approval from the state Department of Transportation and prove that a camera is necessary to improve safety, before installing and using a traffic camera to issue tickets for speeding or running red lights.

It will be a while before drivers notice any changes, though. Cities with existing cameras can keep using them until Oct. 1 while the DOT considers their applications. Any city, if approved, will be able to issue fines from a fixed traffic system, but only cities with populations over 20,000 will be able to issue fines from a mobile system.

Cities will need to spend revenue from the cameras on transportation infrastructure or police and fire departments. Fines can be issued only if a vehicle is driving a minimum of 10 miles over the speed limit. The maximum fines range from $75 to $500, based on the speed. Fines can higher for speeding in a work zone.

Armed security officers in schools

The state's 11 largest school districts  those with 8,000 or more students  will be required to employ a school resource officer or private school security in each building where students in grades 9-12 regularly attend classes, unless the district's school board votes to opt out.

School districts with fewer than 8,000 students are encouraged, but not required, to employ armed school resource officers.

The new law will affect Ankeny, Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Iowa City, Sioux City, Waterloo, Waukee and West Des Moines school districts, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

Des Moines and Iowa City public schools have no plans to bring back school resource officers and will continue to use campus monitors and other security measures.

Another section of the bill that allows teachers and other school employees to obtain a professional permit to carry guns on school grounds took effect immediately when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the law in April.

THC limits for drinks, edibles

Iowa health and wellness stores and beverage makers face new regulations and limits on the potency of THC-infused drinks and consumable hemp products.

Two Iowa beverage manufacturers that sell cannabis-infused seltzer drinks are suing to block the law. The companies say the new regulations will wipe out 80 percent of their inventory.

The law caps the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC  the psychoactive substance in cannabis that causes a high  in consumable hemp products sold in Iowa at 4 milligrams per serving and 10 milligrams per package or container.

Starting Monday, Iowa retailers will have to send back or destroy existing beverages, edibles and other products that do not meet new regulations.

The law also bans the sale and consumption of any hemp products to people under age 21, requires hemp products to have a warning label and bans the sale of synthetic THC.

Rules for foreign farm owners

Foreign owners of Iowa farmland will need to report more information to the state and will face stiff penalties for non-compliance, under a new law supporters heralded as a win for Iowa farmers.

The bipartisan law, which came amid rising concerns of Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, requires foreign owners of farmland to report their names, mailing addresses and other agricultural holdings in the U.S.

Iowa already has strict restrictions that prevent foreign entities from purchasing more than 320 acres of farmland.

The Iowa attorney general will have broader subpoena power to investigate foreign farmland owners. An annual report on foreign farmland ownership in Iowa will be made available to state officials but will not be made public.

Insurance coverage for cancer screening

Tests to screen for cancer and other diseases will have to be covered by insurance under a pair of laws taking effect Monday.

One law requires health insurance providers to pay for biomarker testing, which can identify signs of cancer and other diseases in blood or tissue. Another directs insurance to cover tests that can detect tumors in dense breast tissues which may be missed by a standard mammogram.

Iowa is one of only a few states where the incidence of cancer is rising: The states cancer rate is second in the nation, behind only Kentucky.

Teen driving privileges expanded

As of Monday, teens as young as 14-and-a-half years old can apply for a special permit to drive unsupervised as far as 25 miles to and from any job, not just farming.

The new law replaces the current school and farm work permit system with a new special minors restricted license.

The new law allows those between the ages of 14.5 and 16 to apply for the new restricted license. They must have their instructional permit, have completed a drivers education course or been granted a waiver due to hardship and be enrolled in school. Written permission from a parent or guardian must be filed with the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The new license allows qualifying teens to drive to and from school, extracurricular activities, a job and gas stations. Lawmakers created the new license following a law passed last year that allows younger teens to work more jobs, longer hours and later in the day.

The new law reduces the distance a teen can drive from 50 to 25 miles. Driving cannot be part of their job, unless it is farm-related.

It also changes the hours when teens are allowed to drive. Instead of allowing them to drive from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., they are now limited to driving up to one hour before and after their shift or when school activities begin and end.

Teens who violate license restrictions, cause a crash or break the rules of the road face stronger penalties.

Meat labeling rules

Food processing plants will be barred from labeling plant-based protein products as meat without qualifying terms under a new law that also seeks to restrict certain animal product alternatives from federal food assistance programs.

Supporters said the law will add transparency and certainty for consumers when purchasing meat products and will promote Iowas agriculture industry.

The law also directs state officials to request a federal waiver to block recipients of food assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, from using those funds to buy lab-grown meat products and egg substitute products. Currently, lab-grown meat is not approved for SNAP purchases, but egg substitutes are.

The law further discourages the purchase of lab-grown meat by directing state agencies, like the Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Regents, from purchasing it for meal programs. Lab-grown meat is not generally available to consumers, but it has been offered at certain high-end restaurants.

'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids 'Behind the 8 ball': How research is trying to catch up on cannabis and kids
The Bitterroot Aordable Housing Coalition celebrated an increase of housing developments for elderly, veterans, low-income and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Hamilton on Friday.

The Bitterroot Aordable Housing Coalition works to alleviate homelessness and prevent housing insecurity by supporting and facilitating safe and affordable housing solutions, from emergency to permanent, for Ravalli County citizens of all ages, abilities and circumstances.

The celebration with over four dozen community members recognized three Hamilton housing developments that have received funding or are near completion  Human Resource Councils Skalkaho Place on 8th Street; Housing Solutions Riverstone on Flower Street; and S.A.F.E.s Shelter Expansion on Morning Star Way.

Human Resource Council Executive Director Ruth Burke said Skalkaho Place, with eight units for qualifying populations over 55 years of age with a preference for veterans and survivors of domestic and sexual violence, will be open in April of 2025.

Im inspired by all the work that has been done, Burke said. I congratulate the City of Hamilton for fostering an environment that encourages the support of affordable housing. Today we celebrate these successes and let us not forget the individuals and families whose lives have been positively affected by affordable housing initiatives. These offer more than shelter, housing is a symbol of hope, dignity, and a place where dreams can happen and futures can be built.

Alex Burkhalter, principal and founder of Housing Solutions, LLC, is a Missoula native and has been involved in the development, construction, and management of affordable housing for more than 17 years. Twenty projects totaling 765 units in Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota have been completed during his career.

Burkhalter said in a written statement that Housing Solutions is excited to bring 23 rental homes for seniors to the Bitterroot Valley and that groundbreaking is scheduled for spring of 2025.

So many things have to align for a new affordable community to come together, and I am thankful it has for Hamilton, Burkhalter said. People have different political beliefs, values, visions, dreams and goals. In spite of this, there are many things all people have in common: relationships, community, food, laughter, family. One item we believe should be added to this list is affordable housing. Affordable housing is functional and provides a sense of security.

S.A.F.E. Executive Director Stacie Umhey said the Bitterroot Aordable Housing Coalition formed in 2016.

In the winter of 2015, many of us who worked for human service organizations visited and realized one of the recurring themes was the issue of housing, Umhey said. Meaning that no one we served could afford housing and people were having a really hard time moving out of our emergency shelter.

She said community members got together to help.

Thats one of the things we do really well in this community  we love to get together, have some feed and solve problems, Umhey said. Thats what we did. In February of 2016 we invited the amazing Becky Brandborg [Habitat for Humanity] to help us narrow down what we wanted to achieve and our mission statement. Since then, weve been working together.

Umhey said the members of the Bitterroot Aordable Housing Coalition were compassionate and knowledgeable about the housing situation but the progress toward action was slow.

I wanted to get going and we have, she said. We have supported a number of projects that resulted in people being able to have safe, permanent, affordable housing.

Umhey said the Bitterroot Aordable Housing Coalition supported the housing projects through the tax credit process.

We showed our support by coming to public meetings and providing comments, Umhey said. We shared our understanding of housing needs in our community. Today, were also celebrating the SAFE emergency shelter expansion  we are looking forward to reoccupying our shelter around Nov. 21 and are super excited.

Umhey said the projects show the positive results of collaborative efforts.

We at SAFE know were not going to be able to solve the housing crisis with our emergency shelter," she said. "Thats why we have to support the development of affordable housing opportunities.

Umhey said that about 40 people who may not have had housing 10 years ago housing due to the work of the group.

"Almost none of us are housing developers but we get together and challenge ourselves to think outside of the boxes and keep at the center of all those conversations the folks who need that housing."
Virginia State Police on Thursday announced seven more arrests in an ongoing undercover investigation into sexually illicit massage businesses in Chesterfield County. Chesterfield authorities have previously said the suspects in the probe are linked to commercial human trafficking across the East Coast by a Chinese crime ring.

Police said they arrested the following individuals on June 20:

Meizhu Chen, 44, of Flushing, New York, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place

Saihua Huang 38, of Brooklyn, New York, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing a bawdy place

Xiuwen Zhang, 56, of Midlothian, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place

Jing Jiang, 55, of Chesterfield, charged with prostitution and keeping or residing in a bawdy place

Guoqiang Li, 56, of Chesterfield, charged with keeping or residing in a bawdy place and operating a massage clinic without proper licensing or permitting

Yun Su, 54, of Chesterfield, charged with performing massages without permitting

Kun Liu, 54, charged with prostitution, keeping or residing in a bawdy place and operating a massage clinic permit without proper licensing or permitting

Chen was employed at Sunshine Health Massage at 255 Wadsworth Drive in Chesterfield, police said. Huang was employed at Lucky Star Leisure Center at 9912 Chester Road in Chester. Zhang was employed at XL Massage at 13549 Midlothian Turnpike in Midlothian. Su was employed at Aura Massage at 13546 Waterford Place in Midlothian.

Jiang, Li and Liu all worked at Coca Spa, located at 911 N. Courthouse Road in Chesterfield.

Jiang and Li are next scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, according to court records. Zhang is next scheduled to appear in court on July 8. Chen, Huang, Su and Liu are next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21.

The arrests were made by Chesterfield police and VSPs Virginia Capital Area Human Trafficking Task Force, police said.

Sixteen people have now been charged in the investigation. Police did not clarify the cause of the latest arrests but, in prior cases, the suspects have been detained after offering to perform sexual acts on undercover detectives for additional pay.

Chesterfield police Lt. Edward Pierpont previously told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the results of the investigation are symptomatic of a national problem.

The suspects travel to the U.S.  often arriving in Flushing, which Pierpont described as a nexus of the criminal activity  and are shuttled by handlers to various massage parlors, restaurants and other businesses around the country.

The victims often decline to come forward due to fear of retribution, Pierpont said. They may also be taken from place to place, making it difficult to track them.

Virginia today, New York tomorrow, maybe North Carolina next week, Pierpont said.

The investigation is ongoing.
Virginia Senate Democrats are pitching a new plan for a one-year delay of pending changes to eligibility for a tuition waiver program for the survivors and dependents of military veterans who were killed or disabled in active duty.

The Senate will consider the proposal, Senate Bill 6009, when it returns to Richmond on Monday for a second try at addressing a political furor over the program.

The House of Delegates and Gov. Glenn Youngkin are poised to repeal the changes in the two-year budget that will take effect on Monday. Senate leaders want to delay enactment until July 1, 2025, and provide an additional $45 million in state funds for public colleges and universities to pay the escalating cost of the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program while the General Assemblys independent watchdog agency studies it.

If were going to save the program, we all need to reach some kind of a compromise, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said on Thursday evening.

The new Senate proposal went nowhere with Youngkin, whose administration first proposed the changes legislatively and now seeks their repeal in the budget. "We are not going to hold our veterans and first responders hostage for an entire year," the governor said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. "A full, clean repeal and reversal of the VMSDEP eligibility changes is the only next step."

Friends of VMSDEP, an advocacy group for military families who support the program, also rejected the new Senate proposal, which it described as "delaying implementation of the same harmful language by a year."

The House will meet on Friday morning to consider legislation proposed by House Appropriations Chairman Luke Torian, D-Prince William, to repeal the eligibility changes to the program in the budget to allow a task force appointed by Youngkin to study the issue for potential action by the General Assembly next year. The legislation lists 98 of the House's members as co-sponsors.

A new work group appointed by Senate Finance Chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, will meet the first time on Friday morning to begin its own study of the program first established in 1930 for the families of soldiers killed in World War I and greatly expanded since. Five years ago, the state extended the tuition waiver benefits to military veterans who suffered disabilities of at least 90% and their family members.

The number of students in the program has since risen from 1,387 to 6,125 last year, according to a House Appropriations analysis. The programs cost has increased from $12 million in 2019 to $65 million last year.

The Senate failed to adopt an alternative approach when it met in special session on June 18. Lucas established the work group and asked the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to conduct its own study of the program, its rapid growth and rising costs to colleges and universities that have borne the expense without direct state help.

The pending budget includes $20 million in state funds to be used for the first time to help defray the cost. Lucas said Thursday that she is introducing the new proposal that would spend an additional $45 million on the program from an anticipated revenue surplus in the fiscal year that ends on Sunday night.

The budget also includes provisions strongly opposed by military families and veterans groups that, among other things, would require applicants to seek federal financial aid to help offset the costs to state institutions, limit eligibility to associates and undergraduate degrees, and require state residency to qualify.

We have heard from veterans groups that the state should fund the (tuition) waivers cost while delaying the language and waiting for an independent review of the program by JLARC, Lucas said in a statement.

The House and Governor should accept this proposal, as it is the only solution that funds the cost of the program and provides an independent review of the data to help with additional program recommendations, she said.

Senate Democratic leaders said the eligibility changes are necessary to make the program financially sustainable and reduce costs that they contend other students are paying through tuition and financial aid.

We have not wavered from our support to make higher education affordable to every student, said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke, D-Hampton.

Virginia General Assembly opens 2024 session
Cancun kidnapper gets 50 years after demanding 25,000 pesos in ransom

Cancun, Q.R.  A Cancun judge has sentenced a man to 50 years in prison for the kidnapping of three people and 25,000 in ransom. Orlando N was given the 50 year sentence for the crime of aggravated kidnapping to the detriment of three victims, the State Attorney General (FGE) said in a statement.

The FGE reported that Orlando N, who together with other people, deprived three victims of their freedom to demand a ransom of 25,000 pesos from their relatives.

On December 13, 2021, the three victims were kidnapped from the Santa Cecilia irregular neighborhood of Cancun by several subjects who threatened them with firearms. They were forced into a vehicle where they were blindfolded and beaten.

The victims were taken to a house where they remained captive for three days, during which time they were tortured, while Orlando N and other subjects contacted their relatives to demand 25,000 pesos as payment for the release of the three people.

Orlando N, the accused, was detained by police near a shopping plaza on Nichupte Avenue when he went to collect the money agreed for the release of the kidnapped people, the FGE (Fiscalia General Del Estado) reported.
There should be a tension, a balance, between liberty and order, but the aim is always liberty. The Founders knew this even if some on the right have forgotten it.

There is an insightful exchange in the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World between Capt. Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his friend Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). Aubrey is all about discipline and order, while the doctors inclination is toward mercy and liberty. In a heated debate over the proper balance between liberty and order aboard a wartime naval ship, Captain Aubrey finally yells in exasperation: Men must be governed! Often not wisely, I will grant you, but governed nonetheless. The doctor dismissively responds that this is the excuse of every tyrant in history, from Nero to Bonaparte.

Royal Navy frigates no doubt require a greater degree of order and illiberality than diverse, commercial republics. But the debate between these fictional characters touches on a point of real dispute, particularly right now on the American right: What is the proper balance between liberty and order most consistent with human dignity and the pursuit of the common good?

During my two decades as a history professor, I found that the most effective way to help students manage the complexity of the grand sweep of American history was to cast it as what Russell Kirk calls, in The Roots of American Order, that healthful tension between order and freedom. This tension over how to balance individual freedom with the common good has proved an enduring feature of the American project. This American order requires a subsidiary role for a limited central government and is predicated on a vibrant civil society where the primacy of a culture of liberty demands that prudence be applied to human affairs.

To talk about liberty does not negate the need for order nor does it imply that one is unconcerned about it. Order is the precondition for liberty, but liberty is the aim. Kirk wrote that order is the first need for any societyonly then can liberty and justice be reasonably secure. It should not surprise us that following a revolution to end a decades-long attempt by Great Britain to violate colonial customs and common law, Americans would first stress liberty over order. After all, they had fought to preserve the social and political order they had inherited when it was threatened by distant bureaucrats. They wanted to return to the liberties they had enjoyed prior to the new colonial system with its common law violations. Because of this firsthand experience with tyranny, the American revolutionaries knew better than to create their own administrative state. Instead, after having fought from 1775 to 1781 as 13 independent states, in 1781 they created in the Articles of Confederation a loose federal republic bound together by a limited government so that Americans could remain free. The Articles stressed the liberties of the states, each of which retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence.

A convention called in 1787 to reform the Articles in response to political and financial instability instead produced the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution redressed problems with the Articles, such as the lack of an executive branch and federal judiciary. While retaining the principle of subsidiarity in the form of federalism it also strengthened the new U.S. government in precisely those areas where it needed to be strengthened: foreign policy and interstate commerce. Most importantly for todays arguments about liberty and order, the Constitution accomplished this by restraining the federal government and without suggesting that the new central government be employed to police or inculcate virtue in the populace. When George Washington became president, serious disagreement remained over decentralization, subsidiarity, trade, the sources of virtue, the size of the government, the relationship of what the Articles recognized as sovereign states to the new central government, and religious freedom, in addition to a deep concern about corruption should the U.S. government involve itself in protective tariffs, banking, and transportation infrastructure.

This is not to say that the Constitutions framers did not also worry about demagoguery and populism. When James Madison pointed out that passion never fails to wrest the scepter from reason in democratic assemblies, he said so in defense of the Constitutions checks and balances, which he argued would protect the citizens of the Union from its central government. Americans thus faced the task of how to maintain a republic that respects liberty but where both the centralized government and the peoples irrational passions could be restrained.

The Founders wrestled with these issues, however, not in the name of order but in the name of liberty. This is true even of Alexander Hamilton, often seen as completely a man of order, who described this challenge in Federalist No. 37 as the quest to combine the requisite stability and energy in government, with the inviolable attention due to liberty. Madison, too, worried about balancing the need for a republican polity to govern its citizens at the same time it needed to govern itself. One must not do so, Madison argued in Federalist No. 10, by destroying liberty, because such a remedy would be worse than the disease. Liberty, he said, is essential to political life. What would it take to promote and preserve liberty without causing a destructive level of disorder?

Positive law and coercion certainly can preserve order. As Hamilton put it, The passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without restraint. But as Alexis de Tocqueville later argued, more operative than law in the American order was Americans morestheir customs and habits. These could be enshrined in law but most often were left entirely to civil society and associative life. Think of the simple examples of driving 60 mph in a 55 mph zone and wearing sweatpants and a hoodie to a job interview. The first is illegal while the second only violates custom and etiquette. But which of these rules are people more likely to break? There is a way in which customs are more binding than laws, especially when those laws are unreasonable or unjust. Traditions and customs do not require bureaucrats.

In some sense, then, we can trust traditions and customs as restraints more than we can laws to protect peoples rights and liberties. One, however, needs prudence to preserve what G.K. Chesterton calls the democracy of the dead. One must prudently consider whether laws are necessary in any given situation or whether virtue, custom, and tradition can better benefit the common good.

Religion best fits in the category of tradition. It acts upon the consciences of individuals and within the natural society of the family, promoting piety and cultivating the right ordering of the soul. This cannot be done properly or justly through law or state church establishment or through a national church that possesses coercive powers in the name of the higher good. This is why religious freedom has long been and should remain the linchpin of liberty in America.

The most humane way to restrain disordered ambition while respecting liberty is virtue, the habit of doing good and seeking the good. This strain of American thought has been most identified with Thomas Jefferson, because he argued that yeoman farmers are the most virtuous Americans due to their independence from the market economy, debt, and commerce. Although not a strict agrarian like Jefferson, Washington agreed with his fellow Virginian about the need for virtue in a free society. Once people lost the virtue needed to do the right thing, Washington thought, they would be incapable of preserving liberty. Instead, they would enslave themselves to pure individualism, leading to the very opposite of an ordered society composed of free people mindful of the common good. Therefore, like Hamilton, Washington tended to emphasize law and order, because he thought that the few  who act upon principles of disinterestedness are, comparatively speaking, no more than a drop in the Ocean. Washington, in other words, recognized that the pervasive nature of sinthe inclination toward reckless selfishnesshad implications beyond the interior life of the individual human person.

Edmund Burke also recognized that the reality of sin had ramifications for state and society. Thus, he argued that liberty must be limited in order to be possessed. But limited how? For Burke, these limits would be long-established customs and traditions, inherited wisdom, and virtue. Beware positive law and bureaucracies, because these make substantial room for the arbitrary imposition of will. Burke recognized that liberty was a good to be expanded not an evil to be limited. The test of a people, Burke thought, is to see how much liberty, not how little, they can live with.

Since the 1950s, American conservatives, much like the Founders, have tended to emphasize liberty in the healthful tension between order and freedom. Accepting this tension as fruitful while recognizing the need that liberty be rightly ordered has strongly informed conservative thinking on liberty and its limits. According to Kirk, this is especially true among those who see the American experiment in ordered liberty not as an ideological attempt to turn a nation upside down and create something that never before had existed but rather as a project to secure in a practical fashion the American institutions and rights that already existed. Kirk concludes that the goal of the whole project was simply to preserve the justice and order and freedom that the American colonies had long enjoyed. Freedom without order is anarchy, Kirk rightly notes, and order without freedom or justice is tyranny. It is with prudence that we must determine the balance.

Whereas Kirk provides a framework for conservatives that emphasizes a prudent balance (rooted in experience and tradition) among justice, order, and liberty, Patrick Deneen in In Defense of Order argues for the priority of order over liberty. To be fair, Deneen is making a prudential judgment of his own, and one hopes that scholars of goodwill genuinely interested in the truth of things can disagree on these points. But it is incorrect to claim, as Deneen does, that especially conservatives have ignored the framework laid out by Kirk, in a reckless, individualist quest to expand the bounds of liberty. Even Kirk himself did not write of merely order or merely liberty but of the healthful tension of liberty and order. This is true also of most of the American Founders. After all, Patrick Henry didnt say, Give me order or give me death, and because he stressed liberty doesnt make him an anarcho-capitalist.

The good news is that the category of order that post-liberals argue has been overlooked or marginalized remains ripe for analysis and exploration. Post-liberals ought therefore to be congratulated for stressing the importance of order. In an implicit recognition of sin, their focus is mostly on American vices and corruption. Adrian Vermeule is in one sense correct to worry about private corporate power, tech monopolies, banks engaged in ideological policing of financial access, woke universities, and other nongovernmental bodies as much as he worries about overweening state power. He chides old Reaganite conservatism (what he also calls right liberalism), which he thinks is only worried about the potential excesses of the state. Yet what each of these allegedly private entities cited by Vermeule has in common is that it is not private. Rather, each subsists in a governmental and hyper-regulatory ecosystem of cronyism, subsidies, public funding, and corporate favoritism. Thus, the Chinese-style bureaucracy Vermeule is fond of is not a workable solution, for it is incapable of overcoming vice and corruption. Indeed, any Leviathan government invites the very corruption Vermuele laments because of its centralized power and authority. The reality of sin and human dignity counsel us that the best safeguard against corruption is small government and a free society that ensures space for the cultivation of virtue. At the same time, we must constantly measure ideals against experience, remembering that good government is rare but possible, whereas perfect government is nonexistent because it is impossible. Doing so will enrich and develop our understanding of the importance of the American founding rather than undermine it with reductionist slogans about liberalism, individualism, and order.

To promote virtue is to promote order, and true virtue is impossible without liberty, since to be virtuous, choices must be free choices. Or in Tocquevilles formulation, What is virtue if not the free choice of what is good? Lord Acton describes this balance best:

Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. It is not for the sake of a good public administration that it is required, but for security in the pursuit of the highest objects of civil society, and of private life.

Like Burke, Acton points to the truth that the human person is imperfect. We are free but capable of sin, and though we are social, we are also selfish.

A healthy tension does not mean that we prioritize order over liberty any more than it advocates for license in the name of liberty. To be clear, though, the balance must be asymmetrical as a consequence of human nature. We ought, like Burke and the American Founders, to place the emphasis on libertyin a prudent balance with order, yes, but on liberty nonetheless. A free and virtuous people will produce an orderly commonwealth. When we lack order in the soul, Kirk concludes, we will lack order in society. A.G. Sertillanges calls virtue the health of the soul. An imposed, bureaucratic order of the States choosing, even when well intentioned, will not heal and enliven souls or produce virtuous citizens. Order in the soul, and by extension order in the commonwealth, requires freedom.
Just before 11 a.m. Saturday, May 19, 1990, Charlie Matney arrived at his single-wide trailer in Wytheville to check up on his property.

A friend who had driven Matney from his home in Jolo, West Virginia, watched as the 63-year-old entered the mobile home, moved about the trailer and then return to the entrance where he appeared to bend down to pick up an object from the floor.

It was at that point an explosion ripped through the trailer, killing Matney and leveling most of the structure.

Thirty-four years later, Virginia State Police are still trying to solve the case.

This is kind of a difficult case, said Russell Edwards, a state police agent tasked with examining the areas unsolved cases.

The explosion left behind little in the way of helpful evidence, but authorities at the time were able to quickly determine it had erupted from a homemade bomb. A canister, a number of fragmented shrapnel and two small wires suggesting an electrical detonation were among the debris collected at the scene, but no evidence could link the device to a particular person.

Interviews with family and friends also bore out no significant information and the case soon stalled.

With limited information in the case file, Edwards believes a complete reinvestigation is needed. But, with more than three decades having passed since Matney was killed, that task will prove a difficult one.

This case happened so long ago, a lot of the key players are now deceased, Edwards explained.

Hes been in contact with an ATF agent out of Bristol for assistance in the investigation. The pair has re-examined the evidence and intend to conduct new interviews with family members, original investigators and fire officials who are still around.

Weve got to talk to the people at the scene, see what they saw, what they smelled, anything, Edwards said.

While shrapnel from the bomb was collected and analysis of other debris suggests dynamite was used, investigators were not able to definitively determine what triggered the explosion. Small details from the memories of those at the scene could point to other components used inside the bomb. Knowing who had access to those particular components could help crack the case.

Edwards has also recently gotten the green light to request a private lab to analyze the shrapnel for the presence of DNA. Though he conceded that chances are likely slim, Edwards said its possible the perpetrator could have left behind DNA on the objects of which the bomb was filled.

Although evidence tells him very little about the crime, Edwards has been able to surmise one thing: He doesnt believe Charlie Matney was the intended target.

I dont believe he was there enough to have been, the agent explained.

Matney, who owned a well-drilling business with his brother, used the Wytheville trailer to store equipment and infrequently visited the property to check up on things.

If you think about if you want to get rid of someone, why not hit them where they live or frequent? And he didnt live or frequent there. He was there two or three times a month to check out his property.

A number of other people had access to the trailer, Edwards said, including a son who sometimes stayed there. Located in a remote area in Stony Fork near the foot of Walker Mountain, and with no lock on the door, the property was also known to be frequented by people looking for a place to drink and hang out.

No one was actively living in the home, said Edwards. Some people might stop by and stay for a night or two, or maybe family would stop by and stay, but I just dont see Mr. Matney as the intended target. I mean, its possible that he was, but more than likely he wasnt.

Family members of Matney could not be located save for a son who did not wish to be interviewed for this article.

Moving forward, Edwards plans to track down remaining relatives and those involved in the initial investigation. Hell also soon present the case to DNA Labs International, a private lab in Florida that specializes in forensic casework, for consideration for DNA analysis.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call state police at 276-228-3131.
Correction June 28, 2024, 3 p.m.: The originally published version of this article was incorrect on one point. The Justice family has has paid $7.8 million toward the $301.9 million, leaving $294.4 million owed to Carter Bank. The agreement provides additional protections on the amount outstanding. This article has been updated.

MARTINSVILLE  Carter Bank and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his family appear to have settled their differences over more than $300 million in loans the bank extended to the former coal executive and his related businesses.

Carter Bankshares Inc., headquartered in Martinsville, stated in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission late Wednesday that the lawsuit filed against Carter Bank & Trust and its board of directors by Justice, his family and various related entities has been voluntary dismissed, meaning that the Justices waive any claim, and may not bring any future legal action in any court against Carter Bank based on the facts alleged in the lawsuit.

"We are glad to have reached an agreement that puts these matters behind us. We appreciated the effort that Litz Van Dyke [Carter Bank CEO] and his team put into negotiating this resolution," said Jay Justice III, on behalf of the Justice family through a release from their attorney. "Our family has valued our decades-long relationship with Carter Bank dating back to my dad's long-standing personal relationship with Worth Carter, the bank's visionary founder, and longtime chairman."

Justice family attorney Bob Wolford wrote that the settlement was the result of months of negotiation and resolves all outstanding disputes between the parties and commits them to moving forward constructively and amicably.

Carter Bank had begun collection proceedings against the family and its businesses for more than $300 million in loans that the bank extended to the Justices. In response, the family sued Carter Bank for $1 billion.

The Justice family has paid $7.8 million toward the $301.9 million, leaving $294.4 million owed. The agreement, in connection with the dismissal of the lawsuit provides additional protections on the amount outstanding.

Other specifics of the settlement will remain confidential, per mutual agreement, and the agreement "encompasses a pathway of curtailment and payoff of the loans the Justice family has outstanding with Carter Bank," wrote Wolford.

"Our family is committed to satisfying our outstanding obligations to Carter Bank and fulfilling our commitments under the terms of the agreement reached with Carter Bank," Jay Justice said in the release. "We look forward to focusing our attention on those efforts and believe that this resolution will ensure that The Greenbrier remains a part of the Justice family's holdings for generations to come."

Court filings by Carter Bank had indicated The Greenbrier Luxury Resort in White Sulphur Spring, West Virginia, was under consideration by the bank to have its private Greenbrier Sporting Club seized and sold at auction. The member list of the club included owners of real estate surrounding the resort.

"Carter Bank continues to believe that it is fully secured on all loans it has outstanding to and obligations from the Justice Entities," the SEC filing by Carter Bank stated.
Barbaro  an Italian restaurant, bar and pizzeria on McCullough Avenue in San Antonio  has agreed to pay employees thousands of dollars to resolve allegations that it violated federal labor laws. Mike Sutter/Staff

The owner of the San Antonio Italian restaurant and bar Barbaro has agreed to pay a total of $28,920 to 22 employees to settle allegations that it made them share gratuities with at least one of their managers.

Terms of the settlement between Pizza Bar LLC, which does business as Barbaro, and the U.S. Labor Department were included in a Wednesday court filing asking U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez to approve the deal.

The Labor Department also alleged in a September lawsuit that the establishment had unlawfully denied current and former employees minimum wage and overtime compensation for more than three years.

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The agency never specified in its lawsuit the amount it was seeking to recover other than to say Barbaro owed compensation for tips it unlawfully kept and for unpaid minimum wages and overtime.

Barbaro is part of restaurateur Chad Careys Empty Stomach Group, which consists of restaurants, bars and nightlife venues in San Antonio. Barbaro is at 2720 McCullough Ave.

Chad Carey of Empty Stomach Group  which operates bars, nightclubs and restaurants, including Barbaro  said last year that Barbaro pays its employees fairly. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Carey didnt respond to an email and phone call seeking comment, but he said in September that Barbaro pays its employees fairly, and provides health care, paid time off and other benefits.

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Weve been fully cooperating with the Department of Labor audit, which started in May 2022, and are disappointed that it has led to litigation, he said then.

According to the complaint, Barbaro allegedly violated federal labor laws from May 2020 to at least May 2022 by requiring its servers to contribute a percentage of their sales into the tip share allocation. All bartenders tips went into the tip share pool.

The total pool was then redistributed, including to a manager or supervisor, the lawsuit said. Managers and supervisors are barred by labor law from participating in a tip pool.

In its answer to the lawsuit, Barbaro admitted the pool was redistributed but denied any manager received monies from it.

The Labor Department also alleged that Barbaros tip pool practices disqualified it from taking tip credits against its minimum wage obligations.

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In Texas, an employer of a tipped worker is only required to pay $2.13 an hour in direct wages if that amount combined with the tips received at least equals the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The maximum tip credit is $5.12 an hour in Texas.

Barbaro lost the ability to use the tip credit and therefore must compensate its tipped employees at the full minimum wage rate, unencumbered by the tip credit, for all hours worked and, additionally, must pay the amount that was improperly paid out to the manager or supervisor, the suit said.

The Labor Department also said Barbaro paid overtime at a rate less than required.

Barbaro responded that there was an unintentional error in its overtime formula, which affected eight employees during the two-year period. But it said the deficiency was $270.75 for all of them.

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Wednesdays court filing said the amount to be paid to employees covers the period from Sept.1, 2021, through Jan. 28 of this year. Barbaro has until July 31 to pay the workers.
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Paul Wall is known for a lot of things  near the top of the list? His teeth.

Wall contributed to the popularization of grillz, the dental accessory molded in precious metals and often encrusted with gemstones. In hip-hop culture, grillz serve as a status symbol just as much as a fashion accessory  one that Wall is an expert in.

In fact, Wall often partners with Houston jeweler Johnny Dang to create his custom fronts, which he wears both on and off the stage. The pair now collaborate officially in a two-level jewelry and department store Johnny Dang & Co., where theyve made custom grillz for Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Lizzo and more.

Of course, Wall is better known as a Texan rapper and Houston icon, known for many Top 10 albums, songs and collaborations like "Still Tippin'" "Sittin' Sidewayz" and, of course, "Grillz."

The rapper grew up listening to fellow Houstonian DJ Screw and, according to All Music, became so accustomed to the DJs classic slowed-down style that he had to re-adjust to hip-hop at other speeds.

Initially, Wall put together underground mixtapes and DJed at parties, even joining Chamillionaire to create the group the Color Changin Click. The duo continued to work together in 2002 on Get Ya Mind Correct before Wall released his first solo project, Chick Magnet in 2004. Later that same year Wall was featured on Mike Jones Still Tippin which went platinum after reaching number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Wall joined with Chamillionaire again to release Controversy Sells before releasing his second album The Peoples Champ, including Drive Slow with Kanye West and GLC, which also appeared on Wests album Late Registration. Walls album quickly went number one on the Billboard 200, and around the same time Wall was featured on Nellys Grillz which was later nominated for a Grammy.

From there Wall stayed with Swishahouse to produce three more albums, Get Money, Stay True, in 2007, Fast Life in 2009, and Heart of a Champion in 2010  half of which was produced by blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. He released one album on an independent label, #Checkseason, before working with Oiler Mobb on another five albums. His most recent solo albums include Subculture (2020), Hall Of Fame Hustler (2021), and The Great Wall (2023).

The Po-Up Poet will make his Abe Stage debut at Saturday in the Park at 7:15 p.m.

The Po-Up Poet pontificates WHAT: Paul Wall WHEN: 7:15 p.m. July 6 WHERE: Saturday in the Parks Abe Staged1769cfa-f1fb-48c7-95c4-2dccfdd9b4ef
China, Turkiye hold ruling party governance exchange mechanism strategic dialogue

Xinhua) 11:02, June 27, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The 2024 China-Turkiye Ruling Party Governance Exchange Mechanism Strategic Dialogue was held on Wednesday in Beijing.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Efkan Ala, first deputy chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) of Turkiye, attended the dialogue and delivered keynote speeches.

Liu said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the China-Turkiye strategic cooperative relationship has maintained a sound momentum of development.

He said the CPC is ready to work with the AK Party to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, respect each other's core concerns, deepen the exchange of experience in governance, accelerate the alignment of China's Belt and Road Initiative and Turkiye's Middle Corridor Initiative, promote the relations between the two sides, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ala said that Turkiye looks forward to deepening inter-party exchanges with the CPC to enhance bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, energy, tourism and other fields, and strengthen the alignment of development strategies to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Visitors pose for photographs at the U.S. Supreme Court this month. On Wednesday, the court sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts. Jose Luis Magana/AP

WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.

By a 6-3 vote, the justices threw out lower-court rulings that favored Louisiana, Missouri and other parties in their claims that officials in the Democratic administration leaned on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the court that the states and other parties did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented.

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The decision should not affect typical social media users or their posts.

The case is among several before the court this term that affect social media companies in the context of free speech. In February, the court heard arguments over Republican-passed laws in Florida and Texas that prohibit large social media companies from taking down posts because of the views they express. In March, the court laid out standards for when public officials can block their social media followers.

The cases over state laws and the one that was decided Wednesday are variations on the same theme, complaints that the platforms are censoring conservative viewpoints.

The states had argued that White House communications staffers, the surgeon general, the FBI and the U.S. cybersecurity agency are among those who applied unrelenting pressure to coerce changes in online content on social media platforms.

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Justices skeptical

The justices appeared broadly skeptical of those claims during arguments in March and several worried that common interactions between government officials and the platforms could be affected by a ruling for the states.

The Biden administration underscored those concerns when it noted that the government would lose its ability to communicate with the social media companies about antisemitic and anti-Muslim posts, as well as on issues of national security, public health and election integrity.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the court reached the right outcome because "it helps ensure the Biden Administration can continue our important work with technology companies to protect the safety and security of the American people, after years of extreme and unfounded Republican attacks on public officials who engaged in critical work to keep Americans safe.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the decision unfortunate and disappointing. The court majority, Murrill said in a statement, gives a free pass to the federal government to threaten tech platforms into censorship and suppression of speech that is indisputably protected by the First Amendment. The majority waves off the worst government coercion scheme in history.

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The justices did not weigh in on the substance of the states' claims or the administration's response in their decision Wednesday.

We begin  and end  with standing, Barrett wrote. At this stage, neither the individual nor the state plaintiffs have established standing to seek an injunction against any defendant. We therefore lack jurisdiction to reach the merits of the dispute.

In dissent, Alito wrote that the states amply demonstrated their right to sue. "For months, high-ranking government officials placed unrelenting pressure on Facebook to suppress Americans free speech. Because the court unjustifiably refuses to address this serious threat to the First Amendment, I respectfully dissent, he wrote for the three justices in the minority.

Some free speech advocates praised the result, but lamented how little guidance the court provided.

Little guidance

The platforms are attractive targets for official pressure, and so its crucial that the Supreme Court clarify the line between permissible attempts to persuade and impermissible attempts to coerce, said Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute. "This guidance would have been especially valuable in the months leading up to the election.

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The Supreme Court had earlier acted to keep the lower-court rulings on hold. Alito, Gorsuch and Thomas would have allowed the restrictions on government contacts with the platforms to go into effect.

Free speech advocates had urged the court to use the case to draw an appropriate line between the governments acceptable use of the bully pulpit and coercive threats to free speech.

A panel of three judges on the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled earlier that the Biden administration had probably brought unconstitutional pressure on the media platforms. The appellate panel said officials cannot attempt to coerce or significantly encourage changes in online content. The panel had previously narrowed a more sweeping order from a federal judge, who wanted to include even more government officials and prohibit mere encouragement of content changes.

The decision was the sixth this term in which the court threw out rulings by the 5th Circuit, one of the nation's most conservative appeals courts. Last week, the court upheld a gun restriction aimed at protecting domestic violence victims, overturning a 5th Circuit panel.

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Earlier in June, the court unanimously ruled that anti-abortion doctors lacked standing to challenge Food and Drug Administration decisions to ease access to the abortion drug mifepristone.
YANKTON, S.D.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reduced water releases from Gavins Point Dam for the second straight day to lessen flooding impacts downstream.

Releases were decreased Thursday to 16,000 cubic feet per second from 20,000 cfs, a day after they had been dropped from 24,000 cfs.

The corps said in a news release that it will re-evaluate the situation on Friday, and, depending on inflow into the Lewis and Clark Lake reservoir, releases may be reduced further.

"We will continue to monitor inflows and pool elevations at Gavins Point and throughout the Missouri River Mainstem System and make adjustments as needed," John Remus, chief of the corps' Missouri River Water Management Division said in a news release.

The corps had reduced releases from 29,000 cfs on June 19 to reduce downstream river flows affected by the influx of higher inflows from rivers such as the James, Vermillion and Big Sioux, which empty directly into the river. All three rivers and others experienced record or near-record flows within the past week after heavy rains fell across Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.

Inflow into Lewis and Clark Lake last week was well above Gavins Point releases. To reduce flow into the reservoir, releases from Fort Randall Dam upstream were reduced to 1,000 cfs. Fort Randall releases have been increased to 8,600 cfs, still far below the June average of 28,900 cfs.

Despite the lower Gavins Point releases, some flooding has occurred in the Sioux City area and farther downstream.
Pay Dirt is Slates money advice column. Have a question? Send it to Athena, Kristin, and Ilyce here. (Its anonymous!)

Dear Pay Dirt,

My husband grew up in a household where saving for retirement wasnt really a thing. I grew up the opposite: My parents saved, invested, and thought about finances long-term.

I have a state pension and my husband pays into a 401(k) through work. Hes been paying into the 401(k) for about 10 years and we would be able to live off of it for about six months at this point in time. He feels my state pension (which will be about half of our annual salary upon retirement) will be enough to live on forever. I dont want to put every penny into high-yield accounts and investments but I want to live happily when we retire. Retirement is about 30 years away so we have time to put away funds and let them grow. Im in the right here, correct? How do I get through to him?

Rainy Day Fund

Dear Rainy Day,

The answer to your question comes down to some basic math and maybe a bit of compromise. How much money do you both want to have in retirement? Or, maybe the more pertinent question is, what do you want your retirement to look like? Will it involve travel? Dining out regularly? Will housing be a big part of your budget?

The two of you need to sit down and talk through your future together. No one can predict the future entirely, but we can plan for it as best we can, and thats easier to do when you know what you envision for it. Knowing how you both want to spend your golden years will help you figure out how much monthly retirement income youll need. You can use a retirement savings calculator to help you figure that out, and how much youll need to save now to reach that goal. (I like Nerdwallets calculator because its simple, but there are plenty of options).

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This may be where the compromise comes inmaybe your husband doesnt think you need as much to be satisfied, and maybe youd rather live modestly now so you can live large in retirement. If your visions dont align, talk through it and come to a middle ground. The goal is to get to a place where you can agree on a number. Once you do, set that amount aside each month into an automatic savings account. You can spend what you want now knowing that your money is working for youand for your future selves.

Want Advice From Pay Dirt?

For questions on the money issues in your life try submitting to Pay Dirt!

Dear Pay Dirt,

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Im 22 and living in my hometown after graduating with a BA at 18 during COVID. Since graduating, Ive been bouncing between theatre jobs, and I previously managed three theatres at age 19. I was underqualified and overworked. I quit after the stress pushed me to a health crisis. During this time, I was also diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses that have limited my energy, mobility, and fine motor skills. Recently, I began working as an assistant at a top performing arts universitya job I like, for nowand was asked to apply for a promotion to technical director. Its a very generous offer with hefty compensation considering my age. Theyre also willing to teach me on the job, but theyre asking me to commit to at least two years. Im also incredibly unhappy in my car-centric hometown (I cant drive currently) and have fallen out of love with the often-toxic and physically demanding industry. If I want to stay in theatre, taking the job is the right career move and will give me a larger financial safety net. Im financially stable with $27,000 in the bank and I dont pay rent on an inherited condo. My partner lives paycheck to paycheck.

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However, I feel a persistent longing for something new and different. I can also count on one hand how many times Ive even left my home in the American South. My illnesses are also unpredictable, not well understood, and have the potential to significantly disable me before age 30 (or maybe not, we just dont know). On top of EVERYTHING else, Im trans and my state may ban my access to HRT by next year. Do I move, change careers, and take advantage of what time I have left in my body, at the risk of my finances and before my partner is also financially ready? Or do I wait, push myself physically, and build a nest egg for the potential of becoming more disabled and unable to work later? That would also mean missing out on travel and experiences I desperately want, which require my body to behave itself. Working since age 13, Ive made so many sacrifices for the sake of my career and financial security often at the cost of my health and happiness. Im burnt out, overwhelmed, and dont know what to do.

Recovering Pragmatist

Dear Recovering Pragmatist,

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It sounds like you know what you want to do. Youre burnt out and unhappy, and your physical health is declining. I think your instincts are right. Its time for a change.

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Sometimes it makes sense to tough out a situation and see it through. Grit can pay off in some circumstances, but in your case, Im struggling to see what that payoff would be. Best case scenario, you would be financially stable, but it would come at the cost of your mental and physical health. A big move might be hard, but you dont seem to have trouble finding work, saving money, or paying your bills. Chances are, if you moved to a new city, you would find a way to survive and thrive. It might even be easier in some ways because you might find a community where you feel safe and accepted.

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Maybe you feel you need permission to let go. Or perhaps youre finding it hard to motivate yourself to make such a big change. Either way, it sounds like you know what your gut is telling you to do. Yes, you want to consider your partners financial situation, but surely, its something the two of you can work on together. Sit down and talk about what a move would look like for both of you. If you decide to go for it, come up with a budget and a plan for the transition. Its hard to let go of a rent-free situation, but could you rent out your condo while youre away? Even a small income stream would be helpful. Could you stick it out at your job for six months to build up some savings, which might make you feel more financially secure about the move?

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And if you dont decide to move, thats OK, too. But find a way to make your current situation more palatable. That might mean changing industries or moving to a new neighborhood. Whatever you decide, it sounds like its time to shake things up.

Dear Pay Dirt,

My grandmother is 95 years old. She lives at home and has caregivers 24/7 to help as her health has declined. She really likes and trusts them, which is important because she doesnt trust many people now that shes getting further into the stages of dementia. The problem is that one of her caregivers, Harriet, who has been with her for the better part of a decade is now 70 years old. Grandma trusts her and Harriet is great as a companion. Unfortunately, shes no longer physically capable of doing things like lifting Grandma on her own, which is something we need because her mobility is starting to go completely. Recently, things became even more alarming when Grandma had a fall. She was fine but Harriet could not get her back on her feet from the floor no matter what she did and had to call the paramedics. Weve been hoping Harriet would want to retire on her own but unfortunately, she seems to have no intention of doing so. We love Harriet like family, but we cant keep paying someone who cannot do a task that has become essential to her job. Firing her is going to crush both of them. Is there another solution were not seeing here or do we have to bite the bullet on this one and get a new caregiver?

Shes Technically Elderly Now, Too

Dear Technically Elderly,

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Your grandmothers health and safety come first, but there might be a way to make the transition an easier one. For example, could you modify Harriets job? Perhaps she could transition into more of an emotionally supportive role, which might involve visiting your grandmother a few times a week. You would still have to hire a replacement, which would get expensive, but this scenario might make it easier for both Harriet and your grandmother. Alternatively, you could hire an additional caretaker to assist Harriet with the more physical demands. Of course, the solutions that dont involve letting go of her entirely might be costly.

Whatever you decide, youll need to have a frank conversation with Harriet about your concerns. She might even have some of these concerns herself, and if shes close to the family, she will most likely be understanding. Let her know that youre not just worried about your grandmothers safety, youre worried about hers, too.

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Keep in mind that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act makes it illegal for employers to fire workers based on their age. But there are exceptions to this, including when that persons age prevents them from performing duties that are essential for the job. It sounds like your situation counts as an exception, but make sure she knows your concerns arent about her age but her ability to safely perform these dutiesif theres already been an incident, you can point to that as cause for concern. If youre worried about the legal consequences, consider consulting an employment attorney before you have this conversation.

Ultimately, it sounds like theres no avoiding the uncomfortable reality on this one. Its a matter of your grandmothers health and safety. It will undoubtedly be a tough conversation, but with a little kindness and empathy, you can make it easier.

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Dear Pay Dirt,

My last living grandparent died a few years ago, and he left quite a lot of money to his children, one of which is my mother. She and my father are both practical and plan to give me and my sibling (were both in our early-to-mid-30s) the maximum amount that can be gifted before taxes. Why should we wait to give you money after were dead? is their mantra! Theyve gifted us money once already, and a large chunk of it on my end went toward buying a new car.

However, with the money from my parents and a lot of income Ive saved from my job, I still have about $45,000 in my savings account thats justsitting there. My parents encouraged me to get in touch with their financial advisor, who works for a well-known company, but I havent heard back from them yet. I have since looked into investing myself, and Id like to go with an investment firm that cares about and focuses on socially responsible investing.

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But after looking into all of this, it seems so confusing. A lot of places only do negative screening, where they claim to be socially responsible by omitting companies that deal in tobacco, firearms, fossil fuels, etc., but then dont look into the positive screening aspecthow the company treats their workers, their carbon footprint, etc. Some investors consider Amazon and Nestle to be ethical. I did use the USSIF site to search for investment firms and found a few that seem promising, but I know nothing about investing or investment firms and what I should be looking for (or looking out for). I know nothing is perfect and Im not so naive that I think Ill be able to find a perfectly ethical, sustainable, socially responsible fit for my investments, but are there any specific investing firms that are transparent and actually ethical about this kind of thing? Should I take what I can get and look the other way? Or should I be going down a different path altogether?

Conscientious and Confused

Dear Conscientious and Confused,

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What youre referring to is generally known as impact investing. That is, intentionally investing in companies that have a positive social and environmental impact. There are lots of different acronyms tossed around when it comes to this kind of investing. The two most common youll see are ESG (environmental, social, and governance) investing and SRI (socially responsible investing). These mean two different things, so while an investment fund could pass muster in one domain (lets say its socially responsible and pays workers fair wages) it may also be using fossil fuels to power its operationsa big mark against environmental sustainability. Its hard to find reliable investments or investment firms that check every single box when it comes to impact. Some popular firms recognized for sustainable and responsible investing are Parnassus, Calvert, and Trillium, but there are others, too. Even big investment firmsVanguard, Fidelity, and Betterment have ESG or SRI fund options.

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This seems to be the problem youre running into. There may be an investment firm out there that perfectly aligns with your values, but its likely that when you look into it closely enough, youll find something you dont like. But to answer your question, there are a handful of things to look out for when picking a firm. First, theres the transparency you mentioned. What are their ESG criteria? Whats their methodology for picking companies? They should have this information readily available on their website. Also, whats the firms track record? In other words, whats their history of managing socially responsible investments, and how do those companies perform? What are their management fees or transaction costs, and how do these compare with other firms? Morningstar, Investopedia, and Consumer Reports are all solid resources to compare and look up this information. So is the US SIF (Sustainable Investment Forum), as you mentioned.

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We live in an economic system where the simplest and most common way to build lasting wealth is to invest in the broad stock market. Unfortunately, that same system makes it difficult to be a socially conscious investoror consumer, for that matter. Most of the companies that make up the broad market likely have some mark against them when it comes to environmental concerns, labor practices, or other ethical considerations.

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Nothing is perfect, but that doesnt mean we cant do better. You can think of it as taking what you can and looking the other way, but you dont have to look the other way, either. You can do what you can with an awareness that the systemand your choices within ithas much room for improvement.

Kristin

Classic Prudie

I suffer from a food restriction disordermy sense of disgust (colloquial term) is heightened and Im highly sensitive to food textures and smells. Ive always been a little picky but was diagnosed with the disorder a few years ago, in tandem with severe anxiety. I manage it fairly well now. However, I just moved in with my partner, who has a much more adventurous palate. My food issues are causing problems. My partner knew a couple growing up who ate two different meals every night and my partner finds this absurd.
For Thursdays presidential debate, CNNs got rules. There will be no live audience. The candidates will not be allowed to consult notes or their advisers. They will have two minutes to respond to questions, followed by one-minute rebuttals and responses to rebuttals. There are no opening statements and no props allowed. Most importantly, the candidates microphones will be mutedyes, mutedwhen theyre not speaking.

Will all those rules keep this exercise on the rails? CNN has said that moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion (emphasis mine).

But it remains to be seen what that means. If Trump begins stalking the stage menacingly or either candidate starts interrupting (or even yelling), will Tapper and Bash open up a trapdoor? Whip out a lasso or old-timey shepherds crook to yank the candidates offstage? Pull a fire alarm?

And theres no plan for live fact-checking. How will any falsehoods be curtailed?

Theres a lot at stake, particularly for CNN. Last May, the network held a live town-hall event in New Hampshire with Trump that was widely criticized after Trump used the opportunity to spew lies, smear enemies, and insult the moderator, CNNs Kaitlan Collins. The crowd, made up of local Republican voters, was hooting, jeering, and laughing. CNN very visibly lost control of the roomand of any assertion over the facts.

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The event roiled the network, to the point where prominent journalists and commentators were forced to address the backlash on air. (Anderson Cooper, defending the town hall, said to viewers: You have every right to be outraged today and angry and never watch this network again. But do you think staying in your silo and only listening to people you agree with is going to make that person go away?) The town hall also proved to be the last straw for CNNs CEO Chris Licht, who was fired a month later.

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This weeks debate is meant to be a much more muted affair: CNNs new chairman, Mark Thompson, reportedly drew inspiration for the format from the 1960 KennedyNixon debates. And theres a big change to how the debate has been organized.

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Both campaigns had previously expressed frustration with the Commission on Presidential Debates, a nonprofit that has organized presidential debates since the 1980s. Republicans in particular had accused the commission of being biased toward Democrats. (Not that they wont accuse CNN of the same: Some GOPers have already started saying that the network has rigged the debate.)

So, the two political parties discussed having debates outside the commissions control. The Biden campaign publicly put out a proposal, which included the following terms: that the two parties come to an agreement about the network hosts and the rules; the network choose moderators from its own payroll; the moderators stick with firm time limits and equal speaking time; and the microphones be controlled.

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Trump, who may have had to agree to these terms to appear overly confident, would clearly have preferred a live audience. But forcing moderators to act like substitute teachers trying to keep a classroom in order has been, well, not particularly conducive to anyones goals. And it lets Trump be a giant bully onstage.

In that sense, the lack of an audience will likely help Biden. As will the muted mics, given that his campaigns great concern is probably that Biden come across as neither elderly nor senile. Hell likely do much better without an aggressive TV personality overpowering him, flustering him, or interrupting his train of thought. Similarly, the format could hurt Trump, given that he wont be able to play to his strengths by working the audience and playing the alpha male.

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Need advice on living through this nerve-racking election?

Slate wants to help. Submit your questions here. Its anonymous! No question is too dumbor too existential.

Its possible, of course, that this could backfire for Biden, that the stripped-down environment might prevent Trump from doing something off-puttingly erratic (remember him hovering behind Hillary Clinton?), so much so that some voters may be relieved by a more presidential Trump and take it as an excuse to ignore his more uncouth behavior.

Still, the big question of the night is: Will CNN be able to keep things civil? Cutting the mics will certainly help, but presumably, the moderators wont be able to physically restrain Trump from, say, wandering up and talking into Bidens microphone. Less dramatically, a candidates mic might still pick up another candidates shouting. Plus, the reality is, theyll be in the same room. Trump yelling at Biden, calling him crooked or sleepy or accusing him of being on drugs, might prove distracting enough to derail the debate, even if viewers at home cant hear it. CNN may have removed the unpredictability of a live studio audience, but it cant remove the unpredictability of Donald Trump.
This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)

On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court handed down another entry in a long series of cases that make it easier for public officials to grift off their political office. In Snyder v. United States, the court determined, in a 63 split, that a federal anti-bribery law does not prohibit state and local officials from accepting gratuities from pleased parties as a reward for favored treatment. In an opinion authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the conservative supermajority distinguished between bribes you can agree to before you do someone a favor (illegal) and gifts you accept quietly after (just fine). Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick discussed the decision in Wednesdays Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus. Their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Dahlia Lithwick: Mark, another case that was really important but wont get much attention was Snyder v. United States, and it seems, hilariously, to differentiate between bribes and gratuities that are paid out after the favor is done. This decision is extraordinary in light of all the freebie flights and the salmon fishing trips and the superyachts and luxury RVs the justices have, weve learned, been accepting. So, whats the law that SCOTUS just gutted?

Mark Joseph Stern: This law targets anyone who corruptly solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept anything of valueany person intending to be influenced or rewarded. So its an anti-bribery statute but also an anti-gift statute because it expressly says that you cannot perform an official act and then be rewarded with some kind of present because you did that courtesy to a member of the public.

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The facts of the case illustrate this problem well. James Snyder was a mayor of a town in Indiana. His administration gave a lucrative contract to a truck company. The company then turned around and cut him a check for $13,000 as a token of their appreciation. He is being rewarded under the terms of the statute. And yet Justice Kavanaugh, joined by the other five conservatives, essentially rewrote the statute to allow what he calls gratuities, like gift cards, lunches, plaques, books, or even checks. Just cold, hard cash. He says they are fundamentally different from bribes.

Its not a bribe, Mark! Its a post hoc tip. Can you talk about the ways he murders the text to get there?

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The murder happens in plain sight! Kavanaugh basically says that gratuities are no big dealtheyre often commonplace and innocuous, like a family giving a holiday tip to the mail carrier. He says that state and local governments already have a variety of laws that prevent or punish the acceptance of gratuities for official acts, so why should the federal government have its own statute that covers the same thing? He suggests that the law is an affront to federalism, so it cant be interpreted to mean what it says, because that would allow federal prosecutors to somehow overstep their bounds.

Related From Slate The Supreme Court Just Made an 8-1 Mad Dash Away From Clarence Thomas Extremism Read More

He doesnt seem to understand that Congress passed this statute specifically because a lot of those laws in local governments arent enforced vigorously or at all. Sometimes local prosecutors might be on the payroll. Sometimes they might have special agreements or look the other way. Congress purpose here was to provide a baseline federal standard to protect Americans from this kind of corrupt conduct. But Kavanaugh just doesnt see the conduct as corrupt, and I think thats the fundamental problem with his decision. He doesnt see it as corrupt for a mayor to accept a $13,000 check for rewarding a lucrative truck contract to some company that really, really wants it and asks for it with a wink and a nod, knowing what might happen afterwards. If you dont have a solid agreement for a kickback in advance, he thinks, the exchange shouldnt be illegal. That may or may not be good policy. But its not the policy Congress set for the country.

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I want to take one more pull at the word corruptly, because its not just Kavanaugh whos letting it do a lot of work: Justice Neil Gorsuch writes in a concurrence that he is very excited to parse the word. Whats he signaling?

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Corruptly is a key word in another law: the federal obstruction statute thats at issue in the Jan. 6 case, Fischer v. United States, which targets anyone who corruptly obstructs an official proceeding. There was a lot of talk about that word in Fischer. And in reading it so narrowly here, both Kavanaugh and Gorsuch may well be telegraphing their desire to read it narrowly there too, in favor of the Jan. 6 defendants. Gorsuch also brought up the rule of lenity, this principle that ambiguous federal statutes should be interpreted in favor of criminal defendants so they can have fair notice of whats forbidden. His whole concurrence reads like a preemptive victory lap for prevailing in Fischer. I think hes foreshadowing how the court will get away with gutting the obstruction law to let some 350 Jan. 6 defendants duck this very serious charge and potentially avoid prison time.

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Justice Ketanji Brown Jacksons dissent sounds as if shes telling America the quiet parts about corruption and gifts and public trust out loud. She opens her dissent this way: Officials who use their public positions for private gain threaten the integrity of our most important institutions. Greed makes governmentsat every levelless responsive, less efficient, and less trustworthy from the perspective of the communities they serve. She notes that Snyders absurd and atextual reading of the statute is one only todays Court could love. She is throwing a little shade the way of Clarence Thomas and Sam Alito, who seem very comfortable taking  do I want to call them bribes? Do I want to call them gratuities? Do I want to call them million-dollar friendship bracelets?

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Justice Jackson is throwing buckets of shade. I dont think her opinion can be read any other way. She is eviscerating the majoritys vision of a good government, where public servants can get soft kickbacks for their official acts and thats just fine. Shes saying this vision is fundamentally corrosive to a democratic government in which elected officials are supposed to be responsive to their constituents and to the citizenry at large, not to a narrow slice of wealthy people and corporations who happen to be in a position to reward them for their official acts. She explains how the court is basically just legalizing a form of bribery thats done with a wink rather than a handshake. And by doing so, the court is undermining Congress ability to protect our collective right to a government thats responsive and not corrupted by the wealthy and moneyed interests. It is still a profoundly corrupt act for a public servant to accept a gratuity with a knowing nod after doing a solid for his rich friend.

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And this is how Thomas and Alito have justified their own corruption! They argue that they didnt do anything in exchange for lavish gifts. They just happened to be handed amazing gifts after ruling for billionaires over and over again. All-expenses-paid vacations? Exotic getaways on a superyacht? They fell into these guys laps after they gave billionaires the right to buy elections or tried to shield them from a heavier tax burden. Isnt it funny how that works!

So, yes, I think Jackson is blowing off some steam thats maybe been gathering since the exposes of their corruption first dropped. She is using her dissent as an opportunity to tell the public that we should not buy into this naive and narrow vision of corruption that the majority blesses here. Its bad, whether some mayor in Indiana is doing it or Supreme Court justices are doing it.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court gutted the ability of government agencies to enforce regulations against those who break the law. While the case, SEC v. Jarkesy, might sound dry, the decision is a big deal: It allows wrongdoers targeted by the Securities and Exchange Commissionas well as a bunch of other federal agenciesto demand a trial by jury in federal court, upending the usual adjudication process before administrative law judges. The federal government does not have anywhere close to enough resources and personnel to take every case to a jury when it seeks to impose civil penalties. So the decision will chill enforcement throughout the executive branch, allowing more white-collar criminals, polluters, abusive employers, and other malefactors to slip through the cracks. And it all started with a little-known hedge fund manager from Texas named George Jarkesya Republican activist and conservative radio host bankrolled by billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Cuban.

So who is the man whose case may have just kneecapped the executive branch in a decision that Justice Sonia Sotomayor bluntly characterized as a power grab by the judiciary?

Jarkesy managed the Houston-based hedge fund Patriot 28. He hosts a conservative radio show on which he has railed against government agencies like the Department of Energy and the Department of Education. He also once argued that the Civil War was started because the North ran out of money. They had taxed their people into oblivion. They had ran over their budgets, they were broke, and the South had money, said Jarkesy. He was also no fan of former President Barack Obama, referring to him as comrade Obama and even writing a song called The Bad Obama Blues, where Jarkesy called him a liar and said, the president spends like a maniac.

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More than a decade ago, the SEC fined Jarkesy for misleading investors. The agency alleged that Jarkesys fund arbitrarily inflated the value of certain holdings from 30 cents per share to $3.30 per shareso that they could charge higher management fees.

During a 12-day hearing at the SECs offices in 2014, Jarkesy said I dont recall or some version of it more than 800 times. An administrative law judge determined Jarkesy had committed securities fraud through his two hedge funds, which managed a cumulative $24 million in assets. According to the judge, he and his firm lied to their 120 investors about how their money was managed and did, beyond a doubt, overvalue holdings to justify extortionist management fees. The agency fined Jarkesy $300,000, banned him from participation in the securities industry, and directed him to give up nearly $685,000 in unlawful gains.

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Jarkey refused to accept this outcome. The hedge fund manager filed a petition for review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuita bench stacked with particularly unhinged Trump-appointed judgeswhich ruled the SEC had overstepped its power and violated the Constitution. The Biden administration stepped in to appeal the 5th Circuits ruling to the Supreme Court.

As Jarkesy fought his case against the SEC, billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Cuban bankrolled his legal fees. Musk had also tried and failed to challenge the SEC himself after he got in trouble with the agency in 2018. The SEC went after Musk for posting a series of tweets about his intentions to take Tesla private, which never ended up happening. As part of a settlement with the SEC, Musk agreed that a company lawyer would review all of his Tesla-related social media postsbut he later appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that this was a violation of his First Amendment rights. The high court turned down the appeal.

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Cuban joined Musk in filing a brief in support of Jarkesys case. They argued that SEC practices create an unfair advantage for the government and that by not allowing juries to hear civil cases, the SEC is harming the very investors and markets the SEC is charged with protecting.

In Thursdays 63 decision, conservative justices vindicated the 5th Circuit, Cuban, and Musk. In Chief Justice John Roberts majority opinion, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jarkesy and established a troubling new precedent: Any time a government agency wants to impose civil penalties, the defendant has a Seventh Amendment right to demand a jury trial in federal court. As Sotomayors dissent demonstrated, this holding has no basis in the Seventh Amendment, but flows entirely from the majoritys sympathy toward powerful rulebreakers who want to spend their way out of accountability.

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The majoritys holding blows up decades of precedent allowing agencies to try these cases in-house before government-appointed experts whose independence and expertise brought consistency and fairness to the proceedings. And the sweeping decision could have repercussions beyond just the SEC: It opens the door to other legal challenges that could limit the power of the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, and more. The ruling is a huge victory for union-busting employers, polluters, billionaires, corporations, and other frequent targets of agency enforcement. Defendants can now insist on a jury trial before a federal judge, drawing out the proceeding by a matter of years and exploiting the governments comparative lack of resources. Agencies now have a strong incentive to simply decline enforcement rather than slog through the judiciary.

Thursdays decision, in other words, is a big win for crooks like Jarkesy, and for billionaires and their friends in the conservative legal movementand a loss for anyone who believes the government has an important role to play in protecting the public.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)
On Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court inadvertently released a draft of its decision in Moyle v. United States, a major case about emergency abortions. First obtained by Bloomberg News, the draft shows the court planning to punt the case, sending it back down to the lower courts without any decision on the merits. It also reinstated an injunction requiring Idaho to permit abortions in the case of major health crises.

This outcome reeks of a cynical compromise, secured by the more tactical conservative justices, to push this explosive issue past this falls election. The Republican Partys positionthat states may force patients to the brink of death before allowing them to terminate a failing pregnancyis politically toxic. A Supreme Court decision allowing states to impose such a draconian policy could hurt Republicans, and Donald Trump specifically, in November. The three less-extreme conservative justices may have therefore figured out a way to punt the case. Yet they also gave us good reason to believe that when it comes back around next year, they will side with the red states that wish to enforce their abortion bans against patients in extreme medical distress.

Moyle revolves around the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known as EMTALA, which Congress enacted in 1986. The law requires hospitals that accept federal funding to provide stabilizing care for any emergency medical condition that poses serious jeopardy to a persons health. Abortion is the standard of care for many pregnancy-related conditions, and hospitals have long provided the procedure when necessary to stabilize a patient. At least half a dozen states, however, have enacted abortion bans so stringent that they conflict with EMTALAs commands. Idaho, for instance, criminalizes abortion except when it is necessary to prevent a patients death. (Doctors who perform an abortion before the patient is close enough to death face a mandatory minimum of two years imprisonment.)

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Joe Bidens Department of Justice sued Idaho, alleging that EMTALA preempts state law. A district court agreed, issuing an injunction that required Idaho to allow abortions when a patients health (but not necessarily her life) was in serious jeopardy. The Supreme Court halted that injunction and took up the case before the appeals court could issue a decision on the merits. As soon as SCOTUS intervened, Idaho doctors had to start airlifting pregnant patients to neighboring states to obtain emergency abortions that were illegal under Idaho law.

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If the draft opinion is accurate, then the Supreme Court has decided that it should not have intervened in the first place. It reached this conclusion by a 54 vote: Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor joined with Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, as well as Chief Justice John Roberts, to dismiss the case as improvidently granted, with a one-line per curiam opinion. These justices also voted to lift the stay on the injunction that had protected Idaho patients, and they were joined by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on that front. (Jackson would have decided the case against Idaho rather than dismissing it.) The compromise seems obvious: Kagan and Sotomayor agreed to dismiss the case in exchange for a reinstatement of the stay in Idaho.

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Barrett wrote to explain her vote, joined by Roberts and Kavanaugh. Her draft concurrence should throw cold water on anyone tempted to call this move a victory for reproductive rights. The justice makes two key points. First, she claimed that Idaho has expanded access to emergency abortions beyond what it initially represented, while the DOJ has narrowed EMTALAs scope beyond what it initially claimed. She cited concession by Idahos attorney during oral argument that the state would allow abortions in an emergency situation in which death is not inevitable, like preeclampsia and preterm premature rupture of the membranes. In light of this shift, Barrett wrote, its unclear how state and federal laws conflict, requiring further lower court proceedings. And she voted to lift the stay not because she agrees with the DOJs interpretation of EMTALA but because, even with the preliminary injunction in place, Idahos ability to enforce its law remains almost entirely intact.

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Second, and more ominously, Barrett cited an alarming constitutional theory that Idaho brought at the eleventh hour. Congress enacted EMTALA pursuant to the spending clause, under which the federal government may offer (or withdraw) funds with certain strings attached. Idaho alleges that Congress cannot mandate funding conditions that force recipients to violate states criminal laws. If thats true, then even if EMTALA requires emergency abortions when a patients life is at risk, it must yield to state bans that criminalize such care. In her draft concurrence, Barrett called this novel theory difficult and consequential, urging the lower courts to address it. Her opinion reads like an invitation for Idaho to develop this concept more fully and present it next term, when sheand Roberts and Kavanaughwill be less prone to the pressures of an impending presidential election and thus likely more amenable to it.

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As with any Barrett opinion, a casual reader may find herself nodding along, persuaded by the clear writing and smooth reasoning. But ponder this draft concurrence for more than a few minutes and it falls apart. Yes, the Department of Justice and Idaho have whittled down the scope of their disagreementbut so what? The conflict is still there, in the text of the respective laws and in their potential applications. The Idaho Supreme Court has already provided its definitive interpretation of the state ban, declaring that it permits abortion only when necessary to prevent death, not to protect a patients health more broadly. Yet Barrett credited the unfounded assertions of the midlevel state lawyer, Joshua Turner, who argued the case before them. Turners legally meaningless thought bubbles will not protect a doctor accused of violating the ban. As Jackson wrote in her partial dissent: Some of my colleagues latch onto the bald representations of Idahos counsel, using them as an escape hatch that justifies our dispensing with having to issue a merits ruling in these cases.

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If Barrett were even remotely inclined to interpret EMTALA as a protection for abortion patients, she would not have performed this casuistic jujitsu. For the Supreme Courts purposes, all that matters is the existence of a conflict, which even Barrett had to acknowledge while fudging its contours. That conflict gave the justices an opportunity to decide the foundational question: Does EMTALA override the most extreme applications of state abortion bans? SCOTUS could have said yes, then sent the case back down for the lower courts to apply it on the ground. The district court could have sussed out the precise scope of the clash between state and federal laws and delineated the point at which EMTALA supersedes Idahos ban. Barretts refusal to take this course of action suggests that she is not preparedindeed, will never be preparedto enforce EMTALA against the states.

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Related From Slate Sonia Sotomayor Just Sounded a Dire Warning About Marriage Equality Read More

So, why the punt? A generous explanation is that Barrett could not swallow the consequences of a decision for Idaho. Justice Samuel Alitos draft dissent, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, is unyielding in its cruel disregard for womens health; he acknowledged, for instance, that Idahos ban may require doctors to stand by and wait for a pregnant patient to develop infection and serious risk of sepsis before terminating her failing pregnancy. This borderline sadistic position may have been too much for Barrett to accept. Perhaps she would rather wait to embrace Idahos legalistic theory about the spending clause to obscure the human suffering this approach would unleash.

A cynic, though, might assume that Barrett, along with Kavanaugh and Roberts, wants to push this issue past the presidential election. Biden has centered his campaign on reproductive rights, highlighting women who were nearly killed by abortion bans and laying the blame at Trumps feet. A decision freeing states to continue denying emergency abortions to patients in distress would vividly illustrate the devastating fallout from the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade. It would remind voters that Trump created this court, stacking it with surefire votes against abortion rights, and raise the stakes for reproductive freedom in the run-up to November. Now the court that Trump made is planning to quietly duck out of the limelight on this issue.

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But it cant stay away for long. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has already ruled against the Biden administrations interpretation of EMTALA, subjecting millions of women to far-reaching bans on emergency abortions. This issue will boomerang back up to SCOTUS, and it will have to make a decision. As Jackson wrote in her draft opinion, Storm clouds loom ahead. How far ahead? Maybe not even a yearmaybe until just after November. Until then, patients in Idaho have some semblance of protection in an injunction. And tens of millions of others face the harrowing uncertainty that the Supreme Court just indefensibly prolonged.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)
District 3 Officer Ericka Colon responds to a bite call at the South Side in San Antonio, Texas, on March 2, 2023. District 3 which is apparently one of the more problematic districts with a high volume of calls for service. ACS gets three to four thousand bite calls in a year. Due to state laws, bites are defined as a break in skin and potential exposures to high risk vector species like bats. These bite calls can have a range of seriousness. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Council Member Marina Alderete Gavito is trying to rein in dangerous dogs in San Antonio, but Animal Care Services doesnt have the capacity to handle one of the solutions she's proposed.

Alderete Gavito wants to increase fines for owners who repeatedly have roaming dog violations and to allow people to anonymously file dangerous dog affidavits.

But the Northwest Side councilwoman is also calling for ACS to sterilize dogs found roaming neighborhood streets, off their properties, at the owners expense. The animals would have to be sterilized before being reclaimed by their owners.

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ACS doesnt currently sterilize roaming dogs picked up by its officers. Alderete Gavito's policy change would require ACS to sterilize 4,800 dogs each year, according to Assistant City Manager David McCary, who is serving as interim Animal Care Services director.

McCary said the department doesnt have enough veterinarians or kennel capacity to make that happen.

The councils Public Safety Committee will take up Alderete Gavitos proposal in the coming weeks. City staffers will look for possible ways to carry out the proposed sterilization mandate.

I think it's about doing something better, City Manager Erik Walsh said at council's Governance Committee meeting on Wednesday.

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Animal Care Services already pays for 40,000 sterilization procedures annually that are free or at low cost to owners. Most are performed by agencies that the city reimburses  for pets that San Antonians take in to be treated.

The department will fund an additional 14,000 surgeries per year when it opens two new spay and neuter clinics that next year.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he wants the city to put a higher priority on spaying and neutering the 4,800 dogs that ACS picks up than on the appointments that residents schedule for the procedure.

Lets do that, but lets make sure that we're keeping enough back to do these high-priority animals first, Nirenberg said.

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Alderete Gavitos proposal also calls for owners whose dogs leave their yards to be charged with a minimum fine of $500 for a second offense and $750 for a third offense and each subsequent infraction.

The current fines range from $100 to $2,000 for a first offense. A second conviction carries a minimum fine of $200, while a third calls for at least $300.

She also wants to create a pseudonym program to allow ACS to withhold the names of anyone filing an affidavit complaining about a dangerous or aggressive dog.

The current process requires anyone filing such an affidavit to identify themselves in writing. Some residents are reluctant to file complaints for fear of retaliation.

Alderete Gavito said she plans to push for funding to support her proposal as budget discussions get underway this summer.

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She has the backing of state Sen. Jose Menendez, who attended Wednesdays committee meeting to support her proposal.

Menendez co-authored legislation in 2023 that would have strengthened criminal penalties for repeated dog attacks and allowed people to confidentially report vicious dogs to animal control authorities. Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the bill last summer.
The Supreme Courts decision in United States v. Rahimi, released Friday, is a rare bit of good news for advocates of gun control, not to mention victims of domestic violence. But the sweeping proSecond Amendment opinion that Justice Clarence Thomas authored two years ago still threatens many state and federal statutes that regulate who can carry a gun.

Thomas opinion in Bruen v. New York Pistol and Rifle Association, which reads more like a political screed than a SCOTUS decision, held that all gun regulations are presumptively unconstitutional and can remain in place only if their defenders can show that a historically analogous law existed in the 18th century, when the country was founded. Rahimi does not fix many of the problems that Bruens sloppy and unworkable history and tradition test created, and nowhere is that more apparent than in state criminal courts.

In December 2019, Zackey Rahimis girlfriend, identified in court documents as CM, sought a protective order after Rahimi dragged her across a parking lot, slammed her into a car, then fired his gun in her direction when she ran. Rahimi later threatened to shoot her if she reported the incident. In the months after she obtained the protection order, Rahimi was involved in five other shootings, threatened a different woman with a gun, and continued to harass CM. He was eventually arrested and convicted of having a gun while subject to a protective order, as well as several other crimes.

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Then came SCOTUSs decision in Bruen, and Rahimi appealed. Given that there were no laws at the founding that would have disarmed Rahimi for threatening his romantic partner, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned his conviction. The government appealed.

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SCOTUSs decision in Rahimi walks a fine line. With an 81 majority, it upholds a federal statute that makes it a crime for a person to possess a gun when he is the subject of a domestic protection-from-abuse order, but it does not give up on the Bruen test. Instead, the opinion concludes that founding-era laws that restrained individuals who posed a credible threat to another person are an adequate historical analog for the law that Rahimi challenged. This is a bit of a logical leap, given the narrow way that Thomas explained the test in Bruen, but an immense relief for those Americans who believe that domestic abusers should not have guns.

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But no one should be too relieved, because in refusing to cast aside Bruens framework, the court does not fix the mess that Bruen has created.

Some of our most fundamental restrictions on gun possession simply do not have founding-era analogs. These include felon-in-possession laws, which forbid people convicted of felonies from owning guns; laws that require a permit to carry a firearm; and laws that prohibit people under the age of 21 from buying or carrying a gun. These regulations are designed to prevent dangerous, immature, and untrained people from carrying lethal weapons, and they are critical to public safety. But since Bruen, gun rights activists and defense attorneys have been systematically challenging them in court.

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Felon-in-possession laws are perhaps most at risk. These statutes serve an important public-safety function; people with past felony convictions who are caught with guns are statistically likely to be dangerous. Among those convicted of felon in possession, the recidivism rate is exceedingly high: 68 percent are rearrested within eight years; of those, 29 percent are arrested for assault. These rates are significantly higher than the recidivism rates for people convicted of crimes that do not involve guns. Yet some lower federal courts, applying Bruen, have felt compelled to rule that felon-in-possession laws violate the Second Amendment.

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A recent 9th Circuit opinion gives us a taste of whom Bruen can benefit. Steven Duarte was arrested in possession of a .38-caliber handgun and a loaded magazine. He had five prior felony convictions in the seven years preceding: one for selling drugs, one for vandalism, one for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two for evading police. Duarte was again convicted of being a felon in possession (any one of his five priors was enough to qualify him) and sentenced to four years in prison. But in May, the 9th Circuit overturned his conviction, reasoning that there was no founding-era analog to the federal felon-in-possession statute.

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As the opinion in Duarte points out, the only people the founders were interested in permanently disarming were Native Americans, British loyalists, and slaves. The 3rd and 7th circuits have also limited who can be prosecuted for felon in possession, ruling that past convictions for nonviolent offenses cannot bar a person from owning a gun. And there is likely support for this view on the current Supreme Court; in 2019, as a 7th Circuit judge, Justice Amy Coney Barrett penned a dissent stating that felon-in-possession laws were unconstitutionally overbroad.

If felon-in-possession laws are stuck down, it will be a seismic shift in the American criminal legal system, and one that will likely make the country more dangerous. Between 19 million and 24 million people are excluded from buying guns because of their prior convictions, and any honest analysis suggests that these individuals are much more likely to use guns to commit crimes than are people with no criminal records. Relatedly, felons themselves are at an elevated risk of suicide; the risk increases exponentially if the person has access to a firearm. But laws that make it a crime for felons to have guns were enacted only after World War I, which means that theyre easy to challenge under Bruen. The holding of Rahimiwhich permits disarming an individual once a court has found them to present a credible threatlikely permits temporarily disarming people convicted of violent crimes. However, that wouldnt change the result for guys like Duarte, whose past convictions did not involve violence.

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The Bruen-related headaches in prosecuting illegal gun possession do not end there; this year, the 3rd Circuit ruled that 18-year-olds have a Second Amendment right to carry firearms. But two of the states in the 3rd Circuit, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, require permits for a person to legally carry and limit permits to people over the age of 21. Since the circuit courts decision, the Philadelphia Public Defender has challenged all prosecutions of 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds charged with illegal gun possession. Notably, this age group is the most likely to be involved in violent crime. Police, prosecutors, and courts are faced with a quandary: Can teenagers who have a constitutional right to carry guns be denied a permit? Can they be prosecuted for illegal gun possession if the state does not allow them to apply for permits?

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Bruen-based challenges are causing long delays as motions to dismiss and appeals are litigated, leaving behind results that are confusing and sometimes inequitable, and, most of all, causing massive uncertainty for judges, lawyers, and defendants alike. The law works best as a check on human behavior when it is easy to understand and outcomes are predictable. Criminal sanctions are most likely to deter unwanted behavior when punishments are swift and certain.

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Gun laws in this country have never been perfect; among other problems, there are massive racial disparities in prosecutions for illegal gun possession, stemming from policing practices. But in sowing chaos on the streets and in the courts, Bruen has made matters much worse and is directly undermining the efficacy of the law.

The Supreme Court took an important first step away from Bruen last week, but it did not give up on Thomas unworkable and arcane theory of gun regulation. Heres hoping that Rahimi is just the beginning.

This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Alongside Amicus, we kicked things off this year by explaining How Originalism Ate the Law. The best way to support our work is by joining Slate Plus. (If you are already a member, consider a donation or merch!)
What's new in science in Slovakia?

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May was a big month for science in Slovakia  Bratislava hosted an international festival with huge names from various fields discussing ways to save our planet, while the names of five scientists who won in their respective category of the Scientist of the Year award were announced.

This article is supported by the ESET Foundation, whose annual ESET Science Award recognises exceptional scientists.

In this overview, you will also find a selection of research conducted at universities and other institutions, including on bioplastics, how the town of Trencin is becoming more energy efficient, as well as science stories that have appeared on the Slovak Spectator website.

Celebrating science

In May, Bratislava hosted an international event that combined science, art and music, bringing together big names from the scientific and creative worlds to collaborate on a single vision: our planet and how best to preserve it for the future.

The Starmus festival opened with an utterly spectacular concert by Jean Michel Jarre. Held against the backdrop of Bratislava Castle and the Most SNP bridge, drones flew over the performance which including amazing visual effects.

And that was just the beginning.

After the event, popular science Communicator Samuel 'Vedator' Kovacik said: "I think that in 10 years time there will be a lot of science students who will say this was the moment that brought them to science."

He highlighted a lecture by astronaut Chris Hadfield during which a group of students hung on every word he said.

"It was a combination of science and a message to not be afraid to dream big, that things that seem unrealistic can be achieved. Lets say there were several thousand kids there and if only every hundredth one of them decides to become a scientist, that would be enough," Kovacik said in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.

In the interview, he also talked about what it takes to understand science, how to talk to people we disagree with, and how the famous primatologist, Jane Goodall, showed the human side of science at the festival.

Find out more here.

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Related article Science communicator: It's important to allow the other side to save face when they are wrong Read more

Celebrating scientists

In late May, the 2023 Slovak Scientist of the Year winners were announced.

The award in the main category went toMartin Orendac from the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. He studies molecular and low-dimensional magnetism, a multidisciplinary field that combines physics, chemistry, material science and quantum technology, and is also a co-author of more than 180 papers and cooperates with renowned institutions abroad.

He and his team study molecules that display magnetic response in extreme conditions such as very low temperatures. Because these follow the laws of quantum mechanics, their magnetic properties are different to materials that we encounter in everyday life. The results can be applied to solutions for everything from cleaning waste water, to creating new cooling techniques that do not burden environment, to quantum computing, for example in writing information into a single molecule and in return creating a new type of memory.

In the Young Researcher category, the winner was Ivana Sisolakova from the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice for establishing co-operation at both international and private sector level, as well as her contribution in the field of non-enzymatic electrochemical sensors that can be used as new diagnostic methods.

Slovak University of Technology's Alexander Schrek won in the Innovator of the Year category for his research into metal forming and patenting a metal forming device. Meanwhile, Zilina University's Milos Milcian's research and development of technological procedures for welding high-strength steel won him the top prize in the Technologist of the Year category. Thanks to results stemming from cooperation with foreign partners in AI research, Igor Farkas of Comenius University in Bratislava took the award for Personality of International Cooperation.

Overview of other research and development activities at universities:

Making a City: Energy efficient pathway for city transformation: enabling a positive future; Slovak University of Technology (STU); lead scientists Maros Finka and Vladimir Ondrejcka. The Making a City project aims to make cities energy-efficient, achieving a sustainable urban environment. The goal is to employ renewable energy sources and reduce carbon footprint in order to make cities cleaner and healthier. The town of Trencin is focusing on the transformation of selected locations into energy positive ones i.e. they create more energy than they consume. Learn more here.

DESIGN  SCIENCE - Science Outreach by Design; STU; lead scientist Michala Lipkova.Doctoral projects from STU's young designers combine scientific knowledge and design to tackle a wide range of issues, including effective use of accumulated industrial waste, cooperation with AI to benefit human creativity, use of bioplastics to clean air indoors. Learn more here.

Effect of ionising radiation on the brain and spinal cord in an experimental animal model; Comenius University; lead scientist Sona Balentova. The goal is to investigate the long-term effect of ionising radiation, especially focusing on areas of the brain where new neurons are formed in adulthood. Due to progress in the development of more advanced radiation techniques, the number of patients suffering long-term consequences which worsen and limit their life is increasing.

Activated carbon treated with different chemical agents for pertechnetate adsorption; Comenius University; lead scientist Marek Hupian.The study investigated the adsorption behaviour of different activated carbon samples under diverse conditions. Read more here.

Pertechnetate removal from aqueous solutions by chitosan/hydroxyapatite composites; Comenius University; lead scientist Marek Hupian.Pertechnetate found in nuclear waste is harmful to the environment due to its long half-life and mobility. The presented study deals with the use of composite materials to remove it from aqueous solutions. Learn more here.

Emergence of resistant forms of TB and influence of migration from Ukraine on their transmission; Comenius University; lead scientist Matus Dohal.According to WHO data, Ukraine is among the countries with the highest incidence of resistant forms of tuberculosis, with their treatment lasting up to 24 months and is associated with side effects and high mortality. The goal of the study was to assess how the influx of refugees influences the tuberculosis situation in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Learn more here.

A new type of biodegradable and compostable plastic; Slovak Academy of Sciences; lead scientist Ivan Chodak.Finding polymers that could be substitutes for petroleum-based plastics in the packaging industry is becoming more and more important. SAV chemists have found a new recipe for a biocompatible material, the basis of which is a new liquid rubber-based compatibiliser. Its properties exceed the mechanical properties of polyethylene, the most commonly-used plastic for packaging, with its price being lower compared to fossil fuels-based plastics. Learn more here.

Other Slovak science stories on Spectator.sk:

HISTORY: Thousands of Slovaks emigrated and society had not reflected on this at all, here says historian whose museum aims to change that. The museum boasts some 4,000 items that show these peoples journey.

INSECTS: The Slovensky Kras mountain range in south-eastern Slovakia is home to an animal that lives nowhere else on the planet. Because it lives in almost inaccessible areas of the karst, there is very little information available on the species. This scientist wants to change that.

PALAEONTOLOGY: In the wake of an asteroid impact 66 million years ago, it is estimated that three quarters of the earths plant and animal species were wiped out. A recent fossil find suggests that among those that survived the devastation was a previously unknown species of geckos.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR: Unless you have somehow managed to never go on the internet or social media, you will have seen videos with cats in cute costumes, in water, or eating food. But while at first glance the clips may appear to be showing cats in funny situations, they can often be anything but amusing for the animals involved, a researcher into cat behaviour says. There are tell-tale signs to look for.

SOIL: Some of historys most important scientific breakthroughs have come about by accident. For Kosice-based startup Ekolive, a similar chance discovery was the start of a whole new chapter in their business.

This article is supported by the ESET Foundation, whose annual ESET Science Award recognises exceptional scientists.
The hospital in Nove Zamky, where the accident happened, has closed.

A bus and and train collided in Nove Zamky, southern Slovakia, on June 27, 2024. (Source: Facebook/Operational Centre of the Emergency Medical Service of the Slovak Republic)

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A fatal traffic accident occurred at a railway crossing on Dvorska Street (II/1503) in Nove Zamky, southern Slovakia, shortly after five o'clock on June 27.

At least seven people died and another five were injured in a collision between the EuroCity 279 train and an Arriva bus. Five victims burned to death inside the bus, reports the news website tvnoviny.sk. None of the passengers on the international train were injured.

Five ambulances, three helicopters, and several fire crews were called to the scene, reports the My Nove Zamky website. The Red Cross set up a tent on site.

According to My Nove Zamky, two trains passed through the crossing in quick succession. The bus initially stopped at the crossing. When the barriers opened after the first train passed, the bus entered the crossing and was subsequently struck by another train.

On Friday, June 28, Transport Minister Jozef Raz Jr. (Smer nom.) said that the weather, among other things, was to blame for the crash.

"The day before [Wednesday, ed.], it caused flooding and the closure of one track on this route. A train appeared on the track that was closed and should not have been in operation," said the minister.

It is not clear why the train was using the closed track on Thursday afternoon. The investigation is underway.

The police in Nove Zamky have initiated criminal proceedings in this case for the crime of public endangerment in conjunction with the offences of manslaughter and causing bodily harm.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1-EhPxwvx6Qk_XVWzw8n0H0p-pRy92yc&ehbc=2E312F&noprof=1

The accident took place on the main international route used by trains travelling between Budapest-Bratislava-Prague. The EC train involved was headed towards Budapest. The locomotive and train driver belonged to the Ceske Drahy company (Czech Railways), while the train set and personnel belonged to Zeleznicna spolocnost Slovensko (Slovak Railways/ZSSK).

"More than 100 passengers were on the train, for whom we have arranged alternative transportation to Sturovo station," ZSSK spokesperson Dominik Drevicky said.

According to My Nove Zamky, around 200 people were on the train. Nine people, including the bus driver, were on the bus.

The bus was torn into two parts after the collision. The 53-year-old bus driver, who has worked for Arriva since 1988, is in serious condition after the collision.

Six of seven victims are said to come from Semerovo, a town of 1,300 people. One from the town of Cechy.

Due to the accident, at least three international express trains were halted. EC 131 Bathory and EC 173 Hungaria were stationed at Nove Zamky station, both heading towards Budapest. Heading in the opposite direction, EC 270 Metropolitan was also halted on Thursday.

Road 511 was impassable. A detour route led from Nitrianska Street in Nove Zamky via Povazska Street towards Dvory nad Zitavou on road I/75.

On Thursday, the hospital in Nove Zamky was non-functional following Wednesday's storm. Patients from the scene were transported to hospitals in Komarno, Levice, Galanta, and Bratislava.

The hospital partially reopened on Friday. However, lifts are out of order.
Last month, seven of the 17 Washington, DC-area locations of Compass Coffee announced their intent to unionize with Workers United, the branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that has helped over 400 Starbucks store unionize. Per the Washington Post, when the union efforts were first announced Compass co-founder and chief executive Michael Haft released a statement saying, At Compass Coffee we recognize and deeply value the hard work and dedication of our employees. Our team is critical to our success, and we are committed to ensuring that they are respected, supported and fairly compensated. We take their concerns seriously and are committed to actively engaging in constructive dialogue to address them.

Fast forward one month and the company is being accused of hiring 124 new employees at the unionizing locations in an effort to the tip vote in their favor.

As reported by The Guardian, the accusations first came to light via the Twitter account for Compass Coffee United, alleging that the new hires include dozens of friends of management, including other local food service executives and an Uber lobbyist. They go on to allege that Compass is manipulating worker schedules retroactively to try to make the new employees eligible to vote in the union election.

We received their first voter list. There were 43 people on the Georgetown cafe list, most of whom I have never met or seen in the cafe before, said Penina Meier-Silverman, a shift supervisor at the Georgetown Compass Coffee store. So the cafes are just flooded with new baristas. We also saw that they were forging schedules for days that have already passed. So they put people on the schedule for days that have passed that were never at work.

Among the alleged new employees are the president of a chips/snack brand, the founder and CEO of a local bagel shop, and the VP and CEO/founder of Union Kitchen, a brand that has a close relation with Compass (as well as a tumultuous union battle of their own). One of the other new employees, Liz Brown, a lobbyist for Uber, states that she is in no way employed with the company: I recently attended a training on June 9 alongside several other new hires at Compass, and as part of that training I signed the same paperwork everyone there did. However, I never worked a shift beyond that initial training, and as soon as this all came to light I reached out to Compass and asked to be removed from their employment system. This was entirely in my personal capacity as Tizzy Brown, and has nothing to do with my full-time job.

The CCU states the recent hirings amount to no less than a 190% increase in total Compass Coffee employees.

In an email response to the Guardian, Haft states, We believe all employees of Compass Coffee at the locations that have been petitioned are eligible. The list reflects the current employees at the time of the vote. As such, we will stay in close communication with our partners to ensure the most up-to-date list on the 14th as there is often normal turnover and growth in the service industry, especially seasonally, and we expect our final list to be reflective of that Due to privacy concerns, we have a longstanding policy not to comment on individual employees without their consent.

Per the Washington Post, the CCU is fighting primarily to bring back tipping. Compass enforced a no-tip policy in March of 2020, with workers stating they were assured they would receive a commensurate pay increase. But they say that bump never came and that end net result was an overall decrease in their take-home.

The CCU has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board over the new hires as well as alleged retaliation efforts by Compass, including writing up employees for talking about the union with a customer and wearing pro-union pins.

The union vote will take place July 16th.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240626/general-zuiga-reportedly-leading-bolivian-coup-attempt-we-will-regain-our-homeland-1119147257.html

General Zuniga Reportedly Leading Bolivian Coup Attempt: 'We Will Regain Our Homeland

General Zuniga Reportedly Leading Bolivian Coup Attempt: 'We Will Regain Our Homeland

Sputnik International

The Commander in Chief of the Bolivian Army Juan Jose Zuniga, who is leading the apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce, said on Wednesday that the military would regain our homeland.

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Earlier in the day, media reported that Zuniga had been removed from his position after stating that he would defend the Bolivian constitution against former President Evo Morales's attempt to list himself as a candidate in the 2025 elections. The general however had dismissed the reports and said he would continue with his daily duties. When questioned on whether he intended to change the composition of the government, the general said that a new cabinet of ministers would emerge from todays actions. In the wake of the events, Honduran President Xiomara Castro urged the presidents of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) member states to condemn the fascism that was being attempted against Bolivias democracy.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/bolivias-interior-minister-presents-detained-general-zuiga-to-media-1119146910.html

Bolivia's Interior Minister Presents Detained General Zuniga to Media

Bolivia's Interior Minister Presents Detained General Zuniga to Media

Sputnik International

Bolivian Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo has presented former Commander-in-Chief General Juan Jose Zuniga, who has been detained after a coup attempt, to the media, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Wednesday.

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Zuniga was in handcuffs and was wearing a bulletproof vest that read "detained," the correspondent reported. The minister added that at least nine people suffered gunshot wounds during the coup attempt.Earlier in the day, local media reported the presence of the military at Murillo Square, the central square of Bolivia's capital, La Paz, where government buildings are located. Arce urged respect for democracy and called the events in La Paz a coup attempt. The Bolivian president also swore in the new heads of the military, air force, and navy amid the coup attempt by Zuniga. Zuniga was detained later on Wednesday after the prosecutor's office of Bolivia launched criminal investigations against the general and other participants in the coup attempt. Bolivia's attorney general's office accused Zuniga of terrorism and armed uprising.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240626/general-zuiga-reportedly-leading-bolivian-coup-attempt-we-will-regain-our-homeland-1119147257.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/can-israel-stop-hezbollah-with-dead-zone-in-southern-lebanon--1119154505.html

Can Israel Stop Hezbollah With 'Dead Zone' in Southern Lebanon?

Can Israel Stop Hezbollah With 'Dead Zone' in Southern Lebanon?

Sputnik International

Israels attacks on southern Lebanons infrastructure and even forests have resulted in the creation of what appears to be a buffer zone (or a 'dead zone', as labeled by some media), that seems to be aimed at providing guarantees for the residents of the northern territories who were relocated when Hezbollah started hitting Israel in retaliation for the Gaza War, says Dr. Tamer Qarmout, associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

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These attacks seem to be aimed at providing guarantees for the residents of the northern territories who were relocated when Hezbollah started hitting Israel in retaliation for the Gaza War, says Dr. Tamer Qarmout, associate professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. According to him, Tel Aviv wants guarantees that anything similar to the attack of the October 7th launched by Hamas will not happen in the north, by creating this buffer zone. Qarmout warns, however, that it is unclear why Hezbollah would accept the creation of a buffer zone, not to mention that Israel has no right whatsoever to breach the sovereignty of other countries by creating such zones. The only thing to restore security on the northern borders of Israel is to immediately stop the war in Gaza, which is a key demand by Hezbollah, Qarmout suggests, arguing that a diplomatic solution would work better than any buffer zone.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/netanyahu-israel-poised-for-war-in-lebanon-partial-drawdown-in-gaza-1119084709.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/canada-sanctions-israeli-individuals-entities-over-settler-violence-1119153940.html

Canada Sanctions Israeli Individuals, Entities Over Settler Violence

Canada Sanctions Israeli Individuals, Entities Over Settler Violence

Sputnik International

The Canadian government imposed new Israel-related sanctions on seven individuals and five entities for facilitating violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) said on Thursday.

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In May, Canada sanctioned four Israeli individuals in the first batch of measures against extremist settler violence in the West Bank. Israeli extremist settlers have instigated violence leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property and farmland in the West Bank, GAC said. The attacks have also resulted in the forced displacement of Palestinian communities and degraded the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike, it added. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in February that settler violence in the West Bank was unacceptable and endangered the prospects for peace and stability as well as the path toward an "absolutely essential" two-state solution to the conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240202/why-bidens-sanctions-on-west-bank-settlers-could-escalate-into-total-cutoff-of-arms-aid-to-israel-1116561574.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/could-israeli-ruling-to-draft-ultra-orthodox-jews-weaken-netanyahu-1119151408.html

Could Israeli Ruling to Draft Ultra-Orthodox Jews Weaken Netanyahu?

Could Israeli Ruling to Draft Ultra-Orthodox Jews Weaken Netanyahu?

Sputnik International

Tel Aviv has ordered the army to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews for compulsory military service. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current coalition largely relies on parties that oppose the court's move. How could the development affect the situation in the country?

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Israel's Supreme Court stated that "invalid selective enforcement" of conscription rules "represents a serious violation of the rule of law" on June 25, ruling that ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Israelis, must join the military along with their peers. "In the midst of a grueling war, the burden of inequality is harsher than ever and demands a solution," the court explained.Ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from draft for decades. According to some estimates, the community now accounts for 13-14% of the Israeli population - which is edging toward 10 million.The ruling could deal a blow to the ruling coalition as the Jewish Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) parties  Netanyahu's allies  previously threatened to abandon it if exemptions for Haredi men were revoked.The professor added that Netanyahu's early election maneuver could work if the prime minister strengthens his position through a hostage deal. "But this is not yet obvious: Hamas believes that time is on its side and it is in control of the situation," the pundit remarked.Khanin explained that the court's ruling doesn't mean an immediate conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews. He expects that the Ministry of Defense will determine "the conscription quotas" for representatives of the Haredi youth first, which make take some time.According to Khanin, the court's decision was driven by two major factors.First, the principle of fair distribution of military, civil and economic burdens is very important for Israeli society, he said.The academic pointed out that most Israelis demanded that ultra-Orthodox men serve in the army and then integrate into the labor market. While being a small fraction of Israeli society, they were not drafted. Today, the trend has gone out of proportion, according to Khanin: "Today we are talking about tens of thousands of people out of our 10 million population."Second, Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and several other fronts has made the issue especially relevant.In response to the court ruling, Israeli press has said that the Netanyahu government could in theory bring forward a bill granting blanket exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. However, doing so wouldn't be easy given that several Likud lawmakers have signaled they will not vote for such legislation amid the ongoing war.The clauses in the Law for Security Service that provided exemptions for young ultra-Orthodox men expired in June last year, opening the door for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to conscript anyone eligible for military service.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/why-israel-is-unprepared-for-war-with-hezbollah--1119110100.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240609/gaza-to-look-like-playground-compared-to-lebanon-if-israel-hezbollah-standoff-spirals-1118881563.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/moscow-planned-eu-defense-line-should-be-fitted-with-inward-spikes---1119150409.html

Planned EU Defense Line Should Be Fitted With Inward Spikes

Planned EU Defense Line Should Be Fitted With Inward Spikes

Sputnik International

Russias President Vladimir Putin earlier said that Western politicians regularly frighten their populations with a purported Russian threat in order to distract their attention from domestic problems.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted in a Telegram post that "the main thing is that the planned EU defense line should be built with spikes facing inward," as she commented on the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland calling for a full-fledged EU support of "a defense infrastructure system" to be created along the blocs external border with Russia and Belarus.Hybrid threats include non-military means such as disinformation, cyberattacks, economic pressure and the pushing of migrants across borders.This comes a month after Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced his countrys plans to join forces with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to build the so-called Baltic Shield, a unified Baltic defense line on the EUs border with Russia and Belarus.y.Putin also slammed reports about Russia planning to attack Europe after the end of a special military operation in Ukraine as complete nonsense and intimidation of Europeans to squeeze money out of them [for defense-related] purposes.In mid-2021, tens of thousands of migrants crowded the border between Belarus and Poland, as well as neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, in an attempt to enter the EU. Polish authorities tightened border controls, deployed troops, and accused Belarus of orchestrating a migrant crisis. Minsk rejected the accusations, saying that Warsaw escalated the migrant crisis by pushing migrants into Belarusian territory.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240513/poland-planning-to-allocate-375mln-to-strengthen-fence-on-border-with-belarus-1118403561.html

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Live Oak firefighter Nicholas Flores, 29, was charged with a DWI earlier this month. He is scheduled for a court appearance on July 15. Dave Thompson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

A 29-year-old firefighter faces a driving while intoxicated charge in connection with a crash earlier this month on the Northeast Side.

Nicholas Flores was arrested by Live Oak police on June 14 in the 8100 block of Pat Booker Road near Loop 1604 shortly before 11 p.m.

According to a KSAT report, investigators said Floress truck collided with another vehicle. He identified himself as a Live Oak Firefighter to officers at the scene.

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Records obtained by KSAT showed that Flores had a strong odor of alcohol and red, bloodshot eyes during his evaluation. He failed a standardized field sobriety test and was taken into custody, police said.

Flores was taken to the Universal City Police Department in an attempt to gather a breath specimen, but he was unable to because of a technical issue, according to booking records.

He then was taken to the Schertz Police Department, where he had a blood alcohol content of .12 and .119, records show. Both readings are over the legal limit of .08 in Texas.

Live Oak Fire Department Chief Linc Surber told KSAT that Flores returned to restricted duty last Friday but is not permitted to drive.

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Flores attorney, Amanda Hernandez, also told KSAT that Flores was not stopped by law enforcement during his arrest but was a victim of a car accident.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/nonprofit-pushes-for-murder-charges-against-big-oil-following-deadly-2023-arizona-heat-wave---memo-1119147452.html

Nonprofit Pushes for Murder Charges Against Big Oil Following Deadly 2023 Arizona Heat Wave - Memo

Nonprofit Pushes for Murder Charges Against Big Oil Following Deadly 2023 Arizona Heat Wave - Memo

Sputnik International

A memo, published by the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen on Wednesday, says that the state could pursue reckless manslaughter or second-degree murder claims for the heat wave.

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Prosecutors in the US state of Arizona may press homicide charges against big oil companies for the deaths that occurred during last summers heat wave. Over 400 people died in metro Phoenix from blistering heat which saw temperatures of 110 F (43.3 C) or higher that did not ease for over 30 days.A memo, published by the consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen on Wednesday, says that the state could pursue reckless manslaughter or second-degree murder claims for the heat wave. Reckless manslaughter differs from second-degree murder when one recklessly causes the death of another person, meaning a defendant was aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his conduct w[ould] cause anothers death and consciously disregard[ed] the risk.The memo notes that those who died in last years heat wave were diverse and included persons who were unhoused; such as a man who died after attempting to jump a fence to find shade and who broke both his legs, and a woman who died in her $1 million home in Scottsdale. Some of those who died were older people with pre-existing health conditions, while others were young and healthy.The memo lists the defendants as including some of the worlds largest investor-owned fossil fuel companies and a national oil and gas association, including: ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Occidental, BHP, Peabody, and the American Petroleum Institute (API).These defendants have generated a substantial proportion of all global greenhouse gas emissions: the emissions they have directly generated since 1965 (when the fossil fuel industry became unquestionably aware that its products were causing climate change) amount to 15.37% of all the fossil fuel emissions that humanity has generated since the start of the industrial revolution, the memo writes.Aaron Regunberg, a senior policy counsel with Public Citizens climate program and a co-author of the report, accused fossil fuel companies of knowingly causing these disastrous heatwaves and choosing to inflict this suffering to maintain their profits.While the memo focuses on the incident which occurred in Arizona, the nonprofit believes their model prosecution memo could serve as a starting point for any prosecutor seeking justice for victims of climate change.The total number of climate cases such as these has more than doubled in the last five years and is expected to continue to surge, says a UN Environment Programme and Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law report from last year.Just last week, the state of Hawaii and a group of 13 young Hawaiians came to an historic settlement two years after the young Hawaiians sued the state Department of Transportation for failing to protect their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The settlement requires the department to phase out greenhouse gas emissions from all transportation sectors by 2045, and included other agreements to address climate change.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/radical-zelenskys-regime-willing-to-sacrifice-own-people-for-anti-russia-crusade--analyst-1119146276.html

Radical Zelensky Regime Willing to Sacrifice Own People for Anti-Russia Crusade  Analyst

Radical Zelensky Regime Willing to Sacrifice Own People for Anti-Russia Crusade  Analyst

Sputnik International

Ukrainian leaders are untroubled by the death of citizens who dont share their nationalist Russophobic zeal, one expert claimed.

2024-06-27T03:36+0000

2024-06-27T03:36+0000

2024-06-27T04:39+0000

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The number of Ukrainian casualties in the countrys ongoing war against Russia has remained a highly contentious matter throughout the duration of the conflict. Kiev and its Western allies often downplay the number, claiming the death toll is only in the thousands, but Moscows defense ministry has estimated the actual figure is close to 500,000. Purportedly leaked US intelligence documents admit Ukraines death toll is much higher than publicly acknowledged.Whatever the number, the war is likely the bloodiest the world has seen in decades. But security analyst Mark Sleboda claims the ideological Kiev regime is unfazed by the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands, or even a million, of its own citizens in its crusade against the Russian nation.The international relations expert joined Sputniks Fault Lines program Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in the conflict as the killing of several Russian civilians, including two children, at a beach in Sevastopol elevates tensions to new heights.Host Jamarl Thomas began by asking Sleboda what the consequences might be for the United States, which provided Ukraine with the US-made ATACMS missiles used in the attack. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently warned the country would be forced to respond to repeated acts of terrorism against Russian civilians.The other possibility is an asymmetric response, as Putin has promised, of providing long-range strike weapons to US adversaries in the world, he suggested.Thomas speculated Moscow could implement a no-fly zone over the Black Sea, where drones have gathered targeting information for Ukrainian strikes. Russian officials have also pointed out that advanced Western weaponry, such as the ATACMS missile system, typically require the assistance of highly-trained US military personnel to operate.The high level of coordination in the strikes on Russia represents a level of US involvement in the conflict that goes beyond what the country publicly acknowledges, Russian officials have noted, requiring a response from Moscow in order to protect its people and territory.This is not passive intelligence, Sleboda said of Kievs reliance on Western reconnaissance aircraft to help coordinate attacks. This is active intelligence gathering. The security analyst also noted the assistance of the United States in programing targeting information into Ukraines weapons systems, according to comments by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and generals in the German Bundeswehr.The host claimed the United States has not yet faced a great enough cost during the conflict to reconsider its position, with American officials frequently boasting of the potential to undermine one of their perceived global adversaries without sacrificing American lives.If Ukraine loses a million men, the US doesn't care, he emphasized. At the end of the day the argument they're going to make is the same: they're not Americans, we're getting rid of our own junk. We get to buy new weapons.They're ideological, right? he continued. A lot of the people that they are press ganging and conscripting to fight right now they don't even consider to be proper Ukrainians. A lot of them are Russian ethnic, Russian speaking, right? Or those who aren't politically loyal to the Kiev regime, and they don't care if they lose those people.Slebodas analysis sheds unique light on the motives of the Kiev regime and its willingness to sacrifice vast numbers of its own people to attempt to weaken Russia. The country has fallen under the sway of radical nationalists since 2014s Maidan coup, which elevated to power a segment of Ukraines population harboring extremist sympathies harkening back to the collaboration of militants like Stepan Bandera with Nazi Germany.Officials in Moscow point out that Ukraine has targeted ethnic Russians since 2014, when the country launched a bloody civil war against the Russian-aligned population of the Donbass. Kievs leaders are unlikely to be troubled by ongoing hardship in the region, Sleboda surmised, if they see it as furthering their fanatical crusade against all things Russian.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240423/ukraine-has-lost-almost-half-million-soldiers-since-beginning-of-special-military-operation---1118071924.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/cia-veteran-us-and-british-intel-agencies-likely-behind-dagestan-and-sevastopol-attacks-1119108883.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240624/ukraine-broke-international-law-with-cluster-bomb-attack-on-sevastopol---un-human-rights-watchdog-1119103510.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20231121/euromaidan-color-revolution-that-brought-ukraine-to-ruin-1115104905.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/retired-idf-general-says-gaza-war-lost-its-purpose-and-cautions-against-hezbollah-escalation-1119146522.html

Retired IDF General Says Gaza War 'Lost Its Purpose', And Cautions Against Hezbollah Escalation

Retired IDF General Says Gaza War 'Lost Its Purpose', And Cautions Against Hezbollah Escalation

Sputnik International

The general also said that Israel needs to take a time-out in their war in Gaza and added that it has lost its purpose.

2024-06-27T06:23+0000

2024-06-27T06:23+0000

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Brigadier General Yitzhak Brik, a retired IDF general, said that he believes a war against Lebanons Hezbollah could mean the ruin of the Third Temple and said the initiative being rolled out in the security establishment to launch an attack on Hezbollah is collective suicide, the retired general wrote this week."If we pay attention to what Hezbollah is doing to the Galilee in recent months  we find settlements crumbling, empty of people, on thousands of burned acres of land. Scenes that can be seen in Gaza are seen today in the North, Brik said in a radio interview. The Iron Dome has been failing to stop the UAVs, rockets, and missiles for months. We did not prepare ourselves for dozens of missiles every day and not for the thousands that we will have in the next war."The general also said that Israel needs to take a time-out in their war in Gaza and added that it has lost its purpose. He suggested that the IDF needs to take a break from fighting so it can regroup and organize because it hasnt done so for 20 years.On Wednesday, Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran joined Sputniks The Critical Hour to discuss a potential conflict between the IDF and Hezbollah.And so, they have put aside the pretense of tolerance and the pretense of human rights, of abiding by human rights, which is something which they, previous regimes in Israel never cared for, the professor added. They always abuse Palestinians. They always mass slaughter them. But nowadays it's at an industrial scale - the massacre and slaughter.Sputniks Garland Nixon suggested that a possible conflict would be catastrophic for the US economy and probably even worse for the European economy. He then asked Marandi if Israels economic suffering would be tied to their Western allies.It's extraordinary that the Americans and Europeans, when they supported apartheid South Africa, when they supported Rwanda, they didn't pay that much of a price back then because it was far off. It was during the Cold War, he continued. Today, it's being done in front of a global audience, this genocide. It's very close to home. It's very close to, as you were saying, key oil and gas-producing centers.The shows guest then suggested that the Israeli regime has for decades been conducting a diplomatic, public relations facade allowing them to be slick enough to get away with genocide.In Lebanon, for example, when they invaded Lebanon and massacred the Lebanese. When they would attack Gaza on previous occasions, they'd always be able to somehow justify this to Western audiences, but now they are their own worst enemies, he added.I'm sure these retired generals have been hearing from their former colleagues that they've lost. That Hezbollah in the north is taking out their high tech equipment, that Hezbollah in the north is able to go into Israel without the Iron Dome being able to do anything about it, Marandi said. Israels military assault on Gaza has not only destroyed large portions of Gazan farmland, but Israeli forces have also repeatedly blocked aid deliveries into northern Gaza, despite demands from top UN court and the Security Council to allow for open aid access, UN News said in April.One in five of Gazas population - that's nearly 500,000 people - are now facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity The Guardian reported, citing a draft report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which is the United Nations hunger monitoring system. And according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), one in three children in northern Gaza are acutely malnourished or experiencing emaciation.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/nearly-half-a-million-gazans-facing-catastrophic-levels-of-food-insecurity---un-draft-report-1119111742.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/russian-court-sentences-us-mercenary-ellerbroek-in-abstentia-to-14-years-in-prison-1119154339.html

Russian Court Sentences US Mercenary Ellerbroek in Abstentia to 14 Years in Prison

Russian Court Sentences US Mercenary Ellerbroek in Abstentia to 14 Years in Prison

Sputnik International

A court in Russia has sentenced in abstentia US mercenary Mark William Ellerbroek, who fought on the side of the Ukrainian military, to 14 years in prison, the Investigative Committee of Russia said on Thursday.

2024-06-27T14:54+0000

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"The evidence collected by the Investigative Committee of Russia has been recognized by the Supreme Court of the Donetsk People's Republic as sufficient for sentencing in absentia a citizen of the United States, Mark William Ellerbroek ... The court sentenced Ellerbroek in absentia to 14 years' imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony. He has been put on the international wanted list," the committee said on Telegram. He was found guilty of violating the article on the participation of a mercenary in an armed conflict. Ellerbroek arrived in Ukraine in 2022 to take part in hostilities for a fee, the committee said. As a mercenary, he joined the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces. He further underwent military training and received weapons, ammunition, uniforms and special equipment. The mercenary participated in combat operations on the side of the Ukrainian military against the Russian armed forces from March 2022 to June 2023, the committee added.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240606/they-deceived-us-captured-colombian-pow-speaks-on-how-he-ended-up-in-ukraine-1118819614.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/russias-interior-minister-calls-on-un-to-assess-ukraines-june-23-strikes-on-crimea-1119149734.html

Russia's Interior Minister Calls on UN to Assess Ukraine's June 23 Strikes on Crimea

Russia's Interior Minister Calls on UN to Assess Ukraine's June 23 Strikes on Crimea

Sputnik International

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, at a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has called for the United Nation's assessment of Ukraine's strikes on Crimea on June 23, Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Thursday.

2024-06-27T07:25+0000

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"Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev met with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix at the UN headquarters ... The Russian minister called for a proper assessment by the UN of yet another heinous crime of the Kiev regime - missile strikes on the Crimean peninsula on June 23, which resulted in fatalities and injuries among civilians," the spokeswoman said on Telegram. Kolokoltsev also expressed confidence that all those responsible for this and other terrorist attacks on the territory of Russia will be inevitably punished, she said. On June 23, the city of Sevastopol was attacked by Ukraine with five US-supplied ATACMS missiles equipped with cluster warheads. Russian air defenses intercepted four missiles while repelling the attack. The detonation of the fifth missile in the air resulted in numerous casualties among civilians in Sevastopol. According to the latest data available, 153 people suffered wounds and injuries of varying degrees of severity, and 79 of them were taken to hospitals, including 27 children. Four people died in the attack, including two children.Vladimir Kolokoltsev has also said that a number of Western countries are trying to exclude Russia from global police force Interpol, bypassing all statutory documents of the organization, Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said on Thursday.She added that the Russian and UN officials also touched upon the legally unjustified decision of the Financial Action Task Force, the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, to suspend Russia's membership in the organization.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/putin-will-not-take-the-bait-russia-will-respond-prudently-to-crimea-attack-1119148707.html

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russian interior minister vladimir kolokoltsev, at a meeting with un under-secretary-general for peace operations jean-pierre lacroix, has called for the united nation's assessment of ukraine's strikes on crimea on june 23, russian interior ministry spokeswoman irina volk said on thursday.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/talking-in-circles-1119145093.html

Talking in Circles

Talking in Circles

Sputnik International

Despite confirming that he has had no contact with the Russian leader, Macron suggested he would be open to talking to Putin about certain topics, particularly about nuclear power plants.

2024-06-27T04:01+0000

2024-06-27T04:01+0000

2024-06-27T06:13+0000

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French President Emmanuel Macron recently expressed his willingness to resume dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and emphasized his commitment to diplomatic engagement, Euromaidan Press recently reported citing a podcast interview.Despite confirming that he has had no contact with the Russian leader, Macron suggested he would be open to talking to Putin about certain topics, particularly about nuclear power plants.In March, Macron rejected the idea that relations between him and Putin had cooled, recalling that he had spoken to the Russian president several times after the Ukraine conflict started, Sputnik reported.In preparation for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, France had proposed inviting an official from Moscow to attend the event. The White House expressed their displeasure at the idea of a Russian official being invited to the event. US President Joe Biden had been invited to, and subsequently attended the anniversary of D-Day in France.In late May, France walked back their invitation and announced that they would not be inviting Russia to the 80th D-Day anniversary after the US, the UK and two others expressed their concern about the invitation, Politico reported at the time.And in April, Macron suggested that the EU should create its own defense strategy of which Frances nuclear weapons would play a key role. His comments drew criticisms from both French colleagues as well as other European leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the Economist in late May: "To be clear, there will not be any 'EU nuclear weapons'  that is simply unrealistic.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230607/neo-nazi-symbols-on-ukrainian-troops-cannot-be-divorced-from-their-origin-1110985378.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/a-global-managerial-elite-macrons-unpopularity-could-tank-his-party-and-lift-up-the-right-1119113488.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/treaty-between-russia-north-korea-does-not-seek-to-create-military-alliance--moscow-1119148198.html

Treaty Between Russia, North Korea Does Not Seek to Create Military Alliance  Moscow

Treaty Between Russia, North Korea Does Not Seek to Create Military Alliance  Moscow

Sputnik International

The comprehensive strategic partnership treaty concluded between Russia and North Korea does not seek to create a "Western-style" military alliance and is not directed against third countries, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

2024-06-27T04:36+0000

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On June 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement during Putin's visit to Pyongyang. The treaty includes a commitment by both countries to mutually provide military and other assistance if either comes under attack. The cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang is carried out strictly within the framework of international law and is designed to play a stabilizing role in Northeast Asia, the diplomat added. This agreement should not raise national security concerns among those countries that are not planning military aggression against North Korea, she said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/moscow-calls-treaty-with-n-korea-warning-for-those-solving-regional-problems-via-military-1119115508.html

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the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty concluded between russia and north korea does not seek to create a "western-style" military alliance and is not directed against third countries, russian foreign ministry spokeswoman maria zakharova said on wednesday.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/united-states-pushes-the-envelope-on-press-freedom-nuclear-threat-1119148327.html

United States Pushes the Envelope on Press Freedom, Nuclear Threat

United States Pushes the Envelope on Press Freedom, Nuclear Threat

Sputnik International

One analyst sees parallels between the deterioration of press freedoms and the crumbling of the international framework designed to prevent nuclear war.

2024-06-27T05:30+0000

2024-06-27T05:30+0000

2024-06-27T05:30+0000

analysis

julian assange

margaret flowers

caitlin johnstone

russia

united kingdom (uk)

strategic arms reduction treaty

nato

wikileaks

press freedoms

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Press freedom advocates are celebrating the release of WIkileaks founder Julian Assange from Belmarsh Prison in London. The maverick journalist spent more than five years in the notorious detention facility with little contact with the outside world following seven years of isolation in the UKs Ecuadorian embassy. His newfound freedom grants Assange the ability to rebuild his life, spend time with his family and, perhaps one day, return to his publishing activities.But the ordeal has done significant damage to Assanges health as well as the ability of journalists around the world to do their work without fear of state repression, said activist Dr. Margaret Flowers. Flowers offered insight on the development on Sputniks The Critical Hour program Wednesday, drawing parallels between the erosion of press freedoms and the deterioration of international norms designed to prevent the possibility of nuclear war.But forcing him to plead to a felony when he did not commit a crime doesn't set a positive legal precedent that we need, which is that journalists, publishers, publish classified material all the time and that the Espionage Act should not apply to them, she added. Caitlin Johnstone, who wrote the article in the Greanville Post, makes some really valid points that Assange was tortured. His health has deteriorated. He has lost all of these years of his life, years of life with his children and his wife, and that he should also be compensated for what has been done to him.So justice has definitely not been served in this, but this was not something we expected, that he would be freed. So this is a victory.Flowers noted that activists in the United Kingdom are pressing lawmakers to pass legislation safeguarding against attempts by the United States to pursue journalists like Assange on British soil in the future.The erosion of civil liberties takes place as the world fears it could find itself in a nuclear war amid armed conflict and the reemergence of tensions between Russia and the West. The United States has worked to weaken international agreements designed to prevent a nuclear exchange, host Wilmer Leon noted, going back to the George W. Bush administration allowing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) to expire.Leon also faulted the administration of former President Bill Clinton, who escalated tensions by expanding NATO after previous assurances by the United States it would not expand east of Germany.Russia kept saying, these are our red lines. Let's talk about it. Let's work something out, she noted, claiming the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia could have been avoided. It was the Western powers that prevented that from happening We're not seeing any rational activity coming from the United States to back down and say, oh yeah, you know, this is going in a bad direction. Let's do something to resolve this.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240626/assange-to-speak-to-public-when-recovered---stella-assange-1119143871.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240626/pursuit-of-assange-shows-every-citizen-on-the-planet-subject-to-us-persecution-1119133030.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240627/us-allows-assange-to-walk-free-to-avoid-tension-with-voters-ahead-of-election---tory-peer-1119151239.html

US Allows Assange to Walk Free to Avoid Tension With Voters Ahead of Election - Tory Peer

US Allows Assange to Walk Free to Avoid Tension With Voters Ahead of Election - Tory Peer

Sputnik International

The US administration has struck a plea deal with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to avoid tension with the "more radical voters" ahead of the November presidential election, Lord Richard Balfe, a Conservative member of the UK parliament's House of Lords, told Sputnik.

2024-06-27T10:25+0000

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On Wednesday, a US court in the Northern Mariana Islands sentenced Assange to time served as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors that ended his 14-year legal battle. The WikiLeaks founder then left for Canberra. The United States previously charged Assange with 18 criminal charges under which, if he was convicted, he could have faced up to 175 years in prison. The US presidential election is slated for November 2024. The main contenders expected on the ballot are Biden and former US President Donald Trump, who have both won enough delegates' votes to be their respective Democratic and Republican parties' presumptive nominees.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240625/cynicism-of-biden-releasing-assange-for-political-advantage-on-full-display-1119125919.html

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Texas Health and Human Services Commission will start work on seven state psychiatric hospital projects. Lawmakers in 2023 approved $1.5 billion in funding to expand, renovate and build new psychiatric facilities across the state. Sean Hannon/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Texas will begin building seven new state psychiatric hospital projects this year as it continues to attempt to address the mental health crisis.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission projects are funded by $1.5 billion, which lawmakers approved in 2023 to expand, renovate and build new facilities across the state. The agency owns and operates nine state hospitals and one residential treatment center for youth.

Gov. Greg Abbott detailed the plans earlier this month in a news release.

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Last year, I signed a law to provide crucial funding to expand and build new, modern mental health facilities throughout Texas, Abbott said. These new state hospital projects will help ensure that Texans experiencing a mental health issue have access to mental health professionals and high-quality treatments to address their needs.

A majority of these funds will be used to construct the new Panhandle State Hospital in Amarillo and the Lubbock Psychiatric Center, as well as a 250-bed replacement for the Terrell State Hospital and a 200-bed replacement for the North Texas State Hospital in Wichita Falls.

Around $120 million will be used to add a 50-bed maximum-security unit at the Rio Grande State Center in Harlingen, and $15 million will be used to add a 40-bed maximum-security unit at the San Antonio State Hospital. The state also is planning to buy land to expand the current El Paso Psychiatric Center by 50 non-maximum-security beds.

State hospitals treat mostly forensic patients  people transferred from county jails or the state prison system because they were determined to be incompetent to stand trial or because a jury found them not guilty by reason of insanity.

In 2023, a little over 60% of adults treated inside state hospitals came from the criminal justice system, either from county jails or the prison system.

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Over the past two decades, the state has reported a 38% increase in people who are found incompetent to stand trial. And as of last year, more than 2,300 people were waiting in Texas county jails for months and sometimes more than a year for the kind of intense therapy and medication treatment available only through the states psychiatric hospital system.

At the urging of county jail officials, state lawmakers undertook a massive funding operation to repair or build new state psychiatric facilities. Since 2017, lawmakers have provided $2.5 billion to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care in Texas.

Replacement hospitals in Austin and San Antonio already have had their grand openings, and both are expected to be up in running later this summer.

We are extremely proud of the transformation of our state hospital system and the opportunities being created, said Scott Schalchlin, deputy executive commissioner for the Texas Health and Human Services Commissions Health and Specialty Care System, in a news release. These projects will improve the well-being of even more people across the state. Were not just building hospitals  were rebuilding lives.
A man died after jumping from a moving pickup truck in Glen Alpine on Wednesday, according to police. The driver was arrested and charged for a hit and run.

James Wilkie Woodard, 36, of John Reep Street, Morganton, was charged with felony hit and run after the an incident around 3:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 70 just west of the Thrifty Mart, Glen Alpine Acting Police Chief Shane Trull said.

Woodard told police he and another man, whose identity has not been released, went to a scrapyard in McDowell County where they sold a car for parts, Trull said.

On the drive back to Burke County, Woodard said the pair stopped at a bank and cashed a check for about $350. He said he put an envelope with the cash in the center console of the truck, Trull said.

As the two men were driving east on U.S. Highway 70, the man grabbed the cash and tried to jump from the vehicle, Woodward told police.

Woodard said he slammed on the brakes and tried to stop the truck, Trull said. Woodard thought the man was already out of the truck and kept driving, Trull said.

Trull said he believes the mans arm may have gotten wrapped up in the seat belt. The man was dragged alongside the truck before his arm finally came loose from the seatbelt, he said. Woodard said he did not hear anything that made him think he hit the man, and said when he looked in his rearview mirror, he saw the man sitting up in the road and assumed he was fine, Trull said.

A witness told police they also saw the man sitting up in the middle of the road, but seconds later he passed out. He was declared dead at the scene, Trull said.

Police used surveillance video to help identify Woodards truck, Trull said. When police identified Woodard as a suspect, troopers with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol went to his home, Trull said.

Randy Bradshaw said he drove up to the scene moments after it happened.

Bradshaw said the man was dead and $20 bills were littered around him. He and a woman picked up about $200 and gave it to Glen Alpine Police, Bradshaw said.

Woodard does not have any previous convictions in North Carolina, according to records from the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. Hes being held at the Burke County Jail under a $25,000 secured bond, jail records show.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seen at the state GOP Convention on May 23, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. A new appeals court order signals that the criminal probe into alleged corruption by Paxton lives on well after the Senate killed his impeachment last year. Christopher Lee

A federal appeals court appears to have cleared the way for top officials in the attorney general's office to testify before a grand jury, signaling the criminal probe into alleged corruption by Ken Paxton lives on well after the Senate killed his impeachment last year.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order last week rejecting an unnamed state agency's attempt to stop federal investigators from calling top officials before a grand jury on Tuesday. The order suggested the agency may be trying to withhold evidence of criminal activity.

The case before the 5th Circuit is under seal, and the order does not name the agency in question. But dates and details line up with those in the yearslong federal probe into allegations by Paxton's former top deputies, who say the attorney general took bribes to benefit Nate Paul, an Austin developer who is a friend and donor of Paxton's.

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The attorney general's office did not respond to a request for comment. Paxton has denied wrongdoing and the Texas Senate acquitted him last fall after a two-week impeachment trial.

The appeals panel sided with a lower court that said the agency in question could not use attorney-client privilege to block information from Department of Justice officials investigating alleged wrongdoing by senior Agency personnel.

The appeals court order said agency officials in question may have evidence of a potential crime that they are not producing under the guise of attorney-client privilege, and that the DOJ can invoke a so-called "crime-fraud exception" to get around that privilege. The exception requires evidence that the attorney-client relationship was intended to further criminal or fraudulent activity.

"Based on the record before us ... it is plain that the crime-fraud exception to the privilege is implicated," the court wrote.

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MORE ON PAXTON: Texas AG Ken Paxton reaches deal allowing him to avoid trial in criminal securities fraud case

The order appears to cite a lower court ruling from August 2021 that shot down the agency's attempt to withhold information. That order, from U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra, is under seal, but was published last month by the Texas Newsroom. For example, both orders refer to "four categories of information" federal investigators can pursue, including "any actions or communications contemplated or undertaken" by the agency to "interfere in or obstruct" the investigation.

Ezra's order said the grand jury is probing "Paxtons alleged use of his official position and power ... to benefit his associate and campaign donor," Paul.

The order comes as Paxton has been arguing against being deposed in a related case before the Texas Supreme Court, in which he is accused of firing four employees in retaliation for their claims that he accepted bribes and abused his office.

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US investigative authorities slammed Boeing after Elizabeth Lund, Boeing senior vice president of quality, discussed an ongoing probe at a media briefing this week.

A US investigative authority sharply rebuked Boeing for sharing details about an ongoing probe of a near-catastrophic aviation incident that were not supposed to be discussed publicly.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that as a result, it will block Boeing from reviewing information gathered in its investigation.

Boeing "blatantly violated" investigative regulations under a signed agreement as a party to the probe, NTSB said in a statement late Wednesday.

The agency is also barring Boeing from asking questions of other participants at a two-day investigative hearing on the case which the NTSB will hold in early August in Washington.

The investigation concerns a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight on a Boeing 737 MAX that made an emergency landing after a fuselage panel blew out mid-flight.

Earlier this week, Boeing invited news media to a tour and briefings on its efforts to improve quality control. An AFP reporter attended the gathering, which was held on Tuesday under an agreement to embargo information until Thursday morning.

But NTSB said Boeing flouted the agreement "by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout."

"As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing," the NTSB said.

Under the party agreement Boeing signed with the NTSB, the company is supposed to refer all comment on the Alaska Airlines probe to the agency.

Boeing apologized to the NTSB, saying it "stands ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation," according to a company statement.

"We conducted an in-depth briefing on our safety & quality plan and shared context on the lessons we have learned from the January 5 accident," Boeing said.

"We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSB's role as the source of investigative information."

What went wrong

In a preliminary announcement in February, NTSB officials said four bolts securing the door plug were missing. Part of the NTSB probe centers on what went wrong.

The NTSB has taken issue with comments from Elizabeth Lund, senior vice president for quality at Boeing.

During a session with reporters, Lund discussed aspects surrounding work on the door plug.

She also said Boeing was focused on closing a "gap" over the lack of documentation and that determining who did the work "is the responsibility of the NTSB and that investigation is still going on."

NTSB responded that "in the briefing, Boeing portrayed the NTSB investigation as a search to locate the individual responsible for the door plug work."

"The NTSB is instead focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability," the agency said.

The NTSB said it was also "coordinating" with the Department of Justice, which plans to soon announce next steps after concluding that Boeing could be prosecuted for violating a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement over two fatal MAX crashes.

The NTSB will provide DOJ "details about Boeing's recent unauthorized investigative information releases in the 737 MAX 9 door plug investigation," the NTSB said.

 2024 AFP
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An example of ChatGPT's analysis of deepfake images. The large language model was less accurate than state-of-the-art deepfake detectors, but impressed researchers with its ability to explain its analysis in plain language. Credit: University at Buffalo

When most people think of artificial intelligence, they're probably thinking ofand worrying aboutChatGPT and deepfakes. AI-generated text and images dominate our social media feeds and the other websites we visit, sometimes without us knowing it, and are often used to spread unreliable and misleading information.

But what if text-generating models like ChatGPT could actually spot deepfake images?

A University at Buffalo-led research team has applied large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, toward spotting deepfakes of human faces. Their study, presented last week at the IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision & Pattern Recognition, found that LLMs' performance lagged behind that of state-of-the-art deepfake detection algorithms, but their natural language processing may actually make them the more practical detection tool in the future.

The study is also published on the arXiv preprint server.

"What sets LLMs apart from existing detection methods is the ability to explain their findings in a way that's comprehensible to humans, like identifying an incorrect shadow or a mismatched pair of earrings," says the study's lead author, Siwei Lyu, Ph.D., SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, within the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "LLMs were not designed or trained for deepfake detection, but their semantic knowledge makes them well suited for it, so we expect to see more efforts toward this application."

Collaborators on the study include the University at Albany and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

How language models understand images

Trained on much of the available text on the internetamounting to some 300 billion wordsChatGPT finds statistical patterns and relationships between words in order to generate responses.

The latest versions of ChatGPT and other LLMs can also analyze images. These multimodal LLMs use large databases of captioned photos to find the relationships between words and images.

"Humans do this as well. Whether it be a stop sign or a viral meme, we constantly assign a semantic description to images," says the study's first author, Shan Jai, assistant lab director in the UB Media Forensic Lab. "In this way, images become their own language."

The Media Forensics Lab team decided to test if GPT-4 with vision (GPT-4V) and Gemini 1.0 could tell the difference between real faces and faces generated by AI. They gave it thousands of images of both real and deepfake faces and asked it to identify any potential signs of manipulation, or synthetic artifacts.

ChatGPT advantages

ChatGPT was accurate 79.5% of the time in detecting synthetic artifacts in images generated by latent diffusion, and 77.2% of the time on StyleGAN-generated images.

"This is comparable to earlier deepfake detection methods, so with proper prompt guidance, ChatGPT can do a fairly decent job at detecting AI-generated images," says Lyu, who is also co-director of UB's Center for Information Integrity.

More crucially, ChatGPT could explain its decision making in plain language. When provided an AI-generated photo of a man with glasses, the model correctly pointed out that "the hair on the left side of the image slightly blurs" and "the transition between the person and the background is a bit abrupt and lacks depth."

"Existing deepfake detection models will tell us the probability of an image being real or fake, but they will very rarely tell us why they came to this conclusion. And even if we look into the model's underlying mechanisms, there will be features that we simply can't understand," Lyu says. "Meanwhile, everything ChatGPT outputs is understandable to humans."

That's because ChatGPT bases its analysis on semantic knowledge alone. Whereas traditional deepfake detection algorithms distinguish real from fake by training on large datasets of images labeled real or fake, LLMs' natural language abilities give them something of a common sense understanding of realityat least when they're not hallucinatingincluding the typical symmetry of human faces and the appearance of real photographs.

"Once the vision component of ChatGPT understands an image as a human face, the language component can make the inference that a face will typically have two eyes, and so on," Lyu says. "The language component provides a deeper connection between visual and verbal concepts."

ChatGPT's semantic knowledge and natural language processing make it a more user-friendly deepfake tool for both users and developers, the study concluded.

"Typically, we take insights about detecting deepfakes and convert them into programming language. Now, all this knowledge is present within a single model and we need only use natural language to bring out that knowledge," Lyu says.

ChatGPT drawbacks

ChatGPT's performance was well below the latest deepfake detection algorithms, which have accuracy rates in the mid- to high-90s.

This was partly because LLMs can't catch signal-level statistical differences that are invisible to the human eye but often used by detection algorithms to spot AI-generated images.

"ChatGPT focused only on semantic-level abnormalities," Lyu says. "In this way, the semantic intuitiveness of the ChatGPT's results may actually be a double-edged sword for deepfake detection."

And other LLMs may not be as effective at explaining their analysis. Despite performing comparatively to ChatGPT at guessing the presence of synthetic artifacts, Gemini's supporting evidence was often nonsensical, like pointing out nonexistent moles.

Another drawback is that LLMs often refused to analyze images. When asked directly whether a photo was generated by AI, ChatGPT typically replied with, "Sorry, I can't assist with that request."

"The model is programmed not to answer when it doesn't reach a certain confidence level," Lyu says. "We know that ChatGPT has information relevant to deepfake detection, but again, a human operator is needed to excite that part of its knowledge base. Prompt engineering is effective, but not very efficient, so the next step is going one level down and actually fine tuning LLMs for this task specifically."

More information: Shan Jia et al, Can ChatGPT Detect DeepFakes? A Study of Using Multimodal Large Language Models for Media Forensics, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2403.14077 Journal information: arXiv
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Amid the unpredictability and occasional chaos of emergency rooms, a robot has the potential to assist health care workers and support clinical teamwork, Cornell and Michigan State University researchers found.

The research team's robotic crash cart prototype highlights the potential for robots to assist health care workers in bedside patient care and offers designers a framework to develop and test robots in other unconventional areas.

"When you're trying to integrate a robot into a new environment, especially a high stakes, time-sensitive environment, you can't go straight to a fully autonomous system," said Angelique Taylor, assistant professor in information science at Cornell Tech and the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. "We first need to understand how a robot can help. What are the mechanisms in which the robot embodiment can be useful?"

Taylor is the lead author of "Towards Collaborative Crash Cart Robots that Support Clinical Teamwork," which received a best paper honorable mention in the design category at the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction in March.

The paper builds on Taylor's ongoing research exploring robotics and team dynamics in unpredictable health care settings, like emergency and operating rooms.

Within the medical field, robotics are used in surgery and other health care operations with clear, standardized procedures. The Cornell-Michigan State team, however, set out to learn how a robot can support health care workers in fluid and sometimes chaotic bedside situations, like resuscitating a patient who has gone into cardiac arrest.

The challenges of deploying robots in such unpredictable environments are immense, said Taylor, who has been researching the use of robotics in bedside care since her days as a doctoral student. For starters, patient rooms are often too small to accommodate a stand-alone robot, and current robotics are not yet robust enough to perceive, let alone assist within, the flurry of activity amid emergency situations. Furthermore, beyond the robot's technical abilities, there remain critical questions concerning its impact on team dynamics, Taylor said.

But the potential for robotics in medicine is huge, particularly in relieving workloads for health care workers, and the team's research is a solid step in understanding how robotics can help, Taylor said.

The team developed a robotic version of a crash cart, which is a rolling storage cabinet stocked with medical supplies that health care workers use when making their rounds. The robot is equipped with a camera, automated drawers, andcontinuing Cornell Bowers CIS researchers' practice of "garbatrage"a repurposed hoverboard for maneuvering around.

Through a collaborative design process, researchers worked with 10 health care workers and learned that a robot could benefit teams during bedside care by providing guidance on medical procedures, offering feedback, and tracking tasks, and by managing medications, equipment, and medical supplies.

Participants favored a robot with "shared control," wherein health care workers maintain their autonomy regarding decision-making, while the robot serves as a kind of safeguard and monitors for any possible mistakes in procedures, researchers found.

"Sometimes, fully autonomous robots aren't necessary," said Taylor, who directs the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Lab (AIRLab) at Cornell Tech. "They can cause more harm than good."

As with similar human-robot studies she has conducted, Taylor said participants expressed concern over job displacement. But she doesn't foresee it happening.

"Health care workers are highly skilled," she said. "These environments can be chaotic, and there are too many technical challenges to consider."

Paper co-authors are Tauhid Tanjim, a doctoral student in the field of information science at Cornell, and Huajie Cao and Hee Rin Lee, both of Michigan State University.

More information: Angelique Taylor et al, Towards Collaborative Crash Cart Robots that Support Clinical Teamwork, Proceedings of the 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (2024). DOI: 10.1145/3610977.3634967
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When Optica Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Rogan traveled to China in November, the prestigious U.S. scientific society she runs promoted the trip internally and on social media. But it omitted a key stop: her visit to Huawei Technologies Co.'s headquarters, according to communications and documents reviewed by Bloomberg News.

By April, Rogan's under-the-radar meetings at Huawei had become part of a whistleblower complaint about her nonprofit's growing partnership with a Chinese telecommunications giant that's in the crosshairs of U.S. national-security officials.

A review of internal Optica corporate records shows the alliance ran far deeper than publicly known, blossoming over decades even as U.S.-China tensions over technology soared.

The findings expand on a Bloomberg News report in May that Huawei was secretly sponsoring a research competition run by Optica's foundation. That arrangement enabled Huawei to fund millions of dollars worth of cutting-edge studies at U.S. universities without their knowledge, including at schools that ban their researchers from taking Huawei money.

The revelations prompted a congressional investigation and a decision by Washington-based Optica to return the funds Huawei had committed to the program and to remove the company's representation on the panel of judges.

Scrutiny over the funding arrangement has dealt a blow to a partnership that effectively helped Huawei preserve access to a pipeline of top-notch U.S. scientists despite its pariah status in Washington. For example, according to Bloomberg's latest findings, at least three of the six U.S. researchers Huawei secretly sponsored through the Optica competition won Pentagon funding around the same time.

An April 4 complaint, filed to Optica's general counsel by an employee citing the group's whistleblower policy, flagged Rogan's "undisclosed" visit to Huawei's headquarters and raised concerns about the company's role in choosing which scientists would receive funding through the competition. The whistleblower also alleged the contest risked compromising U.S.-government-funded work, including efforts backed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.

"I believe that research that is funded by DARPA and other agencies and patents to which the U.S. government has certain rights have been willfully exported to Huawei and therefore the Chinese government" through the competition, the complaint says, without elaborating on that allegation.

An Optica spokesman said that claim is "simply incorrect" and that "no research has ever been provided by or thru Optica to Huawei or any government entity." In an internal communication to staff on June 3, Rogan said the group was "actively reviewing our policies to ensure both best practices and maximum transparency."

A Huawei spokesman said in a statement that the company funded the Optica-branded research competition in order to "motivate young scientists, encourage academic exchange, and promote global knowledge sharing." He didn't address questions about Bloomberg's new findings.

Headquarters Visit

For Optica, a century-old organization that publishes influential scientific journals, the tie-up with a Chinese industrial champion helped it maintain a foothold in a crucial region even as China's rivalry with the U.S. intensified. The society has been increasing its focus on China, its second-largest market after the U.S. and one where it sees untapped potential.

Yet it's a delicate dance, as research by Optica's 24,000 individual members applies to sensitive areas such as semiconductorsa key battleground in the U.S.-China tech competition, and one where Huawei is a major player.

Rogan's visit to Huawei headquarters came just months after the company's release in August of a new smartphone featuring a 7-nanometer chip whose development U.S. export controls were supposed to foil. In a provocative move, Huawei unveiled the breakthrough while the U.S. official in charge of those controls, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, was visiting China.

The Optica spokesman said the group didn't publicize Rogan's visit because it was "an informal courtesy stop at the end of a two-week trip." He added that Rogan had "already sent two internal communications about trip highlights and a third felt excessive at the time."

Rogan, an accountant who has been the group's CEO since 2002 after previously serving as assistant controller of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has repeatedly said there was nothing wrong with Optica allowing Huawei to fund the competition. She initially told Bloomberg that some donors preferred to remain anonymous and that there was nothing unusual about the practice.

But, in a June 6 letter to Optica's board, Rogan said that Huawei's funding had "diverted attention from the program's mission to support early career professionals" and that the society would return the company's money.

The funding arrangement likely didn't violate Commerce Department regulations blocking technology sharing with Huawei because such rules don't apply to science that's meant to be published, which is what the competition solicits, according to export control experts.

But research security specialists said the arrangement undermines university and U.S. government policies meant to ensure scientists' sources of funds are transparent in order to protect both national security and taxpayer dollars.

Huawei's undisclosed sponsorship caused some competition winners to unknowingly violate bans at their schools on accepting money from the company. It also left some who applied for separate federal funding, such as Pentagon grants, unable to accurately disclose to the U.S. government all of their sources of financial support, which can impact the government's funding decisions.

Even though Optica has since said it will return Huawei's money, prosecutors could still make a case that its foundation is liable under the False Claims Act for causing researchers to file fraudulent information to the U.S. government regarding their sources of funds, according to Paul Moore. Moore is a former chief investigative counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, where he focused on undisclosed foreign money in higher education.

The top Republican and Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee wrote in a May 16 letter to Rogan that Optica's earlier failure to disclose Huawei's involvement in the competition either showed deep ignorance toward research security or was a "willful strategy to launder funds from Huawei to anonymously bolster the Optica Foundation's reputation and finances."

Optica's spokesman said the group "is confident that we acted properly and in good faith" in its handling of the Huawei funding.

Same scientists

Huawei was able to secretly fund some of the same scientists the Pentagon and other U.S. agencies chose to sponsor for critical projects around the same time, according to government and university announcements.

These scientists were selected for a DARPA effort to develop light-based computing chips; a study of thermal emission by the Office of Naval Research's Sea Warfare and Weapons Department; and a research project on AI-driven machine vision systems that's part of a group of studies being funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and a National Science Foundation initiative on semiconductors.

An NSF spokeswoman said that, while the agency can't comment on individual cases, "we recognize that there exist efforts to lure U.S. researchers and organizations into situations in which they are, potentially unknowingly, failing to comply with federal requirements." She said the NSF "will continue to track and mitigate risks of undue malign foreign influence on the U.S. scientific enterprise."

An Office of Naval Research spokesman said that, at the time the researcher in question made their proposal to the Pentagon agency, the person hadn't yet received the Huawei-funded prize.

In addition, that researcher's universityVanderbiltdecided to proactively fund the proposal that had been awarded by Optica shortly after Huawei's involvement in the competition became public and before Optica decided to return the company's money, according to the Optica spokesman.

Vanderbilt University said that it made the decision to return the funds to the foundation after it learned that Huawei was the competition's financial sponsor. "We take seriously the federal government's restrictions on Huawei because of national security concerns," the university said in a statement.

DARPA, a Pentagon arm famous for helping develop the internet and stealth technology, in 2021 launched a program to assess the risk of foreign influence on grant awardees. A spokeswoman said it's based on both volunteered and public information.

Longtime relationship

Huawei and Optica began building a relationship years before agreeing on plans for Huawei to anonymously sponsor the research competition.

At the March 2022 board meeting when Optica Foundation directors approved that arrangement, Rogan said Optica and Huawei had worked together for "decades" and that Huawei employees participate in peer reviews for Optica's scientific journals and in planning a major conference managed by the group, according to meeting minutes.

When asked to provide additional information about the origins of the Huawei partnership, the Optica spokesman said Rogan and staff visited the company's headquarters in 2007 and that Rogan got to know the Huawei executive who was a judge for the research competition through their work together on conferences over the years.

Rogan's earlier trip to China would have been five years before the 2012 publication of a seminal report by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence alleging that Huawei posed significant national security threats.

Huawei has also "provided financial sponsorship for several events," the minutes say, including an environmental initiative co-founded by Optica that has as its co-chair a U.S. government chemist with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The program, called the Global Environmental Measurement and Monitoring Initiative, or GEMM, doesn't mention Huawei on its website.

A spokesman for NIST said its scientist "has not received funding from GEMM beyond meeting travel expenses and was unaware of any connection between GEMM and Huawei."

The Optica spokesman said Huawei "made a one-time donation to Optica in 2019 but had no decision-making involvement in how those funds were applied." He said Optica "chose to use the funds for a start-up program to address pervasive environmental and climate challenges." He declined to answer questions about the value of Huawei's 2019 donation.

At the board meeting, the Optica Foundation's executive director said Huawei had "offered" to fund the research competition in late 2021 and that it was "not seeking to design the program, determine selection criteria or choose the winners," according to the minutes. Members then voted unanimously to approve the Huawei donation, the document says.

Huawei's role in contest

Ultimately, however, Huawei did play a role in choosing the contest's winners, and it secured contractual opportunities to engage with them while they conducted their research, documents show.

Huawei participated in deliberations over who would comprise the competition's selection committee, according to a spreadsheet reviewed by Bloomberg. The document assessed credentials of 32 potential candidates and included a column labeled "Huawei recommendation."

Huawei recommended eight of the 32 listed candidates, according to the document. Several, including a Huawei executive, went on to join the competition's 10-person selection committee. Huawei's representation on the panel was ended after Bloomberg's report revealing the company's role as the competition's sole funder.

Huawei's representative was able to maintain contact with the winners, who were obligated to participate in at least two review meetings with the selection committee to "provide updates on progress and receive advice/guidance," according to an agreement reviewed by Bloomberg that awardees were required to sign. The document, which listed the terms and conditions of accepting the prize money, specifies that the meetings "could occur" at three industry conferences in the U.S.

An internal Optica budget document shows that winners also had the option of delivering their final report at an event in China called the Asia Communications and Photonics Conference, known as ACP.

A later budget document describes a plan to send five of the competition's ten winners to ACP in Beijing in 2024. The event is co-organized by Huawei and China's State Key Lab of Information Photonics and Optical Communications.

Glenn Tiffert, a research security specialist at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, said that the obfuscated origins of the funding, the consistency of the supported research with the Chinese government's priorities, and the dissemination activities in China supported by the program such as the ACP conference, reflect the evolution of China's efforts to target overseas talent.

The Optica spokesman said Huawei played no part in the final selection of competition judges and that the document Bloomberg cited with the column labeled "Huawei recommendation" was "an initial list of volunteers for consideration." He said Optica followed the standard process for scoring applicants by randomly assigning proposals to judges.

He said "winners are expected to have review meetings with members of the Selection Committee, but at no point was there any expectation or requirement for winners to meet directly with Huawei." He called the Huawei- and Chinese state-sponsored conference "an opportunity for our winners to interact at a gathering of like minds."

USC scientist

One of the scientists Huawei wanted on the Optica competition's selection committee was a University of Southern California engineering professor it had funded nearly a decade ago: Alan Willner.

In 2016, prior to many universities deciding to ban their researchers from working with Huawei, the Chinese telecom and its U.S. unit Futurewei funded Willner through two separate research contracts valued at a total of $338,000, according to an internal Huawei document reviewed by Bloomberg.

Willner, who became chairman of the competition's selection committee, has been a member of the U.S. Army Science Board and of the Defense Sciences Research Council, which provided reports to the DARPA director, according to his USC bio.

Two junior scientists from Willner's engineering department at USC have won research funding from Huawei through the Optica competition since it began in 2022. Both of them are on a team that USC in April announced had received the DARPA grant to develop light-based computing chips as part of a four-year Pentagon-funded effort.

USC said in a statement it "places the utmost importance on complying with the letter and spirit of our obligations related to the acceptance and reporting of funding." The statement added the university is "undertaking a thorough review of the awards made to USC researchers from the Optica Foundation."

Willner didn't respond to requests for comment.

2024 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Researchers showed in a new study that GSHP systems, particularly when integrated with energy piles, offer a sustainable solution for urban development in Southeast Asia. Credit: Shinya Inazumi from SIT, Japan https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/7/3/58

As energy and environmental crises rampage, sustainable solutions like ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems gain traction. GSHP systems use consistent geothermal energy below the earth's surface to provide heating and cooling for buildings. So, they are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning or HVAC systems. Specifically, in constructing smart cities, using energy pilesstructures that support buildings and function as a part of GSHP systemsand analyzing the soil thermal dynamics is vital for sustainable urban development.

While most studies focus on the technical and economic aspects of GSHP systems in temperate climates, few cover tropical regions such as Southeast Asia. This is important to consider because soft marine clays in Southeast Asia vastly differ from temperate soils, which could impact the efficiency of GSHP systems. High temperatures and urban heat island effects are also significant challenges in tropical regions.

Against this backdrop, a team of scientists, led by Professor Shinya Inazumi from the College of Engineering at Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, examined how GSHP systems can be optimized for sustainable urban development in tropical regions. They specifically focused on the impact of soil thermal conductivity and density on the system performance in Southeast Asia. Their findings were published in Smart Cities on June 12, 2024.

Prof. Inazumi explains, "Several critical factors and environmental concerns drove us to conduct this research. These include an increased demand for energy due to rapid urbanization, heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the urban heat island effect, and a growing push for sustainable urban development. So, we looked into how integrating GSHP systems with energy piles could address these challenges effectively to promote environmental benefits and meet urban energy needs."

To this end, researchers developed a one-dimensional finite difference model to predict soil temperatures around energy piles across different distances and time periods. Its input parameters include the physical and thermal properties of materials and soil. Relevant data was extracted from extensive studies on GSHP systems in Southeast Asia, as well as credible textbooks and design manuals. Notably, soil thermal conductivity and soil density were the critical parameters analyzed to understand their impact on the soil temperature around energy piles.

Researchers found that temperature distribution around energy piles remained stable over one month, three months, and a year despite changes in soil thermal conductivity. This resilience of the system's thermal behavior to these changes indicates that GSHP systems can be designed flexibly despite minor variations in soil thermal conductivity.

"The soil temperature decreased as the soil density increased from 1400 to 1800 kg/m3. Specifically, with each increment in soil density, temperature decreases of 0.02 C, 0.01 C, and 0.0025 C were found over specific periods (three months, six months, and one year, respectively). So, the proportional relationship between soil density and soil temperature shows that high-density soil improves thermal conductivity and, in turn, system performance," elaborates Prof. Inazumi.

Furthermore, for every 10% increase in soil density, the average temperature decreases by 0.007 C at 0.3 meters, 0.003 C at 0.6 meters, and 0.0009 C at 1.0 meter from the energy pile. However, this indicates that the effect of high-density soil on soil temperature diminishes as the distance from energy piles increases.

Overall, these results suggest that using stable ground temperatures, GSHP systemsspecifically when integrated with energy pilesare efficient in heating and cooling urban environments. Such integration reduces urbanites' dependence on traditional heating and cooling systems, drastically reducing electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It also offers a way to mitigate the urban island effect in heavily populated areas. Thus, smart cities can be sustainable if urban infrastructures are integrated with GSHP systems.

Prof. Inazumi emphasizes, "The long-term effectiveness of GSHP systems could be affected by Southeast Asia's hot and humid climate. Nonetheless, the study's findings highlight the need to conduct further research, and it must include field experiments and advanced modeling techniques to refine GSHP configurations and enhance system performance. Overall, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of geothermal energy utilization in tropical urban areas and paves the way for future innovations in the sustainability in smart cities."

Future research on sustainable urban development will encourage governments, construction companies, and individuals to adopt GSHP systems globally.

More information: Thiti Chanchayanon et al, Optimization of Geothermal Heat Pump Systems for Sustainable Urban Development in Southeast Asia, Smart Cities (2024). DOI: 10.3390/smartcities7030058
U.S. Reps. Lizzie Fletcher and Wesley Hunt are joining forces to push for the completion of the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study, which looks at ways to prevent catastrophic flooding like what happened during Hurricane Harvey. Houston Chronicle file photos Overhead view of the floods from Buffalo Bayou on Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, as heavy rains continued falling from Hurricane Harvey, Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Armando Bustamante walks along Studemont Street over Buffalo Bayou as flood waters from Hurricane Harvey flow toward downtown Houston Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle Homes along S. Kirkwood Rd. west of Beltway 8 and south of Interstate 10 are inundated with water from the overflowing Buffalo Bayou to the north, Saturday, September 2, 2017, in Houston. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner issued a new mandatory evacuation order Saturday for homes with water in them south of Interstate 10, north of Briar Forest, east of Highway 6 and west of Gessner Rd. As water continues to be released from the Addicks and Barker reservoirs. (Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle) Mark Mulligan/Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicl

After six years of delays, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is under new bipartisan pressure to complete the study of a massive underground tunnel system in Houston that could prevent catastrophic flooding like what happened during Hurricane Harvey.

U.S. Reps. Wesley Hunt and Lizzie Fletcher  once political rivals who ran against each other in 2020  have joined forces and inserted language into pending federal legislation that demands the Army Corps speed up a long overdue review of the project and submit it to Congress by the end 2025.

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The Corps, basically, theyve been dragging their feet a little bit on it, Hunt, a Republican in his first term, said of what has been called the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study.

Hunt said he and Fletcher, a Democrat, have met with Army Corps officials and written numerous letters in support of the study but feel they need to push the bureaucracy more for the long-talked-about project that has broad community support.

In the past, Army Corps officials have raised concerns about the price tag, which could be as much as $12 billion, and have worried about the projects effectiveness. In an earlier preliminary report released in 2020, they warned that the diverted water from a tunnel system would be potentially pushed to areas that are also already at flood stages.

The Army Corps has outlined other alternative projects to address flooding, like digging Buffalo Bayou wider and deeper or building a third dam and reservoir on the Katy Prairie.

But Hunt worries that those aren't enough to protect one of the biggest and most important cities in America from another flooding catastrophe. He said the community wants a bolder project that will have a greater impact in protecting homes and businesses.

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When more than 50 inches of rain fell in the region during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the Addicks and Barker dams were pushed to their brink. First homes and businesses were flooded when water backed up behind the dams into flood pools. Then the Army Corps was left to release water downstream to prevent dam failures. That in turn resulted in more flooding downstream as Buffalo Bayou became even more inundated.

Advocates of the tunnels envision them 150 feet below ground starting near the reservoirs and moving east to the Houston Ship Channel where excess water would then get pushed out into the Gulf.

Texas has seen similar underground flood diversion tunnels built in places like San Antonio and Austin.

For Fletcher, who was elected to Congress in 2018 in the aftermath of Harvey, fighting for the Buffalo Bayou and Tributaries Resiliency Study has been a long but important process. Making progress on the project doesnt just address flooding, but it could help bring peace of mind to people who still feel residual trauma from Harvey every time the region gets heavy rain or a tropical system forms in the Gulf of Mexico.

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What we really need to do is make sure that this project, which has been just years in the making, gets completed, Fletcher said.

Thats a mission that has helped break down traditional partisan barriers, and not just between one-time rivals like Fletcher and Hunt. Fletcher credits former U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, whom she beat in 2018, with being instrumental in getting the study first included in the federal budget before she got elected. And she said theres been consistent bipartisan cooperation with the county, the city and the members of Congress from Houston because of the importance of the project.

Flood waters dont discriminate, Fletcher said. Theyre not asking if you are a Republican or Democrat before they come through your door. This is a problem that everyone experienced together and everyone wants a solution to.

Fletcher and Hunt both say that while their campaign against one another in 2020 for the 7th Congressional District got rough at times, they have moved past that.

Hunt, an Army veteran, lost to Fletcher in that race. But in 2022, the Texas Legislature redrew the states congressional districts that allowed Hunt to run, and win, the newly created 38th District which includes parts of Harris County that Fletcher used to represent around the Energy Corridor and the Addicks and Barker reservoirs.

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Fletchers redrawn 7th District still has West Houston but now stretches further south and reaches into Fort Bend County.
Dr. Edward Camacho, owner of Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio, has been practicing dentistry for 44 years. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

In the age of Instagram and Zoom video calls, local dentist Edward Camacho has noticed more people becoming self-conscious about their smiles, prompting them to visit him for veneers.

The veneers  made of porcelain sculpted to fit over a patients teeth  offer a shortcut to the perfect smile. While veneers have been around for decades, they are more sought after than ever, with many celebrities, athletes and social media influencers wearing them.

I get these influencers who post a lot on social media. They will come in and go, I want veneers, and I want you to make them as big as possible, as fake white as possible because when Im recording and taking selfies of myself out and about, and being photographed from a distance, I want my smile to be neon-white,  Camacho said. They get a lot of response from that.

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Dr. Edward Camacho, owner of Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio, has expanded his business in recent years, bringing in another dentist and adding 1,500 square feet to his space. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

A native San Antonian and graduate of Central Catholic High School, Camacho has been practicing dentistry for 44 years. He showed mechanical aptitude as a child  his hobby was building model airplanes and cars  and decided to pursue the profession, having been encouraged by his dentist, who said it would enable him to be his own boss and set aside time for his family.

That just seemed appealing to me, to be able to determine my own way, Camacho said.

He studied dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center and today operates his business, Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio, in an office on Huebner Road on the North Side. With veneers so popular, he has expanded in recent years by bringing in another dentist and adding 1,500 square feet of space. Hes now looking to hire more staff. The practice provides other services such as installing dental crowns and Invisalign clear braces.

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He recently sat with the Express-News to discuss how veneers work, their growing popularity and how dentistry has evolved during his career. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Q: Have you always specialized in cosmetic dentistry?

A: When I got out of school, I just practiced routine, general dentistry. As I was moving along, I recognized there were times when people were missing teeth and needed to replace them. This is the other big advancement in dentistry from when I got out of school: dental implants. The typical way to replace a missing tooth in the 80s was with a dental bridge. It really wasnt an ideal biting pattern. So I began taking courses on being able to straighten teeth. I started out with an interest in including orthodontics in my treatment. Well, now I could straighten the bite  not only fix the chipped front tooth, but build it to the proper-sized pattern and alignment of all the rest of the teeth.

When things are in their proper position and working well and healthy, it happens to look good. The state of health looks a certain way, as opposed to a state of unhealth. We were always trying to eliminate disease, but now lets really reestablish true function and true cosmetic rehabilitation at the same time.

Q: A big part of your business is veneers, right? How long have those been around?

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A: When I was in school, one of the instructors was just starting to do veneers, and I approached him. I had a patient who was interested in it, and he agreed to take this patient on, and I was assisting him. And it was like, Wow, what a difference it made in this persons life. Because they had gaps and they didnt like their smile, and putting veneers on just totally changed their smile. Its one thing to just fill up cavities, but now youre doing something additional thats changing a persons confidence level.

Dr. Edward Camacho, owner of Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio, says demand for veneers has surged in recent years. Among the factors boosting their popularity is the increased use of video calls resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

Q: I dont know much about veneers. When you put them on, are the existing teeth still underneath? And theyre made of porcelain, right?

A: Correct. Again, correct.

Q: Once youve put them on, can you take them off at will?

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A: The porcelains back in the mid-80s had to have a certain amount of thickness to be strong, which required removing a lot of the enamel and tooth structure to make room for this thick layer, because otherwise the tooth would stick out further than other teeth. In about 93, a company out of California developed a porcelain that could be made ultrathin and still be as strong and enable a veneer to go directly onto a tooth without removing any tooth structure. So that type of veneer is technically reversible. In fact, Ive had some people take these off and say, You know, they did their job, but now Im just wanting to get everything artificial off my body.

Q: Even if theyve been around since the 80s, it seems to me like you hear more about veneers these days. Have they grown in popularity?

A: Social media. Yes. The other thing about it was COVID. When we went through COVID, I experienced a great increase in patients asking for cosmetic dentistry because they were having to do their job from home on Zoom. They were watching themselves in meetings and their camera and observing, Yuck! I dont like my teeth! The number of patients that would come in and say, Now I see what other people see, and I need to do something because now Im wondering what people are thinking of me. I like the other peoples smiles; I see my own, I dont like it. We got quite an increase in the number of veneer cases during COVID. It was one of my biggest years up until that point.

Q: Has your customer base changed over the years?

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A: Historically, when I was doing veneers, much of my cosmetic dental treatment was delivered to a female patient in her mid-40s to 50s, whose children have already been taken care of. Theyre off to college. Theyve been a mom directing all of their attention and finances on their kids, and now its their turn to do something for themselves. And now that they have the finances to do it, because the kids are out of the way, this was when they were getting their veneers. Nowadays, its individuals down into their 20s. Again, this is the effect of social media.

Dr. Edward Camacho, owner of Cosmetic Dentistry of San Antonio, says that dental technology has improved considerably in the 44 years that he has been practicing. Christopher Lee/Christopher Lee/Staff photographer

Q: How much would someone expect to pay for it these days?

A: My fee for a veneer right now is $1,825 per tooth.

Q: Do veneers constitute the bulk of your practice?

A: Yeah, probably the majority of it is spent on cosmetic work. I would say the other 25% is Invisalign, to get teeth into alignment in preparation for veneers.

Q: Have veneers grown more affordable over time, like how it sometimes is with pharmaceuticals and other medical treatments?

A: The price of everything has gone up, in my observation. With something like pharmaceuticals, it can be mass-produced by machinery. But veneers are individually handcrafted.

Q: Wow, so someone actually sits down and sculpts it? They cant do it with a machine?

A: They can design it with a machine. I guess, technically, they could mill them out, but the problem with milling is that natural teeth arent one solid color. Theres gradients of color and whats called translucency in natural teeth. The original blocks are just one solid color. The natural teeth, down here at the biting edge, have some translucency; then heres this one tooth thats one solid, monochromatic color, and it doesnt belong to the set. So to be able to make it look as natural as possible, it has to be done individually. You cant mass produce them and be able to individualize them, because every single patient is different.

Q: Are there any advancements over the horizon that could change how veneers are done?

A: The University of Michigan (has developed) the technology to be able to clone bacteria in the laboratory. They could take genetic samples in the lab, grow a solid block of porcelain that matches your genetics  perfect color, perfect everything  then use this to nail out the missing puzzle piece to put into your tooth. That technology has not advanced to the point where its doable, but I certainly can anticipate that in the future, thats going to become very doable.

ALSO READ: UTSA researchers developing AI algorithm to detect risk of heart attacks

Implants have become much more widespread, much more predictable. The original implants were not built to fuse to the bone; it was a foreign object that never really integrated with the body. Now, theyre consistently coming up with newer technology in the design of the implants and materials that are more compatible to the body, and also more aesthetic.

Q: Do you get a lot of people coming in here before weddings?

A: Yes.

Q: Are there any other occasions that people tend to get veneers for?

A: Vacations, cruises. Reunions. Job interviews  Ive got a job opportunity, and I want to look my best, and I think my smile has been an impediment to me in the past.

Q: Youve been practicing as a dentist for 44 years. How has the profession changed?

A: Technology. When I started working, we were using traditional film to take X-rays. Nowadays, computers, electronics, a lot of our diagnostic equipment are much more sophisticated, much more accurate. We have 3D X-rays now. Weve got digital scanners to take digital impressions of teeth, instead of those big goopy impressions.

Q: I can remember the taste of that, just from you mentioning it.
Three Jewish families are among a group of nine Louisiana families who have filed a suit in federal court challenging Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry's "Law" over a new state legislation that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms.

Louisiana's Republican governor, Jeff Landry, is the first to sign such a law as part of state legislation against abortion rights and transgender inclusion that he believes reflect his values as a Catholic.

At a fundraiser just days before the signing, Landry bragged, "I can't wait to be sued," about the unprecedented legislation.

Filed on the families' behalf by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the lawsuit argues that the newly enacted law violates First Amendment rights.

The court document specifically states that the new language of the law "Approves and Prescribes One Particular Version of the Ten Commandments, to Which Many People Do Not Subscribe," which violates the Constitution's prohibitions on instituting an official religion while prohibiting free exercise of religion.

The lawsuit has strong backing, highlighting that in 1980, the US Supreme Court ruled that a Kentucky state law mandating the Ten Commandments in all classrooms was unconstitutional.

However, seeing the recent and defiant arrival of a mostly conservative majority on the court, Christian culture advocates view it as an opportunity to overturn the Stone v. Graham ruling.

Similar bills were suggested in state legislatures recently, such as in Texas, Utah, and Oklahoma.

Though none have passed, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick pledged days ago that he would make it happen.

Jewish families have long been involved in religious liberty lawsuits challenging legislation by conservative state legislatures, according to The Jerusalem Post.

In the lawsuit, parents, Reverend Darcy Roake, a Unitarian Universalist, and her husband Adrian Van Young, who is Jewish and identifies as Reform, argue that they believe "that their children will be pressured to observe, venerate, and adopt the state's preferred religious doctrine and to suppress expression of their own religious backgrounds and views at school."

Also included in the suit are Gary Sernovitz, a board member of the Touro Synagogue in New Orleans, and Molly Pulda, a member of the board of the local Jewish community center, who hope to separate the child's secular education from their religious education, citing "their desire to oversee the latter and ensure that it is consistent with their Jewish belief and practice."

Others oppose the law as it does not align with the Jewish text of the commandments and believe the displays "would violate Jewish tenets that oppose proselytizing."

Joshua Herlands, an attorney and business-school professor who has two elementary school-age children in local public schools, also took issue with the law's spelling out of the word "God," and like many Jews, writes out "G-d" instead to prevent using the name in vain.
Authorities arrested a wheelchair-bound Louisiana man accused of attacking a "well-known" high school principal and inflicting severe injuries against the longtime educator.

Christopher Kidd, 33, of Chalmette, Louisiana, has been charged with second-degree robbery, simple battery of the infirm, theft, simple assault, shoplifting, resisting a police officer with force or violence, and battery on a police officer, in connection with an incident Sunday, according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office.

Deputies responding to an ambulance request came into contact with the victim, identified as Wayne Warner, who alleged Kidd attacked him in the street.

Warner said he pulled over to the side of the road when he witnessed a man in a wheelchair knocking over trash cans and mailboxes. He said he then got out of his car and asked Kidd if he needed help.

Kidd allegedly responded by violently pushing Warner, causing injuries that will "require surgery," the sheriff's office said, without elaborating.

During the scuffle, Kidd allegedly threw Warner's cell phone into the bushes.

When he was tracked down by deputies, he was allegedly stealing items from a nearby store and hiding them in his wheelchair.

After allegedly resisting arrest, Kidd was taken into custody.
A South Korean government administrative robot officer plunged down a flight of stairs in what is being dubbed a "robot suicide."

It happened in Gumi City. The city council says the robot was found unresponsive at the bottom of the six-and-a-half foot staircase.

Witnesses said it "circling in one spot" before the accident, according to the AFP news agency.

"Pieces have been collected and will be analyzed by the company," an official told the news outlet.

The cause of the fall is still under investigation.

The robot, made by California-based Bear Robotics, worked to deliver documents and provide information to residents and could navigate elevators to move between floors. It was used since August 2023, according to reports.

Bear Robotics has not publicly commented on the incident.

"It worked diligently," another city official lamented.
China, Vietnam to expand cooperation

11:03, June 27, 2024 By Mo Jingxi ( China Daily

President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. (FENG YONGBIN/China Daily)

President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that Beijing and Hanoi will embrace new opportunities in expanding their cooperation in areas such as trade and the economy, as well as interconnectivity and the digital economy, as China continues deepening reform across the board and advancing Chinese modernization.

He made the remarks when meeting in Beijing with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is in China for the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, held in Northeast China's coastal city of Dalian.

Noting that China always sees Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, Xi said China is ready to work with Vietnam to strengthen strategic guidance of bilateral ties, firmly support each other, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, to jointly march toward modernization.

While China will encourage more of its enterprises to expand their investment in Vietnam, it is hoped that Vietnam will provide a fair, just, and nondiscriminatory business environment for them, he said.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and its second-largest export market, while Vietnam is China's largest trading partner within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Bilateral trade has expanded from about $2.4 billion in 2000 to exceed $229.7 billion last year, official statistics showed.

Chinh's visit came after the two nations announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, during Xi's visit to Vietnam in December.

Xi said that for more than half a year since then, high-level exchanges between the two countries' political parties and governments have been frequent, and cooperation in various fields has witnessed progress, which has brought concrete benefits to their peoples.

"We are quite pleased with it," he told the Vietnamese prime minister, vowing to join hands with Vietnam to make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development, and prosperity.

To consolidate public support for China-Vietnam friendship, Xi called on the two countries to strengthen communication between border provinces, implement projects in agriculture, education, and healthcare aimed at improving people's well-being, and make good use of platforms promoting people-to-people and youth exchanges.

He also stressed the need for the two neighboring countries to appropriately handle their maritime issues, speed up joint exploration at sea and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

The Vietnamese prime minister, who spoke highly of China's significant role as an important engine and bedrock for global economic growth, said his country supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, to which Vietnam is a party, and opposes the politicization of trade and tech issues.

He added that Vietnam supports China's position on the Taiwan question and firmly adheres to the one-China principle.

Noting that it is the top priority for his country to deepen strategic mutual trust and practical cooperation with China, Chinh said that Vietnam will make the construction of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance its strategic choice and this will not be affected by external instigation and interference.

Xu Liping, a senior researcher on Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that strengthening cooperation between China and Vietnam, both socialist countries advancing modernization, is a win-win choice for them.

Xu said cooperation at the subnational level will be one of the new areas of growth for China and Vietnam as the two countries, connected by land and sea, have witnessed rapid development in border trade in recent years and are working on promoting interconnectivity through Belt and Road cooperation.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also met with Chinh on Wednesday.

President Xi Jinping meets with the Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, June 26, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has landed in Australia as a free man following a years-long battle with the United States.

Assange, 52, was met by his father and wife at the airport, along with a small group of supporters who cheered his arrival.

His wife, Stella, told reporters during a press conference that her husband "remains principled and unafraid," according to the BBC.

Furthermore, she hopes the media "realize the danger of this US case against Julian, that criminalizes, that has secured his conviction for newsgathering and publishing information that was true, that the public deserved to know," and continues to hold hope for a presidential pardon in the U.S.

Assange was accused of receiving and publishing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. documents.

In 2010, WikiLeaks posted video footage showing a U.S. military helicopter killing civilians in Iraq and documents that indicated that hundreds of civilians had been killed in Afghanistan incidents.

Assange signed a deal with the U.S. that would see him plead guilty to one charge rather than the 18 he was initially facing.

Fearing a long sentence, Assange had fought extradition to the U.S. from a UK prison for five years.

Supporters consider him a beacon of freedom of the press. Detractors say he has threatened U.S. security and put government workers across the globe at risk.
The City of Orangeburg and Orangeburg County are receiving a combined $1.3 million in grant monies toward water and wastewater system construction and planning improvements.

The South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) has awarded the City of Orangeburg a $1 million grant and the county a $250,000 grant.

The city's grant will go toward the Northwood Estates wastewater system. The Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities took ownership of the system in October 2022.

"After receiving the system, the DPU wastewater staff took some time to assess the issues with the system and designed a plan to make those improvements," DPU Manager Warren Harley said. "The RIA grant, along with the $700,000 that Orangeburg County contributed, will assist us in making those improvements."

Under this grant, DPU is responsible for the engineering cost (in excess of $100,000) and the grant will cover the construction cost.

Northwood Estates For about two decades, residents of Northwood Estates have had complaints about an aging private sewer system.

"We are certainly excited to continue our efforts to improve this system," Harley said. "Since the DPU has taken over the system, the residents of Northwood Estates have seen a reduction in their bills as well as the excellent customer service our team provides."

For about two decades, residents of the neighborhood had complaints about the aging private sewer system.

The systems high sewage-treatment costs have been blamed on groundwater infiltration, which led to customers having to pay for the treatment of the extra water that entered the sewer system.

The system was owned and operated by Midlands Utilities, which became Synergy Utilities. Synergy was responsible for collection and keeping the lines maintained.

The Orangeburg County grant will go toward a regional planning study for the provision of water in eastern areas of the county.

The study will specifically look at the towns of Branchville, Bowman, Elloree and Vance and determine the feasibility of providing a direct-to-consumer approach of water provision that would complement the existing Lake Marion Regional Water Agency, which provides water wholesale.

The four towns are the only ones who agreed to participate in the study, according to county officials.

The grants are a part of more than $25 million in grant funding awarded across the state for 36 projects.

It is the second round of funding for fiscal year 2024.

The projects will benefit communities in 22 counties, with the intention of promoting quality of life, economic opportunity and sustainability across the state.

The total funding awarded by RIA this fiscal year is over $44 million.

Northwood Estates residents rail against 'unfair' sewer rate hike, aging system Residents of an Orangeburg subdivision have been complaining for years about having to pay high sewer rates for the use of an aging and damage

To ensure all communities and businesses have the opportunity to thrive, we must address the state's critical infrastructure needs and plan for long-term viability," Executive Director Bonnie Ammons said. "More than 10 years of RIA grants demonstrate the profound impact that strategic investment and proactive planning have on our communities as we build a stronger future for all South Carolinians."

The May 2024 grant awards will be combined with over $46 million in local and other funds to carry out necessary capital improvements and planning activities that are expected to benefit more than 200,000 customers, with more than 60% of projects reaching rural and distressed communities.

Ten projects will aim to contribute to greater resiliency and storm protection. Others will improve or replace aging infrastructure that is beyond its useful life, increase services and capacity for existing and future customers, and support economic development activities for job creation and retention.

In addition, grant awards will fund 10 planning studies and system assessments that will explore the technical, operational, and financial conditions of water, sewer and storm water systems, evaluate alternative options, and provide recommendations to achieve greater long-term viability and possible regional solutions.

RIA state grants are generally awarded twice a year through a competitive process that considers the need for improved public health, environmental protection, community sustainability and economic development.

Applications are selected by the RIA board based on criteria including severity of the problem, expected impact and project feasibility.

Recipients share in the cost of infrastructure projects by paying for non-construction or other activities and, oftentimes, providing additional funds for construction.

The RIA was created to help communities with financing for qualified infrastructure projects. Infrastructure primarily refers to water and waste water systems as well as storm water drainage.

Chaired by the secretary of commerce, the RIA is governed by a board of directors, including six members who reside in or represent distressed and/or least developed counties.
Graduates of a new month-long apprenticeship program in coastal South Carolina hope to find jobs in the commercial fishing and mariculture industries.

Seafood school Graduates of a new month-long apprenticeship program in coastal South Carolina hope to find jobs in the commercial fishing and mariculture ind

The inaugural class of the South Carolina Commercial Seafood Apprenticeship Program recently wrapped up. The group of six participants met daily in a classroom at the back of a former public school in the fishing village of McClellanville. The program provides housing and food, with a $1,000 stipend upon completion of the program.

The participants learned about topics including safety, seamanship, and navigation; small engine maintenance; welding; fisheries science; raising oysters and clams; and seafood business and marketing. In addition to periodic hands-on learning sessions throughout the month, they also spent two days at sea.

Sustainability and the longevity of the seafood industry were a key point.

If you overharvest, you wont have any for the next generation, one participant explained.

The program seeks to match students up with jobs when they finish the program. Co-director Jocelyn Juliano says the participants came ready to start working in the industry.

They are so eager to get started  they want to jump right in, Juliano said. Next time, we want to have job descriptions ahead of time from industry members looking to hire so the participants can meet the business owners right away and set up some jobs.

S.C. Sea Grant Consortium awards $300K to research contaminants The S.C. Sea Grant Consortium funded research projects on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) to study PFAS and phthalates in coastal Southeast U.S. for human and ecosystem health.

Juliano is a program specialist at the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, which created and administers the program.

The program is supported by the South Carolina Department of Agricultures Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship, the McClellanville Community Foundation, the McClellanville Watermens Association, Clemson Cooperative Extension, a USDA Rural Business Development Grant, and the NOAA National Sea Grant Office.

In addition to the stipend and job connections, participants received a CPR, First Aid and automated external defibrillator certification, a U.S. Coast Guard Drill Conductor certification, and a certificate of completion from SC Sea Grant Consortium.

Sea Grant Consortium educator gets DNR environmental award S.C. Sea Grant Consortium educator Elizabeth Vernon Bell is the recipient of the 2023 South Carolina Environmental Awareness Award. Bell received the award on Feb. 2, 2024, at a reception organized by the awards 2023 hosting agency, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

South Carolinas seafood industry faces challenges including an aging workforce, aging dock space and facilities, competition from imported seafood, and development pressures that threaten marine ecosystems.

The program is an important step in developing a recruitment pipeline for those seeking jobs in seafood and mariculture.

To learn more and to sign up for notifications about the 2025 program, please contact the program coordinator, Angela Treptow, at angela.treptow@scseagrant.org. You can also learn more about the program online at scseagrant.org/sc-commercial-seafood-apprenticeship-program
On June 28, 1776, British ships sailed into Charleston harbor and opened fire on a tiny fort on Sullivans Island. The infamous shots heard round the world had been fired a little over a year before in April 1775, but Americans were still debating whether to declare independence from Britain. The British expected to put down the rebellion quickly by taking Charleston, one of the largest and wealthiest ports in America.

Unprepared for battle, patriot Colonel William Moultrie and his troops hastily constructed a fort on the tip of the island using local palmetto trees. As the British navy began their bombardment, the spongy logs absorbed the cannon balls rather than splintering.

Moultries regiment, with a limited supply of troops and ammunition, fired carefully upon the British fleet, damaging the ships severely. After a day of bombardment, the British navy withdrew to New York, and it would be three years before they revived the fight in the southern colonies.

A year later, Charlestonians commemorated Moultries victory, and the holiday has been celebrated in the state ever since. The state flag, which features prominently in all Carolina Day celebrations, was designed by Colonel Moultrie after the battle. The indigo flag incorporates the crescent symbol from Moultries company flag and an image of the palmetto tree that was critical to that battle.

Carolina Day officially celebrates the victory at the Battle of Sullivans Island, but it was only one of over 200 Revolutionary battles and skirmishes in South Carolina -- more than occurred in any other state. It also proved to be a training ground for some of the most influential patriots of the southern campaign.

Col. William Thompson From carolana.com, this biography by Benson J. Lossing is from his Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution:

The Gamecock Thomas Sumter formed Sumters Brigade after the capture of Charleston in 1780 and reinvigorated upcountry troops, who fought heroically at Fishdam Ford, the Blackstocks, Fort Granby and Orangeburg.

Get TheTandD.com for $1 for 3 months Support local journalism by becoming a member at www.TheTandD.com. View our latest offer at TheTandD.com/subscribe

William Danger Thomson of Orangeburg district commanded the Third Regiment, also called the Rangers, and went on to lead Continental Army troops in campaigns against the Cherokee in the upcountry, against British forces at the Battle of Savannah, and in the 1780 siege of Charles Town.

Francis Marion earned the nickname Swamp Fox for his guerilla-style fighting tactics and surprise attacks. He organized Marions Men, a group of irregular militiamen who served without pay and supplied their own horses, arms, and food and wreaked havoc on loyalists in the PeeDee region. These men and their recruits turned the tide of the entire war, which after the 1780 fall of Charleston had seemed all but lost.

On June 28 this year, we celebrate the patriots from all over the state who were essential in gaining Americas independence. Dont forget to fly your own flag this Carolina Day!
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Bahrains non-oil exports of products of national origin fell 12% to BD316 million ($838.3 million) in May 2024, compared to BD360 million for May 2023. The top 10 countries in exports (National Origin) accounted for 73% of the exports (National Origin) value.

Saudi Arabia ranked first among countries for the non-oil exports (National Origin) with BD64 million (20%). The US was second with BD34 million (11%) and the UAE third with BD31 million (10%), Bahrains Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) said in its Foreign Trade report.

Unwrought Aluminium Alloys were the top products exported with BD93 million (30%), followed by Agglomerated Iron Ores and Concentrates Alloyed at BD59 million (19%) and Aluminium Wire not Alloyed at BD20 million (6%).

Non-oil re-exports

The total value of non-oil Re-exports decreased by 28% to reach BD51 million in May 2024, compared to BD71 million for same month in 2023. The top 10 countries for Re-exports accounted for 88% of the re-exported value. The UAE ranked first with BD19 million (37%) followed by Saudi Arabia with BD15 million (29%) and Germany with BD2 million (4%).

As per the report, Private Cars were the top product re-exported from Bahrain with a value of BD3.3 million (6.5%), followed by Four Wheel Drive BD3.1 million (6.1%), and Gold Ingots with BD3 million (6%).

As per the report, the value of non-oil imports has decreased by 2% reaching to BD466 million in May 2024 in comparison with BD475 million for same month in 2023. The top 10 countries for imports recorded 69% of the total value of imports.

Imports to Bahrain

According to the report, China ranked first for imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD63 million (14%), followed by Brazil with BD47 million (10.1%) and Australia with 46 million (9.9%).

Non-Agglomerated Iron Ores and Concentrates were the top product imported to Bahrain with a total value of BD51 million (11%), followed by Other Aluminium Oxide with BD40 million (9%) and Four-Wheel Drive third with BD15 million (3%).

As for the Trade Balance, which represents the difference between exports and imports, the deficit recorded BD99 million in May 2024 compared to a deficit of BD43 million in May 2023.--TradeArabia News Service
Fitch Ratings has affirmed the UAEs Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'AA-' with a Stable Outlook even as overall GDP growth will slow to 3.1% in 2024 and pick up to 4.9% in 2025 after 3.6% in 2023.

Fitch expects non-oil growth of 4.3% and hydrocarbon GDP to contract by 0.4% in 2024 as average oil production in 2024 will contract despite the loosening of Opec+ quotas in 2H24.

The 'AA-' rating reflects the UAE's moderate consolidated public debt level, strong net external asset position and high GDP per capita. This benefits from Abu Dhabi's sovereign net foreign assets (122% of UAE GDP in 2023), which are among the highest of Fitch-rated sovereigns.

Weak governance indicators

These strengths are balanced by weak governance indicators relative to rating peers, the UAE's high dependence on hydrocarbon income and the significant leverage of government-related entities (GREs).

The 'AA-' rating applies to the federal government (FG) of the UAE. Fitch evaluates the creditworthiness of the UAE FG based on the consolidated fiscal and external position of all the emirates as is standard practice for federal entities, as well as the FG's standalone fiscal position and institutional set up.

Fitch projects non-oil growth to slow to 3.4% in 2025 but remain relatively robust despite global headwinds, supported by government and GRE spending, a robust real estate sector, dynamic past population growth and GCC demand. The hydrocarbon sector will expand by 9.5% in 2025 due to higher Opec+ production caps.

Budget surpluses

Fitch projects the consolidated budget to remain in surplus in 2024 at 4.1% of GDP after 7.8% in 2023, with surpluses in Abu Dhabi (AA/Stable) and Dubai and budget deficits in Ras Al Khaimah (A+/Stable) and Sharjah (not rated).

Fitch projects the UAE fiscal breakeven oil price will average $64/bbl in 2024-26, although Abu Dhabi GRE dividend plans could be larger than forecast and reduce this. The consolidated surplus will amount to 3.3% of GDP in 2025 and 2.6% in 2026. Narrower deficits in Sharjah and higher production levels in Abu Dhabi will mitigate the gradual drop in oil prices from $80 per barrel in 2024 to $70/bbl in 2025 and $65/bbl in 2026. Fitch expects fiscal policy to remain pro-cyclical, driven by Abu Dhabi, but less so than pre-pandemic and with a greater share of the impulse delivered by state-owned enterprises (SOE).

Small federal government

The FG's budget is small, with revenues and expenditure at about 4% of GDP and its remit is centred around the provision of essential public services such as infrastructure, health, education and police.

The FG is required by law to balance its current budget and has a record of broadly balancing the overall budget. Although its revenues and outlays are relatively stable, the FG has limited fiscal flexibility, given its small revenue base and limits on running deficits and issuing debt.

The FG is likely to receive a share of corporate income tax proceeds from 2026, but this is unlikely to materially change its fiscal profile, with a large share of revenue coming from grants from Abu Dhabi and dividends and royalties from federally-owned telecom SOEs, Du and e&.

Moderate consolidated government debt level

Fitch forecasts consolidated UAE government debt at 24% of GDP at end-2024, well below the 'AA' category median of 49%. It will be broadly stable in 2025 and 2026. Individual emirates have varied debt profiles, with Sharjah standing out with a higher debt burden.

Dubai repaid AED29 billion (1.5% of UAE GDP) in market and private debt in 2023 and Emirates NBD Bank PJSC's loans to its parent, the Dubai government, fell as well. In an oil price shock scenario, Fitch expects Abu Dhabi would initially choose to increase borrowing over large draw-downs from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, although the emirate has internal caps on borrowing.

Federal debt issuances continue

The FG's international market debt stands at $8.5 billion. Proceeds were placed with the Emirates Investment Authority for long-term investment. The debt law could allow proceeds from foreign-currency issuances to be partly used for infrastructure projects, but Fitch expects the authorities not to use this option in case of new issuances.

Local currency issuance

The FG started issuing local-currency debt in 2022 and aims to bring the outstanding amount to about AED45 billion over the years, with the objective of building a domestic-currency yield curve rather than funding deficits or projects.

The proceeds are invested in highly-rated international government bonds, mostly US Treasuries, with matching maturities. The authorities switched from issuing T-bonds to T-Sukuk during 2023.

High leverage

Despite a moderate government debt/GDP ratio, Fitch views the UAE as characterised by high leverage in its economy. Fitch estimates overall contingent liabilities from GREs of the emirates and the FG at about 62% of UAE 2023 GDP and gross non-bank private external debt stands at 46% of GDP.

Based on publicly available data, a large share of SOE debt is at healthy SOEs with little risk but many do not disclose financial data. The public banking sector's debt was 24% of GDP in 2023. The sector is large with assets of about 200% of GDP in 2023, but risk is limited by the sector's increased net interest margin and strong liquidity.

Close links with Abu Dhabi

Fitch judges that close political and budgetary links, along with the strong influence of Abu Dhabi over the FG budgeting and the essential nature of public services it provides place the FG higher in Abu Dhabi's support hierarchy than individual emirates, should it be required.

However, Abu Dhabi does not provide an explicit guarantee that would ensure unconditional and timely support to the FG.

Security risks remain

Geopolitical remains elevated. Tensions between Iran and Israel and the US are still a risk to the region, in particular to Abu Dhabi's hydrocarbon infrastructure and to Dubai as a trade, tourism and financial hub. Although it has scaled back its military presence, the UAE remains involved in the Yemen civil war, which led to drone attacks in early 2022.

ESG - Governance: The UAE has an ESG Relevance Score (RS) of '5[+]' for both Political Stability and Rights, and for the Rule of Law, Institutional and Regulatory Quality and Control of Corruption. These scores reflect the high weight that the World Bank Governance Indicators (WBGI) have in our proprietary Sovereign Rating Model. The UAE has a high WBGI ranking at the 70th percentile, reflecting its record of domestic political stability, strong institutional capacity, effective rule of law and a low level of corruption.

Rating sensitivities

Factors that Could, Individually or Collectively, Lead to Negative Rating Action/Downgrade

*Public Finances: A deterioration in Abu Dhabi's sovereign credit profile.

*Public Finances and External Finances: Substantial erosion of the external position of the UAE and/or of individual emirates' fiscal position, for example, due to a sustained period of low oil prices or a materialisation of contingent liabilities.

*Structural Features: A geopolitical shock that negatively affects economic, social or political stability.

Factors that Could, Individually or Collectively, Lead to Positive Rating Action/Upgrade

*Public Finances: Increased confidence that Abu Dhabi would provide unconditional support in the event of need, for example, due to a guarantee for the timely service of the FG debt.

*Structural Features and Macroeconomic Policies: Improvement in structural factors such as a reduction in oil dependence, a strengthening in governance and the economic policy framework, and a reduction in geopolitical risk while maintaining strong fiscal and external balance sheets.

Sovereign rating model (SRM) and Qualitative overlay (QO)

Fitch's proprietary SRM assigns the United Arab Emirates a score equivalent to a rating of 'AA-' on the Long-Term Foreign-Currency (LT FC) IDR scale.

Fitch's sovereign rating committee did not adjust the output from the SRM to arrive at the final LT FC IDR.

Fitch's SRM is the agency's proprietary multiple regression rating model that employs 18 variables based on three-year centred averages, including one year of forecasts, to produce a score equivalent to a LT FC IDR. Fitch's QO is a forward-looking qualitative framework designed to allow for adjustment to the SRM output to assign the final rating, reflecting factors within our criteria that are not fully quantifiable and/or not fully reflected in the SRM.

Country ceiling

The Country Ceiling for the UAE is 'AA+', two notches above the UAE's Long-Term Foreign-Currency IDR. This reflects strong constraints and incentives, relative to the IDR, against capital or exchange controls being imposed that would prevent or significantly impede the private sector from converting local currency into foreign currency and transferring the proceeds to non-resident creditors to service debt payments.

Fitch's Country Ceiling Model produced a starting point uplift of +1 notch above the IDR. Fitch's rating committee applied a further+1 notch qualitative adjustment to this, under the Near-term Macro-Financial Stability Risks and Exchange Rate Risks pillar reflecting that the Country Ceiling Model dips to +1 due to dollarisation of deposits passing 30%. The figure has been historically fairly volatile. It may be related to rising US dollar-denominated hydrocarbon export proceeds or the influx of new residents. External buffers are large and the creation of a UAE dirham yield curve may reduce dollarisation in future. These factors support keeping the Country Ceiling two notches above the IDR.--TradeArabia News Service
The Opec Fund for International Development (OFID) approved $605 million in fresh financing on Wednesday to grow its portfolio and activities.

The approvals, made during OFID's 188th Governing Board meeting, targeted key development priorities like global food security, climate action, and critical infrastructure projects.

The OFID is an intergovernmental development finance institution established in 1976 by the member states of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec).

Before the Governing Board meeting, the Opec Fund inaugurated its extended Headquarters building on Vienna's historic Ringstrasse.

On the new funding, OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa said: "We are committed to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals." He also confirmed the organisation's strong ties with its host country, Austria, and promised, "With our new Headquarters, we intend to strengthen our presence and visibility."

OFID approved loans to support the public sector in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Guinea Bissau, India, Lesotho, Morocco, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Turkiye.

The fund also extended loans to private sector and trade finance operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mauritania, and Uzbekistan.

It also offered a $3 million grant to establish the OPEC Fund Food Security and Climate Adaptation Facility, an initiative to strengthen climate-resilient food systems and improve food security in the world's most vulnerable regions.

The facility aims to catalyse $500 million in investments by 2030 and will kick off with pilot initiatives in subSaharan Africa.-TradeArabia News Service
The U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of a woman wanted for her role in one of the largest global fraud schemes in history. Victims lost an estimated $4 billion in the fraud.

The Department of State is announcing a reward for locating German national Ruja Ignatova.

Ignatova is a co-founder of OneCoin Ltd. Beginning in approximately 2014 in Bulgaria, she and others allegedly defrauded investors from across the world out of billions of dollars.

Massive Cryptocurrency Fraud

She is accused of promoting OneCoin as a digital currency investment through false statements to attract investors. She became known as the cryptoqueen through her promotions.

By 2017, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims of more than $4 billion.

Ignatova was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2017 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Two weeks after the indictment Ignatova traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece. The feds say she did that to evade arrest. She has been a fugitive ever since.

Ignatova was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in 2022. Germany has also criminally charged Ignatova for her role in the transnational fraud scheme.
Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries (JCPDI) has announced that it has exported over 11,000 tonne of pig iron through its port to Italy.

Pig iron is one of the quality products produced in the factory of the Advanced Smelting Industries Company in JCPDI, which uses state-of-the-art technologies to operate smelting furnaces that are the largest of their kind in the world.

This week, JCPDI also imported 30,000 tonnes of ilmenite from the Republic of Mozambique, reported SPA.

JCPDI's port is a crucial logistical center for trade exchange in the Kingdom, with advanced capabilities and technology in logistical transport services.

Its geographical location on the Red Sea and proximity to the Bab Al Mandab Strait and the countries of the Horn of Africa make it an ideal station for many opportunities in the fields of maritime transport, freight, and export business, it added.
Expo City Dubai will host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit (2025APCS) & Mayors Forum  one of the worlds largest and most diverse meeting of mayors, city and business leaders, which will be held in the Middle East for the first time, a report said.

The event, which will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre from October 27 to 29, 2025, was the subject of bidding from cities across the Asia Pacific region, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said.

Linking the Middle East, Africa and South Asia with the wider Asia Pacific region, the event will attract a global network of those at the very forefront of shaping cities for the future and will focus on creating business and investment opportunities in sustainable growth and urbanisation.

An initiative of Brisbane City Council, delivered by Expo City Dubai and with programme and event advisory from Expo Dubai Group, the 2025APCS will welcome mayors, city leaders, policymakers, business leaders, startups, young professionals, leading academics, and industry professionals from around the world.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority, said: Expo City Dubai is proud to have been selected from a competitive bid of global cities to host the 2025 Asia Pacific Cities Summit.

A unique place to work and live, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai Exhibition Centre, we are a hub for city and business leaders interested in collaborating for sustainable growth.

We draw upon a decade of key insights and lived experience, from the successful World Exhibition that was Expo 2020 Dubai, delivered with 192 nations, to hosting COP28, to our urban development journey that has seen us transform into a city of opportunity and knowledge creation and exchange.

Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, said, Committed to global progress in sustainable economic growth, integrated urban planning, effective climate action as well as smart infrastructure, Dubai is excited and honoured to host the 2025APCS.

The Dubai Exhibition Centre will make a natural hub for leaders looking to connect, collaborate and drive positive and responsible growth for generations to come.

Running for 28 years, APCS boasts an alumnus of over 600 cities and is widely regarded as a hallmark event for the Asia Pacific region, powering economic growth and deeper collaboration across cities.

Established by Brisbane City Council in 1996, APCS is hosted biennially between Brisbane and an international location. Previous international hosts include Seattle (2001), Chongqing (2005), Incheon (2009), Kaohsiung (2013) and Daejeon (2017).

The 2025 edition builds on Expo Citys inaugural Sustainable Cities in Action Forum 2024, which shared innovations and solutions and explored ways to catalyse positive urban development across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

Expo City Dubai has further hosted global events including Expo 2020 Dubai and the largest-ever climate action conference, the United Nations 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in 2023.
A UAE delegation explored expanding opportunities for its private sector at the 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit, an event that promotes and facilitates business investment in the US, which took place from June 23-26, in Maryland, US.

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, who led the UAE delegation to the summit, also visited Washington for talks with Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce, to discuss strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties.

Dr Al Zeyoudi reaffirmed the importance of economic relations with the US, which is the UAEs third-largest global trade partner and accounts for 27% of Americas non-oil trade with the Arab World, at the meeting.

In 2023, the two nations shared bilateral trade worth $40 billion, a 20.1% increase on the previous year and 50.2% growth compared to 2019. The pair discussed areas of mutual interest, including the ongoing collaboration on renewable energy development.

At the SelectUSA Investment Summit, which is hosted by the US Department of Commerce and brings together public officials and corporate leaders, Al Zeyoudi also met Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey to discuss how UAE-based businesses, investors and family offices can either enter or expand their presence in the US market in areas of mutual interest, such as clean energy, logistics, infrastructure development and advanced technology.

The summits workshops and seminars also enabled the delegation to learn about the various investment opportunities across the USA, enabling them to identify potential areas for collaboration and the means to access them.

Addressing attendees from the US business community at a session organised by the UAE-US Business Council, Al Zeyoudi, said: Our visit to the US is a reflection of our commitment to finding new avenues of cooperation and to building partnerships at the public- and private-sector levels that further our economic diversification ambitions.

SelectUSA is not only the ideal platform to discover the opportunities in the US market but to also to showcase the dynamism of the UAEs ecosystem, which is already home to more than 1,500 US companies.

The UAE is the largest Arab investor in the USA with assets of more than $38.1 billion, accounting for over 50% of Arab investment into the country as of 2022.

UAE investments in the US over the last five years have grown by $12 billion across a variety of sectors with a focus on transportation, business services and ICT.

Majority UAE-owned firms employ over 24,300 US workers and help to increase US exports, contributing US$1.4 billion to the value of US goods exported in 2021.
The Ministry of Energy and Minerals is planning to enhance with the support of technology the contribution of the energy and mineral sectors to the gross domestic product (GDP), and add to the national income of Oman, a report said.

It said that it has achieved strong results in 2023 and wants to supplement the states general budget by using all possible means to boost production at lower cost using the latest technology, Times of Oman said.

Engineer Salem bin Nasser Al-Awfi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, stressed that the ministry is working to harness all capabilities and resources to enhance its role in developing the energy and minerals sectors, and use advanced technology to support the production of crude oil and oil condensates.

The minister further explained that the Ministry of Energy and Minerals continued its efforts in the field of localisation of industries in 2023.

A factory for manufacturing chemicals within the Sultanate of Oman has been certified and approved in accordance with the required standards and specifications, which will contribute directly to enhancing the local value, in addition to achieving a reduction in operational expenses.

The first well drilling rig manufactured in Oman with an electronic operation feature was also completed, as it was manufactured using the latest technologies to ensure safe, efficient and sustainable drilling operations.

He pointed out that in line with the governments directions in supporting the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to contribute to achieving economic and social development, the total spending on small and medium enterprises in the oil and gas sectors amounted to about 16% of the total value of purchases and tenders.

Regarding the important projects that were started in 2023, Engineer Salem bin Nasser Al-Awfi pointed to the Al-Ghaisin Mine Copper Mining Project in the Wilayat of Al-Khaboura.

It is one of the most important and promising projects in copper mining that will contribute to enhancing economic diversification in the Sultanate of Oman.

It relies on modern, environmentally friendly underground mining techniques and its reserve is estimated at more than six million tonnes with an average concentration of 2.04% copper ore.

Also, a solar energy station was opened in the Wilayat of Sur to produce renewable energy for the Sur water desalination plant.

He stressed that the ministry has made tangible efforts in the field of social responsibility with its partners as three national projects were supported by three different companies at a cost of OMR2.5 million.
Three government applications provided by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in collaboration with other government entities won the Bahrain Digital Content Award 2023.

The ceremony was attended by Ali Bin Saleh Al Saleh, Chairman of Shura Council, and organised by Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH), and Worksmart For Events Management in collaboration with the World Summit Awards (WSA), at the Gulf Convention Centre.

The awards were received by iGAs Deputy Chief Executive for Electronic Transformation Dr Zakareya Ahmed Al Khaja. Tawasul app emerged as the winner in the Government & Citizen Engagement category, while Al-Tajir app, developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and several government entities, won the Business & Commerce category. The Sehati app secured first place in the Health & Wellbeing category.

Innovative initiatives

iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed expressed his pride in the digital projects' success, underscoring the support provided by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in championing innovative initiatives and enhancing government services for citizens and residents.

He lauded the directives of General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), highlighting his role in the iGAs mission to provide regularly upgraded systems and services, spearheading comprehensive digital transformation.

Al Qaed praised the iGA teams efforts in coordination with government entities, which proved instrumental in the recognition of the Tawasul, Al-Tajir, and Sehati apps. Tawasul offers convenient, high-quality, and effective communication between citizens, residents, and government entities, prioritising user feedback. This award adds to Tawasul's impressive list of accolades, including the Customer Service Excellence Award, the Smart Cities 2023 Award in the Smart Citizens Engagement category, and the Arab Government Excellence (AGE) Award in the Best Smart Government Application category, among other local and regional honours.

Sehati app

On the other hand, Al Qaed hailed the Sehati app for winning Bahrain Digital Content Award 2023 in the Health & Wellbeing category, registering his gratitude and appreciation to The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, The Minister of Health, Chief Executives of Government Hospitals, Primary Healthcare Centres, and the National Health Regularity Authority (NHRA) for their valuable cooperation and support in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector.

He highlighted the quality healthcare services of the app and innovative, user-friendly interface that facilitate convenient healthcare access, saving users time and effort while improving the kingdoms healthcare sector

Moreover, Al Qaed extended his appreciation to the Minister of Industry & Commerce, as well as the Chief Executives of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) and the other concerned entities for their support to iGA in implementing the digital systems and projects. He praised the entities joint effort in the digital transformation of the Business sector, marking Sijillat and other digital services that reinforce this sector and add value to the convenience of business-related services.

Al Qaed stated that the Al-Tajir applications win reflects the leaderships support to bolster Bahrains technological infrastructure, establish frameworks to streamline digital services in the business sector, foster commercial operations, attract investments, and advance the national economy. He highlighted the app's features and services, which empower merchants and business owners with commercial registrations to access and conduct transactions effortlessly.--TradeArabia News Service
PowerChina has announced it has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the development of Waad Alshamal Wind Project in Saudi Arabia which, on completion, will have a 500 MW capacity.

The contract was awarded by consortium led by Japanese group Marubeni Corporation with its Saudi partner Abdulaziz Al Ajlan Sons Company for Commercial and Real Estate Investment  Ajlan & Bros.

This project is part of the National Renewable Energy Program which is supervised by the Saudi Ministry of Energy and is an extension of the energy ecosystems efforts towards realizing vision 2030s objectives, achieving the optimal energy mix, and displacing liquid fuels in the Kingdoms power sector.

The program harness renewable energy resources and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix to around 50% by 2030.

Earlier, in May, the developer had signed the power purchase agreements (PPA) for AlGhat Wind Project (600 MW) and Waad Alshamal Wind Project (500MW).-TradeArabia News Service
As the excitement for summer holidays builds, practising cyber hygiene is crucial to keeping travellers digital life secure, says a cyber expert.

It's essential to remember that increased travel brings with it heightened cyber risks, says Jonas Walker, Security Strategist at FortiGuard Labs, a threat intelligence and research organisation at California-based Fortinet, a leader in enterprise-class cybersecurity and networking innovation.

Walker lists the reasons why practising cyber hygiene essential for travellers:

Cyber hygiene is like personal hygiene, it's all about having a daily routine. That includes good practices to ensure that your environment stays clean, especially when travelling.

When you travel, you typically carry a device, a computer or smartphone. These devices known as endpoints typically connect to different networks, whether that be a hotel, a corporate network, public Wi-Fi, or at a conference. Endpoints are thus the last stage of a network, making them the most at risk.

Endpoint Device

If while traveling, your endpoint device was infected with malicious software like viruses, there's a chance you could infect your corporate network. If threat actors can gain access to your specific device, then they can gain access to your corporate network.

With this, threat actors have a foot inside the network, which allows them to move laterally through the networks and scan the network from inside. This often leads to ransomware down the line at the later stage of an attack.

What travellers can do to protect themselves against cyber-attacks

The most important point is to patch your systems. This is something that should be something of high priority whether you're traveling or not. A good example is when you open the App Store or Google Play Store and update the apps on your smartphone.

Next time you do this, check out the release notes, and why the vendor is recommending you update their app. More often than not, it's not about a feature or a new UI. In most cases, it's about security features like a bug that has been fixed.

If these apps are not updated, threat actors who are aware of these issues as disclosed by the vendor can take advantage of these vulnerabilities.

Tracking Software

Another important point is not to install random stuff on your computer for which you dont know the legitimacy.

When travelling, sometimes you need different kinds of tracking software, especially if you are in different countries, and especially now with a lot of countries asking for certain kinds of trackers at airport immigration for example. Make sure you install the right one and not some weaponized files which might be floating around the Internet.

Sharing Devices Dangerous

It's also really important to be aware of with whom you share your devices. Don't let someone else use your laptop, even quickly to just browse a website or check some emails. This is really dangerous because if someone else connects to their own inbox, this could lead to you opening a certain file and downloading malicious stuff onto your computer.

The same holds for connecting USB sticks from others to your computer. You never know what's what kind of software is stored on a USB stick; it may automatically run once it's connected to your system. I highly recommend never using a USB stick from others.

Password Manager

Also, don't leave your laptop unlocked near others, even if its just for a moment. Always make sure your computer is locked and that it has a complex password. The best case would be to utilise a password manager, so you don't have to remember your passwords for all your websites, but they remain secure.

Administrative Privileges

For IT admins there are a lot of good things we can be doing to make cyber hygiene a much better environment. For example, we should enforce updates on computers by default and always make sure that administrative privileges are only given to the people who really need them.

We need to understand certain behaviours happening on these endpoint devices and know which kinds of systems are becoming end-of-life. For example, if someone in your finance department is using a lot of Power Shell scripts, note that this is irregular for a finance department.

Data Encryption

Data in laptops should always be encrypted in case of a loss, which can happen very easily when people travel. Laptops get stolen or are lost, and if you don't encrypt the system, even with a password on the device, it's not that difficult for threat actors to get access to the data in the end because they have physical access to the device itself.

Inventory

You should always have an inventory of all the hardware and software in your company, especially if people bring back different kinds of devices to your network, so you know whether it's your own device or not. And even if think you have everything under control, you should always have an incident and response plan so you know what is going to happen if, a laptop gets stolen.

How employees can continue to work from anywhere while traveling and connecting to their essential networks

If possible, don't connect to public Wi-Fi, especially if a lot of people are around the network. If you can connect to a public Wi-Fi, pretty much anyone in that area can as well, and you are not in control of what is happening on this network.

You don't know who is on this network or what they are doing, because you don't control the security. If the network has bad security, then you now enable your system to be scanned directly by other people on this network.

SIM Card

I recommend different kinds of solutions to solve this problem. The best case would be to buy a SIM card from the specific country you are travelling to, to create your own hotspot, where only you are part of the network.

If you travel around to different countries, another option is to buy a mobile Wi-Fi router and only use it by yourself. This way, it's very easy, no matter where you are, to access this environment with usually low costs.

And no matter what, if you must join a public network, avoid any sensitive task. Don't do online payments or log into your bank accounts. This brings down the possibility of you being involved in a cyber security incident.

Social Media

Social media becomes popular during travel. What should employees avoid when using social media to stay cyber safe?

One thing I try to avoid is using social media accounts to log in to certain kinds of platforms. For example, if you connect to Wi-Fi, sometimes you are asked to create an account or log in with one of your social media accounts. If you log in with one of your social media accounts, typically you allow the people running the platform to get access to a lot of sensitive information.

My recommendation to avoid this is to create a throwaway account for travelling. This account can be used for the specific purpose of connecting to Wi-Fi without any sensitive information being involved.

Another area to be cautious in with social media is the scams happening around instant messaging services. Social engineering is still one of the most prevalent and most successful tactics for gaining access to user accounts and the more information you expose from yourself and social media accounts, the easier you make it for attackers.

One such example is people asking for help on social media websites like Reddit and other big forums. Sometimes, other users try to be helpful and ask for more details. But you need to be aware that if you start to post configuration files or sensitive information about your environments on public websites so others can help you, it's also not that difficult for others to find this information with open source intelligence techniques to take advantage of this information and use it against you.

QR Codes

QR codes became super popular for tracking during the last two years, and the potential risk of scanning QR codes is something that you need to keep in mind as well. Usually, when you scan a QR code, it opens a certain website on your device. If it opens a website, that website may be compromised and download malicious files to your device.

Stay Vigilant

As you embark on your summer travels, its crucial to stay vigilant about cyber hygiene to protect your digital life. From updating your systems and being cautious with public Wi-Fi to avoiding suspicious downloads and protecting your social media information, these steps are essential for a secure travel experience.

Follow these tips to stay safe and enjoy your travels, knowing that your cyber defences are up and running.  TradeArabia News Service
Sun Siyam Resorts has announced the promotion of Sara Siyam from Creative Director to Director of Marketing, effective May 1.

With an impressive tenure at Sun Siyam Resorts since 2017, Sara has demonstrated exceptional leadership and creativity, driving brand development and innovative creative strategies, said a statement.

In her new role as Director of Marketing, Sara will lead the marketing department in refining the creative vision of Sun Siyam Resorts. She will be responsible for elevating brand awareness through integrated brand and marketing campaigns, as well as unique experiential events across all properties to ultimately drive growth and revenue for the company, Sara's strategic focus will further enhance Sun Siyam Resorts global brand presence and guest engagement.

Sara's journey began as a PR Executive at Sun Siyam Resorts and rapidly progressed to Assistant Manager of PR and Marketing for the group before assuming the role of PR and Marketing Manager at Siyam World Maldives in November 2020. In this capacity, she played a pivotal role in launching the property in October 2021, spearheading branding, content development, social and communications strategies.

Sara holds a Master's Degree in International Tourism and Hospitality from James Cook University, Singapore, and is known for her passion for innovation and creating distinctive guest experiences. Drawing from her family's rich background in tourism and hospitality, Sara is dedicated to positioning Sun Siyam Resorts as a standout local brand synonymous with unparalleled experiences.

Commenting on her promotion, Sara Siyam remarked, "I am thrilled to embark on this new journey as Director of Marketing at Sun Siyam Resorts. Our goal is to continuously innovate and elevate guest experiences, leveraging our unique properties in the Maldives.

With a focus on creativity and strategic messaging, we aim to set new benchmarks in the industry and establish Sun Siyam Resorts as a leading global hospitality brand," she said. TradeArabia News Service
Etihad Airways is set to recruit hundreds more pilots this year to support its expanding fleet and network, delivering on the airlines ambitious growth plans and supporting its purpose to give flight to ambition.

The UAEs national airline will embark on an international roadshow to meet pilots who may wish to join the growing global airline, beginning in eight cities across Europe before expanding to many more global locations.

Etihad is inviting pilots of all ranks and aircraft types to register their interest by attending one of the roadshows or signing up for more information online at careers.etihad.com.

Etihad also welcomes the partners and family members of prospective pilots to the roadshows and will showcase Abu Dhabi as a fabulous destination to live and build a career, both for individuals and for families.

John Wright, Chief Operations and Guest Officer at Etihad Airways, said: As we embark on this pilot recruitment roadshow, were proud to showcase everything that both Etihad and Abu Dhabi have to offer, and we are seeking pilots who share in our ambitions.

We appreciate that pilots choose which airline to join for the length of their career, and as such we would like to highlight not only the career development and progression opportunities on offer at Etihad, but also the fantastic home and lifestyle that Abu Dhabi provides.

Etihad is seeking pilots of all ranks and aircraft types from across the Etihad fleet including the Airbus A320, A350 and A380 as well as the Boeing 777 and 787, and Boeing 777 freighters. Pilots who do not yet fulfil the Etihad criteria but may wish to join Etihad in the future are also encouraged to attend the roadshow or register their interest online.

As one of the worlds fastest growing airlines, Etihad will double its fleet size by 2030 compared to 2022. This growth trajectory will offer pilots significant career progression and promotion opportunities, making Etihad a highly attractive employer for ambitious pilots looking to build a solid career, the airline said.

Etihads diverse pilot community works alongside 142 nationalities who make up the Etihad family, all based out of its welcoming home in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. There has never been a more exciting time to join Etihad and enjoy living in the UAE.

Living in the UAEs thriving capital offers crew a safe city with plenty of things to do for individuals as well as families. Pilots living in Abu Dhabi have access to some of the worlds most beautiful beaches and can take part in watersports in the Arabian sea or outdoor pursuits in the desert. Abu Dhabi also offers an abundance of restaurants, bars and nightlife, meaning there will never be a dull moment. The metropolis of Dubai is also just a short drive away, it said.

Etihads pilots fly to more than 70 destinations across Australia, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America. The airline continues to grow its network and this June is commencing flights to Bali, Jaipur and Al Qassim, as well as a number of seasonal destinations including the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini, Nice in the French Riviera and the holiday resorts of Malaga in Spain and Antalya in Turkey. - TradeArabia News Service
Two men have been arrested in Pennsylvania for allegedly kidnapping four female victims, holding them in a shipping container, and raping them, police said.

The Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday night that they received a call from someone who said they were following an SUV with two of the victims inside on Route 33 in Monroe County. Police did not say how the caller knew the victims were in the vehicle.

State police and Pocono Mountain Regional Police located the SUV in a Walmart parking lot in Mount Pocono, and found one suspect in the vehicle with one victim, while the second suspect and second victim exited the store.

Davaun Carlon Jackson, 29, and Isaiah Rogers-Keeney, 19, were arrested.

According to police, Jackson and Rogers-Keeney allegedly abducted four female victims on Monday, ordering them into a vehicle. The men then drove the victims to a Smithfield Township property owned by Jackson. Troopers say the victims were held inside a shipping container, where three of the four victims were bound with rope.

Police did not specify the ages of the victims.

Troopers said Jackson was armed and threatened to kill the victims. Two of the victims were allegedly sexually assaulted by Jackson.

Jackson is charged with kidnapping, rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats, tampering with evidence, strangulation, false imprisonment, robbery and other charges. Rogers-Keeney was arrested as an accomplice.

State police are asking anyone with information to come forward or submit an anonymous tip.

--with reporting by TMX
New York-based soca artiste Yankey Boy (Kevon Heath) has issued a musical call to action: Only Soca should be played at Caribbean carnival parades in the diaspora.

The catchy Cdonia-produced track, which features on the newly released Carnival 2025 Radio Active Riddim, is already sparking debate among Caribbean music stakeholders. The riddim also features Rayzor, Leonce, Spine and Kerry John.
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Reid Park Zoo set a record for the most people to ever visit in a fiscal year when the guest number 618,358 arrived Tuesday.

The previous record was set nine years ago after Nandi, the first African elephant born in Arizona, was born, according to a news release marking the attendance achievement.

This is all thanks to a number of wonderful things that have happened this year, said Nancy Kluge, Reid Park Zoos President & CEO in a video posted on social media.

Kluge said that some of the heightened interest in the zoo included the opening of the World of Play, the zoos new sensory nature playground. And the birth of Tucsons newest giraffe calf, Moyo, and baby elephant, Meru.

The record-setting guest received a gift package, complimentary annual membership, free admission and tickets to enjoy zoo activities and a commemorative brick in the Zoos entry plaza donated in their honor, the release said.

Reid Park Zoos fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30, so the attendance record will continue to grow for another few days.

The zoo from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Arizona doctors cant be prosecuted for performing abortions after 15 weeks as long as they make a good faith clinical judgment the procedure is necessary to prevent a womans death or substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, Attorney General Kris Mayes said Thursday.

Mayes also said, under questioning by reporters, that the states law could be read broadly enough to permit an abortion in cases of rape or incest, exceptions not specifically included in the statute. And she said doctors are permitted to consider someones mental health, especially if theres a belief a pregnant patient might otherwise commit suicide.

She said the purpose of her formal opinion was to ensure that doctors dealing with individual patients do not have to worry their medical decisions will land them in prison. Thats because the Arizona law currently in effect allows a pregnancy to be terminated after 15 weeks only in cases of a medical emergency  something not defined in the statute.

Once a treating physician forms a good faith clinical judgment that one of these circumstances is satisfied, the statute allows her to perform an immediate abortion, said Mayes, an elected Democrat.

She said a doctor need not wait for the patient to deteriorate or inch closer to death.

Dr. Jill Gibson, medical director of Planned Parenthood Arizona, said that is critically important. She told of a situation where a woman was in pre-term labor at 20 weeks, before the point a fetus could be considered viable.

The delivery was inevitable, Gibson said. But she said the doctor, fearing prosecution under the states abortion statutes, declined to undertake medical intervention even though it would have alleviated the womans pain and avoided the possibility of her own sepsis and death.

What I want to say from the perspective as a physician is, please dont tie our hands, Gibson said.

Please dont make us sit and watch our patients suffer in front of us, she continued. Let us use our years of education, experience and medical expertise to provide care that is dignified and based on our good-faith clinical judgment.

Doctor cannot be second-guessed

This issue of how close to death a patient must be to justify an abortion is not just an Arizona question.

In Idaho, doctors were concerned the abortion laws there did not permit them to terminate a pregnancy until a patient was near death. On Thursday, however, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a lower court order that essentially gives Idaho doctors permission to perform abortions in emergency situations.

Thursdays opinion by Mayes about Arizonas law contains more than what she considers to be a medical emergency allowing a doctor to terminate a pregnancy. It also said that once a doctor has concluded there is a medical emergency, they cannot be second-guessed after the fact and cannot be prosecuted unless there is proof the doctor acted without good faith.

That leeway is needed, said Dr. Dan Schnorr, a board-certified emergency physician who appeared at Mayes news conference Thursday along with Planned Parenthoods Gibson.

He detailed situations where a woman comes in with a ruptured membrane and has an infection. Schnorr said he can stabilize the woman with antibiotics.

But ultimately you get to a point where the antibiotics in the blood is not going to do enough and they need to have an abortion, which is not an elective abortion. A lawyer could come back and say, Im not sure you actually needed to do that, Schnorr said.

As physicians, were at the bedside with the patient, he said. And later on, somebody who maybe has some kind of agenda is going to come and sue us.

Advocate disputes mental health consideration

Cathi Herrod, president of the anti-abortion Center for Arizona Policy, said she sees nothing in Mayes written opinion that surprises her or that she considers wrong.

Since 1999, doctors have known what a medical emergency means in Arizona abortion laws, she said, even if it wasnt spelled out separately in the 2022 law setting a 15-week limit. Its not rocket science.

But Herrod took specific exception to the comments Mayes made under questioning that a womans mental health could also be a factor a doctor considers when deciding whether to terminate her pregnancy.

 Medical emergency and major bodily function only goes to the physical health of the mother, Herrod said.

The Legislature clearly spelled out major bodily function,  she continued. If they intended it to include mental health, they would have said so.

Mayes, however, made it clear she doesnt interpret the law so strictly as to not allow a doctor to consider a patients mental health.

Suicide has been addressed in case law, in prior years, she said. Those are all situations that I think doctors would be able to look at.

And the attorney general drew a different conclusion than Herrod about the meaning of what is  and is not  in the laws wording about mental health.

The Legislature was silent on that, Mayes said. But she also pointed out that elsewhere in law, the definition of a major bodily function includes both neurological and brain functions. Moreover, she doesnt read that as a comprehensive list.

It doesnt exclude what a doctor might consider other major bodily function, Mayes said.

Mayes interpretation was backed by Josh Bendor, her solicitor general who helped craft the opinion.

We very specifically were not attempting to address every different situation in which a medical emergency might arise because, ultimately, were not doctors, he said. There are innumerable medical situations.

Provides a shield, full stop

The bottom line, said Mayes, is providing a shield for doctors.

Arizona law does not allow for the prosecution of a treating physician who exercises their clinical judgment in good faith to provide an abortion under the medical emergency exception  full stop, she said.

Mayes said that also bars action by county attorneys. An executive order issued last year by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs stripped them of their authority to prosecute any abortion laws and gave that solely to Mayes.

Still, there are conditions to doctors immunity, including whether a doctor has acted in good faith. Mayes said she doesnt see that as a loophole that could be used to prosecute doctors.

It means lacking in dishonesty, she said. It means lacking deception. It means without malice.

The attorney general acknowledged there is no definition in the law of clinical judgment, one of the qualifiers to avoiding prosecution. But here, too, she said this essentially becomes a common-sense approach, based on their training and their expertise as applied to circumstances in front of them.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

Imagine Westerners waking up one morning only to discover that many of their most cherished wetlands have dried up, gone. This is not fiction during these times of determining the true value of water.

Most wetlands in the arid West owe their existence to the inefficiencies of unlined irrigation canals and flood irrigation. But when well-intentioned urban folks insist that irrigation companies use water more efficiently by piping their ditches, the result may be more about loss than water saved for rivers.

One of the least-known truths in the West is that many of our wetlands are the result of irrigated agriculture. For example, an irrigation company in northern Colorado irrigates about 24,000 acres, thanks to 146 miles of ditches.

The area served by the irrigation company also has approximately 1,300 acres of wetlands, and its no accident that most of those wetlands lie below a leaking ditch. A study by Colorado State University discovered this connection using heavy isotopes to create hydrographs of groundwater wells, ditch levels and precipitation. This is a West-wide issue.

We all know that climate change has been causing hotter, drier weather, and that helps reduce the flow of the Colorado River that 40 million Westerners depend on. In the Laramie Basin of Wyoming, 67% of its wetlands are attributed to agriculture. In North Park, Colorado, close to 75% of all wetlands are byproducts of irrigated agriculture.

Decades ago, Aldo Leopold wrote, There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One, you think that heat comes from the furnace and two, you think that breakfast comes from the grocery store.

May I add a third? We dont know much about the water we depend on.

Farmers and ranchers produce two goods, a private good and a public good. Theyre compensated for the private one by producing food. Their public goods, ecosystem services, are not compensated, though they include wetlands, biodiversity and plants sequestering carbon.

But knowing that rural agriculture uses 79% of the Colorado Rivers water, our urban neighbors tell their rural counterparts to conserve water or, better yet, sell it to them.

Meanwhile, the environmental community would like rural agriculture to use less water so more could stay in the rivers to help fish and provide recreational opportunities.

Clearly, there are too many demands for the Wests diminishing water supply. Drinking water, ag water, river health. Where do wetlands fit in?

Wetlands cover 1% of the Wests land surface, yet half of our threatened and endangered species rely on them. Wetlands serve a similar function to our kidneys: They filter out impurities from human land uses, making our environment healthier.

Perhaps its time for all of us to wise up a little. Many of these wetlands are human created; that is, they were created by farmers and ranchers and are not natural. Many will disappear in the pursuit of water conservation. Must it be water conservation and efficiency at all costs?

Will we prioritize water for urban uses, including urban sprawl? Or will we support more water staying in our rivers to create a healthier environment? Will water for food production be considered a necessity? Do green lawns trump healthy rivers and wetlands?

With more informed conversations about our region, talks between rural and urban neighbors, perhaps we could pursue a triple bottom line: water for food production, water for urban uses, and, yes, water for our regions rivers, streams and wetlands

Wouldnt we all like that? Lets figure out how to make that happen.
Firefighters in California are crediting a toddler for saving the day after he told his parents to call 911 about a fire in their neighborhood.

The child witnessed the flames after they started at the house on 35th Avenue in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco.

In an interview with ABC 7, the San Francisco Fire Department spoke with the young boy to hear his story of events.

SFFD: "Luca, what did you see up there?"

Luca: "There was a fire, and it was this big."

SFFD: "And what color were the flames?"

Luca: "It was orange and red."

SFFD: "And what did you say to mommy and daddy?"

Luca: "Call 911!"

SFFD: "And did you save the day?"

Luca: "Yes."

SFFD: "Yay. Thank you, Luca!"

Thankfully for this San Francisco neighborhood, Luca was alert and on standby to save the day.
Director's statement

As the director of Boneyard, I was drawn to telling this story to shed light on the ongoing tragedy of missing persons cases and the sinister evil that lurks within society targeting the vulnerable. Though inspired by true crime stories, our film takes creative and artistic license to construct our own version of a cinematic thriller story that keeps audiences guessing until the final twist.

Above all, our goal was to honor the memories of the innocent lives lost and raise awareness of this pressing issue. According to the FBI, there are over 600,000 active missing persons cases at any given time in the United States alone. These are not just statistics  they represent real people with families and futures stolen from them. By humanizing the individual victims in our story, I hope viewers will be left thinking of the tragedy of each and every missing soul behind these alarming numbers.

It was also important to me to depict the tireless efforts of law enforcement who work day and night thanklessly to solve these cases and bring perpetrators to justice  though justice will never fully undo such unspeakable crimes. They deserve our utmost gratitude and support. Im grateful to the real police officers behind the scenes, who consulted on our production to get accurate procedure and respectful representation.

On a creative level, I was thrilled to assemble such a powerhouse cast led by the one and only Mel Gibson. His nuanced portrayal of our dogged yet flawed lead detective anchors the complex mystery unfolding around him. Im grateful for the trust the entire ensemble placed in my vision to spin this harrowing true-crime yarn into an entertaining yet meaningful thriller.

In the end, it is my hope that Boneyard succeeds not just as an edge-of-your-seat film, but as a true call to action against the quiet evils that fester within our society. By shining a light on real tragedies like the West Mesa case, perhaps we can honor the lost by preventing future injustice and bring closure to open cases still in need of the final piece to solve the gruesome puzzle.

 Filmmaker Asif Akbar, from Boneyard production notes
Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a Creek County man to serve a 30-year prison term in connection with the 2021 fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell sentenced Chad Alan Hudgins at the top end of a sentencing range called for in his plea agreement with prosecutors.

In doing so, Frizzell termed the plea agreement, which called for a sentencing range of between 25 years and 30 years in prison, reasonable.

Hudgins, 34, pleaded guilty Oct. 20 to one count of second-degree murder in Indian Country in connection with the fatal shooting of Britney Smith, 27.

Smiths body was found Dec. 18, 2021, inside Hudgins Creek County home northwest of Bristow. The Sand Springs resident had been shot in the head.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Johnston told Frizzell that the agreement takes into consideration what a jury might do if the case were to go to trial. Johnston urged Frizzell to sentence Hudgins to the 30-year term.

But several of Smiths friends and family members gave victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing, asking Frizzell to sentence Hudgins to life without parole, with some saying they hope he is tortured in prison and dies while incarcerated.

A federal grand jury named Hudgins in a two-count indictment filed Feb. 8, 2022, charging him with first-degree murder in Indian Country and causing death by using and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Smith was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and her death occurred within the Muscogee Nation Reservation, making Hudgins eligible for federal charges.

A witness told FBI agents that Hudgins appeared at the witnesss Tulsa home during the early-morning hours of Dec. 18, 2021, asking to speak to another resident there, according to an arrest affidavit.

The resident told agents that Hudgins appeared frantic when he barged into his room and asked for help.

Hudgins drove the resident to his rural Creek County home and showed him Smiths body, still inside the home.

I shot her, Hudgins told the resident, adding later that he didnt mean to, according to the affidavit.

Police arrested Hudgins Dec. 22 in Chautauqua County, Kansas, on a warrant related to the killing, plus other charges.

Hudgins told Frizzell, I regret what happened, adding that he lives with it every day.

Hudgins could end up serving more time in prison.

Frizzell recommended that Hudgins 30-year sentence run consecutively to whatever term he receives in Kansas, where he faces unrelated charges.

Frizzell said it will be up the Kansas judge to decide whether to run Hudgins state sentence consecutively to his federal sentence.

Frizzell also ordered Hudgins to serve five years of supervision after his release from federal prison.

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Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

After 19 years of litigation, a civil lawsuit brought by the state of Oklahoma that blamed area poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River watershed could be coming to an end.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell signaled as much in an order issued Wednesday, which also denied a request by the poultry companies to dismiss the lawsuit.

In denying the poultry companies request, Frizzell said he would be issuing a final decision soon to wrap up the case.

This court shall expeditiously enter a final order and judgment as to injunctive relief in this matter, Frizzell wrote in a nine-page order filed in Tulsa federal court.

A bench trial held over 52 days in 2009 and 2010 concluded with Frizzell, on Jan. 18, 2023, finding in favor of the states contention that excessive land application of poultry litter as fertilizer had been a significant cause of excess phosphorus in the watershed.

Specifically, Frizzell ruled in favor of the states claims that poultry industry practices regarding disposal of poultry waste violated statutory public nuisance law, federal common law nuisance, trespass, and state pollution laws.

The actual and ongoing injury to the waters of the (Illinois River watershed) constitutes irreparable harm and warrants injunctive relief, Frizzell wrote in his ruling.

Evidence at the trial showed that excessive amounts of phosphorus-laden poultry litter used on fields as fertilizer can end up in stormwater runoff, entering creeks and streams that eventually lead to the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller in northeastern Oklahoma.

Excessive amounts of phosphorus can cause excessive aquatic vegetation, most of it algae, which can harm waterways, the state contended.

After issuing his January 2023 findings, Frizzell ordered the state and poultry industry representatives to try to work out a solution that addressed the problems caused by excessive use of litter as fertilizer on crops.

The two sides notified Frizzell in October that they had been unable to work out a remedy to the problem.

The poultry companies followed that with a same-day request that Frizzell dismiss the lawsuit, claiming that the case evidence was stale and citing improved conditions in the watershed.

Frizzells order issued Wednesday notes that the poultry companies have failed to demonstrate that the State is not susceptible to long-lasting and continuing injury from defendants trespass and the nuisance created thereby.

As previously stated, the court previously found and concluded that defendants conduct constituted a continuing nuisance and/or trespass, which caused ongoing injury to the waters of the (Illinois River watershed), Frizzell wrote.

The judge said in his order that while the poultry companies cite a handful of publications that found improved conditions in the watershed, those same publications noted that efforts to reduce phosphorus levels in the watershed had plateaued.

Frizzell also turned away claims by the poultry industry that granting the state of Oklahoma injunctive relief would violate the industrys due process.

Rather than dismissal, Frizzell wrote that it appears that the appropriate remedy is expeditious resolution of the remedial issues.

Former Attorney General Drew Edmondson filed the federal lawsuit in June 2005 against 14 poultry companies that had operations in the Illinois River watershed, alleging that overuse of poultry litter as crop fertilizer had caused pollution in the watershed.

The number of companies named as plaintiffs was eventually narrowed to 11.

The remaining defendants are Tyson Foods Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cal-Maine Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., Cargill Turkey Production LLC, Georges Inc., Georges Farms Inc., Peterson Farms Inc. and Simmons Foods Inc.

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Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Update Judge in murder case restricts access to courtroom after shooting downtown Wednesday

Correction: This story and photo captions originally misstated the venue for a Wednesday hearing and the reason defendants were in court. The story and captions have been corrected.

Police have no suspect in custody after a shooting was reported in a parking lot outside the county courthouse in downtown Tulsa on Wednesday afternoon.

Officers responded around 4 p.m., when a hearing for three defendants charged with murder had just concluded for the day, according to Capt. Richard Meulenberg.

Whatever happened in the courthouse spilled out here, he said from the parking lot. Some argument erupted downstairs, and then shots were fired.

Its unclear whether anyone was struck, and no arrests have been made, Meulenberg said.

The defendants are accused in the Jan. 1 slaying of 12-year-old Steven Bruner at a home rented by an out-of-state individual for a party. Police said then that a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old at the party reported that their residence had been targeted in two separate shootings in the past year.

Fourth Street outside the Page Belcher Federal Building, which houses a post office and federal courts for the Northern District of Oklahoma, was blocked to traffic after the shots were fired basically across the street.

The scene is secure; no ones in danger right now, Meulenberg said.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Tulsa Police Departments nonemergency line, 918-596-9222.

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President Joe Biden may have caught up to Donald Trump in national polls but a look at a group of swing states that are expected to determine the election outcome show Trump is still leading.

Polling average put together by the New York Times show Trump has a slim lead over Biden in the seven key states.

The races remain tight in most of the states and very tight in three of them. Trump leads by two points or less in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The gap is three points in Arizona and four in Nevada.

Trump's lead is more comfortable in Georgia and North Carolina with five point leads according to averages put together by the New York Time using polls collected by FiveThirtyEight.

Biden and Trump are set to go head-to-head on Thursday for the first of two debates before the November election. Biden hopes a success in the debate will help pull undecided voters into his corner.

Trump agreed to the debate even though the conditions could seem more favorable to Biden. The debate rules include there being no audience and the microphones being muted when it is not the candidate's turn to speak.
Tim Stanley Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Tim Stanley Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Charles Hardt, the city of Tulsas first director of public works and who oversaw a wide range of historically significant projects over three decades on the job, died June 20. He was 80.

A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. July 16 at Mallory-Martin Funeral Home in Stigler.

Hardt retired in 2011 after roughly 30 years with the city and service under eight mayors.

He was named the citys first public works director in 1990, heading up a new department created from the merger of four previous ones.

Hardts biggest impact on Tulsa arguably came in the area of flood control, where he oversaw a number of improvements, helping transform the city into a model nationally for how to manage flooding.

But a number of other projects completed under his oversight could be singled out as comparable in significance, including construction of the BOK Center, ONEOK Field, the Mohawk Water Treatment Plant, and a host of major street upgrades and expansions.

Following his retirement, the city honored Hardt by naming its new center for operations maintenance and engineering after him.

Mayor G.T. Bynum and former Mayor Susan Savage were among the city leaders who paid tribute to Hardt this week.

Charles Hardt was a remarkable builder  of our city and of leaders, Bynum said. We have had so many department directors who worked for and learned from him earlier in their careers. His work on city policies, capital improvements and development of leaders will leave a positive imprint on Tulsa for decades to come.

Savage worked with Hardt for 14 years, including her 10 years as mayor through 2002.

Charles pushed for excellence, for the change that would make Tulsa a better place to do business, said Savage, for whom Hardt also served as chief operations officer. I relied heavily on his brilliance. There are few whose service and impact can compare to his.

And as exceptional a public servant and leader as Charles was, she added, he was just as exceptional as a human being.

A registered professional engineer and hydrologist, Hardts history with the city of Tulsa goes back to 1976, when he was hired as chief hydrologist.

He left after five years to work for a private engineering firm. But as Hardt himself would later observe, his destiny and the citys seemed to be intertwined.

Following Tulsas historic Memorial Day flood of 1984, which caused 14 deaths and damaged or destroyed thousands of structures, city leaders coaxed Hardt back.

He would oversee the implementation of a new flood mitigation program. Under Hardts leadership, the citys ongoing commitment to advanced flood control policy and procedures would earn it special recognition from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Tulsas Mohawk Water Treatment Plant, completed in 1998, was a project Hardt personally counted among his most memorable.

A $73 million construction project, it played a significant role in protecting the citys drinking water source from poultry litter pollution.

Paul Zachary, the citys deputy director of engineering services, worked directly for Hardt for 12 years at the city. But their relationship went back 40 years, to when Hardt hired him out of Oklahoma State University for his private firm.

He was revered and respected by everyone, Zachary said. To this day, Im always asking myself, What would Charles do? How would he have handled this?

He was the true servant-leader before that term was popular, Zachary added. He taught me more than anyone that public service is a calling  that its not about you; you are working for others. And you can always tell those who just treat public service as a job.

For all the projects over his career, Hardt said later that he hoped his legacy would be as much about the people whod worked for him.

You dont accomplish anything without them, he said as he neared retirement, adding that he was proud to have always stood up for his employees.

The only way to get good production and 100-plus percent out of the employees is support them, always appreciate them and what they contribute. Ive really been fortunate to have good working relationships.

Among his honors, Hardt was recognized nationally in 2007 with the American Public Works Associations Charles Walter Nichols Award for Environmental Excellence for his achievements in the environmental field. Hardt was a member of the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame.

His survivors include his wife, Georgia Hardt; two sons, Jeff Hardt and Steve Hardt; three siblings, Bettie Bozarth, Howard Hardt and David Hardt; four grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a step-grandson; and two step-great-grandchildren.

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A Vietnamese company on Wednesday launched ride-hailing app Cudidi with commitments of offering the lowest prices in Vietnam, not collecting commissions from drivers, and providing customers with accident insurance at no charge.

At a ceremony to launch the app, Nguyen Trong Cu, CEO of C&U Vietnam Technical Service Company, explained that the app's concept is similar to that of existing ride-hailing apps. The key distinction, however, is that it is entirely free for drivers.

Cu added that the company developed the app using technology provided by the Vietnamese military-run telecom group Viettel, in collaboration with banks and insurance companies.

App drivers will be given labor contracts and covered by social insurance.

The fee was set at VND25,500 (US$1) for the first two kilometers and VND8,500 (US$0.30) per kilometer from the third kilometer onward for customers booking cars.

Meanwhile, the motorbike ride-hailing service was priced at VND10,500 ($0.4) for the first two kilometers and VND3,500 ($0.1) per kilometer from the third kilometer.

The app operator will refrain from implementing surge pricing during inclement weather, rush hours, or holidays.

C&U Vietnam Technical Service Company also unveiled its plan to keep the price unchanged during the first three years unless there are fluctuations to input costs.

Cu said his company has cut several costs and only focuses on the operation of its system in order to offer the best possible service prices.

Customers can make payments in cash or via QR codes instead of using intermediate payment apps in order to reduce costs and prevent personal and banking information leakage.

C&U Vietnam Technical Service Company does not collect commissions from drivers thanks its collaboration with banks and insurance companies, Cu informed.

The company also provides vehicle repair and maintenance services to drivers and customers so as to generate revenue.

It can earn some VND2,000 ($0.08) from a ride-hailing service through banking, insurance, and vehicle repair.

Cu explained that if the firm can attract 5,000-7,000 drivers, it could facilitate approximately 500,000 rides per day and achieve profitability after accounting for taxes.

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With the guidance of Shark Louis Nguyen and many economic experts, the Future Millionaire summer camp ignites childrens passion for business while providing intensive English training in Vietnam.

Inspired by billionaire Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaire Club program, RES Summer Camp 2024 promises to fulfill children's dreams.

In recent years, English summer camps have become increasingly popular among parents in Vietnam.

These camps offer children the opportunity to interact, connect with friends, and explore nature.

They also provide a chance for kids to improve their life skills, enhance their thinking abilities, foster independence, and practice English reflexes.

Understanding this need, every year, the RES English language center system researches and invests in organizing summer camps, based on the criteria of practicality, usefulness, difference and inspiration.

The RES English language center system organizes an annual summer camp for children with practical themes.

The RES project's theme in 2023 was related to space.

In 2024, students learn and analyze financial management situations from the Millionaire Secrets program, covering topics such as store location, pricing, effective spending, debt management, saving, capital raising, and business goal setting. This practical knowledge encourages children to think big - dream big.

In particular, all knowledge is provided by leading experts in the fields of startups, business, and finance such as Nguyen Thuc Khoa, once on the Forbes Vietnam Under 30 list, Nguyen Ha Linh, once on the Forbes Vietnam Under 30 list, and Nguyen Thi Minh Hang, deputy general director of Hung Thinh Group.

In particular, RES Summer Camp 2024 features Shark Louis Nguyen, chairman and general director of Saigon Asset Management (SAM), as the advisor for the entire program.

A holistic learning experience

The 'Future Millionaire' summer camp spans from two weeks to one month. During this period, students engage in learning, play, and communication exclusively in English with 100% native teachers, with a strong focus on finance.

Besides, students can participate in interesting extracurricular activities, ensuring a fun and engaging summer experience, such as baking, sports, robotics, and creative arts.

The Future Millionaire summer camp offers many useful activities.

The summer camp includes three key benefits:

Intensive English training: Children practice English every day with experienced native teachers, thereby improving their proficiency and confidence in communication. Through a series of continuous activities, exchanges, and practice, reflective speaking and listening skills are progressively improved day by day.

Basic financial knowledge: The program focuses on providing financial knowledge, helping children understand money management, investing, and planning from a young age. This unique focus, a first in Vietnamese summer camps, is enriched by inputs from renowned financial advisors.

Arousing passion for business: Summer Camp 2024 inspires and arouses passion for business, helping children form creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.

With a unique theme and meaningful activities, the Future Millionaire summer camp not only teaches English but also prepares children to become successful leaders in the future.

Summer camps help children have a productive summer, contributing to the transformation of their financial mindset and enhancing their English skills.

Register your children for RES Summer Camp 2024 to receive special incentives from the RES English language center system!

After 17 years since its establishment, the RES English language center system has expanded to 40 branches nationwide, specializing in comprehensive English training across all four skills and preparing students for the IELTS test.

The system has been an outstanding partner of the Australia Council (IDP Vietnam) since 2012.

It boasts a significant number of students achieving high IELTS scores (7.0-9.0), and serves as the professional sponsor and co-producer of the English program on VTV7 (National Education TV Channel).

For further information, call 1900232325 - 0979043610 or visit www.res.edu.vn.
Living among a small band of Neanderthals in what is now eastern Spain was a child, perhaps 6 years old, with Down syndrome, as shown in a remarkable fossil preserving traits in the inner ear anatomy indicative of this serious genetic condition.

This fossil, unearthed at the Cova Negra archeological site in the province of Valencia near the city of Xativa, not only represents the earliest-known evidence of Down syndrome but, according to scientists, hints at compassionate caregiving in these extinct archaic humans - close cousins to our own species.

While the researchers cannot be certain of whether this was a girl or boy, they nicknamed the Neanderthal child "Tina."

The fossil, preserving the complete inner ear anatomy, was excavated in 1989 but its significance was not recognized until recently. It is a fragment of one of the two temporal bones - the right one - that help form the sides and base of the skull, protecting the brain and surrounding the ear canal.

Tina's combination of inner ear abnormalities is known only in people with Down syndrome.

"The pathology which this individual suffered resulted in highly disabling symptoms, including, at the very least, complete deafness, severe vertigo attacks and an inability to maintain balance," said paleoanthropologist Mercedes Conde-Valverde of the University of Alcala in Spain, lead author of the study published in the journal Science Advances.

"Given these symptoms, it is highly unlikely that the mother alone could have provided all the necessary care while also attending to her own needs. Therefore, for Tina to have survived for at least six years, the group must have continuously assisted the mother, either by relieving her in the care of the child, helping with her daily tasks, or both," Conde-Valverde added.

Among other pathologies, there were abnormalities in the semicircular canals - three small tubes that govern balance and sense head position - and a reduction in the size of the cochlea, the part of the inner ear involved in hearing.

The fossil's precise age has not been determined, but Conde-Valverde noted that the presence of Neanderthals at the Cova Negra site has been dated to between 273,000 and 146,000 years ago.

Neanderthals, formally called Homo neanderthalensis, were more robustly built than Homo sapiens and had larger brows. They lived from around 430,000 years ago to roughly 40,000 years ago. Previous research has shown that Neanderthals were intelligent, creating art and using complex group hunting methods, pigments probably for body painting, symbolic objects and perhaps spoken language.

They disappeared relatively soon after our species spread into their territory.

Previous evidence of Neanderthals caring for their sick and injured prompted a debate over whether this was motivated merely by expectations of reciprocal behavior or by genuine compassion.

"For decades, it has been known that Neanderthals cared for and looked after their vulnerable companions. However, all known cases of care involved adult individuals, leading some scientists to believe that this behavior was not genuine altruism but merely an exchange of assistance between equals: 'Today for you, tomorrow for me,'" Conde-Valverde said.

"What was not known until now was a case of an individual who had received extra-maternal care from birth, even though the individual could not reciprocate. The discovery of the Cova Negra fossil supports the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals," Conde-Valverde added.

Archeological evidence at Cova Negra indicates the site was occupied for short periods at a time by small groups of Neanderthals, hunter-gatherers who roamed the landscape in search of food and other resources. Tina's age at death, based on the maturation state of certain inner ear structures, showed unusual longevity for a child in such circumstances with a condition known for intellectual disability and developmental delays.

"The survival of this child, beyond the period of breastfeeding, implies group caregiving, probably more extended than parental caregiving, typical of a highly collaborative social context among the members of the group. Otherwise, it is very difficult to explain the survival of this individual up to the age of 6 years," said study co-author Valentin Villaverde, a University of Valencia emeritus professor of prehistory.

"The discovery of Tina," Conde-Valverde said, "represents the oldest known case of Down syndrome and demonstrates that the diversity observed in modern humans was already present in prehistoric times. This finding ensures that the story of human evolution includes us all."
The ancient thanksgiving rituals of the Kasada have been part of the lives of Indonesias Tenggerese people for centuries. Today, the increasingly unpredictable weather has made seeking divine blessings even more vital for this farming Hindu community.

The Tenggerese live in scores of villages in a national park on Mount Bromo, one of several active volcanoes in Indonesia that is popular with tourists. The park is located near the East Java city of Probolinggo, some 800 km (500 miles) south of Jakarta.

The community have held the Kasada festival since the 13th century Majapahit Empire to express their devotion and gratitude to their ancestors and gods.

Tenggerese Hindu worshippers play a traditional music instrument known as Ketipung during a ritual ahead of the Yadnya Kasada festival, at the Sea of Sands of Mount Bromo, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Carrying items that include vegetables, fruits as well as goats and other livestock, thousands of Teneggerese trek to the top of 2,329 meters (7641 ft) Mount Bromo, ending their ritual by hurling these offerings into the volcanos crater.

Around midnight, thousands of worshippers gather at the bottom of Mount Bromo to start their procession, illuminated only by torches and moonlight.

This festival lasts all of Kasada, the ninth month of the Tenggerese Hindu calendar. Once the full moon rises, the Tenggerese Hindus start their hike towards the top of their sacred mountain.

These offerings to the ancestors and Hindu gods, which often consist of cigarettes, money, spring onions and livestock, cannot be bought or gifted.

Once they reach the top of the volcano, the pilgrims light incense, pray, and chant before they throw their offerings into the crater.

Tenggerese Hindu worshippers pray during a ritual at the Watuwungkuk altar , ahead of the Yadnya Kasada festival in the Sea of Sands of Mount Bromo, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters

As pilgrims throw their offerings into the crater, some non-believers wait along the crater slopes with nets, hoping to catch some of them.

This ceremony, held to honor the god Sang Hyang Widhi, dates back to the 13th-15th century.

Luhur Poten Temple, made out of volcanic rock from the surrounding mountains, rests at the bottom of Mount Bromo, named after Brahma, the Hindu God of Creation.

Tenggerese Hindu worshippers carry an offering made of crops, vegetables, fruits, and flowers, known as Ongkek, as they walk towards Mount Bromos crater during the Yadnya Kasada festival in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, June 22, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Tenggerese Hindu worshippers blow their torches before walking up Mount Bromo during the Yadnya Kasada festival in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, June 22, 2024. Photo: Reuters

This year, the festival took place on June 21-22 and many devotees said they hoped it would help improve their livelihood.

We pray for bountiful land for the year ahead, for the plants to grow healthy, said Asih, a 64-year old farmer in Ngadirejo village near Mount Bromo, who like many Indonesians only goes by one name.

Asih said she used to be able to harvest her cabbage farm three times a year, but due to the scarce rains, she can now only manage one harvest.

When there are no more rains, we cannot grow another cycle of crop, Asih said. Now they are parched like this, she said, pointing to the withered vegetables. Once they are dried out, the roots will not grow anymore.

Asih stands among her damaged cabbage crops in Ngadirejo village, East Java, Indonesia, June 21, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Vegetables belonging to Asih are displayed on a table before preparing them as offerings, ahead of the Yadnya Kasada festival in Ngadirejo village, East Java, Indonesia, June 20, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Last year, about two-thirds of Indonesia - including all of Java - experienced the most severe dry season since 2019 due to the El Nino weather phenomenon that lasting longer than usual and causing drought that hurt crops and exacerbated forest fires. This year, meteorologists expect more rain, but many farmers are still struggling.

Farmers in Mount Bromo rely on rain and rain-fed lakes for irrigation, but the drier weather has forced farmer Irawan Karyoto, 56, to plant less lucrative spring onions instead of potatoes in his 2-hectare (5 acre) plot.

Both Asih and Irawan were part of the procession of Tenggerese that offered prayers at the temple at the base of the volcano. Asih also brought her 5-year-old granddaughter.

Asih places her offerings at the Watuwungkuk altar during the Yadnya Kasada festival in Mount Bromo, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia, June 22, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Clutching their offerings, the worshippers then walked across sand dunes to climb to the volcanos crater.

To respond to what the Almighty has conveyed through nature, the people must adapt and they should not forget to pray, said Suyitno, a Tenggerese spiritual leader.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping agreed that both nations continue to deepen and expand their cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, tourism, and infrastructure development during their talks in Beijing on Wednesday.

The talks took place as part of PM Chinhs trip to China to attend the 15th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions and working sessions with Chinese officials from June 24 to 27.

The top Vietnamese official affirmed that developing stable, sustainable, and long-term relations with China is a consistent approach, a strategic choice, and a top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, and diversification of external ties.

Vietnam endorses Chinas plans to fulfill its next centenary goal and build socialism with Chinese characteristics, PM Chinh continued.

The cabinet leader of Vietnam suggested that the countries team up with each other to develop large-scale, iconic, sustainable, and highly-effective projects.

Both sides need to enhance their transport infrastructure connectivity in railways, roads, and border crossings, connecting the Two Corridors, One Belt with the Belt and Road initiative.

PM Chinh also spoke highly of Chinas high-quality investments in Vietnam, suggesting that the two nations boost cooperation among localities, study a plan to establish and operate cross-border economic cooperation zones on a trial basis, expand border economic cooperation, and set up smart border gates.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a Vietnamese delegation meet with General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, June 26, 2024. Photo: Ngoc An / Tuoi Tre

President Xi stated that China highly values its relationship with Vietnam and considers the Southeast Asian nation as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, while backing Hanois efforts in safeguarding national independence.

The top Chinese leader underlined the need for Hanoi and Beijing to enhance their political trust and maintain regular high-level exchanges.

He affirmed that China endorses Vietnams plans on accelerating industrialization and modernization, as well as joining China and other countries in developing resilient and stable supply and production chains.

Xi expressed his hope that Vietnam and China will further strengthen their collaboration in trade, investment, and tourism, while selecting suitable locations to set up cross-border economic cooperation zones.

He added that China would open its doors wider for more high-quality Vietnamese products.

Besides, the Chinese government encourages more Chinese businesses to invest in Vietnam, especially in hi-tech and other emerging sectors.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) shakes hands with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing, China, June 26, 2024. Photo: Doan Bac

The two top officials concurred with each other that their countries would further deepen and elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as build the Vietnam-China community with a shared future.

They also exchanged viewpoints on global and regional issues of mutual concern, agreeing to jointly address differences to maintain peace and stability at sea.

PM Chinh proposed that Hanoi and Beijing should work together to ensure sea-related disputes do not affect their overall friendship.

In related news, the Vietnamese prime minister on the same day held talks with Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Prime Minister Chinh suggested that agencies in both countries should actively work together and introduce more innovations to implement their agreements in the near future.

Wang affirmed his willingness to promote exchanges and cooperation between all levels of agencies under the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

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Cows and pigs are now facing a flatulence tax in Denmark.

Known as a major pork and dairy exporter, Denmark is introducing a tax on livestock carbon dioxide emissions from 2030, which would make it the first nation to do so.

They hope their move will inspire others to follow suit, the government revealed on Tuesday.

The tax was first proposed in February by government-commissioned experts who were brought on to help the country reach a legally binding 2030 target of cutting greenhouse emissions by 70% from 1990 levels.

On Monday, Denmark's centrist government came to an extensive agreement with farmers, industry, labor unions, and environmental groups on policies linked to farming, considered the country's largest source of CO2.

"We will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture. Other countries will be inspired by this," Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus of the center-left Social Democrats said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pending approval by parliament, political scholars expect a bill to pass following the wide-ranging consensus.

The deal proposed taxing farmers 300 Danish crowns ($43.16) per ton of CO2 in 2030, increasing to 750 crowns by 2035, according to Reuters.

This will allow farmers an income tax deduction of 60%, which means that the actual cost per ton will start at 120 crowns and increase to 300 crowns by 2035.

New Zealand, which also proposed a similar tax plan this month, has nixed the idea following poor reception from farmers.

But while Danish farmers have expressed concerns that the country's climate goals could push them to lower production and cut jobs, they also stated that the deal makes it possible to uphold their businesses.

"The agreement brings clarity when it comes to significant parts of the farmers' conditions," the L&F agriculture industry group said.
The Hien Luong Bridge, a significant historical landmark in central Vietnam, will soon undergo disassembly to replace damaged parts with new ones and be repainted in blue and yellow.

The upcoming Hien Luong Bridge renovation project is scheduled to begin in the third quarter and is expected to be completed in 2025, at a total cost of VND 80 billion (US$3.14 million).

This will be the second time the old bridge has been slated for a repaint.

The bridge sits on the 17th parallel, crossing the Ben Hai River in Hien Luong Village, Vinh Thanh Commune, Vinh Linh District, central Quang Tri Province.

From 1954 to 1975, the Hien Luong Bridge served as the border between two Vietnamese territories: the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in the north and the Republic of Vietnam in the south.

On June 21, Le Dinh Hao, head of the historic management division of the Quang Tri Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, briefed Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on the Hien Luong Bridge repainting project.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has produced a document outlining its opinions on Quang Tri's proposal for a Thong Nhat park in the special national relic of the Hien Luong - Ben Hai twin bank, Hao said.

In response to the province's application for reconstruction and repairs to the bridge, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism requested that Quang Tri conduct a small-scale trial to get primary judgment before expanding the work.

All of the bridge's replacement parts will have to be stored as souvernirs.

The Hien Luong Bridge will undergo repairs, including the replacement of damaged steel structural parts and repainting in blue and yellow. Photo: Hoang Tao / Tuoi Tre

Over time, a portion of the steel frame that held the bridge has deteriorated while the wooden bridge planks have already rotted, giving rise to concerns whenever a large number of people cross it at the same time.

The Hien Luong Bridge renovation project entails deconstructing the bridge partially or completely, making decisions, and determining which parts should be replaced in addition to rebuilding the damaged items, Hao said.

"The Hien Luong Bridge has not been overhauled for a long time," Hao stated.

"The revamp would replace most of the bridge planks and iron bridge trusses in the spirit of preserving original features to the greatest extent possible while minimizing architectural damage and restoring the original relic."

The bridge's new steel frames will be repainted in blue and yellow.

Given the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism's requirements on repainting the bridge, the provincial authorities would conduct an experiment before proceeding with the task altogether.

The bridge was first repaired in 2014, with the steel frames painted in the original colors of blue and yellow, reflecting the period when Vietnam was still at war.

However, its colors have gradually faded over the past ten years.

The historic bridge was constructed in 1952 by the French colonial authorities.

According to the 1954 Geneva Accords, Vietnam was divided into two parts along the 17th parallel, and the Ben Hai River and Hien Luong Bridge were partitioned correspondingly.

There was once a 'war of painting' on the bridge.

When the southern half of the bridge was painted in one color, the northern half was painted the same color to symbolize the wish for unity.

This painting war lasted until 1960, when the two colors, blue and yellow, were chosen. In 1967, American bombs destroyed the bridge.

The current Hien Luong Bridge was rebuilt after Vietnam was reunified in 1975.

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Police in Thai Nguyen Province, northern Vietnam said on Wednesday that they were investigating the cause of a house fire that resulted in the deaths of a Vietnamese-Indian married couple.

The fire broke out at around 4:00 am on the same day at a two-story house down Alley 379 on Duong Tu Minh Street in Tan Long Ward, Thai Nguyen City of the namesake province.

H., a 43-year-old resident of Quang Vinh Ward, Thai Nguyen City, purchased the house to use both as a residence and as an office for her online business.

Firefighters inspect the scene of a house fire that killed a Vietnamese-Indian married couple in Thai Nguyen City, Thai Nguyen Province, northern Vietnam, June 26, 2024.

There were six people in the house at that time, including H., her Indian husband S., a housekeeper, and H.s children and nibling.

The latter four, staying on the ground floor, managed to escape the fire while H. and S. were trapped on the first floor.

Firefighters and rescuers arrived at the scene around 4:15 am and conducted rescue operations.

Firefighters inspect the scene of a house fire that killed a Vietnamese-Indian married couple in Thai Nguyen City, Thai Nguyen Province, northern Vietnam, June 26, 2024.

It took them 15 minutes to bring the married couple out of the fire, but they were motionless.

The two victims were rushed to Thai Nguyen National Hospital for emergency treatment but did not survive.

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Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang emphasized during a National Assembly (NA) discussion on the Peoples Air Defense Bill on Thursday that his ministry reserves the right to manage drones and ultralight aircraft.

The discussion focuses on civil defense forces and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)  including drones and ultralight planes.

The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security are in charge of granting permits to the respective UAVs, according to General Giang.

UAVs that do not fall into these categories must be registered at the public security ministry, but they are under the management of the national defense ministry, he underscored.

With a significant increase in the number of UAVs, the national defense ministry may review and consider delegating licensing authority to lower levels such as provinces, military districts, or military units.

However, in cases where necessary, the national defense minister and public security minister can order flight cancelations.

Regarding ultralight aircraft used for art performances, Minister Giang emphasized that organizers must agree on the program and conduct rehearsals in advance.

Giang stated that if an aircraft fails to comply during a forced landing situation, the military reserves the right to use suppressive fire to take it down in order to ensure control and security.

He noted that such regulations are common in many other countries.

On a separate note, concerning the age eligibility for participation in peoples air defense, the defense minister clarified that volunteers aged 18 to 45 for men and up to 40 for women are welcome to join the forces.

Opinions

Duong Khac Mai, the NA deputy of the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong, underlined the need for a comprehensive assessment and clear criteria to manage various ultralight aircraft types effectively.

Luu Van Duc, the NA deputy of the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, highlighted the widespread use of drones in advanced agriculture, forestry, media, and tourism, thereby stressing the importance of classifying these devices to streamline regulatory processes.

Both deputies proposed further research into regulatory frameworks to support the development of unmanned and ultralight aircraft for socio-economic activities.

Considering comments from NA deputies, the drafting committee revised the definition of peoples air defense, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

They defined it as an activity involving local military, civil defense, and military reserve forces.

These forces form the core responsible for a range of activities and measures aimed at safeguarding lives and property, minimizing economic damage, preserving national defense capacity, and participating in airspace control and protection to prevent and mitigate the impact of enemy air attacks.

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Vietnam handed over the remains of an American serviceman who died during the war in the Southeast Asian country that ended in 1975 at a ceremony at Da Nang International Airport in the namesake central city on Wednesday.

The ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc and representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Da Nang Peoples Committee, the Vietnam Office for Seeking Missing Persons, U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Susan Burns, and leaders and employees of the U.S. MIA (Missing-In-Action) Office in Hanoi.

Deputy Minister Ngoc affirmed that Vietnam joined hands with the U.S. to look for the remains of American MIA soldiers as part of its policy to focus on humanitarianism and reconciliation in order to move toward the future.

Representatives of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense sign an agreement on the handover of the remains. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

Vietnam greatly values U.S. cooperation in addressing the aftermath of the war, Ngoc added.

He said that war remediation was also part of the two countries' resolution to upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September last year.

The official affirmed that the enhancement of cooperation in the field was the best way to heal the wounds of war and contribute to expanding collaboration in more sectors.

American soldiers receive the remains of an American serviceman. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

Susan Burns expressed her gratitude to the Vietnamese government and people for seeking and handing over the remains of American MIA servicemen.

She said the activity had helped boost the two nations relations.

The U.S. administration commits to continue its support for Vietnam as it keeps working toward remediation.

Many residents witness the handover ceremony. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

The joint humanitarian operation to locate and identify American servicemen missing in the war in Vietnam has been conducted since 1973, two years before the end of the war.

To date, Vietnam has handed over the remains of more than 1,000 MIA American service members to the U.S..

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc (L) and U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Susan Burns (C). Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

The C17 aircraft at Da Nang International Airport. Photo: Truong Trung / Tuoi Tre

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Police have recently provided food and shelter for a male South Korean tourist who got lost while on a motorbike tour in Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam.

Kyucheol, a 48-year-old South Korean tourist, was reunited with his mother and younger sister, Lim Ji Hee, on Wednesday morning after getting lost since Monday afternoon, thanks to assistance from police in Tra Tan Commune, Bac Tra My District, Quang Nam Province.

Upon the reunion, the mans relatives expressed sincere appreciation to local police for their help.

Lim told police officers that this was the first time her mother and brother had visited Vietnam.

According to Tra Tan police, Kyucheol was first spotted in the commune at around 6:30 am Wednesday morning.

Police approached him and discovered that he had been traveling with his relatives in Vietnam but had become separated during a motorbike tour of Hoi An on Monday afternoon.

Somehow, he had managed to stray approximately 80km from Hoi An to Tra Tan in Bac Tra My District.

Kyucheol (L), a 48-year-old South Korean national, and his mother and younger sister pose with a police officer at the Tra Tan commune police office in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam after being reunited on June 26, 2024. Photo: Trang Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Police were unable to help Kyucheol contact his family as he had forgotten the name and address of his hotel in Hoi An.

He was not carrying any identification documents and did not speak Vietnamese.

Officers took the man to their station, where he was offered food, drinks, and a place to rest while authorities were seeking for his relatives.

About an hour later, Tra Tan police located Kyucheol's hotel, and approximately three hours after that, Kyucheol was reunited with his mother and sister at the police station in Tra Tan.

According to the foreign man's relatives, the family had visited Da Nang on June 22nd and two days later took a tour of neighboring Hoi An City, where they stayed at a hotel on Hung Vuong Street.

At around 4:00 pm on Monday, Kyucheol rented a motorbike from the hotel to explore Hoi An.

However, while driving, he lost his way and ended up straying into Tra Tan Commune.

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Devanshi Batra, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: In a poignant lament, 60-year-old Sayyad Tasneef Hussain spoke softly, his voice laden with grief that has settled deep within his heart over time. Chashm-o chiragh to hai kisi aur ke liye, apne naseeb mai hai andhere likhe hue (eye and lamp are for someone else, in my fate, darkness is inscribed), he said, recalling the sher-o-shayari sessions he once shared with his beloved daughter  Gulfishan Fatima.

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Hussain dearly misses those poetic exchanges, never envisioning that the verses he once recited to her would one day echo their own reality.

Booked under stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA for allegedly conspiring 2020 Delhi riots, Gulfishan marked four years in prison on April 9 this year, following her arrest by the city police in 2020. She had participated in protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). Her bail plea currently awaits a decision from the Delhi High Court.

Athars maternal grandmother, in her 80s, who anxiously waits for his return after each court hearing, with her eyes fixed on the door. Athar Khan was one of the 18 individuals detained for protesting against the CAA in northeast Delhi. At the time of his arrest, he was the youngest among those booked.

On July 2, 2020, Khan was charged under the UAPA by the Delhi Police Special Cell, following a photograph posted by BJP leader Kapil Mishra (whose inflammatory speech allegedly led to the deadly violence in the Trans Yamuna region), accusing him of being one of the masterminds behind the riots. Now, he has to secure bail in one only case  the UAPA case (which is related to larger conspiracy). He has already secured bail in other matters.Everything stands still. I await the right moment when he will return to us, reflects Muzammil Imam, younger brother of Sharjeel Imam and a fellow activist who has also been languishing behind bars in the same conspiracy case.

Muzammil deeply misses his brother, his confidant, the one with whom he shared every aspect of life.

Sharjeel, an IIT graduate and a Ph.D. scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), was arrested in 2020 across several states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, for his speeches during protests against the CAA and the proposed NRC. Initially charged with sedition, he later faced accusations under the UAPA.

He so far has spent four years in detention without being convicted in any of the cases. To walk out of jail, he has to secure bail only in the UAPA case.

For Khalid Saifis 10-year-old daughter Mariyam, those precious five minutes on the phone with her father are a lifeline. Her words rush out urgently, her small voice filled with the need to share every detail of her day. She was just six years old when her father was taken away, and these brief calls are her only connection to him.

Reflecting on her husbands arrest, Nargis Saifi recalled, When Khalid left home that day, he was fine. A day later, I saw him in a wheelchair. It has been 300 days since then.

When I first saw him in jail, he had injuries all over his body. His forehead was scratched with nails, and his hair and beard were pulled out. And this was only what we could see. I cannot even bear to talk about the internal injuries, she added.

Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 26, 2020, and has been in custody since. Nargis, a 34-year-old homemaker and mother of three young children, now faces life without her partner. Khalid was charged in three cases in late February 2020, including under the UAPA.

Saleem Khans daughter, Saima Khan, eagerly anticipates court hearings to catch a glimpse of and visit her father. Despite their initial hope, she admits it is slowly fading. Initially, my dad used to write letters to the Chief Justice, the Home Minister, and the President. But now he has stopped writing those letters, Saima says, her voice tinged with sadness. The once-hopeful letters have ceased, reflecting his growing despair as the days drag on.

Saleem Khan was named as an accused in three FIRs filed by the Delhi Police, who described him as one of the main organizers of the riots. He was arrested on March 13, 2020.

While he was granted bail in two cases, he remained in prison due to the third FIR, which is registered under the UAPA. His bail for this case is currently pending in the High Court.

Recently, Saleem was granted parole for 14 days and returned to prison on June 21. Saima Khan cherishes these brief moments with her father, treasuring the small amount of time they got to spend together.

In the beginning, he was hopeful, but now that hope has faded as the court proceedings drag on, says Qasim Rasool Ilyas, father of Umar Khalid. He is caught between hope and hopelessness, understanding that this process will take a long time.

Umar was also described as the mastermind of the Delhi riots by the Delhi Police and booked in two cases. In one case, he was not only granted bail but was eventually discharged. However, in the UAPA case, judges have refused to grant bail to him and many of his co-accused. Despite four years having passed, the trial for this case has yet to commence.

The Long Shadow of UAPA: Impacting Entire Families

The UAPA does not just target individuals but entire families, lamented several political prisoners, some prominent and others less known, who remain detained for their participation in protests against the CAA.

These individuals, including student leaders and activists like Khalid Saifi, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfishan Fatima, Saleem Khan and Athar Khan, face charges under the stringent UAPA, alleging a larger conspiracy to stoke religious tensions.

Family members of those imprisoned since the 2020 unrest argue that the legal proceedings unnecessarily prolong despite their innocence. They contend that the process feels punitive, exacerbating the hardship of actual imprisonment.

Nargis voice breaks as she reflects on the ordeal: UAPA does not just affect the individual, it tears apart families.

Her husband Khalid, once a pillar of reason and compassion in their community, now finds himself labeled and locked away. He misses taking walks with the kids, having pillow fights with them, and most of all, holding them in his arms, she confides.

Meanwhile, Gulfishans resilience brings solace to her loved ones. I will come out after the next hearing, she reassures her family, her words a beacon of hope amidst the uncertainty of courtrooms.

Despite her strength, the void left by her absence weighs heavily on her brothers, who anxiously await her return, discussing her future marriage in hopeful whispers.

With tears in his eyes, her father lamented, We feel powerless, while she remains strong for us, especially for her mother.

Najmuddin, aged 45, is uncertain when his 28-year-old nephew will be released from prison. Athars arrest and prolonged imprisonment have been a distressing ordeal for the family. As the eldest of four siblings, he had been engaged in spice trading to support the family financially. Consequently, his youngest sibling has forsaken studies to take up the responsibility of managing the family business.

When I sit with my sister, Athars mother, she rarely meets my gaze. Athar was the firstborn in both his maternal and paternal families. He used to spend most of his time at our home. Back then, digital cameras werent common, and I still cherish about 1000 reel photos of Athar, Najmuddin reminisced.

Separated from their loved ones by prison walls and legal battles, these families endure a profound longing that goes beyond mere physical absence. Each day becomes an agonizing wait, marked by fleeting moments of hope during court hearings and solemn celebrations where empty seats serve as painful reminders.

For Nargis, the yearning manifests in quiet moments on the balcony, where she peers down the familiar lane, hoping against hope for his husbands return. I used to stand on the balcony for hours, gazing down the lane, hoping for Khalid to appear, she said in a choked voice.

Muzammil portrays a picture of resilience amidst adversity. He consoles me and my mother. He just needs food and books, and he is sorted, he affirms, reflecting on Sharjeels calm demeanor despite the daunting legal battles ahead. He knows it is a time-consuming process, and he remains steadfastly patient.

Their struggle extends beyond the confines of legal proceedings, as Muzammil explains, We are battling against the government, the judicial system, societal perceptions and even fellow inmates who label him radical. He emphasizes that the fight spans both the physical confines of prison and the broader societal landscape.

Sharjeels case, spanning across five different states, adds another layer of complexity. Muzammil reflects on the challenges faced: navigating unfamiliar local languages, managing travel logistics and bearing the financial burden. It was all new to me and very difficult, he admits, highlighting the overwhelming nature of their journey.

Across these households, the absence of their loved ones reverberates in disrupted everyday routines and deferred dreams. Each missed milestone and unanswered question deepens their resolve, fueling their determination to see justice prevail and their beloved return. In the quiet corners of their homes, they cling to the belief that one day, the doors will swing open and their cherished ones will step back into the embrace of their waiting arms.

Saima Khan, who has put her medical studies on hold to support her family during her father Saleems absence, embodies the silent sacrifices made in the face of uncertainty.

They keep changing court benches, transferring proceedings and prolonging the case. We are left in the dark about why bail is stalled. If they intend to deny it, they should do so decisively instead of keeping us in suspense. These jailed individuals have been forgotten by everyone. Initially, there was attention on their plight, but now there is a lack of thorough investigation, she remarked.

She recounted a recent incident: My father faced disrespectful treatment. When he was stepping out of jail, he was instructed to remove his skullcap or risk being denied exit. Many inmates label him as a terrorist.

In the solitude of his confinement, Umar remains a distant figure to his father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, confined to a solitary room. His five younger sisters miss him a lot, shares Ilyas, his frustration palpable. He dismisses the charges as baseless. This case is completely fabricated. There is no evidence to support it, which is why they are dragging it out, he asserts.

Eid Without Them: Empty Chairs, Steadfast Hearts

Last week, Eid was celebrated joyously by many, marked by prayers, sacrifices, feasts and gatherings with loved ones. However, for some families, the festivities were overshadowed by a profound sense of loss and longing. For them, Eid did not bring the usual warmth and joy; instead, it served as a stark reminder of the absence of loved ones and the anguish of unjust circumstances. Amidst the celebrations, these families grappled with sadness and yearning for normalcy that has been elusive for far too long.

For Gulfishans family, the festival brought no joy, only profound sorrow. Eid is like Muharram for us. While everyone else celebrates, it is a moment of sadness for us, her father lamented. Her mother cries day and night, and so do I. What else can we do? he said, his words resonating with the inconsolable pain of a family torn apart by unjust circumstances.

As the festival passed, Athars family shared similar sentiments of loss amidst what should have been a time of togetherness and celebration. It is not a celebration anymore, just a formality, remarked his maternal uncle Najmuddin, his tone tinged with longing.

Every Eid, his maternal grandmother used to call him for the feast. When Athar would rest in her lap, she would shoo away anyone who tried to disturb him, he recalled fondly, the memory of happier times contrasting sharply with the present reality. Athars father, once proud to stitch badges for police uniforms, now faces a different kind of encounter with law enforcement  one fraught with uncertainty and injustice.

Reflecting sadly on the recent Eid, Nargis shared a poignant moment. When Khalid asked this Eid what she cooked, she lied and said dal (pulses). Khalid asked, Why? Have a good meal, she recounted, a brief moment of humor amidst their heavy situation.

On our childrens birthdays, he buys things and distributes them inside the jail, she continued, highlighting his enduring love even in confinement.

It has been four years. How many Eids will pass like this? My children are growing up without their dad. What is their fault? Nargis questioned, her voice filled with the anguish of a family torn apart by injustice.

As a mother grappling with the void left by her husbands absence, she lamented, During the years when they needed him the most in their teenage years, he could not be there. I had to google things to tell my son. Who will bring back this time?

On Eid, Khalid used to take the children for prayers. All the fathers take their children, while mine just watch. My son was 11 years old; now he is 15. Har cheez mein unki kami hai (His absence is felt in everything), she sighed.

Khalid is very attached to children. My daughter could not sleep for days without him. He always wished for a daughter, she added.

When Khalid asked Nargis if she had finished applying her makeup, she replied, It has not finished, but dried up.

For Sharjeels brother, this unsettling reality now feels like the new normal.

This is our new normal. We used to celebrate Eid together, now we plan for the next, but it never happens, he said.

Sharjeel has spent the past four years leading Eid prayers for everyone inside the jail. He is a big food lover. I miss having meals with him on Eid, Muzammil sighed.

Saima reflected on their recent Eid, a rare moment of celebration amidst years of hardship.

We did not celebrate Eid for the past three years. This time, we finally did, and it felt like old times, she recalled, momentarily escaping the shadow of adversity.
Ukraine military says Russian troops pushed out of part of key eastern town

(Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Thursday its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war's eastern front seen as Moscow's next target in its slow advance through the area.

But a Russian report said Moscow's forces had destroyed a communications tower near the town and made further headway.

Russian forces are slowly pushing their way across parts of eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages since seizing the key city of Avdiivka in February.

Chasiv Yar stands on high ground 20 km (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces captured a year ago after months of battles. Both sides see Chasiv Yar as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of the eastern Donetsk region, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern group of forces, told the Ukrinform news agency that Russian forces had moved out of Chasiv Yar's "Kanal" district along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal that runs along the town's eastern edge.

"Ukrainian defenders have indeed squeezed Russian forces out of the Kanal district in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region," Ukrinform quoted Voloshyn as saying. "The enemy army is no longer there."

Voloshyn told other Ukrainian media outlets that Russian troops were shelling Kyiv's forces in more than 200 incidents over 24 hours, mostly on the town's southern approaches.

The Ukrainian military's General Staff, in a late evening report on Thursday, said Russian troops had tried to push back Ukrainian forces six times near Chasiv Yar. Three attacks were repelled and fighting still gripped the area.

Ukraine's embassy in Washington posted a plea on social media platform X to stop Russia's advance on Chasiv Yar, saying Russia was "desperately trying to wipe out the town targeting even damaged churches and civilian residential blocks of flats.

"We must prevent Russia from turning it into a ghost city before it's too late."

A dispatch by Russia's Tass news agency quoted the commander of a Russian brigade, Stanislav Orlov, as saying his forces had destroyed a communications tower on the town's highest point.

"This allowed for a breakthrough to be made without losses," the dispatch quoted him as saying.

Ukraine has long anticipated a Russian advance on the town.

Its top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said last month that Moscow's forces had hoped to capture Chasiv Yar in time for May 9 ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War Two.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Bogdan Kochubey; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Who Destroyed Nalanda University? PM Modi's Claim and Actual History

When Modi was mouthing that Nalanda was burnt by the foreign invaders, this falls in the same category of falsehoods which are used to spread the hatred against Muslims

Thursday June 27, 2024 1:42 PM , Ram Puniyani

The campus of Nalanda was inaugurated formally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19th June (2024) in the presence of Ambassadors of many countries like Myanmar, Srilanka, Vietnam, Japan, Korea among others. Most of these countries are the ones where Buddhism was spread by the preachers sent by Emperor Ashoka.

Initially, the idea of reviving Nalanda as a premier global university was floated by the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in 2006 and later ratified by Bihar Assembly and UPA Government.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Modi stated that the Nalanda University was burnt by foreign invaders in the 12th Century. He was just parroting the popular perception that Bakhtiyar Khilji, the courtier of Muhammad Ghori had burnt it. This perception is an add-on to the other such social common sense that Muslim invaders destroyed the Hindu Temples and spread Islam by force.

Incidentally, the propagation of these understandings began with the introduction of communal historiography by the British and later picked up with big gusto by the communal streams, Muslim communalism and Hindu Communalism.

While the propagation of myths by the Muslim League against Hindus is playing havoc in Pakistan, in India, it is RSS which played this up, leading to the hate against Muslims in our society to the extent that Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel had to write this about RSS:

All their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji.

When Modi was mouthing that Nalanda was burnt by the foreign invaders, this falls in the same category of falsehoods which are used to spread the hatred against Muslims.

Nalanda had a glorious residential university, spread out in a large area in Rajgir Bihar, built by Guptas in the sixth century. It was a Buddhist center as archeological evidence shows.

Primarily, it was for study of Buddhist philosophy, in addition Brahminical scriptures, mathematics, logic and health science were also taught. Its tradition of open discussion and logic were so high that it attracted students and scholars from various destinations. It was supported by the Kings, later with the coming of Pala and Senaa dynasty its patronage was reduced and withdrawn. Patronage was redirected to new Universities, like Odantpuri and Vikramshila in particular. This was the beginning of the decline of Nalanda.

Who set fire to the great library housing millions of books, manuscripts and rare collections?

While it is being attributed to Khilji, particularly after the coming of the British, there is no single primary source mentioning this. Khiljis primary goal was to loot and plunder. Enroute from Ayodhya to Bengal, he did attack Kila-i-Bihar thinking this is a fort with wealth. On the way, he plundered wealth and killed people. Nalanda was not on this route, rather far away from the route, and he had no reason to attack a university.

Most of the primary sources related to history of that time do not mention Khilaji coming to Nalanda. Tabakat-a-Nasiri, written by Minhaj-e-Siraj, has no mention on these lines. Two Tibetan Scholars, Dharmaswamin and Sumpa were keenly studying the history of India, particularly related to Buddhism, in their books also, Khilji is not mentioned as the one who either came to Nalanda or burnt it. Taranath, another well known Buddhist scholar from Tibet also does not mention any such fact.

Nor do the Indian historians Jadunath Sarkar and R C Majumdar endorse Nalanda being destroyed by Khilji. Interestingly, Buddhist structures of importance like Ajanta, Ellora, and Sanchi stupa were also not the subject of ire of the invaders!

So how Nalanda got burnt and lost its historical importance. Many stories abound apart from the Khilji destroying it, being most prevalent.

Prof. D. N. Jha, the authority on Ancient Indian History in his essay, Responding to a communalist in compilation of his essays (Against the Grain, Manohar 2020, pp 185 onwards) gives an excellent summary of the relevant part of the book History of Buddhism in Indian by Tibetan monk Taranath.

During the consecration ceremony of the Temple built by Kakutsiddha at Nalendra [Nalanda] the young naughty Shamans threw slops at tirthika beggars (Brahmins, added) Angered by this, one of them went for arranging livelihood and the other sat in the deep pit and engaged himself in Surya Sadhana) He performed a sacrifice and scattered the charmed ashes all around which resulted in the miraculous fire.

History of Indian Logic p. 516, cited by D R Patil, The Antiquarian Remnant in Bihar says that this incidence refers to the actual scuffle between Buddhist and Brahmanical mendicants. The latter propitiated the Sun God, performed a sacrifice and threw the living ambers and ashes from the sacrificial pit to Buddhist temples. This is what led to the burning of the great collection of books at that time.

We also need to register that this was a period when the attacks against Buddhism were coming up as the resurgence of Brahmanism was on course in a big way. After the period of Ashoka, when India became Buddhist in large measure, the notions of equality ruled in a big way.

Due to this, the Brahamanical rituals declined leading to a big dissatisfaction among Brahimins. A bit later, when Ashokas grandson, Brihadratha, was ruling, his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shung murdered Brihadratha and became the ruler unleashing an anti Buddhist persecution.

All reliable sources point to the fact of Brahmins burning the library as revenge. Bringing in Bakhtiar Khilji fits into the general Islamophobic propaganda against Muslims, and at the same time, hides the true story of persecution of Buddhism during that period.

What we need to preserve from the Buddhist period is a spirit of free debate and logic as the underlying base of education. In present times, our universities are being stifled by the imposition of a culture of obedience and subordination in the matters of academia.

The knowledge cannot be imbibed or developed under such conditions. If we can learn this from the tragic history of the struggle between Buddhism and Brahmanism in India, it will be a crucial aspect of the development of academia in the country.

This is Dr Ruchika Sharma on the same topic - Watch









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A New York man once dubbed the "worst boyfriend on the Upper East Side" was sentenced to up to eight years in prison for conning five women out of nearly $2 million through a series of romance and investment scams.

Nelson Counne, 71, who also went by the names Nelson Roth and Justin Roth, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud in connection with a nearly-decade-long scam from 2012 to 2021, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

"Nelson Counne used an expertly crafted persona and elaborate web of lies to convince women to hand over their savings," District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. "At least five women were conned into pouring money into his supposed investment opportunities  while unknowingly helping him to repay previous victims and lure in new ones," he said, noting the "scale of this fraud is remarkable."

Counne met most of his victims through online dating apps and "purported to be an independently wealthy retired art dealer and investor with homes in London, Manhattan, and the South of France."

He presented each victim with phony investment opportunities that existed in a "gray area between legal and illegal," according to the DA.

"At first glance, he's a perfect gentleman, but under those fancy clothes, he's nothing but a grifter, a master of disguise," a victim identified only as Ms. Rachel said in a victim impact statement read aloud by prosecutors at Counne's sentencing hearing, the New York Post reported. "He was very charming, handsome, and had a wonderful sense of humor. In every restaurant, everyone knew him. It was like a fairy tale, and I fell in love. But eventually I found out fairy tales don't come true."

Another victim, identified only as Ms. Gerson wrote in a separate impact statement: "I want you to know, you didn't break me. I still go to fine eateries, and you will be rotting in prison!"

Counne apologized for the "pain" that he caused but downplayed the series of swindles as a "misadventure" that was "cruelly" and "wrongly" done, the outlet reported.
HCM CITY  The recovery in tourist arrivals is expected to continue, adding more than 1 percentage point to Viet Nams GDP growth this year, Michael Kokalari, a chartered financial analyst and chief economist at VinaCapital, has said.

He said in a report that the number of foreign tourists visiting Viet Nam is expected to increase by 40 per cent this year  after having leapt by nearly 250 per cent last year  driven by the continued recovery in outbound Chinese tourism.

Foreign tourism accounted for about 8 per cent of Viet Nams GDP pre-COVID (versus 12 per cent in Thailand), so Viet Nams continued tourism recovery in 2024 should add over 1 percentage point to Viet Nams GDP growth this year, after having boosted GDP growth by more than 4 percentage points last year.

The number of tourists visiting Viet Nam had soared by 65 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of the year to reach slightly above pre-COVID levels despite the fact that Chinese arrivals in Viet Nam - and the rest of Asia - remained well below 2019 levels.

Chinese tourists had used to account for a third of Viet Nams arrivals and China only reclaimed the position for the first time since COVID last month.

The ongoing recovery in Chinese tourist arrivals coupled with the current extraordinary desire of Americans to travel meant that the total number would likely exceed pre-COVID levels by more than 5 per cent this year.

Domestic tourism accounted for 4 per cent of the countrys GDP, but since it had already fully recovered last year increased spending by domestic tourists would not be a major factor in GDP growth this year.

Taken together, foreign and domestic tourism had accounted for 12 per cent of GDP before COVID.

The recovery in foreign tourist numbers after Viet Nam reopened its borders had initially been driven by Korean and American tourists, and then China lifted its Zero COVID restrictions in 2023.

Viet Nam had also eased its tourist visa requirements, helping boost tour operators revenues by nearly 50 per cent in the first five months.

The stock prices of Vietnam Airlines (HVN) and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), the countrys main airport operator, had gained 200 per cent and 100 per cent this year though budget airline Vietjet remained flat, partly because its share price had risen along with Viet Nams COVID reopening.

But hotel room occupancy remained 20 per cent below pre-COVID levels primarily because Chinese tourist arrivals were still 25 per cent below those levels.

Chinese and Russian tourists account for a significant proportion of the mid-market traveller cohort, a segment of the market that has not fully recovered, in our understanding.

However, higher-end properties such as the Hanoi Metropole, the Fusion Resorts and other premium properties owned and operated by Lodgis are at or above pre-COVID levels.

Directly and indirectly boosting the economy

The number of foreign tourists visiting Viet Nam jumped by more than 200 per cent last year to nearly 13 million, or 70 per cent from 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels in 2022.

That surge directly boosted GDP growth, but we estimate that purchases by foreign tourists account for about 10 per cent of retail sales in Viet Nam and we observe that foreign tourism puts money into the hands of a wide range of local merchants, further boosting the economy, albeit indirectly.

We estimate that the total contribution of tourism to Viet Nams economy is over 15 per cent of GDP.  VNS
HA NOI  Foreign developers are currently dominating the modern warehouse market in Viet Nam, accounting for over 75 per cent of the net leasable area market share. However, domestic players still have a chance to turn the tables.

Seizing market shares

In 2023, the supply size of the modern logistics industry in Viet Nam was close to 3.9 million square metres (sq.m) of floor space, with an annual growth rate reaching up to 23 per cent in 2020-23, according to the report 'Viet Nam logistics: The strong expansion of foreign investors' by FiinGroup.

Of this, 75 per cent of the leasing market share is held by foreign investors. The most active players in the market are foreign investors such as Mapletree, SLP, JD Property, Gemadept and Transimex.

Among them, the three big players, Mapletree, BW Industrial and SLP, have taken up to 46 per cent of the market share by area, contributing a total of nearly 1.79 million square metres of floor area, the report showed.

Currently, Mapletree is the leading giant with 922,000sq.m of floor area, nearly double that of its competitor BW Industrial. The Singaporean giant is actively expanding its scale in Viet Nam.

BW Industrial and NPL Logistics are considered rising stars in the country's modern warehouse market, with 22 new projects in 2020-2022. BW Industrial plans to open a 243,000sq.m facility in ong Nai Province in 2026.

Domestic industrial park developers are also entering the ready-built factory and warehouse segment.

KCN Vietnam Group JSC broke ground on a 14-hectare project in Bac Ninh Province in early April, which will provide over 90,000 sq.m of leasable space. The project aims to attract investors in high-tech, clean tech, electronics, light industries, food processing and supporting industries.

It also plans to complete phase 2 of its ready-built factory and warehouse project at Phu An Thanh Industrial Park in Long An Province, adding 45,000 sq.m of leasable space in the third quarters of 2024

Similarly, IDICO Corporation is implementing factory and warehouse projects at Nhon Trach I and Huu Thanh Industrial Parks, with the first phases completed and leased out. IDICO also plans to develop ready-built facilities at Phu My II and Cau Nghin Industrial Parks, aiming for one million sq.m of leasable space by 2026.

According to FiinGroup, domestic investors account for 25 per cent of Viet Nam's warehouse market.

Turning the tables

Although foreign investors are currently leading the market thanks to their advantages in finance and understanding of the logistics sector, the domestic players possess a comprehensive ecosystem, including logistics, seaports, and transportation systems.

The research showed that both domestic and foreign investors are actively developing logistics infrastructure, especially modern warehouses, to meet the increasing demands from manufacturers and modern retail chains.

FiinGroup estimates that 25 logistics projects will be implemented from now until 2027, with a total leasable area of 1.87 million sq.m, growing at an annual rate of 7 per cent during the period.

Warehouses and factories are being evaluated as an attractive segment in Viet Nam, driven by strong trading activities, manufacturing and retail.

Industrial real estate continues growing strongly as steady foreign investment flows into the country, especially from large global investors and major projects.

The key challenge is maintaining this advantage and capitalising on the opportunity to attract more stable investment, Truong Khac Nguyen Minh, deputy general director of KCN Vietnam, told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

Amid this influx of new investment, Minh is particularly interested in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as an important customer group alongside large FDI firms. SMEs typically need support services more than expansive space.

Industrial real estate developers must offer flexible product solutions and support services to serve the SME segment. Pre-built factories and warehouses are one segment that can meet SME requirements.

CBRE Vietnam notes that as manufacturing and logistics grow, industrial products are becoming more diverse, including ready-built factories, warehouses, multi-story facilities, hybrid buildings, temperature-controlled spaces and custom-built options.

Tenants now have greater choices, beyond just the standard 50-year land leases.

To attract tenants, consulting firms advise industrial developers to offer value-added services and incentives, such as market entry support, human resources, legal, management and technical solutions - in addition to the physical real estate.  VNS
HCM CITY -- Bridgestone Vietnam, a global tire and rubber company, has recently been honoured with two prestigious awards for quality and safety in production by Toyota Vietnam.

Notably, Bridgestone's quality award marks their seventh consecutive recognition in this category.

This achievement not only highlights the company's continual efforts to improve product quality and provide exceptional consumer experiences, but also reaffirms their commitment to upholding the 'high Japan quality' standard for products made in Viet Nam.

Established in Viet Nam since 2010, Bridgestone Vietnam has earned substantial trust and positioned itself as a leading tire supplier of renowned brands in the market.

Bridgestone tires, manufactured in Viet Nam, have been seamlessly integrated into vehicles produced at the Toyota Vietnam plant in Vinh Phuc since 2017. These tires are fitted on models including Innova, Vios, Fortuner, Veloz Cross and Avanza Premio, as well as other Bridgestone tire products used in fully imported Toyota cars.

Commencing from December 2022, Bridgestone Vietnam has been supplying tires for Toyota's new models such as the Turanza T005 205/50R17 for Veloz Cross and the Ecopia EP150 195/60R16 for Avanza Premio.

These tire lines, produced at Bridgestone's factory in Hai Phong, incorporate cutting-edge Japanese-based technologies and quality standards, ensuring comfort and fuel efficiency for users of Toyota Veloz Cross and Avanza Premio in Viet Nam.

"As we strive to position our 'Made in Vietnam' tires as the leading choice not only for Vietnamese drivers but also for automobile brands, we sincerely value the acknowledgment bestowed upon us by esteemed organisations like Toyota," remarked Naoki Inutsuka, general director of Bridgestone Tire Sales Vietnam Limited Liability Company (Bridgestone Vietnam).

This award not only reaffirms our unwavering commitment to excellence but also underscores our dedication to reinforcing the 'Sustainable growth of Vietnam' through serving society with superior quality. Local consumption reduces CO2 emissions and provides Vietnamese consumers with immediate access to high-quality products that embody the "Ease" and "Energy" of Bridgestone's E8 Commitment.

Globally, the company has set a goal to reduce 50 per cent of CO2 emissions by 2030.

In Viet Nam, through investments in biomass utilisation, electric pump adjustment, inverter control, air intake adjustment of air compressors, and i-stop patrol technology application, Bridgestone has achieved the 2030 CO2 emission reduction target in 2023, seven years earlier than planned.  VNS
Thu Ha

HA NOI  The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued guidance for commercial banks to serve the registration of biometric data for foreign residents in Viet Nam, when a new regulation on mandatory biometric verification for first-time mobile banking users or large valued transactions takes effect early next month, an SBV official said.

Le Hoang Chinh Quang, deputy director of the SBVs Information Technology Department, told Viet Nam News that foreign customers, who do not have chip-based ID cards, can visit bank branches and bank staff will guide them to register biometric information directly at the counter. The customers biometric information will be stored in the banks database to use for next transactions.

The SBV on Thursday also directed commercial banks to ensure online banking transactions to run smoothly for all customers, including foreign residents in Viet Nam, when the mandatory biometric verification policy takes effect. Under the policy on implementing security solutions in online payments and bank card payments, biometric verification of facial recognition will be required to finalise online banking transactions of VN10 million (US$391) or more, starting from July 1 this year.

Commercial banks have sent their customers notifications and reminders to update their facial images and chip-based ID cards by July 1 to avoid disruptions in high-value online transactions. However, with the directive looming many users have reported difficulties in updating their data.

In response to these difficulties, banks have stated that customers can update their data online via the banking app or visit bank branches with their chip-based ID cards for in-person verification using NFC (Near Field Communication) readers.

Under Thursdays directive, to ensure online banking transactions for customers to run smoothly under the mandatory biometric verification policy, the SBV required commercial banks to prepare contingency measures, have hotlines ready and arrange for staff to be on 24/7 service to promptly guide and support customers in registering and using biometric authentication information.

Banks must also actively coordinate with the Police Department for Administrative Management of Social Orders National Population Database Center and other relevant organisations to prepare plans to handle difficulties and problems raised in the process of registering and using biometric authentication services.

The banks will also be expected to deploy technical solutions to ensure security and safety of information and customer data, comply with legal regulations on personal data protection and information system security and safety.

To prevent transaction congestion and provide timely customer support, the SBV also encourages commercial banks that have completed the implementation of biometric verification to promptly provide the service to customers.

According to the SBV, 60 financial institutions have implemented customer verification using chip-based ID cards at branches, 49 institutions via mobile apps and 22 institutions with the VNeID electronic identification application.

To verify biometric data for the first time, users need to log into the banking app, select the 'Update Information' feature (name may vary by app), scan their face, capture both sides of their ID card and use the phones NFC reader to scan the chip-based ID card. Finally, confirm the information and complete OTP verification.

Traditional verification methods like passwords and OTPs are increasingly vulnerable to attacks, while biometric verification, unique to each individual, offers stronger protection.

However, a security expert cautioned that protecting biometric data is crucial and without proper security measures, this information could also become a target for cybercriminals.  VNS
HA NOI  The Government and business community is increasingly focused on leveraging digital technology and cross-border e-commerce to exploit global export potentials.

In the next two to three years, if not participating in the 'game' of cross-border e-commerce, businesses will quickly become left behind in a playground which is growing very strongly at the moment, an e-commerce forum heard.

Amazon Global Selling coordinated with the Viet Nam E-Commerce Association (VECOM) to host the 2024 Cross-border E-commerce Forum in Ha Noi on Thursday.

Its aim is to update policy directions and outline proposals and solutions to expand online export routes, promoting business across the globe for Viet Nam.

In the context of increasing globalisation and international integration, e-commerce has become an indispensable part in Vietnamese enterprises business strategies, said Bui Trung Kien, VECOM Deputy Chairman.

Applying modern e-commerce platforms helps businesses not only access international markets quickly and effectively, but also improve their competitiveness and sustainable development, he added.

However, e-commerce not only opens up new opportunities but also poses many challenges, said Kien.

Changes in consumer shopping habits, the development of technology, as well as increasing requirements for product and service quality, are all factors that businesses need to address in order to adapt and innovate, he said.

Speaking at the forum, Tran Thanh Hai, director of Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), said that market expansion is not only through traditional means such as fairs, exhibitions and trade connections, but markets could develop via online and digital platforms, in addition to developing logistics to support imports and exports.

Statistics from Amazon show that the cross-border e-commerce will grow twice to three times faster than the growth rate of normal e-commerce in the 2022-25 period .

It is forecast that the annual growth rate of cross-border e-commerce will reach 28.4 per cent (across 2020-2027) worldwide. For Viet Nam and the Southeast Asian region, the average annual growth rate is 20 per cent (for 2021-2026).

Trinh Khac Toan, representing Amazon Global Selling, said there were more than 17 million products from Viet Nam sold on its e-commerce platform, as of August last year.

The revenue grew by over 50 per cent last year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the sales channel for retailers from Viet Nam, he said.

To improve competitiveness and build a global brand, Toan said the business is co-ordinating with the MoIT's Viet Nam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency (iDEA) to train about 10,000 workers over the next five years for cross-border e-commerce business in improving sales skills.

Amazon has also provided solutions for businesses to register and protect their brands, as well as tools to help businesses to build brand right on this platform.

At the forum, Hoang Ninh, a representative from iDEA, said the goals of the National E-commerce Development Plans stressed the need to promote regional links and diversify supply chains to maximise the strengths of each region.

In addition, the MoIT had implemented many solutions to support small and medium-sized enterprises through training courses both in person and online, all for free he said.

Businesses were encouraged to register with iDEA to participate in training programmes on cross-border e-commerce, said Ninh.  VNS
HA NOI  Deoca Group announced a plan to issue over 210 million shares, equivalent to 50 per cent of the total issued, to existing shareholders to increase its capital to over VN6.3 trillion (US$247.4 million) from VN4.2 trillion.

The plan was approved by its general meeting of shareholders on June 26 and is expected to be implemented over 2024 - 2025, in accordance with the project's deployment timeline.

Deoca Group also reached a consensus on its ambitious business plan for 2024.

The proposal sets a target of nearly VN9 trillion (US$352 million) in revenues, showcasing a remarkable growth of over 35 per cent, while aiming for profit after tax of VN733 billion, up over 14 per cent year-on-year.

The company achieved outstanding results in the first quarter of 2024, with a revenue of VN1.75 trillion, marking an impressive growth of 121.52 per cent.

It also recorded a profit after tax of VN169 billion, a growth of 39.67 per cent from last year.

In terms of investment activities, Deoca Group recently completed the construction of the Cam Lam - Vinh Hao expressway, involving a substantial investment of over VN8.9 trillion.

The expressway successfully opened at the end of April.

It is also actively progressing with two ongoing projects. The ong ang - Tra Linh expressway, Phase 1, with a total investment exceeding VN14.3 trillion and the Huu Nghi - Chi Lang expressway with a total investment surpassing VN11 trillion.

Deoca Group's leadership has confirmed their ongoing research into investment projects, including Tan Phu - Bao Loc, HCM City - Chon Thanh, Belt Road 4 in Binh Duong Province and HCM City - Trung Luong - My Thuan (Phase 2).

These projects amount to a total investment of nearly VN80 trillion.

It is also scrutinising the Vung Ang - Mu Gia section of the Viet Nam-Laos railway project, valued at over VN47.6 trillion.

The company successfully completed multiple projects in 2023, such as Thung Thi overpass on the Mai Son - Expressway No 45, Truong Vinh Tunnel on the Nghi Son - Dien Chau Expressway, My Thuan 2 Bridge, My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway and the expansion of Prenn Pass. Its total involvement in these projects exceeded VN6.1 trillion.

Deoca Group continues to undertake significant construction works on the North-South Expressway Phase 2, including the Quang Ngai - Hoai Nhon Expressway, with a total investment of over VN20.4 trillion.

The company is also actively involved in the construction of Chi Thanh - Van Phong, Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang, Khanh Hoa - Buon Ma Thuot expressways, the Chon Thanh - uc Hoa section of the Ho Chi Minh highway, Belt Road 3 in HCM City, Tan Van interchange, two connecting roads to Long Thanh International Airport as part of the Long Thanh International Airport project and the Khe Net railway tunnel on the Ha Noi - HCM City railway line.

The total value of these projects is nearly VN15 trillion.

Deoca Group places great importance on adopting innovative approaches to participate in these investments, utilising the PPP++ model to diversify funding sources, enhance efficiency and mitigate risks.

This includes utilising budget funds (P1++), equity capital from primary and secondary investors (P2++), and funds mobilised from credit organisations, business partnerships, bonds and other sources (P3++).

The company added that it recognises the significance of the contribution of the work force in their sustainable development strategy.

Adding that the board of directors plans to seek shareholders' written approval to list the company on the stock exchange within the next five years.  VNS
PARIS  A tourism promotion programme was held by the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) and the Vietnamese Embassy in France on June 25 as part of the activities to promote Vietnamese tourism in Europe.

The Viet Nam Tourism Roadshow attracted a large number of representatives from travel agencies, tourism associations, hotels, airlines, and the media from both France and Viet Nam.

Addressing the event, VNAT General Director Nguyen Trung Khanh said for more than five decades since France and Viet Nam established diplomatic relations, the two countries have become special partners.

In the context of integration, the two sides have significant potential to complement each other in cooperation and development, especially in the field of tourism, he noted, highlighting the potential and advantages for Viet Nam to further develop unique and novel tourism products, especially cultural and historical tourism, eco-tourism, and sea and island tourism.

Many destinations and products have been ranked among the world's best by reputable travel advisory websites such as the World Travel Awards, TripAdvisor, Telegraph, and major media outlets in the world, he said.

According to Khanh, France is one of the traditional and major markets of Viet Nam in Europe. Nearly 216,000 French tourists visited Viet Nam last year, 75 per cent of the pre-COVID-19 period, making it the second-largest market of Viet Nam in the European Union (EU).

Over the recent years, the two countries tourism sectors have engaged in many cooperative activities to facilitate tourism exchange.

Vietnam Airlines and Air France have operated direct flights connecting major cities and tourist hubs of the two countries. The Vietnamese tourism sector has actively conducted tourism promotion activities in France to further boost tourism exchange. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government has waived visas for French visitors since 2015 and extended the temporary stay for French travelers to 45 days starting from August 15, 2023.

Convenient direct flights, simple entry and exit procedures, attractive destinations and products, and the hospitality of the people are ideal conditions to promote tourism cooperation between the two countries, Khanh said.

The event offers a good chance for Vietnamese and French travel firms to update information and discuss ways to expand business cooperation in the time to come, he added.

Ambassador inh Toan Thang said the event helps promote the image of Vietnamese tourism, thus strengthening the France  Viet Nam relations.

Room remains large for the two sides to intensify their tourism bond, the diplomat said, expressing his belief that the bilateral cooperation in this field will become stronger in the coming years.

In the framework of the programme, many activities for connecting and establishing business partnerships between Vietnamese and French travel agencies were arranged.  VNS
HA NOI  National Assembly (NA)s deputies on Wednesday passed a resolution to organise an urban administration model and pilot several specific mechanisms to develop a Nang City, including allowing the city to establish a free trade zone.

Article 13 of the Resolution states that a Nang City will establish a free trade zone associated with Lien Chieu Seaport to pilot mechanisms and policies to attract investment, finance, trade, tourism and high-quality services.

The area will include production zones, logistics centres, commercial/service zones and other types of functional areas.

Areas in the a Nang Free Trade Zone will be separated from outside areas by stiff fences, ensuring inspection, supervision, customs control and State management activities following the respective field.

Buying, selling and exchanging goods between functional areas of the zone and outside areas is classed as an export and import relationship according to the provisions of Vietnamese law on customs, taxes and export and import.

Lien Chieu Port project covers an area of 450 hectares and includes eight container terminals for ships of 30,000-200,000 DWT, six general berths for ships of 30,000-100,000 DWT, 1,200m of inland waterway wharves, and six liquid and gas wharves.

Mining capacity is expected to reach 50 million tonnes per year by 2050.

The ports total investment is more than VN3.4 trillion, of which capital from the central budget for the 2021-25 period is about VN3 trillion, the rest will be sourced from the local budget.

The project started its construction at the end of 2022 and is expected to be completed by 2025.

When Lien Chieu Port comes into operation, it will reduce the load on the existing Tien Sa Port (expected to be converted to serve tourist ships), and at the same time reduce transportation pressure in the inner city.

The resolution for the central city was adopted with 452 'yes' votes from 459 deputies participating in the voting, or 93 per cent. It contains four chapters with 18 articles, covering other contents like the management of finance-state budget, investment, planning, urban areas, resources and environment, the attraction of strategic investors to prioritised sectors, investment in semiconductors, AI and communications, science and technology management and innovation.

On the same day, legislators also voted to adopt the resolution on piloting some specially-designed mechanisms and policies to develop the central Nghe An Province.

With eight articles, it stipulates the management of finance-state budget, investment, urban area and natural resources, and organisation of local apparatus.

The resolution was passed with 453 yes votes from 461 deputies participating in the voting, or 93.21 per cent.  VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam received Indian Ambassador to Viet Nam Sandeep Arya in Ha Noi on Wednesday, where he expressed his confidence that under the leadership of the new government, India will continue to develop strongly, playing an increasingly prominent role in both international and regional arenas.

He said Viet Nam and India share a strong traditional friendship, which has been nurtured by the leaders and people of both countries over many decades and has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Expressing his pleasure at witnessing remarkable advancements in bilateral relations, the State leader said he is confident that the two countries can soon achieve a trade turnover of US$20 billion. He welcomed large Indian corporations to invest in Viet Nam in such strategic sectors as oil and gas, infrastructure, seaports, and emerging fields like digital transformation, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, clean energy, and energy transition. He encouraged both countries to leverage their cultural, religious, and historical ties to boost tourism collaboration and people-to-people exchanges.

Lam requested the diplomat continue promoting India's support for Viet Nam through scholarship programmes and preferential credit and non-refundable aid packages.

Underscoring the enduring, time-tested relationship between Viet Nam and India, Arya pledged his commitment to further strengthening the bilateral relations via arranging high-level visits and contacts in the near future and fostering collaboration in defence, economy-trade, science-technology, and culture-tourism.

The diplomat also talked about India's effective cooperation with various Vietnamese agencies and localities through Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), a project to renovate and restore Cham towers within the My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam province, and the organisation of International Yoga Day in Viet Nam.

Discussing regional and international issues, President Lam recommended that the two countries continue to closely coordinate at multilateral forums, contributing to consolidating peace, stability, and development in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean. He said he appreciates Indias implementation of its act east policy through practical and specific cooperation activities with ASEAN countries, including Viet Nam.

Agreeing with the leader, Arya said he wishes to strengthen cooperation and mutual support between the two countries amidst the current complex global situation.  VNS
A Michigan man was rescued Wednesday after he fell into a corn storage silo in Isabella County, officials said.

The Mt. Pleasant Fire Department responded to a request for technical rescue in a grain bin entrapment in northeastern Isabella County at around 7:31 a.m. Wednesday. The fire department arrived to assist the Isabella Northeast Fire Department and Mobile Medical Response in the rescue.

Firefighters entered the corn silo, removed corn from around the victim, and installed a shoring container. It took around three hours to extricate the victim, the fire department said.

The victim was pulled to safety at 10:44 a.m. Although he did not sustain any major injuries, he was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

The MPFD said it is investigating the incident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, says grain bins and silos "pose many dangers."

"Farmworkers are exposed to suffocation or engulfment hazards when working with grain bins and silos, as well as grain dust exposures and explosions," the agency says. "Moving grain acts like 'quicksand' and can bury a worker in seconds. 'Bridged' grain and vertical piles of stored grain can also collapse unexpectedly if a worker stands on or near it." Bridging occurs when grain clumps together, creating empty pockets beneath.

According to a report from Purdue University's Agricultural Safety and Health Program, there were 42 grain-related entrapments in 2022, the last year for which data are available, representing a 44.8% increase over 2021.

"This was the highest number of reported grain entrapments in over a decade," the university said in a press release reporting their findings. Researchers say a big driver of entrapments is out-of-condition grain.

"Many entrapments result from someone entering a bin or structure to break loose clumped, spoiled grain," said report co-author Edward Sheldon. "Keep the grain in good condition to eliminate the need to enter the bin."

--with reporting by TMX
HA NOI  A ceremony for the repatriation of US soldiers missing in action in Viet Nam was held at a Nang International Airport on Wednesday.

The event was the 165th of its kind, marking the initial results of a joint operation across several central provinces of Viet Nam.

Addressing the ceremony, Viet Nam's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc highlighted the collaboration to repatriate US soldiers remains is carried out in a humanitarian spirit and focuses on the future of US-Viet Nam relations.

Viet Nam also welcomes the US efforts in relieving war consequences in Viet Nam. The two countries Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, made official in September last year, continues to attach great importance to this matter.

Enhancing cooperation in this area is the best way to heal the wounds of war, build trust, and expand cooperation in various other fields, said the Vietnamese diplomat.

Joining the Vietnamese officials at the ceremony, US Consul General Susan Burns affirms that the US government will continue its support in addressing war consequences in Viet Nam, especially the dioxin cleanup project in Bien Hoa Airport, as well as technology transfer to identify martyrs remains.

The search and repatriation of US soldiers missing in action in Viet Nam began immediately after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973.

After 50 years of cooperation, Viet Nam has handed over more than 1,000 soldiers' remains to the US and helped identify more than 730 cases.  VNS
XIANGTAN  The Viet Nam-China friendship is a shared asset that must be cherished and promoted by all levels of society and across organisations such as the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

This was affirmed at the 12th Viet Nam-China People's Forum, jointly organised by both sides on Tuesday and Wednesday in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, China.

The conference focused on three major topics of politics and international relations, economic and trade relations and cultural and academic cooperation.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Phan Anh Son, Chairman of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations said that Viet Nam and China were neighbouring countries, with mountains and rivers connected.

The traditional friendship between the two peoples was diligently cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh and Chairman Mao Zedong, along with other senior leaders.

Both Parties, Governments and peoples had supported each other in their struggles for national liberation and building, fostering a profound camaraderie described as "both comrades and brothers".

Son also added that the 12th forum was taking place at a particularly significant location, in Chinas Chairman Mao Zedongs hometown, and at a particularly significant time, following historic visits by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to China in October 2022 and Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping to Viet Nam in December 2023.

Both parties and countries have established a new positioning for bilateral relations, constructing a China-Viet Nam Future Sharing Community with strategic significance, he said.

At the forum, President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Yang Wanming reviewed the bilateral relationship, underscoring the importance of President Xi Jinping's 2023 visit to Viet Nam.

The visit deepened and elevated the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership, building the China-Viet Nam Future Sharing Community with a strategic direction of 'six mores' creating opportunities for expanded cooperation between the two countries.

He stressed that the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Viet Nam were the largest communist parties in the world, responsible for leading their nations in contributing to global peace.

Previously, Hunan Provinces Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming received delegations from the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

During the reception, he told visitors about Hunan Province, noting it had the eighth largest population in China (over 66 million people), the ninth highest GDP (over US$500 billion) and was the tenth largest area (over 211,800 sq.km).

Many Hunan enterprises had invested in Viet Nam, notably Lens Technology Group, considered the worlds largest screen manufacturer, which is in Bac Ninh Province.

He also showed delegates the eight sandalwood trees gifted by President Ho Chi Minh to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1965, planted at the Hunan Provinces Party Committee headquarters. VNS
BEIJING  Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing in Beijing on Thursday, pledging close cooperation in strategic transport connectivity projects of the two countries.

The meeting was part of Chinh's trip to China for the World Economic Forum (WEF)'s 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions and bilateral working sessions.

He thanked Zhang for attending a conference held earlier the same day on the Viet Nam-China cooperation in developing strategic transport infrastructure and the role of the two countries' businesses, which reflects the two governments' great attention to cooperation in this field.

PM Chinh said among many affairs to be done to realise the two countries' high-level common perceptions and joint statement, transport is a breakthrough, feasible, and symbolic field critical to the strategic connectivity between their economies, as well as between the "Two Corridors, One Belt" framework of Viet Nam and the "Belt and Road" initiative of China.

He suggested the two sides focus on promoting cooperation in implementing three railway lines linking Viet Nam with China, namely Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong, Lang Son - Ha Noi, and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong.

At the meeting, both sides agreed on the significance of these three railway lines, which will help connect Viet Nam with Central Asia and Europe through China, and connect China with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) via Viet Nam.

The Vietnamese Government leader said that the lines will help both countries reduce logistics and production costs, improve the competitiveness of goods, facilitate production and business activities, create jobs and livelihoods for people, and boost socio-economic development.

Concurring with Zhang's view on promoting businesses' role in the implementation of the projects, PM Chinh held that it is important for both sides to have strong determination, make great efforts, and act decisively and effectively.

He also asked the Chinese side to assist Viet Nam's railway sector through technology research and transfer, preferential loans, and manpower training.

For his part, Zhang agreed with PM Chinh's opinions and vision about economic and transport connectivity between Viet Nam and China, of which railway is a priority, with the early implementation of the three abovementioned railway projects.

Chinese businesses, especially state-owned enterprises, will actively engage in the two countries' projects on strategic transport connectivity, he noted.

The Chinese Vice Premier proposed ministries, localities, and agencies of both sides, especially the two agencies managing state capital at enterprises, continue coordinating closely to carry out projects in line with the orientations and directions of the two countries leaders.  VNS
HA NOI  The National Assembly on Thursday heard that the defence ministry reserves the right to down drones and light aircraft if they threaten security.

Delegates were discussing the Law on People's Air Defence, focusing on civil defence forces and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)  including drones and ultra light planes.

Defence minister General Phan Van Giang said that the Ministry of National Defence (MOD) and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) are in charge of granting permits to the respective UAVs.

UAVs that do not fall into these categories must be registered at the MPS, but are under the management of the MOD.

Minister Giang said: With a significant increase in the number of UAVs, our ministry might review and consider delegating licensing to authorities at the lower levels such as provinces, military districts or military forces.

However, when necessary, the defence minister and public security minister can order flight cancellations.

Regarding ultralight aircraft which can be used for art performances, minister Giang said that organisers need to pre agree the programme and the rehearsal.

Speaking about suppressive fire, he said that if the aircraft does not comply in cases of forced landing, the military reserves the right to bring it down, to ensure control and security. This regulation is also common in many other countries, he added.

On a separate topic, regarding the age at which people are allowed to take part in the peoples air defence, the defence minister said that volunteers above 18 and up to 45 for men and 40 for women, are welcome to join the forces.

Taking into consideration comments from NA deputies, the drafting committee revised and defined peoples air defence as an activity of the people, with the local military, civil defence and military reserve forces as the core to perform comprehensive activities and measures, which ensure the safety of people's lives and property, minimise damage to the national economy, contribute to preserving national defence capacity and participate in controlling and protecting the airspace, as well as preventing and mitigating the consequences of enemy air attacks.  VNS
HA NOI  The Party and State always care for every family and stay consistent with the policy of "leaving no one behind", State President To Lam stated while visiting residents of ancient village uong Lam in Ha Noi's outlying district of Son Tay on Thursday on the occasion of the Vietnamese Family Day (June 28).

The leader affirmed that the families are the cells of society, the most important nurturing place and stronghold of each person. The families are always associated with the community and a solid foundation for promoting the strength and longevity of the nation, he stressed.

Highlighting that uong Lam has been well-known in the world as a venue for maintaining and preserving the heritage of the Vietnamese village life, President Lam said he hopes uong Lam villagers will show a high sense of responsibility in maintaining and promoting customs, practices, and family traditions as well as relics to introduce to the world the typical traditional rural cultures in the north of Viet Nam.

He hailed uong Lam'ss achievements as one of the pioneering localities of Son Tay in building model new-style rural areas by completing 80 per cent of all criteria, and a community of civilisation, harmony, and solidarity.

Located about 45km west of Ha Noi's centre, the village boasts a histories of millennia. It is almost intact with the peaceful image of a typical Vietnamese village of the north with an old village gate, banyan trees, water wharfs, communal house yards, lotus ponds, and old houses, along with traditional customs and practices that have been preserved since ancient times.

It is the home village of two kings - Phung Hung (761-802) and Ngo Quyen (808-944).

Earlier, President Lam offered incense to the two kings at temples dedicated to them, and presented gifts to two outstanding local families.  VNS
HA NOI  Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Thursday co-chaired the conference 'Viet Nam-China Cooperation on Strategic Transport Infrastructure Development and the Role of Vietnamese and Chinese Enterprises' held in Beijing, China.

Quoting the Chinese proverb If you want to get rich, first build roads, Chinese VP Zhang Guoqing stated in his address that over the years, China has developed a comprehensive, safe, sustainable and highly efficient transport system, including world-leading highways, high-speed railways, airports and seaports.

Moreover, China has extended its cooperation and investment in transport infrastructure to countries in the region, such as Cambodia, Indonesia and Laos.

He noted that Viet Nam and China share both land and maritime borders, with transport connections between the two countries including air, sea, road and rail. The two sides have cooperated on several Vietnamese transport projects, such as the Cat Linh-Ha ong urban railway and the first metro to be operational in Viet Nam's capital city Ha Noi.

The visits by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to China (late 2022) and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Viet Nam (December 2023), along with the meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday, have all touched on the need to promote the cooperative partnerships.

Under the 'Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership and the Viet Nam-China Community with Shared Future', the two will focus on more practical, effective and sustainable development, including infrastructure connectivity, especially transport infrastructure in line with Chinas 'Belt and Road Initiative' and Viet Nam's 'Two Corridors, One Economic Belt' framework, according to the Chinese VP.

The Chinese official said the country welcomed the collaboration of agencies and enterprises from both countries to foster cooperation in various fields, particularly transport development and connectivity. He stressed the need for the participation of both State-owned and private enterprises in this important mission.

PM Chinh highlighted the strategic significance of developing a Viet Nam-China transport infrastructure, stating that it is an objective necessity given the geographical proximity of the two countries.

This connectivity facilitates people-to-people exchanges, trade and regional and international integration, allowing China to access ASEAN via Viet Nam and vice versa.

With advanced vision and thinking, China has developed a comprehensive, modern transport system. Viet Nam seeks to learn from Chinas experience in strategic transport infrastructure cooperation, the Vietnamese Government leader stated.

Regarding cooperation of three rail lines connecting China with Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong, Lang Son - Ha Noi and Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong, Viet Nam is focusing on implementation with a cautious and thorough approach.

PM Chinh candidly acknowledged that the results of strategic transport infrastructure cooperation have not met the potential, strengths and desires of both sides.

Challenges remain in the railway system due to differences in track gauge, in river transport due to low clearance of border bridges and difficulties in connecting expressways. Some major strategic infrastructure projects have yet to be implemented, and unresolved issues persist in unfinished cooperation projects, he said.

There are a limited number of Chinese enterprises participating in strategic infrastructure development and none have engaged in public-private partnerships (PPP). Mechanisms for mobilising resources are still challenging, inflexible, and inefficient, PM Chinh added.

PM Chinh urged the early implementation of three rail projects, especially the Lao Cai - Ha Noi - Hai Phong line, and asked for Chinese enterprises' involvement in urban railway projects in Ha Noi and HCM City via PPP.

He revealed that the Government plans to assign relevant agencies to study and propose an inter-governmental agreement to coordinate the implementation of the three northern railway projects. Once these projects are relatively advanced, expansion to other lines with high demand will be considered, focusing on preferential loans from China, technology transfer, and training personnel to help Viet Nam develop its railway industry.

PM Chinh also called for the expansion of air routes between the two countries, increasing the frequency of high-demand flights, along with other encouraging policies to promote Viet Nam-China tourism. He urged the rapid implementation of road projects connecting the two countries, especially expressways and border road bridges.

Addressing the enterprises of both countries, PM Chinh urged stronger cooperation through joint ventures and partnerships under the principles of harmonised interests, shared risks and cooperation for mutual benefit and development"

At the conference, ministries, agencies and transport infrastructure enterprises in both countries shared insights on the development of transport infrastructure, good practices, practical lessons and suggestions for cooperation in Viet Nam, particularly in planning, design, resource mobilisation, land clearance, operation management and the application of information technology and digital transformation.

In concluding the conference, PM Chinh emphasised the need for Chinas support in concessional loans, advanced technology, and training of human resources for Viet Nam's transport development, especially green transport and smart management.

He called on major Chinese corporations to invest and bid in large projects, particularly breakthroughs in transport, digital transformation and clean energy.

He encouraged joint ventures and partnerships between enterprises from both countries, emphasising sincerity, effectiveness, and trust, while combating corruption and avoiding cost overruns. Enterprises should show readiness to invest, collaborate, and tackle challenges with a high spirit of determination.  VNS
HA NOI  The Government has proposed the National Assembly (NA) allow the use of VN18.22 trillion (US$715.6 million) sourced from the increased sum of the 2023 central budget collection for 14 public investment projects.

As part of its ongoing seventh session, the parliament on June 27 deliberated the use of the general reserve of the central budget-funded medium-term public investment plan 2021-25 for public investment projects. The reserve under discussion is equivalent to the increased revenue of the 2023 central budget collection.

Delivering a report on the reserve use, Minister of Finance Ho uc Phoc said a total of VN26.9 trillion sourced from the increase of the 2023 central budget collection is set to be allocated to 20 projects in four areas, namely national defence (VN2 trillion), security (VN4 trillion), transport (VN19.38 trillion), and judicial reform (VN1.52 trillion).

As much as VN18.22 trillion falls within the NAs jurisdiction and will be provided for 14 public investment projects, he went on.

Therefore, the Government proposed the NA give the green light to the use of that VN18.22 trillion.

Reading the verification report, Chairman of the NAs Committee for Financial and Budgetary Affairs Le Quang Manh said the Governments proposal accords with regulations in the Law on Public Investment and the NAs Resolution No. 29/2021/QH15.

He noted a majority of the committee members held that the parliament should permit the completion of investment procedures and the making of investment policies for the projects on the basis of the increased sum of the 2023 central budget collection, the capital sources for 2026-30, and other sources to ensure funding.

They also asked the Government to hold responsibility for project effectiveness and capital sources to guarantee sufficient funds. However, not all deputies agreed with the Governments proposed allocation of capital for the projects, according to Manh.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse will pay an official visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) from June 30 to July 3.

The visit will be made at the invitation of RoK Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and his spouse. VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage arrived back in Ha Noi on June 27, concluding their trip to China for the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian (WEF Dalian 2024) and working sessions from June 24-27 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF Founder and Executive Chairman of Klaus Schwab.

The WEF Dalian gathering saw the highest attendance in its 15-year history in China, attracting over 1,700 delegates from 80 countries, including representatives from international organisations, scholars, multinational corporations, and innovative startups affiliated with the WEF.

PM Chinh delivered speeches at various discussion and working sessions, co-chaired a dialogue session with major WEF corporations alongside Executive Chairman Schwab and led a panel discussion with innovative startups.

He highlighted Viet Nam's remarkable achievements over four decades of renewal, and called for the international community's solidarity for development, especially in innovation, towards the "Next Frontiers for Growth".

During the working visit, PM Chinh held talks and meetings with high-ranking Chinese officials, including Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Wang Huning.

Both sides agreed to direct their respective ministries and agencies to effectively implement agreements and shared perceptions outlined by the two General Secretaries, promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and building a Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance in line with the "six priorities" orientation.

Together with Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, the Vietnamese PM delivered a speech at a conference on Vietnam-China cooperation in strategic transport infrastructure development. He also met with executives of leading Chinese infrastructure companies.

Expressing Vietnam's interest in collaboration with Chinese firms on large-scale infrastructure projects encompassing highways, high-speed, inter-regional and urban railways, he called for the transfer of management expertise, modern technology, and workforce training, all aimed at attracting investment in Viet Nam's infrastructure development.

This successful working trip aligned with Vietnam's foreign policy outlined in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and Directive 25 of the Party Central Committees Secretariat on enhancing and elevating multilateral diplomacy by 2030. It has contributed to deepening the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, building the Viet Nam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, and strengthening Viet Nam's relationship with the WEF. VNS
HA NOI  President To Lam commended Australian Ambassador to Viet Nam Andrew Goledzinowskis contributions to Viet Nam-Australia ties during a reception in Ha Noi for the ambassador on June 27.

Expressing delight at the recent elevation of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March 2024, President Lam suggested that based on this upgraded framework, both countries should continue proposing specific cooperation programmes and plans, maintaining the exchange of all-level delegations, enhancing the sharing of information on global and regional issues of mutual concern, deepening collaboration in national defence-security, economy-trade and in emerging areas such as climate change adaptation, clean energy, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

The President welcomed the expansion of partnerships between Australian and Vietnamese universities and the continued offering of scholarships to Vietnamese students. He also proposed the Australian Government facilitate opportunities for the Vietnamese community in Australia.

The Vietnamese State leader took the occasion to express thanks to Australia for its support in healthcare, peacekeeping, climate change adaptation and energy transition.

Goledzinowski, for his part, lauded Viet Nam's "bamboo tree" foreign policy which he said has contributed to regional peace and stability. He highlighted the significant progress achieved in bilateral relations across various fields since the establishment of diplomatic ties 50 years ago, affirming his commitment to working closely with Vietnamese authorities to effectively implement the comprehensive strategic partnership.

Recognising Viet Nam's importance in Australia's regional foreign policy, he pledged to continue allocating resources to Southeast Asia, including Viet Nam, under the framework of Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

In reply, the host spoke highly of Australia's stance on supporting peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and overflight in the region, settling disputes through peaceful means via dialogue in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He also expressed hope for Australia's continued support for ASEAN's central role in the region.  VNS
Matthew Perry's ketamine suppliers might be charged in connection with his untimely death.

Unnamed law enforcement sources suggested "multiple people" may face criminal charges as the Los Angeles Police Department wraps up its investigation into the Friends' star's death, according to PEOPLE.

Perry died in October after he was found unresponsive in his L.A. hot tub. He was 54.

In May, it was revealed investigators were zeroing in on the actor's ketamine dealers.

The L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner ruled that Perry died as a result of "the acute effects of ketamine" with "drowning, coronary artery disease and the effects of buprenorphine" cited as contributing factors.

While Perry had been receiving medically supervised ketamine infusions to treat his depression, the drugs found during the coroner's investigation were not from medical professionals. Sources previously told TMZ that investigators had approached individuals connected to recreational drug use, in order to find more information regarding Perry's death.

Perry went to rehab 15 times during his lifelong battle with drug and alcohol addiction. He opened about the experience in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing  detailing the millions of dollars spent and numerous medical procedures he underwent as a result of his addiction.
HA NOI  The Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) always values the friendly relations and cooperation with the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) and political parties of the Dominican Republic, said Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.

During a reception in Ha Noi on June 27 for Politburo member of the PRM and Minister of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic Limber Lucas Cruz Lopez, Trung thanked the PRM, President Luis Abinader and the minister for their support to bilateral ties.

He agreed to strengthen relations through party channels to reinforce political foundations and orientations to bilateral cooperation.

Expressing his satisfaction with advancements in relations between the two parties and countries over the past years, he proposed that both sides continue fostering substantial cooperation in areas of mutual strength and need, including agriculture while supporting each other at international forums for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Minister Limber Lucas Cruz Lopez expressed his joy to visit Viet Nam for the first time, admiring the achievements Viet Nam has made in its past struggle for national liberation and reunification and the ongoing renewal.

Expressing his desire to further tighten friendship and cooperation between the PRM and CPV and between the two countries, he informed the host about the outcomes of his trip, and hoped for stronger cooperation in various fields, particularly in trade, agriculture, tourism, and continued support for each other at global and regional forums. VNS
HA NOI Over the past few weeks, long-lasting extreme heat waves have affected people all across the country, making especially it difficult for those working outdoors.

Motorbike taxi driver Nguyen Van Khai, who works in Ha Noi, said he must wear long sleeves and a helmet with a face shield whenever he is outside in order to protect himself from the sun's dangerous rays.

He takes advantage of the moments when there are no passengers to sit and relax beneath the bridge or under the shade of a tree.

"I have to work for the sake of life, even though the weather is hot and harsh," he told Vietnam News Agency.

Le Ngoc Lam, a worker at the Tuynel brick factory in Trieu Son District, Thanh Hoa Province, said he normally starts work at 7am but when the temperatures are forecast to hit 40 degrees Celsius and the heat is at its worst, he must begin working at 4am in order to complete by 10am.

"I sweat a lot in hot weather because my daily job is to load and unload bricks from the pits. I have to drink a lot of water and wear protective gear," he said.

In HCM City, the heat can be felt from 8am. Many people who go to work in the morning feel tired due to morning heat.

Pham Van Tai from Tan Thoi Hiep Ward in District 12 said: "I have already seen the bright sunshine while taking my child to school at 7am.

Due to traffic, he has to spend about an hour traveling 12km from his home in District 12 to District 3.

"I feel exhausted in the morning from the heat and the traffic," he said.

In many other places, the heat has also brought droughts. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Central Highlands' ak Nong Province reports that the prolonged heatwave caused numerous lakes, rivers and streams to progressively dry up.

Over 8,000ha of crops in the province are vulnerable due to water scarcity.

Numerous small rivers and streams in the area have dried up, reducing the amount of water in irrigation reservoirs and decreasing the flow of nearby rivers and streams.

Some tiny ponds have lost their water source, and the amount of water that people had been storing in small ponds to irrigate crops in streams and high foothills has also dropped.

The southern droughts have gotten worse because of the heat.

A state of emergency has been declared in four provinces - Tien Giang, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, and Long An - as a result of droughts. In Ca Mau and Kien Giang, the drought has resulted in landslides and subsidence.

The National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting predicts that temperatures will generally be between 0.5 and 1 degree Celsius higher than the average for many years during the upcoming months, particularly from July to September.

There will be more intense heatwaves, particularly in the north and central regions.

Hoang Phuc Lam, the centres deputy director, said extreme heat is probably going to occur more frequently than it has in many past years. The last months of 2024 will see continued heat in the northern and central regions. The heat in the north will persist until August, with July being the key heat-producing month. The heat will persist in the central region through September, with July and August being the peak months.

Medical experts warn that excessive heat will have negative effects on people's health. For those who have to work in hot weather, it is necessary to arrange working time in cool weather such as early morning or late afternoon, and avoid working in high temperatures.

If working in a hot environment, employees should limit their work hours, refrain from engaging in strenuous physical activity, and take a 1520 minute break in a cool area after 4560 minutes of work.

They are advised to wear loose, airy, sweat-absorbent clothing, avoid using alcohol completely, and stick to drinking water with added salt and minerals, such Oresol, instead of exposing any part of their body to direct sunlight, especially the neck and shoulder area.

Local authorities have been urged to take prompt measures to help local residents avoid the heat, especially ensuring domestic water supply. VNS
HCM CITY  If not treated properly, patients with urethral strictures may have to get multiple surgeries or wear a urinary catheter for their whole life, leading doctors said at a recent workshop in HCM City.

The workshop called Urethral reconstruction: Perspectives of experts held at Binh Dan Hospital last week attracted leading experts in the field of urethral stricture treatment from around the world.

o Lenh Hung, head of the Urethra Unit at Binh Dan Hospital, said the number of urethral stricture cases seeking treatment at the hospital is increasing.

Each year, the hospital doctors perform surgery on more than 800 patients with urethral stricture, and examine and treat about 10,000 other cases.

Since 2015, UC Irvine University in the United States has transferred surgical techniques for urethral stricture, and provided professional support to Binh Dan Hospital doctors.

The hospital has not only transferred these techniques to domestic hospitals but also to hospitals in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia.

The hospitals success rate in urethroplasty surgery is 98 per cent, equivalent to the results of leading urethroplasty centres in the US.

Francisco E. Martins, head of Reconstructive Urology Unit at Santa Maria University Hospital in Portugal, discussed non-traumatic posterior urethral obstruction.

Urinary obstruction is a common complication of prostate cancer (PCa) treatments, and leads to serious morbidity and detriment to the patients quality of life.

Pathogenesis of Vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis (VUAS) varies with PCa treatment type, leading to individual management considerations, he said.

Endoscopic management can be considered for all radiation VUAS. Open reconstruction is potentially associated with increased morbidity.

Although challenging, successful reconstruction with lasting patency is possible for complex radiation VUA stenoses.

Recognise unsalvageable (devastated) situations, these patients should be referred to tertiary, high-volume, academic centres for management by urethral reconstructive experts, he added.

Akio Horiguchi, from the Department of Urology at National Defense Medical College in Japan, said male urethral stricture is a common and challenging urologic condition in males.

The goal of urethral stricture treatment is normal voiding and freedom from instrumentation.

Urethroplasty is the only curative option for the majority of urethral strictures, he said.

Urethroplasty is the gold standard of bulbar stricture.

Excision and primary anastomosis is suitable for short proximal bulbar stricture and substitution urethroplasty is suitable for lengthy bulbar and mid to distal bulbar urethral strictures.

The key to success is to select a procedure appropriate for the strictures status and location, he added.

Professor Joel Gelman from UC Irvine University in the US said that to have a high success rate in urethroplasty surgery, doctors must undergo intensive training and practice to gain experience, from several months to several years.

In addition, hospitals need to have specialised surgical equipment and improve the capabilities of diagnostic medical imaging.

Strategic development and support from the hospitals' board of directors are very important, he said.

On this occasion, the hospital's doctors and a delegation led by Joel Gelman performed surgery on a patient with a severe urethral stricture and stones.

The symptoms that the patient has are dysuria and impaired urination, and prolonged dysuria leading to urinary retention. He also has hypertension and gout.

The doctors performed endoscopic to remove urethral stones, and suprapubic cystostomy was placed to manage urethral stricture.  VNS
HA NOI  The National Assembly (NA) has agreed to a ban on driving with any level of blood alcohol, on the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, in its working session on Thursday morning.

The law in its entirety was passed with 388 out of 450 votes in favour, or 79.84 per cent of the total number of NA deputies.

A total of 293 NA deputies, or 75.52 per cent of the total voting participants, agreed to the zero-tolerance policy.

The remaining 24.48 per cent of voting deputies proposed imposing the ban, while specifying the lowest limit of blood alcohol concentration allowed for drivers. Eight other deputies suggested other measures.

Presenting a report on the law, Chairman of the NA Committee on Defence and Security Le Tan Toi said that this is not a new regulation, having been included in the 2008 Road Traffic Law and 2019 Law on Prevention and Control of Harms of Liquor and Beer Abuse.

Delegates agreed that without strict measures, the risks of traffic violations and accidents will increase, causing harm to life, health and assets of drivers, as well as their families and society as a whole.

Toi also requested that the Ministry of Health (MOH) issue technical guidelines on measuring ethanol levels in cases with elevated endogenous ethanol due to medical conditions, or auto-brewery syndrome, without alcohol consumption.

The NA Standing Committee has also ordered the inclusion of the MOHs responsibilities on this matter in Clause 5, Article 87 of the law.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang sought the EU and ASEAN businesses assistance in training a high-quality workforce for Viet Nam during a reception in Hanoi on June 27 for a delegation led by Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) Jens Rubbert.

Quang lauded the activities of European businesses in general and the EU-ASEAN Business Council, which he said, have made contributions to Viet Nam's economic growth and comprehensive partnership and cooperation between Viet Nam and the EU.

He highlighted Viet Nams efforts to better its institutional and legal framework, with a focus on infrastructure investment, including the construction of highways.

Viet Nam also respects and fulfils its international commitments, prioritises global trends in green and digital economy development, he said.

Rubbert commended Viet Nam's orientations to sustainable economic development and its recent economic successes, recognising it as one of Asia's fastest-growing economies.

He noted the positive impact of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on boosting trade between the two sides.

EU-ABC members have a strong confidence and stay ready to invest, do business, and support Viet Nam in various fields, he said, wishing to continue coordinating with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and Government to achieve even more cooperation results in the future.

Discussions between the two sides covered sustainable development policies, tax and customs reforms, and the Vietnamese Government's priorities in green and digital economic development, and the goal of achieving net zero emissions. VNS
On June 25, Nguyen Van Nhan, general director of Amata City Halong JSC, and Kawamitsu Yasuhiro, director of Tenma Vietnam Co., Ltd, signed a land use right sublease agreement at Amata City Halong JSC office for an 8 hectare space in Amata City Halong (also known as Song Khoai Industrial Park) in Quang Yen town to implement a project on manufacturing industrial plastic molding products, assembly and die casting. The project has a total investment value at $56 million.

With its extensive business experience in Vietnam and following a meticulous selection process, Tenma Group has decided to invest in Amata City Halong IP in Quang Ninh province. This marks Tenma's first project in the province and its fourth in Vietnam.

The Tenma factory in Quang Ninh is expected to finish construction, equipment installation, recruitment and testing in the first quarter of 2025.

The signing ceremony marked an important step forward in the cooperative relationship between the two firms and also demonstrated the appeal of Amata City Halong IP to foreign investors.

With its strategic location, attractive economic zone tax incentives and land readiness, Amata City Halong is proud to be a rapidly growing IP in Quang Ninh province.

Up to now, 18 investment projects with a total capital touching $2.6 billion have been granted investment registration certificates at Amata City Halong.

In the forthcoming time, Amata City Halong aims to draw in more multinationals, contributing to promoting FDI attraction to Quang Ninh province.

Find out more information at: www.facebook.com/amaravietnam/

www.instagram.com/p/C40GdixLeMO/

Quang Ninh sees tourism boom as summer starts The northern province of Quang Ninh, which owns many tourist attractions from UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay to beaches and islands, has seen a boom in tourism activities since the beginning of summer  the peak tourism season.

Quang Ninh aims to attract 3 billion USD worth of FDI this year Northern Quang Ninh province has attracted more than 1.52 billion USD worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first half of this year and is poised to reach its goal of 3 billion USD in FDI for the full year.
Ong Van Ngay, Secretary of Giang Thanh Party Committee in the Mekong delta province of Kien Giang, revealed that of the programmes and measures geared towards poverty reduction and ensuring social wellbeing in the border district, the most effective has been leveraging policy credit to boost the local economy and enhance quality of life.

A transaction point of VBSP Kien Giang in An Hoa ward, Rach Gia city

The enforcement of the Secretariat's Directive 40 has been deemed a breakthrough in the robust growth of policy credit sources, as well as bolstering its usage efficiency. The people are the key beneficiaries in the poverty reduction process and are accumulating wealth in a legitimate manner, said Ngay.

One example is the family of Nguyen Thi Diem in Ham Ninh commune who started a business using a loan of $2,080 from Vietnam Bank for Social Policies' (VBSP) Kien Giang Branch to grow 200 square metres of safe vegetables and raise 10 pigs, generating nearly $4,200 in annual income.

Doan Cong Thiet, director of VBSP's Kien Giang branch, noted that after 10 years of implementing Directive 40, the branch has fulfilled its pioneering role, making significant contributions to the successful implementation of the provinces socioeconomic development plans.

The highlight of the decade has been the positive response of the entire political system, departments, and organisations in the province, who have mobilised diverse financial resources and policy credit sources to help people reduce poverty, improve their lives, and raise their incomes.

The provincial financial sector has based these efforts on the local budget situation, providing timely and accurate advice, while helping authorities from provincial to district and commune levels prioritise the transfer of supplemental capital sources to VBSP Kien Giang to better meet the borrowing needs of poor households and other policy beneficiaries.

Over $20 million of state authorised capital is being transferred to VBSP Kien Giang Branch this year to lend to special policy beneficiaries, demonstrating the attention of local management authorities in the process of implementing Directive 40 to support needy people in the province.

This is of great significance as it has helped concentrate diverse financial sources into a single agency, contributing to boosting the total capital available at VBSP Kien Giang Branch to $254.3 million as of April 30, surging $163.6 million compared to a decade ago.

At the same time, the total outstanding policy credit balance in the area has touched $250 million, and the capital mobilised by the whole VBSP Kien Giang system has also grown significantly, accounting for 9.8 per cent of total local policy credit sources.

Along with mobilising large capital sources from diverse channels, VBSP Kien Giang Branch has been proactive in policy credit provision, fully and promptly meeting the production and business requirements of local people.

The team of policy credit officers has also matured on its journey for social wellbeing. Currently, most staff members have university or post-graduate degrees and the skills to efficiently perform their tasks.

Over the past 10 years, policy credit capital has helped 402,000 poor households and other policy beneficiaries to borrow preferential loans, helping more than 58,000 households break from poverty and creating jobs for over 46,000 workers, including 463 people who borrowed capital to work overseas.

In addition, nearly 18,000 students in difficult circumstances have received loans for their studies, and over 283,000 clean water facilities, standard toilets, and 5,000 houses have been built for poor households and those affected by floods in the Mekong Delta.

Green credit now a business necessity Stakeholders highlighted the need for green capital and identified key issues for expanding green credit and finance at a seminar last week.

A different approach for monetary policy adjustments Data from the State Bank of Vietnam showed that after a 5.5 per cent increase in money supply in 2022, there was a 13 per cent increase last year. Le Hoai An, a banking consultant and trainer at Integrated Financial Solutions, talked to VIRs Hong Dung about the current money supply and velocity.
The aircraft shortage caused by engine issues  the main factor driving up ticket prices  may not ease until the end of next year, stated CEO Le Hong Ha at Vietnam Airlines Corporation's AGM on June 21. The challenge for many airlines at present is the severe shortage of aircraft, significantly impacting their operational and expansion plans.

He explained that the root of this shortage lies in global supply chain disruptions, stringent controls on major aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, and the recall of Pratt & Whitney engines on A321 and A320 NEO aircraft.

Globally, over 1,500 aircraft have been affected by the recall, with 340 grounded. Vietnam Airlines has 11 aircraft impacted and anticipates grounding an additional six by year-end.

Pratt & Whitney plans to recall over 3,000 engines this year, with repairs and maintenance extending up to 250-300 days. Consequently, the aircraft shortage is expected to persist through 2024 and gradually ease by 2025.

Vietnam Airlines is facing significant operational challenges due to the grounding of these aircraft, Ha added.

According to Nguyen Quoc Ky, chairman of Vietravel Corporation, which operates in both the aviation and tourism sectors, the Vietnamese market is short of about 45-50 aircraft across Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Bamboo Airways. The market comprises roughly 270 aircraft. Despite the reduced capacity, demand has surged as people seek to travel post-pandemic, desiring faster, safer, and more seamless journeys.

According to Ha, to address this, Vietnam Airlines has devised two main strategies.

Firstly, Vietnam Airlines has engaged with Pratt & Whitney to secure spare engines and expedite repair schedules for the affected engines. Additionally, the airline has reduced flight frequencies on less profitable routes to concentrate its resources on primary routes.

The airline has also increased the flight hours of its fleet by 15-20 per cent, partially offsetting the aircraft shortage. Furthermore, Vietnam Airlines has postponed the sale of six A321CEO aircraft to meet current demand.

Secondly, Vietnam Airlines is considering the C919 aircraft developed by China. The airline revealed plans to incorporate this aircraft into its fleet in the near future.

The global aircraft shortage is expected to continue until 2027, with new orders from Airbus or Boeing unlikely to be delivered before 2030. Leasing additional A321 aircraft poses challenges, as highlighted by Ha.

Vietnam Airlines is currently experiencing unprecedented financial difficulties. The airline's accumulated losses by the end of 2023 totalled VND41 trillion (approximately $1.64 billion), far exceeding its charter capital, resulting in negative equity of over VND17 trillion (approximately $680 million). Short-term debt surpassing short-term assets by VND46.287 trillion (approximately $1.85 billion) has exacerbated the financial imbalance.

The airline's leadership anticipates a challenging cash flow situation in 2024, with numerous restructured debts maturing, particularly from July 2024 when refinancing loans are due.

Despite these challenges, Vietnam Airlines projects a revenue of nearly VND106 trillion (approximately $4.24 billion) in 2024, a 13.6 per cent increase on-year, potentially marking a record in the company's history. The airline also forecasts a post-tax profit of over VND4.233 trillion (approximately $169.32 million), with the parent company contributing VND105 billion (approximately $4.2 million). Planned total investment costs are VND284 billion (approximately $11.36 million), including VND 71billion (approximately $2.84 million) for asset investments and VND283 billion (approximately $11.32 million) for investment provisions.

At the AGM, Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of Vietnam Airlines, expressed the company's ambition to eliminate negative equity by 2025, gradually recover accumulated losses, and restore financial health to pre-COVID-19 levels. He emphasised the importance of internal solutions, although state support will also play a role.

The company has outlined a capital increase plan, seeking approval from relevant ministries and agencies. The capital increase may be executed through either a rights issue to existing shareholders or a private placement to investors. This capital increase aims to bolster operating cash flow, ensure long-term funding, and reduce costs by minimising additional borrowing.
The Vietnam National Innovation Alliance for Pig Biosecurity launch

Critical findings from a comprehensive study on the vulnerability of smallholder pig farmers to biosecurity risks and diseases, such as African Swine Fever (ASF), were also shared at the launch event.

The pressing need to bolster Vietnams pig farming industry against ASF has never been more urgent. Since 2019, the epidemic has wreaked havoc, with smallholders, who compose 99.8 per cent of the industry, being significantly affected due to poor biosecurity measures. The inauguration of the alliance and the revelations from the pilot study underscore the commitment to elevating biosecurity as a frontline defence against ASF and other diseases.

The study, a collaborative effort between the National Institute for Animal Sciences, Australias national science agency (CSIRO), and Charles Sturt University, aimed to unearth the biosecurity challenges and innovation opportunities at the smallholder level. Engaging with smallholder pig producers, the study employed a nuanced approach in collecting data and assessing vulnerabilities and resilience against ASF within the value chain.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam H.E. Andrew Goledzinowski said, "The launch of the alliance is a foundational step towards a secure, sustainable future for pig farming in Vietnam. Adopting innovative biosecurity practices is pivotal not only to improving the livelihoods of farmers, but also to ensuring the resilience of the food supply chain and managing the environmental impact. Our financial and technical support to the alliance underpins Australia's unwavering dedication to serving as Vietnam's trusted partner in innovation and scientific advancement, thereby strengthening the strategic partnership between our nations."

Kim Wimbush, CSIRO counselor and director of the Aus4Innovation programme, said, "Through the CSIRO managed, Aus4Innovation programme, we are dedicated to strengthening the alliance by way of a comprehensive support strategy. We will provide financial resources to fuel the activities of the alliance. Moreover, we will actively seek out and deliver expert assistance, offer research advice, and support implementation efforts. Our role also encompasses facilitating and enhancing interactions among members and other elements within the innovation ecosystem to successfully commercialise Vietnam-Australia research outcomes."

Echoing the sentiments, Dr Pham Cong Thieu, general director of the National Institute of Animal Sciences emphasised, This alliance marks a proactive move to elevate the standards of Vietnamese pig farming. On the other hand, this insightful research offers a gateway to developing targeted vulnerability and resilience assessment tools, significantly contributing to our collective efforts in safeguarding the pig farming industry."

The study, spanning 160 pig farming households across Ha Nam, Hoa Binh, and Bac Giang provinces, found that Hoa Binh was particularly susceptible to disease incursion. The income from pig farming inversely affected disease vulnerability, and the research provides a foundation for future biosecurity policy and practice.

The launch of the Vietnam National Alliance for Pig Biosecurity and the study's findings mark a pivotal advancement in combating the biosecurity challenges confronting Vietnam's pig farming industry. Together, they lay the groundwork for innovative solutions and policies aimed at protecting smallholder livelihoods, ensuring food safety, and bolstering the industry's resilience against diseases.

This study and alliance are supported by Aus4Innovation, a ten-year (2018-2028) A$33.5 million ($22.26 million) flagship programme aimed at strengthening Vietnams innovation system to support inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development. The programme is funded by Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, co-funded and managed by CSIRO  Australias national science agency, and delivered in a strategic partnership with Vietnams Ministry of Science and Technology.

New framework proposed to assess foreign-invested projects The Institute of International Investment Studies (ISC) last week launched research results on criteria for appraising foreign-invested projects and assessing their effectiveness. The research financed by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support localities. Dr. Ngo Cong Thanh, vice chairman of the ISC, and head of the research team of the criteria told VIRs Oanh Nguyen about their work.

WoolProducers Australia to invest $66 million in Nam Dinh WoolProducers Australia (WPA) last week inked a MoU with Cat Tuong Group  the investor of Rang Dong Industrial Park  in Nam Dinh province to develop a $66 million project in the park.

Australian firms show interest in Vietnams green transition Further cooperation and investment in science, technology, trade promotion, innovation, digitalisation, and the green transition were all topics that were discussed during an Australian business delegation's visit to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) on June 4.

Aus4Transport strengthens Vietnam and Australia transport ties Aus4Transport has helped improve Vietnam's transport infrastructure, contributing to further deepening cooperation between Vietnam and Australia in the transport sector.

Smuggling continues to harm livestock gain The livestock industry is struggling to cope with the increase in smuggled pig operations.

Profits still out of reach for pig farming companies Despite the total herd increasing to a new high, 2023 has been called a poor year for the pig farming industry, with businesses and farmers failing to make a profit.
"To drive future economic growth, we must embrace innovation and foster collaboration across sectors, regions, nations and cultures to create a more peaceful, inclusive society and resilient future, said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highlighted Vietnam's commitment to sustainable and inclusive development, focusing on digital and green economies.

The future hinges on innovation, climate action and high-quality human resources, he said. We must adopt a new mindset and approach that is people-centred and comprehensive, ensuring benefits for all.

In his plenary address, Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasised the necessity of global collaboration to navigate the complexities of today's economic landscape.

In the current context, the right choice is to approach development issues with a longer view and broader minds and join hands with others, he said.

The rapid rise of China's new industries is a testament to the principal role of enterprises and innovation. Enterprises stand at the forefront of the market. They are most sensitive to changes in demand and have the strongest desire for innovation. He singled out three fields of technology  AI, green energy and biomedicine  as having the potential to become multitrillion-dollar industries.

Chinas pursuit of high-quality drivers of production, he said, has not only provided dynamism for Chinas economic development but also has created greater cooperation space for companies around the world.

In many ways, the depth of international cooperation determines the height of human development, he said, adding that keeping industrial and supply chains stable and smooth and advancing trade and investment promoted the sound development of globalisation necessary for global economic growth.

Polish President Andrzej Duda highlighted Poland's remarkable economic transformation over the past three decades. "Poland has experienced unprecedented growth, becoming a leader in Central Europe, he said. "Our strategic location and dynamic development make Poland an excellent place for investment, and I encourage all to explore the opportunities our country offers.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions is taking place from June 25-27 in Dalian under the theme, "Next Frontiers for Growth."

The meeting gathers over 1,600 high-level leaders from business, government, civil society and international organisations to generate collective insights and deployable solutions that can spur and maintain positive economic momentum globally.

Vietnam will deepen bonds with China and WEF, says PM Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a speech at the Opening Plenary of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China's Liaoning province, on June 25, in which he spoke of Vietnam's success over the past nearly four decades.

PM meets Vietnamese community in China Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met representatives of Vietnams representative offices and the Vietnamese community in China on June 25 afternoon, within the framework of his official visit to China and his attendance at the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
A Miami massage therapist accused of sexually assaulting a client allegedly tried to bribe her using Zelle, said police.

Jorge Cardenio Destrades Llanes, 53, is suspected of "digitally penetrating" a 28-year-old victim and then offering to pay her $200 "to not tell anyone" via the online payment app following the alleged incident, according to police, WSVN-TV and WPLG-TV reported.

Investigators responded to a Massage Envy Tuesday afternoon and interviewed the victim and suspect.

The victim alleged Llanes assaulted her during a full-body massage.

Llanes allegedly told investigators "he felt as if (the victim) was seducing him sexually" and "that's when he might have touched her vagina unintentionally," the arrest report stated, according to WPLG.

At the culmination of the massage session, the suspect left the room and returned when the victim was dressed. He then allegedly asked for her phone number and offered to send her payment, but she "never received it," said police.

Conversely, Llanes claimed the victim asked him to pay for the massage.

"He believes the victim was asking him for money because he had touched her," the report read, the outlet reported.

Llanes has been charged with second-degree sexual battery. It's unclear if he entered a plea.
By Grainne Ni Aodha, PA

Jack Chambers has been approved by a majority of TDs to become the next Minister for Finance.

The 33-year-old Dublin politician will take over from his party colleague Michael McGrath, who is named as the States EU Commissioner nominee.

Mr McGraths replacement was chosen by the Fianna Fail under the agreement between the three parties forming the Coalition Government.

Michael McGrath has been named as Irelands EU Commissioner nominee. Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA

Speaking in the Dail ahead of a vote on Mr Chambers appointment, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party would be voting against because it believes the country is ready for something new, not simply a reshuffle of personnel.

Mr Chambers appointment was approved by 86 votes for to 60 votes against.

Mr Chambers will officially become Minister for Finance when he receives his seal of office from the President of Ireland later on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old will be the States youngest finance minister since revolutionary Michael Collins held the role during the War of Independence.

Mr Chambers, who was first elected to the Dail in 2016, studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and holds a degree in law and political science from Trinity College.

He has served as a junior minister across five departments and spent two years as Government chief whip.

He was also Fianna Fails director of local elections, and was praised by party leader Micheal Martin for his tremendous performance which he said had yielded results.

Mr Chambers was appointed deputy leader of Fianna Fail last Wednesday.

The elevation from junior minister to Minister for Finance, just three months out from Budget Day, marks a meteoric rise for the Dublin West TD.

He follows in the footsteps of a former Fianna Fail TD for Dublin West, the late Brian Lenihan Jnr, who served as minister for finance during the depths of Irelands recession.

Speaking in the Dail, Mr Martin described Mr Chambers as an excellent colleague who is a constructive and focused contributor in debates.

He has distinguished himself as a committed and tireless servant of the Irish people as Government chief whip during the Covid pandemic, the Fianna Fail leader told the Dail.

While he will indeed be the youngest person nominated to serve as Minister for Finance since Eamon de Valera nominated Michael Collins to the post in April 1919, his experience is already well beyond that of many who have held the post in the past.

Mr Martin also paid tribute to Mr McGrath, who he said had, along with Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, helped ensure that Ireland limited the economic damage of the pandemic and recovered fast and more comprehensively than most countries.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb.  Rick Satterwhites house backs up to the Missouri River, but flood insurance hadnt really seemed necessary  until this week, when he had to pump water out of his basement after a round of destructive storms.

Its not the first time hes had to dry out his basement from floodwater, but bad storms are getting more frequent, he said. Satterwhite watched with dread Monday as the river came within 2 feet of his backdoor in Dakota City, Nebraska, after torrential rain produced record-setting Midwestern floods, destroying hundreds of properties.

I talked to our agent today, Satterwhite said. Were going to get flood insurance now.

Satterwhite is hardly alone. As the Midwest begins to recover, many wont have flood insurance, which must be purchased separately from homeowners insurance. Federal data shows that across the flooded states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, the government has only issued about 26,500 flood insurance policies combined.

Lack of insurance can burden homeowners with out-of-pocket repair costs and place more need on nonprofits and the government, said Emily Rogan, senior program officer at United Policyholders, an insurance consumers group.

In Iowa, for example, consulting firm Milliman estimates that in 22 of the counties covered by the governors disaster proclamations, less than 1% of single-family homes have flood insurance from the government, which issues the vast majority of policies.

Many think flooding wont happen to them and is hardly worth the cost of another bill, according to Tom OMeara, CEO of Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa. Iowa property insurance rates have skyrocketed in recent years after a series of expensive weather disasters, he said. Avoidance of flood insurance comes as climate change increases flood risk, creating conditions that produce wetter rainstorms.

And recent storms also badly flooded smaller rivers that dont frequently overflow, catching people off guard.

I dont think people have a personal experience with floods like this very often, said Nathan Young, associate director of the Iowa Flood Center.

In 2022, the average annual price of federal flood insurance was $935. Federally-backed mortgages and many banks require flood insurance in high risk zones identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but those maps dont consider flooding from all sources, like rain. FEMAs recently-updated pricing reflects more factors, and the agency says these prices  not flood maps  are the best indicator of risk.

In Iowa, hundreds are being helped at American Red Cross shelters. Workers ask people about their loved ones and basic needs. Then they help victims assess the damage and what can be done. This is when some people first realize they needed to buy a separate flood insurance policy, said Charles Blake, disaster services senior executive with the American Red Cross. People who do have policies are so thankful, he said.

It gives you a leg up, Blake said.

Others like Ben Thomas consciously avoid flood insurance and assume risk themselves. For nearly two days, Thomas pumped water out of his basement on the north side of the Little Sioux River in Spencer, Iowa, moving between his house, his parents riverfront property across the street and other neighbors.

I dont believe that insurance is the answer to lifes problems, he said. I would say we made a very well informed decision, but in this case, we got burned.

While he doesnt regret his decision not to buy an expensive policy, he acknowledged residents might feel differently on the south side of the river, where some homes are unlivable with water on the main floor.

The National Flood Insurance Program covers up to $250,000 for a building and offers policies to protect contents worth as much as $100,000. Thats not always enough to replace an entire destroyed house, and even though the private market is small, it provides policies that can fill the gap.

There is some help available for the uninsured. The federal governments disaster declaration for parts of the flooded area allows it to issue grants and low interest loans to help with temporary housing, some home repairs and essentials like cleaning supplies and baby formula.

We can still help, said John Mills, a FEMA response team spokesperson, but flood insurance provides much more money.

FEMAs new pricing method increased rates for about three quarters of policy holders, but others saw decreases for the first time. Selling more policies is a struggle nationwide; slightly fewer people are buying them this year.

One problem is that FEMA is prohibited from discounting premiums for low-income residents, according to Rob Moore, director of flooding solutions at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Only Congress can fix that, he said.

And when rebuilding starts, thats the easiest time to mitigate the risk of the next flood, said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.

Instead of rebuilding the same way you did immediately, stop, think about what you can do to protect yourself, Berginnis said. Nobody wants to elevate their house or do flood proofing projects on a sunny day.

Associated Press reporter Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines contributed to this report. Phillis reported from St. Louis.
In the heart of the United Kingdom, where tradition and modernity intertwine, the digital landscape is thriving. Businesses, from small startups to established enterprises, are recognizing the immense power of the web to connect with customers, showcase their offerings, and drive growth. To achieve this, they turn to the expertise of web design companies in England. These companies serve as the architects of the digital world, transforming ideas into visually stunning and user-friendly websites. From the bustling streets of London to the charming villages of the countryside, these firms are shaping the digital landscape of England and beyond.

Whether youre a budding entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or simply someone looking to enhance your online presence, theres a web design company in England that can cater to your specific needs. These companies offer a wide range of services, including website development, design, content creation, and digital marketing. Their skilled professionals are equipped with the latest tools and technologies to create websites that are not only visually appealing but also functional and optimized for search engines.

PixelPerfect

Nestled in the vibrant heart of London, PixelPerfect has established itself as a leading web design company in England. Our team of talented designers, developers, and digital strategists is dedicated to crafting visually captivating and functionally superior websites that help businesses stand out in todays competitive landscape.

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CodeCrafters, headquartered in Manchester, is a trailblazer in the realm of web design companies in England. Combining technical expertise with creative flair, CodeCrafters delivers cutting-edge web solutions that push the boundaries of innovation. Whether its crafting responsive designs that adapt seamlessly to all devices or implementing advanced e-commerce functionalities, CodeCrafters prides itself on delivering exceptional results that exceed client expectations.CodeCrafters Creative Agency is renowned for its innovative approach to web design, blending cutting-edge technology with artistic flair. With a team of talented designers and developers, they push the boundaries of creativity to craft websites that not only look great but also function flawlessly. From e-commerce platforms to corporate websites, CodeCrafters Creative Agency brings visions to life with unparalleled skill and expertise.

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CreativeCanvas

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Beyond traditional web design, CreativeCanvas excels in creating dynamic animations, interactive multimedia content, and other cutting-edge digital solutions. Their commitment to staying ahead of the curve ensures that your website not only looks great but also functions seamlessly and delivers a truly engaging user experience.

WebWizards

WebWizards, a leading web design company based in the vibrant city of Brighton, England, is dedicated to crafting exceptional online experiences for businesses of all sizes. With a passion for creating visually stunning and user-friendly websites, WebWizards offers a wide range of services, including custom website design, branding, and e-commerce development. Whether youre a small startup looking to establish your online presence or a well-established company seeking a website that reflects your brands unique identity, WebWizards has the expertise to deliver tailored solutions that exceed your expectations.

DigitalDreamscape

Nestled in the heart of the bustling city of Birmingham, DigitalDreamscape stands out as a beacon of excellence in the realm of web design in England. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for crafting exceptional digital experiences, this innovative company has quickly established itself as a go-to choice for businesses seeking to make a lasting impression online.

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A Pixel Perfect Future

The digital revolution is in full swing, and web design companies in England are at the forefront of this exciting transformation. These companies are not just creating websites; they are building digital experiences that captivate audiences, drive engagement, and ultimately, drive business success. From small startups to established corporations, businesses across England are turning to these experts to help them thrive in the competitive online landscape. As the digital world continues to evolve, the role of web design companies will only become more essential.
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has arrived in his native Australia, hours after formally accepting a plea deal in a US court in the Northern Mariana Islands. Assange was accused of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security materials which shed light on alleged American war crimes. https://www.rt.com/news/600035-assange-returns-home/

Thus, I will still watch and we will see what the future brings for Assange

WtR
China, Austria sign new giant panda cooperation agreement

Xinhua) 11:10, June 27, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and Austria's Schonbrunn Zoo on Wednesday signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation on the protection of giant pandas and related research.

A new pair of giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will be sent to Austria under a 10-year project, according to the agreement.

To ensure the pandas' health in Austria, Chinese experts traveled early this year to offer guidance on facilities, feeding, food management and health care.

Vienna's Schonbrunn Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world, with a history of more than 270 years.

The CWCA and Schonbrunn Zoo began cooperating on giant panda protection in 2003. Over the last two decades, their cooperation has achieved fruitful outcomes in panda conversation, breeding, scientific research, technological exchange, personnel training and public education.

A female panda, Yang Yang, and a male panda, Yuan Yuan, currently live at Schonbrunn Zoo. After Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan are returned to China this year, the zoo will renovate and upgrade its facilities, and make other preparations to provide a safer, more welcoming environment for the new panda pair.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The cell phone of a Chicago woman who is missing in the Bahamas was found in the ocean as her family and friends travel to the Caribbean island to help in her search, according to reports.

Taylor Casey, 41, went missing on June 19 when she failed to attend classes at a yoga retreat at a resort on Paradise Island, and the Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person alert for her two days later.

Authorities on Wednesday said they found the phone but it's unclear how far away it was from the retreat.

"We have conducted extensive investigation into the matter," Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said Wednesday, WABC-TV reported. "Our priority is to find Taylor and to find Taylor in good health."

He said the search for Casey involved drones, search-and-rescue dogs, divers, as well as the scouring CCTV cameras and interviewing those who attended the yoga retreat.

Trayisa Conrad, Casey's niece, told NewsNation she had her aunt's phone on the Find My iPhone app and checked it when she heard Casey was missing.

The app showed that Casey's phone was in the water, where police recovered it Tuesday.

She described her aunt as a "sweet lady" and said she had been practicing yoga for 15 years.

"She takes trips all the time," Conard said. "This was out of the ordinary."

Colette Seymore, Casey's mother, said she will be among a group of family and friends aiding the search after launching the "Find Taylor Casey" Facebook page.

"I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with other upon her return," Seymore said. "Taylor would never disappear like this."

"We are deeply concerned for Taylor's safety and well-being," Seymore added. "We love Taylor and want her home."
Three developments are slated for Baraboos south side, and the city is closer to establishing a tax incremental financing district, or TID, to incentivize the projects.

On Tuesday, the Common Council approved another step in creating TID 13 in a 5-3 vote to incentivize the area just north of Devils Lake State Park. Three developers  Devils Lake Hospitality, Valhalla Valley and KMD Properties  already own land plots and are planning to add lodging, housing and commercial properties in the district.

Tuesdays vote allows Ehlers and Associates, a financial advisory firm, to move ahead with drafting a project plan for the area regarding the planned developments, along with coordinating a Joint Review Board meeting and public hearing for residents. Those meetings are set for Aug. 20.

A vote to officially establish TID 13 is slated for Sept. 24, and if approved, would create the district.

Alds. David Olson, Jason Kent and Andrea Lombard, who represent Districts 1, 4 and 5, voted against the measure. Yes votes were cast by Alds. Steve Hause, John Ellington, Scott Sloan, Heather Kierzek and Kathleen Thurow, representing Districts 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9, respectively.

District 3 Ald. Bryant Hazard was absent from the meeting but expressed support for the proposed TID at a June 11 meeting.

The Joint Review Board would consist of a representative each from the city, Sauk County, Baraboo School District and a vocational education institution in the area. A fifth representative would be chosen by the city, as it is the entity hosting the potential TID.

The proposed KMD tax incremental financing-assisted development is southeast of Baraboo Bluffs Estates, an ongoing KMD project outside of a TID.

KMDs project would include 158 housing units  five 18-unit buildings, a 20-unit building and three 16-unit buildings  between Evergreen and Spruce Drives, along with 13 duplexes along Spruce north of Mine Road.

An additional 15 duplexes are planned between Spruce and Walnut Street, along with 142 total apartment units  eight 16-unit facilities and a 14-unit building. Two retail spaces, a gas station and a stormwater facility near Walnut are also part of the plan.

Devils Lake Hospitality is planning a hotel that will also have 30 luxury cabins on a plot north of Highway DL across from the state park. The hotel would have 80 rooms, outdoor amenities behind the main hotel, and 288 parking spaces. A new access driveway to the hotel complex would be created just north of Tranquility Lane off of DL.

Valhalla Valleys proposed development would be located south of KMDs proposed housing and extend Spruce Drive south to a future street, Bonnies Way, that would connect Spruce east with Walnut Street, which is also Highway DL.

The roughly 70-lot development would feature lots for single- and multifamily housing. The Sauey family, which owns Valhalla Valley, would not build any housing on the lots but instead would sell lots to individual buyers for them to build on, according to Geoff Vine, the project consultant.

Two other streets east from the extended Spruce Drive would also be created, Nordic Drive and Heritage Drive, a dead end with single-family lots in a cul-de-sac.

Four city residents objected to the possible TID creation during the public comment session at Tuesdays meeting.

Long-term decisions about the growth of Baraboo are being made with a last guidance and context of that development coming from 2005, city resident Amy Workman said, citing a need to update the citys comprehensive plan to establish new guidelines for property development. This is not smart growth, nor is it wise growth.

Overcrowding at Devils Lake State Park is a concern, particularly with parking, according to resident Steven Drexler, who added that new developments, particularly the planned hotel, in that area would exacerbate the problem.

I dont want to become Wisconsin Dells, he said.

The city is currently working on a new comprehensive plan but has no timetable for completion nor approval. It had an open house at Baraboo High School for feedback in October, where residents expressed a desire for additional housing, among other suggestions.

Ellington and Sloan emphasized the need to move forward in the TID 13 process because of a change in state law that goes into effect on Oct. 1.

The change could cause the city to generate less revenue from the TID and its developments due to deference and only new construction value affecting revenues instead of that along with economic appreciation, or net new construction.

According to Ehlers summary of the upcoming law, a municipalitys one-time adjustment when a TID created after Oct. 1 closes becomes 10 percent of its new construction value from opening to closure.

Annual adjustments would be 90 percent of the value of new construction, instead of the entirety of net new construction, or increased tax revenues generated from new developments in the TID. The remaining 10 percent of the new construction value would be deferred to the closure of the TID.

Baraboo would have to officially create the new district by Sept. 30 at the latest for it to operate under the current law.

Olson cited environmental reasons for his vote, while Lombard said there are too many active TIDs in the city and expressed her opposition to tax incremental financing being used for purposes other than improving blighted areas.

I am very cautious about TIF districts, Lombard said. I dont think they are a financial plan because there is no surety.

She added that tax incremental financing could incentivize projects that either would not generate anticipated revenues or not be fully completed by developers.

If you look at distribution of development around the city of Baraboo, there are places we would love to see development, like downtown, Olson said, adding that he does not want to see development in peripheral areas of the city. The last place I would like to incentivize development would be on the periphery moving towards Devils Lake.

Olson said the potential development would make the proposed TID a viable district that would add property value to the city in the long term, but he is concerned with excess development over the next few decades in the south side area.

I know sprawl is an ugly word, but thats kind of what were talking about here, said Olson. Were sprawling towards Devils Lake.

Kent said he believes the step was rushed and that the city should wait until it finalizes a new comprehensive plan and incoming city administrator John Young is acclimated to the position.

All that glitters is not gold, said Kent and Lombard.
"Today, our community lost an extraordinary man," said a statement released on behalf of the Hicks family, including current Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks. "Judge Larry Hicks was a deeply admired, lawyer and judge, a devoted friend, mentor, and a committed servant to the administration of justice. To us, he was first and foremost, a man who put nothing before family. He was a hero in all manners, a loving husband of nearly 59 years, a doting dad, an adoring Papa, and brother. His loss is beyond comprehension."

Reno Police, Reno Fire, and REMSA responded to a report of a car hitting a pedestrian just after 2:15 p.m. at the intersection of South Virginia Street and California Avenue.

The RPD's Major Accident Investigation Team is handling the investigation.

Police say the driver of the car stayed on scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

Police say impairment does not appear to be a factor in the crash.

On behalf of the men and women of the Reno Police Department, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Judge Hicks," said Reno Police Chief Kathryn Nance in a statement. "Tragedies like this leave a lasting impact on our lives, particularly when they involve cherished members of our community.

Todays news regarding the Honorable Judge Larry R. Hicks who served Nevada for over 53 years is tragic, said Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam.

Hicks served as the district attorney in Washoe County from 1974-78 and then joined a law firm, according to an online biography. He was nominated to the U.S. District Court for Nevada by President George W. Bush and sworn in in 2001. He continued to carry a caseload after assuming senior status in 2013.

Hicks was the father of current Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks, whose office released a statement on behalf of the Hicks family.

Judge Larry Hicks was a deeply admired lawyer and judge, a devoted friend, mentor, and a committed servant to the administration of justice, the family said. To us, he was first and foremost, a man who put nothing before family. He was a hero in all manners, a loving husband of nearly 59 years, a doting dad, an adoring Papa, and brother. His loss is beyond comprehension.

Flags will be flown at half-staff over Nevadas federal courthouses, the U.S. District Court said.
A suspect in a par of shootings in Silver Springs has been arrested. Stephen Thomas Shytle of Silver Springs was found and arrested around 2 p.m. Monday according to a release from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office. He was located after authorities with the Sheriff's Office's Investigations Division got a tip leading them to a remote area of Silver Springs. Shytle was wanted in relation to a double shooting in Silver Springs on June 26th. He was booked into the Lyon County Jail on two counts of attempted murder and one count of battery with a deadly weapon causing substantial bodily harm. His bail was set at $310,000.

June 29th at 4:25 p.m. Update:

In the morning on June 29, the Lyon County Sheriff's Office seized the suspect's white Dodge truck at Lake Lahontan, but they did not find the suspect.

After investigating, the agency found that Shytle was not in the area.

Shytle is still at large and is wanted for multiple felony charges.

If you know where Shytle may be, contact the Lyon County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division by email at detective@lyon-county.org or by phone at (775) 463-6600. Refer to Case Number 24LY02608.

June 27th at 4:49 p.m. Update

A suspect has been identified in a pair of shootings that happened in Silver Springs on Wednesday.

53-year-old Silver Springs resident Stephen Thomas Shytle has been identified in a release from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office.

His whereabouts are currently unknown.

Shytle is believed to be driving a white, 2001 Dodge Ram extended cab truck, bearing Nevada license plate 119Y67. The truck also has a lumber rack attached to the bed.

Shytle should be considered armed and dangerous. The public is advised not to attempt contact with him. Instead, contact law enforcement immediately.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to Lyon County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division by email at detective@lyon-county.org or by phone at (775) 463-6600.

June 26th at 11:47 p.m. Update:

Two men were taken to the hospital via Care Flight after being shot in Silver Springs Wednesday night.

The Sheriff's Office Central Command Patrol Squad responded to the Lahontan State Park Ranger Station at Lake Lahontan around 5:30 p.m. for a report of a man who had been shot multiple times.

When deputies arrived they discovered the shooting happened at a home on Birch Street in Silver Springs, according to a release from the Lyon County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies went to the home and found another man with gunshot wounds.

Both men were taken to the hospital via Care Flight and their conditions are not known by the Sheriff's Office.

Authorities thought that the suspect in the shootings had barricaded himself in a building on the Birch Street property.

They established a perimeter and mobilized their SWAT Team.

Detectives with the Sheriff's Office's Major Crimes Unit obtained a warrant to search the property. That search did not find the suspect.

The suspect has not yet been positively identified and detectives are continuing to process the crime scene.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to Lyon County Sheriffs Office Investigations Division by email at detective@lyon-county.org or by phone at (775) 463-6600.
No other kind of resort does rustic luxury quite as well as a good glampground. And with the arrival of a handful of design-forward properties in the last few years, Northern California is now home to some of the best glamping around.

From Big Surs OG Treebones Resort to the new tents at Dawn Ranch, our favorite glampgrounds arent just ideal for summer, they are great escapes year-round.

Dawn Ranch Guerneville's century-old stay Dawn Ranch got a glow-up last year. This summer, the lovely wooded retreat pulled back the canvas on its new glamping experience for enhanced immersion into its natural surrounds. While the property's meadow chalets are lovely, of course, the king tents, which are tucked away on an old fruit orchard, have the old fashioned summer camp vibes we want for a sunny weekend on the Russian Riverbut with elevated style to suit our grown-up tastes. While the queen tents each have their own full bathrooms, the larger kings share a common and sparkling clean bathhouse clad in cedar and stocked with Le Labo products. Roll out your mat for morning yoga in the meadow, take a free kayak out on the river, or walk a couple blocks down the main drag for ice cream at Nimble & Finn's. Note that these tents are stocked with coffee, tea, and a few small snacks, but there's no fridge or cooking allowed. Plan to dine outnearby Boon Eat + Drink is Guerneville's best. // 7x7 Social Club members will receive 20 percent off glamping stays beginning in July plus 10 percent off spa bookings; Dawn Ranch, 16467 CA-116 (Guerneville), dawnranch.com.

Wildhaven: Safari Tents on the Russian River With heaters, fans, and covered porches, the safari-style tents and cabins at Healdsburgs Wildhaven toe the line between creature comfort and the great outdoors. Laid out along the Russian River, each tent comes with a personal fire pit, picnic table and patio furniture (pro tip: snag one on the river bank to get a two-person hammock, too). The 10-acre property also features a communal outdoor kitchen, complimentary wifi, regular events like yoga and live music, and a general store stocked with enough wine, beer, and cheese to last for days. If you love the property but wish it were a little more mountainy, youre in luck: The recently opened Wildhaven Yosemite offers both safari tents and cabins just outside the national park in Mariposa. // 2411 Alexander Valley Rd. (Healdsburg), wildhavensonoma.com;; 4808 Hwy 140 (Mariposa), wildhavenyosemite.com

AutoCamp: Retro Airstreams + More in Guerneville and Yosemite AutoCamp, the countrys most popular glampground outfit, has three locations within a few hours of the city. Youll find the first in Midpines not far from Yosemite, with a collection of vintage Airstreams, luxury tents, and classic cabins with porch swings. The second, AutoCamp Russian River, has the same great stays (instead of cabins, they have retro sleeping campers) among the redwoods in Guerneville. AutoCamp Sequoia is the most recent addition to the brand's estate, with airstreams that are almost within spitting distance of Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. While the properties offer different amenitiesYosemite and Sequoia revolve around a mid-century modern clubhouse and swimming pool while Russian River offers complimentary Linus bikeswifi, coffee, and tea is complimentary at both. // AutoCamp Yosemite, 6323 CA-140 (Midpines), autocamp.com/yosemite; AutoCamp Russian River, 14120 Old Cazadero Rd. (Guerneville), autocamp.com/russian-river; AutoCamp Sequoia, 40457 Sierra Dr. (Three Rivers), autocamp.com/sequoia

Treebones Resort: The Yurt Resort in Big Sur (Courtesy of @treebonesresort) Treebones was glamping before the term was even coined. Opened in 2004, this 10-plus-acre resort in Big Sur features yurts, some with full ocean views, and stunning autonomous tents, seaside lodgings with full bathrooms, front porches with fire pits, and canvas frames that glow at night. Bring-your-own-tent sites are also available, including at the human nest and twig hut, and two unusual wood constructions built by local artist Jayson Fann. Two restaurants on site, The Lodge and Wild Coast Sushi Bar, and daily morning yoga will keep you full and well-balanced throughout your stay. // 71895 Hwy 1 (South Big Sur), treebonesresort.com

Sequoia High Sierra Camp: Furnished Tents + Full Meals at Giant Sequoia National Monument (Courtesy of Sequoia High Sierra Camp) Perched above Kings Canyon National Park, the hike-in Sequoia High Sierra Camp features more than 30 canvas tent cabins gussied up with artisan furniture, plush mattresses, and down pillows. A bathhouse provides hot showers and flush toilets, and there's an open air yoga pavilion to stretch out in. Every overnight stay at the environmentally low-impact resort also includes three square meals a day, including a full mountain breakfast buffet, a pack-your-own picnic lunch, and a "casually elegant" communal dinner. // Open mid-June through mid-September only; 65745 Big Meadow Rd. (Giant Sequoia National Monument), thesequoiahighserracamp.com
The New Jersey mother of a 6-year-old boy who drowned in a pool on the first day of summer camp said her son was so excited about going swimming that he went to bed the night before "with his goggles on," according to a report.

Michael Stewart, who drowned Monday at Liberty Lake Day Camp at the Burlington County campground, couldn't contain his excitement to go swimming, his mother, Enjoli Stewart, said.

The mom recalled telling a coworker about her son arriving at summer camp and how thrilled he was to go to the pool.

"Someone asked me how my day was going and I told them about Michael and how Michael fell asleep the night before with his goggles on, and he was excited about swimming and then my phone rang and I was told I needed to rush to Mount Holly-Virtua," she told KYW-TV.

The 6-year-old was found unresponsive in the pool around 2 p.m., and authorities said staff members performed life-saving measures to revive him before an ambulance arrived. He died at the hospital.

Enjoli Stewart said her son, who was born at 23 weeks, had always been a fighter.

"Michael was in a rush to get into this world," Stewart said, noting that he weighed one pound, 3 ounces at birth.

She said doctors told her that it was unlikely he would live a normal life if he survived, but he proved them wrong.

"My son was eager," she said. "He was eager about everything."

Stewart was part of an inclusion program for children with special needs, WPVI-TV reported.

The mom said Michael's determination gave her a valuable lesson.

"Michael taught me how to fight and he taught me to fight without using my hands," Stewart said. "He taught me how to fight in a different manner."

The camp's owner, Andy Pritikin, said, "All of us ... are devastated and grieving over the tragic passing of our young camper" in a statement to KYW.
Giving old clothes new life with his undeniably cool stamp is designer Simon Ungless happy place. How fitting, given the fact that hes in the midst of his own second act of sorts.

In June 2022, the beloved fashion leader, long known for his printmaking, waved goodbye to three decades in academia as the director of San Franciscos Academy of Art University School of Fashion. Ever since, the Larkspur-living Brit with a design aesthetic best described as playful-London-punk-glam has been busier than ever.

Simon Ungless on leaving Academy of Art: "I woke up one day and was like F meIve been doing this for 29 years and I havent time to do my own work." (Adahlia Cole)

Along with focusing on his sustainable clothing label When Simon Met Ralph, a constant stream of collaborations and projectsincluding working with Angelina Jolie and her New York ateliercontinue to fuel his creativity and keep his calendar booked.

On a recent Friday, I sat down with the ever humble, utterly engaging Ungless and his equally charming partner in life and business, Jody Niederkohr. The assignment was simple: Find out what hes been up to lately and, generally, shoot the shite.

Dressed casually in a loose tee, camo cargo pants, and sneakerswhat Ungless describes as his daily uniformthe former academic and rebel at heart is chatty and relaxed. This, notwithstanding the fact that he clearly has a lot to do for a fast-approaching three-week road trip. Final destination: New York City and The Metropolitan Museum of Arts Sleeping Beauty exhibit featuring iconic Alexander McQueen dresses and jackets starring Ungless prints.

In case you missed it, Ungless was a longtime friend and collaborator of the late "Lee McQueen. They famously met while design students at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London. He also mentored and later collaborated with McQueens successor Sarah Burton, who has said that Ungless contributions are part of the brands DNA.

Even though it has been two years since the bespectacled Ungless left the institution he helped to found, he exudes the air of a kid out of school for summer. His sense of freedom is palpableno longer constrained by the business-first ethos and politics of higher (fashion) education.

Was there one thing in particular that made him pack his things and go?

My viewpoint on education changed over time," he says. "I think it really started in 2008 with the economic crash, when things changed drastically and for good. Schools and education had already become a business all about money, money, money, numbers, numbers, numbers. When the industry youre providing a service for at the bottom level has gone, or changed, but youre still churning out more and more designers for no jobs, its a problem. This is where my understanding of de-growth started, which is kind of like the complete antitheses of whats going on. I knew that if we didnt change, we would not survive.

After years of coming into significant conflict with the Academy establishment and the larger fashion-education industry, Ungless had had enough. Thing is, what I always loved about the Academy was the founding principle of artists for artists, which always meant practicing artists and designers in the classroom teaching students, so we all had encouragement to do our own work. But then I woke up one day and was like F meIve been doing this for 29 years and I havent time to do my own work.

If I can get somebody to stop going to the store, even just once, and have them look at what they have and change it and have them fall in love with it again and wear it? Thats a win, he says. (Adahlia Cole)

And I think through the pandemic, working remotely, working my ass off to make everything good for the students in some way but also getting lots of offers of work for me to do stuff, I got a bite of the cherry again. This feels really goodtheres life in the old dog yet, he smiles.

A lot of life, indeed.

His first year post-AAU was a whirlwind: He spent time as a visiting professor at Arizona State and did a little teaching at West Valley College in Saratoga. But the better part of 2023 was spent in the UK, which was a double homecoming: a return to his native England and a return to McQueen.

McQueen hired me to put together the Rebel: 30 Years of London Fashion[at Londons Design Museum] with Sarah Mower, Vogue.coms chief fashion critic and guest curator. I had also been working with McQueen during this time on the mens collection. In fact, I thought Id be doing more with McQueen, and Jody and I were thinking of moving to London, Ungless says.

But just as his work on the installation was ending, his onetime mentee, friend, and collaborator Sarah Burton announced her departure from McQueen after 13 years as creative director.

We came back to California, and I thought wow, thats all over, whats next?

Turns out, Angelina Jolie was next.

Not long after settling back into his lovely house in Larkspur last October, one of Jolies people reached out. The actress and founder of Atelier Jolie, a startup eco-conscious fashion venture and creative collective with a storefront in NYC, was very familiar withand a big fan ofUngless work.

In short order, the two met, got on very well, and have been working together in various ways since. We have a similar philosophy in terms of ethical everythingdesign, fabric, the way people are treated, and the way people are educated globally, Ungless says.

Along with doing consultancy work on Atelier Jolies house brand, pieces from When Simon Met Ralph are also sold at the boutique.

Ungless in his happy place: print-making with Jody Niederkohr, his partner in life and business. (Adahlia Cole)

WSMR is about eight years old, but Ungless finally has the bandwidth to truly nurture it. Every jacket, skirt, hoodie, dress, tuxedo short, and boot is one of a kind. Thats because the labels philosophy is all about using vintage, deadstock, and discarded garments as the foundation for its creations. Hence, keeping them out of landfills.



If I can get somebody to stop going to the store, even just once, and have them look at what they have and change it and have them fall in love with it again and wear it? Thats a win, he says.

By employing his signature graphic printing techniques, as well as other interesting treatments like rusting fabrics, Ungless creates new heirloom-quality pieces that ooze modernity with an edge. The clothes themselves tend to be classic, unfussy silhouettes that people want to wear on repeat; in other words, theyre timeless.

Ungless, of course, has been screen printing on clothes since he was a fashion student and during early days at McQueen. His 1995 roadkill motifs featured in McQueens spring 1995 The Birds collection captured the fashion worlds attention at the time, and theyre legendary now.

Happily back at it, Ungless is as passionate as ever about his craft: I really feel like I am a printmaker now rather than a fashion person, and I want the work to have meaning. Its all about honoring the process.

While enjoying screen-printing in his yard, Ungless is excited to be moving into a new Sausalito studio starting in August. He plans to take private appointments and maybe get involved with open studios, hold private workshops, and lots of other things.

It sure will be nice to have our house back, he jokes.

Jonesing for your own Ungless print? Youre in luck: Hell be participating in a residency at 7x7 Social Club on Wednesday and Thursday, July 10th and 11th at our Vacant to Vibrant pop-up in Jackson Square. Watch 7x7's Instagram for news on how to sign up. Then, just bring in a garment and let the master work his magic.

// whensimonmetralph.com
Writing in The Conversation, Jamie Medhurst, Professor of Film and Media, discusses how the result of the General Election could impact the ongoing debate about the devolution of broadcasting powers from Westminster to the Senedd:

In their 2024 general election manifesto, Plaid Cymru says they will support the devolution of broadcasting powers to Wales. This would include the power to regulate, oversee and secure accountability for broadcasting and communications within Wales.

They also call for the establishment of an independent Broadcasting Authority for Wales and say they see no reason why governance of S4C should be in the hands of Westminster, rather than our democratically elected representatives in Wales.

The manifesto is responding to mounting pressure among some Welsh political parties for control over broadcasting to be devolved to Wales.

In December 2021, the Welsh Labour government and Plaid Cymru announced a new cooperation agreement that outlined several policy commitments over the next three years. Among them was the creation of a new shadow broadcasting and communications authority, which would draw up plans to devolve broadcasting and communications powers to the Senedd (the Welsh parliament).

This signified a major shift on the part of the government that had, until that point, argued that broadcasting and media policy matters should be a matter reserved for the UK government.

Although Plaid Cymru withdrew from the cooperation agreement in May 2024 following a vote of no confidence in the first minister, Vaughan Gething, plans to establish an authority to oversee broadcasting and communication in Wales are still going ahead.

In addition to calls in the report of an expert panel established in the wake of the cooperation agreement, the independent thinktank, the Institute of Welsh Affairs undertook research and published reports in 2023 that supported the move of broadcasting and communication control from London to Cardiff.

Then in March this year, the Senedd Culture Committee published its report on public service broadcasting in Wales. Again, it called for the devolution of powers to Wales.

Writing in a recent special issue of Political Quarterly, which focused on the future of public service media, my colleague, Sian Nicholas and I discussed public service broadcasting in Wales, past, present and future, and raised the issue of devolving broadcasting powers.

We concluded that, as things stand, it would be a difficult thing to do. Thats because it would require legislation from the UK government to allow any kind of transfer of powers from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to the Senedd.

But things have changed. We are now facing the prospect of a Labour government in Westminster working with a Labour government in Wales. Will this changed political dynamic result in a change of policy?

The crunch question is what kind of powers could and should be devolved? Which broadcasters? S4C, the Welsh-language broadcaster, is an obvious candidate, but what about the BBCs Welsh services on radio, television and online in English and in Welsh?

That might mean a more federal structure to the BBCs operation. And what about ITV Cymru Wales? Devolving regulatory powers from Ofcom might also be a way forward in making broadcasters more accountable to Welsh audiences. There are, at this stage, more questions than answers  but that is not to say that these are unanswerable.

If broadcasting powers  in some shape or form  are devolved to Wales, what would that mean for the rest of the UK? Its interesting to note that the Scottish National Party have also highlighted broadcasting in their general election manifesto, arguing that:

Broadcasting is a crucial platform to showcase Scottish life and culture, but with power over broadcasting reserved to Westminster we are restricted in our ability to ensure it better reflects the needs and priorities of Scottish audiences.

This is an important aspect to consider  what broadcasting policy might look like in an increasingly devolved UK. The current UK government is opposed to devolving powers over broadcasting. And while the Labour manifesto talks of strengthening the links between Westminster and Cardiff Bay should it form the next government, broadcasting is not mentioned specifically.

But it is a question that I, and colleagues from the universities of Ulster, Glasgow, and Goldsmiths are hoping to answer in a new research project. If funded (and we wont know until later this year) we will bring academics, policymakers, broadcasters and members of the public together to discuss, debate and maybe shape policy.



This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


Letter to Shareholders

Sydney, June 27, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Tamboran Resources Corporation ( ASX:TBN ) ( TBNNY:OTCMKTS ) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 3,125,000 shares of Common Stock at a price to the public of US$24.00 per share, raising gross proceeds of US$75 million to fund the ongoing drilling activities for the proposed Shenandoah South Pilot Project in the Beetaloo Basin.



Tamboran has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 468,750 shares of its common stock at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discount.



The raising was well supported by US$20 million from existing shareholders Sheffield Holdings, LP (an affiliate of Bryan Sheffield) and Liberty Energy.



Tamboran shares will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange on June 27, 2024, under the ticker symbol "TBN". The offering is expected to close on June 28, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.



BofA Securities, Citigroup, and RBC Capital Markets are acting as joint book-running managers for the proposed offering. Johnson Rice & Company and Piper Sandler are acting as co-managers for the proposed offering.





About Tamboran Resources Corporation





Tamboran Resources Corporation (ASX:TBN) is a natural gas company that intends to play a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future by developing low CO2 unconventional natural gas resources in the Beetaloo Sub-basin within the Greater McArthur Basin in the Northern Territory of Australia. Tamboran's key assets are a 25% working interest in EP 161 and a 100% working interest in EP 136, EP 143 and EP(A) 197 which are located in the Beetaloo Sub-basin.

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CEO to Participate in Online Webinar

Melbourne, June 27, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Universe Ltd ( ASX:LU7 ) ( ESMAF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to invite shareholders and investors to attend a webinar on MarketOpen Direct Connect, to be held on Friday 28th June 2024, 11:00am AEST/ 9:00am AWST.



CEO Alex Hanly will present the Company's strategy to close the lithium conversion gap within North America through development of the proposed 16,000 tpa lithium carbonate refinery at Becancour, Quebec.



Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to Mr Hanly during a moderated Q&A session.



This webinar can be viewed live via Zoom and to register please use the link below:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/91RASS1P



A recorded copy of the webinar will be made available following the event.





About Lithium Universe Ltd





Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7) (FRA:KU00) (OTCMKTS:LUVSF), headed by industry trail blazer, Iggy Tan, and the Lithium Universe team has a proven track record of fast-tracking lithium projects, demonstrated by the successful development of the Mt Cattlin spodumene project for Galaxy Resources Limited.

Instead of exploring for the sake of exploration, Lithium Universe's mission is to quickly obtain a resource and construct a spodumene-producing mine in Quebec, Canada. Unlike many other Lithium exploration companies, Lithium Universe possesses the essential expertise and skills to develop and construct profitable projects.

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A grieving mother found comfort in learning her daughter's killer was set to be executed in Texas on her slain daughter's birthday.

"When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying, and crying," said Patricia Townsend.

"That's her birthday."

"He doesn't deserve mercy," Townsend told USA TODAY, adding that she would be among the witnesses present and that it would be a "joyful occasion" for her family.

Ramiro Gonzalez, 41, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening, marking the second inmate to be put to death in the state of Texas this year and eighth overall in the nation.

Gonzalez was convicted of the rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, who was only just getting her start in life, working full-time, and waiting to hear back on school applications.

"I can't put into words the pain I have caused y'all, the hurt, and what I took away that I cannot give back," Gonzales told the Townsends shortly before execution.

The killer mentioned to the family that he used the time he had left on earth to take responsibility for his actions in an attempt to "give it all back" and that he loved the Townsends.

"I never stopped praying for all of you. I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life, and I hope one day you will forgive me," Gonzales said.

"To all your family, I'm sorry."

He also thanked his family and friends for the support they've given him over the years before giving his last words.

"God bless you all. Warden, I'm ready."

Texas executed Gonzales for a crime he committed as an 18-year-old, Gonzales' lawyers told USA TODAY after his death.

"The man put to death for those acts was a different person."

Gonzales allegedly struggled as an abused and neglected child and teenager, never knowing the "tools, support, or guidance" that many take for granted, which Gonzales's legal team tried to justify.

"The Ramiro" who left the world was a "deeply spiritual, generous, patient, and intentional person, full of remorse, someone whose driving force was love," the lawyers continued.

Bridget Townsend was spending the night at her boyfriend Joe Leal's house the night Ramiro Gonzales appeared.

Leal dealt drugs, and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine and found Bridget there alone.

After stealing some cash, Bridget tried to contact Leal.

That's when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up, and drove her to his grandfather's ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records.

For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget.

While serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget and led authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town northwest of San Antonio.

Townsend told USA TODAY that Gonzales' childhood "should not have anything to do with it."

"I know a lot of people who had a hard childhood," she said on Saturday, four days ahead of the execution.

"He made his choice."

"She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," Townsend described her daughter.

"She didn't deserve what she got."
New York police have busted a green-haired man wanted for a vicious attack against a 62-year-old deli worker.

A sickening video posted to Instagram shows the crazed attack on the Queens deli worker into critical condition inside the deli on Broadway near 64th Street in Woodside.

The NYPD confirms to HNGN that Osvel Diaz, 29, is facing attempted murder and assault charges.

It all started with a bump into the store employee at about 11:20 p.m. on June 17. It ignited a violent attack.

Surveillance video shows Diaz, dressed in black with a nest of green hair, punching the victim and brutally throwing him to the floor.

While the victim tried to pick himself up and kick the attacker away, Diaz only came back rougher, continuing to pound into the man before trapping him in a corner by the coffee machine.

Another employee tried to intervene and put an end to the assault; however, Diaz kept punching and kicking the 62-year-old with zero restraint.

Once unconscious, he kicked the man in the head seven times in a row, and as the camera spots him heading out the door, he turns around and kicks him in in the head three more times until his face is covered in blood.

Medics rushed the worker to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition.

He suffered a brain bleed and multiple fractured bones, his son told WABC-TV.

"There's a certain part of his bone that is detached from a very important part of his face," the victim's son said.

Authorities arrested Diaz, who had a young child with him, near the deli on Wednesday evening and also charged him with endangering the welfare of a child.

People in the neighborhood called Diaz a menace.

"Once you mentioned the green hair, I knew I saw him because everybody looks at him; everybody crosses the street when they see him," one resident told WABC.

"He's weird. He's definitely weird."
In todays ever-evolving marketplace, brand positioning and strategic innovation are paramount for sustained success. Saumitra Prasad, Chief Marketing Officer, DOMS Industries, brings over two decades of marketing expertise to the forefront of DOMS ambitious growth trajectory. Under his visionary leadership, DOMS is not only reinforcing its market presence but also pioneering initiatives that resonate deeply with its core values and customer aspirations.

In this insightful interview with Adgully, Prasad delves into his vision for DOMS brand positioning, highlighting key developments such as the acquisition of SKIDO and collaborations with KidZania. These strategic moves are designed to align with DOMS promise: Every Ambition Needs Preparation. Prasad discusses how these initiatives are shaping the brand's journey and enhancing its offerings to support the educational and creative endeavors of its consumers.

Prasad also sheds light on the innovative experiences being created at the DOMS Painting Studio in KidZania, the impact of emerging marketing trends, and the role of artificial intelligence in revolutionizing marketing strategies. Furthermore, he shares insights on DOMS approach to evaluating marketing campaign success, exploring new digital channels, and fostering customer loyalty in a competitive landscape.

Also Read: KidZania Mumbai & DOMS empower children to express themselves via art

With over two decades of experience in marketing, what is your vision for DOMS brand positioning in the market, and how do the recent developments like the acquisition of Skido and collaborations with KidZania align with this vision?

DOMS is committed to its promise Every Ambition Needs Preparation and will always be an inspiring partner in fulfilling ambitions through its exciting range of products in the education journey.

Collaborations with Kidzania with DOMS Painting studio is very much extension of the brand promise and vision to help fulfill dreams and ambition in the journey of an artist.

DOMS acquisition of SKIDO is a great opportunity to leverage our brand equity in the large category of school bags.

DOMS is deeply dedicated to upholding its fundamental pledge: "Every Ambition Needs Preparation." This commitment serves as the guiding principle behind our endeavors, as we continuously strive to be an unwavering ally in individuals' pursuit of their aspirations. Through an array of innovative products meticulously crafted to accompany one on their educational journey, we endeavor to inspire and empower ambition in every learner.

Our collaboration with Kidzania, particularly through the establishment of the DOMS Painting studio, epitomizes an extension of this brand promise and vision. By providing a platform within the immersive Kidzania experience for young artists to explore their creativity, we actively contribute to the fulfillment of dreams and ambitions along the artistic path. This partnership underscores our dedication to nurturing talent and fostering a supportive environment for aspiring artists to flourish.

Furthermore, DOMS strategic acquisition of SKIDO represents a significant opportunity to harness our esteemed brand reputation within the expansive realm of school bags. By integrating SKIDO into our portfolio, we aim to leverage our existing brand equity to offer top-quality, functional, and stylish school bags that cater to the diverse needs of students.

What kind of experiences are you aiming to create with the DOMS painting studio at KidZania, and how do you ensure they resonate with both children and parents?

The DOMS Painting Studio at KidZania provides an engaging and immersive experience for children to explore the world of art. Here, young participants can step into the role of an artist and express their creativity using a wide range of DOMS color products. This studio is designed to cater to the ambitions of budding artists, offering them a unique opportunity to learn and develop their skills in a supportive and inspiring setting. The environment at the DOMS Painting Studio is both fun and educational, ensuring that children not only enjoy the creative process, but also gain valuable insights into the artistic journey.

What emerging trends in marketing do you believe will have the most significant impact on the industry in the next 5-10 years, and how is DOMS preparing to capitalize on these trends?

The most significant trend currently influencing marketing and other business functions is the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). Leveraging AI tools in our marketing processes is crucial for enhancing efficiency and strengthening our consumer offerings.

By integrating AI into all aspects of our marketing efforts, we can gain deeper insights into consumer behavior, personalize interactions, and streamline operations. This includes using AI for data analysis, targeted content delivery, optimized ad placements, and AI-powered customer service.

Embracing AI will allow us to provide superior value to consumers and stay ahead of the competition. Therefore, implementing AI technologies across our marketing processes is essential for driving innovation and growth.

What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you focus on to evaluate the success of marketing campaigns at DOMS?

The KPIs we focus for most campaigns include Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM), Click-Through Rate (CTR), Cost Per Acquisition (CPA), Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS), and Engagement Rate (ER).

By meticulously monitoring and analyzing these key performance indicators, we gain invaluable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of our campaigns, enabling us to fine-tune our strategies, optimize resource allocation, and ultimately drive better results and ROI.

With digital marketing constantly evolving, what new channels or technologies are you most excited about exploring for DOMS?

Our social media presence is thriving, with over 1.2 million YouTube subscribers and a strong following on Instagram and Facebook.

Recently, we launched the DOMS ART LEAGUE, an engaging online platform to promote the arts. Every month, schoolchildren participate in our art competition, showcasing their talents and creativity. The DOMS ART LEAGUE not only celebrates young artists but also provides a supportive community for their artistic growth.

Are there any plans to introduce new product lines or expand existing ones as part of DOMS growth strategy? How do recent initiatives support these plans?

DOMS has established a robust and aggressive innovation pipeline for new products, which has been a significant driver of its rapid growth. The company's introduction of modern, quality stationery products with added value, alongside recent strategic collaborations, underscores its dedication to broadening its market potential and diversifying its product portfolio. Through continuous product development and enhanced customer value, DOMS is strategically positioned to increase its market share across all stationery categories, aspiring to become the preferred brand for stationary and color products.

With the rise of e-commerce, what steps is DOMS taking to enhance its online presence and sales channels?

In response to the burgeoning e-commerce landscape, DOMS is strategically fortifying its online presence and sales channels. We're actively collaborating with major platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, First Cry, Blink IT, Swiggy and Zepto leveraging these partnerships to fuel our digital marketing initiatives. Anticipating robust growth, we are committed to optimizing our digital footprint and maximizing sales opportunities in the dynamic online marketplace.

What role do influencers play in your marketing strategy, and how do you select the right influencers for your campaigns?

Influencers serve as powerful conduits for conveying our brands message to our consumers, amplifying its reach and impact. When choosing influencers, it is essential we consider various factors beyond just their follower count. The profile of the Influencer, including their niche, expertise, and relevance to our category, plays a crucial role. Additionally, evaluating the quality of their content creation skills ensures that the brands message is communicated effectively and authentically to the audience. Furthermore, analyzing the engagement rate provides insights into the level of interaction and connection the Influencer has with their followers, indicating the potential effectiveness of their promotional efforts.

How do you foster customer loyalty and ensure repeat business in a competitive market?

At DOMS, we firmly believe that the key to fostering consumer loyalty lies in providing unparalleled product experiences. Our commitment to excellence in every aspect of product development and delivery ensures that each interaction with a DOMS product leaves a lasting impression.

From meticulous design to rigorous quality control, every step of our process is geared towards delighting our customers. By consistently exceeding expectations and delivering exceptional value, we not only earn consumer trust but also cultivate long-term loyalty. Once individuals have had the opportunity to experience the superior quality and performance of DOMS products, they naturally gravitate towards becoming devoted patrons, advocating for our brand and forming a strong bond with our company.
The self-declaration mandate, as per a directive by the Supreme Court of India, has sent the ad world into a tizzy. According to the Supreme Court order, no advertisement shall run on print, television, or digital media without a Self Declaration Certificate which is valid. The certificate, signed by an authorized representative of the advertising agency, is required to be submitted through either the Broadcast Seva Portal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for radio and TV ads or the Press Council of Indias portal for print and digital ads. Ad agencies must also declare that the self-declaration certificate abides by the norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India and Rule 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.

The representation is also required to submit their details such as email address, contact number, information about the ad, product or service description, the audio/ visual elements link, a PDF in case of print ads, and the product or service script. The date of publishing must also be informed by them in the declaration certificate. In the instance of ads that are certified by the Central Board of Film Certification, a certificate copy should be submitted with the self-declaration certificate.

As the ad industry goes about complying with the SDC mandate, several areas of concern have arisen. The ground realities of submitting the Self Declaration Certificate are beginning to hit the agencies  such as increase in workload and logistical challenges, ambiguity, possibility of unethical players exploiting loopholes. There are also concerns about the whole process adversely impacting creativity and innovation.

Adgully spoke to a cross-section of agency heads to understand the pain points, as well as how the ad industry is coping with fulfilling the requirements of the SDC mandate.

Bhavik Mehta, CEO, Think'in Birds Communications, said, The recent Self-Declaration Certificate (SDC) mandate in India has created uncertainty and logistical challenges for advertising agencies. While its intent to promote responsible advertising is appreciated, the implementation poses several hurdles. Managing a high volume of creatives, each requiring an SDC has significantly increased turnaround time and strained resources. A 2023 study by the Advertising Club Bombay found that 62% of agencies expect the SDC to increase project timelines by at least 10%.

He further pointed out, Ambiguous guidelines on what constitutes a misleading claim lead to inconsistencies and delays during approvals. Different validation processes across media platforms add confusion and paperwork. The systems reliance on advertisers honesty might allow unethical players to exploit loopholes, making agencies scapegoats if misleading claims slip through. This cautious approach stifles creativity and innovation, hampering rapid iteration and A/B testing. Integration challenges and scalability concerns further complicate the process. While the SDC mandate has its merits, addressing these pain points through clearer definitions, standardized formats, third-party verification, and technological solutions is crucial for smoother implementation.

On the other hand, Naresh Gupta, Co-founder, Bang In The Middle, remarked, In reality, the pain point is just the extra work. It slows down the release, but beyond that its not an issue. When the site works, it works well and there are no issues.

However, according to Gupta, the issue is about having clarity on what all needs a SDC. Does every search ad copy is needed to be certified? Or every post? Or post and its descriptor? There is ambiguity there, so we are being careful and advising our clients to get everything certified. In our case, the clients are doing the process themselves. It does slow down the process of release, but I suspect its early and things will get clear as we go along. I am of the opinion that this is the right thing to do and will benefit brands and agencies alike. This will build the missing consumer trust in advertising.

As per Swati Rathi, Head of Marketing at Godrej Appliances, the main pain point is with respect to digital ads. She said: " With the plethora of digital ads being churned out by big brand, the added step slows things down. The process is slightly cumbersome  with the need to download  sign and again upload signed document. Digital AI driven dynamic campaigns also need clarity."

Rekha Motwani, AVP Media, #ARM worldwide said: "Given that the update is still in its early stages, the operational and logistical demands it places on advertisers, brands, and marketers are significant aspects to consider. The requirement to obtain SDC through designated authorised portals involves extensive documentation, and while we are still awaiting more details regarding the same, it adds another step that extends the ad release process. Furthermore, implementing it will necessitate having experts proficient with the new regulatory system, which might be a challenge initially. Lastly, concerns about the confidentiality of advertising materials and ideas uploaded to specific portals and platforms also present a risk to proprietary information and strategic plans. While these challenges are expected to persist during the initial months of implementation, we are optimistic that solutions will be found."

Yorick Pinto Sr. Creative Director, BC Web Wise commented: "The Supreme Courts SDC mandate guidelines have a lot of ambiguity, especially with regard to what constitutes an advertisement when it comes to digital marketing. Case in point - do social media posts done by brands come under the ambit of advertising? Another pain point is who is ultimately responsible for making the self-declaration - the agency or the client? Most agency folks are of the opinion that the client is best suited to take on the responsibility of making the SDC, as ultimately they are the ones who understand the product in detail."

According to Joydeep Sen, Thinking Director, Speaking Mirror, The key pain points of the SDC mandate include an increased administrative workload, as agencies and advertisers now need to spend significantly more time on compliance-related tasks. Theres also a lot of confusion about the specific requirements and how to meet them, leading to inconsistencies in adherence. This complexity can create delays in campaign approvals and executions, negatively impacting the timeliness of ad releases. Additionally, smaller businesses with limited resources may struggle more with the additional burden, potentially widening the gap between them and larger companies.

Parthiv Majmudar, Senior Vice President- Delivery, Operations & Client Engagement, Puretech Digital, observed, The recent Supreme Court mandate for Submission of Self-declaration Certificates (SDC) is a significant step towards safeguarding consumer interests and promoting responsible marketing. However, it introduces new considerations for advertisers and agencies. Advertisers must now implement a content approval process that tracks every advertisement from creation to release, ensuring a record of the approving authorities. While this process is familiar in the insurance industry, it is relatively new to other sectors, leaving many advertisers facing unanswered operational challenges.

Commenting on the areas of the SDC mandate lacking clarity and its impact on filling and submission, Bhavik Mehta pointed out the following areas:

Areas Lacking Clarity

Defining Misleading Claims: The mandate lacks a clear definition of what constitutes a misleading claim. This subjectivity creates confusion for agencies when filling out the SDCs. Uncertainties arise around claims related to product efficacy, price comparisons, and disclaimers.

The mandate lacks a clear definition of what constitutes a misleading claim. This subjectivity creates confusion for agencies when filling out the SDCs. Uncertainties arise around claims related to product efficacy, price comparisons, and disclaimers. Specificity for Different Industries: The mandate might not be specific enough for various sectors. For example, what constitutes a "misleading claim" in a financial advertisement might differ from one in a food product campaign. The lack of sector-specific guidelines makes it difficult for agencies to accurately assess the need for an SDC.

The mandate might not be specific enough for various sectors. For example, what constitutes a "misleading claim" in a financial advertisement might differ from one in a food product campaign. The lack of sector-specific guidelines makes it difficult for agencies to accurately assess the need for an SDC. Burden of Proof: The mandate doesn't clarify who bears the burden of proof if an SDC is challenged. This ambiguity creates hesitation for agencies to submit SDCs, fearing rejection due to technicalities rather than actual misleading content.

Impact on Filling and Submission

Over-caution and Delays: Due to the lack of clarity, agencies often err on the side of caution and submit SDCs even for borderline cases. This adds to the workload and delays submissions for truly necessary cases.

Due to the lack of clarity, agencies often err on the side of caution and submit SDCs even for borderline cases. This adds to the workload and delays submissions for truly necessary cases. Increased Scrutiny: The fear of vague interpretations leads to more rigorous internal reviews within agencies, further slowing down the process.

The fear of vague interpretations leads to more rigorous internal reviews within agencies, further slowing down the process. Inconsistent Approvals: The lack of standardization across platforms creates a situation where some platforms might reject SDCs for reasons others might accept. This inconsistency discourages timely submissions.

The lack of standardization across platforms creates a situation where some platforms might reject SDCs for reasons others might accept. This inconsistency discourages timely submissions. Incomplete Submissions: Uncertainties regarding the required level of detail in SDCs can lead to incomplete submissions, causing further delays and rework.

Overall, the lack of clarity increases the time and resources needed to fill and submit SDCs. This creates a bottleneck for agencies managing multiple campaigns with tight deadlines, Mehta noted.

Parthiv Majmudar felt that there are still many areas where the government needs to provide clarity, including the scope and ownership of the SDC, whether website content, organic search marketing content, and social media posts are included, its application to e-commerce portals and influencer endorsements, the handling of dynamic ad formats, and whether all adaptations of master creatives must be filed. Clear guidelines from the ministry are necessary to address these concerns, he stressed.

Joydeep Sen pointed out, Several areas of the SDC mandate lack clarity, particularly around the exact documentation required and the specific standards that submissions need to meet. This ambiguity causes significant confusion, making it challenging for advertisers and agencies to ensure that their submissions are compliant. The inconsistent guidelines across different regions add another layer of complexity, further complicating the submission process. As a result, many organizations face delays and errors in their filings, which can lead to rejected submissions and further slow down the advertising process.

Yorick Pinto pointed out: "As per the Supreme Court order, every Digital/Internet advertisement requires a self-declaration certificate. Now, there have been various concerns raised with regard to what constitutes a Digital/Internet Advertisement. Again: do social media posts done by brands constitute an advertisement?. Another important point to consider is that not every social post directly talks about the product. In many instances, the posts revolve around topical events such as festivals. Would these topical posts require the submission of the SDC as well? Similarly, doubts are being raised about SDC for content created by social influencers. Again, the question is who should make the SDC for influencer driven content - the client, the agency or the influencer."

"There is a lot of discussion going on around many aspects of this new update, which we hope will get much clearer by July 9, especially with ASCI and MIB proactively hearing out the concerns of advertisers and marketers. At the moment, there needs to be more clarity around many areas, starting with the registration process. For instance, apart from the specific criteria and documentation requirements for different types of ads, one issue we've noticed for our clients with multiple product lines is whether there will be a central recording system for the registration process for all products. Since ad types and formats differ greatly based on the products; this is causing uncertainty about how to begin. Furthermore, affiliate marketing presents unique challenges as creatives and copies are often shared by the brands, but the selection and display for audiences are done automatically through platforms. Advertisers are keen to understand how these automated processes will stand parallel in compliance with the SDC requirements. The phased introduction of the mandate is creating uncertainty among brands, adding to the complications of the filing process and causing delays. However, MIB's recent discussions with advertisers show promise and the anticipated solutions being discussed seem hopeful, suggesting improvements and more clarity soon" said Rekha Motwani.

Swati Rathi emphasised: "Social media is relatively in the grey zone. The process of filling and submission is clear but the scope and coverage is not very clear. Further for digital ads  is it enough to get the main key visual submitted or does one need to submit every single adapt across languages and sizes. AI enabled search ads is another confusing area  given that the headlines and body copy are dynamic and managed smartly by the machine."

Hitarth Dadia, CEO and Partner, NOFILTR.GROUP, opined that one interesting way to view the self-declaration mandate is from the consumers and customers perspective. Consider the recent events with crypto and betting apps. Its beneficial to disclose that you are paid to talk about these brands, because while 80% of your audience might not buy it, the 20% who are interested deserve to know youre endorsing the brand in exchange for payment. This transparency enhances your credibility and allows your audience to take the brand more seriously, he maintained.

Dadia further added, Some brands prefer subtle ads, while others want them to be obvious. Over time, we will naturally adjust to these preferences. Overall, this mandate will change influencer partnerships by reinforcing the importance of authenticity. Being honest about paid endorsements strengthens your relationship with your audience, as they appreciate your transparency and are glad you are earning from these associations. Creators have different approaches: some only promote products they genuinely love, while others are open to testing new ones. Regardless, transparency is key. This mandate is a positive step towards greater honesty and credibility in influencer marketing.

Discussing about his experience since the SDC mandate became active, Bhavik Mehta said, Since the Self-Declaration Certificate (SDC) mandate became active, my experience has involved several challenges and adjustments. The mandate aims to promote responsible advertising, but its implementation has increased workload and time constraints. Managing a high volume of creatives, each requiring an SDC has lengthened turnaround times and strained resources, impacting campaign deadlines. The reliance on self-declaration also poses accountability issues. Unethical players might exploit loopholes, and agencies could become scapegoats if misleading claims slip through. This cautious approach stifles creativity and innovation, as fear of scrutiny discourages creative risks and experimentation. Technological hurdles complicate integrating SDC workflows with existing systems. Overall, the SDC mandate has slowed the release of new ads, but as the industry adapts, efficiency is expected to improve.

Shedding light on the potential for the mandate to encourage more long-term brand ambassador partnerships with established influencers for better compliance and brand alignment, Hitarth Dadia said, I see significant potential in encouraging more long-term brand ambassadors. This approach fosters a deeper commitment from both creators and brands, benefiting both parties. Creators who resonate personally with the brand are more effective in promoting it, and long-term deals ensure that both sides are extremely conscientious about their partnership. This leads to relationships that go beyond the surface, focusing on what the brand represents and its values, as well as the creator's alignment with these principles. Long-term partnerships add substantial value to the industry. They facilitate greater transparency, authenticity, and honesty, especially in ambassador deals. Creators should be seen as experts on their distribution channels, understanding precisely what will work with their audience. While brands dont have to follow everything a creator suggests, involving creators in marketing and advertising discussions can significantly shape campaign structures and enhance conversions. This collaborative approach is a forward-thinking strategy for the industry.

"We did slow down briefly to take this into account. We have tried the process but its early days to comment on how the system will behave when volumes go up. The part of uploading signed certificate is cumbersome and should ideally be simplified - just uploading the generated document can represent self certification instead of the hassle of getting it signed. Also system speed should be very high to handle the volume of download and upload" said Swati Rathi.

Joydeep Sen added here, Since the SDC mandate became active, our experience has been marked by a noticeable slowdown in the release of new ads. The filing process is time-consuming and requires meticulous attention to detail, which has created bottlenecks in our workflow. The need for thorough compliance checks before submission means that we have to allocate additional resources and time to each campaign, delaying their launch. This has been particularly challenging during peak advertising periods when timely releases are crucial.

Rekha Motwani shared: "We have been helping our clients as much as we can by offering assistance with the documentation process and understanding it. However, since this mandate has come suddenly with many open-ended questions, brands, and advertisers are overwhelmed. Persistent queries regarding the type of signatory, required documentation, potential fines, and many other details have arisen. The additional time required for compliance checks and approvals has slowed the release of new ads, disrupting normal workflows and necessitating a re-evaluation of strategies to ensure timely and effective advertising despite the new regulatory environment. We are confident that with more information and clarity, the process will streamline and become smoother."

"We did slow down briefly to take this into account. We have tried the process but its early days to comment on how the system will behave when volumes go up. The part of uploading signed certificate is cumbersome and should ideally be simplified - just uploading the generated document can represent self certification instead of the hassle of getting it signed. Also system speed should be very high to handle the volume of download and upload" shared Swati Rathi.

Elaborating on how NOFILTR.GROUP will ensure compliance with the mandate across all his influencer marketing campaigns, Hitarth Dadia said, Ensuring compliance is straightforward if its a mandate that must be followed. We believe anything that enhances your authenticity and credibility is beneficial, and this mandate does just that. It is meant to be followed, and we've been clear in all our communications with creators that adhering to these mandates is essential. This strict approach is healthy for the industry in the long run.

He further said, There are multiple ways to look at it, and two key questions arise. Firstly, it will undoubtedly increase transparency and trust with the creator, but not necessarily with the brand. Many brands miss the mark here. If you're paying a creator to talk about your product or brand, it's crucial to set clear expectations. For instance, if youre looking for conversions, platforms like Facebook Marketplace or digital ads might be more effective, as human testimonials primarily drive awareness. If your product is good, people will buy it based on its merits. I cant force anyone to buy something just because I use it. However, if I am being authentic and transparent, and if consumers resonate with the products offerings, they will make a purchase. If not, they wont. Our industry is only about six to seven years old, which is relatively young. While seven years might seem long, it is still a fledgling industry, lacking standardization. Brands paying creators to simply produce ads isnt the best use of the creators credibility or creativity. It is more effective to have creators talk about your brand in a genuine way that resonates with their specific audience. Creators are experts on their audiences, while brands are experts on their products. Since youre leveraging the creators credibility, it is wise to listen to their insights on what will work for their audience. If you just want to create an ad and upload it on social media, thats fine, but it is a blunt instrument. A more effective approach is to allow the creator to convey your brands message in a way that makes sense to their audience.

Hitarth Dadia pointed out, Pre-campaign discussions, contracts, and related preparations have been in place for some time, even before these new mandates were introduced. The new mandates will ensure that more agencies adhere to these established protocols. Currently, the industry lacks consolidation, resulting in varied workflows across different agencies. These mandates will help standardize certain aspects of these workflows, which is ultimately a positive development for the industry as a whole.

Parthiv Majmudar opined, Agencies, as the final checkpoint before publication, must now integrate the SDC into their workflows. This means both advertisers and agencies will need to establish new processes to meet the government's mandate. With effective planning, there should be no reason for the go-to-market pace to slow down. However, this mandate requires both advertisers and agencies to invest in people and technology to manage the process efficiently and ensure adherence to compliance. A staggered approach to campaign rollouts may be required to mitigate these challenges.

Commenting on how advertisers and agencies can navigate the new mandate to reduce disruptions in the advertising business, Joydeep Sen said, To navigate the new mandate and reduce disruptions, advertisers and agencies should focus on streamlining their compliance processes. Developing standardized checklists and procedures can help ensure that all requirements are consistently met. Investing in training for staff to become familiar with the mandate's specifics can also improve efficiency. Leveraging automation tools and software to handle repetitive compliance tasks can save time and reduce the risk of human error. Additionally, maintaining open communication with regulatory bodies to seek clarifications when needed can help avoid misunderstandings and ensure smoother submissions.

Yorick Pinto Sr said: "Since brands often work with multiple agencies, its best that they take on the onus of making the SDC. As mentioned earlier, we have advised our clients to speak to their legal teams and seek a legal perspective to address their doubts (if any). In the current social media workflow, its usually the client that shares a go-ahead with the agency before the latter goes ahead and publishes the creatives on social media platforms. Now, the client will have to perform an additional step of making the SDC for the creative and inform the agency about this, before the agency takes the creatives LIVE on social media/digital platforms."

"Given that the update is still in its early stages, the operational and logistical demands it places on advertisers, brands, and marketers are significant aspects to consider. The requirement to obtain SDC through designated authorised portals involves extensive documentation, and while we are still awaiting more details regarding the same, it adds another step that extends the ad release process. Furthermore, implementing it will necessitate having experts proficient with the new regulatory system, which might be a challenge initially. Lastly, concerns about the confidentiality of advertising materials and ideas uploaded to specific portals and platforms also present a risk to proprietary information and strategic plans. While these challenges are expected to persist during the initial months of implementation, we are optimistic that solutions will be found" said Rekha Motwani.

Swati Rathi pointed out: "For brands like Godrej, it is basic hygiene to ensure that our claims are well tested and backed up. So the self certification doesnt really lead to any new steps in the backend  except the operational step of doing the certification itself. It does however mean accounting for an additional step and that time will have to be factored in. It would be good if there is a threshold spend level beyond which the self certification is asked for, and if the brands can submit a key visual for a campaign without having to repeat it for adapts  thats not clear yet. For AI driven dynamic ads  a single note on the ads  with the various text options can be submitted instead of all the permutations and combinations. More clarity should evolve over time. Most importantly, the intent behind the activity is good but it would be worthwhile to evaluate if we can simplify the process and prioritise so as to focus on claims rather than ads."
Shakari Briggs is a reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at shakari.briggs@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle in November 2023, she worked for Spectrum News as a digital journalist based in her hometown. Shakari comes to the Houston newsroom with experience in broadcast reporting and producing as a former multimedia journalist and associate producer. The Dallas native has also worked at small to medium-sized newspapers throughout her career.

Her reporting on the rise and fall of a shopping mall won an Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors Contest award. She also earned an Arkansas Press Association award for freelance reporting.
Uber today announced a social media campaign, Uber Flex, inviting its top-rated riders to share their rider ratings supported by reasons as to why they think they were rated that high by drivers, in order to win freebies including one year worth of free Uber rides.

Riding on the recent trend where Indians shared their rider rating as a flex on social media platforms and dating apps, Uber launched the contest with an aim to stress on the need for riders to be courteous towards their drivers, and to promote better behaviour among people. As part of the campaign, riders with high ratings on Uber will be rewarded, and those with scope to improve will also be incentivised to make a difference.

Speaking about the campaign, Nitish Bhushan, Head of Central Operations, Uber India South Asia said, Just like a rider wants to drive with a better-rated driver, drivers are also inclined to serve polite and well mannered customers. This initiative of ours is a reminder of just that, along with being a fun way to promote the desire in riders to be conscious of their surroundings, behaviour, and be more polite to each other.

The social media contest has been designed to elevate the Uber ride experience for users across India.

Contest: Rewarding Excellence in Riding

As part of the first leg of the contest, Uber is celebrating the top 100 riders with the highest ratings. All riders with a rider rating of 4.8 and above are encouraged to share their top 3 reasons they think they were rated that highly by drivers. Wit and humour in the responses will get them brownie points.

Participants will need to submit their entries by sharing screenshots of their Uber rider rating, along with the three reasons as a post on X, using the hashtag #UberFlex, by June 26.



Also read: Uber Ratings trend on Tinder: users displaying scores as red flags in bios
On World MSME Day, UGRO Capital proudly unveils its innovative campaign, MSME Accha Hai This campaign features a dedicated anthem celebrating the indispensable contributions of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to India's economy, which constitute approximately 30% of the GDP.

The 'MSME Accha Hai' campaign salutes MSMEs and encourages their transition from cash-based operations to the formal economy, enabling better access to credit and fostering business growth. This anthem, produced in-house by UGROs marketing team utilizing advanced AI technology, embodies UGRO's long-held belief: MSME Accha Hai.

The anthem will premiere on UGRO Capitals YouTube channel on World MSME Day and will be promoted extensively across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter. With this comprehensive digital strategy, UGRO aims to reach over a million MSMEs and stakeholders nationwide.

Shachindra Nath, Founder and Managing Director, UGRO Capital said, Since the very beginning, UGRO has focused its mind, body and soul on the MSME sector, and so naturally World MSME Day is quite dear to us. Through the 'MSME Accha Hai' campaign, we wanted to acknowledge their significant contributions and encourage MSMEs to step into the formal economy. At UGRO Capital, we believe in empowering MSMEs and with this anthem lets amplify the voice of India's MSMEs and support their journey toward greater growth and success.

MSMEs, which make up over 90% of businesses and employ 120 million individuals, are crucial drivers of innovation and employment in India. Despite their significant impact, many MSMEs struggle with funding challenges that impede their growth. UGRO Capital is committed to addressing this issue by providing tailored loan offerings that support their expansion and integration into India's broader economic landscape.

This World MSME Day, join UGRO Capital in celebrating the spirit of MSMEs. Participate in our social media contest by liking and sharing the anthem to salute their contributions, and MSMEs are encouraged to share their inspiring stories. Lets come together to honor and empower the backbone of our economy.
Federal Department of Finance

Bern, 27.06.2024 - Switzerland and the United States signed a new FATCA agreement in Bern on 27 June 2024. Switzerland currently provides financial account data to the United States on a unilateral basis. In the future, it will also receive corresponding information from the United States within the framework of an automatic exchange of information. The change of model is expected to apply from 2027.

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is a set of US regulations that has applied worldwide for all countries since 1 January 2014. It requires foreign financial institutions to disclose information on US accounts to the Internal Revenue Service or levy a tax.

FATCA implementation in Switzerland is currently based on Model 2, which means that Swiss financial institutions disclose account details directly to the US tax authority with the consent of the US clients concerned. Where US clients do not give their consent, the United States has to request this data through normal administrative assistance channels. By contrast, no account data is transmitted from the United States to Switzerland.

The Federal Council decided to introduce the automatic exchange of information in October 2014. Consequently, it instructed the Federal Department of Finance (FDF) to enter into negotiations with the United States to switch from Model 2 to Model 1. In the case of Model 1, the tax authorities of both countries mutually exchange information on account data automatically. This means that Switzerland will also receive account data from the United States in the future. Swiss financial institutions will no longer provide the required data to the US authorities, but rather to the Federal Tax Administration (FTA), which will then transmit it to the Internal Revenue Service.

Implementation of the FATCA agreement requires national law to be amended. In Switzerland, the Federal Assembly will decide on this. According to the current schedule, Switzerland's change of model should come into force on 1 January 2027.

Address for enquiries

Communications

State Secretariat for International Finance SIF

Tel. +41 58 462 46 16, info@sif.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Finance

https://www.efd.admin.ch/en




Opposition Slams President Murmu's Address as Government Script 2

Opposition leaders on Thursday dismissed President Droupadi Murmus address to the joint session of Parliament, labeling it as a script given by the government and full of lies. The leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, thrust sharp criticisms, particularly questioning the governments narrative about Indias economic prowess and employment statistics.

Akhilesh Yadav pointedly questioned the practicality of the governments claims, stating, If we are the fifth-largest economy, then why are so many youths unemployed? Why cant price rise be controlled? He also highlighted the supposed disparity in growth benefiting only select individuals rather than the broader populace such as farmers and the poor.

Echoing similar sentiments, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra exclaimed that the Presidents speech was tailored to a majority the BJP no longer holds. CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation MP Sudama Prasad accused the government of overseeing an undeclared emergency, contrasting it with the historically imposed Emergency of 1975. The criticisms were underscored by Tariq Anwar, who dismissed the Presidents address as a recycled version of previous speeches.
Miss Alabama 2024 has yet to be crowned, but this years competition kicked off Wednesday night with a preliminary round in Birmingham.

A total of 40 women are vying for the state title, along with scholarship money and the chance to move on to the Miss America pageant.

READ MORE: Miss Alabama 2024: Meet 40 women competing for the crown

40 1 / 40 Miss Alabama 2024 contestants

Preliminary events held this week, Wednesday through Friday at Samford Universitys Wright Center, will give each contestant a chance to strut her stuff in talent, evening wear, health and fitness and on-stage interview segments. The contestants also chat with the judges this week during off-stage interviews and showcase their community service initiatives.

Preliminaries also help to determine the semi-finalists wholl compete on Saturday in the pageant finale. Brianna Burrell, Miss Alabama 2023, will crown her successor that evening. Also, a Peoples Choice Contest allows the pubic to vote online for their favorite contestants in advance of the Miss Alabama finals. Each vote costs $1. The contestant with the most votes will earn a spot among the top 13 finalists on Saturday.

READ: Miss Alabama 2023, the states third Black woman crowned: Im proud to represent the South

Ella Kate Nichols, left, Miss Shelby County, and Abbie Stockard, right, Miss Hoover, were the winners of Wednesday preliminary competitions for Miss Alabama 2024. Miss Alabama 2023, Brianna Burrell, is at center.(Courtesy of Miss Alabama Organization)

Wednesdays preliminary winners were:

Ella Kate Nichols, Miss Shelby County, earned the top score in the talent competition. Nichols, 21, sang New York State of Mind. Shes from Andalusia and a student at the Auburn University, majoring in human development and family science. Her community service initiative is Buckets of Smiles: Advocating for Children with Cancer.

Abbie Stockard, Miss Hoover, earned the top score in the evening gown competition. Stockard, 21, is from Birmingham and attends Auburn University, majoring in nursing. Her community service initiative is Be the Change: Find a Cure  Cystic Fibrosis Awareness.

Wednesdays preliminary event included production numbers by the current Miss Alabama and this years contestants, performing to songs such as How Will I Know, Stars Fell on Alabama and Stronger. Courtney Porter Orazine, Miss Alabama 2011, was the emcee for Wednesdays event.

Judges for this year are Amanda Joseph May. Amanda Tapley McGriff, Sharron Melton, Jay Pitts and Rick Pruitt.

If you go:

The Miss Alabama 2024 competition is set for June 26-July 29 at Samford Universitys Wright Center, 872 Montague Drive in Birmingham. Preliminary competitions are set for Wednesday through Friday, June 26-28, at 7 p.m. The finals are scheduled for Saturday, June 29, at 7 p.m.

Single tickets are $45-$55 Wednesday through Friday, $63-$75 on Saturday. Season ticket packages (for all four nights) are $120-$150. See the Miss Alabama website or call 205-871-6276 for more info.
The identity of the unnamed celebrity who was recently questioned by police in connection to Matthew Perrys death has been revealed.

Palm Beach socialite turned bit actress Brooke Mueller has been contacted multiple times during a widespread investigation launched after the Friends star died Oct. 28, 2023, In Touch Weekly reports.

While the beloved actors death  due to the acute effects of ketamine  was ruled accidental, in May, the LAPD teamed up with the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. postal inspectors to find his supplier.

The Benjamin Day School alum, who was raised in Palm Beach by her mother and stepfather, late real estate developer Kenneth Wolofsky, met Perry in one of the troubled stars stints in rehab. The two formed an unexpected friendship, an insider told ITW.

Mueller, who shares two kids with ex Charlie Sheen, hired lawyers after authorities arrived at her sober living house in California last month with a search warrant and seized a laptop and iPhone. She has been fully cooperative in the case, the source adds.

Sheens lawyer Gregory J. Pedrick released a statement to ITW Wednesday regarding his exs involvement: I believe Ms. Muellers past choices may have put her in a position to provide some incidental, anecdotal background to the authorities investigating Mr. Perrys death. Nothing more.

As the inquiry nears its conclusion, multiple people could be charged, People magazine reports.

2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Lawmakers are scrambling to rein in the sale of delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products that are flooding parts of the United States, including Alabama, where traditional marijuana remains illegal.

In May, a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to a draft of a farm bill that would effectively close a loophole that has allowed for the proliferation of hemp products  including many that deliver a powerful high.

But the fate of that legislation is in doubt, and states have been largely left on their own to grapple with an influx of intoxicating vapes, gummies, sodas and other hemp-infused products, even as concerns about quality and overdoses have mounted.

In response, lawmakers in more than two dozen states have considered bills to ban delta-8 or impose age limits and other restrictions. At least six have adopted new laws in 2024 alone. On July 1, Tennessee, which banned delta-8 for those under 21 last year, will require manufacturers and sellers to register for a state license and consent to inspections and Wyoming will ban hemp products with THC or psychoactive substances outright.

The hemp industry has said it supports more regulation, but it is fighting outright bans, which it claims will decimate an industry worth $28 billion, financially cripple hemp farmers and take away products some consumers have come to depend on for pain relief.

Jonathan Miller of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the proposed amendment is equivalent to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The wave of new products stems from the Agricultural Improvement Act, also known as the farm bill, which legalized hemp, a close cousin of marijuana. The bill imposes strict limits on the amount of THC that plants can contain.

In response, manufacturers found ways to greatly increase the potency of delta-8 and other psychoactive compounds that appear naturally, but in very low levels, and released a blizzard of new products.

This market has been created because manufacturers are arguing that they can manipulate these molecules and then claim its hemp, said Eric Leas, assistant professor of public health at the University of California, San Diego who studies tobacco, cannabis, and psychedelic use.

In April, an investigation by The Examination, AL.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA Today found that the hemp product industry operates in a regulatory gray zone, with little oversight or quality control, with consumers relying on vague wording on packaging and advice from smoke shop or gas station employees about what products to take, and what dosing is appropriate.

The reporting found a sharp rise in reports to poison control centers involving delta-8 products, in particular. Close to a third involved children under six years old.

Despite uncertainty about how hemp products are regulated, they have become increasingly popular. More than 160 people responded to a call-out from The Examination and publishing partners to share their experience with delta-8 or other hemp products. Some said they used hemp to manage pain, insomnia or arthritis.

I will continue to use the product to help with stress and for a little pleasure, wrote John T. from Four Corners, Colorado. But I will use small amounts... and infrequently.

In April, the FDA told The Examination that its authority to oversee the hemp market is limited, despite repeatedly warning consumers about the dangers of consuming unregulated products. For now, the official regulatory response very much depends on location.

A dozen states have enacted outright bans on the sale of delta-8 and some other hemp products. Seven, including Arizona, have attempted to to regulate delta-8 within their legal marijuana markets. In almost two dozen, there are no clear regulations or bans in place.

In Wisconsin, there isnt even a minimum age for purchases.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he wants to ban delta-8 and similar products and plans to take up the issue in the next legislative session, early next year.

In Alabama, lawmakers passed a law in 2023 imposing an age limit of 21 to buy delta-8 products. This followed two failed efforts to ban delta-8 and delta-10  yet another hemp-derived intoxicant.

State Senator Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, wrote a ban into an amendment in 2021, but then all heck broke loose, he said in an interview with AL.com. Convenience store owners, the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association and people who use the products for pain pushed back and defeated the ban, he said.

In April, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked legislators to consider a ban on delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products. The following month the state senate held a hearing to discuss how best to go about it.

Texas is one of the states where marijuana remains illegal, but sales of delta-8 and other hemp derived products have soared. According to the Texas Tribune, the state is home to more than 7,000 registered consumable hemp retail spots. There wont be any movement, at the earliest, until next years legislative session.

In Florida, a bill to ban the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-derived products was approved by the state senate unanimously. Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill this month. CBS Miami reported that one hemp group spent over $150,000 on legislative lobbying during the first three months of the year, and the governors office was flooded with emails calling for him to veto the bill. In a veto letter, DeSantis called on legislators to reconsider the issue in the next legislative session and focus on quality control, retail sales, labeling, marketing and packaging.

As lawmakers deliberate, hemp manufacturers are producing more, and more powerful, products. They are extracting compounds like HHC, THC-P, and THC-JD that experts say can be found naturally in small quantities or produced synthetically. The FDA has called the newer compounds a big human guinea pig experiment.

The authors of the farm bill that led to all the new hemp products say finding creative ways to sell products that get people high was not their intention.

Courtney Moran, an attorney and strategist for two Oregon-based hemp lobbying groups, worked with Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to write the original legislation. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Moran said she did not know that hemp-derived intoxicants were scientifically possible. She said she first heard of delta-8 in 2020, two years after the passage of the bill.

Could we have foreseen these intoxicating products? I didnt, she said. I did not know about these other isomers and how they could be manufactured in the lab.

The recent amendment to the farm bill was introduced by Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, who said she wanted to close the loophole that has allowed drug-infused THC products like delta-8 to be sold to teenagers in packaging that looks like candy.

The Miller amendment would outlaw the sale of any hemp derived products containing any quantifiable amount of THC. It would also ban cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced, were synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant.

In interviews, business owners in Wisconsin said they support regulation but are opposed to the contested Miller amendment. Rob Pero, owner of Canndigenous, a Wisconsin-based cannabis brand, and founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association has said it would end 90 to 95% of Wisconsins hemp-based industry.

(Regulation) is something weve been asking for, he said, but dont get rid of it.
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert credited God and her strong Christian morals for her primary victory in the states 4th District on Tuesday.

Glory to God! she shouted at the start of her acceptance speech in Windsor, Colorado. Glory to God!

Boebert announced in late December shed be leaving Colorados 3rd District, which she served since 2021, to compete for the trust of grassroots conservative voters in the 4th District.

Among the many obstacles the MAGA firebrand faced while running in a new district was a minor but humiliating sex scandal that played out in a Denver theater during a live performance of Beetlejuice.

Audience members complained the recently separated, 37-year-old grandmother was vaping and engaging in heavy petting with her date during the show, which Boebert denied before security video proved she was lying.

Boeberts campaign also saw the bombastic lawmaker deal with serious domestic issues including public spats with the ex-husband she divorced in October and the February arrest of her 18-year-old son, who faces a handful of felony charges in connection to a string of vehicle trespass and property thefts.

But on Tuesday night, Boebert urged her supporters to be happy joyful warriors as she now campaigns against Democrat Trisha Calvarese, who won her partys primary.

God has given us a weapon and that weapon is what gives us our strength  that weapon is called joy, Boebert said. And that joy is not a suggestion, it is a battle plan, it is our strategy to victory.

Boeberts 29-point landslide win followed a watch party where she spoke about conservative values and Christian morals, according to Colorado Public Radio.

Shes endorsed by Republican presidential candidate and former New Yorker Donald Trump. A New York City jury found the Queens native guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels

_____

2024 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Cru Lounge in Birmingham has at least temporarily shut down operations while it waits for resolution of its business and liquor license situation.

Reginald McDaniel, attorney for Cru Lounge Birmingham, said in an interview this week that Cru had closed temporarily. Unfortunately, they had to close because the liquor license was surrendered, McDaniel said.
Walgreens is planning to close a substantial number of underperforming locations, as well as reduce its stake in a primary care provider.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, CEO Tim Wentworth said the company has not yet settled on how many will close, but it could be a meaningful percent of stores that arent profitable, over the next few years.

The company will also no longer be the majority owner of VillageMD, a national primary care company.

Wentworth said Walgreens expects to reassign employees so that its plans didnt result in a meaningful loss of jobs, calling it a footprint reduction rather than a workforce reduction.

Walgreens stores close to each other are being reviewed, as well as stores dealing with theft. There are about 80 locations of Walgreens in Alabama.

Walgreens also looks to reduce the number of brands it offers, and focus on womens health and its loyalty program.

We recognize where we are is a turnaround, Wentworth said. We recognize that we need to be focused on what are the parts of the business that we believe are contributing and have a future, and some of those need to change.

In March, Forbes reported that Walgreens Boots Alliance lost nearly $6 billion in its second quarter on a loss in value of its investment in VillageMD.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. is the parent company of Walgreens and other consumer brands around the world  including Boots, Duane Reade, No7 Beauty Company, Benavides and Ahumada.
"A Quiet Place: Day One," the third movie in the franchise about aliens who hunt human prey by sound instead of sight or smell, begins on an appropriately ominous note. The audience is told that big, boisterous New York City is emitting a cacophonous 90 decibels in any typical New York minute, the same as the human scream.

It's a predictably grim welcome to a film in which the apocalypse comes shrouded in silence. What's not so predictable is how both terrifying and moving "A Quiet Place: Day One," the first big-budget movie from noted indie director Michael Sarnoski (who made the well-regarded "Pig" with Nicolas Cage), turns out to be, especially considering the audience has been here before  twice.

In fact, the previous movie, "A Quiet Place Part II," starts with day one of the invasion in the small town that was the setting for both the first and second installments. So, we know how this goes. Scaly aliens fall from the sky. Scared people make noise. Hungry aliens eat people. Rinse, lather and repeat. Quietly.

But Sarnoski, who co-wrote the script with John Krasinski (who directed and co-wrote the first two films) and Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place," "65"), has fashioned a film that feels more intimate than its predecessors. While it, too, is a tale of struggle against a seemingly unstoppable foe, it's less about finding a way of fighting back and more about fighting inner demons and finding pleasure and hope in the small triumph of simple survival.

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When combined with the tightly written script, a tense mood that never wavers and subtly emotional performances from Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things"), "A Quiet Place: Day One" is far from just a generic rerun.

Nyong'o is Samira, a poet with end-stage cancer and a bad attitude who's living out her worst life in a rundown hospice outside New York City. Not much gives her pleasure these days except her cat, Frodo, and a pie at Patsy's, her favorite Harlem pizza joint. So, when there's a group outing to the city to see a marionette performance, Samira agrees to go only if there's pizza involved.

Of course, that's the day when the aliens start falling from the sky like the worst hailstorm ever, forcing Samira and her curiously quiet and strikingly intrepid feline into hiding across a rapidly disintegrating Manhattan. (Move over, Garfield. Frodo deserves his own movie.)

Along the way, they stumble into Eric (Quinn), a British law student with no family  and seemingly few friends. At first, she doesn't want to be stuck with him, but they soon realize they need each other.

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'A Quiet Place: Day One' Rated PG-13: terror and violent content/bloody images Running time: 100 minutes Where: Opens Friday throughout Houston  (out of 5)

There's a beauty that blossoms in their codependence, lending "Day One" an unexpected poignance that is embodied in Nyong'o's committed portrayal. This isn't the first time that Nyong'o has been impressive battling flesh-eating fiends. She's remarkable in the 2019 Australian zombie comedy "Little Monsters," too.

But there's also a visual beauty, as when Sarnoski shoots overhead as Samira silently winds her away through a throng on the street or when the aliens come crashing through the glass of a skyscraper. But Sarnoski never overplays his hand with special effects or takes his eye off the underlying story. There's a sense of economy in "Day One" that works to its advantage.

Sarnoski also had the good sense to keep the film at well under two hours  Day One" clocks in at a sleek 100 minutes  so there are are no moments that drag. He also manages to crank up the tension without just resorting to jump scares, though there are some. He even puts the viewers up close and personal with the invaders in a way that the first two movies did not.

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A 4-year-old Birmingham girl who died this week after she was critically injured in a 2022 shooting that killed her father is being remember as strong and courageous.

Madison Grace Davis died Tuesday at Childrens of Alabama.

Madison was critically injured Sept. 2, 2022, while in a white Infiniti G35 with her father, 22-year-old Demarkus Etwan Moss, and her infant brother.

The unknown shooter or shooters opened fire on the vehicle, killing Moss.

Authorities have never said whether Madison was shot or injured in the subsequent crash but he family said she sustained a traumatic brain injury in the shooting.

Madison never walked or talked again.

A GoFundMe has been started to give Madison, affectionately known as Tweety Bird, a beautiful and peaceful farewell.

Despite her incredible strength and courageous battle, she has now left us, according to organizer Tiffany Davis, and our hearts are shattered.

Your generous contributions will help cover funeral expenses and allow us to honor Madisons memory with the dignity and love she deserves, Davis wrote.

Donations can be made here.

The shooting happened just before 6 p.m. that Friday in the 800 block of Arkadelphia Road, just in front of Birmingham-Southern College.

Demarkus Etwan Moss Sr., 22, was shot to death Sept. 2, 2022, while driving a vehicle with two of his young children inside. Both kids were hurt in a subsequent crash. (Howard Koplowitz)

Moss was shot multiple times, but continued to drive, almost making it to Interstate 59/20 before he collided with a grey Chevrolet Silverado in the 1000 block of Arkadelphia Road.

Officers from Birminghams North and West precincts arrived to find Moss slumped over and unresponsive and rushed him to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Madison was eventually released from the hospital, but complications from her injuries caused her to be readmitted.

Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said he is not yet making on a statement on the cause of death pending an examination and a review of her medical history.

Mosss infant son was not seriously injured. Moss also left behind two other children.

Police said Moss was targeted in the deadly shooting.

In the days after the shooting, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin issued a call for information via social media.

Birmingham police have very few leads in this case so were turning to the public for help, Woodfin wrote. Im tired of these cowards hurting our children. Enough.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
This is an opinion column.

The Rev. Anson West was absolutely rightthough Ill swear on a stack of Bibles he didnt see this coming.

West was among a clutter of faith-filled men striving in late 1917 to secure the future of two struggling Alabama Methodist colleges. One was the mostly male Southern University in Greensboro, Alabama; the other was Birmingham College, which opened just before the turn of the 20th century with a faculty of four and 77 students. The men decided to merge the two wheezing institutions and settle the new entity in the burgeoning metropolis that was fast becoming the bright sun in the emerging steel-making universe.

West gazed upon almost 200 acres on a hill just west of the citys core and was said to declare: God created that hill for the site of a college.

He was righta Black college.

The Rev. West, of course, did not mean a Black college. Far from it. His declaration preceded the birth of Birmingham-Southern College, which opened on that hill in the spring of 1918 and stood proudly for almost 106 years, educating generations in the liberal arts. It stood proudly until the gates of the iron fence that guarded the institution from the world outside were padlocked on May 31 after too many years of financial failings.

Yet the Rev. Wests prescient prophesyunintended as it may have beenstill holds, it seems. As of now that hill God created on Birminghams west side looks highly likely to remain the site of a college. A historically Black college.

Just as it should.

Anythingand everythingcan certainly happen before a deal is done. Though as of this writing Miles College, now in Fairfield just outside city limits, and Alabama A&M, based in Huntsville, are ensconced in a bit of a bidding battle for the 192-acre property.

Miles looks to be a slight favorite, at least at the moment. As reported Monday by the Birmingham Times, and confirmed by AL.com, the institution signed a letter of intent to begin negotiations to buy BSC.

The letter was signed on Juneteenth, confirmed Miles spokesperson Mya Jolly.

A letter of intent typically creates a window of exclusivity for the potential buyer to reach an agreement, during which time the seller cannot engage in negotiations with any other party.

That wasnt good news for folks at Alabama A&M, whove been openly effusive in courting that hill for a Birmingham extension of its Huntsville campus. Indeed just a day after we learned of Miles letter of intent, A&M said in early June it made a $65.5 million offer for BSC$35.5 million in cash and $30 million in maintenance, said Shannon Reeves, AAMUs VP of government relations and external affairs.

Reeves said the offer was a $13.5 million increase from A&Ms initial $52 million offer ($22 million cash, $30 million maintenance) made on May 1.

We see this increase as a reasonable increase that will clear all BSC outstanding debt, Reeves told me in a text message. As a public institution, we must be good stewards of public funds. Therefore, we hope BSC Trustees will accept our offer.

If Im BSC President Daniel Coleman, like any seller, Id only count the cash going into my pocket as the offerbut I digress.

Miles President Bobbie Knight has not commented at all on her efforts to move into Birmingham, so theres no indication of where Miles and BSC are in negotiations. If theyre anywhere north of $40 million, thats still the bet.

Its actually a bit of a shame that two HBCUs are wallet-wrestling one another over the prime property. Bidding typically only drives the price up, which advantages only the seller, not the bidders.

It was previously reported that Knight is seeking to create an HBCU consortium campus, featuring programs planted and operated by various HBCUs from across the state. Its an intriguing and innovative notion, giving Alabama HBCUs visibility and proximity to high school students throughout the area.

Those HBCUs would presumably lease space on a property attractive to students seeking to matriculate in Birmingham, within a MAX bus ride of myriad internship and career opportunities with businesses and municipalities in the region. Which may be particularly attractive for graduates of Birmingham City and other area school districts desiring to remain close to home.

Call it a united Negro college force.

A&M, however, does not want to play in that sandbox. Reeves reiterated this week: AAMUs commitment to maintain the entire BSC property as an academic facility focused solely on higher education. Furthermore, we are committed to attempting to bring economic development and increased property value to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Now, it might be left outside the gates.

BSCs slow death hurt many and scared even more. The possibility that its already-needy remains might deteriorate further for years into deep disrepair (See: Carraway Hospital) was a nightmare for city officials. And nearby residents feared the property would into the hands of an evil developer from Gentrification Inc., and severely alter the character of the surrounding neighborhood.

Soon, those fears may be eased.

There are tons of unanswered questions, of course. Maybe foremost: How will either Miles or Alabama A&M afford to buy BSC? I presume financial types with more access than I to their piggy banks (and flush friends) have already thought that through. It would be a travesty if an HBCU bought the place and found itself in a few years as financially strained as the previous occupant.

Ill dismiss that negative thought and celebrate the possibility of an HBCU (whichever one it may be) on that hill.

Just as God created it to be.

Just as it should be.

Roy S. Johnson is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, an Edward R. Murrow Award winner, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. His column appears on AL.com, and digital editions of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj.
A suspect is in custody in the shooting death of a 59-year-old man on Interstate 59/20 in Bessemer.

Police on Thursday announced a capital murder charge against 22-year-old Derrick Lamonte Todd Jr. He is charged in the May 15 slaying of William Barry Brannon.

Investigators took Todd into custody Thursday morning in Hueytown. He remains held in the Bessemer City Jail awaiting transfer to the county jail where he will be held without bond.

Brannan was on his way to work at City Auto Sales of Bessemer early that Wednesday when he was shot. He was found inside his running vehicle just off the interstate on Alabama Adventure Parkway.

He was pronounced dead moments later.

Police previously released a photo of Brannans white Ford Flex and a gray or silver vehicle behind Brannan that Bessemer Det. Justin Burmeister said is the possible suspect vehicle.

The photo was captured just before 6 a.m. that day on I-59/20 northbound between Academy Drive and Alabama Adventure Parkway.

Authorities have not released any additional information on what led them to identify Todd as a suspect. There is no indication the two knew each other, but the investigation is ongoing.

Barry Brannan was found shot to death just off I-59/20 in Bessemer on May 15, 2024. Police have released a photo of his white SUV and a possible suspect vehicle traveling behind him.(Contributed)

Brannans death has been a blow to those who knew and loved him.

He was the sweetest man you would ever meet, said Sherri Wood, who had planned to marry Brannan this summer. Everybody loved Barry. He always did right by everyone.

He was all heart, Wood said.

Brannan, who lived in West Blocton and was a graduate of Erwin High School, left for work earlier than normal Wednesday.

Every morning at 5:50 a.m., he would leave the house, Wood said. I would text him and he would text me back before he left.

On Tuesday night, Wood said, Brannon told her he would be leaving earlier than normal to get to the office to meet someone there to sell him speakers.

The guy actually showed up at the office looking for Barry, Wood said.

Brannan had been in the car business all of his life. He had a beloved 1969 Chevy and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

He left behind two daughters.

Investigators said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is asked to call the Bessemer Police Department at 205-481-4366, the departments tip line at 205-428-3541. Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
Mobiles new direct air connection to Washington, D.C., opened Thursday and will provide two United flights daily.

The service, announced in March, connects Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to Washington Dulles International Airport. United already offered a connection to Dulles via George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and that will still be an option according to Uniteds booking site. But the Houston route takes five to six hours, according to the site, while the new direct connection takes two and a half.

From there, fliers can link to more than 70 domestic and international destinations via Uniteds hub and Dulles International, according to a release from the Mobile Airport Authority. Mobile Airport Authority President Chris Curry told AL.com that the route essentially puts Mobile closer to Europe.

It makes travel very easy for Europeans to get to Mobile, said Curry. Where before, it was very complicated and time-consuming.

That thought was seconded by Bradley Byrne, President of the Mobile Chamber, and Steven Franklin, senior director of plant production support for Airbus U.S. manufacturing facility in Mobile, in a Mobile Airport Authority news release.

The addition of direct service to Washington D.C. further positions Mobile as a hub for growth, said Byrne. These flights make it easy for you to stop at Dulles and then get to just about anywhere in Europe, a major selling point as we attract European aerospace companies to Mobile.

This new United Airlines route brings important business connectivity to the Mobile region, said Franklin. We are thrilled to experience the additional efficiency and capacity this route will bring to our community.

Airport Authority Board Chair Elliot Maisel described the first flight in the service as a pivotal moment for our region. He said the direct D.C. connection meets a long-standing demand.

Uniteds booking site indicates that the flights take about two and a half hours and depart Mobile at 8:10 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. daily, with prices running as low as $229. The flights will use the Embraer ERJ145, a 50-seat regional jet.
A Valley Head man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a Collinsville woman.

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said James Michael Howard Jr., 27, has been charged with murder and public intoxication.

According to Welden, deputies and police from Collinsville and Crossville responded to an address on County Road 221 Tuesday on reports of an unconscious woman.

The woman, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.

Welden said Howard was spotted in the area by neighbors of the victim a short time after law enforcement arrived on scene. After an interview, investigators determined Howard was at the victims residence earlier.

Howard was booked into the Dekalb County Detention Center and is being held without bond.

This is such a tragic and senseless act of violence, and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the victim, Welden said.
A former U.S. Secretary of the Navy will become chairman of Australia-based shipbuilder Austal Ltd., the parent company of Austal USA in Mobile.

Austal Ltd. announced the transition in a notice dated Thursday. It said that John Rothwell, who has been chairman of the company since founding it in 1987, is stepping down and will serve as a non-executive director. His successor will be Richard Spencer; according to the Department of Defense, Spencer served as the United States 76th secretary of the Navy, serving from Aug. 3, 2017, until July 23, 2019.

Austal Ltd.s announcement said that in addition to serving as chairman of Austal Ltd., Spencer will also join the board of Austal USA, providing important linkages between the two boards. He will begin work on July 1.

Spencers Department of Defense bio says he served in the Marine Corps as a pilot flying CH-45 Sea Knight helicopters between 1976 and 1981. He later had a career in investment banking. Austal Ltd. said he had worked at banks including Goldman Sachs, Lufkin and Jenrette and Bear Stearns, and had served on the Pentagon Defense Business Board advisory panel and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel.

A U.S. Naval Institute News report said that Spencers appointment as Austal Ltd. chair centers the Australian business on the U.S. naval construction subsidiary set up initially to build the aluminum Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships at its Mobile, Ala., shipyard.

Austal USA has expanded to include steel hull ships like the Navys Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship (T-ATS) and the Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter, the USNI News report continued. Austal USA has also been tapped to build outsourced components for the Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine program and is considered a contender for the Constellation-class frigate.

The Austal Ltd. announcement said that Rothwell had specified four criteria for candidates: excellent character; strong business acumen; in-depth knowledge of the US defence industrial base; and enduring relationships with the Australian and/or US defence sector.

Those criteria narrowed the field of candidates considerably, he said. Richard was at the top of the list, and Im pleased that he was receptive to our approach.

Spencer said he had kept a close watch on Austal USAs progress.

The position that Austal has forged in the US and Australian defence sectors in such a short period of time is incredible, he said in the Austal Ltd. announcement. Its expansion from a two-ship yard to a multi-program provider, including command deck modules for the United States nuclear submarines, has been impressive.

The Austal Ltd. announcement said that since its founding in 1987, the company has grown from a small, privately-owned, West Australian, commercial shipbuilder to an ASX [Australian Stock Exchange]-listed, international defence prime contractor with a multibillion-dollar orderbook, over 4,000 employees and substantial ship building operations in Australia, the United States and South East Asia.
A Mobile man was sentenced to two life terms on Wednesday after being convicted of shooting his ex-wife and killing her boyfriend on Christmas Eve three years ago, court records showed.

Murice Sashington, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Mobile County Circuit Court Judge S. Wesley Pipes for fatally shooting 40-year-old Quincy Kemp of Prichard in 2021, records showed.

Last month, a Mobile County jury found Sashington guilty of capital murder in Kemps slaying and guilty of attempted murder for shooting his ex-wife, Shanda Avery.

According to the Mobile District Attorneys Office, Sashington broke into Averys home and waited to ambush her and Kemp.

When Avery and Kemp arrived, Sashington shot and killed Kemp and also shot and wounded Avery, although she survived.

Pipes sentenced Sashington to life in prison after being convicted of attempted murder for shooting Avery.

Shortly after the Christmas Eve 2021 shootings, Sashington fled the area and remained at large until May 2022, when he was taken into custody in Nevada and extradited back to Mobile. He had been held without bond in Mobile Metro Jail ever since.
Oregon community activist Aiden Wilson has lived for three weeks on an 8-by-4-foot platform in an old growth tree located in the southern part of the state. They said its a little windy up there, but they feel connected to nature. Its a healing experience, except when they are being harassed by law enforcement or the sounds of chainsaws.

This beautiful area of forest that Im sitting in right now is slated to be destroyed, Wilson said. The trees that surround me have markings on them indicating that theyre going to be cut down and that all of this serene and peaceful forest probably wouldnt exist right now if I wasnt sitting in this tree.

It is the second major effort led by local community members protesting the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements (BLM) logging of forests across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. The Rouge Gold Timber Sale project targets more than 2,000 acres of land, with significant amounts of old growth trees. Environmentalists said the area is wrongly described as overstocked, meaning its a fire risk.

Community groups have opposed the project since it was announced in 2021, but logging has moved forward in spite of protests. Activists are camped out near Rogue River and Gold Hill in southern Oregon to protest timber sales, which studies say increases the threat of wildfire and threatens endangered ecosystems and rural communities.

Activists said mature forests gather and hold large amounts of carbon and are a cost-effective way to mitigate climate change. Studies have found that forests in Oregon are among the most carbon-rich in the world and logging is the states largest source of carbon emissions.

In total, BLM has proposed more than 700,000 acres of logging across Oregon.

We see ourselves not just protesting individual trees from being cut or specific sales, but more broadly, the agencies continued actions to log mature and old growth forest on public lands and the divided administrations hypocrisy and failure to take any kind of meaningful action to stop these projects, community organizer Sam Shields said.

These same environmentalists have made some headway. Earlier this year, activists camped in the forest for three weeks and occupied a tree slated to be cut down in the nearby Poor Windy Forest Management Project, successfully thwarting the BLMs plans to construct an unnecessary road that would have cut down a swath of old growth trees in the area.

Tree-sits work, and we learned that there is a lot of desire in the local community to protect these forests, Shields said. Direct action works, community organizing works.

Actions like these are a last resort for activists like Shields, however.

We volunteer with nonprofits to write formal comments and to rally and protest and ask elected officials to oppose these sales, Shields said. But at the end of the day, when the chainsaws start revving, that is when we put our bodies on the line because we are not willing to see even one more tree be felled by this administration or administrations to come.

Activists rallied in Portland on June 13 to protest the Biden administrations continued logging of mature and old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest but also in public lands across the country.

Environmentalists called on the Biden Administration to issue a moratorium of logging mature and old growth forests on federal land until legal protections and agency requirements are put in place. Activists also demanded a reduction, if not complete elimination, of annual timber targets set by the U.S. Forest Service and the BLM.

Two major fires sparked in Southern Oregon in the last several days about 30 miles away from where protestors are tree-sitting. One fire burned about 830 acres, sending evacuation warnings to residents south of Medford. Another blaze burned more than 1,000 acres, with local campgrounds closed and people evacuated.

Activists said they dont plan to leave until the forests receive protections, but the fire and smoke is concerning.

Shields said wildfire talk in Southern Oregon comes with a lot of baggage, especially for folks who experienced unimaginable hardship from the Almeda Fire in 2020. The wildfire was at the time the most destructive in Oregons history, destroying more than 2,600 homes.

Activists say politicians have latched onto these concerns all over the country. H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act, was introduced in response to devastating wildfires impacting communities in the last several years.

Lawmakers say the legislation would increase forest health while also protecting local towns but environmentalists say this is a logging bill in disguise.

These unchecked logging practices would lead to increased wildfire risk while also weakening environmental safeguards  that are crucial to maintaining these ecosystems and ensuring that these activities dont harm endangered species or degrade the environment, said Jennifer Mamola, the advocacy and policy director, for the John Muir Project.

According to advocates, tree logging, or thinning, exacerbates wildfires by tearing down old fire-resistant trees, making the local microclimate hotter and drier. Environmentalists said these practices contributed to some of the deadliest fires in recent years, including the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California that killed 82 people and destroyed 11,000 homes.

Timothy Ingalsbee, the executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology said sensational media coverage of wildfires creates and instills fears of a natural process. Activists said the timber industry and politicians bank on these worries.

Scientists call it a natural disturbance but I prefer to call it an ecological stimulus, Ingalsbee said. Fire is natures recycler. It helps create a diversity of habitats.

Ingalsbee said fires burn down small trees while larger and older ones are able to resist the same type of damage. Timber companies, on the other hand, cut down the larger trees to maximize profits, leaving behind younger and highly flammable forest.

Experts believe wildfires will become more frequent and severe, with fire seasons starting earlier than usual due in part to the effects of climate change.

To mitigate the impacts wildfires have on humans, advocates suggest taking protective measures such as home hardening, creating smoke centers and improving evacuation routes in areas with a lot of vegetation  instead of tearing down old growth trees.

We really should take a step back and trust that nature will recalibrate and rebound, Mamola said. Wildfires are not catastrophic unless human lives or structures are lost. Thats why we advocate to work from the community out, because I understand the terror of a wildfire.

Up in the tree about 100 feet above the ground, Wilson wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to the beauty of nature.

Its such a special experience to be able to hear bird song  not just above me, but below me and on all sides of me, they said. But then after a few minutes, the construction starts around 6 a.m. and then the bird song is drowned out by all the noise of heavy machinery.
In the scorching summer of 2023, two young Latino men working on fruit farms thousands of miles apart tragically succumbed to an insidious and silent killer: extreme heat.

Dario Mendoza, 25, and Efrain Lopez Garcia, 29, were among a string of deaths that occurred during last years record-breaking heat. While the number of extreme heat deaths among outdoor workers is thought to range from dozens to thousands each year, according to a 2024 study of state heat protections, the two migrants were among just a handful authorities named and confirmed had died from a heat-related illness.

Their deaths were not only marked by the unusual extreme heat of between 100 and 116 degrees that persisted for weeks on end in their respective states of Arizona and Florida but also by a mix of political inaction and hostility towards workers protections at the state and federal levels.

Come July, marking a year since the two men died, a law prohibiting mandatory breaks for those laboring under Floridas brutal sun takes effecta statute mirrored by a similar law in Texas. Together, they continue the conservative and corporate-led unraveling of workers rights nationwide, further vilifying migrant workers living at the intersection of immigration, labor and race, who risk their lives to put food on their tables, as well as hundreds of millions of Americans.

A dangerous heat wave that brought 100-degree temperatures to the Midwest and Northwest last week has shifted to the South and West, threatening large portions of the countrys 32 million outdoor workers with even hotter temperatures.

States with a large percentage of outdoor workers, like Arizona, Florida, Texas and Louisiana are forecast to be among the most dangerous hot regions this summer. While official figures report 436 outdoor worker deaths since 2011, some like the consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen, believe the figure could be as high as 2,000 deaths and 170,000 injuries per year, making heat one of the leading causes of death and injury in U.S. workplaces.

But the same issues that disproportionately affect outdoor workers also overlap and merge within their communities at homewhich are often low-income people of color. They reside in areas with inadequate cooling and limited green spaces, making it more difficult to escape high temperatures. Those at risk include older adults, children, and people with chronic conditions.

These same communities face compounded risks from their environmental and occupational exposures.

California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota are the only states with extreme heat standards for outdoor workers. While legislators in Florida and Texas have given a mix of reasons for their recently passed laws, including relying on a less stringent and hard-to-enforce federal law, most are prompted by the formidable pull of corporate interests.

Industry often pushes back when they believe theres a risk that new workplace regulations could cost money or create more paperwork, said Juley Fulcher, a worker health and safety advocate who published a nationwide report on state extreme heat laws in May. But that thinking doesnt make sense because giving people water and shade is not expensive and keeps employees healthy.

The dirty and dangerous South

As workers on the coasts and in the northeast have won various labor concessions over decades, including higher wages, benefits, and safety regulations, the south has remained a pro-business region offering low wages and loose regulations.

It has attracted some of the countrys largest and most profitable industries, such as automotive giants like Mercedes and Toyota, plane manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, Apple, Samsung, Tesla, and major players in the chemical, food, energy, and pharmaceutical industries.

That pro-business attitude has made it easier for corporations and state legislators to neutralize calls for greater labor protections, even in the event of high-profile deaths. Following the death of Lopez Garcia, who was part of a local Guatemalan community, members of the Miami-Dade Council tabled an ordinance that would have created heat protections for local outdoor workers.

But before it could pass, Gov. DeSantis passed a new statewide law forbidding local governments from enacting rules that would provide shade or water breaks for outdoor workers. That bill was sponsored by Rep. Tiffany Esposito, president and CEO of a regional chamber of commerce offering lobbying services to local businesses in the Fort Myers region.

It is absolutely asinine that we have legislators in Tallahassee dictating what local communities should be deciding in their own backyards, said Esteban Wood, policy director for WeCount, a nonprofit that advocates for immigrant workers in South Florida. We need to be incredibly responsive to protecting the health and safety of the workers who grow our food, who build our cities, who keep our economies running.

The bill out of Texas, known as the Death Star Bill, was sponsored by Rep. Dustin Burrows, a litigation attorney focusing on construction, agriculture, and oil and gas issues. His wifes family is involved in cattle ranching. Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, a Democrat and longest-serving Latino state rep in the U.S., also sponsored the bill. He said he sponsored it to create a level playing field for business interests.

The pro-business Florida and Texas anti-heat protection laws are part of a larger pattern of legislation across the South that has continued to weaken labor laws over the last year.

A Louisiana law removing mandatory 20-minute breaks for teenage workers became law earlier this year. Its primary sponsor was Rep. Roger Wilder, who owns 19 Smoothie King locations in the state.

A new anti-union law in Alabama threatens stiff penalties against any employer that voluntarily recognizes a union if that employer also receives government economic incentives. It was sponsored by Alabama Sen. Arthur, an executive at a pest control company with more than 2000 employees in his home state.

Even in North Carolina, where no statewide heat protections exist, a legislator whose husband owns a massive farm where a worker died from heat exposure has actively opposed proposed regulations, according to Fulcher.

Shes stated loudly that shes against the heat rules being discussed in North Carolina, said Fulcher.

North Carolina Sen. Lisa Barness husband owns the biggest sweet potato farm in the world, encompassing over 20,000 acres. An immigrant farm worker died from heat-related illness there in Sept. 2023, while other farm workers allege that they are not given sufficient breaks or water to beat the extreme heat.

A 2011 bill to include heat protections among state labor laws died in the House.

Legislative battles on worker protections

Califonia became the first state in the nation to pass extreme heat protections in 2005, following the death of four farm workers. At the time, every Republican in the state Assembly voted against the measure. That pro-business conservative philosophy continues two decades later in spite of outdoor workers dying, creating significant hurdles for progressive lawmakers to pass lifesaving laws in the face of record-breaking and deadly heat.

Following Mendozas death in Yuma last summer, Arizona Rep. Mariana Sandoval submitted a bill in the state House while her Democrat colleague filed a companion bill in the Senate. Both bills were ignored in their respective GOP-led committees.

Meanwhile, a Republican-led bill ensuring that people living in Arizona trailer parks can install cooling methods to reduce energy costs and prevent heat-related illness and death became law in April.

Similarly, the tragic passing of California farm worker Asuncion Valdivia over 20 years ago has inspired federal action in 2023, yet the bill aimed at creating national anti-heat protections remains stuck in a House committee. Virginia tried and failed to pass a heat protection law, with detractors citing weak federal rules as adequate. Maryland succeeded in passing a law but has yet to establish standards.

Despite widespread legislative efforts in states like Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia, none of the proposed bills have successfully navigated legislative hurdles.

One notable success was in Phoenix, a city that saw 645 people die from heat-related illnesses last year. The citys council passed an ordinance in March ensuring easy access to rest, shade and potable water for outdoor workers.

Although many of these northern states are far more amiable to worker protection laws, the lack of interest in finding a solution to the dangers of extreme heat illustrates the stranglehold that industry lobbyists have on state legislatures.

Enforcement failures and disparities

Three years after California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the states pioneering law, a pregnant 17-year-old died from heatstroke while working at a vineyard in 2008. She was one of 13 who died from a heat-related illness that year. Advocates said the states new rules were routinely broken and the agency charged with protecting workers was understaffed and had failed to hold employers accountable for worker deaths.

Over 15 years later, little has changed in the nations wealthiest state, where a vast majority of farm workers continue to seek employment. The state continues to struggle to enforce the rules.

Records from April 2024 show that of the 163 certified health and safety field inspectors employed by the state, only 14 spoke Spanish, while one was fluent in Cantonese and one in Vietnamese. There are no bilingual inspectors in the Central Valley, one of the nations most important agricultural hubs.

A survey of 1,500 farmworkers conducted by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center earlier this year found around half of those interviewed said their employers didnt always provide required rest breaks, and a quarter said they didnt always have access to clean drinking water.

Despite these failures, California passed heat rules for indoor workers last week, joining Oregon and Minnesota. These rules protect those working in places like restaurants, warehouses, factories, and shipyards.

Interestingly, Californias new rule doesnt extend to prisons, leaving out more than 40,000 employees, including corrections officers, teachers, and counselors, 75% of which are part of the BIPOC community. It also reignites the debate on whether the states 60,000 incarcerated workers should count as employees.

Bizarrely, California inmates who are used to help fight forest fireswhich scientists argue are caused by climate change-fueled extreme heat, are also not covered.

The federal government ordinarily acts as a backstop in cases relating to labor and climate protection. However, no specific heat rules are on the books at the federal level other than a vague 50-year-old law that mentions workplace hazards. This makes enforcement difficult and underreporting of heat-related deaths likely.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for workplace safety, doesnt have jurisdiction over small farms, where most outdoor workers are employed and heat-related deaths are disproportionately high.

According to federal stats, farms also employ the most outdoor workers of any professionwhere its workers are 35 times more likely to die from extreme heat.

That means the extent of heat deaths is hard to gauge, with OSHAs figure likely at the lowest end of estimates. According to its publicly available database, which does not include Mendoza or Lopez Garcia, OSHA has recorded 145 heat-related deaths since 2017. The agency is forming extreme heat protections, which will be finalized in 2026.

Can new rules make a difference?

Racial and immigrant status further exacerbate the risks for outdoor workers, according to a Federation of American Scientists report.

They often endure low wages, job insecurity and lack access to adequate healthcare, complicating their ability to cope with and recover from heat-related illnesses. They are also not eligible for unemployment benefits or safety net programs. Fear of retaliation, job loss, or deportation can prevent them from reporting violations or seeking help.

A new policy announced earlier this year is supposed to offer protections to migrant workers who file labor complaints. Still, those can take years to resolve and it doesnt help fix the exploitative and dangerous labor conditions that many work in. The reluctance to adequately protect the countrys outdoor workers is made more acute as the nation heads into a divisive and polarizing presidential election, elevating issues like immigration, race and white nationalism to the top of the political agenda.

Around 80% of the countrys 3 million farm workers are Latino, with about half undocumented.

While Conservatives call for action on the border with Mexico, very little is made about the presence of migrants in the farming and construction sectors.

It has created a political paradox where competing conservative concerns contrast awkwardly. An open border is essential if farmers are to continue to find outdoor workers willing to toil in deadly triple-digit heat for low wages and even fewer protections.

Those issues are all part of why its hard to protect outdoor workers, who are overrepresented in very dangerous jobs by Black and brown immigrants, said Fulcher. But at the same time, these employers want easy access to cheap labor. The U.S. economy depends on these workers. We should protect them.
Target is honoring military members with a special discount.

Military members, veterans and their families get 10% off two qualifying store purchases through July 6. Heres how to get your discount:

Create or sign into a Target account online

Join Target Circle. Sign up is free

Verify your military status by uploading a government ID or any other proof

Apply the 10% off bonus before checking out. Its valid on two qualifying storewide purchases.

You can go to Target.com to see items eligible for the 10% military bonus. Here are some of our favorites:

Nintendo Switch - OLED Model with White Joy-Con - $349.99

Nintendo Switch Lite - $199.99

Google Nest Thermostat Cotton Snow - $129.99

Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K) (2020)  Snow - $49.99

Apple iPad 10.9-inch Wi-Fi (2022, 10th generation) - $499.99

Apple iPad mini Wi-Fi (2021, 6th Generation) - $649.99

Apple Pencil Pro - $129

AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with MagSafe Case - $249.99

Apple AirPods Max - $549

Apple HomePod mini - $99.99

Apple HomePod (2023, 2nd Generation) - $299.99
Hong Chau and Jesse Plemons in a scene from "Kinds of Kindness." Atsushi Nishijima/Associated Press

The best thing that can be said for Kinds of Kindness is that its never quite boring, despite being 164 minutes long and lacking much of a story. Director Yorgos Lanthimos and co-writer Efthimis Filippou keep the movie percolating at a modest level of interest by often surprising us with something weird, appalling or both.

Too talented to make a boring movie, Lanthimos has nonetheless made one thats tiresome. Through the three short films that make up Kinds of Kindness, Lanthimos is essentially offering us his worldview, which amounts to an emptiness contemplating an emptiness  stylish narcissism posing as wisdom, sprinkled with misogyny posing as a post-misogynistic commentary on misogyny.

Whether as critics or consumers of movies, we should allow filmmakers to make bad movies because the lessons learned by a bad movie can sometimes lead to a great one a few years down the line. But every so often, a film arrives that makes us wonder if weve been had, that forces us to cast a backward glance at a filmmakers previous work (The Favourite, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and think maybe it wasnt so good, after all.

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Such is the case with Kinds of Kindness, which confirmed some of the doubts I began to develop about Lanthimos after Poor Things. The new movie consists of three short films, featuring the same actors in different roles. The best of these is the first; the second is second best; and the third is the worst. So in addition to its other problems, Kinds of Kindness gets worse as it goes along.

'Kinds of Kindness' Rated R: strong/disturbing violent content, strong sexual content, full nudity and language Running time: 164 minutes Where: Opens Friday throughout Houston  (out of 5)

Or maybe one isnt worse than the other. Maybe its that with each successive segment, we lose more hope.

In the divertingly odd first section, Jesse Plemons plays a man living under the domination of a controlling boss (Willem Dafoe), who tells him who to speak to, what to eat and when to have sex with his wife (Hong Chau). When the boss instructs him to crash his car into another car, at a speed that might kill the other driver, he refuses, and consequences ensue.

In the second segment, Plemons is married to a researcher (Emma Stone), who goes missing and is presumed dead. She returns unexpectedly, but the happiness is short-lived, as the husband becomes convinced that she isnt his wife but an impostor look-alike. This segment starts off promisingly, then descends into pointlessness and grotesquerie.

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In the third segment, Stone plays a woman trying to find a healer with the power to raise the dead, one of two twins both played by Margaret Qualley. This part follows what, by now, is Lanthimos pattern  a setup were not supposed to take seriously, followed by violence were supposed to be unmoved by.

Perhaps theres something in Kinds of Kindness that resonates with the cultural moment. Lanthimos is essentially saying that everything is senseless and that theres no point in caring. And he is inviting audiences to observe this senselessness from such a distance that the spectacle becomes absurdly amusing. If we cant make things better, he seems to be saying, we can at least train ourselves to enjoy it getting worse.
Happiness has special significance to Americans. The eloquent declaration of shared values of this Republic identifies a God-given right to a self-directed pursuit of happiness and includes the goals of safety and happiness as the primary reasons America was founded.

Philosophically minded people enjoy discussing What is happiness? The purpose here is not to define happiness; its to identify the psychological process through which some people attain a high, consistent level of happiness. Identifying very happy people (VHP) parallels the quip about porn: happiness is hard to define, but you know lived happiness when you see it. We know that VHP not only transmit positive energy, but also evoke positive energy in others. VHP integrate polarities of optimistic vitality and poised equanimity, dynamic tolerance, and moral clarity. They are often in societys vanguard yet are not rebellious against the status quo. They radiate flexibility and open-mindedness alongside strong convictions and universalist identification combined with active loyalty to their own connections. They are non-aggressive with the courage to effect change.

What is the operating dynamic that enables some people to be extremely happy through adversity and engender happiness in others? What is the psychology of VHP beyond other people who are moderately happy, and far beyond people who are consistently unhappy?

VHP evidence superior valuation competence, which enables the ongoing truing of their lives. They swiftly, consistently, almost automatically recognize the most important, relevant value to be enacted in every choice they make, and they select the alternative choices that actualize true values in the experiential outcome of decisions.

A great gift within the progression of consciousness from animal to human form is that human beings possess conscious access to unchanging, divine truth functionalized as true values and can use valuation to rise above instinct in directing behavior.

The true and rightful values that enable happiness are facets of the gem of unchanging truth. Each shining value adds to the brilliance of the others and to the gem of truth itself. Heres a sample of 25 facets of truth, love, purity, and beauty in alphabetical order: authenticity, benevolence, courage, dignity, equanimity, forgiveness, generosity, humility, integrity, joyfulness, kindness, loyalty, mercy, optimism, patience, rationality, sincerity, tolerance, usefulness, wisdom, zest. Happiness springs from the capacity to express such values through life choices.

Modern life requires us to make two kinds of choices: structural and functional. The structural choices define the external circumstances of life, such as marriage, employment, location. Functional choices are the small, habitual choices we make every day. Foremost regarding valuation competence and life truing among the daily functional choices are the words we speak. Also, what we consume, what we do, and whom we associate with are important daily functional choices. We tend to think more about the big, structural choices, but generally the daily functional choices make the tone of life happy or unhappy.

VHP enjoy superior skill in making both structural and functional choices based upon irreducible values of unchanging truth. This enables the psychological response pattern called truing, which integrates life into congruence with right valuation, rendering happiness, honesty, integrity, and contentment under changing circumstances.

Psychologists use two basic methodologies to study psychological phenomena: the ideographic is in-depth, non-statistical study of individuals, and the nomothetic is statistical comparison among groups. These notions about superior valuation competence and truing capacity as the primary psychodynamic of happiness are based on an ideographic study of two very happy people I have known well. The first is Brandeis University professor Morrie Schwartz, who became a global icon of fundamental happiness shortly before his death in 1995. The second VHP I studied closely was Leona E. Tyler, a president of the American Psychological Association and one of the first female deans of the graduate school of a major public university. Though these two came from different cultural, religious, and social backgrounds, the music of life for VHP strikes similar chords.

The sociology department at Brandeis in the early 1970s cannot be described as a stronghold of scientific rigor. (There was a story about a student who had dropped a sociology course but still got a B. He went to the professor to ask how that happened. The prof assumed he was complaining and said, You never came to class, you didnt write the paper, and you didnt take the final. I couldnt give you an A.)

I remember many hours in encounter groups lead by Morrie. Without personal or political agenda, or textbook methodology, he created a safe and joyful environment for young people to open their hearts. After each group, we would circle together and sing Hey, Jude.

Mainly, I got to study Morrie through the time I spent with his family. I lived in his home for some weeks one summer, and I guess I was a kind of au pair with the family on Cape Cod. I just felt like a valued friend. I remember I broke something in his home, and he said, That always happens  a tad absurd, but comforting.

VHP are not moody, mushy, or pushovers. I applied to be a houseparent at a psychiatric halfway house. They didnt hire me. They said I didnt talk enough, which was true because I was absorbed in studying the behaviors. I went boo-hooing to Morrie: They rejected me. Morrie gently said, You need to toughen up.

In his last days, Morrie articulated the universalist experience of all VHP: Im not a wave; Im part of all humanity. Mitch Albom summarized Morries extreme happiness in the final Nightline episode: Morrie was happy because he was concerned with things that were important to him. Happiness for each of us amounts to recognizing and actualizing what is important.

Leona Tyler was born in 1906 and raised in an economically struggling family in the Iron Range of Minnesota. At 16, without a degree, she became the towns one-room schoolhouse teacher, in part due to her ability to teach backward children to read. Doing that job for many years formed the basis of her pioneering interest in the theory of individual differences and possibility. VHP tend not to be highly political and do not waste energy on grievance. After Leona received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, she was rejected from teaching positions explicitly because she was a woman. She acknowledged that history without a trace of resentment. In twenty years of close association, I never heard her criticize another person one single time. She referred to the wealth she had earned as little numbers on the page and gave generously, with complete detachment.

Leonas superior valuation competency trued her life unto its last minutes. We brought her back from death once with a blood transfusion. When she regained consciousness, she asked us not to do that again, with forgiveness in her voice. As she was dying, she waited for the nurse to leave before pulling out the oxygen tube, and her last act was a prayer for our sakes. Like Morrie, her writings are fragranced with belongingness to one universal human family.

Modern, secular nations sustain collective happiness by superior valuation competence through the rule of just law. Through the years, the just application of statutes upholds the values that inspired the body of law and unifies the citizenry. Despite bitter trials, America has always emerged as a happy nation because the U.S. Constitution has been such robust law in providing right and just valuation of the central ideals.

America is swiftly becoming a very unhappy nation because the rule of law under the Constitution is being destroyed. Now, with massive lawbreaking at the border and cases like the unending political persecution of patriotic J6 protesters and the unconstitutional persecution of a former president and current leading candidate, the most important values of America are being rejected, and a regression to animalistic fear is in control of the government. Right and true valuation as guided by the Constitution seems to be dying.

Yet, when I feel hopeless about the future, I picture Morrie making funny clicking noises and dancing like a gawky teenager, and especially I hear Leona calmly saying there are multiple possibilities for good in every moment.

Image: J E Theriot via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
They had an election up in Ontario, Canada yesterday and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shut off his phone for now.

Don't expect the prime minister to return your call for a day or two. Canada's prime minister had a bad night in Ontario, and let me tell you why.

This is the story:
China is a very dangerous paper dragon. Yes, thats a weird oxymoron, but its true. On the one hand, its a heavily populated country with a huge army, modern weapons, a hold on the worlds manufacturing, and plans for world domination. Thats the dangerous dragon part. On the other hand, the nature of communism means that its culture is damaged, and its people labor under the jackboot of central planning. These factors create corruption and inefficiency at every level, whether in its housing, manufacturing, or agriculture sectors. In response to this last problem, the CCP has announced even more central planning to boost food production.

The Great Leap Forward was Maos grand plan in the late 1950s to transform China from a semi-feudal (or very feudal) agrarian society into a modern industrial society that was completely self-sustaining. To that end, he used government force to implement a grand central plan that saw family farms become vast cooperatives answerable to the government for their output while shifting millions of rural people into the manufacturing sector.

Image: A propaganda poster from the Great Leap Forward. Public domain in China.

When it came to farming, as happened with the Soviet Unions grand ideas in Ukraine almost two decades before, Mao was convinced that he knew better than the farmers how to produce crops. Everything he knew was wrong, though, and crop yields dropped with once lush farmland destroyed for decades. What food the cooperatives managed to produce often rotted in the fields because one-time farm workers had been shuffled into factories. Meanwhile, the same ignorance prevailed in the factories, which turned out substandard everything, a condition that continues in Chinas factories today.

Todays shoddiness isnt because the Chinese are still ignorant about manufacturing techniques, of course. Its because the Chinese people learned that substandard was the standard. Thats what communism, a form of state slavery, does when people work, not for their own profit, but because theyre forced to do so at the point of a spear or gun.

In the same way, black slaves in America had only one form of protest against slave masters: When they could get away with it, they did poor-quality work for the person who stole their labor and skills. The slaveholders castigated them as lazy, but it was, in fact, a powerful form of protest.

The reality, as one socialist experiment after another has shown, is that command and control economies dont work. Indeed, Ben Shapiro makes the same point about Romes collapse, which was due not just to currency debasement, excessive government spending, open borders, and cultural decadence but also because of a command and control economy.

Whats happened in China, a vast country with huge natural and human resources that should easily be able to provide for itself, is that its not able to feed itself. And that doesnt just mean it lacks the ability to produce luxury foods that need to come from overseas. Were talking basic crop production. That may help explain Chinas purchasing to much land and food manufacturing in America.

Another thing that China is doing is trying to coopt the UNs resources to harm neighboring countries and boost its agricultural output. This includes allowing itself to use the type of chemicals that kill the environment and means that one should be very careful about buying foods made in China:

And of course, theres that other logical response for a totalitarian country is for the government to announce how farming will be conducted in the future:

Chinas first food security law aimed at achieving absolute self-sufficiency in staple grains came into effect on Saturday, reinforcing efforts by the worlds biggest agriculture importer to lower its reliance on overseas purchases. The law provides a legal framework for existing guidance by the Communist Party for local governments and the agricultural industry to raise food production, although it did not give details on how the law will be implemented. It includes protection of farmland from being converted to other uses, protecting germplasm resources and preventing wastage. Passed just six months after its first reading, the rush to adopt the food security law reflects Chinas urgency to resolve issues that have curbed production, such as a lack of arable land and water resources, labor shortages and a lack of agriculture technology.

China is a very troubled country but that means its a very dangerous country. Its too big to just fade away. Thus, given the problems with its Belt and Road initiatives (the things it builds overseas are falling apart), its real estate sector, its collapsing demographics, and its military, the fact that China is worried about feeding itself shouldnt make us smug. It should make us very worried. A hungry China will expand into the South China Sea, including Taiwan, to prop up its failing internal resources.
Im old enough to remember when rape culture was a big leftist talking point. We never stopped hearing about what white men were doing to women on college campuses. However, now that were witnessing actual rape cultures pour across our Southern border and do their thing, the concept of rape culture is suddenly dead to the progressive Democrats.

Heres just a very small sampling of the lefts horror about campus rape culture:

Even Joe Biden got into the act: Vice President Joe Biden Op-Ed: It's On Us to Stop Campus Sexual Assault.

It didnt matter to any of those writers, whether at large publications or small, or in the White House, that there was no campus rape culture. It was a lie from start to finish.

But the notion of rape culture didnt stop on the campus. The New York Times loves talking about rape culture:

The ever-green concept of rape culture is also present at the Washington Post:

March 2014: Why we need to keep talking about rape culture

June 2016: Rape culture is a man problem. Why arent more men speaking up?

September 2016: My teen boys are blind to rape culture

October 2016: This is rape culture: After Trump video, thousands of women share sexual assault stories

January 2019: Laurie Halse Anderson recommends five books to help talk about rape culture

September 2019: Im recommitting to the way I talk about rape culture in the classroom. Heres why.

February 2020: A middle school requires kids to dance with anyone who asks. One mom is fighting for her daughters right to say no. [Apparently, the policy fosters rape culture]

And if you want taxpayer-funded rape culture reports, NPR has got you covered:

April 2014: Brave Miss World Confronts Rape Culture and Encourages Victims to Speak Up

August 2014: The Power Of The Peer Group In Preventing Campus Rape

November 2014: Magazine Sheds Light On Allegations Of Rape Culture At UVA

April 2018: An NPR resource on sexual assault including rape culture

July 2018: Amber Tamblyn's New Novel Challenges Assumptions About Sexual Assault

June 2021: A Community Problem, a podcast about rape culture

If youre like me, you might have noticed something missing from all these rape culture reports: They are completely silent about the recently exposed rape culture in America originating with illegal aliens who come from countries that have actual rape cultures. Here are some of those reports:

August 2023: An illegal alien from the Democratic Republic of Congo allegedly sexually assaulted a 27-year-old woman in New York.

August 2023: An illegal alien from El Salvador allegedly raped and killed Rachel Morin in Maryland.

August 2023: An illegal alien from Venezuela allegedly raped a woman in front of a three-year-old child in New York.

September 2023: An illegal alien from Guatemala allegedly raped a child in Boston.

October 2023: Four illegal aliens allegedly committed rapes in New York.

December 2023: An illegal alien from Mexico allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl in Tennessee.

February 2024: An illegal alien from Venezuela allegedly (and admittedly) raped and killed 22-year-old Laken Riley in Georgia.

May 2024: An illegal alien from Guatemala was charged with raping a woman in New Jersey.

June 2024: An illegal alien from Ecuador allegedly (and admittedly) raped a 13-year-old girl in New York City.

June 2024: Two illegal aliens from Venezuela allegedly (and admittedly) raped and killed 12-year-old Joceylyn Nungaray in Texas.

June 2024: An illegal alien from Turkey was accused of raping a teenage girl in New York.

You can find more about illegal aliens and rape simply by typing the words migrant and rape into your search engine of choice.

If you look at world rape statistics, theres a stunning overlap between these accused rapists and their countries (or continents) of origin. Venezuela has a famously violent culture when it comes to women. So do the Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador (although I bet Bukeles criminal reforms are changing that), and Turkey.

In other words, thanks to Bidens open border, violent sexual criminals from all over the world are self-importing to Americas happy sexual hunting grounds. They are truly bringing the rape culture to America.

Whats disgusting is that the same outlets that happily castigated American men for their rape culture are silent about Bidens burgeoning rape culture. Instead, theyve gone into Republicans pounce mode when reporting on some of the more high-profile cases, such as Laken Riley, Joceylyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin. The problem for the Democrats isnt the illegal aliens rape culture. Instead, its the Republicans are noticing culture. This is sick and hypocritical. I hope voters are noticing.

Image (edited) by KamranAydinov

UPDATE: This horrifying story about an Iraqi rapist is not from America (it took place off the Italian coast), but it sure illustrates what rape culture really looks like.

UPDATE II:
Is this the newest migrant crime trend? Did they upgrade from gang violence on mopeds to gang violence from cars?

3 Hispanic men broke into a house in Aurora, CO by pretending to be @Amazon workers.



The mother was home with her kids at the time and says these men hurt her kids during the robbery. With the accents they have, Im willing to bet theyre all illegal immigrants.



People need to pic.twitter.com/V2EYQoewj8  Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) June 27, 2024

Im not going to say that I know these people are illegals, or newcomers as theyve been adoringly nicknamed by the progressive Democrats, but all the signs are therethey dont speak English, they brazenly barge into the home without hesitation, suggesting that this isnt their first time hurting women and children. and their little routine appears to be well-planned, like it aint their first rodeo, as we see the one wearing the Amazon gear calmly knocking on the door while his buddy lies in wait around the corner.

Now, I wouldnt have been able to distinguish from where in Central or South America these thugs likely originated, but it seems as though most of the commenters in the X thread believe these men have a Venezuelan accent. If so, its more evidence of the alarming level of violence brought via Venezuelan importsJocelyn Nungarys attackers are both Venezuelan, as was the man who murdered Laken Rileyand the natural assumption as to why is that this nationality seems to be highlighted in national grisly crime stories is that Venezuela is home to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization, so one could rationally infer that these people are either directly involved with the gang, or so deeply saturated in its culture.

Heres a little insider knowledge, from Breitbarts Randy Clark:

NYC is in for a rude awakening soon when the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua gets fully established. They are pros at expanding rapidly outside of Venezuela and much like Mexican cartels, their brand of violence is unimaginably brutal.



In short order, they will dispatch local pic.twitter.com/o84Xdx9v4q  Randy Clark (@RandyClarkBBTX) February 17, 2024

And, did you see this?

BREAKING: Illegal alien who gunned down two NYPD officers says kiIIing cops is his culture.



He works for the Venezuelan TDA gang.



Bernardo Raul Castro Mata (19) revealed that firearms are smuggled into the NYC shelters through the food deliveries.



Robberies are up 300% in the pic.twitter.com/5XZfyJElUE  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 27, 2024

Its just part of the culture he saysthats what the Muslim imports raping their way across Europe assert too.

Also, this?

"Ooohh, look at the nice asylum seekers! "



Via @Carlitos23xwb, who says that they're from Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. pic.twitter.com/3GsrkyIX4U  Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) June 26, 2024

As Starbuck points out, Amazon company policy is adding fuel to the fire, because now that shoppers are accustomed to deliveries coming by way of personal vehicles, an Amazon worker but no Amazon truck doesnt raise any red flagsit facilitates criminals like this to plot in plain sight.

There is no middle ground on illegal migration, and theres absolutely zero responsibility on the American people to accept or tolerate third world scum from every nation on earth, settling people who add absolutely no value to our economy and whose existence requires tremendous taxpayer subsidization.

Every single illegal that has come across the border during Bidens reign, and every one before that still here, needs to be sent packing, and never permitted to return.

Image: YouTube video screen grab.
According to a report published at the New York Post yesterday, Alejandro Mayorkas recently held a press conference from a Border Patrol hangar in Tucson, Arizona, a briefing during which he made the claim that the alarming spate of disturbing beatings, rapes, and grisly murders at the hands of new illegals is definitely not a policy issue of any kind, but a matter of an individuals choices. In Mayorkass words, The individual who is responsible for a heinous criminal act is the criminal.

Somehow, I dont think the same logic applies to our constitutionally-enumerated right to keep and bear armseven though thats not a great example because one instance is an enumerated protection in our most foundational document while the other is a criminal committing more crime, but nonetheless, lets break it down.

The massive uptick in extremely distressing violent crimes, perpetrated by those newcomers as Joe Biden affectionately calls them, against American civilians, some of whom are children, is entirely a policy issueMayorkas is simply trying to weasel out of any culpability as hes played a pivotal role in said policy. Yet, as Monica Showalter jested, Why should he bother? He gets away with everything anyway.

Here are more details about Mayorkass visit to Arizona:

His comment during a press conferencecame in response to a question about 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who was brutalized and murdered in Houston, allegedly by two Venezuelan migrants who were released into the US earlier this year.

For context, this little girl was brutalized for two hours, bound by her feet, and eventually strangled; her back was covered in cuts, and prosecutors reportedly revealed that she fought back with her dying breaths having apparently left bite and scratch marks on one of her attackers.

But as Mayorkas would claim, these attackers, both of whom are illegal and crossed the border earlier this year, were screened and vetted. If hes really going to cling to this notion that all these illegals pouring across are in fact screened and vetted then hes making a bulletproof case for his removal, because under his direction migrant crime has proliferated so drastically, even the Normies and Democrats are raising concerns and pushing back against the zero-border policies of Mayorkas and his cadaver boss.

As it turns out though, terms like screen and vet are pretty loosely applied; also from the Post:

Border agents quickly responded with skepticism to Mayorkas claims that the DHS was sufficiently vetting anybody crossing the US border, saying his comments Wednesday show hes living in fairytale land. I dont know what Mayorkas is smoking because it needs to be legalized, one Border Patrol source told The Post. If by vetting he means fingerprinting and doing some half-a**ed background check that has access to almost nothing outside of the United States, then yeah its a great process.

But lastly, if we were to concede to Mayorkass position, that criminal behavior is really only the fault of the criminal individual and if theyre an illegal criminal then their acts warrant removal proceedingsI infer hes supportive of this solution as its exactly the point he made regarding Nungarays attackers, without any protest to said proceedings, then that means he just argued for immediate deportation of every single illegal currently present within American borders because, the moment they illegally stepped over our border, or overstayed a visa, or whatever else, they were de facto guilty of felonious behavior, because we do in fact have immigration laws on the books; they just havent been properly enforced for some time.

So, I agree Mr. Mayorkas, illegals committing crimes is on them, and the solution, as you proffered, is swift and decisive removal from our nation.

Image: Public domain.
In the world of Soros district attorneys in big blue cities, it's amazing what passes for 'ethics and integrity' in policing the police.

Fox News's Bill Melugin has gotten hold of the actual arrest affidavit of Diana Teran, the top deputy to District Attorney George Gascon, who was busted last April for illegally accessing and downloading 11 police records, each act a felony, for her own purposes.

BREAKING: We've obtained the arrest affidavit for top LA DA Gascon official Diana Teran, who is facing 11 felony charges from the CA AG's office.

Per affidavit: Investigators say Teran improperly accessed over 1,600 protected peace officer files during a 9 month window while pic.twitter.com/2YtwfJQVDk  Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 26, 2024

According to the Los Angeles Times's April 29 report, she had been Gascon's "ethics and integrity" director.

As of last week, Teran was supervising high-profile and sensitive cases involving police misconduct, fraud and public corruption. The district attorneys office on Thursday told The Times it did not comment on personnel matters, but Teran was no longer overseeing Ethics and Integrity Operations.

At the time, the Los Angeles Times said it couldn't get much information on the scope of the matter:

Diana Teran, one of L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascons top advisors, was booked on 11 felony charges days after Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta alleged that she downloaded the records of 11 unnamed deputies in 2018 while working at the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Three years later, Bonta alleged, Teran impermissibly used those records after joining Gascons office. The attorney generals office has not said whose records Teran allegedly took or how she used them and has released little information about the underlying facts of the case.

The 11 illegally accessed records were the focus then and they didn't have much more on it than that.

But now Melugin has found that actually, she was a human strip-mining operation, illegally accessing 1,600 police officer personnel records and handing them over to Gascon's office where it would illegally have names, addresses, health records, Social Security numbers, family members and others information it wasn't entitled to, the better to look for any little thing that they could use to put these officers on a blacklist known as the 'Brady list' where names of problem-cops are kept. Getting put on that list is considered a career killer. So, they were trying to kill 1,600 police careers based on their own standards, and their famous capacity to indict a ham sandwich.

According to the affidavit:





16 In February 2022, the DepartmentofJustice began investigating the Brady and Officer

17| and Recurrent Witness Information Tracking System (ORWITS) databases maintained by the Los

18| Angeles County District Attomeys Office (LADA). The investigation commenced after an

19| LADA official who oversees the databases threatened to put a police officer in the LADAs

20| Brady database after the officer had arrested him for disrupting a December 2021 traffic stop

21 | investigation of his fiance. Our investigation of that official led to the conduct of DIANA |

22 | MARIA TERAN, who was an LADA Special Advisor with constructive responsibility for the |

23 | Brady and ORWITS databases at the LADA.

2% Our investigation revealed that, in 2018, DIANA MARIA TERAN, while working as a

25| Constitutional Policing Advisor at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD),

26 | accessed over 1,600 statutorily-protected peace office files as well as intemal emails and

27| documents conceming internal affairs investigations and confidential civil service proceedings.

28| Her employment ended at the LASD on November 30, 2018. After joining the LADA in January

1 | 2021, TERAN repeatedly used data from those LASD personnel files and internal emails and |

2 | documents in a surreptitious attempt to add peace officer names to LADA's Brady and ORWITS

3 | databases.

So if they could put every cop on the Brady list as a bad cop, failing to prosecute crimes would be a breeze, because every cop would be labeled a bad cop and the Soros vision of no penalties for violent crimes would be achieved. She had 1,600 of these cops in her gunsights out of a Los Angeles Sheriff's Department force of 9,000, trying to pre-emptively ruin those 1,600 police careers.

Melugin's information, found in the arrest affidavit here, notes that this got started when Gascon's then chief of staff, and now chief deputy, Joseph Iniguez, threatened to place an Azusa police officer on the Brady List 'for arresting him during a traffic stop in 2021.'

Iniguez was Teran's boss, according to the affidavit.

Tweet space probably prevented Melugin from getting into how disgusting that was.

But the California Globe had the particulars on that yesterday:

In December, 2021 Iniguez and his fiance [boyfriend -ed]  the driver of the car  were heading through Azusa on their way home from a wedding. The fiance reportedly made an illegal U-turn, prompting the Azusa officer to pull the car over. The officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol in the car and asked the driver to step out  Iniguez tells the officer that hes the one who had been drinking and that his fiance was doing the right thing by driving. Once both are out of the car, the officer starts to question the fiance and Iniguez starts to tape the incident. Throughout the six minute tape released by Fox, Iniguez  standing a few yards away from the officer and his fiance  acts like an entitled jerk, telling his fiance what to do  which was to say nothing  and that field sobriety tests are not compulsory, and that the traffic stop was not proper in the first place. This is not right, said Iniguez. This is why when they talk about law enforcement and like our interactions with law enforcement  he did the right thing tonight, and drove me. Iniguez also played the do you know who I am?!? card, telling the officer you pulled over the wrong person, let me tell you and asking him to run his license plates. By doing so, it is quite possible the officer would have immediately found out Iniguez was a deputy district attorney.

...plus this...

The officer involved alleged that Iniguez went further in his intimidation tactics by threatening to put him on the Brady List. While the direct threat is not heard on the tape, the list, which almost every prosecuting agency maintains, is a compendium of cops the District Attorneys office consider unreliable and/or problematic. Placement on that list is  at the very least  a career killer, law enforcement insiders said, and Iniguez, as custodian of the list, would have the ability  however unethical and/or illegal  to do so. According to sources close to the DAs office, it is quite possible that Iniguez followed through on his threat. Gascons office declined to comment on the matter.

Why Iniguez isn't in jail alongside Teran is pretty repulsive to think about. What's vivid here is that both these characters were members of Gascon's inner circle and persecuting the police is apparently the only thing they care about because they aren't prosecuting many actual crimes.

As Los Angeles goes to hell in a handbasket and cops retire early on that force, one can see just why law and order is in such bad shape in that city. Gascon's office had a police persecution unit going full blast until the matter was shut down by the California state attorney general's office with the bust of Teran. But whether she was just a sacrificial lamb for a bigger, uglier operation protecting Gascon is the remaining question.

The City of Los Angeles will no doubt have to pay millions for these illegal violations of privacy and persecution in what will undoubtedly be significant lawsuits from the cops. They've already had to shell out for another group of city officials who released the names and addresses of the Los Angeles Police Department's undercover officers to a cop-hating activist group that offered 'bounties' for cops.

Now they have this. Slowly, surely, it's all going to come out and George Gascon will be right in the middle of it. So much for 'ethics' and 'integrity.'

Image: Screen shot from NBCLA video, via YouTube
Providentially, Judge Juan Merchan has partially lifted his gag order on Donald Trump. Trump is now allowed to criticize Merchan and the jurors who convicted him of a nebulous crime in the New York bookkeeping case. Trump might want to use his newfound First Amendment freedom to foil Joe Bidens predictable claim, at the upcoming first presidential debate, that in his America, everyone is treated equally under the law -- not only was Donald Trump convicted of a crime, but so was Hunter Biden. This claim is false, as Trump is fully aware. But now Trump can make a big new point about Democrat tyranny and effacement of the rule of law.

Judge Merchan donated a small amount of money to a Democrat campaign in 2020. Guess whose, but the who-to is actually irrelevant as long as it was to a Democrat. We are supposed to believe the small amount that was donated to the Biden campaign ($35) excuses an action which is, for a sitting judge, seriously impermissible, and furthermore to believe that the small amount donated makes it a slap-on-the-wrist kind of thing, at most.

But think about it.

Trifling though the amount of Judge Merchans donation to a political campaign was, it signaled, and was presumably intended to signal, the judges willingness to engage in political nefariousness in the courtroom. Its extraordinary for a sitting judge to contribute any amount of money to a political campaign, and naturally judges are forbidden to do it. Merchan knew this, but he nevertheless decided to blow past that very crucial impartiality guardrail. Why? With that simple question we have arrived at the crux of the matter, albeit a surprisingly neglected crux of the matter.

If, despite the strict rule against judicial money contributions to political campaigns, a judge gives however paltry an amount of money to a campaign, the contribution precisely signals to his partys movers and shakers that he or she is willing to play politics from the bench, in as more or less Machiavellian a way as needed.

In this case, since the amount is too small to make a difference in the election (though it might be enough to help him get a promotion), and since Judge Merchan knows he is breaking a cardinal rule for judges, what this says is: Want to nail Trump by hook or by crook? Im your guy. Get me in place to do it, or keep me there, and unwaveringly support me so that the state bar association dare not come after me at any time, then to the extent that its possible -- which I might or might not need your help with, as far as putting all the preconditions in place -- its a done deal.

All this is surreptitiously understood by Democratic Party officials in Albany and Washington, D.C., which is the whole point of it -- tiny amount of money or no. Merchan had to know that, for hes neither naive nor a dummy.

If Trump has a chance to point this out during the debate, it will be enormously educative for the public. Whats Biden going to say? How dare you! Judge Merchan is a man of undoubted integrity? That will really be throwing down the gauntlet, but not in a way that is likely to help Biden get re-elected. For it will put the spotlight squarely on Democrat lawfare, in such a plain manner that our morally compromised media will not be able to ignore it or deny the significance of it.
A decade ago, chef David Skinner opened his restaurant Eculent to tell stories.

Its where he developed a Willy Wonka-esque reputation. Some described him as a mad genius. The multi-course tasting menu, where dishes often looked like they were equal parts art and science projects, reflected the self-taught chefs extensive travels dining at top restaurants around the world.

Until recently, the one story Skinner skipped over most often  with the exception of his half of the menu at Th Prsrv in partnership with James Beard-winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter  was about his Native American roots.

Owner and chef David Skinner poses for a portrait in the dinning room at Ishtia Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

The 59-year-old Skinner decided to close Eculent earlier this year despite brisk business even after a 2019 review in the Washington Post sold out months of reservations within 30 seconds. Customers, from Houstons Inner Loop to London, were still coming to Kemah to dine at the jewel box-sized restaurant.

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I think I got to the point where I told all the stories I could with Eculent, Skinner said. But I was not done telling stories.

With the official opening of Ishtia today, Skinner has transformed the restaurant space to focus on dishes that share parts of his Native American culture and food. The chef, who is a Choctaw tribal member, is finally ready to tell his story plate-by-plate through a 15- to 20-course menu that draws on Indigenous ingredients, techniques and history.

HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants

The dining room at Ishtia seats 18 guests with one service each night

At Ishtia theres one dinner seating each evening on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The dining room features 12 seats at a bar and six at a chefs table. Its reservations only and starts at $239 per person.

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Customers start the evening at Skinners Clear Creek Winery next door for the first five courses. They then proceed to a tour of the kitchen before the last 10 to 15 dishes are served in the dining room.

A parade of dishes come out of the kitchen and Skinner or one of his chefs share the story behind each recipe. Ingredients range from trout and venison to berries and mushrooms  many of the dried ingredients are on display in glass jars lining a wall of the restaurant.

Jars of of dried spices, roots and beans on the shelves at Ishtia Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

The decor echoes Skinners past and present: There are photos and menus with acclaimed chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants. A portrait of his great grandmother, who Skinner said was full-blooded Choctaw, and other Indigenous art are scattered throughout.

How Skinner even ended up opening a restaurant would require a novel.

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He moved around but spent a majority of his childhood in Ponca City, Okla. At age 13, Skinner opened a magic shop (theres an old newspaper clipping about D.C. Emporiums at Ishtia). When he was in high school, he opened a French restaurant called La Vie en Rose. While attending Oklahoma State University, he ran a seasonally-driven restaurant called Christophers in the evenings with the help of some of his fraternity brothers.

Skinner left the restaurant scene behind when he started working in the corporate world, including positions at Conoco. The energy jobs he took on, which brought him to Houston in 1995, afforded him meals at top restaurants around the world.

As Skinners 50th birthday approached, he decided it was time to jump back into restaurants.

If I dont do it now, Ill never do it, he recalled.

MORE FROM BAO ONG: New Phat Eatery Woodlands builds on chef-owner Alex Au-Yeungs legacy of showcasing Malaysian food

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Indigenous cooking and culture inspires much of the menu at chef-owner David Skinner's newly opened restaurant Ishtia in Kemah Kirk Sides/Staff photographer

Earlier this year, one of Skinners close friends finally dined at Eculent and described the food as Michelin level but its comfort food.

Comfort food? Skinner said he thought at the time. Im not Cracker Barrel.

But it wasnt long before Skinner realized the few Native American-inspired dishes he snuck onto Eculents menu were some of the most popular. His dishes at Th Prsrv next door also seemed to resonate; during a meal there, Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook told Skinner, "This is what you were born to do."

His Native American background was not something he was always proud of in his youth, said Skinner, who shares tales of his family members being sent to boarding schools where they were only allowed to speak English.

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In recent years, a few Native American chefs in the U.S. have put the spotlight on Indigenous cooking. Sean Sherman of Owanmi in Minneapolis won a James Beard award in 2002 as the countrys best new restaurant. It was an inspiration, Skinner said, that there was room to share his own culture, too.

Dishes will change seasonally at Ishtia in Kemah

The Three Sisters dish refers to the important role corn, bean and squash play in Native American cooking. Skinner imparts his modern spin on it by putting spaghetti and zucchini squash into a scallop shell. In the center is a Maine diver scallop atop a velvety corn butter with nutty tepary beans lining the edges of the dish. Its served on a bowl filled with rocks and smoking seaweed.

All the dishes on the menu, which Skinner plans to change each season, all have an element of live-fire cooking, which is new for the restaurant.

Ishtia, which means "beginning" in Choctaw, will also tackle fry bread at some point. The dish is rooted in the history of colonization and many people dont realize Native Americans never cooked with refined sugar, flour and lard for centuries.

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But Skinner wants to take those ingredients and reimagine the recipes in his style.
Foxconn, the largest supplier of Apple iPhones, has been accused of avoiding hiring married women. A Reuters investigation revealed that the Taiwanese company categorially rejected several married female candidates for iPhone assembly jobs at its Sriperumbudur factory in the Tamil Nadu state of India. The Indian government has sought a detailed report on the matter from the states labor department. Foxconn denied the claim saying 25% of its new hires are married women.

Foxconn accused of discriminatory hiring against married women at its Apple factory

In a lengthy report, Reuters detailed how Foxconn has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its biggest iPhone assembly plant near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The firm has verbally instructed its recruitment agencies to reject female candidates who are married. It doesnt want to hire married women because they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts, which is an absurd reason to reject someone for a job.

During its investigation, the publication talked with dozens of people. These included former and current Foxconn employees and female candidates who the company rejected for being married. They said the Taiwanese firm avoids married women because of cultural issues. It believes women have many issues post-marriage, such as pregnancy and motherhood, that lead to higher absenteeism. Even auto-rickshaw drivers around Foxconns factory know these hiring rules.

When Reuters reached out to Apple and Foxconn about these claims from multiple individuals, they acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022. The companies didnt specify whether those lapses were related to the hiring of married women. They did assure that they have addressed the issues. However, the publication says these discriminatory practices happened in 2023 and 2024. So, it seems Foxconn still avoids hiring married women in India.

When concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022 we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld, Apple said in a statement. All of our suppliers in India hire married women, including Foxconn. In a separate statement, Foxconn said it vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.

The Indian government is looking into the matter

Following Reuterss report, the Narendra Modi-led Indian governments Ministry of Labor and Employment wrote to the Tamil Nadu labor department seeking a detailed report on Foxconns hiring process at its Apple iPhone assembly plant. While the matter is under investigation, the company shared an informal note with the government saying the allegations are baseless. It claims that 25% of its recent hires at the Sriperumbudur factory are married women.

Foxconn said that the media report is based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers. They likely made the comments after failing to land a job for some other reason. According to The Economic Times, 70% of employees at the iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu are women. It is reportedly the largest factory for women employment in India. During peak periods, the total employment at the factory crosses 45,000 workers.
Yesterday, a security firm published a report about a never-before-seen Android malware named Snowblind. It allegedly abuses a built-in Android safety feature to avoid detection. Its novel technique made all modern Android devices and apps vulnerable to it. However, Google refutes the claim. In a statement to Android Headlines, the Android maker said it was already aware of the malware and has implemented safety measures against it.

Google Play Protect can detect and block Snowblind Android malware

Discovered by mobile app security provider Promon, Snowblind is a new Android banking malware that manipulates the Android system to compromise apps without detection. It attacks Androids safety tool called seccomp (secure computing) to bypass security checks and stealthily execute malicious activities. The attackers can steal login credentials and other information to make unauthorized financial transactions on infected devices.

Promon said it had never seen seccomp being used as an attack vector before, making Snowblind a first-of-its-kind Android malware. The firm added that it does not expect many apps to have protections against it. The security provider encouraged its customers and other app developers to upgrade to its Promon SHIELD version 6.5.2 or newer to keep their products safe from Snowblind and other potential seccomp-based security attacks in the future.

Shortly after we reported on Promons discovery, Google reached out saying it was aware of Snowblind and its techniques. We can confirm we were already aware of this malware before this report, the company said in an emailed statement to us. It didnt mention the malwares name for obvious reasonsPromon gave the name Snowblind because it was the first to publicly disclose this Android banking malware abusing a system feature.

Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play, the official statement added. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services. Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play.

Snowblind may not be as dangerous as it originally sounded

Promons report suggested that Snowblind is a dangerous malware and that most Android apps lack protection against it. However, Googles statement clarifies the threat. While the malware exists, Google Play Protect automatically blocks its activities, protecting Android users from all known versions of Snowblind. Google Play Protect can also detect malicious behavior in apps installed from outside of the Play Store. However, it is always safer to only download apps from official stores.
Google introduced its new Circle to Search feature earlier in January. The new search functionality first debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 series of flagships. Later, the company launched the same feature for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones. Now, the search titan is planning to expand the availability of this feature to millions of other Android devices by the end of this year.

To offer Circle to Search functionality on more devices, Google is using Google Lens, which is already available for millions of other Android phones. The company plans to bring new updates to Google Lens to offer Circle to Search-related features. According to a recent APK teardown, Google Lens could soon become a true Circle to Search alternative for older Android devices.

Lens could soon let you use Circle to Search from any app or screen

Folks over at Android Authority have managed to trigger the Circle to Search feature within Google Lens functionality. In the past beta versions of the Google app, the source managed to trigger a popup within Google Lens. It mentions that you can search your screen directly, Just hold the home button.

It is quite similar to how the Circle to Search feature works on the Galaxy S24 series and Pixel 8 series devices. However, it appears that Google is all set to offer Circle to Search functionality to more Android users through Google Lens. Besides, it will soon let you search for content in videos and translate more easily using the Circle to Search feature.

The feature seems to be available only when using the three-button navigation mode

Furthermore, the report suggests that the Circle to Search feature within Lens is restricted to users using the three-button navigation mode. Pressing and holding the home button overrides the long press for triggering Google Assistant or Gemini.

As of now, it is not clear why Google is restricting the triggering of the feature to the three-button navigation mode. Its worth mentioning that the Circle to Search feature within the existing app is very much a work in progress. So, there could be other methods to trigger this feature when Google officially takes the feature out of beta soon.
Google has announced that Translate now supports 110 additional languages. This is the biggest update the service has received so far. It was all possible thanks to the power of AI.

For reference, before this update, Google Translate supported 133 languages. Therefore, the services language support has grown by more than 82% at once. Google revealed that it used its PaLM 2 AI language model to achieve such a milestone. Using artificial intelligence helps to significantly accelerate learning processes in complex systems, and this is a great example.

110 new languages join the Google Translate-supported list

The blog post highlights some of the new supported languages: Afar, Cantonese, Manx, Nko, Punjabi (Shahmukhi), Tamazight (Amazigh) and Tok Pisin. There are also languages close to Hindi, like Awadhi and Marwadi and French Creoles like Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole. Googles Isaac Caswell said that about a quarter of new languages come from Africa.

Not all new supported languages are widely used. In fact, with this update, the company wants to contribute to the preservation of languages. There are even some that do not have any officially active speakers. Google claims that the update focused on the most common varieties of each language. This allows Google Translate to deliver reliable and usable results in the real world.

8% of the population speaks these languages

In total, the 110 new languages supported by Google Translate represent 8% of the population. This translates into more than 614 million active speakers around the world. The company had advanced its ambitious plans for Translate in 2022. At that time, the company stated that the goal is to support up to 1,000 languages, thanks to the power of AI.

This latest step puts Google closer to its goal. It also further increases the gap with Apples language translation service. Currently, Apple Translate supports just over 20 languages, a number that pales in comparison.
Google has introduced a much-awaited functionality for the Google Wallet service. The popular digital wallet on Android devices now works as a hotel key. Google Wallet has gained support for hotel keys just in time for the summertime. The new feature makes the hotel experience of travelers a bit less of a hassle. They can now directly use their phones to open their hotel rooms, without requiring a physical hotel key.

Google Wallet finally gets support for hotel key functionality

Google has quietly added the support for the hotel keys functionality for Google Wallet. First spotted by 9to5google, the company has updated the support pages for Google Wallet with details of the new feature. You can now save and store keys at hotels that support this functionality in your Google Wallet. Notably, Apple Wallet already launched this feature way back in 2021 for the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Users can save and use their keys at hotels where the new feature is supported

According to Google Wallets support pages, users can now save and use their keys at hotels where the new feature is supported. Once keys are stored in your Google Wallet on your Android phone, you can safely and securely use your keys to access your Hotels, guestrooms and key card-protected common areas like gyms, pools, and elevators throughout the duration of your stay, mention the support pages.

Registering a key to your Google Wallet is quite similar to adding a credit or debit card. You can first visit your hotels website, or app, or follow email instructions. Then click on the Add to Google Wallet option, which should be next to the reservation confirmation page on the aforementioned options. If the Add to Google Wallet option isnt visible, then the hotel may not have support for this feature.

Once the hotel key is added, you can wake up and unlock your smartphone first. Then, proceed to hold the back of your phone near the door handles to open rooms or other allocated areas of the hotel premises. The support pages also mention that some hotels may allow you to use your digital hotel key without unlocking your phone.

As of now, only a very few hotels support Google Wallets new hotel key feature. The Clarion Hotel Post in Gothenburg, Sweden is one of the first hotels to support this functionality. Hopefully, Google is collaborating with major hotel chains to expand the availability of the new feature in the coming weeks.
Google has been rolling out its enhanced Find My Device network across the globe in a gradual manner over the past few months. Over time, the search titan has also been improving features of the network. The company is already tipped to make it easier to remotely lock your Android device using the Find My Device network.

A recent report also suggested that the network may soon get AR directions and UWB support. Now, Googles Find My Device network is all set to get various reliability improvements soon.

Find My Device network will become more reliable with upcoming improvements

In the past few weeks, users of Find My Device-compatible trackers like Pebblebee Tag have reported tracking issues with their devices. Googles crowdsourced tracking networking reportedly doesnt always work or offer proper tracking. However, the company has allegedly acknowledged the problem. According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, Googles Find My Device network will soon be more reliable, thanks to the upcoming improvements.

In a statement shared by Rahmaan, Google notes that it will soon be enhancing the Find My Device network. The upcoming updates will improve the speed and ability of the network, which will offer enhanced tracking of lost items. Besides, the company said that the networks reliability will improve gradually over time as more and more devices join it.

Google is advising users to change networks settings for improved tracking of lost items

As more devices continue to support the Find My Device network, it will provide improved tracking of lost items. Google is also suggesting Bluetooth tag owners change their Find My Device network setting to With network in all areas. This will help improve the networks lost device findability capabilities in lower-traffic areas.

By default, this setting is set to With network in high-traffic areas only. This helps users track their lost or tracker-tagged devices using recent locations in busy areas like airports and footpaths. As per the companys statement, the new updates to the Find My Device network will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
AI is all over the place at the moment as far as technology goes. Its the current buzzword that is being used. Many smartphone OEMs have included plenty of AI features in their devices. The same goes for Huawei, who believes that AI smartphones will account for 90% of the market by 2030.

This was said by Huaweis Executive Director and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Business Management Committee, Wang Tao. He said it during the keynote speech in Shanghai yesterday.

Huawei believes AI smartphones will take 90% of the market by 2030

He believes that AI-powered smartphones will account for 11% of shipments this year. That could reach the 90% level by 2030, though. He essentially sees the integration of LLMs and AI features becoming a standard for the industry.

Tao said the following: We will soon see a huge boost to traffic from AI. At the same time, 5G-A networks will be able to provide higher speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity to meet the network demands of the AI era.

Many smartphones already offer such features and are considered AI smartphones. Apple joined the fray with the companys iOS 18 announcement recently. Well, users still dont have access to all that, at least not in the stable form. Still, theyll get access in a couple of months.

Companies will be able to run more and more AI tasks locally

When it comes to AI features, your phones need to talk to the server that runs larger LLMs. So for some processes, that is necessary. Companies are expected to be able to do more and more such tasks on smartphones, natively, though. LLMs will be getting more efficient, and processors more powerful and capable in the AI sense.

So, it seems like the AI buzzword is here to stay. Companies likely wont stop using it, though they may reshape it. Apple, for example, avoided using AI, and simply calls its features Apple Intelligence.
An artist rendering is seen along Research Forest Drive as construction continues on a new 21,000 square-foot childrenOs education facility at Christ Church United Methodist, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017, in The Woodlands. The building is expected to be complete in April 2018. Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle Congregation members sing during Christmas Eve service on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017, at Christ Church United Methodist in The Woodlands. Michael Minasi/Houston Chronicle A Woodlands-based Boy Scout troop is searching for a new charter organization after Christ Church Methodist officials asked the troop to vacate the facilities. Brett Coomer/Associated Press

Leaders of a Woodlands Boy Scout troop say they are losing their longtime charter organization and being kicked out of their meeting space due to the host churchs anti-LGBTQ policies.

In a June 19 Facebook post, Troop 889 officials said they were informed by Christ Church Methodist that we must vacate their property by June 30, where the troop has met for 25 years. A comment from the Boy Scout troops Facebook account said the group was asked to leave due to the churchs stance on LGBTQ issues.

Church officials said the Boy Scouts' policy embracing LGBTQ youth and adult leaders had nothing to do with the troops removal, and that theyd asked several other groups to leave, too.

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In a statement, church leaders told the Houston Chronicle that the action is not related to the Boy Scouts policy welcoming LGBTQ youth and leaders but blamed the troops violation of the churchs Safe Sanctuary Policy and growing costs associated with hosting groups in the facility.

The church said other organizations, including The Woodlands Concert Band, were told that they could no longer use the facility and that the Global Methodist Church has no policy prohibiting the use of facilities by the Boy Scouts of America.

Now leaders of Troop 889 are scrambling to find a new charter organization and meeting space. A troop leader and representatives of Boy Scouts of America declined to comment.

The church is affiliated with Global Methodist Church, whose stance against same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy is at odds with Boy Scouts of Americas acceptance of LGBTQ youth.

Facebook post by Boy Scout Troop 889. A Woodlands-based Boy Scout troop is searching for a new charter organization after Christ Church Methodist officials asked the troop to vacate the facilities. Courtesy photo

The Boy Scouts of America began allowing gay youth in 2013 and ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015. In May, the organization announced its upcoming rebrand to Scouting America to reflect its inclusion of girls and women in Scout programs across the nation. The change will go into effect in February 2025.

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Church officials said that the troop continued to use the facilities for almost 10 years after the Boy Scouts of America made the change to include LGBTQ youth and leaders, and that the church in no way has singled out Troop 889.

In providing the space, CCM has absorbed significant costs to heat and cool the facilities after normal operating hours; repair wear and tear from the increased usage of the physical assets; staff the welcome desk during the extended business hours; and provide storage for organizational equipment.

According to church policy, all organizational participants must enter through the front door and sign in at the welcome desk, participants remain in the organizations designated space during their meeting times and all youth are supervised by at least two adults at all times.

Security cameras have documented both scouts and the adult leaders repeatedly roaming the campus outside their designated meeting spaces. Video documentation includes serious violations, including the Scoutmaster entering the back parking lot door; proceeding into the Pre-School offices; rummaging around and using office equipment; and repeated instances of leaving rear entrance doors propped open and unattended during evening meetings, the statement said.

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Christ Church Methodist is one of thousands of churches that have left the United Methodist Church to join the more conservative Global Methodist Church.

According to United Methodist News, in 2019 delegates of the United Methodist General Conference passed the Traditional Plan, a stance against same-sex marriage, splintering the organization. The Global Methodist Church launched in May 2022, and according to Religious New Service, more than 7,600 churches have joined the organization to date, most of them in southern states, specifically Texas.
Americans touring other parts of the world are facing major mobile connectivity issues due to an international roaming outage. Roaming services are down on all three major US wireless carriersAT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The companies are aware of the issues but dont seem to have devised a fix yet.

International roaming is down for all major US carriers

Over the past few hours, hundreds of American mobile subscribers have reported issues with international roaming. Posts on Reddit and other online platforms suggest roaming services are completely down for some users, while others are getting intermittent connectivity that lasts a while and then goes away.

The issues arent limited to roaming services in any particular country or region. Reports are coming from all corners of the world, with users of all major carriers affected. A Verizon subscriber traveling in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, took to Reddit to recount the horror of lost mobile connectivity in a foreign country.

Went to the club last night and was separated from my friends with no service, really scary, they said. Of course, affected users have already contacted their service providers for a solution. In fact, the company may have received hundreds of calls, emails, and social media messages. Some users say they were told to wait for 24 hours.

Some customers traveling internationally are experiencing service issues, Verizon said in a statement to Android Authority. Phone calls and data sessions are successfully completing about 70 percent of the time. Our teams are actively working with our roaming provider to resolve the issue. The firm didnt specify when the issue might be fixed.

The root cause of the problem is still unknown

As of this writing, the carriers havent specified the root cause of the issue. Users are speculating that a mistake while making changes to the way that carriers support legacy data standards (2G and 3G) led to an international roaming outage. Syniverse, the firm that helps carriers in this transition, recently said that carriers are working on this switch.

Right now, MNOs [mobile network operators] are retiring their 2G and 3G networks to recoup portions of the wireless spectrum and avoid devoting resources to costly maintenance, Syniverse said. However, an operator must fully support VoLTE services before shutting down these networks so its subscribers can remain connected while roaming. Its unclear whether this is causing the current international roaming outage. We will keep you posted.
Were at a point where were starting to see the negative effects of AI technology despite what CEOs of AI companies tell us in keynotes. Creators stand to lose significantly thanks to AI, and this is why theyre banding together. Thousands of Raptive creators band together to urge Congress to hold AI companies accountable.

It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know what sort of effects AI technology will have on the creator economy. Were already seeing creators being let go from their jobs because their employers chose to replace them with an AI model. As these AI tools get better, more people are going to lose their jobs. Writers, artists, musicians, filmmakers, actors, voice actors, etc. will all need to either abandon their lifelong passions or sell out and mass-produce soul-less AI slop to please money-hungry corporations. There are very few other avenues to take.

Thousands of Raptive creators want AI companies to be held accountable

The American has been hard at work trying to pull some AI regulations out of the ether, but not much has materialized. However, other entities are out fighting the good fight while the government waits for the ink to dry.

For example, several major record labels are suing the companies behind two AI music generators for copyright infringement. This is one of the many lawsuits going on right now.

Raptive is a company representing thousands of independent creators. Its paid out more than $2 billion to creators, and that number is going up. Raptive also acknowledges the threat of AI technology.

The company, backed by more than 13,000 creators from across the U.S. has urged Congress to hold major AI companies accountable for their actions. According to PR Newswire, the creator economy is valued at $100 billion, and it could nearly double in the next three years. However, with AI companies shoving AI tools down our throats, we fear that the creator economy could crumble.

Requests

Raptive and the creators have a handful of requests. Firstly, they want to enforce copyright law to protect original content from being scraped without consent. Secondly, they want a form of revenue-sharing structure in place so that creators are properly compensated for their work. Thirdly, AI tools shouldnt reduce the traffic going to creators websites. Tools like these (a good example is Googles AI Overviews) can cut a companys ad revenue significantly.

Fourthly, future AI products shouldnt be able to unfairly compete against creators. This is pretty tricky, as this is what theyre doing now. Why hire an artist to spend three hours on a painting when MidJourney can whip it up in 30 seconds? These are the questions that companies are asking. So, were going to have to see what the government makes of that request. Lastly, the government needs to ensure that these AI companies are being held accountable for their behavior.

Were talking about major corporations here; theyre about as ethical as a desert is wet. There need to be some rules, guidelines, and the threat of MAJOR FINES to keep companies in line. OpenAI, Alphabet, and Meta contacted Hollywood studios about their AI products. HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS! So, not even industry-level jobs are safe from AI. We need something to keep these companies from completely ruining the entire creator economy.
This past week, Motorola announced its newest family of Razr foldables  Razr and Razr+ (or Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra outside of the US). And they are quite stunning, checking just about every box. Being that it is really the only other foldable flip phone available in the US, besides the Galaxy Z Flip 5, its going to get compared to Samsung a lot. Motorola has done just about everything right to beat Samsung, but theres one thing Motorola lacks.

That is software support. Its an issue Motorola has had basically since it started making Android phones  except for that brief point in time when Google owned the company. So, what do I mean by software support? Because, yes, Motorola has been updating the 2023 Razr with bimonthly security updates. Its not every single month, but every other month is still quite good. In fact, I pulled out my 2023 Razr last week, and it had at least seven updates that needed to be installed.

But what Im talking about is specifically OS support. The 2023 Razr and Razr+ are still on Android 13. That is because we are one beta away from the stable version of Android 15 being released. Thats unacceptable. Yes, Razr is cheaper than its competitors like the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and that is likely one of the downsides of its being cheaper. That is, you wont get new versions of Android as quickly.

During my briefing with Motorola this week, they did say that the 2023 Razr models would get Android 14 this summer. However, where summer just started (technically) this week, thats still a three-month time frame, and Google could be rolling out Android 15 before Motorola rolls out Android 14. For many people, this could be a dealbreaker. And thats rather unfortunate, as the Razr seems like it could be the best flip phone on the market  its still early, but things are looking good.

Motorola has always struggled with updates

Back in the early 2010s, just about every OEM struggled with getting Android updates out in a timely fashion. And before Google purchased Motorola in 2012 (for $12.5 billion!), the company really struggled with selling its phones. Despite having the uber-popular Razr in the 2000s. Which, to this day is still the single phone that sold the most, worldwide.

At the time, Motorola blamed the slow Android updates on hardware. And Motorola wasnt alone then. HTC, Samsung, LG and many others were very slow at rolling out updates. It was so slow that it became impressive to see a new version of Android released by Google in September or October and to see it on non-Nexus devices before the end of the year.

But, after Google purchased Motorola in 2012, the company used Motorola as sort of an example of how Android phones should be made and updated. In fact, back in 2013, Motorola was the first to update their device (the Moto X) to Android 4.4 KitKat. That was a big deal at the time, as it was less than two months after Google released KitKat. And to see it launch on Verizon first was even more impressive, as Verizon was typically very slow at approving updates and would usually be the last to send out a new update. After that, Motorola was pretty fast at updating its Moto X, Moto G and Moto E devices.

That was, until Lenovo bought them. In 2014, Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility for $6.91 billion, which seems like a huge loss for Google, but it actually wasnt. You see, Google separated Motorola Mobility from Motorola Solutions which was their more enterprise arm, and sold off Motorola Solutions. Google also kept the majority of Motorolas patents so that all Android makers could use them. Seeing as Motorolas been around for over 100 years, they had a lot of patents.

Lenovo stuck with Motorolas product lines for a couple of years, releasing a Moto X in 2014 and in 2015. Before kind of reverting to focusing on cheap phones, like the Moto G lineup. That did help Motorola become competitive in North America, with Samsung and Apple, who already have the flagship space locked up pretty much. But this is Lenovo, a Chinese company, and in China most smartphone companies dont really update their phones, they just expect you to buy a new one every couple of years. And thats kind of what weve seen under Lenovos ownership.

Things are starting to turn around to Motorolas software

But on the bright side, Motorola is starting to turn things around. It wasnt that long ago that Motorola promised one Android OS upgrade and none on brand-new phones. Now with the Motorola Razr family, they are offering three OS updates and four years of security patches. So its a start, though, still far behind what Google, Samsung and even Apple are offering right now. Google and Samsung are doing seven years of updates, while Apple is doing about six.

Back in 2019, Motorola released the Moto Z4, and promised one OS upgrade, which launched a month before Google released the next version of Android. That was pretty sad. On top of that, Motorola announced that the Moto Z2 Force for Verizon would get updated to Android 9 Pie, but not the non-Verizon models. That really upset me so much that I wrote an opinion about it here at Android Headlines. And it appeared that most people agreed with me. That article has the most comments of any article weve ever published on this site.

Motorola is now moving in the right direction by promising three OS upgrades and four years of security updates. They now need to work on getting these updates out sooner. Because, lets face it, taking nearly a year to roll out Android 14 is not a good look.

Motorola pretty much nailed it with the Razr

With the Razr+ last year, Motorola really hit every checkbox for a folding phone. Great battery life, no crease on the display, impressive performance, and that huge front display was a game-changer. With the Razr+ this year, theyve taken that up a notch with a larger battery, a more high-end processor (Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 versus Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1), and an even larger screen, somehow.

I cant share much more than first impressions yet, but so far, I absolutely love this phone. And its made me change how I think about flip-style foldables. I used to hate them because I needed to open them all the time to do stuff. But with this larger front display, Im opening the phone so little.

Now, if Motorola can improve its software game, and get Android 15 out to the Razr and Razr+ (2024) before the end of Q1 2025, I think Motorola will have a serious hit on their hands. Especially with the rumors of Samsung increasing the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 this year.
It seems that YouTube wants to invest fully in the AI-generated music segment. The company wants to do it fairly, reaching licensing agreements with record labels. This could greatly benefit the YouTube Music service too. However, multiple artists do not agree with the use of AI in music.

AI-based tools took the tech industry by storm, offering capabilities that were unimaginable until relatively recently. They can generate music, images, and even videos. However, this sparked a debate about possible copyright infringements. After all, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the multimedia used to train AI models is licensed. This has led to situations such as lawsuits against services like AI Udio and Suno.

YouTube allegedly seeking license deals with major labels for AI-Generated music

Due to the sudden impact of AI on the segment, there is still no complete clarity on fair agreements between artists, record labels, and developers of AI-powered tools. However, platforms like YouTube do not want to be left behind in the emerging AI-generated music segment. According to a recent report, the company would be in talks with Universal, Sony, and Warner. The goal would be agreements to use music from artists on those labels to train AI models.

The company would look for agreements based on a single payment that allow them to use the artists musical catalog. That said, artists may not be entirely on board if there is not fair compensation for them as well. However, being able to grant musical rights to third parties will depend on how much control the record labels have over the media content.

Multiple artists still reluctant to use AI in the music industry

In April, more than 200 artists signed an open letter against AI in the music industry. More specifically, they criticized the use of their work to train AI models without authorization. As of today, there is still no firm legislation for this type of situation. Meanwhile, artists, record labels, and third parties will have to seek favorable agreements through negotiation.

YouTube has tried to ensure that the use of generative AI on its platform does not mean that artists lose control over their work. The company requires that AI-generated content (be it music or videos) be labeled as such. Additionally, they allow artists to request the removal of media based on their works if they wish. It will be interesting to see if the negotiations result in agreements that leave all parties happy. After all, generative AI is here to stay, and the industry must adapt to it.
The next government and junior doctors must sit down and work it out with a view to ending strikes, former doctor and author Adam Kay has urged.

Mr Kay, who turned his collection of diary entries during his medical training into bestselling book This Is Going To Hurt, which was later adapted into a TV miniseries, warned medics are leaving the UK for better prospects elsewhere.

My support is is absolutely there for every single NHS worker to get fair pay, he told the PA news agency.

I particularly relate to the junior doctors. When I was working in the NHS as a junior doctor, I was earning over 30% more in real terms than doctors doing exactly the same job today.

Theyve talked about pay equality or pay restoration rather than pay rise, because it just feels unfair on a basic level.

If I go on Twitter, and I support the junior doctors, some Twitter contrarian will reply to say, well, if you dont like it, leave, and thats exactly the problem, because people are leaving.

The NHS isnt its buildings and its CT scanners and its bedpans, the NHS is the people who work there. And there will get a point where the NHS cannot function.

Adam Kay backs a 10-year, 40 million programme to bolster innovation in the NHS (Suzan Moore/PA)

I mean, hugely worrying numbers about the proportion of doctors who are intending to leave in the next 12 months  something has to change.

The comments come as junior doctors in England prepare to go on strike.

Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will walk out at 7am on June 27 until 7am on July 2, just days before the General Election.

Mr Kay called on the next government to sit down with unions and make an agreement to end the dispute.

He told PA: Hopefully, the change of guards, which is almost inevitably coming in in the coming weeks, will understand that there is no way through other than coming to an agreement with the junior doctors, whatever that agreement looks like.

There needs to be an agreement and both sides need to sit down and work it out.

But he added that resolving strikes was just part of the work that needed to be done to resolve issues facing the health service.

Thats important, he said. Particularly for my former colleagues working there.

But I dont think anyone can pretend that the NHS is in a good place at the moment. And I dont think that the last 14 years have been good for the NHS.

And so what were looking at at the moment is more promises. And so I dont believe anything until I see it happen. But from my point of view, it cant get any worse.

It comes as Mr Kay backs a 10-year, 40 million programme to bolster innovation in the NHS.

Junior doctors and members of the BMA on a picket line outside the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, in January (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The initiative, by NHS Charities Together, will initially invest in projects that aim to tackle health inequalities facing children and young people.

Mr Kay said: If youre born today in one postcode compared to another postcode, it has a huge impact on life expectancy.

I think theres a difference of 18 years between richest and poorest in terms of when your good health ends. And I just find that heart-breaking.

Its something that isnt unique to this country and its not unique to this time, but everyones talked about forever and no-one has really got a handle on.

He added: Sadly, public health investment is one of the first things that goes when youre tightening the belt. And it is the answer to keeping people out of primary and secondary care.
Indian author Arundhati Roy has won the PEN Pinter Prize as she was hailed as being a luminous voice of freedom and justice for decades.

The writer, 62, who won the Booker Prize for her debut novel The God Of Small Things in 1997, will be honoured at a ceremony, co-hosted by the British Library, later this year.

It comes amid reports she will be prosecuted in India for comments she made about the disputed region of Kashmir.

Roy said she was delighted to win the award, and added she wishes the late playwright Harold Pinter, who the prize is named after, was with us today to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking.

She added: Since he isnt, some of us must do our utmost to try to fill his shoes.

Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize in 1997 with her debut novel The God Of Small Things (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Roy was chosen by Ruth Borthwick, chairwoman of the charity English PEN, activist and The Kite Runner actor Khalid Abdalla, and musician and writer of A Portable Paradise Roger Robinson.

Abdalla said: Arundhati Roy is a luminous voice of freedom and justice whose words have come with fierce clarity and determination for almost 30 years now.

Her books, her writings, the spirit with which her life is lived, have been a lodestar through the many crises and the darkness our world has faced since her first book, The God Of Small Things.

This year, as the world faces the deep histories that have created this moment in Gaza, our need for writers who are unflinching and unswerving has been immense.

In honouring Arundhati Roy this year, we are celebrating both the dignity of her body of work and the timeliness of her words, that arrive with the depth of her craft exactly when we need them most.

The annual PEN Pinter Prize, established in 2009, is given to writers who have a significant body of work in English that in Pinters words casts an unflinching, unswerving gaze upon the world and shows a fierce intellectual determination to define the real truth of our lives and our societies.

We are thrilled to announce that Arundhati Roy is the winner of the PEN Pinter Prize 2024. She will receive the award in a ceremony co-hosted by the @britishlibrary on 10 October. #PENPinterPrizehttps://t.co/bqyQsmLOkn  English PEN (@englishpen) June 27, 2024

Previous winners include Margaret Atwood, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Sir Salman Rushdie, and last year it went to childrens author Michael Rosen.

Robinson said: Arundhati Roy was the unanimous choice for this prestigious award, a testament to her unparalleled contribution to literature.

Her vast body of work, encompassing both fiction and non-fiction, has not only captivated readers worldwide but also consistently focused on themes of social justice.

Roys incisive commentary on issues ranging from environmental degradation to human rights abuses demonstrates her commitment to advocating for the marginalised and challenging the status quo.

Her unique voice and unwavering dedication to these causes make her a deserving recipient of this honour.

Roys original book, a story of two twin children growing up in Kerala who are confined by societal forces, did not receive a follow-up until two decades later.

Her second novel The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness was published in 2017 and was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

She has also published various collections of essays and writings on capitalism, Kashmir, politics and colonialism, including the books The Architecture Of Modern Empire, My Seditious Heart, and End Of Imagination.

Arundhati Roy and the cover of her second novel, The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness (Mayank Austen Soof/Booker/PA)

Roy also wrote Things That Can And Cannot Be Said with the actor John Cusack, which explores their meeting with whistle-blower Edward Snowden and political activist Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers.

Born in Shillong, Roys mother Mary was a prominent womens rights activist and educator in India, and Roy has also been known for her confrontations with the Indian government.

In 2002, she was jailed for a short period for contempt of court after being outside a court along with other protesters over the construction of the Narmada Dam, which she felt would harm farmers and villagers.

Earlier this month, lieutenant general of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, gave the go-ahead for Roy to be prosecuted over a speech she made in 2010 in which she disagreed with Kashmir being an integral part of India, according to local reports.

Her prize will be shared with an International Writer of Courage, which is given to someone who is active in defence of freedom of expression, often at risk to their own safety.

Roy will select the co-winner from a shortlist of cases supported by English PEN, and the recipient will be announced at ceremony on October 10.
Bill Gates has warned that political backlash against green policies in developed countries could hamper the fight against climate change.

Politics could slow this stuff down, he said. Rich countries not only need to [reduce] their own emissions, but they also need to be the primary source of both the risk capital and the bootstrap funding to get to zero green premium.

Mr Gates was speaking at a London summit organised by his energy investment firm, Breakthrough Energy, which backs tech companies trying to cut greenhouse gases.

The green premium is a phrase Mr Gates has used to refer to the extra cost of doing business in a less polluting way.

It comes amid fears of a pushback against policies to address climate change in the US, Europe and some corners of UK politics.

At the first Breakthrough Energy Summit in 2022, I shared updates on the cutting-edge concepts and companies were supporting that address the five grand challenges of climate change. This year, in London, we have something else to share: a whole portfolio of clean technologies  Bill Gates (@BillGates) June 25, 2024

Green parties lost seats across the board in the recent European Union elections, raising concerns that the bloc could weaken its climate ambitions.

In the UK, the Conservatives last year watered down commitments on electric cars and home insulation.

Meanwhile in the US, Donald Trump has a slight lead in the polls ahead of a November presidential election. Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised US government plans to cut emissions.

Mr Gates added that while he is optimistic about the worlds overall response to climate change, he cast doubt on the chances of hitting the target of net zero emissions by 2050.

He said: It would take wild success to actually get to zero by 2050 because thats every country, every sector.

He added: I dont think Im crazy to be optimistic, though Id be the first to admit that hitting this specific goal of absolutely net zero emissions by 2050, were not likely to achieve that.

Mr Gates, once the worlds richest person, founded computing giant Microsoft and has a reported net worth of more than 130 billion dollars.

In recent decades, he has established himself as a prominent philanthropist via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which he set up in 2000 with then-wife Melinda to tackle global health challenges like malaria.

In 2015, Mr Gates turned his attention to the climate crisis, setting up Breakthrough Energy. The investment vehicle manages 4.5 billion dollars and has 165 portfolio companies.

Earlier at the three-day event, Mr Gates said AI would make it easier to fight climate change by making innovation far easier to do.

He said: AI, in every field of endeavour, will be accelerating innovation, whether thats in medicine or helping with tutoring, education.

[With] climate [change], some of the complex things like modelling fusion energy  thank goodness AI is going to make that far easier to do.

However, he warned that it is being used by people with good intent, acknowledging that it could be used by people carrying out cyber attacks or political interference.

You have to make sure the good guys are staying ahead in detecting and preventing that type of usage, he added.
Nearly 200 businesses have signed up to a unions campaign against Labours policy of refusing to grant new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

A giant version of Unites joint letter will be unveiled in Aberdeen on Thursday as part of their no ban without a plan campaign.

Labour have said they will not grant new licences in the North Sea but they would continue with any licences already in operation.

Labour politicians reject claims their policy will endanger jobs (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Keir Starmer has rejected claims this would endanger North Sea jobs and shadow energy Secretary Ed Miliband says Labours commitment to the sector is non-negotiable.

The letter includes local businesses from north east Scotland, Falkirk and Boness.

It says: The oil and gas industry is a hugely important employer, providing good quality jobs for local people, on whose custom businesses like ours depend. Its future represents the future of our community.

UK Labours current policy on net zero for the North Sea is to ban all new licences but, currently, they have no detailed plan on a fair, workers transition to greener energy and to save 30,000 jobs in Scotland.

This could lead to us importing more oil and gas when we have it on our doorstep.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Until Labour has a concrete plan for replacing North Sea jobs and ensuring energy security, the ban on new oil and gas exploration licences should not go ahead.

Labour must not allow oil and gas workers to become this generations coal miners. Scotlands oil and gas communities are crying out for a secure future and that is what Labour must deliver.

Labours manifesto says the party will deliver a green prosperity plan to invest in the climate transition, which it claims will create green jobs, cut bills and secure energy independence.

Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: The skills and expertise of the North Sea are at the heart of Labours transformative clean energy plans.

The industrys workers have been failed time and time again by the SNP and the Tories, who have let energy jobs go abroad and have no plan to bring the jobs of the future to Scotland.

Its absolutely right that there needs to be a comprehensive plan on jobs, and thats exactly what Labour is delivering.

Workers are at the heart of our transformative plans for a publicly owned GB Energy company, a National Wealth Fund, a British Jobs Bonus, and a New Deal for Working People.

He added: Together with workers, industry and trade unions, Labour will deliver the greatest investment in the future of the North Sea in a generation.

Only Labour has a plan to unlock Scotlands potential as a clean energy superpower and deliver good jobs, lower bills and greater energy security for Scotland.
Alexis Nungaray, the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, center, is embraced by Tiffany Carmona, left, and Jackie Major after speaking about her daughter during a news conference after Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing the 12-year-old girl, appeared in court on Monday, June 24, 2024 in Houston. Pena was ordered held on $10 million bail as he, and another man, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. They're accused of leading her under a bridge in north Houston, and then strangling her. Her body was found June 17 in the bayou near the 400 West Rankin Road. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

The death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray shocked Houston and the country. In the days since her body was found in a bayou, Jocelyn's death has been thrust into the center of a national debate about violent crime and immigration, drawing attention from not only Texas leaders, but from the men running for President.

Two men, both of them Venezuelan nationals, have been arrested for capital murder in connection to Jocelyn's death. The men are being held on $10 million bond as they await trial, which could be years away.

Here are answers to some of the major questions about Jocelyn's death and men accused of killing her.

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An attendee places a candle near a photo of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, during a candlelight vigil for her on Friday, June 21, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

Who was Jocelyn Nungaray?

Jocelyn Nungaray was a 12-year-old girl who lived in north Houston. She lived in an apartment building with her mother, Alexis Nungaray, 27, and a young brother.

Late on the night of June 16, Jocelyn sneaked out of her family's apartment and walked to a 7-11 convenience store at the corner of Rankin Road and Kuykendahl while talking to her 13-year-old boyfriend on her cellphone, police said.

At the store, she was approached by two men who asked her for directions, police said. The men led her to a bridge in the 400 block of Rankin, where police said they were with her for two hours, in which time they assaulted her, took off her pants, tied up her arms and legs and then strangled her, before throwing her body in a shallow bayou, police said.

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Her body was found by a passerby on the morning of June 17.

Jocelyn Nungarays mom, Alexis, reacts as she listens to a family member talk about her daughter during a vigil on Friday, June 21, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

Who are the people charged with killing Jocelyn Nungaray?

Pena, 26, and Martinez-Rangel, 22, were arrested on the morning of June 20 at an apartment they shared less than a mile from where Jocelyn's body was found.

The men are both Venezuelan nationals who worked construction jobs in Houston, according to police and court records.

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Police found the men after releasing pictures from the 7-11's security camera. Tipsters told police the men had been seen drinking together at an Ojos Locos restaurant hours before Jocelyn's death, and that had sought out help leaving the area before he was found and arrested, according to prosecutors.

Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led from the courtroom by deputies on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Houston. Martinez-Rangel was ordered held on $10 million bail as he, and another man, Franklin Pena, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. They're accused of leading her under a bridge in north Houston, and then strangling her. Her body was found June 17 in the bayou near the 400 West Rankin Road. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Both men spoke to police investigators and made statements about what happened the night of Jocelyn's death, a prosecutor said during the men's arraignment. Pena said he kissed the girl, but said Martinez-Rangel straddled and strangled her, and tied her up, Harris County assistant district attorney Megan Long said.

Long said Martinez-Rangel had evidence of bites and scratches on his body when he was arrested.

Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, is led out of the courtroom after bail was set for $10 million, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Houston. Pena and another man, Johan Jose Rangel-Martinez, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. Brett Coomer/Associated Press

Both men were charged with capital murder of a person older than 10 years old and younger than 15 years old. If they are ultimately convicted on that charge, they face possible sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

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It's possible that the men could be indicted on different charges as the investigation of Jocelyn's death progresses, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. If prosecutors feel they have enough evidence to prove Jocelyn was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, they might seek an indictment under a different section of Texas law that allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

A bridge in the 400 block of West Rankin Rd. near Kuykendahl Rd. is shown Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Houston. Houston police are investigating the homicide of a 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose body was found early Monday in shallow waters of the north Houston creek. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, ruled she died from strangulation. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer

Were Pena and Martinez-Rangel in the U.S. illegally?

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, both men were believed to have entered the United States without permission at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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When exactly they reached the country is unclear, but according to ICE, Rangel-Martinez was stopped by Border Patrol agents outside El Paso in March. Pena was stopped Border Patrol agents in May.

Both men were detained for a brief time and then released with orders to appear before a judge in the future.

Pena was wearing an ankle monitor given to him by immigration authorities at the time Jocelyn was killed, Long said.

Prosecutor Megan Long speaks to the media during a news conference after Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, one of the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, appeared in court on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Houston. Martinez-Rangel was ordered held on $10 million bail as he, and another man, Franklin Pena, are charged with capital murder over the girl's death. They're accused of leading her under a bridge in north Houston, and then strangling her. Her body was found June 17 in the bayou near the 400 West Rankin Road. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

Why is Jocelyn's death a political controversy?

Jocelyn's death has drawn national attention, at least in part because of Pena's and Martinez-Rangel's immigration status.

Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Greg Abbott have blamed President Joe Biden's immigration policies for her death because the men had been stopped by border patrol and released. Trump suggested he would bring up her death at Thursday's presidential debate.

Conservative lawmakers and right-wing media have added Jocelyn's death to a list of other woman killed in recent years by people who entered the country without permission.

Mayor John Whitmire speaks during a press conference held by Houston Police Department related to the investigation of the murder of twelve year old Jocelyn Nungaray on Thursday, June 20, 2024 in Houston. Two suspects have been detained. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

The case has also drawn attention to other local political issues. Before and Martinez-Rangel were arrested, Mayor John Whitmire made a point of connecting Jocelyn's death to "repeat violent offenders" who were free in Houston. Neither Pena or Martinez-Rangel have previous arrests in Harris County, however.

After their arrest, Whitmire also called for the men to be held with no bail and called for the public to pressure the court system to hold the men indefinitely -- even leading a chant of "no bail" at a vigil for Jocelyn. Other political leaders -- including Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz -- called for the men to be sentenced to death if convicted.

Both the bail denial and death penalty aren't possible, at least right now, because of the specific crime they are charged with. Under state law, killing a child between the ages of 10 and 15 years old isn't punishable by the death penalty. There are only a handful of reasons that people can be held without bail, including if they are charged with a death penalty-eligible crime.

Was Jocelyn sexually assaulted?

Pena and Martinez-Rangel haven't been officially accused of raping Jocelyn. Prosecutors have said that her pants were pulled down and that investigators are waiting on the results of a sexual assault kit.
Sir Keir Starmer has said he was not intending to cause offence to the Bangladeshi community, after his comments about Bangladeshi migrants were criticised.

During The Suns election debate on Monday, the Labour leader said people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed from the UK currently.

This led to criticisms from former MPs, now Labour candidates, in addition to a resignation letter from a Labour councillor.

When questioned during a campaign visit to Staffordshire, Sir Keir said he valued the relationship and the contribution of the Bangladeshi community in Britain.

He told reporters: Theyve made a massive contribution to our economy, to our culture and to our country. Thats why theres always been a longstanding and strong relationship between Labour and the Bangladeshi community here.

Its why my first trip as a Labour MP was to Bangladesh, where I saw for myself the strength of the country, the hospitality and warmth of the country. Ive got many Bangladeshi constituents in my own constituency who Ive been working with for many years, and I want to build on that in government.

He added: The reference in the debate the other day was an example of a country that is considered safe as far as asylum is concerned, and one of the countries thats actually got a returns agreement with us, and that is actually a good thing where both we and Bangladesh can be proud of.

Labour candidate Apsana Begum said migrants should not be scapegoated by politicians (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I certainly wasnt intending to cause any concern or offence to any Bangladeshi community here, he said.

During The Suns election event, Sir Keir pointed to the number of people being returned to their home country dropping to 44% under the Conservative Government.

He said: So on the first few days in government, Ill tell you what Ill do, Ill put the staff back in the returns unit, Ill make sure weve got planes going off, not to Rwanda, because thats an expensive gimmick.

Asked where they would be sent, he added: At the moment, people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed, because theyre not being processed.

Following Sir Keirs comments, Apsana Begum posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, in which she said migrants should not be scapegoated by any politicians.

Ms Begum, the former MP and Labour candidate for the London constituency of Poplar and Limehouse, said: Let me be very clear: I will never stand by and let migrant communities be scapegoated.

Its totally unacceptable for politicians of any party to use dog-whistle racism against Bangladeshis or any other migrant community.

She added: We know where this leads, and why the Bangladeshi community led the anti-fascist fight back in the wake of the murder of Altab Ali in 1978 with the message here to stay.

https://x.com/rushanaraali/status/1806018178973110653

On Wednesday, deputy leader of Tower Hamlets Labour group Sabina Akhtar accused Sir Keir of singling out her community and insulting her Bangladeshi identity, before resigning over his comments.

In a post on X, Ms Akhtar said she could not be proud of the Labour Party anymore, adding: It is clear the direction it is heading is unacceptable to me and my community.

Shadow business minister Rushanara Ali said she was proud to be the first British Bangladeshi MP elected to the Commons.

In a statement, the Labour candidate for Bethnal Green and Stepney in London, said she was in close contact with Sir Keir over the comments and had relayed the communities concerns.

Mish Rahman, a member of Labours National Executive Committee, said Sir Keir was bang out of line.

Speaking to Times Radio on Thursday, Mr Rahman said: Keir Starmer might not have the same Labour values as I do, but Im not going to resign from the Labour Party over Keir Starmer.

In fact, I will challenge Keir Starmer at every opportunity I have when I feel hes out of line. And today hes been bang out of line.

And unfortunately, this seems to be a regular occurrence when Keir Starmer makes these comments to camera where he makes these awful, awful errors of judgment.
Fans flocked to a stadium in Dublin on Thursday to buy Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of three sold-out gigs.

The US pop sensation will play three sold-out gigs at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

Some young Swifties pulled on their new jumpers and hoodies as soon as they bought them from a merchandise stand in the 3Arena.

Some speculated about what songs she would play as part of her set list, and one girl wondered if she would use some Irish words on stage.

Eilis Brown from Dublin went to pick up merchandise for her two granddaughters, who live in Galway, Ava, 14 and Holly, 16.

Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland from Belfast play with their friendship bracelets (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

The two have been thinking about their outfits since last July and spent a day making friendship bracelets.

Asked why she thinks Swift is so popular, she said: Shes great, shes a very good woman. Look at the way she took on Spotify, shes brilliant.

These girls, going in and out to school in their daddys car and coming up and down to Dublin, all they listen to is Taylor Swift.

Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland, from Belfast, separated the friendship bracelets they had made outside the 3Arena.

Sophie said: Her songs are good, she makes good albums, and they all fit together and theyre easy to make up dances to. Like Love Story, you could make up a duet with Love Story.

It makes me feel good and something that I can listen to all the time.

Katie Jackson and Rebecca Seeejko from London flew to Dublin to see Taylor Swift after missing out on tickets to her UK tour (PA)

Nyla said: I like it because you can really dance to it. My favourite one is Getaway Car.

Katie Jackson and Rebecca Serejko, who flew from London to see Swift perform in Dublin, said they had seen her live 10 years ago.

They tried to buy tickets to see her in London and Edinburgh before getting tickets in Dublin  and even took the day off work to secure them.

Shes a brilliant performer, Ms Serejko said.

I like that shes got music for every kind of mood that youre in, Ms Jackson said.

You want to have a bit of an angsty day, you want to have a little jump around the house, its really fun, theres also something really satisfying that shes a woman doing it and beating everyone else.

So its also nice to listen to it and say yeah, go for it.

Alexis Stolarun, from the US, bought Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of the three Dublin shows (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

Alexis Stolarun, from Connecticut in the US, said she is going to go to the gig on Saturday and Sunday.

I think its just easier to listen to and everything can relate to her music, and theres all different styles as well.

Its just really exciting, shes just a great performer and just a really fun concert.

I think people think that youre crazy if you talk about it too much. Its a fine line between how much do you share with people and she just gets a lot of hatred for no reason.

Amy from Co Meath bought crew neck jumpers, half-zip jumpers and hoodies for four people.

Ive seen her here in the 3Arena before, for 1989, and Ive seen her in Croke Park for Reputation, so this will be my third time to see her, she said.

Amy from Co Meath, picked up Taylor Swift merchandise for four people (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

Were so excited, its like a cult. Weve been watching The Eras Tour online for months. And theres loads of people from different countries in the 3Arena who have travelled to see her for the second time, third time.

Its the community, and the friendship bracelets, like the hours weve put in making the bracelets at home.

Asked if she has to explain the fandom to people, she said: I think people think were a bit too old for it because were in our 20s, but you know what, weve seen her through all the Eras, weve grown up with her music, so we feel like were the real fans.

Erin Delgehausen from Arizona, in the US, and Kylee Baldwin from Ohio, in the US, said they saw her perform in the States and decided to see her abroad, both choosing Dublin as an option.

Ms Baldwin said she has been a fan since she was nine, when Shouldve Said No was released in 2006.

Ms Delgehausen said she became a Swiftie after seeing the opening night of the Eras Tour in Phoenix, in the US.

A Taylor Swift fan shows off her friendship bracelets in Dublin (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

It was a transformational experience. Everyone makes fun of me and teases me about it, but I went in and came out a different person. So Ive listened to nothing but her music non-stop since that night.

Ive been to one show, but Ive watched every live stream on my phone since opening night.

She said: She is every person. She has found a way to connect with everyones experiences universally, no matter your age, and she is just amazingly connected to her fanbase and just understands what its like to be a woman and exist in the world.

Shes managed to connect to people across all ages in a way that Ive never seen with anyone else before.

Lamar, a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said Swifts music, lyrics and artistry are what she loves.

Im very excited to see everything, she said.

We were awake early, I think we had like four or five different laptops open, we managed to get into the queue quicky, we were happy we didnt miss it.

She added: I grew up listening to Taylor, since I was a kid her music was so prominent and then as I grew older her music resonated, at every stage of my life it felt like her songs were there and were so meaningful and then the fan base is really good.
Jude Bellingham has told his England team-mates to forget about any negative supporters as he praised the fans who dragged him over the line against Slovenia despite being absolutely dead on his feet.

Despite drawing widespread criticism for their performances at Euro 2024, England topped Group C and avoided what appears to be the much tougher half of the draw for the knockout stages.

A goalless stalemate with Slovenia in Cologne was the continuation of Englands struggles in Germany, where they have also so far drawn 1-1 with Denmark and beat Serbia 1-0 courtesy of a Bellingham header.

Fans booed England off following a dour display against the Danes and followed suit after the Slovenia result, with beer cups thrown in the direction of manager Gareth Southgate, who has since called on any of the fans ire to be aimed at him rather than his players.

Jude Bellingham was absolutely dead towards the end of the Slovenia game (Bradley Collyer/PA)

Bellingham, though, has spoken about the positive impact that the fans inside the RheinEnergieStadion had on him and wants to reward them with better performances moving forward.

I think you definitely draw on them for energy towards the end of games, he said.

I felt like in the last game, I was absolutely dead but you hear them singing, hear them chanting and you can play at a level thats not our best, its normal, it can happen.

But I think the important thing is, when youre wearing this badge and youre representing those fans, is that you dont give up and I think that theyre a constant reminder of that.

I think its always interesting. I know theres a lot of negativity outside the stadium and the camp but I always feel that when we get into the stadium, its so different.

I think its important that as team-mates and as a team, we remember that the ones in the stadium are the ones that are going to give us the energy so dont worry about the ones that arent there.

Weve obviously got to keep using that energy, using that feeling that we get from them, to be successful in this tournament.

Bellingham insists England will not be writing off their last-16 clash with Slovakia as an easy game.

Spain, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium are all on the other side of the draw, meaning England will avoid that quintet until a potential final in Berlin on July 14.

Instead, Southgates side return to Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening to face Slovakia, who advanced as one of the best third-placed teams from the group stage.

The draw for the last 16 of Euro 2024 (PA Graphics)

Victory would see England progress to a quarter-final against either Italy or Switzerland but, for now, Bellingham says the squad will not take the challenge of Slovakia lightly.

Youre always going to have tough games at this point of the tournament, he said on Lions Den.

People will obviously look at Slovakia and think its going to be an easy game, its definitely not the case. Theyll pose a different kind of threat, its a different kind of team to break down.

Sometimes when you play the nations that come at you a bit more, its more open. Itll be an interesting game, its one that were confident we have enough in the room to win.

I know the performances havent been as good as they can be in the first three games but its a great opportunity for us to get back to the level we need to be at.
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police are to investigate political betting allegations where a broader criminal inquiry is required.

 The long arm of the law

And so it goes on. Now the police are to get involved in the gamblegate political betting saga which continues to overshadow the closing stages of the General Election campaign.

While the Gambling Commission remains in charge of the main investigation into alleged cheating, detectives from Scotland Yard will take over in cases where more serious criminality  such as misconduct in public office  is suspected.

Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin said: We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations.

Rishi Sunak, talking to apprentices at Alstom Transport in Derby, refused to comment on betting allegations (Joe Giddens/PA)

There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required.

The Met revealed that the number of its officers under investigation over bets placed on the date of election has risen to seven  including a member of Rishi Sunaks close protection team who was arrested last week.

So far five Conservatives have also been implicated in the inquiry, with reports suggesting at least 15 parliamentary candidates and officials could be involved.

Campaigning in Derbyshire, the Prime Minister repeatedly refused to say whether he had told his former parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, the election date before he made his announcement.

Youll recognise that while there are ongoing independent investigations, its just not right for me to say anything more about that, he said.

Earlier this week the Tories withdrew their support for Mr Williams in his bid to be returned as MP for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat after he admitted having a flutter on the election date.

 Quote of the day

 Bakers bid

Self-styled Brexit hardman Steve Baker has become the latest senior Tory to signal that he is ready to step into the fray if Mr Sunak is ousted in the wake of a Conservative defeat on July 4.

The Northern Ireland minister hinted at a leadership run  provided he can gain re-election in Wycombe where he is defending a slender 4,214 majority.

Steve Baker has hinted at a leadership bid (Liam McBurney/PA)

One thing at a time. I want to represent the people of Wycombe the best that I can, as I always have done. Then lets see what happens, he told the PA news agency.

He joins a potentially crowed field with Cabinet ministers Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Victoria Atkins among those already jostling for position.

Mr Baker certainly has form. He was a leading light in the European Research Group which caused so many problems for Theresa May over Brexit and has proved a thorn in the side of the Tory leadership over Covid rules and net zero.

He later revealed that heading so many rebellions  holding these tigers by the tail  had taken its toll, resutling in a major mental health crisis.

 Picture of the day

Sir Keir Starmer with potter Keith Brymer Jones during his visit to Duchess China (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

 Great British Pottery Show Down

After their sparky encounter in their final TV debate, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer have been engaged in slinging more mud. Or to be more precise, clay.

The Tory and Labour leaders both headed to the Potteries where they attempted to demonstrate their skills in ceramics for the cameras.

First up was Mr Sunak who received instruction in dipping a teapot in pottery glaze during a visit to Denby Pottery in Derbyshire.

Rishi Sunak dipping teapots during his visit to Denby Pottery Factory (Joe Giddens/PA)

The Prime Minister was given 8/10 for his effort by dipper Georgia Plinston, who commended him for the relatively even coating he achieved.

Sir Keir later visited a bone china factory and stamped the word change on to a mug made by celebrity potter Keith Brymer Jones.

The Great Pottery Throw Down expert judge made a mug as he chatted to the Labour leader about apprenticeships for craftspeople at the Duchess China factory just outside Stoke.

I often describe my career as a series of mistakes with a few successes, Brymer Jones said.

I should join you there, Sir Keir laughed.

 Mind your own business

Political betting may now be exercising the police as well as regulators but some punters seem blithely unconcerned.

When The Sun reported that Tory Sir Philip Davies has placed an 8,000 bet on himself to lose, he declared it was nobodys business but his own.

Sir Philip Davies (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA)

Whats it got to do with you whether I did or didnt? he told the paper. I hope to win. Im busting a gut to win. I expect to lose.

Sir Philip, who previously co-hosted a show on GB News with his wife Esther McVey before she became a Government minister, is defending a majority of 6,242 in the West Yorkshire seat of Shipley.

While he refused to confirm or deny the bet this time round, he acknowledged that he had not been shy about wagering a few pounds in previous elections.

In the 2005 election, I busted a gut to win. I expected to lose. I had a bet on myself to lose in the 2005 election, and my bet went down the pan, he said.

 Dont mention the PM

As the campaign enters its closing stages, the main parties have ramped up their spending on social media advertising as they scramble for every last vote.

Transparency campaigners Who Targets Me said the Conservatives shelled out 332,000 last week on advertising on platforms owned by Meta  including Facebook and Instagram  while Labour paid 350,000.

But while Labours ads largely feature their own plans for government, the Tories are much more focused on attacking their opponents.

According to Who Targets Me, 83% Conservative ads mentioned Labour  compared to just 1.1% which name-checked Mr Sunak and the 0.4% which highlighted Tory policies.

If any number showed how theirs is a dont vote Labour campaign, rather than a vote Tory campaign, its this. The tone has been relentlessly negative, the campaigners said.

 Social media moment

Rishi Sunak has been blasted on X for a post which contains a poster with the words, Dont surrender your familys future to Labour, alongside an image of what appears to be an elderly man, a woman and a child with their hands up.

I will never stop fighting for this country. pic.twitter.com/jNB44Ct0at  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) June 27, 2024

The Prime Minister also commented, I will never stop fighting for this country, above it.

Hundreds of people have reacted, with some asking Mr Sunak, Are you serious sir?, and others questioning how he could post such a nasty image.

Others brought up the Conservative leaders decision to leave D-Day commemorative events early, adding: Fighting for this country? Didnt you abandon those who fought for our country in France for an interview?

 What the polls are are saying

Two opinion polls have been published in the past 24 hours, both of which show Labour continuing to hold a large lead over the Conservatives, with Reform several points behind in third place.

(PA Graphics)

More In Common gives Labour a 17-percentage point lead over the Tories while Norstat puts Labour 16 points ahead.

An average of all polls with survey work completed during the seven days to June 27 puts Labour on 41%, 20 points ahead of the Conservatives on 21%, followed by Reform on 15%, the Lib Dems on 11% and the Greens on 6%.

 Whats happening tomorrow

Nigel Farage and Greens co-leader Adrian Ramsay appearing on BBC Question Time.
French electronic pioneers Air have delighted the crowds in Southampton city centre as they celebrated the more than 25 years since the release of their groundbreaking album Moon Safari.

The duo from Versailles, near Paris, won a Grammy award for best electronic/dance album when they released the 10-track album in 1998.

French electronic pioneers Air have played in Southampton city centre (Ben Mitchell/PA)

Now Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel have performed the album in its entirety during the Southampton Summer Sessions series of outdoor concerts next to the Hampshire citys Guildhall.

Dressed in white, the French duo were all smiles as they were greeted with cheers from the audience as they went straight into playing the album from start to finish.

Although known for its ambient vibe, playing live, Air got the crowd dancing with the crisp synthesiser sounds and drums of hits such as Kelly Watch The Stars and Sexy Boy.

To the side of the stage, a signer for audience members with hearing difficulties earned her own fan club among the crowd for her enthusiastic dancing.

After finishing the final track, Penelope, the band took their bows before coming back on stage through a cloud of dry ice and pulsing red lights.

They then launched into a selection from their other albums including Venus, Cherry Blossom Girl and Run from Talkie Walkie, which itself is 20 years old this year as well as Dont Be Light from Everybody Hertz which broke the rhythm of the evening to end the set with its rave tempo beats.

Air played their 25-year-old album Moon Safari in full (Ben Mitchell/PA)

The band then returned to the stage for an encore which included Alone In Kyoto, the final track of Talkie Walkie and Electronic Performers from 10,000hz Legend.

Speaking ahead of the tour commemorating the classic album which has been heralded for bringing in an era of chill-out and downtempo music by inspiring others with its spatial soundscapes and impeccable production, Godin told Time Out magazine the albums success had changed his life, although he knew it would be a hit because of the energy in the studio as it was being recorded.

He said they had been inspired by the nostalgia of childhood when creating it but its success had ironically ended their own innocence as they were thrown into the limelight.

Godin added that for several years they would not play the albums songs live in the same way as they were recorded as he searched for new experiences only later to resort to the original arrangements as he came to accept the way they were originally presented.

He added: When I made Moon Safari, I wanted to build something timeless. And now, over 20 years later, you have that answer. Because its still refreshing, it has proven to be truly timeless.

The TK Maxx presents Southampton Summer Sessions continue with Paloma Faith on Friday, June 28, Loyle Carner on Saturday before finishing with Kaiser Chiefs on Sunday.
Here is your guide to the main developments in the General Election campaign on Thursday:

 Back to business

Rishi Sunak is returning to the campaign trail on Thursday, after a two-day hiatus for the Emperor and Empress of Japans state visit and preparations for the final head-to-head debate with Sir Keir Starmer.

With one week to go until polling day, the deepening gambling row is still likely to feature heavily when he faces the media during a tour of the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

He is expected to visit a factory in Derbyshire and hold an evening campaign event in Leeds.

Rishi Sunak arriving for the BBC prime ministerial debate in Nottingham (Phil Noble/PA)

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch will use a speech at the British Chambers of Commerces annual conference to warn of the Labour threat to business and set out the Tories plans to drive growth and productivity.

The Business Secretary will claim that for Sir Keirs party private business is just a vehicle to pursue their political objectives  a managed economy, heavily regulated, heavily taxed and weighed down by trade union demands.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who is also speaking at the Westminster event, described it as desperate nonsense from a party that has failed to secure trade deals with the US and India.

 Start em young

Labour is pledging to turbocharge careers advice and work experience in schools to combat skills shortages in the workplace.

The party has committed to delivering two weeks worth of quality work experience for every young person and recruit more than 1,000 new careers advisers.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: Over one million young people are set to benefit from Labour ushering in a revolution in work readiness.

Sir Keir Starmer and Bridget Phillipson during a campaign visit to a Nuneaton primary school (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Sir Keir is joining the Labour battle bus in the North West and West Midlands to promote the plans.

 Emergency health budget

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is calling for the election winner to pass an emergency budget to fix health and social care services within four weeks of polling day.

The party is demanding one which would be much more targeted in scope than a normal budget.

It comes as poll frontrunner Labour has ruled out a snap fiscal event in the first few weeks of the next Parliament.

Sir Ed Davey falls off a paddleboard during his visit to Streatley, Berkshire (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Sir Ed said: There is no time to waste to fix local health services on the brink and tackle long NHS waiting times that are leaving people in pain and desperation.

His action-packed campaign tour continues in the North West, West Midlands and Oxfordshire on Thursday.

 Reform the North East

Nigel Farage is speaking at a noon mass meeting in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham.

Reform UK said it is time for a new voice as Labour and the Conservatives have deserted the North East.

Reform UK events are getting bigger and bigger  Watch this space for a HUGE announcement!  pic.twitter.com/CJVp6Q6uLu  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 26, 2024

Mr Farage and Richard Tice are also set to make an evening appearance at a community centre in Boston, Lincolnshire.

 North of the border

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is using the start of the final campaign week to warn of a Labour super-majority and urge voters to back his party to hold them to account.

A vote for the SNP on July 4 is the only guaranteed bet to finally get rid of the Tories in Scotland, he said.

Party leader John Swinney is expected to make a pizza-themed campaign visit with the SNPs Edinburgh East and Musselburgh candidate, while Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross is set to visit a business in East Lothian.

 Strike

Junior doctors are starting a five-day walkout across England  their 11th since their pay dispute began some 20 months ago.

Medics have said they will call off the strike if Mr Sunak makes a credible commitment to restore their pay.

The British Medical Association said it has already had some discussions with Labour, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting having promised talks on July 5 if the party wins the election.
Despite some grieving the loss of Glastonbury Festivals famous Arcadia spider, fans say they are ready to have their minds blown by a new fire-belching dragonfly installation.

Arcadia has been a key destination for late-night dance music at Worthy Farms showpiece in Somerset for well over a decade, first appearing in 2007 before cementing a permanent fixture in one corner of the festival in 2014.

For most of that time, barring the installation of a giant crane called Pangea in 2019, Arcadia DJs have performed into the early hours in the Spider  a giant metal arachnid which allows fans to gather beneath the artist and is surrounded by a dance lighting system and pyrotechnics which belch flames into the sky over the farm.

This year, the spider has been replaced with the Dragonfly, a reimagining of the flying insect built from an ex-military Royal Navy helicopter  turning a weapon of destruction into a unifying symbol, according to organisers.

They said its design is inspired by the arrival of the first dragonfly and the Aboriginal First Nations of Australia, and the stage will be opened each evening by a spectacular ceremony called Warraloo alongside Aboriginal representatives of the Wadjuk Noongar.

The new installation is inspired by an insect and aboriginal culture (Tom Leese/PA)

Festivalgoer Henno Tamms, who has travelled from the Netherlands for his third Glastonbury since 2017 and shared fond memories from the festivals famed dance area, told the PA news agency he was excited by his first sight of the new installation despite some fans sadness about the change.

A lot of people really loved the Arcadia spider a lot of people online were grieving like oh no the spiders dead again, said the 27-year-old, who is currently unemployed, as workers made the final touches to the new installation behind him.

Chemical Brothers performed to huge crowds beneath the Arcadia spider at Glastonbury in 2023 (Ben Birchall/PA)

But it looks promising, so well have to see maybe its a birth of the new thing.

Theyve blown our minds before, Im sure they can do it again.

Mr Tamms recalled watching Calvin Harris performing in the Spider and reflected on the draw the stage has on Worthy Farm thanks to the fireballs produced by its biofuel pyrotechnics, which the Dragonfly will still boast.

(The Spider) was kind of small, but it also felt really big you can hear it breathe all over the site every time it spews fire, he said.

The first time you see that it pops your eyeballs out  its like a cartoon moment.

Festival-goers Henno Tamms (left) and Nam Goldstein were excited by the new design (Tom Leese/PA)

Mr Tamms friend Nam Goldstein, from New York, who he met through the festival in 2017, was similarly effusive about the dance offering at Arcadia, which finishes as late as 3am over the Glastonbury weekend.

Even when theyre testing the fire, youre like this is the place to be, the 35-year-old IT worker told PA.

Even if I like the performers or not, theres something so magnificent about the ritual (at Arcadia) with the music and when its connecting together  its incredible.

The pair said they were looking forward to a DJ set from Hot Chip in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The main acts at Arcadia are set to perform from Friday to Sunday, with Fatboy Slim opening the stage at 10pm on Friday night.

Arcadias Dragonfly will host Fatboy Slim and Eric Prydz this year (Tom Leese/PA)

Arcadia organisers have also announced the launch of the Bug, the Dragonflys mobile amphibious cousin made from submarine moulds, which will roam the festival on six wheels with a custom sound system.

At his first Glastonbury Festival, Max Shard said he is looking forward to seeing Eric Prydz close out Arcadia on Saturday.

Ive seen it on the TV as the spider, so I thought it was going to be the spider, the 19-year-old roofer from Yeovil told PA.

It will be just as good, its just a different (and its) a lot different to what you would ever get at another festival.

Arcadia organisers said in a May release about the Dragonfly: As conflicts flare around the world, the transformational nature of the sculpture is a monument to hope.

It celebrates possibility in epic style, inviting reflection on a changing climate and ways to navigate it through co-operation and the creative use of technology.
The Duke of Sussex has been ordered to explain to a High Court judge how private messages to the ghostwriter of his memoir were destroyed amid their potential relevance to his legal action against the publisher of The Sun.

In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Fancourt said the apparent deletion of the dukes exchanges with John Moehringer on the Signal messaging platform, as well as drafts of Spare, before the books publication was not transparently clear.

The judge ordered the dukes lawyers to carry out further searches of his laptop and examinations of his texts and Whatsapp and Signal messages from 2005 to January last year, for evidence potentially relevant to the litigation over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

He ordered Harry to make an interim payment of 60,000 in legal costs to NGN after ruling largely in favour of the publishers bid for a wider search for evidence at a one-day hearing in London.

Harry, 39, alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for NGN, which also published the now-defunct News Of The World.

He is among a number of people to bring cases against the publisher, with a full trial of some cases due to be held in January.

The publisher has previously denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

Mr Justice Fancourt said there was evidence that a large number of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages between Harry and his ghostwriter were destroyed some time between 2021 and 2023, well after this claim was under way.

The position is not transparently clear about what exactly happened and needs to be made so by a witness statement from the claimant himself explaining what happened, he said, adding that this should cover what attempts have been made to retrieve the Signal messages.

The judge said Harrys exchanges with Mr Moehringer may have related to the parts of Spare in which unlawful information gathering in relation to newspapers was discussed.

The Duke of Sussexs barrister David Sherborne (James Manning/PA)

Harrys barrister, David Sherborne, said in written arguments that the duke had not discussed unlawful information gathering via text or WhatsApp with anyone and that his Signal messages with the ghostwriter had been wiped.

But Mr Justice Fancourt said this was apparently contradicted by Mr Moehringer who previously said he and the duke were texting around the clock.

NGNs disclosure bid is focused on uncovering any evidence that could relate to whether Harry knew he had a potential case against the publisher earlier than the legal time limit of six years before he filed his claim in September 2019.

In his oral ruling, the judge said he had real concerns this issue was being inadequately dealt with by Harrys legal team, adding that the majority of searches for material had been carried out by the duke himself rather than lawyers.

He said Harry had only disclosed five documents as being relevant to issues to be considered at trial, describing this as rather remarkable and gives me cause for concern about the disclosure exercise.

The judge also granted NGNs request that Harrys former solicitors at law firm Harbottle & Lewis and members of the royal household  Sir Clive Alderton, private secretary to the King, and Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse  should be written to to request material relevant to the litigation.

Earlier on Thursday, NGNs barrister Anthony Hudson KC claimed Harry had to be dragged kicking and screaming into allowing his personal emails to be examined for potential evidence.

The court heard some 11,570 emails from the dukes now-closed ha@sjpkp.com email account were being reviewed for potential disclosure by his lawyers over the course of 150 hours and at a cost of 50,000.

Mr Hudson accused Harry of obfuscation and creating an obstacle course in the face of NGNs efforts to source more material.

In written arguments, he said the loss of the Signal messages with the ghostwriter gives rise to real concern as to whether the claimant has complied with his obligation to preserve potentially relevant documents.

Mr Sherborne said NGN had wrongly characterised his approach to disclosing material, accusing the publisher of embarking on a classic fishing expedition for potential information that was entirely unnecessary and disproportionate.

He said accusations that Harry was putting up obstacles was the height of hypocrisy, telling the court that NGN had previously deleted millions of emails as a way of hiding incriminating evidence.

In written arguments, Mr Sherborne said Harry had gone above and beyond his obligations and had already searched his Californian home for material.

He said Harry no longer had laptops, mobile phones or data backups from before September 2013.

The dukes Hotmail email address used before 2014 had been deactivated, he said, while there were no relevant social media accounts that fail to be searched.

Royal aides had also been contacted and have confirmed they do not hold relevant documents, Mr Sherborne added.
More strike action could take place in the summer if the next government does not move forward negotiations with junior doctors in a timely manner, medics warned as they started a five-day walkout across England.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said it stands ready to talk and the union has already had some discussions with the Labour Party.

Junior doctors said shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has promised talks on July 5 if the party wins the General Election.

Sir Keir Starmer said he would open discussions with junior doctors on day one of a Labour government if he is elected on July 4.

Junior doctors, let's make sure full pay restoration stays front and centre during this election. We strike again with a 5 day full walkout from 7am on 27 June to 7am on 2 July. Let's make this round of action our biggest and loudest yet! #DoctorsStrike https://t.co/iMjSqMgU1Y pic.twitter.com/l51cnQw6uZ  Junior Doctors (@BMA_JuniorDocs) May 29, 2024

The Labour leader told reporters during a campaign visit to Staffordshire: I dont want these strikes to be going ahead.

This is a problem the Government has failed to deal with, and if were elected into government we will have to pick it up. What we will do is ensure on day one we start the discussion.

The BMAs junior doctors committee said Mr Streetings remark that raising pay would be a journey and not an event align with their pay restoration goals.

Health leaders have implored the next government and junior doctors to reset industrial relationships and prevent any more walkouts, saying that strikes cant become business as usual for the NHS.

Junior doctors in England have said their pay has been cut by more than a quarter over the last 15 years and have called for a 35% increase.

But Mr Streeting has said he would not meet the 35%, saying that if he gave in to the demand then any trade union worth their salt would come back the following year with the same request.

He has said there is space for a discussion on pay, as well as negotiations on how to improve working conditions for medics in training.

Senior BMA members have conceded the union had not pushed enough over the last 15 years, saying they had pinned their hopes on the independent pay review body, which sets the pay of doctors.

They praised the WhatsApp generation for their determination and ability to mobilise instantaneously using the messaging app.

Junior doctors, joined by a Just Eat delivery courier (right), on the picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The latest walkout marks the 11th strike by junior doctors in England since their dispute began some 20 months ago.

NHS leaders have raised concerns about the major disruption the strike will cause in the aftermath of a heatwave which prompted a yellow heat-health alert across much of the country.

Junior doctors said they would call off the strike if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a credible commitment to restore their pay.

We were hoping that maybe this would allow him to see how this could be a mutual win for both, said Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the BMAs junior doctors committee.

He said the current strike mandate ends on September 19, adding: If talks do not move in a timely manner, then of course our members would expect us to call for strike action.

We have had three 98% yes votes to our ballots for industrial action to restore their pay because they know, unfortunately, words dont mean anything unless its written down and action is taken to achieve something.

Asked about talks with Mr Streeting, committee co-chairman Dr Robert Laurenson said: He is talking about things like journey, not an event  were happy to have a multi-year pay deal. He has seemingly heard that and (his remark of) journey not an event matches that.

Dr Trivedi added: The main thing that Ive taken away from discussions is that there does seem like there is a willingness to try and at least engage in constructive and meaningful (talks).

The BMAs chairman of council, Professor Philip Banfield, said: Its got to a point where doctors felt completely disempowered and what has happened is the juniors have got together and power of social media and WhatsApp, they started talking to each other and saying You know what, enough is enough.

The junior doctors are really good at communicating with each other via WhatsApp and that has been the key to the success of their strike action because the junior doctors committee can talk almost instantaneously with their membership  they can talk to 50,000 people really quickly and get instant reports back. Id love to have an organisation that actually can do that.

To prevent dangerous delays to cancer care, we are granting a derogation for surgical registrars working on high-risk upper GI, head and neck, and lung cancers at three hospital trusts: Lewisham and Greenwich, Guys & St Thomas' and Kings College Hospital. 1/3  The BMA (@TheBMA) June 25, 2024

Youve seen industrial action now go on for well over a year. Its incredibly disappointing that this has gone this far.

He added: We have met with Labour several times over the last two years  we havent always agreed, weve had disagreements. So, do I expect the conversation to take place? Yes. Do I expect that conversation to be one that is easy or tough? Itll be a tough conversation.

Prof Banfield said Mr Sunaks Government felt that although there was a probably a deal to be done with consultants and specialist doctors, that the junior doctors werent interested in a deal at all.

It just has felt as if Government has wanted to do a deal with consultants first, which has cost them a considerable amount of money, then done the specialists and theyve just procrastinated over the juniors.

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: We cant go on like this. Strikes cant become business as usual for the NHS and patients.

Its vital that the next government and junior doctors reset industrial relationships and prevent any more walkouts.

Preparing for strikes, keeping patients safe throughout them and having to rebook thousands of treatments takes an enormous amount of time.

Failure to resolve the dispute means more disruption for patients and staff, with more operations, scans and other care postponed on top of the 1.5 million already hit by industrial action across the NHS.

Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at The Kings Fund think tank, said: An immediate challenge facing the next government will be resolving industrial action in the NHS which has lasted for well over a year now.

It is difficult to comprehend how either the Conservative Party or the Labour Party can deliver on their manifesto commitment to recover NHS performance over the next parliament without first ending the dispute.

Jeremy Corbyn (left) joins junior doctors on the picket line outside St Thomas Hospital in London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Junior doctors make up half of the medical workforce and their last walkout in February led to 91,048 appointments, procedures and operations being cancelled.

The strike started at 7am on June 27 and ends on July 2, two days before voters go to the polls.

NHS leaders have said people should continue to use 999 in life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111  on the NHS app, online, or by phone  for other health concerns.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: Last year, the Government accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies in full, which saw junior doctors receive a pay rise of between 8.1% and 10.3%. This was the most generous workforce settlement in the private sector.

There is Cabinet Office guidance determining what is appropriate Government behaviour during the pre-election period. In line with the guidance, it would not be appropriate for Government to make a pay offer. The BMA know this but have refused to call off the strikes.

The deals brokered with the consultant and SAS doctors committees show that we will always act in good faith to end disputes. Before the election was called, we had entered into negotiations with the junior doctors committee overseen by an external mediator.

We commit to getting back into the negotiating room immediately after the election and seek to reach a similar resolution with junior doctors.

It comes as a leading think tank published data showing how much is spent on health by leading EU countries.

The UK falls behind Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg, France, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany when it comes to health spending.

Indeed in 2022, Germany spent 55% more on health per head of population than the UK and France spent 26% more, according the Health Foundations analysis of OECD data.

Toby Watt, lead economist at the Health Foundation, said: The main political parties have said they want to fix the NHS, yet the funding they have so far promised falls well short of what is needed.

This latest data from OECD show the UK is in the lower half of the EU14 when it comes to spending on health.
At least seven Metropolitan Police officers are being investigated over bets on the timing of the General Election.

The Met and the Gambling Commission issued an update on the inquiry into the alleged use of inside information to bet on the July 4 date.

Scotland Yard had previously indicated that six officers were under investigation, including one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks protection team who was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

So far five Conservatives have also been caught up in the inquiry, with reports suggesting the figure could be 15 parliamentary candidates and officials, although the gambling watchdog has not confirmed the numbers involved.

The Gambling Commission is focused on allegations of cheating, which are likely to make up the majority of cases, while Scotland Yard will lead on what is likely to be a much smaller number of cases where there could be additional offences such as misconduct in public office.

Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the General Election.

Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police to draw this case to a just conclusion.

The Met will investigate a small number of bets made on the timing of the General Election as part of a joint investigation led by the Gambling Commission. Read more details about that investigation https://t.co/8hojYMtIRj  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 27, 2024

We understand the desire for information; however, to protect the integrity of the investigation and to ensure a fair and just outcome, we are unable to comment further at this time, including the name of any person who may be under suspicion.

Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said: We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations.

There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required.

On Tuesday, Mr Sunak caved in to mounting calls to withdraw support for two parliamentary candidates facing an investigation by the gambling regulator  his parliamentary aide, Craig Williams, and Laura Saunders.

(PA Graphics)

Ms Saunders husband, Tony Lee, the Conservative Partys director of campaigning, has taken a leave of absence, as has Tory chief data officer Nick Mason, while Senedd member Russell George stepped back from the shadow cabinet in the Welsh Parliament after being placed under investigation.

Labour has also been dragged into the row, suspending candidate Kevin Craig after he was investigated by the regulator for betting on himself to lose the contest in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Sir Philip Davies, the husband of Cabinet Office minister Esther McVey, became the latest Tory candidate to be accused of gambling on the election.

He reportedly bet 8,000 against himself holding his marginal Shipley constituency, according to The Sun.

Speaking to broadcasters during a campaign visit to Staffordshire on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer said he was not aware of any other Labour candidates having bet against themselves.

No. You saw my action, he said, pointing to the move to suspend Mr Craig almost immediately after the Gambling Commission confirmed it was looking into his wager.

I think this latest development highlights; one, how serious this is; two, that the Prime Minister should have acted swiftly at the beginning and shown leadership rather than being bullied into taking action; and three, the wider choice now at the election between carrying on with this sort of behaviour  bending the rules and breaking the rules, disregarding the rules.

Weve got to stop that and usher in a reset.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told the PA news agency the scandal reflected a sense of arrogance and entitlement from a Westminster-based Conservative Party.
China-CEEC forum boosts digital cultural trade

Xinhua) 11:13, June 27, 2024

Representatives of Beijing International Studies University and Bulgaria's University of National and World Economy sign a cooperative memorandum during the 5th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Cultural and Creative Industry Forum in Sofia, Bulgaria, June 26, 2024. The forum kicked off here Wednesday, focusing on digital technology's role in cultural trade. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

SOFIA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The 5th China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Cultural and Creative Industry Forum kicked off here Wednesday, focusing on digital technology's role in cultural trade.

Connectivity between China and CEECs in the digital culture market, and fostering business synergy between China and CEECs in cultural industries, are among the topics discussed during the two-day event themed "Digital Technology Promoting Creative Industry and Cultural Trade."

During the forum, Beijing International Studies University (BISU) and China Institute for Cultural Trade Research (CICTR) signed cooperative agreements with Bulgarian and Serbian counterparts respectively.

"Please accept my congratulations on the opening of the 5th China-CEEC Cultural and Creative Industry Forum," Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said in a letter addressed to the participants.

Radev congratulated all scientists, teachers, and students who, with joint efforts, hard work, knowledge, and talent, continued to deepen the collaboration with scientific and industrial structures globally.

The letter also highlighted that the event provided an opportunity for modern science and industry to discover solutions to important tasks, leading to increased public welfare.

Jiang Yu, Special Representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry for China-CEEC Cooperation Affairs, who attended the event in person, said cultural cooperation was an important area of China-CEEC cooperation.

"Since its founding, the China-CEEC Cultural and Creative Industries Forum has actively mobilized the political, industrial, academic, research, and social resources of China and CEE countries, and has contributed to realizing practical cooperation outcomes in films, TV programs, reality shows, design, animation, games, and book copyright, forming a new platform for deepening cultural and creative industries cooperation," Jiang said.

This year's forum focused on technological development trends and had strong practical significance, she said.

"It's hoped that our friends will fully discuss and exchange views, put forward more conducive suggestions, and make greater contributions to boosting practical cooperation between China and CEE countries, the development of China-CEEC cultural industries, and the growth of the digital economy," Jiang added.

An address on behalf of Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture noted that the event was not only a platform to exchange experiences and ideas but also an opportunity to build sustainable partnerships.

Previous editions of the forum were held in Belgrade (Serbia, 2016), Beijing (China, 2017), Lodz and Katowice (Poland, 2018), and Budapest (Hungary, 2019).

Organizers stated that the Sofia 2024 edition would continue the principles of previous forums, emphasizing pragmatic cooperation on cultural trade and exchanges among governments, industries, universities, and research institutes.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Hana Ikramuddin is a Hearst Fellow in Connecticut. She spent the first part of her fellowship at the Houston Chronicle.

Raised in the Twin Cities, Hana majored in journalism and political science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

She has held internships with the Star Tribune, APM Reports and Sahan Journal. In her free time, she loves to cook, make chai and take care of her houseplants.
Lisa Kudrow has begun to rewatch old episodes of Friends to remember her late co-star Matthew Perry.

For years after the hit sitcom, US actress Kudrow said she could not watch herself playing Phoebe Buffay, a role which shot her to global stardom opposite her castmates Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc, Jennifer Aniston and Perry.

Last October, Perry was found unresponsive in the pool at his residence and was pronounced dead at the age of 54.

Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer in Friends (Landmark Media/Alamy)

His death was ruled an accident from the acute effects of ketamine, but the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed it was working on an open investigation into the circumstances of his death.

On rewatching Friends, Kudrow told The Hollywood Reporter: Honestly, I wasnt able to watch it because its too embarrassing to watch yourself.

But if I make it about Matthew, then thats OK.

And its just celebrating how hilarious he was  and that is what I want to remember (about him).

Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow in a scene from Friends (Landmark Media/Alamy)

Perry played sarcastic and witty Chandler Bing in the sitcom, opposite Cox who played his on-screen wife Monica Geller and Schwimmer who played her brother Ross Geller, while Aniston played Schwimmers on-screen love interest Rachel Green and LeBlanc starred as promiscuous yet dim-witted Joey Tribbiani.

Youre just laughing all day long, basically, in between the scenes, because these are funny people, Kudrow said.

And especially someone like Matthew, whose goal was How many laughs can I get in real life every day?.

So we were always laughing so hard, tears were flying out of our faces.

When asked how she hoped the world will remember Perry, Kudrow added: I think the world is remembering him the way he wanted to be remembered. I think thats happening (already).

Her comments come after a foundation was set up in Perrys name to help those struggling with addiction.

The cast of Friends in 1995 (Barry King/Alamy)

Perry was open about his battle with substance abuse and addiction and had set up a sober living facility for men with similar issues.

The late actor was honoured during the in memoriam segment at the Bafta TV Awards ceremony last month and at the Emmy Awards in January.

Kudrow will next be seen in the Apple TV+ series Time Bandits from Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement and Iain Morris, adapted from Terry Gilliams 1981 fantasy classic.

The original film starred Gilliams Monty Python co-stars John Cleese and Sir Michael Palin, as well as Sir Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall and Sir Ian Holm.
Another 1,300 outpatient appointments and 205 elective procedures have been postponed amid ongoing disruption caused by a cyber attack which affected a number of London hospitals.

Pathology services provider Synnovis was the victim of a ransomware attack by Russian cyber gang Qilin at the beginning of June.

New figures showed that from June 17 to June 23, the two most affected trusts, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, postponed 1,300 outpatient appointments and 205 elective procedures as a result.

This brings the total to 3,396 outpatient appointments and 1,255 elective procedures since June 3, NHS England London said.

In a joint statement, Julie Lowe, deputy chief executive at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Simon Steddon, chief medical officer at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, added: We are continuing to manage the cyber attack as a critical incident across both trusts, and we have also put measures in place to ensure we limit the disruption to patients resulting from the industrial action this week and next.

We are having to postpone a number of operations and appointments at present, and we would like to apologise again to those patients affected.

Staff are continuing to do an excellent job in very challenging circumstances, for which they deserve enormous credit.

Earlier this week, NHS England confirmed data stolen in the attack had been published online.

According to the BBC, Qilin shared almost 400GB of data, including patient names, dates of birth, NHS numbers and descriptions of blood tests, on their darknet site and Telegram channel.

In a statement on Monday, NHS England said there was no evidence the cyber criminals had published an entire database, but that it could take some weeks to learn which people were affected by the attack.

Dr Chris Streather, medical director for NHS London, said the service has started to see some real progress in general practice in the last week, where he said the impact of the cyber attack was significant on pathology services.

The mutual aid agreements that have been put in place to meet urgent demand has been introduced at pace across all six boroughs, and pathology services are currently able to operate at 45% of the capacity they had prior to the cyber attack, he added.

This is helping to increase the number of blood tests available in the most critical and urgent cases.

It is important that patients with booked appointments continue to attend unless they have been contacted to say otherwise.

We apologise again to everyone who has been affected, staff are working hard to rearrange affected appointments and treatments as quickly as possible.

We do continue to experience disruption to services at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.

I would like to thank all the staff at the trusts who are working tirelessly to provide care and support to patients who have been affected by the incident.
General Sir Roland Walker says that 'the only real measurement of an army is its fighting power' - Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The Army must become twice as lethal in the next three years, its new chief has said.

General Sir Roland Walker, a former Special Forces chief, made the comments in a video posted by the Army after he took up the post of Chief of the General Staff earlier this month.

Gen Sir Roland said: The only real measurement of an army is its fighting power, is lethality in the face of very real and converging threats.

In the near term, my challenge to the British Army is to double that lethality in three years and treble it by the end of the decade.

Gen Sir Roland, an Afghan war hero who survived a Taliban assassination attempt, has replaced General Sir Patrick Sanders as the Army chief.

He has taken the most senior role in the Army as it faces its biggest troop cuts in history in the midst of the Ukraine war.

Gen Sir Walker says software that exploits data will 'turbocharge' the Army - Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph

In comments aired by the Army on its LinkedIn page, Gen Sir Roland added that electronic warfare, uncrewed systems, air defence, long-range fires, plus logistics and stockpiles would be the stars to steer by when running the Army.

Gen Sir Roland added that in the near term, software which exploits data will turbocharge the modernisation of the Army.

He said this will allow for huge gains in the UKs ability to sense threats, make decisions, and change the facts on the ground to our advantage.

In comments first reported by The Times, Gen Sir Roland made a plea to industry partners as he insisted we cannot do this alone.

He said a new partnership would be needed with industries that would harbour a partnering mindset and for healthy challenge.

Gen Sir Roland added: I am committed to driving UK prosperity through our Land Industrial Strategy. I know how powerful the British Armys Kitemark is, and I recognise that I have a role in your plans, just as much as you have a central role in the Armys plans.

Together we can double the British Armys fighting power in three years, defend this nation and help it prosper.
Brazils president Ernesto Geisel, of German descent, in 1977. Photograph: INTERFOTO/Alamy

Dominga Menezes was only 12 years old when she danced for a dictator.

It was 25 July 1974, and Sao Leopoldo, a medium-sized city in Brazils southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, was celebrating both the anniversary of its founding and 150 years of German immigration to Brazil.

Then leader of Brazils military dictatorship, Gen Ernesto Geisel was himself of German descent, and was guest of honour at the ceremony next to the Sinos River, where the first German immigrants had arrived in 1824.

One hundred and twenty girls danced onstage, each wearing a leotard with one of the three colours of the state flag.

The whitest girls were wearing green; the Black girls, red; and the light-brown-skinned were in yellow, said Menezes, now 62. It was much later that I realised the teachers had put me in yellow because Im of Indigenous descent.

She does not know why each race was associated with each colour. But she remembers that, in school, the students with more German physical characteristics  fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair  were the ones praised by the teachers.

Every year at school, in July, there was a lot of talk about German immigration. But they never raised the question of who else was here: the Indigenous people and the Black people, said Menezes.

This year, as Sao Leopoldo celebrates its 200th anniversary and the bicentenary of German immigration, things were supposed to have gone differently: diversity was a central theme of a string of events planned by the city hall.

But those plans were thrown into disarray by the unprecedented flooding that devastated Rio Grande do Sul.

Although Sao Leopoldo was not wiped out by the disaster  as was the case with others, such as Eldorado do Sul  parts of it spent almost a month under the muddy water.

Nine people died, and 100,000 of its 217,000 residents had to leave their homes.

When water finally receded in late May, the city was left to face the aftermath.

The biggest problem now is psychological. Families have lost the school as a reference point, the health clinic, and their church. Theyve lost everything, said the city mayor, Ary Vanazzi, 64.

His house spent more than 20 days submerged; everything inside of it was lost.

At Visconde de Sao Leopoldo Historical Museum, about 10% of the 10,000 artefacts in its collection, all of them related to German immigration, went underwater.

The most affected piece was a 120-year-old Schiedmayer grand piano. The keys are covered in mould, what is left of the strings are rusted, and pieces of what used to be the soundboard are warped.

Museum staff are hoping to reopen in time for 25 July, when the bicentenary is celebrated, said historian Rodrigo Luiz dos Santos, 39. Even if its with a smaller exhibition  From the perspective of culture, of the citys memory, we think its important to have this moment, he said.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Italy, Brazils president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that he invited representatives of the German government to attend a bicentennial celebration party in Sao Leopoldo.

But, according to the mayor, there will be only a symbolic celebration.

Theres no mood for anything like that  Well celebrate it in a different way, perhaps with more solidarity, said Vanazzi.

Inside the museum, a dirty brown line 1.5 metre from the floor shows the high water mark, and dos Santos suggested that one of the walls would be left without repainting as a reminder of the floods.

The same river that brought the immigrants was the one that 200 years later took over the city, he said.

About 40 Germans were in the first wave of immigrants who came to the region in 1824.

Other people from the then German Confederation had previously reached Brazil, but from that moment German migration became continuous, later spreading to other regions of the state.

Related: Brazils devastating floods hit Black population on the periphery hardest

Its cultural impact can still be felt in regional culture, for example in its most traditional cake, the cuca, a version of the German streuselkuchen.

German migration was encouraged by newly independent Brazil, which wanted to expand its occupation of the territory. But the promotion of European immigration was also linked to the idea of whitening the Brazilian population, said dos Santos.

There is no street in Sao Leopoldo named after a Black or Indigenous person, said Dominga Menezes, who still lives in Sao Leopoldo and, now a journalist, recently published a book about how the focus on German migration has silenced Black and Indigenous stories in the region.

She and her husband, fellow journalist Gilson Camargo, 61, describe countless conflicts between the Germans and the Indigenous communities who inhabited the region and were practically wiped out.

They also highlight something that is still controversial in some parts of the state: the fact that many of the immigrants were slave owners.

The book was launched in the citys public library only a week before the floods.

Despite all the sadness, I think we need to learn a lesson from this, said Menezes, who drew a parallel between the citys reckoning with its past and its response to the recent disaster.

When the floods started, people said it wasnt the time to find who was responsible  but that was a way of not facing up to the problems.

People must know what happened was an environmental tragedy, but it was also caused by humans  We cannot deny history once again, said Menezes.
Climate influencer Mikaela Loach is a prominent member of Fossil Free Books - Getty

When even fellow eco-activists suggest your cause may be flawed, it might be time for a rethink.

From members of the Green Party to darlings of the liberal Left, prominent environmentalists have lined up to criticise pressure group Fossil Free Books (FFB) over its campaign to boycott literature festivals sponsored by Baillie Gifford.

The leaderless collective of authors, poets and booksellers has targeted the asset management company with the aim of forcing the firm to cease its investments in oil and gas, as well as companies linked to Israels military.

The unintended result? Baillie Gifford is understood to have ended all its sponsorship deals  cutting off vital funding to seven of the UKs premiere book events, from Hay to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, in the process.

Who really wins here? asked leading British environmentalist Mark Lynas. All thats happened is literary festivals now have huge holes in their budgets which will mean they have to raise ticket prices (thus excluding those on lower incomes) or maybe go out of business.

Novelist Howard Jacobson has called the campaign a desecration of the idea of literature.

The backlash has led many to question who among FFBs 800 named supporters across the publishing industry  from little-known writers and niche booksellers to bestselling author Zadie Smith and Left-wing celebrities such as Nish Kumar and Charlotte Church  is actually driving the pressure groups tactics?

FFB has purposefully steered clear of appointing any leaders or a Greta Thunberg-like figurehead  instead setting up, in its own words, as a non-hierarchical collective. The group has strongly rejected accusations by Baillie Gifford that it is an anonymous campaign, but the amorphous structure has certainly helped individual organisers avoid too much public scrutiny.

This has been helped in no small part by the revolving door of spokespeople it employs to make sure scrutiny rarely lingers on any one individual member.

Since forming nearly a year ago, the main organising group is understood to have swollen to around 100 novelists, poets, and booksellers, mostly based in Scotland, who are said to collaborate over messaging apps, rather than meet up in real life.

Still, over the past 12 months, a handful of individuals who appear to be the real driving force behind FFBs campaign have emerged. Here are those who appear to be the pressure groups main players:

Mikaela Loach

Corbynista climate influencer, friend of Greta Thunberg

Mikaela Loach with Piers Morgan - BBC

With nearly a quarter of a million followers on Instagram, Mikaela Loach appears to be one of the most influential members of Fossil Free Books.

The 26-year-old from Surrey  who was educated at the 36,000-a-year Hurstpierpoint College  has been a rising star in climate activism for nearly a decade now.

An avowed supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, her list of achievements includes participating in a blockade of roads outside Parliament during an Extinction Rebellion protest in 2019, taking the Government to the High Court over its oil and gas strategy (and losing), and befriending Greta Thunberg.

Loach  who was recently named one of Prospect magazines Worlds Top Thinkers in 2024  is understood to have become one of the organising members of the FFB while finishing her medicine degree at Edinburgh University.

Just weeks after graduating last summer, she helped the group make national headlines. Loach had been invited onto a panel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival to discuss her recently published debut book, Its Not That Radical: Climate Action To Transform Our World.

Instead, she staged a walkout, accusing its sponsor Baillie Gifford of bankrolling the climate crisis.

But the climate influencer might want to have a look at her own carbon footprint. She has already flown twice to the Caribbean this year, a 9,000-mile round trip. First in January to see relatives in Jamaica, where she was born before moving to the UK as a toddler, and then in March to join 120 activists for a climate justice camp on the exotic island of Saint Martin.

This is despite declaring in 2019 she would go flight-free.

Addressing the Elephant in the Room on Instagram following her recent trips abroad, Loach told her followers she felt she didnt have to justify my whole life to everyone, claiming criticism of her apparent U-Turn was simply a distraction tactic used by major corporations.

Guy Gunaratne

The non-binary award-winning literary star

Guy Gunaratne is passionate about keeping arts festivals 'free from fossil fuel finance' - David Levenson/Getty Images

If Loach appears to be the most influential member of Fossil Free Books, Guy Gunaratne is the most critically successful.

The former documentary maker  who identifies as non-binary  was launched into literary stardom after publishing the award-winning debut novel, In Our Mad And Furious City, in 2018.

A reportedly key organising member of FFB, Gunaratne took to the stage at the Edinburgh International Book Festival last year to deliver an impassioned speech on keeping arts festivals free from fossil fuel finance.

Gunaratne, 40, who is not a self-proclaimed activist, claimed that speaking out was risking their career.

Yet just a few months prior, Gunaratne appeared to have no qualms judging the 30,000 Rathbones Folio Prize. While Baillie Gifford says just 2 per cent of its clients money is invested in fossil fuels, compared to a market average of 11 per cent, London-based Rathbones Asset managements portfolio appears to have far greater exposure.

One of its funds has nine per cent invested in BP and Shell, and a further three per cent in the UK arms giant BAE Systems, which supplies the Israeli Air Force with weapon systems for its fleet of fighter jets.

Gunaratne also appears to be a frequent flyer, having regularly posted pictures on social media over the past decade travelling across the world on long-haul flights to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Tanzania.

Gunaratne has seemingly taken at least half a dozen trips to North America. To promote In Our Mad And Furious City, the writer  who was then based in Sweden  travelled to and from the UK almost monthly for literary events, as well as a book reading 7,500 miles away in Bali, Indonesia.

Yara Rodrigues Fowler

Novelist and Tinder political activist

The Financial Times named Rodrigues Fowler as one of 'the planet's 30 most exciting young people'

One of the most vocal members of Fossil Free Books is Yara Rodrigues Fowler, an award-winning British-Brazilian novelist and political activist.

The 31-year-old  a seemingly key driver in adding the situation in Gaza to the pressure groups ever-growing list of causes  has appeared on both the BBC and LBC in recent weeks strongly rejecting claims the pressure group are anonymous activists.

It is not the first time Rodrigues Fowlers activism has made an impact. The Oxford graduate was credited with boosting youth turnout in the 2017 UK general election after co-creating a chatbot that encouraged Tinder users to register to vote. It saw her named by the Financial Times as one of the planets 30 most exciting young people.

Two-years later, the high-achiever was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year for her debut novel, Stubborn Archivist, in 2019.

Her third book, a work in progress, is said to be a literary account of the life of Princess Diana through a formally experimental, Marxist, feminist, anti-imperialist lens.

Like her activist companions, Rodrigues Fowler also appears to enjoy a jet setting lifestyle. In recent years, she has holidayed in Spain, Bangladesh, and three times in Brazil.

As the FFB campaign gathered pace this spring, she also flew to New York to give a lecture at Princeton University entitled the feminist soapboax.

Jessica Gaitan Johannesson

The anti-Amazon writer selling books on Amazon

Johannesson has previously held workshops exploring 'the colonial roots of the climate crisis' - Alamy

Another key member of the group is Jessica Gaitan Johannesson, a bookseller, activist and author who has enjoyed rather more modest success compared with her high-flying allies.

After growing up in Sweden, Colombia and Ecuador, she eventually settled in Edinburgh to study for a masters degree. The Scottish city links among many of FFBs supporters and Johannesson remains a key figure in its literary scene.

Johannesson  who has previously held workshops exploring the colonial roots of the climate crisis  currently works as a digital campaigns manager for Edinburghs Lighthouse Bookshop. The queer-owned and woman-led independent business describes itself as an unapologetically activist, intersectional, feminist, antiracist, lgbtq+ community space.

In a recent article promoting FFB, Johannesson highlighted how the group had widened its call for Baillie Giffords divestment to also include Amazon, which it said was linked to apartheid surveillance and AI-assisted military operations carried out by Israeli troops. Notably, the author still has two books listed for sale on the site.

The piece goes on to claim Fossil Free Books is committed to changing our industry for the better. The jury is still out on that one.

The Telegraph contacted Loach, Gunaratne, Rodrigues Fowler and Johannesson for comment. Rodrigues Fowler and Gunaratne declined to comment. At the time of publication, Loach and Johannesson had not responded.
A Palestinian woman says goodbye to her sick son on Thursday before he leaves the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing to get treatment abroad. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

A group of critically ill children have been allowed to leave Gaza, the first such medical evacuation since early May when Israel seized control of Rafah, the territorys sole border crossing with the outside world.

Nineteen minors, including five who have cancer, were allowed to travel through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel on Thursday accompanied by relatives, and were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment. The Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs said the evacuation was carried out in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and officials from the US and Egypt.

Many family members cried as the patients were transferred on Thursday morning from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

Kamela Abuweik, who was not allowed to travel with her young son, meaning he had to be accompanied by his grandmother instead, told the AP news agency: He has tumours spread all over his body and we dont know what the reason is. And he constantly has a fever. I still dont know where he is going.

The WHOs regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, welcomed news of the evacuation, but noted: More than 10,000 patients still require medical care outside the Strip. Of the 13,872 people who have applied for medical evacuation since 7 October, only 35% have been evacuated.



Medical evacuation corridors must be urgently established for the sustained, organized, safe, and timely passage of critically ill patients from Gaza via all possible routes, she wrote on X.

Egypt has refused to reopen the Rafah border crossing, the only way out of the territory for fleeing civilians and the major channel for aid, since Israeli forces captured it at the start of their ground operation in the area last month. Cairo officials have maintained that the crossing must be returned to Palestinian control.

After nine months of conflict, Israeli airstrikes and ground fighting with Hamas have devastated Gazas medical facilities. The Rafah closure has also severely affected the delivery of food, medicine and other aid: a UN report released this week found that a fifth of the Strips 2.3 million population were still at high risk of famine. Israel denies it has created famine conditions, instead blaming relief agencies for distribution problems and accusing Hamas of diverting aid.

Fierce fighting and airstrikes continued in central Rafah and restarted in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shejaiya on Thursday, residents reported. According to medics and the civil defence agency in the Hamas-run territory, Israeli strikes overnight and early Thursday killed at least seven people in Gaza City and another in Beit Lahia, also in the north. The Israeli military said it had attacked terrorists who were in a school complex in Khan Younis in the south.

The flare-up in northern Gaza occurred despite comments last week from Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, that the intense phase of the war, sparked by the 7 October Hamas attacks, was winding down, and amid fears of escalation between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel on 8 October in an effort to aid its ally Hamas, and tit-for-tat aerial attacks have intensified in recent weeks. Israels defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Wednesday that we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario, adding that an all-out conflict would send Lebanon back to the stone age.

Israel has started to deploy extra troops to its northern border in preparation for potential full-scale conflict, and officials said last week that plans for a ground offensive in Lebanon to drive the Iran-backed Shia militia away from the border region had been signed off, prompting fierce threats from the groups leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Anti-government demonstrators held a day of protests across Israel on Thursday, blocking motorways and gathering outside politicians homes to demand a hostage deal and new elections.

About 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed by Hamas on 7 October and another 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. The ensuing Israeli operation in Gaza has killed almost 38,000 people, according to the local health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and military casualties.

Under a ceasefire deal in November, 100 hostages were released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails, but the deal collapsed after a week. Repeated attempts by the US, Qatar and Egypt to broker a second truce have failed.

It is widely believed in Israel that Netanyahu is stalling on a deal and bringing the Gaza war to an end in an effort to stay in office, which he is understood to see as the best chance of evading prosecution on corruption charges that he denies.
Illustration: Mark Long/The Guardian

You know the drill: you scrape the remaining crumbs of your dessert from the plate, finish off the last of the bottle of wine, settle the bill and leave the restaurant, full and content. While its certainly possible to forget to pay, for a small number of diners, this mistake is deliberate: they never intended to pay at all.

This summer, a couple from Port Talbot in south Wales were jailed for carrying out a series of so-called dine and dash offences: racking up sizeable restaurant bills before doing a runner. Ann McDonagh was sentenced to 12 months in prison, while her husband, Bernard McDonagh, was given eight months. A judge at Swansea crown court deemed the pair to have cynically and brazenly defrauded restaurants by paying with a dud card, leaving ostensibly to get cash, then failing to return. But what are the consequences for restaurants  and is dine and dash on the rise?

Its happened to us three times in about three months, says Aldo Esposito, the owner of La Bella Vista, an Italian restaurant in St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex. On each occasion, Esposito says, the perpetrators used a different approach. The first incident involved a table of four on a very busy night. The diners were asked when ordering their food if they had any allergies, but later claimed they had not understood that their meal would include an ingredient to which one of the party was badly allergic. They told the staff they had to rush to hospital. They said: Were not paying for this, because our lives are at risk, and I couldnt do anything; I had a full restaurant. The 200 bill was never paid.

This was followed by an incident involving a large group of diners: eight children, four adults  and more than 400 worth of food. Esposito believes the group planted an item in their food; he says no one in the kitchen would use the object in question. Nonetheless, when the group complained, Esposito offered to give them the dish for free. They said: No, we wont pay for anything, and then left the restaurant. We called the police, but they were unable to help us. They said it was a civil matter  but its not, its a criminal matter.

The third incident is what you might call a true dine and dash: three women in the restaurants outdoor area racked up a 300 bill, mostly on drinks, before simply running off without paying. Again, Esposito says the police were unable to help. They said we could have taken the larger group to court, but that it would be a lot of hassle, he says.

In 2018, a survey found that one in 20 people had walked out without paying for a meal. According to Donna Jones, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, dine and dash incidences are shooting up. The cost of living emergency is hitting many households and shoplifting in England and Wales is at a 20-year high, with reported incidents in 2023 up by more than a third on 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics. It has been suggested that doing a runner in a restaurant is merely an extension of this, but Jones told the MailOnline that she doesnt believe these are typical thieves. Theyre driving away in their own cars, she said, before urging businesses to share images online  and to name and shame those individuals.

Lets call it what it is: this is theft and fraud and it should be prosecuted as such. Its not a victimless crime

A police spokesperson said that publicly sharing images of suspected offenders does not necessarily help the criminal justice process and that if a restaurant owner shared the details of someone who hadnt done anything wrong, they would have to deal with the fallout. The spokesperson encouraged business owners to contact the police whenever these offences occur and present any evidence.

Kate Nicholls, the CEO of the trade body UKHospitality, says the number of incidents remains small. But it is a serious matter for the businesses affected, she adds. These businesses operate on very tight net-profit margins  less than 4%  and often it can be quite big-spend items that people are going for. The McDonaghs, for example, ordered T-bone steaks and double desserts as part of their scam. The cashflow impact is not something that can be reclaimed, says Nicholls. Its not like an insurance loss  but it can have a very real impact.

Nicholls objects to the term dine and dash, which she feels underplays the gravity of the situation. It implies that its a bit of fun, she says. Lets call it what it is: this is theft and fraud and it should be prosecuted as such. Its not a victimless crime. It is money that is being taken from a business for goods and services consumed  its exactly the same as shoplifting.

The website police.uk offers tips to business owners to help them deter these restaurant thieves. Suggestions include installing CCTV inside and outside the premises, greeting every customer  thereby registering their faces  and considering the exit points from a security perspective. They also encourage the collection of phone numbers and credit card details from customers when booking. In the event of an incident, they advise calling the police as quickly as possible: We do not recommend taking matters into your own hands.

Although there may be parallels with the rise in shoplifting, Geoff Beattie, a professor of psychology at Edge Hill University in Lancashire and the author of Lies, Lying and Liars, says there are also some important differences, especially when it comes to motive. It has that interpersonal element to it  the waiter serving you and smiling and hoping for a tip, he says. Youre thinking: Not only are you not getting a tip, youre not even getting paid! Youre seeing the people youre duping and theyre falling for it. Its more like being a conman.

While the cost of living crisis is the driving force behind the UKs shoplifting epidemic, Beattie agrees with Jones that this is less likely to be the case when it comes to dine and dash. I suspect its not got much to do with struggling to get by  its not like stealing a tin of beans from the supermarket. It tends to be more expensive items, so you have to look at the deeper undercurrents of whats going on, he says. When people feel looked down upon or discriminated against, he says, this can prompt feelings of frustration and a desire to kick back  even if this retaliation isnt aimed at those responsible.

Some people may think they are able to justify their actions morally. It may be reasoning that restaurants make so much profit that they wont miss a few pounds, or: They charge too much anyway, theyre ripping me off, Im just reciprocating, he says. Others, says Beattie, may put the emphasis on those they are close to: OK, the waiter might get into a bit of trouble, but hey, Im treating my family. Or they may view it as a minor indiscretion in the scheme of things: Hey, you think this is bad? Look at politicians! Theyre always cheating and stealing! This is nothing in comparison.

Beattie refers to the dark triad of personality traits  nonclinical psychopathy, narcissism and machiavellianism  that he believes operates in many dine and dash cases. They all work together, he says. Psychopaths dont really care about other peoples feelings or empathise with them; machiavellians will do whatever they have to do to get their ends; and narcissists like to be the centre of attention and get affirmation all the time.

Its easy to see why harbouring such traits may make it easier to leave without picking up the bill. People with the dark triad dont tend to experience the emotions that most of us would feel when cheating a restaurant, such as shame, guilt, anxiety and the fear of being caught. Instead, they get a pleasure from it known as duping delight, which is amplified by being in face-to-face contact with the person they are deceiving.

Ive built my business on relationships with the customers, and customer care, and its making me change my personality

This is one reason why Beattie is not convinced that dine and dash is a new phenomenon, something with which Nicholls concurs. It may also be why its not always expensive foodstuffs or establishments that are targeted.

Regardless, the repercussions for businesses go far beyond the financial. Earlier this month, staff at Puldagon farm shop and restaurant, near John oGroats in Caithness, were dismayed when a group of four left without paying, having asked if they could look around the shop downstairs before settling up. They left their table in the restaurant, but never returned to pay. The business posted about the incident online, hoping that they might see it and give us a call, explains the manager, who didnt want to be named. I thought it might jog somebodys memory. But theyve not been in touch, which is making me think that they may have done it on purpose.

This group didnt order high-value items, or far more than they could eat. They ordered coffees and cakes, so it wasnt a massive amount of money; it was more the principle, says the manager. Times are quite tough and thats a few hours wages for somebody. Up here, were quite trusting. Everyone knows each other and were maybe a bit lax on security. We kind of assume everyone is honest and has a bit of a conscience. Maybe thats not always the case. Commenters on Puldagons Facebook post were more sceptical. The manager admits that they will definitely be slightly more suspicious of people in future.

At La Bella Vista, too, Esposito has changed his approach  and upgraded the CCTV system. Ive built my business on relationships with the customers, and customer care, and its making me change my personality, he says. I feel like I am more guarded. Its quite demoralising.

Nicholls says: Psychologically, for the staff, it feels like a betrayal. Hospitality is all about the people and the experience  it seldom happens at places that are self-service  so when people leave without paying, staff take it personally.

She advises restaurants to be vigilant. Often, customers dont simply abandon their desserts and digestifs to sprint away from the restaurant. They may step outside under the pretence of smoking, or leave with the promise of returning to pay. Increasingly, restaurants are taking card details  even from walk-in diners  or asking large groups to pay upfront, but such measures can feel unwelcoming or inconvenient.

Its all about having a good customer experience, says Nicholls. We dont want the bad 1% to get in the way of that for the 99% who are not trying to commit fraud.
The courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

On the docket: Judge Cannon v David Harbach

The tense interactions between judge Aileen Cannon and special counsel prosecutors in Donald Trumps case over retaining classified documents came to a head this week when she again reprimanded one of the lead prosecutors on Monday for his tone.

We have reported for months about Cannons hostility to special-counsel prosecutors, but the recent stretch of hearings has also made clear how often they also shoot themselves in the foot.

Cannon is perhaps one of the easier judges to read at hearings, because she tends to ask questions only when she is skeptical of a position being advanced, whether by Trumps lawyers or by prosecutors.

But David Harbach, one of the lead special-counsel prosecutors, has either found it difficult to read Cannon through his increasing frustration with the documents case, has become more interested in snapping at Cannon, or does not realize when he engages in self-sabotage.

The fraught nature of their relationship does not appear to have led Cannon to make rulings to punish his demeanor. But the testy relationship has the potential to become a larger problem for the special counsels team as the case proceeds.

If Cannon continues to be skeptical of prosecutors  she has a tense relationship with the deputy special counsel Jay Bratt as well as Harbach  it could become a manifest disadvantage for the special counsel if the case makes it to trial. Judges are human, too.

And while the tense interactions between Cannon and Harbach are difficult to describe in news reports because they are subtle, it exploded into plain view this week when she scolded Harbach  and when Harbach was inexplicably unable to take the win on Tuesday.

The hearing on Tuesday centered on Trumps motion that asked her to toss out the evidence the FBI seized when they searched Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, including the 32 classified documents Trump was charged with illegally retaining after he left the White House.

By the end of the hearing, it was clear Cannon would deny Trumps motion. Prosecutors had their win. But Harbach could not help himself.

Harbach told Cannon he needed to make an important point and assured her he would be brief. He then jogged over to the lectern and, to everyones amazement, complained that Trumps lawyers were trying to hijack hearings by raising tangential motions. Its not fair, he protested.

Cannon seemed to look at him with disdain for continuing to make arguments. Theres no hijacking going on, Judge Cannon snapped back, cutting him off and telling him the hearing was about to end.

Fortunately for the special counsels team, Cannon appears to have a prosecutor she does get on with: assistant special counsel James Pearce.

At the hearing on Friday, as Cannon weighed a separate Trump motion seeking to have the indictment dismissed on grounds that the special counsel was unlawfully appointed, she almost smiled as Pearce argued appointing a special counsel was in the power of the US attorney general Merrick Garland.

Sidebar: Trump immunity ruling imminent

While the classified documents case almost certainly will not go to trial any time soon, the special counsel team could shortly figure out whether they need to be ready to take their other criminal case against Trump, over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, to a jury before November.

The US supreme court has scheduled several more days to hand down decisions, including on the extent of Trumps immunity from prosecution. The justices are expected to say Trump receives some immunity for official acts, but the question is how they will separate that from private conduct.

Depending on how the supreme court remands the case to a lower court  whether it goes to the US district judge Tanya Chutkan or the US court of appeals for the DC circuit  and what test it instructs the lower court to apply, there is a small window for a trial to start in late September.

At least thats what Im hearing from my justice department sources.

In other news

Judge Juan Merchan, the New York judge who presided over Trumps hush-money trial, has partially lifted a gag order that has been hanging over the former president since he was convicted of the accounting fraud charges last month.

Under the revised order, Trump is now free to criticize trial witnesses, who include Stormy Daniels and his former lawyer Michael Cohen, but must maintain restrictions on his comments about individual prosecutors and others involved in the case.
Join Dominic Penna and Tim Stanley in the comments section on Thursday June 27 at 5pm

The race is on as the UK heads to the polls in less than a week. As the country prepares for its first national vote since 2019, The Telegraphs Political Correspondent, Dominic Penna, and columnist, Tim Stanley, answered your questions  from polling to what the future holds for the main parties  on Thursday June 27 at 5pm.

If you missed the previous election Q&A with our Political Correspondent, you can catch up, here.

06:10 PM BST

Thank you for all of your questions

Thats all for todays Q&A. Thanks to those of you who sent in a question and apologies if you did not get an answer to your question this time. Fear not, if youve got a question that hasnt been answered, you can send it to politicsnl@telegraph.co.uk or comment at the bottom of this article and we will try and get it answered for you.

In the meantime, prepare for the election with essential dispatches direct from Westminster by signing up to The Telegraph Politics Newsletter.

06:09 PM BST

Are women less likely to vote for Farage or Sunak than Starmer? Why?

And our final question today.

John A. asks: We have seen demographics data on so many groups and even discussed them here in the DT: Muslim vote, youth vote, pensioner vote etc. I cant seem to find much discussion on the female vote.

In the US, there is a lot of analysis on how certain suburban women dislike Trump, for example. I suspect women will be more likely to vote Starmer than Farage or Sunak. If this is true, why is that?

Tim responds: The latest RW&S poll says: Labour enjoys a 20-point lead over the Conservatives among men and a 23-point lead among women. So there is a difference, but its not huge.

Historically, women have tended to be more conservative than men. That began to change in the 1990s-2000s. Reasons might include the decline of organised labour (for men) and the rise of cultural issues for women.

06:05 PM BST

Should there be a minimum age requirement for political constituency candidates?

Heres the penultimate question, from Pete.

He queries: Should there be a minimum age requirement for political constituency candidates, perhaps to give them a chance to grow up and gain a bit more life experience first?

Tim replies: Ideally a minimum age for MPs and a maximum age for US presidents.

06:02 PM BST

Does a Labour government with a super majority have much more of an impact?

Naomi asks: People keep talking about a super majority, but what difference does it make? Labour can push everything through with a majority of 100, 200, 300  it doesnt change anything does it?

Tim responds: It can do, but given the choice is between a Labour majority of 100 or 300 - beyond 100, no.

Were Labour under, say, 40 - theres more chance of rebellion and softening of policy. For example, Labours majority of 4 in 1964 delayed steel nationalisation. But were way beyond that.

06:00 PM BST

Could a Labour government raid our pension pots?

Helen would like to know: My husband and I have contributed to pensions all our working lives. Could a Labour government raid our pension pots, and, if so, how would they do this?

Dom says: With perfect timing, our Money team took a look at this yesterday  Labours plans to force pension funds to switch investments to Britain means retirees stand to lose thousands.

05:56 PM BST

Would Nigel Farage take over a merged Reform and Conservative Party?

Now, a query on a Reform/Tory merger.

Dave questions: Do you think Nigel Farage can take over a merged Reform/Tory Party if Reform win 18 seats (as the latest MRP poll suggests), or would he try to encourage mass defections to Reform after the election instead?

Tim replies: I dont believe the Tories would ever let him in, if he even wanted to join. They know that once hes inside the tent, it becomes his party - and hell expect to lead it. The situation is analogous to Trump in the US.

05:56 PM BST

What are the chances of Momentum and the trade unions turfing Keir Starmer out?

Is Keir Starmer under threat from the trade unions and Momentum? One reader wants to know.

Andrew says: What are the chances of Momentum and the trade unions getting together to turf Starmer out, and get a hard Left PM elected to replace him?

Dom responds: Very slim. One of the defining achievements of Starmers time as opposition leader has been remaking the party in his own image - Momentum only has a fraction of the influence it did under Corbyn, and only a few dozen Labour MPs will be hard-Left. As for the unions, we can expect plenty of back-and-forth between the likes of Unite and the leadership, but they will be far more inclined to try to influence and pressure Starmer than to replace him, not least without any obvious alternatives.

05:52 PM BST

How will Labour achieve economic growth?

A question on the economy now.

Richard says: Starmer keeps saying he wants economic growth but there is nothing in the manifesto that shows how it can achieved? Isnt Labour taxation and spending is likely to stifle growth rather than stimulate it.

Dom replies: This has been one of the main criticisms of the Labour manifesto - and while party bosses are convinced Great British Energy and billions in private investment will get growth going, it is telling that some economists fear stagnation is the most likely end result.

05:51 PM BST

How fierce will the One Nation resistance be to Kemi Badenoch after the destruction of the election?

Another question from John.

John asks: How fierce will the One Nation resistance be to Kemi Badenoch after the destruction of the election?

Tim responds: I sense Kemi is the Right-wing candidate they least dislike. But a civil war is coming...

Dom weighs in: The likely battle for the soul of the Tory Party is likely to be a brutal one, and while One Nation MPs are more averse to the likes of Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, theyll still be keen to try to keep Kemi off the all-important ballot of Tory members. Of course, so much depends on the makeup of the remaining parliamentary party, and whether the numbers benefit the Tory Right or the centrist wing of the party.

05:47 PM BST

Have any of the parties considered reducing the public sector?

Mark would like to know: Have any of the parties even considered reducing the size of the public sector  trying to do less and do it better?

Tim responds: It should be smaller and stronger, efficient and strategic. Instead Starmer wants supervised teeth brushing in schools

05:46 PM BST

How will the Tory party fare after the election?

John A. asks: How fierce will the One Nation resistance be to Kemi Badenoch after the destruction of the election?

Tim answers: I sense Kemi is the rightwing candidate they least dislike. But a civil war is coming

And Dom replies: The likely battle for the soul of the Tory Party is likely to be a brutal one, and while One Nation MPs are more averse to the likes of Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, theyll still be keen to try to keep Kemi off the all-important ballot of Tory members. Of course, so much depends on the makeup of the remaining parliamentary party, and whether the numbers benefit the Tory Right or the centrist wing of the party.

05:44 PM BST

Will organisations that have been critical of the Conservatives be as critical of Labour?

John says: Do you guys think the OBR, ONS, BoE, OSR, IFS, and the myriad of other Tory critical organisations will be as critical of Starmer when he gets in?

Dom says: We will have to see. For its part, the IFS certainly hasnt held back in its assessment of the Labour manifesto, accusing the party of the same financial black hole it identified in the Tory dossier. But Labours wider economic offer, complete with its fiscal rules and securonomics buzzword, is obviously fairly close to a lot of the existing orthodoxy.

Tim responds: The IFS has been highly critical, to be fair. The OBR and BofE are really book balancing institutions that approve of low spending, high taxing with growth projections that, unsurprisingly, flat lined. Just as amusing as Labour falling out with these agencies will be the Tories deciding they are spot on - and quoting their figures daily.

05:43 PM BST

How accurate are the pollsters?

Back to the seemingly hot topic of the polls...

Adrian questions: Have the pollsters got it about right? Big egg on their face if they havent.

Dom responds: All the polls are in a pretty similar place - a big or even huge Labour majority, Tories reduced to the low-hundreds or high double figures and the SNP virtually wiped out in Scotland compared to the last election. The polls were pretty much bang on last time, although it is obviously worth noting they have been wrong before! (Brexit and Trump).

05:42 PM BST

Does anyone wonder what happened in five years to the stadium-loads of Momentum voters?

Anonymous questions: Does anyone wonder what happened in five years to the stadium-loads of Momentum voters who surely couldnt countenance voting for an establishment product like Starmer who has ousted the Left of the party and stabbed Corbyn firmly in the back?

Tim replies: Some grew up; many have gone Green. I think in five years time, when the Starmer bubble is burst, Green will do to Labour what Reform is doing to the Tories. Keirs vote is purely an anti-Tory one (and it might not top 40 per cent).

05:35 PM BST

Would the Tories and Reform form a coalition if the Lib Dems become the second-largest party?

Another query about the Liberal Democrats.

Gary is curious to know: If the Lib Dems become the second-largest party in Parliament, could the Tories and Reform form a coalition opposition to become the official opposition?

Dom responds: In such a scenario, the Lib Dems would become the official opposition regardless. It would be fascinating to see whether the Tories and Reform could put aside all of their bad blood during this campaign when it came to opposing a future Labour government. But if Sir Ed Daveys party springs a surprise and wins the second-largest number of seats, it would be Davey as Leader of the Opposition, with the Right effectively in political exile.

05:34 PM BST

What can we expect from the NHS under Sir Keir Starmer?

Now, David wants to know more about the Labour leaders position on healthcare.

He asks: What does Keir Starmers hypothetical refusal to use private healthcare for his children should they fall seriously ill, tell us about what kind of man he is and what we can expect for the NHS?

Tim replies: I find it bizarre. When he first answered the question by saying hed never use private health, I thought he meant Id prefer not to - which is how many people feel. But hes doubled-down: no queue-jumping for Keir. Yet, when you use private medicine, youre not. Youre leaving the queue, freeing up resources for someone else.

Some voters find his position honourable, but it seems inhuman to me. Of course, I paid for my mother to get private treatment recently - she faced a waiting list of months. Ive paid for the NHS through my taxes; Im not depriving anyone of anything.

05:33 PM BST

Why did the Tory Party abandon their 2019 Manifesto and betray voters on migration?

Now for a question from Jennifer.

Jennifer asks: Why did the Tory Party abandon their 2019 Manifesto and betray voters on migration? If the Conservatives had relaunched it for this election and given a cast iron guarantee they would enact it, I would think twice at voting Reform.

Tim answers: History and error. 1. We let in vast numbers from Hong Kong and Ukraine. These were one-off events, like Amins expulsion of Ugandan Asians, that the UK felt it had to say yes to. 2. Boris and Rishi cocked up the post-EU visa scheme. They made it far too easy to get one, plus dependents. The Tories have slowly tightened the regime under Rishi.

Its up to you to conclude whether these were genuine mistakes or betray a liberal attitude towards immigration.

05:25 PM BST

Why are we hearing so little about the threat of the Lib Dems?

An interesting one now, from M. Gadd.

M. Gadd says: We are hearing very little about the threat of the Lib Dems. I have thought all along that they are going to be the surprise of this election, at least in the south and west and their policies are terrible. It would be like re-electing the Tories.

Dom replies: The fact the Lib Dems are basically still where they were in the opinion polls five years ago will go down as one of the curiosities of the last parliament. Labour and now Reform have tapped into public anger with the Government far more effectively. But as you say, there is every chance of a surprise, especially in traditional Tory Blue Wall heartlands where there has been a lot of residual anger since the latter half of Boris Johnsons tenure.

Tim weighs in: Weve all taken our eye off the Lib Dems, largely because of Reform. If the polls are right, they could be in opposition or close. Reform enjoys big poll numbers; the Lib Dems, with a serious activist base, controls actual seats.

05:24 PM BST

Why isnt the Government creating more opportunities for me to teach apprentices?

A great question from Gilbert (Gil) now.

Gil shares: Im a 66-year-old electrician,50 years a spark! Why is the government letting people like me retire without passing on all of the experience I have. Trades are calling out for apprentices, keep going and there will be no one left to teach them. I would quite happily give a year to teach, and Im quite sure most tradesmen would. Not school stuff, practical on the job.

Dom replies: Not a bad idea at all Gil  both Labour and the Tories are making much of apprenticeships, but as you say there are plenty of practical improvements that could, and perhaps should, be made further down the line.

05:23 PM BST

Should the polls flaws be more clearly laid out?

Next up, another question on the election polls.

Marcus writes: Given the power of persuasion that polls could have, do you think their methodological flaws should be more clearly laid out, e.g. not factoring in the brand strength and profile of a given candidate and/or local activity? More widely, should they be regulated in some manner, or is it OK for research firms to police themselves?

Tim answers: I wouldnt want to see any regulation; I think we should all focus on the campaigns rather than the polls. I do think some are plainly in error. Am I to believe Suella B will lose to Reform? That Corbyn is so far behind in North Islington? One poll put Jezza on about 0.5 per cent, because the AI thought he was a random independent. I genuinely believe a non-entity Tory will face a tougher fight than a celeb, like Jacob RM. I went around Somerset with Jacob; they love him.

05:18 PM BST

Should I not vote if no party aligns with my values?

Dan wants some advice.

Dan says: I dont think any party aligns with my values (honesty, common decency etc.) Should I not vote or should I write none of the above on my ballot or something else?

Tim responds: I wouldnt blame you if you did: Ive done it several times before, typically in council elections where I face a two party choice. This time I do have a compelling none of the above offer though - Reform or SDP.

05:17 PM BST

What is to stop Labour from applying VAT to university tuition?

Brendan says: Given that VAT will be applied to school fees, what is to stop Labour from applying this to university tuition fees?

Tim replies: That doesnt sound like a bad idea! The contradiction surely exposes whats really behind this: Labour hates private schools and, unable to ban them, will simply tax them to the point of largely serving the ultra-rich. It loves unis, by contrast. Factories of wokery etc.

05:16 PM BST

Why cant anyone stop the boats?

A question on immigration from R. Barclay.

R.Barclay asks: Why cant anyone stop the people on boats escaping France?

Tim responds: The question that no one seems able to answer. Labour says the answer is enforcement and cooperation, but this is expensive and plainly not working. The Tories say its having a deterrent, but they wont pull out of the conventions holding us back  and its unclear what good Rwanda will do.

The alternatives are straightforward return, as with Albania  but this only works when theres no human rights issues in that nation  or third party processing, which Labour dabbled with in the 2000s. What remains a mystery to me is why the UK government cannot simply pick people up and fly them straight back to France. A Le Pen government, of course, would like this even less than Macron. Sorry theres no straight answer - but until we repulse, as Greece has done with horrific consequences, it seems theyll keep coming.

05:14 PM BST

What are the chances of Starmer bringing in PR?

Now, John wants to know if Sir Keir will bring in PR.

John asks: What are the chances of Starmer bringing in PR? Is there any party that champions the idea?

Dom answers: Starmer ruled it out yesterday  and if the polls are anywhere near correct, I suspect he will not want to do anything to undercut what is projected to be a significant majority. While it may have been in Labours interests three or four years ago, it would be a surprise if he changed the voting system as his party finally gets the keys to No 10 back.

05:09 PM BST

Who would replace Rishi Sunak?

Next up, a reader wants to know in the event who would replace Rishi Sunak?

Gaynor writes: In the event that the Conservatives are defeated and Rishi Sunak resigns or faces a leadership challenge, who would most likely replace him?

Tim replies: What all Tory leadership hopefuls say is: it depends on how many MPs they are left with, and who they are. If the Tories hold over 200 seats, Jacob Rees-Mogg or Penny Mordant might be in play. Around 150, Kemi is strong. If they are down to 50, even Suella Braverman could be out of contention. The likely candidates with the safest seats are Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly.

04:59 PM BST

Can we trust the polls?

Alex has a question on polls for Dominic.

Alex wants to know: Can we trust the polls? Starmer is no Tony Blair. Could the poll results for Labour be artificially high? Could it be that theyre a mile wide and an inch deep? It seems to be the case that its more anger and upset at the current government, rather than people being desperate for a Labour government like they were in 1997?

Dom responds: Anger at the current government is definitely a factor in the size of the Labour lead. The polls proved pretty accurate at the last general election, and as things stand there is nothing to suggest that will be any different. I would add the health warning that the polls have, of course, been wrong before, not least in failing to predict the Brexit and Trump victories.

You might be interested in the thoughts of Roger Parry, a former YouGov chairman, who this month set out how Starmer is no heir to Blair, and explored why there seems to be much less enthusiasm for Labour now than when a new dawn was breaking 27 years ago.

04:55 PM BST

Do you think the rise of Reform will increase the chances of a coalition of the like-minded that pushes for proportional representation?

Now for one from David.

Davids question: Do you think the rise of Reform - and what will look like millions of wasted votes as compared to seats - will increase the chances of a coalition of the like-minded that pushes for proportional representation? Or does Nigel Farage really want to hold out for the prospect of absolute power that comes with first-past-the-post?

Dom says: Farage definitely sees Reform as a six-year project, and fancies his chances as a prime ministerial candidate at the 2029 general election.

But that wont stop him banging the drum for proportional representation, and if we end up with a lopsided result  in which Labours share of seats is significantly higher than its share of the vote, and Reform wins millions of votes but only a handful of seats  expect cross-party campaigning to crank up a notch.

04:50 PM BST

Is a vote for Reform a wasted vote?

A question on Reform for Tim.

John asks: Even though I support Reforms pledges, is a vote for Reform a wasted vote?

Tim replies: Id say it depends what you want to achieve John, and where you live. If the latest MRP poll is correct, there are about 18 seats where Reform could win - so voting for them there makes sense. If you are worried about a Labour majority, elsewhere they might cost a good Tory their seat. Ultimately, no vote is wasted. Its the fear that one is letting the rotters in that keeps us voting for the less bad option, and thus winding up with a Parliament full of MPs who dont agree with us on anything! Im sick of it.

04:44 PM BST

Will Labour make concerted attempts to get the UK back into the EU?

First up is a question from Patrick on the future of Brexit under a Labour government.

Patrick asks: Will Labour make concerted attempts to get the UK back into the EU, therefore being a total betrayal of the democratic majority that voted to leave the UK?

Dom responds: Its safe to say Labour has been on a journey on Brexit since Sir Keir Starmer  the shadow Brexit secretary under Jeremy Corbyn  was leading calls for a second EU referendum.

A parliament later, however, Labour has been crystal clear that rejoining the European Union, single market and customs union are all off the table. What Starmers party does want, however, is a closer relationship with Brussels and to rewrite the existing Brexit deal.

04:31 PM BST

Q&A is starting in 30 minutes

Hello all. This Q&A will be getting underway in just 30 minutes. Our Political Correspondent, Dominic Penna, and columnist, Tim Stanley, are on hand to answer your questions ahead of the general election on Thursday July 4.

Please leave your questions in the comments section below for our writers to answer.
Once upon a time you booked a doctor's appointment by making a phone call with no apps required

Do the words download the app make you feel weary, disheartened or even despairing? You are not alone. Apps are increasingly responsible for the day-to-day tasks and activities that define our lives, from turning on the radio to opening a bank account and our reliance on tech shows no sign of slowing down.

But while the leaps forward have been welcomed by most, particularly the young, others have struggled to get to grips with the digital era. A 2023 Age UK study found that almost half (46 per cent) of people aged 65 and over are unable to complete basic tasks online.

The internet offers a range of benefits, helping people to make savings and keep in touch with loved ones but there are 2.7 million over-65s who dont use the internet at all, thats one in five, says Caroline Abrahams, the charity director of Age UK. For people in this situation, life is getting harder and more frustrating if they are expected to use technology for basic tasks like making a doctors appointment or parking near the shops.

Navigating the devices in our pockets, not to mention our homes, is now a minefield of passwords and codes. The world outside offers little respite  with everything from buying a rail ticket or booking a table at a restaurant increasingly done online.

If youre not a digital native it is challenging to keep up unless youre really motivated, says Robin Christopherson, the head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet, a charity that provides support to make technology more accessible to disabled and elderly people.

Here, people over the age of 60 share their tech frustrations, and we offer up some solutions.

Boiling a kettle

Pritpal has chosen a simple plug-in electric hob rather than buying a new cooker - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph

How we used to do it: Fill kettle, switch on, wait, pour.

How we do it now: Either using a hot water tap that involves a dexterous press, hold and twist manoeuvre for instant boiling water, or an app-controlled, voice-activated smart kettle that promises precision control if connected to Wi-Fi.

Whats problematic? I cant imagine anything more confusing, says Pritpal Kaur, 73, from Middlesex. I prefer a plug-in kettle and cooker  my oven was 65-years-old and since it broke I now cook everything in the air fryer or on a standalone plug-in hob because theyre simple to use and I cant deal with all the complicated buttons on a new cooker.

Whats the solution? Impaired vision or reduced strength may mean voice-activated kettles are worth considering but, for most, the familiarity of a plug-in kettle (no Wi-Fi required) is preferable. For cooking, its worth considering an induction hob that uses electromagnetism and is not affected by residual heat, reducing the risk of burns once a pan is removed. Double handed saucepans may also be easier to lift.

Listening to music or the radio

Listening to the radio

How we used to do it: Plug in, wiggle aerial, enjoy.

How we do it now: Via DAB radio or smart speakers, or with a subscription to a music streaming service, via an app.

Whats problematic? All smart speakers require a Wi-Fi connection and a smartphone with an app that connects to the speaker via Bluetooth. Thats too many devices for me so instead I use YouTube on an iPad to search for and listen to music or watch music videos, says Kaur.

Whats the solution? Some simple but cleverly designed DAB radios such as the One Button Digital DAB Radio, designed specifically for people with Alzheimers and dementia, are also perfect for those who find modern technology confusing.

Making a phone call

Making a phone call

How we used to do it: Pick up the phone, dial the number.

How we do it now: Use our voice, face or fingerprint to make a call using a smartphone. Some headphones or smartwatches mean you dont even need to take your phone out of your pocket to dial.

Whats the solution? My phone has a lot of functions that Ill never use but I can make calls to family and friends and send text messages, which is helpful when Im not at home, says Kaur.

Whats the solution? A basic mobile phone will give you all the functions you need to make a voice call or send a text message. For other forms of communication such as messenger apps or social media, youll need a smartphone to download the relevant apps.

Christopherson recommends what he calls a semi-smart phone. There are a number of these aimed at older or disabled users that, as well as [allowing for] calls and messages, can often play audio books, music and the radio and check emails or connect to the internet with simpler, clearer screens.

Booking train tickets

Booking a train ticket

How we used to do it: Go to the station, buy a ticket from a manned office.

How we do it now: Pre-book online via rail network websites or apps for a paperless ticket that is stored on your phone.

Whats problematic? Not having a person to speak to if I have a question about a journey or the price is daunting, says Heather Walsh, 66, from Essex. Some friends have said they avoid travelling altogether now because it doesnt seem worth the hassle.

Whats the solution? For now, booking online with a credit card or using touchscreen ticket machines at stations is the simplest option but, in future, artificial intelligence (AI) will be able to help, albeit devices will need to be set-up accordingly, adding another layer of complexity first.

AI will increasingly be able to interact with apps and websites for you, whether via your tablet, smart speaker or semi-smart phone, you will soon be able to ask your virtual assistant to book an airline ticket, a table at a restaurant or theatre tickets, with most of the large tech companies promising this imminently, says Christopherson.

Going to the bank

Waiting at the bank

How we used to do it: Visit a branch with your bankbook, speak to a cashier.

How we do it now: Log on to a mobile banking app using a series of passcodes or a card reading device.

Whats problematic? Im constantly writing down complex instructions and passwords just to log in which can feel overwhelming, says Walsh. The biggest issue is that it limits the social interaction that I used to enjoy from speaking to a cashier at the counter.

Whats the solution? Where possible stick to the phone, advises Christopherson. Banks are not allowed to ditch their phone channel so telephone banking is useful. Your voice can also be used to verify your identity instead of passwords. And where branches have been lost, other banking services (like cashing cheques) are now available at your local Post Office.

Going shopping

Shopping

How we used to do it: Head to the high street.

How we do it now: Log on to a mobile device or laptop, make purchases using an online payment method such as entering your credit card details or via Apple Pay or PayPal.

Whats problematic? All payment devices require setting up in advance and online shopping requires having a credit card and an email address. The lack of high street stores forces most shopping to be done online instead of using cash and if you need to return something, it involves a complex process of generating a QR code and finding the appropriate drop-off store or Post Office to return your parcel, says Walsh.

Whats the solution? There are many benefits to online shopping, but the returns process can be daunting. Before you buy, check the return terms and methods on the website. Most purchases can be returned free of charge via a courier, delivery company or the Post Office. You will require an email address that you can access from your smartphone to present the QR code at the counter, or a printer to print out your return label.

Using a map

Reading a map

How we used to do it: Open an A-Z or road atlas, follow the map and memorise the route for next time.

How we do it now: Type in an address and use satellite navigation devices or mobile phone apps to follow a path towards the destination.

Whats problematic? Staring down at the map on your phone can leave you vulnerable to crime and a lack of awareness of your surroundings. Its made me less confident and much less independent, says Kaur.

Whats the solution? A paper map, providing your eyesight is good, is still a great option. If not, use the in-built map on a tablet so you can pinch and stretch to zoom in and out, or your smartphone GPS can provide audio instructions for walking or driving.

Making a GPs appointment

A doctor's waiting room

How we used to do it: Call the doctor, book an appointment.

How we do it now: By phone or via a portal or app accessible from your smartphone.

Whats problematic? Its that theyre all different  some are by email, some are text and its difficult to remember what you need for which service, says Kaur. I have been going through treatment for blood cancer and if my daughter hadnt been able to fight for appointments, medication and second opinions on my behalf I dont know what I would have done.

Whats the solution? Services vary between surgeries and locations so get to know which process is used by your local GP or hospital. Regulations-wise, medical services cant just go fully digital so use the phone and the callback option if your surgery offers it to save sitting in queues. Online is almost always quickest so if you can get somebody to show you how it works for when you need it, do so, says Christopherson.

Parking your car

Paying to park

How we used to do it: Find a parking spot, feed coins into the meter.

How we do it now: By scanning a QR code linked to an app or website and paying online or over the phone.

Whats problematic? For those requiring exemption, like Diana Cook, 68, from Barnet, it is even more complex: I am relatively tech savvy but the TfL website is frustrating and difficult to navigate with absolutely no way of talking to a person when you run into trouble. When I changed my car to an electric vehicle and tried to register for exemption to the congestion charge, I was made to jump through hoops, uploading endless unnecessary documents, and I almost gave up.

Whats the solution? Unlike banking, car park payments can be a wild west, especially if theyre online only and I have heard examples of people driving in [to spaces] and getting stuck, unable to pay, says Christopherson. If you can, check the parking payment process beforehand and where its an option, make a phone call or scan a QR code to make the payment online.

Booking a table at a restaurant

A London restaurant, circa 1960

How we used to do it: Call up, book a table.

How we do it now: Log on to a website or app, browse the menu, book a suitable slot and secure the booking with a credit card.

Whats problematic? Sometimes I just want to pick up the phone and ask about a specific thing on the menu or about where to sit  it puts me off going to a restaurant if you dont have that personal connection, says Walsh.

Whats the solution? Where possible, pick up the phone. Increasingly organisations make it difficult to find their number and prefer you to book online. If you have one, smart speakers are great at finding the phone numbers of businesses and if you ask them, they can call the number for you, says Christopherson.
Michelle Williams, president of the Houston Education Association, using a Kagan Cooperative Learning book to speak against the approval of new evaluation system for principals during the public comment session of the Houston ISD Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023 at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Michelle Williams speaks during the public comment portion as of the Houston ISD's District Advisory Committee meeting at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, in Houston. Jason Fochtman/Staff photographer

An independent examiner heard the case of Houston Education Association President Michelle Williams last week regarding Houston ISDs attempts to dismiss her from her position as a third-grade math teacher, in part, over her social media activity, which Williams believes was done in retaliation for her public criticism of district leadership.

Williams, who leads the smaller of Houstons two teachers unions, was reassigned to a bus depot and informed by HISD officials in March that the district was moving forward with the proposed termination of (her) contract due to inappropriate conduct and violations of board policy  namely, her perceived use of social media during the workday. HISDs appointed Board of Managers voted not to renew Williams' contract at a March 21 meeting, a decision that Williams appealed.

In a pair of disciplinary memos sent March 6, West Division Superintendent Laura Stout specifically took issue with a livestreamed video posted on X that she believed Williams recorded in her classroom at Shadowbriar Elementary School, as well as several posts in February that she said demonstrated a pattern of behavior of posting during the workday.

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Williams, both in March and during her hearing on Tuesday and Wednesday, maintained that the video was filmed on a decorated set in her home for her YouTube channel, and that her union uses a scheduling app to post tweets throughout the day. During her testimony Tuesday, Stout acknowledged that she was mistaken in her initial belief that Williams had recorded the video at school, and said that she learned of the scheduling app after the memo was sent.

Stout said that her concerns were not related to the content of her posts  which are frequently critical of appointed Superintendent Mike Miles and his reforms  but set a bad example because they appeared online during the workday. Attorneys for HISD focused on Williams' performance in the classroom, rather than her social media posts, as grounds for the district not to renew her contract.

Ms. Williams is one of many individuals who has been outspoken against many of (Miles') changes, and she believes that because she has been outspoken, she is being retaliated against, said HISD attorney Ellen Spalding. Nobody is retaliating against her for being outspoken or having opinions.  What happened is that her instructional practices did not achieve student growth or student achievement.

The district said that only about half of Williams' students met expected growth targets on their mid-year benchmark exams, compared to the 60% goal that HISD leaders had set. Much of the testimony focused on a classroom observation conducted by Stout and Senior Executive Director Kylene Vasquez on Feb. 12, two days after Williams had posted an email to Miles accepting his public invitation to union leaders to tour New Education System schools.

At that visit, which occurred during a reading intervention period, Stout and Vasquez said they observed Williams standing idly as students struggled to use faulty headphones and laptops, and that students had STAAR prep packets on their desks. Stout said she did not know who Williams was  despite Williams' frequent public comments at HISD board meetings, which Stout attends  and that her classroom was selected at random, one of six such visits that she made at Shadowbriar that day.

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Williams said the entire school struggled with bad headphones, and that teachers had not, at that point, been directed to avoid test preparation. Williams' attorney pointed out that Williams had received a proficient mid-year evaluation in late February, just days before she received her first notice of concerns from Principal Kenneth Brantley on Feb. 27. Williams received notice from Stout that the district was moving forward with termination proceedings just one week later.

This didnt have anything to do with my performance, it was about my social media and accusations of me livestreaming, Williams testified.

The Houston Education Association was chartered in 2019 and represents about 200 teachers across the district. The HEA, a branch of the Texas State Teachers Association and National Education Association, is the smaller of Houstons two teachers unions, both of which have been critical of Miles' administration  the Houston Federation of Teachers, which is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and Texas AFT, represents over 6,000 educators.

HISDs appointed Board of Managers initially voted to approve the non-renewal of Williams' contract at a March 21 meeting, which Williams appealed. The independent hearing examiners recommendation in the case is expected in July, after which the board will make a final determination about Williams' job status.
The Melbourne man was found to have pretended to be a celebrant at five wedding ceremonies in 2022 and 2023. Photograph: TriggerPhoto/Getty Images

A Melbourne man who pretended to be an authorised celebrant and performed fake ceremonies solemnising five invalid marriages has pleaded guilty to impersonating a commonwealth officer.



Australian federal police said the 31-year-old pretended to be a celebrant while defrauding five couples of $700 to $1,000 each for his marriage services between March 2022 and April 2023.

The fake celebrant illegally solemnised the marriages of five couples in Victoria on their respective wedding days during the same period, the force said. All marriages performed by the offender are considered invalid.

AFP officers started investigating the man after the fifth couple reported him to police because they were unable to locate his name on the register of authorised celebrants.

He was arrested on 19 February after the Attorney Generals Department confirmed he was not an authorised marriage celebrant.

The man faced Melbourne magistrates court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to four charges of solemnisation of a marriage by an unauthorised person and one count of impersonation of public official.

He was sentenced to a six-month community corrections order and must perform 50 hours of community work.

Impersonating an authorised and registered marriage celebrant in Australia is an extremely deceitful act and this could have had serious financial, religious, and legal consequences for the couples who were victims of this deception, said an AFP detective superintendent, Donna Tankard.
Reform leader Nigel Farage on the campaign trail in Clacton - Jason Bye

In June 2009, with the last Labour government nearing its end, Britain went to the polls to elect 72 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The far-Right British National Party, led by Nick Griffin, received 943,598 votes and returned its first two MEPs to Brussels. For every 10 votes for the governing Labour Party, the BNP received four votes. It seemed that Griffin was on the march.

There was another significant first in that election, though. The UK Independence Party, led by Nigel Farage, received 2,498,226 votes and returned 13 MEPs: the first time in a nationwide election that the ruling party was outpolled by a party that had no members of parliament.

Since then Farage and Griffins fortunes have gone in opposite directions. The latest incarnation of Farages political project, Reform UK, is snapping at the heels of the Conservative Party in general election polls and Farage himself appears to be on the brink of a parliamentary seat.

The BNP, meanwhile, has all but disappeared, and has not put up a candidate for any local or national election since 2019.

Farage believes the person who deserves the most credit for destroying the BNP is himself, and he regards it as one of his proudest achievements, along with Brexit.

I think Ive done a service to the country in getting rid of the far-Right, he tells The Telegraph. No one has done more to get rid of them than me. Peter Hain and others wanted to ban them, but I beat them by winning the argument.

He is particularly proud of the fact that Reforms biggest donor during the election campaign is a British Muslim entrepreneur.

Farage was furious, then, to discover that volunteers in his Clacton campaign office have been secretly recorded making what he describes as reprehensible racist comments about the Prime Minister, on the same day that support for a Reform candidate has been withdrawn for failing to declare his previous membership of the BNP.

Andrew Parker, a Reform volunteer, was filmed making the remarks by Channel 4's undercover reporter - Channel 4

It comes after a candidate in Derbyshire was suspended in May after sharing a social media post from a former organiser of the neo-Nazi group Patriotic Alternative, and earlier this month the Reform candidate standing against Kemi Badenoch resigned from the party after it emerged he had urged people in the past to vote for the BNP.

Reform UK had been braced for more bad news about some of its candidates being too close to far-Right groups after it accused a vetting company it had hired of failing to do its job.

It is also true, though, that political parties cannot legislate for what their supporters or members might have believed in the past: Sir Keir Starmer, for example, is a former Trotskyist who once questioned whether the police should have any role in civil society.

Farage believes the reason the BNP has shrivelled away is not because people with racist views have attached themselves to Reform (or its predecessor parties) but because people who supported the BNP out of frustration with mainstream parties  rather than racism  have been given a voice.

Farage, who helped found Ukip in 1993 after leaving the Conservative Party, was elected as its leader in 2006 and set about ending Britains membership of the EU by getting elected to the European Parliament and exposing its shortcomings from within.

As Farages stock rose, the BNP saw its own popularity fall. In 2012, three years after that high water mark European vote for Griffins party, it suffered a dramatic slump, losing all of its seats in the local elections after getting barely a tenth of the votes it had received four years earlier. The following year it only fielded 99 candidates in that years local elections but failed to win a single seat.

The BNP was beating Ukip in every election, Farage says. I was urged for years to merge the party with the BNP, but instead I banned any current or former members of the BNP from joining Ukip, which is probably the least libertarian thing Ive ever done.

Then Paul Nuttall [his then deputy] and I decided to go after the BNP vote by telling people who were frustrated but who did not agree with their deeply racist agenda: come to us. Almost overnight, we took two thirds of their vote.

Ahead of the 2014 European Parliament elections Farage fought a bitter battle with the BNP, whose activists he dismissed as skinheads and a geezer with a loudhailer.

Farage said at the time: Despite their leaflets saying that a vote for Ukip would result in a Muslim neighbour, I am confident voters will know the difference between a patriotic party and a truly nasty party, which is what the BNP is.

In the 2014 European election, Griffin lost his own seat in the European Parliament and had no doubt who was to blame.

Ive lost count of the number of people Ive spoken to who say we really like the BNP but we are voting Ukip because there is more chance they will stop immigration, Griffin said at the time.

People are going to be very disappointed when they find out what Ukip really stands for and that huge vote is going to come back to us, he added. It didnt.

Nick Griffin resigned as leader of the BNP not long after the party suffered heavy losses at the 2012 local council elections - Geoff Pugh

Griffin resigned as leader two months later after a round of in-fighting and by 2015 the BNP had just 500 members, less than an eighth of the number it had had two years earlier.

In the 2010 general election, the BNP had fielded 338 candidates and received a total of 563,743 votes; by 2015 it could only muster eight candidates who received 1,667 votes between them, a decline of 99.7 per cent.

Ukip received almost 3.9 million votes in 2015, the third most of any party, though it was unable to convert its popularity into any seats in parliament.

The far-Right had not completely disappeared, of course, and in 2016 Farage abandoned a proposed march on the Supreme Court, which was determining whether parliament had to authorise the triggering of Brexit, amid reports it would be hijacked by the BNP and another far-Right group, the English Defence League (EDL).

By 2018, Farage was so concerned that Ukip itself was being infiltrated by the far-Right that he resigned his membership of the party he co-founded.

Gerard Batten, who had become the leader of the party that year (Farage had stood down in 2016 to get his life back after successfully campaigning for a Leave vote in the EU referendum), had appointed the former EDL leader Tommy Robinson as an adviser.

Farage said at the time that Batten seems to be pretty obsessed with the issue of Islam, not just Islamic extremism, but Islam, and Ukip wasnt founded to be a party fighting a religious crusade.

[He is] also obsessed with this figure Tommy Robinson.

Former EDL leader Tommy Robinson was appointed as an adviser to Ukip in 2018 by then leader Gerard Batten - David Parry/PA

Under Batten, he said, Ukip was attracting people with criminal records, some pretty serious and he was dragging Ukip away from being an electoral party into a party of street activism.

Ukip still exists, and no longer has a ban on current or former members of the BNP joining its ranks. It has suffered a decline akin to that of the BNP, receiving just 22,817 votes at the 2019 election rather than the millions it got in 2015, losing its deposit in every seat it contested.

It always frustrates me that The Guardian and others dont see what a good job Ive done against the far-Right, says Farage. If I see genuine extremism, I always get rid of it.
RAAF base Amberley in Queensland. A 2021 review found that Amberley airbase provides ideal fire ant habitat. Photograph: Sgt Andrew Eddie/Department of Defence

Defence bases pose a huge risk when it comes to stopping the spread of invasive fire ants in Australia, with experts suggesting there has been a massive surveillance failure on the commonwealth-owned properties.

Fire ants have been detected at eight defence sites in Queensland. Seven are within the states 700,000-hectare fire ants containment zone which stretches from the Gold Coast to Caboolture.

But the eighth infestation is outside that zone  at Swartz Barracks in Oakey, 130km west of Brisbane. That infestation was discovered in April and at least 128 nests have been destroyed since then.

The defence department insists specialist pest managers are routinely engaged across defence properties but experts believe the nests at Swartz Barracks went undiscovered for years.

Related: Experts say discovery of fire ants in Murray Darling Basin should be ringing alarm bells

The Invasive Species Council is so worried that its chief executive, Andrew Cox, has written to the defence minister, Richard Marles, calling for an urgent audit of all defence properties across Australia.

Fire ants are likely to have been at [Oakey] for several years indicating a massive surveillance failure on defence land, Cox wrote to Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, in April.

The detection at Oakey must trigger an audit of defence force land in Australia for fire ant infestation.

Queensland is home to the largest army base in the country and 14 significant defence facilities. Across Australia, there are 3m hectares of defence land.

Defence sites inside Queenslands red imported fire ants (Rifa) containment zone include Victoria, Gallipoli, Damascus and Kokoda barracks as well as the Greenbank vehicle training centre and RAAF base Amberley.

Earlier this week, the federal minister for agriculture, Murray Watt  who received a copy of Coxs letter  replied that the Oakey detection was a high priority for defence and the national fire ant eradication program.

Watt said that, in addition to the 128 nests being destroyed, 192 hectares were under surveillance and 7,151 hectares were being treated around Swartz Barracks.

The minister said the federal and Queensland governments were working on improved Rifa management, surveillance and suppression activities on defence bases in Queensland  particularly Greenbank and Amberley.

The Swartz nests were linked to existing populations in the containment zone with ants being transferred via contaminated turf, not military vehicles, the ministers letter states.

A defence department spokesperson added that specialist pest managers were routinely engaged by defence to deliver land-management services across the estate including monitoring and control programs.

Defence facilitates access to enable external parties to undertake biosecurity management activities on defence land in accordance with defence policy, they said.

Reece Pianta, the advocacy manager at the Invasive Species Council, said the nature of defence land  which is often used for weapons testing or artillery ranges  meant the sites were not visited enough and they are not maintained from an ecological point of view.

Ive had reports of fire ants personnel having difficulty accessing defence land because its restricted land by its very nature, he said.

Im keen to hear how they are going to improve fire ants management on defence land. I think defence land is a huge fire ant risk  its a risk they have moved from that [Oakey] site and we should check. I suspect there are undetected fire ant nests on defence land.

Related: What are fire ants, and what will happen if these tiny killers take hold across Australia?

Pianta said it was disappointing the federal government was not surveying defence land. He also asked: What else is on these sites that is an invasive risk to other species? There is a lack of transparency.

The Invasive Species Council spokesperson claimed the nests at Swartz Barracks  which were located in a quadrangle  had been there for two to five years and were reaching the density of Rifa reported in some parts of the US.

The independent Invasive Species Council was formed in 2002 to seek stronger laws, policies and programs to keep Australian biodiversity safe from weeds, feral animals and other invaders, according to the councils website.

A 2021 strategic review commissioned by the Queensland government into what has now become a $1.2bn fire ant elimination program warned that defence land was of particular concern in the fight against the pest. That report was not made public until 2023.

The review panel, led by Dr Helen Scott-Orr, singled out Greenbank reserve and RAAF base Amberley as two major parcels of at-risk defence land.

Greenbank could well act as a reservoir for reinfestation if it were not included in any nearby suppressive program. Likewise the Amberley airbase provides ideal Rifa habitat, the review stated.

In March, a Senate committee chaired by Matt Canavan heard the scope of the Rifa problem was immense. Should the ants spread through Australias habitat, the impact would be worse than the combined effects of rabbits, cane toads, foxes, camels, wild dogs and feral cats, the inquiry was told.

Up to 650,000 Australians could be stung annually and the beef industry could be slashed by 40%.

The defence spokesperson said the department regularly reinforced biosecurity obligations and guidance on how to identify red imported fire ants at defence sites to all defence personnel, via base-wide communications and worked with the agriculture department to ensure robust biosecurity policies and processes are in place to manage risks from pests, weeds and pathogens.

Related: Fire ants form rafts to survive Queensland flood waters as experts warn of surge

They said the eight infested defence sites were now managed in accordance with fire ant eradication program guidelines. The most recent treatment at Oakey was completed on 30 April.

As Oakey is located outside of the biosecurity zone, the biosecurity zone protocols did not previously apply at that site. The increased protocols have now been applied, the spokesperson said.

Restrictions at Swartz Barracks prevent the movement of soil, rock, mulch, potted plants or other similar material from the base, the department said.

A spokesperson from the national fire ant eradication program said eradicating fire ants would take a whole-of-community approach and that under the Biosecurity Act 2014 all Queenslanders have a general biosecurity obligation to manage biosecurity risks and threats on property they own, manage, or work on.
Fatiha Zeghir says her career flourished after she moved to London 11 years ago. Photograph: Supplied

Even as she climbed up the corporate ladder in France, Ophelie Rizkis after-work routine remained unchanged. Each evening as she got into her car to drive home, she would make a beeline for her headscarf, feeling herself slowly becoming whole again as she covered her hair.

She had never been explicitly told that she couldnt wear her hijab at work, nor had she asked. But as politicians in France continued to spar over headscarves, two decades after parliament voted to ban them in school, she worried about the impact that choosing to keep her hair covered would have on her career. You dont ask the question, you know its not something you can do, she said.

In 2019, when the opportunity came up to move to Australia, she and her family seized it. Hints of how their lives might change came soon after, from the glimpses of headscarves worn by some of the staff in Sydney airport, to the two contestants on Amazing Race Australia who wore hijabs. We had been raised in a country where the hijab is erased from everything, said Rizki. But it feels so good to live in a society where you can be yourself.

In recent years, scores of highly qualified French citizens, both practising Muslims and those from a Muslim background, have left France in a phenomenon researchers describe as a silent flight.

Insight into this cohort came from a survey to which 1,074 people responded. When asked why they had moved to countries such as the UK, the United Arab Emirates and Canada, 71% said their decision had been prompted by a desire to face less racism and discrimination. Another 65% said they wanted to live more peacefully with their religion.

While French law bars statistics on race, origins or religion, it is impossible to say how many Muslims have left France. The actual number could be as high as tens of thousands, said Olivier Esteves, a professor at the University of Lille and one of the researchers behind France, you love it but leave it, a recently published book based on the survey and in-depth interviews with more than 100 people.

France is literally shooting itself in the foot, said Esteves. A substantial minority among them were telling me straight away in interviews: You know my name is Mohammed, but Im not Muslim. I drink alcohol, I party, but I have the wrong face, the wrong name. My CV, it doesnt work on the French job market.

As France hurtles towards parliamentary elections in which the far right could lead government, Esteves is among those sounding the alarm that this brain drain could intensify. Polls suggest the far-right, anti-immigrant National Rally, which has expressed support for banning headscarves in public places and barring dual nationals from certain state jobs, is on course to win the election but expected to fall short of a majority.

Its going to potentially give the far right a field day in terms of the daily experience of Muslims, who already get insulted, abused and are discriminated against, said Esteves. It would inevitably lead to more Muslims leaving, he added.

The feeling of Muslims in France right now is really growing: they dont feel like theyre in their home country, no matter how attached to France they may be. Its a feeling of estrangement and alienation.

The Guardian spoke to half a dozen people, all of whom were raised in France and now live abroad. While many noted that their new homes were far from perfect, they saw themselves as having left behind a hostile political and media discourse that had marked their lives and limited their access to jobs and housing in France.

The long reach of this discrimination was laid bare by those who said that after a lifetime of feeling they could never be French enough, they had shed these stereotypes when they moved abroad, said Esteves.

Many of the people we talk to, theyre telling us that when I arrived in Belgium or in Germany or Canada or the UK, Im not an Arab any more. Im French. People see me as French, said Esteves.

The findings hinted at a singular discrimination-based exodus taking place, said Esteves. The first headscarf scandal, which caused a furore in France, was back in 1989, he said. So this is where we point to a sort of French exception, in terms of the degree of intensity of lawmaking, leading to a vicious circle where you get more and more laws all the time.

In 2004, the French parliament voted to ban conspicuous religious symbols in state schools, in a move widely seen as targeting headscarves. Successive moves have cracked down on headscarves in sport, burkinis in public pools and beaches, and abayas, the long flowing dresses worn by some Muslim women, in schools.

Secularism is like dog-whistle politics, said Esteves. Its dog-whistle politics to talk about Muslims. Instead of sounding like you are against Muslims, you deliver a message in favour of something.

A handful of studies have offered insight into the impacts of this discourse; a 2021 government report suggested that job applicants with Arab names were 32% less likely to be called in for interview, while academics have documented the frequency with which French media offer up negative portrayals of Islam and how those with north African-sounding names are less likely to receive responses to inquiries about housing.

Few in France seem to realise this discrimination puts people in an impossible bind, forcing them to choose whether to accept a life curtailed by racism or leave behind everything they know, said one woman who had moved to central Canada nearly two decades ago after being born and raised in southern France. She asked that her name not be published to protect her job.

Its not easy, she said. I love France. I left my family, my lifelong friends. My kids didnt get to grow up with their grandparents. We sacrificed so much.

In turn, however, she had found a world of opportunity abroad. My husband and I work for the public sector, which would be unfathomable if I was in France, with my hijab, she said, citing laws that bar public sector employees in France from wearing religious symbols.

Im an engineer. But I think the best job I could have in France with my hijab is probably at a halal butcher, working as a cashier. Here there is nothing that prevents me as a hijabi from moving up the ladder.

The sentiment was echoed by Fatiha Zeghir, who said her career flourished after she moved to London 11 years ago. Ive never felt so free, she said. Here I found respect for who I am. I could be whoever I wanted to be, I wasnt just stuck being the Arab girl.

It was a welcome change from her experience of growing up on the outskirts of Paris. In France I was the Algerian girl and they were trying to make me more French, she said. Even though I spoke perfect French  it was encouraged that I have a glass of wine and lose my curls, because curls are too exotic.

Mohamed Imoussaine, originally from Strasbourg, made the move to Montreal in 2020. He and his wife, who both have masters degrees in economics from French universities, swiftly found more opportunity in Canada than they ever had in France.

Its crazy. I dont know how much the French state spent on my education, from nursery school to my masters, he said. But its a pity for the French state that there was no return, so to speak, on their investment and that in the end, another country is benefiting from my education.

The six people who spoke to the Guardian said they had no plans to return to France, hinting at a brain drain that showed no sign of reversal.

For Rizki, the question of whether to return to France from Australia was a complicated one. While being thousands of miles away from family and loved ones had been tremendously difficult, Rizki was reluctant to return to a life where she had felt the need to conceal part of her identity.

Having two young girls, I just couldnt. I cant have my girls going through that, she said. I dont know if they will want to wear the hijab or not  Ill certainly not force them  but I want them to have the choice. And to be themselves and whatever they want to be.
Nasrallahs speeches have been endlessly analysed in the past eight months of war in the Middle East. Photograph: Reuters Tv/Al-Manar/Reuters

Twenty-four years ago, on 26 May 2000, Hezbollahs general secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, arrived in the small Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil a few kilometres from the Israeli border.

The day before, Israel had withdrawn its forces from southern Lebanon after a years-long occupation in which it was harried by Hezbollah and other groups. Thousands of supporters gathered there under Hezbollahs yellow banners.

The cleric, then 39 and wearing his familiar black turban and a brown robe, gave one of the most famous speeches of his career.

Addressing the Arab world and the oppressed people of Palestine, Nasrallah claimed that Israel was weak as spiders web despite its nuclear weapons. The themes in his speech that day would come to define Nasrallahs worldview in the decades that followed, fusing notions of Shia theology and liberation rhetoric, and founded on the belief that authentic resistance can overcome a far superior military force.

Since then Hezbollah has been transformed, both as a fighting force and in its relationship with the fragile Lebanese state, becoming a political and social powerhouse. But while Nasrallahs rhetoric may have remained unchanged, his appreciation of the fragility of power, even for the worlds most powerfully armed non-state actor, has mutated and he has led Hezbollah to the brink of its potentially most serious conflict. It has sent rockets and drones into Israel, as Israel hits Lebanon and Hezbollah targets with airstrikes.

When Nasrallah makes a speech these days, it is not before the huge crowds that once greeted him, arriving in buses from Lebanons Shia heartlands. At carefully choreographed events, including memorial services for fallen Hezbollah commanders, Nasrallah appears not in person, but on a television screen. At one such event earlier this year, Hezbollah MPs in attendance explained to the Guardian, as they declined to comment, that Nasrallahs words were not to be interpreted by them. For everyone else, however, Nasrallahs long and often repetitive speeches have become the subject of endless exegesis in the past eight months of war in the Middle East.

While often painted as Iranian proxies, Nasrallah and Hezbollah are more than that. They are important regional players in their own right, despite the deep connection to Tehran.

And as Israel and Hezbollah have drawn ever closer to all-out conflict, two questions have collided: what does Nasrallah want, and how far is he in control of any outcome?

Nasrallahs policy in the first weeks of the cross-border clashes that began on 8 October, a day after Hamass surprise attack on southern Israel, was ostensibly designed to relieve pressure on the Palestinian armed group in Gaza, a strategy that appears to have been more significant on the diplomatic than on the military front.

By explicitly making any demand to stop firing on Israels north contingent on an end to Israeli hostilities in Gaza, Nasrallah has woven in outstanding territorial issues on the Lebanese border including over the Israeli-occupied Shebaa farms, which Syria also claims, while framing the fighting in terms of a wider rejection of US-led policies in the Middle East.

The reality on the ground has created a far more complicated picture.

Related: The Guardian view on Israel and Hezbollah: the gathering storm endangers the region | Editorial

In casting aside the status quo between Israel and Hezbollah that held since the end of the month-long second Lebanon war in 2006 that brought huge destruction to Lebanon, Nasrallah has rolled a dice. It belies the deliberate ambiguity of his statements, which hover between threats to Israeli cities and the insistence that his group does not want all-out war.

To some extent, what Hezbollah has been doing, Heiko Wimmen, the director of the International Crisis Groups Iraq, Syria, Lebanon project, told the New Arab in the first weeks of the war, is to underline that they are ready to pay a price.

But are they ready to pay the ultimate price? Nobody knows that because this is part of the constructive ambiguity mentioned by Nasrallah.

In the subsequent months the escalating dynamics of the war have stretched the considerations that saw Nasrallah enter the conflict, to breaking point. A managed conflict has become increasingly unmanageable as Israel has targeted senior Hezbollah officials and Hezbollah has fired on Israeli military and civilian targets, and more recently threatened Haifa and other cities.

Its important to understand Hezbollahs worldview, said Sanam Vakil, the director of the Middle East and north Africa programme at Chatham House. What many actors like this are good at is understanding adversaries through quiet repeated and deliberate observation  strategic patience is part of their outlook: knowing that adversaries have different pressures in democratic societies.

Nasrallah has cited US opinion polling on Israels war in Gaza as evidence of the success of his broader strategy. I think it is also key to understand that while Nasrallahs leadership is very personal, the effectiveness of the organisation is that its not run as a personal fiefdom, Vakil said, suggesting it would survive his removal.

She also expressed doubt that assumptions prior to the current conflict about Nasrallah and Hezbollahs appetite for conflict held true as the war has reduced the room for both sides to exit an escalation. We are making a lot of guesses and assumptions, but were not accessing the inner network to understand the decision-making processes.

Nasrallahs ideological origins

What is clearer is how Nasrallahs worldview has been shaped by his personal history. A teenager amid the sectarian violence of the Lebanese civil war, he briefly joined the Shia Amal militia at 15 before going to study at a seminary in Najaf, Iraq from where he was expelled with other Lebanese students by Saddam Hussein in 1978.

Under the influence of his mentor, the prominent cleric and co-founder of Hezbollah Abbas al-Musawi, who he first met in Iraq, he joined Hezbollah in 1982 after Israels invasion of Lebanon, when the group split away from Amal. When Israel assassinated Musawi in 1992, he replaced him as Hezbollahs general secretary.

In an interview in 2006 with Robin Wright of the Washington Post, Nasrallah described how his beliefs had been forged as he and his peers watched what happened in Palestine, in the West Bank, in the Gaza Strip, in the Golan, in Sinai, teaching them that we cannot rely on the Arab League states, nor on the United Nations  The only way that we have is to take up arms and fight the occupation forces.

What is often unspoken is that Nasrallahs ideological and much reiterated attachment to resistance requires conflict with Israel  or the threat of it  to give it meaning and to justify Hezbollahs existence and the power it has accumulated in Lebanon. Conventional wisdom has suggested that Nasrallah would be constrained by Lebanons dire economic circumstances to resist behaviour that could invite full-scale war and undermine its own support. But in recent months Hezbollah  like Israel  has shifted its understanding of where that threshold is.

In an essay for the Atlantic Council earlier this month, David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi described the dynamic. The group believes this threshold is not fixed. Instead, it rises as Israeli operations in Gaza deepen, which prompts Hezbollah to act while Israels attention and resources are concentrated elsewhere, they wrote. But when these Israeli operations create growing US dissatisfaction which uniquely restrains Israel  Hezbollah feels it has more freedom of action, and thus increases the depth and lethality of its attacks.

All of which suggests that space on either side to reverse out of the crisis is diminishing.
Bolivia's sacked army head Gen Juan Jose Zuniga Macias is arrested after an apparent coup attempt against the president, Luis Arce. Photograph: Bolivia TV/AFP/Getty Images

The former heads of Bolivias army and navy are among 17 people so far arrested for their alleged roles in a seemingly bungled military coup designed to topple the South American countrys leftwing president, Luis Arce.

Speaking on Thursday morning, just over 12 hours after the fleeting insurrection in La Paz, Bolivias minister of government, Eduardo Del Castillo, accused the former army chief Gen Juan Jose Zuniga Macias and the former head of the navy R Adm Juan Arnez Salvador of leading a group of putschists who had conspired to bring down a democratically elected government.

They will be charged with crimes that could see them jailed for between 15 and 30 years, Del Castillo told the local TV channel Unitel, promising to reveal more details of the recent events later in the day.

The minister claimed conspirators had been plotting this attempt to destroy democracy for at least three weeks before security forces seized control of the historic Plaza Murillo in La Paz at about 2.30pm on Wednesday and forced their way into the government palace known as the Palacio Quemado.

Before retreating from the scene in a bulletproof vehicle and being taken into custody late on Wednesday, Zuniga had told reporters his aim was to establish a true democracy.

In his television interview, Del Castillo claimed that on Tuesday night, the eve of the alleged revolt, Arce and Zuniga had met in the presence of another senior minister and that the president had informed the army chief he was being relieved of his duties because his conduct was not in line with the political constitution.

Related: Bolivias president sees off attempted coup after urging citizens to take to streets

No problem  Im a soldier of this homeland  and will carry out whatever orders you give me, Zuniga supposedly replied.

Del Castillo claimed the two men then embraced, adding: Nobody could have imagined that the next day  our country would see a failed coup attempt.

Wednesdays brief and still poorly explained mutiny, which lasted only about three hours and reportedly saw 12 people injured, was the latest convulsion to grip a notoriously volatile nation that has witnessed 190 revolutions and coups since it gained independence in 1825.

Adding to the confusion were comments made by Zuniga in the moments before he was detained, in which the ex-army chief appeared to accuse Arce of staging a sham coup in order to boost his flagging popularity. The president told me the situation was fucked and that he needed something to boost his popularity, Zuniga said, without providing evidence.

Bolivia, a landlocked country of about 12.5m citizens, is enduring a punishing economic crisis with gas exports plummeting and social unrest on the rise. To make matters worse, a bitter power struggle is playing out between Arce and Evo Morales, the former president who helped elect him in 2020. Both men have said they plan to seek the presidency in next years election for their party, the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).

On Thursday, some Morales allies and opposition figures used social media to promote conspiracy theories about Arce being responsible for the supposedly bogus military rebellion. Alejandro Reyes, an opposition congressman from the Comunidad Ciudadana coalition, demanded a parliamentary inquiry into claims that Arce had himself orchestrated an autogolpe (self-coup). There are indications and declarations that indicate the involvement of the government, Reyes said.

Maria Nela Prada, the minister for the presidency, rejected such claims. This absolutely false  these are things that I find utterly inconceivable, she said.

Deisy Choque, a Mas lawmaker, hailed president Arce  a UK-educated former finance minister  as a hero. He will never be seen as a coward or a traitor  he stood up to the coup attempt and democracy triumphed, Choque said.

As the war of words intensified, armed police, their faces covered with balaclavas, guarded the wrought iron gates of the 19th-century neoclassical palace where much of the previous days drama had unfolded. Inside, two women could be seen sweeping up shattered glass from the floor where Arce had been filmed confronting Zuniga, telling him: I am your captain  withdraw all of your troops right now, general.

The apparent coup attempt in Bolivia was the subject of almost universal condemnation from across the political spectrum in Latin America, with conservative governments in Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay speaking out, as well as leftwing ones in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.

But there were some hints of approval from segments of the regions burgeoning far right. Bia Kicis, a prominent Brazilian congresswoman who is close to the ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, reacted to reports of the insurrection by tweeting: Thank God! Bolsonaros former environment minister Ricardo Salles appeared to suggest he thought the Bolivian putschists had cojones (balls).

The Argentine newspaper La Nacion noted how it had taken the administration of Javier Milei, its far-right libertarian leader, six hours to condemn the failed coup.
Junior doctors are staging an 11th strike in pursuit of a 35% pay rise. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Junior doctors in England will strike today for the 11th time over pay, amid concern in their union that a stoppage so close to the general election is an own goal.

Senior figures in the British Medical Association (BMA) believe the strike is pointless and naive and risks irritating Labour, which looks likely to be in power by next Friday and asked the union to call it off.

About 25,000 junior doctors are expected to refuse to work during the five-day stoppage, which begins at 7am today and runs until the same time next Tuesday, 2 July.

By the end of it, junior doctors will have been on strike for 44 days since they first took industrial action in March 2023 in pursuit of a 35% pay rise.

The 10 previous strikes have forced the NHS to cancel 1.4m outpatient appointments and operations and spend 1.7bn to minimise disruption.

NHS England expects the widespread disruption to care over the next five days to be worse than before because heat-related health problems are adding to the strain on many services. This new round of strike action will again hit the NHS very hard, said Prof Stephen Powis, its national medical director.

However, registrars  junior doctors just below the level of consultant  will continue to provide cancer care at hospitals in London affected by the Russian cyber-attack, after the BMA agreed to a request from NHS England to grant exemptions for them to do so.

But members of the BMAs ruling council have said that the latest strike will achieve nothing aside from causing further problems for hospitals already under pressure.

One said: I and none of the doctors I work with can understand what the strike is hoping to achieve. Theres no government to negotiate with. And the opposition health secretary has declared it will be his first priority in office to rectify it and called on the [junior doctors] to cancel it.

Also, being willing to sacrifice five days salary for no tangible gain does not necessarily fit with a group of doctors who are seeking a 35% pay rise to allow them to be able to afford the basic bills.

A second council member said: There is a lot of concern about having a strike just before the election and support [for juniors strikes among consultants and GPs] is waning.

Junior doctors will today picket hospitals around England, including in London, Birmingham, Nottingham and Liverpool. They will also protest outside Friarage hospital in North Yorkshire, which is close to the prime ministers Richmond constituency office.

They will stage a rally outside Downing Street this afternoon.

Junior doctors have been pursuing a 35% pay rise to act as full pay restoration for the 26.2% fall in the value of their incomes they have seen since 2008-09.

The leaders of the BMAs junior doctors committee (JDC) said today that they could call further strikes for this summer if the next government does not hold talks in a timely manner.

However, they have stressed in recent months that they would be happy for any significant progress towards their goal of full pay restoration to be phased in over a number of years. That has raised tentative hopes that the long-running and very disruptive dispute may soon be over.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, has said that increasing junior doctors pay would need to be a journey not an event. He has also said that he would not approve a 35% rise because if he did, any trade union worth its salt would then demand the same sum for its members.

Dr Robert Laurenson, the JDC co-chair, said: He is talking about things like journey not an event. Were happy to have a multiyear pay deal. He has seemingly heard that, and journey not an event matches that.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, the other co-chair, said: The main thing Ive taken away from discussions [with Labour] is that there is a willingness to try and at least engage in constructive and meaningful [talks].

He added: If talks do not move in a timely manner, then of course our members would expect us to call for strike action.

But influential figures in the BMA say that privately many consultants and GPs sympathise with their junior colleagues desire to secure a pay rise, but believe they have erred by striking so often and gaining no obvious ground as a result.

One senior figure said: They should have called off this weeks strike because strategically its the wrong decision  like an own goal  because we have a new government coming in and theyve indicated theyd like us to call it off.

They should call off this strike, agree to meet the new ministerial team and see if they can salvage a deal, albeit not for 35%. Given the state of the NHSs finances, there has to be give and take.
Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, Labour's candidate in Clacton, talks to Nigel Farage in Frinton - X/Jovan Owusu Nepaul

Labour has been accused of not putting up a fight against Nigel Farage in Clacton after its candidate was ordered to leave the constituency.

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, who works for Labours equalities team, was accused by party chiefs of distracting from Sir Keir Starmers campaign.

The 27-year-old was installed by the party last month to contest the seat, before Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, changed his mind and decided to stand in the Essex seaside constituency.

Mr Owusu-Nepaul has since been seconded to the West Midlands, while the local campaign in Clacton said it had been banned from printing leaflets, blocked from using campaigning software and had access to the campaigns social media overridden, with posts deleted on X, formerly Twitter.

Labour regards Clacton as an unwinnable seat. In 2019, it gained just 15 per cent of the vote as the Tories won a 24,702 majority. Members of the towns Labour branch had been expecting a well-planned but low energy social media campaign.

However, Mr Owusu-Nepaul attracted attention on social media after he was photographed bumping into Mr Farage at the opening of a food truck in Frinton earlier this month, with pictures going viral.

A campaign source said Labour headquarters had been angry with the traction Mr Owusu-Nepaul was getting, saying: At one point Jovan was getting more retweets than Keir Starmer. The officials were furious with him and said he was distracting [from] Starmers campaign.

Tracey Lewis, a Labour activist from Clacton, quit the local branch after Mr Owusu-Nepaul was sent to campaign in the West Midlands.

She said: Im a lifelong Labour supporter and will continue to be, even though Ive quit my place on the CLP. But if they cant put a fight up against Nigel Farage, then who are they fighting for?

Chris Bee, another member of the local party, said: Our candidate gets some real traction, and with a week and a bit to go they pull him out and will not allow him back into the constituency to fight for a place in this areas most important election in a generation. This is absolutely disgusting on every level.

In a letter to David Evans, Labours general secretary, Martin Suker, Mr Owusu-Nepauls election agent, wrote: Reform UK stands for everything we the Labour party stand against, and Im struggling to come to terms that it appears the party doesnt even want to be seen to be putting up a fight.

Jovan was told [by an official] to never come back to Clacton, and was instructed to move to the West Midlands region.

Im concerned there will be follow-on questions  members, supporters and, more worryingly, donors will be both angry and upset that it appears like the party that they have a great hope in isnt doing anything to show a battle front to what many see as a catastrophe, not only for Clacton but for the parliamentary system entirely.

But on Thursday, Sir Keir said: Were not backing down in Clacton. Weve got an excellent candidate there. Im very supportive of both him and the campaign that hes running.
Kemi Badenoch also compared Labour's plans to the regimes in China and Myanmar - LUCY NORTH/PA

Kemi Badenoch has compared Labours plans for a Race Equality Act to apartheid in South Africa.

The Business Secretary claimed that Labour envisions an economy that micro-manages your business to meet their political objectives including the divisive agenda of identity politics.

Labours Race Equality Act would enshrine in law the full rights to equal pay for black, Asian and other ethnic minority people.

Mrs Badenoch claimed that the legislation would be classifying your workforce by race, adding: Having this influence their salaries is morally repellent.

Speaking at the British Chamber of Commerce Global Annual Conference, Mrs Badenoch said: Its what they did in apartheid South Africa and what they do now in China and Myanmar.

We should not be going anywhere near this stuff, she added.

Mrs Badenoch added: Measuring people based on skin colour is the beginning of a very slippery slope. I dont think we should be doing it.

It is not just reporting  it is mandatory pay gap requirements. That means that if somebody has one skin colour and another has a different one and they are not paid the same, you could have a problem.

We have gender pay gap reporting. We have done quite a bit to close the gap, but I dont think it will ever be closed, because many of the reasons why we have that gap are to do with personal choices, choices women make in their own careers, which are not necessarily things businesses can fix.

But that is easy, you have two sexes, men and women, so you can measure. Ethnicity is a broad spectrum, you cannot put many people into boxes like that. You cannot have pay gap reporting somewhere like Northumberland that is going to work somewhere like Bradford, it is not going to make sense.

Making it mandatory and setting up enforcement bodies is I think very very problematic.

Mrs Badenoch sought to portray the Tories as the party of business, and Labour as one that treats them as a pesky force that need to be controlled with new regulation.

Despite Conservatives already doing a lot on employment rights, bringing in flexible working and shared parental leave, Labour are fishing in this empty barrel for more, she said.

Within Labours New Deal for Working People are pledges to ban zero hours contracts and put an end to fire and rehire, as well as reforms to the minimum wage.

Mrs Badenoch listed a series of Tory proposals to cut down on burdensome reporting requirements, including increasing the number of employees that a firm can have to still be considered medium-sized.

She said that the change would save businesses at least a million hours of admin per year.

The Business Secretary said of Labour: Their vision of the future economy is one that micromanages your business to meet their political objectives. That includes the divisive agenda of identity politics.

And Im never going to shut up about that, no matter how many Doctor Whos say so, she added, in a reference to her recent row with David Tennant after he said she should shut up because of her views on womens rights.

She added: In their manifesto they say they will enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities. But you know and I know we already have laws that do that.

This is going to be much more political.

A law that will be used to work out what people of different ethnicities should be paid. And theyll be checking on you.

The Labour Party believes that their legislation would make it easier for people from minority groups to bring a claim against this employer as they would no longer have to prove direct discrimination.

While everyone can sue on the basis of discrimination under current laws, women have a right to equal pay for work of equal value written into the Equality Act 2010.

Women are therefore entitled to make a claim if they suspect they are being paid less than a man for a job deemed to be of equal worth, even if it is technically a different role  for example, a cashier versus a warehouse worker.

Labour would expand this to include black, Asian and minority ethnic people, as well as disabled people.

It is already illegal to pay these groups less based on their protected characteristics, but they currently have to prove direct discrimination to sue, whereas Labours planned reforms would allow them to make an equal pay claim instead.

The Conservatives have regularly referred to Angela Rayners workers rights plans as French-style union laws during the general election campaign, and have claimed it would cost 41 billion per year.

The figure was based on a number of assumptions that have been rejected by Labour, including that the party would allow everyone who wants to work from home to do so.
Wrong paths taken: The return to Cameronism has been a serious mistake

Good-morning, good-morning! the General said

When we met him last week on our way to the line ...

Hes a cheery old card, grunted Harry to Jack

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

Conservative candidates slogging around their constituencies in these last few days of the campaign could be forgiven for having Siegfried Sassoons masterfully brief and bitter poem in mind. As they line up in the trenches next Thursday, waiting for the off, they know in their hearts that all too few of them are going to be returning to Parliament in a weeks time. And, as in 1917, its the leadership that has done for them with its plan of attack.

Six weeks back, when the election was called, I urged Tory voters to return to the colours. I didnt know then, of course, that we were planning to run a political-campaign equivalent to the first day of the Somme. Strong Conservatives, MPs who have stood up for Brexit and conservative values, dedicated party workers, all have been pushed out into a campaign that could never succeed, fought on the wrong ground, based on the wrong issues, ineptly conducted and run. It is they who will pay the price.

For it is important not to engage in self-delusion, the besetting sin of the Tory party in recent months. At best we face a 1997-style disaster  a result that would now be regarded as a triumph against the odds  and it could easily be a lot worse.

Almost everyone is going to be saying this in a weeks time. But no one is going to be listening then. The attention will have switched to Labour. Thats why I say it now. After all, maybe a sufficiently bleak and honest prognosis might yet encourage some discontented Conservatives to hold their nose and come out and vote for us to help limit the disaster. Dont give Labour a supermajority  or the were beaten, but please dont be mean to us strategy, as some have described it.

So let us hope we can yet avoid the very worst. But its going to be bad  and its important to put responsibility in the right place.

Yes, Nigel Farage and Reform UK have split our vote. But the Conservative Party doesnt have a God-given right to occupy the Right of British politics. Reform is perfectly entitled to stand against us if it wants to. Its not up to them to care about the institutional future of the Conservative Party. Thats our job. The only reason Reform is damaging us is because we have been such poor representatives of genuine conservative politics ourselves.

Which takes us to where the responsibility really lies  on the party leadership, their advisers, and their ministerial supporters, outmanoeuvred, surrounded by yes-men, oblivious of public opinion, blind to the consequences of their decisions.

Since the autumn reshuffle and the disastrous mistake of returning to Cameronism (including by bringing back the man himself), since the persistent failure to do what was necessary to control the small boats problem, disaster has been inevitable. The only question that remained was when our troops would be asked to go over the top into the machine-guns.

A poor campaign has been compounded by the appalling betting scandal and its ponderous handling. I admit that, as it spread, I seriously considered cutting up my party card. If, as it seemed, some Conservatives first reaction to an election campaign was to think about making a fast buck from it, maybe some in the party really were as venal and heedless of the national interest as our opponents said.

My sense of disgust has dissipated, but my sense of anger has not. A majority of 80 has been wasted, with the only real achievement being delivering the 2016 referendum result. We face years of self-righteous hectoring, controlling, damaging Labour government, and there is nothing we can do about it.

Well, almost nothing. We can come out and vote for Conservatives on July 4. And then, beginning on July 5, we must rebuild. The Conservative Party as we know it may well be badly damaged or even largely wiped out. So to revive conservative ideas, to bring real conservatives together after the cataclysm, perhaps we will need to create a new movement, one for reformed conservatism, to coin a phrase.

Not a new party, but a movement to revive Conservatism based on conservative ideas, and reaching out to everyone who wants to see them prosper one day again.

This movement cannot include people who should really be in parties to our Left. It certainly cant include those responsible for the strategy leading to the current disaster. What it can include are all those who want to rebuild genuine conservatism once again  wherever they may sit now. And what it can do is to start work on a fresh conservative programme with a truly national appeal which, eventually, can offer the British people the genuine choice that they havent had at this election.

So vote wisely on 4 July. And lets start rebuilding the day after.
The Buc-ees store is photographed after the solar eclipse Monday, April 8, 2024 in Bastrop. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Buc-ees revealed a new and improved statue recently, but not all customers are pleased with the beloved beavers makeover. The stark change in appearance may be due to the company selecting a different artist to create the new sculpture.

The company opened its largest location yet this month in Luling, but fans quickly noticed the cosmetic changes made to the iconic bronze beaver statue that sits in front of each Buc-ee's location.

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Clint Howard crafted the first bronze beaver statue in 2012 after Buc-ees owner, Archibald "Beaver" Aplin III, visited Howards Pyrology Foundry and Studio in Bastrop, formerly Deep in the Heart Art Foundry. Aplin asked Howard if he could sculpt a beaver statue, the artist said.

Through the course of the conversation, I realized that he was the owner of Buc-ees and that he was asking me to sculpt potentially their icon, Howard said.

Howard sculpted two mock-up options for Aplin, one realistic beaver statue and one based on the companys two-dimensional logo. The latter design was selected, and a full-scale version was installed at the stores New Braunfels location.

In 2021, after ordering more than two dozen statues, Howard said the company asked him to significantly lower the price. He suggested they order the product in bulk to receive a discount.

They decided that they didn't want to do that, he said. We went back and forth and that eventually ended up with them suggesting they would just have it made somewhere else.

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Howard said he owns the intellectual property of the 3D Buc-ees character, meaning a copy of the statue cant legally be reproduced by another artist. According to Howard, he offered to sell or lease the intellectual property rights to Buc-ees, but the company wasnt interested.

A few months later, Buc-ees had opened several new stores without purchasing any new statues, so Howard reached out to the purchasing department. An individual in the department confirmed the company had no plans to purchase any additional statues from him as it was working with a new artist.

They never asked me to price check, they never told me they had a comparative quote and that I needed to be at this price to match, Howard said.

There was never any kind of negotiation, he said.

A Buc-ees representative declined to clarify how many future locations will don the new bronze figure, or if it will replace the original statues.

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To my knowledge, now theyve started uninstalling all of my pieces, which we asked them not to do, and asked them to at least give them back to us if they were going to take them out, Howard said. I view those as public art pieces. They've got my signature on them.

Howard fears he may be associated with the new Buc-ees statue, despite having nothing to do with it.

If you Google my name, or you Google Buc-ees statues, there's lots of articles about me, he said. My argument to them was, I'm forever going to be associated with this piece and now you're swapping it out with one I didn't make, but people are going to think I did. It's frustrating and it's sad.

Fans of the Texas-based convenience store took to the internet with their thoughts on the new statue, after a TikTok posted by Marrallmike last week showed the transformation. What did they do to my beautiful boy? the user captioned the video. It looks like he's gonna jump scare me at 4 a.m. now.

The charm has been ripped away, one user commented on the video.

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Everyone is on Ozempic these days, one Reddit user wrote, jesting that there might be a connection between the mascots smaller figure and the popular weight-loss drug sweeping the nation.

Regarding the new statues internet backlash, Howard said he agrees with some commenters who feel the new bronze statue is not as welcoming as his initial creation.

From the artistic standpoint, its balance seems to be off, he said. So instead of feeling like you're able to walk up and give him a hug, it almost kind of feels like he's leaning away from that and that's subconscious. Some people may not be able to put words to why it feels that way, but that's kind of my take on it.

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Buc-ees did not provide responses to follow-up questions but defended the statue in a statement last week, claiming its simply the beavers latest progression.
A court artists drawing of Gavin Plumb (right), who denies plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Holly Willoughby. Photograph: Elizabeth Cook/PA

A security guard on trial for allegedly plotting to murder Holly Willoughby posed an imminent threat to her safety, the US-based undercover officer who flagged his apparent intentions to UK police told a jury on Thursday.

The officer appeared at Chelmsford crown court via video link using the alias David Nelson to give evidence in the trial of 37-year-old Gavin Plumb, who denies plotting to kidnap, rape and murder Willoughby.

Nelson, who is attached to the Owatonna police department in Minnesota, told jurors that one of his roles was to engage in online investigations across various types of social media applications, which was how he met Plumb.

He told the court he looked for instances of human trafficking and kidnapping, and that he came across Plumb in an online group called Abduct Lovers.

The officer was questioned about the plausibility of Plumbs plan considering that at 30 stone he was significantly overweight as well as being unable to drive, but Nelson said it was a credible plan.

The prosecutor, Alison Morgan KC, asked the officer why he decided to send a direct message to Plumb, who was living in Harlow, Essex, at the time.

I felt there was imminent threat to the female at that time, Nelson said.

Plumb shared what appeared to be the address of the TV presenter, Nelson told the court, and he agreed that Plumb also shared information about the vehicle used by Ms Willoughby.

He recalled the defendant sending him an image of what the officer described as an abduction kit, saying: At that point in the conversation it was quite alarming.

He said Plumb also sent a photo of bottles of chloroform. Earlier in the conversation he had indicated he had chloroform, he told the court. It was not present in that photo of his abduction kit. I asked where the chloroform was and he sent a picture of chloroform.

The jury heard earlier in the trial that a search of Plumbs home found items including sexualised paraphernalia, chloroform, cable ties and a folding knife, as well as a mobile phone with more than 10,000 images of Willoughby.

The court heard that Plumb sent the officer a screenshot of a Google map showing the route from Plumbs address to Willoughbys home.

Nelson told the jury that he asked Plumb how far it was from his home to where Willoughby lived, to figure out where Mr Plumb was located, where he lived.

The officer passed information about Plumb to the FBI, the court heard. There was a meeting between Nelson, the FBI and the Metropolitan police on 4 October last year.

Morgan said: And during the course of that liaison between the FBI and the Metropolitan police, were you providing up to date information from the chat you had had with the defendant?

The officer replied: Yes.

He also agreed that the information was being passed on effectively for authorities in the UK to deal with.

Sasha Wass KC, representing Plumb, asked the officer whether he thought the defendants size would affect his ability to execute his plan, describing her client as significantly overweight.

She questioned Nelson about Plumbs suggestion that he would jump the outer wall of Willoughbys property. Knowing what he looked like and the state of his dimensions, did that plan  or what was said about that plan, jumping the outer wall  cause you to re-evaluate the credibility of this plan?

The officer replied: No, it did not. He added: When you take in the totality  I believe it was a credible plan and I believe this would have been carried out with or without my services.

Wass later described Plumb as enormous, adding that he was in the region of 30 stone. She said: His size and girth affected his mobility to an extent.

In response, DC William Belsham, of Essex police, said there was not a spring in his step but he could walk fine from the video Ive seen.

Earlier in the trial, the jury was told that Plumb has previous convictions for attempted kidnap and false imprisonment. He had tried to force two women off a train with a fake gun and a threatening note in 2006 and attempted to tie up two teenage girls in a Woolworths stock room in 2008.

The trial continues.
Wes Streeting wants the Care Quality Commission to improve its inspectors ability to identify risks to patient safety. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

NHS managers who silence and scapegoat whistleblowers will be banned from working in the service, the shadow health secretary has said, as part of a determined drive by Labour to eradicate a culture of cover-ups.

In an interview with the Guardian, Wes Streeting pledged to push through the formal regulation of NHS managers and warned the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that its inspectors must get much better at exposing risks to patients safety in order to regain the confidence of frontline staff.

I think the only way in which we genuinely protect whistleblowers and create a culture of honesty and openness is if you have tough enforcement, he said.

Im deadly serious when I say NHS managers who silence whistleblowers will be out and will never work in the NHS again. It is the number one priority for the system. And I want people to have the confidence to speak out and come forward.

With days to go before Streeting potentially replaces Victoria Atkins as health secretary, he said one of his biggest fears was that he would uncover further patient safety scandals, especially in maternity care. Inquiries over the last decade into childbirth care scandals at the Morecambe Bay, East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trusts have painted a grim picture of babies and mothers being left injured, brain-damaged or dying after receiving inadequate care.

Further reviews are examining appalling risks to mothers and babies at more hospitals where there were preventable deaths and injuries, including in Nottingham.

Streeting said: Im extremely anxious about maternity services. And what frightens me is the issues weve seen raised in relation to Nottingham and Kent  I think [they] are a risk factor right across the NHS, and its one of the big reasons why we are losing midwives faster than we can recruit them in some cases.

Three reviews on serious patient safety failings have recommended the regulation of NHS senior managers, to allow them to be disbarred if they silence whistleblowers. Streeting accused Conservative health secretaries of repeatedly failing to implement that change.

This week Ian Trenholm, the boss of CQC, unexpectedly resigned. In a subsequent internal memo leaked to the Health Service Journal, Kate Terroni, who has been named as CQCs interim chief executive, admitted that it was failing to keep patients safe and losing the confidence of the NHS and of ministers. The memo reportedly said: The way we work is not working and we are not consistently keeping people who use services safe.

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Streeting said the instinct to protect the reputation of the NHS at all costs had to change.

He said: You have doctors who are afraid to speak up because they think if I speak up, will I be shipped out?. You get actually a lot of frontline staff who are trying really hard to either formally blow the whistle or to raise the alarm about patient safety and the pressures of the system and feeling silenced, scapegoated, in some cases bullied out and this has got to stop.

Senior NHS staff and whistleblowers have long argued that the regulator is not fit for purpose and inept at rooting out cover-ups. On Thursday the chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley, said the CQC memo confirmed what trust leaders have long known: the regulator is in urgent need of reform.

Streeting said he agreed that the CQC was losing the confidence of concerned NHS staff and said they were begging for a stricter inspection regime.

When I was shadow schools minister I cant recall a single occasion where I went into any school and the teacher said what we really want are longer Ofsted inspections, more Ofsted, please, he said. And yet I have been very struck as the shadow health secretary by frontline staff, often nurses, saying actually we dont feel that we get listened to. And we dont feel that they asked the right questions and if they did, we can tell them where the challenges are on patient safety.

So I do think the CQC has got to look at making sure the inspectors ask the right questions of the right people and get under the bonnet of things, especially on patient safety to the extent that staff have greater confidence in it.

Streeting said hearing the experience of the Guardian senior editor Merope Mills had been a wake-up call as she described watching her 13-year-old daughter Martha die a preventable death from sepsis in hospital because of a refusal by senior doctors to listen when she raised the alarm. He said the health service should go further than Marthas rule, which gives patients the right to demand a second opinion on their condition.

The British Medical Association, the main doctors union, welcomed Labours plan to regulate managers. Prof Philip Banfield, its chair of council, said: Those who run NHS organisations must, like doctors, be accountable for their actions and for the decisions that they have made, instead of being quietly transferred to another senior post in whats akin to a disgraceful revolving door of ineptitude.

As long as this culture of protectionism, rather than accountability, holds sway, doctors will continue to face appalling victimisation and I fear that the pandoras box about to be thrown wide open is far bigger than the Post Office scandal.

Growing numbers of doctors were approaching the BMA desperate to highlight cover-ups but also desperately afraid for themselves and colleagues if they do, he said.

The patient safety campaigner James Titcombe, whose son Joshua died in the Morecambe Bay maternity scandal, said subsequent events showed that the governments decision in 2014 not to regulate NHS managers, against the advice of the official inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire care scandal, was a mistake.

Too often we have seen a culture in the NHS where reputation has been put above the interests of patient safety, he said.

Streeting said he was also determined to address diversity in the NHS and the bullying that black staff often experience within the health service. I look at the fact black women are four times more likely to die in childbirth, black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer than white men. And I think those issues are linked, he said.

He added: There is a particular challenge experienced by black staff in the NHS when it comes to bullying and Ive heard that time and time again. It speaks directly to patient safety. It also speaks to whether or not were going to succeed in our ambitions to close the health inequalities that lie our society.

If Labour wins the election, Streeting will inherit a department with some of the toughest challenges in government: strikes; NHS funding predicted to fall 38bn short by the end of the parliament; and almost 10 million people on waiting lists. Strikes will be the main focus of his attention in the short-term.

I cant abide the thought of patients suffering more misery through further strikes or the NHS putting good money after bad paying for the costs of strikes rather than solving them, he said.

Streeting said the partys ambitions started with the pledge for 40,000 more appointments a week, and he repeatedly talked up the last Labour governments achievement in ending waiting altogether.

The one advantage I would have, which none of my opponents have, is that I have every Labour health secretary, from Andy Burnham to Alan Milburn, in my corner, at the end of the phone, he said. These are people with a track record of turning the NHS and delivering the shortest waiting times and the highest patient satisfaction in the history of the NHS. We did it before and we can do it again.
Mean Girls the Musical: Making Fetch Happen - Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Not another flipping musical! Walk down Aldwych and along the Strand and youre spoilt rotten for song-fests. Now, at the Savoy comes Mean Girls, the stage adaptation of the hit 2004 film centred on female high-schoolers whose raison detre is getting noticed and being cool but who need to discover a more meaningful existence.

David Hare has dared to describe musicals as the leylandii of theatre, strangling everything in their path. Perhaps thats putting it too strongly. Still, the straight play in the West End seems to be withering.

How, that said, can I justify cheering on Mean Girls? Set beside a recent musical visitor to the Savoy like Sunset Boulevard, it is mere chaff; the songs (by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin) are catchy yet forgettable. But just as there was a winning comic zest to the film (scripted by Tina Fey), so this spin-off (which spawned a film itself) has a rare combination of warmth, goofiness, snarky wit and perceptiveness. Tweaked for London, the superbly well-cast production, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, never allows a dull minute even if its general thrust is cosily predictable.

My stamp of approval comes partly endorsed (and enforced) by my Gen Z companion (daughter, late teens, and a fan). But the bottom line is that the show rocked on Broadway in 2018 (even if later felled by Covid) because, unlike its brittle protagonists, it has a sure sense of itself  sending up earnestness while being alert to claws-out peer pressure.

Discreet maths-wiz heroine, Cady, arrives at her narrow-horizoned Illinois high-school from a (relatively sheltered, home-tutored) stint in Kenya; this enables some pastiche Lion King frolics, not just in an opening mock-anthemic number (It Roars) but the later spoofy delineation of social hierarchies in animalistic terms (Apex Predator).

No mean feat: Summer froth, but with a sting - Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

Cadys journey from gauche outsider to arch-rival of Regina, resident Queen Bee (and leader of the Plastics), is presented as a cautionary tale by two of Cadys swiftly sidelined boho buddies: Elena Skyes Janis and Tom Xanders Damian, the latter a twinkling hoot as he hoofs it up in a Broadway-style showstopper (complete with swished canteen-trays).

Along the way, we get a critique of phoney female empowerment, as Charlie Burns initially agreeable Cady emulates the hands-on-hips hauteur of Georgina Castles icy Regina (whose barbs include the noted, slang-controlling reprimand, Stop trying to make Fetch happen); Cadys zeal to fit in irks the hunky love-interest Aaron (Daniel Bravo).

The cracks in the facades of Reginas entourage are resonantly relayed, too: groupie-minded Gretchen (Elena Gyasi) sounds out her bubbling insecurities (Whats Wrong with Me?) while gormless Karen (Grace Mouat) lets slip the strains of conformity in the surface upbeat Sexy (This is modern feminism talking/ I expect to run the world in shoes I cannot walk in). Such material wont awards for Sondheimian subtlety, but it still connects to our modern goldfish-bowl world of constant social expectation and demand. Summer froth, perhaps, but with a sting; a loud show thats surplus to requirements yet in its way quietly necessary.

Booking until Feb 16; london.meangirlsmusical.com
Rishi Sunak repeated that he was 'furious to have learnt about these allegations' - Joe Giddens/PA

Rishi Sunak has refused to confirm whether he told a parliamentary aide the date of the election before he placed a bet on it.

Two weeks ago, Craig Williams admitted he had a flutter on the election date. Mr Williams had been reselected by the Tories to contest Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, which he won in 2019, before the party withdrew its support on Tuesday.

During an election campaign visit to Derbyshire, Mr Sunak was asked repeatedly whether he had confided in Mr Williams ahead of his surprise announcement of a summer election.

Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister said: Ive been clear about this. Im furious to have learnt about these allegations.

Weve initiated independent inquiries of our own, because I dont have access to the Gambling Commissions detail. Youll recognise that while there are ongoing independent investigations its just not right for me to say anything more about that.

Told he could not prejudice the investigation, Mr Sunak refused twice more to say whether he had told Mr Williams the election date.

It came as Scotland Yard suggested Tory politicians could face police investigation over bets placed on the date of the general election.

The Metropolitan Police is taking over part of the investigation and will assess whether any offences, such as misconduct in public office, have been committed.

Detectives from the Mets specialist crime command will determine what further investigation is required, a spokesman for the force said.

Scotland Yard said the investigation would be split into two parts, with the Gambling Commission continuing to examine allegations of alleged cheating and the police focusing on whether any additional criminal offences had been committed.

This could potentially include allegations of misconduct in public office against Conservative politicians who placed bets that Mr Sunak would call a July election.

But the timing of the Mets announcement has caused anger among Tory officials, who believe it could influence voters in the final week of campaigning.

It also comes days after Scotland Yard was forced to deny reports in The Telegraph that it had been accused of leaking the identities of Conservatives implicated in the betting scandal.

One serving Met officer, who is a member of Rishi Sunaks close protection team, has already been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

A further six officers have been identified as having placed bets on the timing of the election, but so far their cases are being investigated by the Gambling Commission.

It is not clear how many people are being investigated over potential criminal offences, but Scotland Yard said the number was likely to be much smaller than those being looked into for alleged cheating.

A Met spokesman said: The Gambling Commission continues to review whether any bets placed on the timing of the general election will be within scope of either investigation.

The Met has compared the names of those who have placed bets on the timing of the election against a list of their officers. So far, seven officers have been identified.

One, a PC attached to the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command, was arrested on Monday June 17 on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The officer has been bailed and is subject to restricted duties.

A further six officers have been identified as having placed bets on the timing of the election. The Gambling Commission continues to investigate these matters, but the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards is being kept informed.

Andrew Rhodes, the chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said: We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the general election.

Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far, and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police to draw this case to a just conclusion.

We understand the desire for information  however, to protect the integrity of the investigation and to ensure a fair and just outcome, we are unable to comment further at this time, including the name of any person who may be under suspicion.

Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said: We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations.

There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required. We will aim to provide updates at key points as our investigation progresses.
Russian soldiers fire the 152-mm howitzer 'Msta-B' in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on June 25 - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

North Korea will send a large number of engineering and construction troops to help rebuild Russian-occupied cities in eastern Ukraine, according to reports.

The soldiers will arrive as early as June and take part in reconstruction works largely in the heavily bombed Donetsk region, TV Chosun reported, citing a South Korean government official.

The report stated that the North Korean army has 10 engineering brigades, three out of four of which will be sent to Ukraine in exchange for an annual payment of $115 million (92 million) from Russia.

The goal is to rebuild a city destroyed by fighting, said the unnamed official, without specifying further on the location.

There is currently no indication the soldiers would have combat roles.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder warned on Tuesday that North Korean troops would become cannon fodder if they joined Moscows forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

It follows Vladimir Putins rare state visit to Pyongyang last week to sign a new military pact with his growing ally, Kim Jong-un as the two states position themselves at the centre of an anti-West axis.

North Korea is already a major weapons supplier to Moscow which is facing depleted weapons stocks and a defence industry hampered by Western sanctions.

03:36 PM BST

Todays live coverage has ended. Heres a roundup of the days events:

EU leaders signed fresh batch of long-term security pacts with Ukraine

Russia claimed to have hit Ukrainian airfields set to host Western aircraft

North Korea to send engineering troops to eastern Ukraine

Russia jails man for 12 years for sending Ukraine targets to hit

Ukraine faces onslaught of 100 glide bombs in one day

Well be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.

03:34 PM BST

Watch: Russias explosive bombardment of eastern Ukrainian city

Ukraines military has released footage showing the ongoing Russian aerial bombardment of the crumbling eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar.

Russian forces are now on the outskirts of the strategic hilltop city in the Donetsk region.

03:26 PM BST

Russian missiles strike Ukraine airfields that would host Western aircraft, Kremlin claims

Russia claims to have carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields which it said were designated to host Western military aircraft.

Russia used sea-based long-range precision weapons, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and drones in the attack, its defence ministry said.

All designated targets were hit, the ministry added, without naming the list of targets.

The strikes are likely part of an attempt by Moscow to dismantle Kyivs infrastructure as its air force prepares to receive its first batch of F-16s sent by Western allies.

Military sources have suggested the long-awaited aircraft could be in the hands of Ukraines fighter pilots as soon as the end of June or July.

It follows footage from June 2022 that appeared to show Russias Black Sea Fleet firing Kalibr cruise missiles at airfields, including Vasilkov near Kyiv, a major air base likely to be assigned to host F-16s.

03:19 PM BST

Russia incapable of making big breakthroughs in Ukraine, says Nato chief

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has said Russian forces were not capable of making a big breakthroughs on the battlefield in Ukraine, and that Kyiv was inflicting heavy losses with its deep strikes.

They tried again to launch an offensive this spring and summer - but so far only marginal gains, Stoltenberg said on Thursday, in reference to Moscows faltering assault in the Kharkiv region.

And we dont have any other indications or reason to believe that Russia has the capabilities, the strength to make big breakthroughs.

The head of the Western military alliance said that Russia would nevertheless most likely continue to push on the front lines and carry out airstrikes.

But what we have seen is that the Ukrainians have been able to hold the line, he said.

02:38 PM BST

Kharkiv offensive shows pressure on Moscow not enough, says Zelensky

The Russian offensive in Ukraines northeast showed the existing level of international pressure on Moscow is not sufficient, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Thursday.

Kyiv claimed its forces have stabilised the situation after Moscow launched a brutal assault on a new front in the Kharkiv region in May.

It proves that the existing pressure on Russia for the war is not enough, Zelensky told EU leaders.

The union today signed an agreement that guarantees its commitment to helping Ukraine in areas of security and defence for years to come.

01:49 PM BST

EU leaders sign long-term security pacts with Ukraine

EU leaders on Thursday signed another batch of security agreements with Ukraine, aimed at supporting the country in defending itself against Russia.

The documents were signed at the EU summit in Brussels by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy, who hailed it an important step to advance peace and prosperity across the continent.

For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes, he said on X.

Ukraine has signed 17 similar bilateral security agreements, including with the UK, US, France, Germany, Britain and Japan.

Zelensky also warned his allies to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky grins with EU leaders at the European Council in Brussels - Shutterstock

01:03 PM BST

Sri Lanka calls on Russia to discharge its citizens from army

Sri Lanka has asked Russia to allow its former soldiers fighting for Vladimir Putins forces in Ukraine to return home voluntarily, the government said on Thursday.

An official delegation from Colombo held two days of talks in Moscow this week where it called for compensation for 17 Sri Lankans killed in fighting.

At least 2,000 Sri Lankan veterans are reportedly enlisted, mainly on the Russian side of the war.

After Sri Lankas economy crashed in 2022 and citizens looked for work whenever they could, ex-soldiers were lured back into combat by Russias salaries of up to $3,000 a month and the promise of Russian citizenship.

Now, the veterans - some of whom swapped their life savings for what they thought would be lucrative, non-combat jobs - are desperate to return home. Their families have been pressing local authorities to help bring them back.

People protest near the Russian embassy in Colombo on June 4, seeking the release of Sri Lanka's ex-soldiers fighting for Russia - AFP

12:44 PM BST

Le Pen vows to block Macron from sending troops to Ukraine

Marine Le Pen has promised to overrule Emmanuel Macron on sending troops to Ukraine should her National Rally (RN) party form a government after the upcoming elections, writes Peter Allen.

She claims the French presidents role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces is an honorary title and that her choice of future prime minister will supersede his defence and foreign policies.

In particular, Ms Le Pen views direct intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war  something Mr Macron has frequently raised  as a non-starter.

Read more here.

President Emmanuel Macron is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, something Marine Le Pen says is an 'honorary title' - AFP

12:26 PM BST

Pictured: Zelensky arrives at EU summit in Brussels

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel speak with the media as they arrive for an EU summit in Brussels - AP

Zelensky pictured ahead of talks with Ukraine's staunchest supporters in the face of the Russian invasion - Reuters

12:06 PM BST

Russia jails man for 12 years for sending Ukraine targets to hit

A Russian court in occupied Crimea has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for allegedly filming Russian military sites in order to help Ukraines armed forces.

Since sending troops into Ukraine, Moscow has targeted hundreds of its own citizens that it says have aided or supported Kyiv throughout the 28-month-long conflict.

Crimeas supreme court said it had found a man born in 1991, a resident of the Saky district, guilty of high treason for taking videos of an air defence system with the goal of assisting Ukraines armed forces, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reports.

Russia opened a record number of treason cases in 2023 after tightening laws and increasing punishments amid its faltering offensive on Ukraine.

Ukraine has heavily targeted Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, in a bid to drive Moscows forces out of the highly strategic peninsula.

11:14 AM BST

Russia bombards Ukraine with 100 glide bombs in one day

Moscows forces launched nearly 100 deadly glide bombs and dozens of drones at Ukraine in the past day, Kyiv said.

Its military reported that over 96 glide bombs, two missiles, 4000 shells and 44 kamikaze drones were fired across the border.

Glide bombs are an air-dropped munition launched from a distance rather than above the target and can pack a payload up to 1.5 tonnes.

Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia dropped more than 2,400 glide bombs on Ukraine since the beginning of June, with 700 of them hitting the Kharkiv region.

It comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) slapped Russias top military chiefs with arrest warrants over their attacks on civilian targets.

Russias former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and leading general Valery Gerasimov are accused of orchestrating a campaign of long-range bombardments against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the winter of 2022.

Ukrainian policemen work at the site of a glide bomb attack on a school in Kharkiv on June 23 - Shutterstock

10:52 AM BST

Russia sent 10,000 recently naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine

Moscow has sent 10,000 recently naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine to plug the gaps in Moscows manpower shortage, a senior Russian law enforcement official revealed.

Male migrants who receive Russian citizenship are required by law to register with the military and can be called up to serve.

[Weve] caught more than 30,000 of those who received citizenship but were unwilling to register with the military, said Alexander Bastrykin, who heads Russias Investigative Committee.

Approximately 10,000 of them have been sent to the area of the special military operation, he said at a law forum in St Petersburg, referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Bastrykin called the forced military registration and deployment a trick that led migrants to slowly begin leaving Russia.

He suggested the new citizens had not been sent to Ukraine on combat missions but to dig trenches and build fortifications.

Russian soldiers pose for photo in a shelter at their position in an undisclosed location in Ukraine - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

10:15 AM BST

Kremlin considering downgrading diplomatic relations with West

The Kremlin said Russia is mulling over a possible downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West due to the hostile approach of the US and its allies to Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today that the move is standard practice for countries in the face of unfriendly or hostile manifestations.

He added: Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.

Mr Peskov said that no decision has yet been made on the matter but Russia was considering its options.

10:07 AM BST

North Korea to send engineering troops to eastern Ukraine

South Korean media reports that Pyongyang is preparing to send a large number of engineering and construction troops to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine as early as July.

TV Chosun, citing a South Korean official, said the soldiers would take part in reconstruction works largely in the heavily bombed Donetsk region.

The report stated that the North Korean army has 10 engineering brigades, three out of four of which could be sent to Ukraine in exchange for an annual payment of $115 million (92 million) from Russia.

There is currently no indication the soldiers would have combat roles.

It comes after Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Pyongyangs troops would become cannon fodder if they joined Moscows forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

09:45 AM BST

Ukrainian fighter pilot describes moment he shot down two Shahed drones

A Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot has shared the moment he shot down two Iranian-supplied Shahed drones in one combat mission.

I had a feeling of confidence... I said hello to the aircraft before the flight, as if telling it telepathically that we had to shoot down a Shahed, said Pavlo, an experienced pilot from the 204th Sevastopol Tactical Aviation Brigade.

I then turned to my plane in my thoughts again: We have to do this, you and me  shoot down the second one.

And we did it. The night was sleepless but productive for me, and it ended in a peaceful morning for the Ukrainians who were targeted by these two enemy drones.

Earlier this week, Ukraines air force commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk claimed Kyiv had downed roughly 1,953 Shahed drones out of 2,277 launched by Russia this year alone. Air defences destroyed about 86%, he said.

A Ukrainian fighter jet pilot fires missiles at Russian military positions in Ukraine in undated footage - Newsflash

09:25 AM BST

Russian missile cruiser conducts drills in Mediterranean

The Russian navy missile cruiser Varyag has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

The drills focused on repelling a mass sea drone attack, the navy command said, and also involved simulated engagements with an enemy vessel and a submarine.

The presence of the 611-ft warship close to the EUs borders comes weeks after a Russian naval frigate and submarine led missile drills in the Atlantic Ocean on route to Cuba.

Such moves are tracked closely by the US which surfaced its USS Tennessee ballistic submarine in the Norwegian Sea in a rare show of force on Tuesday.

Russian missile cruiser Varyag on patrol in eastern Mediterranean in 2016 - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

08:52 AM BST

Russian pranksters target David Cameron in hoax call

Russian pranksters have released footage of the foreign secretary being tricked into believing he was talking with the former Ukrainian president.

The video call, released on Wednesday, shows Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton discussing Labour, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine with someone purporting to be Petro Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019.

The hoax was carried out by a Russian duo who use the aliases Vovan and Lexus. In the past, they have denied Western accusations that they have links to Russias intelligence services.

The prankster pair are well-known inside Russia having duped a string of Western politicians over the years, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Britains former defence minister Ben Wallace in 2022.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visiting Axbridge, Somerset, while on the General Election campaign trail - PA

08:27 AM BST

Poland and Baltic states demand 700km defensive border against Russia and Belarus

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called on the EU to build a defensive line along the blocs border with Russia and Belarus to protect nations from Moscows military and hybrid threats.

The leaders of the four countries that share borders with Russia and its greatest ally will said the project will need the financial support of all member states.

The cost of such an ambitious 700km defensive infrastructure system is estimated to be around 2.1 billion.

European investment in defence and its financing will be one of the main topics of discussion among EU leaders at the summit in Brussels, as Russias war against Ukraine drags into its third year and Moscow steps up hybrid operations against the West.

08:12 AM BST

Zelensky to sign new security pact with EU nations

The EU is expected to sign a security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today, pledging to keep delivering weapons, military training and other aid to Kyiv for years to come.

The agreement will lay out the unions commitment to help Ukraine in nine key areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining, according to drafts.

In the event of future aggression, the document said the EU and Ukraine intend to consult within 24 hours on Kyivs needs and swiftly determine next steps in line with the commitments.

The document is part of a broader effort by Ukraines partners to provide assurances that they will stand by Kyiv for the long haul, with no end in sight to the war and no immediate prospect of Ukraine joining the EU or Nato.

07:52 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

Were bringing you the latest updates from the Ukraine war.
A decline in computing and digital skills education has affected girls, certain ethnic groups and students from underserved socioeconomic backgrounds, the study said. Photograph: Sam Frost

The number of girls in England studying for a GCSE in computing has more than halved in less than a decade, prompting warnings about the dominance of men in shaping the modern world.

The sharp decline in female participation follows government qualification changes that led to the scrapping of the old information communication technology (ICT) GCSE and its replacement with a new computer science GCSE.

While the governments reforms were aimed at creating more academically challenging and knowledge-based qualifications, the introduction of the new syllabus has had the unintended consequence of driving female entries down, according to new research by Kings College London.

In 2015 43% of candidates for ICT GCSE were female, compared with just 21% of those who took GCSE computer science in 2023.

In numerical terms, 40,000 female students took ICT GCSE in 2015, with a further 5,000 taking computer science. In 2023, with ICT no longer available, just 18,600 females took computer science.

Asked to give their reasons, girls who chose not to study it said they did not enjoy computer science. They also said it did not fit in with their career plans, the research found.

Critics of the old ICT qualification complained that it taught little more than how to use Microsoft Office. In contrast, the new computer science GCSE, with its focus on computer theory, coding and programming, is perceived by many pupils as difficult when compared with other subjects.

The study acknowledged that the GCSE in computer science has become well established, with 88,000 students taking the subject in 2023 and a four-fold rise in A-level entries between 2013 and 2023.

However, these successes have coincided with a general decline in computing and digital skills education at the secondary school level, particularly affecting girls, certain ethnic groups and students from underserved socioeconomic backgrounds, it said.

The report included a series of recommendations calling for urgent reform of the curriculum, better support for computing teachers and a change to the current narrative around computing to focus beyond male tech entrepreneurs.

Its authors warned: The lack of women in computing may lead to heightened vulnerabilities and the dominance of men in shaping the modern world.

Dr Peter Kemp, a senior lecturer in computing education at Kings College London who was the studys principal investigator, said: It is imperative that we see action to encourage more girls to take computing at school so they can develop the digital skills they will need to be able to participate in and shape our world.

The current GCSE is focused on computer science and developing programming skills, and this seems to deter some young people, in particular girls, from taking up the subject. We need to ensure computing is a subject that is appealing to all pupils and meets the needs of young people and society.

Every student should be leaving school with the digital skills required to thrive in the workplace and society, said Pete Dring, the head of computing at Fulford School in York. We need to reform the curriculum to include a comprehensive computing GCSE that provides essential skills and knowledge beyond just computer science.

Maggie Philbin, a technology broadcaster and the director of TeenTech, which promotes digital skills, added: At the moment, many students see the subject as difficult and vote with their feet if they are aiming for the best grades. Its time to take a fresh look at the subject and work with teachers to design a curriculum which is more appealing and which teachers feel confident to deliver.
Parking fine

Parking penalties could double to 100 under new rules being introduced by the private car park industry.

A new code of practice from the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community (IPC) will cap parking penalty charges at double the level previously set by the Government.

Motoring organisations slammed the new self-regulation rules, with one saying officials should intervene to protect innocent drivers from the sharks running private car parks.

Coming into force from October, the new parking rules will establish a 10-minute grace period for motorists before they can be hit with penalties for failing to buy a ticket.

Under a legally binding government code of practice briefly issued in 2022, which was withdrawn following an outcry from the private parking industry, penalty charges were originally capped at 50.

While the new voluntary code includes a 100 cap on penalty fees, it does not restrict the amount that private parking companies can charge in debt recovery fees.

Will Hurley, the IPCs chief executive, said: This new code will create positive change across the UK, enhancing protection of the most vulnerable in society, whilst creating consistency and clarity for motorists and continuing to elevate standards across the sector.

Lacks truly independent appeals body

However, motoring organisations were less positive about the new self-regulatory rules than Mr Hurley.

They said the new code lacked a truly independent appeals body for challenging parking fines and also highlighted the lack of a cap on debt recovery fees.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said it was somewhat ironic that after the parking industrys 2022 pushback against the Governments rules, private parking companies had decided to introduce their own.

This watered down code of practice falls far short of the standards the AA, Government and consumer groups have called for across many years, Mr Cousens told The Telegraph.

This self-authored code doesnt acknowledge the need to cap charges and remove debt recovery fees. These elements are desperately needed from a government-backed code to protect innocent drivers from the sharks running private car parks.

Simon Williams, the RACs head of policy, said: Drivers shouldnt be fooled into thinking this so-called code developed by the private parking industry itself is the same as the long-delayed official Private Parking Code of Practice that is backed by legislation.

That legally-binding code was introduced in February 2022 and was withdrawn after just four months following legal threats from some parking companies.

Referring to the withdrawn code, Mr Williams continued: This, and only this, will bring an end to the worst practices of some private parking operators and will mean drivers, and especially those who are vulnerable, are protected from unreasonable fines and debt collectors chasing down payments.

We accept that some of the measures being introduced by the parking industry are an improvement on the status quo which, we have long argued, is totally unacceptable, he added.

But what operators will now be expected to do falls miles short of what drivers have been promised by the Government, which includes a cap on fines and debt recovery fees, a single independent appeals service, and sanctions against companies that break the rules such as being banned from operating.

Genuine sign of change

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation  the charitable research arm of the motoring organisation  said that the new code was a genuine sign that the private parking industry wanted to change its cowboy image.

He said: Lets hope that the people who will be ministers in a week or so take this move by the parking trade bodies as a genuine sign of their collective willingness to embrace change and seize on that willingness to press on with the full package of reforms thats been stalled for the last five years.

A 2019 law, the Parking (Code of Practice) Act, paved the way for a crackdown on cowboy parking enforcement companies, as they were described in Parliament by Tim Loughton MP earlier this year.

The RAC Foundation estimated that 42 million private parking tickets have been handed out in the five years since the act was passed.
Reform UK activist Andrew Parker was filmed saying the slur and others

A Reform UK volunteer has been secretly recorded calling Rishi Sunak a f---ing p--- in a racial slur.

Several activists who were working in Nigel Farages Clacton campaign office have been dismissed by the party following the investigation by undercover reporters for Channel 4 News.

One party activist was recorded describing the Prime Minister as a f---ing p---. Mr Farage called the remarks reprehensible.

The party has also announced that it has withdrawn support from its candidate in Basingstoke, Raymond Saint, for failing to declare that he was previously a member of the British National Party.

With just a week to go until the election, the Channel 4 report into the behaviour of activists in Mr Farages own office is the biggest setback yet for his campaign.

An undercover reporter went canvassing with Andrew Parker, a Reform UK activist who told him what to say on the doorstep.

The immigration thing, use the word illegal, he said. Emphasise illegal especially if you open the door and theres a bunch of p---s.

Giving his view on Muslims and what the party would do with mosques, he says to the undercover investigator: Sick mate. Sick m----f----s, adding: Its a cult. I tell you what, if you dont know about Islam, it is the most disgusting cult. Were f------ kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.

In the same conversation, Mr Parker said: Ive always been a Tory voter but what annoys me is that f------ p--- weve got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. Hes just wet. F------ useless.

Talking to a prospective voter on the doorstep, Mr Parker is also heard expressing his views on how to stop the boats, suggesting Army recruits should carry out target practice.

Youve got Deal, havent you. The place near Dover. Army recruitment. Get the young recruits there, yeah, with guns on the f------- beach, target practice. F------ just shoot them. That is what the Greeks done You know about that. The Greeks shot a load Ringfence Bradfordstan. Round the f----- up. Do that f------ lot as well. And youve got these b-----s running our country. You must be f------ joking mate.

He later tells a man who says he is a paramedic: Do us a favour. Youre a paramedic. Any of that f------ lot get in your ambulance, just dont put oxygen on the b------. Use something else. You know where Im coming from.

Mr Parker told Channel 4 he wanted to apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute.

Mr Parker was filmed by an undercover Channel 4 reporter

Mr Farage questioned whether Channel 4 had subjected other political parties to similar subterfuges, but made no excuses for the behaviour of the volunteers.

He said: I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. They will no longer be with the campaign.

The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.

Reform UK is a party for everybody who believes in Britain. I am proud that our supporters, candidates and national campaign team come from all backgrounds and identities.

Peter Harris, his agent in Clacton, said part of the problem had been that: All parties in such a short campaign are having to deal with the challenges of working with many activists they may not have met before.

He added: Any individuals who have been identified as making unacceptable comments and holding those views are not welcome in our campaign. We are running a campaign to represent all voters in Clacton.

Mr Saint became the latest candidate to lose the backing of Reform UK after it emerged he was a previous member of the BNP.

A Reform UK spokesman said: As Nigel Farage has repeatedly made plain, people who belong or used to belong to the BNP are not welcome in Reform UK.

Every candidate was asked to declare their past or present political affiliations and was specifically asked whether they had ever been a member of the BNP.

Mr Saint failed to do so and clearly lied to us.

Outside Reforms Clacton office, set above an amusement arcade on the seaside towns Pier Avenue on Thursday night, campaigners were unloading scores of boxes of leaflets to be distributed to voters as the news of the Channel 4 story broke.

Supporters, who had been warned the allegations were about to be published, refused to be named and did not want to talk to journalists. One campaigner said that this incident had proven that the media cannot be trusted.

Another said: Underhand tactics have been used and we have been targeted unfairly. We are not a racist party. If people are going to eavesdrop on people its very sad.

The campaigners had hired Farikh Abbas, a local van driver, to help with the delivery of the boxes of thousands of leaflets.

Mr Abbas, who would not say whether he would vote Reform but admitted he was disillusioned with the major parties, said: I havent found anyone here be racist towards me. At least Reform is being upfront.

Asked what campaigners would be doing this evening, another campaigner joked: We will be sorting out the leaflets by people who couldnt find anything to watch on Channel 4.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Farage held a rally in Sunderland where he told the crowd the decision to implement a second and third Covid lockdown was the biggest ever mistake made by a British government in peacetime.

Mr Farage also used the event to introduce his latest high-profile backer Sir John Hall.

The former Newcastle United owner has supported the Conservative party and donated 500,000 to the Tories during the 2017 snap election.

The 91-year-old, who arrived at Rainton Arena with a cane and was cheered by the crowd after Mr Farage announced his presence, told journalists he was a disillusioned Conservative who felt he had been let down by the party over recent years.

He said: I want to see my culture kept in this country and not destroyed and that is why Im voting for Nigel.

Sir John added: Nigel is the only one who is prepared to stand up for what I believe in and I believe millions of other people would say the same.
Police forces in Australia have fielded hundreds of complaints about misuse of information and unauthorised access of internal police databases since 2020. Composite: Getty Images/AAP

Fran* noticed her son-in-laws behaviour was escalating. She says he was increasingly controlling of her daughter Sarahs* life  monitoring her finances and being verbally abusive.

The three were all living together and the situation felt particularly risky because he was a police officer. He had surveillance skills and access to information that seemed to give him a sense of power, and he held it over their heads.

This blew up after Simon*, a family friend, started pushing back on her son-in-laws conduct. Simon called a spade a spade, Fran says, and he wouldnt back down.

Related: Its hard to have compassion: can interventions change violent mens behaviour?

Not long after, her son-in-law called her out on to the patio, saying he had something to tell her. He sat me down [and] said, Ive investigated Simons background  and just basically told me everything that was on the police record.

He told me [because] he was a cop he knew how the system worked, and he would never get caught.

Fran and Sarah believe that her abuser used his access to internal police information in a bid to get Simon out of their lives. I think it was a control thing for him, Sarah says. Just to control his environment and not have someone there who would question him and his behaviour.

A Guardian Australia investigation has found that police forces around Australia have fielded hundreds of complaints about misuse of information, and in particular unauthorised access of internal police databases, since 2020.

The reasons for the complaints are not detailed in the documents released under freedom of information laws, but advocates say they want more attention paid to the risks of misuse  particularly in situations involving family violence.

What we find is that if the victim-survivor has officer-involved family violence  were in a different league, says Karen Bentley, the chief executive of Wesnet, a peak body for family violence services, because police have access to information that the general public dont.

Internal databases might include addresses, phone numbers, incident reports and car registration details.

A 2022 Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service responses to domestic and family violence report found that access to information and weapons meant that when police officers perpetrate domestic and family violence, they are particularly dangerous.

Lauren Caulfield from Beyond Survival, who coordinates a family violence project focused on police perpetrators in Victoria, says: There has never been an investigation into the scale of misuse of the database committed by officers in cases of family violence and stalking.

What we know is potentially the tip of the iceberg.

Complaints against police

Guardian Australia has used freedom of information laws to request the number of complaints about unauthorised access to information by police each year since 2020.

In Queensland, police shared that there had been 547 complaints or notifications, while in Tasmania there were 89. Neither jurisdiction shared the outcome of those complaints.

A Tasmania police spokesperson says it adopts a best practice approach to information security and points to a 2018 Tasmanian Integrity Commission report that found its approach was adequate and appropriate.

In South Australia, there were 350 complaints about confidentiality of information between 2020 and 2023, including improper access to and disclosure of information. No further action was taken in more than half of those complaints after an assessment by the internal investigations section.

Of the remaining complaints, according to a South Australia police spokesperson, nine warranted charges in the police disciplinary tribunal and most others resulted in training, counselling or education.

South Australia police believes its current framework provides adequate protection of the confidential information which it holds.

Between January 2020 and April 2024, the Australian federal police received 22 complaints involving 32 allegations of information access or information misuse against ACT police, of which seven were established and seven were still under investigation.

Of these allegations, one involved a situation linked to domestic violence and was part of an ongoing professional standards investigation.

Information access breaches are not tolerated in the AFP, a spokesperson says.

According to data released by New South Wales police, there have been more than 1,000 complaints about potential unlawful access and improper disclosure of police information since 2020  although there may be duplicates where an incident included both allegations.

Assistant commissioner Peter Cotter, the commander of the professional standards command, says the NSW police force acknowledges the approximately 1,000 complaints, and the number is considered to reflect an accurate identification of those employees who have breached the trust afforded to them.

Cotter says NSW police have safeguards in place, including audit processes and training. When such matters are identified, a full and comprehensive investigation follows  and where there are significant and severe breaches they are investigated criminally, he says.

Two broad categories of misuse

In NSW, the internal police data system is called the Computerised Operational Policing System, or Cops. Thirty-six officers have been charged with accessing or modifying data held in computer between 2020 and March 2024.

Samantha Lee, a supervising solicitor at the Redfern Legal Centre, says the number of complaints in NSW suggests that unauthorised access to information is a systemic issue that needs immediate attention from law enforcement.

There are several cases now before the NSW courts concerning alleged misuse of Cops, including an officer who is defending charges of domestic violence offences and accessing or modifying restricted data. Police allege he checked Cops to search information related to his then girlfriend and her family and friends.

Another officer allegedly used his position to have a sexual relationship with a woman and also allegedly used Cops to access details about other individuals, knowing it was unauthorised.

Estelle Petrie, a lawyer with Robinson Gill Lawyers with a focus on police misconduct, says she has seen two broad categories of misuse in her work: officers who use these internal systems to track down people theyve met while working, and officers who use it as part of family violence and other offending.

They use it as their own private library, she says.

Its just data, whats the harm?

Lydia Shelly, the president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, says she is concerned about the lack of public information about incidents of abuse of police data  a situation she says erodes public confidence in the police.

The lack of information concerning these incidents is disturbing, given the high numbers exposed through the FoIs, and there should be an increased level of transparency, she says.

After Guardian Australias FoI request, the Northern Territory police said that information about misuse of police data does not exist in a documented format. Western Australia police force denied the FoI request on the basis that such information would be held by the internal affairs unit, which is exempt from disclosure.

However, the states Corruption and Crime Commission says there have been 406 allegations made against employees of WA police regarding alleged unlawful use of computer from 2019-20 to date.

The WA police force has zero tolerance of fraud, corruption or misconduct, a spokesperson says. All reports of misconduct are robustly investigated and are overseen by the CCC.

Victoria police, meanwhile, advises that FoI requests now take on average 35 weeks to complete.

That squares with the experience of Emma*, whose partner pleaded guilty to family violence offences in 2020. She obtained an apology from Victoria police after her safety plans to escape interstate with her children were leaked to her abuser and his colleagues, but says she faced delays getting her records from police.

In Victoria, 68 police and one protective services officer were charged with criminal and/or discipline matters relating to the misuse of police databases between January 2020 and June 2024. Of these, three police were charged relating to family violence information.

Emma now works with the Independent Collective of Survivors. One change she pushed for was a recent change to the Victoria Police Act, which extended the 12-month limit on when an officer can be charged with misuse of the Victorian police database, called Leap, to three years.

Even Vicpol couldnt tell you the extent of the problem, because theyre not monitoring it, Emma says. If you are really taking misconduct seriously, if you are taking police perpetrators seriously and stalking seriously  you put those controls in place.

A 2019 report from the police oversight body the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (Ibac), which looked at unauthorised access and disclosure of information held by Victoria police, found it is likely underreported. Leap administrators receive an alert if employees access records for someone with the same surname, or if employees look up the file of someone under investigation by another unit. Ibac said in 2019 these kinds of alerts were of limited use as a deterrent.

Petrie says there still hasnt been sufficient change within Victoria police. This idea that its just data, whats the harm?, is influencing the way they respond to this issue, she says.

A Victoria police spokesperson says it is committed to meeting its FoI obligations, and has increased the departments resources.

It also has stringent measures in place to ensure the proper use of Leap, including proactive monitoring, extensive records of who has accessed the system, restrictions on especially sensitive information, and tiered levels of access.

This strong oversight means the number of Leap breaches is relatively small, given the millions of legitimate uses every year, the spokesperson says.

Not just family violence

The cases before the courts have heard varied reasons for access to internal police databases.

In 2022, the police officer Jayden Faure was among the first Victorian police officers to be sentenced in relation to Leap misuse. He pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after accessing the Leap database on multiple occasions, including to look up the background of women after they approached police for help. He was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order.

In November, the Blue Mountains officer Ricky Dean Heness, 31, pleaded guilty to unauthorised access to restricted data after accessing the Cops database. He looked up information multiple times about a woman he knew, according to court documents. He told police he did it for for personal reasons. He was convicted but no further penalty was imposed.

Related: The destructive consequences of financial abuse - podcast

For those whose data has been accessed, finding out exactly what happened can be difficult.

In 2005, David* was waiting in line at his local hardware store in Alexandria, Sydney, when he says someone pushed in front of him, prompting consternation from other shoppers. The man confronted David, wrongly believing he had made derogatory remarks, and they had what a police report later called a verbal altercation.

David walked out of the store to avoid the confrontation. The man followed him out to where there was a woman sitting in a van nearby  the mans partner.

He drove away. Not long after, David woke up and found his house damaged and every panel of his car had been scratched. The scratches were deep, right down to the metal, he says.

He later found out the mans partner, the woman in the van, was a police officer.

Worried they knew where he lived, David filed a complaint and requested an internal investigation. The heavily redacted report of that investigation, seen by Guardian Australia, found the female police officer had engaged in misconduct by calling another officer and requesting personal information from Cops linked to Davids number plate.

David hasnt asked for much in the years since. All he wants is for the NSW police and the state government to pay him back for the damage caused to his car and for the stress and anxiety he suffered.

He applied for an ex gratia payment in 2019, which was declined by NSW police because his losses were not caused by government actions. He then initiated court proceedings but says he was forced to drop the case when he ran out of money. Im not even asking for much, he says. Just pay back the damage you did by letting out my sensitive personal information.

David has also been left oblivious as to the fate of the officer. His efforts to get answers out of NSW police and the state government have yielded little, in his view. They dont give a shit, quite frankly, David says.

Sarah says she tried to report her now former partner to police several times, but claims she wasnt taken seriously and he was never charged. Every sort of investigation was either abandoned or went nowhere, she says. Theyre just a law unto themselves.

* Names have been changed

 Do you know more? Email abogle@protonmail.com

 In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman are among those who could be the next Tory leader

If the polls are to be believed, the Tories are in for a historic defeat tomorrow.

A major survey for The Telegraph this month put the Conservatives on just 53 seats, with high-profile casualties predicted to include Penny Mordaunt, Jeremy Hunt, James Cleverly, and Rishi Sunak himself.

Even with a result half as bad as that prediction, it is likely Mr Sunak would resign, or face an imminent leadership challenge.

Here, The Telegraph takes a look at some of the potential contenders to replace him.

Business Secretary, North West Essex

Also minister for women and equalities, Mrs Badenoch is the current bookies favourite to be the next Tory leader. She also had the highest net satisfaction rating of any Cabinet minister among readers of the influential ConservativeHome website in May. She came fourth in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson in July 2022, and has hinted at a potential Tory leadership run after the election. She may be well placed in Westminster, given that Savantas bombshell MRP poll for The Telegraph forecast she would be the only big beast left standing after polling day.

Leader of the House of Commons, Portsmouth North

Penny Mordaunt came third in the 2022 leadership contest, and boosted her popularity and her name recognition with her prominent ceremonial role at last years Coronation. She was the third most popular Cabinet minister among ConservativeHome readers in May. However, if the Savanta projection is correct, she is on track to lose her seat to Labour on July 4.

Former Home Secretary, Fareham and Waterlooville

Despite remaining popular with the Tory base, who admired her tough stance on illegal migration, Ms Braverman might struggle to beat Mrs Badenoch for the support of the Right of the party, having made an early exit in the 2022 leadership race. The Savanta poll also suggests she is set to lose her seat to Labour at the general election.

Home Secretary, Braintree

Having served as education secretary, foreign secretary, and now Home Secretary, Mr Cleverly is one of the Cabinets more experienced pairs of hands, though he ranked only 14th among ministers in ConservativeHomes poll in May. However, the Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel is yet another Tory heavyweight likely to lose his seat, according to the Savanta survey, threatening to scupper any leadership ambitions he might harbour.

Former Home Secretary, Witham

Tipped as a grassroots favourite, Ms Patel was recently urged by supporters to stand for the Tory leadership if the party is defeated at the election. Friends said she had not ruled out the possibility of standing but was focused on retaining her Witham constituency in Essex, which she is set to lose to Labour, according to the Savanta poll.

Former Prime Minister, Member of the House of Lords

The Foreign Secretary, could technically make a dramatic return as Tory leader, given that there is no requirement for the head of the official opposition (or indeed any opposition party) to hold a seat in the House of Commons. However, such a move would be unprecedented in modern times. The former premier may also pay heed to the fact that he had a negative approval rating with ConservativeHome readers in May.

Leader of Reform UK, Not currently an MP

Mr Farage is currently doing his level best to unseat as many Tory (and Labour) MPs as possible, presumably making him rather unpopular with the Conservative base. But some have speculated he could take the reins from Mr Sunak by defecting from inside Westminster, if he succeeds in his eighth bid to become an MP.

Former Prime Minister, Not currently an MP

Could Mr Johnson be the Tories once and future king? He will not be an MP on July 4, having given up his seat in June last year and opted not to run again. But, like Lord Cameron, he could technically lead from outside Westminster.

Minister for Northern Ireland, Wycombe

Mr Baker has indicated that he would put his name forward if he retains his seat in Wycombe, where he has a majority of just 4,214, on July 4. He was previously a senior Tory backbencher, chairing the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer MPs twice during the run up to Britains formal departure from the European Union on January 31 2020.
Caroline Wilburn is a breaking news reporter for the Houston Chronicle.

A May graduate of Texas A&M University, Caroline worked as an election stringer for the Associated Press and as a breaking news fellow at the Texas Tribune. At the Tribune, she got a crash course in interpreting data, distilling complicated policy and following statewide trends on a tight deadline. Shes also a skilled video editor and podcast producer.

She won a first-place award for audio news production at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
Labours Karl Turner, who is standing for re-election in Hull East: The big problem is if youre in a low-wage economy, then people have got bigger things to worry about. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Even during a general election campaign with projections of historic  even unprecedented  results, people cannot always be relied upon to give their full attention.

We met a guy who said he was going to vote Labour but wouldnt now because he had just heard that we were taxing condoms, said Labours Karl Turner, who was first voted in as the MP for Hull East in 2010 and is standing for re-election this time.

I said, condoms? Yeah, he said: I just heard on that [pointing to the TV] that you are taxing condoms, and Im not having it. Youre not getting my vote. It was Terence [Turners parliamentary assistant] here who worked it out.

Were taxing non-doms, not condoms, I said. Oh, he said. Like the prime ministers wife? Ah. He calls out: Margaret: theyre taxing non-doms, not condoms.

It was one vote saved for Labour in East Yorkshire  but as the general election moves from what observers have described as the air war, where messaging is all-important, to the ground war, where mobilising the voters to actually visit the ballot box is key, it is the significant tranche of voters who have entirely switched off that worries Turner.

Hull East was the only constituency at the last general election where under half (49.3%) of the electorate turned out to vote. Within Turners constituency is the ward of Marfleet, which has a strong claim to be the most politically disillusioned place in Britain. Turnout was 11.6% in the last local elections.

Disillusionment and distrust when it comes to politics and politicians is a UK-wide phenomenon, and is strong in Hull East.

On Monday, the retired women at the Marfleet community centre were having an afternoon researching their family histories on laptops. They dont give a damn about the people below em, said Lesley Robinson, a retired personal assistant. Whats the point? They all lie.

They tell you what they think you want to know  they treat us as stupid, added Sue Hurst, 78. You are born in hope and die in despair. Robinson agreed, interjecting: They treat us like children or worse than that. At least children get pocket money.

Pauline French, 70, who retired last year as the cleaner at the centre, puffed out her cheeks. I will, but my husband and son wont vote, she said. People just dont bother.

It is not that the people here dont have problems. Marfleet is one of the most socially disadvantaged places in a city with plenty of issues, but there is a complete absence of belief that anyone is going to do anything about it.

A focus group of non-voters in the city, carried out by More In Common for the Guardian, offers further evidence of the depth of those feelings.

I work for the NHS so nothing good comes out of elections for me  no one cares, said Hameder, a trainee nurse.

Michael, a service engineer, described politicians as brainless monkeys. Sam, who is hoping to start an apprenticeship, explained she felt bad sometimes about not taking an interest in politics and that her friends told her off for it, but that it was hard when everything does feel in so much disrepair  Everyone just hates politics and hates Rishi Sunak.

The immediate concern for Labour beyond Hull is that, with Keir Starmers party so far ahead in the polls, the apathetic will be joined by many more who will assume there is little point in voting given the apparent certainty of the result.

It is a nagging doubt in Labour HQ that new polling from More in Common polling will do little to assuage.

Rather than asking individuals about their own engagement with politics, which people often overstate, respondents were asked about their friends and family.

Questioned as to whether their friends and family were more excited or more apathetic about the election, Britons were almost three times more likely to say apathetic. Asked if their friends and family thought the general election would make a meaningful difference to the country, barely a quarter (26%) agreed.

Most starkly, 41% said family and friends were more disillusioned with this general election compared with previous ones, while only 7% said they were less disillusioned.

Voter turnout is a Hull-wide problem. Three out of the four constituencies with the lowest turnout in 2019 were Hull seats, with the other being Chorley, where the Commons speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, stood unopposed.

Turner was born and bred in the constituency and is regarded locally as someone who cares, but it is difficult not to take the turnout figures personally at times.

Speaking from his constituency office, located between a branch of Pizza Mafia and the Witham Tandoori, the 53-year-old said: I was on a doorstep the other day and the guy said: I wont be voting Labour. I said: Oh, why is that? Its because I dont like you. Oh right, I said. Thats very honest of you. Thats what my wife says as well.

As I was walking down the path, he said: I thought you would come out with a fucking clever line. I said: May I ask you how you will vote, for my data? He said: Im going to sit down and work out which bastard can stop you. He then said, real genuinely: Can you help me with that? Whos coming second?

It has become Turners habit to check the weather for polling day, in the hope that a clear sky could encourage people out.

But he believes beyond this election that a great challenge for Labour will be to convince people politicians are not all the same  a perception that he believes was deepened by the failed promises of Brexit and Boris Johnson.

He said: I think the big problem is if youre in a low-wage economy, then people have got bigger things to worry about: paying the rents, paying the mortgages, looking after the family, feeding the kids. Going along to the polling station hardly matters.

Turner notes that there was real enthusiasm for voting for leave in the Brexit referendum, with the leave campaign attracting 73.4% of the vote in Hull East. Across the city, turnout was 62.9%.

There was also excitement for Johnson in 2019: Turner gave him the moniker Boris the magnificent because of the impression on the doorsteps. Turner was close to losing his seat to the Tories.

But that trust turned to dust, he said, after Partygate and the realisation that the most notable impact of Brexit on Hull had been a 50% loss in catching quotas for the citys biggest deep-sea trawler due to changes in access to Norways waters.

Turner believes Labours cautious approach to its manifesto is the right one. Further empty promises would only deepen the problem, he says. He suggests that part of the solution might be to make it easier for people to vote by allowing them to vote over a number of days, for example.

But the rise of Reform, which is expected to come from nowhere and take second pace in Hull East, highlights to him how important it will be for the next Labour government to be truly radical and prove they are different.

People in Hull East should be voting because, actually, it makes a real difference in areas like [this] to their lives, he said. To sort of persuade them to get from  that feeling of it doesnt matter to actually giving them something to vote for is a difficulty.

Ive said to Keir and anybody else who was prepared to listen: Look, what we need is policy, which really makes a difference in their lives.

The Sure Start centres of the last Labour government that helped young parents were the sort of initiative that Turner said gave people a stake in the election, but that they had needed more time to bed in.

For now, Turner can only hope that the votes are there on 4 July to make change possible  and that Labours message on taxing non-doms and the rest is getting through.
NSW MP Tim Crakanthorps office was allegedly targeted by Jordan Patten, who was allegedly armed with knives and has now been charged with planning a terrorist attack. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

A New South Wales teenager has been charged with planning a terrorist attack after he allegedly entered Labor MP Tim Crakanthorps office carrying items including knives and tactical equipment with the intention to kill.

Jordan Patten, a 19-year-old from Raymond Terrace, was arrested in Newcastle after midday on Wednesday and was charged with one count of preparing or planning a terrorist act.

Investigators confirmed Patten circulated a 200-page document to a number of media outlets and public figures.

Patten appeared in a Parramatta court on Thursday via video conference from custody. The magistrate told the court that police will allege Patten had intended to kill Crakanthorp due to his position in the Labor party.

The magistrate said the case had overtones of mental health issues.

Crakanthorp, who is the member for Newcastle, said he was advised that Patten had walked in and out of his office, and left before making any contact with his staff.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out at this troubling time. My staff and I are all safe and unharmed, Crakanthorp said on Thursday.

This is a very serious incident. I thank NSW police for their prompt and effective response. I also want to thank the Newcastle Museum staff for their bravery and exceptional management of the situation.

Officers seized a number of items after searching Patten.

NSW police said on Thursday that the seized items had been taken for further analysis.

Related: Molly Ticehursts family dealt another cruel blow after thieves steal final tie we had with our girl

Following further inquiries, police have become aware of the existence of a document that had been circulated to a number of public figures and media outlets, a spokesperson said.

No application was made for Pattens bail in court on Thursday and the matter was adjourned until 21 August.

Police said there was no ongoing threat to the community in relation to this investigation and inquiries were continuing.

Patten was charged by the joint counter-terrorism team that comprises officers from NSW police, Australian federal police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the NSW Crime Commission.

People with information about extremist activity or possible threats to the community were urged to come forward no matter how small or insignificant you think the information may be, a NSW police spokesperson said.

With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press
Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy - GEOFF PUGH FOR THE TELEGRAPH

David Lammy has claimed the Tories are not the right class of people to be running Britain because of their public-school smallness.

The shadow foreign secretary said in an interview that Angela Rayner, Labours deputy leader, was by contrast someone who gets it.

His remarks come amid speculation he could be demoted to a more junior Cabinet role by Sir Keir Starmer if the party wins power next week.

Mr Lammy has kept a surprisingly low profile throughout the election period and has not made any major interventions in the campaign.

In an interview he described attending this months Trooping the Colour with senior Tories Boris Johnson, Lord Cameron, and James Cleverly.

He told the New Statesman: There was a sort of demob happiness about them, a sort of casual frippery, a certain kind of public-school smallness.

They are not the class of people that Britain needs to run it now, and thats what my own life story tells me.

The Labour Party is full of people  Angela Rayner, for instance. I was with her yesterday, campaigning in Mansfield  she gets this.

All three Tories were privately educated. Mr Johnson and Lord Cameron both attended Eton College while Mr Cleverly went to Colfes School in London.

Angela Rayner, campaigning in Mansfield - ALAN KEITH BEASTALL/ALAMY

The shadow foreign secretary described the trio as being like a certain class of individuals at the end of the Raj not really having an account of the future.

He added: It just spoke of a class of people who have no real sense of the world as it is, whether it is in our own country or the world as we find it today.

In contrast Ms Rayner, who has made frequent references to her working class roots, attended her local comprehensive, Avondale High School in Stockport.

Mr Lammy attended The Kings School, Peterborough  a state-funded Church of England school  after winning a scholarship as a chorister aged 10.

He has been a mainstay of Sir Keirs top team, first as shadow justice secretary and then since November 2021 as the shadow foreign secretary.

His current position means that he is expected to take up one of the four great offices of state if Labour wins the election on July 4.

But there has been mounting speculation that he could be demoted in a first reshuffle and replaced with Douglas Alexander, a New Labour veteran.

Mr Alexander served as a Cabinet minister under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and is looking to return to Parliament as an MP after nine years away.

Sir Keir did little to douse the rumours when asked about them this week, insisting that he is not going to start announcing the Cabinet in advance.
Daniel Duffield with Lauren Evans, whose bodies were found at a house in Hednesford about 12:30pm on Tuesday - PIXEL8000

A murder investigation has been launched after a television paramedic was found dead alongside a woman at a property in Staffordshire.

The bodies of Daniel Duffield, 24 and Lauren Evans, 22 were discovered at a house in Hednesford, Cannock, about 12:30pm on Tuesday.

Mr Duffield worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and featured in Channel 4s 999: On the Front Line, which follows paramedics as they attend call-outs.

Staffordshire Police said it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because of recent contact in relation to the deaths.

A spokesman for WMAS said that they were called to the property in Alpine Drive following a concern for welfare call.

They added: After gaining access to the property at just before 12.20pm, paramedics found a man and a woman inside.

Sadly, it was immediately obvious that nothing could be done to save them and ambulance staff immediately alerted Staffordshire Police.

Daniel Duffield appeared on Channel 4's 999: On the Front Line with crew mate Ellie, who has paid tribute to her colleague

Ellie, who was Mr Duffields crew mate on the Channel 4 series, said she spoke to her friend on the phone about an hour before he was found dead.

She wrote in a tribute on Instagram: Never in a million years did I think Id have to sit and write this and yet Im still trying to come to terms with it, but I just want to express how special you were to me, not only my best friend at work and the best crew mate, but one of my best friends who had a massive impact on day-to-day life.

Mr Duffields sister Chelsea Duffield, wrote in a tribute on Facebook: Never ever thought Id have to write this post, my beautiful brother has left us today Im so distraught youve gone.

I will never come to terms with it that youre no longer here. You were such a bright soul, always helping other people, making them smile, laugh (and) saving lives, but unfortunately you couldnt help yourself.

Helped hundreds of patients

Richard Barratt, a senior operations manager at the West Midlands Ambulance Service, described Mr Duffields death as a great tragedy.

He added: I hope Daniels family can take some comfort from the hundreds of patients he helped through his time as a paramedic. Our thoughts go out to the families of both of those found at the scene.

Ms Evans family in the village of Pen-y-fai, near Bridgend, south Wales, said they were too upset to talk on Thursday.

Ms Evans was a student mental health nurse who graduated from Swansea University before moving 140 miles to Staffordshire

Her family were described as close-knit and very nice by the neighbours in the village.

Shaken the local community

Det Supt Nicki Addison, of Staffordshires major investigations department, said:

I know this news has understandably shaken the local community. Id like to reassure everyone that weve got a specialist team of officers working extensive hours to fully investigate what happened and support the families of those affected.

We completely understand that lots of people want to know more about what happened, but wed like to reiterate that speculation isnt helpful to families at this distressing time.
Former STV presenter Hayley Matthews

A former STV presenter is facing a jail sentence after she embezzled more than 120,000 from her dementia-stricken mother.

Hayley Matthews, who was also known for fronting an SNP national conference, took the money after she received power of attorney over her mother Janice Matthews financial affairs.

She took a total of 120,000 and spent the stolen cash on items including a 1,300 Mulberry handbag. She made cash withdrawals worth 38,000 and spent more than 13,600 at Amazon and 5,544 at luxury firm the White Company.

She admitted embezzling the sum from her mother while acting with power of attorney between September 24, 2019 and November 8, 2022 when she appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Nadia Stewart told the court Janice Matthews was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2019 and suffered from an alcohol addiction.

Her daughter took control of her financial affairs but concerns were raised about the finances following the death of Mrs Matthews in September 2021.

Father contacted his daughter for explanation

The court heard Matthews sister queried the amount she would be receiving from her mothers estate and that the presenter, who has also worked for BBC Radio Scotland, had been dismissive of her siblings inquiries.

Family members eventually received copies of Janice Matthews bank statements and noticed cashline withdrawals had substantially increased after she had been admitted to hospital.

The court was told Matthews sister analysed the transactions on her mothers bank accounts and after spotting around 100,000 was missing decided to contact the police.

Matthews father, Alistair Matthews, a retired firefighter, then contacted his daughter for an explanation in January 2022 when she admitted spending large sums for her own gain.

The fiscal said Matthews told her father: Youre right, Ive been shocking handling mums money and paperwork.

Ive spent what I shouldnt and used money I shouldnt. I wasnt in a very good place when looking after her but I tried my best.

I massively over-compensated and used money that I shouldnt have but I tried my absolute best.

She has interviewed many stars

Matthews was arrested on January 5 last year and during an interview she said she had spent money on hampers at Harvey Nichols for hospital staff and clothes for her partner.

Matthews is a former presenter of the STV2 arts magazine show Live at Five, has worked as a radio presenter with Talk 107, Forth 1 and Real Radio and was a newspaper columnist before resigning last year.

She has also worked alongside Lorraine Kelly on the STV Childrens Appeal live show and has interviewed stars including Jason Donovan, Amy Winehouse, Andy Williams, Nile Rodgers and Gary Numan.

She hosted the SNPs digital conference in 2020, during the pandemic.

Defence agent Kieran Clegg said his now unemployed client was facing a very serious matter and had a very complex home situation regarding her two children and asked for her bail to be continued.

Sheriff Alison Stirling agreed to release Matthews on bail but told her she should make arrangements for the absence from your household.

Sentence was deferred for reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to next month.
Ursula von der Leyens handling of the response to the pandemic and Russias invasion of Ukraine impressed EU leaders. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Ursula von der Leyen has clinched the nomination to serve a second term as president of the European Commission, despite Italian prime minister Giorgia Melonis complaints of a wrong process.

Estonias prime minister, Kaja Kallas, is set to become the EUs top diplomat, representing the bloc on the world stage for the next five years. The former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa has been elected to take over as president of the European Council, putting him in charge of finding compromises between the 27 heads of state and government.

At the end of an EU summit that was devoted to Europes future and security policy, Polands prime minister, Donald Tusk, tweeted: Kaja, Ursula and Antonio accepted. Defence plans accepted. Satisfaction. For Poland and for Europe.

Meloni abstained on von der Leyens appointment and voted against the other two.

Von der Leyens path to a second five-year term it is not a fait accompli: she must win over a majority of the European parliaments 720 MEPs, who are expected to vote next month.

Kallas has to be confirmed by the Commission president, a formality. She will also appear before MEPs in the autumn, although they cannot reject her as the EUs high representative for foreign affairs.

In 2019 von der Leyen became the first woman to lead the EU executive in its 62-year history, but only narrowly secured the support of MEPs. While on paper the groups backing her command a comfortable majority of 55%, a sizeable number could vote against her during the secret vote.

She said she would work intensively to broaden her support beyond the platform of the EPP, Socialists and Renew. She promised to talk to national delegations and individual MEPs those for example who are critical, who have questions.

A former German government minister, von der Leyen is deemed by EU leaders to have performed well in handling the EUs response to a once-in-a-century pandemic and the biggest war on European soil since 1945. Her frontrunner status was further cemented after her centre-right European Peoples party (EEP) secured the largest number of seats in European parliament elections earlier this month.

Another hurdle was cleared this week after a deal between EU leaders representing the blocs largest pro-European groups, the EEP, the Socialists and the centrist Renew group.

Italys prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has bitterly railed against the agreement among the three pro-European groups.

As the summit broke up, Meloni repeated her criticism of the process that she complained was wrong in method and substance. Her government, she said continued to work to finally give Italy the weight it deserves in Europe.

Meloni is the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, the third largest in the parliament. She accused the six male leaders who took the decision of behaving like oligarchs.

Earlier in the day, centre-right leaders embarked on a charm offensive to win round Meloni. Tusk stressed his great respect for Italy and its prime minister. There are some emotions, but in reality, they may have resulted rather from misunderstandings, he said. There is no Europe without Italy and there is no decision without prime minister Meloni.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister and fellow EPP negotiator, struck a similar tone: It was never our intention neither to exclude anyone nor offend anyone.

Talks began around sunset in Brussels, at the end of a day when leaders met Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who urged them to fulfil their promises for military support and ammunition. Russias latest offensive in the Kharkiv region, which Zelenskiy said had been stopped, proved that the existing pressure on the invader is not enough, he said.

Related: Zelenskiy says Russias recent offensive shows pressure on Kremlin not enough

Once Zelenskiy had gone, EU leaders later sparred over defence spending that touched on whether Europe should repeat the Covid recovery plan experiment with more collective borrowing. Von der Leyen told them 500bn of defence investments were needed in the EU. Member states, she said, had to decide whether they preferred to fund defence through their own budgets or common EU borrowing.

Germany and its frugal neighbour, the Netherlands, voiced their opposition to joint debt and watered down a text to reflect their concerns about making open-ended, costly financial commitments.

When the talks eventually turned to top jobs  over a dinner of summer vegetables, Ostend-style filet of sole, followed by nectarine and rosemary tart with yoghurt mousse  von der Leyen and Kallas left the room.

Kallas, who has warned for years on Russias aggression, emerged as an early frontrunner to take over from Spains Josep Borrell as the EUs chief diplomat. Swedens prime minister Ulf Kristersson praised her impeccable track record, saying she will bring solid experience within several areas, not least the EUs unwavering support to Ukraine.

Costa, who has served three terms in Portugal, is expected to take up his post on 1 December. He said he was fully committed to promoting unity between all 27 Member States. The veteran Socialist is well liked by EU leaders, even securing the endorsement of Hungarys rightwing nationalist Viktor Orban.

Orban voted against von der Leyen. He abstained on Kallas and voted for Costa.

Earlier in the day, Belgiums outgoing prime minister Alexander De Croo had dismissed criticism of the deal between Europes three pro-European political groups.

De Croo, a liberal, who leads a seven-party coalition government in Belgium, said finding agreement between different political forces was how democracy works. Democracy is not only about blocking, democracy is about who wants to work together and those three political groups are willing to work together for the benefit of all Europeans.

Asked about Melonis angry speech to the Italian parliament on Wednesday, De Croo turned to a Dutch proverb. Sometimes the soup is not eaten at the same temperature that it is being served, he said. This basically means yesterday was yesterday, lets listen [to] what is being said around the table today.
The next government must provide a clear and funded transition plan for workers in the offshore oil and gas industry, including the North Sea, green groups and unions have urged.

More than 60 climate organisations signed an open letter sent to all party leaders on Thursday based on a report backed by leading trade unions.

Signatories, which include Greenpeace, Oxfam and Friends of the Earth, are calling for a UK-wide industrial strategy, including substantial investment in domestic manufacturing and skills, expansion of publicly owned energy, and reorganising the tax system for public good.

The groups also urged the next government to expand sectoral collective bargaining across the energy industry and supply chain, and provide a jobs guarantee to ensure every oil and gas worker can find equivalent, alternative employment or funded retraining.

The climate movement stands in solidarity with these workers and unions, they wrote.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) which backed the report, said the union will work with environmental groups and governments to guarantee fair treatment, job security, and new opportunities for oil and gas workers.

We firmly believe that a just transition in the offshore energy sector is not just a necessity but a moral imperative to secure all our futures, he said.

As we move towards greener energy, it is crucial that the valuable skills and expertise of our members working in the oil and gas sector supply chain are not lost.

The letter is also calling for a phase-out of oil and gas in the North Sea as a crucial step to meet the UKs binding climate commitments, address the UKs historic role as a disproportionate producer of emissions, and prevent further devastating loss and damage.

Elsewhere, the signatories said oil and gas industry jobs have halved in the last decade with around 227,000 lost since 2013, despite the government issuing hundreds of new drilling licences and energy firms recording record profits.

They also pointed to job losses already forecast at the Grangemouth oil refinery in Scotland and Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales.

The letter reads: Industry bosses have been left to determine the terms of the decline, prioritising shareholder profits over affordable energy, green investment or job creation.

The longer we wait to implement a worker-led just transition in the North Sea  and other high carbon industries  the worse off communities that rely on these industries will be.

Analysis by the Trade Unions Congress suggests action to meet the UKs climate commitments has the potential to create over a million good new jobs.

Mel Evans, Greenpeace UK climate team leader, said: There is no such thing as climate justice without worker justice.

We urgently need the next government to bring forward a bold green industrial strategy and transition plan to support workers into low-carbon jobs.

A spokesperson for Unite the Union said it welcomes support from the climate movement.

We are fully behind a transition to greener energy, but this must be a fair transition, one that has workers and communities at its heart, they added.

Other signatories include Extinction Rebellion UK, Green New Deal Rising, Global Witness, Global Justice Now, #StopRosebank and Greener Jobs Alliance.

The report created in consultation with workers in the offshore oil and gas industry, was also backed by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Unite the Union Scotland and Unison Scotland.

Offshore Energies UK said the industry can support jobs, grow the economy and cut emissions by investing in 200 billion in energy projects in the UK through a transition backed by homegrown companies.

The trade body on Wednesday backed a declaration signed by five former cross-party ministers, including Amber Rudd and Brian Wilson, advocating the need for critical private investment by offshore energy companies, including oil and gas producers.

A spokesman said: These investments matter to the 200,000 people whose jobs are supported by domestic offshore energy production and whose future relies on the national energy transition being a success.

All parties have recognised the sheer scale of investment needed to reach net zero means private investment will be critical.

As OEUKs manifesto sets out, with a partnership approach and community engagement, the UK can deliver a transition which leaves no individual or community behind.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: These campaign groups highlight the danger that the Labour Party poses to our energy security and Britains 200,000 oil and gas workers through their ideological and infeasible energy proposals that will shut down the North Sea oil and gas industry.

Only Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a pragmatic plan that will bolster Britains energy security whilst delivering net zero without saddling families with the cost.

Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: We welcome this letter from leading climate organisations on a just transition, and the backing this has from unions.

It is dangerous and reckless to continue extracting more oil and gas and elected Green MPs will push for phasing out fossil fuels.
Northern Ireland politicians clashed on health service funding, the stability of Stormont and the merits of Irish unity in the second major TV debate of the General Election campaign.

The opening exchanges of the BBC NI debate focused on the recent controversy around the allocation to health in this years Stormont budget.

Senior representatives from Sinn Fein, the DUP, Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP were asked a question from the audience on the budget allocation to the Department of Health.

The UUP, which holds the department, voted against the recent budget passed by the Assembly, arguing they will not implement cuts that would have a catastrophic impact on the health service.

All other main parties of the Executive  Sinn Fein, DUP and Alliance  backed the spending plan, with the main opposition party the SDLP opposing it.

The debate line-up comprised three party leaders  the DUPs Gavin Robinson, Alliances Naomi Long and the SDLPs Colum Eastwood  while Sinn Fein was represented by its South Down candidate Chris Hazzard and the UUP by its deputy leader and Lagan Valley candidate Robbie Butler.

Mr Hazzard said there was a recognition from the UK government that Stormont had been underfunded and said the prospect of Labour entering into government meant theres an onus now on all MPs and Executive colleagues to make sure we get that better deal so we can invest in our health service.

Mr Robinson said other departments also required additional funding, speculating what the impact might have been if all the money had been given to the health service.

How many police officers were going to be made redundant, how many prisoners were going to be released, and how many special needs children were going to be left without the provision that they need? he asked.

Ms Long said comparing the end of year figures to the start of the year and saying it showed a cut isnt fair.

It is correct to say that the closing budget of health last year looks like its been cut. But what we havent taken into account that during the year there are monitoring rounds where health will get further allocations, she said.

Mr Butler said health was the number one topic on the doors during the General Election campaign and said his partys plan was to work with our Executive partners to agree a budget.

Mr Eastwood said that there isnt enough money in Stormont.

I know people in Derry who are going to the credit union to borrow money for simple procedures (privately), he said.

We need to go with one single voice and ask the British government to properly fund this health service because it absolutely has collapsed.

Despite it being a debate on the General Election campaign, the opening of the debate focused on health, which is a devolved issue.

The programme followed the UTV debate on Sunday in which the fallout from Brexit, discord over calls for a united Ireland and Stormonts perilous financial position dominated discussions.

The event was billed as a leaders debate and host Tara Mills pressed the Sinn Fein and UUP representatives on why their leaders had not accepted the invite to attend.

Mr Hazzard said Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill was on the canvass trail while Mr Butler said UUP leader Doug Beattie had other diary commitments.

The debate shifted from health funding and reform to the issue of Stormont stability as the politicians were challenged on the fact that the devolved institutions have been in cold storage for five of the last seven years due to two long-term periods of collapse  one triggered by Sinn Fein, the other by the DUP.

The DUP was responsible for the last implosion as it blockaded the Executive and Assembly in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Robinson justified the boycott, which the party ended in January, insisting progress to reduce the red tape on Irish Sea trade would not have been made without our stance.

We would far rather not have had a government come down at all, he said.

We would far rather have had a situation where people would recognise that this place works properly and positively on the basis of consensus, and whenever unionism collectively in its entirety was indicating that the Northern Ireland Protocol (on post-Brexit trade) was fundamentally an imposition on the constitutional position of Northern Ireland, and was not going to wash, that should have caused the body politic to sit back and say actually, we have a problem here.

Ms Long said the DUP stance had no effect on the 2023 UK and EU Windsor Framework agreement to cut trading bureaucracy.

It was not because of the collapse of the Assembly that we got progress in terms of these issues, she said.

And more than that, the collapse of the Assembly has damaged our public services, theres no question thats the case, ask the people who work in them.

Ms Long then reiterated her call for Stormont reform to remove the capacity for the largest unionist and largest nationalist parties to pull it down.

When Mr Hazzard was asked whether he saw any circumstances where Sinn Fein would pull the Executive down again, he replied: No, because at the end of the day, and again I reiterate, look at the strong positive leadership that Michelle ONeill and Emma Little Pengelly (DUP deputy First Minister), to be fair to Emma Little Pengelly, and the other parties in the Executive so far (have shown).

They have worked together collaboratively. This isnt easy. Dealing with Tory austerity, its not easy. Theres a huge crisis in education and health. But now theres a commitment to work together collaboratively to deliver.

Mr Butler said the difference between the UUP and the DUP was his party was prepared to keep devolution working when its main rival walked away.

All unionist politicians did agree in regards to the impact of Brexit, the protocol and the Windsor Framework, but the Ulster Unionist Party stood firm that they were not going to make the people of Northern Ireland suffer for political folly, he said.

Mr Eastwood insisted the main parties would not give a guarantee that they would not collapse the institutions again.

I think the first thing politicians around here tonight could do is all commit not to bring Stormont down again, but they wont do it, he said.

Asked by the audience about a united Ireland and the union, Ms Long said her party were about the practicalities.

People are not waking up in the middle of the night in a lather of sweat worried about the border, but they are worried about are they going to be able to pay their bills.

Will they get their children into good school? Are they going to be able to ensure that they can get an appointment for their doctor? Those are the things that worry people.

Mr Eastwood said that Northern Ireland was an economic basket case and pointed to the billions in budgetary surpluses the Irish government has had in recent years  largely due to corporation tax paid by a handful of multinationals.

He said it was easier to get money out of the Dublin and London governments than from Stormont, and people in the Republic are getting paid twice as much as theyre getting paid in the north.

Mr Robinson said Mr Eastwood was very good at talking things down but said the NHS meant people did not pay fees for services such as doctors appointments.

Mr Butler said the economic argument is obviously something that is very prevalent in some peoples minds at the moment.

I dont think I could buy Colum, I dont think I could buy Chris in terms of their aspirations to remain part of the UK but I will win it in terms of the hearts and minds argument.

Mr Hazzard said that former Irish premier Leo Varadkar made significant comments recently when he said the Irish government need to ensure that reunification is a political objective and not just an aspiration.

The final topic was on the conflict in the Middle East, and to what extent it has become a proxy war in Northern Ireland.

Mr Eastwood said he would not travel as part of the annual St Patricks Day visit to Washington in protest against US support for Israel.

Im not going to go and drink pints of Guinness and eat nibbles with Joe Biden when hes funding and arming the Israeli government to do that, thats my position, he said.

Mr Hazzard said Sinn Fein had made a commitment to the people of Palestine to be their voice in those places.

No one is ever going to question Sinn Feins solidarity with the Palestinian people, he said, to which Mr Eastwood interjected: A lot of people are, actually.

On the question of a proxy war, Ms Long said she was asked a really probing question by a young woman in a school.

She said to me, is it in some way letting my side down that I find what Israel are doing to the people in Gaza appalling, because everyone around me seems to think that Israel are fine.

Because weve turned into a proxy, as we do with almost every issue, for the Northern Ireland conflict and we should stop doing that.

Mr Robinson said it was not taking sides to condemn terrorism, adding that he views very clearly that what is going on at the moment as a human tragedy.

Mr Butler said it doesnt matter if its an Israeli child or a Palestinian child who loses their life and that there has to be dialogue.
British reality stars Jack Fowler and Megan McKenna have joined calls for the next UK government to appoint a leader to act as a champion for people with allergies.

Love Island contestant Fowler and The Only Way Is Essex star McKenna led signatures on an open letter by The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, calling for an allergy tsar to be appointed in order to prevent more unnecessary deaths.

The letter urges the parties running in the General Election on July 4 to pledge to give greater priority to allergy and commit to appointing the allergy tsar, should they form the next government.

It comes a week after Fowler, who starred in 2018s edition of Love Island, required five tanks of oxygen and an epi pen after suffering a severe allergic reaction on a flight to Dubai.

Fowler said he flagged his severe nut allergy twice and was reassured the meal did not contain nuts, before being served a creamy cashew nut chicken curry without his knowledge.

We desperately need a national lead to stand up for people like me with allergies, he said.

I hope the next Government will listen to the millions of people with allergies, and take action to appoint an allergy tsar.

McKenna, who suffers with an allergy to wheat, said enough is enough to her almost three million Instagram followers.

No one should have to die from the food they eat, she said, before calling for allergies to be taken seriously.

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation was set up by Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, after their 15-year-old daughter Natasha died following a severe allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette sandwich containing sesame in July 2016.

This is an opportunity for the next Government to lead and tackle this modern-day epidemic that affects thousands of people in every constituency, the couple said.

Now is the time to act to prevent more unnecessary deaths and ill health from allergy. How many more children can we afford to lose through largely preventable fatal allergic reactions?

Following Natashas death, the law was changed to require all food outlets to provide a full ingredients list and allergy labelling on food pre-packaged for direct sale.
Sarah Brightman has expressed her disappointment at having to miss musical performances due to a calf injury.

The British soprano, 63, best known for her West End performance in Andrew Lloyd Webbers The Phantom Of The Opera, is currently part of the Australian company of the composers version of Sunset Boulevard.

The production and Brightmans Instagram said on Thursday she is recovering from a calf injury which is currently preventing her from performing in Sunset Boulevard as scheduled.

It added: Sarah is being monitored and assessed daily and undergoing every treatment to ensure her healthy return as soon as possible.

A message from Brightman added: I am so disappointed to not be on stage alongside the incredible Australian company of Sunset Boulevard.

I am doing everything possible to recover quickly. Unfortunately, it is taking longer than anticipated.

This wonderful production continues to delight Melbourne audiences each night and I cant wait to be back to perform as soon as Im able.

Sarah Brightman is recovering from a calf injury which is currently preventing her from performing in Sunset Boulevard as scheduled. Sarah is being monitored and assessed daily and undergoing every treatment to ensure her healthy return as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/bFRk0HS1s3  Sarah Brightman (@SarahBrightman) June 27, 2024

In the production, she plays Norma Desmond, a famed Hollywood star who is fading and spiralling into mental illness.

It is based on the character in the original 1950s black comedy who has the well-known line: Right, Mr DeMille, Im ready for my close-up, in reference to a director she imagines.

The musical is currently on stage at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne and is due to move to Sydney Opera House in August.

Brightman made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats in 1981, where she met Lord Lloyd-Webber. They married in 1984 before separating in 1990.

They remain on friendly terms, and she has also been in his musical Aspects Of Love.
The Federal Trade Commission found the companies scammers most frequently pretend to represent are Best Buy, Amazon and PayPal, according to a 2023 report. AP

The Federal Trade Commission found the companies scammers most frequently pretend to represent are Best Buy, Amazon and PayPal, according to a 2023 report.

The report shows there were about 52,000 reports of scammers claiming to be from Best Buys Greek Squad  a third-party company that assists with electronic devices and large appliances. Following behind is Amazon with about 34,000 reports of scams and PayPal with about 10,000. In total, Best Buy scam victims lost about $15 million total; Amazon scam victims lost $19 million; and PayPal scam victims lost $16 million.

HOW TO AVOID: Scammers may target Houston area victims of last weeks severe storms

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However, the victims losses from the scams were lower than those who encountered Microsoft and Publishers Clearing House impersonators. Victims of Microsoft impersonators lost $60 million and Publishing Clearing House impersonator victims lost $49 million.

The scammers would use well-known businesses to gain the victims trust to obtain money or personal information.

What companies do scammers most frequently impersonate?

The FTC compiled a list of the companies that impersonators used to scam people the most:

Best Buy Geek Squad Amazon PayPal Microsoft Publishers Clearing House Norton/Lifelock Apple Comcast/Xfinity Bank of America Wells Fargo.

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How did the Best Buy, Amazon and PayPal impersonators scam people?

The impersonators targeted people through email, phone calls, social media and online shopping advertisements.

The scammers would use phony Best Buy Geek Squad emails telling the victim about a computer service theyve never signed up to renew for several hundred dollars, according to the FTC. Microsoft impersonation scams start with a fake security pop-up warning on your computer with a number to call for help. Publishers Clearing House impersonation scams will have someone claiming that the victim will need to pay fees to collect fake sweepstakes winnings.

UPAID PARKING TICKETS: How to avoid any scams while finding a place for your car

Scammers would collect the money through payment apps and services such as PayPal, Cash App, Zelle, Venmo and Apple Pay, according to the FTC. PayPal was used more than other services, with about 28% of the reports.

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Nearly 9 out of 10 people who reported paying a scammer with a payment app or payment service named one of five top apps or services, according to the report.

Gift cards also were used in scams, including romance, tech support, government impersonation scams and scams impersonating close friends or family members. The reports showed that the gift cards found during some scams were from Target, eBay, Walmart and Amazon.

Nearly 7 out of 10 people who reported paying a scammer with a gift card named one of five top card brands, according to the report.

There were also reports about investment scams with impersonators claiming to have invested with cryptocurrency or via bank transfer.

How to avoid the scams

The FTC provided tips for people to avoid scams.

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Before paying or giving out information, talk with a person you trust.

If the person is rushing you to send money, buy gift cards or invest in cryptocurrency, they may be a scammer.

Never click on links or respond to unexpected messages. And dont trust caller ID.

Contact a company or agency using a phone number or website to check if the information youre receiving is accurate.

Dont pay anyone who demands that you pay by gift card, cryptocurrency, money transfer or payment app.

MORE STORIES: Houston is one of the top 5 best Texas cities for remote working

Additional scams to avoid

As Houston continues recovery efforts after the back-to-back storms, officials have also warned about potential scams in storm-damaged areas of Texas.

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Tory minister Steve Baker will mount a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader should he lead the Conservatives to defeat on July 4 as expected, it is understood.

The Northern Ireland minister hinted at a leadership run if he retains his Wycombe seat  where he was re-elected with a slim 4,214 majority in 2019  at the General Election.

He told the PA news agency: One thing at a time. I want to represent the people of Wycombe the best that I can, as I always have done.

Then lets see what happens.

Obviously its a difficult election, but the reaction on the doorstep has certainly been more positive than the polls would suggest. "Something is going on which is bigger than Brexit in the UK, the Conservative Party. That thing, I believe, is the collapse of the  Rt Hon Steve Baker FRSA  (@SteveBakerFRSA) June 27, 2024

It is understood that he will announce his intentions if the electoral hammering the polls are predicting occurs and Mr Sunak is forced to give up the partys reins.

Mr Baker joins other hopefuls  including Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Home Secretary James Cleverly  in jostling for the position with a week to go until polling day.

Labour said the manoeuvring showed the Tories were putting their self-interest and leadership ambitions first.

The contest to pick Mr Sunaks successor could shape the party for years to come as right-wingers and more centrist Tories battle it out.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat on Thursday twice refused to rule out taking a tilt at the top job, when asked in an ITV interview.

Seen as being on the moderate wing of the party, he previously ran for the leadership in 2022.

Mr Baker cited his experience leading Tory Brexit, Covid-19 lockdowns and net zero rebellions as reasons he would be a suitable candidate.

He told HuffPost UK: Its a fact my colleagues sent for me four times to provide leadership through crisis to success: before and after the referendum, in Covid and in relation to the cost of net zero.

Earlier this week, he admitted the Tories election campaign has gone badly and that its double-digit poll deficit is extremely worrying.

He said things have gone wrong for the party and that he is standing for re-election to try to sort this mess out.

Mr Baker also complained that the Prime Minister didnt consult me on calling a summer election.

After Mr Sunak surprised Westminster by announcing the July 4 poll in May, Mr Baker went ahead with a holiday in Greece rather than campaigning in his constituency.

The Tory campaign has in recent days been overshadowed by the row over the alleged use of inside information to bet on the timing of the July 4 poll, dampening Mr Sunaks hopes of putting a dent in Labours 21-point average poll lead.

Mr Baker was the first serving minister to call for those who placed bets on the election date to be suspended by the party, with the Prime Minister later pulling support from candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders.

Asked whether he wanted to be part of the battle for the soul of the Conservative Party, Mr Baker told Times Radio on Tuesday: Thats why Im standing.

Ive said to numerous people on their doorstep that  I recognise things have gone wrong and that I would love to have the opportunity to rise to their expectations of giving them the Conservative Party and the Conservative government which they expect. Pragmatic, professional and yet principled

I would very much like to have the chance to sort this mess out.

Tory MPs usually vote to select the top two candidates, who are then put forward to the party membership, although the rules and timeline of the race would be set out by the backbench 1922 Committee.

Mr Baker was first elected to represent Wycombe in 2010 but faces a tough contest to keep his seat next week.

Labours deputy national campaign co-ordinator Ellie Reeves said: While the Tories put their self-interest and leadership ambitions first, its clearer than ever: if the Conservatives are given another five years, the chaos will just continue.

This changed Labour Party is ready to serve the British people  country first, party second. The public has the chance for change with Labour if they vote for it on July 4.
Sunak refuses to say whether he told gambling row aide the election date

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak repeatedly refused to say whether he told his parliamentary aide about the date of the election, as the Metropolitan Police said they were investigating a small number of bets on the July 4 poll.

Police are examining whether offences beyond cheating using inside information had been committed, while the Gambling Commission said it was making rapid progress in its parallel investigation.

So far five Conservatives are known to have been caught up in the Gambling Commission inquiry, including Mr Sunaks former parliamentary aide, Craig Williams.

The Prime Minister has withdrawn Tory support for Mr Williams in his bid to be returned as MP for the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr seat, after he admitted having a flutter on the election date.

During a campaign visit in Derbyshire, Mr Sunak was repeatedly asked whether he had confided in Mr Williams ahead of his surprise announcement of a summer election.

Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister said: Ive been clear about this. Im furious to have learnt about these allegations.

Weve initiated independent inquiries of our own, because I dont have access to the Gambling Commissions detail.

Youll recognise that while there are ongoing independent investigations, its just not right for me to say anything more about that.

The Prime Minister was told he could not prejudice the investigation and that he could absolutely answer the question of whether or not he told the parliamentary candidate about the date.

He replied: No, its absolutely not right when there are ongoing independent investigations that those are compromised in any way shape or form.

Mr Sunak was told he could not compromise the investigations by clarifying whether or not he had told Mr Williams the date of the election, to which he said: They are rightly confidential and its important that they stay that way.

The Met will investigate a small number of bets made on the timing of the General Election as part of a joint investigation led by the Gambling Commission. Read more details about that investigation https://t.co/8hojYMtIRj  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 27, 2024

He also told reporters he was not aware of any parliamentary candidates or Conservative officials being investigated beyond those already in the public domain.

As well as Mr Williams, the Tories have withdrawn support from Bristol North West candidate Laura Saunders.

Ms Saunders husband, Tony Lee, the Conservative Partys director of campaigning, has taken a leave of absence, as has Tory chief data officer Nick Mason, while Senedd member Russell George stepped back from the shadow cabinet in the Welsh Parliament after being placed under investigation.

But BBC reports have suggested as many as 15 Tory candidates and officials could be under investigation.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard said at least seven of its officers were being investigated over bets on the timing of the election.

The Met had previously indicated that six officers were under investigation, including one of Mr Sunaks protection team, who was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Under the joint approach from the Met and the betting regulator, the Gambling Commission will look at alleged offences of cheating, contrary to Section 42 of the Gambling Act.

Those are likely to make up the majority of the cases being examined.

The Met will look at cases with specific features which could result in further offences, such as Misconduct in Public Office, although Scotland Yard suggested that would be a much smaller number of cases.

Gambling Commission chief executive Andrew Rhodes said: We are focused on an investigation into confidential information being used to gain an unfair advantage when betting on the date of the General Election.

Our enforcement team has made rapid progress so far and will continue to work closely with the Metropolitan Police to draw this case to a just conclusion.

Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said: We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations.

There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required.

Sir Philip Davies, the husband of Cabinet Office minister Esther McVey, became the latest Tory candidate to be accused of gambling on the election.

He reportedly bet 8,000 against himself holding his marginal Shipley constituency, according to The Sun.

Labour has also suspended candidate Kevin Craig, after he was investigated by the regulator for betting on himself to lose the contest in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Speaking to broadcasters during a campaign visit to Staffordshire, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was not aware of any other Labour candidates having bet against themselves.

No. You saw my action, he said, on the move to suspend Mr Craig almost immediately after the Gambling Commission confirmed it was looking into his wager.

I think this latest development highlights one, how serious this is, two, that the Prime Minister should have acted swiftly at the beginning and shown leadership rather than being bullied into taking action, and three, the wider choice now at the election between carrying on with this sort of behaviour, bending the rules and breaking the rules, disregarding the rules.

Weve got to stop that and usher in a reset.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack should be barred from going to the House of Lords for totally and utterly unethical behaviour betting on the timing of the General Election, Scotlands First Minister has said.

John Swinney accused Mr Jack of having used information he gleaned around the cabinet table when gambling on the date of the poll.

Mr Jack has already said he had no knowledge of when the election would take place until Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on the campaign on May 22.

The Scottish Secretary, who is not standing for re-election, has also said he did not break Gambling Commission rules with bets he placed.

Alister Jack said he placed bets on the timing of the election, but did not break Gambling Commission rules (Jane Barlow/PA)

However, with there having been speculation that the Tory minister will be given a place in the House of Lords after the election, Mr Swinney made clear that should not happen.

The SNP leader said Mr Jack was unfit to be a minister full stop, claiming he had been terrible as a minister in his time in office.

Mr Swinney, who was campaigning in Edinburgh on Thursday, told the PA news agency: Crucially also, Alister Jack has got a seat lined up for himself in the House of Lords. Theres no way he should be going to the House of Lords, absolutely no way.

Because he has taken information he has gleaned from around the cabinet table and then gone off to the bookies.

It is just so totally and utterly unethical, an individual that can do that is unfit to be a lawmaker in the United Kingdom.

Mr Swinney insisted the Scottish Secretary should not go anywhere near the House of Lords, adding there was no case for him to go there.

First Minister John Swinney (left) spoke out while campaigning in Portobello with Edinburgh East and Musselburgh candidate Tommy Sheppard (right) (Michael Boyd/PA)

The First Minister said: He has taken information he has gleaned around the cabinet table and then gone to the bookies. That is unethical and people like that shouldnt be in the House of Lords.

His comments came after Mr Jack confirmed earlier this week that he had placed a 20 bet in April at odds of 5/1 on an election being held between July and September  with the Scottish Secretary stressing he had no knowledge of when the election would be at the time he made the wager.

He also said that in March he had placed two unsuccessful bets of 5 on the vote being held in May and June respectively.

Mr Jack, who is not seeking re-election, was clear he did not place any bets on the date of the general election during May  the period under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

He has told the BBC: I am very clear that I have never, on any occasion, broken any Gambling Commission rules.

Furthermore, I am not aware of any family or friends placing bets. I have nothing more to say on this matter.
Tata is to take steps to cease operations at its steel plant in Port Talbot earlier than planned because of a strike by Unite, workers have been told.

The company had been planning to shut down one of the blast furnaces by the end of June and the second one by September.

But workers at the South Wales site have been told that because of the strike by members of Unite, from July 8 Tata can no longer be assured of sufficient resources being available to ensure safe and stable operations.

A message to employees said: Therefore, we are left with no alternative but to take preparatory steps to cease operations on both blast furnaces and safely isolate them no later than July 7.

Unite called the strike in protest at plans to switch to a more environmentally friendly way to produce steel, with the loss of thousands of jobs.

Tata has also launched legal action against Unites ballot.

A Tata Steel spokesperson said: Following the announcement by Unite Union to unilaterally call strike action from 8 July, Tata Steel is unfortunately forced to commence legal action to challenge the validity of Unites ballot.

In the coming days, if we cannot be certain that we are able to continue to safely operate our assets in a stable fashion through the period of strike action, we will not have any choice but to pause or stop heavy end operations (including both blast furnaces) on the Port Talbot site.

That is not a decision we would take lightly, and we recognise that it would prove extremely costly and disruptive throughout the supply chain, but the safety of people on or around our sites will always take priority over everything else.

The company again calls for Unite to withdraw its industrial action and join Community and GMB unions in giving consideration to the companys proposed Memorandum of Understanding, which puts forward a wide-ranging proposal including generous employee support packages, training and skills development.

The Tata spokesperson added: We understand the impact of our restructuring will have on many employees and contractors, but we remain committed to a just transition and  pending a Government-backed grant funding agreement  to the 1.25 billion investment in low-CO2 steelmaking, which will ensure Tata Steel has a long and sustainable future in the UK.

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham (PA)

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Unite is fighting for the future of the steel industry. We have secured serious investment from Labour to safeguard jobs.

Tata putting out a statement to shut or pause its blast furnaces three months earlier than they intended to is the latest in a long line of threats that wont deter us.

The Unite campaign is not about selling jobs, its about securing the long-term future of steel making in this country for thousands of workers in Port Talbot and South Wales.

We call on the real decision makers in Mumbai to take hold of this dispute, sit down, negotiate and realise that the investment secured will be good for the company and workers.

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB national officer, said: This is a sad day for steel. Tata must step back from this irreversible decision and safeguard steelmaking assets. Theres a General Election in days that could change everything so much.

We know there is a future for steelmaking in South Wales. That future must be preserved. GMBs next actions will be decided by our members.

Community and the GMB unions are also campaigning against the plans but have ruled out taking industrial action before the General Election.

The unions expect an incoming Labour government to hold emergency talks with Tata to discuss alternatives to its proposals.

Tata has made it clear it is pressing ahead with switching from blast furnace production to an electric arc, as other steel companies are doing.

Tata says it is losing 1 million a day at Port Talbot which it has warned is unsustainable.

The company offered an enhanced redundancy package to workers affected by the plans, but this was reduced after Unite members started industrial action short of a strike earlier this month.
An undercover officer who discussed the alleged rape, kidnap and murder of Holly Willoughby with a security guard online engaged with him because he felt there was an imminent threat to the TV star, a court has heard.

The officer, who has been granted anonymity to protect his and his familys safety and his effectiveness as an undercover officer, said he had to find out who Ms Willoughby was while speaking with Gavin Plumb.

He told the court the kidnap, rape and murder plot would have been carried out with or without my services.

The witness recalled being sent an image of what he described as an abduction kit, telling Chelmsford Crown Court: At that point in the conversation it was quite alarming.

After being asked whether the fact the defendant is significantly overweight would have affected the credibility of his plan to invade Ms Willoughbys home before jumping over a wall when leaving, he replied: No, it did not.

The officer, from the Owatonna Police Department in the US state of Minnesota, said he showed Plumb a flight confirmation in their online conversations in order to show him that I was willing to accomplice him in this act.

The officer said receiving an image of an abduction kit was quite alarming (Crown Prosecution Service/PA)

The court was told that, after Plumb was arrested, he refused to provide his PIN (personal identification number), saying: You dont need that now.

He also said to officers: I mean, based on what youve said I can pretty much guess what youre looking for.

The court heard that the defendant, described by his barrister as in the region of 30 stone when he was taken into custody, later added: As I said, its totally taken me by surprise. I know what its about, I can tell you, I reckon, I, I know what its about.

The jury was told the 37-year-old defendant had posted on a messaging application online to say he had a load of info on the former This Morning presenter and when she does and dont (sic) have security.

Giving evidence on Thursday, the witness, who used the alias David Nelson as he appeared via video-link from the US, said he messaged Plumb directly when he saw the public post in a chat called Abduct Lovers.

He agreed that he assumes various fake identities as part of his undercover work and that the one used in this investigation had been active for about three years at the time.

During their private discussions, the officer received a selfie image from Plumb as well as a live video in which he said the code word Holly to prove he was real.

Defence barrister Sasha Wass KC asked: Would you agree from the picture, you have a man who is significantly overweight?

The officer replied: I would say that is rather subjective.

Ms Wass continued: Really?

The witness said: I can see that hes significantly overweight by whose terms?

After the question was put to him again, the undercover officer responded: I would agree that this is an overweight male.

Ms Wass then said: What this person, who you have seen by this stage, is saying to you is that he, together with you, would jump the outer wall of the property.

The witness replied: Yes, he is saying he will jump the outer wall.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard from the undercover police officer via video-link from the US (Joe Giddens/PA)

The defence barrister went on: Knowing what he looked like, and the state of his dimensions, did that plan, or what was said about the plan  jumping the outer walls  did that cause you to re-evaluate the credibility of this plan?

The officer said: No, it did not.

Questioned by Ms Wass whether Plumbs inability to drive and his weight, among other issues, caused the US officer to still believe the alleged plot was credible, the witness said: Yes, maam.

When you take in the totality I believe it was a credible plan and I believe this would have been carried out with or without my services.

The witness told jurors he looks for instances of human trafficking and kidnapping among other things in his role.

The officer said that, through his role, the group Abduct Lovers had come to his attention because of its name.

After seeing the public post from Plumb which said he had a load of info on Ms Willoughby, he said it had caused him enough concern to message him privately.

Under questioning by Ms Wass, the officer agreed that he feared Plumb must be approaching Ms Willoughby after reading the post.

The officer said in evidence that he passed information about Plumb to the FBI.

Holly Willoughby was the alleged victim of a kidnap, rape and murder plot (Ian West/PA)

He told the court he asked the defendant how far it was from his address to where Ms Willoughby lived to figure out where Mr Plumb was located.

The jury heard that Plumb sent the officer a screenshot of a Google map showing the route from his address to Ms Willoughbys.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, said that, on October 4 last year, there was a meeting with representatives from the FBI.

The officer replied Yes, there was, and also agreed that it involved contact with the Metropolitan Police.

Ms Morgan said: And during the course of that liaison between the FBI and the Metropolitan Police, were you providing up-to-date information from the chat you had had with the defendant?

The officer replied: Yes.

He also agreed that the information was being passed on effectively for authorities in the UK to deal with.

Court artist sketch of Gavin Plumb, who denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

The undercover officer agreed that the defendant shared what appeared to be the address of Ms Willoughby with him online.

Questioned by Ms Morgan, he agreed that Plumb shared information about the vehicle used by Ms Willoughby.

He said Plumb also sent a photo of bottles of chloroform.

The officer explained: Earlier in the conversation he had indicated he had chloroform.

It was not present in that photo of his abduction kit  I asked where the chloroform was and he sent a picture of chloroform.

Plumb is accused of attempting to live his ultimate fantasy and has been described by the prosecution as someone who had an obsession with Ms Willoughby.

The defendant, of Harlow, Essex, denies soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap.

The trial continues.
Corvids, a large group of birds including crows and ravens, are a particularly intelligent and social animal. They have complicated family relationships and have even been known to create associations with people in their areas who feed them or otherwise take care of them, bringing them gifts of shiny objects or other treats.

Because they are so smart and social, its especially important for wildlife rescue organizations to take precautions when rehabilitating orphaned baby crows for rerelease in the wild. They do not want the crow to learn to rely on humans for food. To this end, they use what is called a surrogate.

View the original article to see embedded media.

One of the biggest challenges in wild animal rehabilitation is the issue of habituation the process whereby wild animals lose their natural wariness around humans, and come to act more like tame of domesticated creatures. This can cause many problems for them when they return to the wild, such as not being able to hunt or forage for their own food, or making themselves a nuisance to people they may come across.

Related: Crow Returns to Visit Family Who Rescued Him As a Baby in Touching Video

This is especially difficult for animals who know how very useful humans can be when it comes to getting food. And crows are among the cleverest birds around.

Just How Smart Are Crows?

Very.

Crows are very intelligent birds, with the largest brain-to-body ratio of any bird, writes the Sweetbriar Nature Center. They can recognize themselves in mirrors, can remember the faces of people, use tools, play, can work in teams, plan for the future, assess problems, and think them through. Crows have been observed dropping nuts in the road so that the tires of passing cars will crack them open, and cooperating at a drinking fountain to get water, one crow holding the button down while the other takes a sip of water.

Rehabilitating Baby Birds

When feeding our tiny crow patient we use a surrogate plastic, mama crow, reads the caption over this video of a darling baby crow being fed. This decoy mama helps feed the baby each time so the crow doesnt imprint on humans.

When feeding baby birds, the workers at this rescue facility also wear mirrored masks so all the birds see when they look up is the reflection of more birds, rather than human faces.

Its a complicated business, raising orphaned birds, but the Sweetbriar Nature Center on Long Island is devoted to trying to make the best of a bad situation for this chick. In an ideal world, this lone chick would grow up with plenty of nest mates, but it was not to be.

Since crows are social and form close-knit family groups that stay together for up to five generations we knew how important it was to find other baby crows for this little one to grow up and be released with, they write in the caption. We called all the centers on Long Island and unfortunately, no other hospital had any baby crows to share.

Undaunted, they widened their search. We then called Raptor Trust in New Jersey. They had twelve tiny baby crow patients and were willing to add ours to the mix. We were so fortunate that volunteer Jim and his wife were willing to take the long drive and transferred this baby crow patient for us. We will surly miss this little Corvid but we know how important it is that it grows up with others of the same species.

Thats the heartbreaking truth behind every wildlife rescue. If you do your job right, one day you will say goodbye to the critter you savedforever.

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A fossilized ear bone unearthed in a cave in Spain has revealed a Neanderthal child who lived with Down syndrome until the age of 6, according to a new study.

The find suggested that members of the community cared for and looked after the vulnerable child, who lived at least 146,000 years ago. The research is at odds with the image of Neanderthals, ancient human relatives who went extinct around 40,000 years ago, as brutish cavemen.

The individual would have needed continuous and intensive care, said paleoanthropologist Mercedes Conde-Valverde, the lead author of a study on the bone that appeared Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

The child suffered from severe loss (of) hearing and had serious balance issues and episodes of vertigo, explained Conde-Valverde, who is an assistant professor of physical anthropology at the University of Alcala in Spain.

Muscle weakness would have also made breastfeeding and movement difficult, she added.

The tiny fossil was excavated in 1989 from the Cova Negra archaeological site in Spains Valencia province. However, archaeologists only recently discovered the specimen when they combed through faunal fragments gathered at the site during a review of the material.

We have been able to identify it as a Neanderthal due to the peculiar proportions of its semicircular canals, which are characteristic of Neanderthals, Conde-Valverde said, referring to the inner tubes of the ear.

The study did not include precise dating of the bone, which would require extraction of ancient DNA, but Neanderthals occupied the site 146,000 to 273,000 years ago. The research team has not determined the sex of the young Neanderthal.

A surprising lifespan

People with Down syndrome can lead a long life today, but it was surprising the child lived beyond the age of 6, Conde-Valverde said.

Life in the Stone Age would have been demanding. The study noted that Neanderthals were highly mobile, regularly moving from place to place. The care required for the child to survive for an extended period of time likely involved the mothers reliance on the cooperation and support of other members of the group.

Even in the recent the past, it was common for people with Down syndrome to die in childhood. According to the study, life expectancy in 1929 for children with Down syndrome, a condition caused by an extra partial or full chromosome, was 9 years. By the 1940s, the expected lifespan had increased to 12 years.

Today, about 1 in 772 babies in the United States are born with Down syndrome, and life expectancy now exceeds 60 years, according to the National Down Syndrome Society in the United States.

The oldest known case of Down syndrome in Homo sapiens, our own species, dates back at least 5,300 years. Using ancient DNA, the authors of a study published in February identified six cases in prehistoric populations. None of the children lived longer than 16 months.

Down syndrome has also been documented in chimpanzees. A January 2016 study highlighted the case of a chimp with Down syndrome that survived to 23 months thanks to the care received by the mother, with assistance from the eldest daughter.

However, when the daughter stopped helping to look after her own offspring, the mother was unable to provide the necessary care, and the offspring died, the study said.

Study of the fossil revealed abnormalities in the ear bone. - Mercedes Conde-Valverde/Julia Diez-Valero

Abnormalities in the inner ear

Conde-Valverde and her colleagues believe the bone belonged to a child with Down syndrome because of a series of abnormalities in the inner ear structure.

These include an abnormal shape of the lateral semicircular canal (the shortest ear canal); an enlarged vestibular aqueduct, a narrow, bony canal that goes from the inner ear to deep inside the skull, and a reduction of the overall size of the cochlea bone chamber.

Some of these pathologies commonly appear in various syndromes, but the combination present in the Cova Negra fossil has only been described in contemporary people with Down syndrome, she said.

Definitive proof that the child had Down syndrome would require the recovery of ancient DNA from the fossil, but that hadnt yet been possible, she said.

Past studies of archaeological finds have suggested that Neanderthals cared for vulnerable members of their group.

One Neanderthal man buried in Shanidar Cave in whats now Iraq was deaf and had a paralyzed arm and head trauma that probably rendered him partially blind, yet he lived a long time, according to October 2017 research.

A Neanderthal skeleton known as the Old Man of La Chapelle uncovered in current-day central France had degenerative arthritis and may have been fed by other members of his group, a February 2019 study found.

A child looked after like any other

Conde-Valverde said that the discovery of the Cova Negra fossil supported the existence of true altruism among Neanderthals.

For decades, it has been known that Neanderthals cared for and looked after their vulnerable companions, Conde-Valverde said.

However, all known cases of care involved adult individuals, leading some scientists to believe that this behavior was not genuine altruism but merely an exchange of assistance between equals, she said.

What was not known until now was a case of an individual who had received extra-maternal care from birth, even though it could not reciprocate.

Most parents today dont view childcare as an expectation of reciprocity, and it was unlikely to be the case among Neanderthals, said Penny Spikins, a professor of archaeology at the University of York in the United Kingdom and author of Hidden Depths: The Origins of Human Connection.

Humans likely evolved an instinctive and emotional response to care for infants to ensure they survived, said Spikins, who wasnt involved in the research.

This find brings home how like us Neanderthals were in so many ways, particularly in our common human desire to care for the vulnerable, she said.

We can imagine that this child was loved and looked after like any other.

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Criminal trespassing charges against 79 people arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Texas in April were dismissed, the local prosecutor's office announced Wednesday, a decision that "disappointed" the school administration and came as a relief to the protesters.

"After examining and weighing all the evidence presented, we have determined that we cannot meet our legal burden to prove these 79 criminal trespass cases beyond reasonable doubt, and they will be dismissed," Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said at a news conference.

The announcement came just a week after the Manhattan district attorney's office dismissed most trespassing charges against protesters who occupied a campus building at Columbia University. The Manhattan Ivy League school was a flashpoint in the protests over Israel's war in Gaza, and its encampment inspired similar demonstrations on hundreds of campuses across the country. The protests subsided in the first weeks of summer break.

On April 29, police arrested 79 people at a brief pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of Texas at Austin's South Mall, including 34 students. Protesters and officers collided in a standoff that saw officers deploy flash bangs and tear gas before zip-tying dozens of demonstrators and loading them into vans.

An earlier demonstration on campus ended with the arrest of 57 people. Garza's office dropped all the trespassing charges days later, citing insufficient evidence and "deficiencies" in probable cause arrest affidavits written by officers.

The dismissals related to the April 29 protest only apply to criminal trespassing cases, Garza said. Two additional charges from the protest for obstructing a highway or passageway and interfering with public duty are still pending.

UT police also charged a San Marcos man who they said illegally carried a loaded gun on campus during the April 29 protest, and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested a professor whom the agency accused of grabbing a trooper's bike and yelling expletives. The professor was then fired by UT, the American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, previously reported.

The Travis County attorney's office has the responsibility of reviewing all misdemeanor cases to determine if there is "sufficient evidence" to meet the highest legal standard. Garza said the office spent 90 hours reviewing evidence, including body camera footage and hundreds of pages of offense reports.

"We also have the responsibility to determine if pursuing any case is in the interest of justice, in the interest of public safety, and aligns with the values of this community," Garza told reporters.

Lisa Faizenbaker, right, hugs Haleigh Bond after Travis County Attorney Delia Garza announced Wednesday that charges have been dropped against them and the rest of the pro-Palestinian protesters who were arrested for criminal trespass April 29 at the University of Texas.

University officials 'disappointed' by the dismissals

A statement from the university shared with the Statesman by UT spokesperson Mike Rosen expressed disappointment in the decision.

We respect the law and are deeply disappointed by the County Attorneys actions," the statement said. "The University will continue to use the law enforcement and administrative tools at our disposal to maintain safety and operational continuity for our 53,000 students who come to campus to learn, regardless of whether the criminal justice system shares this commitment."

UT's statement added that the university supports free speech, but not rule violations.

"Actions that violate laws and Institutional Rules should be met with consequences, not with political posturing and press conferences," the statement said. UT System Chairman Kevin Eltife and Gov. Greg Abbott have both said such divestment will never happen and praised the police response as necessary and effective, despite critiques that the police response was dangerous and escalatory.

Protesters welcome decision, may pursue civil lawsuit

But for protesters whose charges were dismissed, Wednesday's announcement came as a "great sigh of relief," Hanna Barakart, an Austin resident who was arrested at the April 29 protest, said outside the news conference.

"I hope this makes a lot more people feel strongly about protecting their freedom of speech and using their voice to speak up against terrible things," Barakart said. "That's all we were there for."

Barakart described the arrests as an "extremely dehumanizing, traumatizing experience."

Sam Law, a UT graduate student who was arrested April 29, said he and other students are considering civil litigation due to their free speech concerns.

"The overreach and violence of our arrests was deeply traumatic and personally sent a clear message that our free speech rights weren't being respected," Law said.

Law added that they hope all other pending charges are dismissed, and that university officials consider this development as they pursue disciplinary proceedings against protesters for alleged rule violations the students denied in a collective letter.

"No one should be afraid to stand up against an ongoing genocide," Law said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Charges dropped in nearly 80 arrests at Texas protest of Israel war
A view of Main Street at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Disney World is replacing its Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane entry pass.

Guests can use the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass starting July 24.

Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels can plan Lightning Lane passes seven days in advance.

Walt Disney World will allow guests to make ride reservations a week in advance  but there's a catch.

The official Disney Parks Blog said the Genie+ service and Lightning Lane entry would be discontinued at the Florida theme parks. Instead, guests can register for two new reservation programs that go into effect on July 24.

"Walt Disney World will introduce new, simpler names to provide more clarity for everyone," a press release published Tuesday read. "Disney Genie+ service will become Lightning Lane Multi Pass, while individual Lightning Lane will now be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass."

Guests can purchase the passes starting July 24. Walt Disney World

The new passes let guests make Lightning Lane reservations ahead of their trip, but the biggest perk is for those who book at Disney Resorts and affiliated hotels.

"Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel and other select hotels will be able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance for their entire stay (up to 14 days)," the company said. "All other guests can plan up to 3 days in advance."

The new incentive could encourage some Disney guests to pour even more money into its Florida properties, which could expand under a $17 billion development deal between Disney and the local tourism district.

Some guests have criticized Disney's theme parks for being too expensive. Even CEO Bob Iger was shocked by ticket prices when he returned to the company in November 2022.

The price for Lightning Lane Multi Passes will vary by day and theme park, while the Lightning Lane Single Passes will vary by date and attraction.

Despite the cost, some parents with children under 18 are going into debt to finance their family's Disney vacation. Parents who completed Lending Tree's survey indicated that food, transportation, and accommodation wreaked the most havoc on their budgets.

Walt Disney World is introducing new Lightning Lane passes. Walt Disney World

Representatives for Disney referred to the press release and FAQ when contacted for comment.

Unlike the new Lightning Lane passes, Genie+ didn't permit advanced reservations.

Under Genie+, guests could register for Lightning Lane entrances at select rides and experiences, but they needed to wake up at 7 a.m. each day of their trip to secure their spot. This drew criticism from some Disney guests, who suggested that the Genie+ program is complicated and overwhelming.

The company said guests voiced their desire for a more comprehensive reservation program, which led them to create the Lightning Lane passes.

Minnie Mouse at Walt Disney World. Anadolu/Getty Images

"We enjoy hearing from guests about all the things they love, as well as how we can make their experience even better the next time," the press release read. "At Walt Disney World, guests have told us they would prefer to have the option to do more of their planning before their theme park day."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Octavia Johnson is a general assignment reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at octavia.johnson@houstonchronicle.com.

Before joining the Chronicle, Octavia worked as a digital content producer at WATE-TV in Knoxville, Tenn., where she became a leader in producing fast paced, audience-focused content.

Octavia graduated from UNC Pembroke with a bachelor's degree in journalism before earning her master's degree in media and communications at Norfolk State University.
An ex-Trump administration aide warned former President Trump against going after Hunter Biden during Thursday nights first presidential debate, saying the move could easily backfire and actually make Biden look better.

Former White House Deputy Communications Director Sarah Matthews said in an MSNBC interview Wednesday that Biden hitting Trump for his felony conviction and denial of the 2020 election results is the quickest way to get under his skin.

Going after him for being a convicted felon, I could also see Trump taking the bait on that one as well, she said. And maybe lobbying against Joe Biden that his own son was convicted recently. I think that that plays into Bidens favor because it goes to show that there is an equal system of justice.

She pointed back to the 2020 election debates, where Trumps attack on Hunter Bidens drug addiction led to a softer moment for Biden showing care as a father, something which voters connected with.

It was a moment with the American people where they saw how good of a dad he is, and it actually curried more favor for him with sympathy, she said. A lot of families out there can relate to that struggle. And so if they decide to go down that route, and Trump decides to kind of go after Hunter Biden as a counter-attack, I could see that actually backfiring on him.

Matthews also remarked that the Trump campaign has set a low bar for Biden, consistently attacking him for his age and claiming he has mental difficulties. Those low expectations make it easier for the president, she argued.

I think what weve seen from Trump and his campaign shows that he actually is a little bit nervous about whats going to happen tomorrow, she said.

Theyre trying to set the bar a little bit higher, which is quite difficult though, when it seems like theyve set the bar so low for Biden when theyve constantly attacked him for his mental acuity, she continued. And so if Biden just shows up and looks in charge and engaged, I think tomorrow night, then he is going to have a strong performance. So I know that Trump and his team are worried about that.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Many people have a desire to work with animals, but few get to do it as their profession. Good Morning America was recently invited to a wilderness training base in southwest China to see what it takes to raise panda cubs in the wild, and it's leaving many people jealous! GMA shared the video on Wednesday, June 26th, and it was fascinating to watch...especially the undercover uniforms they're required to wear!

The GMA correspondent headed out to look for the panda cubs with one of the rangers who works with them daily. He explained his job is to track the pandas' locations and to monitor their enclosure. His goal is to eventually release the cubs back into the wild after they lose their baby teeth and grow in their permanent teeth.

The GMA correspondent did mention at the end of the video that they'd be sharing more of her visit to China throughout the week. I hope they show more about the pandas! She also mentioned 'panda diplomacy' and that pandas will soon be returning to the San Diego Zoo. It's an exciting time here in the U.S. for panda lovers!

Related: Adorable Twin Panda Cubs Play in the Snow for the First Time at Belgian Zoo

Facts About Adorable Panda Cubs

Did you know that the panda mating season lasts only three days and pregnancies last only 3 weeks? That was news to me...talk about rapid growth! The cubs are born hairless, deaf and blind, weigh between 3-5 ounces, and are about the length of a stick of butter. They are completely dependent on mom's care for the first year and a half of their lives.

Lucky for panda moms, panda cubs are more independent than human babies, and start moving around by the time they are 6-8 weeks old. Like growing human babies, panda cubs need a lot of sleep and normally sleep about 20 hours a day. When they're not sleeping, they are eating and exploring. At around 6 months old, they'll have their baby teeth and start eating bamboo. They'll eat between 22-33 pounds a day while they are still nursing from their mothers. By the time they're adults, they'll eat up to a whopping 84 pounds a day!

National Geographic says that it's not rare for pandas to have twins - they have twins about 50% of the time - but Nat Geo also explains that "due to the difficulty of caring for two cubs simultaneously, typically only one of the twins survives." In the wild, mom will abandon one of them. Fortunately, at the training base GMA visited, the abandoned baby was scooped up and will be cared for until it is strong enough to be reintroduced to mom and its twin.

It's always fascinating to me to learn about baby animals, and how some of them are dependent on mom for such a long time, while others leave the nest rather quickly. I hope GMA shares more about the adorable cubs they got to meet!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
Kevin Costner, the Hollywood powerhouse known for his roles in "Yellowstone," "Dances with Wolves" and "The Bodyguard" is back with his most ambitious and personal project yet.

Costner is the writer, director, producer and star of "Horizon: An American Saga," a series of four movies about the expansion and settlement of the American West.

In "Horizon," Costner's character, Haze Ellison, and his love interest, Marigold, played by actor Abbey Lee, are on the run from gunslingers seeking revenge. The series explores themes of violence, love, and betrayal.

The idea of "Horizon" has been decades in the making for Costner.

He first commissioned the story in 1988, even before his success in "Dances with Wolves." Despite initial rejections, Costner never gave up on the passion project and knew he would bring it to life in some way.

"I thought, 'Well, I'll write four more, see how they like those.' No one liked that. You know the knot head that I am but you know I did. I couldn't forget it, I couldn't fall out of love with it. And I just kept pushing it forward," he said.

Authenticity in Westerns

Costner said ever since he was a child he loved Western films but he often found them inauthentic. This changed when he saw a Western where the characters were dressed authentically, the language and music were accurate, and the scenery played a significant role.

"They're hard to make, these big old Westerns. They're hard. Things move slow, but you have to invest in detail. Not just the gunfight; you have to invest in the humanity of what was taking place as people made their way across this country, displacing another whole culture that had been here for thousands of years," said Costner.

In "Horizon," he said he aims to portray the terrible clash of cultures that occurred during the westward expansion.

"Yet amidst all of it there were still people trying to live a noble life, raise their children, there were still the kind of people who were taking advantage of those situations, of no law. And the people who got caught in the middle are the people that were here first," said Costner.

One unexpected aspect of "Horizon" is the significant role that women play in the story. Costner explained that while he didn't initially plan for women to dominate the narrative, it became evident that their perspectives were crucial.

"As you're writing, you can't start scenes without recognizing that women were part of all these decisions and how they had to make their way," he said. "I can't imagine a world without women."

Family affair

Costner and his wife Christine Baumgartner divorced after 19 years of marriage in 2023.

In an interview with "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, the former "Yellowstone" star discussed how he is doing one year later.

"That's a crushing moment. It's powerful and it hurt," Costner said.

Costner said his main concern was for his children.

"So, I can't wilt like a daisy. I have to go forward. I have to continue to be who I am and keep a special eye on who they are. Because that's a moment I was hoping they wouldn't experience, but now they have. So what we do is we just deal with it. "

Costner and Baumgartner have two sons and a daughter together. He called it a "dream" to work alongside his son Hayes in his new movie, "Horizon." Despite not pushing his children into acting, Costner felt Hayes was perfect for a role in the film.

"He's a very quiet boy, and he's a namesake of my character," Costner said. "At first, I didn't know that he'd be in it because this started a long time ago. But then I was looking and I was like, I have to make this movie. I have to do it, and I wanted him to be in it. I wanted to see if he'd come with me."

Despite Hayes having no prior experience, Costner was confident in his son's abilities. Recognizing that many children aspire to act, he doesn't give out roles easily. However, he felt that the role in this instance was manageable for Hayes, allowing them to work together closely on the film.

"I thought Hayes could do it. I thought we could be together, and that we're locked together in this," he said. "I was so proud of him, and every day we'd go to work together. It was a dream."

While he is wearing multiple hats in the project, Costner said he refuses to be deterred by challenges that often face those in Hollywood. He said he believes in the importance of not being swayed by trends or others' opinions, saying if he did so, he would be "totally lost." Instead, he focuses on his most important connection.

"I have a relationship with an audience. There is going to be people just like you who go in and don't know anything about it. And when the lights go out and they come up, you're going to take a ride," he said.

"Horizon: An American Saga" will be in theaters on Friday. The film is distributed by Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global.

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Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photos

Rudy Giuliani is dropping coin on polyester ties and pizza, bankruptcy records show.

Unfortunately for his creditors, he's spending more money than in previous months.

Some of the financial disclosures that Giuliani prepared himself don't add up.

Now we know what it looks like when Rudy Giuliani tightens his belt.

The former New York City mayor disclosed excruciating details of his financial life with a series of bankruptcy court filings this week, detailing a month of his income and spending.

Unfortunately for Giuliani's creditors looking to satisfy his $153 million in debt, he spent more in May  the month covered in the disclosures  than in previous months.

The most eye-popping expenses include pricy restaurant bills while he evaded being served a criminal indictment for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. They also include quite a few Amazon purchases, including cheap ties and "deep bronze" tanning lotion.

Giuliani earned $61,717 in income in May and spent about $33,000. The spending is thousands of dollars higher than in previous months, which creditors have already complained is irresponsibly excessive.

For the first time, Giuliani disclosed the financial details of Giuliani Communications, the company he owns that produces his video livestreams on social media.

It, too, is operating in the red  especially since his radio show was canceled last month.

In response to questions about her work for Giuliani Communications, Maria Ryan, the company's president, discussed theories about coronavirus vaccines and said she was "very disappointed" in Business Insider.

Giuliani has an Amazon habit

Giuliani's largest expense is the $12,000 monthly maintenance fee for his New York City co-op, which Giuliani is trying to sell. The 80-year-old with no dependents also seems to spend hundreds of dollars each month on groceries.

Several of the exhibits included in Tuesday's cache of filings detail Giuliani's spending on Amazon. To compile them, Giuliani appeared to take photos of his laptop showing each Amazon order and then added them to a black-and-white PDF before submitting them to court.

To provide the Amazon records, Rudy Giuliani appears to have taken photos of his laptop. US Bankruptcy Court

They show expenses you would expect from a social media vlogger, including a tripod and USB cables.

They also include personal items, including coffee (Giuliani appears to be fond of illy), socks, and a lot of neckties.

On May 7, Giuliani spent $22.98 on a 6-pack of "Men's Necktie Classic Silk Tie Woven Jacquard Neck Ties," which comprised a filibuster-proof majority of the nine ties he ordered from Amazon that month.

"The ties aren't silk, but I expected that to be a lie, so it was kind of baked in to the price," one Amazon reviewer wrote.

Photos on the Amazon listing do not show a fabric composition tag. A tag in a photo for another tie from the same brand on eBay says it's made from 100% polyester. Listings for other ties from the same brand on AliExpress and Shein show they are made from 100% polyester.

That comes to a very good deal of less than $4 per tie. But it's not clear why Giuliani, who has worked at the highest levels of politics and law  he was a personal attorney to Donald Trump during his presidency and served as the US Attorney in Manhattan  needed new ties.

Giuliani ordered a lot of ties. US Bankruptcy Court

Giuliani also spent about $13 on a 6-ounce bottle of "Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Moisturizer + Bronzer, Self Tanner, Deep Bronze, for Natural-Looking Tan."

Hopefully, he was satisfied. Giuliani has had problems with cosmetics in the past.

Giuliani ordered a "deep bronze" tanning lotion. US Bankruptcy Court

Giuliani's financial statements also show multiple Amazon purchases in the $3-10 range, appearing to show he purchased movies or TV episodes for streaming. The documents filed to court don't disclose what he watched.

While Giuliani was evading service for a criminal indictment from Arizona on election interference charges  he was eventually served on May 17 and posted a $10,000 bond  he racked up pricey restaurant bills in Palm Beach, where he owns a condominium apartment. For dinner on May 9, he dropped $167 at a restaurant called Bricktop's. The next day, $113 for a meal at City Pizza. And the day after that, another $119 at the Italian joint Bice.

Mysteriously, Giuliani  who, again, has no dependents  appears to have two different bills each marked as a "Telephone expense." His AT&T bill is $228, and he pays Verizon $256 per month.

Some numbers don't add up

Much to the consternation of creditors, retirement funds such as Individual Retirement Accounts are generally protected from bankruptcy proceedings. But creditors accuse Giuliani of using money from it irresponsibly.

For the first time, Giuliani disclosed that his IRA at Citi  which forms the bulk of his net worth  had a balance of about $2.5 million in 2022.

But the numbers in a table he provided in a Tuesday filing showing its disbursements don't seem to add up.

According to the filing, Giuliani withdrew $1.8 million from the account between 2022 and 2023.

That should have left him with a balance of about $700,000 at the start of 2024, when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But Citi bank documents filed to court show a balance of over $1 million.

Rudy Giuliani outside a federal courthouse in Washington, DC, during the defamation trial against him from Wandrea Moss and Ruby Freeman. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

It's not clear what caused the discrepancy. Neither Giuliani's spokesperson nor his bankruptcy lawyers immediately responded to a request for comment.

In previous filings, lawyers for Giuliani said he withdrew heavily from his retirement account over the past several years to build up Giuliani Communications, the company that produces his video blogs, where he discusses politics.

Giuliani's vlogging company is operating in the red

Balance of Nature, a vitamin supplements company, was Giuliani Communications' biggest sponsor in May, paying the company $11,500.

Giuliani Communications also made $1,200 from MyPillow, the bedding company owned by Mike Lindell, another election conspiracy theorist who has been the subject of numerous defamation lawsuits.

Newsmax, which hosts one of Giuliani's shows, paid $8,300 that month. And he made another $2,200 from X, formerly known as Twitter, where he livestreams.

Giuliani's biggest payment came from WABC, the New York radio station owned by Republican billionaire and grocery store mogul John Catsimatidis, which paid him $15,000 per month.

That income is now gone. The station dropped Giuliani in that month after he continued to push false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

On a monthly basis, Giuliani Communications spends more money than it makes  even before the WABC cancellation.

Giuliani pays himself $45,000 each month, exceeding the company's combined income (Giuliani Communications had about $200,000 left on its balance sheet in May).

He also pays $10,000 per month to Maria Ryan, Giuliani's reported girlfriend who also serves as the company's president and recently brokered a deal with a coffee company to sell "Rudy's Coffee."

In an email to Business Insider responding to a question about her salary, Ryan, who previously worked in healthcare administration, said she took a reduced salary to work for Giuliani and said "there are people who still do not know the truth about the origins of Covid 19."

"I took a large pay cut to join Giuliani Communications," she wrote. "I did it because as an American  I saw the censorship during the pandemic."

"I am very disappointed in you. There are no real journalists left," she added later in her email. "You are attacking me why? Because I am President of Giuliani communications."

"Please leave me alone. I am a grandmother of five and they are traumatized by you," she continued.

Rudy Giuliani. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The filings come at a perilous time for Giuliani. The federal bankruptcy judge overseeing his case is considering whether to appoint a bankruptcy trustee, who would be able to control his financial life without encumbrance.

Nearly all of Giuliani's debt comes from a $148 million jury judgment against him in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers, who he falsely claimed manipulated ballots.

The bankruptcy process has halted them from enforcing the judgment and seizing his assets outright. Giuliani's lawyers have asked the bankruptcy judge to hit the pause button on the Chapter 11 process while he pursues appeals in the defamation litigation.

"Unbelievably, Mr. Giuliani continues to spend state, party, and judicial resources in pursuit of an appeal that would be fully briefed by now had he himself not chosen to seek chapter 11 reorganization instead," lawyers for the Georgia workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, wrote in a letter filed to court Wednesday. "This is one more demonstration among many that Mr. Giuliani cannot be trusted to manage his own bankruptcy."

Giuliani's lawyers have said he's struggling to pay for an accountant to put together the monthly bankruptcy reports, which has led to hiccups in past filings.

Earlier filings were compiled by Joseph Ricci, an accountant whose firm was paid $4,000 by Giuliani Communications in May. Ricci has since declined to work on the banruptcy, Giuliani's lawyers have said.

The most recent reports name Giuliani himself as the party "responsible" for compiling them.

One of Giuliani's monthly expenses includes Merry Maids, a home cleaning service. Giuliani paid $195, which is pretty good for a 2,200-square-foot 3-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Confusingly, Giuliani was billed twice for the service on the same day, on May 3, which shows why it's always a good idea to double-check your bills.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Bam Margera arrives at the world premiere of "The Last Stand" held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Jan. 14, 2013, in Hollywood, California.

"Jackass" alum Bam Margera has been ordered to six months probation over a family altercation.

On Wednesday, the former MTV star pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after an altercation at his home near Philadelphia, according to the Associated Press and ABC 6. Margera, 44, was charged with assaulting his brother, Jess Margera, and making threats to family members.

The April 2023 altercation took place during what Jess Margera called a "frightening and unpredictable" two-week visit home last year, the outlet reported.

At the time, police we called to the home for a domestic disturbance. Jesse Margera told police that the "Viva La Bam" star had pounded and kicked his locked bedroom door open; during a later confrontation, punched him in the eye, nose and ear; and left a threatening handwritten note signed "Bam," the Associated Press reported.

Actor Bam Margera arrives at the premiere of Lionsgate Films' "The Last Stand" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Jan. 14, 2013, in Hollywood, California. Margera was arrested in late April 2023 on charges including assault after police in Pennsylvania say he punched his brother in the face.

Jess Margera suffered a ruptured eardrum due to the altercation, according to the outlets. He suggested during a hearing that Bam Mergera got upset after seeing a text message saying he needed mental health treatment.

Bam Margera reportedly fled the home on foot. An arrest warrant was later issued for his arrest.

At a July 2023 hearing, Jess Margera said his brother was "a good dude when he's not messed up," the Associated Press reported. At the same hearing, Bam Margera told a judge he was getting alcohol and drug treatment.

"I'm not trying to get him in trouble here. I just want him to get the help because I feel like this is our last chance," Jess Margera said, reflecting on what he called two decades of troubling behavior by the former reality star.

Bam Magera's lawyer, William Brennan, said on Wednesday the "Jackass" star pleaded guilty to two summary offenses and is currently clean and sober, according to the AP.

"You can really say he won his case before today just by turning his life around," Brennan told the outlet.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bam Margera court case: 'Jackass' star pleads guilty
The TC Energy headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

British Columbias attorney general has called for an investigation into possible violations of provincial law after a Canadian oil and gas executive claimed the company improperly used political connections to dramatically weaken the provinces environmental policies.

In leaked audio recordings first published by the Narwhal and heard by the Guardian, the executive, Liam Iliffe, claimed that TC Energy, a Calgary-based pipeline company with operations spanning the continent, had ghostwritten ministerial briefing notes and planted employees next to the strawberries or the romaine lettuce at a Costco supermarket to choreograph seemingly impromptu meetings with senior bureaucrats in order to push the companys agenda.

Iliffe, who has since resigned, was a former senior adviser to British Columbia premier John Horgan, and joined TC Energy less than a year after leaving government.

The recordings were made during two lunch and learn sessions attended by roughly 150 people in both February and March 2024. In them, Iliffe and other TC Energy employees can be heard making claims about the companys efforts to influence and shape climate policy in British Columbia, with the aim of expanding its liquified natural gas operations.

In the presentation, they allege that the company had worked to shift the views of BC premier David Eby, who has over recent years appeared to soften his previously stated position that it would not be possible to continue expanding fossil-fuel infrastructure and still meet climate goals.

Related: How fossil fuel firms use Black leaders to deceive their communities

Weve had some really remarkable results in terms of our message being repeated back to us by key decision-makers in government, Iliffe can be heard saying.

Iliffe also suggested the company was able to dramatically influence the provinces recent carbon-tax rate adjustment.

More provocatively, Iliffe claimed that the company had effectively written briefing notes for provincial ministers and premiers and prime ministers as a way of helping overworked and underpaid public servants who just want the job done for them. Iliffe alleged the letters get stuck on government letterhead and sent out to elected officials. Theres nothing more powerful than that.

Iliffe also claimed the company strategically placed people so they can bump into key government figures at the airport terminals or grocery stores over the weekend. He said such an approach allowed for a remarkable conversation that switched between personal and professional that advances our initiatives.

Youd be surprised how much work I actually get done in the cooler at Costco because I bump into a significant minister or bureaucrat that I really want to spend some time with and I can do that next to the strawberries or the romaine lettuce, he said to laughter from the audience.

Iliffe resigned earlier this month after the Narwhal approached him and TC Energy for comment.

My intent was to emphasize the importance of local relationships TC Energy built in support of projects and operations. However, some of the comments were made in the moment and the events and approaches I described did not actually occur, he told the Narwhal. As someone who served in the BC government, it would be remiss of me to suggest that anyone other than our elected representatives make decisions on behalf of British Columbians.

A spokesperson for TC Energy said the company was disappointed that the recordings, which included inaccurate comments from an employee that portray a false impression of how we do business, were leaked to the Narwhal. The company did not specify which claims were untrue. There is no indication from the recordings that anyone from the company pushed back against Iliffes claims at the time.

Government officials were apparently unaware of TC Energys claims when the Narwhal asked about the allegations in mid-June.

In an emailed statement to the Narwhal, a spokesperson for Premier Ebys office called Iliffes claims false and defamatory, adding that no one could provide any evidence in support of his claims.

The spokesperson also included a 19 June letter from BC attorney general Niki Sharma asking the Lobbying Registrar to investigate possible violations of the Lobbyists Transparency Act.

In the letter, Sharma says an internal review of the claims suggested they were untrue but warned there could have been instances of unrecorded lobbying activities.

Iliffe has said he left his government position in May 2022. TC Energy filings with the provincial registrar of lobbying, viewed by the Narwhal, show Iliffe listed as a lobbyist as early as April 2023. The filings did not identify Iliffe as a former public office holder.

Under the provinces rules, former public office holders must identify themselves in their filings with the registrar.

I am aware of the requirement, but TC Energy completed my registration on my behalf and I am only learning of the error today, Iliffe said an emailed response.
By Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in favor of a challenge to the Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house enforcement of investor protection laws in certain proceedings, dealing a setback to the agency amid the heavy scrutiny by the justices of federal regulatory power.

The 6-3 ruling, a setback for President Joe Biden's administration, upheld a lower court's decision siding with George Jarkesy, a Texas-based hedge fund manager who contested the legality of the SEC's actions against him after the agency determined he had committed securities fraud.

The case involved Texas-based hedge fund manager George Jarkesy, who the SEC fined and barred from the industry after determining he had committed securities fraud. He responded with a lawsuit challenging the legality of the SEC's system.

Jarkesy was supported in the case by numerous conservative and business groups, which long have complained about the regulatory reach of the federal "administrative state" in areas such as energy, the environment, climate policy, workplace safety and financial regulation.

Biden's administration had appealed a 2022 decision against the SEC by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The SEC in recent years has faced a series of legal attacks even as the Supreme Court's conservatives show skepticism toward expansive federal regulatory power. The court in 2018 faulted the way the SEC selected its in-house judges. In 2023 rulings in cases involving the SEC and Federal Trade Commission, the court made it easier for targets of agency actions to mount challenges in federal court. The court has curbed the power of other agencies in recent years including the Environmental Protection Agency.

SEC critics have said the agency has an unfair advantage litigating cases before its home-turf judges rather than before a jury in federal court. The SEC, which enforces various U.S. laws that protect investors, pursued 270 new in-house proceedings in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, compared to 231 in federal court.

However, since the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling, most of the SEC's administrative proceedings are now handled by the commission itself, with very few - as of March, just two - proceeding before an administrative law judge.

The SEC in 2011 began investigating Jarkesy, who founded two hedge funds with his Houston-based investment advisory firm, Patriot28 LLC. The funds had about 120 investors and roughly $24 million in assets under management.

An SEC administrative judge found that Jarkesy and his firm violated the Securities Act of 1933 and other U.S. laws including by misrepresenting the identity of the auditor of the funds and value of the holdings. The SEC then ordered them to pay a $300,000 civil penalty and Patriot28 to disgorge nearly $685,000 in ill-gotten gains.

The 5th Court threw out the SEC's decision. In addition to its conclusion about the right to a jury trial, the 5th Circuit found that Congress gave the SEC too much power to choose whether to bring cases in-house, and that job protections for its administrative judges make them too difficult to remove, infringing on presidential powers under the Constitution.

During November oral arguments in the case, conservative justices expressed concern that SEC administrative proceedings are conducted for certain charges, such as fraud, without a jury, when similar cases alleging fraud in federal court would have one.

Liberal justices said that existing Supreme Court precedent allowed Congress to leave regulatory enforcement to administrative tribunals without juries, and that Congress gave the SEC more power after the Great Depression of the 1930s and later financial crises to combat investor fraud.

The Supreme Court has restrained the power of federal agencies in major rulings in recent years. It is deciding multiple cases during its current term on the authority of agencies. The justices on May 16 upheld the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's funding mechanism in a challenge brought by the payday loan industry.

The court is expected in the coming days to rule in other cases involving the Environmental Protection Agency and National Marine Fisheries Service.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
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Nvidia, Nvidia, Nvidia.

The $3 trillion tech darling has seduced investors, and its stock has risen about 750% since the beginning of 2023.

But the past few days suggest that the spell the company cast over Wall Street has broken as a sudden wave of volatility briefly sent shares of the company skidding lower.

Nvidias stock bounced back Tuesday, yet investors have been reminded of a potentially bubble-bursting truth: You can fly too close to the sun.

Whats happening: Nvidia has had a whiplash-inducing few months.

The chipmaker added a trillion dollars to its market cap, growing to $3 trillion in just 30 days from April 2024. For context, it took Warren Buffett about 60 years to build Berkshire Hathaway into a nearly trillion dollar company.

On June 18, Nvidias market value soared to $3.34 trillion, surpassing Microsofts to become the worlds most valuable company, and the stock seemed to be speeding up a one-way road to the top.

Why it matters: Nvidia is solely responsible for about 35% of the S&P 500s total gains this year, according to analysts at Deutsche Bank. That makes it one of the most influential companies ever listed on the S&P 500.

Thats why Nvidias plunge last week and on Monday was so jarring to investors. The stock shed a whopping $430 billion in value over the course of just three days.

First it was the Magnificent Seven. Then it was the Fab Four. Now, a single stock is driving most of the gains in the S&P 500, said Jim Smigiel, chief investment officer at SEI.

Nvidia has been like a habit investors have been unable to shake.

One question I get a lot is why dont I just put all my money in Nvidia. I cannot really argue with that question, wrote Louis Navellier of Navellier & Associates in a recent note to investors.

Then came the drop.

What we see with Nvidia is typical volatility, which is expected when a stock rises as quickly as Nvidias did, Jochen Stanzl, chief market analyst at trading platform CMC Markets, told CNN on Tuesday.

But typical volatility can have seismic repercussions when it comes to a stock as all-consuming as Nvidia.

Emerging from the cave: The stock was the second best performer in the entire S&P 500 Tuesday, gaining nearly 7%. That pushed its market cap back above the $3 trillion mark again.

Still, the damage may already be done.

Nvidias rich valuation is ludicrous  its market cap now exceeds that of the entire FTSE 100, yet its sales are less than 4% of that index, said Emily Bowersock Hill, CEO and founding partner of Bowersock Capital Partners, with reference to the 100 biggest stocks listed in London.

Analysts at The Carlyle Group say that while artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the world around us, the Nvidia stock bubble will eventually burst.

The market seems quite adept at identifying transformational change but gets fixated on the hardware that facilitates it rather than the downstream value that hardware ultimately unlocks, wrote Jason Thomas, Carlyles head of global research and investment strategy in a recent note.

Yes, but: Still, enthusiasm remains high.

The fundamentals behind Nvidias growth remain the same, Neil Roarty, analyst at investment platform Stocklytics wrote on Tuesday. If you believe that the AI technology its chips are powering will completely recalibrate the global economy  and many do  then a $3 trillion market cap suddenly looks considerably more reasonable.

The stock is up another 2.3% in premarket trading Wednesday.

Levis under fire after supplier laid off hundreds of workers

Levis is a global brand that says it has always stood up for whats right. But its claim to be an ethical company is now in question following the release of a report from an independent labor monitoring group.

Critics accuse Levis (LEVI) of ignoring its own labor standards after it continued working with a factory in Turkey that fired around 400 people last year after they joined a union and went on strike over pay and working conditions.

Turkey is a critical link in the global supply chain for apparel. The country exported around $30 billion worth of apparel and textiles last year, according to the Istanbul Exporters Association, a clothing industry group.

In a statement to CNN, Levis said it had a longstanding commitment to supporting safe, productive workplaces for workers, and we take any allegations of efforts to curtail freedom of association extremely seriously. It said it continued sourcing jeans from the factory despite the mass firings, to avoid further job losses, but the continuation of its relationship with the supplier depends on managements fulfillment of a detailed remediation plan that addresses freedom of association, working hours, and health and safety.

Read more here.

Months to correct, if not years: Car dealerships and customers feel the impact as CDK outage drags on

A CDK Global system outage has affected nearly every aspect of the Mazda dealership in Seekonk, Massachusetts, where Ryan Callahan is general sales manager. He says it wont be a simple fix.

The financial impact it will directly have on us will take months to correct, if not years, Callahan said.

Car buyers and dealers are grappling with the shutdown of the retail software provider, which has left nearly 15,000 car dealerships across North America struggling to provide services to customers and scrambling to find temporary analog solutions to operate.

CDK says its working on restoring its systems and expects them to be back online in several days, but in the interim, customers and dealership employees remain beset by long wait times, delays  and missed chances to make or save money.

Tom McParland, the owner of Automatic Consulting, a national car buying service, said the outage was impacting customers because they have fewer dealers to choose from.

It reduces their ability to get a deal, he said. It limits the customers leverage.

Read more here.

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Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyns mom, center, is comforted during a candlelight vigil for her daughter on Friday, June 21, 2024 in Houston. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer

The last time Alexis Nungaray saw her 12-year-old daughter alive, she was kissing her good night. Dont stay up too late, shed told Jocelyn last Sunday evening. Shed be accompanying her mom to work early the next day. But Jocelyn had other plans.

A couple of hours before midnight, she pulled on some jeans, a Marvel Venom T-shirt and Converse sneakers and snuck out of her familys Greenspoint apartment complex in north Houston. At a nearby 7-Eleven, Jocelyn was talking to her 13-year-old boyfriend on the phone. Two men approached her, asking for directions.

Her boyfriend would be the last friend or family member to hear Jocelyns voice.

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A passerby found her body Monday morning in the shallow water of a nearby drainage ditch with her legs tied up and no pants. She had been strangled.

It didnt take long for authorities to track down the two suspects: Franklin Pena, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22. Both men, it turned out, were Venezuelan nationals who had entered the U.S. illegally.

They took my baby away. They took away my firstborn, Alexis told KPRC 2 with tears streaming down her face. Im angry. I want justice.

The death of Jocelyn Nungaray is sickening and reprehensible. Were heartbroken for the family left searching for answers and for any respite from the pain.

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Jocelyn and her family deserve justice that is swift and severe. And yet, even that wont make her family whole. Nothing will. And nothing will stop them from poring over the details and trying to figure out what could have saved her  and what, if anything, could save another child from the same horrific fate.

To some, the answer is obvious: The two men charged in her murder didnt have permission to be in this country. If they werent here, the crime wouldnt have happened.

As Jocelyns grandfather Kelvin Alvarenga put it, I dont believe that everyone who crosses the border is bad. But within them, there are some who are. Alvarenga believes his granddaughter would still be alive if the countrys immigration system had been redone.

Why not take some more time and investigate these people who come here? he asked.

Its an important question that deserves serious consideration. So does his observation that the immigration system should be redone. Clearly it should. Its broken. We have a border for a reason and we should know who is crossing it. Many Americans, including this editorial board, have been calling for comprehensive immigration reform for decades. But only Congress can do it and Congress has refused. So it falls on whoever is president at the time to order a bandage on a gaping wound.

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We never get solutions. All we get is politics. Even Jocelyn and her family arent immune to the politics that have repurposed the tragic details of a young girls death into talking point fodder on cable news.

Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to point fingers: We have a new Biden Migrant Killing  Its only going to get worse, and its all Crooked Joe Bidens fault. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott also blamed Bidens open border policies.

Gone is the nuance with which Jocelyns grandfather asked his question. Missing is any context that immigrants as a whole  including those here legally and illegally  havent been found to drive up crime rates. Using such rhetoric to paint migrants and asylum seekers with the broad brush of criminality is reckless, morally wrong and factually incorrect.

Lets consider, seriously, the question of a grieving grandfather looking for answers. After the U.S. Border Patrol arrested both Martinez-Rangel and Pena near El Paso earlier this year, the men were released on their own recognizance with a notice to appear in court later this summer. It is unclear whether they were vetted in any way before being released into the country with ankle monitors as part of an alternatives to detention program, or whether they had past criminal records. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an order of recognizance is given to people who arent scheduled to be immediately deported and who are not a detention priority.

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Immediate deportation back to Venezuela may not have been an option because Venezuela refuses to accept deportees. If the U.S. had attempted to vet them, that process also would have been complicated by the strained diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela. Venezuela rarely cooperates in sharing information about their citizens. What information they do share is often limited, or unfairly incriminates people targeted by dictator Nicolas Maduros regime, according to Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a policy director at the American Immigration Council who spoke with us this week.

Reforming those critical diplomatic relationships is key but much easier said than done. What would actually help is for the Biden administration to accompany its recent crackdowns on border crossings with more processing centers and high-profile campaigns urging would-be migrants to use more secure legal pathways to enter the country, such as refugee admissions, which already require strict security checks.

Short of that, and of building an impenetrable police state with vastly expanded detention, surveillance, vetting and deportation, there is only so much that throwing money and resources at the problem can do.

Even a perfectly thorough background check  of an American citizen or a foreign national  doesnt guarantee a person wont someday break the law.

The reality is this: Monsters exist in all countries, Reichlin-Melnick told us. You cant predict who is going to commit a horrific crime.

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That will give Jocelyns family no solace, we know. Neither will the studies showing that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens. Or the data that shows overall crime levels dropping in major cities that have received the most migrants bused from Texas, including Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C.

Simple solutions of closing the border to shut out crime are as tempting as any parents protective urge to keep the kids locked up all summer to avoid any potential risk to their safety. We must fight that instinct. Seeking justice doesnt require vilifying a group of over 7.7 million Venezuelan refugees forced to flee their country.

Jocelyn Nungaray should be remembered as more than a political lightning rod. She was goofy and kind, her mother said, with spunk and flaming red hair. And she wasnt one to follow the crowd.

She always stood up for what was right, her mom recalled.

Both Martinez-Rangel and Pena face capital murder charges and are being held on $10 million bonds.

The monsters who took this little girls life and deprived her of her bright future should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law. Her family deserves justice, compassion and prayers  not a bit part in some craven election-year stage play.
By Neil Jerome Morales and Mikhail Flores

MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines needs to "do more" than protest China's "illegal action" against its navy during a routine resupply mission in the South China Sea last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday, but did not elaborate.

A Philippine sailor was injured on June 17 after what the southeast Asian nation's military called "intentional-high speed ramming" by the Chinese Coast Guard, an assertion China has disputed, saying the actions were lawful.

"We have filed over a hundred protests, we have already made a similar number of demarche," Marcos told reporters on the sidelines of an employment event in Manila, the capital. "We have to do more than just that."

He gave no details, however.

No shots were fired in the incident, so the Chinese action could not be considered an armed attack, Marcos added, calling it a "deliberate action" to stop the resupply of Philippine troops stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on the remarks.

The United States, which has condemned China's actions, reaffirmed its ironclad commitment to the Philippines in a telephone call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday.

"The two officials discussed the importance of preserving the rights of all nations to fly, sail, and operate  safely and responsibly  wherever international law allows," the Pentagon said in a summary.

The South China Sea, vital to global trade, has become a major flashpoint in the testy relationship between China and the United States.

The United States is bound by a seven-decade-old mutual defence treaty to defend the Philippines against an armed attack on its aircraft, or public vessels, in the busy waterway.

"It needs to be emphasised that the Ren'ai Reef issue is not the United States' business," Wu Qian, a spokesperson of the Chinese defence ministry, told a press briefing, using China's name for the Second Thomas Shoal.

"It is extremely dangerous and irresponsible for the United States to instigate and support the Philippines' infringement and provocation," Wu added, dismissing its treaty with the United States as a useless threat.

The Philippines has not asked the United States for support in resupplying its troops, its Washington ambassador said on Wednesday, adding that the United States was providing only "visuals" to aid his nation.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines had sought a meeting with Chinese officials to lower tension, not resolve territorial claims, and hoped it could happen early next month.

Romualdez said that if the Philippines could not resupply its troops, that would amount to "killing" its soldiers through starvation and thirst.

"I don't think China wants to have a major conflict," he said. "And definitely we do not want to have one. And so, that's a good starting point."

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

An international tribunal dismissed China's expansive claims in 2016, a ruling that Beijing rejects.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Neil Jerome Morales; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Clarence Fernandez)
Prince Harry has opened up about bereavement and grief during a conversation with the founder of a charity that supports children who have lost a parent serving in the British armed forces.

You convince yourself that the person youve lost wants you, or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed, said the Duke of Sussex, whose mother, Princess Diana, died when he was 12 years old.

But then theres this realization of, no, they must want me to be happy, he told Nikki Scott, founder of Scottys Little Soldiers, in a video released by the charity Thursday.

Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. She was 36 years old.

Harry pictured with members of the charity on May 24 - Scotty's Little Soldiers

Harry went on to underline the importance of talking about emotions during the grieving process.

Thats the hardest thing, especially for kids, I think, which is, I dont want to talk about it because it will make me sad, but once realizing that if I do talk about it, and Im celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier, he said.

Harry is a global ambassador for Scottys Little Soldiers, and sat down for a conversation with Scott ahead of Armed Forces Day on June 29.

Scott told the duke about the moment she had to tell her son, Kai, that his father, Cpl. Lee Scott, had been killed while serving in Afghanistan.

It was the worst How do you tell a 5-year-old this, she said, recalling the feeling that she had shattered his world on that day in July 2009.

Harry's conversation with Scott was recorded and is available to view on the charity website. - Scotty's Little Soldiers

Scott went on to found the charity in 2010 to help other bereaved military children.

Each year, 2,100 children lose a parent who served in the UK military, according to Scottys Little Soldiers.

The charity currently supports more than 680 members and aims to support more than 1,000 people each year by 2030.

Harry praised Scott for her incredible work in setting up the charity.

It is truly inspirational. Im really honoured and privileged to be part of Scottys now and I really look forward to us doing everything we can to bring in more people, more interest, raise more funds and be able to get the message out there to get more kids the support they so desperately need, he added in a press release.

A video of their full conversation can be watched on the charitys website.

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he supports Louisianas new law mandating the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms and said he thinks the law will survive legal challenges.

Im supportive of it, yeah, Johnson told reporters Wednesday. And I think it should pass court muster. I think theres a number of states trying to look to do the same thing, and I dont think its offensive in any way. I think its a positive thing.

The controversial Louisiana law requires every public school classroom in elementary and high schools to display the Ten Commandments on easily readable posters, starting in 2025. The posters must also include three paragraphs about the religious texts influential role in American history.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican in a deeply conservative and religious state, signed the bill last week after it sailed through the states GOP-controlled Legislature  where Johnson used to work.

Johnson speculated about the incentives of his former colleagues in passing the legislation.

The intent behind it is that theyre trying to acknowledge our history and tradition in the country. I mean, obviously, the Ten Commandments have a huge impact, and theyre very important in the development of our  well, of all of Western civilization, but certainly of our country. And I think thats what they had in mind, Johnson said.

What the Louisiana Legislature is trying to do  those are my old colleagues down there, I know what theyre up to  theyre trying to reemphasize the importance of that foundational part of our country, and that should be permissible, he later added. Its not an establishment of religion. Its not. Theyre not trying to enforce any particular religious code. Theyre just saying this is part of the history and tradition.

The new law instantly prompted legal challenges.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), along with other civil liberties groups, filed a lawsuit on behalf of families from different religious backgrounds, arguing the new law violates their First Amendment rights.

Johnson, however, noted he used to litigate similar cases, and said he expects the case ultimately to make its way to the Supreme Court, where he expects the ACLU to ultimately fail.

He pointed to a similar case from the 1980s, Marsh v. Chambers, in which the court upheld the practice of starting legislative session with a legislative prayer, noting it is deeply embedded in the history and tradition of our country.

I think this Court is open to effectively affirming what the court did in the early 80s, with Marsh v. Chambers and other cases like that. So well see how it turns out. But yeah, Im supportive of it, Johnson said.

Johnson joins other conservatives in backing the new law. Former President Trump similarly expressed his support for the mandate.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Medically reviewed by Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MSMedically reviewed by Theresa Marko, PT, DPT, MS

Physical activity has many benefits, including a stronger heart, better mood, and improved quality of life. However, when starting a new exercise routine, it's important to do it the right way to help prevent injury. If you have joint pain or a previous injury, consider seeing a physical therapist, who will assess your abilities and design a program that is safe for you.

This article discusses how to start a new exercise regimen safely, including tips for injury prevention, specific exercise examples, and special considerations.

ljubaphoto / Getty Images

Tips for Preventing Injury When Starting an Exercise Routine

Exercise helps to reduce your overall risk of injury in multiple ways. A well-rounded workout routine builds muscle strength and increases flexibility, improving overall mobility. Better strength and flexibility allow you to perform daily tasks more safely. Exercise activities also improve your balance, decreasing your risk of falls (a common cause of injury among older adults).

Follow these tips to help reduce your risk of injury with your new exercise routine.

Start Slowly

Make small changes gradually to increase physical activity throughout the day. For example, rather than heading out for a one-hour walk on day one, start incorporating exercise into your day-to-day routine by parking farther from your destination or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

Doing too much, too soon, can lead to significant muscle soreness or injuryeven if you feel fine during the activity. Muscle soreness is often delayed after a new activity. This concept, called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, typically causes soreness that begins approximately 12 hours after the activity and peaks within 24 to 72 hours.

Give yourself at least one day of rest between workouts to see how your body responds.

Avoid Activities That Cause Pain

If you have osteoarthritis, a condition that develops from wear and tear on your joints as you age, you may regularly experience pain. The cartilage that provides padding between the bones in a joint gradually wears down, and eventually, the bones can rub against each other, causing severe pain.

People with obesity may experience pain, especially leg pain, as excess weight places more strain on the joints.

Certain types of exercise can worsen joint pain. For example, if you have knee osteoarthritis, walking and other standing exercises might be very difficult. If that's the case, consider low-impact exercises such as walking in a pool or using a recumbent stationary bike.

Focus on Function

Many people start an exercise program for weight loss; however, there are other things you can focus on to help keep you motivated and measure progress. Think about something you'd like to be able to do that is currently difficult. Then, set short-term goals to work toward achieving that task.

For example, if you'd like to walk in a 5 kilometer (5K) event, pick one at least a few months in the future. Then, set small goals, such as walking the length of your driveway several times. Gradually increase your walking distance to help you reach your goal and prevent injuries.



Get Some Help

Another strategy to reduce your risk of injury when starting a new exercise program is getting help from an exercise professional. For example, you could attend an exercise class led by an instructor. They can offer real-time exercise modifications to adjust to your fitness level. They'll also monitor your form to reduce your risk of getting hurt.

If you're not comfortable in a group setting, consider working with a certified personal trainer who can design an appropriate workout program and ensure your safety while exercising.

If exercising in public isn't your preference, you can find free exercise videos online. Be sure to choose one specifically designed for people at your fitness level.



Specific Exercises With Injury Prevention in Mind

Depending on your fitness level, starting out performing chair exercises can reduce your risk of injury.

Here are some exercises to try while seated:

Seated marches : Lift each knee up as high as comfortable, then lower back downalternate legs for one minute.

Toe taps : Lift up the front of your foot, then tap it back down on the ground. Repeat on the opposite foot. Continue alternating foot taps for 45 seconds.

Arm curls : With your arm by your side, bend your elbow and slowly raise and lower the lower portion of your arm, from the elbow to the hand. Repeat 10 times on each arm. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, try holding a can of food or a water bottle.

Chair push-ups : Place your hands on the arms of your chair. Press your hands down on the arms of the chair, lifting yourself partially off the seat of the chair. Lower back down. Repeat 10 times.

Arm circles: Hold your arms out to your sides at shoulder height. Keep your elbows straight, and make 10 circles forward and 10 backward.



Special Considerations

Before you start a new exercise program, talk to a healthcare provider to determine if there are any exercises you should avoid. A healthcare provider also considers how any underlying medical conditions you have, such as arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes, will affect your ability to start an exercise program.

If you have any of these conditions or concerns about starting an exercise program on your own, consider seeing a physical therapist. These healthcare providers can develop an individualized exercise program for you while considering any underlying health conditions or injuries.

Stretches to Fold Into the Mix

Stretches are essential to an exercise routine, and improving your flexibility can help decrease your risk of injury.

Stretch to the point that you feel a pulling sensation, but don't stretch so hard it hurts. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. You can stretch daily.

Examples of stretches include:

Chest stretch : Sit up straight and place your hands behind your head. Press your elbows backward until you feel a stretching sensation across your chest.

Hamstring stretch : While seated in a chair, straighten one leg in front of you. Slowly hinge forward at your hips until you feel a pulling sensation along the back of your thigh. Pull your toes toward you to add a stretch to the back of your calf. Repeat on the opposite side.

Lower back stretch : Sit on a firm surface with your feet on the floor. Spread your legs apart and slowly fold forward, reaching toward your toes. Stop and hold when you feel a stretch along your lower back.

Upper body twist: Cross your arms over your chest. Slowly rotate your upper body to one side until you feel a stretch in your upper back. Repeat in the opposite direction.

Summary

Exercise has many benefits; however, taking steps to reduce your risk of injury is essential when starting a new activity. Start slowly and give yourself at least one day of rest between exercise sessions to see how your body reacts. Muscle soreness can develop over time, even if you feel fine during a workout.

Consult a certified personal trainer at an exercise facility for guidance on starting a new exercise program. If you have underlying medical conditions or injuries, consider seeing a physical therapist for an individualized exercise progress that is safe for you.



Read the original article on Verywell Health.
WASHINGTON  Abortions for gravely ill women can resume for now in Idaho after a divided Supreme Court on Thursday reversed its January decision to halt the procedures  and said it shouldnt have gotten involved in the dispute at this stage.

In an unsigned opinion, a majority of the justices returned to the lower courts the fight over whether a federal law requires hospitals to provide emergency abortions, leaving the issue unresolved for all states.

The opinion  which was officially released the day after the court briefly published a draft by accident  came amid a razor-sharp presidential race in which abortion is a major issue.

And it was criticized from both the left and the right.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of the three justices appointed by a Democratic president, said the decision was not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho.

It is a delay, she wrote.

The Court has 'simply lost the will to decide': Alito

Justice Samuel Alito, one of the three conservative justices who wanted to uphold Idahos strict abortion ban, said the court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents.

But Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the parties positions are still evolving so the court was wrong to consider the Biden administrations challenge to Idaho's abortion ban.

I am now convinced that these cases are no longer appropriate for early resolution, Barrett wrote about Idaho's two related appeals in an opinion joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

In January, the court took the unusual step of accepting the appeals without waiting for the lower courts to rule on whether Idahos strict abortion ban trumps a federal requirement that hospitals provide stabilizing care.

The court also allowed Idaho to fully enforce its ban while the justices considered the case.

Idahos law makes it a crime for doctors to perform an abortion unless a physician can demonstrate that the mother's life is in danger.

Since Idaho and other states tightened abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, doctors have said they cant treat women who might lose organs or their reproductive ability, have uncontrollable bleeding or suffer other serious health consequences without an abortion  unless her life is clearly at risk.

The Biden administration argued the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires emergency rooms offer abortions if a patients health is in serious jeopardy.

Idaho countered that states have always been responsible for licensing doctors and setting the scope of their professional practice.

Abortion rights supporters stage a "die-in" protest in support of reproductive rights and emergency abortion care, on the day the Supreme Court justices hear oral arguments over the legality of Idaho's Republican-backed, near-total abortion ban in medical-emergency situations, in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

'Why are you here'?

During oral arguments in April, Barrett expressed frustration with the disagreement among the state and federal government over what type of emergency abortions would be allowed under the federal rule but blocked by the state ban.

Whats the conflict? Barrett asked Idaho Solicitor General Joshua Turner. Why are you here.

In her concurring opinion, Barrett wrote that the parties litigating positions have rendered the scope of the dispute unclear, at best.

She also said Idaho had raised a new issue about whether Congress, through EMTALA, could condition hospitals Medicare funding on performing procedures banned by a state.

We should not jump ahead of the lower courts, particularly on an issue of such importance, she wrote.

But three of her fellow conservatives said the court has all the information it needs to decide what Alito called a straightforward question of statutory interpretation.

This about face is baffling, he wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and, in part by Neil Gorsuch. Nothing legally relevant has occurred since January 5.

Jackson likewise argued it was wrong for the court to punt though she joined the majority in agreeing to let hospitals perform emergency abortions for now.

The need for a clear answer has only increased since January, she said, pointing out that Texas has challenged the Biden administrations attempt to enforce EMTALA.

While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires, she wrote. This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it.

President Biden weighs in

Still, President Joe Biden said the decision would ensure that Idaho women get the emergency medical care they need while the case returns to lower federal courts.

No woman should be denied care, made to wait until shes near death, or forced to flee her home state just to receive the health care she needs, Biden said in a statement. This should never happen in America.

As he headed to a debate Thursday against likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, who appointed three of the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, Biden said his administration is committed to protecting womens reproductive freedom.

The stakes could not be higher and the contrast could not be clearer, Biden said.

Bidens campaign released on Thursday a new TV ad featuring an obstetrician who said she left Idaho because of the abortion ban.

Physicians could be tried with a felony for saving that womans life too early, Dr. Lauren Miller says in the ad.

Idaho has lost 22% of its OBGYNs since the states ban went into effect in August of 2022.

Duncan Harmon, a maternal fetal medicine specialist with St. Lukes Health System in Idaho, said hes unsure whether the Supreme Courts decision will make doctors more interested in practicing there.

While he said Thursday's action brings some welcome relief, Harmon noted EMTALA covers only emergency room care and there are non-emergency situations in which doctors are still not able to offer abortions to protect the health of the mother.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said Idaho will still be able to enforce its law in the vast majority of cases. He claimed as a victory the administrations statements during oral arguments that abortion is not a required stabilizing treatment for mental health issues and that doctors who oppose abortion can claim a conscience objection.

Labrador called those significant concessions.

"We look forward to ending this administrations relentless overreach into Idahoans right to protect and defend life," he said in a statement.

Complaints that pregnant women have been turned away from hospitals spiked after the Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which enforces EMTALA, encouraged anyone who thinks theyve been denied required treatment to reach out.

The agency said in a statement it will continue to investigate complaints and hold hospitals accountable to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Even when state bans include medical exceptions, the exceptions can be too vague to provide the clarity needed by patients and doctors, according to opponents of the bans.

"The Supreme Court created this health care crisis by overturning Roe v. Wade and should have decided the issue," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "Women with dire pregnancy complications and the hospital staff who care for them need clarity right now.

After the Supreme Court in January put Idahos law fully into effect, six patients with emergency conditions were transferred from St. Lukes Health System to other states where they could get abortions.

Doctors in Idaho continue to operate in a risky environment, said Allison K. Hoffman, an expert on health law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

But, at least for now, she said, they can provide abortions when necessary to stabilize an emergency medical condition.

The combined cases are Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States.

Contributing: Bart Jansen.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Divided Supreme Court preserves emergency abortion in Idaho for now
Team USA has confirmed that it will bring its own air conditioning units for American athletes to use in their rooms in the Olympic Village at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. The news came after games organizers said no AC would be provided in the accommodation.



The Paris Summer Olympics organizing committee has been determined to cut the carbon footprint of the massive sports event in half compared to previous Olympics. To do that, the Paris 2024 Committee told CBS News it had used "innovative, eco-focused cooling solutions" to keep the rooms athletes will sleep in cool for the games, which kick off on July 26.

Experts warned in a recent report that the Paris Olympics could be the hottest games in history. Average temperatures having increased approximately 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit since the last time the city hosted the Olympics.

Ralph Lauren unveils Team USA uniforms for Paris 2024

The organizers say their innovative solutions will allow them to "minimize carbon emissions and keep temperatures at comfortable levels in the rooms."

Athlete accommodation is seen in the Olympic and Paralympic Village amid preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics in France, June 4, 2024. / Credit: Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu/Getty

"We don't need air conditioning in these buildings because we oriented the facades so that they wouldn't get too much sun during the summer, and the facades, the insulation is really efficient," Yann Krysinksi, who's responsible for infrastructure at Paris 2024, told the Reuters news agency, adding that the Olympic Village uses "naturally cool water that we're getting from underground to cool the air of these apartments."



But Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), confirmed the teams would be supplying air conditioning units for their athletes.



"In our conversations with athletes this was a very high priority and something that the athletes felt was a critical component in their performance capability, and the predictability and consistency of what they're accustomed to," she told journalists during a briefing last week.

A general view shows the Olympic village

Despite the decision, Hirshland said the USOPC respected the work done by the Paris 2024 organizers to increase the sustainability of the event.

Athletes from the United Kingdom, Australia, Denmark and Italy are also reportedly installing their own AC systems in the Olympic Village.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told Reuters the nations considering bringing their own air conditioning should "trust the science."

Homeowners enlist "Squatter Hunter" to get back their homes

New York incumbent Jamaal Bowman loses fierce congressional primary race

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A Texas man was executed Wednesday for the murder of an 18-year-old woman who was raped, fatally shot and dumped in a field. He used his dying words to apologize to the young woman's family.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was executed by lethal injection at 6:50 p.m. CT, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He became the second inmate put to death in the state this year and the eighth in the nation.

Gonzales was convicted of the rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, who was just getting her start in life, working full-time at a resort and eagerly waiting to hear back about a nursing school application.

"I cant put into words the pain I have caused yall, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back," Gonzales said just before his final breaths, according to a transcript provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY that she would be among the witnesses to the execution and that it would be a "joyful occasion" for her family: He doesn't deserve mercy."

Here's what to know about the execution, the case and the victim.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was executed by the State of Texas on Wednesday in connection with murder of a young woman in January 2001.

Ramiro Gonzales apologizes to family, tells warden 'I'm ready'

The last words Ramiro Gonzales ever spoke were directed to the Townsend family, apologizing for the pain he caused them, according to a transcript provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Gonzales told the Townsends that he used the time he was given on Earth working to take responsibility for his actions in an attempt to "give it all back" and that he loved the Townsends.

"I never stopped praying for all of you. I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me," Gonzales said. "To all your family, Im sorry."

He also thanked his family and friends for the support they have given him over the years.

He ended his last words with: "God bless you all. Warden, Im ready.

The death chamber and the steel bars of the viewing room seen at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville on Sept. 29, 2010, where 41-year-old Ramiro Gonzales is set to be executed on Wednesday.

The man put to death was a different person'

Texas executed Gonzales for a crime he committed as an 18-year-old, Gonzales lawyers told USA TODAY after his death.

The man put to death for those acts was a different person," they said. Gonzales floundered as an abused and neglected child and teenager, never knowing the tools, support, or guidance that many take for granted. He made some poor choices and sought escape through drugs as a result of those circumstance, they said.

And he caused irrevocable harms. He took the life of Bridget Townsend, and he attacked" another woman," they said. "We grieve for these women and their families. So did he."

The Ramiro who left the world was a a deeply spiritual, generous, patient, and intentional person, full of remorse, someone whose driving force was love.

Ramiro knew he took something from this world he could never give back. He lived with that shame every day, and it shaped the person he worked so hard to become, according to the statement. If this countrys legal system was intended to encourage rehabilitation, he would be an exemplar. Ramiro grew. Ramiro changed. May we all strive to do the same."

Bridget Townsend murdered, remains abandoned

Bridget Townsend was spending the night at her boyfriend Joe Leal's house the night Ramiro Gonzales came knocking. Leal dealt drugs and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine, finding Bridget there alone.

After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Bridget started to call Leal. That's when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather's ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records.

When Leal arrived home later that night, Bridget's truck, purse and keys were their usual spots but he couldn't find her anywhere and called police.

For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget. One day while he was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

A portrait of Bridget Townsend, a young woman from Texas who was brutally killed in January 2001.

Bridget's mom rejects apology, excuses

Patricia Townsend told USA TODAY that Gonzales' childhood "should not have anything to do with it."

"I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood," she said on Saturday, four days ahead of the execution. "He made his choice."

Gonzales has reached out to Bridget's family over the years to convey his profound remorse," apologies that her family has rejected.

She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," Townsend said. "She didnt deserve what she got.

She said she found some comfort when she learned that Gonzales was set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it.

When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying," she said. "Thats her birthday."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ramiro Gonzales executed on birthday of Texas teen he raped and killed


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A Metro Silver Line bus rolls along Post Oak in the Galleria on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 in Houston. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

BRT is vanity

Regarding Metros University Line is visionary. Why abandon bus rapid transit now? | Opinion, (June 21): First, I must ask, what is visionary? A pointless, useless word when related to mass transit. We have now had centuries of subways, buses, trolleys and controlled street traffic.

Visionary leadership would have seen, or at least learned, that the rail/bus rapid transit/force-people-out-of-their-cars model would not work in Houstons un-dense expanse of square miles.

I am an advocate for transit. Rejecting BRT on the University Line is not just right vs. left politics, it is practicality. The University Line would have destroyed homes, businesses and neighborhoods on its route. Like the Silver Line, projected ridership wont materialize and no one will ride it. But most importantly, in my opinion, it is not just that it wastes money, it is that it takes transit away from the people who really need it in Houston.

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Metro halting the University Line, and other vanity projects, is a step in the right direction.

Phil Kunetka, Houston

Multimodal means resilience

Regarding Highways get built without a vote. Transit? No number of votes is enough. | Opinion, (June 24): Metros decision to halt progress on the University Line is disappointing for many reasons  its regressive when considering transportation justice, its counter to the regions sustainability goals and it puts our relationship with federal grant-making bodies in jeopardy. My greatest concern with the decision though has to do with resiliency.

For two years  2018 and 2019  I was the regions transportation resiliency planner at the Houston Galveston Area Council.

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One of our most important findings is that a resilient transportation system is redundant, meaning it provides a diversity of transportation options that function at different grades and using different fuel sources. In the transportation planning world, we call this type of transportation system multimodal.

Metronext and the University Line is Houstons only chance to be multimodal. Without it Houston will be neither multimodal, nor resilient.

Kristina Ronneberg, Houston

Face it, the Post Oak bus rapid transit is an absolute failure in ridership and is a voracious alligator for Metro operating funds, as is the urban rail system. The public was warned by former Mayor Bob Lanier, and we have the exact outcome popularly attributed to him nearly 34 years ago:

First, rails supporters say 'Its cheaper.'

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When you show it costs more, they say, 'Its faster.'

When you show its slower, they say, 'It serves more riders.'

When you show there are fewer riders, they say, 'It brings economic development.'

When you show no economic development, they say, 'It helps the image.'

When you say you dont want to spend that much money on image, they say, 'It will solve the pollution problem.'

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When you show it wont help pollution, they say, finally, 'It will take time. Youll see.'

Thomas Bazan, Houston

Traffic costs, stay home

Regarding, Houston traffic exceeding pre-pandemic congestion, but differently, analyses find, (June 25): This says it all: In hours, Houston drivers lost 62 hours last year  all that time and gas used idling along takes about $1,082 out of area drivers pocketbooks. No need to read further.

But, what a waste of newspaper space. What, if anything, is the reader supposed to do with this information? Should I try to find an alternative route so it only costs me 57.04 hours and $995.44? Think of all the money saved if someone hadnt bothered to waste time coming up with the math used in the article.



Gee, Houstonians have to spend time in traffic in order to get to work. What a revelation! Im retired and think Ill stay that way.

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Jon Plautz, Katy

Heartbroken community

Regarding 'The sweetest, kindest soul: ' Community mourns death of Jocelyn Nungaray at north Houston vigil, (June 21): My heart hurts for the family of Jocelyn Nungaray. It is sad and terrifying that young girls are being brutally murdered across the United States. After living in Texas for many years and calling this state home, we have seen a serious crisis at the border which I believe is making our cities unsafe and a scary place to live.

We need people who will lead our country in a better direction and put our childrens safety first. How many children, college students, friends and family must die before enough is enough? We need to do something about the crisis at the border and our current leadership clearly doesnt understand that. We cannot stand by and just wait for another young girl to be brutally murdered.

Eric Berning, Cypress

I wonder if you guys feel any sense of complicity for the murder of this girl? Maybe the Chronicle should rethink its soft stance on illegal immigration, given that the suspects crossed into the country illegally.
by Sumon Corraya

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was also celebrated in Dhaka yesterday. Bangladesh is one of the South Asian countries most affected by the phenomenon. The annual report of the Narcotics Control Directorate emphasises the role of digital platforms. Prof. Choudhury: "About 8 million drug addicts, most of them young".

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - The International Day against the Abuse and Illicit Trafficking of Drugs, established by the UN General Assembly in 1987 and celebrated yesterday, was particularly significant for Bangladesh, among the South Asian countries most affected by drug use, trade and trafficking, with a slow but steady increase in drug addiction rates.

This phenomenon is also on the rise thanks to the mediations of technology, as the annual report edited by the Narcotics Control Directorate reveals. In the country, drug dealers and users use various social media platforms, or the dark web, and transactions are conducted through online banking, including those in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

It is an unprecedented face of that trade of death strongly denounced yesterday by Pope Francis at the general audience. The latest statistics from the Narcotics Control Directorate reveal that in Bangladesh in 2021, all control agencies seized 36.38 million pills of Yaba (known as the drug of madness), about 1.08 million bottles of Fencidil, about 4 kg of cocaine and 210 kg of heroin. In 2021, 47% of drug-related cases resulted in convictions, up from 43% in 2020.

Providing an overview of the situation in the country is Professor Arup Ratan Choudhury, a specialist in dentistry and drug addiction researcher. He points out that Bangladesh is stepping up efforts to increase internet use, even though it is often misused.

"About 130 million people use the internet in Bangladesh and the number of Facebook users in the country is about 60 million. Unfortunately, for some time now, drug-like products have been openly sold on various social media and digital platforms,' he said.

These figures are influential in framing drug addiction as one of the country's most serious social problems, which, along with smoking, is among the most common causes of premature death and ill health. Which often affect the younger generation, as the majority of the population is made up of teenagers: 49% of people in Bangladesh are 24 years of age or younger.

'According to private estimates, the number of drug addicts in the country is about 8 million, most of whom are young,' Choudhury added. 'It is alarming that 85 per cent of Yaba users are young. It is estimated that this number will exceed 10 million by 2030'.

In fact, young people often start using drugs through smoking and later become addicted to various drugs, including Yaba, Phencidil, heroin, cocaine, opium, codeine, morphine and LSD.

Gradually, drug addicts suffer from complex diseases that affect the kidneys, liver and normal brain functioning. To come to their rescue, Pope Francis yesterday indicated the path of prevention, which 'is done by promoting greater justice, educating young people in the values that build personal and community life, accompanying those in difficulty, and giving hope for the future.

To do this, it is essential to create a favourable environment for sharing and coordinating information, to ensure that drug policies are based on scientific research, to raise awareness of the importance of community participation in planning and implementing effective prevention programmes, and to empower communities to increase participation in prevention activities.

A Catholic parent in Dhaka told AsiaNews that their only boy, 35, who has two children, was left by his wife because of drug addiction. "Our son's beautiful family was destroyed because of drug addiction. We are still working to cure our son,' the parents, who do not want to be named, said sadly.

According to Bangladesh news agency Sangbad Sangstha, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government is implementing a 'zero tolerance' policy against criminals and drug smugglers and is including drug-related science subjects in school curricula to raise awareness among students.

He emphasised that street children and drug addicts receive treatment through government and private centres. The Prime Minister made these remarks on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking', calling for a strong commitment to create a drug-free Bangladesh.
A hundred scholars from greater China" met at the University of Saint Joseph to share thoughts from an ecclesial perspective. Archbishop Savio Hon praised the encounter with the local culture, which owes a lot to the work of Card Celso Costantini a century ago. Prof Wang Meixiu expressed concerns over today's restrictions on the access of children and minors to places of worship. She wonders whether the number of Catholics is decreasing.

Macau (AsiaNews)  The international symposium on the history and significance of the Shanghai Council of 1924 opened this morning in Macau, a significant meeting marking the centennial of this important event in the history of the Church in China.

After recent conferences held in Rome and Milan, the chosen venue was a Chinese Catholic establishment, the University of Saint Joseph, in Macau, which operated for centuries as a crucial hub for the missionary movement.

Almost a hundred people are attending the conference, which will continue until Saturday, mostly Chinese scholars, almost all Catholics, who come from "greater China," that is, from the People's Republic, Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as Macau.

The few non-Chinese present are all veteran missionaries-cum-scholars, who have dedicated their lives to China. Two diplomatic officials from the Holy See based in Hong Kong are also in attendance.

This symposium in Macau is eminently academic in approach, with comprehensive reports that focus on specific aspects of the history of the Council of Shanghai and the Churchs journey in subsequent years in China. Its profile is essentially ecclesial and missionary.

The meeting began this morning with two video messages, one from Card Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, and the other from Card John Tong, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, accompanied by greetings from Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang of Macau.

Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai spoke next. The prelate, who is the current apostolic nuncio to Malta, hails from Hong Kong and served as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. In his address, he looked at the example offered to the Church in China by Archbishop Celso Costantini (1876-1958), who was for a time apostolic delegate to the country, on how to "learn to listen to the local culture".

Quoting from the cardinals memoirs, starting with the motto May China be for the Chinese and the Chinese for Christ, Archbishop Hon gave an overview of the prophetic intuitions of the Vatican diplomat, starting with his desire to heal wounds.

He noted how as early as 1923 he urged no more compensations via the colonial powers for the blood of missionaries killed by militias and bandits.

Facing the threats of attack, said the archbishop, the Missions needed not the Protectorate, but prudence, trust in God, and even readiness to face eventual shepherds death for the sheep.

Hon also noted that the priority Costantini gave to the Chinese Council was the two-fold purpose of every Mission: spreading the Gospel and establishing the Church administered by the local clergy, adding that the method of sowing seeds was preferred to that of transplanting trees from Europe.

Likewise, the Italian prelate urged foreign missionaries to seriously learn and appreciate [the] local language and culture", to promote the native clergy through training, office, and dignity, with openness to Chinese architecture, local music, arts, and even Chinese clothing for the clergy.

Fr Gianni Criveller, a PIME missionary and AsiaNews editorial director, also spoke at the meeting. He compared the figure of Card Costantini to that of the Blessed Paolo Manna and his courageous Observations on the Modern Method of Evangelisation, which he wrote in 1929 precisely with China in mind. Thus, even in colonial times, some missionary voices understood well that "the Gospel is synonymous with freedom.

At the Symposium, Fr Criveller also raised the question of a second Chinese Council today. One issue might be about inter-culturality, he said. [T]here is little creative blending among todays Chinese cultures, the manifestations of the faith and the liturgy. There is a need for theological and pastoral reflections leading to facilitating faithful to express their faith in a way congenial with their daily lives.

On the present situation of the Catholic Church in China, Prof Wang Meixiu, professor emeritus at the Institute of World Religions of the Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, expressed concerns in the afternoon session.

In recent years, due to a number of regulations and laws, multiple levels of regulations require that children and adolescents under the age of 18 years old not be allowed to take partin catechesis, or enter places of worship, she explained.

These restrictions especially affect the life of the Catholic Church. In fact, the number of people who can come into churches has shrunk compared to before, she added.

I remember that in the 80s and 90s of the last century, some people used the term religious fever to describe the phenomenon of increasing the number of Christians, and some even said that the growth of the number of people at that time tended to be exaggerated.

In recent years, due to the lack of statistics, due to the decline in the number of elderly believers, due to the impact of the epidemic, and the continuous decline in the number of new babies, the opportunities for children and young people to receive the faith have diminished a lot. Is it correct to estimate that the number of Catholics is decreasing? That's a real problem!

In recent years, new terms have been frequently invented in the field of mainland economics, such as reducing development, reducing inventory, and so on. Could these new terms be used to describe [the] increase or decrease of the Catholics in China? Thinking about the Shanghai Council a hundred years ago, it is certain that this is not a phenomenon that the participant fathers wanted to see.
In Asia, Vietnam and Bangladesh serious cases of abuse and persecution were reported in 2023. India is criticised even though New Delhi is an important US ally against Beijing. In Pakistan, Ahmadi Muslims suffer the worst discrimination.

Washington (AsiaNews)  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday presented the 2023 International Religious Freedom Report.

Today governments around the world continue to target individuals, shutter places of worship, forcibly displace communities, and imprison people because of their religious beliefs, he said during the rollout.

He is not alone in voicing concern. According to the Pew Research Institute, government restrictions on religions have reached their highest level since 2007.

The report by the Office of International Religious Freedom of the US Department of State looks at the situation in different countries in the world. One is India.

In a rare example of open criticism of New Delhi, which Washington considers an important ally against Beijing, Blinken said: In India we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities.

The report cites scores of violent incidents, including the murder of Muslims for alleged involvement in the sale of beef (cows are sacred for majority Hindus), as well as police failure to act during attacks against Christians, accused (without evidence) of forced conversions.

The study mentions the ongoing violence in the northeastern state of Manipur, where clashes broke out between different ethnic groups more than a year ago. According to available information, more than 250 churches have been torched so far, and more than 200 people have been killed while more than 60,000 people have been displaced.

The report seems to reflect the reality on the ground as many incidents of violence against religious minorities are reported in the Indian media, said Fr Babu Joseph SVD, former spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI).

Although allegations of fraudulent religious conversion fly thick and fast in India, a fact check will undoubtedly show that many of them are just figment of the imagination to malign some Indian communities, he explained.

In Pakistan, too, police have failed to protect members of religious minorities, the report said. Officers accused of abuse have been lightly disciplined or not at all.

A Pakistani NGO, the Centre for Social Justice, reported more than a hundred forced conversions and marriages of Christian, Hindu and Sikh women and girls in 2023.

At least 16 individuals were killed because of their faith, while 29 people were accused of blasphemy, 75 per cent Muslims, 20 per cent Ahmadis (who are not allowed under the Pakistani constitution to call themselves Muslims), and 3.3 per cent Christians.

Pakistani authorities have cracked down online. The Cyber Crimes wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested 140 people on allegations of blasphemy on social media. Eleven people have been sentenced to death, two of which upheld by a higher court.

Ahmadis are the group suffering the most discrimination even in neighbouring Bangladesh, were 22 incidents of violence were reported in 2023. An Ahmadi man was killed and 62 were injured along with 19 Hindus.

Muslim leaders have frequently reported on government interference in the appointment and removal of imams, who are also given guidance across the country regarding the content of sermons.

In Asia, serious violations of religious freedom have also been reported in China and Vietnam, where repression is carried out by the ruling Communist Party.

According to various sources, China continues to exert control over religious groups that it perceives as a threat to the interests of the state.

New administrative measures that came into force in September require monasteries, churches, mosques, and temples to support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, implement "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" and promote the "sinicization" of religion.

Chinese authorities have arrested, tortured, ill-treated, held incommunicado, and subjected to forced indoctrination an unknown number of people, often targeted with "vague and insubstantial" charges.

Estimates put the number of people held for their faith at a few thousand to 10,000.

Rashad Hussein, the US ambassador at large for international religious freedom, told the launch that the campaign against the Uyghurs follows decades of persecution of religious communities, from Tibetan Buddhists, to Christians to Falun Gong practitioners.

At least 188 people have died because of persecution in 2023, the report said.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, called the allegations in the report inaccurate and accused the US State Department of trying to interfere in China's internal affairs.

In Vietnam, the Authorities recognized two new religious organizations after more than four years without any new recognitions, the report reads. Yet, minority religious groups suffer persecution and abuse, but sometimes it was not clear whether the reported cases were related solely to religious affiliation.

March last year new legislation was enacted that will provide new limits on the discretion of local authorities in implementing the Law on Belief and Religion as well as new requirements for receiving foreign funding.

When Blinken flew to Hanoi in April, he urged the Vietnamese government to do more. The report calls for improvement in registration policies to make them more uniform and transparent.

(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)
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Two young patrons at the Houston Zoo help feed the animals. Houston Zoo

Zoo prices arent the problem

Regarding 'Too expensive': Mayor Whitmire wants Houston Zoo to reduce prices for visitors, (June 22): If it aint broke.

With all due respect, Mayor John Whitmire, those of us who love the zoo would be really happy if you could focus on things that are broke: pot holes, water main breaks, heavy trash, to name a few examples.

Mardi Turner, West University Place

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Perhaps instead of this, Mayor Whitmire should throw his weight behind getting the University bus rapid transit line built.

This line would allow many people who live nearby to easily ride to the Wheeler station and then transfer to the Red Line light rail to travel to the zoo in comfort and for a very reasonable price.

The net result of a better transit system would be that many residents would not have to have second cars (or even first cars) and therefore would have money to spend on zoo entry fees.

Colin Leach, Houston

Revenge of the nerds

Regarding Lina Hidalgo fires back at John Whitmires cruel Facebook comment calling her fiance a nerd,' (June 25): It is a shame that we have an elected mayor that calls the county judges fiance a nerd.

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It is the height of hypocrisy for his office to backtrack, delete the post and sluff it off as a lighthearted moment.

Personal attacks have no place in our political discourse. It accomplishes absolutely nothing. Instead, lets debate real issues to better serve the citizens of Harris County and the city of Houston.

Chris Brown, Houston

County Judge Hidalgo needs to lighten up when it comes to Mayor Whitmires Facebook comment about her fiance looking like a nerd.

First off, being a nerd isnt exactly a slight. Ive heard that term applied to Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, and those tech billionaires mostly embrace it.

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Better that Hidalgo roll with it and have a little fun on her own. Maybe say that the comment is pretty funny, coming from a guy who looks like the villain in a James Bond movie.

There are plenty of important issues on which our county and city leaders should be focused. Getting distracted by silly stuff like this gets us nowhere.

David Bradley, Spring

Accountability needed

Regarding His mother got him out of jail but his lawyer got paid? Harris Countys court-appointed lawyer system is broken. | Editorial, (June 26): Jabon Barretts court-appointed lawyer, Jerome Godinich, should not only have his license revoked, but should be taken to court for fraud. This isnt the first time he has taken more cases than he can handle, and it begs the question: Who is overseeing this? Not only are taxpayers paying for nothing, but the defendants are also suffering.

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Throw the man out and let him never see the inside of a courtroom again except as the defendant!

Emily Murphy, Kingwood

What about the people who year after year, in spite of numerous complaints, continue to assign Godinich an absurd caseload while enriching him in the process? Or the officers who charged Barrett as a convicted felon from another state when the only similarities seemed to be the color of his skin and a similar name? Or the person in the Harris County District Attorneys Office who upgraded the charge from a misdemeanor to a third degree felony in complete contravention of the DAs policy for doing so? Or the jail that took Barretts fingerprints but said it is not their job to do any verification? Or the magistrate judge and Harris County public defender who ignored Barrett at his bail hearing when he begged not to be released under the convicted felons name rather than his own name? And the many people who ignored his and his mothers dozens of phone calls in an attempt to get help?

At every step of the way there was incompetence, blame deflection, an its not my job mentality and utter indifference.

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At least the Harris County Sheriffs Office admitted, too belatedly, that they had dropped the ball. But there needs to be accountability at every step of the way. Where is the sense of outrage on the part of our city and county officials? I am far more concerned about the festering mess that is apparently our city and county criminal justice system than I am about ticket pricing at the zoo. Lets get our priorities straight.
NASA has just commissioned Elon Musk's SpaceX to help deorbit the International Space Station as the space agency prepares to retire the massive space laboratory by 2030.

On Wednesday, NASA awarded SpaceX a potential $843 million contract to build and develop the vehicle deorbiting the ISS back to the Earth's atmosphere.

NASA claimed the partnership would help ensure a "safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit" as the space station burns up during its final voyage.

The ISS, which has been operational since 2000, is planned to crash into an isolated area in the Pacific Ocean.

The space agency has earlier estimated that retiring the ISS could cost well over $1 billion as scientists work together to "ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas."

Extra caution is needed especially after reports of ISS parts surviving the re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and crashing into a residential area despite previous estimates that it would not.

NASA assured that the space agency's scientists and officials will still operate and develop the vehicle throughout the mission.

Also Read : NASA Says Retiring the ISS Could Cost Almost $1 Billion

Why Retire the ISS?

NASA has long planned to retire the aging space station as the agency finds more defects and failing parts in the space station it first launched in 1998.

While the ISS's operational life could possibly be prolonged, NASA does not intend to preserve or reuse the space station as it would already be economically "infeasible."

Maintaining the space station is already costing the partnered countries $4 billion every year. Preserving the ISS for any longer is expected to only further increase expenses.

NASA plans to preserve any parts of the ISS that can be salvaged after the crash for its "historical value," hosting thousands of space researchers from multi-nation partnerships.

NASA Opens Floodgates for Privately-Owned Space Stations

While NASA might be ending its space laboratory mission, space research is still expected to continue soon as the space agency opens its way for commercial and privately owned space stations.

So far, four US-based companies have already declared intentions to launch their own space laboratories as soon as they wrap up negotiations with NASA.

The European Space Agency, along with Airbus and Voyager Space, also pledged to help build the commercial space station Starlab posed to launch by 2027.

Only two space stations are currently operating within the Earth's orbit: the ISS and China's Tiangong Space Station.
Feature: Traditional Chinese Medicine gains popularity in Cambodia

Xinhua) 11:16, June 27, 2024

PHNOM PENH, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become increasingly popular among Cambodian patients thanks to its efficacy and safety.

At the Chinese Medicine Clinic of the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital here in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, scores of patients were waiting for their turns to have their health checked up and remedied by a team of TCM medical aid experts.

A Phnom Penh resident Kim Nay, 71, who has had shingles and numbness in her arms for more than a year, has got better from her illness after using TCM.

"Previously, I could not clench my fists, but now I can clench them tightly," she told Xinhua while revisiting the TCM experts for follow-up medical care.

"I hope I will recover from this disease. That's why I have come here very often," Nay said. "Chinese TCM doctors are very trusted. That's why a lot of Cambodian patients have visited them for checkups and treatment."

TCM is efficacious in healing issues such as osteoporosis, insomnia, infertility, pain, chronic cough, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease.

It consists of therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and Tuina remedial massage.

Another Phnom Penh resident Chhiv Neang, 77, said she came for a free TCM diagnosis and treatment after she learned from other patients that TCM is efficacious and safe.

"I have suffered a stroke that left me paralyzed (for almost a year), and my hands are unmovable at all," she told Xinhua.

"Someone told me that I could recover if I underwent acupuncture treatment, so I came here to try it. If I can recover, I will be elated," Neang said. "I hope to recover because I saw other patients recovering from their illness after undergoing acupuncture treatment."

Tan Sokun, director of the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital, said China has sent its TCM medical aid team to help Cambodia fight the COVID-19 pandemic at the hospital since March 2022.

Since then, two batches of the TCM medical aid team had completed their missions in the Southeast Asian country, he added.

Sokun said the first batch TCM medical aid team had accepted about 9,600 Cambodian patients from March 2022 to mid-2023, and the second batch team had provided clinical services to some 11,175 patients from mid-2023 to date.

"TCM has gained its popularity in Cambodia, thanks to its efficacy and safety in treating a number of diseases," he told Xinhua on Tuesday. "It's just over two years, more than 20,000 Cambodian people have received TCM treatment."

He said besides providing clinical services to patients, the TCM medical aid team had also organized short-term training courses for hundreds of local medical practitioners.

Yuan Geng, leader of the TCM medical aid team for Cambodia, said his second batch comprises a total of eight TCM experts, starting their mission on July 4, 2023.

"Our average outpatient volume is currently around 30 people per day, with a peak of over 70 people," he told Xinhua. "The monthly average outpatient volume is around 600 to 700 people."

Yuan added that after two years, the TCM medical aid team has made more people trust TCM's effectiveness and be fond of these therapies.

"So, I believe that the increase in outpatient volume is closely related to the patients' recognition of traditional Chinese medicine," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Temu is now being accused of being malware and spyware "granting itself access to virtually all data on a user's cell phone" in the latest state-led lawsuit filed against the Chinese-based shopping app.

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alleged Temu of violating the state privacy and trade laws for monetizing illegally obtained user data.

Griffin also raised "significant security risks" in using Temu for being "led by a cadre of former Chinese Communist Party officials."

The Arkansas attorney general is touting the "first-of-its-kind lawsuit" as part of the state's steps to crack down on Temu's "deceptive trade practices and violations of users' privacy."

Temu has yet to issue a statement regarding the new lawsuit.

New Data Privacy Challenges Temu's International Operations

This was not the first time Temu's international operations have faced challenges amid concerns about the platform's data privacy and trade policies.

Earlier last year, Apple temporarily suspended the e-commerce app on its App Store amid allegations of misleading its users about handling their data.

Temu's sister app Pinduoduo was also previously banned from the Google Play Store over data privacy concerns.

Despite mounting safety concerns, Temu remains the most popular shopping app in the US for both Play Store and App Store.

Chinese Tech Firms Faces US Gov't Crackdowns Amid Spying Allegations

The lawsuit against Temu is only part of the growing US government-led crackdowns against Chinese tech firms over supposed connection to the Chinese government.

Similar sentiments have earlier been aired when lawmakers pushed to pass the law banning Beijing-based ByteDance and all of its apps, including TikTok, from the US.

Several lawmakers who advocated for the law claimed they only supported the legislation due to concerns about China accessing US users' data and influencing Americans through ByteDance and TikTok.

The crackdowns came amidst rising tensions between the two superpower countries over trade, hacking, and international relations disputes.
27 June 2024 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Azerbaijan places significant emphasis on cultivating mutually beneficial relations with the Republic of Italy as a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

This strategic partnership spans critical sectors such as energy security and economic cooperation, underscoring Italy and Azerbaijan's roles as key strategic allies. The enduring friendship and collaboration between these nations are rooted in a shared commitment to mutual respect and the advancement of bilateral ties.

Azerbaijan allocates significant funds to its military sector and prioritizes partnerships with enterprises that manufacture advanced weaponry. Its collaboration with Italy holds particular significance in this context.

Highlighting a recent milestone on June 26 at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, coinciding with Azerbaijan's Armed Forces Day, President Ilham Aliyev, also serving as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, was ceremoniously presented with a C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft manufactured by Leonardo, a leading Italian aerospace company.

This event not only symbolized the depth of defense cooperation but also underscored the alignment of strategic interests between the two nations.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Chirielli, and Leonardo President Stefano Pontecorvo participated, providing comprehensive insights into the aircraft's capabilities, including military transport, paratrooper deployment, cargo airlifts, and medical missions.

It is worth noting that Italy has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with Azerbaijan through several significant steps. During the Patriotic War, Italy stood in solidarity with Azerbaijan, with its media recognized for its objective coverage of Azerbaijani issues. The declaration of 2020 as the "Year of Azerbaijan" in Italy underscored a special level of trust and recognition extended to Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev.

Italy plays a pivotal role as Azerbaijan's foremost political, economic, and trade partner within the European Union. Bilateral trade surged to $11 billion in the first eight months of 2022, illustrating robust economic engagement and mutual benefit. Over 100 Italian companies operate across diverse sectors in Azerbaijan, spanning industry, construction, trade, agriculture, communication, and services, showcasing the breadth and depth of their economic collaboration.

Integral to this partnership is Italy's strategic role in mitigating the impact of fluctuating hydrocarbon prices through joint initiatives with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has emerged as a crucial supplier of crude oil and natural gas to Italy via the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), operational since December 2020. This pipeline facilitates annual gas exports of at least 20 billion cubic meters to Europe, with plans for expansion to further bolster Italy's energy security.

Additionally, Italian companies are actively participating in the reconstruction efforts of liberated regions in Azerbaijan. Notably, a key agreement signed in December 2020 between Azerbaijan's "Azerenerji" OJSC and Italy's "Ansaldo Energia" marked a milestone in mutual cooperation. Under this agreement, "Ansaldo Energia" supplied equipment for four 110 kV substations in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, Kalbajar, and Gubadli regions, contributing significantly to infrastructure development in the newly liberated territories.

Moreover, recent years have seen significant cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Baku and Rome. Before the pandemic, projects led by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Italy and Azerbaijani cultural events, such as film festivals, have enriched cultural exchanges between the two nations. Azerbaijan's support for restoring cultural landmarks in Rome has not only strengthened bilateral ties but also enhanced Azerbaijan's reputation in Italy.

In conclusion, Azerbaijan and Italy's multifaceted partnership encompasses energy security, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and humanitarian initiatives. This robust relationship not only serves their bilateral interests but also contributes to regional stability and prosperity.

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27 June 2024 20:11 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

In the last five years, arms exports from European countries have doubled compared to the previous five years. The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the need for the West to enhance its defence mechanisms. Among these countries, Italy has emerged as a key player in this field, increasing its arms exports by 86% over the past three years.

Notably, Italy's relations with Azerbaijan in this sector have developed rapidly. The two countries engage in active political dialogue, and their growing relationship is now evident in the defence industry.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Italy began in the early 20th century, with the brief "first independence" declared on May 28, 1918. During that period, some economic and military representatives from Italy were sent to the Azerbaijan Republic.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the occupation of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia, it became necessary for Baku to strengthen its military mechanisms. In addition to creating a hotbed of conflict in the South Caucasus, it also began to attract the interests of other forces to the region. Strong military potential was needed to end the conflict once and for all.

After liberating Garabagh from Armenian occupation in November 2020, the development and strengthening of the Azerbaijani army continued as a vital commitment, mainly for the security of the region.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has no territorial claims against any country. Many of the weapons imported into the country are used for defence purposes. The newly imported "C-27J Spartan" aircraft from Italy is proof of this.

Yesterday, at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, an Italian C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft was presented to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, further demonstrating this relationship. These aircraft will be used for military transport, the airdropping of paratroopers and cargo, as well as medical purposes. The fact that this import took place on June 26th, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces Day, adds special significance.

During a meeting with a delegation led by Italys Minister of Defence, the President stated that a new chapter has opened in relations, with Azerbaijan and Italy now beginning cooperation in the military-technical field. The main reason for acquiring these aircraft is to enhance the logistical capabilities of the Azerbaijani Army. These aircraft are a joint production of Italy and the USA. Including these aircraft in Azerbaijan's arsenal is part of the country's military modernization program.

It is worth noting that NATO member countries, as well as Morocco, Peru, Turkmenistan, and Chad, use these aircraft. Azerbaijans inclusion in this list of countries signifies the development and balanced policy of its military. While some Western countries, particularly France, have pursued policies of arming Armenia and making provocative statements against Azerbaijan, the cooperation between Italy and Azerbaijan also indicates a reduction in Frances influence in Europe.

It should be noted that, alongside the USA and France, Italy is one of the strongest arms producers in the West. For many European countries, as well as for Italy, Azerbaijan is a significant partner in terms of oil and gas. The TAP and TANAP pipelines, which transport Azerbaijani gas to Eastern Europe, including Italy, contribute to the economic and social welfare of many countries. In the first five months of this year alone, Azerbaijan exported 5.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe. Last year, Azerbaijan was also the main oil supplier to Italy, exporting nearly 11.3 million tons of oil to the country.

Additionally, a large part of Azerbaijan's trade relations in Europe are with Italy. The trade turnover between the two countries has exceeded 15 billion dollars. Many Italian companies are also successfully operating in Azerbaijan. Ongoing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy is rapidly developing in preparation for COP29. President Ilham Aliyev has emphasised that the two countries are in close contact regarding this matter.

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27 June 2024 14:31 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Azerbaijan's vision for innovation and its policy direction need clearer articulation, according to Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, speaking at today's "Baku ID" festival, Azernews reports.

Jabbarov emphasised the need for robust beginnings, stating, "Pre-session discussions highlighted that challenges faced by entrepreneurs and regulators often stem from legislative gaps. Securing the ecosystem, improving access to finance, and attracting venture capital are paramount. We've already designated appropriate spaces for the Digital Technology Transformation Centre with the aim of creating a supportive platform for entrepreneurs."

Meanwhile, SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf underscored the importance of meeting the demand for innovative products for startups.

"This is a crucial area for us as it directly reflects our efficiency," Najaf emphasised. He added that innovative products not only cater to market needs but also enhance operational efficiency, thus adding value to companies like SOCAR.

R. Najaf urged other state-owned enterprises to actively engage with startup communities, citing positive dynamics and mutual benefits.

Rahim Bayramli, CEO of the SABAH.HUB Innovation Centre, reported significant achievements, noting that startups at the centre have secured over $4 million from local and regional investors in the past two years. He projected an additional $2 million influx in the coming days, highlighting the launch of a new $25 million venture fund.

Bayramli emphasised that the SABAH fund aims to elevate startup financing, particularly focusing on companies in the South Caucasus and Central Asia with global ambitions. He expressed pride in this initiative as a pivotal step forward.

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27 June 2024 15:38 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), Rovshan Rustamov, who is currently visiting Uzbekistan, held separate and trilateral meetings with Zufar Narzullayev, Chairman of Uzbek Railways, and Komil Mirzoali, Chairman of Tajik Railways, Azernews reports.

ADY highlighted extensive discussions on enhancing railway cooperation, boosting cargo circulation along the Central Asia-Europe and China-Europe routes, and the crucial task of global market integration for these opportunities.

Key topics included ongoing projects aimed at increasing freight transport via the Middle Corridor, and strategies for offering competitive digital services to attract new cargo.

The meetings concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding cooperation.

Additionally, the ADY delegation actively participated in a roundtable with local logistics firms during their business trip.

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A major Australian broadcasting network had its YouTube channel hacked as its subscribers were suddenly exposed to AI deepfakes of Elon Musk promoting cryptocurrency scams.

According to News.com, all of Seven Network's YouTube channels were compromised on Thursday as it live-streams the same video of AI-generated Musk telling people to go to a website to deposit crypto investments.

Hacked Australian Network Channel Disguised to be Tesla's Account

All of the previous videos on the Australian network's channels have also been replaced with the same live stream while its channel profile was switched to look like the official Tesla channel.

One livestream even goes on for nearly five hours, recording over 45,000 concurrent viewers

As of writing, the livestreams have already been taken down with some of the affected channels currently inaccessible.

It remains uncertain if Seven Network has already recovered the accounts from the hackers.

The hacking incident came shortly after the same deepfakes of Musk started spreading across YouTube telling people to visit a website to deposit Ethereum, Dogecoin, or Bitcoin.

Several news outlets have already warned people not to access the advertised site as it is highly likely to be a phishing website intended to steal people's digital wallets.

Also Read : Deepfakes of Elon Musk Promote Crypto Giveaway Scams on YouTube Live

Verified Accounts Became Latest Target in Crypto Scam Hackings

The hacking on Seven Network is only the latest cyberattack incident involving crypto scams targeting verified accounts to reach and deceive more potential victims.

Earlier this week, American rapper 50 Cent warned his followers against investing in the crypto website suddenly promoted on his X (formerly Twitter) and official website.

The rapper claimed that the hackers were able to bag "$3,000,000 in 30 minutes."

My Twitter & https://t.co/iaLj5OUvRT was hacked I have no association with this Crypto. Twitter worked quickly to lock my account back down. Who ever did this made $3,000,000 in 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/I07Eqpc2xl  50cent (@50cent) June 23, 2024

Before the YouTube live streams, several verified TikTok accounts were reportedly hacked as many of its followers suddenly received suspicious messages from the accounts referring them to access a website link.

Among the affected accounts were the official pages of CNN and Paris Hilton. Both accounts were later recovered after TikTok released a fix on the exploit that apparently caused the breach.
27 June 2024 16:33 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Work is underway to sign a lasting peace agreement with Armenia, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov as he told at a briefing held after the meeting with his Georgian counterpart, Ilya Darchiashvili, in Tbilisi.

"A few days ago, Azerbaijan presented the latest draft of the peace agreement to Armenia," he said.

He mentioned that Armenia's constitution still contains a clause regarding territorial claims to Azerbaijan. This remains one of the biggest obstacles to peace. We expect Armenia to take appropriate steps in this direction.

"Positive progress has been made towards signing the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Contacts between the border delimitation commissions are also ongoing, and we expect to hear positive news in the near future," added the minister.

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27 June 2024 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov met Sunday with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Edmondo Cirielli, who is on a visit to the country, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry.

During the meeting, the sides hailed the bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy. They highlighted prospects for a multifaceted strategic partnership between the two countries in political, defense, security, economic, trade, energy, humanitarian, educational, and other fields.

FM Bayramov commended the delivery of the C-27J Spartan military transport aircraft produced by the Italian "Leonardo" company to Azerbaijan, noting that cooperation in the sphere of defense would contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries.

The parties exchanged views on the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period and the process of normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed other international and regional issues of mutual interest.

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27 June 2024 10:38 (UTC+04:00)

Fatima Latifova Read more

The meeting of the Plenum of the Constitutional Court has started.

According to Azernews, the meeting is considering the President's inquiry on the constitutionality of the dissolution of the Milli Majlis and the appointment of early elections based on the decision of the parliament dated June 21, 2024, 'On applying to the President of Azerbaijan on the appointment of early elections to the Milli Majlis.'

The relevant parties are participating in the meeting.

It should be noted that at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) held on June 20, a unanimous decision was made to recommend that the deputies representing the Milli Majlis take the initiative to appeal to the President of Azerbaijan for the dissolution of the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis and the appointment of early elections. At the plenary session of the Parliament held on June 21, the Milli Majlis appealed to the President to schedule early elections. 105 people voted in favour of the petition, and 1 person voted against it.

It should be noted that the last plenary meeting of the extraordinary session of the parliament will be held on June 28. The special session will be concluded with this final meeting. With that, the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis will conclude its work.

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27 June 2024 17:25 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelle on the occasion of the country's Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

"Dear Mr. President,

On my own behalf and behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my sincerest congratulations to you and through you, all your people on the occasion of the National Holiday of the Republic of Djibouti - Independence Day.

Relations of friendship between Azerbaijan and Djibouti are based on good traditions. Today, there are good opportunities for the development of relations between our countries both in a bilateral format and within international institutions. I believe that by taking advantage of these opportunities, we will continue our joint efforts successfully to expand our interstate relations for the benefit of our peoples.

On such a remarkable day, I wish you robust health, happiness, success in your endeavors, everlasting peace and prosperity to the friendly people of Djibouti.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 24 June 2024"

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27 June 2024 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia collaborated on a joint operation targeting drug trafficking across multiple cities and regions, Azernews repports.

In total, 24 individuals were apprehended, with significant findings reported by the MIA.

The operation, spanning Tbilisi, Adjara, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Kakheti, and Imereti, resulted in the detention of 24 individuals, including 11 drug dealers, comprising both Georgian and foreign nationals. During searches of their residences and vehicles, authorities seized substantial amounts of money, drugs, and various paraphernalia as evidence.

Furthermore, authorities confiscated weapons and ammunition from three individuals arrested on drug-related charges. An investigation has been initiated into illegal drug acquisition, possession, and attempts to smuggle them into Georgia.

Those detained are facing potential sentences of up to 20 years or life imprisonment pending further legal proceedings.

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27 June 2024 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Nazrin Abdul Read more

The Investment Project Implementation Center of Tajikistan's Ministry of Industry and New Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FLSmidth, a multinational headquartered in Denmark, Azernews reports.

According to Tajikistan's ministry, the memorandum was formalized during a meeting between Minister Sherali Kabir and FLSmidth's leadership represented by Peter Flanagan. Discussions centered on identifying key areas for collaboration in the mining sector and outlining joint project initiatives. Tajikistan, with 93 percent of its terrain consisting of mountainous regions rich in minerals like lithium, copper, and antimony, featured prominently in the talks.

The memorandum outlines plans for a Joint Plan and the establishment of a Working Group between the parties. FLSmidth, known for its expertise in technology and equipment for mining, beneficiation, and cement industries, will play a crucial role in these developments.

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27 June 2024 21:18 (UTC+04:00)

25 June marked a significant milestone in Turkiye's legislative landscape as Google, represented by a high-level delegation, participated in the Digital Media Commission's session on Digital Copyright Law.

Huseyin Yayman, Chairman of the Digital Media Commission, set the stage for the unprecedented meeting, stressing the importance of uniform standards and asserting, "Just as in European norms, news must be subject to copyright."

Duygu Yucesoy, Manager of Google's Government Relations and Public Policy Unit, expressed readiness to engage with all stakeholders. Tolga Sobac, Head of Google Advertising and Marketing Government Relations, pledged full compliance with regulations enacted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Chairman Yayman opened the 8th Meeting of the 28th Legislative Term, welcoming Google's involvement in discussions crucial to the media industry. He highlighted previous consultations with experts and stakeholders and underscored the challenges of intellectual property misuse impacting corporate revenues.

"In line with European standards, news must be copyrighted," Yayman emphasized, advocating consensus-building with Google and other search engines. He addressed digital media issues, citing platforms like TikTok and urging stricter content controls to align with societal values.

Discussions extended to artificial intelligence and its regulatory implications, with plans for a commission to navigate Turkiye's digital landscape.

Google's participation included senior executives led by Tolga Sobac, alongside legal representatives like Gonenc Gurkaynak and copyright expert Adrian Timar.

"We are prepared to engage with all stakeholders," affirmed Duygu Yucesoy during the presentation, emphasising dialogue and consultation.

Tolga Sobac reiterated Google's commitment: "As Google, we respect and will comply with Turkish Grand National Assembly regulations."

Adrienn Timar presented global examples of copyright frameworks, highlighting regional variations in Canada and Austria.

Gunenc Gurkaynak addressed Google's approach to market-specific copyright practices, pledging adherence to legal frameworks formulated by Turkish authorities.

Chairman Yayman concluded, reflecting Google's commitment to legislative cooperation: "Formulate the legal framework, and we will adhere. We are aligned on this matter and agree on the enactment of legislation."

The Digital Media Commission's session concluded with a unified commitment towards shaping Turkiye's digital future and ensuring robust copyright protections.

This news piece encapsulates the key discussions and commitments made during Google's participation at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, emphasizing their role in advancing digital copyright legislation in Turkiye.

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27 June 2024 18:10 (UTC+04:00)

By News Centre

In May 2024, 75,474 tourists visited Turkiye from Azerbaijan, marking a 30.39 percent increase compared to May 2023.

Azerbaijani citizens accounted for 1.47 percent of all foreigners visiting Turkiye during this period.

From January to May 2024, 334,215 people travelled to Turkiye from Azerbaijan, reflecting a 31.64 percent decrease from the corresponding period last year.

Azerbaijani citizens constituted 2.12 percent of all foreign visitors to Turkiye from January to May 2024.

According to the Ministry's data, Turkiye welcomed 5,130,119 tourists in May 2024, which is a 14 percent increase from May of the previous year.

From January to May 2024, Turkiye hosted 15,784,213 tourists, showing a 12.47 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Turkiye is a popular tourist destination known for its rich history, diverse landscapes, and vibrant cultural experiences. Tourists from Azerbaijan form a significant portion of Turkiye's inbound tourism.

Similarly, Turkiye is a favoured destination for Azerbaijani tourists seeking cultural, recreational, and historical experiences. The close geographical proximity and cultural familiarity make Turkiye an attractive choice.

Tourism between Azerbaijan and Turkiye is characterised by cultural affinity, ease of travel, and mutual tourism promotion efforts aimed at fostering robust bilateral relations and enhancing visitor experiences.

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27 June 2024 18:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Polish authorities plan to allocate about 50 billion zlotys (about $12.5 billion) by 2034 for the construction of shelters in private homes, as well as underground infrastructure in hospitals of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, Azernews reports.

According to the document, the agency is preparing finances for "subsidizing the construction, modernization or reconstruction, maintenance of protective structures, as well as the creation of a sustainable infrastructure designed for the needs of civil defense, including ensuring uninterrupted water supply, energy supply with the possibility of its generation in a distributed system."

In addition, it provides for "the construction of underground medical and technical infrastructure in healthcare institutions, the founders of which are the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense."

Operating rooms, intensive care units and wards will be equipped underground, the publication claims.

According to the Polish fire Protection Service for 2023, the total number of shelters in the country exceeded 300 thousand, most of which were inoperable. They are designed to accommodate approximately 1.1 million people at the same time.

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27 June 2024 22:47 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Republic of Korea has decided to impose sanctions against five organizations, four ships and eight individuals due to the ongoing arms trade between the Russian Federation and the DPRK, Azernews reports.

The ministry noted that the strengthening of military and economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the DPRK as a result of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement poses a threat to the interests of the national security of the Republic of Korea.

"Therefore, it was decided to impose sanctions on July 1 against five organizations, four ships and eight individuals from Russia, North Korea and third countries in connection with illegal actions related to the transportation of weapons between Russia and the North, oil supplies and the development of nuclear weapons and missiles," the statement said.

The five organizations included Transmorflot (Russia), M Leasing (Russia), IBEX Shipping (Cyprus), Euromarket (South Ossetia) and the DPRK Missile Control. All four vessels are named Russian: Patriot, Neptun, Bella, Bogatyr. Eight individuals are citizens of the DPRK.

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(Photo : Cristina Gottardi)

A West Virginia couple who were accused of enslaving five adopted Black children is set to face trial later this year after a judge revoked their bond on multiple civil rights violations, MetroNews initially reported.

The Initial Discovery of The Five Adopted Black Children

Donald Ray Lantz, 63, and Jeanne Kay Whitefeather, 62, were first arrested by local law enforcement in October following a call to a Sissonville residence, expressing concerns about the welfare of the children, the indictmenthighlighted.

Deputies from the sheriff's office entered a shed adjacent to the house, where they found a teenage boy and girl who had not been given enough food or proper hygiene care, locked inside a room without running water or bathroom amenities.

According to a criminal complaint, deputies also discovered a 9-year-old girl crying in a loft in the main house alone, approximately 15 feet above the ground, without any safety measures against falling. The fourth child, an 11-year-old Black boy, was with Lantz when he returned from their wellness check, while the last child, a 6-year-old Black girl, was with Whitefeather, whom deputies located to be staying with acquaintances from their church.

The children were placed in the care of Child Protective Services after the couple was arrested.

READ ALSO: South Texas Border Couple Sentenced for Smuggling an Immigrant, Benefiting from Forced Free Labor

Not Guilty Plea Despite Having Eyewitnesses

Mark Hughes, Whitefeather's brother, claimed that the Sissonville residence was in the middle of relocation to a larger home in Beckley during a bond hearing reported by WCHS-TV in October. While Mark Plants, Whitefeather's attorney, described the shed as a teenage clubhouse with a key inside.

However, Deputy H.K. Burdette portrayed a different story, saying he had to forcibly enter the barn as the teenage girl inside said she could not open it. Deputies found the girl and her brother in dirty clothes, exhibiting body odor, who claimed they were routinely locked in the shed for extended periods and were not allowed inside the house. The boy was also barefoot with apparent sores on his feet, as Burdette described.

Judge Revoking Bond on Charges

Despite facing multiple charges of human trafficking, forced labor, and child neglect posing a risk of bodily injury or death, the West Virginia couple pleaded not guilty to these allegations.

Judge Maryclaire Akers, who characterized the case as one of the most egregious indictments she has encountered during her tenure, consequently raised the current bond to $500,000 for each defendant, believing it was inadequate.

Kanawha County prosecutors argued that the money used for Lantz and Whitefeather's cash bonds was considered contraband, which is directly or indirectly associated with violating human trafficking laws.

The Kanawha County Circuit Court Clerk's office is retaining the money that the West Virginia couple posted in February. Judge Akers believes it should be placed in a trust to benefit the minor victims involved in the case.

The couple will face trial on September 9 after being charged with 16 counts each, which include felonies such as civil rights violations, human trafficking, forced labor, gross child neglect, and falsifying a public defender's application.

RELATED ARTICLE: Indian-American Couple Jailed for Exploiting Cousin, Threatened with Physical, Mental Abuse to Overwork with Minimal Pay

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
27 June 2024 23:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Alimat Aliyeva

In South Africa, home to most of the world's rhino populations, scientists have taken an innovative step in the fight against poaching. They injected radioactive material into the horns of live rhinos to make it easier to detect them at border posts, Azernews reports.

This advanced project, designed to reduce illegal rhino trapping, is aimed at reducing demand for horns in Asia, where they are used in traditional medicine.

James Larkin, director of the Department of Radiation and Medical Physics at the University of the Witwatersrand, who led the initiative, told the media that he injected "two tiny radioactive chips into the horn" of one of the rhinos. According to Larkin, the radioactive material "will render the horn useless and practically poisonous for human consumption."

Professor Nitaya Chetti, dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the same university, added that the dose of radioactive material is so small that it will have no effect on animal health or the environment.

Despite the government's efforts to combat the illegal trade, in February, South Africa's Ministry of Environment reported that 499 rhinos were killed in 2023, an 11 percent increase over 2022.

As part of the Rhisotope pilot project, twenty live rhinos will receive a dose of radioactive material sufficient to trigger detectors at international border posts established to prevent nuclear terrorism.

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(Photo : Unsplash/ Brooke Cagle )

As remote work changes today's work landscape, we cannot deny that it is not for everyone.

Research says that employees with a strong need for social connection are especially susceptible to feelings of loneliness, which can lead to poorer performance, decreased job satisfaction, and higher rates of burnout when working remotely. Microsoft's findings from 2022 also revealed that over half of workers feel increased isolation and reduced connection with colleagues due to remote work transitions and are more inclined to leave their jobs.

However, as much as employees hate this new standard setup, they should still adhere to what their companies mandate and expect. Instead of fretting over the situation, learn from some workers who changed their mindset and turned remote work into something they love looking forward to every day.

Hotels Have The Best Ambiance

Mitchell Hochberg, president of Lightstone, which develops several Moxy properties across New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles, notes that people nowadays are increasingly traveling solo and seeking places where they can work comfortably during the day without feeling isolated. The Moxy Hotel, located in the fashionable Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg, exemplifies a trend where newer hotels serve as quasi-community hubs, a third place for millennials to be perceived as a public square and social hub, Hochberg asserts.

READ ALSO: Hot-Desking: The Modern Office's Pros and Cons

Chris Dong, a travel writer who values the flexibility of remote work, enjoys working from various locations, whether cocooned in a hammock while on the phone or typing away on a wobbly airplane tray table at 35,000 feet. While Dong's office can be anywhere with semi-usable WiFi or minimal cell service, hotel lobbies will always be his preferred workspace.

Hotel lobbies are becoming popular as ideal locations for remote work, given their comfort, convenience, and professional atmosphere. These spaces provide comfortable seating, complimentary WiFi, and readily accessible power outlets, catering to the essential needs of remote workers. The ambiance is also carefully crafted to be inviting and tranquil, typically quieter than cafes and conducive to maintaining focus.

Working from hotels comes with guidelines similar to outdoor cafes, too, which are typically expected to be purchased before settling down. While not an everyday practice due to costs, it is a convenient option for Dong that encourages indirect interactions, whether buying a cup of coffee or simply sitting down. Dong enjoys soaking in the travel experience they provide, even if he is just a short distance from home.

Working from a Child-Friendly Scenery

Young professionals in Toronto are also choosing to work from a local Chuck E. Cheese to break up their routine of meetings and memos with pizza and arcade games when Aryeh Bookbinder, a 25-year-old tech and artificial intelligence worker, aimed to evoke 1990s nostalgia from Chuck E. Cheese's peak popularity.

While the staff initially seemed uncertain about his intentions, they allowed him to proceed as long as he was not disturbing anyone and was a paying customer.

Bookbinder's solo visit at the Chuck E. Cheese location proved to be a success. There, he discovered a highly conducive work environment with excellent WiFi, free from the usual distractions of noisy children and flashing arcade games during school hours. Impressed by his experience, Bookbinder, who operates the guided-tour site Liminal Assembly, decided to promote Sheppard Avenue's party hub as his official office space.

Bookbinder was accompanied by a diverse group of 20 Gen Z and millennial professionals on the last Monday of April. Each participant paid $45, which covered the costs of pizza, coffee, and the humorous rental of a school bus that transported them from a common meeting point to the Chuck E. Cheese location.

One participant noted that the unusual combination of working alongside other focused strangers in a child-friendly environment boosted her productivity. She attributed her successful workday to the refreshing change of scenery that brought back memories of childhood.

RELATED ARTICLE: Active Workstation Might Help You Become Productive and Mentally Sharp, Study Finds

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A human smuggling operation connected to the Muslim terrorist group ISIS-K has brought 400 illegal aliens into the US in recent months across Biden's open borders. Belatedly, DHS has started looking for them and at least 50 are still at large in the US at unknown locations. ISIS-K is the terrorist group responsible for the Moscow theater bombing and shootings earlier this year.

Half of ISIS-K's fighters come from the small Muslim country of Tajikistan. In the 14 years up to Biden's presidency, a total of 26 Tajiks are known to have entered the US, but since Biden became president, 1,500 of them have arrived. The eight illegal aliens recently arrested after caught on wiretaps discussing bombings were all Tajiks.

Even Obama's Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement says that there is currently insufficient vetting at the border under Biden, and cited these ISIS connected migrants getting in as an example.

https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2024/06/26/democrats-have-aided-an-invasion-of-illegal-immigrants-linked-to-isis-who-will-hold-them-accountable-n2175987

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-dhs-reveals-50-migrants-still-at-large-isis-affiliated-smuggling-network

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/06/26/fmr-obama-ice-director-migrants-coming-with-isis-linked-smuggling-group-show-we-have-insufficient-vetting/

Read more about crimes being committed by illegal aliens on both sides of the Atlantic here:

https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/78910/illegal-alien-migrants-behaving-badly-migrants-and-crime-newly-updated.html

In woke Germany, insulting an illegal alien gang rapist gets more jail time than the rapists themselves get for the actual gang rape. When a gang of ten illegal aliens gang raped a 15-year old German girl, they were all given probation, but not so a 20-year old German woman who sent a text message to one of the gang rapists that he was "a dishonorable rapist pig" and a "disgusting miscarriage". She was given jail time for "hate speech". In this woke court system, insulting a rapist is worse to the judges than gang raping a young girl.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/germany-hate-speech-punished-harsher-than-gang-rape/
The Beaufort County School System has approximately 50 million dollars available to finance a building program. The problem is, they dont have a building program. Allow me to explain.

The first step in a sound and effective building program is a solid assessment of the current facilities you have and what your facilities needs in the current environment are and what will they be like in the immediate future. Such an assessment is both an educational exercise and an engineering exercise. Each is best conducted by specialists in each field. The first part of facilities assessment is to have an architectural/engineering study done to identify needs. In this case, the needs of the adjoining attendance areas (Bath and Chocowinity) should be identified. This has not been done, to date.

Everything should be put on hold until the existing facilities in the Washington Attendance Area and Chocowinity as well as Bath can be examined from a data-driven perspective. Such a study should be done by competent architects, engineers and construction experts. Such an assessment should project the needs of the existing school facilities for the next 15-30 years. What is the condition of the roofs? To what extent does each facility meet the facility standards developed by the N. C. Department of Public Instruction? What is the current condition of the HVAC systems in each school? How efficient (timewise and costs) are the existing busing patterns and could they be made more efficient to reduce costs and time on bus for students? There is more that would be learned in a good facilities study, but you get the general idea from this.

Next, a student demographic study should be done. An absolute essential part of a sound demographic study is that the potentially impacted attendance areas (in this case, Washington, Bath and Chocowinity) should have a Student Locator map/model produced. This is a technological exercise that maps where each student lives. It allows for various scenarios being developed that will reveal the most efficient busing patterns. It would also identify where student growth and decline will take place.

Most importantly, a quality demographic study projects where students will live, at a minimum of 13 years hence and in some cases longer. This is done quite efficiently using the Cohort Survival method of how the patterns change as students progress through the system. A good demographic study is the backbone of developing the most efficient utilization of each facility. It is indispensable in developing alternative grade configurations that may be more efficient and effective. One thing that can be said for certainty is that the current busing patterns in the Washington and Chocowinity Attendance Areas are not at all efficient. This is true simply because of the construction of the U. S. 17 bypass and should also factor in the impact of the proposed interstate connector between Greenville and U.S. 17 parallel to U. S. 264.

The Washington Attendance Area, as presently configured, is experiencing declining enrollment, but not evenly across thirteen grades. That is why a cohort survival system is so important. A relatively unique aspect is the fact that the Washington Attendance Area is between the highest growth area (Chocowinity) and second highest potential growth area (Bath) and common sense dictates an examination of reconfiguring those attendance areas to balance student populations with existing facilities. To do that one must examine all of the schools in all three attendance areas, with special attention to declining and growth areas.

If any analysis of the demographics has been done, it has not been shared with the public. That is unconscionable.

An example of what we are talking about in this simple fact. A huge HVAC system was recently installed at Eastern Elementary School. Now they are talking about demolishing that school! The burden should be put on the current administration to explain how something like that could been done.

That raises another planning issue. We are told that Eastern needs to be replaced by the new school. Yet to our knowledge there has not been a competent engineering study done of the existing Eastern facility. Such a study would show what is deficient and offer projected costs to remedy. Thus, an informed decision could be made by the School Board that examines the efficacy of replacing the entire facility compared to correcting the deficiencies extant.

One reason to rebuild Eastern was offered that it is not a secure facilitythat non-students frequently wonder across the grounds and into the facility. If that is so, why would they put the new school in such an inadequate site? And it leaves the question hanging on how much it would cost to harden the existing facilities. One thing School Planning Experts know is that, all other things being equal, it is better to have schools isolated from traffic of all kinds than to put/leave a school in a neighborhood that presents growing security problems.

Moreover, the traffic patterns at the current Eastern Site are problematic. You dont have to be a planning expert to see this. Just go park nearby the school in the morning or afternoon and observe the traffic patterns. The school is literally within a couple of hundred feet of where two of the busiest roads (US. 264 and Fifteenth St.) in the county converge. No matter where you locate that school on the site, it is inadequate with reference to traffic patterns.

The proposal offered by Superintendent Cheeseman was to move (demolish and rebuild) the service facilities on the Eastern Site. (Maintenance, Technology, etc.). Is that really necessary, without data to support such a conclusion? One could argue that is pouring good money after bad. (Replacing facilities that could continue to serve a satisfactory purpose).

Finally, there has been no educational planning offered to support replacing Eastern and keeping the grade structure as is. It should be understood to assess this concept that the current Washington Attendance Area is an artifact of merger of the city and county schools. The current Washington Attendance Area was exactly what the old Washington School District was. Why do we need to keep it?

The merger of the city and county school districts was predicated on Washington remaining a standalone attendance area in the short run in order to minimize opposition to the merger. It was even written into the Merger Legislation. While that idea may have been valid ten years ago it certainly is no longer a solid reason to leave the attendance area the same as before merger when one of the reasons for merger was to ameliorate the effects of declining enrollment.

What we have witnessed is exactly what the Merger Planning Committee knewthat declining enrollment would have to be dealt with down the road. Yet, the Cheeseman Proposal ignores this imperative. Now is the time to look at the Washington Attendance Area, along with Chocowinity and Bath, before any more capacity is located in the Washington Attendance Area. One does not have to have a demographic study to see that the greater facility need may indeed be in the Chocowinity area than at a renovated Eastern site.

All of this is rooted in facility planning. What it does not include is the educational needs of these schools and their students. The first and most important need is to look at maximum school size. Is 1000 students too large for a K-3 school? Why not make the elementary school(s) in all of the western part of the county K-5, or even K-8 and use the two schools off Market Street as the hub of a K-8 or K-5 configuration? We dont pretend to know the answers to that. But what we do know is that the planning has been deficient in failing to consider revising the grade structure to shorten bus rides and keep students from shifting from school to school in their elementary years. As is, we will make a prediction: The current model will result in overcrowding and underutilization down the road.

It is at this point that we will point to what we consider to be the most glaring deficiency in Dr. Cheesmans planthe absence of education programmatic planning. How do the faculty and staff perceive the needs? How adequate are the existing facilities and how adequately would they possibly meet evolving future needs? Teachers need to be involved in facility planning and it is the duty of the designers of facility planning to provide for educator input!

All of this comes down to one logical conclusion: The School Board needs to send this project back for better data-based planning!

*******

The author is a retired educator with over forty years of experience in the public schools of Eastern North Carolina. He served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal before becoming Superintendent of Greenville City Schools and retired from the School of Education at East Carolina University, where he was Director of the Rural Education Institute. While in that role he was the Lead Investigator/Facilitator in over a dozen school system merger studies, including the Beaufort/Washington merger. He taught School Planning for over twelve years and did numerous facilities studies in multiple school systems in Eastern North Carolina.
The Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Surgery Center was hit with a data breach affecting current and former employees and patients.

On Nov. 3, the ASC detected unusual activity in an employee's email account, according to a June 26 press release.

The ASC took steps to secure the account and engaged a digital forensics team to conduct an investigation that determined certain files stored within email accounts were accessed between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3.

Potentially affected information includes individuals' names, Social Security numbers, driver's license or state identification numbers, dates of birth, medical information, including diagnosis information, treatment information, and prescription information, and health insurance information, including claim information and health insurance ID numbers and financial account information.
A former emergency department physician at Port Angeles, Wash.-based Olympic Medical Center was sentenced to 364 days in jail for the sexual assault of six patients, Radio Pacific reported June 25.

Josiah Hill, MD, sexually assaulted six women over the course of 18 months while serving as their attending physician at the center, according to the report.

Dr. Hill was arrested in July 2022 and had his license was suspended shortly after. He was originally charged with multiple felony offenses, but the charges were amended as a part of a plea agreement.
Noncompete clauses have been a divisive issue in healthcare, particularly since the Federal Trade Commission voted to ban the practice earlier this year.

Here are three leaders' thoughts on the state of noncompete clauses in 2024:

Eric Anderson, MD. Interventional Pain Management Physician (Lewisville, Texas): I am on the side against banning noncompetes, especially how the current one is written. My argument as a small business owner is that noncompetes serve companies by protecting our confidential internal information and encourages us to invest in our workforce, knowing our employees wont just pack up and leave.

Marsha Haley, MD. Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh. Noncompetes were more important when physician private practices were the norm. The purpose was to prevent a physician from opening another nearby practice to directly compete with the original practice. Now that most physicians are employed by large health systems, we need to rethink the concept of noncompetes. Many large health systems have a footprint that expands several states. If a physician is let go or leaves the practice, this requires the physician to move a long distance to meet the noncompete clause. Given the size and vertical integration of health systems, they are in no danger of losing a significant number of patients to the departing physician. The physician, however, is now required to move a great distance away from children's schools and extended family to make a living.

To make noncompetes more fair and applicable to the current medical environment, they could potentially be tailored to smaller private practices but not be applicable to large health systems or private equity companies.

Thomas Pliura, MD. Physician and Attorney in Le Roy, Ill. Virtually all of those doctors are coerced into signing binding noncompete provisions that prohibit these physicians from leaving the employment status to go back to the private practice of medicine. These physicians are led to believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but when they go into an employed setting, that is not always true. But they are handcuffed by these restrictive noncompetes. I hold the opinion that one of the worst things for the public is noncompete clauses. The FTC is looking closely at this subject, and maybe they will pass federal legislation to prevent the use of noncompete provisions in healthcare. They create artificial shortages in medicine. They create monopolies in medicine. They are not in the best interest of patients or the public.
Stamford (Conn.) Hospital's corporate parent, Stamford Health, has signed a lease for a 65,667-square-foot medical office building, according to a June 26 report from the Stamford Advocate.

The lease more than doubles the hospital's presence in that part of Stamford, according to the report. The system has 46,392 square feet of nearby space leased from another company.

The new facility is expected to open in phases, with the first 30,000 square feet opening in late 2025. The new space will expand Stamford's ambulatory care network.
From 2022 to 2023, median total compensation for registered nurses fell 3.32%, though nurses still saw compensation increase over the past decade, according to a June 26 report from the Medical Group Management Association.

The "MGMA Datadive Management and Staff Compensation Data Report" is based on 2023 survey data from more than 171,000 management and staff positions. Insights from the report are meant to serve as a baseline for organizations to "benchmark salaries and wages for some of the most highly sought after roles in today's medical practices."

In 2023, RN median pay hovered just below $80,000, marking a 3.32% fall from the previous year.

Three more nurse pay trends to know, per the report:
Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medicine experiences an estimated 500,000 hacking attempts daily, from robocalls to more elaborate schemes, MLive reported.

While most of the cyberattack tries are simple and easy to deflect, about 60 to 80 a day are "highly sophisticated," Michigan Medicine CEO Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, told the news outlet.

"It's not if you get attacked, it's when," he said in the June 26 story. "We've made great advancements in understanding diseases like diabetes by studying very large populations. For all the great things that resulted from the digitization from all we do, it's resulted in these massive, connected databases ... It opens the potential door, or another route, to attack health records."

Michigan Medicine has taken steps to prevent cyberattacks, including teaming up with Southfield, Mich.-based Beaumont Health and Traverse City, Mich.-based Munson Healthcare in 2018 to create the Michigan Healthcare Security Operations Center, according to the story. The academic system has also trained staff on how not to fall for "phishing" schemes; employees went from failing about 20% of phishing tests to doing so in "very rare occurrences," Dr. Runge said.

The health system also regularly screens for irregularities in its network that could indicate a hack, has "white hat" hackers try to find cyber vulnerabilities, and stores data in the cloud as a backup in case of a cyberattack, the publication reported.
Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health plans to pay $100,000 annually for five years for the naming rights to a local amphitheater, the Sun-Gazette reported.

The Zumwalt Park Amphitheater would be named after the health system under a deal presented to the Tulare (Calif.) City Council on June 18, according to the June 20 story. Adventist Health would also provide on-site healthcare services including a defibrillator and staff at the 6,000-capacity concert and festival venue. The $12 million amphitheater is set to open in the fall.

"We are proud and excited to support the city of Tulare and this beautiful amphitheater at Zumwalt Park. It's part of Adventist Health's commitment to the well-being of this community, and we envision this amphitheater as a place for families to gather and enjoy a concert in the years to come," a health system spokesperson told Becker's. "We also believe in preventative medicine and are working closely with city leadership to develop well-being and health programming events at the park."

The agreement also includes the construction of an electronic billboard and "wayfinding" signs to direct visitors to the venue, the newspaper reported. The deal could take another month or two to finalize.
On June 25, the U.S Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, rightly declared gun violence a public health threat. Every day 117 Americans lose their lives to gunshot wounds, which are also the number one killer of children and adolescents, surpassing car accidents. With more guns than people in the U.S., this is an epidemic that is not waning.

At Hackensack Meridian Health, we agree with Dr. Murthy; we must address gun violence as a public health problem, not a political one. We need to embrace evidence-based solutions, robust public awareness campaigns and create cultural shifts. We owe it to our children and the countless families that are being destroyed every day to take action, starting at the bedside in emergency rooms.

Our New Jersey-based health network has aided 700 people over the last three years through Project HEAL (Help, Empower, and Lead) and our Trauma Injury and Prevention program. In addition to acute care, our teams provide counseling, intensive case management, job training, support navigating the legal system and other wraparound services to patients who present with violent injuries. The surgeon general noted that change could emanate from healthcare settings and at Hackensack Meridian our program and similar efforts nationally are proof that hospitals are a vital part of the solution.

There is not a one-sized-fits-all approach to addressing the unique needs of our patients. One man was shot five times in a Jersey shore town in front of his son, the victim of a love triangle gone bad. The victim didn't even know the man who left a bullet in his thigh. The program provided counseling and support for the man to obtain his commercial driver's license. For another patient, we purchased a bus ticket from Asbury Park, N.J. to Asheville, N.C. to help him avoid a retaliatory gang shooting and start a new life.

The cyclical nature of violence compounds this crisis. Studies show that up to 40% of those who present to the hospital with a violent injury return with another within five years. Even more alarming, up to 20% of these patients die from another violent injury in that same timeframe.

And remember, while 117 Americans die every day, another 200 on average visit emergency rooms for nonfatal firearm injuries and must endure lifelong consequences of those injuries. This epidemic is especially pronounced in communities of color. Young Black men and teens made up more than one-third of firearm homicide victims, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is also important to note that while gun violence conversations tend to focus on homicides, nearly six out of every 10 gun death in the U.S. are suicides. Health systems throughout the US also need to work diligently to address our mental health crisis by expanding access and better coordinating care and innovating treatment.

Our commitment to treating violence as a public health issue is part of a broader strategy to not only take into account patients' medical records but to consider other aspects of their lives to provide quality healthcare. Up to 80 percent of the factors that impact health are non-medical including stable housing, access to healthy food and transportation and personal safety. In the last two years, Hackensack Meridian has screened 1.5 million people for social determinants of health and provided 4.3 million referrals for community-based services our patients may not even know exist.

As a nation, we know public health campaigns can save lives. Each year, seat belts save more than 15,000 people. In 1964, when Congress ordered health warnings to appear on cigarette packs about 42 percent of Americans smoked. By 2021, the percentage had dropped to 11.5 percent. Let us be clear - our focus is on public health and safety so that we can see measurable progress against this epidemic.

The impact of violence  of the empty chair at the dinner table where a loved one used to sit  reminds us why we must intervene. Together, we can create a nationwide network of healthcare providers committed to treating violence as the public health emergency it is. Our communities deserve nothing less.

Robert C. Garrett, is CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey's largest health system.

Aakash Shah, MD, is medical director at Project HEAL and chief of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Miami-based Jackson Memorial Hospital has reduced its hospital acquired infections by 40% in about nine months with two changes.

The system implemented two new processes: line rounds and "ticket to test."

"The first step was eliminating any tubes or lines that are unnecessary," Hany Atallah, MD, chief medical officer at the hospital, told Becker's. "The second part involves nursing care: taking good care of the lines we have, questioning physicians about the necessity of a tube or line and determining when it can come out."

Line rounds have reduced the use of unnecessary tubes and lines, which are potential sources for infection. This method has had the biggest impact on preventing HAIs, Dr. Atallah said.

The "ticket to test" process is designed to ensure there is a reason behind each culture test ordered. Orders must meet certain criteria and in many cases are discussed between physicians and nurses. In some cases, the tests are canceled upon reconsideration but if there is a disagreement, the test is escalated to a physician leader to review.

"This process has helped eliminate unnecessary cultures that sometimes catch incidental infections," Dr. Atallah said. "It's also helped us be good stewards of our resources."

Both efforts began about nine months ago and have resulted in a 40% reduction in HAIs across the board, "and some infections show even higher reduction," Dr. Atallah said. "This collaborative effort, although time-consuming, is well worth it as it significantly benefits our patients."

There was some hesitancy among physicians when implementing these changes, though Dr. Atallah said the patient outcomes have mitigated those concerns.

"Initially, we heard concerns from physicians who felt we were limiting their ability to order cultures," he said. "We clarified that this system is not meant to inhibit ordering cultures but to ensure thoughtful consideration before doing so. The same applies to line rounds, where we assess whether a patient truly needs a line or tube. The results speak for themselves."
Hospitals in Nevada have the highest patient experience scores of any state, according to a June 26 report from Press Ganey.

Press Ganey analyzed patient experience data on 6.5 million patient encounters from more than 2,000 health systems and 490,000 medical office sites nationwide.

Overall, hospitals' patient experience performance is improving, but still below prepandemic levels. In the first quarter of this year, 69.3% of inpatients said they were likely to recommend their hospital. This tally is up from 68% in 2022, but still down from 72.3% in 2019. In contrast, "likelihood to recommend" scores were at a five-year high for ambulatory surgery centers (85.3%) and medical practices (84.1%).

Even in institutions where patient experience is improving, Press Ganey found variation within specific units or departments, suggesting inconsistencies with unit-level experience work. Patient experience inequities were also evident in inpatient settings, with underrepresented populations reporting significantly lower perceptions of empathy, personalization and service recovery.

The 10 top states for patient experience in hospitals, per Press Ganey:

Note: The list includes ties and results in a numerical listing of 8.

1. Nevada  78.5% likelihood to recommend score

2. North Carolina 74.9%

3. New Mexico 74.5%

4. Ohio 74.2%

5. Arkansas 74%

Washington 74%

6. South Dakota 73.9%

7. Alabama 73.3%

8. New York 73.2%

Utah 73.2%



View the full report here.
Wilmington, Del.-based Center for Interventional Pain and Spine, a medical group with 11 offices in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania, has been accused of billing the government for unnecessary patient testing, according to a June 26 report from PBS affiliate WHYY.

A lawsuit filed by the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware has accused the center of participating in a "scheme to illegally profit" from Medicare and Medicaid programs.

CIPS and Chee Woo, MD, its president at the time, allegedly were paid millions between 2018 and 2021 through thousands of violations of the False Claims Act.

Patients at the clinic allegedly had to submit urine samples for drug testing every three months, regardless of whether the evaluation was medically necessary. Additionally, thousands of patients allegedly also filled out psychological and neurological questionnaires with no medical reasoning or followup.

The lawsuit accuses Dr. Woo of developing the scheme to earn additional profits and enrich his company, buying expensive equipment to evaluate patient drug tests in house instead of sending them out for analysis.

According to the lawsuit, Dr. Woo and other facility physicians "routinely failed to perform any risk assessment prior to ordering" the drug screens, and notes in patients' medical records often did not contain any "documentation of medical necessity" for the testing.

The lawsuit seeks repayment to the government plus interest and penalties, and for CIPS to cover the cost of investigating and prosecuting the case.

Ronald Chapman, Dr. Woo's attorney, told WHYY the company plans to contest the lawsuit and will file a dismissal motion.

"Our position and the position of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians is that you should determine what risk a patient might have, and then urine drug test them appropriately according to that risk, and that's exactly what the practice did. Unfortunately, Medicare and other insurance guidance in this arena has shifted heavily over time and it's been incredibly vague,"Mr. Chapman said. "This practice provides pain management to a large amount of the population in Delaware and other states because of its size, and they're a vital service for folks in debilitating pain."
From left, Jack McGarry of The Dead Rabbit with Oisin McEvoy and Ryan Crown of Neighbourhood Cafe

A well-known coffee shop in Belfast city centre is opening its first US location next month in a tie-in with an Irish bar founded by two men from the city.

Neighbourhood Cafe in Cathedral Quarter is opening in Austin, Texas next to a new venue from The Dead Rabbit  the famed Irish bar in New York founded by Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry.

Cafe founders Oisin McEvoy and Ryan Crown said the move marked a significant partnership between the brands.

Neighbourhood started life in Belfast's Old Cathedral Building, but following a devastating fire on the site, relocated to a spot in Hill Street formerly occupied by restaurant Hadskis. Its now on the move again to another location in Donegall Street in Cathedral Quarter.

Mr McEvoy is to source single-origin coffee from San Francisco-based Andytown Coffee for both the cafe and the bar, while it will also serve the Belfast cafes well-known brunch dishes and drinks.

Neighbourhood is also to host monthly programming and special events in the evening.

Mr McEvoy said: We are thrilled with the opportunity to introduce Neighbourhood Cafe to Austin and partner with The Dead Rabbit.

"This is a significant milestone for us, and we look forward to sharing our passion for great food and coffee with the Austin community.

Mr Crown, whos also co-owner of Crown Creative, responsible for the design direction of both brands, said: We are delighted to see this partnership come to fruition. Neighbourhood Cafe and The Dead Rabbit share a common set of values, intentions, and dedication, centred around championing modern Ireland.

"We are excited to dovetail the efforts of both brands and explore what the future holds as they each grow further in the US."

Jack McGarry, managing partner of The Dead Rabbit, said: "In all that we do, we first look to Ireland for brands, partners, and artisans to champion. Its a natural next step for us to partner with, and celebrate, Neighbourhood Cafe, a Belfast-based business that excels in the coffee space.

"Their commitment to excellence aligns with our own, and we are delighted to collaborate as we expand our footprint in the US."

His co-founder Sean Muldoon left The Dead Rabbit business two years ago.
Energystore has acquired a majority share in award-winning Scottish specialist flooring contractor Advanced Traditional Screeding (ATS) for an undisclosed sum

Headquartered in Holywood, Co Down, energystore designs, manufactures and installs insulation systems for floors, walls and roofs and is the leading supplier of high-performance EPS bead insulation products to the UK and Irish construction industry.

Fife-based ATS was established in 2014 and works with commercial customers across Scotland and the rest of the UK on all aspects of pre-construction and construction flooring installation, with experience of all types of screeds, resins and underfloor heating systems.

ATS will continue to operate as a standalone company within the energystore group and all 17 staff will be retained.

We have known Jason and his team at ATS for a number of years and have been impressed by their work for tier one construction firms across a wide range of projects, Connor McCandless, managing director of energystore, said.

We have been looking at opportunities to grow energystores footprint across the UK and we felt that ATSs culture, values and growth ambitions were very aligned with our own. Like us, they are a company that is committed to delivering quality work and to supporting the communities they work in. We were already working together on some exciting development opportunities, so it has been an easy move to formally join forces.

Jason Lister, founder and managing director of ATS, will continue to lead the business following the acquisition.

Im really proud to be able to announce this partnership with energystore at a time when ATS has been enjoying significant growth and has a very healthy order book for the year ahead. In the most recent financial year ATS grew our turnover to a record 5m and I am confident we will increase that again this year.

As a customer and installer of energystore TLA, we know they are a company committed to innovation and sustainability. ATS now has a great opportunity to expand the range of products and services we provide to our customers as part of the energystore team. It is a very positive day for the company, our people and our customers.

Energystore, which is celebrating 50 years in business in 2024, currently operates from six locations across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, employing 90 people and supplies homeowners and commercial customers, including construction companies, new build developers and housing associations.

Last year the business launched its Emission-less Mission, a far-reaching strategy that will see energystore invest 2m across the business to reach net zero emissions from its operations by 2028.
Kilkeel-based SeaSource Offshore has expanded operations into the Bay of Biscay off the west coast of France after being awarded a contract by French energy firm Engie.

The Northern Ireland firm ago provides guard vessels as well as survey and crew vessels for offshore commercial developments including the installation of wind turbines and cable-laying on the seabed is assisting in the installation of an offshore substation to process electricity generated by wind turbines before being cabled to shore where it joins the French national grid.

SeaSource Offshore chief executive Brian Chambers says the contract is worth 9m over four years.

In the last two years we have been winning similar contracts for offshore renewable energy developers in the English Channel off the coast of France, he said.

This Yeu-Noirmoutier project which is not far from the mouth of the Loire River on the Atlantic littoral takes us further than we have ever been.

SeaSource Offshore marks its 12th year in business and recently added new vessels to its inventory brining the fleet size up to 35.

Kilkeels fishing fleet was under intense pressure following years of restrictive fishing quotas and as a collective group with help from Invest NI we created SeaSource Offshore to sweat our assets, Mr Chambers said.

The expertise of our boat owners and fishers and their knowledge of the sea and the seabed was quickly converted into a valuable asset we could shape and refine for use in the other parts of the marine economy including cable-laying and wind turbine installation.

In the last 12 years we have become a well-known marine services provider for utilities-scale developments in the Irish Sea, North Sea, English Channel and now the Atlantic.
New four-part series based on play by Bangor man due to air this year

The first images for the new BBC psychological thriller series, Dead and Buried, created by Bangor-native, Colin Bateman, have been revealed.

The four-part series was commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland and Virgin Media Television in association with All3Media International.

Filming began earlier this year, between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with the show being set on the border.

Michael (Colin Morgan)

The show sees Cathy, re-traumatised by her past after fatefully encountering Michael, who was convicted of brutally murdering her brother 20 years prior.

Ignoring her best friends advice, she takes to social media, where she finds that Michael has turned his life around with a successful career and family life after an early release from prison, all while she grieved for her brother.

Dealing with her trauma, Cathy instigates a clandestine relationship with her brothers killer, embarking on a crusade of harassment and deceit.

(L-R) Cathy (Annabel Scholey) and Colin Morgan

Dark fantasies between revenge and reality blur together as her obsession escalates, setting out on a campaign of psychological warfare to destroy Michaels life. Leading the series, Annabel Scholey, plays Cathy, who featured in the BBC dramas, The Split and The Salisbury Poisonings, and the titular character in the Paramount+ drama, The Serial Killers Wife.

Scholey expressed her enthusiasm to play a wonderfully complex character, that she was able to bring to life and take to dark places.

(L-R) Michael (Colin Morgan) and Andrew (Michael Hanna)

She credits her brilliant team, as well as working with director, Laura Way, its very exciting to be teaming up again for such a compelling story.

Co-starring alongside Scholey, Armagh film star, Colin Morgan, plays Michael, who starred in the Channel 4 drama, Humans, Merlin, and in Kenneth Branaghs Oscar-winning biopic, Belfast.

Morgan described the series as being dark, funny and compulsive, and was delighted to be working on the story created by Bateman.

Raymie (Waj Ali) and Cathy (Annabel Scholey)

I cant wait for it to hit the screens and for it to pull viewers along its twisted path.

Production began on the series in January 2024 for BBC One. Produced by Three River Fiction (Trackers) and Vico Films (Animals, The Young Offenders) with support from Screen Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and Coimisiun na Mean.

Colin Bateman, a novelist and screenwriter, whose previous works include Murphys Law and Doc Martin, Dead and Buried is an adaptation of his play Bag for Life. He also acts as the shows executive producer.

He said: It has been a fascinating journey from the original short story, to the one-woman stage show, and now expanded into an exciting four-part drama.

All four-parts will be directed by Laura Way (Maxine, Blood, The Holiday).

The series will also star Kerri Quinn (Hope Street), Waj Ali (Carnival Row), Owen Roe (Vikings), Niamh Walsh (The Sandman), Michael Hanna (Hell Have to Go), and Joanne Crawford (Blue Lights). The psychological thriller is a joint venture, commissioned by Head of Commission for BBC Northern Ireland, Eddie Doyle, and Sinead Stimpfig, Head of Commissioning & Acquisitions for Virgin Media Television.

Lena (Niamh Walsh) and Michael (Colin Morgan)

Dead and Buried is set to be released this autumn on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer.
Maggie Grace, famously kidnapped in the thriller, talks about working with the big man from Ballymena, playing the serial damsel, and filming Lost

If you were a fictional blonde woman in the Noughties who was chased, abducted, shot at or maimed, you were probably played by Maggie Grace. Between the blockbuster puzzle box series Lost, where she played rich-girl-with-regrets Shannon Rutherford, and Taken, in which she was Liam Neesons eternally kidnapped daughter.

Grace cornered the market in damsels in new-millennium distress. For a bookworm and self-described Jane Austen nerd who grew up on tales of multifaceted women deft at shaking loose the shackles of the patriarchy, this was... tricky.

I dont know if I had an essence of fragility to me, the 40-year-old says today, slowly, softly and, dare I say it, with a slight fragility to her. But that was just what was available [back then], and how we saw young women. I mostly played rape victims for a living for at least the first half of my career. She winces a bit. So its really heartening to see a lot of younger female parts now having more agency, and moving the story forward.

Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace in scene from Taken 3 (PA Photo/Fox UK)

Grace, in the last decade or so, has evolved past the women-in-peril characters, annihilating zombies in Fear the Walking Dead and battling tornados in the action movie Hurricane Heist. Her transformations become even more impressive once you speak to her  she admits to being an introvert, both before fame and very much during it, and over Zoom she has positioned her camera a bit higher than one normally might for an interview like this. It means she sits at the lower right-hand corner of the frame, her face sometimes disappearing from it entirely.

That shrinking quality is used to great effect in Graces new movie, a British psychological thriller called Blackwater Lane. She is not, at first, much of a factor in it, as the inexplicably American best friend of the inexplicably American countryside estate owner (Friday Night Lights Minka Kelly), whose inexplicably American husband (Dermot Mulroney) is convinced shes losing her mind following the disappearance of a local woman. But as the film continues, Graces character surprises you, becoming someone almost as multifaceted as the heroes Grace idolised as a child... if a little better with the kicks and punches than your average Bennet sister.

The film is quasi-Harlan Coben silliness (those accents are, tenuously, explained) with twists you can spot from a mile off. But theres something charming about it. Grace thought so, too. I liked the alienation of it and the idea of shooting in this grand house in England that certainly felt haunted, she recalls. It was a fun group.

Grace is a proud anglophile  Austen and Bronte are to blame  who first visited the UK at the age of 13. It was part of a Grace family tradition: come of age, get your passport, and visit a country of your choosing. Upon return to her native Ohio, she had adopted a full-blown, tea-and-crumpets English accent. It was incredibly embarrassing, but I was also 13, she reiterates. I just leaned really far in.

Im not surprised to hear the Lost writers room was chaotic given the mandate, and the fact that they were, you know, building the airplane in the air while they were flying it

Shes never actually played a Brit on screen, but has auditioned for British parts before. I had a very proud moment where I convinced Christopher Nolan that I was British, she laughs. I remember just living in the accent beforehand  Id walk around being British, answer the phone British.

Grace was just 20 years old when she found fame on Lost in 2004  after a few years of TV movies and guest star roles on the likes of CSI: Miami and Law & Order  but found herself insulated from the massiveness of the series. Lost was one of the biggest shows of its era, an enormously influential sci-fi series slash soap opera about the survivors of a downed plane, who find themselves stranded on a mysterious island rigged with traps, time travel, polar bears and oddballs.

I feel for the cast of, like, Twilight or anything else where [its cast] are suddenly thrust into the spotlight when you feel very ill-prepared, she says. Its a lot at that age, but I think the fact that I was the baby of the cast [helped]. They also shot the series in Hawaii, meaning we were so removed in this tiny village  it felt like this little theatre troupe. It was just before social media, which was an enormous blessing for everyones mental health. And the concept of the show being popular was just this vague, fuzzy, sort of Oh, thats nice. She laughs.

Graces time on the show was also relatively short-lived. I even stopped watching when, six episodes into season two, Shannon was mercilessly killed off, just as her relationship with Iraqi officer and tousle-haired dreamboat Sayid (Naveen Andrews) was heating up. How could they?! Since then, I have been repeatedly mocked for my insistence that Shannon was the secret heart of early Lost, but I do sort of stand by it: she was vapid at first, but Grace imbued her with enough grit and determination that it was easy to root for her, and to imagine what she could have become if the show had let her. Alas.

Liam Neeson in Taken 2

I thought they were gonna take her a little further, Grace sighs. Did she want to leave? No! she exclaims. Its still the worst heartbreak of my career. I was devastated! Did she understand why it had happened? Well, I mean, I do  [she] was sort of a caricature of white privilege before that was a phrase, you know? And maybe I was just too good at my assigned job of being incredibly annoying.

I thought maybe she would do something surprising, or have another colour [to her personality]. Maybe shed, at the last moment, redeem herself and be incredibly self-sacrificial in some way. I guess there were flashes of it, but not in the way I hoped in terms of an arc. She doesnt want to seem too critical, though. Thats a selfish actors point of view. They definitely had bigger fish to fry.

While Lost remains a big deal  its imminent arrival on US Netflix will only boost its reputation  its behind-the-scenes culture has been grappled with of late. Last year, critic and reporter Maureen Ryan published a book on abuses in Hollywood, with one chapter devoted to the Lost writers room, which was said to have been a toxic, racist work environment, described by one former writer as a predatory ecosystem with its own carnivorous megafauna. Damon Lindelof, one of Losts creators, said he was shocked and appalled by the allegations, adding that while he has no recollection of those specific things  thats not me saying that they didnt happen.

It was news to Grace, who rarely interacted with the writers  they were based in LA, while the shows cast and crew were in Hawaii. Im not surprised to hear it was chaotic given the mandate, and the fact that they were, you know, building the airplane in the air while they were flying it. But we were so insulated  there was one emissary who came to set to sort of bless the proceedings. And we didnt even get scripts [most of the time]  it was very, Heres your monologue for tomorrow. Was that frustrating? If thats their process, thats their process. But I think youd be hard pressed to find an actor who doesnt want to put a great deal of work into something and really [go] deep. You just do your best.

After Lost came Taken with Neeson, who she remembers as a goof with a completely off the wall and very dark sense of humour. She followed that up with its two sequels, a sci-fi action movie with Guy Pearce called Lockout (which she affectionately calls Space Jail), Fear the Walking Dead, and a number of indies.

If shes working a bit less than she used to, its because shes a mum now. Blackwater Lane was perfect because it felt like a holiday: she filmed it in the countryside near Norwich, and brought over her parents, her husband and her young son. There was an attempt to recreate some of the wonderment she had first experienced at 13, but she admits taking a two-year-old for high tea was ill-advised. I dont know if youve had any interaction with young children, she asks me, but I dont think Ive slept in four years.

Its not ideal. Probably beats being kidnapped again, though.

Blackwater Lane is in select cinemas and available on demand in the US, and is awaiting UK release
The Arcadia Dragonfly is made with a former RAF helicopter (Tom Leese/PA)

Despite some grieving the loss of Glastonbury Festivals famous Arcadia spider, fans say they are ready to have their minds blown by a new fire-belching dragonfly installation.

Arcadia has been a key destination for late-night dance music at Worthy Farms showpiece in Somerset for well over a decade, first appearing in 2007 before cementing a permanent fixture in one corner of the festival in 2014.

For most of that time, barring the installation of a giant crane called Pangea in 2019, Arcadia DJs have performed into the early hours in the Spider  a giant metal arachnid which allows fans to gather beneath the artist and is surrounded by a dance lighting system and pyrotechnics which belch flames into the sky over the farm.

This year, the spider has been replaced with the Dragonfly, a reimagining of the flying insect built from an ex-military Royal Navy helicopter  turning a weapon of destruction into a unifying symbol, according to organisers.

They said its design is inspired by the arrival of the first dragonfly and the Aboriginal First Nations of Australia, and the stage will be opened each evening by a spectacular ceremony called Warraloo alongside Aboriginal representatives of the Wadjuk Noongar.

The new installation is inspired by an insect and aboriginal culture (Tom Leese/PA)

Festivalgoer Henno Tamms, who has travelled from the Netherlands for his third Glastonbury since 2017 and shared fond memories from the festivals famed dance area, told the PA news agency he was excited by his first sight of the new installation despite some fans sadness about the change.

A lot of people really loved the Arcadia spider a lot of people online were grieving like oh no the spiders dead again, said the 27-year-old, who is currently unemployed, as workers made the final touches to the new installation behind him.

Chemical Brothers performed to huge crowds beneath the Arcadia spider at Glastonbury in 2023 (Ben Birchall/PA)

But it looks promising, so well have to see maybe its a birth of the new thing.

Theyve blown our minds before, Im sure they can do it again.

Mr Tamms recalled watching Calvin Harris performing in the Spider and reflected on the draw the stage has on Worthy Farm thanks to the fireballs produced by its biofuel pyrotechnics, which the Dragonfly will still boast.

(The Spider) was kind of small, but it also felt really big you can hear it breathe all over the site every time it spews fire, he said.

The first time you see that it pops your eyeballs out  its like a cartoon moment.

Festival-goers Henno Tamms (left) and Nam Goldstein were excited by the new design (Tom Leese/PA)

Mr Tamms friend Nam Goldstein, from New York, who he met through the festival in 2017, was similarly effusive about the dance offering at Arcadia, which finishes as late as 3am over the Glastonbury weekend.

Even when theyre testing the fire, youre like this is the place to be, the 35-year-old IT worker told PA.

Even if I like the performers or not, theres something so magnificent about the ritual (at Arcadia) with the music and when its connecting together  its incredible.

The pair said they were looking forward to a DJ set from Hot Chip in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The main acts at Arcadia are set to perform from Friday to Sunday, with Fatboy Slim opening the stage at 10pm on Friday night.

Arcadias Dragonfly will host Fatboy Slim and Eric Prydz this year (Tom Leese/PA)

Arcadia organisers have also announced the launch of the Bug, the Dragonflys mobile amphibious cousin made from submarine moulds, which will roam the festival on six wheels with a custom sound system.

At his first Glastonbury Festival, Max Shard said he is looking forward to seeing Eric Prydz close out Arcadia on Saturday.

Ive seen it on the TV as the spider, so I thought it was going to be the spider, the 19-year-old roofer from Yeovil told PA.

It will be just as good, its just a different (and its) a lot different to what you would ever get at another festival.

Arcadia organisers said in a May release about the Dragonfly: As conflicts flare around the world, the transformational nature of the sculpture is a monument to hope.

It celebrates possibility in epic style, inviting reflection on a changing climate and ways to navigate it through co-operation and the creative use of technology.
Sarah Brightman has expressed her disappointment at having to miss musical performances due to a calf injury.

The British soprano, 63, best known for her West End performance in Andrew Lloyd Webbers The Phantom Of The Opera, is currently part of the Australian company of the composers version of Sunset Boulevard.

The production and Brightmans Instagram said on Thursday she is recovering from a calf injury which is currently preventing her from performing in Sunset Boulevard as scheduled.

It added: Sarah is being monitored and assessed daily and undergoing every treatment to ensure her healthy return as soon as possible.

A message from Brightman added: I am so disappointed to not be on stage alongside the incredible Australian company of Sunset Boulevard.

I am doing everything possible to recover quickly. Unfortunately, it is taking longer than anticipated.

This wonderful production continues to delight Melbourne audiences each night and I cant wait to be back to perform as soon as Im able.

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In the production, she plays Norma Desmond, a famed Hollywood star who is fading and spiralling into mental illness.

It is based on the character in the original 1950s black comedy who has the well-known line: Right, Mr DeMille, Im ready for my close-up, in reference to a director she imagines.

The musical is currently on stage at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne and is due to move to Sydney Opera House in August.

Brightman made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats in 1981, where she met Lord Lloyd-Webber. They married in 1984 before separating in 1990.

They remain on friendly terms, and she has also been in his musical Aspects Of Love.
A Barbie that has been into space will go on public display for the first time as part of the upcoming Design Museum exhibition to mark the 65th anniversary of the world-famous doll brand.

The doll is a likeness of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and Europes first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS), Samantha Cristoforetti, and it spent six months orbiting the Earth on the ISS with her in 2022.

The 47-year-old, who is a former Italian air force fighter pilot, told the PA news agency: I think its a great achievement for the overall team to have this Barbie on display and to have it connect to many more people through this exhibition.

Europes first female commander of the ISS, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, with her lookalike Barbie doll on the ISS (ESA)

In April 2022, Cristoforetti returned to the ISS for her second mission, Minerva, and during the mission she carried out her first spacewalk, becoming the first European woman to do so, according to the ESA.

During her time in orbit, she answered questions from five young girls, including why she wanted to become an astronaut, and video footage of the conversations will be shown in Barbie: The Exhibition alongside the doll.

Cristoforetti told PA it was an opportunity to reach out to girls and boys to share the experience of an astronaut as a potential path in life, as a potential future, as a potential career or as an adventure that you can be part of.

Toy company Mattel, which makes Barbie, and the ESA released the Samantha Cristoforetti Barbie doll in 2021 to coincide with World Space Week, and to help encourage girls to become the next generation of astronauts, engineers and space scientists, according to the ESAs official website.

Barbie teamed up with ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti for space week in 2021 (ESA)

The Cristoforetti doll is on loan to London from the ESA and its inclusion as part of Barbie: The Exhibition at the Design Museum will also highlight Barbies long history with space travel.

A silver all-in-one Miss Astronaut costume, which is described as Barbies first depiction as an astronaut and which came on the market for the time in 1965, will be part of the exhibition, on loan from the Mattel archives in Los Angeles.

Barbie showing off her scientific prowess in a metallic pink spacesuit, which was released in 1985, will also be on show. Its release followed astronaut and physicist Sally Ride making history in 1983, when she became the first American woman to go into space.

Danielle Thom, curator of Barbie: The Exhibition, told PA: There was a one of a kind Barbie created for Samantha personally in the first instance, and thats in her possession, thats her doll.

When the doll was created, although it was a one-off, it was publicised, and it was so well-received that Mattel decided to actually issue it as a doll you could buy so the doll that we have in our exhibition, its not the first one, thats in Samanthas personal possession.

Its one of the ones that was made by Mattel that was available to buy widely. But it is specifically the doll that Samantha herself took into space. So the Barbie we are showing has actually orbited the Earth in the International Space Station.

We have this area within the wider exhibition where we look at the idea of exploration and adventure in all of its forms, and how playing with Barbie has facilitated that kind of imaginative role play.

1959s Number 1 Barbie is rare and highly sought after, and will feature in the Design Museum exhibition (Mattel Inc)

Thom also said it was important that the exhibition offered a rigorous and thorough take on the history of Barbie, adding: We collaborated with Mattel very closely to get all the relevant information to honour the work that the brand itself has done, in designing the doll and in developing its sort of very identifiable, very strong visual codes and signifiers.

Barbie: The Exhibition, which opens on July 5 and runs through to February 23 2025, will further seek to tell the story of the brand and how it has impacted culture throughout the decades.

Barbie was first launched in 1959 after its creator Ruth Handler wanted to craft a different narrative for her daughter Barbara.

A first edition doll that will also be on display, and is known by collectors as the Number 1 Barbie, is now highly sought after.

It sees the classic blonde Barbie in a black-and-white bathing suit and features holes in the feet where it would have been fixed to a stand.

1992s Totally Hair Barbie will be on display too as part of Barbie: The Exhibition at the Design Museum, which opens on July 5 2024 (Mattel Inc)

Other dolls in the exhibition include surfer girl Sunset Malibu Barbie from 1971 and Day to Night Barbie from 1985, which saw her pink work suit transform into an evening gown.

Two examples of 1992s Totally Hair Barbie, which featured the doll with extra long hair that could be styled, will also form part of the exhibition.

Barbie: The Exhibition will open at the Design Museum on July 5 2024.
On June 28, 1974, The Childrens Programme of Northern Ireland (CPNI) was established to offer children from both sides of the community a chance to spend a summer in the United States at the height of the Troubles and beyond.

The programme originated through the actions of Belfast mum, Sarah Hughes.

She and her husband owned a grocery shop between the Shankill and the Falls in the early 1970s. Come summertime, she had two boys aged nine and 10, and couldnt let them out onto the street because of the Troubles, explains Leslie Busby, retired chairman of CPNI.

She came up with the idea that she would write to the editors of 20 newspapers based in America, telling them the story that she couldnt let her boys out.

She explained she was brought up outside Lurgan and her father would have given American troops milk and so on while they were based there before they went into the Second World War in Europe.

This was in 1972, the most violent year in Troubles history. The letter was sent and picked up by The Fargo Forum in South Dakota. Communication started and Sarahs nine-year-old son travelled to Fargo during the summer of 1973, staying on the 1,000-acre farm belonging to Ruth and Roy Lerud.

Mr and Mrs Lerud, the first host family

They were putting in various articles he was telling him, explains Leslie.

As a result of that, Bob Nickoloff, who was the president of Hibbing Rotary Club read this articles and said this couldnt be happening in a friendly country like Ireland.

He said hed make it his charity project for 1974 and take as many children as possible to the United States to get people to host them.

Bob Nickoloff - Rotary Club President

In 1974, 120 children travelled to the Midwest, staying in Minnesota, Dakota and Wisconsin with Rotary Club families.

Catholics stayed in Protestant homes and Protestants in Catholic homes, showing that people can live together, you dont have to kill yourselves over religion, says Leslie.

It was so successful that the Americans asked Mrs Hughes and her friends to help. Leslie, who was a Sergeant in the RUC then worked with community relations to help get children up to the airport, before being asked to join a committee in Northern Ireland (a similar group was formed in Minneapolis).

The programme started and the first batch of children went in 1975. In 1976, it went to 166, in 1977, almost 200 went, he says.

It lasted 45 years before it phased out in 2017. Terrorist groups were trying to divide the community; we were trying to bring them together.

We kept things quiet and said nothing, but it was great to get the children out and expand their knowledge and interest in life.

While humble about their impact, Leslie and the team must surely have contributed to the start of similar peace programmes.

In our programme, we took 10,000. Its hard to believe wed have taken so many, but thats how many got the experience of a lifetime, he says.

When it [turned] 25, President Clinton sent out a congratulatory letter. We were recorded on the Congressional Record in Washington on the 105th Congress session.

Marjorie Mowlam thanked us and had us up at Stormont to thank us for the good work we were doing, he continues, saying that many children returned to the United States on repeat visits and later, for weddings and special occasions.

Hopefully we helped bring people together and take some credit the way peace has landed with us.

Leslie is keen to celebrate and acknowledge the pioneering work of the founding members, the brave local children, the host families and supporters of the CPNI.

Special recognition and thanks must go to the generous host families, who opened their hearts and minds to young Northern Irish children, allowing them to experience a summer away from the tragedy of the Troubles, he says.

Mrs Hughes and Mrs Lerud

Due to the selfless actions of Sarah Hughes, Ruth Lerud and Bob Nickoloff, children from both sides of the divide were able to experience a summer with each other in an integrated environment, realising that people from different religious back grounds can live together in peace. Planting the seed for peace in Northern Ireland in the years to come.

I am very proud to have been a part of this fantastic programme, which inspired many other programmes to follow, and wish to thank and celebrate all those involved over the last 50 years.
Victoria Barkley is the first person in Northern Ireland to qualify in inclusive dance. She chats to Stephanie Bell on getting everyone up on their feet

Co Antrims Victoria Barkley hasnt stopped dancing since she first discovered the joy of it at just four years old.

Now almost four decades later, the Ballyclare dance teacher is determined that everyone  regardless of physical or mental ability  can experience the thrill of moving to music.

Victoria (41) from Ballyclare runs her own school First Dance NI which is most famous for helping nervous newly-weds prepare for their first dance.

She has put hundreds of grateful couples through their paces so that they could wow their guests on their wedding day.

Her ballroom and Latin dance skills have also been in high demand over the years as a choreographer for locally produced charity versions of the BBC hit series Strictly Come Dancing.

But in recent years Victoria has had a new focus. She is passionate about breaking down barriers to allow everyone to feel the joy of dance.

In 2020 she became the first person here to qualify in inclusive dance with Para Dance UK.

Para Dance UK aims to develop and promote dance as a leisure activity across the country for those who would otherwise be excluded.

Since qualifying as an instructor Victoria has teamed up with the brain injury charity Headway to give members weekly dance lessons.

Victoria Barkley of First Dance NI

She has also taken her new training into nursing and care homes across Northern Ireland using the power of music to take elderly people, including dementia patients back to the carefree days of their youth.

I have always wanted to bring dance classes to people who have physical impairments, it is just something I have felt passionate about for a long time so in 2020 I decided to train with Para Dance and become an instructor," she explains.

Everyone can dance, even if it is just a movement of the arms or a tap of the shoulder, we can all take part.

Working with Headway has been fantastic. The class is made up of people who have a head injury through trauma, often a stroke or car accident.

Just to see how the dance class boosts everyone mentally is amazing. You can see how the power of music lifts their mood and then for them to be able to do some form of dance is marvellous.

It is the same in the nursing homes where I am doing tutorials with some residents who have dementia and Alzheimers. My late mummy had Alzheimers so it means a lot to me to be able to do this.

When they hear the music, instantly they are transported back to the good old dance hall days, it takes them back to happiness.

It does your heart good to see it and it has been a revelation to me.

Most people say to me sure I cant dance. My answer always is yes, you can and then for them to instantly see that they are able to it at the same time as other people is pure joy, they just feel so fulfilled, its fabulous.

Victorias social media has lit up since she started her inclusive dance lessons with people right across Northern Ireland keen to have a go.

However dance lessons are not readily available to all and this is something she would like to see changed.

She says: So many people who have physical and mental impairments would love to do it and I would love to try and get dance classes held in venues that people can access in an easier way.

I didnt realise there was so much interest until I put it on social media. I have knocked so many doors and contacted local councils trying to get interest but so far I havent got anywhere with it.

Victoria Barkley of First Dance NI

But I am determined to try and make it come to fruition in some shape or form.

Determination when it comes to her passion for dancing is something Victoria has shown from a young age.

At school it was the only career she would consider, despite being advised that she could not make a living from it.

She recalls: I went to Ballyclare High School and the teachers used to tell my parents that I was good craic but all that was in my head was dancing.

During career talks when I said I wanted to be a dancer I was told it wasnt a career. My mum and dad were behind me because they knew it was all I wanted to do.

Victoria competed as a child at competitions across the UK picking up multiple titles includes Ireland and Ulster champion.

She says: Those were the happiest days ever and I think it all came from my dad who was a mechanic in the navy and anytime he got shore leave he was away dancing.

She graduated from the Northern Ireland Performing Arts School with a distinction and then set up her own dance school in her 20s.

Many of her clients are people who want to learn so that they can enjoy it as a hobby and she has also been kept busy by demand from couples who want to be able to dance at their wedding.

I get so much satisfaction from the wedding lessons, she admits.

Most couples believe they have two left feet and feel a bit overwhelmed by having to dance while everyone they know is watching them.

Most just want to be able to get up at their wedding and dance with their partner in a way that makes them feel comfortable and is natural to them.

Once they start to dance you can see their confidence rise when they realise they can do it and they love it. This is why my job is perfect! Ive tutored hundreds of couples over the years.

Married to Michael, who is head of estates for NI Ambulance Service, the couple have two girls Eva (14) and Scarlett (12).

Neither of her two girls has followed in their mothers footsteps: Im the least pushy mum ever and the girls are more into horse riding and musical theatre which is great, Victoria admits.

I think when you get the bug and step into this world you just want to keep going which is what happened to me.

It is all I ever wanted to do but I never felt that because I do it, my girls should do it too. I feel so lucky to have been able to dance and make other people happy. I am living my dream.

Victorias dance classes are held in Ballyclare Rugby Club but she is happy to travel to take her inclusive tuition into care homes across Northern Ireland.

She adds: Ive been lucky to be able to do something I love every day.

I know the power of dance and music and how good it can make people feel and I hope to do more to help encourage more inclusive dance classes to open across Northern Ireland to help everyone share the joy.

Victoria with Diane Wilson of Headway

Diane Wilson, activities coordinator for Headway Eastern region who runs four groups in mid-and East Antrim who brings Victoria to dance with the members who are all recovering from acquired brain injuries said: "Victoria is absolutely fantastic with the groups, everyone adores her. One lady Julie, who was involved in a road traffic accident in 1978 at the age of seven, is partially paralysed, deaf in one ear and has swallowing issues. Julie loves all the activities and always gets involved to the best of her ability.

"However, during Victoria's class she really blossoms. Two weeks ago she stood up out of her chair and danced without crutches or support. It was the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen!

"That was due to Victoria and credit to her for supporting all the groups, this incident, above all others, showed the absolute importance and skill involved in Victoria's work. People think it is merely a wee exercise class' but it is so much more. Everyone's mental health and wellbeing goes through the roof when Victoria's smile and razzle dazzle enters the room. It's a priceless contribution, a tonic for the soul and absolutely medicinal."
Bored of Lunch author Nathan Anthony has issued a tongue-in-cheek apology after a social media follower asked him to "cover up or shave" his armpits in his videos.

The Belfast man, who started Instagram and TikTok accounts to share videos of him cooking from home during lockdown, has become a household name and bestselling author in recent years.

But he hit out at a social media user named Fiona on the Meta-owned platform Instagram after she told him on Wednesday his videos were "not very nice ti [sic] watch".

Mr Anthony shared the message he received, which continued: "Preparing food in a vest, with hairy armpits!! Cover up or shave them [please]".

In response, Mr Anthony said: "I would like to apologise for the video I posted last night," adding that Fiona had sent her criticism.

He continued: "I will avoid making ice lollies in my kitchen, wearing a vest and showing my armpits in June."

The chef and author then showed an image in which he is wearing a North Face jacket standing in his kitchen. He said: "No more vests for the summer recipe videos guys I'm sorry. Dressed more appropriately for salads and ice lollies."

He then reshared his original video showing the creation of the healthy Magnums and added for effect: "Not very nice ti watch."

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Mr Anthony received plenty of support after he share the critical comment. Northern Ireland ceramicist Natasha Swan said: "I would like to see more armpit hair next time please."

While he may still receive negative comments occasionally, Mr Athony's videos allowed him in recent years to leave his job at a telecoms company thanks to his success.

He's now achieved increasing fame thanks to appearances on ITV's This Morning as well as his four cookbooks - with his fourth having recently topped the charts.

The Bored of Lunch series will be launched in the US in the autumn.

The 32-year-old Portadown native now has two million followers on Instagram and just under a million on TikTok.
Belfast International airport has reminded passengers rules around the transportation of liquids have not changed ahead of a busy travel period ahead this summer.

The limit on liquids in hand luggage remains at 100ml, which must be removed from bags and placed in a clear plastic bag.

Its despite upcoming changing to the security process. People should nevertheless come prepared as usual, an airport spokesperson advised.

Belfast International Airport, a member of the VINCI Airports network, also advised passengers to book car parking in advance to prevent delays.

The Airport welcomed a record 1.3 million passengers in the first quarter of 2024 and passengers continue to enjoy visiting popular destinations including Tunisia, Cyprus, Malta, Turkey, Florida, Italy and Bulgaria, with significant numbers expected on a daily basis during the summer months.

Dan Owens, CEO, Belfast International Airport said: With work underway on our new additions to the terminal, we want to ensure passengers have an enjoyable experience before they jet off on holiday this year.

We have recruited extra staff for the summer and are in the process of a major five-year investment programme which most recently saw the completion of a new immigration expansion area, increasing capacity by 50% and improving processing times at the border.

If you are planning to travel this summer, we strongly advise that passengers, come prepared with pre-booked parking and ready for security, making sure any liquids are within the 100 ml limit. Following this advice will make a big difference for anyone travelling through the terminal.

A handy five-point travel check list will help passengers move through the terminal with ease:

Remove liquids

Remember, you can only take liquids in individual containers with a maximum capacity of 100ml on the plane. Each item should be removed from hand luggage and placed in a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag of not more than one litre capacity per passenger.

Security

Before reaching security, its a good idea to remove your laptop, tablet, or similar electronic devices from your hand luggage to be inspected separately. Coats, boots, jackets, and belts should also be removed to help speed up the process.

Book car parking in advance

To guarantee a parking space and get the best price book your car parking as early as possible in advance online. Passengers who arrive at the airport without having already booked parking cannot be guaranteed a space. Do not leave it to chance  book ahead.

Check travel documents and other essentials

Make sure your tickets and boarding pass, travel insurance, driving licence, currency and credit cards are safe but easily accessible. Its also mindful to carry a charger for your smartphone and have your airline information ready.

Always double-check your travel documents including your passport expiration date as per country requirements and make sure you have the correct documentation ready at check-in.

Arrive on time

Check with your airline for the latest information on your flight and arrive when your airline advises. It is recommended you arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight departs.

News Catch Up: Thursday 27th June 2024
Low-cost airline easyJet has announced it will fly from City of Derry Airport for the first time with the introduction of new two routes later this year.

It will see flights to and from Edinburgh and Liverpool, which will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays throughout the year. The new routes will begin on November 4.

EasyJet said the new flights will provide "stronger domestic connectivity" for its customers between Northern Ireland and key cities in the UK.

Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK country manager, said the airline was "delighted" to announce the launch from City of Derry Airport for the first time this winter.

"We are proud to be the largest airline in Northern Ireland and by expanding our network we are providing our customers in Northern Ireland even greater choice and UK connectivity, all with great value fares and friendly service, and we look forward to welcoming them on board," she said.

City of Derry Airport's managing director Steve Frazer said it is an "incredible day" for the airport and the entire north-west region.

"The launch of easyJet services will be a key economic driver for business investment in the north west and inbound travel and tourism, and we are proud to be able to help grow and develop these sectors in our local area," he said.

Brenda Morgan MBE, head of business development at City of Derry Airport, added:

In addition to our exciting collaboration with easyJet, we are delighted to be able offer connectivity to two key UK hubs throughout the year.

"Services to Edinburgh and Liverpool have been in demand from both corporate and leisure travellers in the Northwest and the flight schedule for Mondays and Fridays provides fantastic timings for business travel during the week and weekend breaks for the leisure market.

City of Derry Airport is owned by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

Greg McCann, president of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, said: The news that City of Derry Airport will operate two new flight services to and from Edinburgh and Liverpool is hugely welcome.

"Chamber is extremely happy to see these developments, not only because it supports any member in expanding its offering, but also because it delivers upon the expansion of connectivity that the North West region has long needed.
A major trial into claims that security forces allowed loyalist paramilitary killers to smuggle a shipment of weapons into Northern Ireland will be heard later this year, a High Court judge confirmed today.

Proceedings brought by relatives of two murder victims over alleged collusion in the importation of the deadly consignment in the late 1980s were listed for a five-day hearing in November.
The River Foyle with all three bridges in view: Craigavon Bridge, the Peace Bridge and Foyle Bridge. Picture Martin McKeown.

Derry City and Strabane District Council members have claimed that the River Foyles sewage levels are a threat to public health.

At a Full Council Meeting on Wednesday, June 26, People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin proposed writing to the Minister for Infrastructure, John ODowd, and NI Water seeking a meeting to provide their action plans to address the impact from Stormonts failure to properly fund water/sewage infrastructure.

The motion was in response to a recent Belfast Telegraph report that over 1,000,000 tonnes of untreated sewage is being dumped in to the river every year, which councillor Harkin said was absolutely shocking.

This newspaper reported that 21 sewage overflow pipes dotted along the River Foyle between the citys three main bridges  the Peace Bridge, Craigavon Bridge and Foyle Bridge  release untreated sewage at least 1,537 times annually, according to NI Water estimates.

Its unfortunate that this has been publicised on the eve of the Maritime Festival, he said. And this is a threat to the ecosystem of the river and to the health of the residents of our district and beyond.

We should have urgent meetings to discuss the assessment of this report, because one of the things that was lacking in previous reports was any detail about raw sewage in Derry.

Now were beginning to get a glimpse of what this possibly looks like and its not good.

Sinn Fein councillor Christopher Jackson said his party was fully supportive of the motion, but said the news should not have been a surprise to councillor Harkin.

We have had the chief executive of NI Water in this chamber, Councillor Jackson said. And we raised this very issue directly with them.

NI Water conceded that, while it wasnt quantified at the time, there is raw sewage coming into our rivers, particularly in the city and district, at an unacceptable level.

I could be sceptical or cynical that this alarm was being raised a week out from an election, and I can assure councillor Harkin that we addressed this with NI Water the last time they were here.

If Im not mistaken, councillor Harkin was sitting exactly where hes sitting now and didnt speak directly to NI Water when they were here.

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said Two hundred and sixty million gallons of s***e is getting pumped into that river, strangling it and killing it, and we can try and score points but theres no other way to put it.

Thats the reality of whats in that river, which should be an asset to this city, so rather than being divisive we need to pull together, stop scoring political points, and see how we can efficiently tackle this huge problem.

Councillor Harkin argued that any previous NI Water deputations claimed sewage dumping was only in exceptional circumstances, which he said has been shown not to be the case.

Whats happening here is the regular, normalised release of raw sewage into the river, Councillor Harkin concluded. So any form of complacency is not acceptable.

He claimed Stormont has been completely asleep at the wheel when it comes to protecting our rivers and lakes.
Journalist Rodney Edwards yesterday issued legal correspondence against Baroness Kate Hoey on that same day that Stephen Nolan dropped a libel case against him.

BBC presenter Stephen Nolan has ended action he was taking against Enniskillen-based journalist Mr Edwards and the Irish News.

Hours later, Mr Edwards announced that he would now be issuing proceedings against former Labour peer, Belfast-born Baroness Hoey.

Ms Hoey said she has yet to receive any such proceedings.

Following the publication of the Irish News articles last summer, Mr Nolan issued an apology for an incident involving an explicit photograph, but said claims his show placed staff members in the audience were categorically false.

Legal firm WP Tweed & Co confirmed last week that it had issued proceedings on behalf of Mr Nolan against both The Irish News and Mr Edwards.

Mr Edwards had recently been appointed editor of Co Fermanagh newspaper The Impartial Reporter at the time the articles were published in The Irish News.

A joint statement published in the Irish News on Thursday said: We are pleased to confirm that Stephen Nolans legal action against the publishers of The Irish News and the journalist Rodney Edwards has been resolved on mutually satisfactory terms.

All the parties agree that a dispute between journalists, each of whom is very respected in their own fields, is undesirable for everyone concerned.

Mr Nolan acknowledges that The Irish News is entitled to report on matters which are in the public interest, including issues linked to the BBC, fairly and accurately.

The Irish News, for its part, accepts that at no stage did Mr Nolan or other BBC figures attempt to engage in the manipulation of audiences during his television programme.

Both sides agree that press freedom is an essential element of any democratic society.

A few hours later, Mr Edwards issued a statement via KRW Law.

The legal firm said it has issued pre action litigation correspondence to Baroness Kate Hoey over her publication of a defamatory statement on social media site X [formerly Twitter].

The re-tweeting of the offensive comments by another party is actionable, it added.

The publications are untrue and caused great distress to our client who enjoys an impeccable professional reputation.

If we do not receive an adequate response within 14 days we are instructed to issue High Court proceedings.

In response, Baroness Hoey said she was unconcerned by the prospect of legal action against her, and believes there are no grounds for it.

She said that if any pre action correspondence is received, I will respond in detail including setting out in express terms my views on how Mr Edwards treated Stephen Nolan and the basis for those views.
The PSNI received 501 referrals about suspected cases of human trafficking and modern slavery in 2023, the Chief Constable has said.

Jon Boutcher also told a Santa Marta Conference against modern slavery in Cork that spanned a total of 38 nationalities  many from sub-Saharan Africa  with seven suspected organised crime gangs involved.

He noted that, with the sole exception of drug trafficking, organised crime gangs enjoyed their greatest profits from exploiting vulnerable women, men and children in the areas of human trafficking and modern slavery.

We saved at least 50 people from the clutches of these groups. And we work hand in glove with the Garda around a number of these operations and an exceptional example which will be spoken about at the conference around the exploitation of Romanian women, he said.

We have worked with An Garda Siochana in an exemplary way and with authorities in Romania. I think with the leadership of Commissioner Harris in this field for a period of time, and the work between our two organised crime capabilities, were probably at the vanguard of law enforcement cooperation around this sort of crime.

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee warned that Ireland has to date dealt with only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the human trafficking and modern slavery threat facing the State from organised crime gangs.

She said the Irish government and Gardai were determined to work with all partners, ranging from the Church to the PSNI and foreign governments, to identify victims and to tackle the problem.

This is an inherently exploitative crime which preys on the most vulnerable people in our society, she said.

It has no respect for human rights or for the dignity of an individual. We must do absolutely everything we can to protect victims, to support and encourage victims to come forward but also to ensure that those responsible for this absolutely atrocious crime are held accountable.

Ms McEntee admitted there was concern at the scale of the problem facing Ireland and other countries.

I believe we are dealing with just the tip of the iceberg, she said.

Garda Commissioner Harris vowed that both the Gardai and PSNI were now working closely together to ensure that Ireland was a hostile place for trafficking and slavery gangs.

He insisted that specialist officers in the Gardai are working hand-in-glove with their counterparts in the PSNI to identify victims and target the criminals and gangs involved.

We want to build a network to counter these organised crime groups  we want to do more to combat this crime. This is a crime that is hidden in the open. It is a crime that doesnt respect borders and it involves a huge amount of money being made second worldwide only to drugs in terms of criminal revenue.

Conference organiser the Santa Marta Group  founded by Pope Francis  is an anti-trafficking charity.
Sue Gray to miss meeting with Stormont leaders as she demands more money causing bedlam in Number 10
In the second Northern Ireland TV debate ahead of the 2024 General Election, things again got heated between the partys representatives, but Naomi Long said the constitutional question is not one thing thats causing people to sweat in a panic over.
A new project to help users work out their political leanings is taking social media by storm  and was developed by QUB researchers.

Vote Compass is an online tool that surveys users about their positions on a range of on a range of public policy issues and provides a personalised analysis of their fit in the political landscape.
Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker will launch a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader should he lead the party to defeat on July 4 as expected, it is understood.

Mr Baker has hinted at a leadership run if he retains his Wycombe seat - where he was re-elected with a 4,214 majority in 2019 - at the General Election.
Baroness Hale of Richmond spoke at an event in London on assisted dying (Simona Sermont/Humanists UK/PA)

A former Supreme Court president has said she wishes more politicians would acknowledge that while debate on assisted dying is difficult, it needs to be sorted.

Baroness Hale of Richmond, who sits in the House of Lords, said while it is a hard question, it is also really important.

Lady Hale, who retired as Supreme Court president in January 2020, was speaking at an event in London on Wednesday organised by campaign group My Death, My Decision and Humanists UK.

Also present were family members of Tony Nicklinson, who suffered locked-in syndrome following a catastrophic stroke, and died days after his right-to-die case was rejected by the High Court in 2012.

The 58-year-olds fight was taken to the Supreme Court by his widow Jane Nicklinson, along with the case of paralysed former builder Paul Lamb, in 2014.

Justices rejected the case but Lady Hale at the time expressed the view that the protection of vulnerable people was not sufficient to justify a universal ban on assisted suicide.

Ten years on from that ruling, Lady Hale said: Parliament has not put things right, despite all the evidence that the public would support a change in the law.

She noted that any proposals which have been debated have been limited to terminally-ill people and those would not have helped Mr Nicklinson or Mr Lamb.

Lady Hale is a former Supreme Court president (Simona Sermont/Humanists UK/PA)

In a statement ahead of the event, Lady Hale said: Of course, there must be proper safeguards to make sure that their (those who seek assisted dying) decisions are freely made. But it is cruel and inhumane to force them to go on living against their will. That is why I support My Death, My Decision.

The campaign group has been calling for the next parliament to address this crucial issue.

During the in-conversation event, Lady Hale said: This isnt a totally straightforward question. There are nuances, there are all sorts of precise details that would need to be worked out.

But do you know, I wish more politicians would say this is hard. This is really hard but it needs to be looked at and it needs to be sorted, and we are going to work hard at getting the best result. Why dont you say that? This is hard and the hard questions are the really important questions.

But they can be worked out. We have answered a lot of very hard questions in this country and we could still do that.

Mr Nicklinsons daughter Lauren asked that people never forget my dads suffering.

In a speech, she told those gathered at Conway Hall: Please keep talking about assisted dying for not just the terminally ill but those with incurable suffering too.

An Assisted Dying Bill is currently being debated on the Isle of Man and on Wednesday its parliament heard calls for a referendum to be held before any new law would come into effect.

Chief minister Alfred Cannan said legalising assisted dying changes the social contract on the island and requires a public mandate.

The clauses stage of the Bill will resume on July 9 with continued debate on the referendum amendment.

Campaigners have previously said that if the Bill gains royal assent next year, assisted dying could be available to eligible Manx residents from 2027.

The Bill as it stands would require a person seeking an assisted death to have been resident on the island for five years.
UK Labour deputy leader Anas Sarwar will visit Scotland to campaign with Anas Sarwar, setting out how the party plans to help low-paid women workers (Andy Buchanan/PA)

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has pledged 140,000 low-paid women workers in Scotland will be better off thanks to the partys plans to tackle the scourge of insecure work.

With Labour promising improved employment rights for workers if it wins next weeks General Election, Ms Rayner is to campaign in Scotland on Friday, higlighting how the plans would help female workers.

The party proposes to end the use of zero-hours contracts, and to ban firms from firing workers and then rehiring them on less favourable terms and conditions.

Meanwhile, plans for a genuine living wage will benefit 140,000 low-paid women workers, the party said.

Ms Rayner, who will be joined by Scottish leader Anas Sarwar for Fridays campiagn visit, called on voters to back Labour to get rid of this disastrous Tory government.

She said: when the Tories crashed the economy, it was women who were left to pick up the pieces.

The UK Labour deputy leader stated: From mums juggling work and childcare to those working as cleaners, carers and others in predominantly female, low-paid jobs, women in Scotland have been failed by two incompetent governments.

This cannot go on  Labour will tackle the scourge of insecure work ensuring 140,000 of the lowest paid female workers in Scotland benefit from a genuine living wage that will for the first time take into account the cost of living.

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Mr Sarwar said: For too long women across Scotland have been forced to pay the price for political failure  from Tory economic vandalism to SNP incompetence.

Labours transformative New Deal For Working People will tackle low pay and insecure work, delivering a genuine living wage and ending exploitative zero-hours contracts.

We cannot afford another five years of Tory chaos  we need to make sure we take this opportunity to elect a Labour government with womens interests at its heart.
The Tories are highlighting their offer on education (David Jones/PA)

The Tories have repeated a raft of education pledges, including the expansion of free childcare and a school mobile phones ban, while attacking Labours plan to impose VAT on private schools.

Rishi Sunak claimed Labours policy would see class sizes soar as he touted the Conservatives plans to give our children the skills they need to succeed in the future.

His party is pointing to its education offer as polls continue to show it trailing far behind Labour with less than a week to go until the General Election.

The Tories highlighted their plans to:

 Roll out an expansion of funded childcare, giving parents of children older than nine months 30 hours a week from next year

 Ban mobile phones during the school day

 Improve school attendance including by legislating to create a register of children not in class

 Hire more teachers by expanding the recruitment and retention premium

 Deliver the Advanced British Standard

 Create 100,000 more apprenticeships a year by shutting down rip-off university courses

 Deliver the lifelong learning entitlement

The party claimed that Labours plan to remove the VAT exemption for private schools to pay for more state teachers would push an estimated 40,000 private school pupils into state schools.

Sir Keir Starmer has denied the assertion, pointing to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggesting it is unlikely that state school class sizes will swell as a result of the policy.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a primary school visit (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Prime Minister said: Education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet to improve our childrens life chances. Thats why since 2010 we have focused relentlessly on driving up school standards  with English children now the best readers in the western world thanks to the reforms we Conservatives have put in place.

We have a clear plan to go further by creating 100,000 new apprenticeships and introducing the new Advanced British Standard to give our children the skills they need to succeed in the future.

Thats the choice at this election between the Conservatives with a strong track record and a plan to go further, and Labour who have let children down in Labour-run Wales and whose schools tax would see class sizes soar.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan added: Our relentless drive to improve school standards has been one of our best achievements of the last 14 years. Millions of children now have a better start in life because of our education reforms.

Mr Sunak is expected to promote the proposals on campaign visits in the North East on Friday.

Labours shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: This is desperate nonsense from the Conservative Party.

On their watch childcare costs are soaring, school standards falling as teachers leave our schools in their droves, and apprenticeships for young people have halved.

Labour will drive high and rising standards for every child, with thousands of new teachers, mental health support in every school, careers advice and work experience for every young person.

We will back business with the flexibility they need to deliver high-quality apprenticeships and short, modular training that will deliver the skills our economy needs to grow.

On July 4, its time to turn the page, end the chaos and deliver the change that Britain needs.
The probe had landed in an impact crater created more than four billion years ago (Bei He/Xinhua via AP)

Chinas space officials have said they would welcome scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Change 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission.

However, they noted there were limits to that co-operation, specifically with the United States.

Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the missions achievements that any co-operation with the US would be hinged on removing an American law that bans direct bilateral co-operation with Nasa.

The source of the obstacle in US-China aerospace co-operation is still in the Wolf Amendment, said Bian Zhigang, vice chair of the China National Space Administration.

If the US truly wants to hope to begin regular aerospace co-operation, I think they should take the appropriate measures to remove the obstacle.

The Wolf Amendment was enacted in 2011 and prevents direct US-Chinese bilateral co-operation except in cases where the FBI can certify that there is no national security risk to sharing information with the Chinese side in the course of work.

Still, China could co-operate with scientists from other countries. It worked with the European Space Agency, France, Italy and Pakistan in the Change 6 mission.

China welcomes scientists from all countries to apply according to the processes and share in the benefits, said Liu Yunfeng, director of the international co-operation office of the China National Space Administration.

Meanwhile, little information about the global first achieved on Tuesday was announced. Chinese officials declined to reveal how many samples they actually gathered or any preliminary findings.

Bian Zhigang, of the China National Space Administration, speaks during a press conference (Andy Wong/AP)

Im afraid this matter will not be revealed until tomorrow, so I hope everyone can wait patiently for another day, Change 6 chief designer Hu Hao said at the news conference.

On Monday, Chinese scientists said that they anticipate the returned samples will include 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock and other material that scientists hope will answer questions about geographic differences on the Moons two sides.

The near side of the Moon is what is seen from Earth, and the far side faces outer space. The far side is also known to have mountains and impact craters and is much more difficult to reach.

The probes journey to the far side of the Moon was historic in that it was the first time a probe had successfully taken off and brought back samples from the far side directly. Previous samples thought to be from the far side of the Moon are from meteorites found on Earth.

The probe had landed in the Moons South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater created more than four billion years ago.

The samples scientists are expecting will likely come from different layers of the basin, which will bear traces of the different geological events across its long chronology, such as when the Moon was younger and had an active inside that could produce volcanic rock.

Officials did announce some future plans, with a planned Change 7 probe to explore resources on the Moons South Pole.

Further down the line, they have planned Tianwen-3 for around 2030 to carry out a Mars sample return mission and a Tianwen-4 Jupiter exploration mission.
Kenyan police on Thursday clashed with protesters in Nairobi ahead of planned protests against a controversial finance Bill, despite the presidents decision not to sign it after the plans sparked deadly chaos in Nairobi and saw protesters storming and burning part of the parliament building.

Protesters who said last week that they would march to the State House on Thursday say they still do not trust President William Ruto, who has said the tax hikes would be withdrawn and budget cuts would be made.

Police have hurled tear gas canisters at groups of protesters attempting to congregate within the central business district. The military has been patrolling the city despite a court order that suspended their deployment to support police during the protests.

Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday urged the young protesters to call off planned protests and give dialogue a chance.

The leaderless movement began online with young people demanding that legislators reject the proposed tax hikes. It later morphed into calls for the presidents resignation after the Bill was passed.

William Ruto has been embraced by the US as a welcome, stable partner in Africa (Patrick Ngugi/AP)

On Tuesday thousands of protesters stormed Kenyas parliament, burning parts of the building and sending politicians fleeing. Police opened fire and at least 22 people were reportedly killed in the chaos.

Activists were divided about the agenda of Thursdays protests. One protester, Boniface Mwangi, urged others to peacefully march to a road where protesters were killed to pay their respects.

Invasion of the State House isnt a solution, he wrote on X.

But Francis Gaitho, one of the many activists mobilising for the protests online, insisted that young people should march to the State House.

Protesters scatter as police spray a water cannon at them in Kenya during a protest earlier this week (Brian Inganga/AP)

Activists and others warned the stakes were higher than in past protests because Mr Ruto vowed on Tuesday to quash unrest at whatever cost.

Analyst Javas Bigambo told the Associated Press that the discontent is partly because Kenyans do not trust the president to implement the austerity measures he announced on Wednesday.

Kenyans still have a problem with the economy and wastage in government, he said.

Businesspeople in Nairobi were standing guard outside their shops on Thursday to prevent looting and vandalism, which took place during Tuesdays protests.

Major roads leading to key government buildings, including parliament, have been blocked.

Outside Nairobi, protests have been reported in Mombasa, Kisumu, Migori and other major towns.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke to Mr Ruto on Wednesday, thanking him for taking steps to reduce tensions.

The secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses, a statement read.

Army vehicles patrol around Nairobi, Kenya (Brian Inganga/AP)

Mr Ruto has been embraced by the US as a welcome, stable partner in Africa while frustration grows elsewhere on the continent with the US and some other western powers.

In May, Mr Ruto went to Washington in the first state visit by an African leader in 16 years.

On Tuesday, as the protests erupted, the US designated Kenya as its first major non-Nato ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic act but one highlighting their security partnership.

Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an initiative that brought thanks from US President Joe Biden.

Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Thursday referred the presidents memorandum on the finance Bill to the finance committee, which is expected to report back to the house in the next sitting. Parliament is on recess until July 23.
Palestinian children with chronic diseases stand next to their mother as they wait to leave the Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Israeli authorities say 68 people  19 sick or wounded children plus their companions  have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt in the first medical evacuation since May, when the territorys sole travel crossing was shut down after Israel captured it.

COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said on Thursday that the evacuation was carried out in co-ordination with officials from the United States, Egypt and the international community.

The children and their companions left the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the patients were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment.

The nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gazas health sector and forced most of its hospitals to shut down.Parents embrace their sick son before he leaves the Gaza Strip for treatment abroad (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Health officials say thousands of people need medical treatment abroad, including hundreds of urgent cases.

Family members earlier bade a tearful goodbye to the children as they and their escorts left the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis bound for the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing with Israel.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the only one available for people to travel in or out, shut down after Israeli forces captured it during their operation in the city early last month. Egypt has refused to reopen its side of the crossing until the Gaza side is returned to Palestinian control.

Six of the children were transferred to the Nasser Hospital from Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City earlier this week. Five have malignant cases of cancer and one suffers from metabolic syndrome.

Children wave goodbye to their relatives as they leave the Gaza Strip (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

That evacuation was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which could not immediately be reached for comment.

At a press conference at Nasser Hospital on Thursday, Dr Mohammed Zaqout, the head of Gazas hospitals, said the evacuation was being conducted in co-ordination with the WHO and three American charities.

Dr Zaqout said more than 25,000 patients in Gaza require treatment abroad, including some 980 children with cancer, a quarter of whom need urgent and immediate evacuation.

He said the cases included in Thursdays evacuation are a drop in the ocean and that the complicated route through Kerem Shalom and into Egypt cannot serve as an alternative to the Rafah crossing.

Palestinian children with their relatives before they leave the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

In a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, welcomed news of the childrens evacuation, but noted that more than 10,000 patients still require medical care outside the Strip. Of the 13,872 people who have applied for medical evacuation since October 7, only 35% have been evacuated.

Medical evacuation corridors must be urgently established for the sustained, organised, safe, and timely passage of critically ill patients from Gaza via all possible routes, she said.

Israels offensive against Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, has killed over 37,700 Palestinians, according to Gazas Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its count. Thousands of women and children are among the dead.

The war began with Hamas surprise attack into Israel on October 7, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage.
A supporter of President Luis Arce waves a Bolivian flag as soldiers flee from Plaza Murillo, after a failed coup attempt, in La Paz, Bolivia (Juan Karita/AP)

Armoured vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivias government palace in La Paz on Wednesday in an apparent coup attempt, but President Luis Arce vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander who ordered troops to stand down.

The soldiers pulled back along with a line of military vehicles as hundreds of Mr Arces supporters rushed to the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags and cheering.

Mr Arce, surrounded by ministers, waved at the throngs of supporters who sung the national anthem.

Thank you to the Bolivian people, he said. Let democracy live on.

Bolivian President Luis Arce, centre, accompanied by vice president David Choquehuanca, right, acknowledge supporters as they stand on a balcony of the government palace in La Paz (Juan Karita/AP)

Hours later, the Bolivian general who appeared to be behind the rebellion, Juan Jose Zuniga, was arrested after the attorney general opened an investigation against him.

Wednesdays rebellion followed months of tensions, with economic hardship and protests growing as Mr Arce and his one-time ally, leftist former president Evo Morales, battle for control of the ruling party.

The apparent attempt to depose the sitting president appeared to lack any meaningful support and even Mr Arces rivals closed ranks to defend democracy and repudiate the uprising.

The spectacle outraged regional leaders and shocked Bolivians, who was no stranger to political unrest. In 2019 Mr Morales was ousted as president following an earlier political crisis.

As the crisis unfolded on Wednesday, military vehicles flooded into the plaza.

Before entering the government building, Mr Zuniga told journalists: Surely soon there will be a new cabinet of ministers; our country, our state cannot go on like this.

He said that for now he recognised Mr Arce as commander in chief.

Mr Zuniga did not explicitly say he was leading a coup, but in the palace, with bangs echoing behind him, he said the army was trying to restore democracy and free our political prisoners.

Shortly after, Mr Arce confronted Mr Zuniga in the palace hallway, as shown on video on Bolivian television.

I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination, Mr Arce demanded.

Surrounded by ministers in the palace, the Bolivian leader said: Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organise.

He added in a video message that he would not allow, once again, coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians.

Less than an hour later, Mr Arce announced new heads of the army, navy and air force amid the roar of supporters, and thanked the countrys police and regional allies for standing by him. Mr Arce said the troops who rose against him were staining the uniform of the military.

I order all that are mobilised to return to their units, said the newly named army chief Jose Wilson Sanchez. No one wants the images were seeing in the streets.

Shortly after the armoured vehicles roared out of the plaza, tailed by hundreds of military fighters, police in riot gear set up blockades outside the government palace.

Military police during the takeover of Plaza Murillo (Juan Karita/AP)

The incident was met with a wave of outrage by other regional leaders, including the Organisation of American States, Gabriel Boric, the president of neighbouring Chile, the leader of Honduras and former Bolivian leaders.

An American defence official said the United States is closely monitoring the situation in Bolivia and urges calm.

Bolivia, a country of 12 million people, has seen intensifying protests in recent months over the economys precipitous decline from one of the continents fastest-growing two decades ago to one of its most crisis-stricken.

The country also has seen a high-profile rift at the highest levels of the governing party.

Mr Arce and his one-time ally, leftist icon and former president Evo Morales, have been battling for the future of Bolivias splintering Movement for Socialism, known by its Spanish acronym MAS, ahead of elections in 2025.

Following Wednesdays chaos, reports on local media showed Bolivians stocking up on food and other essentials in supermarkets, concerned about what will come next.

But before supporters outside the presidential palace, the countrys vice president David Choquehuanca vowed: Never again will the Bolivian people permit coup attempts.
An appeals court in Pakistan has upheld the conviction and seven-year prison sentence of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife for their 2018 marriage which was found to be unlawful, officials said.

The decision drew strong condemnation from Khans supporters and his party who were expecting the couple to be freed on bail.

The verdict by Judge Afzal Majoka came two days after the conclusion of the arguments from the defence lawyer and petitioner, who is the former husband of Khans wife, Bushra Bibi.

In February, Khan and his wife were sentenced to seven years in prison after a court concluded that the couple violated the law that a woman must wait three months before marrying again.

Bibi, Khans third wife, was a spiritual healer previously married to a man who claimed they divorced in November 2017, less than three months before she married Khan. Bibi says they divorced in August 2017.

Imran Khan remains the countrys popular opposition leader (KM Chaudary/AP)

The couple denied they violated the three-month waiting period  a requirement of Islamic law and upheld by Pakistan.

Since his ousting from power in 2022 through a no-confidence vote in the parliament, Khan has been facing more than 150 court cases, including inciting people to violence after his arrest in May 2023. He is serving multiple prison terms at Adiala prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

He has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters say the charges are politically motivated.

During nationwide riots in May, Khans supporters attacked several military installations, stormed an air base in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province and torched a building housing state-run Radio Pakistan in the north-west. The violence subsided only when Khan was released at the time by the Supreme Court.

Khan, who remains the countrys popular opposition leader, was again arrested in August 2023 when a court handed him a three-year jail sentence for corruption. Since then, he has not been seen publicly as his trials were held at prisons for security reasons.

Thursdays ruling was condemned by supporters from Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which has a strong presence in the parliament.

Absolutely ridiculous, said Omar Ayub, a top leader of the party.
Stella Assange has thanked politicians who campaigned for her husband, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to be freed during her visit to Australias Parliament House, where political leaders differed over how welcome the convicted felon was in his homeland.

Julian is overjoyed and so grateful to the Australian people, to the members of Parliament and to the government and also the opposition who came together to voice the need for his release, Mrs Assange said.

Mr Assange has made no public comment since he arrived in Australia on Wednesday after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing US military secrets in a deal with US Justice Department prosecutors that ended his 14-year legal battle for freedom.

The Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group began with a few federal politcians in 2019 and expanded to 47  one of five of the total in Canberra  as a consensus grew that the prosecution over WikiLeaks release of almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010 had taken too long.

His lawyers now want to swing that public and political support behind a campaign to have Mr Assanges conviction pardoned.

President (Joe) Biden or any subsequent president absolutely can and, in my mind, should issue a pardon to Julian Assange, lawyer Barry Pollack said.

Julian Assange has made no public comment since he arrived in Australia (Hilary Wardhaugh/PA)

But while Australian politicians largely agreed that the time had come for Mr Assange to be brought home, they disagreed on whether he deserved the same level of support as Australians recently released from arbitrary detention in China, Iran and Myanmar thanks to government intervention.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been credited with the diplomatic coup that enabled Mr Assange to be released from a London prison to travel to Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the western Pacific where he pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act.

With credit given for the five years Mr Assange had spent in Belmarsh Prison fighting extradition, he was allowed to return to Australia without serving any more jail time.

Opposition politicians argue that Mr Albanese risked damaging relations with the United States, Australias most important security partner, by calling Mr Assange moments after the former computer hacker had landed in Canberra.

Its not necessary nor appropriate for Anthony Albanese to welcome home Julian Assange on the same day hes admitted to espionage acts, opposition spokesperson on foreign affairs Simon Birmingham said. But Mrs Assange argued her husband should never have been charged.

He was pleading guilty to committing journalism. This case criminalises journalism, journalistic activity, standard journalist activity of news gathering and publishing, she said.

Mr Assange was accused of receiving and publishing war logs and diplomatic cables that included details of US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

His activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view and warned of a chilling effect on journalists.

Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

Questioned at a news conference after Mr Assanges return, Mr Albanese declined to say whether he considered him a journalist who had been wrongly pursued by US authorities.

Julian Assange was allowed to return to Australia (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

I think that there will continue to be different views about Julian Assange and his activity, Mr Albanese said.

My role as prime minister has been to firmly say that whatever the views that people have, there was no purpose to be served by this ongoing incarceration.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong distanced the government from the Assange campaign for the crime to be pardoned.

That is a matter for Mr Assange and his legal team and the decision on that is a matter for the United States, Ms Wong said.

What we are pleased about is that he is home. We did think his incarceration had dragged on.

Mrs Assange, a South Africa-born lawyer who married her husband in prison in 2022, has given few clues to his future career.

He plans to swim in the ocean every day. He plans to sleep in a real bed. He plans to taste real food and he plans to enjoy his freedom, she said.

Julian is the most principled man I know and he will always defend human rights and speak out against injustice and he can choose how he does that, because he is a free man.
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men blocked a major road in central Israel for two hours on Thursday to protest against a recent Supreme Court decision ordering young religious men to enlist for military service.

Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel. But politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties have won draft exemptions for their followers that allow them instead to study in religious seminaries.

This long-standing arrangement has bred widespread resentment among the broader public  a sentiment that has grown stronger during the eight-month war against Hamas in Gaza. More than 600 soldiers have been killed, and tens of thousands of reservists have been called up.

Protesters sat on the main road and lay on the ground as police lifted them up and dragged them away. Officers mounted on horseback charged into the crowd. Many demonstrators held signs and chanted To prison! Not to the army!

We all came here for one goal, we reflect the position of all the Orthodox public, said a young man, identifying himself only by his first name Ozer. All the Orthodox public prefers to go to prison and not to the army.

The ultra-Orthodox see their full-time religious study as their part in protecting the state. Many fear that greater contact with secular society through the military will distance adherents from strict observance of the faith.

The Supreme Court this week ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men, saying the system of exemptions is unequal.

The decision could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government. Ultra-Orthodox parties and their followers oppose any change in the system.

The ultra-Orthodox make up roughly 13% of Israels population. But under the countrys fragmented political system, they wield significant political power and often serve as political kingmakers.

The parties are key members of Mr Netanyahus governing coalition and could potentially force new elections if they decide to leave the government.

Ultra-Orthodox leaders have not yet said whether they will quit the government, but their followers have scheduled a large protest in Jerusalem on Sunday.
Speaking Irish in Parliament wont cost me votes: Alliances Stephen Farry sits down with Sam McBride

Stephen Farry on speaking Irish, giving paedophile suspects anonymity, defining a woman  and Bangors future.Alliance deputy leader denies his party patronises nationalists  and challenges his rival Alex Easton to face hard questions

Alliance deputy Stephen Farry answered tough questions on his vision for North Down.

Thu 27 Jun 2024 at 08:00







Stephen Farry surprised many when he was elected as the first non-unionist MP for North Down in 2019.
Unannounced visit by top Melanesian diplomat used by Indonesia to paint Papuan provinces as stable, despite recent deadly clashes.

A Papuan man (right) in traditional clothing and face painted with the banned Morning Star flag stands next to a policeman during a demonstration demanding a referendum on independence in Yogyakarta on Dec. 1, 2023.

An unheralded visit to Indonesias Papuan provinces by a leading Pacific diplomat has drawn criticism for undermining a push for a United Nations human rights mission to the region where pro-independence insurgents have fought Indonesian rule for decades.

The Melanesian Spearhead Groups director-general, Leonard Louma, hasnt responded to BenarNews questions about the brief visit. It occurred just days after the most recent clash between Indonesian forces and Papuan fighters, which resulted in four deaths and hundreds of civilians fleeing their homes in Paniai regency in Central Papua province.

Indonesia has capitalized on the visit earlier this month to portray its governance of the contested Melanesian territory, often referred to as West Papua, in a positive light. State news agency Antara said Louma had declared Papua to be in a stable and conducive condition.

A highly critical U.N. Human Right Committee report on Indonesia released in May highlighted systematic reports about the use of torture and extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of Indigenous Papuan people.

The Indonesian governments sponsorship of the visit is another attempt to downplay a global call, including from the MSG, to allow the U.N. Human Rights Commission to visit and assess human rights conditions in Papua, said Hipo Wangge, an Indonesian foreign policy researcher at Australian National University.

Its also another attempt to neutralize regional concern over deep-seated discrimination against Papuans, he told BenarNews.

For several years, Indonesia has rebuffed a request from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to carry out an independent fact-finding mission in Papua.

The Pacific Islands Forum, a regional organization of 18 nations, has called on Indonesia since 2019 to allow the mission to go ahead. The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)  whose members are Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonias Kanak independence movement  has made similar appeals.

MSG director general Leonard Louma at the opening of the 22nd MSG Leaders' Summit foreign ministers' meeting in Port Vila, Aug. 21, 2023. [Kelvin Anthony/RNZ Pacific]

Its unclear whether the comments attributed to Louma by Antara and an Indonesian government statement are his own words. The Antara article, published June 19, in English and Indonesian, is more or less identical to a statement released by Indonesias Ministry of Information and Communications.

An insurgency has simmered in Papua since the early 1960s when Indonesian forces invaded the region, which had remained under a separate Dutch administration following Indonesias 1945 declaration of independence from the Netherlands.

Indonesia argues its incorporation of the mineral rich territory was rightful under international law, because it was part of the Dutch East Indies empire that is the basis for Indonesias modern borders.

Papuans, culturally and ethnically distinct from the rest of Indonesia, say they were denied the right to decide their own future and are now marginalized in their own land. Indonesian control was formalized in 1969 with a U.N.-supervised referendum in which little more than 1,000 Papuans were allowed to vote.

The Indonesian statement said Louma, his executive adviser Christopher Nisbert and members of their entourage arrived on June 17 at the Skouw-Wutung border crossing after traveling overland from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. They were met by an Indonesian diplomat and then traveled to Jayapura accompanied by Indonesia officials.

On June 19 they took part in a conference organized by Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was purportedly to address security concerns in Melanesia.

Yones Douw, a Papuan human rights activist based in Paniai, said a properly conducted visit by the Melanesian Spearhead Group should have had wide public notice and involved meetings with churches, customary leaders, journalists and civil society organizations, including the independence movement.

This visit is just like a thief, in secret. I suspect that the comments submitted to the mass media were the language of the Indonesian government, not on behalf of the MSG, he told BenarNews.

This way can damage the togetherness or unity of the Melanesian people, he said.

Soldiers from the Indonesian Army's 112th Raider Infantry Battalion sing during a ceremony at a military base in Japakeh, Aceh province on June 25, 2024, ahead of their deployment to Papua province. [Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP]

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua, an independence movement umbrella organization, said it should have been notified of the visit because it has observer status at the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Indonesia is an associate member.

We were not notified by the MSG Secretariat. This is a surreptitious visit initiated by the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Markus Haluk, the ULMWPs executive secretary. We will file a protest, he said, to the MSGs chairman  Vanuatus Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.

Indonesia, over several years, has stepped up its efforts to neutralize Pacific support for the West Papuan independence movement, particularly among Melanesian nations that have ethnic and cultural links to Papuans living under Indonesian rule.

It has had success in ending direct criticism from Pacific island governments  many of which had used the U.N. General Assembly as a forum to air their concerns about human rights abuses  but grassroots support for Papuan self-determination remains strong.

Wangge, the ANU researcher, said the Indonesian government has been particularly active with Melanesian nations since Louma became director-general of the MSGs secretariat in 2022.

At the same time it has avoided addressing ongoing reports of abuses in the Papuan provinces, he said, and militarization of the region. Indonesias military offered a rare apology to Papuans in March after video emerged of soldiers repeatedly slashing an indigenous man with a bayonet while he was forced to stand in a water-filled drum.

Among the initiatives, Indonesian police have facilitated regional security meetings, the Indonesian foreign ministry established an Indonesia-Pacific Development Forum, fisheries training has been provided, and the foreign ministry is providing diplomacy training for young diplomats from Melanesian countries and the MSGs secretariat.

There is nothing to show, Wangge said, from the MSGs appointment last year of Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape as special envoys to Indonesia on West Papua.

The two leaders met Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose second five-year term finishes in October, at a global summit in San Francisco in November. Following the meeting, there was no agenda to facilitate a dialogue over West Papua, he said.

Marape is due in Indonesia mid-July for an official state visit.

One thing is clear: the Indonesian government will buy more time by initiating more made-up efforts to cover pressing problems in West Papua, Wangge said.
Proposed cuts to the State Departments budget come as China ramps up its diplomatic presence.

Protesters hold up red hands as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a House Appropriations State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee hearing on President Bidens proposed budget request for the Department of State, on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 22, 2024.

Cuts to the U.S. State Departments 2025 budget proposed by the House of Representatives would be deadly and devastating to American efforts to counter Chinas growing power in the Indo-Pacific region, two senior diplomats told Congress on Thursday.

As part of a cost-cutting campaign, the Republican-led House is pushing appropriations bills that significantly differ from requests made by the Biden administration, including apparent proposals to remove Secretary of State Antony Blinkens annual salary entirely.

The proposed appropriations bill for the State Department would cut its budget by 11% to about U.S. $52 billion a year from nearly $60 billion this year, and falls short of the White Houses 2025 request for $64 billion.

It would, for instance, provide only $108 million in funding for U.S.-led international development projects, rather than the $544 million requested by the Biden administration, and only $4 million for global economic support, instead of the $204 million requested.

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committees Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific Daniel Kritenbrink said the proposals would hamstring U.S. efforts to counter Chinas growing footprint in the region.

These cuts would be devastating, Kritenbrink said. It would be devastating to our ability to stand up to China [and] devastating to our ability to continue to offer alternatives to our partners.

We have to be able to deliver tangible benefits and alternatives in infrastructure investments and connectivity, he said, explaining that countries were assessing their relationships with the United States and China on the basis of which was providing more practical benefits.

Also, cuts to the diplomatic engagement funding would cause us, potentially, to have to reduce our staffing and presence in the region at the time we should be stepping it up, Kritenbrink added.

The State Department in Washington, Dec. 15, 2014. [Luis M. Alvarez/AP]

The White House has said it strongly opposes the proposed budget cuts. It issued a statement on Monday that accused House Republicans of wasting time with partisan bills meant to appeal to their base.

The sharp reductions would hinder the ability to successfully implement these programs in the Indo-Pacific region, erode the U.S. diplomatic presence around the globe, and cede diplomatic and development ground to the Peoples Republic of China, it said.

Yet House Republicans have defended the proposal.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole, a Republican from Oklahoma, called the proposed budget cut an effort to slash needless spending by Americas diplomatic bureaucracy.

This bill prioritizes our national security and reduces wasteful spending, Cole said in a statement on Monday.

But at the hearing on Thursday, Michael Schiffer, the assistant administrator for Asia at the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the cuts would reverse hard-earned inroads into countering Chinas high-spending diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific.

The aid agency had just reopened a Pacific mission in Fiji and an office in Papua New Guinea, he noted, and was striving to make its presence in the region as well-known as Beijings Belt and Road Initiative.

It would be absolutely deleterious, he said. It would be deadly.

Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with RFA, produced this report.
Thailand had become Myanmars main source of arms acquired through the international financial system: envoy.

A military policeman stands guard as a Myanmar Air Force Mi-17 helicopter is seen in the background during the 'Sin Phyu Shin' joint military exercises near Pathein city in the Irrawaddy delta region on Feb. 2, 2018.

Financial institutions must do more to stop the Myanmar junta acquiring weapons, a U.N. human rights rapporteur said, singling out Thailand as the main source of military supplies that Myanmar was getting through the international banking system.

Thailand said it was studying the report from the special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, adding that its banking and financial institutions follow the banking protocols of any major financial hub.

Many Western governments have imposed sanctions on the Myanmar junta that seized power in a 2021 coup and, Andrews said, international efforts to stop the flow of weapons have had some success.

The juntas procurement of weapons, dual-use technologies manufacturing equipment and material through the international banking system was down by a third from U.S. $377 million in the 2022 financial year to U.S. $253 million in 2023, he said.

But the junta had taken opportunities to skirt restrictions and its forces continue to systematically assault Myanmar civilians using powerful weapons of war obtained from abroad, Andrews said in his report.

The junta, known as the State Administration Council, or SAC, had altered its sources of weapons and military supplies and exploited gaps in sanctions regimes, changed financial institutions and taken advantage of the lack of political will on the part of governments to coordinate and enforce action, he added.

The SAC has identified and is aggressively seizing opportunities to circumvent sanctions and other measures taken by the international community, said the rapporteur.

Andrews contrasted the response to Myanmars bloody crisis from two of its neighbors: Singapore and Thailand.

Singapore, long a major supplier of military equipment with close commercial ties with Myanmar, had articulated a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons, in line with a U.N. General Assembly resolution that passed overwhelmingly after the coup.

Following an investigation by the Singapore government, exports to Myanmar of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in FY2022 to just over U.S. $10 million in FY2023, according to Andrews.

Leading source

Thailand, on the other hand, does not have an explicit public policy position opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar, Andrews said, adding that exports from Thailand-registered entities more than doubled over the same period, from just over U.S. $60 million to nearly U.S. $130 million.

Many SAC purchases previously made from Singapore-based entities, including parts for Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters used to conduct airstrikes on civilian targets, are now being sourced from Thailand, he said.

Thailand has now become the SACs leading source of military supplies purchased through the international banking system, he added.

Andrews noted that, as with Singapore, he found no evidence that the Thai government was involved in or aware of the transfers but noted that if it were to respond in the same way the Singapore government had, the SACs capacity to attack the people of Myanmar would be significantly reduced.

A Mi-35 helicopter is seen flying over northern Myawaddy as it attacks Karen and student rebels, April 20, 2024. [RFA]

Thailands foreign ministry said in a statement it had seen Andrews report and was looking into it.

Many countries have been named and certainly these are countries where the majority of financial transactions in the region would pass through, the ministry said.

Our banking and financial institutions follow banking protocols as any major financial hub. So we will have to first establish the facts before considering any further steps.

Andrews called on states that support human rights in Myanmar to halt the sale of weapons to it by their companies and for financial institutions to freeze relations with Myanmars state-owned banks.

The rapporteur said the findings in his report covered purchases via the formal international banking system and not military procurement pathways such as in-kind trade or purchases with hard currency.

While Singapores military exports to Myanmar had dropped dramatically, and those from Russia and China also declined, Indian exports remained constant, according to Andrews, while acknowledging some of Myanmars military procurement from those countries may have moved to informal channels.

Radio Free Asia is a news service affiliated with BenarNews.
BENNINGTON  A well-known former Bennington veterinarian, charged in 2023 with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest after a long-simmering confrontation with a neighbor along a private dirt road in Bennington turned violent, took a plea deal that avoids jail and dismisses a felony.

Peter Geannelis, 65, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in Bennington to an amended charge of aggravated disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, for the September 2023 incident involving himself and neighbor Kerry Raheb. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed the more serious felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which carried a possible five-year prison sentence. Prosecutors also dismissed a charge of resisting arrest, which carried a possible 1-year sentence if found guilty.

According to a police affidavit in the case, Geannelis was helping clear Blue Stone Road  a private dirt road near Mount Anthony that he shares with Raheb and several other families  on September 8th, 2023, after a severe thunderstorm passed through the area and left several trees and wires blocking the roadway. Rahebs wife told police she saw Geannelis driving past their home several times. Raheb allegedly started yelling and cursing at Geannelis to stop stalking him. Geannelis allegedly admitted to police that he intentionally shot a 9mm Glock pistol into the air to harass Raheb.

I drove down the road, and Im going to be honest with you because he does this all the [expletive] time, [expletive] shoots his guns, I shot one round in the [expletive] air, and I did it, Geannelis allegedly told police. I did it to harass him because he [expletive] harasses me, and Im [expletive] done with it.

Raheb later told police that Geannelis shot the gun at him, not in the air.

Geannelis and Raheb have had a long-standing feud, with several past police involvements. According to the affidavit, both men have harassed one another on numerous occasions. Geannelis has an ongoing stalking and harassment order against Raheb. Several community members have taken to social media sites to tell their alleged stories of harassment received by Raheb over the years.

According to the affidavit, after Geannelis showed officers where he fired a gun, police informed him that he was under arrest. Geannelis allegedly backed away from police. The officer grabbed Geannelis by the shirt, and Geannelis struck the officers hand in an attempt to prevent the arrest. He eventually began obeying the officers orders to stop resisting and was handcuffed soon after.

Geannelis has many supporters in the community, especially along Blue Stone Road, the shared dirt road he lives on. Geannelis and his family are well-known through community involvement. Many pf his supporters are former clients or have links to him through his long-time ownership of the Mount Anthony Veterinary Hospital, which was sold in 2021. Geannelis mother owned a well-known, long-time restaurant on Main Street for decades.

Geannelis has no criminal record in Vermont.

Kerry Raheb unsuccessfully ran for the open Vermont seat for the U.S. Senate in 2022 after Patrick Leahy retired. In September 2022, Raheb was charged with violating a protective order following a stalking accusation in an unrelated case. Raheb allegedly had illegal contact with an individual while the person was maintaining Blue Stone Road with an excavator. Violating an order against stalking can be punished as a crime, and criminal contempt is punishable by fines or jail.

Raheb also requested a stalking order against the victim in that case; that order, dating back to June 2022, is still ongoing. Raheb also has a stalking order against Geannelis and his wife. Geannelis and his wife have a current stalking order against Raheb.

Since his arrest in August 2022, Raheb has sued the former officer in the case, Amanda Knox; States Attorney Erica Marthage; and a trial judge in Bennington, Kerry Ann McDonald-Cady. All suits were filed in small claims court for $5,000 each, the maximum allowed in the state. Marthage recently filed a motion to move this latest case to Windham County, where his violations case currently resides.

Mr. Geannelis is one of the most well-known, respected, and beloved members of this community, Geannelis attorney David Silver said after Geannelis arraignment last September. I am confident that Erica Marthage will do the right thing in this case once all the facts come out. Mr. Raheb has been terrorizing this neighborhood for two years, firing off his automatic weapons late at night, yelling obscenities at people that walk past him on the right of way.

Geannelis did not make any statements at his change of plea and sentencing hearing.

Geannelis was sentenced to a six-month deferred sentence for the aggravated disorderly and fighting charge. Deferred sentences in Vermont allow a defendants conviction to be erased if they do not violate any conditions of their probation. If conditions are violated, the original sentence can be imposed without trial. Conditions for Geannelis include standard conditions plus no driving within 24 hours of consuming alcohol and 50 hours of community service.
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VERNON  U.S. Department of Energy officials gave Vermont officials an optimistic target date for when they expect the spent nuclear fuel currently stored at the Vermont Yankee nuclear site will be moved elsewhere.

But where is elsewhere?

John Schultz, the DOE waste program manager, told members of the nuclear waste police committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel last Monday that the federal government really has no idea where that waste facility will be.

Schultz said that the Department of Energy was working toward a 2046 date of getting all spent nuclear fuel from the country's closed nuclear reactors moved from their original host communities.

Schultz repeatedly told the committee, which met in person and virtually, that he was an engineer "and built things," but that he wasn't involved in the planning process of locating a replacement for the original depository, Yucca Mountain in Nevada, where the federal government had long planned on storing the highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. The location has been rejected on political and geological reasons.

Schultz said the focus for his team is now getting ready to move the highly radioactive nuclear waste from the 20 commercial reactors which had already shut down  including Vermont Yankee, which closed in late December 2014.

After the meeting, Lissa Weinmann, the chairwoman of the Nuclear Waste Policy Committee, said she's skeptical of the DOE time frame.

"DOE's track record makes me highly skeptical that this date is realistic. DOE told us this new round of 'consent based siting' will take seven years (2031) to yield a community willing and able to host a massive 'consolidated interim' storage site capable, as DOE reps indicated at the meeting, of handling 6,000 casks," Weinmann said in a follow-up interview, referring to the total number of casks in the country. There are 58 casks at Vermont Yankee in Vernon.

Under current nuclear waste planning, the high-level radioactive waste will first be moved to an interim facility, likely in Texas or New Mexico, before it finds a permanent home  wherever that might be.

Other DOE officials on the call said that federal law would have to be changed to allow for some of their plans to be ultimately adopted.

"Ongoing Congressional dysfunction will make it difficult to overhaul current law which actually prohibits funding such a site, absent DOE progress on one or more 'permanent' geologic disposal sites," Weinmann said after the meeting. "The facility must then be constructed and massive rail infrastructure improvements must occur that will allow such unusual shipments to occur. One need only look at the rail lines coming out of the Brattleboro area to know what a hurdle that will be."

Schultz said the DOE had already paid out $10 billion to companies currently storing the waste, and he estimated it would cost another $34 to $41 billion to move the fuel, and out of companies' hands.

He said much of the cost was attributed to transportation costs, putting that figure at 43 percent.

Weinmann, who recently returned to Vermont after attending a national nuclear waste conference in Kentucky, said that Schultz's cost estimates seems low.

"In 2013, the DOE lost a case that ultimately suspended collection of the 'nuclear waste tax' levied on nuclear producers meant to fund a permanent geologic disposal facility. No tax has been collected for 10 years now," she said.

She said the federal courts in the District of Columbia found the DOE's estimate of costs of such a facility to be 'absolutely useless as an analytical technique' and called it 'razzle dazzle.'

"This date strikes me the same way. DOE has little credibility on the nuclear waste management front. But it's not because the people there aren't smart and trying their best. The problem reflects the general public's deep skepticism of big government and its big nuclear ambitions and a pattern of gigantic cost overruns," she said.

Weinmann said she had asked Vermont's Congressional delegation to request a long-term cost/benefit analysis of nuclear energy, from initial mining to long-term storage," in order to assess how it compares economically with other renewable energy systems and efficiency technology.

"Such an assessment is necessary if we are going to make smart energy choices and is long overdue," she said.

Schultz said the DOE now has a specially designed rail car, called the Atlas, to move the spent fuel, which is currently stored in steel cannisters, inside a large concrete sleeve.

Under the DOE plan, the concrete container would be left behind after the fuel transfer.

He said the concrete cannisters would either be considered low-level radioactive waste, or not, likely depending on the age of the cannisters and how long they had been exposed to the radioactive waste.
For the first time, I have the rare pleasure of introducing you to a new-to-this-column species.

After 27 years of reporting on my observations, I have finally acquired a photograph I think is worthy of such an introduction. I have been exploring the meadow behind my house for 19 years and I have caught glimpses of this species here and there. I have heard this species song more times than I can count, but last week I just happened to finally see and hear this bird at the same time while also armed and ready with my camera.

So, without further adieu, I present the alder flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum).

Since this is the first time I have featured this species in a full column, I have decided to go old school. With this in mind, I shall start with the scientific name of this bird, Empidonax alnorum. The genus name Empidonax, is a compound word using the Greek, empis, which means a gnat and the Greek, anax, which means king. The species name, alnorum is a Latin word that means, of the alders. Put it all together and you get something like, the gnat king of the alders, which I actually find quite charming.

TYRANT FLYCATCHERS

There is a group of flycatchers, known as the tyrant flycatchers, which all share a particularly big, bold and easily-perturbed temperament. Local species that would fall into this group include the great-crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), which I would characterize as permanently perturbed and the eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), which is a species that I have simply fallen in love with.

Then, there is a smaller taxonomic level containing the Empidonax flycatchers. This is a group of birds that can make even the most seasoned birders cry in frustration. The acadian flycatcher (E. virescens), the yellow-bellied flycatcher (E. flaviventris), the willow flycatcher (E. traillii), and the alder flycatcher are all members of this group. Virtually identical in size  ranging from 14-15 cm in length  and in coloration, they are basically interchangeable. Even their songs are sometimes so similar that a veteran birder will pause and start to lose self-confidence.

As it so happens, I regularly hear the willow and the alder flycatcher in my meadow, but when one of them lands on a perch within range of my big lens I am stymied. That all changed last week when one of these diabolical birds landed on an open branch in front of me  and then sang! Even better, some high, thin clouds softened the light and made the photograph come out beautifully. Patience and perseverance finally paid off!

ORIGINS OF NAME

This bird is called an alder flycatcher in honor of its habitat preference. My trusty old copy of The Birders Handbook identifies this habitat as Swamps and thickets, esp. alder and willow. Well, it just so happens that not 12 feet from my Thinking Chair there is a nice little clump of speckled alder growing at the edge of the meadow. I guess the alder flycatchers approve!

In this habitat, a male will set up a territory by singing and defending against intruders. A female, drawn to him by the dulcet tones of his song, will pair with him and then the two will go in search of a good nest location. This is generally in an upright fork of a deciduous tree (or bush) 2-10 feet off the ground. Once selected, the female builds a cup-shaped nest of weed stems and coarse grasses. The lining is made of finer grasses, plant down and even feathers.

NESTING HABITS

Once the nest is complete, the female will lay three to four white eggs that are lightly speckled with variable-sized brown blotches. The female lays one egg per day and then starts the process of incubation, ensuring the eggs will all hatch at the same time. Incubation lasts for about two weeks and once the chicks have hatched the male will help to deliver food to the nest for another two weeks. When the chicks finally fledge, both parents will help to care for them. The female can afford to do this because she will only lay one clutch of eggs per summer.

MIGRATES SOUTH

Flycatchers cannot spend the winter in places where there are no flies to catch, so when the weather starts to turn the birds will migrate south to southern Mexico, Cuba all of Central America, and even northern Columbia. The total time spent in Massachusetts is only from mid-May to mid-September, which is about 4 months. These truly are tropical birds that only grace us with their presence for a short while. If you are lucky enough to find one of these birds, take the time to listen to its quiet song.

SQUIRREL NAMES

Before I end todays column I want to thank everyone who took the time to write in with name suggestions for the leucistic red squirrel that continues to visit my feeders daily. I also have an astounding update to share with you. This peculiar little animal has a sibling that carries the same sort of mutation! The second squirrel is almost completely normal on its body, but has a white tail and white frosting on all of its legs and feet. So, before I unveil the best name suggestions, I wanted to keep the lines open for more name entries for these interesting little creatures. Send in your ideas!
While the relentless politicization of everything nowadays will lead some to dismiss U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthys recent advisory decla
SHEFFIELD  Nadia Milleron now has more than enough signatures to put her on the ballot for her run for U.S. Congress against longtime Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield.

Milleron has collected more than 3,000 signatures that she will turn into the Secretary of States office in Springfield on Thursday. Those signatures were gathered in the 80 cities and towns within the 1st Congressional District, according to a news release issued by Milleron.

After turning in the signatures, she will hold a press conference outside Secretary of States office to make the announcement.

An attorney, farmer and aviation safety activist, Milleron decided to run for the seat during time spent wrangling with politicians and airline executives after her daughter died in one of two Boeing 737 Max jet crashes.

Samya Stumo was one of the 157 people killed when the Ethiopian Airlines jet went down in March 2019, just months after another crash of the same aircraft model. The crashes were attributed to a faulty design the company used to cut corners for profit.

Milleron and her family have continued to push lawmakers and government agencies for consequences against Boeing for what she calls corporate negligence.

In her statement she calls her candidacy a mothers fight, and takes Neal to task for not being available to my family, or other crash families, when it came to holding Boeing accountable or when it came to Aviation safety.

In my talks to voters in the district, Milleron added, it's apparent he hasn't been around for them either when it comes to town hall meetings or issues that matter.
Edmund Muskie, seen here in February 1981 while he was secretary of state, previously served as a U.S. senator for Maine and ran for president in 1972.
Chinese business community donates maize to Malawi gov't

Xinhua) 11:23, June 27, 2024

LILONGWE, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese business community in Malawi, through the China Enterprises Malawi Chamber of Commerce (CEMCC), donated 400 bags of maize flour worth 57,000 U.S. dollars (10 million Malawi Kwacha) to the Malawi government on Tuesday in response to the El-Nino-induced food crisis.

The donation follows Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera's appeal in March when he declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the country's 28 districts after adverse weather caused by El-Nino severely impacted Malawi's staple food, maize and other crops.

CEMCC Vice Chairperson Gu Mu said his organization made the donation as a commitment to social responsibility and a belief in the importance of supporting the communities where Chinese businesses operate.

"These 400 bags of maize flour symbolize our solidarity with the government of Malawi and its citizens in times of hardship," said Mu. "As the vice chairperson of the CEMCC and the managing director of Huawei Technologies Malawi, I am proud to hand over this donation on behalf of the CEMCC."

He further noted that the donation demonstrates the Chinese community in Malawi's understanding of its duty to contribute meaningfully to the country.

Malawian Minister of Information and Digitalization Moses Kunkuyu praised CEMCC for "stretching a helping hand" and reaching out to Malawians in need of food. He said the donation will make a difference and urged other international organizations to emulate the Chinese business community's gesture.

According to the minister, the presidential appeal for support requires 446.74 million dollars, and so far, a total of 98.6 million dollars in financial, in-kind resources and pledges have been mobilized.

"The government reiterates its call for assistance from governments, international monetary organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations, the corporate world, the clergy, and individuals of goodwill," said the minister.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
When God speaks to someone, their heart is revealed. As a grown man, Joseph was able to look back at the trials and tribulations of his life and see Gods plan, but when he received two dreams from the Lord as a teenager, he took pride in it. While he loved the Lord, he did let it puff him up a little, and instead of being wise about who he shared his dreams with, he told all his brothers and his parents. Those dreams gave him insight into the future, that he would have power that would lead to his family bowing down to him.

Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. His brothers said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me. But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you? And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind (Genesis 37:5-11).

God gave Joseph insight into his future, but it would not come to pass for decades. The man he grew into was more mature than the teenager who received the dreams. His brothers did not bow to him because he was special and his fathers favorite son, but because God equipped him to save thousands of people from starvation. Ultimately, Joseph gave the Lord the credit and the glory for his achievements.

Photo credit: Getty Images/mycola
Need for developing indigenous assistive technology solutions for unmet needs in this space: DG ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-supported National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has launched various assistive technology products for visually challenged people. Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General, ICMR, unveiled these products in the presence of Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi.

The recently launched assistive technology innovations by NCAHT at IIT Delhi included Shapescapes (a geometry learning kit), high-quality White Canes, and an Accessible Kit for STEM Education.

IIT Delhi, in partnership with Phoenix Medical Systems, Chennai, and Saksham Trust, with funding from the Wellcome Trust, had developed SmartCane, an electronic travel aid. It is currently used by about 150,000 people in India and abroad. SmartCane Version 2 is an improved version of the earlier product.

The NCAHT also announced that large-scale user trials of SmartCane Version 2 and Refreshable Braille Display have begun. These innovations, co-created with Saksham Trust, New Delhi, will empower visually challenged people in their independent mobility and education.


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Saint-Gobain signe un accord en vue d'acquerir Fosroc pour 1,025 milliard de dollars

(Reuters) - Saint-Gobain a annonce jeudi avoir signe un accord definitif en vue d'acquerir Forsoc, fabricant britannique de solutions chimiques pour la construction, dans le cadre d'une transaction dont le montant s'eleve a 1,025 milliard de dollars (958,75 millions d'euros).

La transaction sera financee grace a la tresorerie disponible et devrait etre finalisee au premier semestre 2025, precise le groupe francais de materiaux de construction dans un communique.

(Redige par Dimitri Rhodes, edite par Augustin Turpin)
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On Saturday 15 June, the Union of Workers at the Port of Piraeus (ENEDEP) mobilised to stop the Israel-bound container ship MSC ALTAIR from docking at the Greek port. The vessel was carrying war materials, destined to rain destruction on Gaza. Thanks to the blockade staying strong, the ship was forced to reroute towards Italy, landing a blow on Israels war machine that sets an example to workers of the world!

We first and foremost applaud these workers for their resolute stand against the imperialist slaughter taking place in Gaza, defying the official campaign of slander and calumny against those offering solidarity to Palestine.

The Greek state has been more than happy to crack down on those standing up to the ruling class support of Israel, as seen by the attempted deportation of nine European nationals who took part in a pro-Palestine protest at the University of Athens School of Law in May.

However, these dockers have shown that they will not be intimidated, and are prepared to use the power held by working people to frustrate the bloody crimes of imperialism.

A rotten friendship

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last October that he came to Tel Aviv not just as an ally but as a true friend. This nauseating affair was not just for show. While the Greek ruling class naturally lines up with the rest of Western imperialism to defend a key ally, Greece has particular economic and political interests bound up in Israel.

Greece wants to continue with the planned 6bn EastMed gas pipeline, which would transport gas reserves from the Levantine Basin near Cyprus and Israel into Greece and other south European countries. This 1,900km pipeline would be capable of carrying over 9 billion cubic metres of natural gas, which corresponds to around 10 percent of Europes supply.

Although the feasibility of the pipeline is up in the air, with the US pulling support in 2022, Netanyahu stated that he saw the EastMed alliance as being of enormous importance to the state of Israels energy future and its development into an energy power. Ironically, Mitsotakis said that the pipeline would contribute to regional peace. This reads like a sick joke with tens of thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands displaced in Palestine.

Not a penny, bolt or bullet for the war on Gaza

The best way for workers around the world to support the Palestinian people is to cripple the industries feeding Israels genocidal war / Image: own work

The backroom deals and dirty diplomacy of the imperialists are all that these politicians care about. We must continue to support, organise and spread all actions by the international working class to undermine the massacre in Gaza.

The Greek dockers, like their counterparts in India and elsewhere, have shown the way forward. The best way for workers around the world to support the Palestinian people is to cripple the industries feeding Israels genocidal war.

If dockworkers in all countries refused to service and facilitate ships carrying arms bound for Israel, then they could stop not just one container ship, but entire fleets! Or if tech workers abroad pulled the plug on the software and hardware being used in Israels drones and missiles, then the shower of death routinely rained on Rafah could be stopped.

And ultimately, if the mass organisations of the working class collectively declared no more! and prepared a campaign of general strikes in solidarity with Palestine, they could bring all society to a standstill.

They could paralyse the imperialist regimes that are funding and facilitating Israels criminal war, and challenge the capitalists for power: laying the basis for dismantling the rotten system that is the ultimate source of Palestines plight.

In Greece, we have glimpsed the real power of the working class!

This is the way forward: not a penny, not a bolt, not a bullet for the Israeli war machine! And injury to one is an injury to all! Free Palestine! Down with imperialism!
Fans flocked to the 3Arena in Dublin on Thursday to buy Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of three sold-out gigs.

The US pop sensation will play three sold-out gigs at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

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Some young Swifties pulled on their new jumpers and hoodies as soon as they bought them from a merchandise stand in the 3Arena.

Some speculated about what songs she would play as part of her set list, and one girl wondered if she would use some Irish words on stage.

Eilis Brown from Dublin went to pick up merchandise for her two granddaughters who live in Galway, Ava (14) and Holly (16).

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Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland from Belfast play with their friendship bracelets (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

The two have been thinking about their outfits since last July and spent a day making friendship bracelets.

Asked why she thinks Swift is so popular, she said: Shes great, shes a very good woman. Look at the way she took on Spotify, shes brilliant.

These girls, going in and out to school in their daddys car and coming up and down to Dublin, all they listen to is Taylor Swift.

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Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland, from Belfast, separated the friendship bracelets they had made outside the 3Arena.

Sophie said: Her songs are good, she makes good albums, and they all fit together and theyre easy to make up dances to. Like Love Story, you could make up a duet with Love Story.

It makes me feel good and something that I can listen to all the time.

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Katie Jackson and Rebecca Seeejko from London flew to Dublin to see Taylor Swift after missing out on tickets to her UK tour (PA)

Nyla said: I like it because you can really dance to it. My favourite one is Getaway Car.

Katie Jackson and Rebecca Serejko, who flew from London to see Swift perform in Dublin, said they had seen her live 10 years ago.

They tried to buy tickets to see her in London and Edinburgh before getting tickets in Dublin  and even took the day off work to secure them.

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Shes a brilliant performer, Ms Serejko said.

I like that shes got music for every kind of mood that youre in, Ms Jackson said.

You want to have a bit of an angsty day, you want to have a little jump around the house, its really fun, theres also something really satisfying that shes a woman doing it and beating everyone else.

So its also nice to listen to it and say yeah, go for it.

Alexis Stolarun, from the US, bought Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of the three Dublin shows (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

Alexis Stolarun, from Connecticut in the US, said she is going to go to the gig on Saturday and Sunday.

I think its just easier to listen to and everything can relate to her music, and theres all different styles as well.

Its just really exciting, shes just a great performer and just a really fun concert.

I think people think that youre crazy if you talk about it too much. Its a fine line between how much do you share with people and she just gets a lot of hatred for no reason.

Amy from Co Meath bought crew neck jumpers, half-zip jumpers and hoodies for four people.

Ive seen her here in the 3Arena before, for 1989, and Ive seen her in Croke Park for Reputation, so this will be my third time to see her, she said.

Amy from Co Meath, picked up Taylor Swift merchandise for four people (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

Were so excited, its like a cult. Weve been watching The Eras Tour online for months. And theres loads of people from different countries in the 3Arena who have travelled to see her for the second time, third time.

Its the community, and the friendship bracelets, like the hours weve put in making the bracelets at home.

Asked if she has to explain the fandom to people, she said: I think people think were a bit too old for it because were in our 20s, but you know what, weve seen her through all the Eras, weve grown up with her music, so we feel like were the real fans.

Erin Delgehausen from Arizona, in the US, and Kylee Baldwin from Ohio, in the US, said they saw her perform in the States and decided to see her abroad, both choosing Dublin as an option.

Ms Baldwin said she has been a fan since she was nine, when Shouldve Said No was released in 2006.

Ms Delgehausen said she became a Swiftie after seeing the opening night of the Eras Tour in Phoenix, in the US.

Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland, best friends from Belfast, say they love to dance to Taylor Swift's music ahead of going to see her in Dublin this weekend. Photo: Grainne Ni Aodha/PA

It was a transformational experience. Everyone makes fun of me and teases me about it, but I went in and came out a different person. So Ive listened to nothing but her music non-stop since that night.

Ive been to one show, but Ive watched every live stream on my phone since opening night.

She said: She is every person. She has found a way to connect with everyones experiences universally, no matter your age, and she is just amazingly connected to her fanbase and just understands what its like to be a woman and exist in the world.

Shes managed to connect to people across all ages in a way that Ive never seen with anyone else before.

Lamar, a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said Swifts music, lyrics and artistry are what she loves.

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Im very excited to see everything, she said.

We were awake early, I think we had like four or five different laptops open, we managed to get into the queue quicky, we were happy we didnt miss it.

She added: I grew up listening to Taylor, since I was a kid her music was so prominent and then as I grew older her music resonated, at every stage of my life it felt like her songs were there and were so meaningful and then the fan base is really good.
An experienced counsellor believes that random drug testing in the workplace should be extended to the Dail after a TD suggested cocaine is used in Leinster House.

Speaking in the Dail on Wednesday, former Labour leader Alan Kelly raised concerns that cocaine is viewed as socially acceptable across Ireland.

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Mr Kelly said cocaine is everywhere in society. Its in every corner of Ireland. Its in every sporting club. I imagine its in here, in reference to Leinster House.

The Tipperary TD also highlighted the Health Research Board report published this week revealing an increase in cocaine addiction across the country.

The report said that 13,104 drug treatment cases were recorded last year, the highest on record, with a sharp increase in cocaine use, particularly among women.

Figures released showed a 228 per cent increase since 2017 in the number of cases where cocaine was the main problem drug. Powder cocaine increased by 197 per cent, and crack cocaine increased by 594 per cent.

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Drug counsellor Marie Byrne said TDs should be happy to take the tests as they are the ones who make decisions around drug policies in the country.

The director of MB Now International said: "I called for these tests nearly 20 years ago when it was alleged that traces of cocaine were found in the toilets in the Dail, but I was told it was impossible to do. Why?

"Random drug testing is policy in most big workplaces now for health and safety reasons. Our TDs make important decisions on policy, including drugs, every day and so it is important that they are not under the influence of drugs, including alcohol, when doing so. They make the biggest decisions affecting our whole country.

"If TDs weren't using drugs, then they wouldn't give a monkey's about taking random drug tests.

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"Drugs aren't legal and so drug testing among those in power, male and female, should be mandatory, in my belief. The drug test could be given by an independent body or laboratory and cover detection of a wide range of drugs, including alcohol. If someone fails a drug test, maybe they can be offered help in confidence.

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"I have seen people look for help this way confidentially. I do a full assessment to see how big the problem is and then develop a plan for recovery.

Ms Byrne, from Navan, Co Meath, said many accidents, claims and shoddy workmanship arise from employees or management who are suffering the after-effects of taking illegal drugs or abusing alcohol.

"Early detection is everything in a workplace so accidents are avoided. Driving machinery under the influence is dangerous and reckless.

"Loss of productivity from staff either too hungover to work properly or those who take sick leave because of their dependency are costing employers thousands," said Ms Byrne who has over 30 years experience in drug counselling and has worked with experts across Europe and consulted with the police force in Rio de Janeiro.
A man who defrauded almost 30,000 from 18 international students who wished to study at English language schools in Dublin has been jailed for nine months.

Raul Rodriguez Ramirez (36) was the owner of an agency specialising in facilitating students wishing to study at English language schools in Dublin. He used the money to invest in a restaurant business, which failed during the pandemic, instead of using it to directly book their courses.

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Dublin Circuit Criminal Court previously heard that Ramirez set up the agency business in 2018, and until 2020, it had run legitimately, assisting international students in securing English language courses.

Ramirez, with an address of Stearne House, Patricks Street, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to inducing 18 foreign language students to pay sums of money with intent to make a gain for himself on dates between June 2020 and June 2021. He has no previous convictions.

At a previous hearing the students outlined in victim impact statements how they were at a loss of between 1,100 and 3,800 each. Some students then had to pay the colleges again directly. The total amount involved was 29,042.

The court heard how not having a place secured at a college put the victims student visas at risk.

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One student ended up sleeping in a church doorway for two nights and had no money for food as she was unable to work without a valid visa. Another had to pay for surgery herself as she was unable to get insurance when she was not registered with a college.

The court heard of the devastating psychological and emotional difficulties encountered by the students, most of whom were alone in the country and did not have good English.

The students described borrowing money from compatriots or relatives for food or rent.

One student described how they did not have enough money to travel to their home country to visit his mother before she died. He said he was shattered emotionally and psychologically by the events.

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Imposing sentence on Thursday, Judge Orla Crowe said, There were 18 injured parties and 18 charges in this case. She said: These students travelled a long distance to come here, and it only came to light when they found out they were not registered for a course.

Judge Crowe noted the following mitigating factors: that Ramirez had paid 18,050 as a token of remorse to date, returned to Ireland by arrangement, made full admissions to the gardai when questioned, entered an early guilty plea, and has shown remorse.

The judge said the aggravating factors in this case were that there were 18 injured parties, that nearly 30,000 was taken from these injured parties and that the offending continued for an extended period of fifty-three weeks.

Judge Crowe said the custodial threshold had been passed and noted that the maximum sentence available to the court was five years on each count. She sentenced Ramirez to 18 months in prison on each count to run concurrently. Judge Crowe said in light of the token of remorse that Ramirez has paid she would suspend the final nine months of the sentence for two years.

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The judge ordered that the 18,050 handed over by Ramirez be divided on a pro-rata basis among the 18 injured parties.

Detective Garda Paul Griffin told David Perry BL, prosecuting, at an earlier hearing that Ramirez, originally from Guadalajara in Mexico, set up an agency in 2018 with offices in Dublin and Mexico. The company acted as an intermediary between students and English schools in Dublin.

The company would get 20 to 30 per cent commission for each student placed in a course.

Gda Griffin said the company operated legitimately, employing four people, until 2020, when Ramirez began to take the payments from the 18 injured parties on a fraudulent basis.

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The students contacted the agency in order to secure a college place and paid the fee requested by Ramirez by bank transfer or cash. They believed that they were then enrolled in a course.

Ramirez had told some of the students they were getting a discount if they paid quickly, and some described feeling pressured to make the payments. They received contracts by email.

The students' money was not used to secure their place on course, with many of them having to contact the colleges themselves to find out their fees had not been paid and they had no course.

The court heard some of the students attempted to contact Ramirez to find out what was happening. He stopped communicating with most students and told others he had spent the money but would return their money when he sold his business.

The students involved were from countries including Mexico, Bolivia, Japan and South Korea.

Gardai became aware that Ramirez, who had returned to Mexico, was back in Ireland in October 2022 and contacted him. He came to speak to gardai by arrangement.

Ramirez made full admissions during garda interview. He told the gardai he had established the agency in 2018, and as it was going well, he decided to open a Mexican restaurant. This did not do as well as expected and was impacted by the pandemic.

Ramirez said he took money from the agency to pay the restaurant bills. He then used money from later students to pay the college fees for earlier students already in the system.

Ramirez said he thought he would have enough time to get everyones money back. He said he had returned to Mexico with 50 in his pocket and had made efforts to raise money but was unsuccessful.

I think the students think I took the money and went away, he told gardai, but at the time, I lost everything. I feel bad as I did bad things and made bad decisions.

Gda Griffin agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that he did not believe Ramirez was intentionally scamming the students at the start.

Mr Spencer submitted that his client was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, and it all caught up.

The garda agreed with counsel that it would have been difficult to extradite Ramirez after he returned to Mexico. Gardai became aware he was travelling in Europe with a comedian friend, who was paying for the travel, and he made contact with gardai when requested.

He agreed Ramirez has remained in Ireland since his arrest and charge, relying on friends.

Mr Spencer submitted this was a case that would not have occurred if not for the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic and said it was against that backdrop the offences were committed.

He said Ramirez had been borrowing from one person to pay another, and when the pandemic went on for an extended time, he was unable to keep treading water. He said Ramirez was not making himself out to be a victim but was in some shape or form a victim of the pandemic.

Counsel said his client had an unblemished record until now. He said on his return to Mexico he had spent time in a mental health facility before travelling with his friend. He said he was not living the high life. He said Ramirez is deeply regretful and intends to put things right.

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Ramirez took the stand and made an apology to his 18 victims. He said it was not his intention to cause them problems and he was going to work hard to repay them.

He told the court he was unable to work in Ireland due to his visa but has some work organising music events in Mexico.

Mr Spencer had previously told the court that his client had 14,050 in court and was seeking further time to gather the balance to reimburse the students in full as a gesture of remorse. Mr Spencer said that the amount has increased to 18,050 on Thursday.

He told the court that the bulk of the money came from Ramirezs father and the rest from friends. He said his client is in a difficult situation as his visa has expired and he cannot work.
The SDLP is hoping to hold off a challenge from Sinn Fein in what is expected to be a key battle within nationalism in the Foyle constituency.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says he will be a strong voice for the constituency, while his Sinn Fein challenger Sandra Duffy insists her partys MPs have wielded influence at Westminster despite not taking their seats.

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Foyle, which includes Derry city, has been an almost exclusively SDLP stronghold since its creation in 1983.

Former party leader John Hume held it until his retirement from politics, before another party leader, Mark Durkan, held it from 2005 until 2017.

Colum Eastwood in the Creggan area of Derry City. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

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The winning of the seat by Sinn Feins Elisha McCallion in 2017 by less than 200 votes was one of the shocks of that years election.

Mr Eastwood won it back for his party in 2019 with a majority of more than 17,000 in an election dominated by Brexit and a difficult time for Sinn Fein in Derry.

A swift Sinn Fein reorganisation saw the party return with a strong performance in the 2022 Assembly election with a total vote of 15,384, ahead of the SDLPs 14,460.

Mr Eastwood and Ms Duffy, a recent Derry mayor, both believe they can win the seat this year.

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However, while Mr Eastwood is believed to have benefitted from tactical voting by unionists in the past, DUP candidate Gary Middleton says unionists are wary of their lent vote being counted as support for a border poll.

Mr Eastwood recalled the 2019 campaign as extremely difficult, with Sinn Fein putting on a huge show and spending a lot of money.

But people in Derry understood that having no voice in Westminster was a mistake, and they didnt want that to happen again, he said.

This time, if they want to have representation at Westminster, someone speaking up for them and, I think, someone who has done a pretty good job in speaking up for them, then they need to come out and vote for that.

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Sandra Duffy speaking with her canvassing team in the Shantallow area of Derry. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

The response is very good on the doors. People get it and people didnt like being silenced and didnt like having the only Derry accent at Westminster being Gregory Campbell (DUP). I dont think they want to go back to that.

Mr Eastwood said his party and Sinn Fein are putting a big effort in.

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There is a good reason why Derry has done well for the SDLP, there is an awful lot of hard work, and not just at election time, he said.

I looked at our figures for my own constituency office over the last four and a half years  we have helped 7,000 people, got 20 million back in benefits and entitlements for ordinary people in Derry, weve brought in hundreds of millions of pounds from the British government and the Irish government to develop the city and expand Magee and support Northlands Addiction Centre.

If they want more of that they can vote for it or we can have an empty seat at Westminster. I am not sure that is what people want.

Ms Duffy said of Sinn Fein MPs: They do the entire job of an MP, they just dont sit in an empty chamber.

In terms of all the issues that people want us to raise, we are raising those and were very, very visible on the protest and on the rallies and talking directly to people that actually can have that influence and make that difference, she said.

We believe that, with the peoples support, we can take the seat in Foyle, and we can then deliver that positive change that people want to see for Derry.

She said a Sinn Fein MP would be better placed to deliver for Foyle, working with the partys Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill and Economy Minister Conor Murphy.

Gary Middleton in the Waterside area of Derry. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

People want to see regional balance addressed, they want to see more and better jobs here within the city, they want to see the economy grow, they want to see our small businesses being supported, Ms Duffy said.

We have a wealth of talent here in Derry, and they want to see that talent stay within the city and develop their businesses and allow their families to grow up here in a really positive, vibrant thriving city, and thats what I hope I am offering people.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP for Foyle is much better placed. We have the Executive up, we have Michelle ONeill as the First Minister, we have Conor Murphy in the department for the economy, and we have two other key economic departments.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP, working within that really strong Executive team, can deliver so much more for Derry. It can give Derry its fair share.

We believe that in terms of engaging directly with the British government, no matter what government that might be at the other end of this election, we can be more influential, and we can use that influence where it matters.

Mr Middleton said unionists in Foyle want to vote for unionists as they fear a vote for a nationalist party being read as support for a border poll.

The battle within nationalism is a matter for them. I think people of course want to see an MP who takes their seat, but from a unionist perspective, Colum Eastwood doesnt represent the unionist community, in my opinion, to the best of his ability, he said.

There is no doubt that unionist voters have lent their support to the SDLP in past elections. I think that in more recent elections, that has been less of a factor, and we want to highlight to people, when you vote for Colum Eastwood, those votes are counted sadly as nationalist votes and have been used in the past in a way that would be seen to show support for a border poll.

Thats not what we want to see, we want unionists to come out and vote for a unionist party which best represents who they are and what they believe in.

I think in this election, that is going to be less of a factor than on previous occasions.

The remaining candidates are Janice Montgomery (UUP), Rachael Ferguson (Alliance), Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), John Boyle (Aontu) and Anne McCloskey (independent).
Sir Keir Starmer has said he was not intending to cause offence to the Bangladeshi community, after his comments about Bangladeshi migrants were criticised.

During The Suns election debate on Monday, the Labour leader said people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed from the UK currently.

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This led to criticisms from former MPs, now Labour candidates, in addition to a resignation letter from a Labour councillor.

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When questioned during a campaign visit to Staffordshire, Mr Starmer said he valued the relationship and the contribution of the Bangladeshi community in Britain.

He told reporters: Theyve made a massive contribution to our economy, to our culture and to our country. Thats why theres always been a longstanding and strong relationship between Labour and the Bangladeshi community here.

Its why my first trip as a Labour MP was to Bangladesh, where I saw for myself the strength of the country, the hospitality and warmth of the country. Ive got many Bangladeshi constituents in my own constituency who Ive been working with for many years, and I want to build on that in government.

He added: The reference in the debate the other day was an example of a country that is considered safe as far as asylum is concerned, and one of the countries thats actually got a returns agreement with us, and that is actually a good thing where both we and Bangladesh can be proud of.

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Labour candidate Apsana Begum said migrants should not be scapegoated by politicians (Jonathan Brady/PA)

I certainly wasnt intending to cause any concern or offence to any Bangladeshi community here, he said.

During The Suns election event, Mr Starmer pointed to the number of people being returned to their home country dropping to 44 per cent under the Conservative government.

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He said: So on the first few days in government, Ill tell you what Ill do, Ill put the staff back in the returns unit, Ill make sure weve got planes going off, not to Rwanda, because thats an expensive gimmick.

Asked where they would be sent, he added: At the moment, people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed, because theyre not being processed.

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Following Mr Starmer's comments, Apsana Begum posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, in which she said migrants should not be scapegoated by any politicians.

Ms Begum, the former MP and Labour candidate for the London constituency of Poplar and Limehouse, said: Let me be very clear: I will never stand by and let migrant communities be scapegoated.

Its totally unacceptable for politicians of any party to use dog-whistle racism against Bangladeshis or any other migrant community.

She added: We know where this leads, and why the Bangladeshi community led the anti-fascist fight back in the wake of the murder of Altab Ali in 1978 with the message here to stay.

https://x.com/rushanaraali/status/1806018178973110653

On Wednesday, deputy leader of Tower Hamlets Labour group Sabina Akhtar accused Mr Starmer of singling out her community and insulting her Bangladeshi identity, before resigning over his comments.

In a post on X, Ms Akhtar said she could not be proud of the Labour Party anymore, adding: It is clear the direction it is heading is unacceptable to me and my community.

Shadow business minister Rushanara Ali said she was proud to be the first British Bangladeshi MP elected to the Commons.

In a statement, the Labour candidate for Bethnal Green and Stepney in London, said she was in close contact with Mr Starmer over the comments and had relayed the communities concerns.

Mish Rahman, a member of Labours National Executive Committee, said Mr Starmer was bang out of line.

Speaking to Times Radio on Thursday, Mr Rahman said: Keir Starmer might not have the same Labour values as I do, but Im not going to resign from the Labour Party over Keir Starmer.

In fact, I will challenge Keir Starmer at every opportunity I have when I feel hes out of line. And today hes been bang out of line.

And unfortunately, this seems to be a regular occurrence when Keir Starmer makes these comments to camera where he makes these awful, awful errors of judgment.
On Thursday, the early hours of Friday Irish time, US president Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump will go head-to-head in the first debate ahead of the November election.

While these occasions have devolved into glorified shouting matches, they hold a key place in the history of US campaigns.

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Here, we have a look at some of the debates that had a huge impact on who ended up in the White House.

John F Kennedy v Richard Nixon, 1960

The first ever televised presidential debate had a huge role in John F Kennedy winning the presidency.

Heading in to the debate, then-vice president Nixon had a slim advantage over JFK, then a senator from Massachusetts.

It was the first time appearance and energy was just as important as the substance of the debate.

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The younger JFK wore makeup, and was impeccably tailored. In contrast, Nixon declined to wear makeup and wore a suit that looked slightly too big for him.

John F Kennedy's youthful appearance gave him the edge over Richard Nixon.

Even on the black-and-white television sets, Nixon was also visibly sweating.

While the debate was well-matched, JFK's youthful appearance swung it in his favour, with most Americans who watched on TV saying the Democrat won the debate, while more radio listeners said it went Nixon's way.

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Jimmy Carter v Gerald Ford, 1976

The JFK-Nixon debate was not followed for a long time, until president Gerald Ford decided he needed to face Jimmy Carter, who was ahead in the polls, in front of the nation.

Carter was then the governor of Georgia, and the televised debates gave him a chance to secure his lead.

The debates are most well-known for an odd pronouncement Ford made in the second debate: There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration.

It's unclear whether the gaffe swung public opinion in Carter's favour, but it certainly didn't help Ford.

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Jimmy Carter v Ronald Reagan, 1980

Carter had avoided the charismatic Reagan for most of the 1980 campaign. However, realising he needed a boost in the final stages, he agreed to a debate.

Carter accused the Republican of planning to cut healthcare funding for elderly people. Claiming his words were twisted, Reagan replied "there you go again," prompting cheers from the audience.

Reagan went on to win the election, denying Carter a second term.

George HW Bush v Bill Clinton v Ross Perot, 1992

This unusual three-person debate went against the incumbent, George HW Bush.

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In a bad PR moment for the president, he was caught looking at his watch, with many viewers feeling it projected a sense of complacency and a lack of respect for his opponents.

He later admitted what he was thinking. Only 10 more minutes of this crap.

US presidential candidate Bill Clinton (R), and US president George Bush (L) listen as Independent presidential candidate Ross Perot (C) answers a question. Photo: Getty Images

In the end, Bill Clinton won the election, and third-party candidate Perot had a big say in the result as he took 18.9 per cent of the national vote.

Third-party candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr is hoping to have a similar impact on the 2024 election, but the Biden and Trump camps will be relieved that his efforts to be included in the CNN debate have not come to fruition.

George Bush v Al Gore, 2000

This was a very tightly contested election, but Al Gore came into the debates leading Bush in most of the polls.

While many felt Gore won the debates, his aggressive style put many viewers off.

He was caught loudly sighing at one of Bush's answers, while he walked towards Bush while he was talking in the third debate. Bush smiled and continued to speak.

In the end, the 2000 election was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, in Bush's favour.

George Bush and Al Gore during a presidential debate in 2000. Photo: Getty Images

Donald Trump v Hillary Clinton, 2016

The first debate between Trump and Clinton drew a record 84 million viewers.

The following two both had more than 60 million viewers, and while political analysts said Clinton won all the debates easily, they were an example of how soundbites became more important.

The standout moment came when Clinton said the United States would be in a perilous situation with someone with Trump's temperament in charge, to which he replied: "You'd be in jail."

Trump was also criticised for standing behind Clinton in what looked like a threatening manner at various points.

Donald Trump v Joe Biden, 2020

Like the current situation, Trump and Biden were neck and neck heading into the 2020 election.

This was an example of how the civilised debate first shown by JFK and Nixon had really devolved, as Trump continually tried to shout over his opponent.

However, it backfired on Trump as the key moment was Biden's response: "Will you shut up, man?"

The second debate was cancelled as Trump tested positive for coronavirus.

Donald Trump v Joe Biden, 2024?

With Trump holding a lead in the majority of polls, there is a huge amount riding on this debate.

Like some of the previous incumbents, Biden has likely only agreed as he feels he has ground to make up, and there are big risks for him, as there are for Trump.

Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, are the oldest presidential candidates ever and both will be looking to project an energetic and commanding presence.

Donald Trump and Joe Biden will go head-to-head for the first time since 2020.

Issues like the economy and immigration will likely come up, but expect plenty of personal attacks.

Trump is likely to zone in on the recent federal gun charges Biden's son, Hunter, was found guilty of. Meanwhile, viewers will be wondering when Biden chooses to bring up Trump's own conviction, in the high profile New York hush money case.

To prevent the candidates shouting over each other, mics will be switched off while their opponent is speaking.

The 90-minute debate starts at 2am Irish time.
Britain's Duke of Sussex has been ordered to explain to a High Court judge how private messages to the ghostwriter of his memoir were destroyed amid their potential relevance to his legal action against the publisher of The Sun.

In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Fancourt said the apparent deletion of Harry's exchanges with John Moehringer on the Signal messaging platform, as well as drafts of Spare, before the books publication was not transparently clear.

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The judge ordered Harry's lawyers to carry out further searches of his laptop and examinations of his texts and Whatsapp and Signal messages from 2005 to January last year, for evidence potentially relevant to the litigation over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

He ordered Harry to make an interim payment of 60,000 in legal costs to NGN after ruling largely in favour of the publishers bid for a wider search for evidence at a one-day hearing in London.

Harry, 39, alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for NGN, which also published the now-defunct News Of The World.

He is among a number of people to bring cases against the publisher, with a full trial of some cases due to be held in January.

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The publisher has previously denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

Mr Justice Fancourt said there was evidence that a large number of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages between Harry and his ghostwriter were destroyed some time between 2021 and 2023, well after this claim was under way.

The position is not transparently clear about what exactly happened and needs to be made so by a witness statement from the claimant himself explaining what happened, he said, adding that this should cover what attempts have been made to retrieve the Signal messages.

The judge said Harrys exchanges with Mr Moehringer may have related to the parts of Spare in which unlawful information gathering in relation to newspapers was discussed.

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The Duke of Sussexs barrister David Sherborne (James Manning/PA)

Harrys barrister, David Sherborne, said in written arguments that Harry had not discussed unlawful information gathering via text or WhatsApp with anyone and that his Signal messages with the ghostwriter had been wiped.

But Mr Justice Fancourt said this was apparently contradicted by Mr Moehringer who previously said he and Harry were texting around the clock.

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NGNs disclosure bid is focused on uncovering any evidence that could relate to whether Harry knew he had a potential case against the publisher earlier than the legal time limit of six years before he filed his claim in September 2019.

In his oral ruling, the judge said he had real concerns this issue was being inadequately dealt with by Harrys legal team, adding that the majority of searches for material had been carried out by the duke himself rather than lawyers.

He said Harry had only disclosed five documents as being relevant to issues to be considered at trial, describing this as rather remarkable and gives me cause for concern about the disclosure exercise.

The judge also granted NGNs request that Harrys former solicitors at law firm Harbottle & Lewis and members of the royal household  Sir Clive Alderton, private secretary Britain's King Charles, and Sir Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse  should be written to to request material relevant to the litigation.

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Earlier on Thursday, NGNs barrister Anthony Hudson KC claimed Harry had to be dragged kicking and screaming into allowing his personal emails to be examined for potential evidence.

The court heard some 11,570 emails from the dukes now-closed ha@sjpkp.com email account were being reviewed for potential disclosure by his lawyers over the course of 150 hours and at a cost of 50,000.

Mr Hudson accused Harry of obfuscation and creating an obstacle course in the face of NGNs efforts to source more material.

In written arguments, he said the loss of the Signal messages with the ghostwriter gives rise to real concern as to whether the claimant has complied with his obligation to preserve potentially relevant documents.

Mr Sherborne said NGN had wrongly characterised his approach to disclosing material, accusing the publisher of embarking on a classic fishing expedition for potential information that was entirely unnecessary and disproportionate.

He said accusations that Harry was putting up obstacles was the height of hypocrisy, telling the court that NGN had previously deleted millions of emails as a way of hiding incriminating evidence.

In written arguments, Mr Sherborne said Harry had gone above and beyond his obligations and had already searched his Californian home for material.

He said Harry no longer had laptops, mobile phones or data backups from before September 2013.

Harry's Hotmail email address used before 2014 had been deactivated, he said, while there were no relevant social media accounts that fail to be searched.

Royal aides had also been contacted and have confirmed they do not hold relevant documents, Mr Sherborne added.
The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of former US president Donald Trump granted a defence request for a hearing on whether prosecutors improperly breached lawyer-client privilege when they obtained crucial evidence from one of Trumps ex-lawyers.

But US district judge Aileen Cannon also denied a request for a hearing on a separate Trump team claim that the Justice Department had submitted false or misleading information in an application for a warrant to search the Republican ex-presidents Florida estate for classified records two years ago.

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The order amounts to a mixed result for both sides and ensures further delays in a criminal case that has already been snarled by significant postponements, resulting in the indefinite postponement of a trial that had been set to begin on May 20 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

In a bid to suppress as evidence the classified documents seized by the FBI during the August 8, 2022, Mar-a-Lago search, defence lawyers have said the Justice Department omitted or misrepresented certain facts in its application to a magistrate judge to obtain a warrant.



Donald Trumps defence team claimed claim the Justice Department had submitted false or misleading information in an application for a warrant to search Mar-a-Lago (Chris Szagola/AP)

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They argued, for instance, that the application should have noted that a senior FBI official proposed seeking the consent of Mr Trumps lawyers for a search rather than obtaining a court-authorised search warrant.

But Judge Cannon sided with special counsel Jack Smiths team in finding that neither that nor any other of the alleged omissions raised by the defence had any bearing on whether or not prosecutors had sufficient probable cause to search the property.

Even accepting those statements by the high-level FBI official, the motion offers an insufficient basis to believe that inclusion in the affidavit of that officials perspective (or of the dissenting views of other FBI agents as referenced generally in his testimony) would have altered the evidentiary calculus in support of probable cause for the alleged offences, she wrote.

But her order was not a complete win for the government as she said she would schedule a separate hearing to consider the question of whether prosecutors had improperly obtained the co-operation of Mr Trumps lawyers through an exception to lawyer-client privilege.

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Defence lawyers are ordinarily shielded from being forced to testify about their confidential conversations with their client but can be compelled to do so if prosecutors can show that their legal services were used in furtherance of a crime  a doctrine known as the crime-fraud exception.

The then-chief federal judge in the District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, agreed with Mr Smiths team that the exception applied and ordered grand jury testimony from two of Mr Trumps lawyers.

She also directed one of his lawyers, M Evan Corcoran, to turn over audio recordings that documented his impressions of conversations he had had with Mr Trump about returning the documents. Those conversations are repeatedly cited in the indictment and held up by prosecutors as incriminating evidence.

It is the obligation of this court to make factual findings afresh on the crime-fraud issue, Judge Cannon wrote. And a standard means by which to make such findings as is customary in criminal suppression litigation  is following an evidentiary hearing at which both sides can present evidence (documentary and testimonial, as applicable).
The Julian Assange case ends with me here in Saipan, a judge said at a US court hearing that saw the WikiLeaks founder walk free after pleading guilty to one charge.

In an audio recording of the hearing released by the court in the US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific, Mr Assange was heard pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act and was sentenced to time already served in a British prison.

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During the hearing, which took place just after midnight on Wednesday, Judge Ramona Manglona told Mr Assange she hoped there would be some peace restored after he walked out of the court a free man and wished him luck.

Julian Assange arrives in Canberra, on his return to Australia (Hilary Wardhaugh/PA)

The plea agreement resolves a long-running legal case over the publication of classified documents, and lawyers for the US told the court that once Mr Assange was sentenced, they would withdraw the extradition request.

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The court hearing ended with Judge Manglona inviting Mr Assange up to the lectern.

She said: Mr Assange, you stand before me to be sentenced in this criminal action and as I stated under the sentencing factors after considering the guideline range here and the agreement, I would note the following.

First, timing matters, I will say this, if this case were brought before me some time near about 2012 or thereabouts, without the benefit of what I know now, which is that youve actually served a period of imprisonment, that based on what weve just discussed is at least five years, at apparently one of the harshest facilities in the United Kingdom, would it be fair to say its possibly equivalent to the Bureau of Prisons, supermax, that is a significant fact.

Theres another significant fact  the government has indicated there is no personal victim here.

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That tells me I can surmise that the dissemination of information that occurred in this instance did not result in any known physical injury and that these two facts are very relevant, because I would say, if this were still yet unknown, and close in time to when the dissemination started in April 2010, I would not be so inclined to accept this plea deal presented to me.

She said in comparison to Chelsea Mannings prison time, Mr Assanges 62 months spent in Belmarsh is fair and reasonable and proportionate.

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Judge Manglona added: For these reasons, given the factual basis that accounts for the whole saga of events that constitutes the basis for this very serious espionage charge against you. And given as I said, what is in fact the status of affairs here today in the year 2024.

I am in fact, sentencing you to a period of time served and pursuant to your plea agreement with time served and credit for the time served, I am not imposing any period of supervised release.

She added that assuming he complies with all terms and conditions and there is no breach of the plea agreement, it would end the case with me here in Saipan.

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With this pronouncement, it appears that you will be able to walk out of this courtroom a free man, she said. I do hope that there will in fact be some peace restored.

Matthew McKenzie, for the United States government, said the US will be withdrawing the extradition request forthwith.

The judge ended proceedings by saying: Mr Assange, apparently its an early happy birthday to you. I understand your birthday is next week.

Stella Assange, wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, speaks to the media during a press conference in Canberra, following Mr Assanges return to Australia (Hilary Wardhaugh/PA)

Its probably the first one you celebrate outside a prison or any time of a limitation so, I hope you will start living your life in a positive note. Good luck to you.

The court hearing began with the judge discussing jurisdiction, she said the district is the 94th district in the country, it is the smallest, youngest and furthest from our nations capital.

Judge Manglona asked Mr McKenzie why the case has been filed in Saipan, and he replied it is because it is close to Mr Assanges native Australia and would accommodate him travelling home shortly after the proceeding and it is an appropriate venue for this proceeding.

Asked if there are any victims of the offence under the Crime Victims Act, Mr McKenzie said: As weve stipulated to in the agreement, there are no individual victims that are qualified pursuing to that act.

Mr Assange was sworn in by the clerk, giving his name as Julian Paul Assange, he said he is 52 and has been a consultant, journalist, computer programmer, editor and documentary maker.

The judge read the charge to the court, saying it was conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defence information and added the crime is punishable up to 10 years imprisonment.

Screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange arriving in Bangkok, Thailand, following his release from prison (@WikiLeaks/PA)

Asked if he understood that, Mr Assange said I do.

Mr Assange was asked if he was prepared to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the information and he replied guilty to the information.

Part of the plea agreement requires Mr Assange to destroy any unpublished information is his possession, control or custody or that of WikiLeaks or any affiliate of WikiLeaks, and to instruct editors of WikiLeaks to destroy such information, the court heard.

Mr Assange was asked a number of questions, including if he was fully satisfied with the counsel representation and advice given by his lawyer Barry Pollack, and he said it might depend on the outcome of the hearing, which was met with laughter.

The court was then told that Mr Assanges co-conspirator Chelsea Manning was found guilty of various offences under the Uniform Code of Military Justice related to the facts of this conspiracy and in August 2013 was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The then- US president Barack Obama commuted all but four months of her sentence in January 2017, so she served about seven years in prison.

Screen grab taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Wikileaks of Julian Assange following his release from prison (@WikiLeaks/PA)

Judge Manglona asked Mr Assange what is it he did that will constitute the crime charged.

Mr Assange said: Working as a journalist I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information.

I believe that the First Amendment protected that activity, but I accept that as written its a violation of the Espionage Act statute.

Mr Assanges defence, Mr Pollack, said Mr Assange believes that the conduct of issue should be protected by the First Amendment but understands that no court has held that there is a First Amendment defence to the Espionage Act, he understands that his conduct violates the terms of the Espionage Act, and is pleading guilty on that basis.

Reading from the plea agreement, Mr McKenzie said between 2009 and continuing until 2011, the defendant knowingly and unlawfully conspired with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who held a top secret US security clearance, to wilfully and unlawfully obtained deliver, transmit and communicate documents, writings and notes relating to the national defence including classified information to persons not entitled to receive such items and information, including the defendant himself.

Judge Manglona discussed a guideline range of 41 to 51 months imprisonment, but said Mr Assange was entitled to credit for time served for the entire period he has been incarcerated.

She said the defendant has served approximately 62 months in prison.

Mr Assange had made statements to reflect its been a 14-year ordeal, the judge added.
Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? (Proverbs 6:27-29)

On 24 June, the US ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where she was presented with what is known in the jargon of diplomacy as a demarche. That in plain English means the most serious warning, just short of a declaration of war. This is a clear sign that relations between the two countries are on the brink of total breakdown.

The immediate cause of the warning was an incident that occurred last Sunday, when an attack on Crimea by US-made ATACM guided missiles led to an explosion over a crowded beach in Sevastopol where families were celebrating the orthodox feast of the holy Trinity.

It seems that the missile exploded in midair, showering the beach with a murderous rain of cluster bombs, leading to numerous casualties including children.

The details of the attack are not entirely clear. But it is clear that it could not have occurred without the active involvement of the US military. The official position of the Russian government is that this was a deliberate attack by Ukrainians upon civilians in Crimea.

According to the Defence Ministry of Russia, the attackers used US operational missiles with cluster warheads to kill the maximum number of people. Offline data were entered by US military crews and a reconnaissance drone was on duty off the coast of Crimea during the attack.

While the use of cluster warheads in times of war is not specifically prohibited, the UN has said that if cluster warheads are used in an attack on civilians, even if that attack is the result of negligence, that would constitute a war crime.

Irrespective of whether this was a deliberate attack against a civilian target or an act of criminal irresponsibility, it can certainly be regarded as a war crime. It has provoked a wave of outrage in Russia and demands for retaliation.

This was only the latest of a series of blatant provocations staged by Washington, using the willing services of the Kyiv regime, an indication of their frantic desperation when faced with a disastrous situation on the battlefield.

War irrevocably lost for Ukraine

The hard fact of the matter is that the war in Ukraine is now irrevocably lost / Image: Anton Holoborodko, Wikimedia Commons

What is the purpose of these pointless missile strikes against Crimea? From a military point of view, such actions make no sense whatsoever. They have no effect at all on the field of battle, which is centred on central Donbas and  though to as far lesser extent than is generally thought  the Kharkiv front.

The hard fact of the matter is that the war in Ukraine is now irrevocably lost. The Ukrainian forces are suffering frightful losses, which the Kyiv regime is powerless to replace.

The new mobilisation law has clearly failed to produce the expected results. Young men have disappeared from the streets of every Ukrainian town, either in hiding from the draft or fleeing from the country altogether.

Ukraine has suffered one defeat after another and Russian forces, which now for the first time outnumber the Ukrainians, continue to advance in a slow but determined way, conquering one strategic point after another.

The unpalatable truth that the war is now irretrievably lost is slowly but surely beginning to penetrate all but the most obtuse minds in Washington.

Only the dim-witted clowns in London who still cling to their stupid dreams of imperial glory, and the narcissistic lunatic Macron who for reasons known only to himself imagines himself as a reincarnation of Napoleon Bonaparte, still indulge themselves with hopeless dreams of a new Ukrainian offensive that will drive the Russian hordes back to Moscow.

But the facts tell a different story. The ill-fated peace conference called by Zelensky in Switzerland was a complete flop. Most countries stayed away. Even Joe Biden found a feeble excuse for not attending.

And so few nations were prepared to sign up to a watered-down resolution that the organisers were compelled to add the name of the Head of the Orthodox Church to the list (although he is not the head of any state), though not that of the Pope (who is, at least in Vatican City).

Thus, a stunt that was intended to provide proof of growing international support for the Kyiv regime, proved exactly the opposite. It showed that support for the Ukrainian cause is collapsing. And US imperialism is more isolated in the world than at any time since the end of the Second World War.

The economic war against Russia has also failed. Far from wrecking the Russian economy, sanctions have helped it to boom. Those oligarchs who were prevented from investing in the West have instead been investing in Russia. The economy is growing at a healthy five percent.

The US-imposed sanctions have not had the desired effect. Sales of Russian oil and gas are booming and the loss of sales in the West has been offset by the rising price of energy.

On the military front, the Russian army is far stronger than it was at the commencement of the war. According to Putin, it now has 700,000 troops in Ukraine, and the real figure is probably higher. Unlike Ukraine, there is no shortage of volunteers, willing to fight.

Biden thought that the Russian army would be no match for modern US weapons. These were presented as game changers. The list of these so-called wonder weapons is endless: Javelin missiles, Leopard tanks, Challenger tanks, Patriot missile systems, the Abrams tank and so on and so forth.

But one after another, these so-called game changers were exposed as useless. They have been systematically destroyed by the Russians, who now have almost complete control of the air and a crushing superiority in artillery, missiles, drones, tanks and every other fundamental department of weaponry.

Russias armed forces have been rearmed and equipped with modern weapons that are more than a match for anything that America or NATO has to offer.

The powerful arms industry inherited from the Soviet Union is churning out a huge amount of tanks, planes and artillery at a rate with which the West cannot compete.

While the Ukrainians complain about a shortage of artillery shells and other ammunition, the Russians have plenty of both, and will have even more after Putins visit to North Korea.

West says: fight to the last Ukrainian!

Washington and London only have one solution: carry on fighting to the last Ukrainian / Image: kyiv.dsns.gov.ua, Wikimedia Commons

All this is producing a mood akin to panic in Western capitals. However, instead of drawing the logical conclusion, which is the need to find some kind of diplomatic face-saving formula that would enable them to put an end to this disastrous war and get rid of the Ukrainian question once and for all, the warmongers in Washington and London only have one solution: carry on fighting to the last Ukrainian.

Since they clearly have no coherent military strategy for reversing the disastrous trend of the battlefield, these ladies and gentlemen are racking their brains to find ways and means of hurting Russia, causing such damage that it would somehow compel Moscow to agree to terms that amount to surrender.

This so-called strategy is no strategy at all. It resembles the petulant tantrum of a spoilt child who has been deprived of his favourite toy and takes his revenge by lashing out left, right and centre, and turning the whole house upside down.

But sad to say, instead of obtaining the desired favourite toys, naughty children are severely punished. That will be the fate of these petulant ladies and gentlemen in Washington and London.

Everything that they have done to hurt Russia has turned against themselves, wrecking the world economy, reducing the population of the West to increasing levels of poverty and antagonising the whole world except for a tiny clique of privileged cronies in Western Europe who are huddling together for warmth under the banner of the criminal imperialist gang known as NATO.

The Americans systematically sabotaged every attempt to obtain peace. They cynically pushed the Ukrainians into a disastrous offensive that ended in a comprehensive defeat and a truly staggering level of Ukrainian losses.

They have never recovered. Yet the warmongers in Washington are still determined to keep the war going.

But no American soldiers are supposed to be killed. And except for the crazy gang that still exerts a strong influence on Bidens administration, not many would be prepared to go to war with Russia, which possesses a powerful army and nuclear weapons.

Unwelcome consequences

No matter how much he extracts from the Americans, Zelensky always comes back asking for more / Image: President Of Ukraine, Flickr

A few days ago, Donald Trump launched an open attack on Zelensky:

He just left four days ago with $60 billion, and he gets home, and he announces that he needs another $60 billion. It never ends, Trump said.

That is very true. No matter how much he extracts from the Americans, Zelensky always comes back asking for more.

It is no secret that he has lost the war. And no amount of American aid will suffice to alter the disastrous situation on the battlefield.

He demanded long-range ballistic missiles. At first, the Americans demurred, fearing a Russian response. But, as has happened so often, the Biden administration finally gave in to his demands. So, in March the United States quietly sent longer range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as part of a package of military aid.

These sophisticated long-range ballistic missiles were capable of hitting targets deep inside Russian territory. In theory, they were almost impossible to destroy.

However, in practice, as has also happened to all the other wonder weapons, the Russians soon worked out ways of tracking and destroying them. And indeed a large number have already been destroyed.

For reasons best known to themselves, the Ukrainians used up a large number of these ATACMS missiles in attacks against Crimea. As we have pointed out, the military significance of those attacks was negligible. They amounted to not much more than propaganda stunts to impress Kyivs Western backers and convince them of the need to send still more arms and money to keep the war going.

But the latest incident has had effects that were both unexpected and highly unwelcome for the Americans.

The result has been an uproar in Russia and the formal warning issued to the USA.

This must be seen in context.

Following his usual course of action, Zelensky, having received his ATACMS missiles, proceeded to demand that the Americans drop their policy of restricting the use of such missiles to the actual theatre of war.

Zelensky insisted that he needed permission to attack targets inside the territory of the Russian Federation, although, in fact, his forces had been shelling across the border into the Russian city of Belgorod for at least 12 months.

In order to placate the men in Kyiv, Biden finally agreed to allow strikes inside Russia  but only in the immediate vicinity of the Kharkiv front.

Unsurprisingly, this did not satisfy the men in Kyiv, who immediately demanded the right to fire long-range ballistic missiles deep into Russian territory.

That was a red line for the Russians. Putin warned the Americans (as he had previously warned the French and British) that Russia also possessed long-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting targets anywhere in the world.

The latest developments have arisen from all this with an absolute sense of inevitability. This is where the insane policy of endless provocations and escalation that the Americans and their NATO allies have been engaged in continuously for years have ended up.

To imagine that they could get away with launching missile strikes deep inside Russia and the Russians would just sit on their hands was the height of stupidity. But stupidity is the hallmark of all Western diplomacy nowadays  and that of the USA in particular.

It is useless for the Americans to deny their role in these events. From the official statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, it is quite clear that they know perfectly well who was behind the decisions which caused the atrocity in Sevastopol.

This is only the logical outcome of this irrational behaviour, which begins to look suspiciously like an attack of hysteria masquerading as a fictitious policy.

The consequences for the USA and the entire world are potentially extremely serious.

The decision of the USA to supply the Kyiv regime with the most advanced weapons, including the ATACM missiles with cluster warheads that were used against innocent people on a beach in Sevastopol, has finally exhausted the patience of the Kremlin.

Russia has pointed out what was already only too obvious, namely that the United States is conducting a hybrid war against Russia, using as an excuse Ukraines right to belong to NATO.

Most people now are becoming aware of this fact. They can see beyond the thick smokescreen of propaganda and have understood that US imperialism is waging a proxy war against Russia, in which the unfortunate people of Ukraine are mere pawns in a cynical game of great power politics.

Serious escalation

It seems that Joe Biden was shocked by the news of Putins trip to Pyongyang / Image: www.kremlin.ru, Wikimedia Commons

Russias comments are only one step short of saying that they are now in a state of war  something that everyone except the clique of crazy warmongers in the Biden administration and the London government wish to avoid.

This is far more serious than any situation that has existed since the Second World War. And it opens the door for all sorts of things to happen which might have seemed impossible only a few years ago.

The most important fact is that the Russians have now stated publicly that they no longer consider themselves to be in a state of peace with the United States.

That is not yet an open declaration of war. But it is only one step removed from it. Now all kinds of things become possible that were unthinkable before.

It is not likely that the Russians will launch an attack against the United States. They do not wish to start a Third World War. But there are many other options open to them.

For example, the Russians are going to start supplying sophisticated weapons to enemies and adversaries of the United States. In fact, they are already doing so. This is clear from Putins recent visit to North Korea and Vietnam.

It seems that Joe Biden was shocked by the news of Putins trip to Pyongyang. Apparently, this was an unexpected and highly unwelcome development. But why that should have been the case is a complete mystery.

Since Washington treats both Russia and North Korea as pariah states, it can hardly seem surprising that they should be pushed into closer relations in the face of a common  and increasingly belligerent  adversary.

Nor is it in the least bit surprising, since they have imposed economic sanctions on both countries, that they should choose to ignore those sanctions and open the door to closer trading links.

The Americans throw up their hands in horror at the suggestion that North Korea may be sending artillery shells (half a million of them, no less!) to help the Russian war effort in Ukraine. But they see no problem at all in arming the Kyiv regime with all manner of weapons of destruction  which they have been doing for years.

As usual  its one law for America and another, and quite a different one for the rest of the world.

The rules-based order

The Americans see no problem at all in arming the Kyiv regime with all manner of weapons of destruction / Image: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Wikimedia Commons

But the rest of the world is getting rather tired of this particular game, which is comically described as the rules-based international order.

If the Americans can arm their Ukrainian stooges to the teeth in order to wage a proxy war against Russia on their behalf, why should the Russians not act in the same way?

There can be very little doubt that, in the very near future, the Russians will be providing advanced weapon systems to Americas adversaries in different parts of the world.

At a time when the Middle East is like a powder keg waiting for a spark to set off an explosion, Moscow will be considering arming Iran and other elements with sophisticated weapon systems, which it had refrained from doing up until now. If the Russians decide to wage proxy wars against the Americans across the Middle East, certain things will flow from that.

The implications for America, should Russia form a strategic partnership with Iran, will be momentous.

It will greatly strengthen Iran, and that will have an impact on the balance of power in the Middle East that will limit the United Statess room for manoeuvre in that key region.

Moreover, whatever advanced weapon systems and technology are supplied by the Russians to the Iranians will eventually end up in the hands of the Houthis and other enemies of the United States in the Middle East.

I saw recently that a merchant ship was actually sunk by the Houthis. Up until now I had only seen reports that ships were damaged. Is this an early sign of the Houthis receiving better arms and intelligence? We shall soon find out. And there are several US warships in that area, which must present very tempting targets.

And there are plenty of others in the Middle East who would be very happy to attack American bases and installations if they were provided with military support, weaponry, equipment, training, intelligence and data from the Russians.

Such developments will provoke howls of protest in the free press. How cruel! How unjust! But if the United States is conducting a proxy war against Russia, why should the Russians not follow their example?

Worse than a crime, its a mistake

Biden is like a car with only one gear / Image: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, Wikimedia Commons

The latest events have been largely ignored by the Western media. Yet they undoubtedly represent an important change in the situation.

The 18th19th-century French diplomat Talleyrand once remarked: c'est pire qu'un crime; c'est une faute (it's worse than a crime; it's a mistake).

If only the Biden administration possessed a diplomat of Talleyrands stature, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble.

But Joe Biden is not a diplomat at all. He can scarcely be described as a politician of any stature. In fact, one might seriously doubt his ability to manage a hardware store in some small town in the Midwest.

Yet this gentleman is in charge of the destiny of the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth and has his finger on the nuclear button. Hardly a comforting thought at this moment in time!

This administration has not committed one mistake. It has made one blunder after another in foreign policy, dragging the USA deeper and deeper into a morass of its own making.

Biden is like a car with only one gear, and he does not know how to reverse. When he speaks, it is like listening to an old gramophone record with a repeating groove.

He seems to operate, not on the basis of rational calculation, but on prejudice, ignorance and obsession. That is a recipe for disaster.

He is completely obsessed with Ukraine (where his family has material interests) and has a deep-seated and inveterate hatred of Russia and all things Russian.

His Ukrainian policy has gone from bad to worse, and is now on the point of complete collapse. So what does one do? Obviously, following the Biden well-worn strategy: carry on as before.

Thus, one blunder leads to another blunder, as night follows day. As the Bible says:

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. (Proverbs: 26: 11)

Lessons from the decline and fall of the Roman Empire

Has the time come for US imperialism to enter the downward slope which dragged imperial Rome into the dust? / Image: public domain

It would be possible to write an interesting study comparing the present crisis of American imperialism with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

It is true that many different elements were involved in that long and inglorious decline. But one of the most important was the fact the Empire had overreached itself. It reached its limits and was unable to sustain the colossal burden imposed by maintaining its imperial rule. The end result was a complete collapse.

The very position of the United States as a global power with a presence everywhere in the world is itself a source of great vulnerability. The need to support its interests on a global scale imposes a colossal strain.

This is shown by the war in Ukraine, which represents an enormous drain on the resources of even the richest country in the world. Americas stock of arms has been severely depleted by the demands of Zelensky, which continue to accelerate even as the military position deteriorates.

And everywhere, new conflicts and wars are brewing. Netanyahus murderous assault on Gaza has left it in ruins. There are no more real targets left to attack. Yet his aim to defeat and destroy Hamas remains as far off as ever. In fact, it will never be attained.

Given the impasse in Gaza, he is looking to provoke a new war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. That will be a far more difficult and bloody affair than the one in Gaza. And he will be constantly demanding more aid and weapons from the United States.

On the other side of the world, tensions between China, Taiwan and the Philippines are growing by the day. All of these will be clamouring for more weapons and money from Washington.

But Washingtons resources, although considerable, are not infinite. And the administration will have to decide where the limited supply of arms is to be distributed.

The new crises and wars will represent an insoluble problem, not only for the USA, but for its European allies, who all find themselves in a similar position.

Has the time come for US imperialism to enter the downward slope which dragged imperial Rome into the dust? Time will tell.

But three decades have passed since the fall of the Soviet Union. At that time, the defenders of the capitalist system were euphoric. They spoke about the end of communism and the end of socialism. One of these gentlemen, Francis Fukuyama, even proclaimed the end of history. But history cannot be so easily disposed of.

History has not been abolished. It pursues its course relentlessly and has a habit of taking revenge on the high and mighty.
Kenyan police on Thursday clashed with protesters in Nairobi ahead of planned protests against a controversial finance Bill, despite the presidents decision not to sign it after the plans sparked deadly chaos in Nairobi and saw protesters storming and burning part of the parliament building.

Protesters who said last week that they would march to the State House on Thursday say they still do not trust President William Ruto, who has said the tax hikes would be withdrawn and budget cuts would be made.

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Police have hurled tear gas canisters at groups of protesters attempting to congregate within the central business district. The military has been patrolling the city despite a court order that suspended their deployment to support police during the protests.

Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday urged the young protesters to call off planned protests and give dialogue a chance.

The leaderless movement began online with young people demanding that legislators reject the proposed tax hikes. It later morphed into calls for the presidents resignation after the Bill was passed.



William Ruto has been embraced by the US as a welcome, stable partner in Africa (Patrick Ngugi/AP)

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On Tuesday thousands of protesters stormed Kenyas parliament, burning parts of the building and sending politicians fleeing. Police opened fire and at least 22 people were reportedly killed in the chaos.

Activists were divided about the agenda of Thursdays protests. One protester, Boniface Mwangi, urged others to peacefully march to a road where protesters were killed to pay their respects.

Invasion of the State House isnt a solution, he wrote on X.

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But Francis Gaitho, one of the many activists mobilising for the protests online, insisted that young people should march to the State House.



Protesters scatter as police spray a water cannon at them in Kenya during a protest earlier this week (Brian Inganga/AP)

Activists and others warned the stakes were higher than in past protests because Mr Ruto vowed on Tuesday to quash unrest at whatever cost.

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Analyst Javas Bigambo told the Associated Press that the discontent is partly because Kenyans do not trust the president to implement the austerity measures he announced on Wednesday.

Kenyans still have a problem with the economy and wastage in government, he said.

Businesspeople in Nairobi were standing guard outside their shops on Thursday to prevent looting and vandalism, which took place during Tuesdays protests.

Major roads leading to key government buildings, including parliament, have been blocked.

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Outside Nairobi, protests have been reported in Mombasa, Kisumu, Migori and other major towns.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke to Mr Ruto on Wednesday, thanking him for taking steps to reduce tensions.

The secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses, a statement read.



Army vehicles patrol around Nairobi, Kenya (Brian Inganga/AP)

Mr Ruto has been embraced by the US as a welcome, stable partner in Africa while frustration grows elsewhere on the continent with the US and some other western powers.

In May, Mr Ruto went to Washington in the first state visit by an African leader in 16 years.

On Tuesday, as the protests erupted, the US designated Kenya as its first major non-Nato ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic act but one highlighting their security partnership.

Also on Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an initiative that brought thanks from US President Joe Biden.

Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Thursday referred the presidents memorandum on the finance Bill to the finance committee, which is expected to report back to the house in the next sitting. Parliament is on recess until July 23.
Stella Assange has thanked politicians who campaigned for her husband, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, to be freed during her visit to Australias Parliament House, where political leaders differed over how welcome the convicted felon was in his homeland.

Julian is overjoyed and so grateful to the Australian people, to the members of Parliament and to the government and also the opposition who came together to voice the need for his release, Mrs Assange said.

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Mr Assange has made no public comment since he arrived in Australia on Wednesday after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing US military secrets in a deal with US Justice Department prosecutors that ended his 14-year legal battle for freedom.

The Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group began with a few federal politcians in 2019 and expanded to 47  one of five of the total in Canberra  as a consensus grew that the prosecution over WikiLeaks release of almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010 had taken too long.

Julian Assange has made no public comment since he arrived in Australia (Hilary Wardhaugh/PA)

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His lawyers now want to swing that public and political support behind a campaign to have Mr Assanges conviction pardoned.

President (Joe) Biden or any subsequent president absolutely can and, in my mind, should issue a pardon to Julian Assange, lawyer Barry Pollack said.

But while Australian politicians largely agreed that the time had come for Mr Assange to be brought home, they disagreed on whether he deserved the same level of support as Australians recently released from arbitrary detention in China, Iran and Myanmar thanks to government intervention.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has been credited with the diplomatic coup that enabled Mr Assange to be released from a London prison to travel to Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the western Pacific where he pleaded guilty to a single charge under the Espionage Act.

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With credit given for the five years Mr Assange had spent in Belmarsh Prison fighting extradition, he was allowed to return to Australia without serving any more jail time.

Opposition politicians argue that Mr Albanese risked damaging relations with the United States, Australias most important security partner, by calling Mr Assange moments after the former computer hacker had landed in Canberra.

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Its not necessary nor appropriate for Anthony Albanese to welcome home Julian Assange on the same day hes admitted to espionage acts, opposition spokesperson on foreign affairs Simon Birmingham said. But Mrs Assange argued her husband should never have been charged.

He was pleading guilty to committing journalism. This case criminalises journalism, journalistic activity, standard journalist activity of news-gathering and publishing, she said.

Mr Assange was accused of receiving and publishing war logs and diplomatic cables that included details of US military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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His activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view and warned of a chilling effect on journalists.

Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

Questioned at a news conference after Mr Assanges return, Mr Albanese declined to say whether he considered him a journalist who had been wrongly pursued by US authorities.

Julian Assange was allowed to return to Australia (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

I think that there will continue to be different views about Julian Assange and his activity, Mr Albanese said.

My role as prime minister has been to firmly say that whatever the views that people have, there was no purpose to be served by this ongoing incarceration.

Australian foreign minister Penny Wong distanced the government from the Assange campaign for the crime to be pardoned.

That is a matter for Mr Assange and his legal team and the decision on that is a matter for the United States, Ms Wong said.

What we are pleased about is that he is home. We did think his incarceration had dragged on.

Mrs Assange, a South Africa-born lawyer who married her husband in prison in 2022, has given few clues to his future career.

He plans to swim in the ocean every day. He plans to sleep in a real bed. He plans to taste real food and he plans to enjoy his freedom, she said.

Julian is the most principled man I know and he will always defend human rights and speak out against injustice and he can choose how he does that, because he is a free man.
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer return to the campaign trail on Thursday after they clashed over the Westminster betting row in their final televised head-to-head debate ahead of the UK General Election.

The Labour leader accused the UK prime minister of being bullied into taking action in the scandal, while Mr Sunak repeatedly warned voters not to surrender to Labours tax and migration plans in the heated exchange.

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With the polls showing the Tories heading for an electoral drubbing with just a week to go until July 4th, Mr Sunak used the BBC debate to hammer home his claim that Mr Starmer is not being honest with everyone about his plans to raise their taxes.

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He reiterated the much-disputed claim that taxes would rise by 2,000 under a Labour government, which Mr Starmer dismissed as a lie.

The leaders are likely to face further questions on the deepening gambling saga, as it emerged London's Metropolitan Police will lead on investigating a small number of cases related to betting to look into potential misconduct in public office.

And Sir Philip Davies became the latest Tory candidate to be accused of gambling on the election.

He reportedly bet 8,000 against himself holding his marginal Shipley constituency, according to The Sun.

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At least five Conservatives are being investigated by the Gambling Commission as part of its inquiry into wagers on the timing of the July 4th poll.

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Mr Sunak on Tuesday caved to mounting calls to withdraw support for two parliamentary candidates facing an investigation by the regulator: his parliamentary aide Craig Williams and Laura Saunders.

Ms Saunders husband, the Conservative Partys director of campaigning Tony Lee, has taken a leave of absence, as has Tory chief data officer Nick Mason, while Welsh Tory Senedd member Russell George is also facing a probe by the gambling watchdog.

Labour has also been dragged into the row, suspending candidate Kevin Craig after he was investigated by the regulator for betting on himself to lose his contest in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

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Host Mishal Husain with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate in Nottingham (Phil Noble/PA)

Mr Starmer said you have to lead from the front on issues like this, noting that he had suspended Mr Craig within minutes.

The prime minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking action, he said.

The Met said it would lead on investigating a small number of cases to assess whether the alleged offending goes beyond Gambling Act offences to include others, such as misconduct in public office and provide more information on Thursday.

A Met spokesperson said: The Gambling Commission will continue to lead the investigation into cases where the alleged offending is limited to breaches of the Gambling Act only.

(PA Graphics)

Met detectives will lead on investigating a small number of cases to assess whether the alleged offending goes beyond Gambling Act offences to include others, such as misconduct in public office.

In the last major set piece event before polling day, the Tory and Labour leaders also traded barbs over immigration, womens rights and benefits bills.

Mr Starmer drew applause from the studio audience when he accused his Conservative rival of being out of touch when it came to welfare benefits.

Mr Sunak fired a barrage of criticism at the Opposition leader over migration, claiming people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat because of his plans to scrap the Rwanda deportation scheme.

On Labour proposals to strike returns deals with other countries, Mr Sunak asked: Will you sit down with the Ayatollahs? Are you going to try to do a deal with the Taliban? Its completely nonsensical  you are taking people for fools.

Loud protests were heard from outside the Nottingham debate venue as the duo faced off against each other.

The Liberal Democrats said the audience spoke for the nation when one man asked the two leaders: Are you two really the best weve got to be the next prime minister of our great country?

Mr Starmer emerged as the winner of the TV clash according to a More in Common snap poll, with 56 per cent of viewers preferring him and 44 per cent choosing Mr Sunak. But a YouGov snap poll suggested viewers were split 50-50 over the victor.

Mr Sunak is campaigning in the East Midlands and Yorkshire on Thursday, after a two-day hiatus for the Emperor and Empress of Japans state visit and preparations for the debate.

Mr Starmer is joining the Labour battle bus in the North West and West Midlands to promote Labours plans to turbocharge careers advice and work experience in schools.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Daveys action-packed campaign tour continues as he calls for an emergency health budget after the election, while junior doctors in England start their five-day walkout in their long-running pay dispute.
Rishi Sunak was challenged by a worker at a pottery plant in Derbyshire who said things had got infinitely worse since the Tories took office in 2010.

Frances Cutmore, a potter at Denby Pottery, asked the UK prime minister why you feel that we should vote for another four years of Tory government when in the last 14 years you havent managed to make a good impression on our country, with food-bank use soaring in that time.

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Thats not acceptable, the 46-year-old from Belper said.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak took questions from staff during his visit to the Denby Pottery plant (Joe Giddens/PA)

Mr Sunak replied: I dont want anyone to have to use a food bank. Of course I dont. But Im also very grateful to all those people who volunteer for them, who support them, so that they are there for those who need (them).

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He added: There is lots of frustrations that you, and others, will have about some things in the past.

But this election is about the future, Mr Sunak said. And if you care about financial security for families, thats what I will deliver, because no-one is going to be helped by their taxes going up.

Pressed that he should tax the millionaires and the billionaires, Mr Sunak said: Actually, the proportion of tax paid by the richest people in income tax is higher today than it was in 2010  so that is already happening.

And I want to keep cutting taxes for everyone whos working hard.

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Asked what she thought of the prime ministers response to her question, Ms Cutmore told the PA news agency: I think the Prime Minister is very good at not really answering the questions.

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She added: The thing that drives me mad about politicians is that they will say everything that they know you want to hear before the election, they get elected and then they dont do any of it.

The potter said she always voted Labour, and would be doing so at the election, but was not affiliated with the party.

She said she did not believe in everything that Labour is currently standing for but claimed it has the best chance of beating the Conservatives in the Amber Valley constituency where Mr Sunak was visiting.

The Conservative candidate in the constituency is Nigel Mills, who has held the seat since 2010 and had a majority of 16,886 at the 2019 general election.
Ukraines president called on European Union leaders on Thursday to live up to their promises to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country, as the bloc pledged to support the government in Kyiv long term.

Fulfilment of every promise is important, not only in terms of protecting lives but also to destroy the Russian illusion that they will achieve something by war, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the leaders at an EU summit in Brussels.

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Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukraines armed forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid, some of which is trickling to the front line, analysts say.

Mr Zelensky thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that we need them urgently on the battlefield.

He also appealed for more help on the urgent things  air defence, that is one.



Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with European Council president Charles Michel (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP)

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Mr Zelensky and the leaders signed a 12-page document of joint security commitments to each other. In essence, it encapsulates what the 27-nation bloc has been doing for the country in terms of financial, military and other assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

The EU, for its part, commits to the predictable, efficient, sustainable and long-term provision of military equipment, help with military training and building Ukraines defence sector, plus increased co-operation on cyber and hybrid threats, such as information manipulation and interference.

It also vows to help with mine clearance, security and law enforcement reform, energy security and nuclear safety, as well as assistance with rebuilding Ukraines shattered infrastructure, hospitals and buildings, and to hold accountable those suspected of war crimes.

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Ukraine promised to uphold European values and continue on its reform path in preparation to join the EU, including by ensuring civilian control over its security and defence forces. It also pledged to boost transparency and accountability in the way that it uses EU assistance.

Several countries already have similar bilateral agreements with Ukraine, offering a long-term commitment to help Kyiv, including once its war with Russia is over.

Mr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden signed one such pact earlier this month which will run for the next decade.

The EUs document was signed in the same week that it launched membership talks with Ukraine, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbours on the path to war.

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We waited for this a long period of time, Mr Zelensky told reporters, thanking the EU for its approval.

The bloc is notably concerned about rampant corruption in Ukraine and this must be corrected before the country can join. The accession process is likely to take several years.
JLL agents Nick Peden, Josh Rutman and MingXuan Li are handling the expressions of interest campaign. Its expected to fetch about $35 million. Highlander II The former Highlander nightclub is back on the market and waiting for a fresh 2020s reinvention. Up Flinders Lane and down another alley near the King Street nightclub strip, the historic three-storey warehouse neighbours the Highlander Mews townhouse complex which is part of a Flinders Street facing development site. 11a Highlander Lane

Colliers agents Nick Garoni and Matt Stagg have picked up the listing for No.11a on the back of their campaign for the neighbouring site which has a permit for a 24-level tower. The now vacant nightclub comes with a coveted 3am liquor licence. It is expected to fetch around $5.5 million. Records show it last changed hands during the depths of the 1990s recession in 1996 for just $360,000. Porsche dealership In a first for the automotive retail industry, two Porsche dealership freeholds are on the market. Porsche Centre Brighton and Porsche Centre Doncaster  covering petrol heads north and south of the Yarra  have hit the market following purchase of the dealerships by US auto giant Penske in April.

Their former owner, the Preston Motor Group, is now selling the freeholds, which come with fresh 12-year leases. Porsche Doncaster at 839 Doncaster Road. Porsche Centre Brighton has a plum spot on the Golden Mile at 855-859 Nepean Highway, on a 4049-square-metre parcel of land. Further down the road is Brightons Mazda and Audi dealerships. In the north, the Porsche Centre at 839 Doncaster Road is on a 1674-square-metre plot on the eastern side of shopping centre behemoth, Westfield Doncaster. JLLs Stuart Taylor, Tom Noonan, Jarrod Herscu, and MingXuan Li have the listing, with Mark Wizels Advise Transact are acting as transaction manager.

Porsche Brighton at 855-859 Nepean Highway PM Group chairman James Bergmuller, who opened the Brighton business in 2009, said: We are not in the property investment business, we are in the automotive business, and since our interest in the dealerships has been divested, the property has become non-core. The two properties together are expected to change hands for about $50 million but are available individually. Sale yards sell Meanwhile, another automotive group is getting into the property business, paying $25 million for the Victorian Livestock Exchanges 6.8 hectare sale yard in Pakenham.

Records show HFH Automotive Groups Jonathan Hardwick has slapped a caveat on the property at 39 Exchange Drive. The sale yard there was one of Victorias biggest sale yards, running more than 100,000 head of cattle through its pens every year. Loading It closed this month with all its gear transported to the Leongatha sale yard in south-east Gippsland. The deal means graziers will no longer have a sale yard close to the city to sell their cattle. The VLE, which is owned and operated by players in the cattle industry, had built and operated the Pakenham sale yard since 1999. It had replaced a facility in Dandenong which operated for 20 years after the closure of the Kensington sale yards. Now an inner-city suburb, it was one of the smellier inner-city industrial sites of the mid-20th century. Other sale yards in Victoria are located in Ballarat, Hamilton, Swan Hill and Wodonga.

The deal was negotiated by Colliers agents Daniel Telling and Gordon Code, with Facey Property. Loading Its understood, HFH Automotive, which has several dealerships in nearby Berwick, will occupy part of the site and redevelop the remainder in the future. Telling and Code have also sold a rare main road property in Dandenong South for $16.95 million on a tight yield of 4.54 per cent. The property covers only 16 per cent of the 20,690-square-metre parcel of land 65-75 Princes Highway. Suburban office

Listed property fund Centuria is bowing out of its Mulgrave office investments five years after paying $27.8 million for 13-15 Compark Circuit. The two office buildings make up almost 10 per cent of Centurias unlisted $215 million Diversified Property Fund and have a book value of $21 million. The acquisition was the Centuria funds first foray into the Melbourne market back in 2019 when suburban offices in the Monash Innovation Cluster seemed like a safe bet. 13-15 Compark Circuit in Mulgrave. Centuria Head of Funds Management Jesse Curtis said the fund is rebalancing its portfolio to provide a greater exposure to industrial and social infrastructure sectors.
After more than a decade of highly publicised legal battles, Julian Assange is a free man. The WikiLeaks founder pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information, with the US judge accepting time served in Londons Belmarsh Prison as his sentence.

On Wednesday evening a charter flight carrying Assange arrived in Canberra, marking his return to Australia and the beginning of his newfound freedom.

The odd couple: Pamela Anderson and Julian Assange.

Meanwhile, half a world away, on a sprawling six-acre property on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, another person will likely be toasting the news: Pamela Anderson.

The friendship between the former Baywatch actor and the worlds most controversial whistleblower has long been a source of curious fascination. Anderson was one of the first high-profile celebrities to rally around Assange, visiting the Australian regularly over the past decade while consistently lobbying for his release.
The electricity network that covers 95 per cent of NSW is phasing out wooden power poles, sparking a fight with the timber industry and the Coalition, but delighting environmentalists campaigning to end native forest logging.

The timber poles come almost exclusively from state forests on the Mid North Coast, many of which are likely to become part of the Great Koala National Park promised by the Minns government before the election. It comes as an analysis of publicly available data shows a high level of logging within the boundaries proposed by the National Parks Association of NSW.

A new timber electricity power pole stands in bushfire-ravaged land in Tinonee after the 2019 fires. Credit: Kate Geraghty

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) says the Mid North Coast provides 90 per cent of power poles in NSW and 70 per cent nationwide.

Regional and rural electricity distributor Essential Energy is switching to power poles made from a fibreglass and resin composite with a UV coating to boost bushfire resilience.
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Sydney hospo power couple Ross and Sunny Lusted reveal more details about their upcoming Melbourne CBD project, a 90-seat diner and adjoining basement bar.

Forget any preconceptions about traditional Portuguese and Spanish dishes. When Sydney hospitality couple Ross and Sunny Lusted open their 90-seat Russell Street restaurant Marmelo and basement bar Mr Mills, the Iberian coast is a jumping-off point.

Ross Lusted, the star chef behind Sydney steakhouse Woodcut and now-closed three-hatted fine diner The Bridge Room, will give the famous pasteis de nata (Portuguese tarts) a savoury spin.

Like the original, the pastry will be flaky, but the filling will channel steamed-egg custard dishes such as Japanese chawan-mushi. Hand-picked blue swimmer crab will add the final flourish.

Blue swimmer crab egg tart (right) and cauliflower egg tart with caviar. Anson Smart

I cant cook without charcoal and wood fire, says Ross. Theyll power a custom-built grill and oven, respectively, which will impart a smoky char on much of the menu, including southern calamari with green coriander seeds and goats-milk butter, and a dish of crisp Carolino rice, renowned in Portugal, with a crown of local seafood.
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Eating outTrends Our eight favourite new Sydney restaurants and bars of the year (so far) Our half-year dining report card shows that despite the many challenges facing the hospitality industry, theres plenty to get excited about. Callan Boys June 27, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Editor's note: A Good Food and Sydney Morning Herald investigation revealed Swillhouse group, which owns The Caterpillar Club and Restaurant Hubert, allegedly ousted female staff after they reported sexual assaults and encouraged on-duty sex and drug use. OK. Two things. First, yes, the hospitality industry has seen better days for business. The rising cost of living means consumer spending is down, while the rising cost of running a restaurant, bar or cafe means profit margins are tighter than ever. But this doesnt mean its the end of days for Sydneys food and booze scene. People are still going out. Many restaurants are still pumping. The always-busy Caterpillar Club in the CBD. Jennifer Soo Good luck getting a weekend booking at Surry Hills Bar Copains, say, or any table at Bistecca in the CBD. Spicy Joint in Haymarket heaves. The line for Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North can be intimidating. I was at Restaurant Hubert last Monday, and the dining room was in full swing, three-piece jazz band and all. This is still a dynamic city to eat, drink and party. Well have a full wrap-up of 2024 in December (expect sauce Diane and tomato-leaf martinis to feature), but in the meantime, heres a half-year report on some of the Good Food teams favourite openings of the past six months. Each one has been selected for the wider trend it boosts and builds on. Winter doesnt have to mean locking yourself indoors with spag bol leftovers.

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The lets do one thing really, really well Taste of Canton 139 Broadway, Ultimo, instagram.com/tasteofcanton Professional kitchens specialising in one kind of dish have existed since professional kitchens were invented. Londons jellied eel stalls. Fukuokas tonkotsu ramen shops. The smashburgers at Robs in Rozelle. Sydney has seen more specialty restaurants open in recent years, however, partly because of the lower business costs that may come with offering a condensed menu, but also because migrants keep making the city more vital and diverse. When Lingqi Yang found it hard to track down the same style of cheung fun (rippled, silky steamed rice noodle rolls) she grew up with in Guangzhou, China, she opened Taste of Canton next to a Zetland car wash last year. The cheung fun  made by steaming a rice flour mixture in a wobble-board-sized pan  were so popular that Yang recently set up shop near Broadway, too. Dumplings and (pretty good) congee bulk up the menu, but its all about the single-serve plates of noodle rolls, with your choice of egg, prawn, pork or brisket. See also: Omu, Ultimo; Banh Cuon Kim Thanh, Bankstown; Alfies, CBD.

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The 3.5-metre chefs table faces a line-up of charcoal and wood grills at Firepop. Louie Douvis The hot and smoky one Firepop 137 Enmore Road, Enmore, firepop.com.au If I dont receive a media release every second week about a new restaurant cooking over fire, it certainly feels like it. More often than not, there will also be a quote from the chef, talking about their new menu like theyre the first person to discover steak tastes better grilled with charcoal. Anyway, theres none of that bravado at Firepop, run by eternally gracious couple Raymond Hou and Alina Van. The husband-and-wife team opened their brick-and-mortar store on Enmore Road in March, after barbecuing in their mobile kitchen across markets, breweries and Easter Shows since 2018. Flame-licked David Blackmore wagyu skewers melt like butter; New England lamb whacks you around the nostrils with sesame and cumin dukkah; and bouncy chicken hearts are enhanced with garlic oil. Speaking of David Blackmore, were also expecting more first-rate seafood, vegetable and wagyu grilling from Corey Costelloe  the former Rockpool Bar & Grill executive chef who opened 20 Chapel in Marrickville late last week.

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See also: Firedoor, Surry Hills; Yakitori Yurippi, Crows Nest; Chaco Bar, Potts Point. High-energy rabbit warren Good Luck. Steven Woodburn The good time, all the time, party room Good Luck Restaurant Lounge 11 Bridge Street, Sydney, merivale.com/venues/good-luck

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Say what you will about Merivale and Justin Hemmes, but the bloke sure knows how to throw a party. With Tottis chef Mike Eggert in charge of the kitchen, Good Luck bills itself as capturing the spirit of the 1970s underground scene by way of Brooklyn, Tokyo or Hong Kong. Chief Herald restaurant critic Terry Durack calls it a high-energy rabbit warren with flaming grills, fish tanks, glittering chandeliers and colourful cocktails. Whos for king crab and waffles? Its immensely popular, and shows plenty of people at the top end of town are still looking to spend big, especially if the joint has plenty of personality and opportunities for a blowout. See also: Funda, CBD; Chin Chin, Surry Hills; Mimis, Coogee. Fiors crowded, buzzy dining room. Edwina Pickles The modern suburban Italian Fior

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756 Kingsway, Gymea, fiorrestaurant.com.au Ever met a person who didnt like pasta? Me neither. Small wonder that many operators looking to open an ambitious restaurant in the suburbs (particularly suburbs where $48 main courses are met with raised eyebrows) tend to gravitate towards the safe space of Italian. Brought to the Sutherland Shire by the team behind Surry Hills Jane and Arthur, Fior launched in Gymea in March, and the 120-seat restaurant is finding success with aperitivo snacks (crumbed scallops) approachable pastas (pappardelle with pork sausage ragu) and hefty, family-friendly mains (roast chicken, currants and braised greens). Meanwhile, Bar Infinita has started rocking spaghetti vongole and ironbark-grilled bistecca in Gordon, and Nico is intent on bringing Amalfi sunshine to Cammeray through winter. See also: Braci Osteria and Pizzeria, North Willoughby; Bobbys, Cronulla; Tottis, Bondi. Marron with sweetcorn and ice plant at the relaunched White Horse. Jennifer Soo The pub thats not a pub

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White Horse 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, thewhitehorse.com.au Pubs, traditionally, have been easy to define: anywhere that serves beer and holds a full hotel liquor licence. Done. But over the past couple of years, there has been a string of new venues masquerading as pubs, but are really just small bars with old footy memorabilia, Grifter Pale Ale and recycled yellow tiles. (Nobody does this better than The Magpie in Enmore, and Buds Tavern, Huskisson.) Anyway, technicalities be damned. We say that if it looks like a pub, and feels like a pub, its a pub. This goes the other way, too, however, and although the revamped White Horse holds a pub licence, and theres beer on tap, the reclaimed oak tables, soothing soft-textured walls and woven leather chairs say sit-down bar and restaurant. Then there are chef Jed Gerrards dishes, such as a mille-feuille of finely peeled and rolled beetroot lifted with native thyme oil and pickled muntries, which would not be out of place on some tasting menus around town. See also: The Paddington, Paddington; Bistro George, CBD; The Norfolk Hotel, Redfern. Centro 86 is Sydneys latest tribute to the magarita. Janie Barrett

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The banging bar Centro 86 Basement 86, 88 Pitt Street, Sydney, centro86.com With the exception of sherry-fuelled Vermuteria in Rushcutters Bay, and the Maybe Sammy Groups mezcal-drenched El Primo Sanchez in Paddington, for most of 2023, there werent too many new bars to get excited about. That all changed in December, when the Le Foote and Hubert crew opened Caterpillar Club near Martin Place, and a queue immediately formed for pina coladas, live jazz, neo-soul and funk. Cocktail genius Evan Stroeve launched The Waratah just before Christmas too, treating Darlinghurst to the most original drinks in Sydney, and the Cantina OK! mates amped up their tequila offering in CBD with the arrival of Centro 86 in February. Centros watermelon and sumac margarita is the cocktail you never knew you wanted this winter. See also: Tios Cerveceria, Surry Hills; Double Deuce Lounge, CBD; PS40, CBD.

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Margherita pizza slices ready to go at Self Raised. James Brickwood The quick service star Self Raised Snack Shoppe Shop 4, 8-20 Sarsfield Circuit, Bexley North, selfraised.com.au More Sydneysiders working from home post-pandemic, coupled with the rising costs of running a sit-down restaurant, means theres never been a better time for food on the go. See, the hulking sandwiches at Kostas in Rockdale; takeaway pithiviers at Lode Pies, Surry Hills; deeply flavoured brisket at On a Roll in Crows Nest; Ommi Dons bowls of rice and Taiwanese comfort cooking at Broadway (and a brand-new store in Redfern); and Domo 39s onigiri and Japanese convenience-store riffs near St Peters station. Few places are quite as popular as Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North, though, opened by the top folk from My Mothers Cousin pizzeria in February. There are focaccia sandwiches the size of a toddlers head. There are prawn rolls and chicken-salt fries. There are pistachio and raspberry doughnuts, savoury scrolls, lamingtons and custard tarts. All this nostalgia-tinged snacking may also mean theres a considerable line.

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See also: Flour, Caringbah South; Happy Alley, Rockdale; Shadow Baking in Darlinghurst Menshos toripaitan ramen, the chicken-based cousin to rich tonkotsu pork broth. Justin McManus The global sensation Mensho Tokyo 2 Temperance Lane, Sydney, mensho.com.au

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Ramens world domination continued with the arrival of Mensho Tokyo, just off George Street, in April. Founded in Japan in 2005, the noodle chain now has stores across China, India, North America and Thailand (not to mention one shop in Melbourne), and the reputation of its signature toripaitan chicken ramen has led to hour-long queues at peak times in Sydney. Its a terrific broth  layered and creamy  and the lobster bisque soup is causing a small social media storm, too. While Mensho is the latest overseas ramen brand to set up in Australia (a growing trend bolstered by Ippudo and Hakata Gensuke), independent broth and noodle operators are also thriving, such as the new Ramen Auru in Crows Nest, which feels like teleporting back to 1980s Fukuoka. See also: Hakata Gensuke, CBD; Gumshara, Haymarket; Ryos Noodles, Crows Nest. Exclusive Coming soon: 16 hot new Sydney restaurants still to open this year
When it comes to raising tween and teen boys, there are some universal truths: first, they grow at a rate impossible to keep up with. Second, they stink.

While not much can be done about the first, the second is, mercifully, somewhat manageable.

Smellmaxxing has become the latest TikTok trend among teenage boys. Credit: Artwork: Bethany Rae

It used to be that the pungent and distinct waft of a teens body odour would be covered by overly generous sprays of Impulse (for girls) or Lynx (for boys). Now though, tween boys as young as 10 are shaking their heads in disgust at supermarket body sprays and are instead turning to Dior and Tom Ford to mask their B.O.

Much like the Sephora tweens and teens trend thats seen Gen Z girls spending hundreds of dollars (usually via their parents) on designer skincare and make-up products, the craze for designer cologne  known as smellmaxxing on social media  is also being widely documented by boys and men searching for the perfect scent.
A Sydney man who abandoned his wife in Afghanistan because she was at odds with his mother has been convicted of exit trafficking, a form of modern slavery in which women are tricked into leaving Australia and prevented from returning.

The exit trafficking conviction is the third in Australias legal history, and celebrated human rights activist Helena Hassani says it recognises the growing and deliberate oppression of women in Sydney and Melbourne, particularly within some migrant communities.

A Sydney man caught on CCTV threatening a woman and her child onto a flight to India from Sydney became the first person in Australia to be convicted for an exit human trafficking offence, in 2021. Credit: AFP

The convicted 44-year-old from the western suburb of Merrylands appeared in court this month and is known only as AR to protect his familys identity. He convinced his wife to accompany him on a charity mission to their native Afghanistan in January 2018, police said.

He had drawn up an itinerary for his wife showing they would return to Sydney on February 13. The itinerary, however, was a fraud. AR had a return flight, but his wifes ticket was one way.
A teenager arrested over an alleged failed terrorist attack in Newcastle vowed to behead a Labor politician, planned violent attacks against the public, and professed admiration for the Christchurch mass killer according to a hateful manifesto allegedly released in encrypted extremist groups.

The 19-year-old alleged terrorist, Jordan Patten, hoped to fight to the end but was ultimately arrested without a struggle and appeared before the courts as his own extremist followers taunted him online.

Jordan Patten was arrested after he allegedly entered Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorps office. This image is taken from his livestream of the alleged incident. Credit: Nine News

Patten, from Raymond Terrace, allegedly livestreamed himself strapping on his military-style outfit and drawing a knife in the bathroom of Newcastles Civic Theatre before walking across the citys main street and entering NSW MP Tim Crakanthorps office on Wednesday.

The footage shows him immediately turning around and leaving the office before walking down the main street, past members of the public, and into Newcastle Museum.
The WA community has rallied together and raised almost $100,000 to help support the family of a 17-year-old boy who will be leaving hospital in the next few months, after almost dying in a car crash in Perths northern suburbs.

Darcy Metcalf, who was 16 at the time of the crash, was on his way to a photo session for his football team in July 2023 when he ended up involved in a horrific road accident in Greenwood that nearly took his life.

The community has rallied around Perth teenager Darcy Metcalf to help him come home from the hospital.

He spent four months in Royal Perth Hospital recovering from multiple broken bones and a catastrophic brain injury.

Medical specialists initially told his family to prepare for him to die in intensive care, saying it was unlikely hed ever be well enough to be on a hospital ward, let alone go home.

But despite this, he was eventually discharged and has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation at Fiona Stanley Hospital. His medical team are now working towards allowing him home within the next eight weeks.

Chailee Richards son was a friend of Darcys. Richards has now set up a GoFundMe on behalf of his family to help bring him home.

She said the family intended to transform their garage into an independent living space for Darcy, complete with bathroom, small kitchenette and sleeping quarters, so they can help provide the level of care he will need.

So far, more than $97,500 has been raised to help. Kingsley Amateur Football Club  where Darcy had been a member since playing in Auskick  also donated part proceeds from their recent quiz night.
Julian Assange was direct about his goals in the early years of WikiLeaks. He was convinced the world had too many secrets and believed people were better without them. His teenage years on the internet, including as a hacker who found his way into parts of the Pentagon, led him to a theory about the need to unblock the limits on what people knew about the world.

Something was missing, he told an interviewer in 2011. There was not enough information in our common intellectual record to explain how the world really works.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:

He even came up with the idea of three kinds of knowledge: the practical type, the historical record, and the real story about the world today. This last one, he said, was often suppressed by the powerful. Our understanding has a great hole in it, which is type-three history.

Nobody can say they were not warned. Assange wanted the unfettered release of every piece of knowledge he could find. He was, and remains, an information anarchist. Everything he did, and may do in the future, can be traced to the slogan hackers have used since the 1980s: information wants to be free.
A former Labor councillor in Melbournes north has avoided jail after tampering with voter ballots counted towards his election.

Milad El-Halabi was sentenced on Thursday after entering a guilty plea to one count of tampering, almost four years after the Merri-bek City Council election in the north-west ward was caught up in a vote-rigging saga.

Milad El-Halabi leaves the County Court on Thursday. Credit: AAP

The Victorian Electoral Commission, while declaring four councillors elected in November 2020, called in police after an unusually large number of people apparently voted twice after complaining they had not received their postal ballots.

El-Halabi was arrested in 2021 and continued to serve on the council. He stood down shortly after he was charged in February 2022. The Age revealed his arrest, charges and resignation.
As the flood of overseas tourists shows no sign of slowing, complaints about overcrowding and poor behaviour by visitors are prompting some in Japan to look at ways of controlling the flow without losing income, including by charging higher prices for foreigners.

Foreign tourist arrivals came to 3.04 million in May, up 9.6 per cent from the same month in 2019 and marking the third straight month at more than three million, the Japan National Tourism Organisation said Wednesday. The weak yen has helped spur visitor numbers.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Himeji castle reached a record 400,000 last year. Credit: iStock

The number of Australians going to Japan is up more than 26 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, with more than 330,000 Australians visiting in the first four months of this year, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. Japan is now the third most popular destination for Australian residents, behind only Indonesia and New Zealand.

While many businesses benefit from visitors spending in ageing and shrinking Japan, the crowds have started to rile some locals annoyed about being crowded out of their favourite attractions or even being unable to squeeze on to the bus to work.
For those watching the sausage being made, however, the spectacle is far less glamorous than it may appear from the outside. Loading Whats the weather like in this place? I yelled across the room to my long-suffering partner, Mathew, as I frantically lobbed shoes, a change of clothes, and a toothbrush into my grab-bag suitcase. As a small business owner, Mathew hadnt been able to make the move with me when I relocated from Australia a couple of months ago, but his dedication to supporting my dream of being a foreign correspondent had brought him to Singapore for a few days R&R. When Id taken the job of North Asia correspondent, we had committed to seeing each other in person at least every two months, and this was our first rendezvous since Id started  cut short, but thankfully only by a day.

This is going to be amazing, he said, always finding the silver lining, as I flew out the door. I later called him from the airport realising in my haste Id forgotten to say goodbye properly. Three flights, connecting through Manila and then Guam, and almost 24 hours of transit later, I touched down in Saipan at 8.50am. Assanges hearing was due to start in 10 minutes. My editor, Nick, had fielded a late-night call from me at Manila airport as I stressed about the ridiculously small window we had to pull this off. It had taken almost two hours to navigate all of the airport processes in Manila. What if my flight is delayed and I miss the whole thing? What if Assange walks free from the court to a phalanx of international media cameras and Im stuck in an airport queue? In a small miracle, I cleared US customs at Saipan in minutes and was in a taxi by 8.59am. My driver, Minto, briefed on my situation, floored the pedal and got me to the court by 9.11am. He had graciously agreed to take me even though I had no US dollars on hand to pay him, and he didnt have eftpos facilities.

Amusingly, a local TV stations live feed captured me running into the court with my suitcase, much to the mirth of my editors back home. For the next three hours, I live-blogged the court proceedings, firstly from a media room and then from inside the courtroom, sitting a couple of rows behind Assange. The gamble, and scramble, had paid off. Whatever you may think of the WikiLeaks founder  political martyr, flawed antihero who exposed war crimes, traitor who put lives at risk, or perhaps a definition-defying combination of all of the above  it is a profound thing to witness a person being granted their freedom.

I was little more than two metres away when Assange turned to face the courtroom crowd, having been declared a free man by Judge Ramona Manglona. Guilty of one count of espionage, but his sentence deemed already served by his five-year stint in Belmarsh prison in London. I cant pretend to know what Assange was thinking, and he is yet to hold a press conference. But in that instant, his face carried the gravity of a man at the end of a 14-year ordeal. Neither smiling nor jubilant, but quietly overcome, perhaps just processing the significance of a moment that had seemed illusive for so long. On a sidenote, this ringside seat to history also marked a small, full-circle moment in my career. Twelve years ago, as an ANU law student desperate to find a foothold in journalism, I interviewed Jennifer Robinson, a former ANU alumna, for the student newspaper Woronis then-fledging radio program. Maybe 10 people listened to that interview. It was 2012, and a few months earlier, Assange had fled into the Ecuadorian embassy in London seeking asylum, and Robinson, already a renowned barrister in her early 30s, was emerging as a leading spokesperson for his legal case.
"They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we are proud to have influenced the rest of the industry as they try to mimic the same clawback reductions and remove the same risk fees from their products for Australias hard-working, uniquely ambitious small business owners who big bank lenders have historically neglected, Gair said.
The average first-home buyer today is in their mid to late 30s. BTR can provide stable, secure and quality housing for many Australians who are saving for their first home or choose to rent, he said.
Requests for abortion pills from outside the U.S. have increased since the U.S. Supreme Court's explosive decision (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

The U.S. Supreme Court found itself at the center of controversy after an opinion related to a high-profile Idaho abortion case was accidentally posted online and then quickly removed. This incident has raised questions about the court's handling of sensitive cases and the implications for abortion rights across the country.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court's Publications Unit inadvertently uploaded a document related to the cases of Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States. The cases focus on the ability of doctors in Idaho to perform abortions in medical emergencies. According to Patricia McCabe, the court's public information officer, "The opinion in Moyle v. United States, No. 23-726, and Idaho v. United States, No. 23-727, has not been released. The Court's opinion in these cases will be issued in due course."

The draft opinion, which appeared briefly on the Supreme Court's website, suggested a 6-to-3 majority ruling that the appeal should not have been taken up, effectively reinstating a lower court ruling. This would allow hospitals in Idaho to provide abortions in medical emergencies, though it would leave the broader issue of the state's strict 2022 abortion ban unresolved. The draft indicated that Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

Reproductive rights advocates have expressed mixed feelings about the draft opinion. Mini Timmaraju, CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, told CNN, "The abortion bans that are putting people's lives on the line in the first place will continue to remain on the books." The sentiment highlights the ongoing battle for reproductive rights in the U.S., as similar cases continue to surface in various states.

The Idaho case is part of a larger legal battle over abortion rights in the U.S. In Texas, another challenge to the state's strict abortion ban, seeking to expand medical exemptions, is progressing through the courts. The Idaho decision incident also follows the unprecedented leak in 2022 of a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, which granted constitutional protection for abortion rights.

The accidental posting has caused a stir within the legal community and among the public. Greer Donley, a reproductive law scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, noted that the Supreme Court might be hesitant to make a substantive abortion ruling during an election year. "The decision has not been officially released, and the justices' final ruling will be issued in due course," McCabe reiterated, emphasizing the court's commitment to due process despite the mishap.

A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that approximately 70% of U.S. adults support protecting access to abortions for patients experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies. This reflects a significant public backing for the right to emergency medical care, even in states with stringent abortion laws like Idaho.

The Supreme Court's earlier order allowed Idaho's abortion ban to go into effect temporarily, even in medical emergencies. This led to cases where women required medical airlifts out of state for emergency abortions. Xavier Becerra, the nation's top health official, met with Idaho doctors and patients to discuss the implications of the state's strict abortion ban. Dr. Sarah Thompson, an Idaho OB/GYN, highlighted the risks to women's health, stating, "While there's nothing we can do to save her baby, there is something we can do to preserve her health and her future fertility."

The Supreme Court's eventual ruling will have significant implications. If the court sides with Idaho, it could create a precedent where women might have to endure severe health risks before receiving necessary medical care. The Justice Department's lawsuit argues that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), hospitals must provide stabilizing care, including emergency abortions if necessary.

The ongoing legal battles and public debates indicate that abortion rights will remain a contentious issue in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Temple University Beasley School of Law, suggested that the case is likely to return to the Supreme Court. "Nearly 38 million people live in the 5th Circuit. That's a lot of people whose lives aren't changed at all by this," she noted, underscoring the widespread impact of these legal decisions.
North Korea acknowledged an "explosive" outbreak of COVID-19 for the first time. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS)

North Korea announced on Thursday that it had successfully conducted a significant test aimed at developing missiles capable of carrying multiple warheads. The claim, made through the state news agency KCNA, was quickly dismissed by South Korea as a deceptive attempt to cover up a failed launch.

The North Korean report detailed that the test was conducted using the first-stage, solid-fuel engine of an intermediate-range ballistic missile. According to KCNA, the missile successfully separated its warheads, which were accurately guided to three preset targets, marking a step towards mastering Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. "The purpose was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets using multiple warheads," the report stated.

In contrast, South Korea's military provided a starkly different assessment. A joint analysis by South Korean and U.S. authorities suggested that the missile exploded during its initial stage of flight. "Today North Korea disclosed something, but we believe it's simply a means of deception and exaggeration," stated Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lee also suggested that the photos released by North Korea purporting to be from the test were likely fabricated or recycled from previous launches.

The divergent views on the missile test come amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned the launch, labeling it a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to regional stability. In response to the provocation, the three countries commenced large-scale joint military drills, involving navy destroyers, fighter jets, and the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. These "Freedom Edge" exercises aim to bolster defenses against missile, submarine, and air attacks.

The backdrop to these tensions includes a recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two leaders signed a mutual defense pact. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol dismissed the alliance as "anachronistic," reflecting the complex geopolitical dynamics in the region.

North Korea's missile test marks its first known attempt at developing a multiwarhead missile, a technology coveted by Kim Jong Un to potentially overwhelm U.S. and South Korean missile defenses. If North Korea's claims are verified, it would signify a significant leap in its missile capabilities. However, South Korea remains skeptical. Lee Sung Joon highlighted that a proper MIRV test involves the sequential separation of warheads, but the missile in question failed at the initial stage. He noted that North Korean photos showed a missile similar to the liquid-fuel Hwasong-17 ICBM tested in March 2023.

Experts are divided on the implications of the test. Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, suggested that the test appeared to be an initial evaluation of key subsystems necessary for developing a functional MIRV. "I had been anticipating a MIRV test for some time now, as this was one of the last remaining items on Kim Jong Un's modernization wish list from the 8th Party Congress back in January 2021," Panda said. He expects successive tests to follow, ultimately leading to the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on a lofted trajectory.

Despite the skepticism from South Korea, the presence of a decoy in the test was noted as significant. However, South Korea's military has yet to confirm whether North Korea possesses the technology to build such decoys effectively. "North Korea has made no secret of its intention to stress and overcome U.S. homeland missile defenses," Panda added. "Decoys will assist in that endeavor and will likely be incorporated onto their single-warhead missiles as well."

The missile test comes at a time of increased military activity in the region. The South Korea-U.S.-Japan joint training exercises began on Thursday, focusing on missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, and maritime interdiction. This coordinated display of military strength underscores the allies' commitment to countering North Korean provocations.

In addition to missile tests, North Korea has recently engaged in other provocative actions, such as sending trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea. This prompted South Korea to conduct propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the border for the first time in years, a move it threatens to repeat if the balloon incidents continue.
Hyderabad-based CtrlS Datacenters, one of the leading players in the Indian data centre market, has earmarked ~2,200 crore for its data centre campus at Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub on Kolkata outskirts.

The investment will be made in phases. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

The firm has a five-acre plot, which will house four buildings in the tech hub in New Town Rajarhat area of Kolkata.

The first data centre building with a 16MW IT load capacity and built-up area of over 90,000 square feet (sft) is expected to go live in two months time.

ALSO READ: India must add 1.7-3.6 GW data centre capacity to its 2028 target: Report

Suresh Kumar Rathod, President, Colocation Business, CtrlS Datacenters, said that the IT load capacity of the entire campus could go up to 60-80MW and even 100MW. The investment would vary according to the capacity.

Rathod said that four to five service providers are building data centres in the entire New Town area.

We are going to be the first one to go live in another two months time, he said.

The customer, he said, was an American giant.

According to the company, this would be the first Rated-4 data centre of East India.

The data centre at the New Town campus would be AI-ready with provision for high-density racks. It would have a wide range of modern cooling technologies and would aim for LEED Platinum certification.

CtrlS has 250MW of live data centre footprint across eight markets in India. By 2029, it is set to build over 600MW of data centre capacity.
Social media giant Meta India's APAC human resources head, Rishi Raj Gupta, has resigned from his role to pursue other options. Gupta led the HR business partnership for all businesses of Meta in India.

Joined in 2017, he was an integral part of the Indian leadership team. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

A Meta spokesperson on the news said: Rishi has made the decision to leave as HR director for India/APAC at Meta to pursue a new phase of his career. Over the last 7 years, Rishi has been an integral member of the India leadership team and has played a pivotal role in shaping the organisation's growth and development across the region.

The total headcount of Meta in India could not be ascertained, but media reports suggest 500-600 employees work for Meta in India. According to the firm's response, Gupta developed and supported many functions in Asia-Pacific for Meta throughout his years.

During his tenure, Rishi made significant contributions as the HR leader in supporting India's business, by building the senior leadership and talent pool across Metas family of apps and functions, to effectively serve all our stakeholders. We are grateful for his service and wish him the very best for the future, said a Meta spokesperson in an email response.

Prior to Meta, Gupta was an HR leader at the pharmaceutical company Cipla.
Chartered accountant Prateek Kedia was 22 when he got a job at a top consulting firm and landed a handsome package. In less than five years the stress of the job started hurting his health.

Kedia, who is 26 now, joined a yoga studio  a really challenging task because he had not worked out in years. He searched on e- commerce websites to buy his first yoga mat but sadly whatever I encountered was anaesthetic, boring and dull. I had to return three yoga mats because one had no grip, one was too hard and the
The NEET-UG 2024 exam has been mired in controversy. Allegations include a question paper leak, an unusually high number of students scoring a perfect 720/720 and the awarding of grace marks to over 1,500 students due to a loss of time during the exam. This has led to concerns about the integrity and fairness of the exam, with students and experts calling for a re-test.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has denied any irregularities but has constituted a committee to investigate the allegations. The Supreme Court has also stepped in, ordering the cancellation of the grace marks awarded to 1,563 students, though students argue this does not go far enough and the entire exam should be re-conducted. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

Amid this, academic professionals, experts, and members of the committee formed by the Ministry of Education have suggested various solutions to improve the process. These include implementing computer-based testing, scheduling exams over multiple days and shifts, using artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure unique question papers, increasing the involvement of medical colleges, and fostering higher discipline among students to maintain fair testing standards, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The report quoted Manindra Agrawal, director at IIT Kanpur, as saying that India is the only country where exams are conducted at such a large scale. But we can look at a combination of computer-based tests with any time and any centre model, AI tools to change the questions, and a rich question bank to ensure a smooth testing process, Agrawal said.

The JEE Advanced exam for 2025 is expected to be organised by IIT Kanpur.

The report quoted an education expert as saying that opting for digital methods in testing is the best approach. Even with the use of AI, one must exhaust all possibilities of error. Only once the almost (99.999 per cent) error-free stage is reached, can we rely on the testing design, not before that, he said.

NEET-UG row: Bihar-linked admit cards in Maharashtra

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Police uncovered a scheme related to the NEET-UG examination in Latur district, discovering over a dozen admit cards that seemed to belong to students from Bihar.

Officials are now investigating whether this gang, which was allegedly operating in the Marathwada region, had links to Bihar or was connected to a broader criminal network.

A senior police officer said that several admit cards from Bihar have been shared among the accused in WhatsApp conversations. It is suspected that these students could have travelled to centres in Maharashtra to take the NEET-UG. The admit cards of students from Maharashtra taking exams in Bihar centres have also been found. These chats are being studied to investigate the purpose and to unearth the modus operandi, the police officer said.

CBI takes control of NEET-UG investigation

On Monday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) collected all evidence related to the alleged NEET-UG 2024 exam paper leak from the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar police.

This evidence comprised a partially burnt question paper discovered at a residence in Patna, mobile phones seized from the suspects, laptops, post-dated cheques, and reference question papers supplied by the National Testing Agency (NTA).

NEET-UG: Only 813 candidates appear for retest

On Sunday, just 813 out of 1,563 students attended the NEET-UG re-exam. Those who missed the retest will retain their initial scores without any extra marks. Following a Supreme Court order, the re-exam was held at seven locations. In Chandigarh, neither of the two eligible candidates appeared. In Chhattisgarh, 219 out of 602 eligible students attended, while in Gujarat, there was only one participant.

Haryana saw 287 of its 494 eligible candidates take the re-exam, and in Meghalaya, 234 out of 464 eligible students participated.
WikiLeaks founder Assange lands in Australia after U.S. guilty plea

Xinhua) 11:26, June 27, 2024

CANBERRA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, on Wednesday landed in Australia after pleading guilty to violating the U.S. espionage act in a federal court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.

This is part of a deal with the U.S. Justice Department to avoid further prison time for Assange and end the years-long legal saga.

Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the news, reiterating that the U.S. case against Assange had dragged on so long that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration.

Assange was embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with the U.S. government due to his role in acquiring and releasing classified military and diplomatic documents between 2009 and 2011.

These files included hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. military documents related to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal condemned the remarks made by newly re-elected Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla regarding the 1975 Emergency. In a letter shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Venugopal described the comments as unprecedented, deeply shocking and a travesty of Parliamentary traditions.

K C Venugopals letter to the Speaker In his letter, Venugopal emphasised that the Speaker's remarks on the Emergency were inappropriate for the parliamentary setting, especially from a newly elected Speaker. Click here to connect with us on WhatsApp

... At the time of offering felicitations on your election as Speaker Lok Sabha, there was a general camaraderie in the House as such occasions generate. Venugopal said.

What followed thereafter in regard to declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament, he added.

He described the comments as a travesty of Parliamentary traditions and expressed the Congress party's profound concern and anguish.

This coming from the Chair as one of the first duties from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions, the Congress leader said. The incident has sparked a political debate, highlighting the enduring sensitivities surrounding the Emergency and its impact on Indias political landscape.

Om Birlas controversial remarks

Om Birla, re-elected for a second consecutive term as Speaker by a voice vote on Wednesday, addressed the Lok Sabha, calling for fewer disruptions and maintaining decorum. However, the session took a turn when Birla condemned the Emergency period imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975.

Birlas reference to the dictatorship and the Congresss role in strangulating Babasaheb Ambedkars Constitution prompted protests from Opposition members, leading to an adjournment of the House.

Oppositions response

The Opposition, including the INDIA bloc, had fielded Congresss Kodikunnil Suresh for the Speaker position but did not push for a division of votes. Following Om Birlas remarks, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members demanded an apology from Congress, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Speakers resolution in a post on X.

The Emergency was imposed 50 years ago but todays youth needs to know about it because it remains a fitting example of what happens when the Constitution is trampled over, public opinion is stifled and institutions are destroyed. The happenings during the Emergency exemplified what a dictatorship looks like, the PM wrote.

I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 26, 2024

Historical context: The 1975 Emergency

The Emergency declared by Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, remains one of the most controversial periods in Indias history. It was declared under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, citing internal and external threats to national security. The declaration followed the Supreme Courts stay on a verdict nullifying Gandhis election from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and barring her from parliamentary proceedings.

During the Emergency, political and civil rights were suspended, leading to excesses such as forced mass sterilisation, press censorship, and centralisation of power. The period was marked by significant unrest, including the Navnirman agitation in Gujarat, Jayaprakash Narayans movement in Bihar, and the 1974 railway strike led by George Fernandes.

In January 1977, Indira Gandhi unexpectedly called for general elections, which were held in March, leading to the lifting of the Emergency on March 21, 1977. The Janata Party coalition had secured a majority in the Lok Sabha in 1977, and Morarji Desai became Prime Minister.
Zelestra, a client-focused, multi-technology, global renewable energy company, has launched its new brand.

Zelestra leverages multiple generation and energy storage technologies, including solar, wind, batteries and green hydrogen, to drive the energy transition forward. Zelestra has evolved from a centralized renewable developer to a global, customer-centric platform, providing decarbonization solutions. Backed by EQT, one of the worlds largest private equity firms, Zelestra boasts global capabilities, local expertise, and a strong balance sheet to deliver results for its clients.

Zelestra is on a global mission to make decarbonization a reality. With a key emphasis on innovation and collaboration, Zelestra is committed to helping customers, communities, and stakeholders through tailored solutions, local employment, and strong sustainability. With more than two decades of experience working in 13 countries, Zelestra is a trusted partner with proven capabilities in providing efficient, competitive, carbon-free solutions.

As a result of major transformation, the new brand serves to solidify the companys purpose, beliefs, and global growth strategy. The Zelestra strategy focuses on serving customer needs through co-created, tailored solutions. Zelestra sets its ambitions as high as the stars, positioning itself as the guiding light for its clients to change the world by making their own decarbonization a reality.

Leo Moreno, CEO of Zelestra, commented: Our new brand represents a key step in the evolution of our company. It is fundamental for us to have a brand that not only supports the strategy of our business but also stands out in a sector as competitive as that of renewables. Differentiation is vital to remain relevant and competitive, and we are proud of our new brand that reflects the unique value we bring in advancing a carbon-free future for customers and our planet.

About Zelestra

With a portfolio of 20 GW of carbon-free projects across 13 countries, Zelestra is a vertically integrated company specializing in developing, constructing, commercializing, and operating large-scale renewable energy projects. Zelestra is made up of 800+ professionals globally. It is backed by EQT, one of the largest fund managers in the world, with $232 billion in assets.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240627161516/en/
Cementos Molins appoints new CEO

Muriel Bal By 27 June 2024

Cementos Molins SA has appointed Marcos Cela as its new CEO. Marcos Cela holds a degree in business management by the University of Barcelona, an MBA by ESADE Business School and a PADE senior management programme by IESE Business School. He developed his career at Decathlon Spain and Bic Graphic Europe, joining Molins in 2004 as finance director, a position he held until 2014. From that date until today, he has been a member of the Executive Committee responsible for the regions of Asia, Africa and South America.



Mr Cela succeeds Julio Rodriguez, who has held the position for nine years. This change resulted by a process planned during the last year and a half, when Mr Rodriguez informed the Board of Directors about his decision to resign. The Board of Directors of Molins expresses its deepest gratitude to Julio Rodriguez for all these years of intense work, commitment, personal leadership and excellent results.

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The former police chief of the Chattanooga Police Department faces a set of felony and misdemeanor criminal charges following an investigation by special agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

That comes a day after Chief Celeste Murphy, 56, stepped down from her post.

At the request of District Attorney General Pro Tem D. Michael Dunavant, TBI agents began investigating the residency of Chief Murphy in April. DA Dunavant was appointed by the Court to serve as District Attorney General Pro Tem upon the recusal of 11th Judicial District Attorney General Coty Wamp.

During the investigation, agents determined Ms. Murphy knowingly entered false information on several government documents related to establishing residency in Chattanooga, though swearing to their truth in signing the documents, the TBI said.

On Tuesday, the Hamilton County Grand Jury returned a 17-count indictment, charging Ms. Murphy with one count of illegal voter registration, one count of false entries on official registration or election documents, three counts of false entries in governmental records, three counts of forgery, three counts of perjury, and six counts of official misconduct.

On Thursday morning, Ms. Murphy surrendered to agents at the Hamilton County Jail, where authorities booked her and subsequently released her after she posted an aggregate $19,000 bond.

Ms. Murphy had been tabbed as the new chief by Mayor Tim Kelly in 2022.

She came here from the Police Department in Atlanta, where she still has a number of relatives.

At the time, she was hailed as the city's first black female police chief.

Click here to read the indictments.
In a report issued by the White House on Tuesday, UTC was recognized for its contributions to the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy launched in March 2023.

The Report on the Initial Stages of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy Implementation is a status update on a federally-driven, nationwide approach to position the United States and its allies and partners to build a digital ecosystem that is more defensible, more resilient, and better aligned with our values.

The report cited UTC for achieving National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation with its Collaborative Research: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce With Integrated Learning of AI/ML and Cybersecurity.

Further, UTC is noted for being among 104 American universities with National Science Foundation Scholarship for Service programs of this type, launched at UTC in 2017 with funding of $1.5 million from NSFs CyberCorps Scholarship for Service initiative. In 2023, the University won renewed NSF funding for that initiative of more than $2.2 million over five years.

Dr. Mengjun Xie, a UC Foundation professor of computer science, oversees the UTC program.

UTC stands as a premier leader in cybersecurity education and workforce development in the southeastern region, Dr. Xie said. With the prestigious designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity and the NSF CyberCorps Scholarship for Service award, we demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our proactive approach to addressing the national challenge of workforce development in cybersecurity.

After graduation, former recipients of scholarships through the program are required to work in the cybersecurity mission of a federal, state, local or tribal government organization or other designated entities for a period equal to the length of the scholarship, according to NSF. UTC program alums have gone on to careers with TVA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, among other federal agencies.

The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy is overseen by the White House Office of the National Cyber Director and charts a course for fostering White Houselevel coordination to meet cyber workforce demand. It fulfills the need to create a skills-based digital future in which workers have access to good-paying, meaningful jobs in cyber within their communities, the report notes. The effort is in response to cyber worker demand that exceeds the capacity of workforce development and training.
Physicists have long been pursuing the idea of simulating quantum particles with a computer that is itself made up of quantum particles. This is exactly what scientists at Forschungszentrum Julich have done together with colleagues from Slovenia. They used a quantum annealer to model a real-life quantum material and showed that the quantum annealer can directly mirror the microscopic interactions of electrons in the material. The result is a significant advancement in the field, showcasing the practical applicability of quantum computing in solving complex material science problems. Furthermore, the researchers discovered factors that can improve the durability and energy efficiency of quantum memory devices. The findings have been published in Nature Communications.

In the early 1980s, Richard Feynman asked whether it was possible to model nature accurately using a classical computer. His answer was: No. The world consists of fundamental particles, described by the principles of quantum physics. The exponential growth of the variables that must be included in the calculations pushes even the most powerful supercomputers to their limits. Instead, Feynman suggested using a computer that was itself made up of quantum particles. With his vision, Feynman is considered by many to be the Father of the Quantum Computing. Scientists at Forschungszentrum Julich, together with colleagues from Slovenian institutions, have now shown that this vision can actually be put into practice. The application they are looking at is a so-called many-body system. Such systems describe the behaviour of a large number of particles that interact with each other. In the context of quantum physics, they help to explain phenomena such as superconductivity or quantum phase transitions at absolute zero. At a temperature of 0 Kelvin, instead of thermal fluctuations, only quantum fluctuations occur when a physical parameter like the magnetic field changes.

One challenge in researching quantum materials is to quantitatively measure and model the phase transitions of many-body systems, explains Dragan Mihailovic from the Jozef Stefan Institute in Slovenia. In this study, the scientists investigated the quantum material 1T-TaS 2 , which is used in a wide range of applications, including superconducting electronics and energy-efficient storage devices. Jaka Vodeb from the Julich Supercomputing Centre describes the approach as: We have placed the system in a non-equilibrium state and observed how the electrons in the solid-state lattice rearrange themselves after a non-equilibrium phase transition, both experimentally and through simulations.

All calculations were conducted using the quantum annealer from the company D-Wave, which is integrated into the Julich Unified Infrastructure for Quantum Computing, JUNIQ.

A contribution to energy efficiency The researchers could successfully model the crossover from temperature-driven to noisy quantum fluctuation dominated dynamics. Furthermore, the scientists demonstrated that the quantum annealer's qubit interconnections can directly mirror the microscopic interactions between electrons in a quantum material. Only one single parameter in the quantum annealer must be modified. The outcome aligns closely with the experimental findings.

But the research also has practical applications. For instance, a deeper understanding of 1T-TaS 2 -based memory devices can lead to a practical quantum memory device, implemented directly on a quantum processing unit (QPU). Such devices can contribute to the development of energy-efficient electronic devices, thereby significantly reducing the energy consumption of computing systems.
British scientist Dame Carol Robinson, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and a trailblazer in the field of mass spectrometry, has dedicated her career to exploring the molecular makeup of proteins within their native environments. Her pioneering work has paved the way for significant advancements in the realms of drug discovery and personalised medicine. For her extensive contributions to blood analysis and drug development and a career that has broken new ground in biochemical research, the European Patent Office (EPO) is proud to announce Dame Carol Robinson will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the European Inventor Award 2024 ceremony on 9 July in Malta.

A new era for biochemistry Dame Carol Robinson's introduction of mass spectrometry to structural biology has improved our understanding of protein interactions. Mass spectrometry is an analytical tool that enables the detection of molecules and so helps scientists identify the composition of chemical substances, including proteins. This detailed analysis enables a deep dive into the intricate world of proteins and is used to study protein complexes that are often the targets for new drugs. "As a scientist, I've always been quite fearless about going in my own direction. That has been my mantra throughout my career. I never wanted to follow the crowd", Robinson explains, reflecting her pioneering spirit that led to the discovery and analysis of complex protein assemblies.

Her early work faced scepticism, as it challenged the prevailing belief that proteins could not maintain their structure outside of water. However, Robinson's determination and innovative approach proved that protein interactions could indeed be preserved and studied in the gaseous state.

Pioneering personalised medicine Robinson's 'native mass spectrometry' method has transformed the study of proteins. This technique preserves proteins in their natural state, allowing scientists to gain detailed insights into their functions and interactions without altering their structures. It enables precise measurements and analyses of protein complexes that play critical roles in various diseases. This breakthrough paves the way for the development of targeted medications that can address disease mechanisms more effectively than ever before.

The future vision for this field is to contribute to much more tailored, personalised solutions. The depression example is a very good one because we really don't have a clear idea of what's wrong in many depression cases. That was what drove a whole programme of research", Robinson explains.

Beyond her academic and research milestones, Robinson's entrepreneurial aspirations also led her to co-found OMass Therapeutics. This venture leverages her mass spectrometry innovations to develop novel drugs targeting membrane proteins and protein complexes implicated in disease, such as the MC2 receptor in congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a rare endocrine disorder. Robinson's innovative application of mass spectrometry in drug development is improving the probability of success against hard to drug targets in diseases with high unmet medical needs. Her work not only advances scientific understanding but also provides the foundation for new therapeutic strategies that could improve the lives of patients worldwide.

Her career also stands as a pillar for gender diversity in STEM, breaking barriers as the first full female Professor of Chemistry at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and her commitment to mentorship has inspired numerous postgraduate students and early-career scientists. She is the director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at the University of Oxford. In recognition of Robinsons lifelong dedication and her role as a mentor, Dame Carol Robinson has received numerous accolades, including being made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a Fellow of the Royal Society and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The European Inventor Award 2024 for Lifetime Achievement not only celebrates Robinson's scientific achievements but also her profound impact on the scientific community and society at large.
Researchers at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY have developed a method to rapidly test new materials for the hydrogen industry and analyze their properties down to the atomic level. They were the first to test so-called high-entropy alloys for their corrosion resistance to hydrogen, and found that they may outperform the alloys commonly used in the industry.

Maxim Bykov and Konstantin Glazyrin at the beamline P02.2 at PETRA III DESY

For the process, the researchers led by first author Konstantin Glazyrin primarily used the P02.2 and P61.2 beamlines at DESY's X-ray source PETRA III, which specialize in science under extreme conditions. There, they loaded powder samples of various alloys into a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC) and exposed them to hydrogen under high pressure, which was introduced using a gas loader. They then used powder diffraction to precisely observe the interactions. In other words, Glazyrin used the high-brilliance X-rays from PETRA III to analyze the smallest structural changes in the polycrystalline material sample; these could be characterized using the diffraction patterns of the beams.

The team chose high-entropy alloys for their pilot study, characterizing the so-called Cantor alloy consisting of chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, and nickel, as well as two alloys from the platinum group, which contain iridium, osmium, and ruthenium, among others. The Cantor alloys are considered promising materials for the storage of hydrogen in the energy sector if fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal are to be replaced by hydrogen in the coming years. Considering the alloys based on platinum group elements, those are equally important for catalytical applications, e.g. hydrogen production from water splitting.

High-entropy alloys are compounds consisting of at least five elements whose structure is very diverse - "disordered", so to speak - at an atomic level. Here, the term of "entropy" refers to the degree of disorder in a system. In recent years, materials scientists have increasingly recognized that high-entropy metal alloys and also ceramics are in many respects more efficient than conventional mixtures of fewer elements. Only with at least five elements homogeneously distributed in the material would it characterize as a high-entropy alloy. On atomic level, in terms of disorder, these alloys are more complex than, for example, conventional stainless steel which is an alloy of iron, carbon, and chromium.

"In these alloys the effect of entropy starts to play a role at the microscopic level," explains Konstantin Glazyrin. "Local environment of each atom is complicated by atoms of other kinds and their random distribution within the material. Our results suggest that for studied systems, the resulting electronic density is correlated with nano-strains induced by atomic disorder. It makes it more difficult for hydrogen atoms to diffuse into material and transform it into hydrides, which is the first step of corrosion." Corrosion by hydrogen - which is very similar to the rusting of metals through contact with water and oxygen  makes the material less durable over time.

Glazyrin has therefore investigated how the Cantor and platinum group alloys perform in comparison to conventional steel and beryllium copper alloys when they come into intensive and prolonged contact with hydrogen. Beryllium copper is often used in the hydrogen industry. It is chemically very resistant and does not produce any sparks, which is of course an advantage when dealing with highly flammable hydrogen. "However, beryllium compounds are often considered toxic and is therefore difficult to recycle," Glazyrin points out. For this reason alone, alternative materials are preferable.

The new alloys are non-toxic, easy to recycle and in the tests they proved to be significantly less susceptible to hydrogen corrosion at room temperature and increased pressure. "This advantage is difficult to quantify because it depends heavily on the operating conditions," admits Glazyrin. "In this pilot study, we were not able to investigate all possible conditions." However, the study could inspire other groups to carry out further and more specialized measurements. Considering the broad field of hydrogen economy, the study shows a great potential of high-entropy compounds for real-life applications. Cantor alloy among with other high-entropy alloys could be useful; for example, in form of a coating for systems in which hydrogen is produced, transported, or stored. "As with the engine components and fuel systems in our cars," says Glazyrin, "it should be important to us that such systems last as long as possible - not only for cost reasons but also for environmental reasons."

So far, not much is known about high-entropy alloys and their properties. They have only been researched for 20 years, and we are slowly uncover their full potential and tailor industrial processes to optimize for economic feasibility. However, as new breakthroughs are able to accelerate applied research in the fields which were not considered at the point of original discovery - new testing methods, similar to presented in the work of Glazyrin et al. can also provide a boost. "Our methodological development shortens the first steps of material characterization from weeks to days if not hours. Is your new material resistant to hydrogen? We can give a fast answer," says Glazyrin. The new methodology should also be safer than in conventional large-volume pressure chambers - and even tiny amounts of material samples are sufficient for meaningful results. Depending on a task, these factors could make the process considerably more cost-effective than conventional, comparable material tests.

"There is also the long-term perspective," adds Hanns-Peter Liermann, scientist in charge of the PETRA III beamline P02.2. " Apart from hydrogen economy, the German government is currently investing a lot of resources into research for nuclear fusion energy production, because renewable energy sources such as wind, sun, and water, are not always available requiring a backup power supplies and nuclear fusion could be such a source in the future." In nuclear fusion, the fusion of hydrogen into helium, releasing energy - a process that also takes place inside the sun. Unlike nuclear fission in nuclear power plants, it also produces hardly any highly radioactive waste. However, it does require a lot of hydrogen, which is converted under enormous pressure and temperature conditions. And the novel materials of 21st century, including high-entropy compounds, are also of interest for this purpose, for example, for lining the reactors. In order to test these materials we need facilities and instruments that are able to simulate the extreme conditions as well as the resulting effects, for example, at the walls of a fusion reactors: "Along with the proposed upgrade of PETRA III to PETRA IV in the coming years," says Liermann, "we are planning an extreme conditions beamline that can also be used for the in situ study of potential reactor wall materials." Targeted experiments to develop fusion reactor technology will then be possible.
Researchers have reported previously unobserved phenomena in an ultra-clean sample of the correlated metal SrVO3. The study challenges existing theoretical models by providing new experimental insights into these unusual metals. The team demonstrated that high-purity SrVO3 exhibits unique electronic properties, revealing the importance of defect-free materials in studying electron correlation effects. The study's breakthrough was achieved using an innovative thin film growth technique, leading to the synthesis of SrVO3 with unprecedented purity, enabling detailed exploration of its true properties. Findings suggest a need to re-evaluate current theories on electron interactions.

Measurements of ultraclean SrVO3 (left) on electron microscopy image provide new insights into correlated electron materials, contrasting with defect-dense SrVO3 (right). The plot shows material quality via resistivity ratios (RRR). ORNL

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers unveiled previously unobserved phenomena in an ultra-clean sample of the correlated metal SrVO3. The study offers experimental insights that challenge the prevailing theoretical models of these unusual metals. The international research teamfrom the Paul Drude Institute of Solid State Electronics (PDI), Germany; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Pennsylvania State University; University of Pittsburgh; the Pittsburgh Quantum Institute; and University of Minnesotabelieves their findings will prompt a re-evaluation of current theories on electron correlation effects, shedding light on the origins of valuable phenomena in these systems, including magnetic properties, high-temperature superconductivity, and the unique characteristics of highly unusual transparent metals.

The perovskite oxide material SrVO3 is classified as a Fermi liquida state describing a system of interacting electrons in a metal at sufficiently low temperatures. In conventional metals, electrons that conduct electricity move independently, commonly referred to as a Fermi gas. In contrast, Fermi liquids feature significant mutual interactions between electrons, meaning the motion of one electron strongly influences the others. This collective behavior can lead to unique electronic properties with profound technological applications, providing insights into the interactions between electrons in correlated metals. SrVO3 serves as an ideal model system for studying electron correlation phenomena due to its crystalline and electronic simplicity. This simplicity is crucial for understanding complex phenomena such as magnetic order or superconductivity, which can complicate theoretical and experimental studies.

Another crucial factor in understanding experimental results that guide theoretical models for electron correlation effects is the presence or absence of defects in the material itself. Dr Roman Engel-Herbert, study lead and Director of PDI in Berlin, said, If you want to get to the bottom of one of the best-kept secrets in condensed matter physics, then you must study it in its purest form; in the absence of any extrinsic disturbance. High-quality materials that are virtually defect-free are essential. You need to synthesize ultra-clean materials.

Achieving a defect-free sample of SrVO3 has been a seemingly insurmountable challenge until now. By employing an innovative thin film growth technique that combines the advantages of molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition, the team achieved an unprecedented level of material purity. Dr Matt Brahlek, first author of the study published today, quantifies the improvement: A simple measure of material purity is the ratio of how easily electricity flows at room temperature compared to low temperature, called the residual resistivity ratio, RRR value. If the metal contains many defects RRR values are low, typically around 2-5. We have been able to synthesize SrVO3 films with RRR nearly 100 times larger, 200, opening the door to study the true properties of the correlated metal SrVO3. In particular, the high material quality allowed accessing special regime at high magnetic fields for the first time, where surprizes were found.

The interdisciplinary team of scientists was surprized to discover a series of peculiar transport phenomena that were in sharp contrast to the transport properties measured previously on highly defective samples. Their findings challenge the long-standing scientific consensus regarding SrVO3 as a simple Fermi liquid.

Engel-Herbert explains: This situation was very exciting but also puzzling. While we reproduced previously reported transport behavior of SrVO3 in our highly defective samples, identical measurements in ultraclean samples with high RRR values differed. Results from defective samples allowed a straight-forward interpretation of the results that matched theoretical expectation. These results were used as experimental evidence that the theoretical understanding correctly captured the electron correlation effects in SrVO3. However, the team found that measurements on the ultraclean samples could not be explained so easily.

Brahlek added: An observation that stands out is the expectation that the number of electrons that carry electricity in a metal is independent of temperature and magnetic field. This is of course true, but the interpretation of the measured quantity is not a direct measure of the carrier concentration. Rather, this quantity is mixed up with other aspects of the material properties, such as how defects and temperature impact the flow of electricity. We had to delve deeper into the physics to understand what we saw. That is what makes it so important and exciting.

The researchers believe their discovery can serve as a basis to refine theoretical models and prompt a re-examination of established views and interpretations of materials exhibiting a sizeable electron correlation.

Engel-Herbert says: Our job as experimental physicists is to push beyond the boundaries of the current understanding of nature. This is where discoveries can be made, where we advance science. As condensed matter physicist it is key to keep perfecting our object of study by challenging ourselves to push the limits of perfecting materials. This can potentially give new insights into the true behaviour of this class of materials and enables a comprehensive explanation of the phenomena measured and observed. It takes an interdisciplinary team of experts to do this. While the job is not yet completed, our results are an opportunity for the community to recalibrate their theories; re-examining materials we believed were well-understood and re-evaluate their potential for applications."
At a thrift store in Maryland, a woman from Washington, D.C., purchased what she thought was an ordinary vase for $3.99.

However, it turned out to be a Mayan artifact that was almost 2,000 years old. She realized what she was in possession of after seeing a similar vessel in a museum.

About five years ago, Anna Lee Dozier, a cultural worker and a mom of three, had been rummaging through 2A Thrift Store in Clinton, Maryland, when she encountered what appeared to be a tourist reproduction of an ancient Mayan vase. She noted that at the time, it seemed to her that the vase was around 20 to 30 years old.

Dozier often travels to Mexico for work, and the item caught her eye because it stood out from everything else on the shelves. It was also recognizably from Mexico.

She put the vase in a small room in her house that she designated as the library. Her three young boys are not allowed to play in there, as it is the place where she keeps books and other valued objects.

At the beginning of this year, Dozier traveled to Mexico for her job. She works at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a human rights organization that specializes in religious freedom.

During her trip, she visited the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. She was surprised to see vases that were similar to the one she had bought for under $5.

She even approached a museum staff member to ask what she should do if she found an artifact from the same period of history. When Dozier arrived home from her trip, she reached out to the Mexican Embassy and sent them photographs and measurements of her vase.

Experts at the embassy determined it was a painted ceremonial urn that belonged to the Indigenous Mayan people, and it was nearly 2,000 years old. It dates back to the Mayan Classic period, which spanned from 200 to 800 A.D.

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On the surface, Gina Champion-Cain appeared to be a highly successful entrepreneur and real estate developer based in San Diego. She owned a bunch of retail stores and restaurants.

However, she actually built her business with money she gained in a massive Ponzi scheme. Her scam brought in more than $350 million from unsuspecting liquor license applicants, earning her the title of the largest female-run Ponzi scheme in the history of the United States.

In the late 1980s, Champion-Cain moved to San Diego from Michigan. She dreamed of being a famous real estate developer and started her own company called American National Investments.

Soon enough, she became well-known in the area. She was featured in podcasts and television interviews and attended government meetings.

Champion-Cain was skilled at promoting herself. She conned people into believing that she was more successful than she really was. For instance, she claimed that she was an equity partner of high-rise luxury condominiums, even though she was not.

When the recession hit in 2008, she began exploring ventures aside from commercial development, landing in the hospitality industry. In 2012, she started developing her Ponzi scheme, which targeted liquor license applicants.

To secure a liquor license, applicants needed to pay the full cost of the license into an escrow account while they waited for the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control to approve or deny their application.

A liquor license can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars, and not all restaurant owners have that kind of money. So, Champion-Cain came up with an idea to help them out. She created a program to loan applicants the funds they needed.

The funds were all from investors. Once their licenses were approved by the state of California, the applicants would repay the money in addition to interest.

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Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye / Source Images: Unsplash / Pexels

Twin crises afflict contemporary America: The Great Dechurching and The End of Men, as the titles of recent books label them. Put briefly: Many churches fail to lead young people into Christian maturity, while contemporary culture fails to bring boys into mature manhood.

We cannot solve either crisis without solving both, together. And we have resources for addressing these crises togethertime-honored, transcultural resources attested in Scripture, manifested in the church, and affirmed by contemporary research into adolescent formation.

While the great dechurching is a crisis for girls as much as for boys, the overall challenges they face differ. As Richard Reeves shows, girls are outpacing boys in schools and, increasingly, in the workplace and in general health. American girls face challenges no less severe, but they are different.

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In asking how all of us, especially our boys, can grow into Christian maturity, we should start by considering how our Lord left his boyhood behind in order to be about his Fathers business.

When Jesus was 12 years old, Lukes gospel tells us, his family went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover, as they did every year. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem (Luke 2:4143).

This is the sixth time Luke describes Jesus as either the baby or the childhe never calls him just plain Jesus up to this point. But then, at the end of the story, we read, And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (2:52, emphasis added).

Over the course of three days, Jesus leaves his boyhood behind. As Jason Craig points out in Leaving Boyhood Behind, Jesus does so through a rite of passage.

As Arnold van Gennep shows in his time-tested classic, rites of passage involve three stages. First, a boy is temporarily removed from the domestic family. Second, he is initiated into manhood through challenge, often with a funereal qualitythe boy must die for the man to emerge. Finally, the emerging young man is assimilated into a group of peers and an adult vocation.

Jesuss youthful temple visit bears the unmistakable marks of each stage.

After Jesus slips away from his parents, they travel a full days journey before they realize he is missing (evidently Mary and Joseph were not helicopter parents). They seek him among their relatives and friends before turning back to Jerusalem to look for him (vv. 4445).

After three days, they finally find Jesus sitting in the temple courts among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions (v. 46). Luke doesnt tell us what Jesus has been eating or where hes been sleeping, but there he is.

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers, Luke writes. His parents were also astonishedand exasperated! His mother addresses him with a classic mixture of parental relief and frustration: Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you (vv. 4748).

Jesus, for his part, seems surprised. Why were you searching for me? he asks. Did you not know that I must be about My Fathers business? (v. 49, NKJV). Although Jesus not so subtly reminds them of his divine paternity, this is not passive-aggressive preteen rebellion with a divine spin. He returns to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them (v. 51). He perfectly obeys, and he also slips away to be about his Fathers business in the temple.

And it is in being about his heavenly Fathers business that Jesus ceases to be a boy.

More specifically, he is initiated into his Fathers business through a rite of passage: He is removed from his domestic sphere, initiated into manhood through challenge and a kind of death, and then assimilated into an adult vocation and community.

The removal is obviousthis is the first time Jesus is separated from his parents in Lukes gospel. The second stage, initiation into manhood through challenge, shows up in at least three ways.

First, Jesus spends three days in the big city fending for himself as a 12-year-old boy. Second, Mary and Joseph find Jesus participating in rabbinic discourse in the temple, essentially a form of intellectual combat. Imagine a 12-year-old wandering into a heated dispute in a seminarys faculty lounge and jumping into the fray.

Most significantly, Luke frames the story as a foreshadowing of Christs death and resurrection. Throughout his gospel, Luke associates being lost with death and being found with lifeChrist came to seek and to save the lost (19:10); the prodigal son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (15:32). It is no coincidence that Jesus goes missing for three days in Jerusalem before being found alive. The boy has died. The young man is emerging.

Finally, Jesus is assimilated into a set of peers and an adult vocation. This brief story already points toward the major themes of his ministry. He is found amid the teachers of Scripturehe will be the authoritative teacher of Scripture. He is in the templehe will eventually return both to cleanse it and to predict its destruction because his flesh is the true temple, the dwelling place of God with man.

I must be about My Fathers business. The word translated as must hereit is necessaryis one of Lukes favorites, usually communicating messianic necessity: Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? (24:26, ESV). Being about his Fathers business leads Jesus slowly, surely, inevitably back to Jerusalem, where he will once again go missing in Jerusalem for three days before being found alive.

Removal. Initiation. Assimilation.

Practically every culture has ushered adolescent boys into emerging manhood through rites of passage. Not only Christ, but a host of Old Testament figures. Consider the stories of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, and Davidall feature removal, initiation through challenge, and assimilation. In fact, coming-of-age stories, both ancient and modern, often feature the same threefold pattern.

Thats because adolescence itself is a time of passage. Puberty removes a boy from his childhood, and he only exits adolescence when he has achieved some degree of settled adulthood. Rites of passage reflect these underlying realities, and they powerfully answer to the needs of adolescent formation.

The Roman Catholic theologian and educator Luigi Giussani says that, until adolescence, parents are handing on a tradition to their childrenan explanatory hypothesis of reality, the meaning of life, and the shape of human flourishing. If mom and dad tell their five-year-old child one thing and the whole world says something else, mom and dad tend to win out.

This is not the case with a 15-year-old, as most parents know. Thats because, as Giussani puts it, adolescents are testing this tradition. Parenting adolescents is stressful because adolescents are quite literally stress testing the parental hypothesis. Theyre asking, Is it true? Does it work? Parental answers no longer suffice, because it is precisely those answers that are being tested.

During adolescence, parental words matter less than parental examples. Do parents live up to their words? And parental words begin to matter less than those of peers and nonparental adult mentors, who, along with the broader culture, constitute the testing ground that will either confirm or deny the parental hypothesis. The upshot is that parents (and churches and schools) have a deepening responsibility to curate their adolescents contextby deciding on churches, youth groups, schools, extracurriculars, and so forth.

But there is a Catch-22. Just when it is more important than ever to curate context, it is likewise critical to give adolescents more independence, responsibility, and freedom than ever before, and for the same reasonan adolescent is moving out of the home and into the world. Parents must let their children test the hypothesis in order to leave childhood behind.

Giussani says failing to test the hypothesis in adolescence results in one of two outcomes: either an uncritical fundamentalism or an uncritical cynicism. Having failed to test the traditions worth, one either clings to it blindly, immaturely, fearfullyor one blindly, immaturely, and angrily rejects the tradition, refusing to consider its claims at all.

Successfully testing the tradition requires maximal curation of context and maximal independenceat one and the same time. American society gives teenagers neither. We are perhaps the first culture in world history in which a 17-year-old boys daily routine and responsibilities are more like that of his 11-year-old little brother than his 20-year-old brother who is off at college or working and living independently. The exceptionthe one way in which we practice free-range parentingis in giving our youth free reign to digitally explore our incoherent if not malignant culture.

To riff on a common line in educational circles, our culture is perfectly designed to achieve the results we are getting. Our challenge, collectively, is to restore the conditions necessary for healthy adolescent formation.

The answer for boys rests in part on recovering traditional rites of passage. When we consciously remove a boy from the domestic sphere, purposefully separating him from his childhood; when we initiate him into manhood through challenge; when we assimilate him into an adult vocation and communitywe are honoring the givenness of his adolescent development.

This is possible but not easy. Honoring rites of passage means giving emerging young men adult responsibilities and adult consequences. Responsibility requires risk.

It also requires a mature adult community. Like any liturgy, rites of passage are effective only insofar as they reflect reality and are authorized by a community. This is perhaps the greatest challenge, because no family can do it alone. Boys and girls alike need real Christian community and real Christian culture.

Every family, every church, and every school must consider how to incorporate these principles. At the boarding school I am helping to launch, we invite high school boys to live alongside faculty families under a temporary rule of digital poverty. Our curriculum pairs an education in the classics with small-scale agriculture and skilled tradesan embodied formation with real work and the responsibility that comes from growing your own food and building your own buildings.

We chose our rural 176-acre campus to give boys freedom to explore Gods good creation and as a fitting setting for the challenges of strength and endurance that come from hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains, playing rugby, and splitting the wood that will warm them through the winter. We plan to build a beautiful chapel at the heart of campus to order our livesliterally and symbolicallyaround the life of the church.

Ultimately, rites of passage foreshadow, anticipate, and echo the true rite of passage: baptism. The baptismal liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer specifies that, just before baptizing, the Minister shall take the Child into his arms. The child is thus removed from the literal arms of the domestic family before being initiated into Gods family by being buried with Christ in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. After baptism, the minister declares, We receive this Child into the congregation of Christs flock.

The gathered community, standing and facing the baptismal font, is exhorted to pray that this Child may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning, which means living out in daily life the reality of initiation into the family of Godtaking up ones cross daily, crucifying the flesh and its affections, and living in holiness through ever-deepening conversions into Christ.

We can only invite our children into such a life if we ourselves exhibit the life of Christ individually and communally. We must be about our Fathers business. We must increase in wisdom and in favor with God and man. As we grow into full maturity as Christian men and womenunto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph. 4:13, KJV)we must do so together in community.

Mark Perkins is chaplain and assistant headmaster of St. Dunstans Academy in Roseland, Virginia.
Illustration by Elizabeth Kaye / Source Images: Unsplash / Pexels

Law schools can function as microcosms of society, gathering people from diverse backgrounds to debate highly charged issues of politics, morality, and religion. John Inazu, an evangelical constitutional scholar and professor of law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis, has long experience in this setting, and it forms one backdrop to his latest book, Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. Readers follow Inazu and his students over the course of a year as they consider questions of empathy, fairness, cancel culture, faith, and forgiveness. CT national political correspondent Harvest Prude spoke with Inazu about his lessons for Christians on effective listening and persuasion.

What have you learned from teaching in an environment where students navigate the discomfort of encountering different worldviews?

Part of being a Christian is being able to engage in messy and uncomfortable places, spaces, and relationships. Weve got a pretty good model in Jesus and the discipleswhere they went and the lines they crossed.

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As a Christian teaching in a non-Christian university, Im actually quite comfortable. And part of that comes from knowing that my Christian values arent in control here. When you know youre not in control, it frees you to be more creative, more neighborly, and in some ways more faithful. So I dont start with the premise of having a community whose narrative and power I control or seek to control. I start from the premise of being a welcomed member of this community who can engage it on that basis.

You write about one student whose thesis paper was shaping up to be a diatribe rather than a genuine attempt at persuasion. How have your students learned to wrestle seriously with views they would rather condemn or dismiss?

In law school, there are some very ideological students who are not interested in compromise. Some students just want to use the law as a tool for winning power. But the majority really are open to understanding other perspectives.

Some of this boils down to basic interpersonal dynamics. When youre sitting together in the classroom while sharing meals and other aspects of student life, it can help build a sense of shared humanity.

One advantage of the classroom setting is having the time and space to build trust. Fundamentally, thats whats missing from so many conversations and relationships today. You cant expect that willingness to engage across perspectives to exist on day one of any class or semester. It necessarily takes time.

Often, the church can seem to reflect or even exacerbate partisan tendencies. How can we learn to see political opponents inside the church without suspicion?

The most basic premise for Christians is that everyone we meet bears Gods image, no matter how wrongheaded we think that person is. But within the church, this becomes more complicated than simply acknowledging our fellow status as image-bearers. Because within the church, at least in theory, we open ourselves to being persuaded by an appeal to a common authority, whether Scripture or some denominational commitment.

So when we encounter people on the other side of the political aisle within the church, the first question is whether were on the same page in acknowledging that our political beliefs are subservient to the gospel and to our Christian convictionsor, to varying degrees, the denominational structures weve pledged to abide by.

If these premises arent shared, then its difficult to speak about political disagreements on the level of one believer to another.

What would you say to Christians who are tempted to opt out of churches where they might confront different worldviews or intense political discussions?

For Christians concerned about the influence of political ideology on our faith, its really important to keep channels of communication with those who are persuadable by gospel-centered arguments. Right now, lots of people in my circles are either dismissing that whole segment of the church or showing an unwillingness to engage patiently.

To give one example: When people throw around phrases like Christian nationalism and white supremacy, yes, those are real tendencies, including in segments of the church. But theres another set of evangelicalswho are probably politically conservative and probably voted for Trump, but not in a nativist modewho shouldnt be dismissed with such alienating labels. There has to be ongoing relational work.

In some circles, conversation and compromise sound like dirty words because they represent treason toward ones tribe. Is it possible to be persuasive when people dont want to be persuaded?

At one level, if someone isnt open to conversation or persuasion, then its nearly impossible to make progress. But for Christians, it helps to remember the difference between confidence and certainty. If you enter conversations with a posture of absolute certainty, its hard to follow up with efforts at persuasion where the other person disagrees.

This kind of certainty is something of a post-Enlightenment insertion into the way we think and see the world. The idea of confidence is much closer to what Scripture commends.

When we say, I have confidence in these truth claims, and I want to tell you about them, it sets the stage for conversation rather than mere condemnation.

In the book, you discuss the difficulty of achieving bipartisan legislation. What are some benefits of working across the political aisle?

In the arena of lawmaking, understanding competing positions has tangible benefits. It can strengthen your own argument and give you a better sense of what you believe. And it can hone your sense of where effective partnering and coalition building might happen.

The reality of politics is that very little gets done without coalition building. Few purists can implement their policy goals without compromise. By and large, the people who succeed in lawyering, politics, or other areas of our society are typically those who understand this best.

To what extent do you think anger and division in our world result from a decline in habits of forgiveness?

Theres a distinction between the theological imperative of forgiveness and its cultural salience. Scripture is clear: We are called to forgive, full stop, with few conditions or limits, regardless of how it plays out culturally.

A cultural ethic of forgiveness can have powerful effects. When Desmond Tutu told his South African countrymen that, post-apartheid, there was no future without forgiveness (to quote one of his book titles), his audience understood the language of forgiveness even if they werent all Christians themselves. But when a culture loses touch with the theological roots of forgiveness, this kind of shared understanding becomes harder to imagine.

Apart from Jesus, is there a biblical figure you see as best embodying the ideal of gracious disagreement?

One figure who comes to mind is the prophet Jeremiah, especially as he counsels the Israelites on how they should endure their captivity in Babylon. He exhorts them to love and care for the city, even though its people arent their own. He reminds them to be faithful to God and to care for their own families but says that doesnt mean giving up on the surrounding society. That model is such a helpful framework for the cultural engagement we need today.
Home News Biden HHS officials urged WPATH to remove age limits for transgender surgeries: report

Biden administration health officials urged an international group of medical experts to remove age limits for body-altering surgeries for minors suffering from gender dysphoria, according to newly released email excerpts.

The email excerpts from the LGBT health association World Professional Association for Transgender Health recount how staff working for a top trans-identified leader at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services apparently succeeded in persuading the organization to drop proposed limits for trans surgeries, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The email excerpts surrounding the staff of Rachel (Richard) Levine, the assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services who identifies as a woman, and his staff are found in legal filings associated with a federal lawsuit challenging Alabama's ban on transgender surgeries and puberty blockers for minors.

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In 2022, WPATH released guidelines called Standards of Care, with media outlets noting that the group had removed a section on the minimum age requirements for children to obtain puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or undergo body-altering surgeries. WPATH claimed the purpose of the removal was to protect doctors from lawsuits.

WPATH recommended in the draft guidelines lowering the age minimum to 14 for hormonal treatments, 15 for mastectomies, 16 for breast augmentation or facial surgeries and 17 for genital surgeries or hysterectomies, according to The Times.

In one of the email excerpts, an unnamed WPATH member recalled an exchange with Sarah Boateng, Levine's then-chief of staff who later became principal deputy assistant secretary for health in October 2022.

"She is confident, based on the rhetoric she is hearing in D.C., and from what we have already seen, that these specific listings of ages, under 18, will result in devastating legislation for trans care," the WPATH member stated about Boateng. "She wonders if the specific ages can be taken out."

Another email about Levine said that the health official "was very concerned that having ages (mainly for surgery) will affect access to care for trans youth and maybe adults, too. Apparently, the situation in the U.S.A. is terrible, and she [meaning Levine] and the Biden administration worried that having ages in the document will make matters worse. She asked us to remove them."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

The Times report follows a report last month that WPATH hired researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland to conduct a series of reviews on evidence that would support "gender-affirming" care. According to the activist group Do No Harm, emails released amid a legal challenge to North Carolina's age limits law suggest WPATH suppressed the findings that found "little to no evidence about children and adolescents."

"Although this email chain was initially marked 'Attorneys' EyescOnly,' the DOJ publicly released the document in a court filing this morning," Do No Harm reported in May. "What's worse, the documents show that WPATH restricted the Hopkins researchers' ability to publish their findings."

Do No Harm board chairman Stanley Goldfarb accused WPATH of an "outrageous rejection of good science and good medicine."

"The case for so-called gender affirming care grows weaker by the day," he said in a statement.

During a July 2023 interview in an ABC Nightline segment called "Identity Denied: Trans in America," Levine said that minors shouldn't wait until they're 18 to undergo sex-change surgeries. He also claimed that so-called "gender-affirming care" for youth is "evidence-based" and that medical interventions for gender dysphoric minors can help them "explore" their gender identity.

"Adolescence is hard and puberty is hard," Levine said. "What if you're going through the wrong puberty? What if you inside feel that you are female, but now you're going through a male puberty?"

In a follow-up X post after the interview, Levine thanked the media outlet for hosting him and allowing him to discuss what he believes are "medically harmful" and "unscientific" bans that prevent minors from undergoing medical interventions to change their sex.

The United Kingdom's National Health Service released its "Cass Report" earlier this year based on a review of transgender medical practices led by Dr. Hillary Cass, warning that studies claiming puberty blockers help improve the well-being of children suffering from gender dysphoria are of "poor" quality.

The review also recommended "extreme caution" for prescribing irreversible cross-sex hormones to minors.

The report suggested a new, multi-layered approach to treating children who experience discomfort with their sex, one that includes the creation of local specialist services designed to meet the "wider needs" of youth experiencing gender dysphoria. These centers would provide "a wide range of services, helping young people to overcome the psychological and social needs and challenges they might face."

Cass, the retired former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, authored the report following an exponential increase in youth seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.

"The reality is that we have no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress," Cass wrote in the report's introduction.

Following the release of the Cass report, WPATH and its partners released a statement to the media claiming that her review was "rooted in the false premise that non-medical alternatives to care will result in less adolescent distress for most adolescents and is based on a lack of knowledge of and experience working with this patient population."

"It is harmful to perpetuate this notion and does not acknowledge the very real fact that medical pathways are an important treatment option for many young people," the statement reads.

Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who took puberty blockers and had her breasts removed to appear more like a boy, has spoken publicly about how much she regrets her initial decision to transition.

Last year, Cole filed a lawsuit against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, the Permanente Medical Group and affiliated healthcare professionals. She accused the medical groups of performing a "mutilating, mimicry sex change experiment" on her when she was only a teenager.
Home News 10 suspected illegal immigrants detained after discovery of child porn at Texas 'stash house'

Authorities arrested 10 suspected illegal migrants at a Texas residence after receiving a tip about child pornography downloads coming from a home that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said was a "stash house" for human smuggling.

The Chambers County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant last week based on a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children database. When the authorities arrived at the home, the occupants refused to open the door, prompting deputies to force their way into the residence.

According to a statement from the sheriff's office, authorities believe that the 10 individuals are in the U.S. illegally. Some appeared to be of Asian descent, while others seemed to be from Guatemala.

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Various law enforcement agencies, including Department of Homeland Security agents and the Mont Belvieu Police Department, responded to the scene. Authorities transported all 10 suspects to the Chambers County Jail for processing by Homeland Security Investigations.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the residence was a "stash house for human smuggling activities." DHS is still investigating the suspects' immigration status.

"On April 11, Homeland Security Investigations Houston assisted our state and local partners with a law enforcement action related to an ongoing child exploitation investigation," the spokesperson was quoted as saying.

"During the course of the enforcement action and based on the individuals encountered, the structure was additionally determined to be a stash house for human smuggling activities," the spokesperson continued. "HSI Houston is continuing to work with our state and local partners in furtherance of this investigation."

As Fox 26 reported last week, officers who executed the warrant seized several electronic devices. However, the content of these devices is unknown.

"Those types of downloads are illegal and are heavily monitored," Captain Bryan Baker of the Chambers County Sheriff's Office said, as quoted by Fox 26.

While law enforcement officials have not disclosed the homeowner's name, Fox 26 reporters claimed they witnessed an individual leaving the residence before taking off in a car. However, the neighbors in the community claimed that the man had been at the scene earlier.

Earlier this month, Texas officials discovered five illegal migrants inside a separate stash house that also contained an altar to the cartel patron saint Santa Muerte.

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland told The Christian Post at the time that authorities learned about the house through an anonymous tip. According to Cleveland, the homeowner denied any knowledge of illegal activity, which the sheriff said he found hard to believe.

Cleveland said the migrants had been returned to Mexico and that the group was part of a smuggling organization called "Mendoza-Nandho." The organization is known for smuggling illegal immigrants from Hidalgo, Texas, into other parts of the country.

"They have historically smuggled illegal aliens to Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia," Cleveland said. "The Terrell County Sheriff's Office has interdicted five smuggling loads in recent months associated to this organization."

As The Daily Mail previously reported, the group of migrants discovered in the house was comprised of four men and one woman. The authorities also found a tunnel that they believe could have been used to hide drugs.

Another discovery included an altar to the cartel patron saint Santa Muerte, with bottles of tequila and cigarettes laid before her as offerings. The saint is the personification of death, and law enforcement agencies say it is a commonly used symbol in organized crime.
Home News Christian woman brutally murdered as attacks on believers reach alarming levels in India

A family who recently converted to Christianity was brutally attacked in Chhattisgarh, India, leaving one woman dead.

On Monday, 22-year-old Bindu Sodhi and her family were preparing their field to sow rice when they were assaulted by a group of religious fanatics that included members of her extended family.

Sodhis mother, brother and younger sister escaped the attackers, but she was captured, repeatedly stabbed to death and left in the field.

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Her family filed a complaint with the police, but sources say a case has yet to be officially registered. Sodhis body remains in the local morgue as her family awaits further proceedings.

Christian leaders speaking out against the violence report that atrocities committed against believers in Chhattisgarh state have reached alarming levels. They say the police have taken no action in the murder of Christians but have detained dozens of people insisting on a burial for Sodhi.

We met with the police chief, were told he would look into it, but the stunning reality is that Christians have been detained daily, said a local Christian activist. The order for protection of Christians has little to no impact. The situation is terrible.

Sodhis death is one of many recent attacks against Christians in the area. On June 12, seven Christian families in a nearby village were assaulted. In May, another Christian was beaten and stabbed to death, then buried by his assailants.

Local Christian leaders added that Hindu mobs surround known Christian areas, accompanied by government officials, then assault them for refusing to forsake their faith. Many of those attacked have been women and children, and one youth remains in the hospital due to his injuries.

On June 24, hundreds of Christians led by the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) carried out a massive protest in response to the anti-Christian violence, demanding an end to Hindu fundamentalist attacks and police inaction.

The mob violence has been driven by the ideology of Hindutva which seeks to make India a purely Hindu nation. Anti-Christian populism has added an extra element to Hindu extremism, resulting in targeted violence and displacement. In 2023, organized mob violence against Christian tribes left hundreds dead and more than 200 destroyed.

Christians make up less than 2% of Chhattisgarh states 25 million people.
Home News DOJ sues Idaho over near-total' abortion ban, files first lawsuit since Roe v. Wade reversal

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Idaho, claiming that the state law banning almost all abortions violates federal law regulating public access to emergency services.

In an announcement Tuesday afternoon, the DOJ announced the complaint against Idaho Code  18-622, which the department describes as a "near-total ban on abortion." The law will go into effect on Aug. 25.

The filing marks the first time the Biden administration has taken legal action against a state abortion restriction since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a national right last month. It could also be a sign of litigation to come against states that have enacted similar laws.

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The Justice Department contends that the Idaho law conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986. The law focuses on "public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay."

"Section 1867 of the Social Security Act imposes specific obligations on Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services to provide a medical screening examination (MSE) when a request is made for examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition (EMC), including active labor, regardless of an individual's ability to pay," explains an EMTLA info page.

"Hospitals are then required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with EMCs. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient within its capability, or if the patient requests, an appropriate transfer should be implemented."

In its complaint, the Justice Department argued that "medical care that a state may characterize as an 'abortion' is necessary emergency stabilizing care that hospitals are required to provide under EMTALA."

"Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, ectopic pregnancy, severe preeclampsia, or a pregnancy complication threatening septic infection or hemorrhage," the filing reads.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that the lawsuit is part of the DOJ's effort to "work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom."

"That is what we are doing, and that is what we will continue to do," stated Garland. "And we will closely scrutinize state abortion laws to ensure that they comply with federal law."

Idaho Code  18-622 bans most abortions in the state, threatening a criminal punishment between two and five years of imprisonment for any person found to have performed a "criminal abortion."

The law provides exemptions for abortions performed in cases of rape and incest reported to proper authorities and to "prevent the death of the pregnant woman." The law also prohibits criminal prosecution of pregnant women seeking an abortion.

Although the law includes an exception for preventing "the death of the pregnant woman," the Justice Department argues that the law puts the liability on abortionists who risk jail time and losing their medical license if they can't prove that the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.

The department further argues that the law "provides no defense for an abortion necessary to protect the health of the pregnant patient."

On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that abortion is not a constitutional right.

Since then, several states have enacted policies that ban abortion under most circumstances. The Biden administration has sought efforts to help secure abortion access.

Last month, the DOJ launched a "Reproductive Rights Task Force" to monitor state and local laws restricting abortion, which Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta chairs.

According to a Harvard Center for American Political Studies/Harris Poll report released in June, most respondents opposed the overturning of Roe, but only 10% wanted their state to allow abortions through all nine months of pregnancy.
Home News Whistleblowing doctor facing 10 years in prison says he senses divine providence

A Texas surgeon, who is potentially facing 10 years in prison for having leaked information exposing Texas Children's Hospital for allegedly continuing to perform trans procedures on minors despite claiming otherwise, said his ordeal has convinced him of God's providence.

Dr. Eithan Haim, 34, told The Christian Post that he feels God is with him in his battle against the U.S. Department of Justice, which slapped him earlier this month with four felony counts after he "obtained personal information including patient names, treatment codes and the attending physician from Texas Children's Hospital's (TCH) electronic system without authorization," according to a DOJ press release.

Haim reportedly leaked such records to journalist Christopher Rufo last year because the hospital told the public it had paused such procedures after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott labeled them child abuse, though Haim uncovered documents that showed otherwise.

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The six-page indictment released by U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani alleges that Haim went to the press instead of the appropriate authorities within the hospital.

Haim went on a media blitz last week, giving interviews about his situation to prominent people such as Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Steve Bannon, Glenn Beck and Jordan B. Peterson.

Haim, who conceded he finds his potential prison sentence "terrifying," told CP that his obligation to the future generation has become more pressing now that his wife is six months pregnant with their first daughter.

"What kind of world will we live in if we don't stand up for these kids who are being harmed or against the government that's going after people who are telling the truth?" he asked. "And if we think things are bad now, how much worse is it going to be in 10 years?"

"And that's the world we would deliver our children into, and especially with my wife being 24 weeks pregnant now, that's not theoretical anymore, but that's real," he continued. "If we really love our children, we're willing to sacrifice for their future. So if that means I need to take on the most powerful federal Leviathan in human history, that's what it's going to take."

Haim believes the trans movement is driven primarily by ideology but that it is further enabled by people who reap the rewards of enabling it.

"These are the people who are the true believers, who have never grown up with any type of moral tradition," he said of those propelling the movement. "And because of that, there's no way for them to make sense of life's suffering. Because they have no way to make sense of it, they have to latch on to something that can provide them with some form of meaning. But when that happens, they can latch on to anything, and the transgender ideology is what they've chosen. So these are the most radical people who are driving it."

Haim believes every major institution in the U.S. has been "captured by this ideology" that endeavors to elevate narcissistic, selfish desires above objective reality and that anyone attempting to expose such things risks being attacked.

"So if someone within those institutions is willing to tell the truth, it shines a light on their own degradation, which is why they try so hard to destroy those people," he said. "Because if they can destroy the one person who's telling the truth, who's shining the light, then they can reestablish the balance where everyone's degraded. But once you have one person who's going to speak the truth, who's willing to stand up, it will inevitably inspire others to do the same thing, too. And the process becomes exponential."

Haim, whose legal defense fund has raised over $868,000 of its $1 million goal as of Thursday morning, told CP that he feels swept up in a spiritual war but feels God is protecting and providing for him. He said he has been inundated with support from Christians and Jews, which he described as "a miracle."

"After everything that's happened, there's no denying it: these things happen for a reason," he said. "I think more people are coming to realize that, too. When you live by these things that we preach on Saturday or Sunday, we learn that God protects His own."

"Never in a million years did I ever think so many people would join us in this way," he said, adding that he and his family had "sacrificed everything we've ever saved" to take a stand but that the donations flooding in have restored what they have lost.

"That was done with a faith that if we did that, maybe other people would put their faith in us, and that's come true," he said. "It's amazing."

Haim hopes his case can help set a precedent that will embolden other whistleblowing doctors who want to uphold their oath to "do no harm."

"You can't just stand by in silence and let these hospitals lie to the people they take care of and harm these children," he said. He hopes other potential whistleblowers will see his example and be encouraged not to be afraid.

"The thing they should be more afraid of is their own submission," he added. "Because they're going to lose their dignity, and they'll have to live with that for the rest of their lives."

On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, sent a letter to Hamdani demanding answers regarding Haim's prosecution, which he maintained is politically motivated and par for the course under President Joe Biden's DOJ.

BREAKING: Senator @TedCruz criticizes the indictment of whistleblower Eithan Haim as a "politically-driven prosecution" and demands documents from the US Attorney's office.



The Biden Administration is manipulating the law to punish political opponents. They must be stopped. pic.twitter.com/d6tPj85jDy  Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) June 26, 2024

"I have had longstanding concerns with the impartiality of the Department of Justice under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland," Cruz wrote. "As such, while the present prosecution of Dr. Haim is troubling, it is also not surprising. Political prosecution of whistleblowers not only undermines the integrity of the Department of Justice, but also sets a dangerous precedent for intimidating others from exposing wrongdoing."

"It has no place in our system of justice," Cruz added.
Home News Episcopal House of Deputies president who accused bishop of abuse wins reelection

The Episcopal Church House of Deputies president, who recently garnered headlines when she accused a retired bishop of unwanted contact, has been reelected after being challenged by her own vice president.

House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris was reelected on Tuesday at the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, receiving 521 votes out of the 826 votes cast by deputies.

In second place was Zena Link, a former Executive Council member, who received 241 votes, and in third was the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton, the deputies vice president, with 64 votes.

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I am humbled and thank you for your confidence in me and my leadership, said Ayala Harris after the results were announced, as quoted by Episcopal News Service. Now, church geeks, lets roll up our sleeves and get back to work.

Ayala Harris was elected president in 2022, replacing the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, who had served in the leadership role since 2012, and was unopposed for reelection in 2015 and 2018.

Last year, Harris wrote a public letter accusing an unnamed former bishop of verbal and physical harassment, claiming that it occurred shortly after she was elected.

Ayala Harris submitted a complaint against the retired bishop, who was later identified as retired Oklahoma Bishop Ed Konieczny, under the purview of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops. For his part, Konieczny has denied the allegations.

In April, Taber-Hamilton announced that she was challenging Ayala Harris for the presidency, claiming that there was an unhealthy corporate culture within the denomination.

Through the lens of over 30 years of experience in organizational assessment and development, I am disheartened by what I have experienced and observed over the two years that I have served as vice president of the House of Deputies, she said.

Earlier this month, Taber-Hamilton wrote a blog post accusing Ayala Harris of misusing her position to manipulate, intimidate, silence, mistreat and marginalize people.

For a president who claims to be dedicated to safety, I can assure you that there are those who absolutely do not feel safe  to speak truths, to share concerns, to ask for information, to hold the president accountable, to question what is going on, wrote Taber-Hamilton.

For her part, Ayala Harris denied the accusations, telling ENS that she considered the blog post to be a misrepresentation of my presidency and in direct conflict with my values and approach as a leader.

Throughout my presidency I have strove to include a diverse set of leaders in my appointments that reflect the broad diversity of our church, she continued.

I believe in our houses ability to discern their choice for president, focused on skills, experience and vision, not on personal accusations. I continue to pray for our house and all candidates running for elections throughout our convention.
Home News Illegal Christian activities: Iran sentences tourist to 10 years in prison for possessing New Testament

An Armenian citizen has been sentenced to a decade in prison in Iran under accusations of proselytizing, which is considered illegal under the countrys strict religious laws.

His conviction was not based on evidence but on the judges personal intuition, per the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, which permits judicial decisions on mere suppositions of criminal activities.

Hakop Gochumyan was sentenced earlier this month despite no clear evidence, the Catholic outlet Asia News reported.

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Gochumyan, along with his wife, Elisa Shahvardian, was arrested during their vacation in Iran in August 2023, according to the Christian organization Barnabas Aid.

The couple was dining with their children at a friends house in Pardis, near Tehran, when intelligence agents raided the home, detaining all adults and confiscating several Farsi-language New Testaments and other Christian literature.

The couples two children, ages 7 and 10, were with them and left with Shahvardians aunt following their arrest, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said.

Following the raid, the couple was transported to Evin Prison, notorious for its harsh conditions, where they were reportedly placed in solitary confinement and subjected to severe psychological torture.

Shahvardian, of Iranian descent with family connections in Iran, was released on bail two months later, in October 2023. However, Hakop remained in custody, facing charges of engaging in deviant proselytizing activity that contradicts the sacred law of Islam through his involvement in a network of evangelical Christianity, a charge to which he has consistently pleaded not guilty.

Shahvardian, the daughter of Iranian-Armenian pastor Rafi Shahverdian, told the watchdog group Article 18 in December that intelligence agents had accused them of engaging in illegal Christian activities."

During Hakops trial, which culminated in his sentencing in February 2024, his attorney highlighted the absence of concrete evidence supporting the accusations.

The lawyer argued that the decision was improperly influenced by Article 160 of Irans Islamic Penal Code, allowing judges to rely on their intuition rather than factual proof. Hakops appeal failed in June, confirming his 10-year sentence.

Irans historic Christian minorities, such as Armenians and Assyrians, are legally permitted to practice Christianity. However, the law strictly prohibits evangelism, particularly among the Muslim majority and any Farsi-speaking communities. This restriction includes the dissemination of Christian materials such as Bibles in Farsi, and activities deemed as attempts to convert Muslims to Christianity.

ICC noted that despite over four decades of severe restrictions and outright persecution, Christianity is experiencing significant growth within Iran.

For more than 40 years, the Iranian regime has persecuted Iranian Christians through banning Farsi language Bibles, imprisoning church leaders, and falsely accusing converts to Christianity as national security threats, an ICC representative said. But through it all, God is working a miracle, and the underground Iranian church continues to grow rapidly.
Home News Jimmy Evans says Robert Morris told him of affair with a woman, not 12-year-old Cindy Clemishire

Former Gateway Church lead apostolic senior pastor Jimmy Evans, who is now founder and president of XO Marriage, says he was aware that the Texas megachurchs founder, Robert Morris, had an affair in his early 20s while he was a minister, but he had no idea the affair was the sexual abuse of 12-year-old Cindy Clemishire.

I was shocked and devastated by Cindy Clemishires account, published this June, and I applaud her courage to come forward. First and foremost, I pray for Gods comfort to surround Ms. Clemishire, her family, and all those who know and love her, Evans shared in a statement on the Tipping Point Prophecy Update last Friday.

Prior to the launch of Gateway, Robert Morris shared with me that he had an affair with a woman in [his] early 20s. He represented that he stepped out of ministry and was fully restored. I was unaware of anything like the allegations shared last week until I read Ms. Clemishires story, Evans said.

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Morris recently resigned from Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, after Clemishire, a 54-year-old grandmother, alleged that he sexually abused her over multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12.

In a statement to The Christian Post after Gateway Church was asked about the allegations, Morris only confessed to having inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady, of which he repented.

When I was in my early twenties, I was involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying. It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong. This behavior happened on several occasions over the next few years, he said.

In March of 1987, this situation was brought to light, and it was confessed and repented of. I submitted myself to the Elders of Shady Grove Church and the young ladys father. They asked me to step out of ministry and receive counseling and freedom ministry, which I did. Since that time, I have walked in purity and accountability in this area, Morris added.

He explained that he returned to ministry in March of 1989, two years after his abuse was exposed with the blessing of the survivors father and the elders of his church. He further noted that he and his wife met with the survivor and her family in October 1989.

In his 2011 book, Dream to Destiny, however, Morris provides a description of an event which coincides with the timeline of the molestation that shows him stepping away from ministry for just one month.

Evans said when he resigned from Gateway Church in 2020, he raised concern about the dishonest and toxic leadership environment created by Morris and the team there.

In 2020, I resigned from Gateway Church. At that time, I formally severed all ties with Gateway after expressing my deep concern over the dishonest and toxic leadership environment created by Robert Morris and the Gateway leadership. As a result, Gateway removed all of my messages and materials from their website and store, Evans said.

Morris messages still remain on Gateways website.

Though my heart is heavy on this matter, Ive chosen not to make a more formal statement than this as I have no details to add. I look forward to continuing to serve you on Tipping Point with content related to biblical prophecy, Evans added.

Other prominent Evangelical leaders who have spoken out against Morris in the wake of the scandal include Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren who said Morris should have been publicly fired, not allowed resign.

Perpetrators are to be publicly fired, not allowed to resign, Warren whose wife, Kay, was sexually abused as a child, said. Child abuse STILL enrages Jesus: If anyone offends one of these little ones, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and drowned in the sea. Matt.18:6.
Home News Over 400 illegal immigrants entered US through ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network: report

Lawmakers are demanding answers following multiple reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has identified more than 400 illegal migrants brought to the United States through an Islamic State-affiliated human smuggling network, as the whereabouts of dozens of them are currently unknown.

The DHS identified over 400 migrants from various locations, including Central Asia, as "subjects of concern." According to an investigative report from NBC Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeks to arrest the migrants on immigration charges. While over 150 have been arrested, the location of over 50 migrants is unknown, three federal officials told the outlet.

The officials claimed that the over 400 migrants who crossed the southern border were not on the terrorist watchlist, which is why Customs and Border Protection released them into the U.S.

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Following a terrorist attack in Russia by ISIS-K, an affiliate of the Islamic State active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the DHS has grown more concerned about scrutinizing migrants from locations where ISIS-K is believed to be active.

A few of the arrested individuals have already been deported, according to NBC, and some of the detained or deported individuals have been charged with immigration violations.

At the time of reporting, the outlet noted that none of the migrants had been charged with terrorism-related offenses.

On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York declared in an X post that "Border security is national security."

The Republican lawmaker asserted that it's "time to END Joe Biden's failed Far Left Democrat open border policies," advocating in favor of the border policies under former President Donald Trump's administration.

Meanwhile, Democrats and some members of the GOP feel that Republicans could have taken steps to secure the border by voting for a 370-page border bill earlier this year. Detractors of the legislation, however, believe that it would have worsened the border crisis.

Earlier this month, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, R-Tenn., released a statement in response to the reports of migrants with ties to IS entering the country illegally, calling for a resolution to the situation.

"Almost weekly we are getting reports that someone with terrorist ties or other major criminal connections has been released into our country by the Biden administration and allowed to roam free for months or even years," Green stated.

"Such bad actors exploiting our borders used to be the exception  it's quickly becoming the rule under President Biden and now-impeached Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas. It's only a matter of time before one of these individuals connected to a terrorist group is involved in something devastating on U.S. soil, and this administration will be responsible. How much longer will we let this madness continue?"

In March, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 22-year-old Basel Bassel Ebbadi, a Lebanese man who attempted to illegally cross the border near El Paso, Texas.

The man stated in a sworn affidavit after his arrest that he trained with the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah for seven years and served four more as a guard for weapons locations. He also stated that he was in the U.S. because he wanted to "try to make a bomb."

Earlier this year, the DHS denied that it knowingly released an Afghan migrant on the national terrorist watchlist into the U.S, claiming that the man's terrorist ties were not known before his release. The migrant with terrorist ties was allowed to fly domestically and apply for asylum and work authorization.

Mohammad Kharwin was apprehended in March 2023 after he illegally crossed the border, and while there were suspicions he was the same man mentioned on the terrorist watchlist managed by the FBI, U.S. CBP could not confirm the information. The agency released the man after collecting his biometric data but did not tell Immigration and Customs Enforcement bout the Afghan national's potential match to a name on the terror watchlist.

Speaking before the House Select Intelligence Committee in March, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the agency has seen an increase within the last five years of known or suspected terrorists attempting to cross the southern border.

"The bigger concern is a situation, for example, where somebody presents fake identification documents at the border and there's not biometrics to match up  so there's no way to be able to know that they're not who they say they are," Wray said. "Then, they get into the country; then somehow we find out that they're someone in fact who's on the list."
Home News PCUSA may add sexual orientation, gender identity to antidiscrimination policy

Presbyterian Church (USA) is considering a measure that, if approved, would add sexual orientation and gender identity to their antidiscrimination policy for people seeking ordination.

Known as POL-01 or the Olympia Overture after the Presbytery that proposed it, the measure would amend the PC(USA) Book of Order to include gender identity and sexual orientation to the antidiscrimination statement found in F-1.0403.

At present, F-1.0403 reads in part that God unites persons through baptism regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability, geography, or theological conviction.

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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its membership, it continued.

POL-01 would also amend G-2.0104b, which focuses on standards for ordination, so that adherence to the antidiscrimination policy will be a requirement for ordained clergy.

The overture passed the Polity Committee phase this week and will next be considered by the 226th PC(USA) General Assembly when it meets next week in Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to the official rationale for the overture, the proposal when people within the Washington state-based Olympia Presbytery were ordained who had opinions that did not fully embrace the equal and affirmed status of LGBTQIA+ persons in the church.

Those conversations were difficult because the Book of Order does not include gender identity or sexual orientation in its list of protected classes, stated the rationale.

These experiences reveal the need for denominational clarity concerning the churchs ministry to LGBTQIA+ individuals as full participants in all aspects of life in the church.

The rationale went on to state that although it supported the freedom of councils of the church to make ordination decisions as guided by the Holy Spirit, PC(USA) still continues to find and confirm that the limits of each council of the church in their local option are conditioned by affirmations found in the Book of Order: sex, race, or any other prejudicial category.

The overture is not without its critics, as more than 150 clergy signed onto an open letter of dissent against the proposal in May, arguing that key portions of this overture threaten to undermine the theological diversity of the denomination.

Specifically, the overtures proposed changes to G-2.0104b appear to introduce an ordination question that is deeply at odds with our core Reformed tenet of freedom of conscience, stated the open letter.

This amendment would immediately disqualify and exclude many faithful and dedicated Ruling Elders, Teaching Elders, and Deacons from serving due to their convictions. Moreover, it risks imposing a non-negotiable and rigid standard on an issue where faithful Christians hold differing views.

A predominantly theologically liberal denomination, the PC(USA) has increasingly embraced the LGBT cause in recent years, allowing for the ordination of openly gay individuals and redefining marriage to include same-sex couples.

These measures have led hundreds of congregations to leave the mainline denomination in protest, contributing the PC(USA)s well-documented long-term decline in membership.

Last year, the PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly released a statistics report which found that the denomination has approximately 1.14 million members, which is less than half of the approximately 2.5 million members reported in 2000.
Home News Presidential candidate RFK Jr. says I was never an atheist but pretended to believe in God

NEW YORK  Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shot down a suggestion that he was ever an atheist at one point in his life but seemingly admitted he pretended to believe in God until he got to a place where he now considers himself a true believer.

Even at the end of a 90-minute interview with conservative commentator Eric Metaxas on his Manhattan-based conversation series "Socrates in the City" on Tuesday, the specifics of Kennedy's unorthodox conversion experience remain quite vague.

"I was never an atheist ever. I was raised in a deeply religious family, and I integrated that," he told Metaxas after the host suggested he was an atheist at one point.

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Kennedy, 70, is an accomplished attorney and environmentalist whose father is former U.S. Attorney General and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and uncles are former President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Ted Kennedy. John F. Kennedy is known as the first U.S. president to adhere to the Roman Catholic faith.

Kennedy said that growing up as a Catholic, he went to church twice a day with his family, prayed the rosary at least once daily, prayed before and after meals, and read the lives of the saints and the Bible every night.

After his father was assassinated during his presidential campaign in 1968, Kennedy said he became a heroin addict the following year when he was just 15 years old.

"I was doing that for a lot of years. And when you're doing that, when you're living against conscience, which is what happens when you're an addict, you tend to push any kind of notion of God over the periphery of your horizons," he said.

He described having an "iron willpower" as a teenager who gave up candy for Lent and never touched it again until college but said his special willpower was no match for his addiction.

"To me, most of the demoralizing feature of addiction was my incapacity to keep contracts with myself. I would tell myself at 9 o'clock in the morning, I'm never going to do that again, and at 4 o'clock, I'd be doing it," he said.

He said he got sober in September of 1983 and came across research by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung in his book Synchronicity, in which he highlights that religious people beat their addictions faster and their recovery was "more durable."

Determined to do everything in his power to stay sober, Kennedy said he decided to start believing in God.

"I made a decision, an intellectual decision [that] I'm going to start believing in God," he said.

"Then I was presented with the dilemma that anybody who's in that position would say, which is 'how do you start believing in something that you can't see or smell or touch or taste or hear or acquire through senses?" he asked.

Jung, he said, "also solves that problem."

"He said, you fake it till you make it. And that was it. And he says the obedience will precede the evidence. In other words, if you start doing what you're supposed to do, then you will then see an evidence, a tangible, undeniable evidence of God's presence in life," Kennedy argued.

"And so I started doing that. I just said, 'Oh, that's what I'm going to do.' And I started pretending that, you know, ... that God was there watching the whole time, everything I did in life was a test."

When Metaxas asked if he was still pretending God exists, Kennedy said he wasn't. It appears he was convinced of God's existence by taking Jung's word for it.

"I don't pretend anymore because I," he said without completing the personal reference.

"Jung never had any doubt," he replied. "Jung saw God everywhere."
Home News 'Squad' member, Israel critic Jamaal Bowman ousted in primary; Boebert renominated

Tuesday's primary elections for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives yielded mixed results for two members on polar opposite sides of the political spectrum, with voters ousting a "Squad" member and Israel critic in New York while renominating controversial Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in Colorado.

Unofficial results from Tuesday night's Democrat primaries show that Westchester County Executive George Latimer has defeated Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., in the race to represent New York's 16th Congressional District. With nearly 90% of the vote reporting, Latimer leads Bowman with 58.4% of the vote to Bowman's 41.6%.

Bowman, a member of the progressive group of lawmakers known as "the Squad," has developed a reputation during his four-year tenure as a staunch critic of Israel.

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Bowman was first elected in 2020 after defeating then-Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., a 16-term incumbent, in a primary election. He represents a district that includes parts of the Bronx and Westchester Counties in the New York City area. He has faced allegations of antisemitism due to his comments about Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel that has led to an elevated and prolonged conflict in the region.

The political action committee affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which supports pro-Israel candidates on both sides of the aisle, elaborated on its concerns with Bowman's rhetoric on a page it set up to show support for Latimer in the Democratic primary.

"The incumbent has referred to Israel's creation as a 'catastrophe,' has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and was one of thirteen original cosponsors to a resolution calling for a ceasefire," the page reads.

"Moreover, the incumbent boycotted Israeli President Herzog's Congressional address and was one of ten members to vote against a bipartisan resolution standing with Israel and condemning Hamas after October 7th," the advocacy group added.

AIPAC issued a statement following Tuesday's primary to congratulate Latimer "for his resounding victory over an anti-Israel detractor" that it characterized as part of an "extremist fringe" that has directed "scurrilous attacks against the pro-Israel community."

Bowman's comments have also drawn criticism from his fellow Democrats in the New York congressional delegation.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., who also represents the Bronx in Congress, shared excerpts from an interview with Bowman that he characterized as "antisemitism" in an X post on Sunday.

"In New York City, we all live together," Bowman said in the interview. "[But] Westchester is segregated. There are certain places where the Jews live and concentrate. Scarsdale, parts of White Plains, parts of New Rochelle, Riverdale. I'm sure they made a decision to do that for their own reasons  but this is why, in terms of fighting antisemitism, I always push  we've been separated and segregated and miseducated for so long. We need to live together, play together, go to school together, learn together, work together."

Torres reacted to Bowman's analysis by asserting that he "singles out 'the Jews' whom he claims 'made a decision' to segregate 'for their own reasons.'" According to Torres, "There's a word for this scapegoating: antisemitism."

"Segregation is not a 'Jewish' phenomenon," Torres added after insisting that "NYC is no utopia of racial integration." Torres reiterated his belief that "singling out Jews in order to scapegoat them for the segregation of Westchester County is antisemitism."

Bowman is not the only member of "the Squad" targeted by AIPAC in this year's elections.

The advocacy group has also endorsed St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in his primary challenge against Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., noting that the incumbent "authored an anti-Israel ceasefire resolution in the House and was one of just ten members of Congress to vote against a resolution condemning Hamas following October 7th."

AIPAC said Bush is "one of six members to cosponsor a resolution characterizing Israel's foundation as a 'catastrophe.'"

While Bowman became the first Democrat incumbent to lose renomination this cycle, another member of the U.S. House of Representatives who has received a large amount of publicity during her relatively short tenure held on.

Boebert, who represented Colorado's 3rd Congressional District for the past two terms, decided to move to Colorado's 4th Congressional District after barely hanging on in the 2022 midterm elections.

According to unofficial results, with 95% of the vote counted, Boebert won the Republican primary in her new district with 43.4%, finishing nearly 30 points ahead of her nearest challenger. Like Bowman, Boebert first emerged on the national political scene by ousting an incumbent member of Congress in a primary four years ago. In her case, she beat Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Colo.

Boebert has faced allegations from critics of supporting what they term the "Christian Taliban" for declaring that "The Church is supposed to direct the government."

She insisted that "The government is not supposed to direct the Church," adding, "That is now how our founding fathers intended it."

Boebert drew blowback for her comments about Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., a Muslim who wears a hijab, recalling how she thought, "Well, she doesn't have a backpack  we should be OK" after seeing her in an elevator.

Boebert's remarks, which were viewed as offensive to the Muslim community, also included a description of Omar as a member of the "Jihad squad," referring to her affiliation with the progressive lawmakers group.
Home News Supreme Court dismisses Idaho abortion ban lawsuit, sends case back to lower court

The U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed litigation surrounding Idahos abortion ban, allowing a lower court ruling permitting federal guidance to be in play that would require hospitals to perform emergency abortions.

The Republican-led Idaho government and the Biden administration have been at legal odds over the states near-total abortion ban, which only allows for abortions when the life of the mother is threatened. The federal government believes that the state must provide abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.

In a brief per curiam opinion released Thursday morning, the Supreme Court dismissed Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States as improvidently granted, meaning that the high court should not have heard arguments in the case.

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The Supreme Court also vacated a stay on a lower court injunction that allowed the federal government to require hospitals that receive Medicare funds to provide abortions for emergency reasons.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett authored a concurring opinion to the decision, being joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, believing that the shape of these cases has substantially shifted since we granted certiorari.

The parties dispute whether EMTALA requires hospitals to provide abortions  or any other treatment forbidden by state law  as necessary stabilizing care. They also disagree about whether EMTALA, as a statute enacted under Congresss spending power and that operates on private parties, can preempt state law (an issue aired for the first time in this Court), wrote Barrett.

In my judgment, it would be imprudent to answer these important questions now. Since this suit began in the District Court, Idaho law has significantly changed  twice. And since we granted certiorari, the parties litigating positions have rendered the scope of the dispute unclear, at best.

The day before the per curiam dismissal was released, an unknown party reportedly leaked a copy of what might have been the opinion the day before by posting it on the Supreme Courts website.

The leaked opinion purported to show that the Supreme Court was going to dismiss the case and allow for emergency abortions to take place under EMTALA while the litigation continued, reported Bloomberg Law on Thursday.

For its part, the National Right to Life Committee issued a statement in response to the purported leaked decision, noting that they remain hopeful that lower courts will uphold the Idaho law which, like laws in all 50 states, explicitly allows miscarriage care and treatment in a medical emergency.

EMTALA was passed in 1986 and centers on "public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay," requiring hospitals participating in Medicare to provide medical services to all people.

"Hospitals are then required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with EMCs. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient within its capability, or if the patient requests, an appropriate transfer should be implemented," states an EMTALA information page.

In July 2022, shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance claiming that EMTALA required hospital emergency staff to perform abortions.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Idaho over its abortion ban, which only allowed for the procedure when the life of the mother was threatened, citing EMTALA as a justification.

Last September, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Idaho could enforce its ban, overturning a lower court decision in favor of the federal guidance.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case in April, with U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar rejecting the claim that the case was about abortion bans in general.

"Even states that have sharply restricted access to abortion after Dobbs generally allow exceptions to safeguard the mother's health," Prelogar claimed. "But Idaho makes termination a felony punishable by years of imprisonment unless it is necessary to prevent the woman's death."
Home Opinion Biden-Trump debate: 5 tips to talk to your kids about politics

Today, President Biden and President Trump will debate live on television in what may be the most-watched political moment in history. In some ways, this will mark the official beginning of the 2024 presidential election. This event gives parents and leaders an important responsibility: figuring out how to talk to youth about politics and interesting political figures.

Here are some tips Ive learned working with students for over 40 years.



1. It is going to be uncomfortable and thats OK

In our conversations about politics, you will have to pick sides, and this tends to be uncomfortable in our culture. Too often, as parents or leaders, we avoid issues that divide. We avoid these conversations for many reasons. This is a mistake. We fear that if we speak to current affairs, we will be considered unqualified, or worse, politically-incorrect.

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However, if we don't speak about the issues as parents and youth leaders, where are adolescents going to get their information? They need to know the truth and they need to hear it from people they trust.

2. Process the election (and every issue) with a diverse group of people

There is a university of learning in diverse relationships. One of the things I have tried to do with young people is to get them to process their thoughts and feelings with a broad spectrum of people and especially across generations.

Why is this important? Primarily because there is so much, we can learn from each other. It also helps reveal the truth, including inconsistencies in worldviews. Otherwise, groupthink can influence voting behavior, rather than the truth.

3. Treat every person and their views with respect

Sometimes, even in our own homes, we will have differing viewpoints. Even so, it is important to respect each other. Sometimes you can feel like you are compromising if you give someone of a different political perspective time and energy in a conversation by listening to their views. Maybe you want to get your point across, correct them, and make a statement right after they are finished talking. We must teach young people to treat everyone with respect and to listen to the opinions of others to keep the relationship and conversation going.

I learned a valuable lesson many years ago; that I would never lose a friendship just to win an argument. I believe we can have both the argument and the relationship holding to our beliefs by respecting people. We must help our kids to respect everyones viewpoint, and, where applicable, its ok to agree to disagree. Some people have bad ideas, but it doesnt make them bad people.

4. Listen to young people

Every parent and youth leader must learn to listen first. When young people are given the chance to talk first, it will guide the whole conversation, and often youll be surprised at the sophistication of their views. You may also be surprised how they think differently than you. If you speak first, then you may not give them permission to say what they really think.

Listening helps parents and leaders make a plan on the kind of content to include in future conversations with young people because those conversations also reveal what theyre learning from others at school or online. Many times, I have been the learner talking to young people! These conversations are what have motivated many parents and leaders to leave their own comfort zone and to engage in the political process.

Make sure to ask simple questions in order to give teenagers the opportunity to challenge their beliefs and what they are hearing. It will help them go against the tide in support of truth, whatever the politics of the moment.

When young people are given the opportunity to talk about important political or social issues, it helps them release anxiety, confusion, and fear of not understanding or not being heard. Youth need to know that their views are important. Young people are opinionated and will process their beliefs through talking. Let them feel safe to have difficult conversations about all kinds of topics  politics, economy, sexuality, and religion.

5. There is more to life than politics, but politics is important

Im pretty sure most of us agree with this. And it must be said that as a democratic society, we all win in a free country, even if your party does not win the election.

But looking at the frenzy around our elections in America, it may not seem healthy that all of culture seems to stop for months to focus only on the election. Helping students see that there is more to life than politics and government will help them focus on the day-to-day implications of politics and not just who won or lost the election.

Yet, every four years, we hear the same thing, this is the most important election of our lifetime.

Finally

We need to teach young people that politics is a way they can make a difference in a world that worries them. Young people can make a difference, but they need to learn the truth about politics from those they can trust.

How about this crazy idea? Why not have a watch party for the presidential debate at your home for your kids friends? Then, guide them in a conversation about it.

I believe healthy political conversations can take place between parents and leaders and young people over the next few months if we apply these simple principles.
Home Opinion How about posting the Ten Commandments in churches?

Media outlets have been ablaze with arguments for or against displaying the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. Im actually more concerned about churches posting the Ten Commandments in their own buildings and classrooms.

Last week when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed legislation requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in his state, it set off a passionate debate about the place of those commandments in our schools. I thought to myself that before we get all hot and bothered about the place of these commandments in our nations schools, how about getting all hot and bothered about placing them in our churches? If I were the head of a denomination, Id first double down on requiring every church to post the Ten Commandments. After all, churches are supposed to be a light to the world. Yet how many churches post these commandments, let alone post them in a prominent place, or use them in their worship services and liturgies?

The sad reality is that many churches dont, and for various reasons. Many Protestants and evangelicals have forgotten their confessional heritage. Many have stopped intentionally catechizing their children with teaching tools that use the Ten Commandments. Some have slipped into antinomianism theologies that have no place for law. And rare is the church that refers to them on a Sunday morning, unless, perchance a pastor is preaching through Exodus or Deuteronomy. Consequently, many sons and daughters of the Christian church have lost both their ethical framework and distinctiveness. So, are we really going to insist that our secular school system does what we are not doing?

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Previously, I have argued the case elsewhere for posting the Ten Commandments in our schools. I believe there are good reasons for doing so, but my first concern is the Church. This very suggestion will raise some objections from various Christian traditions. Here are the two most common ones: In suggesting this, arent you a legalist? After all, we are under grace not under law. Others will add, You are promoting moralism in the Church instead of the Gospel.

My response is simply, no, Im not a moralist. The Gospel should always be front and center. And, no, Im not a legalist either, because the Gospel by which we are saved does not render the law meaningless. Did not Jesus say of that law that he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17)? Did not Paul say that the law is holy and good (Romans 7:12) and I delight in the law of God (Romans 7.22)? Does not the New Testament echo or repeat each of these commandments, with the exception of the sabbath command which was replaced by the Lords Day (although the principle of working six days and resting on one still holds)? Have we forgotten what the Ten Commandments are? They are a summary of Gods moral law, reflecting His righteousness and the moral grammar of creation. They are a gracious gift from the Almighty to humanity that describes the order that serves to sustain his creation and our social world.

The Ten Commandments were not only for Israel but for all. Historically they were adopted by the Christian Church. In fact, just about every Christian tradition employs the Ten Commandments in their official teaching tools (catechisms). This is true of Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans, Catholics, and Greek Orthodox. That is because the Ten Commandments are considered the foundation of Christian ethics.

How were they to be used? As a Presbyterian, my own tradition helpfully speaks about the threefold use of Gods moral law. There is a redemptive use  these commandments are something like a mirror that reflects the righteousness of God and a hammer, which shatters our own self-righteousness and drives us toward Christ. The Law itself cannot change human hearts, but Christ can. There is also a civil or political use  these commandments are a guide to society promoting civil or external righteousness. In this sense, they offer a standard to make life in society livable and act as a guardrail or fence to restrain evil. Finally, the law acts as a kind of family code for believers showing us how to please God in the Spirit as we live out our respective vocations doing everything for His glory. This moral law is summed up in the two great commandments, that we are to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

The bill that the governor of Louisiana signed into law last week recognizes the political or civil use of the Ten Commandments that promote moral sanity. What I am suggesting is that the Church also seems to have lost some of its moral sanity and should refamiliarize itself with these commandments as well.

Near the end of his life, the German Protestant Reformer Martin Luther said, Though I am an old doctor of divinity, to this day I have not got beyond the children's learning  the Ten Commandments, the Belief (the Apostles Creed) and the Lord's Prayer. As an old man, he felt the need to return to the basics. My contention is churches have not got beyond the childs learning either and desperately need to return to the basics as well.
Home Opinion Wait on the Lord  especially when its hard

Waiting for the promises of God to come to pass in my life has been the most difficult part of my Christian journey. When I surrendered to Christ 23 years ago, there were several promises I read in the Bible that I was convinced were written for me. They never came to pass. And that caused me pain.

I have come to realize that I have been impatient with God and waiting on Him is not as easy as I thought. There were certain times when I prayed that I had assurance in my spirit that God had answered my prayers. What was compounding my challenge was that I had been expectant and anxious to experience the move of God every minute but most often nothing happened.

Worry and anxiety had made me ask God certain questions that I should not have asked Him. I remember there was a day I asked God, Did you really save me? If you did, what do you benefit in seeing me suffering and why is it taking you too long to help me? I never took Gods timing into consideration. Rather, I focused exclusively on my own calendar. But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day (2 Peter 3:8).

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What we may perceive as a lifetime, God sees as one day or a thousand years. The challenge that most Christians face while waiting on God is that we want instant answers to our prayers even when God wants us to wait for a while. Waiting on God involves patience and unwavering faith with the understanding that God is too faithful to disappoint us at the appointed time. He makes all things beautiful.

There are some latent works of God in our lives during this time of waiting which, most often, we do not perceive. God usually uses this time to train, rebuild, refine, teach, equip, mature, and renew our lives and subdue our flesh. At the end of the waiting period, the result is always splendid.

There is no doubt that the process of waiting on God is difficult. In your waiting period, you will get tired, your challenges will be written all over you and people will mock you and ask, Where is your God? I strongly believe that this is true for every genuine Christian who is following the footsteps of Christ and waits on God for His will to be done.

During my waiting period, I stumbled across a verse that was of immense help to me: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31). My understanding of this verse helped me to renew my strength to continue even when all hopes were lost and all energies gone.

All the characteristics that I acquired during my wilderness experience of waiting on God are what have equipped me today to reach places with the Gospel and love of Christ that I never wouldve imagined was possible.

God's route is the best. God allowed the Israelites to experience the wilderness to equip them for the battle ahead before their entry into the Promised Land. Many of them could not survive the wilderness experience because they were not ready to wait on God. When Christians wait on God, they should count it all as joy. Gods timing is the best, and Gods way should be our only way if we must accomplish Gods purpose here on earth.
Home Opinion 14 things you can expect if Biden wins

The Bible tells us, We see through a glass dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12) so sharing predictions is not an exact science. We know that past performance can be a fairly reliable predictor of future behavior so with two presidential debates, lets follow Jesus instructions to Judge with righteous judgment (Jn. 7:24). Our approach isnt personal or prejudicial but proceeding from policies and their results.



Today I heard the Democrat party unleashed $40 million in attack ads for the upcoming presidential debate and election. Former President Trump is portrayed as a convicted criminal, felon, and would-be dictator destroying democracy while Joe Biden supports working people, the betterment of this country plus reducing medical costs.



What is the truth? America is in steep decline so wed better pay close attention. Our very survival is hanging in the balance. This is a fact.



Recently Democrats held a glitzy fundraiser in LA with Barack Obama and celebrity A-listers like George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jimmy Kimmel. They raised a record $30 million to run such campaign ads across America.



People ask why Hollywood celebrities overwhelmingly support Democrats and their progressive policies when the country is suffering horribly trying to bring about the fundamental transformation of America that Obama pledged.



The answer is simple.



Theyre not really affected by the policies!



Rising grocery prices dont impact them; gas prices dont affect them; theyre not hurt by crime as they live in gated communities with security systems and bodyguards.



They live insulated lives in Hollywoods bubble and associate with those in an echo chamber where few identify with Christianity, attend church, or embrace biblical principles that are deemed restrictive and unbelievably outdated.



What lies ahead for us regular folks? Lets objectively start with what to expect if Biden is re-elected.

Fourteen things we can expect

Weak support for Israel with the continuing push for the failed two-state solution. Biden and Secretary of State Blinken seemingly put Hamas and Israel on an equal platform despite one being a terrorist group and the other being our partner for 75 years.

Open border for illegal immigrants (with taxpayer-funded medical care, food, transportation, residence, and education) toward the goal of amnesty for all and chain migration for more immigrants.

Increased social disorder due to legal leniency by appointing leftist judges and prosecutors, removing bail, reducing sentences, minimizing prosecutions, and emphasizing the victimhood of lawbreakers.

Push for equity (favoritism based on skin color for admissions, scholarships, promotions and salaries) in institutions, schools, and the military.

Promotion of the LGBT agenda and trans movement with government sponsored affirmative gender care (surgical mutilation of children and teens) and transgender policies in schools, girls' sports, and locker rooms.

Taxpayer-funded abortion until the moment of birth (and beyond).

Higher taxes.

Increased federal debt from an unsustainable $34 trillion.

Destabilizing the traditional nuclear family.

Increased fentanyl and drug-related deaths, which was about 108,000 in 2022 due to open border.

Increased threat of a terrorist attack due to the US's porous border, sleeper cells, perceived weak US leadership, and declining enlistments in the Armed Forces.

Judicial appointments of leftist judges and George Soros-funded prosecutors who silence political opponents.

The real possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment (if a presidents physical and mental deterioration hinders duties, he will be replaced with the vice president) and inaugurating Kamala Harris.

Heres the deal: Watch the debate this Thursday evening and pray God will guide us with the right person for the most consequential election in Americas history. And let me state emphatically my faith is not in any political candidate to turn things around for America. Even with reservations and questions, weve got two choices while our priority is proclaiming the Gospel and truth to preserve the republic of our God-inspired Founding Fathers.

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Northern Ireland's bishops urge people to get out and vote in election

The Catholic bishops of Northern Ireland have exhorted politicians and the public to continue to find reasons for hope ahead of the general election on 4 July.

In a pastoral reflection titled Give Reasons to Hope, the Irish Catholic Bishop's Conference encouraged believers to vote, and laid out a list of areas in today's society where hope is desperately needed, offering solutions rooted in the teachings of Jesus and reflecting Catholic social teaching.

Their statement began by emphasising the importance of voting, even when believers had differences of principle with the governments of the land, saying that exercising their franchise was the only way to work for change and bring about a better future for Britain.

"We are appealing to everyone who has the ability to do so, to participate in the democratic process by exercising their hard-won right to vote," the statement read.

"Even where there is no candidate who reflects the full range of a voter's values or aspirations, it is still a fundamental Christian duty to maximise the good we can do by taking part in the democratic process."

However, the bishops also reminded politicians that 'without a vision, the people perish!' and said that political leaders needed to give people concrete reasons for hope or risk a fracturing of society as confidence in politics erodes.

"People are constantly saying to us things like 'society is fractured', 'politics is broken', 'life has never been so stressful', and 'every day is a struggle, like never before'," the bishops said

"It is no coincidence that in this environment, our society is also reporting an unprecedented crisis in mental health, not least among younger people and children."

Calling on politicians to offer a vision for society built on the basic needs, dignity, and inherent worth of all, the bishops offered a list of key areas where voters should be calling on the government to implement policies that would restore hope, holding them to account at the ballot box.

"As Christian leaders, we continue to be inspired, and driven in our steadfast hope for society, by the vision of Jesus, that we might have life, and have it to the full (Jn. 10:10)," the statement continued.

Expressing their concern that there had been a progressive decline in respect for the fundamental right to life, the bishops warned of the dangers of a worldview that determined a human being's value based on their position in society rather than on their inherent dignity as God's creation.

The statement also reinforced society's duty to protect the most vulnerable, whether at the beginning or end of their life, and stated that the greatest crisis society faced was not an ecological or economic one, but a growing breakdown in social cohesion.

The bishops described a Biblical vision of society based on a foundation of hope, one where everyone is treated with dignity, can find a place to live where they are welcome and secure, where the faith, community, and voluntary sectors are valued, and, above all, where there is justice and reconciliation for all.

"In this short reflection, with deep gratitude and respect for all those who put themselves forward, with courage, and commitment to public service, for elected office, we express our sincere hope that, if elected, they can shape a better future for us all," they concluded.

"We also express our conviction, rooted in the promise of Jesus to be with us to the end of time, that even yet, there are many reasons to hope!"
Orthodox Anglicans set out their positions on Church of England's same-sex blessing plans

It has become an established tradition, in the run up to the Church of England's General Synod for various interested parties to publish open letters or articles setting out their position. This year is no exception.

With General Synod due to meet next week, three letters from the orthodox wing of the Church appeared yesterday, in what appears to be a coordinated attempt to influence the ongoing debates about human sexuality, biblical authority and church law.

The first to appear was from eleven orthodox bishops, who called on their colleagues to take the time to build a "sufficient consensus in relation to doctrinal matters". Such a consensus would require two thirds of each House of General Synod to vote in favour of the proposals  something which is not currently likely. They raised concerns about "the impact on the coherence of the Church's life of moving ahead in a way that will create fundamental fragmentations at parish, diocesan and national levels".

The second was an open letter to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, from an orthodox grouping, known as 'The Alliance', claiming to represent 2,000 clergy, who have announced their intention "to establish what would in effect be a new de facto 'parallel Province' within the Church of England", if the blessings go ahead.

The Alliance, which include leaders from HTB, New Wine and Church Society, claim that the proposals for allowing stand alone services of blessing represents, "a further departure from the Church's doctrine", and accuse the House of Bishops of reneging on their decision to follow the correct legal processes.

The third 'letter' appeared on the website of the Society of St Wilfred and St Hilda, an Anglo-Catholic grouping within the Church of England. It was less strident than the others and recognised "the toll that this is taking among LGBTQI+ Christians, who are strongly present in so many of the parishes we have been formed in and now serve". Nonetheless, they appear to share similar concerns about, "the need for serious consideration of the theological work already being done by the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) of the House of Bishops and, subsequently, of the implications of that work for doctrine and ecclesiastical law, which are essential to the Church's mission".

These letters are symptomatic of the ongoing attempts in the Church of England, the wider Anglican Communion, and many other denominations as they wrestle with the deeper theological questions raised by modern understandings of human sexuality. Others have sought to find a place of compromise, but ultimately failed.

The Alliance have set out a number of steps they plan to take  perhaps echoing the Church of England Evangelical Council's Ephesians Fund and offers of Alternative Pastoral Oversight from senior orthodox leaders. They have also said they will "seek to cooperate with the other orthodox Provinces within the Anglican Communion".

It is therefore worth noting that several of the signatories of their letter were present as observers or mission partners at the recent Global South Fellowship of Anglicans Assembly (GSFA). The Communique from that meeting reaffirmed their view that, "With the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury forfeiting their leadership role of the global Communion," a global reset is required. It also outlined the "practical steps" that GSFA has taken to create "a well structured home for orthodox Anglicans".

This places The Alliance's de facto province in a bit of a dilemma. According to the GSFA Covenant, for them to find a formal home in the GSFA, they will require the permission of the Archbishops of York and Canterbury. If nothing else, these letters will have raised the stakes for the formal and informal debates in York which begin next week.

Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, which supports orthodox Anglicans in the UK.
Summer Davos in three keywords

Xinhua) 08:14, June 27, 2024

A journalist takes photos at the opening plenary of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

Participants of the 15th Summer Davos universally acknowledge China's leading role in the clean technology industry, saying that China's technological advancement and manufacturing capacity position the country at the forefront of the combat against climate change.

DALIAN, China, June 26 (Xinhua) -- As the 15th Summer Davos kicked off on Tuesday, green tech, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Chinese economy have become the most talked-about themes at the annual gathering.

Among the 162 sessions of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, as the event is officially named, 38 are focused on the relationship between climate and energy, 26 are set with AI as the backdrop, and 22 look at the Chinese economy.

A scan of the event's 1,600-plus participants reveals that the overwhelming majority possess a background in these fields.

Participants say the themes reflect the most vibrant aspects of the world economy today.

"GOT TO PULL TOGETHER"

Participants of the forum universally acknowledge China's leading role in the clean technology industry, saying that China's technological advancement and manufacturing capacity position the country at the forefront of the combat against climate change.

"I see China as a potential leader since it's making huge investments in clean technology and innovation that can really power through sustainable development," Giorgia Ortolani, a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers Community, told Xinhua, adding that China's potential to be the leader of sustainable development is huge and it could be a true game-changer globally.

This photo taken on June 24, 2024 shows the welcome sign at the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Andrew Jones, co-director of U.S.-based climate research organization Climate Interactive, told Xinhua that China's photovoltaic solar power is "happily displacing a lot of gas and coal use and is preventing climate change."

Fergal Whyte, director of Arup Group, noted that China is scaling up solar farms, photovoltaic panels, and wind farms, producing meaningful percentages of energy for society.

The forum's participants also brushed off concerns about the so-called overcapacity of China's green products.

While there is some resistance to Chinese green tech in the United States, it is also purchasing many Chinese products at the same time, Jones said.

"I have some Chinese solar power on my roof myself," he said.

"I am confident we will overcome the resistance because we have a shared goal of addressing climate change. There will be more room for U.S.-China collaboration on addressing climate change, both in the international agreements, but also in the whole economic and solutions space," Jones said.

Whyte told Xinhua the concern in the West is not about the technology but rather a result of geopolitics.

"The technology is fantastic. I have no doubt that Chinese technology and electric vehicles will go to Europe, the United States and all over the world," he said.

"Unfortunately, we live in very complex times and there is geopolitics everywhere, but all of us have got to pull together and make sure that we keep our eye on the climate change and work together to combat that," Whyte added.

EMPOWERED BY AI

AI is another topic dominating podiums at the forum, with many participants pointing to China as one of the main innovators in the field.

"I'm very interested in AI and how it can be used broadly outside of technology, but in manufacturing, in energy, in making all the economies better," said James Nunn-Price, senior managing director of Accenture.

For his part, founder and CEO of Policy Nexus Thomas Liu told Xinhua that the application of AI to industrial scenarios is an area with huge potential.

AI would empower all the industry scenarios in different aspects, which would in turn contribute a lot to the world and AI applications. China plays a very important role in AI's industry scenario application, Liu said.

Tanvi Ratna, founder and CEO of the Indian research organization Policy 4.0, told Xinhua that as China becomes more active in AI governance, it would help make AI more equitable.

CHINA IS MORE OPEN

With the global economy facing challenges, the well-being of the Chinese economy is more consequential than ever.

Lourdes Casanova, a senior lecturer at Cornell University's business school, told Xinhua that China's economy has been traditionally based on exports, but is becoming more technology-oriented and has become a leader of green industries, with a strong performance in biotech and AI.

By maintaining low production costs, high exports, and investing heavily in technology for the long term, China can keep its economy in good shape, she said.

Ratna struck a confident note after hearing a speech by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the forum, saying it signals that China is committed to market-driven growth.

"Whereas in many countries people are becoming very protectionist, China is opening more," she said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
China dispatches team to aid flood response in Heilongjiang

Xinhua) 13:03, June 27, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday dispatched a team to assist and guide flood prevention and control work in Heilongjiang Province, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

Due to persistent heavy downpours, 11 rivers in the northeastern province saw flooding exceed warning lines on Monday.

The headquarters is maintaining a Level-III emergency response to flooding in Hunan, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi, with some of these provinces reporting flooding exceeding alert marks.

Heavy rains are forecast to hit the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with rising water levels reported in the river, the Taihu Lake and nearby river networks, according to the headquarters and the ministry.

The ministry has urged efforts to plan and implement effective flood prevention and control measures in river basins, improve the accuracy of early warning information, and ensure the operations of emergency communication networks.

China also activated a Level-IV emergency response for disaster relief on Wednesday, following flooding and disasters triggered by heavy rains in central China's Hunan Province.

Some 30,000 disaster-relief materials, including tents, foldable beds and mattresses, have been allocated to the Hunan and Hubei provinces.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
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Sewell Chan, the editor in chief of the Texas Tribune, will join the Columbia Journalism Review full time as the new executive editor, effective September 16, 2024.

With over two decades in key editorial positions at leading publications across the country, Chan brings to CJR a commitment to integrity and innovative journalism that aligns closely with CJRs missionto be the intellectual leader in the rapidly changing world of journalism. Sewell Chan possesses a deep well of experience, incredible insights into the challenges confronting media at this moment, and an abiding passion for journalism, said Jelani Cobb, Dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism. We could not be more excited about working with him as he charts a new course for the Columbia Journalism Review.

Most recently, Chan has led the newsroom of the Texas Tribune. Since he began, in October 2021, the nonprofit publication shared a National Magazine Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prizeboth firsts for the organization. Journalism faces challenges from all sides: technological disruption, changing business models, rising misinformation, and threats to democracy, Chan said. Since 1961, the Columbia Journalism Review has been vital to understanding journalism ethics and decision-making and the future of our craft. I believe CJR must be an essential voice for working journalists worldwide as they grapple with these challenges, while helping the public understand what journalists do and why it matters more than ever.

Previously, Chan worked at the Los Angeles Times, first as a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor, where he oversaw coverage of criminal justice reform that was awarded a Pulitzer for editorial writing in 2021. From 2004 to 2018, Chan worked at the New York Times, as a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy op-ed editor, and international news editor. His career began in 2000 at the Washington Post, where he reported on local government, among other beats. He has also written for the Wall Street Journal and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Chan is a native New Yorker and grew up in an immigrant family. The first in his family to finish college, he graduated from Harvard with a degree in social studies. He studied at Oxford on a British Marshall scholarship, where he received a masters degree in politics. Chan was elected to the board of the Pulitzer Prizes in 2022 and was a 2024 fellow in the Columbia Journalism School Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program. He joined the CJR board in 2021.

The Columbia Journalism Review has a storied and important role in covering journalists and journalism. No one is better suited than Sewell to take CJR to new heights and audiences around the country and the world, in this challenging and crucial moment for the press, said Rebecca Blumenstein, chair of the CJR board and NBC News president, Editorial. I know I join Dean Cobb and the entire CJR board in saying that we look forward to working with Sewell.

Chan is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and PEN America. He serves on the boards of the Henry Luce Foundation, Freedom House, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Harvard Magazine and on the national judging panel of the Livingston Awards.

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CJR Editors are the staff of the Columbia Journalism Review.
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A video clip posted on social media sites on Monday showed Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, climbing the stairs to a private airplane that was parked on the tarmac at Londons Stansted airport. A fairly mundane image in many ways, were it not for the fact that Assange has been in prison in the UK for the past five years, and for most of that period has been fighting the US governments attempts to extradite him to the US to face Espionage Act charges for publishing classified information (I wrote about the filing of the initial indictment). The plane that Assange boarded at Stansted flew to Bangkok and then to Saipan, the island capital of the Northern Marianas, which have been a US commonwealth since World War II.

Assange flew to Saipan to attend a hearing on Wednesday as part of a deal reached with the US government under which he agreed to plead guilty to a single count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security material. In exchange, he was released from prison, since the five years he spent there was more or less equivalent to what he would have received as a sentence for such a charge, and returned to his home country of Australia. The Northern Mariana Islands were chosen as the location for the court hearing because Assange didnt want to set foot in the continental US, and because the islands are close to Australia, making it easier for him to travel there.

After news of the plea arrangement was published, Julian Assanges mother told The Guardian that she was grateful her sons ordeal is finally coming to an end and that the deal shows the importance and power of quiet diplomacy; John Shipton, Assanges father, also expressed his joy at his sons release from prison. Videos and photos posted on social media on Wednesday showed Assanges wife, Stella, who married him in 2022 while he was in prison, embracing her husband (the two have been in a relationship since 2015 and have two sons, born in 2017 and 2019). A post from Stella Assange on X had a photo of the two hugging and said simply Home.

Reaction to Assanges release was decidedly mixed. Supporters such as Michael Moore, the left-wing filmmaker who put up a $20,000 bond for Assange in 2010, celebrated the fact that he was out of prison, as did other members of the Free Assange lobby group, and free-press advocacy organizations such as PEN America. But Mike Pence, vice president under Donald Trump, described the plea deal as a miscarriage of justice, arguing that the classified information that WikiLeaks published put members of the US military in danger (something for which there is little concrete proof). The Times newspaper in the UK wrote that Assange was not a genuine whistleblower, let alone a test case for journalistic freedom, but a thief, and Doug Saunders wrote in Canadas Globe and Mail that Assange was a fraud who called himself a journalist and whistleblower while greatly hindering journalism and making life harder for actual whistleblowers, and was a tool of dictators because of the way that some WikiLeaks disclosures (such as Hillary Clintons email logs) benefited the Russian government.

The news of a deal seemed to take some observers by surprise, but the Biden administration has been sending signals for some time that it wanted to resolve the Assange affair, and political observers say over the past year Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, has put a considerable amount of pressure on the US to settle the case once and for all. In March, the Wall Street Journal reported for the first time that the US Department of Justice was considering striking a plea deal with Assange, and noted that one of the reasons the Biden administration was willing to consider such an arrangement was the fact that pursuing Assanges extradition on Espionage Act charges would have been a political hot potato just as the US was preparing for a presidential election.

The US government has been divided over how to proceed with a case against Assange ever since WikiLeaks started publishing thousands of classified documents in 2010, which it received from Chelsea Manning, a former Army intelligence analyst (she was convicted of espionage and spent seven years in prison). Justice Department officials in the Obama administration considered indicting Assange under the Espionage Act, but ultimately decided not to because they believed that charging him for receiving and publishing leaked documents would criminalize behavior that many investigative journalists routinely engage in. Former Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the Washington Post in 2013 that the problem with pursuing a case against Assange was that there is no way to prosecute him for publishing information without the same theory being applied to journalists.

In 2018, however, the Trump administration came to a very different conclusion, and laid eighteen charges against Assange under the Espionage Act (a decision that was revealed accidentally due to a cut-and-paste error in a different case). The Justice Department alleged that Assange conspired with Manning and abetted her in obtaining classified information with reason to believe that the information was to be used to the injury of the United States or the advantage of a foreign nation, including cracking a password stored on government computers. In 2020, the Justice Department filed an update to the indictment in which they said that Assange also recruited and agreed with hackers to commit computer intrusions to gain access to classified documents, including giving a list of high-value targets to LulzSec, a group of criminal hackers. According to the Justice Department, this kind of behavior made Assanges offenses qualitatively different from normal journalism.

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The reaction from free-press advocates was swift. Carrie DeCell, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia, wrote on Twitter that the question isnt whether Assange is a journalist, but whether the governments legal theory threatens freedom of the press. It does. The governments case was that Assange committed espionage by obtaining and then publishing classified information, DeCell said, but thats exactly what good national security and investigative journalists do. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, said after the indictment was approved by a grand jury that the Justice Departments allegations described everyday journalistic practices as part of a criminal conspiracy, including cultivating sources, protecting sources identities, and communicating securely. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said that the charges posed a dire threat, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation called them terrifying.

After the indictment, Assange was removed from the Ecuadoran embassy by British police and taken to the UKs Belmarsh prison, where has spent the past five years in what amounts to solitary confinement, fighting the US governments attempts to extradite him. Britains foreign minister signed an extradition order in 2019, but Assange and his legal team appealed, arguing that the charges effectively represented political offenses, and that extradition would therefore be a breach of a 2003 treaty between the UK and US that prevents extradition for political offenses. Assanges lawyers also argued that being held in a US prison could endanger his mental health and increase the risk of suicide. In 2021, a judge blocked the extradition order based on the mental health argument, but it was reinstated after US authorities promised that Assange would be well treated. Assange appealed again, arguing that prosecution was a breach of his fundamental First Amendment and EU rights to freedom of expression, and the British High Court ruled last month that his appeal could be heard.

While free-press advocacy groups expressed satisfaction at Assanges release, they said the deal he cut with the Biden administration still represents a threat to journalists and the practice of journalism. David Greene, head of civil liberties at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit focused on First Amendment and digital freedom issues, told the New York Times that the deal means that the US has now, for the first time in the more than 100-year history of the Espionage Act, obtained an Espionage Act conviction for basic journalistic acts. Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told Reuters that while the group welcomed Assanges release from prison, the US prosecution of him set a harmful legal precedent by opening the way for journalists to be tried under the Espionage Act if they receive classified material from whistleblowers.

Alan Rusbridger, the editor in chief of The Guardian when it published some of the WikiLeaks documents, wrote in Prospect magazine that Assanges release was very good news, but that his plea deal would undoubtedly have a chilling effect on genuine and legitimate reporting. Rusbridger, who is now the editor of Prospect, added that whatever Assange was, he was not a spy. Publisher, journalist, activist, information anarchist, whistleblower, impresariohe is all those things. But no one, not even the US government, seriously alleged that whatever he did in 2010/11 amounted to espionage. Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said the plea deal wont carry the same precedent as a court ruling would have, but could still hang over the heads of national security reporters for years to come. Stella Assange, who said her husband plans to seek a pardon, told Reuters that the guilty plea under the Espionage Act is a very serious concern for journalists.

In an editorial, The Guardian wrote that the Biden administration should never have pursued Espionage Act charges against Assange, especially after the Obama government identified the chilling effect this might have on investigative journalism, and the UK government should never have agreed to Assanges extradition. Unfortunately, the papers editors added, it is possible that future administrations could take this case as encouragement to pursue the press under the Espionage Act [and] it is likely that an emboldened second Trump administration would do so. Jaffer wrote that the bottom line is that Assange served five years in prison for activities that journalists engage in every day, and for that reason establishes a terrible precedent. The case, he said, will cast a long shadow over the most important kinds of journalism, not just in the United States but around the world.

Mathew Ingram was CJRs longtime chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
Hackers behind a London hospital attack recently published records that include personal information about pregnant women, cancer patients and thousands of other people across the UK and Ireland, revealing the breach was far more widespread than authorities have previously indicated.

An analysis of the data trove by Bloomberg News found that it contains tens of thousands of medical records on patients from more than 400 public and private hospitals and clinics. Among the records are some 40,000 highly sensitive documents sent by doctors requesting biopsies and blood tests for individual patients in all regions of the UK and some hospitals in Ireland.

Related: Hackers Grow More Sinister and Brazen in Hunt for Bigger Ransoms

The June 3 attack against lab-services provider Synnovis locked down critical computer systems used to provide blood-testing and transfusion services to National Health Service hospitals and clinics, primarily in South East London. Bloombergs analysis indicates the impact extends much further.

Synnovis said in an emailed statement that the companys administrative working drive had been published by the hackers in a partial form. The company added that the data would contain some fragments of patient identifiable data, and it was continuing to investigate the contents.

NHS England referred to a statement it published on Monday, which said: We understand people may be concerned by this, and Synnovis are working at pace to carry out the further analysis required to understand the full scale and nature of the data released and patients impacted.

A Russian-speaking hacker group, known as Qilin, claimed credit for the attack against Synnovis. Blood tests have been severely curtailed over the past few weeks, while more than 1,000 operations and 2,000 outpatient appointments were delayed, primarily at hospitals and primary care services in south London.

Related: UK Hospital Hackers Say Theyve Demanded $50 Million in Ransom

Qilin demanded a $50 million ransom from Synnovis but subsequently posted about 400 gigabytes of data stolen from the company on the social media platform Telegram.

The stolen records are dated between 2013 and 2023 and many contain detailed, handwritten descriptions of each patients condition, along with their name, address, and date of birth. The trove also includes thousands of spreadsheets and invoices detailing various blood and other tests carried out for individual patients. The documents detail a wide variety of patients health conditions, including forms of cancer, skin infections, burns, ulcers, and organ and bone marrow transplants.

Saira Ghafur, an expert in health care cybersecurity at Imperial College London, said the breach could be the worst the NHS has ever experienced, both in terms of impact to patient care and the amount of data stolen and published online.

This is an egregious attack on national security and a massive attack on patient safety, she said.

Its not clear how the hackers were able to compromise Synnovis, which has said its investigating. But some of the organizations affected by the breach were aware of cybersecurity vulnerabilities dating back for years, Bloomberg News previously reported.

A breach of the kind faced by Synnovis was inevitable, according to Saif Abed, a former NHS doctor and expert in cybersecurity and public health. The NHS has some of best patient safety and cybersecurity standards in the world, Abed said. They are just immensely poorly enforced.

Abed said that there was a lack of mandatory cybersecurity audits on any contractors providing services to the NHS, which meant those contractors could have substandard cybersecurity practices that could in turn leave the NHS vulnerable.

A spokesperson for NHS England said in an emailed statement that it was increasing cyber resilience across the country and had invested more than 338 million ($427 million) over the past seven years.

The hackers behind the attack said in messages to Bloomberg News that they had given Synnovis a 120-hour deadline to pay the $50 million ransom and cut off contacts when the deadline expired. The group refused to accept responsibility for potential harm caused to patients as a result of the attack and claimed they had carried it out because they were opposed to the British government.

Brett Callow, threat analyst at cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said he suspected the gangs motivation for hacking Synnovis was purely financial. The individuals responsible for this may well be twenty-somethings with more money and arrogance than brains, he said. They may believe that blurring their motivation may help blur their identity.

The UKs National Crime Agency has opened a criminal investigation into the incident.

We are working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre, NHS England and our international law enforcement partners, to progress our investigation and support the incident response, the agency said in a statement.

Top photo: National Health Service branding on laboratory coats at Guys and St Thomass Hospital is London, UK, on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Britain is absolutely open for business in really high-value science and technology industries, Chloe Smith, UK science, innovation and technology secretary said, during an interview, citing the case of Oxford Nanopore, that made one of the UKs best-ever market debuts in 2021.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Evolve Bank & Trust confirmed it was the victim of a cyber attack and that customer data had been posted on the dark web, less than two weeks after the Arkansas-based lender was ordered by regulators to improve its risk management and get approval before entering into any new partnerships.

The Russian-linked hacker group LockBit 3.0 on Tuesday posted data taken from Evolves systems after claiming earlier in the week that it had hacked the US Federal Reserve, giving US officials until Tuesday afternoon to pay an undisclosed amount in exchange for the information purportedly stolen from the central banks systems. So far, it does not appear that any sensitive data from the Fed has been released by the group.

A spokesperson for Evolve said in an email that the incident has been contained and the company is currently investigating the situation with appropriate law enforcement authorities. The bank also said it will offer all affected customers complimentary credit monitoring with identity theft protection services. Its still unclear exactly what information was included in the data, which Evolve said was stolen by a known cybercriminal organization without naming LockBit.

The disclosure of the hack follows a June 14 wide-ranging cease-and-desist order issued by the Federal Reserve and the Arkansas State Bank Department to Evolve Bank & Trust and its parent, Evolve Bancorp Inc., after examiners discovered shortcomings in the banks oversight of partnerships with financial-technology companies and anti-money laundering requirements. Following the order, a spokesperson for the bank said it had made significant investments in technology and personnel to strengthen oversight and enhance the risk framework, Bloomberg Law reported.

Evolve is best known for its partnerships with fintechs, which rely on traditional institutions to offer bank-like services to customers and recently have fallen under closer scrutiny by regulators. West Memphis, Arkansas-based Evolve works with popular fintechs including Affirm Holdings Inc., Marqeta Inc., Dave Inc. and others.

Evolve was one of four banks that teamed up with Synapse Financial Technologies Inc., the Andreessen Horowitz-backed fintech that filed for bankruptcy protection in April. Synapse, a banking as a service provider that worked as a middleman between banks and fintechs, partnered with approximately 100 fintechs covering around 10 million customers, according to bankruptcy court filings.

Jelena McWilliams, the former Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. chairman serving as the bankruptcy trustee, estimated that the shortfall in end-user funds ranges between $65 million and $95 million, according to a June 13 status report filed with the bankruptcy court.

Lockbit 3.0, the hacking group behind the Evolve leak, functions as a ransomware-as-a-service gang, in which members lease their technical tools to affiliates and demand a cut of any extortion payments.

The group posted the Evolve information on a darkweb forum tied to Lockbit, a prolific ransomware gang that has received millions of dollars in payments following attacks on thousands of victims, including the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Boeing Co and the UKs Royal Mail. By 2022, the group had rebranded itself as LockBit 3.0.

In February, law enforcement agencies from 11 countries  led by the UKs National Crime Agency and aided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigations  seized LockBits technical tools in an operation that targeted its malware deployment system. But the groups hacking tools have remained widely used since they were leaked to the public in 2022, and members of the group are believed to remain active.

The compromised information included tax identification numbers, as well as wires and settlements, linked to people who have directly and indirectly worked with Evolve, according to Dirce E. Hernandez, a cybersecurity expert with experience in insurance and financial services who has spoken to analysts familiar with the data.

From an end user and customer perspective, its about as bad as it gets, Hernandez said. Criminals could use leaked social security and permanent account numbers to steal peoples identities and extort them, he added.

Bloomberg couldnt immediately verify the authenticity of the leaked information after viewing it on LockBit 3.0s website.

The release of the Evolve data on the LockBit website suggests some of the groups core actors could have been behind the hack, said Brett Callow, a threat researcher at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Still, the lack of a release of genuine Fed data suggests that the group is dead in the water, Callow added.

The Fed claim was really a desperate play to stay relevant, he said.

Top photo: A participant works on their laptop during the Locked Shields exercise in Tallinn, Estonia, on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence said the annual event is intended to boost the skills of cybersecurity experts defending national IT systems and critical infrastructure under real-time attacks. Photographer: Peter Kollanyi/Bloomberg.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Financial regulators in 25 U.S. states announced on Wednesday a settlement with cryptocurrency investment platform Abra and its CEO for operating without required state licensing.

As part of the settlement, Abra last year agreed to stop accepting crypto from U.S. Abra Trade account customers into its products and services, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) said in a release, after agreeing to stop making cryptocurrencies available for buying and trading.

Abra had said last year that it was winding down operations for U.S. retail customers, after facing a slew of enforcement actions from state securities regulators.

Under the terms of the settlement announced Wednesday, Abra CEO Bill Barhydt will not be able to participate in the business or affairs of any money transmitter or money services business licensed in the 25 states for five years.

Abra will also be required to refund up to $82.1 million to customers in the 25 states. The states involved in the settlement  including Washington, Texas, Georgia and Ohio  agreed to forgo monetary penalties in order for customers to be fully repaid.

Abra is pleased to enter into a Term Sheet negotiated with a working group from the Money Transmitters Regulators Association regarding the Abra App that Abra previously offered in the U.S., an Abra spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson noted that Abra continues to operate in the U.S. through Abra Capital Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor.

Barhydt said the company is pleased that the state negotiations are behind us.

State financial regulators take their role to protect consumers and prevent unlicensed activity seriously, said CSBS Chair and Washington State Department of Financial Institutions Director Charlie Clark in a statement. Companies that do not operate within the bounds of state laws will be held accountable.

(Reporting by Lang in New York; Editing by Josie Kao and Andrea Ricci)
The proportion of workers who expect to switch employers in the next 12 months is higher than that from the Great Resignation period of 2022, a PwC survey of the global workforce found.

Around 28% of more than 56,000 workers surveyed by PwC said they were very or extremely likely to move from their current companies, compared to 19% in 2022, and 26% in 2023.

PwCs 2024 Hopes and Fears survey also showed workers are embracing emerging technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and prioritizing upskilling amid rising workloads and heightened workplace uncertainty.

Pete Brown, global workforce leader at PwC UK, said employees are placing an increased premium on organizations that invest in their skills growth, and so, businesses must prioritize upskilling and employee experience.

About 45% of the workers surveyed said they have experienced rising workloads and an accelerating pace of workplace change in the last 12 months, with 62% saying they have seen more change at work in the past year than the previous 12 months.

Among employees who use GenAI daily, 82% said they expect it to increase their efficiency in the next 12 months.

Reflecting confidence that GenAI opportunities would support their career growth, nearly half of those surveyed by PwC expected GenAI to generate higher salaries, with almost two-thirds hoping these emerging tools will improve the quality of their work.

Carol Stubbings, global markets and tax and legal services leader at PwC UK, said employers must invest in staff and tech platforms to mitigate pressures and retain talent.

The findings suggest that job satisfaction is no longer enough, she said.

(Reporting by Chowdhury in Mumbai; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
NEW YORK  The original illustration for the cover of the original book in J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series sold Wednesday for a record-breaking $1.9 million.

The watercolor artwork was used on the cover of Rowlings 1997 novel Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. It was expected to fetch up to $600,000 at Sothebys in New York, but bidding surged to more than three times that amount, CNN reported.

It took nearly 10 minutes for the four-way bidding to conclude in New York on Wednesday, Sothebys told CNN.

The cover was the work of Thomas Taylor, 23, who was fresh out of art school in 1997 and had taken a train into London. Taylor dropped off some sketches of dragons at the offices of Bloomsbury, the publishing house, according to Sothebys. A week later, he got a call from the publisher, who had seen his sketches and asked if Taylor would like to do the cover for a book from an as-yet unknown author.

Taylor created the cover design in just two days, Sothebys said.

Taylors image shows Harry Potter  with his unmistakable dark, brown hair, round glasses and lightning bolt scar  getting ready to board the Hogwarts Express train for his first trip to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The image was used on the cover of Rowlings books sold in the United Kingdom, and on several translated versions of the book, the auction house said. It was not used for the U.S. edition of the book, which was sold under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone.

At the time of the books publication, Taylor worked in a bookshop. His colleagues in the store would inform customers that their local bookseller was the illustrator of the high selling novel, Sothebys said.

The illustration first went up for auction at Sothebys in London in 2001, selling for about $106,000 in U.S. dollars, according to Sothebys.

The record for an item related to the book series was previously held by an unsigned first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, which sold for $421,000 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, in 2021, Sothebys said.
Rotunda Rumblings

Out for the summer: During their last session day before a months-long summer break, Ohio lawmakers either passed or moved forward more than 50 bills on a variety of topics, headlined by a $4.2 billion capital budget that offers money for hundreds of construction projects around the state. Jeremy Pelzer has an overview of the capital bill  including what Northeast Ohio is slated to get from it  as it heads to Gov. Mike DeWines desk.

Sign of the times: A campaign backing a redistricting reform amendment has collected 750,000 voter signatures and plans to submit them to the state on Monday, according to a key group thats part of the amendment campaign. Per Andrew Tobias, the Brennan Center, a left-leaning legal advocacy group, touted the number in a social media post on Tuesday. The post also plugged a planned Monday rally at the Ohio Statehouse where the group will celebrate turning in the signatures to state officials. The number isnt a slam dunk, since many signatures invariably are rejected by elections officials, but is a sign the measure is likely to qualify. For comparison, the campaign backing last years abortion-rights amendment turned in 710,000 signatures and ended up comfortably exceeding the roughly 413,000 signatures that were needed to make the ballot.

If you build it: The Ohio House passed legislation Wednesday creating a $20 million interest-free loan fund and property tax cut in the hopes of sparking development of natural gas pipelines in what are deemed to be underserved areas in the state. As Jake Zuckerman reports, Republicans pitched it as a locally driven economic development bill. Democrats called it another giveaway to the gas industry.

Closing the book? State Sen. Jerry Cirino, the Lake County Republican sponsor of a controversial bill that would ban DEI trainings on college campuses and require schools to affirm intellectual diversity, is hitting pause on the bill, saying the political environment in the House isnt right. The bill has been in the GOP-controlled House for over a year but hasnt yet hit the floor. Cirino said hes hoping itll pass next year, when there is a new General Assembly session and new leadership, or perhaps during lame duck in December, Laura Hancock writes.

By the numbers: Ohio is changing how it numbers state ballot issues, under a provision in a wide-ranging bill that cleared the House and Senate on Wednesday. Per Tobias, Senate Bill 98 includes language that ensures the state wont reuse numbers for a state ballot issue for decades or longer. The change is meant to avoid confusion that resulte d last year when voters considered two different state Issue 1s  the first of which was meant to help block the second  in conservative elections in August in November.

Oily question: A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Ohios Sherrod Brown wants the Biden administration to address a surge in used cooking oil imports from China that are being used to make biofuels in lieu of domestically produced materials, Sabrina Eaton writes. Brown joined Republicans Roger Marshall of Kansas, Pete Ricketts and Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Trade Representative.

Making waves: The Ohio House has approved a bill naming the walleye the official state fish. The co-sponsors of House Bill 599, state Reps. Sean Brennan and D.J. Swearingen, said Ohio is only one of three U.S. states lacking an official state fish, and said the walleye, found in Lake Erie, is a major source of state pride. Gov. Mike DeWine indicated support for the bill on Wednesday, saying hed eaten a walleye caught and cleaned the previous day by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted during the governors annual Fish Ohio expedition. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate.

Ramped up: Opponents of a controversial highway interchange between Strongsville and Brunswick scored a legislative victory, as the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to repeal budget language requiring the Ohio Department of Transportation to build the project. Pelzer has more on Senate Bill 155, which now heads to the House.

Cut short: The House passed a recently amended bill to provide nearly $4.7 million to keep the State Board of Education financially afloat, but the Senate didnt hold a concurrence vote before wrapping up Wednesday evening. Senate President Matt Huffman told reporters that senators want to look further into the SBOEs spending before providing the money and that the Ohio Controlling Board could approve the money without needing to pass legislation.

Musical chairs: Ohio Senate Republicans on Wednesday evening appointed state Rep. Al Cutrona, a Mahoning County Republican, to fill the Senate District 33 seat recently vacated by newly sworn-in U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, another Mahoning County Republican. In turn, the Ohio House GOP appointed Tex Fischer, the first vice-chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party, to finish Cutronas term in House District 58.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the Feb. 23, 2024, ethics disclosure filed by Kevin Ritter of Marietta, the Republican nominee for Ohio House District 94, about his 2023 finances:

1. Ritter was paid $71,096 last year to serve as a Washington County commissioner

2. Hes board president for the Campus Martius Museum, a history museum in Marietta.

3. His investments include an IRA and mutual funds with Raymond James

4. At some point in 2023, Ritter owed at least $1,000 to American Express, a Chase credit card, a Capital One credit card, and John Deere Financial

5. His wife Khadine is a partner at the Marietta law firm of Theisen and Brock.

Straight From The Source

Its been a long week.

- Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat, after she referred to Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, as Mr. Speaker during a floor speech Wednesday. I know what you meant, Huffman said.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. Subscribe to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.





Black smoke billows following an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the Lebanese-Israeli border on June 21, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. Rabih Daher | AFP | Getty Images

The near-daily exchanges of fire along Lebanon's border with northern Israel have intensified at an alarming rate in recent weeks, spurring escalating threats between Israel and Hezbollah and forcing the U.S. to call for an urgent diplomatic solution. An all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah  the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militant and political organization, called a terrorist group by the U.S. and U.K.  would be devastating for both sides. So stark is the danger of war erupting between Israel and Hezbollah  a far larger and more heavily armed fighting force than Hamas  that U.S. President Joe Biden last week sent one of his top aides, Amos Hochstein, to Israel and Lebanon to push for a solution. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Tuesday that "diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation," stressing that, "we are urgently seeking a diplomatic agreement that restores lasting calm to Israel's northern border and enables civilians to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border."

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Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets into Israel in the nearly nine months since the latter began its war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7. The rockets fired from Lebanon have killed 18 Israeli soldiers and 10 civilians, Israel says, while Israeli shelling has killed some 300 Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and around 80 civilians, according to a Reuters tally. At least 150,000 residents of southern Lebanon and northern Israel have been evacuated from their homes and are internally displaced due to the regular cross-border fire. "A full-fledged war between Israel and Hizbullah would be a disastrous event for the region, including both Israel and Lebanon," Victor Tricaud, a senior analyst at consulting firm Control Risks, told CNBC.

'It only takes a single stray rocket'

The most extreme war scenario? Tricaud describes a large-scale ground invasion and aerial bombing campaign against Lebanon by Israel, heavy bombardment by Hezbollah with regular direct hits on Israeli civilian infrastructure, and potentially even the direct involvement of Iran, which would have major implications for the global economy. A conflict of this magnitude would see national infrastructure on both sides  like water, electricity and communications  heavily damaged or destroyed, along with homes and military targets.

Smoke and flame rise after Hezbollah carried out a missile attack on Safed city, northern Israel on June 12, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

But for now, this remains a "comparatively distant scenario," Tricaud said, "with many escalatory steps likely to take place before the confrontation reaches such a level of intensity." Leaders on both sides say they do not want all-out war. Their tit-for-tat strikes over the last several months, while at times lethal, are still broadly viewed as being carefully calculated to avoid major escalation.

It only takes a single stray rocket causing significant casualties and the adversary retaliating in kind, for things to get out of control. Nimrod Novik Fellow, Israel Policy Forum

Lebanon, meanwhile, is in the midst of an economic and political crisis, its infrastructure wholly unprepared for a new war. A major Israeli incursion into the country would be catastrophic, particularly in Lebanon's south  a key Hezbollah stronghold  posing a serious threat to the militant organization's popularity and support there. "Today, each side presumes to 'teach' the other that it can inflict greater pain within the assumed rules of engagement of a limited fight," said Nimrod Novik, a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum, which is dedicated to advancing a two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "However, it only takes a single stray rocket causing significant casualties and the adversary retaliating in kind, for things to get out of control."

Hezbollah: 10 times stronger than Hamas

Hezbollah is considered to be among the most heavily armed nonstate groups in the world. It's estimated to have 10 times the military capability of Hamas, and most previous wars between Israel and Hezbollah have ended without a clear victory for either side. The outcome of a 34-day war between the two adversaries in 2006, however, which saw Israeli ground troops fighting in Lebanon, was claimed as a victory by Hezbollah, and was seen as a strategic failure in Israel. The militant group is now significantly stronger and equipped with more advanced weapons than it was in 2006.

A man waves a Hezbollah movement flag as its leader Hassan Nasrallah delivers a televised speech in Kherbet Selm in southern Lebanon on January 14, 2024, marking the one week memorial since the killing top field commander Wissam Tawil. Mahmoud Zayyat | Afp | Getty Images

Tricaud said Hezbollah combatants have become "increasingly battle-hardened, having taken part in the war in Syria, and will be able to leverage asymmetric warfare tactics very effectively thanks to the movement's long-standing territorial control of southern Lebanon." He added that the toll of a full-scale war on the Israeli population "would be far higher than it was in 2006." Retired Israel Defense Forces Col. Miri Eisin, who currently directs the International Institute for Counterterrorism in Israel, illustrated the threat of Hezbollah's weapons arsenal in the event of a full war. "We're talking about weaponry that we have not seen in this area," she said, describing Hezbollah's potential use of mortars, rockets, guided missiles, drone swarms, suicide drones and even ground troops to dismantle Israel's defenses. Simultaneously, "Israel will attack an immense amount of Hezbollah targets," Eisin said. "And Hezbollah has surface-to-air missiles that they've used very little and they have them both from Iran and from Russia."
(This is CNBC Pro's live coverage of Thursday's analyst calls and Wall Street chatter. Please refresh every 20-30 minutes to view the latest posts.) A chipmaker and an oil giant from Brazil were among the stocks being talked about by analysts on Thursday. Micron Technology issued in-line revenue guidance, sending its shares lower in the premarket. Several analysts reacted to the company's forecast and latest quarterly figures. Meanwhile, Bank of America upgraded shares of Petrobras to buy. Check out the latest calls and chatter below. All times ET. 8:21 a.m.: Truist hikes Nvidia price target Truist boosted its price target on Nvidia to $140 from $128.80 a share, calling the chipmaker the best way to invest behind the AI theme. The new target implies 11% upside from Wednesday's close. Shares have surged 155% this year. "Our analysis shows that becoming the largest company by market cap does not appear to systematically challenge future investment returns," wrote analyst William Stein. "Moreover, feedback from industry contacts (component buyers & sellers) indicate demand for Blackwell is broadening."  Samantha Subin 8:04 a.m.: Citi boosts Arista Networks' price target on AI expansion Citi sees more upside ahead for Arista Networks , raising its price target to $385 to $330 on Thursday. The new target suggests a 15% move higher from Wednesday's close. The bank expects Arista Network to benefit from ethernet's growing share in the artificial-intelligence networking market. "We believe this valuation is warranted by ANET's high exposure to hyperscaler capex and our expectation that the stock's multiple will re-rate with a rebound in general purpose data center infrastructure spend as well as increasing opportunities in AI networking," analyst Atif Malik wrote in a note to clients. Shares of Arista Networks are up 42% year to date.  Michelle Fox 7:36 a.m.: JPMorgan reiterates overweight rating on Carvana Carvana's turnaround appears to be on solid footing, and it will be hard for competitors to catch up, according to JPMorgan. Analyst Rajat Gupta reiterated an overweight rating on the used car dealer stock, saying that a recent tour of a California facility bolstered confidence about the company. "We believe CVNA's competitive moat continues to widen in the used car space, with operating leaders well aligned on importance of continuous improvement, and more importantly, long-term vision and culture, that should bode well for the company's performance during periods of market volatility in the future," the note said. Carvana appears to be on the verge of bankruptcy last year but has since rebounded. JPMorgan sees the company's business plan as sustainable. "The business has been designed to be scalable and adaptable/flexible, and this has led to significant efficiency improvements, reducing cycle times and increasing throughput," the note said. JPMorgan has a $150 price target on Carvana, which is more than 18% above where the stock closed Wednesday.  Jesse Pound 7 a.m.: JPMorgan downgrades U.S. Bancorp over lack of near term catalyst U.S. Bancorp could face pressure in light of likely stiffer capital requirements for banks after the central bank's stress test saw aggregate capital levels slip compared to 2023 levels, according to JPMorgan. "US Bancorp's stress test results showed second highest loss rate in our universe in credit cards at 17.5%, similar to reported results which have shown higher loss rates than several of our large credit card players," analyst Vivek Juneja wrote. JPMorgan downgraded the banking stock to neutral from overweight. The firm's $43.50 price target implies about 10% upside from Wednesday's close. "U.S. Bancorp also continues to see moderate payments-related fee growth, lagging peers, and these revenues will be impacted further by softer spending trends," the analyst added. "The stock price has lagged but we don't see any other catalysts medium term, hence we are moving to the sidelines." U.S. Bancorp stock has pulled back 8% in 2024.  Brian Evans 6:35 a.m.: TD Cowen raises Grindr price target TD Cowen is optimistic on Grindr following the company's analyst day that saw the firm increase 2024 topline guidance forecast. "Key medium-term growth drivers include core product improvements, advertising growth, and Int'l focus, with upside potentially driven by alternate use case products," analyst John Blackledge said. "We raised our '25-'27 rev & EBITDA est's to reflect better than expected outlook." The analyst reiterated a buy rating on the online dating stock and raised its price target to $14 per share from $12. TD Cowen's forecast implies more than 18% upside from Wednesday's $11.82 close. Grindr stock has climbed nearly 35% in 2024.  Brian Evans 6:19 a.m.: KBW upgrades Bank of New York Mellon stock on strong profitability, expected stock buybacks Bank of New York Mellon's robust profitability compared to peer banks and its control over expenses could foster stock gains moving forward, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. The firm upgraded the bank stock to outperform from market perform and raised its price target to $70 per share from $60. KBW's new forecast implies more than 19% upside. "BNY is a high quality franchise with an attractive return profile. Our expectations call for earnings growth despite further investments in improving long-term efficiency," analyst David Konrad said. "The resulting better-than-peer operating leverage is a meaningful positive catalyst that should differentiate BK's stock performance versus peers as the return gap widens. Strong buybacks are expected to provide a floor for the stock, limiting downside risk," he added. Bank of New York Mellon stock has climbed about 13% in 2024. BK YTD mountain BNY Mellon in 2024  Brian Evans 5:45 a.m.: What analysts are saying after Micron Technology's fiscal third quarter results Analysts on Wall Street are largely sticking by Micron Technology even after the company's lackluster fourth-quarter revenue guidance . The in-line forecast seemingly overshadowed a better-than-expected third-quarter that saw Micron surpass estimates on the top and bottom line. Micron shares were down 5% in the premarket. "We believe MU stock is selling off due to conservative guidance and higher capex and we would buy MU on weakness as the DRAM [dynamic random access memory] upturn thesis remains intact and we expect sequentially higher revenue, EPS, and gross margins through C25," Citi analyst Christopher Danely said. The analyst reiterated a buy rating on Micron stock with a $175 per share price target, implying nearly 23% upside from Wednesday's $142.36 close. Goldman Sachs analyst Toshiya Hari also reiterated a buy rating following Micron's results. He raised his price target to $158 per share price from $138, calling for 11% upside. The analyst noted the stock pullback could present a buying opportunity for investors. "We see the stock's recent pullback, if anything, as an opportunity to add to positions as we continue to envision a) growth in AI compute initially in the core data center but ultimately at the edge, b) market share gains for Micron in the lucrative High-Bandwidth Memory market, and c) supply-side discipline on the part of Micron and its peers, driving positive EPS revisions through the end of CY2024 and into CY2025," Hari said. Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya also noted that "the company benefits from several secular trends in the data center, cloud computing and 5G markets." He added: "We believe we are beginning to pass the trough of the memory cycle as memory pricing improves, and see room for possible share gains in high-bandwidth memory (likely CY25E)." Arya maintained a buy rating on Micron stock with a $170 per share price target, or about 19% upside moving forward.  Brian Evans 5:45 a.m.: Bank of America upgrades Petrobras It's time to load up on shares of Petrobras , according to Bank of America. Analyst Caio Ribeiro upgraded the Brazilian oil giant to buy from neutral. He also increased his price target on U.S.-listed shares to $17.90 from $16.80. The new forecast implies upside of 25%. "With the dust settling after the replacement of the company's CEO, there have been important developments at PBR which have helped quell concerns on corporate governance, fuel pricing, dividends, among others," Ribeiro wrote. Among these developments are resolutions to disputes involving a federal tax court that concluded with "very favorable terms and the company's fuel pricing policy was maintained." Ribeiro also expects cash returns to stay attractive this year while capital expenditures don't "materially increase." U.S.-listed shares of Petrobras have lagged this year, losing 11%. The stock is also trading 20% below its 52-week high reached in February. PBR YTD mountain PBR year to date  Fred Imbert
NINGBO, China  China's top leaders will gather from July 15 to 18 for a highly anticipated meeting known as the Third Plenum, state media said Thursday.

"The execution of pledged policies, rather than mapping out a laundry list of policy initiatives alone, would be key to shore up confidence and growth momentum," said Pang Ming of JLL.

He said his analysis of an annual government meeting in December found the readout had twice as many mentions of policy implementation than the prior year, highlighting its importance.

The Communist Party of China selected a new group of leaders in October 2022 at its 20th National Party Congress. Its third plenary session will run from July 15 to July 18, state media said.

The plenum will discuss "further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization," English-language state media said.
This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here .

Clinging on

The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average just about finished the session in positive territory. The Nasdaq Composite, on course for an 18.6% gain in the first six months of the year, rose 0.49%. After trading mostly in negative territory, Nvidia made a small gain following the previous session's 7% surge. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose as investors parse comments from Fed officials and await key inflation data due Friday. U.S. oil prices rose amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

$2,000,000,000,000

Amazon's market capitalization surpassed $2 trillion for the first time on Wednesday, joining the ranks of tech giants like Apple and Microsoft. The surge in megacap tech stocks has been driven by investor excitement around generative AI. Amazon's stock has risen 26% this year, outpacing the Nasdaq's 18% increase. The stock rose 3.9% on Wednesday. Separately, CNBC's Annie Palmer reports Amazon plans to launch a discount store in bid to fend off Temu and Shein.

Southwest cuts guidance

Southwest Airlines cut its second-quarter revenue forecast due to difficulties adapting its revenue management to recent booking trends. Despite the revised outlook, the airline still expects record quarterly operating revenue. Activist investor Elliott Management reiterated calls for leadership changes, "Southwest is led by a team that has proven unable to adapt to the modern airline industry." Higher costs and increased capacity have impacted fares and profits across the industry, while competitors like Delta and United have benefited from the return of international travel. Southwest shares fell 4% before recovering to end the session just 0.2% lower.

Micron slides

Shares of Micron fell almost 8% in extended trading on Wednesday as its revenue forecast failed to top analysts' expectations. The computer memory and storage maker expects revenue of $7.6 billion in the current quarter, in line with estimates. Micron's shares have doubled in the past year as its most advanced memory is needed for AI graphics processing units. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said the company's AI-oriented products were likely to increase in price and its data center business grew 50% on a quarter-to-quarter basis.

YouTube dominance

Alphabet's YouTube, the pioneer of user-generated content, continues to dominate media consumption, now accounting for nearly 10% of all TV viewership in the U.S. According to Nielsen, Netflix ranked second, claiming 7.6% of viewership. "We're not talking about your mobile phone, your laptop ... but on the biggest screen in the house, the TV," said LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield. "Every [media] executive has to be paying attention." Media companies such as Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery don't have a uniform strategy to deal with the threat.

[PRO] Summer correction

Piper Sandler's chief market technician warns of a 10% S&P 500 correction this summer. Investors are ignoring red flags like poor market breadth and waning momentum, setting the stage for a potential tumble.
Pipes transport refined product to storage tanks at the Buckeye Partners' Laurel Pipeline terminal in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. May 1, 2017.

Crude oil futures gained Thursday as fears of war between Israel and the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah overshadowed soft U.S. gasoline demand.

Here are Thursday's closing energy prices:

Israel has deployed troops to its north this week as attacks across the Lebanese border have surged from mid-May to mid-June, according to a Thursday note from RBC Capital Markets. The trendline seems to be pointing to a direct military confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, according to RBC.

"Israel's offshore gas operations could also be attacked by Hezbollah," wrote Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC, and her team in the note.

"However, the real threat to regional energy supplies would be if Iran targeted critical infrastructure to internationalize the cost the conflict, or if Israel targeted Iranian energy facilities," the analysts said.

The U.S. on Wednesday reported surprise crude oil and gasoline inventory builds for the week ending June 21, disappointing bulls hoping that an uptick in demand would breathe life back into the recent crude rally.

Coastal flooding due to tropical storm Alberto hit U.S. gasoline demand, with consumption coming in below 9 million barrels per day for the first time in three weeks, according to JPMorgan.

"The hurricane left a noticeable mark on US gasoline consumption," Prateek Kedia, vice president of global commodities research at JPMorgan, told clients in a research note Wednesday.

But oil still managed to close slightly higher Wednesday, as escalating tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border provided a price floor.

"If it were not for the steady and incremental ratcheting up of geopolitical risk in the Middle East, oil prices might have found themselves on the back end of a much more negative day," John Evans, analyst at oil broker PVM, told clients in a note Thursday.

Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of S&P Global, told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday that Middle East tensions are hanging over the market. He cautioned that oil could spike again, pointing to the April rally when prices broke above $90 per barrel when Israel and Iran teetered on the brink of war.
A data center. Erik Isakson | DigitalVision | Getty Images

The rise of artificial intelligence is skyrocketing demand for data centers to keep pace with the growing tech sector  and pushing Europe to explore space options for digital storage, in a bid to reduce its need for energy-hungry facilities on the ground. Advanced Space Cloud for European Net zero emission and Data sovereignty, a 16-month-long study that explored the feasibility of launching data centers into orbit, has come to a "very encouraging" conclusion, according to Damien Dumestier, manager of the project. The 2 million euro ($2.1 million) ASCEND study, coordinated by Thales Alenia Space on behalf of the European Commission, claims that space-based data centers are technically, economically and environmentally feasible. "The idea [is] to take off part of the energy demand for data centers and to send them in space in order to benefit from infinite energy, which is solar energy," Dumestier told CNBC.

Data centers are essential for keeping pace with digitalization, but also require significant amounts of electricity and water to power and cool their servers. The total global electricity consumption from data centers could reach more than 1,000 terawatt-hours in 2026 that's roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption of Japan, according to the International Energy Agency. The industry is about to be hit with a "wave of data tsunami," said Merima Dzanic, head of strategy and operations at the Danish Data Center Industry Association. "AI data centers need something like three times more energy than a traditional data center and that is a problem not just on the energy side, but also the consumption side," she told CNBC. A "whole different approach to how we build, design and operate data centers," is required, Dzanic added.

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The facilities that the study explored launching into space would orbit at an altitude of around 1,400 kilometers (869.9 miles)  about three times the altitude of the International Space Station. Dumestier explained that ASCEND would aim to deploy 13 space data center building blocks with a total capacity of 10 megawatts in 2036, in order to achieve the starting point for cloud service commercialization. Each building block  with a surface area of 6,300 square meters  includes capacity for its own data center service and is launched within one space vehicle, he said. In order to have a significant impact on the digital sector's energy consumption, the objective is to deploy 1,300 building blocks by 2050 to achieve 1 gigawatt, according to Dumestier.

Eco launch

ASCEND's goal was to explore the potential and comparative environmental impact of space-based data centers to aid Europe in becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The study found that, in order to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, a new type of launcher that is 10 times less emissive would need to be developed. ArianeGroup, one of the 12 companies participating in the study, is working to speed up the development of such reusable and eco-friendly launchers. The target is to have the first eco-launcher ready by 2035 and then to allow for 15 years of deployment in order to have the huge capacity required to make the project feasible, said Dumestier. Yet Dzanic warned the somewhat "fringe" idea of space-based data centers doesn't fully solve the issue of sustainable energy usage. "It's just one part of the puzzle," she said. Michael Winterson, managing director of the European Data Centre Association, acknowledges that a space data center would benefit from increased efficiency from solar power without the interruption of weather patterns  but the center would require significant amounts of rocket fuel to keep it in orbit.

Andrey Semenov | Istock | Getty Images

Winterson estimates that even a small 1 megawatt center in low earth orbit would need around 280,000 kilograms of rocket fuel per year at a cost of around $140 million in 2030  a calculation based on a significant decrease in launch costs, which has yet to take place. "There will be specialist services that will be suited to this idea, but it will in no way be a market replacement," said Winterson. "Applications that might be well served would be very specific, such as military/surveillance, broadcasting, telecommunications and financial trading services. All other services would not competitively run from space," he added in emailed comments. Dzanic also signaled some skepticism around security risks, noting, "Space is being increasingly politicised and weaponized amongst the different countries. So obviously, there is a security implications on what type of data you send out there."

World leader
Causeway Capital Management's Arjun Jayaraman is still bullish on India despite the country's unexpected election result. The portfolio manager told CNBC Pro Talks last week that India is his top pick among emerging markets, and that the longer-term prospects for this market are good. But he cautioned that there may not be "huge upside" in the short term. For the BSE Sensex index, he predicts total returns will fall in a range of low to high single digits, to lower double digits. But international investors would find it difficult to invest directly in Indian stocks. One of the best ways to do so is to invest via exchange-traded funds. Jayaraman said small-caps stocks are the "most interesting part" of India. "Since India is a strong secular growth market, we would say the mid and small-cap [market] is the place to be. That's where you get the most beta, or the most exposure to that strong secular growth. The large caps will also be good, and they will participate in the growth, but not to the same extent as the mid and small [caps]," Jayaraman said. Against that backdrop, he named one ETF to play this small-cap corner of the market: the iShares MSCI India Small-Cap ETF . "The ones that have the most small-cap exposure the last few years will have the highest return," Jayaraman said. For investors who want to invest in large-cap stocks, he recommends the iShares MSCI India ETF . A third ETF that Jayaraman likes is the WisdomTree India Earnings Fund , which tracks an index that measures the performance of companies traded in India that are profitable. Jayaraman manages Causeway's Emerging Markets Fund and International Opportunities Fund . Both funds have outperformed their benchmarks over the year to May 31, with the former rising 13%  beating the MSCI Emerging Markets' 3.5%  and the latter up 9.6% year-to-date  above the 6.1% of the MSCI ACWI ex-U.S. While both funds invest in emerging market stocks, the International Opportunities Fund also has stocks of companies in developed countries outside the United States. Despite the unexpected election result in India, he remains confident in that market because of the valuation support  he pointed out that his fund's Indian stocks currently trade at "significant" price-to-earnings discounts compared with the MSCI India index. "Market volatility may provide repositioning opportunities," Jayaraman said in a note written with other portfolio managers of the fund.
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It's easy to lose the forest for the trees when reporting on the day-to-day of the space industry. I often find myself needing to step back and walk through why an event or announcement matters, because often what a space company or agency thinks has obvious importance doesn't immediately resonate with CNBC's audience.

A great example of that from this week is United Launch Alliance's Cert-2 mission.

If you're in the weeds of the space world, hearing CEO Tory Bruno announce that ULA is going to bite the bullet and fly Cert-2 without a customer payload is a wild declaration. After all, aren't rockets expensive? Don't rockets often wait months or even years for spacecraft to be ready to launch? Why send a $100 million empty Vulcan into orbit with nobody paying for it, especially if ULA's sold more than 70 launches to customers?

The simple answer is that Cert-2 does have a customer: The Pentagon. But let's unpack that.

National security missions are the most lucrative launch contracts, to the tune of billions of dollars a year in rocket orders. Some of them are low-cost, experimental missions, but the majority are expensive, top secret satellites the Pentagon isn't willing to let just anyone fly. Enter the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.

ULA and SpaceX are both already in the NSSL program, but any time they bring a new rocket to market, Space Force requires that specific rocket complete launches successfully before certifying it to fly a NSSL mission. Hence the name of Vulcan's second mission, Cert-2. The rocket launched for the first time in January, which was the first launch toward certification.

"What Space Force is looking to see with Cert-2 is another successful flight just like Cert-1," Bruno said during a press conference Wednesday.

After Cert-2, ULA will send the Space Force "gigabytes of data for all of the instrumentation on every part of the rocket," Bruno said, and, assuming they "find no surprises," Vulcan will be clear to start launching NSSL missions.

ULA was planning to fly Sierra Space's inaugural cargo Dream Chaser spaceplane on Cert-2, but Bruno said the latter company's CEO Tom Vice "felt that he was putting a little too much schedule risk against my needs." Dream Chaser is stepping aside, to be replaced by an "inert payload," also known as a "mass simulator" (think big block of concrete and metal), so that Cert-2 can launch by September.

Why the rush?

Well, the Pentagon's already bought a whole bunch of Vulcan launches and expects two of those missions  USSF-106 and USSF-87  to fly before the end of the year. Already, Air Force top brass Frank Calvelli put pressure on Bruno and ULA in a letter sent last month to the rocket company's joint owners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, outlining concern "due to Vulcan delays." The Air Force also imposed a financial penalty on ULA, of an undisclosed amount, due to Vulcan's delays.

One question mark that had been hanging over the next three Vulcan missions is at least largely settled: Blue Origin's ability to deliver BE-4 engines for the rockets. The company delivered to ULA the six engines needed for its three launches, and Bruno noted he has "a great deal more confidence" in that relationship. A year ago that wasn't the case, Bruno said, noting his company had "a big concern" about securing the engines ULA needed. That was back when Blue Origin had a BE-4 engine explode during acceptance testing  an engine that was intended for the Cert-2 launch.

Timely deliveries of the BE-4 engines becomes even more important next year, as Bruno expects ULA to make 20 launches in 2025, half of those on its Atlas V rockets and half with Vulcan. The company overall has 16 Atlas V rockets remaining to launch, before it's all-in on Vulcan.

The Pentagon is ULA's most important customer. So, while the military may not be paying for Cert-2 directly, the backlog of NSSL orders is why ULA is willing to pay out of pocket to launch the mission.

Oh, and there's the other open question about the long-rumored ULA sale process. I thought, as did others, that Vulcan's successful debut earlier this year would close a deal. Additionally Jeff Bezos' raft of stock sales earlier this year made Blue Origin look like the likely winner. I'm speculating, but whoever wants to buy ULA may be waiting until after Cert-2  or for perhaps a more friendly FTC if there's a change in the White House this November.
JPMorgan Chase CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon gestures as he speaks during the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee oversight hearing on Wall Street firms, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

JPMorgan Chase said late Wednesday that the Federal Reserve overestimated a key measure of income in the giant bank's recent stress test, and that its losses under the exam should actually be higher than what the regulator found.

The bank took the unusual step of issuing a press release minutes before midnight ET to disclose its response to the Fed's findings.

JPMorgan said that the Fed's projections for a measure called "other comprehensive income"  which represents revenues, expenses and losses that are excluded from net income  "appears to be too large."

Under the Fed's table of projected revenue, income and losses though 2026, JPMorgan was assigned $13 billion in OCI, more than any of the 31 lenders in this year's test. It also estimated that the bank would face roughly $107 billion in loan, investment and trading losses in that scenario.

"Should the Firm's analysis be correct, the resulting stress losses would be modestly higher than those disclosed by the Federal Reserve," the bank said.

The error means that JPMorgan might require more time to finalize its share repurchase plan, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who declined to be identified speaking about the regulatory process. Banks were expected to begin disclosing those plans on Friday after the market closes.

The news is a wrinkle to the Federal Reserve's announcement Wednesday that all 31 of the banks in the annual exercise cleared the hurdle of being able to withstand a severe hypothetical recession, while maintaining adequate capital levels and the ability to lend to consumers and corporations.

Last year, Bank of America and Citigroup made similar disclosures, saying that estimates of their own future income differed from the Fed's results.

Banks have complained that aspects of the annual exam are opaque and that it's difficult to understand how the Fed produces some of its results.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Wednesday said it has asked the Tamil Nadu state to submit a "detailed report" after a Reuters story revealed that Apple supplier Foxconn rejected married women from iPhone assembly jobs in the country.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government on Wednesday said it has asked the Tamil Nadu state to submit a "detailed report" after a Reuters story revealed that Apple supplier Foxconn rejected married women from iPhone assembly jobs in the country.

In a statement calling for the probe, the federal government's Ministry of Labor and Employment cited the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, saying the law "clearly stipulates that no discrimination (is) to be made while recruiting men and women workers."

The ministry said it has requested a detailed report from the Labor Department of Tamil Nadu, site of a major iPhone factory where Reuters uncovered Foxconn's practice of shunning married women from jobs. The Labor Ministry said it also directed the office of the Regional Chief Labor Commissioner to provide a "factual report."

Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the government statement. The Tamil Nadu state government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment outside office hours.

A Reuters investigation published on Tuesday found that Foxconn has systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone plant near Chennai in Tamil Nadu state, on the grounds they have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.
A plastic sheet covers an area of the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines N704AL Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft outside a hangar at Portland International Airport on January 8, 2024 in Portland, Oregon.

Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about a federal investigation of a door plug blowout that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing "blatantly violated" the agency's investigative regulations as well as a signed agreement by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door plug blowout on a Boeing passenger jet in Portland, Oregon.

During the incident, a panel that plugged a space left for an extra emergency door blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9. Pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injuries.

The NTSB said that on Tuesday during a media briefing, a Boeing executive provided non-public investigative information to the media about the Alaska Airlines incident that the agency had not verified or authorized for release. The NTSB said that Boeing portrayed the NTSB's investigation as a search to find the individual responsible for the door plug work, but the agency said it's focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability.

Boeing said in a statement on Thursday that it deeply regretted that some of the statements made at the media briefing overstepped the NTSB's role as the source of investigative information.

"We apologize to the NTSB and stand ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation," it said.

Shares of The Boeing Co., based in Arlington, Virginia, rose more than 2% in morning trading.
For the first time in more than two decades, giant pandas are en route from China to a San Diego zoo in the U.S.  a sign that Beijing is resuming its so-called "panda diplomacy" efforts as relations with the West thaw.

Four-year-old Yun Chuan, a male panda, and Xin Bao, a female panda who's turning four in July, departed from Bifengxia Giant Panda Base, in China's Sichuan province on Wednesday.

The pair will reside at the San Diego Zoo for the next 10 years, according to a press release from the zoo.

San Diego mayor Todd Gloria visited the Chinese facility on Wednesday to celebrate the pandas' departure before welcoming them to his city. Delegates from both countries were in attendance as well.

"I'm honored to have been invited to join in the farewell ceremonies in China for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao," the mayor said on X. "This is a historic conservation partnership that will help protect these magnificent creatures and their habitat."

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault said the farewell ceremony "celebrates their journey and underscores a collaboration between the United States and China on vital conservation efforts."

The pandas were accompanied by caretakers and veterinarians from both China and the U.S., including Americans who visited China earlier and "got to know the pandas well," Huang Shan, a giant panda caretaker at the Ya'an facility told NBC News.

The Chinese team will spend about three months in San Diego to help the pandas settle in, state media China Daily said.

The bears will take time to acclimatize and won't be allowed to meet the public immediately, the zoo highlighted.

The San Diego Zoo was the first in the U.S. to have a cooperative panda conservation program, which aims to improve the health and resilience of giant pandas  a species that's vulnerable to extinction.

Yun Chua, the male panda, is the son of Zhen Zhen, who was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007.

The zoo has not had residing pandas since 2019, after a 27-year-old female giant panda, Bai Yun, and her 6-year-old son, Xiao Liwu, returned to China. The zoo pledged at that time to continue its conservation efforts.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump squared off in their first debate of the 2024 White House race in Atlanta on Thursday night.

The 90-minute debate hosted by CNN came as Trump faced two criminal prosecutions over his efforts to overturn his defeat as president in the 2020 election to Biden.

Nevertheless, it was Biden's campaign that was under pressure to explain what happened, telling reporters the president's hoarse, quiet voice was due to a "cold."

There was no studio audience for the debate, and each candidate's microphone was muted when it was their opponent's turn to speak.

The moderators were CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

Key Moments:

Biden blames Trump for inflation in first answer

Biden calls Trump 'convicted felon' - Republican says so is Hunter

Trump flaunts cognitive test score

Trump and Biden spar on abortion

Biden tells Trump: 'You're such a whiner'

Biden has a cold, sources say

Trump and Biden spat over golf

The live coverage of this blog is now over
Retailer traders took Nvidia' s recent sell-off as a buying opportunity, snapping up shares of the dominant artificial intelligence chipmaker amid the volatility. The cohort bought $1.8 billion worth of Nvidia shares over the past week as the Jensen Huang-led company suffered a quick pullback, according to JPMorgan data. At the single-stock level, that accounted for almost all of the $2.1 billion that retail traders spent on individual securities last week, the bank said. Nvidia's sell-off started last Thursday after it temporarily unseated Microsoft as the most valuable public company in the U.S. It went on to see a 13% slump in the span of just three days. The stock has since recouped some of those losses, and the shares are now off just 2% so far this week. Nvidia makes valuable AI graphics processing units (GPUs) that are being sold to Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle and Meta Platforms to power their data centers and cloud services. Despite the latest decline, Nvidia has more than doubled in 2024, climbing 150% on top of last year's 239% rally. The chipmaker, which has passed a $3 trillion valuation, has become so prominent that it's now a bellwether that can sway the direction of the entire stock market. JPMorgan estimated that retail investors are up 179% trading Nvidia this year, topping the stock's year-to-date performance. Meanwhile, other megacap tech stocks fared poorly among individual investors last week, JPMorgan said. Advanced Micro Devices saw net sales of $163 million, Microsoft had a net drawdown of $158 million and Tesla $122 million.
Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a debt restructuring deal with countries including India, France, Japan and China in a televised address to the nation Wednesday. The agreement marks a key step in the country's economic recovery after defaulting on debt repayment in 2022. Sri Lanka President Media Division / Handout | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a debt restructuring deal with countries including India, France, Japan and China in a televised address to the nation Wednesday. The agreement marks a key step in the country's economic recovery after defaulting on debt repayment in 2022. Sri Lanka is under an International Monetary Fund bailout program and the debt treatment deal is expected to reopen the doors to bilateral transactions and the resumption of foreign projects stalled when the island nation defaulted. "This morning in Paris, Sri Lanka reached a final agreement with our official bilateral creditors. Similarly, we signed another agreement with China's Exim Bank today in Beijing. ... Sri Lanka won," Wickremesinghe said.

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Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy in April 2022 and suspended repayments on some $83 billion in domestic and foreign loans amid a severe foreign exchange crisis that led to a severe shortage of essentials such as food, medicine, fuel and cooking gas, and hours-long power cuts. Sri Lanka's crisis was largely the result of staggering economic mismanagement combined with fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, which along with 2019 terrorism attacks devastated its important tourism industry. The coronavirus crisis also disrupted the flow of remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad. Additionally, the then-government slashed taxes in 2019, depleting the treasury just as the virus hit. Foreign exchange reserves plummeted, leaving Sri Lanka unable to pay for imports or defend its beleaguered currency, the rupee. Wickremesinghe said with these agreements, Sri Lanka will be able to defer all bilateral loan instalment payments until 2028. Furthermore, Sri Lanka will be able to repay all the loans on concessional terms, with an extended period until 2043. According to a previous president's office statement, the agreements would cover $10 billion, but further details on the mode of restructuring were not immediately announced. By 2022, Sri Lanka had to repay about $6 billion in foreign debt every year, amounting to about 9.2% of gross domestic product. The agreement would enable Sri Lanka to maintain debt payments at less than 4.5% of GDP between 2027 and 2032.
View of the U.S. Supreme Court on the day justices issue orders in pending appeals in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2024.

WASHINGTON  Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor accused the Supreme Court's conservative majority of seizing power for itself as it curbs the authority of federal agencies in a series of rulings, including one Thursday that went against the Securities and Exchange Commission.

She said in a dissenting opinion that the ruling, which limits the SEC's ability to enforce securities laws, was part of a "disconcerting trend" in which the court has pared back the power of regulators.

She cited other recent decisions in which the court made it easier for presidents to fire the heads of independent agencies and limited the authority of in-house judges.

"Make no mistake, today's decision is a power grab," Sotomayor wrote. She took the additional step of reading a summary of her dissent from the bench, something justices do when they are particularly upset with a decision.

In Thursday's decision, the court ruled 6-3 that the adjudication of cases by the SEC's in-house judges violates the right to trial by jury. The ruling could also have implications for other agencies that use similar procedures.

The case is one of several the court heard in its current term involving conservative and business-led attacks on the power of federal agencies. The court's 6-3 conservative majority is often sympathetic to such arguments.

Sotomayor referenced the ongoing assault on what has been dubbed "the administrative state" by critics.

"Litigants seeking further dismantling of the 'administrative state' have reason to rejoice in their win today, but those us us who cherish the rule of law have nothing to celebrate," she wrote.

The challenge zeroed in on how the SEC enforces securities laws, including those prohibiting insider trading. The SEC has long used in-house proceedings presided over by administrative law judges. The agency can also sue in federal court. In both sets of proceedings, it can seek financial penalties.

Those subject to the in-house adjudication have complained, saying the process violates their rights and gives the SEC too much power by essentially creating a home-court advantage.

In the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts fired back at Sotomayor, saying that she "would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in the hands of the executive branch."

Such an outcome is "the very opposite" of what the Constitution's separation of powers principle requires, he added.

Hedge fund manager George Jarkesy brought the legal challenge after he faced SEC claims that he violated securities laws by making misstatements and omitting relevant information in communications with investors while he was overseeing two hedge funds.

Jarkesy and his firm were ordered to pay a $300,000 penalty, and he was barred from certain roles in the securities industry after being subjected to an in-house proceeding in 2014. The firm was also ordered to return nearly $685,000 in what the SEC considered "illicit gains."

Jarkesy's legal crusade had the backing of billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Cuban.

A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the agency, prompting the SEC to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.
A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Thursday sidestepped a ruling on whether Idaho's strict abortion law conflicts with a federal law that requires stabilizing care for emergency room patients, including pregnant women suffering complications who may require abortions.

The court dismissed an appeal brought by Idaho officials, meaning a lower court ruling that allows doctors in the state to perform abortions in emergency situations remains in effect for now.

The decision, which leaves the legal question unresolved and has no impact in any other state, was widely expected after the Supreme Court on Wednesday inadvertently posted a copy online.

The court could take up the issue in a later case.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement the Justice Department will continue to push its interpretation of the federal law in the ongoing litigation.

"Today's order means that, while we continue to litigate our case, women in Idaho will once again have access to the emergency care guaranteed to them under federal law," he said.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who objected to the court failing to decide the case, read her dissenting opinion from the bench, a step justices generally only take when they are particularly disgruntled with the outcome.

"There is simply no good reason not to resolve this conflict now," she wrote.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito agreed on that point in a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Clarence Thomas and, mostly, Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Alito indicated he would rule against the Biden administration, which argues that federal law requires abortions when a woman is suffering from various health complications that are not necessarily immediately life-threatening, notwithstanding Idaho's strict ban.

"Here, no one who has any respect for statutory language can plausibly say that the government's interpretation is unambiguously correct," he wrote.

A five-justice bloc of conservative and liberal justices, however, voted against deciding the case.

Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that the "shape of these cases has substantially shifted" since the court agreed to hear the two linked appeals from the state and elected officials.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan said Idaho's arguments "have never justified ... our early consideration of this dispute."

The legal question is of importance not just in Idaho, but also in other states that have enacted similar bans that abortion-rights advocates say clash with the federal law because they do not include broad exceptions for the health of the mother.

But the court's failure to issue a ruling means confusion remains on whether the federal law trumps the state bans. In Idaho, the state's appeal of the lower court ruling will continue.

The litigation could get even more complicated if former President Donald Trump wins the election, as his administration could change its legal position and argue that the federal law does not conflict with state abortion laws.

The federal government said a handful of states would be affected if the court had issued a full ruling, while abortion opponents said a win for the Biden administration would potentially affect up to 22 states that have imposed abortion restrictions.

The Idaho abortion ban was enacted in 2020, with a provision stating it would go into effect if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that found women had a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

The legislation, known as the Defense of Life Act, went into effect in 2022 when the Supreme Court rolled back Roe.

Idaho's law says anyone who performs an abortion is subject to criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison. Health care professionals found to have violated the law can lose their professional licenses.

The federal government sued, leading a federal judge in August 2022 to block the state from enforcing provisions concerning medical care that is required under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.

That 1986 law mandates that patients receive appropriate emergency room care. The Biden administration argued that care should include abortions in certain situations when a woman's health is imperiled even if death is not imminent.

The government and abortion rights groups cited as examples women whose water breaks early in a pregnancy, putting them at risk of sepsis or hemorrhage.

The federal law applies to health care providers that receive federal funding under the Medicare program.

The Idaho law includes an exception if an abortion is necessary to protect the life of the pregnant woman, although the scope of the exception was heavily contested in the litigation.

The Supreme Court in January allowed Idaho to enforce the provisions while agreeing to hear oral arguments in the case. Other provisions of the ban are already in effect and are not affected by the court's latest decision.

In blocking parts of the state law that conflict with federal law, U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill described the state's actions as putting doctors "on the horns of a dilemma."

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco, briefly put Winmill's ruling on hold in September, but it subsequently allowed it to go back into effect, prompting the state officials to turn to the Supreme Court.

The emergency room dispute is one of two abortion cases the Supreme Court considered this term, both of which arose in the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe. In the other, the court rejected a challenge by anti-abortion doctors to the Food and Drug Administration's lifting of restrictions on mifepristone, the drug most commonly used for medication abortions.
Preferred stocks can offer investors plenty of attractive income  and do so at a favorable tax rate  but they should proceed with caution before adding them to their portfolio. Preferred stocks are hybrid assets, combining attributes of bonds and equities, and their issuers include banks and utilities . They trade on exchanges just like stocks, but they also pay investors a quarterly stream of steady income. In addition to touting attractive yields exceeding 6%, preferred stocks can also offer investors tax-advantaged income: Their coupons generally  but not always  get the same tax treatment as qualified dividends , levied at a rate of 0%, 15% or 20%. Meanwhile, corporate bond interest payments are subject to ordinary income tax rates, which can be as high as 37%. But investors who find these tax-advantaged yields tempting will need to contend with preferreds' unique risk profile. "The preferred market is very complex," said Ken Waltzer, certified financial planner and senior vice president at Wealth Enhancement Group in Los Angeles. He said these securities make up no more than 15% of his clients' fixed income allocation. "There are lots of caveats," he added. Unique features Preferreds that are offered to retail investors have a fixed par value of $25. The coupons these issues pay can be fixed for their entire term, or they can be "fixed-to-floating," meaning that after a certain period, the rate becomes adjustable. These instruments have long maturity dates  and many can be perpetual. However, they often also have a call date, which is when the issuer can redeem them. Indeed, issuers have been ramping up the number of preferred calls in recent months, liquidating more than $15 billion in the latest three-month period, according to UBS Financial Services. "The calls are predominantly coming from bank issuers whose currently callable fixed-to-floating rate preferreds are now floating and resetting at relatively high rates, sometimes over 9%," wrote Frank Sileo, fixed income strategist in the chief investment office for the Americas at UBS, in a June 21 report. When individual securities are called, investors must hunt for a replacement. Finally, holders of preferred stock are near the bottom of the list to be paid in the event the issuing company were to go out of business. Preferred investors would be paid before the stockholders, but they are well behind the bondholders in terms of priority. Due to these risks, investors shopping for preferreds ought to keep an eye on the issuers' credit ratings. For instance, ratings agency Standard & Poor's deems companies with credit ratings below BBB- to fall below investment grade. "The key thing with investment-grade rated preferreds is that though they rank lower in the capital structure versus traditional bonds, they tend to be issued by higher rated companies," said Collin Martin, fixed income strategist for the Schwab Center for Financial Research. Tapping into the market Shopping for individual preferreds takes a considerable amount of legwork. An alternative would be to look for an exchange-traded fund with a focus on preferreds, a move that helps investors avoid too much exposure to a given issuer or to a certain sector of the market. Waltzer highlighted the First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF (FPE) . This actively managed fund has a 30-day SEC yield of 5.82%, a total return of about 5.8% in 2024 and an expense ratio of 0.84%. Further, about 71% of its holdings have a credit rating in the BBB range. Holdings as of June 26 include issues from Wells Fargo and Barclays. There is also the iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) , which has a 30-day SEC yield of 6.33%. The fund has a year-to-date total return of more than 4% and an expense ratio of 0.46%. Wells Fargo and Citigroup are among the notable issuers in PFF's portfolio, but lithium producer Albemarle and renewables play NextEra Energy are also included. Though yields and total return matter, they shouldn't be the sole drivers in your decision as you shop for an ETF. Keep a close eye on expense ratios as higher fees will crimp your returns.
Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Goldman Sachs reiterates Micron as buy Goldman said investors should buy the dip in the stock following earnings on Wednesday. "Although we acknowledge the YTD outperformance in MU and the implied elevation in market expectations, we see the stock's recent pullback, if anything, as an opportunity to add to positions..." Bernstein reiterates Apple as outperform Bernstein said it's sticking with its outperform rating on the stock. "In the near-term, we believe recent enthusiasm is likely to persist, as Apple is increasingly seen as an AI leader rather than an AI laggard, and the stock is also entering its seasonally strong trading period." Bank of America upgrades Petrobras to buy from neutral Bank of America said it sees a slew of positive catalysts ahead for the Brazil oil and gas company. "With the dust settling after the replacement of the company's CEO, there have been important developments at PBR which have helped quell concerns on corporate governance, fuel pricing, dividends, among others." Mizuho initiates Grab Holdings as buy Mizuho said the Asian super app company has a "sizable on-demand market." "We initiate coverage of Grab Holdings Ltd. (GRAB) with an Outperform rating and $5 PT." KBW upgrades Bank of New York Mellon to outperform from market perform KBW said it's getting bullish on the financial services company. "We are upgrading the shares to Outperform from Market Perform due to BNY' s scale, diversification and expectations for widening profitability gap to peers led by strong expense control." Deutsche Bank adds a catalyst call buy on Emerson Electric Deutsche Bank said it's bullish heading into the electric company's earnings report later this summer. "EMR stock has underperformed the group since the end of last earnings season and we take this as evidence that investor expectations are not overly optimistic going into EMR's 3Q results (investor interest has also been relatively low in recent weeks). We think the company can deliver a material 3Q24 beat." Jefferies reiterates Nvidia, Marvell and Broadcom as buy Jefferies said it's sticking with its buy rating on all three companies. " NVDA is still the king but AVGO makes a strong case too. We see opportunities at MRVL but story hasn't inflected yet." KeyBanc initiates Crescent Energy as overweight KeyBanc said it's bullish on shares of the energy company. "A South Texas Consolidator Emerges: Initiate Coverage of Crescent Energy Co. (CRGY) with OW." Citi reiterates Arista Networks as buy Citi raised its price target on the stock to $385 per share from $330. " Arista is also likely to benefit from any early AI related opportunities." TD Cowen reiterates Grindr as buy TD Cowen raised its price target on the stock to $14 per share from $12. " GRND raised their '24 topline guidance while laying out '27 revenue and EBITDA targets 27% and 22% above our pre-event est's." Morgan Stanley initiates Viking Therapeutics as overweight Morgan Stanley said the biotech company has "best-in-class potential." "We are Overweight Viking Therapeutics given best-in-class potential for VK2735 in obesity, which supports a meaningful market opportunity in a highly competitive market." Morgan Stanley adds Goldman Sachs to its "Financials' Finest" list Morgan Stanley added the investment banking giant to its top financials ideas list. "We are adding Goldman Sachs, Macquarie and TPG to our Financials' Finest list, as discussed in our recent note 'Best Plays on Capital Markets Recovery.'" JPMorgan downgrades US Bancorp to neutral from overweight JPM said it doesn't see many near-term catalysts. "We are downgrading US Bancorp to Neutral from Overweight relative to peers. The sharp increase in capital requirements adds another headwind and would delay capital return plans - we do not see a catalyst medium term. US Bancorp is one of our only banks that has indicated no plans for share buybacks." Morgan Stanley reiterates Coca-Cola as overweight Morgan Stanley said it's sticking with its overweight rating on the beverage giant. "We like Coke here as an OW, where we continue to be incrementally positive as Coke's fundamentals increasingly disconnect favorably from the group." UBS reiterates Disney as buy UBS said Disney's cruise operation is an "underappreciated growth driver." "An Disney is a small player in the overall cruise industry at just ~3% of North America capacity but commands top of market pricing given its IP and brand affinity. The cruise industry is benefitting from a resurgence in demand post pandemic, with net yields now 10-15% above '19 levels." Oppenheimer initiates Kyndryl as outperform Oppenheimer said it's bullish on shares of the IT infrastructure company. "Formerly IBM's IT services business, Kyndryl is the largest IT infrastructure services provider in the world." JPMorgan reiterates Carvana as overweight JPMorgan said Carvana's "infrastructure moat continues to widen." "We come away from CVNA' s Rocklin, CA, IRC tour with higher conviction in our above consensus EBITDA.." Citi reiterates AT & T as buy Citi said it's sticking with its top-pick status on the telecommunications giant. "We continue to prefer large-cap Telcos over large-cap Cable and prefer AT & T as our top-ranked pick as it has a greater number of levers to manage financial performance at an inexpensive valuation." Truist reiterates Nvidia as buy Truist raised its price target on the stock to $140 per share from $128.80. " NVDA is now the #1 market cap company; we believe it can become #1-er."
Supporters of the government of Luis Arce Catacora confront the military who surrounded the Murillo square where the government palace is located on June 26. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images

Bolivian forces have arrested the general accused of attempting a coup against the country's government on Wednesday, crowning an hours-long overture by armed soldiers who stormed the national palace. In breakneck developments over a handful of hours, video footage showed armored vehicles and troops led by army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga appearing to encircle the government seat of President Luis Arce, who called the demonstration an attempted putsch. "The country is today facing an attempted coup d'etat," Arce said, according to a CNBC translation. "We need the people of Bolivia to mobilize and organize against the coup and in favor of democracy." Top ministerial official Maria Nela Prada shared video footage of the Plaza de Murillo, the central square of the seat of government in La Paz, where she reported the presence of tanks and troops acting in an "irregular manner" as they controlled access to the site.

Military police arrive to the Plaza Murillo on June 26, 2024 in La Paz, Bolivia. President of Bolivia Luis Arce warned about irregular movements of military troops and raises the alert of a possible Coup d'etat. Gaston Brito Miserocchi | Getty Images

"We want to denounce this coup attempt, this rupture of constitutional order, and in this moment, of course, as we have always said, the people are alert  the Bolivian people are alert  and the organizations as well, to defend our democracy," she said, according to a CNBC translation. The president named three new army, navy and air commanders, with Jose Wilson Sanchez taking over as the country's new military chief and urgently instructing the armed forces to stand down. Soldiers withdrew, making way for waves of Arce's supporters, the Associated Press reported. Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo later told a press conference that the situation in the country's armed forces was now under control, following the appointment of a new commander. Video footage showed Zuniga swarmed by crowds and detained, after Bolivian Minister of Justice Ivan Lima labeled him a "traitor" and announced a penal investigation into the general. Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo later confirmed the arrest of Zuniga and of former navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador. During the movement, Zuniga  who was removed from his post on Tuesday after heavily criticizing former Bolivian President Evo Morales  had declared intentions to overhaul the country's ministerial cabinet and invoked a patriotic duty to "recover" the nation.

Bolivian General Juan Jose Zuniga is presented following his arrest by the authorities for a coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024. Claudia Morales | Reuters

"Surely, soon there will be a new cabinet. The military units are in a ready/standby position. All of the units," Zuniga said during the military movement, according to a CNBC translation. "There will be a new cabinet of ministers. But our country cannot continue like this, our state. As they [politicians] do whatever they feel like doing. We are showing our upset. Our upset is a duty, our obligation as soldiers of the homeland, of the armed forces, of the armies that this country gave birth to, which were forged to recover this country. We are going to take it." Asked whether the coup forces were seeking to take over the Bolivian presidential residence, the general confirmed "yes." The apparent coup is the latest blow to a country battling a steep economic crisis exacerbated by U.S. dollar shortages, high public debt and declining natural gas production, after the country cashed in on the commodities boom of 2014. The International Monetary Fund projects the country's economy will expand by 1.6% this year. The international community rallied to condemn the apparent coup attempt. "The European Union condemns any attempt to undermine the constitutional order in #Bolivia and overthrow democratically elected governments, and expresses its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people," said EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell on social media. "Spain strongly condemns the military movements in Bolivia," Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on social media platform X, according to a CNBC translation. "We convey the government and people of Bolivia our support and solidarity and we call for respect for democracy and the rule of law."

Bolivian President Luis Arce waves a Bolivian flag at the balcony of the Government Palace in La Paz on June 26, 2024. Aizar Raldes | Afp | Getty Images
UK-based human rights group Stop Uyghur Genocide has launched a legal campaign to block Shein's potential London listing over concerns about its labor practices, a law firm representing the campaign group said on Wednesday.

UK-based human rights group Stop Uyghur Genocide has launched a legal campaign to block Shein's potential London listing over concerns about its labor practices, a law firm representing the campaign group said on Wednesday.

Human rights law firm Leigh Day has written to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority to urge the regulator to refuse any attempt by Shein to list on the LSE, it said.

Shein did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the FCA declined to comment.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International UK said Shein's potential London initial public offering would be a "badge of shame" for the London Stock Exchange because of the fast-fashion firm's "questionable" labor and human rights standards.
The United States needs to build a significant number of nuclear plants to supply surging energy demand while also meeting climate goals, the CEO of Southern Company said at an event on Thursday.

"This country will need more nuclear plants going forward," Chris Womack said at the Reuters Global Energy Transition conference in New York City.

"It's upwards of 10 large gigawatts of nuclear power that I think we have to have going forward," Womack said. That is equivalent to about 10 new nuclear plants with a single reactor each: The typical reactor in the U.S. produces about a gigawatt of electricity, according to the Department of Energy.

Based on market capitalization, Southern Company is the second largest name in the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU) . It's also one of the largest providers of electricity in the nation, serving millions of people across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.

Last year, the Atlanta-headquartered utility completed the first nuclear plant in the U.S. in more than three decades, with the second of two new reactors having started commercial operations in April.

Womack said Southern Company is seeing a level of electricity demand that the utility has not faced since the advent of air conditioning and heat pumps in the South in the 1970s and 1980s. After two decades of nearly flat power growth, Southern Company is now expecting demand to grow by three to four times, he said.

"A lot of this is dependent and contingent upon what we see with artificial intelligence and all those large learning models and what data centers will consume," Womack said. "You're also seeing in the Southeast, this incredible population growth and you're seeing all this onshoring with manufacturing."
Shares of Walgreens closed more than 20% lower on Thursday after the company reported fiscal third-quarter earnings that fell short of expectations and slashed its full-year adjusted profit outlook, citing a "challenging" environment for pharmacies and U.S. consumers.

The retail pharmacy giant now expects fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings of $2.80 to $2.95 per share. That compares with the company's previous outlook of between $3.20 and $3.35 per share.

"'We assumed ... in the second half that the consumer would get somewhat stronger" but "that is not the case," Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth told CNBC.

He added that "the consumer is absolutely stunned by the absolute prices of things, and the fact that some of them may not be inflating doesn't actually change their resistance to the current pricing. So we've had to get really keen, particularly in discretionary things."

Still, Walgreens topped revenue estimates for the quarter on strong performance in its health-care segment. The company views that business division as critical to its ongoing push to transform from a major drugstore chain into a large health-care company.

The results come as Walgreens works to slash costs after a rocky last year marked by low pharmacy reimbursement rates, weakening demand for Covid products and a challenging macroeconomic environment.

The company on Friday said it is simplifying its U.S. health-care portfolio and finalizing plans to close underperforming U.S. stores over multiple years, among other ongoing cost-cutting efforts.

"Seventy-five percent of our stores drive 100% of our profitability today," Wentworth said. "What that means is the others we take a hard look at, we are going to finalize a number that we will close."

Here's what Walgreens reported for the three-month period ended May 31 compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 63 cents adjusted vs. 68 cents expected

63 cents adjusted vs. 68 cents expected Revenue: $36.4 billion vs. $35.94 billion expected

Walgreens booked sales of $36.4 billion for the quarter, up 2.6% from the same period a year ago.

The company reported net income of $344 million, or 40 cents per share, for the quarter. That compares with net income of $118 million, or 14 cents per share, for the same period a year ago.

Excluding certain items, adjusted earnings were 63 cents per share for the quarter.

Walgreens did not provide a new revenue forecast for the fiscal year. The company has not offered that guidance since October, when it said it expected $141 billion to $145 billion in sales.
Raising capital remains an enduring obstacle for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. Some venture capitalists are trying to change the equation and are backing minority founders to help them scale their companies and create jobs within their communities.

According to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship nonprofit StartOut, only 0.5% of the $2.1 trillion in startup funding between 2020 and 2022 was raised by LGBTQ+ founders, yet 7.2% of the U.S. population identifies as a member of the community, according to a 2022 Gallup survey.

StartOut's State of LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurship Report, which aggregates data from internal research and sources like Crunchbase and Pitchbook, also found that 85% of funding is accumulated in only five metro areas: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Denver and Austin, Texas. The largest cities that lack any LGBTQ+ founders are Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Birmingham, Alabama.

StartOut CEO Brian Richardson told CNBC that jurisdictions with comprehensive nondiscrimination policies protecting LGBTQ+ people are the cities that have stronger benches of queer entrepreneurs.

"What we've been able to do through the limited datasets that we have is to start looking at and measuring how much cities and even states are losing out monetarily and employment-wise because they have anti-LGBTQ+ policies in place," Richardson said.

Researchers at StartOut have examined the varying geographic impacts, weighing the economic effects that public policies have on entrepreneurial outcomes by comparing states that did and didn't pass the LGBTQ+-affirming policies between 2010 through 2020. They found that implementing state employee benefits coverage for transition-related care in Texas could create more than 121,000 jobs. Additionally, implementing hate crime laws for gender identity in North Carolina could attract as many as 17,000 founders, while a repeal of so-called "Don't Say Gay or Trans" laws in Alabama could add $10 billion in funding, they said.

"These numbers are really just the very first step of a much longer process to identify the challenges and to find the very best, most comprehensive, most effective solutions," Richardson said.

One organization trying such solutions is Chasing Rainbows, a venture capital fund that works with LGBTQ+ founders to connect them with capital. The fund currently invests in around 15 early-stage companies.

"We usually write [the] first checks for a lot of the companies, particularly from an institutional perspective," Ben Stokes, founding partner of Chasing Rainbows, told CNBC. "We are very open to having conversations if someone doesn't have revenue; it's really just understanding the pathway that they have to get to that."

Chasing Rainbows takes a sector agnostic approach but focuses on four opportunity zones when considering a startup: sustainability, health care, education, and financial equity and inclusion. Stokes said the LGBTQ+ community historically has experienced some form of discrimination when trying to access these types of services.

"When a founder has experienced a problem themselves, they often know how to fix it," Stokes said. "And they have creative solutions that are often done in a very financially savvy way."

StartOut's report also found that despite operating on 16% less funding compared to the industry average, LGBTQ+ founders created 36% more jobs, 114% more patents and 44% more exits between 2000 to 2022.

"We work together to ensure that we are investing in new companies, that we believe that not only venture backers will [invest in] but will offer and deliver outsized returns for our investors," Stokes said.

Stokes said Chasing Rainbows advocates for resource allocations to consider founder diversity when selecting investments. State-level initiatives are already underway in Massachusetts and New York that would require VCs to include sexual orientation when considering capital allocation.

In California, Senate Bill No. 54 will require venture firms to report diversity statistics within their portfolios. That includes race, ethnicity, gender identity, veteran status, disability status and whether any member of the founding team identifies as LGBTQ+. The bill is scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2025.

"This is going to be an amazing wake-up call for the industry," Stokes said, "and particularly for limited partners, who are going in on the premise of the lead investors investing in diverse teams. Is it actually true?"

An angel investor himself, Stokes founded Chasing Rainbows in 2021 after recognizing that underrepresented founders are seen as riskier investments. He credited his law professor at the University of California at Berkeley for giving him advice that led to his fund's approach.

"He said, 'Don't just be another underrepresented funder investing in underrepresented founders; be unique and be special in the industry because that's the only thing that's going to make you successful,'" Stokes said.

On top of the limited amount of funding being funneled to LGBTQ+ innovators, Stokes said 75% of founders go back "into the closet" while fundraising on concern that being part of the community would taint their brand.

"Unfortunately, this has been evidenced by the fact that general partners and other funds who do have different religious or political views have openly discriminated against someone based on their sexuality," he said. "What that means for them is that they're often code switching," referring to the practice of LGBTQ+ people deviating to more heteronormative language and behaviors.

"They will be scrubbing their LinkedIn, scrubbing all of their social media profiles," Stokes said, "essentially going back into the closet and not being their authentic selves."

Both Stokes and Richardson were invited to the White House this past week to participate in a roundtable discussion on the hurdles that entrepreneurs face.

"Some of the challenges are obvious  access to capital is the biggest one," Stokes said. "But we're looking at ways to partner with the government, in particular around grants and non-dilutive capital."

Richardson hopes the attention will lead to broader support for organizations like Chasing Rainbows, and that additional funding for data and research will lead to greater representation and expanded economic opportunities for underrepresented innovators.

"We know that queer people and queer entrepreneurs continue to face barriers," Richardson said. "But we also know that those barriers are especially steep for specific members of our community. We want to figure out and identify just how steep the barriers are and what individual members in our community continue to face."
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Thriving night economy in Xinjiang reflects regional safety, prosperity

13:36, June 27, 2024 By Zhang Yiyi and Chen Qingrui ( Global Times

Tourists walk along the Aletun Ancient Street in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at 10:30 pm on Saturday. (Photo: Zhang Yiyi/GT)

The popular TV series To the Wonder has boosted Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region's tourism industry. Besides the natural scenery during the daytime, Xinjiang's night economy flourishes after dark, showcasing the region's safety and prosperity.

In the Aletun Ancient Street in Hami, Xinjiang, many tourists can be seen strolling and dining even at 1 am. In the Liuxing Food Street in Yining, Xinjiang, people celebrate the Eid al-Adha (Corban Festival) by singing and dancing until 11 pm, Global Times reporters observed.

"I felt like this is a place where people are genuinely happy. It is very safe. We walk along really dark streets on our way back and have no worries. We are in the city center, surrounded by people celebrating their traditional festival. The atmosphere is great," Torbjorn Sassersson, the chief editor of the News Voice in Sweden, told the Global Times on June 18.

"My trip to Liuxing Food Street was very impressive. The large presence of people on both sides of the street demonstrated the strength of local consumption and good income levels. The food here tastes sweeter compared to other parts of China, and it makes me feel like I'm at home. I also feel very safe when I walk in the street with my colleagues at midnight," Ahmed Soliman, a foreign affairs chief editor from Egypt, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"In the street, many ethnic minorities and tourists dance together, and we can join them at any time if we want," a tourist from Central China's Henan Province told the Global Times on Wednesday. "I enjoy the vibrant and bustling nightlife," he added.

"The thriving night economy in Xinjiang is partly due to its long daylight hours and also benefits from the region's well-constructed infrastructure and stable social order," Wang Jinwei, a professor at the School of Tourism Sciences at Beijing International Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Hami's Aletun Ancient Street was selected as a model street for the night economy in 2023 in Xinjiang. This short 610-meter street boasts over 100 specialty shops, offering photography services, jade, ethnic embroidery, pastries, and barbecued food. It has become a must-visit spot for tourists in Xinjiang. "Most shops in the street open around 6 pm and stay open until about midnight, depending on the volume of visitors," a shopkeeper told the Global Times on Saturday.

"Our studio has gained popularity in the past two years. After 6 pm, we see a surge in customers, and even after 10 pm, when it's already dark, there are still plenty of tourists coming in for photos," a member of staff at a photography studio in the Aletun Ancient Street told the Global Times on Saturday.

The development of Xinjiang's night economy aligns with the lifestyle habits of ethnic minorities and offers tourists a way to escape the heat while gaining unique travel experiences, according to Wang. "This excellent integration of resources is expected to continue thriving, with personal safety being a fundamental aspect," Wang said.

Xinjiang has actively developed its night economy, including carrying out a series of night activities around dining, accommodation, transportation, and shopping. In recent years, nighttime tourism has become popular, showcasing Xinjiang's safety and vibrant economic momentum, Wang added.

From January to May 2024, Xinjiang received a total of 83.39 million passenger trips from home and abroad, a year-on-year increase of 13.69 percent. The region's tourism revenue reached 90.20 billion yuan ($12.63 billion), up 38.87 percent year-on-year, according to the local culture and tourism department.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
As the impact of noise on children's health and learning gains recognition, some cities are leading the way toward quieter environments.

Traffic Noise

In many urban areas, traffic noise is a pervasive problem. The constant sounds of vehicles and trains contribute to a noisy atmosphere, which has become a global concern. The United Nations has identified urban noise pollution as a "global public health menace." This type of pollution affects millions and leads to various health issues.

In the United States and European Union, the primary sources of noise pollution include road, rail, and air traffic. This environmental noise can cause chronic stress, sleep disturbances, and elevated blood pressure. It is also linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, and it can increase the risk of diabetes.

Effects on Kids' Brains

Children are especially susceptible to the negative effects of noise pollution. For instance, in New York, a classroom located near a subway had such high noise levels that the teacher needed to shout to be heard. This persistent noise disrupted the learning process and adversely affected students' reading skills.

In 1975, Arline Bronzaft, a psychology professor at Herbert H. Lehman College, conducted a study revealing that students on the noisier side of a school performed worse on reading tests than those on the quieter side. To address this issue, measures such as installing rubber pads on train tracks and using sound-absorbing materials in classrooms were implemented.

Does Traffic Noise Hurt Kids' Brains?

There is evidence that traffic noise can harm children's cognitive development. Research conducted in 2022 in Barcelona assessed primary school children and found that exposure to road traffic noise hindered their working memory and attention span. These cognitive functions are vital for learning, problem-solving, and language comprehension. The study also found that sudden noise fluctuations, such as car horns or engine sounds, were especially disruptive, impacting children's focus and learning abilities.

Experts advise keeping classroom noise levels below 35 decibels to promote a good learning environment. However, many classrooms exceed this limit, potentially leading to noise-induced hearing loss and other health problems. Prolonged exposure to noise can affect the central nervous system and brain, increasing the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and cognitive decline. Reducing traffic around schools and creating green spaces can help shield children from excessive noise and enhance their learning conditions.
Close up of addict with money buying dose, drug trafficking, crime, addiction and sale concep | (Photo : Bigstock)

Dharmesh A Patel, a 43-year-old radiologist from California, will undergo mental health treatment rather than face trial for attempted murder after driving his Tesla off a 250-foot cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway, injuring his wife and two young children.

The incident, which occurred on Jan. 2, 2023, was described by officials as an "absolute miracle" due to the family's survival.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe expressed disappointment with the judicial decision, despite the severity of the incident.

"I am disappointed with the court's decision, but Judge Jakubowski carefully weighed the evidence and the facts and went the other way," Wagstaffe said, according to The Guardian.

Judge Susan Jakubowski ruled last week that Patel must complete a comprehensive two-year mental health outpatient treatment program at a Bay Area hospital for charges to be dismissed, as reported by KRON-TV.

Patel's defense attorney, Joshua Bentley, successfully argued in May that his client qualified for mental health diversion under California law.

"It's important to understand why we are here. Not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal. There is no question this is a very serious case. But the law encompasses this very situation," Bentley emphasized during the proceedings.

Bentley reassured the court that Patel, under an intensive psychiatric treatment program and monitored with a GPS bracelet equipped with a siren, does not pose a threat to the community.

Deputy District Attorney Dominique Davis, however, contended that Patel should not qualify for mental health diversion, citing concerns over public safety.

Patel's wife provided testimony expressing her desire to see him return home, indicating her children missed their father. D

avis presented evidence suggesting Patel suffered from paranoia and delusions in the weeks leading up to the incident, symptoms attributed to schizoaffective disorder.

In her ruling, Judge Jakubowski acknowledged Patel's lack of prior violent behavior and attributed his actions to a diagnosis of major depressive disorder.

Patel, who has been in custody without bail since his arrest, will remain detained for several more weeks before transitioning to his parents' residence in Belmont, California.

Conditions of his release include GPS monitoring, surrendering his driver's license and passport, and weekly court check-ins.
Rosemary, a fragrant evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean and a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, serves not only as a culinary condiment but also as a potential source of numerous health benefits. Traditionally used to alleviate muscle pain and promote hair growth, rosemary is increasingly recognized for its medicinal properties, including neurological protection and mood enhancement.

Here are the health benefits of rosemary:

Enhances Brain Protection

Rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin B6, rosemary offers more than just flavor. According to Medical News Today, rosemary contains carnosic acid, which can protect the brain from free radical damage. Studies suggest it might have beneficial effects on Alzheimer's disease by potentially slowing its progression and improving cognitive function through aromatherapy. Additionally, animal research indicates rosemary could lessen seizure severity, indicating possible benefits for epilepsy in humans. However, these conclusions are largely based on test tube and animal studies.

Boosts Mood and Well-being

Limited research indicates that rosemary could be advantageous for managing depression, stress, and emotional disturbances. A 2020 study published in Nutrients, involving 42 Japanese men with mood issues, found that taking rosemary extract for 4 weeks enhanced mental energy and sleep quality. Researchers suggested that rosemary extract might positively affect mood and cognitive function.

Moreover, a 2020 review focused on animal studies suggested that rosemary could potentially exert antidepressant effects by modulating dopamine levels in the brain.

Enhances Memory and Focus

A 2020 review found that rosemary could enhance cognition, including memory and learning abilities.

Furthermore, a 2018 randomized controlled trial demonstrated that university students who consumed rosemary supplements for 1 month experienced notable improvements in memory performance.

In addition, a 2021 review focusing on animal studies indicated that rosemary could potentially enhance cognitive functions in animals, boosting their memory retention and learning capabilities.

Fights Cancer

According to a 2020 review, rosemary showed potential in preventing and treating cancer. Numerous test tube and animal studies highlighted in the review indicate that rosemary inhibits the activation of carcinogens, boosts antioxidant enzyme activity, reduces inflammation that promotes tumor growth, and suppresses tumor development. Researchers suggest further investigation into rosemary's potential cancer-fighting properties is warranted.

Despite its benefits, it's crucial to use rosemary supplements cautiously and consult healthcare providers, especially for individuals with existing health conditions or during pregnancy. The FDA considers rosemary extracts safe in recommended doses, typically around 400 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
Watching magic shows can have surprising effects on mental health.

Watching Magic Shows and Mental Well-being

Research conducted by Richard Wiseman and Caroline Watt has shown that watching magic can evoke positive emotions. Participants in their study who watched magic tricks reported higher levels of curiosity, surprise, and excitement compared to those who watched non-magic videos. This suggests that magic tricks can enhance positive epistemic emotions, contributing to overall well-being.

Optimism and Belief in the Impossible

Wiseman and Watt's study also explored how watching magic affects beliefs about the impossible. Participants who enjoyed magic were more likely to believe in the possibility of seemingly impossible events in the future. This increased optimism can lead to a more positive outlook on life, fostering hope and a sense that anything is possible.

Creativity and Cognitive Benefits

Other studies have examined the impact of magic on creativity. Wiseman and colleagues found that children who learned magic tricks scored higher on creativity tests than those who did not. This indicates that magic can stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Additionally, design students exposed to magical illusions produced more innovative designs, suggesting that magic can inspire creativity across various fields.

Long-Term Mental Health Benefits

Long-term exposure to magic has also been linked to positive mental health outcomes. Participants with a strong dislike for magic, as measured by the Loathing of Legerdemain Scale (LOLS), showed lower levels of curiosity, awe, and wonder. Conversely, those who enjoyed magic reported higher levels of life satisfaction and optimism. This implies that a sustained interest in magic can contribute to better mental health over time.

Practical Applications

Magic has practical applications beyond entertainment. It has been used in therapeutic settings to help overcome movement difficulties and reduce pain perception during medical procedures. For instance, Green and colleagues found that learning and performing magic tricks can aid in rehabilitation, while Kothari et al. reported that magic can distract patients from pain during dental treatments.
By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*

Few will not remember Judas Iscariot and the role he played in the betrayal of Jesus!

For those who dont know or dont remember, these passages from Sacred Scripture will help put things in perspective:

"And while they were eating, he said, 'Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.' They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, 'Surely you dont mean me, Lord?' Jesus replied, 'The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray from Sacred Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.' Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, 'Surely you dont mean me, Rabbi?' Jesus answered, 'You have said so.' (Mt. 26: 21-25)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Mosess seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.

"They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted'."

Every year, the leaders of the world's seven largest economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan. United Kingdom and the United States (the European Union is also part of this group) meet to discuss economic and political issues at the Group of Seven, or G7, Summit. These annual events are organised and hosted by a different member each time. They met in Apulia Italy from 13- 15 June this year.

The host also invites some other countries as guests to this summit. This year, Italy invited Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine and the Vatican City to the summit. South Africa was also invited but declined because of the change in government there. So, twelve other countries were also present including the heads of the UN and major international financial institutions.

The highlight of this G-7 Summit was the presence of Pope Francis, who addressed them on Artificial Intelligence and its effects on humanity. It was historic, that a Pope would participate in such a summit and in fact give a path-breaking speech which found prime place in the final communique of the Summit!

As the Pope was wheeled into the hall of the Summit on 14 June, he was given a rousing ovation by the World leaders and others gathered there. Some of them personally greeted him with the civility and decorum, which is befitting when one head of State greets the other!

Towards the end of the line was Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. Taking the Holy Father off-guard, Modi bent down and gave the Pope what resembled a bear-hug! Such acts are just not done! Despite the fact that he was on a wheelchair, the Pope literally had no choice, but remained courteous enough to accept the hug! Fortunately, most of the world media did not highlight that hug -- though sections of the Indian godified and Modified media did so!

Those who know Modi and his dramatics will easily agree that his hugging the Pope has nothing to do with Pope Francis! Modi is fundamentally a showman, an opportunist, who loves photo-ops, glaring at cameras and at times even insisting that the cameras focus only on him! There are many examples to authenticate this!

For example, some time ago when he had to meet his ailing mother in Gandhinagar, he did not step out of his car, till the cameramen (who were late) had arrived and taken their positions inside the house! Unfortunately, for him, this time, he was unable to look into the cameras, whilst hugging the Pope!

Modi has gone on record saying that he has invited Pope Francis to India! He also said this, after he met Pope Francis in the Vatican late October 2021. Since then, the Government of India has not extended an official invitation to the Pope to come to India! Modi could have easily ensured that but did not do so!

Modi is a master in making promises, in bluffing and manipulating things to his advantage. Unfortunately, in the past ten years and more, many have fallen prey to his false promises, mastery of words and in his unparalleled skill in deflecting from real issues that plague the country!



Taking the Holy Father off-guard, Modi bent down and gave the Pope what resembled a bear-hug! Such acts are just not done

Millions of Indians (Christians and non-Christians) would be delighted if Pope Francis actually comes to India. There is no doubt of that! Besides Pope Francis, given his penchant for the poor and the marginalised, the excluded and the exploited, will need to have his visits planned; both the hosts and the organisers would do well to include the following visits in the Papal itinerary:

to Manipur: to bring solace to the Kukis and other victims there, who still are at the receiving end of a brutal, violent, insensitive regime. Most of the victims are Christians and/or tribals

to Jharkhand: the Adivasi heartland of India- to see how the indigenous peoples of India are being deprived of their legitimate jal-jungle-jameen

to West Bengal: to meet with those Bengalis who came into India more than fifty years ago during the Bangladesh war of Independence and are now being treated as illegal migrants.

to UP: where Muslims are the victims of a bull-dozer raj, just because they do not toe the line, or some meat is apparently found in their fridge

to Taloja jail, where there are still some incarcerated in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case; his own Jesuit brother Fr Stan Swamy was the victim of an institutional murder on 5 July 2021

to the coastal region of Trivandrum where thousands of indigenous coastal people have lost their livelihood because of the Adani port Besides, Pope Francis will have many other concerns which he would like express, these could include: Besides, Pope Francis will have many other concerns which he would like express, these could include:

On the Freedom of Speech and Expression: of how writers, intellectuals, human rights defenders are being subjugated in the country

On the Freedom of Religion: of the draconian anti-conversion laws being brought in by this Government particularly in the States they govern (Rajasthan planning one now)

On the way this Government treats refugees and migrants particularly the Rohingyas  whom Pope Francis addressed as his brothers and sisters:

On the Governments Environment record which is one of the worst in the world

On the fact that a few rich are becoming richer at the expense of the poor

On the quality of political life in India and the fact that democracy is meticulously being dismantled

On the growing unemployment in the country Pope Francis will have his plate very full if and when he is invited to India -- and if he actually comes!

Modi would not have understood the significance and importance of the four gifts which Pope Francis presented him with in the Vatican in October 2021. They were also about good governance and what a good ruler should be doing today!

When Pope Francis addressed the G-7 Summit on 14 June on Artificial Intelligence he spoke rather strongly saying among other things: Pope Francis will have his plate very full if and when he is invited to India -- and if he actually comes!Modi would not have understood the significance and importance of the four gifts which Pope Francis presented him with in the Vatican in October 2021. They were also about good governance and what a good ruler should be doing today!When Pope Francis addressed the G-7 Summit on 14 June on Artificial Intelligence he spoke rather strongly saying among other things:

This is precisely where political action is urgently needed. The Encyclical Fratelli Tutti reminds us that 'for many people today, politics is a distasteful word, often due to the mistakes, corruption and inefficiency of some politicians. There are also attempts to discredit politics, to replace it with economics or to twist it to one ideology or another. Yet can our world function without politics? Can there be an effective process of growth towards universal fraternity and social peace without a sound political life?'

"Our answer to these questions is: No! Politics is necessary! I want to reiterate in this moment that in the face of many petty forms of politics focused on immediate interests ... true statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good. Political powers do not find it easy to assume this duty in the work of nation-building much less in forging a common project for the human family, now and in the future...

"My reflection on the effects of artificial intelligence on humanity leads us to consider the importance of 'healthy politics' so that we can look to our future with hope and confidence. I have written previously that global society is suffering from grave structural deficiencies that cannot be resolved by piecemeal solutions or quick fixes.

"Much needs to change, through fundamental reform and major renewal. Only a healthy politics, involving the most diverse sectors and skills, is capable of overseeing this process. An economy that is an integral part of a political, social, cultural and popular programme directed to the common good could pave the way for different possibilities which do not involve stifling human creativity and its ideals of progress, but rather directing that energy along new channels.

Not sure if Modi was listening to Pope Francis, or if he did listen, whether he understood the significance of what was said particularly in the context of present India! Interestingly, the final communique of the G-7 speak of many things besides Artificial Intelligence, they include Ukraine, Gaza, Africa, Climate change, migration  but there is practically no reference to India or the role the country could be playing on the world stage today!

Humbug is best described as false talk and behaviour, deception! The hug from a humbug says it all!

---

*Human rights, reconciliation and peace activist

(Mt. 26: 47-50)Powerful and real passages from Sacred Scripture of how the kiss of Judas was actually the very opposite, of what a kiss is actually meant to symbolise. Jesus, who believed and lived the truth never minced words when he took on the powerful of his times: the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the Pilates and the Herods and all those who laid heavy burdens on the poor and marginalised. He referred to them as  a brood of vipers, and whitened sepulchres'. In the Gospel of St Mathew (23:1-12) we read:
Maybe Jerry Seinfelds right, maybe movies really are dead. Exhibit A: The trailer for the new Christmas flick Red One, which stars Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and J.K. Simmons as a distractingly shredded Santa Claus. Say what you will about Tim Allen, at least his Santa didnt look like he was going to put creatine in your stocking and replace his toy workshop with a CrossFit gym.

Does anybody want to spend their holidays watching the Rock brawl with beefy CGI snowmen, and Captain America attempting to use a dash of Christmas magic to fuck a life-sized Wonder Woman action figure? Sure there have been a lot of bad Christmas films over the years, but at least that movie where Lindsay Lohan gets festive brain damage didnt cost $250 million, which was reportedly the budget for Red One.

Theres another problem with this movie, too: It was already an episode of South Park.

Don't Miss

The plot of Red One finds Johnson playing the leader of the E.L.F. Task Force, Callum Drift, who teams up with Jack OMalley, the best tracker in the world, played by Evans to find Santa Claus. Wheres Santa? Well, hes been kidnapped, and if he isnt found, there will be no Christmas.

Johnson has described the movie as Jumanji meets Miracle on 34th Street meets Hobbs & Shaw with a dash of Harry Potter and sprinkled on top with my all-time favorite Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life. While that sentence is objectively upsetting, it neglects to mention another clear antecedent: Red Sleigh Down, the 2002 South Park episode that also involved a group of heroes rescuing Santa from kidnappers. Of course, in South Park, Santa is shot down while passing through Iraq.

Following Santas abduction, Stan, Kyle and Cartman similarly recruit a bearded helper to join the mission  not Chris Evans, but Jesus.

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In the end, Santa is freed and gets to be a gun-toting badass. And its hard not to imagine that something similar wont happen with Red One, otherwise why go out of your way to show how jacked J.K. Simmons is? Its a classic case of Chekovs Santas bulging biceps.

In all fairness to Red One, Red Sleigh Down wasnt the first example of a story in which Santa is kidnapped, lest we forget the B-movie classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

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But Red One turns the North Pole into a full-on militaristic compound, and uses Santas kidnapping as a springboard for an archetypal action movie plot line  which is exactly what South Park did. But, importantly, Red Sleigh Down was a satire, a takeoff of Ridley Scotts Black Hawk Down, set at Christmastime. Its juxtaposition of violence and Christmas-y staples was presumably intended to be subversive, and ultimately, funny. Red One, on the other hand, has seemingly mashed these discordant narrative elements together purely to make more money by exploiting both the popularity of Christmas and the success of mindless PG-13 action movies.

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It would have been way better if theyd just introduced the concept that Santa Claus exists in the Fast & Furious universe, and its up to Dom Toretto and his team family to rescue him.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time youre reading this).
If you put these guys in the role, you almost dont even need prosthetics

Ever since Charlize Theron won an Oscar after the filmmakers of Monster searched all of Hollywood and couldnt find a normal-looking woman, its become a perverse badge of honor for actors to transform themselves (usually in a de-hottening way) for a prestigious role. The latest is Colin Farrell, who appeared in The Batman and the upcoming The Penguin looking plump, bald and Face/Offe-d despite hooking up with Britney Spears in 2003.

Its particularly pointless because there are tons of actors who wouldnt require six hours of makeup to look like Farrells Penguin. Such as

7 Robert De Niro Don't Miss This is clearly who they wanted, right? Farrells Penguin even has a sizable birthmark on his cheek. Sure, De Niro is getting a bit long in the tooth, but Penguin is clearly supposed to be older than Farrells relatively spry 48 years, and probably wouldnt even squint for the paycheck on offer, but thats when you get

6 Elias Koteas Like, did they even try Koteas? Was he busy? No offense to the esteemed character actor, but hes a dead ringer for Farrells Penguin if the character had simply made some better lifestyle choices. Put some scars on him, and hes good to go. If they needed a bigger name

5 Mickey Rourke Its a truth universally acknowledged in Hollywood that if you want a swarthy guy with a fucked-up face, you call Rourke. Hes already done the fucking-up for you. The man has a BAFTA for crying out loud.

4 Robert Davi Advertisement Advertisement Another textured angel known for playing goons. And this one is actually Italian!

3 James Gandolfini Okay, yes, hes dead. But come on, right? How much would that have ruled?

2 The Rest of the Cast of The Penguin Have you seen all the guys theyve got playing the Falcone crime family? Michael Kelly. Michael Zegen. Scott Cohen. All better choices than Colin Farrell, provided they were going to make Colin Farrell look like that.
The Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour utilizes storytelling to educate participants about notable sites and their history. According

to cofounders and curators Barnali Ghosh and Anirvan Chatterjee, it is important to highlight LGBTQ+ perspectives among these stories.
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Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.


This is the politicians prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom to utter words that are gentle and tender, for tomorrow we may have to eat them.'

When U.S. congressman Morris Udall coined that witty line, he might have imagined swallowing the odd contradiction or two. But all through this election campaign, Sir Keir Starmer has dined on nothing but his own words.

Everyone who follows politics will understand that party leaders sometimes get caught in situations where they have to reverse their opinions, because of overwhelming circumstances.

But that is not what Starmer is doing. He seems to be shifting his opinion on every single issue, from his support for Jeremy Corbyn to his definition of what a woman is.

The result is that none of us really knows what he thinks about anything. He appears willing to swallow any statement he ever made, and justify his vacillations as proof that he and Labour are willing to change.

In an interview with the Daily Mails political editor Jason Groves yesterday, Starmer repeatedly claimed he had ruthlessly changed his party. We have campaigned as changed Labour, he announced, and we will govern as changed Labour  a direct echo of Tony Blairs statement when he first entered No 10, except that Blair said New Labour instead of changed Labour.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, in an interview with the Daily Mails political editor Jason Groves (right), claimed the party had 'ruthlessly changed'

Change is a vacuous promise. It guarantees everything and means nothing. In the mouth of Keir Starmer, it is an empty slogan. No doubt it has been chosen for just that reason, because in the near future hell be eating his words yet again.

The country has become so used to Starmers flip-flops that most people now take it for granted that he will say whatever is politically most expedient. That lets him get away with the most outrageous statements.

During one of the televised debates, he declared that he would not wish any of his loved ones to have private healthcare, even if they were ill and the waiting list for treatment was a long one.

That is a chilling thing for anyone to say, and coming from a politician with a reputation for sincerity it would sound utterly inhuman. But no one took him at his word, because weve learned not to bother. Starmer once again was simply saying what he thought would go down best with the audience.

The biggest reversal has been his renunciation of his predecessor as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who has now been expelled from the party. Notoriously, he declared Corbyn was his good friend and would be a great prime minister.

When challenged on this, he later suggested, through a mouthful of his own well-chewed words, that hed backed Corbyn in 2017 and 2019 so loudly only because he was certain Labour couldnt win those elections.

What a strange and unconvincing excuse.

If Starmer thinks he can say something which is untrue simply because he expects to lose, perhaps he is also open to the temptation of saying something false because hes sure hes going to win.

If hed really felt Corbyn was a dangerous prospect as prime minister  which he certainly was  Starmer could have copied the example of his front-bench colleagues Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper, and declined to serve under him.

But he called himself proud to have served as Corbyns shadow immigration minister, boasted he had sued the government to increase benefits for asylum seekers, and said he would close detention centres for illegal migrants.

In fact, his opinions about Corbyn have veered in all directions. He recently announced that Corbyn would have made a better PM than Boris Johnson. Starmer claims to have changed Labour. But has he changed himself or just the way he wishes to appear?

The surest indication we have of Starmers real political instincts is his stance on nationalisation when he was seeking the leadership of the Labour party in 2020. He was unequivocally in favour of wholesale nationalisation for entire sectors of the economy  energy, rail, water.

This was without question radical Socialist policy  and Starmer has proudly confirmed on plenty of occasions that he considers himself a Socialist. There is no more stark divide between Left and Right than the issue of nationalisation, state control versus free enterprise.

These are matters of profound belief. How can he possibly have sold himself to the Labour party as a disciple of state ownership, then with one bound claim to the electorate that his great passion is wealth creation? The two are mutually exclusive.

When I heard him say on TV that the whole Labour manifesto was committed to wealth creation, I burst out laughing. Socialism is about the redistribution of wealth, not its creation.

Shadow health spokesman Wes Streeting has admitted that the manifesto is not the sum total of Labours ambitions. Starmer adds that further government expenditure and investment can be financed through growth.

Not only is he promising growth by means unknown, but were expected to believe that Britain will magically soar to the highest growth rate of any nation in the G7.

As a former Chancellor of the Exchequer, I know full well that growth cannot be created by wishing. Any politician who claims to know what the precise future rate of economic expansion will be, or who pretends to be sure it will surpass that of any competing nation, is simply living in cloud cuckoo land.

Former Chancellor Norman Lamont says of Starmer (pictured with his Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves): 'How can he possibly have sold himself to the Labour Party as a disciple of state ownership, then with one bound claim that his great passion is "wealth creation"?'

But the naivety of business people who ought to know much better can be astonishing. The investor John Caudwell has done the rounds on television explaining his reasons for switching to Labour: he cites its promises of growth, as if that can be conjured out of the air.

Government interference, red tape, French-style trade union laws, regulation and more diversity targets are the enemies of growth.

Unnecessary government intervention usually stifles the economy, even in boom years. Labours plan for growth consists of the creation of a national wealth fund which is going to, as they put it, co-operate with the private sector.

In reality, that almost certainly means investment in a lot of white elephants.

We are also promised something called the Great British Energy Company, which will invest in renewable energy. This is to be financed at one fifth of the original cost estimated by Labour.

There may be a need for that if Labour shuts down North Sea oil and gas fields, and attempts to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030, which is widely regarded as impractical and will impose costs of billions of pounds on business.

But the UKs private sector already leads the world in renewable energy. Theres no evidence at all that a state body could add extra value.

A huge amount of this campaign has concentrated on the Conservatives, perhaps because their campaign has had a lot of mishaps.

Labour and Starmer have escaped proper scrutiny. As a result they deserve to have a credibility problem.

Labour fundamentally does not understand where growth or wealth creation comes from. Growth happens when it is allowed to happen  when government sets the right conditions to create prosperity and jobs  not as a result of burgeoning layers of bureaucracy. Whatever Keir Starmer might say.

 Lord Lamont of Lerwick was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1990 to 1993.
The odd thing is that I want Sir Keir Starmer and Labour to succeed. We have suffered nearly a decade of political turmoil and, like most people, I long for a period of settled government.

Yet I dont believe were going to get it. Sir Keir may have been coy about his true intentions, but he has said enough for us to be certain that he and his party are proposing nothing less than the transformation of Britain.

Keir Starmer is planning five years of 'national convulsion' for Britain

Labours socialist revolution will be vigorously opposed by many, including the Conservative Party  unless it is reduced to an impotent rump next Thursday. But we should be in no doubt that we face five years of national convulsion.

Here are 10 good reasons to fear Labour

Tax

Despite having ruled out increases in income tax, national insurance and VAT, shadow ministers havent denied that capital gains tax, property taxes and inheritance tax could rise. Its certain at least some of them will  partly because a Starmer government will need extra revenue to fund its ambitious plans, and partly because (as the imposition of VAT on private school fees illustrates) Labour is still fighting the class war. All that is in doubt is how long it will take for these assaults on modest wealth to be adopted. The first salvo may come in a November Budget.

Immigration

Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, recently suggested that the Tories had a fighting chance of slashing net migration to 150,000, having presided over a record high of 745,000 in 2022. The last Labour government ushered in the era of uncontrolled immigration, and theres no evidence that the next one will be any different. Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper refuses to set immigration targets. Starmers proposals to stop the boats crossing the Channel are laughably vague. Labour wont get a grip on either legal or illegal immigration.

Defence

This is a case not of what Labour would do but of what it wouldnt. It has refused to match the Tory pledge to increase defence expenditure from around 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2030. Labour can find billions to fund its pet projects such as Great British Energy, but in the midst of a Russian-inspired European war, and with China, North Korea and Iran becoming increasingly antagonistic, it wont bolster our dangerously depleted defences.

Planning

The Labour leader at the Port of Greenock while on the General Election campaign trail with (left) Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and (right) Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband

Labour has promised a radical overhaul to planning laws. It hopes to build 1.5 million new homes in the next Parliament  an increase of 50 per cent on what was achieved in the last. Independent observers reckon that immigration accounts for about 40 per cent of new housing demand, but Labour never acknowledges the connection. It also aims to reintroduce onshore wind farms, which are a blight and often ineffective. There will be more ugly pylons, too. Much of our beautiful countryside will be despoiled.

Voting rights for 16-year-olds

Why should 16-year-olds  who arent allowed to drink alcohol in a pub, drive a car or fight in a war  be given a vote? This self-serving measure is designed by Labour to entrench its power for ever, the supposition being that the young are overwhelmingly of the Left. Starmer could be in for a surprise, though. Hard-Right parties attracted many younger voters in the recent European elections. In France, Marine Le Pens National Rally increased its share of the youth vote from 19 per cent in 2019 to 30 per cent.

Closer to the EU

Labour claims it has no intention of rejoining the European Union, or even the single market and customs union. It would say that, wouldnt it? Although passionately pro-EU  so much so that he tried to reverse Brexit while in opposition  Sir Keir knows that to openly embrace the cause of rejoining would be political suicide. The talk has been of improving the UKs trade agreement with the EU. Very gradually we will edge back into the maw of Brussels,

Sir Keirs hope being that the process will be so low-key that few will resist it.

The Constitution

The last Labour government was constitutionally the most radical ever. It abolished the right of most hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords, invented the now over-mighty Supreme Court, and introduced devolution to Scotland and Wales. The next Labour government will be no less proactive. Its manifesto pledges to modernise the Lords, and then to replace it with an alternative second chamber. There will be greater powers for Holyrood and Cardiff, which will lead to Scotland and Wales drifting still further from England, and enfeebling the Union.

The impending collapse of the SNP in Scotland is admittedly one bonus of Labours triumph. But the SNP, armed with enhanced powers, will be back.

Workers rights

New workers rights have been championed by deputy leader Angela Rayner. Zero-hours contracts, though popular with many, will be banned. Employees will have more protection against dismissal from day one. Sick pay will be available to workers earlier. Recent trade union laws introduced by the Tories will be repealed. These measures will entail extra costs for businesses. Meanwhile, unlike the Conservatives, Labour makes no undertaking to curb the ballooning welfare budget  particularly sickness benefit. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, one in ten British workers are claiming health-related benefits.

Decarbonising the grid

Labour plans to decarbonise the grid in Britain at least five years before the rest of Europe

Labour is committed to decarbonising the grid by 2030, at least five years before the rest of Europe. The burdens placed on industry will be painful  and expensive for consumers. Under the Tories, new cars with combustion engines were due to be banned by 2030, but this has been pushed back until 2035. Labour is set on 2030. Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall, warned earlier this week that it would be forced to close its UK factories unless rules requiring manufacturers to sell a certain proportion of electric vehicles are relaxed. The ideologically-driven Ed Miliband, prospective Climate Change and Net Zero Secretary, may not be accommodating.

Gender wars

Sir Keir has rowed back from his absurd contention that it was not right to say that only women have a cervix. But his party is committed to making it easier to change gender. This week it emerged that people who want to legally transition will no longer have to prove that they have lived in their preferred gender for two years. The bigotry and bile of some in the party was illustrated last week by remarks from actor David Tennant, a Labour stalwart. He recommended that Kemi Badenoch  the Cabinet minister who has defended womens rights  should shut up, and imagined her not existing any more.

Some people say Sir Keir Starmer has played his cards so close to his chest that we dont know what kind of government he will lead. There are certainly many unexplored corners. But we do, in fact, have a pretty good idea of how Labour will rule us.

From taxation to planning to constitutional reform to workers rights to net zero, the British are heading towards a political revolution of which they seem unaware, and surely dont want. Yet none of us can pretend that we havent been warned.
Those envious of others jetting off to Italy this summer can now enjoy their own Italian experience - without ever having to leave Sydney.

Crown Sydney's fine dining Italian venue a'Mare in Barangaroo is offering a sublime 'Italian Job' menu for $180 per person with all the tableside theatre and delights you'd expect on a getaway to the Med.

The culinary adventure begins with a frisella Pugliese bruschetta with olive oil and jewel colour tomatoes on top of crunchy bread and a dreamy Caesar salad assembled right by your table.

For the pasta course diners will have to make a difficult decision between paccheri con aragosta tubes with opulent Eastern Rock lobster or a delicious spaghetti all'aglio with Moreton Bay bug.

a'Mare's vibrant sun hued palate cleansing sgroppino shortly follows.

It's a loosening and refreshing libation composed of Malfy gin, Aperol and surprisingly tart passionfruit sorbet.

The tender, slow braised salt baked wagyu beef cheek with baked lemon cream is a satisfying main and is followed by a Fior di latte gelato dessert which can be adorned with a generous selection of unique toppings from the 'gelato cart'.

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Perfect pasta with Australian seafood will transport you to an Italian summer

It is the final note in a'Mare's The Italian Job set menu.

There menu also comes with an optional drinks pairing for an additional $115 per person.

Speaking to FEMAIL, a'Mare's head chef Alessandro Pavoni said that the menu 'is designed to be a show and to bring the theatre of tableside service to each customer for each course'.

He promises a 'unique, theatrical and full sensory dining experience as the sights, smells and tastes of the dishes come together in front of you'.

a'Mare chef Alessandro Pavoni spoke to FEMAIL

'It must be juicy but not soggy,' Alessandro said of the perfect bruschetta

When FEMAIL asked his secret to a perfect pasta sauce, Pavoni was happy to divulge.

'The perfect pasta sauce is when it melds together perfectly with the pasta and is the right density and quantity. There should not be too much or too little sauce, you need to find a balance,' he said.

'Mantecare is a key step in the process, you need to toss the pasta with the sauce and some of the pasta cooking water to allow it to combine completely and create a unified dish.'

Alessandro shared that when dining he is a devotee of sparkling wine with Italian food.

'I can have a whole meal with a Franciacorta or Champagne, I love a Blanc de Blanc,' he said.

Palate cleansing sgroppino is made with Malfy gin and Aperol

The elegant Crown Sydney restaurant has generous indoor and outdoor seating

Also shared his trick for a perfect bruschetta

'It must be juicy but not soggy, the bread must have that all important crunchiness but it should have also absorbed some of the dressing and flavours from the toppings,' he said.

For those who aren't jetting off for a perfect Italian summer, Alessandro promises his menu will give diners 'that classic Italian charm' that forms a precious part of his own childhood memories from dining with his parents in the fine restaurants of the Lake Garda region.

Crown's a'Mare has a less formal venue offering in its Cucinetta, allowing diners a more relaxed, casual atmosphere and space for a quick drink or snacks, but still with a'Mare's renowned attention to detail.

The Fior di latte gelato with toppings from a'Mare's gelato cart

How to make a'Mare's dreamy sgroppino Alessandro Pavoni of Crown Sydney's a'Mare shared his recipe for the a'Mare sgroppino, a refreshing palate cleanser 60g Passionfruit Sorbet 15ml Aperol 15ml Malfy gin 10ml sugar syrup 30ml Prosecco Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until thickened, smooth and combined, pour into a champagne glass and enjoy immediately Advertisement

a'Mare is located within the Crown Sydney complex and is open six days a week for lunch and dinner.

Although some diners did complain the prices might be a little 'over the top', reviewers 'could not fault' the excellent food, with a particular emphasis on the freshness of the seafood and the theatricality of the service.

The vibe is classy, classic and unpretentious fine dining with expansive views to Sydney's romantic waterside.

Customers love a'Mare for the unique experience of having the pesto for their pasta prepared tableside while others found the 'encyclopediac' wine and drinks list 'jaw dropping.'

It's the perfect Italian experience, without the jet lag.
A former ethics professor who was convicted of sexually assaulting a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy speaks for first time in a new documentary.

In 2015, Anna Stubblefield, then 39, a former Rutgers University-Newark professor, was found guilty of sexually assaulting Derrick Johnson, then 28, who is unable to speak, needs help eating and walking and is forced to wear diapers.

The American professor, who was married at the time, was sentenced to 12 years in 2015, although she was paroled for life in 2018.

Speaking for the first time in a new documentary Tell Them You Love Me, which aired on Sky Documentaries and is available on Now, Anna claimed Derrick had 'taken charge' and initiated sex with her.

However according to Derrick's mother Daisy Johnson and brother John Johnson, who act as his legal guardians, he is intellectually disabled and cannot make those decisions.

Anna Stubblefield, a former Rutgers University-Newark professor, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy speaks for first time in a new documentary Tell Them You Love Me

Anna said: 'I'm pretty sure I haven't been re-writing things in my head. Derrick and I had debated on whether we wanted to say anything to Daisy and John about the change in our relationship.

'We knew we were going to tell them eventually, so it was more that we were enjoying the initial romance when it's very private. It is very intimate and it is just the two of you, and it changes when you start sharing with family.'

Speaking about the first time they became intimate Anna called that Derrick had 'taken charge' and asked her to remove her clothing.

Anna claimed that she embarked on a physical affair with Derrick after forging a connection through the controversial technique of facilitated communication.

Facilitated communication is when an individual steadies the hand of a person who struggles to communicate because of tremors and helps them to type on a keyboard.

She said: 'It's difficult for him to kiss so he wanted to practise. Like everything else it is a physical challenge for him. I could tell he was very tense. I said: ''Talk to me, what's going on?''. He typed: ''I really love being with you, I love doing this, but I am overwhelmed right now, I need a minute".'

Anna said she presumed the moment had passed, saying she didn't want to pressure Derrick into anything, and told him that because it was 'all new' to him he had to 'call the shots.'

She recalled: 'He started typing "I touch your breasts", then he typed, "Take your shirt off all the way". So I did that and then he said: "Take the rest of your clothes off". So I did and then he said: "I dreamed about this".

Anna was found guilty of sexually assaulting Derrick Johnson, (pictured 2023) who is unable to speak, needs help eating and walking and is forced to wear diapers, in 2016

The American professor, who was married at the time, was sentenced to 12 years in 2015, although she was paroled for life in 2018

According to Derrick's mother Daisy Johnson (left) and brother John Johnson, (right) who act as his legal guardians, he is intellectually disabled and can not make those decisions

'It seemed to me he had really taken control of the situation. He was ordering me around but that was kind of cool because I wasn't necessarily anticipating that element of the relationship.

'He said: "I long to hold you the way men do". He said: "Do you think it will even be possible with my cerebral palsy for us to make love?" and I said, "I have no idea but there is only one way to find out".'

According to facilitatedcommunication.org the controversy surrounding facilitated communication emerged in the 1990s when concerns were raised about the validity and reliability of the method.

Critics argued that the messages produced through FC may not originate from the individual with autism but rather reflect the facilitator's thoughts or desires

Derrick and Anna met in 2009 when John, who was a student of Annas, approached the professor about his brothers condition and she offered to help Derrick with his communication skills.

He soon learned to use a keyboard with an LED screen to type and, with Anna's assistance, he began taking a university class.

Derrick's mother Daisy recalled the moment that Anna and her son broke the news of their intimate relationship to her and her older son John.

Daisy said: 'She said ''We are in love, and we have been intimate, he is a man in every sense of the word''. I sat on my hands and I said: ''You did what?''. I tried to be civil, John had gone somewhere, I think went to throw up.

John said: 'I was shocked I didn't know what to make of it at the time. But i felt myself getting so angry and rage filled that I had left, I went downstairs I paced a few times, I had to let my anger subside.'

In 2015, Anna was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but in 2017, Annas appeal was granted and her conviction revoked, on a technicality

Anna claimed that she embarked on a physical affair with Derrick after forging a connection through the controversial technique of facilitated communication

Daisy alleged that her son is incapable of consent, claiming he didnt have the capacity to engage in physical or emotional intimacy, and the extent to which he used a keyboard to communicate with her wouldnt have been possible unless Anna was manipulating his hands

Derrick, picutred with his brother John, still lives with his mother Daisy (right), and has not seen Anna since 2011 and he no longer uses facilitated communication

Anna recalled that the interaction went well and claimed that Daisy hugged her goodbye and said: ''We will figure this out''.'

However, the next morning Anna got a call from John saying they did not feel comfortable with her seeing Derrick.

Daisy alleged that her son was incapable of consent, claiming he didnt have the capacity to engage in physical or emotional intimacy, and the extent to which he used a keyboard to communicate with her wouldnt have been possible unless Anna was manipulating his hands.

Anna siad: 'I never got any vibe off John or Daisy that they didn't 100 percent believe that what Derrick said was his words.

'I had been careful in the beggining to make sure that I wasn't influencing him, but there were so many situations were he was telling me information I didn't know and at the beggining I was checking it to make make sure I wasn't influencing him.

'The fact that we had arguments and disagreements and he very clearly had his own mind - he more than proved himself. I had all this proof that I could of shared with them to reassure them.'

However, Daisy claimed her son didnt have the capacity to engage in physical or emotional intimacy, and the extent to which he used a keyboard to communicate with Anna wouldnt have been possible unless she was manipulating his hands.

What is Facilitated Communication and why is it controversial? Facilitated communication is when an individual steadies the hand of a person who struggles to communicate because of tremors and helps them to type on a keyboard. Effective communication requires good facilitation skills, and the Facilitation process is used as a tool to help disabled people express themselves. Facilitated communication (FC), or supported typing, is a scientifically discredited technique, which claims to allow non-verbal people, such as those with autism, to communicate. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association there is extensive evidence of 'harms' related to the use of FC. Information obtained through the use of FC should not be considered as the communication of the person with a disability. A significant number of studies outlined in Sage Journals debunk FC, seeming to show that facilitators are influencing the output deliberately or, more often, through the ideomotor effect (the same subconscious phenomenon that makes it seem like Ouija boards truly channel spirits). There are no new studies on authorship and there remains no evidence that FC is a valid form of communication for individuals with severe communication disabilities. FC continues to be contested in high profile court cases and its use promoted in school settings and workshops at university campuses in the US. It's now also used in other countries including New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. But government departments and professional organisations in these countries have said that facilitated communication is a discredited technique, which shouldn't be used. Source: Asha.org Advertisement

The Johnsons reported Anna to the police and prosecutors began investigating the allegations. In 2013, Anna was charged with two counts of first degree aggravated sexual assault.

In 2015, Anna was found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but in 2017, Annas appeal was granted and her conviction revoked, on a technicality.

In her initial trial, the court had dismissed testimony related to facilitated communication because the process was not recognised by science.

Anna accepted a plea deal for a lesser charge and was released from prison after serving two years.

Derrick, now 37, who still lives with his mother Daisy, has not seen Anna since 2011 and he no longer uses facilitated communication.
Belting out the words to Janis Joplin's Piece Of My Heart, I twirled in my sparkly mini dress, my newly highlighted hair swishing to the music.

It was midnight in a chic cocktail bar in Soho and I was on stage at the DJ's invitation, after he'd seen my passionate dancing get the crowd going. My date was looking on admiringly, but with his arms crossed and stifling a yawn.

As the song ended and the crowd cheered, I returned to my seat and he gave my thigh an affectionate squeeze. 'Come on, my good-time girl,' he said. 'It has been a heavy week.' And putting a protective arm around my shoulder, he led me out the door.

This may read like a vignette of some ageing paramour reining in his younger squeeze  except that my partner Justin is 21 years younger than me. And at 62, I was the one acting like a buzzed-up teenager. If you had told me last year I would be dating a man nearly half my age, I would have laughed in your face.

But after a gruelling rollercoaster of failed romances, two miscarriages in my 30s and three marriage proposals (none of which saw me walking down the aisle), I met Justin on a dating website. A handsome lawyer of 41 with dark curly hair and Italian heritage, when he made contact, my first thought was that he couldn't seriously be interested in me. But he told me 'age is just a number' and that he was drawn to my 'radiance'.

Kate Mulvey (pictured) says: 'If you had told me last year I would be dating a man nearly half my age, I would have laughed in your face - yet now I'm the one acting like a buzzed-up teenager'

Being with a younger partner in a glorious, life-enhancing relationship is the best human anti-ageing cream, for Kate, 62, who has a renewed spring in her step

'Smarmy git,' I thought. But I hadn't so much as kissed anyone in years and longed for the touch of a lover, someone I truly fancied, so I decided, what the heck

Six months and one week on, I find myself in a glorious, life-enhancing relationship that is quite honestly like human anti-ageing cream. I've lost that hard expression that so many women my age have. I walk with a spring in my step and catch myself smiling for no reason.

As for sex, Justin has reignited my long-lost libido. Sometimes, as I lie there dumbstruck with my head resting on his chest (which, can I say, is magnificent), I feel like I've won the love lottery.

Admittedly we haven't said the L word yet. But we say how much we like each other. He tells me how much fun he has and that he can't wait to see me again. And there are lots of loving texts.

On Sundays, we like to curl up together in bed, watch black-and-white movies (we are both obsessed with old films) and joke about who will get the last piece of dark chocolate.

You might well think I am deluded, just another cougar sharpening her claws. Yet the sands are shifting when it comes to older women in age-gap relationships; statistics show more than 25 per cent of women over 40 have dated a younger man in the past year.

And there are plenty of celebrity couples following the trend, including director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, and her husband Aaron, an actor aged 34. Talking to single friends, too, it feels as if dating a much younger man has become almost a rite of passage.

Of course, there are hurdles to consider. When he's a youngish 50-year-old, I'll be over 70. And, let's face it, having a baby is out of the question.

Film director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, and her actor husband Aaron, aged 34

Justin is still climbing the ladder of success, too. When he mentions possibly joining a law firm in New York, he talks of 'I' not 'we'. It is still early days; we haven't talked about the future at this point.

In one way I am scared that if I mention anything long-term, I will spook him.

At the same time, as much as I'd like this to become long-term, I'm fully aware of its possible transience. Some of my closer friends, seeing how glowingly happy I am, tell me to keep an open mind.

'He doesn't seem to have a problem with your age,' said one. 'It's just your own hang-up.'

As someone who has never married or had children, I have always trodden a different path from the norm.

My 20s were full of glamorous parties and eligible men. There was an engagement in my 30s, which fell apart when I became suffocated by his possessiveness.

After a further short-lived relationship at 39 and my first miscarriage, I found myself on the wrong side of 40 and childless.

At that point I thought I wanted marriage and children; there was another engagement but, after years of him refusing to set a date, I left him in 2014.

For the past ten years, I have dated with the best of them. But apart from a couple of short romances  even one more short-lived engagement  it was all to no avail.

I took a break from dating. Then, last Christmas, feeling a bit more hopeful, I rejoined Match.com.

At first the only messages were from balding 70-year-olds with erectile dysfunction, or lonely men who had never had a long-term relationship. They all needed saving and had little to offer.

You can forget TLC or an orgasm from men my own age. They are often snippy and resentful because life hasn't turned out the way they thought.

On dates they ogle women young enough to be their daughters, which leaves you deeply uncomfortable.

Before you think me a hypocrite, I'd argue that while older men can be predatory, women, being the physically weaker sex, pose no such threat to younger men.

Still, I was shocked and slightly suspicious when I received Justin's message one bleak January day: 'Wow Sexy and a writer, how amazing to know someone like you,' followed by a heart emoji.

I replied, cautiously, 'What's this You're 20 years younger!'

What on earth would he want with an old lady like me?

But when he replied, 'Age is just a number', my mind snapped awake. It had been at least a couple of years since any decent-looking man had made me feel desirable. I was so starved of a lover's touch that I physically ached.

I was also stuck in the miasma of post-menopausal tiredness and tetchiness, and suffering from a condition which my doctor advised could cause pain during sex. The only bedtime company I had been keeping was with a cup of Horlicks and a pair of night socks.

The 'sands are shifting when it comes to older women in age-gap relationships', says Kate Mulvey - just look at actress Sienna Miller, 42, and her partner Oli Green, who is 15 years younger

It had even dawned on me that my sex life might be over. Was I condemned to a life of unwanted celibacy when intimacy had always been so important to me?

But two weeks and many flirty voice messages later, Justin and I arranged to meet.

I had joked to my close friends that as long as he didn't run down the street screaming in horror at the sight of me, I would consider it a win. But inside I was terrified he wouldn't find me attractive.

I hadn't been on a date in nearly a year, and didn't think I would measure up to someone so young and handsome.

Despite looking after myself with yoga and zero white carbs, my days of looking flawless naked are over.

So I plucked and poked, bought new make-up from L'Oreal and opted for a classy mini skirt, skinny ribbed jumper and flat boots. It was my usual go-to date wardrobe, but I did worry he might think I was trying to look younger.

As I hailed a cab, heart pounding, I felt dread mixed with excitement. How should I greet him? Hug, shake hands?

He was already standing at the bar in the swanky Chelsea restaurant. 'You are more beautiful in the flesh,' he said as he pulled out my chair, and we were soon laughing. He even held my hand briefly before driving me home.

When he texted later that evening and asked if I would like to see him again, I was over the moon.

On our second date, we exchanged life details. Justin is a property lawyer whose parents are from Sicily, although he was born in London. He has never been married, no kids. He has dated older women before, though his ex was only ten years older as opposed to our 21-year gap.

Again, I tentatively asked, 'Why me?' He said he liked the way I looked, thought my profile was funny and was drawn to my 'warm smile'. Then he said, 'Don't overthink it.' So I didn't.

We saw each other the following week and quickly started to spend all of our spare time together.

He is quieter than me, and far more patient. Yet he is the first man I've dated who really challenges what I say; he may not be as quick-witted, but he is more thoughtful and I often agree with him without thinking I have lost the argument. But then he is a lawyer.

He picks me up for walks in Richmond Park and we sit sipping lattes, talking non-stop, feeling more and more happy in each other's company.

After roughly a month, dates became sleepovers. Prior to Justin, my libido had been hovering at around zero. The last time I had indulged, several years ago, the sensation had been more sandpaper than symphonies.

So I had taken myself to my GP and emerged with an armful of unguents, oestrogen cream and a numbing agent in preparation.

When it came to baring all for the first time, I was so nervous that I got undressed with my back to him. Yes, 60 may be the new 40 in glossy-magazine speak but, like so many women, I find there is a world of difference between the two decades.

Middle-aged spread, wrinkly skin tone (years of sunbathing) and saggy-bottom syndrome are just some of my crosses to bear.

When I finally relaxed, with the help of low lighting, I was palpably relieved that the chemistry between us was great.

It helped that he commented on my 'stunning figure', and how my skin was so soft.

'Tell me what you like,' he says, running his fingers up my thigh. So I tell him  and may I say he has taken me to realms I didn't know existed.

And yes, his sex drive is pretty intense. I confess to moments of fatigue when we have sex in the morning and again in the evening. To be honest, though, it feels lovely knowing he finds me so desirable.

When, a few weeks in, he told me to leave 'some stuff' at his place  a sure sign it was official  I wanted to dance on tables. It is as if a part of me that had lain dormant under layers of life, emotional baggage and old rejections, has come racing to the foreground.

I'm having fun like I did in my 20s, only this time with an emotional cushion, because we know and trust each other.

Being with a younger man feels light and hopeful, but at 41 he is mature enough to know how to cherish and treat me properly.

We do connect beyond the superficial stuff, too. He is intelligent and we want to talk about the same things in the same depth.

We both love getting up late, and our favourite meal is steak and chips.

To my relief, he doesn't have a vegan bone in his body.

That said, we are sometimes at odds over JK Rowling's pro-women stance; he can seem a tad woke but I appreciate it's a generational divide.

I like the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs. He is confident and self-assured, and I love his calm, low-key way of being  it is the perfect foil for what he calls my 'zaniness'. I don't feel like a notch on his bedpost or a 'Mrs Robinson' rite of passage. (One 23-year-old I dated back in my 40s  no, this isn't my first experience of dating a much younger man  said, 'Been there, done that' when talking about me to a friend.)

Despite the age gap between her and her younger boyfriend, Kate doesn't feel 'like a notch on his bedpost' or a 'Mrs Robinson' rite of passage (pictured from the film The Graduate)

I like the way he holds my hand when we walk down the street, too. One Saturday, having dragged me to the Tate Modern, we met with a torrential downpour on our way out. I had a mini tantrum and he dashed off, returning drenched, umbrella in hand, to escort me. I loved him that little bit more for being such a gent.

Yet while we feel like any other normal, happy couple, not everyone agrees. Some friends have declared, 'Far too young, it will end in tears.' Others told me bluntly, 'Of course he doesn't love you!' I laugh it off, but deep down I just can't believe that I deserve happiness this late in life. After all, isn't that what we are taught?

The same hypocritical friends flirt outrageously with Justin every time he comes into the room. And male friends make sarcastic comments about him being mistaken for my son (I know, hilarious). Others think it's a bit, well, gross at my age.

At one social event, we were talking to an old male friend

who started directing all his conversation to me, edging Justin out of the way. There is nothing like turning up with a handsome hunk on your arm to highlight an old man's lack of virility.

On the other hand, dinner parties with a group of pensioners are enough to make a youngish buck fall asleep in his soup.

Topics of conversation include pensions, the cost-of-living crisis and various health issues. While one friend droned on and on about the NHS, I did catch Justin rolling his eyes. I had to laugh; we made our excuses and left.

It's no better when we're with his friends. It's clear some of the single men think it's weird he wants to date me. Others, though, ask me to introduce them to one of my female friends.

But I find it particularly difficult to shake off the sense of unease when we're with his friends who are parents and dashing about after young toddlers. That's when I feel really old  and keenly aware I am childless.

In other ways, though, a relationship with a younger man and the associated confidence boost have given me a much more youthful outlook.

I've started to wear pretty, flippy dresses like the ones I wore in my 40s  I even dug some out from the back of the closet.

I have also become less crabby. People my age tend to complain a lot; being with someone more lighthearted has upped my mood.

I try not to mention my creaking knees but, despite throwing myself into the odd disco with abandon, after a while I do long for bed. Slowly, holes are creeping into our happiness. I draw the line at late nights at the pub during the week and slope home alone.

My social life may be busier but I am more tired as a result. This is not the best for convivial intimacy but, hey ho, sleep comes first.

The future is, of course, unknown. I certainly haven't touched on the matter of whether he wants children  I don't dare to.

But the other week, as we lay curled up on the sofa, cocooned in cashmere and cuddles, he did say there were far better things to do than change nappies. I am banking on that being a subtle indicator.

So I am trying to live in the moment. Even if it doesn't last, I will never regret this passionate, caring relationship that has brought me back to life.
For the past five years, Gemma Hall, 24, has kept a controversial appointment two or three times almost every week. Although she says these sessions make her feel calmer when stressed and boost her confidence, her parents, for a start, are concerned.

Gemma is one of the surprising new generation of sunbed devotees. A bright and articulate criminology graduate, she is well aware she is risking skin cancer, but ploughs on regardless. Such is her desire for the perma-tanned look popularised by the likes of Love Island stars  not to mention influencers paid by tanning brands to plug their products.

I feel more confident with a tan and my clothes look nicer, explains Gemma, a careers advisor from Manchester. My friends use them too so it doesnt feel like a big deal. And I like the fact that a tan from a sunbed lasts longer than fake tan, is obviously natural and I can see the results almost straight away rather than having to wait for it to develop over several hours.

As for the substantial risk of skin cancer  sunbed exposure before the age of 35 has been proven to increase the risk of malignant melanoma by as much as 75 per cent  she is aware but undeterred.

Criminology graduate Gemma Hall, 24, says her weekly tanning habit makes her feel confident and her clothes look better with glowing skin, but her parents are worried

Im well aware of the risks, she says, but Id never go on for more than five or six minutes at a time, two or three times a week.

My view is that everything should be done in moderation, whether thats partying and drinking alcohol or going on sunbeds.

However, experts are clear there is no such thing as safe sunbed use, due to the dangers of UV light.

One study, by the University of Minnesota, of women diagnosed with melanoma before the age of 30, found that 97 per cent of them had used sunbeds.

In 2010, the scientific evidence against sunbeds was thought to be so compelling, that the government banned under-18s from using them and by 2013 the number of tanning shops  once prolific on the High Street  had fallen by almost a third.

However, alarming new data suggests sunbeds are enjoying a renaissance among Generation Z, those born between the late-1990s and 2012. According to recent research by charity Melanoma Focus, a shocking 42 per cent of young Brits aged 18 to 25 have used them.

Google revealed that searches for sunbeds have increased by 260 per cent in the past six months while how many sunbed sessions do I need to get a tan? is up 180 per cent.

Compare this to the decline in smoking since the dangers became known: 13 per cent of those over 18 smoked cigarettes in 2021, the lowest level since records began ten years earlier.

So why is sunbed use on the rise again?

Sunbeds have had a resurgence thanks to the perma-tanned contestants on Love Island and social media images, but medical experts are worried this might encourage the younger generation to ignore medical advice

Dr Paul Banwell, founder of The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit (MASCU) in East Grinstead, one of the largest skin cancer units in the UK, points to the pernicious influence of social media videos encouraging the younger generation to ignore medical advice.

There are various influencing factors, including the millions of views on social media for the deadly beauty trend, he says. Generation Zs current use of sunbeds is a ticking time bomb that will lead to more cases of skin cancer in future. It is estimated that, across the country, sunbeds cause about 440 melanomas and around 100 deaths each year.

TikToks community safety guidelines state that marketing tobacco products, drugs, or other regulated substances is banned because the platform recognises that there are risks connected to trading and using these substances.

Although sunbed use is also regulated, being banned for under 18s, these videos are not required to carry health warnings.

The hashtag #sunbed has more than 588 million views. And young women, some with hundreds of thousands of followers, upload footage inviting viewers to come for a sunbed with me.

Companies flogging tanning merchandise, and tanning salons themselves, use TikTok accounts to lure the platforms young audience. Some are keen to highlight the supposed benefits of the most up-to-date sunbeds.

One tanning company with salons across the country, claims the benefits of its Hybrid Sunbed (hybrid because it uses a combination of both red light and UV) include reducing acne, increasing confidence and raising levels of the mood-boosting brain chemical serotonin.

But Dr Banwell says: There are a lot of misunderstandings about sunbeds, such as that they can give you a protective base tan to stop you burning in the sun. This is not true. Sunbeds bring on premature ageing, wrinkling of the skin, eye problems and a high risk of skin cancer.

Some will claim that using sunbeds helps with certain skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. While UV exposure in moderation can sometimes help acne calm down, sunbeds may actually exacerbate acne scars as the UV rays have the potential to harm vital collagen and elastin fibres in the skin.

Regarding the concept of safer hybrid tans, Dr Banwell is clear: There is no such thing as a safe tan or a safe sunbed. I think the marketing around any sunbeds in the UK  traditional or hybrid  is designed to make them feel safer than they actually are. Sunbeds are just a no-no.

Another worrying trend in videos by TikTok creators is the use of tan accelerator sprays, which young women spray up their noses before having their sunbeds. The sprays contain an artificial hormone called melanotan-2 which stimulates the skin cells that produce pigment, supposedly increasing the rate at which you tan. It is not illegal to use these sprays, but it is illegal to sell them in the UK due to serious health concerns.

Other young women can be seen rubbing tan-accelerating body gels, which are legal to sell and use, onto their skin to intensify the effect of the UV rays emitted by the sunbed. Some videos by businesses selling these products for use in sunbeds have racked up more than a million views on TikTok.

Dr Banwell advises people to steer well clear of all forms of tan accelerator: It has been shown that long-term use of tan accelerators increases the risk of skin cancer. Tanning is a sign of sun damage, full stop.

Yet that doesnt deter British TikTok influencers  many of whom are still teenagers themselves  from promoting these products to their young following.

One such influencer, aged 19 and with 400,000 followers, regularly shares videos of herself using sunbeds and offers followers discount codes for tanning products. In one video, she says she aims to use a sunbed two to three times a week.

Katie Field, 23, has been having sunbed sessions every week for a year, and initially started after reading it could help her eczema

Meanwhile, Gemma claims there are other benefits to sunbeds: I discovered I felt calmer and more relaxed after using a sunbed if I was stressed or tired. A combination of the warmth and time alone really de-stresses me, its a few minutes of escapism at the end of a busy day.

Gemma was only 19 when she first used a sunbed and now pays 35 for a 30-minute course, which she breaks down into two or three sessions a week.

Again, content produced by TikTok users often refers to sunbeds as a form of therapy. Seemingly, tanning is being pushed on self-care-obsessed Gen Z as a twisted form of wellness.

However Gemmas parents, both in their 50s, have voiced concerns. And they are speaking from experience. Long before they were fully aware of the risks, they used to rent a sunbed from a tanning salon in the 1990s for home use. Gemma admits they now have the sun damage and wrinkles to prove it.

She says, I do worry more about my heightened risk of skin cancer than wrinkles, because theres plenty that can be done about skin ageing now such as Botox.

Recently a sunbed-using acquaintance developed melanoma. I now regularly check my moles and try to limit my sunbed use. But I still believe everything is OK in moderation.

Fellow sunbed fan Katie Field*, 23, who works in fashion and consumer PR, has been having eight-minute sunbed appointments once or twice a week for the past year, despite the fact that she harbours concerns about the cancer risk.

It was a particularly bad eczema flare-up on my arms and around my eyes, which didnt respond well to medication, that prompted me to start using them, says Katie.

Id read in online articles, forums and on social media about other eczema sufferers getting relief from using sunbeds, and my mum also suggested that occasional use might help.

Katie says having a tan makes her feel more confident, too, and if she misses a session she definitely feels less confident because it helps improve her skin condition.

I live a fairly healthy lifestyle, dont smoke and never drink to excess, she says. I always wear SPF 30 on my body on holiday and SPF 50 on my face year-round, including on a sunbed to help protect against pigmentation and wrinkles.

Despite this SPF vigilance, she is willing to have regular sunbeds. Yes, I worry about the risk Im exposing myself to, she says. I know a few people Mums age and two my age whove had skin-cancer scares and moles removed. Ive already decided that Ill slowly stop using sunbeds as I get older, when Ill hopefully start to become more confident in my own skin instead of relying on a bit of a tan to feel good.

She may want to call a halt sooner rather than later.

Dr Banwell explains: A team from the University of Manchester has recently been working with scientists in Australia  where the commercial use of UV sunbeds was banned in 2015  to look at the harm and costs linked with indoor tanning.

The research in the British Journal of Dermatology suggests there could be 1,200 fewer cases of melanoma, and 200 fewer deaths in the lifetimes of 18-year-old users if a similar ban was employed here.

It was suggested that this same model could save the NHS 700,000.

Social media and brand executive Heather Hill*, 22, from London, uses a sunbed once a month  or more before a holiday. It was her mother who suggested she try sunbeds almost two years ago when she was rundown while writing my university dissertation.

Heather says: She thought it might help to perk me up and relax me, as she always goes on a sunbed herself a couple of times before a holiday.

Dr Paul Banwell, founder of The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Unit in East Grinstead, says there could be 1,200 fewer cases of melanoma and 200 fewer deaths in the lifetimes of 18-year-old users if we copied Australia, where the commercial use of UV sunbeds was banned in 2015

These days she buys a package of 100 minutes for 80 at a tanning shop on her route home from work and uses sunbeds once a month for 10 to 12 minutes: I increase that to twice a week for the week or two before a holiday. Im quite fair skinned so burn easily and get prickly heat but I find that using a sunbed provides me with a bit of a base tan that stops this.

I used to religiously apply fake tan but having a natural tan is lower maintenance. Feeling pale restricts what I can wear. I feel slimmer and my cellulite is less obvious when Im tanned, and I also wear less make-up  I feel more confident with a natural look. Its definitely a psychological thing.

Still, Heather concedes that she is aware of the dangers. I have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach to the risks of using sunbeds, which is probably very naive of me. But I feel using one for ten minutes at a time now and again to prevent burning on holiday is the lesser of two evils. I always use SPF 50 daily, including before I use a sunbed.

While her mother may have sparked Heathers sunbed use, she is keen to emphasise that her daughter mustnt overdo it, while her dad isnt keen on her using them at all.

Overall, Heather reasons, They both sunbathe on holiday and Mum also uses a sunbed as a one-off for six minutes the week before going away.

She explains, Theres a perception that being tanned looks healthier. Before I started using fake tan and then sunbeds, people would ask me if I was unwell just because I was pale.

The irony, of course, is that her sunbed habit could leave her tanned  but seriously unwell.

*Names have been changed. Additional reporting by Antonia Lenon.
A woman in Iowa has put herself and a local bar and grill on the map; after flashing her breasts at a Google Maps camera as it drove around the area.

The 324 Front St, Barnum, Iowa, address started trending online after someone made the discovery that a woman was standing outside The Junk Yard Bar and Grill - sans shirt - when she was snapped.

While some people don't bother reacting to the camera passing by, the unnamed woman paused and pulled her shirt up - exposing her breasts, a moment which has now been immortalized on the internet.

Behind her, three amused onlookers stood back under the awning of the bar and grill - one man even pulling his shirt up in solidarity while the women took photos on their phones.

DailyMail.com has contacted The Junk Yard for comment.

A woman in Iowa has put herself and a local bar and grill on the map after flashing her breasts at a Google Maps camera

Google Maps initially just blurred the woman's face, but later blurred out her entire body.

On X, previously known as Twitter, users flocked to the platform to share the address - some with a cheeky 'you're welcome.'

'Thank you. Always a great way to start the day,' a Reddit user commented.

'You stay classy, middle America,' another user joked.

'You have to expect these kinds of things in the big city!' someone else joked, referring to Barnum's tiny 174-person population.

Many claimed the flashing was loosely inspired by the 'Hawk Tuah' girl, who caught the attention of millions online after her crude street interview went viral, as both women are trending at the same time.

In the interview, Hailey Welch responded to a TikTok interview about her preferences in bed, responding with 'hawk tuah' to describe spitting as part of a sexual act.

Social media has since become flooded with 'Hawk Tuah' memes since the interview was posted on June 19, with Welch becoming an internet sensation and sparking hundreds of memes.

Since becoming an online sensation, Welch has launched merchandise, cashing in on her new found fame and partnered with Tennessee based hat company Fathead Threads to sell her own line of hats.

Google Maps initially just blurred the woman's face, but later blurred out her entire body

Hailey Welch, whose crude sex tips circulated widely across the internet this week, is the subject of Hollywood interest as rumors swirl she may sign with a talent agency

'I have been authorized to sell these hats after a conversation with Hailey. She will be receiving a portion of the profits from sales,' Jason Poteete, from Fathead Threads, shared on Facebook.

Meanwhile in New York, a Canadian news broadcaster has been flashing her breasts in a bid to liberate women.

Self-proclaimed exhibitionist Eila Adams, 36, has explained how exposing her boobs and 'nether regions' to the public in the Big Apple has been her nod to gender equality.

Adams, from Toronto, shared: 'If men can walk around shirtless without fear of reprisal, so too should women.

'It's normal to be nude and by flashing folks as I go about my day I'm just having a bit of cheeky fun and challenging the status quo.

'Nudity has been such an important part of my life. I do not understand anyone who has negative feelings towards being naked.'

Adams continued: 'We're all born this way, and we have to embrace our own bodies, and we have to love everyone else's amazing bodies.'
The Duke of Sussex, 39, filmed the interview in May when he was last in the UK

Prince Harry showed signs of 'grief' and 'vulnerability' during his recent interview about grief, a body language expert has claimed.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, who was speaking in his role as a global ambassador for Scotty's Little Soldiers, which supports youngsters who have lost parents in the military, shared his own insight after losing his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, at just 12.

Speaking to FEMAIL, British communications expert Judi James, explained that the interview 'triggered' Harry's 'emotions of historic grief' as he listened 'to the story of a parent's death'.

The royal heard Nikki Scott, the founder of Scotty's Little Soldiers, recount the moment she had to tell her son, Kai, five, that his father, Cpl Lee Scott, who served with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, had been killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

'We can see five signs of Harry's emotions of historic grief being triggered as he listens to the story of a parent's death,' Judi said.

The Duke of Sussex showed signs of 'grief' during his interview with Nikki Scott, the founder of Scotty's Little Soldiers (pictured left), a body language expert has claimed

'He begins by adopting a professional pose related to power and authority, which can be a self-protective gesture, as though adopting the look of a counsellor might buffer him emotionally.

'He sits back in the chair with his arms and legs splayed rather than leaning forward to get 'in touch' with the grief.

However, Judi noticed a signs that Harry became 'triggered' by the emotionally charged interview.

She said: 'We can see signs of triggering quite quickly as his left hand performs a self-comfort fiddling ritual before balling into a fist.

'His leg-rubbing is an auto-contact gesture that seems to be aimed at self-soothing. He starts to chew at his lower lip to suggest tears might be building and at one point he raises his brows while closing his eyes in a cut-off to hide his feelings.

'Harry finally tries to re-boot his sense of more professional authority via a steepled finger gesture.

'This is performed right up in front of his mouth though, as a shield, and even that transforms into. 'pray' hand gesture that hints at his vulnerability here.

In recent years, Harry has railed against his family, claiming there was a lack of support after his mother's tragic death in 1997, which he believes led him to bottle up his emotions and, eventually, seek therapy.

Ms Scott's (pictured right) personal tragedy inspired her to create Scotty's Little Soldiers after seeing the positive impact a family holiday had on her son

Prince Harry has starred in a new video talking about grief, urging children and young people to talk about their emotions

Body language expert Judi James claimed Harry showed signs of 'grief' and 'vulnerability' during the interview

'It's so easy as a kid to think or convince yourself.you convince yourself that the person you've lost wants you, or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed. But then there's this realisation of, no, they must want me to be happy,' Harry said.

He added: 'That's the hardest thing, especially for kids, I think, which is, 'I don't want to talk about it because it will make me sad, but once realising that if I do talk about it, I'm celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier''

'As opposed to this 'I'm just not going to talk about it, and that's the best form of coping', when in fact it's not. It can be for a period of timeyou can't suppress it for ever. It's not sustainable. And will eat away at you inside.'

'No-one wants to in the position where they are forced to talk about the very thing they don't want to talk about, especially when every defence mechanism in your mind, nervous system and everything else is saying 'do not go there'.'

The emotionally charged video was made in May, when he last came to the UK, and sees the prince talk to Nikki Scott, founder of Scotty's Little Soldiers.

Nicky recounted the harrowing moment she had to tell her five-year-old son, Kai, that his father had been killed in Afghanistan in 2009. She also had a seven-month-old daughter, Brooke, at the time.

It has been released by the charity in the lead-up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday to highlight the ongoing needs of bereaved military children in the UK.

Ms Scott's personal tragedy inspired her to create Scotty's Little Soldiers after seeing the positive impact a family holiday had on her son.

Expressing his admiration for her work, Prince Harry remarked: 'What you've done is incredible.

'It is truly inspirational. I'm really honoured and privileged to be part of Scotty's now and I really look forward to us doing everything we can to bring in more people, more interest, raise more funds and be able to get the message out there to get more kids the support they so desperately need.'

Scotty's Little Soldiers currently supports over 680 members and estimates that each year 2,100 children are newly bereaved of parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stepped out in a striking hat and elegant cream dress with matching accessories for a special networking event in Utrecht today.

The European royal, 53, kept her face shielded from the sun in a wide-brimmed cream hat, in keeping with the statement styles we've noticed the Queen of the Netherlands wearing lately.

Queen Maxima was spotted last month wearing a similar statement style hat from Brussels designer Maison Fabienne Delvinge, this time in a straw colour with a folded ribbon detail at the back.

For the Global Leadership Exchange in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Maxima teamed an elegant applique dress with the bold hat and simple nude heels, dressing up the look with sparkling bracelets on her wrist and statement earrings. A boxy cream clutch finished the neutral ensemble.

Letting her chic hat take centre stage, the royal pined her blonde hair up and swept it back off her face, with simple eye makeup and a subtle pink glossy lip completing the summery look.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stepped out in a striking cream ensemble for the Global Leadership Exchange in Utrecht

The Dutch Queen wore a statement cream hat to match her elegant applique dress

Simple cream shoes and accessories finished the look, which the Queen wore to meet with other influential world leaders and share knowledge

Queen Maxima's wide-brimmed hat kept her protected from the summer sun

Maxima was pictured sitting in the audience for the global networking event, looking poised and engaged while listening to the talks on stage.

The Global Leadership Exchange, held in Utrecht, is a week-long learning and networking event that takes place every two years.

The event brings together world leaders in fields such as mental health, disability and substance to share their knowledge and strive for a more inclusive world.

This year the Leadership Exchange was held at Jaarbeurs, an event space located in the centre of The Netherlands, 30 minutes from Schiphol Airport.

It's been a week full of engagements for Queen Maxima, who was pictured yesterday in a vibrant summer ensemble as she visited sustainability group in Friesland.

For the event Maxima opted for a more casual outfit, wearing a sheer red top embroidered with floral designs and flared blue jeans.

The Queen travelled to the province to visit Vereniging Circulair Friesland, a partnership between various companies and organisations in the sustainability field.

The organisation spoke with the Queen about their research into reusing existing raw materials in the most effective and sustainable way.

The Global Leadership Exchange, held in Utrecht, is a week-long learning and networking event that takes place every two years

The event brings together world leaders in fields such as mental health, disability and substance to share their knowledge and strive for a more inclusive world

Queen Maxima was photographed sitting with the audience, looking poised and engaged

It's been a week full of engagements for Queen Maxima and husband King Willem-Alexander

Vereniging Circulair Friesland aims to make Friesland completely sustainable and free of wasting raw materials by next year.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Queen Maxima and her husband King Willem-Alexander hosted their annual Uitblinkerslunch at Noordeinde Palace, which honoured people with remarkable achievements in sectors such as science or sports.

On Monday, the royal couple also hosted a reception and lunch for Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani at Noordeinde Castle to strengthen the relationship between the Netherlands and Qatar.
Queen Letizia appeared in great spirits as she stepped out alongside King Felipe for a meeting at Zarzuela Palace on Thursday.

The Spanish royals received Charles H. Rivkin, who is the President of Motion Pictures Association and Estela Artacho GarcIa-Moreno, President of Fedicine, at the palace in Madrid.

Letizia, 51, looked stylish in a tie dye pleated skirt which she paired with a relaxed white T shirt and gold sandals.

Her glossy brunette hair fall loose in a centre parting around her shoulders and her glam summary makeup look accentuated her features.

The mother-of-two kept accessories to a minimum opting for just a pair of small silver hoop earrings.

Queen Letizia appeared in great spirits as she stepped out alongside King Felipe for a meeting at Zarzuela Palace on Thursday

Meanwhile King Felipe opted for a grey suit which he paired with smart leather shoes and a blue tie.

It comes after the Queen looked radiant as she stepped out in dusky blue dress to attend a meeting at Netflix headquarters in Spain on Tuesday.

She joined members of the FAD Youth Foundation (Help for Drug Addiction Foundation), of which she is Honorary President, at Netflix headquarters in Tres Cantos.

The Spanish royal looked majestic in a stone blue gown that featured a statement ruffled waist and an elegant skirt that fell down below the knee.

Her sophisticated dress offered the Queen some respite from the bright morning sun with its mid length sleeves and and flowing hemmed skirt.

Letizia wore casual sandals and let her glossy brunette hair fall loose around her shoulders. She accessorised with a large beige purse held between well-manicured fingers.

The Spanish Queen opted for summery make-up with glowing eye shadow and a shimmering pink lip to accentuate her features.

Letizia posed for a picture with the film producer, Diego Avalos, who serves as the Vice President of Content for Netflix in Spain, Portugal, and the Nordics.

Her glossy brunette hair fall loose in a centre parting around her shoulders and her glam summary makeup look accentuated her features

The Spanish royals received Charles H. Rivkin, who is the President of Motion Pictures Association (left) and President of Fedicine, Estela Artacho GarcIa-Moreno (right) , at the palace in Madrid

Letizia, 51, looked stylish in a tie dye pleated skirt which she paired with a relaxed white T shirt and silver sandals

The mother-of-two kept accessories to a minimum opting for just a pair of small gold hoop earrings

Meanwhile King Felipe opted for a grey suit which he paired with smart leather shoes and a blue tie

King Felipe (left) and Queen Letizia (centre) receive Charles H. Rivkin (second right) and Estela Artacho GarcIa-Moreno, President of Fedicine (right) at the Zarzuela Palace

Queen Letizia looked radiant as she stepped out in dusky blue dress to attend a meeting at Netflix headquarters in Spain

Also in attendance was Jose Ignacio Goirigolzarri, who is chairman of the Spanish bank, CaixaBank.

It comes just a week after Letizia joined her husband, King Felipe VI, to mark 10 years since he ascended the throne on June 19, 2014.

The 56-year-old succeeded his father, Emeritus King Juan Carlos, who was the head of state for 39 years before famously abdicating in 2014 when his popularity plummeted amid corruption allegations and affair rumours.

More recently, the King and Queen of Spain's marriage was rocked when Queen Letizia faced with unproven accusations of an affair with her ex-brother-in-law, Jaime del Burgo.

The queen appeared at a number of events last week to mark the special occasion.

During her appearance at the Royal Collections Gallery on Wednesday, the mother-of-two donned a striking cream suit and relaxed white plimsolls, mixing and matching formal and casual styles.

The look marked a recently emerging occurring theme with Letizia's recently sartorial choices, with the European royal recently opting for laid-back black sandals with her evening attire for a family night out at a concert to mark the 10th anniversary of King Felipe's proclamation.

To complement her smart-casual look, Queen Letizia wore her brown hair down, skimming her shoulders with a sleek blow dry, subtle makeup and understated gold jewellery for a relaxed overall look.
24 Hours In Lidl takes a look behind the scenes at the supermarket chain

Forget Bridgerton and Baby Reindeer, Netflix's latest hit is a surprising one - in the form of an old documentary about Lidl supermarket.

Currently sitting at number three on films in the UK after peaking at second is 24 Hours In Lidl, a Channel 5 documentary that takes a look behind the scenes at the chain.

It's an unlikely success story for Netflix and seems to have baffled the public and the show's creators alike.

The 2023 documentary offers various insights as it takes viewers through a day in the supermarket, from revealing the best time to shop to the secrets behind Lidl's famous 'imitation game'.

But the wholly positive programme has angered some viewers, who complained that it was nothing more than the 'world's longest supermarket advert', while others branded it 'fake'.

24 Hours In Lidl has become Netflix's unlikely latest hit - but appeared on Channel 5 last year

The 43-minute-long documentary peaked at number two on the streaming site this week

The 43-minute-long 'film' has only recently been sold to Netflix but first appeared on Channel 5 last year.

Despite this, it has flown to the top of the charts and is currently beating films starring the likes of Jodie Comer and Richard Linklater.

It is one of a series of commissions by Channel 5, also including features on Costco, Tesco, Aldi, Waitrose, Costa and Greggs.

Ed Taylor, executive producer of Honeybee Media, told The Telegraph: 'There are so many shifting things in our lives  eight prime ministers, losing celebrity doctors, nothing feels fixed and more.

'People grasp for anchor points that are not going anywhere and are part of their lives.

'Its very reassuring to watch the bread being baked and delivered to the supermarket  its almost like a kids story. It makes something thats familiar seem even more familiar.'

A description on the Netflix UK site reads: 'This behind-the-scenes documentary lifts the lid on Lidl, shedding light on how the shop keeps costs down and unpacking the secrets of the middle aisle.'

In the film, former assistant manager Roo Dhissou offers insights into what time of day to shop in the store to get the best produce (she initially says early in the morning, but later in the documentary says 4-5pm).

The programme takes viewers behind-the-scenes at one of the UK's largest supermarkets

It includes fascinating insights, such as to Lidl's egg production, which sees 180,000 eggs go through a machine per hour

Lidl former assistant manager Roo Dhissou (pictured) appears on the programme to advise what time is best to shop

Other insights include Lidl's unique layout to maximise buying potential, such as placing essential items near the back of the store (so you pick up other items on the way there) and putting the price above the item instead of below.

It sheds light on the secrets of the Lidl 'imitation game' - the chain's own-brand products using the same colours and fonts as famous labels, such as 'Danpak' butter - but making it cheaper.

The documentary makers also take a trip to Oakland Farm, where 180,000 eggs an hour are boxed by being fed through a machine.

But those expecting a deep-dive or expose of the supermarket may be left feeling disappointed.

The film is wholly positive about the supermarket, explaining how customers have flooded in amid the cost of living crisis.

'The price is so cheap, but they don't compromise on the quality,' Roo says at one point.

In addition, Great British Bake Off star Bryony May William features in the show to conduct a blind taste test of items at Blackpool Beach with members of the public.

Those she meets are asked to try an ice cream without knowing the brand - and eventually are asked to pick their favourite.

Comedian Olaf Falafel, who appeared in the show, joked 'move over Baby Reindeer'

Despite the film's success, some viewers were not left convinced by its message, and branded the programme 'fake'

Not only was Lidl's Bon Gelati ice cream the cheapest at 24p, but it received by far the most votes - while nobody picked Cornetto as their favourite.

Olaf Falafel, who appeared in the documentary, said 'move over Baby Reindeer!' as it soared up the charts.

Despite the film's success, some viewers were not left convinced by its message, and branded the programme 'fake'.

They said: '11:45 and Im watching the worlds longest supermarket advert on Netflix. (24 hours in Lidl) This has to be the worst generation to grow up in';

'Lol. Every checkout manned waiting for the shop to open ! Never happens. You never see more than ten percent of checkouts operating at any one time. Ever';

'I'm watching this Lidl documentary on Netflix. Did Lidl make this? It feels like one long ad!';

Supermarket giant Lidl saw its revenue increase to 9.3billion in the year to February 2023  up 18.8 per cent from the previous year

'This Lidl documentary on Netflix is so fake, its 7:30am on here and the have someone sitting on every till waiting for the store to open youre lucky if theres 1 till open at Lidl';

'Netflix need a new commissioning editor can't they think of anything better than 24 hours in Lidl?'

Others however saw their interest piqued by the show and enjoyed learning more about the supermarket, writing: 'Been watching that documentary on @Netflix 24 Hours in Lidl, clever how they put all the essentials at the back of the store, I like that brilliant thinking as a sales strategy & wheely baskets as they dont get heavy and make you rush to the tills!'

Despite challenges, Lidl saw its revenue increase to 9.3billion in the year to February 2023  up 18.8 per cent from the previous year.

It has now revealed plans to open hundreds of new stores across the UK, as shoppers have flocked to it amid the cost of living crisis.
Hannah Waddingham made a cheeky quip to Prince William during an Earthshot Prize panel session in London today, which left the future King in a fit of laughter.

The Ted Lasso star, 49, was leading the discussion with CEO Hannah Jones, trustee Tokunboh Ishmael and Prince William today, as they discussed the prestigious environmental award.

As the father-of-three was giving an answer to her question, Waddingham then saw an opportunity to lighten the mood with her quickfire answer.

The Prince of Wales said: 'I always say to the [team] what's the next thing? What are we doing? And Hannah [Jones], over the past four years she's been not only flying the plane, she's been building it, serving drinks and also providing all the emergency exits and landing it.'

However before William could finish his sentence, Waddingham interjected and said: 'It's because she's a woman [sir],' which was met with a round of applause from the room.

The Ted Lasso star, 49, was leading the discussion with CEO Hannah Jones (dressed in pink), trustee Tokunboh Ishmael (dressed in red) and Prince William today

Prince William was in a fit of laughter today as Hannah Waddingham responded with a quickfire answer

This seemed to tickle the Prince of Wales who then responded: 'She is,' before chuckling with the actress.

Panellist Tokunboh Ishmael then chimed in and said: 'She can multitask!'

The event, called the Stories of Impact, heard updates from Earthshot Prize finalists ahead of the awards ceremony which will be held in Cape Town for the first time this November.

When Prince William and Hannah Waddingham first met each other at the talk, William could be heard saying: 'Congratulations on The Fall Guy.'

'Oh did you see it,' she asked, before the pair started talking about the stunts in the film. Waddingham then told William: 'Don't spoil it!'

The 42-year-old then put his hand over his mouth before apologising but the actress found it hilarious and continued laughing at his blunder.

He then asked her if she enjoyed filming it, to which she said: 'I loved it.'

The actress also hit back at Mike Bloomberg who pronounced her name wrong during the talk and instead introduced her as Hannah 'Wanningham'.

Hannah Waddingham also told Prince William not to spoil Fall Guy as the pair chatted about it

Hannah Waddingham, who was dressed in a stripy frock, is pictured chatting to Prince William today

The event, called the Stories of Impact, heard updates from Earthshot Prize finalists ahead of the awards ceremony which will be held in Cape Town for the first time this November

As she took to the stage, the mother-of-one said whilst chuckling: 'Hello, hello, thank you very much, Hannah WADD-ingham. Let's just get that right for a start.'

As the event kicked off, Waddingham, who hosted the Earthshot awards ceremony in Singapore last year asked Prince William about when he first had the idea of creating a prize.

'It was a lonely place to start with. I sat wondering for quite a while whether this was going to work and whether a prize was the right way of doing it.

'But the more I thought about it, the more I chatted with my team at the time, we sort of picked it apart and thought about it, the more I thought hope, optimism, urgency, action, those are the kind of key buzzwords we needed to kind of put together. And so a prize format came out of that.'

'I felt for a long time that the climate debate and the environmental debate was getting very negative, very doom and gloom, and I wanted to inspire that hope and optimism that we could do stuff.

'And I knew all these people existed, I'd met them through the work I do.'

When William founded the Earthshot Prize environmental award in 2020, he did so with the 10-year mission to find ways to protect and repair the environment with innovative solutions.

William founded the Earthshot Prize environmental award in 2020, pictured with CEO Hannah Jones

Prince William is pictured with Mike Bloomberg (left), Stella McCartney (centre) Hannah Waddingham (fourth from left and Hannah Jones (far right)

The actress also hit back at Mike Bloomberg who pronounced her name wrong and instead introduced her as Hannah 'Wanningham' (pictured greeting each other)

Since 2021, the award scheme has handed out 15million of prize money and sourced 50million of further support for 45 winners and finalists.

In March, William warned that it is the 'critical decade' to try and set the planet on a 'healthier' path to deal with the climate crisis.

He told those gathered, including former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern who is an Earthshot Prize trustee: 'From businesses, cities and governments; to activists, scientists and innovators, the ideas and ambition to set our planet on a healthier path do already exist. But this is urgent.

'We are in the critical decade now. And that is why, to have real impact, we must focus on supporting and developing as many solutions as possible and scale them at speed. It is not an easy task.

'We must overcome the challenge of getting capital to the right sectors, solutions, and geographies.'
I woke this morning with my beloved in my arms, as they tenderly licked my ear.

Good morning, my darling, I whispered. I love you so much. I rose and, following me into the sunlit living room, we planted ourselves on the sofa to lie gazing into each others eyes.

This ecstasy of adoration is how we begin each new day. For, finally, at 53, I have discovered the love of my life, and am living for every last moment of it.

Im not talking about Terence, my tall, dark and dashing boyfriend. Hed left for the office hours earlier. No, the subject of my devotion is Pimlico, my blue whippet, the hound I dreamed of for decades before acquiring six years ago in October. For I am a DINKWAD, and this is how I roll.

Hannah Betts with her boyfriend Terence and their blue whippet Pimlico

You know, DINKWAD  the acronym for couples boasting a dual income, no kids, with a dog. First, we had YUPPIEs (young, upwardly mobile professionals). Then, we had LATs (long-distance couples living apart together). We are familiar with DINKs (dual income, no kids), and now we have DINKWADS  DINKs plus Rover, making three.

New research from the charity The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association reveals that we DINKWADs make up 15 per cent of all British dog owners; more so in our area of South London, where bringing up a dog is far more commonplace than bringing up a nipper.

Almost half of this 15 per cent say they are delaying parenthood in favour of their furry friends. Among the 20, 30 and 40-something owners in my circle, Id say theyre putting off parenthood entirely in favour of puppy love. Farewell, school-gate dramas. Hello, doga (dog yoga) and vets fees.

My friend Sophia, 39, is a case in point. Despite having frozen her eggs a few years ago, she has decided that Dennis the Parson Russell terrier, rather than a baby, is her destiny. He arrived 78 hours ago and she is already head-over-heels.

Among younger couples, being a DINKWAD has become aspirational. Click on to social media and watch comely, child-free couples lounge in impeccable white interiors while some fetching Fido basks in being the apple of their eyes.

Here is @life.with.a.landcloud showing off to her 1.46 million YouTube subscribers about finding fulfilment, a community of dope people and travelling the world alongside her smiley Samoyed dog Boomer and her husband.

YouTube star Charishma Cohen, aka Life With A Landcloud, who has 1.46 million subscribers, with her Samoyed dog Boomer

I am particularly enamoured of @MattAndOmar jumping for joy in their pants, waving their pooch Yvies little limbs on TikTok with the words: When we remember well be a DINKWAD household forever.

The Guide Dogs For The Blind Association discovered that half of DINKWADs will select a holiday on the basis that they can take their charge, while 44 per cent prefer time with their dog over going out with friends (guilty as charged).

More than three-quarters regard caring for a dog as one of lifes most fulfilling experiences  more than becoming an aunt or uncle, or getting promoted  while 42 per cent declared that they felt more excitement teaching their dog to sit compared with meeting their friends new baby (no comment).

Im actually wild about children, also being a committed PANK (professional aunt, no kids). However, I never felt a desire to have a family of my own  possessing a canine clock rather than a biological version.

After almost a decade together, people still ask whether Terence and I might pop one out. At 53! The very thought! As dog, rather than sprog, owners we can socialise, travel and embark on lifes adventures on the spur of the moment.

Pim is happy to spend an evening dozing on her tod should we wish to attend an exhibition, opera or ballet (we dont cart her everywhere with us a la fellow dog obsessive Demi Moore), while greeting us with hysterical happiness at the end of it. Toddlers tend to be rather less self-sufficient; teenagers unwinningly furious.

Besides, the Guide Dog research is right: having a hound is blissfully fulfilling. I used to think I knew everything there was to know about love when, in fact, I merely knew about sex.

Romantic affection is a shabby, contingent thing compared with the epic force that is canine constancy. Dog love is the best love  loyal, uncomplicated, profound  and the vehicle by which we realise how tawdry and inadequate human emotions are.

This is not to say that my four-legged infatuation is any less heady. I am besotted by the silkiness of Pimlicos fur, the sound of her trotting steps, the scent of her skin.

Her little head is never without a lipstick kiss. I can interpret her barks, not least the one that means: Swaddle me against the morning light, I demand to be wrapped in a velvet blanket.

Without children to indulge, I am my dogs slave. And its not just me. Terence and I compete over Pims affections. (He wins.) She sleeps between us, the ultimate barrier-method contraception. My boyfriend is now her boyfriend, meaning she protests wildly should we attempt the merest touch.

We once had a canine therapy session on a weekend away at Goodwood.

Our expert decreed that Pim is resource-guarding  the resource in question being Terence. Our dog is a slave to love, addicted to the three-way oxytocin (the bonding chemical) high we have created in our menage.

Still, Pimlico must be objectively lovely, for even strangers succumb to her wiles. Hardened South London oiks coo over her satiny coat, going gaga for her long-limbed prancing and doe-like, naturally kohled eyes.

Hannah Betts and her beloved dog Pimlico at The Kennels in Goodwood

She has appeared on the covers of three national newspapers and starred in a fashion shoot for a glossy magazine, alongside a Hollywood star. When it looked as if she might have puppies, Londons most fashionable all vied to have one.

Ultimately, Pimlico has brought me tremendous pleasure in life in a way that  as a female and a feminist  spawning offspring might have jeopardised it, given that society still expects mothers to bear the brunt of child-rearing.

In 2009, then University of York social scientist Dr Nattavudh Powdthavee analysed whether having children brings people joy. Writing in The Psychologist, the magazine of The British Psychological Society, Dr Powdthavee asserted that the idea that parenthood fosters happiness is a focusing illusion.

Instead, Dr Powdthavee argued, there exists almost zero association between having children and a state of contentment. Parents may cherish milestones such as a first word or step, but mistakenly imagine these bursts of euphoria outweigh the relentless drudgery of caring for a child.

His conclusion: It is these small, but negative, experiences that are more likely to impact on our day-to-day levels of happiness and life satisfaction.

Admittedly, Terence and I dont appear to be as loaded as DINKWADs are reputed to be. Still, wed be even more broke if we had nippers to nurture and were proud to identify as DINKWADs  despite a lack of actual wad.
Scott and Noce are now set to tie the knot in August

Donald Trump's VP hopeful Tim Scott recently gushed about his now fiancee Mindy Noce - and, with the two set to tie the knot this summer, voters are desperate for details about their 'heaven-sent' love story.

Many would think that the senator of South Carolina has been making political headlines in the lead up to the presidential election but instead the 58-year-old has been engulfed in speculation about his love life.

Since going public with interior designer Mindy, 47, critics have claimed the political powerhouse only got engaged to the mom-of-three because he was running for president - but how much is really known about his relationship history?

Back in the 90s, Scott's love life was the center of conversation and, throughout his political career, the VP-hopeful came under fierce scrutiny over to his relationship status - with some observers even going so far as to question his sexuality.

It was at this time he revealed that he was a 'proud 30-year-old virgin.' He famously confessed to having never been tangled up in a woman's sheets as he referred to a Bible verse that claims that sex before marriage is immortal.

Donald Trump's VP-hopeful Tim Scott recently gushed about his now fiancee Mindy Noce - and, with the two set to tie the knot this summer, voters are desperate for details about their 'heaven-sent' love story

However, the senator's abstinence pledge seemed to come to a halt in 2012 when he told Vanity Fair that he was not following his no sex rule 'as well as [he] did back then.'

And so, when the 'bachelor' politician recently revealed he had met his better half, interest in his love life intensified and soon enough he introduced her to the world.

Scott first mentioned his girlfriend in May 2023 and, while he was adamant his mystery woman could be the one, he initially refused to identify her.

The world has since come to know Mindy little by little after he introduced her to his fans at a political debate in November.

Nearly a year later, the couple, who are set to tie the knot in August, have lifted the lid on their romance.

Mindy recently told Fox and Friends that she and Scott met through mutual friend - and they haven't looked back since.

Now, FEMAIL has lifted the lid on all there is to know about the couple's love life - from how they met to how they deal with critics.

'Heaven sent': The couple recently opened up about their ultra-private romance

On Thursday morning, the pair sat down with Fox and Friends as part of a series of interviews with Trump's VP contenders and their significant others

On Thursday morning, the pair sat down with Fox and Friends as part of a series of interviews with Trump's VP contenders and their significant others.

Mindy opened up about their first meeting and confessed that their bond was 'heaven sent.'

Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt then asked Mindy how she knew Scott was 'the one.'

'God shows you the path,' Mindy responded.

She added that she ignores critics who say they got married because he was a presidential nominee and are 'upset he is a black man.'

Fox & Friends host Ainsley questioned the couple about the criticism they have received - particularly from ABC's The View, who suggested the senator only got engaged to be in the running for vice president.

'They are ridiculous period. It is not just comments about me, they get paid to tear people down,' Scott replied.

He added he 'goes into prayer' when the negativity about their relationship surfaces.

Scott said that he had been 'praying for years' to find a wife. And he knew she was the one from their first conversation.

'She laughs and understands love of country and love [of] the Lord,' he explained, adding: 'She's attractive, family, devoted to the country. It's a pretty good deal.'

Down on one knee! Scott orchestrated a heartfelt proposal that made the senator a stepfather

Tim, 58, proposed to Mindy, 47, on 'one of coldest days of January' just before the New Hampshire primary

Scott proposed to Mindy in January just before the New Hampshire Primary.

They detailed their romantic proposal, which occurred on 'one of coldest days of January,' on Thursday morning.

They took a stroll along the beach, admiring the beautiful sunset when Scott asked Mindy to take off her gloves.

'I said no,' Mindy replied, '...until I saw him get the ring.'

'I went to my knee, I felt this wave of emotion hit me like a ton of bricks. I really want to spend the rest of my life with this woman. And what a blessing,' Scott gushed.

'I'm a good listener, I pride myself on that. I'll pray and do a lot of prayer, being a prayer warrior for him, supporting him, being a listener and loving on him is my role.

'He is devoted to his lord and savior, to his family. He is devoted to his friends and his country,' added Mindy.

Scott said: 'My joke is as soon as I saw her picture, I figured it out. But the truth is about two weeks into it, I knew there was something very different about her and her faith.

'He is devoted to his lord and savior, to his family. He is devoted to his friends and his country,' added Mindy (pictured with Scott and his mother)

After getting down on one knee, the couple set the date for the summer wedding - with the ceremony planned for August at the Seacrest Church in Charleston

'In our first conversation that went about an hour and a half or two, we ended up deciding to do a Bible study together.'

After getting down on one knee, the couple set the date for the summer wedding - with the ceremony planned for August at the Seacrest Church in Charleston.

And Mindy gladly accepting the diamond ring made Scott a stepfather to the mom's three children.

The interior designer has three grown children with her ex-husband.

And while Mindy has previously been a spouse, Scott was once engaged but never married.

Love at first sight! The couple were set up by a mutual friend - before Scott introduced her to the world

The senator barely discusses his personal and romantic life - that was until May 2023, when he slyly announced that he had a girlfriend

In a lengthy Washington Post feature story published last year, Scott explained that a friend from church had been trying to set him up with a woman he knew.

The political figure had insisted that he was not ready for a relationship - before the friend texted across a snapshot of the woman in question.

'You know what?' Scott recalled telling his friend after seeing the picture, according to the outlet. 'I've prayed on it. Tell me about her again?'

The pair reportedly hit it off and bonded over discussions about God and studying the Bible together.

And the romance blossomed from there - also including games of pickleball, dates to the zoo and dining out.

The senator had previously avoided questions about his romantic life - that was until May 2023, when he slyly announced that he had a girlfriend.

The South Carolina Senator made his first public appearance with Charleston interior designer Mindy after the showdown between the GOP candidates

During an event in May, when asked about how he felt about possibly becoming the first bachelor president since the 19th century, he revealed: 'I probably have more time, more energy and more latitude to do the job.

'My girlfriend wants to see me when I come home.'

He then later admitted: 'I can't imagine dragging her onto the campaign trail unless I have the intention of marrying her. I hope that happens, to be honest with you.'

And, soon enough, the questions the world had about his lover were answered when he publicly introduced her to the world.

He ended the months of speculation by bringing his girlfriend on stage after the Republican presidential debate in Miami.

Scott posed for photos with the mother-of-three behind his debate lectern and briefly held her hand in a touching moment after a tense night in the GOP primary.

He confirmed to DailyMail.com that the pair have been dating for 'several months' after eagled-eyed views spotted Mindy smiling for the cameras.
My Lady Jane, set in Tudor England, is the latest historical drama from Amazon Prime and retells the story of the infamous 'nine-day' Queen Lady Jane Grey, giving her the ending she deserved, rather that the one she got.

Released today, the eight-episode historical drama created by Gemma Burgess is a comic retelling on what might have been if Jane hadn't been executed nine days into her reign, and is designed to appeal to fans of Bridgerton.

The real Lady Jane was just 16 when she became Queen of England, forced onto the throne by her ambitious father-in-law and then savagely beheaded by Queen Mary when she came to claim the throne.

Lady Jane Grey's memory was immortalised by Paul Delaroche's famous 1833 painting depicting her execution, which paints the young woman as pure and defenceless in an angelic white gown.

My Lady Jane, set in Tudor England and staring Emily Bader and Edward Bluemel (pictured) retells the story of the infamous 'nine-day' Queen, Lady Jane Grey

Jasper Reeves at The Telegraph calls it a 'sweary, sexed-up Wolf Hall'

Lady Jane's sister Katherine Grey is also a central character in the show

Based on the best-selling novel by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, My Lady Jane reimagines the well-known story, with a feisty heroine who escapes her cruel fate of becoming an eternal 'damsel in distress', instead going on to be 'the ruler England needed' - as we hear from a voiceover in the opening credits.

Californian actor Emily Bader takes the lead as Lady Jane Grey, with critics comparing her to Jenna Colman's Queen Victoria due to her witty and assured tone.

While this Tudor romp clearly has no regard for being factually accurate, critics have been pleasantly surprised by the Prime show, praising its dark humour and steamy sex scenes to rival Bridgerton's.

Jasper Reeves at The Telegraph calls it a 'sweary, sexed-up Wolf Hall', saying that by combining a 'bouncy Alice in Wonderland vibe' with 'plentiful softcore sex' and a 'rocking soundtrack' My Lady Jane is the escapism we all mean.

My Lady Jane's romantic interest is the notorious rake Guildford Dudley, played by Sex Education's Edward Bluemel.

'Let's call a spade a spade,' Edward Bluemel told Tatler. 'There's a lot of steamy sex.'

In the same interview, California-born actor Bader explained the heightened chemistry between Jane and Edward, explaining, 'He infuriates her, but shes infatuated by him - which I think is deeply sexy'.

Based on the best-selling novel by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, My Lady Jane reimagines the well-known story, with a feisty heroine who escapes her cruel fate of becoming an eternal 'damsel in distress'

California-born actor Emily Bader explained the heightened chemistry between Jane and Edward is due to that, 'He infuriates her, but shes infatuated by him'

Jordan Peters stars as King Edward VI with a love affair of his own

It's clear from the beginning that sex is a central part of the show, with the synopsis reading: 'Are you ready for an epic tale of true love, high adventure, regicidal maniacs, deadpan heroism, devious intrigues, swashbuckling swordfights, a soupcon of magical realism and oodles of sex? Of course you are'.

The show has also been well reviewed by Aramide Tinubu for Variety, who calls the show a 'masterful retelling', which is 'bursting with delightful expletives, iconic one-liners and a whole array of death plots and schemes, unveils an alternative universe where women (and some men) have the agency to gain control of their lives'.

Meanwhile, Lacy Mangan at The Guardian says 'Its a wild, fun bit of escapism  perfect summer viewing'.

Before concluding: 'It remains a decidedly odd concept, to take a little known historical event, mess it up and add magic animals [referring to the mythological 'Ethians' that some humans can shape-shift into]. But it works by throwing its whole heart into the endeavour.'

In a 2018 interview with Publisher's Weekly, author My Lady Jane author Cynthia Hand spoke about the inspiration behind reclaiming Jane's heartbreaking Tudor-dynasty story.

She explained: 'I wanted to write a novel about Lady Jane Grey, who was a strong-willed, bookish teenage girl in 16th-century England.

'She had the misfortune to become Queen, but only for nine days and then had her head chopped off. I always loved studying Jane Grey's story in history except for the ending. So, I thought, 'Hey, I'm a writer. I can give her a different ending.'
Australian confectionery brand Allen's is set to rerelease two iconic lollies across stores nationwide.

Fans will be delighted to know packets of Spearmint Leaves will hit the shelves in August since quietly disappearing in stores.

The green leaf-shaped gummy often divided opinions with it spearmint flavour that often tastes like toothpaste.

In a surprising twist, the brand also secretly relaunched the long-loved Sherbies around the country for $5 per packet, which is now available.

Aussies will recall chewing through the sweet tangy orange flavour to reach the sherbet-filled centre.

The Grocery Geek Australia was one of the first to share the news on Instagram and sent customers into a spin.

Dozens of Aussies rejoiced but it's clear majority prefer Sherbies over Spearmint Leaves.

'So they're bringing back Spearmint leaves but got rid of Fantales?' one wrote.

Allen's Spearmint Leaves will hit the shelves in August

The brand also confirmed to FEMAIL 150g packs of Sherbies are now available in stores nationwide for $5 each

Nestle Oceania Head of Marketing Confectionery, Melanie Chen said the brand is delighted to bring back Allen's Spearmint Leaves later this year.

'We know mint fans love the sweet chewy tang of Spearmint Leaves, as well as being a favourite decoration among bakers. What's more, it's vegan-friendly!' she said.

'Allen's Spearmint Leaves will be available exclusively at Woolworths and independent supermarkets, so get in quick.

'We also have some extra sweet sweet news today - Allen's Sherbies are now back in their own bag! The first orange-chew bite with its pocket of sherbet is ready and waiting for chewy lolly lovers. It's available now in all major retailers in 150g for $5.'

Earlier this year in January fans were left gobsmacked after discovering the real flavour of Allen's snake lollies.

A conversation sparked on TikTok when comedian Tanya Hennessy shared the 'distressing news' with her 339,000 followers.

While most people think of obvious answers, the orange snake flavour is apricot and the green snake flavour is zesty lemon. Other flavours include strawberry, blackberry and pineapple.

The realisation left Tanya and hundreds of other 'mind blown'.
A gene therapy once billed as the 'world's most expensive drug' will be offered for free on the NHS, but experts insist it will save the health service money.

Called Hemgenix the drug costs 2.6million per patient, although only one dose is needed.

It is the only treatment of its kind for haemophilia B, a bleeding disorder where the body doesn't make enough, or any, of a protein critical to clotting.

Clotting is a vital biological mechanism that stops wounds from bleeding meaning people with the disorder can suffer severe and even life-threatening blood loss if they suffer an injury.

Additionally, they also run the risk of what are called 'spontaneous bleeds' that occur without a direct injury and are potentially deadly if they occur in a vital organ.

Called Hemgenix the drug costs 2.6million per patient, but experts insist it could save the NHS money in the long term

Hemgenix the patient's defective gene, which is incapable of producing the clotting, is replaced with one that can, eliminating the need for frequent injections

Haemophilia B patients have to take frequent injections of an artificial clotting agent called Factor IX for life in order to keep their risk of catastrophic injury to a minimum.

But with Hemgenix the patient's defective gene, which is incapable of producing the clotting, is replaced with one that can, eliminating the need for these injections.

Studies on the gene therapy, given via an IV drip, have shown the effects last for at least three years but the hope is it could work for even longer.

While there are approximately 2,000 people with haemophilia B in the UK, only 260 are estimated to be eligible for Hemgenix on the NHS.

Everything you need to know about Hemgenix What is it? Hemgenix is the brand name of a drug called etranacogene dezaparvovec which a gene therapy is designed to help patients with haemophilia B. How does it work? People with haemophilia B have a defective gene which means their bodies don't produce what is called a clotting factor a component of blood that is crucial to forming clots, which slow and stop the rate of blood loss in the event of an injury. Hemgenix uses a modified virus to deliver a working copy of the gene to the patient's liver, enabling them to produce their own clotting factor. What have studies shown? Trials of the drug have shown 94 per cent of haemophilia B patients given it were able to stop taking the regular infections of the clotting agent they previously needed. So does this mean they are effectively 'cured'? Maybe, the technical medical term is being in 'remission' which is the disappearance of symptoms. Studies on the gene therapy have shown its effects last for at least three years but the hope is it could work for even longer with monitoring of patients still underway. Does it have any side effects? Yes, like all drugs it has potential side effects. Patients taking Hemgenix take regular liver function tests to ensure the vital organ is function correctly as there is a risk it can trigger a potentially dangerous immune response. These are held one a week for the first three months before reducing in frequency over time to once a year. Treatment for this immune response is available. Patient information leaflets distributed with the drug also highlight a potential increased risk of cancer due to the fact it inserts itself into the DNA of cells. However, clinical studies have, so farm shown no cancers due to Hemgenix use. People taking Hemgenix must also use contraception like condoms for at least a year after taking it due to a process called 'shedding' where the drug can be passed through bodily fluids like semen. Patients are also forbidden from donating blood for this reason. Who makes it? CSL Behring, a Philadelphia-based pharmaceutical company. How expensive is it? Hemgenix is delivered as single dose that costs, on paper, 2.6million per patient. However, MailOnline understands the agreement with the NHS means the health service is getting it at a discount. How many patients are estimated to benefit? While there are approximately 2,000 people with haemophilia B in the UK, only 260 are estimated to be eligible for Hemgenix on the NHS. This is based on eligibility criteria which means only people with a moderately severe or severe version of the bleeding disorder can get it. Is it really the most expensive drug in the world? Hemgenix was in 2022 described as the most expensive drug in the world, costing $3.5 million per dose, about 2.8million. However, new drugs have eclipsed this with other gene therapies. Advertisement

This puts the potential total bill to the taxpayer at about 676million.

However, MailOnline understands the NHS is acquiring the drug at an undisclosed discount, so the actual cost is likely to be less.

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which decides what drugs should be available on the NHS and to whom, recommended the drug be made available on the health service on a 'managed access' basis.

This means it will only be offered to patients with 'moderately severe or severe haemophilia B' whose doctor thinks it would benefit them.

It will also be subject to an ongoing review regarding its cost effectiveness. This could mean it will one day be rolled out to more patients.

One patient who is already benefitting is Elliott Collins from Essex.

The 34-year-old who has severe haemophilia B and took part in trials for the gene therapy five years ago.

Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Collins said he was effectively no longer a haemophiliac thanks to the treatment.

'Initially my clotting levels were below zero and now they are teetering around 60, and anything 50 and above you're technically not a haemophiliac,' he said.

'Not long after I had the treatment, I remember walking past and whacking my knee on a cupboardand initially thinking 'Ooh, I've whacked that hard enough for that to swell up quite badly, and I'm going to need treatment'.

'And then 20 minutes passed and, nothing, maybe a little mark, whereas beforehand that would have definitely swelled up like a peach and I would have had to have treated myself.

'This is real, this is working, and I can relax a little bit.'

Professor Amit Nathwani, an expert in haemophilia at University College London who helped develop the gene therapy, said while on paper the cost per patient is eyewatering, using the drug could in fact save the NHS money.

'It is a lot of money but if you look at the lifetime cost of gene therapy with factor concentrate replacement this is over 8million per patient,' he said.

'So, a single administration of gene therapy that leads to long term, potentially life-long, protection could be bargain, could be a substantial saving to the NHS.'

He added that this didn't account for other potential savings for the health service such as a reduction in need for life-saving operations for haemophilia B patients.

'Even with regular injections with Factor IX patients continue to bleed and have life-threatening bleeds, with gene therapy the data shows these spontaneous bleeds are almost completely eliminated,' he said.

Clive Smith, chair of the charity the Haemophilia Society, welcomed the news of the approval calling it a 'major step forward' for people living with haemophilia B.

'It has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of those who are eligible for such treatment,' he said.

'Gene therapy provides an opportunity for people to effectively eliminate painful bleeds, thereby improving joint health and allowing people to lead a full life, unrestricted by frequent infusions and trips to hospital.'

NHS England's most senior medic Professor Sir Stephen Powis also hailed the news.

'This promising drug is the latest in a series of pioneering gene therapies secured for NHS patients at an affordable price and becomes the first drug to be made available in our Innovative Medicines Fund to provide early access for patients while further data is collected on its long-term benefits,' he said.

NHS England added that haemophilia B patients interested in the drug can discuss Hemgenix eligibility with the healthcare professional responsible for their care.

Hemgenix is made by Philadelphia-based pharmaceutical company CSL Behring, with Eduardo Cabas, general manager of its UK and Ireland operations, welcoming NICE's decision.

'CSL Behring is proud to be a global leader in biotech innovation and we remain clearly committed to improving the lives of people living with rare genetic bleeding disorders  as demonstrated by this milestone for eligible haemophilia B patients in the UK and the NHS,' he said.

Hemgenix was initially described as the 'most expensive drug in the world' when it originally came onto the scene in 2022.

However, other drugs have since eclipsed it in terms of overall cost.
More than a quarter of apparently healthy over-60s have undiagnosed heart valve disease, a landmark study suggests.

For the first time, research has revealed the number of Britons who unknowingly have the condition  which can increase the chances of heart attack and stroke.

Heart scans were carried out on almost 4,500 symptomless adults, with 28 per cent found to have heart valve disease.

Cases were typically more severe with age, leading researchers to suggest it could one day lead to targeted screening of those most at risk.

Blood flows through the heart and around the body in one direction.

More than a quarter of apparently healthy over-60s have undiagnosed heart valve disease, a landmark study suggests

Vassilios Vassiliou, clinical professor of cardiac medicine at UEA's Norwich Medical School, said the study also showed the older a person is, the higher their chance of having a valve issue

For the first time, research has revealed the number of Britons who unknowingly have the condition  which can increase the chances of heart attack and stroke (file pic)

The four heart valves  pulmonary and tricuspid on the right, and aortic and mitral on the left of the heart  control the blood flow.

Heart valve disease is when one or more do not work as they should.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia examined patients from Norfolk, West Midlands, and Aberdeen using echocardiography, an ultrasound of the heart.

Vassilios Vassiliou, clinical professor of cardiac medicine at UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: 'Our findings showed more than 28 per cent of these adults had some form of valve disease, although reassuringly it was only mild in the majority of the cases.

'The data also indicated that the older a person is, the higher their chance of having a significant valve issue.'

The main issues included valve stenosis  when a valve does not open fully, restricting blood flow  and valve regurgitation  when a valve does not close properly, allowing blood to leak back in the wrong direction.

Both can force the heart to work harder and in time, raise the risk of a heart attack, stroke or other heart conditions.

Symptoms include breathlessness, chest pain, feeling weak, dizzy or tired, swollen ankles and feet, and chest or neck palpitations.

Further studies are needed to see how screening could be used to help manage the disease, said the paper in the European Heart Journal.
Super-strength ecstasy pills containing potentially life-threatening levels of MDMA are back in circulation in the UK, experts have warned as Glastonbury kicks off.

Tests carried out on the party drug this year showed some pills contained up to 320mg of MDMA.

The Loop, a Home Office-licensed drug checking service, found average pill strength had returned to pre-pandemic levels at 180mg  up on the 140mg recorded last year.

One in 10 drugs tested were found to have a strength above 250mg. People have died from taking as little as 150mg of MDMA, though no amount is considered safe.

Ahead of Glastonbury, the non-profit, which recently conducted drug checking at Manchester's Parklife festival, warned that young people who came of age during Covid were 'particularly at risk'.

Tests carried out on the party drug this year showed some pills contained up to 320mg of MDMA. The Loop, a Home Office-licensed drug checking service, found average pill strength had returned to pre-pandemic levels at 180mg  up on the 140mg recorded last year. Pictured, the sea of crowd watching Sir Elton John's Glastonbury headline performance in 2023

Ahead of Glastonbury , the non-profit, which recently conducted drug checking at Manchester's Parklife festival warned young people who came of age during Covid were 'particularly at risk'. Pictured, fireworks explode above site at the end of day one of Glastonbury Festival 2024 yesterday

One in 10 drugs tested were found to have a strength above 250mg. People have died from taking as little as 150mg of MDMA, though no amount is considered safe

Adam Waugh, training coordinator at The Loop and Professor Fiona Measham, chair in criminology at the University of Liverpool said users had become used to lower strength pills and so might underestimate the new formulations.

This could pose 'a significant risk to public health', they wrote in an article for Drug Science, if people are 'caught unawares by pills containing two or even three times a common adult dose'.

It marks the first time The Loop has found any pills containing over 300mg of MDMA since before the pandemic.

They added: 'This risk is heightened for young people, many of whom will have come of age and only started going out and taking ecstasy pills during this post-pandemic period of lower strength pills.

'This cohort is also the age demographic most likely to experience serious harm as a result of taking ecstasy.'

MDMA is a stimulant and psychedelic thought to rewire connections in the brain, dampening the part that controls fear.

It has been an illegal substance since 1977 when the Government declared it a Class A drug.

No level of MDMA is considered safe with the drug interacting with different users based on their body weight, what they are doing at the time, if they are mixing it with other drugs and if they consume multiple pills in a short period.

At Parklife earlier this month, The Loop tested samples of green, purple and grey-coloured ecstasy pills which had either been seized by police or placed in amnesty bins.

They found the tablets were comparable in strength to those that had triggered hospitalisations or even deaths.

Of the 150-plus drug ecstasy samples tested by The Loop in 2024, just 2 per cent contained no MDMA  a significant decrease on 2021 when almost half had no traces of the drug.

'Risk reduction messages  such as take just a quarter at a time, sip water, pace yourself and avoid polydrug use  are as important as ever,' they said.

Side effects of MDMA include severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits and even irregular heart rhythm.

Latest Office for National Statistics data shows there were 51 deaths linked to MDMA in England and Wales in 2022. Pre-pandemic deaths from ecstasy stood at 78.

Drug testing at festivals is part of an approach known as harm reduction.

Drug testing at festivals is part of an approach known as harm reduction. Organisers and police will try to stop drugs getting in, but most agree it's almost impossible to stop it from happening at all. Pictured, people walking around site yesterday during day one of Glastonbury

At Parklife earlier this month, The Loop tested samples of green, purple and grey-coloured ecstasy pills which had either been seized by police or placed in amnesty bins. They found the tablets were comparable in strength to those that had triggered hospitalisations or even deaths. Pictured, Parklife earlier this month

Organisers and police will try to stop drugs getting in, but most agree it's almost impossible to stop it from happening at all.

On-site testing is done 'back-of-house' using confiscated drugs or substances left in amnesty bins.

If testers find that something is potentially dangerous  stronger than usual, contaminated, or sold as something it's not  they put a warning out to festival-goers.

According to a Home Office report, class A drug use in England and Wales is estimated to cost the UK taxpayer over 15bn per year, mostly through drug-related crime.

Under the 1971 the Misuse of Drugs Act, drugs are put into three different classes based on their danger to people.

Class A is the most serious and includes substances like cocaine and crack, ecstasy, MDMA and heroin while codeine, ketamine and cannabis are deemed Class B.

So-called 'date rape' drug GHB, anabolic steroids, nitrous oxide and the stimulant khat, meanwhile, are among Class C drugs.

Current drug laws see those in possession of Class A drugs face up to seven years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Anyone caught supplying or producing can face a life prison sentence, an unlimited fine or both.
One person is suspected of dying from the E. coli outbreak linked to tainted salad leaves, health officials have said.

No details have been released on the age or location of the victim with health chiefs only stating they had an underlying medical condition and that they died last month.

The update, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), also reported that as of 25 June a further 19 cases infection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have been confirmed.

This takes the total number of cases to 275, with about half of known cases needed to hospital care as a result of their infection.

Food safety chiefs have said they are 'confident' an Apollo type lettuce has caused the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug. Efforts to confirm the root cause, however, are ongoing

The infection has hospitalised 122 and to date seven cases of the severe haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a medical emergency linked to STEC which can lead to kidney failure and death have been reported.

Another death among STEC patients was also recorded by health officials but they said, based on medical data, this isn't believed to have been caused by the infection.

UKHSA said that although the rate of new STEC cases is declining they expect more cases in the coming days as further samples from suspected patients are analysed.

The E. coli outbreak is believed to be linked to tainted lettuce leaves and earlier this month more than 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops were been slapped with 'do not eat' alerts as precautionary measure.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Security Agency which assisting UKHSA in the E. coli investigation, said while lettuce is still the prime suspect, investigations were ongoing.

'Although we are confident in the likely source of the outbreak being linked to lettuce, work continues to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence,' he said.

Experts believe the texture of lettuce makes it more prone to being contaminated with E. coli though water tainted with infected animal faeces and the fact it's not cooked, which would usually kill off bugs, increasing the risk.

STEC is considered to be extremely infectious, and in up to 15 per cent of cases, the bug can cause HUS with children under the age of five are at the highest risk.

A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura (TTP).

Symptoms of STEC generally vary from mild to bloody diarrhoea, UKHSA says, with around half of people infected experiencing the latter.

Vomiting, fever and stomach cramps are other tell-tale signs of an infection.

While the majority of the 275 known cases are thought to have been from consumption from infected food, two are believed to have been passed from person to person, for example parents caring for children who caught the bug.

Over 60 sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in 11 major shops were slapped with 'do not eat' alerts over fears they could contain Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) earlier this month

England has the lion's share of cases at 182, with 58 in Scotland and 31 in Wales.

Four cases have also been reported in Northern Ireland though these patients are thought to have been infected while visiting England.

People have been advised to contact NHS 111 or their GP if they or their children show any symptoms of E. coli infection.

For children under five symptoms can include disinterest in breast or bottle feeding and signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies.

Both adults and children are advised to call NHS 111 or their GP if they keep vomiting for two days or have diarrhoea for a week.

Anyone suffering bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom should call NHS 111 or their GP immediately.

Those who are infected are advised to not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.
An Ohio couple is contending with the devastating news that both of their young children have a rare disorder dubbed baby Alzheimer's.'

Stella and Roman Arnold, four and five years old, respectively, have a rare genetic condition that causes worsening neurological decline in children similar to that experienced by adult Alzheimers patients.

Stella and Roman are defying the odds, however, having been given life expectancies of about three years. But their mother, Jillian Arnold, is already grieving her babies in anticipation of her gut-wrenching loss.

She said: It is such a strange feeling grieving a child that you are still holding in your arms. I try not to ignore those feelings when they arise, but I also try not to dwell on them.

Stella (center left) and Roman Arnold (center right) have a rare genetic condition that causes progressive neurological decline similar to Alzheimers disease in adults. They are pictured with their parents Donald (far left) and Jillian (far right)

Stella and Roman are defying the odds, having been given life expectancies of only three years

Mrs Arnold added: This disease is cruel in the fact that you get a little "taste" of who your children really are - and deep down, who they still are - and then it all quickly gets taken away from you.

It is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Roman was diagnosed at six months old with the severe Type-A form of Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency (ASMD).

This genetic condition causes children to experience a loss of motor skills, intellectual disability, feeding difficulties, jaundice - yelling of the skin - and an enlarged liver and spleen.

Its characterized by a deficiency in an enzyme called sphingomyelinase. This enzyme is needed to break down a fatty substance called sphingomyelin, a crucial part of cells.

Its a critical component of cell membranes that insulate nerves and plays an important role in cellular communication and cell death.

When those cells dont die as planned, they accumulate in various tissues in the body and affect key organs, including the liver, spleen, brain, and spine.

ASMD is a genetic condition and occurs when a child inherits two non-working genes from their parents - one from the mother and one from the father.

There is no cure. Instead, doctors treat the symptoms that occur as a result of having the disease.

The typical lifespan of ASMD type-A patients is two to three years and about one-quarter of patients die from some form of a neurodegenerative disease.

Roman (right) was diagnosed at six months old with the severe Type A form of Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency (ASMD)

The Arnolds have already begun to grieve the loss of their toddlers, they said

Roman was behind on his milestones, such as rolling over, which was the first suggestion to his parents that something was wrong.

Then, he began vomiting most of his feeds. A physical exam revealed he had an enlarged liver and spleen.

Doctors diagnosed him with ASMD, also known as Niemann-Pick disease (NPD), after a battery of tests and confirmed it was the more severe Type A. The condition occurs in only 0.4 to 0.6 in 100,000 births in the world.

The Human Resources and Services Administration estimates approximately just 15 babies are born with ASMD in the US each year.

And if parents already have a child with ASMD, they have a one in four chance of having another child with the condition.

Mrs Arnold said: I felt like it couldn't be real and couldn't understand why this was happening to us.

The most difficult aspect of this disease is watching your once healthy and vibrant children start to become a shell of who they once were.

Just days before her sons diagnosis, Jillian learned she was pregnant again. But the news was bittersweet.

Mrs Arnold said that watching her children go through this has tested her marriage, her faith, and her mental health

A doctor informed her that given her own genetic predisposition for the disease, as well as that of her husband, their soon-to-be-born daughter would have a 25 percent chance of getting it.

When she was born, Stella was fiery, motivated, strong and feisty.

Mrs Arnold said: We were so hopeful that she didn't have it because she seemed so much stronger physically than Roman had as an infant. She also didn't have any of the vomiting issues he had.

We got her diagnosis when she was around three months old, and our hearts were shattered for a second time.

Stella was also diagnosed with the more severe type-A form of the disease.

She said the ordeal has tested both her marriage and her faith.

Roman and Stella are now involved in a clinical trial for a treatment candidate that has extended their survival by a couple of years, which Mrs Arnold calls a huge win.

She and her husband have begun sharing their story online and on podcasts to help guide other parents, which has offered them some comfort.

While theyll never be happy about their childrens diagnosis, they have accepted it.

Mrs Arnold said: It has tested my mental health, patience and hope. But here we are, all still standing and actually enjoying our lives.

I know there is a cure out there.
Officials are warning Americans to be on the alert for rabies-infected animals amid a spate of attacks in some parts of the country.

This month, a rabid raccoon attacked two dogs and rabid bats were found in two separate houses in Missouri.

Last month, a stray cat with rabies attacked a person in Staten Island, New York, while in Massachusetts a rabid coyote attacked two people in a park.

And earlier this year, another raccoon with rabies attacked theme park goers in Pennsylvania in March, and in February, a Rhode Island hiker had to strangle a rabid coyote as it tried to claw at him and his dog.

There are signs that in some areas of the country there are more rabid animals than normal, with health officials raising concerns in particular over bats.

The above map shows which animals are most likely to be infected with rabies in certain areas

A stray cat with rabies attacked people in Staten Island, New York last month

Despite the rise in rabid animals, officials have not reported that rabies infections in humans are increasing.

Warning over rabies, health officials in South Carolina said: 'It is critical to know that people, especially children, can be bitten by a bat and not know it. That is because bats have tiny teeth.'

Fewer than 10 people are infected with the disease every year, statistics show, with most infections prevented by a shot people are given after being exposed to suspected-rabid animals that prevents the virus from infecting them.

Those suspected of being infected should receive one dose within 24 hours, and then another three shots on days three, seven and 14 after their first inoculation.

Rabies is more than 99 percent fatal.

Dr Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases expert in Kansas, told DailyMail.com that in recent years he has seen more people who are worried about rabies  but not more cases.

'It is very rare for anyone to get diagnosed with rabies,' he said, ' and when it happens, it is sensational  people will hear about it'.

'Normally, what happens is if there is an unprovoked animal attack then people get worried about it, and they may get the rabies vaccine.'

Unprovoked animal attacks are a warning sign of rabies because the disease causes animals to approach and be aggressive with others of any species, including people.

Dr Moore said he had three calls so far this year in relation to rabies, which is normal for this time of year.

Overall, more than 90 percent of rabies cases nationally are linked to exposure to wild animals  with about a third linked to bats and another third to raccoons.

A bat that is active during the day, for example, found on the ground, or appears to be unable to fly should treated as if it has rabies, Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) officials said.

People catch the virus from the saliva of infected animals that gets into open wounds.

'If you have been bitten by any animal, seek immediate medical attention,' the IDPH stated in an advisory in May.

'Bite wounds can become infected and if the animal is high risk for rabies preventive treatment must begin quickly,' they noted.

Additionally, whenever possible, officials said residents should 'not kill or release the bat before calling your doctor or local health department to help determine if you could have been exposed to rabies and need preventive treatment.'

A captured specimen can help local health officials decide the course of treatment for those exposed, they added.

Many may not realize they have been infected, with early warning signs of the disease  flu-like symptoms and unexplained tingling  taking up to three months to appear.

Within a week of these emerging, however, patients progress to the fatal form of the disease  where it attacks the brain and spinal cord causing seizures, hallucinations and excessive salivation.

Nearly all patients who develop a rabies infection die from the disease, which has a death rate of 99.9 percent.

But in rare cases, several have survived after doctors placed them in a medically-induced coma. The first person to survive the disease was Jeanna Giese, from Wisconsin, who was bitten by a bat in a church in 2004.

Issuing warnings over rabies, officials in North Carolina said they had seen a rise in calls from people who had seen sick raccoons.

'Contact with wild animals is the main way people, pets and livestock get exposed to rabies,' they said.

'You can lower the chance of rabies exposure for you and your pets by avoiding contact with wild animals and taking simple precautions.'

In Missouri, officials are warning over bats being infected with rabies and reminding people to avoid direct contact with wildlife.

The warnings were particularly urgent, given the recent emergence of baby bats  which may hang around homes raising the risk of infection.
With motor theft on the rise and convictions on the decline, drivers are being urged to do all they can to fend off criminals targeting motors..

But with gangs of organised thieves now deploying a range of new high-tech tactics to infiltrate and breach security features of modern vehicles, motorists are having to become just as savvy to keep their cars protected.

So, what can you do to make your motor as uninviting to thieves as possible?

A former police interceptor has suggested his six top tips that could help drivers keep vehicles safe from opportunistic criminals...

Ben Pearson, a former police interceptor and traffic officer, lists his six top tips to fend off car thieves

Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there were an estimated 130,270 cars stolen in England and Wales last year.

This is almost on par with 2022 (130,389 thefts), though some 25 per cent higher than in 2021 (104,435).

Despite the rise, hardly any of the criminals responsible for these thefts are caught and charged by the police, official data shows.

The number of offenders charged for motor theft account for just 2 per cent of cars stolen between July 2022 and June 2023 - and in London, it's all but decriminalised due to the Met's difficulties catching thieves, according to Home Office data issued to dashcam maker Nextbase.

This map shows the average charge rate police secure for car thefts in different parts of England and Wales between July 2022 and June 2023. The Home Office figures suggest there's little chance of police catching individuals who steal motors

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So what can motorists do to best secure their motors from these criminals?

Ben Pearson, a former police interceptor and traffic officer, told us: 'You don't need to make your car the hardest car to steal in the world - just the hardest one to steal on your street.

'Today's thieves are often sophisticated and well-practiced but if there is an easier target around they are much more likely to try their luck with that vehicle instead.'

To help drivers keep their motors secure, Ben has given us his six top tips to minimise the risk of your car being seen an easy target by thieves.

'You don't need to make your car the hardest car to steal in the world - just the hardest one to steal on your street,' Ben explains

1.Don't start the engine just to run the air-con

It sounds so obvious that it's patronising, but never leave your car unlocked and unattended.

It happens often in the winter when you defrost your car and leave it running but similarly it's a common occurrence in the summer as motorists look to tackle rising temperatures.

With this week already seeing spells of hot weather reaching highs of 30 degrees, it can be tempting to start your car's engine to activate the air conditioning to tackle the searing heat inside the cabin before setting off on a journey.

But leaving your vehicle unattended - even on your driveway or parked on private property - will leave it vulnerable to opportunistic criminals.

2. Go back in time with a steering lock

One of the best ways to make your car harder to steal - and crucially, look harder to steal - is a wheel lock.

Big in the '80s and '90s to provide additional security before vehicle alarms and immobilisers were mainstream, these are now a recommended product to deter thieves who could potentially target your motor using hi-tech tactics.

One can be bought for around 50 and it will add an extra layer of protection should a thief get into your car through modern keyless theft, as well as giving you more time to hear an alarm or notice their presence.

A professional criminal can get through a wheel lock with an angle grinder, but that extra time and noise may put them off.

3. Dashcams aren't just for insurance purposes - they're a theft deterrent

Dashcams were introduced to the market in the last decade to provide an insurance solution for those disputing responsibility in road collisions.

But as well as helping motorists to capture evidence of their innocence that can be supplied to insurers - and helping to lower drivers' motor premiums - they're also a smart way of putting off thieves.

The latest dashcam products can do a lot more than just record a crash when you're driving.

In fact, some can even alert you if your car is approached or broken into when you're not around.

Connecting with your smartphone could allow you to scare off a would-be thief from afar, offering another layer of protection.

4. Use your garage for what it was originally designed

While not everyone has the luxury of off-street or garage parking, if you do, make sure you take advantage of it.

I can think of dozens of examples of cars stolen from in front of houses where the garage is full of useless junk, leaving what is often the second most expensive asset of the household exposed.

Clear it out and make room for your vehicle. Out of sight, out of mind!

5. Ditch social media to keep your car safe

Social media can be a useful tool to let people know your car has been stolen, but before that point, keep your car off your profile.

Far too many people post pictures of their car and its registration number on Facebook or Instagram with their profiles unlocked.

Vehicles can be easily traced this way and it's not hard to find the vehicles location when people tag locations on pictures.

Don't make it easy for thieves to make your car a target.

6. Make motor thieves aware you're up for the fight

While all of these steps will make your car harder to steal, one of the best things you can do is make sure that any prospective thief knows you have taken precautions to stop them.

The more obvious you can make it, the better.

Don't be afraid of window stickers, the big yellow wheel lock, a driveway bollard or anything that is going to make a thief think twice.
The business of government stops during general election campaigns, with Whitehall and quangos going into purdah.

This has provided City bankers and advisers with an opportunity to press ahead with bids and deals under the radar.

There is no more important transaction at present than the proposed takeover of International Distribution Services (IDS)  owner of the Royal Mail  by the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky and his financial backers J&T, an outgrowth of a secretive private investment bank based in Slovakia.

Publication of a complex 137-page offer document, endorsed by the feeble board of Royal Mails owner, in the midst of governmental lockdown, is wrong.

It risks making the takeover a fait accompli before the intense scrutiny promised in the Labour manifesto can be done.

Junk male: Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky and his Slovakian financial backers J&T, have agreed to buy the Royal Mail for 3.6bn

A new government is unlikely to prioritise probing a takeover when it has great affairs of state to handle  from building a Cabinet to stabilising the economy and reaching out to global allies  all in the midst of war in Europe and the Middle East.

The whole takeover proposition for the Royal Mail is a disgrace. An institution with 500 years of history and a universal service obligation is in danger of being passed to overseas buyers, one of which, the part of J&T carrying out the bid, was formed just three years ago. How is it possible for any of this to happen?

The stakes are heavily weighted against the boards of directors of public companies, even if they are willing to engage in fisticuffs.

Regarding Keith Williams, chairman of the Royal Mail, its German chief executive Martin Seidenberg and the rest of the board, including senior non-executive director Sarah Hogg, it has been a case of come and get us.

To understand why there is so little resistance to the deal, one only has to look at the fantastically rich pickings for advisers.

Those acting for the Royal Mails owner, including Barclays, stand to collect 56.9million.

With so much cash on the table, one can understand why they might have advised the board that it was their fiduciary duty to cave in to the offer.

This is in spite of the fact that, for most of its life as a public company, Royal Mail shares have traded at above 400p  way above the 360p offer price (which includes a final dividend).

Fees, including the cost of banking arrangements for advisers to Kretinskys EP UK group and his motley backers, amount to 89million.

Bankers, lawyers and communications firms doubtless will be licking their lips at a bonanza payout and the thought of bonuses.

Royal Mail staff and IDSs fast-growing European parcels offshoot GLS might ask themselves whether that 146million in fees would have been better spent on investment in AI, letter tracking and improving other services.

It is also worth noting that the incentives for management to take the cash and run are powerful.

Seidenberg stands to reap millions of pounds from bonus shares, which vest with the takeover, some of which were granted as recently as this month.

Anyone hoping for more light to be shed on J&T and its principals Patrik Tkac, Adam Tomis and Libor Kaiser, their business background and risks related to legal disputes, will be bitterly disappointed.

There is minimal, sanitised disclosure. What is clear is that following the deal the bidders, spending 5.3billion on IDS, including debt, will be heavily leveraged.

Experience of other bank-financed cash deals suggest that undertakings made at the time of the takeover, such as maintaining headcount and investment, vanish beneath a sea of interest payments.

Royal Mail workers, who were given 10 per cent of the company at the time of privatisation, are being railroaded into accepting Czech cheques.

Funding is provided by an assortment of overseas banks, including BNP Paribas, SocGen. UniCredit and Citibanks London branch.

There is nothing to like about the Kretinsky deal, and investors should reject an offer which can only result in ruination of a totemic national institution.

Other utilities that have fallen into over-borrowed foreign hands with unfathomable ownership structures, such as Thames Water, offer a salutary lesson. The deal for mail deliveries can only end in tears.
The boss of Royal Mails owner could rake in more than 5million from the sale of the postal service to the Czech Sphinx.

Martin Seidenberg, the chief executive of International Distribution Services (IDS), will get a payout due to his shareholding in the firm.

The figures were revealed in a formal offer document as IDS and billionaire Daniel Kretinsky push ahead with a controversial 3.6billion takeover.

The filings also showed that bankers, lawyers and other advisers will take home 146million in fees for working on the deal.

German businessman Seidenberg took the reins at IDS last year after running the firms European parcels arm GLS.

Special delivery: Martin Seidenberg, the chief executive of Royal Mail-owner International Distribution Services, will get a payout due to his shareholding in the firm

Part of his potential payout is connected to IDSs long-term incentive plan and deferred shares.

A maximum payment of up to 5.4million is dependent on the takeover being completed and Seidenberg meeting performance targets.

Details of the potential pay out came as Kretinsky yesterday said he will consider a profit-sharing agreement with Royal Mail workers following the deal.

The offer document said the billionaire is exploring, following completion of the acquisition, potentially offering a form of employee participation model in the business to all employees.

It said this could involve a profit-sharing mechanism but added: No decision has been made in respect of the terms of, or timing for implementation of, such an incentive scheme.

Union chiefs said that the proposals do not go far enough.

They have been lobbying for a collective employee trust that would give workers a say in how the business is run and a share of profits. It would also reduce the risk of strikes and industrial action.

A spokesman for the Communication Workers Union said: We are looking for a serious stake in the company but also a serious voice in the running of the company.

Were not interested in profit payouts that are at the mercy of a board  we want workers influence at all levels.

'Not just the main board, but the remuneration committee, the recruitment committees, to make sure we dont recruit people who dont have the interest of postal workers at heart.

Posties were given a stake when Royal Mail was privatised by the coalition government in 2013. Many of them have since sold their shares, but employees still own around 5.5 per cent of the business  which would be valued at 200million under the current terms of the deal.

In its manifesto for the General Election, the Labour Party pledged to robustly scrutinise the deal and give posties a stronger voice.

Meanwhile, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch has called for cast-iron guarantees that vital postal services will be protected.

Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said getting the unions onside could bolster political support amid a mounting backlash over the deal.

She added: Regulatory approval could be a tough hurdle, given how important Royal Mail is to the UK economy.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday earlier this month, CWU boss Dave Ward called for a new ownership and governance model for Royal Mail.

He added: Our plan will build back trust from the public and businesses of the UK and win over tens of thousands of postal workers who have been demoralised by the companys leadership by giving them a major stake in their businesses.
But critics say agents have no local knowledge and no incentive to get best price

Its boss says it cuts unnecessary extras and gives home sellers more control

Purplebricks is back - and its basic selling package is now completely free

Purplebricks looked like a firm that was going out of business this time last year. Its share price fell from a high of 487p in 2018 to 0.31p in May 2023.

Its collapse was avoided when it was rescued by rival Strike, which assumed its liabilities for the princely sum of 1.

Its fixed-fee model, famous for undercutting high street agent fees and saving home sellers money, appeared to have failed.

But fast forward 12 months and Purplebricks is making a comeback - and hoping to attract customers by letting them list their home without paying a penny.

New beginning: Online estate agent Purplebricks launched a new pricing structure last year to enable sellers to list their home without paying a penny

How much does Purplebricks cost?

Purplebricks previously charged a fixed fee of 1,349 (including VAT), rising to 2,999 for those based in and around London. This needed to be paid upfront or no later than 10 months after the property was first advertised, even if it did not sell.

Now under the stewardship of its new chief executive, Sam Mitchell, it has changed that model.

It is only the basic selling package that is free, with homeowners able to pay for extra services if they choose.

With the free package, Purplebricks says it will take care of valuations, list the property on Zoopla - though not Rightmove - and handle sales negotiations. It also includes an account manager to help guide sellers through the process.

There are two paid-for packages. Boost, which costs 899 with optional extras and Full House which costs 1,499.

The Boost service includes photos a floorplan, and a premium Rightmove listing, while Full House includes Purplebricks taking care of hosting viewings and also providing mortgage advice.

Those using the free package also have the option to add these extras for a fee.

How does Purplebricks compare among estate agents?

The fees charged by UK high street agents - the industry term for those who have a physical office - are among the lowest in the world.

The average estate agent fee is currently 1.42 per cent of the final selling price, according to HomeOwners Alliance. That would mean if a property sells for 250,000, the owner could expect to pay around 3,550.

But estate agent fees vary wildly and can be anywhere between 0.5 per cent and 3.6 per cent, not including the additional 20 per cent VAT required on top.

Someone selling their 250,000 home with an agent charging a 3 per cent fee plus VAT would end up paying 9,000.

For those selling more expensive homes, even a fairly average 1.5 per cent plus VAT fee (totalling 1.8 per cent) can eat up more than 10,000. Sell a 750,000 property with that fee and the agent will take a 13,500 cut.

Sam Mitchell, chief executive of Purplebricks, thinks the current high street estate agent commission structure is 'a poor way of paying for estate agency services'

Sam Mitchell, chief executive of Purplebricks says: 'We think estate agent commission - the percentage of sale price of a home - is a poor way of paying for estate agency services.

'It implies that work by an estate agent differs according to the price of your home, which simply isn't true.

'The work required to value, list, market and negotiate a home remains similar each time.

'With Purplebricks' pricing model, customers pay far less than commission via a high street agent on average, and know exactly what they're paying for.'

However, the big difference is that high street agents fees are typically only payable if the property sells.

With Purplebricks, that is not the case. The fee is fixed, and paid in full at the point your property is put on the market.

Angela Kerr, a director at property advice website HomeOwners Alliance, says: 'You need to do the maths and think about the implication of paying upfront.

'A high street estate agent's fee is payable on completion. So no sale, no fee.

'But with an online estate agent like Purplebricks, if you decide to opt for a paid package or add-on optional extras, and your house hasn't sold by the end of the six month marketing period, it will be delisted from the portals, you'll lose that money and you will have to start again from scratch.'

What is Purplebricks' sales record?

Purplebricks claims it has listed and sold more homes in the UK than any other estate agency brand so far this year.

It says it has listed 24,616 properties over the past 12 months, which works out as 100 sellers listing per day with Purplebricks.

It has a 3.7 star rating out of five on Trustpilot from 100,000 reviews. It also claims it has more 5 star TrustPilot reviews than any other estate agent.

It says it normally takes between eight and 10 weeks to sell a home with Purplebricks, which is broadly in line with the UK average.

This is the time it takes to go from being listed on an online portal to going under offer.

Not all firms reveal this data, but the Countrywide estate agency network - which includes brands such as Bairstow Eves, Dixons and Hamptons - claims it is currently taking seven weeks to go under offer on average, which is slightly ahead of Purplebricks.

This may be something to bear in mind for those seeking a particularly speedy sale.

While many homeowners will prefer the full-service approach of a high street agent, Sam Mitchell argues the Purplebricks service is about empowering people to have more say over what they pay when selling their home.

'The high street model may work better for some,' he says. 'But people don't all want the same things from their house sale.

'We believe customers shouldn't have to pay for services that they don't want or need, and should instead be empowered to choose what's right for them, allowing them to control their costs.

'In doing so, Purplebricks sells more houses than those offering 'no sale, no fee' and charges a third of the average cost for doing it.'

Angela Kerr, at HomeOwners Alliance, thinks the Purplebricks' offer to sell a house for free will be appealing to those who have been left unimpressed by estate agents in the past.

Angela Kerr, a director at property advice website, HomeOwners Alliance says the free offer will appeal to anyone who has sold a house before and had a terrible experience with a high street estate agent

She says: 'Moving home is ridiculously expensive. In a world where everything is getting more expensive, it's no surprise people are looking to pay less.

'I think their free offer will be especially appealing if you've sold a house before and had a terrible experience with a high street estate agent.

'It's common for homeowners to feel they paid thousands of pounds for nothing, that they could have sold their house better themselves, and that Rightmove and Zoopla are what really secured their buyer.'

However Kerr questions whether sellers should rely on valuations given by online agents such as Purplebricks.

She says: 'Our advice to homesellers is not to rely on any online estate agent for an accurate valuation.

'Online estate agents may not have the local knowledge and may rely on online data. So we always advise getting a few local high street estate agents to value your home, alongside valuations you receive from any online agents.

'Your high street agent is likely to know your local housing market better than anyone else so will be well-equipped to give you a realistic valuation.

'Invite at least three agents round to value the property and discuss marketing. If they're a good salesperson, they may even convince you to use them. But don't forget to negotiate the fee.'

Why you should consider a high street agent

While cutting back on fees may appeal to some people, there will be many who prefer to stick with the traditional high street agent.

Marc Von Grundherr, director at Benhams & Reeves estate agency says a property sale is too valuable to be left to a call centre

The right estate agent can make selling a home a relative breeze, just as much as the wrong one can cause problems, drag the process out and end up forcing a seller to reduce their asking price.

Marc Von Grundherr, director at Benhams & Reeves estate agency, questions the quality of service that customers receive from 'low fee' firms such as Purplebricks.

'With estate agents, as with all things, you get what you pay for,' says Von Grundherr.

'Your relationship with your agent will be some six months or more long, and so it's vital that you choose someone who is competent and communicative.

'Getting a percentage commission on the sale also incentivises them to get you the highest price possible.'

'Much of the Purplebricks model relies on upselling and commissions from third parties, such as selling mortgages and legal services.

'Unless you are trying to sell for free, Purplebricks get paid regardless and so they have little if any incentive to work that much harder. High street agents do.'

He also rates high street agents' physical presence in the local town centre.

'Having an agent that you can go to see at will is important for accountability,' Von Grundherr adds.

'A property sale is too valuable to be left to a call centre. Local knowledge is rated as the highest criteria by sellers when choosing an estate agent, and therefore a local bench office with experienced local people is always superior to a national online business.'

Comeback: Purplebricks claims it has listed and sold more homes in the UK than any other estate agency brand so far this year

Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of the buying agency Garrington Property Finders thinks that having a good high street agent is even more important when the property market is languishing, like it is now.

'Selling a home in any market - let alone the current slower-paced market - takes time, skill and effort, and as a seller you really need your estate agent's interests to be aligned with yours,' says Hopper.

'That's why the traditional, commission-based model that Purplebricks sought to undermine still has value.

'It stands to reason that estate agents who are motivated by a model that only rewards them when they successfully sell a home  rather than just taking pictures and listing it on a property portal  have a powerful incentive to get your sale across the line.

Jonathan Hopper, chief executive of the buying agency Garrington Property Finders says that high street agents have a powerful incentive to get your sale across the line

However, Sam Mitchell of Purplebricks argues that sellers can choose to have a similar service to high street agents, while saving significantly on cost.

'Sellers can opt for different packages, with the Full House package including hosted viewings from a local property partner,' says Mitchell.

'For those that prefer to keep completely distant from the sales process, there's still the option to do so.

'That being said, Purplebricks can also offer a direct relationship between buyer and seller that other high-street agents don't, through its online platform and app.

'We believe strongly in creating a more transparent relationship between the agent and those involved in the process.

'We find that by removing the gatekeeper role of the average local high-street agent and facilitating direct communication between the two from the outset, we achieve better outcomes.

'Instead, we offer dedicated account managers that deal with the complexities whilst maintaining transparency throughout the process.'

Should you sell your home for free?

As tempting as it might be to take Purplebricks up on its free offer, there are limitations that could ultimately inhibit someone's chances of selling or getting the best possible price.

'In terms of packages, I would say the Purplebricks free package is limited and misses some essentials,' says Angela Kerr.

'Most notably, it doesn't include professional photos and floorplans. And while your listing will go on Zoopla, you need to pay extra to list it on Rightmove too.

'You want as many eyeballs on your property as possible so ideally your home would be listed on both.'

'It's worth noting that using Purplebricks - even with their free package - entails a separate 60 anti-money laundering fee. Most high street agents will do AML checks in-house for far less.

'The free model is still an appealing option for people who want to be in control of their house sale, are happy to be responsible for photos and floorplans and book and conduct viewings in the app themselves, and are ok with all the time and effort this takes.'
There are no officially declared candidates, no election day and an electorate of just one person.

But there is an unofficial campaign to influence former President Donald Trump as he decides on a running mate.

Some focus on who would help Trump court critical subsets of voters, others highlight messaging skills, or push a potential vice president who would not overshadow the main man.

Trump world insiders from his former pollster Kellyanne Conway to his son Don Jr. are quietly bending the ear of the Republican candidate to influence his choice.

About eight candidates are being vetted, but the final choice comes down to three leading contenders, according to those in the know. (Unless Trump decides to surprise everyone ...)

This who is backing whom:

J.D. Vance - Don. Jr and Charlie Kirk

J.D. Vance, the U.S. senator from Ohio, has picked up steam in the running mate race

Charlie Kirk (left), founder of grassroots movement Turning Point USA, and Donald Trump Jr. have both come out for the Ohio senator

Trump's eldest son campaigned for Vance when he was running for his Ohio Senate seat in 2022 and the two have become close since. They 'shoot the s***' regularly, as Vance put it during a recent appearance on Don Jr.'s podcast.

'I've advocated for you for all the reasons you're talking about,' Trump Jr. said.

'I really want to see, like, the JD Vance-Kamala Harris vice presidential debate.'

Vance also has Charlie Kirk, founder of the influential grassroots movement Turning Point USA in his camp.

'I'm very biased. He's a friend of mine,' Kirk told DailyMail.com before Vance topped a straw poll of attendees to Turning Point Action's People's Convention in Detroit.

'But he brings so much to the table.'

His blue-collar appeal in Ohio would convert easily to a winning formula in rust belt battleground states such as Pennsylvania, he said, where the presidential election could be won or lost. And at just 39 years of age, he represents a generational shift, said Kirk.

Doug Burgum - Steve Bannon and Rupert Murdoch

Gov. Doug Burgum has developed a close relationship with Donald Trump in recent months

Burgum has media mogul Rupert Murdoch and former White House strategist Steve Bannon talking him up as a candidate

Insiders say former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has been talking up the North Dakota governor behind the scenes (despite also recently pushing Vance).

While other candidates could try to steal the limelight and the affections of the MAGA base from Trump, Burgum is the vice president most likely to remain quietly loyal in the background, runs the thinking.

Burgum has also benefited from positive coverage in Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

Last week his New York Post endorsed Burgum as the best pick from the three most likely candidates (although it also praised Rubio.)

'To us, North Dakota's Burgum stands out,' its editorial board said.

'He's sharp as a tack, a real doer when it comes to business deals (reinforcing Trump's brand) and knows his way around the tech world.'

Marco Rubio - Sean Hannity and Kellyanne Conway

Sen. Marco Rubio clashed badly with Trump in 2016 when they were rivals for the Republican nomination. But he has emerged in recent week as a possible veep selection

Sean Hannity and Kellyanne Conway are in Rubio's camp

The Florida senator would have to change residency to a different state to Trump in order to run on the same ticket, but his supporters say he could be the key to unlocking the Hispanic vote for Trump.

Insiders say that of all the demographic groups, Hispanic voters are the one that Trump keeps coming back to in discussions.

Rubio can count on the influential support of Conway, who is credited with doing more than anyone else to catapult Mike Pence into the role in 2016.

Although she has not gone public with her support, she has not exactly hidden it either.

In a New York Times op-ed, she listed a range of candidates who could help Trump govern, who could help neutralize the Democratic position on abortion, or who could bring in a key demographic group. Rubio was the only name on each of the three lists.

Similarly discreet is Fox News anchor Sean Hannity, another influential figure with Trump who has a hotline to the former president.
Leaked audio can be revealed of a rant Adam Bandt delivered to Greens supporters that the party leader admitted could cost him 'a few friends'.

Daily Mail Australia has exclusively obtained audio of Mr Bandt tearing into his own supporters in a speech to the party's online national conference earlier this month.

In the candid speech delivered on Zoom, Mr Bandt demanded Greens party activists work harder to win votes or the party would 'fail' - lamenting it was behind where it needed to be in key target seats.

He then predicted what a grim future would look like for the Greens - veering wildly off-message to claim Labor will think it can 'get away with bombing Gaza' if his party doesn't win.

'I want you to think about what the narrative will be if we don't win these (key) seats,' he said.

'Labor will say, 'ah, we can get away with bombing Gaza and opening up new coal and gas mines and it doesn't matter. The Greens can try as hard as they want and nothing will happen'.

'That's the story they will tell. It won't be true but it is the story they will tell.'

The Labor government is not bombing the Gaza Strip.

In the candid speech, delivered on Zoom, Mr Bandt demands Greens party activists work harder to win votes or the party 'will fail' - lamenting the party was behind where it needed to be

The Greens leader and MP for Melbourne framed his spray as an 'honest conversation' but admitted they were 'cranky' comments - and that this was a part of his speech he would never share with journalists.

During his talk, Mr Bandt posed a series of questions to volunteers and supporters in the room about the work they're putting in to winning over voters ahead of the next election.

'If you don't know the answer to these questions about what is going on in your state then I'm sorry, but some people will say you're not doing everything that you can to win,' he said.

The Greens are targeting five seats in the coming election with a bold plan to reshape the debate in Australia on key measures and force Labor to rely on them more to pass legislation.

Nabbing a few extra seats and pushing Labor into a minority government in the next election would give Mr Bandt and his party more bargaining power.

But for this grand plan to work, Mr Bandt told supporters they must work harder.

Citing the success of the Greens campaign in Griffith, led by wunderkind Max Chandler-Mather, Mr Bandt said there were 'four paid doorknocking organisers [who] had knocked on 11,325 doors and had 4,936 meaningful interactions with people.

'And by the Christmas before the election, that 4,936 number had swelled to 12,597 meaningful interactions,' he said.

'Have you had as many conversations? Do you have in each of those sites four paid door-knocking organisers? Are you on track to have 12,597 meaningful interactions? Which means many more doors have been knocked on by the end of this year or even earlier if the Prime Minister calls a December 2024 election?' he asked.

'Because if you're not or you don't know the answer to these questions about what is going on in your state then I'm sorry, but some people will say you're not doing everything that you can to win.'

The Greens are 'running very serious campaigns' in five target electorates across Australia, in addition to the four seats they already hold

Conservative lobby group ADVANCE chairman Matthew Sheahan said Mr Bandt's words should serve as a warning to voters that 'Greens are no longer the hippies and tree huggers of the 1980s' and 'not who they used to be'.

'It's time for every Aussie to take a long hard look at the issues they now stand for. The Greens are an ambitious political force with their eyes locked on power,' he said.

'They're not talking about saving trees, they're working out how to win more seats and accumulate more power... they have flown under the radar for too long.'

Mr Sheahan noted the party is increasingly becoming a political force who are getting 'more power every election'.

Greens internal polling, discussed during the closed-door meeting, suggested that the minor party believes they can get 48 per cent of the public vote.

As it stands, the Greens have about 15 per cent of the vote, but 11 per cent of that figure has been identified as 'at risk' of being lost in the next election.

A further four per cent of the nation is seen as having 'strong potential' to become a Greens voter, while 28 per cent has weak potential.

A spokesperson for Mr Bandt told Daily Mail Australia 'it is unsurprising that the Leader of the Greens was revving up members at our National Conference, using a bit of humour, urging them to join in doorknocking efforts to help win more seats'.

'We know Labor strategists are closely watching these seats, and if people keep voting Labor, these strategists will say they can keep getting away with making the housing and cost of living crises worse while backing the invasion of Gaza.'

Speaking directly to efforts by ADVANCE to campaign against the Greens, the spokesperson said 'we are encouraging every single member of our 500,000 member strong movement to dig deep and work harder, starting much earlier than ever before.

'The successful Griffith campaign had knocked on over 10,000 doors a year out from the election, and Adam will continue to unapologetically urge everyone to do the same in their own States.

'Polling shows that as the genocide in Palestine continues, a majority of Labor voters want the government to do more to intervene - yet Labor refuses to offer anything more than empty statements.

'The invasion must stop well before the next election, but Labor should expect a backlash from voters disappointed with their refusal to sanction Netanyahu's war cabinet or stop the two-way arms trade with Israel during a genocide, including supplying F35 parts for fighter bomber aircraft used to bomb Gaza.'

Greens internal polling which was discussed during the closed-door meeting suggested that they believe they can get 48 per cent of the public vote

Where are the Greens targeting?

The Greens are 'running very serious campaigns' in five target electorates across Australia.

They've appointed female candidates to run in each of the seats, and see the upcoming Federal election as a 'huge opportunity' for the party, despite not having any opportunity to grow in the Senate.

Mandy Nolan is running for the seat of Richmond in New South Wales, encompassing the trendy, hippy-friendly Byron Bay and surrounds.

Ms Nolan is a well known local mother-of-five, and has worked in the area as a comedian, artist and writer for 30 years.

She says: 'I can win the seat of Richmond with just a 1.8% increase. With a close election, I could hold the balance of power and be one of the most powerful voices in Canberra. Either way, I'll be the loudest.'

Sonya Semmens is running for the Labor-held seat of Macnamara, currently held by Labor's Josh Burns. In the last election, the Greens needed just 298 more voters to win, making it one of their best shots in the next election.

Mandy Nolan is running for the seat of Richmond in New South Wales, encompassing the trendy, hippy-friendly Byron Bay and surrounds

The division of Wills in Victoria, currently held by Labor's Peter Khalil, is also on Mr Bandt's radar. He's enlisted Samantha Ratnam, formerly the leader of the Greens in Victoria, to run for the seat

Ms Semmens lives in the area, where she rents with her partner and four children.

But Macnamara has the second largest amount of Jewish voters in the nation, and current MP Burns is himself a Jewish man.

Given the Greens' stance on Palestine, there are questions about whether the party can win over Jewish voters in the area.

The division of Wills in Victoria, currently held by Labor's Peter Khalil, is also on Mr Bandt's radar. He's enlisted Samantha Ratnam, formerly the leader of the Greens in Victoria, to run for the seat.

The Greens also hope to win Sturt in South Australia off the Liberal Party and Perth from Labor's Patrick Gormon - the current Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister.

'While some of those seats are going great guns, many are behind where we need to be, to be blunt, and we're going to have to scale up and scale up very quickly,' he said.

'Imagine if we got those five amazing women into parliament, if we doubled our numbers in the crossbench and forced the government to have to answer to a party that will do what is needed on climate, housing, the cost of living,' he said.

'Just imagine what the next parliament is going to look like if those women join us.'

They've appointed female candidates to run in each of the seats, and see the forthcoming election as a 'huge opportunity' for the party, despite not having any opportunity to grow in the Senate

Beyond the new targets, Mr Bandt told the crowd 'we have to retain our newly gained seats in Brisbane', and urged supporters to get out onto the hustings to support Mr Chander-Mather in Griffith, Stephen Bates in Brisbane and Elizabeth Watson-Brown in Ryan.

'People are disconnecting from politics because it's clearly not addressing the problems they face. The political establishment is not making the changes needed,' he said.

'We also face a political establishment that now sees us as a serious threat. We have the answers, but our challenge is going to be to get in front of people to outline how we can fight for them.'

Mr Bandt said he is asking volunteers to 'commit your own time to making it happen.

'Join a doorknocking team for one of those locations. Can you donate so they can get more placards up? Can you call voters from your home?'

'We can take on these big coal and gas corporations that are profiting from the climate crisis, the banks that are profiting from the housing crisis, the supermarkets profiting from the cost of living crisis.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Bandt's office for comment.
Donald Trump and Joe Bill will go head-to-head Thursday night for their first general election debate of the 2024 presidential race in one of the most consequential showdowns in decades.

In the hotly anticipated rematch at 9pm on CNN, Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, will be in the same room together for the first time since their debates in the 2020.

The debate is vital for each candidate to prove they are mentally and physically fit for office. Pre-debate attacks from both camps have been centered on age and allegations of cognitive decline.

They have 90 minutes in front of an audience of tens of millions and on the biggest stage of the general election campaign so far to show why they are the candidate to pick in November.

Trump's allies have said Biden will be pumped full of performance-enhancing drugs so he can make it through. Joe's campaign have warned Donald won't be able to control himself.

One quote, mistake or gaffe could stand between them and getting into the White House for the second time. A strict set of rules have been agreed by each team, including one that could haunt Biden.

It's highly unusual to hold a formal presidential debate before the parties' respective nominating conventions, which will take place in July for Republicans and August for Democrats.

DailyMail.com breaks down everything you need to know ahead of the debate and what to watch for as Biden and Trump take the stage.

Donald Trump and Joe Bill will go head-to-head Thursday night for their first general election debate of the 2024 presidential race in one of the most consequential showdowns in decades

DEBATE DETAILS: WHERE TO WATCH AND WHAT TIME IT STARTS

Usually the Commission on Presidential Debates organizes and sanctions the presidential general election debates, but this year the two candidates agreed to ditch the organization.

CNN is hosting the debate at their studio in Atlanta, Georgia with moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

The 90-minute debate will air on CNN on Thursday, June 27 starting at 9:00 p.m. EST.

It will also stream on all CNN's platforms as well as on The New York Times' website. CNN is also sharing its stream with some networks so viewers might be able to view it on networks like Fox News and ABC News  among others.

Trump and Biden are the only two who will appear on stage opposite the moderators.

This comes despite independent presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insisting he is a serious candidate and demanding he be included in the debate.

CNN is not allowing any audience in the room during the debate, meaning this will be a much more toned-down version of those seen in years prior.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are facing off Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia for their first head-to-head debate since the 2020 election cycle

RULES AND PROCEDURES OF THE FIRST DEBATE

The two candidates both agreed to the rules CNN sent to their campaigns in May.

Part of that agreement was allowing microphones to be muted when the other candidate is speaking, a departure from previous debates.

It is an attempt to avoid crosstalk and interruptions.

The Biden campaign requested to have the mics shut off so there could be an 'orderly proceeding'.

But in 2020, one of the key moments of their first televised debate was when Biden said 'will you shut up, man'.

Trump was seen as constantly interrupting and Biden was considered to have won the debate.

With Trump potentially unable to engage in crosstalk, he may come off better with the audience. He will also have to control himself more.

It gives the presumptive Republican nominee time to gather his thoughts, and also leaves Biden susceptible to the chance of a gaffe.

He will be able to keep talking without the opportunity of hitting back at Trump for cutting in.

Additionally, there will be no studio audience, another change from previous events. The aim is to avoid partisan noise in the background of what organizers hope will be a serious debate on policy and opposing politics.

No props or pre-written notes will be allowed onto the stage, but candidates will be provided a pad of paper, pen and water bottle.

A coin toss was won by Biden's campaign after they picked tails,

It meant the president's team got to decide whether they wanted to choose the podium position, or who got the final word.

The campaign decided to select the stage arrangement and put Biden on the right podium, meaning the Democrat will appear on the right side of viewers' television screens.

But that also means that rival Trump will get the final word of the night and deliver his closing statement last.

The stage is set: Biden's campaign won the coin toss and decided on the right-side podium, meaning he will appear on the right side of viewers' screens on Thursday evening

CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will be seated at the moderator table opposite the candidates' podiums

QUALIFICATIONS TO REACH THE DEBATE STAGE

Participants needed to receive a minimum of 15 percent backing in four national polls approved by CNN.

They also needed to qualify for the presidential ballot in enough states to reach the minimum 270 Electoral College votes required to win the presidency in November.

RFK Jr. did not meet the qualifications CNN detailed to reach the debate stage.

Neither did other third party candidates like Jill Stein, who is running for the Green Party, and Cornel West, another independent candidate.

DEBATE PREP

Biden has kept a low profile in the week leading up to the debate.

He spent seven days holed-up at the presidential retreat at Camp David engaged in debate preparations.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), the former White House physician who often questions Biden's mental acuity, speculated that the Camp David trip is a way for Democrats to test which drugs might work to make the president come off better during the late night 90-minute event.

'I feel like this is probably what's going on over this week at Camp David,' Jackson said. 'Part of that is probably experimenting with just getting the doses just right, because they have to treat his cognition.'

In a letter to the Biden and his doctor, Jackson demanded a drug test be taken before and after the debate to make sure there are no substances in his system that would keep him more alert during the debate.

Meanwhile, Trump's campaign claims he did not participate in any formal preparation.

He did, however, hold policy sessions with advisers.

Trump has also tried out some of his zingers at recent campaign rallies  including a rant about water pressure.

CSPAN employees set up equipment for the debate in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday, June 26

WHO IS WATCHING?

Six in 10 adults say they are either 'extremely' or 'very' likely to watch or follow coverage of the debate, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

This could include listening to commentary or watching clips on social media, as well as watching live on CNN, its affiliated channels or other streaming avenues.

This means tens of millions of Americans will probably see or hear at least portions of Thursday's debate.

A 37-year-old Hispanic ride-share driver and waitress in Atlanta told DailyMail.com she's 'excited to watch it this year.'

She added: 'It'll be entertaining.'

Nearly half of Americans  47 percent  believe the debate is important for the success of Biden in 2024 and four in 10 says it's also highly important for Trump's campaign.

Only three in 10 Americans told AP that the debate is 'very' important to both campaigns.

But Americans are still not happy that they are seeing a rematch between Biden and Trump in November and wish there were other realistic choices.

Fifty-six percent say they are 'very' or 'somewhat' dissatisfied with Biden being the Democratic Party's presumed nominee for president. And 55 percent say the same about Trump.

Democrats ran a billboard ad in five busy highways in Atlanta sarcastically welcoming Trump to the Georgia city 'for the first time since becoming a convicted felon'

DEBATE OUTCOME PREDICTIONS

RFK Jr., despite not being allowed on stage Thursday, thinks that Trump will come out the winner of the debate and pointed to the former president dominating 16 other candidates during the 2016 Republican presidential primary race.

'I would predict that Trump will win because I really  I think Donald Trump is he could win a prize for the greatest debater in modern American history, probably since Lincoln-Douglas,' Kennedy told Piers Morgan in a reference to President Abraham Lincoln and Sen. Stephen Douglas (D-Ill.) in the 19th Century.

'I don't think it's possible for President Biden to beat him in that debate,' Kennedy added.

Hillary Clinton also wanted to weigh-in on the upcoming debate.

'I am the only person to have debated both men (Mr. Trump in 2016 and, in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary race, Mr. Biden),' she wrote in the New York Times.

Her advice for Biden: 'It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trump's arguments like in a normal debate.

'It's nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are,' Clinton added. 'He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated.'

She said Biden is at a disadvantage against Trump because he doesn't have as much time to dedicate to preparations while also performing the duties of president.

CNN is hosting the debate at their Atlanta headquarters with the absence of a live audience

Pollster Frank Luntz said both candidates might end Thursday night regretting their decision to debate.

'This week brings us potentially one of the most consequential debates since Mr. Kennedy and Richard Nixon's,' Luntz wrote in the New York Times, referring to the contest in 1960.

He continued: 'The expectations are already high for Mr. Trump, who dared Mr. Biden to debate at any time or place of his choosing.

'It is quite possible that Mr. Trump will regret issuing such a public challenge, and Mr. Biden may regret accepting the offer.'

Radio host Charlamagne tha God said that the rule muting microphones of the candidates will likely end up working more in Trump's favor than Biden's.

'Do you not want Trump to be interrupted?' he asked during his The Brilliant Idiots podcast on Friday.

'You're thinking about it one way, you're just going to let Trump go, and you can't jump in, and you 80-plus years old and trying to keep up with every single lie he's going to lay out? Are you serious? Biden's not going to be able to keep up!' he predicted.

Meanwhile, New York Times senior political correspondent Maggie Haberman told CNN that Trump learned his lesson from 2020 and believes 'he will likely interrupt less' anyway.

'And I think he will be very mean toward Biden,' she added. 'I would be very surprised if he's anything other than that.'

THROWBACK TO THE WILDEST MOMENTS FROM THE 2020 TRUMP V. BIDEN DEBATES

Last time Trump and Biden met on stage for a debate the world was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their first debate was very feisty with the two interrupting each other throughout.

The second of that cycle was canceled because Trump refused to participate in a remote debate after he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

And the final debate was more calm than the first.

At the first debate in the 2020 cycle, hosted by Fox News, Trump was asked to condemn white supremacists. When Biden mentioned the Proud Boys as an example of a hate group, Trump gave his message to them.

'Proud boys: stand back and stand by,' Trump said. 'But I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what, somebody's got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem.'

The response drew backlash with critics claiming he was telling them to remain on notice rather than condemning them. But Trump later claimed he wasn't aware who the Proud Boys were when he made the comment.

The debate Thursday is the first time Trump and Biden will be in the same room since they debated in 2020. Pictured: Trump and Biden share a stage at the presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee on October 22, 2020  just weeks before the consequential election

Biden got fed up with Trump's antics at the first debate on September 29, 2020 and finally told him to zip it.

'Will you shut up, man?' Biden said during a lengthy discussion on healthcare.

Shaking his head he added: 'This is so un-presidential.'

Trump accused Biden of being a socialist, to which he shot back with: 'I am the Democratic Party right now.'

Another race-related comment from Trump came at the second debate in 2020 when the Black Lives Matter movement came up.

As the two squabbled about their respective records on issues important to black and Hispanic voters, Trump made the claim he was the 'least racist person in the room' while slamming Biden for voting in favor of the 1994 crime bill.

The former president was touting his criminal justice reform.

Biden responded by apologizing for his role in passing the bill associated with mass incarceration.

Some are predicting that the debate Thursday evening will be more reminiscent of the first, more tense of the two 2020 debates with the current political climate and the rising tensions between the presumed nominees.
READ MORE: Protesters gathered outside court when it considered arguments

Idaho has one of the strictest abortion bans in the entire country

The Supreme Court will allow emergency abortions in Idaho, rolling back the state's near-total ban.

Justices were asked to weigh whether the state violated federal law mandating emergency care for any patient, such as providing abortions for pregnant women in life-or-death situations.

It is the first time the nation's highest court has ruled on the scope of a state's abortion ban after overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.

And the 'per curium' decision will extend beyond abortion to other emergency care and reverberate through other states with similarly tough bans.

The Supreme Court 'inadvertently' posted - and then quickly deleted - its decision in the case a day ago, sparking confusion.

Anti-abortion activists rally outside the Supreme Court as the justices hear a case over Idaho's abortion ban with limited exceptions

Bloomberg first reported on a copy of a ruling that was briefly posted on the court's website before being taken down that would allow abortions to be carried out in Idaho in cases of medical emergencies.

A spokesperson for the court said in a statement that the opinion 'has not been released' and was 'inadvertently and briefly uploaded' in error.

It's the second time in two years that a major ruling on abortion has been disclosed before being formally issued by the justices.

On the prevailing side, liberal Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the decision 'will prevent Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harms to a womans health.'

Kagan was joined in a concurring opinion by the two other liberal justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh issued a joint concurring opinion.

Barrett wrote on behalf of the justices that the 'important' questions at hand in the case should be addressed, but it would be 'imprudent to answer' them now.

That's because Idaho's law has 'significantly changed' twice since the Supreme Court agreed to take up the case.

'The parties litigating positions have rendered the scope of the dispute unclear, at best,' she explained.

As a result, Barrett states that the proceedings should 'run their course in the courts below' before returning before the Supreme Court.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch were against the decision - all conservative justices.

Alito put out a scathing dissent, stating that the court has 'simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents.'

'That is regrettable,' he states according to the opinion.

President Joe Biden celebrated the decision, saying in a statement that 'no woman should be denied care, made to wait until shes near death, or forced to flee her home state just to receive the health care she needs.'

'This should never happen in America. Yet, this is exactly what is happening in states across the country since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.'

He went on to say that state abortion bans are forcing doctors to flee Idaho, and other states - blaming Republicans.

Pro-abortion rights activists also gathered outside the Supreme Court as arguments took place in Moyle v United States and Idaho v United States

'And make no mistake: this is all part of Republican elected officials extreme and dangerous agenda to ban abortion nationwide, and put womens health and lives at risk.'

Justices appeared divided when they heard arguments in April.

In one gripping moment, Trump-appointed Justice Amy Coney Barrett expressed her 'shock' at the risk a doctor would have to take on to provide an emergency abortion to save a life - and potentially be criminally prosecuted.

The Biden administration argued the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) can in some circumstances supersedes state law that criminalizes abortion.

But Idaho rejects the argument, claiming the law does not require doctors to provide specific medical treatments or require hospitals to perform abortions.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe with the Dobbs decision in 2022 ending the constitutional right to an abortion, Idaho was one of more than a dozen states that moved immediately to ban abortion with limited exceptions.

While Idaho's law has an exception for the life of the mother, it does not focus on 'health' of the mother, which was central in the Biden administration's argument and questioning on Wednesday.

The Biden administration argues that EMTALA could be used because it requires emergency rooms provide 'necessary stabilizing treatment.'

'Today, doctors in Idaho and the women in Idaho are in an impossible position,' said Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

Supreme Court justices appeared split largely along ideological lines but there were several instances where some conservative justices signaled agreement on specifics with liberal colleagues signaling the ruling may have more nuance

'If a woman comes to an emergency room facing a grave threat to her health, but she isnt yet facing death, doctors either have to delay treatment and allow her condition to materially deteriorate or theyre airlifting her out of the state so she can get the emergency care that she needs,' she continued.

'In Idaho doctors have to shut their eyes to everything except death,' she later said.

'Whereas under EMTALA, you're supposed to be thinking about things like is she about to loser her fertility, is her uterus going to become incredibly scarred because of the bleeding?'

One line of questioning brought up by conservative justices was whether the claim to serious mental health concerns could be used to receive an abortion under EMTALA.

'Does health mean only physical health or does it also include mental health?' Justice Samuel Alito asked.

'That could never lead to pregnancy termination because that is not the accepted standard of practice to treat any mental health emergency,' said Prelogar.

Joshua Turner made arguments on behalf of Idaho. He said nothing in EMTALA preempts the state's power to regulate medicine.

'If ER doctors can perform whatever treatment they determine is appropriate, then doctors can ignore not only state abortion laws, but also state regulations on opioid use and informed consent requirements,' Turner argued.

He claimed it 'leaves emergency rooms unregulated under state law.'

Liberal justices pushed back on the argument of states regulating medicine.

They pressed Turner over whether the state's ban would prevent abortion in a situation where a woman could end up losing an organ or result in serious medical complications.

'Idaho law does say that abortions in that case aren't allowed,' Turner responded to a question from Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

The liberal justices were joined by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett who at one point said she was 'shocked' and pressed Turner over when doctors could be criminally prosecuted under state law.

'What if the prosecutor thought well "I dont think any good faith doctor could draw that conclusion. Im going to put on my expert,"' Barrett suggested when it comes to determining an emergency.

'That, your honor, is the nature of prosecutorial discretion and it may result in a case,' Turner responded.

Turner also made the argument brought up by conservatives that if the court upholds the requirement to provide abortions needed in a medical emergency, women could get abortions by claiming the pregnancy is causing them severe mental distress when they arrive in emergency rooms.

Pro-abortion rights activists participate in a 'die-in' outside the Supreme Court as court hears first case on a state's abortion ban after Roe fell

Pro-abortion rights activists rallied outside the Supreme Court as it hears arguments in Idaho v the United States. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urged the Supreme Court not to weaken EMTALA with its decision

An anti-abortion activist outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday as the court heard arguments over the Idaho law that bans abortion in nearly all situations

Outside the Supreme Court crowds of protesters both for and against abortion rights gathered as arguments were made.

Some pro-abortion rights protesters held signs that read 'abortion is health care' and 'abortion saves lives.' Some protesters dressed in white and covered in fake blood even participated in a 'die-in' in support of abortion access in emergency rooms.

Anti-abortion protesters had signs that read 'emergency rooms are not abortion clinics.'
The question of whether or not Melania Trump will attend Thursday night's presidential debate remains a mystery as questions mount over whether the former first lady will publicly campaign with her husband.

The Trump campaign, in a conference call with reporters, wasn't able to answer if she would be at the consequential first showdown between Trump and Joe Biden in Atlanta on Thursday night.

'I would expect we probably make our announcement at the debate,' said campaign adviser Jason Miller.

The former president walked off Trump Force One solo when he arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.

The question of whether or not Melania Trump will attend Thursday night's presidential debate remains a mystery as questions mount over whether the former first lady will publicly campaign with her husband

In contrast, the White House has announced Jill Biden will attend the debate and a rally with President Biden on Friday in Atlanta.

'Families started attending the debates regularly in 1976 and it would be pretty shocking for the wife of a candidate to break that tradition,' presidential historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky said.

The mystery around the first lady's attendance follows a new report she may not live in Washington D.C. fulltime if her husband wins a second term in the White House.

Those close to the former first lady believe she will likely split her time between Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York City  especially with Barron, 18, tipped to attend New York University, Axios reported.

Melania would instead only travel to Washington, D.C. for ceremonial responsibilities like state dinners and other special events.

Her office did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com about the report.

The Trump campaign, in a conference call with reporters, wasn't able to answer if she would be at the consequential first showdown between Trump and Joe Biden in Atlanta on Thursday night

Donald Trump walks of Trump Force One solo when he arrived in Atlanta

'They have drawn a curtain of privacy' around her, said MaryAnne Borrell, a bipartisan professor of Government at Connecticut College.

It also comes as public sightings of her are rare, particularly when it comes to Donald Trump's attempt to win a second term in the White House.

Six months into 2024 she has yet to appear at a campaign rally for her husband. She did not appear at a June 14th birthday party for Donald Trump organized by his fan club.

It would be highly unusual for Melania not to attend Thursday's debate. She did attend all debates in the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.

Melania Trump has rarely showed public support for her husband as he seeks a second term in the White House.

She joined Trump when he announced his 2024 presidential bid in November of last year. But, otherwise, she only appeared at one fundraiser for his campaign and went to vote with her husband in Florida's primary.

'Stay tuned,' she told reporters when asked if she'd campaign for Trump.

But it's unclear what she meant by that.

The mystery around the first lady's attendance follows a new report she may not live in Washington D.C. fulltime if her husband wins a second term in the White House

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former friend of Melania Trump turned critic, said the former first lady has 'not been by her husband's side whatsoever' as he seeks a return to the White House.

'I would say, several years ago, she would have been there more,' Winston Wolkoff said on the MeidasTouch Podcast.

Melania Trump will make a rare political appearance on July 8th when she holds a fundraiser for Log Cabin Republicans, the largest conservative LGBTQ+ organization.

The event will be at Trump Tower in New York and is the second fundraiser she's hosted for the group. The first was at Mar-a-Lago in April.

The July event will charge attendees $100,000 per-head.

She was last seen in public in New York City last week, leaving Trump Tower, beating the heat in a summer skirt and white shirt.

The couple was last seen in public together in May at Barron's high school graduation.
WikiLeaks founder was reunited with his wife Stella

Anthony Albanese's phone call to Julian Assange shortly after the Wikileaks founder returned to Australia has been slammed as 'inappropriate'.

Assange, 52, landed in Canberra at 7.37pm on Wednesday, just hours after a hearing in the US Federal Court on the Pacific island of Saipan, where he pleaded guilty to an espionage charge.

The father-of-two reached a plea deal with the US government where he admitted to the charge and was let free, taking into account time served in the UK's Belmarsh prison.

It ended an almost 15-year legal battle with the US government that saw him at first holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London and, later, in Belmarsh.

Assange received a warm welcome from Australia's Prime Minister upon arriving back in his home country - personally thanking Mr Albanese for 'saving his life'.

Mr Albanese later told a press conference that Assange had expressed his gratitude during the call for what he described as Australia's 'diplomatic A-team' that arranged the plea deal and release.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted a picture of himself calling Julian Assange upon landing at a military airport in Canberra

Assange, 52, landed in Canberra just before 8pm on Wednesday night just hours after walking free from a US Federal Court on the Pacific Island of Saipan

As he saw his wife Stella for the first time, the 52-year-old hugged and kissed her (pictured)

'When I spoke with Mr Assange tonight, he described it as a surreal and happy moment. I am very pleased that this matter is over,' Mr Albanese said.

'His safe return to Australia, we know means so much to his family.'

But Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham went on X to slam Mr Albanese's phone call with Assange as 'neither necessary nor appropriate'.

'Julian Assange was not wrongfully detained like Cheng Lei, Sean Turnell or Kylie Moore-Gilbert,' he wrote.

'For 12 years Assange chose to avoid facing justice in countries with fair judicial systems. He is undeserving of this treatment.'

Mr Birmingham said the PM should 'rule out' making plans to meet with Assange.

'The ending of the Julian Assange legal saga via his guilty plea is welcome,' he said. 'However, he's no martyr and was never a political prisoner denied access to justice.'

Assange's charges arose from his leaking of classified military documents.

His supporters argue he did what many in the media do - to expose secret government business to the public - but his critics say it endangered military personnel and compromised operations.

Former NATO official Edward Christie tweeted: 'People who've chosen to work against our governments... do not deserve prime ministerial flowers when they come out of prison'.

Assange's long-time lawyer Jennifer Robinson hit back at Mr Birmingham on Thursday, saying he needed 'to get 'his priorities straight'.

Mr Birmingham said Mr Albanese should 'rule out' making plans to meet with Assange

Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson (pictured) hit back at Mr Birmingham, saying he needed 'to get 'his priorities straight' after he criticised the phone call

'It is entirely appropriate for the Australian prime minister to call an Australian citizen who has been through what Julian has been [through],' Ms Robinson told the ABC.

She confirmed that Assange had told Mr Albanese that he had saved his life.

'I don't think that's an exaggeration,' Ms Robinson said.

'This is a huge win for Australia and for Australian democracy. This is a huge win for free speech.

'This is a huge win for Australia that our prime minister stood up to our ally, the United States, and demanded the return of an Australian citizen, and that Julian came home today.'

Stella Assange also backed Mr Albanese making the call to her husband.

'Julian's return to Australia is a historic moment, it belongs to all Australians,' she said.

'It belongs to Australia as a whole and I think it's a moment for everyone to celebrate that this Walkley awarded journalist has finally been able to return to his home country.'

Assange (pictured) said he was looking forward to swimming in the ocean every day and teaching their young sons to catch crabs as a free man

In a post to social media, Mr Albanese said he had advocated for Assange's lengthy legal battle to end 'at every opportunity and every level'.

'Earlier tonight I was pleased to speak with Julian Assange to welcome him home to his family in Australia,' he wrote on X.

'As Prime Minister, I have been clear  regardless of what you think of his activities, Mr Assange's case had dragged on for too long.

'I have clearly and consistently  at every opportunity and at every level  advocated for Mr Assange's case to be concluded.

'This is the culmination of careful, patient and determined work.'

Assange said he was looking forward to swimming in the ocean every day and teaching their young sons to catch crabs.
President Joe Biden, 81, faces the ultimate test of his mental fitness as he heads into tonight's 90-minute face-off in Atlanta against 78-year-old former President Donald Trump.

The president will be onstage with only a pad, pencil and a bottle of water, without the assist of the teleprompter and will not be allowed to chat with aides during commercial breaks.

Biden has spent the week holed up at Camp David preparing for the debate with close aides knowing the Atlanta showdown could be a make-or-break moment for his reelection bid.

Each campaign has made hay about the other candidate's gaffes and stumbles, but polling shows that Americans are more wary of Biden being an effective leader through a second term than Trump and debate experts say the 81-year-old cannot afford to have a senior moment.

While Trump has made verbal flubs of late - this month the White House has had to respond to a trio of what press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has dubbed 'cheap fakes' - viral videos that appeared to show Biden wandering off or freezing.

President Joe Biden waves before spending a week at Camp David holed away with aides preparing for Thursday night's debate in Atlanta - where he'll only have a pad, pencil and a bottle of water to get him through a 90-minute debate against former President Donald Trump

There was the video in Italy that appeared to show Biden looking in the wrong direction during an event with paratroopers - a visual that wasn't helped by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni guiding him back to pose for a picture.

In reality, Biden was engaging with paratroopers who had just landed off-screen.

In another video, at a Juneteenth celebration, Biden stares, smiles and watches the musical performance while other attendees danced.

Jean-Pierre pushed back in a press briefing asking why that was a crime.

'The president stood there listening to the music and he didn't dance. Excuse me, I did not know not dancing was a mental  was a health issue,' she said at the June 17th briefing.

'That is a weird thing to actually flag when if you if you look at the people who around him  if you look at the expanded video of the people who around him, they were not, they weren't  there were some folks who were not dancing either,' she added.

President Joe Biden was accused of 'freezing' at the end of his A-list fundraiser in Los Angeles earlier this month, with former President Barack Obama walking him offstage

The debate site was nearly ready Wednesday at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia ahead of the first general election debate of the 2024 cycle where President Joe Biden will square off against former President Donald Trump

A third 'cheap fake' occurred when Biden seemed to pause before leaving the stage at his A-list fundraiser in Los Angeles with George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel and former President Barack Obama.

The much younger Obama walked Biden, his former vice president, off the stage.

Before the cheap fakes era, Biden fell off his bike in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and tripped up the stairs of Air Force One on several occasions.

He now mostly boards the larger Air Force One taking the shorter set of stairs.

Biden also tripped over a sandbag during a commencement in Colorado last summer.

The Biden campaign has responded by highlighting the moments when Trump, just 3.5 years younger, has seemingly shown his age.

'Here is a montage of Donald Trump getting confused, lost, wandering off, and waving to nobody,' an X post from the @BidenHQ account said last week.

President Joe Biden's campaign shared a video Thursday of former President Donald Trump 'getting confused' after a trio of viral videos showed Biden 'freezing' and wandering away

President Donald Trump's fitness was questioned in June 2020 when he tiptoed down a ramp at West Point - a mini-scandal that was dubbed 'ramp-gate'

The campaign then shared a 2.5 minute-long video of clips of Trump, from during his presidency, departing events before he's supposed to, or awkwardly standing in place when he's supposed to be exiting.

The battle over who's more fit to be president started four years before.

During the 2020 campaign cycle, video of Trump went viral when he tip-toed down a ramp during an appearance at West Point that June.

That led to similar questions about Trump's fitness, with him having to deny he had 'Parkinson's' disease.

'I stayed there for hours. And what do I do? I get publicity about walking down a ramp,' said an aghast Trump to The Wall Street Journal. 'And does he have Parkinson's? I don't think so.'

In an initial tweet about the incident - which took on the name 'ramp-gate' - Trump described the ramp as being 'very long & steep,' adding that it 'had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery.'
A former New Zealand Greens MP has hit back at claims she is 'playing the mental health card' after she was caught shoplifting more than $8,000 worth of clothes.

Golriz Ghahraman, 43, in March pleaded guilty to four charges of shoplifting after swiping $8,367 worth of clothing from three different shops between October and December last year.

She appeared at the Auckland District Court on Monday and will be sentenced on Thursday, having asked for a conviction not to be recorded.

Ghahraman, who previously held the minor party's justice portfolio, resigned immediately from parliament following the charges.

'It is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work,' she said at the time.

'This has led me to act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.

'The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma.'

Ghahraman said she wanted to be honest about the struggles she was experiencing as she spoke publicly for the first time about the incident on Wednesday.

Ghahraman, a former UN human rights lawyer, was the first refugee to be sworn in as a New Zealand MP, having arrived in the country as an asylum seeker from Iran

The MP was busted stealing from three different stores between October and December last year

'Nobody's getting off easy by publicly talking about being f***ed in the head, being someone who's in a mental health crisis,' she told Stuff.

'What I'd say about the whole, playing a 'mental health card' thing, is it's the hardest thing in the world.'

The 43-year-old noted she took responsibility for her actions immediately.

'So it's not a case of playing the mental health card to not go through all of the other things,' she said.

The former MP said despite copping criticism, her inbox had also been flooded with messages of support for speaking out.

'I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry. The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament and to focus on my recovery and to find other ways to work for positive change in the world,' she said at the time she was charged.

Ghahraman, a former UN human rights lawyer, was the first refugee to be sworn in as a New Zealand MP, having arrived in the country as an asylum seeker from Iran.

She was selected as a Green Party list candidate in January 2017.

She will return to court on Thursday for sentencing.
Residents of an overwhelmingly black town will finally vote for its leaders after its white minority appointed themselves for decades.

Newbern, Alabama, about 40 miles west of Selma with a population of 133 has a mayor-council government but has not held elections for six decades.

Instead, town officials were 'hand-me-down' positions with the mayor appointing a successor and the successor appointing council members.

Black volunteer firefighter Patrick Braxton, 57, decided to challenge this in April 2020 when he stood for the scheduled election.

Patrick Braxton, 57, stood for election of Newbern, Alabama , population 133, in April 2020 and was certified mayor that July after no one else filed the paperwork

Newbern, a tiny town about 40 miles west of Selma, has a mayor-council government but has not held elections for six decades

He was certified mayor that July after no one else 'bothered' to file the paperwork.

However, unhappy that a black man was declared mayor for the first time in the town's 170-year history, the former council conspired to overturn it.

They held a secret meeting on October 6, 2020, and resolved to hold a special election in which they reelected themselves and former mayor Haywood Stokes III.

Braxton found the locks to the town hall were changed, and he was denied access to Newbern's bank accounts and official mail - and told he was 'not the mayor'.

He and the four councilors he appointed in 2020 sued and spent the years since fighting through the Alabama court system.

Months before a scheduled trial in November, a settlement was reached this week that officially installed Braxton as mayor and scheduled its first elections in decades.

'I'm pleased with the outcome and the community is pleased. I think they are more pleased that they can voice their opinion and vote,' Braxton said.

The settlement, which must be approved by US District Judge Kristi DuBose, will return Braxton as the town's major and immediately grant him access to town hall.

'Braxton is the lawful mayor of Newbern, and he shall hold all the powers, privileges, duties entrusted to the mayor of Newbern under Alabama state law,' the settlement read.

All other 'individuals holding themselves out as town officials will effectively resign and/or cease all responsibilities with respect to serving in any town position or maintaining any town property or accounts'.

Stokes and the other defendants did not have to admit wrongdoing and 'deny having engaged in any wrongful practice, or other unlawful conduct'.

Unhappy white former councilors held a secret meeting on October 6, 2020, and resolved to hold a special election in which they reelected themselves and former mayor Haywood Stokes III (pictured)

Rev Michael Malcon, left, executive director of the The Peoples Justice Council and Patrick Braxton are pictured in May 2022, when Malcon visited Newbern

Braxton will within 14 days submit names of four new councilmembers to Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to appoint, or hold a special election on December 31.

The town will hold its first competitive municipal elections in decades at the regularly scheduled, but never actually conducted, time next year.

Braxton's legal fees will be paid by the town's funds and Newbern's finances independently audited by accountants jointly agreed upon by Stokes and Braxton.

Newbern's 'hand-me-down' leadership practice resulted in an overwhelmingly white government in a town where black residents outnumber white ones 80 per cent to 20 per cent.

Of voting age residents, 64.3 per cent are black and 34.8 per cent are white, according to census data.

Stokes' father, Haywood Stokes Jr, was mayor before him, and another mayor, Robert Walthall, was in office for 44 years last century.

'Patrick Braxton accomplished something no other black resident of the City of Newbern had ever accomplished since the city's founding in 1854: he was duly elected mayor of the city,' his lawsuit stated.

'However, the minority white residents of the city, long accustomed to exercising total control over city government, refused to accept this outcome.'

Braxton found the locks to the town hall were changed, and he was denied access to Newbern's bank accounts and official mail - told he was 'not the mayor'

Braxton decided to run for mayor at the 2020 election because he felt the town's black community was not being well served during the pandemic.

He approached Stokes to ask, man to man, how to throw his hat in the ring.

'Stokes gave Braxton wrong information about how to qualify and what was needed to qualify,' the lawsuit claimed.

He claimed Stokes told him the town couldn't hold an election as it had no ballots or voting machines.

Braxton figured it out on his own, filed the paperwork, and paid a $50 fee to qualify for election before the deadline.

County Probate Judge Arthur Crawford called him in late July 2020 to tell him he won the election by default as no one else applied.

As there were also no entries for the four town councilmembers, Crawford and fourth circuit judge Marvin Wiggins told him to appoint one.

Braxton said he wanted to unite the town and approached both black and white residents about serving with him, but only black ones agreed.

He chose James Ballard, Barbara Patrick, Janice Quarles, and Wanda Scott and they were sworn in on November 2, 2020, and filed their oaths with Crawford.

Braxton, just outside town hall, looks across the street toward Newbern Mercantile, the only store there, which clack people seldom frequent

He and the four councilors he appointed in 2020 sued (pictured with some of his lawyers) and have spent the years since fighting through the Alabama court system

While all this was going on, Braxton had no idea Stokes and his former council were moving against him in the shadows.

'When confronted with the first duly-elected black mayor and majority black town council, all defendants undertook racially motivated actions to prevent the first black mayor from exercising the duties of this position,' the lawsuit read.

The lawsuit detailed how they 'conspired with the other defendant to unlawfully remain in office in order to prevent a majority black town council from taking office.'

'In order to do this... [they] met in secret' on October 6, 2020 'without giving notice of the meeting and adopted resolutions to conduct a special election'.

The lawsuit claimed they then filed statements of candidacy before deeming themselves the only people to qualify for the special election.

They assumed their new terms as town council members in November of that year, leaving Braxton and his handpicked helpers out in the cold.

Gary Broussard, Jesse Donald Leverett, Voncille Brown Thomas and Willie Richard Tucker, all white residents, were elected in the secret poll.

Due to the election not being publicized, Braxton said, only they qualified.

They then 'effectively reappointed themselves' to their positions, the suit states, and 'unlawfully assumed their new terms'.

The white council was sworn in at the office of City Attorney William Holmes and filed with Crawford just 10 days after Braxton and his council.

Stokes III, pictured. Stokes's office says that all of their actions, 'at all times relevant to this lawsuit... were acting under the color of law'

Of voting age residents, 64.3 per cent are black and 34.8 per cent are white, according to census data

When Braxton got wind of another council being mysteriously appointed, he refused to meet with them as that would give them some legitimacy.

They responded by secretly stripping Braxton of his office and appointing Stokes instead.

Braxton and his council held one meeting in the town hall in November before a series of farcical events played out.

First he realized Stokes had given many of his cronies keys to the building despite them having no business there, so he changed the locks.

He also found the town hall completely cleaned out with all the records gone except for a couple of boxes.

Then in December, he discovered the locks were changed and he couldn't get in. He managed to change them again in January 2021, but by April, he claimed Stokes locked him out yet again.

Stokes and his cabal also moved to block Braxton from getting anything done by denying him access to the town's funds and mail.

Bank staff refused to accept his oath of office, telling him he was not the mayor. The post office told him it got an email saying he wasn't the mayor and couldn't get the town's mail.

He claimed to have been barred access the town's PO box since Lynn Theibe, also a defendant in the case, was appointed to the postmaster position in late 2021.

In the filing, lawyers for Braxton allege Theibe was and is 'acting in concert and/or at the request' of Stokes and his council.

Things got even more weird as time went on and Braxton refused to back down.

He told The Guardian he saw drones following him and his family around town and hovering near his and his mother's homes, and a white driver tried to run him off the road.

Then in October 2022, Braxton's local civil rights activist ally LaQuenna Lewis came home from the movies to find her house on fire.

Lewis and her four children, aged 2, 8, 12 and 15, were left homeless and she told the Guardian she believed the fire was connected to her support for Braxton after she got threatening mail.

'You f*kcking n****r b***h get your n****r ass out of my town right now with non n****r mayor braxton or die or get burn down,' one note began.

'I've been watching you 4 kids right and your n****r new home. If you do [sic] get out of my town you and that n****r non mayor Braxton gona [sic] die.'

The note had swastikas and a drawing of Braxton and Lewis being hanged from a tree.

Braxton's local civil rights activist ally LaQuenna Lewis (pictured) came home from the movies to find her house on fire

A photo of Lewis' house as it was consumed by fire in October 2022

Lewis and her four children, aged 2, 8, 12 and 15, were left homeless and she believed the fire was connected to her support for Braxton after she got threatening mail

Another time, a black woman flagged Braxton down and told him her elderly sister was in cardiac arrest, he told the newspaper.

He rushed to the fire department to get the defibrillator but found he was locked out of the building. He went home, then came back and managed to get inside.

But by the time he reached the ailing woman, it was too late. She was dead.

Stokes and his council then accused Braxton of theft and of not showing up to required training and served him suspension papers.

It was only when the Hale county emergency management agency director intervened that Braxton was reinstated.

As the lawsuit worked its way through court, Stokes and his councilors agreed with Braxton's assessment that they 'effectively reappointed themselves' to their positions, but said they did so within the confines of the law.

They 'admit that Plaintiff Patrick Braxton is Black and is the former Mayor of the Town of Newbern,' but denied several of the other allegations.

The defendants also admitted that Braxton initially was the only person to qualify for mayor at first, and that no other candidates qualified for mayor or council membership at the time.

A post to Facebook explained the position in greater details as Braxton sees them

They also admitted that a special election was held to put themselves in town council positions, and 'that Defendant Stokes became Mayor of the Town of Newbern after Plaintiff Braxton lost the position by operation of law.'

However, they maintained - until the settlement - that their secret special election was legitimate.

'There is no clearly established law regarding what to do when an Alabama town does not hold elections for decades,' their response to the lawsuit read.

'Based on the allegations of the complaint, the Newbern Defendants certainly could have attempted to rectify the situation by doing exactly what they did, i.e. holding another election, installing legitimate council members, and installing a legitimate mayor pursuant to Alabama law.'
A mourning mother has issued an apology to the bus driver accused of killing her daughter after fiery scenes during his first court appearance.

Lindsay Francis Selby, 70, faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with careless driving causing the death of Tia Cameron, 18.

Selby allegedly drove a bus onto a sidewalk on Edward Street, in Brisbane's CBD, striking and pinning Ms Cameron to a wall during peak hour on March 8.

Ms Cameron died at the scene.

Around 20 family members and supporters, some wearing shirts bearing Tia's picture on the front, gathered for the court appearance. Some of them launched into a verbal assault of Selby both inside court and as he left the building.

Ms Cameron's mother, Jade Te Awhitu, labelled the outbursts as 'a disgrace' in an apology letter penned to the accused.

'I would like to apologise to Mr Selby for the intimidation and abuse you received in court today by a few, you should never be subjected to such disrespect, and I will not stand behind this type of behaviour,' she told Selby in a statement via the Courier Mail.

'In all of my grief and the grief of my family, we did feel for you today, and I wholeheartedly apologise.

The mother of 18-year-old Tia Cameron (pictured) has issued an apology to the bus driver facing court for the first time accused of reckless driving causing her death

'I also ask that those who choose to attend court in the future to please respect our family, the court process and most importantly, Tia's memory.

'This behaviour is a disgrace to my family and the memory of my daughter.'

Selby's matter had to be pushed back 30 minutes by Magistrate Ross Mack as supporters slowly filled out the small courtroom.

Ms Cameron's partner, Hayden McKinlay, stood near the accused and glared at him before the matter was heard.

The crowd was angered when Magistrate Mack adjourned the case for two months, even though that is a regular outcome for first appearances.

Prosecutors had requested the time so a forensic crash report could be completed and provided to the defence before proceedings continue.

Some of the supporters made their frustrations known to the court, one saying: 'F***ing kidding me'.

Another took aim at Selby, calling him a 'f***ing f***wit', before Mr Mack stepped in.

'Don't try it, I've given you the courtesy of letting you in, just let it run its course,' he told the audience.

Magistrate Mack asked whether security was required, however Selby's defence lawyer Claire McGee, declined the offer.

Lindsay Francis Selby, 70, (centre) was charged with one count of careless driving causing death after allegedly mounting a curb and killing Ms Cameron in Brisbane on March 8

Supporters wearing shirts of the slain teen (pictured) gathered for the appearance of bus driver Lindsay Selby

Shielded by his own supporters, Selby was verbally abused by supporters - some of who had to be restrained by others or followed him down the street as he left.

Selby did not enter a plea during his brief mention and is set to appear before court on September 4.

Friends and family mourned Ms Cameron's tragic death during an emotional funeral service at Brisbane's Hillsong Theatre on March 14.

Those in attendance heard that Ms Cameron had always wanted to be a mum, to travel the world and to buy a home with her partner Mr McKinlay.

A powerful tribute read on behalf of Mr Mckinlay spoke of their love and future plans together, revealing the last words they spoke to each other were 'I love you'.
The daughter of a schoolteacher and horse trainer from a tiny Australian town has had a meteoric rise to become one of the world's most well known human rights lawyers.

Jennifer Robinson, 43, was beside WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as he flew home to Australia on Wednesday having been instrumental in his high profile 14-year legal battle for freedom.

'I'm so relieved for [Assange's wife] Stella and their family,' she said on Thursday morning.

Assange pleaded guilty to a single charge of obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets on the island of Saipan during a stopover on his flight back to Australia and was sentenced to time already served in a British prison.

'Going into a U.S. jurisdiction was a an especially nerve wracking and uncomfortable experience for Julian,' Ms Robinson said.

'He can now enjoy his life with his kids and take time to recover'.

Raised in Berry - population 2,500 - on the NSW south coast by father Terry and mother Lyndy, Ms Robinson became a Rhodes scholar at Oxford and counts Amal Clooney and Amber Heard among her close pals.

In 2014 she was pictured by actor Bill Murray's side as she travelled on a speedboat to George and Amal Clooney's Venice wedding, having met her as colleagues at a London law firm.

Julian Assange's wife Stella (left) and lawyer Jennifer Robinson spoke on Thursday morning saying the WikiLeaks founder was resting and he would speak to the media 'when he is ready'

Ms Robinson (left) was pictured arriving at Amal and George Clooney's wedding in Venice in 2014 with actor Bill Murray

Ms Robinson was by Assange's side as he flew from the UK to Australia via the island of Saipan where he pleaded guilty to a single espionage charge

Ms Robinson attended the Australian National University where she did a year abroad with a non-profit in West Papua, during which she helped secure asylum for jailed West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda in the UK.

She would secretly meet with his wife Maria under cover of night and gave her cash as she fled for the border.

She continued her studies at Oxford in the UK where she stayed on to work in a practice with famed Australian lawyer Geoffrey Robertson KC.

As a young lawyer she was by Assange's side when he first surrendered to London police in December 2010 over a rape allegation in Sweden.

Ms Robinson also supported Amber Heard during the Aquaman actresses' libel case against Johnny Depp in a London court.

'Her brilliance and sheer fortitude helped me survive a deeply painful ordeal that I would not have been able to weather without her,' Ms Heard said of Ms Robinson.

But her appearance next to Assange as he was released this week has shot her to a new level of fame.

Assange was accused of receiving and publishing hundreds of thousands of war logs and diplomatic cables that included details of U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan in perhaps the most high profile free speech case on record.

Many accused him of endangering the lives of US military personnel but his activities also drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view and warned of a chilling effect on journalists.

Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

The case came to a surprise end in a most unusual setting with Assange, 52, entering a guilty plea one charge of obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors in a U.S. district court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands.

He landed in Canberra on Wednesday night with Ms Robinson stepping off the plane and fronting a press conference shortly after.

Ms Robinson has become one of the most well known human rights lawyers on the globe overnight after her successful fight to secure Julian Assange's freedom

Amber Heard counts Ms Robinson as a close friend who supported her during her libel court case with Johnny Depp

Ms Robinson was with Assange in Canberra on Wednesday night as he passionately greeted his wife Stella as a free man

'There is no evidence that anyone was physically harmed as a result,' Ms Robinson said in response to questions about the impact of secret documents published by WikiLeaks.

'The public interest in those publications is clear. Evidence of war crimes, that the US had not disclosed the extent of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. The use of torture and other forms of human rights abuse around the world.'

There have been well-publicised concerns for Assange's health - during his years-long stay at London's Ecuadorian embassy and then in prison - and his wife, Stella, said it will take some time to adjust to freedom.

'You have to understand what he's been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate,' she said.

Stella spoke of the reaction of their children when she told them the news their father was on his way home.

'They were jumping on the sofa and just ecstatic,' she told ABC Radio.

Ms Robinson said: 'This is a huge win for Australia and for Australian democracy. This is a huge win for free speech.'

'Our prime minister stood up to our ally, the United States, and demanded the return of an Australian citizen.'

As the jet touched down in Canberra, Mr Albanese was the first caller to Assange.

'Julian thanked him and the team and told the prime minister that he had saved his life. And I don't think that that is an exaggeration,' Ms Robinson said.

Mr Albanese directly raised the issue with US President Joe Biden and in September last year politicians from across Australia's political spectrum converged on Washington DC to lobby US decision-makers.

Geoffrey Robertson (right) and Amal Clooney also worked with Ms Robinson (centre) on Assange's (left) case
A woman who was reprimanded by NYPD cops for allegedly fare evasion and vaping at a subway stop was seen throwing an epic tantrum when police asked for her ID.

The irate passenger was filmed screaming at the officers and even appeared to attempt to slap one of their hands away during the tense standoff.

The clip begins midway through the confrontation, with the woman staring open mouthed as police try to talk to her at what is believed to be a stop in Brooklyn.

'I don't have ID,' she tells them, while clutching what appears to be a $2,000 Goyard bag.

As the officer continues talking to her, she begins raising her voice and getting more worked up.

A woman who was reprimanded by NYPD cops for allegedly evading a fare and vaping at a subway stop was seen throwing an epic tantrum when police asked for her ID

'I just told you I don't have ID so what the f**k do you want me to do? I don't have ID!' She screams while gesticulating in the officer's face before calling him a 'f***king b****.'

The officer shoves her on the shoulder in an attempt to force her backwards, prompting an even bigger explosion.

'Bro!' She yells while lifting her hand as if to slap his away, 'Don't f***king push me back.'

The officer continues talking to her inaudibly but to no effect, as she flares up for a second time.

'I don't give a f**k, get out of the way!' She screams while stomping her foot on the ground and slamming her fists like an toddler in a temper tantrum.

She continues to mouth off, calling the officer a 'b***h' and waving her arms around wildly.

Eventually, the officers decide they have had enough and each seizes her by one of her arms.

They quickly slap her in handcuffs, prompting disbelief from the now humbled woman.

The irate passenger was filmed screaming at the officers and even appeared to attempt to slap one of their hands away during the tense standoff

'What the hell are you doing?' She asks as they begin to search her bag, pulling what looks like a wallet out.

'Why are you arresting me? What the hell,' she whines.

According to the MTA's rules, vaping is not permitted anywhere on its property, even at outdoor stations.

The exchange has divided opinion on Instagram where it was first posted, but many have condemned the woman's behavior.

'Thank god there are still cops who arent going to tolerate people like this woman. Theres hope,' one person wrote.

'The entitlement is crazy,' another added.

'Thank god there are still cops who arent going to tolerate people like this woman. Theres hope,' one user commented.

The altercation ended with the angry passenger in handcuffs

However, many accused the police of escalating the situation and questioned why they chose to target her.

'Police wont arrest people who assault elders and the innocent but will abuse their power for someone smoking an e cig,' one person said.

'He actually didnt have to put his hands on her,' another agreed.

DailyMail.com has contacted NYPD for comment.
In a race that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are each describing in historic terms, both are banking that tonights presidential debate could jolt Americans into paying more attention and tip the narrow band of swing voters who hold sway.

A rough performance by either of them could reset the race.

'This week brings us potentially one of the most consequential debates since Mr. Kennedy and Richard Nixons,' wrote longtime Republican pollster Frank Luntz, referencing the historic 1960 debate that many historians believe gave Kennedy a critical lift in the first debate of the modern television era.

The debate puts the incumbent president back onstage with the fierce rival who skipped his inauguration and used their last televised meeting to go after his son. Trump warns that 'if we don't win this election, we won't have a country left', as he faces three criminal trials in addition to the one that just resulted in a historic conviction this spring.

Wars in Europe and the Middle East have the U.S. and allies on edge, and Americans continue to register concerns about the economy and immigration and say the country is on the wrong track, giving moderators leverage to shape the terrain.

It sets up a seminal moment in an election that both Biden and Trump describe in epic language  Biden calls it the most important 'of our lifetime' and Trump calls it 'the most important election in the history of our country.'

'The expectations are already high for Mr. Trump, who dared Mr. Biden to debate at any time or place of his choosing. It is quite possible that Mr. Trump will regret issuing such a public challenge, and Mr. Biden may regret accepting the offer,' he added in an op-ed.

The Trump and Biden campaigns negotiated the ground rules after trading public challenges, with the Biden camp seeking an opportunity to reset the race earlier than the traditional fall debates, and Trump's campaign seizing the chance to get back on stage with the target of Trump's attacks.

(The two men last shared the stage in a furious smackdown in Nashville where Trump accused Biden of corruption and referenced Hunter Biden and the 'laptop from hell.')

President Joe Biden's team pressed to move up the debate from the traditional fall slot. Polls have him trailing Donald Trump in key swing states. In 2020, it was Biden who had the edge during fall debates

At a time of a fractured media landscape, millions of Americans are set to tune in to watch the event in real time at 9 pm tonight on CNN and other networks that carry the feed.

About 40 percent say they are likely to watch and listen to at least some of it. About the same amount say they will watch clips after the fact.

Those takes will be nearly unavoidable to media consumers, as broadcast, cable, and online outlets slice and dice the memorable moments and key barbs or put-downs.

But party members are more likely than Independents to tune in  a signal that even a candidate who botches their performance has a chance to improve.

The first 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debate drew 65 million viewers. They were the first general election debates to be televised

As president, Donald Trump repeatedly interrupted Joe Biden during their 2020 debates. The two canddiates have been trading attacks in the run up to the Atlanta debate

About six in ten say they are 'extremely' or 'very likely' to watch the smackdown, indicating tens of millions will see what transpires.

Biden may have had plans to eviscerate Trump on the airwaves through the summer and fall. But Trump was able to wipe away Biden's cash-on-hand fundraising advantage, propelled by his Manhattan criminal trial  making 'earned media' events like the debates even more important.

Although a second debate is slotted for September, Trump has threatened to walk from debates in the past, and skipped the second scheduled debate in 2020. If either candidate balks, it would leave the Atlanta contest as voters' only chance to evaluate the candidates side-by-side.

Biden signalled just how much he is focused on the stakes with his schedule. He decamped to Camp David for a week for debate sessions, after resting up at his Delaware beach house.

Although he has received daily briefings on national security and events as they unfolded, the move included a suspension of his public events. The White House didn't even hold daily press briefings in his absence -- as top advisors helped prep the president.

Even Trump, who eschews formal practice sessions, kept a relatively low profile, holding a few fundraisers and trying out some of his most slashing attacks at a Saturday night campaign rally, where he also went on long tangents about water pressure and other pet peeves.

Any event is critical in a close race, and this year's election counts as one at this stage.

But 'the presidential election isn't a toss-up,' concluded pollster Nate Silver in a post unveiling his new election model Wednesday. That's because even though national polls show a virtual tie, Trump has an advantage in the electoral college, and swing state polls are showing Trump leading Biden where he needs to.

Each candidate faces their own challenges. With focus groups showing many voters were turned off by his repeated interruptions of Biden in 2020, Trump faces pressure to show a measure of restraint, although his strength has been to try to dominate opponents and hurl accusations that highlight their negatives.

Biden's advisors know he must deliver coherent answers and avoid a signature gaffe, having been repeatedly mocked by Trump over stumbles and video clips the White House brands 'cheap fakes.'

He can take one bit of advice from former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump advisor whose wife Callista Gingrich was Trump's ambassador to the Vatican.

'If I were Biden, I would stay away from the age issue and just say, "Look, I was wise enough not to try to overthrow the U.S. government," Gingrich told NBC. 'Go through a list of five things in a row and say, "I would rather have my age with wisdom than your total lack of seriousness."'

Biden has one data point in his corner: low expectations, fueled in part by Trump's merciless attacks on his health and mental acuity.

Nearly half of registered voters think President Joe Biden will fall flat in the debate, according to a new New York Times / Siena College poll. That includes 24 percent who think the president will do not too well and a quarter who believe hell perform not well at all.
Dressed in camouflage-style swimming trunks, lounging by the pool of a Hard Rock Hotel in Tenerife, these are the latest pictures to emerge of missing British teenager Jay Slater.

The photos show the apprentice bricklayer, 19, in party resort Playa de las Americas on the Spanish holiday island alongside dozens of other tourists including his friend Lucy Mae Law.

They were taken at a pool party on the second day of the NRG festival on June 15 - just two days before he vanished.

The pictures were posted by a Scottish female holidaymaker, who we are not identifying. She wrote: 'Just came across these in my camera roll. Not sure if they could be of any help, Jay sort of looks like he's standing (by) himself while Lucy is speaking to his other friends.'

Jay vanished without trace on the morning of Monday June 17 after enjoying the last night of a three-day rave at the Papagayo Beach Club. He was last seen at 8.15am walking uphill from the village of Masca in the Parque Rurale Teno in northwest Tenerife.

After going back to an Airbnb near the remote village of Masca with two men he had met on holiday, Jay phoned Lucy at 8.50am to tell her that he was 'tired, thirsty and disorientated' with only one per cent battery on his phone.

It has been 10 days since Jay went missing and police still have no idea where he is. Yesterday, emergency services were using helicopters and drones to search a specific area of Masca, where Jay's phone last pinged.

Ophelia Medina Hernandez, who was the last person to see him, revealed to MailOnline that she had earlier told him the next bus to Playa de las Americas, 19 miles away, was at 10am.

It comes as:

Apprentice bricklayer Jay, 19, can be seen lounging by the pool of the Hard Rock Hotel in Playa de las Americas with dozens of other holidaymakers. Pictured: With friends Brandon Hodgkin and Lucy Mae Law

Dressed in camouflage style swimming trunks the picture was taken on the second day of the NRG festival at a pool party which was described on social media as 'epic'

Also, in the picture with her back to the camera in a white skirt, is Jay's friend Lucy Mae Law, 19, left, and it was taken on June 15  just two days before he vanished

Holding a plastic cup in his hand (right) he appears to be standing by himself while Lucy (left) is talking to another group of boys

A search team near the last known location of Jay Slater, near to the village of Masca

Jay told Lucy he was going to attempt an 11 hour walk back to his room at the Paloma Beach but he headed the wrong way baffling investigators and his family.

This was his last interaction with and his phone pinged a short while later from a mobile phone mast overlooking the Masca gorge beauty spot half a mile from the village centre.

He had arrived there with two British men who had driven from Playa de las Americas with Jay following the end of a festival after party at Papagayo's nightclub.

The men said to be in their late 30s, early 40s rented a 40 AirBnB in the isolated village but are known to have travelled to the three day festival on a daily basis.

It has raised questions as just to why two men would rent out a remote apartment miles from the hedonistic nightlife in Playa de las Americas and drive two hours each day.

Since Jay vanished police and mountain rescue teams have combed a vast area of the park using drones, dogs and helicopters but found no trace of him.

His parents Debbie Duncan, 55, and Warren Slater, 58, plus brother Zak Slater, 24, have all travelled to Tenerife to help in the hunt and are said to be at 'breaking point'.

They flew in from their home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire and have vowed to remain in Tenerife until they find Jay but as time goes on and with no sighting fears are growing for his safety.

TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, who is in contact with the family, said he has two working theories - that he either had an accident and is on the mountain, or a criminal party is involved.

He has also appealed for the two men who were with Jay to come forward or he will 'release a picture of one of them'.

Spanish police, who have rejected an offer of help from British police, have not commented on any of the speculation or Mr Williams-Thomas' presence.

The last confirmed sighting of Jay Slater (pictured) was at around 8am last Monday by a woman who had told him the bus was due at 10am when he asked

Jay called his friend Lucy Mae Law (pictured), 18, to say he was 'lost in the mountains, with no water, one percent battery' and he had cut his leg on a cactus

This is the CCTV image the family of Jay Slater are hoping and praying is him - more than a week after he mysteriously vanished on Tenerife

A picture of missing teenager Jay Slater shows the 19-year-old in a nightclub in the early hours with his female friend Lucy Law just hours before he disappeared in Tenerife

The disappearance took a bizarre twist yesterday when the search shifted to the town of Puerto de Santiago after a mayor said locals had seen someone matching his appearance in bars there.

Emilio Jose Navarro Castanedo gave an interview saying he had spoken to locals who said they had 'seen him watching the Euros on the coast.' Mr Navarro Castanedo said he didn't know which bars locals had seen the man in or what time or date.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Navarro Castanedo said: 'There has been a lot of fake news and misunderstanding of what I said.

'To be clear, I did not say I saw him watching football, locals have told me that they have heard from others that they saw someone looking like the boy in a bar at Los Gigantes further along the coast.

'I have no idea if it was him, but holidaymakers of his age all dress the same and I have no idea in which bars he was seen, I don't know if the police have been there they are not telling me about their investigation.

'I know that local police have spoken to these people who said they saw him cheering in a bar watching football.

'I don't know when he was supposed to have been seen but it was supposedly certainly in the days after he disappeared but I have to underline this is unconfirmed information and only what I have been told.'

School finance officer Debbie Duncan, 55, told MailOnline she's at her wits' end with worry

His frantic parents Debbie Duncan, 55, and Warren Slater, 58, (right) plus brother Zak Slater, 24, (left) have all travelled to Tenerife to help in the hunt and are said to be at 'breaking point'

TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas who is in contact with the family said he has two working theories, that he had an accident and is on the mountain or a criminal party is involved

The development came as one of Jay's pals lashed out at internet sleuths and online trolls who have accused him of being connected to the disappearance.

Bradley Hargreaves, 19, arrived on the Spanish sunshine holiday island with Jay, for their first lads holiday abroad and attended the high-octane NRG festival.

It was following an after-party at Papagayo's nightclub in the hotspot of Playa de las Americas that the apprentice bricklayer vanished on June 17.

Posting on social media, Bradley said: 'Don't know why l've to jump on here to explain myself to the Facebook world but if any of yous believe me his best mate has anything to do with him going missing you're honestly not all there.

'I've known Jay most of my life go to all these raves and what not together and this was our first lads holiday with him. Nobody actually knows the true story not even me because there isn't a factual story that has come out just a load of s*** that has been said by different people.

'Anyway won't be saying much more on here but just thought l'd get that out.'

The church in Santiago del Teide where it is believed that Jay was spotted sitting on a bench with two men

Among those who commented on his post was Lucy, the last friend who Jay was in touch with and who spoke with him at 8.50am the day he disappeared. She posted a praying hands and heart emoji adding: 'We will find him.'

Jay's mother revealed she's at her wits' end with worry. Speaking out, Debbie revealed how among those who had travelled to the Spanish holiday island was her son's former girlfriend, Jessica Ingham.

School finance officer Debbie, 55, told MailOnline: 'It's been a week now and it's been awful. I've barely slept and I'm at my wits' end.

'The Spanish police are doing a good job and we are getting updated from the consulate so we just put our faith in them.

'I know people in the UK have come forward as well who were at the festival and they are giving details of what they know but I'm not being told about that.'
Locals of a world-famous Queensland tourist drawcard are fearful they will be cut off from accessing a national park by a land claim by indigenous corporations.

Residents on K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) are concerned about a 'secretive' bid for freehold ownership of the two main townships: Eurong and Happy Valley.

The Fraser Island Association president David Anderson said there were fears non-indigenous residents and tourists could be locked out of the new area, after the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation allegedly said they would be viewed as 'trespassers'.

'[Most of] the bushland around Eurong, which is something like 270 hectares of state land, is going to be transferred into Aboriginal freehold and that will be exclusive title.

'If you want to go for a bushwalk, we've got to walk along the road into the National Park to go for a walk, or hop in our cars and drive somewhere where we can get access to the bush.'

He said the move only comes because of an apparent administrative blunder in the 1960s that failed to gazette the township reserves for Eurong and Happy Valley.

Residents on K'gari (formerly Fraser island) are concerned about a 'secretive' land grab after an Indigenous corporation bid for freehold ownership

Native Title can only be claimed on vacant Crown land that is not gazetted for another purpose.

The Butchulla people, who hold native title over most of K'gari along with freehold lease on 30 hectares, have lodged the claim to five square kilometres of Eurong and Happy Valley transferred to them as 'inalienable freehold' under the Aboriginal Land Act.

Locals claim they were blind-sided and only told the transfer was 'definitely happening' at a meeting last week with the Department of Resources, Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation and Fraser Coast Council.

'The negotiations had been going on for quite some time with the Butchulla Aboriginal Corporation, but we only found out about two years ago,' Mr Anderson told 2GB.

'Happy Valley had a very active community association at the time and they took up the issue.'

He said the proposed bid for Happy Valley brought it to the attention of Eurong, which is where Mr Anderson lives, 'and we put together submissions which were ignored by the Department of Resources in Queensland'.

'We then engaged lawyers, and the lawyers met with the department and with Crown law, and the department was told that they had to adopt procedural fairness otherwise any transfer would be invalid,' Mr Anderson said.

'So they then gave us the opportunity to put in fresh applications for preservation of land for future use.

'We are happy to give them land around Eurong, but the land that we said we would like for future development, future infrastructure and community use was ignored.'

The Butchulla people, who hold native title over most of K'gari along with freehold lease on 30hectares, have lodged the claim to five square kilometres of Eurong and Happy Valley

Happy Valley Community Association secretary Scott Bell accused those involved of making a 'secretive deal' and said it only came to light by 'accident'.

'They (the Butchulla) made a claim on our police reserve, our education reserve and the esplanade which effectively denies us access to the beach,' he said.

'What people don't realise is that the block of land next door where you go to exercise or walk your dog, you may not be able to do that in the future.'

A Department of Resources spokesman denied any deal had been made and said the meeting last week was to keep the community informed of the process.

'The department continues to work with the Butchulla people, the Fraser Coast Regional Council and the community on the proposed transfers,' the spokesperson said.

The land bids on K'gari come when Aboriginal corporations have reportedly claimed freehold ownership of public land in 15 townships across Queensland.

Fraser Island Association president David Anderson said if the bids go ahead, residents will effectively be landlocked

The Courier Mail reported this was revealed by the Department of Resources in a response to a question in state parliament.

The 15 townships have not been named by the Department of Resources, due to privacy concerns of the First Nations groups which have lodged expressions of interest for the land transfers.

The Courier Mail reported over six million hectares of state land which is held in trust for the benefit of traditional owners and can't be sold or mortgaged has been granted to Indigenous people across Queensland.
Automotive billionaire Frank Stronach, 91, has been arrested once again, and is now facing even more sexual assault and rape charges.

Stronach, the founder of auto-parts giant Magna, was accused earlier this month of sexually assaulting victims beginning in the 1980s and lasting up until 2023.

He was then charged with five criminal offenses, including rape, sexual assault, indecent assault on a female, and forcible confinement.

But on Wednesday, Peel Regional Police said they 'have identified additional victims' and charged him with eight more counts of sexual assault.

Those include six counts of sexual assault, one count attempted rape and one count of indecent assault on a female, the Toronto Star reports.

Automotive billionaire Frank Stronach, 91, has been arrested and charged with more counts of sexual assault and rape

Peel Regional Police Constable Tyler Bell previously noted that there were multiple accusers, but he declined to specify how large the number was.

'Obviously, this is a high-profile case. Our special victims unit is bound to protect the victims and in doing so that's why we're being vague,' Bell said.

'There is more than one victim but we won't confirm that number yet,' he added.

It remains unclear how many additional victims may have come forward to accuse Stronach of sexual assault since his arrest on June 7.

But one alleged victim is said to have reached out to police within hours of the first charges being announced, a source familiar with the investigation told the CBC.

Another woman, author Jane Boon, also claimed in an op-ed that Stronach had sex with her when she was just 19 years old and he was 54.

She wrote that the Austrian-Canadian businessman interviewed her when she was a high school student and selected her for a scholarship to GMI - now Kettering University - in Flint, Michigan to study engineering.

Frank pictured with his daughter Belinda Stronach and his wife Elfriede, who passed away earlier this year

While in school in 1986, she claimed she attended Magna's annual shareholders meeting and was invited to an afterparty at Stronach's Toronto restaurant, Rooney's.

Towards the end of the dinner, Boon said Stronach insisted on driving her to Magna's corporate guest house in Ontario, and they had sex.

Boon has not complained to cops about the incident, according to the Globe and Mail, but said she is now feeling uneasy about the encounter.

'At the time, I thought it was consensual,' she wrote. 'But if it wasn't rape, it certainly wasn't right.'

Stronach was due to appear in Ontario court on July 8 prior to the new charges being levied against him. It is unclear whether that court date will still stand.

In the meantime, his lawyer, Brian Greenspan - whose previous notable clients included Naomi Campbell and Justin Bieber - says the auto parts magnate denies the allegations 'and will vigorously defend these further untested allegations dating back to 1977.'

He noted that Stronach 'has spent his lifetime committed to the betterment of the Canadian community and industry' and said he now 'plans to continue to devote his energy and resources to his work advocating for the adoption of a Canadian Economic Charter of Rights to benefit workers, small businesses, family farmers and the Canadian economy.'

Stronach (pictured with the late Queen) is

Stronach 'has spent his lifetime committed to the betterment of the Canadian community and industry', according to his lawyer

Born in Austria in 1932, Stronach grew up under Nazi rule before moving to Canada in the mid-50s.

In 1957, the entrepreneur launched Magna in his garage, and over the years, he built it into one of the world's biggest suppliers of auto parts.

The company now has a market capitalization of $12.52 billion.

But in a statement, a spokesperson for the company noted that 'Stronach has had no affiliation with Magna since he relinquished control in 2010.'

He added that executives at the company had 'no knowledge of the investigation or the allegations that have been raised beyond what has been reported in the media.'

Some of the entrepreneur's other business ventures included the creation of The Stronach Group, a company that specializes in horse racing.

In 2013, the auto-parts tycoon returned to Austria, where he dabbled in politics by founding and leading a populist right-wing political party called Team Stronach for Austria.

Two months later, Stronach moved back to Canada, where he named to the Order of Canada, one of the nation's most prestigious distinctions.

Belinda Stronach eventually countersued her father, saying he lost an enormous amount of money on pet projects (pictured with his daughter Belinda)

In 2018, the billionaire sued his daughter Belinda, two grandchildren, and former business associate Alon Ossip for over $500 million in Ontario Superior Court.

Stronach alleged that they had mismanaged the family's assets, of which he wished to regain control.

Belinda, a former Canadian Member of Parliament and CEO of Magna, countersued her father, saying that he had lost an enormous amount of money on pet projects.

The case was eventually settled. Stronach's wife Elfriede passed away aged 80 in March this year after battling illness.
A Reform UK candidate said he would 'slaughter' migrants arriving on small boats and have their families 'taken out', it has been reported.

Leslie Lilley, who is running for the party in Southend East and Rochford, reportedly made the threats on his Facebook account.

In a post in June 2020 he commented on the arrival of a small boat in Dover, saying: 'I hope I'm near one of these scumbags one day. I won't run away, I'll slaughter them then have their family taken out.'

Within weeks he posted again, railing against 'more scum' entering the UK.

'I hope your family get robbed, beaten or attacked', he added, according to The Times.

Leslie Lilley, who is running for the Reform party in Southend East and Rochford, said he would 'slaughter' migrants arriving on small boats and have their families 'taken out'

Leslie Lilley is the latest in a string of Reform hopefuls who have expressed controversial views

Mr Lilley is one of 41 Reform candidates who are 'friends' on Facebook with the fascist leader Gary Raikes (pictured), a former organiser for the British National Party and who now heads the New British Union, modelled on Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists

Mr Lilley also suggested that razor wire should be carried by Border Force guards to tear the boats making the dangerous journey across the Channel.

In another concerning post, he commented 'gas' alongside laughing emojis under a video of Muslims praying, the newspaper said.

The 70-year-old also claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic was a plan to 'depopulate the world' and was 'mass murder by government'.

He is one of 41 Reform candidates who are 'friends' on Facebook with the fascist leader Gary Raikes.

Raikes is a former organiser for the British National Party and heads the New British Union, modelled on Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists.

Meanwhile, the Reform candidate in Meriden and Solihull East, Malcolm Sedgley, has likened the Royal Family to 'Nazis' and branded the late Queen a 'tax avoiding OAP on benefits'.

In one social media post from 2019, Mr Sedgley said: 'Just because the Royal Family believe they have an almost divine right to rule because of their superior genetics, and that the plebs should swear allegiance to them and show deference at every opportunity, doesn't make them Nazis. Oh... hang on.'

In a post from 2017, he shared a link to a BBC story with the headline, 'Tax haven secrets of the ultra-rich exposed', which included a picture of the late Queen.

He wrote alongside it: 'An OAP on benefits, heading an extended family with barely a job between them, manages to save a few quid and sneak it away for a rainy day. What's wrong with that?'
An Irish expat who moved to Australia with just under $400 in his bank account flew back home $123,000 richer after spending a year working in the mines.

The FIFO worker shared a TikTok revealing how he was able to 'make bank' despite having no previous experience or qualifications.

He was able to make $12,000 in his first month on the job, and appeared to be operating trucks, tractors and other heavy machinery as part of his role.

'Work on FIFO in Australia, you're going to be making anywhere between $10,000 to $20,000 per month,' he said.

'I'm not a tradesman and you don't need any experience heading over here.

'These mine sites are like mini cities, there's hundreds of thousands who work in the mines over in Australia.'

The Irishman said there were plenty of roles available away from the actual mines, including personal trainers, nurses, bar staff and bus drivers.

'Everyone is making bank out here,' he said.

@fifotok5 This is how much Your bank can grow . Here is the catch  FIFO mining jobs, also known as fly-in fly-out jobs, are a type of employment in the mining industry where workers commute to the mine site for a predetermined period, typically 2-4 weeks, and then return home for a period of rest. These jobs are common in Australia, where the mining industry is a significant contributor to the economy. To work in FIFO mining jols, there are certain requirements and skills needed. First and foremost, you must be physically fit and able to pass a medical examination. You will also need to have a valid drivers licence and be willing to undergo drug and alcohol testing. In terms of skills, employers look for individuals who are hardworking, reliable, and have good communication and problem-solving abilities. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need prior experience to get a FIFO mining job. Many companies offer entry-level positions for those who have no experience. How much does a Fifo make in Australia? The average fifo salary in Australia is $113,041 per year or $57.97 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $92,874 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $169,033 per year. If youre serious about heading over and looking to work in ANY sector our fifo step by step guide is a complete road map to fifo in the mines. Allot needs to be done if you want head over here and work in fifo for those on work holiday visas and nationals we cater to everyone looking to get in. Secure your role through the link in bio  Follow @fifoguide for more. #fifo #fifoaustralia #fifomining #fifominingaustralia #fifouze #fifoworker #flyinflyout #mining #miningtiktok #miningrig #miningaustralia #mininglife #mines #miningjobs #whvaustralia #whv #visa #417visa #worktotravel #regionalwork #88days #backpackingaustralia #perth #perthaustralia #fyp #foryoupage #australia #aussie  original sound - Fifotok

An Irish expat who moved to Australia with just under $400 in his bank account flew back home $123,000 richer after spending a year working in the mines

'It's not easy money but I flew home with over $100K in the bank and that's how you do it folks.'

FIFO workers are required to complete accreditation courses but often no experience is required for many roles.

Workers are often on the job for up to 12 hours a day for two weeks at a time, before flying back to their homes for two weeks of rest.

Many FIFO workers have documented their experience and huge pay on TikTok, but others have questioned whether the exhausting hours and time away from home is worth the money.

'Dangerous and taxing on mental health is why they pay so much,' one commented.

'The time trade off just isn't worth it for me,' said another.

'Sounds great but you're in middle of nowhere, 12 hour days, work 3 weeks, week 4 you have off so need some where stay,' one wrote.
A 'shadow parliament' made up of former Russian MPs has been planning an assassination campaign against members of Vladimir Putin's government from Poland's capital city.

Dozens of exiled politicians who represented Russian citizens in the Duma, the country's parliament, met in Warsaw this week to discuss a seven-point plan to overthrow Putin's regime, the Times reported.

The so-called Victory Plan of the Congress of People's Deputies (CPD), led by anti-war former politician Ilya Ponomarev, includes asking NATO to support their campaign of political assassinations, as well as an expansion of the sanctions against Russia and more arms for Ukraine.

The group claimed that change can only be brought about by force, and that it is 'no longer an option but simply a duty' of the West to help 'revolutionary action' within Russia.

A formal proposal will be presented at the 75th NATO summit next month, which will be held in Washington DC.

The Congress of People's Deputies (CPD) is led by anti-war former politician Ilya Ponomarev (pictured)

A 'shadow parliament' made up of former Russian MPs has been planning an assassination campaign against members of Vladimir Putin's (pictured) government

The proposal reads: 'The use of force against Putins murderers, their financiers and propagandists, is morally justified  [when] consistent with the internally recognised norms of warfare  and imperative for victory.

'The Kremlin has already unleashed a massive bloodshed that is killing hundreds of Russians on the front line every day, as well as numerous Ukrainians, both military and civilians.'

The CPD was formed in November 2022, claiming to have 102 members, many of whom are serving Duma representatives who participate anonymously.

While it wants to present itself as the legitimate face of Russia's opposition, in reality it is the political wing of the Freedom for Russia Legion, a military group made up of four battalions of soldiers fighting for Ukraine, as well as the National Republican Army (NRA), a group of partisans operating inside Russia.

The NRA claimed responsibility for killing Vladlen Tatarsky, a Russian pro-military blogger, who last year was killed by a bomb that was hidden in a gold bust of himself at one of his speaking events in St Petersburg. The explosion left another 30 people injured.

While Russia's opposition is fractured, a key exiled ally of murdered dissident Alexei Navalny has vowed to 'never give up' fighting Vladimir Putin

Navalny died at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison camp in February

They also claimed to have killed Darya Dugina, the ultra-nationalistic daughter of political philosopher Alexander Dugin, who died when her car exploded near Moscow in 2022.

While Russia's opposition is fractured, a key exiled ally of murdered dissident Alexei Navalny has vowed to 'never give up' fighting Vladimir Putin to ensure the late Russian opposition leader's sacrifice is 'not in vain'.

Leonid Volkov, who was speaking after a horrific hammer and tear gas attack outside his Lithuania home in March, described his friend's death as an 'open wound in our hearts'.

Navalny died at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison camp in February.

Volkov insisted there was 'no one magic trick' to topple Putin but called on Ukraine's Western allies to send more weapons to the front line and not consider negotiating with the Russian leader.

He told the BBC: 'If there are 50 things we can do, we have to do all 50 of them, if you do 49, thats not enough, because thats the greatest threat to the world that weve seen in 80 years.'
A Royal Navy sailor who was found dead in Sweden after a night out with crew members choked to death due to alcohol poisoning, an inquest has heard.

Dominic Twaites, 26, was found dead ata flat in Stockholm following a night out with his crewmate and four Swedish men on May 14 last year.

All the men, including the fellow British serviceman Max Kimber, were later arrested on suspicion of murder.

But an inquest in Mr Twaites' hometown of Hereford, found that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, The Sun reported.

Herefordshire coroner Mark Bricknell said the young man's death was accidental, adding that he died due to 'aspiration of his gastric contents and poisoning causing reduced consciousness'.

Royal Navy sailor Dominic Twaites, 26, was found dead in Sweden after a night out with crew members

the young man's (pictured) death was accidental, adding that he died due to 'aspiration of his gastric contents and poisoning causing reduced consciousness'.

Mr Twaites had been onboard HMS Albion (pictured) for the Aurora 23 defence exercise in Sweden, which took place between April 17 and May 11

Mr Twaites and Mr Kimber had been onboard HMS Albion for the Aurora 23 defence exercise in Sweden, which took place between April 17 and May 11.

Warrant Officer Lynsay Wilkie, was acted as the marine engineers' coordinator onboard HMS Albion told the inquest that the crew were permitted to go ashore once the drills had ended.

She added the sailors were required to report back at 10am the next day or let a senior officer know where they were by that time. One member of each group was also required to remain sober in order to safeguard other crewmates.

When Mr Twaites and Mr Kimber failed to make contact by the designated time Ms Wilkie and another colleague went looking for them.

She was informed by Swedish police at 2pm that Mr Twaites had died and was then invited to the police station to speak with Mr Kimber shortly after he was arrested.

He was later released and told Ms Wilkie, his fellow sailor had 'choked on his own vomit', she told the inquest.

Pictured: HMS Albion docked in Stockholm ahead of Aurora 23 drills last year

The purpose of the Aurora 23 training exercise was to increase the ability to deal with an armed attack on Sweden.

The Swedish Armed Forces said that Aurora 23 was the largest national exercise of its kind in more than 30 years. The RAF and British Army were also involved in the drills.

The three-week exercise involved more than 26,000 people from the Swedish Army, Swedish Navy, Swedish Air Force, Home Guard and servicemen from 14 other countries.

HMS Albion, one of the Royal Navy's two amphibious assault ships, arrived in Sweden fresh from training drills known as Joint Viking 23 in Norway in March last year.
Chilling images have emerged from the livestream of a teen alleged to have brandished a knife in an MP's office as part of a planned terror attack.

Emergency services were called to the Newcastle Museum in Honeysuckle, near the city's CBD, about 12.30pm on Wednesday after reports of a man dressed in tactical gear including wearing a helmet and ballistic vest.

Police arrested Jordan Patten, 19, from Raymond Terrace, who on Thursday morning was charged with one count of 'other acts done in preparation for, or planning, for terrorist act' by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT).

The teenager allegedly broadcast the attempted attack live via video website Twitch with a camera strapped to a helmet.

Footage from the livestream shows the man in a bathroom at Newcastle's Civic Theatre before he crossed a road and entered Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp's office.

He then quickly exited the office and walked towards the museum in Workshop Way where a staff member can be heard telling him 'you can't be dressed like that', before raising the alarm.

The employee kept an eye on the man as he entered the building, telling him: 'You need to leave (because you're) dressed like that sir.'

'Get outside for us please.'

The livestream then shows the man leaving the museum and placing his knife and bag down on a seat before the doors are locked behind him.

A brave museum worker helped stop an alleged pre-planned terror attack in Newcastle by a teenager who allegedly livestreamed the incident (pictured)

The employee (pictured, centre) told the man, wearing tactical gear and allegedly brandishing a knife, to leave the museum several times before he complied

The man behind the camera doesn't say a single word during the entire seven-minute video as he leisurely walks between the locations.

A statement from NSW Police confirmed a 'number of items were seized' when he was searched and will be taken for further analysis.

'Following further inquiries, police have become aware of the existence of a document that had been circulated to a number of public figures and media outlets,' the statement reads.

'There is no ongoing threat to the community relation to this investigation.'

Anyone with information has been urged to contact police.

In a statement released after the arrest, Mr Crakanthorp said he understood there 'was an incident in Newcastle today'.

'I have spoken with police and they are managing the situation and have assured me that nobody was harmed,' he said.

'I have been advised that the individual briefly walked in and out of my office, he left before making any contact with my staff.'

The teenager allegedly briefly entered the office of Labor MP for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp (pictured), before leaving and leisurely walking towards the museum

Patten sat calmly during a brief appearance before the Newcastle Local Court via video link on Thursday.

Magistrate Anthony Spence said there were 'strong overtones' of mental health issues while reading the allegation and facts for the matter, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Patten's Legal Aid solicitor Martin Vazquez, told the court his client wouldn't be making any release application.

The teenager was remanded in prison and set to reappear in court on August 21.

No pleas have been required to be entered.

Patten's older brother and aunt expressed their 'sincere apology' to anyone who witnessed his alleged actions as well as their shock about the news.

'We just hope he can get the help he needs,' Patten's brother told the media in a brief appearance outside of their family home.
Rishi Sunak issued a rallying cry to disillusioned Tories last night as he repeatedly called on voters not to 'surrender' the country to chaos under the Labour Party - with the election campaign entering its final week.

The phrase became a recurring theme of the BBC debate as the public were warned against the consequences of Conservative capitulation.

The Prime Minister told voters to not 'surrender our borders', to not 'surrender your family finances' and even to not 'surrender your local council' as the phrase was used a total of 12 times - nearly once every six minutes.

The calls for sense came as Mr Sunak, 44, battled against Sir Keir Starmer, 61, in a fiery showing where he tore into the Labour leader over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax as he battles against a Tory meltdown.

The PM accused the Labour leader of trying to trick Brits as they went head-to-head on BBC One barely a week before the country casts their ballots.

And the fiercest exchanges came over immigration, with Mr Sunak saying the people-smuggling gangs would 'need a bigger boat' if Labour wins the election.

The clashes became so heated that, as he gave his closing statement repeating his claim that Labour would hike families' taxes by 2,000, Sir Keir could be heard shouting 'that's a lie'.

It comes as:

A Labour member was suspended by the party after being arrested in connection with the 'honeytrap' scandal;

Former Labour minister Dawn Butler caused fresh outrage by backing Dr Who actor David Tennant's call for Kemi Badenoch to 'shut up';

A snap YouGov poll suggested viewers as a whole thought the debate was a tie, and found that 82 per cent of people who voted Tory in 2019 thought Mr Sunak won the debate;

Sir Keir Starmer refused to say whether gaffe-prone Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy would be handed a Cabinet job if Labour wins;

Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride warned that politicians may have to be banned from betting on elections;

Labour was reported to be drawing up secret plans to add millions of young people to the electoral roll, in a way the Tories warned would 'open the door to electoral fraud'.

The Prime Minister told voters to not 'surrender our borders', to not 'surrender your family finances' and even to not 'surrender your local council' as the phrase was used a total of 12 times - nearly once every six minutes

The calls for sense came as Mr Sunak, 44, battled against Sir Keir Starmer, 61, in a fiery showing where he tore into the Labour leader

The PM accused the Labour leader of trying to trick Brits as they went head-to-head on BBC One barely a week before the country casts their ballots

The Prime Minister tore into the Labour leader over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax as he battles against a Tory meltdown

The fiercest exchanges came over immigration, with Mr Sunak saying the people-smuggling gangs would 'need a bigger boat' if Labour wins the election

The two rivals did not appear to shake hands afterwards as they thanked presenter Mishal Husain.

However, the unedifying squabbling did not seem to impress the audience, with one infuriated man asking: 'Are you two seriously the best we have got to be the next PM of our great country?'

A snap YouGov poll found that TV viewers thought they fought each other to a standstill, splitting 50-50 on who had won.

Asked about Mr Sunak's frequent use of the word 'surrender' after the debate, Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'What we're saying is don't give away, as a voter, do not give away your agency.

'Because we know that Labour are looking to reopen freedom of movement by the back door in complete contravention to what the British people want.'

But the frequent use of the phrase was teased by some online - with 5Live presenter Chris Warburton saying he may be forced to ''surrender' to watching Georgia v Portugal by the end of this'.

FT columnist Stephen Bush added that he had Cheap Trick's Surrender stuck in his head after watching the show, while former London Mayor candidate Siobhan Benita joked: 'now we'll have to listen to every Tory saying this in every interview for the next eight days.'

Mr Sunak kicked off the exchanges by fending off a question about Tories being caught up in the election betting scandal, while Sir Keir jibed that the premier had been fined for Partygate rule breaches.

The unedifying squabbling did not seem to impress the audience, with Robert Blackstock asking: 'Are you two seriously the best we have got to be the next PM of our great country?'

Rishi Sunak tore into Keir Starmer over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax tonight as as he struggles to avert a Tory meltdown

The BBC leadership debate in short: Rishi Sunak repeatedly berated Keir Starmer for not being 'honest' about his tax plans Mr Sunak said: 'If you're a pensioner you should know a Retirement Tax is coming to you, capital R, capital T' Sir Keir lashed out at Mr Sunak over his Partygate fine Mr Sunak repeated his fury at the allegations that senior Tories had been betting on the election date The PM accused Sir Keir of not believing a 'single penny' can be saved from welfare Sir Keir slammed Mr Sunak for not 'leading from the front' on the betting scandal, as a defending Tory MP was accused of making an 8,000 bet on losing his seat; YouGov's snap poll found 62 per cent of viewers thought the debate was frustrating, and 40 per cent interesting; Some 56 per cent thought Sunak performed well, compared to 61 per cent who said the same of Sir Keir; The Labour leader seen as more trustworthy, likeable and in touch with ordinary people - but Mr Sunak was seen as stronger on tax and immigration; Earlier Mr Sunak branded former Dr Who star David Tenant 'the problem' after he told the Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch to 'shut up' on gender identity. Advertisement

The PM hit back: 'Keir Starmer talks about leadership and politics... I think leadership means being straight with people...

'He's not being honest with everyone about his plans to raise their taxes.'

He pointed to a recording of shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones admitting that Labour's Net Zero goals will cost 'hundreds of billions' of pounds.

Mr Sunak acknowledged that the public was 'frustrated' with him and his party, but warned that Labour would let Channel migrants 'out on our streets', and ditching the Rwanda scheme would mean people smugglers would 'need a bigger boat'.

Mr Sunak was also clapped as he said Sir Keir 'wanted to be in charge' but had 'got nothing to say about what you would do about it'.

But Sir Keir received his own round of applause as he complained that Mr Sunak kept interrupting him, saying if he 'listened' more he wouldn't be seen as so 'out of touch'.

He said the Tories had raised tax '26 times' and tagged him 'Liz Truss mark two'.

But Sir Keir refused to match the Tory pledge that the basic state pension will never be taxed. With tax thresholds frozen, this raises the prospect that older people could be forced to pay income on the state pension for the first time during Labour's first term.

Mr Sunak said: 'If you are a pensioner, you should know, there is a retirement tax coming for you  capital R, capital T  if he is your prime minister.'

In response, Sir Keir said: 'Pensioners are not going to be better off with a Prime Minister who's making promises that he can't keep because they're not funded.' But the PM said Labour was not revealing the truth about its tax plans  and suggested Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves could impose punishing rises within weeks of coming to office.

'Trust me now, all your taxes are going to be going up by thousand of pounds,' he said.

'It's in their DNA, mark my words. Your pension, your council tax, your home, your car, you name it, they will tax it, which is why he can't rule out raising your taxes.'

The Labour leader struggled as he was grilled on whether he would provide legal protection for women-only spaces, after one of his frontbenchers suggested pre-op trans women should use women's toilets.

Mr Sunak had claimed the Labour leader is 'not sure like I am that sex is biological sex and that's how you protect female only spaces and services'.

JK Rowling responded on social media by hinting that Sir Keir had lost her vote.

The Harry Potter author posted: 'It's very important that we protect women's spaces... but men can also be women, says the Labour leader.

'My postal vote is literally lying next to me. I wanted to wait to hear what @KeirStarmer said tonight to fill it in.'

The crowd looked sceptical about many of the answers given by the party leaders

The PM accused Keir Starmer of trying to trick Brits as they went head-to-head on BBC One barely a week before the country casts their ballots

JK Rowling responded on social media by hinting that Sir Keir had lost her vote

A Find Out Now survey carried out with Electoral Calculus projected the Tories could be slashed to just 60 seats, behind the Lib Dems on 71

The primetime clash at Nottingham Trent University - which was dogged by noises from pro-Palestinian protesters outside - had been viewed as Mr Sunak's last major opportunity to revive his fortunes after a nightmare election campaign.

However, the scale of the challenge for the premier was underlined earlier this evening, with more grim mega-polls showing the Tories on track to get smashed - and one even putting them in third behind the Lib Dems.

But as he faced down the Labour leader the PM said Labour would make Britain the 'soft touch of Europe' on immigration by scrapping the Rwanda deportation scheme.

And he ridiculed Sir Keir's claim he could clear a backlog of up to 100,000 illegal migrants, many of whom are from countries such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iran, with which Britain has no prospect of a returns deal.

'Are you going to sit down with the Iranian ayatollahs, do a deal with the Taliban?' he said. 'It's completely nonsensical what you're saying. You are taking people for fools.'

Mr Sunak said it was 'completely unfair' that people were able to 'jump the queue for services' if they travel here illegally.

Sir Keir said he would process the claims of those who arrived  but refused to rule out the possibility that most would eventually be given asylum.

The Prime Minister won applause from the audience by using an apparent reference to the film Jaws, saying: 'If Labour win, the people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat. Don't surrender our borders to the Labour Party.'

The overall figures in the Find Out Now/Electoral Calculus MRP are for a Labour landslide with a majority of 250 seats. That would be bigger than Tony Blair's win, and only exceeded by the 1931 result

The separate We Think poll saw the Conservatives reduced to just 76 MPs

Key moments in the final election debate Sunak 'bullied' in Gamblegate response Sir Keir accused his opponent of being bullied into responding to the unfolding scandal about Tory candidates allegedly betting on the timing of the General Election. He contrasted his swift response when Labour candidate Kevin Craig was revealed to have bet against his own victory, with that of the Prime Minister. 'What I did when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes, because I knew it made it really important to be swift, the Prime Minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking action,' the Labour leader said. In response, Mr Sunak said: 'It was important to me that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and that's what I've done.' Out of touch? Mr Sunak also faced accusations of being out of touch with the public, after one testy exchange with Sir Keir. The Prime Minister interrupted the Labour leader several times as he answered a question from a member of the audience. But Sir Keir hit back, saying: 'If you listen to the people in the audience, across the country, a bit more often you might not be so out of touch.' His response was met with a round of applause. Starmer 'taking people for fools' on migration The Labour leader was however unable to provide a simple answer on how he would deal with the migrant crisis. 'What will you do with them?' Mr Sunak repeatedly asked as Sir Keir criticised the Rwanda plan. The Labour leader claimed that currently 100% of illegal migrants 'effectively' received asylum because they were all placed in hotels while on the migration system backlog, and emphasised the need for processing. The migrants are coming from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, Mr Sunak responded. 'Will you sit down with the Ayatollahs? Are you going to try to do a deal with the Taliban? It's completely nonsensical  you are taking people for fools,' he added. Shadows of Truss and Corbyn Sir Keir sought to damage Mr Sunak's credibility by suggesting he had rowed in behind short-lived premier Liz Truss's economic agenda. The Prime Minister claimed he had warned about the damage of Ms Truss's plans, but Sir Keir said he then accepted them 'in the next breath'. Husain then stepped in, saying: 'Hang on, you know what it is like to fall in behind a leader of your party,' in a reference to Sir Keir's time serving under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The noise outside A protest outside the Nottingham Trent University building where the debate was held could be heard within the hall and was picked up on the audio of the broadcast. BBC journalist Husain addressed it at one point early in the debate, to alert the audience to what was happening, and described the protest as another part of the UK's democracy. Pro-Palestine protesters were among those demonstrating outside the venue, including a group called Nottingham Solidarity Group, who confirmed their attendance on X, formerly Twitter. Tax Check UK The Conservative Party rebranded its X account to 'Tax Check UK' ahead of the debate, and pumped out a steady stream of claims about how Labour's plans would impact the taxes voters would pay. This included claims of a 'retirement tax', as well as sharing an image of the often referred to letter that Labour former Treasury minister Liam Byrne left when the party last exited government joking there was 'no money left'. As the programme ended, Tory leader Mr Sunak also returned to the disputed claim that Labour's policies will cost families an extra 2,000 in tax. Sir Keir hit back: 'That is a lie. He's been told not to repeat that lie and he has just done it.' The best to run the country? One audience member asked both party leaders: 'Are you two really the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country?' Sir Keir said he 'wasn't surprised' by the question as the country is in 'such a state'. The man later told the BBC he was 'disappointed' with the leaders' responses to his question. Gender rights Both party leaders committed to protecting women's rights to single-sex spaces, regardless of whether someone has a gender recognition certificate. But Sir Keir feathered his answer, adding that there are 'a small number of people who are born into a gender that they don't identify with'. He said: 'I will treat them, as I treat all human beings, with dignity and respect.' Advertisement

But Sir Keir said 'record numbers are coming across the Channel' and insisted that only 'a few hundred' people would be sent to Rwanda, compared to tens of thousands of arrivals.

He confirmed that Labour would scrap the Rwanda scheme, but insisted that the Channel migrant crisis could be solved by 'smashing' the criminal gangs.

And he said the PM was in no position to 'lecture' the country over immigration after overseeing record arrivals.

Mr Sunak said the 'price' of any new Labour deal with the EU would be bringing back free movement.

Sir Keir described the claim as 'complete nonsense' and insisted free movement would be a red line in any negotiation with Brussels. But he said he was 'not a defeatist' and would seek a better deal with the EU on trade.

Sir Keir accused Mr Sunak of being 'bullied' into responding to the betting allegations, after it took weeks for the Conservatives to withdraw support for two candidates.

The Labour leader said: 'You have to lead from the front on issues like this. I think that in the last 14 years politics has become too much about self entitlement, and MPs thinking about what they could get for themselves.'

He added: 'The instinct of these people to think the first thing they should do is try to make money, that was the wrong instinct, and we have to change that.'

Sir Keir continued: 'What I did, when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes, because I knew it made it really important to be swift, the Prime Minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking off.'

Mr Sunak said: 'It was important to me, that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and that's what I've done.'

After audience member Robert Blackstock asked 'are you two really the best we've got', the Labour leader said: 'I'm not surprised after 14 years of this that people feel this way because the country is in such a state.

'They've had loads of promises made in the last election about what will happen which haven't been delivered on, that does beat the hope out of people.

'The very first question was about integrity in politics, and again people haven't seen that integrity  they've had Partygate, they've had breach of Covid rules, you've had the contracts for Covid  the instinct of some people to think the first thing in Covid I'm going to do is try to make money.

'So, this is an opportunity to restore that hope. I don't think we can do that by making sort of grand promises of things that can't be delivered.'

Rather, he said, it's 'the ordinary hope of getting on yourself, getting on for your family, getting on for your community, your country. It has to be rooted, if we're going to restore hope in my view, in returning politics to service, the sense that you come into politics to serve'.

Both committed to protecting women's rights to single-sex spaces, regardless of whether someone has a gender recognition certificate.

Mr Sunak said: 'Yes, unequivocally yes. And we will do that by changing the law, so that the old Equalities Act recognises that sex means biological sex.'

But Sir Keir feathered his answer, adding: 'What I will also say is that I do recognise that there are a small number of people who are born into a gender that they don't identify with, and I will treat them, as I treat all human beings, with dignity and respect.'

Sir Keir received applause and whoops from the audience, before continuing: 'I'll tell you for why, because if you don't, we end up with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom standing in Parliament making an anti-trans joke in front of the mother of a murdered trans teenager.'

Mr Sunak replied: 'That's not what I did, I was pointing out that you've changed your mind on this question multiple times.'

The tetchy rowing continued right to the end. In his closing statement Mr Sunak said: 'I understand why you're frustrated with our party, with me, I get it. But this is not a by-election, it's a choice with profound consequences for you and our country. And before you make that choice, think what a Labour government would mean.

'Can you afford to pay at least 2,000 more in tax? And why won't Keir Starmer be straight with you about what he wants to do? And if you're not certain about Labour, don't surrender to them, don't vote for any other party, vote Conservative.'

The Labour leader could be heard protesting as he spoke, and in his own parting shot he said: 'That is a lie, he's been told not to repeat that lie and he's just done it.'

He added: 'My message to you is simple: if you want your NHS back, you have to vote for it. If you want a growing economy, you have to vote for it.

'If you want more police on our streets or teachers in our schools, you have to vote for it. If you want to end 14 years of chaos  then that power is in your hands, on July the 4th, vote change, vote Labour.'

Mr Sunak is desperately trying to change his fortunes as the election betting scandal continues to rage.

He has also struggled to shake off the D-Day debacle.

Meanwhile, Tories fear that Reform will split the right-wing vote next week, opening the door for Labour to rack up seats.

Allies of the PM hope that messages about the danger of a Labour 'supermajority' is starting to hit home, while there have been tentative signs that Mr Farage's surge might have peaked after he controversially claimed the West 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

We Think research conducted using the so-called MRP methodology suggested Labour could get a majority of 280 - the biggest in modern political history.

That poll saw the Conservatives reduced to just 76 MPs.

But a Find Out Now survey carried out with Electoral Calculus projected an even more dramatic outcome. It found the Tories could be slashed to just 60 seats, behind the Lib Dems with 71.

A noisy pro-Palestinian demo was taking place outside the venue, and could be clearly heard in the early stages

We Think research suggested Labour could get a majority of 280 - the biggest in modern political history

In that scenario, the Conservatives would not be the official opposition and Nigel Farage's Reform would have 18 seats.

MRPs are now widely regarded as 'gold standard' in the polling industry, but they have been suggesting widely differing outcomes depending on assumptions such as likelihood to vote. They also take a longer period to conduct, meaning some of the research dates back weeks.

The enormous win for Sir Keir is being predicted despite signs that he is deeply unpopular with Brits.

Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus said they had 'calibrated' results of their own polling to 'match the average of recent national polls', after it suggested the Tories were two points behind Reform.

The overall figures in that MRP are for a Labour landslide with a majority of 250 seats. That would be bigger than Tony Blair's win, and only exceeded by the 1931 result.

The Conservatives' tally would be the worst since at least 1900 - before universal suffrage.

Mr Sunak would be among a swathe of senior ministers to lose their own seats.

Meanwhile, Reform would pick up 18, with Mr Farage finally entering Parliament alongside Richard Tice.

Mr Sunak is desperately trying to change his fortunes as the election betting scandal continues to rage

The PM (left) arrived for the critical final BBC TV debate against Keir Starmer (right) this evening

The wider picture is of apathy among the public. An Ipsos survey indicated that 75 per cent were dissatisfied with Rishi Sunak, with just 25 per cent satisfied.

But Sir Keir's figures were not much better, with 52 per cent negative and 33 per cent positive about his performance.

Speaking to reporters after the debate, Home Secretary Mr Cleverly branded Sir Keir's performance 'weak and fragile'.

'He refused over and over again to rule out tax rises, Keir Starmer is going to put taxes up,' the Cabinet minister said.

'He was asked explicitly, will you rule out putting up taxes for the first time ever on state pensioners? He refused to do so.'

Mr Cleverly added: 'When pushed about honesty about tax, when pushed around honesty about the impact on the economy, Keir Starmer fumbled, fumbled and then tried to talk over the Prime Minister.'

The Home Secretary said both he and the PM 'recognised there are frustrations' among voters following the impact of the Covid crisis and the Ukraine war on the economy.

But he warned five years was a 'long time' to live under a Labour government.

An Ipsos survey indicated that 75 per cent were dissatisfied with Rishi Sunak, with just 25 per cent satisfied

Quizzed about the leaked recording of Mr Jones saying Labour's green plans will cost 'hundreds of billions' of pounds, Labour's Pat McFadden - the party's campaign chief - told reporters: 'What Darren was clearly talking about was the level private sector investment that you can get if you have a government that's willing to step up to the plate.

'So rather than this being a problem for us, what it shows is that Rishi Sunak - having turned his back on any Government role in the green transition... has sacrificed the high level of private sector investment that's waiting to come if they know there's a willing partner in the government of the day.'

Mr McFadden said there was 'only one prime minister in the room tonight, only one person really engaging with the audience and their problems' as he praised Sir Keir's performance.

Asked about Mr Blackstock bemoaning that Mr Sunak and Sir Keir are 'the best we've got, ' Mr McFadden replied: 'I'm very proud we've got Keir leading us into the election and we'll see what voters' verdict is on 4 July.'

Speaking to reporters after the debate, Home Secretary Mr Cleverly branded Sir Keir's performance 'weak and fragile'

There have been tentative signs that Nigel Farage's (pictured) surge might have peaked after he controversially claimed the West 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Speaking himself after the debate, Mr Blackstock said he was left unconvinced by the answers he heard from both the PM and Labour leader.

'I was disappointed with the response from both Rishi and Sir Keir,' he told the BBC.

'Neither of them seemed to want to say why they were good - if that makes any sense.

'They were going on what they'd done in the past, they weren't being positive.

'For a PM, from my perspective, we want a personality, we want somebody we can recognise, we want somebody on the world stage that is going to project our Great Britain.

'That's what we want.'
The problem with Britain's luvvies  those actors whose egos are as big as their bank balances  is that they believe they are as clever as the lines they recite on stage.

That is clearly why David Tennant felt it appropriate to tell Tory minister Kemi Badenoch to 'shut up' about women's rights and express the wish that she 'didn't exist any more' at a glitzy award ceremony.

If Oscars were handed out for misogyny, bigotry and lack of decency, the Doctor Who star would be clearing a place on his mantelpiece.

Naturally, the insufferably woke audience cheered his unkind words.

Whatever Tennant might think, Ms Badenoch is not prejudiced against trans people. Like millions, she wants to protect women-only spaces from biological males and stop schools force-feeding children the claptrap that there are multiple genders.

David Tennant felt it appropriate to tell Tory minister Kemi Badenoch to 'shut up' about women's rights and express the wish that she 'didn't exist any more' at a glitzy award ceremony

Labour's Sir Keir Starmer insists he doesn't want a 'toxic debate' on issues such as trans rights

Tennant's inflammatory words towards her come while the murders of MPs Sir David Amess and Jo Cox are fresh in our memory. Such rhetoric risks leading to violence.

Indeed, ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman reveals how she still requires round-the-clock police protection amid a torrent of threats. Even her young children are being taught to use panic buttons.

Tennant  an ardent Left-winger  was enthusiastically supported in his diatribe by Labour candidate Dawn Butler. This gives a chilling glimpse of what life could be like under a Labour government.

Sir Keir Starmer insists he doesn't want a 'toxic debate' on issues such as trans rights.

But rather than engage in mature discussion, Labour seems happier resorting to misogyny and trying to silence opponents when it comes to fighting the culture war.

Social censors?

Was the vile abuse directed at Ms Badenoch by Tennant the catalyst for the mass suspension of women's rights campaigners from social media giant X?

After the spat erupted, hundreds of people who highlight the absurdities of the radical trans lobby suddenly found their accounts temporarily blocked.

No explanation has so far been given by the firm.

Were the cancellations a deliberate decision, a technological glitch or a malicious attack by trans activists in an attempt to stifle gender critical voices?

Before Elon Musk bought X, anyone who dared to step outside woke orthodoxies on trans issues risked being banned from the influential social platform.

The billionaire has turned it into a 'digital town square', where a wide range of beliefs can be debated.

That's hugely welcome, but he must do all he can to ensure the dark days of censorship never return.

Elon Musk has turned X into a 'digital town square', where wide ranging beliefs can be debate

Rash rewards

Should the Royal Mail eventually be bought by mysterious Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, the British people face cuts to the historic postal service.

Should the Royal Mail eventually be bought by mysterious Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, the British people face cuts to the historic postal service

But in the City, there'll be no mourning. In fact, for the bankers, lawyers, spin doctors and other consultants who will share almost 150million for working on the controversial takeover, it'll be trebles all round.

Of course, if individuals perform well at work, businesses should be free to reward them handsomely.

But the Royal Mail is not just any private company. It is relied upon by almost everybody for the delivery of important post.

So it raises significant concerns that those working on the takeover have a huge financial incentive for it to go ahead  even if it is not in the national interest.

Whoever forms the next government must go over this deal with a fine-toothed comb.
Congresswoman Summer Lee shockingly responded to a reporter asking about the rape and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray by illegal migrants by claiming not to know who she was.

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, are accused of brutally murdering the 12-year-old and dumping her body in a creek. Both came illegally from Venezuela.

The Pennsylvania Democrat - who proudly publicizes endorsements by the likes of Bernie Sanders and 'The Squad' - was sought out by a reporter on Capitol Hill to discuss the issue Wednesday.

When asked her thoughts on the brutal crime, the lawmaker's response was stunning, claiming to not know the reporter nor Nungaray.

'Oh I'm sorry, I don't talk to strangers. I don't even know who you are, and I don't know who she is, I'm out of Pittsburgh,' she said.

Congresswoman Summer Lee shockingly responded to a reporter asking about the rape and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray by illegal migrants by claiming not to know who she was

The reporter was Fox Business' Hillary Vaughn, who was attempting to get the take of several progressives on Nungaray's murder.

'I don't know anything about it,' Lee added before getting away from Vaughn into a Capitol Hill office.

Police said Martinez and Ramos lured the preteen under a bridge and sexually assaulted her for two hours before strangling her to death.

Nungaray's battered body was recovered from a creek near her Houston home on June 17 after she snuck out past her bedtime.

While prosecutors and police both believe the young girl was raped, the alleged assailants have not yet been charged with sexual assault and the results of the victim's rape kit are still pending.

If charged with sex crimes, prosecutors will be able to seek the death penalty.

During the court hearing, prosecutors said Martinez-Rangel had bite and scratch marks on his arm. He also had shaved his facial hair after the murder to avoid being discovered.

Assistant District Attorney Megan Long and lead prosecutor said in court that Pena Ramos told cops he reportedly tried to convince Rangel Martinez to stop, but he allegedly refused and climbed on top of Jocelyn and strangled her.

The alleged killers of Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, may escape the death penalty if convicted because she is over ten years old

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez (pictured right), 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos (pictured left), 26, are accused of brutally murdering the 12-year-old and dumping her body in a creek. Both came illegally from Venezuela

On Monday, Pena Ramos, also accused of killing the 12-year-old, claimed he only kissed Jocelyn, and denied any wrongdoing.

Both men are Venezuelan migrants who entered the US illegally via the southern border.

Just two days after Nungaray's body was found, police say Ramos cut off an ankle monitor he was fitted with when he crossed the border illegally at El Paso on May 28.

The discarded ankle monitor was found last Wednesday NewsNation reported.

He also allegedly asked his employer at a construction site for extra cash so he could skip town.

But the boss instead contacted police, and Ramos was arrested, according to the Houston Chronicle.

In court on Monday, Judge Josh Hill set Ramos' bond at $10 million - double what prosecutors recommended and 10 times the amount sought by the defense.
The doctors union is engulfed in a new sexism row after members were accused of being condescending and belittling to women.

Dr Latifa Patel, who chaired this weeks British Medical Association (BMA) annual conference in Belfast, claimed she had been disrespected and subjected to poor behaviours.

She told delegates she and Dr Emma Runswick, BMA council deputy chairman, were treated differently to male predecessors.

It suggests the culture has not changed five years after Daphne Romney QC conducted an independent review of sexism at the doctors union.

Dr Latifa Patel, who chaired the BMA's annual conference this year, said she had been subject to 'poor behaviours'

She said that she and Dr Emma Runswick (pictured), BMA council deputy chairman, were treated differently to their male predecessors

Some men addressed women in demeaning terms, such as naughty girls, touched them inappropriately and ogled their breasts, the report found.

Dr Patel urged members to vote for more women and minorities in internal elections. She said: If you want to be a representative body, you need to support the women around you.

The row risks overshadowing a five-day strike by junior doctors, which starts today.

Critics labelled doctors hypocrites for demanding a 35 per cent pay rise and better working conditions while importing union-branded beanie hats, likely to be worn on the picket lines, from China, where workers are often treated badly.
Beijing makes major policy adjustments to boost home sales

Global Times) 13:40, June 27, 2024

The Beijing municipal government on Wednesday announced several major adjustments to policies for home purchases, including lowering the minimum down payment, in a bid to boost home sales.

Starting on Thursday, the minimum down payment ratio for first-time home buyers will be lowered to 20 percent, down from the current ratio of 30 percent, according to a notice issued by several Beijing municipal government departments.

For second-home buyers, the down payment ratio for homes within the fifth ring road will be lowered to 35 percent, and for homes outside of the fifth ring road, the ratio will be lowered to 30 percent.

Also notably, for families with two or more children, their purchase of a second home will be eligible for more favorable policies for first-time home buyers, according to the notice.

Beijings move on Wednesday followed similar measures by a growing list of cities across China to relax restrictions on home purchases in a bid to boost the real estate market.

On April 30, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee demanded research on policies to reduce housing inventory and improve the quality of newly added housing, noting that efforts should be pushed ahead to establish a new model of the real estate sector to promote its high-quality development, according to Xinhua.

Following various measures at both central and local government levels, Chinas real estate industry has seen some encouraging signs, according to officials.

Last week, Liu Aihua, a spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, said that since mid-May, relevant departments and regions have further adjusted and optimized real estate policies, and the real estate market has seen some positive changes while noting that the real estate market is still in the process of adjustment.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
A four-year-old boy has died from the flu with health authorities urging Australians to get vaccinated.

The boy died at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne's north-east on June 10 and was laid to rest at a funeral on Tuesday.

Influenza cases have increased across all age groups, according to the Victorian Department of Health.

Chief Health Officer Dr Clare Looker urged parents to take their children to get a free flu vaccine.

'We're expecting flu cases to keep rising in the weeks ahead so it's critical people book in their flu vaccination now, particularly for those groups at higher risk of severe illness such as children,' she said.

'Flu is highly contagious and while most people may only experience mild to moderate symptoms, for some it can be deadly.'

Only 23 per cent of Victorians under the age of five have been vaccinated this year.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough and body aches.

A four-year-old boy has died from the flu with health authorities urging Australians to get vaccinated

Tiredness, chills, sore throat, loss of appetite and a runny or stuffy nose are among the other symptoms.

Vaccinations for influenza are recommended for anyone six months and older, and are free for those considered to be at higher risk thanks to the National Immunisation Program.

Those considered to be at risk include children aged six months to under five years old, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and older, people aged 65 and over, and people with medical conditions.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the number of deaths from influenza as of March 2024 is 59, 20 of those deaths in NSW, 12 in Victoria and 16 in Queensland.

Thanks to a new test, Aussies who come down with a sniffle will know within 24 hours whether it's the flu, Covid, a common cold or one of 14 different respiratory viruses.

The results of the pathology test will allow people to act quickly to purchase antiviral medication that could shorten the length and severity of the flu or Covid.
Sir Keir Starmer yesterday refused to guarantee that David Lammy will be made Foreign Secretary if Labour wins the Election - after he has been noticeably absent on the campaign trail.

The Labour leader said 'I'm not going to start announcing the Cabinet' when asked if Mr Lammy could be dropped from the foreign brief.

It comes amid swirling speculation that Douglas Alexander, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's cabinets, could be parachuted into the role.

Asked if he was poised to drop Mr Lammy from the foreign brief because he considered him 'a liability', Sir Keir refused to rule it out.

He told the Daily Mail: 'Well, I'm not going to start announcing the Cabinet... we're going to win the election first and then if we win the election, you'll know soon enough what the Cabinet looks like.

'So I'm not going to start down that road for any member of the Cabinet.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to commit to making David Lammy Foreign Secretary if Labour wins the election, with the shadow cabinet member noticeably absent from the campaign trail

Keir Starmer speaks during the last televised election debate before the country casts their ballots

Sir Keir pointed out that Mr Lammy attended the state banquet for Emperor Naruhito of Japan at Buckingham Palace with him on Tuesday night.

Asked again 'so he's not a liability then?,' Sir Keir added: 'No, of course not, he's great. And we've been out and about with him.'

But Labour insiders say some senior figures believe Mr Lammy, who has been Shadow Foreign Secretary since November 2021, is 'a liability' and he has been noticably absent from the campaign trail.

Mr Lammy's absence has been particularly odd given the multiple security challenges facing Britain and the world at present, senior party figures say.

Lord Wood of Anfield, speaking to the BBC yesterday, said he was 'really struck' by the party's silence in policy areas such as Mr Lammy's.

The Labour peer said: 'The party seems reluctant to talk about vast areas of policy. Foreign policy hasn't got a look in at a time when security challenges - Ukraine, Gaza - lots and lots of issues confronting this country.

Others point to the fact that Mr Lammy previously voted against renewing Trident and that this runs counter to Sir Keir describing Labour's commitment to the nuclear weapons programme as 'unshakeable' and 'absolute'.

Sir Keir has put embracing the nuclear weapons programme at the centre of his mission to convince voters that his party has changed after ex-leader Jeremy Corbyn, who wanted to ditch Trident.

Meanwhile, Mr Lammy has made a number of perceived gaffes which may make forging links with foreign administrations more difficult.

In an article for Time magazine in 2018, he branded former US President Donald Trump a 'woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath' and 'profound threat to the international order'.

In 2019, when Mr Trump visited London, Mr Lammy also said he would join protesters on Trafalgar Square demonstrating against his welcome by the UK government.

Mr Trump may be re-elected in November in the US election and if he is the comments threaten to put a strain on the 'special relationship'.

In 2019, Mr Lammy also insisted that comparing Brexiteer Tory MPs to Nazis and proponents of South African apartheid was 'not strong enough', sparking outrage.

At the time, asked if it was fair to make such a comment about elected politicians, he said: 'I don't care how elected they were: so was the far right in Germany.'

Labour candidate for East Lothian Douglas Alexander, who served in the Blair and Brown governments, has been linked with the Foreign Secretary role

Labour party sources say Mr Alexander, the candidate for East Lothian, is being lined up for a senior frontbench job if Labour wins the Election and has repeatedly been linked with the foreign brief.

His allies have dismissed the idea that there were continuing talks about a role in government as 'total b*****s'.

But as one of the few incoming MPs with sinificant government experience, he is still seen as a frontrunner to secure a place in Sir Keir's senior ranks.

The 56-year-old served as international development, Scottish and transport secretaries under Sir Tony and Mr Brown.

He was elected in 1997 and served as the MP for Paisley & Renfrewshire South until 2015, when he lost his seat to the SNP.

'There is an expectation that he (Douglas Alexander) will and should be part of the top team,' a senior Labour source said.

'He brings experience, he brings intellect and is a good voice in the media.'
The outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been appointed as Nato's new secretary general.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Mr Rutte, who will take charge of the defence alliance in October amid the war in Ukraine and a wider stand off between Nato and Russia.

Mr Rutte will also have to contend with the possibility of the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

Mr Trump has previously criticised Nato allies not spending the required 2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence.

Mr Rutte takes over from Norway's Jens Stoltenberg who spent more than a decade at the helm.

Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been appointed Nato's new secretary general

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer congratulated Mr Rutte, who will take charge of the defence alliance in October

Depending on the outcome of the General Election, either Sir Keir or Mr Sunak will likely meet with fellow Nato leaders at a summit in Washington DC just days after the poll as prime minister.

Writing on X, Mr Sunak said: 'I am confident you will continue Jens Stoltenberg's outstanding work in keeping Nato strong and united, as we work to strengthen our collective defence and support Ukraine's fight for freedom.'

Sir Keir said: 'As prime minister of the Netherlands for well over a decade, Mark has shown he has the knowledge, experience and strength to be an excellent secretary general in these dangerous and uncertain times.'

The Conservatives have committed to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, while Labour has said it would make the same commitment when finances allow.

Mr Rutte's appointment was sealed by Nato ambassadors during a meeting at the 32-nation alliance's headquarters in Brussels.
Investigators have passed on a dossier of evidence that could clear model Christine Keeler of perjury 60 years after she was jailed.

Ms Keeler, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 75, was at the heart of Britain's most infamous sex scandal after she and war minister John Profumo had an extra-marital affair when she was 19 years old.

Her family has maintained that unrelated charges brought against her were trumped up to discredit her amid the sex scandal which ultimately contributed to the downfall of Harold Macmillan's Tory Government.

They could now finally receive justice after investigators from the Criminal Case Review Commission passed on more than 200 pages that could prove her innocence.

Seymour Platt, 51, told The Mirror that he wants to 'fulfil a promise to my mum' by overturning her conviction and telling the truth about her life.

Model Christine Keeler (pictured in 1964) was at the heart of Britain's most infamous sex scandal after she and John Profumo had an extra-marital affair when she was 19 years old

The model (pictured in 1963) had unrelated charges brought against her which were trumped up to discredit her amid the sex scandal, her family claims

Profumo (pictured in 1962) was forced to resign as Secretary of State for War over his affair with Christine Keeler

Mr Platt said: 'Calling my mother a liar in this way changes her place in history, and alters our understanding of her motivation through the scandal.

'If she is a liar, capable of sending an innocent man to prison, then it makes all the men in the scandal a victim of her lies and deceit.

'But she wasn't a liar  Gordon even admitted at his own trial that he had slapped my mother that night.

'My mother was the victim of a stalker and her motivation through the scandal was by honourable, truthful means to get away from him or seek help for those around her.'

A CCRC spokesman told The Mirror: 'We have received an application for a review of this conviction, and the review process is under way. No decision has been reached.'

Ms Keeler was handed a nine-month prison sentence for perjury in December 1963.

She said had been attacked by a stalker, Aloysius 'Lucky' Gordon in April 1963, but he won an appeal after it was discovered that she told the court two witnesses were not there.

However, her son's legal team, which is led by top human rights barrister Felicity Gerry, say this was not relevant as the court had been told there was no was 'no doubt' that he assaulted her and that she lived in fear of him.

Christine Keeler pictured in 2006 carrying a newspaper under her arm

Seymour Platt with a portrait of his mother, Christine Keeler, painted by Fionn Wilson

Cliveden House,in Buckinghamshire (pictured in 1963) where Ms Keeler caught Profumo's eye when she swam naked

It was also alleged that Ms Keeler was pressured by the two witnesses who went on to admit they had seen Gordon attack her.

Ms Keeler was branded a 'prostitute' in the press and as a 'harlot' by then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson after her affair with Profumo and Soviet attache Yevgeny Ivanov in the midst of the Cold War.

He said the men she was with in 1963 all saw her as 'their property' and exploited her.

Mr Platt said the documents prove that his mother was 'beaten up in the street and she went to prison'.

He also slammed the accusations of her being a prostitute as 'ridiculous' as she was 'broke' and he went into poverty as she found it impossible to earn money.

The dutiful son revealed that his mother wrote in her will that she wanted him to share the truth about her life.

She was a dancer based in Soho, London when she met osteopath Stephen Ward, who introduced her into high society.

He took her to a gathering at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire in July 1961 where she caught Profumo's eye when she swam naked.

Crowds outside the Old Bailey surge forward as Christine Keeler leaves court on July 23, 1963

Christine Keeler poses in a swimsuit on a sun lounger on a beach in Cannes in May 1963

After emerged the then 19-year-old Keeler had been sleeping with former Secretary of State for War John Profumo, then 48, at the same time a handsome Russian spy Evgeny Ivanov, Profumo lied to the House of Commons about his affair.

He was soon found out and Keeler sold her story to the News of The World for 23,000.

In June 1963, he quit in disgrace, amid allegations Keeler had been asked by Ivanov to discover from the War Minister when the West Germans might receive U.S. nuclear missiles to be stationed on their soil.

Profumo had been a rising star of the Tory Party, close to Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, a favoured visitor at Buckingham Palace, a war hero and the dashing husband of actress Valerie Hobson, one of the great beauties of her day.
Tucker Carlson has called a female reporter 'stupid' and unleashed on the ABC during a confrontation with reporters at an address he made in Canberra.

The former Fox News host and influential US conservative commentator launched a fierce attack on an AAP reporter on Tuesday after she asked about his views on 'Great Replacement Theory'.

She said Carlson had spoken about how white Australians, Americans and Europeans were being replaced by non-white migrants '4,000 times' on his show.

He responded by noting he had 'never said that whites are being replaced, not one time' and that his comments on the issue applied to all native-born regardless of race.

'If you think that's racist, that's your problem,' Carlson said.

'It's completely honest and real, not racist or scary, its factually true - its not a theory its a fact.'

Carlson became exasperated when the reporter then went on to link his discussion of the Great Replacement Theory to a a racially-motivated mass shooting that left 10 dead in Buffalo, New York in 2023.

'Oh God! Come on!' Carlson replied.

'How do they get people this stupid in the media? I guess it doesn't pay well.

'Look, I'm sorry, I've lived among people like you for too long. I don't mean to call you stupid; maybe you're just pretending to be.

My views are not bigoted against any group; they're honest, they're factual, and that's not hate, that's reality.

'How dare you try to tie me to some lunatic who murdered people? How dare you actually.'

Tucker Carlson has called a female reported 'stupid' and unleashed on the ABC during an extraordinary rant at the Australian Freedom Conference on Tuesday (pictured)

The reporter pressed further, suggesting that if Carlson opposed such a mass shooting he must therefore support gun control.

'What?! I thought it couldn't get dumber but it did,' he replied.

'No, I don't support disarming law-abiding people so they can't defend themselves, so the government has a monopoly on violence.

'A sovereign person has the right to defend himself and his family, period. That said, I'm opposed to harming anyone, anyone.'

Carlson clashed with an AAP reporter at the Australian Freedom Conference (pictured)

Tucker Carlson accused the ABC of being 'corrupt' during a fiery rant in Canberra on Tuesday

The reporter asked if Carlson felt any responsibility for hate crimes in the US.

'I'm sorry, I'm trying to be charitable. I was like, maybe you're just pretending to be dumb. Now I don't think it's an act,' he replied.

'I got here and the country is so unbelievably beautiful, and the people are so cheerful and funny and cool and smart. I'm like, your media has got to be better than ours.

'It can't just be a bunch of castrated robots reading questions from the boss, and then it turns out it's exactly the same. Maybe even a tiny bit dumber.'

The commentator answered questions from journalists after making a speech at the Australian Freedom Conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra on Tuesday.

Carlson said he 'resented' how media organisations and journalists were now aligning with governments and the powerful.

'I find it disgusting actually. It's a perfect inversion of what you're supposed to do,' he said.

'If you're a journalist, your job is to challenge power on behalf of the powerless, it's not to align with the powerful against the powerless.

'And that is precisely what you've done.'

He then targeted the ABC and the priorities of its reporting.

'I watched your ABC this morning in my hotel room for about 20 minutes, until I looked around for a vomit bag.

'It was one of the most grotesque... I couldn't even believe it was real.'

Carlson was invited to the Australian Freedom Conference by mining billionaire Clive Palmer (the pair are pictured ahead of his nationwide speaking tour)

'I sympathise with you guys who work for these (media) companies which are truly corrupt, and you sort of know that but you don't want to think about it because you've got kids and a mortgage.

'I get it, I've been there,' he told the crowd.

'But let's just be honest, everyone else knows what it is, everyone else knows how corrupt you are, and so there's a reason they have contempt for you.'

Carlson is currently on a speaking tour Down Under and attended the Australian Freedom Conference on the invitation of mining billionaire Clive Palmer.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic and One Nation's Malcolm Roberts were attended the conference.
A Texas man who admitted to kidnapping, sexually assaulting and shooting an 18 year old was executed Wednesday night - despite a psychiatrist's change in testimony.

Ramiro Gonzalez, 41, was pronounced dead at 6.50pm local time following a lethal injection at the State Penitentiary in Huntsville for the killing of Bridget Townsend in 2001.

Her remains were not found until one year later, when Gonzales led authorities to the spot in Southwest Texas where he left her body.

Gonzalez's death Wednesday comes on Townsend's birthday.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, admitted to kidnapping, raping and fatally shooting Bridget Townsend, 18, in 2001

Townsend's remains were not found until the following year when Gonzalez led authorities to her body

In the moments before he took his last breath, Gonzalez apologized to the victim's family.

'I can't put into words the pain I have caused y'all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back,' he said. 'I hope this apology is enough.'

'I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize,' he continued.

'I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me.'

Gonzalez was then injected with a fatal dose of pentobarbital.

As the drug took effect, he took seven breaths and then started making snoring noises.

Within less than a minute, all movement stopped.

Authorities pronounced him dead just 24 minutes after he was injected with the drug.

Gonzalez was injected with a fatal dose of pentobarbital on Wednesday

He was pronounced dead at the State Penitentiary in Huntsville (pictured)

Gonzales was condemned for fatally shooting Townsend after stealing drugs and money and kidnapping her in January 2001 from a home in Bandera County, located northwest of San Antonio.

He entered the house that night looking for drugs from his drug dealer, Joe Leal, but instead found Townsend - Leal's girlfriend - there alone.

After he grabbed the cash and drugs, court documents say Townsend started to call for Leal.

That's when Gonzalez overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather's ranch in neighboring Medina County, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her.

He proceeded to dump her body in a nearby field - and it would not be found until October 2002, when Gonzalez led police to her remains after receiving two life sentences for kidnapping and raping another woman.

But as his execution date grew closer, Gonzalez and his lawyers insisted he is no longer the same troubled 18 year old who killed Townsend, and is no longer a threat to society.

He claimed a difficult childhood in which he physically and sexually abused sent him down the wrong path, and after his aunt was killed by a drunk driver when he was 15 years old, he 'plunged... into inconsolable grief' that sparked a 'deep descent into addiction,' the clemency petition said, according to USA Today.

Psychiatrist Edward Gripon admitted he wrongly asserted Gonzales would be a future danger

His lawyers also noted that a prosecution expert witness now says he was wrong in testifying that Gonzales would be a future danger to society - a legal finding needed to impose a death sentence.

They argued that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals violated his constitutional rights by declining to review his claims that a prosecution expert, psychiatrist Edward Gripon, wrongly asserted Gonzales would be a future danger.

After re-evaluating Gonzales in 2022, Gripon said his prediction was wrong.

'He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult,' Gonzales' lawyers wrote Monday in their petition for clemency.

'He acknowledges his responsibility for his crimes and has sought to atone for them and to seek redemption through his actions.'

A group of 11 evangelical leaders from Texas and around the country also asked the parole board and Gov. Greg Abbott to halt the execution and grant clemency to Gonzalez, saying he now helps other death row inmates through a faith-based program.

'We are writing as Christians calling for you to spare the life of another Christian - Ramiro Gonzales. Ramiro has changed. Because he has changed, we believe the circumstances surrounding him should change as well,' they wrote.

Gonzalez even included a video in his clemency request to the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole, taking responsibility for his actions.

'I just want [Townsend's mother] to know how sorry I really am. I took everything that was valuable from a mother,' Gonzalez said in the video, according to USA Today.

'So everyday it's a continual task to do everything I can to feel that responsibility for the life that I took.'

Texas Gov Greg Abbott refused to pardon Gonzalez for the murder

But Townsend's brother was not persuaded.

In various petitions and posts on Change.org, David Townsend has criticized efforts to portray Gonzales as anything other than a convicted murderer who committed 'unforgivable acts.'

He said the death sentence should be carried out.

'Our family seeks not revenge, but closure and a measure of peace after years of heartache - a quest that is hindered, not helped, by decisions that allow the perpetrator of our pain to remain in the public eye,' David Townsend wrote.

Townsend's mother, Patricia Townsend, also said Gonzalez's childhood 'should not have anything to do with it.'

'I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood,' she told USA Today. 'He made his choice.'

The parole board ultimately voted 7-0 against commuting Gonzalez's death sentence to a lesser penalty on Monday. Members also rejected granting a six-month reprieve.

Prosecutors described Gonzales as a sexual predator who told police he ignored Townsend's pleas to spare her life. They argued that jurors reached the right decision on a death sentence because he had a long criminal history and showed no remorse.

'The State's punishment case was overwhelming,' the Texas Attorney General's Office said. 'Even if Dr. Gripon's testimony were wiped from the punishment slate, it would not have mattered.'

Gonzalez's execution Wednesday was the second this year in the state of Texas, and the eight in the United States.
Guided by sharp minds and honed wisdom, philosophy professors are perhaps the last group of people expected to succumb to the temptations of the flesh.

But Professor John Forge, 77, who was found dead at the bottom of a canyon last month, was no ordinary philosophy professor.

Before he passed away on May 2 this year, Oxford University-educated Forge might've lived a pious life to outsiders, but the professor was about as debauched as they get, it has been revealed.

Making sex workers sign $20,000-a-month agreements that required them to call him 'Daddy', hitting bongs and snorting cocaine were just some of the many vices the professor allegedly indulged in before he was found at the base of the Cataract Gorge in Tasmania, Australia.

The award-winning, multimillionaire philosophy professor was found dead just hours after a detective knocked on his door to request he attend a questioning session at the police station.

It is understood the academic, who spent four years at the prestigious Rugby School in Warwickshire as a teen, was informed by police he was facing allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman, aged in her 30s, between 2019 and 2022.

Did YOU know Dr John Forge? Email martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk

Skylar Silverstein, a Sydney-based sex worker, says she was employed by Dr Forge from January to October last year and claims she was involved in a 'sex contract' with the old man

Video showed Forge smoking marijuana from a bong

A letter Dr Forge wrote to Ms Silverstein detailing aspects of their agreement

His alleged sugar baby escort Skylar Silverstein spoke about her ex-client, claiming she was embroiled in a 'financial agreement' with him where a strict 'contract' was written up.

Silverstein's claims are separate from the other sexual assault allegations against Forge.

The claims made against Dr Forge related to alleged incidents that took place in New South Wales and Tasmania - with the esteemed ethics expert having moved from Sydney to Launceston in January 2022.

A Tasmania spokesperson confirmed Forge's death on May 2 under circumstances that were not considered suspicious.

A note of Silverstein's agreement has now surfaced, where Forge outlined her 'duties to her dearest daddy John'.

It reads: 'She will do everything she can to make her daddy happy. She will do this by being a good, obedient girl, but above all, she will love him and try to please him in any way she can. Her love is her greatest gift.'

'Her daddy will have exclusive use of her body, to do with as he likes.

'[She] has a right to say what she wants, but daddy decides.'

Respected philosophy professor Dr John Forge (pictured) died last month amid allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman for three years

Another video showed him snorting a white powder with a rolled up note, before rubbing the remaining powder on his gums

His alleged sugar baby escort Skylar Silverstein spoke about her ex-client, claiming she was embroiled in a 'financial agreement' with him

She previously said of the arrangement: 'We got on quite well and decided to do an arrangement, where I would see him a certain number of times per month,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I received a generous monthly allowance of $20,000 plus exotic holidays.

'He took me to all the high end restaurants, showered me in expensive gifts. We drunk the best champagnes and wines. He bought me designer items and a luxury spa.

'We shared a lot of personal details. I really felt I knew him even in that time. We spoke over the phone everyday.'

But despite public appearances, Dr Forge had a wild side - and some very unusual fetishes.

'He was extremely kinky. Under the arrangement, I had to call him 'Daddy John' and he wanted me tied up and gagged,' Ms Silverstein said.

'He even engaged in illicit drug taking at 77 years of age!'

Video emerged allegedly showing him using a bong to smoke marijuana, while a woman lights it up for him, while another showed him snorting what appears to be a white powder with a rolled up note, before dabbing the remaining powder on his gums.

The escort added: 'I have an OnlyFans account and he was helping me with the content. His voice is in some of the videos.'

But after learning of Forge's allegations, Silverstein told Daily Mail Australia how upon reflection, their conversations were 'creepy'.

The Sydney-based sex worker said: 'In the arrangement, he spoke about her [his alleged victim] a lot. It was strange,' she said.

'He said he loved her.. [but] it was a sick love. He was [allegedly] stalking her. He took advantage of the vulnerable. It makes me sick to my stomach'.

Silverstein also claimed the former professor was proud of his reputation and was skilled at hiding his true identity.

'He seemed charming, he was well-respected in various circles academically, he was an author, he wrote so many books,' she said.

'But underneath, there were many skeletons in his closet that were about to be exposed.

Philosophy professor John Forge (pictured with Skylar) died on May 2 while under investigation over historical sexual abuse allegations

Forge's body was found on May 2 at the base of the Cataract Gorge in Tasmania

Dr Forge is pictured with Sydney-based sex worker Skylar Silverstein last year

'It is ironic he wrote a book about the morals of weapons, but yet where was his moral obligation to this girl?'

Following his death, Forge's alleged victim's mother told Daily Mail Australia the detective working on the case rang her at 3pm on May 2 to say she had just attended Dr Forge's home, having asked him to go to the police station to make a statement.

But just hours later, the woman said she received a call from police to reveal that officers had found him dead at the bottom of the gorge.

'A member of the public found his ID, phone and keys on a pathway and phoned police, who then went and found him,' she said.

'It happened within an hour-and-a-half after the knock.

'He was living a double life and it was about to be uncovered.'

The alleged victim's mother said Dr Forge groomed her daughter and then began sexually assaulting her almost five years ago, when she was 30.

'He was absolutely obsessed with her. It was creepy,' she said.

'It took a lot of guts to go to police and make her statement. [The alleged victim] has a strong sense of justice.'

While she was relieved her daughter would not have to go through a daunting court case, the news was bittersweet.

'She said to me, 'He is never going to have his day in court. He is never going to have to pay for what he has [allegedly] done.''

Police were called to Cataract Gorge (pictured) after a concerned member of the public found his belongings abandoned on a footpath

As a child, Forge was sent to boarding school in Britain and attended the prestigious Rugby School in Warwickshire, which he has described as a 'dreadful place'.

Upon leaving the renowned private school, he went on to spent a further 11 years in education.

During that time he studied at a slew of top establishments including Oxford and University College London, as well as the Ivy League Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Dr Forge, who was in Sydney by 2000 and was named an honorary professor at the University of Sydney in the early 2000s, focused his research on the moral responsibilities of scientists, in particular in using and developing weapons.

On top of the Eureka Prize, his book, The Responsible Scientist: A Philosophical Inquiry, earned him the 2009 David Harold Tribe Philosophy Award.

According to his website, titled 'Morality Matters', Dr Forge defined morality as 'the way moral persons ought to behave towards others'.

'To cause harm unnecessarily, gratuitously, is to do moral wrong,' he wrote.

Dr Forge's death has gone unannounced in public, except for his Facebook page being switched to a memorial template.

The University of Sydney was concerned by the allegations against Dr Forge.

'We are deeply committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone in our community,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'We have a zero-tolerance policy to any form of intimidating or abusive behaviour, including sexual misconduct.

'If any of our community experiences or witnesses such behaviour we urge them to get in touch so we can provide appropriate support and follow up.'

A report into Dr Forge's death will be prepared for the Coroner.
Suella Braverman has revealed she still needs 24/7 police protection and faces ongoing abuse in public due to her outspoken views on Israel.

The former Home Secretary, who was sacked last year after criticising the Met Police's response to pro-Palestinian protests in London, said she was called a 'genocidal bleep' in front of her children at a supermarket.

The level of harassment towards her has meant she maintains the same high level of protection she received while still a Cabinet minister.

Mrs Braverman told the BBC: 'It's obviously about the issue to do with Israel and Hamas. And a couple of people came very close up to me.

'They said, 'Hey, this is Suella Braverman. You're a genocidal bleep'.

Suella Braverman has revealed she still needs 24/7 police protection and faces ongoing abuse in public due to her outspoken views on Israel

Ms Braverman revealed she was called a 'genocidal bleep' in front of her children while at a supermarket. Pictured: A pro-Palestine march in London this month

'I've never incited violence. I've never threatened to attack anybody. I've never encouraged anybody to be violent.

'I have set out very legitimate views, about political issues because I'm a politician and it's my job to do so.

'It's not an excuse to tell someone you're going to kill them or rape them or kill their child.'

Activists also found out where her husband worked and sent him abusive phone messages, she said.

The issue of security for MPs has been a huge factor in this election. In February, the Home Office announced a 31million budget for security for politicians.

All election candidates now have access to panic alarms and a named police contact to liaise with on security matters.

The heightened protection comes after the tragic deaths of Jo Cox in 2016 and Sir David Amess in 2021.

Candidates have raised concerns about being confronted over controversial issues such as Brexit, or the war in Gaza.

On Sunday the office of Labour MP Stella Creasy was vandalised, with the attacker using a hammer to smash the windows in.

Several candidates - including Rosie Duffield, who has been outspoken over her gender critical views - have also pulled out of local hustings in their constituencies due to safety worries.

Labour's Naz Shah, who has faced a significant level of abuse, said she has taught her children how to use panic alarms and how to communicate with the police using agreed safe words.

And ex-minister Tobias Ellwood, who faced demonstrations outside his family home in February, said he keeps a stab vest and flak jackets in his car.

In February, Mr Sunak said: 'There is a growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule. And we've got to collectively, all of us, change that urgently.

'I am going to do whatever it requires to protect our democracy and our values that we all hold dear.'
Labour is plotting to add millions more young people to the electoral register if it wins power, it was reported last night.

Sir Keir Starmer has already pledged to lower the voting age to 16 - prompting Tory warnings he is trying to 'rig' the electorate in Labour's favour.

Last night it was reported that Labour is also drawing up secret plans to introduce automatic voter registration in a bid to include millions who do not currently register to vote.

Experts believe the move could add up to eight million people to the electoral roll, including a disproportionate number of young people who are more likely to vote Labour.

Labour's manifesto makes only an oblique reference to plans to 'improve voter registration'.

Labour is plotting to add millions more young people to the electoral register if it wins power

Labour is drawing up secret plans to introduce automatic voter registration in a bid to include millions who do not currently register to vote.

But electoral officials told the Guardian the reference was a commitment to work towards automatic registration across the UK.

A Labour source last night insisted the party had not committed to the plan and had only agreed to look at ways to improve registration.

But a Tory spokesman last night warned the move could 'open the door to electoral fraud'.

'Devoid of any real policies, this is just another Labour plot to fiddle with the electorate like votes at 16,' the spokesman said.

'Automatic registration would mean more inaccurate entries and open the door to electoral fraud.'

Currently, adults in the UK need to register if they are to vote.

Under automatic registration, the electoral roll is compiled from other records, for example those linked to council tax, HMRC records or passport data, with people added by default.

Although registration is simple, an estimated 7 to 8million people are missing from or wrongly recorded on current registers, many of them young, as well as a disproportionate number who are poorer or who live in privately rented homes.

Electoral Commission data shows that while 96 per cent of people aged 65 or over are registered to vote, this falls to 60 per cent for those aged 18 and 19, and 67 per cent for people aged 20 to 24. Around 95 per cent of homeowners are registered compared with 65 per cent of private renters.

The Labour administration in Wales has already announced plans to trial the change. When the plan was proposed, the Welsh Conservatives opposed it, saying automatic registration could cause 'confusion'.

The Electoral Reform Society, which campaigns to make voting easier, said it would welcome the plan.

Dr Jess Garland, its head of research and policy, called it 'a win-win for voters as it would take one more thing off their to-do list, while at the same time strengthening our democracy by helping to enfranchise millions of missing voters'.
Social media roasted Ashley Biden for being a chip off the old block of her father Joe during a speech at the White House Pride Month celebration Wednesday.

Biden, 43, is the only daughter of the president from his marriage to First Lady Jill. She attended the ceremony on the South Lawn with her mother.

As she spoke while wearing a glamorous rainbow-colored dress about the need to protect LGBTQ youth, she stumbled over her words at one point.

She was captured in a video clip mixing up the 'T' and 'G' in LGBTQ, which prompted at least one person to say she resembled dear old dad.

'Ashley Biden...Like father like daughter,' wrote one commenter. 'Maybe it's not the age for Joe. Whatever it is it may run in the family.'

Social media trolled Ashley Biden for being a chip off the old block of her father Joe during a speech at the White House Pride Month celebration Wednesday

The speech itself was an earnest call for children to feel 'loved, accepted and supported.'

She decried how 'too many LGBTQ children grow up at homes that don't accept them' or how they are bullied.

After she was able to finish her sentence, she received cheers from the South Lawn crowd for her remarks.

Ashley's father, who was able to conquer a debilitating stutter growing up, is still known for gaffes, to the point where some doubt the 81-year-old president's capability of leading into a second term.

A bombshell report from the Department of Justice found that Biden, who illegally withheld classified federal documents, should not be prosecuted by the agency because a jury would likely find the president as 'a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory' and would not side with the DOJ.

The DOJ's assessment of Biden later prompted some lawmakers to call for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove the president for being incompetent.

The president, who did not appear at the ceremony, celebrated Pride Month Wednesday by pardoning veterans who were convicted of violating anti-gay sex laws while serving.

Biden's action grants a pardon to service members who were convicted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice's former Article 125, which criminalized sodomy.

Biden, 43, is the only daughter of the president from his marriage to First Lady Jill. She attended the ceremony on the South Lawn with her mother

She was captured in a video clip mixing up the 'T' and 'G' in LGBTQ, which prompted some to say she resembled dear old dad

The law, which has been on the books since 1951, was rewritten in 2013 to prohibit only forcible acts.

Those covered by the pardon will be able to apply to receive proof that their conviction has been erased and petition to have their discharges from the military upgraded.

The presidents use of his pardon powers is occurring during Pride Month and his action comes just days before he is set to hold a high-profile fundraiser with LGBTQ donors in New York on Friday.

Biden is trying to rally support within the Democratic-leaning community ahead of the presidential election.

Biden is estimated to have support of around 68 percent of registered LGBTQ voters, according to GLADD. On the other hand, his Republican rival Donald Trump has just 15 percent.

Among Biden's first acts in office was to roll back a Trump-era band on transgender people serving in the military.

By comparison, one of Trump's first acts was to roll back healthcare protections for the transgender community that had previously been covered by Obamacare.

In 2019, Trump became the first Republican president to recognize Pride month as his approval numbers dwindled.

First lady Jill Biden hugs Ashley Biden, daughter of U.S. President Joe Biden, during a Pride celebration on the South Lawn

The Bidens preached making LGBTQ youth feel loved, supported and accepted at home and school

Administration officials declined to say why Biden did not act on the pardons sooner.

This is the third categorial pardon by Biden - using his clemency powers to cover a broad group of people convicted of particular crimes - after moves in 2022 and 2023 to pardon those convicted federally for possessing marijuana.

The White House estimates that several thousand service members will be covered - the majority convicted before the military instituted the 'Dont Ask, Dont Tell' policy in 1993 that eased the way for LGBTQ troops to serve if they didnt disclose their sexual orientation.

That policy was repealed in 2011, when Congress allowed for their open service in the military.

Service members convicted of nonconsensual acts are not covered by Biden's pardon action.

And those convicted under other articles of the military justice code, which may have been used as pretext to punish or force-out LGBTQ troops, would need to request clemency through the normal Department of Justice pardon process.

Biden had previously ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to move to provide benefits to service members who were other than honorably discharged because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.
A naval captain turned senate candidate claims he carries the scars of being 'blown up' in combat - but his service record calls this into question.

Hung Cao, 52, is running to unseat Tim Kaine, a Democrat, in the Virginia senate race after cruising to victory in the Republican primary.

Much of his campaign is built on his status as a war hero and claims he faced so much enemy fire in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia he is disabled.

'I'm 100 per cent disabled because just from being blown up in combat many times and everything else, you know, knee, shoulders,' he said on April 22, 2022, during a failed congressional run.

'I've got more surgeries than you could possibly imagine.'

Hung Cao, 52, is running to unseat Tim Kaine, a Democrat , in the Virginia senate race after cruising to victory in the Republican primary

Cao is endorsed for the senate by Donald Trump and spouts much of the same rhetoric as the former president

Cao frequently claimed he had horrific scars from his naval career, as a direct result of being in combat, and that made him a better man than career politician Kaine.

'Are you telling me your air-conditioned office where the worst thing that can happen for you is having a paper cut is the same as me getting, you know, blown up and shot at in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia?' he told a podcast last week.

However, Cao's military records do not show him being awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded or injured in action, according to USA Today.

Neither do they show a navy Combat Action Ribbon, awarded for 'rendering satisfactory performance under enemy fire while actively participating in ground or surface combat engagement'.

He has never claimed to have earned either medal.

Cao has a Bronze Star, which is awarded for heroic or meritorious action, but the US Navy said there was no citation attached to it to explain what he did to earn it.

Cao (pictured with his son, who also joined the military) retired at the rank of captain in 2021 after his 25-year career

Cao frequently claimed he had horrific scars from his naval career, as a direct result of being in combat

He retired at the rank of captain in 2021 after his 25-year career as a 'special operations explosive ordnance disposal/dive officer'.

Four retired US Army and Navy doctors reviewed Cao's record and told USA Today for a badly wounded sailor, as Cao claimed to be, to not receive a Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon.

Cao did not respond well to questions about his military record and falsely claimed 'the left-wing media' was in cahoots with Kaine to make him look bad.

'I want to give you all a window into what it's like being a combat veteran who had the gall to run for public office against a career politician,' he wrote in a long rant on Facebook.

'Any veteran will read this with the same disgust. Imagine being asked to provide documentation of the dates and times Al Qaeda shot at you.

'Imagine being asked, if you're a disabled veteran, why you don't have a Purple Heart?'

Cao then claimed anyone who questioned him 'hate our military and veterans. There's no other explanation for their behavior'.

Much of his campaign is built on his status as a war hero and claims he faced so much enemy fire in Afghanistan , Iraq , and Somalia he is disabled

Cao joined the Naval Academy after graduating from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

His campaign said only that Cao was a retired navy captain with 25 years of 'honorable service to his country'.

'His service is a matter of public record under his DD 214, as with any retired member of our armed forces,' it said of his service record.

The US Naval Undersea Museum gave a rundown of Cao's experience in 2021 when he was J3X Branch chief at the Pentagon, shortly before his retirement.

'Captain Cao has excelled in his Navy career, qualifying as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer and a diving officer,' it read.

'As an EOD officer, he deployed multiple times to Iraq to evaluate IEDs to recommend countermeasures.

'From 2013 to 2016, he commanded the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.'

The US Naval Undersea Museum gave a rundown of Cao's experience in 2021, using this photo, when he was J3X Branch chief at the Pentagon, shortly before his retirement

Cao talks up his military background in this campaign video

Cao fled Vietnam with his family as a four-year-old 14 hours before the fall of Saigon at the end of the war.

They escaped for West Africa where they lived for seven years while his father worked for an American international development agency, securing their passage to the US.

Cao then joined the Naval Academy after graduating from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.

He also earned a masters degree in physics and attended fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.

He lives in Purcellville, in northern Virginia, with his wife, April, and their five children.

Cao fled Vietnam with his family as a four-year-old 14 hours before the fall of Saigon at the end of the war

Cao is endorsed for the senate by Donald Trump and spouts much of the same rhetoric as the former president.

'We are losing our country. You know it. But you also know you can't say it. We're forced to say that wrong is right,' he said last July.

Kaine, who was Hillary Clintons vice presidential running mate in 2016, has been in public office for nearly three decades.

He served as mayor of Richmond and later as the Virginia's lieutenant governor and governor. He was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and handily defeated a far-right challenger in 2018.

The Virginia senate race is one of a handful of key contests that will decide who has a majority in the upper house for the next two years.
READ MORE: Native trees hacked down in senseless act

The trees are located near a beach

Locals who allegedly damaged iconic trees along a beachside thoroughfare to keep their ocean views have been slammed over the selfish act.

Almost a dozen Norfolk Pine trees along The Grand Parade at Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney's south were vandalised over the past few months.

Three trees along The Grand Parade and eight Banksia trees near the beach were poisoned.

Bayside Council has been forced to paint the word 'poisoned' on the trunks of the trees to indicate which ones have been destroyed.

Dozens of the native Australian tree species are situated along the suburb's foreshore.

The council was first made aware of tree vandalism at the promenade in March.

Staff have been cracking down on the act by accessing CCTV footage from nearby properties in a bid to find the alleged culprits.

Tree vandalism has surged in the area with 139 trees on council-administered land targeted by the alleged offenders.

To curb the disturbing trend, Mayor Bill Saravinovski said two new trees will be planted for each one that is damaged.

Almost a dozen Norfolk Pine trees (pictured) along The Grand Parade at Brighton-Le-Sands in Sydney's south were vandalised over the past few months

'It is always sad to see cases like this. But Council takes a strong stand against tree vandalism and will be doing all we can to find who was responsible. Council also has a policy of replacing any destroyed tree with two more,' he said.

A council spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the damage is being investigated.

'Council will continue to monitor the trees to help determine the best course of action,' the spokesperson said.

'The poisoned trees that will not recover are not necessarily removed, we prune and monitor them, so they continue to provide habitat for local wildlife.'

The spokesperson said the pine trees and the banksias will not be removed.

Mr Saravinovski ordered shipping containers to be put up near the foreshore of Brighton-Le-Sands beach in 2021.

The drastic measure was taken after several trees were illegally cut down using a chainsaw.

Mr Saravinovski ordered shipping containers (pictured) to be put up in 2021 near the foreshore of Brighton-Le-Sands beach after several trees were illegally cut down

Residents took to social media to express their outrage at the damage inflicted on the trees.

'It takes generations of Australians to let a tree grow but only takes one to poison it. All because they want bay views,' one person wrote.

Tree vandalism is illegal under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Individuals who illegally remove trees in NSW will be hit with a fine worth more than than a million dollars.

Corporations who commit the same offence will be hit with fines of up to $5milion.
A man has distracted a staff member and allegedly stolen a very rare $62,000 bottle of whisky from an inner-city liquor store.

The alleged incident occurred when the man entered the liquor store at Crown Melbourne off Whiteman St in Southbank, Melbourne at about 5.20pm on May 22.

The man engaged the female staff member in conversation and asked to look at a number of bottles of alcohol.

While she turned to get the bottles, the man allegedly took a bottle of limited-edition Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour from the shelf.

Police allege he hid the bottle down the front of his shorts and left the store.

The bottle of Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour has a retail value of $62,000.

Police have released CCTV and images of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation.

Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia the alleged thief is yet to be apprehended.

Police have released CCTV and images of a man they believe may be able to assist with their investigation

The alleged incident occurred when the man entered the liquor store at Crown Melbourne off Whiteman St in Southbank, Melbourne at 5.20pm on May 22

A limited-edition Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour bottle is pictured

Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour is a limited-edition release.

Johnnie Walker states, 'This exceptional Scotch is crafted from the finest maturing whiskies in the Johnnie Walker reserves.'

'All of the whiskies used to create Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour are aged for at least 48 years and only 288 bottles will be released - an extremely limited run of an incredibly rare Scotch.'

Victoria Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
A bombshell prison phone call has led to the arrest of a man connected to the death of a college freshman who was killed when a loose tire smashed her windscreen.

Lauren Collins, 18, was driving along the Interstate 75 in her home state of Kentucky near the Ohio border in July 2023 when the object collided with her car.

Ricky Raider, 37, alerted cops days after the accident to say he had lost a wheel, but told police he 'didnt believe his tire had hit anyone,' according to the Boone County Sheriff's Office.

However, his story was called into question when investigators obtained a recording of a call he placed to a female inmate at Bullitt County Detention Center, which contradicted his version of events.

Raider has since been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and failure to render aid over the incident, after the phone recording helped police build a case against him.

A truck driver has been arrested in connection with the death of college freshman Lauren Collins who was killed after a loose tire smashed through her windscreen

In the audio, obtained by Fox19, a man alleged to be Raider is heard saying: 'I was going about 80mph and the rear wheel flies of the truck.

'My wheel flies all the way up about 30 feet in the air and it smashed somebody's f***king window.'

The sheriff's office said Raider then used other lug nuts on his vehicle to temporarily reattach the same tire from the scene after it rolled backwards before he left without checking on the victim.

'The wheel somehow came back across the concrete barrier and landed right next to my foot,' Raider said.

'I hurried up, got it, put it on the truck [...] I get off the f***king exit to get out the f***king way so I don't get in trouble.

'It could have killed them, I don't know I didn't stick around to find out.'

Ricky Raider, 37, is now being charged in connection with her death, with police stating the tire came from his 993 Ford F-250

Collins was driving along Interstate 75 near the Ohio border when a tire came loose from a passing truck, flew over the median and crashed through her windshield. Raider later admitted to police he had lost a tire but that he did not think it hit anyone

Raider was charged on June 4, almost a year following Collins' death.

For her grieving family, they are welcoming the chance for some form of justice to be served.

'He needs to be off the street for a variety of reasons,' Collins' mom Amy Marsh said.

'This news of identification of the suspect whose tire came loose hitting Lauren is not new to us. We have known his identity for quite a while. It has taken 11 months worth of endless work, investigation, and reconstruction to bring these charges.

'Though I cannot comment on the particulars of the situation, I can tell you that there was an absolute angel of a witness who stayed with Lauren at the scene the entire time.

'Knowing my baby was not alone, has been such a comfort.'

A bombshell phone call Raider placed to a female inmate at Bullitt County Detention Center on the night Collins died threw his initial account of what happened into question

Lauren's mom, Amy Marsh, thanked police for their hard work over the last 11 months which has finally lead to a suspect

The family has since set up a non-profit, Shine Like Lauren, in the teen's memory which hopes to provide, 'college scholarships and other opportunities to high school students who embody Laurens spirit of joy, creativity and shine'.

Collins was a full-time student, majoring in Fashion Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, according to her obituary.

She was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority at the university, and described as a 'free spirit' and a 'jokester'.

At a court appearance on Wednesday, Raider requested a public defender. He is due back in court on July 24.
Another member of the most left-wing congressional bloc risks being toppled by a moderate Democrat as her challenger makes a huge comeback.

Cori Bush, one of the 'Squad' of progressive House representatives, is in a dead heat with St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, new polling found.

The survey of 400 registered voters in the Missouri 1st District by The Mellman Group put Bush at 42 per cent, behind Bell's 43 per cent.

The Mellman Group is the same pollster that correctly predicted the 16.8-point drubbing handed to Jamaal Bowman on Tuesday.

Cori Bush risks being toppled by a moderate Democrat as her challenger makes a huge comeback

Bush is in a dead heat with St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell (pictured), new polling found

The poll in April gave Westchester County Executive George Latimer a 52 to 35 per cent lead over Bowman.

Bush is suddenly in a street fight with Bell after looking like a sure thing in January when she was ahead 45 per cent to 29 per cent.

However, the poll is not run by a nonpartisan pollster, as Mark Mellman is the chairman of DMFI PAC - a lobby group trying to elect pro-Israel Democrats.

'As voters learn more about Cori Bush's record in Washington opposing the Biden-Harris agenda, they are choosing Wesley Bell to represent them in Congress,' he said of the poll.

There was more bad news in the poll, conducted in June 18 to 22, as there are 11 per cent of respondents undecided with momentum on Bell's side.

'Bell's vote and margin increased across every major demographic  among whites and Blacks, among men and women, among those over and under 50 years old, and both inside and outside the city of St Louis,' Melman said.

'This primary race is essentially tied but clearly moving in Wesley Bell's direction.'

The survey that showed Bush was in trouble is by the same pollster that correctly predicted the 16.8-point drubbing handed to Jamaal Bowman (pictured) on Tuesday

Bush and her husband Cortney Merritts at and event with other Democrats

Mellman said Bush was still seen favorably, but assessments of her and her performance were moving in a negative direction.

'Bell's image is improving, leaving him with an underlying image advantage,' he said.

'Bell holds an advantage over Bush on both favorability and job performance ratings.

'A 61 per cent majority give Bell positive ratings for the job he is doing as St Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, while only 27 per cent offer negative evaluations.'

Many 'Squad' members like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Summer Lee are in safe districts and faced little or no primary opposition.

But Bowman and Bush were vulnerable to attack by the deep pockets of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The donor group dumped $20 million into opposing Bowman, making it the most expensive House primary in history.

Most of the voting bloc's members are staunchly pro-Palestine and harshly criticized the Israeli Government's conduct during its bombing and invasion of Gaza.

Bowman had the added problem that his district has a significant Jewish population that was turned off by his criticism.

Bowman is staunchly pro-Palestine and harshly criticized the Israeli Government's conduct during its bombing and invasion of Gaza

Westchester County Executive George Latimer destroyed Bowman by 16.8 per cent on Tuesday

But many Democrats believed Bowman mostly tanked his own chances by failing to effectively represent his constituents.

'I think he just became his own worst enemy,' Congresswoman Lois Frankel told Politico.

Congressman Brad Schneider agreed: 'I see this as a member who failed to represent the people who sent him there. And they made a decision that they wanted a different representative.'

Democrats pointed out that most of the advertising AIPAC ran wasn't about Bowman's position on about Israel, and focused on Latimer being a better legislator.

Bush also has problems specific to her, as she is being investigated by the Justice Department over her campaign's spending on security.

She hired her now-husband Cortney Merritts as a security guard at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.

Bush denied wrongdoing and pointed out a congressional ethics watchdog report cleared her of any wrongdoing.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has revealed an offer to Joe Biden that he believes would shake up the 2024 election and help one of them defeat Donald Trump.

The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and the son of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy has kept running as a third-party candidate after losing to Biden in the Democrat primary.

Recent polls show him garnering nine percent of the vote as an independent in a multi-way race with Biden, Trump and other candidates.

In a one-one-one interview with Dr. Phil to be aired tonight ahead of the presidential debate, the longtime activist and environmental lawyer says he has offered Biden a deal that would prevent him from being a 'spoiler' candidate and would help defeat Trump.

'We will co-fund a poll together, the two of us in October, and whomever is least likely to beat Donald Trump will withdraw,' he tells Dr Phil in the interview on Merit Plus.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made an offer to Joe Biden that he believes could open up his chances in the 2024 presidential race

Kennedy has consistently cited a Zogby Analysis poll that shows Trump beating Biden if he's in or in a two-way race, while RFK Jr. would defeat the Republican or Biden head-to-head.

The independent has his doubts about whether Biden would accept the deal, which he says is still on the table, and claims it proves he's not trying to throw the election.

'Do I expect that he will take that deal? No, but I'm not a spoiler. A spoiler is somebody who cannot win and they stay in and disrupt the expectations of somebody who can,' Kennedy clarified.

He says that Biden has not even given his deal a response at this stage.

Kennedy covers a wide range of topics on Dr. Phil Primetime, including what he believes he's learned from his presidential uncle in times of crisis.

He specifically details JFK's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nearly two-week confrontation between America and the Soviets over nuclear missiles deployed near Cuba.

Dr. Phil asks whether tensions between the US and Russia are at their worst since the crisis, with some lawmakers believe Biden is 'sleepwalking' America into a repeat.

'I'd do the same thing my uncle did. My father had gone to the Justice Department and negotiated a deal.'

Kennedy has consistently cited a Zogby Analysis poll that shows Trump beating Biden if he's in or in a two-way race, while RFK Jr. would defeat the Republican or Biden head-to-head

The independent has his doubts about whether Biden would accept the deal but he claims it would prove he's not trying to throw the election

'My uncle had already ordered [the missiles] out and the military had defied them. My uncle and father made a secret deal to move the missiles out as long as nobody spoke about the deal.'

He worried that Biden's plan with NATO could get America 'closer to a nuclear war than at any time in history since 1962.'

'It's all just like it was during World War I, it's people in office sleepwalking us into a conflict that we should have nothing to do with.'

Both the Biden and Trump campaign teams are paying close attention to how Kennedy is progressing, particularly after managing to secure his name onto another state's ballot - this time in California.

The Trump campaign fears he will draw votes away, essentially handing Biden a second term, as more Trump backers have switched to RFK than Biden leaners, according to NewsNation.

The Golden State is the third state ballot Kennedy and running mate Nicole Shanahan have officially qualified for - the others being Utah and Michigan.

California is the state with the most electoral college votes in the country.

The pair have also managed get enough signatures to access the ballot access in seven other states, including New Hampshire, Nevada, Hawaii, North Carolina, Idaho, Nebraska and Iowa but they haven't yet been validated by elections officials.

Both Trump and Biden have doubts over what effect Kennedy will have on the election

Kennedy had been running as a Democrat but last fall switched his ticket to run as an independent and is aiming to appear on state ballots right across the country in a bid to take on Biden and Trump arguing both are unfit to serve.

Although his campaign is aiming to pull together signatures from all 50 states before the deadline, experts have suggested that Kennedy would only need a handful of key battleground states in order to have potential impact to the result on election day.

Kennedy was refused access to the first debate between Biden and Trump which will take place Thursday night.

He told Dr. Phil that he believes the Biden campaign told CNN they would boycott the debate if Kennedy were given access.

Dr Phil's 90 minute interview screens on Merit Street Media at 7pm ET ahead of the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump at 9pm ET.
A Western Australian man has been arrested after police uncovered his alleged plan to kill his ex-father-in-law who was shot in the head in India.

Indian authorities had been investigating after a 65-year-old man was attacked with a machete before being shot in the back of the head in Kahlon village in Punjab, India, on February 2, 2023.

He survived the shooting after the firearm misfired but was treated for a fractured occipital bone and a serious brain injury.

Punjab police arrested and charged three men with offences relating to the attack.

During their investigations, officers learnt of the alleged involvement of a fourth person - a 42-year-old Maddington man who lived about 20km south-west of the Perth CBD.

Indian authorities alleged the WA resident had been actively seeking people to commit the murder of his ex-father-in-law, the 65-year-old man.

WA Police confirmed they would not be seeking extradition over the matter.

Nearly two weeks after the shooting, the 65-year-old man relocated to WA to be with his family as he recovered.

WA Police allege a 42-year-old Maddington man attempted to kill his ex-father-in-law by hiring people to shoot him in India (stock

Upon his arrival into Australia, WA Police launched an investigation into the attempted murder.

Officers later arrested the 42-year-old man for allegedly breaching a family violence restraining order taken out by his ex-wife on June 1, 2024.

Police will allege that during this time, the 65-year-old man started receiving further death threats.

The 42-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count of attempted unlawfully to kill.

He is due to appear before the Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday.
A young Australian woman has blasted a cafe after she was charged $6 for an additional egg with her breakfast.

Alyssa Jayne, from the Gold Coast in Queensland, paid $13 for 'eggs your way' that came with two slices of toast but just one egg.

When she went to add an extra egg as a side, her bill significantly increased.

'Does anyone know, broken down, how much it costs a cafe when someone adds an extra egg, like how much that extra egg would cost them, because why the f**k is it costing us $6?' she said in a TikTok.

'$6?! No, no no, no. I am not spending $6 on one single poached egg.'

She said the fact her meal didn't come with two eggs already was 'criminal' as there were two slices of bread.

'I understand you want to profit but surely that is like daylight robbery,' Ms Jayne said.

'I can go to Coles and get a 12-pack of eggs for $5 or $6 and you're telling me you're charging me $6 for my one egg.'

Alyssa Jayne has questioned why cafes are charging so much for sides after she had to fork out $6 for an additional egg with her breakfast

Ms Jayne said that when she worked at a cafe as a teenager, the business charged customers an extra $2 if they requested their eggs be cooked in a different style as to what was on the menu.

'$2 for you to like do a different motion of your hand,' she said.

Her TikTok has been viewed more than 20,000 times with many commenters questioning why meals weren't cheaper when certain items were removed.

'And why when I ask to remove the poached egg from my Caesar salad is the salad not $6 cheaper??' one wrote.

'Poached eggs should always be 2 eggs. Was the menu item called 'poached egg,' said another.

'They're charging $6 to add avo now. I already had to take out the bacon and cheese from my meal but you didn't minus those from the price,' one commented.

'When I go out for breakfast I get eggs benny but I always want to add a tomato, avo and a hash brown but then I remember that would cost $16 and that's criminal,' read another comment.

Others pointed out it wasn't to do with the cost of the egg, but rather the cost of labour.

'Cafe owner here. Single egg cost 0.36 but the cost of doing business is like $180,000 a year for staff, utilities & rent not inc cost of goods (raw food pricing),' one said.

'Because you're paying for the egg, the person cooking the egg, the water, the power....,' another commented.

It comes amid an egg shortage in Australia following the detection of bird flu in farms across the country.

Woolworths on Thursday brought in a two-pack per person limit on cartons of eggs due to a 'delay' in stock.

Ms Jayne said that when she worked at a cafe as a teenager, the business charged customers an extra $2 if they requested their eggs be cooked in a different style as to what was on the menu (stock image)

The limits will be applied in stores across NSW, ACT and Victoria, with other states unaffected.

'Along with other retailers, we're expecting a short-term delay in stock from one of our egg suppliers in NSW, ACT and Victoria, due to the temporary closure of one of their packing sheds,' a Woolworths spokesman said.

'Their supply is expected to recover over the next week as they ramp up operations at their other sites.'

Woolworths' decision followed on the back of rival Coles which earlier imposed its own two carton limit.

Coles' rationing applies across the country, with the exception of Western Australia.

Woolworths said its measure was a 'precaution' and anticipated it would soon be lifted.

'Right now, the majority of customers are only buying one carton of eggs at a time, and there's no reason that should change,' the spokesperson said.

'We encourage shoppers to be mindful of others and continue to only buy what they normally would.'

Avian flu has been confirmed at two farms in NSW and eight in Victoria.

Over one million birds are expected to be destroyed in Victoria due to the outbreak and NSW's toll stands at more than 320,000.
Hundreds of people attending the annual Rainbow Family Gathering have been forced to leave a northern California national forest within just two days - or face fines and jail time.

The National Forest System ordered the more than 500 members of the Rainbow Family of Living Light to pack up their bags on Wednesday or face up to $5,000 in fines or up to six months in jail.

Any new members of the counter-culture movement that show up in the next few days would also be subjected to fines - and if the members do not leave the site within 48 hours, law enforcement would consider other options.

Officials with the National Forest System say the order was issued to protect natural, tribal and cultural resources on the land - in addition to concerns about fire safety and public health, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The annual Rainbow Family Gathering had already drawn 500 people to the Plumas National Forest by Wednesday - with more expected to arrive in the coming days

Members of the Rainbow Family of Living Light started setting up camp at the Plumas National Forest on Monday, but within a few days, the number of people gathering in the forest exploded, KRCR reports.

It is expected to grow even further over the next few days, drawing about 10,000 attendees to the area before a large-scale celebration on the Fourth of July.

But the group, which claims it has no leader, did not apply for a special use permit from the US National Forest Service - which are required for any event involving more than 75 people.

The group has noted that it claims no leader, and consequently there is no one to sign such permits.

As the group of counter-culture protesters continued to grow, National Forest Service officials said they started to worry that their gathering would threaten public health and safety.

The US National Forest Service has now ordered the members to leave the area

If they do not evacuate after 48 hours, law enforcement would consider other options

'The forest is concerned about the 500-plus individuals already dispersed camping in a concentrated area,' Chris Carlton, the supervisor for Plumas National Forest said in a statement to the Chronicle.

He noted that the National Forest Service is 'always willing to work with any organization or group interested in recreating on the national forest,' and said the priority is 'maintaining public health and safety and the appropriate stewardship of public lands and natural resources.'

But the group had already started digging up trenches for latrines, digging compost pits and running water from Indian Creek before the evacuation order was made Wednesday, Action News Now reports.

Members also trampled local vegetation, and officials grew concerned about the risk of wildfires - stating there would be a 'zero tolerance' policy for any fires in the area, which is expected to experience hotter-than-average temperatures over the next few days, increasing the risk of a wildfire.

'No fire is going to happen,' Coda Witt, the incident commander for the National Forest Service, said at a community meeting Tuesday night.

'If they have a can on beans up there and they need to eat it, it's gonna be a cold can of beans. We're not messing around with fire restrictions.'

Forest Service officials said they had 'zero tolerance' for fires in the Plumas National Forest

Forest Service officials now say they are planning on enforcing the evacuation order, which Lassen County Supervisor Jason Ingram praised.

'I believe this is the first Rainbow Gathering event to be shot down, and you all had a hand in that,' he said of the service.

'As I've said from the beginning, my concerns with this gathering were always the illegality aspect, the increased fire risk this would have created, the environmental impact and the blatant disrespect shown to our local tribes.

'Events are fine,' Ingram continued, 'but not events that blatantly disregard the law and endanger our land and community fire safety.'

But in a public Facebook group entitled Rainbow Gathering 2024, one member said they are now considering an alternate site for their yearly gathering.

The first national Rainbow gathering was held in 1972, partly an outgrowth of community many young people felt at the 1969 Woodstock music festival.

The get-together is held each year on national forestland.
United Airlines issued a bizarre explanation for why a Texas mom and her 16-month-old son were booted off one of their planes after she claimed she was barred for misgendering a flight attendant.

Jenna Longoria claims she, her 75-year-old mother and baby were booted from a flight from San Francisco to Austin on Wednesday after she 'accidentally' called a flight attendant who identifies as a woman, 'sir.'

'When [the flight attendant], who identifies as a woman, gave me our boarding passes I said "thank you, sir." That is it. That is it,' Longoria told the New York Post.

'She got upset. I walked to the plane to go down the aisle. Then she held my mother back and wouldnt let her come with me [past the gate].'

However, United Airlines have since cast aspersions on her version of events by issuing a statement on what happened.

Jenna Longoria accused United Airlines of preventing her and her mom from flying from San Francisco to Houston on Wednesday after she used the wrong pronoun for a flight attendant

'A party of three traveling out of San Francisco today was not allowed to board following a discussion about having too many carry-on items,' a spokesperson said.

'The matter was resolved and the customers took a later United flight to finish their trip.'

However, before she was apparently rebooked Longoria took to Instagram to vent about the situation.

'They're saying it's a hate crime that I did and that I might not even be able to ever fly United again,' she fumed in one clip.

The employee is seen telling Longoria: 'I gotta fact find. I gotta get my crews together. In flight has to get their statements. I need statements. I dont want to go verbal about what I thought I heard'

The mom claimed the flight had taken off without her but with her luggage containing medication still on board

Longoria, who is a widow, added: 'I said, "I'm really sorry, I'm not very versed in pronouns," I was holding my son, he was having a temper tantrum, I had the car seat on my back.

'I wasn't really focusing on anything except getting my son's car seat on the plane and getting him comfortable.'

Even in her videos of the incident it appeared there was more to the story, with another showing a United Airlines staffer suggesting that Longoria had done more than just confuse pronouns.

In the clip, she can be seen talking to a United staff member who informs her it was the captain's decision to deny her from the flight for 'what came out of your mouth'.

The employee is seen telling Longoria: 'I gotta fact find. I gotta get my crews together. In flight has to get their statements. I need statements.

'I dont want to go verbal about what I thought I heard.'

Longoria said she apologized for misgendering the airline employee, adding that her son was having a 'meltdown' as they waited to board athe plane

Longoria is a prominent women's health specialist known as 'The Period Guru'

'They basically said tough luck and they won't tell me exactly what I said,' Longoria said.

In another clip, the desperate mom is seen pleading with her 20,000 Instagram followers for advice on what her rights are.

'We don't know how we're going to get back today,' she said. 'I don't know what to do, I really don't know what to do.'

DailyMail.com has contacted Longoria for comment.

She is a prominent women's health specialist known as 'The Period Guru.'
Tens of thousands of Glastonbury Festival revellers endured rain this morning as they wore ponchos and put up umbrellas just hours after partying in scorching heat.

Showers hit the Worthy Farm site in Somerset today after Britain had its hottest day of the year so far yesterday with temperatures hitting 30.3C (86.5F) in London.

Cooler air is now taking control, with the UK Health Security Agency yellow heat health alerts issued for England on Monday set to expire at 5pm this afternoon.

The Met Office said fans arriving at Glastonbury today can expect some showers during the day, but fears of a washout or scorching heatwave have been allayed.

Mostly dry conditions and cool weather is predicted for the weekend, after a drone show and fireworks over the Pyramid Stage announced the opening last night.

The Met Office said conditions will be 'a little cloudy' with the 'odd spot of rain' this morning before it turns drier with plenty of sunny spells in the afternoon and some isolated showers. It is expected to be 'a little breezy' with a high of 21C (70F).

Light rain hits the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset today after a very hot day yesterday

Revellers arrive in the rain at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today

People wear rain ponchos during a shower at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm today

Glastonbury Festival campers wake up to cooler weather and a light rain shower this morning

Tents at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset this morning as light rain falls on Worthy Farm

The weather across the weekend is expected to stay 'mostly dry with plenty of sunny spells' and temperatures around average for June, dropping to 18C (64F) tomorrow before rising to 19C (66F) and 21C (70F) on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

It comes after the Met Office said yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far, with a high of 30.3C (86.5F) recorded at Heathrow Airport.

The previous hottest day of the year was Tuesday, which saw a high of 30.0C (86.0F) recorded in Chertsey in Surrey.

Met Office meteorologist Kathryn Chalk said the last time 30C was recorded in the UK before this week was on September 10 last year  nearly 300 days ago.

She said the weather would remain warm across much of the UK today.

'Tomorrow we've got a bit of patchy light rain moving eastward across England and Wales,' she said

'It's still going to be warm ahead of that though, especially across the South East, so temperatures tomorrow probably could peak at around 27 or 28C.

'Further towards the north, actually it's going to be feeling cool.'

The Met Office warned that it will be 'unseasonably windy' in the northern half of the UK on Thursday, with gales affecting coasts and hills of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Inland gusts of 30 to 35mph are also forecast in northern England and north Wales.

The Met Office said: 'These gusts will make temperatures feel even cooler, especially at higher elevations, where severe gales are possible.

'If you have an outdoor event planned, are heading to the coast, or are planning a hill-walking trip, it's worth keeping in touch with the latest forecast.'

Festival-goers use a portable shower at a water point at the Glastonbury Festival this morning

A member of the Glastonbury cleaning team picks up discarded nitrous oxide canisters today

Rubbish is collected on the Worthy Farm site by volunteers at Glastonbury this morning

Discarded balloons left next to nitrous oxide canisters in a car park at Glastonbury today

Ms Chalk said the weather would begin to become wetter and cooler as we head through today and into tomorrow.

'We've got a low pressure system coming into the North West,' she said.

'That's going to bring windy conditions and some rain and showers - so make the most of the heat today and tomorrow.'

'As we go into Friday we will see bright and breezy conditions in the north, while showers are going to be focused across Scotland.'

She said the weather would remain relatively warm with highs of around 24C (75F) to 25C (77F) through the weekend.

Ms Chalk added that the northwestern UK is expected to see some rain on Saturday, with much of the UK experiencing cloud and patchy rain on Sunday.

An overcast and cooler morning in the Oxfordshire countryside this morning at Dunsden

The sun rises bringing with it spectacular skies over Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: 'A cold front will sweep down from the northwest to the South East, bringing with it cooler air and an end of the very warm weather many have been experiencing in recent days.

'A band of patchy rain, which could be heavy in the far northwest at first, will move east across England and Wales, bringing temperatures closer to average.

'It will still be very warm in the far South East on Thursday, but the cooler air will arrive by the evening, and then all places will enjoy a much cooler night than of late.'

Looking ahead, the start of next month will be dominated by 'largely unsettled' weather according to the Met Office forecast for July 1 to 10.

The outlook said: 'There will be a good deal of dry, warm, and settled weather in between frontal systems, with the best conditions most likely in the south and east where winds will be lighter.

Festivalgoers take cover from the hot sunshine during the Glastonbury Festival yesterday

Revellers sit to watch the sun set over Worthy Farm at the Glastonbury Festival yesterday

'In contrast, further north and west, it will generally be breezier, and any rain that does occur will be heaviest over the hills. Cloud cover will vary, with cloudier weather expected in the north and west, while clearer skies are likely in the south and east.

'Temperatures will be around average for the time of year, but on sunnier days with lighter winds, it will still feel warm or rather warm.'

Meanwhile the NHS said the number of people seeking heat advice on its website has 'skyrocketed' since the yellow heat health alert covering most of England came into force on Monday.

Figures from NHS England, which runs the NHS website, show that on June 24 and 25 there were 28,116 visits to the heat exhaustion page, compared with 13,598 over June 22 and June 23 - a 107 per cent increase.

Glastonbury comes amid planned industrial action by junior doctors, with NHS Somerset sharing tips on how to 'stay well' during periods of hot weather to help 'ease pressure on health and care'.

Visitors enjoy the sunshine in Weymouth yesterday - the hottest day of the year so far

People relax and take shelter from the sun on Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth yesterday

'We know that services will be under pressure this week,' Dr Bernie Marden, chief medical officer for NHS Somerset, said.

'With Glastonbury Festival also taking place this week and expected warm weather, we are sharing a few reminders about simple steps people can take to look after themselves, and stay healthy and well.'

The main stages at Worthy Farm are not set to open until tomorrow, with pop singer Dua Lipa headlining the Pyramid Stage that evening before rock band Coldplay and soul singer SZA play the famous stage on Saturday and Sunday.

Canadian country star Shania Twain will play the coveted Legends slot on Sunday afternoon.

Hundreds of acts will perform today with various smaller stages across the site hosting acts including singer and DJ Shygirl and electronic musician Joy Orbison, who will both appear at dance stage Levels.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) yellow heat health alerts expires at 5pm today

Fellow DJ MJ Cole will perform a set at Stonebridge Bar, while London-based artist Shy One will appear at the Glade stage.

Also today, fitness expert Joe Wicks will lead a group exercise session for festival-goers - raising their heart rates at the Gateway stage.

Meanwhile, Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis is expected to do his traditional musical performance, covering a series of classics with his band.

It comes as the British Horseracing Authority said it was looking into whether hot weather played a part in the deaths of four horses at a Devon race meeting on Tuesday - the highest death toll in a single afternoon in six years.

Happy Helen, Hallowed Rose, Bala Brook and Cuzzicombe all suffered fatal injuries during racing at Newton Abbot.
The teenager who allegedly livestreamed his attempt to stab an MP was inspired by Christchurch mass shooter Brenton Tarrant and planned even more attacks, a manifesto states.

Jordan Patten, 19, appeared via video link at Parramatta Local Court in Sydney's west on Thursday following his arrest in the centre of the NSW city of Newcastle at about 12.30pm on Wednesday.

Mr Patten was charged with committing an act done in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist attack with police alleging he intended to kill Labor MP for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp and livestream the deed on video sharing platform Twitch.

Police will rely on evidence from the livestream that showed Mr Patten dressing in combat gear and preparing alleged weapons including a knife, hammer and saw plus a manifesto he posted online.

In the 200-page manifesto Mr Patten allegedly makes clear his admiration for Tarrant, the Australian who became the first person in New Zealand to be sentenced to life without parole for murdering 51 people during two Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019.

Tarrant livestreamed his atrocity to Facebook and also shared online a 74-page manifesto where he objected to immigration and multiculturalism, and lamented the demise of white, European Western culture.

In the manifesto, Patten allegedly follows similar themes and also expresses extreme hostility to LGBTIQ people and the Labor party along with references to so-called incel (involuntary celibate) ideas attributed to disaffected and alienated young men.

Patten also allegedly writes that he had a normal childhood but once took a knife to school and also said he told a school counsellor that he wanted to kill people, but felt ignored.

A teenager allegedly livestreamed an aborted attempt to stab a Labor MP in Newcastle (pictured)

He also allegedly revealed his plans to behead politicians and target Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations.

Footage from the livestream shows Patten fitting himself with a helmet, surgical facemask and ballistic vest while wearing army khaki in a bathroom at Newcastle's Civic Theatre and showing off his assembled gear neatly laid out on blanket.

He then crossed a road and entered Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp's office.

Before the incident and his arrest Mr Patten shared images of the equipment he would be using

He then quickly exited the office and walked towards the museum in Workshop Way where a staff member can be heard telling him 'you can't be dressed like that', before raising the alarm.

The employee raised the alarm after Patten entered the building, telling him: 'You need to leave (because you're) dressed like that sir.'

'Get outside for us please.'

The livestream then shows the man leaving the museum and placing his knife and bag down on a seat before the doors are locked behind him.

The man behind the camera doesn't say a single word during the entire seven-minute video as he leisurely walks between the locations.

The teenager allegedly briefly entered the office of Labor MP for Newcastle, Tim Crakanthorp (pictured), before leaving and leisurely walking towards the museum

During Thursday's hearing the magistrate told the court Patten's alleged crime carried 'overtones of mental health' issues.

The teenager made no application for bail and the matter was adjourned to August 21.
Thousands of low-cost seats up for grabs

Qantas and its low-cost stablemate Jetstar have added another route to the Pacific Islands just months after a rival airline collapsed.

The two airlines announced they will begin flying to Port Vila, the capital city of Vanuatu, this year, taking advantage of Air Vanuatu's collapse in May.

Qantas will fly three times a week from Brisbane to the island nation from September 10 and there are plans for the service to be ramped up to five flights a week.

The airline will use its Boeing 737 planes to fly passengers to and from both destinations.

Meanwhile, Jetstar will fly four times a week between Sydney and Port Vila starting on December 12 using their Airbus A321neo LR aircraft.

Customers will be offered more than 150,000 low-cost seats across both airlines, with tickets now on sale.

The move comes after Air Vanuatu entered voluntary liquidation on May 9 leaving travellers from both countries stranded.

Creditors were owed an estimated $99million as a result of the collapse.

Qantas and its low-cost stablemate Jetstar have added another route to the Pacific Islands just months after a rival airline collapsed (stock image)

Qantas International CEO Cameron Wallace said the new route will boost travel across the two nations.

'We're thrilled to offer our customers direct flights between Brisbane and Vanuatu and build on this important route which will maintain essential connectivity for leisure and business travel,' he said.

'We've long served Vanuatu through our codeshare partnership and this new route ensures our customers have more choice and consistent service to the island destination we know they enjoy.'

Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said the new route is another step in the budget airline's effort to expand its service.

'Ahead of the arrival of our 13th A321neo LR next month and more new aircraft on the way, we're continuing to grow our international network with the launch of low fares seats between Sydney and Port Vila,' she said.

'We're excited to be able to offer more Australians great value holiday options to one of our nearest and most beautiful Pacific island destinations.'

Jetstar also announced on Monday it would introduce two new trans-Tasman services with flights from Queensland to New Zealand.

The two airlines will be flying planes to Vanuatu (pictured) with Qantas flights to take-off on September 10 this year

Planes will begin flying from Maroochydoore to Auckland in December, while flights from Cairns to Christchurch will start from April next year.

Virgin Australia is currently the only airline that is offering flights between Australia and Vanuatu.

The carrier was asked to boost the number of flights between Brisbane and Vanuatu from two flights a week to five.

The Australian government requested the airline to increase their service until the end of June.

The airline was granted permission by the International Air Services Commission to operate an extra seven flights a week from Australia to Vanuatu in July.
A manhunt is underway for a man who approached a teenage girl and touched her inappropriately in a popular tourist town.

Police said that a 14-year-old girl was approached by a man who 'touched her leg' before walking away in Evans Head on the NSW far north coast.

The incident happened along the Evans River foreshore at Elm Street around 2pm Wednesday.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Police are searching for a man who touched a 14-year-old girl on the NSW north coast

The man 'touched her leg' before walking away at the foreshore of the Evans River (pictured) in Evan Head

The man is described as being of Asian appearance, aged 20-30, about 170cm tall, medium build, with black hair and acne scars.

He was wearing a T-shirt and black shorts.

Daily Mail Australia contacted NSW Police for further comment.

Anyone with information, dashcam or CCTV is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
A senior Bolivian general who attempted a coup was arrested and paraded before news cameras in handcuffs as the nation's president urged his citizens to rise up against any further attempts to topple the government.

Forces led by army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga stormed the palace of President Luis Arce yesterday as they vowed to 'restore democracy' and rammed the presidential doors with armoured vehicles.

But the president pledged to stand firm and named a new army commander who immediately ordered the troops to stand down.

Receiving new orders, the soldiers soon pulled back along with their military vehicles and ended the rebellion after just three hours.

Meanwhile, security teams descended on the palace and arrested Zuniga, who was confronted directly by the president in a grand hallway in a moment that was captured by Bolivian cameras.

'I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination,' the president declared.

Hundreds of Arce's supporters rushed the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering as the coup attempt was brought to an end.

Bolivian General Juan Jose Zuniga is presented following his arrest by the authorities for a coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024

Dismissed Bolivian Army general commander Juan Jose Zuniga is presented at the premises of the Special Force Against Crime after his arrest for being part of a military takeover against the government

General Juan Jose Zuniga was arrested after the coup attempt and paraded in front of press

Bolivian President Luis Arce addresses crowd amid coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia on June 26, 2024

Bolivian President Luis Arce (2nd L) waves a Bolivian flag at the balcony of the Government Palace in La Paz on June 26, 2024

Bolivian President Luis Arce addresses crowd amid coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia on June 26, 2024

Demonstrators set a fire in the streets amid clashes with the military police at Plaza Murillo on June 26, 2024 in La Paz, Bolivia

Demonstrators face members of Bolivia's military as Bolivia's President Luis Arce 'denounced the irregular mobilisation' of some units of the country's army in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26, 2024

Following Zuniga's arrest, Arce made a defiant and impassioned speech to the nation.

Surrounded by ministers, president Arce motioned towards TV cameras and declared: 'Here we are, standing firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt.

'We need the Bolivian people to organise. We cannot allow, once again, coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians.'

Less than an hour later, Arce announced new heads of the army, navy and air force amid the roar of supporters, and thanked the country's police and regional allies for standing by him.

He said the troops who rose against him were 'staining the uniform' of the military.

'I order all that are mobilised to return to their units,' said the newly named army chief Jose Wilson Sanchez. 'No one wants the images we're seeing in the streets.'

Shortly after, the armoured vehicles drove out of the plaza, tailed by hundreds of military fighters as police in riot gear set up blockades outside the government palace.

The apparent coup attempt came after the nation of 12 million people faced months of tensions between Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist president Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party.

It also came amid a severe economic crisis.

The clashes have paralysed the government's efforts to deal with the economic crisis.

Morales's allies in Congress have consistently thwarted Arce's attempts to take on debt to relieve some of the pressure.

Zuniga referenced that paralysis during the rebellion, telling reporters the military was tired of the infighting and was seeking 'to restore democracy'.

'We are listening to the cry of the people because for many years an elite has taken control of the country,' he said, adding that politicians are 'destroying the country: look at what situation we are in, what crisis they have left us in.

'The armed forces intend to restore the democracy, to make it a true democracy.'

Bolivian authorities arrest a Former Army Commander General Juan Jose Zuniga

Bolivian Vice Admiral Juan Arnes Salvador is presented following his arrest by the authorities for a coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024

Military police line up in front of supporters of Bolivian President Luis Arce during a protest against military personnel trying to enter the government headquarters in La Paz, Bolivia, 26 June 2024

People help a man stunned by a flash grenade thrown by military police during a coup attempt against the government of Bolivian President Luis Arce by military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, in La Paz, Bolivia June 26, 2024

Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia's government palace Wednesday as a top government official warned of an attempted coup

Military police line up during the coup attempt on Wednesday

A soldier gestures for journalists to leave Plaza Murillo as soldiers gather outside the presidential palace in Plaza Murillo

The crisis began in the early afternoon as the streets of La Paz started filling with soldiers.

Arce tweeted that the troop deployment was irregular and soon he and other political figures warned of an attempted coup.

The apparent attempt to depose the sitting president seemed to lack any meaningful support, and even Arce's rivals closed ranks to defend democracy and reject the uprising.

In a twist, Zuniga claimed in comments to journalists before his arrest that Arce himself had told the general to storm the palace in a political move.

'The president told me, ''the situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity'',' the general said.

Justice minister Ivan Lima denied Zuniga's claims, saying the general was lying and trying to justify his actions, adding that he will face justice.

Prosecutors will seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for Zuniga, Lima said, 'for having attacked democracy and the Constitution'.

The country's President Luis Arce said an 'irregular' deployment of troops was taking place in the capital La Paz as dramatic scenes emerged from the streets

A woman walks away from tear gas fired by military troops outside the Quemado Palace during the attempted coup

A soldier in a gas mask drives an armored vehicle towards the door of the presidential palace

Soldiers block the street in front of the presidential palace, right, and the Legislative Assembly, left, in Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Bolivia, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Military Police stand amid tear gas they fired outside the presidential palace in Plaza Murillo

Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said former navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody.

'What was this group's goal? The goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority,' del Castillo told journalists in announcing the arrests.

Late on Wednesday, defence minister Edmundo Novillo said 'everything is now under control', adding that Bolivia had seen a 'failed coup'.

Bolivia has seen intensifying protests in recent months over the economy's decline from one of the continent's fastest-growing two decades ago to one of its most crisis-stricken.

Arce and Morales have been battling for the future of Bolivia's splintering Movement for Socialism ahead of elections in 2025.

Bolivia has suffered more coup attempts than any other country since 1950 - though the most recent attempt prior to yesterday's incident came in 1984.
A western Sydney man who abandoned his wife overseas after she fell out with his mother has been convicted over what is known as 'exit trafficking'.

It is a type of modern slavery where women are tricked or coerced into leaving a country, in this case Australia, and prevented from returning.

The 44-year-old man, who lives in Merrylands in Sydney's south-west, took his wife on 'a charity mission' to their home country of Afghanistan in January 2018, police said.

But the man, known as AR to protect his family, only had a return ticket for himself. His wife did not realise that her ticket was one-way to Afghanistan.

The day after he returned to Australia, AR wrote to the Department of Home Affairs, cancelling the sponsorship of his wife's visa, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

He did so because his mum didn't like his wife, and it resulted in the woman he had been married to for four years being stranded overseas.

The woman's relatives helped get her back to Australia, where she reported her husband to the police.

AR's conviction last Friday was the third such exit trafficking conviction in Australia.

He was sentenced to two years jail with 12 months of it to be served in the community on a good behaviour bond.

A Sydney man who abandoned his wife overseas after she fell out with his mother has been convicted over what is known as 'exit trafficking'. Burqa-clad women are pictured behind barbed wire

The first exit-trafficking conviction was in 2021, when a man from Lidcombe in western Sydney threatened to murder a woman unless she boarded a flight to India with her infant child. That scene is pictured

Human rights activist Helena Hassani said there has been an increase in such oppression of women, often in migrant communities, in Australia.

While there are many cases involving men from Afghan and other migrant communities taking their wives abroad and leaving them there, she said there are also many cases where 'Aussie men marry women from Asia, bring them here, but marry them into servitude, or treat them like sex workers'.

Many women, such as AR's wife, are only in Australia on partner visas, leaving them reliant on their husband's sponsorship to stay in the country.

Some women in these communities are discouraged from using money, getting an education or working outside the home because the men want a 'servant'.

'It's a cultural practice where the less educated women are, the happier men are, because then no one is challenging them, no one is confronting them, and they just live the way they want to live,' Ms Hassani told the publication.

Acting Detective Sergeant Sarah Manning of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said exit trafficking often goes unreported.

Human rights activist Helena Hassani (pictured) said there has been an increase in such oppression of women, often in migrant communities, in Australia

'No one has the right to 'cancel' another person's visa, including the visa sponsor,' she said.

'This type of behaviour is a Commonwealth offence and carries a potential 12-year jail term.'

The first exit-trafficking conviction was in 2021, when a man from Lidcombe in western Sydney threatened to murder a woman unless she boarded a flight to India with her infant child.

The horrific interaction was captured on Sydney Airport's CCTV after the anti-human trafficking group Anti Slavery Australia told the AFP what happened.

Anyone with information about potential modern slavery or trafficking is urged to report it to Australian Federal Police on 131 237.
A family that built three bedrooms and a bathroom on top of their home more than 20 years ago have agreed to pay just 12,500 for flouting the rules.

The property, in Clapton, London, had 'significant alterations' made to it without the family getting permission from the council in 1997, breaching the rules of their lease.

Although Hackney Council granted the family planning permission at the time, they were required to make a legal declaration and inform the council, according to a council document.

The council has this week agreed to grant the family with a new lease which includes the large loft space, on the condition that they pay 12,500.

At a cabinet meeting held on Monday, Councillor Sade Etti said: 'The property was altered structurally and extended in 1997 by the current leaseholder to incorporate the loft space.

The house (pictured) had three bedrooms and a bathroom added on the roof in 1997

The property on Lingwood Road in Clapton, London, had 'significant alterations' made to it without the family getting permission from the council

'The leaseholder applied for consent for the alteration retrospectively in 2021 and going forward the council will develop a new robust policy to govern how [situations] of this nature are managed in future.'

The council's Housing Leasehold Surveyor team carried out an inspection of the roof extension and found there were no problems with the structural safety of the building, the Evening Standard reported.

A council report said: 'Loft spaces have previously been sold on a small number of occasions, and in the above case, the best option is to formalise the situation by agreeing terms for the loft space to be included into the existing lease.'
Israel has sent a stark warning to Hezbollah that it could 'take Lebanon back to the Stone Age' if border clashes erupt into a wider regional war.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant made the comments during a visit to Washington on Wednesday, stressing that Israel would sooner avoid escalation.

'We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario,' he told reporters. 'Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched.'

Israeli forces have exchanged fire with the militants based in Lebanon ever since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hezbollah's ally Hamas.

Fears of the border skirmishes boiling over into a full-blown was have grown in recent weeks since Israel revealed it had approved plans for a Lebanon offensive, prompting new threats from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Warning against the escalation of hostilities, the UN's humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said on Wednesday that Lebanon was 'the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints'.

'It's beyond planning. It's potentially apocalyptic,' warned Griffiths, whose term ends this week.

An Israeli tank near the border with Lebanon on November 1 amid clashes with Hezbollah

Black smoke billows following an Israeli air strike that targeted a house in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the Lebanese-Israeli border on June 21, 2024

Black smoke rises from an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aita al-Shaab, a Lebanese border village with Israel in south Lebanon, on November 4

Speaking in Geneva, Griffiths warned that a war involving Lebanon 'will draw in Syria... it will draw in others', he added. 'It's very alarming.'

Israel's allies, including key defence backer the United States, have been keen to avoid such an eventuality.

A US official said Washington was engaged in 'fairly intensive conversations' with Israel, Lebanon and other actors, and believed that no side sought a 'major escalation'.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Gallant on Tuesday that another war with Hezbollah could have 'terrible consequences for the Middle East', and urged a diplomatic solution.

Germany on Wednesday, echoing a Canadian warning from the day before, 'urgently requested' its citizens in Lebanon leave the country.

'The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time,' updated foreign ministry advice in Berlin said.

Lebanon's national news agency reported about 10 Israeli strikes on areas near the border on Wednesday, including one around 10:00 pm that destroyed a building in Nabatiyeh, wounding five people.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

Hezbollah on Wednesday claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions in the border region.

Bombardments in the beleaguered Gaza Strip meanwhile appear to have been reduced in line with Israeli messaging that the 'intense phase' of the offensive is winding down.

The easing of clashes in Gaza would likely free up some Israeli forces to be redeployed to the Lebanese border - but 'primarily for defensive purposes', according to the PM.

US officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken have voiced hope that a ceasefire in Gaza could lead to a reduction in hostilities on the Lebanese border as well.

During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, witnesses reported bombings in areas around the Gaza Strip, and fighting had raged earlier Wednesday between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in Gaza's southern city of Rafah.

The civil defence agency and medics said at least four people, including three children, were killed in a strike Wednesday on a house in Beit Lahia, in the north.

However, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP 'there have been almost no attacks' and 'the rest of the areas in the Gaza Strip are calm compared to yesterday'.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war started with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,718 people, also mostly civilians, Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry said.

Hezbollah militants train in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District, southern Lebanon, Sunday, May 21, 2023 - prior to the eruption of hostilies between Israel and Gaza

Martin Griffiths, the UN's humanitarian coordinator, speaks in Geneva on Wednesday

Israeli soldiers patrol along the border with the Gaza Strip on June 13

An Israeli tank at the border with the Gaza Strip, southern Israel, November 22

The deaths include 10 members of Qatar-based Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh's family, including his sister, who Palestinian officials said were killed on Tuesday.

The war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory, with hospitals struggling to function, and food and other essentials hard to come by.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, warned Tuesday of the war's dire impact on children.

'We have every day 10 children who are losing one leg or two legs on average,' Lazzarini told reporters, adding 'that means around 2,000 children after the more than 260 days of this brutal war'.

In Cyprus, USAID officials said just 1,000 tonnes of the 7,000 tonnes of aid shipped to Gaza had been distributed because of looting and security problems.
A British multi-millionaire philosophy professor who died while facing sexual assault allegations in Australia sent a lewd picture to the daughter of a sex worker who he demanded call him 'Daddy' - as new messages between the pair reveal his sordid obsessions and their bitter falling out.

Dr John Forge, 77, plunged to his death at Cataract Gorge, Launceston, on May 2 this year - just hours after being visited by a detective over allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman, aged in her 30s, between 2019 and 2022.

The Oxford University alumnus, who was an honorary professor at the University of Sydney, was respected across the globe for his work on human morality and ethics.

His research garnered him numerous honours and accolades, including the 2010 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics and a teaching position at the Ivy League university, Cornell.

He also featured in interviews on ABC programs, including Late Night Live and The Philosopher's Zone.

But now his double life of debauchery has completely unravelled, sending shockwaves through the ivory towers of Australia's academic world.

The multi-millionaire, who inherited a vast fortune as an only child, employed Melbourne-based sex worker Skylar Silverstein from January to October last year on a $20,000-a-month contract.

It stipulated she call him 'Daddy' and granted him 'exclusive use of her body to do as he likes'.

But their relationship reached a bitter end when Dr Forge allegedly sent an unsolicited picture of Ms Silverstein's 'booty' to her own daughter towards the end of their contract.

Dr John Forge employed Melbourne-based sex worker Skylar Silverstein from January to October last year on a $20,000-a-month contract (the pair are pictured together)

Their agreement stipulated that she call him 'Daddy' and granted him 'exclusive use of her body to do as he likes'

Ms Silverstein said the message was 'disgusting' and it was the final straw that made her finally realise Dr Forge was 'strange'.

'It was further evidence to me he lacked morals to have have done this to my daughter and myself,' Ms Silverstein told Daily Mail Australia.

'I was so shocked he did that behind my back.'

Ms Silverstein believed it was an attempt to groom her daughter, who he had invited to stay at his house and lavished with expensive gifts.

She claims that, in retaliation, she threatened to share compromising pictures with Dr Forge's family who were in the dark about his lewd proclivities.

Shortly afterwards, Dr Forge took out an Apprehended Violence Order against Ms Silverstein.

But their relationship reached a bitter end when Dr Forge allegedly sent an unsolicited picture of Ms Silverstein's 'booty' to her own daughter towards the end of their contract (pictured)

New messages before their bitter falling out reveal the perverted Professor's other seedy obsessions, including his desire to wear BDSM gear.

During their relationship, Dr Forge would split his time between Sydney and Launceston and would fly Ms Silverstein to both cities to see him.

In addition to the $20,000-a-month stipend, he treated her to meals in fancy restaurants, spa retreats, designer gifts and exotic holidays.

Dr Forge's wealth largely stemmed from his inheritance as an only child.

He was educated at Rugby School, an English boarding school founded in 1567.

'Some (dumbos) say what don't kill you makes you stronger: I survived Rugby in the early 60s but what a dreadful place!', Dr Forge wrote on LinkedIn.

Dr Forge likely sought to numb those memories by hitting bongs and snorting cocaine with Ms Silverstein, with whom he carried out his outlandish fantasies.

New messages before their bitter falling out reveal the perverted Professor's other seedy obsessions, including his desire to wear BDSM gear

The ethics boffin once sent Ms Silverstein a picture of himself wearing a monstrous-looking black silicon stimulation 'glove' with accompanying message: 'Are you ready for 'the glove'?'

'That's amazing daddy,' responded Ms Silverstein.

A video of Ms Silverstein, filmed by Dr Forge, has also emerged in which she's wearing leather lingerie, suspenders and a neck collar with a gold heart lock.

'So daddy, I masturbated without your permission. I'm assuming that I'm going to be punished now?'

Ms Silverstein (pictured) was employed by Dr Forge between January and October last year

Dr Forge can then be heard saying: 'Yes, you are.'

She responds: 'Is that with the gag and the tying me up and the flogging?'

Dr Forge replies, excitedly: 'It is! It will be happening shortly.'

In another message, Dr Forge said he 'got used' to the idea of Ms Silverstein working with other clients - but only on certain conditions.

'As long as I know what's happening: when you are going to start, etc,' he wrote.

'I'm fine with helping you with content, as I feel it's something we do together.'

'And was thinking if you need to get someone to do more explicit stuff for OnlyFans, that's ok too.'

It was previously revealed Dr Forge helped Ms Silverstein with filming content for her OnlyFans account.

In addition to the $20,000-a-month stipend, Dr Forge treated Ms Silverstein to meals in fancy restaurants, spa retreats, designer gifts and exotic holidays (the pair are pictured together)

He also sent a tongue-in-cheek hand-written note to Ms Silverstein entitled 'Setting the Boundaries: A Girl's Duties to her Daddy Dom'.

'Lecture to be given by Professor Jon Forge, 8pm Intercontinental Hotel, Melbourne,' the jokey lecture advertisement read.

'October 13. All Welcome. Members of the audience are invited to stay behind for private discussions.'

Although their agreement reached an end in October, they continued talking into November.

It was at this point that Dr Forge expressed a desire to end their $20,000-a-month agreement.

'Sadly, I don't think things would have worked out between us,' he wrote over Facebook messenger on November 13 last year.

'I don't think in the end I could have coped with your work! But good luck to you'

Although their agreement reached an end in October, they continued talking into Novembe - when Forge cut things off

Respected philosophy professor Dr John Forge (pictured) died last month amid allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman for three years

Dr Forge also sent a tongue-in-cheek hand-written note to Ms Silverstein entitled 'Setting the Boundaries: A Girl's Duties to her Daddy Dom'

He added: 'I think it best if I restrict you on Messenger ): too tempting to text.'

It was around this time that Dr Forge sent unsolicited pictures to Ms Silverstein's daughter, prompting their falling out.

In the first one, he was topless with a jumper wrapped around his shoulders as he nestled into Ms Silverstein's neck.

The second is a picture of Ms Silverstein's behind taken while she is relaxing in a pool.

'Didn't need to see the last photo,' the daughter responded.

Dr Forge said he had sent it on purpose for 'fun', claiming: 'Took some nice ones of your mam in the pool. She asked for a 'booty' shot!'

This exchange proved to be the end of their intimate and lucrative agreement.

Six months later Dr Forge would be discovered dead at the bottom of a gorge.

Philosophy professor John Forge (pictured) died on May 2 while under investigation over historic sexual abuse allegations

Hours earlier detectives had knocked on his door over allegations he sexually abused a vulnerable woman who has no relation to Ms Silverstein or her daughter.

The claims made against Dr Forge related to alleged incidents that took place in NSW and Tasmania - with the esteemed ethics expert having moved from Sydney to Launceston in January 2022.

A Tasmania Police spokesperson confirmed a person was found dead at Cataract Gorge on May 2 under circumstances that were not considered suspicious.

The alleged victim's mother told Daily Mail Australia the detective working on the case rang her at 3pm on May 2 to say she had just attended Dr Forge's home, having asked him to go to the police station to make a statement.

But just hours later, the woman said she received a call from police to reveal that officers had found him dead at the bottom of the gorge.

'A member of the public found his ID, phone and keys on a pathway and phoned police, who then went and found him,' she said.

'It happened within an hour-and-a-half after the knock.

'He was living a double life and it was about to be uncovered.'

Police were called to Cataract Gorge (pictured) after a concerned member of the public found his belongings abandoned on a footpath

The alleged victim's mother said Dr Forge groomed her daughter and then began sexually assaulting her almost five years ago, when she was 30.

'He was absolutely obsessed with her. It was creepy,' she said.

'It took a lot of guts to go to police and make her statement. [The alleged victim] has a strong sense of justice.'

While she was relieved her daughter would not have to go through a daunting court case, the news was bittersweet.

'She said to me, 'He is never going to have his day in court. He is never going to have to pay for what he has [allegedly] done.'

According to his website, Dr Forge defined morality as 'the way moral persons ought to behave towards others'.

'To cause harm unnecessarily, gratuitously, is to do moral wrong,' he wrote.

Dr Forge's death has gone unannounced in public, except for his Facebook page being been switched to a memorial template.

His profile on the University of Sydney website has since been removed

'We are deeply committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone in our community,' a spokeswoman for the university told Daily Mail Australia.

'We have a zero-tolerance policy to any form of intimidating or abusive behaviour, including sexual misconduct.

'If any of our community experiences or witnesses such behaviour we urge them to get in touch so we can provide appropriate support and follow up.'

A report into Dr Forge's death will be prepared for the Coroner.

For confidential crisis support 24/7, call Lifeline 13 11 14, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 or 1800 RESPECT
Rishi Sunak today doubled down on warnings against voters 'surrendering' to Labour as the Tories unveiled a striking new poster.

An attack ad released by the party showed a couple and a child with their hands up, as if being held at gunpoint.

The image was issued as the PM returned to the campaign trail after tearing into Keir Starmer over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax during the final TV debate.

It drew a furious response from Sir Keir who branded it 'desperate' and said he was 'surprised'. But visiting Derbyshire, Mr Sunak batted away objections that the ad is in bad taste, insisting the choice facing the country is important.

Mr Sunak accused the Labour leader of trying to trick Brits as they went head-to-head on BBC One just a week before the big day.

The clashes became so heated that, as Mr Sunak gave his closing statement repeating his claim that Labour would hike families' taxes by 2,000, Sir Keir could be heard shouting 'that's a lie'.

The two rivals did not appear to shake hands afterwards as they thanked presenter Mishal Husain.

An attack ad released by the party showed a family showing a couple and their child with their hands up, as if being held at gunpoint

The image was issued as the PM returned to the campaign trail at a pottery factory in Derbyshire after tearing into Keir Starmer over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax during the final TV debate

Mr Sunak was at the Denby Pottery Factory, Ripley, as the election campaign entered the final week

It drew a furious response from Sir Keir who branded it 'desperate' and said he was 'surprised'

Snap polls suggested some of Mr Sunak's blows in the debate landed, with YouGov finding voters split 50-50 on who had won, despite Labour's huge overall lead.

Mr Sunak was seen as performing better on immigration and tax, which strategists believe will be crucial in shoring up the Tory vote for July 4.

However, the squabbling did not seem to impress the audience, with one infuriated man asking: 'Are you two seriously the best we have got to be the next PM of our great country?'

A separate More in Common survey suggested a more positive reception for Sir Keir.

Challenged over the controversial 'surrender' image today, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: 'This is an incredibly important election, and there's an important choice for people. And I don't want people to sleepwalk into something.

'I believe that a Labour government would be very damaging for our country.

'I get that people are frustrated with me and our party, but this is not a by-election. This is a choice about our future, and that choice will have severe consequences for people's financial security.'

However, Sir Keir said: 'This is really desperate stuff and I'm surprised by it.

'I think it underlines the difference between the two campaigns. They are running a very negative campaign, nothing about the future of the country.

'I'm very happy to be the candidate going into the final week who is putting forward a more positive case for the change the country needs.'

The general bleak Tory mood, with some polls suggesting they are on track to lose 300 MPs, was summed up by former Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi.

Shortly after the debate finished Mr Zahawi posted a famous painting of Scott's ill-fated expedition to the North Pole, which appeared to be a nod to Mr Sunak's efforts.

'True heroism. Captain Oates taking himself out, walking to his death to save his comrades,' he wrote.

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The PM is back on the campaign trail today after tearing into Keir Starmer over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax as he urged Brits not to 'surrender' the country to Labour

The general bleak Tory mood, who some polls suggesting they are on track to lose 300 MPs, was summed up by former Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi

A separate More in Common survey suggested a more positive reception for Sir Keir

Mr Sunak kicked off the exchanges by fending off a question about Tories being caught up in the election betting scandal, while Sir Keir jibed that the premier had been fined for Partygate rule breaches.

The PM hit back: 'Keir Starmer talks about leadership and politics... I think leadership means being straight with people...

'He's not being honest with everyone about his plans to raise their taxes.'

He pointed to a recording of shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones admitting that Labour's Net Zero goals will cost 'hundreds of billions' of pounds.

Mr Sunak acknowledged that the public was 'frustrated' with him and his party, but warned that Labour would let Channel migrants 'out on our streets', and ditching the Rwanda scheme would mean people smugglers would 'need a bigger boat'.

Mr Sunak was also clapped as he said Sir Keir 'wanted to be in charge' but had 'got nothing to say about what you would do about it'.

But Sir Keir received his own round of applause as he complained that Mr Sunak kept interrupting him, saying if he 'listened' more he wouldn't be seen as so 'out of touch'.

He said the Tories had raised tax '26 times' and tagged him 'Liz Truss mark two'.

The Labour leader struggled as he was grilled on whether he would provide legal protection for women-only spaces, after one of his frontbenchers suggested pre-op trans women should use women's toilets.

JK Rowling responded on social media by hinting that Sir Keir had lost her vote.

The Harry Potter author posted: 'It's very important that we protect women's spaces... but men can also be women, says the Labour leader.

'My postal vote is literally lying next to me. I wanted to wait to hear what @KeirStarmer said tonight to fill it in.'

The primetime clash at Nottingham Trent University - which was dogged by noises from pro-Palestinian protesters outside - had been viewed as Mr Sunak's last major opportunity to revive his fortunes after a nightmare election campaign.

Rishi Sunak tore into Keir Starmer over immigration and his 'dishonesty' on tax as as he struggles to avert a Tory meltdown

The PM accused Keir Starmer of trying to trick Brits as they went head-to-head on BBC One barely a week before the country casts their ballots

The unedifying squabbling did not seem to impress the audience, with Robert Blackstock asking: 'Are you two seriously the best we have got to be the next PM of our great country?'

The crowd looked sceptical about many of the answers given by the party leaders

JK Rowling responded on social media by hinting that Sir Keir had lost her vote

A Find Out Now survey carried out with Electoral Calculus projected the Tories could be slashed to just 60 seats, behind the Lib Dems on 71

The overall figures in the Find Out Now/Electoral Calculus MRP are for a Labour landslide with a majority of 250 seats. That would be bigger than Tony Blair's win, and only exceeded by the 1931 result

The separate We Think poll saw the Conservatives reduced to just 76 MPs

We Think research suggested Labour could get a majority of 280 - the biggest in modern political history

Sir Keir accused Mr Sunak of being 'bullied' into responding to the betting allegations, after it took weeks for the Conservatives to withdraw support for two candidates.

The Labour leader said: 'You have to lead from the front on issues like this. I think that in the last 14 years politics has become too much about self entitlement, and MPs thinking about what they could get for themselves.'

Key moments in the final election debate Sunak 'bullied' in Gamblegate response Sir Keir accused his opponent of being bullied into responding to the unfolding scandal about Tory candidates allegedly betting on the timing of the General Election. He contrasted his swift response when Labour candidate Kevin Craig was revealed to have bet against his own victory, with that of the Prime Minister. 'What I did when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes, because I knew it made it really important to be swift, the Prime Minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking action,' the Labour leader said. In response, Mr Sunak said: 'It was important to me that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and that's what I've done.' Out of touch? Mr Sunak also faced accusations of being out of touch with the public, after one testy exchange with Sir Keir. The Prime Minister interrupted the Labour leader several times as he answered a question from a member of the audience. But Sir Keir hit back, saying: 'If you listen to the people in the audience, across the country, a bit more often you might not be so out of touch.' His response was met with a round of applause. Starmer 'taking people for fools' on migration The Labour leader was however unable to provide a simple answer on how he would deal with the migrant crisis. 'What will you do with them?' Mr Sunak repeatedly asked as Sir Keir criticised the Rwanda plan. The Labour leader claimed that currently 100% of illegal migrants 'effectively' received asylum because they were all placed in hotels while on the migration system backlog, and emphasised the need for processing. The migrants are coming from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, Mr Sunak responded. 'Will you sit down with the Ayatollahs? Are you going to try to do a deal with the Taliban? It's completely nonsensical  you are taking people for fools,' he added. Shadows of Truss and Corbyn Sir Keir sought to damage Mr Sunak's credibility by suggesting he had rowed in behind short-lived premier Liz Truss's economic agenda. The Prime Minister claimed he had warned about the damage of Ms Truss's plans, but Sir Keir said he then accepted them 'in the next breath'. Husain then stepped in, saying: 'Hang on, you know what it is like to fall in behind a leader of your party,' in a reference to Sir Keir's time serving under former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The noise outside A protest outside the Nottingham Trent University building where the debate was held could be heard within the hall and was picked up on the audio of the broadcast. BBC journalist Husain addressed it at one point early in the debate, to alert the audience to what was happening, and described the protest as another part of the UK's democracy. Pro-Palestine protesters were among those demonstrating outside the venue, including a group called Nottingham Solidarity Group, who confirmed their attendance on X, formerly Twitter. Tax Check UK The Conservative Party rebranded its X account to 'Tax Check UK' ahead of the debate, and pumped out a steady stream of claims about how Labour's plans would impact the taxes voters would pay. This included claims of a 'retirement tax', as well as sharing an image of the often referred to letter that Labour former Treasury minister Liam Byrne left when the party last exited government joking there was 'no money left'. As the programme ended, Tory leader Mr Sunak also returned to the disputed claim that Labour's policies will cost families an extra 2,000 in tax. Sir Keir hit back: 'That is a lie. He's been told not to repeat that lie and he has just done it.' The best to run the country? One audience member asked both party leaders: 'Are you two really the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country?' Sir Keir said he 'wasn't surprised' by the question as the country is in 'such a state'. The man later told the BBC he was 'disappointed' with the leaders' responses to his question. Gender rights Both party leaders committed to protecting women's rights to single-sex spaces, regardless of whether someone has a gender recognition certificate. But Sir Keir feathered his answer, adding that there are 'a small number of people who are born into a gender that they don't identify with'. He said: 'I will treat them, as I treat all human beings, with dignity and respect.' Advertisement

He added: 'The instinct of these people to think the first thing they should do is try to make money, that was the wrong instinct, and we have to change that.'

Sir Keir continued: 'What I did, when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes, because I knew it made it really important to be swift, the Prime Minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking off.'

Mr Sunak said: 'It was important to me, that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and that's what I've done.'

Launching another salvo on immigration, Mr Sunak said: 'The Rwanda plan is a deterrent, you just have to listen to what the illegal migrants themselves are saying, one of them just said 'most of us are still in France due to the fear we have about Rwanda'.

'Another one said 'I won't cross the Channel until the Rwanda plan is destroyed'. If Labour win, the people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat. Don't surrender our borders to the Labour Party.'

Sir Keir replied: 'Record numbers coming across the Channel and he says it's a deterrent, there are a few hundred that will go on a flight to Rwanda, a huge expense to taxpayers. There are tens of thousands, 15,000 people have come since Rishi Sunak has been Prime Minister.'

After audience member Robert Blackstock asked 'are you two really the best we've got', the Labour leader said: 'I'm not surprised after 14 years of this that people feel this way because the country is in such a state.

'They've had loads of promises made in the last election about what will happen which haven't been delivered on, that does beat the hope out of people.

'The very first question was about integrity in politics, and again people haven't seen that integrity  they've had Partygate, they've had breach of Covid rules, you've had the contracts for Covid  the instinct of some people to think the first thing in Covid i'm going to do is try to make money.

'So, this is an opportunity to restore that hope. I don't think we can do that by making sort of grand promises of things that can't be delivered.'

Rather, he said, it's 'the ordinary hope of getting on yourself, getting on for your family, getting on for your community, your country. It has to be rooted, if we're going to restore hope in my view, in returning politics to service, the sense that you come into politics to serve'.

Both committed to protecting women's rights to single-sex spaces, regardless of whether someone has a gender recognition certificate.

Mr Sunak said: 'Yes, unequivocally yes. And we will do that by changing the law, so that the old Equalities Act recognises that sex means biological sex.'

But Sir Keir feathered his answer, adding: 'What I will also say is that I do recognise that there are a small number of people who are born into a gender that they don't identify with, and I will treat them, as I treat all human beings, with dignity and respect.'

Sir Keir received applause and whoops from the audience, before continuing: 'I'll tell you for why, because if you don't, we end up with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom standing in Parliament making an anti-trans joke in front of the mother of a murdered trans teenager.'

Mr Sunak replied: 'That's not what I did, I was pointing out that you've changed your mind on this question multiple times.'

The tetchy rowing continued right to the end. In his closing statement Mr Sunak said: 'I understand why you're frustrated with our party, with me, I get it. But this is not a by-election, it's a choice with profound consequences for you and our country. And before you make that choice, think what a Labour government would mean.

'Can you afford to pay at least 2,000 more in tax? And why won't Keir Starmer be straight with you about what he wants to do? And if you're not certain about Labour, don't surrender to them, don't vote for any other party, vote Conservative.'

The Labour leader could be heard protesting as he spoke, and in his own parting shot he said: 'That is a lie, he's been told not to repeat that lie and he's just done it.'

He added: 'My message to you is simple: if you want your NHS back, you have to vote for it. If you want a growing economy, you have to vote for it.

'If you want more police on our streets or teachers in our schools, you have to vote for it. If you want to end 14 years of chaos  then that power is in your hands, on July the 4th, vote change, vote Labour.'

Mr Sunak is desperately trying to change his fortunes as the election betting scandal continues to rage.

He has also struggled to shake off the D-Day debacle.

Meanwhile, Tories fear that Reform will split the right-wing vote next week, opening the door for Labour to rack up seats.

Allies of the PM hope that messages about the danger of a Labour 'supermajority' is starting to hit home, while there have been tentative signs that Mr Farage's surge might have peaked after he controversially claimed the West 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

We Think research conducted using the so-called MRP methodology suggested Labour could get a majority of 280 - the biggest in modern political history.

That poll saw the Conservatives reduced to just 76 MPs.

But a Find Out Now survey carried out with Electoral Calculus projected an even more dramatic outcome. It found the Tories could be slashed to just 60 seats, behind the Lib Dems with 71.

In that scenario, the Conservatives would not be the official opposition and Nigel Farage's Reform would have 18 seats.

MRPs are now widely regarded as 'gold standard' in the polling industry, but they have been suggesting widely differing outcomes depending on assumptions such as likelihood to vote. They also take a longer period to conduct, meaning some of the research dates back weeks.

The enormous win for Sir Keir is being predicted despite signs that he is deeply unpopular with Brits.

Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus said they had 'calibrated' results of their own polling to 'match the average of recent national polls', after it suggested the Tories were two points behind Reform.

The overall figures in that MRP are for a Labour landslide with a majority of 250 seats. That would be bigger than Tony Blair's win, and only exceeded by the 1931 result.

The Conservatives' tally would be the worst since at least 1900 - before universal suffrage.

Mr Sunak would be among a swathe of senior ministers to lose their own seats.

Meanwhile, Reform would pick up 18, with Mr Farage finally entering Parliament alongside Richard Tice.

The wider picture is of apathy among the public. An Ipsos survey indicated that 75 per cent were dissatisfied with Rishi Sunak, with just 25 per cent satisfied.

But Sir Keir's figures were not much better, with 52 per cent negative and 33 per cent positive about his performance.

Speaking to reporters after the debate, Home Secretary James Cleverly branded Sir Keir's performance 'weak and fragile'.

'He refused over and over again to rule out tax rises, Keir Starmer is going to put taxes up,' the Cabinet minister said.

'He was asked explicitly, will you rule out putting up taxes for the first time ever on state pensioners? He refused to do so.'

Mr Cleverly added: 'When pushed about honesty about tax, when pushed around honesty about the impact on the economy, Keir Starmer fumbled, fumbled and then tried to talk over the Prime Minister.'

The Home Secretary said both he and the PM 'recognised there are frustrations' among voters following the impact of the Covid crisis and the Ukraine war on the economy.

But he warned five years was a 'long time' to live under a Labour government.

Asked about Mr Sunak's frequent use of the word 'surrender' during the debate, Mr Cleverly added: 'What we're saying is don't give away, as a voter, do not give away your agency.

'Because we know that Labour are looking to reopen freedom of movement by the back door in complete contravention to what the British people want.'

A noisy pro-Palestinian demo was taking place outside the venue, and could be clearly heard in the early stages

Mr Sunak is desperately trying to change his fortunes as the election betting scandal continues to rage

The PM (left) arrived for the critical final BBC TV debate against Keir Starmer (right) this evening

An Ipsos survey indicated that 75 per cent were dissatisfied with Rishi Sunak, with just 25 per cent satisfied

There have been tentative signs that Nigel Farage's (pictured) surge might have peaked after he controversially claimed the West 'provoked' Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Quizzed about the leaked recording of Mr Jones saying Labour's green plans will cost 'hundreds of billions' of pounds, Labour's Pat McFadden - the party's campaign chief - told reporters: 'What Darren was clearly talking about was the level private sector investment that you can get if you have a government that's willing to step up to the plate.

'So rather than this being a problem for us, what it shows is that Rishi Sunak - having turned his back on any Government role in the green transition... has sacrificed the high level of private sector investment that's waiting to come if they know there's a willing partner in the government of the day.'

Mr McFadden said there was 'only one prime minister in the room tonight, only one person really engaging with the audience and their problems' as he praised Sir Keir's performance.

Asked about Mr Blackstock bemoaning that Mr Sunak and Sir Keir are 'the best we've got, ' Mr McFadden replied: 'I'm very proud we've got Keir leading us into the election and we'll see what voters' verdict is on 4 July.'

Speaking himself after the debate, Mr Blackstock said he was left unconvinced by the answers he heard from both the PM and Labour leader.

'I was disappointed with the response from both Rishi and Sir Keir,' he told the BBC.

'Neither of them seemed to want to say why they were good - if that makes any sense.

'They were going on what they'd done in the past, they weren't being positive.

'For a PM, from my perspective, we want a personality, we want somebody we can recognise, we want somebody on the world stage that is going to project our Great Britain.

'That's what we want.'
The last known surviving Nazi concentration camp guard has been ruled unfit to face trial, which caused outrage in Germany.

Gregor Formanek, 99, is accused of helping to murder 3,300 people at the notorious WW2 prison Sachsenhausen, known for its gas chambers and horrifying medical experiments and executions used as a model for Auschwitz.

Formanek, from the Main-Kinzig district in the German state of Hesse, was due to stand trial for his role in the killings, but a court has ruled that he is unfit to stand trial based on an expert assessment.

The expert deemed the former SS man unfit due to his advanced age and alleged poor health condition, local media reports.

The chief Nazi hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Dr Efraim Zuroff, said that it is outrageous and very disappointing that Formanek's case will not be going to court.

He added that the age of a perpetrator does not diminish his guilt, and that Formanek has enjoyed the luxury of living to a ripe old age - a luxury he did not afford to the innocent Jewish victims and other enemies of the Reich which he 'murdered'.

Gregor Formanek's service as an SS guard is confirmed by a document from the Main Personnel Office of the SS

Built in 1936 to house high-ranking political prisoners, Sachsenhausen is the camp where the Nazis perfected killing methods that were scaled up and used to murder millions at larger and more notorious camps such as Auschwitz (pictured: prisoners at Sachsenhausen)

A roll call in the early morning or late evening hours in front of the gate of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen is pictured above

He also told MailOnline: 'This is really terrible news. It's really disappointed and angry but also really sad about it.

'I've been hunting Nazis for over forty years, and so this is kind the end of an era - it's a really big deal having the last Nazi trial and yet now it seems nothing is going to happen.

'They claim that Formanek cannot be brought in court because he is too old - but he is two years younger than Josef Schuetz who was brought to trial and who thankfully we did even see convicted.'

'This is a sad day for Jewish people and the survivors of the holocaust - and just outrageous and unacceptable. I cant tell you how upset I am.'

Formanek lived undetected for decades in a modest flat near Frankfurt, until reporters tracked him down last year - but the former camp guard remained silent on the allegations against him.

Incriminating documents from the Federal Archives and the Stasi Records Archive reveal Formanek's horrific past.

Born in Romania to a German-speaking tailor, Formanek joined the SS on July 4, 1943, and became part of the Sachsenhausen guard battalion in Brandenburg.

One Stasi document chillingly notes that Formanek 'continued to kill prisoners'.

Holocaust survivor Jurek Szarf, 90, vividly recounted the brutal treatment prisoners endured at Sachsenhausen.

Deported at age ten to Ravensbrueck with his aunt and mother, Jurek was later transferred to Koenigs Wusterhausen and then Sachsenhausen.

His mother starved to death in the Wusterhausen concentration camp in February 1945.

'I was in the hospital block in Sachsenhausen with my father and my uncle and was supposed to be shot. We waited for hours for the execution, then we were freed,' Mr Szarf told German newspaper Bild about being freed in April 1945 aged 12.

He was deported to Sachsenhausen from the other concentration camp where he was held just days before he was freed.

Mr Szarf said: 'The SS drove the prisoners from Sachsenhausen on a long march to escape the approaching Red Army. My father, my uncle and I were too weak to march. Two other uncles went with us. One was shot by SS guards, the other was beaten to death.'

In his CV, Formanek left out his role as a concentration camp guard, only saying he was 'called up for military service in Germany, where I spent 20 months'.

It is estimated that 200,000 prisoners passed through Sachsenhausen and that 30,000 people were murdered there, not including Soviet prisoners (pictured: some of the prisoners at the camp)

The infamous 'Work Sets You Free' sign at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp gates, picture on the memorial service in January 2019

A bedroom for inmates at the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp site of the Sachsenhausen memorial in Oranienburg, Germany

After reading the CV, Mr Szarf said to Bild: 'He doesn't mention Sachsenhausen. The SS guards insulted and beat us in the concentration camps. We weren't human to them.'

After the war, Formanek was arrested by the Red Army and sentenced by a Soviet military tribunal to 25 years in prison for espionage and crimes against humanity.

Released after ten years, he moved to West Germany and lived quietly as a porter.

The local public prosecutor's office plans to appeal the ruling that Formanek is unfit to stand trial, with a final decision to be made by the Higher Regional Court in Frankfurt am Main.
A people smuggler who arranged a migrant Channel crossing that left a seven-year-old girl and four others dead has been tracked down and confronted over his alleged crimes.

Gang leader Rebwar Abas Zangana, known as 'The Mountain', was identified as being behind a boat launch in April which saw a schoolgirl called Sara suffocated beneath a crush of bodies in the inflatable off northern France.

Footage from the beach that night shows the moment more than 100 migrants, including Sara and her family, desperately tried to cram onto the tiny boat in the hope of reaching Britain.

Horrendously overcrowded, the vessel floated a few hundred metres off shore before beginning to capsize, with the ensuing panic causing a stampede which saw Sara trampled to death.

Apparently terrified of being arrested for his involvement in the disaster, The Mountain went on the run and was hiding in Luxembourg, where a team of BBC journalists found and unmasked the ruthless smuggler.

Footage of the moment The Mountain is challenged shows him squirming as he is presented with a picture of the little girl who died whilst he allegedly made money off her family.

Rebwar Abas Zangana, known as 'The Mountain', is confronted by BBC journalists over his alleged role in a deadly migrant boat disaster

Sara (pictured) died while trying to cross the Channel to Britain in April

'These people are greedy. They care only about money. I hope they will face justice. All of them,' Sara's father Ahmed said of the depraved smugglers he blames for the tragedy. 'My daughter's death must not be in vain.'

British police detained two suspected smugglers following Sara's death - but these men are believed to have been low-level operatives who may have even been working on the boat itself.

In an effort to track down the smuggling ring's bosses, the BBC spoke to survivors of the April 23 tragedy.

Many who sought to get to Britain had only dealt with middlemen, paying them extortionate sums for the journey after meeting them at migrant camps.

But three migrants helped to identify the head of a gang which was operating out of Belgium, a man known as Jabal - Arabic for Mountain.

The team travelled to Antwerp where they found a middle man in a city barber shop.

Posing as a prospective customer who wanted to cross the Channel, an undercover reporter spoke to the intermediary, who agreed to put him in touch with The Mountain.

Almost two weeks later, the reporter received a call from the smuggler, asking: 'So you want to get to Britain? How many seats do you need? Are you ready?'

Footage from the beach that night shows the moment more than 100 migrants, including Sara and her family, desperately tried to get on board the boat

The migrant boat was seen struggling a few hundred metres off shore before tragedy struck

Despite the numerous fatalities his scheme had resulted in, the team revealed that the brazen smuggler continues to run his shady operation - charging migrants more than 1,200 (1,500) for the chance to get to Britain.

The Mountain reassured the reporter that the trip across the Channel was 'a safe job' and that he had improved his tactics since Sara's death.

Hours later however, he fled Antwerp, with a source suggesting to the BBC that he feared arrest for his involvement the migrants' deaths.

The BBC team traced him to his hiding place in Luxembourg, where they managed to stakeout his movements at a refugee and migrant reception centre.

The Mountain was tracked down by BBC journalists in Luxembourg, where he is said to have fled after leaving Antwerp

After a few days of monitoring him, they chased him down and confronted the crime boss as he made his way to a station.

They put their allegations to him, with the shocked smuggler responding 'It's not me, brother. I don't know anything. What's your problem?'

Despite his relatively calm, lowered voice, he looked anxious, and shook his head when asked about Sara's death and whether he was responsible.

Sara (right) pictured with her father Ahmed

The team then rang his phone number, with his mobile going off, confirming that they had the right man - the same person who had offered to send their reporter in a dangerous dinghy over the Channel.

Despite the risks of the life-threatening journey, a record number of migrants - more than 12,900 - have crossed the Channel this year in a bid to reach Britain.

Sara's father Ahmed has previously said he felt he had no choice but to try to make the journey with his family.

The Iraqi national, who spent 14 years in Europe after fleeing his homeland, revealed he had spent years applying for asylum in the EU, only to be rejected time and again.

Sara (right) with her brother Hussam, (left) and sister, Rahaf (centre)

He and his family were facing deportation back to Iraq, leaving them with only one option - to make a break across the Channel for British shores.

'If people were in my place, what would they do? Those who (criticise me) haven't suffered what I've suffered. This was my last option,' he said.

Today, Sara's surviving family - Ahmed, his wife Nour Al Saeed, and their two other children, 12-year-old Rahaf and nine-year-old Hussam - are living in a temporary hostel for migrants outside Lille, France.

The family have no right to remain in France past Autumn, the BBC reports, and dream of a 'normal life' and to be reunited with family members in England.
A 'dedicated' businessman left commuters stunned when he refused to let a packed train get in the way of his nine to five grind and lay on the floor to catch up on two hours of work on his laptop.

Hannah Kulmatycki had boarded the LNER service at Edinburgh Waverley station at 9.30am to make the four-and-a-half-hour journey to London King's Cross on Friday, June 21.

After finding her seat, the 28-year-old said she fell asleep for the first two hours of the trip.

It was only when the train stopped off at Newcastle that the climate change scientist said the carriage became 'packed' with people.

Ms Kulmatycki says this is when one undeterred traveller looking for a place to work on board was left with 'no choice' but to lie down on the floor with his laptop as there was nowhere else to sit.

A 'dedicated' businessman left commuters stunned when he refused to let a packed train get in the way of his nine to five grind

Hannah Kulmatycki had boarded the LNER service at Edinburgh Waverley station at 9.30am to journey to London when she witnessed the unusual working habit

Hilarious video footage shows the man spread out down the aisle typing away on his laptop.

In another clip the same commuter can be seen speaking loudly down the phone while other train passengers stare at him in disbelief.

Ms Kulmatycki said she found the commuter's stunt hilarious and praised the man's dedication to the nine to five grind.

But after posting a video of the man's trainfloor workspace on TikTok others were quick to speculate there could be potential GDPR issues with his choice to work in such a public space.

LNER blamed the crammed carriage on 'disruption' caused by 'a broken down train elsewhere on the network that affected services'.

Ms Kulmatycki, from Edinburgh, said: 'I had booked a seat because you normally find it is absolutely jam packed when you head to London regardless of what train you are on.

'Lots of people started to get on at Newcastle Station and I think this is where he got on.

'It was jampacked. People were standing in every single aisle and you couldn't get to the washroom.'

She added the businessman stayed lying down for the entire journey from Newcastle to London.

Hannah said she found the commuter's stunt hilarious and praised the man's dedication to the nine to five grind

Ms Kulmatycki said the man was speaking so loudly on the phone that she could hear everything he said

She added the man would do a 'burpee' movement to allow other passengers to pass him in the carriage

'He was dedicated to his job and didn't change positions for the whole journey.

'He was lying beside me for at least an hour or two. People were trying to get by him and walk over him and he would almost do a burpee movement.

'He would push himself up, stand up and then immediately drop back to the floor.'

She said the man, who she believes works for an accounting firm, was speaking so loudly she heard everything he said.

'I just thought it was funny at first. He seemed very comfortable on the floor and it looked like he had done this before.

'He Facetimed his family at one point and they did not seem surprised that he was lying on the floor to work.

'The train was so over packed so it seemed like there wasn't really another option for him.

'I guess he could have stood up and placed his laptop on the top of a seat or asked someone to use the table but he seemed to be okay lying flat out on the ground.

'Everyone was in a little bit of disbelief. I have been on a lot of trains in my life and seen some crazy things but this is just next level.

Social media users were divided by the stunt, with some raising concerns over compliance and GDPR

'The fact that he kept going back to the floor after people were moving past him shows his dedication. It's a perfect depiction of the state of UK trains at the moment.'

She said she found it 'remarkable' that the commuter managed to work on the floor for two hours, but agreed working so openly on public transport could raise potential privacy issues.

Hannah said: 'I have worked on a train in the past and the Wi-Fi and phone service is never great so the fact that he could do this was remarkable.

'At the same time I don't think I would have been on the floor shouting as loud as he was.

'He wasn't talking about anything specific but he was talking about what he was doing for the company in his auditing accounting job.

'I've worked on the train before but you do find that you can't always do all the jobs you would be doing at your desk because there is the wifi issue and people are around and you just never know.'

Since posting the video online, Hannah's clip has received over 185,000 views and 16,500 likes.

One user said: 'I'm just thinking about GDPR.'

Another added: 'This is wild but imagine the pressure he is under if this is how he acts to get the work done.'

A third said: 'As someone who used to work in Compliance, this gives me so much anxiety.

'This sort of work should only be done somewhere private.'

A fourth added: 'To be fair, if there's no seats, it's a long journey and you need your laptop out, what else you gonna do.'

An LNER spokesperson said: 'On Friday 21 June there was disruption caused by a broken down train elsewhere on the network which affected services.

'Our teams worked hard to support customers travelling during this time, with ticket acceptance being put into place and an extra stop made at Doncaster to keep customers on the move. Regular updates were provided on our social channels and via our website. We thank customers for their understanding.'
A high-profile 'fixer' who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail has been spotted visiting an Aussie father-of-two detained in Bali on drug trafficking charges.

Troy Smith, who is accused of methamphetamine possession on the Indonesian island, allegedly tried to flee police but was arrested after warning shots were fired.

Smith's family has hired 'prison whisperer' John McLeod, who runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions, which helps Australians in legal troubles overseas.

On Thursday, Smith, 49, arrived at the Denpasar District Court by prison van, which he got out of backwards and then tried to hide his face from the waiting local media.

Mr McLeod arrived shortly afterwards and was seen talking to Smith from a courtyard through steel prison bars.

'Do you want me, Troy?' Mr McLeod shouted through the bars, after which, Smith, wearing a white business shirt and tan slacks, came over to him.

Sporting a red prison vest over his white business shirt, Smith later learned that he will likely avoid jail time and instead serve his sentence in a rehabilitation centre.

Smith, a father-of-two originally from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was allegedly caught with 3.19g of methamphetamine inside a Colgate toothpaste container at Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian on April 30.

He and his new wife Tracy Ijusa were holidaying on the island when Indonesian police raided their resort room.

Troy Smith's (pictured left) family has hired 'prison whisperer' John McLeod ( right)

At the time of his arrest, Troy Smith was enjoying an extended honeymoon in Bali with his Nigerian-born wife Tracy Ijusa. They had been married for just four months

Smith is pictured listening to a member of his legal team in court in Bali on Thursday

Troy Smith (wearing white shirt) is pictured about to get out of a prison van in Bali on Thursday

Mr McLeod, who is a former police officer, helped get Corby out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail, which is where Smith could be spending a lot of time if he is convicted.

The hiring of the fixer is a major escalation in Smith's defence strategy.

In 2016, he came to the aid of ex-soldier Adam Whittington  a child retrieval 'expert' who spent four months in a Beirut jail after a controversial 60 Minutes child 'rescue' operation went wrong.

In January 2022, Mr McLeod helped Jeffrey Welton, a surf instructor from Perth, avoid the firing squad after convincing the judges to treat him as an addict, rather than a drug trafficker.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Smith, Mr McLeod said 'we're just hoping to get a fair go, which I think we will.

'We presented a very strong case. So it's a judicial system. So we have to just go through the process and we'll see what happens.'

He also revealed that Smith had thanked him for coming and said to him, 'I'm glad you're here'.

Later on in the court, the prosecutor requested that Smith be sentenced to eight months of rehabilitation at Anargya Dober House.

He had been originally facing up to 12 years behind bars.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Troy Smith, John McLeod (pictured) said 'we're just hoping to get a fair go, which I think we will'

Australian Troy Smith is pictured in court in Bali, Indonesia on Thursday. John McLeod is pictured left.

Smith (pictured) told the court he regretted his actions as he opened up about his drug use. 'I respect Bali, I respect Indonesia, I feel sorry,' he said

'We have concluded that the defendant has been proven guilty of violating article 127 of narcotic law and the defendant should be punished,' the prosecutor told the court.

The court took several mitigating factors into account, including that Smith admitted what he had done, that he behaved politely during the trial, that he had never before been convicted of a crime and that he is the backbone of his family.

An emotional Smith told the court that he was remorseful about the allegations and 'loved Bali'.

A final verdict is expected to be issued by the court next week.

Smith's wife Tracy, was a no-show at Thursday's court hearing just days out from the couple's six month wedding annivesary.

Speaking outside the court, Mr McLeod said that 'fairness' had been shown to Smith. 'I think it's a just outcome.'

Mr McLeod said he hoped Smith can now 'move on with his life, put this bad episode behind him and so he can continue with his rehabilitation and become a better person'.

Aussie father-of-two Troy Smith is pictured beside a prison van in Bali on Thursday

John McLeod (top right) helped get Schapelle Corby (centre) out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail
Detectives have been drafted in to lead an investigation into general election bets placed by politicians - as it was one Tory backbencher was accused of betting 8,000 on himself to lose.

Scotland Yard said that it would take the lead in investigating a small number of the the most serious cases in a widening scandal gripping Westminster.

It will probe cases where alleged offending may be considered misconduct in public office, with the Gambling Commission investigating alleged breaches of the Gambling Act.

As many as 15 Tories are said to be involved in the widening furore, which has cast a shadow over the end of the party's already troubled election campaign, along with a Labour candidate - who has been suspended - and seven police officers.

Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said: 'We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations.

'There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required. We will aim to provide updates at key points as our investigation progresses.'

In a separate development, the Sun last night claimed that Sir Philip Davies, the Tory right-winger and GB News television presenter put a four-figure wager on losing the Shipley seat he has held since 2005.

Sir Philip did not deny the figure involved in the bet, but told the paper: 'What's it go to do with you whether I did or didn't (place the bet)?'

As many as 15 Tories are said to be involved in the widening furore, which has cast a shadow over the end of the party's already troubled election campaign, along with a Labour candidate - who has been suspended - and half a dozen police officers.

In a separate development, the Sun last night claimed that Sir Philip Davies, the Tory right-winger and GB News television presenter put a four-figure wager on losing the Shipley seat he has held since 2005. Sir Philip did not deny the figure involved in the bet, but told the Sun: 'What's it go to do with you whether I did or didn't (place the bet)?'

He told the paper he placed a similar bet when he stood in 2005 and won, with the bet 'going down the pan', adding: 'I hope to win. I'm busting a gut to win. I expect to lose.

'And if anyone's alleging I've done anything illegal, they're very welcome to allege it, but I'm afraid I haven't.'

There is no suggesting Sir Philip has broken the law or is being investigated by police. He has not yet responded to a request for a comment from MailOnline.

Sir Keir Starmer last night claimed Rishi Sunak was 'bullied' into acting over the election gambling scandal - as it emerged a Tory candidate put an 8,000 bet on himself to lose.

The Labour leader attacked the Prime Minister over the growing row about alleged bets by politicians on both the date and result of next week's general election.

Mr Sunak this week withdrew the Conservatives' support for two candidates after they were revealed to be under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

But Sir Keir tackled the PM over why he had 'delayed' suspending Craig Williams and Laura Saunders until a number of days after the watchdog's probe was first revealed.

Sir Keir Starmer tonight claimed Rishi Sunak was 'bullied' into acting over the election gambling scandal

The Labour leader attacked the Prime Minister over the growing row about alleged bets by politicians on both the date and result of next week's general election

During this evening's final TV election debate on the BBC, Sir Keir accused Mr Sunak of being 'bullied' into responding to the betting scandal.

The Labour leader said: 'You have to lead from the front on issues like this.

'I think that in the last 14 years politics has become too much about self entitlement, and MPs thinking about what they could get for themselves.'

He added: 'The instinct of these people to think the first thing they should do is try to make money, that was the wrong instinct, and we have to change that.'

Sir Keir compared the PM's response to the 'swift' action he took to suspend Kevin Craig, one of Labour's own candidates.

He said: 'What I did, when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes.

'Because I knew it made it really important to be swift, the PM delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking off.'

In response, Mr Sunak said: 'It was important to me, that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and that's what I've done.'

The newspaper also reported that the Metropolitan Police are set to take over the probe from the Gambling Commission amid its widening scale and complexity.

At least five Conservatives are being investigated by the regulator as part of its inquiry into wagers on the timing of the July 4 poll, with the BBC suggesting 10 more may also be involved.

Mr Sunak on Tuesday caved to mounting calls to withdraw support for two parliamentary candidates facing an investigation by the regulator  his parliamentary aide Mr Williams and Ms Saunders.

Ms Saunders' husband, the Conservative Party's director of campaigning Tony Lee, has taken a leave of absence, as has Tory chief data officer Nick Mason, while Welsh Tory Senedd member Russell George is also facing a probe by the gambling watchdog.

Labour has also been dragged into the row, suspending Mr Craig after he was investigated by the regulator for betting on himself to lose his contest in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.
A young pilot is dead and another has been airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after two separate light plane crashes in outback South Australia within hours.

A Cessna 172 crashed into a paddock near Mulgathing, about 260km south-west of Coober Pedy and about 830km northwest of Adelaide around 9.30am on Thursday.

It took several hours for police, emergency and Royal Flying Doctor Service crews to reach the scene due to the distance.

The pilot and sole occupant of the aircraft, Adam Snell, 22, died in the crash.

The Kiwi expat got his flying license in New Zealand four years ago and graduated from Massey University School of Aviation.

He had been working as a pilot at a local station Jumbuck Pastoral for the last seven months.

'I have a genuine passion for the industry and seek to challenge myself through chasing new opportunities," his LinkedIn profile states.

Adam Snell died after his light plane crashed into a paddock in the South Australia outback. He's pictured after graduating from NZ's Massey University School of Aviation

Adam Snell (pictured) had been working as a pilot at a local station Jumbuck Pastoral for the last seven months

'I hold all the required licenses and documentation to operate aircraft commercially, and have completed further study to be issued with credits for all Air Transport Pilot License (ATPL) theory courses.'

Mulgathing is a 530,700ha sheep station with an airstrip used for mustering.

Mr Snell's death sparked an outpouring in tributes and has been remembered for his sense of humour and beautiful nature.

'He was a cherished man. He was honest and reliable,' a close friend wrote.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the fatal crash.

Adam Snell (pictured) had been working at the outback sheep station since late last year

'Safework SA has been notified of the death and police will be preparing a report for the Coroner,' a police statement read.

Around 2pm, emergency services received reports that a second light plane crashed while attempting to land at Evelyn Downs, north of Coober Pedy.

The solo male pilot, 42, from Arcoona, was flown more than 1,000km to Adelaide suffering from serious but non-life threatening injuries.
North Korea has pledged to send military personnel to Ukraine within a month to support Putin's war-weary forces as both sides struggle to make a decisive breakthrough.

Pyongyang will take an unprecedented step in sending construction and engineering forces to occupied territories of Ukraine as early as July to assist in rebuilding work, South Korea's TV Chosun reported earlier, citing a government official.

The rare vow of foreign support follows president Vladimir Putin's official state visit to North Korea earlier this month - the first in almost a quarter of a century - which culminated in the signing of a so-called defence pact on June 19.

The treaty binds its signatories to providing 'military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay' should either find itself 'put in a state of war by an armed invasion'.

North Korea is believed to have already supplied Russia with about 1.6mn artillery shells between August and January as Moscow continues to hammer populated areas of Ukraine and tries to make decisive gains in the north.

As polarisation hardens, Pyongyang officials criticised the United States on Monday for its expanding military assistance to Ukraine and dispatch of an aircraft carrier to South Korea, warning it could provoke a 'new world war', according to state media.

A Russian tank fires at Ukrainian troops from a position near the border with Ukraine in Belgorod in a photo shared by the Russian Defence Ministry on March 19

Rescuers clear the rubble of a destroyed residential building following a missile attack in Lugansk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on June 7

Just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang, Pak Jong Chon, one of North Korea's top military officials, said Moscow the 'right to opt for any kind of retaliatory strike' if Washington kept pushing Ukraine to a 'proxy war' against Russia.

It could provoke a stronger response from Moscow, and a 'new world war', Pak said, according to KCNA.

He referred to comments by the Pentagon last week that Ukrainian forces can use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike Russian forces anywhere across the border into Russia.

North Korea's vice minister of defence, Kim Kang Il, said the arrival of an American aircraft carrier in South Korean waters was a 'very dangerous' show of force, leaving doors open for North Korea's 'overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence,' state media KCNA reported.

The Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier - a colossal vessel measuring 1,092ft - arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Saturday to take part in joint military exercises later this month with the host nation and Japan, US naval officials said.

Washington and Seoul have been increasingly alarmed by deepening military cooperation between Russia and the North, and have accused them of violating international laws by trading in arms for Russia to use against Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied any arms transfer.

The pact signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the Russian president's visit to Pyongyang last week commits each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against either one of them.

Putin thanked Kim for his hospitality during the trip which brought ties to an unprecedented level, the Kremlin said on Monday.

Analysts say the pact would lay the framework for arms trade between the two countries and facilitate their anti-U.S. and anti-West coalition.

Senior officials of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan condemned 'in the strongest possible terms' deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia in a joint statement released by Seoul's foreign ministry on Monday.

South Korea now expects the North to dispatch a large-scale engineering force to occupied Donetsk Oblast as early as next month to help rebuild infrastructure in Donetsk City.

The North reportedly operated 10 engineering brigades, according to the ISW.

Putin has tried to downplay the possibility of North Korean troops serving alongside Russia's in Ukraine, however.

The Russian president also visited Vietnam this month in an apparent bid to shore up ties with its ally, a significant buyer of Russian arms.

Analysts believe Moscow is now trying to establish a bloc of friendly states with links to the former USSR as Ukraine finds backing in NATO and Western allies.

Russia also made waves signing a memorandum regarding the supply of Russian gas into Iran - a boon for Moscow amid sanctions and reported disagreements between Russian and China over the Russian supply of gas.

Kim Jong Un (R) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L) shaking hands after a signing ceremony following their bilateral talks on June 19

A Ukrainian tank of the 17th tank brigade fires at the Russian positions in Chasiv Yar, Feb 29

Russia may have received about 1.6 million artillery shells from North Korea from August to January, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, analysing data from U.S. security nonprofit C4ADS that shows 74,000 metric tons of explosives moved from Russia's far east ports to other sites mainly along the borders near Ukraine.

North Korea plans to send construction and engineering forces to Russia-occupied territories of Ukraine as early as next month for rebuilding work, South Korean cable TV network TV Chosun reported earlier, citing a South Korean government official.

Those forces, working overseas under the disguise of construction workers to earn hard currency for the regime, would be moved from China to those Russia-held regions, the network said.

Asked about the TV Chosun reports, South Korea's foreign ministry said it was continuing monitoring the situation.
A teenage girl was raped and choked to death by an Iraqi migrant as the boat they were on sank in the Mediterranean, horrified witnesses have claimed, with the attacker surviving the shipwreck that saw dozens killed off Italy.

Survivors claimed the man carried out the unspeakable attack after seeing his wife and daughter drown, Italian media reports, 'venting' his fury on the helpless 16-year-old girl.

The teenager was raped and suffocated in front of her distraught mother by the 27-year-old man as the sail boat sank, news agency AGI reports citing a police investigation.

The man has since been arrested on suspicion of murdering the girl, who was also of Iraqi origin and had been making the journey to Europe with her mother. She survived the disaster and reported her daughter's killing to police.

Only twelve people were rescued from the ship, which officials believe had been carrying around 70 people, including more than two dozen children. One of the survivors later died and more than half of the bodies have been recovered.

One of the 12 survivors of a migrant shipwreck that left dozens of people dead has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenage Iraqi girl on board

Search teams recovered some of the bodies of the roughly 70

A survivor is treated by medical teams after being rescued from the shipwreck on June 17

In a statement, officers confirmed the sailing boat was adrift off the coast of Italy when the man 'vented his aggression on a 16-year-old Iraqi girl, the daughter of another survivor, leading to her death by suffocation'.

A police spokesperson did not immediately confirm details of the attack.

Those who made it out with their lives described their perilous journey, telling charity workers that 'they were travelling without life jackets and that some boats did not stop to help them.'

The boat's engine reportedly exploded, leaving it adrift, with pictures showing it sinking before it became completely submerged with only its mast visible.

The survivors were brought to the port of Roccella Ionica after the ordeal, which took place overnight between June 16 and 17. A female survivor later died.

Another 35 bodies were subsequently recovered from the water in search efforts, local authorities said on Tuesday, bringing the official toll of those who died to 36.

The bodies found at sea included 15 children.

The UN refugee agency UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration and UN children's agency UNICEF said the migrants came from Iran, Syria and Iraq.

The ship originated in Turkey and was wrecked about 120 nautical miles off the southern coast of Italy.

The survivor accused of murder and rape has been detained in prison in Catanzaro, the capital of the Calabria region, police said.

Pictures show the sail boat completely submerged with a coastguard boat alongside it

The coastguard vessel is seen as it approached the sinking yacht disappearing below the water

The stricken vessel is seen having almost totally sunk below the water

Meanwhile, security forces in Iraq's Kurdistan on Tuesday announced the arrest of four suspected human traffickers over the shipwreck.

According to non-governmental organisations and accounts from victims' families, the sailing boat was carrying mostly Kurdish migrants from Iraq and Iran, along with Afghan families.

The UN's International Organisation for Migration says about 3,155 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean last year and more than 1,000 people so far this year.

The Central Mediterranean migration route, on which Italy lies, is the deadliest in the world and accounts for 80 percent of the deaths on that sea.

Thousands of migrants depart from Libya and Tunisia by boat towards Europe, with Italy often the first landing point.

Many migrants from African nations embark on the trips from ports in Libya - where human traffickers have capitalised on the country's instability.

Those from the Middle East often attempt to make the shorter but no less perilous journey west across the Mediterranean from Turkey, having arrived there from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

News of the mans arrest comes after another group of 77 migrants were rescued off another sailing yacht after a large overnight operation in the southern Aegean Sea, Greek authorities said earlier this week.

Nobody was reported missing or injured following rescue between the islands of Amorgos and Astypalaia, Greece's coast guard said on Monday.

Three coast guard vessels, four merchant ships in the area and two smaller private boats took part in the rescue after passengers on the yacht phoned emergency services for assistance.

The nationalities of the migrants were not immediately known. All were taken to Naxos in the Cyclades island group, where they were given temporary shelter.

It was unclear where the migrants had departed from.

Both Italy and Greece are key entry points for thousands of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia seeking a better life in the affluent European Union.

Turkey in 2016 inked a deal with the EU to stop migrants and refugees crossing into Greece in return for some 6billion - later increased to 9billion - to provide infrastructure and humanitarian aid to the migrants it accepted.

Under the deal, Turkish authorities would prevent migrants from trying to reach Greece and accept the return of those who did.

For every migrant Turkey took back from Greece, the EU would allow one Syrian refugee in Turkey who had their asylum request approved to be permitted entry into an EU state.

Coast guard officers recover the bodies of migrants following the tragic shipwreck off Italy

Bodies of some of the migrants who were killed in the tragedy are seen in the Italian southern port-city of Roccella Ionica, early Wednesday, June 19

Emergency workers are seen at the southern port-city of Roccella Ionica, Wednesday, June 19

But in 2020 Ankara said the deal could no longer be enforced and began refusing to accept returns from Greece - a factor which may have contributed to the Greek coastguard's alleged actions that resulted in migrant deaths.

Earlier this month, Greece denied the findings of the BBC report that accused its coast guard of brutally preventing migrants from reaching Greek shores and alleged the practice had resulted in dozens of deaths.

Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis insisted that there was no evidence to support the allegations.

'Our understanding is that what is reported is not proved,' he told a regular press briefing when asked about the claims. 'Every complaint is looked into, and in the end, the relevant findings are made public.'

Today, three sources told Reuters that Greek coastguard officers will testify as suspects as part of a disciplinary investigation into their role a deadly migrant shipwreck off Greece last year.

Hundreds are feared to have died when a vessel, monitored by the Greek coastguard for several hours, capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos on June 14, 2023.

Up to 700 people were in the trawler which left Libya heading for Italy. Some 104 survivors were rescued but only 82 bodies were recovered. One year on, no one has been held accountable and relatives are still waiting for news of loved ones.

The Greek coastguard has denied any wrongdoing over the handling of the case that sent shockwaves across Europe and beyond and raised questions about the European Union's tactics on migration.

Some of the migrants were rescued by a merchant ship which subsequently transferred them to a Coast Guard unit. They disembarked in Roccella Ionica, southern Italy, 17 June 2024

About 10 officers, including the coastguard's commander and the captain of the vessel monitoring the overcrowded ship before it sank, have been called to testify as suspects, the sources who are close to the inquiry said.

According to UN data, more than 23,500 migrants have died or gone missing in Mediterranean waters since 2014.

UN agencies called on EU governments to step up Mediterranean search and rescue efforts and expand legal and safe migration channels, so that migrants 'are not forced to risk their lives at sea'.

Earlier this month 11 bodies were recovered from the sea off the coast of Libya, while last year another migrant boat that had set off from Turkey smashed into rocks just off the town of Cutro in Calabria, killing at least 94 people.
Local businesses have rallied behind a landlord who became the victim of the council's clampdown on 'garish' paint jobs.

Christopher Nevill was ordered to repaint his nail salon and hairdressers on Canterbury's high street in a council-approved shade of pink.

However, just as Mr Nevill started work on the Grade-II listed building he received a shocking warning in the post that if he didn't change the bright pink shopfront he could face jail time or an unlimited fine.

Now other local businesses in the Kent city have come in support of Mr Nevill and his choice of paint.

Viktoriya Kovalenka, 27, who runs VK Beauty Studio opposite Mr Nevill's Kent Nails said: 'I think the pink was too pink, which is a bit silly to be honest. I feel like it is picking on local businesses.

Christopher Nevill's hair salon in its original bright pink paint job. He was ordered to repaint his nail salon and hairdressers on Canterbury's high street in a council-approved shade of pink

However, just as Mr Nevill started work on the Grade-II listed building he received a shocking warning in the post that if he didn't change the bright pink shopfront he could face jail time or an unlimited fine

Viktoriya Kovalenka (pictured), 27, who runs VK Beauty Studio opposite Mr Nevill's Kent Nails said: 'I think the pink was too pink, which is a bit silly to be honest. I feel like it is picking on local businesses'

'As Canterbury council, they should be supporting local businesses, rather than telling them to keep swapping the pinks, because it is expensive to paint the shop, and again big businesses are getting away with it.

'Every second shop on the high street is a vape shop, and they have pictures of marijuana and other things, and they are okay with it, but apparently they are not okay when the pink is too pink.'

Pearl, 40, who also works on the high street, said: 'I think it's really nice to have different colours. I know its a conservation area, isn't it, so you are not supposed to have different colours, but I think it is quite vibrant to be fair.

'I quite like the sign itself, I don't think it's that noticeable, every shop has something different really.'

Ms Kovalenka also revealed that she had also had a run-in with the council over the tinge of pink she could use for her business' sign.

She said: 'I was talking to the council, my landlord was talking to the council because I obviously did not want to keep changing the colour, so we agreed it beforehand.

'But it was a very particular shade of pink, it was very complicated, a lot of hard work basically.'

The 27-year-old also claimed that bigger businesses in the city are allowed to put signs in whatever colours they like. She said: 'local businesses like ours are very limited in their options.'

Mr Nevill applied for planning permission to recoat the exterior walls the council-approved colour of 'conch parade pink'. His application was granted last July - giving him until July 24 this year to begin painting

Ms Kovalenka also revealed that she had also had a run-in with the council over the tinge of pink she could use for her business' sign

Over a month before the deadline, Mr Nevill received the enforcement notice warning he could face a huge fine or even a spell behind bars

Ms Kovalenka said: 'I feel like the council are picking on us, because I am sure, I am more than sure, that they won't say a word to big businesses.

'They say they are supporting local businesses, but in reality that is not the truth, that is how I feel about it.'

Mr Nevill's loggerheads with the council began last year when he decided to repaint his 'drab white' shop.

He was first contacted by the local authority in 2023, having painted the outside of the properties a new shade of bright salmon without permission two years earlier.

Officials said it was not in keeping with the style of the city centre.

Mr Nevill applied for planning permission to recoat the exterior walls the council-approved colour of 'conch parade pink' and make other requested changes regarding the shops' signage and lighting.

His application was granted last July - giving him until July 24 this year to begin painting.

But over a month before the deadline, he received the enforcement notice warning he could face a huge fine or even a spell behind bars.

After getting the enforcement notices, Chris immediately got into contact with the council to find out what was going on.

Mr Nevill said: 'They (the council) don't want, quote, 'Las Vegas Canterbury high street' they want the traditional, which we pride ourselves on as Englishmen, and ladies, of having our high street as something we should protect and value

He said: 'I'm thinking, what is going on, I fired off a letter to the council.

The city council has been cracking down on 'garish' shopfronts that are not sympathetic to the area's heritage and history, and have been altered illegally for more than 18 months.

Mr Nevill said: 'They don't want, quote, 'Las Vegas Canterbury high street' they want the traditional, which we pride ourselves on as Englishmen, and ladies, of having our high street as something we should protect and value.

'I am all for that, and whatever is asked of me by the council, in this case Canterbury City Council planning department.

'However, they have over stretched their hand, they have used too much power, in order to enforce something that just didn't need to be done as it was already being done.'

The city council says its work has been 'very well received by the community' - but concedes officials should have completed a last check before sending the warning letter to Mr Nevill.

A spokesperson for Canterbury city council said: 'We apologise to Mr Nevill for the confusion regarding an enforcement notice relating to his shopfront.

'Our work to tackle overbearing and garish shopfronts that are not sympathetic to the area's heritage and history, and have been altered illegally, has been running for more than 18 months.

The city council says its work has been 'very well received by the community' - but concedes officials should have completed a last check before sending the warning letter to Mr Nevill

'It has been very well received by the community which understands the importance of these issues in an historic city like Canterbury.

'However, a small number of businesses had still not complied with our request to take action to rectify this issue, and Mr Nevill's was identified as one of these.

'His shopfront was visited on 24 May and as no work had been carried out, enforcement notices legally requiring him to tone down the colour of the paint and remove signage was prepared and issued on 18 June.

'However, Mr Nevill wrote to us the following day to tell us the paint work had been completed and plans were progressing on the signs.

'We accept that a final check on the premises should have been carried out just before the notices were issued.

'We are pleased that Mr Nevill has now carried out the painting work and once the signage has been removed, we will withdraw the enforcement notice.'

The spokesperson added: 'We have a shopfront design supplementary planning document which is intended to help owners, developers and designers achieve high standards in shopfront design and take a sensible and sensitive approach to security, signage and materials.

'Our current project is targeting listed buildings in St Peter's Street and the High Street in the first instance. These were considered to be the priority as it is a criminal offence to alter a listed building and we have limited staffing resources.

'It is an ongoing scheme and we hope other shop owners will see what we are trying to achieve - which is to improve the historic environment, because when this happens it benefits the commercial attractiveness of the city centre and is good for the businesses.'
Tragedy struck as three bodies were found inside a crater at the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan, police said today.

One of the bodies has already been brought down from the slopes and authorities will mount efforts to recover the other two on Friday or later, depending on weather conditions, police said.

A search was called off today due to forecasts of heavy rainfall.

The identities of the people, including their gender and age, has not been confirmed.

It is unclear whether the three people were climbing the 12,388ft (3,776 metre) mountain together, as the bodies were found slightly apart.

The bodies of three climbers were found on Japan's famous Mt Fuji (pictured in April)

Police said they will continue searches on Friday or later, depending on weather conditions

The official climbing season had not yet started when the climbers entered the mountain from the side of the Shizuoka Prefecture.

Japanese media reports showed a vehicle with one of the bodies driving into a police station.

The rescue team had been searching for a 53-year-old man for whom a missing person report was filed.

Separately, Kyodo News service said professional climber Keita Kurakami, 38, died in a hospital after being found by police while climbing Fuji from the the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain.

Fuji can be climbed from both the Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures. The climbing season kicks in for Yamanashi on July 1.

Mount Fuji is a popular tourist destination.

Experts warn it can get extremely cold, even in the summer, and proper gear, climbing boots and clothing are crucial.

Trekkers are also at risk of altitude sickness if they ascend too quickly.

The picturesque Fuji has long been an famous symbol of Japan, with its gracefully sweeping slopes and white icy cap that stand out amid tranquil lakes and rice fields.

As many as 300,000 people climb it every year, and watching the sunrise from the mountaintop is coveted as a spiritual experience.

But worries have been growing lately about overcrowding from the influx of tourists.

The town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi erected a large black screen along a pavement to block the view of Mount Fuji to discourage photo-taking crowds.
A woman has called out Domino's' 'massive' fees amid claims the fast food giant charges customers almost double to get their pizzas delivered.

As the cost of living bites, Aussies are looking at ways to avoid any extra charges and for many pizza lovers, that means picking up their takeaways in-store.

Nay Mcrae was happy to spend a little extra for the convenience of having her pizzas delivered to her door, but quickly changed her mind after she realised how much more expensive it would be.

She shared a side-by-side comparison of the prices at her local store in Kempsey on the NSW mid north coast.

'Has anyone noticed such a massive difference in pizza prices when doing delivery? This is our local Domino's, won't be getting delivery anytime soon,' she wrote on Facebook.

The photo showed the total bill for three large pizzas rose from $35 to $65 with delivery, with what appeared to be a $10 surcharge added to each item.

A furious Domino's customer posted a side-by-side price comparison of the pick-up and delivered pizza order

Social media users slammed Domino's over its delivery surcharges

With delivery, the $16 supreme pizza became $26, the $12 Philly Cheesesteak went up to $22, and the $7 ham and cheese pizza turned to $17, according to Yahoo.

The online post was flooded with comments from unimpressed Aussies, with many calling Domino's a 'rip-off' and 'expensive cardboard'.

'I called them out on this and they said they now add a delivery fee to EACH PIZZA... sooo dodgy,' one person said.

'I noticed this almost two years ago. Haven't bought off them since,' wrote another.

A third wrote: 'Oh my goodness thats crazy! We also find vouchers on Frugal Feeds which often gets us 40 per cent off the pickup price.'

It remains unclear when the pricing change came into effect.

A Domino's spokesperson said customers are paying more for the convenience of getting hot pizzas delivered to their home.

Domino's customers pay almost double for the convenience of having hot pizzas delivered to their homes

'This menu pricing takes into account additional costs like labour, fuel and mileage required to get the order from our store to your door,' the spokesperson said.

'Dominos pick-up menu is where you will find the lowest pricing as there are no additional costs to get this order to you.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted Domino's for further comment.
Human remains have been discovered in a well near missing Texas college student Caleb Harris' apartment months after he disappeared when he went to collect a food delivery.

The remains were found by Corpus Christi, Texas city employees who were doing routine maintenance work on a 40-foot deep well at the Perry Point waste water collection point on Monday, according to a statement by Corpus Christi police.

The remains were found near missing 21-year-old Caleb Harris' apartment, a sophomore at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, who disappeared on March 4 without his shoes. wallet and keys.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times said that the well was drained so that emergency services could descend into it and retrieve the remains.

There were reportedly 'no obvious signs' of homicide, but the remains have been transported to the Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office for examination and identification, the police said.

Pictured: Caleb Harris poses with a fish on a beach. He has been missing since March, after he was last seen stepping outside his house to collect an Uber Eats delivery. Human remains were found on Monday in a well near his residence, but are yet to be identified

Pictured: Caleb (third from left) with his family, who have been desperately searching for him since his disappearance in March

The age and gender of the body are not known.

Detectives are investigating how the human remains found their way into the well.

In the early hours of March 4, Harris had stepped downstairs to collect an Uber Eats delivery at his Corpus Christie home, but never returned.

His roommate found the order outside the door of the apartment the next day. He was reported missing by 11 am.

The 21-year-old had spent the evening playing with a dog that had just been bought by one of his two roommates and had been sending Snapchats to his sister until moments before he vanished.

Harris' last known location as in front of the entrance area of The Cottages, an off-campus student housing area in Corpus Christi

His Snapchat app pinged his last location in front of the entrance area of The Cottages, an off-campus student housing in Corpus Christi.

Uber say the order was delivered to the doorstep of the apartment block in Ennis Joslin Road and there was no sign of Harris who had turned off his phone seconds earlier.

'He kind of vanished,' father Randy Harris said following his disappearance, 'There's no evidence of wrongdoing, but there's no evidence at all.'

Police and Harris' family have been desperately searching for the student since his disappearance a few months ago.
More than 1,200 officers and staff left Police Scotland last year amid concern over grievance and absence due to stress, figures show.

The impact of a recruitment freeze and civilian early retirement drive mean more pressure is being piled on a dwindling workforce  while more officers are quitting early because of ill health.

The cost of absence is an astonishing 74million at a time of major cash constraints for the force.

Officer numbers are at their lowest level since 2008 and leaders of the rank-and-file warn that it is proving difficult to replace those who have left.

Last night Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: These stark figures confirm that many of Scotlands dedicated police officers have had enough, leaving the thin blue line at breaking point. SNP budget cuts, their relentless weakening of the justice system, and disregard for officer welfare mean that policing numbers are at their lowest in 16 years.

More than 850 officers left Police Scotland voluntarily last year

A workforce annual report by Katy Miller, Police Scotland director of people and development, will be presented to a Scottish Police Authority (SPA) public board meeting in Edinburgh today.

It said 1,279 officers and staff left voluntarily in 2023  854 officers and 425 civilian staff  while only 949 were hired (606 officers and 343 civilians). It also said that grievance and absence due to stress have seen an increase, giving rise to some concern about the wellbeing of the workforce.

But the report also argued that turnover is still below that of police services in other parts of the UK.

It showed 75 officers retired because of ill-health during the past year, up by more than 15 per cent. A redundancy and early retirement programme identified 223 posts for immediate release (saving 9.8million) and a further 252 for potential release (saving 9.9million).

The Mail understands around 90 officers are currently suspended and about 180 are on restricted duties  possibly because they are under investigation and have been moved to a backroom role.

The report said: Working days lost to absence remains higher than pre-Covid levels at 6.1 per cent (up from 5.1 per cent in 2018/19). Psychological absences continue to rise.

Last night David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said: We have a service that is broken because we cannot do the basics of what a police service should be.

People are leaving because of incessant demand and potential applicants are reluctant to join the service because they know the pressures they would face.

A force spokesman said: We restarted officer recruitment in March and plans for further intakes totalling over 1,300 officers during 2024-25 are due to be discussed at the SPA board.

The Scottish Government said last night: We have provided record funding of 1.55billion for policing in 2024-25  an increase of 92.7million, which means Police Scotland can increase officer numbers to around 16,500 to 16,600.
A Green Party election candidate likened Tories and other leading public figures to Nazi war criminals who should face a 'climate Nuremburg' for not taking strong enough environmental action.

Joe Taylor, who is standing in Battersea in south west London, made the analogy in an X tirade against Labour's Emily Thornberry in March.

He said Just Stop Oil were showing her 'how to cancel your spot at the climate Nuremberg', before adding that the Tories are 'beyond help' and have 'already cast their die and booked their places at the climate Nuremberg'.

And he reportedly made similar remarks in an in-person hustings at the weekend.

The Nuremberg trials took place after the end of the Second World War, with senior Nazis held accountable for the horrors they inflicted on Europe. Ten senior members of Adolf Hitler's regime were hanged and others were jailed.

When asked to comment on the most recent allegations by the Spectator magazine, Mr Taylor published their inquiry with a long thread of comments on X.

He did not deny making the remarks at the hustings, but suggested he was aiming his remarks at 'fossil fuel executives' and politicians like Nigel Farage.

'There are several groups who are using international criminal law to seek the prosecution of those who cause mass death, mass suffering and annihilation of low-lying states through climate destruction, he added: 'It must surely be only a matter of time before some of them are successful.'

Joe Taylor, who is standing in Battersea in south west London , made the analogy in an X tirade against Labour 's Emily Thornberry in March.

And he reportedly made similar remarks in an in-person hustings at the weekend.

The Nuremberg trials took place after the end of the Second World War, with senior Nazis held accountable for the horrors they inflicted on Europe. Ten senior members of Adolf Hitler's regime were hanged and others were jailed.

He went on to say: 'Once the fossil fuel industry is over, perhaps there could be something like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which seemed to lead to very deep experiences and inner transformations. I believe in nonviolence, not in vengeance, so I would support this.

'But if the fossil fuel industry continues, and if media outlets continue to lie, then the young and those on the frontline of climate breakdown will surely demand justice....

'As we accelerate towards climate breakdown, with each new flood or fire or famine, the momentum towards these prosecutions will only get stronger.'

MailOnline has approached Mr Taylor to comment further.

A Green Party spokesman said: 'This is not the position of the Green Party and has no relation at all to our manifesto.

'The Green transition is about achieving systemic change by investing in renewable energy, better insulating people's homes, reducing and ending our reliance on fossil fuels. Climate change deniers and delayers will oppose these moves, but we will win the argument through the democratic process.'

It is the latest incident in which party candidates have aired controversial views.

The leftwing party, which has been dogged by anti-Semitism scandals during the campaign, seeks to build on the single seat it has held in the Commons since 2010.

As well as Brighton Pavilion, held by Caroline Lucas since 2010, it is also being tipped to potentially win seats in Bristol and Cambridgeshire.

Joe Belcher, who is standing in the Aldridge-Brownhills seat in the West Midlands, denied a controversial mural showing 'hooked-nosed Jewish bankers' playing monopoly off the backs of the poor (below) was 'anti-Semitic'.

Last month MailOnline revealed how a Green Party election candidate is mired in an anti-Semitism row today over social media posts claiming the Islamic State terrorist group was run by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

Joe Belcher, who is standing in the Aldridge-Brownhills seat in the West Midlands, also denied a controversial mural showing 'hooked-nosed Jewish bankers' playing monopoly off the backs of the poor was 'anti-Semitic'.

Mr Belcher, the treasurer of the local party branch in Walsall, shared a link to an article by 'the real Syrian Free Press' - a pro-Assad website - suggesting ISIS was run by 'Simon Elliott, a Mossad agent'.

He also posted other links to pages about 'Rothschild bankers' and shared a link to a video by controversialist David Icke, suggesting Jeremy Corbyn might be a 'savior [who is] going to turn the country around to a more fair and just society' before he became leader of the Labour Party.

Regarding Mr Belcher the Green Party told MailOnline that 'allegations of anti-Semitism will always be carefully considered using our robust internal disciplinary procedures'.
The mother of a woman allegedly sexually assaulted by a British professor who was found dead in an Australian gorge has claimed the 'creepy' academic was 'obsessed' with her daughter, and groomed her for years.

Professor John Forge, 77, was found dead last month at the bottom of the Cataract Gorge in Tasmania.

It has since been revealed that he lived a life of debauchery, making sex workers sign $20,000-a-month agreements that required them to call him 'Daddy', as well as hitting bongs and snorting cocaine - just some of his many vices.

The award-winning, multimillionaire philosophy professor was found dead just hours after a detective knocked on his door to request he attend a questioning session at the police station.

It is understood the academic, who spent four years at the prestigious Rugby School in Warwickshire as a teen, was informed by police he was facing allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman, aged in her 30s, between 2019 and 2022.

That woman's mother has now spoken out, saying Dr Forge groomed her daughter and then began sexually assaulting her almost five years ago, when she was 30.

Did YOU know Dr John Forge? Email martin.robinson@mailonline.co.uk

Skylar Silverstein, a Sydney-based sex worker, says she was employed by Dr Forge from January to October last year and claims she was involved in a 'sex contract' with the old man

Video showed Forge smoking marijuana from a bong

A letter Dr Forge wrote to Ms Silverstein detailing aspects of their agreement

'He was absolutely obsessed with her. It was creepy,' she said.

'It took a lot of guts to go to police and make her statement. [The alleged victim] has a strong sense of justice.'

While she was relieved her daughter would not have to go through a daunting court case, the news was bittersweet.

'She said to me, 'He is never going to have his day in court. He is never going to have to pay for what he has [allegedly] done'.'

The claims made against Dr Forge related to alleged incidents that took place in New South Wales and Tasmania - with the esteemed ethics expert having moved from Sydney to Launceston in January 2022.

A Tasmania spokesperson confirmed Forge's death on May 2 under circumstances that were not considered suspicious.

As a child, Forge was sent to boarding school in Britain and attended the prestigious Rugby School in Warwickshire, which he has described as a 'dreadful place'.

Upon leaving the renowned private school, he went on to spent a further 11 years in education.

During that time he studied at a slew of top establishments including Oxford and University College London, as well as the Ivy League Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Dr Forge, who was in Sydney by 2000 and was named an honorary professor at the University of Sydney in the early 2000s, focused his research on the moral responsibilities of scientists, in particular in using and developing weapons.

On top of the Eureka Prize, his book, The Responsible Scientist: A Philosophical Inquiry, earned him the 2009 David Harold Tribe Philosophy Award.

The professor is understood to have a daughter from a previous relationship who is believed to live in the United States.

According to his website, titled 'Morality Matters', Dr Forge defined morality as 'the way moral persons ought to behave towards others'.

'To cause harm unnecessarily, gratuitously, is to do moral wrong,' he wrote.

He posted to his blog at irregular intervals, with entries dating back to June 2014. He wrote on topics such as refugees, war in the Middle East, freedom of speech, climate change, as well as the the Covid-19 pandemic and the use of vaccines.

However, since his death, his 'double life' has been revealed, with his alleged sugar baby escort saying he was on the verge of being exposed before he died.

Escort Skylar Silverstein spoke about her ex-client, claiming she was embroiled in a 'financial agreement' with him where a strict 'contract' was written up.

Silverstein's claims are separate from the other sexual assault allegations that have been made against Forge.

Respected philosophy professor Dr John Forge (pictured) died last month amid allegations he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman for three years

Another video showed him snorting a white powder with a rolled up note, before rubbing the remaining powder on his gums

His alleged sugar baby escort Skylar Silverstein spoke about her ex-client, claiming she was embroiled in a 'financial agreement' with him

A note of Silverstein's agreement has now surfaced, where Forge outlined her 'duties to her dearest daddy John'.

It reads: 'She will do everything she can to make her daddy happy. She will do this by being a good, obedient girl, but above all, she will love him and try to please him in any way she can. Her love is her greatest gift.'

'Her daddy will have exclusive use of her body, to do with as he likes.

'[She] has a right to say what she wants, but daddy decides.'

She previously said of the arrangement: 'We got on quite well and decided to do an arrangement, where I would see him a certain number of times per month,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I received a generous monthly allowance of $20,000 plus exotic holidays.

'He took me to all the high end restaurants, showered me in expensive gifts. We drunk the best champagnes and wines. He bought me designer items and a luxury spa.

'We shared a lot of personal details. I really felt I knew him even in that time. We spoke over the phone everyday.'

But despite public appearances, Dr Forge had a wild side - and some very unusual fetishes.

'He was extremely kinky. Under the arrangement, I had to call him 'Daddy John' and he wanted me tied up and gagged,' Ms Silverstein said.

'He even engaged in illicit drug taking at 77 years of age!'

Video also emerged allegedly showing him using a bong to smoke marijuana, while a woman lights it up for him, while another showed him snorting what appears to be a white powder with a rolled up note, before dabbing the remaining powder on his gums.

The escort added: 'I have an OnlyFans account and he was helping me with the content. His voice is in some of the videos.'

But after learning of Forge's allegations, Silverstein told Daily Mail Australia how upon reflection, their conversations were 'creepy'.

The Sydney-based sex worker said: 'In the arrangement, he spoke about her [his alleged victim] a lot. It was strange,' she said.

'He said he loved her.. [but] it was a sick love. He was [allegedly] stalking her. He took advantage of the vulnerable. It makes me sick to my stomach'.

Silverstein also claimed the former professor was proud of his reputation and was skilled at hiding his true identity.

'He seemed charming, he was well-respected in various circles academically, he was an author, he wrote so many books,' she said. 'But underneath, there were many skeletons in his closet that were about to be exposed.

Philosophy professor John Forge (pictured with Skylar) died on May 2 while under investigation over historical sexual abuse allegations

Forge's body was found on May 2 at the base of the Cataract Gorge in Tasmania

Dr Forge is pictured with Sydney-based sex worker Skylar Silverstein last year

'It is ironic he wrote a book about the morals of weapons, but yet where was his moral obligation to this girl?'

Following his death, Forge's alleged victim's mother told Daily Mail Australia the detective working on the case rang her at 3pm on May 2 to say she had just attended Dr Forge's home, having asked him to go to the police station to make a statement.

But just hours later, the woman said she received a call from police to reveal that officers had found him dead at the bottom of the gorge.

'A member of the public found his ID, phone and keys on a pathway and phoned police, who then went and found him,' she said.

'It happened within an hour-and-a-half after the knock.

'He was living a double life and it was about to be uncovered.'

Dr Forge's death has gone unannounced in public, except for his Facebook page being switched to a memorial template.

The University of Sydney was concerned by the allegations against Dr Forge.

Police were called to Cataract Gorge (pictured) after a concerned member of the public found his belongings abandoned on a footpath

'We are deeply committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for everyone in our community,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'We have a zero-tolerance policy to any form of intimidating or abusive behaviour, including sexual misconduct.

'If any of our community experiences or witnesses such behaviour we urge them to get in touch so we can provide appropriate support and follow up.'

A report into Dr Forge's death will be prepared for the Coroner.
Two Britons watched on in horror as a giant hot air balloon packed with tourists slammed into Turkey's famed 'Fairy Chimney' rock formations after a freak gust of wind.

Rebecca Horsfall, 31, filmed the shocking moment the basket holding 20 tourists and two pilots crashed into the rocks of the Love Valley site in Cappadocia, Turkey, around 6am on Saturday.

'Suddenly people were screaming and running to the edge of the valley,' Ms Horsfall, who went to a scenic lock out spot with her partner Kieran McDonnell, 30, to take pictures for social media at sunrise, told MailOnline.

Ms Horsfall, from Burnley, added: 'It was incredibly scary to see the hot air balloon basket slip down the mountain side.'

A gust of wind blew the giant air balloon against the rocks as pilot Caner Uzun was trying to land opposite the Love Valley, according to local media.

Two Britons watched on in horror as a giant hot air balloon packed with tourists slams into Turkey's famed 'Fairy Chimney' rock formations after a freak gust of wind

Rebecca Horsfall, 31, filmed the shocking moment the basket holding 20 tourists and two pilots crashed into the rocks of the Love Valley site in Cappadocia, Turkey, around 6am on Saturday

A gust of wind blew the giant air balloon against the rocks as pilot Caner Uzun was trying to land opposite the Love Valley, according to local media

Footage shows the balloon deflating as emergency services rush to the scene to examine the passengers.

Ms Horsfall said that their drone captured footage of one of the tourists onboard, who 'was being fanned' after she appeared to have fainted.

None of the tourists or pilots were injured in the rock landing.

'I actually went on a balloon flight in this area two years ago, and found the whole operation very safe. I am sure this was more of a freak accident, Mrs Horsfall, who is a self-employed event planner, told MailOnline.

'It appears as though the balloon had got caught on the side of a rock. The valleys can be narrow and the pilots like to fly the balloons low for the best experience for the passengers.'

One of the passengers on the balloon told local media that the pilot 'constantly gave us confidence and comfort', despite the rough landing.

Ms Horsfall, who is travelling in a camper van with her partner and three dogs in Turkey right now, said in her video: 'Well guys, we're just leaving Love Valley now and this is not what we expected to see.

Footage shows the balloon deflating as emergency services rush to the scene to assess the passengers

None of the passengers or pilots were injured in the rock landing in Turkey

Ms Horsfall, who is travelling in a camper van with her partner and three dogs in Turkey right now, said in her video (above): 'Well guys, we're just leaving Love Valley now and this is not what we expected to see'

Rebecca Horsfall (pictured) went to scenic Cappadocia to take pictures like above for her and her partner's social media account called The Tails of Travel

'We've been in Cappadocia for a week watching the balloons rise every morning.

'Thankfully the emergency services got there quickly, looked like everyone has got out safely. I don't think there's been any major injuries. Just really shocking to see.'

The local government said in a statement: 'The hot air balloon in question, which took off from the Pasabaglar location at around 05:15 today, made an emergency and safe hard landing during its landing within the borders of Goereme Town.

'After the emergency landing, the 20 passengers and 2 pilots in the balloon were safely evacuated by our AFAD teams, no injuries occurred, and no adverse events were detected in the health examination of the pilot and passengers in the balloon.'
A veteran beast hunter says he has been left 'dumbfounded' as a webcam trained on Loch Ness allegedly captured a new sighting of the famous monster.

The footage, taken on June 12 over the span of roughly three minutes, was captured using a webcam at the Clansman Hotel on the lake's shore and appears to show something moving just below the surface of the Scottish lake.

Eoin O'Faodhagain was watching the water on a livestream from his home in Ireland when he spotted a mysterious hump emerging from Loch Ness near its northern end.

He claims to have spotted a 'jet black anomaly that was slowly appearing on the surface of the loch, less than a hundred yards from the shoreline.'

The Nessie hunter said: 'I was a bit dumbfounded that it did not dissolve into nothing, but kept materialising ever more distinct and blacker.'

The footage, taken on June 12 over the span of roughly three minutes, was captured using a webcam at the Clansman Hotel on the lake's shore and appears to show something moving just below the surface of the Scottish lake

Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Alleged sightings of the Loch Ness monster have captured people's imagination for centuries. The earliest sighting of Nessie dates back all the way to the 7th century

Eoin O'Faodhagain (pictured) was watching the water on a webcam from his home in Ireland when he spotted a mysterious hump emerging from Loch Ness near its northern end

The veteran Nessie hunter estimates that the hump was up to nine feet long at the surface.

Mr O'Faodhagain claims the unknown object had to be alive as it was 'moving ever so slowly in a controlled manner, and disappearing without causing any further disturbance.'

The 59-year-old said: 'This object has none of the characteristics of seals or otters,' he said.

'The object is moving as one - a fish or an eel, would be flexing their bodies more.

'It is very hard to say it is definitely Nessie, but it is easy to say what it is not.

'And when you rule out the known creatures that inhabit Loch Ness, what are you left with?'

It was, he said, an 'unexplained anomaly'.

Alleged sightings of the Loch Ness monster have captured people's imagination for centuries. The earliest sighting of Nessie dates back all the way to the 7th century.

The mysterious beast first caught the world's attention when a sighting of the monster was published in The Inverness Courier in May 1933. A year later the supposed first picture of Nessie was taken by a London surgeon called Robert Kenneth Wilson.

Mr O'Faodhagain claims the unknown object had to be alive as it was 'moving ever so slowly in a controlled manner, and disappearing without causing any further disturbance'

The most famous picture of Nessie was taken by by a London surgeon called Robert Kenneth Wilson and was ublished in the Daily Mail in April 1934 and for 60 years many people considered it to be proof of the monster's existence

The picture supposedly showed the creature's head and neck.

It was published in the Daily Mail in April 1934 and for 60 years many people considered it to be proof of the monster's existence. However, by the 1990s most expert concluded the photograph was part of an elaborate hoax.

Sightings of the amphibious creature continue to this day. Over the years, Mr O'Faodhagain has racked up multiple entries in the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.

But new restrictions concerning webcam sightings have kept his recent contributions off the record.

The VILN webcams, which captured the footage, can be watched live online at visitinvernesslochness.com

The Clansman Hotel was contacted for comment.
A young girl tragically died from extreme heat after she was left 'locked inside the sweltering hot car of her mom's boyfriend while we went to work'.

Markise Outing, 24, from Florida, was arrested on June 25 and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child after he allegedly left his girlfriend's six-year-old daughter in a locked car for around three hours.

Outing had arrived at a Southern Manatee County Fire Department on May 20 at around 5:17pm seeking medical attention for the child, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Paramedics dashed to the scene where they found the little girl unconscious, not breathing, and with a body temperature of 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit - believing she may have suffered from a cardiac arrest.

After medics made desperate but unsuccessful attempts to revive the child, they were forced to rush her to a local hospital for further treatment as temperatures in the Bradenton area of Manatee County that day reached 89 degrees.

Markise Outing, 24, was arrested on June 25 and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child after he allegedly left his girlfriends six-year-old daughter in a locked car for around three hours in Manatee County, Florida, leading to her death

The young girl tragically lost her life later that evening at the hospital.

Outing was questioned by cops on the girl's extremely high temperature, but claimed it was due to her playing outside in a park and becoming overheated.

However, deputies revealed that the man's version of events was riddled with inconsistencies and GPS data later collected by investigators suggested the child had been left inside a parked vehicle for several hours.

Officers said Outing had collected the girl from school at around 2:45pm, before driving to his workplace in Bradenton.

Here, he allegedly left the child inside his locked car with the windows closed while he worked.

It was chillingly revealed that if Outing had driven to the firehouse as soon as he discovered his girlfriend's daughter's unconscious body, she would have been trapped in the sweltering hot car for around three hours.

The MCSO said they believed the temperatures within the vehicle reached over 115 degrees Fahrenheit - with an autopsy later revealing the child died from extreme heat.

Detectives are still waiting on the results of a toxicology report.

A study by the group 'Kids and Car Safety,' looked at data from 1990 to 2023, that showed at least 1,083 children have died in hot cars in the US over that period.

Texas saw 155 child hot car deaths in that period, Florida was second with 118 deaths, and California was third with 65 deaths.
LBC listeners were shocked to turn on the radio this morning to hear James O'Brien's voice had been replaced by colleague Nick Ferrari.

O'Brien presents the popular talk station from 10am and 1pm on weekdays where he discusses current affairs and responds to phone-ins from listeners.

However, he was just a way into his stint this morning when he abruptly announced he had to leave for a 'bit of a family emergency' and would be passing on the baton to fellow presenter Nick Ferrari.

James O'Brien in the LBC studios at Global in Leicester Square. The radio presenter has been working for LBC since 2004

Nick Ferrari pictured leaving Global Radio in London in April 2022 with a newspaper in hand. Ferrari has also been hosting LBC's breakfast show since 2004

Just half an hour into his mid-morning show, at 10.32am, O'Brien said: 'You're listening to James O'Brien on LBC.

'The headlines are next, after which, in an unscripted development on LBC, Nick Ferrari will be back with you.

'I've got a bit of an emergency at home which I have to deal with. It's nothing that you need to worry about unduly.

'I fully expect to be back tomorrow, but I won't be back on air after the very latest headlines.

'Nick Ferrari will be.'

The famed radio show host said he 'fully expects' to be back tomorrow.

LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast show is usually on air between 7am and 10am, after which James O'Brien takes to the mic

Messages from concerned viewers immediately poured in after O'Brien's announcement.

Replacing O'Brien for the rest of the show, Ferrari took to the mic saying: 'Yes it is me.

'Just to explain, and we won't overwork this but James O'Brien has had to leave for an issue of some sort.

'I will make sure the messages that are pouring in, my goodness me he's got such a faithful and loyal and dedicated audience, I'll try and make sure James or at least his producers have them so he sees them later.

'I genuinely don't know what it is, but obviously, along with you, we and all of LBC send our best wishes to James O'Brien with whatever it is that he has to go and do.

'So good luck with that sport, and off you go fella do what you have to do.'
Britain's oldest silverback gorilla - who became a star of children's TV - has died aged 42.

Pertinax was put to sleep at Paignton Zoo, Devon, on Tuesday after failing to respond to treatment for an underlying illness.

The zoo said Pertinax, a western lowland gorilla, had been a 'beloved' member of the family and among supports and visitors since his arrival 27 years ago.

Pertinax was renowned as a celebrity figure too - having inspired books and even starred as Hank in CBBC's 'The Zoo'.

The mockumentary, narrated by Hugh Dennis, followed the daily life of animals at Paignton Zoo and Living Coasts - but they were comically given human voices and computer-generated mouths.

Britain's oldest silverback gorilla Pertinax - who became a star of children's TV - has died aged 42

Pertinax was put to sleep at Paignton Zoo, Devon, after failing to respond to treatment for an underlying illness

Pertinax played Hank - the oldest of the four gorillas who liked to stay out of the drama. There were two series of 'The Zoo' between August 2017 and April 2018.

Zoo keepers at Paignton Zoo, along with the dedicated veterinary team, were with Pertinax when he passed away on Tuesday.

Paignton Zoo said Pertinax first arrived at their doors in 1997 - and 'quickly became a fan favourite in the community'.

In a statement the zoo said: 'We knew immediately that he was special, thanks to his calm yet somewhat cheeky personality.

'In 2006, he was joined by our three younger males; Kiondu, Kivu and N'Dowe.

'Pertinax took on the role of a father figure, raising the three juveniles into the gentle, sociable silverbacks that they are today.

'Since his arrival 27 years ago, Pertinax had become something of a celebrity, inspiring books and even starring as Hank in CBBC's 'The Zoo'.

'His legacy extends beyond our zoo, touching the hearts of fans across the country.

Paignton Zoo said Pertinax first arrived at their doors in 1997 - and 'quickly became a fan favourite in the community'

'We feel incredibly privileged to have cared for Pertinax for nearly three decades.

'He was truly one of a kind and his loss will be felt deeply by our community, especially by his keepers who knew him best.

'We humbly ask for your support and kindness during this difficult time.'
Notorious mum-killer Jessica Camilleri has had time piled onto her jail term after she once again admitted to attacking prison guards.

Camilleri is serving a 16-and-a-half year sentence for brutally killing her mother inside their western Sydney home in 2019.

She was found guilty of manslaughter for the shocking attack, in which she stabbed her mother Rita at least 100 times, carved up her face and decapitated her.

But since being locked up, Camilleri has been hit with fresh charges for attacking correctional services officers.

Notorious mum-killer Jessica Camilleri has had time piled onto her jail term after she once again admitted to attacking prison guards

She was found guilty of manslaughter for the shocking attack, in which she stabbed her mother Rita (pictured) at least 100 times, carved up her face and decapitated her

Last year, she pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and inflicting actual bodily harm.

She was sentenced to 22 months in jail for attacking two guards at Silverwater Correctional Centre and effectively had one year added onto her non-parole period, meaning she was first eligible for release in July 2032.

A video played to the court showed Camilleri yanking a fistful of hair from the scalp of one of the guards.

Camilleri is serving a 16-and-a-half year sentence for brutally killing her mother inside their western Sydney home in 2019

Camilleri was back before the courts on Thursday after she pleaded guilty to a similar attack on two female guards at Dillwynia Correctional Centre in March last year.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer.

In the Penrith District Court on Thursday, Judge Michael Allen sentenced Camilleri to 12 months in jail, with a nine-month parole period.

She was given a 25 per cent discount on her sentence owing to her early guilty plea.

Camilleri will now be eligible for release on 4 December, 2032.
A 92-year-old pensioner who allegedly stabbed his wife 76 times as he killed her is not fit to be admitted to an aged-care facility, a court has heard.

Francesco Dimasi, who is bedridden, suffers from dementia and is receiving palliative care, was excused from attending an Adelaide Magistrates Court hearing on Thursday as his mental and physical states continue to deteriorate.

The great grandfather is charged with one count of murder over the stabbing death of his wife of 50 years Maria 'Nonna' Dimasi on December 2, 2023.

Prosecutors opposed Dimasi's bid for release on bail to an aged care facility, the Advertiser reported.

The court heard that before allegedly killing his wife, Dimasi had been diagnosed with vascular dementia and experiencing increased paranoia and verbal aggression.

The court also heard that he had some physical difficulties at the time of the alleged murder, including that he was using a walker and needed some care assistance.

'The defendant, in my submission, has gone and committed an extremely violent offence, the post-mortem which has been received in the case, the deceased had 76 sharp-force injuries on her body,' the prosecutor told Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribral.

Francesco Dimasi (right) is charged with one count of murder over the stabbing death of his wife Maria Dimasi (left) on December 2, 2023

Mrs Dimasi (pictured) allegedly suffered 76 'sharp-force injuries', the court heard

Dimasi's lawyer Trish Johnson told the court that her client was unable to get the aged pension while in custody which meant he could not apply for a place at a suitable aged care home, the ABC reported.

Medical experts and the Department of Corrections provided reports saying Dimasi would best be cared for at a 'high needs aged care facility' due to his declining health, the court heard.

Judge Hribal said she would be prepared to grant bail to a suitable aged care facility but needed more information and ordered a bail report to address whether Dimasi could get a pension and if a high-needs aged care facility place was available for him.

The court had previously heard that Dimasi rang triple-0, saying he had allegedly killed his wife.

It's understood Mrs Dimasi had earlier returned home from a community event.

Police allegedly found a kitchen knife and a 'significant' amount of blood when they arrived at the scene.

Dimasi had a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit and allegedly told police his wife 'deserved it', the court heard.

The prosecutor said Dimasi was being kept 'under guard' in hospital, with interventions required once or twice a week because he sometimes 'lashed out' with 'some strength' at nursing staff performing personal care tasks.

But Ms Johnson argued that her client was 'not a danger to anybody'.

'He will lash out, but he's not strong enough to do anybody any harm,' she told the court.

Maria 'Nonna' Dimasi (left) is pictured with chef Maggie Beer and grandson Stefan Dimasi

The judge ordered that Dimasi not be released from custody, even if released on bail, until room was made for him in an appropriate facility.

Earlier in June, Mrs Dimasi's children issued a statement thanking the community for their support.

'As you can appreciate, our family is still devastated by the way in which our mother lost her life, we're still grieving and missing her immensely,' they said.

Dimasi's case will return to court next month.

His wife's death sparked an outpouring of tributes from everyone who knew her.

Mrs Dimasi, better known in the Adelaide's Italian community as 'Nonna Maria', was a beloved cook who would always make meals for the vulnerable.

She volunteered her time at her grandson's kitchen Nonna's Cucina - a community-based meal service which provides meals to those recovering from illness or medical treatment, the elderly and people with disabilities.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas were among those who paid glowing tributes to Ms Dimasi at the time.
New details have been revealed in court over the gruesome death of Bobby Maher after he was killed while protecting his girlfriend.

The Wyoming teen, 14, was stabbed to death in April outside a busy shopping mall, allegedly by two 15-year-olds, Dominique Harris and Jarreth Plunkett, who were following his girlfriend.

Both Harris and Plunkett are being tried as adults, and at a preliminary hearing this week Harris pleaded not guilty to a number of charges including conspiracy to murder.

The court heard how Harris and Plunkett allegedly targeted Maher after he caught them exiting a portable toilet together the week before the murder, where he branded them 'freaks.'

When they set upon him at the mall, Harris allegedly slammed Maher to the ground and held him there while Plunkett used a stolen Target kitchen knife to stab him to death.

Bobby Maher, 14, was stabbed to death in April, with it heard this week that one alleged attacker held him down while another stabbed him with a stolen Target kitchen knife

The 14-year-old was fatally stabbed on the steps of the Eastridge Mall (pictured), allegedly by two teen suspects who were stalking his girlfriend around the mall

Bobby's grisly death sparked widespread outrage and shocked the town of Casper, Wyoming, where vigils and tributes have remembered him for months.

The middle schooler reportedly knew both of his alleged killers, and prosecutors say that the crime was triggered by the incident at a park the week before where Bobby called them 'freaks.'

The teen's girlfriend then called him when she visited the Eastridge Mall in early April to allegedly warn him that Harris and Plunkett were following her around.

Bobby raced to the mall to help her, where - according to preliminary hearings for the suspects - reported video footage showed Harris and Plunkett wearing masks and confronting the teen at the entrance to the mall.

After the two suspects allegedly pulled out the stolen Target knives, Bobby was heard telling them it 'wasn't fair' and that he didn't want to fight.

Court records claimed Harris then grappled with the 14-year-old and held him down while Plunkett repeatedly stabbed him outside the mall.

According to Cowboy State Daily, in a police interview Harris admitted to holding Maher down during the attack, but claimed it 'was to make sure the fight was over.'

Maher is pictured with a female friend in a tribute shared on Facebook after his death. It's unclear if she is one of the girls he was protecting when he died

The heartbroken girlfriend of Bobby Maher, 14, sobbed as she called him 'the bravest boy' and said they had 'so many plans for the future' together before his death

The details were released as Harris pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, aggravated battery and assault, and misdemeanor theft.

Plunkett had previously pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental illness or deficiency to four charges, including first-degree murder.

But Harris' attorney signaled this week that his client may change his plea citing mental illness or deficiency.

Tributes have poured in for Bobby following his senseless death, with the girlfriend he saved calling him 'the bravest boy' in a heartbreaking eulogy.

She said that he had 'no hard feelings for anybody', and broke down as she told of how they 'had so many plans for the future.'

Speaking of the attack that led to Bobby's death, she said: 'I'm sorry for everyone that had to witness that.

'I know he loved (his family) so much. Me and Bobby, we had so many plans for the future.

'I never thought I'd be saying all this so early.'

Robert 'Bobby' Maher's father Robert Maher Sr. told DailyMail.com, 'It is a nightmare we can't get out of our heads  it's playing over and over again'

Bobby's father told DailyMail.com in the wake of his son's death that the memory of the stabbing is 'a nightmare we can't get out of our heads.'

'His mother saw her youngest child die. We will never be okay with this, not ever,' he said.

Bobby died the day after the family had moved into a new house after a month in temporary accommodation following the loss of their previous home.

The boy never saw their new home as he was staying with a friend's family while his own sorted out their housing issue, and Bobby's father said the family is now trying to cope in their new mobile home.

'Mornings are the worst,' he said. 'When I wake up every morning it's a nightmare that is a reality.

'It takes me hours in the morning to be even able to talk. His mother and siblings are devastated we can barely function. Never would I wish this on anyone.'
A man arrested over a honeytrap plot targeting Tory politicians has been released on bail.

The man, aged in his 20s, was held in Islington, North London on suspicion of harassment and offences under the Online Safety Act yesterday.

Scotland Yard said the individual had now been released until a date in late September and 'the investigation remains ongoing'.

It came after senior Tory backbencher William Wragg admitted in April to giving his colleagues' phone numbers to a suspected scammer he met on gay hook-up app Grindr.

An investigation was launched after it was suggested that at least 12 men in political circles had received unsolicited messages.

The former MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said he had been targeted by a suspected honeytrap plot, admitting to 'chatting to a guy on an app' and exchanging pictures. He later quit the party and is standing down at the election.

MailOnline understands that the man arrested has had his Labour membership suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Senior Tory backbencher William Wragg admitted in April to giving his colleagues' phone numbers to a suspected scammer he met on gay hook-up app Grindr

The former MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester said he had been targeted by a suspected honeytrap plot, admitting 'chatting to a guy on an app' and exchanging pictures. He later quit the party and is standing down at the election.

Fellow Tory Dr Luke Evans called for a full review of Parliament's system of investigating incidents reported by MPs after he was also targeted.

Mr Wragg admitted he gave colleagues' phone numbers to someone on a dating app amid fears that intimate images of himself would be leaked.

The Hazel Grove MP said he was sorry for his 'weakness' in responding, and resigned from his role leading the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and as vice-chairman of the 1922 Committee, and chose to surrender the Conservative whip.

The unknown scammer is said to have used the aliases 'Charlie' and 'Abi' while sending flirtatious messages to attempt to coax MPs and other figures in political circles into sending explicit pictures.

A Met spokesman said: 'On Wednesday June 26, police executed a warrant at an address in Islington.

'A man was arrested on suspicion of harassment and committing offences under the Online Safety Act. He was taken into custody and has since been bailed until a date in late September.

'The arrest relates to an investigation being carried out by the Met's Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team following reports of unsolicited messages sent to MPs and others.

'The investigation remains ongoing.'
She blasted the sentence as Olivier was spared jail at Bournemouth Crown Court

A trusted bank cashier who stole thousands of pounds from elderly customers in Dorset was caught when one died and his grieving daughter turned detective.

Jacqueline Greenslade has blasted the decision not to jail Jan Olivier, who worked at Halifax for 17 years and took pensioners' deposits to pay 30,000 of gambling debts before replacing it with money from dormant accounts to cover his tracks.

But he was caught after customer Edward Teggin, 89, Ms Greenslade's father, was knocked down and killed by a car in June 2022.

After his death, his daughter looked into his will and bank statements and spotted strange discrepancies where Olivier had taken 5,000 from the great-grandfather's account and transferred it to another customer's account that he had stolen from.

When the cashier was finally found out and suspended he was so ashamed he did not tell his wife and instead pretended to go to work every day for six months.

Jacqueline Greenslade (pictured) has blasted Bournemouth Crown Court for not jailing a trusted bank cashier who stole thousands of pounds from elderly customers

Jan Olivier (seen) took pensioners' deposits to pay 30,000 of gambling debts, before replacing it with money from dormant accounts to cover his tracks. He admitted four counts of fraud and one offence under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act

Olivier was caught after 89-year-old customer, and Ms Greenslade's father, Edward Teggin (pictured) was knocked down and killed by a car in June 2022. Ms Greenslade noticed odd transactions in her father's account after his death

Olivier was spared jail after the court heard he has since paid the missing money back and is getting help for his gambling and debts.

He admitted four counts of fraud and one offence under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

Speaking after the sentencing Ms Greenslade, who is in her 60s, said he should be in prison.

'It's absolutely despicable, I cannot put it into words. There is no justice,' she said.

'He [Mr Teggin] was very careful with his money, he looked after it. He would have been turning in his grave if he knew what was going on.

'I'd like them to have thrown the book at him and him had time in prison to think about what he's done to elderly people.'

Mrs Greenslade went to the Olivier's Halifax branch in Poole, Dorset, for an explanation and this triggered an investigation which uncovered several further cases of fraud, totalling roughly 17,000.

Roderick Belin, prosecuting, told the court that CCTV footage showed a customer aged in her 80s withdraw 200 from the bank on July 5, 2022.

A short time later a second withdrawal of 2,500 was made, but not by the customer.

Four days later Olivier withdrew the same amount from a dormant account and used this to replace the money he had stolen. He then got approval from the branch manager to replace the funds from the second account.

When the manager tried to ring the customer to explain the credited money he could not get through. Investigators later found Olivier had changed her phone number on her bank profile so she could not be contacted.

A similar incident was unearthed on November 9, 2021, when two withdrawals were made from a customer's account, one legitimate and one not.

The defendant paid 1,000 into his own account the following day but returned it to the customer two weeks later.

On March 20, 2022, 5,000 was taken from another elderly customer and another 4,000 taken six weeks later. After another few days, large sums were deposited to Olivier's account.

On April 26, 9,000 was credited to the customer so her account showed no loss and on the same day 5,000 was taken from Mr Teggin's and transferred to another customer Olivier had stolen from.

Mrs Greenslade told the court: 'My dad was so trusting especially with Halifax. I feel so let down by them. They should have looked after my elderly dad and his money. He was very careful with his money and always looking at how much he had.

'Dad had lots of friends and regularly walked into town. We found it very hard that his so-called friend took from him. He did not deserve to be treated like this.

'Dad would have been very upset to know that someone he trusted would do something so evil. It is very hurtful and heartbreaking that someone he trusted could do this to him and his family.'

Robert Grey, defending Olivier, told the court he was a man of previous good character who had moved to England from South Africa in 2003, adding he was now getting help for his gambling and debts.

Recorder Eleanor Hourigan said because Olivier had paid the money back and shown genuine remorse he avoided a prison sentence.

She gave Olivier, of Ferndown, a 24-month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation activity days and 12 mental health treatment sessions.

He was also ordered to pay 2,284 compensation to Halifax.
The mother of one of the children who were tragically killed when a car crashed into a prep school in Wimbledon has spoken of the agony of losing her daughter.

In an interview taken before she learned that the driver of the 4x4 which ploughed into the school would not be charged, grieving mother Smera Chohan told of the family's frustration with the investigation, adding 'we need a little more than these tiny steps'.

Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, both eight, were killed in July last year when a Land Rover rammed through a fence and into an end-of-term celebration at The Study Prep in Wimbledon. More than a dozen people were left injured.

Yesterday, the families of the two girls were left 'disappointed' after the CPS revealed Claire Freemantle, 47, who had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, will face not criminal charges.

Grieving mother Smera Chohan talking of the family's frustration at the slow pace of the investigation several months after the horror crash that claimed her daughter's life

An 80,000 Land Rover crashed through the primary school's gates during an end of term picnic

Nuria Sajjad (left) had been enjoying enjoying a tea party with her classmates to mark the last day of term when horrific crash took place. The crash also killed Selena Lau (right)

In an interview with the BBC earlier this year, but aired again last night, the mother of Nuria, said: 'I understand, or I try to understand the process, the timeline and everything else.

'But that never weighs against our grief and our loss.'

Close to tears, she continued: 'Our daughter was killed six months ago.

'We need a little more than these tiny steps.

'We were just an ordinary family.'

Ms Freemantle, from Wimbledon, southwest London, was arrested at the scene on July 6, 2023, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

However, the CPS yesterday said she will face no further charges after revealing she had suffered an epileptic seizure behind the wheel - with Ms Freemantle expressing her 'deepest sorrow' at the tragedy, which she says she had 'no recollection' of.

But the revelation has left Nuria and Selena's grieving loved ones 'disappointed' and questioning the police investigation into the smash.

Trevor Sterling, lawyer for the families, said yesterday: 'This is disappointing; justice must not only be done, but seen to be done.'

The children had been enjoying a tea party to celebrate the end-of-term on the grounds of the prep school when the horror crash claimed their lives.

The mother said she was 'trying to understand the process and timeline' but that it never weighs against 'our loss and grief'

In the BBC interview, taken earlier this year, she began to tear up as she said 'our daughter was killed six months ago'

Nuria's mother Smera was also injured in the horrific crash that took place just after this photo of them was taken

Mr Sterling continued: 'In the absence of a process, how do we interrogate the evidence?

'What does this message send to the public that deaths can arise in a road traffic situation, and there could be no sanction because there is no process to interrogate the evidence?

'The next focus will be on the inquest, and there will be a deep and thorough review of the evidence, which will be examined by a jury if necessary.'

The parents of girls killed in the nightmare smash said they 'remain unconvinced that the investigation has been conducted thoroughly', adding 'Nuria and Selena deserved better'.

In a joint statement, Sajjad Butt, Smera Chohan, Franky Lau and Jessie Deng - the parents of Nuria and Selena - said: 'All the victims of the events of July 6 2023 did nothing wrong.

'We were all in the safest place we could have been outside our own homes. We were celebrating a day filled with joy.

'Nuria and Selena's lives were taken in a moment. So many lives were also irreparably shattered in that moment.

'Hundreds of people - parents, teachers, children, neighbours, friends and family members - will never lead "normal" lives again. Some of us will never experience joy again.

'We have tried to keep faith in the systems and institutions that are supposed to protect victims and deliver justice to those affected. We have been disappointed by this system. We have already expressed, publicly, our dissatisfaction with the pace of the investigative process.

'It is now clear to us that the depth of the process is questionable too. In the absence of any concrete evidence to the contrary, we can only surmise that the investigation has been equally poor.'

Selena Lau playing piano at a school concert shortly before tragedy struck last July

Nuria, who would have turned nine on March 20, is pictured with her loving parents Smera and Sajjad

Selena's parents Franky and Jessie Lau (pictured) have demanded 'justice for their daughter' and told of their 'disappointment' at the move not to charge the driver responsible for the crash

Speaking out yesterday following the tragedy, a grief-stricken Ms Freemantle expressed her 'deepest sorrow' and said she had 'no recollection of what took place' after losing consciousness because of an epileptic seizure at the wheel.

'Since I became aware of the terrible event that took place on July 6, the devastating consequences for all those affected have not left my thoughts and will be with me for the rest of my life,' she said.

'I have since been diagnosed as having suffered an epileptic seizure with loss of consciousness. This was not a pre-existing condition. As a result of losing consciousness I have no recollection of what took place.

'I can only express my deepest sorrow for the families who have suffered such dreadful loss and injury.

'As a mother, I understand there can be no words that adequately express the pain and loss resulting from what happened in those horrendous moments while I was unconscious.

'My heartfelt sympathy goes out to all of the children and families affected, and especially to the parents of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau.'

Flowers and toys placed outside The Study Prep school in Wimbledon, south-west London, after the incident

Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor with oversight of the Crown Prosecution Service London Homicide Unit, said the incident was a tragedy.

She added: 'We have carefully considered this complex and sensitive case, taking into consideration all the material gathered as part of the lengthy and detailed police investigation.

'The driver of the vehicle had an epileptic seizure behind the wheel, which caused her to lose control of the vehicle which then drove into the school. There is no evidence the driver had ever suffered a similar seizure before and she had no previously diagnosed medical condition.

'Because there is nothing to suggest the driver could have done anything to predict or prevent this tragedy, it is not in the public interest to pursue a criminal prosecution.

'In reaching this decision we have considered the driver's full medical records, obtained by police, and received evidence from neurological specialists, who agreed that the driver had a seizure and that this was the first such medical episode she had experienced.

'Throughout this process we have met with the bereaved families on several occasions, to ensure they are kept informed of the case progress and to fully explain the decision we have made.

'Our thoughts remain with them today, as well as with the other injured victims and the wider school community upon whom this tragic incident has had a profound impact.'

Specialist officers at the scene of the incident last July

Metropolitan Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland said that having examined her medical records, the driver could not have predicted or prevented the seizure.

She said: 'I can understand that some may be confused - perhaps even feel let down - by this outcome and want to give every reassurance that our officers worked tirelessly through every detail of the incident to ensure a complete investigation be passed to the CPS.

'To bring charges in cases like this there needs to be an element of responsibility on the part of the driver, and, given the circumstances, this was simply not borne out on this occasion.'

Mark Jones, partner at Payne Hicks Beach and Claire Freemantle's solicitor, said this was 'one of the most tragic cases I have dealt with' and that 'our hearts go out to the families involved who have suffered unutterable loss and dreadful injury.

Speaking of his client, he added: 'Although she was at the wheel when this shocking accident happened, she was in no sense in control of the vehicle. This incident was through absolutely no fault of her own.

'Tragically, Claire suffered a complete loss of consciousness moments before the incident. This has now been diagnosed as epilepsy; a condition which Claire was completely unaware of before July 6 2023.

'She was unconscious when the car mounted the pavement and crashed into the school playground with such tragic consequences. Claire has no recollection of what took place.'

The Land Rover crashed through a fence at The Study Prep school in south-west London at around 10am on July 6, 2023

Mr Jones continued: 'This condition had never previously manifested itself and Claire had always enjoyed good health.'

Detective Chief Superintendent Clair Kelland continued: 'Significant inquiries carried out by specialist officers into the events leading up to the collision established that the driver suffered a previously undiagnosed seizure which caused her to lose control of the vehicle.

'Having carried out a detailed examination of her medical records, we know that she couldn't have predicted or prevented the incident.

'The consequences of this were, as we know, absolutely devastating and the hurt and pain that followed will always be deeply felt.

'I can understand that some may be confused - perhaps even feel let down - by this outcome and want to give every reassurance that our officers worked tirelessly through every detail of the incident to ensure a complete investigation be passed to the CPS.

'To bring charges in cases like this there needs to be an element of responsibility on the part of the driver, and, given the circumstances, this was simply not borne out on this occasion. What happened that day was a very tragic accident which has had a profound impact on the lives of a number of people.

'While our priority has been to support the affected families - including the further six families of those who received injuries - we have also remained in close contact with both the school and local council representatives throughout, updating them on the timeline of the investigation while maintaining the integrity of our inquiries.'
A civil war has erupted in London's trendy Notting Hill after a glamorous stylist sued her property guru neighbour over claims the dust from his building work spoiled her 14,000 designer bag collection.

Maria Serra is suing her neighbour David Harvey for more than 265,000 over claims he created disastrous 'dust ingress' in her flat whilst having an extension built, making her home 'uninhabitable'.

Ms Serra, 54, who describes herself as 'an international fashion stylist and creative director', also says her 570,000 flat was damaged by the works.

She is now suing downstairs neighbours - high end estate agent Mr Harvey and his wife Katherine - to cover damages she says she suffered, including the cost of replacing or restoring her collection of 26 vintage handbags from designers including Chanel and Paco Rabanne.

But lawyers for the couple are denying the building works caused 'dust ingress' to Ms Serra's flat and have slammed her massive damages claim as 'frankly absurd'.

Fashion stylist Maria Sella, pictured outside London's High Court, is suing neighbours over claims the dust from building work spoiled her 14,000 designer bag collection

David and Catherine, also seen outside the High Court, deny their extension work caused 'dust ingress' to Ms Serra's flat and have described her damages claim as 'frankly absurd'

This is the building in Notting Hill, west London, at the centre of the legal dispute

At a hearing before Judge Margaret Obi at the High Court in London, lawyers for Ms Serra said in written submissions that there had been 'a history of disagreements' between Ms Serra and her neighbours.

She bought her ground floor flat in a converted house in Notting Hill in 2008, after the Harveys had bought their 580,000 basement pad in the same building in 2006.

But they fell out spectacularly in 2016 and 2017, around the time Mr Harvey, 51, had commissioned workers to build a 'conservatory-type' extension at the rear of his property.

He is the boss of Horne and Harvey, an estate agents based in London's upmarket St James' district.

Edward Blakeney, for Mr and Mrs Harvey, described the building works as 'the genesis of the present dispute, with the claimant alleging that they caused substantial interference with her use and enjoyment of the ground floor flat'.

He said this as 'primarily as a result of increased new cracking and ingress of dust'.

Gavin Hamilton, for Ms Serra, told the judge in his written submissions the stylist claims her flat was pristine and 'dust free' before the building works started.

The extension caused so much dust to leak from the basement it ruined her 14,000 collection of classic designer handbags and forced her to move out, he added.

She is now suing for 'damage caused by the ingress of dust into her ground floor flat, damage to contents of the building and other financial losses caused by Mr and Mrs Harvey's building works in the basement flat below,' the barrister said.

He told the court: 'Ms Serra moved out of the flat on 27 February 2017 as after four months (she) could not cope any more with the noise, dust and general disruption.

'Ms Serra kept the flat in good condition. It was free of dust prior to the works. There is no rational explanation for the presence of dust inside the flat other than it must have come from the works below.

'It is obvious that steps could have been taken to prevent or control the escape of dust from the basement flat during the works.

'The principal allegation is the failure to have any or adequate plastic sheeting in place to contain the dust within the basement flat.'

He added that Ms Serra says her neighbours have breached the terms of the lease on their flat by causing 'nuisance, damage or annoyance' and she is also alleging negligence in relation to the way the works were done.

The barrister said she is seeking repair costs of 9,685, future repair costs of 105,110, indemnity against a service charge of 7,777 and an as yet unspecified amount for damaged fashion items including 26 handbags - worth over 14,500 - that she says now need either replacement or costly repairs.

She is also demanding storage charges to the tune of 25,435 for her high-fashion goods and mortgage payments of 116,777 from 2016 to date on the basis that she was forced to leave the flat and has not returned.

But Mr Blakeney, for Mr and Mrs Harvey, denied they are liable to pay her anything.

He insisted the extension was built in a responsible and reasonable way and that structural bracing works carried out as part of the build had increased the stability of the building as a whole, rather than causing damage.

He said: 'The works were carried out appropriately so as to minimise the escape of dust and cracking in the ground floor flat ad any dust or cracking came from other sources.

'The parties' experts agree that these structural works were well-designed, necessary to prevent future movement of the building and overall beneficial to the building.

'The defendants deny all liability as a matter of principle. Further support was provided for the ground floor flat as a result of the works.'

He said that council inspectors had attended the build after Ms Serra complained and found 'there was no sign of dust or dusty works.'

The council inspectors 'confirmed there were no visible signs of dust coming from the site even thought the claimant had complained of dust moments before,' Mr Blakeney added.

The council officers also noted 'the animosity between the parties involved,' he said.

'Part of the problem was dust already present in the ground floor flat...the defendants are not liable for the state of the claimant's own flat,' the barrister went on.

'Even if the claimant has suffered substantial damage to the ground floor flat, which, for the avoidance of doubt, is denied, that is not sufficient to make out a claim in nuisance.

'Underpinning the law of nuisance is the concept of "live and let live" and "give and take".

'The claim in negligence should be dismissed, both because it is insufficiently particularised and because there is no evidence to suggest that the defendants or their contractors acted negligently in any way.'

And he described 'the scope of the damages claimed' as 'remarkable', saying: 'The reason she is claiming damages for items that may seem trifling and that are still functional is because of her particular line of work.

'The claimant's image and that of the ground floor flat is so fundamental to the work she undertakes that everything must be pristine, even if it can still be used.

'The claimant cannot increase the liabilities of the defendants because her industry apparently precludes those from working in it to have items with any degree of dust on them and those items are particularly sensitive to dust in circumstances where ordinary items are not.'

He also called the amount claimed 'frankly absurd', telling the court: 'The claimant seeks to fully renovate the ground floor flat and is claiming for costs that blatantly have no connection to the work at all.'

He told the judge that Ms Serra's claim was 'set up to fail,' since her own particulars of claim suggested the dust might have come from other sources as well.

Mr Blakeney insisted: 'The defendants are not responsible for dust in other flats in the building and the possibility of multiple sources of dust means it cannot be shown that the dust came from the basement flat.

'Further, it is apparent that the claimant failed to take the appropriate steps to avoid any damage to her belongings. The claimant's case on quantum must be rejected.

'The claimant grossly inflated the value of her handbag collection and a claim for reinstatement value unjustified when the items can be cleaned. Upon cleaning, the claimant's losses will be minimal.'

And he slammed the storage charges claimed as 'unnecessary', saying a 'photographic schedule' would be 'just as good' as storage for the purposes of pursuing her claim.

He also there was 'no evidence that the ground floor was uninhabitable' so Ms Serra should not be claiming for mortgage payments.

The case was due to be heard in a four-day trial this week, but was adjourned after a short hearing due to issues relating to last-minute evidence being submitted and will now return to court at a later date.
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Donald Trump and Joe Biden have both landed in Atlanta for the first presidential debate - one of the most consequential general election showdowns in decades.

Trump, 77, and Biden, 81, touched down in Georgia on Thursday for a battle in which the political stakes could not be higher.

Tens of millions will be tuning in to CNN at 9pm to watch the drama as the war for the White House unfolds.

Follow live updates from our reporters in Atlanta.
A case of bird flu has been confirmed at an ACT poultry farm, the 11th property in Australia to be contaminated with the virus.

Tests revealed the property had tested positive for the strain of the virus that has affected eight farms in Victoria and two in NSW, with one million chickens needing to be destroyed.

A quarantine order has been set up around the poultry farm, which will include a 10km radius of the affected site.

ACT Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said the virus had been traced to one of the affected properties in NSW.

'The property has been cooperating with ACT government officials. Increased biosecurity measures were implemented at the site prior to detection to minimise the risk of contact or spread,' she said.

One million chickens will be destroyed across NSW and Victoria as the bird flu outbreak worsens

A case of bird flu has been confirmed at an ACT poultry farm (stock image)

'The ACT has regularly been engaging with industry on good biosecurity practices to decrease the risks of an outbreak of avian influenza in the ACT.'

Woolworths customers have been limited to two cartons of eggs in part of the country as the bird flu outbreak stifles supplies.

A Woolworths spokeswoman said a two-pack purchase limit had been introduced in NSW, the ACT and Victoria to manage stock delays.

'Along with other retailers, we're expecting a short-term delay in stock from one of our egg suppliers in NSW, ACT and Victoria, due to the temporary closure of one of their packing sheds,' the spokeswoman said.

'Their supply is expected to recover over the next week as they ramp up operations at their other sites.'

Woolworths introduced a two carton limit in NSW, ACT and Victoria and Coles imposed similar restrictions earlier this month

Coles introduced a similar policy earlier in June.

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the government was working closely with the ACT to manage the outbreak.

'The ACT commercial egg farm has been locked down with no products, eggs, and machinery allowed in or out, and the site's hens will need to be depopulated,' Ms Moriarty said.

Ms Vassarotti has sought to assure ACT residents eggs were still safe to eat.

'I want to reassure all Canberrans that avian influenza rarely affects humans,' she said.

A quarantine order has been set up around the ACT poultry farm, which will include a 10km radius of the affected site

'Avian influenza is not a food safety concern. It is safe to continue eating poultry meat, eggs and egg products as long as they are properly handled and cooked.'

Victorian Agriculture Minister Ros Spence on Thursday launched two mobile command centres to help manage the state's outbreaks.

'Biosecurity emergencies can happen in any corner of our state and these new mobile incident command centres are key to ensuring we can get our expertise on ground as quickly and efficiently as possible,' Ms Spence said.
Staffers at a Nevada school district splurged out over $30,000 on a lavish trip to Hawaii as part of a recruitment drive.

Eight members of staff with Clark County School District used over $22,000 in Covid relief money to help fund the trip which saw them stay on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.

Documents seen by 8 News Now show that employees stayed at the Twin Fin Hotel and used $9,774 from a general fund on flights, food and a conference room.

The outlet reported that only 100 job seekers attended the recruitment fair with staff only taking two resumes and recommending three people for hire.

The trip, which took place last September, and another to Miami are now the subject of a federal probe.

Documents seen by 8 News Now show that employees stayed at the Twin Fin Hotel, seen here, and used $9,774 from a general fund on flights, food and a conference room

Eight members of staff with Clark County School District used over $22,000 in Covid relief money to help fund the trip

Despite the investigation, the school district's Chief Financial Officer came out and defended the trips at an Audit Committee in February.

Jason Goudie told the meeting that: 'All travel, regulations, policies, and procedures were followed.

'No violations under the grant status of the funding were noted in the review.'

While the Clark County Education Association has panned the spending, with President Marie Neisess branding it a 'complete failure'.

She told 8 News Now: 'The trips to Hawaii and Miami were a complete failure anyone can see that.

'You dont go out recruiting in the middle of summer where educators are off on vacations themselves.'

In the Miami trip mentioned by Neisess, 17 staffers spent five nights at a oceanfront hotel on Miami Beach during the Fourth of July holiday.

According to the outlet, the trip cost around $29,000 dollars with their hotel stay totaling $11,530.

The district has previously confirmed that the trip to Miami didn't result in any new hires.

It comes after the former Superintendent of the district Jesus Jara, seen here, resigned from the district after giving members of his executive cabinet significant pay raises

The trip, which took place last September, and another to Miami are now the subject of a federal probe

The Nevada Department of Education confirmed that they would be 'working with the United States Department of Education to evaluate the use of these funds'.

It comes after the former Superintendent of the district Jesus Jara, who ran the district when the trips took place, resigned - but only after giving members of his executive cabinet significant pay raises.

Jara handed out a $68,000-a-year raise to district police chief Henry Blackeye according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

News 3 reported that the district is 1,400 teachers short but Jara pushed ahead with the increases that climbed to $323,000 overall.

In January of this year, Jara handed in a resignation letter with the condition that he left with a year's salary and other benefits totaling nearly $400,000.

In February, the board of trustees voted 5-2 to approve Jara's conditional resignation and a $250,000 payout.

The Clark County Education Association claimed that Jara strategically timed his resignation to avoid a deadline in a lawsuit the union filed against the district.

DailyMail.com has approached the Clark County School District for comment.
Jim Jordan said he plans to brief Donald Trump on how ex-intel officials who signed on to the letter deeming the Hunter Biden laptop misinformation were being actively paid by the CIA.

The Judiciary chairman told DailyMail.com exclusively that he speaks with the former president about once a week, and he expects the Hunter Biden laptop and the letter signed by 51 former officials to come up in Thursday night's debate.

'I talked to him just about every week ... he called me out of the blue the other day to say he was having dinner with a colleague of ours,' Jordan said. 'I'll probably talk to him at some point here this week about the latest report we just released on the 51 former Intel officials.'

'We anticipate he's going to use this in the debate,' Jordan said during the Tuesday interview.

Trump and President Joe Biden are set to square off in their first debate of the campaign hosted by CNN on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET in Atlanta.

Jim Jordan said he plans to brief Donald Trump on how ex-intel officials who signed on to the letter deeming the Hunter Biden laptop misinformation were being actively paid by the CIA

Jordan, along with Oversight Chairman James Comer, has taken the lead on the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry which has sought to tie Joe Biden to Hunter and James Biden's shady business deals.

The inquiry has not led to a full House impeachment vote but has resulted in the House referring Hunter and James to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal prosecution.

Jordan, who helped found the hardline Freedom Caucus, has long been a popular ally of former President Donald Trump.

He's pushed back on the criminal cases against Trump from Congress and led the effort to 'defund' Trump prosecutors like special counsel Jack Smith, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis.

But that push was ignored by the House's chief Republican appropriators, who will write up the bill to fund the DOJ without any provisions to ban funding from prosecutors who go after former presidents.

'We should we should not be funding this operation,' Jordan said, noting that there will be amendments to add in the 'defund' language.

But he seemed resigned to the fact that there was little Congress could do about the Trump prosecutions. 'The ultimate pushback is November 5,' he said.

Two days before Trump's sentencing for the 34-count conviction on falsifying business records set for July 11, Jordan also told DailyMail.com first that he will be bringing in campaign finance expert Brad Smith to testify before Congress.

The Trump legal team had wanted to bring Smith, a former Republican member of the Federal Election Commission, in as a witness in the hush money trial but Judge Juan Merchan narrowly limited the scope of what he could talk about and Trump's attorneys decided against bringing him in.

Regarding Hunter Biden's laptop, a new Judiciary report released this week found agents, including Michael Morell, were on active civilian contracts with the CIA and the letter had been approved by the CIA ahead of publication.

Some rank-and-file CIA officers raised concerns about the political nature of the letter.

The letter had said the laptop 'has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.'

Morell was the one who organized the letter after a call from now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said he did it to give Biden a 'talking point' in the lead-up to the 2020 election when Trump attacked him for the laptop that was later verified to be his son's.

'The signatories' decision to leverage their former intelligence community titles to promote a narrative about foreign election interference improperly embroiled the [CIA] in domestic politics,' the Judiciary report states saying it 'underscores the potential dangers of a politicized intelligence community.'

The Judiciary chairman told DailyMail.com he speaks with Trump about once a week, and he expects the Hunter Biden laptop and the letter signed by 51 former officials to come up in Thursday night's debate

Donald Trump and Joe Biden are set to square off in their first debate of the campaign on Thursday in Atlanta

'I talked to him just about every week ... he called me out of the blue the other day to say he was having dinner with a colleague of ours,' Jordan said. 'I'll probably talk to him at some point here this week about the latest report we just released on the 51 former Intel officials'

The infamous memo signed by the pro-Biden officials in the lead up to the 2020 election claimed that damning pictures and messages found on Hunter Biden's laptop bore the earmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign.

That allowed Joe to discredit the laptop and its damning evidence during presidential debates, town halls and other media appearances prior to his election.

The laptop 'from Hell' was originally discovered at a Delaware tech repair shop. Later, the FBI retrieved the device and verified its authenticity. It contained a trove of damaging photos, text messages and emails that laid to bare Hunter Biden trying to profit off of his last name and his lewd behavior.

The laptop was back in the spotlight during Hunter Biden's recent federal gun trial - where he was found guilty of three felonies. An FBI agent witness confirmed that the agency confirmed the authenticity of materials found on the device.

DailyMail.com led reporting on the laptop since its discovery and had independently verified it in 2021.

Several of the ex-intel officials doubled down on their 2020 memo earlier this month, saying it was a 'patriotic move' that they don't regret.
Michelle Obama has steered clear of campaigning for Joe Biden over her private frustration with how the family treated friend Kathleen Buhle during her messy divorce from Hunter Biden, a new report claims.

The former first lady, one of the most popular figures in the Democratic party, hasn't posted about the 81-year-old president's re-election bid.

Buhle and Hunter split in 2017 and details of the divorce resurfaced when she testified at his recent federal gun trial in Delaware.

Axios reported that Michelle told others that her friend had been wronged by the Biden family who have blamed Buhle for some of the lurid details of Hunter's behavior becoming public.

Michelle Obama is greeted by Sen. Joe Biden in the stands of the Pepsi Center during the second day of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 in Denver, Colorado

White House spokesman Andrew Bates denied there was any rift.

He said: 'The Biden and Obama families are like family to each other, and whomever made these claims about that relationship isnt familiar with it.

'The former President and First Lady have been two of the strongest supporters of President Bidens leadership and agenda.'

Buhle accused Hunter of blowing his family's money on drugs and prostitutes and cheating while he spiraled into crack cocaine addiction.

She and Michelle became close during the Obama administration, but the dynamic between the Obama and Biden families has changed since, according to the report.

During the Obama presidency the two women worked out in the gym together and would often have cocktails in the White House,

They still have a close bond today that has reportedly sparked friction between Michelle and the Bidens.

Michelle Obama attends the American Symphony New Orleans Premiere on December 07, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana

According to the report, Former President Obama described the Biden family as 'weird s***' following a fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation in 2017.

Michelle was initially reluctant to campaign for Joe in 2020, but was ultimately persuaded to hit the trail when Democrats told her the stakes would be too high if she missed out.

Now her husband has taken to the trail solo by appearing at multiple glitzy fundraisers with Joe.

Joe Biden with Michelle Obama in the stands of the Pepsi Center during the second day of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 in Denver, Colorado

A White House spokesman and a representative for Obama both denied reports of a rift.

Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama said she is friends with both Kathleen and the Bidens.

'Mrs. Obama has already said she supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign.

'She is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true. On Monday Dr. Biden graciously joined the family to celebrate the life of Mrs. Marian Robinson.'
The family of a 32-year-old Texas gas station clerk are in mourning after he was shot dead by a robber over lottery tickets - hours after the robber allegedly killed another clerk.

Father-of-one Gopi Krishna Dasari was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning when an armed robber stormed into his gas station and shot him, less than a year after he moved to the US to pursue the American Dream.

Davonta Mathis, 21, from Waco, has been charged with his murder and an the addition murder of a second gas station clerk, Muhammad Hussain, 60, the day before.

Mathis told officers that he had gone to the stores to steal lottery tickets in the hope that he would win and be able to buy an apartment, according to WFAA.

Dasari's body has been flown back to India where his family are in mourning, one relative told WFAA: 'His wife still thinks he's alive and that he's going to come back to her.'

Gopi Krishna Dasari, 32, was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning when an armed robber stormed into his gas station and shot him

Dasari had moved to the US from India less than a year ago to work and provide for his wife and young daughter.

His father has bone marrow cancer and had sold off an acre of his farmland to pay for Dasari to relocate to the US.

He was working as a gas station clerk and had 'a heart full of dreams and aspirations.'

But on Saturday, Mathis burst into his store at 12.45am and confronted him.

Video footage from the store shows a man dressed in all dark clothing bursting in with a gun and shooting Dasari without hesitation as he backs away with his hands up.

He was rushed to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Dasari was the second clerk Mathis allegedly shot dead in less than 24 hours, after 60-year-old Hussain was killed in a separate attack nearby the day before.

Investigators told WFAA that in both cases Mathis walked away with just a few lottery tickets or cigarettes.

Dasari succumbed to his injuries after 18 hours in the hospital. His body has now been flown back to India where his family are in mourning

Video footage from the store shows a man dressed in all dark clothing bursting in with a gun and shooting Dasari without hesitation as he backs away with his hands up

He reportedly told officers after his arrest that he did not regret anything he had done, and that he had gone to the stores to steal lottery tickets in the hope he would win and would be able to buy an apartment.

Mathis allegedly added that he wasn't a racist but blamed the clerks for not cooperating with him, saying a white person would have.

But Dasari's relatives say he would have cooperated if he was given a chance.

His cousin, Praveen, who did not want to give a full name, told WFAA: 'If he would have asked for something, he would have given him whatever he wanted.

'He would have told him to take whatever--I don't know what that guy was thinking, taking a life without realizing the impact it would have on his whole family.

'He was here to lead a good life for his family and kids and didn't want to fail them.'

Mathis reportedly tried to kill himself after shooting Dasari, but couldn't find his weapon while he was being pursued by police.

Davonta Mathis (pictured), 21, from Waco, has been charged with his murder and with a second murder of another gas station clerk, Muhammad Hussain, 60, the day before.

After Dasari was shot a relative started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses when he was in hospital.

They wrote: 'Gopi is a caring, hardworking individual who has always been there for his loved ones.

'He has a heart full of dreams and aspirations, and it breaks our hearts to see him suffer.'

After he died from his injuries later that day, they shared another update, saying: 'Gopi lost his life after fighting for 18 hours in ICU and we are preparing to send his body to India as early as possible.

'Gopi's passing has left an immeasurable void in the lives of his family and friends.'
Sir Keir Starmer was today challenged over claims Labour has pulled the plug on its general election campaign in Clacton against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Local party members vented their fury as they accused party bosses of ordering their Clacton candidate, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, to campaign elsewhere.

The 27-year-old works for Labour's external relations team and made headlines earlier this month as he was dubbed the 'best dressed candidate in living memory'.

Pictures of Mr Owusu-Nepaul on the campaign trail - including an encouter with Mr Farage - went viral as social media users praised his sartorial style.

But, according to the Guardian, the attention he was getting rankled with officials in Labour HQ as it was 'distracting' from Sir Keir's own campaign.

Mr Owusu-Nepaul is said to have since been 'seconded' to the West Midlands.

It has also been claimed that local activists in Clacton are banned from printing leaflets, using campaign software or having access to the campaign's social media.

Local Labour members vented their fury as they accused party bosses of ordering their Clacton candidate, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, to campaign elsewhere

Pictures of Mr Owusu-Nepaul on the campaign trail - including an encouter with his rival Nigel Farage - went viral as social media users praised his sartorial style

The 27-year-old works for Labour's external relations team and has been dubbed the 'best dressed candidate in living memory'

According to the Guardian, the attention Mr Owusu-Nepau was getting rankled with officials in Labour HQ as it was 'distracting' from Sir Keir Starmer's own campaign

Mr Owusu-Nepaul is said to have since been 'seconded' to the West Midlands to the anger of local activists

Sir Keir today denied Labour had scaled back its campaign in Clacton and said his party was 'fighting everywhere'

Mr Farage is bidding to win the Clacton seat from the Conservatives , who won the constituency with a majority of nearly 25,000 votes in 2019

A campaign source told the newspaper: 'At one point [Jovan] was getting more retweets than Keir Starmer.

'The officials were furious with him and said he was distracting [from] Starmer's campaign.'

Mr Farage is bidding to win the Clacton seat from the Conservatives, who won the constituency with a majority of nearly 25,000 votes in 2019.

Labour are said to have deemed the seat 'unwinnable' having won little more than 15 per cent of the vote at the last general election.

But Sir Keir today denied Labour had scaled back its campaign in Clacton.

He told reporters: 'We are fighting everywhere, including in Clacton, and we are deploying our resources across the country, including in Clacton.

'Yes we want to take the fight to the Tories and Reform wherever they are, we are not backing down in Clacton, we are not backing down anywhere across the country.'

Asked if activists were allowed to campaign in Clacton, Sir Keir said: 'The chief of operations tells people where we most want them to go and fight, but we have got to fight in Clacton, of course we have.

'We have got an excellent candidate there, he actually works for me, he is fantastic, so I'm very supportive of him and the campaign that he is running, and he is doing something incredible in Clacton which is being that positive candidate in difficult circumstances.'

According to the Guardian, Tracey Lewis, a Labour activist from Clacton, quit the Constituency Labour Party (CLP) after Mr Owusu-Nepaul was sent to campaign in the West Midlands.

She said: 'I'm a lifelong Labour supporter and will continue to be even though I've quit my place on the CLP, but if they can't put a fight up against Nigel Farage, then who are they fighting for?'

Chris Bee, another member of the local party, said: 'Our candidate gets some real traction and with a week-and-a-bit to go they pull him out and will not allow him back into the constituency to fight for a place in this area's most important election in a generation. This is absolutely disgusting on every level.'

In a letter to Labour's general secretary, David Evans, seen by the newspaper, Martin Suker, Owusu-Nepaul's election agent said: 'Reform UK stands for everything we the Labour party stand against and I'm struggling to come to terms that it appears the party doesn't even want to be seen to be putting up a fight.

'Jovan was told [by an official] to never come back to Clacton, and yesterday, was instructed to move to the West Midlands region.

'I'm concerned there will be follow-on questions: members, supporters and more worryingly donators will be both angry and upset that it appears like the party that they have a great hope in isn't doing anything to show a battle front to what many see as a catastrophe not only for Clacton, but for the parliamentary system entirely.'

Mr Suker said the local party had requests for new leaflets turned down and access to the canvassing system removed.

'Now I have no candidate to put in front of the people for them to see us at least trying to 'Save Clacton',' he added. 'This could be very damaging to the party's image.'

A Labour party spokesperson said: 'We are working hard to deliver as many Labour MPs as possible in the general election and our campaigners are bringing our message of change to people across the country.'
A retired detective is re-examining the tragic case of a young woman who left her home to buy a bottle of wine, only to be found dead in bushland seven days later.

Sarah Brown, 23, was wearing a full face of make-up, a summer dress and thongs while on her way to the shops when she went missing on June 7, 2021.

Her body was found a week later in bushland near her home in the Gympie suburb of Victory Heights, north of Brisbane.

Her death was found not to be suspicious by police who ruled it was a suicide by hanging.

Ms Brown's devastated family were left with dozens of unanswered questions.

Her mother Janet Gardner, has long refused to believe her daughter ended her own life.

She insists her daughter was excited about the future and they had been due to view a rental property together on the day she went missing.

Ms Gardner has enlisted the help of retired detective turned private investigator, Graeme Crowley, who agreed that case had left 'more questions than answers'.

Sarah Brown (pictured), 23, was wearing a full face of make-up, a summer dress and thongs while on her way to the shops when she went missing on June 7, 2021

Sarah's body was found a week later in bushland near her home in the Gympie suburb of Victory Heights, north of Brisbane. Pictured is the last photo Janet Gardener took of her daughter

'This wasn't a suicide,' Mr Crowley told the Courier Mail.

'What (the death was) was, I don't know.

'It could have been a drug overdose with third party interference, it could have been murder.'

Mr Crowley has recorded four episodes of a podcast series entitled Who Killed Sarah Brown?, with a fifth to to be released in the coming days.

'I want to dig further,' Mr Crowley said.

'I want to find out what others know about Sarah's death  apparently many people had a lot to say.'

As part of his investigations, Mr Crowley combed through CCTV footage that appears to show Ms Brown's last movements near where her body was found.

The private eye also found that police initially questioned the relative lack of composition of Ms Brown's body, claiming it didn't appear to match that of a person who had been dead for a week.

Janet Gardner and her daughter Sarah Brown (pictured together) had a close relationship and talked about 'everything'

Her family has long refused to believe that Sarah (pictured) would end her life

Sarah Brown appeared to be in positive spirits several hours before she disappeared. Pictured is her last Facebook post

Ms Brown's phone was found with a smashed screen and without the SIM card.

The CCTV appeared to show Brown walking down a road with a phone flashlight toward the area where her body was found, stopping at several locations.

But Ms Gardner said that it was impossible to confirm the figure in the CCTV was in fact her daughter and claimed the timing did not line up with what she believed were Brown's last movements.

'I honestly don't know (what happened to Sarah),' she said.

'I'm confident that something's not right.'

Ms Gardener previously said she does not believe her daughter walked into the bush by herself because she was 'terrified of spiders and moths and bugs'.

She also said she wasn't physically able to take her life in the way police say she did because she had a hand injury.

Police ruled Sarah's death as non-suspicious

Sarah Brown (pictured) loved animals and had a 'heart of gold', according to her mum

The 23-year-old also posted on Facebook several hours before she disappeared at about 5pm on June 7 to say she was 'feeling positive'.

She had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in the past but her family are adamant she wouldn't have taken her own life.

'Sarah had a really bad hand because of her drug use, so I don't believe she could have done it herself,' Ms Gardner previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'We also had plans to meet the next day - she found a place to move into in Brisbane where she had enrolled in a beauty course and I was going to meet her in Gympie to help her move. She hated Gympie and couldn't wait to get out.'

However, in September last year the state coroner found no evidence that any third party was involved in Ms Brown's death.

As a result, there was no coronial inquest ordered.

If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz has struck an extraordinary civil settlement with one of the survivors of his massacre.

Nikolaz Cruz gunned down Anthony Borges during his massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February of 2018.

Borges, now 21, was shot in the lungs, abdomen and legs but managed to survive the horrific mass shooting which saw Cruz murder 17 people and injure another 17.

In a civil settlement between the two, Borges now owns Cruz's name and the murderer must now consult the young man if he wishes to grant any interview.

Borges was separately awarded $1.25 million for his severe injuries from the school district in 2021.

Parkland shooting victim Anthony Borges sits at his attorney's office in Wilton Manors, Fla., on Wednesday, June 26, 2024

In a civil settlement between the two, Borges now owns Cruz's name, seen here in 2019, and the murderer must now consult the young man if he wishes to grant any interview

His lawyer Alex Arreaza told the South Florida Sun Sentinel: '[Cruz] signed over any rights to his name.

'The idea now is to shut him out. He will not be the one who decides when or how the story gets told.

'The idea is to keep him from being able to inflict further torture on his victims from jail.'

Arreaza had arranged a Zoom meeting with Cruz earlier this month and managed to persuade him into giving Borges the rights to his name.

While Borges was absent from the meeting, his father Royer was present, saying: 'I have mixed feelings when I see his face.

'I dont feel rage. I remind myself that you have to know and understand his story.

'But I also thought, after what he took from my son, whatever he owns in this world, we should take it from him.'

The agreement means Cruz cannot into any agreement with documentary producers or authors without Borges' permission.

Arreaza also said that this extends to news interviews and that he would fight it in court if necessary.

It has also been agreed with the murderer that he will donate his brain to science so it can be studied.

While Borges was absent from the meeting, his father Royer, sen here with his son, was present

Students are evacuated by police out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, after a shooting on Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Arreaza added: 'What turns a person into Nikolas Cruz? Was it something that we can learn by studying his brain?

Speaking with the Sun Sentinel earlier this week, Borges expressed no interest in using the gunman's name for his own gain. 'I'm not with that mentality', he told the outlet.

Following the horrific attack, lawsuits were filed by over 50 plaintiffs representing victims, uninjured survivors and their families.

Suits were filed against the Broward Sheriff's Office and the Broward School District who were in a position to reduce the harm that day but did not.

Borges split from the other plaintiffs and received his $1.25 million payout, which was significantly more than any other claimant.

A total of $25 million was shared by 51 plaintiffs which included the families of the 17 who died as well as students and staff injured.

A probe into the school's response to the shooting in the aftermath of the incident showed some officers failed to promptly respond to the threat.

While a report conducted in the aftermath showed how campus authorities struggled to communicate and respond as Cruz went on a shooting spree.

Cruz made his way through Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 14, 2018, ultimately killing 17 students and staff (pictured)

Surveillance video captured Cruz, now 23, stalking the hallways of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, aged 19

Borges had testified at the sentencing trial of Cruz who is currently serving life behind bars without parole after being spared the death penalty.

Cruz fired about 140 shots from his AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle during his six-minute attack, moving methodically from the first floor, to the second and third.

The murderer had a long history of bizarre and sometimes violent behavior that spurred numerous home visits by Broward sheriff's deputies.

Cruz said he chose Valentine's Day to make it impossible for Stoneman Douglas students to celebrate the holiday ever again.

Cruz said he began thinking about committing a school shooting while in middle school, about five years before he carried out the Valentine's Day tragedy.

The prosecution during the three-month sentencing trial had argued Cruz's crime was both premeditated as well as heinous and cruel.

Nikolas Cruz, 24,is embraced by Chief Assistant Public Defender David Wheeler and smiles as it was revealed that the confessed killer would be getting life in prison - not the death penalty

Cruz was just 19 years old and had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas at the time of the massacre

Cruz's defense team had acknowledged the severity of his crimes, but asked jurors to consider mitigating factors including lifelong mental health disorders resulting from his biological mother's substance abuse during pregnancy.

Almost exactly a year before the rampage, he purchased his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and his planning became serious about seven months in advance as he researched previous mass shooters, saying he tried to learn from their experience.

Cruz was just 19 years old and had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas at the time of the massacre.

In his guilty plea, he said he was 'very sorry' and asked to be given a chance to help others.

Cruz is now serving his life sentence somewhere in the Florida State Prison system, but his exact location isn't being disclosed by the state.
There was chaos last night at one of Sydney's most popular beaches after a person plunged to their death from a nearby cliff.

The tragedy unfolded at Dunningham Reserve, on the northern headland of Coogee Beach in Sydney's east on Thursday night.

Emergency crews raced to the scene, where the Toll rescue helicopter landed at the reserve.

NSW Ambulance and police crews also attended the scene (pictured) at Dunningham Reserve, on the northern headland of Coogee Beach

There was chaos at one of Sydney's most popular beaches on Thursday night as a person fell to their death from a cliff. A helicopter is pictured at the scene

One local wrote on social media that they 'could hear all the sirens go down the street'.

A shocked witness claimed that they overheard emergency responders saying they could not find the victim's pulse.

A NSW Police spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the person who fell had died.

NSW Ambulance was contacted for comment.

A 17-year-old boy died at the same cliff face in January 2023 after falling 15 metres onto the rocks below.

If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Murder rates in Boston have been slashed by 78 percent thanks to a violent crime crackdown launched by officials last Spring.

New statistics show the city's law-enforcement are easily beating their target to reduce incidents of homicide by 20 percent in three years.

Compared to the same six-month period in 2023 from January 1 to June 23, Boston has seen its murder cases plummet from 18 to 4.

Crime stats also show that the number of rapes has fallen by 39.7 percent - from 90 down to 67 - as Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox lauded the city's efforts.

'We are doing so many things, and hopefully it is having an impact,' he told the New York Times.

Boston has seen a staggering 78 percent drop in homicide rates so far in 2024, alongside a 39.7 percent drop in rapes, as officials praise a recent violent crime crackdown

Nationwide, crime rates surged during the pandemic, with widespread murder, rape and robbery rates increasing in major cities across the country.

Cox admitted that part of Boston's staggering drop can be put down to a general nationwide trend where violent crime rates dropped in the first quarter of 2024, alongside being helped by the demographics of the city.

Boston also owns a smaller population than most major cities at just 650,000 people, which tend to help city officials reduce crimes through specific, targeted prevention efforts.

And while Cox stressed that he did not wish to jinx it only halfway through the year, just four murders over the past six months is a staggering drop from a city-high 73 in the whole of 2010.

According to the Times, the drive to reduce crime has been steered by Mayor Michelle Wu, as her administration utilized historical crime data to target specific hotspots in the city.

Dubbed 'micro-locations', which can reportedly be as specific as a single intersection - the system allows law enforcement to better understand where to put their resources.

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the city is 'doing so many things' to bring crime rates down, including targeting specific crime hotspots throughout the city

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has been praised for her efforts to bring crime down throughout the city, which has included using historical crime data to manage resources

The campaign has also aimed to reduce repeat offending and reaches out to past offenders and victims alike to understand why they ran into crime and what they need to avoid it again.

'Boston is a place where 40 percent of violent crime happens on 4 percent of city streets, and where a very small number of people drive a significant part of the violence,' Isaac Yablo, the mayor's advisor for community safety, told the Times.

'So when you go and get to know the people, eventually youre going to know the people involved.'

So far this year, the first of the four murders began on New Year's Day, when Fernandes Nilton, 24, was shot to death in the town of Dorchester.

Two bodies were then found on February 26, when convicted rapist Keith Ashby, 43, fatally shot and killed Aanya Vinay, 25, then killed himself in the Moxy Hotel.

George Deeble, 42, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound around 4:45am on April 27, becoming the third victim of the year. By the same time in 2023, Boston had already seen 13 murders.

The last and most recent murder in Boston this year was the fatal shooting of Pereshah Shear-Yashub, 27, in Dorchester, when she was shot inside a home at around 11:15pm on May 31.

Pereshah Shear-Yashub, 27, was the fourth and most recent murder victim in Boston, after she was shot inside a Dorchester home on May 31

George Deeble, 42, was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound around 4:45am on April 27, becoming the third victim of the year. By the same time in 2023, Boston had already seen 13 murders

Aanya Vinay, 25, was tragically found dead inside the Moxy Hotel on February 26 alongside a convicted rapist, who cops said killed himself

The first of the four murders in Boston this year began on New Year's Day, when Fernandes Nilton, 24, was shot to death in the town of Dorchester

Mr. Yablo said efforts to reduce the number of victims throughout the year will aim to 'engage 100 percent of the individuals most likely to shoot or be shot.'

Although some similar campaigns have previously sparked fears over racial profiling, officials insist they are just being practical.

Thomas Abt, the founding director of the Violence Reduction Center at the University of Maryland who worked with Wu's administration, described it as 'just smart policy.'

'They're carefully identifying people they should spend more time on, based on past behavior.'

In an attempt to capitalize on the extremely low crime rates, last month Mayor Wu launched Boston's first ever 'Plan to End Violence', with the ultimate aim to bring it down to zero.

'When the goal is to reduce violence, or respond to it better, it subconsciously sends the message that theres not much you can do,' Yablo concluded to the Times.

'This strategy is - prevent it.'
The attacker is still on the run

The mother of a man who was punched and stomped on at a bus station has met the Good Samaritan who intervened and saved his life.

MMA fighter James William, 31, stepped in to help Linda's 39-year-old son Jay, who was brutally attacked at the Nambour bus station north of Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.

The father-of-two was rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.

His attacker, who king hit him and repeatedly stomped on his head, remains on the run five days later.

Mr William's instincts kicked in and he ran in to stop the attacker, losing several teeth in the process.

'[The attacker] stomped on his head before I could get over there,' he told Nine News.

Linda (left) has met James William (right), the Good Samaritan who intervened and saved her son's life

An MMA fighter has recounted how he almost stopped an unprovoked attack at a bus station on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on Sunday (pictured)

Linda couldn't be more thankful that Mr William stepped in, saying she hopes the attacker is caught 'before someone else gets hurt'.

Her son remains in intensive care.

'We're very hopeful for a full recovery, it's hard but we're getting there,' she said.

The emotional grandmother embraced and thanked Mr William when the pair met for the first time on Thursday.

'I just want to thank you for being there because the circumstances could have been much different,' she told him.

Mr William replied: 'I couldn't stop it, but I'm glad I could chase him away.'

Footage taken by a shocked bystander showed the jujitsu trained-Mr William wrapping his body around the man, but he slipped away and fled the scene.

Mr William said the man was 'going crazy' and he felt he had to protect others around him.

'If I hadn't known any jujitsu (a martial art based on grappling and subduing), I would have been in big trouble,' he said.

'He targeted some poor guy, king hit him, and before I could turn around and get over there, he's already stomped on his head, probably like 10 times.'

Linda's son Jay (pictured) remains in hospital in a critical condition

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said police were 'concerned' about the condition of the attacker who appeared to be 'under the influence of some substances'.

'It was seemingly random attacks on these two victims and appears to have been unprovoked at this stage,' he previously told reporters.

'It was a brutal attack.'

The attacker was described as white and wearing a grey jumper, dark shorts and thongs.

Anyone with information, including footage of the fight, has been urged to contact police.
A defending Labour MP has revealed they had to talk round a voter who thought the party planned to tax condoms.

Karl Turner was canvassing in his Hull East seat when he had the bizarre encounter with a confused constituent.

The frontbencher told the Guardian he 'met a guy who said he was going to vote Labour but wouldn't now because he had just heard that we were taxing condoms'.

Karl Turner (file picture) was canvassing in his Hull East seat when he had the bizarre encounter with a confused constituent

Mr Turner explained he had to talk round a voter who thought the party planned to tax condoms

Mr Turner explained: 'I said, ''condoms?'' ''Yeah,'' he said. ''I just heard on that (pointing to the TV) that you are taxing condoms, and I'm not having it. You're not getting my vote.''

The complaint baffled the Labour politician, before his Parliamentary assistant Terence 'worked it out' that the man had misheard the policy of abolishing non-dom status.

When Mr Turner told the man 'we're taxing non-doms, not condoms', he replied: 'Oh, like the prime minister's wife? Ah.'

According to Mr Turner, the man then called out: 'Margaret: they're taxing non-doms, not condoms.'
A drama rehearsal of the gothic horror play Frankenstein was interrupted by police after a frightened nearby couple reported bloodcurdling screams thinking they were real.

The Bradfordians Dramatic Society of Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire were rehearsing a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel last Saturday in the town's 14th century Tithe Barn.

The group were performing one particularly gruesome scene in which the Frankenstein monster bludgeons someone to death at around 9pm, when a couple living near the barn overheard the fictional victim's screams.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said that officers were called shortly before 10pm with reports of 'concerns for the welfare of individuals' after screaming was heard coming from inside the old barn.

However, police officers, as well as the couple who called them to the rescue, quickly realised there was no real-life murder to prevent.

Police interrupted a drama rehearsal of the gothic horror play Frankenstein because a nearby couple reported bloodcurdling screams

The Bradfordians Dramatic Society of Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire were rehearsing a stage adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel

'Officers attended the scene and found the screaming was in fact, part of a theatrical group rehearsing inside the venue,' the spokesman added.

Andrew Morrison, director of the Bradfordians Dramatic Society, said: 'As you can imagine, in Frankenstein there's a few scenes that are quite dark.

'It's quite scary, there's a couple of deaths, it's violent in places as well.'

Mr Morrison said the group wanted to rehearse at the time of night they would be performing the scene, which likely contributed to the couple's concern.

'They were pretty scared,' said Mr Morrison.

'I felt a bit guilty actually, because it can't have been much fun for them.

'However, they were really good about it and they saw the funny side almost immediately,' he added.

Mr Morrison said that with hindsight, they would notify police in advance of their future rehearsals.

The society is due to perform Frankenstein on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at 7.30pm at the Tithe Barn in Bradford-on-Avon.
A $5million reward has been offered in the hunt for the world's most wanted woman as the FBI say 'cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova scammed investors out of more than $4billion in 'one of the largest global fraud schemes in history' before vanishing in 2017.

Today's huge reward offer was authorized by the Secretary under the Department of State's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program after Bulgaria set out plans to file charges in absentia against the Bulgarian-born entrepreneur.

It will take steps to seize her assets it said were illegally acquired, the chief prosecutor said Tuesday.

US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten, speaking at the same news conference, announced the reward of up to $5million for information leading to Ignatovas arrest and supporting Bulgarian authorities in apprehending her.

The 43-year-old is accused of defrauding investors out of $4billion by selling fake cryptocurrency called OneCoin, founded in Sofia in 2014.

A $5million reward has been offered in the hunt for the world's most wanted woman, Ruja Ignatova, who scammed investors out of more than $4billion in 'one of the largest global fraud schemes in history'

Ignatova was added to the FBI s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in June 2022 for fraud and money laundering

Her OneCoin cryptocurrency was founded in 2014, on the back of the Bitcoin revolution, and promised investors fortunes

The US agency, which dubbed OneCoin 'one of the largest global fraud schemes in history,' previously offered a $100,000 reward for her capture.

In the first two years, the cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme is estimated to have pulled in more than $4 billion from at least 3.5 million victims, authorities said.

'Ignatova is believed to travel with armed guards and/or associates. Ignatova may have had plastic surgery or otherwise altered her appearance,' her FBI wanted poster reads.

The FBI believe the entrepreneur could be using a German passport to travel to countries such as the UAE, Russia, Greece, and Eastern Europe to evade arrest.

Ignatova's whereabouts have been unknown since October 25, 2017, when she traveled from Sofia to Athens via a Ryanair flight after being charged in a New York court and a federal warrant issued for her arrest.

She made the dash after setting up recording devices in her American boyfriend's flat and learning that he was cooperating with the FBI, prosecutors said at the time.

Speculation has swirled that she may have been murdered under orders of the 'Godfather' of the Bulgarian mafia.

Ignatova was added to the FBIs Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in June 2022 for fraud and money laundering.

At the beginning of the OneCoin story, early investors were attracted to Ignatova's presentation as a glamorous Oxford-graduate who had allegedly spent six years with McKinsey before making the leap into the fledgling world of cryptocurrency.

She was confident, well-dressed and assured her supporters her project, OneCoin, was about to become the next big thing.

Within months, millions of people worldwide had bought into the vision, purchasing packages of a new currency online that they believed would one day change the world.

In these peak years, Ignatova was constantly in the spotlight, showing off her elegant outfits and glam lifestyle.

Ignatova was last seen publicly on October 25, 2017, after arriving in Athens from Bulgaria

Bulgarian-born German entrepreneur Ruja Ignatova poses during a London photoshoot in February 2016, eight months before her disappearance

As her audience grew, she made appearances at huge rallies. OneCoin even had a song referencing 'Ruja's revolution' and she was the celebrated face of a truly global movement.

OneCoin promised to be everything that Bitcoin was becoming. Anyone could buy 'packages' of the currency with real money and watch the value rise and rise.

But there were key differences in the small print that would inevitably deter investors.

When Ignatova missed her meeting in October 2017, she was expected to finally address whether investors would be able to turn their virtual currency into euros.

Concerns were beginning to rise that investors buying 'packages' of the currency online could not exchange it for cash they could spend in shops.

The value of their assets was rising - but there was no way of using it.

Crucially, investors were also slowly becoming aware that OneCoin lacked the safeguards needed to protect its value from manipulation.

Bitcoin was backed up by a blockchain - essentially a ledger keeping a record of transactions and value changes that everybody has access to.

The value could be secured and verified without having to relinquish control to a few greedy individuals.

Revelations that OneCoin was not, in fact, backed up by the blockchain were the first red flag - brought to light in a BBC investigative podcast series by Jamie Bartlett.

Konstantin Ignatov (L) took over from his sister after her disappearance but was soon arrested

When she disappeared a year later, then, it made sense that she ran off with the money. She boarded a plane in Bulgaria with a bodyguard and flew to Athens. The bodyguard returned and she did not.

Soon after, she was charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money-laundering in the US.

But that was not the end of OneCoin. People continued to work the company from offices in Bulgaria and properties belonging to Ignatova found new use.

In the wake of her departure, Konstantin Ignatov - her brother - stepped in to fill the void, according to prosecutors.

Police swept in to arrest Ignatova's cofounder Karl Sebastian Greenwood in 2018, who was sentenced to 20 years in US prison for his role in the scheme.

Cops nabbed Konstantin the following March.

Konstantin - deemed the 'de facto leader' of OneCoin - pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering as part of a deal unsealed in New York in late 2019 and spent 34 months behind bars.
Local community members in a small Missouri town are outraged after a police K9 tragically died after being left in a hot car overnight by deputies.

Chief David Vincent with the Savannah Police Department confirmed with local CBS affiliate KCTV on Sunday that the German shepherd, Horus, died on Thursday from health complications after being trapped in a car following an overnight shift.

While an investigation is ongoing, Horus' death is considered an accident.

Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney Monica J. Morrey said that she has requested a special investigation through the Missouri State Highway Patrol, according to a statement released Sunday.

'The Andrew County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is deeply saddened to learn of K-9 Horus' passing. We are grateful to him for his service to our community.'

Local community members in Savannah, Missouri are outraged after police K9 Horus tragically died after being left in a hot car overnight by deputies

Chief David Vincent with the Savannah Police Department confirmed on Sunday that Horus, died Thursday from health complications after being trapped in a car following an overnight shift

Savannah is one of many towns that have been under advisory as a heat wave continues to sweep the nation.

Temperatures in Savannah have been staying at 88 and 90 degrees, with index values reaching up to 109 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.

Horus was one of the police department's four K9 units, and has been involved in the police department since February 2021, according to a Facebook post. KCTV reports that several new officers are set to start training next week.

The name of the officer who was supervising Horus has not been confirmed.

A statement from Vincent received by local Fox affiliate WDAF reads: 'Due to this being an open investigation, there will be no further information released until the investigation is completed. The entire department would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the loss of our partner, Horus.'

The department has not acknowledged the K9's death on their Facebook page, and the community has taken notice, slamming the department on its most recent posts.

'IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE PUBLIC DOES IT AND IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT NOW,' commented one user. 'We demand charges for the person who did this.'

'Can I leave your police officer in your car for 6 hrs [sic], without air conditioning? Oh, that's a crime? Weird,' said another.'

'You need to explain K9 Horus's death and let the public know how you will fix this, because nobody is going to let a dogs death go down like this. You have to address this,' demanded a user.

The name of the officer who was supervising Horus has not been confirmed

Someone who claimed to be a former police officer voiced his frustration as well, claiming that this 'was not an accident.'

'You don't leave your partner in a patrol vehicle without constantly checking on him' the user said. 'If nothing happens to the police officer, it's because he was connected to someone.'

The police station posted a photo on Facebook Sunday, the same day they announced Horus's death, of another missing dog roaming the town, which users found insensitive.
Murdered teenager Charlie Cosser's heartbroken parents have revealed how they send him text messages saying 'I love you' every morning.

Charlie, 17, was stabbed to death at an end-of-term party in West Sussex last summer - a death which his father today said had 'ruined our world'.

His family have now devoted themselves to campaigning against knife crime - fulfilling a promise made to Charlie as he lay in critical care after the attack in the grounds of a 1.5million country farmhouse.

Charlie's killer Yura Varybrus, who will be 18 this November, was jailed for life with a minimum of 16 years earlier this month - and the judge at Brighton Crown Court ruled his identity could be revealed.

The tragic victim's parents Tara and Martin are now campaigning for tougher knife crime laws and Mr Cosser said he had already 'done a number of talks' at schools.

Murdered teenager Charlie Cosser's parents Tara and Martin told today of their ongoing grief

Charlie Cosser (pictured), 17, was stabbed three times in the chest at an end-of-term summer party at a 1.5 million farmhouse estate in Warnham, West Sussex, after a fight broke out

Charlie Cosser is pictured centre with his family around him - his parents today revealed they still send him text messages each morning

They were speaking in an interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain today with presenters Rob Rinder and Kate Garraway, who struggled to hold back tears.

Sussex Police released a mugshot picture of convicted killer Yura Varybus, 17

Mrs Cosser told the programme how the couple have taken different approaches to trying to cope with their grief - saying she prefers to stay home because 'that's where Charlie was, that's where all my memories are'.

She added: 'That's too painful for Martin - he wants to escape.'

They have both kept rituals, however, honours their lost son.

Mrs Cosser said: 'I still send him a message every morning to tell him I love him.'

Her husband added: 'I still open his door to see - I know he's not there but, honestly, it's so hard.'

Mr Cosser described their son's death as 'a life sentence' as he urged other youngsters to avoid inflicting the horror caused by Charlie's killer.

He said: 'It doesn't matter where you live - everybody has a choice. When you take a knife out, you make a choice.

'To plunge it into an innocent human being, to take their life - death is final.

Emotional Kate Garraway struggled to hold back her tears during a heartbreaking interview on Good Morning Britain on Thursday

Charlie's mother Tara told how she finds solace at home but husband Martin wants to 'escape'

Martin Cosser (right) has described how his son Charlie's murder 'destroyed our world'

'We have a life sentence. We were a normal family - a kind, happy family.

'Charlie was a normal boy, and it has destroyed our world - because someone made that choice.'

Mrs Cosser described how the family had actually felt relieved when Charlie told them he had been invited to a party, instead of previous plans to go out for the night in the town centre of Guildford in Surrey.

She added: 'We do live in our little protected Surrey suburb - it's the shock factor.

'If it can happen to Charlie, it can happen to anybody.'

She also described how he had been looking forward to going on his first holiday with friends the following Monday, booked for the Greek resort of Zante.

Mr Cosser has told, speaking outside court following Varybrus's sentencing, how he contemplated taking his own life in the aftermath of losing his son.

Varybrus, the son of Ukrainian parents, had never met Charlie before the end-of-term party on July 22 last year at Balmohano Farmhouse near Warnham, West Sussex.

Charlie Cosser's parents gave an emotional interview to GMB's Rob Rinder and Kate Garraway

Tara Cosser told GMB today about the 'shock factor' involved in Charlie's murder

Charlie's mother Tara, pictured with father Martin, said: 'If it can happen to Charlie, it can happen to anybody'

Charlie Cosser's brother Adam (left) and father Martin (right) have been paying tribute to him

The killer, who had been drinking heavily throughout the night, later claimed he could not remember anything about the attack.

He stabbed Charlie three times in the chest, with the victim then found about 10 to 20 minutes later - sitting on a pallet complaining how his 'chest and back really hurts' before being rushed to Brighton's Royal Sussex County Hospital.

On the way, however, he suffered a cardiac arrest after a cut to his aorta triggered internal bleeding and died two days later.

When allowing Varybrus to be publicly identified, Brighton Crown Court judge Christine Henson described the case as 'a particularly grave crime' which had 'attracted substantial national and local interest'.

She suggested the potential deterrent nature for others in identifying Varybrus was crucial for the public interest and public protection in homicide cases.

Delivering a life sentence with a minimum of 16 years behind bars, the judge told the killer this afternoon that his victim was 'still a child' and 'had everything to look forward to in his life'.

She said: 'He went to the party expecting to have fun before his holiday with friends on Monday - instead, his life support machine was turned off.

'As set out so eloquently in the Victim Impact Statements, the loss of Charlie Cosser to his family and friends is immeasurable.

Charlie's father Martin urged youngsters to avoid making the 'choice' of carrying knives

Charlies' parents (pictured) turned up to each day of the three-week trial along with Adam and the teenager's sister Eloise, 16

Police pictured at the scene of Charlie's murder. The teenager was found around ten to 20 minutes after the attack sitting on a pallet describing how his 'chest and back really hurts'

'Yura Varybrus, I sentence you on what you did and the choices you made.

'Im satisfied you did not stab Charlie Cosser in self defence and that you did not draw the knife in a purely defensive way.

'I dont think you went to the party expecting a fight but I am satisfied you knew there was a knife available and you had access to it if violence took place.'

The court heard how the murderer struggled with attachment issues following his parents' break-up, moving around between family members in the UK and Ukraine as a child.

He had been spending time between his parents in Surrey and Sussex.

Sarah Jones, for the defence said attachment issues had affected Varybrus mental health, adding: 'This was a split second decision he will regret for the rest of his life.'

Charlie's brother revealed earlier this month how he told the victim he was going to be an uncle just moments before life support was turned off.

Older sibling Adam described his final moments with his brother and said he broke the news to him that he and fiancee Jade Avery were expecting a child.

Charlie's father (pictured, centre, in black), quit his insurance broker job to set up knife awareness charity Charlie's Promise

Adam had hoped to tell Charlie at a family celebration, planned for a few weeks later, but instead had to make the revelation while his brother lay in a hospital bed.

He told The Times that he and Ms Avery had leant over the stabbing victim and whispered the news into his ear.

Adam, 28, said: 'We believe Charlie knew but, the fact we don't necessarily know, that hurts us a lot.'

The couple's son Albie Charlie Michael Cosser was born earlier this year and is now three and a half months old.
A brave grandmother who punched an accused carjacker in the head after he allegedly tried to steal a car that her little grandchild was still inside has opened up about the harrowing ordeal for the first time.

Soumaya Zakari, 63, was sitting inside a luxury Range Rover 4WD with her six-month-old granddaughter when a man allegedly attempted to steal the car, after her daughter-in-law went into a post office in Laverton in Melbourne's south-west last week.

What the brazen opportunist didn't know was that there was no way the no-nonsense granny was going to let anyone steal her daughter-in-law's car or, more importantly, her granddaughter.

She repeatedly shouted 'What are you doing here?' at the would-be car thief and then punched him.

'I (was) screaming but he still wanted to steal the car, that's why I punched him,' Ms Zakari told Nine News.

'I'm scared but not chicken.'

Ms Zakari also revealed it was the first time time she'd ever punched anyone.

Her daughter-in-law Tamara Afaneh said her daughter had just fallen asleep when the alleged incident unfolded.

Hero grandmother Soumaya Zakari (pictured) punched the alleged thief in the head as he allegedly tried to steal the car while she and her granddaughter were still inside

Daughter-in-law Tamara Afaneh (pictured left) said her daughter had just fallen asleep when the alleged attempted carjacking unfolded

She was very grateful her mother-in-law was able to fight off the man.

'(It's) very sick. It's just replaying in my head. Imagine he took the car. What if he hurt her what if he killed her?' Ms Afaneh said.

Mrs Zakari said she is never going to let her granddaughter, who is called after her, out of her sight.

'I love her so much,' the proud grandmother of 11 said.

The would-be thief was later apprehended and accused by police of allegedly taking part in a wild crime spree in the area.

The driver of the getaway vehicle, which was allegedly stolen, was captured on CCTV bopping to rap music as he sped off.

Australian Post worker Leanne hailed the quick-thinking grandmother as a 'hero'.

'So lucky that grandma was there,' Leanne told Nine News.

'Good on her.

'She was quick thinking and did what she had to do to protect her grandchild.

'They just don't care, they think they can do what they like and get away with it.'

Police alleged three men were responsible for a number of armed robberies and aggravated burglaries in the area within three days last week.

A blue Ford Falcon was allegedly stolen from Point Cook a week ago, on June 19, while the victims were at home.

An alleged would-be carjacker (pictured) met his match when he allegedly tried to steal a 4WD with a baby in the back seat

The would-be thief (pictured) copped a punch in the face from the protective grandmother

Three men wearing high vis jackets also allegedly stormed another home, stealing jewellery, laptops and bank cards that were later used at a service station.

Three men aged 22, 22 and 21 were later arrested in Broadmeadows, 27km north-east of Laverton.

They were each charged with a string of serious offences including home invasion, assault and making threats to kill.

The men were remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date.
A man has died after ploughing his car into a dam in a mysterious late night crash.

The blue Mitsubishi Lancer hatchback ended up on its roof submerged in a body of water after veering off a road in the Sawyers Valley, around 40km east of Perth, around 10pm on Wednesday.

Emergency services and police divers worked overnight to remove the driver and the car.

'Tragically, police discovered the body of a 34-year-old male inside the vehicle,' WA Police said.

The car was later winched out of the dam, which was on a private property.

The blue Mitsubishi Lancer hatchback ended up on its roof submerged in a body of water after veering off a road in the Sawyers Valley on Wednesday night

The car was later winched out of the dam, located on a private property

Shocked neighbours recalled hearing a commotion as the car slid into the three-metre deep dam and sunk to the bottom of the 'very murky and very cold' water.

'I just saw the tail lights under the water  that was all,' witness Chris Woodward told Seven News.

He called triple-0 but it was too late to save the driver by the time emergency responders arrived.

Another neighbour described hearing a 'swooshing sound'.

'There was absolutely nothing I could do, the dam is about three metres deep, very murky and very cold,' the neighbour said.

'It's terribly tragic, you don't want this ever to happen on your doorstep.'
Scotland's loneliest dog has finally found a home - after spending over two years in a shelter.

Roxy, a Staffordshire bull terrier, was given up after her previous owner became unable to care for her, and since then has spent almost half of her life in the Scottish SPCAs Lanarkshire kennels.

The five-year-old struggled to adapt to her new environment at first, but staff were eventually able to gain her trust and begin the process of finding her a forever home.

Numerous appeals sent out for her to find a family to call her own to no avail and visitors to the centre would also overlook the dog until dad Gerrard Brown and daughter Dawn spotted her picture on the wall.

Mr Brown said: We instantly fell in love with her face.

Roxy struggled to adapt to life in the dog shelter

The team managed to arrange a meeting that same day. She came out bouncing about and was an instant bundle of joy.

The whole family went down again to meet her and we all took her for a walk. We arranged another couple of visits and then fostered her for two weeks.

It all went well and we completed the paperwork for her to come home with us and be officially part of our family.

Roxy has finally found her forever home but the charity is changing the way it works to ensure no animal has to spend that length of time in a kennel environment again.

Rehabilitation operations lead Rachael Maclean said: Thankfully Roxys case is rare as we want to find animals their forever home as quickly as possible.

Last year we saw a 25 per cent increase in arrivals to our animal rescue and rehoming centres across Scotland, with 6,944 animals taken into our care in 2023.

We also rehomed 3,881 animals to loving new homes, fostered 459 animals, and treated 5,163 wild animals.

Our aims for 2024 are to enhance our adoption and fostering services with an expanded team.

This means getting animals into the right homes faster and improving the experience for animals, fosterers and adopters.
This is the shocking moment cops find two families stuffed in the back of a windowless hire truck while on their way to 'find work' after a driver alerted authorities to the vehicle when he noticed a hand hanging out of the back.

In footage posted to Facebook by motorist Langston Proper, from Atlanta, a large blue Go Budget truck can be seen making its way down Interstate I-85, Northbound, before viewers' attention is drawn to a single dangling hand.

Langston zoomed in to the back of the vehicle, showing the lone body part and revealed he feared he was witnessing humans being trafficked.

'I followed them from midtown Atlanta all the way to Gwinnett County almost damn near to Lake Lanier. My ancestors and GOD said dont stop, give in or give up. Stay with them, we will guide you and protect you along the way #humantraffickingawareness,' he wrote on Facebook.

As he followed the truck on Friday morning, he immediately contacted law enforcement while recording the chilling incident unfold on his phone.

Langston Proper, from Atlanta, was driving down Interstate I-85, Northbound, when he noticed a human hand dangling from the back of a rental hire truck and feared he was witnessing human trafficking

He immediately called law enforcement who dashed to the scene to carry out a search of the vehicle

When the shutter was lifted, a total of eight people making up two families were revealed. Gwinnett County Police told MailOnline the two families claimed they were traveling from Alabama to Maryland for a new job opportunity and that 'there is no evidence at this time of human trafficking'

The live updates and continuous communication with officers allowed the authorities to intercept the truck effectively and carry out a search.

After stopping the rental truck, cops swarmed the vehicle as footage captured the moment officers lifted the rental truck's shutter to reveal who was inside.

Blue police lights could be seen flashing in the road as two families - a total of eight people including two juveniles - emerged from the back of the truck squashed against what appears to be a mountain of furniture.

'Humantrafficking is real, my day yesterday started out as me going with the normal flow of a #tgif to turning into the good #marvel hero of saving humans from being trafficked off,' Proper said.

'I never wouldve thought I actually would have seen this right in front of my eyes and not just in movies or hear about it word of mouth'.

Gwinnett Police Department squashed human trafficking fears however, telling MailOnline the two families claimed they were traveling from Alabama to Maryland for a new job opportunity.

'The person who posted the video indicated that people in the back of the truck were possibly being trafficked,' it said.

'Our officers stopped that vehicle on June 21, on I-85 Northbound near Sugarloaf Pkwy.

'The back of the van had two families (eight people total including two juveniles).

'They were not tied up or in distress. They appeared healthy and agreed to speak with the officers.

'The occupants all told officers that they were traveling from Alabama to Maryland for a new job opportunity. The truck also included their personal belongings'.

It added that the driver of the truck was cited for allowing the occupants to ride in the back of the truck without a seatbelt.

'The occupants were taken to a local business by officers and dropped off so that they could find an alternate way to get to Maryland,' it added.

'There is no evidence at this time of human trafficking.'
The Supreme Court has blocked a nationwide settlement that would have seen the families of OxyContin victims handed billions - after ruling the payout would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own drug maker Purdue Pharma.

After deliberating for more than six months, the justices in a 5-4 vote blocked an agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims.

The judges agreed with the Justice Department which argued that the Sacklers, who earned billions of dollars flooding the country with highly addictive opioids, should not gain sweeping legal protection in the controversial deal.

The decision reversed a ruling that had upheld the plan to give the Sackler's immunity in exchange for paying up to $6 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits accusing the company of unlawful misleading marketing of OxyContin.

The settlement gave the families of Raymond Sackler and Mortimer Sackler protection from all future civil claims, effectively protecting their other assets from opioid-related lawsuits.

The Sacklers would have also given up ownership of the company but retained billions more.

The agreement provided that the company would emerge from bankruptcy as a different entity, with its profits used for treatment and prevention.

A pharmacist holds a bottle OxyContin made by Purdue Pharma at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S., May 9, 2019

After deliberating for more than six months, the justices in a 5-4 vote blocked an agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims

The Justice Department, acting as a bankruptcy watchdog body known as the US Trustee, accused the Sacklers of withdrawing $11 billion from Purdue Pharma over the decade before the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said 'nothing in present law authorizes the Sackler discharge.'

Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

'Opioid victims and other future victims of mass torts will suffer greatly in the wake of today's unfortunate and destabilizing decision,' Kavanaugh wrote.

Purdue filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019 to address its debts, nearly all of which stemmed from the thousands of lawsuits.

The suits allege that OxyContin helped kickstart an opioid epidemic that has caused more than half a million U.S. overdose deaths over two decades.

Edward Neiger, a lawyer representing more than 60,000 overdose victims, said: 'Today's Supreme Court ruling marks a major setback for the families who lost loved ones to overdose and for those still struggling with addiction.

'The Purdue plan was a victim-centered plan that would provide billions of dollars to the states to be used exclusively to abate the opioid crisis and $750 million for victims of the crisis, so that they could begin to rebuild their lives.

'As a result of the senseless three-year crusade by the government against the plan, thousands of people died of overdose, and today's decision will lead to more needless overdose deaths.'

At issue in the case was whether bankruptcy law lets Purdue's restructuring include legal protections for the members of the Sackler family, who have not filed for personal bankruptcy.

The Sacklers have been given immunity from civil lawsuits over their role in the opioid crisis. Dr Richard Sackler, standing second from left and Jonathan Sackler standing second from right. Seated is co-founder Raymond and his wife Beverly Sackler

Headquarters of Purdue Pharma LP, the maker of the painkiller OxyContin, in Stamford, Connecticut, September 16, 2019

Dr Mortimer Sackler & Dame Theresa Sackler attend a Cartier Dinner on 24 May 2004

The settlement gave the families of Raymond Sackler and Mortimer Sackler, seen here, protection from all future civil claims

These so-called 'non-debtor releases' originally arose in the context of asbestos litigation, but their use has been expanded by companies looking to use such protections as a bargaining chip.

The Connecticut-based company estimates that its bankruptcy settlement, approved by a judge in 2021, would provide $10 billion in value to its creditors, including state and local governments, individual victims of addiction, hospitals and others who have sued the company.

The court put the settlement on hold last summer in response to objections from the Biden administration. It's unclear what happens next.

The Sackler families said in a statement on Thursday: 'The Sackler families remain hopeful about reaching a resolution that provides substantial resources to help combat a complex public health crisis.

'The unfortunate reality is that the alternative is costly and chaotic legal proceedings in courtrooms across the country.

'While we are confident that we would prevail in any future litigation given the profound misrepresentations about our families and the opioid crisis, we continue to believe that a swift negotiated agreement to provide billions of dollars for people and communities in need is the best way forward.'

Ed Bisch's 18-year-old son Eddie, died from an overdose after taking OxyContin in Philadelphia in 2001.

The older Bisch, who lives in New Jersey, has been speaking out against Purdue and Sackler family members ever since and is part of a relatively small but vocal group of victims and family members who opposed the settlement.

'This is a step toward justice. It was outrageous what they were trying to get away with,' he said on Thursday.

Mortimer and Theresa Sackler with Their Daughter Marissa Stella Artois Tennis Championship's Final at Queen's Club - 15 Jun 2003

Dr. Mortimer Sackler and Jacqueline Sackler attend The Winter Dance 2006 Desert Oasis Sponsored by VERSACE

'They have made a mockery of the justice system and then they tried to make a mockery of the bankruptcy system.'

He said he would have accepted the deal if he thought it would have made a dent in the opioid crisis.

He's now calling on the Department of Justice to seek criminal charges against Sackler family members.

OxyContin first hit the market in 1996, and Purdue Pharma's aggressive marketing of it is often cited as a catalyst of the nationwide opioid epidemic, with doctors persuaded to prescribe painkillers with less regard for addiction dangers.

Cardboard gravestones with the names of victims of opioid abuse outside a courtroom in New York City in 2021

The drug and the company became synonymous with the crisis, even though the majority of pills being prescribed and used were generic drugs.

Opioid-related overdose deaths have continued to climb, hitting 80,000 in recent years. Most of those are from fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.

Arguing the case in December, Deputy Solicitor General Curtis Gannon outlined the Biden administration's objections to the deal.

'It permits the Sacklers to decide how much they're going to contribute,' Gannon said. 'It grants the Sacklers the functional equivalent of a discharge.'

But Gregory Garre, representing Purdue Pharma, said rejecting the settlement could lead to years of litigation and leave victims with no compensation at all.

Purdue's bankruptcy filing resulted directly from the massive, country-wide litigation against it and other major drugmakers and pharmacy companies for knowingly fomenting the addiction crisis.

The drug and the company became synonymous with the crisis, even though the majority of pills being prescribed and used were generic drugs

Jen Trejo holds a photo of her son Christopher as she is comforted outside the Supreme Court where signs in the shape of grave headstones, with information on people who died from using OxyContin, line a security fence, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023

Under the March 2022 settlement, the Sacklers were 'absolutely, unconditionally, irrevocably, fully, finally, forever and permanently' released from further legal liability.

The opioid epidemic has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths in the United States over two decades, authorities say.

Purdue and other opioid makers were accused of encouraging free-wheeling prescription of their products through aggressive marketing tactics while hiding how addictive the drugs are.

Facing an avalanche of litigation, in 2021 Purdue pled guilty to three criminal charges over its marketing of OxyContin.

The Purdue Pharma settlement would have ranked among the largest reached by drug companies, wholesalers and pharmacies to resolve epidemic-related lawsuits filed by state, local and Native American tribal governments and others. Those settlements have totaled more than $50 billion.

But the Purdue Pharma settlement would have been only the second so far to include direct payments to victims from a $750 million pool. Payouts would have ranged from about $3,500 to $48,000.

Sackler family members no longer are on the company's board, and they have not received payouts from it since before Purdue Pharma entered bankruptcy.

In the decade before that, though, they were paid more than $10 billion, about half of which family members said went to pay taxes.
Timeshare owners who want out of their holiday homes need to be alert, the FBI says.

They're increasingly targeted in cons run by Mexican drug cartels, the agency warns.

Victims are most often rich, older Americans looking to recoup some of the money they dropped into their part-time properties.

Some 6,000 victims have reported upwards of $300 million in losses these past five years, says Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New York's Complex Financial Crimes Branch.

'Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences for victims' financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health,' says Roberts.

James, 76, and Nicki, 72, from California, were scammed out of almost $1 million by a deadly Mexican cartel who made a fraudulent offer for their timeshare in Lake Tahoe

Owners of timeshares in holiday homes, like these properties in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, are increasingly targeted in sophisticated scams

Among their prey were James, 76, and his wife Nicki, 72, who wanted out of the Lake Tahoe, California, timeshare they bought for nearly $9,000 in the mid-90s but seldom visited.

James jumped at the chance to sell it when he was approached by a slick real estate agent offering upwards of $22,000.

But it was in reality a sophisticated con linked to a cartel that cost the couple nearly $1 million within six months.

The FBI's Paul Roberts says timeshare owners shouldbe on alert

'It was very elaborate,' James told DailyMail.com.

'That's why I was sucked in. I just thought there were too many players involved for it to be a scam.'

The fraud that devastated James' finance's followed a pattern familiar to federal investigators.

Scammers create bogus documents and impersonate individuals from banks and other trustworthy institutions.

They then use high-pressure sales tactics and phony information to make offers to timeshare owners.

Initial contact is usually made by phone or email, with the scammer pretending to be a US or Mexican-based third-party timeshare broker, the FBI said.

They then urge the owner to rent their property or sell out of the timeshare scheme.

They push victims to pay upfront fees or taxes to secure the deals.

Later, the scammers re-approach the victims posing as lawyers trying to help them recoup the money they lost to the first con artists and asking for court or legal fees, the FBI said.

They even circle back again, impersonating government officials who say they can help recoup some of the lost money  for a fee, of course.

Scammers have even threatened timeshare owners, saying their initial payment was dodgy, and they are being fined or investigated.

Jalisco New Generation uses dozens of call centers in Mexico and even bribes resort employees to leak guest information as part of its schemes to scam timeshare owners

James and Nicki wanted to get rid of their timeshare in Lake Tahoe, like these properties at the California beauty spot

All of these ploys are an effort to part victims from their money.

Roberts says it's hard to know how many cons occur because victims are loath to report being stung.

'The worst thing that people can do is suffer in silence out of shame or fear of judgment,' he said in an alert this month.

Timeshare scams have been around for years, but Mexican gangsters have jumped on the bandwagon this past decade, the FBI says.

The Gulf Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel are dabbling in scams, but the biggest Mexican players are the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), it adds.

Independent call centers in Mexico with English-speaking staff are also likely playing a role, the FBI says.

Gangsters appreciate the low startup costs and cash flows that are easy to hide, says Roberts.

The cons have a 'lower perceived risk of prosecution and extradition,' he adds.

Roberts urges timeshare owners to be on the lookout for scammers and any red flags, such as being asked to pay upfront fees or taxes in advance.

The FBI has the following advice:

Don't answer phone calls from unfamiliar numbers.

If someone contacts you about your timeshare and requests cash upfront, stop communicating with them, and don't pay up.

Never sign, notarize, or send any power-of-attorney or legal documents via email.
Reform have dropped support for a candidate who used to be a member of the far-right British National Party (BNP), the Mail can reveal.

Raymond Saint, who will still appear on the ballot paper in the Basingstoke constituency, was named in a leaked list of BNP members in 2009.

Reform have now accused the former plumber of failing to declare his membership of the organisation during the candidate selection process.

A party spokesman said: 'As Nigel Farage has repeatedly made plain, people who belong or used to belong to the BNP are not welcome in the Reform UK party.

'Every candidate was asked to declare their past or present political affiliations and was specifically asked whether they had ever been a member of the BNP.

Raymond Saint was named in a leaked list of BNP members in 2009 and has now been dropped by Reform

Reform has since removed its support for the MP candidate, who will still appear on the ballot paper in the Basingstoke constituency

'Mr Saint failed to do so and clearly lied to us.'

The seat is currently held by former Cabinet Minister Dame Maria Miller, who has held the seat since 2005 and won it in 2019 by a 14,198 majority.

However, a recent MRP poll showed the Tory lagging behind Labour by 14 points, while Reform were on 11 per cent in the seat.

On the Basingstoke Reform website, Mr Saint said he used to always vote for the Conservatives but was now 'politically homeless' as the party had 'completely lost its way'.

He added: 'This is the reason I decided to join the Reform Party, in the hope that together we can try to bring the country back to some kind of normality.'

Mr Saint was also accused of being the only candidate not to turn up to a hustings organised by a Hindu community group.

A local source said: 'Basingstoke is a very diverse town with Communities from all backgrounds live in harmony. We recently held 'Hindus for Democracy' hustings attended by all candidates except Reform candidate Raymond Saint. I think not attending a Hustings organised by a community group shows where he stands in accepting every citizen of our constituency as one.

A Reform party spokesman said: 'As Nigel Farage (pictured) has repeatedly made plain, people who belong or used to belong to the BNP are not welcome in the Reform UK party'

'There is no place for racism or hate in our Borough. We have seen communities form all backgrounds share each other's values and rich culture through events in Town and in schools.

'Basingstoke electors should be made aware of this individual's background.'

Earlier this month another candidate resigned after the Mail revealed old blog posts that called on people to vote for the BNP.

Grant StClair-Armstrong, who was standing in Saffron Walden against Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, said he deeply regretted the posts made in 2010, when the BNP were at their electoral peak.

In one post, the businessman said he 'wept' at the state of the UK before adding: 'No doubt, Enoch Powell would be doing the same if he was alive.

'My solutionvote BNP!'

Reform UK has complained that it was let down by a company it paid to carry out vetting of its candidates.
Dramatic footage shows the moment a Missouri power utility worker scrambles to save his coworker who is stuck near a burning electric pole.

The power lineman can be seen trapped between the flames and a bucket truck in a YouTube video shared by David Patton, a war veteran and gamer.

The worker screams for help while kicking his feet in the air as a child can be heard asking, 'Can he get down?'

Fortunately for the lineman, seconds later one of his colleagues approaches in his own cherry picker to bring him to safety.

The other lineman slowly moves towards the top of the fire to pull the victim out but soon realizes that it may be difficult to save him from a high angle.

The power lineman can be seen trapped between the flame and a bucket truck in a YouTube video

He can then be seen changing his strategy and going under the desperate lineman's bucket truck in order to get closer.

While approaching the victim, the co-worker tells him to 'hang on.'

As soon as he gets closer, he can be seen pulling the trapped lineman's legs and body down into his own truck.

After a few moments of struggle, the hero is able to successfully rescue his friend, bringing him down to the ground as the recorder of the video says: 'Oh man, close f****** call'.

One of the lineman's coworkers comes to the rescue just in time

The risky save, which has received over a million views, has been celebrated by other YouTubers and called a heroic move.

'Most dramatic and heroic thing I've seen in a long time God bless both of those men,' one watcher said.

While another noted: 'As another power lineman myself, I hate to admit that accidents and "close calls" like this happen very often in the trade. The customers this circuit feeds I'm sure were furious their power was out, just like normal, but nobody has a clue another man is fighting for his life during the power outage. Appreciate your light switch.'

A seasoned firefighter also praised the save and wrote: '26 year firefighter here, dude that was amazing!!! He didn't hesitate to save his bud. Respect to you both.'

One viewer also noted how important work friendships are in life: 'Working 3,000 ft underground taught me there is no one more important than your work partner. You take care of each other so you can both go home at the end of the day. Well done fellas!'

The cause of the electrical fire remains unclear.

The risky save, which has received over a million views, has been celebrated as a heroic move

This heroic save comes a few months after a group of Good Samaritans rushed to the aid of a man whose car had burst into flames on a Minnesota highway, pulling him to safety seconds before certain death.

The man's Honda ran off the road on I-94 near Snelling Avenue, hit a lamppost and burst into flames at around 6.30 p.m. in April, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Video captures the harrowing rescue of the driver, an elderly man, as several other motorists abandoned their vehicles on the side of the freeway.

Kadir Tolla was one of them. He was heading to work in St. Paul when he encountered the burning car moments after the collision and suspected the driver was trapped inside.

A group of bystanders rushed to the car and attempted to break the windows as the flames grew

Dashcam footage shows Tolla, clad in a gray shirt and white sneakers, joining several other witnesses as they attempted to wrench the doors open.

Tolla braced his foot against the guardrail as he yanked on the back door. When that attempt failed, he jogged off and retrieved a piece of plastic from the side of the road, planning to use it to shatter the window.

However, his attempts failed. Moments later, a Minnesota Department of Transportation truck pulled up and a state official entered the fray.

The flames exploded outwards, forcing the crowd to leap back, with some bystanders falling to the pavement.

As tension heightened, the Department of Transportation worker smashed the glass before the group pulled the man through the window.

They rushed him to safety in their arms, just moments before flames engulfed the driver's side.

Miraculously, the driver did not sustain any serious injuries, according to state officials. He was taken to Regions Hospital for an evaluation.

The crash also started a grass fire which firefighters quickly extinguished.
Tory minister Steve Baker is set to launch a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader should the Conservatives lose next week's general election, it emerged today.

The 53-year-old joined other senior Tories in jostling for position ahead of a possible leadership contest by hinting he would run for the party's top job.

But Mr Baker - who once labelled himself the 'hard man of Brexit' - faces an immediate challenge in clinging on to his Wycombe constituency on 4 July.

He won the Buckinghamshire seat with a majority of less than 5,000 votes in 2019 and is facing a fierce challenge from Labour this year.

A string of polls have shown Mr Baker is set to lose in a week's time, while bookies have made Labour odds-on to win the constituency.

Mr Baker came under fire at the start of the election campaign when he jetted off to Greece for a holiday less than a week after the PM had called the date of the contest.

He later posted videos of himself sailing while in Vasiliki, as temperatures neared 30C in the beach resort.

Tory minister Steve Baker is set to launch a bid to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader should the Conservatives lose next week's general election

The Northern Ireland minister is expected to announce his intention to run for the Tory leadership if the party suffers a hammering on 4 July and Mr Sunak is forced to quit

Mr Baker came under fire at the start of the election campaign when he jetted off to Greece on holiday. He later posted videos of himself sailing while in Vasiliki

Mr Baker is expected to announce his intention to run for the Tory leadership if the party suffers a hammering on 4 July and Mr Sunak is forced to quit.

He said: 'One thing at a time. I want to represent the people of Wycombe the best that I can, as I always have done. Then let's see what happens.'

The Northern Ireland minister joins Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch and Home Secretary James Cleverly in hinting at a possible leadership bid.

Asked on Monday if she would take on the Tory leadership if she was among only a limited number of current Cabinet ministers left after the general election, she said: 'We need to focus on this election.

'The choice is going to be between us or between them (Labour). Be afraid if it is them, is all I would say.

'And we will talk about leadership things after an election, but not before.'

Her comments came after a trio of possible Tory leadership contenders made interventions over the weekend.

Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the party was the 'natural home for Reform voters', and former home secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed the case for lower taxes in a rallying cry to voters.

Mr Cleverly left the door open to a leadership bid, telling Sky News: 'My focus is on getting myself and my colleagues re-elected.

'I want to try and make sure you've got enough MPs to form a Conservative majority.

'If that isn't the case, then we will deal with the circumstances as we find that. We want to make sure that if we do have to hold the Labour Party to account we'll do so.

'Leader of the Opposition is not a job people should aspire to. Being in government is a job people should aspire to. I've made that clear.

'I want to make sure we get as many Conservatives as we can.'

Last week, The Times reported that Mr Cleverly had told friends he does not plan to put himself forward for the Tory leadership after the election.

Ellie Reeves, Labour's deputy national campaign coordinator, said: 'While the Tories put their self-interest and leadership ambitions first, it's clearer than ever: if the Conservatives are given another five years, the chaos will just continue.

'This changed Labour Party is ready to serve the British people  country first, party second. The public has the chance for change with Labour if they vote for it on 4 July.'
This is the moment Putin's forces obliterate a Ukrainian town using thermobaric bombs.

Shocking footage shows entire multi-storey buildings in the town of Chasiv Yar being 'wiped off the face of the earth' alongside Ukrainian soldiers, according to a Russian special forces Telegram channel.

The thermobaric bombs have pulverised the once tranquil Ukrainian town in Donetsk region. This 'Tosochka' is Putin's latest flamethrower weapon shooting fuel-air explosive warheads.

The bombs disperse an aerosol cloud of fuel which ignites, producing a massive explosion with a high-temperature blast wave.

Ukrainian soldiers in the area have said that despite the 'merciless' Russian tactics, Chasiv Yar is so far resisting, but they admitted that the relentless attacks are already disrupting troop rotations and the delivery of some supplies.

Shocking footage shows entire multi-storey buildings in the town of Chasiv Yar being 'wiped off the face of the earth' alongside Ukrainian soldiers, according to a Russian special forces Telegram channel

The thermobaric bombs have pulverised the once tranquil Ukrainian town in Donetsk region (pictured above: ruins of multi-storey buildings destroyed by the flamethrower bombs

The bombs disperse an aerosol cloud of fuel which ignites, producing a massive explosion with a high-temperature blast wave

Putin has been trying to gravitate the town - with a pre-war population of just 12,000 - for nearly three months.

The latest annihilation strategy using the flamethrower bombs appears to be an effort to step up the Russian leader's attempt to grab the settlement. Yet like most towns 'liberated' by the Russians, Chasiv Yav is reduced to little more than ruins.

Russian troops are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukrainian forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid that is already trickling to the front line, analysts say.

The Kremlin's monthslong campaign to cripple Ukraine's electricity supply aims to sap public morale and deny energy to Ukraine's burgeoning arms industry.

Attacks on such civilian targets brought arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court on Tuesday for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and military chief of staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov for alleged war crimes.

Judges said there is evidence they 'intentionally caused great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health' of Ukrainian civilians.

This 'Tosochka' (circled before it hits the multi-storey buildings) is Putin's latest flamethrower weapon shooting fuel-air explosive warheads

The thermobaric bombs are launched by a system like the one pictured above

For Ukrainian soldiers defending the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian ground assaults and aerial barrages allow little respite after more than two years of war.

'We work, you could say, without rest,' said a platoon commander who, in line with his brigade's rules, identified himself only by his first name, Oleksandr.

'So no two days are alike. You always need to be ready to work day and night,' he said.

His platoon is part of Ukraine's 43rd Artillery Brigade. It dashes to positions and without delay fires a Soviet-era Pion self-propelled howitzer at Russian positions before it can be targeted itself.

Holding Chasiv Yar is crucial. The town, highly sought-after due to its strategic location and elevated position but now largely in ruins, lies to the west of neighboring Bakhmut, which was captured by Russia last year after a 10-month battle.
Dramatic footage shows how drug smugglers aboard a narco submarine headed for Spain's southern coast were rescued on Wednesday from the sinking vessel before getting arrested in the middle of the Atlantic.

In a video released by the Spanish civil guard and the Spain's Tax Agency, four men, who are Colombian nationals, can be seen in life vests standing on top of a sinking submersible as a customs surveillance ship approaches the vessel.

Another clip shows the sub's crew floating in the sea as waves crash against them, alongside black barrels - which the crew appear to have held on to to stay afloat.

The men can then be seen climbing up a ladder onto the ship, before another video shows them getting arrested once they get onboard. The drug smugglers are then seen lying face down while they are handcuffed civil guards.

The blue vessel had been navigating the waters 280 miles west of the coast of Cadiz when its crew spotted a surveillance ship.

A Narco submarine carrying a shipment of cocaine was intercepted off the oast of Cadiz, Spain yesterday

The crew of four men, who are from Colombia, were rescued from the sinking submersible after they purposefully made the vessel sink in order to get rid of their illicit cargo

According to the Tax Agency, the men came to the surface and opened the submarine's valves, allowing the vessel to fill with water and sink to the bottom of the sea, along with its precious cargo.

Police believe the vessel was carrying a large shipment of cocaine given its similarity to previously-seized narco submarines.

The operation, which was jointly carried out by the Spanish civil guard, the national police and the Tax Agency, started on Monday when authorities received a tip from the US's Drug Enforcement Agency.

The DEA had reportedly detected a potential drop off between an unknown vessel and a semi-submersible.

The 20-meter blue submarine was eventually spotted off the coast of Cadiz, which authorities successfully intercepted.

The men were filmed floating in the water, keeping themselves afloat with black empty barrels

The drug traffickers were eventually arrested by the same authorities that helped them out of the waters

It so happens that the customs surveillance ship was already loaded with 900 kilograms of seized cocaine following an operation just a few days prior.

The surveillance ship on Saturday had spotted a speedboat carrying a shipment of cocaine near the Canary Islands after having had received a tip from the British National Crime Agency and the DEA.

9000 kg of cocaine were dumped into the ocean by the seafaring criminals as the civil guard attempted to catch the drug mules during what was reported to have been a six-hour-long chase, according to Canarias7.

While the speedboat managed to escape and reach the island of La Palma, authorities discovered the abandoned boat on Tazacorte beach on the island the following day. Police said the boat corresponded with the one chased the day prior.
A Virginia sheriffs department has refused to investigate an incident involving an officer who repeatedly punched a man and left him with a brain bleed.

Joshua Barricks was pulled over at the Covington Farm and Fuel store on March 30, 2022 over accusations of skateboarding while drunk.

But his arrest led to him being hospitalized with a brain bleed and multiple facial and jaw fractures after he was allegedly punched 12 times by former Alleghany County Sheriffs Deputy James Wright.

Surveillance footage shows Barricks getting on his knees and putting his hands above his head to surrender before he was violently attacked.

The Alleghany County Sheriffs office has refused to investigate which means criminal charges can't be brought - so Barricks is suing Wright for $5million.

A Virginia sheriffs department has refused to investigate an incident involving an officer who repeatedly punched a man and left him with a brain bleed

Joshua Barricks's arrest led to him being hospitalized with a brain bleed and multiple facial and jaw fractures after he was allegedly punched 12 times by former Alleghany County Sheriffs Deputy James Wright

Video of the incident shows Barricks on the floor with former deputy Wright kneeling on his back.

The officer is seen punching the suspect 12 times as he lays on the floor with blood pouring from his face.

He is then picked up and marched out of the store with his white t-shirt drenched in blood.

At the time of the arrest, Barricks was fleeing from Wright after he was pulled over for skateboarding in the road.

A criminal case can only be brought if the police department investigates before the Commonwealths Attorney issues charges.

Barricks' attorney Scott Austin said an investigation was not launched and a civil lawsuit was one of their remaining options.

'It would have been far better had the Commonwealths Attorney and the local police been involved from the beginning and investigated this and then we wouldnt be in this situation,' he told WDBJ.

A response by Wright to the lawsuit claimed he was acting within law enforcement policy and Barricks' claims 'are barred under qualified immunity'.

Surveillance footage shows Barricks getting on his knees and putting his hands above his head to surrender before he was violently attacked

The officer is seen punching the suspect 12 times as he lays on the floor with blood pouring from his face

The Alleghany County Sheriffs office has refused to investigate which means criminal charges can't be brought so Barricks is suing Wright for $5million

'Well, if thats true, we need to change the police policy, because his behavior was outrageous,' attorney Austin said. 'But we dont think it was in keeping with police policy.'

The Alleghany County Sheriffs office said it reviewed the video but no official investigation took place.

Wright joined the Virginia State Police as a trooper seven months after the incident.

Barricks' attorney said: 'In our opinion, this officer should not be involved in law enforcement.'

His client is currently serving a prison sentence for drug charges but wants accountability for the injuries he suffered.

'When hes released, hes going to go back in that community,' Austin said. 'He wants a safe community for the citizenry, and that necessarily means you have to have accountability for the police.'

His lawsuit is expected to go to trial in October.

DailyMail.com has contacted the Alleghany County Sheriffs office for comment.
House Republicans moved toward holding Joe Biden ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer in contempt of Congress on Thursday over withholding audio of his interviews with the president where he revealed classified information.

The Judiciary Committee voted to advance a contempt resolution on Thursday after Zwonitzer defied its subpoena for documents, including transcripts, audio and video recordings of his interviews with Biden for the president's two memoirs, 'Promises to Keep' and 'Promise Me, Dad.'

The resolution will now go to the floor for a full House vote. If the full body votes to hold him in contempt, he will be referred to Biden's Justice Department for criminal prosecution - which is unlikely.

Zwonitzer is now caught between two branches of government. The White House counsel said Thursday Zwonitzer is 'not authorized' to comply with the subpoena because of 'significant separation-of-powers concerns.'

The counsel noted Biden provided the information 'in confidence' while writing a memoir.

House Republicans moved toward holding Joe Biden ghost writer Mark Zwonitzer in contempt of Congress on Thursday over withholding audio of his interviews with the president where he revealed classified information

Republicans pointed to Biden's special counsel Robert Hur's investigation of Biden's handling of classified documents. Hurs report noted that Biden relied 'extensively on the notebooks' notes he took during his vice presidency' in the writing of 'Promise Me, Dad.'

'Mr. Biden told Zwonitzer that some of the information in the notebook may be classified. Some of these entries remain classified up to the Top Secret level,' Hur stated in his report.

Hur's report said Biden was not consistent in how he handled classified documents, saying he seemed to sometimes have 'stopped at or skipped over the potentially classified material' when speaking with Zwonitzer and at other times Biden 'read his notes from classified meetings to Zwonitzer nearly word for word.'

Zwonitzer deleted recordings of his interviews with Biden once he learned of the special counsel investigation, according to Hur.

Hur testified that Zwonitzer 'slid those files into the recycle bin on his computer,' but law enforcement was eventually able to recover them. He retained the transcripts.

Biden got an $8 million book advance for the memoirs which he said was 'more money than I ever made in my life.'

'Biden had strong motivations for ignoring classified procedures, because he was writing a book, a book for which he got paid a million bucks. So we have a motive, an $8 million motive,' Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan told DailyMail.com.

Biden, in a fiery news conference on February 8 after Hur's bombshell report was published, swore he had not shared classified documents.

'I did not share classified information,' Biden insisted. 'Guarantee you, I did not.' He added he wasnt aware how the boxes containing classified documents ended up in his garage.

Next week House Republicans will go to court to try to force Attorney General Merrick Garland to hand over the audio of Biden's interview with Hur. The DOJ has handed over the transcripts but not audio.

The Judiciary Committee voted to advance a contempt resolution on Thursday after Zwonitzer defied its subpoena for documents, including transcripts, audio and video recordings of his interviews with Biden for the president's two memoirs, 'Promises to Keep' and 'Promise Me, Dad'

Meanwhile Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is expected to force a vote on holding Garland in inherent contempt of Congress. If Luna's resolution is passed, it could force Garland to stand trial before the House, and if found guilty, he would be detained by the House Sergeant-at-Arms.

But even those at the forefront of the Biden impeachment efforts are distancing themselves from the movement.

'I think if Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wants to offer that, you know, God bless her, I'd support it,' Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan told DailyMail.com. 'But I think we're focused on going to court and winning in court.'

'I'll vote for it if it comes up for a vote,' Oversight Chairman James Comer told DailyMail.com. 'I don't think there's anywhere near the votes for that. I don't think it's necessary and I worry that would somehow unintentionally harm the court case.'

'The last time that was used, I think members of Congress rode horses to the Capitol. So, you know, no one knows how to implement that. And I don't think that's necessary, because we've already held him in contempt.'

Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross, N.C., tore into Republicans for going after Zwonitzer as a 'private citizen.'

'Going after a private citizen who is now caught between two branches of government is not only legally bankrupt, but also an unjustified abuse of power.'

She went on: 'Zwonitzer set out to write a memoir in President Biden's name about the death of his son, Beau. Nothing more. He's now caught in a legal battle in which he has no stake. All because the majority on this committee is desperate.'
A 27-year-old woman and her 20-year-old man are behind bars in Brazil after allegedly kidnapping and robbing of victims she lured through dating apps.

Leticia Nicolau and her boyfriend, Pedro Goncalves, were apprehended at their home in the southern city of Caraguatatuba on Wednesday after the Sao Paulo Civil Police obtained an arrest warrant.

Nicolau allegedly set up profiles on dating sites, cozying up to men into meeting her, authorities said.

The victims were invited to meeting points that didn't rouse any suspicions and were then abducted and robbed by members of a gang that was led by her former boyfriend Mickael Rodriguez.

The men were often threatened with death before relenting and wiring money from their bank accounts via PIX, a Brazilian government-operated instant payment system that is similar to Zelle, Venmo and Cash App.

Leticia Gomes (right) and her boyfriend Pedro Goncalves (left) were arrested Wednesday in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo as part of the state Civil Police's investigation into their role with a gang that targeted victims that Gomes lured on dating apps before they were abducted and robbed

Leticia Gomes is escorted out of her home in home in Caraguatatuba, a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. Gomes reportedly used multiple dating apps to sweet talk men into meeting her before a gang led by her former boyfriend kidnapped and robbed them

Despite no longer dating Nicolau, Rodriguez was able to convince her current boyfriend Goncalves into joining the theft gang.

Together, Nicolau and Goncalves splurged using the money they stole from the men on a lavish style of living that included romantic dinners, shopping and vacations to Dubai and Cancun.

Nicolau, who had more than 20 social media profiles, was arrested for the first time in March 2023 alongside Rodriguez, Goncalves and three suspects, including a teenager.

She and Goncalves were placed under house arrest but continued to target victims.

Leticia Gomes used at least 20 profiles as part of the plot to lure men she met on dating apps before she were kidnapped, threatened with murder and then robbed by a gang led by her former boyfriend. Her current boyfriend also participated in the crimes

Leticia Gomes used the money that as stolen from men she met on dating apps to dine, party and vacations in cities like Cancun and Dubai

Authorities seized several cell phones, cash, a calculator and a gun following Wednesday's raid at the home shared by Leticia Gomes and her boyfriend

Nicolau was arrested again February, but was released after her attorney obtained a preliminary injunction.

The third time was the charm, for Sao Paulo authorities, when they raided the home she shared with Goncalves on Wednesday.

Gomes had been involved in at least six incidents as of February.

It's unknown if she had targeted any more victims leading up to her arrest.

According to Sao Paulo police records, at least 52 women were used by gangs to bait 168 men via dating apps from January 2021 to January of this year in Sao Paulo and nearby cities. At least five victims were murdered by their kidnappers.

A unit assigned to the anti-kidnapping division arrested six women in 2021 and 19 other suspects in 2022. Another 25 arrests were reported last year. At least 460 male suspects were apprehended during the three-year stretch.
Questions were raised about Gavin Plumb's ability to carry out the alleged plot to kidnap Holly Willoughby by his barrister today.

Sarah Wass KC suggested elements of the plan would have been difficult to carry out as he weighed 30 stone and 'his size and girth would have made it difficult'.

In an exchange with undercover police officer who was given the pseudonym 'David Nelson', she had him confirm that most contributors to the Abduct Lovers chat group were engaged in pure 'fantasy'.

She then questioned how Plumb, 37, could have 'jumped the outer wall' of Miss Willoughby's home, which had been discussed with his alleged co-conspirators.

'Knowing what he looked like and the state of his dimensions, did that plan  or what was said about that plan, jumping the outer wall  cause you to re-evaluate the credibility of this plan?' she asked the US-based officer.

He insisted: 'No, it did not.'

Gavin Plumb, 37, (pictured in a selfie) allegedly planned to kidnap, rape and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby

Plumb (pictured) is accused of planning to rape Ms Willoughby before murdering her and then disposing her body in a lake

The 37-year-old kept hundreds of photos of Ms Willoughby on his phone, three of which were shown to the jury

Another important part of the 'plot' - how to spirit Holly Willoughby away from her London home  verged on the bizarre at times as neither Plumb nor his chief contact, a man called Marc, could drive.

In early exchanges, they appeared to rely on others being able to take the wheel of a vehicle. But as those people got 'cold feet', Plumb indicated he was learning to drive to solve the problem.

On December 4, 2022, he told Marc: 'Hopefully I'll be able to drive myself by then.'

Later the same day, he suggested an alternative, saying: 'We need to find an abandoned building even if we force her [Miss Willoughby] to drive.'

Two days later, the defendant said: 'I'm looking at learning to drive in the new year so we'll have someone that can drive for our special guest.'

Marc replied: 'Yeah, I kinda would like to learn to drive myself but erm something I haven't revealed I'm partially deaf the problem is my driving  my balance is never good.'

Jurors heard that Plumb assembled a 'restraint kit', which he filmed laid out on his bed

An artist's drawing of Plumb at Chelmsford Crown Court at the start of his trial on Monday

On March 12, 2023, Plumb told his friend he had 'started to learn driving'

A fortnight on, he added: 'The others have gone quiet so I'll get my driving sorted.'

On May 14, he told Marc: 'Once I pass me test then I'm going down there [Miss Willoughby's house] to er basically scope it out for a, a few days.'

In her opening speech, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told the jury: 'The fact that the plan may have been likely to fail at some point does not mean that the defendant was not sincere in his desire and intention to carry out such an attack.'

Listen to The Mail's award-winning podcast, The Trial: The Holly Willoughby "Plot" wherever you get your podcasts now. New episodes released every week.
A candid letter from Queen Elizabeth to her midwife has revealed how a young King Charles was 'getting fatter due to his enormous appetite' on a trip to Scotland.

The then Princess Elizabeth wrote to her midwife Helen Rowe from Balmoral Castle seven weeks after giving birth to Anne in 1950.

She gave 'Rowie' an update on the health of both Anne and the then 21-month-old Prince Charles.

The late Queen told her that they were 'getting on very well' and she was 'feeling much stronger already'.

However, she also disclosed Charles' huge appetite and even revealed the toddler was getting fatter.

The then Princess Elizabeth with Prince Charles just before his first birthday. The Queen's personal letter reveal the toddler was growing quickly on their holiday to Scotland

A four page letter from the late Queen to her midwife Helen Rowe, written from Balmoral Castle after giving birth to Princess Anne in 1950

The then Princess signed the personal letter off simply as Elizabeth. The private letter is now going under the hammer and is tipped to sell for 3,200

Elizabeth added that the assertive young prince looked at objects he could not reach and told her 'mummy, lift!'

She also wrote of how the Queen Mother was 'spoiling' her grandson while at Balmoral.

She wrote to 'Rowie': 'We are all getting on very well up here and I am feeling very much stronger already.

'It was lovely to be on the hill again the second day I was here, but the third day the jeep which takes one everywhere over the ground missed picking me up and I had to walk down to the road, with the result that I strained my knee on something, which has been very effective in keeping me within bounds!

'However, the air is so good that I feel better every day and though I still go to sleep in the afternoon, I don't do it so often now.

'Charles is getting fatter as he has an enormous appetite and takes a great deal of exercise.

'I find it extremely difficult to explain it away when he looks at something he can't reach and then turns his back meaningly on me and says 'Mummy, lift!'

'He enjoyed the train journey far more than Anne, who wasn't too keen on the rattling to begin with, but she has steadily been putting on weight up here and has got lovely pink cheeks after she has been out.

Queen Elizabeth with Prince Charles and a baby Princess Anne.

The late Queen smiling with little Prince Charles in 1950 when the eldest son of Elizabeth and Prince Philip would have been about two years old

'The sugar in her foods is gradually going up, and she doesn't seem to be nearly so ravenous, often sleeping right up to bottle time.

'The children's grandmother is spoiling her eldest quite openly and will do so with Anne if she got a chance!'

The four page handwritten letter, dated October 4, 1950 and on Balmoral Castle letterhead, is tipped to sell for 3,200 at RR Auction, of Boston, US.

An RR Auction spokesperson said: 'This is a wonderful letter from the princess, touching on the health of her two young children: Charles, a month shy of his second birthday, and Anne, who was only one month and 19 days old when this letter was written.'

The sale of the letter, which has been consigned by a private collector, takes place on July 11.

This is not the first letter written by late Queen to go under the hammer.

In 2017, a letter to the same royal midwife following Prince Edward's birth went up for auction.

The handwritten message, written in 1964, saw the monarch talking about her 'wonderful' baby and telling how he 'makes everyone happy'.

Edward, the Queen's fourth and youngest child, was born on March 10 at Buckingham Palace and five months later his proud mother said he was 'good as gold, trying to sit up and weighing 15 lbs 12 oz'.

The one-page handwritten letter, signed 'Elizabeth R' on Buckingham Palace letterhead, is dated August 5, 1964 and was sold by Boston-based RR Auction.
Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch today compared Labour's plans for new race equality laws to 'apartheid South Africa'.

The Business Secretary hit out at the party's 'morally repellent' proposals as the general election campaign entered its final week.

In a forthright speech at the British Chambers of Commerce global annual conference, Ms Badenoch also continued her feud with actor David Tennant.

She vowed she was 'never going to shut up' about 'the divisive agenda of identity politics' following her clash with the former Doctor Who star over transgender rights.

In their election manifesto, Labour have pledged to introduce a 'Race Equality Act' to 'enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority people'.

The 'landmark' legislation will also 'strengthen protections against dual discrimination and root out other racial inequalities', the document states.

Labour are also promising, if they win power, to build on the existing legal obligation for larger businesses to report on disparities in pay between men and women.

They want to introduce disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting for large employers.

Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch today compared Labour's plans for new race equality laws to 'apartheid South Africa'

The Business Secretary hit out at the party's 'morally repellent' proposals as the general election campaign entered its final week.

In a forthright speech at the British Chambers of Commerce global annual conference, Ms Badenoch also continued her feud with actor David Tennant

Tennant recently sparked a fierce row with Ms Badenoch following his acceptance speech at the British LGBT Awards, where he won a prize for being a 'celebrity ally'

But, in her speech to the British Chambers of Commerce, Ms Badenoch attacked Labour for seeking to 'micro-manage' firms.

'Their vision of the future economy is one that micro-manages your business to meet their political objectives,' she said.

'That includes the divisive agenda of identity politics. And I'm never going to shut up about that, no matter how many Doctor Whos say so.

'Identity politics is why Labour's biggest change is to introduce a new Race Equality Act.

'In their manifesto they say they will enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for ethnic minorities. But you know and I know we already have laws that do that.

'This is going to be much more political. A law that will be used to work out what people of different ethnicities should be paid. And they'll be checking on you.

'You will have new mandatory reporting on ethnicity pay gaps, which their new enforcement body will be inspecting closely.'

Ms Badenoch claimed Labour's plans would be 'great for job creation for compliance consultants and employment tribunals'.

But she added this was 'not the route to improving productivity or delivering real economic growth'.

The Business Secretary told business leaders: 'Labour's proposals divide the country into black/white, rich/poor, old/young.

'Because they see people as target groups not as individuals, and they see you as greedy exploiters not wealth creators.

'I think classifying your work force by race and having this influence their salaries is morally repellent.

'It's what they did in apartheid South Africa and what they do now in China and Myanmar. We should not be going anywhere near this stuff.'

Tennant recently sparked a fierce row with Ms Badenoch following his acceptance speech at the British LGBT Awards, where he won a prize for being a 'celebrity ally'.

He suggested he wanted a world where the Cabinet minister - who has faced criticism over her approach to trans rights - 'doesn't exist any more', and that she should 'shut up'.

But Ms Badenoch hit back and branded the actor a 'rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can't see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end'.
A widowed Texas mother says she was only concerned with getting her son and her 75-year-old mother back home when she was kicked off a United flight for misgendering a staff member.

Jenna Longoria claims the trio were removed from a flight from San Francisco to Austin on Wednesday after she 'accidentally' referred to a female-identifying employee as a man.

Footage shared by Longoria shows the moment United operations manager Gabriella Chidom informs her that she will not be able to get on the flight over 'what came out of her mouth.'

Chidom was not the employee who was misgendered, according to Longoria.

United claimed in a statement that Longoria was not allowed to board the flight over an issue with carry-on bags, but video of the incident seems to point to a different reason.

Longoria told DailyMail.com on Thursday that the airline's explanation 'makes no sense,' and the company is providing a different version of events because they know what they did was 'unjust.'

Jenna Longoria accused United Airlines of preventing her and her mom from flying from San Francisco to Houston on Wednesday after she used the wrong pronoun for a flight attendant

She said there was a discussion about her carry-on bags but that it was resolved before she was told she would not be allowed to board the plane and may even be banned from the airline for life because of her words.

The mother-of-one claims a United employee who identified as a female became visibly shaken when Longoria - who was distracted by her son having a meltdown - said 'thank you, sir,' as the employee handed her back her boarding passes.

Longoria says she was frazzled and struggling with her bags because her mother, who had come along to help her with them, was not allowed to pre-board with her and her son.

When she was about to enter the plane, Longoria encountered a male flight attendant, and asked him for help, saying something like, 'can you help me? He will not let my mother through.'

Footage shared by Longoria shows the moment United operations manager Gabriella Chidom informs her that she will not be able to get on the flight over 'what came out of her mouth.' Chidom was not the employee who was misgendered, according to Longoria

According to her Linked In, Chidom is 'experienced in developing and implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs, which help improve employee engagement'

The flight attendant then reportedly became upset, asking her, 'who is he? That's a woman. She's wearing a dress.'

'He then tells me to get off the plane.. says something along the lines of "I don't like what you said, I can deny you entrance, someone will come to assist you,'" Longoria shared.

She added that she repeatedly apologized, saying she was not well-versed in pronouns and concerned with carrying her son plus their bags, but it did not make a difference.

Once she was back at the airport gate, United manager Chidon approached her and informed her that she would not be allowed to board the plane in a filmed encounter.

Longoria claims Chidon did not offer an alternative flight or any additional information, just saying someone would be in touch and threatening that she could be banned from the airline.

Longoria said she apologized for misgendering the airline employee, adding that her son was having a 'meltdown' as they waited to board the plane

Footage shared by Longoria shows Chidom saying: 'I gotta fact find. I gotta get my crews together. In flight has to get their statements. I need statements.

'I dont want to go verbal about what I thought I heard.'

According to the Texas mother, it was not until she shared the story on social media that United provided her with a later flight.

Longoria insisted that she is not a political person, her intention was not to upset anyone, and she was just distracted as she dealt with her baby and elderly mother.

'My priority was my son,' she told DailyMail.com.

'I don't have an agenda... the trans thing, it's not on my radar. I'm just a mother trying to get from point A to point B with my baby and elderly mother.'

Longoria's lawyer Kirk Edward Schenck told DailyMail.com: 'As we see the facts, Ms. Longoria was callously assaulted, battered, and falsely accused of a hate crime in an unwarranted attack by several United Airlines employees.

'United Airlines employees have caused Ms. Longoria significant emotional and other consequential damages that we will seek in a civil action against United Airlines and its various employees.'

We also contend that United Airlines issued a false press statement about the incident constituting defamation when it claimed she was removed from the flight due to her having too many carry-on items.

Nothing could be farther from the truth and United Airlines knows this is a false statement. The question is: why did United Airlines feel the need to lie? What is United Airlines covering up?'

Longoria is a prominent women's health specialist known as 'The Period Guru'

According to her Linked In, Chidom is 'experienced in developing and implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs, which help improve employee engagement.'

United Airlines cast aspersions on Longoria's version of events by issuing a statement on what happened.

'A party of three traveling out of San Francisco today was not allowed to board following a discussion about having too many carry-on items,' a spokesperson said.

'The matter was resolved and the customers took a later United flight to finish their trip.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to the airline asking clarification regarding their statement and what the United employee is heard saying on video about but has not received a response.
EasyJet has cancelled a raft of flights at short notice, leaving families' holiday plans in disarray.

Passengers arriving to check in at Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were sent back home as flights were axed, sending their travel plans in turmoil.

Holidaymakers complained at the lack of available information, while others reported being sat for hours on planes that never even left the ground.

The airline said that ATC restrictions caused by poor weather had led to disruption on its network.

One traveller, Sarah Machete, said her wedding in Naples had been thrown into chaos after the airline cancelled her outbound flight today, offering her a journey on Saturday instead.

She wrote: 'Sowas just about to leave for the airport for our flight to Naples for our wedding & got a message from to say our flight has been cancelled.

'easyJet response. Your only option is the flight on Saturday! Zero s*** given by their customer service.'

Easyjet have cancelled several flights at short notice to holiday destinations from two UK airports (file photo)

Flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports were cancelled at short notice

Instead of travelling today, the bride-to-be has now been forced to fly to Luton before getting an onward connection to Naples at 6am tomorrow morning.

Another man on the same flight said that two days of his holiday had been struck off because of the last minute cancellation.

He wrote on X: 'easyJet have cancelled our flight from Edinburgh to Naples and rebooked us so we lose nearly two days of our holiday. Why are we not booked on another airline to get us to Naples today.'

Guy Houston arrived at 5am with his family at Glasgow airport for a package getaway to Tunisia, only to be advised that their flight wasn't going just 65 minutes before departure time.

He told the Daily Record that the family had been informed that the flight was cancelled due to storms, and that there were no easyJet staff to help.

Almost 400 miles south, a passenger called Kate complained she had been stuck at Bristol Airport for seven hours, leaving her Turkish holiday 'down the pan'.

She told MailOnline that passengers had boarded the aircraft where they waited an hour on the tarmac before they were told their flight was cancelled.

'Apparently three flights to Dalaman have been cancelled this week', she said.

'There were rumours it was a staff problem but they must have known hours before. The flight was already late.

'The crew had boarded at 4pm and they waited until 5.10pm to cancel. The systems are broken.'

Sarah Machete said the cancellations had thrown her dream wedding in Naples into chaos, when her flight from Scotland was cancelled forcing her to spend a night at Luton airport in order to get there

Another passenger travelling from Bristol airport told MailOnline she had been stuck at the airport for seven hours before her flight was finally axed, and ended up driving to Cornwall instead of flying to Dalaman

Instead of being able to soak up the sun in Dalaman, Kate is now driving to Cornwall for her holiday.

She added: 'Im sure all the Turkish lire we bought will gain value.

'Its a scam. All you really want is fairness, clear communication and human interaction.'

EasyJet said it had done 'all possible' to minimise the impact of the disruption on passengers which it said was due to air traffic control restrictions.

'We are sorry that the impact of ATC restrictions across the network yesterday, caused by adverse weather, meant that some aircraft were out of position this morning and as a result some flights to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow were unable to operate', a spokesperson for the airline said.

'We did all possible to minimise the impact on our customers and provided those on cancelled flights with options to rebook or receive a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.

'The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJets highest priority and we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of the weather.'
Poland and the Baltic states have demanded the European Union strengthens its eastern border, warning of a 'looming threat' from Russia and Belarus along its 1,500-mile border with the East.

The four EU members are staunch allies of Ukraine, which has been fighting a fully-fledged Russian invasion for more than two years.

They are trenchant critics of Moscow, who they accuse of orchestrating hybrid attacks including 'intimidation, instrumentalisation of migrants, sabotage, disinformation, foreign information manipulation and interference, (and) cyber-attacks'.

In their letter, the leaders of Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania urged the 27-nation EU to 'spend more and coordinate on defence initiatives within the EU and with NATO' in order to protect the bloc of 450 million people.

'Building a defence infrastructure system along the EU external border with Russia and Belarus will address the dire and urgent need to secure the EU from military and hybrid threats,' they said.

A view shows a damaged private house at the site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine June 27, 2024

People clean debris in an apartment in a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian aerial attack, in Selydove, the eastern Donetsk region on June 27, 2024

The call for a jointly funded ground defence line on the eastern border of the European Union comes on top of an earlier initiative by Greece and Poland to create an EU air defence system, modelled on the Israeli Iron Dome, that would coordinate the now separate air defence systems of EU countries.

'Extraordinary measures need to be employed as the EU's external border must be protected and defended with military and civilian means,' the letter of the four countries said.

Poland and the Baltic states - which all have borders with Russia - have already begun fortifying their eastern borders.

Warsaw has earmarked more than 2.3 billion euros ($2.5 billion) for defence measures along the border.

The letter from the four, sent to coincide with the start of a two-day EU summit in Brussels, urged the bloc to support border protection 'both politically and financially'.

They warned the EU was the target of 'an unprecedented range of hybrid attacks perpetrated by Russia and its proxies', including its ally, Belarus.

Poland last month accused Russia of flying thousands of would-be asylum seekers to Moscow and then attempting to send them into the EU across its eastern borders.
A father claims his family were forced to flee the 'worst holiday park ever' after just one night when they found bed stains and bugs in their room. Richard and Lindsay Brown had booked a three-night stay at the holiday park with their four daughters for the cut price of just 195. It was to be their first family trip away with their three-month old baby, but they claim the conditions at the site left them no choice but to curtail their holiday early. Richard said an unsafe playground which left his 11-year-old daughter injured and having to walk for '20 minutes down 50mph roads' to reach the beach ruined their experience. The 35-year-old claims that when he posted the videos detailing their time there he was then 'bullied' online by friends of the holiday park who accused him of lying and sent abusive messages. The holiday park claims the family have 'grossly misrepresented the circumstances of their stay' and that there are 'rigorous' checks in place to ensure conditions are clean. It added that the family had received a full refund and the 'majority of customers enjoy their experience of staying with us', while it has received a number of five star reviews online.
Prince Harry has been accused of 'deliberately destroying' potential evidence in his case against the publisher of The Sun newspaper - and ordered by a High Court judge to explain himself.

Mr Justice Fancourt said it was 'troubling' that a large number of messages between the Duke and the ghostwriter of his memoir, Spare, had been wiped 'well after' he launched phone hacking claims against the publisher of the red-top tabloid.

He ordered Harry to write a statement to make 'transparently clear' what had happened.

The Duke and 40 others are suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) alleging phone hacking and other illegal activity, with the trial scheduled to start in January 2025.

In a preliminary hearing on Thursday, NGN asked the judge to order Harry's side hand over a trove of documents which might contain evidence relevant to the case.

Among them were messages exchanged between the Duke and JR Moehringer who ghost-wrote Spare, published in January 2023.

Prince Harry (pictured in May 2024) has been accused of 'deliberately destroying' potential evidence in his case against the publisher of The Sun newspaper

JR Moehringer ghost-wrote Harry's memoir Spare, which was published in January 2023

The American author later revealed in an interview he and Harry had been 'texting around the clock' and that 'no subject was off the table'.

Mr Justice Fancourt said it was 'inherently likely' that 'matters would have been said' by the pair that could be relevant to the case, which was launched in 2019. But the messages on the Signal messaging app are said to have been deleted.

The judge said: 'I have seen troubling evidence that a large number of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages between the duke and the ghost writer of Spare were destroyed some time between 2021 and 2023, well after this claim was under way. The position is not transparently clear about what happened, and needs to be made so by way of a witness statement from the claimant himself.'

In dramatic exchanges earlier, NGN's barrister Anthony Hudson KC said: 'It is, I'm afraid, we say, another example of the obfuscation in relation the claimant's case. We say it's shocking and extraordinary that the claimant has deliberately destroyed'

At this point, Mr Justice Fancourt interjected to say: 'Well we don't know what has happened. It's not at all clear.'

Harry's barrister David Sherborne confirmed the 'entire chat history was wiped' but said: 'This was a highly necessary process, not to hide anything but to delete highly sensitive information about [Harry] and the royal family which, if leaked, would not only compromise his security but also be potentially damaging to the [duke] and his family.'

Prince Harry and his barrister David Sherborne leave the Rolls Building at the Royal Courts of Justice in June 2023

Mr Sherborne dismissed the newspaper's application as 'an old-fashioned fishing expedition' and said there were no documents in existence surrounding the publication of Spare. He said even drafts of the book had been destroyed.

But he insisted: 'The idea that there is some obstruction or hiding is just a nonsense.'

In his ruling, the judge criticised Harry's lawyers for the 'apparent paucity' of the documents they had so far handed over to the newspaper to help prepare for the trial, in a legal process known as the disclosure stage.

He revealed that earlier this month, it had emerged 'there was another large group of documents' provided by the Royal Household to Harry in 2020, about which Harry's lawyers 'were wholly unaware'.

Expressing his 'concern', Mr Justice Fancourt said the duke himself, in California, rather than a trained lawyer, had been deciding which documents might be relevant to the case.

The judge said sometimes he had the impression that even Harry's lawyers 'don't seem to grapple with' the issue, and 'so it would not be at all surprising if the [duke] himself did not fully understand'.

The newspaper's lawyers are also seeking a search of 36,000 emails between Harry and palace staff. Mr Hudson alleged Harry's lawyers were 'kicking and screaming' rather than handing them over.

Mr Sherborne said trio of Hotmail accounts once belonging to Harry had been deactivated and were no longer accessible.

He said the duke did, however, still have access to email accounts associated with the royal household but which are no longer active.

Mr Sherborne claimed the duke's solicitors had spent 130 hours at a cost of 50,000 searching through some 35,000 emails and there was nothing relevant in them The court was also told there were 'two encrypted hard drives' which had been said to be 'no longer in existence'.

Prince Harry leaves the Royal Courts Of Justice in London, on March 30, 2023

However yesterday morning, Harry's solicitors suddenly announced they had been 'found', one in the duke's California mansion and the other at the offices of his US attorney.

NGN argued they might contain relevant material, but Mr Sherborne said the files on the drives contained 'office documents' from his time as a working royal and were unlikely to contain anything relevant to the hacking case.

The judge agreed with that. But separately he ordered a separate search of Harry's text messages and WhatsApps for anything relevant, and said efforts should be made to retrieve the deleted Signal messages with the ghost writer.

Meanwhile two of King Charles's closest aides are being dragged into the saga. The judge ordered Harry's solicitors to write to His Majesty's private secretary Sir Clive Alderton and Sir Michael Stevens, the Keeper of the Privy Purse, asking them to disclose any correspondence with the duke.

Mr Sherborne said the suggestion that his client had 'dragged his feet, had to be dragged kicking and screaming, had set up some kind of obstacle course' was a 'monstrous characterisation'.

Harry had 'conducted extensive searches' for possible information including 'undertaking a physical search of his home in California'.

The duke has also contacted Lord Christopher Geidt, Elizabeth II's former private secretary, Sally Osman, former director of royal communications, Sir David Manning, former UK ambassador to the US and Nick Loughran, the Duke's former deputy communications secretary, who said they did not hold anything relevant from the time period.

Prince Harry was ordered to make an interim payment of 60,000 towards the publisher's costs.


Police in Greece are to reopen an investigation into the death of a Scots mother more than 15 years after her body was found.

Jean Hanlon died in suspicious circumstances in Crete in 2009 and yesterday her family hailed the re-examination of the case as a massive breakthrough.

The decision by the public prosecutor in Heraklion, the capital of the island, to reopen the file came after a private investigator hired by Ms Hanlons son compiled a detailed report on the case.

The 29-page dossier drew on evidence from the 53-year-olds diary and names a man believed to have been with her on the night she disappeared.

Jean Hanlon vanished after a night out in March 2009

Her body was found four days later in the water at the port of Heraklion

The new police inquiry will be the fourth time detectives, who have already concluded that foul play was involved, have attempted to solve the mystery of what happened to her.

Greek media reported that the case has been assigned to a public prosecutors office after a request to reopen the file and to investigate specific aspects.

Yesterday Ms Hanlons son Michael Porter, who along with his brothers Robert and David has been campaigning for justice, said: There is no way that they can shut this down again.

I am actually 100 per cent hopeful that this is the time that we get our mum justice and that she is finally laid to rest.

Ms Hanlon, a former hospital secretary, moved from Dumfries to Crete to work in the tourism industry in the coastal village of Kato Gouves.

She vanished after a night out in March 2009 when she had told friends she was planning to meet a man in a cafe.

A chilling last text message she sent read simply: Help. Her body was found four days later in the water at the port of Heraklion, and police at first said she had drowned.

A second post mortem carried out after her family demanded answers showed she had suffered a broken neck and ribs, a punctured lung and facial injuries, and probably died before she entered the water.

Two men  one Greek and the other Belgian  were questioned then released, and the investigation was closed in 2012.

Further probes in 2019 and 2021 also ended without providing answers for the family.

But Mr Porter refused to give up and hired private investigator Haris Veramon. He believes he now knows the identity of the person who killed his mother.

His lawyer in Greece told him on Wednesday that the case was being reinvestigated.

He added: The past 15 years has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

You get to a certain point like now where the case is reopened when you have got all new-found hope and strength and then you get chopped back down.

However, the massive difference in this is that we have hired the private investigator who has put in and filed this detailed report.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: We continue to support the family of a British woman who died in Greece in 2009 and are in contact with the local authorities in Greece.
Joe Biden finally broke cover on Thursday afternoon after spending seven days holed up at Camp David preparing for tonight night's debate against former president Donald Trump.

Biden took Marine One from the presidential retreat in the Catoctin mountains to Joint Base Andrews at 1.40pm, where he boarded Air Force One en-route to Atlanta, Georgia, when the first election debate will be held at CNN's headquarters.

The debate, at 9pm ET, is one of the most anticipated in history, with 61% of American voters expected to tune in.

The president, who waved from the tarmac as he was boarding the plane, was spotted wearing a brand new pair of black Cole Haan 'riginalGrand Energy' Oxfords - which for $200 gives the wearer 'bouncy comfort' with 'all-day responsive cushioning.'

And arriving in Georgia at 3.40pm, Biden certainly had a spring in his step - hugging failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and greeting other party officials.

President Joe Biden broke cover Thursday afternoon after spending seven days holed up at Camp David preparing for tonight's debate against former President Donald Trump

President Joe Biden was sporting a new pair of kicks, which DailyMail.com identified as Cole Haan's riginalGrand Energy Twin Oxfords

On board Air Force One, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre didn't divulge how the president spent his week - pointing to the Hatch Act - which bars her from talking about political campaign business.

'The president is president wherever he is,' she said. 'He's able to do the job wherever he is,' Jean-Pierre reiterated.

'And I'll say this, whenever there's an opportunity for the president to speak directly to [the] American public - in this instance it will be millions of Americans watching - he takes that opportunity very seriously.'

The debate could be a make-or-break moment for the 81-year-old, with Americans having to decide whether to give the oldest president in history a second term, or give Donald Trump, 78, a second term.

The debate will be a test of the president's mental fitness as he'll be onstage with only a pad, pencil and a bottle of water.

He'll be without the assist of the teleprompter and will not be allowed to chat with aides during commercial breaks.

The debate will mark the first time Biden has been in the same room as Trump since their October 2020 debate in Nashville, Tennessee.

President Joe Biden waves to reporters as he walks from Marine One to Air Force One Thursday afternoon at Joint Base Andrews

President Joe Biden (right) gives a hug to failed Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (left) as he arrives to Atlanta, Georgia Thursday for the first presidential debate

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One - using the shorter set of stairs - as he heads to Atlanta, Georgia for the first presidential debate, taking place at CNN's headquarters

JUNE 20: President Joe Biden waves as he walks to board Air Force One in Dover, Delaware after spending the Juneteenth holiday at his Rehoboth Beach home. He then flew to Camp David where he spent a week prepping for Thursday night's CNN debate

When asked how Biden was feeling about that, Jean-Pierre tried to stay tight-lipped.

'Look, I'm not going to speak directly to tonight and directly to his main adversary this evening,' she said Thursday.

'But look, you know, this president he likes to fight. He likes to fight for the American people. He believes in standing up for the American people. And you see him do that over and over again, Jean-Pierre added.

She pointed to Biden's performance at the last two State of the Union addresses - where he went back and forth with Republican lawmakers in the room - performances that were generally praised.

If Biden has that kind of performance, Trump already has an excuse - he made a wild accusation last week that the president would be 'pumped up' on cocaine.

A reporter asked the press secretary about that charge on board Air Force One.

'And what is the response to former President Trump's claims that President Biden may be taking something tonight to boost his performance?' the journalist said.

Reporters are using Georgia Institute of Technology's McCamish Pavilion to serve as a filing center and the spin room for Thursday night's CNN debate

'I don't think I should dignify that with an answer,' Jean-Pierre responded.

Campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt added in an email to DailyMail.com that the cocaine charges were Trump and his allies 'resorting to desperate, obviously false lies.'

Each campaign has made hay about the other candidate's gaffes and stumbles, but debate experts say that it's Biden who really can't afford to have a senior moment.

While Trump has made verbal flubs of late - this month the White House has had to respond to a trio of what Jean-Pierre has dubbed 'cheap fakes' - viral videos that appeared to show Biden wandering off or freezing.

There was the video in Italy that appeared to show Biden looking in the wrong direction during an event with paratroopers - a visual that wasn't helped by Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni guiding him back to pose for a picture.

In reality, Biden was engaging with paratroopers who had just landed off-screen.

In another video, at a Juneteenth celebration, Biden stares, smiles and watches the musical performance while other attendees danced.

President Joe Biden was accused of 'freezing' at the end of his A-list fundraiser in Los Angeles earlier this month, with former President Barack Obama walking him offstage

Jean-Pierre pushed back in a press briefing asking why that was a crime.

'The president stood there listening to the music and he didn't dance. Excuse me, I did not know not dancing was a mental  was a health issue,' she said at the June 17th briefing.

'That is a weird thing to actually flag when if you if you look at the people who around him  if you look at the expanded video of the people who around him, they were not, they weren't  there were some folks who were not dancing either,' she added.

A third 'cheap fake' occurred when Biden seemed to pause before leaving the stage at his A-list fundraiser in Los Angeles with George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel and former President Barack Obama.

The much younger Obama walked Biden, his former vice president, off the stage.

Before the cheap fakes era, Biden fell off his bike in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware and tripped up the stairs of Air Force One on several occasions.

He now mostly boards the larger Air Force One taking the shorter set of stairs.

Biden also tripped over a sandbag during a commencement in Colorado last summer.

The Biden campaign has responded by highlighting the moments when Trump, just 3.5 years younger, has seemingly shown his age.

'Here is a montage of Donald Trump getting confused, lost, wandering off, and waving to nobody,' an X post from the @BidenHQ account said last week.

President Joe Biden's campaign shared a video Thursday of former President Donald Trump 'getting confused' after a trio of viral videos showed Biden 'freezing' and wandering away

President Donald Trump's fitness was questioned in June 2020 when he tiptoed down a ramp at West Point - a mini-scandal that was dubbed 'ramp-gate'

The campaign then shared a 2.5 minute-long video of clips of Trump, from during his presidency, departing events before he's supposed to, or awkwardly standing in place when he's supposed to be exiting.

The battle over who's more fit to be president started four years before.

During the 2020 campaign cycle, video of Trump went viral when he tip-toed down a ramp during an appearance at West Point that June.

That led to similar questions about Trump's fitness, with him having to deny he had 'Parkinson's' disease.

'I stayed there for hours. And what do I do? I get publicity about walking down a ramp,' said an aghast Trump to The Wall Street Journal. 'And does he have Parkinson's? I don't think so.'

In an initial tweet about the incident - which took on the name 'ramp-gate' - Trump described the ramp as being 'very long & steep,' adding that it 'had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery.'
Workers set up a massive fence Thursday around the perimeter of the presidential debate site at CNN's Atlanta headquarters.

Protesters are expected to descend on Georgia's capital city to demonstrate outside the first showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

One shirtless man braved the muggy heat to show up early Thursday morning to protest Biden ahead of his arrival in Atlanta.

His signs read: 'Lock up Biden' and 'Biden betrayed America and Israel.'

The event is the first time Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, will be in the same room since they went head-to-head in their two debates in 2020.

A tall fencing surrounds the entire site of Thursday night's presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump amid worries of massive protests and demonstrations outside CNN headquarters

One shirtless anti-Biden protester showed up early outside the debate site with signs slamming the President on his Israel policies

But law enforcement is anticipating that the debate won't be the only area where two opposing sides clash on Thursday night.

One protest group expected to gather outside the debate are pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who have descended on public areas nationwide to express their unhappiness with how the Biden administration is handling the Israel-Hamas conflict.

It's also likely that other protest groups could include pro-abortion demonstrators, environmental activists and just general pro-Trump groups that like to follow around the former president and show their support for his reelection and reiterate their belief the 2020 election was stolen.

Georgia is massively important to the 2024 presidential election and is one of the seven states consequential for which candidate will ultimately earn a second White House term.

Trump is facing one of his handful of criminal trials in Fulton County, which encompasses Atlanta, where District Attorney Fani Willis brought a case alleging the former president and more than a dozen allies engaged in election interference.

In 2016, Georgia voted red for Trump and flipped in 2020 for Biden  but the former president and his allies maintain widespread fraud was the reason the Peach State went blue.

A recording of an infamous call with then-Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger shows Trump demanding he find the more than 11,000 votes needed to overturn Biden's victory.

Workers set up a large security fence around CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday morning ahead of the showdown

The fencing stands at least seven feet high and surrounds the entire site of the first presidential debate

Law enforcement is anticipating several groups of protesters outside the debate. This could include pro-Palestine, pro-abortion, environmentalists and pro-MAGA demonstrators

CNN is holding one of the earliest general election showdowns in modern history after Trump and Biden both publicly challenged and accepted the network's proposal to host the debate.

It comes before either of the candidates officially became their respective parties' nominees.

The Republican Convention is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in July and Democrats are holding their Convention in Chicago, Illinois in August.

The two presumed 2024 presidential candidates also said they would debate after their nominations after ABC proposed an event on September 10.
A theme park enthusiast who recently visited Six Flags Over Georgia was blown away by the park's food prices on his TikTok channel.

Jarred Sanders, who goes by @deezyrides, was visiting the Atlanta park when he decided to visit Piedmont Primos Pizzeria for a slice of pizza.

But on arrival, he discovered that a slice of cheese pizza reportedly cost $16.99 while a slice of pepperoni pizza cost $17.99.

Sanders who was left in complete shock went on to call the prices 'diabolical'.

Jarred Sanders, who goes by @deezyrides, was visiting the Atlanta park this week when he decided to visit Piedmont Primos Pizzeria for a slice of pizza

'Yo, I am starving right now but $17 for a slice of cheese pizza is absolutely diabolical.'

The plain pizza slice comes with the customer's choice of chips, a side salad, or garlic knots per the sign - but it also comes with an added charge on top of the already exorbitant $16.99 price tag.

'There's a $1.30 surge charge? What are they doing?'

The video, which was uploaded less than a day ago and has already raked in nearly 215,000 views, has left other TikTokers enraged and puzzled.

One seasoned visitor noted: 'Six flags food prices are crazy. They make Disney food prices look reasonable.'

While another joked: 'I'm just going home to eat and comeback.'

Steve Cha, a popular food vlogger, said that this was first time to Six Flags in 15 years and that he was absolutely 'disgusted' at how expensive the items were

Some viewers also went on to compare and marvel at the price of Costco's dining hall food.

'Can get an entire large pizza and drinks at Costco for that,' one noted.

While another quipped: 'Nah thats wild id be getting a bigger slice at Costco for more than half of that price.'

One very observant viewer also noted: 'A bag of chips for $6.49.'

But Sanders is not the only visitor to notice the park's absurd pricing.

Another TikToker who visited the Georgia park this March reviewed the taste and price of various items across restaurants.

Cha went on to tell his viewers that a churro cost him $7 and a soft serve was priced at an astonishing $9

Steve Cha, a popular food vlogger, said that this was first time to Six Flags in 15 years and that he was absolutely 'disgusted' at how expensive the items were.

He noted that a burger meal from Big Belly Burger that 'wasn't even that good' cost him $18.50.

Later on Cha went on to tell his viewers that a churro cost him $7 and a soft serve was priced at an astonishing $9.

In the end, he said that his $19 strawberry funnel cake was the only thing worth the price and recommended future visitors to bring 'lots of money' with them.

The shocking revelation comes as park enthusiasts are already reeling from the news of a massive park ticket price increase by Disney.

The 290-acre Six Flags Over Georgia park was built in 1967 and has long been notorious for its high prices

Earlier this year, Walt Disney once again hiked prices of some of its tickets for 2025, as the company plans to invest nearly $2 billion in revamping its Anaheim theme park in California.

The least expensive single-day, single-park ticket prices have increased from $109 to $119, marking the first adjustment since 2019.

While the peak price remains the same as in 2024 at $189, the cost of visiting Magic Kingdom Park in Florida on busy days, such as July 4th, has risen from $184 to $189.

Additionally, prices for the Park Hopper options, which allow guests to visit multiple theme parks on the same day, have also seen an increase ranging from $5 to $10.

Tickets for Animal Kingdom Park in September, when demand is low, represent the most affordable option - $119.

The 290-acre Six Flags Over Georgia park was built in 1967 and has long been notorious for its high prices.

One Day Access tickets are priced starting at $29 while its 2024 Diamond Pass which lets visitors experience a VIP treatment is priced at $175.
Commentary: Summer Davos showcases vitality, resilience of Chinese economy

Xinhua) 13:41, June 27, 2024

A journalist takes photos at the opening plenary of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

The 2024 Summer Davos has brought to the fore the importance of understanding China's economic realities beyond the anti-China rhetoric from Washington.

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- As an important window for the rest of the world to understand China, the 2024 Summer Davos once again brings the vitality and resilience of Chinese economy into the spotlight.

As the world grapples with economic uncertainties and geopolitical shifts, the gathering not only brings cooperation opportunities but also offers insights into China's future economic trajectory.

China's robust economic performance has been a key topic for discussion, not least in light of the "China collapse" narrative emanating from Washington.

This bad-mouthing notwithstanding, China has been demonstrating strong economic growth, effective policy measures, and resilience in the face of global economic challenges.

China's ability to maintain steady economic growth against headwinds has been noteworthy. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's GDP grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024.

China's proactive fiscal policies, coupled with prudent monetary measures, have helped stabilize the economy and stimulate investment. The resilience of the Chinese economy is further evidenced in its robust export performance and the rapid recovery of key industries post-pandemic.

Thanks to China's commitment to a high-quality opening-up policy and the deepening of its reforms, a more balanced and sustainable economic structure is taking shape.

This structure, focusing on boosting domestic consumption, advancing technological prowess, and enhancing industrial capabilities, is set to steer the Chinese economy out of global economic turbulence.

Delegates attend the parallel session "The Opportunity of Managing Energy Demand" during the 2024 Summer Davos at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Yang)

This year's forum has also brought together global leaders, industry experts, and influential thinkers to discuss pressing economic challenges and explore innovative solutions. The emphasis on green development and technological innovation highlights China's commitment to sustainable growth and its leadership in the global transition towards a low-carbon economy.

China is now home to more than 400,000 high-tech enterprises and over 100,000 specialized and sophisticated small and medium-sized enterprises, which produce new and unique products.

At this year's forum, many participants express their strong interest in cooperation with China's hi-tech sector, demonstrating global recognition of China's innovation capabilities.

They also have high expectations for China's role in contributing to a more just global economic and technological order. Tanvi Ratna, founder and CEO of the Indian research organization Policy 4.0, told Xinhua that as China becomes more active in artificial intelligence (AI) governance, it will help make AI more equitable.

This year's Summer Davos meeting comes at a critical juncture as the world is still grappling with the growth predicament and the persistent threat of protectionism.

As global economic challenges persist, it only fractures economic interdependencies between regions and aggravates tensions and conflict to pursue narrow self-interests at the expense of others, or resort to regressive measures like decoupling, disrupt supply chains, and erect isolationist barriers.

Such moves risk plunging the world into a destructive cycle where heightened competition for a larger share leads to a diminishing economic pie for all.

Over the past years, China's role in global economic governance has become increasingly prominent. As the world's second-largest economy, China's commitment to win-win cooperation is facilitating sustainable economic growth worldwide.

With development initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and multilateral platforms such as the Summer Davos, China is firmly committed to strengthening international economic cooperation, building infrastructure, and promoting technological advancement on a global scale.

The 2024 Summer Davos has brought to the fore the importance of understanding China's economic realities beyond the anti-China rhetoric from Washington. As China continues to develop, it will bring vast opportunities for cooperation, investment and common growth to the rest of the world.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Reform UK is facing a fresh scandal after undercover footage revealed shocking comments by members of Nigel Farage's local election campaign.

Filming by an undercover investigator showed Reform figures advocating shooting Channel migrants as 'target practice' for Army recruits.

They also said they party would 'bring back the noose', branded Rishi Sunak a 'f****** p***' and called for Muslims to be ejected from mosques so they can be turned into Wetherspoons pubs.

Another exchange showed one suggesting LGBT people are 'degenerate'.

The footage, published by Channel 4 News last night, was taken within the Reform campaign in Clacton, Essex, where Mr Farage is bidding to be elected an MP next week.

The footage, published by Channel 4 News, was taken within the Reform campaign in Clacton, Essex, where Nigel Farage is bidding to be elected an MP next week

The Channel 4 News investigation revealed Andrew Parker, who is said to be a Reform canvasser, advocating for Channel migrants to be shot by Army recruits

In another conversation, Mr Parker was filmed describing PM Rishi Sunak as a 'f****** p***'. 'I've always been a Tory voter,' he said. 'But what annoys me is that f****** p*** we've got in'

The Reform leader said this evening that he was 'dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign'.

Mr Farage added they would no longer be with his campaign in the seaside constituency.

Reform have already faced a string of controversies over online remarks made by some of their candidates ahead of polling day on 4 July.

The Channel 4 News investigation revealed comments about Muslims by Andrew Parker, who is said to be a Reform canvasser.

He described Muslims as 'sick m*****f******', adding: 'It's a cult. I tell you what, if you don't know about Islam, it is the most disgusting cult out.

'We're f****** kicking all the Muslims out of the mosques and turning them into Wetherspoons.'

Reform have already faced a string of controversies over online remarks made by some of their candidates ahead of polling day on 4 July

As a police car passed by displaying a Pride flag, George Jones said: 'You see that f****** degenerate flag on the front bonnet?'

In a statement to Channel 4, Mr Farage said: 'I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers'

George Jones (pictured, left) is said to run events for Mr Farage's campaign

In the same conversation, Mr Parker also described Mr Sunak as a 'f****** p***'.

'I've always been a Tory voter,' he said. 'But what annoys me is that f****** p*** we've got in. What good is he? You tell me, you know. He's just wet. F****** useless'.

Filmed speaking to a prospective voter on the doorstep, Mr Parker suggested Army recruits should carry out 'target practice' on those crossing the Channel in small boats.

'Get the young recruits there, yeah, with guns on the f****** beach, target practice,' he said.

'F****** just shoot them. That is what the Greeks done You know about that. The Greeks shot a load Ringfence Bradfordstan.

'Round the f****** up. Do that f****** lot as well. And you've got these bastards running our country. You must be f****** joking mate.'

The footage also showed a separate exchange between George Jones, said to run events for Mr Farage's campaign, Rob Bates, a senior party campaigner, and Roger Gravett, Reform's regional manager for London and candidate for Tottenham.

As a police car passed by displaying a Pride flag, Mr Jones said: 'You see that f****** degenerate flag on the front bonnet?

'What are the old bill doing promoting that crap? They should be out catching nonces not promoting the f******.'

Mr Gravett is later heard saying: 'When we form the government in 2029 then surely we can change lots of things'.

Nigel Farage responds to Channel 4 News undercover investigation within the Reform UK campaign in Clacton, exposing examples of racist language and raising questions whether the party has breached the local electoral campaign spending limit in the seat. pic.twitter.com/Qspj5gUKXk  Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) June 27, 2024

A spokesman for Reform told MailOnline the party would be making no further comment

'Reform UK is a party for everybody who believes in Britain. I am proud that our supporters, candidates and national campaign team come from all backgrounds and identities', Farage said

In response, Mr Jones is heard saying 'our police officers will be paramilitaries, they won't be police' and that Reform should 'bring back the noose'.

In a statement to Channel 4, Mr Farage said: 'I am dismayed by the reported comments of a handful of people associated with my local campaign, particularly those who are volunteers. They will no longer be with the campaign.

'The appalling sentiments expressed by some in these exchanges bear no relation to my own views, those of the vast majority of our supporters or Reform UK policy. Some of the language used was reprehensible.

'Reform UK is a party for everybody who believes in Britain. I am proud that our supporters, candidates and national campaign team come from all backgrounds and identities.

'I would be interested to know whether Channel 4 is subjecting the grassroots volunteers of all the political parties to similar subterfuges, or whether Reform UK has been singled out for special attention.'

Honorary President of the Britain's right-wing populist party Reform UK Nigel Farage and party leader Richard Tice

Reform Party leader, Richard Tice, and founding member, Nigel Farage, on stage at the Reform Party annual conference on October 7, 2023

Mr Parker said: 'I would like to make it clear that neither Nigel Farage personally or the Reform Party are aware of my personal views on immigration.

'I have never discussed immigration with either Nigel Farage or the Reform Party and that any comments made by me during those recordings are my own personal views on any subject I commented on.

'At no time before I was sent out to canvass did I discuss my personal views with any representative of the Reform Party or Nigel Farage.

'I would therefore like to apologise profusely to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party if my personal views have reflected badly on them and brought them into disrepute as this was not my intention.

'I offered to help the Reform Party on their canvassing as I believe that they are the only party that offer the UK voter a practical solution to the illegal immigration problem that we have in the UK.'

A spokesman for Reform told MailOnline the party would be making no further comment.
A marketing manager has won more than 90,000 in a sex discrimination case after her new boss found out the ages of her children and later rescinded her job offer.

Fong Fong Lee was left 'frightened' following the 'out of the blue' enquiry from London property firm Vice President Wenting Zhu, an employment tribunal heard.

Mrs Zhu asked Ms Lee how old her children were and then six days later rescinded the offer of the 68,000 a year role after the mother of two said her oldest was four and her youngest was almost one.

The tribunal found that Mrs Zhu was angling to find out what childcare responsibilities Ms Lee would have and would not have asked a man the same question.

Ms Lee has now been awarded 91,597 in compensation after she successfully sued global property company R&F Properties QS (UK) for sex discrimination.

It was heard the sudden sacking 'threw her into a state of panic' and caused her 'humiliation' and financial uncertainty.

The tribunal, in Croydon, south London (pictured) heard experienced marketing manager Ms Lee successfully interviewed twice for the job with R&F

The tribunal, in Croydon, south London heard experienced marketing manager Ms Lee successfully interviewed twice for the job with R&F.

The company - which has an office in Vauxhall, London, but has it headquarters in China - offered her the post of senior marketing manager and agreed her start date would be November 1, 2022.

She was set to earn 68,520 a year.

However, on October 20, she was asked to attend a meeting with Mrs Zhu in what the tribunal said was essentially a 'fresh' interview.

A tribunal report said: '[Ms Lee's] notes record that Mrs Zhu asked [her] about her work experience, the size of the projects she had previously worked on and who her clients were.

'The meeting is detailed and reads as though it was itself a fresh interview.

'Towards the end of the meeting, but not at the end, Mrs Zhu asked [Ms Lee] out of the blue 'how old are your children?'

'[Ms Lee] answered that her children were four years old and that one was approaching one year of age.'

Six days later the job offer was withdrawn.

At the tribunal, R&F claimed there was a 'freeze on headcount' which came directly from HR in China and thatit could therefore not employ Ms Lee.

It said the question about her children was to 'build rapport'.

Employment Judge Caroline Musgrave-Cohen dismissed the company's defence and found in favour of Ms Lee.

The judge said: 'We prefer the evidence of [Ms Lee], that the question was raised out of the blue by Mrs Zhu in order for Mrs Zhu to learn something that she considered was important in order to decide if [Ms Lee] was the right person for the job.

'[R&F] says that this is a question that would be asked of a man or a woman.. We do not accept that Mrs Zhu would have asked both a man or a woman this question.

'In our experience it is not common for a man to be asked the age of his children.

'We think it more likely than not that [Ms Lee] was asked this question by Mrs Zhu because she is a woman and that the same question would not have been asked out of the blue of a man.

'We consider that [Ms Lee's] childcare responsibilities were important to Mrs Zhu's assessment of [Ms Lee's] suitability for the role.'

It was heard Ms Lee was left 'deflated, confused and frightened' after the meeting.

The judge added: 'When the [company] did withdraw the contract of employment, [Ms Lee] was stressed and upset at becoming unemployed and facing financial strain.

'She had resigned from a previously stable job in order to take up this new employment.

'She was the primary breadwinner in the family and had young children, including one under one years of age.

'Losing her job threw her into a state of panic, humiliation and upset due to the instability the unexpected news caused and made her worry

about whether she should hide the fact she has young children from prospective employers.'

Ms Lee ended up taking a 'lower paid, more family friendly' job at another company.
The son of a retired detective stabbed to death by his student stepson while in a psychotic state brought on by epilepsy today told of his 'hatred' as he was given an indefinite hospital order  but bravely forgave the killer.

In a breathtaking act of generosity, after spelling out to Ben Moglione the devastation he had inflicted by killing his 'amazing father', Andy McDiarmid's son Alexander told the killer: 'Get better, I love you.'

Moglione, then 21, launched a frenzied attack on the 64-year-old retired detective inspector with a kitchen knife at their 600,000 Wirral home while he was isolating in his bedroom with Covid, inflicting 13 stab wounds.

It came moments after he had been watching an episode of the BBC's Panorama programme about knife crime.

Doctors agreed that Moglione, a university student who played the cello, had been in a psychotic state brought on by his epilepsy.

Ben Moglione, 23, knifed Andrew McDiarmid, 64, at least 13 times after watching an episode of the BBC 's Panorama programme about knife crime

Doctors agreed that Moglione (pictured), a university student who played the cello, had been in a psychotic state brought on by his epilepsy

Ben Moglione's mother Alison, 56, previously told jurors her usually 'calm and placid' son, who had been diagnosed with epilepsy aged around 18, had appeared 'out of it' immediately after the killing

He stood for trial for murder, but after he admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility the more serious charge was dropped.

At his sentencing hearing today, Mr McDiarmid's grown-up children by a previous relationship spelt out the impact of losing their father in such traumatic circumstances.

Alexander McDiarmid said in his statement to Liverpool Crown Court that he had lost 'an amazing father' and 'my best friend.'

Recalling how Mr McDiarmid used to drive Moglione to Sheffield to attend university, he told him: 'My father tended your needs before anyone else and gave attention he didn't with his own children.

'I struggle to comprehend how you had his undivided love and care, yet you did what you did.'

Mr McDiarmid said his own family had been 'endangered' due to Moglione not being open about his condition, saying he had never apologised for the killing.

'I feel so much hatred and anger towards you but I don't think I can take this heavy load but I have to let it go,' he added.

'I want you to know I forgive you. Get better, I love you.'

Mr McDiarmid's grown-up children by a previous relationship told their killer step brother that they forgave him and wanted him to get better. Pictured: the family home where Moglione and Mr McDiarmid lived

In her statement, his sister Rachel McDiarmid, a teacher, said: 'Both my brother and I have been cheated of the next 20-30 years of a father who will never see our grandchildren grow up and see potentially further grandchildren.'

Moglione was first diagnosed with epilepsy after he began suffering seizures during his first year at Sheffield University, where he was studying chemical engineering.

He was having a break from his studies at the time of the tragedy in January 2022.

His mother, Alison Moglione, a lead officer for children's social care, was having a shower at the time, the court heard.

After inflicting the injuries - some with 'severe force' - to the chest and abdomen her son came into the bathroom to wash off his stepfather's blood and told her not to call the police.

She then asked: 'What have you done? Is it over?'

CCTV footage of the moments before the attack showed Moglione going into his step-father's room in his dressing gown and slippers with the knife.

Audio captured by the same camera picked him up asking: 'Hello. Are you all right?'

Mr McDiarmid replied: 'Yeah. Are you?'

Moglione answered: 'No. Not really.'

Gordon Cole, KC, prosecuting, said that 'screams, groans and heavy breathing' could then be heard on the footage.

Sentencing the defendant, now 23, Judge Andrew Menary, KC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said that he would be detained in a secure hospital for the foreseeable future.

'There was no warning to this attack and nothing had happened to provoke it,' he said.

'You simply armed yourself with a large kitchen knife, went to the bedroom and stabbed him multiple times when he was completely defenceless.'

He told Moglione, who showed no emotion throughout the proceedings, that he had 'irreparably devastated the lives of so many others who loved and who have lost a precious loved one.'

The student  who had no previous convictions or history of aggression  was 'in other respects are a perfectly ordinary young man', the judge added.

The judge said doctors had agreed that at the time of the attack Moglione was likely to have been suffering from post-ictal psychosis, a rare condition which affects some epilepsy sufferers.

Symptoms including auditory and visual hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and mania.

The court heard Moglione had become 'fixated' on 'bizarre ideas' about 'societal changes'.

But the judge said going downstairs to get the kitchen knife and taking it upstairs to attack his stepfather was a significant aggravating feature. 'The medical evidence is that you knew what you were doing,' he said.

Earlier the defendant's mother said in her own impact statement that her family had suffered 'indescribable pain and suffering' and had their lives 'blown apart.'

She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the loss of her husband of 17 years and is still off work.

'It is hard to comprehend how this could happen to such a loyal and devoted family man,' she added.

She said that her son 'like the rest of the family will suffer for years to come from the most unimaginable tragedy that unfolded'.

'I ask you to return my son to me,' she added.

Moglione, who was dressed in a dark grey suit and sat with three hospital staff, showed no emotion during the hearing but looked over at his mother in the public gallery.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Owens, who has been treating him at Rowan View medium secure hospital, told the court that Moglione had been in a 'severe state of psychosis' when he was first admitted.

He said he had been talking about 'bizarre things' including revolution, the monarchy and his attitude towards his stepfather, with an underlying theme of inequality in society.

Dr Owens said Moglione had not suffered a seizure since May 2022 after being put on medication.

'Our concern is if he has a seizure in the future there could be further episodes of violence,' he added.

He said a treatment plan for Moglione would involve him being treated for between six and 12 months in a medium secure hospital before being sent to a low secure hospital.

If there were no further seizures or psychotic symptoms he would be prepared for release into the community.
Pupils were evacuated and parents notified after series of threats on Wednesday

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested over a series of bomb hoaxes that saw six schools close, it emerged tonight.

Police said the teenager was arrested in connection with the bomb threats in Southampton, Hampshire on Wednesday.

Six schools in the city were forced to close or evacuate children on Wednesday after headteachers received word of 'serious' bomb threats.

Today Hampshire Constabulary have arrested a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of communicating false information by means of a bomb hoax.

Headteachers at some of the schools emailed parents yesterday morning telling them not to bring children, while some were forced to evacuate pupils from school buildings.

Six schools in Southampton were evacuated after a series of bomb hoaxes. Pictured: Police at Bitterne Park School this afternoon

A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after headteachers were informed of 'serious' bomb threats on Wednesday. Pictured: Saint George Catholic College, where parents were told at 8.15am

The six schools affected by the threats were: Bitterne Park School, Banister Park School, Regents Park Community College, St Anne's Catholic Girl's Secondary School, Weston Secondary School and Saint George Catholic College.

Bitterne Park headteacher Stewart Roderick sent parents a message saying: 'We are just dealing with a site incident at school. Please do not send your child in to school until you have a further update from us.'

James Habberley, headteacher at Saint George's, told parents that at 8.15am, the school received a bomb threat via the school reception.

Mr Habberley told a reporter: 'All the children were evacuated from the school building this morning to ensure they are safe and well.

'Police have been here this morning doing a tour of the site and have confirmed the bomb threat is a hoax.

'All of our students were kept in the shade, given water and access to the toilet. They will now be returning back to their normal lessons.'

The bomb threats were quickly established by officers to not be credible. Pictured: Regents Park Community School

Pictured: Police attend Weston Secondary School in Southampton following a bomb hoax

The mother of two students at Saint George's, one in year seven and one in year nine, said: 'I received a text message from my son that said there had been a bomb threat at the school.

'As any parent I quickly got dressed and drove straight up here to make sure everything was okay.'

Today, Superintendent Phil Lamb, Southampton District Commander, said: 'We understand the undue worry and concern that yesterday's news would have caused in the community  especially among the students and the parents of those affected.

'It is clear that the incident had a wide-ranging impact within the community.

'Thankfully, it was very quickly established by our officers that these were not a credible threat and this was communicated to school leader's at the first available opportunity to provide further reassurance.

'As always, we want to thank the local schools, local community and local stakeholders for their patience and co-operation as part of our enquiries and investigation.'
Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman was raped by a hooded cyclist in Ascot.

The unnamed woman in her twenties was walking on a footpath in the Berkshire town when she was assaulted by a young white man wearing a 'dark hooded top' last Friday.

Specialist support officers are assisting the victim.

The offender was riding a dark coloured bike that 'may have had yellow detail on it', police said.

The incident happened between 11pm and 11.30pm, after thousands of fans who attended Royal Ascot had gone home.

A woman was raped by a hooded man in Ascot last Friday, as thousands attended the royal race

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said today: 'Officers are appealing for witnesses following a rape that happened in the town of Ascot.

'Between 11pm and 11.30pm on Friday a woman was walking on a footpath near Station Hill, when she was approached by a man who then raped her.

'The victim, a woman aged in her 20s, is being supported by specially trained officers.

'The offender is described as a white man in his early to mid-20s, of average height and of slim build. He was wearing a black or dark hooded top, with the hood up. He was riding a dark coloured bike that may have had yellow detail on it.

'No-one has been arrested at this time.'

Police have launched an appeal for the man who assaulted the young woman on a footpath in the Berkshire town on the day of the races

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Liam Butler, said: 'We are investigating this concerning incident and have been making extensive inquiries.

'Patrols in the area have been increased for reassurance. We are asking for the public's assistance and would request that anyone with information to please come forward.

'If you recognise the individual described who may be known to the Station Hill area, or if anyone was driving in the area between 11pm and 11..30pm and has dash-cam footage, please get in touch.

'If you have information please contact Thames Valley Police on 101 or you can provide information through our online pages. Or if you do not wish to speak to the police please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'
An aspiring GOP lawmaker accused of throwing a tarantula at her housemate has claimed she was simply recreating a scene from Home Alone.

Marisa Simonetti a Republican candidate for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in Edina, Minnesota, is facing an assault charge after she allegedly threw the live insect at her housemate to get the woman to move out.

But the 30-year-old insisted there was an 'element of humor' to the move as she described herself a 'silly goose.'

Simonetti - who was last year charged with financial card fraud against her ex-lover - was arrested Friday and charged with fifth-degree assault after allegedly tossing the tarantula at 30-year-old attorney Jackie Vasquez.

The politician claimed Vasquez was 'squatting' at the property but the victim insists she had paid $1,500 to stay there through AirBnb.

Marisa Simonetti, 30, a Republican candidate for the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in Edina, Minnesota, is facing an assault charge after she allegedly threw a live tarantula at her housemate in an attempt to get the woman to move out

Simonetti was arrested on Friday and charged with fifth-degree assault after allegedly tossing the tarantula toward her housemate, Jackie Vasquez, also 30, who lived downstairs

Shocking video footage captures the moment Simonetti blasts Christian music in a frenzied state while screaming, banging pots and pans before unleashing the spider down the stairs.

Simonetti claimed she had no other choice as she accused Vasquez of squatting.

In an interview with KMSP-TV, she referenced the humor in the movie 'Home Alone,' where a tarantula is placed on a criminal's face, adding she's just a 'silly goose.'

'I mean, there is an element of humor to that movie, and at the end, what was I supposed to do?' Simonetti told KMSP. 'And at the end of the day, 'unhinged' got her out of the house.'

Vasquez confirmed she moved out of the property over the weekend.

'What she did is deeply disturbing and deeply distressing. It was right out of a scary movie,' she said.

Simonetti was released on Monday without bond but was ordered not to have any contact with Vasquez, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

In a video she recorded of herself, after her arrest, she said there are always 'two sides to a story' and she will tell hers soon.

Simonetti said Vasquez had been renting a room from her since early June on Airbnb, which Vasquez confirmed. However, reports show that Simonetti does not own the home and that Airbnb rentals are not allowed in the city, according to KARE-TV.

The incident on Friday reportedly began after Vasquez repeatedly complained about a spider infestation in the house.

But the two women had a history of fighting, including accusations by Simonetti that Vasquez once closed a door on her arm, according to the outlet.

'Fifth-degree assault means someone only needs to feel fear or feel afraid of bodily harm,' she told KARE.

'I never hit anybody. I never touched anybody. And the reason I was held longer is because she was in my house. So, it had to potentially be considered a domestic.'

Vasquez, an attorney, said the incident was straight out of a horror film.

Siminetti referenced the humor in the movie 'Home Alone,' where a tarantula is placed on a criminal's face, and said she's just a 'silly goose.'

Last year, Simonetti was accused of making transactions on her ex-lover's financial cards and accounts in amounts totaling $75,000 and $8,876.

The felony charges were ultimately dropped after the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

The aspiring lawmaker's campaign page describes her as the only conservative candidate in the race who hopes to rebuild safety through family values.

In an effort to promote her campaign message and gain support, Simonetti once posted a video on X saying that having 'low standards is selfish' and how tired she is of hearing that 'Minnesota is an embarrassment'.

But despite utilizing classic GOP election strategies, she has already lost the May 14 special election for the vacant District 6 seat on the county board to State Representative Heather Edelson.

She was campaigning to become one of the seven Hennepin County Board commissioners who are tasked to approve budgets for both the county attorney and sheriff offices.

Despite the loss, Simonetti has previously indicated that she will once again compete against Edelson in the upcoming November election.
An Illinois town was forced to evacuate after a freight train derailed causing a leak from the cars.

The Canadian National Railway train derailed in the village of Matteson around 10:30 a.m., WGN-TV reported.

The railway company issued a statement about 1:30 p.m. saying that about 25 cars derailed.

There were no reports of fires or injuries although one car containing residue liquified petroleum gas leaked, the company said.

Authorities ordered residents within a mile to evacuate and prepare for a 'long-term evacuation', and to take medication and supplies with them.

Shortly after, the railway company said that the leak had been contained and the evacuation order was lifted except for properties immediately adjacent to the site.

The railway company issued a statement about 1:30 p.m. saying that about 25 cars derailed

Authorities ordered residents within a mile to evacuate and prepare for a 'long-term evacuation', and to take medication and supplies with them

Liquified petroleum gas is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas used as fuel for heating and cooking appliances.

Inhalation can cause drowsiness and respiratory irritation, according to the Chemscape website.

Long-term exposure can cause nerve damage, nosebleeds, weight loss and fatigue.

The gas is prone to oily residues that can be corrosive, according to The Analytical Scientist website.

Matteson spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune that responders had noticed a white powdery substance leaking from one of the cars.

Due to many of the cars carrying chemicals, officials ordered an evacuation as a precaution.

He told the outlet: 'It was very precautionary because we were dealing with something that we couldnt take a chance on, given the recent reports of derailments and powdery substances that have led to fires.'

Footage captured of the scene shows the train cars piled up at the side of the track following the derailment.

The white powder in question can also be seen piled on top of the track after having fallen out of one of the cars

Matteson spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune that responders had noticed a white powdery substance leaking from one of the cars

The white powder in question can also be seen piled on top of the track after having fallen out of one of the cars.

Metra trains were halted through the area due to the evacuation order, but service on the Electric Line has since resumed.

It comes after a train carrying cancer causing chemicals were released into the air in East Palestine, Ohio, following a train derailment last year.

Rivers were polluted and hundreds of locals complained of ill health including headaches and rashes.

A man takes photos as a black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern train, Feb. 6, 2023

The train was carrying 700,000 pounds of vinyl chloride when 53 of its carriages derailed on February 3, 2023.

No injuries were directly reported at the time, but the cocktail of chemicals caused a huge fire forcing locals to evacuate.

As well as being ecologically damaging, the derailment cost train company Norfolk Southern an estimated $1.1 billion and sent share prices plummeting in the two months after the disaster.
Scots are being warned they risk allowing the SNP to escape its heaviest election defeat in a decade if they vote for Reform UK.

Senior officials within the Scottish Tories have issued a plea to their voters not to switch to Reform after analysis of recent polling indicated the Nationalists could still win 28 seats, putting them on the brink of a majority of Scots seats.

It is largely down to a significant shift in support from the Tories to Reform, which could help the SNP win all 12 key Scottish Conservative target seats.

But with all 12 of the seats on a knife edge, a shift back from Reform to the Tories could help inflict the heaviest electoral losses on the SNP in more than a decade.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: Every vote for Reform risks an SNP win in the key seats which will come down to a straight choice between the Nationalists or Scottish Conservatives.

One survey suggested Nigel Farage s party has the support of one in eight of the Scots voters who backed the Tories in the 2019 general election

John Swinney's SNP could still suffer heavy losses if those considering voting for Reform voted Tory instead in key target seats

Every seat is on a knife edge, so even a small number of votes for Reform could mean multiple wins for the SNP.

If people who are considering voting Reform choose to back the Scottish Conservatives instead, we can make this the worst result for the SNP in more than a decade.

But the results are so close that every vote will count. The SNP are down, but we need to make sure it stays that way and we get them out for good.

If even a small percentage of people vote Reform, that runs the risk of an SNP resurgence and John Swinney using every victory to try to demand independence.

A flurry of recent polls have put Reform on between 6 per cent and 8 per cent in Scotland.

One survey published yesterday suggested Nigel Farages party has secured the support of one in eight of the Scots voters who backed the Conservatives in the 2019 general election.

Tory analysis claims that an 8 per cent vote for Reform in its 12 target seats would lead to the SNP winning them all and getting 28 MPs elected across Scotland.

In contrast, the SNP would suffer heavy losses if those considering voting for Mr Farages party voted Tory instead in these key target seats  and the SNP could fall to its lowest number of MPs in more than a decade.

The SNP won only six seats in the 2010 general election, before this soared to 56 in 2015.

Tory strategists say that internal and external research indicates that every one of its target seats is within a five percentage point swing with the SNP  meaning those considering voting for Reform could be crucial.

Even in some safer seats they believe there are likely to be only a few hundred votes between the Tories and the SNP.

A Survation poll published showed that support for Reform is now above the Liberal Democrats at 8 per cent.

It put Labour ahead on 37 per cent, followed by the SNP on 31 per cent, the Conservatives on 14 per cent, Reform on 8 per cent, the Liberal Democrats on 7 per cent and the Greens on 3 per cent.

That level of support could lead to defeats for the Tories to the SNP in most of its key targets.

It could also see the SNPs Seamus Logan defeat Conservative leader Douglas Ross in the key battleground of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.

Modelling by Ballot Box Scotland found the result would lead to Labour winning 31 seats if applied across Scotlands 57 constituencies, with the SNP taking 17, the Lib Dems five and the Tories four.

Writing in the Herald, Allan Faulds of Ballot Box Scotland said: Emphasising just how close things could be, 15 seats could go a different way with a swing of just 2 per cent or less.

That includes Douglas Rosss Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat, which sits on a knife edge, dependent on how attractive Reform UK is in Scotlands most pro-Brexit constituency and how dim a view voters take of his shock defenestration of David Duguid.

At an event in East Lothian yesterday to mark the beginning of the last week of campaigning, Mr Ross said: There is just one week left for voters up and down Scotland to ensure July 4 wont just be a bad night for the SNP, but a terrible one.

In key seats, if voters unite behind their Scottish Conservative candidate, they can beat the SNP and help end their independence obsession for good.

Next Thursdays vote is too crucial an opportunity to waste to ensure the SNP are beaten across the country.

They may be down but the Nationalists are not out. Key constituencies remain on a knife edge and every vote will matter. Voting for any other party in those seats  or not voting at all  risks letting an SNP MP in by the back door.

A Savanta survey for the Scotsman put Labour and the SNP neck-and-neck on 34 per cent, with the Tories on 14 per cent, Lib Dems on 7 per cent, and Reform on 6 per cent.

Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said Mr Ross will be worried by the levels of support for his party, which would be a record low for a Westminster election.

The professor said: Some of the damage is being done by Reform.

'Although Nigel Farages party is not as popular as it is south of the Border, it is now claiming the support of one in eight 2019 Conservative voters.

At an event in Grangemouth, near Falkirk, on Wednesday, Reform UK chairman Richard Tice dismissed concerns about Reform votes boosting the SNP.

He said: Theres this arrogant sense of entitlement that only the Conservative Party can adopt a philosophy of conservatism. They dont own it. We are competition. Thats a good thing.

Last week it emerged Jo Hart, who is standing for Reform in the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat, posted a vile anti-monarchy rant online during the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The June 2022 social media post, which she said was a shared one, branded the royal family benefit scroungers.

One comment also said make Lizzy the last. Her party refused to condemn the comments or take any action against her.

The offensive posts appeared during the four-day bank holiday weekend to mark the Jubilee.
An organised crime gang who smuggled more than 24million worth of hard drugs into the UK has been jailed for a total of 41 years.

Police intercepted two vans last July and discovered a huge multi-million pound haul of drugs hidden in boxes in the back.

As well as an astonishing 632 kilos of ketamine, officers also uncovered 70 kilos of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of 24.5million.

The Class A and B substances were concealed in 30 cardboard boxes which had been shipped into the UK by lorry driver Pavel Budzko, who travelled by ferry into Newhaven port in East Sussex.

From there, it was arranged for the drugs to be transported into the back of two vans at a secluded location nearby.

Pavel Budzko (left) a lorry driver who travelled by ferry into Newhaven port in East Sussex and

Charlotte Moore and Stephen Norris were passengers in one of the vans used to transport the drugs after they arrived in the UK

The Ford Transit Connect was driven by Charlotte Moore; Stephen Norris was the passenger.

The Vauxhall Combo was driven by Abdul Soohraby.

All three were arrested and and an investigation was launched by Sussex Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).

Budzko who had evaded police was later arrested entering the UK again on 28 September.

In the meantime, officers conducted enquiries with the National Crime Agency (NCA), which revealed another overseas drugs run had been attempted by Moore and Norris just two months before their arrest.

In May 2023, Border Force officials intercepted a number of packages at Calais Eurotunnel terminal on its journey from Belgium into the UK.

The lorry driver on that occasion was Kiryl Laptseu, and the packages contained the DNA of Moore and Norris.

Mobile phone analysis placed the couple in Belgium just weeks before the drugs were intercepted in Calais.

During that time, Moore used Google to translate 'I am looking for cardboard moving boxes' into French before making two purchases at Ikea on 3 and 4 May 2023.

Cardboard boxes that were purchased by Moore to transport the illegal substances

Police found 632 kilos of ketamine, officers also uncovered 70 kilos of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of 24.5million

Norris, 36, and Moore, 32, both of Hull, were both charged with being concerned in the supply of 70kg cocaine and 632kg ketamine on 26 July, and fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of 107kg cocaine between 30 April and 7 May.

They were both found guilty with Moore jailed for 13 years and Norris to 10 years.

Budzko, 50, of no fixed address was also found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Kiryl Laptseu 42, of no fixed address, was charged with fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of 107kg cocaine.

He was found guilty by jury and also sentenced to nine years' imprisonment.

Soohraby, 53, of Sheffield, was charged with possession with intent to supply ketamine. He pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.

Detective Constable Laura Pettitt of Sussex SOCU, said: 'The seizure of this substantial amount of drugs  the largest ever seizure in Sussex  comes as a result of excellent collaborative work between Sussex Police and the NCA.

'The sentences imposed reflect the extremely serious nature of the offences committed, and are a testament to the hard work of all the teams involved from Sussex Police, the NCA and the Crown Prosecution Service.

'Sussex Police will continue to pursue organised crime groups and investigate those involved in the supply of illegal drugs. Illegal drugs cause harm and misery to those that become addicted to them and to their families and friends, often linked to other crimes being committed to fund their addiction. This in turn impacts our wider communities and affects us all as the cost to society remains high.

'Although drug offences are victimless crimes, the way these organised crime groups operate poses a significant risk to vulnerable and young people, who find themselves being dragged into the drugs world and potentially being exploited.'

NCA Operations Manager Rachel Bramley said: 'These convictions are testament to the collaborative work between the NCA, Border Force and Sussex Police.

'This crime group sought to flood the south of England with drugs all for their own financial gain, without any care for the misery their harmful commodities bring to our communities.

'Drug dealing is directly linked to gang violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people and children across the UK. At the NCA we are committed to pursuing the organised criminals responsible for running drug supply chains and ensuring they have their day in court.'
Mary Trump, the estranged niece of Donald Trump, will be in the spin room in Atlanta to support President Joe Biden on Thursday evening.

'On the subject of character, few people can speak to Donald Trump's better than his family. Tonight, his niece, Mary Trump will join Team Biden-Harris in the spin room,' the Biden campaign announced a few hours before the candidates take the stage.

She is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., the former president's older brother, and has become a fervent Trump critic.

'For my whole life I have witnessed my uncle's narcissism and cruelty. His sense of inferiority has always driven his jealousy and his pathological need to dominate others and this is information that is crucially important for the American people to have in advance of the most important election of our lifetimes,' Mary Trump said in a statement released by the Biden campaign.

Mary Trump. Donald Trump's niece, will join the Biden campaign at the debate

She has written two books critical of the Trump family and, in 2018, she provided financial records to the New York Times' about the family finances.

Donald Trump later sued her and the newspaper over the matter but a judge dismissed the suit.

Mary Trump has turned her criticism of her uncle into a source of income with books, paid appearances, a podcast and a regular newsletter.

In her statement, she described Donald Trump as 'deeply unhinged' and 'insecure.'

'If the worst happens and Donald gets back into the White House, none of us who ever criticized him will be safe because revenge and retribution are what he traffics in. I'm here tonight because only President Biden can stop Donald and save our country,' she said.

In the 2016 campaign Mary Trump endorsed Hillary Clinton.

The 'spin room' of a debate is a chance for supporters of each candidate to talk up their performance and disparage the rival.

Candidates will sometimes bring guests meant to throw off their rivals and shake up their confidence ahead of a debate.

For example, in the 2016 campaign, the Trump campaign brought four women to a debate who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual harassment in a move meant to throw his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton off her game.

Trump's move came after a 2005 interview with Access Hollywood came to light where he spoke inappropriately about women with host Billy Bush.

President Joe Biden arrives in Atlanta for Thursday's presidential debate

Donald Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania earlier this month

On Thursday, night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom will join Mary Trump in the spin room as will other Democratic lawmakers and top campaign staff.

The Trump campaign has not announced who will be speaking on the former president's behalf.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump each arrived separately in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon.

The debate begins at 9 pm ET.
Awaiting us in our letter box on our return home from holiday on Sunday were two envelopes marked official poll card enclosed.

One for me and the other for the lady who agrees with me that politics is a subject best avoided in our household.

I found them first and, democrat that I am, dutifully ensured that hers was placed with near-ceremonial solemnity into her hand.

So, we are all set. On Thursday next week, we will go to our polling station, duck inside neighbouring booths and, in all likelihood, cancel each other out.

I say this is the likely scenario because I dont ask direct questions for the reason I alluded to earlier. It is better to feel the vibe.

If politics has reduced the electorate to voting against what they dont want rather than voting for what they do, then politicians of every hue are failing us

The vibe Im feeling in my two-horse race Glasgow constituency is our households votes will be divided equally among the frontrunners.

It almost didnt matter whether the poll cards arrived or not. The only thing our contribution to the day will affect is turnout.

But that is not the main reason for the heavy-heartedness which will attend my journey to mark my X in six days time.

The biggest disappointment is  yet again  I am voting against something I dont want rather than for something I do.

My mission, at every polling booth opportunity, to exact maximum damage on the SNPs plans to dismantle our Union is unchanged in more than a decade.

As long as independence represents a threat, I will use my vote to extinguish it.

This is the overriding Scottish political issue of my lifetime, towering over the transient squabbles of parliamentary terms, and, if I have to, Ill devote the rest of my lifetimes polling booth visits to protecting these isles  all of them.

Im rather hoping I dont have to. Its a dispiriting task for any voter who clings to the ideal of their X effecting change for the better.

Here in Glasgow South West it is, for Unionists, all about avoiding change for the much worse.

I will vote for Labour not through any endorsement of the party on a local, Scottish or UK-wide level  I have zero enthusiasm for the idea of Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister  but because they are most likely to beat the SNP.

Were the Tories the main contenders, I would vote for them  again, I am afraid, with no real enthusiasm. Rather like the SNP in Holyrood, the Westminster government has run out of road and ideas.

Both parties  so bitterly opposed  have broadly similar campaign strategies. Yes, were a shambles, but better the shambles you know.

Where the Lib Dems represent the most serious challenge to the SNP, Id vote for them in a heartbeat. I cannot remember which one they are today  slightly to the Right of Labour or slightly to the Left.

But it doesnt matter. Leader Sir Ed Davey will never form a government. His ambition in 2024 is for his party to fill more seats in the Commons than the SNP and that sounds swell to me.

Indeed, the only pro-Union party of any note which I would dismiss as a non-starter is Nigel Farages Reform UK.

Much as I regret that the new party leader does not feel safe enough in Scotland even to cross the Border to campaign  he fears much worse than milkshakes in the face here  I wish him only more of the same electoral failure.

I am far from clear that all his partys Scottish candidates are even Unionists at all. Embarrassingly, party chairman Richard Tice offers no reassurance on that.

Asked this week whether he could help us out on how many of those standing for Reform UK support Scottish independence, he said: I dont know. Ive got 611 candidates.

Theyre all wonderful. I would like to think that, in Scotland at least, theyre all about to lose their deposits too.

If, for voters like me, keeping the SNP out is the only show in town, why vote for an outfit which will dilute the support for their main challengers and let the SNP back in? There is holding your nose in the interests of tactical voting and then there is cutting it off to spite your face  and clear blue water, always, between the two.

Its a matter of lasting despondency for me that there is any nose-holding to be done and that nothing even approaching true party allegiance appears on the horizon for me.

I am not so much a floating voter as one abandoned in the vastness of the centre ground where parties Left and Right fear to tread despite the rich electoral pickings here.

Tony Blair once capitalised on them. So did David Cameron. Many in their parties have never forgiven them.

And so here we moderates are, politically homeless but fighting at least for the home we know as Britain and the right to consider as compatriots those from all corners of it.

And this time around, at least, there is reason for optimism that the SNP will be soundly punished, not only for its destructive intentions towards the Union but all else that it represents  sky-high taxes, our economy, education system and health service in a race to the bottom, ministerial incompetence married to over-weening arrogance

Yes, electoral commentary on all of the above is long overdue and I hope it proves brutally frank.

And yet, even if my wish is granted, the satisfaction will be tempered by the knowledge that politics is still falling down on the job.

We still dont like politicians very much; we just dislike some more than others.

This, I used to think, was a quirk of Scottish politics in an era of constitutional turbulence.

But, looking across the Border at a political landscape where few seriously suggest that England should strike out on its own, I see a broadly similar story.

Sir Keir will likely become the next Prime Minister not because of what he is (leaden and charisma-free) but because of what he isnt (a Tory).

There is none of the giddy exhilaration that ushered in Tony Blairs premiership, no wave of Cool Britannia to ride, no real new-era optimism  just pragmatic acceptance that so it must be.

Are you two really the best weve got? asked audience member Robert Blackstock during the BBCs Prime Ministerial Debate this week  and its not only Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer who should be asking themselves that question.

If politics has reduced the electorate to voting against what they dont want rather than voting for what they do, then politicians of every hue are failing us.

Why, when they knock so many doors at election times, is the essential disconnect between politicians and those they are supposed to serve so glaring?

Why do we so often feel they are self-serving?

Why is so much of the language devoted to operation fear and so little to vision?

Mr Sunak is right about one thing. Weve no idea what Sir Keir will actually do.

You dont win elections by sharing that kind of information.

And I plan to help him into government.

British politics they should offer clothes pegs as well as pencils at the polling stations.
QUESTION Are there any bridges lined with shops equivalent to Florence's Ponte Vecchio?

There are four such bridges in the world: the Pulteney Bridge in Bath, the Rialto Bridge in Venice, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) in Florence and The Merchant's Bridge or Kramerbrucke in Erfurt, Germany.

The Pulteney Bridge was designed in the Palladian style by architect Robert Adam. It was commissioned by Scottish lawyer and MP William Pulteney to connect Bath with his estate on the other side of the River Avon.

It was completed in 1774 and named after his wife, the heiress Frances Pulteney. Today, the Grade I-listed building has shops built across its full span on both sides.

The Ponte Vecchio dates from 1345, reputedly built by Taddeo Gaddi after a flood destroyed the previous bridge.

The bridge was occupied by butchers, who would dispose of waste directly into the Arno River, but in 1593, Ferdinando I de' Medici decreed that only goldsmiths and jewellers could have shops on the bridge to improve its overall prestige and cleanliness.

The Pulteney Bridge (pictured) was designed in the Palladian style by architect Robert Adam

The Ponte Vecchio dates from 1345, reputedly built by Taddeo Gaddi after a flood destroyed the previous bridge

During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy.

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice and was once the only way to cross the canal on foot.

The present stone bridge was designed by Antonio da Ponte and completed in 1591. It was an engineering marvel of its time, featuring a single span and two inclined ramps. The bridge is renowned for its rows of shops, primarily selling jewellery, linens and Murano glass.

Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and boasts one of the most well-preserved medieval city centres in Germany.

The stone pedestrian bridge dates from 1325. Continuously inhabited since that time, it now has 32 homes above street level with businesses such as artisans' workshops, specialist food outlets, antique shops, wine merchants, art galleries and cafes below.

Tomorrow's Questions

Q: Did the first nuclear powered submarine sink? Eric Bowen, Washington, Tyne and Wear Q: For what action was Eddie Chapman awarded an Iron Cross? Richard Euall, Hove, East Sussex Q: Were ladybirds deliberately introduced to the U.S.? Mary Sullivan, Colchester, Essex Advertisement

Olivia Gray, Bath, Somerset

QUESTION In Tunnel Of Love, Mark Knopfler sings 'about the six-blade, sing about the switchback/And a torture tattoo'. What is he referring to?

Tunnel Of Love is a semi-autobiographical Mark Knopfler composition from 1980, reminiscing about the fairground at the Spanish City in Whitley Bay.

The first verse establishes the carnival setting with references to 'waltzers', 'riding on a ghost train' and 'a screaming ring of faces'.

The torture tattoo is representative of a tough fairground worker leaping from dodgem to dodgem. The six-blade is a metaphor for the guitar, referring back to a song from Dire Straits' eponymous debut album called Six Blade Knife.

In the U.S. a switchback is a road that goes up a steep hill in a series of sharp bends, which is why switchback was the name given to a wooden rollercoaster.

John Fowler, Morecambe, Lancs

QUESTION Who introduced the concept of 'statistics'?

The practice or science of collecting and analysing numerical data has been carried out since ancient times. In modern terms, statistical analysis is the process of collecting and analysing large volumes of data to identify trends.

The term statistics was derived from the Latin word status, meaning 'political state', and, more directly, from the Italian statista. It was the German Gottfried Achenwall, professor of natural law and politics at the University of Gottingen, who first used the word in 1749, signifying the 'science of state'.

In 1790 Sir John Sinclair (1754-1835), MP for Caithness, introduced the word to Britain. He launched the idea of a survey of the state of the country, which was to become the 21 volumes of the Statistical Account Of Scotland.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) pioneered the collection of medical data and presented her analysis in polar area diagrams (pie charts) to clarify the data

A key figure in the development of modern statistics was German mathematician Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855), who laid the groundwork for probability theory. Several British pioneers helped establish the science.

Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) pioneered the collection of medical data and presented her analysis in polar area diagrams (pie charts) to clarify the data.

Karl Pearson (1857-1936) further developed the field by establishing mathematical statistics as a discipline.

He founded the world's first university statistics department at University College London in 1911 and introduced statistical tools such as the Pearson correlation coefficient and chi-squared test.

Ronald A. Fisher (1890-1962) laid the foundation for much of modern statistical theory. He introduced maximum likelihood estimation and analysis of variance.

T. A. Wallace, Reading, Berks
A 'terrifying' Labour supermajority could be averted, a major poll of undecided voters reveals.

One in ten, amounting to more than four million ballots, are unsure about who to back, giving the Tories hope of avoiding a wipeout.

In the first study of its kind, nearly six in ten of the undecided say they are still weighing up whether they prefer Rishi Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer with less than a week to go.

Senior Tories jumped on the findings as proof there was a 'huge amount to play for' and that voters can still 'place a boulder in Labour's path' to obtaining a 'blank cheque' to increase taxes.

Previous analysis has suggested that it would require only a small number of former Conservative voters to return to the Tory fold to see off the threat of an unprecedented defeat and provide some sort of opposition to a Labour government.

In the first study of its kind, nearly six in ten of the undecided say they are still weighing up whether they prefer Rishi Sunak (right) or Sir Keir Starmer (left) with less than a week to go

It came as Reform, which threatens to split the vote of the Right, was engulfed in a racism storm.

Hideous comments made by canvassers in Clacton, where Nigel Farage is running to be MP, were revealed by an undercover Channel 4 News investigation.

One volunteer was filmed calling the Prime Minister a 'f****** P***' after advocating shooting those arriving by small boat.

Mr Sunak insisted that the election was not over as he issued a rallying cry to the undecided to get out and vote. He said there was 'one week to save Britain from Labour'.

Asked why voters, including those tempted by Reform, should back the Conservatives, Mr Sunak told The Daily Telegraph: 'What I would say is a Labour government isn't just something that you buy and if you decide you don't like it, you can take back to the shop and return it.

'It's going to have profound consequences for you and your family, potentially for decades.'

In other developments:

Sir Keir found himself accused of 'dog-whistle racism' by members of his own party in a row over Bangladeshi migrants;

Kemi Badenoch compared Labour plans for a new Race Equality Act to apartheid;

Pensioners were warned Labour was 'coming for your winter fuel payments' after the party left the door open to means-testing older people's benefits;

Reform dropped its Basingstoke candidate after it emerged he was a former BNP member;

A Green Party hopeful called for 'Nuremberg Trials' for those not doing enough to tackle climate change.

Mr Sunak insisted that the election was not over as he issued a rallying cry to the undecided to get out and vote

Hideous comments made by canvassers in Clacton, where Nigel Farage is running to be MP, were revealed by an undercover Channel 4 News investigation

Kemi Badenoch compared Labour plans for a new Race Equality Act to apartheid

The Redfield & Wilton poll of undecided voters, conducted exclusively for the Daily Mail, suggests there is little love for Labour leader Sir Keir and his policies across vast swathes of the electorate.

It also suggests that Tory attacks about Labour plans to hike taxes on hard-pressed families to pay for their unfunded spending pledges may be cutting through.

Highlighting the huge numbers that could yet be won over, 59 per cent said they had not yet decided whether Sir Keir or Mr Sunak would make a better PM for the next five years. Some 12 per cent said they were leaning towards the Tories and 20 per cent said Labour.

Of those undecided, 11 per cent said they were more favourable towards Reform, meaning winning over some of these voters will also be crucial to the future of the Tories.

Some 23 per cent were 'closer to not voting than to voting'. If these can be galvanised to back the Tories in the final days of the campaign, along with those already leaning towards the party, a Labour supermajority could be avoided.

The poll also suggests that Daily Mail readers are among the largest group of undecided voters. Nearly one in four (23 per cent) said they read the Daily Mail, either in print or online.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'The terrifying threat of a Labour supermajority would place unchecked power in Starmer's hands.

'But it doesn't have to be this way. The opportunity exists to place a boulder in Labour's path to block their blank cheque to taxing you on July 4.'

The Redfield & Wilton poll of undecided voters, conducted exclusively for the Daily Mail, suggests there is little love for Labour leader Sir Keir

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'I have walked over 400 miles knocking on doors so far this campaign.

'And I'm yet to meet somebody who was a Conservative [at the last election], or listed as a possible Conservative, who says they're going to Labour. They really don't want Labour. There's still a huge amount to play for.'

Redfield & Wilton surveyed more than 1,000 adults between June 21 and 24.
Police have arrested six Just Stop Oil activists at a supposed soup night in London this evening.

Hackney Police has detained a number of key organisers for the group who had allegedly been plotting to cause mayhem for thousands of holidaymakers this summer by disrupting airports across the UK.

Officers swooped on an east London community centre earlier today and arrested six activists during an event which JSO later claimed was a 'soup night'.

The eco group also claimed another protestor named Daniel was arrested whilst staying at their parents home in the capital.

Protesters had allegedly planned to disrupt airports in a 'sustained period of action', warning that an attack on Stansted airport last week, where two private jets were sprayed in orange paint, was just a 'prelude'.

Police are seen leading a Just Stop Oil activist away after arresting her and another five people at a supposed soup night in London this evening

An officer is seen speaking to another activist who had allegedly been part of a plot to cause mayhem for thousands of holidaymakers this summer by disrupting airports across the UK

The eco group also claimed another protestor named Daniel was arrested whilst staying at their parents home in the capital

JSO shared a video on X, showing the moment the suspected organisers were arrested earlier this evening.

One officer is heard telling one of the group: 'By taking part in the organisation of this event this evening, I suspect you are taking part in a plot to cause serious disruption to UK airports.'

A female activist is then see being led out of the hall in handcuffs as she is surrounded by several officers and other members of the public.

The video later cuts to a video of an activist, named Daniel, being arrested in a house by two police officers.

Daniel can be heard telling the camera: 'I'm being arrested. I'm not really sure why.

'I'm at my parents' house right now. I was just here in London visiting my parents.

'I think I've been told I'm under arrest for conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.

'Well this is what happens when you resist the British state.'

JSO shared a video on X, showing the moment the suspected organisers were arrested earlier this evening

A female activist is then see being led out of the hall in handcuffs as she is surrounded by several officers and other members of the public

Hackney Police said in a statement: 'Tonight (27 June), our officers made six arrests during an event at an east London community centre.

'We believe some of those in custody are key organisers for Just Stop Oil.

'All the arrests were under a section of the Public Order Act which makes it illegal to conspire to disrupt national infrastructure.

'We continue to work with airport operators and others to prevent significant disruption.

'Activists do not have the right to commit criminal acts that may also endanger themselves and others.

'Anyone who disrupts the safety and security of an airport can expect to be dealt with swiftly and robustly.'

The climate group has made headlines in recent weeks for its latest stunts including spray painting Stonehenge and spraying two private jets at Stansted airport.

But according to a source, the stunt at Stansted was only a 'prelude' to plans to disrupt even more airports over the coming months.

A Just Stop Oil activist is seen stood in Stansted airport after spraying two private jets

Jennifer Kowalski and Cole Macdonald broke into Stansted airport's VIP airfield just hours after the pop sensation landed in London ahead of this weekend's Wembley shows

Speaking to The Times, the source said: 'This is just another way of us taking action in the theatres of life we exist in because we're not politicians.

'Private jets are obviously mental for emissions and most people would agree they need to stop.

'It's a wake-up call for government that we need big radical changes.

'If this incoming government doesn't get us on war footing then we're not going to have anywhere to fly to.'

A JSO spokesman told MailOnline: 'We have smashed through the 1.5 degree threshold that was supposed to keep us safe, the consequences of this are catastrophic and this is leading to runaway extreme temperatures that are making large parts of the world unable to support human life. We cannot continue business as usual.

'To protect our families and communities we need an emergency, international legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuel burning by 2030.'

When asked whether they would disrupt people's summer holidays, the spokesman said: 'We will be taking action at sites of key importance to the fossil fuel economy to demand an emergency, international legally binding treaty to phase out oil, gas and coal burning by 2030.'

One activist can be seen spraying the fuselage and windows of two parked white planes with orange paint

Video shows the pair using a disc cutter to slice through a chain link fence at the airport's perimeter, before using fire extinguishers to spray orange paint on the aircraft

Last week two JSO activists were also arrested and later bailed for throwing orange powder paint at Stonehenge.

Rajan Naidu, 73, and Niamh Lynch, 21, ran up to the stones and attacked them as members of the public tried to intervene.

Video footage showed two people wearing white shirts with the Just Stop Oil slogan, approaching the stone circle with canisters and spraying orange powder paint.

The group claimed it would wash off in the rain but archaeologists are concerned about potential damage to the 5,000-year-old world icon and landmark.

Tim Daw, a local farmer and historic property steward who used to volunteer at the site, carried out an experiment by mixing cornflour and food dye and then applying it to a small piece of sarsen, which is the same stone as Stonehenge.

On the piece of sarsen a series of little back dots are visible, which are the lichen.

Mr Daw described this on BBC Breakfast as a 'very, very rare plant organism that grows on rocks' which 'takes hundreds of years to grow because there's no nutrition'.

Just Stop Oil protesters spray Stonehenge with orange paint

He then washed the bottom half of the stone before gently rubbing it and noticed that the cornflour was in the stone's pores and therefore 'displacing the lichen'.

Mr Daw told the show that he was 'worried' about the lichen on the monument, and said of yesterday's attack: 'I was shocked and saddened. I couldn't believe it.

'Stonehenge is so precious, not just to me but to so many people. To do this act, which I think has worked against their cause, just seems pointless and damaging.'

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were united in the condemnation of Just Stop Oil after the incident.

The Prime Minister described it as a 'disgraceful act of vandalism' while the Labour leader branded the group 'pathetic'.
Shocking court documents have revealed the chilling reason a New Jersey mother allegedly drowned her two young daughters in a bathtub.

Naomi Elkins, 27, was arrested at her home in the predominantly Orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood Tuesday night and was charged with two counts of murder, possession of a weapon and other offenses relating to the deaths of her two children, ages just 1 and 3.

She told authorities who rushed to the scene that she felt she 'needed to kill the children for religious purposes' after they returned home from Giggles Daycare - where she worked and where the children attended, according to arrest documents obtained by the New York Post.

Elkins would later admit 'that she knew that it was illegal to kill her children and that what she did was wrong,' the arrest documents said.

Naomi Elkins, 27, told authorities she felt she 'needed to kill the children for religious purposes'

Elkins allegedly brought one of the children into a bathroom at her apartment on Shenandoah Drive, and held her underwater for about two to three minutes.

At that point, the arrest documents say, the other child ran into a second bathroom, screaming.

Elkins is then accused of following that daughter into the bathroom, and started running a bath - before holding the child underwater.

'She said that she counted to 50 multiple times to ensure she held them underwater for enough time,' an affidavit says.

Elkins even allegedly told cops she stabbed and 'slightly punctured' one of the daughters with a knife before running the bath - with cops later finding a serrated knife with a red handle in the hallway bathroom sink.

Elkins called Hatzolah Medical Services - a Jewish volunteer ambulance program - in the aftermath telling them she had hurt her children

Police found the one year old with a 'deep laceration in the middle of her stomach and superficial wound on the left side of her back'

She is said to have told the officers she realized she had done something wrong, and called Hatzolah Medical Services - a Jewish volunteer ambulance program - telling dispatchers there she had hurt her children.

First responders who rushed to the scene found the one year old with a 'deep laceration in the middle of her stomach and superficial wound on the left side of her back,' arrest records show.

EMTs desperately tried to give the children lifesaving aid, but they were both eventually pronounced dead on the scene.

Police would later find a serrated knife with a red handle in the hallway bathroom sink

Elkins said she 'knew that it was illegal to kill her children and that what she did was wrong,' according to arrest records

As cops questioned Elkins in the aftermath, she reportedly noted she previously struggled with bad feelings when her husband left on a business trip on May 24.

She said she dropped her kids off at the daycare that day, and spent the night praying, according to 6ABC.

But when she got home from work at the daycare on Tuesday, Elkins allegedly said she believed she needed to kill them for religious reasons.

She seemed to have later come to her senses, allegedly telling cops 'that she knew that it was illegal to kill her children and that what she did was wrong.'

Det. Alex Bromley, of the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit, then had Elkins write a letter to her children.

That letter is now being used as evidence against her, the Post reports.

Footage captured at the scene shows investigators coming and going and removing items from the Lakewood home

A children's tricycle and a swing set was also seen outside of the home where the children had been murdered

Elkins made her first court appearance on Wednesday afternoon - appearing virtually before Judge Scott Basen.

During the short appearance, she only responded to remarks from the judge asking if she could hear him with one word answers.

Even when her lawyer Mitchell Ansell informed Elkins who would be at the prison to speak with her tomorrow morning she only nodded, before standing up and leaving.

Elkins is now set to return to court on Monday.

Meanwhile, footage captured at the scene shows investigators coming and going and removing items from the home before packing them into a Sheriff's Office vehicle.

A children's tricycle and a swing set was also seen outside of the home where the children had been murdered.

Elkins' family now says she has a history of mental health issues.

Elkins appeared in court virtually for a brief hearing on Wednesday

'The Elkins family is deeply saddened by the tragic events that have occurred involving Naomi Elkins and her two young children,' they said in a statement provided by her defense team on Thursday.

'The sad truth is Naomi Elkins has a well-documented history of severe mental illness, which has absolutely played a major role in these devastating events.

'While we acknowledge the seriousness of the charges that she is facing and respect some [sic], we also believe it's important to recognize the incredible complexities presented by mental health challenges.

'We are committed to pursuing the most just and fair outcome through the legal system, taking into account all of the circumstances involved,' they concluded.

The murders sent shockwaves through the Orthodox Jewish community

The shocking murders happened in a typically quiet Orthodox Jewish community, which is home to the world's largest yeshiva outside of Israel.

The Beth Medrash Govoha is a educational facility which focuses on the study of the Torah.

According to a report by the Jewish News Syndicate in 2019, half of the residents are Orthodox Jews.

Mayor Raymond Coles told APP: 'Its a horrible thing to know that something like that happened here.

'I always wait for the official information and stay out of the way. From what I know, it is the worst possible thing that can happen, anything involving children hurts and it makes it more powerful and sad.'

'[The Orthodox community] 'are all stick in shock and I do not want to insert myself.

'From the second they found out about it, the support networks kick in. They do not have to worry about people being supportive.'
An undocumented Turkish migrant has been charged over the rape and abduction of a teenage girl in upstate New York.

Sakir Akkan, 21, was arrested last week for the May 14 assault on a 15-year-old girl in Albany.

The attack occurred shortly after midnight when Akkan approached the victim in a green Toyota Prius, got out and threatened her with a metal pole, according to the Times Union.

Akkan is a Turkish migrant who crossed the San Diego border illegally seven months ago. Critics have slammed the police department for failing to notify the public of the attack.

'To be perfectly clear, neither I nor anyone else in police administration had any idea whatsoever the immigration status of the defendant in this case until after he was arrested and arraigned on the charges,' Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins told WRGB.

Sakir Akkan (pictured), 21, a Turkish migrant who entered the country illegally, was charged with the brutal rape of a 15-year-old girl in Albany

'Immigration status was simply not a factor in the media release decision and any insinuation to the contrary is completely inaccurate.

'The common practice by the Albany Police Department is that information regarding sexual assaults are not released through a media release to prevent further trauma to the victim, unless there are other extenuating circumstances, such as if the situation poses an imminent threat to the public. Albany Police Department determined there was not.'

The teenage girl had left her group home off New Scotland Avenue when she was allegedly approached by Akkan.

He forced her into the car by threatening to beat her and drove off to an isolated area off South Pearl Street, police say.

Critics have slammed the police department for failing to notify the public of the attack, but Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins (pictured) said it is standard practice

Akkan allegedly pushed her into the back seat and raped her, with police reports indicating she suffered scratches on her legs in self defense.

Surveillance footage captured a man believed to be Akkan letting the girl out of the car then driving off after the sexual assault.

He was not arrested until a month later and is currently being held at the Albany County Jail on on $25,000 cash bail, a $50,000 bond or a partial bond of $75,000.

Akkan's defense attorney, George LaMarche, told The New York Post his client will not be able to post bail because an immigration detainer has been filed against him.

He was arrested in November for illegally crossing the border but was released on his own recognizance and given a February 2025 court date in Philadelphia.

Akkan is currently being held at the Albany County Jail (pictured) on on $25,000 cash bail, but his attorney said the feds have issued an immigration detainer against him

Locals have slammed the police department for not putting out a release about the attack or Akkan's arrest and his immigration status.

'A 15 year old girl raped by an ILLEGAL ALIEN in the city of Albany and the public doesn't get notified? We are suppose to believe this wasn't covered up by the city administration? B******t,' Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said on X.

'Albany County has now joined the growing list of local municipalities with major violent crimes committed by those in our country illegally,' said Albany County Legislator Frank Mauriello.

'The attempts by local authorities to hide these appalling crimes and the suspects' immigration statuses for weeks from the public only makes it worse.'
Health experts have warned the E.coli outbreak is a 'serious public health concern' as one person is confirmed to have died as a result of the deadly bacteria.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it has identified two people in England who died within 28 days of being infected with the current strain.

But clinicians said only one of these deaths 'is likely linked' to their shiga toxin-producing E.coli (Stec) infection.

At least 86 people have now been admitted to hospital as a result of the outbreak which has been linked to lettuce, health officials have said.

Dr Aidan Taylor, lecturer in microbiology at the University of Reading, said the ongoing outbreak 'is a serious public health concern', which he warned people should 'all pay attention to'.

At least 86 people have now been admitted to hospital as a result of an E. coli outbreak linked to lettuce, though cases are slowing, health officials have said

'Do not eat' alerts were placed on more than 60 products sold in the likes of Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Boots and Sainsbury's

Dr Taylor said: 'The ongoing E.coli outbreak in the UK is a serious public health concern we should all pay attention to.

'To avoid E.coli and other food-borne infections, consumers should thoroughly wash produce, cook meats properly, and practise good kitchen hygiene to avoid cross-contamination.

'However, most raw produce like lettuce will have already been washed by the manufacturer, but this is only partially effective at removing bacteria like E.coli.

'Heavily contaminated produce will remain infectious even after this process, and washing at home will only help so much.

'With ready-to-eat foods like sandwiches and salads, the consumer is reliant on the manufacturer to ensure safe preparation and testing.

'Therefore, in cases of widespread contamination like this outbreak, following product recalls and avoiding implicated foods is crucial.

'This outbreak highlights the importance of robust food safety measures throughout the supply chain and highlights the need for continued vigilance in both industry practices and consumer awareness.'

The UKHSA said: 'Although the rate of cases has now slowed, we expect the figure to rise as NHS laboratories refer specimens to UKHSA for genomic sequencing which can link cases to this outbreak strain.'

The UK Health Security Agency typically records around 1,500 STEC confirmed infections in a year

At least 122 people have been admitted to hospital for treatment since the start of the outbreak.

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the FSA, said: 'Earlier this month, we confirmed that several sandwich manufacturers had taken precautionary action to withdraw and recall various sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls after food chain and epidemiological links enabled us to narrow down a wide range of foods to a type of lettuce used in sandwich products as the likely cause of the outbreak.

'This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work with the relevant businesses and the local authorities to ensure necessary steps are being taken to protect consumers.

'Although we are confident in the likely source of the outbreak being linked to lettuce, work continues to confirm this and identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.'

E.coli is a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals.

However, some strains produce toxins that can make people very ill, such as Stec.

People infected with Stec can suffer diarrhoea, and about 50 per cent of cases have bloody diarrhoea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.

The Food Standards Agency said lettuce used in the products are thought to be the likely source of the outbreak

A number of food manufacturers have recalled sandwiches, wraps and salads sold in major supermarkets and retail chains over fears they are linked to the outbreak.

The Food Standards Agency has said lettuce used in the products are thought to be the likely source of the outbreak.

All the cases recorded involve Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O145 (Stec).

Darren Whitby, head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency said: 'Several sandwich manufacturers have now taken precautionary action to withdraw and recall various sandwiches, wraps, subs and rolls, as food chain and epidemiological links have enabled us to narrow down a wide range of foods consumed to a small number of salad leaves that have been used in these products.

'This remains a complex investigation and we continue to work at pace with the relevant businesses and local authorities to ensure necessary steps are being taken to protect consumers.

'Although we are confident in the source of the outbreak being linked to a small number of salad leaves, which we identified early on through extensive food chain analysis, work continues to identify the root cause of the outbreak with the growers, suppliers and manufacturers so that actions can be taken to prevent a re-occurrence.

'We will remain vigilant until the root cause of the outbreak is confirmed and we are keeping an open mind about possible causes of the outbreak.'

A lab technician holds a bacteria culture that shows a positive infection of E. coli

E. coli are a diverse group of bacteria that are normally harmless and live in the intestines of humans and animals.

However, some strains produce toxins that can make people very ill, such as Stec.

People infected with Stec can suffer diarrhoea, and about 50% of cases have bloody diarrhoea.

Other symptoms include stomach cramps and fever.

Symptoms can last up to two weeks in uncomplicated cases.

Some patients, mainly children, may develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome, which is a serious life-threatening condition resulting in kidney failure.

A small proportion of adults may develop a similar condition called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).

Stec is often transmitted by eating contaminated food but can also be spread by close contact with an infected person, as well as direct contact with an infected animal or where it lives.

People are advised to call NHS 111 or contact their GP surgery if they are worried about a baby under 12 months, a child stops breast or bottle feeding while they are ill, a child under five has signs of dehydration such as fewer wet nappies, and if older children or adults still have signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets.

Help should also be sought if people are being sick and cannot keep fluid down, there is bloody diarrhoea or bleeding from the bottom, diarrhoea lasts more than seven days or vomiting for more than two days.
Nat Barr has bluntly told Anthony Albanese's government they are 'well behind' in their target of building 240,000 new homes a year amid the housing crisis.

The Federal Government is aiming to build 1.2million new homes over five years, which equates to 240,000 each year.

The plan comes amid low vacancy rates, skyrocketing rent and exorbitant house prices.

Education Minister Jason Clare appeared on Sunrise on Friday morning where he was grilled on why targets weren't being met amid Labor committing $1billion to building roads and other infrastructure.

'Only 163,000 new homes were commenced in 2023. You need 240,000 each year to reach your target. You're well behind. How is this going to help?' Barr said.

Mr Clare said infrastructure needed to be built before the homes could go up, including sewage systems, water connections, gutters and roads.

'If you want to turn back lots into backyards, you have to build infrastructure,' the education minister said.

'This is what the billion dollars is all about.'

Nat Barr has bluntly told Anthony Albanese 's government they are 'well behind' in their target of building 240,000 new homes a year amid the housing crisis

He added Labor had this week put forward legislation to build more rental accommodation but the Liberal and Greens parties voted against it.

'If we are going to build more homes, we also need the Liberal Party and Greens to stop playing games in the Parliament and vote to support the legislation that is going to help us do it,' he said.

Deputy Leader of the Liberal party, Sussan Ley, also appeared on the program and said that in the two years since Labor was voted in 'Jason and his people are not out of the blocks yet'.

'I have met with people building houses, they are on the tools and signing contracts and out there trying to make this happen because we have wonderful businesses who care about the job they do,' she said.

'They are telling us it is too expensive to build a home and Labor's costs are making it worse when it comes to energy. Labor has brought in more migrants last year than any time in Australia's history. We have a housing crisis, what we have to do is get back to basics.'

Barr then confronted Ms Ley over why her party didn't vote in favour of the legislation put forward by Labor for more rental homes.

Ms Ley claimed it was a 'bad policy', that would only make 'rich fund managers richer and prevent more Australians from getting into a rental'.

Mr Clare chimed in and said Ms Ley's comments were 'absolute rubbish' but she continued on her rant, adding Liberal will 'never support bad policy'.

The Federal Government is aiming to build 1.2 million new homes over five years, which equates to 240,000 each year (pictured are construction workers in Sydney)

'This is about rich fund managers building homes and unfortunately they may not be affordable for Australians,' she said, as Mr Clare continued to interrupt and shut her down.

'It's about building homes for Aussies,' he said.

Ms Ley disregarded Mr Clare's interruption and said 'the numbers are just so small'.

'It's two years in and you've sprayed money at the state governments but nothing is happening,' she said.

The education minister then said he felt like he was in the song 'Stuck In The Middle With You' by Stealers Wheel, as he had 'clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right'.

'You've got these fringe parties, the Liberal Party, and Greens are in bed together to stop building houses for Australians. The Australians are stuck in the middle,' he said.

Barr agreed and said she was 'stuck in the middle' between the two politicians.

'I am stuck in the middle and the Australians are stuck in the middle. It is two decades in the making, not two years. It didn't start two years ago,' she said.

The Albanese government announced $11.3billion would be invested in housing initiatives during the Budget in May.

The government will also spend $1billion building roads, sewers, energy, water and community infrastructure needed for more homes.

Construction companies have been collapsing across Australia, blaming soaring cost in materials and a shortage in the workforce.

Mr Albanese earlier said the injection of funds would help kick-start construction on a national scale.

'This isn't about one suburb or one city or one state. It's a challenge facing Australians everywhere and it needs action from every level of government,' he said.
The former Uvalde school police chief and another ex-officer have been charged over their botched response to the Robb Elementary massacre.

Former chief Pedro 'Pete' Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales have been indicted on charges of child endangerment in connection with the tragedy, San Antonio Express News reports.

A total of 21 people - 19 fourth graders and two teachers - died when shooter Salvador Ramos, 18, opened fire on May 24, 2022.

The police force was heavily criticized in the wake of the massacre, after it emerged that nobody attempted to confront Ramos until 77 minutes after he began his rampage.

Uvalde School District Police chief Arredondo was in charge of the massive law enforcement response on the day, which saw at least 380 officers from various local, state and federal agencies swarm on the school.

Former Uvalde School District police chief Pete Arredondo (pictured) and another ex-officer have been charged over their botched response to the Robb Elementary massacre

He was taken into custody today on 10 counts of abandoning/endangering a child but has since posted bail.

Arrendondo and Gonzales, a school police officer, were among the first cops on the scene.

The former chief was heavily criticized for failing to engage the shooter, even as children were bleeding out.

He admitted he decided not to try and neutralize Ramos, in hopes of saving the lives of other children.

However, the action contradicted his department's active shooter protocols and essentially left students trapped in the classroom with Ramos for dead.

Arredondo was immediately placed on administrative leave and fired shortly after.

A DOJ investigation found that leadership failures resulted in delays which may have exacerbated the fatalities.

The report said police acted with no urgency in establishing a command center, creating confusion about who was in charge.

Arredondo, discarded his radios on arrival, deeming them unnecessary, per the report.

Former school police officer Adrian Gonzales has also been charged over the flawed response

Salvador Ramos killed 19 kids and two teachers during the rampage on May 24, 2022

A key error was believing the shooter was barricaded or contained, even as he continued to fire shots which killed more children and injured an officer.

An investigation conducted for the city of Uvalde also revealed that officers wanted to storm the classroom as soon as bullet proof shields arrived, but they were overruled by Arredondo.

Ramos was eventually shot and killed by US Border Patrol Tactical Unit gunmen who bypassed numerous other officers who had been in the hallway.

Gonzales is hardly featured in the official reports on the shooting but had SWAT training and was an instructor for active shooter training for Uvalde school police.

The criminal charges against the former police are the first in connection with what was the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

District Attorney Christina Mitchell revealed in January that she had convened a grand jury to weigh possible charges.

As part of the fact-finding mission, the 12 jurors toured the now closed school for around an hour.

Footage showing Peter Arredondo directing armed officers inside the Uvalde elementary school

The police force was heavily criticized in the wake of the shooting, after it emerged that nobody attempted to confront Ramos until 77 minutes after he began his rampage

Democrat State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has expressed outrage that Arredondo and Gonzales are the only police charged over the failures.

'If they're going to indict those two officers, they need to indict the 13 DPS troopers in that hallway,' Gutierrez told San Antonio Express News. 'That's very disturbing to me.'

The entire police force was changed in the wake of the massacre.

But Don McLaughlin Jr, who was mayor at the time of the shooting, suggested there has been a 'gloss' over the role of other agencies involved on the day.

This is a breaking news story, please check back for updates...
The first of 400 migrants to be housed in a converted prison have been greeted by protesters unhappy they are moving into their small town.

Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk, Massachusetts, closed in 2015 and has been repurposed as a migrant shelter.

The jail was a minimum-security facility and used dorm-style accommodation that doesn't look like a traditional prison, and was heavily modified for the migrants.

Norfolk Select Board chairman Jim Lehan said 21 families, totaling about 70 people, moved in on Wednesday afternoon with more to come soon.

Locals are concerned both about migrant children being housed in a former jail, and of the town's ability to cope with 400 new residents.

Locals are concerned both about migrant children being housed in a former jail, and of the town's ability to cope with 400 new residents

Bay State Correctional Center in Norfolk, Massachusetts , closed in 2015 and has been repurposed as a migrant shelter

Concerned Citizens of Norfolk held a protest in the town center as the migrants arrived on Wednesday.

Others voiced their views at a town hall meeting on Tuesday night, where Lehan tried to answer questions but admitted there was much he didn't know.

'There is fear here, a lot of fear. I'm sure everybody in here has fear of this,' Margaret Soderlund said.

'And then on the other side, I want to go help these people because they're not all bad people. They're just trying to make a life for themselves, too.'

Lehan said as Massachusetts owned the facility, it did not need the city's permission to open the shelter, or to consult with it - and was a 'nightmare' to deal with.

Norfolk has a population of about 11,600 and one ambulance, one petrol station, and no supermarkets. About 150 migrant children will join the few local schools.

'It's like Boston getting 25,000 people, that's a 4.5 per cent population increase overnight,' Benjamin Sprague told WBZ-TV at the protest.

'There is no music room anymore. They have to do music inside the classroom, so how are they going to adjust to have that many children enter into the school system and not have an impact on everything else.'

Concerned Citizens of Norfolk held a protest in the town center as the migrants arrived on Wednesday

The first of 400 migrants to be housed in a converted prison have been greeted by protesters unhappy they are moving in

Jack Olivieri, a member of Concerned Citizens of Norfolk, said it wasn't fair to send the migrants to a small town without enough infrastructure.

'We have no traffic lights. We have no sidewalks except right in the center of town. The prison facility is out in the middle of nowhere,' he told WHDH.

'We have a pizza shop, we have a pharmacy, and a few other small businesses, and that's about it.

'There's no resentment towards the migrants or the people that are coming. It's not their fault. They're blameless. It's the politicians who made these decisions without consulting with us.'

However, other locals - some with Norfolk Strong, which is dedicated to welcoming the migrants - held a counter-protest.

Local minister Gretchen Robinson said she was 'upset and angry' that her neighbors were being so unwelcoming to the migrants.

'What is America for? It's a whole bunch of immigrants that came here. Then, we turn around and we say, 'We don't like you because of the color of your skin or whatever or your background.' It's just not fair,' she told CBS.

Jessica Scanlon from Norfolk Strong added: 'We would also like to publicly recognize the heartache that some of our current residents are experiencing in the face of racist, xenophobic and threatening rhetoric.

'Our kids are watching. We as a community need to come together.'

These protesters claimed the shelter was not safe for the migrants as it was a converted jail, and put too much strain on local infrastructure

The jail was a minimum-security facility and used dorm-style accommodation that doesn't look like a traditional prison, and was heavily modified for the migrants

Norfolk Strong was collecting school supplies and second hand clothes, and giving emergency workers goodie bags to give to migrant kids they saw.

'We aim to support the Town of Norfolk in securing additional funding needed to accept these new neighbors and implementing successful integration plans,' it website read.

Massachusetts' population more than doubled to 7,500 in the past year, with another 750 on an emergency assistance waitlist.

The Norfolk shelter has an emergency permit to operate for six months, which can be renewed if necessary.

The state will provide round-the-clock security, on-site medical and ambulance services, and vaccination clinics.

The shelter is a 'temporary safety-net site for families experiencing homelessness' and only meant to house migrants until they get on their feet.

Migrants there will be recertified every month to make sure they are applying for work permits, getting jobs, and finding private housing.

Many of those migrants without a place to go have been camping out at Logan International Airport (pictured)

The shelter can accommodate about 140 families in dorm rooms with bathrooms and showers on each floor.

The facility also has a cafeteria, a gymnasium, a large common room, and offices that will be used for case management and administrative activities.

'The site will be set up with play areas for children, as well as classroom spaces for adults to engage in activities that support pathways to stability such as ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, job training courses, and housing search workshops,' Emergency Assistance Director Scott Rice said.

Leaders in Norfolk, Massachusetts, where the facility is located, said in a statement Monday that they had not been consulted before the decision.

Norfolk officials said the town was informed only in May that the former prison had been designated as temporary shelter.

Migrants families use Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport as a shelter

A homeless man repacks his belongings on a sidewalk outside South Station

They said the town had no role in the decision and was no consulted ahead of time.

The razor wire on the fence surrounding the facility was removed and the gates will remain open so families will be free to exit and return as needed.

Safety-net sites like the former prison are intended for homeless families with children or pregnant women who are eligible for emergency assistance under the state's right to shelter law, but are currently on a waitlist.

About half of families in emergency assistance in Massachusetts are newly arrived migrants.

Healey officials said the state was providing extra funding to help cover the cost of students suddenly arriving in school districts because of the emergency shelter situation.
Rishi Sunak last night accused Nigel Farage of 'appeasing' Vladimir Putin with his remarks on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister likened the Reform leader to those who, in the 1930s, opposed taking a firm stand against Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany.

Mr Farage claimed during an interview on BBC Panorama that the West 'provoked' Russia through Nato and the European Union's continuous eastward expansion.

The Brexiteer said Ukraine should cede its Russian-occupied territory to Putin. He also proposed that peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv should take place.

But Mr Sunak told the Daily Telegraph: 'What he said was wrong, it was completely wrong. It plays into Putin's hands. This is the guy that used nerve agents on British streets, he's doing deals with North Korea. That is who we're talking about here.

Rishi Sunak has accused Nigel Farage of 'appeasing' Putin after the Reform leader said the West had 'provoked' Russia

Mr Farage also said during an interview on BBC's Panorama Ukraine should cede its Russian-occupied territory to Putin

'This kind of appeasement is very damaging not just for our security, but the security of our allies that depend on us and it emboldens Putin further.'

'I talk to Volodymyr [Zelensky, the Ukrainian president] regularly, I just saw him. I've spent lots of time with his team. I've been in Ukraine multiple times.

'The thought that we would somehow be withdrawing our support to them, that there are people who think that that's a right thing to do, I think is deeply worrying.'

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace has also condemned Farage's remarks. He branded him a 'pub bore . . . who often says 'if I was running the country' and presents very simplistic answers to actually I am afraid in the 21st century complex problems'.

Mr Farage said he would 'never, ever' defend Mr Putin and noted others had made similar points

In response to the Tory condemnation, Mr Farage said he would 'never, ever' defend Mr Putin and noted others had made similar points.

He added: 'Being against the Iraq and Libyan wars and predicting the Ukraine war is not appeasement. I'm horrified by what Putin has done.'

The Conservatives believe Mr Farage's comments were a major misstep and will work in their favour at a time when Reform is hurting them in the polls.

The Prime Minister also addressed voters who have become frustrated with the Tories. He said: 'What I would say is a Labour government isn't something that you buy that if you decide you don't like it you can take it back to the shop and return it.'
Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of 'dog whistle racism' by members of his own party in a row over Bangladeshi migrants.

The Labour leader was criticised by would-be MPs after using Bangladesh as an example of where migrants could be returned to under the party's immigration plans.

Last night he insisted he 'wasn't intending to cause any concern or offence'  and said both countries should be proud of a returns agreement signed last month.

Official migration figures show just 42 Bangladeshis entered the UK illegally in the year leading up to March 2024  making up just 0.1 per cent of total illegal arrivals.

His comments appeared to outrage some Labour politicians, who lined up to show solidarity with the Bangladeshi community yesterday.

Without naming her party leader, Labour candidate Apsana Begum said: 'As the daughter of Bangladeshi migrants, I am so proud of the East End's diversity and that our communities include migrants from all around the world.

'I will never stand by and let migrant communities be scapegoated. It's totally unacceptable for politicians, for any party, to use dog whistle racism against Bangladeshis or any other community.'

Labour candidate Apsana Begum (pictured) said it was unacceptable for politicians to use dog whistle racism against Bangladeshis or any other community

Earlier this week, Sir Keir was asked which countries he was referring to after vowing his government would 'make sure that we've got planes going off... they will go back to the countries where people come from.'

He told The Sun's Never Mind The Ballots politics show: 'At the moment people coming from countries like Bangladesh are not being removed, because they're not being processed.'

In response, shadow minister Rushanara Ali, the first British Bangladeshi MP elected, acknowledged the 'considerable concern and upset' at the comments and suggested she had 'relayed the concerns' to the leadership.

After the initial backlash, the Labour leader told reporters yesterday how much he valued 'the relationship and the contribution that we have with the Bangladeshi community in Britain.

'My first trip as a Labour MP was to Bangladesh where I saw for myself the strength of the county, [the] hospitality and warmth of the country.

'The reference in the debate the other day was an example of a country that is considered safe as far as asylum concerns and one of the countries that actually has a returns agreement with us. That is actually a good thing. We and Bangladesh should be proud  we have this returns agreement.'

Labour officials suggested the leader chose to single out Bangladesh because it was the most recent country with which Britain has signed a removals deal.

But Bangladesh was also singled out by shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth earlier this week when he told BBC Newsnight: 'We're going to get on with processing people's claims and those people that shouldn't be here, when they come from countries like Bangladesh or wherever, we're going to send them back.'

Ex-MP Beth Winter said: 'It is outrageous for anyone to use dog whistle racism against any migrant community.' Kate Osamor, another former MP, added: 'Any attempt to scapegoat this community is completely wrong.'

Sir Keir insisted he 'wasn't intending to cause any concern or offence'  and said both countries should be proud of a returns agreement signed last month

Mish Rahman, who sits on Labour's National Executive Committee, told Times Radio: 'He's been bang out of line. And unfortunately, this seems to be a regular occurrence when Keir Starmer makes these comments to camera where he makes these awful, awful errors of judgment.'

One insider compared his comments from Monday to his slip-up last year when he appeared to tell LBC that Israel had the right to cut off power and water in Gaza. The episode caused outrage with British Muslim voters, many of whom have since abandoned the party.

The source added: 'Keir keeps doing and saying things which only serve to other and scapegoat minorities. At what point do you just concede that this is what he really thinks?'

An edited clip of Sir Keir's comments is already doing the rounds on Bangladeshi community WhatsApp groups. There are more than 650,000 UK Bangladeshis, almost half of whom live in London.

A Labour spokesman said the clip 'has been edited to make it look as though Keir Starmer is suggesting repatriation of British Bangladeshis. It is misinformation'.
Nigel Farage is turning into Donald Trump, and not just in his attitude to Russia.

Before the Channel 4 News thunderbolt about bad behaviour by some of the party's activists in Clacton, the Reform leader took himself to Sunderland for a lunchtime rally that owed plenty to his patron, the US presidential candidate.

We had rooty-tooty music, fireworks to celebrate his entrance and self-acclaim by the bucket-load. Mr Farage has become a not unboastful Bertie.

The complexion is that of Chivers marmalade. He sashayed around the stage and spoke in headlines that blew out of one side of his mouth, a little like Buddy Hackett. He derided Sir Keir Starmer as a dozy fool in much the way that Mr Trump speaks of Joe Biden.

Regarding the Conservatives, he wondered if he should instead refer to them as an international betting consortium.

Nigel Farage took himself to Sunderland for a lunchtime rally

The rally owed plenty to Farage's patron - US presidential candidate Donald Trump

Without Boris (who looks to have been comprehensively usurped by Nigel), there hasn't been much humour in this election, but Reform grasps the political value of not taking yourself too seriously.

The only problem: this new, Americanised Farage beats his chest so much that it tastes like vanity. It was a job getting him off the stage at the end, so much was he loving the applause.

Maybe voters are so stultified by the other candidates that they will put up with some trans-Atlantic swagger. To convey a presidential message you need clarity and chutzpah.

Purists will quibble: 'But this is a parliamentary election, not a presidential one.' Reform voters do not necessarily see it like that.

The event began with two of Reform's candidates in the English North-East. They were a lot sparkier than some of the idiots the party has chosen in other seats. Lynn Murphy, Reform's hope in Easington, Co Durham, was a clearvoiced communicator who was politicised by the Covid lockdowns. 'Experts with graphs and figures' had caused wreckage to people's lives. She had initially thought 'them people in suits know what they're doing', but 'then I realised anyone can buy a suit'.

Ms Murphy added: 'We used to be a nation of people who'd take the bull by the horns in a crisis. Now it's, 'I can't cope any more'. This is not good enough.'

She was followed by Paul Donaghy, Reform's runner in Washington and Gateshead South, which he described as 'one of 18 seats we are predicted to take from Labour'.

Knocking on doorsteps these sunny weeks had left Mr Donaghy looking distinctly tomato-ish. Not much of a man for factor 15, I'd wager. 'Every Labour MP has done everything they could to stop Brexit,' he told the crowd of 1,000 at the Rainton Arena. 'We will not forget, and you will pay for it with your seats.'

Enter Moses. That is, Mr Farage. The place went nuts, and he almost rubbed himself against the wall of applause. As he clasped his hands to the microphone and closed his eyes it was like watching a US telly evangelist extract big bucks from the faithful.

Fireworks to celebrate Farage's entrance during a campaign event in Sunderland

The crowd went nuts and Farage almost rubbed himself against the wall of applause

One of his stories involved a benefits claimant going to the doctor and saying: 'Hi, doc.' Then there was a 'let me tell ya' and 'I tell ya what'. Urging greater use of stop-and-search powers, he said the phrase three times. Trump does that when emphasising a point. He pulled comic faces and fluttered his eyelashes with a milkmaid's modesty when he noted that Sir Keir Starmer still couldn't say if a woman had a penis or not.

After affectionate detailing of his life story and the sums of money he has made recently, he told the 1,000 worshippers: 'I've just given it all up to lead you.' Did they recoil at being patronised? Not at all. Seemed delighted by the idea.

But as with Donald, the hide is thin. He complained that on foreign policy he had been traduced terribly in recent days. He claimed he had been a far-seeing prophet on Libya and Iraq and much else. But the words 'Ukraine' and 'Putin' did not cross his lips.

Sore points?
A furious bride-to-be had her easyJet flight to Italy for her wedding cancelled at the last-minute as she was one of thousands caught up in air traffic control chaos.

Sarah Machete, 41, from Dundee, was excited as she planned to travel from Edinburgh Airport to Naples on a 6am flight yesterday morning for her big day.

But just as she was about to leave for the airport, easyJet told her the flight was cancelled - and her only option was another flight two days later on Saturday.

It came as easyJet cancelled a raft of flights at short notice, leaving families' holiday plans in disarray. Passengers reported being sent back home as flights were axed, sending their travel plans in turmoil - with others left stranded abroad.

Holidaymakers complained at the lack of available information, while others reported being sat for hours on planes that never even left the ground. The airline said that ATC restrictions caused by poor weather had led to disruption on its network.

Miss Machete claimed the easyJet customer service team gave 'zero s***s' about her situation, but she eventually reorganised her trip to fly to London Luton last night, stayed in a hotel and then got a new 6.15am flight from Luton to Naples today.

She also said that despite easyJet confirming a booking for a hotel in Luton last night, the airline then sent her an email to say that was also cancelled.

Her new flight departed just before 7am this morning, but Miss Machete complained that she had lost 24 hours of her trip lost, a night at a villa she had booked and 'lots of stress at a time we don't need it due to the incompetence of easyJet'.

Sarah Machete, 41, was excited as she planned to travel from Edinburgh Airport to Naples on a 6am flight yesterday morning for her wedding. But it was cancelled at the last-minute

Miss Machete's flight from Edinburgh to Naples was among 18 easyJet departures or arrivals cancelled at the airport yesterday, as well as three at Glasgow Airport.

More than 20 easyJet flights cancelled at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports yesterday Glasgow Airport (x3) Departures (x2) 7.20am to Enfidha

4.55pm to Malaga Arrivals (x1) 3.50pm from Enfidha Edinburgh Airport (x18) Departures (x8) 6am to Naples

7am to Birmingham

10.25am to Stansted

1.35pm to Gatwick

2pm to Kefalonia

3.25pm to Stansted

4.35pm to Dubrovnik

9.15pm to Amsterdam Arrivals (x10) 1.25am from Bodrum

2.15am from Heraklion

9.50am from Birmingham

1.20pm from Naples

1.50pm from Stansted

5.25pm from Gatwick

6.35pm from Stansted

8.40pm from Amsterdam

11.10pm from Kefalonia

11.50pm from Dubrovnik Advertisement

Other flights axed from Edinburgh yesterday included those to Kefalonia, Dubrovnik and Amsterdam as well as domestic routes to London Stansted, Gatwick and Birmingham.

Inbound flights from all those destinations as well as Naples were also axed at Edinburgh, as well as services from Bodrum and Heraklion.

The three flights affected at Glasgow were an arrival and departure for Enfidha-Hamamet, and a service to Malaga.

In a series of tweets, Ms Machete initially said just after midnight yesterday: 'Sitting waiting up to head to the airport for my 6am flight to Italy! It's wedding time!'

But at 8.30am she wrote: 'Sowas just about to leave for the airport for our flight to Naples for our wedding and got a message from easyJet to say our flight has been cancelled. easyJet response. Your only option is the flight on Saturday! Zero s***s given by their customer service.'

And at 9am she added: 'Now have to take a flight tonight to Luton and get the 6am flight to Naples tomorrow morning.

'A whole 24 hours of my trip lost, an entire night of the villa wasted and lots of stress at a time we don't need it due to the incompetence of easyJet. No confidence it won't happen again!'

Then at 10.30pm, Miss Machete wrote: 'And despite easyJet confirming a booking for the hotel in Luton tonight, they've now sent an email to say it's cancelled! easyJet, explain this!'

Another man due to have been on the same flight as Miss Machete from Edinburgh to Naples said that two days of his holiday had been struck off because of the last-minute cancellation.

The passenger called Ian tweeted yesterday morning: 'EasyJet have cancelled our flight from Edinburgh to Naples and rebooked us so we lose nearly two days of our holiday. Why are we not booked on another airline to get us to Naples today?'

And Guy Houston arrived at 5am with his family at Glasgow Airport for a package getaway to Tunisia, only to be advised that their flight wasn't going just 65 minutes before departure time.

EasyJet passengers were stranded at Lanzarote Airport amid disruption yesterday evening

He told the Daily Record that the family had been informed that the flight was cancelled due to storms, and that there were no easyJet staff to help.

Elsewhere, a passenger called Kate complained she had been stuck at Bristol Airport for seven hours, leaving her Turkish holiday 'down the pan', after she was forced to swap sun in Dalaman for a drive to Cornwall.

She told MailOnline that passengers had boarded the aircraft where they waited an hour on the Tarmac before they were told their flight was cancelled.

''Apparently three flights to Dalaman have been cancelled this week', she said. 'There were rumours it was a staff problem but they must have known hours before. The flight was already late.

'The crew had boarded at 4pm and they waited until 5.10pm to cancel. The systems are broken.'

Instead of being able to soak up the sun in Dalaman, Kate is now driving to Cornwall for her holiday.

EasyJet said it had done 'all possible' to minimise the impact of the disruption on passengers

She added: 'I'm sure all the Turkish lira we bought will gain value. It's a scam. All you really want is fairness, clear communication and human interaction.'

At Liverpool Airport, John Done was with his partner at the terminal for five hours when they were told at the gate that their flight to Cyprus had been cancelled. The couple lost three nights of their all-inclusive holiday.

He said: 'Myself and partner were at Liverpool Airport for five hours today to be told at gate cancelled with no notice or explanation. I had to book with Jet2 for Sunday and reschedule hire car we were picking up. It's disgusting.'

At Manchester Airport, Bev and Wayne Holland were told their flight to Malaga had been delayed five hours, only to be then told it was cancelled and to be given just 3 in meal vouchers.

They said: 'Our flight was due to leave at 5pm and this morning we received a message to tell us the flight had an hour delay, that soon increased to 5 hours, however clearly instructed us to still check in as normal.

Flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were cancelled at short notice by the airline

'Once in the lounge we settled for a hefty delay, the flight was scheduled for 22:00. About 4:30 we saw the flight was showing on screen as cancelled.

'EasyJet say this was out of their control. The fact they knew this morning that flight was delayed how can that be out of their control.'

The chaos has also left people stranded overseas after return flights were stripped from the schedule.

Tracey Thomas told MailOnline her daughter's birthday trip to Rhodes had ended in disaster after she and her friends were told their flight back to Luton had been pulled three hours after it was meant to depart.

She said they were now stuck at Rhodes airport at 1am because the crew had gone over time.

Emma Ford and her partner Paul said their holiday in Lanzarote had been 'tainted' after they and Paul's mother were left stranded for five days on the Canary island.

Their original flight home on Sunday was cancelled following a power cut at Manchester Airport.

They were offered an alternative flight to Liverpool on Wednesday evening after forking out funds for accommodation, only for airline to axe the replacement flight as well. They are still waiting for the airline to rebook them on another flight.

Ms Ford told MailOnline: 'We feel like we're in groundhog day. We go to the airport and the same thing keeps happening. Tonight they have given us no information on the phone. All we get told, it's like it's their catchphrase, is 'wait for an email'.'

EasyJet said it had done 'all possible' to minimise the impact of the disruption on passengers which it said was due to air traffic control restrictions.

A spokesman said: 'We are sorry that the impact of ATC restrictions across the network yesterday, caused by adverse weather, meant that some aircraft were out of position this morning and as a result some flights to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow were unable to operate.

'We did all possible to minimise the impact on our customers and provided those on cancelled flights with options to rebook or receive a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.

'The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority and we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of the weather.'

Has YOUR flight been cancelled? Please email: tips@dailymail.com
Keir Starmer's plan to put VAT on private school fees could be implemented as early as September, Labour's education spokesman has hinted.

Yesterday Bridget Phillipson said she wanted to 'act quickly', saying independent schools have had 'ample time to prepare'.

But she refused to say when the hike would be introduced, leaving the door open to a raid for the next academic year.

Ms Phillipson told LBC: 'This would be subject to a process through the Budget if we form the next government but we will act quickly to do this.'

Bridget Phillipson (pictured) said she wanted to 'act quickly', saying independent schools have had 'ample time to prepare'

Keir Starmer's plan to put VAT on private school fees could be implemented as early as September

Labour says the VAT will raise 1.7 billion to spend on state education, including extra teachers.

But campaigners fear it would force some children out of the sector or see schools close, creating pressure on the state system.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: 'Labour are in chaos over when they are going to hit parents with a tax on education, creating uncertainty for tens of thousands of children.'
The Italian prime minister has accused European leaders of acting like 'oligarchs' after a deal was struck to divvy up the EU's top jobs without her.

Giorgia Meloni, who leads the hard-Right Brothers of Italy Party, said the deal was a betrayal of the will of the European people.

It was struck by three main, broadly centrist groups  the European People's Party, the Socialists and Democrats, and Renew Europe.

The deal, which would make Ursula von der Leyen European Commission president for a second term, was due to be voted on last night.

Italian PM Georgia Meloni has accused European leaders of acting like 'oligarchs' after a deal was struck to divvy up the EU's top jobs without her

Polish PM Donald Tusk said that the three groups negotiated 'to facilitate the process' and not to ostracise Ms Meloni

But Ms Meloni said the success of her European Conservatives and Reformists grouping  the EU parliament's third largest force following this month's elections  should be reflected in its leadership.

Under the EU's treaties, the leaders' choice of candidates should reflect the results of the election, with the posts shared among the winners.

Ms Meloni told the Italian parliament: 'Some claim citizens are not mature enough to take certain decisions and that oligarchy is the only acceptable form of democracy.'

Polish PM Donald Tusk said that the three groups negotiated 'to facilitate the process' and not to ostracise her.
The election is just days away and the politicians have officially gone potty.

Three party leaders dabbled in a little pottery yesterday as crunch time loomed ever nearer.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited the Denby Pottery factory in Ripley, Derbyshire, where he tried his hand at learning to turn ceramics and even hand-glazed a teapot.

Labour leader Keir Starmer shares a laugh with potter Keith Brymer Jones as he visits Duchess China 1888 Ltd

Rishi Sunak glazes pottery during a visit to Denby Pottery Factory on June 27

Sir Ed Davey joined candidate Lisa Smart in a spot of pottery-painting at Vale House in Marple Bridge, Greater Manchester, where they both showed off their bee-themed designs

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer chats with celebrity potter Keith Brymer Jones during his visit to Duchess China in Longton near Stoke On Trent

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer enjoyed a creative session with celebrity potter Keith Brymer Jones at Duchess China in Stoke, where he stamped his campaign slogan 'Change' on to a mug.

And Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey joined candidate Lisa Smart in a spot of pottery-painting at Vale House in Marple Bridge, Greater Manchester, where they both showed off their bee-themed designs.
Many women would be mortified if one of their shoes fell off in public, but it's a common mishap.

Several members of the Royal Family have faced similar situations when their stilettos got caught in grass or grates during official engagements.

Earlier this month, Carole Middleton found herself in such a predicament at Royal Ascot, before Prince William came to her rescue.

And there have been other instances like this, involving the likes of Catherine, Princess of Wales and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

We look back at these mishaps in the images below.

On day two of Royal Ascot earlier this month, Prince William was seen offering his hand out to his mother-in-law, Carole, after the heel of her shoe got trapped in the grass

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, found herself in a similar situation in 2010 when her shoe got stuck in the parade ring lawn at Royal Ascot. The royal attempted to balance herself as a man rushed to help and ensured the shoe was safely back on her foot

Catherine, Princess of Wales, got her shoe stuck in grating during the 2013 St Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot. Fortunately, Prince William was able to offer support

Kate narrowly avoided another mishap in 2018 when she opened the Action On Addiction Community Treatment Centre in Essex. This time, she stepped over the drain on the ground

Queen Mary of Denmark lost her shoe when she and her husband, King Frederik, visited the the gravesite of John F Kennedy in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia in 2010. Mary appeared to laugh it off as she placed the Christian Louboutin shoe back on her foot

Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway, got her heel stuck in a crack between two flagstones when she arrived for a reception at the Astrup Fearnley Museum with her husband, Crown Prince Haakon in 2017
THE REACTION: Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube

It was, according to the Mail's Andrew Pierce, the 'deepest' curtsy he ever saw.

Former prime minister margaret thatcher, in greeting the Queen and Prince Philip when they arrived at her 80th birthday party in 2005, humbly lowered herself despite her frailty.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Mail's Reaction podcast, Mr Pierce said Her Majesty's presence at the glitzy party at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge betrayed the 'nonsense' that the Queen did not like Britain's first female PM.

'The helicopter landed in Hyde Park, the Queen and Prince Philip arrived,' he added.

'Mrs. Thatcher did the deepest curtsy you've ever seen... at the age of 80. I didn't think she was ever gonna get up again.'

It came a decade after Mrs Thatcher appeared to curtsey even lower to the Queen at her 70th birthday party.

It was, according to the Mail's Andrew Pierce, the 'deepest' curtsy he ever saw. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, in greeting the Queen and Prince Philip when they arrived at her 80th birthday party in 2005, humbly lowered herself despite her frailty. Above: The curtsy moment at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge

It came a decade after Mrs Thatcher appeared to curtsey even lower to the Queen at her 70th birthday party at Claridges in 1995

And on several occasions while in Downing Street between 1979 and 1990, Mrs Thatcher was pictured curtseying to the monarch - who she saw regularly at their weekly audiences.

On the latest episode of The Reaction, Mr Pierce also described the touching moment that the Queen held Baroness Thatcher's hand at her 80th.

The former PM was then both physically frail and had a failing memory.

'It was so lovely,' he told co-presenter and fellow Mail writer Sarah Vine.

'And she only stayed for two or three hours, but she was telling the world I'm at my former Prime Minister's birthday party.'

Mr Pierce also pointed out that the Queen - who also went to Mrs Thatcher's funeral - did not go to other former prime ministers' birthday parties.

He went on to describe the moment the Queen told Mrs Thatcher that she and Philip were leaving her party.

'And then she said, "Lady Thatcher, Philip and I, we have to leave".

'And Mrs Thatcher said, "Yes, so do I, Your Majesty." The Queen said, "actually Lady Thatcher, it's your party, I think you should stay."

Sarah Vine and Andrew Pierce discussing Margaret Thatcher's curtseys on the latest episode of The Reaction

Margaret Thatcher's curtseys to the Queen as the monarch arrives at Claridges in London for the former PM's 70th birthday party, 1995

Baroness Thatcher curtseys to the Queen as they greet each other at the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel at Pangbourne College, Reading, on the 25th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War, June 2007

Margaret Thatcher greets Queen Elizabeth II on her arrival at 10 Downing Street to celebrate it's 250th anniversary, December 1985

NOW LISTEN TO THE REACTION Sarah Vine and Andrew Pierce bring their no-holds-barred opinions to the biggest stories of the week. Available wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube. Advertisement

'And then the Queen left and Mrs. Thatcher who been told absolutely by her staff because the memory was beginning to go did this amazing speech for four minutes without a note. Mesmerising. Because the Queen gave her a new bolt of energy.'

Charles Powell, Mrs Thatcher's former foreign affairs adviser, previously spoke about the relationship between his boss and the Queen.

He told the Mail: 'Her curtsies were always low and although I used to brief her before her weekly audiences, she never told us anything that happened, not a word.'

It has been claimed that Mrs Thatcher and the Queen did not get on well.

Documentary maker Michael Cockerell said that they 'rubbed each other up the wrong way'.

Charles Moore, Mrs Thatcher's biographer, wrote about their awkward early audiences.

'Thatcher would sit nervously on the edge of her chair, produce an agenda from her handbag and launch into a monologue.'

The Queen later allegedly told her private secretary, Sir William Heseltine: 'I wasn't given much encouragement to comment.'

However, Mrs Thatcher was an arch-royalist and in 'awe' of the Queen.

The PM would often turn up 15 minutes early for her weekly meetings with the Queen.

The Queen and Margaret Thatcher in Zambia for the Commonwealth conference of 1979

A former private secretary told the Daily Mail how this did not annoy Her Majesty, who instead found it amusing, 'but she never saw her any earlier', they added.

In 1995, five years after she had been forced from Downing Street by her own party colleagues, the Queen chose to award Mrs Thatcher the highly prestigious Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit.

She also felt that the politician had been so badly treated that she invited her to a race meeting.

When the Queen turned 80 in 2006, Mrs Thatcher delivered a gushing public tribute in what was one of her last public statements.

She said: 'Her guidance and and advice are always most acute, and I was privileged to benefit from both enormously,' she said.

'She is truly an inspiration and an example to the whole nation. Long may she rule. Happy birthday, ma'am.'

The Queen's attendance at Mrs Thatcher's funeral in 2013 was the first send-off of a PM she had been to since Winston Churchill's in 1965.

Listen to The Reaction wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube now.
The 12-year-old Houston girl whose brutal killing has shocked the nation and re-opened the debate over the border crisis was laid to rest in Houston today, surrounded by hundreds of Texans who wanted to pay their respects.

The death of Jocelyn Nungaryay, who was strangled, bound and whose body was thrown in a bayou, has captured national attention as the two men accused in her death entered the US illegally in El Paso, Texas.

Venezuelans Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, are facing capital murder charges in her slaying.

'We will get them and they will get what they deserve,' Julie, the girl's great aunt said through tears at her funeral service Thursday.

Investigators believe the men sexually assaulted Nungaray before killing her June 16, as she was found naked from the waist down when her body was recovered.

Investigators say two Venezuelan men lured Jocelyn from a 7-11 underneath a bridge where they strangled her and likely raped her June 16

The Texas's girl whose death sparked a national debate over open border was laid to rest in Houston Thursday

However, the men have not been charged with rape yet, as local prosecutors say they are waiting on forensic evidence to come back from the lab-- a process which could take some time.

'Today is the last day I will get to physically see you and just touch you one more time,' Julie choked back tears.

'We will see you again-- I promise.'

The young girl was remembered by her nickname, 'Jocey-' who loved to read fantasy books, especially Harry Potter.

Her hour-long funeral was open to the public and was attended by the First Lady Cecilia Abbott of Texas and the state's lieutenant governor.

They sat up front and knelt by the girl's mother during the end of the service, offering comfort.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went so far as to cover his mouth while he spoke to the girl's mom so no one could see what he was saying to her.

First Lady of Texas Cecilia Abbott (center) stands with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as they address the other of Jocelyn Nungaryay at her funeral in Houston Thursday

Nungaryay's great aunt Julie looks over at the girl's casket and says, 'We will get them and they will get what they deserve,' of her loved one's killers

Throngs of well-wishers, some who drove hours to be with at the funeral and did not fit inside the Earthman Resthaven Funeral Home listened to the service from the parking lot.

They heard the songs Coney Island Baby, a 1962 tune by The Excellents, and Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey ring out.

While no one addressed how Nungaryay was killed at the service, Houston's Democrat mayor did talk about the difficult conversation that were still to be had.

'We're going to talk to our leadership about about immigration,' Mayor John Whitmire stated.

'We're going to hold people responsible if they're not listening to us. We don't want to repeat this.'

The body of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was murdered in Houston, Texas by two migrants from Venezuela, is carried to her final resting site the day of her funeral

The costs of her funeral were paid for by a local businessman, after the family expressed they could not cover the costs themselves

Jocelyn Nungaray's mother, pictured center in sunglasses looking down next to a little boy, did not speak at her daughter's service

After the service, Jocelyn's casket was transported from the funeral home to the burial site in a horse drawn carriage with white horses.

The costs of the funeral were covered by local celebrity and businessman 'Mattress Mack'-- whose real name is Jim McIngvale.

When the tragedy first happened, local officials pleaded for support as the girl's family could not afford the costs.

The burial was kept private, just for family, however, the rest of the mourners were invited to one of Mattress Mack's stores afterwards.

'We're not going away; we're going to monitor this case,' Whitmire reassured the Nungaray family.

'You call us when you need us. Houston is your family permanently.'
READ MORE: Dog breeds at the highest risk of dying from cancer - revealed

Fido, Rex and Rover are traditionally the classic names for our beloved pet pooches.

But it seems the country's canine naming preferences has moved on to more modern and fashionable alternatives.

Data from a huge survey reveals the most popular names chosen by dog owners across the UK.

More popular than any other is 'Luna'  potentially due to the character from the Harry Potter books  followed by Bella and Milo.

So what are the most popular names for your dog's breed? Search below using MailOnline's interactive tool.

In Britain, 'Luna' is the most popular dog name for several breeds, including Labrador Retriever and Border Collie, the results show. 'Hugo' is the top name for French Bulldog, while 'Milo' is the top name for Cocker Spaniel, Jack Russell Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier Cross

UK's favourite dog names Luna (1.39% of UK dogs) Bella (1.29%) Milo (1.09%) Lola (0.98%) Poppy (0.95% Teddy (0.91%) Buddy (0.85%) Max (0.78%) Daisy (0.68%) Alfie (0.66%) Advertisement

The survey, which took data from more than 330,000 dogs across the UK over the last 12 months, was by by pet care rewards app Biscuit.

'Dog owners adore the name Luna  in fact, one in every 72 dogs takes the name,' said Claire Greenyer, co-founder of Biscuit Pet Care.

'New owners are advised to pick simple two-syllable names ending in a vowel to help their furry companion recognise when theyre being called and Luna hits the spot on that front.

'And the influence of popular culture shouldnt be overlooked  Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter has played a big part here.'

It seems the boundary between dog and people names is now more blurred, as many of the most popular choices are human Christian names  like Poppy, Daisy and Alfie.

Owners who want less common names should opt for the likes of Bruno, Ralph, Oscar and Dexter, the data indicates, as these are among the least popular options.

The survey also found Labrador Retriever (pictured) is the nation's most popular breed, with Cocker Spaniel second, followed by Cockapoo, Dachshund and French Bulldog

UK's favourite dog breeds Labrador Retriever (8.1% of UK dogs) Cocker Spaniel (6.8%) Cockapoo (5.9%) Dachshund (3.8%) French Bulldog (3.2%) Border Collie (2.8%) Staffordshire Bull Terrier (2.6%) Jack Russell Terrier (2.3%) Chihuahua (2.2%) Mixed breed (2.2%) Advertisement

Greenyer even suggests using some even more unique names such as 'Cornflakes', 'Goat' and 'Mozzarella'.

'These are some of the more uncommon names Biscuit app users call their dogs,' she said.

Statistically, one in every 72 dogs is called Luna, one in every 78 is called Bella and one in every 92 goes by Milo, the data shows.

Milo has been popularized by Milo, the Jack Russell Terrier in the 1994 film 'The Mask' starring Jim Carey.

While Luna is the most popular dog name overall (across all breeds in the UK), the survey reveals some interesting naming trends when looking at breeds individually.

For example, Luna is the top name for nine breeds of dog  including the Labrador Retriever, Border Collie and Golden Retriever.

Second-placed 'Bella' is the top name across five breeds of dog, including Beagle, Bulldog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Meanwhile, Milo is the top choice across three breeds of dog, including Jack Russell Terrier and Cocker Spaniel.

And interestingly, fourth-placed 'Lola' is the most popular option for small breeds  Chihuahua and Pug.

The name 'Milo' has been popularized by the Jack Russell Terrier of the same name in the 1994 film 'The Mask' starring Jim Carey

It also found Labrador Retriever to be the UK's most popular breed, with 8.1 per cent of UK dogs a Labrador Retriever.

This is followed by Cocker Spaniel (6.8 per cent) Cockapoo (5.9 per cent) Dachshund (3.8 per cent), French Bulldog (3.2 per cent) and Border Collie (2.8 per cent).

Rounding out the top 10 are Staffordshire Bull Terrier (2.6 per cent), Jack Russell Terrier (2.3 per cent), Chihuahua (2.2 per cent) and mixed breeds (2.2 per cent).
READ MORE: Is your dog Luna, Bella or Milo? The most popular names , revealed

As scientists reveal the nation's top dog names, a new interactive map shows which ones are most popular in your area.

The map, based on data over 330,000 pooches, reveals the top three names in UK cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

The research has revealed that Luna is the most popular name nationwide, but other top choices include Bella, Milo, Poppy, Alfie, Teddy and Coco.

MailOnline's interactive tool also lets you search the most popular names for your dog's breed.

Scroll down to try it!

Your browser does not support iframes.

The survey, which took data from more than 330,000 dogs across the UK over the last 12 months, was done by pet care rewards app Biscuit.

'Dog owners adore the name Luna  in fact, one in every 72 dogs takes the name,' said Claire Greenyer, co-founder of Biscuit Pet Care.

'New owners are advised to pick simple two-syllable names ending in a vowel to help their furry companion recognise when theyre being called and Luna hits the spot on that front.

'And the influence of popular culture shouldnt be overlooked  Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter has played a big part here.'

It seems the boundary between dog and people names is now more blurred, as many of the most popular choices are human Christian names  like Poppy, Daisy and Alfie.

Owners who want less common names should opt for the likes of Bruno, Ralph, Oscar and Dexter, the data indicates, as these are among the least popular options.

UK's favourite dog names Luna (1.39% of UK dogs) Bella (1.29%) Milo (1.09%) Lola (0.98%) Poppy (0.95% Teddy (0.91%) Buddy (0.85%) Max (0.78%) Daisy (0.68%) Alfie (0.66%) Advertisement

Greenyer even suggests using some even more unique names such as 'Cornflakes', 'Goat' and 'Mozzarella'.

'These are some of the more uncommon names Biscuit app users call their dogs,' she said.

Statistically, one in every 72 dogs is called Luna, one in every 78 is called Bella and one in every 92 goes by Milo, the data shows.

Milo has been popularized by Milo, the Jack Russell Terrier in the 1994 film 'The Mask' starring Jim Carey.

While Luna is the most popular dog name overall (across all breeds in the UK), the survey reveals some interesting naming trends when looking at breeds individually.

For example, Luna is the top name for nine breeds of dog  including the Labrador Retriever, Border Collie and Golden Retriever.

Second-placed 'Bella' is the top name across five breeds of dog, including Beagle, Bulldog and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

Meanwhile, Milo is the top choice across three breeds of dog, including Jack Russell Terrier and Cocker Spaniel.

In Britain, 'Luna' is the most popular dog name for several breeds, including Labrador Retriever and Border Collie, the results show. 'Hugo' is the top name for French Bulldog, while 'Milo' is the top name for Cocker Spaniel, Jack Russell Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier Cross

And interestingly, fourth-placed 'Lola' is the most popular option for small breeds  Chihuahua and Pug.

It also found Labrador Retriever to be the UK's most popular breed, with 8.1 per cent of UK dogs a Labrador Retriever.

This is followed by Cocker Spaniel (6.8 per cent) Cockapoo (5.9 per cent) Dachshund (3.8 per cent), French Bulldog (3.2 per cent) and Border Collie (2.8 per cent).

Rounding out the top 10 are Staffordshire Bull Terrier (2.6 per cent), Jack Russell Terrier (2.3 per cent), Chihuahua (2.2 per cent) and mixed breeds (2.2 per cen
It's been a home for astronauts for nearly 25 years, about 250 miles above the Earth's surface.

But the International Space Station is due to be destroyed in 2030, and now NASA has firmed up its plans on how to do it.

The space agency has selected Elon Musk's SpaceX to build a 'space tug' vehicle that will pull it back down towards Earth.

When the two reach Earth's atmosphere they will burn up  but NASA expects the risk of debris raining down on us will be very small.

Whatever SpaceX's tugger will look like, it will have to be unmanned to prevent any heroic Hollywood-style astronaut sacrificing themselves.

NASA has selected Elon Musk 's SpaceX to build a 'space tug' vehicle that will pull it back down towards Earth

NASA has selected Elon Musk's SpaceX to build a 'space tug' vehicle that will pull it back down towards Earth. When the two reach Earth's atmosphere they will burn up - but NASA expects the risk of debris raining down on us will be very small

It would be a sorry end to the iconic ISS, which has been an orbiting laboratory and living quarters for astronauts from around the world since 2000.

'Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations,' said NASA in a statement.

'While the company will develop the deorbit spacecraft, NASA will take ownership after development and operate it throughout its mission.'

SpaceX has been given $843 million (666 million) to design and build the 'US Deorbit Vehicle' vehicle, which could look similar to its Dragon series that transports crew and cargo.

The first step in NASA's plan is to let the ISS begin to 'decay' in its orbit  meaning it'll get naturally get closer to Earth due to our planet's gravitational pull.

During this time, the atmospheric drag will reduce the orbit from around 250 miles above the surface to 200 miles  although this will take a few years to happen.

Underside view of the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2021, which maintains an orbit approximately 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth

In 2030, the crew on the ISS will make the final descent to Earth and bring any crucial equipment with them.

The ISS will continue to move closer to Earth, reaching the 'point of no return' at 175 miles above the surface.

And this is where SpaceX's tug vehicle will somehow have to tether itself to the ISS and pull it down towards the planet's atmosphere.

It's hoped the vast majority of the two spacecraft will be burnt up by the high temperatures in our atmosphere  but some could pass through it.

Dr James Blake, a space debris researcher at the University of Warwick, said the mission should ensure this material will hit the ocean rather than land.

'While much of the structure is expected to separate and burn up upon re-entry to the Earths atmosphere, some dense or heat-resistant components (such as the truss that forms the backbone of the station) are likely to survive,' Dr Blake told MailOnline.

'However, NASA and partner agencies have opted for a controlled re-entry, which will mean that the re-entry will be targeted so as to ensure that any surviving fragments will splash down in an uninhabited region of the ocean, minimising the risk to people and property on land.'

According to the European Space Agency, the annual risk of any single human being even just injured by space debris is under one in 100 billion.

That's about 1.5 million times lower than the risk of being killed in an accident at home and 65,000 times lower than the risk of being struck by lightning.

It follows several leaks of gas and coolant fluid from ISS in the past few years, including one from a mysterious hole allegedly made deliberately. Pictured, the ISS on June 7, 2024

Pictured, SpaceX's Cargo Dragon approaching the ISS in 2020. SpaceX has already developed spacecraft that can transport crew and cargo to the space station

NASA is decommissioning the ISS at the start of next decade due to stresses on the structure that have accumulated over time, as well as ageing components.

The agency says: 'International Space Station modules and major components have a specific power, data and structural architecture which may not be compatible with future platforms.'

It follows several leaks of gas and coolant fluid from ISS in the past few years, including one from a mysterious hole allegedly made deliberately.

Following calls to bring back the ISS to Earth safely for public display or to reuse parts, NASA called this 'infeasible' and a 'very complex and costly' process.
Ancient equivalent of today's admit workers were sitting down for too long

Most of us have experienced the feeling of a bad back after sitting hunched at a desk for too long.

Now it turns out the ancient Egyptians were just the same.

A study shows that repetitive tasks carried out by ancient Egyptian scribes  high status men with the ability to write who performed administrative tasks  and the positions they sat in while working may have led to degenerative skeletal changes.

Researchers in Prague, Czech Republic, examined the skeletal remains of 69 adults males, 30 of whom were scribes, who were buried in the necropolis at Abusir, Egypt, between 2700 and 2180 BCE.

They identified degenerative joint changes that were more common among scribes compared to men with other occupations.

Egyptian scribes were high status men with the ability to write who performed administrative tasks. Pictured, a statue of a high-ranking scribe

Most of us have experienced the feeling of a bad back after sitting hunched at a desk for too long. Now it turns out the ancient Egyptians were just the same (file photo)

These changes were in the joints connecting the lower jaw to the skull, the right collarbone and the top of the right humerus (where it meets the shoulder).

They were also at the first metacarpal bone in the right thumb, the bottom of the thigh (where it meets the knee), and throughout the spine, but particularly at the top.

Other skeletal features that were more common among scribes were an indentation on both kneecaps and a flattened surface on a bone in the lower part of the right ankle.

The authors suggest that the degenerative changes observed in the spines and shoulders of scribes could result from them sitting for prolonged periods in a cross-legged position with the head bent forwards, the spine flexed, and their arms unsupported.

Repetitive tasks carried out by Egyptian scribes (high status men with the ability to write who performed admin tasks) and the positions they sat in while works may have led to degenerative skeletal changes, the experts say. Pictured, statues depicting the high dignitary Nefer, a scribe, and his wife in Abusir, Egypt

This drawing of an ancient Egyptian scribe indicates the most affected regions of the skeleton

However, changes to knees, hips, and ankles could indicate that scribes may have preferred to sit with the left leg in a kneeling or cross-legged position and the right leg bent with the knee pointing upwards (in a squatting or crouching position).

The team of authors, led by experts at Department of Anthropology, National Museum in Prague, note that statues and wall decorations in tombs have depicted scribes sitting in both positions, in addition to standing, while working.

Degeneration to the jaw joints could have resulted from scribes chewing the ends of rush stems to form brush-like heads they could write with, while degeneration to the right thumb could have been caused by repeatedly pinching their pens.

The findings provide greater insight into the lives of scribes in ancient Egypt during the third millennium BCE.

Model of the skull of Nefer - the 'overseer of the scribes of the crew' and 'overseer of the royal document scribes'

The authors write in Scientific Reports: 'Men with writing proficiency enjoyed a privileged position in ancient Egyptian society.

'Research focusing on these officials of elevated social status (scribes) usually concentrates on their titles, scribal statues, iconography, etc., but the individuals themselves, and their skeletal remains, have been neglected.

'Statistically significant differences between the scribes and the reference group attested a higher incidence of changes in scribes and manifested themselves especially in the occurrence of osteoarthritis of the joints.

Our research reveals that remaining in a cross-legged sitting or kneeling position for extended periods, and the repetitive tasks related to writing and the adjusting of the rush pens during scribal activity, caused the extreme overloading of the jaw, neck and shoulder regions.'
Renowned physicist Albert Einstein's letter urging President Franklin D. Roosevelt to develop the worlds first atomic bomb could fetch $4 million at auction.

The two-page letter, written in 1939, called for quick action for the US to set up a nuclear program, warning that Nazi Germany could already have the capabilities.

It is conceivable - though much less certain - that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed, the letter said.

While Einsteins name was the only one attached, the letter was written by inventor Leo Szilard who believed it would get the presidents attention if it was signed by the theoretical physicist.

It is being sold at Christies in New York on September 10 alongside a collection of artifacts that belonged to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018.

Although Einsteins name is on the letter, it was written by Leo Szilard who believed it would get the presidents attention the world-renowned physicist signed it

It is being sold at Christies in New York on September 10 alongside a collection of artifacts that belonged to the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen , who died in 2018

Einsteins original letter is held at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum in New York, but the physicist also signed a second letter that he left with fellow scientist Leo Szilard for safekeeping.

In the letter, Einstein and Szilard suggested that a chain reaction of uranium could be turned into nuclear energy that would lead to the construction of extremely powerful bombs.

A single bomb of this type  might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory.

Einstein and Szilard advised the president to 'have some permanent contact maintained between the administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America.

'One possible way of achieving this might be for you to entrust with this task a person who has your confidence and who could perhaps serve in an unofficial capacity.'

Einstein, who was Jewish, fled to the US from Germany during the Nazi order and sent the letter to President Roosevelt less than a month before Germany invaded Poland.

Two years after the letter was penned, the Manhattan Project led by J. Robert Oppenheimer was established to build the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945.

Szilard kept the letter in his possession for the rest of his life, but his heirs sold it off to Malcolm Forbes - a 1996 third-party presidential candidate - for $200,000 in 1986.

'The letter represents an incredible historical milestone; to me, it is the reason we've had peace for 40 years, Forbes told The New York Times after he purchased the letter.

Forbes later sold the letter to Allen in 2002 for $2.1 million.

Szilard (right) asked Einstein (left) to sign the letter because he believed President Roosevelt would be more likely to take it seriously if it was from the renowned physicist

President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered J. Robert Oppenheimer to lead a team of scientists who would go on to create the world's first atomic bomb, called the Manhattan Project

Marc Porter, chairman of Christies Americas, told the Wall Street Journal that Allen undoubtedly knew it was one of the most important documents in the history of the 20th century, and thats not the kind of thing you just hang in your office.

He said Allen had carefully stored the letter away from sunlight, preserving the artifact.

A Christie's spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the letter is in 'excellent condition' and is being sold by Allen's estate in the 'Gen One' auction.

This is 'a series of three auctions of object and art showcasing scientific achievement and technological innovation' that are all from Allen's collection.'

Pursuant to Allen's wishes, all proceeds from the auction will be dedicated to charity.

Under President Roosevelts orders, Oppenheimer set up a team of scientists in a remote area of New Mexico to research uranium and build the atomic bomb, but by the time it was tested in 1945, the Germans were already defeated and World War II had begun.

Once the bomb was created, President Harry Truman ordered that the weapon be used to bring the war to an abrupt end.

Albert Einstein (pictured) called for quick action for the US to set up a nuclear program in the letter sent to President Roosevelt, warning that Nazi Germany could have the capabilities to create the bomb

The US dropped the worlds first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, creating a blast that equated to 15,000 tons of TNT that reduced four square miles of the city to rubble and killed 80,000 people.

In the following weeks, roughly 50,000 people died from shrapnel wounds and radiation poisoning, bringing the total deaths to 140,000.

A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki three days later, killing 40,000 people and within a few days Japan announced its surrender.

The devastation was so great that no nation has used an atomic bomb since.

At the time, Einstein thought it was his duty to warn President Roosevelt about the possibility that Germany might create a nuclear bomb after he sought sanctuary in the US and later renounced his German citizenship to become an American.

His discovery of general relativity, also known as the theory of gravity, and being a Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his services to theoretical physics helped Einsteins transition to the US where he took a professor position at Princeton.

Einstein later regretted penning the letter to Roosevelt because of the role it played in making America the only country to make nuclear weapons at the time.

In a 1947 article titled The Man Who Started it All, Einstein said: Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would never have lifted a finger.
The delayed return of NASA astronauts from the International Space Station due to a malfunctioning Boeing Starliner has raised concerns the crew could be 'stranded.'

While Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore's stay was recently extended to an undetermined date, experts told DailyMail.com that the delay is for them to analyze the service module while it is still in space.

'The service modular does not return to Earth, which means it cannot be recovered and there is no way they can an analysis of what the problem is,' Scott Walter, who has a doctorate in mechanical space engineering, told DailyMail.com.

'The more time they have to debug it and run different tests, the better.'

Walter also noted that 'nothing is off the table,' suggesting that NASA has already spoken with SpaceX about a potential rescue mission and the private Polaris Dawn spaceflight next month may also be part of the agency's Plan B.

While Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore's stay was recently extended to an undetermined date, experts told DailyMail.com that the delay is for them to analyze the service module while it is still in space

The service module, located near the bottom of the capsule, contains a total of 48 thrusters and four launch abort engines.

The structure is set to be jettisoned when Starliner re-enters the atmosphere and is likely to burn up, leaving NASA and Boeing without critical data of what caused the malfunctioning.

Michael Lembeck, an aerospace engineering associate professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told DailyMail.com that NASA and Boeing are just doing their homework.

'It is too early to cause the root cause of the problem,' said Lembeck, who was a consultant for Boeings spaceflight division from 2008 to 2013.

He continued to explain that keeping Starliner docked at the ISS is the only way to study the capsule fully.

DailyMail.com has contacted Boeing for comment.

'I would think that NASA is considering all contingencies well in advance,' said Walter, who is the chief technical advisor for Visual Components North America.

'They have already thought these scenarios through if one of these capsules gets stranded or something goes wrong - they arent suddenly scrambling to figure this out.'

He continued to explain that NASA and SpaceX have likely had a discussion 'behind the scenes' about using the Dragon capsule.'

'I think there is a Polaris Dawn mission with Jared Issacman, which could potentially be turned into a rescue mission,' Walter added.

'I am sure he would gladly say go ahead.'

Issacman has funded the Polaris Dawn mission set to launch July 12, which will see the first commercial spacewalk.

DailyMail.com asked Issacman if he would be willing to perform a rescue mission for the astronauts to which he said 'officially no comment.'

'As far as I know, Starliner is fine to come home, but if they gave up on that vehicle, then I think realistically NASA would just send Crew 9 up with two crew members,' he said.

The service model, located toward the bottom of the capsule, is set to be jettisoned when Starliner re-enters the atmosphere and is likely to burn up, leaving NASA and Boeing without critical data of what caused the malfunctioning

NASA pushed the return to June 14 and then again to June 26 before announcing the date was undetermined over the weekend

NASA pushed the return to June 14 and then again to June 26 before announcing the date was undetermined over the weekend.

Starliner had a known helium leak when it launched on June 5 at 10:52am ET from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Steve Stich, manager of NASAs Commercial Crew Program, said last month that he was confident 27 out of these 28 thrusters were working properly, free of leaks or other issues.

However, Starliner encountered five failures of its 28 maneuvering thrusters, five leaks of helium gas meant to pressurize those thrusters and a slow-moving propellant valve that signaled unfixed past issues since launching.

When Starliner arrived in the space station to dock on June 6, the five thruster failures prevented a close approach by the spacecraft until Boeing made a fix.

It rewrote the software and tweaked some procedures to revive four of them and proceed with docking.

Starliner's undocking and return to Earth represent the spacecraft's most complicated phases of its test mission.

Experts have suggested that NASA has already spoken with SpaceX about a potential rescue mission

Boeing has spent $1.5 billion in cost overruns beyond its $4.5-billion NASA development contract.

NASA officials have said they want to better understand the cause of the thruster failures, valve issue and helium leaks before Starliner begins its return.

While just one thruster remains dead in Starliner's current flight, Boeing encountered four thruster problems during the capsule's uncrewed return from space in 2022.

Lembeck explained that the helium in the thrusters works to turn the valves on and off.

There are seals on the valve, which tend to look and temperature changes experienced during a spaceflight mission can warp the seal

'This is the first run of a vehicle with crew in it and every first flight has had problems,' said Lembeck.

'In Boeing's defense, when they proposed Starliner, NASA did not fully provide a budget schedule and they had to make certain choices, but I am not saying it resulted in these problems.'

He also predicted that Starliner is likely to return with Williams and Wilmore in the first or second week of July.

Rudy Ridolfi, a former Space System Commander and Space Technology Acquisition Manager, told DailyMail.com: 'NASA will take a very conservative approach and the Boeing return plan will be rolled up all the way to Bill Nelson for final approval.

'There is no rush at this point. A Boeing failure to return the two astronauts in the Starliner would almost certainly kill the program.'

Starliner has a 45-day operation life, which would place its return in mid-July.

'The two astronauts are qualified test pilots, they have a lot of experiences, they are veterans in space and they make the final call on whether the vehicle is safe or not - the pilot always makes the final call,' said Walter.

'They are likely consulting with NASA and there is no way the administration would put them under pressure to have to return on it.'
Apple has issued a massive warning to all of its 1.46 billion iPhone users that appears centered around Google Chrome.

The tech giant took out billboards across the globe to promote its Safari search app, touting it as 'a browser that is actually private.'

Although the advertisement did not mention Google Chrome by name, it is the top downloaded search browser for smartphones - surpassing Safari by more than two million.

While the billboard is a stab at Google, the company did reveal earlier this year that it collects data from anyone who uses Chrome.

Apple urged users to switch to Safari amid security concerns surrounding Google Chrome

Apple promoted the security of its own Safari browser - which has nearly one billion users globally - on billboards around the world to dissuade people from using the Chrome alternative, which has an estimated 3.4 billion users

The ad has been spotted in cities like San Francisco, London and Paris to far-reaching countries including Singapore and Australia, where people saw them on billboards, public transit and public buildings.

Interesting to know its not only in Singapore, one person responded to a post from someone who saw the ad in Australia.

On the contrary, imho [in my honest opinion] its a good idea. Its a fresh way to advertise.

Some people will be curious. Especially those who are not in the Apple ecosystem and might not know what Safari is.

Another person commented on San Francisco's billboard, writing: 'Seeing how Google settles a lawsuit for its incognito not being so incognito, theres literally no doubt that this is playing off of that.'

Apples ads appear to be warning people not to use Google which has encountered repeated controversy over its Chrome browser retaining cookie and search information.

Google revealed earlier this year that it collects your data if you use Google Chrome, even if you use Incognito Mode, Jake Moore, a global security advisor for cybersecurity company ESET told Forbes.

Personal data is so valuable to companies and when terms and conditions are so difficult to understand, it can be easy for users to simply allow companies to collect data at their will.

However, a Google spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the company strives to keep people's 'data safe by default and ensuring users can control when and how their data is used in Chrome to personalize their web browsing experience.

'We believe users should always be in control, which is why we've built easy to use privacy and security settings directly into Chrome.'

The ad was promoted in cities like San Francisco, London and Paris to far-reaching countries including Singapore (pictured) and Australia.

Apple told users that it 'respects [their] privacy' on a billboard promoting its Safari browser in Paris, France

The companys Google Chrome 125 update had nine security vulnerabilities after it warned that an error would allow a remote attacker to add their own code using an HTML page to destabilize a persons browser.

A 2020 class-action lawsuit also claimed that Google was improperly tracking users' web-browsing habits when they thought they were privately visiting websites.

Google finally settled the suit in April that required it to delete billions of data records that showed users private browsing activities and the company will have to let people using incognito to block third-party cookies.

The settlement requires Google to delete and remediate, in unprecedented scope and scale, the data it improperly collected in the past, David Boies, the attorney in the lawsuit, told ABC News.
The co-founder of OceanGate, which conducted a fatal excursion to the Titanic last year, is set to embark on a new journey to the 'Portal of Hell' in the Bahamas.

Guillermo Sohnlein started Blue Marble in 2013, which recently announced that he and two others will explore the uncharted depths of Deans Blue Hole that is more than 600 feet deep.

While divers have explored the region before, Blue Marble will be the first to conducted a manned submersible trip to the bottom where the crew 'will be in complete darkness' - the vessel is not yet know.

Unlike the failed Titan the imploded in 2023 and killed five people, the upcoming expedition is to conduct a scientific survey of the area to discover potentially new marine species, unique history, and the holes geological climate history.

OceanGates former CEO and co-founder, Guillermo Sohnlein, is sending an expedition into 'portal to Hell' hole a year after the fatal Titan submersible implosion that killed five people during its descent to the Titanic

The announcement comes amid the one-year anniversary of the tragic Titan submersible (pictured) implosion that killed all five people on board

Also known as the Sapphire Abyss, the hole formed 15,000 years ago and is the third deepest sinkhole in the world, extending down 663 feet - the Titan sub was about 9,800 feet underwater when it imploded.

Blue Marble Exploration has not confirmed when the expedition will set forth, but the announcement comes amid the anniversary of the Titan tragedy that killed all people on board, including OceanGates co-founder Stockton Rush.

Sohnlein will explore the hole with scientist Kenny Broad and former NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski.

Broad previously attempted to explore Dean's Blue Hole in 2015 and nearly lost his life for it - but it was during a free dive.

The hole is surrounded on three sides by a natural rock amphitheater that is visited by more than 200,000 people each year - and it has the most diver fatalities in the world.

It is estimated that 130 to 200 people have died after plunging into the hole in recent years.

Locals believe that Dean's is a portal to hell and the Devil himself lurks in the black depths,' Blue Marble shared on its website in a post that has since been deleted.

'Each year, several people drown in Dean's due to a variety of misfortunes, the company shared on its website in a post that has since been deleted.

We fully expect to find human remains and prepare to handle those situations with proper respect for the families.

The abyss is a unique vase-shaped hole with a narrow opening at the surface that leads to the wider cavern below, making it more perilous because the team will be working in total darkness and the company said it will have to expect the unexpected.

Its ecological diversity, significant geological formations, and largely uncharted depths make [Deans Blue Hole] an ideal location for scientific discovery and technological advancement, the company said on its site.

By exploring this mysterious blue hole, we aim to unlock new knowledge about marine ecosystems, Earths ancient climate, and potentially reveal undiscovered species.

This expedition offers a rare opportunity for investors to support pioneering research that could yield transformative insights and global environmental benefits.

The team will use an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to search for unprecedented findings in addition to personally embarking on the dive where they will experience potentially dangerous currents and thermal layers.

Dean's Blue Hole is the third deepest ocean sinkhole in the world, measuring 663 feet deep

Guillermo Sohnlein co-founded OceanGate in 2009 and formed Blue Marble Exploration in 2013

Geologists believe there may be openings along the walls of the main chamber that connect Deans to the Atlantic Ocean, the website previously explained.

This can potentially cause unforeseen currents and thermal layers that could interfere with underwater operations.

However, one of the primary challenges the team will face is the amount of pressure on the sea floor which will be roughly 300 pounds per square inch - 20 times more than the surface.

The overwhelming pressure is what caused the Titan submersible to implode during its journey to the Titanic, although the vessel was so deep that the amount of water weighing down on it was tens of thousands of tons - equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

Deans Blue Hole is in an extremely remote location off the coast of Clarence Town at the southern end of Long Island in the Bahamas.

Scientist Kenny Broad (left) who attempted a dive at Dean's Blue Hole in 2015, will go on Blue Marble's expedition to once again try to discover the secrets of the 663-foot chasm, along with former astronaut Scott Parazynski (right)

An estimated 130 to 200 people have died after plunging into Dean's Blue Hole in recent years

The material used on the Titan was believed to have weakened as the pressure on the submersible built, causing it to implode, similar to stomping on an empty soda can.

Crews on the surface lost communication with the sub about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to visit the Titanic wreck - the investigation into the catastrophe is still ongoing.

Sohnlein, who has claimed he can safely send humans to Venus, commented on the incident last year and told CBS News: Lets figure out what went wrong, lets learn lessons, and lets get down there again.

If anything, what were feeling is an even stronger imperative to continue doing this kind of exploration work.

I think its important for humanity, and its probably the best way to honor the five crew members who gave up their lives doing something that they loved.

The OceanGate co-founder told The Independent that he had always planned on exploring Deans Blue Hole and last years tragedy has not impacted his plans.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Blue Marble Exploration for comment.
Scientists have discovered a massive burial with more than 300 tombs in Egypt that they are calling the new 'City of the Dead.'

The city of Aswan was an important trade, quarry and military zone when it was first established more than 4,500 years ago - but the lives of its people have long remained a mystery.

The team has been working at the site for five years and recently uncovered 36 tombs that were reused for 900 years to include 30 to 40 mummies each - and many contained families who likely died from infectious diseases.

Patrizia Piacentini, an archaeologist at the University of Milan, told DailyMail.com that the burial site spans nearly 270,000 feet and featured up to 10 terraces of ancient tombs arranged in layers on the hill near the modern Mausoleum of Aga Khan III.

'This was a really spectacular find, very unique in Egypt,' said Piacentini.

'[The people who once lived in Aswan] covered the hill with tombs. It is kind of a City of the Dead.'

Scientists have discovered a massive burial with more than 300 tombs in Egypt that they are calling the new 'City of the Dead.' The team has been working at the site for five years and recently uncovered 36 tombs that were reused for 900 years to include 30 to 40 mummies

Aswan, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, is located on the east bank of the Nile River.

It was home to quarries that supplied granite for many ancient Egyptian monuments still standing to this day and was a military post for the Romans, the Turks, and the British.

The population included ancient Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman and subtropical Africa.

Aswan was originally named Swenett and later called Swan, which means market because it sits on a border where many goods are shipped in and out.

'Aswan was a crossing point since forever,' said Piacentini.

'People were coming from the east to the west. People came here because it was the border, products from the south arrived in Aswan and then dispersed everywhere else.'

The first tomb was uncovered in 2019 and featured four mummies inside - two believed to have been mother and child who were buried together.

'At the beginning, we thought they were mother and child, but new CT scans showed they are two children,' Piacentini.

'But we recently found a woman near them who was likely their mother and the remains of a man, likely the father.'

Many of the mummies showed sign of disease, with children suffering from anemia and malnutrition

Studies of the mummies 'indicated that 30 to 40 percent of those buried died in their youth, as newborns or as adolescents

The latest excavation found an additional 36 tombs that were reused over the centuries to include 30 to 40 mummies each, many of which were complete families who experts believe may have died from infectious diseases

The five-year excavation also revealed people were buried according to their class.

The team found elites were laid to rest on top of the hill, including the mummified remains of the general in chief of Aswan, while the middle class was below.

While the team has found dozens of tombs with each dig, the latest has revealed more secrets about the mysterious people who lived more than 2,000 years ago.

The 36 tombs date between the 6th century BC and 9th century AD.

Some of them have a casket entrance with an open courtyard surrounded by walls of milk brick, while others carved directly into mountain rock.

Ayman Ashmawy, who heads the Supreme Council of Antiquities' Egyptian Antiquities Division, said studies of the mummies 'indicated that 30 to 40 percent of those buried died in their youth, as newborns or as adolescents.'

Among them was a mummy of a woman and child who likely died at the age of one or two - their bodies were glued to each other inside a stone coffin.

Some remains were wrapped cartonnage or a paper-mache material, and forms of burnt clay, stones, wooden coffins and sacrificial tables

Also found in the tombs were offerings, such as pottery, wooden objects and more - Piacentini said there were 'a lot of objects'

Some remains were wrapped cartonnage, a paper-mache material, and forms of burnt clay, stones, wooden coffins and sacrificial tables.

Piacentini told DailyMail.com that preliminary studies on the remains showed that 'some suffered from infectious diseases, while others had bone disorders.'

'The children suffered from anemia, malnutrition and in some cases infectious diseases,' she continued.

'Some of the bones we found had clear signs of tuberculosis.

'Another case of amputation was also found in a woman who had her leg removed but survived.'

Piacentini said that the amputation, determined by a callus on her knee, was likely performed by a surgeon or doctor considering she lived after the operation.

Other mummies showed signs of chest and bowel diseases, and some women appeared to have had osteoporosis.

The team found elites were laid to rest on top of the hill, including the mummified remains of the general in chief of Aswan, while the middle class was below

The newly uncovered tombs contained many small families who had been laid to rest together.

'We found two or three of these small groups who may have died from infectious disease, said Piacentini.

Also found in the tombs were offerings, such as pottery, wooden objects and more - Piacentini said there were 'a lot of objects.'

The team plans to study all the mummies and only store the most preserved in a museum-owned warehouse.

Piacentini said they will clean the tomb and then lay the rest of the mummified human remains back inside where they were initially placed before resealing the tomb.

'This is their resting place,' she continued. 'We uncover their story and then we put them back and close the tomb. For me, it was important from the beginning.'
Brand has thousands of five star reviews and is loved by celebs and influencers

Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this article are selected by our writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, Daily Mail Australia will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.

An Australian accessory brand is racking up thousands of five star reviews, enjoying a growing celebrity fan base and leaving shoppers thrilled thanks to its 'unique and personal' products.

St. Oddity is garnering a cult following thanks to its stylish and chic handbags, wallets, jewellery and make-up cases that can all be personalised.

Shoppers have praised the brand for making 'luxurious' pieces at an affordable price point with many of the bestselling handbags available for under $170.

Fans have branded the products 'perfect gifts' thanks to the unique metal personalisation options and labelled the items 'ultimate travel pieces' meaning they are an ideal purchase for Aussies heading to Europe in coming weeks.

As well as wowing Aussie customers, the brand is also fast becoming a celebrity favourite too with the likes of Abbie Chatfield, Cass Wood, Krissy Marsh, Kara Ryan, Tina Provis and Imogen Anthony spotted with products from the brand.

One happy customer who purchased the Evening Bag ($179), a bestseller for the brand, wrote: 'This bag is SO luxurious. I am so in love with this purchase. The bag feels like a $1000 bag. Have brought a few bags from St Oddity and not once have I been upset. 10/10.'

Australian accessories brand St. Oddity is garnering a cult following thanks to its stylish and chic handbags , wallets , jewellery and make-up cases that can all be personalised

Fans have branded the products 'perfect gifts' thanks to the unique metal personalisation options and labelled the items 'ultimate travel pieces'

Since its launch in 2020, the Evening Bag has surpassed 10,000 sales and is now available in 15 different hues and three different sizes.

Another customer who snapped up a Travel Wallet ($99) from the brand said: 'If you're thinking of getting this as a gift for a traveller, do it! It's personalised, it's pretty and it's functional.'

The brand makes the majority of its goods using cruelty-free, premium microfibre leather, a synthetic material which is known for being more water and stain resistant than genuine leather.

Customers can also purchase extra letters, numbers and symbols, to offer further customisation and the range also includes pet accessories, iPhone cases and key charms too.

As well as gushing about the quality of the products, which are available in a series of different colours to suit different tastes, reviewers have also shared that many people comment on the items

Since its launch in 2020, the Evening Bag (pictured) has surpassed 10,000 sales and is now available in 15 different hues and three different sizes

St. Oddity launched in 2018 in Sydney and is the brainchild of Jeremy Cassisi who started the label from his garage aged just 24.

One fan who branded the Evening Bag their 'new favourite bag,' added, 'Love everything about this cute little bag, I've had so many compliments and people asking where I got it from. Surprisingly spacious for a small bag, easily holds iPhone, keys, bits of makeup, coin purse.'

St. Oddity launched in 2018 in Sydney and is the brainchild of Jeremy Cassisi who started the label from his garage aged just 24.

After finding he was struggling to keep up with orders, Cassisi quit his day job as a Design Lead to focus on the business full time and since then the brand has gone on to sell over 70,000 accessories racking up over 3,500 five star reviews from thrilled customers. The brand also now sells to customers in the UK and the US too.

St.Oddity has gone on to sell over 70,000 accessories racking up over 3,500 five star reviews from thrilled customers. The brand also now sells to customers in the UK and the US too

'Customers love our unique personalisation options and combined with our premium quality and the practicality of our designs, its no surprise we have so many loyal fans of the brand. Accessories dont have to be boring and our customers are definitely the life of the party,' Cassisi told Daily Mail Australia.

'Many customers first purchase our accessories as gifts, and then once it arrives and they see it in person, they immediately place another order for themselves,' he added.

To learn more about St. Oddity or to shop the range, click here.
SHOPPING  Contains affiliated content. Products featured in this Mail Best article are selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, DailyMail.com will earn an affiliate commission. Click here for more information.

Ding dong! Thats your next summer vacation knocking.

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After refusing to showcase her relationship with Timothee Chalamet for the cameras, Kylie Jenner has left her sisters fuming after bailing on a trip at the last possible minute on this week's episode of The Kardashians.

The entire Kardashian-Jenner family signed a lucrative $100 million deal with Hulu that gave them all equal pay and made them all executive producers.

The 26-year-old Kylie is easily the least visible on the show, and in this week's episode, she backed out of a family trip to Aspen, which infuriated her sisters.

Even Kim was surprised that Kylie was coming, adding in confession, 'I honestly cant believe Kylie showed up.

Kylie said she was excited for the trip in confession, but after she was told of the plane's delay due to inclement weather, Kylie's anxiety built up to the point that she asked to leave... even while the plane was taxiing on the runway.

After refusing to showcase her relationship with Timothee Chalamet for the cameras, Kylie Jenner has left her sisters fuming after bailing on a trip at the last possible minute on this week's episode of The Kardashians

Kylie said she was excited for the trip in confession, but after she was told of the plane's delay due to inclement weather, Kylie's anxiety built up to the point that she asked to leave... even while the plane was taxiing on the runway.

They are told by a stewardess that there is going to be a 30-minute delay because of weather as they cut to 48 minutes later and the plane is still on the ground.

The captain is heard saying, I just need the visibility in Rifle to get a little bit better for us to get in there, because right now the only airport in that area that I can get into is Grand Junction.

Kendall asks how far Grand Junction is from Aspen and Kris says, Its at least a three-hour drive with the snow.

I dont think thats safe. I dont like to drive in the snow. The last time I was in Aspen there were three crashes just around. My assistant crashed, Kylie says.

Kylie is told not to talk about crashing while theyre on a grounded private jet, as Kylie says, Im just saying I dont want to drive three hours in the snow.

Kris says in confession, Kylies anxiety is kicking in and I totally understand. You know, theres a lot of moving pieces right now.

Kylie tells everyone, Im here, Im ready, Im packed, Im ready to go. Im not going to Grand Junction, as they cut to 23 minutes later.

The pilot says, I think the best bet is to let me launch to Grand Junction and let me see what that weather is looking like, adding hell be checking in along the way.

Kendall asks if hes positive that he can make Grand Junction and the pilot says, Oh, 100%, and Kendall says, Oh, then lets just go.

Kris says in confession, Kylies anxiety is kicking in and I totally understand. You know, theres a lot of moving pieces right now'

Kylie tells everyone on the plane, Ive been having a really bad feeling for the last two days, as everyone says, Kylie, why would you say that?

Kylie says in confession, Im really good with flying, I am now. I wasnt in the past, a few years ago, Ive gotten much better, but I am having a lot of anxiety.

Kylie tells everyone on the plane, Ive been having a really bad feeling for the last two days, as everyone says, Kylie, why would you say that?

Kylie adds she, couldnt even sleep last night, as Kendall says, Kylie, the fact that you even put that out in the universe is one of the weirdest things, while Khloe agrees, Thats a terrible thing to say.

Kylie asks, What am I supposed to say? Just keep it inside? and they all say Yes as Kendall says, Youre not supposed to speak it into existence.

Kylie says in confession, Im just not comfortable right now and Im thinking about my kids. I may be dramatic but I feel like something isnt safe.

Kylie tells them all, I just have a really bad feeling, as the family isnt sure how to react, as Kylie adds, I dont like these series of events. I think Im going to get off.

Kim insists, Everythings going to be fine, as Kris says, We can go and fly to Grand Junction, but Kylie says, I dont want to go.

I just have a lot of anxiety, Kylie adds as Khloe tells her to, tell the guy that she wants to get off, since they have started taxiing down the runway.

Kylie adds she, couldnt even sleep last night, as Kendall says, Kylie, the fact that you even put that out in the universe is one of the weirdest things, while Khloe agrees, Thats a terrible thing to say'

Kris says in confession, The minute Kylie says turn the plane around I want to get off, I know shes serious, and I know the anxiety is overwhelming because now shes really worried.

Kris tells the stewardess that Kylie wants to get off the plane, as Kendall says, Were already taxiing now we have to go back in.

Kendall adds in confession, Ive known Kylie since the day she was born and Im not discrediting her panic. I dont know why she does this, but its part of a pattern for her. Shes done this many, many times. I think she just thinks she can get away with whatever.

Kylie is talking on the phone with Kris, while Kim and Kendall start complaining as the plane remains on the ground.

But its always like this. Everyone always its always f***ing like this, Kim says, as Kendall adds, The fact that she always gets out of this s**t is very f***ing annoying.

Kris adds in confession, I know the other girls are frustrated, but its one of my babies. Of course Im gonna understand and not get mad at her. I dont want her to feel anxious.

Kris tries to pass the phone to Kendall, but she vehemently refuses, saying, Im the wrong one. Im the wrong one.

Kris asks Kylie if she could find a ride back to the airport shed still love for her to join them, but Khloe snaps, Why dont you just hang up the phone? Shes not getting on, just move on, as Kim jokes, And youre never getting your luggage back.

Kris tells the stewardess that Kylie wants to get off the plane, as Kendall says, Were already taxiing now we have to go back in'

They all start yelling that theyre going to wear her clothes as Kris says theyre about to take off and hangs up.

This is gonna be a great trip, Khloe says, as Kris says in confession, I just hope shell figure it out, calm down, change her mind and join us in Aspen, as the plane takes off.

The plane lands as Kim says in confession, We made it to Aspen, minus one. Its like so ironic that were like, Kylie never shows up. Well, she technically didnt, she didnt follow through, but I still hope Kylie shows up.

They all get in a waiting SUV as Kris reads them a text from Kylie about the jokes they made about her luggage.

Kylie said, Some of those outfits on the plane are my Paris stuff from designers. I packed some for Aspen so I know they were kidding but make sure no one actually wears anything because I wont be able to get more outfits in time for Paris.

They all start making jokes as Kim suggests, Lets undo the stitches so when she puts it on it all unravels, as Khloe says, No we are definitely wearing it.

Kim adds, I just really cant believe Kylie managed to get out of everything, as Khloe says, She always does.

Kris adds in confession, I know the girls are upset, and theyre upset because they wanted to spend time with Kylie.

Kim adds, I just really cant believe Kylie managed to get out of everything, as Khloe says, She always does'

Kendall says in confession, I definitely get really sad when she kinda bails on things like this, especially this trip, cause shes my only snowboarding buddy.'

'Everybody else skis and we grew up doing it together so part of it for sure is just sadness for me, like, damn, I was excited,'she adds.

Kris insists in confession, Im not throwing in the towel yet.

'I have much hope and many prayers going up that Kylie shows up in Aspen, she changes her mind and shes gonna magically appear,' Kris adds.
John Travolta, a longtime pilot and avid flyer, gave his fans an intimate look into his refresher course on flying a massive jet in a riveting new video posted to his Instagram.

Over decades of flying experience, the 70-year-old movie star has acquired eight jet licenses and reportedly owns at least seven airplanes.

He also owns a mansion at Florida's Jumbolair Aviation Estates, a 550-acre gated community with the largest licensed private runway in America. John's home there, which he bought in 2001, has its own separate stretch of tarmac.

Now he has allowed his more than five million Instagram followers to get a glimpse into the process of keeping his skills up to par.

He filmed himself in the flight simulator cockpit, where he was about to practice what he would do in the terrifying event of losing two engines at once.

John Travolta, a longtime pilot and avid flyer, gave his fans an intimate look into his refresher course on flying a massive jet in a riveting new video posted to his Instagram

He filmed himself in the flight simulator cockpit, where he was about to practice what he would do in the terrifying event of losing two engines at once

'And now, were going to do engine out and then were gonna lose two of the three engines just for practice,' he said calmly.

He explained that 'every year I have to do what they call recurrent jet training' and shared he was currently undergoing the Dassault Falcon 900EX program.

The training takes four days and, in John's particular program, is conducted in Dallas by CAE Inc., formerly Canadian Aviation Electronics.

John is not a stranger to emergencies in the cockpit, having experienced what he described as 'a total electrical failure' while flying his family in 1992.

'I knew what it felt like to absolutely think youre going to die,' he admitted in an interview with Fox News from November. 'I had two good jet engines but I had no instruments, no electric, nothing. And I thought it was over.'

He revealed that 'then as if by a miracle, we descended, as per the rules to a lower altitude.'

In a stroke of luck, he caught sight of the Washington Monument and 'identified that Washington National Airport was right next to it,' so he was able to land there.

John began the process of learning how to fly when he was just 15, and he eventually obtained his first jet license in 1978  the same year his iconic film musical Grease bowed in theaters and cemented his status as a popular leading man.

His passion for flying is so renowned that he has earned a space on the Wall Of Honor at the Smithsonian's National Air And Space Museum.

'Every year I have to do what they call recurrent jet training,' he said. Last year, he told Fox news about suffering 'a total electrical failure' while flying his family in 1992. 'I knew what it felt like to absolutely think youre going to die,' he said

He owns a mansion at Florida's Jumbolair Aviation Estates, a 550-acre gated community with the largest licensed private runway in America

John's home there, which he bought in 2001, has its own separate stretch of tarmac; his residence is pictured in 2009

He has served as worldwide ambassador for Qantas and been honored by the American Institute Of Aeronautical Engineers; pictured in Brisbane, Australia, in 2005

In 2002, John led a Washington, DC, extravaganza that kicked off a year of festivities to mark a century of manned flight; pictured that year in New York

His passion for aviation is so renowned that he has earned a space on the Wall Of Honor at the Smithsonian's National Air And Space Museum; pictured in London in 2002

He has been named worldwide ambassador for Qantas and been honored by the American Institute Of Aeronautical Engineers.

In 2002, John led a Washington, DC, extravaganza that kicked off a year of festivities to mark a century of manned flight.

At the following year's Dayton Airshow, he flew his own Boeing 707, with John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, as his passenger.

At the following year's Dayton Airshow, he flew his own Boeing 707 with John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, as his passenger.
An investigation into the audacious plot to steal Elvis Presley's historic Graceland has taken a new turn weeks after granddaughter Riley Keough managed to halt its foreclosure amid fraud claims.

The Tennessee attorney general has asked the federal government to take over an investigation into the attempt to auction off Elvis Presley's Graceland estate, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

This comes after a legal battle between Elvis's granddaughter actress Riley and Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC over the firm's attempt to sell the iconic Memphis, Tennessee property.

Director of communications for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office Amy Lannom Wilhite said it became apparent that 'this was a matter best suited for federal law enforcement.'

'We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately,' Wilhite said in a statement.

Tennessee's attorney general has asked the federal government to take over an investigation into an attempt to auction off Elvis Presley's Graceland estate. Pictured: 'King of Rock and Roll' Elvis Presley poses in front of his Graceland villa in Memphis Tennessee

Pictured from left to right: Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. Lisa Marie inherited the state after her father's death in 1977. Her eldest child, Riley, became the sole heir after Lisa Marie's passing in 2023. An investment firm pressed Riley for repayment, claiming her mother used Graceland as collateral after failing to repay $3.8 milliom

Elvis fiddles with an electric bass inside Graceland in this photograph published March 7, 1965 in the first issue of Mid-South, the now-defunct Sunday magazine of The Commercial Appeal

Naussany Investments had claimed that Presley's late daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had used Graceland as collateral when borrowing $3.8 million that was never repaid. She died suddenly last year at age 54 from cardiac arrest.

Following the sudden death of Elviss only child, the mysterious investment company pressed the surviving Presley family members for repayment.

The company sent the family multiple documents, including the alleged loan agreement, apparently completed in Duval County, Florida, and signed by Lisa Marie and then notarised  witnessed by a lawyer.

In emails to the familys lawyers, the company claimed that it would accept a reduced sum of $2.8 million to satisfy the loan, and then filed a collection claim in a Los Angeles court.

Lisa Marie's eldest daughter, Riley, who inherited the estate after her mother's death and became the sole trustee of the Promenade Trust that protects the assets of Elvis's estate, refused to pay.

Graceland, Elvis Presley's historic estate in Memphis, Tennessee  set in more than 13 rolling green acres, with its magnificent, white pillared portico

Elvis Presley and Yvonne Lime are photographed at his home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tenn., around 1957. The Tennessee attorney general's office said Tuesday, June 25, 2024, that it has turned over its investigation into the failed sale of Presley's home Graceland at a foreclosure auction to federal authorities

Then, several weeks ago, Naussany Investments took out a classified advertisement in a local Memphis newspaper announcing its intention to hold the foreclosure sale on the steps of a Memphis courthouse on Thursday, May 23, when Graceland would be sold to the best and highest bidder.

Riley, an actress and director who recently appeared in the drama series Daisy Jones & The Six, sued Naussany on May 20 - days before the purported sale.

She claimed her mother had never taken out the loan and that Naussany was engaged in fraud.

A day before the auction was due to take place on May 23, Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued an injunction, halting the sale.

The bizarre saga has surprised and unsettled the people in Elviss hometown, where Graceland is a major tourist attraction, bringing in $100 million (78 million) a year, but Jeff Morris, a master auctioneer in the property business, as well as a Presley family friend, says deed fraud, when thieves transfer a home title to themselves, is not uncommon.

Elvis bought his mansion in 1957 for $102,500. He lived in the home until he died at the age of 42 on August 16, 1977 and is buried there

Visitors queue to enter Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion on August 12, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. The estate attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year

According to the FBIs 2022 Internet Crime Report, some 11,827 individuals in the U.S. were victims of property fraud  a tiny percentage of the 87 million homeowners in the U.S.  but the numbers are growing.

Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the 13.8-acre Graceland property attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, as people remember one of America's most impactful musicians.

The King of Rock and Roll bought his mansion in 1957 for $102,500. He lived in the home until he died at the age of 42 on August 16, 1977.

When Elvis first bought the home, it spanned 10,266 square feet, but numerous renovations on the way to becoming a renowned museum have seen the mansion grow to 17,552 square feet.

Elvis carefully curated the aesthetic of the home throughout his lifetime.

Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley and Riley Keough Three Generations of Presley's Hand and Footprint Ceremony, TCL Chinese Theater, Los Angeles, California, in June 2021

Riley Keough and Priscilla Presley attend the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The two were recently at loggerheads with each other over Lisa Marie's living will, which left Riley as the sole heir to the Graceland estate

From having additions built to hand-selecting each piece of furniture, the musician created a world of 1970s luxury.

Lisa Marie had inherited the estate after his death and it was later opened to the public as a museum in 1982.

Lisa Marie's death prompted a bitter legal battle between Riley, who inherited the estate, and her grandmother and matriarch of the Presley family Priscilla, who challenged her daughter's living will.

The heated feud did eventually end in a settlement, which confirmed that Priscilla, who divorced Elvis in 1972, would be receiving a $1 million lump-sum payment, funded by Lisa Marie's life insurance policy, as part of the settlement, according to documents obtained by People.

In addition, Priscilla's son Navarone Garibaldi will be a beneficiary of Lisa Marie's trust as well. Perhaps most importantly of all, Priscilla will be buried near her ex-husband Elvis at Graceland when she passes away.
Land of Women (Apple TV+)

Rating:

Bonkbusters are out. Airport novels, spy thrillers, chick-lit romps, even cosy detective mysteries . . . dont get spotted on the beach reading any of that this year.

Feelgood is the new fad. Publishers cant get enough of tear-jerking, emotional stories with a splash of romance and a happy ending, with titles like The People On Platform 5 and A Wedding In Lake Como.

Television has been slow to catch up. Half of all dramas still seem to start with a woman in a nightdress fleeing through a forest at night, to escape an unfaithful husband, a serial killer or a wildfire  the very antithesis of feelgood.

But Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria has the recipe to change that, with her Apple TV+ serial Land Of Women. Its ruthlessly calculated to make us smile as we well up with a touch of melancholy, while admiring the haute couture.

Eva Longoria's Land of Women is ruthlessly calculated to make us smile as we well up with a touch of melancholy

Evas wardrobe bears the brunt of many jokes. If she (pictured, centre) isnt falling into picturesque hillside pools in a tailored tweed one-piece, shes being spattered with mud in a white chiffon trouser suit

In fact, Evas wardrobe bears the brunt of many jokes. If she isnt falling into picturesque hillside pools in a tailored tweed one-piece, shes being spattered with mud in a white chiffon trouser suit. And theres no end of running in four-inch heels, a trick she performs with the grace of a giraffe in stilettos.

She plays Gala, a tough but glamorous Manhattan cookie whose husband does a midnight flit to avoid the Mafia debt collectors chasing $15 million and both his kneecaps.

Rather than hang around in New York to discuss repayment options, Gala also skips the country, with her teenage lesbian daughter, Kate (Victoria Bazua), and her slightly senile mother, Julia (Carmen Maura) . . . plus a suitcase of designer clothes and $50,000 taped to her underwear.

They head for the Spanish village where Julia was born, now run by a womens collective, scraping a living with the annual grape harvest. The local vino is best used for unblocking drains, but it happens that Gala is an internationally acclaimed wine expert, so you should be able to see that happy ending fermenting nicely.

Before it arrives, therell be lots of family secrets to discover. Julia was a popular girl in her youth, which sets up a Mamma Mia! storyline: just which of the village elders is Galas long-lost papa?

Eva Longoria, Victoria Bazua and Carmen Maura in Apple TV+ series Land of Women

Is it the police chief, now married to her aunt? Surely not the local priest, who blushes to the tip of his tonsure every time Julia smiles at him?

Stroppy Kate will also have to find herself, probably with the aid of the gamine garage mechanic who plasters the dashboard of her truck with pin-up girls.

Galas romantic future is already assured, after she crashed her car into a farmers tractor. He seems to find it all wryly amusing. She professes herself indifferent to his salt-and-pepper George Clooney beard, so shes already in love  she just hasnt realised yet.

The constant switching between English, Spanish and Catalan, sometimes in mid-sentence, is tiresome and requires a great many subtitles.

But dont let that spoil things. Whats wrong with feeling good?
READ MORE: Green Lantern series Lanterns moves to HBO with eight episodes

He was pictured with Maria Gabriela de Faria, 31, who plays The Engineer

David Corenswet was pictured filming James Gunn's upcoming Superman film on Wednesday in Cleveland, in a sequence in which the Man of Steel was apprehended by authorities.

The actor, 30, was pictured in his full Superman outfit in a scene in which soldiers and a character in a black bodysuit had Superman on the ground, fitting him with restraints as they took him into custody.

He was pictured alongside actress Maria Gabriela de Faria, 31, who plays the role of The Engineer in the movie.

The actress, 31, had her hair back in braids and wore a black bodysuit as she stood in front of a handcuffed Superman, flanked by multiple military officials in camouflage attire.

Corenswet, a native of Philadelphia, has been busy with production on the reboot of the famed DC superhero for filmmaker Gunn, replacing actor Henry Cavill in the role.

David Corenswet, 30, was pictured filming James Gunn's upcoming Superman film on Wednesday in Cleveland, in a sequence in which the Man of Steel was arrested

Actress Maria Gabriela de Faria, 31, who plays the role of The Engineer in the movie, was pictured as production continued in Ohio this week

Corenswet, who has been seen on the Netflix shows Hollywood and The Politician, was pictured filming earlier this week in Ohio opposite Edi Gathegi, 45, who plays the role of Mister Terrific in the movie.

Gunn on May 6 took to social media with a first look for fans featuring Corenswet in the updated Superman costume.

In the image, Corenswet was seen pulling on the character's signature red boots while a colorful explosion could be seen in the background.

Gunn captioned the post, 'Get ready. #Superman,' adding that the movie will arrive in theaters on July 11, 2025.

The motion picture, which is due in theaters next summer, features an ensemble cast consisting of Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.

Gunn past said on social media that the motion picture will focus on 'an earlier part of Superman's life.'

Gunn in June of 2023 confirmed on his X/Twitter account that rumors that Corenswet and Brosnahan were playing the respective roles of Clark Kent and Lois Lane were 'accurate.'

He added, 'They are not only both incredible actors, but also wonderful people.'

Corenswet was pictured in his full Superman outfit in a scene in which soldiers and a character in a black bodysuit had Superman on the ground, fitting him with restraints as they took him into custody

Gunn on May 6 took to social media with a first look for fans featuring Corenswet in the updated Superman costume

Gunn told Variety in April 2023 that he was aiming for certain unexplored character traits for his incarnation of the famed character.

'The next Superman has to be someone who has all the humanity that Superman has but he's also an alien,' Gunn told the outlet. 'It's gotta be somebody who has the kindness and the compassion that Superman has and be somebody who you want to give a hug.'

Corenswet follows in the footsteps of a number of high-profile names to commandeer the role of the comic book hero, such as the late Kirk Alyn, George Reeves and Christopher Reeve, as well as Brandon Routh and Cavill.
Killer Mike will not be facing misdemeanor battery charges stemming from his altercation with an 'overzealous' event security guard, which led to a citizen's arrest at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4.

The 49-year-old rapper-activist (born Michael Render) met with prosecutors in the LA City Attorney's Office and 'agreed to do some community service with a non-profit organization of his choice' as well as vowing to stay out of trouble for the next year - according to TMZ.

THR's Chris Gardner tweeted video of Killer Mike - whose father was an Atlanta police officer - being escorted out of LA's Crypto.com Arena while wearing handcuffs after 'confusion around which door my team and I should enter.'

It was ironic considering the 6ft2in hip-hop star had just swept all three rap categories at the awards ceremony winning best rap performance, best rap album, and best rap song.

'Let me tell you something, man. I talked about this album being a return to the religious and moral principles I was raised with,' Killer Mike told GQ on February 8.

Killer Mike will not be facing misdemeanor battery charges stemming from his altercation with an 'overzealous' event security guard, which led to a citizen's arrest at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4 (pictured last Saturday)

'And I just got to say, man, you'll find yourself in a position where it's just you and God. And I took a couple hours, man. I was just by myself, and I was just thankful I took time to thank God and to say, I appreciate the blessings you've given me. I spent time talking. I'm invoking the spirit of my grandmother and my mother and just saying, Look, I've done it. And after a few hours, man, I got out and I went partying and had fun. And I was glad that I had used those three hours to be thankful to God and to be calm and to meditate.

'Because the very next morning, I got a call that my child, after being on the list for three years, finally got his kidney. And I can just truly tell you that God is real. And the same way Christ gave us an example of being by himself, of being tempted by Satan, I understand that a lot better now because I could have succumbed to anger or evil and talked s***. But I'm just grateful. I'm grateful. Not only that I won, but I'm grateful that God showed me within 24 hours that there's something more important than even the accolades you've worked for. And that's my family and my child and I'm just thankful. I thank Him.'

The Exit 9 rapper has four children - Pony, Mikey, Aniyah, and Malaik - from his 18-year marriage to Shana 'Shay Bigga' Render.

Killer Mike is currently in Canada where he's scheduled to perform at Coastal Jazz and Blues Society's Vancouver International Jazz Festival on Wednesday.

For his self-titled sixth studio album, the Georgia native will compete for the album of the year trophy at the BET Awards 2024, which will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday.

Killer Mike faces heavy competition against Chris Brown, Gunna, 21 Savage, Usher, Drake, Victoria Monet, and Nicki Minaj.

Last April, the Big Bruh producer-star filmed a mystery role in Sterlin Harjo's FX pilot The Sensitive Kind, which is described as a 'Tulsa noir about a guy (Ethan Hawke) who knows too much' - according to Variety.

Kyle Maclachlan, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Keith David, Tim Blake Nelson, and Michael Hitchcock are also in The Sensitive Kind.

It's been 24 years since Killer Mikeade his recording debut on Outkast's fourth studio album Stankonia.

The 49-year-old rapper-activist (born Michael Render) met with prosecutors in the LA City Attorney's Office and 'agreed to do some community service with a non-profit organization of his choice' as well as vowing to stay out of trouble for the next year

THR's Chris Gardner tweeted video of Killer Mike - whose father was an Atlanta police officer - being escorted out of LA's Crypto.com Arena while wearing handcuffs after 'confusion around which door my team and I should enter'

It was ironic considering the 6ft2in hip-hop star had just swept all three rap categories at the awards ceremony winning best rap performance, best rap album, and best rap song

The Exit 9 rapper is currently in Canada where he's scheduled to perform at Coastal Jazz and Blues Society's Vancouver International Jazz Festival on Wednesday

For his self-titled sixth studio album, Killer Mike will compete for the album of the year trophy at the BET Awards 2024, which will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday
Tina Fey isn't closing the door on Mean Girls 2.

The comedian got candid about whether a sequel starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert could ever happen.

'Oh,' Tina exclaimed while on Good Morning Britain. 'I don't know. I would like to see those four women in the movie again. I don't know, I feel like if you took those characters where they are now, it's just the Real Housewives franchise.'

However, the 54-year-old feels that their character's growth may change the concept of a second film.

Tina added, 'Also, hopefully, by the end of the movie, they have actually gotten better and grown. So, hopefully, they wouldn't be mean anymore in their adult lives? I don't know. I am open to it.'

Tina Fey isn't closing the door on Mean Girls 2; seen on June 26

But after writing the script back in 2004, the Date Night actress is now leaving it in the hands of others.

'If another writer has a pitch for it, they can take it Paramount,' Tina continued. 'I don't think I have it in me. As much as I would love to reunite those ladies.'

The Saturday Night Live alum may not be far off.

A source told People in April that Lindsay and Rachel are also open to returning to the suburbs of Illinois.

The insider revealed that the Freaky Friday star 'wants to do another and has a good relationship with her former cast members.'

'They are her friends and have been,' the source added. 'Another film would be great for her and for audiences who loved the original.'

They shared that Rachel is also game, stating that the Titanic actress 'would likely do a Mean Girls sequel if everything presented to her made sense.'

Rachel did skip out on the Walmart ad last fall that starred Lindsay, Amanda, Lacey, Daniel Franzese and Rajiv Surendra shopping for the holidays.

Despite her absence, the insider said that 'she has no regrets about not doing a Walmart commercial, which is a different thing.'

'She is super busy,' they stated, 'but likes her former cast members and would be interested in talking about a sequel if it becomes a reality.'

Rumors of a Mean Girls reunion have been circulating for years, with Lindsay and Amanda reuniting in 2022 to discuss the prospects of a second movie.

The comedian got candid about whether a sequel starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams , Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert could ever happen

'Oh,' Tina exclaimed while on Good Morning Britain . 'I don't know. I would like to see those four women in the movie again. I don't know, I feel like if you took those characters where they are now, it's just the Real Housewives franchise'; seen in the 2004 film with Lindsay Lohan

'I would kill just to do one week, all of us playing our own roles on Mean Girls on Broadway,' the Dropout star told Lindsay during a chat for Interview Magazine before asking, 'A Mean Girls 2 is never going to happen, is it?'

'I dont know,' Lindsay confessed. 'I heard something about it being a movie musical and I was like, Oh no. We cant do that. It has to be the same tone.'

'Yeah,' Amanda agreed, 'It would just be completely different.'

'Anyway, Tina is busy,' she continued. 'Shell get around to it. Listen, were all part of each others worlds whether we like it or not, and it is really nice to be in contact as adults.'

And although plenty has changed in the past 20 years, the cast members still have a bond.

'Everyones still the same,' Lindsay said, 'Its fun to have certain memories that we cant share with anyone else.

The duo also reflected on their time together in the early aughts.

'I think people still see us as teenagers,' Lindsay admitted, to which the Veronica Mars vet replied, 'As Karen and Cady.'

Amanda continued, 'That was my first movie. You were in the middle of the whole thing and you created a really fun vibe. I didnt know how good it was going to be.'

But Lindsay always knew they were creating something special.

But after writing the script back in 2004, Tina is now leaving it in the hands of others; seen in the 2004 film

'If another writer has a pitch for it, they can take it Paramount,' Tina continued. 'I don't think I have it in me. As much as I would love to reunite those ladies'; seen on June 26

'I had a feeling, just because you dont always have that much fun making movies and I knew it was going to show through,' the Parent Trap alum recalled. 'But I never realized what it would be, still today.'

Despite major success, there was a point in time when Amanda didn't want recognition for her part in the teen comedy.

'Ten years ago I used to be like, Yeah, yeah, I was Karen in Mean Girls, for fucks sake. Now Im like, I was Karen in Mean Girls!' she confessed. 'Im very proud of it.'

Addressing her costar, Amanda added, 'You had a lot to do with where it went and what it was. I dont know if you know that. Im sure you felt the pressure but it didnt seem like you did. You were working really young, and you were really good, but you were still a kid.'

Along with looking up to Lindsay, the Seven Veils star shared some memories she holds close to her heart all this time later.

'Ill never forget any of those moments,' Amanda reminisced. 'We killed Toronto. That Sutton Place was just a real sh--hole at the time. But that bar was great. We were way too young, having way too much fun, and the movie ended up being more than anyone could have imagined. Weve had such crazy lives.'
Kelly Bensimon enjoyed a mini bachelorette getaway with her daughters mere days before she shockingly called off her wedding to Scott Litner.

The 56-year-old Real Housewives of New York alum  who earlier this year said she wanted a 'sexy' and 'unique' wedding dress  was spotted frolicking on the beach in Jamaica, wearing a sexy red and pink slip dress.

She was joined by her two kids  daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 23.

The trio soaked up the sun and splashed around the shoreline shortly before Bensimon announced she would not be going through with the June 29 nuptials.

In a statement to Page Six on Tuesday, June 25, she said: 'I have decided that my two daughters are my priority and I wont be moving forward with this wedding.'

Kelly Bensimon enjoyed a mini bachelorette getaway mere days before she shockingly called off her wedding to Scott Litner

The following day, Kelly revealed the reason she cancelled the wedding was because her fiance refused to sign a prenuptial agreement.

'He thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith,' she explained to ET.

The real estate agent continued: 'But Ive worked really, really, hard as a single mother and have always made smart decisions for myself and my family, and that will continue.'

Bensimon was previously married to Gilles Bensimon, a photographer, from 1997 to 2006.

Litner has been married twice and also has children.

'I haven't come this far in business and life to start making poor decisions because of a man,' the former reality TV personality told Us Weekly.

She stressed about the financier, 'He of all people should have understood the need to protect each other before we tied the knot. I'm truly shocked he refused a prenup.'

The 56-year-old Real Housewives of New York alum - who earlier this year said she wanted a 'sexy' and 'unique' wedding dress - was spotted frolicking on the beach in Jamaica, wearing a sexy red and pink slip dress

The former reality television personality looked blissful in the days leading up to her called off wedding

Bensimon and Litner pictured in New York City in October 2023

Scott proposed on a speedboat while she was clad in a tiny lilac bikini last Fourth of July weekend.

A rep for the star told Page Six at the time: 'Kelly is happily engaged and looking forward to this new beginning.'

'Scott proposed to me, literally in Wisconsin near where I was raised. I was raised in Rockford, Illinois, and he proposed to me in Lake Geneva Wisconsin,' Kelly gushed to DailyMail.com at the time.

Last December she told People about her then-fiance: 'When I first met him, I didnt even say anything. I was speechless  which is not like me, I always have something to say.'

She gushed, 'He blew me away. Hes just a really special human.'

According to Page Six, Kelly was scheduled to pick up her three wedding dresses from Kleinfelds on Tuesday afternoon.

Bensimon was joined on the retreat by her two kids  daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 23

The trio soaked up the sun and relaxed in the Caribbean shortly before Bensimon announced she would not be going through with her planned June 29 nuptials

Earlier this month, she shared with the outlet: 'Im getting married later in life and I never thought this would happen. I just would not change this day and the leading up to it.'

The star and her two children spent their weekend at Sandals Dunns River.

Kelly and Scott were supposed to have two ceremonies  a backyard wedding in Boston for their closest loved ones and later a larger party in the Hamptons.
Louis Theroux's latest documentary Tell Them You Love Me has soared to the top of Netflix's global chart, after being released on the streaming service in the US.

The TV series, which is available on Sky Documentaries and NOW in the UK, covers a shocking true story as it follows a female professor who had an affair with a non-speaking man with cerebral palsy and the mental age of an 18-month-old child.

Louis has revealed he came across the New Jersey story, which is based on Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson lives, 10 years ago but it was a 'struggle' to get the film commissioned.

Professor Anna, then 39, met Derrick in 2009 after his family hoped her expertise in 'facilitated communication' could help their nearly mute son, then 28, to communicate using a keypad.

Over the course of their meetings, Anna  who was married at the time  says the two fell in love and had a consensual sexual relationship.

Louis Theroux 's latest documentary Tell Them You Love Me has soared to the top of Netflix 's global chart, after being released on the streaming service in the US

The TV series covers a shocking true story as it follows a female professor who had an affair with a non-speaking man with cerebral palsy and the mental age of an 18-month-old child

Derrick's family was left horrified and said he didn't have the capacity to engage in physical or emotional intimacy, and the extent to which he used a keyboard to communicate with her wouldn't have been possible unless Anna was manipulating his hands.

The following court case capitivated America and she was eventually found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and got 12 years, but after two years the conviction was overturned.

Louis told The Sun: 'At its heart is a mystery  whether two people were in a Romeo and Juliet love story or whether it is a horrific crime. I think its success speaks to how powerful and emotionally complex the story is.

'You never quite know where it will go next. It was nearly ten years ago that I first came across this story. It was a struggle to get the film commissioned.'

Louis added: 'It shows films you might think are risky or troubling or 'difficult' can also be compelling and reach a big audience.'

Executive producer Arron Fellows added: 'Its success shows how captivated audiences are by real-life stories, even sensitive ones.'

The Netflix film concludes by summarising Anna's trial, sentencing, and her eventual release, before ending by paying a visit to Derrick at his New Jersey home, where he lives with his mother.

Regarding the director's decision to show Derrick in the final scene, Louis said: 'It was important to remind viewers of who the central character in the film is, and to tune out all the other voices for a moment.

'The bigger picture is, he's healthy, he's safe, he's provided for, he's loved, but we're also maybe wondering how much more he may be capable of, how much more life might have to offer him were his circumstances different.'

Louis has revealed he came across the New Jersey story, which is based on Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson lives, 10 years ago but it was a 'struggle' to get the film commissioned

Professor Anna, then 39, met Derrick in 2009, then 28, after his family hoped her expertise in 'facilitated communication' could help their nearly mute son to communicate using a keypad
Former Grange Hill actor Lee MacDonald has revealed he has skin cancer.

The actor, 56, announced that he went to the doctors over concerns about an 'unusual' spot on his face, only to be told it is cancerous.

Viewers know Lee best as teenage alter-ego Zammo, whose hard-hitting storylines broke TV boundaries in the mid 1980s on Grange Hill.

Lee wrote: 'Went to the doctors today to check an unusual spot on my face! Doctor says it's cancer!

'As we older please keep an eye on anything unusual and hopefully get it looked at early!!! Booked in to get it sorted over the next couple of days!'

Fans took to the comment section to share their well wishes.

Former EastEnders star Lee MacDonald has revealed he has skin cancer , The actor, 56, went to the doctors over concerns about an 'unusual' spot on his face, only to be told it is cancerous

Viewers know Lee best as teenage alter-ego Zammo, whose hard-hitting storylines broke TV boundaries in the mid 1980s on Grange Hill (pictured right with Tim Polley and Melissa Wilks)

Lee, who played bus driver Terry on the BBC soap in 2019, wrote: 'Went to the doctors today to check an unusual spot on my face! Doctor says it's cancer!

They wrote: 'Glad you got it checked out - here's to a speedy resolution' and 'Thank you for highlighting this Lee. Good luck to you over the next couple of days!'

'Hope all goes well Lee. It's good you got it checked early!'

Lee's Grange Hill character Samuel Maguire was fondly known as cheeky chappy Zammo, who attended the fictional north London school between 1982 and 1987.

The actor featured in the show's most famous - albeit controversial - storyline when Zammo spiralled into an addiction to heroin, which climaxed in an overdose scene.

Despite the shock factor, Lee and his cast members helped to spearhead the anti-drugs campaign Just Say No, by releasing a charity single which was a Top 10 hit.

However, speaking in 2007, Lee said he subsequently struggled to get acting work in his late teens because of his negative association with drugs.

'After [the new series] was out, my agent said 'Nobody wants you any more because it's a drugs related character. So nobody wants to use you,' he told fan site Grange Hill Gold.

Lee went on to become a locksmith and open his own store before returning to the soap world in 2019 as bus driver Terry in EastEnders (pictured in 2018)

Throwback: Lee played Zammo in Phil Redmond's children's drama Grange Hill for six years in the 80s

Fans took to the comment section to share their well wishes

'I lost loads of work because adults didn't want me at the club because it was drugs related. But that's the power of telly . . . More so in the 80s when there was only a couple of channels. '

'Things were taken a lot more seriously than they are now. There's so much stuff that kids watch now that is outrageous.'

He has revealed that he has one addiction in real life - smoking. He only started smoking when he was 40 and his ex-wife wanted to quit, telling her that he was 'strong-willed' so would start smoking with her and then they would pack it in together, except he couldn't.

After leaving Grange Hill in 1987 he planned to turn his boxing hobby into a career. He had already represented London and was planning on turning professional after being offered a contract.

But at the age of 21 he was involved in a serious car accident while in his dad's van. The van was hit by a car being chased by the police at 90mph, sending Lee through the windscreen and leaving him with severe head injuries.

He was told he couldn't box again. A family friend managed to get him a job working for a wholesaler and he picked up some small acting roles in The Bill, Birds Of A Feather and Neighbours.

He admitted in a 2019 interview with The Guardian though that 'the 90s weren't brilliant because I didn't know where I was or what I wanted to do.'

'I was working in this warehouse and it was on the radio that [his Grange Hill co-star] John Alford had just got Londons Burning, and I just thought: "I had that and now Johns got that again."'

Lee married his girlfriend of ten years Jess in 2022, sharing the news on Twitter

Earlier in the month, an excited Lee wrote next to a snap with Jess: ''Just say yes!' So glad she did! 'I'm marrying this lovely lady later this month  xxx'

Lee went on to become a locksmith and open his own Surrey store in 2000 before returning to the soap world in 2019 as bus driver Terry in EastEnders.

Lee married his girlfriend of ten years Jess in 2022, sharing the news on Twitter with the words: 'Finally got hitched  xxx.'

The couple got engaged in March 2020 but had to delay the wedding due to Covid.

Posting a picture of himself and Jess posing with her engagement ring, Lee excitedly tweeted at the time: 'My partner Jess 'JUST SAID YES'! Wedding next.'

Lee's son Harry, 16, acted as his best man. He is also a step dad to Jess' daughter Katie, also 16.

They got engaged in March 2020 but had to delay the wedding due to Covid

Lee's son Harry, 16, acted as his best man
Aussie mums Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts have been called out for attending the Balenciaga Paris Fashion Week show following the brand's BDSM photo scandal.

The glamorous actresses both showed off their impeccable fashion sense as they arrived to the event on Wednesday with their children.

Nicole was joined by her daughter Sunday Rose, 15, while Naomi's teen Kai, also, 15, attended alongside her Hollywood star mother.

Many parents expressed their outrage at the famous duo for attending a fashion show by the controversial brand.

'I simply cannot believe that anyone, particularly a parent, would associate with this brand. Much less GIVE them positive publicity and support,' one person wrote.

'Such poor taste to associate with this brand,' another commented.

'Eww. Balenciaga are Not Like Us,' a third agreed while one said: 'Supporting [this] brand. How predictable.'

Nicole, 57, showed off her statuesque physique at the event in a figure-hugging black dress encrusted in sparkly beads.

Aussie mums Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts have been called out for attending the Balenciaga Paris Fashion Week show following the brand's BDSM photo scandal

She boosted her 5ft11in frame with a pair of black high heels.

The Oscar winner blew kisses to the crowd of adoring fans outside, while hiding her eyes behind rectangular sunglasses.

While her BFF Naomi, 55, looked every inch the movie star in a white blazer with a structured collar, allowing a sultry peek at her decolletage.

The Impossible star added a matching pencil skirt and dangling pearl earrings, elevating the chic look with white gloves.

She styled her short blonde hair in elegant curls and sported oversized shades and a slick of pink lipstick.

Many parents expressed their outrage at the famous duo for attending a fashion show by the controversial brand. Pictured Naomi Watts and child Kai Schreiber

In 2022, fashion brand Balenciaga was forced to apologise for a photoshoot with a child holding a teddy bear dressed in a BDSM outfit outraged hundreds of people online.

Balenciaga, a globally-renowned Spanish fashion house which dresses the likes of Kim Kardashian, apologised for the set that featured the stuffed animals.

The statement read: 'We sincerely apologise for any offence our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.

'We apologise for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot.'

'We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.'
Travis Scott's ignoring of police orders directly led to his arrest in connection with misdemeanor trespassing and public intoxication Thursday in Miami Beach.

The Houston native, 33, was accused of cursing at people on a yacht and disobeying police orders when he was taken into custody at around 1 a.m. on June 20.

Scott would have stayed out of legal trouble if he didn't go back to the marina (where the initial conflict had occurred) in an effort to retrieve some belongings, sources told TMZ Wednesday.

The Franchise rapper had departed from the yacht with a driver, who he told to turn around so he could go back and get back a phone and bag he had left on the vessel, sources told the outlet.

Scott requested a police escort upon his return to the marina, which was a source of tension with local law enforcement, as a sergeant specifically told him to vacate the area and stay away the first time he left, insiders told the outlet.

Travis Scott's ignoring of police orders directly led to his arrest in connection with misdemeanor trespassing and public intoxication Thursday in Miami Beach. The Franchise rapper, 33, was pictured in a mug shot

Scott would have stayed out of legal trouble if he didn't go back to the marina where the initial conflict had occurred) in an effort to retrieve some belongings

The Escape Plan artist's 'decision to go back ultimately led' to his arrest, sources told the outlet.

Officers went to the marina shortly before 1 a.m. after receiving a call about people fighting on a yacht, according to a police report.

When they arrived, they found Scott standing on the dock yelling at people on the ship, the report said. Officers told him to sit down, but he kept standing back up and yelling. They could smell alcohol on his breath, according to the report.

The man who called police did not want to press charges, so Scott was allowed to leave.

As he walked away, however, Scott kept turning to yell obscenities at people on the yacht. He left as a passenger in a waiting car, but returned five minutes later and ignored officers' orders to again leave, the report said.

Officers say he then began yelling again, disturbing people in nearby boats and buildings. When officers asked if he had been drinking, he replied, 'It's Miami' and was subsequently arrested.

Scott was released from Miami-Dade County Jail before noon after posting a $650 bond. After his release, he posted on the social platform X, 'Lol.'

His attorney, Bradford Cohen, said in a statement that Scott was 'detained due to a misunderstanding.'

Scott requested a police escort upon his return to the marina, which was a source of tension with local law enforcement, as a sergeant specifically told him to vacate the area and stay away the first time he left

The Escape Plan artist's 'decision to go back ultimately led' to his arrest

'There was absolutely no physical altercation involved, and we thank the authorities for working with us towards a swift and amicable resolution,' Cohen said.

Scott, one of the biggest names in hip-hop and whose birth name is Jacques Webster, has more than 100 songs that made the Billboard Hot 100 and released four singles that topped the chart: Sicko Mode, Highest in the Room, The Scotts and Franchise.

He has two children with his former girlfriend, media personality and businesswoman Kylie Jenner, 26: daughter Stormi, six, and son Aire, two.

This is not the first time Scott has been involved in a police investigation.

Ten people were killed in a crowd surge at Scott's 2021 performance at his Astroworld Festival in his native Houston. Attendees were packed so tightly that many couldn't breathe or move their arms. Those killed, who ranged in age from nine to 27, died from compression asphyxia, which an expert likened to being crushed by a car.

Lawyers for the victims alleged in lawsuits that the deaths and hundreds of injuries at the concert were caused by negligent planning and a lack of concern over capacity and safety at the event.

Scott, promoter Live Nation, and the others who were sued have denied these claims, saying safety was their top concern. They said what happened could not have been foreseen. The final lawsuit was settled last month.

After a police investigation, a grand jury declined to indict Scott, along with five others connected to the festival.
Fashion enthusiasts have been scratching their heads over the identity of a man who sat front row at the Balenciaga Haute couture runway show during Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday,

Videos show the man wearing very casual neon orange running shorts, a grey T-shirt and matching grey and orange socks with trainers as he sat amongst several major stars.

As he watched several models showcase the label's latest looks, he looked very relaxed in his seat with his legs wide open and crossing his arms.

Several fashionistas took to social media to question the identity of guest.

'Dude wearing neon-orange shortpants?' one user wrote alongside laugh-crying emojis.

'All I see is the dude who jogged over for the show in his orange shorts,' another joked.

The man in question is none other than renowned German fashion photographer Juergen Teller, who is known for his unique portraits.

Fashion enthusiasts have been scratching their heads over the identity of a man who sat front row at the Balenciaga Haute couture runway show during Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday

He has shot big name models like Kate Moss and Gisele Bundchen, and collaborated with brands like Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs.

Teller was sitting next to his wife Dovile Drizyte, who is also an artist and his creative partner.

She was seen wearing a T-shirt with a breast outline printed across the front and denim shorts.

Videos show the man wearing very casual neon orange running shorts, a grey T-shirt and matching grey and orange socks with trainers as he sat amongst several major stars

As he watched several models showcase the label's latest looks, he sat relaxed in his seat with his legs wide open and crossing his arms

The pair were also photographed together at the Chanel Fall 2024 Couture show on Tuesday, with Teller wearing the exact same outfit.

One week prior, he was seen in the same shorts and socks combo at Naomi Campbell's A Midsummer Night at NYX Mayfair in London.

The photographer instead paired his outfit with a bright pink crewneck jumper.

The man in question is renowned German fashion photographer Juergen Teller (left), who recently attended Naomi Campbell's A Midsummer Night at NYX Mayfair in London wearing the same outfit. Pictured with (L-R Edward Enninful, Naomi Campbell and Dovile Drizyte)

Sitting next to Drizyte at the Balenciaga show was Alexis Stone, who pulled off her most-eye catching look yet.

The drag queen transformed into The Devil Wears Prada battleaxe Miranda Priestly for the runway show.

The renowned British drag artist and makeup artist, whose real name is Elliot Rentz, turned heads with her eery likeness to the famous character, which was played by Meryl Streep in the 2008 film.
Lara Worthington rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to fashion.

And on Wednesday, the Sydney-born model flaunted her figure in a semi-sheer off-white dress as she posed for an impromptu photoshoot in Los Angeles.

The 37-year-old went braless as she struck a series of poses in the racy dress and a pair of shiny black boots at her home.

Lara then shared a surprising detail about the photos, revealing that they were taken by her husband Sam Worthington.

'Me by Sam in Los Angeles, styled by @vanessa_coyle wearing vintage John Galliano, F/W 1995 from @oneofakind.archive,' she wrote.

The photos shared to Instagram appear to be taken before Lara and Sam walked the red carpet at the premiere of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 on Monday.

Lara completed her edgy look with a black chain choker and large silver earrings.

She let her natural beauty shine by opting for a neutral makeup palette and slicked her locks back.

Lara Worthington flaunted her figure in a semi-sheer off-white dress as she posed for an impromptu photoshoot in Los Angeles

Her actor husband Sam, 47, who stars in the series, looked dapper at the premiere in a black blazer and matching coloured pants.

The Avatar star finished his look with a black buttoned shirt and a pair of shiny black shoes.

The Australian actor wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close as they posed for photos on the red carpet.

The couple married in 2014 and shares three sons - Rocket, eight, Racer, six, and River, three.

The 37-year-old went braless as she struck a series of poses in the racy dress and a pair of shiny black boots at her home

Lara then shared a surprising detail about the photos, revealing that they were taken by her husband Sam Worthington

Horizon Chapter 1 is set to be released in the United States on June 28, 2024, while Chapter 2 will be released on August 16, 2024.

The first part of the series is currently projected to make around $12 million after it debuts, according to tracking numbers calculated by one major service, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The four-part series had a budget of $100 million and director Kevin Costner contributed $38 million of his own money into the project, according to the outlet.

Horizon earned a 10-minute standing ovation from the audience following its premiere screening at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last month.

It has a star-studded ensemble cast in addition to Costner and Worthington with Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Giovanni Ribisi, Ella Hunt, Danny Huston and Luke Wilson also sharing the screen.
Natalie Barr put on a brave face in Sydney on Thursday when she was spotted running errands following her shock skin cancer diagnosis this week.

The Sunrise star, 56, was seen getting out of her $108,000 white Audi Q7 after covering up the malignant spot on her nose with makeup.

She stepped out of her vehicle looking half her age as she donned chic business attire with a blue pin-striped button-up and loose-fit black slacks.

Opting for comfortable black footwear, the glamorous breakfast show host hid her eyes behind a pair of squared sunglasses which matched the handbag on her arm.

Her flawless makeup look featured a nude lip and a few coats of blush, enhanced by simple pearl earrings and her lightly curled brunette locks.

Natalie appeared to be at ease despite the skin cancer diagnosis she received this week when her doctor inspected a concerning spot on her nose.

The Sunrise co-host told viewers on Tuesday morning the discovery occurred when she visited her dermatologist after discovering a tiny persistent 'pimple' on her nose.

Natalie's doctor used state-of-the-art AI and 'Spectra-Scope' devices to inspect the blemish and found a cancerous lesion.

Natalie Barr, 56, (pictured) put on a brave face in Sydney on Thursday when she was spotted running errands following her shock skin cancer diagnosis this week

The Sunrise star was seen getting out of her $108,000 white Audi Q7 after covering up the malignant spot on her nose with makeup

She stepped out of her vehicle looking half her age as she donned chic business attire with a blue pin-striped button-up and loose-fit black slacks

'I had a pimple on my nose that wouldn't go away, plus I reckon it had been a couple of years since I had a skin check, so I went to the dermatologist,' she said.

'He said it was skin cancer - this tiny little dot on my nose. The good thing is I got it really early, and there's not much treatment.'

Natalie went on to explain the spot is so small she is able to have it removed with two non-invasive treatments.

The TV star's dermatologist used an AI device to detect worrisome changes in her skin when compared to a global database.

Opting for comfortable black footwear, the glamorous breakfast show host hid her eyes behind a pair of squared sunglasses which matched the handbag on her arm

Her flawless makeup look featured a nude lip and a few coats of blush, enhanced by simple pearl earrings and her lightly curled brunette locks

Natalie appeared to be at ease despite the skin cancer diagnosis she received this week when her doctor inspected a concerning spot on her nose

He then used a laser-induced plasma device called a Spectra-Scope to detect cancerous cells in the spot, before doing a biopsy to confirm it was skin cancer.

Co-host Matt 'Shirvo' Shirvington asked Natalie: 'When you saw that graph, and it indicated that it was skin cancer, how nervous were you?'

'You sort of go, "Oh my God." So many Aussies, millions and millions of us, have skin cancer, but it does make you think,' the breakfast show host responded.

The Channel Seven star said she hoped it served as a reminder to everyone to get their skin checked regularly.
James Van Der Beek was bowled over at the majesty of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and temples in an Instagram post he shared on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old Varsity Blues Star was on a family vacation with his family, including his wife Kimberly and their six children, to the history-rich country, which straddles Africa and the Middle East.

He revealed that the whole family had taken a trip out to see the remains of ancient Egyptian culture, including the iconic pyramids at Giza, just outside Cairo, and the Dendera Temple complex, which is several hours away via car.

The actor, who moved away from Los Angeles four years earlier to start a new life with his family in Texas, shared photos of his family sampling the stunning sights, and his caption illustrated how awed he was by the monumental structures.

He gushed that how 'magical' the trip was in his post, and he admitted that was 'caught off-guard at just how deeply i felt the spiritual resonance of these temples.'

James Van Der Beek was bowled over at the majesty of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and temples in an Instagram post he shared on Wednesday

The 47-year-old Varsity Blues Star was on a family vacation with his family, including his wife Kimberly and their six children, to the history-rich country, which straddles Africa and the Middle East

'#Egypt With all my vocabulary, Wow, is what fell out of my mouth most of the time,' he began his post. 'We were gifted a magical experience, one Im still processing - and might be for the rest of my life.'

He praised his children  Olivia, 13; Joshua, 12; Annabel Leah, 10; Emilia, eight; Gwendolyn, six; and Jeremiah, two  for being 'rock stars' on the major intercontinental voyage, and he wrote that his 'friends became brothers' on the trip.

'Despite all the travel and time zone crossing and early-morning alarms, I feel re-charged,' he gushed.

James added that he was shocked at the 'spiritual' experience he had around the structures, many of which originally had religious significance.

'Id anticipated a metaphysical element to the trip, but I was caught off-gaurd [sic] at just how deeply I felt the spiritual resonance of all these temples,' he admitted. 'I mean, they are temples, after all (duh), but whatever assumptions I had about these otherworldly structures being antiquities faded as soon as I stepped into them.

'These were holy places, built to connect to the divine as best they understood it at the time. I left with reverence and awe  my eyes, heart, and soul expanded,' he added. 'Deepest thanks to everyone who made it possible.'

James' post included a sweet family of the entire family leaning against  or sitting on top of  a camel that had sat down in the sand.

Beyond the sand dunes in the distance were three pyramids that appeared to be the awe-inspiring structures at Giza.

Another photo showed the Dawson's Creek star hugging his wife Kimberly passionately as they posed in front of what looked like a temple as they stood on the other bank of a body of water.

He included other photos, including one of three of his older children walking toward the grand Temple of Hathor at Dendera, which is several hours away from Giza, but is a popular day-trip destination for tourists.

'Id anticipated a metaphysical element to the trip, but I was caught off-gaurd [sic] at just how deeply I felt the spiritual resonance of all these temples,' he admitted

James' marriage to Kimberly is his second, after he was married to the actress Heather Ann McComb from 2003 to 2009. He and Kimberly married in August of 2010 in Israel, and they welcomed the first of their six children just a month after wedding

James was traveling shortly after it was announced earlier in June that he had scored a role in the new Tubi series Sidelined: The QB And Me; pictured in April 2023 in Park City, Utah

Other snaps showed James and his children exploring the stone structures and ruins, and he also included several photos of his family relaxing in the sand with the pyramids rising up in the distance.

James' marriage to Kimberly is his second, after he was married to the actress Heather Ann McComb from 2003 to 2009.

He and Kimberly married in August of 2010 in Israel, and they welcomed the first of their six children just a month after wedding.

James was traveling shortly after it was announced earlier in June that he had scored a role in the new Tubi series Sidelined: The QB And Me.
Lindsay Lohan's father Michael Lohan and his ex Kate Major were involved in a roadside skirmish in Spring, Texas on Wednesday, in which he contacted the authorities.

Major, 41, and Michael, 64, were seen in a clip on TMZ, in which the pair were arguing while in the middle of a road.

The heated exchange was spurred by a number of disagreements and an arrangement in which she stayed at his home while he was not there, Michael told the outlet.

Major shared a clip in which she was in a driver's seat while arguing with Michael, in a conflict in which no charges were ultimately filed, according to the outlet.

'Get out of the car, I just spoke with your lawyer,' Michael - who had a health scare earlier this year - was seen yelling at Major, who urged him to step out of the road.

Lindsay Lohan's father Michael Lohan, 64, and his ex Kate Major, 41, were involved in a roadside skirmish in Spring, Texas on Wednesday, in which he contacted the authorities. The couple was pictured in a February 2020 hearing in NY

Major called her ex a 'psychopath' noting that he was 'calling the f***ing cops.'

Major, who is mother to two sons with Michael - Landon, nine, and Logan, seven - was heard saying, 'These poor kids, these poor children,' then telling Michael, 'You're out of your f***ing mind.'

After an officer appeared on the scene, Major said that Michael had been following her, jumped in front of her car and needed to be taken in on a 5150 evaluation.

The clip ended with Major communicating with the officer.

Major said: 'Oh my God, oh my f***ing God, I didn't even get out of the driveway.'

Michael explained the factors involved in the tense discussion to TMZ, saying that he had let Major stay at his home while he and his children were not in town.

Michael told the outlet that amid an active 'order of protection' against Major, she was told by both him and the district attorney to vacate the premises by 5 p.m.

Michael said that Major 'took his car, which she was not supposed to do,' at around 6 p.m., according to the outlet.

Major and Lohan were pictured in October of 2019 in Las Vegas

Michael and daughter Lindsay Lohan were seen in a selfie he posted online earlier this year

Michael told TMZ that Major had been consuming alcohol with guests she invited over to his house, and claimed that he did damage to the security system he has in place.

Michael said that he and Major had an argument Tuesday concerning her drinking habit, but didn't notify authorities at the time.

Michael and Major are still legally married, according to the outlet, noting that 'they've been estranged for a few years now.'

Michael is also father to four children with ex-wife Dina Lohan: Lindsay, 37, Michael Jr., 36, Aliana, 30, and Dakota, 27.
A new storyline involving one of Summer Bay's most beloved characters has Home and Away fans in an uproar.

The unfolding saga sees diner owner Irene (played by veteran actress Lynne McGranger) under the spell of serial scammer Bronte (Stefanie Caccamo).

Summer Bay newcomer Bronte has been faking a fatal disease and staying with Irene.

Part of Bronte's scam is that she needs thousands of dollars for 'special medical treatment' in Canada, and Irene promised to help raise the funds.

But when news emerges that a leaky pipe in Irene's diner has contaminated the eatery's water supply, Bronte claims she's been harmed.

In a weird turn of events, a guilt-ridden Irene suggests to Bronte to 'sue the diner', which the Summer Bay stalwart co-owns with Leah (Ada Nicodemou).

Viewers have have slammed the developing plot line as lacking in credibility Facebook fansite.

'Who the hell writes this stuff, the storylines are terrible,' moaned one irate Home and Away viewer.

A new storyline involving one of Summer Bay's most beloved characters has Home and Away fans in an uproar

They continued: 'Allowing Bronte to sue the diner is totally illegal.

'Bronte will need a full medical checkup which will find her healthy and Bronte thought it was a great idea.'

'The sad thing is that there are people like Bronte in real-life!' another fan added to the thread.

The unfolding saga sees diner owner Irene (played by veteran actress Lynne McGranger) under the spell of serial scammer Bronte (Stefanie Caccamo)

The same viewer pointed out that Irene 'falling' under the spell of a scammer seems out of character.

During the 2021 season of the much-loved soap, it was Irene who helped to unmask another scammer, Susie McAllister played by Bridie Carter.

One fan defended the developing plot: 'The storyline is just showing what lengths people will try to go to to get free money but it doesnt always work out how you want it to.'

Part of Bronte's scam is that she needs thousands of dollars for 'special medical treatment' in Canada , and Irene promised to help raise the funds

However, one fast-thinking fan did spot a serious hole in the plot.

'When Bronte puts her address on the form do they really think the insurance company arent going to notice theyre the same as the claimant?' the eagle-eyed viewer asked.

Lynne recently made headlines when she took a huge swipe at Robert Irwin after he was nominated for a Golden Logie.

Robert, 20, has become one of the youngest ever to be considered for the prestigious accolade, which recognises the best in the Australian TV industry.

But when news emerges that a leaky pipe in Irene's diner has contaminated the eatery's water supply, Bronte claims she's been harmed. In a weird turn of events, a guilt-ridden Irene suggests to Bronte to 'sue the diner', which the Summer Bay stalwart co-owns with Leah (Ada Nicodemou)

His nomination comes just months after he made his TV co-hosting debut on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! alongside Julia Morris, who is also up for an award.

Lynne questioned his nomination in the Most Popular Personality category and said he lacked TV experience.

Robert is up against TV veterans Julia, Larry Emdur, Sonia Kruger, Asher Keddie, Andy Lee and Tony Armstrong, with Lynne sharing her surprise that the budding star was also in the running.

'I'm sorry but ol'mate Irwin has been on telly for a bloody minute!! No disrespect intended,' she wrote in a cheeky swipe.

Several viewers said it would be impossible for any insurance company to accept Bronte's claim against Irene's diner - a medical review would immediately reveal that the scammer as perfectly healthy

Her comment came in support of her friend Larry, 59, who took to Instagram to share an amusing exchange he had with his friend after his nomination.

He shared a screenshot of a text message where his friend congratulated him on his nomination, before quipping that he'd be 'voting for Robert Irwin'.

Larry joked in a caption: 'I'm a lucky guy to have such supportive friends in this brutal Logies battle,' prompting Lynne's comment in support of his battle for the Logie.

Lynne has been been a fan favourite on Home and Away ever since she made her debut in the long running soap in 1993.
Mia Fevola has escaped the chilly Melbourne winter and living it up in Italy.

The model took to Instagram to share stunning photos from her time in Capri on Wednesday.

In several photos, the 24-year-old daughter of AFL legend Brendan Fevola turned heads as she showcased her incredible figure in a blue and white patterned bikini.

She accessorised her look with stylish sunglasses and a gold necklace, adding a touch of glamour to her beachy ensemble.

Another snap shows the blonde beauty cuddling up to her boyfriend Bass Miller on a yacht.

She simply captioned the post 'A dream.'

Earlier this year, Fevola revealed she will be keeping her beau out of the public eye.

The 24-year-old told a May issue of Stellar Magazine that she learned a hard lesson after going public with footy star ex-boyfriend Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, 22.

Mia Fevola has escaped the chilly Melbourne winter and living it up in Italy

The pair became the target of relentless online trolls during their short romance.

'I learned a lot from that [experience]. I overshared when I was younger and I learnt the hard way that some things are better left private' she said.

'[The attention] would have happened with anyone, given I was posting about it so much' Mia continued.

'Any public relationship opens the doors for a lot of negativity. There are always going to be critics out there'.

The makeup artist and psychology student also addressed speculation that she 'pays' for paparazzi images to be taken of her.

The model took to Instagram to share stunning photos from her time in Capri on Wednesday

In several photos, the 24-year-old daughter of AFL legend Brendan Fevola turned heads as she showcased her incredible figure in a blue and white patterned bikini

'It's funny because a lot of the trolls say that we're paying them to do that. It's so frustrating  why would I want to look like that online?' she said.

'I'm unaware of it. I never am looking for them, so I never even notice it.'

Mia and Jamarra split at the end of 2021 as a result of intense scrutiny over their fledgling romance, which saw the pair inundated with hundreds of bullying messages on social media.

Mia and boyfriend Bass went public with their romance in July of 2023.
10 months after revealing her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis, Francia Raisa just revealed she's been diagnosed with two more conditions, which will make motherhood that much harder to achieve.

The Grown-ish alum - turning 36 next month - met with a new gynecologist and she's now being treated for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and endometriosis, in which the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.

'In the past two weeks, things took a serious turn,' Francia - who boasts 3M social media followers - wrote on Wednesday.

'[Endometriosis] puts me at a very high risk of having complicated pregnancies in the future. I was in shock. What strikes me the most is that it's not enough that I take care of my health and body.

'With all the advances in medicine, there still isn't enough research being done into women's specific health care to really understand how women like me are able to ensure our opportunity to have a healthy life and family.'

10 months after revealing her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis, Francia Raisa just revealed she's been diagnosed with two more conditions, which will make motherhood that much harder to achieve

Raisa (born Almendarez) continued: 'Instead, our rights as women, including access to critical (and sometimes necessary) health care, are being attacked - and it pi**es me off!'

The How I Met Your Father alum did not hesitate when Vice President Kamala Harris asked her to participate in a fireside chat about women's rights and reproductive freedoms in Phoenix, AZ on Monday.

Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh all declared Roe v. Wade was 'precedent' and 'settled law' while under oath during their confirmation hearings, but then promptly overturned it in 2022 with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.

'I needed to hear about her work on this issue and where we all needed to focus our advocacy. The neglect we already face as women in health care is insane, and I can't stand by while laws are passed that limit our rights and freedom - from women's and LGBTQ+ rights, to access to education and immigration,' Francia explained.

'Let's keep up the fight, people - if not for you, for your mothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, best friends, and all the women in your life who deserve to live with dignity and respect!'

Raisa - who famously donated a kidney to pop star Selena Gomez in 2017 - has always wanted to become a mother and even froze and retrieved 28 eggs back in 2021.

'I don't want to settle. I really want to wait for the right person. I really want to be friends with someone first and really know you, because I don't want to have to worry about that again ever,' the San Fernando Valley Girl said on The Talk at the time.

'Now I'm not in a rush to, you know, get into a relationship because my "biological clock is ticking."'

The Grown-ish alum - turning 36 next month - met with a new gynecologist and she's now being treated for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and endometriosis, in which the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus

Francia wrote on Wednesday: '[Endometriosis] puts me at a very high risk of having complicated pregnancies in the future. I was in shock. What strikes me the most is that it's not enough that I take care of my health and body. With all the advances in medicine, there still isn't enough research being done into women's specific health care'

Raisa (born Almendarez) continued: 'Instead, our rights as women, including access to critical (and sometimes necessary) health care, are being attacked - and it pi**es me off!'

The How I Met Your Father alum did not hesitate when Vice President Kamala Harris asked her to participate in a fireside chat about women's rights and reproductive freedoms in Phoenix, AZ on Monday

Justices Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh all declared Roe v. Wade was 'precedent' and 'settled law' while under oath during their confirmation hearings, but then promptly overturned it in 2022 with Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas

Francia explained: 'I needed to hear about her work on this issue and where we all needed to focus our advocacy. The neglect we already face as women in health care is insane, and I can't stand by while laws are passed that limit our rights and freedom - from women's and LGBTQ+ rights, to access to education and immigration'

Raisa - who famously donated a kidney to pop star Selena Gomez in 2017 - has always wanted to become a mother and even froze and retrieved 28 eggs back in 2021
Jeremy Allen White gushed over his 'beautiful' and 'intuitive' co-star Ayo Edebiri after the actress made her directorial debut on their series The Bear.

The actor, 33, spoke about Ayo's talents as he attended the season three premiere in Los Angeles at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood on Wednesday.

He told Variety: 'It was the best. I wasn't acting in that first day of hers, I was on set just like hanging out... I can say she did a beautiful job.

'She's a beautiful actress and a very intuitive actress. And I think she's a very beautiful and intuitive director as well,' he added.

Jeremy portrays talented chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto and Ayo plays Sydney Adamu, his gifted protege.

Jeremy Allen White gushed about Ayo Edebiri making her directorial debut on their series The Bear on Wednesday while attending its season three premiere in Los Angeles

Ayo, 28, told Deadline about how she reacted emotionally to directing her first episode.

'I cried. It was written very beautifully,' Ayo said of the first time she read the script. 'I was just so moved by it and really really touched that Chris [Storer] had me in mind to direct it.'

'I could see it as soon as I read it,' Ayo added.

Ayo directed the sixth episode of season three titled Napkins.

Season three of The Bear premiered on Thursday on Hulu with all 10 episodes available for streaming.

Yet despite fans loving the pair's chemistry on the show, the pair recently denied that their characters were headed for romance.

When asked at a press conference on Monday if viewers could expect their characters professional relationship to turn romantic, Jeremy and Ayo both said 'no.'

'There was no talk in the rooms about any romantic implications [between Carmy and Sydney],' Jeremy said, according to Vanity Fair.

Jeremy portrays talented chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto and Ayo plays Sydney Adamu, his gifted protege in the comedy-drama

Jeremy and Ayo took home top honors at the 2024 Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Critics' Choice Awards and Emmys for their outstanding performances in the hit FX series.

Season three will once again follow Carmy, Sydney and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as the unlikely trio 'do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business.

'Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together,' the description from FX continued.

'Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we'll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow.'

Christopher Storer created The Bear and has written and directed the vast majority of its episodes.
The strain of Eamonn Holmes' split from wife Ruth Langsford could be starting to show, with the break up of TV's golden couple spilling into the public arena this week.

GB News star Eamonn sent a barbed message to his estranged wife at Tuesday's TRIC Awards, inferring to a crowd of their mutual friends and colleagues that he had been stabbed in the back.

A source has told MailOnline that 'Ruth took Eamonn's words as a dig at her. She found it unfair and hurtful,' adding that 'friends are worried this is going to get very nasty.'

Accepting the gong for best breakfast show at Tuesday's industry event, Eamonn told the audience: 'So I got two things in my back that I didn't want,' seemingly referring to both his recent operation and Ruth.

The strain of Eamonn Holmes ' split from wife Ruth Langsford is starting to show, with the break up of TV's golden couple spilling into the public arena this week

GB News star Eamonn sent a barbed message to his estranged wife at Tuesday's TRIC Awards, inferring to a crowd of their mutual friends and colleagues that he had been stabbed in the back (pictured in 2022)

He said: 'I think sometimes we [GB News presenters] all have imposter syndrome, why is, that sort of thing.

'I went for an operation a year and a half ago and it went wrong. So I got two things in my back that I didn't want, so why not, I'll happily accept this.'

Eamonn and Ruth, both 64, announced their plans to divorce last month after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together and Eamonn has since moved out of his marital home in Surrey.

The GB news star has had a tough year, and admitted at Tuesday's bash that he feels as though he is on 'borrowed time' because his father died at 65 of a fatal heart attack.

Eamonn was seen arriving at the awards in a wheelchair as he suffers from chronic back pain and is undergoing painful physio sessions.

Speaking in January he said the 'harsh reality' could be that he may never be able to walk alone again unaided.

Ruth meanwhile is said to be grappling with 'agonising guilt' over her extranged husband's health problems.

Eamonn made his first public appearance since news of his shock divorce at Tuesday's TRIC Awards and he shocked fans when he admitted he is on 'borrowed time'

Accepting the award for best breakfast show on Tuesday, the GB News presenter seemed to infer that he had been stabbed in the back and Charlotte Hawkins showed her support for her former Sky News co-host

A source has told MailOnline that 'Ruth took Eamonn's words as a dig at her. She found it unfair and hurtful' (pictured in 2022)

Claims have emerged that Ruth is torn between helping Eamonn and moving on with her life, with a source telling Bella magazine that Ruth feels 'terribly guilty' and seeing recent photos of her ex looking 'frail has been torture for her'.

'Even though she has every right to live her life and do what is right for her - she's convinced the public will see her as abandoning Eamonn in his time of need as he struggles with his health,' the insider explained this week.

Eamonn previously praised Ruth for her 'amazing' support after he suffered a fall down stairs of their home in November 2022.

In 2016, the star underwent a double-hip replacement operation lasting three-and-a-quarter hours after living with acute pain for many years.

Then in 2018 Eamonn detailed his battle with shingles and how he was struck with the virus on his son Declan's wedding day.

His years of chronic back pain started in spring 2021 - which came completely out of nowhere. The pain become so severe that it left him reliant on a walking stick, but soon found out the root cause.

Eamonn was seen arriving at the awards in a wheelchair and using a walker as he suffers from chronic back pain and is undergoing painful physio sessions

Claims have emerged that Ruth is torn between helping Eamonn and moving on with her life, with a source telling Bella magazine that Ruth feels 'terribly guilty' and seeing recent photos of her ex looking 'frail has been torture for her'

He eventually discovered it was three slipped discs that affected the movement of his right leg.

In September 2022, Eamonn was forced to step away from his GB news show as he underwent vital back surgery to aid his chronic back pain.

Then in November 2022 he endured a horrific accident which saw him fall down a set of stairs at his home in Surrey leading him to break his shoulder weeks after his huge spinal surgery.

Shortly before their splie Ruth said she 'lives in hope' that his mobility will improve.

Speaking to Woman's Weekly, Ruth said: 'I don't know how much Eamonn's mobility will improve. We live in hope.

'He does the physio, but there might have to be some acceptance that this might never be 100% right. With any care situation - and there are millions of carers in this country - it isn't always easy. It's testing but we manage as a family.'

Ruth added: 'I look at Eamonn, who's had his health and back problems, and it makes you realise how important your health is.'

Eamonn smiled at the awards as he supported himself with his aid walker

Discussing his woes at the beginning of the year, Eamonn himself said: 'It's as if somebody up there is playing with my life. In the past year I've had an operation on my back which went wrong and has confined me to a wheelchair.

'I've fallen and broken my shoulder. Honestly you could not make it up.'

He added: 'I have tried every treatment, but you go. Maybe I'll never get out of it,' which is a harsh reality to face.'

Eamonn admitted he didn't even know if he would be able to attend the annual TRIC Awards on Tuesday, however his new high tech equipment has allowed him to be more comfortable.

He arrived in a new wheelchair, telling the crowd it was full of 'gadgets', before leaving the venue with the help of walker.

Charlotte Hawkins showed her support for her former Sky News co-host at the bash, with the Good Morning Britain star seen hugging Eamonn as he sat in his wheelchair with his colleagues from GB News.

Charlotte Hawkins showed her support for her former Sky News co-host at the bash, with the Good Morning Britain star seen hugging Eamonn as he sat in his wheelchair

Onlookers watched as she giggled with a frail looking Eamonn, while placing her hand on his back during the event.

The pair, who hosted the Sunrise show together between 2007 and 2014, were seen chatting for several minutes.

One onlooker said: 'Charlotte looked really concerned for Eamonn, she went over from her own table to see him as it would have been pretty difficult for him to move.

'Charlotte appeared to be comforting him and checking he was okay. They were chatting and then had a bit of a giggle.'

His reunion with her comes just days after it emerged that he is being supported through his marriage split by blonde relationship counsellor Katie Alexander, 42, for the last 12 months.

While his pairing with Lisa is believed to be platonic, sources have told MailOnline that Katie is 'in love' with the broadcaster.

Katie, 42, is said to be 'smitten' with the presenter after supporting him during his turbulent split.

The divorcee and mother-of-three has grown close to the star after a 'string of outings' together, and has reportedly said she is 'in it for the long haul.'

Now, friends have told MailOnline that she and Eamonn are so close she's 'in love' with him.
Mia Freedman is set to demolish her lavish $13million Sydney home in an extravagant $4million rebuild project.

The co-founder of media company Mamamia, 52, and her husband Jason Lavigne first bought the Point Piper home overlooking Sydney Harbour back in 2020.

Just four years on, the couple have lodged plans to transform the five-bedroom home into a brand new dwelling, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The rebuild is said to have an estimated building cost of $3.9million and will be designed by Roth Architecture Workshop.

Mia and her husband Jason bought the sprawling 1910 home in the ritzy waterfront suburb for $12.75million, after it last sold for just $6.1million in 2013.

The luxury home boasts five bedrooms and four bathrooms and has lavish amenities including a 'Party Sized' cabana, a modern wet edge pool and a sauna.

The non-waterfront property has a prime location near the Royal Motor Yacht Club with picturesque views of Sydney Harbour.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mia for comment.

Mamamia founder Mia Freedman (pictured) is set to demolish her lavish $13million Sydney home in an extravagant $4million rebuild project

The co-founder of media company Mamamia, 52, first bought the Point Piper home overlooking Sydney Harbour in 2020 and has now lodged plans to make it into a new dwelling

The purchase came after a court ruled Mia and Jason were no longer entitled to live in the Bellevue Hill home they had moved into five years before with their three kids.

They had attempted to purchase the rented home in 2019 but the landlord withdrew the contract after a dispute over a leaking roof, resulting in the family moving out.

The family had a long connection with Bellevue Hill, having previously owned a $4.8million home in the same area.

Mia is best-known as editorial director of Mamamia, which describes itself as the country's largest digital media network for women.

She is also well-known for hosting the Mamamia Out Loud podcast with Holly Wainwright and Jessie Stephens.

The rebuild is said to have an estimated building cost of $3.9million and will be designed by Roth Architecture Workshop, according to reports (the home's modern kitchen is pictured)

The modern property features an open-plan living room area and a sprawling kitchen, while it has outdoor space overlooking the harbour

The luxury home boasts five bedrooms and four bathrooms and has lavish amenities including a 'Party Sized' cabana, a modern wet edge pool and a sauna

Her husband Jason is co-founder of the business and has long tended to the commercial side of the brand, which they co-founded in 2007.

Mia kickstarted her career at the age of 19 when she was hired as an intern at the now-defunct Cleo magazine.

She rose quickly through the ranks to become a fashion editor at the title, before becoming the editor of Cosmopolitan aged 24.
Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger resumed work on the long-awaited fourth film on Wednesday, joined with the young actors who will play her children in the upcoming sequel.

The actress, 55, is reprising her role as the unlucky-in-love chainsmoker in an adaptation of Helen Fielding's novel Mad About The Boy.

In the scenes, Renee was joined by the young actors who will play the son and daughter Bridget shares with husband Mark Darcy, who has died by the beginning of the film.

The movie is based on the novel of the same name as Bridget battles motherhood alone following the tragic death of Mark, who was played in the previous films by Colin Firth, 63.

She will also embark on a love affair with a much younger man named Rockstar, played by One Day star Leo Woodall, 27.

Bridget Jones star Renee Zellweger resumed work on the long-awaited fourth film on Wednesday, joined with the young actors who will play her children in the upcoming sequel

The actress is reprising her role as the unlucky-in-love chainsmoker in an adaptation of Helen Fielding's novel Mad About The Boy

In the scenes, Renee was joined by the young actors who will play the son and daughter Bridget shares with husband Mark Darcy, who has died by the beginning of the film

Renee showed off Bridget's kooky sense of style in a loose-fitting grey cardigan and a denim mini skirt, teamed with orange trainers and a yellow striped T-shirt.

The scenes showed the literary heroine and her children preparing to send balloons floating into the sky, with each appearing to include a message to Bridget's late husband Mark, judging by the M initial emblazoned on one envelope.

The return of Bridget's mini-skirt will no doubt remind fans of Bridget's exchange with Daniel in the original film, when the sexist love rat emailed her after spotting her in a very short garment.

He famously wrote: 'Where is skirt? Is skirt off sick?'

And she replied: 'Am appalled by message. Skirt is demonstrably neither sick nor absent. Appalled by management's blatantly size-ist attitude... to skirt. Suggest management sick, not skirt!'

He replied: 'If walking past office... was attempt to demonstrate presence of skirt... can only say that it has failed parlously. Cleave.'

She then hit back with: 'Shut up,please. I'm very busy and important. P.S. How dare you sexually harass me... in this impertinent manner.'

Daniel concluded: 'Mortified to have caused offense. Will avoid all non-P.C. overtones in future. Deeply apologetic. P.S. Like your t**s in that top.'

The most recent film, released in 2016, saw Bridget shocked when she found out she was pregnant. It ended with her marrying Mark, who was the father of the baby

The movie is based on the novel of the same name as Bridget battles motherhood alone following the tragic death of Mark, who was played in the previous films by Colin Firth

Fans will see Bridget struggling with the challenges of motherhood following her husband Mark's death, a move that was controversial when the book was first published

She will also embark on a love affair with a much younger man named Rockstar, played by One Day star Leo Woodall

Renee showed off Bridget's kooky sense of style in a loose-fitting grey cardigan and a denim mini skirt, teamed with orange trainers and a yellow striped T-shirt

The scenes showed the literary heroine and her children preparing to send balloons floating into the sky

Each balloon appeared to include a message to Bridget's late husband Mark, judging by the M initial emblazoned on one envelope

The return of Bridget's mini-skirt will no doubt remind fans of Bridget's exchange with Daniel in the original film, when the sexist love rat emailed her after spotting her in a very short garment

In the new film, Bridget enjoys a fling with Rockstar and PE teacher Mr Walker, as played by 12 Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor

Renee and Leo were spotted filming together on May 18 in hilarious scenes as Bridget got stuck up a tree in Hampstead Heath

One onlooker said: 'Leo and Renee looked like they were having a great time. There were lots of giggles, they seemed to get on really well'

Bridget Jones filming comes on the heels of sheer delight from fans after the announcement of the beloved character's return to the big screen

Renee first appeared as Bridget in 2001's Bridget Jones' Diary and returned in 2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and 2016's Bridget Jones' Baby

While the exchange was seen as somewhat cheeky and flirtatious at the time, it's now deemed to be rather sexist.

The Telegraph wrote: 'One of the "cancel worthy" aspects of the story is the relationship with Bridgets boss, Daniel Cleaver.

'Cleaver is objectively objectionable: a hard drinking sexual deviant who cheats on lovely Bridget (bad) and leaves her to attend the Alconburys Tarts and Vicars party alone (arguably even worse). But he's also (unfortunately) incredibly sexy.

'Some have said the relationship with Cleaver is sexual harassment because it starts in the work place and ends badly.'

In the new film, Bridget enjoys a fling with Rockstar and PE teacher Mr Walker, as played by 12 Years A Slave actor Chiwetel Ejiofor as well as reviving her on-off relationship with Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver.

Chiwetel, 46, was seen shooting scenes last week which means only Hugh and Colin Firth  who has a small role in the movie as the late Mark Darcy  are yet to be spotted in character.

Renee and Leo were spotted filming together on May 18 in hilarious scenes as Bridget got stuck up a tree in Hampstead Heath.

The movie was officially confirmed in May, with Renee and Hugh Grant's comebacks made official - after his love rat character Daniel Cleaver's death was falsified

The fourth movie in the franchise - based on the books by Helen Fielding - will be released by Universal film on US platform Peacock on Valentine's Day 2025

Bridget's creator Helen Fielding has also been spotted at the filming as she prepares to say goodbye to the much-loved character

It was revealed last month that Bridget's obsession with losing weight will be ' played down' in the film amid fears they might be a bad influence

One onlooker said: 'Leo and Renee looked like they were having a great time. There were lots of giggles, they seemed to get on really well.'

Bridget Jones filming comes on the heels of sheer delight from fans after the announcement of the beloved character's return to the big screen.

Renee first appeared as Bridget in 2001's Bridget Jones' Diary and returned in 2004's Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and 2016's Bridget Jones' Baby.

The movie was officially confirmed in May, with Renee and Hugh Grant's comebacks made official - after his love rat character Daniel Cleaver's death was falsified in 2016's third installment.

The fourth movie in the franchise - based on the books by Helen Fielding - will be released by Universal film on US platform Peacock on Valentine's Day 2025 while internationally, the flick will be released in cinemas.

Bridget's creator Helen Fielding has also been spotted at the filming as she prepares to say goodbye to the much-loved character.

It was revealed last month that Bridget's obsession with losing weight will be 'played down' in the film amid fears they might be a bad influence.
The release date for the third Downton Abbey film has been revealed as filming begins in Yorkshire.

The new movie will be released worldwide on September 12, 2025, with Universal Pictures UK confirming the news on Instagram.

The caption read: 'A new motion picture event. The third film in the beloved #DowntonAbbey franchise will be released only in cinemas September 12, 2025.'

Hugh Bonneville, Dominic West, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier are to return for the hotly-anticipated movie.

Downton Abbey 3 will be released worldwide on September 12, 2025, it has been announced

Joanne Froggatt - who confirmed this week she is pregnant with her first child - Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton, Lesley Nicol, Michael Fox, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sophie McShera, and Douglas Reith will also be back at Downton.

Last month, it was revealed Paul Giamatti will also be part of the cast.

The Oscar-nominee is to reprise his role from the TV series as Cora's brother Harold Levinson.

Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola and 'House of the Dragon' actors Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan are also expected to join the third film in the franchise.

Last week the cast looked in high spirits as they reunited to film scenes at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.

Plot details have so far remained under wraps about the upcoming motion picture, which is written by Julian Fellowes and produced by Gareth Neame, Fellowes and Liz Trubridge.

However it can be expected to follow 2022's A New Era, which ended in the late 1920s with the heartbreaking passing of Crawley matriarch, Lady Violet.

The third instalment was first let slip early by actress Imelda Staunton, who unashamedly announced that there would definitely be a 'third and final' film.

The ITV drama series debuted in 2010 and ran until 2015, with the first of the two films being released in 2019 (pictured)

Joanne Froggatt - who confirmed this week she is pregnant with her first child - is returning alongside Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery , Laura Carmichael and more

Joanne is pictured as Anna Bates with Brendan Coyle as Mr Bates in series two

It was later confirmed by the show runners, who announced that there would be a 'third film in the beloved Downton Abbey franchise'.

However, while producers have 'tried to reunite the cast' some stars will be unable to return.

A TV insider told The Sun: 'None of the cast members were guaranteed to return.

'Although the producers have tried to reunite most of the Downton stars, not all of them have been able to commit, even if they did appear in the first two films.'

In February, The Mail revealed the period drama would be making a surprise comeback for a seventh series.

Throughout the series, Downton was filmed at Highclere Castle, a Grade I listed country house in Newbury that instantly became a tourist trap as a result of the show's success

The release date was announced on Instagram with the caption - 'A new motion picture event. The third film in the beloved #DowntonAbbey franchise will be released only in cinemas September 12, 2025'

Bosses hoped to be able to bring back some of the big name actors who appeared in the previous six seasons and two movie spin-offs.

The return of the show, which covered the many societal changes and world events between 1912 and 1928, is expected to be on screen next year.

The hugely successful period drama started on ITV in 2011 and has spawned six seasons and two movies.

The first two films, released in 2019 and 2022, grossed a combined $287.3 million worldwide.
Jackie 'O' Henderson showed off her glamorous sense of style as she relaxed on a lavish boat trip on the last day of her Mykonos getaway.

The radio host, 49, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a gallery of snaps from the luxurious day out at sea on the Greek island with her best friend Gemma O'Neill.

She showed off her incredible figure in a form-fitting black mesh dress, which she bought for $299 from Muma World.

Jackie shielded her eyes with a pair of sunglasses from Vehla Eyewear and swept her golden tresses back into a ponytail to complete her look.

She then stripped down to a black swimsuit as she soaked up the rays on the luxury boat, snapping a selfie with Gemma.

Jackie and Gemma spent the last day of their Mykonos holiday on the boat trip as they prepare to wrap up their Greek getaway.

She captioned her post: 'Last day in Mykonos. Greece you well and truly have my heart (always).'

Jackie has been having the time of her life on the island, after she and Gemma jetted there from London on their epic European adventure.

Jackie 'O' Henderson showed off her glamorous sense of style as she relaxed on a lavish boat trip on the last day of her Mykonos getaway

The radio host, 49, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a gallery of snaps from the luxurious day out at sea on the Greek island with her best friend Gemma O'Neill

On Tuesday, Jackie even visited the world-famous Mykonos venue that shares her name, taking to Instagram to share snaps from the JackieO Beach Club.

She revealed that her fans have been sending her pictures of themselves partying at the club that shares her name for the past 15 years.

After almost two decades of hearing about the venue, Jackie finally paid a visit to her namesake and posed up a storm in front of the famous JackieO sign.

She cut a glamorous figure in a one-shouldered dress with a bright pink bodice and a blue pleated skirt as she made sure all eyes were on her.

Jackie then shared a series of videos of herself watching a drag performance at the gay bar as she gushed that the 'loves' the venue.

Jackie has been having the time of her life in Mykonos and even visited the famous Mykonos club that shares her name, taking to Instagram to share snaps from the JackieO Beach Club

After almost two decades of hearing about the iconic venue, Jackie finally paid a visit to her namesake and posed up a storm in front of the famous JackieO signs with Pip

In Mykonos, Jackie was believed to have stayed at the luxury Soho Roc House, which can cost up to $2,000-a-night.

The members-only hotel sits on the beach and boasts a range of five-star amenities, including a fully-stocked minibar with top shelf beverages and Egyptian cotton sheets.

Each room also has a rainforest shower, Nespresso machine and a range of expensive beauty products.

The venue is owned by the prestigious Soho House group, which has a string of A-list members including Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner and Ellie Goulding.
Emotional Kate Garraway struggled to hold back her tears during a heartbreaking interview on Good Morning Britain on Thursday.

The presenter, 57, became visibly upset while she spoke to the parents of a teenager who had been killed at a party in one upsetting segment of the show.

Kate and co-host Rob Rinder, 46, conducted the interview on the ITV programme, as they welcomed Tara and Martin Cosser to the studio, whose son Charlie Cosser had tragically died last year aged 17 after being stabbed at a gathering in West Sussex.

The brave parents are now campaigning for tougher knife crime laws and father Martin said he has already 'done a number of talks' at schools.

Kate asked: 'And your own grief, you know the centre of that sort of stone that ripples out ... people react in different ways. How have you tried to manage the last year and what do you want people to know about how hard it is, really?'

Emotional Kate Garraway struggled to hold back her tears during a heartbreaking interview on Good Morning Britain on Thursday

The presenters welcomed Tara and Martin Cosser to the studio (pictured above), whose son Charlie Cosser had tragically died last year aged 17 after being stabbed

Tara explained: 'Martin and I grieve in very different ways. I feel comfort ... well, not comfort ... but I want to be at home.

'You know that's where Charlie was, all my memories. That's too painful for Martin - he wants to escape. So you know we don't actually spend a huge [amount] of time together in the house.

'It's just a very, very lonely place because no one can possibly understand unless you've been through this.'

Rob went on to ask whether the parents still 'feel' that Charlie is there and whether there is 'still a connection like you want to go to your phone'.

Tara replied: 'Absolutely. I still send him a message every morning to tell him I love him,' with Martin adding: 'I still open his door to see... I know he's not there but honestly it's so hard to ... I don't think even now knowing ... the way our life is now [...] it's all so crazy!'

Reflecting, Kate, who is sadly familiar with grief herself after her husband Derek Draper died in January, said: 'It doesn't feel real,' and seemed to wipe her eye as she got emotional.

In a heartbreaking final message on the show, Martin issued guidance to young people who carry knives:

'My message is it doesn't matter what your background is, it doesn't matter where you live - working class, affluent area. Everybody has a choice.

Reflecting, Kate, who is sadly familiar with grief herself after her husband Derek Draper died in January, said: 'It doesn't feel real,' and seemed to wipe her eye as she got emotional

Charlie Cosser (pictured), 17, was stabbed three times in the chest at an end-of-term summer party at a 1.5 million farmhouse estate in Warnham, West Sussex, after a fight broke out

The presenter, 57, became visibly emotional while she spoke to the parents (pictured in May 2024)

'When you make the choice to take a knife out and plunge it into an innocent human being and take their life, death is final. We have a life sentence.

'We were a normal family - a kind, happy family. Charlie was a normal boy and it has destroyed our world because someone made that choice.'

Kate, who seemed to choke back tears during the episode, is no stranger to grieving as her husband Derek Draper died aged 56 on January 3 following a long battle with COVID-19.

Derek was amongst the first wave of people to fall seriously ill with COVID-19 in the United Kingdom after testing positive as the country entered lockdown in March 2020.

He was one of the country's longest suffering COVID patients but never fully recovered and needed round-the-clock care after the virus left long-lasting damage to his internal organs.

Broadcaster Kate has spoken candidly about losing her husband and has also opened up about her perilous financial state, caused by spending so much on his care.

Kate has been hit with a 32,000 bill from liquidators for closing Derek's psychotherapy company after being crippled by a 700,000 tax bill.

She has been ordered to pay the 32,000 flat fee as well as 40 per cent of assets recovered from psychotherapeutic company Astra Aspera.

Kate, who seemed to choke back tears during the episode, is no stranger to grieving as her husband Derek Draper died aged 56 on January 3 following a long battle with COVID-19

Derek was amongst the first wave of people to fall seriously ill with COVID-19 in the United Kingdom after testing positive as the country entered lockdown in March 2020

She recently paid tribute to her late husband again online after visiting his grave with her children on their first Father's Day since his death

Kate has already been left 1.5million in debt from the cost of Derek's care and money owed to the taxman.

Now the liquidators are investigating the possibility of any other assets which could be used to pay off company debts, The Sun reported.

Kate previously revealed she resorted to withdrawing money from her pension pot to pay the huge bills from Derek's medical care.

In an ITV documentary in April, the star admitted she couldn't even afford to have the heating on in October.

She recently paid tribute to her late husband again online after visiting his grave with her children on their first Father's Day since his death.

Sharing a previously unseen photo of herself and Derek with their children, Darcey, 18, and Billy, 14, the Good Morning Britain presenter revealed the day began with a visit to the cemetery.

She wrote: 'So yesterday was one of those days the kids & I knew would be tough. The day when everyone wants to celebrate their daddy.

'We started by visiting Dereks grave early - and talked about all the amazing things we loved about him, the daft things he did to make us laugh and all the things he has given us that well never forget.'
Jodie Turner-Smith and Marisa Abela led the glamour at the very star-studded Harrys Bar party in London on Wednesday night.

The upmarket venue in Mayfair was celebrating its 45th anniversary and VIP guests included Bianca Jagger, Sam Claflin, as well as Richard and Patricia Caring.

Featuring a special performance by the king of Dolce Vita, Alessandro Ristori & The Portofinos returned to the Club to create an unforgettable evening.

Jodie, 37, looked incredible wearing a white David Koma dress which had a stunning thigh-split, wearing a shawl made from ostrich feathers around her arms.

Star of the Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, Marisa, 27, was also in attendance.

Jodie Turner-Smith looked incredible in a white David Koma thigh-split dress and feathers at a very star-studded Harry's Bar party in Mayfair, London on Wednesday

Star of the Amy Winehouse biopic, Back To Black, Marisa, 27, was also in attendance and looked stunning in a simple black dress

Jodie, 37, looked incredible wearing a shawl made from ostrich feathers around her arms

Marisa and Jodie appeared to be getting on well as they were pictured posing alongside one another for photos

She wore a simple long black dress with barely there sandals.

Marisa and Jodie appeared to be getting on well as they were pictured posing alongside one another for photos.

Bianca, 79, wore a long black lace dress with a statement red necklace and ASAm , 38, wore a blue blazer over a white T-shirt and black trousers.

Guest drank special cocktails prepared by Tanqueray No.TEN, including a Harrys 45, which featured Tanqueray No.TEN, Aperol, Carpano Antica Formula, and Averna.

Founded in 1979, Harrys Bar quickly became and continues to be one of London's most exclusive Private Members' clubs.

The likes of King Charles III, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Beyonce, Dame Anna Wintour, Dame Joan Collins and Kate Moss have all attended events there.

Sinatra famously flew in from New York for the night, dashed to Harrys Bar from the airport, changed into his tuxedo in the chefs office, had dinner, then made it to Annabels just in time for a show.

Bianca Jagger, 79, wore a long black lace dress with a statement red necklace

Sam Claflin , 38, wore a blue blazer over a white T-shirt and black trousers
Call The Midwife star Helen George has been spotted filming scenes for series 14 for the first time, after her on-screen husband Olly Rix was written out of the BBC show.

The actress, 40, who has played Nurse Trixie Franklin since the show's inception in 2012, transformed into the heroic midwife as the series steps closer to the 1970s.

As well as sporting her character's nurse uniform, Helen showed Trixie's chic sense of style as a snazzy new fashion decade dawns, dressed in an ivory satin shirt and a green printed skirt.

Call The Midwife's 14th series will begin with a festive special on Christmas Day before airing its full run of eight episodes in January 2025.

The 13th series ended with Trixie opting to join her husband Matthew after he travelled to New York.

Call The Midwife star Helen George has been spotted filming scenes for series 14 for the first time, after her on-screen husband Olly Rix was written out of the BBC show

The actress, who has played Nurse Trixie Franklin since the show's inception in 2012, transformed into the heroic midwife as the series steps closer to the 1970s

Helen was dressed in her character's famous nurse uniform as she filmed new scenes for the show's upcoming 14th series

However, after it was reported that actor Olly Rix had been written out of the series, it appears that Trixie will return to Poplar in future episodes, without her husband.

On Saturday it was reported that Helen and Olly have 'drifted apart' after leaning on each other for support following their splits from their respective partners.

It was revealed that Helen had split from her partner Jack Ashton in July 2023 after seven years together, whilst Olly separated from his girlfriend Natasha Fagri at a similar time.

In October she was snapped leaving Olly's home which sparked rumours of a growing connection between the pair.

Now it seems Olly has unfollowed Helen on Instagram, although she still follows him.

A source told The Sun on Sunday: 'They were there for each other in the wake of their splits.

'But it seems they are no longer close and have made this clear by removing each other on social media.

'Olly even went one step further and deleted a picture of him and Helen from Instagram.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for both Helen George and Olly Rix for comment.

Helen showed Trixie's chic sense of style as a snazzy new fashion decade dawns, dressed in an ivory satin shirt and a green printed skirt

Call The Midwife's 14th series will begin with a festive special on Christmas Day before airing its full run of eight episodes in January 2025

The 13th series ended with Trixie opting to join her husband Matthew after he travelled to New York, and she struggled to cope in his absence

However, after it was reported that actor Olly Rix had been written out of the series, it appears that Trixie will return to Poplar in future episodes, without her husband

On Saturday it was reported that Helen and Olly have 'drifted apart' after leaning on each other for support following their splits from their respective partners (pictured in character)

In October she was snapped leaving Olly's home which sparked rumours of a growing connection between the pair

Now it seems Olly has unfollowed Helen on Instagram, although she still follows him

Olly split from Natasha after seven years together in July after allegedly drifting apart due to work commitments (pictured together)

Meanwhile, Helen split from her partner Jack Ashton the same month, after they first met on the set of Call The Midwife seven years prior (pictured together in 2022)

Olly was seen reuniting with his ex Natasha at a Notting Hill cafe in November, four months after it was revealed they had split.

The actor was pictured with his ex-girlfriend at the west London spot, just days after his on-screen wife Helen was spotted leaving his house.

The former couple, who split in July after seven years together, put on an amicable display as they greeted each other with a hug and chatted inside the cafe.

Olly left their meeting alone, holding a takeaway coffee in his hand and listening to his Apple AirPods. It is unclear whether Olly and Natasha had arranged to meet or if they had bumped into each other by coincidence.

It came after Helen was snapped leaving Olly's home in October, sparking rumours of a growing connection following their recent breakups.

They were said to be supporting each other as they navigate through their heartbreak.

Olly was spotted outside his home before returning with two coffees, with Helen emerging a few hours later.

An onlooker told The Sun on Sunday how Olly 'looked relaxed' and when Helen left the premises, she looked a 'little dishevelled'.

The sightings have fuelled speculation about a budding bond between the two co-stars who share a close connection, despite Olly's character reportedly being written out of the show.

An insider said: 'It's been a tricky year for both Helen and Olly. They have been spending a lot of time together on set, walking their dogs together and chatting a lot.

'They both have respect for each other as actors and they are supportive of each other and dedicated to their roles on the drama. The changes in their relationships have caused a lot of upheaval.'

A spokesperson for Helen said: 'Yes, she went to visit a friend for a cup of tea - like all friends do - and as we have always said, there is nothing more to this.'

Mail Online contacted Olly's representatives for further comment.

Olly split from his makeup artist girlfriend Natasha after seven years together in July after allegedly drifting apart due to work commitments.

Meanwhile, Helen split from her partner Jack Ashton the same month, after they first met on the set of Call The Midwife seven years prior.

A year later, they welcomed their first child Wren, before their second daughter Lark was born in November 2021.
A host of international stars descended on the French capital for another day of Paris Fashion Week presentations on Thursday, but it was Calista Flockhart claimed the spotlight, and rightly so.

The actress, 59, best known for her role as quirky lawyer Ally McBeal, looked incredible in a sweeping black strapless jumpsuit as she attended the Ashi Studio Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2024-2025 presentation.

Flockhart, who attended the event without husband Harrison Ford, completed the look with a matching sheer cape, while her tousled hair was neatly styled with a conventional side-parting.

She was joined by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, who looked worlds away from her tomboyish character Max Mayfield in a cropped powder pink top and matching pleated trousers.

The actress, 22, offset the ensemble with a pair of distinctive white square-cut heels, while blood red lipstick added an extra splash of colour.

Left to right: Calista Flockhart, Sadie Sink and Michelle Williams led the glamour as Ashi Studio unveiled their latest collection at Paris fashion Week on Thursday

Meanwhile Michelle Williams caught the eye in a sleeveless A-line dress with a floor-length train as she made her way inside.

The American star, 43, rounded off the minimal look with a pair of matching heels, while her bobbed blonde hair was swept away from her face.

Actor Tom Hollander was also in attendance as Saudi Arabian designer Mohammed Ashi unveiled his latest collection in the French capital.

The British star, 56, was dwarfed by statuesque partner Fran Hickman while posing for photos before the event got underway.

Elsewhere Christina Milian, 42, ensured she claimed her own share of the spotlight in a layered white minidress and matching strappy heels.

Flockhart's appearance in Paris comes after she admitted to 'feeling like she was on trial' after being dogged by rumours that she had anorexia while starring in Ally McBeal.

Despite winning a Golden Globe for her performance, the actress says she faced a wave of criticism and was accused of being 'anti-feminist' for wearing short skirts while playing the high-flying Boston lawyer.

In an interview with The Sunday Times' Style magazine, Flockhart admitted it was 'bizarre' being repeatedly questioned about her weight while starring in the show.

Flockhart, best known for her role as quirky lawyer Ally McBeal, looked incredible in a sweeping black strapless jumpsuit as she attended the show on Thursday morning

British actor Tom Hollander (L) and American singer Christina Milian (R) were also in attendance as the event got underway

Stranger Things star Sadie looked worlds away from her tomboyish character Max Mayfield in a cropped powder pink top and matching pleated trousers

Models present creations by Ashi Studio during the Haute-Couture Fall-Winter 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week

The lights were dimmed for added drama as the event got underway on Thursday morning

Michelle caught the eye in a sleeveless A-line dress with a floor-length train as she made her way inside

Left to right: Calista Flockhart, Sadie Sink and Michelle Williams sat side-by-side at the event

Brazilian actress and influencer Gessica Kayane (left) and Filipino actress Heart Evangelista (right) were also in attendance

The presentation gave onlookers a first look at Ashi Studio's latest seasonal creations

Left to right: Valentina Ferragni, Leonie Hanne and Gessica Kayan attended the event in Paris on Thursday

Christina posed for a photo as she settled into he front row seat ahead of the fashion show

She said: 'We started out creating something really special. And then we had to share it, and that's when everything went to s**t...

'I felt like I was on trial for something. It was bizarre.'

In the same interview, Flockhart also offered rare insight into her marriage to Harrison Ford, admitting that when they first met she thought he was 'lascivious old man.'

She admitted she was initially underwhelmed 'because I had never seen Star Wars, which I know sounds really crazy. But I grew up in a small town without movie theatre.

'I was aware of who Harrison Ford was! But I didn't think, ''Oh this is Indiana Jones.'' It was more along the lines of, ''This is some lascivious old man and what is he doing at our table?'' I was being a smarta*s.'

Flockhart, who attended the event without husband Harrison Ford , completed the look with a matching sheer cape, while her tousled hair was neatly styled with a side-parting
Tom Hollander made a rare appearance with his fiancee Fran Hickman as they attended the Ashi show during Paris' Haute Couture Fashion Week on Thursday.

The star of The Night Manager, 56, opted for a suave grey look while posing for snaps with his interior designer bride-to-be, 40, after the couple recently welcomed their first child together.

Francesca, who works as an interior designer, matched Tom in a smart grey blazer and a black frilled dress.

In August 2023 it was revealed that Tom was set to become a father for the first time at the age of 56.

The Mail On Sunday reported at the time that he was 'beyond thrilled' to be expecting his first child with Fran, after the couple rekindled their romance during lockdown.

Tom Hollander, 56, made a rare appearance with his fiancee Fran Hickman, 40, as they attended the Ashi show during Paris' Haute Couture Fashion Week on Thursday

Their news comes after they got back together during lockdown, ten years after they called off their engagement in 2010.

At the time their baby news was revealed, Tom and Fran were seen enjoying lunch near his home in Notting Hill, West London.

Fran was dressed in a checked shirt, leggings and a pair of white plimsolls, and her bump was clearly visible.

One onlooker said: 'They looked very much like the happy couple. Tom was seen putting his arms around Fran quite a lot.'

In September, Tom appeared to be taking fatherhood in his stride, as he was pictured with his new baby for the first time while heading out for lunch.

Fran moved into Tom's 2million flat during the pandemic and friends say 'she never left'.

In 2021 Tom, whose 5ft 4in height earned him the nickname 'sex thimble', was seen having dinner with Fran at Mayfair restaurant Scott's.

Tom, who has branded himself a 'lazy actor' in the past, had previously spoken about wanting children.

The star of The Night Manager, 56, opted for a suave grey look while posing for snaps with his interior designer bride-to-be, 40, after the couple recently welcomed their first child together

Tom, who has branded himself a 'lazy actor' in the past, had previously spoken about wanting children

In August, it was first revealed that Tom was set to become a dad for the first time, after Fran was pictured with a noticeable baby bump

In September, Tom appeared to be taking fatherhood in his stride, as he was pictured with his new baby for the first time while heading out for lunch

In a 2011 interview, he admitted: 'I'd love to be a dad, it's just that I've not managed to sort it out.'

Asked whether he was keen to settle down, he added: 'Yes, of course. And I do occasionally think, 'How have I managed not to settle down when I came from such a settled-down family?'

During his time apart from Fran, Mr Hollander dated film-maker Jemima Goldsmith in 2013, but that ended and she later dated comedian Russell Brand.

And in the early 2000s he had a relationship with fashion designer and former model Daphne Guinness  the daughter of peer and businessman Jonathan Guinness.

Tom gave a candid insight into his life in 2020, when an article he wrote for The Sunday Times went viral, just after he and Fran got back together.

He was lauded for his honest confessions, including night trips to the loo. He wrote: 'I wake at 3 or 4am. Not because I'm like Mrs Thatcher, but because I need to pee. I pee in the darkness using my phone screen to illuminate the target.'
He soared to fame as P.C Will Fletcher in the Noughties.

And Gary Lucy reprised his famous role this week as he slipped back into a policeman's uniform for an Instagram post on Thursday.

The actor, 42, sent fans wild as he adopted the role of a rank and file officer policing the streets of London in a short video clip, that saw him make the decision to jump ship and head overseas - with the lure of better weather and better pay prompting him to sign up to a new life in Perth.

While ITV axed The Bill in 2010, following reports of a reboot, fans were quick to ask if the police drama would be returning in an Australian setting.

They penned: 'Australian the bill maybe'; 'Is this a hint that The Bill is coming back or am I reading too much into this'; 'I bloody hope so!!'; 'Havent seen Gary in a Police uniform for at least 15 years'; 'Oooh, seeing Gary Lucy in a policeman's uniform.'

Gary Lucy sends fans wild as he hinted at an Australian reboot of The Bill with an Instagram post on Thursday 14 years after it was axed in the UK

Gary soared to fame as P.C Will Fletcher in the Noughties, a role he played for five years until 2010

Yet unfortunately for fans, all wasn't as it seemed, as the actor revealed he had forces with the Western Australia Police Force as part of their plan to recruit more British bobbies.

Gary captioned the clip: 'New role for a new police force who fancies heading Down Under?

'If it works for the real UK coppers leaving for better weather and better pay, I can see why this coppers tempted! @wa_police anything he should pack?'

The real-life campaign from the Western Australia Police Force has seen more than 1,900 international applications to join their police force - the vast majority of which are UK coppers, tempted by the lure of a life in the sun.

While that may be good news for any British policemen who want to emigrate, it wasn't the update The Bill fans have been hoping for.

In 2022 it was reported that The Bill was on track for a mammoth return to television screens over a decade since it last aired.

The popular ITV police procedural television series aired from August 1983 to August 2010, racking up an astonishing 2,425 episodes.

The show followed the lives of the employees working at the fictional Sun Hill station in East London.

Fans of the highly-acclaimed show have been waiting for a double whammy, after The Sun claimed there were not one, but two reboots in the pipeline.

The actor, 42, sent fans wild as he adopted the role of a rank and file officer policing the streets of London in a short video clip, that saw him make the decision to jump ship and head overseas

While ITV axed The Bill in 2010, following reports of a reboot, fans were quick to ask if the police drama would be returning in an Australian setting

Yet unfortunately for fans, all wasn't as it seemed, as the actor revealed he had forces with the Western Australia Police Force as part of their plan to recruit more British bobbies

In July 2021, it was understood that cast members from the original show, Graham Cole, Trudie Goodwin and Mark Wingett, were approached by writer Simon Sansome who had allegedly acquired the rights to the original series.

Mark, 63, played DC Jim Carver while Graham, 72, was PC Tony Stamp on the show and Trudie, 72, had the role of Sgt June Ackland.

An insider has since told the publication that UKTV was in the early stages of developing a new version of the show.

They said: 'In the minds of many producers and execs, The Bill is a drama which is just sitting, waiting, to be rebooted.

'It's a simple format but one which attracted a loyal army of followers who would be delighted to see it return.

'No doubt any new incarnation would be tweaked to make it attract a whole new generation to the show.'

Throughout its 26-year run, The Bill also saw a host of famous faces guest star with many appearing on the series before their big Hollywood breaks.

Among those who have appeared on the show are Emma Bunton, James McAvoy, Russell Brand and Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt.

In April 2020, Trudie, Mark and Graham joined Eric Richard and Chris Ellison on a virtual reunion from COVID-19 lockdown.

In 2022 it was reported that The Bill was on track for a mammoth return to television screens over a decade since it last aired(L-R Ben Roberts as Chief Inspector Conway, Jane Wall as PC Worrell and Colin Tarrant as Inspector Monroe in 1999)

The cast started the call 'in the slammer' with prison bars as their backgrounds before changing to pictures of Sun Hill and images of themselves from back in the day as they reminisced.

Chris, who played DI Frank Burnside, recalled shooting car scenes 'with our trousers off, not because we were too hot, just bored,' while Mark remembered the 'belly laughing'.

Graham joked that Keira Knightley 'never phoned' after he worked with her on one of her first-ever TV episodes.

She appeared on the show in 1995 when she was just 10 years old.
Carl Barron has splashed out a huge $1.8million on a luxury Southern Highlands property that used to be a potato farm.

The stand-up comedian, 60, has bought an eco-friendly and solar-passive home in Mount Murray, near the Macquarie Pass National Park, according to realestate.com.

The quirky property has an interesting history as it sits on 3.6 hectares of land that used to be a potato farm, before being turned into a house four decades ago.

The basalt stone home was built by environmentalists Helen and David Tranter and boasts four bedrooms across two floors.

It has very unique features including dark slate floors which mediate the temperature of the house, keeping it warm in winter and cooler in summer.

The house also boasts amenities including a Rayburn stove and fireplace, while it also has solar panels fixed on to the slanting roof.

Carl is said to also own another 8 hectares of land in the same area, which he bought for $1.75million back in 2017.

When he's not touring, Barron spends most of his time in the NSW Southern Highlands, south of Sydney, but also boasts other lavish properties in the city.

Carl Barron (pictured) has splashed out a huge $1.8million on a luxury property that used to be a potato farm

The stand-up comedian, 60, has bought an eco-friendly and solar-passive home in Mount Murray, near the Macquarie Pass National Park, according to realestate.com

The funnyman - who was born in Longreach, Queensland - owns a $6.75million terrace house in Paddington after snapping it up last year.

He relocated to the area from Darling Point, where he had bought a penthouse for $4.7million in 2020 before reportedly going on to sell it for $6million.

The harbourside penthouse was said to have been previously owned by Jamey Colbert, the chief executive of kitchen appliances company Eurolinx.

Just a year earlier in 2019, Carl also sold his luxury $5.5million apartment in Potts Point, one of Sydney's most-sought after locations.

The quirky property has an interesting history as it sits on 3.6 hectares of land that used to be a potato farm, before being turned into a house four decades ago

The house boasts amenities including a Rayburn stove and fireplace, while it also has solar panels fixed on to the slanting roof

It has other very unique features including dark slate floors which mediate the temperature of the house, keeping it warm in winter and cooler in summer

The unit's selling points included 270-degree views of the CBD, Opera House, Bridge and Sydney Harbour, bow-fronted open sunroom area and a flexible floorplan opening to two private alfresco balconies.

It was also an entertainers' dream with a separate dining room, gourmet entertaining kitchen with European appliances and stone benchtops.

Carl is well-known for being one of Australia's most popular funnymen for more than two decades, and is set to head to the UK for his latest tour in October.
Tamara Ecclestone is celebrating her 40th in style, chartering a yacht in Ibiza to party with her famous family.

The heiress was spotted boarding the luxury vessel on Thursday, the day before her milestone birthday, alongside husband Jay Rutland, sister Petra and their father Bernie.

Carrying her youngest daughter Serena in her arms, Tamara lookerd gorgeous in a bright pink and yellow kaftan as the group left a restaurant onshore and headed out to their yacht.

Her younger sister Petra, 35, dressed for the heat in a pale blue mini skirt and white vest top as she headed to a waiting dinghy with husband Sam Palmer.

Tamara Ecclestone is celebrating her 40th in style, chartering a yacht in Ibiza to party with her famous family

The heiress was spotted boarding the luxury vessel on Thursday, the day before her milestone birthday, alongside husband Jay Rutland, sister Petra and Petra's son

Tamara and Petra's father Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief executive of the F1 group who has an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion, also joined the fun.

The 93-year-old mogul was seen being helped on board the boat by his wife Fabiana Flosi, 47.

Tamara's husband Jay Rutland and their two daughters Sophia, 10, and Serena, three, along with Petra's four children Lavinia, eight, twin boys James and Andrew, six and Millie, three, looked in great spirits as they enjoyed the family day.

Bernie and Fabiana's son Ace, three, was also spotted, while a team of nannies were on hand to help out with the kids.

Tamara has form for lavish celebrations, whisking her family away to the Maldives for Jay's 40th back in 2021.

The birthday trip is a rare chance for the family to all be together, with Tamara often talking about how much she misses her sister Petra, who lives in Los Angeles.

Petra and husband Sam tied the knot in July 2022, enjoying a lavish ceremony at Petra's 170 million London mansion, but now live together in the states with their children.

Tamara meanwhile has been married to art dealer Jay since 2013 and together with their daughters reside in a 70million London mansion.

Last week Petra told The Times magazine how she stays connected to her sister, admitting that she is her lifeline in her somewhat lonely life in LA:

Tamara and Petra's father Bernie Ecclestone also joined the fun. The 93-year-old mogul was seen being helped on board the boat by his wife Fabiana Flosi, 47

Tamara's two daughters Sophia, 10, and Serena, three, along with Petra's four children Lavinia, eight, twin boys James and Andrew, six and Millie, three and Bernie and Fabiana's son Ace, three, were also spotted

'I miss my friends and family [in the UK]. But it's just more calm here. I like the slower pace, the early nights, the outdoor activities, the sunshine. And I feel less judged,' Petra explained.

'The hard part is that we don't have great friends. I haven't really clicked with anyone. They just flake a lot. Everything is so surface. Sam meets more people. He's a lot more outgoing and friendly.'

'I have Sam and I speak to my sister [Tamara] about 100 times a day.'

Petra and Tamara's mother is Bernie's second wife Slavica Radic. Bernie is also father to Deborah, 68, who he welcomed with first wife Ivy Bamford.

Bernie married his wife Fabiana, 46, in 2012.

He is the former Chief Executive of the Formula One Group and former co-owner of Queens Park Rangers.

Carrying her youngest daughter Serena in her arms, Tamara lookerd gorgeous in a bright pink and yellow kaftan as the group left a restaurant onshore and headed out to their yacht

Her younger sister Petra, 35, dressed for the heat in a pale blue mini skirt and white vest top as she headed to a dinghy

Nannies were on hand to help out with the children as the group headed to their yacht

93-year old Bernie was helped to to his awaiting dinghy ride by his wife

Tamara led the way as the group started the celebrations for her 40th on June 28
Kelly Bensimon's devastated fiance Scott Litner is still hopeful that the pair will tie the knot claim insiders - who say he refused to sign a prenuptial agreement because he felt it would reduce their union to a 'business deal.'

Fans were stunned this week when the Real Housewives of New York alum  who previously said she wanted a 'sexy' and 'unique' wedding dress  called off her nuptials just four days before she was set to walk down the aisle.

The reality TV personality, 56, has since revealed that her decision was due to Scott's refusal to sign a prenup, which she called 'the ultimate red flag.'

But Scott reportedly believes this is an 'excuse.'

'Scott still wants to marry Kelly and though it will not happen in a few days as originally expected, he believes they can get back to a place where it does happen,' a source told DailyMail.com.

Kelly Bensimon's devastated fiance Scott Litner is still hopeful that the pair will still tie the knot, sources have claimed

The Real Housewives of New York alum, 56, called off her wedding just four days before she was set to walk down the aisle in an intimate ceremony

'He is upset for a multitude of reasons. So many wheels were in motion for the wedding, it was going to be a very special day and now that isn't happening.'

They continued: 'Though Kelly mentioned the reason being the lack of a prenup, Scott feels that is just an excuse and that it had to be something else.

'He is looking to figure out where it went wrong and is looking to right any of this.

'Scott didn't want a prenup because he considers himself more traditional, and having a prenup makes it feel to him that you are already putting a damper on a lifelong relationship. He didn't want to make the marriage a business deal.'

The insider explained that those closest to Scott and Kelly had been left stunned by the recent turn of events.

'Friends were actually surprised and thought everything was going well with the two,' the source explained. 'So for any type of strain in their relationship that may have been going on, friends didn't see this coming at all.'

Mother-of-two Kelly originally announced that she was calling off her wedding in a statement shared with Page Six on Tuesday.

'I have decided that my two daughters are my priority and I won't be moving forward with this wedding,' the note said.

Kelly and Scott were supposed to have two ceremonies - a backyard wedding and a large party in the Hamptons - but Scott refused to sign a prenup because he's 'old-fashioned'

Scott proposed in July 2023 with a large five-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring that was custom made by New York City jeweler Material Good

A source close to Kelly then told People that she is now taking time to focus on herself.

Just one day later, she told Us Weekly: 'I haven't come this far in business and life to start making poor decisions because of a man.

'He of all people should have understood the need to protect each other before we tied the knot. I'm truly shocked he refused a prenup.'

The reality star, who has a reported net worth of $10million, said that Scott, who is a wealth advisor, 'thought that I would enter this union without legal protections in place, that I would leave everything to faith.'

The reality television personality and financier had been preparing for an intimate June 29 ceremony.

'I have decided that my two daughters are my priority and I wont be moving forward with this wedding,' Kelly shared in a statement (pictured with daughters, Sea, 26, and Teddy, 23)

Kelly and Scott were supposed to have two ceremonies  a backyard wedding in Boston for their closest loved ones followed by a larger party in the Hamptons.

The couple got engaged last summer over Fourth of July weekend, when the financier popped the question on a trip to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she vacationed as a child.

Kelly was famously previously married to Gilles Bensimon, the famed photographer, from 1997 to 2006 and they share daughters Sea, 26, and Teddy, 23.

Meanwhile, Scott has been married twice and also has children.

The businessman proposed on a speedboat while she was clad in a bikini, catching her completely off guard.

'Scott proposed to me, literally in Wisconsin near where I was raised,' she told DailyMail.com. 'I was raised in Rockford, Illinois, and he proposed to me in Lake Geneva Wisconsin.'
Vicky Pattison has revealed that her upcoming wedding to Ercan Ramadan will be filmed for a two-part special on E4.

Taking to Instagram to share more snaps from their 'Sten' parties last month, the Geordie Shore star, 36, announced that cameras would be on hand to record her special day when she exchanges vows with Ercan in Italy later this year.

Vicky and Ercan celebrated their impending nuptials with joint stag and hen parties in Dubai, with the star slipping into a bridal white bikini for the celebrations.

Other snaps showed the happy couple heading out for the evening, with Vicky showcasing her incredible figure in a white mini dress.

Things kicked off with a white party on a yacht, during which the couple, who became engaged in February 2022, were joined by a host of friends and family, including Vicky's mum Carol and her friend Gavin Foord.

Vicky Pattison has revealed that her upcoming wedding to Ercan Ramadan will be filmed for a two-part special on E4, as she shared more snaps from their lavish 'Sten' party in Dubai

The Geordie Shore star announced that cameras would be on hand to record her special day when she exchanges vows with Ercan in Italy later this year

She ensured she had all the trimmings of a modern day hen do, including personalised glasses and a veil adorned with Mrs Patti-Ran-to be.

Announcing plans for her wedding to hit the small screen, Vicky captioned her post: 'THE NEWS IS FINALLY OUT!!!!! We're getting married AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!!!! (Well to watch on @e4grams)

'WE'RE MAKING A WEDDING SHOW!! @ercan_ram and I are super excited to share our journey with @e4grams!!! No doubt there'll be tears, tantrums and tense moments over table plans! (And that's just Ercky turkey).

'But ultimately, we can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives surrounded by our incredible friends and family- and it just wouldn't be the same without you guys along for the ride... the people who've supported me when it looked like I was never going to get my happily ever after...

'I can't wait for you all to see it! Are you excited to watch?'

In the two-part reality special premiering on E4, Vicky Pattison: Destination Wedding will follow Vicky through the emotional rollercoaster as she prepares for her vows with Ercan.

With the support of their family and friends, the couple plan for an Italian wedding celebration sure to be packed with the lavish style of Vicky's dreams, and a guestlist peppered with some familiar friends.

Speaking about the news, Vicky added: 'Ercan and I are super excited to share our journey with E4 viewers.

Vicky and Ercan celebrated their impending nuptials with joint stag and hen parties in Dubai , with the star slipping into a bridal white bikini for the celebrations

The star stunned in a white lace mini dress as she and Ercan celebrated their upcoming wedding with their nearest and dearest

In the two-part reality special premiering on E4, Vicky Pattison: Destination Wedding will follow Vicky through the emotional rollercoaster as she prepares for her vows with Ercan

Speaking about the upcoming special, Vicky said: 'We can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives surrounded by our incredible friends and family'

The trip comes after Vicky revealed that even though her wedding day is costing 'the same price as a house' she still doesn't have enough money to fund her dream day

'No doubt there'll be tears, tantrums and tense moments over table plans! But ultimately, we can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives surrounded by our incredible friends and family. I'm finally getting my happily ever after.'

Channel 4's Genna Gibson commented: 'It's an honour to bring a reality royal wedding to E4.

'Vicky has shared her unique warmth and wit through many highs and lows over the years  growing up on our screens - and this two-part special is sure to be filled with emotions as she and Ercan get ready to celebrate the biggest day of their lives.'

The specials will air on E4 and be available to stream on Channel 4 later this year.

The trip comes after Vicky revealed that even though her wedding day is costing 'the same price as a house' she still doesn't have enough money to fund her dream day.

She admitted that her celebrity wedding planner has told her that her fund won't even cover the flowers she wants.

Speaking to Rock My Wedding, Vicky admitted that despite trying to be a little sensible in places, she will be wearing four wedding dresses on the day.

But she has limited certain luxuries and won't be splashing out on the flower installation she had her eye on for their welcome dinner.

Vicky said: 'I knew weddings were a big money business and, like I say, it's not my first rodeo in this space, but everything's just got more and more expensive.

'I was really shocked. I don't want to be paying it off for the next 10 years, or remortgaging my house for a wedding,' she added.

She admitted that at first she thought she was going to have the 'wedding of the century' but the reality quickly set in when she realised the cost.

Unfortunately, her wedding planner revealed that what she wanted was impossible with her initial wedding fund.

After hosting 300 guests for their engagement party in London's 14 Hills, Vicky and Ercan decided to officially marry at Marylebone Town Hall with an attendance of 100.

They will then head to Italy for a welcome dinner, wedding ceremony and evening reception, which has attracted 150 guests so far.

Vicky teased that she will be wearing a sixties-inspired gown for her UK wedding and said she loves the short veil and big sunglasses look. The pair got engaged in the summer of 2019, when Ercan proposed to her on the beach in Dubai.
She's not even a teenager yet and already Maya Neelakantan has received a standing ovation on America's Got Talent.

On Tuesday night's episode of the show, the preteen wowed judges when she performed Papa Roach's Last Resort - with judge Sofia Vergara declaring it a 'perfect audition.'

Maya, who is from India and was 10 at the time of her audition, started off strumming along to the iconic song before she unexpectedly began headbanging.

As the song reached its crescendo, the audience erupted in cheers - amazed at her ability.

'Are you sure you're 10 years old?' Sofia asked Maya, after she received a standing ovation from the audience and all four judges.

Maya Neelakantan (pictured) received a standing ovation on America's Got Talent for her rendition of Papa Roach's Last Resort

All four judges, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell were all on awe of her skills

'Your energy, your confidence. A perfect audition. Amazing,' she praised.

Sofia wasn't the only judge wowed by young Maya's talent - with Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell all also in awe of her skills.

'I think that you are absolutely incredible,' Heidi gushed.

'Also that you are that gutsy. Everyone in this room really loved what you just did. You should be very, very proud of yourself.'

Simon, who is notoriously the harshest judge on the singing show, was equally as impressed.

He branded the electric guitar 'one of the most difficult instruments in the world,' noting his own teacher 'gave up' on him.

The 64-year-old also praised her stage presence after recalling how shy she appeared before the performance started.

'You know what I love about this audition?' Simon asked. 'You just weren't expecting this. You were so shy and you're 10! And then you turned into, like, this rock goddess.'

An Australian father-son duo also receiving a yes from all four judges. Pictured is 11-year-old Inkabee and his father Flewnt

Maya and Inkabee both left all four judges speechless - and with a 'yes' though to the next round

He predicted Maya had a long musical career ahead of her, adding: 'That is the beginning of a career, which I always say, "Make noise among the noise." And you just did that.'

All four judges were quick to give Maya a yes to go through to the next round.

The tween's rock moment went viral online with users gob smacked over her performance.

'This was awesome. Nice to see Rock amongst the youngsters,' a user commented on a video of Maya.

'SHE'S 10? Wow, that pure gift. BRILLIANT,' another agreed.

'That is a special gift she has! Wow!! Super talented,' said a fan.

Maya hasn't been the only preteen to leave judges speechless with an Australian father-son duo also receiving a yes from all four judges.

Inkabee, 11, and his father Flewnt performed an original song on the talent show -with Flewnt, whose real name is Josh Eggington, telling the judges the best music he makes is because my son his by his side.

'Hip hop brought us all the way here,' the father explained. 'We do songs together as father and son, and we bond over music.'

The Perth, Western Australia-based father and son also pride themselves on their First Nation heritage as members of the Noongar Wongi tribe.
Bernie Ecclestone was given a helping hand by his wife Fabiana Flosi on Wednesday, as they kicked off his daughter Tamara's 40th birthday celebrations in Ibiza.

The Formula One tycoon, 93, was spotted on the beach alongside his wife, 47, and several family members, including youngest daughter Petra, 35, and her husband Sam Palmer, 39.

The clan headed down to a dinghy waiting at the shore to speed them over to a luxury yacht out in the Mediterranean.

Bernie put on a loved-up display with Fabiana - who is 46 years his junior - as they couple linked arms on the walk down.

They coordinated their outfits for the boat ride, with both wearing all-blue ensembles in the summer sunshine.

Bernie Ecclestone was given a helping hand by his wife Fabiana Flosi on Wednesday, as they kicked off his daughter Tamara's 40th birthday celebrations in Ibiza

The Formula One tycoon, 93, was spotted on the beach alongside his wife, 47, and several family members, including youngest daughter Petra, 35, and her husband Sam Palmer, 39

The clan headed down to a dinghy waiting at the shore to speed them over to a luxury yacht out in the Mediterranean

The billionaire looked casual in a button-up shirt and jeans, adding grey trainers and a pair of purple tinted shades.

While Fabiana showed off her long legs in a pair of sky blue floral shorts with a matching linen shirt and fluffy handbag.

The Brazilian also sported white sandals and designer sunglasses as she guided her husband towards the dinghy.

As Bernie climbed on, his doting spouse held tightly onto his arm to help keep his balance, and braced herself on the boat to help another man to support the businessman's weight.

Fabiana and Bernie met in 2009 at the World Motor Sport Council, with her working as the vice-president of marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

They then tied the knot in 2012 at his chalet, Le Lion, in the exclusive resort of Gstaad, Switzerland.

Their nuptials came just three years after Bernie divorced his second wife Slavica Radic, who is the mother of his daughters Tamara and Petra.

The couple went on to welcome son Ace, three, in July 2020, making Bernie one of the world's oldest known fathers at 89 years old.

Bernie put on a loved-up display with Fabiana - who is 46 years his junior - as they couple linked arms on the walk down, wearing coordinating all-blue ensembles

They coordinated their outfits for the boat ride, with both wearing all-blue ensembles in the summer sunshine

The billionaire looked casual in a button-up shirt and jeans, adding grey trainers and a pair of purple tinted shades

While Fabiana showed off her long legs in a pair of sky blue floral shorts with a matching linen shirt and fluffy handbag

The Brazilian also sported white sandals and designer sunglasses as she guided her husband towards the dinghy

As Bernie climbed on, his doting spouse held tightly onto his arm to help keep his balance, and braced herself on the boat to help another man to support the businessman's weight

When they announced the pregnancy, Bernie said: 'Yes, it is due in the summer. Hopefully hell learn to play backgammon soon!'

While Fabiana added: 'Like all parents we have only one wish: the child must be born healthy. Hopefully he will never express any interest in doing something in Formula 1!'

Bernie previously hit back at claims he was too old to become a father after Ace's birth, saying he wants even more children.

He told The Sun on Sunday: 'Now I have more time on my hands and I hope I can spend it with my son as he grows up. I don't know if we will stop here. Perhaps he should have a little brother or sister.

He added that he had told Fabiana he wanted kids when they first met, saying: 'Fabiana said she wanted a family, and I told her, "That's no problem for me. Half a dozen kids is great".'

Bernie is also father to daughter Deborah, 69, who he welcomed with his first wife Ivy Bambford.

He is also grandfather to Tamara's two daughters Sophia and Serena and Petra's daughters Lavinia and Minnie and twin boys James and Andrew.

Fabiana and Bernie met in 2009 at the World Motor Sport Council, with her working in marketing for the Brazilian Grand Prix before tying the knot in 2012 (pictured in 2012)

Their nuptials came just three years after Bernie divorced his second wife Slavica Radic, who is the mother of his daughters Tamara and Petra (pictured with Petra, Slavica and Tamara)
Domenica Calarco has revealed that she has come off her antidepressants for the first time in 15 years as she gave a mental health update.

The Married At First Sight star, 31, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a video of herself from her 21-day stay at a private mental health facility in New South Wales.

Dom has spoken openly about her mental health struggles in recent weeks after suffering a 'major depressive episode', and has now detailed her medication changes.

In her latest video, Dom gave an insight into her 'tough' medication journey and told how she was coming off sertraline after feeling like the antidepressant wasn't working anymore.

Sertraline is an antidepressant that belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase the amount of serotonin in the brain.

Dom explained that her doctor was weaning her off sertraline for the first time in 15 years with a plan to 'transition' to a new antidepressant - which she has since started.

'So this is the reality of changing medication,' she shared. 'Last night, my doctor, we had a meeting and we wanted to try and see if my old medication that I was on was actually working.

'I just have felt for a while now that it hasn't been working, so I was like I think we need to transition to something new. So that's what we're doing.'

Domenica Calarco said she has come off her antidepressants for the first time in 15 years in a video shared to Instagram on Thursday from during her stay at a mental health facility

Dom went on to detail some of the tough physical symptoms she experienced during her first few days of medication withdrawal, including heart palpitations.

'The brain zaps are so intense right now and the nausea is very bad, I haven't eaten much today,' she explained in one clip.

Dom said it was the hardest thing she has ever put her body through and spoke about the difficulties of coming off her medication amid a 'major depressive episode'.

'My journey coming off prescribed SSRI anti depressants on top of battling a major depressive episode and an anxiety disorder has to be the toughest physical thing I've ever put my body through,' she wrote in a caption.

'I will be forever grateful for the doctors and nurses at the clinic I was in who helped guide me not only with counselling but new medications that are starting to take effect.

Dom gave an insight into her 'tough' medication journey and told how she was coming off sertraline after feeling like the antidepressant wasn't working anymore

'Today marks two weeks of being off the SSRI medication I was on for 15 years. I am still feeling the withdrawal symptoms but each day is getting better and better.'

Her latest update comes just days after Dom first spoke out about completing her 21-day program at a mental health facility.

She reactivated her page on Sunday and offered a lengthy explanation of what she has been going through in a video taken at the facility on the day of her discharge.

'It's safe to say it's been a little while. I wanted to take this moment to have an honest and heartfelt conversation with you all who've been with me through thick and thin,' she began.

'As many of you know I've been on a break for the past month to focus on my mental health. This journey has been incredibly challenging but also deeply transforming for me.'

Her update comes just days after Dom first spoke out about completing her 21-day program at a mental health facility, giving fans an update on her 'challenging' mental health struggles

Dom said she needed the time to 'heal, reflect and gain a better understanding of herself' and thanked fans for their support during the difficult time.

The reality TV star explained how she had 'spiralled into a deep depression' over a month ago and 'couldn't see a way out'.

'I had a lot of trauma that I didn't work through from my childhood and I know that now. And then I went through a divorce in my 20s and then MAFS which in itself was an incredible experience but also quite traumatic,' she shared.

'I didn't want to suffer with my mental illness in the way that I was upon reflection I realised that I was putting my happiness in the hands of other people.'

Dom vanished from the spotlight following criticism from Bachelor star-turned-podcaster Abbie Chatfield (pictured) over her podcast with controversial groom Jack Dunkley

Dom said she had 'reached a point where I no longer wanted to suffer' and started her journey towards happiness again with her stay at the mental health facility.

'I'm in charge of my own joy and it's time for me to enjoy my life again and realising that I'm happy with the person I'm becoming is just really life changing for me,' she added.

Dom vanished from the spotlight following criticism from Bachelor star-turned-podcaster Abbie Chatfield.

The backlash arose after she and fellow MAFS bride Ella Ding hosted controversial groom Jack Dunkley on their podcast, Sit With Us.

If you have been affected by this story, call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or visit their website lifeline.org.au.
Richard Madden was all smiles as he enjoyed a day out in London with a mystery female friend on Thursday.

The Scottish actor, 38, appeared close with the brunette beauty as they seemingly put their arms out to hold hands.

Richard looked dashing in a tight navy T-shirt and matching tailored trousers, complemented with white trainers and stylish sunglasses.

His stunning friend looked chic in a short-sleeve midi dress, teamed with a dazzling Chanel bag and high-heels.

The duo were seen departing a building together, before taking a wander around the city.

Richard Madden, 38, was all smiles as he enjoyed a day out in London with a mystery female friend on Thursday

The Scottish actor appeared close with the brunette beauty as they seemingly put their arms out to hold hands

MailOnline have contacted Richard's representatives for a comment.

His outing comes after he reunited with his ex Jenna Coleman during a culture-filled trip to Barcelona.

The Victoria actress, 37, shared a selfie with her former love, who she split from in 2015, as they explored the Spanish city in March.

The ex couple smiled happily for the camera as they cosied up in a Spanish street, with no sign of Jenna's current boyfriend Jamie Childs.

Jenna and Richard dated on and off for four years after getting together in 2012.

Their relationship coincided with their soaring careers, with Richard starring in Game Of Thrones at the time while Jenna had landed her Doctor Who role.

In the early days of their relationship, a proud Richard gushed about visiting his girlfriend on the set of Doctor Who. 'I've watched Doctor Who since I was a kid. I loved it, and I still love it,' he declared.

'I was selfie-ing the s**t out of it, and sending it to my dad! "Look, it's me in the TARDIS!" I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I can geek out about it, like when I go to set and see the TARDIS.'

His outing comes after he reunited with his ex Jenna Coleman during a culture-filled trip to Barcelona

The Victoria actress, 37, split from Richard in 2015 (pictured together in 2015)

Jenna and Richard dated on and off for four years after getting together in 2012. Their relationship coincided with their soaring careers, with Richard starring in Game Of Thrones at the time while Jenna had landed her Doctor Who role (pictured together in 2013)

While they often showed their support for one another at red carpet premieres of their various projects, the couple ended up splitting for good in 2015.

Jenna soon struck up a romance with her Prince Albert in drama series Victoria, Tom Hughes, who she ended up dating for seven years.

Richard meanwhile moved on with actress Ellie Bamber, who he split from in 2019.
Iskra Lawrence turned heads displaying her bare baby bump in tiny shorts and a bikini as she was attending at The CUPSHE Pool House on Wednesday in .

The British model, 33, exuded confidence posing in the revealing look, which featured the skimpy cream shorts and a matching crochet beach cover-up.

The blonde stunner nailed the perfect look to enjoy a sun-soaked day by the pool, as she nearly spilled out of the chic brown bikini top.

She added a crochet tote bag to carry the essentials, yet kept it glamorous in a pair of pointy gold heels with ankle laces.

The runaway sensation showed off a gracious beam and posed cradling her baby bump - as she waits to welcome her second child with her boyfriend Philip Payne.

Pregnant Iskra Lawrence cradled her baby bump in tiny shorts and a bikini top as she attended the CUPSHE Pool House in Los Angeles on Wednesday

The British model, 33, exuded confidence posing in the revealing look, which featured the skimpy cream shorts and a matching crochet beach cover-up

Iskra and the music producer also share son Alpha, four, and revealed a second bundle of joy was on the way on her Instagram page in April.

The cover girl was also captured stepping out in the streets of Beverly Hills as she headed to the swanky pool event, as her golden locks were styled into waves.

She strutted her stuff looking in great spirits, and was seen leaving with a tote bag from the UK brand Cupshe, which sells affordable swimwear, dresses, jumpers and clothes for women.

Just earlier this month Iskra proudly displayed her baby bump as she walked the Cupshe fashion show at Paraiso Miami Swim Week.

Iskra was seen cradling her bump in her first look, an animal print ruched bikini in black, cream and orange.

The two-piece showed off the model's enviable curves and she paired it with tan-coloured PVC sandals.

For her second look, Iskra opted for a floral swimsuit - which had a plunging neckline, a cut-out at the torso and frilled sleeves.

Iskra welcomed her first child with tour manager and songwriter Philip in 2020 and has revealed that their family is now set to become four.

The blonde stunner nailed the perfect look to enjoy a sun-soaked day by the pool

Iskra kept it glamorous in a pair of pointy gold heels with ankle laces

She added a crochet tote bag to carry the essentials

The runaway sensation showed off her beautiful smile as she headed to the event

The cover girl was also captured stepping out in the streets of Beverly Hills as she headed to the swanky pool event, as her golden locks were styled into waves

She strutted her stuff looking in great spirits, and was seen leaving with a tote bag from the UK brand Cupshe, which sells affordable swimwear, dresses, jumpers and clothes for women

Taking to Instagram, Wolverhampton-born Iskra shared a series of adorable family photos as she cradled her growing baby bump.

Smiling in a field of wild flowers, she proudly held up her positive pregnancy test while Philip held their son Alpha.

In the caption, Iskra wrote: '4 years later and we are finally going to be a family of 4.'

She then went on to say that she would be giving away $20,000 to two of her followers to support them on their fertility journey - after giving away $10,000 during her first pregnancy.

'This announcement is extra special because once again Im partnering with @firstresponsepregnancy and Ill be giving away all $20k to two of YOU to support you on your fertility journey,' she said.

'4 years ago I gave away $10k each to Sara & Skye during my first pregnancy and its hard not to cry writing this but both now have their rainbow babies and its truly been my greatest honour being part of their journeys and I cant wait to do this again

'1 in 6 people are affected globally by infertility and 1 in 4 women experience miscarriage, pregnancy loss or still birth and there is no where near enough support, education or on going research into womens health so lets continue to end the shame, stigma and silence.'

Iskra confirmed her relationship with Philip around May in 2019, but they first met at a Grammys party the year before, becoming a couple in the October.

In 2019, Iskra was criticised for announcing she was expecting her first child with a sponsored post promoting a pregnancy test.
Danny Cipriani and AnnaLynne McCord sweetly held hands as they enjoyed a date night in West Hollywood on Wednesday night.

English former rugby union player Danny and American actress AnnaLyne, both 36, confirmed their relationship in April.

For dinner at Craig's, serving U.S. cuisine, leggy AnnaLynne looked fantastic in a white shorts suit and a nude pair of mules.

She wore a semi-sheer white shirt with the suit and accessorised with eye-catching pins, gold bangles, and a dark gold purse.

Danny wore a navy and white unbuttoned and vertically striped shirt with light blue jeans and trainers.

Danny Cipriani and AnnaLynne McCord, both 36, sweetly held hands as they enjoyed a date night at Craig's in West Hollywood on Wednesday night

English former rugby union player Danny and American actress AnnaLyne confirmed their relationship in May

In May, Danny called his new girlfriend a 'miracle' as she documented their whirlwind romance on Instagram.

The 90210 star had gone public with their relationship on the platform as she uploaded a video montage of highlights. She revealed in the comments that the two had met on celebrity dating app Raya.

Footage showed the couple packing on the PDA as they took taxi rides in London as well as soaking up the sun on various holidays abroad.

The 90210 actress wrote: 'Its your heart I would follow it to the ends of the earth. #sacredalchemy also, you make me laughhhhhhhh sooooo hard! Youre my elixir.'

Meanwhile, Danny first posted AnnaLynne in April, sharing a series of affectionate photos taken while the couple holidayed in Egypt.

His estranged wife Victoria Cipriani, 42, hit out at her husband's declaration he has found new love.

She sarcastically told her fans 'nice to see my husband moved on' alongside an emoji displaying her surprise before adding: 'But his belongings and clothes in our house, in our drawers still haven't moved on.'

Victoria, who was in Egypt at the same time as the new couple, added: 'Can you send me a miracle, please? Can you answer the lawyer's letter so I can keep my car? All the best. Lots of love your ever patient wife.'

In May, Danny called his new girlfriend a 'miracle' as she documented their whirlwind romance on Instagram

The 90210 star went public with their relationship on the platform as she uploaded a video montage of highlights

AnnaLynne revealed in the comments that the two had met on celebrity dating app Raya. She wrote: '@nadiasms The Universe made some Magick happen! We met on @raya !! Our souls used the modern age to find each other (again)'

Footage showed the couple packing on the PDA as they took taxi rides in London as well as soaking up the sun on various holidays abroad

The 90210 actress wrote: 'Its your heartI would follow it to the ends of the earth. #sacredalchemy also, you make me laughhhhhhhh sooooo hard! Youre my elixir'

The photos of Danny and AnnaLynne kissing and cosying up to each other on a spiritual retreat in Egypt come just six months after the divorce was announced.

A source close to Victoria slammed Danny for 'showing off his girlfriend' while there are still a number 'loose ends' to fix in their marriage - including the fact they are not yet legally divorced.

The insider said: 'He has walked out on her and now he's showing off his new girlfriend, it is not easy for Victoria although she does not want him back.

'She's having a few financial problems because of the Mercedes that is in his name. The last time she saw him was in February when he turned up to collect a pair of shoes.

'All his stuff is still in the Kent home, so he hasn't really moved in that aspect. It is all going to end in divorce and lawyers are involved, but it has been only since November that they split.

'Danny appears to be showing off his new girlfriend, but there are several loose ends to be tied up in his marriage. She is still his wife.'

The pictures of Danny and AnnaLynne confirmed suspicions the pair were romantically linked after they were spotted together arm in arm while at the skincare brand Clarins' product launch in March.

The actress runs regular retreats from Egypt and Danny joined the latest trip after the pair 'bonded deeply' over their shared love of 'meditation.'

Danny reshared the Reel on his own Instagram and wrote: 'My miracle'. He also commented on her post: 'I feel like I am in a dream every day with you' and 'My muse'

The Lothario revealed he was in a relationship with AnnaLynne in April after sharing a series of affectionate photos taken while the couple holidayed in Egypt

It has been reported that Danny and AnnaLynne have known each other for a decade

The Sun reported that AnnaLynne and Danny have known each other for over ten years but started 'hooking up' at the beginning of March.

Danny and Victoria, who were married for over two years, called time on their marriage in November following a series of 'rows over text messages' she saw on his phone.

In 2023, he shared shocking details of his well-documented sex life and romantic dalliances in his autobiography Who Am I?

Victoria previously claimed she had no idea her husband was going to divorce her until he made the public announcement.

She wrote on Instagram in November in another now-deleted post: 'Danny publicly announced our split without any prior notice or discussion with me.

'I was made aware of the situation at the same time as the public, and this has caused me a great deal of pain. I apologise if my reactions and responses have seemed reactive or emotionally charged.

'The truth is, I am still going through a difficult time, and it is challenging for me to see Danny speaking about our separation publicly while I have not yet found the strength to process it, adjust or heal.'

A source in their inner circle revealed that up until the summer before, all had been well in the marriage.

Danny and Victoria, who were married for over two years, called time on their marriage in November 2023 following a series of 'difficult' rows over text messages she saw on his phone

But the source added: 'Victoria had been increasingly unhappy over the last few months. Things got tense and then she saw some text messages on his phone and it led to some difficult rows between them and they have now split up.'

AnnaLynne first gained prominence as the scheming Eden Lord in 12 episodes of FX's Nip/Tuck between 2007 and 2009 but found mainstream fame as Naomi Clark in the reboot of 90210 between 2008 and 2013.

AnnaLynne also had a recurring role in the soap opera Dallas in 2014 and Power Book III: Raising Kanan in 2022.

Prior to his marriage to Victoria, Danny also had well documented relationships with Kirsty Gallacher, Katie Price, and Lindsay Lohan.
Kourtney Kardashian opened up about her decision to stay home for 40 days after giving birth to her fourth child, Rocky, who she shares with husband Travis Barker.

On Wednesday's episode of The Kardashians, the reality star, 45, explained that she was not planning to leave the house for her first month and a half postpartum.

While speaking about her new life as a mom of four to younger sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney reveals she will be remaining at home 'for 40 days.'

'You're staying home for 40 days and 40 nights?' Khloe asks, sounding surprised.

During a confessional, the Poosh founder elaborated that 'iIn many different cultures, women don't leave the house after having a baby for 40 days, to let your body have that time to heal and beyond that.'

Kourtney Kardashian opened up about her decision to stay home for 40 days after giving birth to her fourth child, Rocky, who she shares with husband Travis Barker

'I'm really into attachment parenting. I really don't separate from him. I love being at home right now, like my time is dedicated to taking care of my baby and bonding with him,' she continued.

Later, Khloe jokes after 40 days if Kourtney was going to 'go to a rave.'

'No, I just feel like I don't wanna even go anywhere still,' Kourtney admitted.

Khloe then mused that hunkering down at home for that many days in a row wasn't out of the ordinary for her.

'Welcome to my daily life. I haven't had a baby and I'm still doing the 40 days,' the mother-of-two, who shares daughter True and son Tatum with ex Tristan Thompson, joked.

Kourtney and Barker wed in Portofino, Italy over the summer of 2022 and then welcomed their little boy this past November.

Earlier this month, Kourtney finally revealed the medical condition that forced her to have emergency fetal surgery while pregnant with Rocky.

'Baby Rocky had to have fetal surgery for fluid in his lung,' she said on last week's episode of The Kardashians on Hulu.

On Wednesday's episode of The Kardashians, the reality star, 45, explained that she was not planning to leave the house for her first month postpartum

While speaking about her new life as a mom of four to younger sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney reveals she will be remaining at home 'for 40 days'

'And it's super rare, that this [is] the condition that he had but it's also super rare and lucky that we caught it,' she explained in a confessional. 'And thank you, God, for this successful surgery. I'm honestly just so grateful, I have no words.'

She bared her soul about her anxiety, saying: 'I was definitely filled with fear after the surgery and the fluid in his lungs.'

The reality superstar said: 'Actually it did start coming back and then I watched this documentary called Heal that was all about the power of positive thinking and how our thinking can really affect our health.'

She candidly reflected on the way she coped with the ordeal, saying that 'I started talking to the baby every day, saying my prayers, and after I had that mindset shift, the fluid was completely gone and we had not one single problem after.'

During a confessional, the Poosh founder elaborated that 'iIn many different cultures, women don't leave the house after having a baby for 40 days, to let your body have that time to heal and beyond that'

'I'm really into attachment parenting. I really don't separate from him. I love being at home right now, like my time is dedicated to taking care of my baby and bonding with him,' she continued; Kourtney's husband, Travis, pictured holding Rocky

Kourtney - who shares her older children Mason, 14, Penelope, 11, and Reign, nine, with her ex-fiance Scott Disick - first went public with the surgery last September.

'As someone who has had three really easy pregnancies in the past, I wasnt prepared for the fear of rushing into urgent fetal surgery,' she shared at the time.

'I dont think anyone who hasnt been through a similar situation can begin to understand that feeling of fear,' Kourtney added on Instagram.

When the operation took place, Blink-182 hurriedly postponed some of their European tour dates so that Travis could fly home to his wife's bedside.

Kourtney and Travis started dating in 2020 after almost 10 years of friendship; Travis was also her neighbor

'Due to an urgent family matter, Travis has had to return home to the States,' the band announced on their social media.

Travis then fired up his own social media and cryptically posted pictures of the prayer room at the Glasgow Airport.

Since welcoming her baby boy, the mom-of-four has encouraged other moms to ignore the 'pressure' to get back to their pre-pregnancy body.

'Dear new mommies, Your body is beautiful at all stages. During pregnancy as we are glowing and growing, postpartum as we are healing and shrinking, and then that period I find the hardest as our bodies are still adjusting,' she told her followers on an Instagram Story shared back in April.

She continued: 'And if you're breastfeeding, that's a whole other part of it. I try to be kind to myself as my body finds a new normal. The pressure put on us to bounce back when everything is new and different isn't realistic.'

Since welcoming her baby boy, the mom-of-four has encouraged other moms to ignore the 'pressure' to get back to their pre-pregnancy body

Kourtney seen in a throwback picture from last year during her pregnancy with Rocky

'Life is beautiful, you are beautiful. Just a little reminder (for me too). XOXO,' she concluded, also an image of her wearing a black bikini while swimming in the ocean.

Kourtney and Travis welcomed their first child together, son Rocky Thirteen, on November 1, 2023.

Kourtney and Travis publicly announced her pregnancy in June 2023, while paying homage to a Blink-182 music video - All The Small Things.

In the music video, a woman holds up a sign that says 'Travis I'm Pregnant.'

Kourtney recreated that during a Blink-182 concert in June in Los Angeles for an adorable public announcement.
Sienna Miller looked effortlessly chic in a black co-ord as she opened The Treasure House Fair at Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London, on Thursday.

The Hollywood star, 42, flashed a glimpse of her midriff in a classy crop top with puffed sleeves and a matching skirt.

The Burn star - who gave birth to her second child five months ago, looked radiant and displayed her natural looks with a barely visible make-up.

Sienna added floral-shaped maxi pendant earrings giving a touch of colour to her ensemble, beaming as she posed at the event and later on took to the stage for a speech.

The fair, which takes place from 27 June through 2 July, will bring together 70 leading galleries and will feature over 20 collecting categories in the fields of fine art, furniture, antiquities and jewellery.

Sienna Miller looked effortlessly chic in a black co-ord as she opened The Treasure House Fair at Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London, on Thursday

The Hollywood star, 42, flashed a glimpse of her midriff in a classy crop top with puffed sleeves and a matching skirt

Earlier on Tuesday, Sienna appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! which was taken over by Martin Short, kicking off Jimmy Kimmel's summer hiatus as there will be a rotation of guest hosts filling his spot.

Martin was joined by his pal Steve Martin and the comedians warmly greeted Sienna before she hilariously explained she had already met them.

She recalled: 'It's funny that you say lovely to meet you, we've actually met. I had this horrible experience. Do you remember Dimitri at the Sunset Tower, the sweetest man, the greatest man in the world?

'I think he had a tactic of thinking there's a somewhat famous person and two very famous people and I want them to meet.

'So he came up to me and said, "Marty Short and Steve Martin want to me you". And I died a thousand deaths obviously, you know icons!

'So I come up to your table and I'm beside myself and I say, "Hi" and I stand there... And you were both like, who are you? You crazy person!'

Sienna also spoke about her new film Horizon: An American Epic: Chapter 1 directed, co-written and produced by, as well as starring Kevin Costner.

The film is the first of four chronicling a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West.

The Burn star - who gave birth to her second child five months ago, looked radiant and displayed her natural looks with a barely visible make-up

Sienna added floral-shaped maxi pendant earrings giving a touch of colour to her ensemble, beaming as she posed at the event

The Hollywood star took to the stage to speak during the event

Sienna was all smiles as she posed with guests

The actress beamed as she posed for pictures at the event

Kevin plays pioneer Hayes Ellison in the new film, who treks the West through dangerous territory in hopes of a new life.

While Sienna stars as Frances Kittredge in the period epic, which is set to be released in two chapters on June 28 and August 16 this year.

They mark the first two of four planned film instalments for the movie series, which Kevin has been desperately trying to bring to life for more than 30 years now.

The Dancing With Wolves star, 69, is thought to have personally raised up to $50 million of Horizon's $100 million budget.

Describing how she came onboard the project, Sienna told Martin and Steve: 'I got this call from Kevin Costner, which exciting enough because I am a child of the 90s.

'And I get four scripts on my desk - the desk breaks because they're incredibly dense and heavy. And we had this chat and I'm so excited because he's Kevin Costner and he's a legend.

'And at the end of it he says, "Sienna I have one question for you. Will you go West with me?" I said I would go to Mars and back.'

Her TV interview comes after Sienna gushed over her 'wise' and 'well-adjusted' boyfriend Oli Green and said his 'generation of men' are more respectful to women.

The couple were first linked in February 2022 and welcomed a baby daughter together five months ago.

Making rare comments about her relationship in an interview this month, she lauded Oli, 27, as being 'wise and well-adjusted' and said his generation of men respect women more.

While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Sienna also spoke about her new film Horizon: An American Epic: Chapter 1 directed, co-written and produced by, as well as starring Kevin Costner (pictured together last month)

The film is the first of four chronicling a multi-faceted, 15-year span of pre-and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West

Kevin plays pioneer Hayes Ellison in the new film, who treks the West through dangerous territory in hopes of a new life, while Sienna stars as Frances Kittredge (pictured)

Her TV interview comes after Sienna gushed over her 'wise' and 'well-adjusted' boyfriend Oli Green and said his 'generation of men' are more respectful to women (pictured last month)

Sienna famously faced public humiliation in 2005 when her then-boyfriend Jude Law, now 51, confessed to cheating on her with his children's nanny Daisy Wright.

Speaking about Oli to Harpers Bazaar magazine, she said: 'I didn't expect to take it seriously and then quite quickly, I fell in love.

'I wasn't like, "I'm gonna get a younger boyfriend." It was more, "F*ck! Why are you young? That's so annoying."

'There is a difference in the way that generation of men respect women. It's specific to him, he is very wise and well-adjusted, but I do believe it's also that generation.

'They have grown up with a slightly more level playing field. I see it in his female friends as well as in the men.'

As well as the five-month old she shares with Oli, she has daughter Marlowe, 11, with her ex partner Tom Sturridge.
Jennifer Lawrence showed off her cool girl style while rocking a graphic t-shirt and bright red midi skirt on a night out with her husband Cooke Maroney.

As the lovebirds made their way to Tom Colicchio's restaurant, Craft, in Flatiron, New York City, the Oscar-winning actress, 33, exuded confidence as she strutted down the sidewalk in a pair of studded Tory Burch flats, alongside the art gallery director, 39.

The Joy star completed her ensemble with a pair of oversized black sunglasses and a large St. Agni tote, which she wore over her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Maroney sported an open blue button-down, plain white t-shirt, green slacks and a pair of light brown sneakers.

The happy couple, who wed in 2019, a year after they were introduced by a mutual friend, were enjoying a rare evening away from their two-year-old son, Cy.

Jennifer Lawrence showed off her cool girl style while rocking a graphic t-shirt and bright red midi skirt on a night out with her husband Cooke Maroney

The screen star and Cooke became engaged in February 2019, before tying the knot in Rhode Island that October.

Jennifer formerly dated British actor Nicholas Hoult, 34, and filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, 55, both of whom she has collaborated with on films.

In November, the performer revealed that she totally revamped her approach to her family's safety after becoming a mom.

While chatting with fellow celebrity mother Kylie Jenner for Interview Magazine, Lawrence admitted that she was initially overwhelmed with fears about her and her son Cy's safety after she gave birth to him in February of 2022.

The Silver Linings Playbook star attributed her sudden desire to get security guards to 'intrusive thoughts and anxiety.'

Kylie claimed that she as in the same boat, and she said she had never had security guards of her own until she became pregnant with her daughter Stormi, whom she shares with her ex Travis Scott.

In the 'five-plus' years since then, she has had a two-guard team 'in rotation.'

'[Stormi is] very familiar with them, which I feel comfortable with,' the Kardashians star explained. 'She actually has a lot of love for them. I just tell my security to not make it so serious, so they have a good relationship. I'm trying to figure it out too because I never had security growing up, so I don't know what that's like, but I try to make it as normal and friendly as possible.'

As the lovebirds made their way to Tom Colicchio's restaurant, Craft, in Flatiron, New York City, the Oscar-winning actress, 33, exuded confidence as she strutted down the sidewalk in a pair of studded flats

The Joy star completed her ensemble with a pair of oversized black sunglasses and a large tote, which she wore over her shoulder

But Jennifer initially wanted her security team to be 'invisible,' though she quickly found out that that approach wasn't feasible or helpful.

'Yeah, [having a] friendly [relationship] is nice because before I hired them, in my mind I was like, I want them to be invisible. I don't want my kid to see you or know you,' she shared. 'And then once they start working for you, it's like, 'Well, wait. This is a person in our life. He's helping us.''

The actress added that it was 'not really a good lesson to ignore the person that's helping us.'

'It's probably better to say, 'Say good morning to Sean. Hi. How are you?' We've incorporated them more in our lives, which surprised me. That wasn't how I planned it,' she added.

The happy couple, who wed in 2019, a year after they were introduced by a mutual friend, were enjoying a rare evening away from their two-year-old son, Cy (seen last month)

In another conversation for Interview magazine, last year, Lawrence explained motherhood made her more selective about which projects she chooses to take on.

'There's no squeezing when you have a baby,' she told Cameron Diaz. 'There's just home, and it's the best. It definitely helps weed out projects: "Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No" Is this worth being away from my child for half the day?'

Jennifer is currently preparing for the wide release of the documentary Bread & Roses, for which she served as an executive producer.

The Sahra Mani-directed film is centred on several Afghan women dealing with the rise of the Taliban.

In November, the performer revealed that she totally revamped her approach to her family's safety after becoming a mom (seen in 2021)

As a famous parent, she also acknowledged that all kids 'have advantages and disadvantages when theyre born.'

'The best thing I can do is just make sure he knows hes loved, and that hes our number one priority, and try to be a good example of kindness,' she stated. 'Im sure there will be challenges specifically from my choices and my lifestyle, and well both have to confront that and deal with it when that day comes.'

Although she was 'so nervous' about him being photographed during her pregnancy, she has accepted the paparazzi as part of her son's life.

'If he feels that Im anxious before I leave the house, or Im angry when were outside, thats going to impact him,' she explained. 'So its actually done the opposite, where Ive gotten a little bit more zen and a little bit more relaxed with getting photographed because I dont have a choice. You just have to accept it, and take a deep breath and walk.'

During an interview with Vogue, the star said the morning after she gave birth it felt like her 'whole life had started over.'

'Like, now is day one of my life. I was just so in love ... My heart has stretched to a capacity that I didnt know about. I include my husband in that,' she gushed. 'I mean the euphoria of Cy is just  Jesus, its impossible. I always tell him, "I love you so much its impossible."'
Joan Smalls showcased her summer body as she 'blessed' her Instagram followers with a sizzling set of bikini snaps on Thursday.

The Puerto Rican model, 35, worked her magic in a black floral print string bikini as she struck poses by the pool, surrounded by lush palm trees.

'You didn't sneeze but I blessed your feed,' she captioned the post.

Smalls, who was among the stars attending a Met Gala afterparty back in May, looked incredible as usual as she expertly posed beside the tranquil pool in her skimpy two piece.

Hair was slicked back into a neat bun while the remainder of her look was glammed up with some gold jewelry.

Joan Smalls showcased her summer body as she 'blessed' the Instagram feeds of her followers with a sizzling set of bikini snaps on Thursday

She sported gorgeous earrings, layered necklaces, a bracelet and delicate anklet.

The post also included video of Joan posing as she luxuriously stretched out her arm beneath the sunshine.

The former runway star previously revealed that she maintains her fit frame with 45-minute workouts a day.

Joan told WSJ Magazine in 2021: 'It's mostly resistance training with my own body. I'll do planks, I'll do different types of sit-ups, anything that's for my core because I have scoliosis.

'I do a lot of glute work - kickbacks, squats, fire hydrants. Cardio, I'll do maybe three times a week. When I was in Puerto Rico, I'd run outside because it gave me a nice view to be outdoors and running in between palm trees.

'I haven't done Muay Thai in over a year now, and I'm starting to miss it. I believe a girl should always be able to throw a good punch. It's a good self-defense.'

'I'll do oatmeal [for breakfast]. Other times I'll do scrambled eggs, turkey bacon and a piece of toast, slice of avocado. Other days it's fruit. Before I eat, I tend to drink water.'

Joan shot to fame in 2011 when she became the first Latina model to represent Estee Lauder. She has also been a Victoria's Secret Angel.

She expertly struck poses by a cool pool, surrounded by lush palm trees

Smalls wore a tiny black floral print bikini and an array of gold jewelry

The post included video of her posing about as she stretched her arm luxuriously beneath the sunshine

The former runway star previously revealed that she maintains her fit frame with 45-minute workouts a day

In 2013, Forbes ranked her eighth on their list of the World's Highest-Paid Models, recording her earnings as over $3 million.

Joan is a Psychology graduate and has been in a relationship with entrepreneur Bernard Smith since 2011.

She has also dabbled in acting, appearing in John Wick: Chapter 2 and 2018 rom com Set It Up alongside Zoey Deutch, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, and Glen Powell.
Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd has more success lined-up with a Glasgow drama series.

American television network HBO has boarded Lions - the working title of the next series from Fife-born Richard - and will co-produce the series with the BBC.

Richard will write and executive produce the six 45 minute episode drama series, which will span almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, covering the relationship between two men from their meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults.

Lions will start production in Glasgow in early 2025 with Alexandra Brodski and Eshref Reybrouck set to direct while Wendy Griffin will produce the series.

Tally Garner and Morven Reid will act as executive producers for Mam Tor Productions, Richard, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC and Gavin Smith for BBC Scotland.

Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd has more success lined-up with a Glasgow drama series

Richard's Netflix series Baby Reindeer has been a mega-hit for the streamer, becoming one of its most-watched shows since debuting on April 11

Richard's Netflix series Baby Reindeer has been a mega-hit for the streamer, becoming one of its most-watched shows since debuting on April 11.

But the alleged 'real life Martha' Fiona Harvey is demanding 135 million from Netflix after claiming the streaming giant's series was not based on a true story.

Baby Reindeer portrays Richard's character Donny Dunn being stalked by Martha, who has been in prison for a historical crime and is sent to prison for stalking him.

Internet sleuths easily discovered the character was based on Fiona.

Netflix has pledged to 'vigorously defend' a lawsuit worth millions of dollars.

It comes after Fiona was left too afraid to go to the grocery stores as fans of the Netflix show continue harassing her, her lawyers have claimed.

The 49-year-old Scot, who claims she is the inspiration behind the Netflix stalking drama, is suing the streaming giant for at least $170million for defamation and negligence.

Speaking on News Nation's CUOMO, Harvey's attorney Richard Roth argued that Harvey is not a public figure, adding that she felt she needed to reveal herself as the real-life Martha because she was being harassed.

Gadd will write and executive produce the six 45minute episode drama series, which will span almost 40 years from the 1980s to the present day, covering the relationship between two men from their meeting as teenagers to their falling out as adults

It comes as the alleged 'real life Martha' Fiona Harvey is demanding 135 million from Netflix after claiming the streaming giant's series was not based on a true story

'She's been harassed, she's been stalked, she's getting death threats, she's afraid to go out and buy groceries and she's not a public figure,' Roth said.

'She's destroyed, she's shattered.'

Her attorneys are arguing that it was defamatory to Harvey to depict Martha character as a convicted felon.

'When Netflix starts the series, it doesn't say, "this is based on a true story," doesn't say, "this is inspired by a true story,"' Roth explained.

'It says five words - "This is a true story" - so you better make sure its true.'

The attorney continued: 'Spoiler alert, during the series, it comes up that she was convicted of stalking and spent four and a half years in jail. Never happened. She was never even arrested.

'And then at the end of the series, she pleads guilty to four different counts of harassment and then gets four more felony convictions. So they portrayed this woman as a two-time convicted felon when she's never even been arrested for anything.'

Roth went on to say that the series made it too easy to identify the woman who inspired Martha.

'Make her from a different heritage. Give her a different accent,' Roth suggested, before adding: 'They did nothing.

'Everything in here leads to Fiona Harvey, and its very easy to find out who it is.'

Netflix has said that it intends to 'defend this matter vigorously' and stand by Gadd's 'right to tell his story.'
Katie Price has detailed her experience at the Isle Of Wight Festival as she hit out at drunk festival-goers on the latest episode of her podcast on Thursday.

The former glamour model, 46, attended the annual music festival with her younger sister Sophie and her MAFS star boyfriend JJ Slater.

Speaking on The Katie Price Show, the mother-of-five revealed that she had an amazing weekend at the festival watching S Club and Jessie J perform.

However, the reality star said she was disappointed after witnessing so many 'p***ed' youngsters 'asleep on the floor' as they tried to exit the festival.

Katie has revealed that she has been 'turned off alcohol' in recent months and was attending the three-day festival sober with her pregnant sister.

Katie Price has detailed her experience at the Isle Of Wight Festival as she hit out at drunk festival-goers on the latest episode of her podcast on Thursday

The former glamour model, 46, attended the annual music festival with her younger sister Sophie and her MAFS star boyfriend JJ Slater

She said: 'Me and Sophie must have looked like the sad b*****ds there, just sipping on tea. Everyone else around us were on drink, but I enjoyed it.

'I could of had a drink, but I've just done all these performances lately without any drink for Dutch courage, but I don't even want to drink.'

Sophie added: 'When we were leaving to go home, some of the f***ing young lot were sprawled out on the ground. They were all pissed, and some of them were asleep on the floor. What a waste - what a waste of a day.'

The TV personality replied: 'It is. At least I got to take it all in and we got up the next day with no hangovers and we did it all again.

'I can't imagine three or four days of drinking. I'm a lightweight with just one day of drinking, let alone three days. Imagine how some of them feel today.

'I've just gone off alcohol, I just don't want it anymore. It was fun to do sober, and I'm loving everything sober at the minute.

'You can do things without drink, and you see things differently when you're sober and you take it in more instead of worrying about when the next drink is coming. I love it'.

Katie has had a troubled past when it comes to alcohol.

The television personality was previously banned from driving for two years after she crashed her BMW in September 28 2021, and was also handed a 16-week suspended jail sentence for drink-driving.

Speaking on The Katie Price Show, she revealed she had an amazing weekend but said she was disappointed after witnessing so many 'p***ed' youngsters 'asleep on the floor' as they tried to exit the festival

Elsewhere during the episode, Katie apologised to fans for not taking any photos with them during the weekends as she admitted she wanted a 'break' from being a celebrity

During that court appearance, the prosecutor said Katie had five previous driving bans.

She went to The Priory to treat her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Elsewhere during the episode, Katie apologised to fans for not taking any photos with them during the weekends as she admitted she wanted a 'break' from being a celebrity.

The star said she felt like if she took one photo with a fan she would have to say yes to every picture and she wanted to just enjoy the weekend in the general admission area.

It comes after Katie looked less than bothered on Wednesday after her Mucky Mansion was repossessed by court bailiffs, as she shared a loved-up selfie with her boyfriend JJ following her staggering 17th boob job.

Taking to her Instagram in the morning to tell her followers that she was having more cosmetic surgery as she tagged herself at a cosmetic surgery clinic in Brussels.

Alongside a snap in her clinic robe, she penned: 'Been coming here for years and is definitely the best boob surgeon. I recommend to anyone.'

With another selfie, the mother-of-five added: 'First on the list.'

Katie then took to her Stories again following the operation to give an update, sharing a snap of MAFS UK star JJ, 31, planting a kiss on her head as she lay in bed.

Pouting for the camera and throwing up a peace sign, she wrote: 'Looking after @johnjoeslater by my side and so chill. Can't wait for wekweed [sic] Dublin pride',

She previously shared her surgery plans with MailOnline last week, as she vowed to 'never stop' going under the knife.

Over the years, Katie has undergone an array of procedures, including rhinoplasty, a silhouette facelift, 3D, veneers, lip fillers and Botox.

It comes after Katie looked less than bothered on Wednesday after her Mucky Mansion was repossessed by court bailiffs, as she shared a loved-up selfie with her boyfriend JJ following her staggering 17th boob job

She previously shared her surgery plans with MailOnline last week, as she vowed to 'never stop' going under the knife

Over the years, the glamour model has undergone an array of procedures, including rhinoplasty, a silhouette facelift , 3D, veneers, lip fillers and Botox

She announced that her 17th boob job and sixth face lift will take place 'in the next few months', saying: 'I'm just trying to find time to do it. I will never stop with this surgery... I want to be a Bratz doll.'

Hitting back at critics, she continued: 'It's my body and I do what I want to do. That's how it should be, our body, your choice. The difference is I talk about it. There's a lot of people out there who hide [what they've had done].'

While Katie has said that she plans to have children with her boyfriend of six months in the future, but insisted she's in 'no rush' to make it happen yet.

Her unfazed social media updates came as her 2million home was being seized by bailiffs, two months after she was served an eviction notice.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline this month, she insisted it had been her decision to vacate the property and move into a smaller, rented home in a sleepy Sussex village, claiming that she had 'sorted' her financial issues after being declared bankrupt for a second time.

However, pictures taken outside her 11-bedroom pad in Horsham, West Sussex on Wednesday, proved her legal and financial woes are far from over, as court bailiffs and bank officials were seen reclaiming the property.

In March, Katie was declared bankrupt for a second time after failing to pay over 750,000 in unpaid tax.

The former Page 3 girl failed to appear at a court hearing in London to explain why she has not paid any money to HMRC.

Katie was already being chased by creditors for a 3.2million payment over the failure of her company Jordan Trading Ltd.

Creditors are owed the 3.2million from her company selling perfume and cosmetics.

MailOnline has contacted Katie's representatives for comment.

Last month, the TV personality vacated her sprawling mansion and moved to a new four-bedroom home after being issued with an eviction notice.

Yet Katie insisted that it had been her choice and that moving into the rented accommodation marked a new chapter in her life.

She told MailOnline: 'I've been wanting to get out of my old house for absolute years. It's been nothing but hell in there. I've not had any luck in that house, ever!'

Katie continued: 'I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there.

'It is absolute cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn't even walk up the driveaway without having a panic attack.

'I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I'm out of it it's the best thing I've ever done.'

However, MailOnline learned that Katie had racked up so many loans against the property that she may even be in negative equity - meaning she could owe more on the property than it is worth.
Sydney Sweeney has been accused of using an illegal streaming service to watch Law & Order, with fans claiming they spotted a telling sign on her Instagram.

The Euphoria star, 26, shared an image earlier this month on her Instagram story as she kicked back in front of the TV, showing the end credits of the long-running NBC show.

While the image has expired and no longer on Sweeney's Instagram, one of her followers took a screenshot and shared it on X, writing: 'My girl pirating so real.'

The claim stems from the video player seen on Sweeney's TV screen which many claimed is similar to those used on streaming sites using pirated content.

The post quickly went viral, gathering more than 8million views and hundreds of comments.

Sydney Sweeney has been accused of using an illegal streaming service to watch Law & Order, with fans claiming they spotted a telling sign on her Instagram

Many praised the actress for what they saw as a cost-cutting measure.

One comment on X read: 'Saving money. No one is paying for all these streaming services.'

Another said: 'damn even rich people aint payin.'

A third added: 'honestly can't blame her 'cause they keep increasing the cost of streaming services.'

While the internet ran with the claim that Sweeney was illegally streaming the fan-favorite show, the claim remains unconfirmed.

Sweeney spared no cost in a new massive oceanfront mansion in South Florida, which she purchased for $13.4 million.

The home is over 7,000 square feet - with a gym, game room, elevator, aquarium, wine room and chef's kitchen.

The Euphoria star, 26, shared an image earlier this month on her Instagram story as she kicked back in front of the TV, showing the end credits of the long-running NBC show

Sydney is the latest in a long line of stars to flee Hollywood, although the actress will still retain the property that she owns in LA.

The mansion is Sydney's third home in her real estate portfolio, with the actress also owning two mansions in Los Angeles.

The South Florida estate includes 19 foot tall cathedral ceilings, custom 10 foot tall mahogany doors that open to the backyard, revealing stunning views of the ocean.

The home features a main house and a guest house connected by a covered breezeway.

Sweeney just purchased massive new oceanfront mansion in South Florida for almost $20 million; pictured in February 2024

It has a total of six bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two half baths- half in the main house and half in the guest house.

It also has an indoor/outdoor kitchen, with a 520 bottle wine room, 330 gallon aquarium and a room to view the pool through mermaid windows.

Sweeney became a household name due to her role as Cassie Howard in Euphoria, which debuted in 2019; since then she has gone from strength to strength, and most recently starring in the hit romantic comedy Anyone But You.

The actress also founded Fifty-Fifty Films, her own production company, an idea that came to her during COVID.
DJ Zedd has asked a judge for a temporary restraining order against a woman.

Rezwan Senobarian has allegedly been harassing the musician and his staff.

Not only that, she has reportedly attempted to impersonate him on the phone on several occasions and showed up at his Encino home demanding to speak to him.

The Russia-born rapper, 34, whose real name is Anton Zaslavski, has asked a Los Angeles judge to issue a temporary restraining order against the woman, it was reported on Thursday.

In the documents, which were obtained by TMZ, Zedd claimed Rezwan falsely impersonated him by phone and email to numerous people.

DJ Zedd has run into a troubling situation. A woman named Rezwan Senobarian has allegedly been harassing him and his staff

Not only that, she's attempted to impersonate him on the phone on several occasions and showed up at his Encino home demanding to speak to him

He also claimed that when she came to his home multiple times this week, she was acting erratically.

Zedd told the LAPD that he didn't know the woman at all and had no clue why she was targeting him and showing up at his house, it was reported.

The Beautiful Now DJ is asking for a temporary restraining order that would keep Senobarian away from him, his house, his job, his car and his personal assistant and security guards, the site added.

The Clarity musician sold one of his Encino homes last month.

Zedd bought the house that formerly belonged to Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner for $15.2 million in 2021.

The 10 bedroom, 13 bathroom property hit the market in January for $18,999,000 and sold last month for $17,125,000.

Zedd, who was born in Saratov, Soviet Russia, grew up in Dansenberg, Kaiserslautern, Germany.

He began his musical career in 2010, when he won two Beatport remix contests. His remix of Lady Gaga's song Born This Way is featured on his 2011 album of the same name.

In the documents, which were obtained by TMZ, Zedd claims Rezwan falsely impersonated him by phone and email to numerous people

The Beautiful Now DJ is asking for a temporary restraining order that would keep Senobarian away from him, his house, his job, his car and his personal assistant and security guards

Zedd learned how to play the piano and drums as a child and started DJing in 2010 in Germany.

He's gone by Zedd since he was a kid when he had a friend also named Anton and when the teacher called on Anton, both of them answered.

The English pronunciation of the letter Z is Zedd so he chose that and it stuck, even after fame and fortune came his way.

He broke through to fame and acclaim with Clarity in 2012.
Rating:

Verdict: Silence is golden

The need to keep quiet, the notion that silence is golden, resonates with us all. That's partly why the 2018 apocalyptic thriller A Quiet Place was such a triumph: it tapped into that collective childhood memory of stern teachers or parents warning us not to make a peep, and added monsters.

Yet I arrived at Cineworld Leicester Square this week wondering whether the premise could sustain a second spin-off after 2020's excellent A Quiet Place: Part II. It does, magnificently.

This is one of the finest films of the year so far: taut, touching, exquisitely crafted by writer-director Michael Sarnoski (taking over from the story's creator John Krasinski, who is among the producers), and superbly led by Lupita Nyong'o.

She plays Sam, who at the start of the film is a cancer patient at a hospice, only grudgingly coming to terms with her impending death, furious with the world for stealing her life. A male nurse is the nearest she has to a human friend, though she does have a devoted companion, a cat.

This is one of the finest films of the year so far: taut, touching, exquisitely crafted by writer-director Michael Sarnoski

The need to keep quiet, the notion that silence is golden, resonates with us all

The apocalypse strikes while she and her fellow patients are on a day trip into Manhattan. Sam is desperate to eat a proper New York pizza, perhaps for the final time, but soon she has a lot more on her plate.

An alien invasion is underway, but the city's terrified inhabitants quickly work out that their deadly assailants are blind, with extra-sensory hearing.

One way or another, childhood memories loom large over this film, so here's another of mine: in the Jennings books I adored as a boy, formidable prep school teacher Mr Wilkins was blessed with what the pupils called 'supersonic ear-sight'.

That's what these creatures have. Make a sound and they will find you. Noise is fatal.

This is the set-up that we've seen twice before, but Sam's terminal illness gives it an intriguing added dimension. Will this world-weary woman, with so much to be weary about, now dig out the instincts to survive?

It taps into that collective childhood memory of stern teachers or parents warning us not to make a peep, and added monsters

At first this seems to be the existential paradox at the heart of the movie but, brilliantly, it finds a different gear.

As a multitude of scared, bedraggled people shuffle noiselessly towards the harbour and possible salvation, Sam battles against the tide. She craves one last pizza from a particular Harlem pizzeria, a precious connection with her past.

But on the way she encounters a needy Englishman (Joseph Quinn of Stranger Things fame, also wonderful), who, much to her initial frustration, won't let her go.

They become an unlikely pair, with him finding unexpected courage, and her just as unexpectedly thriving on the support of a fellow human being, though of course she still has her cat. And that's another thing. One misplaced mew and they're all toast. The cat, you might say, is a ticking time-tom.

It's gripping stuff, immaculately choreographed and paced. At 99 minutes, if anything, A Quiet Place: Day One under-stays its welcome. Film-making of this quality can afford to linger, but then one of the reasons it's so good is that it doesn't.

Horizon: An American Saga  Chapter 1 (15, 181 mins)

Rating:

Verdict: Stretches endlessly

The same can most certainly not be said of Horizon: An American Saga  Chapter 1.

Kevin Costner's bloated, incoherent mess of a Civil War-era Western lasts three unwieldy, unrewarding hours, with Chapters 2, 3 and reportedly even 4 yet to torment us.

Costner has form. His 1990 epic Dances With Wolves also weighed in at three hours, and The Postman (1997) is so long that if you sit through it at home, the real postman will make at least three deliveries before it's over.

Or so it will seem. On the other hand, Costner also knows his way around a Western, from both sides of the camera.

Dances With Wolves had plenty of virtues and Open Range (2003), a mere 139 minutes long, was excellent.

Pictured: Kevin Costner in a scene from "Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter I

Pictured: Luke Wilson in a scene from "Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter I

So when word began to circulate that he had raised some $40m of his own money and mortgaged his house to fund this long-cherished project (we should all get to make such financial sacrifices), folk at least expected him to get the story-telling bit right.

Sadly, he doesn't. The titular Horizon is a fledgling frontier town way out West, and the story follows the various people who, for whatever reason, intend to make it their home.

As a premise that sounds perfectly dandy, but perhaps much more suited to a multi-episode TV series, which is what, if anything, this should have been.

Apart from the visual cliches (no distant escarpment is free of an Apache warrior, casting an ominous eye over the wagon train below), the film is stuffed with storylines that you expect to intersect but don't.

This narrative clunkiness is a waste of fine actors such as Sam Worthington, who plays a soldier trying to reconcile his irreproachable moral rectitude with the hots for a gorgeous homesteader (Sienna Miller), widowed in a brutal Apache raid.

Then there's Costner himself as the obligatory enigmatic drifter, lightning-quick on the draw of course, whose compassion for a much younger prostitute at one point leads her gratefully to straddle him just to help the poor old fellow nod off after a tiring day  a far more pleasurable sleep-aid than this interminable picture.

Both films are in cinemas now.
Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years (Gold)

Rating:

Only a comedy connoisseur would have the nerve. Paul Whitehouse, star of The Fast Show and now Gone Fishing, dared to say it  Benny Hill was brilliantly funny.

In the first episode of his Sketch Show Years, harking back to the 1970s, he paid tribute to beloved double acts: Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies, and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Acknowledged geniuses such as Les Dawson and the Python troupe were included too, though the selection was too predictable  the dead parrot, conductor Andrew Preview, fork handles and Bloody Greta Garbo all featured.

But the real fun started when Paul dared to reassess the comedians that political correctness cancelled. He took a nostalgic joy in reminding us of Dick Emery's favourite characters  Honky-Tonks mincing in his silks and extravagant hats, and saucy Mandy dispatching every suitor with a shove: 'Ooh, you are awful . . . but I like you!'

Most of all, he revelled in the raunchy slapstick of Alfred Hawthorne Hill, who started doing stand-up as a teenager in the 1930s, before adopting the name of his favourite American comedian, Jack Benny.

Paul Whitehouse stars in Paul Whitehouse's Sketch Show Years

Benny Hill is almost never seen on television now. All we remember is the fast-forward chase scenes, Benny being pursued by girls in swimsuits to the soundtrack of Yakety Sax.

But he was a far more versatile performer and writer with an array of characters such as Mervyn Twit and Fred Scuttle, and a gift for silent comedy that made him the precursor to Mr Bean. Paul gave us a taste of this, but an hour-long episode could have given him much more space to remind us what we've been missing.

Benny's success was global, partly because it needed no translation: 'I can get my face slapped in six languages,' he said.

Though the post-punk boom in alternative comedy stalled his career in the UK during the 1980s, he remained phenomenally successful abroad.

Sales of his show in the U.S. netted him $5 million a year, about 15m today. Stations aired his repeats twice daily.

Prisoners at San Jose penitentiary threatened to riot unless they were allowed to watch him.

During the Cold War, Russians picked up his programme by turning their TV aerials towards Finland, until Premier Mikhail Gorbachev ruled that Benny could be broadcast in the Soviet Union  one of the Kremlin's most popular decisions ever.

Despite his success, money meant nothing to him. When he went shopping, he took a carrier bag of banknotes. He turned down lucrative offers to perform in Vegas, and lived in a modest flat with a rented television.

Only a comedy connoisseur would have the nerve. Paul Whitehouse (pictured), star of The Fast Show and now Gone Fishing, dared to say it  Benny Hill was brilliantly funny

Explaining why he had no wife or partner, he said: 'I have a mental age of about 17  far too young for marriage.' Every Christmas, he returned to his late parents' semi-detached house in Southampton, where he put out buckets to catch rain pouring through the roof.

Eccentric and joyfully entertaining, Benny Hill deserves to be rediscovered. Paul's salute was a good start.
As she opens up about her struggle with stiff person syndrome (SPS), Celine Dion is putting her resources toward finding a cure.

The beloved Canadian songstress, 56, made a major donation of $2 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where Dr. Amanda Piquet is treating her for the rare condition.

'I am just incredibly honored to receive this recognition to move the field forward with this research,' said Dr. Piquet, director of Autoimmune Neurology at CU Anschutz, in an interview with CBS News.

'Stiff person syndrome is a progressive autoimmune neurological disorder that is characterized by two cardinal features  muscle spasms and stiffness,' she explained.

Dr. Piquet, who is leading the way on SPS research, explained that the condition can 'take years to get a diagnosis,' adding: 'The average time frame is seven years.'

Celine Dion made a major donation of $2 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where Dr. Amanda Piquet is treating her for the rare condition

Dr. Piquet recalled how Dion came into her care. 'She happened to find us, and it was a great relationship, and we worked really hard with her managing those symptoms, getting her on a good treatment pathway,' she said

She also recalled how Dion came into her care. 'She happened to find us, and it was a great relationship, and we worked really hard with her managing those symptoms, getting her on a good treatment pathway,' said Dr. Piquet.

'There are no FDA-approved therapies for this disease. We often use immune therapies, and symptomatic therapies to manage the disease.

'We will also do things like physical therapy, massage therapy, and in Celine's case vocal therapy to help manage the symptoms,' she added.

Dion previously praised Dr. Piquet at the world premiere of her new documentary I Am: Celine Dion. 'She has replaced my fear with hope,' she said.

The 'My Heart Will Go On' artist explored her journey with the diagnosis in the doc, which includes footage of a 10-minute seizure she suffered.

She announced her SPS diagnosis in December 2022 after 'dealing with problems with my health for a long time,' writing: 'It has been really difficult for me to face my challenges and to talk about everything that I've been going through.

'Recently, I've been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome, which affects one in a million people.

'While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all the spasms I've been having,' she continued.

Dion detailed the condition, 'Unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I'm used to.'

Dion previously praised Dr. Piquet at the world premiere of her new documentary I Am: Celine Dion. 'She has replaced my fear with hope,' she said

The 'My Heart Will Go On' artist explored her journey with the diagnosis in the doc, which includes footage of a 10-minute seizure she suffered

She announced her SPS diagnosis in December 2022 after 'dealing with problems with my health for a long time,' subsequently canceling her Courage World Tour

The Grammy Award winner subsequently had to cancel her Courage World Tour in March 2023.

This month, Dion explained why she decided to share her diagnosis after 17 years. 'Lying for me was... The burden was too much,' she said on Today.

'Lying to the people who got me to where I am today, I could not do it anymore,' added Dion. 'I could not do this anymore.'
You wait years for a film about Richard Burton  then two (and a TV series) come along at once.

I can reveal that the life story of the legendary Welsh actor, who was married to Elizabeth Taylor (twice), is to be told in three separate projects.

All should come out next year, to coincide with the centenary of his birth in 1925.

One film will feature Michael Sheen as Burton; another has landed rising star Harry Lawtey to play the Welshman... and the third may go in a completely different direction, with either Leo Woodall or Richard Madden portraying the actor, who died in 1984.

The drama series, Elizabeth Taylor vs The World, is being developed by producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who was behind A Very English Scandal, which told the story of the Jeremy Thorpe scandal.

I can reveal that the life story of Richard Burton (top) is to be told in three separate projects

One film will feature Michael Sheen as Burton

It is an adaptation of Erotic Vagrancy, the blockbuster book about Burton and Taylor by Roger Lewis which dug into their excesses: the diamonds, the private jets, the art, and the morning-to-night boozing, brawling and bedding.

Times columnist Caitlin Moran is writing the script.

Author Lewis tells me: 'There are two people whom I think would be brilliant as my Burton: that boy who was in One Day, Leo Woodall; or Richard Madden. The important thing is to be [as Burton was] incredibly sexy.'

Meanwhile, documentary maker Adrian Sibley is working on a film about Burton's life. It will be based on existing footage and photographs but will also feature dramatised passages . . . in which Michael Sheen will appear as Burton.

The third project is the most controversial.

Called Mr Burton, it stars Toby Jones as Philip Burton, the teacher at Port Talbot Secondary School who spotted the potential and 'obvious virility' of Richard Jenkins, played by Harry Lawtey.

The teacher formed a close bond with his student, and in 1943  after paying the boy's father Dick, a miner, 50  assumed custody of the teen.

Mr Burton, an English and Drama teacher, steered his ward towards a career in acting. And Richard took his mentor's name.

Burton was married to Elizabeth Taylor (twice)

Called Mr Burton, it stars Harry Lawtey (pictured) as Richard Jenkins, and Toby Jones as Philip Burton, the teacher at Port Talbot Secondary School

But biographers have speculated that the teacher may have groomed and sexually abused his charge, who in later life remarked that he drank 'to overcome the shame' and told an interviewer he'd had a homosexual period but that it 'hadn't worked'.

Shooting on the film, which is being financed by BBC Wales and Ffilm Cymru Wales, is scheduled to begin at the end of July.
Nicole Kidman soaked up the beauty of Paris in her bathrobe while lounging in her window at the Peninsula hotel on Thursday.

The 57-year-old is one of the flurry of stars who have descended on the French capital to take in the shows at Paris Fashion Week.

But in the midst of the hustle and bustle, the mother of four was also able to indulge in a bit of relaxation as she showed off her radiant complexion.

One evocative snap showed Nicole stretched across her hotel windowsill at dusk, gazing out at the iconic Haussmann architecture of the Avenue Kleber.

She treated her fans to a few glimpses of the views from the Peninsula, including one of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, shimmering over the darkened city rooftops.

Nicole Kidman soaked up the beauty of Paris in her bathrobe while lounging in her window at the Peninsula hotel on Thursday

Her posts came amid a social media furor over the fact she and her close friend Naomi Watts attended the Balenciaga show this Wednesday.

Nearly two years ago, the brand was plunged into scandal and forced to apologize over an ad campaign that prompted even frequent Balenciaga model Kim Kardashian to declare she was 'outraged' and 'disgusted.'

Some pictures in the campaign showed children holding teddy-bear-shaped purses that were dressed in what appeared to be bondage gear.

One photo was of a handbag on a desk strewn with various papers - including a United States Supreme Court ruling involving child pornography.

A particularly controversial picture showed a child lying down on a couch next to a coffee table that held empty wineglasses and Stella Artois chalices.

Kim publicly announced that she was 'shaken by the disturbing images' and was 'reevaluating my relationship' with Balenciaga.

However Nicole - who had recently starred in a separate Balenciaga campaign - never buckled under the pressure to issue her own statement denouncing the brand, even while social media commentators furiously demanded she do so.

As the dust settled, Kim decided to remain in the Balenciaga fold, officially becoming the face of the fashion house this January.

One evocative snap showed Nicole stretched across her hotel windowsill at dusk, gazing out at the iconic Haussmann architecture of the Avenue Kleber

She treated her fans to a few glimpses of the views from the Peninsula, including one of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, shimmering over the darkened city rooftops

Her posts came amid a social media furor over the fact she and her close friend Naomi Watts attended the Balenciaga show this Wednesday

After the ad campaign scandal of 2022, Nicole demonstrated her own loyalty to the firm when she and Naomi cheerfully attended its latest fashion show in Paris this week

Nearly two years ago, the brand was plunged into scandal and forced to apologize over a provocative ad campaign involving children

Meanwhile Nicole demonstrated her own loyalty to the firm when she and Naomi cheerfully attended its latest fashion show in Paris this week.

Nicole brought along her 15-year-old daughter Sunday Rose, who is one of the two children she shares with her country star husband Keith Urban.

Outraged social media users sprang online to condemn the two movie stars, making note of the fact both of them have children of their own.

'I simply cannot believe that anyone, particularly a parent, would associate with this brand. Much less GIVE them positive publicity and support,' fumed one.

'Such poor taste to associate with this brand,' seethed another, while a third recoiled: 'Eww. Balenciaga are Not Like Us.'
'Nude artist' Dina Broadhurst has headed down south.

The Sydney socialite took to Instagram on Thursday to share skin-baring images from her trip to the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania.

Captioning the gallery of photos 'nature's beauty', the 46-year-old shared several imaged of herself wearing only a skimpy blue bikini despite the chilly weather.

Dina turned her pert derriere towards the camera as she ran her fingers through her brunette tresses and gazed out at the Tasmanian landscape.

Other images showed Boradhurst dining on oysters by the water's edge.

The latest post comes just days after Dina shared images to Instagram in which she was bathing in a pool completely naked.

She turned her back to the camera, shielding her unclothed bust as she soaked in the water.

Her face could not be seen in the photos, but her long blonde hair was wet from her swim.

'Nude artist' Dina Broadhurst has headed down south. The Sydney socialite took to Instagram on Thursday to share skin-baring images from her trip to the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania

'Road trip,' she wrote in her caption alongside the photos, along with water drop emojis.

It comes as Dina 'confirmed' her romance with multimillionaire fridge heir John Winning earlier this year.

She was reported to have started dating the CEO and fourth-generation heir of Winning Appliances around March after knowing him for some time.

In early April, she confirmed her romance with John as they attended a rave in Pioneertown, California, together.

Dina Broadhurst (pictured) is well known for her racy, artistic selfies

Captioning the gallery of photos 'nature's beauty', the 46-year-old shared several imaged of herself wearing only a skimpy blue bikini despite the chilly weather

The Sydney socialite was at it again earlier this month, sharing her most revealing photos yet

Dina posted to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps from their trip stateside with a group of friends to attend the music event.

She and John are said to be 'quite smitten' with one another amid their budding romance, close friends told the Daily Telegraph.

John took over as CEO of Winning Appliances in 2011 at the age of 22 and took the business in a new direction with Appliances Online, which is now Australia's largest online retailer for appliances.

Dina follows John on Instagram, as does her close friend Jade Yarbrough, Ruby Tuesday Matthews and Erin Molan.
Former 'Jackass' star Bam Margera will spend six months on probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct on Wednesday over an altercation at his home near Philadelphia.

Margera, 44, had been charged with assaulting his brother and making threats to other family members during what the brother called a 'frightening and unpredictable' two-week visit home last year.

The plea ends a long legal case that spun out of his stay at the Chester County, Pennsylvania, home known as Castle Bam. At a hearing last year, Margera told the judge he was getting drug and alcohol treatment and was living with former Los Angeles Lakers star Lamar Odom.

Jess Margera, at the same court hearing, called his brother 'a good dude when hes not messed up', but said he had exhibited troubling behavior for two decades and, while home, had been awake for days. Jess Margera suffered a ruptured eardrum in the altercation, while Margeras girlfriend called police when he kicked in her bedroom door, the brother testified.

Defense lawyer William J. Brennan said Margera pleaded guilty to two summary offenses, and is now clean, sober and productive a year after the arrest.

Former 'Jackass' star Bam Margera, shown in January 2013, will spend six months on probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct on Wednesday over an altercation at his home near Philadelphia

'You can really say he won his case before today just by turning his life around,' Brennan on Wednesday told the Associated Press.

The Chester County District Attorney's Office told TMZ that Margera will spend six months on probation - with three months for each count - and will be subject to random drug testing.

Margera took the plea deal because of his busy schedule and his desire to avoid paying legal fees and returning to court, his legal team told TMZ.

'This is basically a noise violation. He really got nothing more than a traffic ticket,' his attorney Michael T. van der Veen added.

Margera got married last month to Dannii Marie in Socorro County, New Mexico.

Margera got married last month to Dannii Marie in Socorro County, New Mexico, shown together on Instagram

He's currently in a legal dispute with his his second wife Nicole 'Nikki' Boyd over the legitimacy of their 2013 wedding because the ceremony was held in Iceland.

Margera and Boyd have six-year-old son Phoenix Wolf together.

Boyd and Margera split up in 2021, and in September of that year, Boyd went to court to request full custody of their son.

The former Jackass star was previously married Missy Rothenstein from 2007 to 2012.
Americans who have tried to get in touch with the Internal Revenue Service know that it can be difficult to get through to speak to someone.

And during this year's tax season only 31 percent ever successfully reached a human when they called the agency for help, a new report has revealed.

This is worse than last filing season, when 35 percent of calls were picked up by a human.

The IRS received 40 million calls during the filing season this year, which ran from January 29 to April 15.

But only 12.4 million were picked up by an IRS employee, according to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service.

Taxpayers trying to reach the IRS are typically limited to phone calls or mail. The agency's customer service became notorious during the pandemic when it was almost impossible to get help.

Since then, the agency has hired 7,000 additional customer service staff, but this has done little to resolve jammed phone lines, the report said.

This tax season only 31 percent of people successfully reached a human when they called the agency for help, a new report has revealed

GET IN TOUCH Do you work as an IRS customer service representative? Get in touch at money@dailymail.com Advertisement

Despite the frustration experienced by many taxpayers, the IRS rated its service a score of 88 percent - up from a lowly 4 percent during the pandemic.

This is calculated using measures developed by the IRS and the Treasury Department.

But Erin Collins, head of the IRS's Taxpayer Advocate Service, said that while the improvements are notable, the measure is lacking, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The IRS rating only covers 35 of its 102 customer service numbers.

It also does not count the callers who give up and hang up the phone or those immediately directed to recorded messages.

For example, less than a fifth of the 2.1 million who called the agency's collections phone line - which deals with tax debt - reached a human.

Those that did also had to wait 10 minutes to get through.

'One would expect a caller facing eviction because an IRS levy is leaving her unable to pay her rent would receive priority over a caller requesting an account transcript,' Collins said in the report.

The IRS is also inefficient in its use of existing staff, the report said.

While some particular phone lines leave taxpayers waiting, representatives on others are often 'sitting around waiting for the phone to ring,' it said.

Employees were waiting for calls for about a quarter of the time they were assigned to answer phones.

Due to outdated technology, these workers also cannot perform other tasks while waiting for calls. This means that customer service representatives were waiting for calls for slightly over 1.1 million hours during the filing season, during which time they did not assist taxpayers with other issues.

The IRS said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that it does not agree with all the methodology in the report but that phone service had improved.

'The IRS recognizes it needs to make further improvements, and the agency will continue working on this as part of the larger transformation efforts under way,' it said.

Alongside phone wait times, the report also flagged 'unconscionable' delays at the agency for resolving identity theft cases.

The IRS received around 40 million calls during the filing season this year, but only 12.4 million were picked up by an IRS employee, according to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service

The IRS has been under fire for its long wait times (Pictured: IRS commissioner Danny Werfel)

As of April, the IRS took more than 22 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases, and had roughly 500,000 unresolved cases in its inventory, the report found.

This had worsened since the last report in January, when it was nearly 19 months.

'IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are unconscionable,' said Collins.

The report said further harm could befall identity theft victims, who are often dealing with other related issues. For instance, tax refunds can be delayed.

'These delays are particularly challenging for low-income taxpayers who may rely on these refunds to pay their day-to-day living expenses or expenses accrued throughout the year, such as medical bills.

'In addition, these identity theft victims may struggle to secure certain kinds of loans, such as mortgages,' the report said.

In response, the IRS said that 'although taxpayers continued to see major improvements from the IRS during the 2024 tax season, the IRS recognizes that the backlog of identity theft cases remains one of the most significant ongoing service gaps.'
Arti, a child bride whose education was cut short, now shines as a local hero, transitioning from e-rickshaw driver to Amal Clooney Award winner, embodying resilience and empowerment

Her face is bathed in sweat and her hair is dishevelled. But neither the scorching June heat nor the humidity can wear down the wide smile on Artis face. Even the power cut at the Aga Khan Foundations Project Lehar Centre, where she has been coming for entrepreneurial training, cannot dim her joy. She has just admitted her young daughter to one of the top English medium schools in Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh.

This is a dream come true for the 19-year-old single mother whose own education came to an end after being married off as a child. What has made this feat even more special for her is that it was the school that expressed keenness to admit her four-year-old daughter. The telephone call from its founder inviting her to fill out the form came soon after Arti was returning from the school having been told admissions for the session were closed. While the call and offer to waive all tuition fees came as a big surprise to Arti, it was not totally unexpected.

Ever since Arti, an e-rickshaw driver, hit the national headlines for winning the prestigious Amal Clooney Womens Empowerment Award in May this year, she has become a celebrity in Bahraich. Given to young women around the world in recognition of their determination and ability to overcome challenges and make a difference, the international award has catapulted Arti from being just another pink e-rickshaw driver to the official brand ambassador for womens empowerment in Bahraich, an aspirational district with low socio-economic indicators.

The buzz around her has been non-stop since her return from London where she went to receive the award from the Kings Trust International founded by King Charles. There has been unrelenting attention by local and national media to know more about her remarkable journey, including her ride in a pick-rickshaw to meet King Charles at the award reception in Buckingham Palace. She has also been publicly felicitated by top leaders and officials of the district. But all this would have never been possible had Arti not met the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Project Lehar team. Instituted to provide vocational training, entrepreneurship, and life skills courses to marginalised young women, Project Lehar run by AKF in partnership with The Kings Trust International, enables girls and young women from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn, earn, and thrive. When the team met Arti, she was living with her mother in Baharaichs Risia block Having left an abusive marriage, Arti was directionless. Married at 13 and a mother at 14, Arti lacked both skills and confidence. On her mothers insistence, she agreed to join Project Lehar. Little did she know that her life was about to change.Not far away, in Lauki, another village in the same block a young widow with three children was struggling to make two ends meet after the death of her husband. She was only 20 when she came in touch with the Lehar team.

Left to fend for her children alone, Bitti wanted to do something other than supporting her family as a daily wager and registered for the project.Here she would meet Megha, Saira Bano and Bhagyalakshmi, all young widows with similar backgrounds and living in difficult circumstances. Fate was about to give these four and Arti a collective second chance at life.In June 2023, when Seema Shukla Project Coordinator, state programme manager Sudhir and the AKF team were mulling over the possibility of teaching them to drive and using this skill as a means of livelihood on the lines of the popular Sakha cabs driven by only women, it was Monika Rani, the dynamic Bahraich district magistrate, who turned this idea into reality.

We were considering how to make the girls economically self sufficient and hit upon the idea of launching the pink e-rickshaw initiative under the government Mission Shakti scheme to empower women and expand their income earning opportunities. We wanted to give single mothers , widows and women separated from their husbands the first chance to come out of the house, increase their mobility and regain their confidence, says Monika Rani. So on October 2, 2023, these five girls were chosen as the first recipients of a batch of 10 girls from Project Lehar to be given the pink e-rickshaws under this innovative scheme.

A loan of Rs 1.66 lakh was provided and repayable in 38 months at an EMI of Rs 4500.Since then, there has been no looking back. Not only have the women paid eight instalments already, but they are also transforming their lives. From eating just one meal a day, Saira Bano can now give her children proper nutritious food. I have seen days where my two children and I ate just namak and roti.

Now I earn enough to fulfill every need of my children. I want to do better so that I can build my own house and get an electric connection so that my children dont have to study under a lamp and I dont have to pay to charge my e-rickshaw, shares Saira.The confidence Bitti has gained has given her the courage to demand her right to the family land. She has filed a case in the civil court and wants her father-in-law to put her deceased husbands share in her sons name. I am paying the fees for the lawyer from the money I earn as a e-rickshaw driver. I never thought I would be able to take such a big step, reveals Bitti. Bhagyalakshmihas opened a tiny kiosk selling biscuits, sweets and pencils for her mother from her earnings. I want to expand my business. My dream is to make my elder daughter a doctor and the younger one a policewoman. When my income increases I will shift them to an English medium school. I want my children to have a bright future, she says.

For Megha too, the e-rickshaw has been life-changing. I am happy because my economic situation has changed for the better. Now I can give my children better food. I have admitted the two children to private English medium school and can the monthly fee of Rs 250 for both of them Education will ensure they never have to live on charity like I did.

While association with Project Lehar and the opportunity to become self-reliant thanks to the pink e-rickshaws has turned their lives around, it has been their confidence that has helped them hold their heads high in a male-dominated profession.

This is inspiring other village women to step out of their homes and fulfil their dreams.

(Swapna Majumdar is a journalist writing on development and gender. The views are expressed are personal)
We Are China

Guangzhou's Nansha International Cruise Homeport officially opens

Ecns.cn) 13:57, June 27, 2024

A cruise ship sets sail from Guangzhou's Nansha International Cruise Homeport on June 25 with more than 600 domestic and foreign tourists aboard. (Drone photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

The Blue Dream Melody cruise ship set sail for a five-day, four-night visa-free adventure to Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, marking the official opening of the much-anticipated port in Guangdong province.

A cruise ship sets sail from Guangzhou's Nansha International Cruise Homeport on June 25 with more than 600 domestic and foreign tourists aboard. (Drone photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

A cruise ship sets sail from Guangzhou's Nansha International Cruise Homeport on June 25 with more than 600 domestic and foreign tourists aboard. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

Tourists head for Guangzhou's Nansha International Cruise Homeport on June 25. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

The staff tidy up the dining room on the cruise ship on June 25. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

Tourists go through the procedures before getting onboard the cruise ship on June 25. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Jimin)

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
There is widespread violence against women and LGBTQIA+ individuals, fueled by a deeply ingrained prejudices against transgressive love

Be-Loved - Celebrating Pride Month through TheatreKhushi Pahuja In the scorching heat of June 2024, I, along with a lesbian couple, have been shuttling from police station to police station, all to protect their fundamental rights to life and equality. The constant torment for the three of us stems from societys disdain for transgressive love and an unquestioned acceptance of violence against women by family members. Familial and domestic violence is perpetuated and reinforced each time someone scrutinizes and polices ones queerness through ones body. Hope often dwindles with seemingly unending cycles of individual, systemic, and systematic violence. Especially, when community members like Prerna (name changed), a 23-year-old lesbian woman says, We are investing so much money, time, and energy for protecting my rights, is it even worth it? Will things ever change? In the face of such questions, social workers not only provide a safe listening space and support in bureaucratic procedures; but also share the responsibility of holding on to the beacon of hope. History reminds us that hope, and perseverance lay the foundational stones for advocacy, action, and change. One history of hope is that of Pride Month. Each Year, June is celebrated as pride month around the globe, commemorating the Stonewall Uprising.

On June 28, 1969, like many other days in New York City, the police raided a small bar called the Stonewall Inn. Taking advantage of the laws against crossdressing, the police would raid bars to arrest queer and transgender persons. When the same happened at Stonewall Inn, the people protested. Days of riots against police brutality acted as a catalyst for the LGBTQIA+ rights movement. Following this, the movement for LGBTQIA+ rights has expanded, bringing relief to many within the community.

Various events like theatre, music, poetry, sensitisation programs, etc. happen during June all over the world, including India.

Such programs are particularly important as they present possibilities for intersectional dialogue through non-conventional sensitisation methods. An example of this approach is Be-Loved, a theatre play by Mumbai-based Theatre Group Tamaasha, which was recently co-organized by Nazariya Foundation and SAATHII (Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India) on June 9 at the Bipin Chandra Pal Auditorium in Delhi. Be-Loved is a musical and satirical drama directed by Sapan Saran and penned by 17 prominent writers, including artist Bhupen Khakhar, poet Josh Malihabadi, and LGBTQIA+ rights activists Maya Sharma and Saleem Kidwai. Recalling the journey of making this play, Sapan shares, Be-Loved is a collaborative effort. It took us about three months to put it together. We opened the play last year in June after rigorous rehearsal for 45 days.

The play dealt with a very sensitive issue with a lot of care, especially in a context where talking about sex and sexuality is a taboo. They emphasize, You cannot forget about the issue once you have seen this play. It forces you to think and reflect when you come out of the theater hall. Resonating with this perspective, Urvashi Butalia, feminist publisher and writer says, The play took stories on queerness by many writers and connected them with real life cases. People can dismiss stories, but it is difficult to dismiss lived realities. As Rituparna Borah (she/they), Director, Nazariya Foundation pens, Events like this are the best ways to show to the world that advocacy can be done in various ways either through UN mechanisms, through the government, or plays like this. With collective power we can challenge any hate, discrimination, and violence against the queer-trans community.Such events help us to reach an audience that is generally not approachable for training sessions, or for whom training sessions are not accessible. Therefore, when we engage with allies through well-accepted mediums like theater, music, etc., the much-needed information gets conveyed to a huge audience, adds Randhoni Lairikyengbam, Assistant Director, SAATHII. The echoing sentiments of audience members about how the play moved them to highlight the importance of collective efforts toward sensitization using multiple advocacy mediums. It restores hope that change is possible when we create spaces where people can critically reflect on their actions, thoughts, and behaviour, and feel part of the collective. Pride Month, therefore, is not only a time to celebrate queerness and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights but also an opportunity to look back into history and remind ourselves of the perseverance of those who fought for the rights and then move into the future with hope, care, and kindness.

(The author is a social worker and a sexuality educator; views are personal. Charkha Features)
By seeking refuge in the divine, we can navigate the complexities of life with ease

All of us wish for a pleasant life (theek chale). But we dont know how. We try different things, but something or other keeps on going wrong. Is it an impossible dream? No, it is not. God, being very merciful, has indicated how this can be alone. Lord Krishna guides, This maya (illusory energy) of Mine is divine and very difficult to overcome. Only those, who take shelter in Me, they are able to transcend this maya. (7.14) We get in trouble repeatedly because we are naturally attracted to harmful sense objects. Useful sense objections are fine but how do you know which these are? God gives this intelligence if we remain in His shelter, just like a mother stops her little child from harming himself.God is that eternal mother for us.

Lord Krishna informs, After efforts of many births, a yogi in the end becomes wise, and he takes My shelter. A great soul, who considers Lord Vasudeva thus everything is very rare. (7.19) We can get started on this journey beginning from now and God will begin to protect us. We must allow some time for it as instructed by Lord Krishna, Steadfast in yoga, such people while always glorifying Me and endeavouring, having firm vows worship Me with devotion, offering obeisance. (9.17) Then, what happens? God promises, These people, who worship Me with undivided attention, meditating on Me, for these practitioners of yoga, I help in getting what one does not have and provide security of what one has. (9.22) We get started and God gets started. It is that simple.Then, what happens? Lord Krishna states, Fix your mind in Me only; engage your intelligence in Me; thus hereafter you will remain in Me only; there is no doubt about this. (12.8) We get to live in God.

What does this mean? God takes care of us as our mother. Our lives will be micromanaged. One will benefit like one can never imagine, because, as indicated earlier, God is everything, not helpless like our biological mother. Over some time our consciousness will change, as detailed by Lord Krishna, Through consciousness offering all activities to Me; practising buddhi-yoga, having taken My shelter be always in My consciousness. (18.57) Our consciousness, which otherwise is essentially material will change to God consciousness; it will turn spiritual.When this happens, a big change will take place in our lives, as explained by Lord Krishna, Having My consciousness, you will cross all impediments by My kripa (grace). (18.58) In the same verse, Lord Krishna warns, If you will not heed on account of feeling of being the doer, you will perish.

This is what normally happens to us human beings. We must curb our egos; God and ego do not go together. Can you imagine what privileged status we would have achieved if we heed Gods instructions? Life will become smooth (theek chalegi). We will wholeheartedly take shelter in God, as instructed by God. In all respects take shelter of God only. We neither get any peace nor liberation at some stage in our eternal journey due to our refusal to surrender to God. We will do so now.What will we do then? We will follow Gods instructions as detailed in verse #18.65, which is, Develop My consciousness; become My devotee; make sacrifices for Me; and offer obeisance to Me. You will attain Me only. This I truly promise to you, because you are dear to Me.

The last verse sheds light on the biggest benefit of all, in which the Lord promises, Take My shelter only; I shall release you from all sins. Do not worry. (18.66) Why do we get repeatedly in trouble? Why are we always worried? Because our bad karmaphalas keep on manifesting. Now what will happen? They will make their appearance and God will forgive us, and we will not be troubled much. This is like being liberated while still in our material bodies. This is simply unbelievable to even think about. I wont stop trying to remain in the shelter of God as much as possible as fast as convenient.

(The writer is a spiritual teacher; views are personal)
From bolstering defence capabilities to fostering regional cooperation, India under Modi's leadership navigates a complex geopolitical landscape

Prime Minister Modi's foreign policy initiatives have consistently underscored India's assertiveness and strategic clarity from his first term in 2014 to his current third term in 2024. This period has seen India take decisive actions such as the Balakot Airstrike in 2019 and the banning of TikTok, aimed at countering China and safeguarding national interests. These measures have not been welcomed by neighboring states like China and Pakistan, particularly in light of incidents such as the Galwan clash in 2020, which resulted in the loss of Indian soldiers and prompted a bolstering of border security and a significant increase in the defense budget from approximately Rs 4,73,378 crores in 2020 to Rs 6,21,540 crores presently.

This heightened defense spending underscores India's unwavering commitment to national development and security. Underpinning Modi's governance is the vision of a 'Vikasit Bharat 2047' (Developed India), with ambitions to elevate India to the rank of the world's third-largest economy. Since 2014, India has advanced from being the 10th largest economy to the 5th largest, showcasing potential for further growth.

The Vikasit Bharat agenda prioritizes boosting manufacturing industries, evidenced by substantial subsidies totaling $28 billion across 14 sectors and an additional $10 billion allocated to the semiconductor industry. This economic expansion surpasses historical parallels, outstripping even Britain's colonial economic hegemony.India's aspirations extend to securing a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a move contested primarily by China. Despite these challenges, India is forging independent diplomatic pathways, exemplified by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) involving India, Japan, the United States, and Australia. While debates on the Quad's efficacy persist, its role in ensuring Indo-Pacific security and countering Chinese influence remains pivotal. Additionally, India is strengthening regional ties through initiatives like BIMSTEC and expanding BRICS to include UAE and Saudi Arabia, key oil suppliers, thereby enhancing its global stature and influence. Modi's foreign policy approach is characterized by a nuanced engagement in global politics, leveraging soft power to augment India's international standing.

The 'Neighbourhood First' policy, emphasized during Modi's third term inauguration, exemplifies India's commitment to fostering regional cooperation. High-profile visits and agreements, such as those with Bangladesh, underscore the policy's success in enhancing regional connectivity and economic collaboration. Beyond tangible policy actions, Modi's government champions India as a 'Vishwaguru' (World Teacher), invoking the country's ancient heritage and cultural legacy. This narrative not only promotes India's soft power but also influences global discourse on geopolitics, art, culture, and values originating from India's ancient civilization. India's advocacy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is one family) at international forums like the G20 reinforces its role as a leading soft power and positions it closer to superpower status.

Modi's third term inauguration signifies a continued assertiveness in foreign policy, aimed at securing India's strategic interests while fostering global partnerships.

(The writer is a researcher; views are personal)
This strategic manoeuvre aims to disrupt the growing momentum of the far-right National Rally and prevent further erosion of his political standing

Macron's Election Gambitby Nilantha IlangamuwaEmmanuel Macron, the youngest president in French history, is known for taking risks, as evidenced by his recent call for snap elections to avoid further humiliation after a significant defeat in the European Union Parliamentary Elections, where his main contender garnered over 50% of the votes. This move, the first since 1997, invokes Article 12 of the French Constitution, allowing the president to end the Assemblee Nationale's term early, thus advancing the end of the current five-year term from 2027 to 2024. The new parliamentary elections are set for June 30 and July 7, catching many of Macron's allies off guard. France is at a crossroads. As former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin once mentioned, "Politics is not about morality, it's about efficiency."Throughout French history, there have been five notable instances of snap elections.

In 1962 and 1968, Charles de Gaulle dissolved the Assemblee Nationale following a motion of no confidence and widespread protests, respectively, securing significant victories both times. Francois Mitterrand used snap elections in 1981 to secure a Socialist majority and again in 1988 to address political "cohabitation." Jacques Chirac's 1997 snap election gamble backfired, leading to a left-wing coalition victory. Currently, Macron faces low approval ratings and a paralyzed parliament, with the National Rally (Rassemblement National or RN) capitalizing on the situation. By calling for snap elections, Macron aims to confront the populist movement and disrupt their momentum, leveraging the more challenging two-round system of French national elections compared to the single-round European elections.Marine Le Pen and RN president Jordan Bardella, the partys candidate for PM, are gearing up for the snap elections, which will have higher stakes compared to the European elections. Macron, aiming to dramatize the choice facing the French, challenged voters in a televised address, asking if they truly want to be governed by the far right.

What exactly is the 'far right,' a term frequently echoed in European politics? Often, it's a convenient label used to obscure the significant failures of so-called neo-liberals. When individuals dare to address real societal issues on the ground, rather than fabricating crises to vilify designated enemies like Vladimir Putin, they are often hastily labelled as "far-right" or conservative. Instead of accurate representation, this knee-jerk reaction by warmongers, fueled by Western media, reflects bias. Recent events in France, where President Macron's centrist coalition faced electoral setbacks, highlight this skewed narrative. The term "far right" is wielded without nuance, disregarding the diverse ideological spectrum and legitimate concerns championed by these movements. The shifting landscape of French politics challenges outdated perceptions. Parties like Marine Le Pen's National Rally are not accurately depicted as "far-right"; instead, they signify a redefinition of mainstream conservatism. Their platforms, focusing on issues such as controlled migration and national defence, resonate with many voters disenchanted with traditional leadership. Understanding these complexities demands a departure from simplistic labels and a recognition of Europe's evolving political dynamics. While Marine Le Pen may not mirror Trump's trajectory in France, it's crucial to acknowledge the significant support they garner from the public, despite mainstream media's continued misrepresentation. Blaming perceived evils is often easier than confronting one's own side's failures.

In this context, polarized politics in France are teaching a new lesson about the deceptive nature of labelling certain movements as "far right" to deflect attention from the failures of neoliberalism. Unlike the European elections with a 50% turnout, local watchdogs asserted that the national elections could see 70% voter participation, potentially mobilizing moderates and reviving the anti-populist front. Macron's team believes voters will scrutinize RN's policy proposals, particularly as the autumn session promised censure motions likely to collapse Prime Minister Gabriel Attals government.As per the London Guardian,

Macron's gamble may yield three outcomes. First, he might recover his majority, although this seems unlikely given his unpopularity and the normalization of the far right across Europe. Second, the National Rally could win a majority, leading to an unprecedented cohabitation with a populist right-wing parliament, which Macron might see as a chance to highlight their governance shortcomings. This scenario poses significant risks as an RN-controlled parliament would handle crucial domestic policies, potentially clashing with Macron on issues like immigration and national security, while creating tensions with Brussels due to RN's nation-first policies. The third scenario, considered most probable by analysts, is that RN increases its seats but fails to gain an absolute majority, resulting in a splintered parliament and potential deadlock. Macron may seek alliances with the mainstream centre-right or centre-left, but success is uncertain. This fragmented parliament could lead to increased political instability. However, one cannot forget that it was Macron who stood firm against NATO's proposal to establish a liaison office in Japan, marking a significant division within the alliance on the eve of a crucial summit. Macron's decisive opposition reflects his insistence that NATO should not stray from its original North Atlantic focus, particularly amid escalating tensions with China.

His resolute stance accentuates France's commitment to maintaining the alliance's core principles, despite pressure to expand its reach into Asia.

Macron's leadership in this matter highlights his dedication to upholding NATO's foundational principles and preserving its strategic direction in the face of evolving global challenges. Macron's recent interview with Le Parisien sheds light on evolving European attitudes towards Ukraine, acknowledging the potential necessity for ground operations in the future. This represents a significant policy shift amidst rising tensions between NATO and Russia. Macron's acknowledgement of the need to prepare for all scenarios, including ground interventions, signals a departure from previous official denials and underscores the increasing seriousness of the situation in Ukraine. Additionally, France's plan to send Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets adds a tangible dimension to the discussion, indicating a more assertive stance from France and its European allies in response to the ongoing conflict.

This regional tension exacerbated France's already unstable domestic political situation, leading to a humiliating defeat for Macron and bolstering Le Pens populist narrative. According to local media outlets, the political parties in France held emergency talks to explore potential alliances at the beginning of this week following the announcement of a snap legislative election. The unexpected and risky decision to hold elections soon could potentially shift major political power, undermining Macron's presidency three years before its scheduled end. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire emphasized the high stakes, calling it the most consequential parliamentary election in decades.

This could potentially impact on warmongering President of the European Commission, and France would sooner lose its interest in involving in the Ukraine War, while more focus on domestic issues.RN leaders, including Jordan Bardella, the party's candidate for prime minister, and Marine Le Pen, the party's parliamentary leader, are strategizing to capitalize on their recent success. Bardella expressed his readiness to build a large majority, while the divided French left, comprising hard-left LFI, Communists, Socialists, and Greens, also held talks to forge a united front against the populist right.

Despite the populist right's strong performance in the European elections, analysts suggest that an outright RN majority in the parliamentary elections is unlikely, as voters often use European elections to express dissatisfaction with the incumbent government. The president aims to rally these voters in response to the populist right surge, despite concerns from within his party and criticisms from other political figures. Macron described his decision as an act of confidence in the French people's ability to make the best choice for the country, emphasizing the need for a clear majority to govern effectively.

His previous successes in presidential elections were aided by a "Republican front" that unified various political groups against the populist right, a strategy that was not extended to parliamentary elections, costing him a majority. The upcoming elections will test whether he can restore this principle and rally other political groups to prevent the Le Pen clan from gaining control.

(The writer is a Sri Lankan journalist and author; Views are personal)
This period saw the suspension of civil liberties and the censoring of the press leaving an indelible mark on the nations political landscape

Vinashakale Viparith Budhi (Sanskrit for as doom approaches mind reverses) is what Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan told his friends when he was arrested and was being led off by the cops on 25th June 1975 after the proclamation of internal emergency across the nation by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Even members of her cabinet came to know about the proclamation of emergency from the next days newspapers and the Akashwani bulletins.Jagmohan Lal Sinha, a judge of Allahabad High Court heard the election petition filed by socialist party leader Raj Narayan against Indira Gandhi alleging that she had violated all rules specified in the statute book while fighting the 1971 Lok Sabha election from Rae Barelli. There was a nationwide belief among the leaders of the opposition parties that chemically treated ballot papers were used in the election. These ballot papers were supplied by the then USSR and they bore the symbol of Congress(Indira) but remained invisible at the time of voting. It was said that the voters original mark would disappear after voting, and the Congress mark would appear. (Ref: Courting Destiny, A Memoir by Shanti Bhushan, who appeared for Raj Narayan in the case). But Shanti Bhushan decided not to go ahead with the charge of the fake ballot paper and preferred the allegation that Indira had misused government machinery in fighting the poll.The court was convinced of the charge that she had misused her position and power while fighting the poll. Justice Sinha set aside Indiras election and disqualified her for six years. But Sinha stayed his judgment to enable Indira Gandhi to appeal to the Supreme Court. Shanti Bhushan says in his memoirs that there had been several precedents before in which the election of sitting chief ministers had been set aside and they stood disqualified for the commission of corrupt practices and the Courts had never granted a stay to them during the pendency of their appeals.V R Krishna Iyer, the vacation judge of the Supreme Court who heard Indira Gandhis appeal challenging the High Court verdict ruled that she could continue as Prime Minister though she was not permitted to her exercise her right to vote in Parliament. The decision of Justice Iyer was seen as an attempt by him to help Indira Gandhi come out of her predicament. Iyer was known for her servility to the then Prime Minister, having served as minister of home and jail in the first elected Communist government in Kerala under E M S Namboodirippadu. In his autobiography Wandering in Many Worlds Iyer has disclosed how EMS was instrumental in getting him appointed as a judge in Kerala High Court. The Communist infiltration of the Indian judiciary and other constitutional establishments is nothing new.Immediately after the proclamation of the emergency, the Constitution was amended by both houses of Parliament to put the election of the Prime Minister and President of India beyond the powers of Courts with retrospective effect.

This was the infamous 39th Amendment of the Constitution (which was later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court). What happened during the Emergency is known to most of the literate people. State Governments not friendly to the Centre were summarily dismissed making use of the provisions under Article 356 of the Constitution. Press Censorship was imposed which made newspapers get prior sanction from censoring officers to publish news. To date, India has not experienced the kind of dictatorship that was in force during the days of internal emergency. The Constitution was distorted and misinterpreted while Courts of law were sterilized. The Preamble of the Constitution itself was amended unconstitutionally and terms like Socialism, secularism and unity of the Nation were inserted in it.

This was done after putting all opposition members of parliament in prison under the DIR (Defense of India Rule 1962) and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act 1974, the statutes that gave power to the government to jail anyone daring to question Indira Gandhis superiority. Lalu Prasad Yadav named his daughter Misa Bharati to commemorate his arrest under the said Act during the emergency.

Now Lalu and his family members are singing a paean to the Nehru-Gandhi clan!Indira Gandhi and the Congress failed to learn anything from the drubbing they got for subverting the Constitution. In 1984, the Congress again derailed peoples mandate by getting the N T Rama Rao-led TDP government in Andhra Pradesh dismissed and anointing a faction led by Bhaskara Rao as chief minister. But NTR succeeded in getting his chair back thanks to the initiative by the opposition parties that included Janata Party, BJP and anti-Indira forces. Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure as Prime Minister tried in vain to muzzle the media by attempting to enact a legislation Defamation Bill to curb any kind of reports against the Government. This had to be dropped midway through due to massive protests against the same.

One has lost count of the number of times State governments were dismissed by the Congress-led Government at the Centre misusing the provisions of the Constitutions. B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, was against the terms socialism and secularism for obvious reasons. Though we claim in the preamble of the Constitution that it was adopted on 26th November 1949, what we cover-up is the date on which it was amended by including the terms socialism and secularism in 1976. Congress pontificating the Constitution could be described as the devil quoting the scripture.

(The writer is a special correspondent with The Pioneer; views are personal)
Sheikh Hasina's visit highlights Bangladesh's pivotal role as a strategic partner for India

The new Indian Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is back to its foreign policy agenda, which it has carefully curated in the past decade. Mr Modi was in Italy to attend the G7 meetings as a special invitee, within days of his swearing-in. His swearing-in ceremony was in itself a statement of the stated policy focus of Neighbourhood First.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by leaders from almost all Southeast Asian countries and, some from the Indian Ocean region. Significantly Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was back in India, within a month of her attending the swearing-in ceremony, to further strengthen the bilateral relations.The focus of the meeting as highlighted by Prime Minister Modi during the joint briefing with Sheikh Hasina was Today we have prepared a futuristic vision for cooperation in new areas. Youth of both countries will benefit from the agreement reached on cooperation in a lot of areas such as Green Partnership, Digital Partnership, Blue Economy, Space. India Bangladesh "Maitri Satellite will give new heights to our partnership. We have kept in our focus- Connectivity, Commerce and Collaboration.Bangladesh is an important strategic partner for India, not just due to the intimate geographical boundaries, and the shared culture and language, but also as an important corridor connecting Indias Northeast to the Bay of Bengal. Prime Ministers of both countries Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi have been at the top job for more than a decade now.

They have developed a working relationship, that is hard to match, underscored by the ten meetings these leaders had in the last five years. Both Prime Ministers jointly inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on 18 March in a virtual format. PM Sheikh Hasina also participated in the Inaugural Session of the Voice of the Global South Summit on 11 January 2023 and the second Virtual Voice of the Global South Summit on 17 November 2023. Bangladesh and India share nearly 4000 km of the international border, security of which is an important pillar of the relationship for keeping a check on the drug trade, smuggling, fake currency, human trafficking, and movement of criminals or terrorists.

As an upgrade to the security partnership, India and Bangladesh have over the years worked on a defence cooperation framework. The recent visit of Bangladesh's PM saw both countries put a special focus on enhancing the defence partnership. In his statement PM Modi highlighted ..on further strengthening our defence cooperation, from defence production to modernisation of armed forces. In the Indian Ocean region, we have a common perspective. We welcome Bangladesh's decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. We will continue our cooperation in other regional and international forums, including BIMSTEC.

The strongest pillar of the India-Bangladesh relationship is economics. Bangladesh is Indias biggest trade partner in South Asia and India is the biggest trade partner for Bangladesh in Asia. The bilateral trade between the two countries is nearly $16bn. Besides the much sought-after Illish fish from Padma River, Bangladesh exports nearly $2 billion in goods to India, which is the highest in Asia. In the past few years, an aggressive China has tried to take over some of the traditional space, reserved for India in bilateral relationships, through its opaque infrastructure projects. This has been resisted by India by upping the infrastructure partnership and bringing Bangladesh closer towards the Indo-Pacific geopolitical worldview, than a South East Asian outlook. It helps to align Bangladesh with Indias multilateral partners such as Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond in the Middle East. PM Sheikh Hasinas visit as the first state guest of India, under Modi 3.0 is an important reinforcement of the strong bonds between the two neighbours.

(The writer is a policy analyst; views are personal)
With the July 4 general election approaching, the key question is whether British Indians will rally behind Sunak and the Conservative Party

Will Rishi Sunak, Britain's first Hindu Prime Minister, remain in office after the upcoming general election on July 4th? Will Sunak's Conservative Party receive the votes of British Indians? Will the Labour Party also receive votes from the Indian diaspora? These are important questions indeed. According to the 2011 British census, there are approximately 1.5 million people of Indian origin in Britain, representing 2.5% of the country's total population. Indians are the largest immigrant group in Britain. They are relatively well-educated compared to other immigrant groups and are considered to be among the wealthiest in Britain.

Hinduja, Lakshmi Mittal, and Swaraj Paul are some prominent Indian-origin individuals who feature in the list of Britain's richest people. Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys founder N.R. Narayan Murthy, were ranked 245th in the Sunday Times list of Britain's wealthiest individuals released in May.Historically, Indian immigrants in Britain have leaned towards the Labour Party. It was during the Labour government that India gained independence from British rule. However, recent surveys suggest a growing inclination towards the Conservative Party, the main rival to the Labour Party.

Vinod Chavan, a writer residing in London since the 1970s, believes that Hindu voters in Britain may vote en masse for the Conservative Party in the upcoming elections.

This news could be a relief for Sunak and his Conservative Party.It's important to understand that when we talk about Indians in Britain, we also include those who have settled in the country from East Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and other places. Sunak's family settled in Britain from Kenya in the 1960s, although his ancestors originally hailed from Punjab. There is also a belief that a large number of Indian residents in Britain became supporters of the Conservative Party after Narendra Modi became India's Prime Minister in 2014. Hindus comprise the majority of these supporters. The total Hindu population among Indians in Britain is over a million. Modi addressed over 60,000 people of Indian origin at a packed Wembley Stadium in London during his 2015 visit to Britain. Gujarati and Punjabi people were in the majority at that time. Boris Johnson, the then British Prime Minister, was known to proudly call himself "India's son-in-law". He was a unique son-in-law. His (second divorced) wife Marina Wheeler's mother, Deep Singh Kaur, was previously married to Sardar Daljit Singh, son of renowned contractor Sir Sobha Singh from New Delhi.

Now, let's understand another subtle point. Not all Indian immigrants in Britain think alike politically or support any specific party. It is believed that most Indian Muslims and Sikhs may vote for the Labour Party.

They are not fond of the close ties between the Conservative Party and Modi.From the 1960s to the 1980s, a significant number of Indian immigrants settled in Britain from Uganda, Kenya, and the Caribbean Islands. These communities viewed Labour as sympathetic to immigrants. They were particularly attracted to Labour's commitment to immigrants' rights, especially following the introduction of the Race Relations Act in 1965 by Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Thousands of Indian immigrants came to Britain from Uganda after Uganda's cannibalistic president Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of all Indians from his country within 90 days in August 1972.

A deeper analysis reveals that British Hindus have been leaning towards the Conservative Party since 2010. This trend includes wealthy and educated second and third-generation Hindus. In the past 20-25 years, a new wave of immigrants from India has arrived in Britain. These are doctors, engineers, IT professionals, etc.

They all identify themselves as Conservative Party voters. The Indian diaspora's disaffection with the Labour Party did not happen overnight. It was triggered by Labour's 2019 resolution calling for "the right of self-determination" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This resolution led a large section of the Indian diaspora in Britain to distance themselves from the Labour Party. They saw it as direct interference in India's internal affairs.Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak became Britain's first Hindu Prime Minister in 2022. This development deepened the bond between Hindus and the Conservative Party. It is still too early to say whether Hindus will vote en masse for the Conservative Party in the upcoming British general election.

However, for the first time, British Hindus have released a manifesto outlining their aspirations and expectations from the next government. They say they will only support those who endorse their demands.Hindus are the third-largest religious group in Britain. 29 Hindu organizations have so far endorsed this manifesto.

According to the manifesto, "Hindus are the backbone of the British economy. Our contribution to the country's economy is disproportionately high. We are one of the most law-abiding communities. Yet, anti-Hindu hate is on the rise in the country." One of their key demands is for their safety. Will the Hindu votes be split or go to the Conservative Party? Will the Labour and Conservative parties consider the manifesto of the Hindu organizations?

(The writer is Columnist and ex-Information Officer, UAE Embassy, New Delhi; views are personal)
In the backdrop of a spate of entrance and job related examinations paper leaks, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the Government was fully committed to investigating the recent incidents and ensure that the guilty are punished.

Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, Murmu said her Government was working to create an environment to enable youth of the country to dream big and realise their dreams. As she mentioned the steps taken by the Government on the education front, some Opposition members were heard shouting NEET.

Speaking about the recent general elections, Murmu said the whole world is talking about successful completion of Indias Lok Sabha polls. The world is witnessing that the people of India have elected a stable Government with clear majority for a third consecutive term, she told the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament.

In her first address to a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha after Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his third term, Murmu described the poll result as an endorsement of his Governments policies while ruing attempts to weaken peoples faith in electoral process including EVMs, an apparent swipe at Opposition parties. It is like cutting the very branch on which we all are sitting, she said. A day after Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla condemned the imposition of Emergency, Murmu too described in her speech the imposition of Emergency in 1975 as the biggest and darkest chapter of a direct attack on the Constitution and said the country triumphed over unconstitutional forces.

Opposition leaders, however, dismissed the Presidents address as a script given by the Government that was full of lies and also castigated the Government over the repeated mention of the 1975 Emergency. They said there is an undeclared emergency in the country and the Constitution is being attacked under the Modi government.

With the Opposition questioning the intentions of the NDA Government as regards Constitution making it a poll issue in the Lok Sabha polls, Murmu stressed the Governments unwavering faith in the Constitution and efforts to make it a part of public consciousness. She slammed the Emergency as the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution.

In her 50-minute address, the President highlighted the governments measures in a range of sectors, from economy, defence and farming to the empowerment of different sections of society, and laid down its priorities in its third term, amid sporadic protests from opposition benches when she referred to issues such as paper leaks and matters related to the North East region.

Though she touched upon some of the things promised in the BJPs manifesto like bullet trains and health insurance for senior citizens, there was no mention of a few of the major highlights of the partys promises such as the Uniform Civil Code and one-nation-one-election. Many such reforms have taken place in the last 10 years which are greatly benefitting the nation today. Even when these reforms were being taken up, they were opposed and attempts were made to spread negativity, she added.

On paper leasks, she said, If due to any reason there is obstruction in examinations it is not appropriate. Sanctity and transparency are a must in government recruitments and examinations.

There were incidents of paper leaks in some States earlier as well, the President said, stressing that there was need to rise above partisan politics and support the Government in taking strong steps at the national level. The President said Parliament has also made a strong law to check paper leaks and the Government is further working to reform the examination process.

Modi took to social media saying that Presidents address to both Houses of Parliament was comprehensive and presented a roadmap of progress and good governance. It covered the strides India has been making and also the potential that lies ahead. Her address also mentioned some of the major challenges we have to collectively overcome to ensure a qualitative change in the lives of our citizens.

In an apparent message to opposition parties, who are numerically much stronger than the previous two Lok Sabha, Murmu pitched for healthy deliberations, saying opposition to policies and obstruction of parliamentary functioning are two different things.

Murmu also said the three new criminal laws, which are slated to come into force from July 1, will provide justice rather than punishment, which was the mindset during the British regime. She said the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 will speed up the judicial process. These laws, enacted last year, are set to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.

When the country is becoming free of the colonial mindset in different aspects, this is a big step in that direction, she said. It is also a real tribute to our freedom fighters.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said in Parliament last year that the new laws will give priority to providing justice in place of the outgoing British laws that gave primacy to penal action. These three Bills are made by Indians, for Indians and by an Indian Parliament and marks the end of colonial criminal justice laws in India, he had said.
Around 80 per cent of the over 2.23 lakh electorate on Sunday exercised their franchise in the Nagaland civic polls, held after a gap of 20 years, a senior official said. Voting for 25 urban local bodies (ULBs) in 10 districts began at 7:30 am amid tight security and continued till 4 pm, he said. The turnout figure is likely to increase as voters were still in queue at many polling stations, the official said.

Voting has been peaceful... A three-tier security arrangement was put in place in 214 polling stations across the 10 districts, a State Election Commission (SEC) official told reporters here.

Instead of EVMs, voting took place through ballot papers in the 420 polling stations, he said.

This is a historic election for the northeastern state, as the polling to three municipalities and 36 town councils were conducted after a gap of 20 years.

The urban local body polls were also held for the first time with 33 per cent women reservation, the official said. The votes will be counted on June 29. Over 2.23 lakh voters, including 1,13,521 women, will decide the electoral fate of 523 candidates from 11 political parties.

The Government had announced elections to urban local bodies several times in the past, but objections from tribal bodies and civil society organisations against reservation for women, and tax on land and properties, created hurdles in conducting the polls.

Among the parties contesting the elections are the NDPP, BJP, Congress, Naga Peoples Front (NPF), Rising Peoples Party, RPI (Athawale), JD(U), LJP, NCP and the NPP.

The Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO), however, had declared that six districts in the region would not participate in the elections.
In the presence of Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav, two Good Samaritans were honored during a meeting of the Road Safety Committee held in the office chamber of the District Collectorate.

During the district road safety committee meeting, Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav recognized Bermo block resident Rohit Kumar and Chandrapura resident Kanhaiya Kumar. These two Good Samaritans were acknowledged for their prompt actions in transporting road accident victims to the hospital during the crucial golden hour. The commendation letters were jointly presented by District Transport Officer Vandana Shejwalkar, Sub-Divisional Officer Chas Om Prakash Gupta, and Sub-Divisional Officer Bermo Ashok Kumar.

It is notable that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has initiated the Good Samaritan scheme. Under this scheme, Good Samaritans are rewarded and given commendation letters for providing immediate assistance to save lives in fatal accidents and ensuring the victims receive medical treatment within the golden hour by transporting them to the nearest hospital/CHC/trauma center.

The primary objective of this scheme is to inspire the general public to assist road accident victims in emergencies and motivate others to save innocent lives.
The establishment of 15 agro and food-processing parks in cities such as Varanasi, Barabanki, Bareilly, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur is significantly boosting farmer incomes and generating employment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, agro-processing clusters in Kanpur Dehat, Lucknow, Sitapur and Mathura are directly benefiting over 16,000 farmers.

According to Invest UP, an agency formed to promote investment and industrial development in the state, the UP Global Investors Summit-2023 attracted 1,483 investment proposals worth Rs 81,309 crore in the food-processing sector. These proposals have the potential to create 2,90,531 jobs. As a result of the ongoing efforts by the state government, 980 proposals worth Rs 55,815 crore are currently being implemented. These projects are expected to generate over two lakh direct jobs. Invest UP is actively working to bring these proposals to fruition.

Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner and Agriculture Production Commissioner of UP, Manoj Kumar Singh, stated that the incentives, subsidies and facilities provided under the Uttar Pradesh Food-processing Industry Policy are significantly contributing to investment and job creation in this sector.

He emphasised that with 15 agro and food-processing parks, clusters, mega food parks, four agri-export zones, and 10 inland container depots (ICDs), UP is emerging as a hub for food-processing in India.

The food-processing sector in UP received the highest number of investment proposals (432) for the comparatively industrially backward region of Purvanchal (eastern region). In comparison, Pashchimanchal, the western region of the state, received 316 investment proposals. Madhyanchal (central region) received 172 proposals and Bundelkhand received 60 investment intents in this sector.

In Purvanchal, the food park in Karkhiyaon, Varanasi, has seen significant investments. Parle Agro has invested Rs 174.3 crore, Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union from Gujarat has invested Rs 135.53 crore, and BD Venture has invested Rs 155.5 crore. Land has been allocated to 139 enterprises in this food park, with 91 units already operational, while 21 projects are under rapid implementation.

Similarly, in Madhyanchal, the mega food park near Baheri in Bareilly district has allocated plots to 87 enterprises. Dairy Craft India is setting up a unit with an investment of Rs 116.38 crore. This mega food park is situated on 247.60 acres in Baheri, a town 40 kilometres from Bareilly on the Uttarakhand border.

Some prominent enterprises establishing units in the states food-processing sector include Bejle Food, Bhartiyam Beverages, Bikanervala Foods, Balaji Wafers, Sahastrabahu Food Products, Fortune Rice and Udgam Logistics.

With ample production of fruits, vegetables and other agri-products in the state, the development of these agro and food-processing parks, along with supportive policies, is set to revolutionise the agricultural landscape of UP. This will create extensive employment opportunities and contribute to the states goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.
AIIMS Bhopal is proud to announce its remarkable achievement in the latest India Today rankings. Under the able guidance of Prof. Dr. Ajai Singh, Executive Director, AIIMS Bhopal has secured the second position in the prestigious list of Best Emerging Colleges, a testament to its commitment to excellence in medical education and research.

In a significant leap, AIIMS Bhopal has improved its overall ranking, climbing from the 20th position in 2023 to the 16th position in 2024. This notable advancement underscores the institute's unwavering dedication to enhancing its academic standards, research output, and student facilities.

Furthermore, AIIMS Bhopal has achieved another milestone by securing the third position among the Highest Scoring Colleges established in and after the year 2000. This accolade highlights the institution's rapid growth and its ability to compete with well-established counterparts, further solidifying its reputation as a leading medical college in India.

Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, expressed his delight at the institution's achievements: "We are thrilled with our improved ranking and recognition as one of the best emerging colleges. This success reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students. We remain committed to our mission of providing world-class medical education and fostering groundbreaking research." The Director thanked the Secretary, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and all others for their support in this achievement.

The significant rise in AIIMS Bhopal's rankings is a result of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing academic programs, expanding research opportunities, and investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure. The institute's focus on interdisciplinary research, collaborations with international institutions, and community outreach programs have also contributed to its success.

AIIMS Bhopal continues to attract top-tier faculty and students from across the country, fostering an environment of academic excellence and innovation.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged the Centre has discriminated the most against the Delhi government and is using the CBI to frame him in a case to stall the functioning of the AAP dispensation.

Speaking to reporters here after visiting Delhi Water Minister Atishi at the LNJP Hospital, Yadav said the problems of chief ministers have increased ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre. Atishi was hospitalised on Tuesday after her health deteriorated during an indefinite fast to demand water for Delhi, which is facing a shortage.

Doctors at LNJP said Atishi's condition is stable and she has been shifted to a ward from the ICU."I came to enquire about the health of Delhi Water Minister Atishi. She is not only brave but also knows how to fight for the people. She has been constantly fighting to solve the problems of Delhi," Yadav said.

He alleged that the problems of chief ministers have increased since the BJP formed the government at the Centre.

"The Centre has discriminated against the Delhi government and Chief Minister Kejriwal the most. Kejriwal formed the government and worked to improve health, education and other facilities but the Centre is creating obstacles," he said.

The SP chief claimed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been framing those who pose a threat to the BJP in different cases. "The Centre must have known that he (Kejriwal) will come out (of jail). To ensure that he does not come out, the government does not function and he does not go among the people, he was framed by the CBI.

"It is not the first time that the CBI has framed someone. They frame those who pose a threat. Misuse of the CBI and other institutions led to voting against the BJP," Yadav said. The CBI on Wednesday formally arrested Kejriwal in the excise policy case and sought five-day custody of the AAP national convener in the corruption case.CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat also visited Atishi to enquire about her health."I came here to meet Atishi. She is fighting very bravely for the people of Delhi.

It is a matter of regret that the central government and the LG are dealing with the issue with bias. It is the people's fight and not that of Atishi alone.

I came here to salute her. She told me that she is waiting to return to the path of struggle," she told reporters.Atishi had begun her hunger strike on June 21. It ended with her hospitalisation on Tuesday.

The minister has claimed that Haryana for the last two weeks was releasing 100 million gallons per day less water to Delhi against its share of 613 MGD and as a result, 28 lakh people in Delhi were affected.
The Combat Library of Army War College, Mhow, hosted an inspiring Human Library event on June 26, 2024, steered by esteemed motivators Ms. Divya Cowasji, Maj. Ruchi Trikha, and the Chief Guest, Mrs. Usha Pandey. Over 100 children from the families of Army War College attended the event, which aimed to cultivate reading habits, comprehension skills, critical knowledge, and a positive framework among the young attendees.

The event was a memorable experience for the young audience as the motivators, each with their unique life journeys, shared their achievements. Ms. Divya Cowasji, a renowned photographer and National Award winner for her documentary 'Qissa-e-Parsi,' underscored the significance of passion and perseverance in achieving one's dreams. Maj.

Ruchi Trikha, an International Level Fencing Player who etched her name in history by winning the first medal (Bronze) in fencing for India at the Commonwealth Games 2006, inspired children with her stories of dedication and resilience. Mrs. Usha Pandey, the Chief Guest of the event and an academician, shared her extensive experience and motivated the children by speaking about her life experiences and diverse hobbies, including traveling, reading, sports, and ornithology.

Pandey's initiative to introduce the Human Library concept to the Army War College Combat Library in 2022 has since become a cornerstone in the library's efforts to foster an engaging learning environment for children.

This event marked her final engagement as she bids farewell to the 'Olive Green' adorned by her spouse over the last four decades.
In a shocking incident in Bareillys Fatehganj East area, an 18-year-old BA student was given a cold drink laced with intoxicants and gang-raped by the accused.

The victim was later thrown at a secluded place after her condition turned critical. She was finally admitted to a hospital and information was also sent to the local police by the doctors but the cops took no cognisance. Only after the district magistrate intervened in the matter on Tuesday evening, the cops registered a case and also claimed to have picked up one of the accused.

Reports said that the victim, a BA first year student from a village under Fatehganj East police station of Bareilly, was lured by some youths known to her when she was going to college on June 19 last. The youths took her to a restaurant on the highway and drugged her by mixing some intoxicant in her cold drink. When she fell unconscious, they took her to a secluded place and gang-raped her. The accused also allegedly put some object on her private part following which she started bleeding heavily, and fearing that she might succumb, the youths threw her on the highway in Fatehpur East area and escaped.

Meanwhile, some passersby rescued the girl and also informed her family before shifting her to a hospital. The doctors, who saw the girl in critical state after being gang-raped, immediately sent a memo to the local police station finding it to be a medico legal case. The cops, however, took no cognisance of the memo. After the girls condition deteriorated on Tuesday evening, the hapless parents met the district magistrate of Bareilly and requested him to take cognisance of the matter and also ensure proper treatment of the victim.

The family claimed that when the district magistrate intervened in the matter and directed police to take action, the local cops and the team of Special Operation Group picked up one the accused and grilled him on Tuesday night.

Sources said that the inspector general of police of Bareilly range and other senior police officers also visited hospital and enquired about the health of the victim. They claimed that there was a possibility of not one but two to three accused being involved in the incident.

The police are investigating the entire matter. Inspector-in-charge of Fatehganj East police station, Madan Mohan Chaturvedi, said a case has been registered in the case of rape of the student and a youth from the same village had been taken into custody and was being questioned.

The student is undergoing treatment in the hospital.
Battle royal for the Dalit vote bank is in the offing in Uttar Pradesh as Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) president and newly-elected MP from Nagina, Chandrashekhar Azad, has staked his claim as the front runner leader of the deprived section of society.

Azad has announced to contest the bypolls to 10 assembly seats in UP.

Bahujan Samajwadi Party, the sole representative of the underprivileged section of society for over four decades, is bracing for the challenge posed by the greenhorn of UP politics.

The reinstatement of Akash Anand, nephew of BSP supremo Mayawati, as her successor is seen as an effort to counter the challenge posed by Chandrashekhar Azad. Mayawati also appointed Akash Anand as the partys national coordinator. She decided to reappoint her nephew following a sustained campaign on social media platforms by the BSP supporters for giving key responsibility to Akash Anand.

Akash Anand, who was removed from the position of BSP national coordinator and heir apparent of Mayawati on May 7, 2024 at the peak of the Lok Sabha campaign, months after being appointed to the post in December 2023, faces a resurgent Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) leader Chandrashekhar Azad.

Mayawati restored the position of Akash Anand in the party nearly three weeks after the results of the Lok Sabha elections were announced on June 4. BSP recorded its worst-ever performance in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections by polling only 9.39 per cent votes, the lowest in three decades, and it failed to win even a single seat.

BSP president Mayawati ji has once again given Akash Anand a chance to work in the party with full maturity. He will continue to hold all his posts in the party as before. That is, he will remain Mayawatis only successor along with being the partys national coordinator, read a statement issued by the BSP after a meeting of national office-bearers to review the 2024 Lok Sabha verdict here on June 23.

Akash Anand, the 28-year-old future face of the BSP, faces a new challenger in Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad who is trying to make deeper inroads among the younger generation of Dalit voters and has been able to achieve success as evident from his election to Lok Sabha from Nagina in Bijnor district.

In the recent Lok Sabha election, Chandrashekhar Azad won from Nagina, a reserved constituency in western Uttar Pradesh having a sizable Dalit electorate, by over 1,50,000 votes in a highly charged election, defeating his nearest rival Om Kumar of the Bharatiya Janata Party. BSP candidate Surendra Pal Singh polled only 13,272 votes in Nagina despite a focused campaign by the Dalit-centric party, trying hard to stop Azad.

All the five assembly segments of Nagina Lok Sabha constituency are part of Bijnor district. Mayawati, who served four times as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, had won from the Bijnor Lok Sabha seat in 1989, making her first parliamentary debut.

The Mayawati-led BSP remained a key political player in the electoral horizon of Uttar Pradesh during the last over three decades. The BSP formed the government in UP on its own strength by winning a simple majority in the 2007 UP assembly elections, by winning 206 out of total 403 seats in state assembly.

The BSP witnessed a sharp decline in the last decade. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the BSP polled 27.42 per cent votes, winning 20 seats, while in 2024 its vote share dipped by two-thirds to 9.39 per cent, with more than 70 out of its 80 candidates failing to save deposits.
MC Chandigarh takes possession of 9 defaulting Taxi Stands



Chandigarh: Taking strict action against 9 taxi stands in the city, the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh on Wednesday took their possession for failing to pay pending dues amounting to Rs. 1.12 crores. Following the orders of MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra, the team of engineering wing took physical possession of 9 defaulting taxi stands in the city, which have failed to deposit the dues even after repeated reminders and notices pasted on the pre-fabricated structures of each taxi stand giving time till June 25. MC Commissioner briefed that after sending pendency notices to 59 taxi stands, MC has recovered an amount of pending dues amounting to Rs. 4.21 crores out of total outstanding amount of about Rs. 5.34 crores.



Hry Govt plans to set up a Directorate of Land Management



Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad on Wednesday chaired the seventh Steering Committee meeting of the Haryana State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The committee approved the Annual Plan of Operation of Rs. 125.68 crore under CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority). The Chief Secretary said that the State Government is planning to set up a Directorate of Land Management. The Directorate will also aim to identify land for compulsory Afforestation. Under this annual plan, Compensatory Afforestation (CA), Additional Compensatory Afforestation (ACA), and Penal Compensatory Afforestation (PCA) will be carried out over an area of 748.36 hectares during the year 2024-25 under which over 7.52 lakh saplings will be planted.



Programme for Schedule for Second Special Summary Revision of photo electoral roll released



Chandigarh: Haryana Additional Chief Electoral Officer Hema Sharma on Wednesday said that the Chief Electoral Officers office aimed to prepare an error-free and accurate photo voter list, as only individuals whose names are on the voter list can exercise their vote in elections. Sharma was presiding over a review meeting with representatives of political parties regarding election preparations in view of the upcoming assembly elections. She urged the representatives of political parties to review the voter list as soon as the consolidated draft voter list is published on July 25. If any discrepancies are found, such as an eligible voter's name not being on the list, the name of a deceased person being on the list, or the name of someone who has moved away, they should fill out the prescribed forms 6, 7, and 8 and submit them to the BLO through their booth-level agent or any other official.



Hry CS reviews flood control works with DCs



Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad on Wednesday chaired a meeting today through Video Conferencing with all Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners to review flood control preparations across the state ahead of the monsoon season. He reiterated the state government's commitment to preventing incidents of water logging and ensuring public safety. During the meeting, Chief Secretary Prasad directed officials to expedite cleaning of drains and channels statewide before the onset of monsoon rains. He emphasized the urgent need to identify vulnerable areas and deploy essential equipment such as pumping machines and generators to mitigate potential flooding risks. Prasad underscored that officers must ensure these measures are implemented effectively and maintained in operational condition.

Punjab Governor Purohit calls on Prime Minister in New Delhi



Chandigarh: The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Banwari Lal Purohit called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday. According to a statement, the Governor apprised the Prime Minister about the important issues of Punjab and Chandigarh. The meeting took place at the New Parliament Building.

15 candidates in fray for Jalandhar West By-Election

Jalandhar: For the Jalandhar West Assembly by-election on July 10, Amit Kumar (independent) has withdrawn his nomination, leaving 15 candidates in the fray. District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal stated that after the withdrawal of nominations, the remaining 15 candidates include independent candidates Raj Kumar, Inderjit Singh, Vishal, Ajay Kumar Bhagat, Neetu, Ajay, Varun Kaler, Aarti, and Deepak Bhagat, along with Sheetal Angural from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Sarabjit Singh from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Binder Kumar from the BSP, Mahinderpal from the Aam Aadmi Party, Surinder Kaur from the Indian National Congress, and Surjit Kaur from the Shiromani Akali Dal. He added that 1,71,482 voters are set to cast their votes at 181 polling booths.

UDID cards issued to 3,44,472 divyangs in Punjab

Chandigarh: Fulfilling its commitment to the welfare of divyang persons, PUnjab Givernment has issued 3,44,472 UDID cards to Divyang persons in the state till April 2024. The states Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr Baljit Kaur on Wednesday said that to give the benefits of all the schemes and services of the Centre and Punjab Government to the divyang persons on the basis of one card, Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) is generated and its database is being prepared at national level and being issued by setting up camps in 102 hospitals of the state under the UDID project. Out of the applications received on the portal  www.swavlambancard.gov.in, 3,44,572 UDID cards have been issued to the eligible Divyang persons till April 2024, she added.

105 Nanak Bagichis and 25 pavittar van operationalized in Punjab

Chandigarh: Under the Greening Punjab Mission, as many as 105 Nanak Bagichis and 25 Pavittar Van have been operationalized in the state in the current year. During 2023-24, the states Forest and Wildlife Preservation Department has planted 44 lakh saplings under various schemes on the 5740 hectare area, besides engaging in the task of planting at least three saplings per tubewell under Punjab Haryaval Lehar at approximately 44 lakh tubewells in the State. In the present year, 8.31 lakh saplings have been planted at 4.60 lakh tubewells.

Will strongly raise voice in Parliament against Centre for deliberately withholding states funds: Hayer

Chandigarh: Alleging the BJP led Central Government for working under political conspiracy to damage the financial interests of Punjab, Aam Aadmi Partys MP from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Wednesday said that he will strongly raise the issues of not releasing Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Mandi Development Fund (MDF) around Rs 7000 crore and deliberately withholding funds for Punjab under National Health Mission, Sarv Sikhiya Abhiyaan and other central schemes by the Centre in the current Parliament session. Hayer said that he will raise his voice against the Centres attack on financial rights of Punjab till the state gets justice.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has emphasised the need to extend expressway coverage in Uttar Pradesh to improve connectivity. He has sought proposals for four new link expressways and has instructed officials to prepare a detailed action plan after conducting a comprehensive study.

The chief minister announced that the Purvanchal Expressway will be connected to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, and the Ganga Expressway will link Farrukhabad and Jewar airport via two new link expressways. The construction of the Chitrakoot Link Expressway will also be expedited, with a goal to complete the Ganga Expressway by December 2024.

In a high-level meeting on Thursday, Chief Minister Yogi reviewed the ongoing and proposed expressway projects, industrial corridors and the defence industrial corridor, setting specific timelines for each.

He stressed the importance of accelerating the development of industrial clusters along the expressways and making necessary changes in the bylaws of industrial development authorities to attract more investments.

The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor has seen investments amounting to Rs 24,000 crore from major defence manufacturing companies across India and the world. The chief minister has directed officials to ensure that there are no delays in land acquisition and compensation processes. He has also called for the review of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed during the Global Investors Summit to ensure timely land availability and incentives.

Chief Minister Yogi highlighted the unprecedented progress in road infrastructure over the past seven years, transforming Uttar Pradesh into an Expressway State. He noted that the state, which had only two expressways in 2017, now boasts six, and the length of national highways has nearly doubled.

He also reviewed the progress of the Gorakhpur Link Expressway, which will enhance connectivity for the districts of Gorakhpur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Azamgarh, and Ambedkar Nagar. The Bundelkhand Expressways connection to Chitrakoot was also prioritised to improve regional connectivity.

To further enhance connectivity, Chief Minister Yogi proposed the construction of new link expressways from the Ganga Expressway to Jewar airport, and from the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to the Purvanchal Expressway. He instructed the preparation of detailed reports following preliminary studies and emphasised planting saplings along all expressways.

Investment proposals from the Global Investors Summit are to be continuously reviewed, with immediate decisions required to avoid delays in land allotment and incentive provision. The chief minister has called for updating the bylaws of industrial development authorities to reflect changing circumstances and facilitate investments.

The development of private industrial parks is to be prioritised, with industrial development authorities arranging land for these projects. Additionally, the land acquisition process within the newly established Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) is expected to be expedited, alongside efforts to develop the multimodal logistics hub in Dadri and the multimodal transport hub in Boraki.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, took to his official X handle to condemn the comments made by Samajwadi Party leaders on the Sengol.

He stated that the remarks revealed the ignorance of SP leaders and demonstrated their lack of respect for Indian history and culture.

The chief minister wrote, Samajwadi Party has no respect for Indian history and culture. The comments of its top leaders on the Sengol are reprehensible. It shows their ignorance and also reflects the hatred of the INDI Alliance especially towards Tamil culture.

He further wrote that the Sengol is a matter of pride for India and it is an honour that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given it the highest respect in Parliament.

Notably, SP MP RK Chaudhary recently made comments about the Sengol in a letter to the pro-tem speaker.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has endorsed the censure motion read by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Parliament against the Emergency.

Speaking to the media at his official residence here on Wednesday evening, the chief minister expressed his gratitude to the Lok Sabha speaker and emphasised that the current generation has the right to know how Congress acted against democracy and the Constitution post-independence.

Chief Minister Yogi noted that while the faces in Congress may have changed, its character remains authoritarian.

He said, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla deserves heartfelt congratulations for reading a censure motion against the Emergency. We all know that on the night of June 25, 1975, the Congress-led government under Indira Gandhi attempted to strangle the very Constitution she had sworn to uphold as prime minister.

He added, This was an attempt to murder the countrys democracy. It is essential to inform the public about this dark deed of the Congress. The current leadership of Congress continues to mislead the country in the name of the Constitution and promises to end reservations.

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Chief Minister Yogi added, Congress still does not believe in democratic values and constitutional institutions. It is their nature to question every constitutional institution of India and to cast doubts on Indias democracy and electoral process in foreign countries.

They have amended the Constitution 75 times and, by misusing Article 356, have dismissed democratically elected governments 90 times, compromising the countrys integrity. The Emergency is also among their dark deeds. This censure motion has been read to inform the present generation of these actions. This is a bold step, and Om Birla deserves congratulations, he concluded.
The Jharkhand government organized a district-level workshop themed "Say No to Drugs, Yes to Life" at the Nyay Sadan Auditorium on Wednesday, marking International Day Against Drug Abuse. The event was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vijaya Jadhav, Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Sandeep Kumar, AMC Chas Saurav Bhuvania, and Additional Collector Mohammad Mumtaz Ansari, among other district-level officials.

In her address, DC Vijaya Jadhav emphasized the critical role of parents and civil society in preventing drug abuse. She urged parents to spend quality time with their children and be attentive to their activities and associations. Additionally, she highlighted the need for civil society to monitor their surroundings, particularly in slum areas, to prevent drug-related activities. "Raising awareness about the adverse effects of drug use is the only way to curb this menace," she said.

The workshop also featured representatives from various departments, school students, and members of the public. Jadhav stressed the importance of community vigilance and proactive measures to keep the youth away from drugs.

DDC Sandeep Kumar addressed the harmful effects of drug use, urging participants to report any instances of drug trafficking or consumption to the authorities for immediate action. AMC Chas Saurav Kumar Bhuvania cautioned the youth against engaging in activities that could lead to legal consequences, emphasizing the importance of real-life lessons over fictional portrayals.

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Ranchi representative Kumar Manohar Manjul provided an overview of various types of drugs, the rising cases in the country, and the legal provisions in place. Kamendra Kushwaha from CIP Ranchi discussed the treatment and rehabilitation of individuals affected by drug abuse.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Dinesh Kumar highlighted that approximately 146 new children fall victim to addiction daily. He outlined the awareness programs conducted across all blocks, community health centers, and schools from June 19. The workshop also included a street play conveying the message "Say No to Drugs, Yes to Life," followed by participants taking an oath to abstain from drugs. Additionally, successful participants of recent drawing and speech competitions were awarded.

The event saw the presence of various officials, including District Transport Officer Vandana Shejwalkar, Traffic DSP Ashish Mahli, District Social Welfare Officer Purnima, Assistant Director of Social Security Piyush, Officer-in-Charge of General Branch Kumar Kanishk, DPRO Saket Kumar Pandey, and APRO Avinash Kumar Singh, alongside members of the social welfare and health departments.
Over a dozen students were detained when the Jawaharlal Nehru University's students' union along with other outfits staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday against the NEET-UG fiasco.

The students demanded the scrapping of the NTA and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan against the alleged irregularities in the medical qualifying examination.

Scores of students belonging to different outfits, including the Left-backed All India Students Association (AlSA) and Delhi University's Krantikari Yuva Sangathan participated in the protest.

The students carried posters and placards, with slogans such as "Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do (Dharmendra Pradhan resign)" and "Scrap NTA" written over them.

They also demanded re-examination for the NEET-UG examination and ending the centralisation of exams.

The protestors were detained because they were planning to continue their protest for the entire night.

However, according to a court's order, protests are not allowed at the Jantar Mantar beyond 5 pm, a police officer said."The students started putting tents at the site to continue their protest for the entire night. We had to detain them as it is not allowed to sit there (at Jantar Mantar) beyond 5 pm," the officer said.

The JNUSU has been demanding the scrapping of NTA-held examinations for admissions into Jawaharlal University's PhD programmes. Several examinations conducted by the agency, including UGC-NET and NET PG, were cancelled after inputs of the "integrity" of the exams being compromised.

Earlier this week, the students' body submitted a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit to reinstate the varsity's old JNU Entrance Examination (JNUEE) and remove Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores for PhD admissions.

Meanwhile, amid the furore the Education Ministry has shunted out National Testing Agency Director General Subodh Singh and handed over the probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam to the CBI.

It has also set up a seven-member panel headed by former ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan to review the NTA's functioning and recommend exam reforms. The NEET-UG examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared.

The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4.
In a move aimed at supporting the welfare of farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has decided to voluntarily increase the load of agricultural tube wells for them. Interested farmers can apply on the portal from July 1 to July 15 to increase the load of their tube wells. While addressing the media persons soon after presiding over the meeting of the State Cabinet, the Chief Minister informed about other significant decisions taken in the meeting.



Regarding the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Haryana on June 29, the Chief Minister said that Shah will be visiting Panchkula to address the party's State executive meeting. The meeting will also see the participation of Haryana in-charge, Union Minister, and MP Dharmendra Pradhan, as well as former Tripura Chief Minister and MP Biplab Kumar Deb. They will collaborate to accelerate the party's momentum in Haryana. The Chief Minister emphasized that the people have decisively chosen to elect the BJP government for a third consecutive term in the state, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



Responding to another query about the Samadhan Shivirs, the Chief Minister mentioned that approximately 20,000 complaints have been received during these Shivirs, with about 6,000 of them resolved on the spot. The remaining grievances will be resolved soon.



Responding to another question, the Chief Minister affirmed that all allies of the NDA remain united. He emphasized that the Bharatiya Janata Party has consistently shown utmost respect towards its allies.
The BJP-led Haryana government's goal is to simplify the lives of poor people and empower them, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Wednesday as he distributed plot allotment certificates to beneficiaries under the state housing scheme.

In a function in Rohtak, Saini said, Today is a very happy day as the dream of owning a home is coming true for poor people. The Mukhyamantri Shehri Awas Yojana is not just a scheme but a commendable initiative by PM Modi and our double-engine sarkar to bring smiles to the faces of the poor and fulfill their dreams. Our government's goal is to simplify the lives of the poor and empower them so they can advance their families and provide good education to their children.



He further said that recently, poor people were given possession certificates for 100 square yards plots. The Chief Minister said that the previous government showed plots to the poor but neither gave them plots nor any papers. Those people kept running from pillar to post. However, our government understood their plight and decided to provide them with plots. Therefore, a program was organized in Sonipat recently where poor people were given possession certificates for 100 square yards plots, he added.



The Chief Minister said that the government also announced that if land is not available in the villages, an amount of Rs 1 lakh will be transferred to the accounts of the remaining people to purchase plots.

Under the state scheme, 15,250 beneficiaries were given land plot allotment certificates on Wednesday. At the event held at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak, the chief minister handed out plot allotment letters to the beneficiaries on the spot.



Similar programmes to distribute allotment letters were also held simultaneously at four other places --Yamunanagar, Palwal, Sirsa, and Mahendragarh.



Addressing the gathering in Rohtak, Saini said the BJP government's goal is to simplify the lives of the poor and empower them. He pointed out that the previous Congress government promised 100 square yard plots to the poor but neither gave them plots, nor any papers, forcing such people to later keep running from pillar to post.



But the BJP government understood their plight and decided to provide them with plots, the chief minister said. He said a programme was recently organised during which beneficiaries were given possession certificates for 100 square yards plots.



On this occasion, Subhash Sudha, Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies, congratulated the beneficiaries receiving plot allotment letters under the housing scheme. Sudha said families with an annual income below Rs 1.80 lakh applied under this scheme, and today the chief minister provided benefits to such eligible beneficiaries.



Saini said the state government had also recently distributed cards to families having an income of less than Rs 1 lakh annually under the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana. There are about 23 lakh such families with around 84 lakh members who are benefiting from 1,000 kilometres of free bus travel in state transport within a year under this scheme, he said.



Furthermore, officers have been directed to develop a portal so that any eligible beneficiary who has been left out or any other citizen wanting to avail of this scheme can apply, said the Chief Minister.



He informed that just a few days ago, over one lakh eligible beneficiaries of the labor department were provided benefits worth Rs. 80 crores under various schemes.



The Chief Minister said that the state government has distributed HAPPY cards to families with an income of less than Rs. 1 lakh annually under the Haryana Antyodaya Parivar Parivahan Yojana (HAPPY). There are about 23 lakh such families in the state, with around 84 lakh members, who are benefiting from 1000 kilometers of free bus travel within a year under this scheme.
Today, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was celebrated at University Law College. On this occasion, the Acting Principal, Rashmi Pradhan, said that World Drug Day is celebrated every year on June 26 to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of a drug-free world. The UNODC continues to provide facts and practical solutions to address the current world drug problem and is committed to achieving health for all based on science.

Dr. Jaydeep Sanyal mentioned that in India, the Rajiv Gandhi government finally enacted a law against all types of narcotics and psychotropic substances in 1985, known as the NDPS Act. Advocate and Guest Faculty Shubham Kishore discussed the NDPS Act in detail. Until 1985, cannabis and its derivatives, including bhang, charas, and marijuana, were not banned in India. In 1961, the United States adopted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. This was the first international treaty against drugs that categorized hard drugs along with cannabis and completely banned their use except for research and medical purposes.

The chief guest, Advocate Amarnath Mishra, discussed all the laws and provisions related to the regulation of the possession and use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The vote of thanks was given by Bharat Mishra. On this occasion, students Dheeraj and Tushar also shared their thoughts. The students Chittaranjan Kispotta and Suman Kumar were present. A quiz competition was also organized in which Amardeep, Muskan, and Rishi were awarded. In the painting competition, Shalini, Chahat, and Khushi were awarded. The event was hosted by Prabhakar.
Kalpana Murmu Soren, the newly elected JMM MLA from Gandey and wife of former chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday met former Chief Minister Hemant Soren at Hotwar Jail. Jharkhand Congress in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir also accompanied her. This meeting is important in many ways. During this meeting, it is said that a discussion between the three has taken place on important issues.

Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam, who is in jail, has resigned from his post, after which a ministerial post has become vacant. The post of leader of the legislative party is also vacant. In such a situation, it is possible that there may have been a discussion about the swearing-in of the new minister.

On earlier occasions too Kalpana Soren has gone to Hotwar Jail to meet Hemant Soren many times. Chief Minister of the state Champai Soren had accompanied her. During this, there is a discussion about the current situation of the state.

The meeting of Kalpana Soren with Hemant Soren assume importance as five months ahead of assembly elections, the Champai Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand may witness a cabinet expansion in July. Jailed former CM Hemant Sorens wife Kalpana Soren could be one of the inductees.



There are two vacancies in the Champai Cabinet and both may be filled to send a political message before assembly polls. Kalpana has won Gandey assembly bye-election in May. In the runup to parliamentary elections, she emerged as the party's star campaigner in the absence of Hemant, who has been lodged in jail since January in connection with a money laundering case linked with an alleged land grab.

According to JMM sources, Kalpana may be inducted in the Cabinet to portray her as the party's main face in the forthcoming polls. Sources close to her, however, denied this speculation, saying she won't want to enter the government for less than six months. JMM may not want to risk replacing Champai with Kalpana in the CM's chair as this could trigger an internal rebellion.

During last Parliamentary elections, Kalpana Soren had raised the issue that her husband's arrest was unexpected and triggered a shock in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the family.

Kalpana Soren, who has emerged as the party's new face, alleged that the BJP "is a tyrannical force that is hell-bent on oppressing the Opposition.

Kalpana, an Engineer with an MBA degree, has been thrust into the political limelight following her husband Hemant's arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31. Hemant, Jharkhand's former chief minister was detained in connection with an alleged land grab case, disrupting the family's routine and pushing Kalpana into the public eye.
In a strategic move following the recent victory of Khalistani sympathizer and NSA detainee Amritpal Singh in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, his close aide Bhagwant Singh, popularly known as Pardhan Mantri Bajeke, is preparing to contest impending bypolls in the Gidderbaha assembly segment.

The announcement comes on the heels of Amritpal Singhs landslide victory from Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency, underscoring a shifting political landscape in Punjab. Amritpal is currently incarcerated in Assams Dibrugarh jail facing stringent National Security Act (NSA).

Bajeke, who is also facing charges under NSA and lodged at Dibrugarh jail since over a year now, is likely to emerge as a significant player in the region. His decision to contest from Gidderbaha, a seat left vacant after three-time MLA and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warrings ascension to the Lok Sabha, marked a pivotal moment in the states political arena considering the victory of Amritpal and another Khalistan sympathizer Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh  one of the assassins of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Known for his active involvement in farmers year-long agitation at Delhi borders and his social media presence, Bajeke garnered considerable attention and support, particularly from the Sikh community.

Sharing the information, Bajekes son, Akashdeep Singh, took to Instagram to announce his father's decision. My father will contest the upcoming bypolls from Gidderbaha. He aims to continue our fight for justice and equality, he said in a video message that quickly circulated across social media platforms. The announcement has stirred anticipation among supporters and opponents alike, setting the stage for a closely watched electoral battle.

The dynamics in Gidderbaha have been shaped by recent political developments, especially with Warring vacating the assembly seat after winning the Lok Sabha elections. The transition has opened up opportunities for Bajeke to step into the electoral arena and assert their influence, especially with the backing of Amritpal Singhs supporters.

The legal battles and public outcry surrounding Bajeke intensified after his arrest on March 18, 2023, which was streamed live on social media. His confinement in Assam has been contentious, with allegations of mistreatment and demands from his family for his transfer to Punjab on health grounds.

A resident of Dharamkot village in Moga, Bajeke has been an active participant in the farmers' protests, using social media platforms to mobilize support and share his views on socio-political issues. His popularity surged, particularly under the moniker Pradhan Mantri Bajeke, where he amassed a substantial following across various social media channels.

He is currently facing multiple charges, including attempts to incite violence and violations under the NDPS Act.
hief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Krishi Bhawan in Delhi and had a detailed discussion with him on various issues of the state related to his ministries.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative to encourage millets, Chief Minister Yadav, urged to give Minimum Support Price to Kodo and Kutki produced in Madhya Pradesh so that the tribal farmers of the state can get special benefits. He requested to give Minimum Support Price of Rs 4290 for Kodo and Kutki at par with Ragi, which the Union Agriculture Minister readily accepted.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav highlighted the boost in production of summer moong in the state, which has led to farmers not receiving the Minimum Support Price (MSP). He requested the Central Government to increase the procurement target for summer moong at the support price.
Motul India, a leading Manufacturer of premium, high-performance engine and industrial lubricants in India launches Motul Sehat Ki Samriddhi- its CSR initiative.

The initiative aimed at enhancing primary healthcare access for auto mechanics, their dependents, and other community members, organised a health camp in Bhopal on Thursday.

This is the first of an extensive series of health check-up camps across 20 cities in India. Spearheaded by Motul India, in collaboration with Smile Foundation, the initiative will run from June 2024 to March 2025, covering key regions in Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.The initiative focuses on delivering essential healthcare services to communities with limited access to medical care while alleviating the strain on government health services.

Over the next 9 months, approximately 16,000 beneficiaries will receive comprehensive medical attention through 80 health camps.

This would significantly reduce their out-of-pocket expenses, enhance accessibility to doorstep healthcare services, and encourage overall healthier living behavior among community members.Nagendra Pai, CEO of Motul India & South Asia, said, With Sehat ki Samriddhi, our aim is to nurture the well-being of auto mechanics and their families across the nation. We aspire to create a noticeable impact in their lives regarding access to healthcare services, beginning right here in Bhopal.

Together with Smile Foundation, with their expertise in implementing impactful social projects, we envision to inculcate health-caring behaviour in the community who are the backbone of auto industry. "Puneet Bali, Executive Director, Smile Foundation said, At Smile Foundation, we believe in the power of partnerships to create positive change. Our collaboration with Motul for the Sehat Ki Samriddhi initiative is a prime example.
Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and current Governor of Odisha, Raghubar Das, arrived at Jamshedpur's Sonari Airport on Wednesday. This marks his first visit to Jamshedpur following the formation of the BJP government in Odisha. He was warmly welcomed at the airport by Kulwant Singh Bunty, a member of the BJP State Working Committee and former Khadi Board member, who presented him with a bouquet of flowers.

The welcome ceremony was attended by several BJP workers and senior officials of the district administration. Police personnel honored Governor Raghubar Das with a guard of honor at the airport.

Bunty highlighted the significance of this visit, noting that Governor Das will be staying in Jamshedpur for two days. This visit is seen as an important event for the local BJP cadre and supporters.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has initiated efforts to create a picturesque and modern riverfront along the banks of the river Kukrail in Lucknow, similar to the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad following the revival of Kukrail.

Last year, a dedicated committee had conducted a site inspection and tour of the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. The development of the Kukrail riverfront will be overseen by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. To facilitate this, the municipal corporation has prepared a draft for the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) which will be in the name of Lucknow Riverfront Development Corporation Ltd.

The consultant is currently preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the development of the riverfront along the river Kukrail, and it will soon be presented to the chief minister. In line with Chief Minister Yogis vision, the goal has been set to revive the river Kukrail.

Following his instructions, departments have been tasked with making the river Kukrail uninterrupted, clean and pollution-free. The objective is to prevent dirty drains from flowing into the Kukrail, beautify the riverbanks, develop the site, and create a green belt.

To make the Kukrail pollution-free and revive it, the chief minister has instructed the interception of 39 drains that flow into the river. In the first phase, work on tapping 17 drains is 95 per cent complete. The interception of 12 drains is ongoing and will be completed by the end of this month.

In the second phase, 22 drains will be tapped to prevent 6 MLD of untreated sewage from entering the river Kukrail. In the third phase, to maintain a minimum water flow, a 40 MLD capacity STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) will be built to release treated effluent upstream into the river Kukrail. After demolishing illegal constructions on municipal land in Akbarnagar, the STP will be built on a 1.50-hectare plot.

To ensure a continuous supply of water to the Kukrail, ponds will be built to revive the rivers water sources and bodies within the forest area. In rural areas, the Rural Development department and the Lucknow Development Authority are working to revive water sources and bodies.

The Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Urban) has proposed release of water into the river from a 40 MLD STP. Additionally, the Irrigation department will provide approximately 5 to 15 cusecs of water from the Sharda Nagar escape channel.
In a significant move ahead of the Jalandhar West Assembly constituency by-election, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has rented a house in the Jalandhar Cantonment area. On Wednesday, Mann, along with his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur and daughter, performed a housewarming ceremony at the newly-rented residence before shifting to his new abode.

Arriving amidst tight security, the Chief Ministers entry into the house has sparked a buzz in Jalandhar's Deep Nagar area, where police presence has been markedly increased.

The rented property, spanning approximately 131 marlas, had been undergoing renovations for the past month. Interestingly, this new residence is not just a temporary arrangement for the by-election period but is intended to serve as Mann's base until the 2027 Assembly elections.

As per sources, the Chief Minister plans to stay at this house two days a week  a move aimed at strengthening his connection with the leaders and people of the Doaba and Majha regions.

The initiative is also expected to bolster the Sarkar Tuhaade Dwaar (Government at Your Doorstep) program, enabling more direct interaction with the public. During the Lok Sabha by-elections, Mann and his team stayed in hotels, but this time, a more permanent solution has been adopted.

The State Government, however, touted this move as the fulfillment of another promise made to the people of Majha and Doaba regions. The Chief Minister emphasized that the primary objective of this initiative is to facilitate the residents of these regions in getting their routine works done more efficiently. Mann highlighted that this direct approach will eliminate the need for people to travel to Chandigarh for their administrative needs, as he will be available in Jalandhar for a few days each week.

Expressing immense pride and satisfaction in fulfilling his promise to the people, Mann reiterated that his efforts are always aimed at the progress of the State and the prosperity of its citizens. Mann declared that the era of a government run solely from offices in Chandigarh is over. Instead, the administration is now being managed from the villages and towns.

To further support this decentralized governance approach, the State Government has already initiated the Sarkar Tuhaade Dwaar scheme, organizing village-level camps to provide citizen-centric services directly at their doorsteps. The Chief Minister assured that more such pro-people initiatives would be introduced in the coming days.

The public reception of this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Residents of the Doaba and Majha regions have expressed their appreciation for the Chief Minister's commitment to being more accessible. Many believe that this move will lead to a more responsive and accountable administration, addressing local issues more effectively.

By staying in Jalandhar, Mann is not only making a strategic decision for the upcoming by-election but also setting a precedent for a more engaged and approachable leadership style.
Bathinda Counter Intelligence (CI), in joint operation with Bathinda Police have arrested three shooters associated with gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Thursday said that those arrested have been identified as Karandeep Singh alias Kannu of Navi Basti in Maur Mandi; Raghuveer Singh and Kulwinder Singh alias Bittu  both residents of Kot Shamir village in Bathinda.

He said that the Police teams have also recovered three pistols  including one 9 mm pistol and two .32 bore pistols  along with six live cartridges and six magazines from their possession, besides impounding their Hyundai Verna car.

DGP Yadav said that acting on intel inputs that associates of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar are planning to execute target killings in districts of Bathinda, Mohali, and nearby areas, Police teams from CI Bathinda and Bathinda Police launched an operation and laid a joint naka at Maur Chowk to nab the shooters.

Police teams have arrested the trio accused persons when they were coming towards Bathinda from Maur in their Hyundai Verna car and recovered three pistols along with ammunition from their possession, he said.

The DGP said that preliminary investigation has revealed that accused Karandeep Kannu was directly in touch with Lawrence Bishnoi and the recovered weapons were meant to be used by them to carry out target killings. Further investigations are on to trace the forward and backward linkages in this case, he said.
A review meeting of the Supply Department was held under the chairmanship of District Magistrate cum Deputy Commissioner Ananya Mittal in the Collectorate Auditorium, Jamshedpur. During the meeting, it was highlighted that under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), only 73.19 percent of food grains had been delivered at the doorstep against the target for June 2024. The Deputy Commissioner directed that this figure be brought up to 100 percent within two days. Additionally, the distribution of food grains for June 2024, currently at 57.10 percent, is to be completed by the prescribed date of 15 July 2024.

All Marketing Officers (MOs) were instructed to ensure that doorstep delivery of food grains is completed by the 15th of every month under the NFSA. Similarly, green rice is to be delivered to public distribution system (PDS) shops by the 5th of every month under the Jharkhand State Food Security Scheme (JSFSS). The District Supply Officer was also directed to issue show-cause notices to PDS vendors with low distribution rates.

Mittal emphasized that under the Postman Scheme, foodgrain packets must be delivered to beneficiaries' homes in the first week of each month. He also mandated that online entry of foodgrains be completed on the same day they arrive at the warehouse and that the Assistant Warehouse Manager ensures the lifting of foodgrains from the truck on the same day.

Under the Sona-Sobran Dhoti Saree Scheme, all beneficiaries are to receive 100 percent of their clothes within a week, and equivalent amounts should be deposited through challan. The meeting also addressed pending cases in the BSO and DSO logins on the ERCMS portal, instructing that further action should be taken only after physical verification for new ration card issues, dealer changes, member deletions, and ration card surrenders. Pending cases on the PGMS portal are to be resolved within 48 hours wherever possible. Additionally, instructions were given to complete the pending payments of farmers under the Paddy Procurement Scheme for the Kharif marketing season 2023-24 without delay.

Special Distribution Officer Mahendra Kumar, District Supply Officer Salman Zafar Khijri, all Block Supply Officers, Marketing Officers, Assistant Warehouse Managers, Computer Operators, and other concerned officials attended the meeting.
The Supreme Court castigated the Delhi Development Authority on Wednesday for not providing information regarding the visit of Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to the Ridge area where 1,100 trees were cut and said it was protecting higher-ups and blaming subordinate officers.

A vacation bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said it was "absolute recklessness" on the part of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that it could not find a simple document indicating Saxena's visit on February 3.

"This is absolute recklessness on your part.

You cannot find a simple document.

Nothing has been done, no meeting of the officers has been called. I really hope that the vice-chairman is taking the matter seriously. We have all the doubts in the way things are done.

We see that the first part of the e-mail which talks about the L-G being visited is correct," the bench said.

"When the e-mail says that lieutenant governor has visited and ordered the cutting of trees, was it not the function of the DDA to look into it?

The object of the committee is only to save and protect the higher-ups and blame the lower officers like junior engineer or executive engineer," it added.

The top court was hearing a contempt plea filed by Delhi resident Bindu Kapurea, alleging that trees were cut despite a March 4 court order denying permission to the DDA and the fact that the trees had been cut was suppressed from the court.

At the outset, senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the DDA vice-chairman, informed the court that the agency was trying to find the records and the intention was that no incorrect information was given to the bench.

Singh submitted that Saxena had visited the hospital for central armed paramilitary forces and did not visit the site concerned. He sought time from the top court to submit the information.

The apex court bench then said,

"The DDA could not obtain information on the record of the site visit of the Hon'ble L-G on February 3, 2024. The learned senior counsel for DDA seeks time. We don't think that the request for time to find such simple information is bona fide.

" When the court enquired about the officer present at the time of Saxena's visit, Singh said his name was Ashok Kumar Gupta, a member engineering. The apex court then passed an order.
On Tuesday Lok Samiti and Jagriti jointly organized a symposium titled Emergency 25 June 1975  A Disgrace to Democracy at NBJK premises in Hazaribagh. The event commenced with the garlanding of Loknayak Jaiprakash's photograph. Mr. Satish Girija, President of Jharkhand State Lok Samiti, welcomed participants, reflecting on the dark period from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, when many were unjustly imprisoned and deprived of fundamental rights. He shared his personal experiences of arrest and imprisonment during the Emergency, emphasizing Lok Samitis' role in ensuring democratic vigilance.Prof. KP Sharma stressed the importance of mandatory voting, equitable property distribution, and laws to uphold fundamental duties. Ganesh Citu highlighted the inadequacy of MNREGA wages and other grassroots level government employees' wages, calling for discussions on the past to improve the future. Journalist Umesh Pratap and former JP movement agitator Mr. Harish Srivastava called for systemic reforms and remembered the student protests against the Emergency. Sumitra Devi and Sharda Devi discussed women's rights and public issues. In his presidential address, Advocate Swaroop Chand Jain recounted his arrest and the widespread injustice during the Emergency, urging continuous opposition to such undemocratic actions. Other speakers included Adhin Mahato, Dr. Vishwanath Azad, Awadhesh Pandey, and Devsharan Suman. The event, attended by around 60 participants, concluded with a vote of thanks by Rajeev Singh and was anchored by Shankar Rana.
With Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), his wife Sunita on Wednesday alleged the whole system is trying to ensure that her husband does not come out of jail and that this is akin to "dictatorship" and "emergency". The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP of getting Kejriwal arrested in a "fake case" by the CBI.

The CBI on Wednesday formally arrested Kejriwal in the Delhi excise policy case and sought five-day custody of the AAP national convener. In a post on X in Hindi, Sunita said her husband got bail on June 20 in the excise policy-linked money laundering case but the Enforcement Directorate (ED) immediately got a stay."The very next day, the CBI made him an accused.

And today he was arrested. The whole system is trying to ensure that the man does not come out of jail. This is not law. This is dictatorship, this is emergency," she said.The AAP also condemned Kejriwal's arrest."The dictator crossed all limits of cruelty!! Today when there was every possibility of Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal getting bail, the BJP went into panic mode and got Kejriwal arrested by the CBI in a fake case.

"The CBI took Kejriwal ji to Rouse Avenue Court where his blood sugar level dropped very low. Dictator, no matter how much oppression you inflict, Kejriwal will neither bow down nor break," it said in a post on X in Hindi.AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said there cannot be a bigger emergency than this. "Kejriwal is not a terrorist or a criminal. Four charge sheets were filed by the CBI but there was no mention of Kejriwal. When do they remember him? When he is about to be freed.

The whole country knows what is happening," Singh told reporters outside the Rouse Avenue court."I want to tell the prime minister and the BJP that you have imposed an emergency. You can shoot us in public, the whole country is watching your dirty game," he said. Singh said some news channels were claiming that Kejriwal had put the entire blame on his former deputy Manish Sisodia.

"Our lawyers and Kejriwal opposed this in court. The judge read Kejriwal's statement and accepted that he did not say anything like this," he added.At a press conference, senior AAP leader Jasmine Shah alleged efforts were being made to tarnish the image of the party.

"Since the beginning, we have been saying that the ED and the CBI are being used to create sensationalism in media and tarnish the image of the AAP, Kejriwal and other leaders," he said.The CBI case was registered on a complaint made by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on July 20, 2022.

On June 25, the CBI took Arvind Kejriwal's statement from jail and sought his production before the trial court today.Kejriwal has been in prison since April 1 in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case being probed by the ED.On May 10, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Kejriwal for 21 days to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. He returned to prison on June 2.

The Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 was withdrawn by the Kejriwal government in July 2022 after Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in its formulation and implementation.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that that our family members have returned, coming back to their homeland to preserve their religion. We will welcome all those who gain citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It is fortunate that the new generation is becoming part of Madhya Pradesh, and they will have the same rights as other citizens.

They are welcome in Madhya Pradesh, and the state government will provide all possible assistance. These individuals will be proud to be residents of Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav made these remarks while discussing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, after granting Indian Citizenship Certificates to the first three applicants in the state at Mantralaya. Dr. Yadav presented citizenship certificates to Sushri Rakhi Das, Sameer Melwani, and Sanjana Melwani.

India Shows Generosity with Implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act

Chief Minister Yadav said that we are fortunate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to resolve an issue and restore such a relationship which reminds us of a united India. Before the year 1947, it was decided by the then government that we would protect the minorities in our respective countries. On this trust, many of our Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian brothers and sisters stayed in those places that were earlier a part of India. Contrary to expectations, our people faced a lack of security in those countries and had to suffer many hardships. Prime Minister Shri Modi has shown generosity by implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act. It is a matter of joy for us that our people are coming to our country.

Eligibility for granting citizenship in CAA

After the implementation of these rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, citizenship has been granted to three people for the first time in Madhya Pradesh. Section 6B has been added to the Citizenship Act 1955 to provide citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA). To be granted citizenship under CAA, the migrant must belong to any one of the communities out of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities, the migrant must be a citizen of any one of the countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan and the migrants must have entered India on or before December 31, 2014. Applications under CAA are filed online on the website https://indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in/ or through the mobile application, CAA-2019.
The Delhi Police has arrested three men for allegedly duping a woman of Rs 10.30 lakh under the pretext of high returns. The police have identified the accused as Vipin Kumar (30), Mohit Sharma (27) and Smarth Dabar (23).

According to police, the accused posed as SIM card and bank account sellers to assist other cyber fraudsters.

"On April 24, a complaint was received at Dwarka cyber police station, in which the complainant was contacted by fraudsters through telegram on the pretext of investing money and earning high returns," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said.

Police said that in the process, Sharma invested money worth Rs 10.30 lakh after following all the instructions and at the time of refund, the accused refused. The officer said an FIR was registered and an investigation was taken up."Based on technical surveillance and analysis of calls and bank statements, the team arrested three people identified. Accused Vipin Kumar disclosed that he works as a SIM card seller at Azadpur terminal and there he met Mohit Sharma and Smarth Dabar. They bought many SIM cards from him," said the DCP.

A few months later, Sharma and Dabar asked Kumar to open a new account in a private bank.

They promised to pay him for opening the account. Kumar followed and shared his bank details with them, DCP said.

Kumar then went on to open new bank accounts and sold them to other cyber fraudsters for 30 per cent commission, Singh said. "So far we have arrested three people, but more arrests are likely to occur. Further investigation is underway," said the DCP.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that the trial court judge was in a "hurry" and did not afford reasonable opportunity to the prosecutor to oppose Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's bail in a money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.

The ED said the June 20 order of the trial court granting regular bail to Kejriwal was "perverse" for non-compliance of prerequisite mandatory conditions under section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

A vacation bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice SVN Bhatti took on record the Enforcement Directorate's reply affidavit filed in Kejriwal's plea challenging the interim stay granted by the Delhi High Court on June 21.

The bench also allowed Kejriwal to withdraw his plea after Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for him, said he would file a substantial appeal as the High Court has pronounced the final order on June 25, staying the bail order.

The top court granted liberty to Kejriwal to file the substantial appeal. In its affidavit, the ED pointed out that section 45 of the PMLA envisages two mandatory conditions -- public prosecutor be given the opportunity to oppose bail and where the public prosecutor opposes the bail application, the court has to satisfy itself that there exist reasonable grounds for believing that accused is not guilty of such offence and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail.

"In the instance case, it is the specific ground raised by the prosecuting agency with specific and concise averments showing that the judge (of trial court) was in a hurry and did not afford a reasonable opportunity to the Additional Solicitor General to oppose the bail," it said while seeking to set aside the June 20 order.

The agency said money laundering being a specific and serious offence, the requirements under the PMLA override the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrpC) in case of a grant or refusal of bail. It added the court considering an application for bail must record its satisfaction which should be based on a belief formed by the court that the accused "is not guilty of such offence". "This would necessarily mean an examination of record, investigation papers, complaint filed etc.

Since it is only on perusal of such record that the court can reach a valid conclusion of the accused being not guilty of the offence of money laundering," it said. "If any of the above referred pre-requisite mandatory conditions are not complied with, the order would be in non-compliance of the mandate of section 45 of the Act and would also be perverse only on that ground. The perversity can also be on other grounds other than non-compliance with mandatory conditions," the agency said.

The ED said it is not a matter of mere contention of the prosecuting agency but an admitted fact that the trial court judge did not examine the record of the case despite specifically requested by the prosecuting agency. "Admitted part in the impugned order itself prima facie but clearly reflects non-compliance with mandatory conditions stipulated under section 45 of the Act," it said.

The ED pointed out that during the bail hearing before the trial court on June 20, the Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was continuously asked to cut short his arguments by the trial court judge. Even the impugned order reflects that the order has been passed hurriedly and admittedly without perusing the record of the case, the ED said.

"It is true that the expression 'opportunity of hearing' may not be capable of being defined based upon any particular time limit since it would depend upon the facts of each case.
Woman and Child Development Minister Nirmala Bhuria inaugurated a two-day workshop for women and girls empowerment in Bhopal. She said that the Women and Child Development Department in Madhya Pradesh has taken the initiative on making a policy for that class which constitutes half the population.

With the cooperation of all departments, such womens policy has to be brought to the ground which will inspire other states. Minister Bhuria said that today women have equal rights legally in all fields but they still have to struggle for them in society. Womens economic empowerment decides their entire future. Along with the Central Government, the State Government has also made various schemes for the health, education, and security of women. Women empowerment is a multidimensional approach that includes economic, social, political, legal, and health aspects.

Minister Bhuria said that womens policy should not be considered just a paper document, it should be prepared in the form of a manifesto. All such departments should be included where the aspects of women empoverment is untouched. She added that women empowerment is not a slogan, it is an action linked to the cutting edge of development that ensures the right to influence social change for themselves and others.

Principal Secretary,Women and Child Development Shri Sanjay Shukla said that empowerment has many components like education, security, health, law, etc.

The policy should include the human rights of women, their participation, and how disparities like violence, child marriage etc. can be eliminated. Shri Shukla said that Anganwadi workers, and women of self-help groups, currently working through mobile is digital empowerment. It is difficult to achieve the desired success by making efforts in only one direction because women's empowerment is a multidimensional concept. It is necessary to involve NGOs and social organizations also in this work. Let us start the empowerment of women and girls from our homes and departments.

Commissioner, Women and Child Development Smt. Sufia Farooqui Wali said that the women and girls empowerment policy will be for the next ten years. The policy will be decided in the next three months with the coordination of various departments. She said that the empowerment of women is a continuous process. Suggestions will be taken for policy formulation and a draft will be prepared. Gazette notification will also be issued after approval. Besides, the policy points will also be continuously monitored and reviewed.

Shri Jaideep Biswas of UNFPA said that the main objective of this workshop is the participation of every level and class in the empowerment of women and girls. To make any work successful, it is very important to have a strong foundation.

The workshop was attended by representatives of various departments including MD Nidhi Nivedita of Womens Finance Development Corporation.
In a tragic incident, a 28-year-old woman named Priya Dhibar, a resident of Khutadih Harijan Basti in the Sonari police station area of Jamshedpur, committed suicide by hanging herself. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, revealing a deeply troubling case of alleged domestic abuse.

Priya Dhibar left behind a suicide note, written in Bengali, in which she accused her husband of being the reason for her drastic decision. In the note, she detailed the sexual and physical abuse she had endured at the hands of her husband, Krishna Dhibar. The note explicitly mentioned her desperation and inability to continue living under such conditions, ultimately leading to her decision to end her life.

The Sonari police took swift action upon discovering the suicide note and arrested Krishna Dhibar. According to available information, Priya Dhibar hailed from Bandkudra in West Bengal and had married Krishna Dhibar, an auto driver, in Sonari. The couple lived in a rented house belonging to Siya Ram Sahu in Khutadih Harijan Basti. Their relationship was reportedly fraught with disputes and conflict.

Priya Dhibar is survived by a daughter, who is currently being raised at her maternal uncle's house. On Wednesday morning, Priya was found hanging in her home. The tragic discovery was made when the house owner noticed that Priya had not opened the door for an unusually long time. Upon realizing something was amiss, the owner promptly notified the police, who then uncovered the distressing scene.

Following the discovery, the police arrested Krishna Dhibar and charged him with abetment to suicide. The arrest was made immediately, and Krishna Dhibar was taken into custody and subsequently sent to jail.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday welcomed the 61 newly-elected and nominated members of the House and urged them to exploit their potential to contribute towards fulfilling the aspirations of people.

"Let us all in togetherness work towards the blossoming of democracy," he said while welcoming the members at the start of the 264th session of the Upper House.

He said this is the first session after the recent general elections and the assembly polls in four states.

"While exercising their franchise, the people of Bharat, the largest democracy in the world, have expressed their faith in our democratic polity and the values that underpin our Republic. The successful completion of this 'festival of democracy' is a matter of great pride and admiration for all of us," he noted.

Dhankhar also said that the Upper House has got re-constituted partially after its recent biennial elections.

"Congratulations to all the 61 newly elected/nominated Members of the House. During the 263rd session of the Rajya Sabha, we bid farewell to the retiring members. The members would surely fully exploit their potential and contribute towards fulfilling aspirations of the people," he said.

"Let us all in togetherness work towards the blossoming of democracy. Let us contribute in a wholesome manner for dialogue, discussion, deliberations and debate all being the essence of democracy," the Rajya Sabha chairman said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the Rajya Sabha and he later introduced the council of ministers in the House.

"I have great pleasure to introduce Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who has been sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term after a gap of six decades," Dhankhar said amid thumping of desks and applause.

He earlier announced that J P Nadda would be the leader of the House, and the House greeted him with thumping of desks.

The Rajya Sabha chairman later separately interacted with several members of the House in his chamber.

Six new members -- three from Madhya Pradesh, two from Jharkhand and one from Bihar -- also took oath on Thursday.

The Rajya Sabha also took note of the reports of the Privileges Committee, which held 12 MPs guilty of misconduct, including AAP MP Sanjay Singh, for causing disruptions in the House and cautioned them for not repeating their behaviour.

The panel also recommended the revocation of suspension of Sanjay Singh, who was suspended from the House last year, after holding him guilty of misconduct. The panel, however, said that the punishment suffered by him is sufficient.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday introduced his council of ministers in Rajya Sabha, amid clapping and thumping of desks.

The prime minister had introduced his council of ministers in Lok Sabha on Wednesday after the election of the Speaker.

"I have great pleasure to introduce Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who has been sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term after a gap of six decades," Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced amid thumping of desks and applause.

He then asked the the prime minister for the introduction of the ministers.

Leader of the House J P Nadda, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi were among those present in the House.

Thursday was the first day of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha. The House met after President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

The President's address was also tabled in Rajya Sabha. The House will pass a Motion of Thanks on the President's address after a discussion.
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As per usual, the election interference and bias is at epidemic levels during the campaign season.

A Media Research investigation has found that when searching for a candidates name with presidential race 2024, Joe Bidens campaign website is the top result, while Donald Trumps campaign website doesnt even appear on the first page. It is as if Trump does not exist. The same goes for the UKs election, with Nigel Farage not even appearing on the third page of the biased monopolys search result.

Of course, the exact same thing happened in the 2020 elections, and this insidious evil monopoly is simply repeating its disgraceful cowardly actions during the 2024 election period.

Biased technology monopolies have a key role in shaping public opinion and access to information. A democratic election should have a level playing field for voters to choose their candidates and receive information about them, but under the biased and skewed results of this monopolys search, not only is democracy being subverted, but the entire election process is being destroyed.

Election interference

Search result rankings are very important in the digital age. The only internet search monopoly commands a global market share of over 96 percent in the search engine space, and its deliberate manipulation of search results directly influences public perception and elections. This overbearing octopus-grip over all information could thus be called a near monopoly in its operation of its search bias.

No more democracy  elections cannot function properly

Is there any point in having elections any more when only one single political side or candidate is allowed to be seen and heard? Isnt democracy meant to be a fair discussion between many political parties and ideologies? We are now witnessing the wholesale destruction and perversion of our electoral process by an entity that has an octopus grip over the globes information. This is why we now limit our electoral articles because there is absolutely no point in writing them because no one will see them.

Even if a voter may not agree, or agree, with another partys or candidates beliefs or opinions, they should still be given the right to hear what they say in an election.

We can safely state that there is no democracy any more, not in the USA or in the UK. There has not been any democracy in the EU for decades so that area is discounted from the discussion. When any organisation with such a monopoly and responsibility acts with this level of cowardice and malice, it is a disgrace to any form of democratic integrity.
The Snapshot



Backed by a $2.5-million grant from Canadas Ocean Supercluster, the Building Bridges research project, led by Dalhousie, is hardwiring the AI revolution and the ocean sector by empowering researchers and industry with new digital tools to gather, analyze and share data.

The Challenge



Traditionally, when ocean researchers want to study how mussel populations change over time it involves hip waders and slogging through tidal waters, counting molluscs and jotting notes  again and again, rain or shine. Its difficult and time-consuming work, but the insights the data provide make it invaluable.

A barometer of ocean health, changes in how these super sensitive shellfish gather on rocks provide important information about their evolving ecosystems and the impacts of climate change. It can also help Canadian mussel farmers, who produced over 20,000 tonnes of the shellfish each year, to understand how best to build the industry on the countrys coasts.

Tidal pools off the coast of B.C. (Hakai Institute photo)

We have an intertidal mapping program where researchers are out in the field, they're measuring, they're counting, they're kneeling down and looking at individual pieces. But they can only get to so many places, it's dangerous. We're out on the West Coast with steep rocky shores. And some of the places we can't even get to, says Will McInnes, a Geographic Information System specialist at British Columbia-based Hakai Institute.

Hakai is one of Dalhousies six ocean research partners in the Building Bridges research project. Led by Dal and supported by a $2.5-million grant from Canadas Ocean Supercluster, the endeavour aims to maximize the impact of ocean research with artificial intelligence (AI).

Dal data scientist Dr. Mike Smit, the project's principal investigator, emphasizes the urgent need for AI to empower ocean researchers in their fieldwork and to ensure the data they gather has as much impact as possible.



Dals Dr. Mike Smit leads the Building Bridges project. (Cody Turner photo)

Every piece of data has potential value to us. If that data sits locked in a desk drawer, filing cabinet or hard drive, its not bringing benefits to Canadians that it should be. AI can ease the data gathering process and dramatically increase our ability to share, analyse and learn from it, he says.

The Solution



Ushering the AI revolution into Canadas ocean economy will require a new generation of professionals who understand the fast-evolving digital tools and how they can be applied to better understand the waters that surround us, says Dr. Smit.

We've seen time and time again, when we want to roll AI out across different sectors that leaders say, We don't even know what's possible in the space. We can hire the technical expertise, but we dont know what we want them to do. Building Bridges will help ocean people understand enough about AI to know what it can do, and tech people enough about oceans to be able to do it, he says.

The project will support innovators in the field like Hakai to develop and share their AI research methods for others to learn from. It will also strengthen Canadas ocean data management by enhancing the work of the Canadian Integrated Ocean Observing System (CIOOS), the countrys central repository for ocean data gathered by government, academia, industry, NGOs, Indigenous communities and others. CIOOS, which receives its primary funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada and MEOPAR, will leverage AI to ease data submission processes and ensure its available and accessible to everyone that can use it.

We need to harness what AI is really good at to manage Canadas ocean data and ensure its available and accessible for people who do research to help us better understand the ocean and people in industry interested in commercial applications. All of those conversations are informed by broader access to data, says Dr. Smit.

The Work



Swooping along British Columbias rugged coastline, Hakai Institute drones have become a frequent sight above the provinces mussel fields. The images they capture are fed into an AI program that helps their scientists to better understand the bivalves, without anyone getting their feet wet.

It's pretty amazing. On the same day we can go out there with a drone and then stick the images together into a map, feed it into the AI, and at the end, you get images that cover large areas, says McInnes. We can use the AI to identify how many there are and how things are changing over time, like whether theyre moving up and down, based on changes in temperature, high heat, freezing events, influence from sea stars, or whatever else might affect them.

 

Hakai Institute drone makes its way along the coast of B.C. (Hakai Institute)

Hakais mussel-observation project is just one of several taking place as part of Building Bridges. Smit says others will further demonstrate how researchers can deploy AI to eliminate manual and administrative tasks to focus on answering core questions.

He describes another project focused on ocean acoustics: The researchers put hydrophones in the water, and record sound for days, weeks, months. There is a lot to listen to. Thats really labor intensive, says Dr. Smit. Rather than a human listening, a computer can automatically identify noises like whale sounds or ship noise to study how ship traffic is impacting whales.

The Impact



Dr. Smit says that the ambition of Building Bridges aligns with Canadas Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy(PCAIS), which identifies the need to capitalize on the countrys competitive advantage in AI research capacity and talent. To that end, the project is funded by Ocean Supercluster through an allocation through the PCAIS program.

 

Dr. Smit discusses the ambitions of the project and its goals.

If were going to maximize the opportunity, we need all sectors of the economy to be doing the adopting, developing, mobilizing and commercializing here in Canada, says Dr. Smit. As Canadas ocean research leader and home to the Atlantic headquarters of CIOOS, Dalhousie is ideally placed to help lead the effort.

Will McInnes says Hakais project is helping their researchers get new insight into the behaviour of mussels. He notes, for example, that they will be able to study how temperature spikes like recent heat domes kill off mussels and other sea life in intertidal waters.

Well be able to better understand these dynamics, as well as changing ocean temperatures and acidification, he says.

As Hakai learn from their data, CIOOS is developing new AI models to ensure it is also captured and made easily available to other scientists and industry partners. And, just as importantly, Hakais research methods will provide a model for other researchers, helping to inform best practice for integrating AI into their work.

Part of our goal for this project is to make our AI tools freely available, as well as the source data and code so that others can use it, modify it and take it their own way.
Journalists impressed by farming mechanization in Xinjiang, rejecting forced labor narrative

14:07, June 27, 2024 By Chen Qingrui ( Global Times

Foreign Journalists visit a rural cooperative of cotton farmers in Xayar county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on June 19. The journalists chat with the farmers and discussed their working conditions. (Photo: Chen Qingrui/GT)

Journalists from 16 countries were impressed by the mechanization rate in Xinjiang's cotton industry and the improved living standards there in a recent tour of Xayar county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They said that the so-called "forced labor" narrative was a complete lie when they visited local cotton farmers' cooperatives.

"I am surprised to see the investment in natural resources by the local government, including localization and agricultural diversification," Faisal Said Alsaadi, a journalist from the Sultanate of Oman told the Global Times on June 19. He said the efforts taken by the Chinese government have created jobs and lifted incomes for many local families.

During the visit, the Global Times found that the cotton planting sector in Xayar has achieved a high degree of mechanization, significantly enhancing productivity and efficiency, and reducing the burden on local farmers.

The Global Times also found that the establishment of cooperatives and the widespread adoption of mechanized farming equipment there have led to notable improvements in the farmers' working conditions. The advancements have increased income levels and helped cut manual labor.

Sadyrdn Ahat, head of a cotton farmers' cooperative in Xayar county told the Global Times that farming machinery now handled all operations from planting to harvesting, reducing the need for manual labor. He said that this shift allowed individuals to find other better-paying jobs in the county. "Even the aged workers above 60 years old, can have well-paid jobs here," Ahat added.

Ahat said the cooperative conducts six to ten specialized training sessions annually and possesses machinery and equipment worth more than 20 million yuan ($2.75 million).

"Our cooperative is fully mechanized, utilizing agricultural machinery, cotton pickers, and tractors," Azez Ahmat, a cooperative member in Xayar told Global Times. "We also use machines for planting corn and wheat."

Ahmat added that he has worked at the cooperative for five years, earning over 6,000 yuan ($825.7) per month, along with annual bonuses. In comparison, the total income of his family was about 20,000 yuan annually, before the government introduced the cooperative.

Ali, another member from the cotton cooperative in Xayar told the Global Times that the cooperative members joined it voluntarily, aiming to increase their household income.

However, over recent years, anti-China forces in the West have hyped up the so-called "forced labor" in Xinjiang, as part of their systematic attempt to smear China's international image.

During the visit, the journalists told the Global Times that those narratives did not reflect reality, and they were surprised to see the high efficiency of mechanized cotton farming and the significant improvements in farmers' living standards.

"The so-called forced labor is part of an economic war, and some Western governments are so afraid of losing their hegemonic position in the world," Natalie Benelli, founder of Neue Presse and editor-in-chief of Der Neue Norden from Europe told the Global Times.

"That's why we are here to see what's going on, and go back to our countries, to tell the truth about China, because most people don't know the truth," Benelli noted.

The cooperative members also told the Global Times that they keep an eight-hour workday with no after-hour labor. They are confused and find it laughable and puzzling by the so-called "forced labor" fallacy.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)
The SDLP is hoping to hold off a challenge from Sinn Fein in what is expected to be a key battle within nationalism in the Foyle constituency.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says he will be a strong voice for the constituency, while his Sinn Fein challenger Sandra Duffy insists her partys MPs have wielded influence at Westminster despite not taking their seats.

Foyle, which includes Derry city, has been an almost exclusively SDLP stronghold since its creation in 1983.

Former party leader John Hume held it until his retirement from politics, before another party leader, Mark Durkan, held it from 2005 until 2017.

The winning of the seat by Sinn Feins Elisha McCallion in 2017 by less than 200 votes was one of the shocks of that years election.

Mr Eastwood won it back for his party in 2019 with a majority of more than 17,000 in an election dominated by Brexit and a difficult time for Sinn Fein in Derry.

A swift Sinn Fein reorganisation saw the party return with a strong performance in the 2022 Assembly election with a total vote of 15,384, ahead of the SDLPs 14,460.

Mr Eastwood and Ms Duffy, a recent Derry mayor, both believe they can win the seat this year.

However, while Mr Eastwood is believed to have benefitted from tactical voting by unionists in the past, DUP candidate Gary Middleton says unionists are wary of their lent vote being counted as support for a border poll.

Mr Eastwood recalled the 2019 campaign as extremely difficult, with Sinn Fein putting on a huge show and spending a lot of money.

But people in Derry understood that having no voice in Westminster was a mistake and they didnt want that to happen again, he said.

This time, if they want to have representation at Westminster, someone speaking up for them and, I think, someone who has done a pretty good job in speaking up for them, then they need to come out and vote for that.

The response is very good on the doors. People get it and people didnt like being silenced and didnt like having the only Derry accent at Westminster being Gregory Campbell (DUP). I dont think they want to go back to that.

Mr Eastwood said his party and Sinn Fein are putting a big effort in.

There is a good reason why Derry has done well for the SDLP, there is an awful lot of hard work, and not just at election time, he said.

I looked at our figures for my own constituency office over the last four and a half years  we have helped 7,000 people, got 20 million back in benefits and entitlements for ordinary people in Derry, weve brought in hundreds of millions of pounds from the British government and the Irish government to develop the city and expand Magee and support Northlands Addiction Centre.

If they want more of that they can vote for it or we can have an empty seat at Westminster. I am not sure that is what people want.

Ms Duffy said of Sinn Fein MPs: They do the entire job of an MP, they just dont sit in an empty chamber.

In terms of all the issues that people want us to raise, we are raising those and were very, very visible on the protest and on the rallies and talking directly to people that actually can have that influence and make that difference, she said.

We believe that, with the peoples support, we can take the seat in Foyle and we can then deliver that positive change that people want to see for Derry.

She said a Sinn Fein MP would be better placed to deliver for Foyle, working with the partys Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill and Economy Minister Conor Murphy.

People want to see regional balance addressed, they want to see more and better jobs here within the city, they want to see the economy grow, they want to see our small businesses being supported, Ms Duffy said.

We have a wealth of talent here in Derry, and they want to see that talent stay within the city and develop their businesses and allow their families to grow up here in a really positive, vibrant thriving city, and thats what I hope I am offering people.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP for Foyle is much better placed. We have the Executive up, we have Michelle ONeill as the First Minister, we have Conor Murphy in the department for the economy and we have two other key economic departments.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP, working within that really strong Executive team, can deliver so much more for Derry. It can give Derry its fair share.

We believe that in terms of engaging directly with the British government, no matter what government that might be at the other end of this election, we can be more influential and we can use that influence where it matters.

Mr Middleton said unionists in Foyle want to vote for unionists as they fear a vote for a nationalist party being read as support for a border poll.

The battle within nationalism is a matter for them. I think people of course want to see an MP who takes their seat, but from a unionist perspective, Colum Eastwood doesnt represent the unionist community, in my opinion, to the best of his ability, he said.

There is no doubt that unionist voters have lent their support to the SDLP in past elections. I think that in more recent elections, that has been less of a factor, and we want to highlight to people, when you vote for Colum Eastwood, those votes are counted sadly as nationalist votes and have been used in the past in a way that would be seen to show support for a border poll.

Thats not what we want to see, we want unionists to come out and vote for a unionist party which best represents who they are and what they believe in.

I think in this election, that is going to be less of a factor than on previous occasions.

The remaining candidates are Janice Montgomery (UUP), Rachael Ferguson (Alliance), Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), John Boyle (Aontu) and Anne McCloskey (independent).
A lecturer at North West Regional Colleges (NWRC) Limavady campus who was said to have left a heart print on every person she interacted with, has been remembered with two very special awards.

Barbara Crone, nee Twaddle, passed away in October 2023 but her unwavering commitment to her learners and colleagues will never be forgotten at the colleges Limavady campus.

This week Barbaras family and colleagues accepted a posthumous Special Recognition Award from the NCFE to honour her outstanding service in 30 years of working in further and higher education.

Barbaras family also attended the colleges Best in FE awards where her husband Jeff presented the first ever Barbara Crone Memorial award to Early Years student Dympna Linton. The trophy for the award epitomizes Barbaras memory with the special inscription Keep Shining in my Memory.

Curriculum Manager Carol Thompson, and Barbaras colleague at NWRC, said: We were privileged to have Barbara as part of our team, and we miss her smiling presence. She inspired our students to be exceptional in their chosen fields. The Special Recognition Award honours her exceptional contributions and the lasting impact she made on education and the lives of those she touched.

The NCFE accolade has been presented as part of the education charity and leader in vocational and technical learning Aspiration Awards, which honours learners, educators and organisations across the UK. Barbara is the first recipient of this posthumous award, in recognition of her exceptional achievements.

Throughout her three decades in the teaching profession, Barbara taught qualifications including Higher National Diplomas, Access Foundation Studies, A Levels, and NCFEs CACHE Level 2 and 3 Diplomas for Childrens Care, Learning and Development (CCLD). She most recently taught at the Limavady Campus of North West Regional College.

Barbaras unique skill set, engaging personality, and exemplary pastoral care made her an inspirational lecturer. As the CCLD Coordinator, she ensured that the standards of learning, teaching, and assessment were consistently of high quality, instilling passion and commitment in both her colleagues and learners.

Her dedication to learner welfare and her relentless motivation helped these learners build confidence and commitment to their courses, which was evidenced by a consistent, outstanding 100% achievement rate for all learners. Beyond her direct teaching responsibilities, Barbara provided invaluable guidance to the teaching team on curriculum delivery and student support.

In the academic year 2022-2023, Barbara faced an incredibly challenging period following a difficult diagnosis. Before she sadly passed away in October last year, Barbara ensured that teaching, learning, and assessment within all courses were in excellent hands. Her legacy lives on through her learners, many of whom have become exceptional classroom assistants, teachers, social workers, and nurses. Barbara's influence continues to inspire excellence in education.

Catherine Boyle, a colleague of Barbaras at North West Regional College, said: I was fortunate to work with Barbara for seven years, in the Early Years department of the Limavady campus. From the first moment I met Barbara, I was struck by her passion for ensuring the happiness and success of each student. I witnessed firsthand the way she went over and above to support all learners, from being empathetic and understanding to giving them a good 'push' when needed! I'll forever be grateful to Barbara and her beautiful bright smile will forever be engraved in all our hearts.

Jamie-Lee Moore, who was previously taught by Barbara at North West Regional College, reflected: Barbara as a person was extraordinary, she made you feel like you were the only person in the room she was talking to while teaching. She was always on hand to answer any question and never made you feel that your question was silly. She genuinely is one of the best educators I have ever experienced. Barbara taught with such interest and passion, she always went above and beyond with information to help us relate in every aspect.

The winner of the Barbara Crone Memorial award winner Dympna Linton, a Part time Student on the Level 3 Diploma for Children's Care and Learning course.

Dympna was chosen as the recipient for the way she has embraced and welcomed the challenge of adult learning with positivity, vivacity, both in the workplace and in the classroom. Judges were told that her presence brightens up every room which has had such a positive effect on those around her.
Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative has hit out at a litter survey which has described the town as moderately littered.

Buncrana was named Donegal's tidiest town at last years SuperValu Tidy Towns Awards, beating Letterkenny to the title by a point.

But the latest Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal) survey has ranked the town 27th out of 40 towns and cities surveyed and has downgraded the town from clean.

The surveys report, carried out by An Taisce, highlighted dog-fouling and food-related littering as problems in parts of the town.

Gerard Porter, chair of Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative, hit out at the report describing it as unfair. He said the report was based on a lunchtime inspection in April and involved nitpicking.

The message I would want to go out, is that Buncrana Tidy Towns has won eight gold medals (in the Tidy Towns competition) in the last eight years, he said.

We are in the top 50 towns in the whole of Ireland and we are top in the county. So Buncrana is not a dirty town. It speaks for itself. You dont get a gold medal in the national tidy towns competition if you are moderately littered.

Describing the town as spotless, he said the Tidy Towns initiative was taken aback by the Ibal ranking.

Ibal does not carry any weight with us from a Tidy Towns focus. We do not take that as the holy grail. The holy grail is the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition.
The SDLP is hoping to hold off a challenge from Sinn Fein in what is expected to be a key battle within nationalism in the Foyle constituency.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says he will be a strong voice for the constituency, while his Sinn Fein challenger Sandra Duffy insists her partys MPs have wielded influence at Westminster despite not taking their seats.

Foyle, which includes Londonderry city, has been an almost exclusively SDLP stronghold since its creation in 1983.

Former party leader John Hume held it until his retirement from politics, before another party leader, Mark Durkan, held it from 2005 until 2017.

The winning of the seat by Sinn Feins Elisha McCallion in 2017 by less than 200 votes was one of the shocks of that years election.

Mr Eastwood won it back for his party in 2019 with a majority of more than 17,000 in an election dominated by Brexit and a difficult time for Sinn Fein in Derry.

A swift Sinn Fein reorganisation saw the party return with a strong performance in the 2022 Assembly election with a total vote of 15,384, ahead of the SDLPs 14,460.

Mr Eastwood and Ms Duffy, a recent Derry mayor, both believe they can win the seat this year.

However, while Mr Eastwood is believed to have benefitted from tactical voting by unionists in the past, DUP candidate Gary Middleton says unionists are wary of their lent vote being counted as support for a border poll.

Mr Eastwood recalled the 2019 campaign as extremely difficult, with Sinn Fein putting on a huge show and spending a lot of money.

But people in Derry understood that having no voice in Westminster was a mistake and they didnt want that to happen again, he said.

This time, if they want to have representation at Westminster, someone speaking up for them and, I think, someone who has done a pretty good job in speaking up for them, then they need to come out and vote for that.

The response is very good on the doors. People get it and people didnt like being silenced and didnt like having the only Derry accent at Westminster being Gregory Campbell (DUP). I dont think they want to go back to that.

Mr Eastwood said his party and Sinn Fein are putting a big effort in.

There is a good reason why Derry has done well for the SDLP, there is an awful lot of hard work, and not just at election time, he said.

I looked at our figures for my own constituency office over the last four and a half years  we have helped 7,000 people, got 20 million back in benefits and entitlements for ordinary people in Derry, weve brought in hundreds of millions of pounds from the British government and the Irish government to develop the city and expand Magee and support Northlands Addiction Centre.

If they want more of that they can vote for it or we can have an empty seat at Westminster. I am not sure that is what people want.

Ms Duffy said of Sinn Fein MPs: They do the entire job of an MP, they just dont sit in an empty chamber.

In terms of all the issues that people want us to raise, we are raising those and were very, very visible on the protest and on the rallies and talking directly to people that actually can have that influence and make that difference, she said.

We believe that, with the peoples support, we can take the seat in Foyle and we can then deliver that positive change that people want to see for Derry.

She said a Sinn Fein MP would be better placed to deliver for Foyle, working with the partys Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill and Economy Minister Conor Murphy.

People want to see regional balance addressed, they want to see more and better jobs here within the city, they want to see the economy grow, they want to see our small businesses being supported, Ms Duffy said.

We have a wealth of talent here in Derry, and they want to see that talent stay within the city and develop their businesses and allow their families to grow up here in a really positive, vibrant thriving city, and thats what I hope I am offering people.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP for Foyle is much better placed. We have the Executive up, we have Michelle ONeill as the First Minister, we have Conor Murphy in the department for the economy and we have two other key economic departments.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP, working within that really strong Executive team, can deliver so much more for Derry. It can give Derry its fair share.

We believe that in terms of engaging directly with the British government, no matter what government that might be at the other end of this election, we can be more influential and we can use that influence where it matters.

Mr Middleton said unionists in Foyle want to vote for unionists as they fear a vote for a nationalist party being read as support for a border poll.

The battle within nationalism is a matter for them. I think people of course want to see an MP who takes their seat, but from a unionist perspective, Colum Eastwood doesnt represent the unionist community, in my opinion, to the best of his ability, he said.

There is no doubt that unionist voters have lent their support to the SDLP in past elections. I think that in more recent elections, that has been less of a factor, and we want to highlight to people, when you vote for Colum Eastwood, those votes are counted sadly as nationalist votes and have been used in the past in a way that would be seen to show support for a border poll.

Thats not what we want to see, we want unionists to come out and vote for a unionist party which best represents who they are and what they believe in.

I think in this election, that is going to be less of a factor than on previous occasions.

The remaining candidates are Janice Montgomery (UUP), Rachael Ferguson (Alliance), Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), John Boyle (Aontu) and Anne McCloskey (independent).
Taiwan's chip industry at a crossroads: geopolitical shifts and challenges unveiled by former TSMC R&D director

Taiwan is indispensable in global chip-making, yet the island nation is under threat from geopolitical forces and internal pressures like declining birth rates, environmental challenges, and a skewed talent market.

Konrad Young, former R&D director at TSMC, warns of the risks posed by the geopolitical environment, particularly the concentration of over 90% of wafer production in East Asia. "The US aims to mitigate this risk by encouraging TSMC to establish fabs on American soil," he says.

However, he argues that this move could increase costs for TSMC. "We need to find complementary, win-win cooperation models with the US, leveraging our manufacturing strengths while acknowledging America's lead in cutting-edge technology."

The semiconductor landscape is rapidly evolving, with countries worldwide vying to secure manufacturing capabilities through hefty subsidies. However, Young is critical of subsidies like those provided under the US CHIPS and Science Act.

"Subsidies are the worst investments if not applied judiciously," he asserts. "Investing in the early stages of technology development yields far better returns than mature-stage subsidies. It's about creating platforms and leverage, not just pouring money into already successful ventures."

A potential 100% market share for Taiwan is not necessarily a good thing, Young cautions. "TSMC's focus has always been on running faster. We don't need to worry about competitors like Samsung overtaking us since their IDM model differs vastly from our foundry model, which thrives on diversity and flexibilitytraits large Korean firms lack."

The US-China conflict transcends partisan politics, indicating a stable trajectory regardless of election outcomes. Young believes China must forge its path within the semiconductor ecosystem, benefiting from its vast domestic market despite global supply chain shifts.

Taiwanese firms, according to Young, should continue tapping into the Chinese market under US regulatory frameworks. "Selling mature or low-end chips to China, where allowed, makes business sense. Strategic compliance with regulations, such as adhering to the "Entity List," ensures we can exploit market opportunities without legal repercussions."

Young sees immense potential for non-US geopolitical cooperation, especially in Europe. "There's a palpable anxiety in Europe about finding their place in the semiconductor industry. Taiwan can collaborate with these markets, leveraging opportunities without undermining our competitiveness."

However, Taiwan lags in research security. Young criticizes past inefficiencies in government-supported academic research and calls for better integration and leveraging of overseas talent and collaborations. He advocates for a global R&D center to attract and incubate international talent, enhancing Taiwan's innovation capabilities.

Despite being a talent hub, Taiwan faces significant challenges in its semiconductor industry due to a lack of frontier research talents, according to Young. While South Korea is a close competitor, it doesn't match Taiwan's flourishing talent landscape. Japan, on the other hand, struggles with a generational talent gap that hinders its semiconductor resurgence.

Domestically, Taiwan's talent market is heavily skewed towards the semiconductor sector, which hampers the development of other industries, underscoring the need for a more balanced and diversified talent strategy.

Hence, Young promotes cross-disciplinary and cross-generational talent development, particularly in ESG-related industries, which is crucial. Within Taiwan, the sector grapples with severe shortagesof labor, water, land, and energywhich pose substantial hurdles to sustainable growth. Balancing industrial growth with environmental sustainability and energy issues is another pressing concern.

Taiwan's semiconductor industry stands at a crossroads, with geopolitical dynamics and internal challenges shaping its future. As the world watches, the decisions made today will determine Taiwan's position in the global semiconductor hierarchy tomorrow.
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China charges ahead in hydrogen race with strong policy support and domestic demand

The Chinese government is once again expanding the scale of its hydrogen energy industry and broadening overseas sales through two main methods: official policy support and substantial domestic demand.

This expansion has reached a level far exceeding that of other countries. China aims to initially replace foreign components in low-tech areas and then move towards harnessing the entire supply chain.

According to reports from Nikkei, China's hydrogen energy development has gained momentum since the government implemented two five-year plans in 2016 and 2021 and unveiled the medium- and long-term development plan for the hydrogen energy industry in 2022. Local governments and enterprises have contributed substantial subsidies and funds.

Although Japan was the first to propose the idea of creating a hydrogen energy society, its progress has been limited due to the high costs of hydrogen energy production and transportation. During this period, China has built numerous solar and wind power plants, which can be used to produce green hydrogen, making it easier to promote the use of low-cost hydrogen energy in cities.

Norwegian energy consultancy Rystad Energy estimates that China will produce 220,000 tons of green hydrogen annually from renewable energy by 2024, far surpassing the combined total of 6,000 tons from other countries.

Go Nakanishi, CEO of Chinese new energy consultancy Integral, pointed out that China's demand for green hydrogen is expected to reach millions of tons by 2030. Europe, North America, and Australia still have a long way to go to achieve this goal. Driven by huge domestic demand, China's hydrogen energy industry and technological upgrades will have an overwhelming advantage.

Leaving other countries far behind

China's demand for hydrogen energy extends beyond Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) to industries such as petrochemicals and steel. Other countries will be left far behind if they remain in the small-scale pilot experimental stage.

Based on government support and huge domestic demand, China has developed several industries, including display panels, solar cells, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and power batteries. Hydrogen energy is also progressing along a similar path.

As the scale expands, there will be a better foundation for technological advancement. At present, the core components of hydrogen fuel cells manufactured in China, namely hydrogen fuel stacks, still lag behind similar products from Europe, the US, and Japan in terms of output power and service life.

Most of the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles made in China are commercial vehicles used for logistics and transportation with a range of around 300 kilometers. Even though they cannot match the speed and performance of Toyota's passenger hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai, they can still be used in practical applications.

China began to develop its hydrogen fuel cells around 2018, initially relying completely on imports. Thanks to government subsidy policies, domestically produced components have finally made progress. However, for long-range large hydrogen energy trucks, key core components still need to be imported.

China's mainstream equipment for water electrolysis is Alkaline (ALK) water electrolysis hydrogen production equipment. Chinese manufacturers use traditional nickel catalysts, while makers in Europe and other regions use nickel alloy catalysts. In comparison, Chinese manufacturers' hydrogen production equipment has lower energy efficiency, but it is cheaper and has already gained a foothold in the market.

As a result, as long as the total cost of hydrogen production is lower, customers can accept less efficient equipment. Therefore, in the ALK water electrolysis equipment market, it is very likely to see a situation similar to that of solar panels.

Chinese ALK water electrolysis equipment is also being considered for export to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, or local production directly in those regions.
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A Drogheda distillery has unveiled its first Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey release for the worldwide market, with a trio of new whiskeys.



The Boann Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey range launch at the distillery, outside Drogheda last Friday, coincided with the Summer Solstice.

Almost five years in the making, the three expressions  Marsala, Madeira and Pedro Ximinez - join a stable of celebrated drinks launched by the family-owned operation, including Silks Irish Dry Gin and The Whistler whiskey brand.

This is the beginning of a journey to bring Irish whiskey back to where it once was, to a time when Ireland dominated the world whiskey market, said Boann MD and founder, Pat Cooney.

It is amazing to bring this project to fruition, Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is the quintessential Irish whiskey style and exclusive and sacred to Ireland.

"Our vision is to revive the heritage laid down by the lost distilleries of Ireland, distilling these historic mashbills (recipes) with local ingredients and uniting the past with the future of the craft of Irish whiskey distillation by using the latest technology.

The 700ml releases, amounting to 12,000 cases, follows the launch of Boanns limited-release Solstice Pot Still in December 2022, which revived whiskey distilling in Drogheda for the first time in 160 years.

The spirit used to create the three new whiskeys was crowned Best New Make and Young Spirit at the World Whiskies Awards in 2021.

Each expression was matured in a variety of casks, imparting each spirit with a distinct flavour profile. The casks used to age the Pedro Ximinez release were discovered by Boanns partner cooperage in Andalucia, Spain.

Some of them were made exclusively from chestnut and had been in a vintage PX Solera system for over 60 years..

For the Madeira release, Boann accessed two-decade-old vintage casks from the famous Madeira house, Justinos, all of which were formerly 350-litre Cognac casks made from French oak.

The Marsala release was initially matured in ex-Bourbon barrels from the famed Brown Forman of Kentucky and made from American oak, before being finished in Superiore and Fine Marsala butts made from French oak.

It was always our dream to craft and distil our very own Irish whiskey in the heart of the Boyne Valley, said Mr Cooney.

We are creating whiskeys of distinct character and provenance and are writing the next chapter in the fascinating story of Single Pot Still Irish whiskey.

It is a source of immense pride that in doing so, we have distilled the essence of the land around us.

The new offerings are presented in a bespoke package, bottled at 47% ABV with natural colour.

All are available on boanndistillery.ie, RRP 69.95 and will be rolled out nationally and internationally over the coming weeks.
Louth County Council have praised the collaboration with voluntary groups in Dundalk and Drogheda following a significant improvement for both towns in the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) League.

The first national litter survey of 2024 saw Drogheda jump four places to 20th in the litter league and retain the Clean to European Norms status.

Dundalk has climbed the rankings to 30th place, up nine from last year, and improved the rating from Littered to Moderately Littered.

In Drogheda IBAL judges visited ten locations across the town, awarding six Grade As, three Grade Bs and one Grade C.

The marked improvement in Droghedas scoring has seen the town climb 19 places from its ranking of 39th only two years ago when it was deemed seriously littered.

In the intervening two years Louth County Council says it has worked with the Drogheda Tidy Towns group, BIDS (Love Drogheda) and TUS to form a team that is improving the image and cleanliness of Drogheda.

In Dundalk, there was praise from visiting IBAL judges for the significant improvement on the 2023 survey.

Ten sites across Dundalk were surveyed in the litter league report, with five of these receiving Grade A status, and a further two being awarded Grade B+. Louth County Council have an issue with one private site that was marked down, which affected the overall marks awarded to Dundalk, and have raised the matter with IBAL.

This was the first of two annual surveys by IBAL since the introduction of the Governments Deposit Return Scheme, and it was noted there was a fall in cans and plastic bottles on streets across the country, contributing to an overall improvement in litter levels.

Joan Martin, Chief Executive, Louth County Council welcomed the IBAL results.

These are very encouraging results for both Drogheda and Dundalk, with both towns having shown real improvement in their litter league ranking and receiving positive feedback.

"I want to praise council staff and outdoor crews for all their work to improve public spaces and streetscapes. I would also like to thank the voluntary organisations across Louth who have contributed greatly to the upkeep of their local communities and helped to reduce littering in our towns.
Hamilton Cooke Timbrell (Tony) NEWPORT, NH -Hamilton Cooke Timbrell (Tony) passed away on June 17th, 2024 at the age of 79 after a courageous battle with cancer. Tony grew up in Hackettstown NJ and went on to attend the University of Missouri-Rolla, Schools of Mines and Metallurgy where he received a degree in Civil Engineering. After college, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers and served in Vietnam building bridges. He received the Bronze Star for his distinguished service. Following the war, he returned to the United States and worked as a Project Engineer for the State of NH, designing and supervising the construction of the bridges on Interstate 89 in Sullivan County. The majority of his career was spent at Dufresne-Henry, a consulting engineering firm in Springfield, Vermont. Tony worked on hundreds of private and municipal projects, including water supply, wastewater service, bridges, tunnels and highways. Tony continued as a Senior Project Engineer in construction and design and rose to the position of Senior Vice President. He also worked on major projects in Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Boston and New York. During retirement Tony continued to work to keep his mind active and be able to be around people. He enjoyed his time at Clarkes Hardware of New London and The Fells in Newbury, NH before his health declined. Tony was a sincere and kind human being who spent time with everyone talking about their passions and overlapping interests. He loved striking up a conversation with a stranger, always had compassionate comments and they inevitably walked away friends. Tonys true passion was sailing. He spent many hours working on, designing and planning for projects for whichever sailboat he owned at the time. His concentration and passion for his hobby was always at the forefront of his days. He lived the mantra Be here now. Whenever life removed the ability to sail on the water he sailed in his mind. There was nothing that he couldnt imagine, do or see when it came to sailboats, sails, rigging, building a bow or stern pulpit and any teak accessory you could imagine for a sailboat. Almost always, you would hear Jimmy Buffett playing in the background, not only because he loved the music, but because it so represented the sailing life he loved. Tony also had a very keen interest in geography, mountains and mountain ranges, especially Kathmandu. He was fascinated with Mt. Everest, and envisioned attempting a climb. He named his most recent sailboat, Kathmandu. Tony is survived by his wife Linda Timbrell of Newport, NH, his son Stefan Timbrell and wife Karen of New London, NH and his four grandchildren Connor Timbrell of San Diego, CA, Mackenzie Timbrell of Brooklyn, NY, Henry Timbrell and Max Timbrell of New London, NH, Stefans mother Kathleen Belko of New London, NH, Tonys older brother Charles Timbrell and his partner William Kloss from Washington DC, his younger brother Philip Timbrell and wife Laureen of Hackettstown, NJ and their two children Sarah and Doug. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. If so inclined, please make a donation in Tonys name to the American Cancer Society. To sign an online guestbook please visit www.chadwickfuneralservice.com

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Paying billsits like a universal chore, right? But what if I told you theres a superhero in the financial world, swooping in to make your life easier? Meet Bayad, the trailblazer in outsourced bill payment services, here to save the day!

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ONE of Corks best-known food catering companies will celebrate 20 years in business this month  having survived and thrived through a recession, global pandemic and energy crisis.

Ber ODonovan and Ian Shannon are the owners of Elite Cuisine who have been providing food and dining options in the corporate sector and in peoples homes for the last 20 years.

Back in early 2004, Ber and Ian had been working together in a Cork city restaurant. Ian asked Ber to work with him on a couple of private dining events after which they knew it was something they wanted to pursue.

The next step was to establish their own catering business with a personal touch. They felt with their high standard of food and service that there was a massive gap in the private and corporate market in Cork.

Once they had established the idea and thrashed out a name for the fledging business, they began searching for industrial kitchens that might be under utilised and for six years they ran Elite Cuisine from Cork Constitution Rugby Club on Temple Hill and also catered for all the rugby clubs events.

As the business expanded, they grew out of their Cork Con base and decided to bite the bullet and build their dream kitchen and warehouse premises on Monahan Road.

They specialise in private and corporate dining, and now since covid had added an additional arm to the business selling their artisan food products to SuperValu and specialist delis around Cork city and county.

Elite Cuisine employ 11 staff and a have a large range of casuals for staffing large events.

We cant praise our staff enough, they are such wonderful people who work hard with us and are so loyal to us. Genuinely, we have a home family and a work family, said Ms ODonovan We ask the client what they want and yes ,basically we can project manage the event, meeting all their needs.

All our clients are lovely - from the first call to the day after the event when we check to see how they got on. I believe it comes down to our providing a great food and a service that makes people happy.

We take work away from our clients making both them and their guests happy.

We do it because we love it. Its very rewarding work. We come to peoples houses and are part of their big day. We have families that we have worked with for years. From mid-April to the end of May is Communion season and Elite Cuisine provide catering for an average of 20 Communion parties a Saturday, providing hot and cold meals for families from Timoleague to Fermoy.

Tomorrow, theyll welcome the Minister of Finance Michael McGrath to celebrate their 20th anniversary party at Cork Con where it all began.

I congratulate Elite Cuisine as they mark 20 years in business here in Cork. It is a name synonymous with quality and they have been integrally involved in helping many families, businesses, community groups and sporting organisations to celebrate and mark significant events. I wish them every success with their plans for the future, said Mr McGrath.

We want to thank all the people who have helped us along the way from our brilliantly loyal staff to the receptionists who ring us time and time again for corporate events and to our neighbours at Monahan Road. And of course our families that put up with us in the crazy busy periods, concluded Ms ODonovan.
A lone mother and her four children ranging in age from seven to 15, one of whom has a medical condition, are among dozens of people facing homelessness in Cork over the next 10 days.

Sandra (not her real name), who came to Ireland eight years ago seeking asylum when political violence forced her to flee her home in Nigeria, told The Echo she was very scared at the prospect of her children being homeless.

When Sandra and her three oldest children arrived in Ireland, they stayed in one of the countys larger direct provision centres, before being moved a year later to a centre in a Cork town, where Sandras youngest child was born and the family has lived since.

Sandras children are all in school in the town, and are fully integrated into the community. One of the children has a significant medical condition which requires surgery.

Sandra was granted international protection status three years ago, meaning she has been granted leave to stay in Ireland.

Letters

In recent months, thousands of people living in direct provision who have been granted international protection status have received letters telling them they need to be gone from their accommodation by July 5.

The letters, from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), state: We do not have the capacity to continue to accommodate persons once they have received status to remain in Ireland. Owing to the urgent need, we must now ask you to move to independent alternative accommodation in the community on Friday, July 5, 2024.

The department said it is providing accommodation to over 31,000 people, of whom 5,700 have been granted permission to remain in Ireland and, as such, are no longer in the international protection process.

Sandra is one of several lone parents living with their families in direct provision who have received notice to quit from the department.

Depression

She said she suffers from depression and her mental health has suffered since she received the notice, adding: Where am I supposed to go? Where are my children supposed to go? They tell us there is a housing crisis, but we already know this because we have nowhere else to go.

My child needs surgery for a condition for two years, and I am going to college. We cannot move, even if there was somewhere we could go, all of my childrens lives, their friends, everything is here. I am very scared that my children will be homeless.

Sandra said she had spoken with an official from International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) and she had found them extremely unhelpful.

She also spoke with someone in the housing section of Cork County Council, and while they had not been able to provide accommodation, she said they had been very kind.

Shocking

Karol Balfe, CEO of the charity ActionAid Ireland, said it was shocking for vulnerable people to receive such a letter, with no offer of alternative accommodation in the area.

It is simply not acceptable to ask vulnerable women and children to be out of their accommodation. The threat of eviction and the looming deadline of July 5 is causing high levels of stress for the parents and their children. For years, the families have tried to integrate into their communities through their schools and local sports clubs, and they are heartbroken at the prospect of facing another move to an unknown place.

An exemption to the July 5 deadline has been granted to people over the age of 65 and to those with significant medical or welfare needs.

ActionAid Ireland is now calling on the minister of children, equality, disability, integration and youth to extend the exemption to parents and their children, Ms Balfe said.

A spokesperson for the DCEDIY said that where a person cannot secure independent accommodation by the defined date, IPAS will provide temporary, emergency accommodation.
CORK hoteliers have expressed their concerns over the impact that the ongoing Aer Lingus disputes will have on the busy tourism season.

Industrial action taken by the Irish Air Line Pilots Association in relation to increased pay commenced yesterday, with hundreds of flights cancelled by the airline.

Speaking to The Echo, owner and manager of the Gougane Barra Hotel, Neil Lucey, said that while the sector can pick up on domestic business, international tourism is the backbone of the summer period.

Vital

Thats vital for the regional economy. Cancellations for us are higher than normal for July. Thats a big concern, Mr Lucey said.

The tourism business is volatile, and were reliant on Aer Lingus to bring people in. We need to get the show on the road, the Government will have to get at this fairly fast.

Its not just a hotel thing, its all the other tourism businesses too, he added.

The general manager of the Kingsley Hotel, Fergal Harte, said: Were hopeful of an early resolution.

We really are concerned about the potential impact of this [and] the trickle down effect it will have.

We have experienced a few cancellations, but there isnt a huge amount of them so far.

We are worried about the summer though. Our hope is that this can be resolved as quickly as possible, he added.

Serious risk

While only a small number of cancellations have been observed across the sector, the Irish Hotel Federation has warned that the disruptions pose a serious risk to hoteliers across the country.

It is hugely disruptive for Irish tourism, said the federations president, Michael Magner, who is the owner of Corks Vienna Woods Hotel.

We are already seeing hotel cancellations as guests change their holiday plans, and there is a risk that this pattern of cancellations could escalate over the coming days.

We are calling for a suspension of the industrial action and the threat of escalation, and for both sides to engage positively in the interests of passengers.

Any further disruption risks significant damage to Irish tourism and must be avoided, he added.

The managing director of the Blue Haven Collection and chairperson of the Cork branch of the federation, Ciaran Fitzgerald, said: The potential knock-on impact is a serious concern at a very important time of year for hotels in Cork, and all over the country.

While we have not had any cancellations yet as a business, we are hearing of low levels of cancellations within the sector.

I hope both parties can come to a resolution soon, as its hugely disruptive and worrying for anyone travelling, and potentially very damaging to our international reputation tourism wise.

Communication

Meanwhile, the managing director of Barters Travel, Tom Randles, said that while several of their clients have been impacted, Aer Lingus is maintaining a clear channel of communication with the industry during the work to rule dispute.

Weve had a number of clients affected by cancellations, he said.

We had a team in over the weekend readjusting holidays to alternative dates.

Theyre sorted now, were on top of it, he added.

Aer Lingus have given advance notice of cancellations, they have been very co-operative in assisting travel agents all the way through.

Its giving a bad impression to the public at large, and Aer Lingus are very conscious of that.

A full list of impacted flights can be viewed on the Aer Lingus website https://www.aerlingus.com.
CORK County Council is progressing the feasibility and route options stage of the proposed West Cork Greenway.

Funded by Transport Infrastructure Irelands (TII) Greenway programme, the proposed project will be developed in three individual sections, from Skibbereen to Schull, Skibbereen to Drimoleague and Skibbereen to Baltimore.

Following a successful initial public consultation earlier this year, route corridor options for the greenway have now been developed and will be available to view during the second public consultation.

The consultation process will open to the public tomorrow (June 28) and will run until July 26.

Feedback on the route corridor options can be submitted online during this time by visiting the project website.

Members of the public are also invited to attend in-person events in Schull or Skibbereen, with the first event taking place at the Schull Harbour Hotel on July 2 from 12pm to 8pm.

The second and third events will take place at the West Cork Hotel in Skibbereen on July 3 and 4, from 12pm to 8pm.

Mayor of the County of Cork, councillor Joe Carroll said the success of this project lies in collaboration with the community.

I encourage everyone to share their thoughts during this public consultation.

Together, we can work towards a vibrant and sustainable greenway for West Cork that will encourage visitors and further enhance our quality of life.

Cork County Council said that progression of this project over the medium term will be dependent on securing, in due course, the necessary planning and other consents, as well as continued funding provision by TII going forward.

Further information about the route corridor options is available on the West Cork Greenway project website at www.wcgskibbereen.ie.
AN external review is to be conducted into the death of a pregnant woman at a maternity unit in Cork last week.

Stephy Scaria (nee Ouseph), a nurse in University Hospital Kerry, died unexpectedly last Friday, after a caesarean section at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).

A spokesperson for the hospital told The Echo, Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) is confirming that a maternal death has occurred in recent days.

The coroner has been notified and in line with the HSE policy on all maternal deaths an external review will be undertaken.

CUMH is providing bereavement support to the family at this very sad time.

"Hospital management and staff at CUMH wish to express their condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased during this very difficult period.

Stephy Scaria (nee Ouseph), a nurse in University Hospital Kerry, died unexpectedly last Friday, after a caesarean section at Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH). Photo:GoFundMe

The woman's husband, Baiju Scaria, has started a GoFundMe to help cover the repatriation of his wife's remains to India and a funeral, which has raised 78,589 so far, with 2.7k donations.

He explained, Tragically, my wife Stephy passed away on 21/06/2024 after a Caesarean in Cork University Hospital.

We are absolutely devastated by Stephys passing and are struggling to find the funds to cover the cost of her funeral and the repatriation of her remains to India.

We will need to pay all funeral costs, and we have started a fundraiser to collect donations for Stephys funeral service, he said, adding We are very grateful for every donation during this difficult time.
CONVICTIONS for human trafficking in Ireland are likely to increase significantly over the next few years, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said.

He was speaking at a conference in Cork on combating human trafficking alongside Justice Minister Helen McEntee, Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the president of anti-trafficking charity, the Santa Marta Group.

The event, held in UCCs Centre for Executive Education, aimed to discuss tackling human trafficking.

Ms McEntee told reporters that a reformed system to report such exploitative and heinous crimes is to be discussed in the Dail next week.

A new national referral mechanism (NRM) will see McEntees department, the HSE, Tusla and several NGOs and community and voluntary organisations all play a role in identifying victims of human trafficking and referring them to the NRM.

At the moment, these are only identified to the gardai, and though they do fantastic work, lots of victims have come from countries where theyve had a bad experience with the police so they dont trust them, which can be a barrier to reporting, she said.

The conference was told that, in Ireland to date, there has been one successful prosecution for human trafficking when, in 2021, two women were convicted for the sexual exploitation of four victims. There are two additional human trafficking cases before the courts now.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said that Northern Ireland saw over 500 referrals in 12 months once they introduced online reporting, which Ireland plans to implement. Mr Harris said there are likely to be similar levels of hidden human trafficking in the Republic.

He said: Looking at whats happening in Northern Ireland, this crime doesnt respect borders, so comparatively we must be in a similar position.

We know people are trafficked here and exploited, he said, adding, we see a lot of begging in Ireland and we have to be aware that it can be part of an organised crime group, where daily quotas are imposed and punishments given out for not meeting them, or victims intentionally disfigured to increase the money they are given.

Ms McEntee added: We acknowledge we need to do more, we need to see more people reporting and more prosecutions, so that the people doing this are held to account, and to deter others.
A JUDGE said that the threatening behaviour by a young woman was more serious by virtue of the fact that it occurred in a hospital and directly affected a frontline worker.

Judge Mary Dorgan said that nursing staff were doing their work and should not be subjected to verbal abuse.

Judge Dorgan imposed a one-month suspended prison sentence on Annemarie Lane, whose address on the charge was given as being an apartment at Watergate Terrace, Bandon.

Defence solicitor Joseph Cuddigan said there was no alcohol involved in this incident and that it was a case of a woman, with very poor health, having nowhere to go and pleading her case when she was being discharged.

Garda Anthony Sugrue went to the accident and emergency unit of Cork University Hospital and met with a clinical nurse manager who explained that she was verbally abused by a woman who was refusing to leave having been discharged from the hospitals care.

The defendant admitted she was verbally abusive, Sgt Gearoid Davis said.

Joseph Cuddigan, defence solicitor, said: This is a sad case. Physically, she is not in a great state of health. She was in Bantry hospital as recently as last night.

On this occasion she was being discharged from the CUH but she had nowhere to go  she was pleading her case to be allowed to remain on.

She did go back on a later occasion to apologise to the nurse.

She has major health issues, not assisted by the fact that she has nowhere to lay her head.
NORTH Cork Labour councillor Eoghan Kenny has lost no time to write to the newly appointed Finance Minister, Jack Chambers, to seek a funding guarantee for the long-awaited Mallow Relief Road.

According to the Mallow electoral area councillor, the new minister had spoken to the Mallow Relief Road Alliance Group while at the Department of Transport and had indicated that he was positive about getting the project completed.

Earlier this year, the allocation of 300,000 to progress the project towards planning had been met with considerable disappointment, especially as it followed an allocation of just 100,000 last year.

Cork County Council had applied for 1.2m to get the project to the planning stage.

In his email to Minister Chambers, the Labour Party councillor asked directly for an indication on the possibility of extra funding to bring the project to the planning stage by the end of the year.

This project is of significant importance to the development of Mallow and the northern area of Cork County, said Mr Kenny.

Over the past two years, I do believe we can all agree that the minimal funding received for this project has been extremely disappointing, considering the amount requested by Cork County Council was 1.2m.

Mr Kenny is seeking a direct answer to his question and has also copied his email to his Labour Party colleague, Sean Sherlock TD, and the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan.
Sexual abuse was carried out on a boy from the age of five and throughout his childhood by his much older brother who groomed him and even threatened that he had recordings of the abuse in a solicitors office which he would reveal if a complaint was made.

The abuser who admitted various crimes against his younger brother including oral and anal rape went on to work in residential childcare in the UK.

Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring sentenced the 45-year-old to a total of 12 years in prison with the last two years suspended at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today.

He made the family home a place of abuse and depravity for the abuse of a child The physical abuse pales in comparison to the emotional abuse The issue is one of control  getting someone to cater for your wishes and demands without regard for (their wellbeing), the judge said.

Ms Justice Ring said that not only was the childs innocence taken from him but so too was his place of safety as the abuse occurred in the family home The judge noted that there was no evidence of the accused having any other convictions before or since, in Ireland or the UK.

Prosecution senior counsel Ray Boland said the injured party did not want his brother identified, but made the point that this was not out a sense of mercy for the accused but for his own reasons of ensuring his own anonymity in regard to these matters.

The judge said it was yet another significant case of sexual abuse commencing at a time when the defendant was an adolescent and the victim was a very young child and continuing for a lengthy period.

Investigation

In the course of her judgement, Ms Justice Ring referred to the investigation by Detective Sergeant Ailish Murphy where there were charges of sexual assault, gross indecency, anal and oral rape and attempted rape.

The sexual abuse took place primarily in the family home, commencing when the victim was five. The judge noted that games were used to manipulate and groom the child and this was a ploy that was often used in this kind of sexual abuse.

In this particular case the abuser pretended to hypnotise his young brother, telling him that he would remember nothing after it happened. The abuse began with sexual assaults, went on include masturbation and rape.

By the age of 11, the victim felt strong enough to stand up to his brother, called him a paedophile and informed his parents of what had been happening.

It stopped for a period after that as his parents converted a downstairs bedroom for the defendant so that he would be further away from his young brother. However, after a period the grooming resumed and more serious sexual abuse occurred.

When the victim threatened to report what was happening the defendant laughed at him and said he had recorded the acts on a hidden camera and that the videos were in a solicitors office for safe-keeping. The victim was terrified these recordings would become public.

Admissions

Ultimately, he did feel able to report the abuse to his gardai and the defendant made certain admissions when questioned. This was followed up with pleas of guilty to certain charges on the understanding that the case would be dealt with on a full facts basis.

The injured party expressed some disappointment that his brother had pleaded guilty and that there would not be a trial. He had hoped that in the course of a contested case he would be cross-examined by a lawyer on behalf of the accused and that in this process he could effectively confront his brother about what he had done to him.

Ms Justice Ring understood this feeling but commented that a contested case might have prolonged the matter for much longer.

Jane Hyland senior counsel for the defence said the accused wanted to attend for treatment in respect of sex offending.
DO you know we lit the fire in the room a few nights last week! I know, its crazy, the middle of June and the fire lighting in the grate.

As Yeats used say long ago Alls changed, utterly changed, and you know twouldnt be as bad if we put it down to advancing old age or something like that - but no, its not that, whatever it is at all!

Ah yes, the times surely are a changing and it seems like we have no control over it. Fifty years ago this very month, I finished my schooling with the Leaving Certificate Exam. Now, I know I wasnt the brightest student, or maybe I simply didnt study enough - one way or another, I was very disappointed when the results came out.

Back in 1972, I got eight or nine Honours in what we then called the Inter Cert and I kinda thought for the Leaving I might surely get four. It never happened and my confidence that Id do well in English and History was shattered on the morning of the results in August.

Yes, I got Honours in Irish - I think it was an A1 - but that was it. It came as no surprise at all that I failed Pass Maths. My Maths result showed I got NG, which was the equivalent of less than 13% - half a century later, I still cant do division or multiplication, I can add and subtract reasonably well but it takes time.

Yes, I was very upset at my Results, though in fairness I had absolutely no plans, no ambitions, or even a preference for any particular job or occupation.

Going to university or any third level college was not high on my priority list back in 1974 and failing Maths was a guarantee that a lot of doors were closed to me.

I enjoyed school in so far as I liked reading and writing and loved Irish and History. In the world of today, nearly everyone that does the Leaving goes on to Third level but it wasnt that way half a century ago and a few lads that started with me in St Colmans in 1969 dropped out of education after a few months - and got on fine in life.

Sometimes, I reflect on my grandfather and my father - neither of whom I knew. They both got very basic education. My grandfather died in 1951, the year before my parents married. Ten years later, my father was dead. Neither of them had a brother so I suppose it was more or less kind of pre-ordained that they would end up farming.

By all accounts, my grandfather Batt was a great farmer, though he never liked self-praise and tended to downplay his agricultural achieve-ments. He also seemed to be a fairly shy man - he never allowed a photograph, or picture as they called it, of himself be taken!

My father then had a brilliant mind, and as so many people told me he was great with his hands - a trait that I havent inherited!

He generated hydro-electricity, kept bees and greyhounds, grew trial plots of new grain crops, and could do anything with an engine of any sort.

Leaving five young children behind when he sadly died at the age of just 48 in 1961, it sometimes saddens me that I have no memories whatsoever of him.

Growing up, I was lucky to have met so many relations, friends and neighbours who told me so much about Dada. As a child, I often wondered were people exaggerating about his skills and mechanical ability, but apparently not.

Just this week, his oldest surviving cousin Nora OBrien, nee Sheehan, died in her 96th year. I loved to listen to Nora tell of her young days in the 1940s when shed cycle from her home in Glentrasna, Ballynoe, to Bartlemy to visit my grandmother. She spoke of my father and Auntie Jo in a manner which told me she was very close to her Arnold cousins.

Nora was of that generation that valued kith and kin in a special way. She was a fount of knowledge and I will miss her memories and her wisdom.

You know, growing up I felt we had a happy childhood, despite not having a father figure.

Looking back now after all the years, I can see what a huge burden and heavy load it must have been for Mam, rearing five children and running a farm as well.

She seemed to take it in her stride and her Twomey brothers were great to her. Then we had Paddy Geary as our work man. He started here in the late 1940s in my grandfathers time and toiled on our farm until 1981.

Neighbours were good too and there was and still is great nature in people in the countryside. It might have been bringing in the hay with rain coming, calving a cow, dehorning cattle, or giving a hand with fencing.

I think as a child in the 1960s that money wasnt the be all and end all of life back then. We certainly werent well off but we had enough to eat and grew most of our own food.

They used to say that necessity is the mother of invention and how true that was, and a policy of waste not, want not was always practised on our farm.

They say time can play tricks on the mind, and maybe we do tend to look back through rose-tinted glasses sometimes. One thing is certain though, that years back, when the summer came, you knew it - and there would be no need for a fire in the room in June!

Of a normal June or July day 50 or 60 years ago as children, we would be out playing this time of year til close to 10pm most nights. It might be hide and seek or Cowboys and Indians but this much I know - the stones in the ditches would be hot from the days sun and you could feel that warmth coming from the ditches.

The vagaries of climate change and global warming are many and varied and in some cases simply inexplicable. There were a few nights last week that would perish the Danes, and then in places like Mecca its over 50C, so wheres it all going to end - no-one knows anymore.

This time of year, normally farms would be flush with plenty grass, but grass needs heat in the soil to grow and so many fields are bare.

We have Tipp bate alright in the hurling but no hay made yet, not to worry as most of the old-timers wouldnt even dream of cutting a meadow before the first of July.

I suppose I was never destined to go farming and certainly had no ambition in that direction, but sometimes fate intervenes in the strangest manner.

Five decades later, I have grown closer to the land.

Was it John F. Kennedy quoting JK Chesterton when saying Dont ever knock down a fence until you know why it was put up in the first place?

Sure, I know every stone, I recall every tree, and in truth Im glad I didnt get great Leaving results in 1974.

If I did, God only knows where Id be now!
THAT big West End hit, Pretty Woman - The Musical, is pretty well sold out to the end of this week at the Opera House, there were just a few tickets left for today (Thursday) and Saturdays matinees at 2.30pm.

Last chance to see this wonderful feelgood show!

Then, something very different at the Opera House on Sunday night, June 30, when Danny Robins presents Uncanny: I Know What I Saw.

The creator of the BBC Radio 4 paranormal podcasts Uncanny, The Battersea Poltergeist and The Witch Farm, plus the award-winning West End play 2:22 - A Ghost Story, now offers you the chance to be part of the biggest investigation into the paranormal - ever.

Brand new, real-life stories of the supernatural, from ghosts and poltergeists to UFO sightings and other strange encounters. Whether you are a believer or a sceptic, you wont want to miss this. 8pm start.

All Opera House bookings on 021 427 0022.

See https://www.corkoperahouse.ie/

The Kings of Irish Country are at Everyman tonight

At Everyman tonight, The Kings Of Irish Country Show has a stellar line-up: Declan Nerney, Mick Flavin, John Hogan and Paddy OBrien. This is a rare opportunity to see four of the very best all together on one super show which would not look out of place in Nashville itself!

And two for the youngest theatregoers this weekend: Three Little Pigs, and Bo Peep Live on Saturday at 11am and 2.30pm, followed on Sunday by The Family Shark Show at the same times. Presented by FairyTale Stage Show, both of these are ideal for families with children aged 2-6.

Mary Byrne is here on July 5 & 6 with Check Me Out, while the 7th brings a very special Sunday Songbook, a celebration of the late, great Alf McCarthy. All those who loved his radio shows on RTE, and enjoyed to the full his appearances in more recent years on Sunday Songbook, will appreciate the poignancy of this commemorative concert. 7.30pm start for that one.

Booking for all Everyman shows on 021 450 1673 or www.everymancork.com

King, written and performed by Pat Kinevane, is currently running at the Cork Arts Theatre. It tells the story of Luther, a man from Cork (named in honour of his grans hero, Martin Luther King Jr), who only leaves his apartment for essential journeys, and to perform as an Elvis impersonator.

Presented by Fishamble, with direction by Jim Culleton, the play explores prejudice, privilege, and resilience in todays world. Until Saturday at 8pm. 021 450 5624 or www.corkartstheatre.com

The West Cork Chamber Music Festival opens tomorrow, and runs for a full week to July 7. The streets of Bantry will be alive with wonderful sounds, and the programme is packed with tempting events, from masterclasses to candlelit late night concerts. Lots of free events too, in quirky locations!

A recital by the Aradia Quartet at Cork Airport at 2.15pm tomorrow; later, the opening concert of the festival in gracious Bantry House features Fanny Clamagirand and Roustem Saitkoulov in Beethoven Cycle 1. And it goes on from there!

A coffee concern in St Brendans Church on Saturday at 11am; the Allegria Quartet at Levis Corner House in Ballydehob at 1.30pm; The Signum Quartet at 7.30pm; and a late night candlelit concert with clarinettist Matthew Hunt.

And thats just the beginning. Look up the programme at https://westcorkmusic.ie/chamber-music-festival/programme/.

Clonmel Junction Arts Festival starts this weekend, and The Hills Of Love, a new play written and directed by Aine Ryan is featured. A story of intergenerational women dating in rural Ireland, navigating the complexities of love, lust and longing. This witty and apt story delves into the lives of three lonely women seeking connnection.

Thats July 1-3, at the White Memorial Theatre. Book on https://www.junctionfestival.com/events/the-hills-of-love.
Olivia Kelleher

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he believes anti-immigration sentiment is partly responsible for an 11 per cent increase in arson offences.

The number of arson attacks increased from 1,420 to 1,572 between 2022 and 2023, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

A number of buildings that have been earmarked for housing asylum seekers, as well as sites rumoured to be, have been targeted in recent times.

There have been more than 20 fires at properties associated, sometimes incorrectly, with accommodating asylum seekers in 2023 and 2024.

Speaking in Cork, Mr Harris said there was no doubt that anti-immigration sentiment was a "driver" for increases in arson attacks.

"I do think that it has been a motivation for some of the arson attacks that we have seen," he said.

"Now I cant say that the complete rise in those figures is all down to those incidents. But certainly that has been a driver for the increase we have seen over the last 12 months."

Mr Harris was also asked if he was disappointed in CSO figures which showed a noticeable resurgence in organised crime activity and increases in drug importation and dealing.

He acknowledged he was apprehensive about the "huge amount of illicit drugs moving around the world."

"We are concerned about it. Organised crime groups are always looking for a chink in the armour to move big amounts of commodity. So it is a concern that Ireland is being targeted in that way.

"But I would point to the work of our Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. I would also point to the international collaboration we have in respect of trying to defeat the movement of drugs."

Mr Harris also reacted to figures which show an increase in drug-driving offences and a decrease in drink-driving.

He said it was "worrying" that while drink-driving was "diminishing slightly" the reduction was "being entirely engulfed by the increase in drug driving."
Updated: 10am

A bomb threat was made to the home of Taoiseach Simon Harris while his family were present.

It is understood that Mr Harris's wife and two young children were at home on Wednesday evening when the anonymous call was made.

Gardai searched the house and declared the call a sinister hoax, a source told the Irish Examiner.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Sinn Fein's Louisa OReilly expressed support for the Taoiseach and his family following the incident.

My understanding is that the Taoiseach wasn't at home, but his family were.

It must have been very frightening for them, and obviously we send our support to the Taoiseach and his family, Ms OReilly told RTE radio's Today programme.

I think as politicians, we need to be able to say and speak with one very, very clear voice that this will not be tolerated. We cannot be intimidated. We have work to do, and we should be free to do that work without fear of intimidation.

There is an extra deeply distressing and very disturbing element when someone's home is involved, Ms OReilly said, adding: I want to send my support to the family, because I know it must have been very traumatic for them.
The Dail has voted by 79 votes to 72 to opt into the controversial EU Migration and Asylum Pact for a standardised immigration control system across the 27 member states.

The pact includes measures on enhanced screening and security checks and faster processing of asylum applications, and a greater focus on efficient returns for unsuccessful applicants.

It also provides for a mechanism that allows countries to either make a financial contribution or agree to relocate asylum seekers to other EU states.

I welcome that the Dail & Seanad have now approved Ireland opting into the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

This is the best way forward for Ireland &Europe to deal with migration issues together, with faster processing of applications, stronger border security, and faster returns.  Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) June 26, 2024

The pact has been in discussion at EU level for the past eight years and the Government announced three months ago that it would be opting in to the pact, which will come into effect in two years time.

Member states will be required, based on their population size, to take in thousands of migrants from frontline countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain, or provide funding instead.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the agreement represents an important balance between effective asylum and return procedures and protections for those seeking protection who are the most vulnerable. This agreement will allow for unprecedented reforms, and a more effective, coherent and fair system to manage migration in the EU.

Those who have a right to international protection must be given that status as quickly as possible. For those who are found not to have a right to international protection, they must return to their home country as quickly as possible.

Over a number of days of debate, Sinn Fein has repeatedly called on the Government to opt out of the majority of the pacts provisions, claiming the hands of future Irish governments will be tied.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has said the Governments failure to opt out of any aspect of the pact is a dangerous erosion of Irish sovereignty.

Ms McDonald said that in dealing with taxation, foreign affairs and migration, power should remain with the Irish Government.
By Rebecca Black, PA

The SDLP is hoping to hold off a challenge from Sinn Fein in what is expected to be a key battle within nationalism in the Foyle constituency.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says he will be a strong voice for the constituency, while his Sinn Fein challenger Sandra Duffy insists her partys MPs have wielded influence at Westminster despite not taking their seats.

Foyle, which includes Derry city, has been an almost exclusively SDLP stronghold since its creation in 1983.

Former party leader John Hume held it until his retirement from politics, before another party leader, Mark Durkan, held it from 2005 until 2017.

Colum Eastwood in the Creggan area of Derry City. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

The winning of the seat by Sinn Feins Elisha McCallion in 2017 by less than 200 votes was one of the shocks of that years election.

Mr Eastwood won it back for his party in 2019 with a majority of more than 17,000 in an election dominated by Brexit and a difficult time for Sinn Fein in Derry.

A swift Sinn Fein reorganisation saw the party return with a strong performance in the 2022 Assembly election with a total vote of 15,384, ahead of the SDLPs 14,460.

Mr Eastwood and Ms Duffy, a recent Derry mayor, both believe they can win the seat this year.

However, while Mr Eastwood is believed to have benefitted from tactical voting by unionists in the past, DUP candidate Gary Middleton says unionists are wary of their lent vote being counted as support for a border poll.

Mr Eastwood recalled the 2019 campaign as extremely difficult, with Sinn Fein putting on a huge show and spending a lot of money.

But people in Derry understood that having no voice in Westminster was a mistake, and they didnt want that to happen again, he said.

This time, if they want to have representation at Westminster, someone speaking up for them and, I think, someone who has done a pretty good job in speaking up for them, then they need to come out and vote for that.

Sandra Duffy speaking with her canvassing team in the Shantallow area of Derry. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

The response is very good on the doors. People get it and people didnt like being silenced and didnt like having the only Derry accent at Westminster being Gregory Campbell (DUP). I dont think they want to go back to that.

Mr Eastwood said his party and Sinn Fein are putting a big effort in.

There is a good reason why Derry has done well for the SDLP, there is an awful lot of hard work, and not just at election time, he said.

I looked at our figures for my own constituency office over the last four and a half years  we have helped 7,000 people, got 20 million back in benefits and entitlements for ordinary people in Derry, weve brought in hundreds of millions of pounds from the British government and the Irish government to develop the city and expand Magee and support Northlands Addiction Centre.

If they want more of that they can vote for it or we can have an empty seat at Westminster. I am not sure that is what people want.

Ms Duffy said of Sinn Fein MPs: They do the entire job of an MP, they just dont sit in an empty chamber.

In terms of all the issues that people want us to raise, we are raising those and were very, very visible on the protest and on the rallies and talking directly to people that actually can have that influence and make that difference, she said.

We believe that, with the peoples support, we can take the seat in Foyle, and we can then deliver that positive change that people want to see for Derry.

She said a Sinn Fein MP would be better placed to deliver for Foyle, working with the partys Stormont First Minister Michelle ONeill and Economy Minister Conor Murphy.

Gary Middleton in the Waterside area of Derry. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA.

People want to see regional balance addressed, they want to see more and better jobs here within the city, they want to see the economy grow, they want to see our small businesses being supported, Ms Duffy said.

We have a wealth of talent here in Derry, and they want to see that talent stay within the city and develop their businesses and allow their families to grow up here in a really positive, vibrant thriving city, and thats what I hope I am offering people.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP for Foyle is much better placed. We have the Executive up, we have Michelle ONeill as the First Minister, we have Conor Murphy in the department for the economy, and we have two other key economic departments.

I believe that a strong Sinn Fein MP, working within that really strong Executive team, can deliver so much more for Derry. It can give Derry its fair share.

We believe that in terms of engaging directly with the British government, no matter what government that might be at the other end of this election, we can be more influential, and we can use that influence where it matters.

Mr Middleton said unionists in Foyle want to vote for unionists as they fear a vote for a nationalist party being read as support for a border poll.

The battle within nationalism is a matter for them. I think people of course want to see an MP who takes their seat, but from a unionist perspective, Colum Eastwood doesnt represent the unionist community, in my opinion, to the best of his ability, he said.

There is no doubt that unionist voters have lent their support to the SDLP in past elections. I think that in more recent elections, that has been less of a factor, and we want to highlight to people, when you vote for Colum Eastwood, those votes are counted sadly as nationalist votes and have been used in the past in a way that would be seen to show support for a border poll.

Thats not what we want to see, we want unionists to come out and vote for a unionist party which best represents who they are and what they believe in.

I think in this election, that is going to be less of a factor than on previous occasions.

The remaining candidates are Janice Montgomery (UUP), Rachael Ferguson (Alliance), Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit), John Boyle (Aontu) and Anne McCloskey (independent).
AISLINN Horgan always dreamt of having her own business, and having witnessed the impact of cancer on individuals and their families, she knew this was where she wanted to make a difference.

I always wanted to set up a business where I could best use my strengths to have a direct and positive impact on peoples lives, said Aislinn, a trained nurse.

While I was nursing, I acquired extensive experience in patient care, especially in the areas of surgery and oncology. I noticed there was a lot of support and services for those diagnosed and going through treatment but a noticeable gap in the post treatment care.

I particularly noticed that having had mastectomies and breast reconstruction, these ladies, and men, did not have all they lost restored to them and this was a daily visible reminder of the difficult journey they went through, said the mum-of-three.

After nursing, Aislinn moved into the pharmaceutical industry, and it wasnt until the first Covid lockdown of 2020 that she found the time and space to focus on how she could develop a business with the person at the core of everything she did.

During this time, I developed my plan for my medical tattoo service, By Aislinn Micropigmentation Studio.

I specialise in restorative micropigmentation. This is a procedure used to improve or replace lost colour in the skin.

"I provide both medical and cosmetic micropigmentation, offering three core services: areola and 3D nipple restoration, eyebrow micropigmentation and MCA scar revision.

Areola and 3D nipple restoration is an advanced permanent tattoo technique to create realistic looking areola and nipples following mastectomy or TOP surgery. This tattoo is designed and tattooed on flat skin to create the illusion of a 3D nipple, the colour around the nipple, the areola, is also restored.

In the case of a single mastectomy, I match the new areola and nipple to the remaining breast and a double mastectomy can be matched to photos of the breast pre-surgery or completely new areolas can be designed, she explained.

Laya healthcare have approved her as the first and only provider of this service for their members, and Aislinn is hopeful that the other health insurers will follow soon.

Cancer sufferers can also avail of my eyebrow service at any point in their journey, and as a part of the pre chemo protocol for many oncologists, clients come to capture their brow shape prior to losing them during treatment.

I also help Alopecia suffers and those with eyebrow thinning, looking for their brows to be restored.

MCA Scar revision addresses scar tissue, I offer clients an effective means of scar reduction and skin texture improvement and provide significant improvement in stretch marks.

To ensure access to as many as possible, she has clinics in Clonakilty, Bishopstown, Galway and Dublin, and in each location she works from a medical and/or cancer care clinic.

Not surprisingly for such specialised work, Aislinn has undertaken extensive training.

Ive trained with world class trainers in Dublin, UK, Slovakia, and Estonia. I also did a weekly live online class, for four months, with a trainer in Canada. I hope to travel back to the UK again soon to perfect my skills even further.

Every evening, I practice drawing with paper and pencil for up to an hour and then move on to working on latex.

Continuous practice, extensive education and training is very important to me as people deserve the best service possible and I feel continuous upskilling is so important.

My motivation is to empower my clients and support them in this final step in their breast cancer recovery journey. I want to help them reach that final step, provide that crucial sense of wholeness and empowerment and reclaim their sense of self and confidence to look proudly in the mirror again.

One of the things she loves most about her work is the connection she has with clients: I follow many of them through their cancer journey and I am truly grateful to be a positive part of that journey. I meet some at their most vulnerable stage when they have just received their diagnosis and I see firsthand how strong and resilient they become as they go through their treatment.

I feel privileged to see the relief and emotion when clients see their new areola and nipple for the first time and notice how their confidence grows in those few minutes while looking in the mirror.

Originally from Carrigaline, Aislinn lives in Clogagh, near Clonakilty, with her teacher husband and their three children: Beibhinn (21), Sadbh (16) and Ciabhan (12). Running her own business, and a busy household, Aislinn came across Network West Cork and wondered if it could be for her.

I tentatively attended some Network West Cork events during the summer of 2023 to see what it was all about.

I didnt know exactly if I needed to be a part of the organisation or how I would benefit from being a member.

I thought the meetings would be stuffy and very much focused on exchanging business cards and seeing who there would benefit my business. I was thrilled to realise I was very wrong.

I was warmly welcomed as a small business owner by a diverse network of inspiring like-minded women, showing honesty, support, learning, and mentorship. It was then that I knew I wanted to be surrounded by women who cheered me on and were genuinely happy to see me grow. I didnt hesitate to become an official member.

And she hasnt looked back: On a personal level, being part of Network Ireland offers a sense of belonging and empowerment, allowing me to connect with other women who understand and support my journey.

The organisations emphasis on personal development ensures that I have access to resources and guidance to develop my skills and confidence.

The group of women in the West Cork branch have surrounded me with support and encouragement and have a genuine interest in each others businesses. From monthly networking events to workshops and mentoring programs, I can access valuable insights and advice from inspiring and successful women.

What was it like to win the Creative Professional award?

I am truly honoured and humbled. I think I was in shock for a few days after. I really feel this win is a testament to my passion and dedication. I am truly grateful to my clients that trust me to be a part of their story and allow me to help them feel whole and confident again, and ultimately I hope that the visibility gained by this award will reach those that dont yet know how I can help them in the journey they are on.

Aislinn now goes forward with other branch winners to the national Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year finals in September.
THE latest cohort of female founders have graduated from a programme designed to nurture entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland  and they say its been a transformative experience.

Acorns is an initiative that launched in 2014, and a cycle has taken place every year, starting in October and finishing the following April.

Acorns 9 has just wrapped up, and among the Cork women to have completed it are Gemma Kingston, The Family Edit; Stef McSherry, Kinderama; Siobhan OLeary, SOL Learning; and Sue Nelson, fine artist.

Director Paula Fitzsimons explains how the initiative is designed to unleash the potential of female entrepreneurs living in rural Ireland, who have recently started a business or who have taken concrete steps towards starting a business.

The objective is to equip these early stage entrepreneurs with the appropriate knowledge, confidence, and networks to successfully start and develop sustainable businesses, said Paula.

Starting a new business can be a very lonely experience, as it can be difficult to find someone on your wavelength who understands the issues involved. "Acorns is designed to address these challenges by successfully reducing psychological isolation, increasing confidence, strengthening networks and motivating participants to achieve their enterprise goals, she added.

To qualify for consideration, the entrepreneur must have recently set up a new business which she owns or part owns, and which has generated sales no earlier than the previous 36 months prior to the application, or must be at an advanced stage of planning a new venture and have a clear idea of what she wants to achieve.

She must also be living in a rural area. These are all areas of the country outside the administrative city boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

All type of business are eligible. Preference is given to those who expect to become an employer within three years, explained Paula.

Based on a belief that entrepreneurs learn best from each other, the initiative is focused on interactive round table sessions that are facilitated, not by consultants, academics or professional trainers, but by female entrepreneurs who have started and successfully grown businesses in rural Ireland.

These are referred to as Lead Entrepreneurs. Working with a group of about eight participants each, the Lead Entrepreneurs facilitate round table meetings, addressing enterprise challenges and supporting participants to consider how best to start, develop and position their businesses for sustainability and growth.

Those interested in participating in the next cycle can register their interest at any time on www.acorns.ie and they will be sent an application form, when these next become available, most probably August.

Susan Nelson, Sue Nelson Designs, Cork Pic Orla Murray Coalesce

Sue Nelson, Fine Artist and Fine Art Photography

THE Acorns programme was extremely supportive, both professionally and personally, says Sue Nelson who got involved in the initiative to develop her passion for photography.

Im inspired every day by the raw beauty of nature and my goal as an artist is to help ignite and foster that connection in others through my work, said Sue, who lives in Ballygarvan with her husband and two children.

I really enjoy capturing everyday moments and well-loved landscapes, then transforming them into vibrant, abstract works of art through digital illustration.

Since introducing Sue Nelson Designs, my range of Fine Art Photography, at the Glucksman Craft & Design Fair, the response has been overwhelming, she said.

I applied to Acorns, as the programme is very focused on growth and I wanted to grow my business both at a national level and abroad. Acorns gave me the tools and the supportive network to do just that.

My photography has also found a special place as corporate gifts, with esteemed clients including Adare Manor, Dell Technologies, PWC, University College Cork, Network Cork and many more.

Throughout her journey, the Acorns programme has been so supportive and encouraging, she said.

Amidst personal challenges, such as the loss of my father during the programme, the unwavering guidance and camaraderie of my Acorns family proved invaluable, she said.

I would highly recommend those thinking of applying to take the plunge and go for it.

Looking ahead, I am excited about expanding the corporate side of my business. As companies embrace a return to the workplace, Im passionate about helping them to create spaces that foster creativity, collaboration, and a vibrant company culture.

Siobhan O'Leary, SOL Learning, Cork Pic Orla Murray Coalesce

Siobhan OLeary, SOL Learning

Having a supportive group to share ideas with and learn from, especially when youre juggling business and family, is invaluable.

So says Acorns graduate, Siobhan OLeary of SOL Learning, which helps companies navigate the constantly evolving Educational Technology landscape and identify the best digital tools for their business and learning needs.

Originally from Skibbereen, she moved to England to train in aeronautical engineering. Returning to Ireland, she moved to the pharmaceutical sector where she spent over 13 years, progressing to a management role building her skills in maintenance engineering, project management, and people management.

It was when I took some to raise my young family, that a whole new world opened up. I decided to complete my Masters in technical communication and eLearning - online. I loved that I had the tools to connect, learn and develop personally and professionally right here at my desk, said Midleton-based Siobhan.

SOL Learning, helps businesses assess their current learning strategies and implement solutions to maximise employee potential. The focus is to partner with companies who allocate large budgets to training or education, because of compliance requirements or skill development, but rarely establish if they are receiving any return on this investment, said Siobhan, who is a mum of four children, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years. Acorns, she said, really encouraged her to get back to basics and make sure had a solid foundation for growing the business.

Additionally, the chance to connect with other ambitious, like-minded businesswomen was fantastic. I was particularly fortunate that the mentor assigned to me was Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite who not only understood my business but offered concrete suggestions on developing it.

I would highly recommend it for the insights it offers and the support network that helped me grow my business.

Stef McSherry, Kinderama

Any start-up business will have its challenges but if you have a group of women supporting you, it means you dont feel so alone through the whole process. Thats how Stef McSherry describes her experience of the Acorn programme.

Mallow-based Stef has been working with pre-school kids for the last 20 years with her business, Kinderama.

We visit schools, creches and events all over Munster with our multi-activity programme. We took that programme online during the pandemic and we were the runner-up for Education Website of the Year for the National Digital Awards, 2024. I am also co-host on The Mum Mind Podcast, said the mum-of-two.

With two decades experience behind her, she was motivated to enhance her business  and thats where Acorns came in.

For Kinderama, we have beautiful costumes made for our classes. For years I have wanted to produce these costumes for retail and it is this that brought me to the Acorns programme. We are now developing a range of costumes that will be produced from ethical, sustainable sources. They will be high quality and durable so that they can be washed and worn over and over again.

Most of the cheap costumes manufactured today end up tatty and torn and ultimately in landfill.

"We want to avoid that and provide well made, keep-sake costumes to inspire your little ones imagination-based play, said Stef.

Acorns regular meetings keep you focussed and accountable, she said.

And your group are with you through the good times and the bad! We have had many laughs and a few tears around those tables! We had two residential weekends, hosted by inspirational businesswoman Paula Fitzsimons, where all the groups came together. Its incredibly inspiring to hear everyones story.

Whats next?

Lots of hard work for the next six months to get this product to market. Every day there are new challenges but I am really excited for the future and I know I have a great bunch of female entrepreneurs supporting me. If you have been thinking of applying to the Acorns programme  go for it!

Gemma Kingston, The Family Edit

ACORNS played a pivotal role in helping to expand my business, said West-Cork based Gemma Kingston.

That business is The Family Edit, a platform born out of what Gemma found was a necessity to provide trusted family life information, catering from pregnancy to primary school years.

She transitioned from a corporate job in ACC Bank Dublin to a career in primary education, teaching in Dublin and Cork for over 15 years.

With the arrival of her first child, her struggle to find reliable information on essential services for new parents sparked a realisation: other families were experiencing the same frustrations too.

The Family Edit has since evolved to cover 11 categories, recommending the best family-friendly places to stay, play, shop, eat, explore, and celebrate across Ireland.

The lightbulb moment transformed into a supportive community of families from all across Ireland and our website, www.thefamilyedit.ie, serves as a trusted source of information for families seeking curated guidance and recommendations. Being awarded the prestigious Mums & Tots Best Family and Baby Website in Ireland marked a significant milestone in our business journey, said Gemma.

Embarking on The Family Edit full-time marked a new chapter for me and the business, and Acorns became pivotal in this phase.

It not only offered much-needed expertise but also mentorship, guidance, support, and camaraderie, thanks to Team Lead Alison Ritchie and my wonderfully supportive group of fellow female entrepreneurs.

With our Inaugural Family Friendly Business Awards on the horizon, and an expansion of our service offerings, Acorns played an instrumental role in preparing us for this leap. For anyone at the inception of their business journey, I couldnt recommend Acorns enough.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Drone view across the Ohio River and the farmland and forest landscape on the West Virginia side towards Cheshire, Ohio. In the distance, Kyger Creek Power Plant and Gavin Power Plant are sending up plumes of smoke and steam. halbergman / E+ / Getty Images

The United States Supreme Court has put a temporary hold on enforcement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)s Good Neighbor plan that aims to reduce the drifting of dangerous air pollution from power plants and factories in states in the West and Midwest into those in the East.

The 5-4 decision of the Court granted requests by the states of Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia  along with oil and gas pipeline operator Kinder Morgan, U.S. Steel Corporation and industry groups  to stop enforcement of the rule while they contest its legality in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, reported Reuters.

In their original suit, plaintiffs argued that the EPA had violated a federal law meant to ensure the actions of agencies are reasonable.

The court grants the states application to put the rule on hold while the case proceeds in the lower courts, a majority of the justices ruled, as The Guardian reported. The judges added that the EPA would likely lose its case in circuit court.

Joining the three liberal justices in dissent, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that the court justifies this decision based on an alleged procedural error that likely had no impact on the plan.

EPAs Good Neighbor rule was initially issued in March of last year with the intent of tackling ozone-forming gases  a main component of smog  from industrial sources in 23 states whose plans didnt meet the standards of the Clean Air Acts Good Neighbor provision.

The Clean Air Act permits states to come up with their own air pollution plans, subject to EPA approval.

The Courts ruling was provisional while the appeals court case continues, but the temporary halt to enforcement of the EPA plan will result in it being suspended for months and possibly longer, reported The New York Times.

The ruling came after other recent decisions that undercut the EPAs authority to combat water pollution and climate change.

The application by the three states asking the Supreme Court to block the Good Neighbor rule called it a failed experiment and a shell of its original self.

The EPA responded, arguing that blocking the rule would have dire consequences and that the national rule should not be affected by the states plans.

It would delay efforts to control pollution that contributes to unhealthy air in downwind states, which is contrary to Congresss express directive that sources in upwind states must assume responsibility for their contributions to emissions levels in downwind states, the brief on behalf of the EPA said.
SpaceX just won a $843 million contract to, basically, crash the International Space Station (ISS) into the sea. Its part of a NASA program to safely deorbit the ISS within the next ten years.

The ISS has been continuously operating since 1998 and, like all things, has been aging. The space station is due to end its orbital tenure in or around 2030. However, NASA doesnt want the whole thing just careening into Earths atmosphere, throwing dangerous junk everywhere like season two of Breaking Bad. The agency wants a nice and controlled re-entry. Thats where SpaceX comes in.

We have selected @SpaceX to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle and prepare for a safe and responsible deorbit of the @Space_Station after the end of its operational life in 2030. Learn more: https://t.co/ogAhEazBpt pic.twitter.com/5pyBPfobkp  NASA (@NASA) June 26, 2024

According to the terms of the contract, SpaceX will develop a spacecraft called the US Deorbit Vehicle to safely bring the ISS back to Earth without any undue risk to population centers. SpaceXs rocket will guide it into the Pacific Ocean, where it can bother a bunch of fish and not humans.

The ISS isnt heading to just any part of the Pacific Ocean. Its going to the spookily-namd spacecraft cemetery, which is an uninhabited area between New Zealand and South America thats absolutely littered with the remains of space stuff. All told, nearly 300 spacefaring vehicles have been laid to rest in this section of the ocean, including capsules, cargo craft, rockets and more. Many of these ships were actually used to reach the ISS, so this will be a homecoming, of a sort.

The project wont be easy for SpaceX. The ISS is nearly a million pounds and is too massive to burn up upon re-entry. The companys deorbiting vehicle is expected to take several years to both develop and test. The ISS will undergo a phased disintegration, meaning that the process should unfold in three stages. The rocket will first guide the solar arrays and radiators to the sea, followed by the individual modules and, finally, the primary structure, typically called the truss.

Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations, said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

The ISS is the largest structure ever built in space and was a collaborative effort between the US, Europe, Japan, Canada and Russia. The US and its partners promise to maintain operations right to the end, but Russias commitment finishes in 2028. The space station costs around $3.1 billion per year to run. It is hoped that the private space industry will pick up the slack here, constructing orbiting stations that astronauts can use on a pay-per-visit basis.
Gary Owen is under fire for admitting he says a racial slur while singing along to rap songs.

According to the 'Atlanta Black Star,' Owen was confronted with a question from an audience member while performing a short run of shows at the Brockton Comedy Club in Oklahoma City.

During one of his performances, an audience member asked Owen, 49, if he ever used the N-word. The comedian, caught off guard, responded, "Dude, what ... just happened? First off...that question had nothing to do with my act."

"I've never said it like with malicious intent. Never said it as a putdown. I listen to rap. You don't think when I'm in the car by myself I'm singing ... the song 'They Not Like Us.' And I still look both ways before I say it," Owen confessed.

A clip of this exchange made its way online. While the in-person audience at the comedy club reacted with laughter, the online response was different. Social media users did not hold back in expressing their disapproval.

One fan commented, "Yeeeeeeeeeah keep laughing and inviting them to the cookout. Sooner or later they will feel comfortable to say it in your face!" Another user wrote, "I'm a huge Gary fan...but no!" The backlash also included snide reminders of Owen's racial identity, with one user bluntly stating, "You're still a white man!"

The criticism highlights the ongoing debate about who can and who cannot say the N-word and in what context.

Despite the Ohio native's attempt to explain his use of the word within the realm of singing along to rap music, many people felt that his explanation fell short.
"The Bodyguard" and "The West Wing" actor Bill Cobbs has died. He was 90.

The prolific character actor's publicist, Chuck I. Jones, confirmed that Cobbs passed away at his home in the Inland Empire in California Tuesday, TMZ reported.

Cobbs' suspected cause of death is pneumonia, according to the outlet. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.

His brother Thomas told TMZ that Cobbs suffered from pneumonia before his passing, which came less than two weeks after the actor's milestone birthday on June 16.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Thomas shared that their family gathered to celebrate Cobbs turning 90 earlier this month.

He described his late sibling as a "beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend."

"As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time," Thomas concluded.

Cobbs' longtime manager Susan Zachary also released a statement honoring her late client.

"He was one of my first clients in each incarnation of this leg of my professional career and I am honored and proud to be his last talent representative," Zachary told USA Today. "He was loyal and dear... an inspiring actor, director, and human. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

Cobbs appeared in nearly 200 film and TV projects throughout his five-decade acting career, according to IMDb.

Among his most notable roles were Bill Devaney, Whitney Houston's character's manager in 1992's "The Bodyguard," and night guard Reginald in 2006's "Night at the Museum" and its 2014 sequel, "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb."

His other film credits included 1979's "The Hitter," 1984's "Brother From Another Planet," 1994's "The Hudsucker Proxy," 1997's "Air Bud," 2011's "The Muppets" and 2013's "Oz the Great and Powerful."

As for TV series, Cobbs appeared in "The West Wing" Season 3 as character Alan Tatum and "The Sopranos" as Reverend James Sr.

He also made appearances in "The Practice," "The Others," "Good Times," "Sesame Street" and "My Wife and Kids."

In 2020, Cobbs guest-starred in the two-part series finale of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

In the same year, he took home a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for his role as Mr. Hendrickson in Amazon Prime Video's Canadian series, "Dino Dana."

Cobbs' peers and fans took to social media to pay tribute to the late actor after news broke of his death.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, actor Wendell Pierce described Cobbs as a "father figure" and "iconic artist" who "mentored [him] by the way he led his life as an actor."

Days after his 90th Birthday, Bill Cobbs died today. A father figure, a griot, an iconic artist, that mentored me by the way he led his life as an actor. He played my father twice: in Ill Fly Away & The Gregory Hines Show.Each time imparting wisdom with a word of encouragement pic.twitter.com/BZNWxW4HuM  Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) June 26, 2024

Pierce recalled Cobbs "imparting wisdom with a word of encouragement" when they worked together on "I'll Fly Away" and "The Gregory Hines Show."

"Black Lightning" star Damon Gupton wrote in his own tribute: "Rest In Peace, Mr. Bill Cobbs. I absolutely loved this actor. Such great ease. Never got enough flowers."
While Americans still face a long season of political campaigning, more than 80 other nations have completed their federal elections this year or are about to go to the polls.

For example, Frances general elections will be held June 30, the United Kingdoms on July 4 and Venezuela, July 28. Previously, the European Union completed parliamentary elections June 9, Indias two-month long election ended June 4 and South Africas election concluded May 29.

From an American farmers perspective, perhaps the most interesting 2024 election to date was posted by our second biggest ag customer, Mexico. On June 2, our southern neighbor elected a political novice, Claudia Sheinbaum, as president.

Sheinbaum couldnt be more different than any one of Mexicos long line of often wealthy, sometimes corrupt past presidents, explained Dan Restrepo, an expert on Latin American politics and business, on a recent Pod Save the World podcast.

According to Restrepo, Mexico, a country known for its machismo, or manliness, Catholicism and political cronyism, now has a female Jewish outsider as president. And, he added, shes a technocrat and climate expert.

Equally impressive, Sheinbaum, the recent mayor of Mexico City, didnt just win; she crushed her opponent by amassing the largest number of votes  in Mexicos political history. How do you say mandate in Spanish?

It may take a mandato for Sheinbaum, the first woman to be elected leader of any North American Free Trade Agreement nation, to surpass the success of her predecessor and mentor, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, known better as AMLO, when she is sworn in on Oct. 1.

In his (by law) single, six-year term, AMLO delivered huge wins and also suffered large losses. For example, the popular president raised Mexicos minimum wage 116% to both attract international business  which it did  and stem the flood of Latin and South American migrants passing through Mexico on their way to the U.S.  which it didnt.

Simultaneously, he had virtually zero success in taming Mexicos notorious drug cartels and their gruesome gang violence. That puts both problems, immigration enforcement and cartel crackdown, high on Sheinbaums to-do list.

Each, however, has a critical American component. Much of Mexicos drug demand  and its almost unlimited supply of guns  is tied to almost bottomless U.S. markets. So, too, is the U.S. service economys insatiable appetite for cheap, illegal immigrant labor.

American agriculture, whether it admits it or not, is one of the largest beneficiaries of this river of illegal immigrants. It is estimated that at least 45% of all migrant laborers working on U.S. farms do so illegally.

Mexico and the U.S. face two other ag problems as Sheinbaum awaits the election of her American counterpart: a bitter trade fight with the U.S. over Mexican import restrictions on genetically modified corn and glyphosate, and a fight over a 1944 treaty that manages water usage of the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers.

The trade fight  because it centers on only about 600,000 tons of white corn from the U.S., or just a tiny share of the 16.5 million tons of U.S. corn Mexico imported last year  should be easy to settle: carve out a GM-free/glyphosate-free exemption for the piddling amount of American food-grade white corn exported south and go in peace.

But not the Biden Administration; it wont concede one kernel. Neither will Sheinbaum, however, who recently promised to fight Uncle Sams GM strident trade rules.

The water dispute centers on Mexicos failure to deliver on the terms of a 1944 treaty governing shared water of the Colorado and Rio Grande rivers. Mexico claims it cant deliver what it promised 80 years ago because climate change has brought drought, not deliverable water.

Want to bet which side of that argument Mexicos President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum, a Nobel Prize-sharing climate scientist, is on?
Danish dairy farmers face having to pay an annual tax of 672 krone (67) per cow due to the greenhouse gas emissions they create.

The Danish government is set to roll out Europe's first carbon tax on agriculture, after months-long talks with farming groups ended in an agreement this week.

The historic move means new levies on livestock agriculture in Denmark - a major pork and dairy exporter - will commence in 2030.

The tax, likely to be approved by parliament later this year, will amount to 300 krone (34) per tonne (1.1 ton) of CO2-equivalent emissions from livestock from 2030, increasing to 750 krone (85) in 2035.

A 60% tax break will apply, which means that farmers will be effectively charged 120 krone (14) per tonne of livestock emissions per year from 2030, rising to 300 krone (34) in 2035.

Using the lower tax rate of 120 krone means a charge of 672 krone (67) per cow.

The Danish government will also issue 4.4 billion to reforest 250,000 hectares of farmland by 2045, set aside 140,000 of lowland by 2030, and buy out certain farms to slash emissions.

Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement: With todays agreement, we are investing billions in the biggest transformation of the Danish landscape in recent times.

At the same time, we will be the first country in the world with a (carbon) tax on agriculture.

And Economy Minister Stephanie Lose said on X that it was an "agreement which will form the basis for a historic reorganization and restructuring of Denmarks land and food production."

Elsewhere in the world, New Zealand had passed a similar law which was due to take effect in 2025.

However, this has since been dropped following criticism from farming industry groups.
A Northern Irish farmer has been ordered to pay out over 1,500 for unlawful possession of veterinary medicines and failure to keep records.

Kevin McGrade was sentenced in relation to a number of breaches of vet medicines legislation, including the unlawful possession of prescription-only medicines.

The 53-year-old, who farms in Co Tyrone, was also charged with failing to keep statutory farm medicines records.

At Omagh Magistrates Court, he received fines totalling 1,500 plus an offender levy, having pleaded guilty to ten charges before the court.

In October 2022, enforcement officers from the Department of Health NI's Medicines Regulatory Group conducted a search under warrant at the farm.

A quantity of veterinary medicines, including antibiotics, were found in unlawful possession of Mr McGrade without necessary prescriptions and were seized.

The court heard that enforcement officers also established that he had breached veterinary medicines legislation in failing to keep statutory records pertaining to the receipt and supply of veterinary medicines over a two-year period between 2020-2022.

Peter Moore, who directed the investigation, said: This conviction underscores that there are significant consequences if anyone is tempted to ignore the regulated system and legal controls in place to ensure public and animal safety, and the integrity of the veterinary medicines supply chain.

Canice Ward, head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, warned that the unlawful use of veterinary antibiotics could have serious consequences for human and animal health.

The public can have confidence that the Medicines Regulatory Group and its statutory partner agencies will take decisive action to prevent and detect those engaged in unlawful use of veterinary medicines.
Despite frustrations over the delay in introducing bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) legislation in Wales, the long awaited BVD Wales Order will soon be introduced.

From July, farmers and keepers will need to screen their herds for BVD annually by testing a small number of cattle as part of the new legislation.

They will also need to isolate persistently infected (PI) animals from the rest of the herd for the remainder of their lives.

BVD is a viral infection of cattle, which can cause a variety of health issues, including abortion, infertility and Mucosal Disease which is fatal.

The virus is maintained in herds by a small population of animals that are born 'persistently infected' with the virus.

The estimated annual costs of BVD for a 100 cow beef herd of 4,500, and upwards of 15,000 for a 130 cow dairy herd.

It was anticipated that an immediate introduction of this legislation would have stamped out the remaining pockets of BVD following the success of the voluntary Gwaredu BVD screening programme.

However, 18 months have passed since the funding provided by the Welsh government for Gwaredu BVD ended, which has resulted in a reported 83% less submissions for BVD testing by the Wales Veterinary Science Centre.

The first phase of the new legislation will require all cattle keepers to test their herds for BVD annually and isolate all PI animals from the rest of the herd for the remainder of their lives.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said while this was a step in the right direction for eradicating BVD, it raised concerns regarding the support available for a successful rollout of the legislation.

"We now call on the Welsh government to continue supporting the industry and its ambitions to improve the health and welfare of cattle," said FUW policy officer, Elin Jenkins.

The eradication of BVD would benefit the health and welfare of Welsh cattle leading to improved farm efficiencies and reduction of carbon footprint.

"It would extend to promoting Welsh producers in current and future trade negotiations bringing Wales in line with many other countries that already have a BVD-free disease status."
Chengdu speeds up development of low-altitude economy

14:12, June 27, 2024 By Wang Mingfeng ( People's Daily

A tourist surnamed Yao visiting the Danjing Mountain in Pengzhou, Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province just experienced the convenience of drone delivery - soon after he stepped into the scenic area, a drone delivered to his hands a cup of hot coffee he had previously ordered on his phone.

Chengdu is among the first batch of pilot cities of China's low-altitude airspace management reform. Striving to build itself into a center of low-altitude economy in west China, the city is strengthening its exploration in development and manufacturing, low-altitude airspace development, scenario innovation, and integrated development.

A drone delivers coffee in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. (Photo provided by Tianfu New Area, Sichuan province)

This year, the city aims to improve the output of its low-altitude manufacturing sector to 6.5 billion yuan ($895.63 million) and expand the size of its low-altitude economy to 26 billion yuan.

"We handled over 500 food delivery orders during the Spring Festival, and we flew more than 100 flights per day when visitors came to enjoy the flower blossoms, which made us internet-famous. The popularity is totally beyond our imagination," said Zhou Xiaoming, chairman of a drone tech firm based in Chengdu, the operator of a national-level flight-testing center for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) known as "Sky Eye."

According to him, currently the company runs six routes deep in the valleys along the Jianjiang River in Longmen Mountains, Sichuan province, which can not only deliver coffees, but also paradrop hotpot food and groceries based on users' demands.

It takes only about 20 minutes for the drones to deliver stuffs from merchants to scenic areas, B&B hotels and camp sites, Zhou added.

Apart from daily life scenarios, drones are also widely applied in industries such as emergency rescue and meteorological observation in Chengdu.

For example, the long-range and multipurpose Wing Loong drones have become a strong force in China's meteorological and emergency support systems, assisting artificial precipitation, monitoring meteorological phenomenon in the sky and ensuring stable cloud communication.

An executive of AVIC (Chengdu) UAS Co., Ltd. noted that the company will continue to innovate in low-altitude application scenarios and actively explore the new field of logistics transportation.

It is reported that Chengdu has now built a complete industrial chain covering raw materials, basic components and systems, complete drone manufacturing, and operational services.

It has gathered more than 110 upstream and downstream enterprises, with products ranging from 10 kilograms to tonnage level, covering 66 application scenarios such as urban governance and production operations.

Statistics show that in recent years, the industrial output of Chengdu's UAV industry has maintained an average annual growth of over 20 percent. Last year, the total revenue of Chengdu's UAV industrial exceeded 10 billion yuan, ranking among the top in China in terms of overall competitiveness.

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are also a focus of low-altitude economy. Nicknamed "flying cars," these aircraft are considered one of the most important carriers for the development of low-altitude economy.

As one of the first pilot cities of China's low-altitude airspace management reform, Chengdu has relaxed policies in the low-altitude sector, which has boosted the confidence of companies in launching their products.

Technicians debug drones at the "Sky Eye" flight test base for unmanned aerial vehicles in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province. (Photo from the public account of the Chengdu municipal science and technology bureau on WeChat)

In July last year, AEROFUGIA, a tech firm in low altitude transportation and smart industry solutions owned by Chinese car manufacturer Geely, signed an agreement with Sino Jet, the largest business jet operator in Asia-Pacific, for the acquisition of 100 Chinese-made eVTOL aircraft.

The two will work together to promote the application of eVTOL in business aviation. Once the airworthiness certification is completed, Chengdu is expected to be the first city to apply eVTOL in business air travel.

Orderly and compliant opening of the low-altitude airspace is a prerequisite for low-altitude economy to "take off."

Every day, industrial drone enterprises would carry out various scientific and research tasks such as signal transmission and river channel inspection in the airspace of the "Sky Eye" UAV flight test base, which is below an altitude of 1,200 meters and covers a radius of 5 kilometers.

Zheng Wenqiang, director of a flight base of JOUAV, a Chengdu-based drone company, told People's Daily that over the past five years, he and his team have completed nearly 10,000 test flights of drones in the base.

"Stable time and range, as well as unique terrain and landforms, are necessary conditions for conducting test flights of industrial-grade drones," Zheng said.

"Sky Eye" covers diverse landforms such as mountains, hills, forests, rivers, and lakes, which can simulate the working conditions of industrial drones in actual application scenarios to the greatest extent, he explained.

Zhou said, "In the national-level flight-testing center for UAVs, you just need to provide notification one hour before takeoff, which greatly improves flight efficiency and helps achieve maximum flight capability."

It is learned that Sichuan province has designated seven airspaces for coordinated management and eight low-altitude visual flight corridors. Nearly 1/3 of Chengdu's territory is within the scope of the Sichuan low-altitude reform pilot airspace, which is public and open for regular flights.

Up to now, Chengdu's UAVs have completed over 8 million flights, accumulating 600,000 hours of flight time. The efficiency of airspace resource utilization has been significantly improved in the city.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)
Killer Mike won't be charged following his arrest at the Grammy Awards in February.

Killer Mike won't be charged

The 49-year-old rap star was led away in handcuffs after winning three gongs at the pre-telecast prizegiving in Los Angeles and though he was booked on a misdemeanour charge in relation to an altercation inside the Crypto.com Arena venue, things won't be taken any further.

Prosecutors in the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office told TMZ they won't be filing charges against Mike, though they could reopen the case if he doesn't stay out of trouble for the next year.

The outlet reported the 'Big Beast' hitmaker had successfully completed his city attorney hearing, after which he agreed to do a stint of community service with a non-profit organisation of his choice.

Mike previously blamed his arrest on "overcrowding" backstage and "over-zealous" security guards.

During an appearance on 'The View' shortly afterwards, he explained: "I think backstage was overcrowded, I think the winners were exuberant, and I think security got a little over-zealous."

However, he refused to feel bad about what happened, and added: "Its water under the bridge for me."

He spent his time in police custody meditating and giving thanks to God, and was released later that night so he continue the Grammys celebrations at the afterparties.

Mike added of his release: "I walked out with the same dignity and respect that I walked in with. I would implore people to just take that from it. Dont dwell on the bad stuff."

The hip-hop star previously insisted he wasn't angry about the position he found himself in on music's biggest night, telling GQ magazine: "I could have succumbed to anger or evil and talked [badly]. But Im just grateful. I talked about this album being a return to the religious and moral principles I was raised with.

"And I just got to say, man, you'll find yourself in a position where it's just you and God. And I took a couple hours, man. I was just by myself, and I was just thankful I took time to thank God and to say, I appreciate the blessings you've given me.

"I spent time talking. I'm invoking the spirit of my grandmother and my mother and just saying, Look, I've done it. And after a few hours, man, I got out and I went partied and had fun."
Marilyn Monroe's former Los Angeles home has been saved from demolition.

Marilyn Monroe's former home will be preserved

The Spanish colonial-style property in the Brentwood area has been granted historic cultural monument status after being at the centre of a dispute between fans of the Hollywood icon and its wealthy owners.

The property  which Monroe bought for $75,000 just six months before her death in 1962  was purchased by heiress Brinah Milstein and her TV producer husband Roy Bank for $8.35 million last July and the couple had planned to bulldoze it for the expansion of their estate.

However, fans of the 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' star objected to the plans and have come out on top in the row after Los Angeles officials voted unanimously to give the house cultural monument status.

Kim Cooper, who runs the LA touring company Esotouric, told The Times newspaper: "Many, many people are feeling great relief today because something they know is important is protected.

"The city has done the right thing and they've put the memory of Marilyn Monroe and the significance of her place on this planet in the front of everyone's mind."

Council member Traci Park added that it would have been "devastating" for the city had the property been demolished.

She said during the hearing: "To lose this piece of history, the only home that Monroe ever owned, would be a devastating blow for historic preservation and for a city where less than three per cent of historic designations are associated with women's heritage."

However, plans have been drawn up to limit the number of tourist buses that visit the house  where Marilyn passed away after an apparent overdose at the age of 36  after the owners expressed frustration at the constant footfall.
Sharon Osbourne has apologised after pulling out of a public appearance next month because husband Ozzy is "unable to travel".

Kelly, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne will no longer appear at the Mad Monster party

The couple had been booked to appear at the Mad Monster Party in Phoenix, Arizona, alongside their children Jack and Kelly, but fans have been left disappointed as most of the family will no longer be in attendance because of the 'Paranoid' hitmaker's ongoing health issues.

Sharon said in a video message shared to Instagram: Regretfully, the Osbourne family have to cancel our upcoming appearance at the Mad Monster Party in Phoenix because Ozzy is unable to travel at this time.

"However, Jack will be there flying the flag for the Osbournes. Everybody who bought the Osbourne package will, of course, get full refunds."

Sharon went on to thank fans for their support and apologised for letting people down with the decision.

She added: We would like to thank you all for your constant support. It means so much to him, you have no idea. And all I can do is apologise that we wont be there and Im apologising for people weve let down from my heart. So God bless you all. Thank you so much.

Attendees had been given the opportunity to pay a fee to get a photo with Ozzy himself, or a special Ultimate Sin Package', which, for $666 allowed two people to have a picture with all four members of the family.

Earlier this year, Sharon confirmed Ozzy, 75, won't tour again but is keen to "say goodbye" to his fans with a few one-off performances.

Speaking at her live show at London's The Fortune Theatre, she said: "He wont tour again but we are planning on doing two more shows to say goodbye as he feels like, 'I have never said goodbye to my fans and I want to say goodbye.'

"His voice is still absolutely perfect. And all the time he has been off he still does his singing lessons. Even if you dont like his music, you cant not like Ozzy."

Sharon also dropped a huge hint that Ozzy - who has been unable to perform live in recent months due to a string of health issues, including Parkinson's disease and problems with his spine - will play the two gigs in Aston, Birmingham, at Villa Park, the home of Premier League giants Aston Villa.

She said: "We will do it in Aston Villa where Ozzy is from."
Prince Harry has urged young people not to suppress grief as he opened up about the pain of losing his mother Princess Diana.

Prince Harry has discussed his grief after the death of Princess Diana

The Duke of Sussex took part in an emotional conversation with Nikki Scott  the founder of the charity Scotty's Little Soldiers for children whose parents have passed away while serving in the armed forces  as he candidly discussed how he coped emotionally following Diana's death in a Paris car crash in 1997 when he was just 12 years of age.

Harry said: "It's so easy as a kid to think or convince yourself the reason, I would know, I was 12... the person you've lost wants you or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they're missed. Then there's this realisation of 'they must want me to be happy'.

"That's the hardest thing, especially for kids, I think, which is, I don't want to talk about it because it's going to make me sad.

"Especially when every defence mechanism in your mind, nervous system and everything else is saying 'do not go there'."

The 39-year-old royal also explained how bottling up grief "for too long" is not the best way of coping with a tragic loss.

Harry said: "It can be for a period of time.

"But... if you suppress this for too long, you can't suppress it forever as it's not sustainable and will eat away at you inside.

"Once realising that if I do talk about it and I'm celebrating their life then actually things become easier."

The royal also praised Nikki for doing an "amazing job" for supporting bereaved military children after she had to inform her kids Brooke and Kai  aged just seven and five respectively at the time  that their father Lee had been killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2009.

He said: "The way that you've navigated this is extraordinary and no one, there's so many people out there inside the military community and outside you don't know, and quite rightly understandably, don't know how to manage these situations.

"So, wherever you have a chance to be able to share your story it is going to help them."
Vietnams economic growth in the second quarter (Q2) this year and June are likely to reach 6.2 per cent and 6 per cent respectively, backed by strong allocation of resources for major projects, especially in transport and energy infrastructure, according to Nguyen Duc Tam, director of the department for national economic issues under the ministry of planning and investment (MPI).

About 2,000 km of expressway have been put into operation till now, and the figure is expected to reach about 3,000 km by next year, he said.

Progress has also been made in the completion of institutions, administrative reforms and improvement of business and investment environments, the official was quoted as saying by a domestic news agency.

Vietnam's economic growth in Q2 2024 and June are likely to reach 6.2 per cent and 6 per cent respectively, backed by strong allocation of resources for major projects, especially in transport and energy infrastructure, a top official has said. Progress has also been made in administrative reforms and improving business and investment environments, he added.

The Prime Minister has issued all six regional master plans, along with investment promotion activities.

In the first five months this year, about $8.25 billion worth foreign direct investment was disbursedup by 7.8 per cent year on year (YoY), while the newly-registered capital amount was over $7.9 billion, a surge of 50.8 per cent YoY, Tam added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
EQS-News: Birkenstock Holding plc / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

BIRKENSTOCK ANNOUNCED PRICING OF $756 MILLION SECONDARY OFFERING OF ORDINARY SHARES



27.06.2024 / 01:57 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





PRESS RELEASE LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM || JUNE 26, 2024 BIRKENSTOCK ANNOUNCED PRICING OF $756 MILLION SECONDARY OFFERING OF ORDINARY SHARES Birkenstock Holding plc ("BIRKENSTOCK" or "we", NYSE: BIRK) announced today the pricing of an underwritten secondary public offering of 14,000,000 of its ordinary shares (the "Ordinary Shares") by BK LC Lux MidCo S.a r.l. ("MidCo"), an entity affiliated with L Catterton (the "Selling Shareholder"), at a price to the public of $54.00 per share. The Selling Shareholder has sole voting and dispositive power over 9,880,814 shares offered, and the Selling Shareholder and the executive officers and certain other employees of the BIRKENSTOCK Group have shared voting and dispositive power over 4,119,186 shares offered. In connection with the offering, the Selling Shareholder has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 2,100,000 additional Ordinary Shares. BIRKENSTOCK is not selling any Ordinary Shares in the offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Ordinary Shares by the Selling Shareholder. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on June 28, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. BofA Securities, Citigroup, Evercore ISI, Jefferies, Morgan Stanley, UBS Investment Bank, BMO Capital Markets, BNP PARIBAS and HSBC are acting as bookrunners for the proposed offering, and Baird, Deutsche Bank Securities, Stifel, William Blair, Williams Trading, Telsey Advisory Group, Academy Securities, Independence Point Securities and Loop Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the proposed offering. A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the offering has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was declared effective on June 26, 2024. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, via telephone: (866) 4712526, or via email: prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com and postsalemanualrequests@broadridge.com. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This press release shall also not be considered an offer of securities in any member state (each, a "Member State") of the European Economic Area ("EEA"). This press release does not constitute a "prospectus" within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended and any relevant national implementing measure, the "Prospectus Regulation"). In the EEA, any potential offer of securities would only be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation, as implemented in that Member State, from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of securities. ABOUT BIRKENSTOCK Birkenstock Holding plc is the ultimate parent Company of Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG and its subsidiaries (the "Birkenstock Group"). BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of geography, gender, age and income and which is committed to a clear purpose - encouraging proper foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and backed by a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless super brand with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the Zeitgeist brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics categories. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature ("Naturgewolltes Gehen"). CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to our current expectations and views of future events, including our current expectations and views with respect to, among other things, the proposed offering of Ordinary Shares. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate to matters of historical fact. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "should," "plan," "intend," "estimate" and "potential," "aim," "anticipate," "assume," "continue," "could," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward- looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those expected in our forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors described in the sections titled "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 18, 2024 as updated by our reports on Form 6-K that update, supplement or supersede such information. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release and is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by law. INVESTOR & MEDIA CONTACT Birkenstock Holding plc

ir@birkenstock-holding.com



27.06.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

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BEIJING, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From June 24 to 27, Kempinski Hotels, Europe's oldest luxury hotel brand, in collaboration with contemporary Chinese luxury brand NUO Hotels, hosted the 2024 Kempinski and NUO Hotels China Roadshow in Beijing and Shanghai. The event aims to showcase the group's vast and diverse brand offering, alongside its premium services, reaffirming Kempinski and NUO's unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience in China.

The roadshow attracted the participation of 28 Kempinski hotels including eight properties from outside China, and three NUO hotels. Kempinski's Chief Commercial Officer, Amanda Elder, commented, "China plays a pivotal role in Kempinski Hotels' global strategic blueprint, serving as a cornerstone of our expansion and investment efforts. Our unwavering commitment is to deliver comprehensive, thoughtful, and exceptional services to our Chinese guests. Additionally, our multi-brand matrix strategy is tailored to address the diverse and personalized needs of business travelers in the market. The approach not only solidifies our brand's standing but also enhances our market competitiveness."

As one of the first international hotel groups to enter the Chinese market, Kempinski established its presence in Beijing in 1992 with the opening of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center (Now Kempinski Hotel Beijing Yansha Center). In 2001, it formed a joint venture, Key International Hotel Management. Over 32 years in China, Kempinski has deeply rooted itself in the market.

Alongside, NUO, a premium Chinese brand, has embedded local culture as its core. Each new location serves as a fresh canvas for NUO to reinterpret and express the unique Chinese culture of a particular era or region. NUO is steadfast in its commitment to diversifying its portfolio across the business, holiday, and heritage hotel segments, and is currently rounding out this offering with three hotels in Beijing.

In April 2024, Bristoria, a Kempinski brand, opened its first hotel in Yangzhou City, China. Embodying the philosophy of simplicity with depth, Bristoria emphasizes a relaxed ambiance, dedicated to offering travelers a premier, one-stop service platform tailored for business travel.

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Tron DAO

TRON Founder Justin Sun Wins Landmark Case in the People's Court of China



27-Jun-2024 / 06:53 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



TRON Founder Justin Sun Wins Landmark Case in the People's Court of China NEWS RELEASE BY TRON DAO Download PDF Download multimedia Geneva Switzerland | June 26, 2024 05:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time Geneva Switzerland, June 26, 2024 - TRON DAO welcomes an unprecedented victory by its founder Justin Sun in the People's Court of China over a landmark defamation suit filed against the Chongqing Business Media Group ("the Media"). Per court order, the Media has removed all of its false contents and issued a formal statement of apology to Sun, who has long been a target of media misrepresentations. The Media acknowledged in the statement that it had published false and defaming contents without fact-check or evidence, severely damaging Sun's reputation. "The rumor-monger has finally published an apology on the People's Court's website," Sun said on an X post . "Although it took two years, justice has arrived." The apology came after a two-year legal battle. Following hundreds of hours of fact-finding and a thorough trial, the Chongqing Yubei District Court ruled in the first instance that the Media broke the law and defamed Sun by publishing entirely unverified media contents, including an article and a video. The court ordered the defendant to retract all false contents and issue a public apology to Sun in a national newspaper. Neither party appealed the decision within the stipulated time frame, making the ruling final judgment. For Sun, the victory serves as a strong rebuttal to numerous widespread rumors and restores his personal reputation. The court reviewed extensive evidence and documentation from both sides before arriving at the verdict. The verdict sends a strong signal to all media outlets: citing unverified sources and spreading unsubstantiated information is likely breaking the law and tarnishing their own reputations. The Buried Truth in a Storm of Media Hysteria The case dates back to March 11, 2022 when the Media published an article on its news platform eastmoney.com . The article stated that Sun "was involved in insider trading," "fled abroad to evade the ICO ban," "engaged in fraud and money laundering," and "was under investigations by the IRS and the FBI," among other claims. The baseless article quickly went viral, getting picked up by many other media outlets, and severely damaging the reputations of both Sun and the TRON ecosystem. These reports cited an opinion piece about Sun published by The Verge in March 2022. That piece included a series of "interviews" with anonymous sources who all vividly described Sun's alleged wrong-doings Hollywood-style. While the story was purposefully sensationalized, the author cleverly dropped a disclaimer at the end acknowledging that he could not obtain any comments from any relevant authorities to substantiate any claims in the article. In essence, the opinion piece presented unverified stories and acknowledged them as hearsay. Similar media peppered their audience with buzzwords like "money laundering," "insider trading," "investigations," etc. In their rush to maximize exposure and clicks, these desperate media outlets quickly amplified the article in order to make it go viral in no time. Amid this frenzy, any disclaimers on lack of evidence or unsubstantiated claims were conspicuously and conveniently ignored by the media, either intentionally or inadvertently. Defendant Guilty After Lengthy Two-Year Legal Battle During the trial, the People's Court of China scrutinized every detail, from the original The Verge article, the Media's recreated contents, to the interpretations made by all other domestic media during reproduction. The court concluded that The Verge's article lacked concrete evidence entirely and the Media's report was devoid of any factual basis, which materially violated Sun's reputation. The court underscored that the original article's authenticity was only confirmed by the author, and it was acknowledged in the article that none of the aforementioned authorities had validated any information presented. In the final verdict, the People's Court of China ruled that all claims of Sun's alleged involvement in insider trading, fraud, money laundering, or any other claimed investigations and other alleged wrong-doings, are entirely unsubstantiated. During this two-year battle, all false claims made by the Media failed to withstand scrutiny. This lengthy due process has brought the truth to light by using facts and legal measures to debunk misinformation and disinformation. This final judgment rectified the injustices Sun has long endured and presented a legal precedent for the broader blockchain community on how unfounded rumors should be handled and dispelled. Significance of the court ruling: The Internet is not a legal vacuum, and the doers are safeguarded by law The final ruling of the case does not hand victory over to Sun alone but also upholds the rights of individuals who are committed to their causes but fall victim to fabricated news coverage with ulterior motives. This ruling has raised the public's legal awareness, encouraging victims of untrue news reports to assert their own interests through legal avenues. On the other hand, this incident also alerts all content disseminators against deceptive and unreliable media sources, especially those tainted with a history of fake and biased contents. This practice runs completely against the professionalism, objectivity, and neutrality that the modern media strive to uphold. Early in 1988, the " Reply of the Supreme People's Court to the Defendant Status of Newspaper Publishers and the Application of Jurisdiction in Cases of Infringement of the Right to Reputation " already made it clear that news agencies have verification obligations for the news reports they publish, and both the author and the news agency shall be held legally accountable for a publication's infringement of other individuals' right to reputation, in which case they may be made the co-defendants. This legal document, among many others, indicates that infringement resulting from the edition and publication of unverified information and articles will incur legal liabilities. If the infringed party is willing to arm themselves with the law and provide concrete evidence in court, it's highly likely that the involved media will lose the case. Sun's landmark win is a moment of reckoning for the long-standing rumors floating around the internet. It is also a victory of the rule of law. The ruling has not only safeguarded the legitimate rights of Sun but also discouraged the spread of misinformation and disinformation. While pursuing newsworthy content is the common goal, journalism must adhere to professional ethics by ensuring facts are authentic and accurate. About TRON DAO TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps. Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network has gained incredible traction in recent years. As of June 2024, it has over 239.72 million total user accounts on the blockchain, more than 7.91 billion total transactions, and over $20.60 billion in total value locked (TVL), as reported on TRONSCAN. In addition, TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin across the globe, overtaking USDT on Ethereum since April 2021. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. Most recently in October 2022, TRON was designated as the national blockchain for the Commonwealth of Dominica, which marks the first time a major public blockchain partnered with a sovereign nation to develop its national blockchain infrastructure. TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | Twitter | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum Media Contact Hayward Wong press@tron.network Contact Details Hayward Wong press@tron.network Company Website https://trondao.org/ DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD ALL TRON DAO Media Channels VISIT TWITTER VISIT YOUTUBE



Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




Riyadh, Saudi Arabia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - BSG Alliance and its Chairman and CEO, Steve Papermaster, today unveiled the company's ambitious plans to expand its presence and offerings across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Building on its 40-year legacy of excellence in software and computing solutions, BSG Alliance aims to empower organizations in the region to thrive in the digital age.

Image Caption: Steve Papermaster, Chairman and CEO of BSG Alliance

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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"The MENA region is experiencing rapid digital transformation, and we are excited to be at the forefront of this change," said Steve Papermaster. "Our commitment to understanding the unique needs of our clients, combined with our expertise in developing cutting-edge software solutions, positions us perfectly to drive innovation and growth across various sectors in the region."

Image Caption: BSG Alliance Logo

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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BSG Alliance's expansion strategy in MENA includes:

Expanding regional presence: Establishing new offices and partnerships in key markets across the MENA region, building on the success of the newly established Saudi Arabia branch in 2024.

Enhancing service offerings: Developing and deploying localized software solutions tailored to the unique needs of businesses and government agencies in the region. This includes leveraging BSG's expertise in AI, machine learning, high-performance supercomputing, and comprehensive cybersecurity solutions.

Building local talent: Investing in the development of local talent through training programs and capacity-building initiatives, nurturing a skilled workforce that can drive technological advancement in the region.

Fostering strategic partnerships: Collaborating with local technology companies and industry leaders to create a vibrant ecosystem that fosters innovation and supports the growth of the digital economy in the MENA region.

"We believe that technology has the power to transform societies and economies," added Papermaster. "Our mission is to empower organizations in the MENA region with the tools and expertise they need to succeed in the digital age, and we are confident that our expansion plans will make a significant contribution to this goal."

BSG Alliance's expansion in the MENA region will focus on serving key sectors including government and public sector, healthcare, financial services, energy and petrochemicals, and transportation. The company plans to leverage its long-standing partnerships, such as its 40-year relationship with leading corporations in the region, to drive growth and innovation in the region.

"Our legacy of success, combined with our focus on cutting-edge technologies like AI and high-tech supercomputing, uniquely positions us to address the most pressing challenges facing governments, businesses, and communities in the MENA region," Papermaster stated.

About BSG Alliance

Founded in 1982, BSG Alliance is a global leader in providing tailored software solutions for governments, large corporations, and consumer services. With a strong focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, the company has a proven track record of delivering high-quality solutions that drive digital transformation and enhance business performance. BSG Alliance offers a comprehensive suite of services including custom software development, AI and machine learning solutions, scalable cloud services, and strategic consulting.

Media Contact

BSG Alliance

King Abdullah Financial District,

5th Floor Building 2.09,

Riyadh 13515,

Saudi Arabia

Contact Person: Melissa Evans

City: Riyadh

Country: Saudi Arabia

Email: contact@bsginc.com

Website: https://bsginc.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214534

SOURCE: Asiacryptos
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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Hertz Energy Inc. (CSE: HZ) ("Hertz Energy" or the "Company"). Further to the Company news release of June 4, 2024, Hertz Energy is pleased to announce that after a review by the Company along with its board and advisors, it has made the decision to pursue a reorganization of its Cominco Uranium Project in Nunavut, Canada and its Namibian Uranium Exclusive Prospecting License Applications (the "Uranium Assets") into a stand-alone entity to be named Hertz Uranium (the "Spin-Out").

The Company views the Spin-Out into a stand-alone vehicle as the preferred route to generate value for Hertz Energy and its shareholders from the continued development of the Uranium Assets.

The re-structuring of the Uranium Assets ownership is well advanced, and the Company anticipates being in a position to finalize the terms of the Transaction in the coming months.

Hertz Energy believes that its current share price does not fully recognize the value of the Uranium Assets and that by structuring an appropriate "spin-out" into an independent, uranium focused vehicle, the Company and its shareholders will benefit from unlocking the value of this project. Additionally, this will allow Hertz Energy to concentrate its efforts on advancing its premier lithium projects, AC/DC and Snake Lithium, located in the emerging "lithium district" in James Bay, Quebec, Canada.

Nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance and uranium prices have had a big year, up over 52% year to date. Uranium is considered the cleanest, most cost-effective and reliable form of 24/7 dispatchable energy. Accordingly, the world's premier uranium deposits are attracting more and more global interest.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE URANIUM ASSETS

Cominco Uranium Project, Nunavut, Canada

The Cominco Uranium Property ("Cominco Property") is focused on two main historically documented uranium showings of interest, the Pomie and the Yon showings. The Pomie and Yon showings were both explored in the mid 1970s by Cominco and Noranda and no work using modern exploration technologies has taken place since this time.

The Cominco Property claim blocks now cover approximately 5,192 hectares.

Previous regional work in the area by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) identified mineral potential for uranium in the area (Roscoe, 1984), based on the presence of the above showings and favourable stratigraphy for the formation of Unconformity Related Uranium (URU) deposits, similar to the stratigraphy found in the Athabasca and Thelon basins.

Figure 1: Map of historical drill hole results on Cominco Property, Nunavut

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/214577_1efd48a29444a908_001full.jpg

The Cominco Uranium Property contains the Pomie showing trenched and drilled by Cominco between 1976 and 1977. Cominco's exploration succeeded in outlining the major structural and petrological aspects of the Pomie showing. The most significant discovery was the large carbonate breccia body, which trends parallel to a probable fault structure. Two out of seven historical drill holes (PM-3 and PM-7) produced encouraging intersections of fracture-controlled and disseminated mineralization in the basalt flows which graded 2.59 lbs U3O8/ton over 38 ft, and 4.79 lbs U3O8/ton over 43 ft, respectively (see Figure 1 above). Individual historical assays within these intersections ranged from less than 0.1 lbs U3O8/ton up to 42.75 lbs U3O8/ton over 40 inches. All other basalt intersections were less than 0.1 lbs U3O8 per ton over similar widths. See inset map of drill historical drill holes at Mineral Claim 102722.

Based on the results of historical trenching and drilling, it appears that mineralization occurs along fractures in the lower basalt flow, and along the lower faulted contact with the underlying arkoses. Radioactive material is extremely fine-grained and disseminated in a matrix of quartz grains, clay minerals, and minor sulphides (pyrite and chalcopyrite). A sample of finely disseminated mineralization in basalt from Trench #9 assaying 130 lbs U3O8 per ton over 13.0 feet (Wright, 1976) gave essentially the same result. A linear concentration or fracture filling was noted. A scanning electron microscope examination of this radioactive material indicated mainly U with minor Si, Fe and Ca, suggesting that uraninite is the uranium mineral, with minor impurities of quartz, iron oxides, and calcite (Wright, 1976).

Namibian Uranium Exclusive Prospecting License Applications

Hertz Energy has submitted applications for uranium Exclusive Prospecting Licenses ("EPLs") in Namibia (Figure 2). Namibia is a country of diverse geology and has one of the richest uranium mineral reserves in the world. There are currently two large operating mines, the Husab and Rossing mines, in the Erongo Region and five major exploration projects planned to advance to production in the next few years as the country embraces the green energy transition. Uranium mining in Namibia is of considerable importance to the national economy. In 2023, Namibia produced the 3rd largest quantity of uranium worldwide at 6,382 tonnes, ranked only behind Kazakhstan and Australia.

The license application areas cover an area of 9,627.84 hectares located in Central Namibia in the Erongo Region, which hosts numerous primary and secondary uranium deposits. Primary uranium is hosted mainly in sheeted D-type alaskites which occur both as cross-cutting dykes and as bedding and/or foliation-parallel sills. The sheets can amalgamate to form larger granite plutons or granite stockworks made up of closely spaced dykes and sills. The mineralized alaskites tend to occur at marked stratigraphic levels, often associated with the Khan-Rossing Formation boundary, or, where the Rossing Formation is missing, the Khan-Chuos/Arandis Formation boundary. Secondary uranium deposits occur in calcretes in the coastal plain of the Namib Desert. The deposits are associated with ancient river systems that flowed westward from the Great Escarpment during the upper Cretaceous and lower Cenozoic periods. Uranium mineralization is typically located in calcretised fluvial channels which tend to be buried with little or no obvious surface expression to identify them.

Figure 2: License applications in the Erongo Uranium Province of Namibia

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/214577_1efd48a29444a908_002full.jpg

Exclusive Prospecting License Application EPL-10185

EPL-10185 is located 22 km east of the coastal town of Swakopmund. The geology is comprised of units from the Kuiseb, Karibib, Arandis, Chuos and Khan Formations intruded by granodiorites and uranium prospective granites (Figure 3). Most of the western and central parts of the licence is under recent surficial cover made up of sand, gravel, scree, and calcrete. Preliminary interpretation of regional airborne radiometric data from the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy indicates radiometric anomalies coinciding with favourable geology for primary alaskite-hosted uranium mineralization. This is the similar style of mineralization found at Bannerman Energy's Etango deposit located 15 km southeast of EPL-10185 as well as that at the Rossing Mine located 30 km to the northeast. The Rossing Mine is one of the largest and longest operating uranium open cast mines in the world producing for the last 46 years. In 2022, Rossing produced 2,659t U3O8 and currently has a feasibility study underway to extend the mine life beyond 2026 (source: Rossing Uranium website - www.rossing.com).

Figure 3: The geology and the airborne radiometric anomaly targets (red) of EPL-10185

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/214577_1efd48a29444a908_003full.jpg

Exclusive Prospecting License Application EPL-10186

EPL-10186 is located 40 km northeast of the coastal town of Swakopmund. Most of the licence application area is covered by recent sand, gravel, scree and calcrete, with a few outcrops of mica schist, calc-silicate rock, marble and red granite (Figure 4). There are two prominent sub-surface water conduits/streams which in general, are believed to be geographically similar to where paleo-channels carrying uranium-rich waters would have flowed. Preliminary interpretation of regional airborne radiometric data from the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy indicates a strong and consistent radiometric anomaly trending northeast-southwest and coincident with the subsurface streams. The Company is targeting secondary uranium mineralization with potential for primary mineralization to the east of the application area. This is the similar style of mineralization found at ORANO's Trekkopje Mine 6 kilometres north of EPL-10186 and Elevate Uranium's Marenica deposit 40 km to the north with an existing mineral resource.

Figure 4: The geology and the airborne radiometric anomaly targets (red) of EPL-10186

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9656/214577_1efd48a29444a908_004full.jpg

The Company expects the EPL applications will be granted by the Namibian Ministry of Mines and Energy in the coming months, and exploration can begin on these uranium properties immediately after the EPLs are granted.

Kal Malhi, CEO of Hertz Energy stated, "We are pleased to be able to begin the process of spinning-out these uranium projects in Canada and Namibia in such a way as to benefit the Company and all of our shareholders.

The Uranium Assets comprise historically documented potential at the Cominco Uranium Property and early-stage exploration potential at our Namibian EPL applications. With the increasing shift to clean energy and concerns around energy security and climate change, we believe uranium can play a large role in the transition to zero-emission base-load electricity generation that the world requires.

We believe our Uranium Assets need to be in a stand-alone public company to be able to fully realize their potential and to provide appropriate value to our shareholders."

PROPOSED "SPIN-OUT" TRANSACTION

The Company anticipates that the Transaction will include the transfer of the Cominco Property and the Namibian EPL's into a stand-alone subsidiary holding the Uranium Assets to be called Hertz Uranium. The consideration for such transfer is expected to be the common shares in the capital of Hertz Uranium.

Hertz Energy then intends to distribute all, or the majority, of such common shares to its existing shareholders on a pro rata basis. The ratio of shares will be determined in the context of the market.

There is no guarantee that a spin out transaction will be consummated, or that the Spin Out will be completed on the terms outlined herein. The Spin-Out represents the current thinking of management and management reserves the rights to alter, amend terms or change the proposed Spin-Out in its sole discretion. It is also anticipated that the Spin-Out will be undertaken by way of a plan of arrangement and there can be no assurances that the arrangement will be completed on the terms outlined herein or at all. The arrangement and the Spin-Out are subject to shareholder, regulatory, and court approval.

Qualified Person Statement

All scientific and technical information contained in this news release was prepared and approved by Paul Teniere, P.Geo., Technical Advisor of Hertz Energy Inc. who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

This news release contains scientific and technical information with respect to adjacent properties to the Company's properties in Nunavut and Namibia, which the Company has no interest in or rights to explore. Readers are cautioned that information regarding the geology and mineralization potential on adjacent properties is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization potential on the Company's properties.

About the Company

The Company is a British Columbia based junior exploration company primarily engaged in the acquisition and exploration of energy metals mineral properties. The Company's lithium exploration projects include the Lucky Mica Lithium Project, the AC/DC Lithium Project, and the Snake Lithium project. The AC/DC Project is 26,500 hectares located in the renowned James Bay Lithium District in Quebec, Canada, just 26 km southeast of the Corvette Lithium Project owned by Patriot Battery Metals and is contiguous to Rio Tinto's Kaanaayaa project claims. The Snake Lithium project consists of 424 contiguous claims totaling approximately 21,700 hectares located east of Patriot Battery Metals Corvette project. The Snake Lithium project is within a similar geological setting to Alkem's James Bay Lithium Project and Nemaska's Whabouchi Lithium project both containing significant lithium mineral resource estimates.

The Company's uranium projects include the Cominco Uranium Project located in Bathurst Inlet, Nunavut, Canada and its recent applications for Exclusive Prospecting Licenses in Namibia.

For further information, please contact Mr. Kal Malhi or view the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kal Malhi

Chief Executive Officer and Director

Phone: 604-805-4602

Email: kal@bullruncapital.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214577

SOURCE: Hertz Energy Inc.
Press Release

Nokia enters into an agreement with the French State regarding the sale of leading submarine networks business ASN

Nokia has signed a put option agreement with the French State contemplating the sale of ASN for an Enterprise Value of EUR 350 million, subject to informing and consulting with relevant employee representative bodies. This proposal:



Demonstrates Nokia's commitment to active portfolio management and focus on key strategic assets.



Focuses the portfolio and improves profitability of the Network Infrastructure business group.

Ensures continued development of a strategic, market-leading French and European business.

ASN is well-positioned to build on the transformation achieved under Nokia.

Nokia will retain a 20% shareholding and board representation until targeted exit to ensure a smooth transition.



27 June 2024

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announces it has entered into a put option to sell Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), a leading submarine networks business, to the French State, represented by the Agence des participations de l'Etat (APE), subject to informing and consulting with the relevant employee representatives at ASN and Nokia. Nokia will retain a 20% shareholding with board representation to ensure a smooth transition until targeted exit, at which point the French State would acquire Nokia's remaining interest.

By divesting ASN, a non-core standalone business for Nokia, Nokia can focus its Network Infrastructure portfolio on growth opportunities in its core markets and further improve profitability of the Network Infrastructure business group. The transaction demonstrates Nokia's active management of its business portfolio, one of the company's six strategic pillars.

Beginning with the second quarter, Nokia expects to account for ASN as a discontinued operation. Going forward, Nokia's Network Infrastructure Business Group will comprise three units: Fixed Networks, IP Networks and Optical Networks. This is expected to reduce the net sales of Network Infrastructure by approximately EUR 1 billion but will increase its operating profit margin by 100 -150 basis points. This does not impact Nokia's previously stated financial outlook disclosed in its Q1 2024 financial report on 18 April 2024.

ASN is a French and global submarine communication networks leader, uniquely positioned in turnkey systems. Under Nokia's ownership, ASN has significantly grown revenues, and is well positioned to continue benefiting from the growth of the large and attractive subsea cables market as the demand for, and importance of, subsea cables has increased.

The proposed sale of ASN to the French State is the result of extensive discussions which concluded that the French State is the most relevant custodian of ASN. The French State, as a stable owner with a long-term interest in the operation and maintenance of critical infrastructure, ensures continuity for ASN customers, employees, and partners.

Recognizing the importance of ASN's heritage, operations and relationships with its key stakeholders, the French State has made clear its full support for ASN's management and strategy, and has agreed to maintain investment in the ASN business and to support the further sustainable development of its vertically integrated technology offering.

As the French State's shareholdings agency, the APE has a large portfolio of holdings across multiple industrial sectors, services and businesses, and serves global clients. Under the APE's ownership of ASN, the French State will secure the future of a strong French and European player in a globally competitive market.

The sale is expected to close at the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025, subject to formal consultation of ASN's French Works Council and other customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO of Nokia, said: "This is a good step forward in our strategy of actively managing our portfolio. ASN has been a standalone part of our Network Infrastructure business and through the divestment, Network Infrastructure will benefit from a streamlined portfolio with a focus on growth and strengthening its technology leadership. ASN has gone through a significant transformation in recent years and has a strong market position. I am pleased we have found a natural owner for the business. The French State will ensure continued investment in ASN and protection of critical industry know-how."

Alain Biston, President and CEO of ASN, said: "This is an incredibly exciting moment for ASN as we undertake the next phase of our development. The French State's ownership gives us a stable platform to further develop our vertically integrated technology offering. This, combined with Nokia's retained stake, underscores all parties' aligned interests in delivering a smooth transition for the benefit of our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders."

Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of Economy, said: "The French State, represented by the Agence des Participations de l'Etat (French shareholding Agency), is thrilled to announce its willingness to acquire 80% shareholding of ASN. The Company is one of the world leaders in the submarine cable market, and the only company of its kind in Europe."

Advisors

BNP Paribas is serving as financial advisor to Nokia, Skadden is serving as legal counsel, and RELIANS (Pascal Dupeyrat, Jean-Christophe Martin) is serving as strategic and institutional advisor.

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today - and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

About ASN

ASN, part of Nokia, leads the industry in terms of transmission capacity and installed base with more than 750,000 km of optical submarine cable deployed worldwide, enough to circumnavigate the globe 19 times.

From traditional Telecom applications to Content & Over-The-Top service provider infrastructures as well as Energy applications, ASN provides all the elements of a global turnkey undersea transmission systems, tailored to the individual customer's needs.

An extensive service portfolio completes its comprehensive offering for the submarine business, including project management, installation and commissioning, along with marine and maintenance operations performed by ASN's fleet of cable ships.

Media inquiries

Nokia Communications, Corporate

Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

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Erinnern Sie sich, als Moderna und BioNTech von unbekannten Unternehmen zu globalen Marktfuhrern wurden und fruhzeitige Investoren reich belohnt haben?



Die Branche steht vor einem erneuten Innovationsschub  von bahnbrechenden Medikamenten bis hin zu revolutionaren Therapien.



Warum sollten Sie dabei sein?



Sie sollten jetzt in Biotech-Aktien einsteigen, weil wir am Beginn einer neuen Ara der medizinischen Innovation stehen konnten! Gen- und Zelltherapien, personalisierte Medizin und bahnbrechende Technologien konnten das Gesundheitswesen revolutionieren  und die Aktienkurse in die Hohe schieen lassen.



Die nachste Erfolgsgeschichte im Biotechbereich warten nur darauf, entdeckt zu werden. Wer jetzt investiert, hat die Chance, von gigantischen Durchbruchen und enormen Renditen zu profitieren. Warten Sie nicht, bis es zu spat ist - der nachste Biotech-Superstar konnte morgen schon durchstarten!



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Fordern Sie sofort unseren brandneuen Biotech-Spezialreport an und erfahren Sie, welche 3 Biotech-Aktien das riesige Potenzial haben, Ihren finanziellen Erfolg zu sichern. Dieser Report ist komplett kostenlos und zeigt Ihnen zukunftstrachtige Investments im Biotech-Sektor.



Handeln Sie jetzt und sichern Sie sich Ihren kostenfreien Report!
Kunstliche Intelligenz hat spatestens nach dem Raketenstart von Chat GPT das Leben aller verandert. Doch der Superzyklus steht nach Meinungen von Experten erst am Anfang. Wahrend Aktien wie Nvidia von der ersten Aufwartsentwicklung stark profitieren konnten, versprechen aussichtsreiche Player aus der

zweiten Reihe noch enormes Aufwartspotenzial.



Im kostenlosen, exklusiven Spezialreport prasentieren wir ihnen 5 innovative KI-Unternehmen, die bahnbrechende Entwicklungen in diesem Sektor pragen konnten.



Warum sollten Sie dabei sein?

Trotz der jungsten Erfolge steht die Entwicklung der kunstlichen Intelligenz noch am Beginn eines neuen Superzyklus. Experten gehen davon aus, dass der Sektor bis 2032 global auf 1,3 Billionen US-Dollar explodieren wird, wobei ein groer Teil auf Hardware und Infrastruktur entfallen wird.



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Spotlight Medical, spinoff of Institut Curie, proudly announced its official launch. This innovative startup aims to transform cancer treatment using advanced artificial intelligence (AI), leveraging a unique technology developed by researchers and clinicians from Institut Curie, Mines Paris PSL, and Inserm, over several years.

Founded by a physician, an AI researcher, and an entrepreneur, Spotlight Medical addresses the critical issue of inadequate cancer treatments. Many patients face over- or undertreatment, leading to reduced survival rates and unnecessary side effects. The founders believe that patient data holds untapped potential, which AI can harness to significantly improve patient care by identifying the most appropriate treatment for each individual.

"Our incredibly powerful and innovative technology has unlocked unprecedented capabilities in tailoring cancer treatments," said Sylvain Berlemont, co-founder and CEO of Spotlight Medical. "The potential impact on patient survival rates and quality of life is immense, heralding a new era in personalized cancer treatment. Our mission is to make it a reality-for patients and their families

Spotlight Medical's clinical AI tests extract meaningful biological information from patient data within a secure and regulated framework. This data predicts treatment response efficacy, guiding oncologists in selecting the most suitable options for their patients. The technology is versatile, capable of handling various cancer types, with the first test focusing on a specific use case to be announced soon.

The strategic alliance between Institut Curie and Spotlight Medical combines clinical expertise, extensive clinical data, advanced technology, and industrial resources to accelerate the development and implementation of innovative cancer solutions.

"The launch of Spotlight Medical, based on the pioneer work conducted in Institut Curie's lab and leveraged by Institut Curie's clinical data, is further proof of our ability to develop high-potential entrepreneurial projects. Spotlight Medical is paving the way for a major, innovative, and promising improvement of patient treatments," said Cecile Campagne, PhD, Director of Institut Curie's Technology Transfer Office.

About Spotlight Medical

Spotlight Medical is a precision medicine company striving to free all patients from cancer through a better understanding of each patient's unique disease. We develop advanced AI tests that enhance treatment selection by leveraging decades of patient data. This ensures personalized and effective care for each individual, significantly improving patient outcomes and quality of life. By closely collaborating with physicians, we create impactful tests that address critical unmet clinical needs, opening a new era in cancer care.

For more information, visit spotlightmedical.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Institut Curie

Institut Curie, France's leading cancer center, combines an internationally-renowned research center with a cutting-edge hospital group, treating all types of cancer, including the rarest. Founded in 1909 by Marie Curie, Institut Curie has 3 sites (Paris, Saint-Cloud and Orsay) with over 3,700 researchers, physicians and health professionals working on its 3 missions: treatment, research and teaching. A private foundation with public utility status, Institut Curie is authorized to accept donations and bequests, and thanks to the support of its donors, is able to accelerate discoveries and improve patient treatment and quality of life.

Find out more: www.curie.fr, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240626294795/en/

Contacts:

Spotlight Medical -Bruno Arabian +33 06 87 88 47 26 barabian@ulysse-communication.com

Institut Curie Elsa Champion +33 07 64 43 09 28 elsa.champion@curie.fr




Original-Research: Nabaltec AG - from NuWays AG



Classification of NuWays AG to Nabaltec AG



Company Name: Nabaltec AG

ISIN: DE000A0KPPR7



Reason for the research: Update

Recommendation: Kaufen

from: 27.06.2024

Target price: EUR 25.00

Target price on sight of: 12 Monaten

Last rating change:

Analyst: Christian Sandherr



Further op. improvements // FY guidance conservative



Topic: Despite the recent 30% share price increase since the low in March, Nabaltec remains on our Alpha List with the key reasons for it being (1) further operational improvements in Q2 and a too conservative FY guidance, (2) the promising optionality of boehmite and (3) an attractive valuation with shares below the book value.



Following a solid Q1 with EUR 54m sales and a 9% EBIT margin, Nabaltec looks set to report further operational improvements in Q2; eNuW EUR 55m sales (+12% yoy) and a 9.1% EBIT margin (+2.4pp yoy). While demand growth for boehmite should remain muted, its environmental flame retardants (~63% of group sales) are seen to be the key driver as they benefit from rising investments into data centres.



FY guidance looks increasingly conservative. Mind you, management expects to grow FY24e sales slightly with an EBIT margin of 7-9%. Considering the expected (eNuW) H1 performance with EUR 109m sales (+2.7% yoy) and a 9.2% EBIT margin (+1.2pp yoy), the lower end of the margin guidance implies a margin of only 4.6% for the remainder of the year.



Lagging boehmite demand, yet a promising optionality. During the past 1.5 years, demand for boehmite, the high-margin coating material for separator foils and electrodes of lithium-ion batteries in EVs, has been weak with sales falling from EUR 24m in FY21 to EUR 17m last year. The main reason behind this was a strong oversupply in China (lacklustre EV demand growth), the core market for EV battery production as well as a slower than initially expected ramp up of production capacities in Europe and the US. Yet, with demand for ceramic coating solutions expected to 4x until 2028, boehmite should return to growth; eNuW: From EUR 17m in FY23 to EUR 25m by FY25e.

Valuation remains highly attractive. At EUR 16.2/share, Nabaltec still trades below its book value (EUR 16.70/share at the end of Q1). For comparison, the company has historically been trading at ~2x P/BV throughout the last 10 years. At the same time, the company offers 10% FCF yield (FY24e) and a healthy balance sheet.



We confirm our BUY rating with an unchanged EUR 25 PT based on FCFY 2025e and keep Nabaltec

on our Alpha List.



You can download the research here:

http://www.more-ir.de/d/30105.pdf

For additional information visit our website

www.nuways-ag.com/research.



Contact for questions

NuWays AG - Equity Research

Web: www.nuways-ag.com

Email: research@nuways-ag.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag

Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany

++++++++++

Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte. Offenlegung moglicher Interessenskonflikte nach  85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befinden sich in der vollstandigen Analyse. ++++++++++



transmitted by EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this research. The result of this research does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to conclude certain stock exchange transactions.




DALIAN, China, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dalian Donggang Business District is an integration of conference, business, leisure and cultural functions. The 2024 Dalian Summer Davos Forum kicked off, where guests at home and abroad gathered on the shores of Dalian Bay discussing about the communication and cooperation for sustainable development of the global economy.

In order to host this international event, Dalian has followed the theme of 'New Frontiers for Future Growth', recommended 13 forward-looking and exploratory topics to the Forum, and for the first time opened two ancillary agendas in the form of luncheons in the forum venue. Relying on 5G-A technology, the network support capacity of the 2024 Dalian Summer Davos Forum venue has been updated, where the HD live broadcasts are possible and the downloading could be finished in a matter of seconds. It has realized the full coverage of the 3CC and intelligent computing functions of 5G-A in the country's first large-scale international conference venue, and shared the results of the construction of 'Digital China' with the participants.

We promote green transformation with focus on the energy saving and carbon reduction. NEV accounted for more than 80% among more than 600 service-guaranteed vehicles in this forum. As the third batch of pilot cities for low-carbon in China, Dalian has accelerated the green transformation of its development methods, so that guests and citizens of the Summer Davos Forum can feel the vitality of green ecology around them.

The economic and trade interactions are amplifying spillover effects. Dalian has dispatched 'Investing in Dalian 2024' and other promotional materials to show Dalian's industrial base, urban charm and development potential through industrial tourism activities during the forum, and embedded the industrial promotion and investment negotiation into industrial tourism activities. Dalian has promulgated the local regulations as the fourth in China and the first in northeast China to support foreign investment, optimizing the foreign investment environment.

The culture is the medium to deepen people-to-people exchanges. Dalian is located at 39 N, enjoying a beautiful environment and pleasant climate, attracting Chinese and foreign tourists with its abundant cultural and tourism resources of unique charm. Strolling through the power of sea erosion in the 'Sculpture Park' on the Golden Stone Beach, enjoying the karst landscape of the 'Black Shell and White Heart' on the Black Stone Reef, and experiencing the layered quartzite landscape in the PaiShi Scenic Area.

Dalian possesses a coastline of 2,211 kilometers. Here, you can wander along the most beautiful coastal road, commence a 'Dalian maritime tour' and gather seafood on the beach when the tide is ebbing. Large-scaled activities of urban themes such as Sophora Flower Festival, Cherry Festival, Beach Festival, Hot Spring & Ski Festival, etc. run throughout the year. Dalian has held the titles of 'Global Habitable City', 'China's Best Tourist City' and 'China's Demonstration City for Leisure Tourism.'

The 2024 Dalian Summer Davos Forum has created a vast space for global enterprises and institutions to develop in Dalian and provides opportunities for cooperation.

At the Summer Davos Forum, the reporter has interviewed Hideo Ueshima, chairman and general manager of the Development Bank of Japan Group. "A beautiful coastal city" was his impression of Dalian. "Dalian has a comfortable climate and a beautiful sea view. The last time I came to Dalian was more than 20 years ago. Now there have been many changes here. I was impressed by the business and leisure atmosphere of the Donggang Business District. I look forward to a deeper understanding of some innovative developments in China at the forum," said Hideo Ueshima.

Contact:

Chen Jing

Tel.: 0086-13555969416

E-mail: dl_wxb@126.com

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Award-winning 'Time for Phonics' available to Espresso users from September

BATH, England, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global edtech leader Discovery Education today announced plans to integrate the Department for Education (DfE)-validated 'Time for Phonics' programme into Espresso, its daily learning platform for primary schools. These exciting new resources will empower teachers to deliver high-quality phonics lessons that meet National Curriculum requirements and support children to become fluent readers.

Available to Espresso users from September, 'Time for Phonics by Discovery Education' will give schools a complete suite of resources to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) to pupils in Reception and KS1. Following the Letters and Sounds progression, the activity-based, time-saving programme - winner of a Teach Early Years Award - makes phonics enjoyable to teach and learn and helps children make rapid progress in reading.

Featuring fun bite-sized lessons, decodable texts, in-class assessments and full teaching support, 'Time for Phonics by Discovery Education' is ideal for teachers who are new to phonics or seeking fresh ideas to build knowledge and confidence. With easy-to-follow lesson plans and fun hands-on activities, the programme provides a structured route to prepare pupils for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, while helping them to meet or exceed National Curriculum reading expectations.

The new 'Time for Phonics by Discovery Education' programme will complement Espresso's existing phonics resources to make it easy for teachers to create high-quality lessons and assessments, tailored to every level.

"We're excited to integrate these DfE-validated, award-winning resources into Espresso's rich library of content", said Michael Savitz, Discovery Education's UK and International General Manager. "With our complete suite of resources in hand, teachers will have everything they need in one place to deliver engaging lessons and teach phonics with confidence."

Created by teachers for teachers, 'Time for Phonics by Discovery Education' is a DfE-validated SSP programme. DfE-validation is achieved via rigorous assessment, and validated programmes are deemed to provide teachers with an effective and complete programme of teaching and learning for SSP in Reception and KS1.

Discovery Education is the global edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital resources nurture curiosity and drive deeper engagement.

Explore Discovery Education's award-winning digital learning services at www.discoveryeducation.co.uk.

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, and innovative classroom tools, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences, engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.co.uk.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449137/Discovery_Education.jpg

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The appointment aligns with the company's recent strategic pivot towards treating genetic disorders of the CNS without gene therapy

GENEVA, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Release Therapeutics ('Release Tx' or 'the Company'), a privately-held, Swiss BioMedTech company, announced today the appointment of Thomas Mehrling, MD, PhD, as CEO. The appointment follows the recent strategic pivot of Release Tx (formerly, 'MaxiVax') towards treating genetic disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with a best-in-class cell macroencapsulation technology as an alternative to gene therapy.1



With over 25 years' experience in multinational pharma companies, including Takeda, Mundipharma International and Hoffmann-La Roche, Dr. Mehrling is an expert in developing novel oncology compounds from bench to bedside. During his tenure at MundiPharma International (2003-2013), he oversaw the clinical development, registration and launch of two major products in Europe, Depocyte and Levact (Ribomustin and Treanda). Dr. Mehrling received his PhD in Pharmacology and MD from the University of Frankfurt, where he previously spent 13 years working on research projects in cardiology and oncology.

Release Tx is developing a proprietary technology capable of delivering highly potent therapeutic proteins beyond the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for the long-term treatment of CNS disorders. Consisting of an implantable macroencapsulation device and a human myoblast cell line that can be genetically modified to produce diverse proteins, this technology is the first of its kind to be designed for cell macroencapsulation in humans.2 The lead programme of Release Tx focuses on treating Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic CNS disorder typically affecting young children.

Release Tx's Chairman, Ksenija Pavletic, said, "We're thrilled to have Dr. Mehrling on board to lead Release Therapeutics on its new mission. The remarkable progress we've made with our technology now offers significant advantages over gene therapy for the treatment of CNS diseases, bringing hope to patients and their families around the world."

Thomas Mehrling, MD, PhD, said 'Release Therapeutics' technology is a game-changer in getting therapeutic proteins where they are needed most. I am looking forward to driving the company towards this goal.'

References

About Release Therapeutics

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Release Therapeutics is a privately-held, BioMedTech company developing the first cell macroencapsulation technology designed to deliver potent therapeutic proteins beyond the human blood-brain barrier. The Company's proprietary technology integrates an implantable macroencapsulation device with an immortalised myoblast cell line capable of producing a broad range of proteins for long-term delivery to the CNS. Innovating at the nexus of biotech and MedTech, Release Therapeutics is on a mission to treat genetic diseases of the CNS without gene therapy. The company's lead programme is in preclinical development for the treatment of Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare genetic disorder that leads to progressive loss of myelin and typically affects young children.

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.release-tx.com/

Contacts

Release Therapeutics SA

contact@release-tx.com

Manage Mind Greece (for Release Therapeutics)

Jessica Kourniaktis

Phone: (+30)6932254679

Email: jkourniakti@managemind.ch
China Eastern Airlines released its 2023 ESG report recently, comprehensively showcasing its proactive actions in promoting sustainable development in collaboration with various parties.

With the company's assistance, Cangyuan and Shuangjiang counties in Yunnan province are becoming even more harmonious and livable.

Journalists, foreign hosts, and aviation influencers recently visited Cangyuan and Shuangjiang counties in Lincang, southwest China's Yunnan Province, to experience first-hand the wonderful lives of the local residents.

Leveraging its advantages, China Eastern Airlines has actively and continuously operated and invested in designated routes for rural revitalization, connecting Lincang with major cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

In 2023 alone, these routes have driven an increase of over 570 million yuan in the city's GDP.

During the visit, the delegation went to an ecological tourism model village aided by China Eastern Airlines, where they saw modern residential housing, sewage networks, and solar-powered street lamps, and listened to the story of villagers becoming "fashion designers" and showcasing their works on international runways.

In the village, there is a poverty alleviation workshop that promotes local agricultural specialties, and villagers also benefit from the beekeeping business. The average per capita income in the village has increased significantly compared to 2019.

Thanks to the donation by China Eastern Airlines, local middle school students are able to study in spacious and bright classrooms. Local teachers also went to Beijing and Shanghai to receive relevant training and brought back quality educational resources.

It is reported that China Eastern Airlines, through these routes, has cumulatively driven an increase of over 8 billion yuan in the local GDP and created over 100,000 jobs.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240626147633/en/

Contacts:

China Eastern Airlines

http://www.ceair.com/

fangying

00862122331470

fangying@ceair.com
NEW CASTLE, Del., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "AIoT Market by Component (Hardware, Software, and Services), Deployment (On-Premise and Cloud), Industry Vertical (Retail, Agriculture, Logistics, BFSI, Automotive and Transport, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Others), Application (Video Surveillance, Inventory Management, Predictive Maintenance, Supply Chain Management, and Others), and End User (B2B, B2G, and B2C): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024-2032". According to the report, the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) market was valued at $126.1 billion in 2023 and is estimated to reach $1,319.4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 30.2% from 2024 to 2032.

Prime Determinants of Growth

The proliferation of connected devices and advancements in AI algorithms are the factors expected to propel the growth of the global AIoT market. However, data privacy and security concerns and high cost of implementation are anticipated to hamper the growth of the global market. On the contrary, enhanced user experiences and demand for predictive maintenance are further expected to create lucrative opportunities for the growth of the global market.

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Report Coverage & Details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2024-2032 Base Year 2023 Market Size In 2022 $126.1 Billion Market Size In 2032 $1,319.4 Billion CAGR 30.2 % Segments Covered Component, Deployment, Industry Vertical, Application, End User, and Region. Drivers Proliferation of Connected Devices Advancements In AI Algorithms Increased Concern Regarding Security Features and Stability of Software Opportunities Enhanced User Experiences Demand For Predictive Maintenance Restraints Data Privacy and Security Concerns High Cost of Implementation

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https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/artificial-intelligence-of-things-aiot-market/purchase-options

The hardware segment dominated the market in 2023.

By component, the hardware segment held the highest market share in 2023, accounting for nearly three-fifths the AIoT market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period, as AIOT relies heavily on physical components like sensors, processors, and devices to gather data and perform tasks. These hardware components are the basis of AIoT systems, enabling them to sense, process, and act upon information in the real world, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth. However, the software segment is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 33.9% from 2024 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to the advancements in AI algorithms, machine learning techniques, and data analytics capabilities are driving innovation in AIoT software, enabling enhanced decision-making, predictive insights, and automation functionalities, which is drives the segment growth in the AIoT market.

The cloud segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By deployment, the cloud segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, contributing more than half of the AIoT market revenue, and expected to attain the largest CAGR of 31.4% from 2024 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period owing to Cloud-based platforms provide the foundational infrastructure and computing resources necessary to support the massive data processing and storage requirements of AIoT applications. Moreover, cloud services offer seamless integration with IoT devices, enabling real-time data analytics, machine learning, and predictive insights to be delivered efficiently and cost-effectively, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth.

The manufacturing segment dominated the market in 2023.

By industry vertical, the manufacturing segment held the highest market share in 2023, accounting for more than one-fifth of the AIoT market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period, and is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 34.7% from 2024 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to its increasing adoption of automation, predictive maintenance, and smart manufacturing initiatives. AIoT applications in manufacturing utilize AI algorithms integrated with IoT devices to monitor equipment performance, predict maintenance needs, and optimize production processes in real time, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth.

The video surveillance segment dominated the market in 2023.

By application, the video surveillance segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly one-third the AIoT market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status during the forecast period, owing to AI-powered video surveillance systems being widely adopted across various sectors such as retail, transportation, and smart cities. These systems use AI to enhance security by analyzing video feeds in real-time, detecting anomalies, and providing actionable insights, which are crucial for ensuring safety and operational efficiency, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth. However, the manufacturing segment is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 34.5% from 2024 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period, owing to increasing using IoT sensors and AI algorithms, these systems can predict equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime, minimizing maintenance costs, and improving overall operational efficiency. This capability is increasingly valued across industries such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation, which drives the segment growth in the AIoT market.

The B2B segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period.

By end user, the B2B segment accounted for the largest share in 2023, contributing more than two-fifths of the AIoT market revenue, and is expected to attain the largest CAGR of 31.9% from 2024 to 2032 and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period owing to increasingly adopting AIoT solutions to improve operational efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance decision-making. In B2B scenarios, AIoT applications include industrial automation, supply chain optimization, smart building management, and logistics tracking, among others, which is further expected to propel the overall market growth.

North America region to maintain its dominance by 2032.

By region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2023, accounting for more than one-third of the AIoT market revenue, owing to the region's robust infrastructure, technological innovation, and substantial investments in AIoT initiatives. North America hosts a thriving ecosystem of AIoT companies, research institutions, and technology hubs, fostering a conducive environment for the development and adoption of AIoT solutions across diverse industries is anticipated to propel the growth of the market in this region. However, Asia-Pacific is projected to attain the highest CAGR of 36.7% from 2024 to 2032, owing to increase in digital transformation initiatives. With a growing emphasis on Industry 4.0, smart cities, and connected infrastructure projects, countries in the Asia-Pacific region are witnessing a surge in demand for AIoT solutions to address diverse challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities, further expected to contribute to the growth of the market in this region.

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Leading Market Players: -

Microsoft Corporation

SAP SE

Alphabet (Google Inc.)

Bosch.IO GmbH

Williot

Hitachi, Ltd.

International Business Machines Corporation

Siemens AG

GE Vernova

Terminus Group

Falkonry Inc

Amazon Web Services, Inc.

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the AIoT market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different countries. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact:

David Correa

1209 Orange Street,

Corporation Trust Center,

Wilmington, New Castle,

Delaware 19801 USA.

Int'l: +1-503-894-6022

Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285

UK: +44-845-528-1300

India (Pune): +91-20-66346060

Fax: +1-800-792-5285

help@alliedmarketresearch.com

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HONG KONG, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CNOOC Limited (the "Company", SEHK: 00883 (HKD Counter) and 80883 (RMB Counter), SSE: 600938) announces today that Enping 21-4 Oilfield Development Project has commenced production.

The project is located in eastern South China Sea, with an average water depth of approximately 89 meters. It will be developed by leveraging the existing production facilities and is expected to achieve a peak production of approximately 5,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025. The oil property is light crude.

The Company endeavors to improve project efficiency through technological and managerial innovation. Enping 21-4 oilfield was developed with 2 extra extended reach wells drilled from the existing production platform. The well depth exceeds 9,500 meters. The successful application of the development mode has set an example for similar projects of the Company.

CNOOC Limited holds 100% interest in this project and acts as the operator.

- End -

Notes to Editors:

More information about the Company is available at http://www.cnoocltd.com.

*** *** *** ***

This press release includes forward looking information, including statements regarding the likely future developments in the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, such as expected future events, business prospects or financial results. The words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company as of this date in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company currently believes are appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will meet the current expectations and predictions of the Company is uncertain. Actual results, performance and financial condition may differ materially from the Company's expectations, including but not limited to those associated with macro-political and economic factors, fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas prices, the highly competitive nature of the oil and natural gas industry, climate change and environmental policies, the Company's price forecast, mergers, acquisitions and divestments activities, HSSE and insurance policies and changes in anti-corruption, anti- fraud, anti-money laundering and corporate governance laws and regulations.

Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company cannot assure that the results or developments anticipated will be realised or, even if substantially realised, that they will have the expected effect on the Company, its business or operations.

*** *** *** ***

For further enquiries, please contact:

Ms. Cui Liu

Media & Public Relations

CNOOC Limited

Tel: +86-10-8452-6641

Fax: +86-10-8452-1441

E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Bunny Lee

Porda Havas International Finance Communications Group

Tel: +852 3150 6707

Fax: +852 3150 6728

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE CNOOC Limited
Ferpection, a French company active in User Research since 2014, will join UNGUESS's orbit starting from the first half of 2024, marking the birth of a new European leader in the market of User Experience research and Software Quality

MILAN, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UNGUESS (unguess.io), the first platform in Italy to use crowdtesting methodology to conduct tests and obtain relevant and effective feedback from a real user community, has announced the creation of a leading European group in the fields of Quality and UX research through the acquisition of Ferpection, the expert UX Research consultancy active in the French market with a high-profile client portfolio, with brands such as Air France, Clarins, L'Oreal, LVMH, Matmut, SANEF.

This initiative aims to strengthen UNGUESS's presence in France, expanding its commercial network and enhancing Ferpection's product offerings by leveraging the Quality and Security services provided by UNGUESS. Ferpection's clients will also benefit from UNGUESS's platform and technological architecture, utilizing its dynamic and global crowd for tester recruiting. In addition, Ferpection will bring to the partnership its robust expertise in impact-driven solutions for businesses focusing on CSR, including eco-conception, inclusivity, and accessibility.

"We are very excited to have Ferpection as our strategic partner in the French market" commented Luca Manara, CEO of UNGUESS. "They've been leading the UX Research market in France and relentlessly creating value for their customers both in France and at an international level. We were looking for a team of like-minded experts that will help carry the torch from UNGUESS and benefit from our ambitions to go even further. This operation undoubtedly represents a significant step in our international expansion plan - a step that would not have been possible without the continued trust of our investors in the Series B funding round of over 10 million completed last January".

"When we met Luca and the team at UNGUESS - commented Thibault Geenen, Founder and CEO at Ferpection - we were surprised by what we could achieve together on a European level. UNGUESS had pushed their platform both in the QA and UX space. Meanwhile, we had, in the past year, moved away from our platform to focus on services. It was like two teams being re-united again. This is an element that more and more customers are asking for. Before, you could provide the tech or the services. The truth is that now customers need them both. Beyond that, we are already seeing synergies around ur shared vision for experience and quality solutions in Europe."

UNGUESS Figures

The completion of the acquisition of Ferpection follows a period of robust development for UNGUESS, which saw record revenue and orders in the first quarter of 2024, confirming the results achieved in 2023 - a year that ended with organic growth of over 30%. The goal for 2024 is to exceed 10 million in turnover and achieve operational breakeven. As Luca Manara mentioned, UNGUESS had closed a funding round of over 10M at the beginning of 2023, led by FITEC, with participation from existing investors in the corporate structure, notably P101 SGR with its two vehicles Programma 102 and Italia 500, managed on behalf of Azimut, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), Club degli Investitori, and Club Italia Investimenti 2.

UNGUESS https://unguess.io/about-us/

FERPECTION https://ferpection.com/en/about/

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BlackRock World Mining Trust Plc - Portfolio Update

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, June 27

BLACKROCK WORLD MINING TRUST PLC (LEI - LNFFPBEUZJBOSR6PW155 )

All information is at 31 May 2024 and unaudited.



Performance at month end with net income reinvested One Three One Three Five Month Months Year Years Years Net asset value 3.3% 20.2% 10.9% 14.0% 107.7% Share price 2.0% 24.9% 7.0% 9.7% 139.2% MSCI ACWI Metals & Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index (Net)* 0.9% 16.2% 18.3% 14.1% 85.9% * (Total return) Sources: BlackRock, MSCI ACWI Metals & Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index, Datastream

At month end

Net asset value (including income)1: 611.09p Net asset value (capital only): 605.40p Share price: 590.00p Discount to NAV2: 3.5% Total assets: 1,301.8m Net yield3: 5.7% Net gearing: 12.8% Ordinary shares in issue: 191,183,036 Ordinary shares held in Treasury: 1,828,806 Ongoing charges4: 0.91% Ongoing charges5: 0.81%

1 Includes net revenue of 5.69p.

2 Discount to NAV including income.

3 Based on a second interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 24 August 2023, a third interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 11 October 2023 and a final dividend of 17.00p per share declared on 7 March 2024 in respect of the year ended 31 December 2023 and a first interim dividend of 5.50p per share declared on 10 May 2024 with ex date 30 May 2024 and pay date 28 June 2024, in respect of the year ending 31 December 2024.

4 The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding finance costs, direct transaction costs, custody transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

5 The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily gross assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding finance costs, direct transaction costs, custody transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Country Analysis Total

Assets (%) Global 63.3 Canada 8.6 Latin America 8.6 United States 8.5 Australasia 7.4 Other Africa 3.7 Indonesia 0.7 South Africa 0.1 Net Current Liabilities -0.9 ----- 100.0 =====

Sector Analysis Total

Assets (%) Diversified 35.4 Copper 24.7 Gold 17.4 Steel 7.7 Industrial Minerals 4.8 Aluminium 3.5 Iron Ore 2.1 Platinum Group Metals 1.8 Uranium 1.7 Nickel 1.2 Mining Services 0.5 Zinc 0.1 Net Current Liabilities -0.9 ----- 100.0 =====

Ten largest investments Company Total Assets % Glencore 8.0 BHP: Equity 6.0 Royalty 1.5 Rio Tinto 6.0 Vale: Equity 3.5 Debenture 2.5 Anglo American 5.2 Freeport-McMoRan 4.6 Newmont 4.4 Teck Resources 3.7 Norsk Hydro ASA 3.5 Agnico Eagle Mines 3.4

Asset Analysis Total Assets (%) Equity 98.1 Bonds 1.5 Preferred Stock 0.8 Convertible Bonds 0.6 Option -0.1 Net Current Liabilities -0.9 ----- 100.0 =====

Commenting on the markets, Evy Hambro and Olivia Markham, representing the Investment Manager noted: Performance The Company's NAV rose by 3.3% in May, outperforming its reference index, the MSCI ACWI Metals and Mining 30% Buffer 10/40 Index (net return), which returned +0.9% (performance figures in GBP). After a strong run in April, most mined commodity prices were relatively flat through May. The copper price reached a new all-time high of US$5.20/lb during the month but pulled back to end the period up by just 0.2%. The standout performer was silver, with its price rising by 14.8% on strong physical demand in Asia. Sentiment around China improved on signs of better economic activity, with the Caixin General Manufacturing PMI rising to 51.7. China also announced support for its struggling property market, with its central bank setting up a 300 billion yuan (US$42 billion) facility for local state-owned enterprises to buy unsold homes. In company news, after a month of negotiations, BHP withdrew its proposed takeover of Anglo American after the companies failed to reach an agreement. Anglo American then announced plans to restructure its business, which included a spin off of its platinum business unit. Strategy and Outlook China has re-opened but with less impact than had been expected. Uncertainty persists around China's commodity demand, but we are seeing the Chinese administration announce financial support incrementally. Longer term, we are excited by the structural demand growth for a range of mined commodities that will result from the low carbon transition. Meanwhile, commodity supply is likely to be constrained by the capital discipline of recent years, whilst inventories for many mined commodities are at historic lows. Mining companies have low levels of debt, continue to return capital to shareholders but appear to be entering a higher capital expenditure phase. We are seeing Brown to Green emerge as a key theme, where mining companies are focusing on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions intensity associated with their production. We expect to see a re-rating for the mining companies able to best navigate this and are playing this in the portfolio. 27 June 2024 Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.com/uk/brwm on the internet. Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
 Market capitalisation of GBP 130 million 22nd listing on Euronext in 2024 7th international listing on Euronext in 2024, further strengthening Euronext's leading position for cross-border listings in EuropeAmsterdam - 27 June 2024 - Euronext today congratulates The London Tunnels PLC, established to transform a former World War II tunnel complex in the centre of London into a major tourist attraction, on its successful listing on Euronext Amsterdam (ticker code: TLT).The London Tunnels intends to develop a series of visitor attractions in the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels in central London by restoring, adaptively reusing and bringing the tunnels back to life, offering a combination of historical heritage experiences and a cultural, multi-sensory, digital experience. Right in the centre of London, one of the most visited cities in the world, the tunnels are envisaged to become the capital's most spectacular underground tourist attraction.The Listing on Euronext provides the Company with access to the capital markets, which it will use, following receipt of the planning permission, to commence the detailed feasibility, design and engineering work required to progress the project towards construction.The admission and issue price of The London Tunnels shares was set at GBP 2 per share. Market capitalisation was GBP 130 million on the day of listing.Angus Murray, Chief Executive Officer of The London Tunnels, commented: "We thank Euronext Amsterdam for their warm welcome. With the size and scale of both the equity and debt capital markets, the sound ecosystem and business environment in the Netherlands, we are confident that this listing will increase our ability to tap into the capital markets. We are happy to bring this new opportunity to investors as we will seek to raise capital over the coming years to realise our vision of creating an unparalleled tourist attraction. This is an important milestone in the development of the company, shortly after receiving the first planning permission from the City of London and we look forward to this next phase in our development."About The London Tunnels PLCThe Company was founded to preserve and transform the Tunnels, built as part of the United Kingdom Government's strategy to protect its citizens from bombing during what became known as the London Blitz, into a major tourist attraction targeting up to 3 million visitors per year. The mile-long series of tunnels have been kept secret for nearly 70 years. Right in the centre of the London, one of the most visited cities in the world, the tunnels are envisaged to become the capital's most spectacular underground tourist attraction, offering a combination of historical heritage experiences and a cultural, multi-sensory, digital experience. For more information, please see:www.thelondontunnels.com
HONG KONG, June 27, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Hong Kong's trade growth forecast for 2024 has been upwardly revised to between 9% and 11%. The surprise move was announced by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and marks a substantial upgrade to its initial estimation of 4-6% as announced at the end of last year.This welcome uptick stems from two key economic indicators that signal good news for Hong Kong's current and future export prospects. First, the HKTDC's review of the first five months of 2024 showed export levels to be up by a hefty 12.5% year on year.Confirmation of the improving business environment came in the findings in the HKTDC Export Confidence Index for the second quarter of 2024, which showed a substantial rally in both its crucial Current Performance and Expectation Indices.HKTDC Director of Research Irina Fan said: "Taking all of these factors into account, HKTDC Research has revised its 2024 trade growth forecast to better reflect the overall upturn in demand and the generally more positive global trade outlook."Electronics exports shine in half-year reviewThe HKTDC's review of the first five months of this year showed export levels rising by a hefty 12.5% year on year, driven by a surge in orders for electronic goods as well as parts and components, which typically comprise some 70% of the city's total export value.In terms of markets, exporters were generally optimistic across the board. The scores for Mainland China were particularly high with the Current and Expectation indices both rising above 60. Regarding the uptick in electronics exports, this has largely been sustained by rising output levels in production plants in the mainland and ASEAN countries. From January to May, Hong Kong's overall level of mainland-bound exports rose 21.1% year on year, while exports to the ASEAN bloc climbed 19.8%. In both cases, industrial inputs and intermediate goods accounted for some 90% of the total exports.HKTDC Research Principal Economist Wing Chu said: "Apart from consumer items such as audio-visual products (+11.2%), jewellery exports also rose by 2.0% largely on account of growing demand from emerging markets like the UAE. This rise happened despite the sluggish performance of some other consumer goods exports amid underlying sectoral divergence."Optimism uptick in new Export Confidence IndexCoinciding with the Mid-Year Trade Review, the findings of the Export Confidence Index for the second quarter indicate that exporters were 12 points happier with their Current Performance than in the first quarter, scoring 51.6 this quarter. This renewed satisfaction was also reflected in the Expectation Index (54.3), a measure of how confident exporters are about their likely performance in the coming quarter. Up to 73% of exporters are now expecting higher or maintained profit levels, compared to just 55.9% in the first quarter of 2024.Exporters have also shown renewed confidence in demand from Hong Kong's key markets. Across all six geographical market segments, only the prospects in Japan were ranked below 50, the threshold figure for likely market expansion. Exporters were the most optimistic about sustained demand from the mainland (up from 39.6 to 60.5) and from the United States (up from 34.5 to 53.6). Of the remainder - the European Union, ASEAN and the rest of the world - no market was accorded a score below 52.0.In the second quarter, rising transport costs overtook an economic slowdown and recession as exporters' primary concern, followed by higher capital costs and exchange-rate fluctuations. At the same time, they believe the growth of e-commerce, the upturn in overseas market activities as well as the wider deployment of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies will provide fresh impetus to their businesses.Promising outlook ahead"While no country or territory's economic performance can be seen as immune to the key factors currently impacting the global economy - notably geopolitical tensions, rising costs and exchange rate fluctuations - it is safe to say that Hong Kong has exceeded expectations for the first half of the year," Ms Fan said.She added that given the firm foundation Hong Kong has put in place and the growing faith in many of its key markets, there are reasonable grounds to assume that the welcome uptick in export performance "will be sustained for the rest of the year and, quite possibly, well beyond".To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcReferences- HKTDC Research website: http://research.hktdc.com/- HKTDC Export Confidence Index 2Q24: A Significant Upturn Amid Rising Optimism https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTcyODk3MTYyMA- 2024 Mid-Year Trade Review and Outlook: Surge in Electronics Orders Fuels Rapid Rebound in Export Levels https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/MTcyOTg1MjAzNQMedia enquiriesPlease contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department:Jane CheungTel: (852) 2584 4137Email: jane.mh.cheung@hktdc.orgAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInSource: HKTDCCopyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Regulatory News:

TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has signed an agreement to sell to The Prax Group its entire interest in West of Shetland assets in the United Kingdom (Laggan, Tormore, Glenlivet, Edradour and Glendronach fields, the onshore Shetland Gas Plant and nearby exploration licenses). The transaction is subject to approval from the relevant authorities.

These mature assets currently produce about 7,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day in TotalEnergies' share, made up of around 90% of gas. The transaction involves the transfer of relevant employees from TotalEnergies to Prax in compliance with the applicable legislation.

"This transaction is in line with TotalEnergies' strategy to continuously adapt its portfolio by divesting mature non-core assets," said Jean-Luc Guiziou, Senior Vice President Europe for Exploration Production at TotalEnergies"TotalEnergies remains committed to the UK through both its upstream portfolio in the North Sea (Elgin-Franklin, Culzean and Alwyn fields) and its Integrated Power and Renewables portfolio."

About TotalEnergies in the United Kingdom

TotalEnergies has been present in the UK for more than 60 years, employing more than 1,800 people across the energy value chain.

As one of the country's leading oil and gas operators, the Company operates around 30% of the UK Continental Shelf's gas production, with average daily production of 142,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in 2023 in company share.

TotalEnergies is deploying its Integrated Power strategy in the UK, which combines renewable power production and flexible power generation capacities. Its renewable portfolio in the county includes 1.1 GW of gross installed capacity (Seagreen offshore wind farm) and 4.5 GW under development. It was complemented in 2024 by the acquisition of gas-fired power plants (CCGT) with total output of 1.3 GW.

The Company is one of the UK's largest suppliers of gas and electricity to businesses and the public sector. TotalEnergies also offers EV charging solutions and markets petroleum products including lubricants, aviation fuel, bitumen and specialty fluids.

The Company is also present in the CCS business through its 10% interest in the Northern Endurance Partnership.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.

@TotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240627327354/en/

Contacts:

TotalEnergies Contacts

Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR

Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel, the insurance operation within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), today announced the appointment of Jennifer Gebran as Head of Casualty for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with immediate effect.

In her new role, Gebran will be responsible for developing the region's casualty underwriting strategy - one centred on enhanced underwriting capabilities and the delivery of profitable growth. She will also be tasked with developing stronger relationships with new and existing brokers, other distribution partners and clients, to help establish Markel as a market leader for casualty underwriting in the MENA region. Gebran will play a key role in supporting Markel's plans to strategically expand its footprint in the MENA region, by establishing a strong onshore presence with a highly experienced and empowered underwriting team.

Gebran joins Markel from Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, where she served as Assistant Vice President in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). With more than 13 years of underwriting experience, specialising in the Gulf, Middle East and North Africa, Gebran brings a wealth of expertise in the casualty and contingency facultative reinsurance sector.

Prior to her tenure at Berkshire Hathaway, Gebran spent 11 years with Liberty Specialty Markets, where she progressed from Underwriting Assistant to Assistant Vice President. At Liberty Specialty Markets, some of her principal duties included managing underwriters and spearheading growth initiatives into new geographies, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and North Africa. She began her underwriting career at Jardine Lloyd Thompson in 2008.

Based in Dubai, Gebran will report to Max Robbie, Senior Executive Officer at Markel, Dubai. Her appointment follows the formation of a new International Casualty team within the Specialty division last year, led by Graeme Ivory, Director of International Casualty.

Commenting on the appointment, Robbie said: "I'm delighted to welcome Jennifer to the team. Companies across the MENA region face a unique set of challenges and opportunities, and responding to these requires a deep understanding of the local business environment. I'm confident that Jennifer's knowledge of the local market, along with her excellent relationships and connections in the region, will be a huge asset to our business, particularly as we continue to expand our International Casualty portfolio to meet the specific needs of our MENA clients."

About Markel

We are Markel, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we operate the Markel Specialty, Markel International, and Markel Global Reinsurance divisions, as well as State National, our portfolio protection and program services operations, and Nephila, our insurance-linked securities operations. Our broad array of capabilities and expertise allow us to create intelligent solutions for the most complex risk management needs. However, it is our people - and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients - that differentiates us worldwide.

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Latest funding round capitalizes on recent growth, catalyzing further product innovation and expansion into new markets

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Odaseva, the leading enterprise data security platform for Salesforce, today announced a $54 million Series C equity financing, bringing the total company funding to more than $90 million. Silver Lake Waterman led the round, with participation from existing investors F-Prime, Eight Roads and Serena Capital, and new investors Eurazeo and Crescent Cove. The investment comes after several marquee new customer wins across industries and geographies, and will support further growth, including additional investment into data security and Zero Trust product offerings.

Enterprises around the globe are digitizing more strategic processes, including assets containing sensitive data with high demand for confidentiality, integrity and availability - further accelerated by AI and compliance standards. Odaseva is the trusted Salesforce enterprise data security platform securing more than 100 million users for customers around the world, including a growing number of Global Fortune 500 companies. The power of the Odaseva platform enables Salesforce end-to-end encryption, optimizes Salesforce availability up to 99.99% and delivers among the best-in-the-industry Salesforce Recovery Point and Time Objective (RPO/RTO).

"Data sits at the core of large organizations, so we know trust with our customers is more important than ever before. We're proud that Odaseva's commitment to data security exceeds the requirements of even the most complex, highly regulated businesses in the world," said Sovan Bin, CEO and Founder of Odaseva. "This round of funding will help to accelerate our growth into new markets and keep us at the forefront of innovation in the space."

"The Odaseva team has built a leading data resiliency platform for the Salesforce ecosystem that provides security and continuity solutions for mission critical applications," said Shawn O'Neill, Managing Director and Group Head of Silver Lake Waterman. "Sovan and the Odaseva leadership team have a solid track record of building value and trust with global enterprise customers and we are excited to partner with the team and help drive further growth."

The Series C funding will accelerate Odaseva's leading product development and investment into deepening levels of global reach, including additional resources for North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Odaseva will continue to hire top talent at the executive level, following the recent additions of Steven Corbin, Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Matthew Johnston as Chief Revenue Officer and Susan Lansing as Chief People Officer.

About Odaseva

Odaseva delivers the strongest data security solution for enterprises running on Salesforce, safeguarding confidentiality and integrity of critical business information. Global Fortune 500 companies rely on the Odaseva Enterprise Data Security Platform to gain powerful defense against threats to Salesforce data, ensure business continuity and comply with regulations. It is designed and built specifically to solve the complex challenges of large-scale global organizations.

With Odaseva, enterprises can confidently navigate the evolving data security landscape, ensuring that operations remain uninterrupted and aligned with regulatory standards. Learn more at www.odaseva.com.

About Silver Lake Waterman

Silver Lake Waterman is part of Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing with approximately $103 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital and a team of professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia. Silver Lake Waterman focuses on providing flexible expansion capital to later-stage growth companies in the technology and technology-enabled industries. For more information about Silver Lake Waterman and Silver Lake, please visit www.silverlake.com.

Media Contact

Ginny Lobel

SVP Marketing

ginny.lobel@odaseva.com

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Strategic plans for a diverse supplier network and enhanced trade opportunities unveiled

GENEVA, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alibaba.com, a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce and a unit of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, today honored businesses in their pursuit of success and global growth ahead of Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME) Day on June 27. Reaffirming its dedication to supporting MSMEs, Alibaba.com said it has been rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) tools for global suppliers, which have so far attracted adoption by around 30,000 businesses on its platform.

This year's MSME Day marks the seventh anniversary of the United Nations' designation to recognize the vital role played by MSMEs in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the contributions of MSMEs to the global economy. On this meaningful occasion, Kuo Zhang, President of Alibaba.com, participated in a panel discussion on the topic of global trade during the World Trade Organization's (WTO) bi-annual Global Review of Aid for Trade. Together with four MSMEs from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Italy and India, Zhang also joined a session held by the United Nations International Trade Centre (ITC) to celebrate MSME Day.

Emphasizing the importance of ensuring that no MSMEs in underdeveloped countries are left behind in the era of AI, Zhang mentioned that among the top 20 countries making the most frequent use of Alibaba.com's AI tools, approximately 10 are developing countries.

"As a member of the private sector, we are honored to have worked alongside international agencies such as ITC and supported MSMEs worldwide over the past 25 years," said Zhang. "As we promote wider adoption of our AI tools amongst MSMEs, we also hope to expand our global supplier base to cover 100,000 suppliers in the next three years. In a nutshell, we are building a global supply chain by and for MSMEs leveraging AI."

MSMEs Embrace the Power of AI

A recent survey conducted by Alibaba.com of MSMEs that utilize its platform showed that they are regularly seeking out innovative solutions and offerings like AI. In fact, 25%-30% of the MSMEs surveyed use AI on a daily basis.

On Alibaba.com alone, approximately 30,000 MSMEs globally are using the platform's AI tools. As a result of leveraging these tools, the companies surveyed saw a 37% increase in product exposure, creating greater opportunity for new business deals and growth. Additionally, those MSMEs surveyed that are already utilizing Alibaba.com's AI tools are furthering their businesses through AI's expertise, as they have collectively accepted 70% of the optimization suggestions from the tools.

"Using AI has helped put my Alibaba.com store on autopilot and saved us a lot of time since it's just me and one employee managing our business," said Sieu To, Deputy Managing Director of Hanh Sanh Co., Ltd, a Vietnam-based electric fan company. "For many business owners who are new to e-commerce, I think AI tools will draw them closer to the platform."

MSMEs Have Growing Access to Global Suppliers

In addition to a growing suite of innovative solutions to support their businesses, MSMEs on Alibaba.com can diversify their product sources by connecting with suppliers with specific industry and product focuses. These key global digital supply chain clusters include the following:

In Northeast Asia, buyers can connect with natural ingredient skin care suppliers out of Korea and partner with home furniture and camera, photo and accessory manufacturers in Japan.

In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is the supplier hub for seasoning and condiments, as well as home and outdoor furniture. Buyers can also seek out expert suppliers in India and Pakistan for loose gemstones and horse racing gear.

In West Asia and Europe, carpets, men's clothing and construction and building machinery suppliers can be found in Turkiye. Buyers are able to tap into suppliers in Germany for industrial machinery and suppliers of wine, textile machinery and women's apparel from Italy.

"As one of the first Italian businesses on Alibaba.com's platform, I have always had faith in our quality Italian supplements products. Alibaba.com has helped me expand my business beyond Europe into markets like China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Ghana," said Maria Francesca Aceti, CEO of Deltha Pharma.

Alibaba.com Expands Supplier Support in Developing Countries

As Alibaba.com seeks to expand its supplier base, it is stepping up its efforts to onboard suppliers in developing countries. Of note, Alibaba.com is setting out to help 100 MSMEs across Africa establish a presence on its platform to sell their products globally. Additionally, of the 500 events and seminars Alibaba.com is rolling out this fiscal year (April 2024 to March 2025) for global suppliers, about 300 are set to be held in developing nations.

"Starting with brick-and-mortar and transitioning to e-commerce has been a strategic journey for my business," said Dagmawit Abebe, owner of Ethiopian coffee brand Kedemt Coffee. "Leveraging e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.com has been crucial in overcoming local market challenges and expanding our reach."

Alibaba.com connects more global MSMEs now than ever before, serving more than 48 million buyers and more than 200,000 suppliers on its platform worldwide. Alibaba.com will continue to place MSMEs at the forefront through innovation and new solutions focused on simplifying global sourcing and selling.

About the Survey:

In May 2024, Alibaba.com conducted a survey of 500 businesses on Alibaba.com across the globe. These businesses ranged in size from one employee to those with 250 or more.

For more information on Alibaba.com and the report, please visit:

https://seller.alibaba.com/playbooks/2024-msme-day-report-px002b6lu?categoryid=1239008

About Alibaba.com

Launched in 1999 as Alibaba Group's first business, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering all aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.

Media Contact

Lingnan Cui

Alibaba International

cuilingnan.cln@alibaba-inc.com

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad Uranium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Mr. Douglas Christopherson has joined the Company's Technical Committee.

Mr. Christopherson brings over 50 years of mining, exploration, and development experience to Myriad Uranium, having worked as Chief Engineer, Mine Manager, and General Manager at significant projects worldwide. He has extensive experience conducting technical due diligence and economic evaluations of uranium, base, precious, and rare earth projects worldwide, including authoring National Instrument 43-101 and competent persons reports. He is a Retired Registered Member the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (S.M.E.) and the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

Myriad Uranium's CEO, Thomas Lamb, stated, "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Christopherson to the Company's Technical Committee. In connection with our current private placement, Mr. Christopherson has conducted a comprehensive analysis of our historical data on the Copper Mountain Uranium Project, and provided numerous insights and recommendations. Looking ahead, we anticipate his contributions as we work to confirm and expand on already significant historical resources, target deeper mineralisation, and expand our exploration efforts into newly-acquired adjacent zones - all considered highly prospective. Since Union Pacific's tenure in the 1970s, when they spent upwards of C$117 million (today's dollars) drilling 2,000 boreholes and planning a large-scale conventional uranium mine at Copper Mountain Uranium Project, experts have expanded their thinking regarding the project's geology and potential, looking far beyond the 6-pit plan Union Pacific had developed. For example, a 2010 Neutron Energy internal report states that the Copper Mountain Uranium Project offers a 'a high chance for discovery of world-class deposits in both the hard rock and sandstone.'"

Mr. Christopherson remarked, "Given the size of the property and the limited amount of explored ground, the exploration potential at Copper Mountain is constrained only by historical production figures from each uranium system and the project geologist's creativity. The uranium production potential at Copper Mountain is limited only by the mining engineer's ingenuity."

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Union Pacific is estimated to have spent C$117 million (2024 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here. The Company's presentation can be viewed here.

Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc., and an 80% interest in uranium exploration licences in Niger. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

Myriad Contacts:

Thomas Lamb

President and CEO

tlamb@myriaduranium.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214531

SOURCE: Myriad Uranium Corp.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Atomic Minerals Corporation (TSXV: ATOM) ("ATOMIC MINERALS" or the "Company") (TSX Venture: ATOM) is pleased to announce Grander Exploration Ltd. ("Grander") has completed a review of the exploration database for its Bleasdell Lake Project ("Bleasdell Lake") and has identified three additional target zones in addition to the historic Horn and Jackpine zones. Bleasdell Lake is a pegmatite hosted uranium target in the NE corner of Saskatchewan.

Bleasdell Lake hosts a 1957 historic resource of 620,700 pounds of U3O8 contained within the Horn and Jackpine zones.

The 1957 Bleasdell Lake historic resource was disclosed in a shareholder report for Columbia Metals Exploration Co. Ltd. dated November 9, 1957 (the "Shareholder Report"). There is no technical report. The historic resource is relevant to the potential of the Bleasdell Lake property and is reliable as it was calculated to the standards of the day. The estimate was based on closely spaced shallow drill holes and more widely spaced deeper drill holes. The calculations, methods or parameters were not disclosed in the Shareholder Report. The resource would be comparable to a current inferred resource. There are no more recent estimates though subsequent geologists visited the Property in the 1960's and 1970's, confirming the showings and the drilling was completed. The Company will need to twin a significant number of the historic drill holes to upgrade or verify the historical estimate as current mineral resources.

A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Therefore, Atomic is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.

Atomic CEO Clive Massey commented: "Our technical team continues to utilize Grander Exploration's considerable Saskatchewan uranium experience and expertise as we review the available historical data for each of the 9 recently acquired northern Saskatchewan projects. The identification of three additional radioactive targets at Bleasdell Lake, including one over 1500 metres long, suggests considerable potential exists to not only bring the historic resource current, but also build upon it."

The Company is moving forward with permitting and plans to apply for a multi-year exploration permit from the Saskatchewan Government to conduct ground-based geophysics and diamond drilling exploration on the identified uranium drill targets at Bleasdell Lake.

Bleasdell Lake lies to the east of the Athabasca Basin, 95 kilometres southwest of Lynn Lake, Manitoba. Exploration in the late 1950's discovered two uranium bearing pegmatite dykes on the west shore of Bleasdell Lake. The 400 metre Horn Zone hosted zones of 90 metres of 0.12% U3O8 over 2.56 metres and 0.062% U3O8 over 1.21 metres, while drill width intersections over the entire 400 metre ranged from 0.091% U3O8 over 1.86 metres to 0.2025% U3O8 over 2.99 metres. There is little information on the Jackpine Zone located 450 metres along strike to the northwest. The sampling, trenching and diamond drilling defined a 1957 historic resource of 620,700 pounds of U3O8 contained within two zones.

A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Therefore, Atomic is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.

Grander's review indicates the target zones are pegmatitic, hosted in migmatites proximal to granitic intrusions and appear to be controlled by major NW faults (the Lamke Bay and Zaleschuk faults) which are intersected by the Bleasdale Lake fault. Of particular interest, the target zones, including Horn and Jackpine, lie within a magnetic low, suggesting the possibility of additional mineralization at depth.

The data disclosed in this news release are related to historical exploration and drilling results. Atomic has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Atomic considers these historical exploration and drill results relevant as the company is using these data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through sampling and drilling.

Qualified Person

Mr. R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), an advisor to the Company, is the "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the technical contents of this news release and has approved the disclosure of the technical information contained herein.

About the Company

Atomic Minerals Corp. is a publicly listed exploration company on the TSX Venture Exchange, trading under the symbol ATOM, led by a highly skilled management and technical team with a proven track record in the junior mining sector. Atomic Minerals' objective is to identify exploration opportunities in regions that have been previously overlooked but are geologically similar to those with previous uranium discoveries. These underexplored areas hold immense potential and are in stable geopolitical and economic environments.

Atomic Minerals' property portfolio contains uranium projects in three locations within North America, all of which have significant technical merit and or are known for hosting uranium production in the past. Three of the properties are located on the Colorado Plateau, an area which has previously produced 597 million pounds of U3O8; Three others are in the prolific Athabasca Basin region and nine uranium projects are located Northern Saskatchewan, encompassing a total exploration area of 6,495 hectares.

For additional information about the Company and its projects, please visit our website at www.atomicminerals.ca

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Clive Massey"

Clive H. Massey

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

info@atomicminerals.ca

(604) 341-6870

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Atomic Minerals Corporation believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Atomic Minerals Corporation management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Atomic Minerals Corporation undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214544

SOURCE: Atomic Minerals Corp.
The Company's CanPR app is an innovative technology platform that assists immigrants in their journey toward permanent residency in Canada

CanPR offers an end-to-end suite of pre and post-landing services, while the Company's SmartCV technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to match new immigrants with potential employers

The app has been downloaded 1M+ times, with 150k MAU and thousands of five star reviews across Google Play and Apple App stores

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - CanPR Technology Ltd. (TSXV: WPR) ("CanPR" or the "Company"), a leading technology-enabled immigration platform in Canada, is pleased to announce it will begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") today under the ticker WPR. This follows the closing ("Closing") of its previously announced transaction resulting in the reverse takeover (the "Transaction") of General Assembly Holdings Limited.

"There is a huge opportunity for CanPR to help solve the significant labour market inefficiencies borne from the combination of aging populations and declining birth rates," said CanPR Technology Ltd.'s Co-Founder and CEO Akshat Soni. "We provide the only technology solution that combines pre and post-landing services in one platform. Immigrants who want to relocate to Canada can complete permanent residency applications faster, identify and apply for jobs that match their education and experience through our recruitment tools, and obtain insurance coverage, banking and other services to help them settle in Canada - all through the CanPR app."

Large and Growing Market:

Immigration levels in Canada have been rising dramatically. More than one million new Canadians arrived in 2022 alone 1 . The government of Canada is also maintaining its target of 485,000 permanent residents for 2024, with another 500,000 in 2025. Starting in 2026, the government will stabilize permanent resident levels at 500,000 2 .

There is additional labour pressure created by job 'mismatching'. From 2018 to 2023 only six per cent of study permits went to foreign students for health sciences, medicine or biological and biomedical sciences programs, while trades and vocational training programs accounted for 1.25 per cent despite acute shortages in these areas of the labour market 3 .

The immigration consulting services market was valued at USD $14.2B in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD $21.1B by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 5.73% during the forecast period 2023-2029 4 .

 Canada currently has 11,324 domestic and 199 internationally regulated Canadian immigration consultants5. The CanPR app also works as a marketplace that connects end customers with immigration consultants.

Furthermore, few services exist to help new Canadians integrate successfully creating immigrant retention challenges. According to a report by the Conference Board of Canada, recent cohorts of immigrants are leaving Canada because they may not see the benefits of staying6.

CanPR's Solution is Poised to Revolutionize this Market:

Comprehensive Ranking System and Provincial Nominee Program tools with predictive technology and online support: a step-by-step guide takes users through a clear path to improving applications for temporary and permanent residence visas.

Job Training: a portal with search functionality that connects employers with candidates to fill positions across Canada. This includes job application training and free HR consultation with reference checks that are verified on behalf of the applicant.

For employers, CanPR offers resume shortlisting, job applicant video biographies, background checks and artificial intelligence algorithms to help pinpoint candidates based on existing needs.

More than 100,000 members in interest-based community groups: newcomers can connect socially with each other and share mutual experiences which helps relieve loneliness and isolation when arriving in Canada.

Visit www.CanPR.io to learn more and follow CanPR on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

About CanPR Technology Ltd

CanPR Technology Ltd. is a technology platform dedicated to helping immigrants in their journey toward becoming permanent residents of Canada. At CanPR, we offer a range of services to assist with the immigration journey. Our platform provides a comprehensive understanding of the process of immigrating to Canada, completing and tracking immigration applications, connecting newcomers with employers to help them find a job, and post-immigration services to help them settle in Canada.

Currently, the platform has over 1,000,000 app installs. For more information on CanPR, visit www.canpr.io.

For more information contact:

CANPR Technology Ltd.

Akshat Soni

647-692-3846

akshat@canpr.io

Kieran Lawler

Kieran.lawler@loderockadvisors.com

416-303-0799

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (together "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is often identified by the words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" or similar expressions.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Among key factors and risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information may include, without limitation, the demand for immigration services; the cost of software development; changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; risks associated with technology companies, including but not limited to, cybersecurity risks and privacy risks; unanticipated costs or expenses; as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's Filing Statement publicly available under its profile at SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com. This forward-looking information may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company and market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking information contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management. Forward-looking information has been made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to updates any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

________________________

1 Stats Can - 40 million strong: Canada reaches a new population milestone

2 Canada.ca: CIMM - Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026 - November 07, 2023

3 CBC: Canada's foreign student push 'mismatched' job market, data shows

4 Valuates Reports: Global Immigration Consulting Services Market Insights, Forecast to 2028

5 C.D. Howe Institute: May 2023 - Improving Canada's Immigration Consulting Industry

6 Conference Board of Canada: The Leaky Bucket: A study of immigration retention trends in Canada: October 31, 2023

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214556

SOURCE: CanPR Technology Inc.
AMSTERDAM, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Neighborhood , a community of interconnected European tech companies specializing in Microsoft AI and Cloud, was honored with four prestigious Microsoft Partner of the Year awards last night in Redmond, WA. These accolades affirm the group's global leadership in AI and Copilot, spotlighting its AI & Copilot Arm and Finnish brand, Sulava , for its pioneering contributions to the Microsoft ecosystem.

The awards include:

Global Microsoft Copilot Partner Finalist

Finnish Copilot for Microsoft 365 Partner of the Year

Global Microsoft Training Services Partner Finalist

Microsoft's Finnish Influencer of the Year, awarded to Aki Antman, Head of The Digital Neighborhood's AI & Copilot Arm and founder of Sulava

Serving a network of 2,400 customers across Northern Europe and the UAE, The Digital Neighborhood's success is built on the expertise of over 1,335 consultants, engineers, and other specialists. The Group's strong relationship with Microsoft, highlighted by the presence of 17 Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) among its ranks, exemplifies its commitment to deep technology expertise and leadership development. This collective strength drives innovation and excellence in intelligent AI applications, ensuring impactful results for their customers.

Jean-Yves Charlier, CEO of The Digital Neighborhood, said, "The global Microsoft awards are a testament to our rapid growth and strategic innovation in leading technology. Our group's recognition as a pioneer in both AI and Microsoft Copilot initiatives illustrates our commitment to driving forward-thinking solutions that deliver measurable business value. The Digital Neighborhood is empowering its customers with unprecedented productivity, efficiency gains, and cost savings by integrating AI and Copilots into its traditional services and pioneering new AI-driven solutions."

The Digital Neighborhood's success has grown through its robust Microsoft capabilities and strategic AI investments, evidenced by working with over 200 customers to bring Copilot for Microsoft 365 to 70,000 users since its public market launch in November 2023. Sulava alone has developed Azure OpenAI Service-based applications for approximately 50 customers in the past six months. This extensive experience reflects the organization's ability to transform businesses through AI innovation.

Aki Antman, the Head of The Digital Neighborhood's AI & Copilot Arm, said, "Being recognized on Microsoft's global stage not only reinforces the impact of our work but also enhances our ability to bring transformative AI solutions to our clients. Our early and continuous investments in AI training and Copilot are setting new industry standards, enabling businesses to harness the true power of Copilots. Our global partnership with Microsoft has been pivotal in our journey to becoming industry leaders, especially in product development and testing, often before technology is even publicly launched on the market."

The Digital Neighborhood's recognition as a leading player in Microsoft's global Partner of the Year Awards, selected from over 4,700 nominations spanning more than 100 countries, underscores the significance and rarity of such honors in the European context.

In alignment with The Digital Neighborhood's strategic commitment to Copilot and AI, Aki Antman will be releasing a book in Q4 2024 on the transformative role that AI is playing and will continue to play in business. The book will highlight customer use cases, showcasing the significant efficiency, productivity, and engagement gains achieved through AI and Copilot technologies. This initiative emphasizes our focus on leading our customers in AI adoption to ensure their future success.

About The Digital Neighborhood: The Digital Neighborhood is a community of interconnected European tech companies specializing in Microsoft AI and Cloud. With over 1,335 IT engineers across seven countries, the organization provides a seamless and integrated AI-driven approach to business transformation. Its community includes True and Fullstaq, Pink Elephant, Iquality, 2Foqus, Active Professionals, Cmotions, Focus Enterprise Solutions, GAC Business Solutions, Delegate, Projectum, and Sulava. Headquartered in Amsterdam, The Digital Neighborhood is committed to helping its customers embrace what's next and realize their digital ambitions. "Partner with one of us and you can call on all of us." www.thedigitalneighborhood.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2284025/4786384/The_Digital_Neighborhood_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/microsoft-names-the-digital-neighborhood-as-a-global-leader-in-ai-with-four-prestigious-partner-of-the-year-awards-302184448.html
LONDON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AMN is pleased to announce that it is now delivering more than 1.5 billion voice minutes per year using AMN's own radio node (ARN) and Osmocom open source software. This represents approximately half of all AMN traffic across more than 4200 base stations. AMN sites provide crucial connectivity for more than 12 million people living in rural and ultra rural communities across Africa who previously had no access to telecommunication services.

AMN is committed to providing access to telecommunication services to all communities of any significant size, offering turnkey solutions to mobile network operators looking to expand their networks. AMN specialises in rural deployments and leverages its significant experience to roll out thousands of sites every year. AMN is not a traditional tower company, instead offering a unique and ubiquitous solution from tower and power, innovative RAN equipment and ongoing network monitoring and optimization.

AMN has been an OEM for RAN equipment since 2020 when it acquired Range Networks and grafted the Range radio onto proven free open-source software developed by sysmocom. AMN now manufactures four versions of the AMN Radio Node (ARN) to support use of the 800, 850 and 900 Mhz bands, offering mixed radio access technologies (2G, 3G, 4G and soon 5G).

AMN's radio node has been deployed at more than 1400 remote base stations, providing network coverage to more than 4 million people across 13 countries. AMN operates 18 BSCs in order to support ARN deployment, and all ARN controllers run on Osmocom, with approximately 5 million voice minutes running on top of Osmocom software every day.

Sysmocom develops Open Source software for mobile telecommunications. Founded in 2011, sysmocom is the main developer of the Osmocom 2G and 3G Core and Radio access Network implementation. Sysmocom has also been providing development and support services for the Open5GS open source 4G EPC and 5GC project since 2020. In addition, sysmocom provides a variety of products and R&D services to MNOs, MVNOs as well as cellular equipment manufacturers.

AMN was proud to sponsor the recent Osmocom Developer Conference, OsmoDevCon. Michael Iedema, AMN's principal engineer, summarised the journey to deploying an OpenSource network at scale. In a presentation entitled "Open Source Networks are Real Mobile Networks", Michael Iedema gives 'peek behind the curtain' at the four year journey from zero to 5 million minutes per day on more than 1400 towers in ultra rural environments using Open Source technology.

"Throughout network design, initial deployments and ongoing optimisation, Sysmocom has provided valuable support that allows AMN to deploy its own radio node that perfectly satisfies its unique needs without the significant cost of bespoke software or ongoing licence fees. The development and deployment of ARN, offering 2G, 3G and 4G from a single box, means we can offer service anywhere in the world that rivals traditional urban tower solutions." Mike Darcy, CEO, AMN

"We are very excited about AMN's success story deploying our open source mobile communications stack at scale in many countries. We hope more parts of the industry follow their example and realise the full potential of open source software in mobile communications: no vendor lock-in, no annual licence fees and no end-of-lifetime forcing equipment replacements, especially for legacy 2G and 3G deployments." Harald Welte, co-founder and managing director, sysmocom.

AMN plans to use Osmocom for all new deployments, and has a larger ambition of reaching 10,000 sites by the end of 2026. AMN is currently rolling out new sites in Madagascar, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC and Cameroon and plans to reach 5,000 sites by the end of 2024.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Darcy,

07539154300,

jld@amn.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/amn-uses-osmocom-to-deliver-more-than-1-5-billion-voice-minutes-per-year-302184461.html
The Proprietary Imagers will Revolutionize Water Stress and Crop Health Monitoring, Enhancing Food Security Amid Climate Change



Hydrosat, the climate tech company leveraging thermal imagery to measure water stress in agriculture and mitigate the effects of climate change, announced today the upcoming launch of its first satellite, VanZyl-1, scheduled for early July on SpaceX's Transporter-11, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This groundbreaking satellite will showcase Hydrosat's proprietary, first-of-its-kind custom imagers, to accelerate the delivery of global high-resolution thermal imaging technology and provide a critical dataset to further enhance agricultural and climate models. For the first time, a commercial satellite will include high-resolution thermal imagery and insights spanning the entire Earth - including land and water - revolutionizing the way growers and government agencies evaluate and respond to agricultural, environmental, and climate challenges.

Hydrosat named the VanZyl-1 satellite in honor of Jakob van Zyl, one of Hydrosat's co-founders who passed away in 2020 following a decades-long career that included esteemed leadership roles at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and on numerous space exploration missions. Like its namesake, VanZyl-1 aims to achieve results that have never before been attempted. Specifically, the satellite will reveal a better understanding of global water stress, particularly in agriculture, which is often caused by drought and insufficient irrigation. By using thermal infrared imagery, VanZyl-1 will measure the impact of climate change and provide actionable data.

"With the escalating threat of droughts and water scarcity worldwide, access to reliable data is essential to understanding water utilization and sustaining agricultural productivity," said Pieter Fossel, co-founder and CEO of Hydrosat. "As the global food system faces mounting pressure, businesses and governments are increasingly seeking better data to manage risks in real-time. The launch of VanZyl-1 represents a pivotal advancement in accelerating the delivery of high-quality data that fuels climate applications, providing invaluable insights to tackle pressing environmental issues."

The unique advantage of Hydrosat's pioneering technology is its ability to provide more frequent access to high-resolution thermal imaging of the entire globe. The launch of VanZyl-1 will significantly improve our understanding of climate-related events invisible to the naked eye by collecting images worldwide, including at times not covered by existing satellites, such as capturing high-resolution images over oceans or for consistent imaging at different times of day.

One of the significant limitations of current satellite programs is the infrequency of field-scale thermal image capture - only two images every 16 days - often further compounded by cloud cover, which can obscure critical data. With the addition of VanZyl-1 and Hydrosat's upcoming constellation, additional images will be available. This breakthrough increases the frequency of data collection and enables Hydrosat to deliver more reliable and timely data for monitoring water stress and crop health. As a result, commercial customers can make confident, data-driven decisions based on improved data availability.

"With the launch of VanZyl-1, Hydrosat will pioneer the first commercial high-resolution thermal infrared mission to provide comprehensive global coverage. This marks a significant milestone in combating the effects of climate change by ushering in a new era in thermal imaging technology," said Scott Soenen, Hydrosat's Chief Technology Officer. "Hydrosat's technology will enable the detection and monitoring of events more frequently and at higher resolution, further advancing the precision of our insights. The VanZyl-1 satellite is just the beginning; our future constellation will complement other government missions such as Landsat, enabling the capture of daily thermal infrared imagery of the planet."

The applications for this data are vast and not limited to agriculture, aquaculture, drought, wildfire, and urban heat. From commercial operations to civil government initiatives, the insights provided by VanZyl-1's data into these applications will elevate their capabilities, providing enhanced agricultural and climate modeling and crop stress information to growers and stakeholders. Hydrosat currently supports customers in 38 countries across millions of acres of farmland, enabling growers to optimize farming operations and increase crop yields while consuming less water. As Hydrosat pioneers the delivery of this groundbreaking data, a new era of informed decision-making emerges, driving advancements and efficiencies across various industries, which will be offered exclusively to early adopters who stand to benefit directly from this innovative data stream, evidenced by increased operational precision and the quality of outputs.

Hydrosat's planned launch of its proprietary VanZyl-1 satellite is the latest achievement for the innovative climate tech company, underscoring its position as a leader in the field. Hydrosat was recently awarded a prestigious grant from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which funds innovative solutions with strong commercial potential. Additionally, in 2023, Hydrosat raised over $32 million in venture funding and announced the acquisition of IrriWatch, the world's most advanced irrigation management. Hydrosat has also secured contracts from the National Reconnaissance Office and the U.S. Air Force's National Air and Space Intelligence Center. These achievements highlight Hydrosat's rapid growth and commitment to driving innovation and delivering cutting-edge solutions. Following its launch of VanZyl-1, the next steps in Hydrosat's satellite constellation project include the upcoming launch of Van-Zyl 2 in early 2025 and the goal of having the first block of satellites operational by 2026.

For more information on Hydrosat or to join the early adopter program, visit: https://www.hydrosat.com/ .

About Hydrosat

Hydrosat is the climate tech company leveraging thermal imagery to measure water stress in agriculture and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Hydrosat currently monitors millions of acres across customers such as NOAA, NRO, SupPlant, and Nutradrip, who trust the company's high-resolution, timely satellite thermal imagery to deliver advanced analytics that convey precise crop yield forecasts and improved irrigation tools to financial and agribusiness customers around the globe.

Contact:

hydrosat@escalatepr.com

Escalate PR

SOURCE: Hydrosat

View the original press release on accesswire.com
CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB)(Frankfurt:ZM5P)(OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has completed the final payment on the Blue Heaven Property with the optionor Strategic Metals Ltd. ("Strategic") and as a result is now an 80% owner of the Property. The original final payment of the option agreement was amended and subsequently a payment of 5,000,000 common shares at a deemed price of $0.03 per share, with a four month hold period, was provided to Strategic as the final payment for the Property.

The Blue Heaven Property comprises of 118 claims (1,975 hectares) that are contiguous to the Company's Silver Hart Project in south-central Yukon. Blue Heaven is characterized with 13 mineralized areas and 36 showings many of which are yet to be evaluated by the Company. A brief program in 2022 extended previous trenching at the Desire Showing (subsequently renamed as the Golden Cross Zone) with highly positive results including:

8.0 meters grading 13.39% lead, 1.57% zinc, 359.25 g/t silver and 1.17% manganese including 1.0 meter of 10% lead, 5.1% zinc, 1,500 g/t silver and 2.3% manganese

13.0 meters grading 8.25% lead, 4.22% zinc, 151.57 g/t silver and 9.16% manganese including 1.0 meter of 23.86% lead, 0.9% zinc, 623 g/t silver and 2.3% manganese

A 14.0 meter mineralized area including 1.0 meter samples containing: 3.61% lead, 3.1% zinc, 199 g/t silver, 12.6% manganese 10% lead, 2.5% zinc, 360 g/t silver and 3.7% manganese 10% lead, 8.5% zinc, 459 g/t silver, and 1.6% manganese

Several other 1.0 meter length individual samples containing: 49.8% lead, 3.7% zinc, 857 g/t silver and 5.7% manganese 13.4% lead, 5.6% zinc, 167 g/t silver and 10.5% manganese 59.46% lead, 1.8% zinc, 1,076 g/t silver and 3.2% manganese 21.01% lead, 1.1% zinc, 820 g/t silver and 1.4% manganese 16.53% lead, 0.3% zinc, 425 g/t silver and 0.7% manganese 64.56% lead, 5.6% zinc, >1,500g/t silver and 2.3% manganese 29.26% lead, 0.7% zinc, 1,295 g/t silver and 0.5% manganese



These preliminary results demonstrate the potential for stacked manto sequences but require a lot more investigation to be conclusive in this regard. The area around the Golden Cross Zone is also characterized by several outcrops with extensive manganese which has been found to be indicative of silver-lead-zinc CRD-style mineralization on the Silver Hart property. These areas will be further evaluated with trenching and detailed mapping once an exploration permit has been secured for the property

In addition, a bulk sample collected by Nordac Resources Ltd. in 1999 from the Blue and H zones by comprised of 51.47 dry tonnes grading 8,563 g/t silver, 56.2% lead, 9.5% zinc and 1.2 g/t gold. Also, a recent in-depth analysis completed by Ronacher-McKenzie Geosciences on the 2021 SkyTEM airborne electromagnetic survey identified four areas of exploration prospectivity that were deemed to merit detailed evaluation.

A permit application including a renewal for exploration at Silver Hart and proposed exploration activities at Blue Heaven has been submitted and accepted for review by the Yukon Environmental and Assessment Board.

Mr. Kevin Brewer, P.Geo. and President and CEO of the Company noted that "The Golden Zone area, four new areas of exploration prospectivity, and the numerous showings on the Blue Heaven Property indicate significant exploration potential. Combined with the neighboring Silver Hart claims, CMC now has secured a significant interest on over four kilometers of a prospective carbonate belt that is an excellent target for skarn, vein and carbonate replacement high grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization."

Qualified Person

Qualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data.

About CMC Metals Ltd.

CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects in the Rancheria Silver District include the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (Yukon), Amy and Silverknife claims (British Columbia). Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals include Bridal Veil (central Newfoundland) and Logjam (Yukon).

On behalf of the Board:

"John Bossio"

John Bossio, Chairman

CMC METALS LTD.

For Further Information and Investor Inquiries:

Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B.Sc.(Hons), Dip. Mine Eng.

President, CEO and Director

Tel: (+52) 669 198 8503

kbrewer80@hotmail.com

Suite 1000-409 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2

To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email to info@cmcmetals.ca or contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

"This news release may contain certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, the impact of the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic crisis and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are referred to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators for information on these and other risk factors, available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation."

SOURCE: CMC Metals Ltd.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
EQS-News: PlusPlus Capital Financial S.a.r.l. / Key word(s): Bond

PlusPlus Capital Convening of bondholders' meeting to vote on reorganization plan



27.06.2024 / 14:15 CET/CEST

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





PlusPlus Capital Convening of bondholders' meeting to vote on reorganization plan

Invitation to investor call on 3 July 2024

Tallinn, Estonia, 27 June 2024. PlusPlus Capital ("PPC"), a leading pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management group, convenes a meeting of bondholders for 12 July 2024 at 12.00 CEST to vote on the proposed reorganization plan for its fully owned subsidiary PlusPlus Capital Financial S.a r.l. Convening notice is shared by the clearing systems and all bondholders will receive the notice through their custodian banks. The reorganization plan can be received by the bondholder by inquiring it from PlusPlus Capital.

Bondholders may cast their votes within the convening period which is starting today and lasts until 12.00 noon CEST on 10 July 2024. Bondholders may also instruct the Proxy to vote on their behalf. Instructions must be received by 12.00 noon CEST on 10 July 2024. Alternatively, investors may vote through the clearing systems as instructed by the bondholders to their custodian bank, but shorter deadlines may apply.

Accompanying documents are available on the Company's website: https://pluspluscapital.eu/

Investors Call:

PlusPlus Capital cordially invites investors and analysts to an investor call with the Management on 3 July 2024, 10.00 CEST.

The Management Board will present the proposed reorganization plan to be voted on the bondholders meeting by means of a webcast presentation. The update call will be held in English and will be recorded.

Please register in time to participate in the investors call at:

PlusPlus Capital - Investors Call .



Contact:

PlusPlus Capital

Kaarel Raik, Member of the Management Board

Email: kaarel.raik@plusplus.ee

Phone: +372 56 606 148



About PlusPlus Capital:

PlusPlus is a pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management company with offices in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki. The Company acquires overdue loans and other non-performing exposures from financial institutions and non-financial sector merchants. With its core competence in handling claims against private individuals, PlusPlus prefers diversified portfolios balanced by geography, portfolio type, and other metrics.

Since its inception in 2010, PlusPlus has bought over 120 thousand claims with nominal value of approximately EUR 270 million. The Company offers its clients affordable recovery solutions and aims to avoid litigious scenarios. In doing so, PlusPlus pursues win-win solutions that allow sellers to focus on their core business, provide affordable solutions for borrowers, and ensure adequate returns for investors.

PlusPlus is a transparent and socially responsible company set to assist people in resolving problems connected with their insufficient solvency. The ambition of PlusPlus is to increase its market share and further strengthen its position as a leading player in its regional market.

pluspluscapital.eu

27.06.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


Mollyroe Plc - Consolidated Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, June 27

27 June 2024

Mollyroe Plc

("Mollyroe" or the "Company")

Consolidated Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

Chairman's Statement Year End 31st December 2023

In 2023 as in 2022, saw the Company focus on reducing overheads pending the adoption of a new corporate strategy.

In December the Company announced the appointments of Paul Benedict Ryan as Executive Director and Noel Lyons as Non-Executive Director to the board and the resignation of the existing Directors, Roger Shane and Richard France. The Company thanked Mr Shane and Mr France for their long and dedicated service to the Company and I reiterate that. At the same time, investors, including Paul Ryan and Noel Lyons, agreed, via Peterhouse Capital Limited, to acquire 574,621 Ordinary Shares in the Company at a price of 26.11 pence per share, equating to 150,000 in total, from the then existing Directors of the Company.

In April 2024 the Company's shareholders agreed on a name change to Mollyroe plc and a new strategy to focus on opportunities in the technology sector. The Company will focus on opportunities which would provide the Company with an economic interest (by equity, royalty or debt participation) and a controlling interest (through board or management positions) and whose potential value, over the long term, is greater than the price and costs expended by the Company to acquire them. The Company also reserved the ability to make investments outside of the technology sector, if the Directors believe that they will bring long-term value to shareholders. The Company does not propose to limit its search to any specific geographic location, however the Directors will ensure that the geographic location of any investment opportunity is suitable for institutional investment in the London market. Initially within the technology segment opportunities are likely to arise in Spatial computing and intelligent natural interfaces are the next computing paradigm which will fundamentally change human and machine interaction. We are already seeing the impact of this rapidly evolving technology across all sectors (driverless cars being the most commonly quoted example), further, the interplay between these technologies and technologies traditionally created for the games industry (including but not limited to Virtual Reality, Unreal Engine and Unity) are disrupting numerous sectors from, training, AI driven simulation, architectural visualisation and data visualisation solutions that assimilate rich and complex data into intuitive, interactive spatial simulations for more rapid and efficient analysis, insight and learning. Our focus will be on investing in technology companies or technology-enabled services companies within this rapidly developing market.

The Board has continued to reduce overheads and as a result the Company is in a good financial position as it adopts its new strategy.

The directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend.

Extract from the auditor's report:

Conclusions relating to going concern

"In auditing the consolidated financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group and parent company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at

least twelve months from when the consolidated financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report."

N Lyons Chairman

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Enquiries

Company

Paul Ryan - Executive Director

mollyroeplc@gmail.com

Peterhouse Capital Limited - Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker

+ 44 (0) 20 7469 0930

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

2023

 2022

 TURNOVER - - Administrative expenses (72,882 ) (17,514 ) OPERATINGLOSS (72,882) (17,514) Interest receivable and similar income 4,099 754 LOSSBEFORETAXATION (68,783) (16,760) Tax on loss - - LOSSFORTHEFINANCIAL YEAR (68,783 ) (16,760 ) Loss attributable to: Owners of the parent (68,783 ) (16,760 ) Earnings per share expressed in pence per share: Basic (3.49) (0.85) Diluted (3.49) (0.85)

The Group has no recognised gains or losses other than those disclosed in the Income Statement above. Consequently, no Statement of Other Comprehensive Income is presented.

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

2023

 2022

 CURRENTASSETS Debtors 7,578 7,864 Cash at bank 335,550 383,465 CREDITORS 343,128 391,329 Amounts falling due within one year (42,948 ) (22,366 ) NETCURRENTASSETS 300,180 368,963 TOTALASSETSLESSCURRENTLIABILITIES 300,180 368,963 CAPITALANDRESERVES Called up share capital 418,861 418,861 Share premium 3,473 3,473 Retained earnings (122,154 ) (53,371 ) SHAREHOLDERS'FUNDS 300,180 368,963

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on and were signed on its behalf by:

......................................................................

P Ryan - Director

......................................................................

N Lyon - Director

Company Statement of Financial Position for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

2023

 2022

 FIXEDASSETS Investments 4 4 CURRENTASSETS Debtors 7,520 7,806 Cash at bank 335,550 369,518 CREDITORS 343,070 377,324 Amounts falling due within one year (54,016 ) (19,487 ) NETCURRENTASSETS 289,054 357,837 NETASSETS 289,058 357,841 CAPITALANDRESERVES Called up share capital 418,861 418,861 Share premium 3,473 3,473 Retained earnings (133,276 ) (64,493 )

P Ryan - Director

......................................................................

N Lyon - Director

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

Share

capital

 Retained earnings  Share

premium

 Total equity  Balanceat1stJanuary2022 418,861 (36,611) 3,473 385,723 Changesinequity Total comprehensive income - (16,760 ) - (16,760) Balanceat31stDecember2022 418,861 (53,371 ) 3,473 368,963 Changesinequity Total comprehensive income - (68,783 ) - (68,783) Balanceat31stDecember2023 418,861 (122,154 ) 3,473 300,180

Company Statement of Changes in Equity for the Year Ended 31st December 2023

Share

capital

 Retained earnings  Share

premium

 Total equity  Balanceat1stJanuary2022 418,861 (288,940) 3,473 133,394 Changesinequity Total comprehensive income - 224,447 - 224,447 Balanceat31stDecember2022 418,861 (64,493 ) 3,473 357,841 Changesinequity Total comprehensive income - (68,783 ) - (68,783 ) Balanceat31stDecember2023 418,861 (133,276 ) 3,473 289,058

Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

for the Year Ended 31st December 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysia is officially stepping foot into the Web3 blockchain industry with the inaugural Malaysia Blockchain Week (MYBW), in partnership with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Minister of Digital, YB Tuan Gobind Singh Deo is expected to attend the week-long on-ground event which aims to explore the future of Web3 in Malaysia.

Web3 and blockchain technology took the entire world by storm in just a short few years, including Malaysia. While initially full of speculation, the industry is quickly ripening into one with tangible, real-world impact.

"The Malaysian government has backed blockchain technology in the country with supportive government policies, regulations, and initiatives to foster blockchain development." - Noelle Lee, Lydian Labs.

As corporate and government bodies express interest in the endless possibilities of Web3, MYBW aims to facilitate conversation and discussion between such parties and around the industry as a whole, bringing together the brightest and most influential parties in Malaysia via speakers, demos, and more, creating a value chain which benefits every stakeholder in the ecosystem that ultimately exponentiates the tech growth of Malaysia via the blockchain.

"Malaysia boasts a rapidly growing tech ecosystem with a strong emphasis on digital transformation. In line with our national strategic initiative, Malaysia Digital, MDEC aims to provide the best resources towards nurturing this ecosystem for tech entrepreneurs and support for the numerous tech startups, incubators, and accelerators breaking ground on blockchain innovation. MDEC is committed to fostering effective collaborations to establish Malaysia as ASEAN's digital hub" - Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, CEO of MDEC.

Major panel discussions and more than 20 keynote speakers will open the curtain on important blockchain topics such as regulatory issues, the decentralised finance & syariah digital economy, blockchain traceability, NFTs & Web3 Gaming, and the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Malaysian landscape.

Local industry giants Matthew Tan, CEO of Etherscan, and Bobby Ong, co-founder and COO of CoinGecko, will also be sharing their expertise with fellow Malaysians, offering attendees a rare chance to meet them in person.

Catch Malaysians who have gained a name for themselves in the digital sphere such as Siong, co-founder of Jupiter; TN, co-founder of Pendle Finance; Shawn Chong, co-founder of Salus; Dr Ian Tan, COO of Lydian Labs; Nicole Yap, Founder of 8SIAN NFT and more, while also keeping an eye for international names such as Chess, CEO of GM Network; Dr Kang Li, CSO of CertiK; Victor Ji, Co-Founder of Manta Network and many more.

Malaysian Blockchain Week will have side-events, such as the Growth Charger Hackathon, Offchain Global Conference leading up to the main event to be held in the Malaysian landmark World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).

Tickets for MYBW are already available on the official website .

Date: 31 July - 1 August 2024 | 10am - 6pm

Location: World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL)

Website details: https://myblockchainweek.com/

Lydian Labs is a full stack Web3 solutions provider focused on the APAC region and China, providing 3 main pillars of services: Advisory, Tech, and Marketing.

To know more about Lydian Labs, visit https://bit.ly/LydianLabs or find them on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Media Contact Info

Organisation: Lydian Labs

Website: www.lydianlabs.io

Telegram: @yichingnonolee or @doctoringaming

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Trusted and reputable industry leaders to offer best-in-class GXP software, services, and consulting to drive optimal asset performance in life sciences

PHILADELPHIA and CHENNAI, India, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Mountain, whose Regulatory Asset Management (RAM) platform is the standard for life sciences manufacturers, and Zifo, the leading scientific informatics services company, are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership designed to deliver cutting-edge technology and unparalleled services to the life sciences sector. This partnership aims to provide comprehensive solutions that will enhance operational efficiency and innovation for pharmaceutical manufacturers, Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs), MedTech companies, medical device manufacturers, and Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) manufacturers.

Blue Mountain is renowned for its best-of-breed EAM technology built exclusively for life sciences, which empowers organizations to optimize their assets, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity. By connecting this with Zifo's world-class IT services and consulting expertise, the partnership will deliver a robust, end-to-end solution tailored specifically for the life sciences industry with reach to all corners of the globe.

CEO of Blue Mountain, David Rode, commented:

"We are excited to join forces with Zifo to bring transformative solutions to the life sciences industry. Our EAM technology, combined with Zifo's exceptional IT services and consulting capabilities, will provide our customers with the tools they need to maximize their assets and drive significant efficiencies in their operations. This partnership is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence in serving the life sciences sector, and to expanding our reach across the globe."

Co-Founder and CEO of Zifo, Raj Prakash, added:

"Our partnership with Blue Mountain represents a significant milestone in our mission to deliver innovative and impactful IT solutions. By leveraging Blue Mountain's leading EAM technology, we are poised to offer an integrated approach that addresses the unique challenges faced by life sciences companies. Together, we will help our clients achieve greater operational agility and compliance, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes."

The partnership expands Zifo's partnership program to include a GXP Asset Management category that will enable life sciences organizations to benefit from a seamless integration of advanced EAM technology and comprehensive IT services. This includes streamlined asset management, enhanced regulatory compliance, calibration, validation, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making capabilities. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, CDMOs, MedTech firms, medical device companies, and LDT manufacturers will all gain from the partnership's innovative solutions, driving efficiency, reducing costs, and accelerating time-to-market for their products.

About Blue Mountain

Leading the Life Sciences in asset management for 35 years, Blue Mountain has a unique position in the life sciences industry backed by a proven legacy. Founded in 1989, Blue Mountain offers a complete, integrated solution, helping hundreds of Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Cell and Gene Therapy, Medical Device, and Contract Manufacturing companies. From set-up to installation and from training to validation, our company helps life sciences manufacturing master GMP asset management by implementing our best-in-class software - enabling them to leverage the cloud, drive paperless processes, and ensure regulatory compliance. Blue Mountain is backed by Accel-KKR and based in the greater Philadelphia, PA region. For more information, please visit www.coolblue.com.



About Zifo

Zifo is an AI/ML and 'data for AI' based Scientific informatics services company. Our experience extends across research, development, manufacturing, and clinical domains in the Pharma, Biotech, Chemicals, Food and Beverage, Oil & Gas and FMCG industries. Zifo is the preferred partner for over 190 scientifically driven organizations around the globe.

Media Contacts:

For Blue Mountain:

Jessica Brown

Head of Global Marketing



For Zifo:

Karthick Suresh

Marketing Communications Manager

+91 9962591850

www.zifornd.com

For more information about the partnership and the solutions offered, please visit www.coolblue.comand www.zifornd.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Legend Power Systems (TSXV: LPS), a global leader in commercial electrical system solutions, reports several key milestones in company sales growth and public sector adoption. The Company has received an order on June 25, 2024 and a deposit from contractors serving the City of New York School Construction Authority in support of a new school being built in the City of New York. This SmartGATE purchase is through a switchgear manufacturer for incorporation into the core switchgear, which represents another large market opportunity beyond the public sector. Additionally, this is the first 4000 amp SmartGATE Gen 3 that has been ordered. In addition, the US Federal Government has begun installation of the first SmartGATE for the Department of Homeland Security at a border facility. Furthermore the GSA has selected a large federal office within the Washington DC Federal Triangle for the next SmartGATE installation. These orders and installations are in addition to delivering 4 SmartGATE systems to a school system in New Mexico through a significant ESCO performance contracting firm this month as well.

"The system orders and installations in these critical public sectors are the culmination of years of work," said Mike Cioce, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Legend Power Systems. "Our multi-year relationship with the City of New York is now starting to payoff as orders begin to flow in. The size of this opportunity along with the Federal Government and ESCO sectors is large for Legend Power Systems and are significant drivers of our growth."

"The US public sector is a significant opportunity for Legend," said Randy Buchamer, CEO of Legend Power Systems. "When we combine these specific results this quarter with our record order bookings from last quarter (Press Release "Legend Power Systems Reports Record Purchase Orders Received of Over $2.5 Million" dated April 4, 2024), driven by private commercial real estate orders as well as the recent increase in recurring revenue for the Company, we are demonstrating results in multiple markets and geographies, which is required to drive our ambitious growth goals."

About SmartGATE

SmartGATE is an industry-leading, turnkey solution that identifies and fixes underperformance and waste in the electrical system of a commercial building. These performance issues often impact key areas of commercial real estate metrics including occupant safety and satisfaction as well as financial performance. This waste can also lead to higher operating costs, lower net operating income and other potential financial risks to the building owner, including adverse tenant experiences.

About Legend Power Systems Inc.

Legend Power Systems Inc. (www.legendpower.com) provides an intelligent energy management platform that analyzes and improves building energy challenges, significantly impacting asset management and corporate performance. Legend's proven solutions support proactive executive decision-making in a complex and volatile business and energy environment.

For further information, please contact:

Jonathan Lansky, Director

+1 416 417 7664

lansky.j@icloud.com

Sean Peasgood, Investor Relations

+ 1 647 503 1054

sean@sophiccapital.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities or performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such risks, uncertainties and factors are described in the periodic filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including the Company's quarterly and annual Management's Discussion & Analysis, which may be viewed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements other than as may be required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214600

SOURCE: Legend Power Systems Inc.
ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Vulcan Minerals Inc. ("the Company" - "Vulcan") (TSX-V:VUL), is pleased to provide the following exploration update on its 100% owned Carbonear project in eastern Newfoundland.

Highlights:

Significant zinc and lead soil geochemical anomalies identified

Gravity survey completed in two test areas with positive results

Historic core resampled

Soil Geochemistry

The Company completed an extensive soil geochemical program in 2023 (1243 samples) in addition to a 2022 (636 samples) soil program. Sampling was primarily focussed along a magnetically anomalous zone in favourable structure as identified from high resolution airborne magnetic and LIDAR surveys completed by the company in 2022. All samples reported were analysed by SGS Canada Inc. The areas of primary interest are located within the 2023 soil grid particularly north and south of Gull Pond as per maps below covering the 2023 soil survey.

The Gull Pond area exhibits strongly anomalous zinc and lead values. A total of 125 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 70 parts per million (ppm) lead with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile of 298 ppm. These values range up to a maximum of 0.1630% lead (1630 ppm). Regarding zinc, 126 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 72 ppm with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile value of 207 ppm. These values range up to 628 ppm zinc. These results confirm the regional historic results for zinc and lead which is consistent with the area being one of the highest multi-element geochemical anomalies in Newfoundland based on lake sediment and stream sediment data.

Figure 1: Carbonear Project Soil Geochemical Sampling - 2023 Pb ppm (Percentile)

Figure 2: Carbonear Project Soil Geochemical Sampling - 2023 Zn ppm (Percentile)

Gravity Survey

Bolstered by the favourable soil results, the Company completed a ground gravity survey over the Gull Pond north and south grids in May. The survey was designed as a test program to detect any near surface density anomalies that may be associated with zinc-lead sulfide bodies and to determine if the magnetic anomalies observed have any gravity correlation. Sedimentary exhalative deposits (SEDEX) occur stratigraphically within certain favorable beds. At Carbonear, based on previous drilling (see below), certain sedimentary beds contain disseminated pyrrhotite (iron sulphide) providing a magnetic response that may be helpful in locating zinc and lead sulfides. Based on the preliminary gravity data and interpretation, the north and south grids both exhibit bouguer and residual gravity anomalies. Further interpretation results will be released when finalized. The preliminary results are encouraging because the anomalies coincide with the magnetic trend and the highest geochemical zinc and lead soil anomalies.

The survey consisted of 50 m stations on 200 m line spacing. A total of 510 stations were recorded, covering approximately 4 square kilometers.

Sampling Historic drill holes

The only reported drill holes on the project area were drilled in 1997. A total of ten holes were drilled for 1014 meters to test weak HLEM ground electrical conductors north and south of Gull Pond. Given that the Company's recent work has enhanced the prospectivity of this general area, the company resampled Holes CP-97-08 and CP-97-10 to better ascertain the tenor of mineralization previously identified. These holes contain anomalous zinc mineralization over a potential stratigraphic interval of approximately 100 meters based on 23 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-08 (average 0.38% Zn) and 10 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-10 (average 0.25% Zn). Following relogging of the core at the Newfoundland and Labrador government core storage facility it was felt that further sampling of these holes was justified based on numerous indications of finely disseminated mineralization. To confirm and better define the tenor of mineralization, an additional 31 samples over 42.5 m in Hole CP-97-08 and 26 samples over 47 m in Hole CP-97-10 were taken for assay. Mineralization consists of disseminated sulphides in turbiditic siltstones and secondary fracture fillings. Details related to resampling assays will be released when results are compiled and interpreted.

President Patrick Laracy commented "While anomalous zinc-lead mineralization is not ore-grade, it does confirm the deposition of sulphides within a favourable sedimentary sequence for SEDEX style deposits and validates the potential for more robust zinc - lead mineralization within the system. Carbonear is an early-stage exploration project in a search of a world class SEDEX deposit. We are systematically exploring this large land package located about a 1.5 hour drive from our offices in St John's with the objective of getting it to the drill target stage."

The property was originally identified (1980) for its sedimentary exhalative base metal potential by Cominco, who operated the giant Sullivan SEDEX mine in British Columbia, one of the largest zinc-lead mines in the world. The project area has geologic attributes similar to other major SEDEX deposits worldwide. These attributes include a late Precambrian clastic sedimentary basin sequence of black shale/siltstone/sandstone containing substantial turbidite sequences containing lead and zinc mineralization.

Quality Control

Vulcan contracted GroundTruth Exploration to complete the soil geochemical survey at the Carbonear Project in 2023. Soil traverses were carried out on 200 m spaced grid lines with 50 m stations south of Gull Pond and 400 m spaced grid lines with 100 m stations north of Gull Pond. Samples were collected using hand augers to target C horizon soil. GroundTruth collected 4 field duplicate samples per 100 samples. Samples were delivered by GroundTruth to SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) in Grand Falls-Windsor for preparation prior to analysis at the SGS Burnaby laboratory. Vulcan employed SGS's two-acid leach / ICP-MS multi-element analysis. SGS's analytical laboratories operate under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025 and undertake their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. Preliminary inspection of these control samples shows them to be within the expected limits.

About Vulcan

Vulcan Minerals is a precious and base metals exploration company based in St. John's, NL. The Company has strategic land positions in multiple active Newfoundland exploration and development belts. The Company has leveraged its exploration exposure in much of this land position through equity ownership of other explorers obtained by way of option and royalty agreements. It also holds approximately 30.5 per cent of the shares in Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV:SALT). Atlas Salt is currently developing the Great Atlantic salt mine in western Newfoundland.

Patrick J. Laracy, P. Geo. President, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

We seek safe harbour.

For information please contact:

Patrick J. Laracy, P.Geo.

CEO and President

(709) 754-3186

info@vulcanminerals.ca

www.vulcanminerals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion, delivery and timing of the referenced exploration program and assumptions related thereto. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the timing, completion and delivery of the referenced assessments and analysis. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Vulcan Minerals Inc

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Shared fight against food insecurity brings organizations together to extend reach in 13 U.S. markets.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Whirlpool Corporation is expanding its Feel Good Fridge program by engaging HelloFresh, the world's leading meal kit company, and Total Quality Logistics (TQL), one of the largest third-party logistics firms in North America.

Launched by Whirlpool Corp. in 2021, the Feel Good Fridge program provides refurbished refrigerators to food pantries and nonprofit organizations across the county, like the North Texas Food Bank in Dallas, to deliver free, fresh food for anyone in need. Starting with a local initiative in the Dallas area late last year, the three companies are now expanding their combined resources and expertise to reach more people in need across the country. Together, they'll impact 13 cities with Whirlpool Corp. providing 2000 refrigerators which TQL will transport and HelloFresh will help fill with wholesome and fresh ingredients.

"Across the U.S., 44 million people, and one in five children, face hunger," said Pam Klyn, Whirlpool Corporation's executive vice president of corporate relations and sustainability. "We launched Feel Good Fridge to fight food insecurity in a sustainable way, and collaborating with HelloFresh and TQL allows us to expand our impact in the communities that need it most."

In the three years since its launch, the Feel Good Fridge program has donated more than 900 refurbished refrigerators, keeping them out of landfills; delivered more than 250,000 pounds of food, helping avoid waste; and reached more than 25,000 families.

"Increasing the availability and accessibility of fresh produce and ingredients is a key part of HelloFresh's mission to fight food insecurity," said Jeff Yorzyk, senior director of sustainability at HelloFresh. "We're proud to partner with Whirlpool and TQL to help alleviate food insecurity by meeting communities in need where they are."

"We started Moves that Matter with the goal of aiding nonprofits by taking the complexity and expense of logistics off of their plate," TQL President Kerry Byrne said. "It is an honor to be a part of this collaborative effort with Whirlpool Corporation and HelloFresh to bring more fresh, nutritious food to communities struggling with food insecurity ."

Feeding America, who has been supplying food for the Feel Good Fridge program since its inception, will continue to provide food, with HelloFresh and TQL providing enhanced support in communities with the greatest need. The program will remain dedicated to food-insecure areas with high concentration of needs.

Current key markets include: Atlanta (133 Feel Good Fridge units), Chicago (29), Dallas (199), Detroit (230), Houston (53), Los Angeles (32), Minneapolis (24), Orlando (35), Phoenix (47), and West Michigan (112). The company has a target of placing 3,000 refrigerators by 2030.

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) is a leading kitchen and laundry appliance company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home and inspiring generations with our brands. The company is driving meaningful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, JennAir, Maytag, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, and InSinkErator. In 2023, the company reported approximately $19 billion in annual sales, 59,000 employees, and 55 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.

View original content here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Whirlpool Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Whirlpool Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/whirlpool-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Whirlpool Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
TIANJIN, China, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 20th, AIMA made a notable presence at the 2024 World Intelligent Industry Expo with the launch of the AIMA Q7 official product under the theme "Intelligent Flagship, Born for Family". The 2024 World Intelligent Industry Expo showcases the latest artificial intelligence technology and industrial advancements globally. This is the second consecutive year that AIMA has been invited to participate in the expo. This event held great significance within the global intelligent industry landscape, as AIMA showcased its pioneering single electric vehicle product, asserting its leadership in the industry. Additionally, the expo served as a platform for AIMA to communicate its visionary approach to intelligent transportation, presenting its significant achievements and outlining plans for an intelligent future, garnering attention on a global scale.

Chic Technology Pioneers the Industry

AIMA Redefines Intelligent Mobility with Advanced Products

During the AIMA Q7 product launch, Mo Xuan, Chief Brand Officer of AIMA Technology Group Co., Ltd, underscored AIMA's commitment to crafting exceptional vehicles for every family travel. With its sleek design, Pantone color, comfortable ride, TCS safety tech, and intelligent features, AIMA Q7 embodies the essence of home and travel, epitomizing AIMA's brand ethos while showcasing the brand's profound exploration and fusion of beauty, fashion, and technology.

"Transforming Intelligent Two-Wheeled Electric Vehicles," as described by Xiao Bing, Chief of Research and Development at AIMA Technology Group Co. Ltd, showcases how AIMA's flagship intelligent vehicle, AIMA Q7, embodies a true evolution in intelligence. Through the seamless integration of intelligent interaction terminals, intelligent riding terminals, and intelligent ecological interconnection, AIMA Q7 establishes a perfect closed loop of innovative experiences. By leveraging advanced technologies such as lead-acid BMS, self-developed full-stack controllers, 4G&BeiDou applications, and multiple intelligent driving modes, AIMA continues to set the standard in the industry for advanced products.

Embedded within AIMA's vision and strategic plans is an unwavering dedication to user-centric principles, a commitment to scientific and technological innovation, and a resolute action to dispel doubt. Within these pursuits, we witness the commitment and responsibility of an industry leader, as well as a warm and compassionate approach that is both forward-thinking and technologically advanced. AIMA's endeavors bring joy and love to users across the globe.

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Feature by Susan Galer

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / There's no better proving ground for the incredible power of digitalized food chains than India, one of the most populated countries worldwide. As India's leading food agritech company, WayCool Foods has pioneered a data-driven strategy designed to close the gap between supply and demand, decreasing food waste and increasing revenue for every organization across the value chain.

"With one integrated platform that connects data from farmers through processing, warehouses, and retail, we are transforming the traditional food chain from supplier-driven to demand-driven," said Karthik Jayaraman, co-founder and managing director at WayCool. "We selected RISE with SAP because it is a flexible, cloud-based foundation for our growing business. SAP S/4HANA provides a single source of truth company-wide and across our ecosystem, helping us produce and deliver the delicious food that consumers want on their table."

The company has already reduced food wastage by up to 96% while improving the average income of farmers by over 13%.

Data Insights Align Food Supply with Demand

Putting predictability and farming in the same sentence might seem like a stretch in a world rocked by disruptions like extreme weather and geopolitical conflicts. However, WayCool orchestrates a groundbreaking collaborative effort. It starts with farmers who produce the fruits, vegetables, and other staples that feed the Indian population and extends to partners, warehouse operations, distribution, and retailers.

"Sharing information with our partners in procurement who run processing and warehouse facilities, along with transportation logistics and retail, we can align supply with the right pricing for greater efficiencies and governance that produces the highest quality products," said Avinash Kasinathan, chief technology officer at WayCool. "Data transparency also means that farmers can base field production on actual market demand and consumption."

Farmer Income Grows with Data-Driven Strategy

WayCool's ability to trace products from farm to end consumer provides the company and its ecosystem with forecasting and planning insights based on real-time customer feedback and market demands. Using this connected data, WayCool makes recommendations to farmers on what fruits and vegetables to grow for the highest yields and uptake at the best prices.

Fourth-generation farmer Hari Prasad, located in a village called Karnataka on the outskirts of East Bangalore, is one of the over 200,000 farmers that WayCool provides with detailed cultivation plans.

"Unlike traditional farming, WayCool recommends what to plant, when, and where, letting us know up front what they'll purchase at fair prices based on harvest time frames and factoring in staggered market demands," he said. "We don't have to worry about whether or not we'll sell our yield, and we can calculate continuous earnings in a more predictable and consistent manner."

Although farmers may have smaller yields, harvesting crops on a more consistent basis throughout the year levels out supply and demand spikes and downturns. If crop prices fall one week and rise the next, farmers can average out major risks with a steadier stream of income over time.

AI-Based Technologies Reduce Waste and Boost Crop Yields

WayCool has infused AI capabilities across its digitalized supply chain to increase quality yield and decrease waste. AI is built into the recommendation engine that tells retailers which products on their shelves will sell faster according to store location demographics. In the field, farmers use AI-based image recognition to quickly identify plant diseases and set up treatment plans. Internet of Things (IoT)-based sensors in the soil send farmers alerts on weather patterns to guide more cost-efficient and sustainable irrigation decisions. The company is exploring generative AI use cases as well.

Sustainable Agriculture Vision for the World

For WayCool and its partners, sustainable business encompasses the full range of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments. Digitalization has an important role, for example, in regenerative farming practices. Farmers can use data-driven insights to produce stronger seeds for biodiversity, growing crops that are more climate-resilient and use less water and fertilizer in healthier soil.

Looking ahead, Jayaraman is eager to bring WayCool's digitalized business model from India to other regions such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

"The food supply chain is a huge global market, yet agribusiness is one of the least digitized industries," said Jayaraman. "We've experienced how technology is revolutionizing food chains in India, and we're excited about bringing people in other parts of the world greater access to affordable, quality food for the next generation of sustainable agriculture."





View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SAP on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: SAP

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sap

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: SAP

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Canadian crypto exchange Finrex now delivers the FinRex Card, simplifying corporate cryptocurrency transactions

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Gregory Moreau, CTO at Finrex, the leading Canadian crypto exchange, announced the launch of the transformative FinRex Card. This innovation carries the vision of an exchange dedicated to simplifying cryptocurrency transactions for corporations since 2021.









"The introduction of the FinRex Card is a pivotal point in our journey towards revolutionizing corporate cryptocurrency use," says Gregory Moreau. "We believe in effortless cryptocurrency transactions for enterprises of any size. Our Card bridges gaps between corporations and sustainable crypto assets management. The trust placed in us by our clientele motivates our relentless push for better solutions."

Finrex, renowned for its unwavering commitment to client-focused solutions, has consistently been a trendsetter in the crypto industry. The company's consistent progress since 2021 has cemented its reputation as a force driving corporate digital transformation. The launch of the FinRex Card underscores this commitment to bringing the advantages of cryptocurrency to the arm's reach of corporations everywhere, demonstrating our dedication to our clients' needs.

"Our vision has always been to simplify cryptocurrency transactions for corporations," further adds Gregory Moreau. "The FinRex Card embodies this - a vision unfolding into reality. We are geared up to bring the new wave of transformation in the corporate crypto world."

Finrex's commitment to revolutionizing corporate cryptocurrency use remains unchanged as it surges forward. Following the launch of the FinRex Card, the company looks forward to further innovations, consolidating its position as a leader in the crypto exchange market.

Contact Information

Gregory Moreau

CTO

cbdo@finrex.com

+17059962202

SOURCE: Finrex

View the original press release on newswire.com.
White Paper discussing patient improvements and potential mechanisms for patients with Long COVID.

TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Neuro20 Technologies Corp., announces release of a White Paper discussing patient improvements and potential mechanisms for patients with Long COVID, specifically with fatigue, movement, and neurological symptoms. Neuro20 is a medical technology manufacturer with an FDA cleared wearable device that involuntarily moves up to 44 muscles in a series of pre-designed sequenced movement patterns.





Neuro20 Technologies

Neuro20 Technologies Logo





Since April 2024, doctors utilized the device for seven patients diagnosed with Long Covid. It demonstrated levels of improvement for symptoms and quality of life for all seven patients. Two patients used walkers coming into the clinic and left without a walker following one treatment.

The device is a physical modality, worn by the patient, that is FDA medically cleared (Feb. 2023) and Medicare Durable Medical Equipment approved (Feb. 2024). The FDA Indications of Use are facilitation of muscle performance, re-educating muscles, increasing local blood circulation, maintaining or increasing range of motion, relaxing muscle spasms, and retardation or preventing disuse atrophy, all of which address the underlying symptoms of Long COVID.

The device is intended for injured and diseased tissue, must be prescribed, and has a Use Environment both in clinics and home.

A white paper discussing the theory behind the effects of the device demonstrated in the field may be found at this link. Videos demonstrating the effects of Neuro20 impacting Neuromuscular conditions may be viewed at https://neuro20.com/reviews.

Call to Action - Since COVID-19 emerged scientists struggle to catch up with the aftermath. Long COVID affects approximately 24 million Americans, 65 million people globally. The American Disability Act recognizes Long COVID as a disability, allowing workplace accommodations to keep people in the workforce. Nearly 45% diagnosed with Long COVID are unable to work. A study at Harvard University estimates Long COVID's cost to the economy will be nearly $3.7 Trillion dollars.

Neuro20 understands that a clinical approach to solving Long COVID must occur through credible randomized controlled trials. Currently, there are 43 federally funded programs and research projects occurring for Long COVID. Neuro20 requests that Long COVID researchers consider conducting trials utilizing the Neuro20 modality and accurately document efficacy. Neuro20's mission is to help all patients gain access to verified quality care, and therefore the device may be utilized in any community, urban or rural, in clinic or at home.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this news release concerning the Company's expectations, plans, business outlook or future performance, and any other statements concerning assumptions made or expectations as to any future events, conditions, performance or other matters, are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook, analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: our research, development and regulatory activities and expectations relating to our Neuro20 PRO System; the effectiveness of these programs or the possible range of application and potential curative effects and safety in the treatment of injuries and diseases; the timing, conduct and success of our clinical products, our ability to use our manufacturing facilities to support clinical and commercial demand; and our future operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements. Forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated in such statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date of this press release.

About Neuro20 Technologies Corp.

Neuro20 is a registered Delaware C-Corp, founded by a veteran in 2020 to help him recover from his service-sustained injuries. Neuro20 is privately owned, and received initial funding by the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels. After two years in the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator, Neuro20 scaled operations, opened warehousing and offices, and are rapidly growing. Our mission is "Suit Up Together for Better". For more information about the company please visit www.neuro20.com.

Contact Information

Keith Cronin

Dr.

keith@neuro20.com

Dennis Schmitt

CEO

dj@neuro20.com

Related Files

White Paper_ Discovering New Healthcare Potential with Neuro20

Related Video

https://vimeo.com/954426860

SOURCE: Neuro20 Technologies Corp.

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Leading Electrolyzer Manufacturer from China is Repositioning for Global Markets

Hygreen Energy ("Hygreen" or "the Company"), a global electrolyzer supplier for green hydrogen production, is pleased to announce the completion of its amalgamation of Beijing SinoHy Energy Co., Ltd. ("SinoHy"). The transition will reposition the Company to become a major player in global hydrogen markets, and foster Hygreen Energy's growth as a leading electrolyzer manufacturer internationally.

SinoHy brings over 17 years of electrolyzer manufacturing experience and a solid track record of supplying electrolyzer solutions primarily in the Chinese market, where the hydrogen sector has seen strong demand. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shandong, China spans over 40,000 square meters with largely automated production lines, and is currently capable of 2 Gigawatts of annual production capacity.

With the growth of the hydrogen and renewable energy sectors in recent years, Hygreen Energy is well-positioned to leverage its years of experience to address the overseas electrolyzer market, which is expected to grow at 83% CAGR, to a global market size of 431 GW by 2030.

This transition will see Hygreen Energy transform the company's global competitiveness with strategic investments, partnerships, product positioning, marketing, localized regional manufacturing, technical support, and technology development.

The transition will also include forming a new organizational structure to better serve the Company's customers, partners and hydrogen projects around the world. This includes establishment of new offices and staffing in key locations around the world to broaden business development and technical support functions within different regions of the world, including Madrid, Toronto, Dubai, Hong Kong and more.

In conjunction with the Company's new global structure, Hygreen Energy has also secured a number of international partnerships and strategic hires to enable the Company's global expansion. This includes:

Javier Romero - Key Shareholder and Board Director

Former World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, and renowned leader in capital, strategy and management of clean technology companies

Marcelino Oreja - Chairman, EMEA

Former CEO of Enagas, member of European Parliament, and extensive leadership success in biogas, energy and hydrogen sectors

Daniel Salamanca - Managing Director, EMEA

Over 20 years of success in renewable energy and environment industries across Europe and South America

Alan Tan - Vice President, Global Business Development

Former Vice President of electrolyzer manufacturer Next Hydrogen with extensive business development experience

Ethan Hugh - Global Marketing Director

Over 20 years of experience in hydrogen, fuel cell and mobility sectors, including Loop Energy's expansion to global markets

Ayman Monged - Director of Sales, North America

Over 30 years of experience in hydrogen and new energy, including Cummins-owned Hydrogenics

Jon Pemberton - Representation & Market Development in Australia (Zest Energy)

Renowned in Australia for 20+ years of leadership in renewable energy, hydrogen and energy storage solutions.

Markus Lehmann - Representation & Market Development in Brazil (Navigatio GH2)

Leader in capital, strategy and development of new energy infrastructure projects in solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, hydrogen across Latin America

This broader global leadership strategically complements the executive team from SinoHy, who bring extensive electrolyzer manufacturing experience and management strength led by CEO Benny Wang. The executive management team brings decades of experience in electrolyzer production, technology development, technical support and day-to-day operations of an electrolyzer business. With over 300 electrolyzer projects executed, SinoHy's executive team will transition to lead Hygreen Energy to its next levels of growth.

The Company's product offerings are manufactured to certification and compliance requirements across different regional specifications around the world, and the Company is already supplying electrolyzers to customers across four continents to date. Moreover, Hygreen Energy's technology expertise and product offerings will expand to AEM in addition to alkaline and PEM, and the Company's manufacturing capacity is on track to increase to 5 Gigawatts in 2025, with further automation of manufacturing to better support its growing customer base.

Hygreen Energy's Chief Executive Officer, Benny Wang said, "With our growth internationally, we are repositioning ourselves to be more competitive in global markets, including a range of strategic and operational improvements to better serve our clients, partners and projects around the world. The new Hygreen Energy brand reflects our transition to support and thrive in the rapidly-growing global hydrogen market, as we say hello to a greener future."

About Hygreen Energy

Hygreen Energy is a world leading electrolyzer manufacturer that offers comprehensive solutions to green hydrogen production. Specializing in Alkaline and PEM technologies, Hygreen electrolyzers are rigorously tested and proven with extensive in-field usage, and we continue to advance our technologies with the development of AEM electrolyzers. With over 17 years of experience and over 300 electrolyzer projects under its belt, Hygreen engineers are some of the world's most experienced experts in supporting EPCs and hydrogen project developers. By reshaping the electrolyzer industry with an unmatched combination of efficiency, safety, cost, durability and modularity, Hygreen Energy is enabling our clean energy transition with electrolyzers that are now in use by customers worldwide. Say hello to a greener future with Hygreen Energy. Visit us at www.hygreenenergy.com.

Hygreen Energy Media Inquiries:

Ethan Hugh | Global Marketing Director | ehugh@hygreenenergy.com

SOURCE: Beijing SinoHy Energy Co,. Ltd. d.b.a. Hygreen Energy

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

QUEBEC CITY, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robex Resources Inc. (TSXV: RBX) ("Robex" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced "best efforts" public offering of 58,294,880 units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $2.17 per Unit for gross proceeds of $126,499,889.60 (the "Offering"). The Offering was led by SCP Resource Finance LP, as sole bookrunner and lead agent (the "Lead Agent"), on behalf of a syndicate of agents including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. (collectively, the "Agents").

The number of Units sold and gross proceeds realized by the Company have been adjusted to reflect the exercise in full by the Agents of the over-allotment option granted to purchase from the treasury of the Company an additional number of Units equal to 15% of the number of the Units issued pursuant to the Offering.

Following the successful closing of the equity offering, Matthew Wilcox is appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Robex. He will lead the Company as it becomes a new Guinean pureplay development in order to accelerate the development of the Kiniero Gold Project with expected first gold poured in Q4 2025.

All currency amounts in this news release are stated in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

Aurelien Bonneviot, former CEO and Director: "This equity raise and new company direction is the result of a holistic strategic process involving all stakeholders. The combined board and management will accelerate the development of Kiniero and is designed to deliver superior returns to shareholders.

I would like to express our grateful thanks to the retiring directors who have significantly contributed to Robex's development across the last years, in particular, Mr. Richard Faucher and Claude Goulet.

Most importantly, we express our thanks to the Cohen family, especially to Georges Cohen, who supported the growth of the Company over the last decade.

They significantly transformed Robex from a small exploration company into a growing mining company in West Africa".

Jim Askew, Incoming Chairman: "The appointment of Matthew Wilcox marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Robex. Matthew's deep construction expertise, as well as experience in developing gold mines in West Africa will be pivotal to executing the first gold poured at Kiniero. We are fortunate to have someone of Matthew's calibre in the Company to lead the next leg of growth for Robex."

Matthew Wilcox, Managing Director & CEO: "I want to thank the board members and the management for their trust, giving me the opportunity to move this Company into the next phase. The upside potential of Kiniero is significant and once in production we plan to grow resources and reserves to become a leading producer in a prime gold district. I share the vision of the board to create the next leading gold producer in West Africa".

The Offering was completed under a prospectus supplement (the "Supplement") to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated July 20, 2023 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"), filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The Units were also offered by way of private placement in the United States, in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia and in other jurisdictions outside of Canada, in each case in accordance with all applicable laws, provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such jurisdiction.

Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one full (1) Common Share purchase warrant (each a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one (1) common share of the Company at an exercise price of $2.55 per common Share, until the date that is two (2) years following the closing date of the Offering, subject to adjustment in certain customary events, provided that in the event the Common Shares trade at a volume weighted average price of $3.50 or higher over a period of 10 consecutive trading days, the Corporation can accelerate the exercise of the Warrants to 10 days post provision of notice, which shall be not less than 30 calendar days following delivery of such notice.

The Offering has received conditional TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") acceptance, and final approval of the TSXV is subject to receipt by the TSXV of customary closing materials.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the equity financing, for the development of the Kiniero Project, including: (i) continuing the development of the early works programs and procurement of the long lead items; (ii) replenishing the working capital as a result of the repayment of an amount of US$ 15.5 million under the US$ 35.0 million bridge facility provided to the Company by Taurus Mining Finance Fund No. 2, L.P. ("Taurus"); (iii) infilling the Mansounia project and other exploration expenditures; (iv) funding the Kiniero updated feasibility study to include the Mansounia property and further pit and process optimization; and (v) general and administrative as well as working capital. The remaining funds will be considered as headroom/cash buffer.

Georges Cohen, a former director of the Company, purchased 3,179,724 Units under the Offering for an aggregate subscription price of $6,900,001.08. The director's participation constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Such transactions are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to nor the consideration paid by such person exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The participants in the Offering and the extent of their participation were not finalized until shortly prior to the completion of the Offering. Accordingly, it was not possible to publicly disclose details of the nature and extent of the related party participation in the Offering prior to completion of the Offering.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the Units, including the underlying common shares and Warrants (and the common shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants), in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including in the United States of America. Such securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available.

ROBEX RESOURCES INC. Matthew Wilcox, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Stanislas Prunier, Investor Relations and Corporate Development



+1 581 741-7421



Email: investor@robexgold.com (mailto:investor@robexgold.com)

www.robexgold.com (http://www.robexgold.com)

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain information set forth in this news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation (referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are included to provide information about Management's current expectations and plans that allow investors and others to have a better understanding of the Company's business plans and financial performance and condition.

Statements made in this news release that describe the Company's or Management's estimates, expectations, forecasts, objectives, predictions, projections of the future or strategies may be "forward-looking statements", and can be identified by the use of the conditional or forward-looking terminology such as "aim", "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "can", "contemplate", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "future", "guidance", "guide", "indication", "intend", "intention", "likely", "may", "might", "objective", "opportunity", "outlook", "plan", "potential", "should", "strategy", "target", "will" or "would" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon. Forward-looking statements also include any other statements that do not refer to historical facts. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the quantum of the Offering; obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the Offering by the TSXV and the timing thereof; the completion of the Offering and the timing thereof; the listing of the common shares and the Warrants on the TSXV; and the intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering.

Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are made based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements or information. There can be no assurance that such statements or information will prove to be accurate. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions, including: the acceptance of the Offering by the TSXV and the listing of the common shares and the Warrants issued thereunder on the TSXV; the availability of net proceeds of the Offering for the development of the Kiniero Project, including (i) continuing the development of the early works programs and procurement of the long lead items; (ii) replenishing the working capital as a result of the repayment of an amount of US$ 15.5 million under the US$ 35.0 million bridge facility provided to the Company by Taurus; (iii) infilling the Mansounia project and other exploration expenditures; (iv) funding the Kiniero updated feasibility study to include the Mansounia property and further pit and process optimization; and (v) general and administrative as well as working capital; and general economic and financial conditions in Canada and the other jurisdictions where the Company intends to distribute securities in connection with the Offering.

Certain important factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to: delays in obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals and the timing thereofor on the Company's website at www.robexgold.com , for additional information on risk factors that could cause results to differ materially from forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Although the Company believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These factors are not intended to represent a complete and exhaustive list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, they should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or Management's estimates, assumptions or opinions should change, except as required by applicable law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's expected financial and operational performance and results as at and for the periods ended on the dates presented in the Company's plans and objectives, and may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
The groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable delivers significant improvements in connectivity speed and bandwidth

SOUTHBOROUGH, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Cable Matters, a leader in providing top-tier connectivity solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable manufactured by Lintes Technology Co., Ltd. The cable is available in 3 different lengths: 1 foot, 1.6 feet and 3.3 feet. This latest innovation delivers unparalleled performance, supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional data transfer and up to 120 Gbps of video bandwidth, a substantial leap from the previous Thunderbolt 4 technology.





Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable

Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable





The new Thunderbolt 5 cable by Cable Matters represents a significant advancement in connectivity technology, offering increased bandwidth and power delivery capabilities. The Bandwidth Boost technology enables the cable to transmit up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience, providing up to 3 times increase over Thunderbolt 4's maximum bandwidth. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for demanding applications such as high-resolution video streaming, extensive data transfer, and high-speed gaming.

The introduction of the Thunderbolt 5 cable aligns with the needs of modern users who require robust, high-performance connectivity solutions. "The Thunderbolt 5 cable not only supports the fastest data transfer rates but also ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices thanks to its backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and DisplayPort 2.1 standards," said Jeff Jiang, President of Cable Matters.

Jason Ziller, vice-president and general manager of the Client Connectivity Division at Intel, expressed enthusiasm about the new cable, stating, "The Thunderbolt 5 technology is a game-changer in the realm of connectivity and significantly enhances the user experience by providing more speed, power, and flexibility. It's an exciting advancement that underscores Cable Matters and Intel's commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in technology."

Consumers can expect the Thunderbolt 5 cable to support multiple 6K or 8K displays, offer enhanced charging capabilities up to 240W, and maintain high-speed connections over longer distances without degradation. Gamers can take advantage of a 540Hz refresh rate on a single display, or connect up to three 4K 144Hz displays. The Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable is not only a technological leap forward but also a testament to the company's commitment to innovation and quality.

About Cable Matters

Cable Matters, with headquarters in Southborough, Massachusetts, offers a complete line of cables, adapters, docking stations and networking products for home, office, and data center. Cable Matters offers first-class quality products, backed by exceptional customer service, at an affordable price.

Established in 2009, Cable Matters serves markets in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan.

Cable Matters is a registered trademark of Cable Matters Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Media Contact:

Sarah White

Phone: 508-460-1560

Email: press@cablematters.com

Contact Information

Sarah White

Marketing Manager

press@cablematters.com

5084601560

SOURCE: Cable Matters Inc.

View the original press release on newswire.com.
SAN FRANCISCO and LONDON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the global leader in real-time cross-border payments, today announced the appointment of Spencer Hanlon to the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Previously, Hanlon served as Nium's Global Head of Travel, spearheading one of the company's fastest-growing business units. Hanlon joined Nium in 2021 via the acquisition of Ixaris Group Ltd., where he served as Chairman.

In his new role as COO, Hanlon will lead and scale Nium's day-to-day operations into its next phase of growth, with particular emphasis on new client onboarding, global technical services, and long-term strategic initiatives. He will report to Nium's Founder and CEO, Prajit Nanu.

"Spencer has been an integral part of Nium for the past three years, demonstrating exceptional cross-functional leadership and a deep understanding of what it takes to scale," said Nanu. "Appointing Spencer to COO was a natural decision. His vision and dedication have been invaluable to our success, and I am confident that under his leadership, we will continue to achieve outstanding results."

Based out of London, Hanlon built the travel business at Nium, growing it from a regional player to one of the world's leading issuers of virtual cards. Recently, Nium announced year over year (2022 to 2023) revenue growth of 100% in virtual cards in Asia, a strategic priority market for the company.

Commenting on the appointment, Hanlon said, "During the three years I have been with Nium, I have witnessed first-hand the success of this forward-thinking acquisition, as it blossomed into a key part of this incredible cross-border payments scale-up. Now to have the opportunity to lead incredibly dedicated, intelligent, and fun-loving teams across the globe, within one of the world's most admired fintechs, is both an incredible honour and cause of real excitement for me. To that end, I have the clear brief to continue to make everything we do here at Nium all about the customer. Honestly, I can't wait to get started."

Prior to joining Nium, Hanlon held various leadership positions with British Airways over the course of a decade. He has worked and lived in several markets, including the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Malaysia, Switzerland, Israel and Turkey. He furthered his career in travel payments with almost two decades at Lufthansa's AirPlus International where he led teams in sales, marketing, processing, operations, and customer services - culminating in a stint as Managing Director and COO of AirPlus International GmbH - based out of their headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.

Nium is confident that Hanlon's appointment will further strengthen the company's leadership team and enhance its ability to deliver exceptional value to its customers, partners, and stakeholders.

Hanlon succeeds Pratik Gandhi, who joined the company in 2016 and took over as Nium's COO in 2019. Gandhi will move away from his operating role in the company by the end of this year and will continue to be associated with Nium as Co-founder Emeritus and advisor to Nium's CEO.

"I am proud of the growth and success we have achieved together and are now at a critical inflection point," said Gandhi. "It has been an exciting journey navigating through complexities of growth and scale, and I am confident that the company will continue to thrive under Spencer's leadership."

"Pratik has been key to Nium's success. He has been my partner in building this company for the past eight years and it is difficult to describe his contribution in mere words," said Nanu. "During his time at Nium, Pratik created a culture of excellence, building multiple functions from the ground up. I, and the entire team here at Nium, continue to be excited to see what he will accomplish next."

About Nium

Nium, the global leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 220+ markets, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licences and authorisations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance - independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore.

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Recognized for Vision and Execution. Sinch Continues to Drive Innovation in Customer Communications

ATLANTA and STOCKHOLM, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinch, which is pioneering the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, announced that the company has once again been positioned as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS). Sinch views this recognition as proof of their strong Super Network and the breadth of communication channels they offer across messaging, email, and voice, enabling businesses to operationalize CX and engagement. Sinch believes that their innovative AI capabilities, integration with over 500 platforms, and global market reach empower them to serve customers of any size, anywhere in the world. The evaluation was based on specific criteria that analyzed the company's overall Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.

"We believe our recognition as a Magic Quadrant Leader for the second consecutive year validates our dedication to our customers and our ability to enable them to deliver superior customer experiences," said Laurinda Pang, CEO of Sinch. "Digital, one-to-one communications are critical through marketing, operations, and care. Sinch simplifies customer communications throughout the entire journey. Our leading API Platform and comprehensive applications empower businesses to exceed customer expectations and deliver personalized communications at scale using both established and new communications channels."

Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players. The research enables you to get the most from market analysis in alignment with your unique business and technology needs.

View a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant report to learn more about Sinch's strengths and cautions, among other providers' offerings, https://go.sinch.com/sinch-gartner-mq-24-pr

Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Communication Platforms as a Service, Lisa Unden-Farboud, Pankil Sheth, Ajit Patankar, Brian Doherty, 24 June 2024

For more information contact:

Janet Lennon

Director of Global Communications

janet.lennon@sinch.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/sinch-ab/r/sinch-named-a-leader-in-the-2024-gartner--magic-quadrant--for-cpaas-for-the-second-consecutive-year,c4007751

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MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSX.V:QPM)(FSE:YXEP)(OTCQB:CJCFF) ("QPM" or the "Corporation") congratulates Ophir Metals Corp. ("Ophir") on their discovery announced on June 25, 2024, of spodumene pegmatites (lithium) in pegmatite dykes at Pilipas in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory in Quebec. Ophir's discovery is located approximately 3.7 km northwest of its Ninaaskuwumin spodumene pegmatite its 100%-owned Elmer East project on the trend of this discovery (see Figures 1 and 2 below ).

At Ninaaskuwumin, QPM reported assay values from the nine samples from the discovery outcrop range from 1.10% to 3.92% Li2O (see press release of January 18, 2024). Based on the lithium assays and the fractionation level of the pegmatitic material, derived from the pXRF K-Rb ratios for muscovite and K-Feldspar, the surface mineralization has the potential to extend along a NW-SE 3.8 km-long trend. The results for the Ophir's Pilipas discovery are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on QPM's Elmer East project.

"Ophir's discovery shows that the areas around both discoveries have the potential to host one of the largest spodumene pegmatite resources in the James Bay region. We are planning to sample and drill our Ninaaskuwumin spodumene pegmatite in late summer and early fall and wish Ophir the best of success in making additional lithium discoveries" commented Normand Champigny, CEO.

An updated corporate presentation is available on the Corporation's web site www.qpmcorp.ca

Qualified Person

Normand Champigny, Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects, has prepared and reviewed the content of this press release.

About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

QPM has a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. The Corporation focuses on advancing its Sakami gold project and its newly discovered, drill-ready Ninaaskuwin lithium showing on the Elmer East project. In addition, the Corporation holds a 68% interest in the Kipawa rare earths project located near Temiscaming, Quebec.

For more information please contact:

Normand Champigny

Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 514 979-4746

nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Figure 1

Figure 2

SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Presentation to business leaders of Angola sponsored by NYU Abu Dhabi

ABO Capital , an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa, hosted Professor Yaw Nyarko for a masterclass covering A New Digital Financial Era at their Executive Training Center in Luanda, Angola on May 21, 2024.

The masterclass, which was sponsored by NYU Abu Dhabi, featured Professor Nyarko presenting about the blockchain, cryptocurrency (including central bank digital currencies and stablecoin), and AI. Executives from various industries who attended not only learned about the future of finance, they also had the opportunity to discuss what these new financial and technological developments will mean for the Angolan economy. Key takeaways from the session included how emerging nations, such as Angola, can use financial innovation to strengthen and grow their economies.

"If you do traditional things, you will get traditional results," said Professor Nyarko. "Instead think about educating the youth, sending them into a village and letting them start a business using today's financial tools. Empowering young leaders with critical knowledge about the modern financial system has transformational effects on emerging economies."

Nyarko is a professor of economics at New York University (NYU), Director of NYU Africa House and the Center for Technology and Economic Development (CTED), as well as Co-Director of the Development Research Institute (DRI). He studies economic development and human capital, which recently culminated in a pioneering study on the impact of brain drain on Africa's intellectual and economic development and work on African Commodity Exchanges.

"It was a distinct pleasure for ABO to host Professor Nyarko at our Executive Training Center for his masterclass," said ABO Capital Chairman and CEO Zandre Campos. "Professor Nyarko and I share a mission to spearhead economic growth and development across our home continent. His presentation will spark Angola's business leaders to embrace new technologies and strengthen the nation's economy as a result."

ABO Capital's Executive Training Center is designed to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a workplace. The center hosts programs that connect trainees directly with opportunities in the private sector. Based in the financial center of Luanda, trainees gain first-hand experience to learn and work in key sectors driving economic development in Angola, including financial institutions, telecommunications, oil companies, and energy suppliers.

About ABO Capital

ABO Capital is an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa. Led by global entrepreneur Zandre Campos, ABO Capital invests in companies that create value and promote economic development throughout Africa. With a focus on education and technology, ABO Capital also operates in the financial services, energy, manufacturing, distribution and real estate sectors. ABO Capital is headquartered in Angola with offices in Dubai and the United States. Learn more at abocapital.net .

About Zandre Campos

Zandre Campos is one of the great, innovative business leaders and global entrepreneurs emerging out of Africa. Currently, he is chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa. Campos was named one of the Top 25 African business influencers and was a recipient of the Distinguished Business Excellence Award by African Leadership Magazine and the Africa Award by CEO Magazine. An advocate for bringing better education and technology to Africa, Campos is frequently quoted as an expert on Africa in the media and has spoken at leading industry conferences around the world.

About NYU Abu Dhabi

www.nyuad.nyu.edu

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity's shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi's high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

Media Contact

Christina Levin

Caliber Corporate Advisers

christina@calibercorporateadvisers.com

SOURCE: ABO Capital

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Regulatory News:

CTP, Europe's largest listed developer, owner, and manager of industrial and logistics properties by gross lettable area (GLA), announces the successful signing of a 5-year 500 million unsecured syndicated sustainability-linked loan facility at a fixed all-in cost of 4.7%.

The unsecured syndicated loan facility allows CTP to further diversify its funding sources. SMBC Bank EU AG and ING acted as Global Coordinators and Sustainability Coordinators, while other banks in the syndicate include BNP Paribas, VUB (Intesa Sanpaolo), Rabobank, Bank of China, Alpha Bank Group and ICBC.

The proceeds from this unsecured syndicated loan facility will be used for general corporate purposes including financing of developments and the concurrent tender offer that was launched.

CTP also launched a concurrent tender offer which will enable the Group to repurchase short-dated bonds with a total nominal amount of 500 million as detailed below. This proactive liquidity management allows the Group to extend its average debt maturity profile, as well as book a capital gain of 21.3 million.

ISIN Issue Date Maturity Coupon Outstanding

amount at launch

(in million) Accepted amount

(in million) Outstanding amount

after the settlement of

the tender offer

(in million) XS2356029541 21/6/2021 21/6/2025 0.500% 425.0 152.7 272.3 XS2238342484 1/10/2020 1/10/2025 2.125% 281.8 97.3 184.5 XS2434791690 20/1/2022 20/1/2026 0.875% 575.0 100.0 475.0 XS2390530330 27/9/2021 27/9/2026 0.625% 500.0 150.0 350.0

The settlement of the tender offer is expected to take place on 28 June 2024.

About CTP

CTP is Europe's largest listed owner, developer, and manager of logistics and industrial real estate by gross lettable area, owning 12.0 million sqm of GLA across 10 countries as at 31 March 2024. CTP certifies all new buildings to BREEAM Very good or better and earned a 'Low-Risk' ESG rating by Sustainalytics, underlining its commitment to being a sustainable business. For more information, visit CTP's corporate website: www.ctp.eu

Important Information

This announcement is not being made in and copies of it may not be distributed or sent into the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. No offer or invitation to acquire any securities is being made pursuant to this announcement. The distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240627835705/en/

Contacts:

CONTACT DETAILS FOR ANALYST AND INVESTOR ENQUIRIES:

Maarten Otte, Head of Investor Relations

Mobile: +420 730 197 500

Email: maarten.otte@ctp.eu

CONTACT DETAILS FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Patryk Statkiewicz, Group Head of Marketing PR

Mobile: +31 (0) 629 596 119

Email: patryk.statkiewicz@ctp.eu
LONDON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its hugely successful launch in 2023, the CDO Travel & Hospitality Exchange returns for its second year on 11-12 September 2024 at Hilton Syon Park in London. Bringing together senior data leaders from across the world of travel and hospitality for two days of learning, discussion and networking, attendees will gain unique insights on harnessing data for operational excellence, building world-class data teams and enhancing customer experience through effective use of data.

The multitude of systems and suppliers integral to the functioning of the travel and hospitality industry creates a distinct set of challenges in terms of data organisation and governance, with many data leaders feeling as though they are not maximising their organisation's data potential. Coupled with the introduction of new legislation and the pressure to keep up with continually evolving customer expectations, a data leader's role within travel and hospitality organisations has become increasingly demanding.

The CDO Travel & Hospitality Exchange agenda has been designed to address the complexities of implementing effective data strategies, helping travel and hospitality businesses to thrive in today's data-driven world. With 70 select data leaders from the travel and hospitality industry in attendance and a variety of unique activity formats including industry-specific roundtables, plenary presentations and one-to-one meetings with solution providers, the Exchange format provides a tailored, unique platform to explore fresh solutions to real-world challenges that data leaders in this sector face.

The world-class speaker faculty is comprised of thought leaders from some of the travel and hospitality industry's most recognisable brands, including Hirra Sulanki, Group Head of Digital Analytics & Optimisation at TUI, Gillian Cossey, Global Data Protection Officer at Virgin Atlantic, and Nick Beresford, Head of Data & Analytics at Heathrow Airport. Attendees will come away with the expert knowledge and actionable insights needed to create data-driven change within their organisations.

Other agenda highlights include a presentation on 'The Ongoing Battle Between Modernisation and Legacy Systems' by Philip Cotton, Head of Customer, Trending & Trading Insight at On the Beach. The event's closing panel discussion on 'Navigating the Path to Data Maturity', notably featuring Andrea Ferrari, Director of Planning & Forecasting at Silversea Cruises, also promises to be an enriching discussion that will enable attendees to visualise the optimal data architecture, team structure and strategies needed for their organisation to excel.

Attendance at the CDO Travel & Hospitality Exchange is by invitation only. To be part of the conversation, network with fellow travel and hospitality data leaders and discover valuable solutions for your organisation, request your invitation by clicking here. For more information on the agenda and speaker lineup, visit the event website here.

Join us in shaping the future of data-driven success in travel and hospitality.

Media contacts:Kazia Green, kazia.green@iqpcexchange.com

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Finsbury Growth & Income Trust PLC - Transaction in Own Shares

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, June 27

For immediate release

27 June 2024

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announce that it has today purchased 207,832 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 845.83 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 46,912,524; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 178,078,779.

The figure of 178,078,779 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Camino Minerals Corporation (TSXV:COR)(OTC PINK:CAMZF)(WKN:A116E1) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been granted exclusivity to complete due diligence and negotiate documentation by August 31, 2024, to acquire (the "Proposed Acquisition") the Puquios Project, a construction-ready copper project located in Chile, approximately 130 km northeast of La Serena, Coquimbo region (the "Project"). Camino has signed a non-binding Letter-of-Intent ("LOI") dated May 29, 2024, to acquire the Project in a 50:50 joint venture with Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. ("Nittetsu"). On June 26, 2024, Camino made a cash payment to the vendor pursuant to the LOI in the amount of CAD$100,000 for the exclusivity arrangement.

The Proposed Acquisition complements the Company's partnership with Nittetsu on the Los Chapitos copper project. Nittetsu is currently completing an earn-in on Camino's Los Chapitos copper project in Peru (see news release dated June 14, 2023), but is an arm's length party to Camino under TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") policies. Nittetsu operates the Atacama Kozan copper mine and is currently constructing the US$400M Arqueros mine, both in Chile. Partnering with Nittetsu on a second copper project creates construction, operational, exploration, and capital markets synergies between Nittetsu and Camino.

The potential vendors of the Project are Santiago Metals Investment Holdings II SLU and Santiago Metals Investment Holdings II-A LLC, which are companies owned by a fund advised by Denham Capital and are a non-arm's length party to Camino under TSXV policies. Separate Denham-advised funds hold a shareholder interest in Camino of approximately 15% and Justin Machin, a Managing Director of Denham Capital, is a member of the Camino board. Pursuant to the LOI, Camino and Nittetsu are proposing to acquire 100% of the Puquios Project by acquiring all of the shares in Cuprum Resources Chile SpA ("Cuprum", a Chilean corporation and the owner of the Project) for consideration consisting of equal amounts of cash (CAD$10M) and shares (CAD$10M), contingent payments with a value of CAD$25M and a 1% net smelter return royalty. Based on the current terms set out in the LOI, Nittetsu is expected to provide the initial cash consideration of CAD$10M, and Camino to provide initial share consideration of CAD$10M, priced at a share price equal to the lesser of CAD$0.075 and the share price of a financing anticipated to be undertaken by the Company in connection with the Proposed Acquisition (which financing shall be subject to TSXV acceptance, and the terms of which are to be finalized and announced at a later date). In parallel, Nittetsu and Camino plan to finalize a 50:50 joint venture for the Project, in which the copper off-take for the Project will be shared at 50%.

The Proposed Acquisition will constitute a non-arm's length "Reverse Takeover" for Camino as that term is defined in Policy 5.2 of the TSXV.

Highlights:

Copper production in an easily accessible mining district with infrastructure in Chile would complement the advancement of copper exploration projects in Peru.

Camino-Nittetsu partnership combines a proven team of mine builders, mine operators, and capital markets experts to continue building a copper platform for investors looking for a production and growth investment in copper.

Construction-ready project to capture an anticipated near-term strong copper market.

Jay Chmelauskas, CEO and President of Camino said: "A construction-ready copper mine acquisition would be transformational for Camino to capture production and cash flow from a projected near-term strong copper price. Such a construction project would expedite copper production ahead of our exploration assets in Peru and create a larger copper platform for investors looking for growth and greater liquidity in copper. Nittetsu has been a great partner at our Los Chapitos project in Peru and extending this partnership to a new copper production asset with Nittetsu's operational experience in Chile, provides growth and new opportunities for both companies."

Camino's Corporate Development Strategy:

Camino has been very active in advancing a corporate acquisition strategy, reviewing multiple projects over several years in order to build a copper portfolio ahead of what the Company believes to be strong macro-economic conditions for copper production. The Company considers Puquios to be one of the best construction-ready projects available in the market and of the right size for Camino to finance and build. In addition, the Company believes that adding copper production assets to its portfolio of exploration assets will enhance and support its exploration strategy. Ultimately, the Company seeks to become a consolidator in the copper sector, creating value through cashflow generation and new copper discoveries.

Cuprum, the operating company in Chile that owns the Project and headquartered in Santiago, Chile, is engaged in the development of mineral resources. It has obtained a NI 43-101 compliant feasibility report dated January 14, 2022 in respect of the Project, and Camino management has been advised that Cuprum has secured all necessary environmental approvals and permits to begin construction in the near future of the plant and mine in respect of the Project.

The parties are working toward completion of definitive documentation for early Q3 2024. The Proposed Acquisition, if consummated, is expected to involve the acquisition by Camino and Nittetsu of the shares of Cuprum. The principals and insiders of the Company post-closing of the Proposed Acquisition (including the Camino board composition) are yet to be determined, but the LOI contemplates certain Camino board representation rights granted to Denham Capital based on share ownership percentage thresholds beginning at 9.9%. Completion of the acquisition is subject to due diligence, settlement of definitive agreements, Camino shareholder approval, TSXV and other regulatory approvals, satisfaction of certain permitting milestones and other customary conditions. The Camino board representative of Denham Capital has and will continue to abstain from all deliberations and voting in respect of the Proposed Acquisition. No finders' fees will be payable by Camino in respect of the Proposed Acquisition and the Company will seek a waiver of any sponsorship requirements of the TSXV in respect of the Proposed Acquisition.

A comprehensive press release will be issued if and when definitive agreements are settled in respect of the Proposed Acquisition. The shares of Camino will remain halted pursuant to TSXV Policy 5.2.

About Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd.:

Nittetsu is a Japanese corporation listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with an 85-year history as a mining and trading company. Nittetsu is the operator of the Atacama Kozan mine located in the prolific Candelaria-Punta del Cobre copper district which is known to host iron-oxide-copper-gold type ore deposits. In addition, Nittetsu has made a decision to start construction of its 80% owned Arqueros copper mine in Chile. Nittetsu has expertise in processing, distributing, importing, and exporting copper and other mineral products. Other businesses include: purchasing and distributing coal and petroleum products; developing and distributing equipment, machinery and environment-related products; real estate; power generation using renewable energy; the supply and sale of electricity; and mining and distributing industrial minerals including limestone.

About Camino Minerals Corporation:

Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. Camino is focused on advancing its high-grade Los Chapitos copper project located in Peru through to resource delineation and to add new discoveries. Camino has also permitted the Maria Cecilia copper porphyry project for an exploration drilling program which is currently underway. In addition, Camino has increased its land position at its copper and silver Plata Dorada project. Camino seeks to acquire a portfolio of advanced copper assets that have the potential to deliver copper into an electrifying, copper intensive global economy. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminocorp.com.

Jose A. Bassan, FAusIMM (CP) 227922, MSc. Geologist, an independent geologist and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document. Mr. Bassan has reviewed and verified relevant data supporting the technical disclosure, including sampling and analytical test data.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, please contact: /S/ "Jay Chmelauskas" Camino Investor Relations President and CEO info@caminocorp.com Tel: (604) 493-2058

Completion of the Proposed Acquisition is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Proposed Acquisition cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Acquisition, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Acquisition may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Camino should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Proposed Acquisition and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain disclosures in this release constitute forward-looking information. In making the forward-looking disclosures in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information in the release includes statements with respect to the Proposed Acquisition of the Project; the completion of due diligence and negotiation of documentation by August 31, 2024 in respect of the Proposed Acquisition; the 50:50 joint venture with Nittetsu in respect of the Project and the sharing of copper off-take for the Project; the consideration payable by Nittetsu and Camino, respectively, in respect of the Proposed Acquisition; the anticipated synergies between Nittetsu and Camino in respect of the Project; and the Company's aims, goals and growth plans. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release is subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information. Such risk factors include, among others, risk that the Proposed Acquisition will not be completed as anticipated, or at all; risk that the Company will not be able to complete its due diligence and negotiate definitive documentation by August 31, 2024 in respect of the Proposed Acquisition; risk that the Company will not receive requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals or satisfy the customary conditions in respect of the Proposed Acquisition as anticipated, or at all; risk that the Company and Nittetsu will not be able to establish the 50:50 joint venture in respect of the Project and the sharing of copper off-take for the Project as anticipated, or at all; risk that the consideration payable by Nittetsu and Camino, respectively, in respect of the Proposed Acquisition will not be as anticipated; risk that the anticipated synergies between Nittetsu and Camino in respect of the Project will not be realized as contemplated, or at all; risk that actual results of the Company's exploration activities may be different than those expected by management; risk that the Company may be unable to obtain or will experience delays in obtaining any required authorizations and approvals; and risks related to the state of equity and commodity markets. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Camino Minerals Corp.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Process Oil Market by Type (Aromatic, Paraffinic, Naphthenic, Non-carcinogenic), Function (Extender Oil, Plasticizer, Solvent, Defoamer), Production Technology (Convention Route, Gas to Liquid, Bio-based), Application, and Region-Global Forecast to 2029", is projected to grow from USD 5.2 billion in 2024 to USD 5.6 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 1.6% during the forecast period. Growing industrialization and manufacturing activities worldwide are driving the demand for process oils, as they enhance the durability and performance of products such as rubber, plastics, and adhesives. Increasing environmental awareness and regulatory pressures are boosting the demand for bio-based process oils. Additionally, the expanding automotive and construction sectors are fueling the demand for high-quality process oils to improve the longevity and efficiency of machinery and components. Growing preference for non-carcinogenic process oils in the tire & rubber application.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Process Oil Market"

274 - Tables

60 - Figures

251 - Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=70882267

Among types, naphthenic is the largest segment in the process oil market owing to the rising demand for process oil in tires and footwear applications.

Naphthenic oils are expected to lead the process oil market during the forecast period, in terms of value. They have unique molecular structure, which offers excellent solvency and compatibility across various applications. These oils enhance the performance of rubber products, printing inks, wood treatments, and among other applications. They are also effective in dust control and caulking compounds, ensuring flexibility, stability, and long-lasting performance. Advances in refining technologies produce highly purified naphthenic oils, expanding their industrial applications. Additionally, the shift towards sustainable products boosts demand for naphthenic oils due to their lower environmental impact compared to other types, making them a vital component in driving market growth and innovation.

Among function, extender oil is the largest segment in the process oil market.

The extender oil function is expected to lead the process oil market during the forecast period, in terms of volume. Rubber process oil functions as an extender. Extender oil can be used to aid in the mixing process, reducing compounding time, improving process capability, and changing physical qualities. Moreover, extender oil enhances the reduction of wear, frictional heat, and energy loss. All such factors are expected to contribute to the growth of this segment in the process oil market.

Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=70882267

Among applications, tire & rubber is the largest segment in the process oil market.

The tire & rubber application is expected to lead the process oil market during the forecast period, in terms of volume. Increasing concerns for fuel efficiency and reducing energy consumption in the automotive sector are driving the growth of this segment. The growth of this segment is also supported by the rising demand for automobiles in the emerging countries such as India, China, Mexico, and Indonesia, amongst others.

Asia Pacific region is expected to be the largest process oil market.

In terms of volume, the process oil market is anticipated to be led by Asia Pacific throughout the projected period. This demand is explained by the rapid expansion of the region's growing economies, which has made Asia Pacific a profitable market for process oil producers. One of the biggest markets for process oil in Asia is China. Based on yearly sales and manufacturing production, it remains one of the major car markets globally, as per the International Trade Administration. Growth in the automotive industry will therefore increase the need for tyres and rubber, which will fuel the demand for process oils.

The major market players include Shell plc (UK), Exxon Mobil Corporation (US), TotalEnergies (France), Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Japan), and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS) (Malaysia) are the leading players in the market. There is significant competition in the process oil market to develop new process technology, lower the manufacturing cost, expand, and increase the use of process oil in the end-use industries. Owing to such opportunities in the industry, companies are aiming to enhance their market share by adopting various strategies.

Browse Adjacent Market: Bulk Chemicals and Inorganics Market Research Reports & Consulting

Related Reports:

Base Oil Market - Global Forecast to 2026

Bioplastics & Biopolymers Companies - Global Market Leaders

Biodegradable Plastics Companies - Global Market Leaders

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Road Town, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - In a significant move for cryptocurrency and mobile technology enthusiasts, LBank Exchange, a premier global digital asset trading platform, has announced the listing of APFC Coin (APFC) on June 27, 2024. Users of LBank Exchange can brace themselves for the APFC/USDT trading pair, which went live already.





APFC Listing Banner



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APFC Coin (APFC) is a cryptocurrency backed by APF GROUP assets, designed to merge the stability of Czech Republic agricultural land prices with innovative digital asset investments.

Introducing APFC Coin: Merging Agricultural Stability with Digital Innovation

LBank Exchange is thrilled to announce the listing of APFC Coin (APFC), a revolutionary cryptocurrency introduced by APF Digital Agrifund CR s.r.o., a subsidiary of the APF GROUP. This innovative digital asset is uniquely backed by the stable and appreciating value of agricultural land in the Czech Republic. By leveraging the solidity of traditional agricultural investments with the dynamic potential of cryptocurrency, APFC Coin aims to provide investors with a secure yet progressive financial instrument.

The primary purpose of APFC Coin is to raise funds through an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), which will be utilized to acquire agricultural land and invest in agriculture-related securities and other cryptocurrencies. This dual investment strategy not only capitalizes on the stability of land prices but also seeks to explore the high-growth opportunities within the digital asset market. As a result, APFC Coin offers a balanced investment approach, mitigating risks while enhancing potential returns.

Moreover, APF Digital Agrifund CR s.r.o. is committed to maintaining transparency and trust with its investors. Although it operates independently from the Czech National Bank (CNB) supervision and its funds are not legally insured, the backing of APF GROUP's substantial assets provides a solid foundation. Investors are encouraged to consult legal experts for tailored advice, ensuring compliance with financial regulations and making informed investment decisions.

About APFC Token

Based on ERC20, APFC has a total supply of 1 billion (i.e. 1,000,000,000). APFC token distribution is as follows: 50% for ICO, 20% for APF Group reserves, 15% for team and advisors, 10% for partnerships and ecosystem development, and 5% for marketing and community incentives. The APFC token is poised for its debut on LBank Exchange at 10:00 UTC on June 27, 2024. Investors who are interested in APFC can easily buy and sell on LBank Exchange now.

Learn More about APFC Token:

Official Website: https://apfdigitalagrifund.com/en/

Contract: https://etherscan.io/token/0x8eD955a2b7d2C3a17a9d05dACa95E01818f8C11e

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About LBank

LBank is one of the top crypto exchanges, established in 2015. It offers specialized financial derivatives, expert asset management services, and safe crypto trading to its users. The platform holds over 10 million users from more than 210 regions across the world. LBank is a cutting-edge growing platform that ensures the integrity of users' funds and aims to contribute to the global adoption of cryptocurrencies.

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SOURCE: LBank
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Rome Resources Ltd. (TSXV: RMR) (FSE: 33R) ("Rome" or the "Company") announces that the date of its special meeting of Rome shareholders (the "Meeting") has been changed from July 2, 2024 to July 12, 2024. The Meeting is being held to seek shareholder approval of the previously announced plan of arrangement transaction pursuant to which Pathfinder Minerals Plc ("Pathfinder"), a non-arm's length party to the Company, has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Rome (the "Arrangement"), subject to satisfaction of the conditions precedent set forth in the arrangement agreement dated May 7, 2024 (the "Arrangement Agreement") relating to the Arrangement.

The Company is postponing the Meeting in order to provide Rome shareholders with time to review an AIM admission document, which is being prepared by Pathfinder in accordance with AIM Rules for Companies (the "Admission Document") and which is expected to be published in the near future. As stated in Rome's information circular dated May 27, 2024 ("Rome Information Circular") with respect to the Meeting, which was mailed to Rome shareholders and which, together with the Arrangement Agreement can be viewed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under Rome's profile, Rome shareholders are encouraged to review the Admission Document for additional information relating to Pathfinder, the Pathfinder Meeting and the Combined Company (as all such terms are defined in the Rome Information Circular). After publication, the Admission Document will be available for review at www.pathfinderminerals.com. Following publication of the Admission Document, Rome intends to issue a news release to alert its securityholders of the publication of the Admission Document.

The record date for determining the Rome shareholders eligible to vote at the Meeting will remain May 14, 2024. Shareholders who have already submitted a proxy do not need to vote again for the postponed Meeting. The updated deadline for the receipt of proxies is 11:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on Wednesday July 10, 2024 or two business days prior to any further adjournment or postponement of the Meeting. Shareholders will not receive a new form of proxy and can use the form of proxy mailed to them with the Rome Information Circular.

The updated deadline for the receipt of notices of dissent is 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on July 10, 2024, or two days prior to any further adjournment or postponement of the Meeting. The hearing of Rome's application for the Final Order is now expected to take place at the courthouse of the Court at 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia on or about July 16, 2024 at about 9:45 a.m. (Vancouver time).

Additional information regarding the terms of the Arrangement, the background of the Arrangement and how Rome shareholders can vote at the Meeting can be found in the Rome Information Circular which can be viewed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under Rome's profile.

About Rome Resources

Rome Resources Ltd. is a mineral exploration company that has entered into two option agreements and a binding term sheet where it has acquired 51% indirect interests in two contiguous properties situated in the Walikale District of the North Kivu Province in eastern DRC, which are collectively referred to as the "Bisie North Tin Project". Rome has completed an initial phase of drilling on the project where it is responsible to fund exploration up to the completion of a definitive feasibility study.

Contacts

Investors / Shareholders

Mark Gasson

President, CEO & Director

P: +33640612921

Media

E: info@romeresources.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release may include certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although Rome Resources Ltd believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, Rome Resources Ltd disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214689

SOURCE: Rome Resources Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Showcase Minerals Inc. (CSE: SHOW) (FSE: ZJ0) ("Showcase" or the "Company") is pleased to announce drill results from the two completed holes at their Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project in Elko County, Nevada. The 2024 drill program was conducted in Section 18 of T 31N R 54E Hole DF24-01 and was completed to 373.4 meters at an azimuth of 300and dip of -55. This first hole was designed to test for gold mineralization along a fault parallel and west of the Dark Star Fault northern extension (Figure 1). The fault is normal and down dropped to the east. In addition, gold mineralization at the Webb Formation-Devils Gate Limestone was targeted. Section 18 lies at the intersection between a northwest-oriented Emigrant fault zone or corridor, and a north-northeast fault zone that extends at least to the Dark Star Deposit owned by Orla Mining Ltd. This area was chosen for initial drilling because all the previous drill holes with mineralization on Showcase land occur within section 18, and due to its proximity to the Dark Star Fault Extension. Recent Leapfrog modeling by Rangefront Mining Services highlighted these zones. Figure 1 shows the project area and generalized geology of the Emigrant area. A grade cutoff of 0.20 g/t gold at the Emigrant Mine is shown in red.

The geology of Section 18 and hole DF23-01 is typical of the Rain-Emigrant Subdistrict. Alluvium and volcanic tuff and sediments overlie Mississippian age Melandco Formation sandstone previously named Chainman Formation (Ressel et al. 2015), Webb Formation siltstone and shale, and Devonian age Devils Gate limestone. DF23-01 is in the hanging wall of the hereto named East Spring Fault. In contrast, North Bullion, South Bullion, and Darkstar gold mineralization is hosted in rocks that do not occur in the northern Dixie Flat property but may occur further to the south on the Showcase claims under volcanic cover.

In Section 18, gold intercepts occur in the foot wall of this fault which is a horst block at the Melandco-Devils Gate contact. Previous drilling indicates the Webb Formation is very thin or absent across the top of the horst. Intercepts here are typically less than 15 metres and gold grades are less than 0.30 g/t. Like the Emigrant and Rain deposits, the mineralization occurs as silicified breccia at the top of Devils Gate and base of Webb Formation (Figure 2). Holes DF24-01 and DF-24-02 did encounter silicified breccia at the Webb-Devils gate contact. The depth of this contact in DF24-01 was much greater than anticipated. Historic hole DX-5 drilled approximately 40 meters north of the Showcase property line and 220 meters north-northwest of DF24-01 encountered similar breccia and contained a gold intercept of 22 metres of 0.277 g/t at a similar depth (Figure 2). DF24-01 likely ended near the downdip projection of East Spring Fault but did not penetrate it.

The gold results in DF24-01 are not as thick as DX-5 but indicate that mineralization does continue south along the fault (Figure 2). DF24-02 was drilled 316 meters west-northwest of DF24-01 in the horst block, and the 25.9-metre-thick gold intercept encountered is larger than any hole previously drilled on Showcase ground.

Gold assays are shown in Table 1 with silver (Ag), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg), antimony (Sb), and thallium (Tl) results that are typical indicator elements in the Emigrant system. Of note are the elevated silver assays as the Emigrant deposit is characteristically elevated in silver. Ressel (et al., 2015) interpreted the silver content as evidence that the Emigrant deposit formed at a shallower depth than classic Carlin deposits and may be transitional to an epthermal system. The silver assays obtained in the Showcase drilling confirm that Section 18 is within the Emigrant hydrothermal system.

Hole ID From-

m To-m Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) As

(ppm) Ba(ppm) Hg

(ppm) Sb

(ppm) Tl

(ppm) DF24-01 368.8 374.9 0.219 1.93 324.8 938 10.9 54.7 1.9 - 379.5 385.6 0.254 3.08 344.8 345 10.5 54.1 6.98 DF24-02 112.8 138.7 0.252 3.82 141.4 1361 3.26 36.21 1.48

Table 1- Assay results

Drilling was conducted with a Schramm T685 reverse circulation drill. Sampling began at the base of the Quaternary alluvium, which occurred at 500 metres in DF24-01 and 240 metres in DF24-02. Samples were retrieved every 1.5 metres (5 feet) from a rotary wet splitter that was adjusted to recover approximately 10 kilograms of material. Quality assurance/quality control blanks, standards, and duplicates were inserted approximately every twenty samples and were delivered daily to the ALS Global preparation facility in Elko, Nevada. Duplicate samples were collected at the drill. Samples were crushed to 70% less than 2 millimetres and riffle split to 250 grams. The split was pulverized to 85% passed 75 microns (PREP-31). Assay methods consisted of a 30 gram fire assay with an AA finish (Au-AA23), and aqua regia ICP (ME-MS41). A total of 230 samples were assayed.

In summary, the Showcase 2024 program tested for Webb-Formation-Devils Gate contact mineralization in the foot wall of the normal East Springs Fault (parallel to the Dark Star Fault extension), and fault-controlled mineralization within the fault and contact mineralization in the hanging wall of the fault. Rain-Emigrant type silicified breccia occurs in both drilled holes, but mineralization in the footwall hole DF24-01 is consistent with mineralization in previous neighboring holes and slightly above the cutoff grade of the Emigrant Deposit. Production grades at the Emigrant Mine averaged 0.62 g/t gold (Ressel et al. 2015). The Company's consulting geologist recommends that any further drilling in Section 18 should focus on thicker and higher-grade intercepts. In Section 18, a previous hole 87-6 containing three metres of 0.310 g/t gold occurs 319 meters west-southwest of D24-02 (Figure 2). The area between these holes is untested, and there is a potential for finding thicker and possibly higher-grade intercepts.

An additional target in Section 18 may exist at depth in the Devonian Oxyoke Canyon Formation. This formation is the deepest known mineralized unit in the South Bullion deposit (Sletten et al. 2022). In the Emigrant area, the Oxyoke Canyon Formation is approximately 355 meters beneath the top of the Devils Gate limestone (Ressel et al. 2015) or 355 to 500 meters beneath the surface.

Outside of Section 18, Section 24 to the southwest is crosscut by the Emigrant Fault on the west, and the East Spring Fault on the east. Figure 3 shows CSAMT target areas from a 2017 survey along with the geology, project area, and faults in Figure 1. Other than gravity and CSAMT, there have been no other surveys conducted in this section. The CSAMT targets are between two major faults and may provide further exploration opportunities.

Qualified Person:

Mr. Steve McMillin, M.Sc., C.P.G. is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

About the Dixie Flats- North Star Gold Project:

The Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project (the "Property" or "Dixie Flats") is located on the east side of the Pinon Mountains, 21 air-miles south of the City of Elko in northeast Nevada. It is a combination of two claim blocks, the Dixie Flats group of claims and the North Star group of claims. The Property is comprised of a total of 236 total unpatented mineral claims on Federal land administered by the US Bureau of Land Management.

The Property lies on the southern margin of the Carlin Trend, a northwest-trending belt of sediment-hosted gold deposits that makes up the greatest geographic concentration of gold deposits in North America, with reported production of more than 92.5 million ounces of gold since 1961 (Muntean, 2019). The Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project is underlain by rocks known to host gold mineralization on the Carlin Trend, and surface sampling has shown anomalous gold, silver, arsenic, antimony, and mercury levels in rock, soil, and biogeochemical samples from the Property, which is a characteristic geochemical signature of Carlin-Type gold deposits.

The Dixie Flats - North Star Gold Project is approximately three miles south of Newmont Mining Company's Emigrant Springs Mine, which finished production in 2018, and approximately 4.5 miles southeast of the past producing Rain Mine. Both deposits are hosted in dissolution breccia zones at the contact between the Webb mudstone, the basal unit of the overlying assemblage, and the underlying Devils Gate limestone. Prior exploration on the Dixie Flats -North Star Gold Project has been focused on delineating this contact at depth and discovering possible extensions to the regional structures controlling mineralization at the Rain and Emigrant Mines and their demonstrated extension to the Property. The information on the adjacent projects is taken from publicly available sources and is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization in the Dixie Flats - North Star Gold Project.

Additional information on the Dixie Flats - North Star Gold Project can be found in the National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") technical report entitled "Technical Report on the Dixie Flats-Northstar Gold Exploration Property", Elko, Nevada, dated September 21, 2022, which has been filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

About Showcase Minerals Inc.:



Showcase is a Canadian mineral exploration company with an exclusive option to acquire a 100% interest in Dixie Flats-North Star Gold Project and the Woodruff Gold-Vanadium Project (subject to various net smelter returns royalties ranging from 2.25% to 4.25%), which collectively consist of unpatented 254 lode mining claims covering approximately 1,818 hectares located in Elko County, Nevada.



For further information, please contact:



Kirk Reed, President

Showcase Minerals Inc.

Telephone: 1-800-982-0670



Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

References

Ressel, M.W., Dundas, M., Lujan, R., Essman, J., Shumway, P.J, 2015, Shallow Expressions of Carlin-type Hydrothermal System: An Example from the Emigrant Mine, Carlin Trend, Nevada, Geological Society of Nevada, New Concepts and Discoveries: 2015 Symposium Proceedings, p.409-433.

Sletten, M., Bermudez, B., Ibrado, A.S., Lindholm, M., Dyer, T., Anderson, J., Simmons, J.A., Delong, R., Lutes, K, 2022, Form43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility Study, Elko County, Nevada, Prepared for Gold Standard Ventures Corporation.





Figure 1: Showcase 2024 project area and Emigrant Mine geology (After Ressel et al., 2015)

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Figure 2: 2024 Dixie Flats drill locations and results. Dashed red line marks area for possible follow-up exploration.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Figure 3: CSAMT targets in Section 24.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9723/214690_c6e2a53a84c86b0f_004full.jpg

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214690

SOURCE: Showcase Minerals Inc.
The "Europe Electric Construction Equipment Market Industry Outlook Forecast 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Europe Electric Construction Equipment Market totaled 6.30 Thousand Units in 2023, and is expected to reach 12.99 Thousand Units by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 12.81%

The Europe electric construction equipment market shifted focus to sustainability, prompting comprehensive analysis beyond exhaust emissions. Key concerns now include fuels, lubricants, maintenance facilities, mobility, and overall equipment operation for a greener fleet initiative. Leading vendors like Volvo, Komatsu, and Hyundai have spearheaded sustainability integration, emphasizing eco-friendly construction equipment in asset management practices. Large OEMs adopt advanced telematics and machine data analytics to customize solutions for end customers.

The Europe electric construction equipment market exhibits varied growth rates across different countries. Leading nations in the market, including the U.K., Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden, show strong acceptance and efforts to transition towards fossil-free construction sites, while other EU countries lag. Furthermore, Germany holds the most significant share of the Europe electric construction equipment market, accounting for over USD 261 million in 2023.

Overall, the Europe electric construction equipment market demonstrates a concerted push towards sustainable construction practices, emphasizing decarbonization, energy efficiency, and adoption of innovative technology. Key insights regarding electric construction machinery adoption and charging infrastructure are:

MARKET TRENDS DRIVERS

Demand for Sustainable Projects Across the Region

The escalating demand for sustainable and net-zero buildings is driving a parallel surge in the preference for electric construction equipment. This shift is pivotal in significantly reducing overall emissions during construction activities and supports the growth of the Europe electric construction equipment market. The European Environment Agency conducted a comprehensive study revealing that construction activities contribute approximately 36% of the emissions of carbon dioxide in the European Union.

The adoption of electric construction machinery emerges as a transformative solution with the potential to diminish this environmental impact substantially. As of 2020, it was estimated that electric construction machinery had contributed by saving around 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, underscoring the pressing need for eco-friendly alternatives. Further, as the number of green buildings continues to rise, there is a corresponding surge in the demand for electric construction equipment. This is particularly evident due to the negligible emissions associated with electric equipment compared to their traditional counterparts powered by fossil fuels.

Impact of Fossil-Free Construction Sites

European Union nations endorse fossil-free construction sites, aligning with the European Commission's sustainability initiatives. Key cities such as Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen, Vantaa, and Barcelona are committed to targets mandating fossil-free construction machinery in public projects, aiming for emission reduction and widespread adoption of zero-emission construction equipment by 2025 and 2030. This joint commitment reflects a collective effort, incorporating collaborative initiatives, knowledge-sharing platforms, and a unified drive toward a greener construction industry in the EU.

Major cities' recent declaration of intent, part of the European Commission's collaborative initiative, underscores a significant step towards sustainability, emphasizing the adoption of zero-emission construction equipment. Furthermore, the commitment of major European cities and the growing demand for fossil-free construction sites serve as a strong growth catalyst for the Europe electric construction equipment market.

SEGMENTATION INSIGHTS

INSIGHTS BY EQUIPMENT

The Europe electric construction equipment market by equipment is segmented into excavators, wheel loaders, skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, dump trucks, telehandlers, aerial platforms, and others. Among these, excavators hold the largest share within the equipment segment, with substantial volume and value recorded in 2023. The transition towards electric construction equipment is progressing significantly, mainly focusing on compact ranges.

Forecasts indicate that by 2030, manufacturers will introduce electric versions of larger equipment such as cranes. Present market conditions reveal a higher demand for medium and compact equipment than larger counterparts. This trend is primarily attributed to challenges associated with developing batteries suitable for large equipment and establishing adequate charging infrastructure on construction sites. As the industry continues to evolve, addressing these constraints will be crucial for further market expansion and adoption of electric construction equipment across all segments.

INSIGHTS BY BATTERY CAPACITY

The< 50Kwh battery capacity segment holds the most significant European electric construction equipment market share in 2023. The sales of electric construction equipment with battery capacities below 50 kWh are higher for several reasons.

INSIGHTS BY BATTERY CHEMISTRY

The Europe electric construction equipment market by batter chemistry includes Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), and other batteries. NMC batteries hold a major share in this segment due to their higher energy density and lower price than other alternatives, making them a more favored power source for construction equipment manufacturers. Further, innovation in battery technology is rapidly advancing for electric vehicles (EVs) and off-highway vehicles, with companies offering diverse solutions to boost performance. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are gaining traction in the EV industry due to their affordability, safety, and longevity, outperforming nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries.

Although commercialization is ongoing, solid-state batteries offer higher energy density and safety advantages. Sodium-ion batteries emerge as a lithium-free option with potential cost and charging benefits. Furthermore, improvements in solid-state battery manufacturing, particularly in dry room technology, could expedite their adoption. Despite varied alternatives, the industry aims for efficient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly energy storage solutions, vital for future transportation and construction advancements. Tracking battery technology developments remains pivotal.

INSIGHTS BY END USER

The Europe electric construction equipment market by end-user is segmented into construction, warehouse and logistics, mining, and others. The construction industry includes maintenance, renovation of public infrastructure, housing projects, and non-residential construction. Increased demand for infrastructure projects increases the demand for construction segments with a major market share.

The mining industry involves mining coal, natural minerals, and others. Equipment like excavators, wheeled loaders, skid steer loaders, motor graders, bulldozers can be used extensively in the mining sector. With the continuous expansion of the warehouse and logistic sector across Europe, demand for material handling equipment is increasing.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Finland stands out with its focus on energy efficiency, clean electricity production, and commitment to battery technology.

ABB E-mobility's investment in Italy further boosts electric vehicle infrastructure.

Cities like Helsinki, Vienna, and Budapest are implementing green initiatives, while Dutch companies like TSG Netherlands and MRA-Electric are advancing electric vehicle infrastructure.

Sweden showcases leadership in mobile energy storage and fossil-free steel construction.

Norway leads in mandating zero-emission machinery in construction projects, supported by Enova's subsidy programs.

France and Germany are at the forefront of the electric revolution in construction, driven by Volvo C.E., Mecalac, and initiatives like RE2020 in France and Energiewende in Germany.

London and Oslo set ambitious targets for emission-free construction, while UK grants support electrification efforts danfoss pioneers energy-efficient technologies, receiving funding for electrification projects in the UK.

Enova in Norway initiates two programs targeting emission reduction in construction, spanning two years. They promote emission-free construction equipment and mobile charging stations, offering subsidies covering up to 40% of additional costs. They capped 5 million Norwegian kroner for electric machinery and 2 million for charging stations with buffer batteries.

TSG Netherlands introduces the WattHub, a specialized charging plaza for electric trucks and off-road vehicles in Guelders, Netherlands. It employs Kempower hardware with a 3.6 MW capacity, powered by renewables, featuring six 600 kW Power Units and 36 Satellites. Kempower's software dynamically manages charging processes.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

How big is the Europe electric construction equipment market?

Which region dominates the Europe electric construction equipment market share?

What is the growth rate of the Europe electric construction equipment market?

Who are the key players in the Europe electric construction equipment market?

What are the significant Europe electric construction equipment market trends?

Key Attributes:

Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 245 Forecast Period 2023 2029 Estimated Market Value in 2023 6.3 Thousand Units Forecasted Market Value by 2029 12.99 Thousand Units Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.8% Regions Covered Europe

Market Opportunities Trends

European Regulatory Initiatives on the Adoption of Low-Emission Technologies

Demand for Sustainable Projects Across the Region

Hybrid Technologies Driving Demand for Electric Construction Equipment

Future Evolution of Electric Construction Equipment

Sustainable Power Sources

Telematics Technology

Process Automation

Market Growth Enablers

Fossil-Free Construction Sites

Battery Technology Prioritization in European Countries

Impact of Low Economic Zones

Market Restraints

Lack of Charging Infrastructure on Construction Sites

High Cost of Ownership of Electric Construction Equipment

Aging Workforce, Building Materials Skilled Labor Shortage

Lower Energy Density of Batteries

Lack of Sufficient Availability of Raw Materials

Key Company Profiles

Volvo

Komatsu

Hitachi

Wacker Neuson

Liebherr

Caterpillar

Kobelco

Kubota

HD Hyundai Construction Equipment

Bobcat

JCB

Other Prominent Vendors

Kramer

John Deere

SUNCAR

XCMG

Manitou

SANY

MECALAC

Limach

Schaffer

Yanmar

Component Suppliers

North Volt

ABB

Eaton

Epiroc

Instagrid

Urban Mobility Systems

Ecovolta

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rcnj96

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Bacardi Limited

Building for a stronger tomorrow in the hospitality industry includes having talent with the skills to serve up great cocktails with confidence and a smile. That's part of the ambition for the Bacardi Shake Your Future program, a global initiative that provides free, professional training to young adults looking to launch a career in mixology. This month, the second cohort of Shake Your Future in Bermuda - home of the Bacardi global headquarters - celebrated their graduation and their start of a future in the industry.

Shake Your Future was originally created in 2018 and has since expanded to Italy, France, Germany, Spain, India, South Africa and other markets. In Bermuda, the program launched in February 2023 in partnership with the Bermuda Government's Department of Workforce Development in response to the growing demand for trained bartenders and hospitality professionals on the island. The comprehensive Bermuda program includes four intensive weeks of training at the European Bartending School in London, offering students a chance to obtain international bartender certification. Upon their return to Bermuda, participants continue honing their skills, concentrating on personal branding, marketing, and taking on work placement in some of Bermuda's premier bars and restaurants.



"We are immensely proud to celebrate the achievements of the second cohort of the Bacardi Shake Your Future program," says Douglas Mellos, Managing Director of Bacardi Limited. "These outstanding graduates have shown exceptional dedication and skill, mastering complex aspects of bartending and hospitality. This program not only opens professional doors for them but also enriches Bermuda's hospitality sector. We look forward to their continued success and innovation as they bring their new skills to the forefront of the industry."

Shake Your Future is running in select cities across the globe with an ever-growing number of bar and restaurant partners pledging their support and giving the trainees the all-important experience they need to change their lives. Learn more: https://www.bacardilimited.com/esg/shakeyourfuture/

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bacardi Limited on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Bacardi Limited

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Bacardi Limited

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Shareholders vote overwhelmingly for all resolutions

Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that at its Annual and Special Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders ("Shareholders") of the Company held earlier today, all resolutions presented to Shareholders were approved overwhelmingly. Details of the voting results are set out below.

Meeting Voting Results

A total of 40,637,097 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 39.490% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company. All resolutions presented for Shareholder approval at the Meeting were duly authorized and approved as follows:

Election of Directors

The Shareholders elected each of the eight nominees listed in the Company's Management Proxy Circular (the "Circular") dated May 29, 2024. Details of the voting results are as follows:

Name Votes For % Votes Withheld % Maria Virginia Anzola 35,537,458 98.078% 696,287 1.922% Mark Brennan 34,969,592 96.511% 1,264,153 3.489% Robert Campbell 35,276,658 97.359% 957,087 2.641% Christopher Jones 35,549,658 98.112% 684,087 1.888% Kurt Menchen 35,372,158 97.622% 861,587 2.378% Jad Salomao 35,049,358 96.731% 1,184,387 3.269% Elmer Prata Salomao 34,921,458 96.378% 1,312,287 3.622% Robert Sellars 35,517,158 98.022% 716,587 1.978%

Appointment of Auditors

The resolution to re-appoint KPMG LLP ("KPMG") as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, with their remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors was varied, as the Company received notice of resignation from KPMG after the publication of the circular dated May 29, 2024 on SEDAR+. Upon receiving the notice of KPMG, the Company appointed McGovern Hurley LLP to fill the auditor vacancy. At the meeting, the board varied the resolution so that McGovern Hurley LLP would be elected as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, with their remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors. Details of the voting results are as follows:

Total Votes % of Votes Cast Votes For 40,337,083 99.262% Votes Withheld 300,014 0.738% Total Votes Cast 40,637,097 100%

Approval of the Sale of Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda.

The Shareholders approved the previously announced proposed arm's length sale by the Company to Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining PLC, of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company's subsidiary, Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda., which holds the Company's Monte Do Carmo project in Brazil (the "Transaction").

Total Votes % of Votes Cast Votes For 34,987,215 96.560% Votes Against 1,132,623 3.126% Votes Withheld 113,907 0.314% Total Votes Cast 36,233,745 100%

Shareholder approval of the Transaction marks a significant milestone towards the closing of the Transaction, the terms and conditions of which are set out in the option agreement (the "Option Agreement") dated March 4, 2024, entered into among the Company, Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., Hochschild Mining PLC and Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda. The TSXV provided conditional approval of the Transaction on June 17, 2024.

The closing of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions set out in the Option Agreement as well as the final approval of the TSXV. Please see the news release (the "News Release") of the Company dated March 5, 2024, and the Circular, for a comprehensive description of the Transaction and Option Agreement.

In accordance with the provisions of a Loan Agreement among the Company, as borrower, and Amarillo Mineracao do Brasil Ltda, as lender (the "Lender"), dated March 4, 2024 (the "Loan Agreement"), immediately following the shareholders' approval of the Transaction, all of the credit obligations owing by the Company and two of its subsidiaries, Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda and Serra Alta Participacoes Imobiliarias S.A., to the Lender under the Loan Agreement were deemed to have been repaid in full and therefore the Loan Agreement terminated. In accordance with the Loan Agreement, the amount outstanding that has been deemed to have been repaid shall be applied as partial consideration payable by the Lender to complete the Transaction.

The Option Agreement, the News Release and the Circular can be found on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

The Company also wishes to announce that Kurt Menchen is stepping down from his role as President & Country Manager, Brazil. Mr. Menchen will remain a director of the Company. Management and the Board wish to express their sincere gratitude to Mr. Menchen for all his contributions advancing the Monte do Carmo Project in Brazil.

About Cerrado

Cerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil under option to Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining PLC. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.

In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.

In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, contributing to the decarbonization of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.

For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com.

Mark Brennan

CEO and Chairman

Mike McAllister

Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: +1-647-805-5662

mmcallister@cerradogold.com

Disclaimer

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the business and operations of Cerrado, the Transaction, including the fulfilment of the conditions under the Option Agreement, and the final approval of the Transaction by TSXV. In making the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Cerrado has made certain assumptions, including, but not limited to satisfactory fulfilment or waiver of the conditions under the Option Agreement and the final approval of the TSXV in respect of the Transaction. Although Cerrado believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to the general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, Cerrado disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

SOURCE: Cerrado Gold Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
FlexShares ETFs - Change of Umbrella Name

PR Newswire

LONDON, United Kingdom, June 27

This document is important and requires your attention. If you are in any doubt as to content of this document, you should seek advice from your independent legal, financial or professional advisor.

All capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the same meaning as in the latest prospectus ("Prospectus") of the FlexShares ICAV (the "ICAV"), including the latest supplements of each sub-fund (the "Funds", each a "Fund") of the ICAV ("Supplements", together with the Prospectus, the "Offering Documents").

Date: 27 June 2024

Notice to Shareholders of FlexShares ICAV

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Dear Shareholder,

We are writing to you to notify you of the changes to the ICAV detailed below. Although these changes do not require Shareholder approval, and this document does not require you to take any action, we recommend that you read this letter carefully.

The implementation of the changes will not affect the ongoing authorisation of the ICAV.

Change of Manager to the ICAV

Subject to the conclusion of all necessary formalities and the approval of the Central Bank, it is intended that that the existing Manager of the ICAV, Northern Trust Fund Managers (Ireland) Ltd ("NTAM"), will be replaced by Waystone Management Company (IE) Limited ("Waystone") as the Manager of the ICAV on or about 0:01am on 12 July 2024, or such later date as the Directors may determine (the "Effective Date") for commercial reasons (the "COSP").

Information regarding Waystone

Waystone is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank as a UCITS management company, alternative investment fund manager and service provider to funds. Waystone has been authorised in Ireland since 2014, has approximately 185 Billion in assets under management as at 31 December 2023 and manages 810 funds in Ireland. Waystone's registered office located at 35 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Dublin, Ireland. Waystone is part of the Waystone group of companies (the "Waystone Group"), which is a worldwide leader in fund governance, based in Dublin. Waystone also has offices in Cashel, Cayman, Luxembourg, London, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York, led by principals experienced in their specialist markets.

Operational considerations

As part of the COSP, the ICAV will terminate the Management Agreement between NTAM and the ICAV, and the ICAV will enter into a new Management Agreement with Waystone. Other existing contractual relationships to which the ICAV and NTAM are parties will either be novated to Waystone, or new agreements will be put in place with Waystone, and there will be no increase in the fees payable by Shareholders, as set out in the "Fees and Expenses" section of the Prospectus.

Other Changes

In connection with, and subject to the conclusion of all necessary formalities and approval of the Central Bank of the COSP, it is also proposed, for commercial reasons, that: (i) the current Company Secretary, Matsack Trust Limited change to Waystone Management Company (IE) Limited; (ii) the registered address of the ICAV will be changed from George's Court, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland to 35 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland; and (iii) subject to Central Bank approval, the name of the ICAV will be changed from FlexShares ICAV to Waystone ETF ICAV (the "Name Change").

No Action Required by Shareholders

There will be no change to the investment approach, investment risk profiles or increase in fees payable by the shareholders of the ICAV and Funds as a result of the abovementioned changes.

The shareholders will not bear the costs of this change.

Revised Offering Documents (with details of the material terms of the agreement between the ICAV and Waystone, as well as other amendments), will be available on request from the Website www.flexshares.com once Central Bank approval for the COSP and Name Change has been received.

Should you have any questions in relation to the above, please contact the Manager between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm Irish time.

Yours faithfully

_ ___________________

Director, for and on behalf of

FlexShares ICAV
CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental Monitoring Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $14.7 billion in 2024 and is poised to reach $18.6 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets.

Factors such the increasing public awareness about the health implications of environmental pollution, growing government emphasis on compliance to pollution monitoring standards, and rising levels of PM2.5 in the air are high growth prospects for the environmental monitoring market during the forecast period.

Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=216846315

Browse in-depth TOC on "Environmental Monitoring Market"

174 - Tables

39 - Figures

217 - Pages

Environmental Monitoring Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $14.7 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $18.6 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% Market Size Available for 2021-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Product, Sampling Method, Component, Application, End user, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Supportive rules and regulations by government to reduce environmental pollution Key Market Drivers Need for efficient natural resource management

The monitor's segment is to register a significant growth rate over the forecast period of 2024-2029.

Based on the product, over the forecast period of 2024-2029, the monitors segment is to register a significant growth rate. The environmental monitoring product market is segmented into monitors and software. The monitors segment comprises indoor monitors, outdoor monitors, and portable monitors. The key factors encouraging the growth of monitors segment during the forecast period are the growing installation of environmental monitoring systems/stations/equipment and the continuous development and commercialization of outdoor environment monitoring sensors.

The air pollution monitoring segment accounted for the largest share of environmental monitoring in 2024-2029.

Based on application, during the forecast period, the air pollution monitoring segment is anticipated to dominate the environmental monitoring market, holding the largest market share. The segment commands a significant share due to the implementation of rigorous air pollution control regulations by numerous governments, heightened levels of air pollution in major markets like the US, Europe, China, India, and the Middle East, escalating health anxieties, and the rising acceptance and demand for sensor-based air quality monitoring systems.

Asia Pacific registered the highest CAGR in the market during the forecast period.

In 2024, Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR in the market for environmental monitoring during the forecast period. Asia Pacific comprises China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, and the rest of Asia Pacific. Factors such as the technological advancements in the field of environmental sensors, increase in government funding for the establishment of environmental monitoring stations and greater adoption of pollution monitoring technologies are driving the growth of the APAC environmental monitoring market during the forecast period.

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Environmental Monitoring Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

1. Need for efficient natural resource management

Restraints:

1. High costs of environmental monitoring devices

Opportunities:

1. Supportive rules and regulations by government to reduce environmental pollution

Challenge:

1. Slow adoption of pollution control policies

Key Market Players of Environmental Monitoring Industry:

As of 2023, prominent players in environmental monitoring are Agilent Technologies (US), Danaher (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), PerkinElmer (US), 3M (US), Emerson Electric Co. (US), bioMerieux S.A. (France), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Emerson Electric Co. (US), and Forbes Marshall (India), among others.

A breakdown of the primary participants referred to for this report is provided below:

By Company Type: Tier 1- 25%, Tier 2- 37%, and Tier 3- 38%

By Designation: C-level- 34%, Directors- 35%, and Others- 31%

By Region: North America- 24%, Europe- 32%, Asia Pacific- 28%, Latin America- 10%, MEA- 6%

Recent Developments:

In March 2024, Emerson Electric co. launched Rosemount 3490 Controller that helps to optimize processes, enhance sustainability and ensure regulatory compliance for water and wastewater applications

In December 2021, Honeywell International Inc. announced a user-friendly monitor that alerts users when indoor air conditions may present an increased risk of potentially transmitting airborne viruses.

In February 2021, 3M invested $1 Billion to achieve carbon neutrality, reduce water use, and improve water quality

Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=216846315

Environmental Monitoring Market - Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The report will enable established firms as well as entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which, in turn, would help them to garner a larger market share. Firms purchasing the report could use one or a combination of the below-mentioned strategies to strengthen their market presence.

This report provides insights on the following pointers:

Analysis of key drivers (Increasing need for efficient natural resource management, Development of wireless cellular and non-cellular communication technologies, Increased health concerns due to rising pollution levels), restraints (High costs associated with environmental monitoring products), opportunities (Increased health concerns due to rising pollution levels, Supportive government rules and regulations to reduce environmental pollution, Growing oil & gas industry, Development of high-end environmental monitoring systems based on nanotechnology), and challenges (Slow adoption of pollution control policies) influencing the growth of the environmental monitoring market

Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios offered by the top players in the environmental monitoring market

Service Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming trends, R&D activities, and service developments in the environmental monitoring market

Market Development: Comprehensive information on lucrative emerging regions

Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new services, growing geographies, and recent developments in the environmental monitoring market

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market segments, growth strategies, revenue analysis, and services of the leading market players.

Related Reports:

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Healthcare IT Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare Analytics Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Particle Counters Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Get access to the latest updates on Environmental Monitoring Companies and Environmental Monitoring Industry

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - HighGold Mining Inc. (TSXV: HIGH) (OTCQX: HGMIF) ("HighGold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that shareholders (the "HighGold Shareholders") and optionholders of the Company (collectively, the "HighGold Securityholders") have overwhelmingly approved the previously announced arrangement (the "Arrangement") involving the Company and Contango ORE, Inc. at the Company's special meeting (the "Meeting") held today.

At the Meeting, the special resolution approving the Arrangement was approved by 93.69% of the HighGold Shareholders, 94.39% of the HighGold Securityholders voting as a single class, and 93.55% of the HighGold Shareholders, excluding votes required to be excluded pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. Accordingly, the HighGold Securityholder approval required to proceed with the Arrangement has been obtained.

"We are very pleased to have this transaction overwhelmingly approved by our voting shareholders," said Darwin Green, President & Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to receiving all necessary approvals to close the transaction and enable Contango to proceed with its plans for the JT Project this year. We sincerely believe that this is a win-win transaction, and that HighGold shareholders will benefit from participating in the beginning building blocks of a unique business model in the mining industry with a management team with demonstrated success."

The Company will seek a final order approving the Arrangement from the Supreme Court of British Columbia on July 2, 2024. Closing of the Arrangement remains subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including receipt of final court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals. Subject to the satisfaction of these closing conditions, the parties currently expect to complete the Arrangement on or around July 9, 2024.

Further details regarding the Arrangement, including principal closing conditions and the anticipated benefits to HighGold Shareholders, can be found in the Company's management information circular dated May 29, 2024 in respect of the Meeting, which can be found under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website.

About HighGold

HighGold is a mineral exploration company focused on advancing the high-grade Johnson Tract Gold- Zinc-Copper Project located in accessible Southcentral Alaska, USA. HighGold's experienced Board and senior management team, are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration. Additional information can be found on its web page at www.highgoldmining.com.

About Contango

Contango is a NYSE American listed company that engages in exploration for gold and associated minerals in Alaska. Contango holds a 30% interest in the Peak Gold, LLC (the "Peak Gold JV"), which leases approximately 675,000 acres of land for exploration and development on the Manh Choh Project, with the remaining 70% owned by an indirect subsidiary of Kinross, operator of the Peak Gold JV. The Company also has a lease on the Lucky Shot Project from the underlying owner, Alaska Hardrock Inc. and through its subsidiary has 100% ownership of approximately 8,600 acres of peripheral State of Alaska mining claims. Contango also owns a 100% interest in an additional approximately 145,000 acres of State of Alaska mining claims through its wholly owned subsidiary, which gives Contango the exclusive right to explore and develop minerals on these lands. Additional information can be found on our web page at www.contangoore.com.

On Behalf of HighGold Mining Inc.

"Darwin Green"

President & CEO

For further information, please visit the HighGold Mining Inc. website at www.highgoldmining.com, or contact:

Darwin Green, President & CEO or Nicole Hoeller, VP Corporate Communications

Phone: 1-604-629-1165 or North American toll-free 1-855-629-1165

Email: information@highgoldmining.com.

Website: www.highgoldmining.com

Twitter: @HighgoldMining

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans to complete the Arrangement, benefits of the Arrangement to HighGold Shareholders, receipt of final court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals, and the anticipated closing date of the Arrangement, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include, among other things, the ability of the Company to obtain requisite approvals for the Arrangement, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214711

SOURCE: HighGold Mining Inc.
Washington, DC, United States (PANA) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and US Department of State have expressed concern about Tuesday's protests againsts tax hikes in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, that cost at least 22 lives
Funds raised will be dedicated to neoeco's expansion in key markets, including the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia, and developing a local presence to serve a rapidly growing global client base.

LONDON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- neoeco provides state-of-the-art sustainability accounting software, delivering fully automated end-to-end ESG reporting, comprehensive data analytics and powerful ESG performance optimisation tools for strategic planning.

neoeco is headquartered in London and has already achieved an impressive growth trajectory in 2024, with key partnerships and alliances with leading accounting firms, ESG consultants and technology audit firms around the world.

The investment will allow neoeco to expand the delivery of its cutting-edge software platform and build out capacity to support services in new markets, whilst also driving innovation within the company.

"I look forward to working with our new investors and unlocking value through the synergies afforded to neoeco as a result of their industry relationships. This investment takes us a big step closer to our vision of enabling sustainable progress for people, profit, and planet."

Stephen Pell

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

stephen@neo.eco

info@neo.eco

+44 20 3835 2517

www.neo.eco

Bloomsbury Information Capital invests in exceptional information & technology businesses providing solutions that support the net zero transition, with a heritage in the mining, ESG and ore & metals prices sectors. Bloomsbury Information Capital is a subsidiary of Bloomsbury Minerals Economics, which has a highly successful track record of investing in companies such as Roskill, the original FastMarkets, IntierraRMG, Skarn Associates, Mining Journal, Aspermont and Minviro, supporting their development and growth.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/neoeco-completes-successful-capital-raise-and-welcomes-institutional-and-sophisticated-investors-including-bloomsbury-information-capital-302185079.html
Hannan Metals Limited ("Hannan" or the "Company") (TSX.V:HAN)(OTCPK:HANNF) is pleased to announce that the Company has closed its non-brokered unit private placement (the "Offering") announced on June 4, 2024 and June 14, 2024. Under the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 10,593,513 units (the "Units") at a price of C$0.35 per Unit for gross proceeds of C$3,707,730 representing an increase in the Offering due to the interest received from investors to participate in the Offering.

Each Unit comprises one common share (a "Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Share of the Company at an exercise price of C$0.50 for a period of two years from the date of issue. The Company has the right to force conversion of the Warrants, if at any time from and after the date of issuance, the weighted average closing price of the Company's common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), equals or exceeds C$0.70 for 20 consecutive trading days. The expiry date of the Warrants will then be 30 days from the date of issue of a news release announcing the forced conversion.

Teck Resources Limited ("Teck"), Hannan's largest shareholder, exercised its right to maintain its 9.84% partially diluted ownership interest in the Company and subscribed for 714,286 Units for gross proceeds to Hannan of C$250,000.

Mr. Michael Hudson, CEO and Executive Chairman, states: "We are thankful for the continued strong support from our major shareholders, including Teck. With our recent large-scale discoveries and imminent commencement of maiden drill programs on multiple projects, Hannan is extremely well placed for an exciting year ahead.

Our bold grassroots strategy has attracted some of the largest industry participants to partner with Hannan, with both Teck and JOGMEC involved at equity and joint venture levels, respectively. With geological field teams very active, along with our very active social programs in Peru, we remain excited about Hannan's short-, medium- and long-term exploration opportunities for large-scale copper-gold-silver discoveries in frontier areas."

The Company plans to use the net proceeds to fund exploration expenditures at the Company's Peruvian and Chilean projects, as well as for general working capital and corporate purposes. No finder's fees or commissions are payable on the Offering.

Directors of the Company participated in the Offering and purchased an aggregate of 258,571 Units. Participation of the insiders in the Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), but was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of the securities issued to the insider nor the consideration paid by the insider exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization. None of the Company's directors expressed any contrary views or disagreements with respect to the foregoing. The Company did not file a material change report 21 days prior to the closing of the Offering as the details of the participation of the insiders of the Company had not been confirmed at that time.

All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory four-month hold period, expiring on October 28, 2024. The Offering is subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

About Hannan Metals Limited (TSX.V:HAN) (OTCPK: HANNF)

Hannan Metals Limited is a natural resources and exploration company developing sustainable resources of metal needed to meet the transition to a low carbon economy. Over the last decade, the team behind Hannan has forged a long and successful record of discovering, financing, and advancing mineral projects in Europe and Latin America. Hannan is a top ten in-country explorer by area in Peru and has recently optioned a copper-porphyry project in Northern Chile.



On behalf of the Board, "Michael Hudson"

Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO Further Information

www.hannanmetals.com

1305 - 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7

Mariana Bermudez, Corporate Secretary,

+1 (604) 685 9316, info@hannanmetals.com

Forward Looking Statements. Certain disclosure contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. These statements may relate to this news release and other matters identified in the Company's public filings. In making the forward-looking statements the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: the intended use of proceeds from the Offering; receipt of final acceptance of the Offering from the TSX Venture Exchange; the political environment in which the Company operates continuing to support the development and operation of mining projects; the threat associated with outbreaks of viruses and infectious diseases; the Company's expectations regarding its mineral projects; market conditions, the preliminary nature of the Company's operations; risks related to negative publicity with respect to the Company or the mining industry in general; planned work programs; permitting; and community relations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news.

SOURCE: Hannan Metals Ltd.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / GoDaddy

GoDaddy Venture Forward joins thought leaders to discuss the outsized impact of America's small businesses at the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference.

Originally published by GoDaddy's Venture Forward Research Initiative

By Alexandra Rosen, Global Head of GoDaddy Venture Forward.

Despite record new business formation, which is outpacing population growth by 10% according to GoDaddy Venture Forward, access to capital remains a top challenge for microbusinesses. Capital is key to the growth of ventures and consequentially, our greater economy.

At the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference, I joined a panel tackling the crucial question: "How can we innovate to establish better funding models, given the essential role small businesses play in job creation and economic growth?"

Our discussion opened with the acceleration of new small and microbusiness starts in recent years and their outsized impact on local economies - driving up local gross domestic product (GDP), median household income and job creation. This is in addition to the diversity of people and circumstances embarking on entrepreneurship. We then explored various strategies to enhance access to capital, including evolving underwriting processes and the importance of also offering technical assistance and greater community support.

Panelist Sekou Kaalund noted how asset ownership helps drive generational wealth and that Black business owners have eight times the wealth of Black non-business owners. Lauren Grattan emphasized the importance of creating more accessible capital steppingstones to help entrepreneurs of all different backgrounds and experiences bring their innovations to life.

Chris Pilkerton shared insights from his tenure at the Small Business Administration, stressing the need for a modernized support system. Eric Cromwell highlighted the importance of meeting entrepreneurs where they are and the role of networking in their long-term success.

Flexible cash-flow measures are critical to enabling growth.

"We don't need to look at different data, but to look at data differently," stated Sekou Kaalund, underscoring the importance of evolving how we leverage data.

More than 40% of entrepreneurs converted their online microbusiness into their primary income source, according to the Venture Forward 2024 U.S. National Survey. These businesses often start with less than $5,000, and those who invest more initially tend to achieve higher revenues. Allocating time and money faster can accelerate business growth, making it necessary to rethink financial models for small and microbusinesses in this time of innovation.

Supporting small businesses is not just smart and kind, but economically essential.

Venture Forward research has also revealed:

For every microbusiness entrepreneur, more than seven jobs are created at the county-level.

Microbusinesses increased by 15% nationwide since 2019.

More than one-third of microbusinesses contribute 51% of their household's income.

Our discussion highlighted the critical need for improved funding models to ensure the continued growth and success of small businesses. These enterprises are vital to innovation and economic health, and they enrich communities with their diverse offerings.

About the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference

Over 4,000 attendees and tens of thousands of online viewers attended the 2024 Milken Institute Global Conference, themed "Shaping a Shared Future," to explore solutions for the future. As global head of GoDaddy Venture Forward, I had the opportunity to delve into the critical impact of America's small businesses.

The panel I joined was moderated by Kristen Fanarakis, associate director of the Small Business Policy and Innovation Initiative at Milken Institute, and also included:

Eric Cromwell, founding member of Cromwell Schmisseur LLC .

Lauren Grattan, chief community officer at Mission Driven Finance .

Sekou Kaalund, executive vice president and head of Branch and Small Business Banking at U.S. Bank .

Chris Pilkerton, chief legal and regulatory strategy officer at Accion Opportunity Fund.

Replay the full panel discussion here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from GoDaddy on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: GoDaddy

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/godaddy

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: GoDaddy

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) (OTCQB: PFFOF) (FSE: POTA) ("Portofino" or the "Company") announces that it has closed its previously announced Option Agreement with Delta Resources limited ("Delta") whereby Portofino has granted Delta the exclusive right to acquire a 100% interest in its Gold Creek, Ontario property (The "Property").

The terms of the agreement include $300,000 paid in cash and 2,000,001 shares of Delta, paid as follows:

1) $100,000 in cash and 666,667 shares* of Delta on approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange");

2) $100,000 in cash and 666,667 shares* of Delta on the 1st anniversary of Exchange approval; and

3) $100,000 in cash and 666,667 shares of Delta on the 2nd anniversary of Exchange approval.

*50% of the Delta shares issued will be locked-up for a period of 12 months after issuance.

Portofino will retain a 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty ("NSR") on the Property. Delta will have the option to buyback a 1.0% NSR at anytime for $1 million and will have a right of first refusal on the second 1.0% NSR, to a maximum of $4 million.

Upon exercising the Option, Delta will be assigned the three underlying agreements on the Property and therefore will assume the underlying NSR'S as follows:

1.5% NSR with a buyback of 0.75% NSR for $500,000; 1.5% NSR with a buyback of 0.5% NSR for $500,000; and 1.25% NSR with a buyback of 0.75% NSR for $200,000. (claim purchase agreement as described below).

Portofino Closes Claim Purchase Agreement

Portofino also announces it has closed a claim purchase agreement with a private vendor that covers approximately 700 acres and is contiguous and to the north of the Gold Creek property. To acquire 100%, Portofino will pay $2,200 in cash and 250,000 shares of Portofino upon Exchange approval. The Vendors will retain a 1.25% NSR and Portofino has the right to buyback .75% for $200,000.

About Portofino Resources Inc.

Portofino is a Vancouver, Canada-based company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Portofino has executed an agreement with Lithium Chile Inc. to explore and develop the Arizaro Lithium Project located in Salta, Argentina and additionally maintains a 100% interest in the (drill ready) Yergo Lithium Project in Catamarca. Both projects are situated in the heart of the world-renowned Argentine Lithium Triangle and in close proximity to multiple world-class lithium projects.

The Company also has the right to earn 100% interest in three pegmatite lithium projects and several gold projects located within northwestern Ontario, Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"David G. Tafel"

Chief Executive Officer

For Further Information Contact:

David Tafel CEO, Director

604-683-1991

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's future business plans. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely the growth and development of the Company's business as currently anticipated. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214751

SOURCE: Portofino Resources Inc.
BROOKFIELD, NEWS, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Reinsurance (NYSE, TSX: BNRE, BNRE.A) today announced that its upcoming annual general and special meeting of shareholders will be held on July 22, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), in a virtual format whereby holders may attend and participate in the meeting via live webcast.



At the meeting, in addition to more routine matters, we will be seeking approval from shareholders to change the name of our company from "Brookfield Reinsurance" to "Brookfield Wealth Solutions." We will also be seeking approval from shareholders to implement changes designed to simplify and enhance our capital structure, including a re-designation of our class A-1 exchangeable non-voting shares into class A exchangeable limited voting shares of our company (class A shares) and related changes to the terms of the class A shares that will result in no shareholder having the power to vote more than 9.9% of the class A shares, regardless of economic ownership. Shareholders will also be asked to approve the issuance of class A shares in one or more potential future transactions similar in nature to the exchange offer successfully completed by Brookfield Reinsurance in November 2023 and structured to be non-dilutive to our shareholders or to Brookfield Corporation.

Sachin Shah, CEO of Brookfield Reinsurance said, "Our business has grown significantly since our inception in 2021, and today offers a diverse line of wealth and retirement solutions. The proposed changes are intended to better reflect the nature of our business and further enhance our capital structure as we position ourselves for future growth."

A management information circular containing the details of the meeting and the matters to be presented and voted on will be mailed soon to all Brookfield Reinsurance shareholders of record as of market close on June 21, 2024, and will also be available shortly through the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov, on Brookfield Reinsurance's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.caand on Brookfield Reinsurance's website at bnre.brookfield.com.

The Toronto Stock Exchange has granted Brookfield Reinsurance an extension to hold its annual general shareholder meeting this year on or before July 22, 2024.

About Brookfield Reinsurance

Brookfield Reinsurance Ltd. (NYSE; TSX: BNRE, BNRE.A) is a leading wealth solutions provider, focused on securing the financial futures of individuals and institutions through a range of wealth protection and retirement services, and tailored capital solutions. Each class A exchangeable limited voting share and each class A-1 exchangeable non-voting share of Brookfield Reinsurance are exchangeable on a one-for-one basis with a class A limited voting share of Brookfield Corporation. (NYSE/TSX: BN).

For more information, please visit our website at bnre.brookfield.com.

Media:

Kerrie McHugh

Tel: (212) 618-3469

Email: kerrie.mchugh@brookfield.com (mailto:kerrie.mchugh@brookfield.com) Investor Relations:

Rachel Powell

Tel: (416) 956-5141

Email: rachel.powell@brookfield.com (mailto:rachel.powell@brookfield.com)





Forward Looking Statements

This news release and any related oral statements made by our representatives may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and in any applicable Canadian securities regulations. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, include statements which reflect management's expectations regarding the operations, business, financial condition, expected financial results, performance, prospects, opportunities, priorities, targets, goals, ongoing objectives, strategies and outlook of Brookfield Reinsurance, Brookfield Corporation and their respective subsidiaries, as well as the outlook for North American and international economies for the current fiscal year and subsequent periods. In particular, statements regarding the timing of the annual general and special meeting of shareholders and the impact of the matters to be voted on by shareholders on our capital structure and the liquidity of our shares, statements about our intentions to change the name of our company and plans regarding potential future transactions involving the issuance of its class A shares constitute forward looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "seeks," "intends," "targets," "projects," "forecasts" or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would" and "could."



Although we believe that our anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Brookfield Reinsurance or Brookfield Corporation to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information.

Readers are urged to consider these risks, as well as other uncertainties, factors and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based only on information available to us as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Brookfield Reinsurance undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
As part of the first round of 2024 funding, 47 organizations have been awarded funding

MetLife Foundation announced another request for proposal (RFP) opportunity for its Community Impact Grant Program, which it expanded earlier this year and launched internationally in Asia Pacific. With the support and dedication of MetLife employees in the application review process, the program continues to expand the Foundation's impact and involvement in communities where MetLife has a presence.

After launching an RFP in February of 2024, MetLife Foundation has awarded $805,000 in grants to 47 organizations.

MetLife employee volunteers will once again assist in reviewing the grant applications submitted for MetLife Foundation's latest RFP. The funding will provide immediate assistance to communities across the U.S. impacted by the growing income and wealth divide. For this funding round, applications are open to grassroots organizations in five eligible cities that are addressing the needs of people with low incomes in one of the following counties:

Dallas, TX (Dallas County),

Greenville, SC (Greenville County),

Kansas City, KS (Wyandotte County),

Kansas City, MO (Jackson County) and

Newark, NJ (Essex County).

"This program leverages the dedication and passions of MetLife's employees in helping to advance the Foundation's community commitments," said Tia Hodges, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation and Head of Corporate Giving and Employee Volunteerism at MetLife. "This second round of funding includes new cities where MetLife has a presence to build upon the grants we've already awarded to 85 organizations across 12 cities."

The grant program will support four focus areas and selected recipients will receive programmatic support through grants between $5,000 - $50,000 each in the following focus areas:

Hunger Relief and Nutrition to provide access to healthy food options that address food insecurity, nutrition and healthy eating.

to provide access to healthy food options that address food insecurity, nutrition and healthy eating. Physical and Mental Well-Being to provide access to shelters and affordable housing, social services, mental health and well-being services.

to provide access to shelters and affordable housing, social services, mental health and well-being services. Environmental Sustainability to mitigate the impact of changing weather patterns and improve the environment in local communities.

to mitigate the impact of changing weather patterns and improve the environment in local communities. Quality of Life to increase the accessibility of support for critical needs and services; emergency supplies; and access to recreation, arts and cultural experiences.

The RFP is now open and available on MetLife Foundation's website. The Foundation will accept applications to the Community Impact Grant Program until Wednesday, July 17 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. All organizations who apply will receive a decision on their proposal in September 2024.

For more information on the program, visit www.metlife.org.

About MetLife

At MetLife Foundation, we are committed to driving inclusive economic mobility around the world. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations and provide grants aligned to three strategic focus areas - economic inclusion, financial health and resilient communities - while engaging MetLife employee volunteers to help drive impact. MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 to continue MetLife's long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Since its inception, MetLife Foundation has contributed over $1 billion to strengthen communities where MetLife has a presence. To learn more about MetLife Foundation, visit www.metlife.org.

Contacts:

Olivia Janicelli

(212) 578-3547

olivia.janicelli@metlife.com

courtesy MetLife

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from MetLife, Inc. on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: MetLife, Inc.

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/metlife-inc

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: MetLife, Inc.

View the original press release on accesswire.com
Ni Hao China | Kung Fu master and her American apprentices

14:47, June 27, 2024 By Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chaolan, Chang Sha, Kou Jie ( People's Daily Online

At Beijing Foreign Studies University, American students joined local students for an unforgettable gym class. They learned the graceful movements of Tai Chi and enjoyed some fast-paced fun with ping pong! Through these shared learning and communication experiences, a story of friendship between Chinese and U.S. youth emerged.

Dozens of American students from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Kutztown University of Pennsylvania recently embarked on a two-week journey in China to explore Chinese landscapes, culture and technological achievements. The tour, part of a program called "Discover China" hosted by Beijing Foreign Studies University, aims to provide American youths a window to know about a real china.

(Intern Wang Lin contributed to this story.)

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Wu Chengliang)
New York, US (PANA) - Government leaders and Chiefs of Police are gathering at UN Headquarters in New York for a summit to further bolster the role of police personnel as critical enablers of peace
LYON TOWNSHIP, MI / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Ilmor Marine, a leader in advanced marine propulsion systems, announces a multi-million-dollar investment in a new state-of-the-art technology and manufacturing facility in Lyon Township, Michigan. This significant development underscores Ilmor's commitment to innovation and excellence in marine propulsion and system technology.

Paul Ray and Mike Lindberg of Ilmor Marine along with representatives from Penske Corporation, D'Agostini Companies, and Signature Associates in front of the new Ilmor Marine Technology and Manufacturing Center.

The new facility, slated to open in the first quarter of 2025, will house all Ilmor Marine operations, including high-tech manufacturing, engineering, and customer support personnel. This investment represents a major milestone for Ilmor Marine, positioning the company at the forefront of industry advancements and enabling the development of cutting-edge marine propulsion systems.

"Our new manufacturing and technology center is continued evidence of Ilmor's investment in the future of advanced marine propulsion. Since the inception of our marine business, Ilmor has always been dedicated to driving technical advancements and providing our customers with the highest quality marine propulsion systems," said Paul Ray, President at Ilmor. "By centralizing all our operations in Michigan, we will strengthen our manufacturing capabilities, increase and improve our engineering capabilities and help to deliver continuously improving customer support."

The new Lyon Township facility will feature advanced manufacturing technologies and engineering resources, designed to support the development of next-generation marine propulsion systems. Over the next few years, Ilmor Marine operations in Lyon Township are expected to grow, contributing to the local economy and creating high-quality jobs in the region.

"We are excited about the opportunities this new facility will bring," added Mike Lindberg, Vice President at Ilmor Marine. "As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of marine technology and setting new standards for the industry."

Ilmor Marine's investment in this new facility reflects the company's strategic vision for growth and innovation, ensuring its leadership position in the marine propulsion industry. The state-of-the-art facility will not only enhance Ilmor's production capabilities but also provide a collaborative environment for engineering and customer support teams to thrive.

About Ilmor:

Ilmor is a globally recognized provider of elite-level racing engines and marine propulsion systems. Ilmor delivers innovative solutions, precision design and manufacturing, and the highest levels of customer support for each one of its products. Today, Ilmor employs more than 130 engineering, assembly, and support personnel and has expanded into several other racing circuits, including NASCAR, ARCA, and other elite racing series worldwide. Ilmor marine propulsion systems are widely utilized across the marine industry, providing the power behind several leading brands. Ilmor customers count on their engines to look like no other, sound like no other, and outperform all others.

Contact Information

Nicholas Matthews

Ilmor Creative Marketing Specialist

matthewsn@ilmor.com

SOURCE: Ilmor Marine

View the original press release on newswire.com.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (OTCQB: AAIRF) ("Aires" or the "Company"), a pioneer in innovative technology designed to safeguard against electromagnetic radiation and enhance human well-being, issues this news release in order to clarify certain financial disclosure contained in its news release dated June 18, 2024 (the "June 18th Press Release").

In the June 18th Press Release, the Company disclosed year-over-year ("YoY") order volume figures for April and May 2024 expressed as percentage increases compared to the same months in 2023. For ease of comparison, the Company is pleased to further report that it achieved order volume:

in April 2024 of US$561,206, representing a 47% increase in order volume realized in April 2023 of US$380,616;

in May 2024 of US$940,695, representing a 98% increase in order volume realized in May 2023 of US$475,114; and

between June 1, 2024 and June 25, 2024 of US$477,691, representing an 18% increase in order volume realized between June 1, 2024 and June 25, 2024 of US$406,323.

Aires tracks order volume figures in US dollars, as this is the principal currency of the Company's online store and therefore enables investors to compare YoY results excluding the effect of foreign exchange conversions. When the YoY order volume figures given above are converted into Canadian dollars, the Company's order volumes:

in April 2024 were C$767,393, representing a YoY increase of 50% from the same month in 2023;

in May 2024 were C$1,285,929, representing YoY increase of 100% from the same month in 2023; and

between June 1, 2024 and June 25, 2024 were C$654,898, representing a YoY increase of 21% from the same period in 2023.

The Company has chosen to provide order volume figures (a non-IFRS metric) rather than revenue figures (an IFRS metric) because order volume figures are more readily available than revenue figures, but still represent a consistent, accurate metric to measure growth in the Company's sales for YoY comparison. Order volume is a reflection of demand for the Company's products and ability to generate sales to the end user. Order volume figures are derived from the Company's Shopify store reports by taking gross sales and deducting discounts. Revenue figures are based on same order volume figures, but are subsequently adjusted to: (1) subtract refunds, (2) add shipping revenue, and (3) add or subtract any adjustment caused by the timing differences between when an order was placed and when it was shipped (as IFRS requires revenue to be reported when orders are shipped, whereas order volume is reported when orders are placed). Due to the time it takes to make the adjustments required to obtain revenue figures, the Company chooses to report revenue on a quarterly basis only. The Company does not expect order volume and revenue figures to be materially different for any given period.

In Q1 of 2024, the Company's advertising and promotion expenses represented 53% of the Company's revenue generated during Q1 of 2024. Although the Company's advertising and promotion expenses for June 2024 are not yet available, to their best estimation, management expects that advertising and promotion expenses for Q2 of 2024 will represent approximately the same percentage (53%) of the Company's revenue generated during Q2 of 2024.

The information contained in this press release constitutes Corrective Disclosure as defined in OSC Staff Notice 51-711 (Revised) Refilings and Corrections of Errors, and was requested to be disclosed by staff of the OSC ("Staff") in connection with a Staff review.

About American Aires Inc.

American Aires Inc. is a Canadian-based nanotechnology company committed to enhancing well-being and environmental safety through science-led innovation, education, and advocacy. The company has developed a proprietary silicon-based resonator that protect against the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Aires' Lifetune products target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi, including the more powerful and rapidly expanding high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under the ticker 'WIFI' and on the OTC QB under the symbol 'AAIRF'. Learn more at www.investors.airestech.com.

On behalf of the board of directors

Company Contact:

Josh Bruni, CEO

Website: www.investors.airestech.com

Email: wifi@airestech.com

Telephone: (415) 707-0102

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position and financial measures, future market position, growth, innovations, global impact, business strategy, brand development, product adoption, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, 2024 being our best year ever, continuing our trajectory of revenue growth, relationships with athletes, celebrities and performers, the size and growth of the consumer market focused on wellbeing and EMF protection, strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, the occurrence of force majeure events, developments and changes in laws and regulations, competitive factors, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The common shares of the Company have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares of the Company in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214739

SOURCE: American Aires Inc.
Axelera AI, an Eindhoven, The Netherlands-based provider of AI hardware acceleration technology for generative AI and computer vision inference, raised $68M in Series B funding.

Backers included Invest-NL Deep Tech Fund, the European Innovation Council Fund, Innovation Industries Strategic Partners Fund (backed by Dutch Pension Funds PMT and PME, administered by MN) and Samsung Catalyst Fund, along with existing investors Verve Ventures, Innovation Industries, Fractionelera and the Italian sovereign fund CDP Venture Capital SGR.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Led by CEO Fabrizio Del Maffeo, and CTO Evangelos Eleftheriou, Axelera AI is a provider of purpose-built AI hardware acceleration technology for AI inference, including computer vision and generative AI applications. Its product is the Metis AI platform  a hardware and software solution for Edge AI inference which delivers performance and efficiency at a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions.

Axelera AI has R&D offices in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and the UK, with more than 180 employees in 18 countries.

The new capital adds to previously raised funds, including the innovation credit from RVO, and equity investment from Bitfury, CDP Venture Capital, Federal Holding and Investment Company of Belgium (SFPIM), imec, imec.xpand and Innovation Industries.

FinSMEs

27/06/2024
illumex, a NYC-based provider of a generative semantic fabric platform for structured enterprise data, raised $13M in funding.

The round was led by Cardumen Capital, Amdocs Ventures, and Samsung Ventures, with participation from ICI Fund, Jibe Ventures, Iron Nation Fund, Ginossar Ventures, ICON Fund, Today Ventures, and angel investor.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts.

Founded by Inna Tokarev Sela, illumex provides organizations with a generative semantic fabric platform, which automates the process of mapping data semantics and resolving terminological inconsistencies across business silos  a critical step for achieving AI and GenAI readiness. The platform acts as an intermediate layer that reconciles data silos and automatically adds context and meaning to data, enabling transparent AI initiatives. By enabling transparent and governed data interactions with LLMs, it opens up transformative enterprise use cases for generative AI.

The company already has large enterprises, like Teva and Carson, using the platform for their data AI readiness and has signed partnerships with Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS.

illumex is an alumni of the Intel Ignite and ICON programs.

FinSMEs

27/06/2024
Zug, Switzerland  June 27th, 2024, Chainwire

Uses blockchain and Web3 to incentivize users

to participate and share essential threat data

Interlock today announced a Web3, incentivized crowdsourced internet security community that aims to make the internet safer for everyone, from individuals to global enterprises. Today the company also announced the worldwide general availability of its flagship product ThreatSlayer, a Web3 security browser extension that harnesses the power of blockchain, AI and a global community of users to revolutionize internet security.

Todays announcement of the ThreatSlayer production version follows a year of beta testing by 29,000+ weekly active users, 80% of whom are outside the United States. The community already includes active members on X, Telegram and Discord.

Adding to the Web3 community buzz, Interlocks CEO recently appeared in Entrepreneurs Elevator Pitch, where he garnered interest in a potential investment of $100,000 from Marc Randolph, Netflix co-founder and former CEO, in a broadcast viewed by 600,000 people.

Compatible with most major browsers, ThreatSlayer is available as a free download that installs instantly. It immediately begins protecting internet users from dangerous website URLs and scams, whether malicious links come from phishing, fake ads, search or browsing. By working as part of the browser, ThreatSlayer can block malicious sites before the damage is done. While helping everyone address the legacy problems in todays risk-ridden Web2 internet, it is particularly well suited to Web3 early adapters and cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

Combining Crowd Power with AI to Revolutionize Internet Security

Born out of a need for more effective internet security despite billions of dollars spent on existing Web2 solutions, Interlock was conceived to combat persistent phishing and social engineering attacks with Web3 technology and incentivized community threat intel to deliver internet cybersecurity designed for a digital and crypto-focused world.

To power ThreatSlayers protection with the best threat intelligence available, Interlock rewards users for sharing anonymized security data. While no security solution is perfect, there is safety in numbers and building the worlds largest community for crowdsourcing threat intel is fundamental to what makes it revolutionary.

Equally revolutionary is the companys groundbreaking use of blockchain and AI technology in its platform.

In the coming weeks, Interlock will introduce its own utility coin $ILOCK used to pay incentives and enable community members to use the crypto coins to facilitate rewards and security staking, where users can earn extra tokens for correcting Interlocks threat detection when it gets something wrong. Think of it as a combined PayPal fraud and Twitter community note style review system. The $ILOCK coin will be available on Arbitrum, the leading Layer 2 (L2) network for Ethereum with a vast user base of 11.6 million and Aleph Zero, a privacy-focused public blockchain platform. By making the $ILOCK coin available on these platforms, Interlock empowers users with choice and enhances security for all participants, while expanding its network.

Interlocks Roadmap

Interlocks near-term product roadmap includes ThreatSlayer on the Mainent, Token Generation Event (TGE) and Security Staking.

Later this year, the companys go-to-market business plan is to monetize the shared security data it is gathering in the $11 billion yearly B2B threat intel market, creating a first-of-its-kind crowdsourced threat intelligence platform. The company will also introduce enterprise versions of its products during the coming 12 months.

In keeping with the best practices of a Web3 community leader, Interlock is very transparent and offers a wealth of additional information in the resource center on the website and GitHub.

Interlocks mission is to solve legacy Web2 security issues by harnessing the power of Web3. Our unique approach is made possible by incentivizing users to share security data and use our security tools, said Rick Deacon, co-founder and CEO at Interlock. With ThreatSlayer leading the charge, were establishing a new era of cybersecurity thats both effective and inclusive. As we embark on this journey, were grateful for the support of our investors, who share our vision for a safer online world.

The company has raised $4.1 million in funding through two oversubscribed private sales of $ILOCK led by Outlier Ventures.

We are very confident in our investment to support Interlocks mission to revolutionize Web3 security, said Jamie Burke, founder of Outlier Ventures. The security implications of self sovereignty in Web3 are an impossible burden for most users. ThreatSlayer is a simple browser extension that protects individuals and lets them join an army of 29,000 users to crowd source threat intel and earn as they go.

How Interlocks Revolutionary Ecosystem Works

The Interlock ecosystem comprises ThreatSlayer, the internet security browser extension for users; Galactus, the data nexus and open-source rewards system; and Octahedron, a proprietary AI-driven threat detection tool.

In the Interlock ecosystem, ThreatSlayer users can opt-in for incentives to continually aggregate web activity and transmit anonymous threat intel data to Galactus.

Octahedron, the heart of Interlocks technology, then uses the data to discern, classify and even predict malicious web entities.

An advanced AI threat detection tool, Octahedron was designed to navigate the complexities of cyberspace and continuously update ThreatSlayer to enhance its protection for users. Leveraging supervised learning from the SciKit-learn library, it excels in classifying objects, discerning relationships and predicting trends based on historical data. Using Interlocks proprietary Decision Tree algorithm, it evaluates websites to identify potential threats and prevent users from entering risky cyber territories.

Octahedron has been trained with a variety of data, including known crypto scams, phishing links, dangerous URLs, malware and more, ensuring it has a sharp eye for trouble. Constantly fed with new data from the community, Octahedron continuously evolves into an ever more effective cybersecurity tool.

The addition of dimensions, such as the presence of specific keywords like cryptocurrency or free money, scrutiny of suspicious JavaScript functions, detection of malicious code and evaluation of a websites domain reputation and traffic patterns, enhance its accuracy in identifying malicious websites. As Octahedrons dimensions multiply, so does its effectiveness in safeguarding against online threats.

As this robust internet security data ecosystem thrives, Interlocks blockchain infrastructure, the backbone of the operation, ensures user trust and systemic security. Together, these components seamlessly weave a harmonized system, where data collection, threat analysis and token rewards converge in a synchronized dance.

Interlocks Reputable Team

Interlocks CEO and co-founder Rick Deacon has an extensive background in cybersecurity from hacking MySpace to building the next generation of Decentralized Security. Rick was the former CEO of a browser defense platform startup funded by Y Combinator, who sold their software technology to Coinbase, Gemini and Uber.

The company also benefits from the expertise of two senior advisors, Ethan Johnson and Ajeet Khurana. With over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, Ethan shapes Interlocks enterprise product strategy, drawing from his specialization in crypto architecture and control design. His security roles at Citadel Securities, Galaxy Digital and the Bank of New York Mellon underline his expertise in securing the emerging digital assets sector.

Unlike a lot of AI companies that materialized overnight, Interlocks team has been building and tuning AI-based web browsing protections for years, said Ethan Johnson, Interlock Advisor. Im excited about their potential for making risky web browsing safer.

Ajeet, founder of Reflexical, brings a robust background to assist Interlock in its mission to bridge the security gap in Web3. His previous roles, including CEO of Indias largest CEX and Head of the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Committee, equip him with a unique perspective and expertise for Interlocks success.

Interlocks groundbreaking approach to incentivizing security combines the strength of artificial intelligence with the collective power of the crowd, said Ajeet Khurana, Interlock Advisor. In the realm of Web3 self sovereignty, security concerns can be formidable for most users. However, ThreatSlayer offers a unique solution. By seamlessly integrating AI and the community, users can identify threats and earn rewards effortlessly.

Join the Interlock Community

User who are ready to get better internet protection and start getting rewarded for their browsing, can download ThreatSlayer now and become a part of the fast-growing Interlock community. To learn more about ThreatSlayer, the Interlock ecosystem, Web3, blockchain, tokenomics and much more, visit our extensive resources library and be sure to check out our communities on Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram and Discord. Users can feel free to drop in, say hi and ask questions.

About Interlock

Interlock pioneers the transformation of security within Web3 with its AI-powered browser extension, Threatslayer. Protecting users from dangerous websites, wallet drainers and scams, while also rewarding and incentivizing them to share data, Interlock fosters a unique crowdsourced threat intelligence platform. Interlock boasts 30,000+ weekly users and a 79,000-strong community and is backed by $4.1 million in funding from oversubscribed private sales led by Outlier Ventures.

Contact

Chloe Amante

Montner Tech PR

[email protected]


VenoStent, Inc., a Houston, TX-based clinical-stage medical device company developing a novel therapeutic device for improving dialysis patient outcomes, closed an additional $4M from Norwest Venture Partners to round out its Series A financing at $20M.

Good Growth Capital and IAG Capital Partners co-led the deal. Norwest General Partner Dr. Zack Scott and Investor Dr. Ehi Akhirome are joining the company as board observers. In addition, the company was awarded a $3.6M Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will help fund its multi-center, 200-patient, randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the US.

Led by Tim Boire, Ph.D., CEO, amd COO and Geoffrey Lucks, COO, VenoStent is a therapeutic medical device company that has developed a bioabsorbable perivascular wrap, SelfWrap, that goes around arteriovenous (AV) access sites at the time of AV fistula creation surgery. The bioabsorable wrap is intended to accelerate the usability and increase the durability of the fistula sites for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients requiring hemodialysis. It uses the bodys own healing mechanisms to mimic the arterial environment in veins, which experience an increase in pressure and flow during AV creation and causes the veins to become unusable in dialysis.

FinSMEs

27/06/2024
The veteran actor silenced all the trolls but not only that, he shared some pictures and videos on X and wrote a lovely message for the two read more

Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal tied the knot on 23rd June and while their beautiful pictures from the special moment has taken all over the internet, a fringe organisation called Hindu Shiv Bhawani Sena organised a protest at Shatrughan Sinhas residence in Patna, Bihar and called the marriage love jihad'.

The veteran actor silenced all the trolls but not only that, he shared some pictures and videos on X and wrote a lovely message for the two. He said, With an attitude of gratitude we would like to thank everyone for celebrating with us on our special day seems to be the wedding of the century with your warmth, love, congratulatory messages for our darling daughter #SonakshiSinha with #ZaheerIqbal as they start a new chapter in their beautiful journey of their lives."

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With an attitude of gratitude we would like to thank everyone for celebrating with us on our special day seems to be the 'wedding of the century' with your warmth, love, congratulatory messages for our darling daughter #SonakshiSinha with #ZaheerIqbal as they start a new chapter pic.twitter.com/sTveotv9CK  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) June 26, 2024

What did he say?

The legendary actor-turned-politician strongly reacted to trolls and urged them to not spread the negativity. Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, said the Aan actor to Times Now.

The newlyweds shared the amazing pictures of their wedding on social media and wrote, On this very day, seven years back (23.06.2017) in each others eyes, we saw love in its purest form and decided to hold on to it. Today that love has guided us through all the challenges and triumphs leading up to this moment where with the blessings of both our families and both our gods we are now man and wife. Heres to love, hope and all things beautiful with each other, from now until forever. Sonakshi  Zaheer 23.06.2024.
General Juan Jose Zuniga has been arrested for leading a coup against Bolivian President Luis Arce. The general said he was leading an effort to re-establish democracy in the country. However, his attempts failed and he will now face criminal investigations read more

Bolivian General Juan Jose Zuniga is presented following his arrest by the authorities for a coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia. Reuters

Bolivian President Luis Arce faced down a coup attempt on Wednesday (26 June), which saw heavily armed troops fill the main plaza in La Paz and an armoured vehicle breach the government palace before withdrawing.

Bolivian authorities arrested rebel military leader in charge General Juan Jose Zuniga and Reuters has reported that the public prosecutors office will launch a criminal investigation against him and other participants for the attempted coup. News agency AP further reported that Arce had also ordered the arrest of Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador.

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What exactly happened? Who are the main characters in this coup attempt? We take a closer look and get you the answers.

What happened in Wednesdays uprising?

On Wednesday afternoon, dramatic events unfolded in the Bolivian capital when troops seized control of Murillo Square in La Paz which houses government buildings.

Videos showed General Juan Jose Zuniga, who was fired this week as commander of the Bolivian Army, entering the Palacio Quemado and confronting Arce face-to-face. Zuniga said the armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years.

Military police block entry to Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Bolivia. Armoured vehicles rammed into the doors of government palace located in Plaza Murillo, on Wednesday, as President Luis Arce said the country faced an attempted coup. AP

The New York Times reports that he also called for the release of several politicians and members of the military who were currently behind bars. Enough of rule by a few, the general said. Look where that has gotten us! Our children have no future, our people have no future, and the army has the balls to fight for our childrens tomorrow.

The newspaper Los Tiempos reported that as Zuniga entered the palace and confronted Arce, the president instructed the general to stand his troops down: I am your captain. Obey my orders.

Shortly thereafter, soldiers and tanks pulled back from the square. The uprising lasted about five hours.

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People wave Bolivias national flag as they yell at the military police during a coup attempt against the government of Bolivian President Luis Arce by military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, in La Paz, Bolivia. Reuters

Later, Zuniga was captured and arrested, with footage showing Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera saying to Zuniga: General, you are under arrest.

Meanwhile, Arce standing on the balcony of the government palace said: No one can take away the democracy we have won. He also swore in new military leaders, firing Zuniga.

Just before he was arrested by Bolivian authorities, Zuniga claimed that it was Arce who had asked him to stage the coup attempt. Zuniga said: The president told me the situation is really messed up, this week is going to be critical  so its necessary to prepare something that will raise my popularity.

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However, Bolivias justice minister has denied these claims. Ivan Lima said that Zuniga was lying and trying to justify his own actions, for which he will face justice. Lima also said that prosecutors will seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for Zuniga, for having attacked democracy and the Constitution.

This isnt Bolivias first brush with coup attempts. The country has had more than 190 coup attempts and revolutions since its 1825 independence.

Bolivian President Luis Arce raises a clenched fist, accompanied by Vice President David Choquehuanca, as they are surrounded by supporters and media, outside the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia. AP

Who is General Juan Jose Zuniga?

Zuniga, who has been arrested since the attempted coup, appeared to be heading the rebellion. He has been a controversial figure in Bolivian politics and is an opponent of former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who still holds significant weight within the countrys political landscape. Current President Arce forms part of the same political party as Morales.

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In the recent past, Zuniga has been quite vocal in his criticism of Morales, who plans to seek another term as president in 2025. According to El Pais, the Spanish newspaper, Zuniga said that Morales could not be the president of this country again and that he would not permit him to trample on the constitution and disobey the publics mandate.

Hes also been accused of embezzlement during his long military career. He was charged with embezzling nearly 2.7 million bolivianos. According to El Deber, Zuniga didnt do well academically. However, his cognitive skills and understanding of political dynamics helped him rise in the Bolivian armed forces.

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Former president Evo Morales has also accused Zuniga of being the commander of the military organisation Pachajcho, allegedly plotting to eliminate him as part of a black plan against coca production leaders and political opponents.

Bolivias President Luis Arce looks on after appointing new military chiefs amid what regional leaders have condemned as an attempted coup, at the government palace in La Paz. Reuters

Who is Bolivian President Luis Arce?

While Zuniga has been arrested, President Arce will have to see if this attempted coup is a one-off incident. As BBC reported, as of now the Arce government looks more vulnerable.

Arce, a former economist, is known for keeping a low profile and was at one time Morales protege and crafted the economic plan for Morales successful 2005 presidential run. He was then appointed as economy minister in 2006 and is credited with steering the countrys economy for a decade. Arces supporters call him the architect of Bolivias growth miracle in the 2000s that lifted many in one of South Americas poorest nations out of poverty. Commodities including gas, metals and soybeans boomed.

In 2020, he won the presidential election, bringing political stability to the country. However, as president, he has struggled to manage a US dollar shortage that has strained the economy.

With inputs from agencies
President Droupadi Murmu termed the Emergency as the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution in her address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Thursday. June 25 marked the 49th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by then-PM Indira Gandhi. But why is it being talked about now in Parliament? read more

President Droupadi Murmu with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the Parliament House complex before her address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, in New Delhi on June 27. PTI

The Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 has become a daily discourse in Indian politics these days. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been raising the spectre of the 21-month controversial period during which civil liberties were curtailed and press freedom repressed.

India marked the 49th anniversary of this dark chapter in Indias democracy on Tuesday, June 25. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Droupadi Murmu, top leaders have invoked the Emergency in Parliament.

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Addressing both Houses of Parliament on Thursday (June 27) in the first session after the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Murmu called the Emergency the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution.

PM Modi and other BJP leaders have brought up the Emergency to target the Congress this week. But why?

Emergency comes up in Parliament

President Murmu said in her address to a joint sitting of Parliament that Indias Constitution has stood up to every challenge and every test in the past decades.

Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on 25th June, 1975, was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the Republic lie at the core of India, she said.

Her remarks drew cheers from Treasury benches and protests by the opposition.

Echoing Murmus comments, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said imposing the Emergency had attacked the Constitution.

A day back, after being re-elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla had termed the 1975 Emergency a dark chapter in Indias democracy while addressing the lower house.

Awareness towards the Constitution will only strengthen when the young generation knows about democracy. The Emergency is a dark chapter in Indias democracy, Birla said, as per NDTV.

Targeting Indira Gandhi, he said the Emergency was an assault on democratic values enshrined in the Constitution.

Kickstarting the Lok Sabha session on Monday, PM Modi hit out at the Congress in a series of posts on X, saying the mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it.

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The mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency is very much alive among the same Party which imposed it. They hide their disdain for the Constitution through their tokenism but the people of India have seen through their antics and that is why they have rejected them  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2024

Why BJP is talking about Emergency now

On June 25, the BJP organised programmes across the country to mark the Emegrency and its leaders targeted the Congress over the issue.

The saffron partys attack on the Congress over the Emergency comes in the wake of the oppositions allegations that the saffron party would change the Constitution.

The opposition INDIA bloc, particularly the Congress, led a sustained campaign against the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections, claiming its 400 paar slogan indicated it wants to change the Constitution. The BJP has reportedly borne the brunt of this in the elections.

The MPs from the strengthened opposition, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, flaunted copies of the Constitution on the first day of the Parliament session this week.

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While the Congress accuses the BJPs ideologue the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of not playing a crucial role in the freedom struggle, the Emergency serves as the saffron partys retort to those charges.

As per Indian Express, several leaders linked to the Sangh Parivar, Jana Sangh or the ABVP, including LK Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Arun Jaitley, had actively opposed the Emergency.

One of the factors that was behind the Emergency was the JP Movement of 1974-75 against Indira Gandhi. Led by freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan, the student agitation that began in Bihar led to a call for total revolution. Gandhi denounced the JP Movement, challenging Narayan to face her in the 1976 general elections. She later imposed the Emergency.

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The 21-month period witnessed a suspension of constitutional rights and suppression of freedom of speech and the press.

As Indian Express noted, the BJP has continued to wield the Emergency as one of its strongest weapons against the Congress.

Congress hits back

The Congress has slammed the BJP for invoking the Emergency 49 years later, accusing it of playing unnecessary divisive politics.

A lot of water has flown in the Ganga since 1975. Indira Gandhi had expressed regret over it. She was defeated in the 1977 election. The BJP must stop driving a car only by looking at the rearview mirror The issue of the Emergency is done and dusted. We should talk about the strangulation of institutions today. These are the things we should be talking about instead of always looking at something which happened about 45-48 years ago, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The Congress has countered the BJPs attacks, claiming there is an undeclared Emergency under PM Modi.

In a post in Hindi on X Tuesday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote, Narendra Modi ji, the country is looking forward to the future but you keep scratching the past to hide your failures. In the last 10 years, you made 140 crore Indians realise what undeclared emergency is, which caused deep trauma to democracy and the Constitution.

With inputs from agencies
President Emmanuel Macron has highlighted the divisive policies of both Marine Le Pens far-right National Rally and Jean-Luc Melenchons far-left France Unbowed. Are these policies really capable of causing a civil war? Can Macrons remarks ahead of snap elections be taken at face-value? We explain read more

A measly three days ahead of the first round of the snap elections in France, the countrys President, Emmanuel Macron, has some bold statements. Macron warned on Monday that a win for either the far left or the far right could spark civil war.

Macron targeted the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen, and the far-left France Unbowed party.

But why does the French president see the possibility of a civil war? And can his words be taken at face-value, given his vested interests in the upcoming elections? We explain.

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Potential for civil war

Macron has argued that the policies of both extremes exacerbate social divisions, which could escalate into civil conflict.

The far-right Marine Le Pen-led National Rallys emphasis on national identity and stringent immigration controls can alienate and marginalise immigrant communities, fostering resentment and social tension.

On the other hand, the far-left France Unboweds focus on economic redistribution and minority rights can be seen as threatening by those who feel left out of these policies, particularly the middle and upper classes, who could feel that these policies harm their wealth.

Indeed, there is some truth to what Macron has said about the policy stands that these extremist parties have taken. Heres a look at that.

Divisive policies of the far-right

The National Rally party is known to be anti-immigration and anti-Islam.

The party advocates for a substantial reduction in immigration and tighter border controls. They have even argued in favour of prioritising French nationals in employment and social services. Marine Le Pen herself has called for the abolition of birthright citizenship and stricter policies to combat illegal immigration. Deporting foreigners who have been convicted of crimes is also on their agenda.

Marine Le Pens National Rally (RN) is expected to be the largest party in French parliamentary elections. AFP

The French society is quite diverse. However, the National Rally has been adamant on having immigrants assimilate into French culture. On the surface, this policy is about adopting French values and norms. However, in practice, this often translates into policies that restrict the visibility of non-Christian religious symbols and practices in public. The obsession with banning the hijab and other Islamophobic rhetoric stems from this mindset.

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Notably, the National Rally also promotes a brand of nationalism that can be exclusionary to non-native French populations.

In an interview with the podcast, Generation Do It Yourself, Macron said, I think that the solutions given by the far right are out of the question, because it is categorising people in terms of their religion or origins and that is why it leads to division and to civil war.

Exclusionary politics of the Left

Firebrand leader Jean-Luc Melenchons France Unbowed champions policies aimed at reducing economic inequality through higher taxes on the wealthy, increased social spending, and stronger labour rights. The party supports extensive public services and welfare programs.

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It is also firmly against austerity measures and advocates for substantial public investment in housing, education, and healthcare to address socio-economic disparities.

France Unbowed supports policies that promote the rights and inclusion of ethnic and religious minorities. They have opposed policies that they see as discriminatory, such as bans on religious symbols in public institutions. The party has been critical of Israels war in Gaza- a move that has endeared them to some Muslim voters.

Firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon leads the far-left France Unbowed. Reuters

Referring to accusations that the far-left party aligns itself to certain issues to appease minority voters, Macron said that they promote a kind of cummunitarianism that could also lead to civil war.

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Taking Macrons statements with a pinch of salt

Macrons statements about the potential for civil war should be viewed with some skepticism, given his vested interest in maintaining his centrist position.

Macrons warnings can be seen as part of his electoral strategy to galvanise support for his centrist coalition by highlighting the dangers of extreme policies, according to Politico. By framing the election as a choice between stability (his administration) and chaos (his opponents), he aims to consolidate moderate voters who may be disillusioned with his government but wary of the extremes.

When you are fed up, and daily life is hard, you can be tempted to vote for the extremes that have quicker solutions. But the solution will never be to reject others, he said in a thinly-veiled pitch for voters to select his own party.

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Both the far-right and far-left have accused Macron of fearmongering. Marine Le Pens National Rally and Jean-Luc Melenchons France France Unbowed have argued that Macrons policies have failed to address the root causes of social discontent, such as economic inequality and social justice issues, thereby exacerbating divisions.

With inputs from agencies
As President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump gear up for a war of words at the first 2024 US presidential election, heres a look back at some funny and laugh-worthy moments from past debates read more

President Joe Biden and his Republican rival Donald Trump will have face off at US Presidential debate on Thursday. AFP

American presidential debates are crucial for candidates. Their every word and action can sway voters and shape electoral outcomes. From Ronald Reagans witty responses to Joe Bidens direct challenges, these televised events have produced moments that resonate through history.

Debates, being live television events, without a script, without anyway of knowing how they are going to evolve  anything can happen, Alan Schroeder, author of Presidential Debates: 50 years of High-Risk, TV told AP.

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As the nation will witness another debate drama between President Biden and former President Trump today, heres a revisit of some of the standout moments from presidential debates over the years.

The age-old question

When everyone knows a sensitive question is coming yet you make the answer sound spontaneous, youre having a good debate.

In the 1984 presidential debates, Republican President Ronald Reagan, then 73 and seeking re-election against Walter Mondale, turned around a lacklustre start with a memorable moment.

In his first debate, Reagan struggled to remember facts and occasionally looked befuddled. One of his top advisers, Nevada Senator Paul Laxalt, suggested afterward that aides filled his head with so many facts and figures that he lost his spontaneity."

Learning the lesson, Reagans team opted for a less scripted approach for the second debate with Mondale.

And, when Reagan got a question about his mental and physical stamina that he had to know was coming, he was ready enough to make the response feel unplanned.

You already are the oldest president in history, said moderator Henry Trewhitt before asking whether Reagan might not be able to handle a challenge like the Cuban missile crisis.

Not at all, Reagan responded smoothly, defending his crisis management skills. He continued, I want you to know that, also, I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience.

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Walter Mondale and Ronald Reagan during the 1984 presidential debate. File image/Reuters

Then, capitalising on years of Hollywood-honed comedic training, the president took a sip of water, giving the audience and even Mondale, who himself cracked up, more time to laugh.



Finally, he smiled and left little doubt that hed rehearsed a response, It was Seneca, or it was Cicero, I dont know which, that said, If it was not for the elders correcting the mistakes of the young, there would be no state, he added.

Years later, Mondale acknowledged TV viewers saw him laughing, I think, if you come in close, youll see some tears coming down because I knew he had gotten me there. That was really the end of my campaign that night."

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Reagans ability to navigate sensitive questions with wit and grace remains a lesson in political rhetoric, resonating even today as much older candidates like Biden, 81, and Trump, 73, enter the electoral arena.

Carter vs Reagan: There You Go Again

Reagan is also remembered for using a light touch to neutralize criticisms from Democratic President Jimmy Carter in a 1980 Presidential debate.

When Carter accused him of wanting to cut Medicare, Reagan rebuked, There you go again. The line worked so well that he turned it into something of a trademark rejoinder going ahead.

Fords Soviet slip

During his second debate against Carter in 1976, Republican President Gerald Ford had a memorable moment-not in a good way.

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The president boldly declared, There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration.

During the presidential debate, Gerald Ford

With Moscow controlling much of that part of the world, moderator Max Frankel responded, Im sorry, wha..? and asked if hed understood correctly. Ford stood by his statement, leading to significant backlash and days spent on the campaign trail trying to mitigate the fallout. Ultimately, Fords remarks somewhere contributed to his electoral defeat that November.

The closer the election, the more zingers and important debate lines can matter, Aaron Kall, director of the debate program at the University of Michigan told AP. Not just on who won, or who lost, but how does it affect fundraising, how does it impact the media cycle in coming days and weeks, he added.

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Obama vs Hillary

During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary debate, then-Senator Barack Obama responded dismissively to Hillary Clinton, saying, Youre likable enough, Hillary. This comment sparked criticism, but Obama was able to recover from the backlash.

Perrys Oops moment

Unlike Obama, the 2012 presidential bid of then-Texas Governor Rick Perry faced a different fate.

Despite numerous attempts and excruciatingly prolonged pauses, Perry struggled to recall the third federal agency he had pledged to eliminate if elected. Finally, he awkwardly admitted, Oops.

The Energy Department was the agency he had forgotten.

Dukakis and the death penalty

In the second presidential debate of 1988, CNN anchor Bernard Shaw posed a challenging question to Democrat Michael Dukakis, then the governor of Massachusetts, regarding his stance against capital punishment, invoking the candidates wife.

Shaw asked, If Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer? Dukakis responded calmly, stating, I dont see any evidence that its a deterrent.

Reflecting later, Dukakis expressed regret that he had not emphasised that his wife is the most precious thing, she and my family, that I have in this world.

Quayle vs Bentsen: Youre no Jack Kennedy

The 1988 vice presidential debate also featured one of the best-remembered, pre-planned one-liners.

When Dan Quayle, the Republican vice presidential nominee and Indiana senator, compared himself to John F. Kennedy while debating Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, the Democrat was ready. Hed studied Quayles campaigning and seen him invoke Kennedy in the past.

Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy, Bentsen began slowly and deliberately, drawing out the moment. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, youre no Jack Kennedy.

The audience erupted in applause and laughter. Quayle was left to stare straight ahead. Quayle and George H.W. Bush easily won the 1988 election.

Blunders without words



During a pivotal 1992 debate, President Bushs momentary glance at his watch, while Democrat Bill Clinton engaged with an audience member, became a defining image. Many interpreted this act as a sign of disinterest and detachment, which contributed to the perception of Bush as aloof and bored. This gesture ultimately played a role in his electoral defeat that year.

In another instance of a nonverbal debate miscue, then-Democratic Vice President Al Gore was criticised for a subpar opening 2000 debate performance with Republican George W Bush in which he repeatedly and very audibly sighed.

Vice President Al Gore was criticised for a subpar opening 2000 debate performance with Republican George W Bush in which he repeatedly and very audibly sighed. Reuters

During their second, town hall-style debate, Gore moved so close to Bush while the Republican answered one question that Bush finally looked over and offered a confident nod, drawing laughter from the audience.

A similar moment occurred in 2016, as Hillary Clinton faced the audience to answer questions during her second debate with Trump. The Republican candidate moved in close behind her, narrowed his eyes and glared.

Clinton showed no visible reaction then, but later wrote of the incident, He was literally breathing down my neck. My skin crawled.

During the presidential debate in 2016, Trump moved in close behind Clinton, narrowed his eyes and glared. She showed no visible reaction then, but later wrote of the incident, He was literally breathing down my neck. My skin crawled. File image/Reuters

Biden vs Trump

The match-up marks the first time a sitting president debated a former one.

In history, incumbents can struggle in opening debates, accustomed to White House advisers who rarely challenge them. In 2012, President Obamas initially detached debate performance against Mitt Romney allowed the Republican to gain momentum.

Romney had his own misstep in the second debate. When asked about gender pay equity, he mentioned seeking help from womens groups to find qualified female candidates, stating, They brought us whole binders full of women. Obama seized on this at subsequent rallies, humorously remarking, We dont have to collect a bunch of binders to find qualified, talented, driven young women.

If Bidens debate skills are rusty this time, his opponents might be as well. Trump skipped all GOP primary debates, not participating in one since facing Biden twice in 2020.

Then-US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their second 2020 presidential campaign debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, US, 22 October, 2020. File Image/Reuters

Trump interrupted so frequently when they first debated four years ago that Biden eventually cried out, Will you shut up, man?  a visceral moment if there ever was one. Trump is remembered that night for instructing members of the far-right Proud Boys group from the stage to stand back and stand by. Some members of the extremist group took it as a sign of encouragement.

In the second Biden-Trump debate of 2020, mic cuts were used to curb interruptions, making it less chaotic. Biden expressed his eagerness for the race, stating, I am anxious to have this race. Im anxious to see this take place.

And now, its happening again.

With inputs from AP
Tensions are growing within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shindes Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The blame game that emerged following the blocs debacle in the Lok Sabha elections has led to a rise in bickering among the leaders read more

A rift within the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra has come out in the open since the results of the Lok Sabha elections. The leaders of the bloc have taken potshots at each other publicly over the recent hit-and-run case and alleged drug use in Pune.

Before the wrangling could die down, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders remarks have added fuel to the fire. Speculations have arisen that the Mahayuti alliance constituents, comprising Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), could go their separate ways for the Maharashtra Assembly polls slated later this year.

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Whats going on? Lets understand.

BJP, NCP attack each other

The recent viral video of drugs and liquor allegedly being supplied to minors at a lounge in Pune has triggered a war of words between the BJP and its ally NCP.

On Monday (June 24), BJP minister Chandrakant Patil said that such things did not occur when he was the Guardian minister of Pune district, reported Pune Mirror.

BJP minister Chandrakant Patil (L) took a veiled dig at NCPs Ajit Pawar. File Photo/PTI

However, he tried to soon damage control, saying he could not remember any such incident during his tenure and he could not vouch if such incidents would not take place in the future, as per Indian Express.

NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari targeted Patil by tweeting, The narcotics issue in the city had got pushed during the tenure of Patil as Guardian minister. There was political cover to pubs, narcotics, dance bars during the tenure of Patil and they are coming out after Ajit Pawar took over as Guardian minister who does not support such illegal activities.

Another BJP leader jumped into the row, saying Mitkari needs to control his mouth.

He was warned by his state unit chief in the past for such behaviour. The NCP leader should not make statements that will lead to cracks within the ruling alliance, senior BJP leader Pravin Darekar was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

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Will Mahayuti members contest polls separately?

NCP leader Mitkari has indicated that the constituents of the Mahayuti alliance may fight the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently if each member insists on contesting on 100 seats.

He made the remarks at an event on Tuesday, highlighting the impracticality of such demands. The Maharashtra Assembly has 288 seats.

If each constituent adamantly insists on contesting 100 assembly seats in the upcoming state elections, then the parties will have to contest separately. With only 288 assembly seats available, being offered only 55 seats would be unacceptable for the party, Mitkari, who is also an MLC, said, as per the news agency PTI.

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As per The New Indian Express (TNIE) report, the BJP wants to contest 150 seats as it is the main national party in the alliance with most MLAs  105. While the Shinde Sena is demanding 90-100 seats, the NCP reportedly wants 90 seats.

Responding to Mitkaris remarks, Darekar, BJP legislative party leader in the Legislative Council, called for senior NCP leaders to rein him.

The partys chief or state president should clarify whether Mitkari is authorised to make such comments. Seat-sharing discussions will take place among the top leaders, the BJP leader reportedly said.

A senior NCP leader told TNIE that the seat-sharing issue must be resolved by the alliance partners, otherwise it may cause damage if prolonged as it did in the Lok Sabha elections.

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Cracks within Mahayuti

The debacle in the Lok Sabha elections has bared the fault lines within the ruling Mahayuti.

Reports have come to light that the BJP is unhappy with the NCP over the results, with some even questioning the alliance with Ajit Pawars party.

The Mahayuti managed to bag just 17 Lok Sabha seats, with the BJP getting nine, Shinde Sena seven and Ajit Pawars NCP one.

This was the saffron partys worst performance in Maharashtra since 1998.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), clinched 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

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Ajits wife, Sunetra Pawar, failed to unseat her sister-in-law and Sharad Pawars daughter Supriya Sule from the Pawar familys Baramati home turf.

According to Indian Express, one of the main reasons identified by the BJPs core committee meeting held in Delhi last week for the partys dismal performance in the western state was the lack of coordination between the allies at the grassroots level.

Voices from within the Shinde Sena and the BJP also blamed the NCP for the ruling coalitions Lok Sabha fiasco.

Speaking to CNBC-TV 18 earlier, BJP workers had said they could not convince their supporters to vote for the NCP as there is no common factor that binds them together. We knew including Pawar in the Mahayuti alliance was a bad idea. We, ourselves, were not convinced so we failed to convince our voters to vote for Pawars candidates, the workers said.

An article in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Organiser raised questions about the BJP forging an alliance with Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

Sharad Pawar would have faded away over the next two to three years. The conflict between Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar to control the party would have affected the party prospects. Why did the BJP heed the ill-advised step to go in alliance with Ajit Pawar NCP? RSS ideologue Ratan Sharda wrote in the piece.

All is not hunky dory between the BJP and CM Shindes party either. The saffron party is wary of Shinde Sena, with one insider describing the party as shrewd, Indian Express reported.

On the other hand, the Shinde Sena has accused the BJP of misleading them through its poll surveys.

However, the BJP is unlikely to break up with its alliance partners before the polls. If it snubs Ajit-led NCP, it would be attacked by its rival with the charge of indulging in use and throw politics.

So far, the saffron party has maintained the alliance will continue.

As per Indian Express, BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said earlier, The BJPs alliance with the Shiv Sena and NCP is a reality in the state government. It will remain for the 2024 Assembly polls.

With inputs from agencies
The CBI has made its first arrests in the alleged NEET-UG paper leak case, apprehending two men from Bihar. Aspirants who paid large sums were allegedly given the question paper and answer sheets a day before the medical entrance exam on May 5 read more

Men arrested in the NEET-UG paper leak case being taken to custody following their medical check-up at LNJP hospital, in Patna on June 27, 2024. PTI

The alleged National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG) paper leak continues to grab the limelight. On Thursday (June 27), members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) were detained during their protest near Parliament in Delhi against the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination.

While the Congress has upped the ante against the Centre over the 2024 NEET-UG paper leak, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made its first two arrests in the case.

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Who has been arrested and what do we know about their role? What is going on? Lets take a closer look.

CBI arrests two people from Bihar

The CBI has arrested two people from Patna who allegedly arranged accommodation for the NEET-UG aspirants on 4 May, a day before the exam.

The central probe agency arrested Manish Prakash from Patna for allegedly arranging accommodation on Ashutosh Kumars request, as per The New Indian Express (TNIE) report.

CBI sources told NDTV that Manish provided his car for transporting students and is suspected of having arranged a vacant school where at least two dozen NEET examinees received and memorised the leaked papers.

Ashutosh allegedly provided lodging for the examinees at his residence.

The duo were summoned by the CBI for questioning on Thursday and were arrested later.

Prakashs wife Archana told Indian Express, The CBI called me around 1.30 pm to say that my husband has been arrested. He is a social worker who would often help people with making stay arrangements for students. I had heard someone asking him on the phone to make arrangements for four-five students. We had no idea about the enormity of trouble he has now landed in.

The CBI, which took over the NEET-UG paper leak case on Sunday, has registered six First Information Reports (FIRs) so far, as per NDTV.

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ALSO READ: NEET, NET rows: How Bihar has gained notoriety for exam cheating

Thirteen people, including four examinees, were arrested earlier in the case. Later, five more accused were nabbed. These arrests span Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

In Bihar, the central agency took over the probe from the state polices Economic Offences Unit (EOU).

According to the Bihar Police, some accused arrested in the case have revealed that about 25 aspirants were given the NEET questions and answer sheets on the eve of the medical entrance examination, held on May 5, for a price of Rs 40 lakh per candidate.

Sanjeev Mukhiya, a resident of Nagarnausa village in Bihars Nalanda district, is believed to be the mastermind of the case. Reports say he leaked the 2024 NEET-UG paper.

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The CBI has been trying to track him and suspects that Mukhiya has fled to Nepal, reported Indian Express.

Godhra NEET-UG case

A CBI team started recording statements of aspirants who appeared for the NEET-UG exam at a Godhra school and had paid in advance to the accused for the leaked paper.

As per an FIR filed by the local police, attempts were made to help 27 candidates clear the exam for payments of Rs 10 lakh each, reported Times of India (TOI).

The Gujarat Police have apprehended five individuals in the case, including the school principal Purshottam Sharma.

Officials told Indian Express that students from other states were in touch with the arrested accused Parshuram Roy of Vadodara-based Roy Overseas and education consultant Vibhor Anand. Gujarat students were in contact with another accused Arif Vora, who had given over Rs seven lakh to prime accused Tushar Bhatt on the exam day.

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The CBI is expected to seek custody of these five accused.

NEET row snowballs

The members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the Congresss student wing, barged into the National Testing Agency (NTA) office on Thursday seeking an overhaul of the agency.

The Indian Youth Congress and Left student organisations, including the AISA, KYS, BsCEM, and DISHA, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar earlier in the day over the alleged NEET paper leak. Protesters demanded the dissolution of the NTA and called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Members of different student organisations protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged rigging of the NEET UG exam and against the Agniveer Scheme, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 27, 2024. PTI

A massive political row has erupted over the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.

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President Droupadi Murmu even mentioned the alleged exam leak in her first address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, saying the government is committed to a fair investigation. She also assured that the culprits would get strict punishment.

The recent irregularities and paper leaks are being dealt with strongly and the governments focus is on improving the exam process, Murmu said.

The Opposition INDIA bloc has decided to keep up the press on the Centre and will raise the issue in Parliament on Friday. As per Deccan Herald, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will flag it in the lower house, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will do it in Rajya Sabha. The opposition INDIA bloc MPs also plan to submit notices in both the Houses.

With inputs from agencies
Sam Pitroda has been reappointed as the Chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday. The 82-year-old resigned from his position one month ago due to racist comments he made that caused a political storm in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections read more

Sam Pitroda was reappointed as the Chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday. PTI

The troublemaker is back.

As per a press release issued by Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, Sam Pitroda was reappointed as the Chairperson of the Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday.

The 82-year-old resigned from his position one month ago due to comments he made that caused a political storm in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

The reappointment

The letter said, Honourable Congress President has reappointed Sam Pitroda as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress with immediate effect.

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The partys Communications chief Jairam Ramesh said, During the recent election campaign, Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were totally unacceptable to the Indian National Congress.

By mutual consent, he stepped down as Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress. Subsequently, he clarified the context in which statements were made and how they were later distorted by the Modi campaign. The Congress President has reappointed him on the assurance that he will not in future leave room for such controversies to arise, he said on X.

During the recent election campaign Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were totally unacceptable to the Indian National Congress. By mutual consent he stepped down as Chairman of Overseas Indian Congress. Subsequently he clarified the context in which  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 26, 2024

The resignation

In light of the controversy that followed his racist statement, Pitroda stated a few days before the Lok Sabha elections that he would be stepping down as the Indian Overseas Congress Chairperson.

We have survived 70-75 years, in a very happy environment where people could live together, leaving aside a few fights here and there. We could hold together a country as diverse as India  where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arabs, people the North look like maybe Whites and people in South India look like Africans. It doesnt matter. We are all brothers and sisters, the close confidant of the Nehru-Gandhi family had said.

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Reacting to his remarks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congresss divisive mindset and said that the party wants to break the nation into pieces.

Congress has, time and again, proved that it is against India, and against people of India, he said.

He said in Telangana, Today the Shehzadas (a reference to Rahul Gandhi) philosopher has hurled sucha big abuse, which has filled me with anger. Can peoples ability be decided on the basis of skin colour?

After the resignation, the Indian Premier had said in an interview that the Congress would bring back their US-based guru after a few days.

From inheritance tax to Ram mandir: How Sam Pitroda keeps scoring own goals for the Congress

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His past controversies

Well, this wasnt the first time the Congresss go-to man in technological matters had put the party in a bind.

In April this year, Pitroda advocated for inheritance law in an interview with ANI.

A state tax on the assets a person inherits as part of an inheritance is known as an inheritance tax, as per Mint. The US does not have a central inheritance tax and only a few states have inheritance taxes as high as 20 per cent, according to Indian Express.

Advocating for the inheritance law, Pitroda cited the example of the US by saying, Nothing wrong in accumulating wealth but to what point? Let me tell you, in America theres an inheritance tax. So, if lets say one has $100 million worth of wealth, and when he dies he can transfer probably 45 per cent t his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by government. Now thats an interesting law.

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It says you in your generation made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair, he said, adding, In India you dont have that. If somebody is worth $10 billion and dies his children get $10 billion. The public gets nothing. So these are the kinds of issues that people will have to debate and discuss, he said as per The Times of India.

His comments came at a time when PM Modi was accusing the Congress of wanting to redistribute the nations wealth, putting the party on the defensive over the subject.

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Congress general secretary (communications) and senior leader Jairam Ramesh clarified that Pitrodas views did not reflect the views of the party.

Sam Pitroda express his views on issues that he considers important, very freely. On this particular issue also he is not reflecting the official position of the Congress. But I think what is happening is, that his comments are torn out of context and they are being sensationalised in order to divert attention from the PMs deliberate, mischievous and malicious, poison-ridden campaign.

Pitroda clarified on Wednesday that his remarks regarding the US inheritance tax law were misrepresented to deflect attention away from the important points.

In May 2019, Pitroda caused a stir when he responded, so what, to a query about the alleged role of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots .

In response to the BJPs claim that instruction during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots came from Rajiv Gandhis office, according to Mint, Pitroda said, Ab kya hai 84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 84 mein hua to hua. You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. Aapne wo bhi nahi kiya. Aapne kuch nahi kiya isliye aap yahan wahan gup lagate hain. (What about 1984 (riots) now? Talk about what you did in the last five years. What happened in 1984 has happened. So what? You were voted to create jobs. You were voted to create 200 smart cities. You did not even do that. You did nothing, so you keep talking about here and there).

In April 2019, Pitrodas remarks that the middle class should not be selfish and should be ready to pay additional taxes to finance the partys proposed NYAY scheme  which guarantees a minimum income for every poor household  left the Congress party in a pickle.

BJPs reaction to reappointment

After Pitrodas reappointment, the BJP attacked the Congress by saying, The tormentor of the middle class is back.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya added, Congress hoodwinks India, brings back Sam Pitroda soon after elections.

The tormentor of middle class is back Congress hoodwinks India, brings back Sam Pitroda soon after elections.    pic.twitter.com/kiK3lFq1QN  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 26, 2024

Sam Pitrodas regressive racist comments targeting middle class, people from South and NorthEast, in particular, were not his personal opinion. He spoke for Rahul Gandhi. He was removed to control damage after his ideas invited severe backlash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had predicted back in the day that Congress would reinstate him And they have! he continued in another post.

Sam Pitrodas regressive racist comments targeting middle class, people from South and NorthEast, in particular, were not his personal opinion. He spoke for Rahul Gandhi. He was removed to control damage after his ideas invited severe backlash.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pic.twitter.com/1vv8T4xpT9  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 26, 2024

With inputs from agencies
Denmark plans to implement a tax on livestock farmers starting in 2030, making it the first nation to do so. This initiative targets methane emissions from cows, sheep, and pigs, which are significant contributors to global warming. The goal is to achieve a 70 per cent reduction in Danish greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by the year 2030 read more

Dairy cows are released from the stables on the so-called Eco Day, at Sommerbjerggaard, near Them, Denmark, April 19, 2020. File Image/Reuters

Denmark is set to become the first country to impose a carbon tax on livestock emissions, targeting methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This pioneering initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly and inspire other nations to follow suit.

Jacob Jensen, Denmarks farming minister, highlighted the groundbreaking nature of the agreement, stating, We are writing a new chapter in Danish agricultural history. The plan includes substantial subsidies for the agricultural sectors green transition, meant to reinforce the countrys commitment to sustainable farming practices.

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What will the tax work?

Denmarks livestock carbon tax is part of a broader strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030. Danish Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus announced that from 2030, livestock farmers will be taxed 300 kroner ($43) per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, rising to 750 kroner ($108) by 2035.

However, with an income tax deduction of 60 per cent, the actual cost per ton will start at 120 kroner ($17.3) and increase to 300 kroner by 2035. This tax will apply to cows, sheep, and pigs, with cows being the primary focus due to their significant methane emissions.

Souvenir cows painted in a Denmarks national flag colours are seen in a shop in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 22, 2019. File Image/Reuters

Methane, primarily emitted by livestock through digestion and manure, is about 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Livestock farming accounts for about 32 per cent of human-caused methane emissions, according to the UN Environment Program. The Danish governments goal is to make the country climate neutral by 2045.

What kind of environmental impact is Denmark looking at?

Denmark plans to invest 40 billion kroner ($3.7 billion) in various environmental measures, including reforestation and the creation of wetlands. The government will also allocate 5.3 billion to reforest 250,000 hectares of agricultural land by 2045 and set aside 140,000 hectares of lowland by 2030.

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These efforts aim to absorb CO2 and mitigate nitrogen pollution, a significant environmental issue in Denmarks coastal waters.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated, With todays agreement, we are investing billions in the biggest transformation of the Danish landscape in recent times. The Danish dairy industry has broadly welcomed the agreement, though it has faced criticism from some farmers, reported CNN.

Organic cows are seen released to graze at the fields at Ny Lundgaard in Tjele, Jutland, Denmark, April 18, 2021. File Image/Reuters

The carbon tax is projected to cut 1.8 million tons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2030, helping Denmark meet its ambitious climate goals. The tax will initially charge farmers 120 kroner per ton of CO2-equivalent emissions from 2030, increasing to 300 kroner by 2035.

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On average, Danish dairy cows emit 5.6 tons of CO2-equivalent per year, resulting in an annual tax of 672 kroner ($96) per cow, which will rise to 1,680 kroner ($241) by 2035.

How has the industry reacted?

The tax has sparked mixed reactions among farmers and industry leaders. Maria Reumert Gjerding, head of the Danish Society for Nature Conservation, described the agreement as a historic compromise. She stated, We have succeeded in landing a compromise on a CO2 tax, which lays the groundwork for a restructured food industry - also on the other side of 2030.

Conversely, some farmers see the measures as burdensome. Speaking to CNN, Peter Kir, chairman of Danish farmers group Bredygtigt Landbrug, called the agreement pure bureaucracy. He expressed concern that it would hinder agricultural investments in green technologies.

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Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla Foods, Europes largest dairy group, viewed the agreement positively but stated that farmers actively reducing emissions should not be penalised, reported CNN.

Cows graze in a field in Luncavita, Romania, on May 21, 2019. File Image/AP

Kristian Hundeboll, CEO of DLG Group, stressed the importance of aligning the tax with EU legislation to maintain competitiveness, stating, Neither the climate, agriculture nor the ancillary industries benefit from Denmark acting unilaterally.

Denmarks initiative follows years of farmer protests across Europe against stringent environmental regulations. New Zealand had proposed a similar tax, which was scrapped in 2023 due to significant opposition.

Also Read: Norway stockpiling foodgrains for 2029 citing Covid, Ukraine war and climate change

Denmarks approach, however, has achieved a broad-based consensus among various stakeholders, including farmers, industry representatives, and environmental groups.

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Denmarks carbon tax on livestock represents a significant step towards combating climate change. By targeting methane emissions from agriculture, Denmark aims to reduce its environmental footprint while setting a precedent for other countries.

With inputs from agencies
In an informal note shared with the government, Foxconn said that the media report was based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers read more

Moments after the Central government asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a detailed report on allegations that Apple iPhone supplier Foxconn has rejected married women for jobs at its facility in Tamil Nadu, the company clarified that 25 per cent of its new hires are married females.

As per sources to PTI, an informal note has been shared by Foxconn with the government in which it said that the media report was based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers.

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It further alleged that the comments would also have possibly been made by candidates who did not get the job or no longer work at Foxconn.

On Tuesday (25 June), Reuters published an investigation report in which it alleged that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone assembly plant near Chennai.

What Foxconn said in its defence?

As per sources, the iPhone manufacturer in India, in a note to the government, said media reports claiming that Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant has been rejecting married women for jobs at its facility in Chennai malign the fast-growing Indian manufacturing sector."

One of the sources said that Foxconn had clarified in the note that 25 per cent of the latest hires are married women. This would mean nearly one-fourth of the total women are married.

This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India, the source was quoted as saying by PTI.

The sources further said that currently, the Foxconn factory has about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in India with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during peak periods.

Foxconn also said it vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form."

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Discrimination against wearing metals entirely slanted

Foxconn further said that the discussion around Hindu married women being discriminated against for wearing metals (ornaments and jewellery) is entirely slanted.

It said that wearing metal in such factories is a safety issue, a fact well recognised by both the industry as well as the government.

Any person wearing metals - man or woman - regardless of their status (single or married) and their religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc.) are required to remove metals while working in the factory, the source said quoting the companys informal note.

Reasons reported for Foxconn not recruiting married women

For its report, Reuters interviewed Foxconn hiring agents and HR sources who said the company does not hire married women on the grounds they have more family responsibility than their unmarried counterparts.

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They also allegedly cited family duties, pregnancy and higher absenteeism as reasons why Foxconn does not hire married women at the Sriperumbudur plant near Chennai.

The report quoted S Paul, a former human resources (HR) executive at Foxconn India who left the company in August 2023, saying, Risk factors increase when you hire married women. Foxconn typically doesnt hire married women because of cultural issues and societal pressures. The companys view was that there were many issues post-marriage. Among them is that women have babies after marriage."

In addition to Paul, 17 other employees from more than a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies in India and four current and former Foxconn HR executives backed the claim.

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Centre seeks detailed report from Tamil Nadu govt

On Wednesday (June 26), the Union government asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a detailed report after the Reuters story

The Ministry of Labour and Employment, in a statement said that it has taken note of the media reports on married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant and requested a detailed report from the states labour department.

The ministry cited the Equal Remuneration Act 1976, saying that the law bars discrimination between men and women when recruiting workers.

It has also asked the regional chief labour commissioner, a federal authority, to provide a factual report.

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With inputs from agencies
On June 19, just before it was officially opened, a section of a bridge that was being built over the Bakra River in the Araria district of Bihar collapsed. The bridge, which cost  12 crore to build, collapsed in a matter of seconds. The enormous slabs of concrete being carried away were captured in horrifying videos taken there read more

There were concerns that the bridge would collapse at any moment when cellphone footage from the location went viral on social media and shown the central section of the structure sagging and nearly touching the swiftly flowing river Image Courtesy PTI

A bridge in the Kishanganj district of Bihar collapsed, marking the states fourth such incident in as many weeks. The connection between the two cities has been impacted by the collapse of a 70-meter bridge that connected the Bahadurganj and Dighalbank blocks on a branch of the Kankai river. The incident resulted in no injuries.

According to officials, the rivers level had increased and the strong current had caused some of the bridges central pillars to sink approximately 1.5 feet.

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There were concerns that the bridge would collapse at any moment when cellphone footage from the location went viral on social media and shown the central section of the structure sagging and nearly touching the swiftly flowing river.

Following his teams arrival at the scene, Bahadurganj police station chief Abhinav Parasar blocked off both ends of the area to prevent vehicles from entering after learning of the occurrence.

Relatives say the bridge was constructed roughly six years ago.

The Road Department has also arrived at the location and is looking into the situation.

According to District Magistrate Tushar Singla, the bridge that spans Madiya, a little tributary that joins the Mahananda and Kankai rivers, was constructed in 2011.

The water level in Nepals catchment area has suddenly increased due to heavy rainfall. The powerful current was too much for one of the bridges pillars to support, he was reported as saying by Press Trust of India.

Last week, the districts of Siwan and Araria reported three instances of bridge collapse.

On June 19, just before it was officially opened, a section of a bridge that was being built over the Bakra River in the Araria district of Bihar collapsed. The bridge, which cost  12 crore to build, collapsed in a matter of seconds. The enormous slabs of concrete being carried away were captured in horrifying videos taken there.
Several members of the Mukhiya gang have already been arrested by Bihar Police in connection with the NEET (UG) and Bihar Public Service Commissions (BPSC) Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)  3 paper leak cases. read more

A police official checks documents of aspirants before entering an examination center to appear for the Bihar Constable exam.(File Photo | PTI)

The Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police on Thursday arrested four persons, including three from West Bengal, in connection with the constable recruitment examination question paper leak on October 1, 2023, leading to its cancellation by the Central Selection Board of Constables (CSBC) on October 3.

The arrested persons are Kaushik Kumar Kar and Sanjay Das, both residents of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, and Suman Bishwas from Kolkata. Another arrested person, Saurabh Bandhopadhay, hails from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

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Earlier, on June 5, the EOU had arrested Ashwani Ranjan, Vikki Kumar, and Aniket, all residents of Bihar and alleged members of the interstate Sanjeev Mukhiya gang, currently in judicial custody.

Several members of the Mukhiya gang have already been arrested by Bihar Police in connection with the NEET (UG) and Bihar Public Service Commissions (BPSC) Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)  3 paper leak cases.

The EOU has so far registered a total of 74 FIRs across various districts and arrested over 150 people in various question paper leak cases.

According to a statement by the EOU, Kaushik Kumar Kars Kolkata-based firm, Caltex Multiventure Pvt Ltd, had been awarded the contract to print and supply the question papers for the Bihar constable recruitment examination. However, it was discovered that Caltex Multiventure Pvt Ltd was a one-room shell firm with no employees, and printing and supply of question papers were outsourced to Blessing Secured Press Pvt Ltd, where Kars wife was a director.

Further investigations revealed that Kar had allegedly been previously involved in question paper leak cases for recruitment exams conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Public Services Commission (UPPSC) in 2019 and the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) in 2022, prompting him to establish Blessing Secured Press Pvt Ltd.

The EOUs statement also highlighted serious deviations from standard operating procedures regarding the transportation, storage, and handover of question papers by Kar and his associates. Instead of sending the question papers to the state treasury as agreed, Kars affiliated firms sent them to a warehouse owned by DP World Express Logistic Pvt Ltd in Patna, where they remained for six days without notifying the authorities.

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During this period, members of the Sanjeev Mukhiya gang were contacted by Kar, and the question papers were opened and circulated among gang members for further distribution to aspirants, who paid substantial sums for the advance knowledge, the statement said.

The statement further noted that during the examination on October 1, several candidates were caught cheating using electronic devices and other fraudulent methods, leading to the exams postponement.

Subsequent complaints of irregularities, prompted the cancellation of the exam and the postponement of tests scheduled for October 7 and October 15.

The Bihar Police Constable 2023 recruitment aimed to fill 21,391 vacancies across various wings of the state police. The examination was conducted at 529 centres across 37 districts of Bihar on October 1, attracting over 18 lakh aspirants.
These duties were imposed following a recommendation by the commerce ministrys directorate general of trade remedies (DGTR), which has concluded in its probe that dumping of these goods are impacting domestic industry. read more

The government has also imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty of USD 614 per tonne on imports of Telescopic Channel Drawer Slider imported from China for six months. File Photo

India on Thursday imposed anti-dumping duties on three Chinese products including hydraulic rock breaker with an aim to protect domestic players from cheap imports.

These duties were imposed following a recommendation by the commerce ministrys directorate general of trade remedies (DGTR), which has concluded in its probe that dumping of these goods are impacting domestic industry.

The DGTR held investigations after complaints were filed by domestic players on the dumping of these goods.

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The department of revenue has notified these duties in three separate notifications.

On hydraulic rock breakers, the duty ranged between 4.55 per cent and 162.5 per cent of CIF (cost, insurance, freight) value in US dollars. The duty was also imposed on these goods coming from Korea.

These breakers are used in the construction and mining industry for carrying out demolition, excavation, mining and boulder breaking activities.

The anti-dumping duty imposed (on these breakers) shall be effective for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier), according to one of the notifications.

Similarly, USD 741 per lakh prices was imposed on imports of Easy open ends of tin plate, including electrolytic tin plate, measuring 401 diameter (99MM) and 300 diameter (73MM) in dimension from China for five years.

These plates are used in packaging of consumable and other items such as fresh and preserved food beverages.

The government has also imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty of USD 614 per tonne on imports of Telescopic Channel Drawer Slider imported from China for six months.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to check if their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports. As a countermeasure, they impose duties within the multilateral regime of the WTO (World Trade Organisation).

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. It is not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in the cost of products.
Congratulating all the newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha, President Droupadi Murmu said, You all have come here by winning the trust of countrys voters read more

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is committed to conduct a fair probe and ensure that those guilty of paper leak of NEET-UG 2024 and UGC NET will get strict punishment.

In her address to the joint session of the parliament, President Murmu targeted the Opposition, and said, cases of paper leaks and irregularities in exams are being probed at high level and there is a need to rise above partisan politics.

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We have seen incidents of paper leak earlier in various states, there is a need to rise up from party politics and take countrywide strong steps, President Murmu said.

The Parliament has also made a strong law against anomalies in exams," the President said.

She further sanctity, transparency must in government recruitments and examinations.

VIDEO | "My government is committed to conduct a fair probe and ensure that those guilty of paper leak of a few exams recently get strict punishment. We have seen incidents of paper leak earlier in various states, there is a need to rise up from party politics and take pic.twitter.com/mvCDkAFBKd  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 27, 2024

Union Budget will have big economic & social decisions

President Murmu also said that the upcoming Budget, the first of Modi 3.0, will be an impressive document of far-reaching policies and futuristic vision of the government.

In this budget, along with major economic and social decisions, many historical steps are also to be seen, President Murmu said.

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VIDEO | "In the upcoming session, the government will introduce its first budget for their term. This budget will be an impressive document of the far-reaching policies and futuristic vision of the government. In this budget, along with major economic and social decisions, many pic.twitter.com/5IIEnkUjLz  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 27, 2024

New penal code to come into effect from July 1

The President also informed that the three new criminal laws will come into effect from July 1 which will replace Indias colonial-era legislations.

The three laws were cleared by the Parliament after which President Murmu gave her assent to those last December.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

Have full faith my govt will fulfill duties with feeling of nation first

President Murmu began her address by congratulating congratulating the newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha and said she has full faith that the lawmakers would fulfill their duties with a feeling of nation first.

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Addressing the joint sitting of the parliament, President Murmu said: I congratulate all the newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. You all have come here by winning the trust of countrys voters. Very few get this opportunity to serve the nation and the people. I have full faith that you would fulfill your duties with a feeling of nation first."

VIDEO | "I congratulate all the newly-elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha. You all have come here by winning the trust of country's voters. Very few get this opportunity to serve the nation and the people. I have full faith that you would fulfill your duties with a feeling of pic.twitter.com/5K6ip90rlO  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 27, 2024

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Voters showed trust in Modi govt for third time

President Murmu said that a stable government with a complete majority has been formed in India after six decades. People have shown trust in this government for the third time. People are aware that only this government can fulfil their aspirations, she said.

The 18th Lok Sabha is a historic Lok Sabha in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country, the President said.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, she says "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only pic.twitter.com/kpt5OzM0Vx  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

My Govt is working towards making India 3rd largest economy in the world

President Murmu said that in the last 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the fifth largest economy.

The pledge of reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world Despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate. This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in national interest in the last 10 years, President Murmu said.

Today, India contributes to 15 per cent of the global growth. My government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world, the President said.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



She says, "The pledge of reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world. In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest pic.twitter.com/KLt1OiI6Vi  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Decades-long records of voting broken in J&K

The President, on behalf of crores of Indians, expressed gratitude to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and said, This was the biggest election in the world.

She further said that decades-long records of voting have been broken in Jammu and Kashmir. For the past 4 decades, Kashmir witnessed low voting amid shutdowns and strikes. Indias enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces, she further said.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



She says, "On behalf of crores of countrymen, I would like to express gratitude Election Commission of India. This was the biggest election in the world...Decades-long records of voting pic.twitter.com/y9FivjKybK  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs

President Murmu said todays India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs.

My government has provided Rs 3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than Rs 20,000 crores has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops, she said.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, she says "My Govt has provided Rs 3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than Rs pic.twitter.com/EMNGRjXV1z  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Upon her arrival at the parliament on Thursday, President Murmu was accorded the Guard of Honour.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu arrives at the Lok Sabha to address a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



A Parliament official, carrying Sengol, leads the way. pic.twitter.com/uVVX3ld5o2  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

She was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at the Gaja Dwar of the Parliament building from where she was escorted to the Lower House chamber with the traditional sceptre Sengol in the lead.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu arrives at the Lok Sabha to address a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



A Parliament official, carrying Sengol, leads the way. pic.twitter.com/uVVX3ld5o2  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Why did President Murmu address the joint session of Parliament?

As per Article 87 of the Constitution, the President is required to address a joint session of Parliament at the beginning of the session after each Lok Sabha election.

The President also addresses a joint sitting of both Houses - Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - in the first session of the Parliament every year.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on Monday (June 24) and the 264th session of the Rajya Sabha will begin on June 27.

After the Presidents speech, the ruling party will move a motion of thanks in both Houses of the parliament which will be debated by members. PM Modi is likely to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on July 2-3.

AAP boycotts President Murmus address

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted President Murmus address against the arrest of the party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case.

The AAP lawmakers, led by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, protested outside the parliament and shouted slogans like taanashaahi nahi chalegi (dictatorship wont be tolerated), Kejriwal ko riha karo (release Kejriwal) and Pradhan Mantri jawab do (PM should answer).

The President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise our voices. We did not have a discussion with the remaining parties of the INDI alliance regarding this but our party will boycott the Presidents address, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said.

With inputs from agencies
While addressing the joint session of the parliament President Droupadi Murmu elucidated how India became the fastest economy in the world read more

While delivering a poignant address at the joint session of the parliament, President Droupadi Murmu lauded PM Narendra Modis administration for taking the countrys economy to new heights.

President Murmu insisted that the NDA governments pledge to reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world. While addressing the parliamentarian a month after the election results were released, President Murmu pointed out how India rose from 11th position to become the worlds 5th largest economy.

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#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



She says, "The pledge of reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world. In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest pic.twitter.com/KLt1OiI6Vi  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Despite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate, President Murmu averred. This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in the national interest in the last 10 years. Today, India contributes to 15% of the global growth, she added, insisting that her government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world.

The budget will showcase futuristic vision: President

During her speech, the President also expressed her hopes for the upcoming Union Budget. This government is going to present the first budget of this term, she said in the joint gathering.

This budget will be an effective document of the governments far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget, she added.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, she says "A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only pic.twitter.com/kpt5OzM0Vx  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

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The president stated that the results of this years election showed that people still trust the government and thats why they elected them to power for the third time. A stable government with a complete majority has been formed in the country after six decades. People have shown trust in this Govt for the third time. People are aware that only this Govt can fulfil their aspirations, President Murmu explained.

She also elucidated what makes the 18th Lok Sabha so special. The 18th Lok Sabha is a historic Lok Sabha in many ways. This Lok Sabha was formed in the early years of the Amrit Kaal, the president remarked. This Lok Sabha will also be a witness to the 56th year of adoption of the Constitution of the country," she furthered.

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President Murmu lauded the Election Commission of India

While addressing the joint session, the president also took time to express gratitude to the Election Commission of India for conducting transparent elections in the country.

On behalf of crores of countrymen, I would like to express gratitude Election Commission of India. This was the biggest election in the worldDecades-long records of voting have been broken in J&K, she said. President Murmu also called out negative opinions that floated in the international arena about the abrogation of Article 370. Indias enemies propagated it as the opinion of Kashmir, on international forums. But this time, Kashmir Valley gave a befitting reply to all such forces, she added.

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#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament.



She says, "On behalf of crores of countrymen, I would like to express gratitude Election Commission of India. This was the biggest election in the world...Decades-long records of voting pic.twitter.com/y9FivjKybK  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

President Murmurs address was followed by the address from the countrys Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to AIIMS Delhi late on Wednesday night and is said to be stable, according to a report, citing sources read more

Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to AIIMS Delhi late on Wednesday night.

He is stable and under observation, PTI quoted a source as saying.

The 96-year-old former deputy prime minister has been admitted in the old private ward of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and is learnt to being treated by doctors from the Department of Urology.

However, there was no immediate clarity on his ailment.

LK Advani served as the deputy prime minister of India from June 2002 to May 2004 and as the Union Home Minister from October 1999 to May 2004. He was BJP president multiple times - from 1986 to 1990, 1993 to 1998 and 2004 to 2005.

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He was conferred conferred with the Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian honour three months ago. President Droupadi Murmu had presented the Bharat Ratna to Advani at his residence in Delhi.

With inputs from agencies
Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns elevated friendship has come to pose a big security question that may jeopardise the existing security architecture maintained by the US and its allies read more

The state visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to North Korea has sparked major debates defining the evolving dynamics in northeast Asia. For the first time in 24 years, a Russian Head of State has made an official visit to the hermit kingdom. Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns elevated friendship has come to pose a big security question that may jeopardise the existing security architecture maintained by the US and its allies.

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The Strategic Partnership breakthrough achieved during Putins visit addresses the need to provide immediate military assistance to North Korea in an event of attack by adversary state. The tone of this partnership is similar to the Defence Treaty that once existed between the erstwhile USSR and North Korea.

While there remains ambiguity with reference to whether it is an alliance per se, the very fact that such an agreement has been reached is alarming and concerning. The North Korean state media has released the text of the agreement, highlighting broader cooperation in the areas of military, foreign policy, and trade.

An attribute to this evolving relationship between Russia and North Korea can be with reference to Russias special operations in Ukraine since 2022. The sanctions imposed on Russia by the West and a stagnation in ammunition and resources have made Putin pursue closer ties with Pyongyang. Concurrently, North Korea under Kim Jong Un has famished due to rising poverty and unemployment, despite success in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction. The relationship presents a dual-edged sword, if closely looked at.

Key Details of the Agreement

Tensions in the Korean peninsula have escalated over time, and the Security Pact signed by Russia and North Korea further aggravates them. Putins commitment to provide weapons to the hermit kingdom carries detrimental threats to destabilise the Korean Peninsula. Putin had also mentioned a potential arms shipment as a counter response to the unending support provided by NATO countries to Ukraine. North Korea, which views Russias attack on Ukraine as right to self-defence, greatly benefits out of these negotiations and agreements.

In case any one of the two sides is put in a state of war by an armed invasion from an individual state or several states, the other side shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of the DPRK and the Russian Federation, Article 4 of the agreement stated, according to Reuters.

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The development of military-technical cooperation between both countries is likely to accelerate. Previously, too, Russia had promised North Korea to provide niche technologies. The North Korean state media also highlighted the possibility of developing joint military capabilities and undergoing combined military training. The US and its allies have already alleged that Moscow has received ballistic missiles and ammunition from Pyongyang as the Ukraine war continues to dent Russias inventory.

The provision of technology is expected to be critical. North Korea is thought to have nuclear weapons, but lacks essential missile guidance systems, cutting-edge warhead design, and re-entry vehicle technologies, preventing the creation of modern, long-range nuclear weapons.

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The new treaty identifies science and technology, space, the peaceful use of nuclear power, and artificial intelligence as areas for collaboration. It raises concerns that North Koreas and Russias cooperation in such fields could assist Pyongyangs nuclear programme, which is banned under UN sanctions.

Apart from the military-technical exchanges, the focus on elevating economic ties also made headlines. North Korea remains under an extreme array of UN sanctions and requires raw materials and other goods to provide for its famished population. In turn, North Korea would provide labour to the Russian Army for its fight against Ukraine. Putin was seen asserting the increase in trade turnover between the two countries.

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Possible Regional Implications

The South Korean government has strongly opposed the move by summoning its Russian ambassador. Seoul has mentioned that it is likely to consider providing lethal weapons to Ukraine apart from humanitarian assistance. The National Security Advisor of South Korea, Chang Ho Jin, mentioned that the country will not be bound by anything with regard to its assistance to Ukraine if Russia provides North Korea with precision weapons. Despite the assurance provided by Russia, Seoul remains firm in its decision. Meanwhile, the US Navys aircraft carrier arrived at the Busan Naval Base to conduct a joint military drill with South Korea as a sign of upholding the US-South Korea alliance and a committed resolve against the aligned posture between Russia and North Korea.

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The US, South Korea, and Japan will conduct joint military exercises in the region as a countermeasure to growing threats from North Korea. This will also result in further cementing of ties between the US and its two spokes countries, ie, South Korea and Japan. NATO

Chief Jens Stoltenberg has also expressed concerns over the growing Russian Security Umbrella in North East Asia.

The bonhomie achieved between North Korea and Russia has left an unsettling imprint on China. Although no official statement on the visit was made by Chinese counterparts, it does undermine Beijings geopolitical exertion over Pyongyang. From Chinas standpoint, close ties between Russia and North Korea provide a welcome distraction for the US. However, China is concerned that Russias offer of alternative backing for North Korea will erode its sway.

North Koreas growing military cooperation with Russia challenges Beijings nearly exclusive geopolitical influence over Pyongyang. Beijing may also be concerned that the Russia-North Korea axis will draw the US, Japan, and South Korea closer together, increasing the US military presence near China.

Evolving Dynamics in the Region

The security architecture in northeast Asia represents similarity to Cold War alliances and sends major concerns to all stakeholders in the region. The US Hub and Spokes architecture kept alive through its alliance with Japan, and South Korea is receiving constant pressure and losing geopolitical significance in the region. The pact between Russia and North Korea can be understood as the latters attempt to play a larger regional role in ousting the US security architecture and continuing its prominence in the region. However, a grave geopolitical implication looms with regards to the discourse on the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

North Korea will have little to no incentive to pursue any talks on denuclearisation following South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeols strong conservative stance at reversing most policies of the soft Moon Jae-in government. The territorial dispute shared between Japan and Russia has aggravated in the wake of the Ukraine conflict.

The task for the US-Japan-South Korea triangle will be to provide each other with improved protection and reassurance against the prospect of warfare while also supporting the South Korea-Japan-China triangles efforts to prevent war, however fragile they may be.

The pact between Russia and North Korea leaves room for Japan, South Korea, and the US to enhance their burgeoning trilateral relationship achieved at Camp David last year. However, the growing axis like situation and a return to Cold War mentality driven by ideology polarity may hint at the revival of a new cold war between great and regional powers. Although China remains cautious to enter any axis-like situation while aiming for great power rivalry with the US, it appears to adjust to the notion that its closest allies are challenging the West-led order.

The author is a Research Assistant at CENJOWS, New Delhi. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
Rishi Sunak is likely to be the last Hindu if not Indian-origin PM that the UK will have in a long time, although a Muslim one eventually certainly cannot be ruled out read more

It is unlikely that Rishi Sunak will stay on at 10, Downing Street beyond July 4, with the Conservative Party heading for a historic drubbing. This, even though the economy under Britains first ethnic-Indian Prime Minister has turned the corner. On the contrary, his British compatriots will probably remember his blonde and blue-eyed predecessors with more affection despite their handling of the aforementioned economy and other aspects of quotidian British life.

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Will Britain ever have the humility to introspect on their treatment of Sunak and what that portends? After the Boris Johnson and Liz Truss implosions, Sunak could just as well have headed off to Californiaas he is being taunted about doing after July 4but instead he chose to try and rescue his party and its government. He was just 42 and could have slipped back into the finance world and added to the millions in his kitty. Instead, he took on a big challenge.

Sunak mistakenly thought that as he is British by birth and passport, most Britons regarded him as such too and would give him a fair chance. But the way he has been treated by mainstream media and social media reiterates that 82 per cent of the multi-cultural rainbow nation Britain is white, and still consider non-whites to be outsiders, though they are more cautious now about articulating it. Rainbow-wallas are acceptable as adjutants in politics, but not as top leaders. Yet.

Britons supposedly do not vote along ethnic lines but on bread and butter issues. Yet they are unmoved by Sunaks improvement of the UK economy. It seems as if its majority white (83 per cent) voters are transferring their frustration over the failures of his blonde predecessors onto a suitable Indian whipping boy. Even as those whites subconsciously hew together when it comes to Indian-origin Sunak, it remains divided by class and ideology. Which they may come to regret.

A little over 4 per cent of the UK is ethnically Black, of African and Caribbean origin; those of Asian origin are over double that number at 9.2 per cent. Given the weaponisation of the Black historical experience in the US and its spillover into Europe, politicians from that ethnic background even in the UK are more protected from racist biases than South Asians. So if Nigerian-origin Kemi Badenoch becomes Conservative Party leader, she may be more difficult to dislodge than Indian Sunak.

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In 140 constituencies out of 632 (excluding Northern Ireland), white Britons are now less than two-thirds of the population. But within that growing non-white demographic, a recent Ipsos study revealed that in Sunaks first eight months as PM, some 68 per cent ethnic minority voters said they would vote Labour, only 16 per cent said they would vote Conservative. Before he became PM, those figures were 61 per cent to 14 per cent. What could those shifts in minority percentages indicate?

Labour has been traditionally popular with ethnic minority voters, though it and the Conservatives have been in power for 16 and 14 years each (at a stretch) in the last 30 years. However, a relatively new demographic popping up in pollsters calculations now is Muslim that seemingly cuts across the racial aspect of the BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) block. Could a Hindu Conservative PM have driven even more Muslim minority voters towards Labour?

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A recent survey found British-Indian Londoners were more supportive of Sunak: 47 per cent were either very or somewhat satisfied and may benefit Conservatives in a few seats. It also revealed that international events (wars and ethnic tensions) do impact British politics: 60 per cent of Pakistani Londoners and 42 per cent of Indian Londoners said the two parties positions on Kashmir will decide how they vote. Gaza will definitely be another coalescing factor among Muslim voters.

Though the Islamic Party of Britain (1989-2006) fizzled out, there is a helpful website in the UK called The Muslim Vote which describes itself as a dynamic coalition of organisations and individuals and states: We are a powerful, united force of 4 million acting in unison. We are focused on seats where the Muslim vote can influence the outcome. We are here for the long term. In 2024, we will lay the foundations for our communitys political future. Is it IPB 2.0?

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This strategy will sound very familiar to Indians. The Muslim Vote says it is not a political party but offers members of that community help further their common causes, even helping prospective electoral runsas independent candidatesin case the local units of recognised political parties do not seem to benefit their specific agenda. It is not hard to predict that the ultimate goal is to fashion a faith-based vote-bank, with sufficient numbers to set the agenda eventually.

The website lists all MPs from seats where Muslims comprise more than 10 per cent of the voting population (it calls them Muslim-dense seats) with a column indicating what their stance was during the vote on Gaza: for, against or abstained. In places where Muslims number over 30 per cent, it has proposed independent or Green Party or Workers Party of Britain alternatives. The Muslim vote matters and it needs to be taken seriously by the UKs political class, it boldly asserts.

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The concentration of Muslims (76 per cent) in the inner city areas of London, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber can decide many seats there. And the angst over racism in Western countries may also be channelled towards furthering this agenda as any opposition can be called out as Islamophobia based on racial differences. Also, the Gaza war has removed the eight-decade taboo on anti-Semitism, dovetailing nicely with the Labour Partys own inclinations.

The recent council and mayoral elections jolted the Labour Party into realising that they had lost significant numbers of Muslim votes in their inner city strongholds over the Gaza issue, as it was seen as not being pro-Palestinian. Why Gaza mattered in the UKs equivalent of panchayat and zila elections shows the way that country is heading when it comes to voting patterns. It is naive to think that British politicians and parties will not factor in this desification of politics.

The launch of a Hindu Manifesto UK 2024 by Hindu organisations there indicates moves towards a counter-consolidation. Demands include recognition of anti-Hindu speech and actions as a hate crime, protection of Hindu places of worship and dharmic values besides issues relating to education, representation, immigration, healthcare. But with just a million Hindus in the UK (as opposed to four times as many Muslims) the chances of being taken seriously are slim.

A series of very British political convulsions propelled Sunak into 10 Downing Street as the first Asian and Hindu PM at possibly the most challenging time in the 21st century. But Sunak is also likely to be the last Hindu if not Indian-origin PM that the UK will have in a long time, although a Muslim one eventually certainly cannot be ruled out. A lot will depend on how Britons respond to rising vote-bank politics that has long been the bane of the worlds largest democracy.

The author is a freelance writer. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.
The recalls represent a significant blow to Tesla, which has faced a challenging year with poor earnings reports and increasing competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers read more

These recalls are the latest setbacks for the futuristic Cybertruck. Elon Musks company has not yet disclosed the number of Cybertrucks delivered to consumers in its quarterly reports. Image Credit: Reuters

Tesla announced on Tuesday that it is recalling the majority of its Cybertrucks in the United States due to problems with the windshield wipers and exterior trim. This move marks the fourth recall for the 2024 Cybertruck in just five months, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The latest recall affects 11,688 Cybertrucks from the 2024 model year. Tesla identified that the front windshield wiper motor controller could fail due to excessive electrical current, potentially leading to non-functioning wipers. This poses a significant safety risk, especially in wet weather conditions. The recall covers all trucks manufactured up to June 6. Tesla plans to replace the wiper motor, having already inspected 20 motors recovered in February as part of their investigation into early motor failures.

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In a separate issue, Tesla is recalling 11,383 Cybertrucks due to concerns that the trunk bed trim sail applique might have been improperly attached. This defect could result in the applique becoming loose and creating a road hazard. The companys service team will address this by applying an adhesion promoter and pressure-sensitive tape or replacing the missing trim at no cost to the vehicle owners.

These recalls are the latest setbacks for the futuristic Cybertruck. Elon Musks company has not yet disclosed the number of Cybertrucks delivered to consumers in its quarterly reports.

Teslas investigation into these issues began in December when problems were noticed in an undelivered Cybertruck. By May, the company identified a second instance in a customer vehicle and found additional cases of loose or detached appliques due to improper installation or adhesive issues.

Earlier in the year, Tesla recalled nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks to fix an issue with the accelerator pedal pad, which could come loose and get lodged in the interior trim, forcing the vehicle into maximum acceleration. One driver narrowly avoided a crash by holding down the brake pedal. Tesla first became aware of this issue on March 31 and issued a voluntary recall on April 12.

The recalls represent a significant blow to Tesla, which has faced a challenging year with poor earnings reports and increasing competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. The Cybertruck, inspired by the sci-fi film Blade Runner, began deliveries in November 2023 after years of delays and a difficult production ramp-up. Elon Musk himself described the production process as digging our own grave.

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Thomas Monteiro, a senior analyst at Investing.com, noted that recalls are common in the auto industry and the severity of the accelerator pedal issue remains unclear. However, given the ongoing uncertainties surrounding Tesla, the company had no choice but to take swift action to address these problems.

As Tesla works to resolve these issues, it remains to be seen how these setbacks will impact the companys future in the competitive electric vehicle market.
Blue Origin argued that SpaceXs plans to launch Starship rockets from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida should be restricted to protect the local environment, workers, and community read more

Blue Origin has consistently opposed SpaceXs Starship development. They argue that NASA should choose their lunar lander instead of Starship, claiming its too large and inefficient for moon missions. Image Credit: AFP, AFP

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has reignited his long-standing feud with Amazon founder and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Bezos. The latest clash started when Blue Origin, which hasnt launched a single rocket into orbit yet, filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They argued that SpaceXs plans to launch Starship rockets from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida should be restricted to protect the local environment, workers, and community.

Musk didnt take this lightly and fired back on his social media platform X, calling Blue Origins complaint an obviously disingenuous response and accusing them of trying to impede SpaceXs progress through legal means for the third time. He even used his favourite nickname for Blue Origin, Sue Origin.

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The rivalry between Musk and Bezos is nothing new. Musk has taken plenty of shots at Bezos and Blue Origin over the years. In 2019, he mocked Blue Origins Blue Moon lander by calling it Blue Balls in a photoshopped image. And in 2021, he tweeted that Bezos cant get it up, referring to Blue Origins struggles to reach orbit.

Blue Origin has consistently opposed SpaceXs Starship development. They argue that NASA should choose their lunar lander instead of Starship, claiming its too large and inefficient for moon missions. This led to Bezos suing NASA in 2021 over its contract with SpaceX, though the lawsuit was dismissed. NASA later awarded Blue Origin a separate lunar lander contract.

In 2021, Amazons satellite company Kuiper Systems also tried to block SpaceX from expanding its Starlink constellation. Musk responded by accusing Bezos of retiring to pursue a full-time job filing lawsuits against SpaceX.

Regarding environmental concerns, SpaceXs Starship operations in South Texas have already undergone an environmental assessment, and the FAA recently issued a license for its fourth test flight. However, moving Starship launches to Kennedy Space Center has triggered another environmental impact investigation.

Musk and Bezos feud highlights the fierce competition in the commercial space sector. While Musk argues that Blue Origins concerns are disingenuous, the significant investments both have in space exploration suggest there might be a mix of genuine concerns and competitive strategies at play.
South Africa hosts the worlds largest rhino population, home to about 80 per cent of the worlds 16,800 white rhinos and 33 per cent of the 6,500 black rhinos. With poaching posing a severe threat to these populations, innovative solutions are critical read more

James Larkin from the University of the Witwatersrand implants dosed and calculated radioisotopes into the horns of a sedated rhinoceros. Image Credit: AFP

South African scientists have come up with a rather unusually plan to combat rhino poaching. Called the Rhisotope project, scientists have been injecting radioactive material into live rhino horns.

This novel approach aims to make the horns easier to detect at border checkpoints and render them useless for human consumption, thereby deterring poachers.

Led by James Larkin, director of the University of the Witwatersrands Radiation and Health Physics Unit, the project involves inserting two small radioactive chips into the horns of 20 rhinos. These low-dose radioactive materials are designed to be detectable by radiation sensors at international borders without posing harm to the animals or the environment.

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South Africa hosts the worlds largest rhino population, home to about 80 per cent of the worlds 16,800 white rhinos and 33 per cent of the 6,500 black rhinos, according to the International Rhino Foundation. With poaching posing a severe threat to these populations, innovative solutions are critical.

Arrie Van Deventer, founder of the Limpopo rhino orphanage where the procedure was conducted, expressed optimism about this new method, believing it could be the key to stopping poaching. He noted that previous methods like dehorning and poisoning have not been successful.

James Larkin emphasized the dual goals of the project: devaluing rhino horns in the eyes of end-users and making the horns easier to detect as they are smuggled across borders. He explained that the 20 rhinos were sedated, and small holes were drilled into their horns to insert the non-toxic radioisotopes. Each insertion was closely monitored by expert veterinarians to ensure the animals safety, and extensive research has shown that the inserted radioisotopes pose no health risks to the rhinos or their caretakers.

The project, three years in the making, has reached its final phase with the insertion of the radioisotopes. Lynn Morris, deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Wits University, praised the initiative, highlighting its potential to make a significant difference in protecting wildlife from extinction, particularly in South Africa and across the continent.

The radioactive material is expected to last for five years on the horn, making it a more cost-effective solution compared to dehorning, which needs to be done every 18 months.

Furthermore, the team sprayed 11,000 microdots on each horn to help more with identification. As the project progresses, scientists will monitor the rhinos health and collect blood samples to ensure the animals remain effectively protected.
The contract that NASA has awarded SpaceX is worth $843 million, as per reports. SpaceX, headed by Elon Musk, will construct the vehicle, while NASA will oversee the mission. The deorbit vehicle will be essential for safely guiding the ISS back to Earth by 2030 read more

NASA has awarded SpaceX the contract to develop the vehicle that will eventually bring the International Space Station (ISS) out of its orbit, signalling the end of its operational lifespan.

SpaceX, the private aerospace company controlled by tech magnate Elon Musk, will construct the vehicle, while NASA will oversee the mission. The contract that NASA has awarded SpaceX is worth $843 million, as per a report by the Associated Press.

Launched in 1998, the ISS has served as a hub for scientific research and international cooperation in space for over two decades. Crews of astronauts have continuously occupied the station since 2000.

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The station is a collaborative project operated by space agencies from the US, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia. All participating countries have committed to maintaining the ISS until 2030, except for Russia, which has pledged to participate only until 2028.

Ken Bowersox, NASAs associate administrator for the space operations mission directorate, highlighted the importance of the ISS, describing it as a blueprint for science, exploration, and international partnerships in space. The station has been instrumental in various scientific advancements and in fostering international collaboration.

SpaceX, founded by Musk in 2002, has steadily become a pivotal player in space exploration. This contract reinforces SpaceXs reputation for technological innovation and reliability. The company, based in Hawthorne, California, has been at the forefront of numerous space missions, including launching and landing reusable rockets.

Elon Musk, now 52, has been a driving force behind SpaceXs success. He is also the key figure behind Tesla, the electric car manufacturer, which constitutes a significant part of his estimated $220 billion fortune. Musks vision for space exploration has been a cornerstone of SpaceXs mission, aiming to push the boundaries of human capabilities in space.

The ISS deorbit mission marks another major milestone for SpaceX. The contract demonstrates NASAs confidence in SpaceXs ability to handle such a critical task. The deorbit vehicle will be essential for safely guiding the ISS back to Earth when its operational period concludes around 2030.

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The collaboration between NASA and SpaceX is a testament to the growing partnership between public space agencies and private aerospace companies. This partnership is expected to play a crucial role in the future of space exploration, opening new frontiers and possibilities.

As SpaceX takes on this monumental task, the world will be watching closely. The successful deorbiting of the ISS will not only mark the end of an era but also pave the way for new advancements and missions in space exploration. With this contract, SpaceX continues to solidify its position as a leader in the aerospace industry, poised to make history once again.
Days after China threatened to impose tough sentences, including the death penalty, for diehard supporters of Taiwanese independence, Taiwans government on Thursday raised its travel warning for China, telling its citizens not to visit the country unless absolutely necessary read more

A general view of Taipei skyline during sunrise in Taipei, Taiwan, on 29 September, 2022. Reuters File

Days after China threatened to impose tough sentences, including the death penalty, for diehard supporters of Taiwanese independence, Taiwans government on Thursday raised its travel warning for China, telling its citizens not to visit the country unless absolutely necessary.

According to Reuters, Liang Wen-chieh, spokesperson for Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, said that the raised travel warning also applied to the Chinese-run cities of Hong Kong and Macau.

In new guidelines issued last week, China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for diehard Taiwan independence separatists.

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According to Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency, the new guidelines say Chinas courts, prosecutors, public and state security bodies should severely punish Taiwan independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession crimes in accordance with the law, and resolutely defend national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The guidelines specified death penalty for ringleaders of independence efforts who cause particularly serious harm to the state and the people. Xinhua said.

Other leading advocates could face jail terms ranging from 10 years to life.

The new guidelines were being issued in accordance with laws already on the books, including the 2005 anti-secession law, Xinhua added. That law gives China the legal basis for military action against Taiwan if it secedes or seems about to.

Liang, making the announcement at a regular news conference in Taipei, said these guidelines represented a serious threat to the safety of Taiwanese visiting China, in addition to other measures China has been taking to strengthen its national security laws.

If it is not necessary to go, then dont, Reuters quoted him as saying.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of President Lai Ching-te, whom it views as a separatist, and staged two days of war games after he took office last month.

With inputs from agencies
The Official Creditor Committee (OCC), led by Japan, France and India, have requested details of Colombos other debt deals, according to a statement read more

Sri Lankas bilateral lenders who agreed to restructure close to $6 billion in loans have demanded comparability of treatment with other creditors, including China.

The Official Creditor Committee (OCC), led by Japan, France and India, have requested details of Colombos other debt deals, a statement seen by AFP on Thursday read.

The grouping agreed in Paris on Wednesday to restructure $5.8 billion in loans.

But on the same day, Colombo struck another deal with the Exim Bank of China to cover $4.2 billion.

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The OCC, which also included the United States, Canada and several European nations, said it had asked Colombo to provide all information necessary for the OCC to ensure comparability of treatment.

It also expected Colombo to strike a deal with private creditors on terms at least as favourable as the OCC had offered.

Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt in April 2022 after running out of foreign exchange, and the unprecedented economic crisis forced then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.

Sri Lanka had expected to rapidly conclude debt restructuring in line with a $2.9 billion IMF bailout programme, but delays in securing an agreement with China had held up the process.

Beijing is by far the largest single creditor of Sri Lanka, but Chinese funding is split into concessionary bilateral loans and private commercial credit.

While $4.2 billion of Chinese bilateral credit had been treated under debt restructuring on Wednesday, there was no word on a $2.18 billion loan from the China Development Bank considered a private commercial loan.

Sources involved with the process said the CDB loan was likely to be treated on par with the $12.55 billion International Sovereign Bonds, on which negotiations continue.

Sri Lankas total foreign debt was estimated at $37 billion, according to treasury data from the end of March.

China accounts for $4.66 billion of a total of $10.58 billion in bilateral debt, followed by Japan with $2.35 billion, and India with $1.36 billion.
The gifts include 50 kg of succulent hilsa fish, 50 kg of rasgulla (sweets), and 400 kg of the incredibly delectable Hariavanga (Haribhanga), the most well-known mango of Bangladeshs Dinajpur and Rangpur regions read more

At the Agartala-Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP), which is adjacent to Agartala city, representatives of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) in Agartala accepted gifts from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Like in previous years, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha received a gift of mango, hilsa fish, and sweets from Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday as a token of goodwill.

At the Agartala-Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP), which is adjacent to Agartala city, representatives of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) in Agartala accepted gifts from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

According to a Bangladesh AHC official, the gifts will be given to the Tripura Chief Minister upon his return to Agartala. He is now in Delhi.

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The gifts include 50 kg of succulent hilsa fish, 50 kg of rasgulla (sweets), and 400 kg of the incredibly delectable Hariavanga (Haribhanga), the most well-known mango of Bangladeshs Dinajpur and Rangpur regions.

Through the Agartala-Akhaura ICP, the chief minister of Tripura delivered the prime minister of Bangladesh 500 kg of pineapples as a gift on June 23.

According to Assistant Director Dipak Baidya of the Tripura Horticulture Department, the chief minister of Tripura sent the prime minister of Bangladesh pineapples, known as the queen variety, as a show of goodwill.

In 8,800 hectares of hilly orchards spread around the state, Tripura produces 1.28 lakh tonnes of pineapples annually of the two primary varieties, Kew and Queen. For many years, the state exported lemons and pineapples to several nations and Indian states.
While Bolivia just witnessed a coup attempt, Latin America has a long history of coups and attempted coups read more

Bolivian Vice Admiral Juan Arnes Salvador is presented following his arrest by the authorities for a coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia on June 26, 2024. Reuters

South America has experienced numerous coups and coup attempts throughout its modern history. These events often stem from deep-rooted issues such as economic instability, social inequality and political corruption. During the 20th century, countries like Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Peru witnessed military coups that led to the establishment of authoritarian regimes.

For instance, the 1973 coup in Chile ousted President Salvador Allende and brought General Augusto Pinochet to power marking a period of severe repression and human rights abuses. Similarly, Argentina endured a brutal military dictatorship following the 1976 coup. These coups have left lasting legacies often resulting in periods of transitional justice as nations seek to reconcile and rebuild democratic institutions. More recently, Venezuelas ongoing political crisis has been marked by repeated coup attempts and deepening divisions. The history of coups in South America highlights the complex interplay between military and civilian powers and the ongoing struggle for stable and inclusive governance.

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Heres a list of some notable coups and coup attempts in various South American countries:

Argentina

1943 coup: This coup ousted President Ramon Castillo, ending the Infamous Decade. The military intervention aimed to prevent Castillo from rigging elections and ultimately led to the rise of Juan Domingo Peron.

1955 Revolucion Libertadora: Aimed at overthrowing President Juan Domingo Peron, this coup was driven by dissatisfaction with Perons increasingly authoritarian rule and economic difficulties. It led to a period of military and civilian governments alternating in power.

1962 coup: The military deposed President Arturo Frondisi after his controversial decision to allow Peronist candidates in the elections. This led to a power struggle and political instability in the country.

1966 coup: President Arturo Umberto Illia was overthrown by the military, leading to the establishment of the Argentine Revolution, a period marked by attempts to modernise and stabilise the economy but also characterised by political repression.

1976 coup: This coup ousted President Isabel Peron, marking the start of the National Reorganisation Process, a brutal military dictatorship known for human rights abuses and the Dirty War against political dissidents.

Bolivia

2024 coup: Bolivian President Luis Arce struck down a short-lived attempted coup against his government, after calling on the public to organise and mobilise in defence of democracy. Heavily armed troops, commanded by the countrys former top army General Juan Jose Zuniga barged into the government palace in an attempt to topple the countrys left-wing government.

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1964 coup: General Rene Barrientos and General Alfredo Ovando Candia led a coup against President Victor Paz Estenssoro. This marked the beginning of a period of military rule, characterised by frequent changes in leadership.

1971 coup: Led by Colonel Hugo Banzer, this coup ousted President Juan Jose Torres. Banzers regime was marked by repression and human rights abuses, but also by efforts to stabilise the economy.

1980 coup: General Luis Garcia Meza Tejada overthrew interim President Lidia Gueiler Tejada. His regime was notorious for human rights violations, drug trafficking, and corruption, leading to international condemnation.

Brazil

1964 coup: The military overthrew President Joao Goulart amid fears of communist influence. This ushered in a military dictatorship that lasted until 1985, characterised by censorship, political repression, and economic development initiatives.

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Chile

1924 coup: A military junta forced President Arturo Alessandri to resign, initiating a period of military influence in politics. Alessandri was later recalled to draft a new constitution that aimed to stabilise the country.

1973 coup: General Augusto Pinochet led a coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende, resulting in a military dictatorship that lasted until 1990. The regime was marked by severe human rights abuses and economic reforms.

Colombia

1953 coup: General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla overthrew President Laureano Gomez, promising to restore order and address social issues. His regime saw infrastructure development but was marred by increasing authoritarianism, leading to his ousting in 1957.

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Ecuador

1963 coup: A military junta ousted President Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, citing his left-leaning policies and perceived instability. The junta ruled until 1966, focusing on conservative economic policies.

1972 coup: General Guillermo Rodriguez Lara overthrew President Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra, aiming to implement populist and nationalist policies. His regime focused on exploiting oil resources but faced economic challenges.

2000 coup: A coalition of military officers and indigenous groups ousted President Jamil Mahuad due to economic crises and political corruption. Vice President Gustavo Noboa succeeded him, aiming to restore stability.

Paraguay

1954 coup: General Alfredo Stroessner overthrew President Federico Chavez, establishing a dictatorship that lasted until 1989. Stroessners rule was marked by political repression, economic development and anti-communism.

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1989 coup: General Andres Rodriguez led a coup that ended Alfredo Stroessners long dictatorship. This event marked the beginning of Paraguays transition to democracy.

Peru

1962 coup: The military ousted President Manuel Prado, citing electoral fraud concerns. A military junta took over, organising new elections and eventually transferring power to a civilian government in 1963.

1968 coup: General Juan Velasco Alvarado overthrew President Fernando Belaunde Terry initiating a regime that focused on agrarian reform and nationalisation of key industries. His populist policies faced economic difficulties and led to his ousting in 1975.

1992 Autogolpe: President Alberto Fujimori dissolved Congress and assumed dictatorial powers citing the need to fight corruption and insurgency. His self-coup was followed by significant political and economic reforms as well as human rights abuses.

7 December 2022: Ahead of an impeachment vote by Congress, President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve the government and seize power. The attempt ended with his ouster and arrest.

Uruguay

1973 coup: President Juan Maria Bordaberry with military support dissolved Parliament and established a civilian-military dictatorship. This period was marked by repression and a crackdown on leftist guerrillas until the return to democracy in 1985.

Venezuela

1945 coup: The October Revolution led by a civilian-military alliance ousted President Isaias Medina Angarita aiming to establish a democratic government. This led to the election of Romulo Betancourt and a period of political reforms.

1948 coup: Military leaders overthrew President Romulo Gallegos, leading to a decade of military rule under Marcos Perez Jimenez, characterised by economic development and political repression.

1992 coup attempts: Two failed coup attempts led by Lieutenant Colonel Hugo Chavez against President Carlos Andres Perez were driven by economic dissatisfaction and corruption. These attempts elevated Chavezs profile leading to his eventual election as president in 1998.
Bolivian President Luis Arce foiled a coup attempt which was conducted by the Latin American nations former Army Chief Juan Jose Zuniga, a day after he was fired read more

Bolivian troops used tear gas and clashed with the country's police as the march towards the capital. AFP

Bolivian President Luis Arce struck down a short-lived attempted coup against his government, after calling on the public to organize and mobilize in defence of democracy. Heavily armed troops, commanded by the countrys top army general barged into the government palace in an attempt to topple the countrys left-wing government.

The military coup was attempted on Wednesday afternoon taking the Latin American nation by storm. Shortly after the troops started marching towards the countrys capital, Arce addressed the nation and urged citizens to take to the streets.

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Tensions began to escalate after the troops seized control of a central square in La Paz which houses government buildings. We need the Bolivian people to mobilise and organise themselves against this coup detat and in favour of democracy, Arce said in a video message filmed at the Great House of the People which is the official presidential residence.

Denunciamos movilizaciones irregulares de algunas unidades del Ejercito Boliviano. La democracia debe respetarse.  Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia) June 26, 2024

Politicians unite in the fight for democracy

While delivering his video message, Arce was flanked by members of his cabinet. We cannot allow, once again, attempted coups to claim Bolivian lives. Long live the people of Bolivia! Long live democracy! he declared following which the ministers shouted the same slogan, thrusting their left fists into the air.

The comments came just minutes after other members of Arces administration raised alarm over the matter. We denounce to the international community that a coup attempt against our democratically elected government, the vice president, David Choquehuanca, tweeted on Wednesday.

In a separate video message, Bolivian Foreign Minister Celinda Sosa Lunda claimed some army units had launched an attack on democracy, peace and national security.

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Not only this, the countrys former President Evo Morales also sounded alarm as the troops rammed into the presidential palace doors. We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate the people, wrote Morales. The erstwhile Bolivian leader was the South American nations first president of Indigenous descent.

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Denunciamos que un Grupo del Regimiento Especial de Challapata "Mendez Arcos" tomaron la Plaza Murillo con francotiradores. Esto pareciera indicar que prepararon con anticipacion el Golpe de Estado.

Pido al pueblo con vocacion democracia a defender la Patria de algunos grupos  Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) June 26, 2024

Interestingly, Morales himself had to flee the country in 2019 after what supporters call a US-backed coup. He eventually returned from exile after Arces election the following years.

Who was behind it?

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The Bolivian troops were led by Juan Jose Zuniga, Bolivias former Army Chief. Zuniga was dismissed from his position just a day before the coup for allegedly threatening to block a bid by Morales for reelection.

According to the Associated Press, while the troops created chaos, Zuniga entered the palace hallway and was confronted by Arce who told him, I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination.

The situation diffused when Zunigas replacement as army chief, General Jose Sanchez  who was only appointed on Wednesday  ordered the soldiers in the square to return to their units. I order all personnel mobilized in the street to return to their units, Sanchez said from a podium at the presidential palace amid cheers and applause.

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Armed vehicles were seen leaving the Murillo Plaza and soon after the coup was foiled, the Bolivian president announced Wilson Guardia and Gerardo Zabala, as new heads of Bolivias navy and air force, respectively.

Why the ruckus?

Tensions in Bolivia reached an all-time high as the country awaits for the next general elections in 2025. In the upcoming political battle, the leftists are planning to pit Morales to run against Arce.

Morales, who publicly split from his one-time ally Arce, resigned in 2019 following mounting protests over accusations of fraud in the elections; at the time, he claimed he was forced out in a coup.

While Zuniga not only threatened to block Moraless bid, he mentioned that the army was going to free all political prisoners including Bolivias former Interim President Jeanine Anez. The former Bolivian leader is currently imprisoned for what the courts said was her role in deadly protests that erupted after her ascension to power in 2019.

What happens next?

Soon after the Bolivian administration got a hold of the matter Bolivias Attorney Generals Office launched a criminal investigation against Zuniga. The prosecutors office said that all the other participants involved in Wednesdays events in La Paz would also be investigated.

The Attorney Generals Office said it will make all the necessary efforts to identify all persons involved and further investigate the attempted coup detat and impose the maximum punishment on those responsible," CNN reported.

With inputs from agencies.
Gallant emphasized that we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario in light of the escalating cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran read more

At least five individuals were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City overnight and early on Thursday, according to medical staff at Al-Mamdani Hospital and the civil defense agency of the area administered by Hamas Image Courtesy AP

Israel warned Hamass ally Hezbollah in Lebanon not to engage in a major conflict that would drive the neighboring nation back to the Stone Age before launching airstrikes on Gaza on Thursday.

During a visit to Washington, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made the remark and spoke about the Gaza war, ongoing efforts to reach a truce, and strategies to prevent a wider regional conflict.

Gallant emphasized that we do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario in light of the escalating cross-border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran.

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Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched, he said of the Shiite militant group that, like Hamas, is backed by Israels arch foe Iran.

Since Hamass onslaught on October 7, which set off the worst Gaza war in history, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border gunfire almost every day.

However, since Israel said this month that its plans for a conflict with Lebanon are prepared, tensions have increased, leading Hezbollah to threaten that no part of Israel would be safe in the case of an all-out war.

Gallant was informed this week by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that a fight with Hezbollah may have terrible consequences for the Middle East and that a diplomatic solution was advised.

UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths warned that Lebanon was the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints and that a full war would be potentially apocalyptic.

Germany has reiterated warnings it first made immediately after October 7 and joined Canada in recommending its people living in Lebanon to leave the country.

Hezbollah claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions during the most recent clashes on Wednesday, while Lebanese media recorded roughly ten Israeli strikes close to the border.

A US official stated that Washington thought that none of the parties were seeking a major escalation and that Washington was having fairly intensive conversations with Israel, Lebanon, and other parties.

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Despite remarks made on Sunday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that the intense phase of the battle was coming to an end, the Gaza war, which is at the center of regional tensions, continued.

At least five individuals were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City overnight and early on Thursday, according to medical staff at Al-Mamdani Hospital and the civil defense agency of the area administered by Hamas.

According to paramedics, a warplane hit a residence in Beit Lahia, killing one person.

There were reports of Israeli ground vehicles approaching the Shujayia market in northern Gaza on Thursday, along with heavy fighting, artillery shelling, and helicopter fire.

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There has been a significant displacement of residents in Gaza, according to the press office of Hamas, and people are fleeing to areas of refuge in Gaza City that are already overcrowded.

The situation in Shujayia was described as extremely difficult and frightening after the arrival of occupation (Israeli) vehicles and air fire by an unnamed witness to the news agency AFP.
Chinas military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with eleven PLA generals and a handful of aerospace defence industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date. read more

Li Shangfu was removed as defense minister last year after disappearing from public view for months. File Photo- AP

In a broad and secretive crackdown within the countrys elite, China expelled two former defence ministers, Li Shangfu and Wei Fenghe from the ruling Communist Party on Thursday on allegations of corruption.

The expulsions, announced by Chinese state media, signify a major shake-up in the upper echelons of the worlds largest military. Li, who mysteriously disappeared from public view last year, was removed from his ministerial role shortly before this expulsion.

Wei Fenghe, Lis predecessor, had disappeared from public view since he was replaced last March during a planned cabinet reshuffle. Wei was head of the strategic Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force from 2015-17.

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The apparent purge comes as Beijing clashes with the United States over the fate of Taiwan, and as the increasingly powerful President Xi Jinping consolidates his leadership.

Chinas military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with eleven PLA generals and a handful of aerospace defence industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date. Xi has increasingly tightened his grip on power, leveraging anti-corruption campaigns to eliminate rivals and solidify his control.

State news agency Xinhua reported that both Li and Wei were expelled for serious violations of party discipline and the law. Their removal strips them of their credentials as delegates to the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress, underscoring the severity of the partys accusations and the far-reaching impact of this internal disciplinary action.

An investigation launched into Wei last September found that he had accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in bribes and helped others gain improper benefits in personnel arrangements, Xinhua reported, adding that his actions were extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm.

Both officials were also found to have other unspecified violations, the reports said without elaborating.

Xi last week said the PLA faces deep-seated political problems and vowed there must be no hiding place for corrupt officers.

With inputs from agencies.
Trump accused Biden of consuming drugs and challenged him to take drug tests. However, he hurled similar insults at his 2016 rival Hilary Clinton read more

FILE - In this combination of photos, President Joe Biden speaks on Aug. 10, 2023, in Salt Lake City, from left, former President Donald Trump speaks on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. - AP

Former US President Donald Trump has unleashed a barrage of baseless accusations and attacks against current President Joe Biden, hours before the highly-anticipated debate between the two archnemesis.

In a familiar rehash of tactics, Trump intensified demands that Biden should take a drug test and accused him of being higher than a kite in last Januarys State of the Union address. The former reality television star went on a social media rant against Biden and frequently referred to him as crooked Joe.

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DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!! Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform this week. The post came after the repeatedly told his supporters that Biden would come to the debate jacked up after being given a shot in the ass.

Not only this, Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician under Trump and Barack Obama jumped on the bandwagon and wrote a letter to Biden urging him to take a drug test. It is pertinent to note that after his stint at the White House, Jackson is currently serving as a Republican congressman from Texas.

Trump and his campaign attack debate moderators

The former president has constantly hurled jabs at Jake Tapper, one of the CNN moderators in Thursdays debate which is scheduled to take place in Atlanta. Trump questioned his impartiality and frequently referred to him as a fake Tapper in his speeches and interviews.

The business-mogul-turned politician was also supported by his campaigns press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt attacked Tapper twice in an interview, questioning his credibility. Trumps son also joined the saga.

Understand that hes not just going to be debating Joe Biden, hes going to be debating CNN, Eric Trump told Fox News on Sunday. He went on to insist that the American network has planned to give Biden a free pass.

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Not only this, Trumps supporters also questioned the impartiality of Dana Bash, Tappers co-moderator, partly by falsely stating she is married to Jeremy Bash, a former CIA chief of staff.

However, the marriage between Dana and Jeremy Bash ended in 2007 and she eventually married American news anchor John King. The marriage between King and Dana also lasted till 2007.

Different opponents, the same insults

Interestingly, Trump echoed similar claims against his erstwhile nemesis Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign. He went on to accuse the then-Democratic Party presidential hopeful of being suspiciously pumped up at a presidential debate and demanded that she take a drug test before the next one.

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Many experts defined these tactics as pre-bunking. Its called pre-bunking. Hes preparing his audience to dismiss the entire event, Joan Donovan, a media studies professor at Boston University told the Washington Post. Its a communication strategy that is part of his playbook," he added.

With inputs from agencies
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bipartisan resolution seeking thorough and independent investigation into interference claims in Pakistans 2024 elections, drawing sharp response from Islamabad which said the resolution stemmed from an incomplete understanding of the countrys political situation and did not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties read more

The resolution was introduced by Congressman McCormick of Georgia and Congressman Kildee of Michigan and co-sponsored by over 100 colleagues. ANI

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bipartisan resolution seeking thorough and independent investigation into interference claims in Pakistans 2024 elections, drawing sharp response from Islamabad which said the resolution stemmed from an incomplete understanding of the countrys political situation and did not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties.

The resolution - passed with 85 per cent of House members participating and 98 per cent voting in its favour - also urged US President Joe Biden to collaborate with Pakistan in upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

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The resolution, HR 901, titled Expressing support for democracy and human rights in Pakistan was introduced by Congressman McCormick of Georgia and Congressman Kildee of Michigan and co-sponsored by over 100 colleagues.

It underscores the importance of upholding democratic values and respecting the rights of the people of Pakistan as they face economic instability and security threats, an official statement read.

The near-unanimous passage of this resolution sends a clear message to the government of Pakistan that the United States stands with the people of Pakistan in their pursuit of democracy, free and fair elections, and respect for individual freedoms and human rights. It is crucial that the new government in Pakistan commits to rooting out corruption and promoting democratic values to ensure a stable and prosperous future for all citizens, it added.

According to a Dawn report, the resolution condemned efforts to suppress democratic participation in Pakistan. It specifically denounced harassment, intimidation, violence, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on internet access, as well as any violations of human, civil, or political rights, added the report.

We believe that the timing and context of this particular resolution does not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties, Dawn quoted Pakistans Foreign Office as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

Islamabad claimed that it is committed to the values of constitutionalism, human rights and rule of law in pursuance of our own national interest.

We believe in constructive dialogue and engagement based on mutual respect and understanding, it said, adding that such resolutions were neither constructive nor objective.

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We hope that the US Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries, it added.

The February 8 general elections in Pakistan were marked by allegations of irregularities, including incidents of internet shutdowns, rigging, and violence across various regions of the country.

Imran Khan, the imprisoned former Prime Minister of Pakistan, along with his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, contested the election results, citing irregularities.

Khan, currently serving jail time due to multiple convictions, also witnessed his party lose the recognisable bat symbol, compelling party leaders to run as independent candidates.

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Despite this setback, independents supported by PTI secured the highest number of seats in the elections.

Nevertheless, a coalition government was formed by Nawaz Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris Pakistan Peoples Party, with Shehbaz Sharif appointed as Prime Minister and PPP extending support from outside.

With inputs from agencies
COGAT, the name for the Israeli military department in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, announced on Thursday that the evacuation was completed in cooperation with representatives from the US, Egypt, and other international organizations read more

The sick were scheduled to fly to Egypt and other countries for medical care, while the children and their companions departed the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing Image Courtesy AP

In the first medical evacuation since May, when the only gate into the region was closed, 68 persons, including sick and injured children and their companions, were reportedly allowed to leave the Gaza Strip and enter Egypt, according to Israeli authorities.

COGAT, the name for the Israeli military department in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, announced on Thursday that the evacuation was completed in cooperation with representatives from the US, Egypt, and other international organizations.

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The sick were scheduled to fly to Egypt and other countries for medical care, while the children and their companions departed the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Gazas health system has been severely damaged, with the majority of its hospitals having to close, as a result of the nearly nine-month-long Israel-Hamas war. Thousands of people, including hundreds of critical cases, require medical treatment overseas, according to health officials.

Earlier, family members said a sorrowful goodbye to the children as they and their guards left the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza strip, headed for the Israeli border crossing at Kerem Shalom.

The sole border point open for anyone to enter or exit Gaza is Rafah, which was taken over by Israeli soldiers during their early-month campaign in the city. Egypt has declined to allow the crossing to reopen until the Gaza side is given back to Palestinian authority.

Earlier this week, six of the kids were moved from Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City to Nasser Hospital. One has metabolic syndrome and five have cancer. The World Health Organization, which was in charge of organizing the evacuation, could not be immediately reached for comment.

Around 25,000 Gazan patients, including about 980 children with cancer, according to Zaqout, need treatment abroad; 25% of them require urgent and immediate evacuation.

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He stated that the cases involved in the evacuation on Thursday are a drop in the ocean and that the difficult path into Egypt via Kerem Shalom cannot be used as a substitute for the Rafah border.

He stated that the cases involved in the evacuation on Thursday are a drop in the ocean and that the difficult path into Egypt via Kerem Shalom cannot be used as a substitute for the Rafah border.

Many of the families at Nasser Hospital earlier on Thursday seemed nervous. Most family members were forced to stay behind, and even those who were permitted to go with the patients were unaware of where they would end up.

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Israels Supreme Court was petitioned by Physicians for Human Rights Israel and Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization, to establish a permanent mechanism that would permit Gazans in need of medical care to leave the area.

Before the Israeli military began their ground operation in Rafah on May 7 and gained control of the border, some fifty Palestinian patients per day entered into Egypt to receive medical care overseas, according to Adi Lustigman, an attorney with Physicians for Human Rights Israel.

Less than 70 persons left the region on Thursday, which Tania Hary, executive director of Gisha, described as beyond tragic given that the crossing had been closed for two months. We believe that as a response, its just not sustainable.

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She demanded that the Israeli military restore the Rafah Crossing and for patients to leave the northern Erez Crossing, which served as the primary entry point for Palestinians into Israel.

Israels Supreme Court will hear a hearing on the case on Monday.

The regional director of the World Health Organization for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, expressed his gratitude for the news of the childrens evacuation in a post on the social media site X. However, he pointed out that over 10,000 patients still need medical attention outside of the Strip. Of the 13,872 people who have applied for medical evacuation since 7 October, only 35% have been evacuated.

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Medical evacuation corridors must be urgently established for the sustained, organized, safe, and timely passage of critically ill patients from Gaza via all possible routes, she said.

Over 37,700 Palestinians have died as a result of Israels war against Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The Health Ministry in Gaza does not distinguish between combatants and civilians when calculating this number. Among the deceased are thousands of women and children.

On October 7, terrorists from Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and capturing another 250. This marked the start of the war.

New evacuations from Gaza City neighborhoods that were badly attacked and mostly evacuated early in the conflict were ordered by the Israeli military on Thursday. The most recent directives are applicable to Shijaiyah and adjacent districts where locals on Thursday reported heavy airstrikes.

According to first responders from Gazas Civil Defense, at least three individuals were killed and six more were injured when airstrikes struck five different homes. It stated that searchers were still searching the debris for survivors.

During the first several weeks of the conflict, Gaza City was brutally attacked. Later that month, Israel issued an order for the evacuation of the whole northern Gaza region, including the major city there. Even though Israeli forces have surrounded and mainly isolated the north, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have continued to live there.

Residents of Shijaiyah posted footage of a significant number of individuals leaving the area on foot, carrying their possessions in their arms, in a message group.

Given the acute and pervasive hunger experienced by Palestinians, Israels assault against Hamas has drawn increasing criticism from around the world. Due to the eight-month conflict, Gazas population is now entirely dependent on humanitarian aid as supplies of food, medicine, and other necessities have been cut off. Israel vehemently contests the top UN courts conclusion that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza.
As the conflict approaches its tenth month, the United States, Israels strongest ally, issued a warning about the possibility of a major battle with Hezbollah due to an increase in threats following months of cross-border gunfire read more

Days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the war's "intense phase" was coming to an end and while his defense minister was in Washington, the Israeli shelling of Gaza seemed to abate Image Courtesy AP

While fighting raged in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the departing UN humanitarian director issued a potentially apocalyptic warning against the expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict to Lebanon.

Lebanons southern border with Israel, which has seen daily cross-border fighting since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, is what Martin Griffiths referred to as the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints.

Its beyond planning. Its potentially apocalyptic, warned Griffiths whose term as UN humanitarian coordinator ends this week.

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A war involving Lebanon will draw in Syria it will draw in others, he told the media in Geneva.

Its very alarming.

Germany urged its people living in Lebanon to leave the country on Wednesday, echoing a warning from Canada the day before.

German nationals are urgently requested to leave Lebanon, updated foreign ministry advice in Berlin said.

The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time.

Berlins foreign ministry reinforced its warning, saying, German nationals are urgently requested to leave Lebanon.

The current heightened tensions in the border area with Israel could escalate further at any time.

Canadians were urged by Ottawa on Tuesday to depart Lebanon while they can.

In the midst of fears of a wider war, witnesses in Gazas southern city of Rafah described fierce combat between Israeli troops and Palestinian terrorists, according to UN spokesperson Griffiths.

As the conflict approaches its tenth month, the United States, Israels strongest ally, issued a warning about the possibility of a major battle with Hezbollah due to an increase in threats following months of cross-border gunfire.

But days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the wars intense phase was coming to an end and while his defense minister was in Washington, the Israeli shelling of Gaza seemed to abate.

Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his visiting Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant.

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Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation, Austin said.

Gallant, for his part, said: We only fight those who seek to harm us.

He also said significant progress had been made in addressing Israeli concerns about the flow of US weaponry.

Netanyahu has openly charged that US President Joe Bidens administration is delaying the delivery of weaponry, a charge that Washington officials have consistently refuted.

The PM and other senior Israeli figures have shown an openness to a diplomatic settlement of the border tensions with Lebanon, but Gallant stated that Israel should be prepared for every possible scenario.

Following Israels military announcement last week that plans for an operation in Lebanon had been approved and validated, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, issued fresh threats.

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Witnesses in Rafah, on Gazas border with Egypt, reported fighting during the night, and Israels military claimed that airplanes hit a missile launch location.
Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israels subsequent military incursion in Gaza, tensions between Israel and Lebanon have escalated significantly read more

All Indian nationals were urged to exercise caution and stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Lebanon via the official channels Image Courtesy AFP

Both the United States and India have issued strong travel advisories, advising its people to proceed with caution and reevaluate their intentions to travel to Lebanon due to the countrys unstable security situation and rising tensions.

The Russian embassy in Beirut has also advised its nationals to avoid visiting Lebanon until the situation in the countrys south has improved.

All Indian nationals were urged to exercise caution and stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Lebanon via the official channels.

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In a statement, the embassy emphasised, In view of the current situation in Lebanon, all Indian nationals in Lebanon are advised to exercise caution and remain in contact with Embassy of India in Beirut through our Email address: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or through emergency helpline number 961-76860128.

Similarly, the US Embassy in Lebanon highlighted the unpredictable security environment, warning US citizens to strongly reconsider any plans to visit Lebanon.

The security environment remains complex and can change quickly, the embassy stated. It specifically cautioned against travel to certain regions, including southern Lebanon, the Lebanon-Syria border area, and refugee settlements.

Both embassies emphasized how crucial it is to keep up with neighborhood changes and stay conscious of ones surroundings.

Following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and Israels subsequent military incursion in Gaza, tensions between Israel and Lebanon have escalated significantly. Hezbollah, a group supported by Iran in Lebanon, has started firing drones, missiles, and mortars into Israel; Israel has responded, according to CNN.

As fears grow that another full-fledged conflict may break out, tens of thousands of people have fled to both sides of the mountainous border.
A psychologist told a US court that Patel was suffering from schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder weeks before the crash read more

Dharmesh Patel, a 42-year-old Indian-origin doctor, who intentionally drove his Tesla car off a 330-foot cliff at Devils Side in San Mateo country in the US last year with his wife and two children inside, will neither face trial, nor serve any jail term for now.

Patel, who is a radiologist in California, has been granted a mental health diversion after evidence of him having a major depressive disorder. He will now be reunited with his family  wife Neha and two kids.

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Why does Indian-origin US doctor wont face trial?

Patel was lodged in a jail after being charged with three counts of attempted murder.

A psychologist told a US court that Patel was suffering from schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder weeks before the crash.

The court then decided that Patel was eligible for a mental health diversion, that permits an accused with mental illness, who has committed a crime, to get mental health treatment instead of serving jail time.

As per the law, such a provision is only considered if the illness played a huge role in the crime.

Meanwhile, the district attorneys office intensely opposed mental health diversion for Patel and asked the court to bring him to trial for the three counts of attempted murder, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe was quoted as saying by NBC News.

But under Californias diversion law, the court makes the decision, Wagstaffe said.

Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski deemed Patel eligible for the program based on the doctors diagnosis and ordered he be released to his parents in California.

Source: Facebook

He will be under house arrest for a couple of months and will be monitored by an ankle bracelet with GPS in it. Patel will have to attend court sessions once a week and he has been banned from travelling outside his country.

Patel has been banned from driving, possessing weapons, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs.

Patel will return to court on July 1 for the next hearing where details of his release will be determined.

Why did the Indian-origin doctor drive Tesla off the cliff?

On January 2, 2023, Patel drove his car, carrying his wife and two children aged 7 and 4, off a cliff after suffering from a psychotic breakdown, the court was told by psychologists.

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The family miraculously survived the crash and was rescued from the mangled car.

According to a report by Daily Mail, Patels family in hospital allegedly told doctors that he tried to kill them, but later his wife pleaded before authorities to let her husband come home.

Patels wife also admitted that he drove the car off the cliff intentionally, but later testified that she did not want her husband prosecuted.

The court was told that Patel had initially claimed the crash was due to a flat tyre but later discussed his mental health issues with defence doctors.

Prosecutors then presented their own expert, who diagnosed Patel with a more severe schizoaffective disorder, treatable with medication.

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Patels doctors also said he was suffering from schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder weeks before the crash.

He had been hearing footsteps and thought he was being followed in the weeks before the crash. It was paranoid and kind of delusional thinking that he acted on at the time to protect his family from a worse fate, the doctors told the court.

As per the psychologist, Patel was concerned that his children were at risk of being kidnapped, possibly for sexual molestation."

With inputs from agencies
After more than eight months of Israels invasion of Gaza, which was sparked by a cross-border onslaught conducted by Hamas on October 7, relief workers report that the enclave is still very vulnerable to starvation, with about 500,000 people experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity read more

Israel says it warns displaced persons to stay out of the line of its operations against the rebels and accuses Hamas terrorists of hiding among civilians Image Courtesy Reuters

In what it claims are the last stages of an operation targeting Hamas operatives there, Israel stormed into a neighborhood in Gaza City on Thursday, telling Palestinians to move south as the tanks rolled in and bombing the city of Rafah to the south.

The sound of tanks approaching and firing in the early afternoon caught residents of Gaza Citys Shejaia neighborhood off guard. Drones also attacked following the citys overnight bombing, which Israel had swept earlier in the conflict.

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It sounded as if the war is restarting, a series of bombings that destroyed several houses in our area and shook the buildings, Mohammad Jamal, 25, a resident of Gaza City, was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

At least seven individuals have died in Shejaia as a result of Israeli military attacks, according to a statement made later on Thursday by the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service. It stated that there may be more victims under the debris that rescue workers are unable to access.

In response to claims of casualties in Shejaia, an Israeli military spokesperson stated they had nothing to say.

Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, reported that its armed wing had destroyed an explosive device that had been pre-planted against an Israeli tank east of the neighborhood.

Israel says it warns displaced persons to stay out of the line of its operations against the rebels and accuses Hamas terrorists of hiding among civilians.

For your safety, you must evacuate immediately south on Salah al-Din Street to the humanitarian zone, army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on X in a call to residents and displaced people in Shejaia.

Locals and Hamas media reported that Israel had blocked the road south, causing civilians from the eastern suburb to flee westward under fire. The tanks had arrived before the post.

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After more than eight months of Israels invasion of Gaza, which was sparked by a cross-border onslaught conducted by Hamas on October 7, relief workers report that the enclave is still very vulnerable to starvation, with about 500,000 people experiencing catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Assange, 52, landed in his homeland of Australia this week after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that put an end to an attempt to extradite him to the United States. read more

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange embraces his wife Stella after landing at RAAF air base Fairbairn in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26 2024. Assange has returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet hours after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga. Photo- AP

He has run for office, published hundreds of thousands of leaked government documents online, and once lobbied to save his local swimming pool. One of the most polarizing and influential figures of the information age, Julian Assange is now free after five years in a British prison and seven years in self-imposed exile in a London embassy.

Whats next for the WikiLeaks founder remains unclear.

Assange, 52, landed in his homeland of Australia this week after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that put an end to an attempt to extradite him to the United States. That could have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence in the event of conviction.

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Julian plans to swim in the ocean every day. He plans to sleep in a real bed. He plans to taste real food, and he plans to enjoy his freedom, his wife, Stella Assange, told reporters Thursday at a news conference that Assange did not attend.

Her husband and the father of her two children would continue to defend human rights and speak out against injustice, she said. He can choose how he does that because he is a free man.

Assange himself has given no clues.

Will he switch off?

All friends and acquaintances of Assange interviewed by The Associated Press this week emphasized that they did not know his future plans and underscored the toll taken by his ordeal  in prison he spent 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, following years in self-exile inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

I just want him to survive this ordeal and be happy. I dont care what Julian does next, said Andrew Wilkie, an Independent Australian lawmaker who met Assange before the hacker launched WikiLeaks  and was one of the first politicians to lobby for Australia to intervene in his case.

But some also found it hard to imagine Assange wouldnt eventually return to the preoccupations that have long captured him.

I suspect though that he doesnt switch off, and its hard to see him just disappearing to a beach shack forever, added Wilkie.

Assange was unable to walk past injustice said Suelette Dreyfus, a lecturer in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne who has known Assange since he was a teenager, hacking secure networks for the fun of it. Dreyfus, who once lobbied alongside Assange to save a swimming pool in Melbourne, said her friends health had worsened during his years in a British jail.

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But I suspect he will not sit on a beach for the rest of his life, she said.

What is next for WikiLeaks?

It is unclear what will happen to WikiLeaks, the site Assange founded in 2006 as a place to post confidential documents exposing corruption and revealing secret government workings behind warfare and spying. That work led him to be celebrated by supporters as a transparency crusader but lambasted by national security hawks who insisted that his conduct put lives at risk and strayed far beyond the bounds of traditional journalism.

The site remains online, although Assange told The Nation in 2023 that it had ceased publishing because of his imprisonment, and because state surveillance and the freezing of WikiLeaks funds had deterred whistleblowers. Assanges plea deal with the U.S. included an agreement to destroy any unpublished U.S. documents.

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Will he go back to WikiLeaks and, if he does, will he do it differently? I dont know, said Wilkie, the lawmaker.

Could he receive a pardon?

One matter where Assanges views are known is his hope for a pardon from a current or future U.S. president on the charge he pleaded guilty to as part of his deal.

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said President Joe Biden is not considering one.

Media analysts worry the conviction threatened to cast a chilling effect on public interest journalism. Assange has always insisted he is a journalist and the case could lead to the prosecution of other reporters, said Peter Greste, a professor at the University of Queensland and a former foreign correspondent who was jailed in Egypt for his reporting.

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Could he run for office?

In the past, Assange had designs on elected office, making an unsuccessful bid for the Australian senate with his WikiLeaks party in 2013, although he has not suggested he will contest an election again.

When you turn a bright light on, the cockroaches scuttle away. Thats what we need to do to Canberra, he told the news program 60 Minutes the same year, when asked why he wanted to enter politics.

But where the government of the day had despised Assange  a mutual feeling, he said  he was met in his homeland on Wednesday with a heros welcome, including from some politicians and a public who had not supported him before.

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It reflected a slow reversal of views about the WikiLeaks founder in Australia  but it belied an odd tension, too. In a recent high-profile case, an Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison for leaking classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. Assanges legal team mentioned the case on Thursday.

Analysts said that case and others, along with the renewed focus on Assange, drew attention to a fraught national culture of information secrecy that has been endorsed even by some of the politicians who celebrated Assanges freedom.

We have some of the most restrictive legislation on access to public information in the world, and we have no constitutional protection for press freedom or freedom of speech, said Greste. I hope that Julian does also get involved in campaigning to support press freedom, and transparency and accountability of information in Australia.

Even when Assange did address the idea of what he may do next  in a 2018 interview for the World Ethical Digital Forum, credited as his last public appearance before he was jailed  he was typically enigmatic.

I dont know, he said. No, I mean I do know. But I dont know what I should answer in response to that question.
Following Tuesdays historic live-broadcast footage of the parliament being looted and demonstrators being shot by police, Ruto abruptly changed his mind about the tax increases and advocated for communication with the youth of Kenya read more

The unrest has alarmed the international community, with Washington calling on Kenya to respect the right to peaceful protest and the UN urging "accountability" for the bloodshed

Hundreds of protestors gathered in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Thursday. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets as the number of demonstrators decreased precipitously after earlier this weeks violent skirmishes.

Small groups of protestors took to the streets one day after President William Ruto gave in to pressure from youthful activists to rescind a tax hike law that was extremely unpopular. They demanded that the Kenyan leader be removed.

A minimum of seven individuals were arrested following isolated altercations between some protesters hurling stones and police using tear gas and rubber bullets.

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Following Tuesdays historic live-broadcast footage of the parliament being looted and demonstrators being shot by police, Ruto abruptly changed his mind about the tax increases and advocated for communication with the youth of Kenya.

Because retailers were concerned about more disruption, several stores remained closed.

According to local TV, hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in Mombasa, a port city, and Kisumu, a stronghold of the opposition. Some of them set fire to the city beside the lake, obstructing highways.

The protests, which are mostly being spearheaded by young Kenyans in the Generation Z, began last week and caught the authorities off stride as Rutos administration wavered between calling for discussion and adopting a firm stance on the disturbance.

However, the Kenyan president withdrew the bill on Wednesday and refused to sign the hikes into law.

The state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights counted 22 dead nationwide  19 in Nairobi alone  and 300 injured in the aftermath of Tuesdays protests, vowing an investigation.

Shops were largely closed in Nairobis business district on Thursday.

We cannot take risk, said Joe, an employee in a perfume store, as he prepared to head home.

Why did they have to kill these young people? This bill is not worth people dying, the 30-year-old said.

We are in uncharted waters.

The unrest has alarmed the international community, with Washington calling on Kenya to respect the right to peaceful protest and the UN urging accountability for the bloodshed.

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Rights watchdogs have accused the authorities of abducting protesters.

Ruto rolled back some of the tax measures last week, prompting the treasury to warn of a budget shortfall of 200 billion shillings ($1.6 billion).

Ruto said Wednesday that withdrawing the bill would mean a significant hole in funding for development programmes to help farmers and teachers, among others.

The cash-strapped government had said previously that the increases were necessary to service Kenyas debt of some 10 trillion shillings ($78 billion), equal to roughly 70 percent of GDP.

Rutos administration has been under pressure from the International Monetary Fund, which has called for fiscal reforms in order to access crucial funding.
We have had a constructive dialogue with India on this topic and I would say that they have been responsive to our concerns. Weve made clear that we seek accountability from the Government of India and we have consistently asked for updates on the Indian Committee of Inquirys investigations, said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell read more

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that the US has raised the Pannun murder plot issue at the most senior levels with India. ANI

Making clear that US seeks accountability from India on Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannuns murder plot, a US top official on Wednesday said that both the countries have had a constructive dialogue on the issue and New Delhi have been responsive to our concerns.

Addressing an online briefing on Wednesday, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, We have had a constructive dialogue with India on this topic and I would say that they have been responsive to our concerns. Weve made clear that we seek accountability from the Government of India and we have consistently asked for updates on the Indian Committee of Inquirys investigations.

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Campbell said that the US has raised the issue at the most senior levels with India.

I would just simply say that we raised this issue directly with the Indian governmentat the most senior levels between our two sides, he added.

The US official said that India is looking carefully at the necessary potential institutional reforms.

I dont really have anything further to add to what I already said. I will say that we also believe that Indian colleagues are looking carefully at what potential institutional reforms might be necessary, Camphell said.

In the wake of some of these allegations and reports that you described, so look those discussions continue between the United States and India and I think anything further is likely to come through law enforcement channels, he added.

Indian national Nikhil Gupta is suspected by the US of involvement in the plot to kill Pannun, an India-designated terrorist.

Last week, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the ministry has not received any request for consular access from Nikhil Gupta.

He was extradited to the United States on June 14. We have not received any request for consular access from Nikhil Gupta. But his family has got in touch with us And we are looking at the matter as to what can be done on their request, said Jaiswal

Meanwhile, Gupta pleaded not guilty on 17 June at a federal court in the US. The next hearing is scheduled for 28 June.

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The government had set up a high-level committee to look into the security concerns shared by Washington on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others.

With inputs from agencies
The arrests of state minister Shamnaz Saleem of the Environment Ministry, her ex-husband Adam Rameez, a minister at the Presidents Office, and two other people were reported by the local media, citing the police. The police, however, refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the arrests or the purported use of black magic read more

While Muizzu was the mayor of the city, Shamnaz and Rameez collaborated with him as members of the Male City Council

According to local media on Thursday, Maldives police have detained two ministers who are currently in office for allegedly using black magic on President Mohamed Muizzu.

The arrests of state minister Shamnaz Saleem of the Environment Ministry, her ex-husband Adam Rameez, a minister at the Presidents Office, and two other people were reported by the local media, citing the police. The police, however, refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding the arrests or the purported use of black magic.

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Shamnaz, alongside two other individuals, was arrested on Sunday. All three of them have been remanded in custody for seven days. She was suspended from her post on Wednesday as per the Environment Ministry, news portal Sun.mv reported, adding, Rameez too has been suspended on Thursday.

While Muizzu was the mayor of the city, Shamnaz and Rameez collaborated with him as members of the Male City Council.

According to media reports, Shamnaz was first hired as a state minister at Muliaage, the presidents official house, following Muizzus inauguration as president in November of last year. She was subsequently moved to the Environment Ministry.

Rameez, during his time at Male City Council, was known as a close aide of Muizzu, who was the mayor at that time, Sun.mv said further and added, However, he has been absent from the public light in the past five months or so. Neither the Maldives government nor the Presidents office has made any official comment on the issue.
Maldives Police has arrested State Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Energy, Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem and two others from Male. She has been remanded in custody for a week pending investigations read more

A Maldives minister has been arrested for allegedly performing black magic on President Mohamed Muizzu.

Maldives Police on Thursday said State Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Energy, Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem, and two others were arrested on Sunday from the capital Male

Cops said Shamnaz has been remanded in custody for a week pending investigations.

There have been reports that Shamnaz was arrested for performing black magic on President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, the Sun, a local media outlet, said.

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Police would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Her position is an important job in a nation on the frontlines of the climate crisis, with UN environment experts warning rising seas could make it virtually uninhabitable by the end of the century.

Sorcery is not a criminal offence under the penal code in the Muslim-majority Maldives, but it does carry a six-month jail sentence under Islamic law.

People across the archipelago widely practice traditional ceremonies, believing they can win favours and curse opponents.

A 62-year-old woman was stabbed to death by three neighbours on Manadhoo in April 2023 after she was accused of conducting black magic ceremonies, the Mihaaru news site reported last week, after a lengthy police investigation.

It quoted police as saying that they had failed to find any evidence the murder victim performed sorcery.

In 2012, police cracked down on an opposition political rally after accusing organisers of throwing a cursed rooster at officers raiding their offices.

With inputs from AFP
According to official data, as of 2023, the Maldives foreign debt was stated to be over USD four billion of which it owes about USD 1.5 billion to its biggest lender China. read more

A waiter prepares the table at a restaurant at a resort on an island at Har Alif Atoll in the Maldives. The island nation has witnessed a dip in Indian tourists amid the ongoing New Delhi-Male spat. File image/Reuters

Maldives Minister for Trade Mohamed Saeed on Thursday held talks with Chinese banks to form strategic alliances to boost his countrys economy as the US credit ratings agency Fitch has downgraded Males credit rating to junk, raising question marks over the countrys ability to pay back its foreign debt.

Saeed, who is currently in China, to attend the 15th World Economic Forum being held in the Chinese city of Dalian, met with the senior officials of the China Industrial and Commercial Bank (ICBC) to discuss strategies for further engagement, and later met with the senior officials of the Bank of China.

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Saeed, who also holds charge of Maldives Economic Development Ministry, wrote a post on X stating that following President Mohamed Muizzus meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in January during a state visit to Beijing, he met the senior executives of the Bank of China to explore ways in strengthening cooperation between China and the Maldives. After Muizzus state visit, Saeed is the first high-level official to visit China.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US credit agency Fitch downgraded Maldives Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to CCC+ from B-.

Explaining the lowest of the ratings, Fitch said in a statement: Fitch typically does not assign Outlooks to sovereigns with a rating of CCC+ or below and said Maldives poor rating reflects increased risks associated with the countrys worsening external financing and liquidity metrics. We expect the Maldives foreign reserves to remain under significant stress in the coming year. Their decline to USD 492 million in May 2024 from USD 748 million a year ago reflects a persistently high current account deficit (CAD), it said.

Listing the weaker external buffers, it further said: The Maldives Monetary Authoritys (MMA) continued interventions to support the currency peg; the repayment of the USD 100 million swap arrangement with the Reserve Bank of India in December 2023 and gross foreign reserves net of the short-term foreign liabilities was significantly lower at USD73 million.

According to Fitchs rating commentary for the Maldives, USD 233 million in sovereign external debt-servicing obligations and USD 176 million in publicly guaranteed external debt-servicing obligations will come due in 2024. The figures will rise to USD 557 million in 2025 and exceed USD one billion in 2026, the statement said.

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According to official data, as of 2023, the Maldives foreign debt was stated to be over USD four billion of which it owes about USD 1.5 billion to its biggest lender China.

Earlier on Wednesday, Saeed met the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao for discussions related to the free trade agreement (FTA) between the Maldives and China. However, there was no reference to any talks between the two ministers about Maldives requests to China to restructure debt.

Last month Chinese envoy to Maldives Wang Lixin told the media in Male that China has no plans to restructure the debt owed by Maldives to Beijing because it will hinder Male from securing new loans.

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As a global holiday destination, Maldives, an archipelagic country with 26 atolls mainly banks on tourism for its foreign exchange revenues.

Observers say without restructuring of debt, Maldives could face a similar situation as Sri Lanka facing its sovereign default in 2022.
Pakistan ex-prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi will have to now serve seven-year jail term in the Iddat case read more

Pakistan ex-prime minister Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi pleas seeking suspension of their seven-year sentences in the Iddat case have been rejected by an Islamabad district and sessions court on Thursday.

Additional district and sessions judge Afzal Majoka announced the verdict on Thursday which was reserved on June 25. The hearing on the central plea related to the annulment of their conviction is set to take place on July 2.

On February 3 this year, days ahead of the general elections in Pakistan, Imran and his wife were each sentenced to seven years in prison after a trial court found their nikah (marriage) to be fraudulent as Khawar Maneka, Bushras ex-husband, moved the court against the couples marriage.

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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and his wife were also imposed Rs 500,000 fine each for contracting marriage during Bushras Iddat period.

The case first came to fore when a petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, had claimed that Bushra was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Khan on January 1, 2018.

Bushra Bibi is Imrans third wife. As per Hanif, Imran got married to Bushra despite the fact that her Iddat period had not ended, which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms.

The same year, the Khan won elections and become the prime minister of Pakistan.

For the unversed, Iddat is the time period when a woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her.

Rejecting the plea, the court termed the petition inadmissible and said it fell outside its jurisdiction, prior to which the petitioner withdrew his plea.

Later, Khawar Maneka had filed a complaint against the un-Islamic marriage of Imran and Bushra in the court of Civil Judge Qudratullah on November 25, last year.

On January 16, the couple were indicted in the Iddat case. After a 14-hour hearing in the Adiala jail, the trial court reserved its verdict on February 2 and handed out seven years imprisonment to each of them.

The conviction of Imran and Bushra in Iddat case was widely criticised by civil society, women activists and lawyers for being a blow to womens right to dignity and privacy.

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In Islamabad, activists had protested against the verdict, demonstration against the states intrusion into peoples private lives was carried out in Karachi.

The courts verdict on Thursday also drew strong condemnation from the PTI, which called it absolutely ridiculous, and its leaders staged a protest outside the Adiala jail, where the court had been set up to ensure the security of the ex-prime minister.

With inputs from agencies
Video captured last weeks events as Chinese coast guard soldiers brandishing knives, rods, and an axe encircled and boarded three Filipino naval vessels, thwarting what Manila claimed was an attempt to resupply soldiers stationed aboard a grounded warship on Second Thomas Shoal read more

Manila has also raised concerns that Chinese forces might take action against the warship BRP Sierra Madre, an ageing ship that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Philippine claims to the area Image Courtesy AP

In response to Beijings illegal actions in the South China Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos stated on Thursday that the Philippines must take further measures.

Video captured last weeks events as Chinese coast guard soldiers brandishing knives, rods, and an axe encircled and boarded three Filipino naval vessels, thwarting what Manila claimed was an attempt to resupply soldiers stationed aboard a grounded warship on Second Thomas Shoal.

It was the most recent and worst event in a string of increasingly violent encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels as Beijing intensifies its attempts to assert its rights over almost the whole strategically important waterway.

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We have filed over a hundred protests, we have already made a similar number of demarches, Marcos told reporters.

We have to do more than just that, he said, without specifying what other steps Manila might take.

The clashes have raised concern the conflict will draw in the United States, which is bound by a 1951 mutual defence pact to come to Manilas aid in case of an armed attack on its forces or vessels in the Pacific theatre.

Manila has also raised concerns that Chinese forces might take action against the warship BRP Sierra Madre, an ageing ship that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Philippine claims to the area.

A small garrison of Filipino marines stationed aboard the decrepit vessel relies on frequent resupply for survival.

Marcos on Thursday echoed his senior security aides assessment that the June 17 clash next to the grounded warship did not constitute an armed attack.

Its not armed. There was no gunshot. They did not point a gun at us, but it was a deliberate action to stop our people, Marcos said.

So, although there were no arms involved, nonetheless, it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by Chinese forces.

A Filipino soldier lost a finger in the incident, with Manila also accusing the Chinese coast guard of stealing guns and damaging three boats along with navigational and communication equipment.

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Beijing insisted its coast guard behaved in a professional and restrained way and blamed Manila for the clash.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday that Manila had filed a diplomatic protest.

On Tuesday, Manalo told a Senate hearing that Manila hopes to convene a meeting with Beijing early next month specifically to discuss the recent incidents.

Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from Chinas nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters around the shoal and has turned several reefs into artificial militarised islands.
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The reason behind the disintegration of the Russian Earth observation satellite RESURS-P1, which was deactivated in 2022, was not immediately known. As it tracks the debris swarm, U.S. Space Command stated on Thursday that there was no immediate concern read more

Large-scale debris-generating events in orbit are uncommon, but they are becoming more and more concerning as space fills up with satellite networks that are essential to daily life on Earth

According to U.S. space agencies, a Russian spacecraft fragmented into over 100 pieces while in orbit, compelling personnel aboard the International Space Station to seek refuge.

The reason behind the disintegration of the Russian Earth observation satellite RESURS-P1, which was deactivated in 2022, was not immediately known. As it tracks the debris swarm, U.S. Space Command stated on Thursday that there was no immediate concern.

Wednesday at approximately 10 a.m. Mountain Time (1600 GMT), according to Space Command, the incident took place. According to NASAs Space Station office, it happened in an orbit close to the space station, forcing the American astronauts there to take refuge in their spacecraft for about an hour.

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Up until 6 p.m. Mountain Time, the satellite was observed emitting many fragments by radars operated by LeoLabs, a U.S. space tracking business.

According to U.S. Space Command, which operates its own worldwide network of radars for tracking spacecraft, the satellite swiftly produced over 100 pieces of trackable debris.

Large-scale debris-generating events in orbit are uncommon, but they are becoming more and more concerning as space fills up with satellite networks that are essential to daily life on Earth, including communications and broadband internet as well as fundamental navigation services.

When Russia used a ground-based anti-satellite missile to strike one of its defunct satellites in orbit in 2021, it unleashed a fury around the world and created thousands of debris fragments to test a weapon system before its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

There is currently no international structure for controlling space traffic, although space activists and attorneys have called for the establishment of one as soon as possible due to the risk of satellite collisions and space warfare.
International experts portrayed a grim picture for wartorn Sudan, warning in a report Thursday that 755,000 are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless clashes between rival generals. read more

Women and children wait to be registered prior to a food distribution carried out by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Thonyor, Leer state, South Sudan, February 26, 2017. File Photo- Reuters

Sudan is on the brink of famine in 14 regions as escalating conflict between military factions exacerbates an already dire hunger crisis, a global hunger monitoring group has warned.

In its latest assessment, released on Thursday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that Sudan faces the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the nations history. The ongoing conflict, which has persisted for over a year, has plunged the country into severe hardship, with catastrophic consequences for its people.

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According to the IPC, approximately 755,000 individuals are experiencing catastrophe levels of food scarcity, the most extreme phase of hunger classification, characterized by starvation, death, and deprivation. Besides, a staggering 8.5 million peoplerepresenting 18% of Sudans populationare enduring food shortages severe enough to risk acute malnutrition and death.

Meanwhile, paramilitaries from Sudans Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have advanced on the south-eastern trading hub of Sennar as they push to expand territorial gains more than 14 months into a war with the army, residents and officials said on Wednesday.

UN agencies say around 10 million people have fled their homes across Sudan since the army and RSF fell out over a planned integration of their forces and started fighting in the capital Khartoum in April last year.

The RSF has since taken over most of Khartoum, the central farming state Gezira and the vast western Darfur region, as well as many parts of the Kordofan regions to the south.

In Sennar, south of Gezira, many took refuge in surrounding villages, locals said. Fighting raged through the evening then appeared to die down overnight, they added.

The states army-led security committee said the military and allied fighters had destroyed seven RSF vehicles that had approached the city and fired rockets.

The northeastern African country descended into chaos in April last year when simmering tensions between the countrys military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and elsewhere in the country.

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The devastating conflict has killed more than 14,000 people and wounded 33,000 others, according to the United Nations, but rights activists say the toll could be much higher.

The conflict created the worlds largest displacement crisis with more than 11 million people forced to flee their homes. Human rights experts working for the United Nations said that both warring sides used food and starvation as a war weapon.

The report on hunger said people facing the highest level of starvation in the coming months are in 10 provinces, including Khartoum; the Darfur and Kordofan regions; and the provinces of Blue Nile and Jazira. The number was zero in June 2023 and it surged to 755,000 over the past year, it said.

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The conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply routes, market systems and agricultural production, it has also severely limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already dire situation, the report said.

Another 8.5 million people are classified in the second worst level of starvation, or Phase 4, meaning that the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing, the IPC report said. Those people are facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and excessively high disease levels, it added.

Overall, 25.6 million people, more than half of the countrys 47 million population, face crisis or worse conditions between June and September. It warned about a risk of famine in 14 areas if the conflict escalates further, including through increased mobilization of local militias.

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The situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection, the report said. It referred to Darfur, Kordofan, Khatoum and Jazira where fighting raged for months.

The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including rape, gang rape and ethnic-motivated attacks, which rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In recent months, the fighting has expanded to new areas, including agricultural centers such as Jazira province, which the RSF seized last year.

Tjada DOyen McKenna, chief executive of nongovernmental organization Mercy Corps, said that the expansion of fighting has devastated food production, and caused severe malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, the chronically ill and older people.

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Sudan has become one of the worlds largest and most ignored man-made tragedies, McKenna said. This crisis demands urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.

With inputs from agencies.
The looming betting scandal became the major topic point in the final debate between UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Kier Starmer as the country braces itself for an intense election read more

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Kier Starmer got into a heated argument over their responses to the Westminster gambling scandal. In the final head-to-head debate before the country goes to polls, the Labour leader launched a fierce attack on the culture of the Tories, saying it showed the wrong instinct to place bets on the future of the country.

Starmer went on to compare it to the ruling administrations cavalier attitude to Covid rules. Meanwhile, Sunak repeatedly urged the country not to surrender itself to the Labours plans on tax and migration. However, the British premier acknowledged the growing frustration with the conservatives.

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I understand why youre frustrated with our party, with me, I get it. But this is not a byelection, its a choice with profound consequences for you and our country, he said.

And before you make that choice, think what a Labour government would mean. Can you afford to pay at least 2,000 more in tax? And if youre not certain about Labour, dont surrender to them, dont vote for any other party, vote Conservative," Sunak furthered.

Starmer quickly interjected and dismissed Sunaks assertion. That is a lie [on tax], hes been told not to repeat that lie and hes just done it," he said.

The election betting scandal took centre stage at the final debate

It is important to note that five Conservative politicians and staffers have now been suspended for allegedly betting on the election date. Interestingly, the Labour Party was drawn into the gambling row on Tuesday after being forced to suspend one of its own candidates for betting.

Starmer brought up the issue at the debate and said that he had suspended his candidate, Kevin Craig, within minutes. He went on to slam Sunak for taking days to make a similar decision. I think that in the last 14 years, politics has become too much about self-entitlement, and MPs thinking about what they could get for themselves, he said.

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The instinct of these people to think the first thing they should do is try to make money, that was the wrong instinct, and we have to change that," Starmer furthered.

The Labour Party leader went on to claim that Sunak had delayed and delayed and delayed and had been bullied into taking action. My candidates know I have the highest standards. They have seen by my actions the consequences, he exclaimed.

The jabs from Starmer came after the Met Police confirmed that it was investigating a small number of cases related to the Westminster gambling row to assess whether the alleged offending goes beyond Gambling Act offences to include others, such as misconduct in public office.

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The Met police went on to assure that it will investigate the matter more thoroughly. The Met is not taking over the investigation into bets on the timing of the General Election. The Gambling Commission will continue to lead the investigation into cases where the alleged offending is limited to breaches of the Gambling Act only, it said.

With inputs from agencies.
Over the recent years, China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan, which it claims to be part of its territory. Beijing has also conducted military drills around the island following last months inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te read more

According to Taipei's defence ministry, Beijing sent 62 military aircraft around Taiwan in the highest single-day total this year. Source: Reuters.

The defence ministry of Taiwan Thursday said it detected 35 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around the island during the 24-hour window.

On Thursday, 35 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels were detected around the island during the 24-hour period leading up to 6:00 am (2200 GMT), the Taiwans defence ministry said.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring the self-ruled democracy under its control.

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Over the recent years, China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan and held military drills around the island following last months inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing regards as a dangerous separatist.

As per Taiwans defence ministry, during those drills, Beijing sent 62 military aircraft around Taipei in the highest single-day total this year.

With inputs from AFP
The Sadhus, who own Sun Pharmaceuticals, were given a 105 million compensation by the Supreme Court of Zambia in 2022 for overpaying a loan; however, the government has not yet released the money. Since then, they allege, they have been the target of severe and unlawful pressure to refuse the payment from individuals close to the administration, including Nawa and his colleagues read more

Nawa, who serves as Zambia's deputy commissioner of police at the moment, is one of four applicants who the member states of the African Union have endorsed for the post of secretary general at the Interpol

One of the leading contenders for the Interpol directorship, Mubita Nawa, is charged with kidnapping and extorting two Indian businessmen. He is accused of kidnapping and extortion in connection with a 105 million legal dispute between Vinod and Uddit Sadhu.

According to the Independent newspaper, the attorneys representing businessmen Vinod and Uddit have written to Interpol, claiming that Nawa was complicit in their abduction and extortion in September 2022.

Nawa, who serves as Zambias deputy commissioner of police at the moment, is one of four applicants who the member states of the African Union have endorsed for the post of secretary general at the Interpol.

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The Sadhus, who own Sun Pharmaceuticals, were given a 105 million compensation by the Supreme Court of Zambia in 2022 for overpaying a loan; however, the government has not yet released the money. Since then, they allege, they have been the target of severe and unlawful pressure to refuse the payment from individuals close to the administration, including Nawa and his colleagues.

Now, the Sadhus have filed lawsuits against those connected to the incident in 2022, in which Nawa is expected to testify.

The UK-based Leverets Group said in their letter that persons disguised as police officers ambushed the Sadhus. They claim to have been bundled into an unmarked van before being taken to a private residence, and they allege they were intimidated and forced. One of the prisoners used a covert cell phone to sound the alarm.

They claim that after being moved to a police station, Mubita Nawawho was the deputy director of the Zambian Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the timeparticipated in their abuse. New kidnappers, assailants and extortionists, including Nawa, were mentioned in the letter.

Police in Zambia have refuted what they called the malicious allegations made by the Sadhus legal representatives. They said that the Sadhus are under suspicion in a fraud probe and that they have unlawfully altered Sun Pharmaceuticals ownership structure.

In addition, the head of police refuted the accusations made against Mubita Nawa, describing them as untrue and meant to harm his standing before the Interpol secretary general elections.
The pact  along with the documents signed with Lithuania and Estonia  is intended to complement other similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russias invasion. read more

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and European Council President Charles Michel speak with the media as they arrive for an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, June 27, 2024.- Photo- AP

The European Union and two of its member countries, Lithuania and Estonia, signed security agreements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

The agreement with the EU lays out the blocs commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy  including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

The pact  along with the documents signed with Lithuania and Estonia  is intended to complement other similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russias invasion.

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Zelenskyy thanked countries that have promised equipment, weapons and ammunition, but underlined that we need them urgently on the battlefield.

Countries including the United States, Britain, France and Germany have sealed such pacts with Kyiv.

Russian forces are seeking to press their advantage in troop numbers and weaponry before Ukraines armed forces are bulked up by promised new Western military aid, some of which is trickling to the front line, analysts say.

The EU launched membership talks with Ukraine on Tuesday, a decade after Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula to deter the country from moving closer to the West, part of a chain of events that set the two neighbors on the path to war.

We waited for this, a long period of time, Zelenskyy said, thanking the EU for its approval.

The leaders are expected to sign a document of security commitments to Ukraine, which in essence encapsulates what the 27-nation bloc has been doing for the country in terms of financial, military and other assistance since Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

Several countries already have similar agreements with Ukraine, offering a long-term commitment to help Kyiv, including once its war with Russia is over. Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden signed one such pact earlier this month which will run for the next decade.

With inputs from agencies.
The territorial disputes, which involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have long been seen as a flashpoint that could pit the U.S. against China if high seas confrontations escalate into armed conflict. read more

In this handout photo provided by Armed Forces of the Philippines, Chinese Coast Guard hold knives and machetes as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission in the Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea on June 17, 2024. File Photo- AP

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines security amid Chinas actions in the South China Sea, the White House said on Thursday after talks between the two countries national security advisers.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Philippine counterpart, Eduardo Ano, on Wednesday discussed shared concerns over the Peoples Republic of Chinas dangerous and escalatory actions against the Philippines lawful maritime operations near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, the White House said in a statement.

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The territorial disputes, which involve China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have long been seen as a flashpoint that could pit the U.S. against China if high seas confrontations escalate into armed conflict. Washington has repeatedly warned that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, its oldest treaty ally in Asia, if Filipino forces are attacked, including in the South China Sea.

Indonesian forces have also opened fire on Chinese fishing boats in past confrontations in waters off the Natuna islands on the fringes of the South China Sea.
OPPO India is set to launch the Reno12 5G and Reno12 Pro 5G, known as Your Everyday AI Companion.

These devices, recently launched globally, feature advanced AI-powered cameras, including AI Best Face, AI Eraser 2.0, AI Studio, and AI Clear Face, eliminating the need for photo editing.

The Reno12 Series integrates AI Summary, AI Record Summary, AI Clear Voice, AI Writer, and AI Speak to enhance productivity. Key features include:

AI in Photography

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AI Best Face: Ensures perfect group shots by correcting closed eyes.

AI Studio: Transforms photos into digital avatars using Generative AI.

These AI capabilities enhance light, color, texture, and reduce motion blur, improving overall photo quality. OPPOs facial-recognition algorithms enhance up to 296 facial features in real time.

Productivity Features

AI Toolbox: Includes AI Writer, AI Summary, and AI Speak, powered by Google Gemini LLM. These tools assist in writing, summarizing meetings, and enhancing communication.

AI Summary: Quickly provides summaries and highlights of lengthy content.

AI Recording Summary: Summarizes meeting recordings in English and Hindi, generating notes, summaries, and transcripts.

AI Writer: Completes sentences, suggests words, and corrects grammar for efficient communication.

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AI Clear Voice: Reduces background noise by up to 40dB, enhancing call clarity.

AI LinkBoost: Optimizes network use, reducing data lag by up to 25%.

Battery Optimization: OPPOs Trinity Engine adjusts power consumption in real-time, extending battery life. Both phones have 80W 5000mAh batteries that charge to 100% in 46 minutes.

Smart Charging: Adapts to charging habits for safer, more efficient charging.

BeaconLink Technology: Enables one-to-one voice calls via Bluetooth in no-network environments.

RAM-Vitalization: Enhances app performance by retaining up to five apps in memory for 72 hours.

ROM-Vitalization: Compresses infrequently accessed data to save storage space.

Commitment to AI

OPPOs AI R&D Centre in Shenzhen collaborates with Google, Microsoft, MediaTek, and Qualcomm. OPPO holds over 5,399 AI-related patents, including 3,796 in AI imaging.

The Reno12 Series, with its AI-driven features, aims to democratize AI access, targeting 50 million users globally.

The OPPO Reno12 Series is expected to launch in India in July.
By SA Commercial Prop News

THE matter involving developers of The Leonardo, the R3 billion Sandton skyscraper - who booted out construction firm Aveng, takes a new twist as Aveng now seeks an adjudicator.



THE matter involving developers of The Leonardo, the R3 billion Sandton skyscraper - who booted out construction firm Aveng, takes a new twist as Aveng now seeks an adjudicator.

The Leonardo is mixed-use development and Africa's tallest building. The 234-metre skyscraper, developed by the Legacy Group and Nedbank, was designed to house 254 apartments, a three-floor penthouse and five floors of office space, as well as shops and restaurants.

Last month, the listed construction and engineering group Aveng confirmed it had received a notice from Seventy Five on Maude, part of Bart Dorresteins Legacy Group, purporting to terminate the Leonardo construction contract. The Legacy Group has also made a call on the R87.4 million construction guarantee procured by Aveng as part of the contract.



On the sidelines of the infrastructure and resources group's results presentation for the six months ended in December, CEO Sean Flanagan said Aveng had not done any work at The Leonardo site since December 6.



"We are very confident that that job was practically complete at the point of termination. We have a number of significant contract disputes with the developer and we have to follow the contract.



"Those provisions of the contract survive the termination. We have two matters that are before the adjudicator at the moment," he said.



He said the adjudication was not aimed at restoring the contract, but rather at determining whether the developer was right and who owed whom what. The group has not disclosed the extent of losses it will incur as a result of the termination.

The Legacy Group has remained silent about the saga and attempts to obtain comment from the group were unsuccessful. Calls to Legacy Group Chairman Bart Dorresteins cellphone were not answered or responded to.

Aveng last year took a decision to sell non-core assets when it became clear that the sector downturn wasn't reversing any time soon. It decided to focus in its mining business in SA.

To date, the group has disposed more than R1 billion of these businesses, including geotechnical contractor, Ground Engineering, road rehabilitation and infrastructure unit, Rand Roads, as well as its building and civil engineering businesses. The company had planned 12 disposals and has signed 10 deals so far.
By SA Commercial Prop News

South Africas construction sector is facing a host of issues including the so-called construction mafia  popularly known as the business forums.



SAs distressed construction sector is facing a host of issues including the so-called construction mafia  popularly known as the business forums.

They have been dubbed criminal, and labelled the construction mafia  or community groups who demand a cut in building projects around the country, sometimes even resorting to violence and intimidation to get their way.

From some form of employment, sub-contracting to their small businesses or in some cases straight up cash  they say theyll continue to hold construction sites to ransom until they receive their share.

Their proponents believe they are legitimate agents of radical economic transformation. It is often unclear where the line between armed violence and genuine demands for access to economic opportunities falls.

The phenomenon emerged in the Durban area of KwaZulu-Natal and began hitting the headlines in 2016. It has since spread across the country at a time when the construction sector is in dire straits  a series of major players have filed for business rescue or have reported depressing financials.

The armed gangs turned up at construction sites demanding 30% of the work, then 30% of the revenue, and in some cases 50%.

State infrastructure projects have been the worst hit with the likes of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) seeing more than 60 projects affected to a varying extent, including its R1.6-billion Mtentu bridge project, expected to be the highest bridge in Africa, and a road contract near Stutterheim. Both are in the Eastern Cape.



But private sector projects are not immune from destructive actions by people demanding work. A R2.4-billion German oil storage investment, being built by Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape was halted in early March last year after armed gangs demanded a stake.

No longer content to invade larger construction sites in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the construction mafia has moved into the townships.



Mpho Moropane, founder of Phoroza Trading & Projects, was awarded a R6 million contract for the construction of 50 houses in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, by the Gauteng Department of Housing. No sooner had the contract been awarded than representatives of the local community arrived to demand their take  a whopping 50% of the budget.

They then went further than this, proposing to take over the entire budget and source materials for the project, leaving Moropane with little if anything other than an obligation to deliver the houses to the client.

Ten meetings with the national police commissioner to discuss tackling the construction mafia in SA have been cancelled in the past four months, says South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) CEO Webster Mfebe.



The latest cancellation came on the eve of the state of the nation address in which President Cyril Ramaphosa announced he is prioritising the fight against armed gangs that have forced contractors to abandon 84 infrastructure projects worth more than R27bn.



JSE-listed global infrastructure and resources group Aveng believes there is a contradiction between government plans to address the risk posed by the so-called construction mafia, and the SA National Road Agency (Sanral) wanting to pass these risks onto contractors.

Aveng group CEO Sean Flanagan said on Tuesday the noises being made by the government to deal with this issue are the right noises but there is a need to see the implementation of law and order.

The problem has now gone countrywide, but is particularly rampant in Gauteng, according to Peter Barnard of attorneys Cox Yeats, who has fought off dozens of mafia invasions through the courts.



The only reason it continues is because it is tolerated by law enforcement, says Barnard. Hopefully, we will now see stronger law enforcement to bring an end to this after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni called for tougher action against the mafia.



Mboweni in his budget speech last week seemed to have had enough of this lawlessness: The disruptive actions of those who storm construction sites or mines harm growth and lead to job losses. Communities should expose such people to allow ministers [Bheki] Cele and [Ronald] Lamola [ministers of police and justice) to ensure that the law takes its course.



I hope all South Africans join me in condemning this, said Mboweni.

In the last three years, several large construction companies such as Group 5, Basil Read, Liviero, NMC and Esor Construction have closed operations, while many of the remaining firms have reported financial difficulties. Sluggish economic growth, a decline in government infrastructure spending, late payment of contractors by the state and the lack of capacity to undertake public projects with approved budgets have been recorded as other leading causes of the problem.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced R700 billion in infrastructure development in his state of the nation address earlier this year, but no further details have been provided.

Mboweni has committed to providing R10 billion towards a R200 billion infrastructure finance programme by the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

Construction contributes about 4% to South Africas Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is a key sector for the economy.
Vintage journey of two foreign tourists in China

Xinhua) 15:31, June 27, 2024

LHASA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- This summer, a classic red Jaguar convertible and two British adventurers in it, captured the hearts of social media users as they found themselves broken down on National Highway 318 in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Michael Henry Johnston from Liverpool and Paul John Rowlands from Manchester secured temporary driver's licenses through the Zhongyou International travel agency, setting off on their journey to Xizang via the Yunnan-Xizang route.

"The G318 offered breathtaking vistas, and the highway was in surprisingly good condition, although some steep, unpaved sections seemed a bit too challenging for our vintage wheels," said Johnston.

Johnston, who retired in March at the age of 61, completed this Xizang odyssey in his treasured classic car before returning to his hometown.

"This wasn't my first visit to the regional capital of Lhasa. I was there 10 years ago on a brief business trip, but I had only one day and didn't even make it to the Potala Palace," he recalled.

"I planned this trip for years, and we had a full 27 days in China this time," said Johnston. The car, a spectacle in itself, drew attention everywhere it went, from Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province to Lhasa in Xizang, while also passing through places like Pu'er, Dali, and Nyingchi.

Short videos of their trip quickly became a trending topic on several social media platforms. "I'm passionate about driving. My car is a 57-year-old beauty, once displayed in a museum, which is a car model produced between 1961 and 1974. I've owned it for 13 years, and it took me five years to restore it to its former glory," Johnston shared.

After clearing customs, obtaining a temporary license, and exchanging it for a Chinese driver's license, Johnston relished his drive along the G318. "With policy relaxations, international travel has become more convenient," said Liang Bin, head of the travel agency.

During this year's Dragon Boat Festival holiday from June 8 to 10, Xizang received over 1.1 million domestic and international tourists, marking a 14.2 percent increase year on year.

Regional tourism revenue surged by 15.6 percent during this period, amounting to 992 million yuan (about 139.2 million U.S. dollars), according to the regional culture and tourism department.

The Lhasa-Xigaze Railway in the region transported some 21,000 passengers between the two cities during the period, up 13.8 percent year on year, said local railway authorities.

The two foreign visitors drove their vintage car to several locations well known to many in China, including Xigaze for a glimpse of Mount Qomolangma, Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, and Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"People waved and greeted us warmly upon seeing us," said Rowlands, aged 60, who is Johnston's former colleague. This was his first visit to the region. "We visited ancient monasteries and palaces and experienced the real life of the locals."

"I told all my friends that everything there amazed me, from the grandeur of the mountains to Xizang's remarkable development," Rowlands added. "I had thought Lhasa was just a historic town, but it's clearly a modern metropolis, teeming with vibrant life."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
Caeden Laffan, an Oakland firefighter and medic, drowned while swimming in San Diego, officials said. Oakland Fire Department

An Oakland firefighter drowned while swimming at a San Diego beach with family and friends early Thursday morning, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokespersons said.

Oakland fire officials identified the man as Caeden Laffan, a 25-year-old Oakland firefighter and paramedic. He had graduated Oakland Fire Departments Recruit Academy in 2019, Oakland fire officials said.

A little after 2 a.m., people at the beach with the firefighter reported that he had gone missing while swimming near Pacific Beachs Crystal Pier.

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They were out late at night, San Diego fire spokespersons told the Chronicle. He got into the water and never returned. Its pretty dark out there at night.

City lifeguards and personnel conducted a search of the area for two hours, spokespersons said. Just before 5 a.m., they came across a body that had washed ashore not far from where the swimmer was reported missing, just north of the pier.

Laffans father, Sean Laffan, was an Oakland Fire Department assistant chief who died in the line of duty in November 2020, Oakland fire officials said. He was 42.

Caeden Laffan was a young enthusiastic member of the Oakland Fire Department, with a bright future ahead of him, and were all heartbroken today after learning of this tragic event, Fire Chief Damon Covington said. Our hearts go out to the entire Laffan family, and all who know him, worked with him, and loved him. The Laffan family and I sincerely appreciate the coordination and support of the San Diego Fire Department as our members continue to respond and grieve.

San Diego fire spokespersons said they contacted the Oakland fire chief earlier Thursday morning to let him know just out of a professional courtesy to him, and to offer their condolences to the department.

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San Diego fire department chaplains were on scene attending to the dozen or so family and friends who were very distraught and upset, spokespersons said.
Emotional homecoming for WikiLeaks' Assange

By Henry Ridgwell June 26, 2024

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrived in his home country of Australia a free man Wednesday after agreeing to a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors over espionage charges, ending a 14-year legal odyssey.

Supporters of the 52-year-old journalist and political activist welcomed his release, but said the prosecution sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom.

Assange received an emotional welcome as he arrived at Canberra Airport by private jet Wednesday morning. He was embraced by his wife Stella, and his father, John Shipton, before punching the air as he was cheered by a group of supporters gathered nearby.

"Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here, but you have to understand what he's been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate," Stella Assange told reporters at a press conference in Australia's capital.

She thanked his supporters around the world.

"It took millions of people. It took people working behind the scenes. People protesting on the streets for days and weeks and months and years. And we achieved it," she said.

Assange spends years in prison

Assange spent more than five years in London's high-security Belmarsh Prison as he fought a legal battle over extradition to the United States.

Britain's High Court finally ruled in May that he could appeal the extradition order. That decision prompted the U.S. Department of Justice, British and Australian authorities, and Assange's legal team to expedite negotiations on a deal in which Assange pleaded guilty to one charge of espionage.

He was flown Monday evening from London to the U.S. Pacific territory of Saipan, where a brief hearing at a U.S. District Court on Tuesday concluded the prosecution.

Assange was sentenced to the equivalent of the time he had already spent in prison and was free Wednesday morning.

Defense criticizes US prosecutors

Assange's lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, criticized U.S. prosecutors' pursuit of a conviction.

"In order to win his freedom, Julian pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage for publishing evidence of U.S. war crimes, human rights abuse and U.S. wrongdoing around the world. This is journalism. This is the criminalization of journalism," said Robinson.

"And while the plea deal does not set a judicial precedent a it's not a court decision a the prosecution itself sets a precedent that can be used against the rest of the media," Robinson said at the press conference in Canberra on Wednesday.

'Democracy demands this'

U.S. prosecutors charged Assange in 2019 with 17 counts of espionage and one count of hacking, relating to the publication of stolen diplomatic cables covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Wikileaks said the material revealed abuses by the U.S. military. Campaigners for press freedom say Assange was simply doing his job.

"Essentially what he does is what all journalists want to do: expose incompetence, expose wrongdoing and hold the power to account. Because essentially, democracy demands this. I mean, without this, we wouldn't have democracy," said Abdullahi Tasiu Abubakar, a senior lecturer in journalism at City, University of London.

US State Department defends US' action

The U.S. Department of Justice has not yet commented on the plea deal. The State Department defended the United States' actions.

"I do think it is important when we talk about Julian Assange to remind the world that the actions for which he was indicted and for which he has now pled guilty are actions that put the lives of our partners, our allies and our diplomats at risk, especially those who work in dangerous places like Afghanistan and Iraq," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Wednesday.

"The documents they published gave identifying information of individuals who were in contact with the State Department that included opposition leaders, human rights activists around the world, whose positions were put in some danger because of their public disclosure," Miller added. "It also chilled the ability of American personnel to build relationships and have frank conversations with them."

Australian PM lobbies for release

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who personally lobbied U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Assange's release, welcomed the plea deal.

"Regardless of your views about his activities a and they will be varied a Mr. Assange's case has dragged on for too long. I have said repeatedly that there was nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration.

"We have used all appropriate channels. This outcome has been the product of careful, patient and determined work, work I am very proud of," Albanese told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Supporters say they'll seek pardon

Assange spent seven years in self-imposed confinement in Ecuador's embassy in London from 2012, as he evaded unrelated rape charges filed by Swedish prosecutors, which were later dropped. Assange said he always believed the U.S. was seeking his extradition.

He was arrested by British authorities for breach of bail after the Ecuadorian Embassy ejected him in 2019. Assange was held in Belmarsh Prison as he fought U.S. attempts to secure his extradition.

Assange's supporters say they will seek a full pardon of his espionage conviction and have vowed to fight for the principle of press freedom.

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Sliac Air Base F-16 beddown infrastructure to be completed on our own

Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic

25.06.2024

Deputy Defence Minister Martin Vojtasovic along with his colleagues from the SVK MOD completed a working meeting with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) leadership in Luxembourg. The central theme of the meeting was the delivery of the F-16 Beddown Infrastructure Programme at Sliac Air Base. The SVK MOD delegation and the NSPA leadership agreed that Slovakia will complete construction and reconstruction works to Sliac Air Base on its own.

Speaking from Luxembourg, Deputy Defence Minister Martin Vojtasovic said: "We held very fair and direct talks. NSPA understands our position that we need to complete building Sliac Air Base as soon as possible. Now it's up to us to speed up the processes at the national level and to have the construction and reconstruction works fully under control."

Sliac Air Base, the strategic operating base for fighter jets, needs to be upgraded in order to prepare it for the arrival of the Slovak Air Force F-16 fighter jet fleet. The first two F-16 fighter jets, displaying the Slovak Air Force markings, will arrive from the USA in a month and will remain at Kuchyna Air Base until such time as the F-16 beddown infrastructure projects at Sliac Air Base are completed.

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The Department of the Navy Hosts Climate Tabletop Exercise with Caribbean Partners

US Navy - Press Release

25 June 2024

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The Department of the Navy (DON) is hosting Climate Action III, the third in a series of table top exercises (TTX) the DON has held during the last three years that validates and exercises Climate Action 2030, the DON's climate strategy. The TTX, which will take place June 25-26 with Caribbean nations, and key stakeholders and partners, to identify areas of collaboration to increase climate resilience.

The DON convened Caribbean partners, non-governmental organizations, Department of Defense, and federal agencies, to contribute their expertise to develop actions and strengthen partnerships between U.S. and Caribbean partner nations.

"The impacts of climate change, from increasing temperatures and droughts, to changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise, are impacting our forces, our communities, and economies," said Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment and the Department of the Navy's Chief Sustainability Officer. "Island and coastal nations like our Caribbean neighbors are on the front lines of this challenge, and we know that when we work together, we do better. We have a lot to learn from each other, and even more to gain from working together to build our shared climate resilience and enhance our collective security."

Over the past year, senior leaders from the Department of the Navy have convened several engagements with Caribbean leaders and technical experts, discussing the practical challenges and opportunities for collaboration in building climate resilience. The broader U.S. government has similarly expanded its climate action in the Caribbean, including the launch of the U.S. Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC). Launched by Vice President Harris during the Summit of the Americas in June 2022, PACC 2030's objectives are based on 4 pillars: 1) Improving Access to Development Financing, 2) Facilitating Clean Energy Project Development and Investment, 3) Food Security and Enhancing Local Capacity for Climate Adaptation and Resilience, and 4) Deepening Collaboration with Caribbean Partners. Learn more about the work we are supporting under each pillar.

This tabletop exercise is the third in a series the Department of Navy has led in as many years focused on climate impacts. This year, it brings together Caribbean experts with U.S. agencies such as USAID, the Department of State, NOAA, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense, to explore practical climate resilience solutions across three key areas: Community Health and Safety, Infrastructure Resilience (to include energy, water, built and natural infrastructure), and Climate Research, Data, and Planning Tools.

The event will simulate an 18-month period characterized by weather events intensified by climate change, spanning two consecutive hurricane seasons. Scenarios will include unusually dry conditions leading to wildfires, high temperatures straining power grids and crop production, multiple hurricanes making landfall in quick succession, significant damage to critical infrastructure, and flooding and landslides causing extensive damage to power, telecommunications, transportation, airport, and seaport facilities, as well as communicable disease outbreaks post-hurricanes.

The scenario will allow for participants to combine geographic and functional expertise to identify specific opportunities where Caribbean nations and the U.S. can partner to build climate resilience and focus on preparedness ahead of a disaster.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps is focused on increasing climate resilience, reducing the climate threat, and remaining the world's dominant maritime force. The Navy and Marine Corps will consider climate impacts, risks, and opportunities in all relevant guidance and decision-making processes to improve effectiveness, efficiency and resilience.

The Department's Climate Action 2030 strategy document is available for download here

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President Radev: Modernisation of the Armed Forces Must Take into Account the New Realities in the Defence Sector

President of the Republic of Bulgaria

26 June 2024

The war in Ukraine has seriously changed not only the security architecture on a global scale, but also the way of conducting warfare, as well as the tactics and means used to implement operations. These new realities in the field of defence must be taken into account in the processes of modernisation of the armed forces and the conduct of joint exercises. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting today with Stephen R Covington, Strategic and International Affairs Adviser to NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, who is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of the Chief of Defence.

Radev and Covington discussed the growing security risks in the wake of the Russian Federation's war in Ukraine, the transformation of NATO's capabilities over the years and the implementation of the Alliance's mission to guarantee the sovereignty and security of its member states. The head of state pointed out that the implementation of projects related to the improvement of logistics and those contributing to the acquisition of asymmetric and information superiority and the strengthening of interoperability are increasingly important for beefing up defence capabilities.

Bulgaria has invested significant financial resources in the major projects related to the modernisation of the Air Force, the Navy and the Ground Forces, but in order to match the defence capabilities to the modern trends, timely work should be done to introduce economically and financially beneficial projects with high efficiency and asymmetric effect, Rumen Radev said. In the President's words, an important factor in building defence capabilities is also the training of personnel and the motivation of service people.

For his part, Stephen Covington said that unity in efforts to strengthen NATO's defence and deterrence capabilities, as well as the Alliance's support to ensure the security of each member state, is of utmost importance in times of crises.

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Canada announces an additional $5.7 million in funding to support the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti

Global Affairs Canada

News release

June 26, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Canada and Haiti share a positive, long-standing relationship, and Canada remains steadfast in its support for Haiti and its people. As the deployment of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission began yesterday, Canada continues to believe that the best solution for ensuring security in Haiti is to support sustainable mechanisms for strengthening the Haitian National Police (HNP), as well as the security and justice sectors, in the long term.

Today, the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada will provide an additional $5.7 million to the United Nations Trust Fund for the MSS mission in Haiti. This is in addition to the $80.5 million announced for the Trust Fund in February of this year. This additional funding will directly support the deployment of the Kenyan-led MSS mission. Canada is also working with countries contributing to the MSS mission to provide training to officers being deployed and to establish mechanisms to prevent human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence.

In addition to the $5.7 million announced today, Canada previously allocated $12.5 million to support three projects that will help strengthen the HNP and improve security conditions for the civilian population in Haiti; the amounts are as follows:

$5 million through the Canadian Commercial Corporation to support the Specialized Tactical Training Program for the Haitian National Police

$4 million for the Organization of American States for its Securing Marine and Land-Based Trade Program in Haiti

$3.5 million for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime for its Container Control Program in Haiti

These three projects are being funded through a $100 million investment in the HNP that was previously announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March 2023.

Canada remains committed to working with Haiti and international partners to respond to the most pressing needs of the Haitian people. Canada will continue to support long-term good governance and development that addresses the root causes of fragility and insecurity, as well as efforts to build the resilience of the Haitian population.

Quotes

"I am pleased to announce this additional funding, which will help strengthen the Haitian National Police and, in turn, help restore security in Haiti. I am also pleased that the deployment of the Kenyan-led MSS mission has begun, which is a critical step in restoring peace and prosperity in the country. Canada looks forward to collaborating with Kenya, as well as with other international partners, to support the security sector in Haiti." - Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

For nearly 30 years, Canada has contributed to every UN peace mission to Haiti to support stabilization and reconstruction efforts. Contributions have included financial assistance and the deployment of members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and over 30 Canadian partner police agencies, as well as correctional officers.

Since 2022, Canada has committed more than $400 million in international assistance funding to Haiti. This includes an investment of $86.2 million to directly support the MSS mission$80.5 million of which was previously announced in February 2024and the $100 million in support of the HNP over the last year.

In 2023, Canada established the International Security Assistance Coordination Group, a platform that serves as the interface between the Haiti security sector stakeholders and over 30 international partners to help bolster the HNP.

The Canadian Armed Forces provided training, as part of Operation HELIOS, to military personnel from CARICOM nations, including Jamaica, Belize and The Bahamas. The CARICOM battalion received training on peacekeeping skills and combat first aid and will deploy in support of the Kenyan-led MSS mission.

Canada is providing law enforcement training to specialized technical and investigative units in the HNP working to counter gang activity in Haiti.

Canada is also supporting measures to prevent conflict-related sexual violence and sexual exploitation and abuse through the provision of technical assistance and $18.4 million in funding to the HNP to prevent and respond to sexual violence and other related policing needs.

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Government of Canada announces $5.7 million in new funding to support the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti

Global Affairs Canada

News release

Backgrounder

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada will provide $5.7 million in new funding to support Haiti, in addition to $12.5 million that has been previously announced. The funding is being distributed as follows:

Project title: United Nations Trust Fund for the Multinational Security Support Mission

Recipient: United Nations

Funding: $5.7 million

Project details: This funding, channelled through the United Nations Trust Fund for Haiti, will support the deployment of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to support the Haitian National Police (HNP) to improve security conditions in Haiti. The trust fund will help to enable and operationalize the mandate of the MSS mission by financing a range of items, including, but not limited to, the reimbursement of police contingents deployed to the mission, training-related support and the support of mission elements such as human-rights compliance.

Project title: Specialized Tactical Training Support for the Haitian National Police

Recipient: Canadian Commercial Corporation

Funding: $5 million

(from previously announced funding)

Project details: This project will procure training material and investigative equipment for the HNP that will be used in the Canadian law enforcement training program being provided to specialized technical and investigative units in the HNP working to counter gang activity in Haiti. Through broad vertical and horizontal coordination, this project aims to build on existing donor interventions that emphasize a human-rights-based, Haitian-led approach to violence reduction and countering gang activity and to officer safety intervention.

Project title: Securing Marine and Land-Based Trade

Recipient: Organization of American States

Funding: $4 million

(from previously announced funding)

Project details: In response to the evolving security situation in Haiti, this project will aim to combat the flow of firearms, ammunition and drugs in the country. This project will strengthen the HNP's border police division, POLIFRONT, by improving cargo security controls in Dominican ports through the General Directorate of Customs and Haitian authorities.

Project title: Container Control Program Phase II Haiti

Recipient: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Funding: $3.5 million

(from previously announced funding)

Project details: This project aims to strengthen the HNP's capacity to detect illicit trafficking through ports and border crossings. This initiative will provide technical assistance to support the efforts of the HNP and authorities in Haiti in three land border areas to address illicit trafficking.

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June 26, 2024

Release

Defense Science Board Presents Findings on Climate Change and Global Security at U.S.-Canada Working Group Meeting

The Defense Science Board presented their findings yesterday from the 2023 Summer Study on Climate Change and Global Security to officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Canadian Department of National Defence. The study, led by Dr. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia and VADM Michael Franken (Ret.), investigated the impacts of climate change on global political and military stability.

The second annual United StatesCanada Defense Science and Technology Executives Working Group (DSTX) meeting is being held June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. The meeting, hosted by Heidi Shyu, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), acts a primary mechanism for bilateral strategic dialogue on defense science and technology.

The Defense Science Board assembled experts in the field, including academics, industry leaders, and government experts, to review the climate change landscape, current U.S. policy, related authorities, and the state of DOD investment priorities for new systems and technology. The board recommends strategies for anticipating global stresses and possible conflict due to climate change to meet future threats necessary for long-term success.

The recommendations offer ways to stay ahead of the climate change threat while ensuring an open-collaborative research environment where science can thrive in cooperation with partners and allies. For more information on this Task Force, the Defense Science Board, or its members, please visit www.dsb.cto.mil.

The DSTX is the senior bilateral forum between the U.S Department of Defense and the Canadian Department of National Defence, and this meeting provides an opportunity for both countries to discuss and collaborate on climate change impacts on global political and military stability.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3817751/

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The Hilton hotel at 1 Hegenberger Road serving the Oakland airport will close in August, officials said. More than 150 workers were expected to lose their jobs as a result. Google Street View

One hundred fifty-two workers are expected to lose their jobs once the Hilton hotel chain shuts down its Oakland airport location in August, according to a notice filed with the states Employment Development Department.

The displaced workers represent the human toll of a major business closure  one that complicates the citys efforts to revitalize its airport corridor after a period of rampant robberies and burglaries.

Officials at the Port of Oakland, which has leased land at 1 Hegenberger Road to Hilton since 1968, said they would work with city leaders to assist the displaced workers. A spokesperson for Hilton said, similarly, that the company would explore potential transfer opportunities within Hilton.

Advertisement Article continues below this ad

Representatives of Park Hotels & Resorts, the investment trust that operates the Hilton airport hotel, declined to comment. The trust gave up two of San Franciscos biggest hotels in San Francisco last year as bookings plummeted.

No one has laid out definitive reasons for the closure, though port spokespeople noted, in a statement, that the hospitality sector continues to be negatively impacted by larger economic trends post-pandemic.

UniteHere Local 2, the union that represents about sixty workers at the Hilton airport hotel, will help them navigate this transition, said union President Lizzy Tapia.

The hotel will shut its doors permanently on Aug. 28 after 56 years in business.
June 26, 2024

Speech

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks Remarks for the Joint Women's Leadership Symposium (JWLS) Arlington, Virginia (As Delivered)

Good morning.

Thank you, Lieutenant Commander Strand, for the warm welcome from you and the whole team. And thank you to Rear Admiral Chatfield, Lieutenant Colonel Cullen, Commander Humphries, and the entire Sea Service Leadership Association teamthank you for organizing this year's Symposium and for inviting me to speak.

And what an impressive group we have assembled here.

I'm doubly honored to be joining you todayfor this event and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of SSLA.

SSLA may have been founded to support women in operational jobs on ships, but as the operational needs of the military have demanded more joint capacity, SSLA has expanded to support women well beyond the sea.

Today, SSLA is focused on so many important issues that matter to women in uniform, no matter their rank. Physical and mental wellbeing. Networking. Mentorship.

The attendance at today's symposium is both a testament to the fact that the work that you're doing is in high demand, and that it's making a difference. So congratulations on four decades of educating, supporting, and uplifting women in the armed services.

(Applause)

Since Day One, taking care of our people has been a top priority for Secretary Austin and the entire Department. From ensuring competitive pay to improving access to healthcare to preventing harmful behaviorsadvancing this priority is integral to our military readiness and mission success.

And as it turns out, addressing issues that disproportionately impact womenfor example, increasing access to childcare and caregiving leave, enabling spousal employment, and preventing sexual assault and supporting survivorsnot only leads to improvements in the quality of life and quality of service for women in the military, but for everyone. And I mean everyone.

It contributes to increased financial security for those who serve.

It contributes to stronger, healthier families and safer communities.

And it contributes to a more resilient and ready fighting forceone even more capable of ensuring our national security.

Everyone benefits.

That's why, at the most senior levels in the Department of Defense, we're prioritizing those issues.

Along those lines, we're also always thinking about how we can recruit and retain more women to serve in the Department, including in the military.

Last year, the Department commemorated three major milestones: the 50th anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force, the 75th anniversary of racial desegregation of the armed forces, and the 75th anniversary of the integration of women in the armed services. In fact, last Friday marked the 76th anniversary of women's integration in the armed forces.

Recruiting, retaining, and expanding opportunities for women across the force is not merely a nice thing to do. Albeit, it is the right thing. But it's truly an operational imperative.

We learned that in Afghanistan, where female service members were vital to special operators on the battlefieldtrained and deployed in cultural support teams.

The need to understand and address gender dynamics in conflict helps the United States sustain peace and international security to this day. It allows us to look at conflict and crisis more holistically, informing our operations, activities, and security assistance.

More broadly, we simply need the best talentof any genderif we are to ensure that America has the world's most capable military. And we're doing all that we can to ensure that you know that your talents are not only welcome at DoD, but essential. Women are equally capable of flying command missions or serving on Navy combat ships or leading ground forceswe need you.

Maintaining the world-class force that we have todayone made up entirely of volunteersrequires us to reach and attract people across the breadth of talent this country has to offer and who have the desire and ability to serve. And that naturally includes women.

The reason for that is two-fold: number one, it yields the most capable force. And number two, because our republic rests on the principle that a military should reflect the society it is called to defend.

And no one would seriously question the dominance of the All-Volunteer Force that the United States has built based on that principle.

Many of you in this room have been eyewitnesses to the progress we have made in recognizing the strategic advantage of fully integrating women into combat roles. In fact, many of you have been instrumental in advancing that progresswhether that be through your time volunteering in this organization, or the work you did in your command, or through the trails you have blazed along the course of your own military career.

The Department has come a long way in terms of diversity from when I first started as a career civilian in 1993. It's visible in the increased number of female generals and admirals, senior military aides, and women in senior enlisted ranks. It's visible in my presence before you here today.

At the end of today, you'll hear from the CNO, Admiral Lisa Franchettithe first woman to hold the post. And I look forward to seeing more accomplished women taking leading roles, leading conversations, in plum command and senior enlisted adviser assignments, and in highly-decorated roles, seated at the head of the tablemaking the tough calls.

And there's more to do yet there. We're focused on distinct lines of effort that support expanding the talent pipeline, recruiting and retaining top talent, and promoting qualified women to the highest ranks.

For the vast majority of you, since you began your career, your life circumstances have changedas is inevitable. You might be at an inflection point.

You might feel a little stuck in the middlein the middle of the ranks... in the middle of your career... in the middle of some significant change. And you might be weighing or balancing a host of major life decisions.

You might be considering whether to re-enlist or take the next assignment or post.

... Whether to start or expand your family.

... Whether to pursue that professional military education.

... What pressing challenge you want to focus on solving.

... What to have for dinner tonightchicken or fish.

(Laughter)

That last one is obviously not as crucial as the others, but the decision fatigue that might make even that feel like a tough call is real. Meanwhile you continue to make those difficult decisions, and you continue to serve at the same time. And I thank you for your commitment.

But it's not all on you.

Through our taking care of people initiativesand by implementing policies to ensure an environment where women are treated fairly and equitablywe hope to make those choices feel less conflicted.

Recruiting and retaining women across the military services is as important as everespecially given our pacing challenge.

Your skills, your perspectives, your competencethey're all critical in that competition.

A revealing report from the consulting firm McKinsey shows that companies with representation of women exceeding 30 percent are significantly more likely to financially outperform those with 30 percent or fewer.

Plenty of business school research echoes this finding, showing that diverse teams are stronger. They lead to better outcomes. And even though DoD is not a company, this lesson still applies.

Diverse teams increase the capacity to innovate.

Diverse teams accelerate problem solving.

And, they enhance morale by creating a greater sense of belonging. And I can tell you that the Department of Defense is interested in improving outcomes in all of these areas.

Take innovation, for instance. Our ability to outpace our strategic competitors hinges on our ability to out-innovate them.

Secretary Austin and I have been keenly focused on the urgency to innovate, finding ways to harness American ingenuity to deter, and if needed defeat, aggression from acute and persistent threats.

The People's Republic of China has spent decades and hundreds of billions of dollars each year to build a modern military designed primarily to overmatch U.S. military power.

It is going to take the best talent and the brightest minds to innovate at the speed and scale we need to meet this challenge.

Women have always contributed to the innovation that has ensured our global securitytoo often with little or no creditfrom the creation of the first computer programs to the mathematics and engineering gifts they contributed in the thick of the Space Race.

No gender and no rank has a monopoly on know-how and creativity. And we know that women make up more than half of our nation's demographics. It's national security malpractice to overlook such a vast pool of talent.

At the Department of Defense, we are constantly re-evaluating how we can get the best to meet the needs of our strategy. And because our people are integral to our strategy, we are constantly thinking about how we can best support you in doing that.

We know that each of you brings a tremendous amount of expertise and perspective to any situation, any problem that needs solving. That goes without saying. But it's a rare opportunity that you get to do so in this kind of joint environment, as a community. So I hope that each of you takes advantage of this time to be open, receptive, and learn from one another.

I looked through the symposium agenda, and there's a lot of great programming aheadso many fantastic fora for discussion and exchanging ideas.

But the title of one session in particular stood out to me. The one called, "leadership at every level." And it stood out to me because it is one of my core tenets.

I come from a military familya family of men and women who have proudly served this nation.

Back in 1975, my father served as the action officer for the admittance of women into the Naval Academy. And the following year, in 1976, 81 women entered the Naval Academy.

In that first admissions year, Janie Mines had been accepted to every Ivy League school she'd applied to. But when the academy admitted her, she couldn't turn down that call to service. She'd been the only African-American woman admitted.

As women from that first class recall, many of the all-male upperclassmen didn't accept them or the contributions that they could make.

The academy considered itself a combat school, and women were seen as taking the seats of good combat officersa job they couldn't do; or I should say, weren't allowed to do at the time. It would be decades more before women would be allowed to serve in combat roles.

Reflecting on her experience, Janie remembered a particular upperclassman who had given her grief. But in spite of the challenges, including those he put her through, she persevered.

She was on the fencing team.

She was a squad leader.

She was a midshipman drill officer.

And she eventually became one of the 55 women who graduated in that charter class.

On her graduation day in 1980, on her desk, she found a single rose in a vase. It came with a note from that upperclassman, which read simply, ''I'm sorry.''

Although a knee injury ended Janie's career in the Marine Corps, the legacy she built as a plebe carries on.

Janie continued to serve in roles in the Department of Defense, including as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Navy. Not to mention, she paved the way for the more than 6,700 women who have since graduated from the Naval Academy, including her own sister who followed in her footstepsshe graduated from the Naval Academy, the very next year, in 1981.

And with each class, the number of women keeps creeping upfrom 267 last year to 315 this year.

Likewise, Janet Wolfenbarger was in the first cohort of women to graduate from the Air Force Academy, also in 1980. In 2012, she entered a class all her own when she became the first female four-star general in the U.S. Air Force.

She faced similar experiences from upperclassmen at the Air Force Academy, but learned that she was more capable than she ever thought she could bea belief that she has relied on ever since.

These women led at every stage of their careers.

I know that there are circumstances that each of us has found particularly difficultfor whatever reason. Those that test your might and your mettle. But when you're in the midst of those moments, I hope that you remember Janie and Janet, and the stories of all the women on whose shoulders you stand, and that they help you get through itto help you realize all that you too are capable of.

In fact, it's my hope for you that none of you have to be the first. My hope is that, there are no more barriers left to break.

But we have more work to do if we want to manifest that vision. The generation coming up after you also deserves to inherit a better workplace and worldlike prior generations ensured for you.

And there are plenty enough challenges left for us for to overcomenow and in the years ahead. And the truth is, by serving, you're making history every day.

As Secretary Austin has said, "we're in a decisive decade"one that will test our rules-based international order and ensure that the values that flow from it are upheld.

And youyour expertise and your voiceare going to make all the difference. And I, for one, can't wait to hear about your accomplishments and the stories of how you achieved them.

Thank you, and have a great day.

(Applause)

https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/v/

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Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue: Remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the High-Level meeting with Prime Minister Kurti and President Vucic

European External Action Service (EEAS)

26.06.2024

Brussels, 26/06/2024

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Good evening everyone,

We just concluded a High-Level meeting with President [of Serbia, Aleksandar] Vucic and Prime Minister [of Kosovo, Albin] Kurti, with both of them. It was the eleventh [set of] meetings between the two leaders [and me] that I chaired. Or [to be more precise] with the two leaders [that] I chaired - not between but with. Because this time, there was not been a trilateral meeting.

When I took over, the [Belgrade-Pristina] Dialogue had been stalled for two years already. Therefore, one of my first points of action was to bring the Dialogue back to Brussels. I appointed - the Council appointed upon my proposal - Miroslav Lajcak as Special Representative for the [Belgrade-Pristina] Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, to keep an eye on the process 24/7.

I think that we can say that, together, we have been working hard, and we succeeded to put the process back on track and the European Union firmly in the driver's seat in the summer of 2020.

Looking back at the normalisation process during the past four years, because it is four years, it has not been an easy period. Certainly not. We have been working in an increasingly complex geopolitical context.

We have been faced with multiple crises, tensions and escalations, primarily over licence plates and freedom of movement issues. We have seen barricades. We have seen roadblocks. We have been witnessing protests, protests turning violent and leaving more than 90 KFOR peacekeepers injured in May 2023, at the most dangerous moment of these last four years.

We have seen also and an armed incursion in September 2023, in which one Kosovo police officer was killed. This was also another very dangerous moment.

Despite these challenges and difficulties, there have been successes - and I would like to take a moment to highlight what we have managed to achieve. Because it is often overlooked that the Dialogue can actually deliver for the benefit of the citizens in Kosovo and Serbia.

Yes, we managed to move ahead with the implementation of the Energy Agreements by agreeing on the Energy Roadmap, which has been an important step towards ending the more than 20 years long unregulated practice of non-payment for electricity in the north of Kosovo. This has been solved.

We succeeded in abolishing the entry-exit documents, finally allowing all citizens of Kosovo and Serbia to travel freely between Kosovo and Serbia just using their identity cards.

And we ultimately solved the licence plates issue with the mutual recognition of licence plates of Kosovo and Serbia. This means that both the stickers and the licence plates issued by Serbia in Kosovo belong to the past. They are no longer there. Freedom of movement, this is also an important achievement. People can now freely drive through and between Kosovo and Serbia. Allow me to stress the importance of these achievements that benefit people.

But most importantly, we managed to reach the milestone Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex in February and March 2023 - the so-called Ohrid Agreements. We need to acknowledge that it truly is a leap forward because, for the first time, this provides a clear framework for the future of the process.

Now we know what we agreed to do. However, unfortunately, more than a year later, the Agreement remains unimplemented. It was an important step forward. This agreement marked the future actions, but this agreement remains unimplemented one year after it was agreed.

Both parties bear the responsibility for not fulfilling what they promised to do. The non-implementation is a huge lost opportunity for both parties.

As part of the Agreement, we managed to address the most sensitive issues in the Dialogue, including the issue of minority rights through the establishment of an Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities in Kosovo.

We agreed on that, but however, no steps have been taken towards it being established. And to help the process move forward, we put on the table preparatory steps towards the establishment and even presented a European Draft Statute. A European Draft Statute which provides for a truly European and modern way to deal with this sensitive issue, exploring the different kinds of solutions for this type of situations, and providing for what we consider a modern way to deal with these very sensitive issues.

And looking at this list of achievements, I think that we have done a lot. Many problems have been solved. But I do not want to forget that the normalisation process can only progress as fast as the two parties want, because it is about the normalisation of their relations - among them.

We - me and the EU Special Representative - cannot want normalisation more than Kosovo and Serbia want. They are the parties, they have to normalise [relations] between them, not with us. So, it is up to them to implement the normalisation agreement.

Today, we had another meeting. President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti presented their views and explained their positions on how the process could move forward.

The discussions were - as expected - as difficult as [they] always have been and, in the end, there was no trilateral meeting. Kosovo was not ready for this. Kosovo was not willing to do this trilateral meeting. Serbia was ready to do it. But you need two to dance tango, and you need two to sit around the table in order to continue the Dialogue. This has not been possible today. Unfortunately, no progress in the implementation of the Agreement could be achieved today.

Prime Minister Kurti presented three conditions for their further engagement in the broader normalisation process. Allow me to explain why it has not been possible to go forward today - because Prime Minister Kurti presented three conditions for their further engagement in the broader normalisation process. And I want to quote, in order to stick to the reality as much as I can in my explanation.

I quote:

First, [the] formalisation of the Basic Agreement through signing by the respective Heads of State and Government. This is an old request.

Second, [the] withdrawal of the reservation letter officially deposited with the [European] External Action Service by former Prime Minister of Serbia, [Ana] Brnabic, dated 13 December 2023. We are still talking about things that happened six months ago.

And third, handing over Milan Radojcic and his paramilitary-terrorist group to Kosovo's judicial authorities.

This is the end of quote of the requests - the three requests - presented by Prime Minister Kurti.

Serbia was not ready to fully meet Kosovo's conditions, citing constitutional constraints, while President Vucic indicated that he is ready to explore options in relation to the former Prime Minister's letter - that we mentioned before - and formalising the Agreement in line with past Dialogue practices, in order to unblock [the] implementation of the Agreement.

Prior to the meeting, the European Union, we, have presented a new proposal for the implementation plan that would guide the implementation phase of the Agreement. But unfortunately, the conditioning of implementation did not allow the discussions to focus on how to proceed on the concrete implementation actions by the parties.

So, the parties' positions remain far apart on how the implementation of the Agreement could be launched - and consequently how the normalisation process should continue.

As I said before, we cannot want normalisation - as the European Union, alone - of the relations between the parties if [they] themselves cannot agree on how to move forward. We cannot substitute them on the implementation of the Agreement.

Our role is to assist and to support the parties in their efforts under the Dialogue process, and this is what we are still committed to continue doing.

In this vein, the process will continue. We will continue working on it. And EUSR Lajcak will host the two Chief Negotiators in Brussels next week to continue discussing on the implementation plan of the Agreement as well as other Dialogue issues.

On our side, we will continue working and now, it is for the two parties to show constructiveness and enable the process to move forward. We continue believing that this is in their interest and in the interest of their European integration aspirations.

I believe it takes courage, vision and political will of the leaders, for the future of Kosovo and Serbia, and the well-being of their citizens.

Once again, as the European Union, we stand ready to help every step along the way.

Today, it has not been possible to go further and to agree, but we will continue putting all our efforts and capacities at the service of the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Thank you.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-258868

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Kenya: Statement by High Representative Borrell on the latest developments

European External Action Service (EEAS)

26.06.2024

EEAS Press Team

The European Union has followed with concern the outbreak of violence that erupted during the protests in Kenya yesterday, which resulted in the loss of lives, numerous injuries and significant damage to public and private property.

Defence and security forces should exercise restraint and protests should remain peaceful. Fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to freedom of demonstration, association, peaceful assembly and expression, must be respected.

The European Union calls on all parties to keep on de-escalating the situation and trusts the robustness of Kenyan democracy and institutions to achieve those objectives. The recent decision of President Ruto to withdraw the Finance Bill contributes to the reduction of the tensions and should help create an environment that is conducive to dialogue.



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Foreign Minister Tsahkna: Rutte can ensure NATO's capability to meet all security challenges

Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

26.06.2024

"I am glad that NATO Allies reached an agreement and Mark Rutte was confirmed as the next Secretary General of the Alliance today," Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. "We are grateful to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who is leaving office in the autumn for his excellent work during his long tenure, when NATO underwent change to adapt to new threats and strengthened its collective defence."

"The key elements of ensuring NATO's strength include supporting Ukraine militarily and on their path to NATO membership, ensuring deterrence and reinforced defence on the Alliance's Eastern Flank, and increasing defence spending," Tsahkna noted. "Rutte has assured he shares our priorities."

The foreign minister said that as the long-time prime minister of the Netherlands, Rutte has shown his consensus-building skills, resolve in supporting Ukraine and lack of illusions about Putin's regime. "I am convinced Rutte can ensure NATO's capability to meet all security threats during a difficult time," the foreign minister said.

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PM Netanyahu on the Northern Border: "Here as well, we will achieve victory, nothing less."

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Events and Speeches

The 37th Government

26.06.2024

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, yesterday, met with fighters and commanders from the 55th Brigade, who are participating in a brigade-level exercise in the Galilee. The exercise is one of a series of exercises carried out by IDF brigades to boost fitness and evaluate plans for an attack in Lebanon.

The Head of Northern Command, Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin, as well as brigade and battalion commanders, briefed the Prime Minister on the efforts of the reserve paratroopers who have taken part in all of Israel's wars and have fought for several months in the southern Gaza Strip. The commanders expressed their unequivocal determination and readiness to continue intensive combat wherever and whenever necessary.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at the end of the visit:

"I am here with the 55th Brigade. The brigade-level exercise is very impressive in terms of capabilities, mobilization and implementation. The implementation is very considerable, with soldiers and commanders from all parts of the country and all parts of Israeli society. They are determined and devoted to the mission - to defend the country and achieve victory, nothing less."

Also participating in the visit were the Prime Minister's Chief-of-Staff, his Military Secretary, Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman, Head of Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin and additional senior IDF officers.

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NSC shrugs off militants' call for PH to 'demilitarize' WPS

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

June 26, 2024, 2:42 pm

MANILA -- Demilitarizing the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is out of the government's options in dealing with issues on the disputed territory as such a move will only benefit China, a ranking National Security Council (NSC) official said on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said he is puzzled by this call of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and their allied leftist organizations.

"So ang ibig bang sabihin nito, mag-pullout na rin ang Armed Forces (of the Philippines) kasi diba when you call for demilitarization, ibig sabihin (pati) yung BRP Sierra Madre ipupullout na natin kasi commissioned vessel yan ng Philippine Navy (PN), eh di titigil na ang PN na magpatrolya sa WPS kasi gumagawa sila ng kanilang mandato (could this also means that the Armed Forces (of the Philippines) (AFP) will also pull out its units as they called for demilitarization, It would also mean we will also pullout the BRP Sierra Madre as it is a commissioned vessel of the PN, the PN will also have to stop patrolling the WPS as they go about with their mandate)," he added.

Malaya also reminded these groups that China is the one militarizing the WPS.

"China ang nag militarize, hindi naman ang Pilipinas, tayo naman ang ating mga tropa sa occupied features natin ang ginagawa nila garrison duties. (China is the one militarizing, not the Philippines, our troops manning our occupied features are only doing garrison duties)," he added.

Malaya said Manila agreeing to demilitarize the WPS would be equivalent to giving up its territory to Beijing.

In a separate statement, the NSC official said the groups' call are contrary to national interest.

"Why call on the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are deployed to the nine occupied features of the Philippines to leave? If the AFP leaves our occupied features, that's tantamount to dereliction of duty and betrayal of public trust," Malaya said.

He advised Bayan to instead call on China to leave the WPS, noting that the latter built artificial islands and military bases in WPS.

"The AFP is merely doing garrison duties, doing their jobs in accordance with international law and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, why should they pull out of the West PH Sea? The Philippine Navy is performing its mandate to secure the territorial integrity of the Philippines and protect our fishermen, why should they pull out of the WPS?," he added.

Malaya also said Bayan's call for the United States to leave the WPS is misplaced as there are no American soldiers deployed in the area.

He also said the passage of US vessels in the WPS is part of freedom of navigation operations as permitted by international law.

"If the AFP leaves the WPS and the US Navy stops its freedom of navigation operations, who does that favor? China definitely. That will embolden China more. Bayan has to be more circumspect because they are falling into the trap of the Chinese Communist Party," he added. (PNA)

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PH reaffirms strong defense ties with Brunei

Philippine News Agency

By Priam Nepomuceno

June 26, 2024, 11:30 am

MANILA -- The Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral defense ties with Brunei Darussalam.

This came following the visit of a high-level delegation of Brunei's Defense Ministry to the Department of National Defense (DND) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City last June 19.

Brunei's delegation was headed by retired Brig. Gen. Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Alirupendi bin Haji Perudin, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defense, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said in a news release on Wednesday.

He added that the delegation was in Manila from June 18 to 20 to convene the 9th iteration of the Joint Defense Working Committee (JDWC) Meeting between Manila and Bandar Seri Begawan.

"Co-chairing the 9th JDWC Meeting, DND Undersecretary for Capability Assessment and Development Angelito M. De Leon welcomed back Permanent Secretary Alirupendi to the Philippines as he previously served as the Defense Attache of Brunei Darussalam to the Philippines from 2010-2013. With the reconvening of JDWC Meeting, which was stalled due to several factors since its last iteration in 2016," Andolong said.

He added that de Leon regarded the meeting as a timely occasion to boost the implementation of the 2001 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defense Cooperation between the two nations.

During the meeting, de Leon commended Brunei Darussalam's significant contributions to the realization of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB).

"He (De Leon) further enjoined Brunei Darussalam to assist BARMM's local economy and industries, such as through Islamic banking and investments, as well as enhance Islamic education in Madrasahs to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, especially in the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2025," Andolong noted. (PNA)

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Germany warns Israel conflict with Hezbollah could spark 'unimaginable' regional war

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 4:55 PM

Germany has voiced deep concern over potential further escalation along Lebanon's southern border, where the resistance movement Hezbollah is engaged in intense clashes with Israel.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Germany's Deutschlandfunk public radio on Wednesday that "another war would mean a regional escalation on a scale we can hardly imagine."

The top German diplomat said there was a need for global powers to mediate a decrease in tensions in the region.

"More rockets are flying, large parts on both sides do not want this war, but we are slipping into it."

Baerbock called for an "urgently needed" ceasefire in the besieged Gaza Strip. "This will also calm the northern front."

During her one-day visit to Beirut, Baerbock warned Tuesday that a "miscalculation" could trigger a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Global pressure grows on Germany and the United States to stop arms transfers to Israel.

Israel has killed more than 37,700 Palestinians in Gaza since early October.

The United States, Israel's staunch ally, has claimed it was urgently working towards a diplomatic agreement that would de-escalate tensions at the Lebanese border, but at the same time, it reassured its "ironclad" commitment to Tel Aviv.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that "no place" in the Israeli-occupied territories would be spared from the group's weapons in the event of a full-blown war.

Nasrallah said an incursion into the Galilee region remains an option on the table should Israel invade southern Lebanon.

Nasrallah also said Hezbollah would attack any other country in the region that assisted Israel in the war effort, citing Cyprus, which has hosted Israeli forces for training.

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June 25: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 4:06 PM

By Press TV Website Staff

Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 37,700 Palestinians so far, including around 17,000 children, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers.

The major operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Tuesday, June 25, are as follows:

Al-Quds Brigades' operations on June 25:

In a joint operation with Al-Qassam Brigades, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their military vehicles west of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, with mortar shells.

Detonated several ground explosives on Israeli military vehicles on the supply line and travel route in the Tal Zorob area, southwest of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

Targeted a group of Israeli soldiers in the Tal Zorob area, southwest of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip with a barrage of heavy and regular mortar shells.

In a joint operation with Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades, targeted the "Kissufim" military site with mortar shells.

In a joint operation with Al-Qassam Brigades, targeted a gathering of Israeli forces penetrating the Yabna camp, south of the city of Rafah, with a barrage of mortar shells.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on June 25:

Targeted the command and control headquarters of the Israeli army in the "Netzarim" axis south of Gaza City with a number of mortar shells.

Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces that stormed Balata camp from several axes, using machine guns and explosive devices.

Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on June 25:

Targeted an Israeli military tank with an RPG shell in the vicinity of Souq Al-Halal in the Brazil neighborhood, southeast of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip.

Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din Brigades' operations on June 25:

Seized an Israeli military "Heron" drone in the central Gaza Strip.

Hezbollah's operations on June 25:

Eastern sector:

Israeli soldiers in the Nahal Gershom base were targeted with drones.

The Bayad Blida site was targeted with artillery shells.

The Ramtha site in Lebanon's Kfar Shuba was targeted with missiles. 

The Zibdin site in Lebanon's Shebaa was targeted with missiles.

Western sector:

The Birkat Risha site was targeted with appropriate weapons.

Yemeni military's operations on June 25:

Targeted Israeli ship "MSC SARAH V" in the Arabian Sea with a ballistic missile.

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Erdogan warns West against 'patting Israel on the back' for Lebanon war plans

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 2:31 PM

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey warns the West against "patting Israel on the back" for planning to attack Lebanon and ignite a catastrophic regional conflict.

Erdogan said on Wednesday Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is now setting sights on Lebanon and "we see that Western powers behind the scenes are patting Israel on the back and even supporting them."

"Netanyahu's plans to spread the war to the region will lead to a great disaster."

Netanyahu said on Monday that the regime's military forces are winding up the most intense part of the offensive in the Gaza Strip and will be able to redeploy to the northern border.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly underscored the resistance movement's military capabilities.

"The enemy knows well what awaits it."

Nasrallah says Israel knows there will be no place in the occupied territories "that would be spared our rockets and drones."

The United States, Israel's staunch ally, claimed it was urgently working towards a diplomatic agreement that would deescalate tensions at the Lebanese border, but at the same time, it reassured its "ironclad" commitment to Tel Aviv.

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin told Israel's minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has pledged more than $14 billion in assistance for Israel in April.

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Women beat a drum at a drum circle at the annual Rainbow Family gathering in 2021 at the Carson National Forest in New Mexico. Cedar Attanasio/Associated Press 2021

UPDATE: Hundreds of Rainbow Family members remain in California forest as deadline to leave nears

The U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday ordered hundreds of people to clear out of Plumas National Forest within 48 hours  or face fines and jail time, saying the unsanctioned camp known as the Rainbow Family gathering threatens public health and safety.

More than 500 members of the Rainbow Family, dubbed the largest non-organization of non-members in the world, have settled into an area about 5 miles north of Antelope Lake Recreation Area in Plumas County over the past several days, Forest Service officials said. The Rainbow Family of Living Light is a loose-knit group of people who gather annually on a national forest, according to a Forest Service website. They describe themselves as having no leaders and no organization.

Its OK to hate hippies?: Rainbow Family irked by California reception

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According to the Forest Service, they also have no permit to use the public grounds.

An order issued by the agency Wednesday to force campers to leave said that people who violate the order face up to $5,000 in fines or up to six months in jail. The action appeared to be the first time that campers have been ordered to end their gathering.

The group holds an annual gathering each year on a national forest, which usually takes place during the first week of July, peaking on the Fourth. The familys first gathering took place in 1972 near Strawberry Lake on Arapaho National Forest in Denver, the Forest Service said. Officials said they expected about 10,000 attendees at this years gathering in Plumas National Forest.

The forest is concerned about the 500 plus individuals already dispersed camping in a concentrated area, said a statement from Chris Carlton, supervisor for Plumas National Forest. We are always willing to work with any organization or group interested in recreating on the national forest. There are existing and projected impacts on natural and cultural resources and other authorized uses. Our priority is maintaining public health and safety and the appropriate stewardship of public lands and natural resources.

Forest Service officials said the order was issued to protect natural, tribal and cultural resources, in addition to concerns about fire safety and public health.

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We have the order in place  we are planning to enforce that order, said Hilary Markin, a spokesperson for the Forest Service. Markin said any new group members who arrived in the closed area would be subject to fines. She said if members havent left by the end of the 48-hour deadline, law enforcement officials would evaluate further actions.

In a statement Wednesday, Lassen County Supervisor Jason Ingram, a strong critic of the gathering, praised the Forest Services action.

I believe this is the first rainbow gathering event to be shut down, and you all had a hand in that, Ingram said.

As Ive said from the beginning, my concerns with this gathering were always the illegality aspect, the increased fire risk this would have created, the environmental impact, and the blatant disrespect shown to our local tribes, Ingram said. Events are fine, but not events that blatantly disregard the law and endanger our land and community fire safety.
Israel sinking deeper in swamp of Gaza's war of attrition, says Hezbollah deputy chief

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 11:13 AM

A senior Hezbollah official has cast doubts on the United States' sincerity to stop the Gaza war, stressing that Israel is "sinking deeper and deeper into the swamp" of the attrition war as it has failed to achieve a single victory after 264 days of a bloody onslaught.

"Americans are not looking to stop the war; but rather want the aggression to continue. What should resistance fighters do in such a situation? They have no choice but to fight on. They are capable to do so. We are certain that Israel will sink deeper and deeper into the swamp of this attrition war and will not achieve any of its goals as it has been the case up until now," Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Tuesday.

He added "Israeli authorities vowed to crush and destroy Hamas, but they will never be able to do so. They also wanted to release their captives through military offensives, but they failed as well. Moreover, the Zionists said they wanted to push out Gazans for their own benefit, but they could not and will never succeed."

The senior Hezbollah official went on to criticize the weak positions and silence of the international community vis-a-vis the barbaric Israeli crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

"The battle in Gaza exposed the fact that there is no such thing as international law, respect for humanity and human dignity. World powers are acting with sheer hypocrisy in the name of international law, seek to dominate oppressed nations and plunder the world's wealth through allegations of advocating human rights," Sheikh Qassem said.

He also criticized the US and its Western allies for exercising double standards regarding human rights, saying, "These countries claim to defend human rights. However, they stand against human rights when the issue concerns Israeli interests."

"Therefore, there is no way other than resistance to confront aggressors and invaders. By the grace of God, the battle will continue."

Commenting on the latest visits of US and European delegations to Beirut to defuse tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Sheikh Qassem said a complete ceasefire in Gaza will put an end to clashes along the border between Lebanon and the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories.

He praised Hezbollah as the main party that liberated Lebanese territories from the clutches of the Israeli occupation back in 2000, inflicted another defeat on the Tel Aviv regime in 2006, and dealt a major blow to the 2017 project which sought to plunge Lebanon into chaos.

"The deterrence equation created by Hezbollah against the occupying regime since 2006 has made Zionists not dare Lebanon invasion. All this shows that the resistance group is fairly capable of liberating the occupied Lebanese lands and protecting the Arab nation," Sheikh Qassem said.

The top Hezbollah official underscored that resistance is the sole way to achieve independence and prevent the domination of Israel as a "cancerous tumor" over Palestinian lands and the entire West Asia.

Hezbollah has been carrying out almost daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions in retaliation for the regime's aggression against Lebanon and in solidarity with Palestinians.

The genocidal war in Gaza has killed at least 37,658 Palestinians, predominantly women and children so far.

At least 480 people have also been killed on the Lebanese border, including 93 civilians, according to a tally by AFP.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.

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Iraqi resistance hits vital target with drones in Israel

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 1:31 AM

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says it has conducted a fresh retaliatory strike on an Israeli military position in the occupied territories.

In a statement, the umbrella group said it launched a drone attack on a vital Israeli target in the occupied port city of Umm al-Rashrash, also known as Eilat, on Wednesday morning.

The Iraqi group said the operation was in response to Israel's genocidal war on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

It also vowed to continue retaliatory attacks on Israeli targets.

"The Islamic Resistance in Iraq confirms its continuation in striking the enemy's strongholds," the statement said.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been launching attacks on Israeli targets ever since the occupying regime started the genocidal war on Gaza in early October.

The resistance has been also hitting American military bases in Iraq and neighboring Syria in retaliation for Washington's support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Israel has been waging an atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship after Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, on October 7.

At least 37,650 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and another 86,00 individuals have sustained injuries in Gaza so far. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the war as well.

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Estonian PM Kallas, EU's Next Top Diplomat, Brings Post-Soviet Perspective, Liberal Pedigree

By Andy Heil June 26, 2024

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is poised to become the EU's top diplomat following weeks of intense political maneuvering over its most senior posts, elevating a staunch defender of liberal democracy, shaped by her personal experience of Soviet occupation, to a crucial role shaping and advancing the bloc's security and defense goals.

The nomination of the EU foreign policy chief requires a "qualified majority" within the European Council, which is composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states. That vote is expected during an EU leaders' summit on June 27-28 in Brussels. Before being appointed for a five-year term, Kallas will need approval by the European Parliament following hearings slated for this fall.

Sources in Brussels familiar with the negotiations over the EU's top jobs told RFE/RL that there is agreement among the bloc's 27 members on Kallas.

She would replace veteran Spanish Socialist politician Josep Borrell, whose tenure has spanned a global pandemic, wars on the EU's periphery in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, a border crisis with Belarus, and high-profile divisions over Israel's conduct of its war with EU- and U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

National Populism, Ukraine War

Pending her confirmation, Kallas will enter the job with the 27-member European Union wrestling internally with rising national populism and members' commitment to core values like rights and democracy, and tested externally by Russia and the war in Ukraine alongside other challenges to the current international order.

The start of her tenure would also roughly coincide with divisive U.S. elections and a leadership change in NATO, both of which pack major repercussions for an evolving transatlantic relationship.

Kallas would become the fifth EU representative for foreign affairs since the post's introduction in 1999, but the first from postcommunist Europe and the first Balt to reach the bloc's upper echelons of executive policymaking.

She has been among the most hawkish voices with respect to Russia. Kallas has bemoaned that "the world ignored" a decade of Russian aggression against Ukraine that began with the occupation of Crimea in 2014. And she has suggested that the West should have provided military aid to Kyiv even before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, as Tallinn did, with U.S. intelligence warning of an imminent attack as tens of thousands of Russian troops massed at the Ukrainian border.

Russia "was and still is" a colonial power that Estonians are familiar with from up close, Kallas wrote earlier this month, and Moscow's "colonialist land-grab policy today in Ukraine is a heartbreaking reminder of how history can repeat itself."

The post, officially known as the high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, provides a major platform for shaping the bloc's Common Security and Defense Policy. The high representative's most visible role is promoting EU defense cooperation, including with NATO, and coordinating strategic policies on defense and security.

Kallas has consistently rejected the notion of a peace deal that leaves internationally recognized Ukrainian territory -- from Crimea to the four regions Moscow purported to annex last year -- in Russian hands. She has told RFE/RL that "the end of the war is when Russia goes back to Russia."

Soviet Past

Kallas lived under Soviet occupation until the age of 14, with a father who was already promoting economic autonomy well before Estonia restored its independence in 1991. Her father, Siim Kallas, went on to serve briefly as Estonia's prime minister and hold three separate portfolios within the European Commission.

"This devil still lives in Russia," Kallas was quoted by Reuters as saying a year ago, when marking the anniversary of her mother and grandparents' forcible deportation in 1941 to Siberia by Soviet authorities eager to crush Estonia's patriotic elite.

One of her immediate challenges will include an elevated sparring partner in Hungary, as longtime Brussels critic Prime Minister Viktor Orban's country occupies the rotating EU presidency for the second half of this year.

The right-wing Orban has led a small but stubborn chorus of skeptics of key EU foreign policy issues stemming from the Ukraine war, including anti-Russia sanctions, supply of weapons and other military aid to Kyiv, and energy independence from Russia. Budapest has also resisted membership guarantees for countries like Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova while pressing for greater progress to bring Balkan candidates like Serbia into the EU.

Kallas complained to RFE/RL as far back as mid-2023 that her main concern was that "maybe not all the allies have realized the security situation that we are in."

Kallas has long been calling for a "pathway" to make NATO membership for Ukraine a question of "not 'if' but 'when.'" She has acknowledged, however, that "it cannot happen when the war is going on."

In the Balkans, she has cultivated closer relations but reminded governments there of the need for reforms and anti-corruption efforts, as well as a resolution of recognition disputes involving Kosovo in particular.

Kallas has described the power of a better life on the European side of Russia's border as a powerful tool to counter Russian propaganda.

She has drawn on Estonia's ultimately failed experience with neutrality in the 1940s with respect to countries on Russia's border, like Georgia and Moldova, but emphasized that pursuing membership of NATO or the EU is "up to their decision-makers."

Kallas is a former lawyer who joined the liberal Estonian Reform Party in 2010 and served in the Estonian parliament and the European Parliament, where she focused on digital and innovation issues in particular.

She returned from Brussels to national politics and a victory in the 2019 elections, leading eventually to her confirmation in 2021 as Estonia's first-ever female prime minister.

On foreign policy, she spoke out consistently for ending European reliance on Russian energy.

She helped lead a trend among postcommunist countries of dismantling Soviet-era monuments, infuriating Moscow. In February, Russia placed Kallas and other Baltic officials on a wanted list for what Moscow called the "desecration of historical memory."

Kallas endured a bruising domestic scandal in 2023 over ongoing business in Russia by a company one-fourth owned by her husband, Arvo Hallik, despite her constant calls for Estonian companies to stop operating in Russia.

With contributions by RFE/RL Kosovo Service correspondent Krenare Cubolli

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kaja-kallas- eu-foreign-policy-chief-russia-estonia/33011254.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Armenia's Recognition Of Palestine Is As Much About The Caucasus As It Is The Middle East

By Joshua Kucera June 26, 2024

When Armenia announced on June 21 that it was officially recognizing Palestine as a state, it cited the "catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the ongoing military conflict" there. But Yerevan's calculations began long before the current war in Gaza and have less to do with the conflict in the Middle East and more to do with those closer to home in the Caucasus.

Israel has long been a close ally of Armenia's foe, Azerbaijan. Israeli purchases of Azerbaijani oil fill Baku's coffers, and Israeli weapons were instrumental in Azerbaijan's ability, between 2020 and 2023, to retake the territory it had lost to Armenian forces in the 1990s.

Now, with Israel facing greater international isolation as a result of its war in Gaza, Yerevan saw the opportunity to strike a retaliatory blow.

"It was Israeli policy itself that is to blame for Armenia's adoption of a more pro-Palestinian position," said Richard Giragosian, the head of the Yerevan-based Regional Studies Center think tank.

"And this is due to Israel's unprecedented military support to Azerbaijan, which has only emboldened and empowered Azerbaijan's reliance on the force of arms against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," he said, referring to the territory at the heart of the conflict between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

'The Enemy Of My Enemy'

In the perceptions of both Baku and Yerevan, the Israel-Palestine conflict has long been refracted through the lens of the wars in the Caucasus.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan and Israel quickly began to build close ties based on the principle of "the enemy of my enemy" -- in this case, Iran -- "is my friend." Baku fears Iran's potential influence over its majority Shi'ite population, while Tehran fears Azerbaijan's potential influence on the large ethnic Azeri population in northern Iran.

"Much like Israel, Azerbaijan perceives Iran as a major, even existential security threat, and the two countries' cooperation flows from this shared recognition," read a leaked 2009 diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Baku.

Initially, though, the relationship was relatively discreet: The U.S. cable quoted Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev comparing it to "an iceberg, nine-tenths of it is below the surface." Azerbaijan didn't even open an embassy in Israel, mindful of the response of Arab states whose support Baku sought in its struggle with Armenia.

That relationship poisoned Israel-Armenia ties. Israel consistently refused to classify the mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide, out of deference to its Azerbaijani partners (and in hopes of maintaining ties with Turkey). For Armenians, the move was hypocritical for a state founded following the Holocaust. In United Nations votes on Israel and Palestine, Armenia consistently voted on the Palestinian side.

But Armenia never recognized Palestine, a consequence of Yerevan's policy of not recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh, the de facto state set up by ethnic Armenians following the first Karabakh war of the 1990s, as long as negotiations with Azerbaijan over that territory continued. Armenia formally recognizing Karabakh would have been seen by the Azerbaijanis (and others) as an effective abandonment of the negotiations.

The Iceberg Surfaces

Over time, the Israel-Azerbaijan relationship began to emerge from the depths. Highlighting its long-standing and warm relations with Jews both in Azerbaijan and around the world became a staple of the Azerbaijani government's messaging.

Azerbaijan began to rely more and more on Israeli weapons: In the period between 2018 and 2022, Azerbaijan accounted for more than 9 percent of Israel's weapons exports, second in the world behind only India. Israeli weapons, in particular drones, played a critical role in Azerbaijan's 2020 victory in the Second Karabakh War.

That war accelerated the alignment of Azerbaijan with, and Armenia against, Israel. Armenia has grown closer to Iran, which has offered a security guarantee (albeit a vaguely worded one) to Armenia against a potential Azerbaijani attack.

And Armenians' anger at Israel has grown. In an International Republican Institute poll taken in December 2023, Armenians ranked their relations with Israel just ahead of those with Turkey. Yerevan's only synagogue has been attacked four times since October 2023, most recently in early June; Israeli officials have said the attacks are the result of their country's arms deals with Azerbaijan.

The war also led to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian formally acknowledging that Nagorno-Karabakh was Azerbaijani territory, thus obviating the previous principle of not recognizing controversial territories.

In some ways, Armenia's move means it is joining the mainstream: More than 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, including all of Armenia's neighbors and most other former Soviet republics.

However, a complicating factor is that the minority of countries who don't recognize Palestine are concentrated in Western Europe and North America -- precisely the countries that Armenia is trying to woo as it works to break its former dependence on Russia.

While a recognition may have caused some consternation in Western capitals before, Armenia has been given some cover by the fact that several other European countries -- Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain -- also have recently recognized Palestine as a state. Those earlier moves "minimized any subsequent Armenian diplomatic vulnerability or isolation," analyst Giragosian said.

The Azerbaijani Response

Armenia's embrace of Palestine has put Azerbaijan on its back foot, making its Middle Eastern balancing act even more difficult to sustain.

Yerevan's recognition drew rare praise from Turkey, one of the Palestinians' most prominent champions and Azerbaijan's closest ally. It also highlighted how Palestine has become another factor in the Azerbaijani-Turkish relationship. Pro-Palestinian protesters in Turkey have targeted the country office of the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR.

And following a recent meeting between the leaders of the two countries, the summary of the meeting from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted that he had discussed "Israel's aggression in Gaza" with Aliyev. The Azerbaijani summary of the same meeting conspicuously did not mention the Middle East.

The response from official Baku and the pro-government media to Armenia's move to recognize Palestine as a state has been muted.

"Overall, Azerbaijan got itself in quite a precarious position" of keeping up close ties with Israel while navigating the global backlash against Israel's offensive in Gaza, said Shujaat Ahmadzada, an independent analyst based in Baku.

Among ordinary Azerbaijanis, too, Israel's offensive in Gaza appears to have occasioned a shift from a generally pro-Israel position to more sympathy for Palestinians, he said.

While there is no data on the subject, "I have personally witnessed how usually pro-Israeli people in Azerbaijan have openly turned anti-Israeli over the last months," he said. "Hardly anyone supports Israel openly now."

In that sensitive environment, "I think the best mitigation strategy [the Azerbaijani authorities] could come up with is just to stay silent and keep a low profile," Ahmadzada said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-recognition-palestine- analysis-caucasus/33010913.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pro-Russian Dodon Blames 'All Sides' For Ukraine War, Won't Pledge To Accept Vote Results In Moldova

By Iryna Romaliyska June 26, 2024

BRATISLAVA -- Igor Dodon, the pro-Russian leader of Moldova's largest opposition party and a former president, won't commit to running in Moldova's upcoming presidential election as he looks to spearhead the defeat of incumbent Maia Sandu and her pro-EU agenda.

In a wide-ranging interview with Current Time in Bratislava last week, Dodon blamed "all sides" for the war in Ukraine and said of Moscow's territorial claims that only "the results of peace talks will make it clear where the war will stop, for both Russia and Ukraine."

He accused Sandu and the current Moldovan government of "violating" Moldova's neutral status and suggested that if he were in power he would shut off the country as any sort of conduit for the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

Dodon, 49, also declined to rescind a previous threat, made during a visit to Russia, to refuse to recognize the results if Sandu emerges victorious in the October presidential election in the landlocked country of about 3.5 million people sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania.

"If we see that there is falsification, and we record it, of course, we will make some decisions about it," Dodon told Current Time. "And whether it will lead to the fact that the elections won't be recognized or will lead to other consequences, we'll see. It's too early to talk about that now."

With two months to go before official candidate registration begins for the October 20 vote, recent polls show Sandu with 30 to 35 percent support compared to Dodon's 16 percent, making him her closest current potential competitor among likely candidates.

A former prime minister and founder of the liberal Party of Action and Solidarity, the 52-year-old Sandu derailed Dodon's presidential reelection bid in a 2020 landslide pledging to accelerate pro-EU reforms and curb corruption.

Sandu has doggedly backed Kyiv and pursued energy independence from Russia and greater integration with the West amid mounting fallout from Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine on Moldova's politics, security, and economy.

Sandu has repeatedly demanded an end to the stubborn presence in Moldova's breakaway Transdniester region of hundreds of Russian troops at a Soviet-era weapons depot.

EU candidate Moldova, one of Europe's poorest states, achieved a milestone this week when the bloc on June 25 officially launched what are expected to be years of membership negotiations with Chisinau, alongside Kyiv.

In his Current Time interview, Dodon, who heads the Party of Socialists (PSRM), accused Sandu of overplaying her hand and alienating a significant segment of voters on the political left.

"Maia Sandu has characteristics that make her, in my opinion, a more serious dictator than others you think are dictators or they call Russia and so on," Dodon said.

He accused Sandu of relying too much on the West and the diaspora for support, singling out the United States and the EU's leadership.

"I've spoken about this openly," Dodon said, "without the help of these two geopolitical players, Maia Sandu wouldn't have won and wouldn't have held power up to now."

There are an estimated 1.5 million Moldovan nationals abroad, with half a million in Russia and most of the rest in the West. Moldova has about 3 million registered voters in all.

Dodon alleged that postal voting and other unspecified changes in the run-up to voting signaled that Sandu and her "Western handlers" lack confidence and are "in agony."

Moldova's parliament in April approved postal voting from abroad in an amendment criticized by most of the opposition, although it is limited to democratic countries with which Chisinau has diplomatic relations and which are not embroiled in military conflicts.

Dodon has repeatedly advocated improving ties with what he describes as traditional allies China and Russia, including restoring what he has long described as a "strategic partnership" with Moscow.

He said the war in Ukraine was "a tragedy for the Ukrainian people...[and] for the Russian people." It was a tragedy for Moldovans, too, he said, "because for us, both Ukrainians and Russians are brothers."

Dodon called Moldova a "neutral country militarily," adding, "We condemn war.... We believe that the war should be ended as soon as possible through negotiations."

Asked who started the war in Ukraine, Dodon cited the Euromaidan unrest that ousted Ukraine's pro-Moscow president in 2014 but made no mention of Russia's covert occupation of Crimea and support for Ukrainian separatists. "I think all sides are to blame for this," he said.

"Unfortunately we have reached a situation where hundreds of thousands of men, women, children, as you said, are being killed -- on both one side and the other side -- so the responsible politicians must stop [it]," he said. "Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...the Ukrainian side and the Russian side will sit down."

Asked if he would prevent Ukraine's allies from supplying Kyiv with weapons to defend itself, Dodon said, "I would act according to the constitutional status of Moldova, which clearly states that we are a neutral state, and a neutral state should not interfere in this."

Sandu "will have answer for this in the future," he added.

Article 11 of Moldova's 1994 constitution proclaims the country's "permanent neutrality" and excludes "the stationing of any foreign military troops on its territory."

Despite repeated calls from Sandu and other senior officials, Russia has maintained hundreds of troops at a former weapons depot in Transdniester, whose separatist leadership maintains close ties to Moscow.

Dodon said there are nothing but "pro-Western opinions left on [Moldovan] television," but that "Russia has more opportunities than the West" to influence elections.

"Of course," he added, "it would be good if we were left alone, by both Russia and the West, so that we can decide for ourselves." He vowed to "restore normal relations" with Putin and Russia "despite what is happening in Ukraine."

Transdniester is a heavily Russian-speaking sliver of land that has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since a war in 1992. The autonomous region of Gagauzia is populated largely by ethnic Turkish Gagauz who speak Russian and have adopted Russian Orthodox Christianity.

On the coming election, Dodon declined to say whether he plans another run for the presidency but added, "It's clear that according to all the polls, it could be Dodon because that's what the polls show, that would be the best option for the Socialist Party."

Dodon said that if no other "nonpolitical, apolitical candidate" with sufficient support emerges in the next two weeks, his Socialists "will nominate their candidate from within the party leadership."

The monthlong registration period for presidential candidates begins on August 20.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/dodon-ukraine-war-wont- pledge-to-accept-vote-results-moldova/33011114.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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General Zuniga Reportedly Leading Bolivian Coup Attempt: 'We Will Regain Our Homeland'

Sputnik News

20240626

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Commander in Chief of the Bolivian Army Juan Jose Zuniga, who is leading the apparent coup attempt against President Luis Arce, said on Wednesday that the military would "regain our homeland."

Earlier in the day, media reported that Zuniga had been removed from his position after stating that he would defend the Bolivian constitution against former President Evo Morales's attempt to list himself as a candidate in the 2025 elections. The general however had dismissed the reports and said he would continue with his daily duties.

"We are expressing our discontent with the situation, with the state of the fatherland's armed forces, of its army that has birthed this fatherland ... We will again regain our fatherland. Enough of destroying our fatherland," Zuniga said.

When questioned on whether he intended to change the composition of the government, the general said that a new cabinet of ministers would emerge from today's actions.

"Surely it [cabinet] will change. Our country, our state, cannot continue like this, doing whatever they want to do," Zuniga said.

In the wake of the events, Honduran President Xiomara Castro urged the presidents of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) member states to condemn the "fascism" that was being attempted against Bolivia's democracy.

"I urgently call on the presidents of the CELAC member states to condemn the fascism that today attempts against Bolivia's democracy, and demand the full respect for civil rule and the constitution," Castro said via X. "We express our unconditional support to the brotherly people of Bolivia, President Arce and to [Evo] Morales."

 Sputnik

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Houthis Claim Use of Domestic-Made Hypersonic Missile Against Israeli Ship in Arabian Sea

Sputnik News

20240626

DOHA (Sputnik) - Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as Houthis, claimed that it has used the first domestically-made hypersonic missile against an Israeli vessel in the Arabian Sea, military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Wednesday.

"For the first time, the Yemeni armed forces used a hypersonic missile of their own production against the Israeli ship MSC SARAH V in the Arabian Sea," Saree said on X.

Earlier, the Yemeni militia released footage of a new "locally made" hypersonic missile called the Palestine being launched toward the embattled Israeli Red Sea port city of Eilat. Israeli officials later confirmed that Eilat had been targeted, but indicated that there was no damage or injuries to report.

Yemen's Houthi rebels vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip. The attacks prompted the United States to form a multinational coalition, which includes the United Kingdom among others, to protect shipping in the area of the Red Sea, as well as to strike Houthi targets on the ground.

 Sputnik

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NATO Approves Rutte as Next Secretary General

Sputnik News

20240626

Earlier, Mark Rutte said he planned to take a three-month sabbatical before becoming NATO secretary general.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been approved as the next secretary general of NATO by the allies, AFP reported on Wednesday, citing a statement of the alliance.

Mark Rutte has served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 2010. He is the leader of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), a liberal political party. Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Rutte served as Minister of Social Affairs and Employment from 2003 to 2006 and Minister of Education, Culture and Science from 2006 to 2010.

Outgoing NATO head Jens Stoltenberg's term as NATO chief was due to expire in October 2022, but it was extended for another year. In July, the alliance extended his term for another year, until October 2024.

 Sputnik

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Secretary Blinken's Call with Kenyan President William Ruto

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

June 26, 2024

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Kenyan President William Ruto today. The Secretary thanked President Ruto for taking steps to reduce tensions and pledging to engage in dialogue with the protestors and civil society. The Secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses. The Secretary welcomed President Ruto's commitment to Kenyans' constitutionally-endowed rights, including peaceful assembly and due process for those detained. The Secretary reiterated the partnership of the United States with Kenya's government and people as they work to address their economic challenges.

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Joint Statement on the U.S. - Romania Strategic Dialogue

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

June 26, 2024

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Romania on the occasion of the U.S. - Romania Strategic Dialogue.

Begin Text

The governments of Romania and the United States held the ninth Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. on June 21, 2024. This ninth round of the Strategic Dialogue was hosted by the U.S. Department of State and included high-level representatives from both governments. The meeting included sessions on regional political developments; security and defense cooperation; Black Sea security; energy security and interconnectivity; bilateral economic cooperation on trade and investment; cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs; and strengthening people-to-people relationships.

The U.S.-Romania Strategic Dialogue reaffirmed our deep and growing strategic partnership. This year, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Romania's accession into NATO, and our relationship as Allies was reinforced by the talks between Presidents Iohannis and Biden at the White House on May 7. The United States deeply appreciates Romania's crucial role in promoting Euro-Atlantic security and its leadership on NATO's eastern flank. The United States applauds Romania's leadership in consolidating the Ukrainian air defense and particularly Romania's recent decision to provide one Patriot system to Ukraine. This comes at a critical moment for Ukraine's defense. The United States is committed to supporting Romania's own defense modernization, the consolidation of its air defense, and interoperability efforts. The United States commends Romania on its successful opening of Europe's first F-16 regional training center this year. Romania plays an important role in bolstering NATO's collective defense, and we reiterate our commitment to strengthening the Transatlantic bond. We reaffirmed our unity ahead of the upcoming Washington NATO Summit.

During the Strategic Dialogue, the United States and Romania discussed ways to strengthen our cooperation in the face of shared regional and global threats and challenges, the most urgent of which is Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. The United States and Romania reiterate the strategic importance of the Black Sea region to Euro-Atlantic security. The United States and Romania underlined that Russia's continued aggression has made the Black Sea region host to a number of serious threats. The two sides reaffirmed that this development makes coordinated, predictable Euro-Atlantic support for the region more relevant than ever. Romania and the United States remain strongly committed to strengthening their efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and prosperous Black Sea region, with the implementation of the United States Black Sea Strategy being an integral part of this effort. The United States noted Romania's leadership in advancing freedom and safety of navigation in the Black Sea by significantly upgrading and expanding transit capacity and through its maritime demining efforts.

The United States and Romania reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine. Both countries remain committed to ensuring Russia's aggression against Ukraine remains a strategic failure. The two sides highlighted the important progress made to support Ukraine and regional economic integration through our cooperation and joint action as part of the Danube Quint, a model of Euro-Atlantic cooperation, which has further connected Ukraine to global markets and increased regional transit capacity. The United States appreciated Romania's leadership in bringing more than 50 million tons of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products to global markets. The United States welcomed Romania's substantive bilateral assistance to Ukraine, firm support for Ukraine's strategic goal of membership in the EU and NATO, and Romania joining the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. Romania commended continued U.S. leadership in aiding Ukraine's defense and highlighted the importance of U.S. support to Ukraine and the region in the face of Russia's aggression. The United States and Romania reiterated the importance of support for Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure needs, including through the G7-plus coordination group.

The two sides noted the need to work together to bolster the resilience of the Republic of Moldova, as it faces the Kremlin's hybrid threats and interference in its elections. The United States and Romania welcomed the consistent progress of the Republic of Moldova on its European path and the real benefits that this provides for all its citizens. The United States commended Romania's consistent and significant contribution to the energy security of the Republic of Moldova and agreed to continued collaboration and support to ensure further integration of the Republic of Moldova's energy system and transport networks with Europe. Romania noted that USAID has been a critical partner in helping the Republic of Moldova diversify sources and increase capacity to import gas and electricity from European market suppliers.

The Romanian and U.S. delegations highlighted their growing defense cooperation. The United States praised Romania's steady allocation of at least two percent of GDP to defense investments to meet modernization goals and improve interoperability by transitioning away from legacy platforms. Recalling that interoperability is a key NATO concept, the two sides resolved to work together to further strengthen defense industrial cooperation and to ensure predictability and resilience of procurement and supply. As NATO Allies, the United States and Romania intend to continue to contribute to NATO's collective security and remain vigilant in defending NATO territory against all threats. The United States thanked Romania for hosting thousands of U.S. and other Allied forces to bolster NATO's forward defense posture on the Eastern Flank. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continue to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defense and agreed on the importance and urgency of full implementation of previous Allied decisions in this regard.

Romania and the United States intend to increase cooperation to counter the full range of hybrid threats. The two sides reaffirmed the interest to deepen cooperation on arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation, building on the results of the consistent cooperation in this field.

The delegations reviewed progress on energy cooperation, an important part of the U.S.-Romania partnership with regional relevance. The United States welcomed Romania's commitment to increase civilian nuclear capacity via the construction of new reactors at Cernavoda, as well as its leadership in bringing a first-of-a-kind small modular reactor (SMR) capacity to Europe. The United States reiterated its commitment to support and participate in the development of these projects, noting that Romania is a model for the region's path towards energy independence and in developing green energy solutions. The two sides agreed to continue bilateral cooperation on offshore wind and geothermal energy, taking note of the adoption in April of the first Romanian law regulating offshore wind energy production with support from the State Department's Bureau of Energy Resources. They underscored the importance of energy connectivity for the resilience of the Black Sea region.

The United States and Romania assessed progress in our economic cooperation, noting that trade and investment between the two countries has expanded significantly. The two sides pledged to build on these developments in order to develop our economic cooperation to its full potential. The United States and Romania highlighted private sector collaboration to strengthen commercial ties, including the recent U.S. Department of Commerce Aerospace and Defense Trade Mission, the 2024 Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia Romania mission stop, and the upcoming Southeast Europe Energy-Transition and Energy Security Business Development Trade Mission to Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia. The United States reiterated its support for Romania's strategic objective of OECD accession, noting the significant milestones achieved thus far.

The United States reiterated its strong support for Romania meeting the requirements for accession to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which brings important security and economic benefits to our partnership.

The United States and Romania plan to continue to prioritize educational, cultural, and professional exchanges. The two sides noted extensive people-to-people connections are a collective strength, and committed to build on public diplomacy programming that promotes mutual understanding across the full range of our shared priorities including democracy, culture, and education programs. The United States applauded the recent increase in funding from the Government of Romania to support the Fulbright Program, which profoundly influences lives and professional careers through education and exchange. Over 3,600 Romanians and Americans have participated in the Fulbright program since 1960. The two sides called for more students to participate in the Fulbright program in both directions.

The United States and Romania deepened their partnership on combating disinformation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Countering Foreign State Information Manipulation. The United States and Romania intend to collaborate and mitigate the negative impacts of information manipulation and support capacity development efforts with emerging partners.

The United States and Romania expressed their commitment to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership in the year ahead and through future strategic dialogues. Romania and the United States aim to hold the next annual meeting of the Strategic Dialogue in Bucharest in early 2025.

End Text

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We call on all parties to conflict to prevent and end grave violations against children: UK statement at the UN Security Council

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council open debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

26 June 2024

The Secretary General's report is horrifying. Grave violations regarding children and armed conflict rose by 21% in 2023. 35% more children were killed and maimed. 32% more children were denied humanitarian access and 25% more children suffered sexual violence. These grave violations have risen on a shocking scale. The devastating impact of conflict on children demonstrates the need for this Council to come together, as former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said, to uphold international peace and security, resolve conflict and protect children.

The Children and Armed Conflict mandate is crucial, and its achievements are many. In the almost 28 years since its inception, up to 40 action plans have been agreed and over a dozen parties to conflict have been delisted by engaging constructively with the UN in the interest of child protection. In 2023 alone, over 10,600 children formerly associated with armed forces or groups received protection or support. The Children and Armed Conflict mandate must continue this vitally important work.

President, we have heard today about many grave violations against children from the DRC, to Sudan, to Myanmar. Let me highlight two contexts in particular. First, in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. On October 7, Hamas committed appalling acts of terror against Israeli children. 47 Israeli children were abducted on October 7, 36 of whom were held hostage and suffered ill-treatment by Hamas in Gaza. Babies have been separated from their mothers and fathers. Three children were killed in captivity. It is abhorrent that eight months on, children remain as hostages, and we reiterate our call for Hamas to release all hostages immediately. With the ongoing operations in Gaza, Palestinian children are suffering terribly, and children are paying the highest price for this conflict.

Israel must abide by obligations to protect children under applicable international humanitarian and human rights law, urgently improve humanitarian access, and increase the flow of life-saving aid. We need to see a stop in the fighting, to end the suffering of children. The fastest way to do this is for Hamas to accept the terms of the deal on the table.

Second, Russia's illegal war continues to devastate the lives of Ukrainian children. This latest report highlights once again Russia's appalling campaign of forced deportation and subsequent attempts to change children's nationalities. We call on Russia to end its unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, to cease the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation, and its efforts to force them to become Russian citizens. Russia should return these children to where they belong: Ukraine. We underline our determination to hold those responsible to account.

President, we call on all parties to adopt and implement concrete and time bound action plans to prevent and end these grave violations against children. As a Council we must uphold the specific rights and vulnerabilities of children and amplify their voices. Last month our Minister, Lord Benyon, convened our annual roundtable with children affected by conflict. He heard from girls from the DRC, South Sudan, Ukraine and the West Bank, about how conflict has impacted their childhood.

We must remember that children are not numbers. Every grave violation is a tragedy. Let us work today to deliver on the promise of the Children and Armed Conflict mandates and protect children, wherever they are.

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UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban's remarks at the UN Security Council Open Debate: How to advance our collective norms towards protecting children and ending all grave violations

UNICEF

As delivered

26 June 2024

NEW YORK, 26 June 2024 -- "Council President Ambassador Joonkook Hwang, Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Deputy Chair of the group of the Elders, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

"In 2023, the United Nations verified 32,990 grave violations against children- the highest number ever recorded during the CAAC mandate ... and a 21 per cent increase over 2022, which previously held the title of worst year ever.

"The numbers neither capture the full extent of grave violations, nor the deep physical and psychosocial harm they have caused to children's lives, families and communities.

"The numbers are, however, indicative of larger trends and patterns affecting children... more children are being killed and maimed ... more are being raped and subjected to other forms of sexual violence ... and more instances of denial of humanitarian access to children ... all by a significant margin.

"I would like to highlight three of the situations included in the Secretary-General's report.

"Children in Israel and the State of Palestine continue to endure incomprehensible suffering - particularly in the Gaza Strip where the scale of death and destruction is staggering. In 2023, 4,312 Palestinian and 70 Israeli children were verified as killed or maimed, representing 37 per cent of all verified cases of killing and maiming included in the report. Most casualties were caused by explosive weapons in populated areas.

"However, more than 23,000 reported cases of children killed and maimed during 2023 have yet to be verified because of insecurity, movement restrictions, and significant risks to humanitarian personnel operating in Gaza. In addition, the bodies of thousands of the missing children remain buried under the rubble. These numbers do not include the thousands of violations reported so far in 2024.

"After nearly nine months of horrible conflict, UNICEF and other humanitarian actors are still struggling to reach children in need. This is because we continue to face obstacles to the safe movement of aid into and throughout Gaza and these obstacles are directly related to the increasing number of acutely malnourished children.

"UNICEF urges parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations to protect children, and to immediately enter into a complete ceasefire - as this Council has called for in its Resolutions 2712 and 2735.

"Turning now to Sudan where, after more than a year of war, the country is now home to the largest child displacement crisis in the world with an estimated 4.6 million Sudanese children displaced internally and across borders and an almost 500 per cent increase in grave violations.

"Countless children have been exposed to the horrific violence. The UN has verified the killing and maiming of 1,244 children by parties to the conflict in 2023, and rampant grave violations have been reported so far in 2024.

"Earlier this month, at least 55 children were reportedly killed or maimed in an attack in Wad El Noura in Al-Jazira state. And now, thousands of children in El Fasher, in Darfur, are facing daily clashes and indiscriminate shelling while parts of the city remain under siege. According to credible reports, more than 400 children have been killed or maimed in El Fasher since the start of May.

"Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the intensifying conflict in the east has led to the worst humanitarian crisis in the country since 2003, leaving 7 million people displaced. In 2023, the UN verified 281 incidents of sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery - with most violations perpetrated against girls. The use of sexual violence as a modus operandi of armed groups is spiralling.

"During my recent visits to the DRC, I met with adolescent girls who had run away with their siblings when their villages were attacked and who now headed their households. I remember 16-year-old Florence who fled with her three brothers and sisters to Goma, after having experienced terrible violence.

"Making matters worse, the conflict in the east is intensifying at the same time as the departure of MONUSCO has begun. There is a very real risk that the humanitarian crisis in the DRC could soon become a catastrophe.

"Mr President, these are just three of the twenty-six situations covered in the Secretary-General's report.

"Thousands of other children in countries like Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali, Myanmar, Ukraine and Yemen suffered grave violations in 2023. And millions more remain at risk.

"The CAAC mandate has been in place for nearly three decades. This year's report shows plainly that despite the global consensus on the need to protect children during war, parties to conflict are not fulfilling their obligations under international law. These grave violations do not happen on their own - they result from the choices and actions of perpetrators, State and non-State parties to conflict.

"Mr President... the CAAC agenda is an effective tool to mitigate the impact of conflict on children. This past year has seen notable examples. As highlighted by SRSG Gamba, progress was achieved by the Government of Iraq on their Action Plan, and by Ukraine on their prevention plan... while the opposition Syrian National Army committed to an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use, and the killing and maiming of children.

"And importantly, with the support of UN missions and civil society partners, UNICEF provided protection and reintegration support to nearly 11,000 children previously recruited and used by armed forces and armed groups.

"UNICEF appreciates the dedicated financial support for the Children and Armed Conflict agenda from Norway and Belgium, following the Oslo Conference on Protecting Children in Armed Conflict last year ... without which this work would not have been possible.

"Mr President... these examples show that meaningful progress is possible ... especially when there is military and political will, constructive engagement, and collaboration. But more is needed given the increase in verified violations.

"Distinguished Council Members, members of the international community ... you are in a unique position to help. We urge you, on behalf of children in conflict, to take four key actions:

"First, we call on you to reaffirm your strong support for the Children and Armed Conflict mandate, the monitoring and reporting mechanism, and the larger CAAC architecture. The independently verified and robust UN data before you, provided by this mechanism, is a core tool of the mandate. It informs all our actions toward tangible results for children. This work is often undertaken in constrained conditions at great personal risk.

"Second -we ask this Council to recommit to and promote the consensus that children should be spared from harm and violence. Council Members and the international community should engage in reinforced, sustained diplomatic efforts to end conflicts, and to prevent escalation of conflicts. Humanitarian, peace and development actors all stand ready to support the process, but we cannot do it without you. In this regard, we urge the Security Council to take further meaningful action to alleviate the suffering of children in Sudan.

"In addition, state and non-state actors that provide material, financial and diplomatic support to parties committing grave violations against children also bear responsibility. They should ensure that any support they provide to parties is consistent with their obligations under international humanitarian law and use their influence to ensure that parties respect international law to protect the lives and well-being of children.

"Third, we need your support to advocate for humanitarian space for the United Nations to continue engaging with all parties to conflict to develop prevention and protection tools like the Action Plans, and for humanitarian access to assist and protect children.

"And lastly, adequate resources are needed to fund not only the MRM mechanism, but also specialized child-centred services for survivors of grave violations, and advocacy to prevent and end these violations. This is particularly urgent in the context of withdrawals of peacekeeping or special political missions. I remember when I led Children Affected by Armed Conflict responses 20 years ago in Sri Lanka and Sudan, we had the resources not only to cover monitoring and reporting mechanisms but to support the reintegration of children released from armed groups and work on preventing grave violations.

"Mr President, rest assured that UNICEF stands ready as a steadfast partner in these efforts. I hope you will join us all in putting children first. Thank you."

#####



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UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warns of a deepening crisis for children following a visit to Sudan

UNICEF

More than 400 children reportedly killed or injured in Sudan's El Fasher in past seven weeks while hunger continues to haunt the country's children

26 June 2024

PORT SUDAN, Sudan, 26 June 2024 -- Children across Sudan are continuing to pay a devastating price for the conflict that has ravaged the country, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell warned, following a visit to Port Sudan. More than half of the country's 24 million children - some 14 million - are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and almost all of Sudan's children are not in school.

Reports of serious rights violations against children continue at an alarming rate, with more than 3,800 children reportedly killed or injured since the escalation in April 2023. In North Darfur, more than 400 children have reportedly been killed and maimed in the recent escalation in the fighting in and around El Fasher, while the continued use of explosive weapons in populated areas is creating further risks for children and families. Civilians are trapped in the fighting and less than a week ago the Saudi Maternity Hospital, the remaining functioning hospital providing maternal and paediatric services in El Fasher, was shelled.

"More than a year into this brutal war, the pain and suffering of children in Sudan continue to grow," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Whether trapped between the frontlines, forced from their homes, or witnessing their communities torn apart, children's lives have been turned upside down. This is the biggest child displacement crisis in the world. Children do not start wars, but they pay the highest price. We need the world to know what is happening to the children of Sudan and insist that all parties stop the violence and end this war."

Nearly 9 million children are grappling with acute food insecurity and lack of access to safe drinking water. Almost 4 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 of those projected to be at imminent risk of dying. Combined with a drop in vaccination coverage due to fighting and access restrictions, and ongoing disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, malaria and dengue fever, hundreds of thousands of more children are at risk of dying.

In Sudan, Russell met with several children who shared painful stories of loss. An 11-year-old girl, Areeg, described how she had fled her home when war came to Khartoum and that her friend next door had been killed. Areeg and her family were then forced to flee again following fighting in Al Jazirah state, before ending up in a tent in Port Sudan. "Life here is difficult," she said. "Leaving Khartoum made me very sad." She now comes to a UNICEF-run Child Friendly Space where she can draw, play and be a child for a few hours. "I love to draw," said Areeg. "I can put all my emotions into the drawings."

Another girl, Malaz, 15, told Russell that she hoped her parents, both teachers, could get work so they could afford food. Like so many others, they fled the fighting without any of their belongings. "We had a house in Khartoum," said Malaz. "It was a little house but it was home."

"The war is creating a lethal combination of displacement, disease and hunger - the perfect storm for a conflict-induced famine and the catastrophic loss of children's lives," said Russell. "With 17 million children not in school, the war could have a generational impact on the lives of these children."

On Monday, Russell joined an event in Nairobi, Kenya, co-organized by USAID, Save the Children and UNICEF alongside children who fled the war in Sudan to call for urgent action for the millions of Sudanese children whose lives have been upended by war.

With war putting the future of Sudan's 24 million children at risk, UNICEF is calling for:

All parties to end grave violations against children, including the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, recruitment into armed groups, and attacks against schools and hospitals. Civilians, including children and women, and civilian installations, must be protected at all times.

A ceasefire and steps towards a lasting peace.

Immediate and unfettered humanitarian access across conflict lines and borders, including Darfur, Al Jazirah, Khartoum, and Kordofan.

A fully funded humanitarian response.

UNICEF is appealing for US$840 million to deliver a package of child protection, education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and cash assistance for children in Sudan.

"Children displaced in Sudan and those who have fled across borders all told me they want the same two things," said Russell. "They want to return home, and they want the war to end."

#####

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We'll never abandon Gaza, pledges top UN aid official

By Daniel Johnson in Geneva

26 June 2024 - UN aid teams and partner organizations remain deeply committed to delivering lifesaving supplies to Gazans in need, despite the increasing dangers of working there, the Organization's top aid official said on Wednesday.

Responding to media reports on Tuesday that the UN had warned the aid effort may have to stop unless the security situation and coordination with the Israeli military improved, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths denied that any "ultimatum" had been given.

"We continue, as we have done for these many, many months to negotiate with the Israeli authorities and others with a lot of help, by the way, from the US, as you know, to get the right conditions to allow it to be delivered safely and securely," he told UN News in an exclusive interview, just days before he is due to step down from his post.

No retreat from aid mission

"We're not running away from Gaza, at all, but what is true now - and I think that's the basis for this story - is of course that we are particularly concerned about the security situation in Gaza, and it is becoming more and more difficult to operate."

The UN relief chief's comments follow the publication on Tuesday of the latest dire assessment of food insecurity in Gaza, which highlighted the "high risk" of famine across the whole Gaza Strip "as long as conflict continues and humanitarian access is restricted".

"Aid can make a difference, that's why we need to get all these crossings open," Mr. Griffiths said.

"That's why we need safety and security, that's why we need the pier to restart and get that aid off the beach if that can be done too. We need all hands on deck for this...We'll keep on at it. But we fail them daily every time we're not able to get aid through to the people who need it."

Political focus is key

"The problem is a political one, that's the real effort, that must be the focus of all our efforts. And indeed, one of the interesting aspects of the Middle East is that there is a lot of political diplomacy, a lot of mediation going on", he continued.

"By the way, I wish we could see that elsewhere, like in Sudan, but we need to see it bring results."

After almost nine months of war sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks and hostage-taking in Israel, UN aid agencies continue to report ongoing strikes across Gaza by the Israeli military, resulting in civilian casualties, massive forced displacement and the destruction of houses and other public services.

Intense strikes continue

In its latest update, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, reported "especially intense" airstrikes in central Gaza in recent days, particularly in Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps and eastern Deir Al Balah.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military's ground offensive "continues to expand", UNRWA noted, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, causing further suffering and further "destabilizing" humanitarian aid flows.

In addition to the war in Gaza, deadly violence has continued unabated against Palestinians in the West Bank, while a renewed escalation between Israel and Hezbollah militants across the frontier with Lebanon prompted a warning from the UN Secretary-General that one false move could trigger a catastrophe for the whole region and beyond.

Emergency provider

Beyond Gaza, Mr. Griffiths defended the Organization's role in providing help to people in emergencies around the world.

"We delivered aid to 144 million people last year, that's two-thirds of what we hoped to reach at a time when funding was problematic," he said. "The aid agencies are doing an extraordinary job, and in particular within a global aid agency, the frontline deliverers."

As staggering as the number of people receiving assistance may be, many tens of millions more remain beyond the UN's reach, for lack of funding.

'Astonishing disparity'

"The disparity between the amount of money - you know, more than $2 trillion a year spent on war - and the amount of money spent on humanitarian aid for peace-making is an astonishing disparity. And it's a shameful one."

He added: "We have to get rid of the notion that investing more than $2 trillion in war is a way of getting security in this world - it is not the way to secure this world. The way to secure this world is through people in general to their neighbors being kind to their neighbors too.

Reflecting on his four decades working "on the edges of war zones" and in the diplomatic corridors of power, UK national Mr. Griffiths insisted on the need for radical reform on the global humanitarian system, given the rising needs and protracted emergencies.

Changes may yet come, he noted, pointing to the fact that the "UN and civil society, host governments across the world and regional organizations" should "start looking at the fact that power is being redistributed in this world today.

Trust the people

"And maybe that's not a bad thing either...We need to do this all at the behest of the people in those communities not what we think is best, but what they know is best."

This point was made clear to the veteran humanitarian in Sudan where he met representatives from civil society organizations manning emergency treatment rooms "on those front lines, back in Khartoum, across the country. They don't go away, they are the standard I think, for all of us to be able to say, 'Yes, this (work) is definitely worth it."

Just days before he steps down as UN Emergency Relief Coordinator - a role UN insiders concede is among the most punishing in the UN system, given its constant travel and media attention - Mr. Griffiths rejected the "incredibly self-indulgent" suggestion that he might slow down in Geneva, where he and his family have lived for years.

'One life saved'

He also remained coy about the possible identity of his future successor, who will take over the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA - although he offered one piece of advice: "I believe this fundamentally from my, life, one life saved - one life saved - makes it worthwhile. And I am amazed by the resilience of communities. And I am amazed by the courage of aid workers."

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UNRWA Situation Report #115 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 20-24 June 2024, is valid as of 24 June 2024 at 22:30 (local time)

UNRWA

26 Jun 2024

Key points

Ongoing strikes by Israeli Forces continue, with aerial, land and maritime bombardment across the Gaza Strip. These result in civilian casualties, displacement and the destruction of residential structures and civilian infrastructure. Airstrikes have been especially intense in central Gaza (middle areas), particularly in Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps and eastern Deir Al Balah. The Israeli Forces' ground offensive continues to expand, particularly in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, deepening the humanitarian crisis and significantly destabilizing humanitarian aid flows.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on Gaza reports that 96 per cent of the population are facing acute food insecurity at crisis levels or higher, with almost half a million people in catastrophic conditions. Whilst the new report indicates a slight improvement compared to the previous report in March, predominantly due to a scale up in emergency food and nutrition services, which have helped to reduce the very worst level of hunger. However, a high risk of famine remains as long as the conflict continues, and humanitarian access is restricted. UNRWA remains one of the largest food providers in the Gaza Strip with nearly 1.9m people reached with flour or food parcels.

Access constraints continue to severely hamper the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and services across Gaza. Between 1 and 23 June, additional missions did not happen or go as planned. Of the 86 planned coordinated humanitarian assistance missions to northern Gaza, 42 (49 per cent) were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, whilst the remaining 44 (51 per cent) missions were either denied access, impeded and or cancelled for logistical, operational or security reasons.

The ongoing Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly impacting the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza. According to OCHA, between 18 and 23 June, three coordinated missions scheduled to pick up aid supplies from the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom Crossing were cancelled due to security concerns, including active hostilities and the collapse of public order and safety along the route designated by the Israeli military for cargo movement between the crossing and central Gaza.

Furthermore, the operation in Rafah and challenges in retrieving fuel in Kerem Shalom are leading to major fuel shortages, impacting aid operations and the functioning of critical water, sanitation, health and other facilities across the Gaza Strip. According to OCHA, since the beginning of 2024, only 14 per cent of fuel (diesel and benzene) that used to enter Gaza on a monthly basis prior to October 2023, has been allowed in (2 million vs. 14 million litres), with recent field reports indicating critically low levels of benzene available for distribution.

UNRWA remains one of the largest health service providers inside Gaza, providing over 40 per cent of the medical points and 15 per cent of all primary healthcare centres, according to the health cluster, reaching almost 170,000 patients per week with health services. To help mitigate the impact of the health system's collapse and address growing needs, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and UNRWA are seeking to reactivate some of their services in northern Gaza. Efforts have begun to clean up the UNRWA Jabaliya Health Centre, which was set on fire during a military operation and will require full rehabilitation to be functional.

As of 24 June, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since 7 October is 193.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem update will shift to once a week, every Monday.

According to OCHA, between 7 October 2023 and 10 June 2024, 521 Palestinians, including 126 children, were killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Between 20 and 23 June there were at least 113 recorded Israeli Security Forces (ISF) search and arrest operations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. More than 80 Palestinians, including Palestine Refugees, were detained by the ISF during this period. Of these, eight were detained in Jalazone camp on 21 June during an ISF search operation in the camp.

During this period, four Palestinians were killed including three in Qalqiliya in the northern West Bank. The following day an Israeli man was shot and killed in his vehicle by Palestinians in Qalqiliya, triggering an ISF search operation in the city and road closures.

On 22 June, six Palestinians were injured with live ammunition and others detained by the ISF after attempting to enter Jerusalem without permits, in the vicinity of the West Bank Barrier. Movement restrictions preventing Palestinians without Jerusalem identification cards from entering the city have continued since October 2023.

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Grave Violations against Children in Armed Conflict at Record High; Speakers in Day-Long Debate Explore Ways to Bolster Norms to Protect Them from Harm

Meetings Coverage

Security Council

9669th Meeting (AM & PM)

SC/15745

26 June 2024

(Note: Due to the financial liquidity crisis affecting the United Nations and the resulting constraints, the full press release will be published at a later date.)

The Security Council met today in an open debate to discuss the theme "How to advance our collective norms towards protecting children and ending all grave violations" and consider the latest report of the Secretary-General (document S/2024/384). The Council was briefed by Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Ban Ki-Moon, former United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of the Elders.

CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT

Briefings

VIRGINIA GAMBA, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict , presenting the Secretary-General's annual report on children and armed conflict (document S/2024/384), said that the information presented today "has been obtained in contexts of great hardship and under incredibly difficult circumstances, during a deadly year for United Nations personnel and aid workers". In the 25 countries and one regional situation covered by her mandate, the UN verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children in 2023  the highest figures in almost 10 years. Across the globe, "children bore the brunt of multiplying and escalating crises", she said, adding that they experienced horrific violence in combat zones, displacement camps, urban areas and their homes and schools. A staggering 5,301 children were killed and another 6,348 maimed and/or injured in 2023, marking a shocking 35 per cent rise over previous years, she reported. The use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, as well as deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, had a bleak impact on children. "Whether armed forces or non-State armed groups, all parties to conflict contributed to this deadly harvest," she stated. Also, the recruitment and use of children surged in 2023 with 8,655 cases verified, of which 15 per cent were girls. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab recruited 10 children aged 15 to 17 in a single event and then took them to a training camp. In Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces armed group recruited 74 boys, aged 14 to 17, in a single quarter, and used them as combatants. Fifty-four of them were subsequently killed during clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Further, she continued, child abductions also continued at high levels, with 4,356 child victims verified in 2023. "In Sudan, a girl was abducted by the Rapid Support Forces armed group, kept for five days, and repeatedly raped to the extent that it permanently maimed her," she said. Rape and other forms of sexual violence increased by 25 per cent and affected 1,470 children, especially girls. Gang-rape continued unabated, with high numbers in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. Prevalently, girls are recruited or abducted for sexual exploitation and then violated repeatedly. In 2014, in Iraq, for example, a girl was abducted by Da'esh when she was only five years old. She was then sold between Da'esh members for sexual exploitation and was sexually abused until she was rescued in June 2023 at age 14. Yet, most cases of sexual violence are never reported due to stigma, the risk of reprisals, harmful gender norms, and lack of access to safe reporting channels, survivor assistance and justice.

Collective violations also increased in 2023, with attacks on schools and hospitals continuing to deprive children of education and health, she observed, adding that 1,650 attacks were verified and had devastating impacts on children and their communities. A staggering 72 million children worldwide were out of school in 2023 due to conflict and crises. Moreover, she underscored that "the denial of humanitarian access rose to alarming levels", with 5,205 violations verified, marking an increase of over 32 per cent. Over 190 UN and other humanitarian staff were killed in Gaza, where nearly all critical civilian infrastructure was destroyed. The highest numbers of grave violations during 2023 occurred in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan. She added that 75 parties are now listed as perpetrators of grave violations globally, including 10 State actors and 65 armed groups.

Faced with devastating setbacks in 2023, the UN has continued its constructive engagement with parties to the conflict, yielding progress in the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. The signature of prevention and protection action plans  including the adoption of handover protocols, age assessment guidelines, and child protection policies and legislation  have improved the lives of children. She observed that the objective of the annexes of the Secretary-General's report goes beyond "naming and shaming" because it is guided by the offer of immediate engagement between the UN and listed parties to end and prevent the use and abuse of children for, in and by armed conflict. It comprises close collaboration with warring parties to put in place robust child protection systems, especially accountability mechanisms. She added that expert capacities must be strengthened in the context of the drawdown of peacekeeping operations and special political missions, including during and after mission transitions. "Let us be co-responsible for our children, push for peaceful resolution of disputes but also protect our children when we fail to bring them peace," she declared.

TED CHAIBAN, Deputy Executive Director of Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), reported that the UN verified 32,990 grave violations against children in 2023  the highest number ever recorded during the children-and-armed-conflict mandate, and a 21 per cent increase over 2022, "which previously held the title of worst year ever". While these numbers "neither capture the full extent of grave violations nor the deep physical and psychosocial harm they have caused to children's lives, families and communities", he said they are indicative of larger trends affecting children. More are being killed and maimed, raped and subjected to other forms of sexual violence and denied humanitarian access. "Children in Israel and the State of Palestine continue to endure incomprehensible suffering," he stressed  "particularly in the Gaza Strip, where the scale of death and destruction is staggering".

Stating that 4,312 Palestinian and 70 Israeli children were verified as killed or maimed in 2023, he noted that this represents 37 per cent of all such verifications included in the Secretary-General's report. Most casualties were caused by explosive weapons in populated areas. However, more than 23,000 reported cases of children killed or maimed in 2023 have yet to be verified due to insecurity, movement restrictions and significant risks to humanitarian personnel operating in Gaza. The bodies of thousands of missing children remain buried under rubble, and none of this includes the thousands of violations reported so far in 2024. "After nearly nine months of horrible conflict, UNICEF and other humanitarian actors are still struggling to reach those in need," he said, pointing to continued obstacles that "are directly related to the increasing number of acutely malnourished children". Against that backdrop, he urged parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations to protect children and "immediately enter into a complete ceasefire".

Turning to Sudan  "now home to the largest child displacement crisis in the world"  he reported that the UN has verified the killing and maiming of 1,244 children by parties to the conflict in 2023 and added that "rampant grave violations have been reported so far in 2024". Meanwhile, intensifying conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has "led to the worst humanitarian crisis in the country since 2003", he said, emphasizing that "the use of sexual violence as a modus operandi of armed groups is spiralling". Making matters worse, the conflict in the east is intensifying as the departure of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has begun. Underlining the "very real risk" that the humanitarian crisis in that country "could soon become a catastrophe", he pointed out that the situations in these countries are just 3 of the 26 covered in the report.

"This year's report shows plainly that, despite the global consensus on the need to protect children during war, parties to conflict are not fulfilling their obligations under international law," he stressed. Urging the Council to reaffirm support for the monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations committed against children, he emphasized that independently verified and robust data "informs all our actions towards tangible results for children". Further, the international community should engage in diplomatic efforts to end conflicts and prevent the escalation of hostilities. Adequate resources are needed to fund the monitoring and reporting mechanism, specialized child-centred services for survivors of grave violations and advocacy to prevent and end these violations. "This is particularly urgent in the context of withdrawals of peacekeeping or special political missions," he observed, adding that UNICEF stands as a ready partner in these efforts. He concluded: "I hope you will join us in putting children first."

BAN KI-MOON, Former United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Chair of the Elders , said that the protection of innocent lives lies at the heart of the group's activities. "It should be a matter of shame to every State represented here today that innocent children continue to pay such a terrible price in the multiple conflicts being waged across our world," he stressed, expressing outrage that violations against children rose 21 per cent in 2003, with a 35 per cent increase in the killing and maiming of children in the same period. Furthermore, the UN has verified more than 8,000 grave violations against 4,247 Palestinian and 113 Israeli children in 2023. "The statistics in the Secretary-General's report tell their own story," he continued, observing that, from his own experience, the trauma of the children in armed conflict "cannot be captured in figures alone".

"As a young boy during the Korean War in 1950s, I experienced the trauma and wrenching displacement of fleeing my home during the conflict," he said, adding that the trauma he witnessed as he fled his burning village with his parents continued to haunt him. He stressed: "No child should endure what I did as a boy." Recalling the "landmark" report on children and armed conflict of Graca Machel  the former freedom fighter and education minister of Mozambique, who today serves as Deputy Chair of The Elders, he quoted her findings presented to the General Assembly in 1996: "More and more of the world is being sucked into a desolate moral vacuum. This is a space devoid of the most basic human values; a space in which children are slaughtered, raped, maimed [...] and exposed to extreme brutality". He observed that this "powerful" report led to the creation of the Secretary-General's Special Representative on children and armed conflict.

Underscoring the importance of identifying those responsible for violations, he said that the inclusion of Israeli armed and security forces and Palestinian armed groups on the list is an important step. "Where peacekeeping and political missions are drawing down, there must be a commitment to provide sufficient resources so this vital work continues," he added, underscoring that Member States should endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration. He also expressed concern about high levels of sexual violence against girls in conflicts worldwide. Citing his fellow Elder and Nobel Laureate Doctor Denis Mukwege, he said: "Survivors of sexual violence have the right to truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition". Noting that the system of the Security Council is ineffective and is failing to uphold peace and security, he observed: "The Council is deadlocked on the conflicts of the day". To that end, he underscored the need of a formula for the organ's reform that balances increased representation with effectiveness.

A 16-year-old child civil society representative noted that there were already armed conflicts in the east of his country when he was born. "It's time for the whole world to rally behind the Democratic Republic of the Congo and take tougher measures to put an end to all the armed conflicts and dangers facing children, so that they can fully enjoy their rights, including schooling," he said. Two months ago, during armed attacks on two of their neighbouring villages, children were targeted for abduction and forced to join armed groups, while others were abducted for ransom. This led to the murder of many children whose families do not have the means to pay the ransoms, while other children, especially girls, were raped. He called for reinforced protection and security in all areas, especially those controlled by armed groups, so that schools and hospitals are kept safe and not used for military purposes, and for the release of all children recruited into armed groups

Detailing the impact of armed conflict on his life, he recalled that he used to wake up very early every day to go to work and would often go with the harvesters to collect the agricultural produce from the fields to provide food at home. He was paid 2,000 Congolese francs  the equivalent of $1 at the time. He was 11 years old then and had heard about boys being kidnapped and taken into the bush by armed groups. "I walked anxiously, fearing that one day it would be the same for me," he said. One day, on his way to school, he, together with one girl and another boy, were stopped by a group of armed men from the bush. "We cried and trembled, begging them to let us go home to our families, but they wouldn't listen", as "they started whipping and keeping us in the bush". "We were heavily guarded, and they had ordered to kill anyone who tried to flee," he added.

He had to leave school to start serving that armed group, which provided three-months long weapons training exercises, he continued. They were used as transporters of food looted from other people's fields, and their school bags were burnt. Some of the girls abducted became "wives" of the chiefs. During the fighting, many were killed by the enemy and others by their own groups to prevent secrets from being divulged. They were sent out to steal cassava and sweet potatoes from other people's fields at night and were also forced to rob vehicles on the road. After three years, he escaped while looking for something to eat for the group. He was arrested by the army and then sent to the military dungeon, as he had military effects on him, he said. He was released a few days later and received social and educational reintegration support. The Congolese Government's child demobilization program eventually gave him a certificate of release for his protection in the community, although some still accused him of being associated with the armed group, despite already being in civilian life.

He is now back at school and working in the children's parliament to raise awareness in communities to ensure respect for children's rights, he said, urging the Security Council to work together to assist children affected by conflict by helping them gain access to education and health care and protecting them from violence, especially in areas under the control of armed groups. "I ask you all to take up the cause of defending children's rights internationally and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," he urged, emphasizing that many children have no access to education because of never-ending crises, and families on the move are unable to send their children to school and meet other needs. "Many Congolese children still need the help of the world, like the one I received, for their protection and survival during these times of armed conflict," he said, voicing hope that no other child will experience what he has gone through.

Statements

The representative of Malta expressed deep concern over the escalating grave violations against children, which have "reached unmatched numbers". He noted that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has significantly increased these violations and called for all parties to ensure "unimpeded, safe and timely humanitarian access". As Chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, he welcomed the relevant Secretary-General's annual report, adding that "the annexed list of perpetrators is a critical tool to end violations and protect children in situations of armed conflict". He went on to emphasize the urgent need for mitigating actions against violations of children's rights in various conflicts worldwide. Urging the Council to "consider the impact of withdrawals on child protection capacity", he spotlighted the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the withdrawal of MONUSCO has affected the work of child protection advisers.

The representative of Guyana said: "A good barometer to measure the world's humanity is how we treat [...] our children." In 2023, violence against children reached extreme levels: the 35 per cent increase in the number of children killed and maimed tells "a chilling tale of lack of compliance with international legal obligations, as well as lack of humanity". Parties to the various conflicts have completely lost sight that the protection of children must always be the first consideration, she observed, adding that "there is no glory in killing, maiming and violating children". Turning to the conflict in Gaza  where there has been an unprecedented increase of 155 per cent in the scale and intensity of grave violations against children  she said that 21,000 children are missing there, many trapped beneath rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or separated from their families. "What did they do? What harm could they have brought on the occupying Power?" she asked.

The representative of the Russian Federation , detailing the situation in Gaza, said that this is the international community's "main challenge in the protection of children". While the violence that Israeli children endured on 7 October 2023 has no justification, he underscored that "these victims do not justify Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza". Verified cases in the report alone far surpass indicators in other conflict situations, and even more appalling are the 23,000 violations yet to be verified. "We trust that the UN will focus all efforts and resources to restore the full picture of what is transpiring," he stated. He went on to stress that "the delivery of Western weapons is one of the most serious factors behind the outbreak and spread of conflict". However, the report "effectively disregards" ongoing systematic violations of international humanitarian law by Ukraine. "It appears that Russian children are not of interest for the UN and they do not need its protection," he noted, stressing that "politicization is the only explanation" for the Ukrainian Armed Forces' absence  and the Russian Federation Armed Forces' presence  in the report.

The representative of Sierra Leone said that 25 years since the adoption of resolution 1261 (1999) children worldwide continue to face violations and denials of their rights. His Government has made the elimination of and prevention of all forms of exploitation, abuse and violence against children its top priority and has recently passed the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. He said that Governments should be responsible for protecting children's physical and mental health, stressing the importance of open dialogue to sustain child protection and urging States to refrain from putting children in harm's way. Pointing to the completion of action plans in the Lake Chad region and Iraq, he observed that beyond check box exercises, sustained effort is required. "It takes a village to raise a child", he observed, adding that "a child that is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth".

The representative of Slovenia urged all parties to conflict listed in the annexes to the Secretary-General's report to engage with the Special Representative and the UN on the ground, also calling for dialogue that would enable development and implementation of action plans. Denying children access to humanitarian assistance is "particularly cruel and inhumane", he stressed adding: "It is heartbreaking to read about the significant increase of the humanitarian denial." Noting that schools should be nurtured as safe havens for children, he observed that, instead, education is under attack in many countries. "There should be zero tolerance for violations of international human rights law," he underscored, welcoming the adoption of key strategic and policy documents of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the Revised Policy on Children.

The representative of China , stressing that Israel should stop its collective punishment of the Palestinians, welcomed the listing in the Secretary-General's annual report of the perpetrators of grave violations against children in the Gaza conflict. To effectively protect children, the Council must stay committed to the political settlement of hotspot issues, do more in diplomacy mediation and work for the cessation of fighting across the world. Humanitarian and children-related issues should not be politicized or weaponized. "Children living in countries such as Afghanistan and Syria deserve the same level of assistance," he emphasized. As well, severe punishment must be enforced against violations of children, he said, urging the Council to impose more forceful sanctions against Haitian gangs to cut off their weapons supplies and to counter child recruitment and killing. Children's education and development must be ensured, he underscored, adding that the Summit of the Future must be leveraged to assist countries in conflict in eradicating poverty, achieving universal education and bridging the digital divide.

The representative of France underscored the "absolute need" to combat the scourge of violence committed against children in armed conflict. "The 21 per cent increase in the number of violations in 2023 is shocking," he said, urging perpetrators to cease these abuses and calling on the United Nations to redouble efforts to achieve this goal. In Sudan, where child violations have surged by 480 per cent, combatants must stop the fighting and allow humanitarian aid, he stressed. He also demanded the return of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to safeguard children. Emphasizing the importance of using all available instruments to protect children's rights and combat impunity, he pledged that France will continue its financial support for the UN's monitoring and reporting mechanisms.

The representative of the United States said that this year's report provides "a sobering snapshot" of the devastating impact of conflict on children, with thousands upon thousands of children subject to sexual violence, abduction, recruitment and use as child soldiers. In Sudan  now the world's largest developmental crisis  young boys have been recruited by the two warring parties, and young girls have been sold into sexual slavery. In Ukraine, where children have experienced the horrors of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion, dozens upon dozens of children have been abducted, detained and tortured by its armed forces. In Haiti, schools have been shuttered and children continue to be used in criminal activities. Underlining the urgency of achieving a ceasefire in Gaza  where children have borne far too much of the war  she urged Hamas "to take the deal without delay". Spotlighting small glimmers of hope, she noted that the Special Representative's engagement with parties to conflict resulted in the release of more than 10,000 children from armed groups and armed forces.

The representative of the United Kingdom described the Secretary General's report as "horrifying" and emphasized the crucial role of the children and armed conflict mandate, which "must continue this vitally important work". Spotlighting the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, he called for an end to the fighting to stop the suffering of children, adding: "The fastest way to do this is for Hamas to accept the terms of the deal on the table." On the war in Ukraine, he urged the Russian Federation to end its unjustifiable invasion and cease the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. "As a Council we must uphold the specific rights and vulnerabilities of children and amplify their voices," he said, adding that "children are not numbers".

The representative of Ecuador said that destroying children's "safe spaces" exposes them to recruitment, sexual violence and forced displacement. Further, restricting humanitarian efforts, limiting the work of female staff and interfering with the flow and destination of goods exacerbates children's vulnerability. "While we wait for peace to prevail", he urged States to design national frameworks to protect children and promote universal accession to relevant international instruments. Further, States must recognize, in their own legal frameworks, that "children remain children until they reach the age of 18" and that minors recruited by armed groups must be treated as victims, not former combatants, he said. Additionally, family reunification and safe, dignified return for those displaced are critical, and the international community must strengthen implementation of de-mining plans to reduce the risk of death and mutilation from improvised explosive devices.

The representative of Switzerland said: "There is no second chance for childhood", observing that children fear for their lives in many armed conflicts. Pointing to the highest number of grave violations ever verified  an increase of a quarter from 2023, she said: "We are collectively failing our duties to children." She reported that her country financially supports monitoring and reporting mechanisms in Syria and Yemen. "The withdrawal of UN missions must not be at the expense of child protection," she continued, highlighting the importance of protection and monitoring activities during and after transitions. To that end, Switzerland contributed to UNICEF's funding and seconded child protection specialists to UN agencies, including to Mali, following the withdrawal of the UN Multidimensional Integration Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA). Encouraging States to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, she said that her Government will continue funding the Education Cannot Wait fund.

The representative of Algeria , pointing to the Israeli occupying Power's continued attacks, said that in Gaza, within a few months, more than 15,000 children were killed, more than 19,000 children orphaned and an estimated 4,000 children still buried under the rubble, amputated or detained by the occupying Power. More than 600,000 children live now in the street and among the rubble without access to education, with more than three quarters of schools in the Gaza Strip bombed by Israel. Due to the occupying Power's restrictions on humanitarian aid, people in Gaza face catastrophic levels of hunger, and 50,000 children require urgent treatment for malnutrition, while 1 million people in southern Gaza are trapped without clean water or sanitation. He reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire and unconditional and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. Urging the international community to shoulder its responsibility, he stressed: "It must act, so that children in Palestine, especially in Gaza, are protected and can live a dignified and safe life, immune from violence, oppression and terror."

The representative of Japan expressed deep distress over the Secretary-General's latest report, highlighting the extreme rise in violence against children. The prolonged fighting in Gaza resulting in significant child casualties is alarming, he said, urging the international community to act "decisively and consistently" to improve the situation of children in armed conflicts. For this reason, he called on all parties to the conflicts listed in the annexes to the latest report to engage constructively with the United Nations. It is imperative to eliminate impediments to humanitarian assistance reaching children, he underscored. Upholding children's right to education and supporting their development under armed conflict must be prioritized, he stressed, adding: "Schools should serve as safe havens for children." Additionally, the international community must ensure that child protection measures remain in place during UN peace operations withdrawals.

The representative of Mozambique described the situation of children in armed conflict as "bleak and of deep concern", demanding "urgent, thorough and comprehensive action". Terrorism and violent extremism are among the most devastating causes of the plight of children around the world, he observed, emphasizing that States bear the primary responsibility to protect children. "In conflict situations, children must be treated primarily as victims, including those associated with armed groups," he stressed, calling for "long-term and predictable" funding for reintegration programmes for children. All parties should cooperate with the United Nations and humanitarian partners to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. Likewise, strengthening child protection capacity in all United Nations peace operations and political missions is critical, he added.

The representative of the Republic of Korea , Council president for June, speaking in his national capacity, said that despite deepening divergence of geopolitical and military interests, Member States must be united in protecting children. The Council must consider the inclusion of child protection mandates in the broader range of UN peacekeeping missions and special political missions. He encouraged the UN to maintain its evidence- and criteria-based monitoring and reporting mechanism on grave violations of children's rights in situations of armed conflict. Turning to human rights violations in Pyongyang  including forced labour  he said that people are sent to labour camps as collective punishment and can also be sentenced to death "only because they watched and distributed South Korean dramas". Also, children in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea face acute malnutrition and limited access to health care, "while most Korean leaders enjoy luxury goods and recklessly pursue WMD [weapon of mass destruction] programmes".

The representative of the Russian Federation , taking the floor for a second time, expressed shock that the United States, "which has been helping Ukraine kill children in Russia", is trying to lecture Moscow. In response to the allegations of child abductions and deportations from Ukraine, he clarified that those children were evacuated from the conflict zones in accordance with humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He dismissed claims of abduction contained in the report as misleading, noting that many cases stemmed from marital disputes. "The overwhelming majority of children are arriving to Russia together with their parents", he said. He urged the international community to review bulletins available on the website of the Ombudsman on the Rights of the Child, referencing cases where Ukrainian children "allegedly abducted" by the Russian Federation were unexpectedly found in other countries like Germany.

The representative of Ukraine said that the Russian Federation's aggression has had catastrophic consequences for children in his country, adding that at least 1,389 children have been wounded and 551 killed. Furthermore, 1,895 children have gone missing during the hostilities and 15 cases of sexual violence against minors have been recorded. Also, almost 4,000 educational institutions across Ukraine have suffered bombing and shelling, while 365 of them have been destroyed completely. Nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcefully transferred or deported to the Russian Federation or temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, he said, stressing that Moscow is obstructing the repatriation process by imposing additional conditions and hindering verification procedures. To date, only 736 have been repatriated. The country also persists in its deliberate policy of Russification, imposing its education system and banning Ukrainian education. Against this backdrop, he welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to keep the Russian Federation's armed forces and affiliated armed groups on the list of grave violators for the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals.

The representative of Liechtenstein said he is troubled by the nearly 8,000 children reportedly killed in Gaza. "The psychological and physical impacts of living in a conflict zone endure for a lifetime", he observed, noting that Ukrainian children are paying an extraordinary price for Moscow's aggression. He reiterated the obligation of States parties to the Rome Statute to comply with the execution of arrest warrants, including those issued for the former Russian Federation Minister of Defence, Sergei Shoigu, and the Chief of General Staff, Valery Gerasimov. "It is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child can be spared the scars of war," he stressed, calling on States to support the Safe School Declaration. Also noting that male survivors of sexual violence are often unable to access legal remedies, he commended the Liechtenstein-based All Survivors Project that raises awareness of this overlooked aspect of conflict-related sexual violence.

The representative of Egypt , aligning himself with the Arab Group, said that "the world, all over, is witnessing Israel's destructive war against the Gaza Strip". This includes a "multiplication of violations against children", he stressed, as well as the targeting of education and health facilities and the restricting of access to food aid. Calling on the international community to address double standards in the treatment of global crises and violations of international law, he urged States to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza, lift obstacles to aid delivery and "adopt a comprehensive ceasefire to spare further escalation in the region". He also expressed support for all efforts to guarantee respect for international law and the protection of children during armed conflict, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols.

The representative of Croatia expressed concern that Government forces were among the main perpetrators of attacks on schools and hospitals and those denying humanitarian aid. He, thus, encouraged States to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. As highlighted at the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the Economic and Social Council, held under Croatia's chairmanship, "impunity leads to further escalation of violence and widens existing trust gap", he said. He then underscored the importance of conflict prevention in sustaining peace and the key role of the Peacebuilding Commission in addressing root causes of conflict. Deploying the light-footprint civilian missions could assist transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding or prevent fragile countries from sliding into conflict, he added.

The representative of Poland , associating himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, said the global community must do everything possible to stop the deteriorating situation of children in armed conflict and hold the perpetrators accountable. He voiced full support for Israel's right to self-defence and condemned the attacks by Hamas, while reiterating the call for respect for international law. In Ukraine, the Russian Federation continues its disgraceful practice of forcibly displacing Ukrainian children, he said, urging the international community to join Kyiv's initiatives aimed at facilitating the return of Ukrainian children to their homes, such as the Bring Kids Back UA initiative and the Peace Formula. Poland is a proponent and a co-author of resolution 2475 (2019), which underscores the need for inclusive measures to protect and support children with disabilities in conflict zones, he said, voicing hope that the Secretary-General will continue to address the situation of those children in his reports.

The representative of Pakistan expressed concern over the "unjust" omission from the report of the situation of children in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. "Generations of Kashmiri children have grown up amidst fear of violence and repression under foreign occupation," he said, detailing the plight of children in the occupied territories, where where human rights violations are "tragically routine". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and special rapporteurs have been denied access to these territories to investigate these violations, he noted. Urging an investigation into the reported detention and torture of 13,000 Kashmiri youth by Indian forces after August 2019, he said his country had previously submitted to the UN a dossier with 3,432 cases of war crimes, corroborated by evidence. Objecting to the references to Pakistan in the Secretary-General's report, which are "outside of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur", he detailed his country's extensive legal, policy and operational measures to protect children.

The representative of Canada , speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict , voiced extreme concern over the scale and scope of the grave violations against children in 2023. "The skyrocketing number of grave violations verified in some situations of concern included in the Secretary-General's report is deeply disturbing," he said, calling on all parties listed in the Annexes to immediately implement action plans and other concrete, time-bound measures to strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict. Accordingly, he urged all parties to armed conflict to fully comply with their obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law. Further, he called for full accountability for all grave violations through national and international justice mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court. He also stressed the importance of adequate resourcing for child protection specialists and activities across UN mechanisms and operations. Greater support for the full and effective implementation of child protection mandates by UN peace operations, including in contexts where they may be in transition, is also essential.

The representative of Indonesia said: "Genocide is unfolding in Gaza, with children being the biggest casualty." Those who have died there "may have been the lucky ones", he added, as those who survive exist in a "living hell" while the world  and the Council  "seem to be helpless". Similar suffering is faced by many children in Myanmar, Sudan and other conflicts around the world. Underscoring that the Council cannot continue failing to resolve conflicts, he said that such failure "is a death sentence for the future generation". Against that backdrop  and while "many seem to have turned a blind eye to Palestinian children's right to live"  he stated that the world must stop the double standards in protecting children against grave violations of human rights. He also welcomed the Secretary-General's recommendation to ensure that child protection is included in the relevant mandates of peacekeeping operations and special political missions.

The representative of Bulgaria , aligning herself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, noted that "every lost child's life is one too many and there is no justification for it". Bulgaria remains steadfast in its condemnation of Moscow's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, she stressed, also expressing concern over the effects on children caused by the situations in Sudan, Haiti and Afghanistan. Calling on States to support the Safe Schools Declaration, she also encouraged them to adhere to the Vancouver Principles, ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict and implement the Paris Principles. Quoting Nelson Mandela, she stated: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

The representative of Guatemala said indiscriminate attacks against hospitals and educational facilities and direct attacks against civilians by explosive weapons, landmines and the use of chemical weapons, which cause the death of thousands of children, must be subject to the Council's robust sanctions. Voicing concern about the lack of humanitarian access to meet the needs of children, she called on all conflict parties to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid, in accordance with international law. Guatemala will continue to advocate for conflict prevention, early warning, the responsibility to protect, disarmament, ceasefire, mediation and the holding in good faith of peace talks that include the protection of children as a priority. After the withdrawal of peacekeeping operations, child protection capacities and monitoring and reporting mechanisms should be maintained to avoid an increase in vulnerabilities and risks, and, in turn, grave violations, she urged.

The representative of Austria , aligning himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict, described as "shocking" the verified 30,705 grave violations of international humanitarian law committed in 2023, affecting 22,557 children worldwide. "We must not forget: these are not merely statistics", he said, adding: "These are individuals with hopes and dreams, with rights and human dignity." The protection of children in armed conflicts is not an option, it is a must, he stressed, calling upon all Member States, in particular parties to armed conflicts, to respect international law as well as international child protection norms. Those responsible for grave violations against children must be brought to justice through prompt investigations, he underscored, stressing: "Every violation is one too many."

The representative of Greece , aligning himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, said that gender plays a key role in the exposure of children to grave violations. Attacks on education as well as acts of sexual violence have a disproportionate impact on girls and devastating consequences for their communities at large, he said, calling upon all parties to conflict to facilitate access to and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to all children. "It is important that all child protection provisions are incorporated in the mandates of UN peacekeeping and special political missions, in particular during mission transitions," he stressed, adding that as an incoming Security Council member, Greece reaffirms its support for the children and armed conflict agenda.

The representative of Brazil said that "civilians have long overtaken military personnel in the number of casualties" as they have become deliberate targets in conflict zones. Parties to conflict must comprehend that the denial of humanitarian access is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. "It should be clear that subjecting civilians to starvation to military ends is a war crime," he asserted. Furthermore, the priority given to military gain is especially appalling when it affects an inherently vulnerable group such as children. However, it does not need to be that way, he observed, spotlighting the plans of action negotiated by the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict with parties to conflict. Underscoring the need to ensure that transitions and drawdowns will not result in weaker child protection when there are risks to their safety, he said that the Council must not neglect this need when it re-evaluates the mandates of peacekeeping and special political missions.

The representative of the European Union , in its capacity as observer, said it was "unacceptable" that the international community "struggles to put an end" to the six grave violations affecting children the most in times of war. He urged all parties to armed conflict to uphold their obligations under international law and take concrete steps to prevent violations against children. "The fight against impunity is essential in this context," he added. Turning to the Russian Federation's "unprovoked and unjustified" war of aggression against Ukraine, he reiterated a call upon Moscow to "step up its efforts to protect children and to facilitate the immediate return of all Ukrainian children that have been abducted [...]". Detailing grave violations committed against children in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory on and after 7 October 2023, he stressed that "preventing further loss of life is an absolute priority", while urging an "immediate ceasefire".

In the context of the spiralling violence in Sudan, he said it was essential for all parties to fulfil their obligations under international law to ensure the protection of all children and to cease hostilities. Against this backdrop, the UN's children and armed conflict tools are more essential than ever, he noted, emphasizing the need for increased financial support for the UN's monitoring and reporting mechanism and child protection in UN peace operations. He also detailed the Union's children and armed conflict guidelines, which include a checklist for integrating child protection into the Union's common security and defence policy missions, offering practical advice for operational activities.

The representative of Malaysia condemned attacks on schools and hospitals, as well as the denial of unimpeded humanitarian access to innocent civilians in conflict. Expressing concern over the "anticipated decline" in the humanitarian situation in many countries  such as Myanmar  due to such denial, he called on parties to strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law and underlined the importance of the monitoring and reporting mechanism. He also welcomed the listing of Israeli armed and security forces, for killing and injuring children and attacking schools and hospitals, as "long overdue". "Atrocities committed by Israel on innocent Palestinian civilians  including children  have persisted for far too long," he said, adding that the lives of thousands of Palestinian children could have been saved if "strong condemnation and decisive action against the occupying Power" occurred earlier.

The representative of Kazakhstan said that Council members should advocate for full compliance with relevant international treaties and Council resolutions, noting that "failing to uphold these obligations is a breach of morality and humanity". Member States should also adhere to the Safe Schools Declaration, the Paris and the Vancouver Principles. To reinforce accountability, it is important to formulate comprehensive child protection strategies and allocate sufficient funding to maintain child protection priorities following the transition of the UN peacekeeping missions. Children who lack opportunities and education are more vulnerable to recruiters and perpetrators, he said, underscoring the importance of preventive measures and the need for increased investments in overall development, as well as addressing children's socioeconomic needs. "We must also enhance support for reintegration and rehabilitation programmes for children affected by armed conflict, as we do in Kazakhstan," he added.

The representative of Germany , associating himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, voiced alarm by the steep increase in grave violations in Israel and Palestine. He condemned Hamas' practice of abusing schools and hospitals for military activities and once again called on Israel to conduct military operations strictly in line with humanitarian law. Turning to the situation in Ukraine, he said it is unacceptable in the third year of its unprovoked attack that the Russian Federation still has not signed an action plan with the UN. Germany continues to be UNICEF's second largest donor and will continue to support the Office of the Special Representative in developing guidance notes on the denial of humanitarian access to be launched later this year, he said.

The representative of Chile pointed out the "worrisome" increase of violations of children's rights in armed conflict in 2023. Acknowledging the UN's progress in protecting children through engagement with conflict parties in several countries, he observed that 10,600 children previously linked to armed forces or groups received protection or reintegration support in 2023. Underscoring the importance of collective international efforts to protect children in armed conflict, he detailed his country's commitment to the cause through the ratification of relevant treaties. Given the high level of children's vulnerability, he underscored the fundamental focus on "prevention". Spotlighting the inclusion of Israel in the list of countries that seriously violate children's rights in armed conflict, he said: "This can serve as a new alert to bring an end to the invasion by Israel of the Gaza Strip."

The representative of Saudi Arabia , speaking for the Arab Group , said that Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza, targeting civilians in their homes and tents despite international calls to protect Palestinian civilians. Israel also strikes hospitals, schools, humanitarian convoys and medical teams in blatant violation of international law and uses starvation as a weapon of war. He therefore called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and pressure on Israel to stop its war against the Strip  "a war that has proved to be a war against Palestinian civilians". Further, Israel must allow humanitarian aid to flow fully, rapidly and unimpeded pursuant to Council resolutions 2712 (2023), 2720 (2023), 2728 (2024) and 2735 (2024).

He also renewed the call to open all land crossings to provide food and medicine to the Palestinian people and allow evacuation of the injured. Israel must also release all Palestinian children it has arrested, and he welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to include Israeli military and security forces on the "blacklist" for their crimes. For its part, the international community must bear its responsibility to protect Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and force Israel  as the occupying Power  to comply with its obligations in this regard. Adding that Israel's violent practices are "something that no human can accept, that no ethics can accept", he underscored that Israel must be held accountable.

The representative of Philippines said that children do not belong to the battlefield, adding that armed conflict  in which they have no say  deprives them of education and the right of being children. "We stand for peace and for peaceful settlement of disputes," he stressed, highlighting the substantial decrease in violations against children in his country thanks to the whole-of-Government approach. His country is committed to implementing the Children in Situations of Armed Conflict law. In that regard, Philippines armed forces and police authorities have adopted child protection policies. Furthermore, capacity-building for State and non-State partners has also been initiated, helping the Government to train more than 3,000 child protection actors. Noting that children embody the most compelling justification for the existence of countries, he added: "A State without children is a State on the brink of extinction".

The representative of Colombia said the Truth Commission  established through the 2016 Peace Accords between the Government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP)  heard the testimonies of 1,559 people who had suffered multiple violent events during their childhood and adolescence. The findings and stories have fostered mechanisms and actions aimed at protecting children and adolescents and ensuring safe environments, based on the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols, among other legal instruments. She called for strengthening national justice systems, supporting the International Criminal Court and ensuring comprehensive witness protection programs. "Children recruited by armed groups are not combatants; they are victims", she emphasized, urging investment in programs that provide these children with the skills and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives.

The representative of Luxembourg , aligning himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children in Armed Conflict, expressed shock at the increase in grave violations against children in 2023, noting "the real figure is a lot higher". Deploring the deteriorating situation faced by children in many hotspots, he stressed that "the lists annexed to the annual report must continue to reflect the reality". He further voiced concern over the growing refusal of humanitarian access and attacks on schools and hospitals, emphasizing that international law must be respected and "schools must be a safe place for children". He underscored that impunity for grave violations against children is intolerable, with the International Criminal Court playing a crucial role.

The representative of Portugal , aligning himself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, said that child protection strategies should be developed for UN missions' transition periods and their personnel and capacity should be preserved within the offices of resident coordinators. "Notwithstanding the fact that we should continue working on the normative dimension, it is implementation that is lagging behind," he noted. Further, he called on Moscow to step up efforts to facilitate the return of abducted Ukrainian children, also noting that the denial of humanitarian access in Sudan is "stealing away the last line of hope for hundreds of thousands of Sudanese children". Calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, he also urged the Taliban to lift the suspension of girls' secondary education and to reopen schools beyond the sixth grade for all girls.

The representative of Turkiye stressed: "There is no solution for Palestinian children other than a permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid and resumption of education." Turning to Syria, he said that the suffering of children continues unabated due to grave violations by the regime and terrorist organizations such as PKK/YPG [Kurdistan Workers' Party/Kurdish People's Protection Units] and its offshoots. However, such organizations' grave violations are not limited to Syria, as they continue to kill, maim and abduct children in Iraq. Further, they recruit and use children as soldiers and hinder the provision of better public services and infrastructure. "The terrorist organization also exploits the vacuum of authority in order to target my country from Iraqi soil," he said, pointing to 1,084 attacks on Turkiye from Iraq in 2023. Stating that allegations in the report on Turkiye's counter-terrorism operations in Syria and Iraq are "ungrounded", he said that such operations are conducted in full compliance with international law.

The representative of Israel noted that Secretary-General's report fails to acknowledge Hamas' systematic use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes and, thus, "obscures [the] real culprits of this conflict". The report's failure to include Israel's humanitarian actions further distorts the reality on the ground. For years Israel been concerned about the report's methodology, he said, observing that this year's report has "sunk to the new low". The decision to include Israel to the annex of the report  alongside terrorist organizations  is counterproductive for protecting children. This approach erodes the credibility of the children and armed conflict agenda and fails to address the realities of asymmetric warfare, he stressed, adding that by failing to address these crimes, the UN creates safe havens for terrorists. "The UN's disregard for this modus operandi of terrorist organizations places children all over the world  today and in the future  in great danger", he added.

The representative of Denmark , speaking also on behalf of Finland , Iceland , Norway and Sweden , called on Member States and parties to conflict to comply with international humanitarian law and human rights law. Voicing concern about the immense suffering of children in Gaza, grave violations against children in Ukraine and Sudan, and the situations in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Mali, Myanmar and Yemen, she stressed that all parties to conflict must allow and facilitate the rapid, safe, systematic and unimpeded access of relief personnel, equipment and supplies, as well as timely delivery of humanitarian assistance. Member States must investigate and prosecute those responsible for grave violations of international law against children and cooperate with international justice mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court.

The existing mechanisms and frameworks for protecting children must be strengthened, she continued, noting that the monitoring and reporting mechanism is a prerequisite for the children and armed conflict mandate. As such, its funding and maintenance must be ensured. In Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Chad, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar and in Gaza, the ground is contaminated with explosive remnants of war, exposing children and their families to harm and preventing development and sustainable peace, she said, calling for greater action to prevent the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. During UN-mission transitions, child protection must be carefully planned for and capacities preserved and transferred to relevant actors to ensure that children are not left exposed to violations, she added.

The representative of Lebanon highlighted the severe impact of Israeli aggression on children in the south of Lebanon since 7 October, with 12 children killed, more than 75 injured and over 30,000 children fleeing to the north of the country. Welcoming the designation of the Israeli army and security forces on the list of perpetrators of grave violations against children in armed conflict, he stressed the importance of "holding the perpetrators accountable". The Secretary-General's latest report mentioned six Lebanese children killed or maimed by the Israeli army in 2023, he observed, voicing hope that the next year's report will include updated figures. "We are worried of the long-term impact of this aggression on the safety, health, and education of our children," he said, calling for increased international pressure on Israel to end its aggression and to seek diplomatic solutions.

The representative of Viet Nam said that addressing the root causes of conflicts through sustainable development helps to prevent conflicts fuelled by economic and social disparities. Additionally, Member States  especially those party to conflict  must abide by their obligations under international law and relevant UN resolutions to protect civilian populations and infrastructure and to ensure unhindered humanitarian access. "More efforts and priorities must be channelled towards ceasefires for the ongoing conflicts around the world," he stressed, which would save lives, facilitate humanitarian efforts and allow children to be reunited with their families and return to school. Also urging the creation of a comprehensive framework that integrates peacebuilding and economic development with child protection, he said that his country  "having gone through decades of war and witnessed first-hand the grave consequences of conflicts on children"  puts the "highest premium" on the protection of children.

The representative of Qatar , aligning herself with the Arab Group and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, said that her Government  as a leading international player  is proud of its efforts to support good quality education and strengthen the right to education in emergency situations. Furthermore, Qatar has launched international efforts to adopt the General Assembly's resolution on safe schools and provided support to the analysis and communication centre in Doha of the Office of the Special Representative. This centre was inaugurated in June 2022 to support capacity-building and prevent violations against children in armed conflict. As part of the ongoing efforts in that regard, the Government has evacuated more than 2,000 sick and injured children from Gaza and has sent dozens of airplanes with humanitarian assistance to the Strip.

The representative of Yemen voiced regret that the Secretary-General's report does not mention the distortion of school curricula or the establishment of so-called summer camps by the Houthi militia to brainwash children with extremist ideas and fill their minds with slogans of death and hatred. Pointing to the hundreds of children on the Galaxy ship photographed by international media, he said: "This is the largest open recruitment operation at the hands of the Houthi militia that run counter to calls for de-escalation." His Government remains keen to support the efforts of the UN and the Yemen country team to stop violations against children, he said, voicing hope that the upcoming Secretary-General's report will address those violations. He called on the UN and international partners to provide support for the Yemeni Government's programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate children affected by conflict and to support their psychological and mental health.

The representative of Lithuania , speaking also on behalf of Estonia and Latvia and aligning himself with the European Union, said that the persistent increase in child suffering calls for "renewed dedication to protecting children in conflict zones, reinforcing the importance of our collective responsibility to safeguard their futures". Drawing attention to the fact that the Russian Federation is the only permanent member of the Council listed in the annexes of the report for the second consecutive year, he expressed confusion about Moscow's "supposed engagement" with the Special Representative. Also, commending international efforts, especially those led by Qatar, to mediate the return of "unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred" Ukrainian children, he voiced alarm over Moscow's extensive "passportization campaign" in Ukraine. On the situation in the Middle East, he stressed it was "crucial to promptly and without delay agree to a humanitarian pause in hostilities".

The representative of Armenia said: "Underreporting is a major challenge that can lead to bias and inadequate response, enabling the perpetration of further violations." The war unleashed against Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020, amidst the global pandemic, caused immense suffering, destruction and the displacement of thousands of people. Deliberate strikes damaged medical facilities and destroyed schools, and the civilian population in Nagorno-Karabakh became victim to an inhumane blockade. Then, after a 10-month siege, Azerbaijan unleashed a large-scale military offensive in September 2023, "as a result of which the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh was forced to leave their ancestral homeland and find refuge in Armenia", she said. Also stating that educational curricula in Azerbaijan "are aimed at indoctrinating children with 'Armenophobia' and inciting violence and intolerance", she condemned fuelling hatred based on national identity among children and youth.

The representative of Bangladesh said that his country  home to 1.2 million Rohingya refugees  is concerned about cross-border implications of the violations against children in Myanmar. The country's Constitution safeguards life, liberty, freedom from torture and prohibition from forced labour of all citizens including children and has established legal and policy frameworks to protect and promote their rights. The Children Act 1974 is the principal law aimed at protecting children, while the 2000 Women and Children Repression Preventions (Special Provisions Act) penalizes crimes of violence against women and children. Highlighting that Bangladesh peacekeepers have served in many difficult situations to protect children, he added: "This is a shame that the onslaught [in Gaza] is still continuing." He, thus, requested the Special Representative to "pay more attention to this tragic happening in Gaza".

The representative of Mexico voiced support for peace operations, including the advisers for the protection of minors who are helping Governments to adopt national strategies and bolster local infrastructure for peace. Also needed is continued pressure through the Council and other UN bodies, so that parties to conflict fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law and are otherwise reported to other bodies, such as the International Criminal Court. Mexico will continue to strongly condemn all forms of violence against children during armed conflict and will always raise its voice against forced recruitment, killings, maiming, sexual violence and attacks against children's human rights in all their forms.

The representative of Jordan , aligning himself with the Arab Group and the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict, said that the high increase in the violations against children in 2023 has "grave repercussions and dire implications" on children and the peace and security of the world and future. Noting that the "barbaric" Israeli war against Gaza has killed around 38,000 Palestinians, with children accounting for one third, he described the blacklisting of the Israeli army and security forces for grave violations against children, as evidence of that country's "deliberate killing of civilians, including children" and its tactic to use starvation as a weapon. He called for immediate action from the Security Council and the international community to stop the aggression, lift the siege on Gaza and protect civilians from further violence, starvation and humiliation.

The representative of India said that terrorists and armed groups continue to commit the majority of violations against children in conflict zones. Noting that "children remain particularly vulnerable to indoctrination through violent extremist ideologies designed to foment terrorism", he stressed that this challenge can only be overcome by "resolute action by Governments on whose territory such entities operate". Among other points, he called for a more inclusive approach to provide protection to child victims of armed conflicts, as those who face relocation and reintegration require special attention. "Children who grow up in conflict and post-conflict situations often need a fresh start," he observed. Also noting "politically motivated and unfounded" remarks made by one representative against India, he said: "I categorically dismiss and condemn these baseless remarks with the contempt they deserve."

The representative of Spain , aligning herself with the European Union and the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, expressed concern over the high levels of killing, maiming and detentions of Palestinian children in the conflict in Gaza, while also condemning the killings, abductions and sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October 2023. "Spain calls for the immediate and permanent ceasefire," she stressed. She noted that most of the above incidents are caused by explosive weapons in populated areas, also condemning the denial of humanitarian aid. Reporting that attacks on educational establishments have increased by 20 per cent in 2022-2023, she said that they expose children to the greater risks of suffering violations. She further expressed concern over children's access to health care, stating: "Children do not start wars and they should not be victims of conflict."

The representative of South Africa , associating himself with the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict, said parties to conflict must take every measure to ensure that children are protected and treated according to international norms and standards. He voiced concern by the assertion in the report that State actors are responsible for the majority of killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access, especially when they bear the primary responsibility for protecting children. He implored all stakeholders in conflict regions to respect and adhere to international law and international humanitarian law. Voicing grave concern by the impact of the Israeli war on Palestinians in Gaza, particularly on children, he said Israel's unprecedented and disproportionate targeted attacks must not be ignored and must cease in accordance with the recent 24 May Order of the International Court of Justice.

The permanent observer for the State of Palestine expressed profound regret that it took a "genocidal war" against his people to finally add Israel to the "list of shame" this year. He highlighted the devastating toll in Gaza, where nearly 16,000 Palestinian children were killed and another 21,000 are missing. Gaza, once a vibrant place where children set world records in sports, has now been reduced to a graveyard. He condemned the erosion of morality witnessed globally during eight months of conflict, as images flooded social media showing Palestinian children starving, injured with severe burns or no limbs, fighting for their lives. "Where is your humanity?", he asked, calling for "collective resolve and responsibility to pressure Israel to stop the madness". "Enforce a ceasefire now, save our and your humanity now," he added. The persistent "political appeasement and double standards" made Israel believe it was exempt from the rule of law, he said, dismissing the "lie" about "the Israeli army" as the "most moral army in the world". There is nothing moral in using attacks against civilians, including children, as a weapon of war, as a tool for political pressure in negotiations, or a catalyst to stay in power, he emphasized.

The representative of Belgium observed that "2023 was an awful year for children in armed conflict", which was most evident in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. He therefore urged all parties to immediately stop grave violations against children in Palestine and Israel, and welcomed the Israeli Government's recent offer to develop an action plan with the UN. "Gaza is by no means the only place where intolerable violence against children took place last year," he stated. Pointing to the high number of violations registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo "year after year" and MONUSCO's future withdrawal, he urged national authorities to "do more" to end and prevent such violations and encouraged the UN to "preserve the necessary child-protection capacity" in that country. He also spotlighted revisions to the European Union Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, whose recent adoption was a main priority of Belgium's presidency of the bloc.

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Energy Assurance Campaign Plan emphasizes robust, secure, mission-ready posture

Published June 26, 2024

By Marisa Alia-Novobilski

Air Force Materiel Command

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- The Air Force Materiel Command released an updated Energy Assurance Campaign Plan, providing a foundation for collaboration, cooperation and innovation in all energy-related fields across the organization.

"Energy and water are essential mission resources we depend on every day," said Gen. Duke Z. Richardson, AFMC commander, in the foreword. "Events of recent years demonstrate an upward trend in environmental, physical and cyber threats to our nation's supply systems ... we need to ensure installation energy systems can provide a mission-appropriate level of energy assurance."

The EACP consists of five lines of effort in support of operationally agile and mission-protective energy systems. The LOEs are:

Optimized Systems and Processes

Cyber-resilient Control Systems

Mission Matched Capabilities

Reliable and Managed Infrastructure

System Performance Assurance

The LOEs align to five components of resilience, which are identified as robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness, response and recovery. The campaign plan adopts Department of the Air Force standards and metrics, sets unity in approach, organizes response and heightens awareness that without a sustained investment in vital energy resources and infrastructure, missions are increasingly at risk.

"Energy assurance is mission assurance," said Capt. Timothy DeJong, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Detachment 6 operations program manager. "Energy plays a vital role in everything that we do, and managing the energy portfolio appropriately, in alignment with DAF guidance, is of the utmost importance."

To read the full AFMC Energy Assurance Campaign Plan, visit here.

To learn more about DAF Energy, click here.

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LeMay Center, AMC announce major update to Air Mobility Operations Doctrine

Published June 26, 2024

By Senior Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger

Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) -- The Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and Air Mobility Command collaborated on significant revisions to the recently released Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-36, Air Mobility Operations, reflecting the service's renewed commitment to maneuverability and lethality.

The publication's first major revision in five years also reflects the evolving strategic environment and re-emphasizes the importance of the joint functions of maneuver, sustainment and command and control. "These principles are critical to preparing the mobility air forces to effectively position the joint force for advantage and deliver lethal effects at the tempo required for victory," said Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander.

Highlighting the publication's release, Minihan stressed, "Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, the victors study maneuver." Remarking on the efforts to update the doctrine he added, "This version of AFDP 3-36 pushes the envelope in recognizing what the mobility air forces bring to the fight and how we elevate the lethality of the joint team. It includes new sections on command and control, maneuver, the key role air mobility plays in deterrence operations, and critical lessons learned from Operation Allies Refuge, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recent operations in Israel. Our future challenge demands close reading of this document and thinking about how to fight."

AFDP 3-36 underscores that air mobility operations are a fundamental extension of airpower  the capability to project military power through control and exploitation in, from and through the air. This updated doctrine aligns with the realities of Great Power Competition and is the first in a series of major service doctrine updates designed to prepare the Air Force for future conflicts.

The LeMay Center is responsible for the development, dissemination and implementation of Air Force doctrine. It is conducting a full doctrine review in support of the Air Force re-optimization for Great Power Competition.

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Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Hosts Staff Talks in Manila, Philippines Aboard USS Blue Ridge

US Navy

26 June 2024

From Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

MANILA, Philippines -- Sailors assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet hosted allied staff talks with members of the Philippines Armed Forces aboard U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) in Manila, Philippines, June 20-21.

These talks built upon previous discussions between the 7th Fleet and the Philippine Fleet staffs that took place in Manila, Philippines, May 13-14, 2024.

Service members from both nations discussed maritime domain awareness, identifying areas to further strengthen interoperability, visual information, and enhancing communication capabilities. The desired end state of these staff talks was improving future operations, interactions, and coordination between the allied navies.

Lt. Cmdr. Joseph McGinnis, a 7th Fleet theater security cooperation officer, discussed the unique opportunity presented from the staff talks.

"It is through forums such as staff talks that we align our efforts with our Philippine Fleet counterparts," said McGinnis. "These opportunities strengthen the enduring partnership between our two maritime forces."

The engagement centered around reinforcing the long-standing friendship between both nations and increasing the U.S.-Philippine bilateral relationship, which included subject matter expert exchanges in multiple warfare areas.

"These talks help us to build bilaterally agreed upon lines of effort focused on mutually desired end states," said Capt. Tuan Nguyen, assistant chief of staff of plans and engagements, 7th Fleet. "Subject matter expert exchanges, bilateral and multilateral exercises, Maritime Cooperative Activities, and Key Leader Engagements... all of these events advance our Fleets towards a common goal of enhancing interoperability. Interoperability is not just a military necessity, but it is also a reflection of the bonds that unite our maritime forces."

The staff talks were one of many events between the U.S. 7th Fleet, USS Blue Ridge and Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel during the ship's port visit to Manila, the first stop of the U.S. 7th Fleet's ongoing patrol.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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Israel's Gallant: 'Significant progress' made on US arms shipments

By VOA News June 26, 2024

Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant on Wednesday said "significant progress" has been made in allaying Israel's concerns about the flow of U.S. weapons to the Jewish state.

"Obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed, in order to advance a variety of issues, and more specifically the topic of force build-up and munition supply," Gallant said after meeting at the White House with Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser.

Earlier in the week, Gallant had met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The U.S. is Israel's chief arms supplier, but in recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had complained about what he said was the slowed pace of deliveries over several months. White House officials said they were baffled by Netanyahu's remarks.

A White House statement said Sullivan "reaffirmed President Biden's commitment to ensure that Israel has all it needs to defend itself militarily and confront its Iranian-backed adversaries," Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The U.S. officials voiced alarm this week that Israeli-Hezbollah skirmishes on the Lebanese border could escalate into a broader Mideast war.

United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told reporters in Geneva that the spread of Gaza fighting into Lebanon was "potentially apocalyptic." Israel's military said last week that plans for an offensive in Lebanon were "approved and validated."

"We are worried about the potential for further tragedy and deaths," Griffiths said, warning that a war involving Lebanon "will draw in Syria ... it will draw in others."

"It will of course have an impact on Gaza; of course it will have an impact on the West Bank," he said. "It's very alarming."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday criticized what he said were Netanyahu's plans to "spread the war" in Gaza to the broader region.

"Israel is now setting its sights on Lebanon, and we see that Western powers behind the scenes are patting Israel on the back and even supporting them," Erdogan told lawmakers.

Netanyahu has said the "intense phase" of fighting against Hamas in Gaza will end soon and Israeli forces will redeploy to the northern border where Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah have been trading fire for months. Netanyahu has cast the shift as defensive.

U.S. officials this week have expressed their own opposition, warning Israel against moves that could expand the conflict.

Austin told Gallant that a heightened conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could touch off a regional war. Austin urged a diplomatic solution.

"Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with terrible consequences for the Middle East," Austin said. "Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent more escalation."

Gallant, speaking before meeting with Austin, said, "We are working closely together to achieve an agreement, but we must also discuss readiness on every possible scenario."

Blinken, the top U.S. diplomat, also urged Israel to avoid escalation in Lebanon when he met with Gallant on Monday.

Israel and Hezbollah last fought a full-scale war in 2006 when a cross-border Hezbollah attack sparked 34 days of fighting that took a heavy toll on Lebanon, especially the country's southern region.

Gallant also met with CIA chief Bill Burns, the key U.S. official in negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas.

The war in Gaza was triggered by last October's Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,600 Palestinians, mostly civilians, but including thousands of combatants, according to the territory's health ministry.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Two 19-year-olds face a raft of felony charges following their alleged armed robbery of a Mission District liquor store, San Francisco prosecutors said. Rafe Swan / Getty Image

San Francisco prosecutors have charged two people with a raft of felonies linked to an armed robbery of a liquor store in the Mission District.

The incident occurred shortly after 9:30 p.m. on June 21, when Favian Gonzales-Vancorner and Ana Reyes, both 19, tried to buy alcohol from a shop on the 1200 block of Valencia Street without presenting valid ID, prosecutors say. After a clerk blocked the purchase, the pair left but later returned, allegedly swiping packs of mixed drinks from store shelves and then flashing a semiautomatic gun when the clerk tried to stop them.

Two days later, police arrested Gonzales-Vancorner and Reyes after spotting them in a car. Officers said they seized a loaded ghost gun during the arrest. Both defendants pleaded not guilty charges that include possession of a concealed gun inside a vehicle without proper registration and carrying a gun without registration. Additionally, Gonzales-Vancorner faces charges of second-degree robbery, and a string of gun charges including possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, possession of an assault weapon and possession of a large-capacity magazine.

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When the defendants were arraigned Wednesday, the district attorneys office moved to keep both behind bars, arguing that they posed a threat to public safety. However, a San Francisco Superior Court judge released Reyes  who, according to prosecutors, had committed the recent robbery while out on bail.

Jail records show that Gonzales-Vancorner was still incarcerated as of Thursday afternoon. Their next court date, a preliminary hearing, is scheduled for July 10.

My office will do everything we can to support our neighborhoods and small businesses who are under siege from brazen thieves who feel as if they have the right to take what they want with impunity, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. They are mistaken. They will be identified, arrested and prosecuted.

Attempts to reach attorneys for the two defendants were not immediately successful.
Congo's children: Recruited, raped and killed in conflict

By Margaret Besheer June 26, 2024

A Congolese teenager appealed to the U.N. Security Council Wednesday to protect children in his country, where conflict between the military and armed groups in the country's east is exacting an appalling toll on children.

"I ask you all to take up the cause of defending children's rights internationally and in the Democratic Republic of Congo," the 16-year-old boy, whose identity was protected, told a meeting focusing on children and armed conflict through an interpreter.

Last year, the United Nations verified almost 4,000 grave violations against children in the Central African nation, where armed groups have been vying for years with the military for control over the country's vast natural resources.

More than 1,800 children were recruited by armed groups last year, according to the annual U.N. report that verifies violations against children.

Sixteen armed groups operating in the country were named and shamed for a range of offenses, from abducting and forcibly recruiting children, to maiming and killing them.

The Congolese armed forces were listed for committing rape and other forms of sexual violence against children, but the U.N. noted they have taken formal steps aimed at preventing such abuses.

More than 650 children were verified to have been killed or maimed last year, the majority by three armed groups  CODECO, the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, and M23. Thirty child casualties were attributed to the army and police.

The teenager who addressed the Security Council spoke of how he was abducted, beaten and forcibly recruited by an armed group on his way to school one day with two friends.

"We cried and trembled, begging them to let us go home to our families, but they wouldn't listen," he recounted. "That's when they started whipping us and keeping us in the bush. We were heavily guarded, and they had orders to kill anyone who tried to flee. I had to leave school to serve this armed group by force."

His job was to steal food from farmers' fields.

"During the fighting, many [child recruits] were exposed to being killed by the enemy, and others were killed by their groups themselves, for fear they would divulge their secrets if caught by the military," he said.

After three years in the bush and losing hope of ever seeing his family again, one day he took his chance and escaped while out searching for food. Found by the army, he was taken into custody and briefly sent to a military prison. He went through demobilization rehabilitation and has now returned to school. But not all children are as fortunate.

"Girls were also abducted," he said. "Some became wives of the chiefs, while others were taken by other soldiers."

Spiraling sexual violence

The United Nations report says sexual violence was perpetrated against 279 girls and two boys last year  including rape, gang rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery.

"The use of sexual violence as a modus operandi of armed groups is spiraling," Ted Chaiban, UNICEF deputy executive director, told the council.

"During my recent visits to the DRC, I met with adolescent girls who had run away with their siblings when their villages were attacked, and who now headed their households," he said.

Chaiban said it is especially worrying that the conflict is intensifying at the same time the large U.N. peacekeeping mission is beginning to leave the country, at the government's request.

"There is a very real risk that the humanitarian crisis in the DRC could soon become a catastrophe," he said.

It is not just children who are experiencing horrific abuse. Women are also subjected to staggering rates of sexual violence.

In Goma, capital of North Kivu province, instances of sexual violence in the first half of 2024 were double the amount recorded over the same time last year, from 7,500 reported cases to 15,000, said Francois Moreillon, the International Committee of the Red Cross's head of delegation in DRC.

"Anyone with a gun feels that he can do whatever he wants," he told reporters.

Moreillon recounted how a woman that the ICRC had treated after being raped told caregivers that she and other women were taking condoms with them into the forest when they went to collect firewood  a prime time for women to be attacked.

She said they hoped to persuade their potential rapists to wear them so they could prevent sexually transmitted diseases and lessen the anger of their husbands, who often leave women after finding out they have been raped.

The Congo has one of the largest internal displacement crises in the world, with more than 7 million people affected.

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US judge sentences Honduran ex-president to 45 years for drug trafficking

By VOA News June 26, 2024

Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was sentenced Wednesday in New York to 45 years in U.S. prison for aiding drug traffickers who used the Honduran military and national police forces to transport large amounts of cocaine into the United States.

Hernandez, 55, governed Honduras, a U.S. ally in Central America, from 2014 to 2022, serving two terms. He was arrested at his home in the capital, Tegucigalpa, three months after leaving office in 2022 and was extradited to the U.S. in April of that year.

His brother, Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernandez, was sentenced to life in prison in 2021 on similar drug-related charges.

Prosecutors alleged that Hernandez had colluded with drug traffickers since 2004, accepting millions of dollars in bribes. They argued for a life sentence, saying it would deter other traffickers and corrupt officials.

"Hernandez did more to combat drug trafficking in Honduras than any president before or since," said his lawyer, Renato Stabile, who sought a maximum sentence of 40 years and indicated Hernandez would appeal.

During the trial in Manhattan federal court, Hernandez admitted drug money had permeated all major political parties in Honduras but denied personally accepting bribes. The jury convicted him in March based on evidence that he used drug money to manipulate elections in 2013 and 2017.

Hernandez maintained his innocence, attributing the charges to revenge by convicted traffickers opposed to his anti-drug policies.

Judge P. Kevin Castel also fined him $8 million. Castel called the former president a "two-faced politician hungry for power" and said he protected certain traffickers.

Hernandez criticized the trial's fairness and claimed critical evidence was excluded.

"It's as if I had been thrown into a deep river with my hands bound," Hernandez said through an interpreter.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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Several shot, protesters storm Kenya's parliament after lawmakers approve tax hikes

By Mariama Diallo June 26, 2024

Several people were shot outside Kenya's parliament on Tuesday as police clashed with protesters who stormed the complex after lawmakers passed highly controversial tax increases.

Police fired live ammunition after tear gas and rubber bullets failed to disperse the thousands who had gathered to protest the tax hikes.

Witnesses told VOA they saw a number of bodies on the ground outside the building, and news reports say that at least five people were killed.

Meanwhile, fires broke out in the parliament buildings after protesters made it past police barricades. At least two vehicles in the area were set on fire and burned.

Protesters had demonstrated peacefully near parliament in Nairobi most of the day to demand that lawmakers vote against the 2024 Finance Bill. However, the bill was approved on a 195 to 106 vote.

One protester told VOA he disagrees with what the government is trying to do and had to be there to make his voice heard.

"We are protesting against government impunity. You see the finance bill is not something that is going to make Kenyans live at peace," he said. "And you've seen we've tried to talk to the government but they are forcing it down our throat. So I've decided as a youth to come here and protest and tell them that the government is made by the people, we are the people and we want the government to listen to us."

Kelvin Moses works near where the protests were taking place. He told VOA the demonstrations have affected many businesses in the Central Business district.

"The businesses are really down, the traffic and flow of customers has really been affected," Moses said. "You can see that in the CBD [Central Business District], very few shops are open. We hope this matter can be resolved as soon as possible because we business people are feeling the pinch."

After the vote, some lawmakers fled the parliament complex as hundreds of protesters broke through police barricades and rushed inside.

Kenya has seen a growing youth-led movement in recent days against the tax increases, which the government says are necessary to continue to pay the interest on its high sovereign debt.

Lawmakers made some compromises on the tax bill, dropping proposed increases on bread, car ownership and financial transactions.

But that was not enough for protesters who said the cost of living is already too high.

The protests have been led largely by young people. However, Kenyan lawyer Javas Bigambo told VOA the opposition to the finance bill is not just limited to the youth.

"There has been the assumption that the protests are merely a creation of the Gen-Z or the youth in the country forgetting that these protests, organic as they are, have continued to receive overwhelming support from civil society organizations, from the farmers, manufacturers, the private sector and religious leaders," Bigambo said.

The Finance Bill still needs President William Ruto's signature to become law.

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Security challenges, internal division, mar Somalia's 64th birthday

By Mohamed Olad, Abdiaziz Barrow June 26, 2024

Somalia, an impoverished nation in the horn of Africa, has begun celebrating 65 years of independence, though it comes amid a backdrop of division and a pivotal security transition.

Independence Week is celebrated annually from June 26 to July 1 to honor the 1960 union of British Somaliland and Italian Somalia. It paved the way for a united Somalia with hopes of progress and prosperity, although they remain a dream, according to Sokor Jama, former director of Somalia's Defense Ministry.

"I believe it is not the time to celebrate,'' Jama told VOA Somali. ''You can celebrate your success of gaining an independence only when you have reached your goals. Look where Somalia is at today. .... It is cursed with a division within, insecurity and poverty."

Speaking with VOA, Abdullahi Salamulah, an adviser to the office of Somalia's parliament speaker, disagreed.

"I defer to Jama on the issue of celebrating the country's independence," Salamumlah said. ''I do not see hatred among Somali people. The ordinary people are united, but yes, there are politicians here and there who are divided on issues for their own benefits, and they try to change the public narratives."

Broke away in 1991

Somaliland, a former British protectorate, broke away from Somalia in 1991 and continued its effort to be a separate country but has not been internationally recognized.

The government in Mogadishu, however, wants the country's northern territory to be part of a single Somali state.

The leaders of Mogadishu and Hargeisa presented dramatically opposing views regarding Somalia's unity during Tuesday's celebrations. In a ceremonial event in Mogadishu preceded by songs, poems, folklore dancing and the hoisting of the national flag, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the day stands for unity revival.

"I want to repeat again and again that Independence Day is the day of revival, rebirth and reconciliation of the Somali people," he said.

"I congratulate the entire Somali nation on the occasion of June 26, which marks the 64th anniversary of the independence of the northern regions from British colonial rule and the raising of our flag on free Somali soil," Mohamud said.

Regional tensions

Independence Week this year comes amid regional tension between Ethiopia and Somalia over Ethiopia's desire to set up a naval base there and a possible offer to recognize Somaliland in exchange.

The move prompted a defiant response from Mogadishu, fearing the deal could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region.

In February, Somalia, which has no control in Somaliland, ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates there and in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

Senior officials from Somaliland and Puntland, which is engaged in another constitutional dispute with Mogadishu, said the edicts would not apply in their territories.

Somalia said at the time it would defend itself if Ethiopia seals an illegal port deal.

In Tuesday's speech, Mohamud said his government understands Ethiopia's desire for access to the sea but opposes the methods it has employed.

"The issue is not a fight over Somalia rejecting a sea access for Ethiopia, but our dispute is over the means. If Ethiopia wants to get sea access in Somalia, we welcome it, but it must be similar to how Uganda and South Sudan access Kenya's ports, how Burundi and Rwanda access Tanzania, and how Ethiopia itself has access to Djibouti," Mohamud said.

In Hargeisa, Somaliland President Muse Bihi said authorities in Mogadishu are the biggest challenge for the autonomous region's fight for recognition as an independent state.

Speaking at a ceremony held in Hargeisa Tuesday night, Bihi said Mohamud does not oppose Ethiopian access to the sea but wants Ethiopia to get signoff from Mogadishu.

The Memorandum of Understanding Somaliland "signed with Ethiopia will be turned to a law and will be implemented without seeking permission from Mogadishu, whose real territorial control does not extend beyond Mogadishu," Bihi said.

Security challenges

As African Transition Mission in Somalia, or ATMIS, peacekeepers continue to gradually leave Somalia by the end of 2024, Somalia still faces security challenges, with questions and concerns raised over the country's readiness to take charge and face al-Shabab, which remains a genuine threat to the country and the region.

Briefing the U.N. Security Council on the Somalia situation, ATMIS head Mohamed El-Amine Souef told ambassadors that al-Shabab remains resilient.

"The group still retain[s] the ability to conduct devastating attacks, including employing asymmetric tactics and organizing complex operations on civilians and security targets," he said.

Souef said 2,000 troops will depart Somalia by the end of July, and the remaining 2,000 at the end of September, as part of the transition of security responsibility from ATMIS to the Security Forces.

James Swan, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia, also told the council that the Somalia government was prioritizing security and combating al-Shabab fighters on many fronts.

"For its part, al-Shabab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little regard for the loss of civilian life," he said.

Swan also raised his concerns over the tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and he urged both nations to resolve their differences peacefully.

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Readout of National Security Advisor to the Vice President Phil Gordon's Trip to Israel and the West Bank

June 26, 2024

National Security Advisor to the Vice President Dr. Phil Gordon visited Israel June 23-25 to deliver remarks at the Herzliya Conference and to consult with Israeli officials on Gaza, Lebanon, and other areas. Dr. Gordon met with President Isaac Herzog, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and Chairman of the National Unity Party Benny Gantz. Throughout his discussions with Israeli officials, Dr. Gordon discussed Israeli operations in Gaza and day-after planning efforts on reconstruction, security, and governance in Gaza. Dr. Gordon reiterated the importance of the ceasefire deal that is on the table and the imperative of securing the release of all hostages. Dr. Gordon emphasized the importance of improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Dr. Gordon reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security against all Iranian-backed terrorist groups to include Lebanese Hezbollah. They discussed ongoing U.S. efforts to support de-escalation across the Blue Line and a diplomatic resolution that would ensure the return of both Israeli and Lebanese families to their homes in the area. Dr. Gordon discussed the situation in the West Bank and expressed concern with steps  including extreme settler violence and settlement expansion  that could destabilize the West Bank and undermine the cause of peace.

On June 25, Dr. Gordon traveled to Ramallah, the West Bank, to continue our consultations with Palestinian officials. Dr. Gordon met with Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the PLO Hussein al-Sheikh and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Muhammad Mustafa. Dr. Gordon welcomed the appointment of the new Palestinian Authority cabinet and discussed the need for continued reforms to deliver results for the Palestinian people. Dr. Gordon and Palestinian officials discussed the conflict in Gaza and day-after planning efforts. Dr. Gordon expressed the importance of improving humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza, and our concern with steps  such as extreme settler violence and settlement expansion  that could destabilize the West Bank and undermine the cause of peace.

# # #

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On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby

June 26, 2024

National Security Council

Via Teleconference

10:34 A.M. EDT

MODERATOR: Hey. Good morning, everyone. Thanks so much for joining today's News of the Day Gaggle with White House National Security Comms Advisor John Kirby. I'll turn it over to him for a topper, and then we'll take some of your questions.

MR. KIRBY: Good morning, everybody. So, just right off the top, since I know many of you are closely tracking the events out of Nairobi, we hope you can understand that this is an evolving situation and we're working to obtain and to help you get as much information as quickly as possible.

We've all seen the reporting, and I just want to stress again that the United States is deeply concerned about and we condemn the reported violence in all its forms. We offer our deepest condolences, of course, to the families who have been impacted by this violence. And we continue to urge restraint so that no further Kenyans are put in harm's way while exercising their right to peaceful public assembly. That right is protected by the Kenyan constitution, and we believe it must be respected.

The United States has been in touch with the Kenyan government to urge appropriate use of force by the police, to respect human rights, and quite frankly, to respect due process for those that have been detained. And we will continue to push for calm to prevail.

And now, yesterday  switching to Haiti  the Multinational Security Support Mission, that will grow eventually to 2,500 multinational personnel, arrived in Haiti. As you know, this effort is being led by Kenya and with strong support from the United States. The mission includes personnel, financial support from over a dozen countries that will support the Haitian National Police as they increase their anti-gang operations, build their capacity to maintain public safety, and to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches everybody in need.

The United States is this particular mission's largest financial contributor and the largest donor to Haiti in general, providing more than $300 million and up to $60 million in equipment. And we're going to continue our diplomatic outreach to encourage others to join that effort as well.

We've also worked with Kenya and other partners to integrate critically important accountability and oversight measures into the mission.

Now, I want to be clear right at the top here: This mission is not going to solve all of Haiti's problems, but it is a good, positive first step and to provide the best chance for Haiti to get on a path toward democratic governance and rule of law. It is about making the Haitian National Police better  better resourced, better led, better trained, better capable. That's what this is about, and we're going into it with that in mind.

Shifting topics, if I could: Today, we also welcomed the announcement that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will serve as the next Secretary General of NATO. President Biden and Prime Minister Rutte have worked very closely together over the past decade when Joe Biden was Vice President and, of course, now that he's Commander-in-Chief. And they work together on a variety of issues, including our shared strong support for Ukraine, on safeguarding advanced technologies, and strengthening the transatlantic alliance. President Biden strongly believes that Mark Rutte will make an excellent Secretary General. And he's grateful for his willingness to serve in that capacity.

We'd also like to thank, of course, Jens Stoltenberg for a decade of service to the Alliance during the most consequential period of European security since World War Two. Under his leadership, the NATO Alliance has become larger and stronger, and Allied unity is at an all-time high, which has been an important priority for President Biden.

And that takes us right  I mean, his leadership has really guided us right toward next month's 75th anniversary summit for NATO, here in Washington, D.C., which will be followed by the leadership transition, of course, in the fall when President  I'm sorry, when Secretary General Stoltenberg steps down and the new Secretary General, Mark Rutte, steps into the job.

Finally, as you all know, Evan Gershkovich appeared in court today for the start of what we view as nothing more than a sham trial. I'll state it again: Evan has never been employed by the United States government. Evan is not a spy. Journalism is not a crime. And Evan should never have been detained in the first place.

Russia has failed to justify Evan's continued detention. He, like fellow American Paul Whelan, is simply being used as a bargaining chip. Embassy Moscow was granted brief access to the courtroom before the proceedings began today. They were not permitted to speak with Evan. So, obviously, we're going to follow this closely. And of course, our embassy in Moscow will continue to seek to attend any and all future hearings.

Now, look, I think this goes without saying too, but all of us  all of us admire Evan's resilience. I've seen a reporting that his friends say he continues to be in good spirits, which is just incredible given what he's going through. While he shouldn't be going through these proceedings at all, it's always reassuring to see his smile and to hear reports of his morale.

We want both Evan and Paul to know that we all care deeply about their wellbeing and that this administration will continue to do everything it can to bring them home, and that includes, right now, the effort to try to find a way to get these guys released back to their families, where they belong, is ongoing. It's alive, and we're keeping at it.

And with that, I can start taking some questions.

MODERATOR: Thanks. First up, we'll go to Aamer Madhani.

Q Hey there, John. Is Israel's launch  is an Israeli launch, cross-border offensive, Lebanon (inaudible) Hezbollah  if that were to happen, will the U.S. back Israel militarily?

And then secondly, on the Assange case, was the White House involved in helping forge the agreement that led to Assange's release? And has the President discussed the matter with the prime minister or any other Australian government officials ahead of the announcement? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, the White House was not involved in any way whatsoever in Julian Assange's case, and the decisions pursuant to that, to his sentencing and his repatriation back to Israel. That was a DOJ matter, and they're the only ones that can speak to it.

I don't have any conversations to read out to you from the President with respect to this. The White House was not involved in any way.

On your first question  look, first and foremost, we don't want to see a second front opened up, period. And that's why we've been working so hard on diplomacy and trying to find a way diplomatically to prevent that from happening. We don't believe that it's going to be in anybody's interest, quite frankly, least of all the Israeli people. So we're working diplomatically to prevent that outcome from happening. That's where our focus is on.

But as we have said repeatedly, and as we will continue to say: We stand with Israel. We're going to continue to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself. And as the President has proven in the past, if there's a way we can prevent further attacks on Israel, we'll do that. And certainly, we're going to continue to help Israel defend itself; that's not going to change.

But as for a hypothetical, specifically with respect to the northern border line, the Blue Line there with Lebanon, again, we want to see no second front opened, and we want to see if we can't resolve the tensions out there through diplomatic processes.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Jeff Mason.

Q Thank you very much. John, Jake Sullivan has a meeting today with Mr. Gallant of Israel. Could you give us a sense of what you expect the two of them to discuss and also what time that is and whether or not we should expect a readout?

MR. KIRBY: Hey, Jeff. You broke up a little bit, but I think I got the gist of the question. This was about Jake's meeting with Defense Minister Gallant.

Q Yes.

MR. KIRBY: He's meeting with him as we speak, Jeff. That meeting started a little bit after nine o'clock. And as far as I know, sitting here, it's still ongoing. And we absolutely will have a readout of it.

Broadly speaking, I don't think you should expect any major surprises coming out of this discussion. I mean, Jake is looking forward to sitting down with Defense Minister Gallant to talk about what's going on in Gaza; to talk about  to get a sense of Israeli operations, not only what they look like now, but what they're going to look like in the future; to talk about how we're going to continue to defend Israel and make sure that they have what they need.

And obviously, they will talk about the  what Aamer just asked me about  the tensions up near Lebanon and that border, and what the path forward could look like for a diplomatic solution to this, to prevent a second front from opening up.

I have every expectation that they will talk about the broader concerns of Iran in the region and their destabilizing behavior and the manner in which they, Iran, continue to resource, to fund, to support, to train groups that are now attacking Israel but also are supporting such attacks.

So I think the full range of topics will be discussed. I think, also, I would have every expectation that the humanitarian situation will be front and center for Jake, for sure. He'll want to talk to the Israelis about what more we can do to get more trucks in and not only get them in, but get them to the people that most need that aid and assistance.

As you know, though Kerem Shalom is open and trucks are queued up outside, not a lot of them are getting in, and it's not because of the Israelis; it's largely because just criminal gangs now are looting these trucks. And the World Food Program and the U.N. drivers are obviously concerned about getting attacked. And so, we're going have to continue to work with the Israelis to try to address that problem as well.

So, again, I think a broad, big agenda, lots to talk about, but we'll have a readout when it's over.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Kellie Meyer. You should be able to unmute yourself.

Q Hi, John. Thanks for doing this. A couple quick questions just on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs warning of a threat to U.S. troops in the region  as we've been discussing, the tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. Any more precautions that are being taken that you can speak to right now?

MR. KIRBY: One of the things I'm very careful to do is not talk about the specifics on force protection and what we do to ensure force protection. I would refer you to the Chairman to speak to that more. I don't know how much more he'd get into that.

We're certainly mindful of the risk to our troops and our facilities throughout the region. And that risk has certainly not mitigated in recent months, obviously, with what's going on. So it's something we're watching very closely. We continue to monitor it. We also modify force protection procedures and protocols as the threat changes, and it does change. But I think I need to leave it there.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Aurelia.

Q Hi. Thanks so much for taking my question. A follow-up on Kenya. Not that long ago, President Ruto was at the White House, and President Biden said Kenya and the United States share democratic values. Would you say that this is maybe  this is still the case after the response to the protests? And more generally, does the administration condemn the use of force against the protesters? Otherwise, how would you qualify what Kenyan police did in Nairobi?

MR. KIRBY: I'll tell you, you know, as a democracy, the Kenyan constitution does allow for the use of defense forces to augment police, particularly like in protecting critical infrastructure. At the same time, that same constitution includes freedom of assembly and the right to protest peacefully, and calls for the government of Kenya to respect the rights of all its citizens.

So, again, we remain deeply concerned about the violence that we've seen, and we absolutely condemn the violence. We don't want to see anybody hurt. And that includes violence that's perpetrated on innocent, peaceful protesters.

So we're going to be in touch. We have been in touch. We're going to stay in touch with our Kenyan colleagues as appropriate.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Alex Ward.

Q John, I know  thanks for doing this. I know, you know, the administration has responded a thousand times to the stuff about, you know, the weapons delays or  reported weapons delays, et cetera. But there's been reporting today that, basically, it seems like there's been a  because the U.S. has sent so many weapons ahead of time, there's just been sort of a lower amount headed now, and wondering if you think that might be the issue.

And then, sort of number two here, relatedly is: Is Netanyahu someone the administration really feels they can work with now? Obviously, he is the prime minister, and he is  but he is the interlocutor, but is he someone you guys feel you can have good-faith conversations with about this conflict now? Thanks.

MR. KIRBY: Alex, on your first question, I just want to make a couple of points, because I'm not going to  I can't speak to the State Department process here. They run this process by which foreign military sales and provisions of weapons and assistance, you know, get to Israel. So I'll let them speak to sequencing and timing. You know, we don't have perfect visibility on that here to speak to that reporting and that process.

I would just tell you, number one: Aid and assistance, military assistance, continues to flow to Israel; that we are in constant touch with our Israeli counterparts about what they need and doing everything we can to get them what they need. I mean, my goodness, you have the defense minister here today. Actually, you know, this week he's been here having meetings; met with Blinken, met with Austin, and now he's meeting with Jake today. I mean, nobody can say that we're not attune to and staying in touch with the Israelis about what they need.

Number two, as you and I speak here, Alex, there remains only one shipment of high-density, low-precision munitions that has been paused. Everything else continues to flow. Again, on the timeline, you know, I'd have to  and the sequencing  I'd have to refer you to State. But Israel continues to get arms and ammunition. It continues to flow. We want to make sure that they have what they need. And that will  that commitment will not waver.

On your second question, at the risk of sounding repetitive, I would just tell you that these are two leaders who have known each other a long, long time  decades. And they come from different political traditions. They have differing views on a number of issues that are germane not only to the region, but certainly specific to Israel. And they are absolutely competent and capable of being honest with one another. He is the elected prime minister of the State of Israel, and he, therefore, is the leader that we will work with and we have worked with him.

I'm not saying that it's all been smooth in every single instance, including in recent days, but we are not going to get into  we're not going to respond to every one of the Prime Minister's political statements and his public pronouncements. What we're focused on is making sure, again, that they have what they need. And we believe we're fully capable of doing that with Prime Minister Netanyahu and with this government.

And that's what we're focused on. It's head down  it's making sure that Israel can defend itself, but just as critically, as I said earlier, that we continue to get humanitarian assistance in to the people who are in need and that we get this ceasefire deal in place.

It's one of the things that  we haven't talked about it this morning, but we're still working with the Prime Minister and his team to try to get the ceasefire deal in place so that we can potentially end this conflict. And that's what we're focused on. And that means we're going to stay focused on that effort with the Prime Minister and his team because he's the government in place.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Brad Dress.

Q Yeah, thank you. Just one question. So, despite U.S. efforts, the Houthis are continuing to attack merchant ships. And now they appear to be getting more successful. Why are efforts not working? And do you think the U.S. needs a new strategy to deter that? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: I think a couple of things are germane here. There's a religious fervor that the Houthi leadership have instilled into this effort. As I went to the podium a while ago  a week or so ago  and laid out for everybody, this isn't about standing up for the people of Gaza. It's not about  it's not some popular movement to assist people in the region, because the ships that they're hitting, sometimes, in one case in particular, was meant to go to a Yemeni port to bring in grain to hungry people in Yemen. They have instilled this sort of religious fervor to this and made it some sort of cause celebre here. And when you do that, it becomes even more difficult to, as you put it, deter and dissuade. We're mindful of that.

So what we're focused on is taking away their capability to conduct the attacks. And that is why we continue to hit targets inside Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen where we think an attack is imminent and about to occur. We're going to continue to do that. That's why we still have a coalition of 20-some-odd nations operating in the Red Sea and beyond to try to defend against these attacks.

And while, yes, they have had a couple of successful strikes in most recent days  and I know one vessel in particular sank as a result of the attack  by and large, most of their attacks are not successful. You don't see press releases about it; you don't necessarily see video of it. But they miss a whole hell of a lot more than they hit, and that's because we're out there working hard to make sure that that's the outcome, at the same time making sure that we're doing everything we can to try to degrade their capabilities.

But they're still getting supplied; they're still getting resourced by Iran. And as I said earlier, I have no doubt that that will be a topic of discussion when Jake and Defense Minister Gallant speak today, about what we can do together to try to take away some of those capabilities. And that's what we're focused on.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Nadia Charters.

Q Thank you, Eduardo. Hi, John. A couple of questions. Canada has called its citizens to leave Lebanon. What is the U.S. assessment regarding a similar call? I know you have not done something similar to that. Do you believe that the situation is safe for U.S. citizens to stay in Lebanon?

And second, any update  I know you mentioned the negotiation with Hamas. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Hamas is insisting that they will accept the deal if phase three clearly calls for the end of the war. And this is the sticking point with the Israelis. Israelis said we're happy to go along, but phase three does not mean end of the war. Can you just give us your perspective on that? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: On your first question, I'm going to refer you to the State Department. Obviously, we want all Americans in Lebanon who are still there, either on business or other travel, to be as careful as possible to make sure that they have registered with the State Department system so that the State Department can stay in regular touch with them and that they do everything they can to be  to watch out for their own safety.

But as for any announcements or pronouncements, that's really a State Department call, and I'd have to refer you to them.

Clearly, nothing is more important to President Biden than the safety and security of Americans wherever they are. And that includes overseas, and that certainly includes a place like Lebanon.

What we're trying to do is prevent a second front from opening up. We're trying to prevent an escalation of this conflict that certainly would put the people of Israel and of Lebanon at greater physical risk than the risk that is already being incurred by them, particularly those that live near the Blue Line. We want to prevent that outcome, which is why we have been working so hard diplomatically and intensely, thus so, to prevent a second front from opening up and an expansion of this conflict.

But we will, as appropriate, of course, stay in touch with all Americans in Lebanon. Those that sign up to be informed, we'll make sure that they have the latest and greatest information.

But as for any particular pronouncements, that would be a State Department call.

On your second question, the President laid this out really, really well at the end of May. He laid out the entire, sort of, phasing of this process. And it is advancing that phasing and that process that we're focused on, where you want to get to phase one. Phase one gives you six weeks of a ceasefire; it gives you more humanitarian assistance, up to 600 trucks a day; and obviously, critically, it gets a first rendering of hostages  women, children, the elderly, sick  out quickly, back to their families.

And then as the President laid out, Nadia, while phase one is ongoing, the two sides then begin to negotiate phase two. So, I understand. I've seen public pronouncements and comments of people, you know, on either side, where they want to sort of leapfrog over the process. But the process as we've laid out, the process that Israel itself proposed and has endorsed calls for phase two negotiations to begin when phase one is agreed to and underway, that's the process that we still believe is the right one and the appropriate one. And that's the one that we're going to continue to talk to both sides about.

And we still believe that discussions about it are valuable and warranted. And we're going to do everything we can to see if we can't get phase one implemented and started so that the rest of the process can take place.

Then last thing I'll say is, as the President said in his speech on the 31st of May, that you get to phase two  if you can get phase two negotiated and complete, well, that potentially  you know, that gives you a potential cessation to the hostilities itself.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Marek.

Q Thank you, Eduardo. Hi, John. One question. According to Reuters, two close advisors to Donald Trump have presented him with a plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, in essence by forcing Ukraine to the negotiating table and the ceasefire based on so-called prevailing battle lines. From what we know about the plan right now, which side would this plan benefit if it's implemented? And does it make sense, this framework? Does it make sense to you?

MR. KIRBY: Look, I think you all know  I think I missed the beginning of your question. But is this a proposal put forth by folks on the Trump team? Is that what you were saying?

Q Yes. General Kellogg and  they say that they have positive feedback from former president.

MR. KIRBY: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Okay. I thought that's what you said.

Look, I would just  I would just say a couple of things here. First of all, in our view, I'm not going to comment about the 2024 election. I'm not going to get, you know, into a public debate here with respect to what former President Trump's advisors may or may not be talking to him about it.

So, with that as a caveat, the President's commitment to supporting Ukraine has been manifestly steady and strident and consistent. We built a global coalition now  more than 50 countries that are supporting Ukraine as they defend themselves. He just signed at the G7 in Italy, a week or so ago, a historic bilateral security agreement with Ukraine. And he understands  he understands that the stronger Ukraine's position is on the battlefield, the stronger they will be at the negotiating table when that time comes, Marek. And you know who gets to decide when that time comes? President Zelenskyy. And nobody else.

And what we've said is: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. And we're standing strong to make sure that President Zelenskyy has everything he needs so that if and when he's ready to go to the table, he can do it from a position of strength and that he knows he's got our backing and the backing of those some 50-some-odd countries.

Unlike some folks, President Biden believes that any decisions about negotiations, quite frankly, have got to be up to President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. We're not going to force Ukraine to surrender any of its territory, because we understand that if Putin is allowed to conquer Ukraine and subjugate its people, any of its people, the consequences would be severe. He and dictators all around the world would just be emboldened, and we think the world would be a much more dangerous place.

I think that pretty much sums up our views.

MODERATOR: Next up, we'll go to Laura Kelly.

Q Hi. Thank you for taking my question. Just going back to the distribution of aid in Gaza, what is the White House position on where responsibility for distribution rests? There's this blame game going on between Israel and the international aid organizations with security inside Gaza for distribution being seen  I think is one of the major impediments. So who's responsible for security at this point? What does the White House want to see happen?

MR. KIRBY: We want to see the ceasefire deal in place. We want to get that ceasefire deal in place 

Q But, like, while you're working on the ceasefire deal.

MR. KIRBY: No, but  let me finish.

We want to see the ceasefire deal in place. Because if you get that ceasefire deal in place, you get six weeks of calm; you get six weeks of calm, you can maybe get up to several hundred trucks a day. And the goal of phase one is 600 trucks a day. So you ask me what we want to see. We want to see this deal put in place, which is why we 

Q So the challenge of getting  the challenge of not distributing humanitarian aid is pressure on Hamas to go to the ceasefire deal?

MR. KIRBY: No. Look, there's a lot of reasons why aid and assistance is being held up. One of the principal reasons right now is criminal gangs that are operating particularly at Kerem Shalom. That's not the Israelis' fault. And as far as we know, these gangs have no connection to Hamas specifically.

So we're going to continue to work with the U.N. We've been talking to the U.N. about seeing if we can't help get them personal protective gear and equipment, communications, radio communication, so that their truck drivers can feel a little bit more safe, which you can't very well blame these guys for being a little bit nervous about driving a truck into Gaza when their convoys and their trucks could be attacked by these criminal gangs and thugs. And we  so we're going to obviously work with them and the IDF to see what can be done about that.

But, yes, look, security of these convoys is a live issue. And I'm not trying to pull  take Hamas off the hook here, because Hamas has, in fact, allowed some of this activity to go on and don't have the best interests of the people of Gaza forefront in their minds. In fact, we've all seen Sinwar's comments about how civilian casualties and civilian suffering actually works  he believes works to his advantage. So, Hamas is absolutely partly responsible here for this as well.

But there's  you know, it's a combat zone. And combat operations and combat areas certainly make the delivery of humanitarian assistance a lot more challenging. So we're going to continue to talk to the U.N., we're going to talk to the IDF about what we can do to make it safer and to make it more palatable for these drivers to take this aid in. But the way to get to that, the real answer to this is to get to phase one of this ceasefire deal. You get hostages home to their families. You get six weeks of a sustainable calm that will allow the comfort level for aid organizations to increase to a degree where they can move freely about Gaza. If you have a six-week ceasefire in place, then nobody is shooting at anybody, and it should be a lot easier to move humanitarian assistance.

MODERATOR: Thanks. Next up, we'll go to Paris Wong.

Q Hello. Thank you, John. I'm going to focus to Indo-Pacific region. So, in an interview on Tuesday, Philippines ambassador to the U.S. said if there's a conflict between Taiwan and China that would affect the Philippines, that it would most likely agree to the U.S. using its military bases in the defense of Taiwan. So does the Biden administration welcome Philippines' willingness to work with the U.S. on Taiwan safety? And also, does this mean the United States has successfully mobilized from North Asia to Southeast Asia, from Japan to Philippines, to form a security network in the Indo-Pacific? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY: I think you know I'm not going to get into hypotheticals or speculate about the conflict across the Taiwan Strait. Nothing has changed about our One China policy. We don't want to see the status quo changed or altered unilaterally. We certainly don't want to see it changed or altered by force.

And everything the President has been doing  in our conversations with the PRC, in our work with allies like South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines  has been designed to prevent that outcome from happening. And that's what we're focused on.

The Philippines is a treaty ally. We take our alliance commitments seriously with the Philippines, as we have demonstrated certainly in recent weeks and months. And it was terrific to have President Marcos here to participate in the first-ever trilat between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines when we were hosting Prime Minister Kishida for the state visit as well.

So, an awful lot of work has been done by President Biden and this team in terms of shoring up our alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. And the reason you do that is to make it clear that we don't want to see a conflict, that we do have the capabilities in place to defend ourselves and defend our allies, and that there should be no reason for any of these tensions to erupt into conflict whatsoever.

MODERATOR: Thanks, everyone. That's all the time we have for today. If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to reach out to our team. Thanks again.

11:09 A.M. EDT

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Kenyan president says he won't sign tax-hike bill that sparked deadly protests

By Mariama Diallo June 27, 2024

In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto said that he's decided not to sign a bill that included a series of tax increases.

He spoke one day after more than 20 people were killed during protests against the bill that led to clashes with police.

"I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. It shall subsequently be withdrawn and that shall be our collective position," he said.

Ruto made the statement from the State House on Wednesday in the presence of lawmakers and thanked those who voted yes for the bill.

The bill won approval in parliament Tuesday but lawmakers fled the scene as clashes between police and protesters mounted and hundreds of demonstrators stormed the complex. Parts of the parliament were set on fire and burned for hours.

Late Tuesday evening, the Kenyan president condemned protesters' storming of the parliament as treasonous and a threat to national security.

On Wednesday, human rights defenders and good governance organizations gathered at Kenya Human Rights Commission to condemn the violence against the protesters and accused the president of being accountable for what had happened on Tuesday.

Grace Wangechi is a human rights and social development expert and the executive director of Independent Medico Legal Unit, or IMLU, an organization created in 1993 to protest against torture in Kenya.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Kenyans getting on the streets to voice themselves. This is a constitutional provision as part of the Kenyan constitution 2010," Wengechi said.

Lorna Dias, human rights defender and executive coordinator of Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, said, "There's nothing that justifies the use of live bullets on protesters."

"The destruction of property that happened on the streets was a security failure, and this regime should take the blame," Dias said.

Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua, who also addressed the nation after his boss from the coastal city of Mombasa, said he sympathized with the president but blamed the National Intelligence Service head, Noordin Haji, for Tuesday's violence.

Gachagua said that had the National Intelligence Service "briefed the president that this bill was unpopular with the Kenyan people, there would not have been deaths and ...mayhem."

There was no immediate response from the intelligence service.

The deputy president asked the protesters to call off other planned protests tomorrow, saying that when that happens, "we can begin an honest conversation on how to work on our country."

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Russo-Ukraine War - 26 June 2024 - Day 854

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that several Russian Duma deputies have recently expressed concern about the threat posed to law and order by returning ex-prisoners who have been fighting for the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine. The Chairperson of the Duma Committee on Family Protection, Issues of paternity, maternity and childhood Nina Ostanina told Russian newspaper Gazeta that there will be more crimes as these ex-prisoners are not socialised. She said that ex-prisoners should be constantly monitored by the law-enforcement agencies and society needed to be protected from such people. She said there was an urgent need for legislation. Duma Deputy Maksim Ivanov also warned that there could be an increase in crime after the return of people from the war.

Russia has been recruiting prisoners to serve in its armed forces since at least July 2022, a practice pioneered by the former Head of the Wagner Russian private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prisoner sentences are commuted in exchange for fighting in Ukraine. Many have been killed on the frontlines. The First Deputy Chairman of the Duma Defence Committee Alexey Zhuravlev argued that prisoners sent to fight in Ukraine should not be permitted to return to Russia until victory is achieved in the war with Ukraine.

The Russian General Procuracy has ceased to publish official crime statistics since 01 January 2023, likely partly over the possible rise in violent crime committed by ex-prisoners returning from fighting in Ukraine. The independent Russian media outlet Verstka reported in April 2024 that at least 107 Russians had been killed and another 100 seriously injured by veterans returning from the conflict. The recruitment of prisoners into the Russian Armed Forces and the implications for Russian communities when they are released is a practice and a risk that the Russian Government is prepared to take to maintain its war in Ukraine.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to resolutely counter the attempts of the Russian enemy to advance deep into the territory of Ukraine, directing efforts to disrupt the occupiers' execution of offensive tasks.

116 combat clashes have taken place since the beginning of the day. The Russian aggressor is trying to take advantage of live force and support from the air. During the day, a missile hit on the territory of Ukraine with one rocket. In addition, 43 Russian air strikes took place - in particular, the Russian occupiers dropped 57 KABiv. In addition, the zombies deployed 359 kamikaze drones and carried out more than 2,700 shelling at the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements using different types of weapons.

In the Kharkiv direction Russian terrorists 10 times, supported by aviation, stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the areas of Vovchansk, Liptsiv, Sotnitsky Cossack and Glibokoye. In Vovchansk, there are still fights in three locations.

According to the information available at this time, 40 Russian units of armament and military equipment have been destroyed and damaged. 30 Russian blinders are also impressed.

Eight times Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions in the Kupans komu direction. Near the settlements of Stepova Novoselivka, Sinkivka, Stelmakhivka, and Berestove, the Defense Forces repelled six offensive actions without success for the Russian opponent. The situation is intense. In the vicinity of Sinkivka and Stepovoi Novoselivka, fighting is ongoing.

In the Lyman direction, Russian troops 18 times unsuccessfully attacked Ukrainian defenders in the areas of six different settlements. Six clashes continue at this time. Russia is concentrating his efforts near makiivka and nevs kogo, where about 80 percent of all attacks occurred.

A tense situation in the Siversky direction. Russian forces tried 11 times with assault actions to push Ukrainian defenders out of positions in the areas of Bilogorivka, Spirny and Rozdolivka. More than half the fighting is still ongoing.

In the kramators komu direction, all attempts of the zagarbnikiv to advance near the time yar and klis iivka.

In the Torec direction, where Russian forces attacked nine times near Shumiv, Torec ., Dachny and Northern, three confrontations ended. The action continues in six more locations.

Intensely Russian attacks of Ukrainian defenders in the Pokrovsky direction. Here, throughout the day, Russian forces increased effort - in total he made 37 assault and offensive actions. The greatest activity of the Russian occupiers is kept from the Ocheretynogo district, from where Russian forces in various directions tries to infiltrate Ukrainian combat orders. 29 attacks Ukrainian defenders have already repelled, eight more fighting continue, in particular, near Eugenivka and Novooleksandrivka. The Russian invaders in the direction are losing mainly their life force - for today, Ukrainian warriors have eliminated and wounded more than 200 Russian troops.

In the Kurakhiv direction at this time of the day counts eight unsuccessful for the occupiers of combat clashes. Zagarbniki tried to advance in the areas of settlements Nevelske, Georgievka, Paraskovievka and Konstantinivka. The battle near Krasnogorivka is ongoing. The situation is under control.

In other directions, there have been no significant changes in the environment.

Ukrainian soldiers cause zagarbnikam tangible losses, actively apply the means of fire effect. Yes, in particular, today the Air Force and missile troops and artillery hit 15 personnel and Russian military concentration areas, two control points, an air defense vehicle and an ammunition warehouse.

Today, for effective combat work, the soldiers of the 71st separate egers koi brigade of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 3rd Assault Brigade, 42nd Mechanised Brigade, 57th Motorised Infantry Brigade, 71st Infantry Brigade, 36th Marines Brigade, 13th National Guard Brigade, and 127th Territorial Defence Brigade near Ternovaya, Glubokoye, Veterenarnoye, Tikhoye, Veseloye, Neskuchnoye, Pitomnik, Volchansk, and Lipsy (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 300 Ukrainian troops, seven motor vehicles, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer, two 152-mm D-20 howitzers, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery warfare station, and one Nota electronic warfare station.

Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 14th, 30th, 66th mechanised brigades, 107th, 112th territorial defence brigades, and 1st National Guard Brigade near Sinkovka, Petropavlovka, Tabayevka (Kharkov region), Platonovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Makeyevka, and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic).

Two counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 3rd Mechanised Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 400 Ukrainian troops, one tank, five pickup trucks, one U.S.-made 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, two BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicles, and two field ammunition depots.

Units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 24th, 72nd, 93rd mechanised brigades, 46th, 81st airmobile brigades, and 143rd Infantry Brigade near Zaliznyanskoye, Grigorovka, Chasov Yar, Verhnekamenskoye, Kurakhovka, and Konstantinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 510 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, two U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzers, one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, and three ammunition depots.

Units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on formations of the AFU 24th, 47th, 110th mechanised brigades, 109th Territorial Defence Brigade, and 2nd National Guard Brigade near Kirovo, Novgorodskoye, Novosyolovka Pervaya, Rozovka, Mikhailovka, and Toretsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

Seven counter-attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 24th, 31th mechanised brigades, 68th Jaeger Brigade, and 95th Air Assault Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 405 Ukrainian troops, one tank, one U.S.-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, three motor vehicles, one 152-mm Msta-B howitzer, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Vostok Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 116th Mechanised Brigade, 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, and 48th Assault Battalion of the Territorial Defence near Urozhaynoye, Makarovka, and Prechistovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Two counter-attacks launched by the battalion tactical group of the Territorial Recruitment Centre of the Ukrainian National Guard and an assault detachment of the AFU 123th Territorial Defence Brigade were repelled.

The AFU losses amounted to up to 140 Ukrainian troops, two armoured personnel carriers, five motor vehicles, and one 122-mm D-30 howitzer.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 65th Mechanised Brigade, 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, 37th Marines Brigade, and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade near Kamenskoye, Nesteriyanka (Zaporozhye region), and Tyaginka (Kherson region).

The AFU losses amounted to up to 60 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, and one U.S.-made 105-mm M119 howitzer.

Three AFU ammunition depots were destroyed.

Operational-Tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out three U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS launchers, as well as one loading vehicle and foreign specialists responsible for its use.

Moreover, one UAV assembly workshop and one UAV launch site were destroyed, as well as manpower and hardware engaged in 109 areas.

Air defence units shot down 76 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two U.S.-made MLRS projectiles.

In total, 613 airplanes and 276 helicopters, 26,642 unmanned aerial vehicles, 533 air defence missile systems, 16,433 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,353 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 10,913 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 22,975 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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CDC to buy 5.5 million COVID-19 vaccines, to administer from October

ROC Central News Agency

06/26/2024 10:09 PM

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Wednesday announced a plan to buy 5.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines targeting new variants that it will begin administering, along with flu vaccines, in October.

Due to the COVID-19 virus continuing to mutate, the CDC will purchase vaccines that offer better protection against new strains, CDC spokesperson Tseng Shu-hui () said.

Tseng added that the agency plans to purchase 5.5 million doses within the year, but did not specify which variant the new jab would target.

The administration of the new vaccine will be scheduled in two phases and happen at the same time as the flu vaccine.

The first phase will kick off on Oct. 1 and individuals aged 65 and over, healthcare workers, and pregnant women will be eligible for both shots, Tseng said,

The second phase will begin on Nov. 1 and all individuals six months and older will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Those between 50-64 will also be encouraged to have a flu jab.

The CDC did not explain how enough COVID-19 vaccines would be sourced to inoculate all those eligible. The total resident population in Taiwan is 23,413,608 as of May 2024.

On June 13, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccines, urging manufacturers, where feasible, to update vaccines so they target the KP.2 variant in 2024 and 2025.

Huang Li-min (ec), a specialist in pediatric infectious disease at National Taiwan University Hospital, said that since vaccine manufacturers have not yet produced vaccines targeting the KP.2 variant, it is likely that only vaccines targeting the JN.1 variant will be available this fall and winter in Taiwan.

He also noted that the CDC would likely purchase Moderna shots because updating Novovax COVID-19 vaccines has proven trickier due to technical constraints.

For individuals unable to receive mRNA vaccines, Huang said the existing XBB vaccine is still effective at preventing severe illness.

He added that even if JN.1 or KP.2 variants of COVID-19 vaccines are unavailable, Novavax's XBB vaccine could still be a viable alternative.

According to the data released by the CDC on Tuesday, Taiwan has seen a continuous rise in COVID-19 cases for five consecutive weeks, with 817 new local cases reported from June 18 to 24.

Over the past four weeks, the JN.1 variant has been the most prevalent strain in Taiwan, accounting for 62 percent of domestic cases and 47 percent of imported cases.

Meanwhile, the KP.2 variant has made up 18 percent of domestic cases and 25 percent of imported cases.

Tseng said that the authorities only need to be informed of a COVID-19 case if it is moderate or severe.

She predicted that the epidemic would continue to spread slowly until mid-July and that the rate of increase in cases in the upcoming two weeks was expected to be lower than in the previous two weeks.

(By Tseng Yi-ning and Sunny Lai)

Enditem/kb

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Juan Orlando HernAndez, Former President of Honduras, Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute More Than 400 Tons of Cocaine and Related Firearms Offenses

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs

HernAndez Conspired with Some of the Largest Drug Traffickers in the World to Transport Tons of Cocaine through Honduras to the United States

The former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando HernAndez, 55, also known as JOH, was sentenced today to 540 months in prison and 60 months of supervised release for cocaine importation and related weapons offenses. The former two-term president was in office until weeks before his extradition to the United States in April 2022. HernAndez was convicted on March 8 following a three-week jury trial.

"As President of Honduras, Juan Orlando HernAndez abused his power to support one of the largest and most violent drug trafficking conspiracies in the world, and the people of Honduras and the United States bore the consequences," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "Thanks to the diligent work of the Justice Department's agents and prosecutors, HernAndez will now spend more than four decades in prison. The Justice Department will hold accountable all those who engage in violent drug trafficking, regardless of how powerful they are or what position they hold."

"The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is relentlessly focused on dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety and health of the American people," said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. "Former Honduran President Juan Orlando HernAndez financed his political career with drug trafficking profits and abused his authority as President of Honduras to traffic hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States. Let me be clear, political actors who use their power to traffic in drugs and corruption will be brought to justice in the United States."

"As the former two-term president of Honduras, Juan Orlando HernAndez had every opportunity to affect positive change for his country," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. "Instead, HernAndez helped to facilitate the importation of an almost unfathomable 400 tons of cocaine to this country: billions of individual doses sent to the United States with the protection and support of the former president of Honduras. Now, after years of destructive narco-trafficking of the highest imaginable magnitude, HernAndez will spend 45 years where he belongs: in federal prison."

According to court documents, from at least in or about 2004, up to and including in or about 2022, HernAndez, the former two-term president of Honduras and former president of the Honduran National Congress, was at the center of one of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking conspiracies in the world. During his political career, HernAndez abused his powerful positions and authority in Honduras to facilitate the importation of over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S. HernAndez's co-conspirators were armed with machine guns and destructive devices, including AK-47s, AR-15s, and grenade launchers, which they used to protect their massive cocaine loads as they transited across Honduras on their way to the United States, protect the money they made from the eventual sale of this cocaine, and guard their drug-trafficking territory from rivals. HernAndez received millions of dollars of drug money from some of the largest and most violent drug-trafficking organizations in Honduras, Mexico, and elsewhere, and used those bribes to fuel his rise in Honduran politics. In turn, as HernAndez rose to power in Honduras, he provided increased support and protection for his co-conspirators, allowing them to move mountains of cocaine, commit acts of violence and murder, and help turn Honduras into one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

During his time in office, HernAndez publicly promoted legislation and the efforts he purported to undertake in support of anti-narcotics measures in Honduras. At the same time, he protected and enriched the drug traffickers in his inner circle and those who provided him with cocaine-fueled bribes that allowed him to obtain and stay in power in Honduras. For example, HernAndez selectively upheld extraditions by supporting and taking credit for extraditions to the United States of certain drug traffickers who threatened his grip on power, while at the same time promising drug traffickers who bribed him and followed his instructions that they would remain safe in Honduras. In addition, HernAndez and his co-conspirators abused Honduran institutions, including the Honduran National Police and Honduran military, to protect and grow their conspiracy. Among other things, members of the conspiracy used heavily armed Honduran National Police officers to protect their cocaine loads as they transited through Honduras towards the United States for eventual distribution. Members of the conspiracy also turned to violence and murder to protect and grow their drug trafficking enterprise, attacking and murdering rival traffickers and those who threatened their grip on the Honduran cocaine trade.

Several of HernAndez's co-conspirators have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with this investigation. Among others, HernAndez's brother, Juan Antonio HernAndez Alvarado, also known as Tony HernAndez, was convicted after trial in October 2019 and sentenced to life in prison, and Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, a violent cocaine trafficker who met with HernAndez on multiple occasions to discuss their drug trafficking partnership, was convicted after trial in March 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. Juan Carlos Bonilla Valladares, also known as El Tigre, the former chief of the Honduran National Police, pleaded guilty to his participation in the cocaine importation conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 1, and Mauricio HernAndez Pineda, a former member of the Honduran National Police and HernAndez's cousin, pleaded guilty to his participation in the cocaine importation conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2.

In total, HernAndez and his co-conspirators trafficked more than 400 tons of U.S.-bound cocaine through Honduras during HernAndez's tenure in the Honduran government. This amounts to well over approximately 4.5 billion individual doses of cocaine.

The DEA investigated the case.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing HernAndez's arrest and extradition.

Trial Attorneys Andrea Broach and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob H. Gutwillig, David J. Robles, Elinor L. Tarlow, and Kyle A. Wirshba for the Southern District of New York prosecuted the case.

Topics: Drug Trafficking

National Security

Components: Office of the Attorney General

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

National Security Division (NSD)

USAO - New York, Southern

Press Release Number: 24-817

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Ryan Kao, director of the San Francisco Police Department's Crime Strategies Division, demonstrates how someone would use the drug testing kit for the Drager DrugTest 5000 at the San Francisco Police Department headquarters. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

A first-of-its-kind device that can detect fentanyl and other drugs on the spot will soon be used to assist in San Franciscos public intoxication arrests, the latest addition to what has been a yearlong, multiagency crackdown on the citys open-air drug markets.

The Drager DrugTest 5000, a system that tests saliva samples for drugs like amphetamines, cocaine and opiates, has for years been marketed to law enforcement as a roadside tool in DUI investigations.

But at the onset of the citys clampdown last year, which included a surge of arrests of drug users as well as dealers, San Francisco polices director of crime strategies Ryan Kao began wondering whether the Drager system could be put to a different use.

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He called a friend at the German-based company to ask whether the device tested for fentanyl, the highly addictive synthetic opioid found in the majority of the citys record 800 overdose deaths in 2023.

It didnt, the friend said at the time. Do you want it to?

And I said, Yes, we do want it to do fentanyl. Theres a large fentanyl problem in the United States, and I think theres a market for such a device, Kao said in a recent interview. And they said, Well, maybe we could adapt it. 

Ryan Kao, director of the San Francisco Police Departments Crime Strategies Division, displays the drug testing kit for the Drager DrugTest 5000 at the SFPD headquarters. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

Like many other law-enforcement agencies in the United States and Europe, San Francisco police already have a contract with Drager, which they use to collect saliva as evidence after arrests. But they will be the first to field-test a new prototype that the companys scientists developed in the past several months, specifically for the department. Through a Drager partnership, San Francisco police are testing the devices free of charge, with the intent to report back to the manufacturer about its results.

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The system consists of two parts: A handheld unit that resembles a pregnancy test, and a box-shaped analyzer about the size of a kitchen air fryer. The pilot program includes 100 cartridges and two analyzers, which will accompany officers in patrol cars.

Similar to cases involving DUI suspects, officers investigating public intoxication must receive consent before administering the drug test.

If consent is granted, the officer or the individual will rub a foam applicator around the mouth, collecting a saliva sample thats then inserted into the applicator. Over the span of a few minutes, the analyzer will test for eight types of drugs: fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates such as heroin, oxycodone, methadone, benzodiazepines like Xanax, and ketamine.

City leaders decision to target drug users as well as dealers for arrests has emerged as perhaps the most controversial part of San Franciscos Drug Market Agency Coordination Center, or DMACC, which launched in 2023.

While supporters credit the policing for helping to clear the Tenderloin and SoMa neighborhoods most brazen drug markets, critics including the Public Defenders Office have likened its tactics to the countrys War on Drugs, and say the crackdown has failed to help people struggling with addiction.

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In the year since DMACCs inception, law-enforcement officials have arrested 1,284 suspected drug users and 1,008 suspected dealers, according to recent city figures.

The fact that police are doubling down on trying to arrest our way out of a public health crisis shows how disconnected our city is right now from decades of social findings that arresting people for drug use is harmful, wasteful and counterproductive, said Angela Chan, Assistant Chief Attorney at the Public Defenders Office.

Ryan Kao, director of the San Francisco Police Departments Crime Strategies Division, inserts the drug testing kit into the Drager DrugTest 5000 at the police headquarters. Minh Connors/The Chronicle

Chan said more drug-user arrests will lead to increases in crowded jail populations, more court delays and higher caseloads for an already stretched staff of public defenders.

Kao agreed that the system will likely boost arrests, given that it will help officers be more precise and confident about who they decide to detain.

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Prior to the Drager roll-out, police relied mostly on subjective or circumstantial evidence when arresting people for public intoxication. This could include body language, certain behaviors or the presence of drug paraphernalia.
Evidence mounts Islamic State is looking to the US southern border

By Jeff Seldin June 26, 2024

U.S. intelligence and security officials are increasing their focus on the country's southern border, worried the constant flow of migrants has attracted the attention of the Islamic State terror group.

The heightened concern follows the arrests earlier this month of eight men from Tajikistan, all of whom entered the United States via its southern border with Mexico, some making the trip over a year ago.

While the initial background checks came up clean, U.S. law enforcement subsequently turned up information indicating potential ties to the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS.

"It's not lost on us that the people who killed over 150 Russians in that theater were from the same part of the world," said Ken Wainstein, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, referring to the March attack on a Moscow concert hall, claimed by the terror group's Afghan affiliate.

Wainstein, testifying Wednesday before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, said concern about the potential for IS to exploit the border has led to daily meetings with the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), as well as unprecedented cooperation with the FBI.

But he sought to downplay concerns stemming from intelligence suggesting that the IS-linked human smuggling network may have brought more than 400 migrants from Central Asia into the U.S., across the southern border.

"There is not information which suggests those particular individuals are terrorist operatives," Wainstein told lawmakers.

Information on the 400 migrants, first reported by NBC News, indicates more than 150 of the migrants have been arrested. But officials told NBC that the whereabouts of more than 50 others are unknown.

The newfound concerns about terror groups like IS actively trying to exploit the southern border seems to indicate a significant shift in the threat landscape.

For years, U.S. counterterrorism officials have maintained there was no evidence that IS or other Sunni terror groups were trying to infiltrate the U.S. along its border with Mexico.

And this past November, NCTC Director Christine Abizaid told lawmakers that while counterterrorism officials "absolutely recognize the risk," evidence for such plots was lacking.

"We don't have indications that are credible or corroborated," she told members of the House of Representatives at the time.

But U.S. and Turkish sanctions unveiled earlier this month may point to the Islamic State terror group's growing interest in human smuggling.

The sanctions focus on what the U.S. Treasury Department described as a Eurasian human smuggling network that was providing support for IS members in Turkey.

One of the key operatives, Olimkhon Ismailov, is based in Uzbekistan. And Ismailov had high-level help, with Treasury alleging he was given guidance by the leader of IS in the Republic of Georgia, Adam Khamirzaev.

According to the U.S. State Department, Khamirzaev apparently had his sights set on the U.S.

The IS-Georgia emir "provided guidance to this network on a range of activities supporting ISIS and was aware of its efforts to facilitate travelers to the United States," the State Department said in a statement.

Multiple U.S. agencies, including DHS, the FBI and the State Department declined to respond to questions about the reach of the Eurasian human smuggling network involved with IS operatives in Turkey and Uzbekistan.

There are also no indications that the sanctioned network is connected to the same IS-linked network that brought the eight men from Tajikistan, or the hundreds of other Central Asian migrants, into the U.S. through the southern border.

As for the eight men from Tajikistan, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday that, "They are in removal proceedings as we speak."

And other U.S. officials say they have stepped up security measures.

"We have increased our vigilance at our border," said Jen Daskal, the White House deputy Homeland Security adviser, virtually addressing a counterterrorism conference Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.

"We have enhanced our screening and vetting, instituted recurrent vetting of migrants to identify newly uncovered threats and detain those who pose a public safety threat," she said.

But Daskal admitted the threat from IS, and especially its Afghan affiliate, persists.

"Both ISIS and ISIS-Khorasan, or what we call ISIS-K, have demonstrated a capability and intent to conduct external operations," she said.

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Xi meets Vietnam PM, calls for maintaining solidarity and friendship

Global Times

By Zhang Han, Fan Anqi and Zhang Wanshi Published: Jun 26, 2024 04:37 PM Updated: Jun 26, 2024 08:30 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing on Wednesday, saying that the rapid economic development and long-term social stability of the two countries demonstrate the strengths of the socialist system.

Xi asked Chinh to convey his cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and to Vietnamese President To Lam.

Xi said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, ushering bilateral relations into a new stage.

Over the past half a year, the two parties and the two countries have enjoyed close exchanges among high-ranking officials and smooth cooperation in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Noting that the world today is going through changes unseen in a century, Xi said both China and Vietnam have maintained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, demonstrating the strengths of the socialist system.

He said the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance is in line with the modernization needs of the two countries, and is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability and to promoting the development of the global socialist cause.

China is willing to work with Vietnam to maintain solidarity and friendship, consolidate mutual support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that China also stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to march toward modernization and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam, and hopes that Vietnam will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, Xi said.

Both sides should make good use of the resources of friendly exchanges between the two parties, support border provinces to strengthen exchanges, implement livelihood programs such as agriculture, education and healthcare, make good use of nongovernmental, youth and other exchange platforms, and consolidate the public opinion foundation of China-Vietnam friendship, Xi said.

Xi noted both sides should properly handle maritime issues, accelerate the joint development of maritime resources, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.

Chinh said that Vietnam supports China's position on the Taiwan question and firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Deepening strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation with China and building a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance constitute Vietnam's top priority and strategic choice in its foreign policy, and Vietnam will not be swayed by external instigation or disruptions, Chinh said.

Concretizing cooperation

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that high-level visits between China and Vietnam have been frequent in recent years, serving as a cornerstone, guiding the direction of bilateral ties. These high-level visits have further solidified the foundation for enhancing strategic mutual trust between China and Vietnam.

China has been Vietnam's largest trading partner for many years, and strengthening economic relations with China is crucial for boosting Vietnam's own development, Gu Xiaosong, dean of the ASEAN Research Institute of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Chinh in Northeast China's Dalian on sidelines of the Summer Davos.

The Vietnamese prime minister proposed that the two sides accelerate the progress of market opening for other agricultural and aquatic products; create conditions for the early establishment of the Vietnam trade promotion offices in multiple Chinese cities; and exchange measures to improve customs clearance efficiency, upgrade border gate infrastructure and promote the construction of smart border gates, Voice of Vietnam reported.

Vietnam expects to cooperate with China in personnel training, management, control, and design of railway projects, per media reports.

Gu believes Chinh's visit will further enhance partnership between the two close neighbors, especially in infrastructure development such as railways and highways. Additionally, enhancing cooperation between the two countries is vital for stabilizing regional industrial and supply chains, Gu noted.

Ge Hongliang, vice dean of the ASEAN College at the Guangxi Minzu University, told the Global Times on Wednesday that emerging industries, including new energy, have great potential to increase bilateral cooperation.

The two countries also share consensus on many regional and international issues and global governance, Ge said, citing frequent mutual visits of leaders of the two countries and the two parties.

Bamboo diplomacy

The Wednesday meeting came amid Vietnam's intensive interactions with other major powers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a visit to Vietnam on June 20, the first since 2017, against the backdrop of anxious criticism from the US.

Hot on the heels of Putin's visit, Daniel Kritenbrink, the US State Department's second-in-command of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, touched down in Hanoi on June 21 for a two-day visit.

Kritenbrink told media in Hanoi the trust between the US and Vietnam was at an "all-time high," while still pointing the finger at Hanoi's relationship with Moscow. Vietnam elevated its relations with the US late in 2023 to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Analysts said that Vietnam has been pursuing "bamboo diplomacy" - swaying with the winds, avoiding taking sides in international disputes and striking a delicate balance in major power competitions.

While the US considers Vietnam a key partner to implement its Indo-Pacific Strategy and has been working hard to court the Southeast Asian country, Xu believes that the scope of their cooperation is limited due to a number of structural contradictions, including differences in social systems, ideologies and historical conflicts.

"Vietnam has managed to maintain a neutral and objective stance," Xu said.

Vietnam has also actively participated in ASEAN affairs and adopted a different approach from the Philippines in handling disputes with China over the South China Sea, observers noted.

"Hanoi is well aware that peace and stability are the biggest common interest of the region, and provocations or confrontations with China will bring no good," Xu said.

Gu said that amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea due to certain country's provocations under influence of external forces, it is important for China and Vietnam, as well as other Southeast Asian countries, to enhance communication and manage the sensitive situation through collaborative efforts.

Ge underlined that developing China ties constitutes a vital part of Vietnam's pursuit of bamboo diplomacy. By cooperating with China, Vietnam eyes economic growth, integration into the region and a bigger say in maintaining a stable and favorable international environment.

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Japan hypes Chinese 'recon activities' amid US-led trilateral drills

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Jun 26, 2024 10:29 PM

Japan hyped intensified Chinese "reconnaissance activities" amid a US-led trilateral exercise in South Korea. The joint drills on China's doorstep not only show off force against North Korea amid its recent agreement on a security pact with Russia, but also target China, experts said on Wednesday.

A WZ-7 reconnaissance drone of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Tuesday hovered over the East China Sea, Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff said in a press release on the same day.

This is not the only Japanese report on PLA reconnaissance activities recently. On Monday, it also claimed a PLA Navy intelligence reconnaissance ship had sailed from the Sea of Japan via the Tsugaru Strait into the West Pacific from Sunday to Monday, after it entered the Sea of Japan from the East China Sea via the Tsushima Strait on Friday. Another PLA Navy intelligence reconnaissance ship sailed from the Philippine Sea into the East China Sea via the Miyako Strait on Saturday, according to a separate press release by Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff on Monday.

Japan hyping the Chinese reconnaissance activities came at a time when the USS Theodore Roosevelt nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a trilateral exercise with Japan.

AP reported on Sunday that the drills are aimed at North Korea, which recently agreed on a security pact with Russia.

The Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group also participated in a three-way exercise with South Korea and Japan in the East China Sea in April with China in mind, AP noted.

In the past, the US mostly held drills separately with Japan and South Korea, which targeted China, Russia or North Korea. But this time, the trilateral exercise involves all three countries, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

As a country from outside of the region, the US is stirring up tensions on the Korean Peninsula, putting pressure on Russia's Far East, and strategically encircling China in one move, which severely harms peace and stability in the region, analysts said.

In order to understand their intentions, their methods as well as what weapons and forces are involved, China must keep an eye on these drills, which are taking place on China's doorstep. China must also be ready to respond, Fu said.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on June 26, 2024

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2024-06-26 17:46

Xinhua News Agency: The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions is being held in Dalian. We noted that Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said that under the current complex international landscape, international cooperation is more important than ever. What's your comment?

Mao Ning: The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions kicked off yesterday in Dalian. Premier of the State Council Li Qiang attended and addressed the opening plenary. Premier Li Qiang outlined China's proposals on the meeting's theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," stressing that the depth of international cooperation determines the height of human development and calling on parties to embrace each other with open arms and work closely with each other, so as to form a strong synergy for global economic growth.a

We need international cooperation to confront the growth predicament of the world economy. Economies make progress through exchange and inter-connectivity and fall behind because of seclusion and closedness. We need to approach development issues with a longer view and broader mind, join hands with others to make the pie bigger while pursuing one's legitimate interests and cultivate new engines for growth.

We need international cooperation to seize the new opportunities brought by the sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation. Major sci-tech progress usually comes from unrelenting research, accumulation and extensive cooperation. The exploration of new frontiers should not be seen as a zero-sum game. It is a process where all players compete for excellence and make progress together. Resorting to the "small yard, high fence" approach cannot hold back the development of others; it only ends up constraining oneself.

We need international cooperation to promote green transition and deal with climate change. There is only one Earth for humanity. Growth in the future has to be premised on harmony between man and nature. We cannot slow down our pace in green transition in exchange for short-term growth, or practice protectionism in the name of green development or environmental protection.

Premier Li Qiang said China has continued to promote high-quality development, accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces, and foster new drivers of growth. The rapid growth of new industries and new drivers has buttressed the sound and sustained development of the Chinese economy, and created greater cooperation space for companies around the world. China will continue to expand high-standard opening up, further ease market access, steadily expand institutional opening up and bring more opportunities and a more favorable environment for foreign investors.

China stands ready to join hands with all countries to sail the giant ship of the world economy into a vast blue ocean and create an even brighter future for humanity.

AFP: I wanted to ask if the Foreign Ministry had any comments on the interview published yesterday by the Wall Street Journal with the American Ambassador Nicholas Burns, in which Ambassador Burns said that China was working to prevent normal interactions between Chinese and American citizens and also said that Chinese officials were working to prevent or intimidate people who attended embassy events. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comments on that?

Mao Ning: Ambassador Burns's remarks do not reflect the facts. Those words stray from the important common understandings reached by the two presidents in San Francisco and the right way for the two countries to get along with each other. They are not conducive to the sound and steady growth of China-US relations.

China is guided by the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation put forward by President Xi Jinping in growing relations with the US and we are committed to promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. As we speak, an event named Bond with Kuliang: 2024 China-US Youth Festival is being held in Fuzhou. This is the largest youth exchange event with the greatest variety of activities being organized since the two countries established diplomatic ties.

It is the US, not China, that has disrupted and prevented cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. The US has used national security as a false pretext to harass, interrogate, and deport Chinese students arriving in the US. Such moves inflicted enormous damage on the persons concerned. They've created a chilling effect.

The image of the US in the eyes of the Chinese people is ultimately determined by the US itself. The US should work with China, promote China-US people-to-people and cultural exchanges through credible actions and advance the sound and steady growth of bilateral relations.

China Daily: President of Poland Andrzej Duda is on the last day of his visit to China. Can you share more details of the visit? How does China view this visit?

Mao Ning: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of Poland Andrzej Duda paid a state visit to China from June 22 to 26. During the visit, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Duda, and Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji met with him separately. President Duda also attended and addressed the Opening Plenary of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, and visited Shanghai.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Poland. In their talks, the two heads of state reviewed the course of bilateral relations over the past 75 years, and provided strategic guidance for the growth of bilateral ties in the next stage. President Xi Jinping noted that the two sides need to uphold the core spirit of China-Poland friendship, that is, mutual respect, equality, mutually beneficial cooperation, exchanges and mutual learning, step up strategic coordination and overall planning of cooperation in various areas, and put more effort into advancing cultural, youth and academic exchanges. President Duda spoke highly of the growth of bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas, commended the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping, reaffirmed Poland's commitment to the one-China principle, and expressed readiness to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with China, have close communication and coordination with China on multilateral affairs, play a constructive role in advancing the development of Europe-China relations, and continue working for closer ties between Central and Eastern European Countries and China.

After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents in areas of economy and trade and agriculture. The two sides also jointly issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2024-2027), and agreed to give priority to cooperation in areas of economy, trade and investment, connectivity, science, technology and green development, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

China and Poland have a traditional friendship. Poland was one of the first countries to recognize the New China. In recent years, China-Poland relations have enjoyed smooth progress, with fruitful outcomes of mutually beneficial cooperation. This visit has deepened the political mutual trust between the two countries, enriched the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership, and contributed to the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and the sound and steady development of China-Europe relations. Going forward, China is ready to work with Poland to deliver on the important common understandings between the two presidents, stay true to the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations, carry forward the traditional friendship, and take the bilateral relations to a higher level.a

AFP: My question is about the current state of conflict in Myanmar. There have been new clashes in Myanmar starting yesterday in the Shan State and the Mandalay Region. In January, China brokered a ceasefire between the various parties in the Myanmar conflict. I'm wondering, is China still confident that the ceasefire can hold? Has China been in contact with any of the parties such as the Ta'ang National Liberation Army and the junta about the ongoing conflicts?a

Mao Ning: We believe that maintaining the momentum of ceasefire and peace talks is not only in the interest of all parties in Myanmar but also conducive to the tranquility of the China-Myanmar border area. China is of the view that Myanmar needs to restore stability at an early date, and China will continue to do what it can to assist and support the process of peace talks.

Bloomberg: Sri Lanka is set to sign bilateral debt restructuring agreements with Paris Club-led creditor nations. Once that agreement with creditors is signed, the focus will turn to talks with the China Development Bank. Do you have any information to offer on talks with the CDB?aa

Mao Ning: I'd refer you to competent Chinese authorities for the specifics. The Export-Import Bank of China was the first to tentatively agree with Sri Lanka on debt treatment, which has been crucial for Sri Lanka to advance fiscal reform and win further support from international creditors. China stands ready to work with relevant countries and international financial institutions to support Sri Lanka in realizing debt sustainability.

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China steps up maritime challenges to Taiwan, Japan

By William Yang June 26, 2024

The Chinese coast guard has increased its activities in disputed waters near Taiwan and Japan in recent days, forcing Taipei and Tokyo to engage in tense standoffs with Chinese coast guard vessels.

On Monday, the Chinese coast guard claimed it "drove away" four Japanese fishing vessels and other patrol boats that had "illegally entered" the waters near the disputed islands that Tokyo calls Senkaku and Beijing refers to as Diaoyu between June 20 and June 24. China and Japan both view the disputed island chain and the nearby waters as their territories.

"The Chinese coast guard vessels carried out maritime enforcement activities in waters under [China's] jurisdiction," the Chinese coast guard said in a statement, urging Japan to "immediately cease all illegal activities in that maritime area and ensure similar incidents won't occur again."

In a separate statement, the Japanese coast guard said two of the four Chinese coast guard vessels near the Senkaku Islands were "heading for" Japanese fishing boats operating in the water but were warned off by Japanese vessels.

On Tuesday, Beijing also deployed four coast guard vessels to conduct "routine law enforcement patrols" in waters around Taiwan's outlying Kinmen Island, which is designated as a restricted area by Taipei and sits just off China's southeastern coast.

"Since June, the Fujian coast guard has organized fleets to continuously strengthen law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen, further enhancing control over the relevant maritime areas," the Chinese coast guard said in a statement released on Tuesday.

In response, Taiwan's coast guard sent three vessels to monitor the Chinese vessels' activities and gather evidence. Speaking on Wednesday, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the Chinese moves are part of an effort to change the status quo around Taiwan's outlying islands. He also said that Taiwan's coast guard and navy were in constant communication about the intrusions.

Last week Chinese coast guard officers carrying knives, sticks, and an axe clashed with Philippine soldiers conducting a resupply mission to marines stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

The incident occurred just days after China began implementing new regulations that Beijing says allow its coast guard officers to investigate and detain foreigners "who endanger China's national security and interests" in disputed waters for up to 60 days.

Some analysts say the developments show how Beijing is increasingly relying on its coast guard to "exert" its maritime interests.

"These activities may be a way for China to distract the public from domestic problems, as they put more emphasis on the protection of what they view as China's core interests, such as their claims over Taiwan," Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, told VOA by phone.

Analysts add that since China's maritime territorial claims are not in line with those recognized internationally, the Chinese coast guard appears to be beefing up its activity across the Indo-Pacific region.

"China has engaged in aggressive shipbuilding and capacity-building programs for its coast guard and it's also building a lot of infrastructure like artificial islands in the South China Sea to increase its ability to project power into its neighbors' [domestic waters,]" said Ray Powell, director of Stanford University's Gordian Knot Center, which monitors the South China Sea.

As China showcases its growing assertiveness in the maritime domain, Koh in Singapore said the trend has heightened a sense of insecurity across the Indo-Pacific region.

"Even countries that won't be directly impacted are starting to feel the heat," he said, adding that the growing interactions between opposing military and coast guard forces will inevitably increase risks of miscalculation or inadvertent military encounters.

To cope with that risk, Koh said some countries are relying more on "mini-lateral" frameworks between like-minded countries such as the trilateral framework among Japan, the Philippines and the United States.

"We have seen greater defense and security engagements with regional parties and some other parties beyond the region," he told VOA.

But since most countries in the Indo-Pacific region don't officially recognize Taiwan, some experts say Taipei needs to establish its own protocols to cope with the pressure imposed by the Chinese coast guard.

"Taiwan should deploy more patrol vessels to support the coast guard in the event of a standoff with the Chinese coast guard around the outlying islands," said Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at the Taipei-based Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

He told VOA that Taipei needs to establish a set of systematic responses to intrusions carried out by the Chinese coast guard in order to press for potential negotiations with Beijing about the status quo around its outlying islands.

Despite growing tensions between China and its neighboring countries, Koh said there are mechanisms to manage standoffs or confrontations between coast guard forces from different countries.

"There are still regional efforts to establish new mechanisms to manage the growing risks of miscalculation or military encounters and while China and the Philippines had probably the worst incident between their coast guard forces in years, I don't see the two countries necessarily foreclosing dialogues," he told VOA.

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US criticizes China in international religious freedom report

By VOA News June 26, 2024

The United States criticized China in the State Department's 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, describing the country as a repressive regime.

In the report, released Wednesday, the department also cited an international and domestic increase in antisemitism and Islamophobia, which it attributed to the war in Gaza.

At the release of the report, Rashad Hussein, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, addressed assembled partners, survivors and civil society representatives.

"The report," he said, "also continues to cast light on the ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide the Chinese government is perpetrating against Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang."

According to the report a which cites information from religious groups, nongovernmental organizations and international media reports a the Chinese government restricts the activities and freedom of religious followers it believes threatens state or Chinese Communist Party interests. Those found in violation of laws governing religious groups a even members of government-registered groups a are subject to arrest, torture, forced indoctrination in CCP ideology and even death.

"Due to a lack of transparency regarding law enforcement's persecution of religious followers, estimates of those imprisoned during the year for their religious beliefs ranged from the low thousands to more than 10,000," the report said.

The report says the Church of Almighty God, an unregistered entity that China considers a "cult," reported that 12,463 members were arrested in 2023, and that 20 members died because of the persecution.

In 1999, the U.S. designated China as a Country of Particular Concern for having participated in or tolerated serious violations of religious freedom. In December, it reestablished restrictions on exports to China that could be used for crime detection.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, called the accusations in the report inaccurate and accused the U.S. State Department of trying to interfere in domestic Chinese affairs.

"The Chinese government protects citizens' freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. People of all ethnic groups in China are fully entitled to the freedom of religious belief as prescribed by law," he said, adding that China has "nearly 200 million religious believers."

"We urge relevant parties to stop using the so-called religious issues to meddle in China's internal affairs," he said.

In his remarks at the report's release, Hussain addressed the sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia worldwide since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

"Beyond Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, the conflict has also fed a global surge in acts of anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism," he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also commented on the rise in hate crimes domestically.

"Here in the United States, reports of hate crimes and other instances targeting Muslims and Jews have gone up dramatically," he said.

The State Department does not include the United States in its annual report. Instead, the report details the state of religious freedom in various countries, along with U.S. policies toward those countries that promote religious freedom.

Radio Free Asia, VOA's sister media outlet, contributed to this report.

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North Korea's missile launch ends in mid-air explosion: South

The launch came after the North criticized the arrival in South Korea of a U.S. aircraft carrier.

By Taejun Kang for RFA 2024.06.26 -- North Korea test fired a ballistic missile over the sea off its east coast on Wednesday, but it exploded in the air soon after the launch, South Korea's military said.

The missile was launched from an area in or near the North Korean capital Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m., said the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS.

A JCS official told reporters that the military was considering the possibility that North Korea had launched a hypersonic missile, adding that smoke appeared to emanate from the missile more than on previous test launches.

The official noted the missile could possibly have been powered by solid propellants.

Compared with liquid-fuel missiles, solid-fuel missiles are thought to be more difficult to detect before they are launched because they require fewer steps to prepare, including no need for fuel injection.

After the missile launch, the nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed efforts to coordinate their response to North Korea, according to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The three sides condemned the North's ballistic missile launch as a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and said they pose a serious threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the international community," the ministry said in a press release.

The launch came after North Korea criticized the arrival in South Korea of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and warned of taking "overwhelming and new" deterrence measures against what it called a "provocative" act.

The aircraft carrier arrived in the city of Busan on Saturday ahead of a trilateral exercise with South Korea and Japan.

The launch comes after North Korea signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation treaty with Russia during a summit last week between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

As part of their pact, the two leaders agreed to offer military assistance "without delay" if either is attacked.

North Korea sent trash-carrying balloons to the South on Tuesday night for the second straight day, the latest in a series of balloon flights by both sides that have raised tension on their heavily fortified border.

Since late last month, North Korea is estimated to have launched more than 2,000 such balloons in what it said was a response to a anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets sent by North Korean defectors and activists in South Korea.

North Korea test-fired about 10 short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on May 30 while launching GPS jamming attacks against the South.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2016, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Towards East Sea - Reports

Sputnik News

20240626

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - North Korea launched an unspecified ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Tuesday, citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The launch has been detected by the South Korean military but there are no further details on the matter, the news agency reported.

Yonhap later reported, citing the South Korean military, that the launch of Pyongyang's unidentified ballistic missile appears to have failed.

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported, citing a government source, that the North's missile appears to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on Wednesday that Pyongyang's launch appears to have failed.

"Today, on June 26, at around 5:30 a.m. [local time, 20:30 GMT on June 25], North Korea launched an unspecified ballistic missile from the area around Pyongyang toward the East Sea [the Sea of Japan], but presumably unsuccessfully. South Korean and US agencies continue additional analysis," the South's military said in a statement.

Yonhap cited a military source as saying that Pyongyang appears to have test-fired a hypersonic missile, but the test is believed to have failed since the missile flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles).

Russian officials repeatedly stressed that US and its allies bear responsibility for worsening situation on the Korean Peninsula, while Pyongyang has no choice but to bolster its military capabilities in order to deter adversaries.

A Sputnik

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Press Statement of Minister of National Defence of DPRK

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, June 27 (KCNA) -- Kang Sun Nam, minister of National Defence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, released the following press statement on June 27:

The puppet Zelenskiy clique of Ukraine perpetrated a brutal atrocity again by mercilessly killing peaceable citizens of Russia on June 23.

According to media reports, the neo-Nazis of Ukraine attacked Sevastopol City of Russia with U.S.-supplied ATACMS army tactical missiles equipped with cluster warheads, killing three people, including two children, and wounded 150 others.

Expressing deep sympathy and condolences to the victims, their families and the injured, I pray that the Russian people would eradicate the aftermath and restore their stable life as soon as possible.

And I vehemently denounce the recent case as a direct military attack on the Russian territory and an inexcusable hideous crime against humanity.

The gravity of the issue is that as claimed by Russian official figures, the missiles fired by the Zelenskiy clique at civilians were the U.S.-made missiles and the input of their coordinates was carried out by U.S. military experts.

Therefore, the true colors of the U.S. as the one directly involved in the Ukrainian dispute and worst sponsor of terrorism have become crystal clear and it has been fully proved that the weapons supplied by the U.S. to Ukraine have been used to massacre peaceable citizens of Russia.

Hideous crimes deserve severe punishment.

The U.S., which has become directly involved in the Ukrainian war, has nothing to say against any punishment by Russia and the retaliatory attack will be the most legitimate self-defence.

We will always be on the side of the Russian army and people all out in the war of justice for defending the national sovereign rights and security. -0-

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Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's official answer to media questions regarding detention of political activists in New Caledonia

26 June 2024 17:10

1218-26-06-2024

Question: The situation in New Caledonia continues to cause great concern amid a surge in public discontent over the French authorities' attempts to implement an electoral reform that infringes upon the rights of the Kanak people, the indigenous population of this French overseas territory. Activists continue to be detained and arrested. What can you say about this situation?

Maria Zakharova: Indeed, following the violent suppression of mass protests involving thousands of people that led to injuries among demonstrators and law enforcement officers, Paris moved to the next phase of reprisals.

Late last week, 11 renowned activists from the New Caledonia national liberation movement, including Christian Tein, the leader of the field actions coordination cell, were detained and taken into custody. Despite the protests from local residents, most of them have been transferred to mainland France 17,000 km away from their homes. Paris brought multiple charges against the detained Kanak individuals, including plotting and inciting to commit crimes as part of an organised group and attempting to murder law enforcement officers, among others.

Notably, prominent political figures of the Kanak national liberation movement were arrested two of them direct descendants of Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Alphonse Dianou, both renowned advocates of New Caledonia's independence. The arrests and coercive removal of Kanak activists from New Caledonia have sparked a new wave of tensions on the archipelago and further exacerbated the political situation in the region which is fairly challenging as it is.

We believe that the ongoing sociopolitical crisis in New Caledonia results from the lingering decolonisation process. By placing the blame for this surge in tensions on the indigenous people who are upholding their legitimate right to national self-determination and banking on suppressing it through the use of force, France is replicating the worst traditions of its colonial empire.

We urge the French authorities to ensure the basic rights and freedoms of New Caledonia's political activists, as well as other residents of this archipelago who are suffering from France's disparaging attitudes and the French justice, whose actions bear clear marks of the colonial past.

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Students gather on Oct. 25, 2023, at Sproul Plaza to call for a cease-fire in Gaza. Next fall, all students, leaders of student groups and residential assistants at UC Berkeley will have to participate in antisemitism education, which will accompany expanded education against Islamophobia. Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

UC Berkeley will expand its antisemitism education this fall to all new students, leaders of student groups and residential assistants, outgoing Chancellor Carol Christ told an advisory committee this week.

The new requirement will run parallel to expanded education against Islamophobia that Christ agreed to last month in exchange for pro-Palestinian protesters dismantling their encampment on Sproul Plaza, said Dan Mogulof, a campus spokesperson.

The efforts follow an extraordinary year in which allegations of antisemitism and bigotry against Islamic students of Arab and Palestinian descent have soared at college campuses around the country following the Hamas attack on Israel in October that triggered Israels war in Gaza.

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We will, for the first time, invest significant university funding in support of antisemitism education, Christ wrote to the members of the Chancellors Advisory Committee on Jewish Student Life and Campus Climate.

She said the school would fund its Antisemitism Education Initiative for at least five years and that the new requirement will provide antisemitism education for all incoming students on a much wider scale than previously.

Mogulof confirmed that incoming students and student leaders will be taught to recognize and avoid discrimination against both Jews and Muslims. Christ also hinted at the new requirements in a May 14 letter to faculty leaders.

Antisemitism reared its ugly head too often in recent months, often hiding behind a thin mask of anti-Israel activism, said Ron Hassner, who teaches political science and holds the Helen Diller Family Chair in Israel studies at UC Berkeley.

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Hassner staged a sit-in this spring, refusing to leave his campus office until the university agreed to do more to protect Jewish students, who said they had been harassed by protesters as they tried to enter campus at Sather Gate and who were prevented from hearing an Israeli speaker when protesters shut down the campus event at Zellerbach Playhouse in February.

The new education requirement was born in part out of an agreement with Hassner.

It is crucial that students learn about the history of antisemitism, its different forms and tropes, and its close relationship to other forms of bigotry like xenophobia, racism and anti-Zionism, Hassner said.

Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, cautioned that training about antisemitism should not falsely label anti-Zionism as equivalent to antisemitism, despite any pressure from pro-Israel groups.

Billoo said she was optimistic that the university leadership would keep its agreement with the students who took down their tent encampment.

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Training on Islamophobia is critical but must be supplemented by training on anti-Palestinian racism, which is comparably on an unprecedented rise since the Israeli genocide in Gaza began, she said.

Last November, in an announcement foreshadowing the efforts at UC Berkeley, University of California President Michael Drake announced that the UC system would spend $7 million on three initiatives related to the distress emerging on UC campuses across the state.

He pledged to spend $3 million on emergency mental health resources, $2 million on educational programs to improve the public discourse and to better understand antisemitism and Islamophobia, and $2 million on training employees on how to navigate their roles as educators in this space.

Christ is stepping down this summer after seven years at the helm. Richard Lyons, the campus chief innovation officer and former dean of the Haas School of Business, will become the schools 12th chancellor.
Uniqueness of India's nuclear trajectory premised on the principle of 'No First Use & Massive Retaliation': CDS Gen Anil Chauhan

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 26 JUN 2024 5:16PM by PIB Delhi

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has reiterated that the uniqueness of India's nuclear trajectory is premised on the principle of 'No First Use & Massive Retaliation'. Gen Anil Chauhan was delivering the keynote address on 'Nuclear Strategy : Contemporary Developments and Future Possibilities' in a seminar organised by Centre for Air Power Studies - IISS Seminar in New Delhi on June 26, 2024.

In his address, Gen Anil Chauhan highlighted the changing nature & characteristics of conventional warfare. He impressed that the threat from nuclear weapons has once again occupied centre-stage in the geopolitical landscape.

The CDS stressed the need for a deeper thought, development of new doctrines, reimagning deterrence and safeguarding nuclear C4I2SR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) infrastructure.

Gen Anil Chauhan also released the Asian Defence Review 2024 'Emerging Technologies and Changing Dimensions of Threats to India' at the CAPS - IISS Seminar.

***

ABB/Anand



(Release ID: 2028825)

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DRDO hands over Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket to Indian Navy

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

This niche technology creates a microwave shield around platforms & reduces radar detection

Posted On: 26 JUN 2024 4:15PM by PIB Delhi

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the Medium Range-Microwave Obscurant Chaff Rocket (MR-MOCR) to the Indian Navy at a ceremony held in New Delhi on June 26, 2024. Microwave Obscurant Chaff (MOC), a niche technology developed by DRDO's Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, obscures radar signals and creates a microwave shield around platforms and assets, thus reducing radar detection.

Special type of fibres, with diameter of few microns and unique microwave obscuration properties, have been assembled in the medium range chaff rocket. The rocket, when fired, forms microwave obscurant cloud in space spreading over a sufficient area, with adequate persistence time, thus creating an effective shield against hostile threats having Radio Frequency seekers.

The Phase-I trials of MR-MOCR were successfully conducted from Indian Navy ships, demonstrating the MOC cloud blooming and being persistent in space. In Phase-II trials, the Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction of an aerial target to the extent of 90 per cent has been demonstrated and cleared by the Indian Navy. The number of MR-MOCR, meeting all the qualification requirements, have been successfully handed over to the Indian Navy.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has complimented DRDO and the Indian Navy on the successful development of MR-MOCR. He termed the MOC technology as another step towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in defence.

The MR-MOCR has been handed over by Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat to Director General of Naval Armament Inspection, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Brijesh Vashistha. The DRDO Chairman congratulated the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur team for this significant achievement. The Director General of Naval Armament Inspection, Indian Navy also applauded the efforts of DRDO for indigenously developing this strategically-important technology in a short span of time.

****

ABB/Savvy/KB



(Release ID: 2028794)

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Ayatollah Khamenei: High voter turnout makes Iran proud, disappoints enemies

Iran Press TV

Tuesday, 25 June 2024 7:52 AM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says a high voter turnout in the upcoming presidential election makes Iran proud and helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies.

The Leader made the remarks on Tuesday in an address to thousands of Iranians from the provinces of Tehran, Gilan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Markazi and North Khorasan on the occasion of Eid al-Ghadir and ahead of the Friday presidential election.

The Iranian nation is to face a test, Ayatollah Khamenei said, referring to the June 28 presidential election.

Iranians will go to the polls on Friday to elect the next president from among the six candidates vying to replace the late President Ebrahim Raeisi.

"Elections are always a test, but now [they are] more [important] than ever," the Leader added.

Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed hope that the election will be a source of pride for the Iranian nation through their "maximum participation" and choosing "the most qualified" candidate.

"One of the factors that enable the Islamic Republic to overcome its enemy is the election," Ayatollah Khamenei asserted.

He further advised people to show a high voter turnout in the election to silence the country's ill-wishers, noting whenever participation was low it served as a tool for the enemies to reproach the Islamic establishment.

The Leader criticized the politicians who believe in reliance on world powers, saying they "think all the ways of progress pass through the US; No, it is not like that."

"The one who thinks that it is not possible to take steps without favors of the US, he will not manage [the country] well," he emphasized.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the most qualified candidate is the person who is capable of tapping into domestic opportunities and capacities, among them the country's young, educated generation.

"The Islamic Republic has shown that it can advance without relying on foreigners and it has done so."

The Leader said that he has always believed in interaction with the entire world, with one or two exceptions.

Ayatollah Khamenei further expounded that his call for not pinning hope on foreigners "does not translate into severing relations [with them], but it means national bravery and national independence."

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Russia says work underway on 'big treaty' with Iran

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 5:28 PM

Russia says it is working on a significant cooperation agreement with Iran, a sign of growing friendship between the two nations.

"Now we are working on a treaty - probably you have heard about it, and I ask you once again not to use the formula 'the same as the one with North Korea' - now the work is underway on the big treaty with Iran," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a presser in Moscow on Wednesday.

Her comment referred to a comprehensive bilateral cooperation agreement that has been negotiated between the two sides for years.

In January, Russia's Foreign Ministry said a new inter-state treaty reflecting the "unprecedented upswing" in Russia-Iran ties was being finalized.

Over the past couple of years, the two countries have strengthened their bonds of friendship.

Earlier this month, Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said Tehran and Moscow had serious intentions of expanding cooperation in several domains.

Bagheri Kani, in an interview on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, said Iran and Russia were two neighboring countries with historical relations.

"In the past years, the relations between the two countries have increased and also the two countries share similar challenges and threats, promoting several opportunities for cooperation."

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow's commitment to finalize the comprehensive long-term cooperation agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Moscow is dedicated to concluding this memorandum with Tehran."

In a press conference following the BRICS meeting, Lavrov said the draft of the agreement had been agreed upon but still had to be signed by the presidents.

He said signing the agreement would need to go through some formal protocols to be finalized.

Lavrov said the signing of this document would elevate Tehran-Moscow relations to a new stage. "As soon as the stages I mentioned are implemented in Iran, we can do this."

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Iran, Russia sign major gas supply agreement

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 3:36 PM

Tehran and Moscow have signed a major agreement for the supply of gas from Russia to Iran, according to official news agencies of the two countries.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said in a Wednesday report that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Russian gas transfer to Iran had been signed in a ceremony earlier in the day in the presence of Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji and the special envoy of the Russian Federation and CEO of Gazprom Alexey Miller.

"The signing of the MoU on Russian gas transfer is a big accomplishment and would lead to good developments on the issue of balance of energy (trade). We hope this MoU could be turned into a contract in a very short period of time," Owji said after the agreement was signed.

He insisted that the MoU makes Iran a gas supply hub in the region, adding that the agreement sets up a framework for gas exports from Russia to Iran.

The IRNA said based on the information it had received that the agreement would enable Iran to import gas from Russia and supply it at a higher price to Iraq, Turkey and Pakistan.

Russia's Tass news agency said that the MoU was meant to "work out organization of pipeline supplies of Russian natural gas to Iran" and will be between Gazprom and the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC).

Russia has been facing an oversupply of natural gas since early 2022 when its exports to Europe came under sanctions because of the war in Ukraine.

Iran is the second largest gas producer in the world after Russia and has its own exports via pipelines to Turkey and Iraq.

Iran's Acting President Mohamad Mokhber said that the MoU signed on Wednesday is extremely important for the two countries and the region.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran will be turned into a regional gas hub and a new chapter will be opened in regional and international relations," said Mokhber in a meeting with Miller and his delegation before the gas transfer agreement was signed in the Iranian Presidency.

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Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant

June 26, 2024

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant today at the White House. They discussed the ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire deal together with the release of hostages. Minister Gallant once again confirmed the support of the Israeli government for the deal as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, the G7, and countries around the world.

Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security, including in the face of threats from Iranian-backed terrorist groups such as Lebanese Hezbollah. They discussed ongoing U.S. efforts to support de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon that would ensure the return of both Israeli and Lebanese families to their homes in the border regions. The two also discussed President Biden's unprecedented support for Israel since the Hamas attacks of October 7th. Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed President Biden's commitment to ensure that Israel has all it needs to defend itself militarily and confront its Iranian-backed adversaries.

Mr. Sullivan and Minister Gallant discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the need to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Mr. Sullivan recognized Minister Gallant's personal efforts and leadership to support these efforts. Mr. Sullivan also raised the importance of de-escalating tensions in the West Bank, to include the transfer of clearance revenues to the Palestinian Authority without further delay.

###

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Drafting of women underway in Myanmar, despite junta claims to the contrary

The junta said there was no immediate need for women to serve, but residents say they are already being enlisted.

By RFA Burmese 2024.06.26 -- Myanmar's junta has begun conscripting women into the military to help shore up troop losses despite claims to the contrary, residents said Wednesday.

Under the People's Military Service Law, enacted by the junta in February after junta forces have suffered battlefield defeats to rebel forces, men between the ages of 18 and 35 and women between 18 and 27 can be drafted to serve in the armed forces for two years. Married women and women with children are exempt from service.

The announcement triggered a wave of assassinations of administrators enforcing the law and drove thousands of draft-dodgers into rebel-controlled territory and abroad.

The military carried out two rounds of conscriptions in April and May, training about 9,000 new recruits in total. A third round of conscription began in late May, with draftees sent to their respective training depots by June 22, but the junta has said it will not begin drafting women until the fifth round.

However, residents of Myanmar's southwestern Ayeyarwady region told RFA Burmese that authorities in the wards and villages of Maubin, Hinthada and Pathein townships have been enlisting women for service since late last month, conducting raffles and sending legal summons to households.

"Women have been enlisted for military training since May 29, as not enough males were recruited for the No. 6 training depot in Pathein," said one resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.

"Women dormitories are urgently being constructed at the depot. In Maubin, women are being enlisted by a raffle system for the third batch of training."

A resident of Hinthata cited sources close to the township's administrative officials as saying that female military personnel will be enlisted "starting this week" in some neighborhoods.

Reports of the new eligibility has prompted many young women to join the exodus of draft-dodgers to rebel safe zones and out of the country, sources said.

Summons sent to households

Meanwhile, ward and village authorities in southern Myanmar's Tanintharyi region are also preparing to recruit women, residents told RFA, with administrative authorities in Myeik township instructing the heads of 100 households to enlist those eligible for the draft.

In Tanintharyi's Dawei township, legal notices were recently issued to the houses of two women, summoning them for military service, said a resident, who also declined to be named.

"Authorities sent the letters to two women in Kyet Sar Pyin village," he said. "However, one of the women had already left once the conscription law was announced [in February]. Many young people have already migrated to Thailand. There are no youths to be seen."

Repeated phone calls to the chairman's office of the Central Body for Summoning People's Military Servants and similar offices in Tanintharyi and Ayeyarwady regions, seeking clarification on whether women are being enlisted for military service, went unanswered Wednesday.

Captain Kaung Thu Win, a former military officer who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement of civil servants boycotting the junta, told RFA that drafted women will likely be assigned office work or stationed with auxiliary units.

"They're unlikely to be dispatched to the frontline immediately," he said. "There is a possibility they would have to take on security duties in the towns, but there is very little chance of that happening."

According to the People's Military Service Law, the term for military service period is set at two years, but experts are required to serve for three years, and five years during a state of emergency.

Those who have been summoned to military service and refuse face up to three years in prison and fines, while those who encourage violations of the law are subject to one year in prison and fines.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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'Neither hospitals nor doctors' for 10,000 displaced in Myanmar

Residents are trapped by fighting and in need of aid.

By RFA Burmese 2024.06.26 -- About 10,000 people in Myanmar, most of them members of the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority displaced by fighting, are in urgent need of food and medical aid, residents told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.

Fighting between junta forces and autonomy-seeking Arakan Army insurgents has intensified in recent weeks in Maungdaw township in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, compounding hardships for the population after junta troops shut down hospitals, prohibited travel and forcibly conscripted villagers into the army.

The fighting has forced residents from four neighborhoods in the outskirts of Maungdaw town to take shelter in schools for the past two months.

Food and medical resources are now running out as the fighting in the area intensifies, said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.

"We can hear heavy artillery all the time. People have been killed and wounded as a result of shells landing on their houses. There are no hospitals, no doctors, that's why people are so worried," he said.

Fighting between insurgent armies and the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup has intensified since late last year in several parts of the country, including Rakhine state, where Arakan Army fighters occupy nine townships and have captured nearly all junta outposts, including those on the Bangladesh border.

While civilians have been suffering throughout the country, the Rohingya people have faced particular hardship with human rights groups saying both sides in the conflict have abused their rights, accusing them of helping their rivals and press-ganging them into their armies.

Rohingya have for decades faced persecution in mostly Buddhist Myanmar with more than 700,000 fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh in 2017 from a military crackdown following Rohingya insurgent attacks on police.

The Maungdaw resident said this time, junta roadblocks imposed as part of their anti-insurgent operations meant fleeing to Bangladesh was not an option and no aid groups were able to provide food and medical care.

Residents reported casualties from the shelling but could not confirm the number or details. Access to the internet and telecommunications has been cut.

Rakhine state's junta spokesperson Hla Thein did not respond to calls from RFA requesting comment on the situation.

According to the junta-controlled Myanma Alin newspaper, junta officials provided more than 2,000 households in Maungdaw's affected neighborhoods with a bag of rice each on Saturday.

The World Food Programme said on Tuesday its warehouse in Maungdaw township was burned down on Saturday. The U.N. food agency has not been allowed to travel in Maungdaw township since last month.

The Arakan Army warned residents to evacuate on June 16, saying in a statement its fighters would attack Maungdaw town.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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War, lack of resources complicate judicial plans in Myanmar rebel zones

A rise in crime in southeast Myanmar is putting stress on already struggling systems.

By Kiana Duncan for RFA 2024.06.26 -- Myanmar's ethnic minority insurgent groups are grappling with a growing problem as they take over larger areas from junta forces in a surge of fighting since a 2021 coup: how to maintain law and order with few resources and while under constant threat of attack.

The Karen National Union, or KNU, controlling areas of Kayin state, is among the groups dealing with rising violent crime rates, especially offenses against minors, while struggling to maintain governance amid battles with junta forces.

"When there is conflict, there is not a normal situation. Whoever commits crimes like this, they have a lot of chances to flee," said KNU spokesperson Saw Taw Nee, highlighting the difficulties in prosecuting offenders amid the chaos of war.

The conflict has displaced more than 229,000 people in Kayin state alone, according to the U.N. and amidst the turmoil, the KNU's justice system has been pushed to its limits, resulting in controversial measures to combat heinous crimes.

Saw Taw Nee confirmed that "two or three" death sentences had been carried out in recent years, but declined to comment further, citing a lack of knowledge on the details. The KNU's Department of Judiciary did not respond to requests for comment from Radio Free Asia.

In January 2024, a 60-year-old man was sentenced to death for raping two 12-year-old girls. This followed a 2022 case where two men received death sentences for the rape and murder of sisters aged 9 and 12.

These cases underscore the KNU's resort to capital punishment, despite criticism from human rights organizations.

"As a human rights organization, we utterly condemn capital punishment in all circumstances," said Saw Nanda Hsue of the Karen Human Rights Group. However, he acknowledged the complex reality in the "absence of proper mechanisms to hold civilian perpetrators accountable."

The challenges faced by the KNU are not unique. Other political organizations opposing military rule and trying to administer civilian populations, such as the United League of Arakan and the Karenni Interim Executive Council, struggle with similar issues.

A source asking to be cited as an observer of the Arakan Army insurgent force, part of the United League of Arakan political group, told RFA that the group did not have enough lawyers or judges, and "very inadequate" infrastructure and facilities while prisons are at a constant risk of being attacked by junta troops.

"As [they gain] more controlled area and more population, the ULA will definitely face an increase in all types of cases," the source said in a statement. "In some areas, gender-based violence and sexual assault cases might be more heard [in the] public domain."

He told RFA he was not aware of any recent executions under the United League of Arakan.

Huge caseload

Similarly, the Karenni Interim Executive Council in Kayah state has begun training police forces to handle an increase in looting of homes abandoned because of the conflict, and petty crimes, as well as security for civilians, said John Quinley, director of Fortify Rights. Quinley interviewed members of the police force, who told him about the shortage of both facilities and personnel.

"They said, 'you know, it's really difficult. We have airstrikes and artillery fire in this area almost on a daily basis. But we're also trying to get these guys that are trying to steal goods from houses,'" he said.

"Even the amount of judges that you have is fairly limited and their caseloads are really high, and so you just have a lot of petty crime, you have also other cases that are related to prisoners of war or related to crimes that maybe the resistance forces committed that need to go through the courts, so it's just really quite a big caseload."

Ethnic minority political groups and their armies are increasingly taking over areas that have been devastated by the battles in which control over them was won.

"If you're dealing with towns and villages that have been bombed out ... the courthouse is gone, the jails are gone, what they use for detention, and then once the sentences have been issued, prisons just simply aren't available," said Jonathan Liljeblad, an associate professor at Australian National University's College of Law.

The United League of Arakan's handling of more than 4,000 cases in recent years may soon be dwarfed by the growing caseloads across all areas controlled by ethnic minority organizations potentially leading to a bigger crisis in their makeshift justice systems.

"There's a lot of challenges, like how to maintain the rule of law in our territory, especially prisons and the capacity of our people," said the KNU's Saw Taw Nee.

"We are still in a struggling time for our rights and liberties, so we could not focus on the specific issues like that," he said in reference to the death penalty.

Edited by Taejun Kang.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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WFP condemns looting and burning of its warehouse in Myanmar

World Food Programme

26 June 2024

Yangon -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) strongly condemns the looting of food supplies and burning of its warehouse in Maungdaw in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State last Saturday.

WFP is providing emergency food support to conflict-affected populations in Myanmar and has assisted almost one million people so far this year. The seizure of food and other goods and the destruction of humanitarian facilities in Maungdaw undermines these efforts and must be stopped.

WFP calls on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure that humanitarian facilities and assets are respected and protected, and safe and secure access is provided for the delivery of vital assistance to those in urgent need.

WFP staff have been unable to access the Maungdaw warehouse since late May due to increasing conflict in northern Rakhine. The warehouse was holding 1,175 metric tons of life-saving food and supplies - enough emergency food to sustain 64,000 people for one month. WFP continues to gather details of the circumstances surrounding the incident.



# # #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

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Scammers used Metallicas X account to push fake cryptocurrency this week. Tim Saccenti

Metallicas social media was hacked by crypto scammers targeting its fans this week.

A post promoting a Solana-based token called Metal appeared early Wednesday on the veteran Bay Area rock bands X account, which was made to look official via the mention of Ticketmaster as a partner, according to screenshots of the now-deleted posts shared online.

Get ready for the takeover, the first post read. Tap into $METAL, a dynamic new token on the Solana blockchain poised to revolutionize how you experience events and shop online. In collaboration with @Ticketmaster.

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Subsequent posts featured graphics using Metallicas black and yellow color scheme from its latest album, 72 Seasons, and included logos for Ticketmaster and MoonPay, a fintech company with headquarters in Miami. Hackers used Metallicas account to post instructions on how to redeem Metal tokens for concert tickets and exclusive merchandise, including a signed Xbox Series X.

By the next day, the account had returned to normal. Although Metallica did not officially comment, the band retweeted a message from MoonPay president Keith Grossman, clarifying that his company does not support Metal.

The convincing nature of the scam led some fans to fall for it, which is not surprising given that other bands like Megadeth and Avenged Sevenfold have launched crypto tokens in the past.

The Metal token briefly surged to a peak value of $3.37 million within 20 minutes of the scams launch but plummeted to $90,000 after three hours.

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Russia: Statement by High Representative Borrell on Russia's decision to block a number of European media

European External Action Service (EEAS)

26.06.2024

Brussels, Belgium

EEAS Press Team

The EU condemns the totally unfounded decision by the Russian authorities to block access to over eighty European media in Russia.

This decision further restricts access to free and independent information and expands the already severe media censorship in Russia. The banned European media work according to journalistic principles and standards. They give factual information, also to Russian audiences, including on Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

In contrast, the Russian disinformation and propaganda outlets, against which the EU has introduced restrictive measures, do not represent a free and independent media. Their broadcasting activities in the EU have been suspended because these outlets are under the control of the Russian authorities and they are instrumental in supporting the war of aggression against Ukraine.

Respect for the freedom of expression and media is a core value for the EU. It will continue supporting availability of factual information also to audiences in Russia.

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Pentagon chief calls Russia's new defense minister for first time

Iran Press TV

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 10:32 AM

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Russian Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov have discussed the current conflict in Ukraine in a phone conversation.

Moscow's defense ministry reported that during the phone call, Belousov highlighted the risk of increased tension due to the continuous delivery of US-made weapons to Ukraine.

"The Ministers exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement, noting the conversation took place "at the initiative of the American side."

The Russian minister "pointed to the danger of further escalation of the situation in connection with the ongoing supply of US weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," it continued. "Other issues were also discussed."

In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder also confirmed the phone call and highlighted Austin's emphasis on the significance of upholding communication channels amidst Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

Ryder said this was Austin's first call with Belousov, who was appointed by President Vladimir Putin in May.

The phone call between the two ministers came after Moscow's last week statement which said that diplomatic communications between Putin's government and President Joe Biden's administration have reached a point of "an absolute minimum."

The Russian government has criticized the United States for continuing to provide military assistance to Ukraine, as Washington has recently approved Kiev's use of long-range missiles against certain areas of Russian land.

The Kremlin issued on Monday cautioned Washington about potential "consequences" and summoned the American ambassador, after Moscow said that a Ukrainian attack using an American missile resulted in the deaths of four individuals in Crimea.

Ryder said at the time that the Ukrainians make their own decisions about the locations for launching strikes.

Moscow-Washington ties, at their lowest point since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, have been strained since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

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Press release on retaliatory measures for discrimination against Russian journalists in Austria

26 June 2024 15:53

1216-26-06-2024

On June 24, chief of the TASS bureau in Vienna, Arina Davidyan, was notified that her permit to stay in Austria was not going to be renewed and she was ordered to leave the country within two weeks. Earlier, on April 30, the Austrian authorities revoked another Russian journalist's accreditation under a far-fetched pretext.

On June 26, Carola Schneider, chief correspondent of the Moscow bureau of Austria's ORF radio and television broadcaster, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. She was ordered to hand over her media accreditation and leave the Russian Federation in the nearest time.

The ministry emphasised that the move was a forced response to continuing discrimination of Russian media representatives in Austria. It was also noted that if Vienna reconsidered the decision regarding Arina Davidyan, Carola Schneider's accreditation could be reinstated.

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Russia Ready to Follow Path of Restoration of Diplomatic Ties With Georgia

Sputnik News

20240626

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is ready to follow the path of restoration of diplomatic relations with Georgia and supports such initiatives from Tbilisi, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"We continue to believe that this [normalization of relations] is in the interest of our two nations. We support any initiatives that support Russian-Georgian normalization. In this context, we welcome the mentioned initiative. We are ready to follow this path," Zakharova told a briefing.

Earlier in June, Georgia's Mtavari Arkhi broadcaster reported, citing an undisclosed source, that the governments of Georgia and Russia are actively engaged in restoring diplomatic relations. Georgia's ruling party and Russian officials plan to reopen the Georgian Embassy in Moscow, the broadcaster reported.

A Sputnik

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Security Council Press Statement on Terrorist Attack in Dagestan, Russian Federation

Press Release

Security Council

SC/15746

26 June 2024

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Joonkook Hwang (Republic of Korea):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack in Dagestan, the Russian Federation, on 23 June. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 21 people, including 16 police officers and several injured.

The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of all the victims, including law enforcement officials who perished during the course of their duties, and to the Government and the people of the Russian Federation, and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. They urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Government of the Russian Federation, as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. They reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

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China attempting to normalize maritime patrols around Kinmen: Minister

ROC Central News Agency

06/26/2024 09:12 PM

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) China is attempting to establish a new normal by increasing its activities in the prohibited and restricted waters around Kinmen, Defense Minister Wellington Koo () said on Wednesday.

Koo made the remarks during a legislative committee hearing after Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Huang Jen () raised concerns about four China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels spotted in restricted waters off the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen Islands the previous day.

According to the CGA's Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch, the intrusion was reported sometime after 5 a.m. on Tuesday, prompting the latter to dispatch three patrol boats to keep tabs on the Chinese vessels and gather evidence until they left the area at 8 a.m.

The Chinese boats -- whose pennant numbers are 14609, 14603, 14513, and 14605 -- paired up and respectively entered the restricted area from east of Beiding Island and south of Fuxing Island on sorties that lasted about two hours, the branch said.

The Chinese coast guard is indeed attempting to establish a new normal by ignoring the prohibited and restricted waters around Kinmen, Koo said.

When Chinese ships identified as non-military intrude into Kinmen's prohibited and restricted waters, he said the armed forces coordinate with the CGA to monitor their movements.

However, should there be an incursion by a Chinese military vessel, the situation would be dealt with according to existing contingency measures, Koo said without elaborating.

On Wednesday, the CGA said the four Chinese coast guard boats deliberately sailed into Kinmen waters in formation with the obvious intention of causing trouble.

The administration urged China to recognize the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and undertook to take a firm stance in safeguarding the country's maritime rights.

From January to June 25 this year, the CGA said its patrol vessels expelled a total of 835 Chinese boats intruding into Taiwan-controlled waters, while seven vessels were seized and brought back to port for investigation.

(By Matt Yu and Ko Lin)

Enditem/AW

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Focus on defense cited for dropping of live-fire Han Kuang drills on Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

06/26/2024 04:01 PM

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Troops on the island of Taiwan will not fire live ammunition during this year's Han Kuang exercises to concentrate instead on defensive plans, according to Chief of the General Staff Admiral Mei Chia-shu ().

However, troops stationed on offshore islands will conduct live-round drills during the exercises, scheduled to take place across Taiwan from July 22 to 26, Mei, Taiwan's top military official, told a Legislative session in Taipei Wednesday.

Addressing the same session, Defense Minister Wellington Koo () said troops will get to practice firing live ammunition at additional exercises scheduled for the year.

Asked by opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator Huang Jen () on why the ministry has canceled live-round shootings during this year's Han Kuang in Taiwan, Mei said the main purpose this year is to allow combined arms brigades to focus on familiarizing the environment they will be defending should a war breaks out and practice their defensive plans.

Using live ammunition may lead to injuries given that, in order to simulate real-life battlefield conditions, the drills will be unrehearsed, Mei said.

In light of such dangers, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) decided to cancel most of this year's live-fire exercises, Mei added.

Koo, meanwhile, said this year the ministry has canceled most live-fire exercises that are "put up for a show or demonstration purpose only."

Earlier this week, a defense ministry source told CNA that unlike in previous editions of Han Kuang, fewer of this year's live-fire exercises will be open to the media.

Previously, the military allowed media access to parts of the live-fire exercises and invited senior government officials, including the president, to oversee them.

The purpose of this practice was to keep the public informed about the latest developments in Taiwan's armed forces and to assure them that the troops are capable of defending the nation.

However, according to the source, this practice serves little practical purpose in terms of war preparation, beyond being a display for the media.

This year, the military will focus on rigorously testing the troops by simulating a variety of scenarios that could occur if a cross-strait war breaks out, all without prior warning, to serve as actual tests of armed forces' emergency response capabilities, the source added.

Wednesday's legislative session marked the first time that a chief of the general staff fielded questions at the Legislative Yuan since Mei's predecessor Tang Yao-ming () did so in 1999.

During Tang's time as chief of staff, he held relatively more power over the country's armed forces, with responsibility over everything from staffing to budget and command.

After the National Defense Act and the Organization Act of the Ministry of National Defense were promulgated in January 2000, however, these tasks are the responsibilities of the defense minister, with the chief of the general staff serving more as an executor.

The acts also bar active-duty members of the armed forces from concurrently serving as defense minister.

Explaining why Mei would field questions during Wednesday's session, Koo told reporters that his ministry has studied Constitutional Court Interpretation No. 461 issued in July 1998, which stipulates that a chief of the general staff should take questions at the Legislative Yuan if a Legislative committee invites him or her.

Koo said he and the chief of general staff attended the session as Mei had received an invitation from the Foreign and National Defense Committee.

Mei, meanwhile, told reporters on the sideline of the session that he believes it is his duty to explain all nonconfidential military information to the public and media in accordance with related laws.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/ASG

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DPP caucus formally requests injunction, ruling on oversight laws

ROC Central News Agency

06/26/2024 06:50 PM

Taipei, June 26 (CNA) The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus on Wednesday petitioned the Constitutional Court for a ruling on government oversight amendments that took effect the same day.

The petition, the latest attempt to overturn what the DPP has deemed "unconstitutional" reforms passed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP), was submitted on behalf of the ruling party's 51 lawmakers by two attorneys at the Judicial Yuan Building in Taipei.

Speaking with reporters outside the courthouse, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming () said the litigation was part of the ruling party's efforts to "defend the Constitution" and "safeguard the rule of law."

The two attorneys also submitted an injunction application, which, if successful, would pause enforcement of the amendments to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Power and the Criminal Code.

At a press conference in the Legislature earlier the same day, the DPP's caucus outlined their reasons for taking legal action, arguing that the amendments contravened the separation of powers accorded to different branches of the government by the Constitution.

The revisions give the Legislature new investigative powers and the powers to hold hearings, including potential penalties and jail time for public officials if they refuse to attend or provide information, or present false information.

In the case of individuals or groups from the private sector, they will face penalties if they do not cooperate.

Wu Szu-yao (), the DPP caucus secretary-general, said that the amendments lacked "clarity," contravened the principle of proportionality under the Constitution and infringed upon the right to litigation.

The caucus also contends that the amendments "should be invalid" given there were "major flaws" in the deliberation leading up to their passage.

KMT and TPP lawmakers, who pushed through the amendments on May 28 with a majority in the Legislature, maintain that they have followed due process.

The opposition also argues that the amendments are necessary, particularly in light of allegations of corruption and wrongdoing relating to several major DPP government policies and investment projects.

According to the Judicial Yuan, there is no fixed timetable for the Constitutional Court to decide whether to grant an injunction or whether a petition will be heard upon receiving applications from petitioners.

An injunction related to a case will cease to have effect six months after its issuance, or once the Constitutional Court renders a ruling on the case, as per the Constitutional Court Procedure Act.

In addition to the DPP caucus, President Lai Ching-te (), the Executive Yuan and the Control Yuan have announced plans to challenge the amendments by taking the case to the Constitutional Court.

Asked by a reporter Wednesday when the Cabinet planned to formally file its petition, Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin () said the matter would be discussed at the Cabinet's meeting on Thursday morning.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Yuan told CNA on Tuesday that the Constitutional Court ought to consolidate multiple petitions concerning the same legal disputes, but whether the disputes are of the same nature would be determined by justices.

(By Liu Shih-yi, Wang Yang-yu, Lai Yu-chen and Teng Pei-ju)

Enditem/ASG



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Mainland authorities send out strong deterrence to 'Taiwan independence' separatists, clarify scope of law enforcement

Global Times

DPP authorities' misinterpretation of guidelines on punishing diehards a 'tactic in cognitive warfare'

By Chen Qingqing Published: Jun 26, 2024 07:30 PM

Mainland authorities continued to send a strong signal of deterrence to "Taiwan independence" separatists and further clarified that the recently released guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard separatists for conducting or inciting secession do not target or involve the general populace on the island.

The response from the mainland is a refute to the DPP authorities' tactics of intimidating and misleading the public by broadening the interpretation of the guidelines.

The guidelines do not target or involve the general populace on the island, and if "Taiwan independence" separatists voluntarily abandon their stance and cease activities advocating for "Taiwan independence," and take measures to mitigate or eliminate harmful consequences or prevent further harm, they may be exempt from some or all criminal liability in accordance with relevant laws, Zhu Fenglian, a State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Chinese authorities on Friday issued the guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession, which allow the death penalty and a trial in absentia in relevant cases. It also stipulates that those who are found to have colluded with any foreign or overseas institutions, organizations or individuals in committing such crimes should be handed a harsher punishment.

After the release of the guidelines, both the DPP authorities and the US have taken an opposing stance. Experts said their actions indicate that those measures have struck their sore points and key areas, noting that every time the US interferes in the Taiwan question, the mainland will counteract these efforts, further reducing the space for "Taiwan independence" activities.

Also, the Fujian Coast Guard carried out regular law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen on Tuesday. Since June, the Fujian Coast Guard has organized a fleet of warships to continuously strengthen law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese fishermen, including those on the island of Taiwan.

DPP authorities are now intimidating and misleading the public, broadening the interpretation of the guidelines, and expanding the scope to suggest that the guidelines target everyone, "which is a tactic to muddy the waters," Zheng Jian, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The guidelines are very clear, with the core term being "Taiwan independence" diehards. They do not target all DPP members or even those who vote for the DPP, as they do not meet the criteria for being "Taiwan independence" diehards, Zheng noted.

"Even if you are a 'Taiwan independence' diehard who meets the criteria for sentencing, as long as you abandon your stance and take actions to mitigate harm, such as showing remorse, you may receive a reduced sentence," the expert said.

In fact, the DPP's broad interpretation of the guidelines and expansion of the scope to all people in Taiwan are actually a tactic in cognitive warfare, Zheng added.

In response to the US State Department's latest condemnation of the guidelines, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that China deplores and strongly opposes the remarks made by the US.

"Every sovereign state has the sacred right to safeguard its national unity and territorial integrity. It is a universal practice to punish secessionists and safeguard the core interests of the country through criminal jurisdiction," the spokesperson said.

"Every time the US interferes or challenges us [on the Taiwan question], we will further counteract these efforts politically, legally, militarily, and diplomatically. This approach will eventually make the space for 'Taiwan independence' smaller and smaller, reducing Washington's ability to manipulate the situation," Zheng said.

According to video footage released by the China Coast Guard (CCG), in response to warnings from the Fujian Coast Guard, ships belonging to Taiwan's "coast guard" collectively turned around, deviating from their routes and displaying erratic navigation patterns.

Some media in Taiwan reported that four CCG ships entered the waters near Kinmen on Tuesday morning, coming as close as five nautical miles to Jinhu in Kinmen, which was the closest approach in history.

"The four mainland coast guard vessels patrolling the relevant area have had a strong deterrent effect," Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert and media commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Deploying four coast guard vessels in the waters around Kinmen is intended to maximize the safety of our fishermen's normal operations. "Meanwhile, we are prepared to respond adequately to any potential provocations from the island," Wei said.

Also, patrolling within five nautical miles means getting very close. In these areas, China has its own mission range and will choose patrol and law enforcement positions based on the actual needs of the situation, the expert said, noting that the autonomy and initiative of these missions are in the hands of the mainland coast guard.

"The entire Taiwan region is Chinese territory, and there are no so-called restricted waters," said Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military expert.

The CCG can enter these waters at any time to conduct law enforcement patrols, uphold national sovereignty and maritime rights, maintain order and safety in the waters around Kinmen and Xiamen, and protect the lives and property of fishermen on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Zhang said.

Considered the reaction of Taiwan ships that collectively turned around following the mainland's coast guard's warning, some experts noted that the latest strong and determined actions by the CCG in the South China Sea also create a deterrent effect in the waters around Kinmen, serving as a testament to China's achievements in enforcement.

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China Coast Guard initiates new enforcement model in waters near Kinmen

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jun 26, 2024 08:58 PM

The Fujian Coast Guard carried out regular law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen on Tuesday. Experts said on Wednesday that the mainland's coast guard adopted a new model of conducting law enforcement by expanding the scope of enforcement, which has seen a transition to "all-weather enforcement" and further enhanced the intensity.

Some experts said the maritime enforcement model near Kinmen can serve as a successful example for promoting the One Country, Two Systems, providing an optional solution for ultimately resolving the Taiwan question and achieving cross-Straits reunification.

Since June, the Fujian Coast Guard has organized a fleet of warships to continuously strengthen law enforcement patrols in the waters near Kinmen, and earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese fishermen, including those in the island of Taiwan.

According to observations from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and other open-source information, previous law enforcement patrols by the China Coast Guard (CCG) were carried out along fixed routes and with fixed formations. This time, however, after completing patrols along a fixed route, the CCG adopted a new model, conducting law enforcement activities in single ships or pairs, Yuyuan Tantian, a social media influencer affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV, said in a post on Weibo on Wednesday.

Since the first law enforcement patrol near Xiamen and Kinmen waters on February 18 this year, the CCG has been enforcing the law near Kinmen for over four months.

During this period, to adapt to the changing enforcement situation in the Kinmen waters, the CCG has been making targeted adjustments to its actions, the social media influencer said.

Reviewing the four-month enforcement journey of the CCG, it is evident that the enforcement scope has progressed from "points to lines to areas."

In the first two months, the CCG chose an enforcement method that delineated several points within the "prohibited and restricted waters" defined by the DPP authorities and dispatched a coast guard vessel formation to patrol along these points.

In other words, initially, the purpose of the CCG's patrols was to debunk the DPP authorities' narrative and demonstrate that there are no so-called "prohibited or restricted waters" near Kinmen.

From April to May, the frequency of the CCG's patrols near Kinmen increased, with multiple enforcement routes covering various waters south and east of Kinmen islands.

This time, with the new model, the enforcement scope has expanded from lines to areasasince the routes are not fixed, the patrol tracks of the coast guard vessels now form extensive patrol zones. This indicates that our control over the waters near Kinmen has been further strengthened.

The uncertainty of patrol routes means that the timing of the CCG's appearance in any given area is also unpredictable - coast guard vessels can appear in any part of the Kinmen waters at any time.

Some experts said the freedom in route and timing allows the CCG to ensure continuous enforcement and ability to respond appropriately at any time and place. In other words, for those who wish to stir up trouble in the Kinmen waters, there is no opportunity to exploit any gaps.

Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said that Kinmen Island is located nearshore, with relatively easy-to-grasp climate and hydrological conditions, enabling the CCG to carry out all-weather enforcement patrols.

Some media reported that the coast guard began their enforcement actions this time as early as 5 am.

The mainland has been continuously monitoring meteorological and hydrological data for the waters near Kinmen and the Taiwan Straits, providing support for the coast guard's enforcement patrols, Yuyuan Tantian learned.

Conducting enforcement actions with a formation of coast guard vessels showcases a stance of "specialized enforcement rights protection actions" near Kinmen waters, Chen said.

The new model marks a shift toward routine and daily enforcement, indicating that the CCG has firmly established actual control and enforcement rights over the waters near Kinmen. This means that the island's "coast guard" no longer dares to act rashly near Kinmen waters.

Liu Kuangyu, an expert on the Taiwan question, was quoted as saying in the post that Xiamen and Kinmen have always had close exchanges.

Legally and practically, in terms of enforcement rights and actual control over the relevant waters, Xiamen and Kinmen have achieved deep integration, with only a final step remaining for complete reunification.

The maritime enforcement model near Kinmen can serve as a successful example for promoting the One Country, Two Systems, providing an optional solution for ultimately resolving the Taiwan question and achieving cross-Straits reunification, the expert said.

However, certain forces are attempting to disrupt this process. For example, the US Department of Defense recently announced a $360 million arms sale plan to Taiwan, including drones. Some experts said Kinmen has always been the frontline of resistance by the DPP authorities against the mainland. It is almost certain that some of these drones purchased from the US will be deployed on Kinmen Island.

Almost simultaneously, Chinese authorities issued a set of guidelines on imposing criminal punishments on diehard "Taiwan independence" separatists for conducting or inciting secession, which allow the death penalty and a trial in absentia in relevant cases and stipulate that those who are found to have colluded with any foreign or overseas institution, organization or individual in committing such crimes should be handed a harsher punishment.

The guidelines apply to the waters near Kinmen as well as the entire Taiwan Straits and the island.

Experts noted that the actions undoubtedly strike at the attempts of "seeking independence with foreign support" and "seeking independence with military force." This means that the DPP authorities' space to create disturbances in the Kinmen waters and other matters is continuously being compressed. The final step to complete reunification is approaching.

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A Sudden Valley Martini cocktail made with Valley Gin, the newest release from St. George Spirits in Alameda. Courtesy Jason Tinacci

St. George Spirits, which makes some of the best spirits in the country, doesnt release new products very often; the last time, outside of limited releases, was six years ago. I hate rolling out new things just to keep people interested, said Lance Winters, the master distiller.

So when Winters does come out with a new spirit, you know he means it. Such is the case with Valley Gin, which the Alameda distillery began rolling out at the end of May and which, in classic St. George fashion, evokes a sense of place.

Winters intended Valley Gin as an ode to the orange groves of Californias Central Valley, he said. In fact, its inspired by one particular grove: Lindcove Ranch in Exeter (Tulare County), a farm that grows all manner of rare and interesting citrus.

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Winters first became acquainted with its owners, the Kirkpatrick family, years ago when he was looking for Buddhas Hand citron for Hangar 1 Vodka, which St. George used to own. (St. George sold Hangar 1 to Proximo Spirits in 2010.) Last year, the family patriarch John Kirkpatrick died, and Winters attended his funeral at Lindcove Ranch. Naturally, he ended up tending bar. At the end of the day, Im watching the sun go down on this knoll overlooking these citrus groves, Winters said. You can smell the leaves on the trees. Its just such a beautiful smell. I got back home and said, Lets make something that smells like this.

Citrus is not exactly a novel concept at St. George. The distillery makes a California Citrus Vodka, which also incorporates Lindcove Ranch fruit and tastes deliciously exuberant. And all of its gins contain some citrus component, whether in the form of lime, lemon or bergamot peel. You cant make a decent gin without a dose of citrus, Winters said, because it keeps the juniper from being flabby.

But Valley Gin revels in citrus to a degree that none of the other St. George bottlings do. The key is the Lindcove Ranch orange blossoms, which bring a hauntingly floral aroma to the gin. It takes one person an hour to collect a pound of blossoms, Winters said. Theyre bringing us 200-300 pounds at a delivery.

In addition to the blossoms, Winters adds fresh dill, cilantro and cucumber, bay laurel and the peels of multiple orange varieties, including Seville and Valencia. Pink peppercorn and nutmeg bring what he calls a sweet, spicy, resin quality to the still.

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Its a different exercise from making a citrus vodka, Winters said. With a vodka, you can go in any direction you want. Theres nothing that defines what its going to be. But with a gin, you do have to hit certain touchstones along the way, like the requirement, from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, that it contain juniper.

Valley Gin makes for a fascinating counterpart to St. Georges Terroir Gin, one of my favorite spirits of all time. Like Valley, Terroir expresses a sense of place  in its case, the Bay Area coastal woods. Winters flavors Terroir with distinctive local flora, much of it foraged from within 100 miles of Alameda, like bay laurel, Douglas fir, wild fennel and sage. It smells like a stroll through the Marin Headlands, and makes a frighteningly good martini.

I always want a spirit to be transportive, Winters said, though its not necessarily always places. The Valley and Terroir gins happen to convey the feelings of specific locations, but Winters is just as happy if one of his creations transports its drinker to a time or a memory. (Taste memories: Theyre not just for French cookies.) Whether or not youve ever found yourself stirring drinks on a knoll overlooking a Central Valley citrus grove, sipping Valley Gin just might take you there.

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Already, several bars have been combining Valley Gin with lemon juice and honey to make a Bees Knees cocktail, according to Winters. One of the distillers favorite uses for it is in a cocktail he calls the Sudden Valley Martini: two ounces of Valley Gin stirred with one ounce of blanc vermouth. The barely sweet vermouth softens the gin and brings out its fruitiness.
Taiwan authorities responsible for obstructing cross-Straits cooperation, restricting investment in Chinese mainland: spokesperson

Global Times

By Global Times Published: Jun 26, 2024 06:45 PM

A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council stated on Wednesday at a regular press conference that the Taiwan authorities are obstructing cross-Straits economic cooperation when asked to comment on the decline in its investment in the Chinese mainland.

According to latest released data, from January to May this year, Taiwan region's foreign investment increased by 60.8 percent compared to the same period last year, but investment in the Chinese mainland dropped by approximately 15.7 percent.

Zhu Fenglian, the spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office, said that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities are obstructing and restricting investments by businesses based on the Taiwan island into the Chinese mainland.

This push for economic "decoupling" between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits clearly shows that the DPP authorities are the "obstacles and destroyers" of cross-Straits economic cooperation, Zhu said.

"It goes against mainstream public opinion in the Taiwan region and harms the interests and well-being of businesses and the general public in the Taiwan region," Zhu said.

Data from General Administration of Customs shows that from January to May, cross-Straits trade reached $109.23 billion, up 8.2 percent year-on-year. The Chinese mainland imported $79.944 billion from the Taiwan region, up 8.1 percent year-on-year, while exports to the Taiwan region reached $29.285 billion, up 8.5 percent year-on-year.

"Businesspeople from the Taiwan region are key participants and beneficiaries of Straits economic cooperation, and they are best qualified to speak on the favorable business environment and bright economic future of the Chinese mainland," Zhu said.

"Investment from the Taiwan region in the Chinese mainland has continued to grow steadily, with significant trends in reinvestment and expansion. The Chinese mainland remains the top choice for businesses from the Taiwan region to invest, develop, and live," Zhu said.

"In the future, as we accelerate new development patterns, promote high-quality growth, and cultivate new quality productive forces, the Chinese mainland's economy will display significant vitality and potential. This will offer stronger momentum and broader opportunities for advancing cross-Straits economic cooperation and integration," said Zhu.

"The DPP authorities cannot push for economic decoupling from the Chinese mainland. They actually fear the repercussions of such actions, recognizing the move will offer no advantages but real setbacks," Tang Yonghong, a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute of Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Taiwan's economic growth heavily replies on the Chinese mainland. "Many products are exported to the mainland; if the exports stop, it would be very difficult for the Taiwan region to find alternative markets, which will lead to a slowing economic growth, rising unemployment on the island," Tang said.

As long as the Chinese mainland's economy thrives and offers new opportunities, firms in the Taiwan region will be motivated to invest and expand exports, according to Tang.

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Taiwan probes reports of direct Chinese influence at TV station

A journalist from China's state news agency Xinhua allegedly edited scripts and directed guests behind the scenes.

By Huang Chun-mei for RFA Mandarin, Ray Chung for RFA Cantonese 2024.06.26 -- Authorities in democratic Taiwan are investigating reports that a journalist from China's state news agency Xinhua played a key role in editing the content of a political talk show at one of the island's TV stations.

Lawmakers in Taiwan warned on Wednesday of ongoing attempts by the Chinese government's propaganda machine to infiltrate Taiwan's media environment, after a newspaper reported on Monday that an unnamed Taiwanese broadcaster had accepted editorial direction from Xinhua correspondent Zhao Bo.

The government's media regulator, the National Communications Commission, said Tuesday it is investigating the allegations, while Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Chui-cheng told lawmakers the same day that a multi-agency investigation would be launched into the allegations made in a report by Taiwan's Liberty Times.

Taiwan is currently ruled as the Republic of China, a sovereign state formed in 1911 after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, and whose Kuomintang government fled to the island from mainland China after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong's communists in 1949.

While Beijing has never ruled out a military invasion to enforce its territorial claim on Taiwan, it has more recently vowed to achieve "peaceful unification" with the island through propaganda and other forms of pressure.

Proposals for new talk shows

The island's Liberty Times reported on June 24 that officials from China's Taiwan Affairs Office had approached several Taiwanese TV stations since the beginning of this year with proposals to start new political talk shows in exchange for preferential commercial treatment in the Chinese market.

Only one accepted, the paper said, adding that Xinhua journalist Zhao Bo took part in all discussions about the show's content, and showed up at the studio as the first episode was being recorded to ensure all the guests followed the agreed scripts.

Zhao also had private conversations with the guests at which she made clear exactly which angles she wanted emphasized, the report said.

The station went on to air a series of shows praising former president Ma Ying-jeou's cross-strait policy during his controversial trip to China in April, which included a meeting with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, it said.

Zhao has now left Taiwan after hearing that the news of her activities was starting to spread, the paper reported, adding that Xinhua has sent another journalist to replace her.

Call to revoke credentials

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu called on the Taiwan government to revoke the press credentials of Xinhua journalists.

"The government should ban Xinhua News Agency from posting people to Taiwan," Wang said. "Otherwise, if they do something wrong and have to go running back [to China], they can just send someone to replace them, which is a legal loophole."

"Press credentials for Xinhua News Agency correspondents stationed in Taiwan should be immediately revoked," he said.

Lawmaker Rosalia Wu, who heads the Democratic Progressive Party caucus in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, called on the authorities to investigate the allegations under a law governing relations with China, including its influence operations.

Under Taiwan's Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, Taiwanese people or organizations may not engage in any form of cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government or military that could involve political influence or harm national interests.

"Xinhua News Agency is an official media belonging to the Chinese Communist Party, which makes it equivalent to a Chinese Communist Party government agency," Wu said.

"If Xinhua News Agency is blatantly sending people to monitor Taiwanese media and openly intervene [in their operations], then China is manipulating what gets said in political commentary programs, which is of course illegal," she said.

'Peaceful unification'

Since Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, Beijing's least-favored candidate, was elected in January, China has been stepping up its use of non-military means including propaganda to achieve what it terms "peaceful unification" with Taiwan, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China.

Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Puma Shen said it's likely that the incident involving Zhao Bo isn't an isolated one, and that China has a long history of trying to influence political debate in Taiwan.

"In the past, when they wanted to drive and create public opinion in Taiwan, they would often buy Facebook fans and influencers, but fans and influencers can only reach around 20,000, 30,000 or 100,000 people at most," Shen said.

"Political commentary programs, on the other hand, can reach 500,000 or a million people at a time, so naturally they regard them as the top priority," he said.

Shen warned that the Chinese government also uses Taiwanese "middlemen" to carry out similar operations, which is much harder to detect.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai told journalists on Tuesday: "We don't know the situation inside the TV station, but any behavior like this should be handled by law enforcement agencies."

China responds

On Wednesday, China's Taiwan Affairs Office dismissed the Liberty Times report as "fake news," and accused the Taiwan government of fabricating concerns over infiltration by Chinese state media.

"They wantonly frame, intimidate and punish media outlets that hold different positions," Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian told reporters in Beijing, accusing the Democratic Progressive Party of "harming Taiwan and impeding cross-straits relations."

Last week, Beijing issued warnings of prison and even the death penalty for supporters of independence for Taiwan, although the island's government says China has no power to prosecute its people for their opinions.

Zhu said on Wednesday that nobody who "renounced" their pro-independence views would be prosecuted by the Chinese authorities.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Mainland spokesperson slams Lai Ching-te's "Taiwan independence" fallacy

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:54, June 27, 2024

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday denounced remarks by Taiwan's new leader Lai Ching-te that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait "are not subordinate to each other," noting that his comments are a typical "Taiwan independence" fallacy.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the statement in response to a question about Lai's recent interview with TIME magazine, during which he sells the "not subordinate" claim.

The mainland and Taiwan both belong to one and the same China, and Taiwan is a part of China. This fact cannot and will never be changed, Zhu said. She also criticized Lai's remarks as being false and lacking both historical and legal basis, while only serving to expose his separatist intentions.

Concerning cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, Zhu said the mainland always supports and promotes dialogue and consultation between the two sides of the Strait based on the "1992 Consensus," thereby actively enhancing cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation.

"The root cause hindering cross-Strait communication lies in the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' stubborn adherence to the 'Taiwan independence' separatist stance and their refusal to acknowledge the '1992 Consensus,'" Zhu said.

The spokesperson added that Lai, while claiming to promote the people's well-being and a future of peace and common prosperity on both sides of the Strait, is instead repeatedly advocating the "two states" theory, inciting cross-Strait confrontation and seeking separatist schemes.

"Condoning such moves will undoubtedly bring huge disasters to Taiwan compatriots," she said.

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Russian National Charged for Conspiring with Russian Military Intelligence to Destroy Ukrainian Government Computer Systems and Data

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

For Immediate Release

Office of Public Affairs



Defendant is Alleged to Have Assisted with an Attack in Advance of Russia's February 2022 Invasion of Ukraine

Note: Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on Stigal's location or his malicious cyberactivity. Anyone possessing such information should contact Rewards for Justice here.

A federal grand jury in Maryland returned an indictment yesterday charging Amin Timovich Stigal (  ), 22, a Russian citizen, with conspiracy to hack into and destroy computer systems and data. In advance of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries that were providing support to Ukraine, including the United States. Stigal remains at large.

"As alleged, the defendant conspired with Russian military intelligence on the eve of Russia's unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine to launch cyberattacks targeting the Ukrainian government and later targeting its allies, including the United States." said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. "The Justice Department will continue to stand with Ukraine on every front in its fight against Russia's war of aggression, including by holding accountable those who support Russia's malicious cyber activity."

"The GRU has repeatedly applied in cyberspace Russia's statecraft of indiscriminate destruction and intimidation," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. "The Department will do its part to prevent and disrupt such malicious behavior that relies upon online services or infrastructure in the U.S., or that targets U.S. victims. We will also identify, pursue, and eventually hold to account those responsible for Russia's malicious actions, including the cybercriminals that the Russian government cultivates in furtherance of its malign agenda."

"Amin Timovich Stigal attempted to leverage malware to aid the Russian military in the invasion of Ukraine," said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. "Today's indictment demonstrates the FBI's unwavering commitment to combat malicious cyber activities by our adversaries, and we will continue to work with our international partners to thwart attempts to undermine and harm our allies."

"Malicious cyber actors who attack our allies should know that we will pursue them to the full extent of the law," said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. "Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals."

"The indictment of Amin Stigal is yet another example of the FBI's commitment to combating cyber threats both at home and internationally," said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. "To those adversaries who seek to compromise our international partners' systems, know you will be identified and you will face consequences for your actions. The FBI vows to continually pursue justice and disrupt malicious cyber actors."

According to court documents, in Jan. 2022, Stigal and members of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU) of the Russian Federation (the Conspirators) conspired to use a U.S.-based company's services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as "WhisperGate" to dozens of Ukrainian government entities' computer systems and destroy those systems and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine.

On Jan. 13, 2022, the Conspirators attacked multiple Ukrainian government networks, including the Ukrainian Ministry of International Affairs, the State Treasury, the Judiciary Administration, the State Portal for Digital Services, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Ministry of Energy, the Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, the State Forestry Agency, and the Motor Insurance Bureau. The Conspirators infected computers on these and other networks with malware called WhisperGate, which was designed to look like ransomware. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data.

In conjunction with these attacks, the Conspirators compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records, and defaced the websites to read: "Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future." That same day, the Conspirators offered the hacked data for sale on the internet. The effort was aimed at sowing concern among the broader Ukrainian population regarding the safety of government systems and data.

In August 2022, the Conspirators also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. The indictment further alleges that from Aug. 5, 2021, through Feb. 3, 2022, the Conspirators leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks.

If convicted, Stigal faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division's National Security Cyber Section.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Topics: Cybercrime

National Security

Components: Office of the Attorney General

Criminal - Office of International Affairs

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

National Security Division (NSD)

USAO - Maryland

Press Release Number: 24-815

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Russian Indicted In U.S. For Alleged Cyberattacks Against Ukraine Before War

By RFE/RL June 26, 2024

A federal grand jury in the U.S. state of Maryland has returned an indictment charging a 22-year-old Russian citizen with conspiracy to hack into Ukrainian government computer systems and destroy them and their data.

The man named in the indictment, Amin Stigal, allegedly conspired with Russia's GRU military intelligence agency and then launched cyberattacks against the Ukrainian government just before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release on June 26.

According to court documents, Stigal and members of the GRU conspired in January 2022 to use a U.S.-based company's services to distribute malware to dozens of Ukrainian government entities' computer systems and destroy them and related data stored on them in advance of the Russian invasion.

On January 13, 2022, Stigal and the GRU conspirators attacked multiple Ukrainian government agencies, the Justice Department's news release said. The list included the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry, the State Treasury, the Judiciary Administration, the Education and Science Ministry, and the Agriculture Ministry.

The conspirators infected computers on the agencies' networks with malware called WhisperGate, which was designed to look like ransomware but was actually designed to completely destroy the targeted computer and related data.

The indictment says the cybercriminals compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, lifted sensitive data and left this message at the websites: "Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present, and future."

The conspirators offered the hacked data for sale on the Internet in an effort aimed at sowing fear among Ukrainians regarding the safety of government systems, the Justice Department said.

If convicted, Stigal, who remains at large, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

To help catch Stigal and bring him to justice, the U.S. State Department has offered a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts or about his malicious cyberactivity.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/cybercrime-ukraine- russia-justice-hacking/33011416.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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5 Foreigners Sentenced In Absentia In Russia For Joining Ukrainian Military

By Current Time June 26, 2024

Russia's Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don on June 26 sentenced in absentia five foreign nationals to prison terms for joining Ukraine's armed forces fighting against Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Russian Prosecutor-General's Office, Briton John Harding, Swedish citizen Mathias Gustafsson, and Croatian national Vjekoslav Prebeg, were sentenced to 23 years in prison each on charges of taking part in training to forcibly seize power, forced change of Russia's constitutional system, and taking part in an armed conflict as mercenaries.

Two other Britons -- Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy -- were sentenced to 3 1/2 years and four years, respectively.

Hill was found guilty of fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russian troops in Ukraine, while Healy was convicted of recruiting fighters to the Ukrainian armed forces.

The five men were among those released in prisoner swaps in 2022.

Britain's Foreign Office condemned the "exploitation" of prisoners of war and civilians for political purposes following the capture of Healy and Hill in 2022.

It was confirmed at the time that another Briton, Paul Ury, who was captured along with Healy and Hill, died in the custody of then Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's east.

The British government insisted then that as legitimate members of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Britons and other foreigners captured by Russian troops should be treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.

In early March 2022, shortly after Russia started its full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Kyiv launched a website to recruit foreign volunteers to an "international legion" to fight invading Russian troops.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree then, introducing visa-free entrance to Ukraine for foreign nationals who intend to join the "international legion."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/five-foreign- nationals-sentenced-absentia-russia-mercenary/33011089.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Zelenskiy, Top Military Brass Visit Frontline Region Of Donetsk

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 26, 2024

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and senior commanders of the Ukrainian military on June 26 visited Donetsk, where they met with the troops that have been engaged in the defense of the eastern frontline region and discussed the current situation on the battlefield.

Zelenskiy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel that he was accompanied by Ukraine's top military commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, and the newly appointed commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov.

Zelenskiy on June 24 appointed Hnatov to replace Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol following criticism that, under his leadership, Ukrainian forces suffered a large number of casualties and lost territory to Russian troops.

"Today, I officially introduced Andriy Hnatov to all those responsible for the defense of Donetsk region. We listened to reports directly from [the defenders of] the positions," Zelenskiy said in the video shot in front of the sign of Pokrovsk, the Donetsk city that was the target of a Russian missile strike on June 24 in which four people were killed and more than 40 were wounded.

Russian forces have been pressing ahead with an offensive in the direction of Pokrovsk in recent weeks after capturing Avdiyivka in February following a protracted battle.

Zelenskiy also said that urgent humanitarian needs in the region were also discussed.

"I held a meeting here in the Donetsk region on security and support for people -- a detailed meeting. Many questions. In terms of providing life -- water, social issues, evacuation, and in terms of defense assistance, and in terms of housing restoration," he said.

Separately, a Russian ballistic missile struck civilian infrastructure in Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa early on June 26, regional Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram.

"An administrative building was damaged in the [city's] industrial sector. Fortunately, people were not injured," Kiper wrote.

Odesa, one of Ukraine's largest cities and a crucial port for Ukraine's grain exports, has been repeatedly targeted by Russian missile and drone strikes since the start of Moscow's unprovoked invasion in February 2022.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy- visits-donetsk-hnatov-sodol/33010731.html

Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukraine Loses Up to 510 Soldiers in Clashes With Russia's Battlegroup Yug - MoD

Sputnik News

20240626

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 510 soldiers in clashes with Russia's Battlegroup Yug in the past 24 hours, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Wednesday.

"Ukraine's losses amounted to up to 510 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, one 152-mm D-20 howitzer, one 122-mm D-30 howitzer, two US-made 105-mm M119 howitzers, one Bukovel-AD electronic warfare station, and three ammunition depots," the MoD said, adding that Ukraine also lost up to 300 soldiers in clashes with the Russian Battlegroup Sever.

Moreover, the Ukrainian military losses in clashes with Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr amounted to up to 405 soldiers, according to the ministry.

"Two counterattacks launched by assault detachments of Ukraine's 3rd Mechanized Brigade were repelled [by Battlegroup Zapad]. Ukraine's losses amounted to up to 400 troops, one tank, five pickup trucks, one US-made 155-mm M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery system, two BM-21 Grad MLRS combat vehicles, and two field ammunition depots," the ministry noted.

A Sputnik

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Fortifications, Water Supply and Compensation for Housing: President Met with Leadership of the Donetsk Region

President of Ukraine

26 June 2024 - 12:36

During his working trip to the Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on the security situation in the region.

During the meeting, the Head of State officially introduced the newly appointed Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov.

"I understand that this is one of the most responsible missions, probably one of the most difficult positions in the army, especially during wartime. Therefore, I want to wish you effective work, success, and, of course, victory as a result of the appropriate actions. I really want you to remember that our people are the most important, and do everything to preserve the maximum number of personnel," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

The President heard reports from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration Vadym Filashkin and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions Oleksandr Nadtochiy.

Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on the situation on the frontline in the Donetsk region and in certain sectors of the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. He informed about the course of manning the brigades, the dynamics of ammunition supply and its consumption.

Vadym Filashkin spoke about the completion of the defense lines. According to him, the third line of fortifications being built by civilians is 90% complete. He also noted that the regional authorities are assisting the military in the construction of the second line of defenses. Work is underway to restore water supply to Pokrovsk, evacuate people from the frontline areas and prepare for the new school year, which will be held online in the region.

Following the meeting, the President instructed to take into account the increased need for drones in the Pokrovsk direction when distributing UAVs between different parts of the frontline, as well as to simplify the procedure for issuing documents certifying the destruction of housing in frontline areas.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy Visited the Pokrovsk Direction

President of Ukraine

26 June 2024 - 11:26

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the location of the 110th separate mechanized brigade named after General-Corporal Marko Bezruchko.

The Head of State heard reports from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Joint Forces Andriy Hnatov, deputy commander of the 110th separate mechanized brigade and commanders of the 31st and 47th separate mechanized brigades engaged in combat operations on the neighboring defense lines. The President was briefed on the operational situation in the Pokrovsk direction, in the areas of responsibility of the brigades and informed about the intentions of the Russian occupiers.

The fighting in the Pokrovsk direction is the most intense. Dmytro Bilyi, deputy commander of the 110th separate mechanized brigade, reported that Russian forces carry out between 15 and over 30 assaults per day. He also informed about the unit's immediate needs.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a conversation with the warriors of the units and presented them with state awards.

"I am honored to be here today and to thank you for the defense of our country, to thank your brothers-in-arms who are not here now, on behalf of all of us, on behalf of the entire people of Ukraine. Take care of yourselves. I wish your families and friends health and strength as well. Thank you for what you do every day to preserve Ukraine for Ukrainians," the Head of State noted.

Colonel Yan Yatsyshen received the Cross of Military Merit. The warrior participated in the ATO/JFO. Since March of this year, he has been acting commander of the 47th separate mechanized brigade. During this time, the units under his command repelled numerous assaults by the Russian occupiers, preserved the defense line, destroyed more than 170 pieces of equipment, including a Su-25 aircraft, a Ka-52 helicopter, more than 20 tanks, and eliminated about 1,500 Russian invaders.

The President awarded two defenders with the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III class, one with the Order "For Courage" II class and two more with the Order "For Courage" III class.

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Fernando Hermida, who has moved several times to access HIV treatment, stands for a portrait in Charlotte, N.C. on May 26. Laura Bargfeld/Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C.  Four months after seeking asylum in the U.S., Fernando Hermida began coughing and feeling tired. He thought it was a cold. Then sores appeared in his groin, and he would soak his bed with sweat. He took a test.

On New Years Day 2022, at age 31, Hermida learned he had HIV.

I thought I was going to die, he said, recalling how a chill washed over him as he reviewed his results. He struggled to navigate a new, convoluted health care system. Through an HIV organization he found online, he received a list of medical providers to call in Washington, D.C., where he was at the time, but they didnt return his calls for weeks. Hermida, who speaks only Spanish, didnt know where to turn.

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By the time of Hermidas diagnosis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was about three years into a federal initiative to end the nations HIV epidemic by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars annually into certain states, counties and U.S. territories with the highest infection rates. The goal was to reach the estimated 1.2 million people living with HIV, including some who dont know they have the disease.

Overall, estimated new HIV infection rates declined 23% from 2012 to 2022. But a KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found the rate has not fallen for Latinos as much as it has for other racial and ethnic groups.

Fernando Hermida drives to Orlando to attend a medical appointment for HIV care on May 27. Laura Bargfeld/Associated Press

While African Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates in the United States overall, Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among gay and bisexual men in 2022, per the most recent data available, compared with other racial and ethnic groups. Latinos, who make up about 19% of the U.S. population, accounted for about 33% of new HIV infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The analysis found Latinos are experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and diagnoses across the U.S., with diagnosis rates highest in the Southeast. Public health officials in North Carolinas Mecklenburg County and Tennessees Shelby County, where data shows diagnosis rates have gone up among Latinos, told KFF Health News and the AP that they either dont have specific plans to address HIV in this population, or that plans are still in the works. Even in well-resourced places like San Francisco, HIV diagnosis rates grew among Latinos in the last few years while falling among other racial and ethnic groups, despite the countys goals to reduce infections among Latinos.

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HIV disparities are not inevitable, Robyn Neblett Fanfair, director of the CDCs Division of HIV Prevention, said in a statement. She noted the systemic, cultural and economic inequities  such as racism, language differences and medical mistrust.

And though the CDC provides some funds for minority groups, Latino health policy advocates want HHS to declare a public health emergency in hopes of directing more money to Latino communities, saying current efforts arent enough.

Our invisibility is no longer tolerable, said Vincent Guilamo-Ramos, co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Lost without an interpreter

Hermida suspects he contracted the virus while he was in an open relationship with a male partner before he came to the U.S. In late January 2022, months after his symptoms started, he went to a clinic in New York City that a friend had helped him find to finally get treatment for HIV.

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Too sick to care for himself alone, Hermida eventually moved to Charlotte, N.C., to be closer to family and in hopes of receiving more consistent health care. He enrolled in an Amity Medical Group clinic that receives funding from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, a federal safety-net plan that serves over half of those in the nation diagnosed with HIV, regardless of their citizenship status.

His HIV became undetectable after he was connected with case managers. But over time, communication with the clinic grew less frequent, he said, and he didnt get regular interpretation help during visits with his English-speaking doctor. An Amity Medical Group representative confirmed Hermida was a client but didnt answer questions about his experience at the clinic.

Hermida said he had a hard time filling out paperwork to stay enrolled in the Ryan White program, and when his eligibility expired in September 2023, he couldnt get his medication.

He left the clinic and enrolled in a health plan through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But Hermida didnt realize the insurer required him to pay for a share of his HIV treatment.

Fernando Hermida holds a bottle of Biktarvy, his HIV medication, in Charlotte, N.C., on May 27. Hermida received a $1,275 bill earlier this year for the medication, one of the reasons he decided to move to find more affordable treatment. Laura Bargfeld/Associated Press

In January, the Lyft driver received a $1,275 bill for his antiretroviral  the equivalent of 120 rides, he said. He paid the bill with a coupon he found online. In April, he got a second bill he couldnt afford.

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For two weeks, he stopped taking the medication that keeps the virus undetectable and intransmissible.

Estoy que colapso, he said. Im falling apart. Tengo que vivir para pagar la medicacion. I have to live to pay for my medication.

One way to prevent HIV is pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which is regularly taken to reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex or intravenous drug use. It was approved by the federal government in 2012, but the uptake has not been even across racial and ethnic groups: CDC data show much lower rates of PrEP coverage among Latinos than among white Americans.

Epidemiologists say high PrEP use and consistent access to treatment are necessary to build community-level resistance.

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Carlos Saldana, an infectious disease specialist and former medical adviser for Georgias health department, helped identify five clusters of rapid HIV transmission involving about 40 gay Latinos and men who have sex with men from February 2021 to June 2022. Many people in the cluster told researchers they had not taken PrEP and struggled to understand the health care system.

They experienced other barriers too, Saldana said, including lack of transportation and fear of deportation if they sought treatment.

Nurse practitioner Eliza Otero, left, talks with Fernando Hermida during his visit at Pineapple Healthcare in Orlando on May 28. The clinic serves an LGBTQ+ population, especially Latinos living with HIV. Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Latino health policy advocates want the federal government to redistribute funding for HIV prevention, including testing and access to PrEP. Of the nearly $30 billion in federal money that went toward things like HIV health care services, treatment and prevention in 2022, only 4% went to prevention, according to a KFF analysis.

They suggest more money could help reach Latino communities through efforts like faith-based outreach at churches, testing at clubs on Latin nights and training bilingual HIV testers.

Latino rates going up

Congress has appropriated $2.3 billion over five years to the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, and jurisdictions that get the money are to invest 25% of it in community-based organizations. But the initiative lacks requirements to target any particular groups, including Latinos, leaving it up to the cities, counties and states to come up with specific strategies.

In 34 of the 57 areas getting the money, cases are going the wrong way: Diagnosis rates among Latinos increased from 2019 to 2022 while declining for other racial and ethnic groups, the KFF Health News-AP analysis found.

Starting Aug. 1, state and local health departments will have to provide annual spending reports on funding in places that account for 30% or more of HIV diagnoses, the CDC said. Previously, it had been required for only a small number of states.

In some states and counties, initiative funding has not been enough to cover the needs of Latinos.

Nurse practitioner Eliza Otero talks with Fernando Hermida at Pineapple Healthcare in Orlando on May 28. Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

South Carolina,which saw rates nearly double for Latinos from 2012 to 2022,hasnt expanded HIV mobile testing in rural areas, where the need is high among Latinos, said Tony Price, HIV program manager in the state health department. South Carolina can pay for only four community health workers focused on HIV outreach  and not all of them are bilingual.

In Shelby County, home to Memphis, the Latino HIV diagnosis rate rose 86% from 2012 to 2022. The health department said it got $2 million in initiative funding in 2023, and while the county plan acknowledges that Latinos are a target group, department Director Michelle Taylor said: There are no specific campaigns just among Latino people.

Up to now, Mecklenburg County didnt include specific targets to address HIV in the Latino population  where rates of new diagnoses more than doubled in a decade but fell slightly among other racial and ethnic groups. The health department has used funding for bilingual marketing campaigns and awareness about PrEP.

Moving for medicine

When it was time to pack up and move to Hermidas third city in two years, his fiance, who is taking PrEP, suggested seeking care in Orlando.

The couple, who were friends in high school in Venezuela, had some family and friends in Florida, and they had heard about Pineapple Healthcare, a nonprofit primary care clinic dedicated to supporting Latinos living with HIV.

The clinic is housed in a medical office south of downtown Orlando. Inside, the mostly Latino staff is dressed in pineapple-print turquoise shirts, and Spanish, not English, is most commonly heard in appointment rooms and hallways.

At the core of it, if the organization is not led by and for people of color, then were just an afterthought, said Andres Acosta Ardila, the community outreach director at Pineapple Healthcare, who was diagnosed with HIV in 2013.

Andres Acosta Ardila, director of community relations at Pineapple Healthcare, speaks during a staff meeting at the medical clinic in Orlando on May 28. Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Te mudaste reciente, ya por fin? asked nurse practitioner Eliza Otero. Did you finally move? She started treating Hermida while he still lived in Charlotte. Hace un mes que no nos vemos. Its been a month since we last saw each other.

They still need to work on lowering his cholesterol and blood pressure, she told him. Though his viral load remains high, Otero said it should improve with regular, consistent care.

Pineapple Healthcare, which doesnt receive initiative money, offers full-scope primary care to mostly Latino males. Hermida gets his HIV medication at no cost there because the clinic is part of a federal drug discount program.

The clinic is in many ways an oasis. The new diagnosis rate for Latinos in Orange County, which includes Orlando, rose by about a third from 2012 through 2022, while dropping by a third for others. Florida has the third-largest Latino population in the U.S., and had the seventh-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses among Latinos in the nation in 2022.

Hermida, whose asylum case is pending, never imagined getting medication would be so difficult, he said during the 500-mile drive from North Carolina to Florida. After hotel rooms, jobs lost and family goodbyes, he is hopeful his search for consistent HIV treatment  which has come to define his life the past two years  can finally come to an end.

Soy un nomada a la fuerza, pero bueno, como me comenta mi prometido y mis familiares, yo tengo que estar donde me den buenos servicios medicos, he said. Im forced to be a nomad, but like my family and my fiance say, I have to be where I can get good medical services.

Fernando Hermida stands for a portrait against the skyline of Charlotte, N.C. on May 26. Laura Bargfeld/Associated Press

Thats the priority, he said. Esa es la prioridad ahora.
Zelenskyy makes frontline visit in eastern Donetsk region

By VOA News June 26, 2024

Ukraine's president visited his troops Wednesday on the front line in the eastern Donetsk region where they have fought some of their fiercest air and ground battles against Russian forces.

Before Ukraine received promised Western weapons and supplies, it was outmanned and outgunned in its fights in the region, where Russia is attempting to capture more land.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was accompanied on his visit by Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov, the new commander of the joint forces.

"He is a young man," Zelensky said of Hnatov, "but his knowledge of the front line and experience are exactly what is needed."

Hnartov replaces Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol whom some Ukrainian troops say is to blame for causing too many Ukrainian casualties in Ukraine's war against Russia.

"Hnatov's task is clear," Zelenskyy said, "to destroy the occupier and, very importantly, to save as many lives of our warriors as possible."

Ukrainian drones

Russia said Wednesday a Ukrainian drone attack targeted military sites in the Smolensk region, while Ukraine said a Russian aerial attack damaged infrastructure in Odesa.

The Russian defense ministry said it shot down two Ukrainian aerial drones over Smolensk.

Vasily Anokhin, the regional governor, said on Telegram that Ukraine tried to attack military installations in the Vyazemsky district, and that there were no casualties or damages reported.

In Ukraine's southern region of Odesa, Governor Oleh Kiper said Tuesday on Telegram that a Russian ballistic missile strike overnight hit an administrative building at an industrial site.

Kiper said no one was hurt.

US-Russia talks

The defense chiefs of Russia and the United States held a rare phone call Tuesday, amid Russian complaints about U.S. supplies of arms to Ukrainian forces.

The Pentagon said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine," in what was his first phone conversation with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov since Belousov replaced Sergei Shoigu in May.

The Russian defense ministry said in a statement that the two officials "exchanged views on the situation around Ukraine" and that Belousov "pointed to the danger of further escalation of the situation in connection with the ongoing supply of U.S. weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

Russia on Monday summoned the U.S. ambassador in protest of what it said was the use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles in an attack on Russia-annexed Crimea that killed four people.

Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters Monday that Ukraine makes its "own decisions when it comes to operations and targeting" and that Russia is responsible for invading Ukraine "leading to the death and destruction of thousands of innocent Ukrainians."

Some information for this report was provided by from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Ukraine sets out on long path to EU membership

By Myroslava Gongadze June 26, 2024

Ukrainian officials are embracing what will be a detailed and tortuous process of negotiations following the official opening of EU accession talks this week, saying they have already made major strides toward qualifying for a status that would cement their place in Western Europe.

While the process that began Tuesday at a ministerial-level meeting in Luxembourg can take years or even decades, the Kyiv government has declared its commitment to work diligently to meet the bloc's exacting standards in areas ranging from agricultural policy to human rights.

This process "is not something to which Ukraine has come unprepared," said Ukrainian legislator Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a former vice-prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, in an interview with VOA.

She said the country has undergone significant transformation under an association agreement concluded with the EU in 2017, especially in the process of securing a visa-free regime.

Ukraine was formally approved as a candidate for EU membership in June 2022, just months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country. Moldova, which was approved as an EU candidate at about the same time as Ukraine, also began accession talks on Tuesday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Ukraine for its efforts to date in an address to the Ukrainian parliament in November 2023, saying that the country has "made great strides, much greater than anyone expected from a country at war."

Klympush-Tsintsadze emphasized the need for consolidated efforts from all sectors of society and political factions if Ukraine is to continue its progress toward EU membership.

"It will be difficult without a real change in the civil service and public administration of Ukraine, without the engagement of all the possibilities of civil society, different political parties, and stakeholders, and having a very honest conversation with society about some of the very difficult steps," she said.

Those steps require Ukraine, like any membership candidate, to bring its laws and standards into line with those of the EU in 35 policy areas, known as chapters, ranging from the free movement of goods through fisheries, taxation, energy and the environment to judicial rights and security.

Each of the chapters must be negotiated to the satisfaction of all 27 existing EU members, making for a complex and drawn-out process.

Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy Tatiana Berezhna echoed her colleague's sentiments about Ukraine's readiness for the long road ahead. She noted in an interview with VOA that Ukraine "has already managed to screen the implementation of European legislation."

Berezhna, who is responsible for negotiating the chapters on employment, social issues, and the free movement of workers, stated that since the application, Ukraine has done its homework and is now "ready to proceed with negotiations."

Already this year, Ukrainian officials have participated in several explanatory sessions with representatives of the European Commission.

"Now that the negotiations have started, we will have a series of meetings on all the clusters of legislation," Berezhna said. "We understand that it's a long process; however, we are eager to reunite with our European family."

Wojciech Przybylski, the head of a policy forecasting unit at the Warsaw-based think tank Visegrad Insight, compared the path ahead for Ukraine to that of Poland, which completed its EU membership negotiations in just five years.

He pointed out that the negotiations for Ukraine's membership opened just before Hungary, which opposes Ukraine's bid for admission and further EU enlargement generally, takes the helm of the EU for the next six months.

"We know there will be a slowdown or a pause in the cycle, but this will come back as a topic under the Polish EU presidency in January," said Przybylski, who believes the EU must be enlarged if it is to survive and thrive.

"Fortunately, right now, there is a political momentum building up. We need to grow this political support and the network of those who will politically sponsor enlargement."

With Ukraine as ground zero in Europe's biggest armed conflict since World War II,

Przybylski said he sees enlargement as "the peace project in Europe and the EU as an instrument of peacebuilding in Europe."

EU membership for Ukraine, he added, will be a key component of that process.

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Fingerprints supports Valid in launching biometric payment card in Brazil

June 2024 by Marc Jacob

Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) and Valid, the global payment technology provider and integrator of secure solutions for identification, mobile and payment ecosystems, have partnered in developing a biometric payment card for the Brazilian market. The card, which features Fingerprints proven biometric technology, will offer new levels of contactless security, convenience and hygiene.

The cards, manufactured by Valid, will feature Fingerprints second-generation T-Shape (T2) sensor module and software platform. This ensures compliance with Mastercards latest Fingerprint Sensor Evaluation Process. The biometric payment card was unveiled at Sao Paulos Febraban Tech event in June 2024.

Despite consistent and significant contactless payment growth in Brazil since the pandemic, there are still consumer concerns around security. The regions preference for contactless, combined with its familiarity with biometric technology, demonstrates the ecosystems readiness for the next generation of payment cards.

According to Brazils National Monetary Council Resolution 3694/09, financial institutions must ensure the integrity, reliability, security and confidentiality of transactions, services and products. By leveraging a unique physical characteristic to authenticate payments, new levels of security are achieved with biometric payment cards. This can help banks align with regulation and reduce in-store payment fraud, and the associated costs of both. Banks that lead the way in payment innovation are also afforded an attractive brand image.
BOSTON, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novotech, the global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) that partners with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase, has appointed Dr. Ian Braithwaite as Vice President, Global Project Management.



Novotech COO Michael Stibilj welcomed Dr. Braithwaite to the team, stating Ian brings exceptional leadership and a strategic clinical background which will be pivotal in advancing our project management efforts.

He also brings extensive expertise in designing, implementing, and delivering global clinical programs, across various therapeutic areas, including oncology and rare diseases, Stibilj said.

Dr. Braithwaite previously held several global roles, most recently as Senior Vice President & Therapeutic Business Unit Head at Worldwide Clinical Trials, where he demonstrated his ability to develop and implement business strategy, drive operational excellence, profitability and client satisfaction.

Prior to this, Dr. Braithwaite held senior leadership positions at other renowned organizations, including INC Research and PPD/Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he was instrumental in strategic growth initiatives and the development of clinical trial portfolios.

Ian expressed his delight to be joining Novotech and said he was honored to lead Global Project Management as the organization continues to expand its global footprint and capabilities to support its existing and future biotech clients.

Dr. Braithwaite remarked "I was drawn to Novotech by the teams energy, passion and commitment to project delivery excellence throughout all phases of clinical development. I'm even more excited by the prospect of working with a group of dedicated professionals to deliver high quality global studies for the benefit of patients and our clients."

Dr. Baithwaite earned an Honours Degree and PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of Liverpool. He also holds a Post graduate Diploma in Clinical Science from the Welsh School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-braithwaite-46259011/

About Novotech Novotech-CRO.com

Founded in 1997, Novotech is a global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) focused on partnering with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase.

Recognized for its industry-leading contributions, Novotech has received numerous prestigious awards, including the CRO Leadership Award 2023, the Asia Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence 2023, the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award since 2006.

The Company offers a comprehensive suite of services including laboratories, Phase I facilities, drug development consulting, regulatory expertise, and has experience with over 5,000 clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. With a presence in 34 office locations and a dedicated team of 3,000+ professionals worldwide, Novotech is a trusted end-to-end strategic partner of choice.

For more information or to speak to an expert team member visit www.Novotech-CRO.com
New York, United States , June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Research Department Explosive Market Size is to Grow from USD 6.53 Billion in 2023 to USD 8.99 Billion by 2033, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.25% during the projected period.





Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/4652

Research department explosive is a powerful and flexible chemical compound with the formula C3H6N6O6. It is an organic material that belongs to the category known as nitramines. Research department explosive (RDX) is white and crystalline, very stable, and resistant to shocks and friction. It has a high detonation velocity and produces a significant amount of energy when it bursts. For military and defense applications, research department explosive (RDX) is widely used in the manufacturing of explosives, propellants, and ammunition. It is also used in the building, demolition, and mining industries because of its explosive properties. Research department explosive (RDX) uses the energy produced during blasting to remake rock and metal and remove material that has been extracted. This method helps to lower the energy requirements of crushing and grinding operations and greatly assists in achieving energy savings downstream. However, the handling, storage, and transportation of explosives are subject to strict rules and safety measures. Market participants find it costly and challenging to comply with these regulations. The use of explosives, such as RDX, raises issues regarding potential environmental effects.

Browse key industry insights spread across 177 pages with 125 Market data tables and figures & charts from the report on the " Global Research Department Explosive Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Explosives, Pyrotechnics, and Others), By Applications ((Military (Melt Cast & Pressed Explosives), Civilian (Fireworks, Demolition Blocks), and Others)), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2023  2033."

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The pyrotechnics segment is expected to grow the largest share of the research department explosive market during the projected timeframe.

Based on the type, the research department explosive market is divided into explosives, pyrotechnics, and others. Among these, the pyrotechnics segment is expected to grow the largest share of the research department explosive market during the projected timeframe. Pyrotechnics have to constantly produce new and creative effects to keep audiences interested. A chemical reaction that produces heat, light, gasses, or noise essentially starts a fire in pyrotechnics.

The military segment is dominated the market with the highest revenue share in the research department explosive market during the projected timeframe.

Based on the application, the research department explosive market is divided into military (melt cast & pressed explosives), civilian (fireworks, demolition blocks), and others. Among these, the military segment is dominated the market with the highest revenue share in the research department explosive market during the projected timeframe. Potential opportunities for expansion for the explosives business are provided strong government support for defense and military investment. In addition, the scope and nature of the fight, along with increasing military requirements, have made technology even more essential.

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North America is expected to hold the largest share of the research department explosive market over the forecast period.

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the research department explosive market over the forecast period. Due to the combined need for this area from the building, mining, and military sectors. To promote RDX sales, more technological advancements in the military and defense industry in North America are assessed. Many European and North American research department explosive market participants are accepting several deliberate actions, such as expanding their product offerings and improving new products, in addition to combining businesses.

Asia Pacific is predicted to grow at the fastest pace in the research department explosive market during the projected timeframe. Due to the region's increased output of several industrial and commercial minerals and metals. Both military and civilian demand is driving growth in the Asia Pacific RDX market RDX is becoming more and more well liked in the mining and building industries. Such high-performance explosives are necessary for the mining sector to explore.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the research department explosive market include Eurenco, Chemring Nobel, Prva Iskra Namenska a.d., BAE Systems, Austin Powder Company, Nitro Chem S.A, EPC Groupe, LSB Industries Inc., Ensign Bickford Company, Taavura Holdings Ltd., Poongsan Corporation, Hanwha Corporation, Nuberg Engineering Limited, Solar Industries India., and Others.

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Recent Developments

In May 2022, Orica's Fortis TM Protect range of bulk explosives was effectively created to lower the possibility of nitrate leaching during blasting operations. If nitrates in mine wastewater are allowed to wash away from previous waste dumps over extended periods, this could lead to long-term environmental damage.

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2033. Spherical Insights has segmented the research department explosive market based on the below-mentioned segments:

Global Research Department Explosive Market, By Type

Explosives

Pyrotechnics

Others

Global Research Department Explosive Market, By Application

Military

Melt Cast

Pressed Explosives

Civilian

Fireworks

Demolition Blocks

Others

Global Research Department Explosive Market, By Regional Analysis

North America US Canada Mexico

Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa



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NEW ORLEANS, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 13, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Teradata Corporation (the Company) (NYSE: TDC), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Companys shares between February 13, 2023 and February 12, 2024, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.



Get Help

Teradata investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-tdc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Teradata and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) under its expanded business model, which involved engagement with additional customer business units and decisionmakers, transactions with the Companys customers took longer to finalize; (ii) the Company thus overstated its ability to close customer transactions within their intended timeframes under its expanded business model; (iii) the Company failed to timely close several customer transactions that it had factored into its outlook for 2023 annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth; (iv) as a result, the Company was unlikely to meet its full year 2023 Total and Public Cloud ARR expectations; and (v) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

The case is Ostrander v. Teradata Corporation, et al., No. 24-cv-01034.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
NEW ORLEANS, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 12, 2024 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW), if they purchased the Companys shares between July 25, 2023 and April 3, 2024, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Idaho.



Get Help

Lamb Weston investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-lw/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Lamb Weston and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On April 4, 2024, the Company disclosed that it had experienced significant problems with its transition to a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system, which caused the Company to lose $135 million in sales during the third quarter of fiscal 2024 and necessitated a $330 million reduction to its sales guidance for the full fiscal year.

On this news, the price of Lamb Westons shares fell by $19.59 per share, or over 19%.

The case is Cleveland Bakers and Teamsters Pension Fund v. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., No. 24-cv-282.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.
DES PLAINES, Ill. and TOKYO and MEDFORD, Ore. and NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wheels, a leading fleet management company in North America, announced that it received a significant minority investment from Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) and Lithia & Driveway (Lithia). The strategic investment aligns Wheels with notable players in the mobility space as it continues to innovate, building upon its best-in-class product offerings to corporate clients. As the pioneer in fleet leasing and services, Wheels recognizes that the automotive industry is constantly evolving and welcomes the deep industry knowledge that Marubeni and Lithia collectively contribute to our business.



Marubeni has a strong track record of investing in companies across the US automotive value chain, dating back to 1958. Current Marubeni portfolio companies in the mobility sector include businesses focused on consumer auto finance, refrigerated trailer rental & leasing, and short-term commercial vehicle rentals. As an investor in Wheels in partnership with Apollo-managed funds focused on origination platforms and asset-backed finance strategies, Marubeni is aligned with Apollos long-term vision for Wheels, and in addition to providing expertise in the automotive sector, Marubeni enables further access to diversified funding channels through its longstanding relationships in Japan. Lithia, as one of the largest dealership groups in the US, shares Wheels commitment to delivering valuable offerings across the vehicle lifecycle, from vehicle acquisition and financing to maintenance and repair.

Shlomo Crandus, the CEO of Wheels, said, We are excited to receive the backing of two highly sophisticated investors. Our clients are always at the heart of everything we do, and that will continue as we innovate and grow with Marubeni and Lithia. While Wheels operates as a fleet management company today, the legacy business began in 1939 from an auto dealership, so we have a deep appreciation for the world-class business that Lithia has built and its dedication to customer satisfaction. We look forward to the strategic partnership and collaborative thinking with both Marubeni and Lithia.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of calendar year 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

About Wheels

As one of the largest fleet management and mobility solutions providers in North America, Wheels delivers a full range of products and services that keep businesses and their mobile workforce moving efficiently and safely. Wheels supports end-to-end solutions for more than 1,000 clients, representing 800,000+ vehicles  from battery electric sedans to service vans, class eight trucks and equipment. In 1939 Wheels invented the fleet industry, and we continue to shape the future of mobility by delivering experiences that our customers love. Discover how we are driving the future for our clients by visiting www.wheels.com.

About Marubeni

Marubeni Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries use their broad business networks, both within Japan and overseas, to conduct importing and exporting (including third country trading), as well as domestic business, encompassing a diverse range of business activities across wide-ranging fields including lifestyle, IT solutions, food, agri business, forest products, chemicals, metals & mineral resources, energy, power, infrastructure project, aerospace & ship, finance, leasing & real estate business, construction, industrial machinery & mobility, next generation business development and next generation corporate development. Additionally, the Marubeni Group offers a variety of services, makes internal and external investments, and is involved in resource development throughout all of the above industries. Please visit Marubeni Corporation.

About Lithia

Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) is one of the largest global automotive retailers providing a wide array of products and services throughout the vehicle ownership lifecycle. Simple, convenient, and transparent experiences are offered through our comprehensive network of physical locations, ecommerce platforms, captive finance solutions and other synergistic adjacencies. We deliver consistent, low-risk, and profitable growth in a massive and unconsolidated industry. Our highly diversified and competitively differentiated design provides us the flexibility and scale to pursue our vision to modernize personal transportation solutions wherever, whenever, and however consumers desire. Please visit Lithia & Driveway.

About Apollo

Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three investing strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2024, Apollo had approximately $671 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.
SHENZHEN, China, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

On July 1, Hong Kong will celebrate the 27th anniversary of its return to the motherland. As the "bridgehead" for the integration and cooperation of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone has become the "first stop" for Hong Kong people and enterprises seeking development opportunities in the Chinese mainland.

In mid-June, the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cross-border Government Services (Qianhai) Zone was officially launched. A growing number of Hong Kong youth have praised Qianhai as a "fertile ground for entrepreneurship" and found a "sense of home" here. All these achievements demonstrate Qianhai's commitment to advancing the cooperation of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Qianhai is located on the eastern shore of the Pearl River Estuary. The area was established in 2010 with a total area of about 15 square kilometers and expanded to 120.56 square kilometers by 2021. With one side adjacent to Hong Kong and the other to the 100-kilometer "Golden Inner Bay" around the Pearl River Estuary, Qianhai boasts a unique geographical advantage. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the release of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). As the construction of the GBA speeds up, Qianhai has played an increasingly important role in deepening the cooperation of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Over the years, Qianhai has continuously contributed to expanding the market and broadening economic development space for Hong Kong. According to the data released by Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, to date, more than 10,000 Hong Kong residents are employed and reside in Qianhai. It is also home to 9,055 registered Hong Kong enterprises with a total registered capital of 946.947 billion yuan. Numerous Hong Kong people and enterprises have witnessed Qianhai's "Shenzhen speed" in supporting Hong Kong's integration into the national development. For example, the "Qianhai Hong Kong Enterprise Loan" has been launched, and 23 categories of professionals from Hong Kong and Macao can practice in Qianhai after registration. The pioneering "Hong Kong Jurors" and "Hong Kong Mediators" systems aim to enhance the openness of legal affairs and the alignment of cross-border commercial laws. The Qianhai Hong Kong Youth Development Center has been put into service, and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub has continuously upgraded its functions. Moreover, a cross-border bus service from Qianhai to Hong Kong is available, allowing visitors to travel from the Shenzhen Bay Port to Hong Kong after a transfer. These supportive policies and innovative systems attract Hong Kong residents to settle in Qianhai and encourage Hong Kong enterprises to invest and develop their businesses here.

Currently, Hong Kong and Qianhai are forging closer ties in more areas. For example, 49 of the 199 newly-appointed people's assessors at the Qianhai Court are from Hong Kong. Additionally, 691 of the 1,195 startup teams incubated at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub are from Hong Kong. Around 30% of the 155 enterprise engineering centers, engineering laboratories, and other innovation platforms in Qianhai are jointly built by Hong Kong-funded enterprises.

"Qianhai brings together the talent, policies, capital, and market we need for our startup. Its proximity and cultural similarities allow us to establish our business more quickly," said Yu Guangtao, founder of Inspro Science, in an interview with the media. "After three years of development in Qianhai, we have over ten patents, and our revenue is expected to exceed 10 million yuan this year," he added.

With the release of the Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone in December 2023, Qianhai has entered a new phase of development. Looking ahead, Qianhai will further achieve connectivity in infrastructure and public services, enhance the openness of factors such as the business environment and talent recruitment, and create a high-quality hub for the development of the modern service industry together with Hong Kong.

Source: Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone
The UKs leading logistics firm has been nominated for the Employer of the Year Award for the second year running by Ex-Forces in Business

Colin Martin, a QHSE Manager at GXO, is also nominated for reservist of the year

GXO ranked among the Top 50 Employers of Veterans in 2024

LONDON, U.K., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO), the worlds largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced today that it has been nominated for two British Ex-Forces in Business Awards - the worlds largest celebration of veterans in second careers.

GXO in the UK&I has been nominated by Ex-Forces in Business as Employer of the Year for the second year running, for its commitment to supporting colleagues who are part of the armed forces community. In 2024, GXO UK&I ranked 33rd in the top 50 Employers of Veterans in the UK identified by the Ex-Forces in Business Awards.

Currently, 85 GXO colleagues in the UK&I are active reservists, cadet volunteers or veterans of the British Armed Forces. GXO is actively involved with the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces to support recruitment pathways for serving personnel leaving the Armed Forces. GXO supports veterans and reservists with various initiatives, including a GXO Armed Forces community, internal and external events, paid days leave for training, mobilisation support and mental health initiatives to help with return to work.

Having colleagues who serve or have served in the armed forces is a huge benefit to GXO, said Mark Simmons, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at GXO in the UK&I. We understand the sacrifice that people in the armed forces community make for us, and they deserve our full support. There are so many transferable skills that our colleagues have learned from working in the military which they have brought to the logistics industry. It is brilliant that Colin, along with all our ex-forces colleagues are being recognised for the impact they have. I couldnt be prouder that we support such a courageous and knowledgeable set of individuals at GXO.

In just over two years, GXO has been awarded both a bronze and silver covenant by the UKs Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for its proactive approach to supporting military veterans and reservists. The business has the ambition to go one step further and is striving to become a Gold Covenant employer.

Fred Hopkins, Head of Engagement at East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, said: Last year, GXO was rightly recognised with a Silver Award in the Ministry of Defences Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Awards recognise the exceptional support given to the Defence community by forward-thinking businesses like GXO that see the value added by the Defence community in their business.

I know they have ambitious plans in the months and years ahead and wish them the very best of luck in the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.

Alongside GXOs team nomination, Colin Martin, who works as a QHSE Manager at GXO, is a finalist within the individual category of Reservist of the Year. Colin has 24 years service in the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) as a logistics specialist, and in 2023 he completed training and assessments to work his way up to become a Captain of the RLC.

Commenting on the nomination, Colin said: Im truly delighted to be nominated and subsequently shortlisted for a British Ex-Forces in Business award. It has been a pleasure to build synergies between GXO and the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) as I continue to develop my skills and experience. My career at GXO has definitely helped me push on and gain the achievements I have within the RLC, and Im thankful for the support both organisations have given me.

GXO supports all reservists and adult cadet volunteers with additional paid leave to complete training for their armed forces commitments, however Colin went above and beyond. In addition to his paid leave from GXO, Colin gave over 100 days of his own time serving in the army last year.

Aside from his own incremental personal progression targets, Colin used 2023 to foster greater relations between the Army Reserve and GXO Logistics. This allowed him to quickly synergise opportunities that delivered multiple benefits to both parties, and as a result he ensured that both his reserve regiment and GXO were best placed to win the RLC foundation award in November 2023 for Employer Reserve engagement.

About GXO Logistics

GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is the worlds largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totalling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the worlds leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn , X , Facebook , Instagram and YouTube .

Media contact

Jack Woodhead

+44 (0)7929104482

Jack.woodhead@gxo.com

Attachment
Global economic trends behind keywords at 2024 Summer Davos

Xinhua) 15:34, June 27, 2024

DALIAN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's northeastern coastal city of Dalian currently finds itself at the nexus of world attention, as the host of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions.

Running from June 25 to 27, the ongoing event, also known as Summer Davos, has drawn over 1,700 representatives of the political, business, academic and media communities in more than 100 countries and regions to explore new frontiers in revitalizing the sluggish global economy.

Amid discussions among the leading figures, several keywords have emerged, shedding light on the economic trends commanding the world's attention.

ECONOMIC GROWTH & COOPERATION

The global economy is facing challenges such as complex and volatile geopolitical landscapes and increased economic uncertainty.

According to the World Bank, global economic growth is projected to slow for the third consecutive year, declining from 2.6 percent in 2023 to 2.4 percent in 2024. The period from 2020 to 2024 is set to become the slowest five-year span for global economic growth in the past 30 years.

The question of how to stimulate global economic growth and make the economic pie bigger has become a topic of discussion among participants at the three-day grand gathering.

At this year's forum, Chinese Premier Li Qiang provided a feasible solution.

When meeting with Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab at the event's opening plenary, Li called on all nations and regions to maintain an open mindset, enhance their mutually beneficial cooperation and jointly seek new frontiers of economic growth.

Echoing Li's remarks, Schwab highlighted the necessity of global cooperation and innovation.

"To drive future economic growth, we must embrace innovation and foster collaboration across sectors, regions, nations and cultures to create a more peaceful, inclusive, sustainable and resilient future," he noted when addressing the opening plenary.

NEXT FRONTIERS & AI

As a term included in the theme of this year's forum, "next frontiers" for development in the future have been observed as a major topic of several sub-forums.

Future growth points will revolve around new growth engines from technological innovation and green, low-carbon exploration amid a global transformation, said Chen Liming, chair of Greater China of the World Economic Forum.

Among the frontier sectors widely discussed by one panel after another lies the most powerful engine for economic growth: artificial intelligence (AI).

Recent breakthroughs in AI, such as deep learning, generative AI and foundational models, have catalyzed remarkable progress in enhancing human innovation and driving economic development.

"The world is on the cusp of a scientific discovery revolution driven by AI," proclaimed the Top 10 Emerging Technologies report released at this year's Summer Davos.

CHINA

This year marks the 15th occasion that the Summer Davos has been held in China. When the inaugural event convened in Dalian in 2007, China's GDP was approximately 3.5 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for about 6 percent of the global economy.

By 2023, China's economic output had surged to nearly 18 trillion U.S. dollars, representing over 17 percent of the global share and establishing China as a primary trading partner for more than 140 countries and regions. This substantial economic scale and steady growth trajectory have consistently placed "China" among the top buzzwords at both winter and summer Davos in recent years.

In an increasingly contentious geopolitical environment, China, as the largest emerging economy, plays a vital role in promoting international cooperation and multilateralism, said Elizabeth Ingleson, assistant professor of international history at the London School of Economics.

Meanwhile, in various domains, ranging from technological development represented by AI to business-model innovation spearheaded by internet platforms, industry insiders participating at the event recognized that China is among the flagbearers, eyeing more spillover effects from China's development of new quality productive forces.

"We're bullish about China going forward," said Shin Hak-Cheol, CEO of LG Chem. The chemical giant from the Republic of Korea has built over 10 production bases in China since it entered the market over three decades ago. "We're not downsizing here, and we're really investing for the future."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing)
President Joe Biden surprises doubters by delivering a forceful State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the Capitol on March 7. Shawn Thew/Associated Press

The comment made my heart soar:

We cant let these old guys beat us.

Those beautiful words had just tumbled out of an agile, 20-something volleyballer whispering to his partner, another agile, 20-something volleyballer. But the undeniable truth was smiling gently at them through the net, in the form of my partner Mark and me, two slightly stiff graybeards whose combined age eclipsed theirs by more than 60 years  and who nevertheless were beating them.

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A few plays later, one of them whisper-yelled, This cant happen.

But it did. And how sweet it was.

Oh, to be underestimated because of your age. It seems to be an increasingly common occurrence in American society these days. With the world changing faster than ever, ushering in the new at reckless speeds, its never been easier to ignore, dismiss, push out and write off nearly anyone who came of age, as I say, back in the 1900s.

Its assumed that our vibrant years are gone. That when it comes to this new world and its gadgets and artificial intelligence and TikTok, we just dont get it. That our sagging and stiff bodies are emblematic of similarly declining minds and adaptive agility. That we should just bow, curtsy and backpedal feebly into the dimming light.

This is one reason I love being among the 10 or so graybeards of volleyball, as were known in our parts. Once or twice a week, we gather in San Carlos, Palo Alto or Santa Cruz for informal doubles games, which allows us to time-travel back to when we were potent and agile  and had dreams that soared as high as our once-respectable vertical jumps.

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One thing we graybeards have learned is that we can still compete with young guns. Even so, weve also learned that our play isnt always that pretty anymore, as occasional videos show all too well. Grimacing at these clips, I must accept a cold reality: While I do still have a jump serve (which I talk about incessantly to anyone wholl still listen  meaning, at this point, my goldendoodle Finn), I might only be clearing 8 inches.

And what I often think are beautiful expressions of the sport often prove to be, upon video inspection, amusing instances of older, graying and slightly heavier imposters careening across the court. The only reel we ever put on Instagram showed just that, and its comedic value helped it go viral by our standards.

But what weve lost in prowess and grace, weve gained in wily strategy, mutual reliance and humility. Compared to our own roaring 20s, when we lived to defy gravity and crush balls, were far more likely to listen to a partner, who might tell us to just shoot a ball to the opponents wide-open corner. Were more likely to play smart, whether its conserving energy when given the chance or studying opponents tendencies. We also spend a lot more time trying to understand each others play and psychology, identifying what makes each graybeard shine.

Four years into my graybeards volleyball experience, the lesson is clear: Its good to be gray. Its an advantage.

As this years first U.S. presidential debate approaches, I keep reflecting on that last takeaway  and on some of the themes emerging from my graybeard experience. It seems that while true, age-defying vitality requires healthy living and dutiful preparation, it also requires heavy doses of humility, wisdom and teamwork. Hero ball loses.

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Ive also realized that we should never stop playing, no matter how gray and feeble we might look on the outside, and no matter what critics and trolls might otherwise suggest.

But this is hardly the conventional wisdom these days.

As Joe Biden and Donald Trump prepare for their debate, a lot of pundits seem to be echoing Trumps narrative around the presidents age and cognitive abilities. The jokes about Bidens verbal missteps, the memes about Sleepy Joe and the video clips showing a man who is a bit stiffer (and whose voice is a tad weaker) seem to suggest that the presidents ability to beat Trump has diminished. Even Biden supporters seem to be sucking in a giant, worried breath and are prepared to hold it until the debate is over.

But perhaps this is an advantage for Biden.

Like us graybeards, Bidens outward appearances might not be as pretty as they were in 2020. But that can be misleading. A stiff body with slower movements and weaker vocal cords can give opponents false hope, on a volleyball court and the debate stage.

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As this relates to Biden, a good example might be the weeks leading up to his State of the Union address in March when it wasnt just the MAGA crowd that was underestimating his ability to show vigor and agility. It seemed that even Democrats had bought into the narrative. But as things turned out, he surprised doubters with a strong delivery, authoritative presence and successful jousting with heckling MAGA members of Congress.

So, yes, Biden has gone gray, but in some advantageous ways that could give him an edge over his aging opponent at this first debate, and maybe later in this election. In my world, going gray is about going for the upset with solid fundamentals, reduced expectations and an interest in utilizing a great team. Its about playing for more than just yourself.

Contrast that with going orange and its telltale traits of overconfidence, selfish play and chronic attempts at hero ball.

About Opinion Guest opinions in Open Forum and Insight are produced by writers with expertise, personal experience or original insights on a subject of interest to our readers. Their views do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Chronicle editorial board, which is committed to providing a diversity of ideas to our readership. Read more about our transparency and ethics policies

If you ask me, its the perfect opportunity for a surprising and decisive moment.

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TOKYO, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857) concluded a successful VOICE 2024 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in San Diego, California. The event was held on June 3-5 and drew a record-high attendance of over 400 attendees, the majority of whom were Advantest customers and industry partners. This year's VOICE event coincided with Advantest's 70th anniversary, and the company was pleased to commemorate this milestone with longstanding customers and industry partners.



The VOICE 2024 committee received 225 abstract submissions from 40 global companies across 14 countries. Of those abstracts, 78 papers were presented over two daysthe majority of which were written or co-authored by Advantests customers. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) track was added to this years technical program, in addition to a wide range of topics important to the automatic test equipment (ATE) industry, such as 5G/millimeter wave, high-performance computing, cloud technologies, and system-level test.

This years event also featured an exciting lineup of three keynote speakers, including Craig Nishizaki, vice president of the Test Solutions Group at NVIDIA, Marcelo Ackermann, professor of the XUV Optics Group at the University of Twente, and Andrea Lati, director of market research at TechInsights. In addition to keynotes, Advantests Kotaro Hasegawa and Michael Braun hosted a Technical Highlights session that featured Advantests latest solutions to address emerging test challenges for various applications including microLED and silicon photonics. Attendees also had the opportunity to engage with Advantest R&D engineers during the Technology Kiosk Showcase. Attendees were provided valuable time to network with others during evening events and scheduled breaks. In addition, a Workshop Day was hosted after the event on Thursday, offering attendees a hands-on learning experience on advanced RF demodulation, Advantests new DC Scale XHC32, and SmarTest 8.

The VOICE Partner's Expo took place throughout the event, providing Advantests partners and sponsors the chance to meet with attendees and exhibit their latest products and offerings. This years headline sponsors were Alliance ATE Consulting Group and ISE Labs/ASE Group.

Best Paper and Best Kiosk Awards

Attendees used the VOICE mobile app to vote for the Best Paper and Best Kiosk awards. This years Best Paper award was awarded to Bernhard Moessler from Infineon and Souvik Dey and Jubal Saji from Advantest, for their paper Enabling Virtual Scope Capability on the V93000. Advantests Brent Bullock also won Best Paper with Early Detection of CRES Degradation on High Current Power Planes. Makoto Eiki of Sony was named as an Honorable Mention for his paper titled Improving Efficiency and Robustness of Gaussian Process Based Outlier Detection via Ensemble Learning, as was Jun Zhang, Bowen Yang, and Jiamin Wang of Advantest for their paper, Boost the Performance of the Test Program Development Through Burst and Concurrency on SmarTest 8. Keith Schaub and Nadine Schill from Advantest won this years Best Kiosk award for their Advantest Talks Semi kiosk.

Visionary Award

This years Visionary Award was presented to Matt Silverstein, senior manager, audio product & test engineering, Analog Devices. Recipients of the Visionary Award are honored for their significant and sustained contributions to VOICE over time. Silverstein has supported VOICE by serving on the technical committee for twelve years and contributing papers to the technical program for the past three years.

VOICE 2025

VOICE 2025 will be held in Austin, Texas at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on May 12-14. For more details, please go to: https://voice.advantest.com/.

About VOICE Developer Conference

Managed by a steering committee of volunteer representatives from Advantest and its customers, VOICE is the leading developer conference for the growing international community of users and strategic partners involved with Advantests V93000 and T2000 SoC test platforms as well as Advantest memory testers, handlers and test cell solutions. The conference offers a unique opportunity to take part in making semiconductor testing operations as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Attendees gain and share valuable insights, build long-lasting relationships and learn whats new about Advantest test equipment, handlers and applications. For event updates, follow #VOICE2024 on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Advantest Corporation

Advantest (TSE: 6857) is the leading manufacturer of automatic test and measurement equipment used in the design and production of semiconductors for applications including 5G communications, the Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, high performance computing (HPC) including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, and more. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also conducts R&D to address emerging testing challenges and applications; develops advanced test-interface solutions for wafer sort and final test; produces scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing; and offers system-level test solutions and other test-related accessories. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest is a global company with facilities around the world and an international commitment to sustainable practices and social responsibility. More information is available at www.advantest.com

ADVANTEST CORPORATION

3061 Zanker Road

San Jose, CA 95134, USA

Cassandra Koenig

Cassandra.koenig@advantest.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b16dc83c-3718-4eb9-8631-11e0e32d56ea

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba600356-daae-4d35-ab43-143db4a0e8f1
CHONGQING, China, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- No human intervention is needed as the autonomous shuttle deftly maneuvers through traffic, successfully executing lane changes, acceleration, overtaking, and other actions. In the heart of Jinfeng City Center in the Chongqing's Western Science City in west China, this self-driving shuttle bus operates on a predetermined route, diligently transporting passengers to their designated stops.

With the deepening penetration of "software-defined cars" into the automotive value chain, the global automotive industry is accelerating its transformation towards intelligence.

The Chongqing's Western Science City has identified intelligent connected new energy vehicles and core components as one of its three pillar industries. Through a combination of efforts, the zone has attracted a group of high-quality enterprises in the field of intelligent connected new energy vehicles. It aims to achieve a breakthrough in the industrial scale, surpassing 100 billion yuan by 2027.

While seizing the opportunities in new fields, the Chongqing's Western Science City is committed to making good use of the university town and its academic institutions as the foundation of talents.

The zone aims to amplify the synergistic effects of the 14 universities and approximately 200,000 faculty and students in the university town.

With a focus on talent cultivation and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, it is fully exploring a new model of university-industry integration. So far, it has successfully facilitated the transition of over 200 cutting-edge research achievements from laboratories to production lines.

In addition, to accelerate the activation of high-level innovation platforms, the zone has successively introduced 43 scientific and technological innovation platforms, such as Peking University Chongqing Research Institute of Big Data and Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center.

Currently, there are 3 platforms with annual revenue exceeding 100 million yuan and 13 platforms with annual revenue exceeding 10 million yuan. It has incubated 85 technology enterprises and produces hundreds of scientific research achievements each year.

One of the most recognizable scientific institutions in the zone, Jin Feng Laboratory, has been in operation for only two years. In that short period of time, it has attracted 5 academician teams and 40 core research teams. Its innovative achievements, spanning over ten categories such as AI-assisted diagnosis and tumor neurobiology, have already been applied in hundreds of top-tier hospitals nationwide.

In addition, the zone has also launched a series of policies to attract talents, creating a high-quality and high-end international talent community which provides a high-quality living experience for high-level talents.

Meanwhile, a dense road network, railways, and 35 tunnels cutting through the mountains will jointly create efficient transportation conditions in the region.

The highly anticipated urban core of the zone, known as Jinfeng City Center, is set to be completed in early next year. Situated alongside renowned scientists and surrounded by high-quality amenities, it will undoubtedly become the most captivating landmark in the zone.

"It is foreseeable that the future Chongqing's Western Science City will be a modern city with in-depth integration of sci-tech elements, industries and urban planning," according to an official of the zone.

As the zone's developers, they will firmly anchor the goal of constructing a core area for a nationally influential science and technology innovation center, and spare no effort in creating a leading technological force, he added.

Source: Chongqing's Western Science City
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FAN) (OTCQB: FANCF) (FSE: P21) ("First Atlantic", "FAN", or "the Company") is delighted to welcome Dr. Ron Britten, a world-renowned nickel expert with a specialty in awaruite, as a Technical Advisor for the Company's wholly owned Atlantic Nickel Project located in Newfoundland, Canada. Dr. Britten's expertise in nickel deposits is exemplified by his discovery of the Decar awaruite project in British Columbia. His deep understanding of this unique nickel mineralization will be invaluable to First Atlantic's exploration and development efforts. The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Rahim Kassim-Lakha, a global investment and capital markets professional, as a Strategic Advisor. These strategic additions to the advisory team, effective immediately, position First Atlantic to lead the charge in exploring and developing the first awaruite nickel project in Atlantic Canada.

Highlights

Dr. Ron Britten, world-renowned nickel expert, joins First Atlantic as Technical Advisor, having discovered and advanced the first large-scale awaruite nickel project in North America with over 10 billion pounds of nickel contained 1 .

. Recipient of H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration, Britten authored scientific papers on awaruite nickel as a new deposit type, including "Regional Metallogeny and Genesis of a New Deposit Type Disseminated Awaruite (Ni3Fe) Mineralization Hosted in the Cache Creek Terrane 2 " in Society of Economic Geologists in 2017.

" in Society of Economic Geologists in 2017. Britten's expertise in awaruite nickel deposits is crucial to First Atlantic's 30km district scale Atlantic Nickel Project in Newfoundland.

Rahim Kassim-Lakha, CEO of Blue Sail Capital, joins as Strategic Advisor for corporate development and financing.

$2.1 million charity flow-through financing completed, with a strategic investor acquiring a 9.98% equity position pursuant to an Investor Rights Agreement.

Geological Advisor - Ron Britten

First Atlantic is excited to welcome Dr. Ron Britten as a Technical Advisor. Britten, a recipient of the H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award, has over 40 years of experience, specializing in nickel-iron alloy (awaruite) exploration and development. He discovered and advanced the first large-scale awaruite nickel project in North America, which led to a resource containing over 10 billion pounds of nickel. Britten has authored scientific papers on awaruite nickel as a new deposit type, including a publication in the prestigious Economic Geology journal.

As a co-founder of First Point Minerals Corp. (later FPX Nickel Corp.), Britten played a crucial role in exploring and advancing the Baptiste awaruite deposit. He employs a systematic approach, focusing on mapping, sampling, and geophysics to design specialized programs for discovering and delineating awaruite nickel mineralization. The Company believes Britten will be a valuable asset in the continued exploration and development of the Atlantic Nickel Project.





Figure 1: Atlantic Nickel Project Highlights





Figure 2: Atlantic Nickel Project map displaying priority target areas (zones) with nickel sample results overlaid on magnetic survey data. These zones remain open along trend.

Adrian Smith, CEO of First Atlantic, comments, "We are delighted to welcome Ron Britten as a Technical Advisor. Ron's experience in nickel, including discovering and advancing the Decar project in British Columbia, North America's only defined awaruite nickel resource with a 10 billion pound nickel endowment, will be invaluable to First Atlantic. The Decar project has attracted strategic partners such as Toyota, Outokumpu, Sumitomo Mining, JOGMEC and other strategic investors. With Ron's expertise and our recently completed financing, First Atlantic is well positioned to lead the charge in exploring and developing the first large-scale awaruite nickel project in Atlantic Canada. We look forward to Ron's contributions in helping us achieve this exciting goal."





Figure 3: Ron Britten, PhD., receiving the H.H. "Spud" Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in recognition of their efforts in identifying and commencing development of a new type of nickel deposit.

Strategic Financial Advisor - Rahim Kassim-Lakha

First Atlantic is thrilled to have Rahim Kassim-Lakha join the team as a Strategic Advisor. Kassim-Lakha, the founder and CEO of Blue Sail Capital, brings over 28 years of experience in global investing, capital markets expertise, and M&A advisory. Before establishing Blue Sail Capital, he held senior and executive roles at renowned institutions, including PE firm, Fidelity Capital in Boston, and US Global Investors in Texas, where he managed over $1 Billion USD in assets under management with three award-winning funds.

As a Strategic Advisor, Kassim-Lakha will leverage his capital markets expertise to guide strategic decisions and evaluate corporate development opportunities. His extensive experience in raising capital and structuring financial transactions will be a significant asset as First Atlantic advances its projects and seeks to maximize shareholder value.



Mr. Kassim-Lakha commented, "I look forward to assisting First Atlantic as it advances the Atlantic Nickel Project and other corporate initiatives. First Atlantic is amassing a very talented team and I am pleased to join at such an integral time in the Company's growth and development."

$2.1 Million Financing Closed Led by Strategic Investor

First Atlantic recently closed a financing for $2,084,999.91 with securities issued at $0.21 and no warrants, at a 58% premium to the Companys 10 VWAP (see new release dated June 20, 2024) which was led by a corporate strategic investor who took a 9.98% stake in the Company. The Company wishes to clarify that the securities issued were charity flow-through common shares, not flow-through common shares as previously noted. Upon closing, the Company and the corporate strategic investor also entered into an Investor Rights Agreement, which will grant the investor the right to participate in subsequent equity financing to maintain their current interest up to 9.98%. Pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement, First Atlantic is unable to disclose the identity of the corporate strategic investor or provide any details that would directly or indirectly reveal the investor's identity. The operating team is now focused on executing a fully funded planned 5,000m drilling campaign exploring for multi-billion-ounce nickel deposits in its 30-kilometer core nickel trend in the Pipestone Ophiolite Complex in Newfoundland.

Following the Companys announcement on May 14, 2024, regarding the engagement of Think Ink Marketing Data and Email Services, Inc. for public relations marketing services, the Company reports that, under the terms of the agreement, it paid an initial 20% of the contract amount (as disclosed on May 14, 2024) as an up-front deposit upon signing and it will pay the remaining 16% of the contract amount per month for services during months two through six. These payments are funded by proceeds from the private placement that closed in December 2023, as well as from warrant and stock option exercises completed by the Company.

Investors are invited to sign up for the official FAN (First Atlantic Nickel) List found at www.fanickel.com and can follow First Atlantic Nickel on the following social media.

https://twitter.com/FirstAtlanticNi

https://www.facebook.com/firstatlanticnickel

https://www.linkedin.com/company/firstatlanticnickel/

For more information:

First Atlantic Nickel Relations

Robert Guzman

Tel: +1 844 592 6337

Rob@fanickel.com

http://www.fanickel.com

Disclosure

Adrian Smith, P.Geo., is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. The qualified person is a member in good standing of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador (PEGNL) and is a registered professional geoscientist (P.Geo.). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed herein.

About First Atlantic Nickel Corp.

First Atlantic Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FAN) (OTCQB: FANCF) (FSE: P21) is a Canadian mineral exploration company that owns 100% of the Atlantic Nickel Project, a large scale significant nickel awaruite project in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. By eliminating the need for smelting, nickel in the form of awaruite reduces dependence on foreign entities of concern for both supply and processing, thereby strengthening supply chain security. In 20223, the US Government designated nickel as a critical mineral, highlighting its importance to the nation's economy and security.

The Atlantic Nickel Project is a special asset due to its unique combination of size, location, proximity to infrastructure, and the presence of awaruite. By developing this domestic awaruite nickel project, First Atlantic aims to enhance supply chain security for the stainless steel and electric vehicle industries in the USA, Canada, and Europe. The Company's strategic location and focus on awaruite nickel position it to play a key role in meeting the growing demand for responsibly sourced nickel in these sectors.

The Company is committed to responsible exploration, environmental stewardship, and working closely with local communities to create sustainable economic opportunities. With its experienced team and the project's significant potential, the Company is well-positioned to contribute to the future of the nickel industry and the global transition to a cleaner, more secure energy future.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements:

This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the purpose of the engagement of the technical advisor and financial advisor, the Companys objectives, goals or future plans, statements, and estimates of market conditions. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry. Additional factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Companys disclosure documents which can be found under the Companys profile on http://www.sedarplus.ca. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

____________________________

1 /https://fpxnickel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Baptiste-Project-NI-43-101-Technical-Report_FINAL.pdf

2 https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-abstract/112/3/517/172164/Regional-Metallogeny-and-Genesis-of-a-New-Deposit

3 https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals



Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/16bb713e-7fa8-4ca4-8d1b-cce773efc024

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/37c4e278-e7bd-4ec8-875c-63799c74f8bc

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b1dca34e-43dd-4ab1-8cc1-cf2241826bea
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Generative AI Market - Outlook & Forecast 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Generative AI Market was valued at USD 14.17 Billion in 2023, and is expected to reach USD 96.36 Billion by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 37.64%



The global generative AI market is highly competitive, with the presence of big corporations and start-up companies. The rapid technological changes adversely impact market vendors as consumers increasingly expect continuous technology-enabled innovations and upgrades to existing products. The present scenario drives vendors to alter and refine their unique value propositions to achieve a strong market presence.

The key players in the global generative AI market are Anthropic PBC, Amazon Web Services, Inc., Cohere, Glean Technologies, Inc., Google LLC (Alphabet), Hugging Face, Jasper AI Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Nvidia Corporation, and OpenAI. Further, the presence of diversified global and regional vendors characterizes the market. Many big corporations collaborate with start-ups to enhance several product features by accuracy, number of use cases, and generating various types of content such as text, image, video, audio, etc. Such initiatives are expected to enable vendors to gain a competitive edge over other vendors in the market.

Technological advancements in the generative AI market drive insightful transformations across industries, revolutionizing how businesses operate and interact with customers. These advancements involve various innovations spanning hardware, software, algorithms, and data analytics, collectively propelling the capabilities and applications of AI.



Gen-AI technological progress is a breakthrough in deep learning algorithms and neural network architectures. Deep learning techniques, inspired by the structure and function of the human brain, have enabled AI systems to achieve remarkable feats in tasks such as image recognition, natural language processing, and decision-making. Moreover, advancements in neural network architectures, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), have significantly enhanced the efficiency and accuracy of AI models, paving the way for more sophisticated applications in areas like healthcare, finance, and autonomous vehicles.



Additionally, merging AI with other emerging technologies fuels exponential growth and innovation in the global generative AI market. For instance, integrating AI with big data analytics enables organizations to extract valuable insights from vast and complex datasets, driving informed decision-making and predictive capabilities. Similarly, the combination of AI with the Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates the creation of intelligent and interconnected systems capable of sensing, analyzing, and responding to real-time data streams in diverse environments.



In addition to software advancements, significant progress has been made in AI hardware, particularly in developing specialized processing units optimized for AI workloads. Graphics processing units (GPUs), tensor processing units (TPUs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are among the key hardware technologies powering the acceleration of AI computations, enabling faster training and inference tasks. Moreover, quantum computing advancements promise to exponentially increase AI's computational power, potentially unlocking new machine learning and optimization frontiers.



Moreover, the democratization of AI tools and platforms is democratizing access to AI capabilities, empowering individuals and organizations of all sizes to harness the power of AI for innovation and problem-solving. Open-source frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-Learn, coupled with cloud-based AI services from major providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, are lowering the barriers to entry and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of AI development and deployment.



Therefore, technological advancements in the generative AI market drive unprecedented progress and innovation, unlocking new opportunities for businesses, researchers, and society. From breakthroughs in deep learning algorithms to the convergence of AI with other emerging technologies, the trajectory of gen-AI continues to evolve rapidly, shaping the future of industries and reshaping the human experience.

In recent years, the increasing disposable income, the growth in adoption of AI technologies, and the expansion of various industries globally have driven the demand for gen-AI solutions across the globe. Implementing supportive government and private bodies' regulations also fuels the demand for gen-AI solutions.

The global generative AI market is highly developed in North America, Europe, and APAC, owing to the increasing penetration of gen-AI technology. On the other hand, Latin America and the Middle East are highly potential markets with enough opportunity for growth. North America dominated the global generative AI market share, with a revenue share of over 42% in 2023. The North American gen-AI market is experiencing significant growth and evolution, driven by a convergence of technological advancements and increasing demand for AI-driven solutions across various industries.

The key drivers behind the rapid expansion of the North American gen-AI market are the increase in AI algorithms and platforms. Innovations in deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision have enabled gen-AI systems to create complex and realistic content autonomously.

MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

Rising Investments and Fundings



The generative AI market is experiencing a surge in growth due to the significant funding from industry giants. These substantial investments propel the development and adoption of Gen-AI technologies across various sectors. Big players in the IT and tech industry, such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM, are investing substantial funds into Gen-AI infrastructure and research & development.

For instance, according to a news article published in March 2024, Microsoft and OpenAI are expected to allocate between $100 billion and $115 billion investment toward a new supercomputer named Stargate, as the technology-focused business publication The Information reports. This investment is expected to create an infrastructure supporting generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications.



Rapid Adoption of Artificial Intelligence



The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries globally, reshaping business operations, and driving innovation across various sectors. AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, have grown significantly in recent years, offering organizations powerful tools to automate tasks, improve decision-making, and deliver personalized customer experiences. For instance, in 2023, the NSF announced that it would invest $140 million in establishing seven new AI research institutes in the United States.



INDUSTRY RESTRAINTS

Shortage of Skilled Workforce



The shortage of skilled workers poses a significant challenge for the generative AI market. Developing and deploying Gen-AI solutions requires diverse skills, including expertise in machine learning, data science, software engineering, and domain-specific knowledge. For instance, Microsoft's 2023 Work Trend Index highlights that 82% of leaders recognize the pressing need to prepare their workforce for the expanding AI landscape.

Additionally, organizations like Amazon, Ericsson, and PwC are heavily investing in upskilling and reskilling initiatives to build employees' AI capabilities. Furthermore, in a recent survey, 40% of CEOs cite a lack of AI-related knowledge and skills within their HR team as the biggest obstacle to AI integration.

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Which region dominates the global generative AI market share?

How big is the generative AI market?

What is the growth rate of the global generative AI market?

Who are the key players in the global generative AI market?

What are the significant trends in the generative AI industry?

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 461 Forecast Period 2023 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $14.17 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $96.36 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 37.6% Regions Covered Global



Market Opportunities & Trends

Growing Demand for Real-Time Capabilities in Gen-AI

Adoption of Multi-Modal Capabilities in Gen-AI

Personalization and Customization on Gen-AI Platforms

Rising Investments and Fundings

Expanding Generative AI Through Inter-Company Collaboration

Market Growth Enablers

Rapid Adoption of AI

Growing Need for Chatbots and Virtual Assistants Across Industries

Increased Availability of Consumer Generative AI Programs

Rapid Growth in Content Generation and Innovative Applications

Market Restraints

Concerns Regarding Accurate Data

Data Privacy and Security

Shortage of Skilled Workforce

Key Company Profiles

Anthropic PBC

Amazon Web Services, Inc.

Cohere

Glean Technologies, Inc.

Google LLC (Alphabet)

Hugging Face

Jasper AI Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Nvidia Corporation

OpenAI

Other Prominent Vendors

Adept AI

Adobe

Alphacode

C3.ai, Inc.

CopyAI, Inc

Databricks

Dataroots BV

Drafter AI

GitHub, Inc.

Grammarly Inc.

Hour One

International Business Machines Corporation

Inflection

Inworld AI

Lily AI

Meta

MOSTLY AI

SOUNDRAW

STABILITY AI LTD

Synthesia Limited





For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bllg9o

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
TAIPEI, Taiwan, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cooby, a Taiwan-based WhatsApp sales platform, proudly announces the successful close of its latest seed funding round of US$1.75 million, bringing its total investment to US$4.75 million to date. This milestone supports Cooby's mission to revolutionize customer engagement for sales teams. In the past 18 months, Cooby has grown sixfold, serving over 600 customers in 15+ countries, including GoStudent, Avendus Capital, and Mission Mittelstand.



The latest funding round was led by Shilling VC, a prominent European venture capital firm, along with existing investors Peak XV's Surge and Pear VC. This investment underscores the strong belief in Cooby's vision and growth potential. Notably, Cooby was part of Surges sixth cohort and is Surges first startup founded and based in Taiwan.

We are thrilled to reach this milestone, said Wen Shaw, CEO and co-founder of Cooby. This funding will enhance our platform, helping sales teams nurture close customer relationships. Europe is our next expansion target, where we aim to boost business sales organizations for better results.

In today's digital world, WhatsApp is the leading mobile messaging platform, expected to reach nearly three billion users by 2025. With over 92% penetration in Europe , its an essential business channel. Cooby helps sales teams use WhatsApp for customer outreach, enabling shorter sales cycles and more personalized interactions on a unified platform.

Wen Shaw further emphasised, About 20% of people open their emails within seven days, whereas almost 90% open WhatsApp messages within ten minutes. WhatsApp is the global communication hub, and harnessing its power for business communication offers a significant strategic edge for sales teams. Europe and Latin America are at the forefront of this trend, and with our tools, we aim to propel their success, keeping them ahead of the curve and enhancing their competitive advantage. Utilising WhatsApp can boost sales by 127% .

About Cooby

Founded in November 2020 by ex-Meta Product Manager Wen Shaw, Cooby integrates WhatsApp with CRM systems to streamline sales workflows. It syncs messages with Salesforce, HubSpot, and more, enhancing sales with WhatsApp organized inboxes, broadcast communication, personalized templates, and efficient contact management.

Media Inquiries

For further media queries, please get in touch with hello@cooby.co

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c6da91d-8bb1-4510-9d04-abd371240aa2




TURIN, Italy, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future of engineering focused on sustainable yachting. Everything's ready for the 11th edition of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge taking place from 1st to 6th July. Organising the competition is the Yacht Club de Monaco, led by its President HSH Prince Albert II: the key objective being to demonstrate the efficiency of alternative propulsion and hull design innovations. "Seeing how committed the new generation is shows how important it is to find answers to environmental issues," says YCM General Secretary Bernard dAlessandri. The aim is put on a zero-emission event in terms of on-water mobility with over 50 boats attending. More than 700 students from 40-plus universities around the world (25 nations) have been working on their projects all year to earn their place and present them in the Principality. The Village showcases all the boats that are either on or about to enter the market, as well as prototypes, and is open to the public.



In the Energy Class, a category developed by YCM, contestants can for the first time add foils to their prototypes, like the British from Cambridge University Riviera Racing with their hydrogen-powered foiling catamaran. Among the 18 teams in this class, the French from Tameo Ensta/Monaco Marine from Ensta Paris will also be serious contenders with their three-engine project inspired by differential propulsion, a first for the Energy Class. In the Solar Class, 13 teams are in the line-up including the Spanish on Clean Energy Ship Uvigo from the Universidade de Vigo presenting a rather unique hull design with lines similar to a catamaran and impressive speed potential. It aims to be very stable when racing before deploying the foils to generate lift and fly over the water. Finally, in the Open Sea class for boats already on or about to enter the market, several units will be showing what they can do. The 15 registered teams include Deep Silence from Sialia Yachts, one of the largest full electric propulsion boats available on the market; and two hydrogen-powered boats, Madblue marine P-01 and Inocel-Poseidon, which will be supplied with hydrogen on 5th July by Natpower. The new electric, highperformance day boat, the Tridente, developed in ollaboration with marine technology company Vita, who are long-term supporters of the event, will also be present.

Supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, UBS, BMW and SBM Offshore, the event has attracted the attention and support of well-known names in the industry like Monaco Marine, Oceanco, Ferretti Group, Azimut/Benetti Group, Sanlorenzo and Lurssen, all keen to play a part in the yachting transformation. So for these young competitors there are opportunities to make contact with the industry by applying for job offers and internships via the Job Forum. At the last edition this facility led to over 80 interviews. There is also investment in time made by the professionals through the Corporate Mentoring Programme which provides bespoke support year-round by facilitating exchanges between the industry and universities.

This year for the first time, YCM is partnering with IEMA (International Electric Marine Association) by helping it organise its first Annual Meeting at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge. The event is multi-facetted, particularly on the water with a range of motorboating challenges such as the manoeuvrability tests, sea trials, speed record and the YCM E-Boat Rally. While innovative solutions are being tested on the water, students are also given a voice at the daily Tech Talks to exchange knowledge and experiences with fellow contestants in open source. As the focus is on progressing alternative propulsion, professionals get a chance to have their say at two half-day conferences: the first (Thursday 4th July) is on alternative fuels and cutting-edge technologies in the yachting field, while the second is the annual Hydrogen Round Table (5th edition this year) organised by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Monaco Energy Transition and YCM, which will address hydrogen innovation in the maritime and yachting industry.

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is launching the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Sustainable Yachting Technology Award, the prize being a grant of 25,000 for best technological solution in terms of energy efficiency and/or carbon reduction. The winner will be announced on 6th July and will be able to present progress on their project at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge for three years starting 2025.

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06f3fec5-bff4-4e86-ae3b-f0d96faa8eac
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "mRNA Synthesis and Manufacturing Market: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, till 2035 - Distribution by Type of Product, Application Area, Therapeutic Area and Key Geographical Regions" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market is estimated to be worth $1.06 billion in 2024 and is likely to be $0.58 billion in 2035

One of the key objectives of this market report was to estimate the current market size, opportunity and the future growth potential of the global mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market, over the forecast period. the analyst has provided informed estimates on the likely evolution of the market for the forecast period, 2024-2035.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule which is present in all living cells and translates genetic information to various proteins in order to perform various cellular processes. Notably, RNA can be of different types, including messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA); of these, mRNA has emerged as one of the key therapeutic modalities in the modern healthcare industry.

mRNA is a single-stranded molecule, which carries the genetic information present in the DNA to produce proteins. The genetic coding which is present on mRNA gets translated into amino acids, which further gets processed into a functional product (proteins). Post the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA vaccine and therapeutics manufacturing have garnered significant attention as they have evolved as a next generation drug class for the treatment of COVID-19, as well as several other diseases, such as oncological disorders, infectious diseases and genetic disorders.

Fundamentally, the production of mRNA therapeutics / mRNA vaccines is complex, cost intensive and requires specialized expertise. Therefore, mRNA therapeutic / vaccine developers are actively exploring avenues that enable them to overcome the existing challenges. Amongst other alternatives, outsourcing has emerged as a lucrative option for mRNA therapeutic / vaccine developers. In the foreseen future, owing to the rising incidence of chronic diseases, increasing demand for gene therapy, maturation of RNA-based leads into the clinic and / or commercialized stage, and development of advanced technologies, we anticipate the mRNA synthesis and mRNA manufacturing market to witness healthy growth.

Competitive Landscape of mRNA Synthesis Kits

The current market landscape features the presence of more than 95 kits that are used in the synthesis of mRNA. Most (85%) of the companies in mRNA synthesis kits industry offer enzymes (for capping and tailing) in their kits. Notably, more than 30% of the kits are capable of carrying out 15 reactions (per kit).

Further, there are around 15 mRNA synthesis kit providers (established as well as start-ups), across the globe. Notably, close to 65% of the companies in this domain are based in North America, followed by Europe (22%).

Market Trends: Partnerships and Collaborations on the Rise for mRNA Synthesis

In recent years, several partnerships have been inked by industry stakeholders, in order to consolidate their presence in this field. It is worth highlighting that 30% of deals were forged in the past two years. Interestingly, most of the inked were instances of manufacturing agreements (~25%), followed by service agreements (17%). In July 2023, Vernal Biosciences entered into an agreement with Reprocell to provide mRNA services for research and clinical applications.

Key Players in the mRNA Synthesis and Manufacturing Market

Examples of key players engaged in this industry (which have also been captured in this report) include Aldevron, Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, Biomay, Curia, eTheRNA, Eurogentec, Genscript, Merck KGaA, TriLink BioTechnologies, Vernal Biosciences and WuXi Biologics.

Further, examples of other key players offering mRNA synthesis kits include (in alphabetical order) APExBIO, CELLSCRIPT, Enzynomics, Jena Bioscience, New England Biolabs and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Market Size: mRNA Vaccines Market Segment to Hold the Largest Share of the Market

The global mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market size is estimated to be worth $ 1.06 billion in 2024. Further, the piqued interest of stakeholders in R&D activities and the demand for mRNA-based products is likely to drive growth of this market. Specifically, in terms of type of product, the market is anticipated to be driven by contract manufacturing of mRNA vaccines.

Regional Analysis: North America to Hold the Largest Market Share in mRNA Synthesis and Manufacturing Market

Majority of the mRNA synthesis and manufacturing service providers are headquartered in North America and Europe. Notably, the global mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market in 2035 is anticipated to be dominated by players based in North America, while ~30% share is anticipated to be captured by players based in Europe.

mRNA Synthesis and Manufacturing Market Share Insights

The mRNA synthesis and manufacturing market research report presents an in-depth analysis of the various companies in the global mRNA synthesis and mRNA manufacturing services industry, across different segments, as defined below:

Historical Trend: 2019-2023

Base Year: 2023

Forecast Period: 2024-2035

Market Size in 2024: $1.06 Billion

Type of Product Drug Substance (APIs) Drug Product (FDFs)

Application Area mRNA-based Vaccines mRNA-based Therapeutics

Therapeutic Area Infectious Diseases Oncological Disorders Other Diseases

Key Geographical Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the World

Key Companies Profiled Aldevron APExBIO Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services Biomay CELLSCRIPT Curia eTheRNA Enzynomics Eurogentec Genscript Jena Bioscience Merck KGaA New England Biolabs Vernal Biosciences ST Pharm Thermo Fisher Scientific TriLink BioTechnologies WuXi Biologics (Full list of 70+ companies captured is available in the report)

PowerPoint Presentation (Complimentary)

Customization Scope: 15% Free Customization

Excel Data Packs (Complimentary) Market Landscape (mRNA custom synthesis service providers) Market Landscape (mRNA contract manufacturing service providers) Market Landscape (mRNA synthesis kit providers) Company Competitiveness Analysis (mRNA custom synthesis service providers) Company Competitiveness Analysis (mRNA contract manufacturing service providers) Product Competitiveness Analysis (mRNA synthesis kit providers) Partnerships and Collaborations Likely Partner Analysis Big Pharma Initiatives Market Forecast and Opportunity Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7dqpvk

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "China Online Healthcare Market: Insights & Forecast (2024-2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



China's online healthcare market is forecasted to reach US$583.68 billion in 2028, experiencing growth at a CAGR of 36.89% during the period spanning from 2024 to 2028.

Growth in the Chinese online healthcare market is supported by factors such as aging population, rising health expenditure, support from Chinese government, technical innovations and rising internet penetration. However, the market growth is expected to be restrained by lack of motivation and lack of confidence trust of patients in online health care services.



China's online healthcare market by type can be segmented as follows: online pharmacy, digital healthcare infrastructure, online enterprise service, online consultation, online consumer healthcare and others. In 2023, the dominant share of China online healthcare market was being held by online pharmacy, followed by digital healthcare infrastructure. China's online pharmaceutical sales (including prescription and OTC pharmaceuticals) are likely to record a strong growth, outpacing the entire pharmaceutical market.



China's online pharmacy market can be segmented as follows: medical devices, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, nutrition products, prescription and other. In 2023, the dominant share of the Chinese online pharmacy market was being held by medical devices, followed by over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, driven by fewer restrictions from the authorities.



Scope of the report

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the China online healthcare market with impact of COVID-19.

The market dynamics such as growth drivers, market trends and challenges are analyzed in-depth.

The competitive landscape of the market, along with the company profiles of leading players (Alibaba Group Holding Limited, WeDoctor, Ltd., Miao Health, DXY.cn, JD.com, Inc., and Ping An Good Doctor) are also presented in detail.

Key market dynamics

Growth Drivers

Aging Population

Growing Internet Penetration

Rising Health Expenditure

Growing Need to Provide Better Management for Chronic Diseases

Insurance & Membership Products

Growing Health Awareness

Support from Chinese Government

Key Trends & Developments

Increased Use Of Online Healthcare Services Among Millennials

Technological Innovations

Increasing Investments from Internet Companies

Popularization of Internet Hospitals

Key Topics Covered:



1. Market Overview

1.1 Online Healthcare

1.2 Benefits of Online Healthcare

1.3 Types of Online Healthcare Services

1.4 Value Chain Analysis

1.5 Advantages of Online Healthcare

1.6 Disadvantages of Online Healthcare



2. Impact of COVID-19

2.1 Impact of COVID-19 on China Online Healthcare Market

2.2 Increase in Online Healthcare Users

2.3 Increased Online Pharmaceutical Sales

2.4 Surge in Demand for Health Supplements

2.5 Favorable Policies

2.6 Post-COVID Scenario



3. China Market Analysis

3.1 China Online Healthcare Market by Value

3.2 China Online Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.3 China Online Healthcare Market Penetration

3.4 China Online Healthcare Market Penetration Forecast

3.5 China Online Healthcare Market by Type

3.5.1 China Online Pharmacy Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.5.2 China Digital Healthcare Infrastructure Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.5.3 China Online Enterprise Service Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.5.4 China Online Consultation Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.5.5 China Online Consumer Healthcare Market Forecast by Value

3.6 China Online Healthcare Market by Region

3.7 China Online Pharmacy Market by Segment

3.7.1 China Online Medical Devices Market Forecast by Value

3.7.2 China Online Medical Devices Market Penetration

3.7.3 China Online Over-the-counter (OTC) Drugs Market Forecast by Value

3.7.4 China Online Nutrition Products Market Forecast by Value

3.7.5 China Online Nutrition Products Market Penetration

3.7.6 China Online Prescription Market Forecast by Value

3.7.7 China Online Prescription Market Penetration

3.8 China Internet Hospital by Number

3.9 China Internet Hospital by Initiator



4. Market Dynamics

4.1 Growth Drivers

4.1.1 Aging Population

4.1.2 Growing Internet Penetration

4.1.3 Rising Health Expenditure

4.1.4 Growing Need to Provide Better Management for Chronic Diseases

4.1.5 Insurance & Membership Products

4.1.6 Growing Health Awareness

4.1.7 Support from Chinese Government

4.2 Key Trends & Developments

4.2.1 Increased Use Of Online Healthcare Services Among Millennial

4.2.2 Technological Innovations

4.2.3 Increasing Investments from Internet Companies

4.2.4 Popularization of Internet Hospitals

4.3 Challenges

4.3.1 Lack of Motivation

4.3.2 Lack of Confidence



5. Company Profiles

5.1 China Market

5.1.1 Online Pharmacies Market Share - Key Players



6. Company Profiles

JD.com, Inc.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Ping An Good Doctor

WeDoctor

Miao Health

DXY.cn

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/zhr8ol

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Frozen Salmon Market by Product (Fillet Frozen Salmon, Smoked Frozen Salmon, Whole Frozen Salmon), Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), End-User - Forecast 2024-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Frozen Salmon Market grew from USD 27.79 billion in 2023 to USD 29.50 billion in 2024. It is expected to continue growing at a CAGR of 6.67%, reaching USD 43.68 billion by 2030.



Increasing health awareness about the nutritional benefits of salmon, the convenience and extended shelf life of frozen products, advancements in global supply chains, and rising disposable incomes significantly drive market growth. However, the market faces challenges such as supply chain disruptions caused by external factors, regulatory compliance issues due to varying international standards, market saturation in developed regions, and consumer preferences for fresh over frozen salmon. Moreover, the rise of online retail platforms, adoption of sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, and development of value-added products such as pre-marinated or pre-cooked frozen salmon to meet the demand for convenience foods presents opportunities for market expansion.

Regional Insights

In the Americas region, consumer demand in the United States is bolstered by the quest for convenient and nutritious food options, emphasizing high-quality, sustainably sourced products. Similarly, Canada's market is fueled by rich natural resources and a strong focus on sustainable fishing, with a consumer preference for local and organic offerings underscoring a dedication to environmental conservation. The European Union, led by aquaculture giants like Norway, values quality, sustainability, and traceability, reflecting robust consumer demand for responsibly sourced frozen salmon.

The Middle East region shows a growing demand for premium seafood, fueled by rising disposable incomes and a trend towards healthier eating. Meanwhile, Africa's market is poised for growth driven by urbanization, increasing incomes, and a better understanding of seafood's nutritional benefits.

In Asia, China displays significant growth potential due to rising health awareness and the influence of Western cuisines, and e-commerce channels are pivotal for distribution. Japan's entrenched seafood culture maintains a steady demand for high-quality, convenient frozen salmon, essential for traditional dishes. India's market, while nascent, is driven by increasing incomes and an evolving palate that appreciates global cuisines and the health benefits of salmon.

Market Insights

Market Drivers

Growing awareness regarding the health benefits of salmon

Prolong shelf life and convenience of handling and storage

Expansion of retail and e-commerce sector globally

Market Restraints

Constraints due to product recalls

Market Opportunities

Continuous improvements in freezing technology and storage solutions

Increasing Investment in Aquaculture R&D

Market Challenges

Varying international regulations on food safety and quality standards

Market Segmentation Analysis

Product: Increasing Preference For Smoked Frozen Salmon As Premium Seafood

End-User: Exploring Surged Usage Among Food Service Establishments Due To Year-Round Availability

Industry Insights

Market Disruption Analysis

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

Value Chain & Critical Path Analysis

Pricing Analysis

Technology Analysis

Patent Analysis

Trade Analysis

Regulatory Framework Analysis

Recent Developments

Scott & Jon's Expands Portfolio with New Microwavable Salmon Bowls Scott & Jon's, known for its frozen shrimp entrees, is expanding its convenience-focused offerings with new microwavable salmon bowls. These bowls contain Atlantic salmon, known for its lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and come in two flavors, including Honey Sesame, featuring white rice, a vegetable medley, and a honey sesame sauce, and Mediterranean Herbs, which includes brown rice, quinoa, and a blend of herbs and vegetables.

High Liner Foods Invests in And Fjord Salmon Group to Expand Sustainable Atlantic Salmon Operations High Liner Foods has acquired a 4.5% stake in Norway's Andfjord Salmon Group for CAD 10 million, funded through operational cash. This investment supports Andfjord's capital raise and is expected to close within the month. Andfjord specializes in processing Atlantic salmon using sustainable techniques, including homemade natural plankton feed and energy-efficient natural flow technology.

Laxey Secures EUR 40 Million Funding and Partnership with Skretting to Advance Sustainable Salmon Farming in Iceland Icelandic land-based salmon farming startup Laxey has successfully secured an additional EUR 40 million in funding and entered a strategic partnership with Skretting. The funding was provided by Blue Future Holding, a part of the German family-owned conglomerate EW Group and Nutreco, Seaborn, Kjartan Olafsson, an unnamed Dutch industrial seafood company, and multiple pension funds, including Almenni, Festa, and Westman Islands funds, along with Snaebol.



Key Company Profiles

The report delves into recent significant developments in the Frozen Salmon Market, highlighting leading vendors and their innovative profiles. These include:

Acme Smoked Fish Holding Corp.

Austevoll Seafood

Aysencoho

Delpeyrat

Farne Salmon & Trout Ltd

Grieg Seafood

High Liner Foods Inc.

Highland Farms Ltd.

Leroy Fish Group

Loki Fish Company

Meralliance SAS

Mowi ASA

Multiexport Foods S.A.

Nomad Foods Limited

Norvelita

Scott & Jon's

Storm Seafood Inc.

Suempol Sp. Z o.o.

Thammachart Seafood

UBAGO Group

Young's Seafood Ltd.

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 180 Forecast Period 2024 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $29.5 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $43.68 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 6.6% Regions Covered Global





Market Segmentation & Coverage

This research report categorizes the Frozen Salmon Market to forecast the revenues and analyze trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Product

Fillet Frozen Salmon

Smoked Frozen Salmon

Whole Frozen Salmon

Distribution Channel

Offline

Online

End-User

Food Service Restaurants

Household Consumers

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lpu6xb

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market: Focus on Product Type, Application, and, Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2024-2034" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) market represents a pivotal segment within the broader landscape of renewable energy technologies. SOECs, a variant of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their potential to efficiently convert electrical energy into chemical energy, primarily in the form of hydrogen gas. This burgeoning market is characterized by a confluence of technological advancements, growing environmental consciousness, and increasing investments in clean energy infrastructure.



One of the key drivers propelling the growth of the SOEC market is the pressing need to mitigate climate change by transitioning away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources. SOECs offer a promising pathway to achieve this goal by enabling the production of hydrogen through electrolysis of water, a process that releases only oxygen as a byproduct, thereby circumventing greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional hydrogen production methods. For instance, the European Union's Hydrogen Strategy aims to establish a comprehensive hydrogen value chain, fostering the deployment of SOECs for hydrogen production.



Furthermore, the versatility of hydrogen as an energy carrier positions SOECs as a linchpin in the quest for decarbonization across various sectors, including transportation, industrial processes, and energy storage. As such, the demand for SOEC systems is poised to surge in tandem with the escalating adoption of hydrogen-based solutions worldwide.



Key players in the energy sector are forging strategic alliances to accelerate the development and commercialization of SOEC technology. Collaborative ventures between energy companies, research institutions, and government agencies are driving innovation and enhancing the scalability of SOEC systems. For instance, in June 2023, Bloom Energy signed an agreement with Perenco, an independent oil & gas company, to deploy 2.5 megawatts (MW) of Bloom's solid oxide fuel cell technology in England.



In conclusion, the Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell market represents a dynamic and transformative segment within the clean energy ecosystem, poised to play a pivotal role in driving the transition towards a sustainable and decarbonized future. With continued innovation, strategic partnerships, and supportive policies, SOECs are primed to emerge as a cornerstone of the global energy transition, unlocking new opportunities for economic growth and environmental stewardship.

Companies Profiled

Elcogen AS

Bloom Energy

Nexceris

FuelCell Energy, Inc.

OxEon Energy, LLC.

Sunfire GmbH

Ceres

Haldor Topsoe

h2e Power

Hoganas AB

Mitsubishi Power

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation

Key Topics Covered:



1. Markets: Industry Outlook

1.1 Trends: Current and Future Impact Assessment

1.2 Supply Chain Overview

1.2.1 Value Chain Analysis

1.2.2 Pricing Forecast

1.3 Regulatory Landscape

1.4 Stakeholder Analysis

1.4.1 Use Case

1.4.2 End User and Buying Criteria

1.5 Impact Analysis for Key Global Events

1.6 Market Dynamics Overview

1.6.1 Market Drivers

1.6.2 Market Restraints

1.6.3 Market Opportunities



2. Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Application)

2.1 Application Segmentation

2.2 Application Summary

2.3 Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Application)

2.3.1 Refining Industry

2.3.2 Power and Energy Storage

2.3.3 Ammonia Production

2.3.4 Methanol Production

2.3.5 Transportation/Mobility

2.3.6 Others



3. Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Product)

3.1 Product Segmentation

3.2 Product Summary

3.3 Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Product Type)

3.3.1 Planar

3.3.2 Tubular

3.3.3 Others



4. Global Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Region)

4.1 Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) Market (by Region)

4.1.1 Regional Overview

4.1.2 Driving Factors for Market Growth

4.1.3 Factors Challenging the Market

4.1.4 Application

4.1.5 Product



5. Companies Profiled

5.1 Next Frontiers

5.2 Geographic Assessment

5.2.1 Overview

5.2.2 Top Products/Product Portfolio

5.2.3 Top Competitors

5.2.4 Target Customers

5.2.5 Key Personnel

5.2.6 Analyst View

5.2.7 Market Share



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/owiypp

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
Assembly Member Chris Ward and members of the LGBTQ caucus announce a bill that would ban school policies forcing teachers to out trans students to their parents on May 22 in Sacramento. The bill passed Thursday. Courtesy of Assembly Member Chris Ward

A bill to prohibit public schools from notifying a parent that their child has identified as transgender without the students consent won final legislative passage Thursday and is on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk. But it wont end legal challenges alleging violations of parents right to raise their children.

AB1955 by Assembly Member Chris Ward, D-San Diego, was approved by the Assembly on a 60-15 vote, along party lines. Drafted in response to parental notification policies in more than a dozen school districts, it would require a students permission before teachers or school staff could inform their family about the students gender identity or sexual orientation. It would also prohibit retaliation against teachers who refused to follow a schools policy that required them to report students.

With lesbian, gay and transgender youths under attack in California from extremist politicians and school boards seeking to prevent them from safely being themselves at school, AB1955 could not be more timely or necessary, Tony Hoang, executive director of the LGBT advocacy group Equality California, said in a statement celebrating the bills passage.

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Teachers are not meant to be gender police, Ward, vice chair of the Legislatures LBGTQ Caucus, said when he introduced the bill last month.

But the conservative California Family Council said the legislation marginalizes parents, preventing them from receiving critical information about their children. And Assembly Member Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, who voted against the measure, said lawsuits were already being prepared.

Parents have a constitutional right to raise their kids. The government, the schools do not get to replace parents, Essayli told the Chronicle after the vote.

Essayli was temporarily silenced during Thursdays floor debate after he accused supporters of AB1955 of hyperbole and fearmongering and referred to earlier legislation he had proposed on the issue. When Speaker Pro Tem Jim Wood, D-Geyserville, told him he was out of order, Essayli said he wasnt, and added, Im tired of being interrupted by you.

Wood then cut off Essaylis microphone, drawing objections from Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, and from Essayli, who said at one point that he wasnt prepared to address the Chinese Communist Party house today.

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He was allowed to resume speaking after a brief recess, and argued that school districts were trying to notify parents only after a student changed his or her official records to reflect a new gender identity.

But the policies of several districts challenged in court by Attorney General Rob Bonta go further, requiring schools to tell parents within 72 hours if their children ask to change their name or personal pronouns, or ask to use a bathroom or locker room that aligns with their chosen gender identity.

Courts have differed on whether the policies comply with current state laws against sex discrimination or violate students right to privacy, and the issue is now before a state appeals court in Riverside. The new legislation, if signed by Newsom, would strengthen state laws against involuntary outing of transgender students but would not prevent parents from claiming violation of their constitutional rights.

Parents will still have a right to access students official records, said Craig Pulsipher, legislative director for Equality California. He said AB1955 would also allow disclosure of personal information if a student is a threat to themselves or someone else, but would otherwise keep the information private unless the student consented.
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cyber Insurance Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2023-2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This study report represents analysis of each segment from 2021 to 2031 considering 2022 as the base year. Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for each of the respective segments estimated for the forecast period of 2023 to 2031.



The cyber insurance market is integral to mitigating the financial risks associated with cyber threats and data breaches in the digital era. The cyber insurance market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.5% during the forecast period of 2024 to 2032, driven by the escalating cyber threat landscape, stringent regulatory requirements, and the rise in the frequency and severity of cyber-attacks.

However, challenges in quantifying cyber risk present a significant restraint. Market segmentation reflects the diverse needs of organizations, with tailored policies expected to gain prominence, and liability coverage anticipating the highest CAGR. North America contributes significantly to revenue, while the Asia-Pacific region presents high growth potential.

Competitive trends highlight the strategies adopted by major players, including AIG, Chubb, and Zurich. These companies leverage innovation and strategic collaborations to maintain a competitive edge. As the cyber insurance market progresses from 2023 to the forecast period of 2032, continuous adaptation to evolving cyber risks, collaboration with cybersecurity experts, and addressing risk quantification challenges will be critical for sustained success in this crucial aspect of modern risk management.



Escalating Cyber Threat Landscape



The relentless rise in cyber threats, including ransomware attacks, data breaches, and sophisticated cybercrimes, is a primary driver propelling the demand for cyber insurance. Instances like the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the SolarWinds supply chain breach have underscored the pervasive and evolving nature of cyber risks.

Organizations, recognizing the financial implications of such incidents, are increasingly investing in cyber insurance to safeguard against potential financial losses. The evidence lies in the surge in cyber insurance purchases by companies across various industries, emphasizing the need for comprehensive coverage to address the dynamic cyber threat landscape.



Stringent Regulatory Requirements



Stringent data protection and cybersecurity regulations globally, such as the GDPR in Europe and the CCPA in California, are compelling organizations to invest in cyber insurance to ensure compliance and mitigate legal and financial risks. Companies like AIG and Chubb have adapted their cyber insurance offerings to align with evolving regulatory landscapes.

The evidence lies in the continuous updates and enhancements to policy features, ensuring that organizations have the necessary coverage to comply with regulatory frameworks. The increasing complexity of these regulations and the potential financial consequences of non-compliance drive organizations to seek robust cyber insurance solutions.



Rise in Frequency and Severity of Cyber Attacks



The increasing frequency and severity of cyber-attacks, coupled with the growing sophistication of threat actors, contribute to the rising demand for cyber insurance. High-profile incidents, such as the NotPetya malware attack and the Equifax data breach, have demonstrated far-reaching financial impacts on businesses.

Leading insurers like Zurich and Allianz have responded by offering specialized cyber risk assessments and tailored insurance products. The evidence lies in the continuous adaptation of insurance offerings to address emerging cyber threats, showcasing a proactive approach to risk management. As the cyber threat landscape evolves, organizations are recognizing the essential role of cyber insurance in fortifying their resilience against potential financial losses.



Challenges in Quantifying Cyber Risk



Despite the growth of the cyber insurance market, challenges persist in accurately quantifying and assessing cyber risk. Insurers, including Lloyd's and Aon, face difficulties in establishing standardized risk assessment methodologies due to the dynamic and evolving nature of cyber threats. The evidence lies in the complexities associated with predicting the financial impact of a cyber incident, considering factors such as reputational damage and long-term business disruption.

While advancements in risk modeling are ongoing, the inherent difficulty in predicting the scope and severity of cyber risks poses a significant restraint. Overcoming this challenge requires continuous collaboration between insurers, cybersecurity experts, and businesses to refine risk assessment methodologies and enhance the industry's overall cyber risk understanding.



Insurance Type Segmentation: A Standalone Policies Dominate the Market



In 2023, the highest revenue in the cyber insurance market was generated by standalone policies, offering comprehensive coverage independent of other insurance products. However, the highest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the forecast period (2024-2032) is expected from tailored policies. This dynamic growth is driven by the increasing trend of organizations seeking customized coverage that aligns with their specific cyber risk profiles and business operations. Tailored policies are expected to gain prominence as organizations prioritize a more nuanced and personalized approach to cyber insurance.



Coverage Type Segmentation: A First-party Coverage Dominates the Market



First-party coverage led the market in revenue in 2023, encompassing coverage for direct financial losses incurred by the insured organization. However, the highest CAGR during the forecast period is anticipated from liability coverage. The evidence lies in the evolving regulatory landscape, where organizations face increasing legal liabilities and fines related to data breaches. Liability coverage, offered by companies like Beazley and Hiscox, addresses the legal and financial repercussions of third-party claims, reflecting the market's response to the shifting dynamics of cyber risks. This dual segmentation approach reflects the diverse coverage needs of organizations seeking both financial protection and liability mitigation.



North America Remains the Global Leader



Geographically, North America contributed the highest revenue percentage in 2023, driven by the large market and the prevalence of stringent cybersecurity regulations. However, the Asia-Pacific region is poised to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The evidence lies in the increasing awareness of cyber risks, regulatory developments, and the growing digitalization of businesses in Asia-Pacific countries. These geographic trends emphasize the need for insurers to tailor their offerings to regional nuances and collaborate with local businesses to address specific cyber risk challenges.



Market Competition to Intensify during the Forecast Period



In 2023, major players in the cyber insurance market included AIG, Chubb, Zurich, Allianz, Lloyd's, Aon, Beazley, Hiscox, Guy Carpenter and Company LLC., At-Bay Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., AXA SA, Apple Inc., Lockton Companies, and American International Group Inc. These companies adopted diverse strategies, including product innovation, risk assessments, and partnerships with cybersecurity firms to enhance their market positions.

The evidence lies in AIG's CyberMatics platform, which provides risk insights, and Chubb's collaboration with cybersecurity firms to offer comprehensive risk mitigation services. As of 2023, the competitive landscape indicates a dynamic market where insurers are actively adapting to evolving cyber risks and leveraging technology to provide holistic solutions. Revenues for 2023 and the expected landscape for the forecast period (2024-2032) reveal a competitive environment where market leaders are positioned to address the complex and evolving nature of cyber threats.

Key Questions Answered in This Report

What are the key micro and macro environmental factors that are impacting the growth of Cyber Insurance market?

What are the key investment pockets with respect to product segments and geographies currently and during the forecast period?

Estimated forecast and market projections up to 2031.

Which segment accounts for the fastest CAGR during the forecast period?

Which market segment holds a larger market share and why?

Are low and middle-income economies investing in the Cyber Insurance market?

Which is the largest regional market for Cyber Insurance market?

What are the market trends and dynamics in emerging markets such as Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa?

Which are the key trends driving Cyber Insurance market growth?

Who are the key competitors and what are their key strategies to enhance their market presence in the Cyber Insurance market worldwide?

Companies Featured

AIG

Chubb

Zurich

Allianz

Lloyd's

Aon

Beazley

Hiscox

Guy Carpenter and Company LLC.

At-Bay Inc.

Cisco Systems Inc.

AXA SA

Apple Inc.

Lockton Companies

American International Group Inc.

Market Segmentation

Insurance Type

Standalone

Tailored

Coverage Type

First-party

Liability Coverage

Enterprise Size

SMEs

Large Enterprise

End-User

Healthcare

Retail

BFSI

IT & Telecom

Manufacturing

Others (Government, Travel & Tourism)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ygla2v

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stallion Uranium Corp. (the "Company" or "Stallion") (TSX-V: STUD; OTCQB: STLNF; FSE: FE0) is pleased to announce the preliminary results from the completion of a MobileMT airborne geophysical survey (the Survey) on its 100% owned Sandy Lake Project (the Project). The project is roughly 11km west of Shea Creek and the Cluff Lake Mine in the prolific Southwestern Athabasca Basin, in northern Saskatchewan.



Highlights

27 kms of basement conductive trends have been outlined.

Large multi-kilometer conductive trends coincide with basement structures interpreted to be similar to structures at Shea Creek and Cluff Lake

Project advancing towards drill readiness with defined target areas

Follow-up will include ground geophysics to refine targets in advance of drill testing

The completion of this survey has identified compelling target areas at Sandy Lake and takes the project another step closer to drill readiness, said Stallion CEO, Drew Zimmerman. With geological features similar to the nearby Shea Creek and Cluff Lake Mine, Sandy Lake is becoming a top tier project with major discovery potential.





Figure 1  Stallions 100% Owned Sandy Lake Mobile MT Survey Results

Darren Slugoski, VP of Exploration said, The comprehensive MobileMT survey was able to identify and prioritize five discrete conductive trends which will be the target of the next phase of exploration. The survey gives Stallion the additional detail and resolution needed to interpret the geological features known to host uranium mineralization.

Results

Convolutions Geoscience was contracted to complete an interpretation of the 2024 AFMAG results collected by Expert Geophysics. The results of the survey identified five discrete conductive trends (Figure 1) label SL1 to SL5. The conductors are oriented in three dominant directions with conductors SL1, SL3 and SL4 trending NW-SE, conductor SL2 is trending east-west and conductor SL5 is trending north-south.

The SL1, SL3 and SL4 represent conductive corridors that occur sub-parallel to the Saskatoon Lake conductive trend which hosts the Shea Creek Deposits only 11km to the east. SL1 & SL3 conductor corridors are located above and below the unconformity model surface, indicating that the sandstone may have been breached. SL2 and SL4 are interpreted to lie at and below the unconformity. The data further indicates that some of the conducive anomalies are consistent with ring and radial structures from the Carswell impact nearby. SL5 is interpreted to occur deeper in the basement than the other conductors. The interactions with the regional conductors and the radial Carswell structures are compelling targets as they could create locations necessary to trap and concentrate uranium bearing fluids.

The survey was able to identify structural complexities, including bends and splays, in the basement geology which suggest further favorable conditions for uranium mineralization. These results will be used to prioritize the newly identified conductor corridors for the next stages of exploration.

Survey Objectives

Expert Geophysics Ltd. (Expert) completed 190 line-kilometres of MobileMT covering the entirety of the Sandy Lake Project in the Southwestern Athabasca Basin. The purpose of the survey was mapping bedrock structure and lithology, including possible alteration and mineralization zones by observing apparent conductivity corresponding to different frequencies and inverting the EM data obtains the distribution of resistivity with depth. Using the VLF EM and magnetic data to study properties of the bedrock units to gain additional information for identifying target area prioritization to advance exploration.

Next Steps

Stallion has clearly outlined 5 priority trends that feature additional geophysical anomalies known to be associated with uranium mineralization in the area. This new data continues to check all the boxes that warrant further exploration with a ground electromagnetic survey. The ground survey would cover the SL1 and SL2 conductive corridors to identify the top locations for drilling on each trend.

Qualifying Statement

The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures for Stallion Uranium have been reviewed by Darren Slugoski, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. Mr. Slugoski is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Stallion Uranium

Stallion Uranium is working to Fuel the Future with Uranium through the exploration of over 3,000 sq/km in the Athabasca Basin, home to the largest high-grade uranium deposits in the world. The company, with JV partner Atha Energy (TSX-V: SASK), holds the largest contiguous project in the Western Athabasca Basin adjacent to multiple high-grade discovery zones.

Our leadership and advisory teams are comprised of uranium and precious metals exploration experts with the capital markets experience and the technical talent for acquiring and exploring early-stage properties.

Stallion offers optionality with two gold projects in Idaho and Nevada that neighbour world class gold deposits offering exposure to upside potential from district advancement with limited capital expenditures.

For more information visit stallionuranium.com or contact:

Drew Zimmerman

Chief Executive Officer

778-686-0973

info@stallionuranium.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, forward-looking statements) that relate to the Companys current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as will likely result, are expected to, expects, will continue, is anticipated, anticipates, believes, estimated, intends, plans, forecast, projection, strategy, objective and outlook) are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this material change report should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date they are made.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Companys control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them, or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3274060d-84d4-4881-92f2-52e90ecf23bb
Trondheim, 27 June 2024: NORBIT ASA ("NORBIT" or the "Company") announces that it has entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the equity interest in the technology company INNOMAR Technologie GmbH ("Innomar"), the market leader in the field of sub-bottom profilers in the maritime industry.



The acquisition of Innomar represents an attractive strategic fit with NORBIT as it contributes to broadening the product portfolio in the Oceans segment and diversifying its customer base.

About Innomar

Headquartered in Rostock, Germany, Innomar is the global market leader in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of parametric sub-bottom profilers. With nearly thirty years of experience in acoustic systems, signal processing, maritime electronics, and software, Innomar has developed cutting-edge technology with high performance and built deep domain expertise that is well-recognised in the market. Innomar serves a diversified and global customer base, having sold systems to more than 80 countries, demonstrating extensive reach and responsiveness to market demand.

Innomar's main products are parametric sub-bottom profilers, which are advanced acoustic instruments designed to work in all water depths. These devices use specialised sound pulses to create high-resolution images of the seafloor and the subsurface layers beneath it. Sub-bottom profilers are used in various applications, such as mapping sediment layers (e.g. for installation of offshore wind farms, dredging and construction), conducting geological surveys and detecting buried objects like pipelines, cables, boulders, or archaeological artefacts. Users can easily adjust the settings for different tasks with a straightforward data acquisition and control software, making the technology versatile and user-friendly.

"We are enthusiastic about welcoming Innomar to the NORBIT family. Nearly 30 years of accumulated domain knowledge with a strong and well-established brand aligns with NORBITs vision to be recognised as world-class, enabling people to Explore More. Innomar has an experienced team with deep technical competence and the product portfolio is complementary to our existing sonar technology. This acquisition ticks all boxes, says Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO of NORBIT.

Joining forces with NORBIT is a great opportunity for Innomar. This partnership aligns well with our long-standing commitment of delivering high-quality technology in the Oceans domain. We believe that NORBITs global reach and resources will help us even better serve our customers and explore new opportunities in the maritime industry. We look forward to working together and contributing to our shared goals, says Sabine Muller, CEO of Innomar.

Strategic and financial rationale

Innomar has a strong fit to NORBITs criteria to accelerate growth through strategic acquisitions:

Tailored technology to carefully selected applications

A complementary product portfolio, providing diversification of revenues and cash flow

Positive revenue synergies expected by combining market and R&D efforts, strengthening the offering and position within underwater acoustics

A customer and commercially focused organisation with deep domain specific knowledge

A cultural fit

The transaction is expected to create significant shareholder value, with strong estimated accretion to the 2024 EBIT1, free cash flow2 and earnings per share3

Over the last five years, Innomar has reported an average organic revenue growth of nearly 15 per cent per year driven by strong demand for technology in the maritime domain to explore the ocean space. By delivering world-class products to its customers and maintaining cost consciousness and an efficient set-up, Innomar has reported attractive and stable margins over several years. The EBIT margin reported is accretive to NORBITs target for the Oceans segment (25-30%).

Based on the purchase price on a cash and debt-free basis, assuming normalised working capital, and applying Innomars reported financials for the fiscal year 2023/24 (ending 31 March 2024), the implied valuation multiple is 6.1x EV/EBIT.

Key terms of the acquisition

Pursuant to the share purchase agreement, NORBIT, via a wholly-owned Germany subsidiary, will acquire 100 per cent of the equity interest in Innomar from a group of individual investors and the founding management.

The acquisition is based on an enterprise value of Innomar, on a cash and debt-free basis and assuming a normalised working capital, of EUR 40.5 million.

Subject to final post-closing balance sheet calculations, NORBIT will at closing of the transaction pay a preliminary purchase price of EUR 39.9 million for the shares, of which EUR 35.1 million shall be settled in cash and of which EUR 4.8 million shall be settled in consideration shares in NORBIT to be issued at market price to the founding management of Innomar.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to a limited number of customary closing conditions. Closing is expected to take place during July this year.

Financing of the acquisition

The Company has received a binding offer and commitment from DNB Bank ASA for a new term loan facility. Together with the share issuance towards the Innomar management, the transaction is fully financed.

Subject to the completion of the transaction, taking into account the dividend paid to the shareholders in May and 12-month EBITDA contribution of Innomar, NORBIT expects its pro-forma Q1 2024 NIBD/EBITDA4 to be at 1.7x. NORBIT has a financial policy of maintaining a long-term NIBD/EBITDA ratio of 1.0 - 2.5x.

Providing for continued strong financial flexibility in order to pursue strategic acquisitions and seize new organic growth opportunities with speed and agility remain important both in the capital allocation framework and to succeed in delivering on the ambition plan set towards 2027. In consideration of this, the board of directors may consider equity financing in relation to part-financing the transaction. NORBITs 2027 target is to report organic revenues in excess of NOK 2.75 billion and more than NOK 3.0 billion when including acquisitions.

Please see the attached presentation for further information about Innomar and the transaction.

For further queries, please contact:

Per Jrgen Weisethaunet, CEO, +47 959 62 915

Per Kristian Reppe, CFO, +47 900 33 203

About NORBIT:

NORBIT is a global provider of tailored technology to selected applications, solving challenges and promoting sustainability through innovative solutions, in line with its mission to Explore More. The company is structured in three business segments to address its key markets: Oceans, Connectivity and Product Innovation & Realization. The Oceans segment delivers tailored technology solutions to global maritime markets. The Connectivity segment provides wireless solutions for identification, monitoring and tracking. The Product Innovation & Realization segment offers R&D services, proprietary products, and contract manufacturing to key customers. NORBIT is headquartered in Trondheim with manufacturing in Europe and North America, has around 500 employees, and a worldwide sales and distribution platform.

For more information: www.norbit.com

Advisors:

Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS and Weisner Partner mbB Rechtsanwalte have acted as legal advisors to NORBIT in connection with the acquisition.

MAR Notice:

This information is considered to include inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation article 7 and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This stock exchange announcement was published by Elise Heidenreich, Investor Relations in NORBIT ASA, 27 June at 12:40 CEST.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aim", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. The Company disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date and are subject to change without notice.









1 EBIT is short for earnings before interest and tax and corresponds to operating profit as reported in NORBITs consolidated statement of profit and loss.







2 Free cash flow is the net cash generated from operating activities less net cash used in investing activities as reported in NORBITs consolidated statement of cash flows







3 Earnings per share is the profit after tax for the period attributable to the ordinary equity holders of the Company as reported in NORBITs consolidated statement of profit and loss, divided by the total number of issued share in the Company.







4 NIBD/EBITDA stands for net-interest-bearing borrowings over EBITDA. Net-interest bearing borrowings is defined as total interest-bearing borrowings, including lease liabilities, less cash and cash equivalents, as reported in NORBITs consolidated statement of financial position.







Attachment
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) today announced an annual combined pension plan return1 of 7.5 per cent. The combined pension plan return represents the performance of BCIs six largest pension clients by assets under management (AUM).

Gross AUM2 grew from $233.0 billion last year to $250.4 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024, a year-over-year increase of $17.4 billion or 7.5 per cent. Net AUM totalled $229.5 billion, with investment gains contributing $16.5 billion net of all fees to this AUM growth.

We delivered solid absolute results even through challenged markets this year, said Gordon J. Fyfe, BCIs Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer. This was not a coincidence. Rather, it speaks to our teams diligent risk approach and prudent liquidity management, which provided us with resilience and capability to capture market dislocations and deploy capital. Our investment teams continue to build a diversified portfolio, emphasizing direct and unique deals around the globe.

All asset classes generated positive returns apart from real estate equity, where sustained market headwinds affected valuations. Liquidity management was a key focus, including $1.25 billion in capital raised from BCIs inaugural bond issuance, with an additional $1 billion raised in the subsequent reopening of the same series. Asset classes focused on rebalancing across strategies to pursue opportunities in a muted deal environment. More than 10 direct deals were executed, further diversifying BCIs portfolio with entry into new sectors and geographies complementing our strong Canadian footprint. Opportunities in infrastructure debt increased, and three transactions were closed, increasing European exposure. Private debt deployments were substantial at US$2 billion, focusing on differentiated opportunities in the middle and lower middle markets and expanding the program to Asia. Within the infrastructure & renewable resources and private equity programs, an increasing focus on asset management boosted portfolio valuations and created $17.6 billion in value over five years and returned $31.1 billion in cash distributions to clients.

Long term, BCI continues to deliver consistent annualized results, returning 7.5 per cent over a five-year period, representing a cumulative value add3 of $2.2 billion. As a result, BCIs combined pension clients, with investment horizons extending many years, maintain a healthy position with funding ratios ranging from 103 to 133 per cent.

Generating consistent long-term performance is imperative for our clients as they require greater cash flows for their obligations as pension plans mature, added Fyfe. Looking at our annualized 10-year return, for our combined pension plan clients, we outperformed the benchmark by 0.7 per cent, representing $8.3 billion of value add, consistently exceeding our clients nominal and real actuarial discount rates.

Our one-year relative performance lagged the benchmark this fiscal. This was no surprise as the exponential growth of the Magnificent Seven tech stocks resulted in a very strong combined pension plan benchmark hurdle. We build portfolios that provide clients with the risk-adjusted returns they require over the long term, and thats where we will continue to focus on adding value.

RETURN SUMMARY FOR THE COMBINED PENSION PLAN CLIENTS





Annualized Returns (%)

1 Year 5 Year 10 Year 15 Year 20 Year Combined Pension Plan Return 7.5 7.5 7.8 9.0 7.7 Benchmark 11.6 7.2 7.1 8.1 6.9









Public Markets Annualized Returns (%) 1 Year 5 Year 10 Year Fixed Income Short Term 5.2 2.1 1.7 Nominal Bonds 1.9 0.7 2.5 Private Debt 13.3 6.6 - Funding Program4 5.2 - - Public Equities Canadian Public Equity 14.6 10.5 7.9 Global Public Equity 26.5 12.8 12.2 Emerging Markets Public Equity 10.1 4.5 6.2 Private Markets Infrastructure & Renewable Resources 7.0 8.5 9.2 Private Equity 6.0 16.0 16.7 Real Estate Equity (5.0) 4.8 - Real Estate Debt 6.9 4.9 4.6 An internal rate of return (IRR) methodology is used to calculate returns for infrastructure & renewable resources, private equity, and real estate equity. The assets and benchmarks are as at December 31, 2023. Benchmarks are presented on a time-weighted rate of return basis.





HIGHLIGHTS

Corporate

Expanded our total employees to 770, growing the global team year-over-year by 8.3 per cent, including 34 professionals in the London and New York offices, strengthening our physical presence in these financial centres.

Moved to fully embed ESG into corporate reporting, including alignment with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, and began development of an internal ESG data platform.

Public Markets

Exceeded $5 billion in cumulative participation in sustainable bonds.

Launched an unsecured debt program with an inaugural $1.25 billion senior unsecured 10-year bond offering, and a subsequent $1 billion reopening of the same series, with the highest possible long-term credit ratings.

Acted as an anchor investor in Overland Advantage, a direct lending platform established by Centerbridge Partners in partnership with Wells Fargo, which will also yield co-investment opportunities.

Executed $2.7 billion of deployments in Absolute Return Strategies, which delivered strong one-year performance exceeding 12 per cent.

Deployed net US$2.0 billion for the Principal Credit Fund and achieved the strongest one-year performance since the fund launched with a 13.3 per cent annual return for fiscal 2024.

Private Markets

Concluded the take-private of Costa Group, Australias largest produce supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Closed on three infrastructure debt investments, increasing capital deployment in high-conviction sectors that benefit from decarbonization and digitization in the U.S. and Europe.

Committed US$300 million to Cube Highways Trust, the largest road platform in India consisting of 18 toll and annuity assets and made a separate commitment to the Cube Highways growth platform, CH5, which targets further investments in Indias transportation sector.

Closed an investment in A2 Motorway, a leading European public-private partnership motorway.

Participated in an additional financing round for British Columbia-based Photonic Inc., a quantum computing company, positioning BCI as one of their largest shareholders.

Committed a total of $2.9 billion to the private equity program, including $2.2 billion to fund investments, reinforcing strategic relations with existing managers, and allocated the remaining $700 million to private equity direct investments, including additional investment to support the growth of our existing companies.

Deployed $3.3 billion in the real estate equity program to high conviction and growth sectors such as data centres, student housing, residential, and industrial globally.

Committed $3.2 billion in real estate debt investments, including Verve, an off-campus student housing and apartment, and a cold storage distribution facility.

The 2023-2024 Corporate Annual Report is available at BCI.ca.

All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

ABOUT BCI

British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) is amongst the largest institutional investors in Canada, with C$250.4 billion in gross AUM as of March 31, 2024. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, with offices in Vancouver, New York, and London, U.K., BCI manages a portfolio of diversified public and private market investments on behalf of its 29 British Columbia public sector clients.

With a global outlook, BCI integrates ESG factors into investment decisions and activities that convert savings into productive capital to meet clients risk and return requirements over time. Founded in 1999, BCI is a statutory corporation created by the Public Sector Pension Plans Act. For more information, visit BCI.ca or LinkedIn.

Except as otherwise indicated, returns are time-weighted rates of return (TWRR) as at March 31, 2024. All returns are net of all costs and fees. Investments are reported by the program within the asset classes as set out in the clients' Statement of Investment Policies & Procedures (SIPP). Benchmarks represent a weighted combination of multiple indices specified in the clients' SIPP. The indices may vary over time.

1 The combined pension plan clients reflect the investments of BCI's six largest pension clients: BC Hydro Pension Plan, College Pension Plan, Municipal Pension Plan, Public Service Pension Plan, Teachers' Pension Plan, and WorkSafeBC Pension Plan.

2 Gross assets under management exclude market values for The Funding Program, which are clients investment liabilities achieved through government bond repurchase agreements and unsecured bond issuance.

3 Cumulative value-add is the additional dollar return that BCI generated for clients in excess of client benchmarks through active investments, excluding the impact of the centralized currency management program after all costs and fees.

4 The Funding Program includes clients investment liabilities achieved through government bond repurchase agreements and unsecured bond issuance.

Attachment




VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almadex Minerals Ltd. ("Almadex" or the "Company") (TSX-V: DEX) is pleased to provide an update on its involvement in the international arbitration proceedings against the United Mexican States (Mexico) under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) discussed in our press releases of December 14, 2023, March 14, 2024, and June 17, 2024. The Company has recently signed with Almaden Minerals Ltd. (Almaden) agreements which will strengthen and streamline the corporate management of the arbitration process.



Litigation Management Agreement

The Company and its Mexican subsidiary have agreed with Almaden and its Mexican subsidiary to streamline the management of the arbitration proceedings by entering into a Litigation Management Agreement (LMA). Under the LMA, Almaden will bear the up-front costs of the arbitration and provide overall direction to the arbitration process for itself and its subsidiaries, as well as Almadex and its subsidiaries, with certain limitations. Almadex will remain a party to the arbitration and continue in its cooperation and support of the process. In its press release of today, Almaden announced that it has secured litigation funding in the amount anticipated to be needed to fully prosecute the arbitration proceedings.

Should the arbitration proceedings result in an award of damages, the pro rata portion of those damages, if any, which may be attributable to Almadex from the 2.0% NSR royalty it held on the Ixtaca project will be determined. Almadexs award will consist of this pro rata portion, less the Companys pro rata share of the costs of pursuing the legal claims, including the financing costs (the Almadex Award). Almadex will compensate Almaden in the amount of 10% of the Almadex Award in exchange for Almaden managing the claim proceedings.

Gold Loan Amendment

Almadex also reports that it has agreed with Almaden to extend the maturity of the gold loan (see press release of May 14, 2019) from March 31, 2026 to the earlier of March 31, 2030 or the receipt by Almaden or its subsidiary of any amount relating to its legal claims against Mexico.

In return for this amendment, in addition to its obligation to repay the gold loan, Almaden has agreed to pay the Company 2.0% of the gross amount of any damages that it may be awarded from the legal claims, such repayment to be subordinate to amounts due under Almadens litigation funding agreement, and any additional legal and management fees.

J. Duane Poliquin, Chairman of Almadex commented, These agreements provide us with exposure to an award that may be forthcoming from the legal claims, without the requirement to contribute any money going forward, and thus are similar to the royalty that we used to hold on the Ixtaca project.

About Almadex

Almadex Minerals Ltd. is an exploration company that holds a large mineral portfolio consisting of projects and NSR royalties in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This portfolio is the direct result of many years of prospecting and deal-making by Almadex's management team. The Company owns several portable diamond drill rigs, enabling it to conduct cost effective first pass exploration drilling in house.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

J. Duane Poliquin

J. Duane Poliquin, Chairman

Almadex Minerals Ltd.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within it, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among other things, the total potential cost of the legal claims and the sufficiency of the money available under the LFA to cover these costs, the ability of the LMA to streamline corporate management of the legal claims, the ability of Almaden to repay the gold loan, the receipt by Almadex of an Almadex Award or any compensation for extending the Gold Loan, and the result and damages arising from the Companys request for arbitration. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include exploitation and exploration successes, permitting, continued availability of capital and financing, equipment availability, stability and predictability in Mexicos response to the arbitration process under the CPTPP; stability and predictability in the application of the CPTPP and arbitral decisions thereon; the ability to finance the arbitration process, and continued respect for the rule of law in Mexico and general economic, market or business conditions. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. There can be no assurances that forward-looking statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws.

Contact Information:

Almadex Minerals Ltd.

Tel. 604.689.7644

Email: info@almadexminerals.com

http://www.almadexminerals.com/
TORONTO, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc., (Arch or the Company) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), announced that Dalton Pharma Services (Dalton) has completed the good manufacturing practice (GMP) glass vial filling stage for cilastatin, the Companys second drug candidate for preventing acute kidney injury (AKI).



Over the next six to eight weeks Dalton will be completing the quality control process which will culminate with the release of a first-ever, stand-alone cilastatin drug product to be used in a Phase II trial targeting drug toxin related AKI in hospitalized patients.

Arch has agreed to be an industry partner with a group of Canadian clinical researchers in a planned Phase II clinical trial targeting drug toxin-related AKI, which is expected to start in late 2024. The Company will be acting as a study partner for grant funding opportunities, providing cilastatin drug product and providing scientific and regulatory advice.

Arch has method of use patents in several jurisdictions including North America and Europe for repurposing cilastatin as a treatment for AKI. The patents are proprietary and/or exclusively licensed to Arch. Todays announcement marks the completion of an important milestone in the Companys plans to repurpose cilastatin as a new treatment to prevent toxin related AKI.

About Cilastatin

Cilastatin is an enzymatic dipeptidase-1 (DPEP1) inhibitor originally developed in the early 1980s by Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories to limit the renal metabolism of imipenem, a -lactam antibiotic used for the treatment of systemic infections. Cilastatin was approved for use as fixed combination with imipenem for IV administration to treat different types of bacterial infections. This fixed combination is currently marketed under different names, including Primaxin (USA, UK, Australia, Italy), Tienam (Spain, Belgium) or Zienam (Germany). The combination imipenem/cilastatin was approved by the FDA in 1985. Patents for imipenem and cilastatin have expired and the combination drug is currently in a generic phase. There is no commercial history of cilastatin as a stand-alone drug product.

Cilastatin has a slightly different mechanism of action compared with Archs novel drug candidate, LSALT peptide (Metablok) a non-enzymatic DPEP1 inhibitor. Whereas LSALT peptide specifically blocks DPEP1-mediated inflammation in the kidney, lungs and liver, cilastatin also has off target-effects that prevent toxin uptake in the kidneys. Thus, cilastatin is particularly effective for toxin-related AKI, but not suitable for other forms of non-toxin related AKI targeted by LSALT peptide.

Cilastatin as a potential treatment for AKI

AKI reflects a broad spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from mild injury to severe injury that may result in permanent and complete loss of renal function. Clinically, the causes of AKI include sepsis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and various endogenous as well as exogenous (drug) toxins. There is no specific therapeutic treatment available in the market today that prevents AKI. In the worst cases, the kidneys fail, requiring kidney dialysis or kidney transplant for survival.

Exogenous toxins include a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics (vancomycin, aminoglycosides), chemotherapeutic agents and radiographic contrast. Drug toxin-induced AKI represent approximately 30% of all AKI in hospitalized patients.

As stated above, cilastatin is particularly suited to preventing AKI caused by drug toxins due to a unique off-target effect that blocks their uptake into the kidney tissue. Several in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that cilastatin prevents AKI induced by multiple nephrotoxic drugs (exogenous toxins).

About Arch Biopartners

Arch Biopartners Inc. is a late-stage clinical trial company focused on preventing inflammation and acute organ injury. The Company is developing a platform of new drugs to prevent inflammation in the kidneys, liver and lungs via the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP1) pathway and are relevant for many common injuries and diseases where organ inflammation is an unmet problem.

For more information on Arch Biopartners science and drug platform, please visit: www.archbiopartners.com/our-science

For investor information and other public documents the company has also filed on SEDAR+, please visit www.archbiopartners.com/investor-hub

The Company has 64,250,633 common shares outstanding.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws regarding expectations of our future performance, liquidity and capital resources, as well as the ongoing clinical development of our drug candidates targeting the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP1) pathway, including the outcome of our clinical trials relating to LSALT peptide (Metablok) or cilastatin, the successful commercialization and marketing of our drug candidates, whether we will receive, and the timing and costs of obtaining, regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, Europe and other countries, our ability to raise capital to fund our business plans, the efficacy of our drug candidates compared to the drug candidates developed by our competitors, our ability to retain and attract key management personnel, and the breadth of, and our ability to protect, our intellectual property portfolio. These statements are based on managements current expectations and beliefs, including certain factors and assumptions, as described in our most recent annual audited financial statements and related management discussion and analysis under the heading Business Risks and Uncertainties. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, or other unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The words believe, may, plan, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, expect and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Additional information relating to Arch Biopartners Inc., including our most recent annual audited financial statements, is available by accessing the Canadian Securities Administrators System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) website at www.sedarplus.ca.

The science and medical contents of this release have been approved by the Companys Chief Science Officer

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
RALEIGH, N.C., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Workplace Options (WPO), the worlds largest independent provider of holistic wellbeing and employee engagement solutions, partnered with JGC Fluor, a renowned leader in construction and engineering, to help workers at the LNG Canada project talk about and have access to mental health support, including on-site counseling in the remote location. Before the partnership, named the MIND Your Health project, workers at the remote LNG Canada project site in Kitimat, BC, had limited care for their emotional needs; there were less than 20 on-site counseling sessions per 14-day rotation. After two and a half years of the partnership, that number has more than tripled, with counselors now serving 50 to 70 workers during that same timeframe.



The accomplishment of the JGC Fluor experience is tied to the strong connection the program staff made with the workforce, said Mary Ellen Gornick, Founding Partner, WPO Consulting Group. Offering comprehensive on-site support, prioritizing accessibility and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help make the program relevant to each workers personal situation. Being on site, with frequent touchpoints, demonstrates that reaching out for help is a positive step to making your life better.

Employees on mega work sites, especially in remote locations, can face significant mental health challenges due to isolation, long hours and demanding work conditions. Stigma and a lack of understanding for how a persons mental health affects their overall health and safety have hindered employees from receiving the care they need. The MIND Your Health project addresses this long-standing issue by providing various mental health and counseling services, along with health and wellness educational programs, tailored to meet the unique needs of workers in demanding environments.

Research shows employees, across industries, who have access to emotional, physical and mental support are more likely to focus on work and less likely to suffer from chronic pain, poor physical health, sleep issues, short temper and a breakdown of important relationships in their lives. Mary Lu Spagrud, Mental Wellness Coordinator for JGC Fluor at the LNG Canada project, who has served in the mental health field for more than 30 years, said, We assisted a fellow about a year and a half ago, and, when he returned to work after a mental health leave, he was grateful for the positive impact the project had on his life.

Impact of MIND Your Health Project

The MIND your Health project proves that it is possible to change the culture on remote industrial sites when workers realize how employee wellbeing is connected to the broader framework of health and safety initiatives. The project shifted the dialogue amongst the Canadian workers; talking about mental health is not only normalized and encouraged but embraced by employees at all levelsfrom frontline workers to leadership teams, cultivating a supportive environment for the industrial camp community.

Spagrud shared the message she brings to workers at the LNG Canada project, Heres my challenge to everybody: I want you to talk about, think about and protect your mental health in the same way you do your physical health, she said.

Employee Engagement Data

Counseling Utilization: On-site counseling sessions increased by 250 percent, from fewer than 20 sessions per 14-day rotation to 50-70 sessions.

On-site counseling sessions increased by 250 percent, from fewer than 20 sessions per 14-day rotation to 50-70 sessions. Educational Program Attendance: Participation in educational programs rose from 365 people per month to 765 people per month between the first and third years. In 2023, more than 9,000 individuals were engaged in various programs, ranging from brief 15-minute Toolbox Talks to comprehensive two-day training sessions.

Participation in educational programs rose from 365 people per month to 765 people per month between the first and third years. In 2023, more than 9,000 individuals were engaged in various programs, ranging from brief 15-minute Toolbox Talks to comprehensive two-day training sessions. Online Clinical Sessions: Attendance increased from 202 sessions (August to December 2021) to 1,220 sessions in 2023.

Attendance increased from 202 sessions (August to December 2021) to 1,220 sessions in 2023. Overall Program Engagement: Achieved an engagement rate of 158 percent.

Achieved an engagement rate of 158 percent. Net Promoter Scores: Received exceptionally high scores, with 98 percent for assistance provided, 98 percent for perceived care and 99 percent for the decision to partner with Workplace Options.



For more information about the MIND Your Health project and its impact, please refer to the full case study here: MIND your Health: A Campaign Bringing Mental Wellness into the Health and Safety Culture at JGC Fluor

ABOUT WORKPLACE OPTIONS

Founded in 1982, Workplace Options (WPO) is the largest independent provider of holistic wellbeing solutions. Through customized programs, and a comprehensive global network of credentialed providers and professionals, WPO supports individuals to become healthier, happier and more productive both personally and professionally. Trusted by 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies, WPO delivers high-quality care digitally and in-person to more than 83 million people across 113,000 organizations in more than 200 countries and territories.

ABOUT JGC FLUOR

In 2018, JGC Corporation and Fluor Corporation  JGC Fluor BC LNG Joint Venture (JFJV)  was selected by LNG Canada Development Inc. to be the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for its proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada. The joint venture between JGC and Fluor was established to leverage JGCs extensive experience in LNG projects worldwide and Fluors expertise accumulated from its outstanding track record of completing mega-sized projects in North America.

Contact:

Jennifer Dart, Corporate Communications Manager

Jennifer.Dart@workplaceoptions.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/af4a8bb6-65b7-45fa-b91e-5512eb92b4d7

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4680c052-9524-4f35-9091-d7cbddf863bd
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orby AI (Orby), a technology trailblazer in generative AI solutions for the enterprise, today announced the closing of its series A round of financing, raising $30 million from world-class investors.



The Series A round was co-led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Wing VC and WndrCo with additional participation from Pear VC. The new investments will be used to accelerate the development and commercialization of the industrys first generative AI process automation platform powered by a sophisticated large action model (LAM). The Series A financing follows a seed funding round co-led by NEA and Pear VC.

At WndrCo, we strongly believe that AI agents will fundamentally transform the future of work, said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Founding Partner of WndrCo. Orbys platform automates the mundane so that organizations can focus on their most strategic and impactful work. Were thrilled to partner with the Orby team to bring these capabilities to large enterprises.

Redefining Whats Possible

Most of today's businesses have essential activities, such as data entry, document processing and validation of complex forms, invoices, expenses and contracts, that can be fully automated.

However, many organizations dont have a clear technical understanding of what is feasible. This forces them to waste time and money discovering what workflows are best to automate first. Unfortunately, traditional automation solutions lack the necessary AI sophistication and remain too costly and technically challenging to automate more complex repetitive work beyond simple rules-based automation.

We see a massive market opportunity in the application of generative AI technology to address complex enterprise workflows that can negatively impact productivity, said Bruce Beck, Enterprise Systems CIO at JLL Technologies. Orbys unique AI approach stands poised to revolutionize the very fabric of enterprise, untangling the knots of complex workflows and ushering in a future of unparalleled efficiency.

Yesterdays process automation solutions were never designed to address the dynamic and complex nature of work being performed within the enterprise, said Bella Liu, Co-Founder and CEO of Orby AI. At Orby, we are blowing the lid off what AI can do for enterprises with a completely new platform that observes and learns any task performed, analyzes it contextually, and creates automated workflows that can be immediately enacted, Liu concluded.

Orby AI has developed the first self-service, end-to-end generative AI platform to meet these modern automation goals. By removing complexity and creating a unique workflow discovery, Orbys generative AI platform seamlessly builds automations for virtually any business workflow.

Orby's approach and large action model technology overcomes key challenges of traditional process automation, simplifying workflow definition for business users, said Dan Twing, President and Principal Analyst for Intelligent Automation at Enterprise Management Associates. With neuro symbolic programming, their platform captures standard process flows and ensures robust exception handling to provide a resilient automation solution that now makes AI-driven automation accessible and highly efficient for the enterprise.

No More Rules

Unlike legacy automation solutions, Orbys patented technology combines a multimodal large action model (LAM) foundation with an AI agent that leverages state-of-the-art neurosymbolic programming  utilizing symbolic reasoning and neural network-based analysis  to quickly and accurately generate actionable workflow automations that continually learn, adapt and improve. Workers are now empowered to automate what they want, when they want without relying on technical help.

With this unique combination of technologies, Orbys platform stands alone as the only to continuously observe, learn, automate, and adapt to repetitive workflows for a wide range of enterprise processes that legacy rules-based systems simply cannot support.

Orby radically reduces the time to automation from months to minutes while enabling automation for tasks that require decision-making and domain knowledge that are simply not possible today with traditional approaches.

Enter Generative Process Automation

Generative Process Automation (GPA) represents a new class of business process automation, and the next technological advancement redefining workflow automation within the enterprise.

Also referred to as agentic process automation (or APA) this unique approach effectively combines the high-level cognitive abilities of AI with the benefits of automation, enabling systems to perform tasks that involve intricate planning, reasoning, and adaptation.

In this context an AI agent receives a set of instructions and then autonomously generates a workflow that incorporates other specialized agents to carry out various sub-tasks, such as data analysis or customer interaction. This not only offloads repetitive cognitive labor from humans but also enhances the capability of processes to handle complex, variable scenarios autonomously.

Unlike conventional approaches, GPA is based on next-generation large action models (LAMs) and AI agents to automatically learn, reason and act on repetitive enterprise workflow processes in real time. This allows for the automatic discovery, understanding and learning of general patterns and relationships across unstructured datasets to generate complete automation at scale for myriad enterprise workflows.

About ORBY AI

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Orby AI is fundamentally transforming the way enterprise teams perform, delivering the only enterprise automation platform that leverages purpose-built generative AI to deliver unprecedented automations of any complexity  at scale  without the costly and cumbersome processes required by legacy systems. Founded by AI experts and engineers formerly at Google and UiPath, Orby AI has raised $35 million in financing from premier investment firms including New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Pear Venture Capital, WndrCo and Wing VC.

Media Contacts

David Callisch

david@orby.ai

+1 (408)-504-5487

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1aeaee8f-1fde-4250-b5eb-c02bc5b3ef65
Highlights



Grant proposal submitted to advance the Cowboy State Mine at Halleck Creek has been approved by the State of Wyoming, USA.

The Company will be the recipient of A$10.7 million (or US$7.1 million) in non-dilutive funding through a three-year agreement as part of a Matching Funds arrangement.

The Funding Agreement includes costs incurred to advance the Cowboy State Mine:

Further exploration drilling and bulk sampling on state mineral leases.

Baseline environmental studies for state permitting.

Pilot processing plant, with specific focus on preconcentration of Halleck Creek Ore. 1

Prefeasibility studies and economic assessments.

Community impact assessments.



DENVER, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF | ADR: AMRRY) (ARR or the Company) announced today that the Cowboy State Mine at Halleck Creek has been approved by the State of Wyoming, USA, for up to A$10.7 million (or US$7.1M) in non-dilutive funding through a grant.

The Funding Agreement was executed today by American Rare Earths with the State of Wyoming, with support from partners Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) and the University of Wyoming Energy Resources Council (ERC). The WEA is committed to driving Wyomings energy strategy by fostering investments in data, technology, and infrastructure. The Authoritys mission is to support projects that contribute to the state's economic and environmental sustainability. The continued development of rare earth projects is a natural progression in the mission to support the growth of a secure and prosperous future for Wyomings world-class energy economy.

Richard Hudson, Chairman of American Rare Earths, commented:

This significant grant not only underscores the technical and economic potential of the Cowboy State Mine at Halleck Creek but also represents a shared vision for advancing sustainable resource development. The A$10.7 million in non-dilutive funding will accelerate our exploration and development efforts, ensuring we meet our project milestones. This partnership reinforces Wyoming's leadership in the U.S. energy and mining sectors, and we are excited to contribute to the state's economic and environmental sustainability through this strategic initiative. The funding further validates the direction the Company has taken and gives us even greater optimism around the project.

Donald Swartz, CEO of American Rare Earths, commented:

We are thrilled to receive this support from the State of Wyoming and the WEA, which not only represents technical validation of the project by industry experts at the ERC and WEA, but a shared commitment to permit and develop a commercial rare earth mine and processing facility in Wyoming. This funding announcement comes on the heels of our most recent project update2, and this non-dilutive funding will be used to meet those objectives. Wyoming is committed to lead the U.S. energy industry and support like this is why the state has been so successful in attracting investment in exploration and mining across the resource sector. This grant will assist the Company in expediting its project development of the Cowboy State Mine, and we are excited for things to continue to progress.

Rob Creager, Executive Director of Wyoming Energy Authority, commented:

Wyoming is investing in the future of the energy industry and exploring new opportunities, said WEA Executive Director Rob Creager. The American Rare Earths Mine, supported through the Wyoming Energy Authority and the State of Wyoming, will give us greater insight into potentially one of the largest deposits of rare earth materials in the United States. And, like previous grant recipients, we look forward to what this project will bring our state and nation.

Terms of Agreement

The State of Wyoming, USA has approved the grant, and the Company will be the recipient of A$10.7 million (or US$7.1 million) in non-dilutive funding conditioned upon a 1:1 match of government and private dollars from the Company. The grant has a term of three years or such time as the A$10.7 million (US$7.1 million) has been spent on the Companys project. As part of the arrangement, ARR will produce technical reporting detailing findings and recommendations for future work programs to the WEA.

This announcement is authorized for release by the Board of American Rare Earths Limited.

About Wyoming Energy Authority:

The Wyoming Energy Authority is committed to driving Wyomings energy strategy by fostering investments in data, technology, and infrastructure. The Authoritys mission is to support projects that contribute to the state's economic and environmental sustainability. The continued development of rare earth projects is a natural progression in the mission to support the growth of a secure and prosperous future for Wyomings world-class energy economy.

About American Rare Earths Limited:

American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF | ADR: AMRRY) owns the Halleck Creek, WY rare earth deposit which has the potential to become the largest and most sustainable rare earth project in North America. The Company is developing environmentally friendly and cost-effective extraction and processing methods to meet the rapidly increasing demand for resources essential to the clean energy transition and US national security. The Company continues to evaluate other exploration opportunities and is collaborating with US Government-supported R&D to develop efficient processing and separation techniques of (REEs) elements to help ensure a renewable future.

For additional information:

Contact:

Susan Assadi

Media Relations US

sassadi@americanree.com

347 977 7125

Beverly Jedynak

Investor Relations US

Beverly.jedynak@viriathus.com

312 943 1123

1 ASX Release, American Rare Earths Announces Breakthrough Metallurgical Results, 22 January 2024.

2 ASX Release, Halleck Creek Project Update, 13 June 2024.
Atlanta, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- John Cappella has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Porsche Cars North America (PCNA), reporting to President and CEO, Timo Resch.

Joining from Porsche Cars Canada where he was President and CEO  a position held since September 2022  John is no stranger to Porsche Cars North America having spent three years as Vice President, Area East.

He replaces Joe Lawrence, who is leaving PCNA on his own accord, effective July 2, 2024. Joe, who has spent 15 years at Porsche  11 of which were at PCNA  will be leaving to, among other things, pursue more fully his love of the outdoors and his classic 968.

Timo Resch said: I cannot adequately express the difference Joe has made to our business in more than a decade leading our operations. He leaves PCNA on a high, with record customer satisfaction, sales results and investment in our business. He is an enthusiast at heart and has been a great joy to work with; we know he will remain a friend to all of us for a long time to come.

Looking ahead, I am grateful that we have an extremely capable successor for Joe. John Cappella is not only acutely aware of, and experienced in, our business and our dealer operations, but also has proven his ability to build, energize and sustain a thriving team and business in his role in Canada. We look forward to welcoming John to our home in Atlanta.

John Cappella said: Im honored to be rejoining the fantastic and passionate team at PCNA and to lead the operational side of the business at a fascinating time at Porsche. With four new model lines being launched so far this year, the pace and diversity of new cars being introduced is unprecedented. I look forward to supporting our dealers and our customers through every step of our bold future. I will be leaving many friends and an incredible community in Canada at a time when its setting new records  an experience I shall cherish and will forever be proud of.

I am thankful to Joe Lawrence  who I have known for many years  and who hands over a business in exceptional shape. The care and tenacity hes demonstrated over the years set the benchmark, and Im grateful for the opportunity to follow in his footsteps.

Joe Lawrence said: The past 15 years have been an extraordinary privilege  with profound change in that time, not least in our cars but also our business in the United States. A reassuring constant has been the team of professionals I have been fortunate to have called colleagues and friends over the years. The results we have achieved together have truly been a team effort  successes I shall always count myself as being very fortunate to have been part of. Today, we have an outstanding network of dealers who put the customers first, supported by a field team that is the best in the business. Im looking forward to my new life, and yet I will afford myself the chance to look back with pride on what we all achieved together. John is the perfect candidate to take the next steps for PCNA  and I have no doubt our operations will continue to thrive under his leadership.

John Cappella joined Porsche Cars Canada in September 2022 following a period of three years as Vice President, Area East, for Porsche Cars North America (PCNA). He joined the brand in 2011 as Director of Network Development at Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. and then became Managing Director of Porsche Centre North Toronto in 2016. John assumes his new role as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) on July 2, 2024. His successor as President and CEO of Porsche Cars Canada will be announced in due course.

Attachments
A pedestrian walks past tents on 19th Street at Mission Street in San Francisco on May 7. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Sweeps of San Francisco homeless encampments have increased over the past two years despite a court order that city officials complained limited their ability to address clusters of tents, a Chronicle analysis of city data found.

In the wake of a lawsuit filed by the advocacy organization the Coalition on Homelessness, a December 2022 court order prohibited San Francisco from enforcing certain laws to clear homeless tents. It did not ban the city from sweeping encampments, but it prevented officials from citing or arresting people who refused to move in violation of six city laws.

The city continued, after giving 72 hours notice, to clear sidewalks and enforce other laws related to accessibility and health and safety codes.

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Still, high-ranking city and state officials blamed the judge for tying their hands.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said the continued litigation would hamper efforts to address encampments and provide people with the resources they need. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu said the injunction put our city in a terrible position. And Mayor Breed blamed the Coalition on Homelessness for holding San Francisco hostage.

Yet, the citys efforts to clear tents from blocking sidewalks, offer shelter beds to people living on the streets and haul away garbage have continued  and even increased slightly.

In the first nine months of 2022, just before the lawsuit was filed, the city conducted 336 encampment operations, or about 37 per month, according to city data. That dipped in the last quarter of 2022 after it was filed to an average of 29 operations per month.

But in January, following the December court order, the number of encampment operations jumped up again. In the first nine months of 2023, the city conducted 357 encampment operations, or about 40 per month. That was up 6% from the same time period prior to the injunction.

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Encampment operations are conducted by the citys Healthy Streets Operations Center, a multi-agency collaboration tasked with offering shelter and other services to unhoused people before instructing them to remove their tents and belongings so staff can clean the sidewalk.

Jeff Cretan, a Breed spokesperson, said that although the injunction has not inhibited the number of operations carried out, it has limited how the city can conduct its efforts. That has made it particularly difficult to address sections of sidewalks where people are asked to move only to return hours later.

Its a tough balance, Cretan said.

John Do, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, which is representing the coalition, said he has been frustrated with the narrative projected by some elected officials.

While complaining about their limitations related to enforcement, Do said theyve simultaneously touted a steep reduction in the number of homeless tents across the city.

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Over the past year, San Francisco reported a 37% reduction in the number of tents and structures on sidewalks, parks and other public spaces, falling from 571 in April 2023 to 360 in April 2024, according to data collected quarterly by a collaboration of city agencies. Breed credited the work of the Healthy Streets Operation Center for the decline.

They cant have it both ways and say whatever is politically convenient, Do said, adding that the lawsuit merely aims to keep the city at its word to always offer shelter before displacing a person living on the street.

The lawsuit, filed by the coalition in September 2022, alleges that the city violated state and federal laws, its own policies and the rights of homeless individuals by clearing encampments without offering adequate shelter and by unlawfully seizing their belongings.

In addition to arguing that the citys encampment sweeps constitute cruel and unusual punishment, the lawsuit also accuses the city of unlawfully seizing and destroying belongings of unhoused residents and violating the rights of unhoused people with disabilities.

In December, Judge Donna Ryu imposed temporary restrictions on San Francisco police and city workers from citing unhoused people for certain legal violations unless theyre offered shelter while the lawsuit moves forward.

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San Francisco officials argued that they already offered shelter and services before clearing an encampment, but Ryu noted in her injunction that the citys shelters were often full and the city had closed the waiting lists. City officials counter that they reserve enough shelter beds each day for unhoused people who are forced to move during encampment clearings and are willing to accept shelter.

City officials rejected an August 2023 settlement offer by the ACLU of Northern California, calling it a political stunt.

The legal battle was temporarily placed on hold earlier this year because of a Supreme Court case out of Grants Pass, Ore., in which the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals barred cities from citing homeless people who sleep in public places when they have nowhere else to go. The Supreme Court on Friday reversed the appeals court decision and ruled that enforcing anti-camping laws on public property did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

The Supreme Court's ruling will have an impact on how San Francisco is able to clear its encampments, though city officials said Friday that they still needed time to review the decision, update city policies and train staff accordingly.
New York, NY, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cape Town South Africa  isandisofx.com, the leading Internet financial trading platform operated under Isandiso Sethu Investments (Pty) Ltd, convened its highly anticipated annual summary meeting in Cape Town, showcasing a year of remarkable achievements and strategic advancements across multiple trading domains.

Against the backdrop of Cape Town bustling financial district, the event brought together industry luminaries, investors, and stakeholders eager to learn about isandisofx.com's progress in 2023. CEO Thandiwe Mbeki opened the proceedings with a comprehensive overview of the platform's evolution and its pivotal role in shaping the future of digital finance.

"2023 was a transformative year for isandisofx.com as we expanded our footprint and diversified our offerings," Mbeki emphasized. "Our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions has driven significant growth across foreign exchange, index, cryptocurrency, new energy, and precious metal trading."

The annual report highlighted several key achievements that underscored isandisofx.com's leadership in the fintech sector. Notably, the platform reported substantial increases in trading volumes across all asset classes, reflecting growing investor confidence and market adoption of its sophisticated trading tools.

Chief Technology Officer, Sipho Nkosi, highlighted technological innovations that powered isandisofx.com's success. "Our proprietary algorithms and advanced analytics have revolutionized how traders engage with financial markets," Nkosi explained. "From AI-driven trading insights to real-time market data integration, our platform continues to set new standards for efficiency and reliability."

Throughout 2023, isandisofx.com prioritized regulatory compliance and customer security, a focal point reiterated by Chief Compliance Officer, Jabulani Dlamini. "Maintaining trust and transparency with our global user base remains paramount," Dlamini affirmed. "We have implemented rigorous compliance measures to ensure adherence to international standards, safeguarding our users' interests."

Looking ahead to 2024, CFO Nomsa Zulu outlined strategic initiatives aimed at further expanding isandisofx.com's market presence and enhancing user experience. "Our roadmap includes geographic expansion into new markets and the introduction of innovative trading products tailored to diverse investor needs," Zulu announced. "These efforts underscore our commitment to sustained growth and operational excellence."

The meeting concluded with a forward-looking panel discussion featuring insights from industry experts on emerging trends in digital finance and the transformative impact of technological innovation. Participants expressed optimism about isandisofx.com's future prospects, citing its adaptive strategy and customer-focused approach as key differentiators in a competitive landscape.

As the sun set over Cape Town's iconic skyline, the 2023 annual summary meeting of isandisofx.com reinforced its position as a trailblazer in Internet financial trading. With a strong foundation laid in 2023, the platform is poised to capitalize on new opportunities, driving innovation and redefining the future of digital finance globally.

(By JACH LEVIN)

-ENDS-



Disclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.




Siauliu Bankas AB, company code 112025254, address of the head office Tilzes str. 149, Siauliai, Lithuania.



Siauliu bankas AB has received the notification of the person, closely associated with the manager, on transaction in securities issued by the bank (attached).

Additional information:

Tomas Varenbergas

Head of Investment Management Division

tomas.varenbergas@sb.lt





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Mesa, Arizona, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aqua-Tots Swim School was recently named to Franchise Business Reviews fifth annual Culture100 list. The list recognizes the top 100 franchise brands in its 2024 research on the Best Franchise Cultures.



Aqua-Tots Swim School is the largest international swim school franchise with more than 155 locations in 14 countries. Since its founding in 1991, the brand has maintained its position as the leader in the learn-to-swim industry. The companys foremost mission is to save lives by teaching children all over the world how to become safe and confident swimmers for life, and Aqua-Tots' proven program is trusted by parents across the globe and is dedicated to teaching children of all abilities, from four months to 12 years old. The brands world-renowned curriculum is used to teach more than five million swim lessons each year.



Franchise Business Review, a franchise market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction, provides the only rankings of franchises based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of top franchises semi-annually in its Guide to Todays Top Franchises, as well as industry reports throughout the year that highlight research on the top franchises in specific sectors.



Aqua-Tots Swim School was among more than 360 franchise brands, representing more than 36,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Reviews research on the best franchise cultures. Franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems. The brands that were selected received the highest overall ratings based on 17 unique areas that contribute to a strong company culture, including leadership, core values, franchisee community, and engagement.

Finding the right culture fit is an important part of any franchise investment decision, but it can be difficult to gauge, said Michelle Rowan, president & COO of Franchise Business Review. Thats why we gather data on how current franchisees rate a brands culture. It tells you whether franchisees believe the franchisor cares about their success and how well the community of support staff and franchisees work together to achieve their business objectives. For anyone looking to buy a franchise, we recommend you start with the brands on this years Culture100 list. These companies are rated 20% - 50% higher by their franchisees than other franchise brands in the key areas that contribute to a positive culture.

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools survey data showed the highest rankings in their franchisees willingness to do it again, recommend the franchise opportunity to others, and their enjoyment of the organization. The honesty and integrity of the franchisor as well as the franchisees respect of the franchisor were also among the highest-ranking benchmarks. As a result, Aqua-Tots overall score was 14% above the average Franchise Satisfaction Index.



At Aqua-Tots, we take pride in upholding our core values. They are the foundation of our company and are woven into everything we do, said Craig Wright, CEO of Aqua-Tots Swim School. We believe that brandwide innovation and efficiency come naturally when you prioritize relationships over profits, hire qualified people who live your values, and then extend grace to those who are teachable. It takes a conscious effort from every one of our team members to create a positive company culture where everyone feels welcome, accepted and supported, and we are so grateful for all that our Aqua-Tots family does to further our shared mission of saving lives.



In addition to the Culture100 award, Aqua-Tots Swim School has received the Top Franchise for Women award in 2024, Franchise Business Reviews Top Franchises award for three consecutive years, Most Profitable Franchises award in 2023, and Top Franchises Culture award in 2022.

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full list of the 2024 Best Franchise Cultures.





###





About Aqua-Tots Swim School

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the Phoenix area, Aqua-Tots Swim School is making waves as the largest international provider of year-round, indoor swim instruction, community outreach and drowning prevention education. Its trusted program is dedicated to children of all abilities from four months to 12 years old and features a proven curriculum used to teach more than five million swim lessons each year.

Aqua-Tots is recognized in Franchise Business Reviews Top 100 Franchises for Women in 2024, Entrepreneur's Top 15 Childrens Franchises of 2023, Entrepreneurs Franchise 500, Inc. Magazine's Top 5000 and Franchise Times Top 200. Aqua-Tots has more than 155 locations in 25 states across 14 countries and is rapidly expanding with 90 locations in development. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit aqua-tots.com/franchise-development and for more information about Aqua-Tots or to sign up for lessons near you, visit aqua-tots.com and follow Aqua-Tots on Facebook and Instagram.





About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading market research firm serving the franchise sector. FBR measures satisfaction and engagement of franchisees and franchise employees and publishes various guides and reports for entrepreneurs considering an investment in a franchise business. Since 2005, FBR has surveyed hundreds of thousands of franchise owners and over 1,200 leading franchise companies. To read our publications, visit https://franchisebusinessreview.com/page/digital-guides/. To learn more about FBRs research, please visit www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com

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SYDNEY, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For over 15 years, WSN Consulting (WSN) has successfully helped its clients meet their resourcing and strategic needs across the Americas, the UK, and Europe. With a focus on strategically expanding its offering and coverage model, WSN has decided to establish headquarters in Sydney, Australia, to build out its APAC presence.







Alex Ciccotelli and Paul Sakr of WSN Consulting

WSN has appointed Paul Sakr to lead operations in the region, who returns to Australia following a 7-year stint at WSNs New York office. Paul is originally from Sydney, where he spent the first part of his career working in financial markets. Group CEO Alex Ciccotelli says, The appointment was a natural evolution for Paul within WSN given his experience and familiarity within APAC as well as his intricate knowledge of our operations globally.

Over recent years, Australia has seen a steady increase in major institutions looking to build out their presence in APAC, something WSN is hoping to capitalise on. Paul Sakr comments, I think Australias stability in the region, along with having a highly skilled and educated workforce, makes us an attractive option for organizations. There are also economic factors at play. The relative strength of the US dollar against the Australian dollar is also seen somewhat as labor arbitrage, particularly in our sector where our consultants and resources are more contingent and short term. At present, you can access like-for-like resources at an approximate 35% discount to a US-based headcount.

WSN's ability to have a more holistic offering is where it sees a strategic advantage over some of its competitors in this space. A lot of our clients have global scale, being able to cater to their needs in each region as well as offer what we call round-the-clock support puts us in a unique place compared to other firms our size, Alex Ciccotelli comments. We are also starting to see a change in our clients' demands in the region, which was historically focused on Singapore and Hong Kong, now moving to Australia.

The benefits are not only to their clients. Internally, they are also able to offer greater mobility opportunities to their staff. Australians tend to be quite nomadic by nature, having the ability to offer staff access to our engagements in major hubs like New York and London has proven to be an effective selling point for high-level talent both here and abroad, says Paul.

Certain resource types lend themselves to global mobility. He adds, Traditionally, our bread and butter has always been execution-based staff like Project Managers, Business Analysts, and PMOs. Increasingly, were seeing heightened demand for resources within the technology space, including Developers, Architects, and Engineers. These specialised resources offer largely transferable skill sets between companies and can be huge assets as companies build out their own in-house technology capabilities and platforms and adopt transformation and data-focused projects.

The world's workforce continues to become more global and intertwined every year. Finding a competitive advantage in a global market is becoming more paramount to the success of businesses moving forward. Relatively untapped resource pools like Australia could help these companies unlock greater growth and reach their goals more efficiently and at scalesomething WSN is banking on.

Contact:

Amanda Jungwirth

WSN Consulting

email: amanda.jungwirth@wsnconsulting.com

website: www.wsnconsulting.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2c0ccd4-5947-43eb-8244-3d159a34ef53
PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, is pleased to announce a project to supply 186 modular steel bridges to the Republic of Angola. The structures will contribute to efforts to modernize Angolas road and transportation infrastructure and will be installed throughout the country by Angolan engineers, technicians and contractors who will be trained by Acrow in the assembly, installation and maintenance of the bridges.



The financing arrangements for the project were formalized during the recent U.S.-Africa Business Summit held May 6-9, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. The premier annual event of the Corporate Council on Africa, the Summit provided a forum for more than 1,500 U.S. and African public and private sector executives, government representatives, investors, and entrepreneurs to advance sustainable business partnerships.

Acrow has provided sustainable infrastructure solutions to more than 150 countries worldwide since its founding in 1951. Since the 1990s, the firm has supplied more than two thousand bridges to more than 40 African nations. These durable and permanent infrastructure assets are designed to withstand the most rugged conditions and are particularly well-suited for secondary and rural road networks. Manufactured to the finest international quality standards, they are easily customized to meet site requirements. They are cost-effective, quickly transported to the most remote or challenging sites, and can be assembled in days or weeks using local labor and minimal heavy equipment.

Through its comprehensive financed Bridge Development Program model, Acrow can leverage a global network of financial institutions and other sources of capital to arrange financing for qualified bridge projects and facilitate the process of securing export credit guarantees and other development finance arrangements. In the past, Acrow has worked on transformative, large-scale infrastructure development projects in numerous nations including recent projects in Ghana, Cameroon and Zambia.

For decades, a mission of Acrows has been to provide transformative small and large-scale infrastructure development programs with a focus on Africa. Our experience in bringing the three key elements of these programs together  bridges, finance, training  makes us an ideal partner for the most complex projects, said Paul Sullivan, President  International Business at Acrow.

Bill Killeen, Acrow CEO, added, At Acrow, we understand the importance of high-quality, sustainable transportation infrastructure and the generational impact it can have on the communities it serves. We are delighted to be able to be of service to the Republic of Angola in support of the modernization of the road and transportation infrastructure across the country, and we look forward to a continuing partnership as the project develops.

The project in Angola will be financed through Standard Chartered Bank and supported by loan guarantees issued by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), the nations official export credit agency.

In October 2023, project partners Acrow, Standard Chartered Bank and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic Angola were announced as winners of EXIMs inaugural Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Deal of the Year Award. The Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment is a Biden-Harris Administration initiative dedicated to developing a values-driven, high-impact partnership with other G7 nations to meet the infrastructure needs of low- and middle-income countries.

About Acrow

Acrow has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 70 years with a wide range of modular steel bridging solutions for permanent, temporary, military and emergency use. Acrows extensive international presence includes leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 150 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.

Media contact:

Tracy Van Buskirk

Marketcom PR

Main: (212) 537-5177, ext. 8; Mobile: (203) 246-6165

tvanbuskirk@marketcompr.com
TACOMA, Wash., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp today filed four new Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) administrative complaints against the United States Department of the Army and the Department of Defense (collectively the Army) on behalf of four John Does (John Does 12-15), all of whom are former patients of Dr. Michael Stockin  an Army doctor facing criminal charges for the sexual abuse of numerous patients. Between September 2023 and March 2024, Sanford Heisler Sharp has previously filed 11 other FTCA complaints on behalf of John Does.



All John Does are represented in the matter by Christine Dunn, Partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp and Co-Chair of the firms Sexual Violence, Title IX, and Victims Rights Practice Group, as well as Jillian Seymour, Litigation Fellow.

The Federal Tort Claims Act is a federal statute that permits individuals to bring legal claims against federal agencies for torts committed by agency personnel. Prior to filing an FTCA complaint in court, the individual must first file an administrative complaint with the agency at fault. The agency is then afforded at least six months to investigate the claim. After that, the individual may file a lawsuit against the agency in federal court.

Today, Sanford Heisler Sharp has initiated the FTCA legal process for four additional clients by filing administrative complaints against the Army. The firm currently represents a total of fifteen former patients of Dr. Stockin. The four complaints filed today on behalf of John Does 12-15 include remarkably similar allegations to those made by John Does 1-11, whose administrative complaints are now under investigation by the Army. Specifically, the four new FTCA complaints allege that Dr. Stockin  an Army pain management doctor at Madigan Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington  forced John Does 12 through 15 to disrobe during their respective appointments. After the patients disrobed, Dr. Stockin, with no chaperone present, wrongfully viewed or fondled the patients genitals. Although Dr. Stockin committed the abuse under the guise of performing a medical exam, the administrative complaints allege that there was no medical necessity for Dr. Stockin to view or touch the patients genitals in this manner.

The administrative complaints further allege that the Army is liable under the FTCA because it was negligent in hiring, supervising, and retaining Dr. Stockin, and that the Army lacked adequate protocols to keep patients safe from sexual abuse. The new complaints reveal disturbing facts that highlight the Armys negligence. One of the newly filed complaints alleges that a patient reported the abuse he suffered to his superior officer, but this superior did not sound any alarms internally after he was informed. Additionally, two of the new complaints allege that Dr. Stockin was seeing and abusing patients as late as April 2022  two months after the Army claims it removed Dr. Stockin from duty due to the abuse allegations. Lastly, a new complaint alleges abuse of an Airforce servicemember, demonstrating the wide-reaching impact of Dr. Stockins abuse.

On August 30, 2023, Army officials announced that the Army was bringing criminal charges against Dr. Stockin for sexually abusing at least 23 victims, including charges of abusive sexual contact and indecent viewing. On October 17, 2023, similar charges were added for 17 additional victims of Dr. Stockin. On February 23, 2024, Dr. Stockin was arraigned on charges stemming from the sexual abuse of 41 different patients. His case is set for a six-week trial in January 2025. Some experts believe this case has the potential to become one of the largest sexual assault cases in military history.

Each time another victim reaches out to me, I become more and more determined to hold the Army accountable for putting this serial predator in a position to abuse patients, said Dunn. The sheer volume of victims here points to the Armys negligence in failing to keep patients safe.

The Feres Doctrine

Historically, sexual assault claims against the Army have been limited by the Feres Doctrine. This doctrine was established in the 1950 Supreme Court case Feres v. United States. It is the primary impediment to our clients FTCA negligence claims against the Army, as it bars claims involving tortious injuries that are incident to military service. Subsequent interpretations of the doctrine have defined even sexual assault as injury that is incident to military service, making it nearly impossible for servicemember-survivors to pursue civil claims for military sexual assault. Recently, however, the Ninth Circuit in Spletstoser v. Hyten limited Feres such that the plaintiff, a military sexual assault survivor, could pursue her civil sexual assault claims against the Army. This groundbreaking case has broadened the pathway for servicemember-survivors, including John Does 1-15, to attain accountability.

About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP

Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a national public interest class-action litigation law firm with offices in Baltimore, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Diego, and Nashville. Sanford Heisler Sharp focuses on employment discrimination, Title IX, wage and hour, whistleblower, criminal/sexual violence, and financial services matters. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for its clients through many verdicts and settlements. The National Law Journal recognized Sanford Heisler Sharp as 2021 Employment Rights Firm of the Year and 2021 Human Rights Firm of the Year.

For the latest news about Sanford Heisler Sharp, visit the firms newsroom or follow the firm on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

If you experienced sexual abuse and are seeking counsel, please call 202-221-3152 or email cdunn@sanfordheisler.com. Attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp would like to have the opportunity to help you.

For more information, contact Jamie Moss, newsPRos, at 201-788-0142 or Jamie@newspros.com.
Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Aramid Paper Market: Trends, Opportunities and Competitive Analysis [2024-2030]" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The aramid paper market is expected to reach an estimated $739 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 4% from 2023 to 2030



The future of the global aramid paper market looks promising with opportunities in electrical insulation and honeycomb application. The major drivers for this market are increase in number of working women, increasing disposable income, and changing climatic conditions. The major drivers for growth in this market are increasing demand for aramid paper in dry transformers, generators, motors and honeycomb materials for the composites industry.

Companies in the market compete on the basis of product quality offered. Major players in this market focus on expanding their manufacturing facilities, R&D investments, infrastructural development, and leverage integration opportunities across the value chain. With these strategies aramid paper companies cater increasing demand, ensure competitive effectiveness, develop innovative products & technologies, reduce production costs, and expand their customer base.

Meta aramid paper is expected to remain the largest market by value and volume and it is also expected to witness highest growth over the forecast period due to its attractive properties of inherent dielectric strength, mechanical toughness, thermal stability, chemical compatibility, cryogenic capabilities, radiation, and flame resistance.

Europe is expected to remain the largest market and due to the increasing growth in the end uses. APAC is expected to witness the highest growth over the forecast period.

North America is expected to remain the largest in the Aramid Paper Market

United States: Companies like DuPont and Honeywell are leading producers of aramid paper. DuPont announced advancements in aramid paper technology for electrical insulation applications. The US government supports innovation in advanced materials through initiatives like the National Science Foundation (NSF) grants.

Germany: German firms like Weidmann Electrical Technology and Isovolta AG are investing in R&D for aramid paper solutions. Weidmann announced collaborations for developing high-performance insulation materials. The German government promotes research and development in advanced materials through funding programs like the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Japan: Companies like Kyocera Corporation and Toyo Tanso Co., Ltd. are expanding production capacities for aramid paper. Kyocera announced investments in new manufacturing facilities for electronic components. The Japanese government supports innovation in electrical insulation materials through initiatives like the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) grants.

China: Chinese companies such as Xiamen Huanuo Composite Material Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Kingdragon Cable Co., Ltd. are focusing on developing aramid paper products for electrical applications. Xiamen Huanuo announced advancements in aramid paper production technology. The Chinese government promotes technological innovation in advanced materials through policies like the Made in China 2025 plan.

Features of Aramid Paper Market

Market Size Estimates: Aramid paper market size estimation in terms of value ($M) and volume (M lbs)

Trend and Forecast Analysis: Market trends (2018-2023) and forecast (2024-2030) by various segments and regions.

Segmentation Analysis: Market size by application, product type, and region

Regional Analysis: Aramid paper market breakdown by North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World.

Growth Opportunities: Analysis of growth opportunities in different application, product type, and regions for the aramid paper market.

Strategic Analysis: This includes M&A, new product development, and competitive landscape for the aramid paper market.

Analysis of competitive intensity of the industry based on Porter's Five Forces model.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Market Background and Classifications

2.1: Introduction, Background, and Classifications

2.2: Supply Chain

2.3: Industry Drivers and Challenges



3. Market Trends and Forecast Analysis from 2018 to 2030

3.1: Macroeconomic Trends and Forecast

3.2: Global Aramid Paper Market Trends and Forecast

3.3: Global Aramid Paper Market by Application

3.3.1: Electrical Insulation

3.3.2: Honeycomb

3.3.3: Others

3.4: Global Aramid Paper Market by Product Type

3.4.1: Meta Aramid Paper

3.4.2: Para Aramid Paper



4. Market Trends and Forecast Analysis by Region

4.1: Global Aramid Paper Market by Region

4.2: North American Aramid Paper Market

4.2.1: Market by Application: Electrical Insulation, Honeycomb, and Others

4.3: European Aramid Paper Market

4.3.1: Market by Application: Electrical Insulation, Honeycomb, and Others

4.4: APAC Aramid Paper Market

4.4.1: Market by Application: Electrical Insulation, Honeycomb, and Others

4.5: ROW Aramid Paper Market

4.5.1: Market by Application: Electrical Insulation, Honeycomb, and Others



5. Competitor Analysis

5.1: Product Portfolio Analysis

5.2: Operational Integration

5.3: Geographical Reach

5.4: Porter's Five Forces Analysis



6. Growth Opportunities and Strategic Analysis

6.1: Growth Opportunity Analysis

6.1.1: Growth Opportunities for the Global Aramid Paper Market by Material

6.1.2: Growth Opportunities for the Global Aramid Paper Market by Product Type

6.1.3: Growth Opportunities for the Global Aramid Paper Market by Region

6.2: Emerging Trends in the Global Aramid Paper Market

6.3: Strategic Analysis

6.3.1: Mergers, Acquisitions and Joint Ventures

6.3.2: Capacity Expansion

6.3.3: Patent Citations for Aramid Paper



7. Company Profiles of Leading Players

7.1: E.I. Du Pont de Nemours

7.2: Teijin Aramid

7.3: Yantai Tayho Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.

7.4: Shenzhen LongPont Co. Ltd.

7.5: X-FIPER New Material Co., Ltd

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pui1c7

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a longtime provider of surgical, cosmetic, and medical dermatology procedures in the Little Rock area, Dermatology Group of Arkansas is well known for helping patients with a wide variety of dermatology conditions and aesthetic issues. Already a member of the well-established team, Savannah Norwood now serves in a role as a nurse practitioner as of May 6, 2024, bringing her experience, talent, and new title to the group for the benefit of numerous local communities.

Norwood completed her registered nursing program in 2017, initially working in the field of neonatal care. She joined Dermatology Group of Arkansas in 2021 as a registered nurse, then pursued a master of science degree in nursing from Henderson State University. Now, starting in late spring 2024, she can put her degree to use.

Dermatology Group of Arkansas currently claims six doctors, two physician assistants, two nurse practitioners, and a registered nurse. Norwood has become the third nurse practitioner at Dermatology Group of Arkansas. She sees patients of all ages and all skin conditions and has a particular interest in lasers, which the practice offers for hair removal, acne treatments, and both skin rejuvenation and resurfacing.

When not in the office, Norwood enjoys exploring the outdoors, as well as participating in the latest fitness and exercise activities, which she explains help to keep her balanced and focused.

Dermatology Group of Arkansas remains committed to emphasizing top-quality patient care, welcoming the new nurse practitioner as a rapidly integrated and essential member of the team. Beyond laser treatments, the practice offers microneedling, chemical peels, microneedling, injectable Kybella for targeting chin fat, and more.

On the medical and surgical side, find diagnosis and treatment for chronic conditions like psoriasis or eczema, closeup exams of moles, and thorough care for cases of potential skin cancer.

Patients can visit locations in Little Rock, Benton, Conway, Hot Springs, and Pine Bluff.

For more advice about dermatology in the Little Rock area, or to connect with Savannah Norwood, contact the Dermatology Group of Arkansas by calling 501-227-8422 or submitting a contact form online.
Omaha, Nebraska, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sink or swim. Make or break. Do or die. Pick your idiom. They all meant the same thing for marketers at the beginning of 2020.

For Bozella storied agency responsible for iconic marketing and advertising campaigns like milk mustache and The Greatest Show on Dirt for the NCAA Mens College World Series there was no choice but to swim, and swim like crazy. In the midst of a devastating global pandemic, Bozell, like so many businesses during the COVID outbreak, had to adapt to stay afloat in a new era and change the way it had done business for the past century.

The new challenges meant a new focus for many businesses, whether they needed to suddenly create more demand, or nourish more loyalty as supply chains made fulfilling customer orders difficult. Some companies had to completely reimagine their business models.

Over the past three years, Bozell has not only adapted to its clients needs, but thrived by reinventing traditional marketing and advertising cost structures and ushering in a new era of innovation and value for its clients. Bozells Membership Model represents a seismic shift in the industry  it provides not just services, but a comprehensive blueprint for success and a significantly amplified return on investment for businesses that engage with the Midwest-rooted agency.

Our clients look to us as a partner, rather than a vendor  we are truly an extension of their marketing teams, and we share the same financial motivations.  Jackie Miller, Co-owner of Bozell

To be clear, Bozells Membership Model is not a subscription-based service or a retainer model, which both depend on hours required and the scope of the project to produce work. Regardless of real-time market indicators, you are still paying for the hours needed to complete a specific job. However, Bozell offers a true membership, and as the classic American Express ad goes, Membership has its privileges.

This is a massive departure from the conventional agency-client relationship, Miller said. As our membership model has evolved over the past three years, we have moved beyond billable hours to a more dynamic approach where ideas are valued over time spent.

When a client becomes a member, they gain access to Bozells versatile team of creators (graphic artists, animators, copywriters, creative director), social media strategists, public relations experts, media planners and more, all of which are equipped to tackle any challenge, big or small, at one flat rate.

Its an approach that has transformed Bozell from an agency of record to an agency of value, Miller said. And its forged deeper connections between our clients and their customers, which allows our clients to stay ON brand and ON customer.

Not all of Bozells clients join with full membership  some only need one service, such as social media support or a public relations partner, or perhaps a one-off creative campaign.

"We like to think of ourselves as the Swiss Army knife of the marketing and advertising world," added Miller. "Whether you need a magnifying glass or a set of tweezers, or every tool available, we think our Membership Model is a smart choice for a smart world."

Among the benefits of Bozell's Membership Model:

Bozell 360 Listening: A comprehensive approach to understanding clients' needs and market dynamics. When you buy by the idea and not the hour, you want the ideas to be well researched.

Full-service team: From creative direction to PR, social media, content creation and beyond, Bozell offers a complete suite of services under one roof.

Proof of concept: Beta testing initiated in late-2020 has seen a remarkable transformation, with the majority of Bozell's clients now transitioned to the Membership Model.

All the pieces for a modern marketing and advertising agency have come together over the past three years to create what Bozells clients are calling a game-changer.

"Its empowered the team to more strategically approach marketing and advertising, says Tracy Malingo, chief operating officer at Siprocal, a Miami-based, cross-device growth and monetization platform, delivering access to premium audiences and communities across the Americas.

As an emerging company, serving a dynamic market, it is critical that we no longer waste time sifting through scopes of work for every single project that we have pop up  big or small. Our membership means we can pivot on a dime and have instant access to a wide variety of assets, which makes the collaborative process so much easier.

Meanwhile, Javier Camacho, marketing and communications director at the Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins, Colorado, says, We needed to quickly develop a brand awareness campaign that commemorated our utilitys 50th anniversary ... Platte Rivers first-ever external brand awareness campaign in its five decade-long history.

Bozells innovative approach to working and collaborating with their clients allowed us to establish a partnership and turn around a wholistic brand-awareness campaign. This inaugural campaign received more than 11.8 million impressions and 45,000 clicks driving users to a campaign website Bozell helped develop.

Ultimately, Bozell's Membership Model represents not just a shift in strategy but a reimagining of what's possible in the marketing and advertising arena in 2024. As businesses navigate an increasingly complex landscape, full of new hurdles like AI and cookieless tracking, Bozell stands ready to guide them toward success with its innovative, value-driven Membership Model approach.

ABOUT BOZELL

About Bozell: Founded in 1921, Bozell is an Omaha-based, full-service, WBENC-certified marketing and communications agency. Knowledge, drive and a relentless appetite for new challenges define Bozell and its people, who are the agencys biggest asset. Bozell creates strategic, omnichannel campaigns that generate serious results for its clients, and after 100 years in business, Bozell continues to empower those who aspire to change the world.

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Press Release

Nicox: 2024 Ordinary Shareholder Meeting





June 27, 2024  release at 17:30 CET

Sophia Antipolis, France



Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, ALCOX), an international ophthalmology company, informs its shareholders that the Ordinary general meeting convened on first call on Friday June 28, 2024, will not be held as the quorum required by law has not been reached.



The shareholders of Nicox are thus convened on second call for an Ordinary general meeting on the same resolutions and the same agenda on Monday July 15 at 2:30 pm CET in the offices of BuroClub - Drakkar 2 - Batiment D - 2405 route des Dolines - 06560 Valbonne Sophia Antipolis - France.







The documents relating to the general meeting, including the draft resolutions and the proxy form, are made available to shareholders at the headquarters of the Company and on its website (www.nicox.com).







Shareholders may vote by proxy, by internet or by attending the Ordinary shareholder meeting in person. A guide explaining how to vote, and notably how to vote by internet, is posted on Nicoxs website. Shareholders may also contact the Companys Investor Relations team at ag2024nicox@nicox.com for any question on the voting process. The proxy forms sent by correspondence, or the electronic votes received for the Ordinary general meeting initially planned on June 28, 2024 remain valid for the Ordinary general meeting of July 15, 2024.

About Nicox

Nicox SA is an international ophthalmology company developing innovative solutions to help maintain vision and improve ocular health. Nicoxs lead program in clinical development is NCX 470, a novel nitric oxide-donating bimatoprost eye drop, for lowering intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Nicox generates revenue from VYZULTA in glaucoma, licensed exclusively worldwide to Bausch + Lomb, and ZERVIATE in allergic conjunctivitis, licensed in multiple geographies, including to Harrow, Inc. in the U.S., and Ocumension Therapeutics in the Chinese and in the majority of Southeast Asian markets.







Nicox, headquartered in Sophia Antipolis, France, is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (Ticker symbol: ALCOX) and is part of the CAC Healthcare index.



For more information www.nicox.com .

Analyst coverage





H.C. Wainwright & Co Yi Chen New York, U.S.





The views expressed by analysts in their coverage of Nicox are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Nicox. Additionally, the information contained in their reports may not be correct or current. Nicox disavows any obligation to correct or to update the information contained in analyst reports.

Contacts

Nicox

Gavin Spencer

Chief Executive Officer

+33 (0)4 97 24 53 00

communications@nicox.com Media / Investors

Sophie Baumont

Cohesion Bureau

+33 6 27 74 74 49 sophie.baumont@cohesionbureau.com









Disclaimer

The information contained in this document may be modified without prior notice. This information includes forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on current expectations or beliefs of the management of Nicox S.A. and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Nicox S.A. and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents, do not undertake, nor do they have any obligation, to provide updates or to revise any forward-looking statements.



Risks factors which are likely to have a material effect on Nicoxs business are presented in section 3 of the Rapport Annuel 2023 which is available on Nicoxs website (www.nicox.com).



Finally, this press release may be drafted in the French and English languages. If both versions are interpreted differently, the French language version shall prevail.
Construction began Wednesday on 2550 Irving St. on the west side of San Francisco. The site, which will become housing, became the focal point of a battle between advocates for more housing and those who didn't want more density in their neighborhood. J.K. Dineen/The Chronicle

Three and a half years after Sunset neighbors mobilized to block an affordable housing project at 2550 Irving St., construction workers have fenced in the property and backhoes are parked next to piles of dirt, ready to start digging.

The seven-story, 90-unit project, one of the most contentious in the annals of San Francisco land use fights, is significant because it will become a model  good or bad  for what it means to put dense affordable homes in a neighborhood that has been resisting density for decades. The area has added only 26 low-income units over the past few decades.

On Wednesday, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Joel Engardio celebrated the start of construction and expressed hope that the project would smooth the path for similar development on the citys west side, including a 216-unit low-income senior project at 1234 Great Highway, a site currently occupied by the Rodeway Inn & Suites motel.

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The Middle Sunset Neighborhood Association unsuccessfully sought a preliminary injunction in San Francisco Superior Court to stop the project. It also lost an appeal of the demolition of the San Francisco Police Credit Union building that previously occupied the site, as well as two appeals of the building permit.

The group said toxic substances near the property at 2550 Irving St. had not been adequately tested and remediated. Anne Stanley, a spokesperson for the Mayors Office of Housing and Community Development, has said the groups lawsuit and appeals added about $1 million to the $99.4 million project cost, due to legal and environmental consulting fees and additional testing requested by the community and the Board of Appeals.

While the Sunset has produced only about two dozen affordable units in the past decade, more than 4,400 neighborhood residents have applied for affordable housing through the citys lottery system during that same time frame.

Breed said the project should not have taken so long to get started and that many more west side housing developments will be needed if the city is to even come close to its goal of producing 82,000 new units by 2031, 46% of which are supposed to be affordable to low- and moderate-income households.

I think change is hard for people, but the other side means things stay the same and dont get better, Breed said. Youre adding people to the community that will support the small businesses. Would I like to have single family homes for everyone in the city? Of course, people love them. But the reality is San Francisco is a dense city and we have to build where we can.

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Community organizer Siu Cheung said she has spoken to neighbors who have changed their mind about denser apartment buildings. She likes to tell naysayers about her daughters friend who goes to Lincoln High School but lives with her mom in a van parked in the neighborhood.

They have to shower at the school every morning, Cheung said. I try my best to explain to them that San Francisco really needs this. So many people work here but live far away. Its not balanced, its not a healthy way to live.

Construction began Wednesday on 2550 Irving St. on the west side of San Francisco. The site, which will become housing, became the focal point of a battle between advocates for more housing and those who didn't want more density in their neighborhood. J.K. Dineen/The Chronicle

Engardio said he hears constituents lament the fact that so much new housing in the city has been directed at high-income households.

People say we have enough luxury housing, we need affordable, he said. Well, here we are, delivering affordable housing in the Sunset. We are delivering what people say they want.

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Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation Interim Co-CEO Katie Lamont said the 2550 Irving building should be able to assuage the concerns of critics who argued a seven-story building wasnt suitable for the neighborhood or that locals would not be able to get into the new homes. Under the citys local preference ordinance, existing residents who qualify would get first dibs on 13 of the units.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a milestone for the global semiconductor industry, Multibeam Corp. today introduced the MB platform, a first-of-a-kind Multicolumn E-Beam Lithography (MEBL) system built for mass production. The fully automated precision-patterning system will be used for rapid prototyping, advanced packaging, high-mix production, chip ID, compound semiconductors, and other applications. SkyWater Technology will use the system for early concept prototyping and rapid production of microchips.



Multibeams platform revolutionizes e-beam lithography (EBL) with new productivity advantages, while enabling high resolution, fine features, wide field of view, and large depth of focus. The chief productivity driver is the novel architecture which employs multiple miniature columns that operate individually and in parallel, with an advanced control system directing the beams to achieve maximum accuracy, quality, and speed. Throughput is more than 100 times greater than conventional EBL systems, making the MB platform the highest productivity high-resolution maskless lithography system on the market. It gives manufacturing leaders a breakthrough solution to enable rapid development of new IC designs, faster time to market, and accelerated IC innovation.

The platform was developed by a team of semiconductor equipment and patterning technology experts led by industry pioneer, Dr. David K. Lam. It is the first EBL system designed from the ground up for volume production, the first one innovated in Silicon Valley, and built by the first US lithography company to emerge in decades. With the launch, Multibeam becomes the sole domestic supplier of EBL technology.

We are thrilled to introduce the MB platform and proud to send our first production system to SkyWater, said Multibeams Chairman and CEO, Dr. David K. Lam. The semiconductor industrys growth continues to be fueled by exciting new applications, with advanced lithography technologies enabling endless innovations. At the same time, there is soaring growth in markets like AI and edge computing, where the enablers include purpose-built silicon and advanced packaging, and the manufacturers priorities are rapid cycles of learning and cost-effective, seamless transition to production for faster time to market. For these emerging markets, the MB platform offers a complementary lithography solution. With powerful productivity advantages, it unleashes EBLs full precision-patterning capacity and expands the range of lithography options available to IC leaders.

The launch marks Multibeams shift from development stage to producer of high-productivity Multicolumn E-Beam Lithography systems. While EBL is valued for its patterning capabilities, low throughput constrained its capacity to take emerging applications from R&D to production. To unlock the potential, Multibeam re-innovated EBL leveraging well-established technologies to reduce risk.

As the MB platform evolved, new applications were emerging with technical, economic, and time-to-market imperatives that could be effectively addressed by a maskless lithography solution.

This dynamic affirmed our conviction that an EBL system, re-engineered for high productivity, could enable applications at advanced nodes for the first time, said Multibeam President, Dr. Ken MacWilliams. The performance advantages are especially compelling in advanced packaging where our system can enable improvements in chip-to-chip power, along with bandwidth and latency. This is helping to drive a new technology inflection that the industry is starting to call advanced integration -- where new chip-to-chip interconnects can achieve comparable performance to on-chip interconnects. We are proud to enable this inflection with a production-proven lithography solution, and confident that our system will help chipmakers seize profitable new market opportunities, said MacWilliams.

EBL: Re-Innovated for Ultra-High Productivity

The team designed the platform from the outset for volume production, and more than 40 patents protect the innovations. In addition to the multicolumn vector-writing architecture which drives productivity, accuracy, and speed, the platform offers auto wafer loading and alignment from wafer cassette to the exposure process in the system. Uptime is optimized by an automated vacuum recovery system, along with a speedy column replacement process and calibration technology. The advanced automation capabilities reduce operator requirements and further contribute to the systems cost-of-ownership benefits.

As a maskless lithography solution, the platform offers additional advantages. Where it can take weeks to develop optical masks, designs can be written in hours with the MB platform. This gives manufacturers greater IC design latitude, while reducing costs and accelerating time to market. To further enable design flexibility, the platform leverages technology from EDA leader, Synopsys, to generate write recipes, which lets customers achieve their most intricate patterns. With a powerful built-in data prep system, developed in conjunction with Synopsys, the system writes the chip layouts directly onto wafers without masks.

Finally, with a compact footprint the system has lower power requirements and needs less fab space. It is modular by design, with modules easily added as needed for new applications or even higher throughput. In addition, it is fully self-contained and requires no special environment, which further reduces costs. The system is available in 150mm, 200mm and 300mm configurations.

About Multibeam

Multibeam helps semiconductor leaders accelerate chip innovation with the industrys first Multicolumn E-Beam Lithography (MEBL) system built for volume production. The technology enables applications like rapid prototyping, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, chip ID and traceability, high-mix quick-turn manufacturing, compound semiconductors, and more. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the company is privately held and led by a team of semiconductor equipment and patterning technology experts. For more information, visit www.multibeamcorp.com.

Multibeam executives will be at SEMICON West 2024 to share further details on the MB platform. The annual semiconductor equipment and materials conference will be held at Moscone Center in San Francisco, July 9-11. The company can be found at booth #5558 located in the North Hall.

Media/Analyst Contact

Shani Williams; email: swilliams@multibeamcorp.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1368572b-f724-4502-bf3c-96245ea1328f




LONDON, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate, the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and mobile advertising, today released the May 2024 Global Mobile Publisher Trust Index (PTI) for apps across the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store .

Pixalates Publisher Trust Index (PTI) report offers advertisers a comprehensive view of the quality of mobile apps that support programmatic advertising across popular mobile platforms. The report includes rankings by geographic region (North America, EMEA, APAC, LATAM), country, app category, and app store. These rankings are based on multiple factors, including invalid traffic (IVT), popularity, ad density, and engagement scores. Pixalates methodology can be found at Publisher Trust Index: Methodology .

In May 2024, Pixalates data science team analyzed over 29.9 billion global open programmatic ad impressions across 12.5 million mobile apps from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to compile this research.

Explore the complete reports to see the top apps in each region across popular mobile platforms:

Top-Ranked Apple Mobile Apps for Open Programmatic Advertising Quality

Download the full May 2024 Global Mobile Publisher Trust Index - Apple App Store report here .

Top-Ranked Google Play Mobile Apps for Open Programmatic Advertising Quality

Download the full May 2024 Global Mobile Publisher Trust Index - Google Play Store report here .

Download the Reports

Browse Pixalate's Top 100 apps across each platform in the Media Ratings Terminal.



About Pixalate

Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). pixalate.com

DISCLAIMER
SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges Globe Life Inc. (NYSE: GL) investors who suffered substantial losses to act now by submitting your losses here.



Class Period: May 8, 2019  April 10, 2024

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 1, 2024

Website: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/gl

Contact An Attorney Now: GL@hbsslaw.com Phone: 844-916-0895

Globe Life Inc. (GL) Securities Class Action and Activist Short Sellers Investigative Reports:

McKinney, Texas-based insurance giant Globe Life is facing a multi-pronged crisis, grappling with explosive allegations of fraud at its American Income Life (AIL) subsidiary, a federal investigation, and a new securities class action lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of investors, alleges that Globe Life made misleading statements and failed to disclose crucial information concerning potential widespread insurance fraud at AIL and a pervasive culture of sexual harassment.

The fraud began to emerge on Apr. 11, 2024, when short-seller Fuzzy Panda Research issued a scathing report accusing AIL of rampant fraudulent practices. The report, based on interviews with former executives and agents, outlined concerning misconduct:

Issuing policies for deceased or fictitious individuals to inflate business metrics.

Forging signatures on policy documents, compromising operational integrity.

Unauthorized withdrawals from customer bank accounts.

Generating fake policies using fictitious accounts to meet performance targets.

Fuzzy Panda further implicated AIL leadership, alleging fraudulent practices escalated under CEO Steve Greer (appointed 2017) and President Dave Zophin (joined in 2018). Their interviews suggest AIL sales teams wrote over $200 million in fraudulent annual life insurance premiums.

The report also unearthed a potential $43 million bribery and kickback scheme orchestrated by Globe Life executives. The alleged scheme involved concealing ownership of an insurance licensing testing vendor (Xcel Testing) and directing recruits to use their services for licensing exams.

These allegations triggered a significant stock price plunge, with Globe Life shares dropping $55.76 (roughly 53%) on April 11.

Further complicating matters, the company disclosed a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe into AIL's business practices, specifically sales tactics used by agents, in late April. Subpoenas were reportedly issued in late 2023, raising concerns about potential wrongdoing.

Adding to the turmoil, another short-seller, Viceroy Research, commenced a ten-part investigative report series targeting Globe Life on April 30. The initial report detailed:

Extensive background checks on AILs top-performing agents revealing allegations of kidnapping, assault, and child grooming.

A high number of fraud accusations against AIL and its agents, often surfacing in wrongful termination or sexual harassment/assault claims.

How AILs operational methods impact churn rate, structural cash flow issues, employee misclassification risks, and the use of offshore captive reinsurers for potential liquidity against impaired assets.



Were looking into whether Globe Life may have concealed widespread fraudulent business practices at AIL, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you invested in Globe Life and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, submit your losses now 

If youd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Globe Life investigation, read more 

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
Grand Rapids, MI, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization, announces its Summer National Empty the Shelters event from July 8-31, 2024. This lifesaving initiative, hosted at more than 390 shelters across 44 states, offers reduced-fee adoptions to help homeless pets go from shelter kennels to the couches of loving homes.

The warmer months add new challenges to our nations already critically overwhelmed animal shelters. Summer is a time for increased intakes, both owner surrenders and strays, as adoptions slow. The lives of healthy, adoptable pets are on the line as space remains limited and shelters work to keep up with the overwhelming daily influx of pets. During the Summer National Empty the Shelters event, BISSELL Pet Foundation aims to alleviate overcrowding and provide thousands of pets an opportunity to find new families.

Shelters are struggling with a variety of challenges right now - some are evacuating pets because of wildfires, tornadoes, or even loss of air conditioning in extreme heat, and others are overcrowded and having to euthanize highly adoptable pets to make space, a tragic situation," said Cathy Bissell, Founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation. "BISSELL Pet Foundation's upcoming Summer National Empty the Shelters event is a crucial opportunity for people to make a real difference in their community through adoption. Every single adoption saves a life and creates space to save another. Please adopt and give a pet a chance it might otherwise not have. If you can't adopt, fostering saves lives when shelters are full. Deserving pets across the country are counting on all of us.

Adopters can bring home a fully vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed/neutered pet ready to be loved for $50 or less at a participating location. All interested adopters must go through the participating organizations adoption process to ensure they are the best match for the pet. The foundation supports these shelters and rescues with reimbursement for each pet adopted.

BISSELL Pet Foundations Empty the Shelters has helped more than 253,000 pets find loving homes since 2016. As BISSELL Pet Foundations largest program, 762 animal welfare organizations in 47 states and Canada have participated throughout the years. During BISSELL Pet Foundations Empty the Shelters quarterly national events, an average of 1,225 pets are adopted daily.

BISSELL Pet Foundation and participating organizations urge families to research the pet they are interested in adopting and the adoption requirements. To find a participating organization near you or to donate to support Empty the Shelters, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters.

###

About BISSELL Pet Foundation:

BISSELL Pet Foundation is a charitable 501(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help reduce the number of animals in shelters through pet adoption, spay/neuter programs, microchipping, and crisis and disaster response. Founded in 2011 by Cathy Bissell, BPF is an extension of her long-standing love for animals and commitment to their welfare. BPF has since partnered with more than 6,000 shelters and rescues across the U.S. and Canada to help pets find loving homes. The foundation is supported by generous donors and BISSELL Inc. where every purchase saves pets. To learn more or make a lifesaving donation, visit www.bissellpetfoundation.org.

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PORTLAND, Ore., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery in Portland is pleased to announce a new Waldorf Essentials VIP Membership Program. Members can enjoy exclusive perks and benefits at the practices offices in Portland, OR, or Vancouver, WA. This program provides members with a variety of cost-saving benefits and is designed to make it easier than ever to discover the ideal customized treatments for you, schedule them, and achieve optimal results. Not to mention, you can have the confidence and peace of mind in knowing that a plan is in place.



The VIP program is ideal for those hoping to revitalize their skin while counteracting the effects of aging and environmental stressors. With an annual membership fee of $299, you will have access to numerous membership perks. You can choose from:

Baby BOTOX  : 30 units every three months or 120 units/year at $99/month ($12.39/unit)

: 30 units every three months or 120 units/year at $99/month ($12.39/unit) Smooth Operator: 45 units of BOTOX every three months or 180 units/year at $149/month ($11.59/unit)

or

Timeless Beauty: 60 units of BOTOX every three months or 240 units/year at $199/month ($11.19/unit)



The following benefits are available to all members of the VIP program:

Additional BOTOX  units can be purchased at $13/unit

units can be purchased at $13/unit VIP appointments with your favorite injector

10% off spa services

10% off retail products

10% off nonsurgical treatments

20% off dermal filler

40% off three or more syringes of filler

Welcome gift

As of March 2024, the practice has also launched an online store, featuring a large selection of skin products from the Colorescience, EltaMD, and SkinMedica brands. Patients can find specials on products and treatments, along with e-gift cards.

The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery unveiled a location in Vancouver, Wash., in August, with a team exclusively dedicated to med spa treatments. At this location, patients can choose from an array of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, including everything from BOTOX and dermal fillers to skin resurfacing, skin rejuvenation treatments, and fat reduction treatments, permanent cosmetics, IV vitamin therapy, and more. The Vancouver office is located near to the Columbia River at 1405 Southeast 164th Avenue, Suite 100, Vancouver, WA, 98683. Free consultations with plastic surgeon Dr. Heidi Johng are now available at The Waldorf Centers Vancouver location.

In addition to these non-surgical options, the Waldorf Center team makes many forms of cosmetic surgery available, such as breast surgery, body surgery, facial surgery, and reconstructive surgery.

Want to find out more about skin care or plastic surgery in Portland? Contact The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery for further details. Call 503-646-0101 or fill out a contact form online to request a consultation or sign up for Waldorf Essentials VIP Membership.
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Executives of Stellar MLS, a leading multiple listing service (MLS) in the U.S. and the largest in Florida and Puerto Rico, joined global colleagues in Germany recently to network and share intel for leveraging the power of the MLS and using AI and other tech solutions to transform the real estate industry.



German Real Estate Day 2024, hosted by the German Real Estate Association IVD, was held June 6-7 at the Bergson Kunstkraftwerk cultural center in Munich. The theme was Back to the Future, with panels on utilizing the MLS to elevate the industry, using AI and digitizing business processes, and legal and political topics. The event featured more than 50 exhibitors of services and tech solutions for the industry.

Were honored to share best practices for leveraging the MLS and innovative strategies for professional growth with our international colleagues, said Merri Jo Cowen, CEO of Stellar MLS. Together, we can collaborate on solutions to take our industry to the next level and all succeed on a global scale.

Stellar MLS VP of Marketing and Communications Marion Weiler spoke on a panel about how the MLS can benefit real estate professionals in Germany, and the industry at large, by providing access to trusted and accurate data, elevating professionalism, and improving efficiencies in transactions and business results.

Germany is ideally positioned to benefit from the movement to create a new, more effective marketplace, said Weiler. With the right partners who bring experience and trust and offer solutions tailored to this market, there is a special opportunity to secure a successful future for the German real estate industry.

Stellar MLS VP of Technology and Innovation Dr. Mathew Kallumadil shared insights into AIs revolutionary role. Without accurate, reliable data, there is no artificial intelligence, Dr. Kallumadil said. If decision-makers in real estate markets want to leverage innovation for their agents, sellers, buyers and everyone else in the value chain of the transaction, they must commit to building a data-centric ecosystem. That is the fundamental function of an MLS.

German Real Estate Day marked the 100th anniversary of the IVD, a 6,200-member business association representing real estate and other industry professionals.

Stellar MLS is one of the largest multiple listing services in the United States, covering the American Southeast, Puerto Rico, Central America and South America. Created in 1993, Stellar MLS has 19 shareholder organizations and 85,000 customers. Guided by a dynamic vision of embracing innovation, fostering growth, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Stellar MLS consistently sets new standards within the real estate industry.





Photo credit: CEPI

Stellar MLSs executive team met with members of CEPI, the European Association of Real Estate Professionals, in Munich to share best practices for elevating industry professionalism and knowledge among CEPIs member countries.

Media Contact: Caryn McBride

Co-Communications

cmcbride@cocommunications.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f2b24a83-adc1-47f4-9e09-034e2e17a211
Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

27 June 2024 at 22:30 EEST

Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 27.06.2024

Espoo, Finland  On 27 June 2024 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows:

Trading venue (MIC Code) Number of shares Weighted average price / share, EUR* XHEL 454,376 3.50 CEUX - - BATE - - AQEU - - TQEX - - Total 454,376 3.50

* Rounded to two decimals

On 25 January 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to return up to EUR 600 million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of two years. The first phase of the share buyback program in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokias Annual General Meeting on 4 April 2023 started on 20 March 2024 and ends by 18 December 2024 with a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 300 million.

Total cost of transactions executed on 27 June 2024 was EUR 1,590,180. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 103,612,806 treasury shares.

Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement.

On behalf of Nokia Corporation

BofA Securities Europe SA

About Nokia

At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today  and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

Inquiries:

Nokia Communications

Phone: +358 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com

Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

Nokia Investor Relations

Phone: +358 40 803 4080

Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

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Calgary, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For over a quarter of a century, Fairy Tales has been this place  a beacon of creativity and community for 2SLGBTQIA+ artists and audiences alike. With nearly 1600 films showcased over the years, the festival is a living archive of queer experiences across the world.

The 26th annual Fairy Tales Film Festival, one of the longest-running and largest queer film festivals in the Canadian prairies, returns from June 27th to June 30th, 2024. Hosted at the historic GRAND Theatre, this festival promises to be a celebration of creativity, community, and queer to conclude an extraordinary pride month.

At the helm of this year's festival is Shone Thistle, the newly appointed executive director of the Calgary Queer Arts Society. A writer, poet, and visual artist, Thistle's own story is a rich tapestry of creativity and resilience.

When I think of the countless hours our 16 volunteers dedicated to screening 347 submissions, I see a reflection of the passion and commitment that defines our community, Thistle shares. Its an honour to carry forward this legacy, creating a space where queer stories can flourish.

Thistles vision for Fairy Tales is deeply personal. Their belief in the transformative power of storytelling is rooted in their own experiences. Recently named Calgarys 7th Poet Laureate, Thistle brings a unique perspective to their leadership, one that is infused with authenticity and a deep connection to the queer community.

A legacy of advocacy in Western Canada

Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival is more than just a celebration of film; it's a celebration of community, creativity, and diverse representation. As one of the longest-running queer film festivals in Canada, it offers a unique opportunity to experience stories that might otherwise go untold. This year's festival promises to be memorable, with films and events that resonate deeply with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and its supporters.

Queer film festivals have often become one of the very few, if not the only, lifeline to witnessing accurate representation. In a world that could often be uninviting, seeing ourselves on screen, done right, is integral, Thistle says. These festivals bring us together in laughter and tears and serve up the most precious gift: a space for imagining possibilities with our kind of existence and success as usual.

For the first time, the festival will host the Makers Market and Arts Exhibition in the historic lobby of the GRAND Theatre. Attendees can explore unique creations from 15 artists and 10 makers, further enriching the festival experience.

Screenings include an impressive array of films, including the Alberta premiere of Desire Lines; the Canadian premiere of Baldiga  Unlocked Heart, an unflinching portrait of German photographer and AIDS activist Jurgen Baldiga; the seductive and thrilling Shorts: Moonlight Desires: Fairy Tales After Hours; and the compelling Summer Qamp about the historic Camp fYrefly, a documentary film made by Jen Markowitz that follows a group of 2SLGBTQIA youth at an idyllic lakeside camp in Alberta as they enjoy the traditional summer camp experience in a safe, affirming environment. FYrefly is a haven for 2SLGBTQIA+ teens, far away from the fierce political battle currently being waged against queer expression and gender identity across political lines in Alberta. Thistle is announced as the Artist in Residence at the 2024 fYrefly camp!

Taking place at GRAND Theatre from June 27th to June 30th, 2024.

Full Schedule

Ticket/Passes Information:

Low-Barrier Pass: $99.00 (Limited Quantity)

Standard Pass: $129.00

Individual Screenings:

Under-18 and Over-60: $9.99 per ticket

Standard: $15.00 per ticket

Special Offer: Save over 30% on all-access festival passes for a limited time

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit fairytalesfilmfest.com

Attachments
TORONTO, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Labrador Gold Corp. (TSX.V:LAB | OTCQX:NKOSF | FNR: 2N6) (LabGold or the Company) is pleased to announce that, further to its press releases dated April 22, 2024 and May 23, 2024, Shareholders voting at the Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) held on June 27, 2024 approved the sale of the Kingsway Project to New Found Gold Corp. (NFG) by a majority of 87.8%.



Shareholders also overwhelmingly approved the re-election of the Board of Directors, the re-appointment of the Companys auditors and the ratification of the 2023 Stock Option Plan.

NFG will acquire a 100% interest in the Kingsway Project, including all property and mining rights associated with the property, (the Transaction) in exchange for $20,000,000 CAD (the Purchase Price) payable and satisfied by the delivery to LabGold of such number of NFG Common Shares (the Consideration Shares) determined by dividing the Purchase Price by the closing price of the NFG Common Shares on the last trading day prior to the closing of the Transaction. The Transaction is scheduled to close on July 9, 2024. The Consideration Shares will be subject to a resale restriction of four months and one day from the closing of the Transaction.

Additional information regarding the Transaction is set out in the Information Circular mailed to registered shareholders and filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.com.

The TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

About Labrador Gold

Labrador Gold is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and exploration of prospective gold projects in Eastern Canada.

The 100% owned Kingsway project is located in the Gander area of central Newfoundland. The four licenses comprising the Kingsway project cover approximately 12km of the Appleton Fault Zone which is associated with numerous gold occurrences in the region. Infrastructure in the area is excellent located just 18km from the town of Gander with road access to the project, nearby electricity and abundant local water. LabGolds drilling targeting high-grade epizonal gold mineralization along the Appleton Fault Zone has outlined seven gold prospects to date. The Company has approximately $6.4 million in working capital.

The Hopedale property covers much of the Florence Lake greenstone belt that stretches over 60 km. The belt is typical of greenstone belts around the world but has been underexplored by comparison. Work to date by Labrador Gold show gold anomalies in rocks, soils and lake sediments over a 3 kilometre section of the northern portion of the Florence Lake greenstone belt in the vicinity of the known Thurber Dog gold showing where grab samples assayed up to 7.8g/t gold. In addition, anomalous gold in soil and lake sediment samples occur over approximately 40 km along the southern section of the greenstone belt. Labrador Gold now controls approximately 40km strike length of the Florence Lake Greenstone Belt.

The Company has 170,009,979 common shares issued and outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LAB.

For more information please contact:

Roger Moss, President and CEO Tel: 416-704-8291

Or visit our website at: www.labradorgold.com

X: @LabGoldCorp

This News Release should not be considered a comprehensive summary of the Transaction. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions including, but not limited to, TSXV approval. The Transaction cannot close until the required final approval from TSXV. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Information Circular prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. When used in this document, the words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties, such as actual results of current exploration programs, the general risks associated with the mining industry, the price of gold and other metals, currency and interest rate fluctuations, increased competition and general economic and market factors, occur or should assumptions underlying the forward looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, or expected. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements
Portfolio of Oral Selective 47 Inhibitors Acquired from EA Pharma, Eisais GI Subsidiary

Phase 2 Clinical Program in Ulcerative Colitis to Start in First Half of 2025 with Lead Asset

Seasoned Executive Team with History of Execution in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Drug Development to

Join Ensho on July 1

Founded by Neena Bitritto-Garg, Veteran Biotech Equity Research Analyst and Former Eisai Staffer

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J., June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ensho Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough oral therapies for patients with inflammatory diseases, launched today with the announcement that it has acquired a portfolio of oral 47 integrin inhibitors through a worldwide exclusive license agreement with EA Pharma Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Ensho has the right to develop, manufacture, and commercialize these assets globally, excluding certain Asian jurisdictions. The two companies jointly announced the exclusive license agreement in a separate press release today.

Based on results of an extensive Phase 1 clinical program, Ensho has selected NSHO-101, (also known as EA1080), as its lead drug candidate from the portfolio. The Phase 1 program evaluated single and multiple ascending doses of NSHO-101 in over 180 healthy subjects. Results demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), including target engagement. NSHO-101 was generally safe and well-tolerated in healthy subjects. Results of the Phase 1 program support Enshos plans to initiate Phase 2 clinical development in the first half of 2025, starting with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Neena Bitritto-Garg, CFA, founder, president and chief executive officer of Ensho, stated, We are thrilled to acquire this portfolio of oral selective 47 integrin inhibitors derived from AJM300, an oral 4 inhibitor that has been approved in Japan for induction therapy in UC. This, along with my history with Eisai and EA Pharmas impeccable standards for continuous improvement in drug development, led me to found Ensho around this portfolio. We believe NSHO-101 could be a transformational alternative therapy for patients who continue to suffer from IBD despite multiple lines of therapy.

Ensho has recruited a world-class team of executives with decades of experience in inflammatory and gastrointestinal (GI) disease drug development. The team will join Ms. Bitritto-Garg to develop and potentially commercialize these important oral agents for the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) market.

Ms. Bitritto-Garg continued, I am very pleased to welcome to Ensho our seasoned team of executives, including Bittoo Kanwar, M.D., former chief medical officer of Telavant, which was acquired by Roche last year. The teams decades of experience in IBD drug development will enable us to not only move quickly, but also smartly, into Phase 2 clinical development with NSHO-101.

Bittoo Kanwar, M.D., stated, Joining Neena to advance Ensho and its portfolio of promising IBD assets was a tremendously attractive opportunity, given the significant unmet medical needs in IBD, the high potential and validated mechanism of 47, and the potential of our novel, oral clinical development candidates to offer differentiated attributes to patients and physicians looking for therapeutic alternatives. In collaboration with our newly formed Ensho team, many of whom have a long history of working together, we look forward to expeditiously advancing our lead asset, NSHO-101, into Phase 2 development early next year.

Ensho Therapeutics was borne out of Ms. Bitritto-Gargs experience working at Eisai, the parent company of EA Pharma, on business development and in management of the companys key alliance with Biogen Inc. on Leqembi (lecanemab), which is currently being launched in multiple countries for the treatment of early Alzheimers disease. She brings to Ensho nearly a decades worth of experience as an equity research analyst covering the biotechnology sector, including the neuroscience and immunology therapeutic areas. Immediately prior to founding Ensho, she led biotech and biopharma equity research strategy at multiple global banks, including at Citigroup Inc., where she was the head of U.S. biotechnology equity research.

Ms. Bitritto-Garg is a graduate of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management (LSM) at the University of Pennsylvania and holds dual degrees in Biochemistry (B.A.) from the College of Arts and Sciences and Economics (B.S.) with a concentration in finance from Wharton.

Seasoned Executives to Join Ensho July 1, 2024

Effective July 1, 2024, a seasoned team of executives with decades of experience in the discovery, development, and management of biotechnology companies in the inflammatory disease and IBD space will join Ensho. This team will be led by Bittoo Kanwar, M.D., who will join Ensho as chief executive officer. Andy Whitney, Ph.D. will be named chief scientific officer, Suzanne Vyvoda will act as chief operating officer, and Emily Weng, Sc.D. will join the company as chief data science officer. Neena Bitritto-Garg will continue to oversee the team as founder, president and executive chair of Ensho.

Bittoo Kanwar, M.D.

Dr. Kanwar will join Ensho as chief executive officer. His strategic development and execution of inflammatory disease programs spans more than two decades and includes roles as chief medical officer of Telavant Holdings, Inc., a Roivant company acquired by Roche in 2023, where he oversaw the clinical development of RVT-3101, an anti-TL1A antibody, in UC; chief medical officer of Applied Molecular Transport, Inc., where he led the companys IBD-focused clinical development programs; vice president, head of clinical development at Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc., where he also led clinical programs in IBD; and clinical domain lead for IBD at Gilead Sciences, Inc., where he also supported programs in liver fibrosis/NASH, and Hepatitis B and C.

Dr. Kanwar was an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), focused on researching the role of the gut adaptive immune response in both HIV infection and IBD. He holds a B.S. from the University of Minnesota and an M.D. from the University of Iowa. He completed his residency at Rush University Hospitals in Chicago and a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at UCSF.

Andy Whitney, Ph.D.

Dr. Whitney will join Ensho as chief scientific officer. He brings to Ensho over 25 years of experience in drug discovery and development in autoimmune/inflammatory, oncology, and rare diseases. He has led multiple drug discovery projects as senior vice president, head of preclinical development and translational science at Applied Molecular Transport; vice president, biology at BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.; director in Gileads inflammation and oncology research group; and was one of the earliest scientists at CGI Pharmaceuticals where he led biology, bioinformatics, and project teams until its acquisition by Gilead.

Andy was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He holds an A.B. from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in cell biology from Yale.

Suzanne Vyvoda

Ms. Vyvoda will join Ensho as chief operating officer. She brings to Ensho over 20 years of execution and management of drug development and clinical operations programs, including as vice president and head of development operations at Telavant, a Roivant company acquired by Roche in 2023; vice president of development operations and head of clinical operations at Applied Molecular Transport; director of clinical operations at AbbVie Inc.; senior clinical program manager at Gilead and senior manager of clinical operations at BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Suzanne holds a B.S. in sociology and economics from the University of Utah.

Emily Weng, Sc.D.

Ms. Weng will join Ensho as chief data science officer. She brings to Ensho two decades of expertise in applying statistical and design methods throughout the diverse aspects of research and development programs across broad therapeutics pipelines in biopharmaceutical industry, including immunology and inflammatory diseases. She served as vice president, head of biometrics and data science at Telavant, a Roivant company acquired by Roche in 2023; vice president, head of biometrics at Applied Molecular Transport; senior director, biometrics, and statistical head of respiratory TA at Theravance Biopharma, Inc., and director, biostatistics at Allergan Plc, acquired by AbbVie in 2020.

Ms. Weng holds an Sc.D. in cancer biology with a minor in biostatistics and an M.S. in epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She holds an Executive M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

About Selective a4b7 Integrin Inhibition

47 is a cell surface receptor that helps regulate the migration of immune cells to the intestine and plays a key role in controlling inflammatory responses. It binds to mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), which is expressed on intestinal venules and is upregulated in response to inflammation. This interaction helps facilitate the transport of leukocytes and recruitment of effector lymphocytes to the gut mucosa in IBD. Because 47 is found primarily in the gut, this localized action provides immune cell inhibition where it is most relevant, potentially minimizing side effects and preserving overall immune cell function.

Decades of research validate 47 inhibition as an anti-inflammatory mechanism in IBD, which has been further substantiated by the approval of a commercially available antibody, vedolizumab. Yet, there are no approved orally administered 47 inhibitors agents for the treatment of IBD.

About NSHO-101 (also known as EA1080)

NSHO-101 is a novel, oral, selective 47 integrin inhibitor designed for the potential treatment of patients with IBD. The Phase 1 clinical program for NSHO-101 evaluated 184 healthy subjects to assess safety, tolerability, food effects, PK and PD of single and multiple ascending doses of NSHO-101. NSHO-101 demonstrated target engagement in this Phase 1 program. There were no appreciable increases in peripheral lymphocytes, suggesting its activity is gut-restricted. NSHO-101 was generally safe and well tolerated. Ensho plans to initiate Phase 2 clinical development of NSHO-101 as a potential treatment for UC in the first half of 2025.

About Ensho Therapeutics, Inc.

Ensho Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough oral therapies for patients with inflammatory diseases. The companys initial focus is on a pipeline of oral, selective small molecule inhibitors of lymphocyte homing integrin 47 for IBD, a mechanism already validated by a commercially available antibody. Enshos assets were acquired from EA Pharma Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Eisai Co., Ltd., that is focused on gastrointestinal disease. Ensho is preparing to initiate a Phase 2 clinical program in UC with NSHO-101, the lead asset in the companys pipeline. For additional information on Ensho Therapeutics, Inc., please visit www.enshorx.com.

Contacts:

Media:

Aljanae Reynolds

Areynolds@wheelhouselsa.com

Investors:

info@enshorx.com
At City Hall on Wednesday, the Budget and Appropriations Committee passed a budget deal for a record $15.9 billion that restores $60 million in funding to critical city services. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Loud cheers echoed across City Hall after a key committee passed a budget deal with Mayor London Breed that restores nearly $60 million in funding cuts she proposed to child care, food insecurity and violence prevention programs, among others.



The deal was struck just after 6 p.m. Wednesday, an unusually early end time to negotiations that in past years have kept officials at City Hall well past midnight.

The deal for the record $15.9 billion budget passed with four votes in favor at the Budget and Appropriations Committee. It now heads to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote and then to Mayor London Breed for her signature.

There was one notable absence at the committee vote: Supervisor Aaron Peskin. The Board of Supervisors president, who is running for mayor, missed the final vote after leaving earlier in the afternoon to attend a fundraiser on Russian Hill, according to an email obtained by the Chronicle.



The deal restores services for public health and childrens oral health, for food access, as well as for youth and family services such as child care and violence prevention programs. The budget preserves the mayors proposed downtown revitalization spending, which a key city office suggested be cut last week.

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Out of $95 million in budget cuts, the board restored about $59 million and put about $36 million into several departments rainy-day funds.



The cuts were needed because the city faces a $790 million budget deficit over the next two years that Breed proposed closing with one-time funds, funding cuts and redirecting revenue.



Breeds office said in a statement that the agreement reached with the board preserves the priorities the Mayor delivered with her proposed budget.

The mayors office said that no major priorities were reduced that the Mayor proposed despite this difficult deficit and that she looks forward to seeing this through the final votes at the Board and signing it next month.



Breeds proposal maintained or increased funding for her top priorities, including increased staffing for nurses, police officers, sheriffs deputies and emergency dispatchers. Outside of those frontline positions, she wants to keep the size of the city workforce largely flat.



Breed also plans to increase shelter slots for homeless families and expand eligibility for early child care vouchers. She intends to use $45 million in opioid settlement funds to pay for initiatives to address the drug crisis, including expanded programs to reduce racial disparities in overdose deaths.

Other investments include continuing to rely on Public Works cleaning crews and contractors to clean sidewalks, remove litter and sweep gutters.



However, critics  including budget chair Supervisor Connie Chan  have said the budget does little to address the citys structural deficit.



After the vote, Chan went directly back to her office, walking past jubilant advocates and City Hall insiders having pizza.



I dont want to put a damper on things, but I dont think this moment calls for celebration, Chan said. Im still worried about what the future holds if we dont come face to face with our economic reality.

San Francisco for years has seen growing spending, but revenue growth hasnt kept up.



Every year, after the mayor submits a budget proposal, the budget committee proposes cuts to the mayors plan and hears from the public about what to prioritize. Insiders call it the add-back process, and last year the Board of Supervisors shifted about $88 million from Breeds priorities to other areas.

Last week, San Francisco supervisors criticized the mayors budget, arguing planned cuts to rental assistance, education programs and a community ambassadors initiative, among other proposals, would harm vulnerable communities.



The process is byzantine and hectic: Deals between the supervisors and the mayor are often struck in the middle of the night after hours-long, tense meetings behind closed doors. Last year, staff packed up around midnight after a late-night deal was finalized.

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But this years budget negotiations were much faster.

Supervisor Myrna Melgar described this years process as collaborative between the board and the mayors office, saying that Chan has performed brilliantly in finding the money to restore cuts.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly attributed quotes to City Controller Greg Wagner.
TSXV: MTA

NYSE AMERICAN: MTA

VANCOUVER, June 26, 2024 - Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd. ("Metalla" or the "Company") (NYSE American: MTA) (TSXV: MTA) is pleased to announce the voting results for its annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 26, 2024 (the "Meeting").

A total of 43,568,399 shares were represented at the Meeting, being 47.62% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares. Shareholders approved all matters brought before the Meeting as follows:

REPORT ON PROXIES

MOTIONS NUMBER OF SHARES PERCENTAGE OF VOTES CAST FOR AGAINST WITHELD/ABSTAIN FOR AGAINST WITHHELD/ABSTAIN Number of Directors 40,719,700 2,848,698 0 93.46 % 6.54 % 0.00 % Brett Heath 29,469,948 0 1,597,121 94.86 % 0.00 % 5.14 % Lawrence Roulston 28,599,477 0 2,467,591 92.06 % 0.00 % 7.94 % Alexander Molyneux 29,321,053 0 1,746,015 94.38 % 0.00 % 5.62 % James Beeby 30,040,528 0 1,026,540 96.70 % 0.00 % 3.30 % Amanda Johnston 29,995,872 0 1,071,195 96.55 % 0.00 % 3.45 % Appointment of Auditors 43,176,306 0 392,089 99.10 % 0.00 % 0.90 % Share Compensation Plan 28,909,885 2,157,183 0 93.06 % 6.94 % 0.00 %

ABOUT METALLA

Metalla is a precious and base metals royalty and streaming company with a focus on gold, silver, and copper royalties and streams. Metalla provides shareholders with leveraged metal exposure through a diversified and growing portfolio of royalties and streams. Our strong foundation of current and future cash-generating asset base, combined with an experienced team gives Metalla a path to become one of the leading gold, silver, and copper companies for the next commodities cycle. For further information, please visit our website at www.metallaroyalty.com.

ON BEHALF OF METALLA ROYALTY & STREAMING LTD.

(signed) "Brett Heath"

President and CEO

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, the potential for Metalla to become one of the leading precious metal royalty and streaming companies. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Metalla to control or predict, that may cause Metalla's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions and other related risks and uncertainties including other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent annual information form, annual report on Form 40-F and other documents filed with or submitted to the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on the EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. Metalla undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/metalla-announces-voting-results-from-annual-general-meeting-302183838.html

SOURCE Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd.
TORONTO, June 26, 2024 - Laramide Resources Ltd. ("Laramide" or the "Company") (TSX: LAM) (ASX: LAM) (OTCQX: LMRXF) is pleased to announce the voting results from its annual meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Toronto.

Shareholders voted in favour of all matters brought before the Meeting. Each of those matters is set out in detail in the Management Information Circular published in connection with the Meeting, which is available at www.laramide.com.

A total of 109,422,199 common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") were represented and all matters presented for approval at the Meeting have been duly authorized and approved. as follows:

(i) election of all management nominees to the Board of Directors of the Company;

(ii) appointment of RSM Canada LLP as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorization of the directors to fix their remuneration.

Each of the five director nominees listed in the information circular for the 2024 Meeting was elected as a director of Laramide Resources to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders or until their respective successors are elected or appointed. This includes new director John Mays who replaces Scott Patterson who did not stand for re-election.

Nominee Shares Voted For (#) Shares Against (#) John Booth 73,037,320 24,971,361 Marc Henderson 90,698,862 7,309,819 Jacqueline Allison 89,780,459 8,228,222 Raffi Babikian 89,575,862 8,432,819 John Mays 89,780,862 8,227,819

The formal report on voting results with respect to all matters voted upon at the meeting is filed on SEDAR.

"On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mr. Patterson for his valuable service to the Company," said John Booth, Chair, Board of Directors, Laramide Resources. "We are excited to welcome Mr. Mays who brings exceptional technical knowledge of in-situ recovery of uranium and will help guide Laramide as the demand for uranium to fuel nuclear power and a clean energy future continues to increase."

To learn more about Laramide, please visit the Company's website at www.laramide.com

Follow us on Twitter @LaramideRes

About Laramide Resources Ltd.:

Laramide is focused on exploring and developing high-quality uranium assets in Australia and the western United States. The company's portfolio comprises predominantly advanced uranium projects in districts with historical production or superior geological prospectivity. The assets have been carefully chosen for their size, production potential, and the two large projects are considered to be late-stage, low-technical risk projects.

The Westmoreland project in Queensland, Australia, is one of the largest uranium development assets held by a junior mining company. This project has a PEA that describes an economically robust, open-pit mining project with a mine life of 13 years. Additionally, the adjacent Murphy Project in the Northern Territory of Australia is a greenfield asset that Laramide strategically acquired to control the majority of the mineralized system along the Westmoreland trend.

In the United States, Laramide's assets include the NRC licensed Crownpoint-Churchrock Uranium Project. An NI 43-101 PEA study completed in 2023 has described an in-situ recovery ("ISR") production methodology. The Company also owns the La Jara Mesa project in the historic Grants mining district of New Mexico and an underground project, called La Sal, in Lisbon Valley, Utah.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The actual results could differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection in the forward-looking information. Certain material factors or assumptions were applied in drawing a conclusion or making a forecast or projection as reflected in the forward-looking information.

SOURCE Laramide Resources Ltd.
VANCOUVER, June 27, 2024 - Vortex Metals Inc. (TSXV: VMS) (FSE: DM8) (OTCQB: VMSSF) (" Vortex" or the" Company ") is pleased to announce the appointment of Banco de Chile Director and distinguished businessman Mr. Paul Furst to its Board of Directors. Mr. Furst is also a principal in Windows Minerals, Vortex Metals Optionor on the Chilean Illapel Copper Project.

"We are delighted to welcome Paul to the board of Vortex Metals. This appointment marks a significant event for the Company, as Paul's impressive credentials and extensive experience in the commercial real estate, banking and mining sectors will bring valuable insights and leadership to Vortex Metals", commented, Vikas Ranjan, Co-founder, president and CEO of Vortex Metals.

Mr. Furst stated, "I am very pleased to join the board of Vortex Metals. We believe that Illapel Project, together with projects in Mexico, represent a great complement and an important opportunity for the Company. The Illapel project is adjacent to and extending from our existing mining operation in a well-established mining region. I am excited to join the board of Vortex Metals and look forward to working closing with its management team to develop a world class copper and gold asset".

Mr. Furst is also a partner and board member of Banco de Chile, listed on the NYSE since 2019. Banco de Chile was established in 1893 and with a market value of approximately US$ 12 Billion, it is the largest private bank in Chile. The bank is headquartered in Santiago, Chile with network of over 400 branches and 1900 plus ATMs spread across the country.

Mr. Furst also has significant interest and experience in the mining industry. Over his 18 years in the mining sector, he has developed specializations in mining services, drilling, and ventilation chimneys. He is a partner and director of Ventana Minerals, a mining contractual company with interests in copper and gold properties in northern Chile and a mineral processing plant in Rengo. He also is a partner and director since 2005 of the mining drilling and hydrogeology company Terra Services.

Mr. Furst has been a Partner and Board Member of Mall Plaza since 1997, the largest shopping mall development and management company in Latin America operating in Chile, Peru, and Colombia with a market value of approximately US $3 Billion, annual sales from malls under operations of US $4,500 million with 285.2 million visitors. From 1998 to date, he has been a director of Grupo Plaza SA, whose Audit Committee he served for two years, until April 2019. His role in the early development of the first shopping mall in Chile, Parque Arauco, from 1986 to 1997, further highlights his significant contributions to the industry.

Mr. Furst is a commercial engineer from the Universidad del Desarrollo and also completed the Senior Management Program (PADE) at the ESE Business School of the Universidad de los Andes.

The addition of Paul Furst to the Board of Directors is a significant development for the Vortex Metals team, reflecting the Company's commitment to excellence and growth in the mining sector. Mr. Furst's wealth of experience and strategic business acumen will be invaluable as Vortex Metals continues to advance its diversified portfolio of exploration projects in Chile and Mexico.

The Company also announces that it has granted a total of 1.625 million incentive stock options to purchase common shares of the company to certain directors, officers, advisors and consultants of the company. Each option is exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of $0.10 per common share for a period ranging from five to ten years from the date of grant. The company has also granted one million restricted share units (RSUs) to certain directors and officers of the company. Both stock options and restricted share units vest quarterly over a period of one year.

About Vortex Metals Inc.

Vortex Metals Inc. is a copper-focused exploration and development company with a diversified portfolio of exploration projects in Chile and Mexico. Vortex holds an option to acquire up to 80% interest in the brownfield Illapel Copper Project in Chile and through its Mexican subsidiary Empresa Minera Acagold, S.A. de C.V., it owns 100% interest in two drill-ready high-potential copper-gold volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) properties, Riqueza Marina and Zaachila in Oaxaca, Mexico. The company emphasizes responsible exploration, community engagement, and environmental stewardship to meet the rising global demand for copper sustainably.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward looking statements that are made as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions which involve risks and uncertainties associated with our business including permitting approvals, any private placement financings, the uncertainty as to whether further exploration will result in the target(s) being delineated as a mineral resource, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and prices, estimated goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the Company's future successes with its business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are made pursuant to the 'safe harbour' provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as several factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company's most recent annual MD&A and the Company's continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca . The Company does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The Company cautions that mineralization on, or production from, neighbouring properties is no guarantee of the existence of similar mineralization or a guarantee of future production from the Illapel Project.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banco-de-chile-director-to-join-the-board-of-vortex-metals-302183913.html

SOURCE Vortex Metals Inc.
Vancouver, June 27, 2024 - Myriad Uranium Corp. (CSE: M) (OTCQB: MYRUF) (FSE: C3Q) ("Myriad Uranium" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Mr. Douglas Christopherson has joined the Company's Technical Committee.

Mr. Christopherson brings over 50 years of mining, exploration, and development experience to Myriad Uranium, having worked as Chief Engineer, Mine Manager, and General Manager at significant projects worldwide. He has extensive experience conducting technical due diligence and economic evaluations of uranium, base, precious, and rare earth projects worldwide, including authoring National Instrument 43-101 and competent persons reports. He is a Retired Registered Member the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (S.M.E.) and the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

Myriad Uranium's CEO, Thomas Lamb, stated, "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Christopherson to the Company's Technical Committee. In connection with our current private placement, Mr. Christopherson has conducted a comprehensive analysis of our historical data on the Copper Mountain Uranium Project, and provided numerous insights and recommendations. Looking ahead, we anticipate his contributions as we work to confirm and expand on already significant historical resources, target deeper mineralisation, and expand our exploration efforts into newly-acquired adjacent zones - all considered highly prospective. Since Union Pacific's tenure in the 1970s, when they spent upwards of C$117 million (today's dollars) drilling 2,000 boreholes and planning a large-scale conventional uranium mine at Copper Mountain Uranium Project, experts have expanded their thinking regarding the project's geology and potential, looking far beyond the 6-pit plan Union Pacific had developed. For example, a 2010 Neutron Energy internal report states that the Copper Mountain Uranium Project offers a 'a high chance for discovery of world-class deposits in both the hard rock and sandstone.'"

Mr. Christopherson remarked, "Given the size of the property and the limited amount of explored ground, the exploration potential at Copper Mountain is constrained only by historical production figures from each uranium system and the project geologist's creativity. The uranium production potential at Copper Mountain is limited only by the mining engineer's ingenuity."

About Myriad Uranium Corp.

Myriad Uranium Corp. is a uranium exploration company with an earnable 75% interest in the Copper Mountain Uranium Project in Wyoming, USA. Copper Mountain hosts several known uranium deposits and historic uranium mines, including the Arrowhead Mine which produced 500,000 lbs of eU3O8. Copper Mountain saw extensive drilling and development by Union Pacific, which developed a mine plan and built a leach pad for one of the deposits at Copper Mountain. Operations ceased in 1980 before mining could commence due to falling uranium prices. Approximately 2,000 boreholes have been drilled at Copper Mountain and the project area has significant exploration upside. Union Pacific is estimated to have spent C$117 million (2024 dollars) exploring and developing Copper Mountain, generating significant historical resource estimates which are detailed here. The Company's presentation can be viewed here.

Myriad also has a 50% interest in the Millen Mountain Property in Nova Scotia, Canada, with the other 50% held by Probe Metals Inc., and an 80% interest in uranium exploration licences in Niger. For further information, please refer to Myriad's disclosure record on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), contact Myriad by telephone at +1.604.418.2877, or refer to Myriad's website at www.myriaduranium.com.

Myriad Contacts:

Thomas Lamb

President and CEO

tlamb@myriaduranium.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Mineralization hosted on adjacent or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. This news release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, the Company's business, plans, outlook and business strategy. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "will", "likely", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect, including with respect to the Company's business plans respecting the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties, the proposed work program on the Company's mineral properties and the potential and economic viability of the Company's mineral properties. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in costs; litigation; legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; and technological or operational difficulties. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214531
MONTREAL, June 27, 2024 - Falco Resources Ltd. (TSXV: FPC) ("Falco" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the closing of the first tranche (the "First Tranche") of its previously announced "best efforts" brokered private placement (the "Offering") with Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud"), acting as lead agent and sole bookrunner on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Paradigm Capital Inc. (collectively, the "Agents"). Under the First Tranche of the Offering, Falco has issued an aggregate of 4,058,269 units of the Corporation (the "Units") at a price of C$0.23 per Unit and 4,464,286 flow-through shares of the Corporation (each, a "FT Share", and collectively with the Units, the "Offered Securities") at a price of C$0.28 per FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of C$2,183,402.

Each Unit consists of one common share (each, a "Common Share") of the Corporation and one half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.35 at any time on or before that date which is 24 months after the closing date of the First Tranche of the Offering. Each FT Share consists of one Common Share issued as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Income Tax Act").

The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of Units for the advancement of the Horne 5 Project in Quebec as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. The net proceeds from the sale of the FT Shares will be used to fund exploration on the Corporation's other properties. The FT Shares will be issued as "flow-through shares" as defined in subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act. The Corporation will, in a timely and prescribed manner and form, incur (or be deemed to incur) resource exploration expenses which (i) will constitute "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act, and (ii) will, for eligible Quebec resident subscribers of FT Shares, be entitled to both additional 10% deductions provided for under section 726.4.10 and section 726.4.17.2 of the Taxation Act (Quebec) ("Qualifying Expenditures"), in an amount equal to the amount raised pursuant to the sale of FT Shares, and the Corporation will, in timely and prescribed manner and form, renounce the Qualifying Expenditures (on a pro rata basis) to each subscriber of FT Shares with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2024 in accordance with the Income Tax Act and the Taxation Act (Quebec).

In connection with the closing of the First Tranche of the Offering, the Corporation paid the Agents a cash commission totaling C$116,170 and have issued the Agents 446,859 non-transferrable compensation warrants (each, a "Broker Warrant"). Each Broker Warrant entitles the Agents to purchase one Common Share of the Corporation at an exercise price of $0.23 per Broker Warrant at any time for a term of 24 months following the date of issuance.

All Common Shares and Warrants issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day from the date of issuance of the Offered Securities under applicable securities laws in Canada.

Insiders of the Corporation subscribed for 395,478 Units under the Offering. Each transaction with an insider of the Corporation constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Corporation is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) in respect of such insider participation as the fair market value of the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, does not exceed 25% of the Corporation's market capitalization.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereunder.

About Falco

Falco Resources Ltd. is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Province of Quebec, with extensive land holdings in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Falco owns approximately 67,000 hectares of land in the Noranda Mining Camp, which represents 67% of the entire camp and includes 13 former gold and base metal mine sites. Falco's principal asset is the Horne 5 Project located under the former Horne mine that was operated by Noranda from 1927 to 1976 and produced 11.6 million ounces of gold and 2.5 billion pounds of copper. Osisko Development Corp. is Falco's largest shareholder owning a 16.7% interest in the Corporation.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to anticipated business plans or strategies, including any subsequent tranches of the Offering. Statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "plans", "expects", "seeks", "may", "should", "could", "will", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", or variations including negative variations thereof of such words and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing statements, he proposed use of the proceeds of the Offering and references to a potential second tranche of the Offering are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, results, performance or achievements of Falco to differ materially from any future plans, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risk and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set out in Falco's annual and/or quarterly management discussion and analysis and in other of its public disclosure documents filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca, as well as all assumptions regarding the foregoing. Although Falco believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Falco disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES/



SOURCE Falco Resources Ltd.







For further information, please contact:



Luc Lessard, President and Chief Executive Officer

514-261-3336

info@falcores.com


Vancouver, June 27, 2024 - Dryden Gold Corp. (TSXV: DRY) (OTCQB: DRYGF) ("Dryden Gold" or the "Company") announces that it has amended its stock option grant, previously announced on June 11, 2024, to reduce the total number of incentive stock options granted from 2,500,000 to an aggregate of 2,250,000 incentive stock options. The incentive stock options are granted under the Company's stock option plan to management, board of directors, strategic advisors, investor relations service providers and consultants of the Company. The terms of the stock options remain unchanged and are exercisable at a price of $0.14 per share for a period of 10 years from the date of grant. The options will vest 20% on the date of grant and 20% every six months thereafter for a total period of two years.

ABOUT DRYDEN GOLD CORP.

Dryden Gold Corp. is an exploration company focused on the discovery of high-grade gold mineralization listed on the TSX Venture Exchange ("DRY") and on the OTCQB marketplace ("DRYGF"). The Company has a strong management team and Board of Directors comprised of experienced individuals with a track record of building shareholder value through property acquisition and consolidation, exploration success, and mergers and acquisitions. Dryden Gold controls a 100% interest in a dominant strategic land position in the Dryden District of Northwestern Ontario. Dryden Gold's property package includes historic gold mines but has seen limited modern exploration. The property hosts high-grade gold mineralization over 50km of potential strike length along the Manitou-Dinorwic deformation zone. The property has excellent infrastructure, enjoys First Nations support and proximity to an experienced mining workforce.

For more information go to our website www.drydengold.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Trey Wasser, CEO

Email: twasser@drydengold.com

Phone: 940-368-8337

Maura Kolb, M.Sc.. P. Geo., President

Email: mjkolb@drydengold.com

Phone: 807-632-2368

Ashley Robinson, Investor Relations

Email: ir@drydengold.com

X: @DrydenGold

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to : the acquisition of the Property, receipt of corporate and regulatory approvals, issuance of options and common shares; future development plans; future acquisitions; exploration programs; and the business and operations of Dryden Gold. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings including receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval for the acquisition of the Property; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in Dryden Gold's and the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward--looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Dryden Gold and the Company do not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from Dryden Gold's and the Company's expectations or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/214691
The building at 1128 Market St. was being considered for a womens shelter in San Francisco, but the group that would have run the shelter says a delay in funding has caused them to give up the building. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

A few months ago, a nonprofits vision for converting a fully vacant office building in San Franciscos Civic Center neighborhood into a 150-bed long-term shelter and drop-in center for women in crisis appeared to be within reach.

Community Forward SF, which already operates supportive housing and a women-focused program in the city, negotiated a contract to buy the 80,000-square-foot building at 1128 Market St. out of foreclosure for half of what the property was worth pre-pandemic.

The nonprofit and other aligned groups spent months drumming up support for a $300 million affordable housing bond, which voters approved in March  effectively creating a new potential funding source for Community Forward to dip into for the acquisition. A bond measure, Proposition A, contains a $30 million provision to build, buy or rehabilitate housing specifically for women experiencing homelessness, abuse or both  a first for the city.

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But before Community Forward could apply for the $20 million in capital funds needed to close the deal, it appears to be unraveling. The groups members say that is because the city has yet to start the process required for unlocking the voter-approved bond dollars, and that the delay has caused the nonprofit to fall out of contract with the bank thats in control of 1128 Market St.

After being granted multiple extensions in recent months to close the deal, Community Forward told the Chronicle that it terminated its contract for the property on Tuesday. That means that the shelter plan is likely over at this location. Falling out of contract at 1128 Market also has potentially larger consequences for Community Forward, which is facing an expiring lease at another property where it runs a resource center.

Adam-Michael Royston of Community Forward said his team had no choice. East West Bank, which seized the struggling office property last year and declined to comment, offered the nonprofit another contract extension through September, but on the condition that it agree to a significant nonrefundable deposit.

The building at 1128 Market St. was being considered for a womens shelter in San Francisco, and would have been run by the group Community Forward SF. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

We terminated because we have no information from the city about when the NOFA will be issued, said Royston, referring to a Notification of Funding Availability, which is used in the procurement process that the San Francisco Mayors Office on Housing and Community Development, or MOHCD, must initiate in order to disburse the funding to qualifying applicants.

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The NOFA process requires that organizations chasing the bond funding must show that they have obtained control of a site, MOHCD confirmed to the Chronicle. Site control includes a purchase and sale agreement, which is what Community Forward had with East West Bank.

But the city  which is facing a more than $800 million deficit driven by plummeting tax revenues as commercial vacancies rise downtown  is also concerned with whether applicants have enough private funding to operate their transitional housing projects after they are built.

Community Forward said that it has tried to contact MOHCD for information on the timing of the NOFA, but has not received answers. However, its members say theyve heard that potential applicants would first be required to show that they can cover the costs of running the center for the foreseeable future.

This process has lacked transparency, which has been really frustrating, Royston said. Weve been very respectful of the fact that its a competitive bid process  but then to be told multiple times by third-party people that there are these other requirements when MOHCD hasnt told that directly to us, is very confusing.

MOHCD spokesperson Anne Stanley said that the department is not aware of such a policy, referring to the suggestions that applicants would not be able to fall back on city subsidies for several years. But she did confirm that how to fund the operations of Community Firsts proposed shelter or similar projects is a consideration city stakeholders are working through.

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Stanley said that while theres a clear amount allocated for capital expenditures thanks to the bond, city departments are working together to identify operating funding that the shelter will need.

That is an essential step for issuing the NOFA, Stanley said, adding that it is typical that the city would first understand what funding resources are available to ensure the projects sustainability over the long term.

NOFA applications would then be evaluated with those operational funds in mind, she said.

The building at 1128 Market St. was being considered for a womens shelter in San Francisco, but that plan is likely dead after a delay in funding. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle

Community Forward said it has new market tax credits lined up to fund some of the shelters operations, and also has private donors. The Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation would serve as Community Forwards development partner for 1128 Market.

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There is a significant need for this type of housing  and what I think is really nice and could be pivotal for the city of San Francisco is that this project is using underutilized office space to meet that need, said TNDCs director of housing development, Chris Cummings.

Cummings added that the process of drafting a NOFA to select a candidate and disburse the funding does take time.

But Community Forward said it briefed city stakeholders  including MOHCD  on the need for expanding womens services and its plans for opening a shelter during a half-day work retreat last summer.

At this retreat, we asked for a collection of ideas on how to problem-solve, and getting an earmark in this housing bond was one of the solutions, said Rebecca Jackson, program director at the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justices Cameo House.

Meanwhile, existing services are at stake. Community Forward operates a 24-hour drop-in center for women that not only faces an expiring lease, but is also located in a building that has been listed for sale by the landlord.

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The drop-in center is operating on a finite time, Jackson said. So yes, this is about expansion, but its also about the preservation of this service.

SF SafeHouse, another womens organization, recently acquired a 22-unit building south of downtown for $4.5 million that will house its clients. The organization is also banking on the Prop A funding to help it pay off a $2.5 million loan used to acquire the building.

We specifically advocated for funding for survivors of domestic violence, trafficking and sexual abuse. And now it seems like the very advocates that campaigned for this population and asked for a seat at the table, are no longer at the table, said Yves Langston Barthaud, SafeHouses chief policy and advocacy officer. The longer this drags out, the people that are affected the most are the on the street and experiencing this type of violence on a daily basis.

Stanley, of MOHCD, explained that bond financing in the past has been used for permanent housing, and that the department doesnt usually fund shelter projects. Thats why allocating the Prop A dollars for transitional housing is now a cross-departmental effort, involving the citys Department on Homelessness and Supportive Housing, or HSH, and others.

Still, she said, the city is being consistent with its process for issuing affordable housing dollars, a process that it followed with previous bonds.

We do not issue debt until specific timelines for projects have been determined and we then coordinate issuances to include multiple projects in order to limit costs and increase efficiency, Stanley said. There is no delay in allocating Prop A funds. We will issue the debt on a timeline that corresponds to the advancement of our pipeline.

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, who is running for mayor and earlier this month introduced a resolution calling on MOHCD to issue the NOFA with increased urgency and clarity, said that the NOFAs issuance is but a first step in the process.

The money shouldnt be sitting on a shelf, gathering dust as things inevitably become more costly, Peskin said. And whether Community Forward or another entity has site control, doesnt matter. What matters is that the city says: This is what we want. Who is going to provide it? What is the proposal?  There is a need, and the voters understood that need.

There are questions about why the NOFA has not been issued, including whether the location of the proposed shelter  near United Nations Plaza and on the edge of the Tenderloin District, an area that has long struggled with drug use and illegal vending, and where the city has prioritized homeless encampment clearings and sought to deter drug dealing activity over the past year  is at issue.

We are trying really hard to positively activate U.N. Plaza and the area  everyone knows that if you get your phone stolen, it ends up at the night market at Seventh and Market streets, said Jane Weil, who lives in the area and is on the board of the Mid-Market Community Benefits District, which was instrumental in pushing forward a pilot project that moved a farmers market that until recently operated in U.N. Plaza to make room for a new skatepark.

Weil said that Community Forward has not reached out to neighbors and stakeholders like the CBD about its shelter project.

Its really just not what we see as a positive use of the space, said Weil, about the shelter, adding that an ideal use would be filling the 1128 Market building with a university.

The area is already saturated with more social services and facilities than any other neighborhood, said Weil. We dont need more in this neighborhood.

Jeff Cretan, Mayor London Breeds spokesperson, said that Breed supports opening a new shelter for women, but noted that this use was not considered as part of the capital planning process for the affordable housing bond, and was inserted in the board process as an eligible use.

During the capital planning process, an operational funding source could have been identified ahead of time, Cretan said. It also was not developed in coordination with HSHs strategic plan, so no long-term planning had been done to accommodate for it before it went to the voters.

Cretan said the citys analysis shows that there is a need to open more shelters for women, but added that these spaces and their locations must be appropriate for both the clients and the surrounding communities.

Efforts by HSH to address homelessness include long-term vouchers set aside for women that can be used in the private market, Cretan said.

He added that the city is also prioritizing supporting women by budgeting more than $50 million in funding for shelter and housing for families, most of whom are headed by women.

But lumping services for women in with services for unhoused families is problematic, according to Community Forward, as not all women experiencing homelessness or domestic violence are mothers, and many of those who are do not have custody of their children. Others are older and no longer raising children. Community Forward also serves trans women.
Vancouver, June 27, 2024 - HighGold Mining Inc. (TSXV: HIGH) (OTCQX: HGMIF) ("HighGold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that shareholders (the "HighGold Shareholders") and optionholders of the Company (collectively, the "HighGold Securityholders") have overwhelmingly approved the previously announced arrangement (the "Arrangement") involving the Company and Contango Ore Inc. at the Company's special meeting (the "Meeting") held today.

At the Meeting, the special resolution approving the Arrangement was approved by 93.69% of the HighGold Shareholders, 94.39% of the HighGold Securityholders voting as a single class, and 93.55% of the HighGold Shareholders, excluding votes required to be excluded pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. Accordingly, the HighGold Securityholder approval required to proceed with the Arrangement has been obtained.

"We are very pleased to have this transaction overwhelmingly approved by our voting shareholders," said Darwin Green, President & Chief Executive Officer. "We look forward to receiving all necessary approvals to close the transaction and enable Contango to proceed with its plans for the JT Project this year. We sincerely believe that this is a win-win transaction, and that HighGold shareholders will benefit from participating in the beginning building blocks of a unique business model in the mining industry with a management team with demonstrated success."

The Company will seek a final order approving the Arrangement from the Supreme Court of British Columbia on July 2, 2024. Closing of the Arrangement remains subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including receipt of final court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals. Subject to the satisfaction of these closing conditions, the parties currently expect to complete the Arrangement on or around July 9, 2024.

Further details regarding the Arrangement, including principal closing conditions and the anticipated benefits to HighGold Shareholders, can be found in the Company's management information circular dated May 29, 2024 in respect of the Meeting, which can be found under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company's website.

About HighGold

HighGold is a mineral exploration company focused on advancing the high-grade Johnson Tract Gold- Zinc-Copper Project located in accessible Southcentral Alaska, USA. HighGold's experienced Board and senior management team, are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration. Additional information can be found on its web page at www.highgoldmining.com.

About Contango

Contango is a NYSE American listed company that engages in exploration for gold and associated minerals in Alaska. Contango holds a 30% interest in the Peak Gold, LLC (the "Peak Gold JV"), which leases approximately 675,000 acres of land for exploration and development on the Manh Choh Project, with the remaining 70% owned by an indirect subsidiary of Kinross, operator of the Peak Gold JV. The Company also has a lease on the Lucky Shot Project from the underlying owner, Alaska Hardrock Inc. and through its subsidiary has 100% ownership of approximately 8,600 acres of peripheral State of Alaska mining claims. Contango also owns a 100% interest in an additional approximately 145,000 acres of State of Alaska mining claims through its wholly owned subsidiary, which gives Contango the exclusive right to explore and develop minerals on these lands. Additional information can be found on our web page at www.contangoore.com.

On Behalf of HighGold Mining Inc.

"Darwin Green"

President & CEO

For further information, please visit the HighGold Mining Inc. website at www.highgoldmining.com, or contact:

Darwin Green, President & CEO or Nicole Hoeller, VP Corporate Communications

Phone: 1-604-629-1165 or North American toll-free 1-855-629-1165

Email: information@highgoldmining.com.

Website: www.highgoldmining.com

Twitter: @HighgoldMining

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans to complete the Arrangement, benefits of the Arrangement to HighGold Shareholders, receipt of final court, stock exchange and regulatory approvals, and the anticipated closing date of the Arrangement, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include, among other things, the ability of the Company to obtain requisite approvals for the Arrangement, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.


VANCOUVER, June 27, 2024 - 1911 Gold Corp. ("1911 Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV: AUMB) (OTCBB: AUMBF) is pleased to announce the results of its 2024 Annual General and Special Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. Shareholders holding 58,765,642 common shares, or 43.7% of the outstanding common shares of the Company were represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting and voted in favour of all matters brought before the Meeting:

Electing each management-nominated director;

Appointing Baker Tilly WM LLP as the Company's auditor;

An ordinary resolution approving the Company's new long-term incentive plan;

An ordinary resolution of disinterested shareholders approving the creation of a new Control Person.

A summary of the results for the election of 1911 Gold's Board of Directors is provided below:

Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Number % Number % 1. Elect Gary O'Connor as Director 53,665,904 99.39 327,414 0.61 2. Elect Michael Hoffman as Director 53,716,949 99.49 276,369 0.51 3. Elect Shaun Heinrichs as Director 53,724,768 99.50 268,550 0.50 4. Elect Blair Schultz as Director 53,727,754 99.51 265,564 0.49

Blair Schultz joins as a new director to the Company at this years Meeting. Blair brings over 25 years of experience in financial, operational, project finance and capital markets experience. He is an experienced director who began his career at one of Canada's top hedge funds, K2 and Associates Investment Management Inc. He was Vice President and held various positions most notably, Head of Special Situations, Portfolio Management and Trading.

James Haggarty and Shastri Ramnath, previously directors of the Company since July 2018 and March 2019, respectively, did not stand for re-election at this years AGSM.

"On behalf of the company and shareholders, I would like to thank both James and Shastri for all their invaluable contributions to 1911 Gold over the past several years. They have both been important members of the Board, providing the Company with the benefit of their unique skill sets and experience. We wish them well." Gary O'Connor, Executive Chairman commented, "I would also like to welcome Blair to the Board, and look forward to working closely with him and leveraging his experience from when he was part of the Klondex Mines Ltd. team that transitioned 1911 Gold to a separate public company and helped guide the board during those early years."

About 1911 Gold Corporation

1911 Gold is a junior explorer that holds a highly prospective, consolidated land package totalling more than 63,000 hectares within and adjacent to the Archean Rice Lake greenstone belt in Manitoba, and also owns the True North mine and mill complex at Bissett, Manitoba. 1911 Gold believes its land package is a prime exploration opportunity, with potential to develop a mining district centred on the True North complex. The Company also owns the Apex project near Snow Lake, Manitoba and the Denton-Keefer project near Timmins, Ontario, and intends to focus on organic growth and accretive acquisition opportunities in North America.

1911 Gold's True North complex and exploration land package are located within the traditional territory of the Hollow Water First Nation, signatory to Treaty No. 5 (1875-76). 1911 Gold looks forward to maintaining open, co-operative and respectful communication with the Hollow Water First Nation, and all local stakeholders, in order to build mutually beneficial working relationships.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shaun Heinrichs

President and CEO

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved.

All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements were made. Actual results or events may differ from those predicted in these forward-looking statements. All of the Company's forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions listed below. Although the Company believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list is not exhaustive of factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, future events, conditions, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, prediction, projection, forecast, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the terms of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering, the timing and ability of the Company to close the Offering, the timing and ability of the Company to receive necessary regulatory approvals, the tax treatment of the securities issued under the Offering, the timing for the Qualifying Expenditures to be renounced in favour of the subscribers, and the plans, operations and prospects of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although 1911 Gold has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are given as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE 1911 Gold Corporation
June 27, 2024: Vladimir Putin has been running Russia since 1999 via a series of appointments he received, and then elections he won or controlled because he maintained or increased the standard of living for most Russians. That came to an end in 2014 when Russia seized Ukrainian Crimea and parts of two provinces. Western nations responded to this aggression by imposing economic sanctions on Russia. This caused a reduction in living standards for many Russians. The only exceptions were the oligarchs. These were the hundred or so men and women who emerged when the Soviet Union collapsed and were resourceful enough to gain control of many of the former state-owned companies. This made those entrepreneurs fabulously rich and they became known as oligarchs. Anyone seeking to rule Russia needed the support of the oligarchs. At the same time, the oligarchs needed the support of senior government officials to keep their wealth safe and themselves out of legal or political trouble. These efforts ran into trouble back in 2016 when government efforts to control what appears on the Internet inside Russia, and in domestic mass media, were not sufficient to keep out damaging evidence of corruption among the Russian leadership.

This happened with the April 2016 release of 11 million documents stolen via hacking from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based international law firm. Data from these documents showed many prominent Russian officials did business with Mossack Fonseca, a firm that assists wealthy people who want to set up overseas bank accounts and corporations whose owners are very difficult for most people, or even other governments to identify. The Mossack Fonseca records provided details of enormous wealth owned by Russian officials who could not explain where it came from. In the state-controlled media these revelations dont exist and are referred to as more Western lies not worth repeating. Despite that attitude, these details got into Russia via the Internet and eventually reached just about everyone. The damage done was considerable because it made Russians realize that, since 2014, Russia has been making a lot of headlines but not much else. The economy is a mess, it has fewer allies and the future looks dim.

Invading Ukraine and Syria did not help any of these fundamental problems. What passes for good news is things like foreign economists agreeing that the Russian economy is shrinking less than expected. What the government describes as victories in Syria and Ukraine dont pay the rent or put food on the table. By 2024 more and more Russians are merely getting by and the appeal of the new nationalism is fading. The oligarchs still prosper because they can, at the request of a government official who protects them, move money around to where the government needs it for bribes or illegal investments.

What went wrong? Russia entered the 21st century with a new elected government dominated by former secret police KGB officers like Vladimir Putin who promised to restore economic and civil order. They did so but in the process turned Russia into a police state with less political and economic freedom. A growing number of Russians opposed this and the government responded by appealing to nationalism. Russia has returned to police state ways and its traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors. Rather than being run by corrupt communist bureaucrats, the country is now dominated by corrupt oligarchs, gangsters and self-serving government officials. The semi-free economy was more productive than the centrally controlled communist one but that just provides more money to steal.

A rebellion against the new dictatorship was derailed by astute propaganda depicting Russia as under siege by the West. Yet opinion polls that show wide popular support for this paranoid fantasy left some Russians with democratic impulses who continue demanding better government and needed reforms. But for now most Russians want economic and personal security and are willing to tolerate a police state to get it. That atmosphere, plus the anxiety generated by the Ukraine invasion, scared away a lot of foreign investors and many Russian ones as well. Russia can downplay this in state-controlled media but without all that foreign and Russian capital the economy cannot grow. The only major economic power Russia can still do business with is China, which recognizes Russias pervasive corruption and economic weakness and refuses to get too involved.
June 27, 2024: The practice of commercial firms hiring former military pilots to train new pilots began before World War II. Since then it has become an increasingly common practice. Working for these training companies is a lucrative job for former military pilots, as well as flight engineers and air operations personnel. Some countries arrange for their pilot trainees to obtain their initial training from these firms before entering the military pilot training program.

Flight engineers are personnel who, in larger aircraft, or as the second man in two-seat fighters, monitor flight operations so the pilot can concentrate on flying the plane. U.S. B-52 bombers have a flight engineer. In more modern bombers like the B-1 and B-21, the flight engineer is replaced by an automated system that one of the two pilots can monitor. The B-21 bomber, which is still in development, can use a crew of two pilots, or even substitute automation for pilots and be sent on missions without any people on board. The U.S. Air Force is planning to purchase a hundred B-21s. Air operations personnel handle the planning, logistics and aircraft maintenance aspects of airbases. These are important aspects of effectively running an air force.

A recent development involving Chinese pilot training programs outside China has met resistance from western countries in North America and Europe. This was deemed unacceptable by the U.S. government and former U.S. pilots seeking work in this area were warned to avoid any firms secretly controlled by the Chinese. In response the Chinese has sought to hide their involvement in these flight training programs. That will be difficult because the trainees are Chinese. Despite this resistance the Chinese are offering much higher salaries than earlier programs. While American pilots are discouraged by their government from participating, European pilots face less resistance and take these jobs.
Chef Angela Dimayuga works the line in Mission Chinese Foods first Manhattan location. Photo: Clay Williams

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The dark, banquet-hallinspired dining room of Mission Chinese Food was a nonstop party. Night after night, diners packed the restaurants two-story space on East Broadway. They shared fiery dishes like mapo tofu and Missions signature Kung Pao pastrami. They drank cocktails laced with aloe vera and activated charcoal. They feasted on Josefinas House Special Chicken, an entire boned-out bird stuffed with spiced pork sausage and soft-boiled eggs.

Things were different in the kitchen.

One night in 2016, chef de cuisine Quynh Le instructed a sous-chef to heat up a spoon by dipping it in hot oil. Le then took the broiling silverware and approached a dishwasher, who was Black. Le had been picking on the dishwasher since he started at the restaurant, calling him Pimp Hand and referring to Black employees as boy. Now he took the red-hot spoon and placed it directly on the mans arm, searing his skin and causing him to cry out in pain. As employees watched in horror, Le looked a line cook straight in the eyes and asked, What are you going to do about it?

Hector Campos, who worked as a food runner at the restaurant, decided to speak up. He told Le that he couldnt do that. Le responded by telling Campos, who was born in Mexico, that he couldnt wait for Donald Trump to get elected so that you cant come back to this country.

According to numerous former employees who spoke to Grub Street, the abusive behavior went unchecked for months. Employees were subjected to a barrage of racist insults. One night, when Luis Cuero, who is Black, came back in from smoking a cigarette, Le accused him of selling drugs and said, I want half. A former line cook says that Le called her a sad excuse for an Asian person when she wasnt able to cook rice properly in a broken cooker. Working in the kitchen at Mission, she says, felt like living in a nightmare you couldnt wake up from.

Over the past two years, in an industry-wide reckoning, a host of prominent restaurants have been exposed for their toxic work environments. But Mission Chinese Food was supposed to be different. Almost from the moment its first New York City location opened in 2012, its chef and owner Danny Bowien had publicly disavowed the macho bro culture of professional kitchens. He even recalled his own experiences with kitchen hazing, telling GQ he was a target of extensive verbal abuse at his first New York restaurant. Angela Dimayuga, the executive chef at Mission and Bowiens second-in-command, built her own formidable profile by advocating for reform in the industry and evangelizing the need for mental wellness among cooks. As their fame grew to stratospheric levels, the two chefs presented a vision of a restaurant utopia, one where tolerance and inclusivity were the norm. Behind the scenes, however, their workers were subjected to an environment of mistreatment and hostility that infected the entire restaurant.

It was the hypocrisy, as much as the conduct itself, that outraged employees. What was fascinating about the restaurant was that it just existed as a means to throw parties, says Sadie Mae Burns, who started working at Mission as a line cook when she was 19. Right off the bat you could tell no thought was being provided in terms of how employees were being treated.

Mission Chinese Food opened in New York City in May, 2012, in a basement space on Orchard Street. Bowien built his reputation at the first location, in San Francisco, and his arrival in Manhattan was met with almost unprecedented levels of enthusiasm, while also signaling a shift about which types of restaurants received such hype. When it landed in New York, it really hit me, how personally connected I felt to the idea of the restaurant, says Francis Lam. I knew how much Chinese-American takeout food is a symbol of people who look like me, Chinese immigrants, and how we have tried to eke out a living for ourselves as a community. Lam, who is the editor-in-chief at the book publisher Clarkson Potter and host of The Splendid Table, continues, That food wasnt anything people thought was worthy of esteem, so to have this super-buzzy restaurant be a loving homage to it, just as a Chinese American, it made me feel so seen.

The early excitement, it appeared, was warranted: In December of that year, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells wrote, No other restaurant I reviewed this year left me feeling as exhilarated each time I got up from the table.

The restaurant looked and felt like it had been thrown together in about a week. A paper dragon flew above the ramshackle dining room. The bar appeared to have been built with plywood. A keg of beer regularly sat near the front door. One bathroom was dedicated, for no apparent reason, to the show Twin Peaks. And the food coming out of the kitchen, Wells also wrote, might taste very different from one night to the next. The entire restaurant felt like a complete and total rejection of the restaurant worlds unofficial rules, right down to the culture in the kitchen. In 2012, Bowien told Grub Street, Im kinda tired of the macho-guy-chef thing. I dont want to play ball tap in the kitchen. I dont want to get hit in the balls every five minutes.

In May 2013, Bowien  a culinary-school dropout who said hed never even cooked Chinese food before opening Mission  won the James Beard Foundations prestigious Rising Star Chef award. But as it turned out, the dining rooms charmingly sloppy vibe was no act. New York Citys health department closed the restaurant in October 2013, citing a host of violations. A month later, the restaurant was closed again, never to reopen. At one point, Bowien hired an exterminator who reportedly found a cesspool of dead rodents in a storage closet that had been locked by the landlord. (A lawsuit against the landlord, eventually settled out of court, followed.)

Andy Keith, a cook at the Orchard Street restaurant, says the kitchen was a shitshow. It was not uncommon for employees to work double shifts for 18 hours straight. When Dimayuga interviewed Keith about working at Missions follow-up location, which would open in a larger space on the edge of Chinatown in 2014, she told him she planned to overhaul the operation. We want a completely new kitchen culture, he recalls her saying, and we want to be sure this is a professional thing now.

Her plan, she told Keith, was to instill a classic French brigade system with a rigid structure in terms of how everything is done. The culture, Dimayuga said, would be no bullshit, with zero tolerance for derogatory language and harassment, and Dimayuga would run the kitchen with no outside interference. In a 2017 interview, she recalled telling Bowien at the time of the restaurants reopening, Danny, youre going to act as founder and owner. You dont need to know about any of my line cooks. This is my team. This is how I want it to start. Bowien agreed: She wanted free rein and I gave it to her. I trusted her to run the restaurant.

Critics agreed that the new restaurant felt like a more professional operation. In his follow-up review, written in 2015, Wells opined that Mission Chinese Food had become, against the odds and to almost everybodys benefit, a nearly normal restaurant. In New York, Adam Platt wrote that Bowiens real genius is for creating a grand sense of occasion, and at this larger, more sophisticated Mission outlet, you get the impression that he finally has a proper New York stage to call his own.

At first, new employees were thrilled by the promise of professionalism and inclusivity. Have you ever seen the Studio 54 documentary  just how badly people wanted to be there? says Eti Emokpae, who worked as a captain at Mission in 2015 and 2016. Everyone wanted to be there. People felt cool being there. But, she adds, it didnt take long for the appeal to wear off. In the beginning, it was a little bit of a high, so you can excuse a lot of bad shit thats going on. But thats a bubble  and that bubble burst for me very quickly.

After the second Times review, former employees say, Dimayuga and Bowien showed up at the restaurant far less often  sometimes disappearing for weeks at a time. It was always a thing where it was like, Oh, wheres Angela? Wheres Angela? Emokpae says. It was like a running joke that she was not around, unless it was something that served her. The situation also created, according to Emokpae and other former employees, a leadership vacuum.

Dimayuga doesnt dispute that she was often absent. During that time, she says, her job was to focus on off-site events, and she increasingly took on more of an ambassador role for the restaurant. Keith says that Bowiens hands-off management allowed Dimayuga to take the same approach. The two of them being gone, he says, left this nightmare behind, and that was Quynh Le.

Keith remembers the way Dimayuga introduced Le to the staff. This is my guy, she told them, my hand-chosen dream collaborator. The two had worked together at the Brooklyn restaurant Vinegar Hill House, and the rumor was that theyd grown up together in San Jose. Dimayuga says they didnt know each other as children, but she presented Le as a model of professionalism. My chef de cuisine, Quynh, is expediting most nights, and hes really doing a good job, she told Grub Street in January 2016. Everything starts at the top, so management is understanding that, for the rest of the business to function well, you need to set an example for your team.

In reality, former employees say, Le embodied the toxic traits that Bowien and Dimayuga disavowed in public. You couldnt be in that kitchen without seeing that Quynh Le was a monster, Keith continues. He says this started from day one, and remembers one instance when Le threatened to strike him because he had reached in front of him to grab a sizzle tray or something stupid.

If you do that again, Le told him, Im going to fucking hit you.

Sorry, reaching, my bad, Keith apologized.

Dont talk back, Le snapped.

Keith says Le wouldnt let it go. It happened again about a minute later, and he squared up and had his fist drawn and was like, Im going to punch you in the fucking face. I was like, Youre my boss, you cant do that.

Worst of all, Keith adds, Bowien and Dimayuga personally witnessed the moment, and failed to intervene. Danny and Angela were there, he recalls, and they said nothing.

In response to a question about this incident, Bowien wrote, I do not recall the specific incident with Andy but I do not deny that things like that happened in my presence, and I was not fully absorbing the situations as they happened. Dimayuga says that she doesnt remember the exact details of the night.

In addition to hurling racist insults at the staff, Le subjected employees to grueling schedules. According to Cuero, who started as a porter, the restaurants dishwashers were worked like dogs. It was not uncommon for Cuero and other porters to work until 4 a.m. before coming back to open at 8 a.m.  a turnaround thats known in the industry as a clopen.

Whats more, two women who worked as line cooks say they were subjected to comments about their breasts. One male cook who worked at the restaurant early on confirmed there was a lot of inappropriately sexual humor, and Keith alleges that Le frequently told him to wash his dick, a reference that Keith understood to mean his girlfriend was somehow dirty.

Dimayuga, for her part, says she never heard about the spoon burning incident. I hadnt heard of behavior this bad before, period, she says. But word did reach her that Le was behaving inappropriately. I got reports from other upper management of his bad behavior, she says. I admittedly  what I have a lot of remorse for  I struggled objectively navigating this, because I wrongly hoped he would reform.

In the end, Bowien and the restaurants co-owners pressured Dimayuga to fire Le. I engaged with that, I actively took part, sitting down with Danny, she says. Le was dismissed in February 2017. (A month before Dimayuga would gain national acclaim for publicly refusing to take part in an interview on IvankaTrump.com.) I never spoke to Quynh again, she says.

Le didnt respond to Grub Streets requests for comment, but in a statement posted to his Instagram, he addressed his time at the restaurant. I take full responsibility for my hurtful behavior and contribution to the toxic culture, he wrote. While this is not an excuse, pressures running a very busy, high profile restaurant coupled with my lack of management experience caused me to act out of character.

When Le was fired, Dimayuga says she took charge. After he left, I started to run the kitchen again to rehabilitate it, she says. For me personally, Dimayuga adds, I really wanted this formal structure in place so that this would never happen again.

Employees, however, say that Les dismissal did not change things all that much in the kitchen, and that Dimayuga wasnt around for very long. Instead, a sous-chef named Angelo Kinget was put in charge of the back of house, and the atmosphere remained. When Quynh left, I thought, Oh, theyre gonna change, says Campos, the former food runner. But chef Angelo took his position, and it didnt. I was like, No, Im not staying here.

Kate Telfeyan  who worked in the kitchen of the Manhattan location at the time, and eventually became head chef at a new Brooklyn location  recalls one night of unusually bad behavior, a night that became legend among staff. Kinget was expediting, a crucial job in the kitchen that involves organizing the timing of orders and relaying that information to the cooks. He was on expo, showed up drunk, just out of his mind, and was being a total tyrant, says Telfeyan. It was an especially busy night, and Kinget grew increasingly frustrated with tickets piling up, losing his place. Telfeyan recalls Kinget aggressively tossing plates back at her while she tried to work, and banging the pass so hard that dishes would fall off.

I was just so taken aback in the moment, Telfeyan says. Nobody was safe from him. I had one of the worst nights Ive ever worked in a kitchen.

A former sous-chef remembers it similarly, saying the plates were jumping off the surface as Kinget banged away. It was probably the single most insane thing Ive ever experienced in my career, the sous-chef says. Eventually, a manager contacted Dimayuga, but she was so afraid she didnt even want to hand the phone to Kinget. Dimayuga told Kinget to go home, but he was not fired that night.

Of the evening, Kinget says that the cooks were moving really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really slow and that, after a manager came down, he kind of lost it. Kinget denies throwing plates back at cooks or coming into work drunk, but says he understands why he shouldnt have acted the way that he did. I came up in kitchens where I was just used to stuff being thrown at me, he says. Like I said, maybe they were just too sensitive about it.

Keith says the behavior he saw in the kitchen at Mission has permanently informed the choices he has made since leaving: Everything Ive done in my career, as far as how I conduct myself as a chef, is: What would we not have done at Mission Chinese Food?

Cooks who spoke with Grub Street acknowledge that both Le and Kinget were given responsibilities  as chef de cuisine and sous-chef, respectively  beyond their prior experience, and that they were handling some responsibilities that would traditionally fall to an executive chef. But that, the employees emphasize, did not excuse the behavior, and management did nothing concrete to address the situation, even when specific concerns were raised. Bowien and Dimayuga seemingly didnt want to be themselves responsible for the things theyre trying to hire out or promote someone else to do, Telfeyan says. So they just put someone else in a position because its convenient, without any regard as to what that means for the rest of the organization.

Despite Bowiens absence  and his expectation that people at the restaurant would handle problems themselves  many still dont see how he could possibly have remained ignorant of what was going on at Mission. I just dont understand, Emokpae says. If youre putting someone in charge, how you can kind of be blissfully unaware of these huge things that are happening?

Despite all the behind-the-scenes ugliness, Mission Chinese Food continued to project a seductively progressive image to the world. Several queer and BIPOC employees say they were excited to work at a restaurant where the kitchen was headed by a queer woman of color. If anybody made me feel seen working for the restaurant and made me feel proud to work there, it was Angela and the association that came with working for her, says one former front-of-the-house employee who asked not to be named. If theres anything she did provide there, it was visibility to anyone who worked there who was queer and a person of color and the opportunity to be approachable.

Other queer staff members say that the feeling of inclusion promoted by Dimayuga was not universal. The narrative of it being this super-queer, super-comfortable space was something she really pushed, a former server named Bayley Blaisdell says. It did not feel like that space actually really honored queer identity  it honored queer fashionable identity.

Erin Lang, a former server, also disputes the restaurants queer identity, and says Dimayuga could be a cold presence in the restaurant. She wasnt very friendly to me or a lot of other people there, Lang says. I dont know if it was because I was a Black server and I wasnt as important to her, or I didnt fit into the narrative of what they wanted as a server at Mission Chinese.

Lang and others say that the turmoil in the kitchen extended to the dining-room staff, where employees felt mistreated by Adrianna Varedi, who worked as a server and was eventually promoted to general manager, and her assistant GM, Jane Hem. Adrianna enjoyed bullying us and humiliating us, alleges one former employee who worked as a food runner and server. Another front-of-house worker describes Varedi as kind of the person who drives this trauma. Asked about employees claims of bullying, Varedi says, When new standards are being upheld, its going to cause a little bit of backlash  I definitely never had any intent to bully anyone or make them feel bad.

I used to see people crying, people literally sobbing, Lang says. On one occasion  according to a former employee, and as detailed in a 2018 class-action lawsuit filed against the restaurant  Hem allegedly compared Langs hair to grinchs fingers. Employees say that allegations of discrimination in the dining room  specifically anti-Black racism  were brought up a number of times to management, including in an HR meeting with Hem and Varedi. (Reached by Grub Street, Hem declined to comment.)

Lang and Blaisdell also say that Missions lineups  the daily preservice meetings that are common in all restaurants  were uniquely intense when Varedi ran them. A lot of the bussers have language barriers, Lang explains, and she would make fun of them for that. Blaisdell calls Varedis lineups drill sergeantstyle. She would cold-call people and then mock them when they didnt know the answers to questions they were asked.

If anything, the disconnect between Missions idealized image and its day-to-day reality was even more stark in the front of house. Employees expressed concerns about who was hired for higher-earning positions, saying brown employees were often passed over for promotions. It was ironic, Lang says, because we were supposed to be this super-inclusive, multiracial, fun workplace, and it was everything but that.

Dimayuga left the restaurant in October 2017  the same year Danny Bowien was featured on the TV series Mind of a Chef  after what she describes as a confrontation that took place when Bowien told her that he was opening a new Mission Chinese Food in Brooklyn. Bowien asked Dimayuga to be involved, but she says she turned the offer down immediately because Bowien had previously shelved their plans to open another restaurant where Dimaguya would be given a bigger role. Frankly, she says, I felt really betrayed.

After learning of Dimayugas impending resignation, the restaurants beverage director, Sam Anderson, wrote her an email. The staff and kitchen you were entrusted with, he told her, have been in a state of ever-deepening chaos as a result of leadership not showing up.

Kinget was fired from the restaurant when Dimayuga left, but the situation among workers did not improve, especially in the front of house.

In November 2017, Mission Chinese Food hired a new, non-Black employee for the job of captain, which Lang had occupied until March, when she says she was told the position was being eliminated. Thats when things started to get ugly, Lang recalls. Eventually she and other employees decided to speak up. They were met with firings and fewer hours. It was supposed to be this cool scene, hip place, where it was open-minded and cool to work, Lang says. And that all got put to the back burner because upper management was, I guess, too busy dealing with their celebrity status or whatever drama they had.

By 2018, Lang and other workers felt so frustrated that they filed a lawsuit. What else are we gonna do? she says. Were gonna sue. Nobodys listening to us. The class-action suit, which included Blaisdell, Ilana Engelberg, and Zayn Shaikh, describes the restaurant as a hotbed of racial discrimination, including slurs and racist comments used against Black and Latino employees, where workers often faced harsh retaliation from their bosses. Dimayuga was not named in the suit, since she had left the restaurant, and the lawsuit was eventually settled. Mission Chinese Foods Manhattan location closed for good in September, but the Brooklyn location, recently rebranded simply as Mission, remains open, as does the location in San Francisco.

When reached by Grub Street, Bowien initially referred to a July episode of the podcast Feeling Asian, co-hosted by his ex-wife Youngmi Mayer, where he addressed the allegations in the lawsuit, confirming many of them are true. Bowien and Mayer, who was involved in opening the restaurants Manhattan location, also discuss specific instances of his behavior, with the chef recounting the time he threw, like, a butane burner at a line cook and saying, Theres no excuse.

On the podcast, Bowien also addressed the idea that he presented one face to the public while running a very different operation in private, acknowledging that staff members signed up for something that we were selling, but behind closed doors wasnt actually happening.

But that didnt put an end to the saga. Last month, details of the internal conflict became very public when Mayer alleged in an Instagram post that Dimayuga was aware of and hid abusive behavior by Le. Mayer also shared a series of anonymous statements from employees about Dimayuga, as well as the 2017 email sent by Anderson.

To some who lived through the ordeal, the social-media conflict between Bowien and Dimayuga seemed like an attempt to distance themselves from the restaurant culture they created. They have just a really complicated, sort of toxic relationship, Mayer says.

It feels really distinctly like a race to cover ones ass in terms of their involvement in this, Blaisdell says of the public rehashing. I think all of the people who are talking about it were directly complicit in the structure that allowed this to happen.

All of the people who spoke with Grub Street say the abuse cannot be pinned to any single individual. Instead, they say, its an example of the kind of toxic behavior that is common throughout the industry. A lot of this would be better if there were actual mechanisms for restaurant workers to collectively address their workplace concerns, says one of the plaintiffs behind the 2018 lawsuit. The only reason we had to file a lawsuit was because there was no other mechanism for us to voice our concerns, and we didnt have any collective power. I think some of the people who are involved in this arent really seeing it as a bigger picture in terms of workers in general. What happened at Mission Chinese Food should, some say, serve as a warning as the industry looks to rebuild in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even though the restaurant is now closed, the lingering effects of the emotional damage remain. It was, in the end, a complete failure of leadership, with employees left to suffer the abuse as management were off promoting themselves in the public eye. Completely shirking their duties, Emokpae says. The job didnt stop for the rest of us  we didnt have the option to just disappear.
Google announced the added support for 110 new languages in its Translate app. Since the app supported 113 languages prior to the update, this is certainly the biggest upgdate yet.

Google used its PaLM 2 AI language model to train the software in 110 new languages. The AI proved to be particularly good at learning languages related to one another, such as Hindi, Awadhi and Marwadi, as well as French creoles like Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole.

The new update also brings support for Cantonese, which, according to Google, has been one of the most requested languages throughout the years. But Cantonese was a hard nut to crack as it overlaps with Mandarin, and it's hard to find data to train the AI model.

The blog post adds that about 25% of the newly added languages are African, each language added is spoken by at least a million people worldwide and a couple of them are spoken by hundreds of millions.

Source
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A pretty wild rumor out of Samsung's home of Korea today claims the company is thinking about using MediaTek Dimensity chips for the Galaxy S25 family which is due to launch next year in January.

Not just MediaTek chips, mind, but MediaTek Dimensity chips (presumably the Dimensity 9400) alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and Samsung's own Exynos 2500. So if this pans out (and that's a huge if), then the next flagship family from the Korean brand could have three different SoCs in various markets.

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

This, however, is far from a given, considering how even today's rumor is only saying the company might do this, not that it has already decided. The reasoning behind such a move has to do with Qualcomm's oft-rumored price hike for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 coupled with the not-so-great yields on the Exynos 2500.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is rumored to cost around $190-200, while the 8 Gen 4 might be as much as $260 per unit. The Exynos 2500 yield is currently at about 40%, but 60% is needed in order to start mass production. Still, Samsung plans to improve this by August.

If the Exynos yields stay low and considering how expensive Qualcomm's next high-end chip will be, it very well may serve Samsung to add in MediaTek to the mix - or at least try to use such a threat as a negotiating tactic with Qualcomm.

Source (in Korean)
Two men have been arrested in connection with 27 reports of drilling into vehicle fuel tanks, Guam Police Department acting spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao said Thursday.

Jeremiah Unchangco, 20, and Christopher A. Unchangco, 51, face charges including criminal mischief, theft of property, burglary, theft of livestock, conspiracy, guilt established by complicity and criminal facilitation.

The two were located after the arrest of Sabino Jay Ayuyu, 25, who was accused of tampering with surveillance cameras at a Dededo home on Monday before breaking into a container on the property, according to court documents in that case.

A person in the home used a phone to record the actions of Ayuyu and a companion. When police arrived, they found Ayuyu in the jungle with items that had been stolen from the container, the complaint stated.

Ayuyu said he didnt know where his accomplice was, because the two ran in different directions.

Police also investigated a criminal mischief complaint Monday involving a drilled vehicle fuel tank with gas completely drained from the tank. When officers viewed surveillance footage from a neighboring business, they noted a blue Honda CRV leaving the area.

On Tuesday, police found the vehicle involved in both complaints at a home in Astumbo, Dededo.

The two Unchangco men were taken to the Dededo Precinct for interviews, where officers learned they were involved in the 27 drilling incidents, Tapao said.

The two were taken to the Department of Corrections, and the case was forwarded to the Attorney Generals Office for prosecution.
A bill that would allow for the construction of accessory dwelling units on the same lot as a single-family home in residential zones was set aside by senators during legislative session Wednesday until after it goes through another public hearing to be scheduled in July.

There is an affordable housing crisis ... we have no real solutions to affordable housing right now, Bill 51-37 sponsor Sen. Chris Duenas said in opening remarks Wednesday morning.

Duenas said the accessory dwelling units are detached or attached studio type apartments of 400 to 800 square feet in size, also known as mother-in-law homes that homeowners can build on their lots in a residential zone.

Bill 51-37 seeks to allow families to build an extra apartment-like structure beside their homes that could open up a number of doors for residents that are facing housing woes, the senators office has said.

I believe its our job to find solutions to complicated problems, and this is a solution, Duenas added.

Duenas was able to pull Bill 51-37 out of committee by a majority vote of the Rules committee last week despite the lack of a committee report.

But during Wednesdays session, oversight chairperson Speaker Therese Terlaje said she had worked on a substitute bill that included a series of amendments to address concerns raised about the bill, including by the Guam Association of Realtors.

Terlaje said one of the concerns was to ensure that over time the accessory dwelling units wont be used as short-term vacation rentals.

Thats the problem theyre having in Hawaii, it wont address our affordable housing problem. Its a problem we dont need, Terlaje said.

She said before you bring in higher density to a neighborhood, neighbors should be notified

Its unfortunate that (the bill) was pulled out of committee. But I appreciate the work of the speaker on it, Sen. Sabina Perez said.

Perez said she believes the bill would increase the supply of housing to help out local families, but going forward if it becomes a speculative market, it could drive prices up.

Later in the afternoon, Duenas said he fielded a number of calls during the lunch hour from constituents who had been reviewing the substitute version.

It has such substantive differences from the original bill, Ive spoken to the committee chair, the speaker, and she has agreed to hold a public hearing in her July calendar, he said.

In moving to set aside his bill he said the best way to handle it is to get all those folks down here who want to express their concerns and hash that out in the public hearing room, where here on the floor their voices cant be heard.

The new hearing date on Bill 51-37 has not yet been scheduled.
No need to drive to Dededo for your fix anymore: Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee opened up the doors of its Agana Shopping Center location to hungry customers Thursday morning.

The Jollibee mascot came out to greet the crowd, and the grand opening was commemorated with a giant bucket of Chickenjoy that took three people to carry.

Minutes after the ribbon was cut at the new location, customers were already queued out the door, waiting to place their orders, while both drive-thru lanes were bumper to bumper.

Mercy Malaguit managed to secure a spot at the front of the walk-in line. She said she came all the way from California  to visit her son on Guam, not for the sweet spaghetti.

The long-awaited Hagatna location is the second Jollibee on Guam since the franchise reentered the local market back in 2019. Plans to open a third location are already in the works, with a location to be announced.

But Jollibee Foods Corporation President of International Business Dennis Flores, who flew into Guam for the grand opening, teased at an even wider expansion for the island.

Cheers to the second Jollibee store in Guam, to the next five stores here, Flores said during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Flores said the response to the 2019 Jollibee franchise opening was overwhelming with people waiting in line for 12 hours to get a test of their Jollibee favorites.

Getting the second location open was quite a journey he said. We faced the challenges of the pandemic, Typhoon Mawar and many others. I would even say that the many others can be even more severe than the pandemic and the typhoon.

Louie Chua, managing director of local Jollibee franchise holder Heavenly Foods, said they couldnt have made it this far without their loyal customer base.

Chua was very excited about the future and eager to continue to grow the franchise on the island.

According to Flores, the government of Guam released a license to operate the store just the day before the Thursday grand opening.

The Agana Shopping Center location was the first on Guam to carry the new Jollibee store design, and also the first in America to come with dual drive-thru lanes, said Flores.

We look forward to seeing you more often in our stores," Flores said. "Our promise is we will do our best to continue to win your taste buds and your hearts and to double the joy we give you."
Sahuma Minagahet

OPINION Bevacqua: We sing, so they will find their way home




Haiti - Politic : Canada announces an additional $5.7M to support the MMSS





On Wednesday June 26, 2024, Melanie Joly, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada will contribute an additional sum of 5.7 million Canadian dollars to the United Nations Trust Fund for the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMSS) in Haiti. This funding is in addition to the granting of 80.5 million Canadian dollars to the Trust Fund announced last February https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41731-haiti-flash-canada-announces-$123m-to-improve-security-in-haiti.html



This additional funding will directly support the deployment of the Kenyan-led MSS mission. Canada is also working with countries contributing to the MSS mission to provide training to officers being deployed and to establish mechanisms to prevent human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence.



In addition to the $5.7 million announced today, Canada previously allocated $12.5 million to support three projects that will help strengthen the HNP and improve security conditions for the civilian population in Haiti; the amounts are as follows:



$5 million through the Canadian Commercial Corporation to support the Specialized Tactical Training Program for the Haitian National Police



$4 million for the Organization of American States for its Securing Marine and Land-Based Trade Program in Haiti



$3.5 million for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime for its Container Control Program in Haiti



These three projects are being funded through a $100 million investment in the HNP that was previously announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in March 2023 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39143-haiti-flash-crisis-in-haiti-trudeau-promises-money-and-biden-changes-direction.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41731-haiti-flash-canada-announces-$123m-to-improve-security-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39143-haiti-flash-crisis-in-haiti-trudeau-promises-money-and-biden-changes-direction.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Conservation efforts help rare fish flourish in China's largest lake

Xinhua) 08:27, June 27, 2024

XINING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of naked carp, an endemic species in Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China, swim upstream against the current to spawn, creating a spectacular scene with the river packed with these fish.

Also known as "Huangyu" in China, these scaleless carp are currently embarking on their spawning migration in the Quanji River in Gangca County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province.

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 20, 2023 shows a view of Qinghai Lake in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Photo by Yang Tao/Xinhua)

Decades ago, the population of naked carp had declined sharply due to overfishing and environmental deterioration. In 2002, Qinghai Lake had only approximately 2,592 tonnes of naked carp.

In the past, many residents of Gangca County made a living by fishing. Xinquan Village, with 251 households, was an example.

"In the 1980s and 1990s, due to poor living conditions and low crop yields, more than 90 percent of villagers in Xinquan relied on fishing for their livelihood," recalled Sheng Shengmei, deputy Party secretary of the village.

Dai Huansheng, 56, was once a fisherman from Xinquan. After finishing junior school in mid-1980s, Dai started to use makeshift rafts made from car tires to fish in Qinghai Lake along with fellow villagers.

"A net measuring 40 meters long and 1 meter wide could yield more than 300 kilograms of fish in summer," Dai said. During winter, they would also drill holes in the frozen lake to set nets under the ice.

Naked carp gradually became a vital food source for locals. In addition, villagers bartered dried fish for vegetables, fruits, and other necessities or sold them for supplemental income during times of financial hardship.

However, uncontrolled fishing led to a drastic decline in the naked carp population in Qinghai Lake, posing a severe threat not only to this core species, but also to the lake's ecosystem.

Without the naked carp, Qinghai Lake would eventually become a "dead lake," according to experts.

Migratory adult naked carp swim upstream in the Quanji River, an inflow river of Qinghai Lake, in Gangca County of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Starting from 2021, the local government implemented its sixth ban on naked carp fishing in Qinghai Lake and rivers upstream, to boost stocks of this rare species and better protect the ecosystem of the plateau lake. The ban will last till the end of 2030.

Through continuous protection efforts, from 2002 to 2023, the naked carp population in Qinghai Lake had recorded a nearly 46-fold increase. Currently, reserves of this species have been restored to 120,000 tonnes.

Today, many tourists flock to Gangca County to watch the migration journey of the naked carp.

"Many local residents now rely on transportation, husbandry, farming, and tourism for their income, resulting in a transformation of the local industry. People's average annual incomes have also exceeded 20,000 yuan (about 2,808 U.S. dollars)," Sheng Shengmei noted.

Guo Yongzhong, 55, once a fisherman, now sells fish feed and local specialties to tourists near the Quanji River together with his wife. The couple earned over 100,000 yuan last year.

Local people's perception of the rare fish species has changed over the years. Notably, on occasions when the river flow stopped and fish were stranded, Xinquan villagers volunteered to transport the fish back to the lake with wooden pots.

The recovery of the naked carp and the local community's transformed perception of resources have paved the way for ecological protection of Qinghai Lake.

In 2020, the water level of Qinghai Lake had reached 3,196.62 meters, 3.65 meters higher than the 2004 level.

Located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Qinghai Lake is an important ecological barrier in northwest China, which has pivotal status in terms of ecological security. It is also called the "biological gene bank on the plateau."

Besides providing key migratory channels for naked carp, Qinghai Lake is also an important stopover site for migratory birds and the habitat of many rare and endangered species.

This photo taken on May 24, 2024 shows bar-headed geese near Qinghai Lake in northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Photo by Yang Tao/Xinhua)

The lake has seen its ecological environment improved and biodiversity rapidly restored in recent years.

In 2022, China approved a plan to establish a national park at Qinghai Lake.

Tang Xiaoping, head of the National Park Research Institute, said that China's national park construction has become a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, safeguarding critical habitats and providing shelters for wild animals and plants.

"We have got a lot from nature, and we must cherish it even more," said Namgyal, a resident of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Bustling night market boosts consumption, economic growth in C Chinas Hunan

People's Daily Online) 16:39, June 27, 2024

As darkness falls, the hustle and bustle of a night market form a unique scene in central Chinas Hunan Province.

The brightly lit night market attracts tourists, especially young people, to the delectable local snacks and lively atmosphere. I come here especially to have a bite of Hunans authentic snacks, a tourist from Guangdong told reporters.

In recent years, a batch of popular night consumption attractions have sprung up in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan, under policy guidance and the active innovation, making the city a representative of the booming night economy and appealing to tourists across the country.

In China, the night economy has become a new driving force to boost economic growth in cities, showcasing the countrys vigorous consumption vitality. The prosperity of the night economy and the rise of cultural tourism complement each other to bring tourists more colorful night life experiences.

(Intern Xing Yawen contributed to this story.)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Existing Disney+ customers in Germany will soon have to pay more to continue using 4K resolution and Dolby Atmos. According to media reports, Disney will soon inform its customers of this in an email. The premium subscription to Disney+ will then cost 12 euros instead of the previous 9 euros.

Anzeige

The background to this is that Disney is switching its existing customers to the new pricing model, which has been in place for new customers since last November. At that time, the standard Disney+ subscription was divided into three different levels. However, existing customers were initially provided access to the highest Premium level at the previous price. This is now changing. The new prices will also apply to existing customers from July 24, reports Focus Online.

Standard with Ads Standard Premium Advertisments

   Exclusive originals and catalog titles    Subscription

monthly

monthly

yearly

monthly

yearly

6  9  90  11,99  120  Video quality

up to Full-HD 1080p up to Full-HD 1080p up to 4K UHD & HDR Parallel streams 2 2 4 Downloads    Audio Stereo 5.1 Stereo 5.1 Dolby Atmos

The Premium level corresponds to the previously available subscription: It is the only subscription that continues to offer 4K resolution and Dolby Atmos. In addition, 4 streams are only possible there at the same time. So if you want to enjoy all the previous benefits, you will have to pay 12 euros per month or 120 euros per year.

No HDR or 4K for 9 euros

Those who still only want to pay 9 euros per month will have to live with restrictions. For the previous price point, new customers will only get the "Standard" subscription. It only offers Full-HD resolution and does not include Dolby Atmos playback or HDR display. In addition, only two simultaneous streams are possible with the standard subscription.

The third alternative is the advertising subscription for 6 euros per month. Here, as with the standard subscription, content can only be viewed in Full-HD on a maximum of two devices simultaneously. In addition, playback is interrupted by advertisements. Downloads are not possible at this subscription level.

Anzeige

In its announcement of the new price structure last summer, Disney promised that existing customers would be transferred to the premium model at no extra charge for now, but reserved the right to make "future changes". Anyone who booked their subscription after last November is already in the new price structure and should not expect any changes.

(dahe)
YLE on Monday revealed that Migri has spent 900 million euros on reception services without a tendering process, possibly violating the statutory requirement of authorities to put out to tender all social and health care services valued at more than 400,000 euros.

MINISTER of the Interior Mari Rantanen (PS) has expressed her concern over news about the reception centre contracts handed out by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

For 2022 and 2023 alone, the value of untendered reception centre contracts amounted to 670 million euros, according to the report by the public broadcasters team of investigative journalists, MOT. The costs stem not only from accommodation, but also from the reception allowance, health and language services provided to refugees and asylum seekers.

It doesnt look too good, Rantanen retorted to YLE on Tuesday.

Rantanen added that she recognises the need to set up reception centres quickly over the two-year period to accommodate Ukrainians fleeing the full-scale invasion by Russia. Migri, though, should have since re-considered its approach.

Experts interviewed by the public broadcasting company estimated that authorities can sign off on public acquisitions without a tendering process only for short periods of time, in circumstances where external factors do not afford them the time to organise such a process.

Migri in February communicated that it has started inviting tenders for the provision of reception services. What it neglected to state is that a large share of reception services had not been put out to tender in the past three years and that some of the contracts remain in effect, the investigative report highlights.

This is a question of using taxpayers money, and you have to be especially careful there, reminded Rantanen.

She added that she intends to request a more detailed account of the acquisitions from Migri. Whether or not further measures are required will be determined based on the account.

YLE on Tuesday also wrote that the authority has paid the operators of reception centres a premium of 58 per cent over their budgets for administrative costs, effectively guaranteeing the operators profits that increase parallel to their administrative costs. Such a practice is not conducive to operating reception centres in a cost-efficient way.

It doesnt sound too encouraging. Im sure that same report will give us an explanation of what this has been founded on, said Rantanen.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
NATO defense ministers recent political endorsement to establish a multinational battle group in Finland, was covered in an article by Bloomberg on June 14.

Here is a selection of what the international press has published about Finland in the last week:

The article highlights the crucial role Finland will play through the battle group in guarding NATOs longest border with Russia.

This decision was made during a meeting in Brussels, and it included setting up a command unit for land forces in Finland. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen highlighted the importance of NATOs multi-corps land component command and land troops in Finland.

NATOs multi-corps land component command and the presence of land troops in Finland scaled to fit the security situation create a very strong deterrence and defense in Northern Europe, the Baltic Sea and the whole of NATO, Hakkanen said.

Finland is poised to become the ninth country to host such a forward land forces contingent. The establishment of this battle group follows Finlands accession to NATO in April 2023.

Additionally, the ministers supported reassigning Finland and Sweden under the Joint Force Command Norfolk in Virginia, moving them from the Dutch-based Brunssum command. This shift aims to bolster defence ties with the United States. NATO currently has eight other multinational battle groups stationed in Eastern European countries.

Original story was published by Bloomberg on 14.06.2024 and can be found here.

Divers find remains of Finnish WWII plane that was shot down by Moscow with a US diplomat aboard

This article about the discovery of a Finnish passenger plane, shot down by Soviet bombers during World War II, was published by Associated Press on June 16. The article gives details of how Junkers Ju 52, was found after over 80 years.

The plane, downed on June 14, 1940, carried nine people, including American diplomat Henry W. Antheil Jr., French couriers, Germans, a Swede, and a dual Estonian-Finnish national. The attack occurred days before the Soviet Union annexed the Baltic states.

A diving team from Estonia discovered the well-preserved wreckage near Keri Island, Estonia, at a depth of 70 meters. This team utilized advanced techniques to locate the remains, which previous attempts, including one by the U.S. Navy in 2008, failed to find.

The planes downing, considered a peacetime atrocity, remained shrouded in mystery due to Finlands initial silence to avoid provoking Moscow. The incident highlighted the strained Finnish-Soviet relations during WWII and the geopolitical tensions of the era. Conspiracy theories have emerged about the contents of the diplomatic pouches aboard, speculating that the Soviets aimed to intercept sensitive information.

The discovery of Kalevas wreckage, including parts like the landing gear and engines, provides closure to a long-standing historical mystery. Future plans include creating 3D images of the site and possibly recovering some debris and human remains, monitored closely by the U.S. and Finnish authorities. Memorials in Estonia and Helsinki honor the victims of this tragic event.

Original story was published by Associated Press on 16.06.2024 and can be found here.

Indonesia encourages Finland to recognize Palestine

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi urging Finland to recognize Palestinian statehood, was covered in an article by Antara News on June 14. The article provides details of Finnish President Alexander Stubb with Marsudi, who is on a European tour, to encourage countries to recognize Palestine, with Finland being her first stop.

According to Marsudi, the meeting was productive. Finland has stated that its recognition is a matter of if rather than when, meaning it is just a matter of time before it announces the recognition, Marsudi said in a press statement in Helsinki.

President Stubb had suggested that Finland plans to recognize Palestinian statehood in the future, though no specific timeline was provided.

Marsudi stressed the importance of timely recognition to support a two-state solution and urged Finland to make a public statement soon. Both leaders underscored the urgency of achieving a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and agreed on the importance of a two-state solution for peace in the region. Marsudi expressed hope that other countries would follow Finlands example and recognize Palestine.

Original story was published by Antara News on 14.06.2024 and can be found here.

Glaring safety innovation: Finland adopts reflective coating on reindeer antlers to curb road collisions

Finlands initiative involving painting reindeer antlers with reflective paint to reduce road collisions, was covered in an article by DNA on June 18. The article explores the Nordic countrys safety effort sparked by the annual occurrence of around 4,000 reindeer-vehicle accidents. This method enhances the visibility of reindeer at night by making their antlers reflect car headlights, thereby alerting drivers to their presence from a distance.

The initiative began in 2014 and recently gained viral attention through a social media post on platform X, garnering 11.7 million views. The image of the glowing antlers stirred a mix of fascination and praise online, with many lauding the Finnish governments proactive approach to wildlife safety, despite the eerie appearance it creates.

The reflective paint, which only shines when hit by light, significantly increases the reindeers visibility, potentially preventing accidents and saving lives. The initiative is part of Finlands broader efforts to find innovative and practical solutions to protect wildlife and ensure road safety.

Original story was published by DNA on 18.06.2024 and can be found here.

HT
Bob Marley's dancing and singing Could You Be Loved was a phenomenon and perhaps the only gateway for many into the life of a Rastafari. Comprising less than one percent of the Jamaican populace, Rastafaris have been historically discriminated against. Jamaica is largely only seen as an exotic travel destination owing to its beautiful beaches and hotels. Like Marley and his reggae music, there have been many emblems of Jamaican culture, but rarely do history books bear witness to the atrocities levied upon its people. Being a musician was just about the only way a Rastaman could be gainfully employed in Jamaica, says Sinclair.

How to Say Babylon 304pp, 1784; Fourth Estate

Initiated by Leonard Percival Howell, who heeded Marcus Garveys call to Look to Africa for the crowning of a Black King, the Rastafari movement has been a beacon for the downtrodden since its inception in 1933. Garveys prophecy led Howell to Haile Selassie, the emperor of Ethiopia, the only African country to have never been colonised. He declared him God incarnate, sparking a seismic cultural shift. Rooted in a militant belief in Black independence inspired by Selassies reign, the movement faced persecution from a Christian society under British rule. Despite its non violent ethos, Rastas were marginalised and subjected to state violence. In 1963, Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante ordered a military crackdown: Bring in all Rastas, dead or alive. Throughout their history, Rastas endured vilification as the Blackheart Man and were ostracised. They coined the term Babylon to represent the systemic racism and oppression perpetuated by colonial powers and Western ideologies. Babylon then symbolised the forces of destruction that threatened Rasta communities, and which perpetuated the centuries-long enslavement and oppression of Black people.

Safiya Sinclairs memoir How To Say Babylon documents her life as a child in a strict Rastafarian household with an authoritarian father who fervently adhered to his own Sinclair sect, and was obsessed with preserving his daughters purity. He mandated rules that forbade Safiya to have opinions and worldly riches of her own. For Babylon was always lurking on the horizon, waiting to pounce on his dawta. If Babylon had colonised the Rastas, Rasta men would have doubly colonised their women. This memoir is a historical account of the Sinclair family as their eldest daughter, Safiya, navigates her womanhood and tries to find purpose. She writes about the narrative structure of the novel:

I pull and pull this thread of violence back through the generations of my family, through my marked bloodline, and beyond them, back to Jamaicas first colonial whip, back to the last Taino dying of Columbus smallpox, back to the first colonizer who put a shackle on a Black womans neck, back to the first woman who said No.

Bob Marley was perhaps the only gateway for many into the life of a Rastafari(Shutterstock)

How To Say Babylon is also a Kunstlerroman of an artist realising her potential. Her mother had fed the fire of language in her, nurtured her love of words, and handed her the first book of poems. At 16, Safiya stood transfixed after reading Sylvia Plaths poem, Daddy and thus began her initiation into discovering her own niche of literature. She would read a dictionary for pleasure and then write down all the words that sounded good in the mouth. Language doesnt just exist on the page, its about how you embody and how it feels in the body, how it feels in the mouth. While her days were filled with the violence of the words emanating from her father, her nights among books were a balm to pacify her wounds. Even as she tries to harm herself once, she walked away from that glass shard to conjure her silver poem  Every place here is a place of violence, and I am heavy with poems, she says. She would soon start seeing Emily Dickinson in her dreams, signalling her growth as a poet.

Haile Selassie, the emperor of Ethiopia, the only African country to have never been colonised.(Shutterstock)

Questions of a Caribbean selfhood and a feminine body had always been pressing against Safiyas temple since she was a kid. Being the only Rasta children attending private schools in Jamaica, Safiya and her siblings felt like oddities wherever they went. It also created a certain dissonance. Having to study with highly colonised-Christain Black Jamaican children did not foster a sense of belonging. It was quite a burden and much of that was wrapped up in hair, which had its own weight as a young Rastafari woman: Hair of my binding, hair of my unbeautiful wanting, hair of his bitter words, hair of the cruel world, hair roping me to my fathers belt, hair wrestling the taunts of baldheads in the street Safiyas dreadlocks made her hypervisible, much to her dismay. She was constantly bullied, called dirty and unhygienic. Back home, father called his hair a crown, his locks a mane, his beard a precept. What grew from their hair was supposed to be most holy. Cutting her dreadlocks therefore, was a moral failure and a falling into Babylonian ways.

The book brings to mind Deborah Feldmans memoir Unorthodox, which tells the story of a Hasidic Jewish woman fleeing an arranged marriage and her religious fundamentalist family. Most interesting is the treatment of religion in both works. The protagonists dont intend to shed a culture but to forge their own sense of self more or less within its boundaries. Done with a grace that doesnt vilify any faith, it manages a sharp critique of cruelty to its women. Safiya contemplates and finally declares in the end, I briefly wondered if I could have ever been a true daughter of Rastafari  was there any version of that woman in white that I would have chosen to preserve? Was there any of her now, that still lived on in me?... I might have left Rastafari behind, but I always carried with me the indelible fire of its rebellion.

Author Safiya Sinclair(Courtesy safiyasinclair.com)

Theres so much I didnt know about Jamaica until I read this book. The landscape comes to life through the books unconscious poetry. Not one word goes to waste. Also visible are the influences of Garcia Lorcas duende, the spirit of evocation that climbs inside you from the soles of the feet. Language in the book is felt from the bottom up, traversing the veins. It is through language that I understood the landscape of Jamaica. The writer owes a great deal to her mother who taught her to read the sea like a poem. Language thus gains materiality. The book also upturns the colonial legacy of the English language by bending it. Rasta poetics essentially rejected any English word with a negative connotation. For example, the English/Babylon word understand will become overstand.

Addressing her poetry collection Cannibal that came out in 2016, Sinclair revealed that she couldnt think about Jamaica without thinking about colonialism or imperialism. Getting to Charlottesville there was no way I couldnt also think about what wounds were there, also what kind of historical hurt was intrinsic to the making of this place, to the building of the University that I walked around every day right which was built by the enslaved but all the glory is given to the enslaver Thomas Jefferson who was at the time was seen in heroic light. So I had to come to terms with all of this on the page. There is no American dream without American massacre, she stresses. How To Say Babylon is Sinclairs attempt to come to terms with her identity and her Rastafari legacy in Jamaica.

The memoir assumes a wholeness that promises a history from below. Safiya talks about an unspoken understanding of loss in Jamaica where everything comes with a rude bargain  that being citizens of a developing nation, were already expecting to live a secondhand life. Apart from the use of anticolonial language and oral history, the book also addresses the question of a womans interiority. Thinking about Rastafaris doesnt automatically bring a woman to mind, possibly due to prevalent stereotypes. How To Say Babylon prompts readers to rethink their own hackneyed vision of the world. It is therefore a potent portrait of an artist as a young woman.

Pranavi Sharma writes on books and culture. She lives in New Delhi.
In Delhi, over a dozen students were detained on Wednesday during a protest against the NEET UG examination organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union along with other outfits. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

NEET 2024 News Live: The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Oasis School Principal-cum-District coordinator of NEET exams Ehsanul Haq, Vice Principal Imtiyaz Alam and another individual on allegations of tampering of questions papers, in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh. The latest move comes after the CBI had questioned the Principal and other staff members with regard to the alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET UG 2024, on Wednesday....Read More

Besides, the Special CBI Court in Patna had earlier sent two accused in the NEET question paper leak case  Chintu Kumar and Mukesh Kumar  to CBI remand for three days.

It may be mentioned here that both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had been adjourned till July 1, 2024, following the protest by the opposition demanding a debate on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG 2024).

The uproar in Parliament came in the backdrop of President Droupadi Murmu mentioning the paper leak issue while addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament on Thursday. She said that the government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty.

HT Poll | Should NTA continue to be the conducting agency for NEET? Here's how people responded

Meanwhile, key developments emerged from other states as well, most recently from West Bengal where the Kolkata Police arrested a person associated with an educational institution for allegedly taking money from a students parent on the promise of a rank in the merit list and a medical seat.

The Kerala Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the central government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of NEET and UGC NET exams.

In Delhi, over a dozen students were detained on Wednesday during a protest against the NEET UG examination organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students' union along with other outfits.

(With inputs from agencies)

Get the latest details about the CBI investigation into the NEET UG paper leak case and other developments below.
A special team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday questioned a principal of the Oasis school in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, who was the district coordinator of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG-2024) examination, amid its probe into the exam's alleged irregularities. Along with the principal, a few other staff members of the school were also quizzed at the CCL guest house at Charhi, a town in the Hazaribagh district.

A CBI team exiting the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) office in Patna in NEET paper leak case. (Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times)
President Droupadi Murmu with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stands for the national anthem after her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Parliament Session highlights: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday addressed the joint session of the Parliament where she launched a scathing attack on Emergency imposed by the then Congress government in 1975 and said that it was the biggest and darkest chapter of the direct attack on the Constitution. In her first presidential address after the formation of the BJP-led NDA government for the third time at the Centre post-general elections, she also referred to the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET UG-2024) and said that the ongoing probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the NEET paper leak case will fix accountability....Read More

Following the address, a motion of thanks will be moved in both the Houses of Parliament, which will be discussed by the lawmakers. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday, and the Rajya Sabha session will start today.

Earlier on Wednesday, NDA candidate Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for the second time in a row after Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved the motion in the House. Birla defeated the Opposition's candidate, an eight-term Congress MP, Kodikkunil Suresh, through a voice vote.

Post-election, Birla received congratulations from PM Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and various leaders from both the NDA and the opposition. After 1952, 1967, and 1976, this was the fourth time the Speaker was elected by way of an election.

Speaking on occasion, Birla urged that there should be a new vision and resolve for the 18th Lok Sabha. He called for the 18th Lok Sabha to be a centre of creative thinking and new ideas, which would establish high levels of parliamentary traditions and dignity and added that the aim of the House should be to fulfil the resolve of Viksit Bharat.

Further, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency on June 26, 1975, the speaker praised the strength and determination of all those who strongly opposed the Emergency, fought and protected India's democracy.
By Laurie Chen China's Communist Party expels two former defence ministers for corruption

BEIJING, - China's Communist Party on Thursday expelled former defence minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe for "serious violations of discipline", a euphemism for corruption, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Li was suspected of receiving "huge sums of money" in bribes as well as bribing others, and an investigation found he "did not fulfill political responsibilities" and "sought personnel benefits for himself and others", the report said, citing the Communist Party's Central Committee which ordered the investigation.

"As a senior leading cadre of the party and the army, Li Shangfu betrayed his original mission ... betrayed the trust of the Party Central Committee and Central Military Commission... and caused great damage to the party cause and national defence," the report said.

Reuters exclusively reported last year that Li was under investigation for suspected corruption in military procurement. He was mysteriously ousted as defence minister without explanation last October, after disappearing for two months. This is the first time China has explicitly confirmed that Li was under investigation, as well as details of the nature of his crimes.

China's military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge since last year, with eleven PLA generals and a handful of aerospace defence industry executives removed from the national legislative body to date.

Wei Fenghe, Li's predecessor, had disappeared from public view since he was replaced last March during a planned cabinet reshuffle. Wei was head of the strategic People's Liberation Army Rocket Force from 2015-17.

President Xi Jinping, also the military's commander-in-chief, appointed a new head and political commissar of the Rocket Force last July, in a major shake-up of the unit that oversees China's conventional and nuclear missiles.

An investigation launched into Wei last September found that he had accepted "a huge amount of money and valuables" in bribes and "helped others gain improper benefits in personnel arrangements", Xinhua reported, adding that his actions were "extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm".

Both officials were also found to have other unspecified violations, the reports said without elaborating.

The decisions to strip Li and Wei of their party membership were approved by the seven-member Politburo, the Communist Party's apex of power, on Thursday. The Politburo also transferred both their cases to military prosecutors.

The decision will be confirmed during the party's Third Plenum to be held 15-18 July, when removals from the Central Committee will be formally announced. Ousted former foreign minister Qin Gang still remains a member of the Central Committee.

Xi last week said the PLA faces "deep-seated" political problems and vowed there must be "no hiding place" for corrupt officers.

Li was also stripped of his membership of the national legislative body, Xinhua added, after being removed from the Central Military Commission, China's top military body, earlier this year. Wei was also removed from the legislative body.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
* EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief

Portuguese ex-PM and Estonian leader also tapped for top posts

*

Italy's Meloni withholds backing from trio

*

EU also signs security pact with Ukraine at summit

By Julia Payne and Thomas Escritt

BRUSSELS, - European Union leaders agreed on Friday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body.

At a summit in Brussels, the bloc's 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the future chair of their European Council meetings and selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.

The leadership package represents continuity for the 27-member bloc, with centrist pro-EU factions keeping hold of top posts despite a far-right surge in elections to the European Parliament earlier this month.

The deal was announced by the current European Council president, Charles Michel, on social media.

The trio won broad backing from leaders but diplomats said right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained from the vote on von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Kallas.

Von der Leyen's nomination still needs approval from the European Parliament in a secret ballot - widely seen as a trickier proposition than her endorsement by EU leaders.

At the summit, the EU also

signed a security agreement with Ukraine, debated how to bolster EU defences against Russia and agreed bloc's strategic priorities for the next five years.

The security deal underlines EU support for Kyiv fighting off Moscow's invasion for a third year, despite gains by the far-right in European elections, uncertainty created by French snap elections and the U.S. presidential vote in November.

The agreement lays out the EU's commitments to help Ukraine in nine areas of security policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining.

"These commitments will help Ukraine defend itself, resist destabilisation, and deter future acts of aggression - more concrete proof of the EU's unshakeable resolve to support Ukraine for the long haul," Michel said.

The leaders will reiterate their pledge to support Ukraine as long as it takes, stressing that "Russia must not prevail" and that Ukraine must get back the land annexed by Moscow.

DEFENCE DEBATE

The war in Ukraine laid bare the EU's lack of preparedness for a conflict as the bloc struggles to supply Kyiv with enough weapons against Russia, prompting calls for more EU coordination of defence systems and investment in defence industries.

Diplomats said von der Leyen told the summit that between 1999 and 2021, the EU increased defence spending by 20%, China by 600% and Russia by 300%, even before Moscow's massive rise in military spending after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

According to diplomats, von der Leyen told leaders the EU needed to invest 500 billion euros in defence over the next 10 years. Financing options ranged from national contributions, dedicated revenue streams - called the EU's own resources - and joint borrowing, von der Leyen said.

Investment in defence is part of the EU's "strategic agenda" that the leaders aim to agree before dinner on Thursday - a document that tells EU institutions what European governments want them to focus on during their 2024-2029 term.

Apart from defence, the agenda calls for a more competitive EU to withstand economic pressure from China and the United States and for preparing the bloc for enlargement that would include Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Satellite images showing much of the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab in ruins after months of Israeli air strikes offer a glimpse of the scale of damage in one of Hezbollah's main bastions in south Lebanon. A smoke plume billows during Israeli bombardment on the village of Kfarshuba in south Lebanon near the border with Israel on June 26, 2024 amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.(AFP)

The images from private satellite operator Planet Labs PBC, taken on June 5 and analysed by Reuters, show at least 64 destroyed sites in Aita al-Shaab. Several of the sites contain more than one building.

Located in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah enjoys strong backing from many Shi'ite Muslims, Aita al-Shaab was a frontline in 2006 when its fighters successfully repelled Israeli attacks during the full-scale, 34-day war.

While the current fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist movement is still relatively contained, it marks their worst confrontation in 18 years, with widespread damage to buildings and farmland in south Lebanon and northern Israel.

Also Read | 10 relatives of Hamas chief killed in Israeli strike, say Gaza officials

The sides have been trading fire since the Gaza war erupted in October. The hostilities have largely depopulated the border zone on both sides, with tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes.

The destruction in Aita al-Shaab is comparable to the damage done in 2006, a dozen people familiar with the damage said, at a time when escalation has prompted growing concern of another all out war between the heavily-armed adversaries.

Reuters does not have satellite images from 2006 to compare the two periods.

Israel says fire from Lebanon has killed 18 soldiers and 10 civilians. Israeli attacks have killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters and 87 civilians, according to Reuters tallies.

At least 10 of Hezbollah's dead came from Aita al-Shaab, and dozens more from the surrounding area, according to Hezbollah death notices reviewed by Reuters. Six civilians have been killed in the village, a security source said.

The village, just 1 km (0.6 miles) from the border, is among the most heavily bombarded by Israel, Hashem Haidar, the head of the government's regional development agency the Council for South Lebanon told Reuters.

"There is a lot of destruction in the village centre, not just the buildings they hit and destroyed, but those around them" which are beyond repair, said Aita al-Shaab mayor Mohamed Srour.

Most of the village's 13,500 residents fled in October, when Israel began striking buildings and woodland nearby, he added.

The bombing campaign has made a swath of the border area in Lebanon "unfit for living," Haidar said.

The Israeli military has said it has hit Hezbollah targets in the Aita al-Shaab area during the conflict.

In response to Reuters questions, Israeli military spokesperson Nir Dinar said Israel was acting in self-defence.

Hezbollah had made the area "unliveable" by hiding in civilian buildings and launching unprovoked attacks that made "ghost towns" of Israeli villages, Dinar said.

"Israel is striking military targets, the fact that they're hiding inside civilian infrastructures is Hezbollah's decision," Dinar said.

The military did not give further details of the nature of its targets in the village. It said Hezbollah was escalating attacks, firing over 4,800 rockets into northern Israel, "killing civilians and displacing tens of thousands."

Hezbollah's media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hezbollah has said that displacing so many Israelis has been an accomplishment of its campaign.

'CONTINUING THREAT'

The current conflict began a day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally. Hezbollah has said it will stop when the Israeli assault on Gaza ends.

Aita al-Shaab is perched on a hilltop looking into Israel and is one of many Shi'ite villages experts say are Hezbollah's first line of defence against Israel.

The 2006 war started when Hezbollah fighters infiltrated Israel from an area near Aita al-Shaab, capturing two Israeli soldiers.

A source familiar with Hezbollah's operations said the village had played a strategic role in 2006 and would do so again in any new war. The source did not give more details of the group's activities there.

Hezbollah fighters held out in the village for the entire 2006 war. An Israeli-government appointed inquiry found that Israeli forces failed to capture it as ordered, despite encircling the village and dealing a serious blow to Hezbollah. Anti-tank missiles were still being fired from the village five days before the war ended, it said.

Seth G. Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the area was militarily important in several ways, allowing Hezbollah to fire its shorter-range rockets into Israel.

"If there was a ground incursion, these would be frontline locations for Hezbollah to defend, or to try to attrite" Israeli forces, he said.

Hezbollah, far stronger than in 2006, has announced attacks on targets directly across the border from Aita al-Shaab during the current hostilities, including in the Israeli village of Shtula 1.9 km (1.18 miles) away and nearby areas.

Satellite images of Shtula and nearby Israeli villages taken on June 5 do not show visible damage to buildings. Israel's Defence Ministry said 60 homes in Shutla had been damaged including 11 severely damaged, according to a May report by newspaper Calcalist. The ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for data.

Throughout northern Israel, around 2,000 buildings have been damaged, the country's tax authority said. Across the border, some 2,700 homes have been completely destroyed and 22,000 more damaged, significantly below the 2006 conflict, the Council for South Lebanon said, though these numbers were preliminary.

Fires sparked by the fighting have affected hundreds of hectares of farmland and forest either side of the border, authorities said.

HEAVY ORDNANCE

Andreas Krieg of King's College in London said the structural damage in Aita al-Shaab was in keeping with wide-impact-area ordnance dropped by fighter jets or drones. Images of strikes indicated bombs of up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg) had been dropped, he said.

Hezbollah, which frequently announces its own strikes, has occasionally used the short-range Burkan, with a warhead of up to 500 kgs (1,100 pounds). Many of the attacks it has announced have used weapons with far smaller warheads, such as guided anti-tank rockets that typically carry warheads of less than 10 kg.

"Hezbollah does have much ... heavier warheads on their ballistic missiles that have not been used yet," Krieg said.

Israel's military and Hezbollah did not respond to questions about ordnance.

Hezbollah's goal, Krieg said, was to drive out Israeli civilians.

For that, Hezbollah doesn't need to cause massive structural damage to civilian areas or civilian buildings.
Russia has sent around 10,000 naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine, a top official said Thursday, adding that some had chosen to leave the country rather than face being enlisted. Facing labour shortages, Russia has made it easier for them to obtain Russian citizenship in recent years.. (AP/File)

Moscow has been accused of pressuring Central Asian migrants to join its armed forces amid an intense recruitment drive to boost troop numbers for its military offensive on Ukraine.

The head of Russia's Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin said that Russia was cracking down on migrants who had received Russian citizenship but were not registering with military authorities.

"We have caught more than 30,000 who had received citizenship but did not want to register for military service and put them on the list," he said, referring to a database of men who could be eligible to be drafted.

"Already around 10,000 have been sent to the zone of the special military operation," he said, using Russia's official language for its Ukraine campaign.

Millions of migrant workers, mostly from Central Asia, live in Russia, many doing low-paid jobs and living in poor conditions in order to send their salaries to families back home.

Facing labour shortages, Russia has made it easier for them to obtain Russian citizenship in recent years.

Russian citizenship is an attractive proposition to many as it significantly reduces the bureaucracy associated with living and working in the country.

But it also obliges migrants to register with military authorities and, if called up, to serve in the army.

Bastrykin said that some had started "slowly leaving" amid an intensification of inspections.

Anti-migrant attitudes are also running high in Russia after a terror attack on a Moscow city concert hall that killed more than 140 in March.

Police have arrested several suspected gunmen and plotters from Tajikistan over the massacre.

Raids of migrant workplaces and dormitories, already prevalent, have also stepped up, while politicians have been pushing the Kremlin to take a harder line on migration.
For illegal Indian aliens in the United States, it could well be the slice of luck they aspire to when they migrate, chasing their American dream, but living life in the shadows. This Biden policy change could also lead to improved financial situations, allowing families to save for college and other expenses, ultimately enhancing their overall economic well-being (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Joe Bidens sweeping new legal protections announced last week for undocumented immigrants living in the US and married to Americans, has come as a bonanza to Indians, who make up the third-largest group of undocumented immigrants in the worlds most preferred destination for emigres.

The step would make it easier for young immigrants to gain access to work visas, a move that could help them eventually get a green card and protect their legal status in the US.

A finding conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2021 put the number of such Indians at 725,000. They constitute the third largest population of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador, the Washington-based think tank said.

Bidens move is one of the most wide-ranging presidential actions to protect immigrants in more than a decade.

"It is by any stretch of imagination, a most welcome step, which will lay down the grounds of future immigration policy in many parts of the world, said S Irudaya Rajan, Chairman International Institute of Migration and Development, Kerala.

ALSO READ | FIIDS USA urges Biden administration to extend immigration relief to spouses and children of backlogged H-1B applicants

Rajan said that there are many foreigners who live in this country  in Goa and other places  and India rarely questions them. The US is now returning the favour, he told this reporter. Rajan is one of Indias foremost experts on migration.

Noted The New York Times: Under the new policy, some 500,000 undocumented spouses will be shielded from deportation and given a pathway to citizenship and the ability to work legally in the United States.

As of 2021, the USs 10.5 million unauthorised immigrants represented about 3% of the total U.S. population and 22% of the foreign-born population, the Pew Research Center noted.

There is yet another category of immigrants. Latest data released by USAs Customs and Border Protection (UCBP) said that from November 2022 to September 2023, a record number of Indians 96,917 were arrested while crossing illegally into the USA.

The number of Indians trying to enter the USA has witnessed a five-fold rise since 2019. Desperate Indians are trying to enter the USA despite many fatalities in attempting the cross over.

According to the new policy, however, the Department of Homeland Security policy will allow these immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation protections if they have lived in the US for at least 10 years and meet other requirements. The programme, however, still requires undocumented spouses to file necessary paperwork and pass a criminal background check and doesn't apply to future migrants. In addition, applicants must have been legally married to their American citizen spouse by June 17.

For many Indian American households, this policy shift could reduce financial strains and contribute to greater economic stability. Undocumented spouses, who can now work legally, could actively contribute to their families' incomes. In most if not all cases, such individuals rarely show up in official documentation for the fear of exposing themselves.

This Biden policy change could also lead to improved financial situations, allowing families to save for college and other expenses, ultimately enhancing their overall economic well-being.

ALSO READ | Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak share immigration dilemma ahead of crucial elections

Additionally, it could extend benefits to H4 dependent children, potentially granting them Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). This would allow them children to pursue summer jobs and save for college expenses, significantly expanding their opportunities compared to current restrictions.

In the past, an Indian (or any illegal national) married to a US citizen, would be required to leave the country to apply for a green card, the lawful permanent residency. This implied being separated from the spouse for long periods of time, leading to other attendant problems.

However, the existing 7 per cent cap per country on the much-coveted green cards is a cause for disquiet for Indian Americans, who face long wait times due to this quota. This policy  as per the Presidential announcement - doesn't seem to address increasing green card availability or hints at introducing reforms in the process.

Dr Krishan Chand, a migration expert, who has co-authored an extensive study of the Indian diaspora with reference to Punjab says, Foreign government policies change from time to time and are guided by many factors, including their own situation and needs. It is not static. Sometimes politics and bilateral ties play an important role.

That could well be the case here.
Boeing disclosed this week that missing paperwork could have caused the January incident on an Alaska Airlines flight when the 737 Max lost a door plug. Elizabeth Lund, Senior Vice President, Quality at Boeing speaks to gathered media in front of a slide detailing the plug door blow-out that occurred on January 5, 2024, on Alaska Airlines flight 1282, at the Boeing 737 factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. June 25, 2024. (via REUTERS)

Initially, the lack of consolidated documentation hindered the investigation into who worked on the door plug. However, this week's briefing at Boeing's 737 Max factory in Renton, Washington, unveiled a new picture, thereby inciting a fiery row with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for revealing non-public investigative information to the media. The company said in a statement on Thursday that Boeing has blatantly violated the agency's protocols.

What happened at the Boeing briefing for journalists?

According to CNN, the company disclosed this week that the four plugs needed to hold the door plug in place were possibly not installed before the flight departed the factory in October due to lack of paperwork. This further spotlighted that the workers required to reinstall the blots never received the word order, pointing them in the right direction for the work that had to be done.

Also read | Indian American doctor who drove family off cliff not standing trial, here's why

Boeing's Tuesday briefing also revealed that the Alaska Air door plug incident happened because two different groups of employees were enlisted to finish the work at the plant. While one was responsible for removing the door plug, the other had to reinstall it.

The first step of the procedure was completed with the initial group removing the door plug and settling trouble with some rivets made by Spirit AeroSystems. However, they failed to generate the paperwork suggesting they had done their part of the job in removing the door plug and four bolts needed to hold it in place.

Boeing added that when a different group of workers put the plug back, they didn't think the plane could fly. They'd merely made a temporary fix by blocking the hole with the plug to protect the inside of the fuselage from the weather.

Senior Vice President of quality for Boeing's commercial airplane unit Elizabeth Lund said, The doors team closes up the aircraft before it is moved outside, but its not their responsibility to install the pins.

This particular group of employees assumed that paperwork had been completed, highlighting that the plug and bolts had been removed and needed to be installed again. However, the missing paperwork resulted in no one being alerted on the assembly line.

Also read | US driver captures human trafficking on camera, helps in rescuing kids in Atlanta

(Permanent) reinstallation is done by another team based on the paperwork showing what jobs are unfinished But there was no paperwork, so nobody knew to follow up, Lund added.

Boeing prompts NTSB rebuke

Despite providing new insight into the near-tragic incident, Boeing landed in trouble with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for violating agency rules and divulging details to the media at this early stage.

During a media briefing Tuesday about quality improvements  a Boeing executive provided investigative information and gave an analysis of factual information previously released. Both of these actions are prohibited, NTSB said in a statement on Thursday. The agency further threatened Boeing, stating it would refer its line of action to the Department of Justice. NTSB also foregrounded that the company would no longer share access to the agency's insight during the investigation.

The plane in question flew for about two months despite the lack of bolts surrounding the door plug. On January 5, the door plug ultimately blew out just minutes after the Alaska Airlines plane took off from Portland, Oregon. With a hole in the side of the aircraft exposing the passengers to a fatal experience, several items were ripped away into the night sky. Thankfully, no serious injuries were incurred, and the plane landed safely.
For the first time in over two decades, the United States will welcome a pair of giant pandas from China. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Sichuan Province, are set to arrive at the San Diego Zoo as part of a landmark 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation program. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agencym, giant panda Xin Bao is seen on a tree at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Yanan, southwest China's Sichuan Province on April 18, 2024.(AP)

The pandas departed from Sichuan on Wednesday, making a brief stop in Hong Kong before their scheduled arrival in the U.S. on Thursday, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA). This initiative follows an agreement signed in February between the CWCA and the San Diego Zoo, marking a new era of collaborative efforts in giant panda conservation.

"This is a historic conservation partnership that will help protect these magnificent creatures and their habitat," tweeted Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego, who attended a farewell ceremony in Ya'an, where the pandas had been residing.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will be accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians to ensure their safe and comfortable journey. "We anticipate a 20 to 40 percent boost in attendance...because we know people love these creatures," Gloria remarked.

Yun Chuan, a nearly five-year-old male, is notably the son of Zhen Zhen, a panda born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007, further deepening the connection between the zoo and the panda lineage.

Li Desheng, deputy director of the CCRCGP told China XinhuaNews that Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will strengthen the bond between China and the United States. "These pandas are ambassadors, kind of like an icon for this nation," Gloria added, acknowledging the special place giant pandas hold in China's cultural and national identity.

Paul Baribault, CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, have shared insights into the meticulous preparations made for the pandas' arrival. "We've expanded their living space and prepared all their food to ensure they feel right at home," Baribault said, emphasizing the zoo's dedication to providing the best possible environment for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.
The US Supreme Court on Thursday, June 27, affirmed a lower court injunction that allows abortion to continue in Idaho in cases of medical emergencies. This comes a day after the Supreme Court accidentally released an opinion that hinted abortions will be allowed in the state in such cases. The opinion was later taken off the internet. Emergency abortions in Idaho can continue for the time being, US Supreme Court says (Photo by Andrew Harnik / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

Idaho is a state known to have very strict restrictions in place. The case will now go back to a lower court to be further evaluated. However, for the time being, doctors will be allowed to perform emergency abortions.

The latest developments

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson objected to the court failing to decide the case. She read her dissenting opinion from the bench, saying, "There is simply no good reason not to resolve this conflict now.

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito agreed in a dissenting opinion, and was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch. In fact, Alito suggested he would rule against the Joe Biden administration, which said the law conflicts with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986. This law demands that all emergency room physicians at hospitals that receive Medicare funds offer "stabilizing treatment" to patients whose health is at stake.

"Here, no one who has any respect for statutory language can plausibly say that the government's interpretation is unambiguously correct," Alito wrote.

A five-justice bloc of conservative and liberal justices went on to vote against deciding the case. Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that the "shape of these cases has substantially shifted" ever since the court said it would like to hear two linked appeals from the state and elected officials. According to Liberal Justice Elena Kagan, Idaho's arguments "have never justified ... our early consideration of this dispute."

Idahos Defense of Life Act, which took effect in August 2022, prohibits almost all abortions, except reported cases of rape or incest or when "necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman."
Dharmesh Patel, 42, accused of driving himself and his family off a cliff in a Tesla vehicle last year, will avoid jail and has been granted a mental health diversion, according to court records. The wife of Dharmesh Patel, a California radiologist accused of trying to kill his family when he drove his Tesla off a cliff along the Northern California coast, told rescuers her husband was depressed and needed a psychological evaluation, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed in May 2023. (AP)

The California doctor was initially charged with three counts of attempted murder in January last year. Authorities insisted he intentionally drove his car off a San Mateo County cliff, with his wife and two children aboard - 4 and 7 years old at the time of the tragedy. The 42-year-old Indian-origin doctor had pleaded not guilty, and the latest development in the case reflected that a judge granted him a mental health diversion last week, Thursday.

Why is Dharmesh Patel not standing trial?

More than a year after the incident, the Indian-American radiologist will be treated for mental illness, instead of being jailed. His doctors told the court he suffered a psychotic breakdown. San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Susan Jakubowski said on Thursday that Patel was eligible for a mental health diversion, per a statement from the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office obtained by The New York Times.

Also read | US driver captures human trafficking on camera, helps in rescuing kids in Atlanta

The district attorney's office stated, Judge Jakubowski made a lengthy statement concluding the defendant as suitable for mental health diversion. After reviewing all the evidence, she concluded the proper diagnosis for the defendant's mental illness was major depressive disorder which is a qualifying mental disorder under the statute.

Reports in May highlighted that Patel's attorney, Joshua Bentley, had requested the mental health diversion program, arguing that he should undergo a two-year mental health outpatient treatment program and not stand trial. not everyone who commits a crime is a criminal, he said in court.

What was the Indian American doctor's diagnosis?

His doctors diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder and major depressive disorder. According to the district attorney's office, his doctors recommended Patel be held in county jail for several weeks, dubbing it a bridging period, before his release.

After being released, he will reportedly stay at his parent's place in Belmont, California. He's not allowed to leave for elsewhere except for his treatment or the court. The district attorney's office also stated he would wear a GPS monitor and relinquish his driver's license and passport.

Also read | Texas mom kicked off United Airline flight with toddler for misgendering attendant; 'its a hate crime'

What happened in January 2023?

On January 2, 2023, Patel was driving his white Tesla along the Pacific Coast Highway with his family inside. Eventually, the vehicle plummeted hundreds of feet off the cliff at Devil's Slide.

Firefighters came to the family's rescue. Everyone inside the car survived the fall. Brian Pottenger, a battalion chief with Cal Fire, said at the time, This was an absolute miracle. He further detailed how numerous cars went over the cliff, and people rarely survived.

In May 2023, a search warrant affidavit shed light on Neha Patel's take on the incident. The defendant's wife, 41 at the time of the accident, told a California Highway Patrol Officer, He drove off. He's depressed He said he was going to drive off the cliff. He purposely drove off.

Patel's family members have since supported him.
Jill Biden spoke out about the Trump-Biden presidential debate during a stop at a Virginia Beach Biden campaign field office while she was on her way to Atlanta. You all know that theres two visions for America, and youll see them tonight when you watch the debate. And youve already chosen your vision: The vision youve chosen is for strong, steady leadership, versus that other vision, which is chaos and corruption, she told supporters," according to CNN. I want you tonight, when you see them both debating: I want you to hear Joes words, but most of all, I want you to listen to his heart. Jill Biden speaks out about two visions for America' (AP Photo/John C. Clark)(AP)

She added, I know youre believers, but we have to work harder: We have to go out and we have to talk to other people about these two visions. Talk about Joes vision and how he is trying to build up America.  I know its early, its June, and youre probably saying, Oh my God, we have all these months to go.

Jill also offered a subtle jab at Donald Trump, saying Biden has worked on lifting up Americans, not just himself, like the other guy.

In May, Jill appeared on ABCs The View, hosted by Sunny Hostin, and said that the US must choose between good and evil in the presidential election. She noted how Trump used words like violence, dictator, and bloodbath, and pointed out how there were not simple words, but something the US witnessed during the Capitol riot in 2021.

Joe and Jill Biden to host a campaign rally in Raleigh

Meanwhile, Jill and Biden will be in Raleigh, North Carolina, to host a post-debate campaign rally on Friday, June 28, CBS17 reported. The campaign is also set to feature special guests like Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur Fat Joe and multi-platinum artist E-40.

Biden and vice president Kamala Harris visited Raleigh in March to push for affordable healthcare in the state. Trump has been leading Biden in recent polling in North Carolina.
Ashley Biden is facing severe backlash for making a gaffe during her Pride ceremony speech at the White House. The First Daughter was mocked on social media Wednesday after struggling with the LGBTQ acronym, with netizens likening her error to the Presidents habitual slip-ups. Ashley Biden was brutally slammed for mispronouncing LGBTQ during her Pride speech at the White House(AFP)

Ashley Bidens Pride speech goes awry

The 43-year-old social worker headlined the White House Pride celebration on the South Lawn alongside her mother, Jill Biden. Ashley praised the First Lady, calling her the woman who taught me to be myself and showed me in so many ways how I can make a difference.

In her elaborate speech, Ashley highlighted the importance of children being able to feel loved, accepted, and supported. Its everything, she stressed before noting how this is not the case for every child out there.

Unfortunately, as we know, not all children grow up this way, Ashley continued, adding, Too many LGBTQ children grow up in homes that dont accept them. Or, if they are accepted at home, they go to school each day and either have to hide a piece of who they are or are bullied because of it.

Ashley then stumbled upon the widely used term, saying, LGBCT before taking closing her eyes to quickly recover from the gaffe. Correcting herself, she finally said, LGBTQ students deserve to be safe at school, at home and in their communities. Period.

Netizens mock Ashley Biden for Pride speech error

As the clip of her onstage blunder went viral, netizens began mocking Ashley for stumbling. One X, formerly Twitter user said, Looks like someone could use a refresher course in their ABCs... or should I say, their LGBTQs! Meanwhile, another said, Kind of a hint on Dads own debate skills tomorrow night. Like father, like daughter, said one more user. Another X post read, Obviously it runs in the family.
On June 24, NASA cancelled a spacewalk at the International Space Station (ISS) following a spacesuit malfunction. Astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mike Barratt were forced to cancel their plans to spacewalk outside the ISS. This photo provided by NASA shows the Starliner spacecraft docked to the Harmony module of the International Space Station, orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast, on June 13, 2024. (NASA via AP)(AP)

This spacewalk was cancelled on Monday after a water leak from a servicing and cooling umbilical (SCU) on Dyson's spacesuit, adding another red mark to the ongoing ISS spacesuit situation. The incident caught on the NASA live feed, saw Dyson reporting literally water everywhere.

I could see the ice crystals were flowing out there, and then, just like a snow machine, there was ice forming at that port on the SCU, Dyson told Mission Control. The astronauts were still in the hatch when the leak occurred, with the external door open. The spacewalk was ultimately terminated. This second attempt follows the June 13 planned decision for a spacewalk with a different group of astronauts - Matt Dominick and Tracy Dyson.

The initial attempt was cancelled due to a spacesuit discomfort dilemma with Matt Dominick.

Also read | Boeing blames missing paperwork as potential cause of Alaska Air mishap, incites NTSB row

The spacewalk for today has been cancelled due to a space suit cooling unit water loop leak that began right after the suits were put on internal battery power, NASA announced after the June 24 attempt.

Repeatedly postponed spacewalks and struck-off contracts

Fortunately, in each case the astronauts were safe. However, the continuing string of postponed spacewalks due to arising concerns with the spacesuit is only the beginning of NASA's problems. Another forthcoming spacewalk is scheduled for July 2. Only time will tell whether that will be successfully greenlit. Either way, the astronauts are in dire need of new suits, especially with the ones at their disposal based on a design that dates back more than 40 years, which is indisputably overdue for major upgrades.

Despite the growing demand for spacesuits onboard the ISS, NASA has faced another setback: The company enlisted to design the suits is pulling back its strings from the contract.

In 2022, NASA picked Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to build their spacesuits, with an estimated cumulative value of $3.5 billion. Although these suits were supposed to debut in 2025, a new troubling development in the arena suggested the RTX Corp. subsidiary company had agreed to descope its work on spacesuit development for the ISS despite the contract. A spokesperson for Collins Aerospace confirmed the news to SpaceNews on June 25.

After a thorough evaluation, Collins Aerospace and NASA mutually agreed to descope Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) task orders. Collins remains committed to supporting NASA and human spaceflight programs, the company said.

Also read | US Supreme Court blocks bankruptcy settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma

Eventually, a day later, NASA also released a statement reiterating the case that Collins' development timeline would not support the space station's schedule and NASA's mission objectives.

This isn't the first time NASA has suspended spacewalks outside the ISS due to potentially alarming threats. Two years ago, cases of water leaking into astronauts' helmets during these walks were reported. Similarly, in 2013, ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano became a victim of these water leaks inside his helmet. Though Parmitano returned to the ISS airlock, he dealt with a terrifying, life-threatening scare while having trouble breathing with 1.5 litres of water inside his helmet.

More such cases followed, and NASAs Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel concluded in a January 2019 statement, It is an undeniable fact that the 40-year-old EMUs used in ISS operations are reaching the end of their useful life.

Also read | Will Elon Musk's SpaceX rescue Sunita Williams from space after Starliner's Helium leak?

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore: Stuck in space

While astronauts face the issue of a limited inventory of Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs) on the ISS, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are still stuck in space for over two weeks. A new heart-rending report surrounding their case indicates that NASA and Boeing knew about a helium leak on the Starliner spacecraft before its June 5 launch.

Their supposed negligence thought of the lake as nothing consequential enough to pose any safety issues. On the contrary, after its 25-hour journey in orbit, the Starliner developed four more leaks. This unprecedented turn of events rendered one of the thrusters unusable, leading to repeated delays in the astronaut duos' scheduled departure. They were initially scheduled to leave the ISS on June 13 and then June 26. Each time, their return was cancelled.

These astronauts are not stranded in space; instead, they are fortunately buckled inside the ISS with five other astronauts on board. Their Starliner is reportedly docked at the ISS module Harmony

In the meantime, NASA maintains that Williams and Wilmore can undock and return home if needed. They have ample supplies onboard and a Boeing spokesperson also asserted the crew is not pressed for time. The Boeing official also told The Guardian that their return is expected to happen after the planned spacewalks scheduled for June 24 and July 2, the former of which was ultimately cancelled.

With no definite date of return in sight, Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program said they're taking the time and following their standard mission management team process: We are letting the data drive our decision-making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance we observed during rendezvous and docking.
Former Fox celebrity anchor and now a right wing advocate, Tucker Carlson, was recently in Australia and called out by a local journalist for spreading Russian President Vladimir Putin's propaganda. Carlson couldn't keep his calm when Sydney Morning Herald political correspondent Paul Sakkal dubbed him useful idiot for Russian president. Tucker Carlson provoked by Australian journalist after he is termed Putin's useful idiot.

Tucker Carlson's exchange with Australian journalist

After an uneasy start where Carlson shrieked when he heard the name Putin and without letting the reporter post his question, went on began a rant.

To which Sakkal interjected, Youve preempted my question on President Putin"

But Carlson wasn't listening and went on with his theatrics, Hes so bad! Carlson exclaimed sarcastically, laughing it up. Did he make you take the COVID shot?

When Sakkal countered that the vaccines saved millions of lives, Carlson refused to believe it.

Oh, yeah. Safe and effective. This is why everyone loves the media! he mocked the reporter. Its like a time capsule. Its like youre the last Japanese soldier on Okinawa thinking the wars still going on. No, it didnt save millions of lives.

To which a visibly irritated Sakkal interjected, Can I get the full [question] without interruption? Once Carlson finally allowed Sakkal to continue, he went ahead.

Im interested in your position on Putin. The many people in this crowd who would adore a conservative prime minister in this country like John Howard, Tony Abbott, mainstream right-wingers like Boris Johnson, Australian Liberalssome of their MPs are in the crowdare vehemently anti-Putin, he began.

They believe hes a reprehensible figure who doesnt believe in the values of conservatism, such as the rule of law and democracy, which gives us the freedoms that we have in our country. Im interested: Do you feel any level of shame or regret that you were termed a useful idiot? he asked. An embarrassed Carlson started with a laugh before he went on with his usual grandstanding.

Crossing all limits of decency Carlson went on to term Sakkal's long question an absurd soliloquy and accused him of word for things

Carlson then, as expected diverted the topic to took Sakkals characterization of Boris Johnson.

First, Im stuck on the idea that Boris Johnson is a right-winger. Do you know Boris Johnson? I do. Boris Johnson is a criminal buffoon who, like so many who claim to love Ukraine, is single handedly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men in this war that Ukraine cannot win, he said.

And I would just refer you to Wikipedia. How many more people does Russia have than Ukraine? Do you know? 100 million. And in a land where thats a relevant number, it is not possible for Ukraine to beat Russia. The best they can do is go for peace. Thats been known, including by [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, who wanted that since the early days of this conflict, he continued. And Boris Johnson, on orders from the Biden administration, shut downand this is not a disputed fact, this is a fact admitted by everybody nowshut down the peace negotiations almost two years ago, and Ukraine has been completely destroyed.

The point made by him have been disputed, a study in Foreign Affairs has a different story to tell.

Carlson continued, And now Zelensky has passed a law allowing foreign corporations to own land there. So you tell me what Ukraine is going to look like in 30 years, when all of it is owned by Blackrock and multinational corporations, and its population is not Ukrainian? Okay?

Carlson concluded, The tragedy of whats happened in Ukraine orchestrated by the Western powers, including your governmentand driven by my governmentI feel shame about it and I hope you do toois really one of the great crimes of my lifetime. So the idea that somehow if youre against that, youre for Putinwell of course thats absurd, he insisted.

Watch Tucker Carlson's full exchange

Sakkal's piece in his publication responded to Carlson's rant, "This mastheads question about whether he felt embarrassed conducting an interview with Putin  which was described by the Russian dictator as softball  was drowned out by barbs from the crowd. They were hyped up by Carlson who himself spoke over the question being asked.

Tucker Carlson's followers gloat over his response

Carlson's followers on social media are now hailing his defence as brutal response to woke journalism. By using terms like, Tucker Carlson obliterated, "demolishes brainwashed left-wing Australian "journalist", and Tucker Carlson just humiliated a lying mainstream media journalist, they hailed him as hero.

However, Republicans Against Trump, X handle called him a 'Russian asset'.
Loved ones remembered a transgender woman found murdered in the backseat of a crashed car as a rising musician and club DJ who was "loved very deeply."

Authorities allege Liara Kaylee Tsai, 35, was stabbed to death at her Minneapolis apartment by her former partner, Margot Lewis, 32, before her body was stuffed into the backseat of her vehicle.

Deputies responding to a single-vehicle crash on I-90 Saturday located Tsai's body and noted it was immediately apparent her death was not a result of the collision.

Lewis was treated at a hospital then taken into custody.

Longtime friends mourning the death of Tsai said the budding producer moved from Iowa City to Minneapolis a month ago to pursue a music career and live within a larger trans community. Lewis, the victim's ex, was visiting from Iowa when Tsai was allegedly killed.

"We had a beautiful relationship, and she's someone I loved very deeply," said Mega Solga, according to KARE-TV.

"She was the most fearless person I've ever met. She was the truest person I ever met. She knew exactly who she was, especially as a trans woman. She had no fear showing the world who she was," Solga said.

Lewis has been charged with second-degree murder and felony interference with a dead body, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, KTTC-TV reported. Detectives said she and the victim had a "sordid and emotionally challenging relationship."

Lewis is being held on $1 million bail.
Fans of "The Sopranos" looking for a piece of the iconic HBO show can own Uncle Junior's New Jersey home if they're willing to pluck down $579,000.

The Newark home of Corrado John "Junior" Soprano Jr., featured during several seasons of the hit mob drama, has been listed for sale by Maikol Puebla and Licelys Olmo of Christie's International Real Estate, NorthJersey.com reported.

The single- family property at 380 Highland Avenue has four bedrooms, three full baths and one partial bath.

Portrayed in the HBO series by Dominic Chianese, Junior was the official boss of the DiMeo crime family and uncle of main character Tony Soprano.

The home is well known to viewers of "The Sopranos" because many scenes were filmed inside its wood-paneled interior because Junior was on house arrest during much of the time, NorthJersey.com reported.

In an episode in the sixth season, Tony Soprano digs a hole in the front yard in search of $40,000 Junior said he buried there years earlier after a burglary.

The home, built in 1927, was most recently purchased in 2019, the outlet said.

It has been relisted a number of times and has seen its price cut since 2022.

The home's most recent owners bought the property back in 2019, and the home has since been relisted several times and experienced multiple price reductions since 2022.
A pair of men were allegedly motivated to kidnap four Pennsylvania women and hold them captive in a shipping container in an effort to "silence" them after they witnessed a suspected shooting, said authorities.

Davaun Jackson, 28, has been accused of kidnapping, rape, strangulation, and a slew of other charges, in connection with the incident, according to Pennsylvania State Police, WBRE-TV, WHP-TV and WCAU-TV reported. Isaiah Rogers-Keeney, 19, was arrested as an accomplice.

"It did spiral from a shooting incident in Wilkes Barre allegedly witnessed by one or more of the victims. And then there was some effort then to silence them, maybe some fear that they may implicate persons involved in the shooting," Monroe County District Attorney Mike Mancuso said, noting it was a "miracle no one was killed," according to WBRE.

On Monday, Jackson and Rogers-Keeney allegedly forced the women into a vehicle, robbed them of their phones and locked them in a shipping container on Jackson's property in Smithfield Township, Pennsylvania, after they witnessed an alleged crime.

The victims were allegedly stripped of their clothing and bound inside the shipping container. Jackson allegedly threatened to kill the women with a chainsaw.

The suspects were arrested Tuesday night at an area Walmart, and the victims were subsequently freed.

Authorities have not disclosed the women's identities.
A fugitive mother on the run accused of starving her 13-year-old special needs son to death was found dead in Texas.

Serena Starkey, 53, of Birmingham, Alabama, died Friday  nearly three weeks after she was named the primary suspect in the death of her son, Aston Starkey, according to police.

Aston, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome, was found dead at a Birmingham Extended Stay America on March 2. His death was considered suspicious.

Earlier this month, a medical examiner determined Aston died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration complicated by neglect, and his death was ruled a homicide, said police.

An arrest warrant for murder was issued on Starkey June 7, and police have been searching for the runaway mom since.

On Monday, detectives were notified of Starkey's death, which lacked obvious evidence of foul play, according to police. An autopsy is pending to determine a cause of death.

Aston and his mother moved frequently and were living in Birmingham for about a year leading up to his murder, AL.com reported, citing police. He was not enrolled in school and was seldom taken to the doctor.
Mercure, the renowned locally inspired brand from Accor, is delighted to announce the opening of Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion. This contemporary hotel rises above the Kuala Lumpur skyline, welcoming travellers to a vibrant and culturally rich atmosphere that is deeply connected with the local community.

Strategically located within the Trion @ Kuala Lumpur complex, which includes serviced apartments and retail shops, the hotel provides convenient access to prominent shopping destinations and major road networks, as well as Chan Sow Lin LRT station, ensuring easy public transportation.

Boasting distinctive and captivating lighting, the hotel stands as a beacon of modernity amidst the surrounding industrial complexes and office buildings. Whether traveling for business, leisure, or with family, Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion is the perfect address for a social gathering, memorable event or comfortable night's sleep.

The seamless blend of modern design with traditional elements is a hallmark of Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion. The hotel features the iconic Wau Bulan motif, with its lower section mimicking the graceful crescent moon shape, capturing the essence of the Wau Bulan as it sways in the breeze. Vibrant batik patterns inspired by the Wau harmonize modern design with Malaysia's rich culture, character, and artistic heritage, creating a tranquil and inviting environment.

Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion offers 228 rooms, an all-day dining restaurant offering a buffet breakfast with a range of Asian and international cuisines and an a la carte menu throughout the day, as well as a lobby lounge that serves as an ideal meeting point. A swimming pool and the sundeck pool cafe provide a picturesque view of the skyline and the city, offering a perfect setting for guests to unwind and socialise. Revitalising workout sessions are available in the Sky Gym. The hotel also features six modern and stylish function rooms and a banquet hall that can accommodate up to 200 guests, making it suitable for medium-sized meetings and private events.

Committed to sustainability, Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion adheres to a zero single-use plastic policy. The hotel utilises disposable paper amenities, reusable soap bottles and 3M water filtration. Additionally, the hotel also actively supports Rumah Orang Tua Seri Kembangan, a home for senior citizens over 60 years old as well as Rumah Kasih Nurul Hasanah, a shelter home for orphanages and underprivileged children, as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Both non-profit organisations rely entirely on public donations for their operations and expenses.

Mercure Kuala Lumpur Trion is a proud participant of ALL - Accor Live Limitless, Accor's lifestyle loyalty program. Guests can take advantage of ALL when staying or dining at the hotel, with access to rewards, services, and limitless experiences. Joining ALL is simple and free of charge. To join, visit http://all.accor.com.

Hotel website
The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth proudly welcomes Roberto van Geenen as its new General Manager. With an illustrious career spanning over 35 years in luxury hotel management, Mr. van Geenen brings a legacy of exceptional service and operational excellence to his new role.

Mr. van Geenen's career spans renowned luxury properties globally, including notable locations in London, Amsterdam, and Curacao, the Netherlands Antilles. His leadership has been pivotal in the successful opening and conversion of six hotels, consistently raising standards and garnering acclaim. Notably, he has played pivotal roles in achieving Forbes Five Stars at hotels, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Palm Beach, and Naples and three AAA Five Diamond award-winning resorts in the U.S. His early career was marked by significant contributions to The Savoy in London, a cornerstone of the hospitality industry.

Beginning his journey in hospitality at an early age in his father's restaurants, Mr. van Geenen's commitment to service was further shaped by a distinguished military career as an officer in the Royal Marines. He continued to serve in the Royal Marines' Reserves for 20 years, demonstrating his dedication to leadership and discipline. A graduate of the Maastricht Hotel Management School in the Netherlands, Mr. van Geenen is fluent in English, French, German, and Dutch.

As General Manager, Mr. van Geenen will oversee all aspects of operations at The Crescent Hotel, including guest services, culinary excellence, and strategic development. His leadership will uphold the hotel's reputation as a premier destination for luxury and personalized service in Fort Worth.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mr. van Geenen is deeply engaged in community service and leadership. He served on the board of the North Texas Hospitality Association and held key roles, including President and Chairman. His contributions extended to the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he served as a Member of the Board of Directors.

Mr. van Geenen is excited about his return to Texas, where he previously lived for 11 years, and he looks forward to continuing his legacy of excellence in luxury hospitality, inspiring both guests and colleagues alike.
Kasumigaseki Capital Acquires Hotel and Land in Japan for Future Hotel Development

Japan-based Kasumigaseki Capital Co., Ltd. (KC) subsidiary fav hospitality group announced on 30 May 2024 regarding its acquisition of a business hotel with a Gross Floor Area of 3,273.05 square metres (sqm) and its underlying land plot of 825.13 sqm in Fukuoka City. KC intends to rebrand the business hotel under their brand FAV HOTEL, and it is expected to open in 2025. KC also announced on 31 May 2024 regarding their acquisition of an approximately 940 sqm development site in Ise City for the groups hotel brand. The seller and transaction price for both acquisitions remain undisclosed.

Star Asia Group Acquires Japan-based Hotel Operator Minacia from Unison Capital

Japan-based Star Asia Group has agreed to acquire the Japan-based budget hotel operator Minacia from Japan-based Unison Capital, Inc. (Unison Capital) for an undisclosed sum. Minacia currently operates 39 properties across major Japanese cities under various brands such as Wing International and Tenza, totalling 5,180 keys. This agreement follows Star Asias previous acquisition of a majority equity stake in Japan-based hotel operator Polaris Holdings in 2018. Polaris Holdings currently operates 50 hotels in its portfolio with a total key count of 8,958 rooms.

Malaysia Extends Visa-exemption for Chinese travelers until the End of 2026

The Malaysian government announced on 21 June 2024 that it will be extending the 30-day visa exemption for Chinese travellers until the end of 2026. This follows the initial announcement of a 30-day visa exemption for Chinese travellers by Malaysia in November 2023. It is believed the scheme will encourage more Chinese travellers to visit Malaysia and help achieve the tourism target of 35.6 million tourists and MYR 147 billion in receipts. Similarly, in May this year, China extended its visa-free visitation policy for Malaysian travellers until the end of 2025 and increased the visa-free duration from 15 days to 30 days.

Capital Property Group Announces Mixed-use Development in Canberras City-Business District

Australia-based Capital Property Group (CPG) has announced its intention to develop a four-tower, 65,000 square metres project in Canberras city-business district at the corner of London Circuit and Northbourne Avenue. Of the four towers, one will likely be a mixed-use boutique hotel and residential property, whilst the remaining three will be dedicated to commercial offices. The project is expected to cost an estimated AUD 350 million, excluding land costs, which CPG acquired from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government.

South Korea to Expand Cruise Industry Through Construction of a New Wharf and Maritime Passenger Terminal

The South Korean government announced their commitment to expanding South Koreas cruise industry on 17 June 2024. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries are collaborating to open a new wharf in North Jeollas Saemangeum industrial complex by 2026 and will begin the construction of a maritime passenger terminal in Mukho Port in Donghae, Gangwon. This is aimed at achieving an annual 1 million tourists and annual tourism receipts of KRW 279.1 billion through cruise tourism by 2027.

About HVS

HVS is the world's leading consulting and valuation services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. Established in 1980, the company performs more than 4,500 assignments per year for virtually every major industry participant. HVS principals are regarded as the leading professionals in their respective regions of the globe. Through a worldwide network of over 50 offices staffed by 300 experienced industry professionals, HVS provides an unparalleled range of complementary services for the hospitality industry. For further information regarding our expertise and specifics about our services, please visit www.hvs.com.
Underscoring its commitment to culturally immersive and extraordinary journeys while setting a new standard in ultra-luxury cruising, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection expands its curated offerings across the globe, delivering unforgettable experiences to guests.

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection announces its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region with Luminara, offering 10 new journeys between December 2025 and May 2026. These voyages will explore 28 ports across 10 countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and beyond, providing unparalleled experiences for discerning travelers.

As luxury travelers continue to seek unforgettable, personalized experiences around the world, we are thrilled to introduce voyages in the Asia-Pacific region. These new itineraries exemplify our steadfast commitment to continually raising the bar in luxury cruising, offering innovative ways to experience our superyachts and explore vibrant local cultures across the globe. Jim Murren, Executive Chairman and CEO of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection

The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is dedicated to inspiring guests by creating experiences that fuel curiosity and foster genuine connections. The 10 enchanting journeys, ranging from 10 to 15 nights in length and departing from either Tokyo, Hong Kong, or Singapore, provide guests with the opportunity to discover the ancient treasures, modern marvels, and the exotic, off-the-beaten-path locations the region has to offer. Itineraries will include stops in coveted ports such as Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; Puerto Princesa, Philippines, and access to lively city centers such as Seoul, South Korea; Osaka, Japan; Bangkok, Thailand, and more.

As the first luxury hotel brand to venture into the cruise space, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of our yacht voyages into Asias most sought-after destinations. This milestone underscores our commitment to providing exclusive and immersive experiences that cater to the discerning tastes of luxury travelers. Todays sophisticated adventurers seek intimate, authentic, personalized journeys that go well beyond traditional hospitality, and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offers guests unparalleled access to the worlds most exquisite destinations, all while enjoying the hallmarks of luxury and personalized service for which The Ritz-Carlton brand is renowned. Jenni Benzaquen, Senior Vice President of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and Bulgari Hotels and Resorts

Among the thoughtfully crafted itineraries are voyages including:

December 30, 2025 | 14-Night Singapore to Hong Kong Voyage

Toast the New Year with a celebration aboard Luminara and then relax into 2026 on the renowned beaches of Koh Samui before sailing for an overnight stay in the vibrant Thai capital of Bangkok. Vietnam tells fascinating tales of history in the subterranean Cu Chi Tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City and in the capital of Hanoi, which you might explore during your stay in scenic Ha Long Bay.

January 13, 2026 | 12-Night Hong Kong to Singapore Voyage

The heart of this journey explores the islands of the Philippines, including the forested mountains and white sand beaches of Busuanga, El Nido, and Puerto Princesa. Equally spectacular is the island of Borneo, where gentle waves lap at the beaches and proboscis monkeys inhabit the treetops of Bako National Park near Kuching.

March 20, 2026 | 10-Night Tokyo Round-Trip Voyage

The cultural treasures of Japan are even more impressive during cherry blossom season, when the blooms blanket the grounds of Osaka Castle and accent the views of Mount Sakurajima from Kagoshima. This voyage also calls on UNESCO World Heritage sites ranging from the floating shrine and peace memorial of Hiroshima to the remains of Christian castles and cathedrals in the Nagasaki region.

March 30, 2026 | 12-Night Tokyo to Hong Kong Voyage

Considered a food capital of the world, Osaka merits in-depth exploration, while Japans UNESCO-listed castles of Himeji, Nara and Kyoto are also nearby. South Koreas dynamic capital of Seoul boasts its own UNESCO palaces along with traditional villages offering authentic cuisine and crafts. During an overnight in Shanghai, experience a performance of the ancient art of acrobatics before sailing for Hong Kong.

Opportunities for enrichment are endless when journeying with The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Guests are invited to choose from Select Group Excursions, Pre-Designed Private Excursions, or Custom Private Excursions. Whether kiteboarding in the Philippines, exploring the iconic street food in Thailand, white water rafting in Malaysia, or discovering museums in Vietnam, guests are encouraged to tailor their journey, diving into their personal passions from the leisurely to the more adventurous.

The debut of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection marked the first time a luxury hospitality company expanded into the cruising category. Since its debut with Evrima in October 2022, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has welcomed travelers to embark on extraordinary journeys of discovery. With the upcoming launch of Ilma, the collections second luxury superyacht, slated for this September 2024, and the debut of Luminara, the third luxury superyacht, slated to set sail in July 2025, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection continues to redefine the category, delivering unforgettable explorations at sea.

Luminara will offer 226 spacious suites, accommodating up to 452 guests. The onboard experience will feature world-class dining, an extensive wine collection, a signature Ritz-Carlton Spa, and an expanded dynamic marina providing direct access to the sea. Upholding The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collections commitment to enriching experiences and legendary service, Luminara ensures an intimate journey with one of the highest staff and space ratios in at sea. Luminara will also offer itineraries in the Mediterranean during its inaugural launch season.

Reservations for the Asia-Pacific itineraries are now open to the public. For more information, please visit ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com. For reservations, contact a Reservations Services Agent at (833) 999-7292 (U.S. & Canada) or contact your travel professional.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON YACHT COLLECTION

Designed to combine the luxury lifestyle of The Ritz-Carlton with the casual freedom of a yachting vacation, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection offers bespoke voyages in the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia Pacific. Calling on unique and distinguished destinations, voyages typically span five to ten nights with an all-inclusive onboard journey and curated excursions ashore.

Its inaugural yacht, Evrima, embarked on its maiden voyage in October 2022. Measuring 624 feet in length, Evrima features 149 airy suites across various categories, each with a private terrace, creating a relaxed and intimate ambiance for up to 298 guests. Continuing the fleets expansion, two new superyachts boasting among the highest space ratios per guest at sea, Ilma and Luminara, are slated to set sail in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Spanning 790 feet, Ilma will offer 224 spacious, light-filled suites of varying categories, accommodating up to 448 guests. Slated to make its 2025 debut, Luminara will join Ilma and Evrima on voyages to secluded harbors and iconic cities. Reflective of The Ritz-Carlton on land, each yacht offers personalized service, elevated dining experiences, and exclusive amenities.

Private charter options are also available, allowing guests to craft a truly tailored journey. For more information, visit ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com.
Boca Raton, Florida  Cendyn, a global integrated hotel technology and services company, has partnered with Glowing,a provider of omnichannel messaging solutions, to help hoteliers facilitate more meaningful conversations with their guests. This collaboration aims to transform how hoteliers communicate by providing an integrated system to manage communication across various channels, including WeChat, Line, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, and Skype.

With todays guests using a myriad of messaging platforms across the globe, and as platforms like WeChat become more popular globally, communicating with a guest through their preferred channel is critical. Doing so results in deeper engagement, a 98% read rate for messages, and up to 10 times higher redemption rate of promotions. Hotels across the globe are now leaning into how they can communicate more effectively through different channels.

The Cendyn CRM and Glowing integration ensures each guest interaction, through their preferred messaging platform, is synched to Cendyn CRM, enhancing an already comprehensive guest profile. Hoteliers can leverage the wealth of data from both platforms to build stronger relationships and implement more targeted marketing efforts, including enhanced guest communications, personalized marketing campaigns, and tailored offers.

Integrating Glowings platform with Cendyn CRM empowers hoteliers to communicate more effectively, tying every message back to their unified guest profile. This first-party data is one of the most powerful assets in todays world as it puts hoteliers in control of how they communicate their unique products and services to every guest. It creates bespoke guest experiences, strengthening the relationship between a guest and a hotel, which almost always leads to increased revenue. Chris Egan, Chief Product Officer at Cendyn

Through the power of GenAI, Glowings messaging platform offers bespoke messaging recommendations for guests. The platforms deep learning paths are based on individual preferences and past behaviors so they can be leveraged to provide messaging suggestions for services and amenities unique to each guest. All communicated in the hotels unique tone of voice and saved back to the master profile, this technology ensures the guest feels valued and recognized while reducing the amount of time and effort needed from the hotel-side.

At Glowing, were thrilled to announce our partnership with Cendyn, a premier brand in the hospitality space. This close collaboration represents a significant opportunity for the hospitality industry to reach new heights with the guest experience by integrating our globally recognized GenAI messaging platform with Cendyns comprehensive suite of products. Together, we are committed to upleveling and completing the customer journey by helping hoteliers deliver exceptional service that defines a successful guest experience. Jasen Lew, CEO of Glowing

About Cendyn

Cendyn is a global hospitality cloud-based technology company that enables hotels to drive revenue, maximize profitability, and create deeper connections with guests through its integrated solutions. Serving hoteliers for nearly 30 years, Cendyn drives commercial success for hotels through its Find, Book, Grow promise: find the right guests; drive them to book direct, and grow loyalty and revenue across the spectrum of digital guest interactions.

Cendyn has over 32,000 customers worldwide in more than 150 countries. The company supports its growing customer base from locations across the globe, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangkok, and India. To find out more, visit cendyn.com.

View source
HOTEL TYPE : Group

: Group SOLUTIONS USED : RezForce Lux

: RezForce Lux REGION : North America

: North America GOAL : Increase call conversion

: Increase call conversion STRATEGY : Leverage trained agents, passionate about the property

: Leverage trained agents, passionate about the property RESULTS: ~50% increase in call conversion

Meet the customer

The RezForce Lux agents are tremendous salespeople. They are knowledgeable about the property and know how to sell it. We get the highest conversion on the phones with RezForce.

Jordan Kinder, Revenue Manager, Thompson Seattle

The brand

With a sleek glass facade offering dramatic views of Puget Sound, Thompson Seattle embodies the beauty of the Emerald City in the heart of downtown. A short walk gets you to Pike Place Market, or you can opt for an off-the-beaten-path gem like the prohibition-style bar Zig Zag Cafe. The boutique hotels 152 luxury rooms and suites ensure you live like a local in modern style.

The challenge

When Jordan Kinder joined Hyatt Hotels in 2019, Thompson Seattle had just implemented RezForce. As a new lifestyle brand in Hyatts portfolio, management at the Seattle property sought to ensure Forbes Travel Guide certification standards, which meant paying attention to all aspects of the guest experience, including phone bookings. In addition to reducing wait times, the hotel sought enhancements in customer service. They wanted agents to feel connected to the Thompson Hotels brand and come across as experts on both the property and the local area. Finally, the revenue team needed a platform that would enable them to easily review calls to ensure quality standards.

The solution

Revinates RezForce emerged as the comprehensive solution to Thompson Seattles challenges. By transitioning to RezForce Lux, the hotel gained access to a dedicated team of US-based reservation agents, trained with Forbes Travel Guides 5-star certification standards that seamlessly integrate with the Thompson Hotels brand ethos. RezForce both addressed the need for improved customer service and reduced wait times and facilitated a deeper understanding of the propertys unique identity and the local area. The platforms intuitive interface enabled Jordan to effortlessly review calls, ensuring adherence to quality standards and facilitating continuous improvement in the guest experience.

Moreover, RezForce introduced a new revenue opportunity by empowering reservation agents to add detailed call notes. These notes proved invaluable, particularly in cases where rooms were not immediately booked. Leveraging these insights, Jordan could proactively reach out to potential guests, drawing upon the personalized information to tailor offers and address specific needs. This proactive approach drove an additional $7K in revenue per month.

The results

With RezForce, Thompson Seattle found a trusted partner aligned with their commitment to delivering exceptional service and upholding Forbes Travel Guides 5-Star certification standards. The platforms seamless integration into the hotels operations optimized revenue generation and enhanced guest satisfaction, translating to a near 50% increase in call conversion.

About Revinate

Revinate empowers hoteliers to directly connect with their guests.

Our Guest Data Platform and communication solutions unlock revenue for hoteliers and put them in control of the full guest experience  initial research, booking, check-in, throughout the stay, and even after check out  all via the communication channels that guests prefer, whether it's voice, text, email, or web.

More than 12,000 hotels globally bank on Revinate to drive direct revenue and deliver delightful guest experiences.

Ask us how we do it. Visit our website to get a demo.

Sanjana Chappalli

VP of Brand Marketing and Communications

Revinate, Inc.

View source
Image Credit WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Councils (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has today revealed that Tunisias Travel & Tourism sector is set to inject a record-breaking TND 23BN into the national economy this year.



The latest data shows that across its economic contribution, job numbers, and domestic visitor spending, Travel & Tourism is expected to surpass all previous records this year.



Although international visitor spending isnt anticipated to fully recover this year, the global tourism body expects it will come within touching distance of the 2019 peak.



According to the data, Travel & Tourisms economic contribution will represent 14% of the overall economy this year, while sector jobs are projected to grow 3.9% year-on-year to reach almost 418,000 - accounting for one in nine jobs.



Domestic visitor spending is anticipated to grow 5% from last year to reach TND 11.7BN - 0.7% ahead of 2019.



Although international visitor spending is expected to grow more than 12% to reach almost TND 11BN, this will still be nearly 9% behind 2019 levels.



Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said; "Tunisia's Travel & Tourism sector has almost fully recovered, with domestic and sector-wide contributions exceeding all previous records.



While international visitor spending is still catching up, we are confident that Tunisia's resilient sector will continue to thrive and play a vital role in the nation's economic future."



The reestablishment of the Higher Council of Tourism by the Tunisian Government will further help Travel & Tourism achieve these forecasts as it brings together the public and private sector, ensuring collaboration across interested parties.



What Does Last Year Look Like?



According to the latest research, the sectors contribution to Tunisias GDP surged almost 24% year-on-year to reach nearly TND 21BN.



Jobs supported by Travel & Tourism grew almost 10% to reach more than 402,000, representing almost 11.5% of jobs in the country.



Domestic visitor spending increased more than 7% year-on-year to reach more than TND 11BN.



International visitor spending saw a strong 48.8% year-on-year growth last year, to reach TND 9.6BN, but this was still almost 19% behind the 2019 peak.



What Does the Next Decade Look Like?



With the right government support, WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to more than TND 32BN by 2034, representing 16% of Tunisias economy, and could potentially employ over 485,000 people across the country.



What Does the Region Look Like?



Across North Africa, the Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to contribute TND225.7BN to the regional economy this year, accounting for 8.5% of the total. Sector-supported jobs are expected to rise to 5.3MN, representing 1 in 11 jobs across the region.



Domestic visitor spending is projected to reach TND97.5BN, whilst international visitor spending is anticipated to reach TND101.9BN this year.



See all the data in the Tunisia Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Report on the WTTC Research Hub.
Wayne Morris

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has announced the appointment of industry veteran, Wayne Morris, to General Manager. Morris' luxury hospitality roots are within The Ritz-Carlton, as he first began his career in 2000 on Canal Street at the beloved French Quarter hotel, and later spent over 8 years with the brand. More than two decades later, Morris will lead The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans into its next era as the hotel anticipates a milestone 25th anniversary in 2025.

As General Manager, Morris will oversee all aspects of the hotel's operations, ensuring the highest standards of service, hospitality and guest satisfaction, alongside the day-to-day operations and growth of its Ladies & Gentlemen. Throughout his career, he has played an integral role in several Ritz-Carlton properties including Aspen Highlands, Sarasota, South Beach, and Reynolds Lake Oconee, strengthening each hotels' position as premier luxury destinations in their respective markets. Morris looks forward to doing the same within New Orleans' competitive luxury hotel scene, while maintaining The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans' legacy of exceptional hospitality.

"We are thrilled to welcome Wayne Morris as the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans," said John Harper, Area Vice President, Luxury Brands. "He is recognized for growing revenue and profits, achieving industry-leading satisfaction scores, and fostering best-in-class employee engagement. His extensive experience and proven leadership in these areas are a tremendous asset for the hotel, ensuring we continue to excel and grow in the competitive luxury market."

Most recently, Morris served as Vice President of the Health and Wellness Division at Ochsner Health, the largest health system in Louisiana. During his tenure, he spearheaded several corporate initiatives such as "Best Place to Work" programs and developed new business and service lines, increasing revenues by over $150 million. Morris holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from The University of Southern Mississippi. Beyond his professional achievements, he is passionate about philanthropy, and he serves on multiple boards and committees to raise funds to fight against heart disease.
Alfred 'Al' Groos

In celebration of his longtime service and commitment to New Orleans' hospitality industry, Sonesta International Hotels (Sonesta) announced the retirement of General Manager Alfred "Al" Groos, who has helmed The Royal Sonesta New Orleans as GM since 2006. Groos began his career with Sonesta 47 years ago, working as a food & beverage trainee. Journeying into a leadership role, he served as the opening General Manager for the Chateau Sonesta, helping to convert D.H. Holmes, the historic, pre-Civil War department store on Canal Street, into a 263-room luxury hotel in 1995. He also managed The Royal Sonesta Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1996  2000.

Heading back to the Big Easy in 2000 to take the role of General Manager at The Royal Sonesta New Orleans, Groos helped shape the hotel into the landmark destination it is today. Notably, Groos' influence includes playing a key role in the creation of the hotel's premier Mardi Gras event, "Greasing of the Poles," as well as the concepting for the hotel's restaurants and barsPJ's Coffee Cafe, Restaurant R'evolution and The Jazz Playhouse.

Considered by many as the official kickoff to Mardi Gras in the French Quarter, Greasing of the Poles happens every year on the Friday before Fat Tuesday, drawing local and international crowds alike to view the ritualistic greasing of the hotel's support poles as a practical means of preventing overzealous crowds from shimmying up the building for a better parade view. The event, which has grown into the most popular non-parade event during Mardi Gras thanks to its music-filled, star-studded atmosphere, will celebrate its 55th year in 2025. For the past 18 years, Groos has commenced the festivities, helping guide local celebrities to compete in the pole greasing competition and encouraging the crowd to join in the fun during this safety demonstration-turned-celebration.

In addition to its signature Mardi Gras event, the hotel has become a dining destination thanks to Groos' leadership. The opening of PJ's Coffee Cafe in 2010 marked the local coffee brand's very first cafe concept. Still open today, guests can enjoy high quality PJ's Coffee alongside pastries and sandwiches from the hotel's award-winning catering and pastry kitchen. In 2012, Groos furthered the property's dining reputation by partnering with acclaimed Louisiana culinary visionary, Chef John Folse, for the opening of Restaurant R'evolution. The fine dining restaurant continues to serve reimagined interpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine and is one of the top restaurants in the city.

Outside of his work as General Manager, Groos has long been active with the wider New Orleans community. In partnership with the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Groos launched the "Got Gumbo" Cook-Off, which recently held its 22nd annual fundraiser in March. The event was created to bring awareness to the "gumbo" of services offered by United Way to the New Orleans community. Groos has also sat on many local boards and commissions over the years to support the city of New Orleans, including the French Quarter Management District, the New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association (President 2003), and New Orleans and Company (Chair 2005).

Under his leadership, Groos led the hotel staff in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Ida, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He leaves behind a team of strong and passionate individuals, many of whom have worked at The Royal Sonesta New Orleans for 30+ years.
Lanesborough Rebuff of Gold Star Exemption Dismays Pittsfield Officials

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  Pittsfield officials are disappointed that Lanesborough rejected a proposal for Gold Star family tax exemptions, clarifying that the city proudly adopted this years ago.



City Clerk Michele Benjamin, Assistant City Clerk Heather Brazeau and her husband, Mark Brazeau, (former School Committee member) comprised an open letter to the town's Select Board expressing they were "disheartened" by the annual town meeting vote.



"As residents of a fellow city within the Commonwealth of MA, we are disappointed to hear about the denial of adoption for tax exemption Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 22H for families of our fallen military heroes at the Annual Town Meeting held on June 11, 2024," the letter reads.



"After watching this public meeting, disappointed was not a strong enough word. We were fully disheartened for the family of Staff Sergeant Jacob Galliher along with the future families within the town of Lanesborough. Instead of adopting a clause to assist families of fallen heroes, it was suggested that a bridge, park, or another city project be dedicated in SSGT Galliher's name. Although these are great honors, we would like to remind you that the new coffee shop located in Lanesborough at the Village of Greylock Plaza is a family funded project to honor SSGT Galliher, which is also included on your fiscal year tax rolls."



Galliher, 24, a staff sergeant in the Air Force, was killed last year when the CV-22 Osprey he was on crashed off the coast of Japan during a joint military exercise. Last week, his family opened a coffee shop, Jake's Java, on Williamstown Road in his honor.



At the annual town meeting, it was expressed that the adoption of this clause would burden the town's taxpayers by raising the tax rate and would negatively impact the town's overlay account to make up the difference.



"During the meeting comments were shared by a resident that they thought North Adams, MA was the only other municipality near their community that had adopted this clause, and that Dalton and Pittsfield had not," the letter adds.



"We are here to correct this statement on behalf of a neighboring community as our city proudly adopted this clause in May of 2022."



The article was proposed by Select Board member Timothy Sorrell.

"I propose this warrant because I think it's the very least we can do to the parents who have lost the child due to active duty," he said at the annual town meeting.

"Other towns have done it, I don't know why we haven't, but I think we're sending a good message to support the families of our servicemen, especially those who have died in the line of duty."

Deborah Maynard, who was elected to the Select Board last week, voted against an article.



"They wanted to grant the full abatement for taxes as a local option, not a state option, and the state does not reimburse for any of that and I think our town is so small and it's not a rich town where we could absorb  I didn't feel we could absorb that," she said on election day.



"And that is the only reason from a financial perspective. Emotionally, obviously, my heart goes out to any person that has lost a family member. It was not an emotional decision. It was strictly a financial decision."

Maynard recommended that they be honored in other ways such as bridge, pavilion, or park dedications.

The letter thanks people who took a stand and spoke proudly on behalf of veterans, active military, and families of American heroes. It also thanks the people who supported the clause at ATM and hopes that before the next one, the individuals who denied it think about these families more, and research what other communities including the ones right next door are doing to better assist these families.



"As residents of Pittsfield, we feel honored and lucky to have some of SSGT Galliher's family in our community that currently benefit from this tax exemption clause. This clause will never bring their beautiful fallen hero home, but it is with hope this benefit assists with some of the burden these families will carry forever," it reads.



"Will one family whose son made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and your freedom to speak out at a local meeting is not going to hurt your tax rolls. A family who is honoring their son at the Local Coffee shop by bringing more revenue into your town is not hurting your tax rolls."
Page Content



The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union (EU) have agreed to strengthen cooperation in order to enhance capacity building, technical assistance, and implementation support in the global aviation sector. This significant step was achieved during the 8th EU/ICAO Memorandum of Cooperation Joint Committee Meeting held at ICAO Headquarters, and marks a new chapter in cooperation between both organizations to foster safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable aviation operations worldwide.







The arrangement, which represents the fourth Annex to the ICAO EU Memorandum of Cooperation, underscores the shared commitment of ICAO and the EU to address the critical needs of the aviation industry, particularly in developing regions. This partnership aims to enhance the capabilities of aviation authorities, improve regulatory frameworks, and ensure the effective implementation of international aviation standards. Through this collaboration, ICAO and the EU expect to bridge existing gaps and promote global harmonization in aviation safety and security practices.





ICAO Secretary General, Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, emphasized the importance of this new initiative, stating, The adoption of this Annex marks a pivotal moment in ICAO's partnership with the European Union. By combining efforts, we are not just enhancing support for States in need,we're also laying the foundation for a more interconnected, safe, and resilient global aviation system. This collaboration embodies our shared commitment to elevating aviation standards worldwide and ensuring No Country is Left Behind in our rapidly evolving industry.





Director-General Kopczynska stated, We value the strong partnership between the EU and ICAO, which supports safe, secure, and sustainable aviation globally in line with the principle of 'No Country Left Behind.' We are particularly pleased to partner with ICAO through the EU Global Gateway and ACT-SAF initiatives to support the development of sustainable aviation fuels in developing countries. Todays meeting further strengthened our cooperation.





The new Annex will be implemented through a series of coordinated initiatives, including training programmes, implementation packages and participation in technical projects. These efforts will focus on achieving the ICAO Strategic Objectives globally and ensuring global compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).





In addition, a new working arrangement was signed to enhance cooperation between ICAO and the European Commission in the field of continuous monitoring of aviation security in EU Member States.










In todays fast-paced digital retail landscape, staying ahead of consumer needs is a key driver of success. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), the countrys largest cashless ecosystem, GCash, is enabling brands to maximize their business growth by utilizing the power of AI.

GCash showcased its latest AI-powered B2B solutions with the theme Spending in the New Era of AI in this years GCash Insider event

Through its fourth bi-annual GCash Insider event recently held at the BGC Immersive in Taguig, GCash showcased its latest AI-powered B2B solutions with the theme Spending in the New Era of AI. With GCash for Business Partner Solutions, the leading finance app highlighted how data-driven marketing solutions could help businesses implement hyper-personalized marketing strategies by segmenting specific target customer groups while assisting businesses to understand customer needs on a deeper level through AI technology.

GCash has evolved into a trusted companion and a symbol of convenience for millions. Fueled by innovation, customer-centricity, and data-driven insights, were redefining meaningful engagement for our customers and through GCash Insider, we explored the intersection of AI-driven marketing innovations, revolutionizing customer segmentation, and engagement, said GCash head of new businesses Winsley Bangit.

GCash for Business Partner Solutions gives brands exclusive, timely, up-to-date insights on relevant consumer trends based on unique transaction signals, including spending consumer behaviors based on actual consumer data that only GCash can uncover. Key leaders led the discussion from GCash, alongside industry experts who shared their valuable insights on the importance of maximizing the future-proof solutions of AI technology in business.

AI has changed marketing in unprecedented ways  specifically in targeting, copy and visual development, and performance evaluation. With data as material, AI puts marketing on hyperdrive by taking full advantage of the wide plethora of digital channels available today, said Claude Gomez, GCash head for marketing strategy and insights.

Furthermore, GCash for Business Partner Solutions also provides businesses with effective marketing and data and data solutions, which include Ad Solutions, Promo Solutions, Identity Solutions, and Green Solutions, helping them thrive in todays digital age.

At GCash, we have over ninety-four million ever-tried users transacting with the app multiple times a day, using different services from payments, to investments, to insurance. All that data gives us a starting point to be able to do three things enhance customer experience through hyper-personalization, improve operational efficiency and campaign performance, and gain access to data-powered solutions and real-time insights, said GCash chief marketing officer Neil Trinidad.

The adoption of AI technology in our digital ecosystem is a testament to GCashs commitment to innovation. Partners can leverage on these capabilities through our solutions, so they, too, may capitalize on the power of AI to future-proof their businesses in addressing the ever-changing market landscape, said GCash partner investment and marketing head Kay Lagman.

For more information, visit www.new.gcash.com/business/partner-solutions or email us at partnersolutions@gcash.com.
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Indian author Arundhati Roy has won the PEN Pinter prize set up in 2009 in memory of Nobel laureate Harold Pinter.

The award comes two weeks after capital Delhis lieutenant governor VK Saxena gave his permission to prosecute Roy over comments she made about Kashmir in 2010.

The PEN Pinter prize is awarded every year to a writer who, in the words of Pinter, casts an unflinching, unswerving gaze on the world and shows a fierce intellectual determination  to define the real truth of our lives and our societies.

English PEN chair Ruth Borthwick said: Roy tells urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty. While India remains an important focus, she is truly an internationalist thinker, and her powerful voice is not to be silenced.

Along with Borthwick, the judging panel comprised actor Khalid Abdalla and writer Roger Robinson.

On winning the prize, Roy said: I am delighted to accept the PEN Pinter prize.

I wish Harold Pinter were with us today to write about the almost incomprehensible turn the world is taking. Since he isnt, some of us must do our utmost to try to fill his shoes.

Abdalla called Roy a luminous voice of freedom and justice and said her works have been a lodestar through the many crises and the darkness our world has faced.

Roy will receive the prize on 10 October in a ceremony at the British Library.

Roy, 62, is a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government for its controversial policies and laws targeting minorities.

The charges filed against Roy relate to an event that took place in Delhi in 2010 where Roy and a former professor of international law from Kashmir, Sheikh Showkat Hussain, spoke under a banner reading Azadi (Independence)  the only way.

Roy is reported to have argued that the Kashmir region had never been an integral part of India.

An activist from Kashmir, Sushil Pandit, filed a police complaint alleging that the participants discussed and promoted the separation of Kashmir from India.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir is at the heart of a decades-old dispute between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region as theirs, but control only parts of it.

Roys prosecution has been allowed under a section of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) pertaining to charges of sedition.

The UAPA allows authorities to detain suspects for up to 180 days without any charges, and was tweaked by the Modi administration in 2019 so that individuals could be classified as terrorists without necessarily being linked to a designated terror group.

Previous winners of the PEN Pinter prize include Malorie Blackman, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie.
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Austin Butler has revealed that he unsuccessfully auditioned for the leading male role in The Hunger Games, sharing that he didnt even get a callback.

In a new video for BuzzFeed Celeb to promote his new movie, The Bikeriders, with co-star Jodie Comer, Butler was asked: Whats a role people would be surprised to find out you auditioned for?

The 32-year-old Elvis star replied: I auditioned for The Hunger Games, and I didnt get it at all. I dont even think I got a callback.

Their loss, Austin, Comer, 31, quipped.

The dystopian trilogys lead role of Peeta Mellark ended up going to Josh Hutcherson, who starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth.

Butler praised Hutchersons performance, calling him great in the role.

Comer, meanwhile, revealed that she had once tried out for a part in Mamma Mia! at the same time she was auditioning for Killing Eve. She added that she would love to do a musical someday.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, The Hunger Games director Gary Ross said: Josh was pitch-perfect these were honestly easy decisions for me.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the other actors considered for the role of Peeta in 2011 included the American Horror Story alum Evan Peters, X-Men actor Lucas Till, Broadway star Hunter Parrish, and Alexander Ludwig, who was eventually cast in The Hunger Games as Peeta and Katnisss rival Cato.

open image in gallery Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ( Lionsgate )

Hutcherson, now 31, was a popular child actor, having starred in The Bridge to Terabithia, Firehouse Dog and Little Manhattan.

In recent years, hes shifted more towards independent films, including A24s The Disaster Artist (2017), 2022 war drama Across the River and into the Trees and the 2023 thriller sci-fi 57 Seconds.

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Butler also shot to fame as a child actor, appearing in the Nickelodeon shows Zoey 101, Hannah Montanna, iCarly and Neds Declassified School Survival Guide.

Hes since gone on to garner mainstream acclaim for his portrayal of Elvis in the Oscar-nominated biopic, Elvis. He most recently featured in Denis Villeneuves Dune: Part Two and the Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air.

The Bikeriders is out now in cinemas.
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Downton Abbey fans wont have too long to wait before the third and final film arrives in cinemas.

Universal Pictures UK has confirmed that the last spin-off movie, featuring the characters from Julian Fellowes hit ITV period drama, will make its debut on 12 September, 2025.

The news was revealed in a post shared on the studios official Instagram account, referring to the film simply as Downton Abbey 3, before a title is confirmed.

The third movie was announced back in May following extensive speculation, along with the news that long-standing cast members would be returning for Downtons last hurrah.

Hugh Bonneville will reprise his role as Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham, alongside Elizabeth McGovern, who stars as his on-screen wife Lady Cora, and Michelle Dockery and Laura Carmichael, who play the Crawleys daughters Lady Mary and Lady Edith.

Other returning stars include Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Robert James-Collier and Joanne Froggatt, Allen Leech, Penelope Wilton and Brendan Coyle.

They will be joined by Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, who previously appeared in the shows 2013 Christmas special as Coras brother, along with Joely Richardson, Alessandro Nivola, Simon Russell Beale and Arty Froushan.

Dockery shared her excitement at reuniting with her castmates in a video shared to mark the announcement.

It feels amazing and emotional, she said. Its wonderful all to be back together again. You come back together and you feel like no time has passed at all.

The movie will be written by series creator Julian Fellowes and will be directed by Simon Curtis, who previously helmed Downton Abbey: A New Era.

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Filming began at Highclere Castle last month. The Grade I listed stately home in Hampshire has stood in on screen for the titular Abbey, the Crawley familys home, since the very first series of the show, which aired in 2010.

The estate is owned by Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and has become a favourite tourist destination for devoted fans of the costume drama.

Downton Abbey ran for six seasons on ITV, airing from 2010 to 2015. The first spin-off film was released in 2019, followed by A New Era in 2022.
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Blood, sweat and tears. Yorgos Lanthimoss return to his Greek Weird Wave roots is wet with the stuff. Bodily fluids spurt, drip, and dribble with such consistency in Kinds of Kindness that it forces you to reckon more deeply with the phrase  who, exactly, is worthy of our blood, sweat, and tears, a dedication so profound that wed be willing to shed from our own bodies for it? And what do we expect in return?

Lanthimoss anthology of three fables is a new way into the directors old creative obsession with dominance and submission. His work with screenwriter Tony McNamara, on 2018s The Favourite and 2023s Poor Things, brought him newfound mainstream acceptance and a shelf full of Oscars. Here, he returns to collaborate with Efthimis Filippou, with whom he co-wrote his 2009 breakout Dogtooth, its follow-up Alps and his first two English-language features: The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

All these films, plus Kinds of Kindness, exist within their own specific fantasy. Its our world, ruled over and regulated by corporations and bureaucracies, but made oddly and unnervingly generic. Theres no Starbucks, no ExxonMobil. A character might inquire: Are you at that bar/restaurant often? Its all just one big, ugly complex of glass and steel, which cinematographer Robbie Ryan shoots with apprehension. Often, the camera pauses at the threshold. It observes through the doorway, as if taking a full step in might mean were never able to leave.

Kinds of Kindness lives in a place equal in ideas and riches to The Favourite or Poor Thingss ruffled luxuries  its just not as immediately welcoming to the viewer. We know some of these actors from Lanthimoss previous work: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, and Joe Alwyn. Others are new to the family: Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie, and Hunter Schafer. They work as an actors troupe, playing different parts in each of the three stories.

Each section is named after the actions of a recurring character named RMF (Yorgos Stefanakos)  he dies, he flies, he eats a sandwich. And each concerns a self-destructive dependency on a core institution: work, marriage, and faith. In the first, Robert (Plemons) has a boss, Raymond (Dafoe), who schedules his days, down to what books he reads, and when hes allowed to have sex with his wife (Chau). When Raymond asks him to hit a stranger with his car, he refuses. It ruins his life. In the second, Daniel (Plemons) has refigured his entire life around the identity of the widower, and so is deeply unnerved by the sudden reappearance of his wife, Liz (Stone), a scientist who disappeared during a diving accident. He starts to believe Liz is an imposter. In the third, Emily (Stone) hopes to find refuge from her marriage to Joseph (Alwyn) in a cult fixated on the arrival of their prophet. Emily is thrown out under barbaric circumstances.

We already know Stone, Dafoe, Alwyn, and Qualley fit neatly into Lanthimoss universe. But so does Plemons, with his subdued unpredictability (theres something about his manner that makes it always seem like hes about to launch into a sentence). Athies serene presence feels like a lifesaver thrown out into the ocean; Chau has a way of lending even ministerial characters a kind of magnetic intensity. Composer Jerskin Fendrix chimes in like an extra player, with a piano clink of alarm when characters try to break the rules.

Liz describes a dream in which humans are ruled over by canines. Its a typical joke for the director, dark but playful. Here, chocolate  something Liz despises  is plentiful, while her favourite meal of lamb is reserved for her masters. She learns to live on the chocolate, arguing: Its better to eat something thats always there. How absurd. But shouldnt it be absurd, too, when were told the same by people who insist we should make do with the state of the world? Lanthimoss characters may move and talk in stiff, alien ways, but their actions are entirely our own. They know us well, even if we try to deny the truth.

Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos. Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie, Hunter Schafer. 18, 164 mins.

Kinds of Kindness is in cinemas from 28 June
 Close SZA performs at Glastonbury 2024

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R&B artist SZA closed Glastonbury Festival 2024, after Shania Twain took on the coveted Legends Slot.

The Grammy-winning star appeared to have a much smaller audience than earlier headliners Coldplay and Dua Lipa, as revellers rushed home to beat traffic and amid four other major stage clashes.

Earlier, pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne tore up the Other Stage with a set comprising hits such as Sk8r Boi and My Happy Ending, while Shania Twain suffered with sound issues on the Legends Slot.

On Saturday night, rock band Coldplay headlined the Pyramid Stage for a record-breaking fifth time, after pop star Dua Lipa dazzled the crowds on Friday (28 June).

In a career-spanning set, the band performed a number of their biggest hits including Yellow and Clocks, while also bringing out a number of surprise guests including rapper Little Simz, singer Laura Mvula, and Back to the Future star Michael J Fox.
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Neil Young has announced that the remaining dates of his tour with Crazy Horse have been cancelled.

The veteran musician shared the announcement on Wednesday (27 June), telling fans that he and his longtime backing group had been struck by illness. He did not specify who in the band had been affected.

Among the dates in question are three US shows Young had scheduled for late September at the Hollywood Bowl, the Eddie Vedder-founded Ohana fest in California, and the Bourbon & Beyond Festival in Kentucky.

Seven dates Young had planned in Canada for July have also been cancelled.

In a statement shared to his website, Young said the unnamed band members had been taken ill after their last gig, which took place last month on 22 May at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.

We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break, the band said. We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again!

We know many of you made travel plans and we apologise for the inconvenience.

( Getty Images )

He concluded: Health is [the number one priority]... We want to stay and do more shows and more albums for you... and for us... With love and thanks to all of you from Crazy Horse... Neil, Micah, Ralph and Billy... Love Earth.

An additional statement from Ohana Festival on social media said: We are sad to announce that Neil Young with Crazy Horse will no longer be performing at Ohana Festival 2024.

Please stay tuned for a lineup update coming as soon as possible; in the meantime, we are wishing the band a speedy recovery.

Young will release a new album this Friday (28 June).

The archival project, titled Early Daze, was recorded in 1969 with Crazy Horse and, as the Neil Young Archives website states, showcases the bands unique style at the end of the 1960s, capturing the essence of their live performances and their contribution to the evolution of rock and roll.

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In March, Young also announced his somewhat-reluctant return to Spotify, two years after he pulled his catalogue from the streaming platform.
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Former Jackass star Bam Margera will spend six months on probation after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct Wednesday in connection with a family altercation last year at his home near Philadelphia.

Margera, 44, had been charged with assaulting his brother and making threats to other family members during what the brother called a frightening and unpredictable two-week visit home last year.

The plea ends a long legal case that spun out of his stay at the Chester County home known as Castle Bam. At a hearing last year, Margera told the judge he was getting drug and alcohol treatment.

Jess Margera, at the same court hearing, called his brother a good dude when hes not messed up but said he had exhibited troubling behavior for two decades and, while home, had been awake for days. Jess Margera suffered a ruptured eardrum in the altercation, while Margeras girlfriend called police when he kicked in her bedroom door, the brother testified.

Defense lawyer William J Brennan said Margera pleaded guilty to two summary offenses, and is now clean, sober and productive a year after the arrest.

You can really say he won his case before today just by turning his life around, Brennan said Wednesday.

open image in gallery Bam Margera has been open about his struggle with drug addiction in the past ( The Associated Press )

The former professional skateboarder and stunt performer rose to prominence in the Noughties after appearing on the popular MTV reality stunt show Jackass and its subsequent sequels.

After the show ended its three-season run in 2001, MTV offered Margera his own series Viva La Bam, which ran from 2003 to 2005, and followed Margera and his crew as they completed various stunts and missions.

In 2021, Margera filed (and ultimately dropped) a lawsuit against Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville, which prompted a public falling out.

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Knoxville later admitted that he and Margera hadnt spoken in over a year since the latter sued him, director Spike Jonze, Paramount Pictures, MTV and more for wrongful termination from the franchises latest 2022 film Jackass Forever.

Margera, who had been public about his struggle with drug addiction, claimed that he was wrongfully terminated after a drug test detected prescription Adderall in his system.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press
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The highly anticipated third season of The Bear seems to have left critics mostly unsatisfied. In fact, the middling reviews have gone so far as to call it messy and aimless.

FXs popular restaurant drama, which follows Jeremy Allen Whites award-winning chef Carmen Carmy Berzatto as he attempts to turn his dead brothers Chicago sandwich shop into a fine dining destination, returned to screens on Wednesday (June 26)  a day earlier than originally expected.

While fans have been eagerly awaiting its return following its successful sweep at the postponed 75th Primetime Emmys, it appears they might be in for disappointment, at least according to the majority of reviews.

In The Independents three-star review, Nick Hilton labeled it a frenetic drama that feels stuck in a loop of its own creation.

Kicking off with an avant-garde first episode, the Chicago-set Emmy winner seems to be losing its way, he wrote, adding: To be a victim of your own success requires you to achieve something. And while Part III of The Bear (as the show styles it) doesnt hit the heights of episodes like Fishes or Forks, it is still a serviceable frenzy of culinary panache.

Varietys Alison Herman wrote: The Bear takes a step down in an aimless season three that leans too heavily on star power.

open image in gallery Jeremy Allen White returns as Carmy in season three of The Bear ( HULU )

She went on to argue that the show now feels torn between two identities: a voice for the world of restaurants at large, and a specific story about a specific set of characters, adding that conversations can lapse into broad sermons.

As The Bear has continued, its developed the Berzatto family dysfunction  and its collateral damage to the siblings colleagues  enough that theres no need to rely on such generalizations, wrote Herman. For The Bear, demonstrating its bona fides is a flex; understanding it doesnt need them anymore would be a true sign of confidence.

Meanwhile, Amy McCarthy bluntly panned the new season as a mess in her review for Eater. There is occasionally a sense, though, that The Bear is trying to do a bit too much all at once, McCarthy elaborated. Sometimes, the constellation of heavy themes that it explores  mental health, family trauma, how food systems work, economic uncertainty, ageism, toxic chef culture  collapses in on itself, and scenes are muddled.

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What passes for humor on the show is essentially guys yelling f*** you to each other, an exhausting shtick repeated ad nauseam, Vanity Fairs Richard Lawson wrote. These jags of banter badly pierce the bubble of the shows supposed realism. Is this a verite look at the workings of a high-stakes kitchen, or caustic hyperbole? Again, the show wants to be both, and thus satisfies neither side.

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporters Daniel Feinberg was far more laudatory, arguing: On an episode-by-episode basis, the third season of The Bear is as good as anything the show has ever done. Possibly better?

Nicole Gallucci agreed, writing for Decider: The Bears brilliant blend of overstimulating mayhem, precision, and catharsis is a special place onto itself. Season 3 grills, sears, then professionally plates your heartstrings, right before cruelly tossing them in the trash, and no matter what becomes of Carmys rising Chicago hot spot in the future, the show will leave an enduring legacy on television.

The Bear may not have the same sense of intense urgency in Season 3, TheWraps Michel Ghanem said, but it feels no less exciting to return to this textured world of culinary wonder with a cast thats always worth watching.

Despite the mixed reviews, season threes aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes remains at a strong 93 percent at the time of writing.

Season three of The Bear is available to stream on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK.
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Hong Kong education department officials have singled out two schools after an inspection found their students were singing the Chinese national anthem too softly.

They advised teachers at one of the schools to help students cultivate habit and confidence in singing the anthem, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

The scrutiny comes amid a push for patriotic education in Hong Kong, intensified since a crackdown on pro-democracy activities in 2020.

While the Education Bureau ticked off Hong Kong and Macau Lutheran Church Primary School and Yan Chai Hospital Lim Por Yen Secondary School for insufficiently enthusiastic renditions of the Chinese anthem, it praised another pair of schools for actively promoting patriotic education through various activities.

The Church of Christ in China Kei Tsz Primary School in Wong Tai Sin organised exhibitions on Chinese culture, geography and national security, the bureau said in its inspection report, while S K H St Peters Primary School in Shek Tong Tsui helped nurture national identity of students, including by showcasing Chinas space programme to parents. Both schools also emphasised respectful flag-raising ceremonies and students sang the national anthem loudly.

Of the 20 schools whose inspection reports were published on the bureaus website, at least six were recommended to enhance their patriotic education curriculum.

The recommendations included organising trips to mainland China and activities fostering national pride.

In January, Beijings patriotic education law took effect, extending its coverage to include Hong Kong and Macau.

In May, the Education Bureau urged parents to collaborate with schools in fostering their childrens national identity.

It suggested they encourage participation in activities related to national security like talks and exchange programmes with mainland China.

Hong Kong authorities have previously instructed schools to remove books deemed to threaten national security and mandated that aspiring school principals demonstrate a strong sense of national identity.

Critics argue that such measures have contributed to the erosion of Hong Kongs autonomy.
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North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a new multiple warhead missile system on Wednesday, a boast that South Korea dismissed as a deception.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads and correctly guided them to three targets.

The purpose of the test was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets with multiple warheads and develop multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology, or MIRV, the agency reported.

The South Korean military rejected the claim as a deception.

Today North Korea disclosed something but we believe its simply a means of deception and exaggeration, Lee Sung-joon, a spokesperson for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

A joint analysis with the US indicated the missile exploded in its initial stage of flight, the military claimed. It also suggested that pictures of the supposed test released by North Korea were fabricated or recycled from a previous launch.

I had been anticipating a MIRV test for some time now as this was one of the last remaining items on Kim Jong-uns modernisation wishlist from the Eighth Party Congress in January 2021, Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Al Jazeera.

The North Korean leader last month reportedly supervised firing drills involving nuclear-capable super-large multiple rocket launchers to show his countrys ability to carry out preemptive attacks on the South.

open image in gallery Photo released by the Korean Central News Agency shows an MIRV test conducted on 26 June 2024 ( EPA )

Meanwhile, in a tit-for-tat campaign, North Korea dropped balloons filled with trash on the South for the third straight day.

The North has sent thousands of balloons carrying manure, plastic and paper waste towards its neighbour in retaliation for South Korean activists sending propaganda leaflets the other way.

The Souths military said nearly 70 balloons had landed by Thursday morning, mostly in northern Gyeonggi province and Seoul, but they carried no hazardous contents. The payload is about 10kg so there is a risk if the balloons descend rapidly, it said.

Seouls response to the latest drop will be flexible depending on the strategic and operational situation, the military said according to AFP. This depends on North Koreas actions.

South Korea previously threatened to restart anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts near the border, escalating tensions after the North resumed launching balloons filled with trash.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Indias federal government has sought a detailed report from the southern state of Tamil Nadu after a news report said that Apple supplier Foxconn allegedly rejected married women from iPhone assembly jobs.

A Reuters investigation alleged workplace bias against married women at Foxconns iPhone plant in Sriperumbudur near Chennai. It said the company systematically excluded married women from jobs because it claimed they would have greater family responsibilities as compared to unmarried women.

Pregnancy and higher absenteeism were also cited as reasons, Foxconn hiring agents and HR sources reportedly told the news agency.

The federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has taken note of media reports on married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant.

In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry pointed out that the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 "clearly stipulates that no discrimination be made while recruiting men and women workers".

In a response to Reuters, Apple and Foxconn acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and claimed that they had addressed the issue.

The companies did not address similar cases from 2023 and 2024 documented in the investigative report, for which Reuters spoke with 17 employees from over a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies in India as well as four former and current human resources executives.

Two unidentified women stand outside Foxconn's factory in Sriperumbudur near Chennai ( REUTERS )

In a statement to The Independent, Foxconn said that almost 25 per cent of married women were recruited in its latest round of hiring.

Foxconns first priority is the wellbeing of our employees around the world. We hire workers of all backgrounds, genders, races and marital status, and we do not stand for discrimination in hiring or recruitment, it said.

Foxconn vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form.

The company also said that married women were welcome to wear traditional metal ornaments while working in its plants.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi greets Foxconn chief Young Liu at a semiconductor conference in Gandhinagar city ( Reuters )

Foxconn is the largest supplier of Apple phones. The company set up its first plant in Tamil Nadu in 2017 and has since entered into an agreement with Google to make Pixel phones.

In 2018, the company was accused by an American rights group of underpaying temporary workers and making them overwork at its factory in China.

In 2021, Apple put Foxconn on probation after workers at the factory, which employs nearly 17,000 people, staged protests against poor living conditions that had led to several cases of food poisoning.

The Independent has reached out to Apple for comment.
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At least four people have been found dead on Japan's Mount Fuji, prompting a warning against scaling the mountain before the climbing season.

Three people were found in a state of cardiac arrest inside a crater on the summit of the mountain while a fourth died after collapsing on the north side.

One of the bodies from the crater has been brought down, police said on Thursday. Attempts to bring back the other bodies will continue on Friday or later, depending on weather conditions.

The bodies were found after police responded to a call on Sunday morning from a Tokyo resident who lost contact with her 53-year-old husband after he went to climb the mountain.

Law enforcement officials searching for the man found three people in a state of cardiac arrest near the south side of the peak, NHK World reported. They are believed to have climbed from the side of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Professional climber Keita Kurakami, 38, died in hospital after being found by police on the Yamanashi Prefecture side of the mountain.

A tour conductor holds a flag at a Mount Fuji station as the summit is seen in the background in Yamanashi prefecture on 19 June 2024 ( EPA )

The three trails to the summit from Shizuoka and one from Yamanashi are scheduled to open in July, when it is safe to climb the 12,388ft mountain. But people have already started going up, disregarding warnings from the Japanese authorities.

Experts warn that it can get extremely cold, even in the summer, and proper gear, climbing boots and clothing are crucial. Trekkers are also at risk of altitude sickness if they ascend too quickly.

"Mount Fuji in winter is classified as one of the toughest mountains for winter climbing in Japan," Takekawa Shunji, a mountain guide, told the Japanese broadcaster.

"Conditions are so severe that people with just some experience with ordinary mountains in winter can't deal with it. It still has some snow in June, so a climber must know that conditions won't be different to those of winter."

The picturesque Fuji has long been a famous symbol of Japan, with its gracefully sweeping slopes and white icy cap standing out above tranquil lakes and rice fields.

As many as 300,000 people climb it every year, and watching the sunrise from the mountaintop is coveted as a spiritual experience. But worries have been growing lately about overcrowding by tourists.

In March, Japan announced entry fees of 2,000 (10) per head for people climbing the volcano to tackle overcrowding. A gate is set to be installed at the entrance to the Yoshida Trail, also called the fifth station, on the Yamanashi side of Fuji, standing at 3,776m.

For the 2024 season, which runs up until mid-September, the newly installed gate will operate for limited hours, closing at 4pm and reopening at 3am the next day.

The town of Fujikawaguchiko in Yamanashi recently erected a large black screen along a pavement to block the view of Mount Fuji to discourage photo-taking crowds.
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Hawaiian food chain Island Poke has been sold to a hospitality start-up backer in a rescue deal, saving more than 100 jobs.

Island Poke  which has 16 sites across London, as well as outlets in Brighton, Newcastle and Edinburgh  has been bought in a so-called pre-pack administration deal by IP Topco, which is a subsidiary of White Rabbit Projects.

White Rabbit was an existing shareholder in Island Poke, since it first backed the firm in 2016.

Administrators at Begbies Traynor  who were appointed on June 26  said the sale has secured more than 100 jobs.

It comes after Island Poke had sought to put in place a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to restructure the business, but administrators said efforts on this failed.

They said: Whilst the CVA had been put to creditors, and was widely supported by them, it became apparent to the directors from daily trading that the forecasts on which the CVA was built were not likely to be deliverable, thereby undermining the viability of the proposal which was scheduled to continue for five years.

In the circumstances, and in parallel with the CVA procedure, the directors engaged BTG Advisory to run an accelerated marketing campaign with a view to identifying a buyer for the business.

Throughout this period, a constant dialogue was maintained with the secured creditor, NatWest, who approved both the appointment and sale by way of a pre-pack administration.

Island Poke was set up by James Porter after he quit his job at an art gallery to start selling the Hawaiian-inspired food at a street food market.

The first Island Poke restaurant opened in Kingly Street in Londons Soho in 2016.
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Morrisons and Iceland have stopped sourcing tinned pineapples from a Del Monte farm in Kenya after ongoing allegations of human rights abuses.

Allegations of brutal violence and killings perpetrated by Del Monte guards at the fruit farm in Thika were revealed in an investigation published last year.

Four supermarkets  Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Waitrose  stopped selling pineapple products sourced from the farm after the report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and The Guardian.

But violence has continued on the farm over the last year, including the deaths of four men whose bodies were retrieved from a river in December and bystanders being hit by stray bullets during clashes between police and young men, the TBIJ recently found.

A spokesperson for Morrisons, which had been accused of continuing to sell products sourced from the farm, said on Thursday: We are moving tinned pineapple sourcing out of Kenya until Del Montes human rights improvement plan has been fully implemented.

Iceland, which had also been accused of still selling the products, confirmed to the PA news agency that it no longer stocks them.

We can confirm that Iceland does not stock products from the farms in question, a spokesperson said.

Across all product ranges and suppliers, Iceland has thorough processes in place to ensure our high standards are met and will continue to monitor this situation.

Aine Clarke, at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre  a non-profit working to advance human rights in business, said: It is crucial for companies to demonstrate that they have engaged in a dialogue with any stakeholders reportedly affected by allegations of abuse.

In May, witnesses told TBIJ how pineapple thieves were chased out of the farm by guards working for security contractor G4S into surrounding highways and villages, backed by the police who fired bullets and set off tear gas.

In March, Del Monte announced it had brought in G4S to manage security operations, firing 214 in-house security guards.

G4S Kenya said its guards never carry weapons and had been expertly trained in de-escalation techniques, human rights considerations and in the minimum use of force.

A spokesperson added: Our security officers are stationed at the farm only and have no involvement in activity that may occur outside its boundaries.

PA has contacted Del Monte for comment.
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The UKs luxury watch market is beginning to improve again after a sharp drop in consumer confidence in recent years, according to Watches of Switzerland.

The London-listed firm, which is one the major global sellers of Rolex watches, saw profit fall 40% to 92 million in the year to April 28, but said it is cautiously optimistic of an improvement in trading.

Chief executive Brian Duffy said: The UK market is starting to show signs of stabilisation.

In (financial year) 2024, UK and Europe sales were down 5%, impacted by significant price increases overall at a time of reduced consumer confidence influencing discretionary spending, and we see these pressures easing in (financial year) 2025.

He added that the US business has gone from strength to strength and will soon represent half of group sales.

US revenue grew 6% to 692 million, meaning the market represents nearly half of the companys total turnover of 1.54 billion.

Watch sales were up 3%, while jewellery fell 13%. Watch sales represent 87% of the business.

Watches of Switzerland also saw improvements from the launch of its Rolex-certified pre-owned offering, which Mr Duffy said represents a significant opportunity for the company.

Pre-owned luxury watch sales doubled year on year in the final quarter, while Rolex-specific sales are performing ahead of company expectations.

The business held previous guidance for next year, with revenues expected to grow between 9% and 12% to about 1.7 billion.

The industry as a whole is being more conservative on production, which we believe is a responsible approach to the long-term stability of the luxury watch market, the company added in the trading update.

Shares in the company rose 10% on Thursday morning.
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At least 427 people have died over four days in just one city in Pakistan due to the lethal heatwaves scorching south Asia this summer.

The non-profit Edhi Foundation said it received 427 bodies in four days until Tuesday in Karachi, the countrys biggest city and financial centre.

Most of them were homeless people and drug addicts living on the streets, the NGO said on Wednesday.

The extreme heatwave got to them as these people spend their entire day out in the open searching for fixes, Faisal Edhi, who heads the foundation, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

We have four mortuaries in Karachi and we have reached a stage where there is no more space to keep bodies.

Mr Edhi said his foundation received 135 bodies on Tuesday alone and 128 on Monday.

The government of the southern Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, meanwhile reported 23 deaths across three government hospitals on Tuesday.

Sindh is living through a brutal summer with the temperature nearing a record 52.2C last month.

The heat intensified again this week as the mercury crossed 40C for the third consecutive day in Karachi on Wednesday  temperatures that are too high and dangerous in a humid coastal city.

Heatstroke patients receive treatment at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan ( AP )

The prolonged heatwave has increased pressure on the power grid with outages recorded across the country, depriving people of the little respite fans and coolers could offer.

The Edhi Foundation said many of the bodies they received were from areas where a lot of load-shedding is going on.

Deaths from heatwaves have been soaring across South Asia.

India, battling its longest-ever heatwave this year with temperatures crossing 50C, reported over a hundred deaths and 40,000 cases of suspected heatstroke until May.

Heat-related deaths are generally highly underreported across the world and activists in India and Pakistan have said the numbers could be much higher than the official tallies.

Residents fill their containers with water supplied by a municipal tanker in Delhi, India ( AFP via Getty )

In Delhi, a rights group working with the homeless population told The Independent that at least 400 people died on the streets of the Indian capital from 1 March to 10 June.

At least 1,301 people have also died during this years Hajj pilgrimage that took place during an exceptional heatwave in Saudi Arabia, according to an official statement.

The last 12 months have been the hottest ever recorded. Scientific assessments have found that the climate crisis, caused by burning oil, coal and gas, is responsible for increasing the temperatures and causing more heatwaves.

Alongside brutally high temperatures during the day, a recent study found that climate crisis and lack of green spaces are making nights hotter, putting extra strain on people  particularly those exposed to heat the next day.
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Kendall Jenner has shocked fans by going barefoot in the Louvre museum in Paris.

Posting to Instagram recently, Jenner, 28, shared a photograph of herself posing in front of the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, and The Wedding at Cana by Paola Veronese.

She captioned the post: The Louvre at midnight.

Several of her two million followers, however, were quick to point out her glaring absence of footwear.

The reality star is believed to have embarked on a late-night private tour of the museum on Monday (24 June) together with the rapper Bad Bunny, with whom she is romantically linked.

Jenners Instagram post also included pictures of sculptures in an empty The Salles des Cariatides and the painted ceiling in the Galerie dApollon, suggesting that The Kardashians star may have walked barefoot through several sections of the 400-room museum.

Several social media users voiced concerned over the models hygiene.

Being barefoot at the Louvre looks very aesthetic until you remember how dirty Paris is, commented one person on X/Twitter.

Another fan wrote: Why this obsession of going around barefoot. I understand it makes your pics romantic and aesthetically pleasing but girl the ground is DIRTY. Aesthetic pics with feet touching the ground of Paris yikes have fun cleaning those ones.

open image in gallery Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid arrived at the runway of the Vogue World: Paris show on horses on 23 June ( Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Vogue )

Other people on social media accused Jenner and Bad Bunny of flaunting their wealth.

The Louvres private events brochure states that pricing for an out-of-hours private tour of the museums permanent collections starts at 10,000 (8,500).

A peasant like myself couldnt even have a selfie stick in there, commented one person.

Another added: For a Kardashian-Jenner to once again highlight extreme income inequality in France of all places is pretty ironic.

Rich people are so weird, said someone else.

open image in gallery Kendall Jenner and Bad bunny at a Lakers and Golden State Warriors game in Los Angeles in May 2023 ( Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images )

Not everyone was critical, however, with some fans remarking on what a romantic evening she and Bad Bunny appeared to share.

Such beautiful photos! The Louvre is amazing at night and you make it even more special, wrote one person on Instagram.

Bad Bunny and Jenner appear to be dating again following rumours that theyd split in December 2023.

Earlier in the evening on Monday (24 June), the pair was photographed leaving a Paris Fashion Week event together. Previously, Jenner attended the rappers concert in Orlando on 20 May.
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Kylie Jenner angered her sisters after she stopped her familys private plane from taking off.

During Thursdays episode of The Kardashians, Kris Jenner and four of her daughters  Kylie, Kendal Jenner, Kim Kardashian, and Khloe Kardashian  were making their way to their private jet for a family trip to Aspen, Colorado. Before the flight took off, Kylie expressed how much she was looking forward to the little getaway.

Ive been wanting to go to Aspen this year, she said. I try to snowboard at least once a year, and Im just feeling blessed to be around family.

Unfortunately, the groups flight was ultimately delayed by more than 48 minutes because of unsafe weather conditions in Rifle, Colorado. The captain then told the five women that he could get into Grand Junction Regional Airport, which was a three hour drive away from Aspen.

However, Kylie made it clear that she wasnt keen on doing that drive in the snow. I dont think thats safe, she said. I dont like to drive in the snow last time I was in Aspen there were three crashes, just around the streets. My assistant crashed, my security crashed.

During a confessional interview, Kris noted that her youngests daughters anxiety was kicking in before the flight took off, which the manager said she totally understood.

Kylie then stood her ground about the situation, as she said on the plane: Im here. Im ready, Im not going to Grand Junction.

More than 20 minutes later, the captain said that he believed his best bet was to fly to Grand Junction, and then see what the weather conditions were there, before the family decided when theyd drive to Aspen. However, Kylie still wasnt sure that shed be safe on the trip.

Im really good with flying, I am now, she said during a confessional interview. I wasnt in the past few years ago, Ive gotten much better. But I am having a lot of anxiety.

After Kylie confessed to her family on the plane that shed been having a really bad feeling over the last few days about the trip, both Kendall and Khloe questioned her. Thats worse that you put it out there, the 818 Tequila founder explained. Kylie the fact that you even put that out in the universe is one of the weirdest things.

Khloe agreed, adding: Thats a terrible thing to say. When Kylie asked what she was supposed to say, Kendall told her she should have just kept her feelings to herself. Youre not supposed to speak it into existence, Kendall responded.

The Kylie Swim founder acknowledged that amid her anxiety, she was worried about her family, including her and her ex Travis Scotts two children, Stormi, six, and Aire, two.

Im just not comfortable right now, Im thinking about my kids, she said. Im maybe dramatic, but I feel like something isnt safe.

As her voice started to break, she once again confessed on the plane that shes had a really bad feeling, before adding: I think Im going to get off. Although Kris tried to reassure her, Kylie still didnt want to go, so Khloe told her sister to say something to the flight attendant, since the plane was already moving.

Since Kris knew that Kylie was serious about wanting to get off, she told the flight attendant to stop the plane, even though it was already in the process of taxiing to take off. Kendall then explained why she wasnt more sympathetic of her younger sisters behavior.

Ive known Kylie since the day she was born, and Im not discrediting her panic, she explained. I dont know why she does this. But its also a pattern for her. Shes done this many, many, many times. I think she thinks that she can just get away with whatever.

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

After Kylie got off the plane and went into her car, Kris still called her, encouraging her daughter to return. However the rest of the group was still upset at Kylie, with Kim claiming her siblings behavior is always like this. Kendall agreed and criticized her sister.

The fact that she always gets out of s*** is very f***ing annoying, Kendall added.

Kris still went on to defend her youngest daughter. I know the other girls are frustrated, but its one of my babies, she said during a confessional interview. Of course I understand and Im not going to get mad at her. I dont want her to get anxious.

When Kris was on phone with Kylie on the plane, the 68-year-old gave the device to Kendall, who decided not to take it because she thought she was the wrong one to talk to her sister.

Although Kris told Kylie that she wanted her to come back to the plane and join for the trip, Khloe told her mother to hang up the phone. The Good American founder added: Shes not getting on, lets just move on.

Kim then quipped that Kylie would never get [her] luggage back, before Kendall and Khloe also joked about wearing their younger sisters clothes on the trip.

Im taking your outfits! Khloe screamed, since Kris was still on the phone with Kylie. I hope you brought cute s***.
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An undercover US police officer feared TV star Holly Willoughby was in immediate danger and faced an imminent threat from security guard Gavin Plumb, a jury heard.

The officer told Chelmsford Crown Court he had used the alias David Nelson for around three years in online forums where he investigated murder for hire, kidnap and human trafficking, when he encountered Plumb, 37, in a group called Abduct Lovers.

Giving evidence via video link from the US, he said Plumb - who denies plotting to kidnap, rape and murder the former This Morning presenter - then relayed details of an alleged plan to attack the star in a home invasion.

The officer, attached to the Owatonna Police Department in Minnesota, said he saw a message posted by Plumb in the group under the username BigBear341987, with a photo of Ms Willoughby as his profile picture.

He identified that he had a s***load of information on her, that he knew when she got up in the morning as well as not having security cameras at her address, he told the court.

With him providing that information I felt that there was an imminent threat to this individual.

A selfie of Gavin Plumb shown to Chelmsford Crown Court ( Crown Prosecution Service/PA Wire )

The group on the Kik messenger app had up to 50 active members at any given time, where they discussed topics like abduction, rape and murder of other individuals. The officer noted it was rare for a user to claim to have substantial information about a target.

The officer then asked Plumb a series of open-ended questions to gather information about the alleged threat against Ms Willoughby in a private chat, the court heard.

Posing as David Nelson, he sent a picture of a fake ID card and a screenshot of a flight itinerary to build trust with the defendant by pretending he was willing to act as an accomplice, he said.

The officer said Plumb then sent a video of a kidnap kit laid out on his bed  featuring handcuffs, cable ties and other restraints.

At that point in the conversation it was quite alarming, the officer told the jury.

Plumb later sent him a separate picture of a bottle of chloroform, a liquid drug used to stupefy victims. Two bottles purporting to be chloroform discovered in Plumbs bedroom were later found to be ethanol and water when they were tested in a laboratory after he purchased them from a homeopathic website.

During these conversations the undercover officer was passing information to the US authorities. He confirmed to prosecutor Alison Morgan KC that a meeting with FBI was held on 4 October and the intelligence was passed to the Metropolitan Police.

Under cross-examination from Sasha Wass KC, defending, it was revealed the officer wrote in his police report that he believed Ms Willoughby may be in immediate danger of death.

The officer also confirmed he wrote that he thought the star may be at risk of being raped or suffering bodily harm, the court heard.

At one point in the messages exchanged, he asked Plumb: So you looking for help with this then?

The officer told the court: It was important to establish if this was a fantasy or if this was reality for BigBear at this point.

Jurors were shown an alleged kidnap kit said to have been assembled by Gavin Plumb ( Crown Prosecution Service/PA )

Ms Wass KC also brought up the issue of the defendants weight after the officer asked Plumb to send him a selfie.

The officer confirmed Plumb had told him he proposed to jump the outer wall of Ms Willoughbys property as he relayed details of the alleged attack to the officer.

Now knowing what he looked like and the state of his dimensions, did that plan and what was said about the plan of jumping the outer walls, did that cause you to re-evaluate the credibility of that plan? she asked the witness.

No I didnt, the officer replied.

The defence barrister later suggested that Plumb weighed some 30 stone and had limited mobility when he was arrested on 4 October last year.

However another officer, detective constable William Belsham of Essex Police, insisted the defendant could walk fine from the video Ive seen.

Gavin Plumb denies plotting to kidnap former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby ( Sourced )

Details of Plumbs previous convictions were also read to the jury in a series of agreed facts.

The court heard Plumb was handed a 12-month suspended sentence for attempting to kidnap two women from the Stansted Express in 2006.

He was later jailed for 32 months for another attack on two teenage girls in 2008, in which he threatened them with a box-cutter/Stanley knife-type instrument.

Junior prosecuting counsel Rosalind Earis said: He told them to Turn around and put your hands behind your back. He pulled out some blue rope from his pocket but, finding it tangled, retrieved some tape from his pocket and taped up the hands of one of the girls behind her back.

As he was doing that, the other girl ran off and both girls managed to escape and raise the alarm. The entire incident lasted between five and seven minutes. The girls described themselves as shouting and screaming and crying.

The prosecution claims it was Plumbs ultimate fantasy to target Ms Willoughby, who has waived her right to anonymity.

The shopping centre security guard is accused of soliciting the undercover US officer to join a plot to commit murder, and incitement to kidnap and rape the TV personality. Plumb, of Harlow in Essex, denies all the charges.

The trial, scheduled to last two weeks, continues.
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Police have launched a murder probe after a paramedic who starred in Channel 4s 999: On The Front Line was found dead beside a woman at a home.

The bodies of Daniel Duffield, 24, who features on the eleventh series of the show, and Lauren Evans, 22, were discovered by Mr Duffields colleagues at the house in Hednesford on Tuesday.

Staffordshire Police said officers were alerted by West Midlands Ambulance Service at around 12.30pm and attended an address on Alpine Drive, where a woman and a man were found dead inside the property.

Formal identification is still due to take place, but the force believes she is Ms Evans, from Bridgend in south Wales, and he is Mr Duffield, from Cannock.

The bodies of Daniel Duffield, 24, and Lauren Evans, 22, were discovered by Mr Duffields colleagues at the house in Hednesford on Tuesday ( daniel.duffield / Instagram )

The force subsequently launched a murder investigation, with enquiries ongoing.

Staffordshire Police has also referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as officers were recently in contact with the pair.

Mr Duffields sister is among those paying tribute to her beautiful brother, describing him as a bright soul who she will forever cherish.

Writing on social media, Chelsea Duffield said: Never, ever thought Id have to write this post. My beautiful brother has left us today. Im so distraught youve gone. I will never come to terms with it that youre no longer here.

Daniel Duffield, 24, starred on Channel 4s 999: On The Front Line ( daniel.duffield/Instagram )

You [were] such a bright soul  always helping other people, making them smile, laugh, saving lives, but unfortunately you couldnt help yourself.

I will forever cherish you, and us growing up together. You will always be in my heart. [You were] the best brother I could [have] ever asked for. Forever 24. RIP Daniel Duffield. Ill always miss you and love you forever until we meet again.

Student paramedic Ellie was Mr Duffields crew mate on 999: On The Front Line, which follows West Midlands Ambulance crews responding to emergency calls across the region.

Paying tribute to her special co-star, MailOnline reported she said: I just want to express how special you [were] to me, not only my best friend at work and the best crew mate but one of my best friends who had a massive impact on day to day life, the most kind-hearted person who always had time to help others, who made me laugh every day and always would pick up the phone whenever I was in need.

Dan I can't believe you're actually gone.

Mr Duffield (right) pictured with student paramedic Ellie, who was his crew mate on the programme ( daniel.duffield/Instagram )

Ms Evans family, including her mother Karen, 53, and father Steven, 54, are said to be distraught.

Neighbours in the quiet village of Pen-y-fai, where her family are from, told MailOnline Ms Evans, thought to be a student mental health nurse, was very friendly and a lovely girl.

One local resident said: She always said hi and they are a nice family. This is a terrible shock for everyone.

Detective superintendent Nicki Addison, from the forces Major Investigations Department, said: My thoughts are very much with the families at this time.

I know this news has understandably shaken the local community. Id like to reassure everyone that weve got a specialist team of officers working extensive hours to fully investigate what happened and support the families of those affected.

We completely understand that lots of people want to know more about what happened, but wed like to reiterate that speculation isnt helpful to families at this distressing time.

I would like to thank everyone who has already come forward with information and ask that people continue to get in touch if theyve got any information that can help us.

People can submit information that may help the investigation to the polices online portal.
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The disappearance of British teenager Jay Slater has captured the attention of the nation in the days since he went missing in Tenerife.

Authorities are undertaking a huge search operation for the 19-year-old who vanished seemingly without a trace on the morning of 17 June after attending a rave.

While teams continue to scour the Spanish islands mountainous terrain where he was last seen, people at home in the UK are searching for ways to assist from afar.

One option they have taken is donating to a fundraiser set up by Jays friend Lucy, who was the last person to speak to him on the morning he went missing.

However, GoFundMe has had to suspend several fake fundraisers that cropped up in Jays name. Some people are also unsure how the money donated will be used. Heres everything you need to know about it.

For the latest updates on the search, follow our live link by clicking here.

Rescuers scour the Los Carrizales ravine ( Reuters )

What is the official GoFundMe page?

The Official GoFundMe page was set up by Jays friend Lucy.

In the description, she details the circumstances around his disappearance and the frantic phone call she had with him the morning he went missing.

He had attended the NRG festival with friends last Sunday but travelled to an Airbnb there during the early hours of Monday morning with two men he met at the festival - without realising the distance from his apartment in the tourist area of Los Cristianos.

At around 8.15am, Mr Slater called Lucy, who had been at the festival with him, to tell her he had missed his bus and was planning to make the 11-hour walk back to his accommodation.

The last known location of the apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, placed him on a path in the Rural de Teno National Park at 8.50am.

People can find the fundraiser, which has surpassed the 30,000 target, here as the search continues.

Rescuers carry out a search operation with drones ( Reuters )

What will money be spent on?

As the donations pour in, questions have been raised about what the money will be used for.

But Jay Slaters mother Debbie Duncan, 55, has now said the funds will go towards the search efforts, the familys accommodation and food expenses in her latest update.

She said some of the money will be withdrawn with the help of GoFundMe, but has not revealed how much.

She wrote on the fundraising page: I would like to thank everyone for your support, kind messages, and good wishes. Its difficult to wrap our heads around what is happening right now, but we are not losing hope that we will find Jay and return home together.

We are currently working with GoFundMe to withdraw part of the funds, which are being safely held. I wanted to share that these funds will be used to support the mountain rescue teams who are tirelessly searching for Jay. Additionally, since our stay in Tenerife needs to be extended, we will also use the funds to cover accommodation and food expenses. Im surrounded by wonderful people who are by my side, but far from their loved ones, so well also be using part of these funds to fly them to Tenerife so we can support each other during these dark times.

Thank you again for all your donations and support, this means the world to us.

Jay Slater with mum Debbie Duncan ( Supplied )

What has GoFundMe said?

Nearly a dozen other GoFundMe pages supposedly set up for Jay were promptly shut down as suspected scams.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: Our hearts go out to Jay Slater, his family and everyone else concerned about his disappearance. All campaigns are under review and no money will be transferred unless we can verify it goes straight to his family.

At moments like this, we often see people set up campaigns to benefit strangers when they are moved to help. That is why we work with organisers to ensure any money donated goes to the right place.

GoFundMe has a dedicated Trust & Safety team reviewing all relevant fundraisers. In addition to the team of experts, we deploy proprietary technical tools and have multiple processes in place to verify the identity of organisers and the recipient of the fundraiser.

Before money is transferred, an individual or organisations information, including their banking information, must be verified.
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Fake rumours of a body being found in the hunt for Jay Slater had spread like wildfire across Facebook, TikTok and other social media sites as thousands of users share disinformation.

A mocked up Facebook post from one of the Slaters family inner circle was shared with the message: Jays body has been found. Our hearts are with his family in these evil times, weve heard from locals it was the job of the Morrocans [sic].

The mother of Jays best friend Rachel Louise Harg, who also set up the GoFundMe page to go towards search efforts, was forced to amplify the cruel prank as she distanced herself from it, insisting the official update group: This isnt me.

The prank could cause a fatal distraction with days going by since Jay was last seen and friends of the teenager begged for people to keep up the massive search along the rocky hillsides of Tenerife full of treacherous ravines and cacti.

Another photo claiming to show a body found in Los Cristianos that went viral appears to have been taken in Iceland years ago.

Recently, Jay Slaters mother Debbie made a post on a discussions and theories Facebook page with 280,000 members attacking trolls mocking her son, pleading with them: I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.

Jay Slater with his mum Debbie ( Supplied )

Private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas working with the family said he had been given access to dozens of vile messages they have been bombarded with.

He told The Independent from Tenerife: There are people out there who have phoned up and said weve got Jay hostage, weve got Jay captive and they need to pay.

There are some really vile people who have done that, theyve tried to hack some of the social media sites, theyve attacked some of the family. This is unacceptable. Youve got a young lad who is missing and the family deserve respect. I would urge anyone on social media to think before you post.

How rumours and conspiracy theories affect relatives, according to Guardians of Innocence 1. Increased Anxiety and Stress The spread of unverified or false information can significantly heighten anxiety and stress among family members. The uncertainty about the truth can create an emotional rollercoaster, worsening the already traumatic situation. 2. Confusion and Disorientation Rumours and conspiracy theories can generate confusion, making it difficult for relatives to discern between true and false information. This can lead to impulsive decisions and a waste of valuable time that could be dedicated to searching for their loved one. 3. Distrust in Authorities Conspiracy theories often involve distrust in authorities and official procedures. This can hinder collaboration with law enforcement and institutions responsible for the search, further complicating the process of locating the missing person. 4. Social Isolation The spread of false information can lead to social isolation, as family members may feel judged or misunderstood by those who believe in the conspiracy theories. This isolation can exacerbate emotional suffering and the sense of loneliness.

Julian Peribanez, who was part of the original private investigation firm Metodo 3 hired by Madeleine McCanns parents Gerry and Kate to explore leads that werent being considered by Portuguese police, has noticed the parallels between the two high profile vanishings.

Now president of NGO Guardians of Innocence, which helps fight exploitation and sexual abuse, Mr Peribanez told The Independent: The global media coverage and the proliferation of conspiracy theories on the internet deeply affected Madeleines parents.

They were subjected to online harassment and faced multiple false accusations, which emotionally complicated their already traumatic experience.

Julian Peribanez sees parallels with the Madeleine McCann case ( Netflix )

He added: All this cant be controlled nor censored as it is part of the public opinion and is one of the negative sides of the internet and social media, there is no filter, and under anonymity, some people tend to be extremely hurtful.

Guardians of Innocence director Karine Nangia spoke out at the distraction of social media around the case.

She said: Getting the public engaged is normal and useful sometimes, but it comes with the negative side of trolls and sick people.

Madeliene McCanns family have been persecuted by some parts of the public for years.

Its important to focus just on the possible sighting in Tenerife, as it is an island that has very limited space and possible sightings can be checked fast.

( Andrew Knight/YouTube )

But other social media influencers come to the search with the best intentions to find the missing teen.

Keen hiker and influencer Paul Arnott, 29, paid 400 for a flight to Tenerife when he heard from a Facebook post that friends or family were asking for help. Through his TikTok page Down the Rapids he gives his rapidly increasing 220,000 followers hourly updates on his own search.

He films himself following broken twigs and footprints in the sand, slipping down tight ravines and holes in the precarious landscape of isolated Rural de Teno park areas he says drones and police dogs cant go.

In his latest posts Mr Arnott claims to know the correct location that Mr Slaters phone last pinged from and heads towards it.

He has teamed up with Andrew Knight, known on YouTube as the Knightrider, who has been offering free rental cars for others looking to join the search.

He told The Independent of the dangerous terrain he has been scouring: Its rugged mountainsides, loose rocks that fall away underfoot, cactuses everywhere. Its a disorienting landscape and also has extreme weather changes.

At night the temperature drops to around 12 degrees Celsius, but with the wind chill and the thin air at altitude, it feels around 10 degrees.

Missing Persons Tenerife map of tourists and locals still missing ( Deborah Clarke-Topper )

Deborah Clarke-Topper, an admin for the longstanding Facebook page Missing Persons Tenerife, helped share the original appeals directly from Jays family and friends.

She told The Independent: The first thing I said is Are you sure? He has only been missing a couple of hours. I passed on the information on how to properly report it to police - you dont have to wait here in Spain.

I did think it was very early to be getting worried at that time. I tried to get back in touch with his brother but the communication with them just exploded. I extended help but they didnt take it up.

On keeping her own group free from misinformation, she said:I have had a lot of people sending messages with fake pictures and videos and asking them to be posted.

Ive taken stuff down, incorrect information even racist comments. It makes it much more difficult to keep what is true out there and push the other stuff to the side.

Im trying to keep an eye on it and keep the conversation sensible. I dont use post approval but I use member approval so I can look through their comments and know who they are before they join.

She urged people on social media consider that a man is missing before they post.

Ms Clarke-Topper said: I know people are trying to help but there is so much noise it is hard to see what the truth is.
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Lined with garish neon signs, booming music and ridiculously cheap drink deals, Veronicas Strip in Tenerife could be seen as a British teenagers heaven or a nightmare.

Young Britons appear to be the main clientele along the popular street in Playa de Las Americas, with hundreds gathering this week to celebrate the end of their A-Level results.

It was here that Jay Slater spent his Sunday evening clubbing, before disappearing 37km away in the mountain region of Rural de Teno national park, with few clues leading as to why the teenager would travel such a distance.

Veronicas strip is full of British teenagers and young adults taking advantage of the multiple cheap drink deals ( Holly Evans )

With a ticket to the three-day New Rave Generation festival, he and his friends had been among the thousands of teenagers and young adults who walk along Veronicas strip each night.

Staggering around the Irish bars and Ibiza-style clubs with cigarettes and vapes in hand, it is understandable how holiday-goers are lured inside by the insistent promoters, who offer free shots, jager bombs, and drinks packages.

However, a dark side of the infamous strip barely simmers under the surface. Within seconds, offers of Class A drugs and cannabis are made, with men trying to hand over their business cards and sell their illegal wares at bargain prices.

One dealer insistently tries to lead potential buyers to his dark stairwell to observe his row of drugs, promising you quality powder and a good night at good price while ushering potential takers from the main street

Papagayos nightclub is located at the end of Veronicas strip in Playa de Las Americas ( The Independent )

When asking the various club promoters who line the streets if they have heard of Mr Slater, the majority of them nod their heads. Of course I know, says one outside Revolution bar. Its all anyone is talking about, we have a lot of British tourists here who want to know. We hear the stories, Ive been watching the TikToks, they say, referring to videos posted by amateur sleuths.

Id never seen him before with my own eyes, I wasnt at the festival but he was apparently drinking around here.

Another added that he was aware of the case, adding: No one knows what happened and I dont want to speculate but you dont want to mess with the wrong crowds around here.

Asked if this area is dangerous, one guy laughed before shrugging his shoulders. We have security here if there is trouble.

In Papagayos nightclub itself, where the apprentice bricklayer partied on 16 June, it was reasonably deserted for 10.30 on a Wednesday night. A terracotta-tiled building with a mezzanine spreading around the dancefloor, it also has a restaurant where groups of women in heels can be seen enjoying cocktails.

The teenager travelled with two British men to the village of Masca in the early hours of the morning ( Supplied )

Neon pink signs and heart shapes decorate its booths, with a dance floor opening up on the ground floor, although the thumping music doesnt start until midnight. Open until 3am, it hosted the NRG festival last weekend, and is considered a more exclusive venue than the Irish pubs and bars like Jumping Jacks that line the strip.

By speaking to bar staff and employees, it was clear they had been told to say nothing about the case of Mr Slater. A friendly waiter immediately became reserved, before saying a few words to his manager through his earpiece.

He denied having ever heard of the teenager, and denied that a festival had taken place that weekend.

Masca and the mountain region around it is an 11-hour walk from the festival ( PA Wire )

Jay Slater was seen leaving the club at around 4am on 17 June, before travelling with two British men to an AirBnb in the remote village of Masca. At 8.15am, he called his friend to say that he was lost, dehydrated and had only one per cent phone battery, with his phone last located on the side of road climbing over the valley.

Over the last 11 days, mountain rescue search parties and Spanish police officers have combed the rugged terrain, using helicopters, sniffer dogs and drones to aid their operation.

Yet there has been no sign of the teenager, with his family and friends becoming increasingly desperate for answers as to how he has seemingly vanished into thin air on an island inundated with tourists.
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The family of missing teenager Jay Slater say they are utterly broken as the search continues in Tenerife for a tenth day with no clues to shed light on his disappearance.

The 19-year-old has not been heard from since last Monday morning, when he contacted a friend shortly after 8am to say he was lost in the Rural de Teno park and had only one per cent phone battery.

Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas has now flown over from the UK after offering the family his assistance, as Spanish police and sniffer dogs continue to scour the mountainous region in the north of the island.

Mr Slaters father Warren Slater described the situation as living hell ( Sky News )

Speaking to reporters in Costa Adeje, the TV sleuth said the family of the apprentice bricklayer are very united and focused on their mission to discover Mr Slaters whereabouts.

They still live with the hope that Jay will return and that he is not safe, but still alive. They themselves have been out searching and have put out pictures and posters and of course, they are responding to as many enquiries as they possibly can, he said.

Since he was reported missing at 9am on 17 June, several family friends and Mr Slaters ex-girlfriend have flown out to the Canary Islands to join the search, while his father has been seen pinning up posters in the town of Santiago del Tiete.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Warren Slater said: It is a living hell. Unless youre going through it, you cannot explain. Please, please please, if anybody knows anything, just come forward and help us.

Mr Slater pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan ( Supplied )

Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to reporters in Tenerife after offering the family his assistance ( The Independent )

Criticising the abuse the family have received on social media, Mr Mark-Williams said: This is unacceptable. Youve got a young lad who is missing and the family deserve respect. I would urge anyone on social media to think before you post.

Conspiracy theorists and internet trolls have set up a separate Facebook page which has been inundated with wild ideas behind his disappearance, while his family have even received phone calls from people claiming to hold the teen hostage.

Mr Williams-Thomas also urged anyone who may have information to make themselves known. He told reporters: This is about finding Jay and we need as many people as possible to get involved, and I would urge as another appeal... There are people out here who know more.

There are people out here who have information who have seen Jay, who had contact with Jay whilst he was here. If you were in those clubs on that evening or in the early hours of that morning, please come forward.

Spanish police searching for the missing teenager near the village of Masca ( Reuters )

After attending the NRG music festival in Playa de Las Americas in the south, Mr Slater travelled to the rural village of Masca, around 37km away, during the early hours of the morning after meeting two men over the course of the weekend.

Since leaving Surrey Police in 2000, Mr Williams-Thomas has investigated a number of high-profile cases including paedophile Jimmy Savile and the missing case of Madeleine McCann.

Last year, he was also involved in the disappearance of mother-of-two Nicola Bulley, with it later emerging that she had fallen into the River Wyre in Lancashire and drowned.
 Close Jay Slaters father makes six-word plea to son at visit to site of search

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Jay Slaters family have been urged to use fundraising donations to hire experts to continue the search for the missing teenager.

Spanish police said the hunt for the 19-year-old from Lancashire had ended, with the case remaining open on Sunday as the gruelling search entered another week.

But his family have vowed to carry on looking for him regardless.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas flew out to conduct his own investigation and has urged the family to use some of the 46,000 raised to help continue the search.

He wrote on X: In light of the police search ending. I have suggested the family should use the GoFundMe money to continue the search using experts in searching.

It comes as an amateur sleuth claimed to be following an unofficial new clue.

TikTok climber Paul Arnott, who has been searching for Jay in Tenerife, said that a pair of sunglasses similar to the ones Jay was last seen wearing had been found close to where his mobile phone last pinged.
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Parking authorities in the UK have published new car parking rules today that will affect all drivers in the country.

The sector-wide code of practice will become the only set of rules for car park owners in the UK, aiming to boost transparency and consistency for motorists.

From October 1 this year, all newly opened car parks will be required to operate under these new rules. For existing car park operators, they have until the end of 2026 to bring their sites in line.

Here are some of the key changes motorists should be aware of:

Drivers will be given a 10-minute grace period during which no parking charge can be given

Clear signs arerequired to help drivers navigate the car park, and know where they can and cannot park

The parking charge cap of 100 is maintained, reduced to 60 if paid within 14 days

A new Appeals Charter will create clearer parameters for when motorists can appeal against a parking charge

The code of practice also brings in a new sanction scheme for private parking operators who fail to follow the rules. In the most serious cases, companies can have their ability to operate suspended.

It came after complaints from consumer groups that some aspects of private parking could be confusing or misleading, resulting in unfair fines. The law was introduced by Conservative MP Greg Knight, who said drivers were facing poor signage, unreasonable terms, exorbitant fines, aggressive demands for payment and an opaque appeals process.

In the year up to March 2023, a record 11.1 million parking tickets were issued to drivers on private land, totalling an estimated 1.1 billion. This was an increase of 29 per cent from the previous year.

A version of the new code was first published by the government in February 2022 but withdrawn only four months later due to legal challenges from several parking firms.

Sector leaders feared the changes would unfairly affect their ability to operate, with the BPA writing that they could cause around 3,000 job losses and 46% of parking operators [to become] insolvent within a year of the change.

This new code has not been produced by the government, but by the two sector regulators which private parking operators must register with to operate.

The new code is a joint project between parking sector regulators the International Parking Community (IPC) and British Parking Association (BPA).
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The Duke of Sussex has opened up about dealing with his mothers death as he urged children not to suppress their emotions as he once did.

Prince Harry, 39, was just 12 when his mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash in Paris.

During the 20th anniversary year of the death of the Princess of Wales, Harry opened up in a newspaper interview, saying he spent nearly 20 years not thinking about his mothers death and eventually got help after two years of total chaos.

He has claimed there was a lack of family support after his mothers tragic and sudden death in 1997, leaving him unable to open up.

Prince Harry told a group of bereaved children that they should not suppress their grief forever as it would eventually eat away at them, as he spoke about his own personal experiences.

Prince Harry has admitted that he only cried once after his mothers death  at her burial. ( AFP via Getty Images )

You convince yourself that the person youve lost wants you, or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed. But then theres this realisation of, no, they must want me to be happy, he said.

The duke met the youngsters during his brief UK visit in May and, in a new video released in lead-up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday, he is seen discussing coping with loss with Nikki Scott, founder of Armed Forces charity Scottys Little Soldiers.

He told Mrs Scott that the hardest thing for bereaved children is a mindset of: I dont want to talk about it because it makes me sad.

He said: But once realising that if I do talk about it, Im celebrating their life, then actually, things become easier as opposed to this Im just not going to talk about it, and thats the best form of coping, when in fact its not.

He added: But thats what I was saying to (the children), if you suppress this for too long, you cant suppress it forever, its not sustainable and it will eat away at you inside.

In an interview in January 2023 ahead of the publication of his memoir, Spare, Harry admitted that he only cried once following Dianas tragic passing  at her burial.

He revealed in a 2017 interview that he had shut down all his emotions and said that he only began to address his grief when he was 28 as he sought therapy.

Prince Harry has opened up about pain of losing his mother Diana ( Scottys Little Soldiers )

Harry joined 50 children for a session of activities hosted by Scottys in May, and spoke to the charity boss about his pep talk about coping with grief.

The prince is Scottys global ambassador and a long-time supporter of the charity, which helps children who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.

Mrs Scott, the charitys founder and mother-of-two, recounted the moment she was told in July 2009 that her husband Corporal Lee Scott, who served with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, had been killed in Afghanistan.

She described to Harry how she broke the news to her then five-year-old son, Kai, while also caring for their seven-month-old daughter, Brooke: It was the worst. How do you tell a five-year-old this?

I took him up and sat him on the bed and I said, Kai, do you remember where daddy was? and he said, Yeah, Afghan, and I said, Something really bad has happened and the baddies have hurt dad and hes died.

The year after her husbands death, Mrs Scott set up her charity which today provides more than 680 children and young people with one-to-one bereavement support, respite breaks with their families, the opportunity to meet and bond with other bereaved children or take part in extracurricular activities.

She was praised by the duke who said: What youve done is incredible. It is truly inspirational. Im really honoured and privileged to be part of Scottys now.

And I really look forward to us doing everything we can to bring in more people, more interest, raise more funds and be able to get the message out there to get more kids the support they so desperately need.
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Squatters have taken over the iconic San Lorenzo restaurant in Knightsbridge, once a favourite of Princess Diana and A-list celebrities.

A group of around 15 people moved into the building on Beauchamp Place, which has been empty since it shut its doors during the pandemic.

Neighbouring businesses are now concerned that a piece of London history will never be the same.

On Wednesday there was no answer at the door from those inside the building, but locals stopped to share their own fond memories of the former hotspot.

I used to come here as a young girl, one woman said. I could cry looking at it now. Lady Diana and all the top actors used to come here. It was amazing and I cant understand why they havent done anything with it.

Former local Lady Diana frequented San Lorenzo ( Keith Butler/Shutterstock )

The exclusive restaurant located steps away from Harrods and Harvey Nichols served the richest and most famous in its six decades of service.

Established in 1963 by Lorenzo and Mara Berni, the restaurant offered northern Italian dishes to customers.

Its most famous customer was Lady Diana, who frequented the spot with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry on a regular basis.

Other famous faces included Twiggy, who hosted her 21st birthday party at the spot, Margaret Thatcher, Kate Moss and Princess Margaret.

It is also on the royal route, with locals saying they spot the royal family drive along the road most days.

The restaurant closed its doors during the pandemic and failed to reopen after lockdown. Now, a group who reportedly call themselves a musicians collective have moved in.

Princess Diana at San Lorenzo Restaurant June 1990 ( Steve Back/Daily Mail/Shutterstock )

While the group did not answer the door to The Independent, a letter outside the door reads: We are a collective of individuals in a state of homelessness, and our intention is not to cause distress but to seek temporary haven.

They told told the Mail Online that had made the building their home after finding it empty and claimed they were negotiating with the owners to become the buildings guardians adding: I didnt know about the history of this place until we came here. Its amazing to think that people like Princess Diana and other celebrities visited all the time and now its our home.

They also said they had improved the space since it was abandoned.

They told the Mail that they got along with many locals, and some residents indeed told The Independent that they did not have a problem with them.

Squatters left a letter outside offering to become the buildings guardians ( The Independent )

However, other nearby businesses say they fear squatters may now move into other empty businesses.

The owner of a salon next door to the restaurant, Tracie Giles, raised concern that the arrival of squatters could impact local businesses in the future.

We have A-list celebrities and royalty as clients, Lucy Dartford, the salons PR spokesperson said.

People come here because its discreet and private and safe, so to hear theres squatters next door is alarming.

Squatters have taken up shelter on Beauchamp Street, which boasts a wealth of restaurants and high-end retailers ( The Independent )

She added: In its heyday they had Princess Diana there and having been there personally I remember the buzz of the place. It was like walking into the glossy pages of Tatler.

This street is a community and I never thought this would happen. If you can have squatters in San Lorenzo I can imagine any place on this road is fair game. Such a sad state of affairs.

The squatters have placed letters outside the restaurants door explaining their rights. They have been able to temporarily take possession of the building because it is classed as a commercial property.

Squatting is only a criminal offence if it involves a residential property and landlords of commercial premises have to pursue lengthy and costly legal action to remove them.

San Lorenzos former site stands a stone throw from Harrods ( The Independent )

The manager of a restaurant opposite San Lorenzo, Maroush, said he was the first one to spot the squatters three weeks ago. Tony has managed the restaurant for over 20 years and reminisced how popular the restaurant once was.

It used to be very busy in its prime, he told The Independent. They tried to reopen it after the pandemic but the father has died and the daughter was running it.

He said she had put the building on the market for rent and had assumed she had found tenants when he spotted people inside.

I called her to tell her there was about 15 people inside and asked if she had found people to rent it but she said no. Its completely wrong. They use the electricity and the building is worth millions.

Its not good for business and the businesses along here are worried it could happen to them next.

Longtime local restaurant manager Tony recalls San Lorenzos best days ( The Independent )

The owner of a beauty salon on the same street said he had seen who he believes to be squatters shouting on the street.

I hope the government can help them and find a place for them, but not in our area  its not good for our business, either, he noted.

He still hopes San Lorenzo will come back as a restaurant soon: They help our business, and we help their business.

San Lorenzos owner declined to comment but it is understood that they have begun legal proceedings to evict the squatters.
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Steel giant Tata is planning to stop work at its steel plant in Port Talbot within 10 days, earlier than scheduled, because of a strike by the Unite union, workers have been told.

Tata is switching to a more environmentally-friendly way of producing steel, which needs fewer workers.

After seven months of talks with unions, Tata said in April it would push ahead with a 1.25bn investment in an electric arc furnace on the Port Talbot site and would close the two blast furnaces by the end of June and end of September respectively.

Workers from Tatas Port Talbot steelworks gather in Westminster (Lucy North/PA) ( PA Wire )

But workers at the south Wales site have been told that because of the strike, from 8 July, Tata can no longer be assured of sufficient resources being available to ensure safe and stable operations, so will close them at the same time.

A message to employees said: Therefore, we are left with no alternative but to take preparatory steps to cease operations on both blast furnaces and safely isolate them no later than 7 July.

An estimated 2,800 jobs will be lost, most at Port Talbot.

Tata says the switch to greener production will safeguarde the industry and preserve 5,000 jobs. It said it needed to modernise after losing 1.7m a day in the past quarter.

The company has launched legal action against the unions vote.

A Tata Steel spokesperson said: Following the announcement by Unite union to unilaterally call strike action from 8 July, Tata Steel is unfortunately forced to commence legal action to challenge the validity of Unites ballot.

In the coming days, if we cannot be certain that we are able to continue to safely operate our assets in a stable fashion through the period of strike action, we will not have any choice but to pause or stop heavy-end operations (including both blast furnaces) on the Port Talbot site.

That is not a decision we would take lightly, and we recognise that it would prove extremely costly and disruptive throughout the supply chain, but the safety of people on or around our sites will always take priority over everything else.

The company again calls for Unite to withdraw its industrial action and join Community and GMB unions in giving consideration to the companys proposed memorandum of understanding, which puts forward a wide-ranging proposal including generous employee support packages, training and skills development.

They added: We understand the impact of our restructuring will have on many employees and contractors, but we remain committed to a just transition and  pending a government-backed grant funding agreement  to the 1.25bn investment in low-CO2 steelmaking, which will ensure Tata Steel has a long and sustainable future in the UK.

Additional reporting by PA
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David Cameron has been caught on video speaking to a Russian impostor pretending to be a former Ukrainian president  but hes not the only politician to be caught out by pranksters.

The Foreign Office said the perpetrators behind the call are clearly Russian, adding that disinformation is a tactic straight from the Kremlin playbook.

He now joins a string of politicians, world leaders and celebrities to be duped by impersonators and pranksters.

The Russian prankster duo Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov are among the most prominent tricksters, with a modus operandi that involves them masquerading as leaders or senior officials.

Here, The Independent has put together a list of the politicians that have been hoaxed by impersonators and pranksters.

Suella Braverman pranked into collecting D*** of the year award

Suella Braverman awarded 'D*** Of The Year' in The Last Leg prank

Former home secretary Suella Braverman was duped into accepting a comedy shows D*** of the Year award while launching a small boat in her constituency.

Pranksters invited the Tory MP to officially launch Fareham Fishing - a bogus angling company - as part of a segment for Channel 4s Last Leg programme.

Ms Braverman, unaware, accepted the invitation from YouTube pranksters Josh Pieters and Archie Manners.

As she cuts a red ribbon with her head turned, the two pranksters unveil a sign saying, The Last Legs D*** of the Year 2023, Suella Braverman.

Nigel Farage tricked into saying pro-IRA up the RA

Nigel Farage tricked into saying 'up the RA' on Cameo

Nigel Farage was tricked into reading a message supporting the IRA by tricksters who targeted him on the video message site Cameo.

The politician read out a birthday message and is seen raising his drink and saying up the RA in a clip on the video-sharing platform.

He was then confronted by Irish news presenter Claire Byrne on the comments.

Ms Bryne shared the clip on her RTE One show, and explained: I want people to see just how much you know about the history and culture of this island.

After it played she said: Up the RA, Nigel?

I know you said sorry and I know you got 87 quid, thats entirely within your rights to do that  but come on.

Dont try and lecture the Irish people on culture and history and the precarious nature of peace on this island, you havent got a clue.

Kwasi Kwarteng and Matt Hancock offered to help fake Korean firm

Led By Donkeys undercover investigation reveals MPs charge 10k a day for consultancy

Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng offered to facilitate setting up a meeting between a fake foreign firm and former prime minister Boris Johnson during a sting interview.

Mr Kwarteng was caught up in a hoax organised by campaign group Led By Donkeys in which he was approached about providing political advice to a bogus company in South Korea.

Mr Kwarteng indicated he would take on external consultancy work for the firm for a rate of 10,000 per day.

Former health secretary Matt Hancock, in a separate interview, said his daily rate was the same five-figure sum.

The sting by anti-Brexit group Led By Donkeys saw it create a company called Hanseong Consulting, including setting up a website which contained made-up testimonials and paying for a so-called fake virtual office in the South Korean capital Seoul.

Nigel Farage falls for Brexit prank call live on LBC

Caller pranks Nigel Farrage on LBC

Nigel Farage was pranked on live radio when a caller said he changed his mind about being a Remainer when he was kicked in the head by a horse.

Calling into Mr Farages LBC show the man, who gave his name as Mark, started by thanking Mr Farage for his political work in recent times.

Im immensely grateful to you for everything youve done in British politics over the last few years, Mark told Mr Farage, before explaining how he had switched sides on the Brexit debate.

As Mr Farage nodded along, Mark told him: Then something monumental happened.

Mr Farage, then asked: And what was that monumental thing, Mark?

To which he responded: I was kicked in the head by a horse.

Sensing the answer was not wholly honest, Mr Farage said: Right, very good, okay, fine. Thank you, Mark, were going to move on.

Boris Johnson tricked into 18-minute call with man pretending to be Armenian PM

Boris Johnson gets duped by Russian pranksters

Boris Johnson was duped into discussing the UKs relationship with Russia with hoax callers pretending to be the Armenian prime minister.

An audio clip posted online by Russian pranksters, Lexus and Vovan, appeared to show the then-foreign secretary talking about the UKs dealings with Vladimir Putin and the poisoning of the Skripals with the pair, who were pretending to be Nikol Pashinyan, the then recently elected political leader.

The Foreign Office said Mr Johnson had ended the call when he realised it was a hoax and issued a stern statement condemning the childish actions of the duo.
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Another senior Tory has become embroiled in the election betting scandal after allegedly placing an 8,000 bet that he would lose his seat.

Sir Philip Davies is accused of betting he would lose his Shipley seat in West Yorkshire at the upcoming election.

Whats it got to do with you whether I did or didnt, the Conservative candidate, defending a majority of 6,242, told The Sun, adding that the bet was nobodys business.

I hope to win. Im busting a gut to win. I expect to lose. In the 2005 election, I busted a gut to win. I expected to lose. I had a bet on myself to lose in the 2005 election, and my bet went down the pan, Sir Philip told the newspaper.

And if anyones alleging I have done anything illegal, theyre very welcome to allege it, but Im afraid I havent.

Tory MP Philip Davies denied doing anything illegal ( Screengrab/ Philip Davies )

Sir Philip is the second parliamentary candidate accused of betting against himself in the general election, the other being Labours Kevin Craig.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

The Gambling Commission is investigating at least five Conservatives and at least seven Met Police officers as part of its inquiry into wagers on the timing of the 4 July poll.

The Met Police said it is leading an investigation on a "small number of cases" related to the gambling row to "assess whether the alleged offending goes beyond Gambling Act offences to include others such as misconduct in public office".

"The Met is not taking over the investigation into bets on the timing of the general election, a spokesperson said.

"The Gambling Commission will continue to lead the investigation into cases where the alleged offending is limited to breaches of the Gambling Act.

Rishi Sunak has come under pressure over the election betting scandal ( BBC via Getty Images )

The gambling row deepened this week after Scotland secretary Alister Jack admitted to placing three bets on the timing of the election.

The minister denied having broken any rules, however, and he is not being investigated by the regulator because he staked the money earlier in the year.

Mr Jack said he placed a 20 bet in April on an election being held between July and September, but that he had no knowledge of when it would be called until the day Mr Sunak fired the starting gun on May 22.

He said he placed two unsuccessful bets of 5 in March on the election being held in May and June respectively, then made the third wager in April.

Labour has also been drawn into the controversy. The party suspended Mr Craig after he was investigated by the regulator for betting that he would lose his Central Suffolk and North Ipswich seat.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer clashed over the Westminster betting row in their final televised head-to-head debate ahead of the election on Wednesday.

Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak clashged over betting in the final TV debate on Wednesday (Phil Noble/PA) ( PA Wire )

The Labour leader accused Mr Sunak of being bullied into taking action in the scandal, while Mr Sunak repeatedly warned voters not to surrender to Labours tax and migration plans in the heated exchange.

One of Mr Sunak's police protection officers was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in relation to bets placed on the timing of the election and is on restricted duties.

At least seven officers, including members of the Royalty and Specialist Command and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Command, are being investigated by the Gambling Commission.

On Tuesday, the Conservative Party said it was pulling support for two election candidates, Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, who were under investigation by the Gambling Commission over the alleged betting. But because nominations have closed, both politicians will remain on the ballot paper.

Home secretary James Cleverly said he was "furious that people who should have been motivated exclusively by public service" wagered on the election, but insisted on awaiting the outcome of Gambling Commission probe before making any decisions on rule changes.

Craig Williams and Laura Sanders are among the other Tories caught up in the betting scandal ( Getty )

Sir Keir said his reaction to Mr Craig showed assertive leadership "in a sharp contrast to Rishi Sunak, who took days and days and days before he took action".

He told broadcasters: "I've never placed a political bet, I only bet on the horses. So that's where I stand on this.

"And I don't think that we should be lured into thinking this is a problem with the rules, it's a problem with politicians.

"You can see from the reaction of the public that they know straight away that what's been going on in the Tory party, this sort of insider dealing, is wrong."

Business minister Kevin Hollinrake said on Thursday he had put a bet on the Conservatives to win the election, but gambling on the result in Thirsk and Malton where he is a candidate in the general election would be wrong.

Asked whether he had bet on a Tory victory, Mr Hollinrake said: Yes, I did. Not my seat, I think that would be wrong.

He added: This situation has definitely opened up a debate that we should have a proper debate about and decide whether its right or wrong that people have a bet on things they are involved in.
If you want to understand how politicians treat young people, last Thursdays debate told you everything you need to know. A 19-year-old University of York student deigned to ask Rishi Sunak: Is there any policy you can offer me that would positively impact my life and the life of people my age? With seconds left on the clock, Sunak feebly answered: When you get a job, Im going to cut your taxes. The prime ministers response completely missed the point: that this undergraduate, already burdened with enormous debt, was most likely worrying about finding a decent job at all. And yet the next day, Times columnist Camilla Long scathingly noted this exchange had all the hallmarks of a sense of hurt entitlement and rage: me, me, me.

From politicians to commentators, nobody seems to be that fussed about young people in this country, which is why, come 4 July, we shouldnt be surprised if the young arent that fussed about them either.

As someone who worked for a succession of youth media companies, Im well-acquainted with the suspicion that accompanies any mention of yoof politics. The cliche is that everyone is born idealistic and left wing, before accumulating a spouse, house and children. Its a sentiment epitomised by that widely misattributed Winston Churchill line: If youre not a liberal when youre 25, you have no heart. If youre not a conservative by the time youre 35, you have no brain.

But in Britain, more young people than ever before feel disenfranchised by politics and are refusing to vote. Exclusive polling for The Independent by Techne UK, showed that four in 10 people  41 per cent  aged 18 to 34 have either not registered to vote (24 per cent) or are registered but have decided not to go to the ballot box (17 per cent) next month.

Leading pollster and Tory peer Robert Hayward described the figure as very high for this stage of an election. He told The Independent: That is what we would expect for a normal turnout in terms of people not voting. But you have to remember that among the 59 per cent who say they will vote a sizeable number of them will also not vote.

The logical conclusion to this, supposedly, is that its not worth expending energy on appealing to those born since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Just like that fake Churchill quote, however, theres a huge gulf between fact and what we shamelessly assume to be true.

Take, for instance, the idea that the young always vote left and the old right: principal economist for the Resolution Foundation think tank, Sophie Hale, tells me that this wasnt always the case. As recently as 1992, it was income that was a big defining characteristic on whether you chose to vote for the Conservatives or Labour, she explains. By 2019, the defining characteristic became age and according to YouGov polling, 37 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds intend to vote for Labour, with the Tories only on 7 per cent.

Nigel Farage, here on Im a Celeb, has said support for his right-wing Reform party is exploding among young voters ( ITV/Shutterstock )

When it comes to the turnout gap between age groups, the split is also a relatively modern phenomenon. If you look at the proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds and those over 65 and above who were voting, it was relatively similar [before 1992], Hale says. In the elections following, you start to see this really big turnout gap emerging, peaking in 2001 and then again in 2017 [at 35 per cent].

The much-discussed youthquake failed to swell the ranks of voters enough for Jeremy Corbyn to enter No 10. Message received: young people dont vote and they dont care, so why bother talking to them?

Game changer

Michael, 19, wont be voting and says that a lot of his friends feel the same ( Supplied )

But, their non-vote should matter as much as their vote. If you are a generation facing as many challenges as Gen Z, and you dont see the electoral system as being able to move the dial, that is a crisis not just for you, but for democracy as a whole.

According to a report from the Centre for the Future of Democracy at the University of Cambridge, under half of British millennials (48 per cent) in the UK felt satisfied with democracy when they turned 30, compared to 62 per cent of Gen-Xers when they reached that age in the 1990s and 2000s. Furthermore, in findings from an Open Society Foundations survey of 30 countries (including the UK), only 57 per cent of young people now prefer democracy to any other form of government versus 71 per cent of those aged over 56.

Democracy is messy and not everyones a winner  you have to have a high tolerance of failure for it to work, but if the younger generation is losing faith, the game itself could now be in play.

The great betrayal

So how did we get here? There was the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent recession, with British millennials still bearing economic scars meaning they now earn 8 per cent less than their parents when they were that age. Then Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg courted the youth vote in 2010 but instantly U-turned on the partys flagship tuition fees pledge once he entered No 10 with David Cameron. Covid hit the young hard with schooling disrupted (lest we forget theme parks and pubs opened before schools did) and universities charging fees for learning that was largely done at home.

The average student now leaves university with an average of 45,000 in debt, and wages in real terms have stagnated. Exorbitant housing costs mean young people are still much less likely than previous generations to own a home. Those who have managed to scrape together a deposit  or beg, steal or borrow from the bank of mum and dad  now face a soul-destroying hike in mortgage payments.

A lot of people my age are struggling just to pay the bills [and] just to do basic things, says Sophie, 29, from Somerset. Rent is so crazy right now, especially in cities. Sophie is a member of the Young Womens Trust and is currently out of work due to the fierce competition for jobs among her cohort.

There are also practical reasons that may explain why turnout took such a dive after 1992, Hale explains. Young voters are now much more likely to be in the private rented sector  that means theyre much more likely to be moving on a regular basis and less likely to become registered.

Sophie, 29, says people her age are struggling to pay the bills and do basic things ( Supplied )

University of Bath student Adam, 23, has some personal experience of this. He is living in London for a work placement, but he cant move back into his student house till August  so has had to register himself at his parents house in the new constituency of Sussex Weald. Its been a bit of a logistical situation trying to figure out where I can and cant vote, he sighs.

Adam, like Sophie, is planning to vote tactically to oust the Conservatives, adding: Mainly people dont think their vote will change anything. Theyre quite cynical. If they do vote, itll be a protest vote as opposed to a vote for Labour.

Cynicism is understandable if youve grown up only ever knowing one political party in power. One of the things people talk about when they study elections is democratic efficacy  how efficient the democratic system is in delivering to people the policies they say they want, says Keir Milburn, a lecturer in political economy at the University of Leicester and the author of Generation Left.

Younger people have lived in a period when theyve never had a chance to vote for the policies they want and theyve never had any reasonable or meaningful expectation that engagement in politics can address the problems in their lives.

Michael, 19, from London, has just finished his A-levels and is newly eligible to vote. Unlike Sophie and Adam, he wont be heading out on polling day. I have no interest in politics, he shrugs. If I vote, it doesnt really matter. Its 50/50 among my friends.

Danger signs

This lack of enthusiasm may have long-term consequences. Research suggests that your first election sets the tone for future voting behaviour, which is why compulsory first-time voting has been mooted as one way to reverse the turnout gap.

Just skipping one election can have quite a substantial impact, Hale explains. People vote in their first election, then continue to vote. When they dont, that becomes an embedded behaviour.

You might ask yourself: so what? But you only need to look to Europe to see how taking the youth vote for granted, or ignoring their disaffection, can have alarming results. In Germany, 16 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds voted for the far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) after it went all out targeting young voters on TikTok, where its representatives are some of the most-followed politicians on the platform. In France, its the young who are revitalising the fortunes of the extreme right, with Jordan Bardella, 28, and Marion Marechal, 34, now leading two populist parties.

Adam, 23: If you like Andrew Tate content, youre probably a young pro-Reform person ( Supplied )

In the UK, polling suggests that Reform is now attracting more young supporters than the Conservatives  a YouGov survey shows them picking up votes from 15 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds. There are people on my course and people I used to live with who have been enthusiastic for people like Nigel Farage, Adam says. Mostly young men. I feel like theres a Venn diagram overlap between Andrew Tate and Nigel Farage. If you like Tate content, youre probably a young pro-Reform person.

Like Tate, Farage positions himself as a maverick who challenges the status quo. He attracts a certain type of young male voter  fed up with the Westminster establishment and simmering with anger over the perceived infractions of woke culture. Its the same combination of grievances propelling some young Americans  particularly men  to vote for Donald Trump.

Farage has talked up his following among 18-to-25-year-olds; boasting to a rally in Cheshire that support is exploding among young voters. Theres an awakening in a younger generation who have had enough of being dictated to, have had enough of being lectured to and theyre seeing through the BS theyre getting in schools and universities. However, Milburn is less convinced of his broad appeal. [Hes an] elderly rich golf club bore and thats designed to appeal to a very particular demographic, he says. There are some young people who will see stop the boats and thats what they want. But as far as building some sort of coalition beyond that, I think hes probably a big hindrance.

Michael also points out that having a large TikTok following doesnt necessarily translate into real backing. The people who say they support him are doing it to say something different  as a joke, Michael says.

Mini-me: Donald Trump poses with a young fan at a sandwich shop in Philadelphia earlier this month ( Getty )

Still, you dont have to look too far into the past to see that feeling rejected can create a powerful incentive to stick two fingers up to the establishment. In fact, one of the most potent ironies about the worsening fortunes of young people is that many of them werent old enough to have a say in the Brexit referendum that would so dramatically affect their economic prospects.

Where does that leave us today?

Both Milburn and Hale predict that youth turnout will remain low. The problems facing young people are at the absolute bottom of the queue, says Milburn. Its like a kettle of pressure building up with no means to express itself. Perhaps that pressure dissipates in depression and nihilism  perhaps it finds a new form of expression on the left or the right. Who knows?

Or as 31-year-old comedian Munya Chawawa, known for his popular online sketches, says: Politics can seem alienating to so many of us  a load of rich dudes aggressively barking the right honourable gentleman at each other across an archaic room.

Trying to address the problem, he has launched a weekly video series called Electile Dysfunction, which takes a nuts-and-bolts approach to voting, to show the UK is a democracy and we are the main characters.

But all indications are that, come polling day, the rest of his generation still wont feel that way.
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A voter asked Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer directly whether they are really the best weve got at last nights election debate  eliciting an eruption of applause from the audience.

Sunak and Starmer traded furious blows on Wednesday night in a live BBC head-to-head election debate.

The Labour and Conservative leaders attacked each another over migration, tax, and Brexit as they took questions from a live audience in Nottingham.

However, it was a question on the rivals personal qualities that drew the loudest round of applause.

Robert Blackstock asked: Are you two really the best weve got to be the next prime minister of our great country?

Robert Blackstock fiercely criticised both party leaders ( BBC )

The voter began by saying he thought Sunak had made a fair job of being chancellor but youre a pretty mediocre prime minister and that Starmer was having his strings are being pulled by very senior members of the Labour party.

The crowd was animated as people were seen gasping and a huge round of applause began.

Audience members smiled and raised their eyebrows as Blackstock asked the question ( BBC )

Starmer said he was not surprised by the question, after 14 years of Tory rule leaving the country in such a state.

Theyve had loads of promises made in the last election about what will happen which havent been delivered on. That does beat the hope out of people, he said.

So, this is an opportunity to restore that hope. I dont think we can do that by making sort of grand promises of things that cant be delivered.

Sunak responded by listing what he thinks are the Conservatives best achievements during his time in Downing Street.

Both Sunak and Starmer looked sheepish as the audience applauded the question ( BBC )

He urged the audience: Allow me to finish the job I started.

However, when interviewed after the debate, Blackstock said the two candidates did not provide sufficient answers on why they are good enough for the job.

I was disappointed with the response from both Rishi and Sir Keir. Neither of them wanted to say why they were good, he said.

They were going by what theyve done in the past. They werent being positive. For a prime minister, from my perspective, we want a personality. We want somebody we can recognise. We want somebody on the world stage that is going to project our Great Britain.
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Voters have been required to bring photographic identification for certain elections in the UK since May 2023.

This came after parliament passed the Elections Act in April 2022, enacting a recommendation the Electoral Commission first made in 2014.

Voter ID is now required at by-elections and recall petitions, general elections, local elections and referendums in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

The new rules do not apply to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, or council elections taking place in Scotland or Wales.

The new ID laws have already been in place in many local elections and by-elections since being implemented. But 2024 will be the first year they are in place for a general election, after Rishi Sunak announced a snap election on July 4 at the end of May.

Heres everything you need to know about voter ID ahead of upcoming general election:

What ID do I need to vote?

There are many different forms of ID that will be accepted at the polling station. It must be photographic ID - meaning a bank card is not valid, for instance.

Accepted forms of ID include:

Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country

A photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including a provisional driving licence)

A Blue Badge

Older Persons Bus Pass

Disabled Persons Bus Pass

Freedom Pass

Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Biometric immigration document

Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)

National identity card issued by an EEA state

Anonymous Electors Document

You can use an out-of-date photo ID provided it still looks like you. A full list of accepted forms of ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

What if I dont have voter ID?

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. Its free to apply for, and will be accepted at the polling station when you want to vote.

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on the Electoral Commission website. It is free and they do not expire, although it is recommended you reapply every 10 years to ensure your likeness remains similar to the ID.

A voter leaves a polling station after voting in the Rochdale by-election on February 29 ( Getty Images )

If you dont bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polling station, you will be turned away.

What are the issues around voter ID?

The government sought to pass the new voter ID laws to crack down on election fraud, specifically personation. This is a criminal offence, where a person votes at an election pretending to be someone theyre not.

Writing after they were passed, then-levelling up minister Kemi Badenoch said the new law means we can eliminate election fraud and make elections more inclusive, ensuring that everyone eligible to vote will continue to have the opportunity to do so.

However, critics of the voter ID rules have pointed out that cases of electoral fraud are rare in the UK, and personation even more so. Latest data from the Electoral Commission shows that, between 2018 and 2022, only 11 of the 1,386 alleged cases of electoral fraud resulted in convictions.

There are also concerns that voter ID laws can disproportionately affect marginalised communities ability to vote.

In 2021, government-commissioned research found that those with limiting disabilities, the unemployed, people without qualifications, and those who had never voted before were among the least likely to hold a valid form of photo ID.

Further research presented to the House of Commons found that the changes may result in 1.1 million fewer people voting in the next general election.

As there is no justification for this threat to the right to vote, it feels like an opportunistic attack on the rights of some of the most marginalised people in society, said a spokesperson for the Liberty human rights advocacy group in 2021.

A classic example of ruling through division and distrust.

The governments choice to accept forms of local travel photo ID for older people, but not younger people, has also come under scrutiny. Neither the 16-25 or 26-30 railcard are accepted.

Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: The new voter ID requirement will stop many young people from voting  and it seems that is by design, not by accident.

The government has given older voters, who are more likely to vote Conservative, a large range of acceptable forms of ID, while providing very few options for young people.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison has defended the decision, saying: Young persons railcards are generally offered in both digital and hard copy formats.

The government did not specifically include digital format documents for the roll-out of the policy, in order to support its effective delivery.
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Sir Mohamed Mansour, the senior treasurer of the Conservative Party, announced on Saturday he was resigning from his post 10 days after Rishi Sunaks election defeat.

The Egyptian-born billionaire had donated 5m to the party and had been a key player in raising other funds. His donation was the biggest for the Conservatives since 2001.

He told The Independent: I have been honoured to serve my country and party since December 2022 and it has been a privilege to do so.

Rishi Sunak has announced his intention to depart as party leader, and it makes sense for me to also step down at this time. A new leadership team will bring fresh talent and thinking to the task ahead: guiding the party on its path of renewal.

It adds to the growing list of vacancies for the Tories as they seek a new leader in the aftermath of the worst electoral defeat in its history. Key to their future after selecting an MP to lead them in opposition will be the need to refill their coffers.

Mr Mansour was given a knighthood by Sunak in a surprise honours list in March last year alongside Demis Hassabis, founder of artificial intelligence company DeepMind, and filmmaking couple Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who received a knighthood and a damehood. American businessman Ted Sarandos, the co-chief of Netflix, was also given an honorary knighthood.

The 76-year-old billionaire is a naturalised British citizen who has donated to many charitable causes including the Kings Foundation and a memorial for the victims of Covid. His knighthood was awarded for services to business, charity and political service.

Mr Mansour has previously spoken about the prime minister in glowing terms and has said he understands how growth is generated in the modern economy.

He also served from 2005 to 2009 as a transport minister in Egypt under Hosni Mubarak, the late president who quit office during the 2011 Arab Spring. Mr Mansour resigned to return to business life. He famously went from rags to riches, twice losing his fortune due to nationalisation by Egypt and also Sudan, each time rebuilding.

Mubarak, who died in 2020, was considered an autocrat and was accused of maintaining his grip on office by cracking down on political opposition and stifling free speech.

Mr Mansour will continue to support the Tory party but not as an active member of the partys executive.

He is also one of the biggest investors in football in the US on the brink of buying a Major League Soccer franchise for a record $500m (400m). The new franchise, based in San Diego, California, is the sixth biggest football deal in the world, behind Chelsea, AC Milan and Manchester United, but more than the 305m Saudi takeover of Newcastle in 2022.

He is expected to create the club from scratch by recruiting a full set of players, staff and an academy, which sources suggest could add an extra $200m to the bill.
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The sheer scale of the collapse in support for the Tories in the opinion polls poses a question as the election approaches. Who are the party faithful  that is, the voters who are still willing to back Rishi Sunak?

Recent polls have the Conservatives at around 19 per cent  less than half of the 43.6 per cent vote share of 2019.

The prime minister called an election for 4 July after months of speculation about an autumn date. Since then, the campaign has been plagued by scandals, from the PM missing a D-Day ceremony to allegations of betting by politicians and campaign officials.

With a resurgent Reform UK eating into the vote share under Nigel Farage, the Conservatives look all but defeated as the race enters its final week.

Who is still voting Tory?

While the odds are strongly against the party achieving a general election victory, one in every five voters is still planning to back the Conservatives.

The current average Tory voter is aged 62, voted for Brexit, and has voted Conservative in previous elections. Polling from More in Common shows that Conservative voters are slightly more likely to be white, and more than half are comfortable financially.

Ed Hodgson, research manager at More in Common, said many Tory voters are worried about Labours approach to the economy.

Most current Conservative voters have real concerns about the idea of a Labour government, he said.

Many of them are instinctively cautious about Labour. They are receptive to arguments that Labour will increase taxes, mishandle the economy, or that a supermajority will create an unopposed Labour government.

He said those issues are raised in focus groups, where Tory supporters frequently mention the infamous Im afraid there is no money note left by Labours Liam Byrne, chief secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown, in 2010 for the incoming coalition government.

Polling shows the Tories have no particular advantage among voters aged 55-64, of whom 18 per cent say they are voting for the party  just below the national average.

The strongest group of Tory supporters by far remains the over-65s, a third of whom say they will vote blue next week. This jumps to 40 per cent among the over-75 age group.

Around 1.3 million people who voted Conservative in 2019 have since died  nearly 10 per cent of supporters. With the majority of Tory support clustered in the older age brackets, the Tories may have a serious demographic problem, not just in this election but also in the next.

Despite apocalyptic projections by top pollsters of a Labour landslide, the Tories are still forecast to win with a margin of over 5 per cent in 106 constituencies, according to More in Commons June MRP. These include large margins in constituencies such as Sevenoaks, Maldon, and Hinckley and Bosworth.

In national voting intention polls, voters in the North East of England are slightly more likely to vote Conservative, at 23 per cent compared to the national average of 19 per cent, as are those in the South East, with 21 per cent.

While there has historically been a gender gap among Tory voters, with more men voting Conservative (47 per cent) in the 2019 election compared to 42 per cent of women, that gap is now narrowing.

Support among men is currently at 20 per cent, compared to 18 per cent among women.

In fact, the real right-wing gender gap exists among Reform supporters. A much higher proportion of men (16 per cent) are turning to the more right-wing party, compared to the proportion of women (10 per cent).

Mr Hodgson said current Conservative voters are more positive about Mr Sunak than the rest of the country appears to be.

They think he did a good job as chancellor, getting us through the pandemic, and tend to blame recent issues with the government on the Conservative Party not properly backing the prime minister, he said.

The same cannot be said for their views about Nigel Farage, who Conservative voters understand the appeal of, but [they] dont like the tone in which he conducts his politics, and have an instinctive distrust of him.

Of those who voted Conservative in 2019, 23 per cent say they will go over to Reform UK, 13 per cent to Labour, and 4 per cent to the Liberal Democrats. Half are staying loyal, and the remainder are undecided.

A separate poll by More in Common has shown that Brexit voters are split between the right-wing parties, with a third voting Tory and a third Reform.

When it comes to top issues on the ballot, all voters rank the NHS and cost of living as primary concerns, but the average Conservative voter is much more preoccupied with immigration and twice as likely to see the war in Ukraine as a factor that will influence their vote.
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Keir Starmer has given the most revealing interview yet on his fears for his family, his regrets, and the inner anger that drives him to want to change the country.

The Labour leader has often been accused of being too robotic or lacking passion and personality.

But with Starmer on the cusp of entering No 10, he has given an emotional interview to Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, where tears welled up in his eyes as he expressed his innermost feelings about his life and his family. He addressed:

How his wife Victoria is his rock

How his teenage children fear their lives will dramatically change as he prepares to move the family into Downing Street  and how they take the p*** out of their father

How he decided not to take advice from the Blairs about life in No 10

His regrets at never telling his late father he loved him

How his mothers determination to overcome her lifelong ill health fuels his own drive to bring change

How he took on homophobic thugs who beat up a gay friend and was beaten up when he intervened

The Labour leader admitted his greatest fear about becoming prime minister is its impact on his children, as he confirmed that, if he wins on 4 July, he will be moving his family into Downing Street.

Its been a cause of concern for me about the impact on the kids in particular. Im not going to pretend that they are not worried about this, because they are. Our girl is 13 and a half, our boy 15, nearly 16. It is very impactful. Theyre just sort of exploring their independence, and suddenly, if we get over the line, that is going to be hard.

Political editor David Maddox and editor-in-chief Geordie Greig interview Keir Starmer ( Independent )

He and his wife discussed getting their children to talk to Tony Blairs children, but decided not to go down that route.

I did think about it. A lot of people said that would be a good thing to do. Vic and I thought about that, but in the end, I decided that if they talked to previous children who did that and the experience wasnt good for those children, that might reinforce in our children how big a change its going to be. So you never know if you have done the right thing.

We are like two sides of the same coin

Starmer explained that his relationship with his children is one of the things that keeps him grounded: from the moment he walks through the front door, the leader of the Labour Party goes down, and its Dad who is fair game for them.

They tease me about everything. If Im doing speeches, they say its rubbish. They take the p***. Why would anybody listen to me? If I win an award, they say they would have done better. I must have blagged it. Everything, what I wear, what I do, what I watch, my lack of knowledge on the things that are important to them, everything is sort of fair game to them, and I want it to be that way.

He described a recent picture of himself with his wife Victoria at a Taylor Swift concert as bringing the joy she gives him out into the open.

She is my rock  we are like two sides of the same coin.

She is sassy, down to earth, [and gives] brilliant advice. We just bring out the best in each other. She certainly brings out the best in me. That photo tells you everything.

But it is his familys struggles when he was young that have shaped him  the snobbery that made his father reclusive; the rare, debilitating disease that his mother battled all her life.

In a rare moment in the election campaign, Starmers emotion broke through on one of the televised debates after the audience laughed when he mentioned that his father Rodney was a toolmaker.

Influence: Starmer with his parents, Rodney and Josephine ( Starmer family )

He admitted: I felt a sort of flash of emotion.

I actually thought it was laughing at my dad... maybe through me.

With barely suppressed anger, he continued: It was so core to my dad, that he felt disrespected. And it wasnt just a casual thing. It affected him. He hated that conversation, What do you do for a living? It affected his behaviour. So we didnt have people round for dinner. He didnt go out with people for dinner, he withdrew into himself  it had a really profound impact.

Im going to change this

Starmer spoke of his hatred of snobbish behaviour and putting people down.

Its the same if people say thick  because my brother had difficulties learning.

I will never accept people who look down on others because of their perceived academic abilities. These are not minor injustices for me. They drive me.

Reflecting on those who criticise him for showing a lack of emotion in public or passion in parliament, he said that he is driven by an inner anger and a desire to tackle injustice, which began in his childhood.

I know people say, We dont see you doing speeches [on this topic] in the Commons, shouting and screaming. No, they dont. But it creates in me this inner determination that Im going to change this.

That sense of injustice, and the desire to stand up to bullies, also extends to friendships. He recounted the story of stepping in to stop his childhood friend Graham from being beaten up because he was gay.

With Tony Blair: Starmer said he had decided against asking the former PM for advice about living in the spotlight in No 10 ( PA )

I was 16 when he first told me he was gay  he was about 15. He had been pretty well disowned by his family. We then went away together; we were 18  me, another friend and Graham in a nightclub. He is obviously gay, and a number of blokes decided they were going to beat him up. So we then we got into a fight ... and we all got beaten up. Id do it again.

He was reminded of that experience more recently when his niece was the victim of a homophobic attack.

When my niece got married, it was the first same-sex marriage that wed gone to with our children. It was fantastic. And then she got beaten up in the street for being a lesbian. And I cant tell you the anger that went through my body when I heard about what had happened to her.

There is one family member, though, whose experience drives him more than any other and that is his late mother Josephine. She had a debilitating condition called Stills disease, which she battled all her life.

My mum was really, really ill towards the end of her life. Had her leg amputated; couldnt get out of bed. My dad put hoists in to get her out of bed into a wheelchair. She couldnt eat on her own, [or go to the] toilet on her own. But nonetheless, my dad was going to get her out of that bed into a wheelchair, into the car, which is modified, and drive her to parliament, so she could sit in the [press] gallery and watch me being sworn in.

With tears springing into his eyes, he recalled: She died two and a half weeks before I became an MP, so never saw that.

That sense of injustice drives me

He apologised for welling up again: It drives me... That sense of injustice, wanting to put it right. For my mum and dad, I carry more of them than I think I properly understood until quite recently. With my mum, its the courage, the resilience.

She was told as an 11-year-old, Youre not having children, youll be in a wheelchair by your twenties and you wont walk.

As it happens, she got a steroid drug, which helped her get through those years. She went through I dont know how many operations with the same diagnosis, You wont be walking, you wont be walking again.

She said, I will, I will, I will, I will get up. I saw her exercising every day.

So when I have a problem, when I have a challenge, something which is difficult, that I think, This is hard, Keir, I think about my mum. And a better me says, if she can get up off that bed and walk again, as she did, I can go and do whatever I need to do. And that drives ... that anger about inequality.

But his love for his family does not mean he would be prepared to jump an NHS queue for them, even if they were in agony and had a long wait.

Determined: Starmer says he is driven by anger about inequality ( Independent )

Ive got many relatives who are on the waiting list. I mean, as has everybody  waiting for hips, for knees. Thats the story of my family and my extended family. I was only operated on a few years ago because I tore my meniscus, and I had the scan. I waited my turn. I had the operation.

Starmer insisted there is a vital distinction to be made between requiring a knee operation, as he did, and requiring acute care. The NHS is the best place to be for life-threatening illnesses. Thats why private hospitals actually refer to the NHS when they get to that critical care plan ... because they know the NHS has got the capacity to deal with it in a way that they dont have.

Starmer has spoken before, movingly, about his difficult relationship with his father, revealing in a biography earlier this year that neither had ever told the other, I love you. Speaking of how Rodney will never see him enter No 10, the Labour leaders thoughts turned again to that lost opportunity: Theres the last bit of the conversation I never had with him.

That could never be had  but might have been had now, if Id got over the line.

Read part two of our interview with Keir Starmer tomorrow as the Labour leader is grilled on politics and policy
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Labour appears to have given up the fight against Nigel Farages bid to become the MP for Clacton.

The party has reportedly seconded its candidate from the seaside constituency in Essex to campaign in the West Midlands, suggesting Labour has conceded defeat to the Reform UK leader before polling day.

It comes after the Labour candidate for the seat, Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, went viral on social media, being dubbed the best dressed candidate in living memory. He was also named by anti-Brexit campaign group Best for Britain as the candidate in the strongest position to stop Mr Farages bid to become an MP for the first time.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

But a campaign source told The Guardian Labour officials were furious with him getting more retweets than Keir Starmer, believing him to be distracting from the Labour leaders campaign.

And, in a letter to Labours general secretary David Evans and seen by the newspaper, Mr Owusu-Nepauls election agent Martin Suker said: Jovan was told [by an official] to never come back to Clacton, and yesterday, was instructed to move to the West Midlands region.

Mr Owusu-Nepaul has yet to comment on the claims.

Mr Suker said Reform stands for everything the Labour Party stands against and he was struggling to come to terms that it appears the party doesnt even want to be seen to be putting up a fight.

Clacton was won in 2019 by Tory Giles Watling with a 24,702 majority, but it is widely expected Mr Farage is to win the seat on 4 July.

Labour appears to have given up hope of stopping Nigel Farage in the Essex seat ( Martin Suker )

But Best for Britain chief Naomi Smith said that previous votes in the area showed that there had been strong Labour support in Harwich, part of the Clacton seat, which was suppressed by Brexit.

She said: Our analysis shows that if the Greens and Lib Dems vote Labour then Labour can come through the middle and win Clacton.

As recently as 10 days ago, Mr Jovan wrote on social media platform X: We can stop Farage.

It is understood Clacton was never a target seat for Labour, meaning it was seen as unwinnable and not one the party would devote resources to. Mr Owusu-Nepaul and Labour have been contacted for comment.

A Labour party spokesperson told TheGuardian: We are working hard to deliver as many Labour MPs as possible in the general election and our campaigners are bringing our message of change to people across the country.
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The former owner of Newcastle United and a long-time donor to the Conservatives Sir John Hall has endorsed Nigel Farages Reform UK.

Sir John told ITV that the Tories are not representing my views and Reform will fight for my English rights and customs.

He added that he "doesnt join parties, but will donate to Reform".

Sir John, who helped fund Theresa Mays disastrous 2017 election, has given more than 500,000 to the Conservatives.

But he said he was a disillusioned Conservative, adding: I just feel in these latter years, theyve let me down.

Sir John Hall ( Getty Images )

He added: I supported, both personally and financially, the Conservative Party in the North East for decades but now, I see the only party, and the only politician to have the interests of Great Britain at its heart is Reform UK and Nigel Farage. Polls suggest the upstart party could take seats at the general election. Mr Farage has urged people to "vote with your heart" if they believe in his message. On a visit near Sunderland: "The polls at the moment show were second place to Labour in (lots of) seats."

He added: "What I'm saying to people here is... vote with your heart.

"If you believe in what I say, if you believe I'm standing for the right things, if you believe that I'm your champion, vote for us and we can win some of these.

His comments came as a new MRP poll forecast Reform UK is on course to win 18 seats next week.

The Find Out Now and Electoral Calculus survey of almost 20,000 voters, conducted between 14 and 24 June, also predicted Reform would take 17 per cent of the vote share, compared to the Tories 15 per cent.

The findings come after Mr Farage was accused of cuddling up to the Kremlin and his Reform party of poisoning the election debate.

Nigel Farage said the West provoked the war in Ukraine ( PA Media )

Earlier this week military experts queued up to criticise his claim that the West provoked Russias war on Ukraine.

It follows days of condemnation both nationally and internationally over Mr Farages comments, made in a BBC interview last Friday night.

He told a Panorama special that we provoked this war in Ukraine, adding that the European Unions expansion, as well as Nato, had provided Putin with an excuse for his invasion.

The former Ukip leader pulled out of the high-profile interview the previous week after his party faced a row over whether the UK should have appeased Hitler.

It came less than 24 hours after it emerged one of his candidates claimed the country would have been far better off if it had taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality instead of fighting the Nazis.

Holly Valance at the Reform UK press conference ( Yui Mok/PA Wire )

Ian Gribbin, who is standing in Bexhill and Battle, also described Winston Churchill as abysmal and praised Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to the BBC. In March the Conservative candidate in the Greater Manchester mayoral election defected to Reform.

Last week it was announced a Muslim entrepreneur Zia Yusuf has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to Reform.

Party sources also claim former Neighbours star Holly Valance has helped the party raise 1.5m within days of Mr Farages return as leader during this election campaign.
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Rishi Sunak has been branded desperate after the Conservatives released their latest shock election poster.

The prime minister highlighted the attack advert, which depicts three people, including a child, with their hands in the air as if at gunpoint and urges voters not to "surrender" to Labour.

The message is one the Prime Minister repeated more than a dozen times during his final head-to-head TV debate with Sir Keir Starmer on Wednesday.

The Labour leader said during a campaign visit to Staffordshire that he was surprised by the use of the image.

"This is really desperate stuff and Im surprised by it, he said. "I think it underlines the difference between the two campaigns now.

Others also attacked the poster.

Brendan Cox, who was married to murdered MP Jo Cox, tweeted: "Labour are going to gun down your family. Dont pretend you werent warned... Er..."

The Tory leader defended the imagery during his on trip to Derbyshire, saying: "This is an incredibly important election, and theres an important choice for people. And I dont want people to sleepwalk into something.

He said a Labour government would be very damaging for our country.

And he again conceded that the public is frustrated with me and our party, but this is not a by-election. This is a choice about our future, and that choice will have severe consequences for peoples financial security."

During the BBC debate Mr Sunak urged voters not to "surrender" to Labours tax, welfare and migration plans.

Sunak has been branded desperate ( Getty Images )

Earlier this month Crossbench peer Lord Carlile said the Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves for publishing a photoshopped image of Sir Keir being cheered on by the North Korean despot Kim Jong Un.

The advert was branded branded shameful and demeaning by the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.

Former Tory minister Alistair Burt also said the post was disgraceful.

But Mr Sunak doubled down on the post, saying Sir Keir would send "exactly the wrong message" to the UKs adversaries, such as Russia and North Korea.

And he repeated his concerns of an "axis of authoritarian states, including Russia, Iran, North Korea and China, who are increasingly acting together in a way that threatens our values, our interests and our security".

It was posted just a day after Sir Keir praised Mr Sunaks cross-party approach on national security and defence issues.

Mr Sunak has been under pressure from some of his cabinet to launch more personal attacks on Sir Keir in a bid to cut Labours massive poll lead.
MBABANE  A BMW 325i worth E100 000, is set to be won during the upcoming Winter Frenzy Spin Show organised by Team Brema at Mavuso Trade Centre for July 6.



This was revealed by one of the organisers of the show Nqabayoxolo Ginindza, who also shared that the winner of the car will get free lessons from Team Brema. This will be the first ever spin show that will give attendees an opportunity to win a BMW spin car. The car has been modified for better performance and the winner will get free spinning lessons from Team Brema Director Eddie Honwin, Ginindza said.

Guests

The spin show will be attended by 25 local spinners. They include Team Swazi, Team Brema, Bucket, Mavela, Revolution Crew, Msimisi, Jigzo, Gesho, Danger, Shaka, Ghetto Ruff, Puku, Zakes, Twins, 007, Exhaust Boys, Junior, Mkido, Loney Lani, Team LRC, Masina, Ngwe, Xoli Manyakaza, Lihle and Nkosikhona. Worth mentioning is the fact that there will be guest spinners from the neighbouring rainbow nation, popularly known as South Africa. Some of the guests include Isla Bonita, Team Bokkie, Rio, BGB, Skopas, Mavic, Mahoota, Feroz and Zameer. Ginindza further outline how one can win the BMW spin car, citing that people should take advantage of the opportunity to walk away with the car.People have to buy pre-sale tickets and they will automatically be entered into the draw. During the show, we will conduct a raffle draw and pick a name from the list of those who bought the pre-sale tickets.

Advantage

The name that will be picked during the raffle draw will be the winner of the car. We would like to further encourage everyone to take advantage of the competition and show up during the show, so they can find out if they have won the car. People are also allowed to bring their coolerbox, which they will pay for at the entrance. We are looking forward to seeing you next month at Mavuso Trade Centre, where over 30 spinners will be showcasing extreme stunts to celebrate car spinning, he said.
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A week is a long time in politics, and since The Independents trip to Manchester for the first head-to-head debate of the general election, it has been two.

The first time, hacks assembled in the behind-the-scenes spin room were eagerly awaiting a clash between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer that could shift the dial in what has looked from the outset a done and dusted contest.

This time, Mr Sunak arrived carrying the baggage of a disastrous D-Day gaffe, a Tory election betting scandal and with Nigel Farage hot on his heels in the polls.

Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.

With little prospect of the debate enlightening voters or shifting the dial, assembled journalists seemed more concerned with the unbearable heat of the spin room than whether sparks would fly on the debate stage.

Inside the spin room, where Rishi Sunaks top team sought to convince journalists he was the best man on the debate stage ( Archie Mitchell )

But while the climate was worse, the provision of goodies was significantly better - generous licence fee payers had provided guests with unlimited Coca Cola, crisps, vegan KitKats and an array of classic sandwiches.

As the spin teams filed into the room, at Nottingham Trent Universitys Newton & Arkwright building, hungry journalists took advantage of the provisions and shored themselves up for the challenge ahead.

In the blue corner, telling assembled journalists Rishi Sunak was the man on top: Senior Tory David Davis, home secretary James Cleverly, chief secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott and health secretary Victoria Atkins.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer clashed in a contest which at times descended into an inaudible shouting match ( AP )

In the red corner, lined up to convince viewers Sir Keir Starmer won the day: Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, general attack dog Jonathan Ashworth, shadow chief Treasury secretary Darren Jones, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson and national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden.

As a bonus for attendees, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper was circling the spin room in an electric blue two-piece, telling the assembled press that both were as bad as each other.

Awaiting the prime minister and the man who wants to replace him was a rap-fuelled pro-Gaza protest with demonstrators chanting about how Sir Keir and Mr Sunak have blood on their hands because of the conflict.

And as the debate kicked off, the pair were drowned out by the protesters inaudible cries, prompting host Mishal Husain to jump in and remind viewers Britain is a democracy and people are exercising their free speech.

An admittedly unscientific method, but chatter among hacks appeared more focused on the demonstration than the debate, with some even going outside to cover the colourful scenes instead.

The debate itself was nothing new, Mr Sunak charged the Labour leader with a plan to put up taxes and let immigration run riot. Sir Keir retorted that these things have both happened already under the prime ministers rule.

Rishi Sunak, whose upperlip was glistening with sweat throughout the debate, looked for a much-needed glass of water ( Getty Images )

There was little to get excited about, but a few moments helped animate the spin room. There were laughs when Robert, an audience member, stepped up to describe the PM as pretty mediocre, and an oof when he concluded with are you two really the best weve got?

Journalists seemed more bewildered when Mr Sunak said his commitment to womens issues came from having two young daughters, as opposed to just caring about women. But the audience lapped it up, offering a generous dose of applause.

The biggest shift in mood came at around 9.10pm, with just 20 minutes of the debate to go.

The temperature dropped slightly and the spin room was illuminated by purple-tinted lights.

Labours Pat McFadden said there was only one prime minister in the room tonight ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

It seemed to say to the journalists, ministers, shadow ministers and all others present: Dont worry, just 20 more minutes now.

For an election that seems all over bar the shouting, the election debate had descended into just that. Familiar faces around the room looked ready to hit the road, there was just one last push to go.

The moment we had all been waiting for - the spin. Mr Ashworth sprung to his feet to tell hacks Mr Sunak looked scratchy and desperate, while Mr McFadden said there was only one prime minister in the room tonight.

Mr Cleverly sprung to the defence of his boss, whose broken stop the boats promise had come once again under the spotlight.

In a telling sign, the home secretary was asked whether he was plotting a bid to replace Mr Sunak as Tory leader. And in a sign it really was time to go home, he insisted the election was still there for the taking.

Theres spin, and then there is out-and-out fantasy.
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Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer slugged out the final televised head-to-head debate to scoreless draw according to a snap YouGov poll as the two prepare to lead their parties into the final week of the election.

The YouGov poll gave each 47 per cent with 6 per cent saying neither won.

With everything on the line and Labour holding a massive lead of more than 20 points in most polls, Mr Sunak had a tough task to turn around his partys fortunes as he locked horns with the Labour leader.

His tactic appeared to be to constantly repeat that a vote for Labour would be to surrender to high taxes, high immigration or a tax on pensions.

But in a debate characterised by constant interuptions and bad blood where the two failed to shake each others hands at the conclusion, a question by a lifelong Tory voter appeared to capture the the disenchanted mood of the nation.

Presenter Mishal Husain with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during their BBC head-to-head debate in Nottingham (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) ( PA Media )

The audience member at the debate at Nottingham Trent University received the loudest applause of the 90 minute debate when he asked: Are you two really the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country?"

He had described Sunak as a mediocre prime minister and was as uncomplimentary about the Labour leader leaving the two men momentarily stunned.

The question reflected polling evidence highlighted by The Independent that this general election could have a historically low turnout particularly among young people with 41 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds altready saying they will not vote.

Sunak and Starmer clash in the debate ( BBC via Getty Images )

The final question in fact came from a student who pointed out that many in her generation are leaving the country because they cannot afford to buy a home or get a decent job.

The first question of the night had gone on a similar theme, asking about why people should vote after a loss of integrity in politics.

The question appeared to focus on the recent gambling scandal, which first engulfed the Tories but has since dragged in Labour.

Sir Keir laid the blame at the Prime Ministers door, saying: You have to lead from the front on issues like this.

He linked the scandal to so-called partygate, when Mr Sunak was fined for busting lockdown rules.

Sir Keir said: What I did, when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission, they were suspended within minutes, because I knew it made it really important to be swift.

Starmer was visibly flustered as the debate wore on ( POOL/AFP via Getty Images )

The Prime Minister delayed and delayed and delayed until eventually he was bullied into taking action.

Mr Sunak responded: It was important to me that given the seriousness and the sensitivity of the matters at hand that they were dealt with properly, and thats what Ive done.

The Prime Minister repeated that he was frustrated and furious about the affair.

He hit back at the Labour leader by launching an attack on his tax plans, saying Sir Keir is not being honest with everyone about his plans to raise their taxes and warning voters repeatedly not to surrender to their tax rises.

As the Conservative leader deployed taxation as his main attack line, his partys X account was renamed Tax Check UK and was prolifically tweeting about what a Labour government could mean for taxes.

Mr Sunak went after Sir Keir on his many U-tturns insisting that this is part of integrity in politics too.

The prime minister had begun the debate looking as though he was on the back foot, tired and demoralised after an election campaign dogged by scandal and missteps including the betting scandal and debating fiacso.

But while Starmer appeared to be on top, an intervention by the BBCs Mishal Husain, who was chairing the debate, suddenly appeared to knock him off balance and leave him red faced and flustered for the second half.

Sir Keir had been attacking Sunak for falling into line behind Liz Truss ahead of her mini budget after he lost to her in the Tory leadership contest. This was in response to Mr Sunak pointing out he had warned against Truss economic plans which crashed the economy.

As he attempted to accuse the prime minister of trying to have it both ways, Husain interjected: You know what it is like to fall in behind a leader.

The remark came after weeks of Starmer defending being in Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet and claiming it did not matter because he knew Labour was going to lose.

The Labour leader struggled to recover from the moment with Mr Sunak, who was noticeably laughing at his opponent, then piling in on Sir Keirs claim he could renegotiate returns of illegal migrants to their countries of origin.

The migrants are coming from Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, Mr Sunak responded.

Will you sit down with the Ayatollahs? Are you going to try to do a deal with the Taliban? Its completely nonsensical - you are taking people for fools, he added.

However, Mr Sunak failed to get any applause for his repeated attacks on Labour alleged tax plans and he noticeably only mentioned his controversial claim that Sir Keir would increase taxes by 2,000 per household at the very end, when the Labour leader had no chance to properly respond.

The early exchanges were also dominated by the noise from outside by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, who had converged on the venue and could be clearly heard by the TV audience.

BBC journalist Husain addressed it at one point early in the debate, to alert the audience to what was happening, and described the protest as another part of the UKs democracy.

Pro-Palestine protesters were among those demonstrating outside the venue, including a group called Nottingham Solidarity Group, who confirmed their attendance on social media.
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Britain will head to the polls on July 4 after prime minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election at the end of May.

June has seen intense vote-garnering efforts from all political parties as leaders chat, debate, and even paddle across the country to win over as many as possible. All parties have now revealed their election manifestos, laying out their vision for the country.

Current polling would suggest things are not looking good for the Conservatives, with most trackers firmly putting Labour an average 20 points ahead of the governing party.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to Cambridge Rugby Club in Cambridge ( Joe Giddens/PA Wire )

However, recent research by campaign group Best for Britain shows that 36 per cent of people are undecided in some constituencies. In more bad news for the government, the group has also identified 451 tactical voting seats where voters have the best chance of ousting the Tories.

Heres everything you need to know about tactical voting and how important it could be in the upcoming general election:

What is tactical voting?

Tactical voting is when a voter casts their ballot for the candidate they believe is most likely to defeat another partys candidate (usually the Conservatives), even if this candidate is not necessarily their first choice.

Some see this as a necessary practice due to the UKs First Past The Post (FPTP) voting system. Under FPTP, it is the candidate who gets the most votes that wins.

It may seem like the most democratic system to decide a winner at first glance, but many argue that FPTP does not always produce results that reflect the political leanings of the area.

This is because some parties are much more politically aligned than others. For instance, in areas where the votes for Labour and the Liberal Democrats outweigh that for the Conservative candidate, but neither beat them alone, the Conservative candidate wins.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer on the General Election campaign trail on Thursday ( Gareth Fuller/PA Wire )

However, the results would indicate that the majority of voters in this area support more progressive, left-wing or centre-left politicians.

Groups such as the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) campaign to change this, pointing out that the MPs elected to parliament rarely reflect the popular vote.

For instance, at the 2019 general election, 11.5 per cent of people voted for the Liberal Democrats, but they only secured 1.7 per cent of seats. The Conservatives 43.6 per cent, on the other hand, translated to 56.2 per cent of seats.

The ERS promotes voting systems that are designed to tackle this issue, such as the Single Transferable Vote or Alternative Vote where voters can rank candidates by preference.

However, in 2011 the UK was given a referendum on switching the way people vote to the Alternative Vote system, where the votes against it were nearly 68 per cent.

Where has tactical voting been recommended?

Ahead of polling day, campaign group Best for Britain has produced a list of tactical voting recommendations for voters who are keen to see the Tories ousted from government.

The group recommends 451 candidates across the UK, around 70 per cent of MPs. These comprise 370 seats for Labour, 69 for the Lib Dems, seven for the SNP, three for the Greens and two for Plaid Cymru.

Amongst the many seats targeted are those of Jacob Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset), Liz Truss (South West Norfolk) and Suella Braverman (Fareham and Waterlooville).

If tactical voting was carried out according to their plan, Best for Britain project the Conservatives could wake up to as few as 45 seats on July 5, an astounding loss of 320. Meanwhile, Labour would take an average of 445, gaining 243.

Does tactical voting work?

Tactical voting could work, if it was carried out en masse. However, despite talk of tactical voting at most major elections, there is little evidence that it has made a significant impact in the past.

There are many seats in the UK where a sustained tactical vote campaign would have changed the final result. For instance, in the 2023 Uxbridge by-election, the Conservatives secured 13,965 votes, while Labour secured 13,470.

Meanwhile, the Greens gained 893 votes, coming in third. If all these votes were instead tactically given to Labour, it would have been a victory for the party in Boris Johnsons former seat.

It is a similar story for the seat of Somerset North East, held by Jacob Rees-Mogg since 2010. In 2019, Mr Rees-Mogg secured 28,360 votes, while Labour and the Lib Dems combined secured 26,053.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey (Joe Giddens/PA) ( PA Wire )

It is possible a combined effort couldve secured the seat for either party, although neither has assented to a tactical voting pact in the past.

However, the Lib Dems won the seat of Somerton and Frome for the first time since 2010 in last years by-election, with tactical voting thought to be a major factor. The Labour vote share had dwindled from 12.9 per cent in 2019, to just 2.6.

It is no secret that some Labour and Green party voters lent us their votes in Somerset and we are very grateful for their support, said Lib Dem leader Ed Davey.

In many seats across the south-west, voters at the next election will be faced with a similar choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

What impact could tactical voting have on the 2024 General Election?

Polling experts have said an increase in tactical voting is bad news for the Conservative Party, but there may still be some three-way marginal seats between the Tories, Labour and the Lib Dems.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at leading polling consultancy Savanta, told The Independent: "Voters have got increasingly sophisticated in understanding how in a first past the post system, their vote can be as effective as possible.

In particular this is bad news for the Conservative Party, where there will be plenty of natural Labour supporters in the South West who will back the Lib Dems, as they know they are their best chance of getting rid of the Tories.

"That being said, because of the forecasted size of the swing from Conservative to Labour, there are some three-way marginals where Labour and the Lib Dems may be unwilling to step aside. That could mean voters are told different things about who is 'most likely to win here', and could lead to split, enabling some Conservative MPs to hold on."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a General Election campaign event at ExCeL London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) ( PA Wire )

Campaigners have also added tactical voting will help deliver a progressive government, but warned the first-past-the-post system (FPTP) must be changed to better represent voting intentions.

Neal Lawson, executive director at Compass, told The Independent: We desperately need a progressive government, and tactical voting will no doubt play a vital role in helping to deliver one - but voting tactically without conditions only entrenches the pendulum politics that grinds us all down and alienates voters from the political process.

The worry is that without a commitment to changing the system, tactical voting enshrines the abusive nature of First Past the Post and forces voters to continue voting tactically forever more.

If Labour does win the next election on the back of lent votes, they should commit to getting rid of FPTP and replacing it with a system that can better represent the progressive majority that already exists in this country.

Naomi Smith, CEO of Best for Britain and founder of tactical voting platform, GetVoting.org, said: Our polling shows 13 million Brits are ready to vote tactically for change, and these voters will be key to a defeat that would keep the Tories out for a decade and the difference between deliverance or defeat for the likes of Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt and Liz Truss.

Best for Britain will be helping voters get it right at GetVoting.org with expert constituency level insights and voting recommendations before polling day.
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Rishi Sunaks attempts to bolster his governments credibility on economic growth have been dealt another blow.

A recording of former communities secretary Robert Jenrick from March speaking to young Tory activists has emerged where he candidly admits his party in government has been very poor at delivering infrastructure.

Mr Jenrick, who resigned from Mr Sunaks government as immigration minister over disagreements in the Rwanda policy, has been seen as a potential leadership contender in the wake of what some see as an inevitable defeat.

But with the prime minister infamously cancelling large parts of the High Speed 2 project to Manchester when his party was holding its conference in that city, delivering infrastructure has been a difficult topic for Mr Sunak.

Robert Jenrick is a potential leadership contender ( ITV/Peston )

The recording is of Mr Jenrick speaking at an event in Westminster exclusively for under-35s hosted by centre right Conservative think tank, Onward, in March this year.

Mr Jenrick told the audience that the government has been unwilling to make long-term decisions and be honest with the public.

He said: The problem with this country today is that too few politicians are willing to take long-term solutions and really be frank with the public about trade-offs and get things done.

And whether it's on water or housing, all these interconnected challenges, we've just got to be honest about the challenges and get on and actually deliver something.

And we've proven very poor delivering infrastructure around the country and that's something weve got to fix.

The comments are a rejection of Mr Sunaks own claims before the election that his government was focussed on making the long term decisions for the benefit of the country.

Mr Jenrick spoke with experiences of the frustrations of serving in both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunaks government. Under Mr Johnson he was secretary of state for communities and housing between July 2019 and September 2021 before it became the Department for Levelling Up.

Nevertheless his brief had included trying to deliver levelling up projects including transport infrastructure and renewal of high streets to parts of the country which had seen decades of investment.

Much of his time in the department though was spent dealing with the covid pandemic.

Both Labour and the Tories have put economic growth at the heart of their manifestos with Mr Sunak promising tax cuts and Sir Keir Starmer looking at how to unlock infrastructure investment and building.

Sir Keir told The Independent in an interview this week that the failure to deliver economic growth has been the Achilles heel of the UK and that planning regulations and the failure to build housing and infrastructure including roads and energy played an important part in that.
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The blame game has already begun within the Tories as the party prepares to face what could be the most catastrophic defeat in its history in just a week.

With seven days to go, polls suggest that the Conservative Party is on the brink of a wipeout with a strong possibility it will get less than 100 MPs elected.

While fingers have been pointed by different factions behind the scenes for months even before the election, senior figures are now breaking ranks to give their verdicts even before most voters have cast their votes.

First out of the traps was former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries who has told The Independent that she blames Michael Gove for a malaise that has set in over the last 14 years and is demanding he does not get a seat in the Lords - just as she was denied one.

Gove has been blamed by Dorries ( Getty Images )

She said: Goves been in cabinet for longer than any current or former Conservative MP since 2010.

This general election will be a verdict on Michael Gove and his think tanks, Onward and Policy Exchange, more than a verdict on any serving or former prime minister.

Ms Dorries,the former culture secretary, has never forgiven Mr Gove for twice betraying Boris Johnson after the 2016 EU referendum and then after Partygate.

But she also believes the policy platforms from the two think tanks close to him lie at the heart of the Tory nightmare with anger at the big state, big tax, big regulation approach of the Sunak government.

Ms Dorries said: Gove has repeatedly stabbed democratically elected Prime Ministers in the back - Boris in 2016 and 22, and Liz in 22 - and at every turn hes chosen the socialist rather than the conservative option. This is why were behind in the polls.

Nadine Dorries has broken the silence on who is to blame (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA) ( PA Media )

This torture must not continue after 4 July. He must never be allowed to represent the Tory Party again and at all times, those who believe in conservatism and democracy need to watch out for his influence and dark arts as the leadership battle starts.

Policy Exchange and Onward were contacted but did not respond. A source close to Mr Gove said: Michael wishes Nadine all the very best for the future.

Her intervention comes amid speculation that Lord David Cameron will be asked to be an interim leader after a crushing defeat while the party decides what changes are needed to its rules and how it wants to move forward with a new permanent leader. A source close to the foreign secretary has described this as utter nonsense though.

There are concerns that ordinary members could be cut out of choosing the next leader altogether even if the Tories are only left with a handful of MPs.

Former 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady has confirmed he will be available to provide advice to the successor committee for Tory MPs which will help draft the leadership contest rules.

But Ms Dorries is not alone in giving reasons for the partys worst failure in 346 years of history.

Brexiteers and allies of former prime minister Liz Truss are planning to highlight the failures to make the most of leaving the EU, cutting taxes and leaving the ECHR.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron could be an interim leader (Victoria Jones/PA) ( PA Wire )

They point to gulf left on the right by the party for Nigel Farage and Reform UK to fill in the election seeing millions of voters defect away from the Tories.

Rightwingers like Suella Braverman and Jacob Rees-Mogg have already said they agree with many of Reforms policies.

Meanwhile, veteran Thatcherite Brexiteer Sir John Redwood has confirmed he is writing a piece detailing why the Sunak government has failed.

But Tory MPs on the centre and One Nation side of the party fear a lurch to the right has already proven to be damaging to the Conservatives in this election.

Former minister Tobias Ellwood, who is fighting for his Bournemouth East seat, told The Independent: From Disraeli to Baldwin, Churchill to Thatcher, our great party has always succeeded when we appeal beyond our base to the wider electorate. This is what our Prime Minister is seeking to do. Moving to the right - is a guaranteed recipe for opposition.

Lets exhibit the centre-right statecraft which has served us well in the past.

However, responding to briefings from One Nation Tories that Brexit was the problem that hs destroyed the party, former Brexit minister and European Research Group deputy chairman David Jones has hit back.

He said: Brexit hasnt gone wrong. We have recovered sovereignty (though NI remains to be resolved). Remainers still cant come to terms with the fact that the people rejected the EU.

Rather than moaning, they should be working hard to make sure that Brexit delivers economic benefits. We are already seeing superb trade deals. More will come. Remember we we stuck in the EU for half a century. Brexit was therefore never going to be an overnight project.

The situation has drawn comparisons with the 1997 debacle under John Major after they went down to their second worst ever defeat against Tony Blair.

But Sir Malcolm Rifknd, who was Majors foreign secretary, said there are key differences.

He is also clear, as are many in the One Nation Group, that Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were responsible for the impending defeat.

He told The Independent: The main similarity with the 1997 government was we were in power for too long!

But there are two main differences. First, Starmer is not Blair. He is dull but that may not stop him winning. Attlee's defeat of Churchill in 1945 was not because of his charisma.

The other difference is the legacy of Johnson and Truss. Both were unfit to be prime minister. Major was defeated but also respected by the public. Sunak's integrity is recognised but the battle was lost before he became prime minister.

In a weeks time many more senior Tories are expected to go public especially with the prospect of a leadership contest in full swing.

While the different factions will seek to blame each other it is not clear yet who will survive to be their leadership candidates. Favourites Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt are both vulnerable to defeat.
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Exam submissions generated by artificial intelligence (AI) can not only evade detection but also earn higher grades than those submitted by university students, a real-world test has shown.

The findings come as concerns mount about students submitting AI-generated work as their own, with questions being raised about the academic integrity of universities and other higher education institutions.

The data in our study shows it is very difficult to detect AI-generated answers Peter Scarfe, Reading's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences

It also shows even experienced markers could struggle to spot answers generated by AI, the University of Reading academics said.

Peter Scarfe, an associate professor at Readings School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for educational institutions as AI tools such as ChatGPT become more advanced and widespread.

He said: The data in our study shows it is very difficult to detect AI-generated answers.

There has been quite a lot of talk about the use of so-called AI detectors, which are also another form of AI but (the scope here) is limited.

For the study, published in the journal Plos One, Prof Scarfe and his team generated answers to exam questions using GPT-4 and submitted these on behalf of 33 fake students.

Exam markers at Readings School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences were unaware of the study.

Answers submitted for many undergraduate psychology modules went undetected in 94% of cases and, on average, got higher grades than real student submissions, Prof Scarfe said.

He said AI did particularly well in the first and second years of study but struggled more in the final year of study module.

Last year Russell Group universities, which include Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and other top universities, pledged to allow ethical use of AI in teaching and assessments, with many others following suit.

We won't necessarily go back fully to hand-written exams, but global education sector will need to evolve in the face of AI Prof Peter Scarfe

But Prof Scarfe said the education sector will need to constantly adapt and update guidance as generative AI continues to evolve and become more sophisticated.

He said universities should focus on working out how to embrace the new normal of AI in order to enhance education.

Prof Scarfe added that reverting back to in-person sit-down exam assessments, would be a step backwards in many ways.

He said: Many institutions have moved away from traditional exams to make assessment more inclusive.

Our research shows it is of international importance to understand how AI will affect the integrity of educational assessments.

We wont necessarily go back fully to hand-written exams, but the global education sector will need to evolve in the face of AI.

We need to double down on our commitment to academic and research integrity Co-author Professor Etienne Roesch

Study co-author Professor Etienne Roesch, of Readings School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, added: As a sector, we need to agree how we expect students to use and acknowledge the role of AI in their work.

The same is true of the wider use of AI in other areas of life to prevent a crisis of trust across society.

Our study highlights the responsibility we have as producers and consumers of information.

We need to double down on our commitment to academic and research integrity.
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Kenyan president William Ruto has withdrawn planned tax hikes after bowing to pressure from protesters who clashed with the police and briefly stormed the parliament building.

The proposed bill, which was withdrawn on Wednesday, would have introduced new taxes, including an eco-levy raising the price of goods like menstrual products and nappies amid the rising cost of living.

Police opened fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenyas parliament on Tuesday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens more injured, the Kenya Medical Association said.

Auma Obama, a Kenyan activist and the half-sister of former president Barack Obama, was among protestors who were tear-gassed during a protest in Nairobi against the new finance bill.

Protesters took to the streets in at least 35 of Kenya's 47 counties, from big cities to rural areas - even in Mr Ruto's hometown of Eldoret in his ethnic Kalenjin heartland, The Nation reported.

Despite the president's announcement, the Kenyan police on Thursday put up roadblocks on the streets leading to the presidential palace as some protesters vowed to "occupy State House" and called for Mr Ruto's resignation.

Protesters scatter as Kenya police spray a water canon at them during a protest over proposed tax hikes ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

"Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill 2024, I concede. And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn," he said in a televised address with lawmakers, some clapping, seated behind him.

Mr Ruto defended his push to raise taxes on items such as bread, cooking oil and diapers, saying it was justified by the need to cut Kenya's high debt. He said he would now start a dialogue with Kenyan youth and work on austerity measures, beginning with cuts to the budget of the presidency.

Vice president Rigathi Gachagua asked young people to call off the protests to avoid any further loss of life and destruction of property, and blamed the intelligence services for giving the government poor advice.

"There would have been no mayhem, but they slept on the job," Mr Gachagua said in a speech, calling on the head of the National Intelligence Service to resign.

Protesters hold a Kenyan flag outside the Kenyan Parliament after storming the building ( AFP via Getty Images )

The withdrawal of the bill is seen as a major victory for a week-old, youth-led protest movement that grew from online condemnations of tax rises into mass rallies demanding a political overhaul as Mr Ruto faces the hardest challenge after being elected almost two years ago.

Mr Ruto won on a platform of championing Kenyas working poor, but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to obtain more funding, and a hard-pressed population.

"Right now is not about just the finance bill but about #RutoMustGo," activist Davis Tafari told Reuters.

"As political activists we have to make sure that Ruto and his MPs have resigned and fresh elections are held." He added, "We occupy State House for dignity and justice."

Boniface Mwangi, a prominent social justice activist, said: "Let's not be foolish as we fight for a better Kenya."

Other members of the protest movement continued to post on social media using the hashtag #tupatanethursday, or "see you on Thursday" in a mix of Swahili and English.

Kalonzo Musyoka, a senior opposition leader and former vice president, wrote on X that pulling the bill did not go far enough and he called on Mr Ruto to quit. "Many Kenyans died. Many Kenyans suffered serious injuries. It is currently beyond the Finance Bill, 2024," he said.

The International Monetary Fund in a statement said it was closely monitoring the situation and was deeply concerned about the unrest.

"Our main goal in supporting Kenya is to help it overcome the difficult economic challenges it faces and improve its economic prospects and the well-being of its people," the IMF added.
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Bolivias capital La Paz is reeling in the wake of an attempted coup as troops led by a top general rammed the doors of the government palace in tumultous scenes that threatened to drag the South American democracy into chaos.

Military forces led by army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga appeared to take control of president Luis Arces government by seizing control of the citys central square and unleashing teargas on protesters who flooded the streets.

General Zuniga vowed to restore democracy, replace the cabinet and free political prisoners, but was condemned by opposition leaders as it became clear he had little political support.

Mr Arce refused to bow to the pressure and named a new army commander, who immediately ordered troops to stand down, ending the rebellion.

The presidents supporters rapidly came to his aid and rushed to the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.

Military troops in armoured vehicles fire teargas at crowds outside the Quemado Palace at Plaza Murillo in La Paz ( AFP via Getty )

Mr Arce said: Here we are, firm, in the presidential palace, to confront any coup attempt.

General Zuniga and his alleged co-conspirator, former navy vice-admiral Juan Arnez Salvador, were arrested by authorities.

Government minister Eduardo del Castillo told journalists: Their goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority.

The short-lived rebellion followed months of mounting tensions between Mr Arce and his one-time ally, left-wing former president Evo Morales.

Mr Morales, the countrys first Indigenous president, was forced to resign in 2019 after 14 years in power, following mass protests against him.

Supporters of Luis Arce gather outside Quemado Palace ( AFP via Getty )

He has since returned from political exile and is threatening to challenge Mr Arce in the 2025 primaries, which has caused a widening rift in their ruling socialist party.

Further fueling tensions is an economic crisis, with the countrys foreign currency reserves diminishing, its natural gas exports plummeting and its currency peg collapsing.

As police in riot gear set up outside the presidential palace, Bolivians queued at ATMs, formed long lines outside petrol stations and emptied shelves in grocery stores.

Flanked by the newly appointed military chiefs late on Wednesday, defence minister Edmundo Novillo sought to reassure the rattled public and shed light on what had happened.

President Arce (centre) on the balcony of the government palace ( AFP via Getty )

The turmoil began, Mr Novillo said, when Mr Arce dismissed General Zuniga in a private meeting on Tuesday over the army chiefs threats to arrest Mr Morales if he proceeded with his presidential bid in 2025.

In their meeting, Mr Novillo said, General Zuniga gave officials no indication that he was preparing to seize power.

Just hours later, tailed by armoured vehicles and supporters, General Zuniga burst into government headquarters and declared that he was sick of political infighting. The armed forces intend to restore the democracy, he said.

Members of the countrys fragmented opposition, which General Zuniga claimed to support, rejected the coup before it was clear it had failed.

Prosecutors will seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison for General Zuniga on charges of attacking the constitution, said Mr Novillo.

This grants control to the military and erodes democracy and is an important signpost that the problems of the 2019 coup have not been addressed, said Kathryn Ledebur, director of the Andean Information Network, a Bolivia-based research group. Bolivias democracy remains very fragile, and definitely a great deal more fragile today than it was yesterday.

Additional reporting by agencies
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An attempted coup to overthrow Bolivian president Luis Arces government failed to materialise with the retreat of columns of military and the arrest of the general who led the rebellion.

The South American country of 12 million people saw its democracy in peril as armed soldiers tried to take control of the presidential palace in the seat of government La Paz in a rapidly escalating scenario.

Armoured tanks allegedly led by rebel military leader Juan Jose Zuniga rammed into the doors of presidential palace in La Paz as hundreds of armed troops were mobilised.

Mr Arce said the country was facing an attempted coup detat and ordered the general commander of the army to stand down before he was dismissed and taken into custody.

Television footage showed masked members of the military forcing their way into the palace before Mr Arce confronted the coup leader face to face, ordering him to withdraw forces.

I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination, Mr Arce told the coup leader wearing a bulletproof vest.

The standoff ended within three hours after General Zuniga ordered the soldiers to withdraw. He said the military was tired of the infighting and he was seeking "to restore democracy with his botched coup.

Pictures showed protesters on the streets clashing with armed members of the military police.

Addressing the public from his balcony at the Great House of the People, the official presidential residence, Mr Arce said the troops who rose against him were "staining the uniform" of the military.

We need the Bolivian people to mobilise and organise themselves against this coup detat and in favour of democracy, Mr Arce said.

Followers of Bolivian President Luis Arce protest against military personnel trying to enter the government headquarters in La Paz ( EPA )

He was flanked by the members of the cabinet and held a flag of Bolivia in his hands as he said: We cannot allow, once again, attempted coups to claim Bolivian lives.

Long live the people of Bolivia! Long live democracy! the ministers and aides accompanying the president shouted. Long live our president, Luis Arce!

By late afternoon, the president named a new military commander  Jose Wilson Sanchez Velasquez  who told the troops to return to the barracks. Supporters of the president raised chants of democracy as he spoke alongside Mr Arce.

The armoured vehicles roared out of the plaza, tailed by hundreds of military fighters as police in riot gear set up blockades outside the government palace.

President of Bolivia Luis Arce Catacora (C) speaks on the balcony of Palacio Quemado after a press conference ( Getty Images )

Hundreds of Mr Arces supporters rushed the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.

Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said that in addition to the general, former navy vice adm Juan Arnez Salvador was taken into custody.What was this groups goal? The goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority, Mr del Castillo told journalists in announcing the arrests.

The coup attempt unfolded as the country faced months of tensions between Mr Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist president Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party amid a severe economic crisis.

The political turmoil between the two leaders had hampered the governments efforts to deal with the economic crisis.

Gen Zuniga referred to the crisis and said: We are listening to the cry of the people because for many years an elite has taken control of the country.

He said the politicians are destroying the country: look at what situation we are in, what crisis they have left us in.

Bolivian police hold the detained Juan Jose Zuniga, former general commander of the Army ( AP )

He is likely to be charged with terrorism and armed uprising, according to the Guardian newspaper, with prosecutors expected to seek a maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison.

Mr Morales also sounded an alarm over the images of the mobilisation of the army and urged supporters to take the streets to block the military.

We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate the people, he said.

The country has a long history of unrest with numerous coups and periods of political instability throughout its history. Mr Morales has long claimed he was removed from office in a 2019 coup which his supporters say was backed by the US.
 Close Truck rams gates of Bolivias presidential palace in La Paz

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A senior Bolivian general was arrested after armoured vehicles rammed the doors of the government palace in La Paz on Wednesay in what President Luis Arce called an attempted coup.

Forces led by army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga appeared to take control of Mr Arces government as they vowed to restore democracy but the president vowed to hold firm and swiftly named a new military commander, who immediately ordered the troops to stand down.

The soldiers duly pulled back, along with a line of military vehicles, ending the rebellion after three chaotic hours, as hundreds of Mr Arces supporters rushed the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.

Government minister Eduardo del Castillo said former Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody.

What was this groups goal? The goal was to overturn the democratically elected authority, Mr del Castillo told journalists in announcing the arrests.

The apparent coup attempt came after the South American nation of 12m people faced months of tensions between Mr Arce and his one-time ally, former leftist president Evo Morales, over control of the ruling party.

It also came amid a severe economic crisis.
MATSAPHA - His Majesty King Mswati III yesterday toured the E430 million Eswatini Oil Mill (EOM) plant, which will cut down the unemployment rate as well as the volume of imports in the country.



EOM is an extension of SOMI Group, which produces cooking oil and is located at Matsapha Industrial Site. This was revealed by the Managing Director (MD) of the company, Mohamed Daud, when His Majesty toured the establishment yesterday. One of the partners said this was the second biggest oil mill in southern Africa, after the one in the Republic of South Africa.

Employ

He said the company needed about 500 tonnes of soya per day, which is about 180 000 tonnes per year. This, he said, means that EOM can indirectly employ over 100 000 emaSwati, who could farm soya across the country and sell it to the company on a daily basis. This means that the alarming rate of unemployment can be reduced, the MD said. It is worth noting that according to findings of the Integrated Labour Force Survey 2023, which was officially released by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Phila Buthelezi, in March 2024, the unemployment rate in the country has increased by 2.1 per cent, from 33.3 per cent to 35.4 per cent.

On the same note, the MD said they also produced the main raw material for animal feed for chickens, cattle and goats, which is soya meal. This, he said, they would supply to animal feed producing companies like FeedMaster, Arrow Feeds and Crane Feds, among others. The MD said these companies were currently importing thousands of tonnes of soya meal from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Producing it locally, at EOM, means the import of soya meal will be reduced, the MD said. He added that the total investment of the company was about E630 million. Thereafter, the King said he was pleased with the investment and said it would surely contribute to the economic development of the country. On top of that, the King said as he was touring, the MD told him that they had an intention to expand the plant and create more jobs for emaSwati. He added that the MD asked for more land for the planned expansion, which would see more emaSwati getting employed.

Pleased

The King said he was also pleased to learn that the management was happy with the cooperation and teamwork from the workers. He also officially opened The Royal Tirta Ayu Factory Umtfombo Wekuphila Eswatini, which is an Indonesian-owned company. The company, which produces traditional drinks (like ginger tea, finger milk and aloe vera tea) is also located at Matsapha Industrial Site. The company, which the King also toured in the late afternoon of yesterday, also produces body lotions, hand wash and hand lotions, among other products. During the tour, the King said he was pleased with the technology that was used by the company.
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Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis have charged five people with attempting to deliver a $120,000 bribe to a juror taking part in a high-profile fraud case earlier this month.

US Attorney Andrew Luger compared the alleged conduct to mafia-style tactics.

This really is an attack on our system of justice, he told reporters on Wednesday.

Conspirators allegedly promised juror additional money if case ended in acquittal ( US Attorneys Office, District of Minnesota )

The indictment names Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 35; Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, 23; Said Shafii Farah, 42; Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 24; and Ladan Mohamed Ali, 31 as part of a scheme involving a cross-country flight, clandestine surveillance, deleted evidence, and a Hallmark bag stuffed with $120,000 in cash.

The bribery case is related to the Feeding Our Future scandal, in which scores of defendants in Minneapolis were accused of stealing millions in federal food aid dollars meant for hungry children during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, five of seven tied to the scandal were convicted on a variety of felony charges, the first in several expected Feeding Our Future trials.

Three named in Wednesdays bribery indictment were defendants in that case.

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah and Abdimajid Mohamed Nur were among those convicted in the earlier trial, while Said Shafii Farah was acquitted.

According to prosecutors, the larger group of five conspired to bribe the juror and specifically targeted her because they believed she was the only person of color on the jury, a fact they hoped they could use to their advantage given that many named in the Feeding Our Future scandal are part of Minnesotas large Somali community.

They hoped to give her talking points to the jury, including the idea that, We are immigrants...they dont respect or care about us, prosecutors said.

Once they singled her out, the conspirators allegedly surveilled the juror and purchased a GPS device they hoped to use to bug her car.

The indictment accuses Ali of flying from Seattle to Minneapolis on May 30 to pick up the bribe money.

On June 2, she and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah allegedly drove to the jurors house, only to find her gone. They left the cash bag with a relative and allegedly promised more if she could secure an acquittal.

The juror reported the alleged attempt to the court and police, and the fraud defendants later allegedly tried to delete messages, videos, and other evidence of their bribe attempt.

She was dismissed from the case in early June.

Lawyers representing Nur and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah did not immediately respond to comment.
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The highly-anticipated trial of Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students, has been set for June 2025 and is expected to last for three months.

The 29-year-old criminology PhD student returned to court for a scheduling hearing on Thursday where Latah County Judge John Judge proposed the summer date.

Both the prosecution and the defense agreed that its reasonable to set the trial during the summer when school is on break because of the proximity of Latah County Courthouse to the local schools.

However, Kohbergers defense attorney Anne Taylor reminded the court that they object to the trial being held in Latah County and said they plan to submit a motion to change the venue. Taylor has previously said that she does not believe that Kohberger would get a fair trial in Latah County.

The attorneys also discussed deadlines for submitting evidence that would be used in the sentencing phase if Kohberger is found guilty. Latah County prosecutors said a year ago that they intend to seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.

Kohberger is charged with the murders of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, who were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho.

Police linked Kohberger to the murders that rocked the college town through DNA found on a knife sheath, cell phone data, an eyewitness account, and his white Hyundai Elantra. He was arrested six weeks after the murders.

In may 2023, Kohberger declined to enter a plea prompting Judge to enter his plea as not guilty on his behalf.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, were killed in 2022 ( Instagram )

Last month, the defense argued that prosecutors had not handed all the evidence over for them to review and have filed multiple motions to compel the state to do so.

Prosecutors insisted they are doing all they can to share evidence but have been partly delayed by federal rules, due to the FBIs involvement in the investigation.

This evidence in question is said to include dashcam footage, video and audio recordings of a white sedan close to the crime scene in Moscow, as well as lab testing results  information police used to arrest Kohberger.

But Kohberger claims to have an alibi for the time of the murders: that he was driving around looking at stars and was in Pullman, which is about eight miles west of the off-campus student home at 1122 King Road home, where the slayings unfolded.

Earlier this year, Kohbergers attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the murder charges against him, citing a biased grand jury, inadmissible evidence and prosecutorial misconduct. But Judge denied the motion.
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A Florida man was arrested and accused of leaving a six-year-old child in a locked car while he went to work, with the youngster dying later at the hospital from extreme heat.

Markise Outing, 24, arrived at a Southern Manatee County Fire Department on May 20 at approximately 5.17pm seeking medical attention for his girlfriend's young daughter, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Paramedics rushed to assist and found the child unconscious and not breathing. They believed that the girl may have suffered from a cardiac arrest.

After initial attempts to revive the child, the paramedics rushed her to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Before they took her to the hospital, the paramedics noted that her internal body temperature was 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The high in the Bradenton area of Manatee County on May 20 was 89 degrees.

The child died later that evening at the hospital.

Markise Outing, 24, was arrested on June 25 and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child after he allegedly left his girlfriends six-year-old daughter in a locked car for approximately three hours in Manatee County, Florida, causing her death ( Manatee County Sheriffs Office )

When asked about her body temperature, Outing told deputies that the girl had been playing in a park and became overheated. However, deputies said in a statement that Outing had inconsistencies in his story, and GPS data investigators collected led them to believe that the child had been left inside a parked car for several hours.

The investigators said that Outing had picked the girl up from school around 2.45pm, and then drove to his place of business in Bradenton, where he allegedly left the girl inside his locked car with the windows rolled up.

Assuming Outing drove directly to the firehouse after discovering the girl unconscious, she would have been locked in the car for approximately three hours.

The MCSO said they believe the temperatures inside the car reached more than 115 degrees Fahrenheit.

An autopsy later revealed that the girl died from extreme heat.

Outing was arrested on June 25 and has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. He was booked into the Manatee County Jail.

Earlier this month, an infant died in Santee, California  18 miles northeast of San Diego  after the two-month-old was left in a car for nine hours, FOX 5 San Diego reports.

On June 12, the infant's family returned to their home around 3pm, but allegedly left the child in their car. Shortly after midnight on June 13, the family found the infant unconscious inside their vehicle.

Santee Sheriff's Station deputies responded to a 911 call at the home after receiving a 911 call around 12.30am and attempted life-saving measures before rushing the infant to a local hospital. No criminal charges have been brought against the infant's family as of June 26.

A study by the group Kids and Car Safety, looked at data from 1990 to 2023, that showed at least 1,083 children have died in hot cars in the US over that period.

Texas saw 155 child hot car deaths in that period, Florida was second with 118 deaths, and California was third with 65 deaths.
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Did Karen Read kill her police officer boyfriend by slamming into him with her Lexus and then leaving him to die in a brewing snowstorm after a night out drinking?

Or did John OKeefe get out of the SUV that night, join other officers at an after-hours gathering and get beaten up in a fight  only to have his body dumped outside in a panic before they framed Read for his murder?

Those are the questions a Massachusetts jury is deciding in a case that created a carnival atmosphere outside the courtroom, where a sidewalk jury of true crime bloggers and pink-shirted Read supporters have gathered each day since the trial began nearly two months ago.

Read, 44, had worked as an equity analyst and was an adjunct lecturer in finance at her alma mater, Bentley University. O'Keefe, 46, was a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. She often stayed at O'Keefe's house in suburban Canton, where the couple ended up at the home of another Boston Police officer, Brian Albert, after a night of bar-hopping in January 2022. A federal agent, Brian Higgins, also was among those at the gathering inside.

Supporters of Karen Read display signs near Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass

Read has been charged with second-degree murder, which in Massachusetts is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole. She also faces lesser charges of manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, punishable by five to 20 years, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, punishable by up to 10 years.

Pieces of Reads broken taillight were found at the scene and a single hair from OKeefe was found on the rear bumper of Read's SUV. Prosecutors say that Read repeatedly said "I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God, I hit him to first responders and others. Prosecutors replayed angry voicemails Read left for O'Keefe, painting a picture of a failing relationship. They also questioned her behavior, saying she never cried after OKeefes body was found.

Karen Read, center, walks toward Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 26, 2024 ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Her defense is that the entire prosecution case is based on lies by officers sticking together to protect themselves. Her lawyers say the pieces of taillight and the hair were planted during the hours before the crime scene was secured. They suggested O'Keefe might have been beaten up by Higgins, who had flirted with Read over texts, and that the men panicked before trying to cover up the crime.

Whether or not Read is found guilty, the case has shone a poor light on the techniques and actions of law enforcement officers including Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was lead investigator despite having personal relationships with several of the people involved. Proctor called Read a wack job, in texts, joked to supervisors about not finding nude photos of Read on her phone, and texted his sister that he wished Read would kill herself." He called that a figure of speech and said emotions had gotten the better of him.

Judge Beverly Cannone looks over the verdict slip the jurors have to fill out when they reach a verdict in Karen Read's murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham ( The Patriot Ledger 2023 )

The defense pointed to conflicts of interest and sloppy policing  the crime scene was left unsecured for hours, the house wasn't searched, blood-stained snow was scooped up with red plastic drinking cups and a leaf blower was used to clear snow. Other suspicious actions included deleted search histories, destroyed phones and manipulated videos.

The case might have seemed open-and-shut, but as more evidence emerged, interest picked up among true crime fans and others with suspicions about the motives and actions of law enforcement.

Supporters of Karen Read listen to proceedings from Reads trial from a laptop computer while gathered a block away ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

Outside the courthouse, a self-proclaimed sidewalk jury of dozens of Read supporters dressed in pink  a color she likes  remained glued to their phones awaiting a verdict. Their mood was jubilant, with supporters chanting, waving American flags and getting encouragement from passing motorists who honked their horns.
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An Oklahoma man convicted of raping and murdering his 7-year-old former stepdaughter in 1985 was executed on Thursday morning

Richard Rojem Jr, 66, maintained his innocence up until his execution by lethal injection for raping and stabbing to death Layla Dawn Cummings, the 7-year-old daughter of his ex-wife, Mindy Cummings.

Rojem was pronounced dead at 10:16 a.m. local time at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, approximately 90 miles south of Tulsa. He did not have any final words, according to a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office.

Laylas body was found in a field two months after Rojem and her mother, Mindy Cummings, divorced. The girl was found with stab wounds and dressed in her mothers nightgown.

During a parole board hearing earlier this month, Cummings said that everything the little girl could have become "was stolen from her one horrific night," USA Today reports.

Richard Rojem Jr, 66, was executed on June 27, 2024, after he was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of his ex-wifes daughter, 7-year-old Layla Dawn Cummings ( Oklahoma Department of Corrections )

She never got to be more than the precious 7-year-old that she was. And so she remains in our hearts  forever 7, she said.

Rojem has always maintained his innocence.

I did not kidnap Layla. I did not rape Layla. And I did not murder Layla, he told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board during a clemency hearing.

On the night of July 6, 1984, Cummings left her children, Layla and a 9-year-old brother, home alone while she went to work at a local fast food restaurant, according to USA Today.

At some point during the evening, Layla was abducted from Cummings' apartment.

The next morning, a farmer found Laylas body in a field approximately 15 miles from her home in Burns Flat, Oklahoma, according to court records.

Rojem and Cummings met while he was serving time in a Michigan prison for raping two teenage girls. Cummings brother was Rojems cellmate at the time.

Prosecutors argued that Rojem knew Cummings work schedule and also knew the lock on her door was broken at the time Layla was abducted.

Layla Dawn Cummings in an undated photo. Layla was raped and stabbed to death by her former stepfather, Richard Rojem, Jr, in 1984. He was executed on June 24, 2024 in Oklahoma ( Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office )

On May 31, 1985, a jury convicted Rojem, and he was ultimately sentenced to death.

Rojem appealed his death sentence numerous times up until 2017, when he exhausted his option to appeal.

He won two of his appeals, which resulted in his first and second death sentence convictions being tossed out in 2001 and 2006, respectively. Both times his appeals were granted based on issues found with the jury.

In 2007, a jury sentenced him to death for a third time. After that, Rojem did not win any of his appeals.

At a June 17 clemency hearing, he insisted he didnt kill the little girl and apologized for his past actions.

"I wasnt a good human being for the first part of my life, and I dont deny that, Rojem said. But I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind.

But his request for clemency was denied.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a statement following Rojems execution, saying justice was finally served.

Laylas family has endured unimaginable suffering for almost 40 years. My prayer is that todays action brings a sense of comfort to those who loved her, he said.

Cummings attended Rojems execution, and said in a statement that Rojem deserved nothing less than todays final justice for the savage, barbaric, and torturous acts of suffering he inflicted upon her daughter.

Today, as we near the anniversary of Layla-Dawns horrific death on July 7th, we remember, honor, and hold her forever in our hearts as the sweet and precious 7-year-old she was, she said.

She also said that the family was honoring the memory of Laylas father, Don Cummings. He died by suicide shortly after Rojems initial trial in 1985, according to the Oklahoma Attorney Generals parole documents.

Cummings said that Don Cummings died by suicide "due to the absolute evil of a monster who purposesly tormented him to the brink of despair that ended his life.

We are grateful today for justice served and the peace of knowing that Richard Rojem can never hurt us or any other person again, Cummings said.
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Two men have been arrested after three women and a teen girl were abducted and held captive in a storage container in Pennsylvania following the witnessing of a shooting, officials say.

Davaun Carlon Jackson, 29, of East Stroudsburg and Isaiah Rogers-Keeney, 19, of Middletown were arrested by state troopers at a Walmart in Mount Pocono in Pennsylvania, at around 10:44 a.m. on Tuesday, according to law enforcement officials.

Jackson has been charged with kidnapping, rape and terroristic threats, among a string of other charges, while Rogers-Keeney is charged as an accomplice.

Their whereabouts came from a member of the public who claimed that a Ford SUV was traveling north on the freeway Route 33 with two of the victims inside.

Police said they caught up with the vehicle in the parking lot of a Walmart Supercenter. They found Rogers-Keeney and one of the victims inside the vehicle, and saw Jackson leaving the Walmart with a second victim.

Troopers, along with the Pocono Mountain Regional, located the suspects vehicle at the Walmart in Monroe County. They waited and set up a perimeter, and when the suspects exited the Walmart, they were taken into custody, Trooper Anthony Petroski of the Pennsylvania State Police told Local 21 News.

Ultimately, it was discovered four females were kidnapped by two different individuals. They were bound, they were sexually assaulted, and they were threatened.

Monroe County district attorney Mike Mancuso told WFMZ that the victims ranged from 17 to 21 years of age. Two of them had witnessed a shooting in the city of Wilkes-Barre, 6abc reported, citing court records.

After the shooting, they had been ordered into the Ford SUV, and once they were inside, saw that two other women were also in the vehicle.

The investigators believe that the men then took the women on Monday to a property in Smithfield Township owned by Jackson.

The four were then reportedly placed in a shipping container, with three bound with ropes and restrained.

Police say Jackson had threatened to kill the victims, having multiple weapons, and that he sexually assaulted two of them.

There was a car chase, there were kidnappings, transportation to places of isolation, threats of murder, of mayhem and sexual assaults, Mancuso told WFMZ. There was one minor there. The minor was 17 years old. The other ones were, the age range was, I believe 18 to 21.

Jackson and Rogers-Keeney allegedly took the females to another property that Jackson also owns on Tuesday, where he let one of the victims have her phone back. She then called her mother, according to the district attorney.

It was the mother of one of the victims that called the police, Mancuso said.

The district attorney said that officials had been following Jackson before this incident occurred.

There has been an investigation that has involved him over the course of the last several months, Mancuso said.

He added that all of the victims, including the victim of the apparent shooting in Wilkes-Barre, are going to survive, and Monroe County is offering the four victims who were kidnapped access to mental health services.

An attorney listed for Rogers-Keeney told Newswatch 16, The only statement I will make right now is that I have spoken with my client and that he maintains his innocence in this case.
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A Texas woman who operated an illegal home-based healthcare business has been charged with murder after one of her patients died  and now investigators say she could be connected to at least 19 additional deaths.

Regla Su Becquer was first arrested in February after Arlington police began investigating over a dozen suspicious deaths at her unlicensed company, Love & Caring for People LLC, which operated out of five homes in Tarrant County.

Last Thursday, Becquer was charged with the murder of 60-year-old Steven Kelly Pankratz, a patient who died while in her care after the Tarrant County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide by a lethal mixture of painkillers and antidepressants.

Investigators later revealed at a press conference that the drugs in Pankratzs system had never been prescribed by doctors.

Before Pankratz died, he had slurred speech and said hed been given handfuls of pills, according to court documents.

Regla Su Becquer, who operated an illegal home-based healthcare company in Texas, has been charged with murder after one of her patients died ( Arlington Police Department )

Out of the 20 suspicious deaths that have occurred under Pankratzs care since September 2022, an autopsy was performed on just one patient  Pankratz, police said.

A lot of them were cremated or bodies donated to science or buried, Arlington Police Detective Krystallyne Robinson said. That makes it very difficult.

Disturbing details in the arrest affidavit revealed that a 53-year-old woman told Arlington authorities that she was being held by Becquer against her will and that the conditions of Becquers home were so bad, she slit her wrists.

The woman, who has cerebral palsy, diabetes, and can only move her arms, said she slit her wrists just so she could get emergency crews to the house. Its unclear when the incident took place.

After everything weve learned, I think its clear to say she did not love or care for anyone, Lt. Kimberly Harris of Arlington police said.

We were deeply concerned about what we saw in these homes and what we had heard up until that point. Today, I am here to tell you thats just the tip of the iceberg.

Investigators also found evidence of Becquer taking possession of her patients personal property, including their phones, cars, and houses.

One man who died after a suspicious decline in his health, had fraudulent charges to his debit card, his family later discovered. Another patient, who died in 2022, left a handwritten will that gave Becquer control of her assets.

Becquer is being held at the Tarrant County Jail on a $1.5 million bond.
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The cell phone of a Chicago woman who vanished while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas has been found, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen on June 19 on Paradise Island, a small resort off the shore of New Providence in the Bahamas. When Casey failed to show up for class at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on June 20, the staff reported her missing to Bahamian police.

On June 26, Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings revealed Caseys cell phone had been found in the ocean, according to local news outlet The Nassau Guardian.

Skippings said Caseys belongings were still at the ashram and that investigators have questioned the staff. She was unable to say if police suspect foul play in the matter.

The update came shortly after Caseys family met with police on Wednesday after traveling to the island nation to assist with the search.

Taylor Casey, 41, disappeared on June 20 after traveling from her home in Chicago to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. Now, her family has traveled to the Bahamas to help in the search ( Find Taylor Casey/Facebook )

Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, told CBS News she heard from her daughter last Tuesday.

That was the last time, she said. Taylor sent me pictures of Taylor in the Atlantic Ocean and said, I miss you mom. Look, Im at the beach.

Casey has been a yoga practitioner for the last 15 years, and attended the resort retreat with the intent of deepening her practice, her mother said. After Casey was reported missing, staff alerted her family and the US Embassy in the Bahamas.

We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, Seymore wrote on a Facebook page focused on the search for Casey. We love Taylor and want her home.

The family is pleading with the public to help find Casey and to share any information they may have with the Bahamas police. They have created a Find Taylor Casey Facebook page and Instagram account to help spread the word.

Casey has been a yoga practitioner for the last 15 years, and attended the resort retreat with the intent of deepening her practice, her mother said ( Find Taylor Casey/Facebook )

"Taylor would never disappear like this," Seymore wrote.

Seymore believes her daughter would never have run away from an event she was excited to join. That is why she believes now that her daughter may be in danger and plan to resume searching on Thursday.

I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return," Seymore said.

Caseys family described her as a light-skinned Black woman, approximately 5-feet 10-inches tall and 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

A Level 2 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department in January remained in effect, advising travelers to exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime.
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A member of the United States Air Force has been charged by Japanese prosecutors with kidnapping and raping a schoolgirl in Okinawa. Police say the attack took place just before Christmas last year.

Brennon Washington, 25, was charged on March 27 with non-consensual sexual intercourse and indecent kidnapping, a court spokesperson in Naha, Okinawas capital, told CNN. They said the US military handed the service member to Japanese authorities the same day. His trial is set to begin on July 12.

An indictment seen by The Guardian claims the man had invited the girl to speak to him in his car at a park and drove her to his home before the incident. Investigators said a person known to the girl, who is said to be aged between 13 and 15, reported the incident on the day it occurred.

Washington was released on bail and taken in to custody at the USs Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, a government spokesperson told CNN.

Its only the latest source of tension in Okinawa. Residents have long expressed resistance to the presence of US tiltrotor military aircraft on the island. There is also long-standing opposition to the heavy presence of US troops. Around half of the 50,000 American service personnel in Japan are stationed in Okinawa, where the US has retained its bases since World War Two.

The serviceman is stationed with the 18 Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kadena. An 18th Wing spokesperson told CNN: The 18th Wing is aware of a sexual assault allegation against a Kadena airman involving a Japanese citizen. We understand and share the local communitys concerns regarding this case.

The spokesperson said the Wing leadership was deeply concerned by the severity of this alleged crime, and has been working with local authorities while they investigate the allegations.

All US service members are expected to uphold the highest standards, and the US military is committed to holding accountable those who are convicted of criminal acts, they said.

The incident has seen resistance against the American troop presence rise still further. Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki told reporters on Tuesday that the rape and kidnap allegations were extremely regrettable, adding that it was necessary to strongly protest against the US military and other related organizations.

His office will be taking a tough stance in dealing with the situation, he said. Tamaki was also reported as saying that the accusations against Washington also brought a significant level of distrust, describing the allegations to Kyoto News as not just disturbing to prefectural residents but also a violation of the girls dignity.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, a government spokesperson, said Japan will continue to request the US side to prevent such incidents at every opportunity, according to The Guardian.

The indictment comes almost 30 years after a 12-year-old schoolgirl was raped by three US servicemen in 1995, a crime which saw local opposition against the US military flare up.

Tens of thousands of Okinawa residents also lined their capitals streets in 2016 following the killing of a 20-year-old local woman. An American contractor at a military based was charged, and locals demanded that the US military leave the island.

More recently, tensions have risen over the use of Osprey aircraft in the region. These increased in November last year, after an Osprey crashed into the sea off Okinawa, killing eight. As a result, Tamaki urged the US to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.
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A woman in Missouri has been accused of spiking her husbands Mountain Dew with Roundup weed killer  all because he wasn't excited enough about his 50th birthday bash.

Michelle Peters, 47, is facing first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action charges, according to court records.

Investigators say Peters added the Roundup weed killer to her husbands Mountain Dew drinks several times in May and June. They claim she also used insecticide to poison the beverages.

Peters husband reportedly began to feel ill and started to suspect something might be wrong with his drinks.

That prompted the man to take a look at surveillance footage from inside his home, at which point he saw Peters take one of his sodas from his refrigerator in their garage just before she grabbed a bottle of Roundup and walked outside, police said, according to Fox 59.

Michelle Y Peters, 47, has been charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action for allegedly poisoning her husband by mixing Roundup and insecticides with his Mountain Dew sodas ( Laclede County Sheriffs Office )

The victim told police that he believed his wife tampered with his drinks because he had not shown enough excitement over the 50th birthday party she had planned for him. He also reportedly told investigators he thought she was chasing his $500,000 life insurance policy.

Peters was questioned by the Laclede County Sheriff's Office on June 24. She reportedly denied tampering with his drinks.

When police asked her why she had been spotted on video grabbing her husband's Mountain Dew in one hand and Roundup in the other, she reportedly claimed that she was creating a weed killing agent she saw on Pinterest by combining the soda with lawn chemicals.

She eventually admitted to putting insecticide inside her husband's Mountain Dew bottles, police said.

Peters conceded that she was trying to be mean in court records, confirming that she was feeling under-appreciated after planning her husband's 50th birthday.

She reportedly told a detective that she should have just divorced her husband, calling him selfish and noting that they had been having relationship issues.

Glyphosate, a chemical found in Roundup, can cause burns, mouth and throat pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and potentially death if consumed.

Peters was booked by deputies and has pleaded not guilty. She is being held at the Laclede County Detention Center without bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 2.
MBABANE - The Judicial Commission of Inquiry has heard how a man learnt about his marital fate at the Pension Fund Offices.

Merick Hlanze from Hlathikulu alleged that his late wife, Girlie Dlamini divorced him without his knowledge. Hlanze told the commission that he learnt about the unexpected detour, on the day he went to claim what he believed was rightfully his - a portion of his wife's pension. He said in the eyes of the law, he and his wife were no longer recognised as partners. It was stated that the couple allegedly divorced in 2011.

These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested. Dlamini died in 2019 and they were married through civil rites. According to Hlanze, the only thing he knew was that there was separation from his wife, but not a divorce. He testified before the commission that, to his knowledge, his union with Dlamini was valid utill her demise. Hlandze alleged that he was treated as a stranger and was not even able to bury his wife. According to Hlandze, his in-laws told him that he was divorced with Dlamini, thus he had no claim against the estate.

We were separated for almost 10 years but we used to see each other at Happy Valley Hotel at Ezulwini. We used to make appointments whenever we saw each other. On our appointments, she never told me about the divorce, Hlanze alleged. He told the commission that his wife's properties were allegedly taken by his in-laws, which included furniture kept at his wife's house. Hlandze stated that he reported the matter to the police because he believed fraud had occurred.

He submitted that he was not allowed to defend himself as everything was done without his knowledge. I was served with court papers, but I wasnt given a date in court to defend myself. I think this was done deliberately to exclude me from the estate, he alleged. On the contrary, Assistant Master, George Langa told the commission that a divorce decree was issued in Hlandzes marriage with Dlamini, something Hlandze allegedly knew. He told the commission that they were dealing with a small estate and there was a need for the Masters Office, to appoint an executor to wind up the estate to the beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the commission, perusing through the court papers supplied by Hlandze, confirmed that the divorce occurred in 2011. The commission told Hlandze that he should have filed an intention to defend notice, done within a specific time, after being served with the divorce papers. It was alleged that Hlanze might have not understood what he needed to do at that period in time. The commission urged the Masters office to address the matter and present a report.

Estate not liquidated for over 31 years

MBABANE  The late Mandla Mambas children have alleged that they did not benefit from their fathers estate. Zenzi and Thulani told the commission that rentals were allegedly collected from his fathers estate for the past 30 years, but they have never benefited. These are allegations whose veracity is still to be tested. Mamba died in 1992 and his inventory included two cars, a beer hall, a grocery shop, flats, and livestock.

Zenzi told the commission that rentals were allegedly collected from the beer hall, grocery shop, and the flats for over 30 years. However, they have never received anything from the estate. According to Zenzi, they had expected that the estate would be distributed among the beneficiaries. He submitted that the deceased wife, Thoko Gamadze took everything with her children. Meanwhile, the commission told the Masters Office to address the matter. It was stated that the Masters Office should submit a report in three weeks.
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A man from the United Kingdom has been given three years probation for a $13m wine and whiskey scam that affected more than 150 victims, many of them elderly, in the United States.

More than two years after his arrest, Casey Alexander, 27, of London, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

In a substantial fraud scheme, Alexander and others involved in the conspiracy would cold call people, mostly targeting elderly investors in the US, according to a release from The Northern District of Ohios US Attorneys Office.

Officials said they would use aggressive and deceptive tactics during the calls, promising significant returns to the victims if they invested in wine and whiskey.

The scammers told the victims they could buy a portfolio of fine wines and whiskeys on their behalf, hold the purchases in a bonded warehouse in Europe, then sell them on at a profit.

Alexander and his team were able to convince elderly people across the US to wire funds or to make checks out to one or more suspect companies so they could get a piece of the investment opportunities they were offering.

After the victims made their initial investments, the scammers encouraged them to continue investing in wine and whiskey, with the promise of greater returns.

In a promotional video obtained by the Daily Mail, a person the investigators identify as Alexander, from Hackney, in east London, is smartly dressed in a suit as he taste-tests whiskeys and tours the exterior of a distillery for his company Vintage Whisky Casks. The company claims to be a specialist in sourcing the most difficult to find and rarest single malt Scotch whisky casks, according to the outlet.

However, the racket unwound after an 89-year-old victims son told the Highland Heights Police Department in 2020 that his parent was being scammed, and that the company had defrauded the victim out of more than $300,000 over 18 months.

The department then discovered similar complaints dotted around the United States, with people reporting being victims of a wine scam after being asked to purchase wine as an investment.

The case was taken up by the FBI, who have to date found more than 150 US victims. The victims had, in total, invested more than $13m in the fraud.

The FBI said at the time of Alexanders arrest on June 14, 2022 (he was subsequently released on a $50,000 bond) that none of the victims received their returns.

Among them, a 73-year-old from Grandville, Michigan, wired $25,560 believing she was investing in rare wines, according to an affidavit. After being promised a return, she invested a further $60,000 in the scheme, saying that the person sounded very convincing, NBC News reported in 2022.

Court documents say Alexander met one investor in person to persuade them to buy from Vintage Whisky Casks. The victim mailed a check for $100,000, the affidavit states, but the check was canceled in time after the BFI contacted the victim.

Alongside his probation, Alexander was ordered by a US district judge to pay $202,195.58 in restitution for his role in the scam.
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Dallas, Texas could soon become one of the largest cities in the US to ban horse-drawn carriages.

The Dallas City Council will vote Wednesday on the ban, The Dallas Morning News reports, which would prohibit the carriages on public streets, though not private property. The vote follows a committee hearing in April when members recommended the ban.

Council member Adam Bazaldua said these carriages could lead to a tragedy occurring. Dallas only has one licensed carriage operator, North Star Carriage, while several other businesses use the streets illegally, he added.

This isnt an attack on one business, Bazaldua said. Its just a fact that we have no ability to regulate a much larger industry.

Brian High, who owns the North Star Carriage company, said there isnt a problem in Dallas.

A horse-drawn carriage pictured on a Dallas, Texas street. A local carriage company owner says the ban is unnecessary, but activists disagree ( Gloria Raquel Carbajal )

Were all kind of baffled that they could vote to ban this, and it isnt based on information that shows a real problem in Dallas, High told The Dallas Morning News. Other operators are in Dallas for short stints, and there hasnt been any safety issues.

Horse carriage rides have operated in the Texas city for the past 40 years and evoke an early 20th century feel for special occasions like weddings and proms.

However, some have long advocated for a ban, arguing the carriages can be unsafe for people and horses.

Raquel Carbajal, co-founder of Ban Horse Carriages Dallas, told local outlet KERA News that shes thrilled to see the vote taking place.

Its a win-win for everybody, she told the outlet. Because I know people that are out there driving ... theyre worried about ... just driving safely. And then you have a horse out here. To me, it just doesnt make sense. Its just a disaster and a dangerous situation.

A horse-drawn carriage pictured on a Dallas, Texas street among cars. Activists in favor of the ban say the carriages can be dangerous for both horses and drivers ( Gloria Raquel Carbajal )

Bazaldua pointed to two 2019 incidents in nearby Highland Park, The Dallas Morning News reports. In the first incident, a driver was stuck between two parked cars and a carriage carrying several people. The carriage and car got into a wreck as they tried to navigate around each other. The second incident involved a spooked horse that took off down the street and caused the carriage passengers to be thrown out.

Other major cities, like Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, have banned horse-drawn carriages. Bans are increasing around the world including in Montreal, Amsterdam and Istanbul.

The Chicago City Council voted to stop renewing horse-drawn carriage licenses beginning in 2021. Jodie Wiederkehr, executive director of the Chicago Alliance for animals, praised the decision at the time.

The Chicago Alliance for Animals is overjoyed that Chicago officials finally acknowledged that humane tourism is the way of the future and banned this inhumane, archaic and dangerous relic before a human or horse suffers or dies from this unnecessary activity, like so many have in other cities, Wiederkehr said, according to the Associated Press.
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Two pandas from China are finally on their way to Californias San Diego Zoo.

Visitors will be able to visit with Yun Chaun and Xin Bao in several weeks, after the pandas acclimate to their new environment, the zoo said in a news release on Wednesday. An opening date to view the panda exhibit will be revealed later this year.

Dignitaries and US officials held a farewell ceremony for the bears near the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Chinas southwestern Sichuan province on Wednesday, which was attended by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.

This farewell celebrates their journey and underscores a collaboration between the United States and China on vital conservation efforts, Baribault said in a statement. Our long-standing partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species.

Two pandas are on their way to the San Diego Zoo marking an end to the speculation about whether the facility would host the bears in the foreseeable future. ( San Diego Zoo )

Officials kept the event under wraps to avoid drawing a large crowd, NBC News reported. Following the ceremony, the pandas were transported to the airport in Chengdu and put on a truck.

The panda pair  which are on loan for 10 years  are the first to travel to the US in 21 years.

We are incredibly excited to welcome Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the San Diego Zoo, Baribault said.

The collaboration between the San Diego Zoo and Chinas Wildlife Conservation Association has helped downgrade the bears status from endangered to vulnerable, zoo officials noted earlier this year.

Yun Chuans mother was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. A panda caretaker described the four-year-old male bear as pretty outgoing and lively.

He likes interacting with the caretakers and often runs over when he hears their footsteps, the caretaker added.

Xin Bao, the female panda accompanying Yun Chuan, is three and was described as a bit more introverted, but shes very smart and alert.

The caretaker added: She pays close attention to sounds like birds chirping and insects buzzing.

The four panda bears at Zoo Atlanta are currently the only ones in the US. Three bears from the National Zoo in Washington, DC left last year.
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A lawyer who twice defeated former President Donald Trump in court and is celebrated as a prominent figure in the fight for marriage equality across the US is leaving her law firm.

Roberta Kaplan, who recently represented writer E. Jean Carroll in defamation lawsuits against Trump, said Wednesday that she is departing Kaplan Hecker & Fink along with partner Tim Martin to create a new firm named Kaplan Martin, due to launch in mid-July.

The news broke shortly before a New York Times article was published that cited sources accusing her of making insulting and inappropriate comments to employees, as well as threatening to derail other peoples careers.

The newspaper said that people familiar with the matter told them there had been months of internal frustration over Kaplans alleged conduct toward other lawyers.

The Independent has not been able to independently verify the report and has contacted Kaplan for comment.

In a statement to The Independent, Julie Fink and Sean Hecker said it was Robbies decision to leave the firm.

As weve said, we wish her the very best and look forward to working with her and her new firm in the future they added.

Kaplans lawyers denied to The New York Times that she had made inappropriate comments to her colleagues and said her firm took allegations of workplace misconduct seriously.

There is nothing more unremarkable than trial lawyers using colorful language, criticizing their peers and representing diverse clients with no expectation of ideological purity, they added.

Jean Carroll, center, and Roberta Kaplan, right, leave Manhattan Federal Court victorious at the conclusion of their civil defamation trial against former President Donald Trump ( Getty Images )

In her own response, Kaplan told the newspaper that the work she does is high-stakes and challenging, requiring both toughness and precision.

Due to taking on some of the worlds biggest bullies, she added in her statement, there are people who dont like me, which comes with the territory, particularly when you are a woman. I am proud of my record as a lawyer, colleague and mentor.

As Kaplan departs the firm she founded seven years ago, the law firm will shorten its name to Hecker Fink beginning next week, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

Her new boutique firm will focus on civil litigation, internal corporate investigations and strategic advisory, she told Bloomberg on Wednesday.

Its really that the firm grew rapidly, which is great, but it grew in size and complexity beyond what I had in mind and I wanted to get back to something nimbler, Kaplan told the outlet.

Kaplan and her former firm have played an important role in several landmark and high-profile cases, including helping defeat the Defense of Marriage Act at the Supreme Court level, a major victory in the battle for marriage equality for LGBTQ+ couples across the United States.

She also stood beside E Jean Carroll in the recent defamation lawsuit against Trump, helping win the Elle magazine writer more than $83 million in damages forthe former presidents defamatory statements in January.

Trump was previously found liable for sexual abuse and then lying about her sexual assault allegations, which fuelled abusive messages and death threats against her. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Kaplan was also the chair of Times Up and co-creator of its legal defense fund, which helps women who have experienced sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. However, after a damning report accused Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexually harassing a number of women, she resigned in 2021 as it emerged shed advised Cuomos administration. Cuomo has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

The New York Times stated that one person familiar with the law firms internal dynamics alleged that the tensions surrounding Kaplan began around that time, but have gained more force in recent months.

Among other cases, Kaplan was also a co-lead counsel in an around $25m verdict against white nationalists after neo-Nazi rallies in Charlottesville in 2017.
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The Supreme Court has declined to say whether an opinion inadvertently posted and then quickly removed from its website on Wednesday in a high-profile Idaho abortion case represents its final decision.

The opinion in Moyle v. United States, No. 23-726, and Idaho v. United States, No. 23-727, has not been released, Patricia McCabe, the public information officer for the Supreme Court, said in a statement.

The Courts Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Courts website. The Courts opinion in these cases will be issued in due course.

The opinion related to consolidated appeaks in Moyle v US and US v Idaho, which concerned the ability of doctors to provide abortions in the case of medical emergencies.

The accidental opinion, by a 6-to-3 majority, found the appeal shouldnt have been taken up in the first place, effectively reinstating a lower court ruling allowing hospitals in Idaho to provide abortions in medical emergencies.

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC ( Getty Images )

The justices did not offer a wider ruling on Idahos 2022 abortion ban, which criminalizes the procedure except in the case of a vaguely worded exception for doctors providing abortions to protect the life of a pregnant person.

Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch were in the dissent.

Abortion advocates said even if the draft opinion represents the high courts final verdict, its not an overall victory for reproductive rights.

The abortion bans that are putting peoples lives on the line in the first place will continue to remain on the books, Reproductive Freedom for All CEO Mini Timmaraju told CNN.

The issue remains a live one in US courts.

In Texas, a challenge to the states strict abortion ban, seeking to expand the scope of medical exemptions, has been working its way through trial and appelate courts.

The Idaho decision incident is the latest in a troubled season for the Supreme Court.

In 2022, Politico obtained a draft version of the courts eventual decision to overturn Roe v Wades constitutional guarantees of a right to an abortion, an unprecedented leak from an institution that prides itself on norms of confidentiality.

The court has also been dogged in recent years with allegations that the justices, in particular Clarence Thomas, have accepted innappropriate, high-priced gifts and favors from political activists.
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Donald Trump has shared a scathing anti-Joe Biden video in a last-ditch attack branding the president as boring as the pair gear up for the first televised debate of the 2024 election.

Both Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, will take to stage in Atlanta, Georgia  with the clash aired on CNN  in the first of two moderated discussions, with the second set to air on ABC in September. It marks the first time in US history that a former president and current incumbent have faced-off in a presidential debate.

Ahead of the showdown, Trump has taken one last stab at Biden, sharing a stinging clip from Fox News satirical weekend panel show, Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla. It teases a fabricated medication that can help people fall asleep.

If youre having trouble sleeping, ask your doctor about Bidenica: the sleep aid made from 100 per cent Joe Biden press conference, the narrator says in the video shared in the earlier hours of Thursday morning on Trumps Truth Social account.

Signage for a CNN presidential debate is seen outside of their studios on June 26, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia ( Getty Images )

Actors continue to drop off and snore heavily while listening to the presidents speeches, in the clip. Patented blend of confusion and forgetfulness that will calm the most overactive brains, the narrator adds.

Fox News anti-Biden sketch continues by listing a range of apparent side effects: rapid lying, inability to secure the southern border and hallucinations.

The small print reads for the patient to seek medical assistance if they start speaking gibberish, become disorientated or start thinking you are president.

Bidens campaign team has also ramped up its posts targeting Trump over the past 24 hours with a tirade of attacks on X. It made reference to the Jan. 6 riots, his Truth Social post mentioning a unified Reich, and his praise for Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas.

Biden and Trump last shared the stage in October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic ( AP )

CNNs presidential debate marks the earliest in modern US history, with neither Trump nor Biden officially nominated by their respective parties. Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will serve as moderators in a closed studio with no live audience.

The duo will be facilitating the debate between these candidates, not being a participant in that debate, political director David Chalian told The New York Times.

Independent candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr was not eligible to join the debate, CNN announced last week.

He failed to meet the qualifying criteria: garnering at least 15 per cent support in four major polls, and being on the ballot in enough areas to theoretically have a chance at taking the Oval Office.

Kennedy Jr claimed that he was excluded as Trump and Biden are afraid I would win.
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A family has been awarded $1.5 million after their two children, who are US citizens, were falsely imprisoned at the US-Mexico border.

US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel awarded $250,000 to the childrens mother, $175,000 to the boy and $1.1m to the girl in his ruling in the civil lawsuit on Friday.

Julia, who was nine years old at the time, and her brother Oscar, 14, were arrested on March 18, 2019, as they made their regular crossing into the US from their home in Tijuana, Mexico to attend school.

Both children, whose last names were withheld in court documents, were born in the US and are US citizens. Their mother, Thelma Medina Navarro, is a Mexican citizen with a temporary US border-crossing card, according to court documents.

As they attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro point of entry, near San Diego, with a pair of family friends, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents stopped Julia, believing she didnt match the photo on her passport.

Thelma Medina Navarro reunites with her children Julia and Oscar, who were mistakenly arrested at the US-Mexico border in 2019 on suspicion of smuggling, despite being US citizens ( NBC San Diego screengrab )

From there, she was taken into a room and interrogated by a single Customs and Border Patrol officer, breaking policy requiring an additional witness for the interview of a minor, according to the court.

In the interrogation room, Julia was coerced into giving a false confession that she was her cousin, prompting officials to believe she and Oscar were potentially involved in smuggling and using false identities.

The United States does not offer a coherent explanation as to why Julia would falsely confess that she was her cousin, Judge Curiel wrote on Friday, during the ruling. Since the confession was not recorded, witnessed or even recounted in any written detail, it will never be known why a 9-year-old U.S. citizen falsely confessed to being someone she is not.

After subsequent rounds of interviews, the children were then separated and detained in cells at the border crossings Admissibility Enforcement Unit, where Oscar was held for 14 hours and Julia was detained for 34 hours.

The children were finally released by the Border Patrol after pressure from the Mexican consulate and the childrens mother, Thelma Medina Navarro, had given media interviews about what had happened.

The incident left Julia with insomnia and nightmares, and she needed counseling after being released, according to court documents.

I hope that no one ever has this again, Julia told NBC San Diego following the ruling on Friday.
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Justice Samuel Alito emphatically dissented from the Supreme Courts decision to allow hospitals in Idaho to perform emergency abortions  claiming doctors must protect an unborn child under a federal law.

In a 6-3 decision on Thursday, justices declined to issue a firm ruling on whether states can force patients with life-threatening pregnancies to get to the brink of death before they can get an abortion

The ruling means that emergency abortions can continue  but the decision leaves the door open for plaintiffs to bring similar challenges.

Alito, joined by justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, called the decision baffling, claiming the federal law that gives emergency rooms funding doesnt permit abortions  it does the opposite in demanding hospitals protect the health and treat a pregnant person as well as the unborn child.

It goes without saying that aborting an unborn child does not protect it from jeopardy, Justice Alito wrote.

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24 in Washington, DC. A recent Supreme Court ruling paves the way for emergency abortions ( Getty Images )

Alito, who authored Dobbs v. Jackson decision - the case that overturned Roe v. Wade abortion protections- criticized the other justices for permitting the decision believing the state law did not conflict with federal mandates under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.

He argued if hospitals find a pregnant person in an emergency medical situation, they must also consider the health of the unborn child at equal weight until the life of the mother is in jeopardy under federal law. Alito raised concerns that a person could request an abortion in situations where their health, but not necessarily life, is at risk.

Apparently, the Court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable, he wrote.

Alito has criticized the newest decision, two years after he authored the decision to overturn nationwide abortion protections ( REUTERS )

The case comes out of Idaho, which enacted a strict abortion ban in 2022 that imposes criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions but includes a narrow and vague exception to protect the life of a pregnant person.

That exception says a physician must use good faith medical judgment to determine whether an abortion is necessary to prevent a person from death. However, it fails to clarify what good faith means  leaving many doctors and hospitals susceptible to criminal penalties.

The Biden administration intervened, saying the Idaho law conflicted with federal law which requires emergency room doctors to use medical intervention necessary to stabilize a patient. However, the law does not explicitly mandate which medical treatments, like abortions, are necessary.

During oral arguments in April, the Idaho Solicitor General argued that allowing federal law to override state law would result in other state laws, like informed consent laws, being overridden. He argued that there was no gap between state laws and federal regulations, saying the state can provide abortions on a case-by-case basis so long as a physician had medical certainty that a pregnant person would die without an abortion.

Reproductive rights activists outside of the Supreme Court at justices debate a near-total ban on abortion in Idaho ( AFP via Getty Images )

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative appointed to the bench by Donald Trump, said she was kind of shocked to hear the attorney for the state confirm that ambiguity.

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar pushed back on the Idaho attorneys claims, reminding justices that about once every other week the state is forced to wait for a pregnant persons condition to deteriorate to the point they can transfer them out of state or provide an abortion.

In her partially concurring opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called the months-long debate completely unnecessary and a catastrophe. She disagreed with the courts decision not to make a firm decision.

To be clear: Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is a delay. While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

Protesters gather near the Supreme Court in July to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs decision that saw abortion protection overturned nationwide ( Bel Trew/The Independent )

The decision arrives amid several high-profile incidents where pregnant women have detailed physically and emotionally traumatizing medical situations where they were denied abortions due to state laws but faced sepsis, severe bleeding, pain and more.

Without constitutional protections affirmed by Roe v Wade, several anti-abortion states have exploited a lack of clarity in the good faith clause to impose sweeping restrictions on emergency abortion care that have risked the lives of pregnant patients.

We are constantly in the heat of the moment, trying to decide what is the legal choice. We all know what the standard of care is, we know what the patient needs, according to Dr. Jessica Kroll, president of the Idaho chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, speaking to reporters this month.

It criminalizes physicians and has driven physicians out of the state, she said. Everyone is practicing confused, afraid, and its hurting patients  If we start piecemealing who we take care of, despite what we believe, we cannot take care of people. Our job is to take care of patients, not be moral police in the emergency room.
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A recent interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene on an Australian news program took a contentious turn, coming to an abrupt end when the far-right congresswoman refused to answer a direct question about the 2024 election.

The House Republican representing Georgia made an appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corporations 7.30 program to discuss the recent release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Despite the topic du jour being focused on Assange, host Sarah Ferguson took the opportunity to ask Greene about her feelings on the 2024 presidential election and whether or not she would accept the results if Joe Biden wins in November.

Greene was one of Donald Trump's most vocal advocates for his election denial claims following the 2020 election.

During the interview, Greene appeared to become frustrated by Ferguson's questions, and asked whether or not she was a serious interviewer.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene removes her microphone after Australian Broadcasting Corporation news host Sarah Ferguson ends their interview prematurely due to Greenes refusal to answer questions about the 2024 election. ( screengrab/ABC 730 )

Ferguson defended her line of questioning, reasoning that the topic of her acceptance of the 2024 election was important, considering Greene had lionized people in prison for their role in attacking the Capitol on January 6th, including visiting them in prison.

Greene has referred to Capitol riot convicts as hostages and has advocated for their release from prison, claiming theyve been mistreated. Last year, Greene led a delegation of House Republicans to the DC Central Detention Facility to tour the jail where many January 6 defendants were being held before their trials.

She also told The Independent that she was going to look into impeaching the judges that passed sentences convicting Capitol riot defendants.

After some back-and-forth, Ferguson asked a final time: If Biden wins, will you accept the result?

Greene dodged the question and snapped back at her, asking, What does this have to do with Julian Assange?

Thats what were supposed to be talking about, she said.

Greene then went back to a tried and true Trump deflection tactic and accused the reporter  who is Australian and lives in Australia  of being in cahoots with the Democratic Party in the US.

What network is that? What is this? ABC in Australia? Is she getting her marching orders from the Democrat Party? Greene asked to someone off-stage. Is this what you decided to come up with today?

Ferguson kept her cool but made it clear to Greene that if she was going to deflect, she wasnt going to be given a platform to address Australians.

Youre a prominent figure in US politics. The first debate is tomorrow. The result of the election is on the minds not just of Americans, but of the whole world. So its a natural point of curiosity, the host said.

Then she ended the interview.

But I understand that weve reached the end of the questions that you want to answer," Ferguson said. "Thank you for talking to us about Julian Assange and for joining the program.

Greene, clearly frustrated by the exchange, ripped off her mic before the studio cut her feed.
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Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama met for private secret meals to discuss strategy as the highly contested 2024 election approaches.

The political pair have been having meetings, between just the two of them, as concerns over Donald Trumps potential victory in November have creeped into reality, New York Magazine reported.

The former presidents anxiety about the election is real, a friend of Obamas told the outlet. The source clarified his nerves are related to the general divisions of the country, not to his former vice president or Biden re-election campaign specifically.

Biden and Obama have long appeared to be a united front, but behind the scenes, the former president was not convinced that Bidens 2020 run was the right move, the magazine wrote.

However, he came around, becoming a key surrogate for the Biden team. Obama convinced some of his former advisers-turned-Biden campaign staffers to quintuple their digital budget, organized a troop of tech moguls to help with Bidens online operations, and even persuaded director Steven Spielberg to help produce Bidens convention programming, New York Magazine reported.

When Biden decided to run for re-election, his team initially did not want to rely on his former boss as much  but that tune changed when the threat of a second Trump term reemerged as a real possibility.

Former president Barack Obama and President Joe Biden have reportedly been holding private meetings to discuss strategy ahead of the heated 2024 election. ( AFP via Getty Images )

In a December 2023, lunch at the White House, first reported by theWashington Post, Obama became animated when discussing Trumps potential return.

At the meeting, the ex-president also underscored the need for Bidens top political advisers to relocate from the White House to crucial spots, such as his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, and battleground states, according to the magazine.

The 44th president has made his support for Biden known in recent months, often appearing in recent campaign events promoting Biden.

Just this month, Obama  alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts  headlined a glitzy Biden fundraiser in Los Angeles, raising $30 million  breaking his own record for the amount of cash raised by a Democratic candidate. The LA fundraiser eclipsed his previous record in March, when Obama and fellow former Democratic president Bill Clinton teamed up for a re-election fundraiser in New York. The former president has also promoted Biden in a number of video ads.

Perhaps Obamas influence is helping Bidens poll numbers. The president took the lead over Trump for the first time in a Fox News poll since October. Biden is polling at 50 percent compared to Trumps 48 percent.

The news of the secret strategy meetings comes as Biden and Trump plan to go head-to-head in the first debate of the 2024 general election on Thursday evening.
MBABANE  A pastor has been arrested for allegedly raping a 19-year-old pupil several times during prayer sessions.

The clergyman is alleged to have done this at the homestead of the teenagers aunt, where he preached on Thursday nights. Sometimes he would allegedly rape her in front of her younger brother. He also allegedly raped the pupil in a thicket at Buhleni, where there was a church service. *Pastor Musa reportedly threatened to shoot *Nomsa if she ever reported him for raping her. He also allegedly induced fear in her by telling her that he had special powers and would know if she reported him. The pastor is alleged to have made the same threats to the childrens family members if they ever reported him. The man of the cloth was reportedly feared in the area and by the church members.

Investigators said the childrens aunt soiled herself when they mentioned the pastors name during their investigations. The aunt is said to have made it clear to the investigators that she was afraid of being asked about the pastor, such that the police had to come to her home twice.

Custody

Pastor Musa is currently in custody and he is fighting to be released on bail. The Crown is opposed to his bail application. He is facing charges under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act 15/2018 and assault. The investigating officer, Detective Thando Dlamini, who is based at Piggs Peak Police Station, submitted that the pastor came into contact with the complainants, Nomsa and her younger brother, through a church ministry in the area. Dlamini said Pastor Musa attended Thursday night church services at the homestead of the childrens aunt. The aunt was staying at the homestead alone and asked Nomsa and her brother to assist her by cleaning the homestead before the church services were held at her place.

The pastor, according to the investigator, came for the church services on Thursday night, stayed at the homestead until morning, when he would then leave. The childrens aunt requested the children to stay with her after the pastor resided at her homestead on a fulltime basis. The applicant (pastor) started molesting the girl child at the homestead of G*** around August 2023, wherein he asked her for water and when she brought it to his room, he demanded that she comes into the bed he was sleeping in. The complainant resisted and the applicants demands were more forceful and he sexually violated the complainant who was still shocked and traumatised by the applicants actions, said the detective.

Problems

He also submitted that this was the start of Nomsas problems, as the pastor would allegedly rape her almost every day, except when she was on her monthly period. He would not only sexually violate the child, but would also physically assault her extensively. The applicant would get a chance to rape the complainant when G*** left early for the fields in the morning before she (Nomsa) went to school. The situation was so severe that the complainant lost weight drastically and her grades at school dropped for the worst. The complainant could not concentrate in class, such that some of her teachers were worried about her and kept asking if everything was alright at home.

She would always respond to the affirmative, because she was afraid that the applicant would kill her if she ever reported him. The applicant would rape the complainant at every given opportunity that he had, the detective further submitted. At one point, according to the investigator, he raped her in a bushy area around Buhleni when they were attending a church service. He is alleged to have also raped her at the market stalls before Buhleni town. The ordeal continued when they were back at G***s house and at all this times, the applicant would rape the complainant without using a condom. The applicant is a cunning and manipulative individual, who brainwashed the complainant that he has special powers and he would know when she reports or tells anyone about her ordeal.

Secondly, the applicant had a gun, which he would carry around and he threatened that he would kill anyone, including the victims family members if they were ever to report him. The applicant also threatened to shoot them if they were ever to report him to anyone. Dlamini also informed the court that the pastor was not only aggressive to the complainant, but to her younger brother as well. He submitted that the pastor allegedly assaulted the brother, so severely over petty things, such that at one point he hit him with a fist and banged him against the wall and mirrors. He had bruises on the forehead and all over his body. At other times, he assaulted him with cables and an assortment of weapons at his disposal. The evidence is that the applicant would rape the complainant right in front of her brother without any care in the world. The applicants actions did not go along with the assertion that he was pastor as he was known in the area.

Better

The investigator told the court that Pastor Musa was better off in custody until his trial was finalised. I submit that both children and adults are not safe with the applicant roaming the streets and it would be in the best interest of society to keep the applicant under lock-and-key, until his trial is concluded. He also manipulated G***, such that she would do anything he asked without questioning it. G*** is also afraid of the applicant and didnt know how to chase him away from her homestead as he acted like he owned it, submitted Dlamini.

The investigator said the evidence against the applicant was overwhelming and the likelihood that he may be convicted was high, which may entice him to flee the jurisdiction of the court. The matter is pending in court. *Not real names to protect survivor.
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The Supreme Court has officially ruled in an Idaho abortion case that would allow doctors to provide the procedure in medical emergencies.

The ruling was released Thursday, a day after a draft opinion was inadvertently published as the court issued other opinions. The Wednesday post was quickly removed, but not before members of the media found it.

Justices split 6-3 with the courts majority reinstating a lower-court ruling that ensured hospitals in Idaho provide abortions in emergency medical situations but declining to issue a firm decision in the dispute. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

Instead, they will dismiss the case as improvidently granted  meaning the justices believe they should not have taken up the case.

The ruling is a fragile victory for abortion rights advocates who have warned that pregnant people in states with strict abortion bans could face injury or death due to the laws in six particular states. However, because the court declines to make a firm decision it leaves the door open for future challenges.

Protesters gather near the Supreme Court in July to mark the second anniversary of the decision to end nationwide abortion protections. A new opinion from the court ready to rule to allow abortions in medical emergencies ( Bel Trew/The Independent )

The case comes out of Idaho, which enacted a strict abortion ban in 2022 that imposes criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions but includes a narrow and vague exception to protect the life of a pregnant person.

That exception says a physician must use good faith medical judgment to determine whether an abortion is necessary to prevent a person from death. However, it fails to clarify what good faith means  leaving many doctors and hospitals susceptible to criminal penalties.

Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and South Dakota have enacted similar laws that use vague language, leaving pregnant people at risk of bodily harm or increased chance of death.

The Biden administration intervened, claiming state law conflicts with federal law that requires emergency room doctors to use medical intervention necessary to stabilize a patient. However, the law does not explicitly mandate which medical treatments, like abortions, are necessary.

The Supreme Court ruling is set to leave the door open for future challenges ( Bel Trew/The Independent )

In what appears to be the concurring opinion from the courts three liberal justices, Justice Elena Kagan writes that the text of federal law is straightforward: hospitals are required to stabilize patients with an emergency medical condition that could pose serious jeopardy to their health, and when a pregnancy goes terribly wrong, that treatment may be an abortion.

Federal law doesnt list abortion as a protected treatment, but it doesnt list any at all, and all other forms of emergency services are protected under federal law. Abortion cant be the exception, according to the justices.

This months-long catastrophe was completely unnecessary, wrote Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who concurred in part but disagreed that the court should have rejected the case as improvidently granted.

More to the point, it directly violated federal law, which in our system of government is supreme, she wrote.

The accidental release of the opinion marks the second time within two years that a major abortion rights ruling was released before the Supreme Court officially published it.

Politico obtained and published a draft of Justice Samuel Alitos written opinion to overturn Roe v Wade in May 2022 before the court published the final ruling on June 24.
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Paris Hilton has testified to Congress that she was sexually abused and force-fed medication during the time she endured in youth residential treatment facilities.

Hilton, a long-time advocate for childrens welfare and regulation of such facilities, appeared before the House Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday. The hearing focused on strengthening the child welfare system, and featured testimony from several expert witnesses including Hilton.

The heiress spoke about the time she spent as a child in youth residential facilities, often referred to collectively as the troubled teen industry. The 43-year-old told the committee how she was ripped from her bed at home at 16 and taken to the first of four facilities she would end up staying in.

Hilton has previously revealed that her parents sent her to these facilities after she started clubbing and partying at 15.

These programs promised healing, growth and support, but instead, did not allow me to speak, move freely or even look out a window for two years, Hilton told the panel.

I was force-fed medications and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked and thrown into solitary confinement.

Paris Hilton, testifying to Congress on Wednesday, is calling on federal lawmakers to improve protections for children in residential facilities ( Getty Images )

Hilton would cope with the abuse she endured in these facilities by pretending to be someone else, she told The Independent last year.

I was in so much pain that I created this Barbie doll fantasy life, Hilton said. It was a character I put on as a mask to protect myself.

On Wednesday, Hilton said that she supports the committees bipartisan efforts to reauthorize a child welfare improvement act - Title IV-B of the Social Security Act -which expired in 2021.

The heiress also called on lawmakers to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which would establish a federal working group on youth residential programs. That working group would then submit recommendations on how to improve the safety and treatment of kids placed in residential programs.

Hilton told the committee that youth residential programs often care more about profit than childrens safety.

That means that theyre trying to spend as little money as possible, and the type of employees theyre hiring are people not being checked, people that should be nowhere near children, Hilton testified.

Paris Hilton attends a House Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Wednesday. The heiress previously testified to Congress in 2021, advocating for a Bill of Rights for kids in residential facilities ( Getty Images )

Hilton has previously identified Utahs Provo Canyon School, a youth residential facility, as one of the places she faced abuse. The school has faced multiple lawsuits, threats to their licenses and reports of abuse from several students,The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The school said they could not comment on Hiltons allegations when they first came to light as they have since switched management.

What we can say is that the school provides a structured environment teaching life-skills, providing behavioral health therapy, and continuing education for youth who come to us with pre-existing and complex emotional, behavioral and psychiatric needs, the school said in a 2021 statement.

Hilton encouraged lawmakers to bring in regulations that require these programs to allow children to speak to their parents or a trusted adult alone.

All of my outside contact was completely controlled, and they would always have a staff member sitting right next to me, Hilton said of her time in the programs.

So, if I said even one negative thing about facility, they immediately would hang up the phone and then I would be punished, and either physically beaten or thrown into solitary confinement.

Lawmakers praised Hiltons testimony throughout the hearing.

Ms Hilton, I want to thank you for your compelling and corageous testimony today, and the work youve been doing not only to highlight the problems youve faced, but the problems that many others face on a day-to-day-basis, Representative Mike Thompson said.

Ms Hilton, I first read about your story in Vanity Fair. I dont usually read that magazine, my wife does. She told me, You have to read this story. You wont believe what happened to her, Representative Mike Kelly said. You telling what happened to you...is absolutely incredible and opens up a whole new vision for the rest of us.

Hilton also shared a moment with Representative Claudia Tenney: I love your jacket, Hilton told the lawmaker. The sparkles are amazing.

I had a little bling here for today, Tenney responded.

Hilton also appeared before Congress in 2021, where she advocated for lawmakers to adopt a Bill of Rights for children in residential facilities.

On Wednesday she said that she hopes her testimony makes a difference in the lives of children like her.

Its an honor and a pleasure to be able to do this for the children who have no voice and be the hero that I needed when I was a little girl terrified in these places, she said.
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The Supreme Court rejected a multi-billion dollar bankruptcy plan that protects the Sackler family  the former owners of the pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma which is responsible for marketing and selling the opioid OxyContin  from civil lawsuits.

The Sackler family reached a nationwide $6 billion settlement through Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy for victims of the opioid crisis. That settlement, though, called for the Sacklers not to face future lawsuits.

In a 5-4 decision, justices said bankruptcy code does not permit a type of Chapter 11 reorganization plan that protects those who do not declare bankruptcy themselves.

Once more, the Sacklers seek greater relief than a bankruptcy discharge normally affords, for they hope to extinguish even claims for wrongful death and fraud, and they seek to do so without putting anything close to all their assets on the table, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic church used similar bankruptcy reorganization plans to protect individuals from civil lawsuits.

This means the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan, which initially had a $6 billion settlement for victims of OxyContin, will have to be sent back  something Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed to in his dissent as an unfortunate result for victims waiting for compensation.

Campaigners and family members of those who have died of opioids gather outside the US Supreme Court, Washington, DC, in December ( EPA )

For years, victims of the drug have been unable to receive compensation due to a legal back-and-forth the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma were engaged with.

Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families, Justice Kavanaugh wrote, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan.

He said the deviation from the long-established authority of bankruptcy courts results in opioid victims being deprived of the substantial monetary recovery that they long fought for and finally secured after years of litigation.

In 2019, Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy while facing a wall of lawsuits over OxyContin.

At the same time, the Sacklers withdrew $11 billion from Purdue Pharma and transferred it overseas with more than 40 percent of that going toward the companys taxes. The family also began removing themselves from the company board  distancing themselves.

In its proposed plan for reorganization, Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $1.2 billion in administrative expenses and payments to opioid victims. About 138,000 plaintiffs could receive anywhere between $3,500 and $48,000 over the next 10 years.

A campaigner holds a pill container whilst outside the US Supreme Court, Washington, DC, USA, 04 December 2023. The US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a bankruptcy case against Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin ( EPA )

In addition, the Sackler family agreed to contribute $6 billion to the plan, but would be free from opioid-related claims.

The government intervened, claiming the type of protections the Sacklers obtained in their plan were not warranted because the family was not in financial distress. They claimed the plan imposed on victims right to due process.

During oral arguments, Curtis Gannon, the deputy solicitor general, suggested the Supreme Court should ask Congress to narrow the scope of the protections to prevent these types of bankruptcy protections from continuing.

An attorney for Purdue Pharma argued that without the protections victims would not get the amount theyre owed because of the overwhelming number of lawsuits the Sackler family would be subject to. He highlighted that victims voted in favor of the plan  however, less than 20 percent of eligible people participated.

Millions of people in the U.S. have been impacted by the opioid epidemic.

Between 1999 and 2021, over 280,000 people died of overdoses involving prescription opioids, according to the CDC. In 2021 alone, the number of deaths involving prescription opioids was five times the number it was in 1999.

The Sackler families said in a statement that they, remain hopeful about reaching a resolution that provides substantial resources to help combat a complex public health crisis. The unfortunate reality is that the alternative is costly and chaotic legal proceedings in courtrooms across the country.

While we are confident that we would prevail in any future litigation given the profound misrepresentations about our families and the opioid crisis, we continue to believe that a swift negotiated agreement to provide billions of dollars for people and communities in need is the best way forward, the statement continued.

Harrington v Purdue Pharma is a bankruptcy case with implications for victims of the opioid crisis who wanted to sue the Sackler family for their part in falsely advertising Oxycontin.
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As speculation swirls around who former President Donald Trump will choose as his running mate, one of the potential VP picks will be at the debate in Atlanta tonight while several others are set to attend an RNC watch party for major donors.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will be at the debate, according to NewsNation. Meanwhile, the watch party hosted by former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler and her husband, businessman Jeff Sprecher, will be attended by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senators Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, and JD Vance, in addition to Representatives Elise Stefanik, Byron Donalds, and Wesley Hunt, according to an invitation shared by The Daily Caller.

The chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Michael Whatley, as well as RNC co-chair  and Trumps daughter-in-law  Lara Trump, will also attend the watch party.

The invitation states that the event is open to those who have contributed $100,000 to the Trump 47 Committee working to elect the former president to a second term. At the watch party, an additional $25,000 will get you preferred  dinner seating with VIP surrogates while $10,000 simply gets you a dinner seat.

Trump may appear at the watch party to give potential post-debate remarks, the invitation states, possibly depending on how the debate pans out for the former president.

Scott was included in early discussions of who might be chosen as Trumps VP but has recently fallen off the radar. Trump has said that he has chosen who his running mate will be and some reporting suggests he could reveal his choice ahead of tonights debate. However, he could also stick to the original timeline and share the news at the start of the Republican National Convention next month.

JD Vance, Doug Burgum, and Marco Rubio are all possible contenders to be Trumps running mate ( Getty )

Privately, Trump has narrowed his search to three contenders  Vance, Burgum, and Rubio, according to The New York Times. But he has also urged his advisors to keep up speculation about other possible candidates. Trump has also continued to ask for opinions on Carson and Scott.

Fox News announced this week that it would broadcast interviews with several contenders and their partners. Vances interview was shown on Wednesday, while Scott is scheduled to appear on Thursday, and Burgums interview is set to be shown on Monday. The interviews were initially planned to be shown later but the speculation regarding when an announcement might come prompted them to be moved up. The change in scheduling may have lost Rubio a chance to appear, The Times noted.

An advisor to a VP contender told the paper, Every single piece of information I have is coming from reporters  its maddening.

This is torturous. But Trump is clearly enjoying himself, another added.

Trump advisor Brian Hughes said in a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes.

He added: But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump.

Graham initially blasted Trump during the 2016 campaign but soon came around and ultimately became one of his closest allies. The South Carolina senator said he was done with Trump after the 2021 Capitol riot  but soon rescinded on that opinion.

Stefanik, the chair of the House Republican Conference, has gone from a moderate New York Republican to full-on MAGA blowhard during Trumps time as leader of the Republican Party. She is one of few women who have been part of speculations regarding who might be Trumps VP but appears to have dropped out of serious consideration a few weeks ago. The same goes for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, whos believed to have lost her chance when she revealed in a book that she shot and killed her misbehaving dog.

During the CNN debate, viewers in a number of media markets will see an ad outlining Bidens history of racially insensitive statements, Hunt said in a statement.

Hunt, a Black Republican from Texas and West Point graduate, said in a statement that Bidens career is littered with racially insensitive comments, discriminatory policies, and self-lauded partnerships with segregationists.

He added: And until she was chosen to be his running mate in 2020, Kamala Harris agreed.

The ad buy comes as the Trump campaign tries desperately to close the gap with Black voters.

Funded by Hunts Hellfire PAC, the ad will appear on CNN and Fox News in areas surrounding Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh  all cities in key states with large Black populations.
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A decision from the Supreme Courts conservative majority to severely rein in the ability of federal agencies to go after lawbreakers amounts to a power grab that strips authority away from Congress, according to liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Congress had no reason to anticipate the chaos todays majority would unleash after all these years, she wrote in her dissent in a ruling that diminishes the Securities and Exchange Commissions power to enforce laws against securities fraud.

Thursdays decision is another blow to federal agencies from the conservative majority, which decided that agency-led authorities violate offenders right to a trial by jury.

Beyond the majoritys legal errors, its ruling reveals a far more fundamental problem: This Courts repeated failure to appreciate that its decisions can threaten the separation of powers, Sotomayor wrote in her lengthy dissent, which she also read aloud from the bench.

Here, that threat comes from the Courts mistaken conclusion that Congress cannot assign a certain public-rights matter for initial adjudication to the Executive because it must come only to the Judiciary, she wrote.

Make no mistake, she added. Todays decision is a power grab.

Critics have long warned against a tide of legal threats from right-wing legal groups and business interests challenging enforcement powers from federal agencies, with litigation making their way to the Supreme Courts sympathetic conservative majority.

Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait in 2022. On June 27, the courts conservative majority ruled against federal agencies abilities to hold in-house enforcement actions against rulebreakers. ( AP )

The courts conservatives telegraphed their ruling during Novembers oral arguments in the case of Securities and Exchange Commission v Jarkesy, which asks whether agency-led tribunals violate the Seventh Amendments right to a jury trial.

The majoritys decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts threatens to derail how any regulatory agency  including the Federal Communications Commission and agencies protecting labor rights  will be able to enforce their authorities.

Congress would have to spend an unrealistic tens of billions of dollars to boost capacity and personnel for those agencies to be able to handle jury trials.

The majority today upends longstanding precedent and the established practice of its coequal partners in our tripartite system of Government, Sotomayor wrote. Because the Court fails to act as a neutral umpire when it rewrites established rules in the manner it does today, I respectfully dissent.

The case involved a challenge from hedge fund manager George Jarkesy, whose firm was ordered to pay a $300,000 penalty for misstatements and other violations in his communications with investors. The firm was also ordered to return nearly $685,000 for illicit gains.

His challenge  backed by Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, among others  landed at the conservative-dominated Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has operated as a pipeline for right wing-backed legal challenges that reach the nations highest court.
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Joe Biden and Donald Trump are due to face each on the debate stage on Thursday evening in Atlanta, Georgia, in their first head-to-head of the 2024 election cycle, hosted by CNN.

The event has already been hit by controversy after the network cut an interview with Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Monday when she questioned the political allegiance of moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, subsequently demanding an apology from anchor Kasie Hunt.

Trump has also been busy amplifying baseless conservative speculation that the president will be using performance-enhancing medication during the debate to keep him sharp, an allegation his allies leveled during Bidens State of the Union address in March as well.

Unusually, this is not the first time the American public has seen its two presidential candidates debate each other, as this years election is essentially a rematch of the Covid-blighted contest of 2020.

Biden and Trump debated four years ago at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29 and again at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22, with another scheduled in between but cancelled after the Republican tested positive for the coronavirus and then refused to participate remotely.

Here are the highlights from those face-offs.

Biden lays into Trump as a clown and liar

The first debate in Cleveland was rowdy and chaotic from the start, despite the best efforts of Fox News moderator Chris Wallace, with the former vice president to Barack Obama rebuking then-President Trump over his (mis)handling of the pandemic as things quickly got heated.

Folks, do you have any idea what this clown is doing? Biden said as they argued over healthcare.

The insults didnt stop there.

Biden calls Trump a 'clown during debate on healthcare

The fact is that everything hes saying so far is simply a lie, he complained when Trump baselessly claimed Biden had stolen the Democratic nomination from Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.

Im not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows hes a liar.

Elsewhere, the Democrat derided his opponent by saying: Youre the worst president America has ever had, cmon.

Will you shut up, man?

The acrimony continued as the two men talked over each other repeatedly, with Biden growing visibly frustrated after a series of interruptions from Trump.

The tension reached a fever pitch when the latter accused him of planning to pack the Supreme Court with the radical Left.

Finally losing his patience altogether, Biden hit back by saying: Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.

Biden tells Trump: Will you shut up, man?

Before the event was even finished, his campaign was already selling T-shirts bearing precisely that slogan.

Hillary Clinton enjoyed the line, but Bidens anger was genuine.

He later sighed sarcastically to Wallace, That was really a productive segment, wasnt it? before turning to Trump and derisively telling him: Keep yappin man.

Trump fails to denounce the Proud Boys

In a stunning moment, the sitting president of the United States, decades after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, declined to condemn white supremacist groups when prompted to do so by Biden and Wallace, apparently reluctant to lose out on their votes.

The best Trump could muster on national television was to tell the far-right organization the Proud Boys: Stand back and stand by.

Trump tells Proud Boys to stand back and stand by

Standing by, sir, was the groups response, prompting an outcry and forcing Trump to take back the remark the next day, unconvincingly claiming not to know who they were.

China ate your lunch

Trump also got in a few handy soundbites of his own, attacking the Obama administrations failure to counter aggressive commercial practices by the rival superpower before questioning how Bidens son, Hunter Biden, allegedly received $3.5 million after a trip to China with his father when he was vice president.

Biden warns of dark winter of Covid

The second debate in Nashville a month later was more civil in tone, with neither man wanting to be associated with the circus atmosphere of the first and mic muting wisely introduced by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Covid was still very much on the agenda and it was Biden, not the president, who issued a stark warning to the public.

Biden attacks Trump's coronavirus response

This is the same fellow who told you this was going to end by Easter last time, he said.

This is the same fellow who said, Dont worry, were going to end it by the summer. Were about to go into a dark winter and he has no clear plan.

Trump did say that he accepted responsibility for the situation  220,000 Americans had died of the coronavirus at the time, the death toll ultimately rising to 1.1 million  before quickly blaming China.

Release your tax returns

Biden attacked Trump over his failure to come clean about his finances and alluded to a report about the president having a secret bank account overseas.

The Republican again insisted, as he had throughout his presidency, that he could not do so because he was under audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which would not have stopped him putting out the documents even if it was true, claiming that the IRS had treated him very unfairly.

Blue states and red states

In an argument over who on Capitol Hill was responsible for holding up economic relief legislation in response to the pandemic, Trump blamed then-House speaker Nancy Pelosi while Biden said the presidents Republican friends were at fault.

Trump then described the bill submitted by House Democrats as a big bailout for badly run Democratic cities and states.

Biden leapt up on that to make a point about division, declaring: Look what hes doing. Blue states or red states  theyre all the United States!

Least racist person in the room

With Trump needing to roll back his failure to condemn white supremacy (and botched handling of both Charlottesville and the Black Lives Matter protests during his presidency), he backed Biden into an apology over his support for a 1994 crime bill associated with the mass incarceration of Black Americans.

Biden did so, making an impassioned appeal for Black and Hispanic support, before deriding Trumps own record on race, which prompted the above declaration.

It was the same defense the Republican had made after being criticised for describing Baltimore, a Black-majority city, as rodent-infested.
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Watch as Joe Biden arrived in Atlanta to face off against Republican rival Donald Trump the first 2024 presidential debate.

The pair will square off on Thursday 27 June at an unusually early debate that will offer voters a side-by-side look at the two oldest candidates ever to seek the countrys highest office.

The 90-minute televised debate, the first between a sitting president and a former one, will air at 9 pm ET (1am GMT on Friday) on CNN and is expected to draw a huge audience.

A record 84 million watched Mr Trumps first debate in 2016 against Hillary Clinton.

Both men enter this time around with political vulnerabilities that present a mix of risk and opportunity.

The debate takes place far earlier than normal - more than four months before the 5 November election day - and against a backdrop of national opinion polls showing the two men in a dead heat.

Mr Trump, 78, will take the stage as a felon who still faces a trio of criminal cases, including charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Meanwhile Mr Biden, 81, is under intense pressure to avoid verbal stumbles and deliver a forceful debate performance, after months of Republican assertions his faculties have dulled with age.
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A Vermont man who sued, saying his First Amendment rights were violated when he was arrested for giving the middle finger at a state trooper, reached a $1750,000 settlement.

Gregory Bombard ended the lawsuit against the state of Vermont and the Vermont State Police trooper on Wednesday, giving $100,000 to Bombard and $75,000 in legal fees, according to the ACLU and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represented Bombard.

Vermont State Police trooper Jay Riggen stopped Bombard in February 2018 because he believed the driver had extended and displayed his left middle finger over his steering wheel and understood to be a negative gesture directed at him, according to the 2021 complaint.

Bombard denied making the gesture and was free to go, the officer told him. But when the driver pulled away, he uttered something along the lines of a**hole and f*** you, and flipped his middle finger. Bombard was pulled over again and arrested for disorderly conduct.

He was held in jail for over an hour, where he was fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken.

Bombard sued for unconstitutional and retaliatory seizures, claiming violations of the First and Fourth Amendments.

Gregory Bombard settled a lawsuit with the Vermont State Police after he was arrested for disorderly conduct for flipping off a state trooper ( American Civil Liberties Union/Vt. State Police via AP )

The defendants did not admit any guilt, according to the settlement agreement.

Bombard said he hoped his suit would bring more change to the police departments policies.

With this settlement, I hope the Vermont State Police will train its troopers to avoid silencing criticism or making baseless car stops, he said in a statement. And at least now I can pay my criminal attorney for defending me from the bogus charges and take my 88-year-old mother out for a nice dinner.

The result of the case is bittersweet, Hillary Rich, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Vermont, said in a statement.

While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place. Police need to respect everyones First Amendment rightseven for things they consider offensive or insulting, Rich said.

The Vermont State Police toldThe Independent that Riggen retired from the department on May 31, but offered no comment on the settlement.
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Australia has recalled mushroom gummies after reports of consumers being rushed to hospital with "racing heartbeats" and "disturbing hallucinations".

Food Standards Australia New Zealand on Wednesday cautioned people against eating Uncle Frog's mushroom gummies due to people experiencing "unexpected toxicity".

At least five people have been treated in hospitals in New South Wales after consuming the "lion's mane" and "cordyceps" gummies since April, prompting the state's health department to issue a warning under the Public Health Act.

Queensland and Victoria have issued similar warnings.

The South Australian government said a teenage boy was found "in an unresponsive state" earlier this month after ingesting several gummies. The teenager was given treatment and has recovered, it added.

People reported a list of symptoms such as persistent vomiting, disturbing hallucinations, racing pulse, seizure-like activity and involuntary movement after consuming the gummies.

Laura Jones, a mother of three, said she started experiencing disturbing symptoms barely an hour after taking one gummy.

"I had to be taken to hospital by ambulance. I was tachycardic, my heart rate was at 160," Ms Jones told ABC.

She had bought the gummies online thinking they might help with her anxiety, only to suffer the"weirdest thing I had ever experienced".

"I felt really out of my body and I lost my short-term memory. It was a feeling of impending doom, she said.

"I felt, in all honesty, like I was going to die. I was thinking, 'What is going to happen to the kids?'

Uncle Frog, which was deregistered earlier this month, marketed itself as a business offering "specially formulated" gummies to "promote overall wellbeing", according to its archived website.

The company was registered in 2023 and listed 25-year-old Queensland man Rohan Bandil as the sole director and Brisbane as the principal place of business.

The product packaging said the gummies were "infused with earth's finest hemp" at "1,000mg per serve" and the website claimed the products were 100% legal in Australia.

Investigations are ongoing as to what these products contain. We are strongly recommending that people do not consume them," said Dr Darren Roberts, medical director at New South Wales Poisons Information Centre.

Mr Bandil issued an apology on Thursday. "We are really sorry that this happened to them, this was not the intention, he said.

The firm cancelled all orders and immediately stopped sales and issued a recall notice within an hour of being contacted by authorities about the presence of novel ingredients in the products, Mr Bandil said.

Lions mane and cordyceps are classified as "novel foods" that cant be sold in Australia under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Mr Bandil previously claimed he was only responsible for sales and distribution and that he had informed the "supplier" that "we don't want to work with you guys anymore, it's absolutely ridiculous".
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Conservative Australian lawmakers have raised concerns about portraying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a hero after he returned home following years of incarceration in the UK.

Mr Assange landed in Australia to an ecstatic welcome on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a single charge of violating the US Espionage Act.

The journalist reached a plea bargain with American prosecutors after spending more than five years in a British jail without trial as he fought a legal battle to avoid extradition to the US.

He had been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for seven years before being forcibly removed and arrested by the British police in April 2019.

After emerging from his plane to loud cheers, Mr Assange waved to a crowd that had gathered in Canberra before hugging and kissing his wife Stella. Supporters were heard shouting thank you Julian and we love you Julian as he stepped off the plane.

The Australian government maintained a cautious stance in support of Mr Assange even as senior political leaders like prime minister Anthony Albanese lobbied for his release.

Mr Assanges supporters and free speech advocates maintain that he has been victimised for exposing wrongdoing by American politicians and intelligence agencies and potential war crimes by its troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

WikiLeaks published reams of classified military and diplomatic documents incriminating American political and military leadership in 2010.

Julian Assange kisses his wife Stella Assange as he arrives in Canberra ( Reuters )

But Simon Birmingham, opposition leader in the Australian senate, said Mr Assange was no martyr and was never a political prisoner denied access to justice.

He cautioned Mr Albanese against meeting Mr Assange and said the journalists release could strain the countrys ties with the US.

However, foreign minister Penny Wong told ABC Radio that Mr Assanges release posed no threat to ties with America.

James Paterson, the oppositions home affairs spokesperson, told Sky News that Mr Assange had evaded lawful extradition requests by hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy and used his legal rights in Britain to challenge it over many years.

"He is now someone whos pled guilty to very serious national security offences, which are not just offences against the United States. Theyre offences against the Five Eyes intelligence gathering alliance, including Australia," he said.

Mr Albanese called Mr Assange to welcome him home. He said they "had a very warm discussion".

Julian Assange gives the thumbs up after arriving in Canberra ( Getty )

Mr Assanges incarceration has been a rare point of tension in Australias bilateral relations with the US.

Independent lawmaker Andrew Wilkie, co-chair of a parliamentary committee that advocated for his release, said the thorn had now been pulled out.

"For some time now, the incarceration of Julian Assange was a thorn in the side of that relationship, it was just niggling away on the margins," he said.

"That has now been fixed, so I now see reason to be very optimistic about the bilateral relationship.

The US State Department on Wednesday claimed its involvement in the resolution of Mr Assanges case was limited and reiterated its position, without offering any evidence, that his actions had put lives at risk even though the American judge who accepted his guilty plea said there had been no personal victim.

The White House was not in any way involved in the case, national security spokesman John Kirby said, adding it was a Department of Justice matter.

Additional reporting by agencies
MBABANE - A total of 364 temporary teachers have been hired on a permanent and pensionable basis. Government has since set aside E65 million for the conversion of temporary teachers to permanent positions and the employment of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) teachers into permanent positions. This was revealed by the Minister of Public Service, Mabulala Maseko, during a press conference at the ministrys offices yesterday. The conversion process started in the previous financial year, when a total of 942 temporary teachers were hired into permanent positions. Maseko said His Majestys government had, in the medium-term, endeavoured to absorb the ever-escalating number of temporary teachers in the Ministry of Education and Training into a permanent and pensionable establishment.

According to Maseko, this is an incremental process that began in the 2023/2024 financial year, whereby a total of 942 temporary teachers were converted into permanent and pensionable establishments; 686 of which were allocated to primary schools, 104 to secondary schools and 152 to high schools. Giving a breakdown of the figures, Maseko said a total of 284 temporary positions have already been converted to vacant and a total of 80 positions have been created, to further absorb temporary teachers into the permanent establishment. In total, 364 temporal teachers have been absorbed into the permanent establishment this financial year, Maseko said.

He assured the nation and all stakeholders of their commitment towards continuously converting the temporary teachers to permanent establishment on an annual basis, funds allowing, until the situation is fully normalised. On the same note, the Minister of Education and Training, Owen Nxumalo, said he was able to sleep at night following this development. Nxumalo said they were pained by seeing teachers engaged on temporary basis for a long time. He stated that teachers issues were also raised during Sibaya, where they were mandated to come up with solutions. The minister thanked Cabinet and Their Majesties for allowing them to assist emaSwati.Nxumalo further urged the teachers to work with diligence in executing their duties. Furthermore, he assured the nation that they were working hard to address food shortages in schools.

Delayed

Nxumalo explained that they were delayed by procurement processes; however, they were hopeful that it would not be for long. Meanwhile, the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG), Lot Vilakati, said they would always welcome a move that aimed at changing teachers lives. Vilakati said government needs to replace all the vacant permanent posts. According to Vilakati, they are only waiting for an announcement of about 4 000 new posts created for teachers, not the already existing ones.

It is wrong to engage someone temporarily for a permanent post.

We want all the 4 000 existing temporary posts to be converted into permanent positions, Vilakati said. Adding, he said they had expected government to employ 1 000 teachers this year, as the ministry had announced. He went on to criticise government for engaging the teachers in the middle of the year, saying that affects the ministrys operations. They have to start afresh their paperwork and it is a very tedious job. This should be done at the beginning of the year, he said. On diverse occasions, SNAT members marched to the Ministry of Public Service demanding government to hire at least 5 000 teachers on a permanent basis.
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Anti-immigration ideas pushed by the far-right in France are contributing to a rise in racism across the country, a report from the nations human rights commission has found.

Following Hamass attack on Israel on 7 October last year, the report found there has been a 284 per cent spike in antisemitic attacks, while tolerance is declining towards all minorities.

Published ahead of the first round of crunch elections at the weekend, that saw the far-right National Rally (RN) take the lead, the report warned of a European trend towards more extreme right-wing politics at the expense of equality, fraternity and freedom.

The snap elections were called by French president Emmanuel Macron after RN earned more than 30 per cent of the vote in European parliamentary elections at the start of June, soundly beating Mr Macrons centrist alliance. Exit polls on Sunday showed that the National Rally won 34.5 per cent of the vote.

RN, with its figurehead Marine Le Pen, are running on a platform that proposes restricting the rights of immigrants in France. Among their policies is the national preference plan, which would afford priority to those born in France when seeking employment or social benefits.

Following the reports publication, Marine Le Pens far right party took the first round in voting ( EPA )

Though the human rights commission report found that 69 per cent of those polled do not support the RNs national preference plan, they added that wider support for RN has allowed their more extreme policies to influence legislation. The report claimed that an immigration law proposed by the government in February 2023 contained echoes of the national preference, adding that the debates surrounding it amplified this xenophobic trend.

The national preference policy, they say, is in frontal opposition to the principles of equality, fraternity and freedom enshrined in the French constitution and will embolden racist opinions.

According to the report, 51 per cent of survey respondents from the general population said they dont feel at home in France anymore, compared to 43 per cent of French citizens last year. The commission said they believed this increase was linked to a rejection of immigration worsened by the prominence of the far-right. Support for this sentiment rises to 91 per cent among RN supporters, the report found.

When asked what was causing national insecurity, the reports authors found that 43 per cent of French residents blamed immigration, compared to 83 per cent of RN supporters.

The partys 28-year-old leader Jordan Bardella pledged to restore faith in France and its greatness in a recent public speech, suggesting that a cultural battle is necessary to achieve this.

Bardella, right, is a rising star of the right in France ( AP )

Ms Le Pen told regional newspaper Le Telegramme de Brest in an interview published last Thursday: Immigration is the elephant in the room. We dont know how much it costs.

Should RN become the single largest party in parliament in the wake of this election, taking place over two rounds of voting on 30 June and 7 July, Mr Bardella could assume the role of French prime minister in a power-sharing agreement known as cohabitation with Mr Macron. France has had three periods of cohabitation  when the president and government were from opposite political camps  in its post-war history.

On the choice of prime minister, the president has understood he doesnt have much of a choice, as Jordan Bardella will have a mandate from the French people, Ms Le Pen told Le Telegramme de Brest.

Opinion polls consistently suggest the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN has a comfortable lead, with a left-wing coalition in second place and Mr Macrons centrists in third. However, the big unknown is whether the RN can win an absolute majority of 289 seats or more in the National Assembly. The latest poll, published on Wednesday by Ifop, projected it and its allies would get 220 to 260 seats.

Ms Le Pen predicted Mr Macron would find this uncomfortable, even hinting that she thought he may throw in the towel early.

I dont know what his reaction will be. Given his arrogance, will he put up with it for long? she said.

Ms Le Pen also appeared to suggest Mr Bardella, as prime minister, will also take over at least some decisions on Frances defence and its armed forces. For the president, being head of the military is an honorific title as its the prime minister who holds the purse strings, she said.

Defence minister Sebastien Lecornu, hit back. The constitution is not honorific, he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, going on to quote a 1962 address by then president Charles de Gaulle on the head of states extensive powers.

Deputy foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the TV channel TF: How arrogant of Marine Le Pen to consider that the RN has already won the election.

Reuters contributed to this report
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The family of missing Jay Slater are sick with worry about their son - but are still holding out hope he may be found alive after disappearing in Tenerife.

But the story of an Irish tourist who also vanished on the Spanish island last year to be found alive a few days later suggests all may not be lost in the missing person search for Mr Slater.

Reports from last year tell of how Ryan Cooney, who was aged 28 at the time, was last seen leaving his hotel Paraiso del Sol apartments in Playa de las Americas on 9 November 2023.

His friends alerted the police after realising he had not returned, and that he had not taken his medication since the previous day.

Before going missing, he had been assaulted and robbed in the tourist hotspot, causing further concern among his family and friends.

In a statement, the Missing Persons Helpline Ireland said at the time: Ryan has two black eyes as he was attacked and the assailants took all his money and his phone. Hospitals and Police in Tenerife have been notified and the police also have his passport.

Jay Slaters family are holding out hope that he will be discovered alive ( Supplied )

They added the Irish Embassy in Madrid was providing assistance.

Ryans best friend, James Burke, said at the time as reported by The Irish Independent: Ryan, please you have me worried sick brother, I told you everything will be ok, please just come back please, Im begging you.

Similarly to the case of Mr Slater, his family and friends travelled out to Tenerife to assist in the search, and he was found safe and well on 13 November.

Following his discovery, his friend Mr Burke wrote: Words cant describe how Im feeling right now. This is unreal, this doesnt happen. Im so happy. Thank you so much to everyone, my best mate is found safe, hes coming home.

It comes as the family of Mr Slater, 19, continue their search alongside police and sniffer dogs in Tenerife after he disappeared on Monday 17 June after a night out.

Rescue workers continue to search for Mr Slater in the mountains ( Reuters )

After spending an evening with friends at the New Rave Generation festival in the Papagayo nightclub in the south of the island, Mr Slater travelled to the remote Masca village with two British men during the early hours of the morning.

His friend last spoke to him at around 8.15am the following morning, in which he told her he was dehydrated, lost, and only had one per cent phone battery.

An eyewitness said he had asked for bus timings, before deciding to make the 11-hour trek out of the mountain region. Spanish police have spent the last several days combing the rugged terrain searching for a trace of the apprentice bricklayer.

His family and friends have flown out to Tenerife to support the investigation, with his father seen pinning up posters to raise awareness of his sons disappearance.
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Hundreds of the pilgrims who died in fierce heat at this years haj were not officially registered with the Saudi authorities, with the result that many had no access to vital services like air-conditioned buses and cool-off tents.

The deaths highlight a looming challenge for organisers as climate change takes hold in the region: the practice of requiring official permits for such services is stirring concern that unregistered pilgrims could increasingly be exposed to life-threatening temperatures.

At the same time, high prices for official haj packages are driving some Muslims to take cheaper unofficial routes to the ritual, even though these lack the crucial permits, and to exploit an easing of curbs on some other kinds of Saudi visas.

The unregistered pilgrims lack of a permit made it difficult to provide them with services and care, the security spokesman for Saudis Ministry of Interior, Colonel Talal bin Shalhoub, said in an interview on Saudi TV channel al-Arabiya.

Critics of the government say all pilgrims, whatever their status, should be protected from heat, and allege the authorities this year cracked down on unauthorised attendees.

This focus on registered visit versus unregistered is a red herring ... If you are there and you need help, you should get access to it, said Khalid al-Jabri, a physician who worked for the Saudi security agency that oversees haj and is currently part of the Saudi opposition in exile.

Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun as they arrive at the base of Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the annual hajj pilgrimage ( AFP via Getty Images )

Saudi Arabias international media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Saudi Arabias health minister, Fahad Al-Jalajel said in a statement that health authorities provided services to unregistered pilgrims on 141,000 occasions during the haj.

But he acknowledged that unregistered pilgrims walked long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort, and added that 83% of the 1,301 fatalities were among unregistered pilgrims.

Pilgrims said those without permits had to walk at times in temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), while most registered pilgrims were able to make much of the journey by air-conditioned bus.

A Reuters witness said he saw thousands walking on the highway near Mina, a vast tent city on the way to Mecca, rather than using buses like most registered pilgrims. Pilgrims told Reuters that Saudi officials routinely checked buses before departure to ensure only registered pilgrims were aboard.

Almost two million pilgrims made their way to Mecca this year to perform haj rites as taught by the Prophet Mohammad to his followers 14 centuries ago.

It is not known how big the influx of unauthorised pilgrims was. But Saudi Director of Public Security Mohammed bin Abdullah al-Bassami said this month the kingdom had deported 171,587 people who were not residents of Mecca, in apparent reference to people caught trying to perform haj without a permit. Heat-related deaths along the haj are not new, but climate change has made haj increasingly dangerous.

Muslim pilgrims gather at the top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat ( AP )

A 2021 study found that if the world warms by 1.5 C (2.7 F) above pre-industrial levels, heat stroke risk for pilgrims on the haj will be five times greater. The world is on track to reach 1.5 C of warming in the 2030s.

Its a situation that is only getting worse with time, said Elfatih Eltahir, co-director of the Jameel Observatory and a professor at MIT, who published a paper on the dangers of heat stress for pilgrims in 2019.

Despite such worrying climate projections, Saudi Arabia has said it wants to expand the numbers of religious tourists, aiming to welcome 30 million pilgrims for haj and the year-round pilgrimage umra annually by 2030, as part of its broader strategy to wean the economy off oil.

In 2019, Saudi Arabia earned about $12 billion annually from haj and umra, according official data.

Haj tours can cost from $5,000 to $10,000 per person, and the price is part of the reason many take unofficial packages.

Finances are...a huge factor, said Khaled El Sherbini, the owner of an Egypt-based tour agency. He said an Egyptian could do haj unregistered for 30,000 or 40,000 EGP ($622-$829), a fraction of an official package costing about 300,000 EGP ($6,222.78). In 2018 a haj package would have cost about $3,000.

The kingdom is determined to protect official haj packages. Ahead of the pilgrimage, its interior ministry said those caught transporting an unregistered pilgrim would face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 50,000 riyals ($13,000).

An Egyptian crisis unit tasked with investigating the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims said on Saturday it suspended licences of 16 tourism companies and referred them for prosecution.

Pilgrims who bought lower-end packages told Reuters they were packed into crowded tents with 80 to 200 people and limited cooling. Alia Asma, an Indian pilgrim, said that she had to walk longer distances than those who bought more expensive tours.

The rich can afford luxurious apartments and the poor come into the tents, said Irhan al-Alawi, the executive director of the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation.
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Israel has warned it could send Lebanon back to the Stone Age as it prepares to transfer thousands of troops from war-torn Gaza to its northern border  with fears growing of a war with Hezbollah.

During a visit to Washington to meet US officials, defence minister Yoav Gallant said Israel was keen to avoid another war with the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah  after weeks of trading fire with increasing frequency  but added that it was within the countrys power to destroy its neighbour if it needed to.

We dont want to get into a war, because its not good for Israel, Mr Gallant said. We have the ability to take Lebanon back to the Stone Age, but we dont want to do it.

His comments came just two days after Benny Gantz  the former Israeli army chief who, until his resignation earlier this month, was one of three members of the war cabinet that was convened to oversee the war in Gaza  made a similar threat.

We can plunge Lebanon completely into the dark, and take apart Hezbollahs power in days, Mr Gantz said on Tuesday during a conference in Herzliya, a city just north of Tel Aviv.

The previous day, Benjamin Netanyahu had said that the Israeli military would soon look to transfer some forces north from Gaza to shore up the border with Lebanon, as the most intensive phase of its Gaza offensive comes to an end.

In his first interview with Israeli media since the Hamas attack inside Israel on 7 October, Mr Netanyahu said the transfer was first and foremost for defensive purposes, but the situation on Israels northern border remains unstable.

Israels defence minister Yoav Gallant stands during an honour cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia ( Getty )

A man protects his eyes from smoke as civilians try to put out fires caused by multiple Israeli strikes that hit targets next to the main road in Bint Jbeil, Lebanon ( Getty )

The Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people, with another 250 taken hostage. Israels ensuing offensive against Hamas, the organisation that runs the Gaza Strip, has killed more than 37,700 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry.

Across Israels northern border in Lebanon, where Hamas-allied Hezbollah has vowed to fight Israel until it ends its war in Gaza, at least 481 people, including 94 civilians, have died since October, according to AFP. On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have died, according to Israel.

The comments issued by the three politicians were a rare sign of unity between the former members of Israels now-dissolved war cabinet, which included Mr Gallant, Mr Gantz, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as three observing members.

Mr Gantz quit alongside secondary member Gadi Eisenkot over Mr Netanyahus failure to put forward a long-term plan for the war in Gaza.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with senior US officials in Washington, Mr Gallant said he had discussed with his US counterparts Israels day after proposals for the governance of post-war Gaza, and that this would involve local Palestinians, regional partners and the US, though he added that it would be a long and complex process.

Humanitarian aid organisations have warned that a shortage of medical and food supplies in Gaza could kill countless more Palestinians while border crossings remain shut.

Palestinian children await medical treatment at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip after they were reportedly given permission by the Israeli army to leave the besieged Palestinian territory ( AFP via Getty )

Twenty-one critically ill children were set to leave Gaza on Thursday in the first medical evacuation since the territorys sole travel crossing was shut down in early May, Palestinian officials said.

Family members bid a tearful goodbye to the children as they and their escorts left the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, bound for the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing into Israel.

But speaking at a press conference at Nasser Hospital, Dr Mohammed Zaqout, the head of Gazas hospitals, said that more than 25,000 patients in Gaza require treatment abroad, including some 980 children with cancer, a quarter of whom need urgent and immediate evacuation.

He described the evacuation of 21 children as a drop in the ocean, adding that the complicated route through Kerem Shalom and into Egypt cannot serve as an alternative to the Rafah crossing, a much larger route further west.
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Two asteroids, including one large enough to end civilization, will hurtle past our planet this week.

Researchers have given the 7,600 foot-long celestial object  the larger of the space rocks  the catchy name (415029) 2011 UL21. Its nickname is Planet Killer: a title given to asteroids which are at least 6300-foot wide.

It will fly past planet Earth at 58,000 miles per hour at approximately 4.14pm ET at a distance more than 17 times further away than the moon. Its size and proximity to the planet has seen Nasa brand it a potentially hazardous asteroid. Only those with a powerful telescope will catch a glimpse of the spectacle.

The smaller 400-to-850-foot asteroid, 2024 MK, will zip past much closer at about 75 per cent the distance of the moon on Saturday at 9.46am ET. Eagle-eyed stargazers in the US southwest might be able to make out the near-Earth object, given the right conditions.

Those opting to trek up to Hawaiis Mauna Kea volcano might also be able to see 2024 MK zoom by before sunrise.

Visualization of (415029) 2011 UL21s orbit by the European Space Agency ( European Space Agency )

But even with good equipment and cloud-free skies, its no mean feat for amateur astronomers, says Dr Juan Luis Cano, a member of the Planetary Defense Office at the European Space Agency.

The object will be moving fast, so you have to have some skills to spot it, he told The New York Times.

Anybody that misses the celestial fly-over, fret not. A 1,100-foot long asteroid named Apophis is due to fly so close to the Earths surface that its visible with the naked eye.

On April 13, 2029, the asteroid is expected to fly at less than 20,000 miles away from the planet, which is closer than the orbits of geosynchronous satellites.

Both 2024 MK and its big brother (415029) 2011 UL21 will be precisely tracked and measured as they are pinged by radar arrays on Earth.

Saturdays flyover comes the day before Asteroid Day, a United Nations-endorsed event with the purpose of raising awareness of asteroid impacts.

While more asteroids are discovered each year, most capable of destroying an entire region are yet to be found.

For planetary defence researchers, it has become a race against time: finding the asteroids before they find Earth.

Researchers are hopeful more planet killers will be unearthed thanks to a duo of asteroid-hunting space telescopes under construction. These include Nasas Near-Earth Object Surveyor spacecraft and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

Astronomers only discovered 2024 MK  which is at least twice the length of a space rock that in 1906 levelled an area the size of Washington DC in Siberia  on June 16.

The case of 2024 MK is yet another reminder about the fact that there are a lot of large objects still to be found, Dr Cano told the outlet.
Julian Assanges wife, Stella, visited Australias Parliament House on Thursday 27 June to thank lawmakers after the WikiLeaks founder was freed this week.

On Mr Assanges first full day back in Australia, his wife and legal counsel again thanked those parliamentarians  especially the prime minister  and supporters whose 14-year campaign resulted in his release.

The 52-year-olds freedom followed a court appearance on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to one charge of espionage and was sentenced to time already served.

Speaking a day later, Ms Assange said she was eternally grateful to everyone who pushed for her husbands release.
Kemi Badenoch vowed that she will never going to shut up about the divisive agenda of diversity politics as she spoke at The British Chambers of Commerce annual conference on Thursday, 27 June.

The equalities minister told an audience that Labours vision of the future economy is one that micromanages your businesses to meet their political objectives and that includes  my favourite topic of course  the divisive agenda of identity politics.

It came after David Tennant said he wished the Conservative politician would shut up and suggested he hoped for a world in which she doesnt exist anymore, while she fired back that he was a bigot in a row over LGBTQ+ rights.
Nairobi police used tear gas on Thursday, 27 June, amid a heavy security deployment ahead of planned protests against a controversial finance bill.

Footage showed at least one woman appearing to be injured, rubbing her eyes and then appearing to collapse.

Demonstrations are scheduled to take place despite the Kenyan presidents decision not to sign off on the bill after the legislation prompted deadly chaos in the capital and saw protesters storming and burning part of the parliament building.

Deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has urged protesters to call off planned protests and give dialogue a chance.
An Bord Pleanala has given the green light to contentious plans for a 181-unit apartment development  dubbed a Silicon Docks-style scheme  for Harolds Cross in Dublin.

The planning permission by the appeals board overturns the decision by Dublin City Council to refuse planning permission to Adroit Company Ltd for the large scale residential (LRD) scheme that consists of four apartment blocks rising between four and seven storeys at Harolds Cross Road.

The council refused planning permission due to flooding concerns and access issues.

Over 40 submissions were lodged in respect of the LRD scheme when it was before the council  and in his submission, the owner of the Mount Jerome crematorium, Alan Massey of Gate Lodge, Mount Jerome stated that this proposed development looks like a modern Silicon Docks development of the Dublin Port area that has landed in Harolds Cross. It is totally out of character with the immediate and surrounding area.

Now, the appeals board has granted planning permission after Adroit lodged a comprehensive 123-page appeal to An Bord Pleanala.

Consultants for Adroit, Armstrong Fenton Associates, argued that the refusal was unwarranted and the delivery of the scheme will take place in tandem with a flood alleviation programme.

The Harolds Cross Village Community Council and the residents of Parnell Road were just two of 11 parties to restate their opposition to the scheme.

In dealing with the reason for the council refusal, the appeals board has imposed a condition that no part of the scheme shall be occupied until the completion of the River Poddle Flood Alleviation Scheme.

As part of her 115-page report into the case, appeals board inspector Irene McCormack said the proposed density complies with government policy to increase densities on under-utilised lands within core urban areas, in order to promote consolidation and compact growth, prevent further sprawl and address the challenges of climate change.

Ms McCormack also stated that the scheme will introduce a new form and height to the area.

She said: I am satisfied that the proposed building heights and their stepped arrangements will avoid any abrupt transitions in scale and height from neighbouring residential dwellings.

The board stated that the scheme is located at a well-served urban location.
There was a 14pc jump in e-commerce parcels, while higher footfall contributed to an 11pc rise in retail income

Delivered: The Exo Building will be the tallest office block in Dublin. An Post will have six floors of office space

Revenues have increased at An Post due to the growth in e-commerce, higher post office income, and the introduction of price increases.

The revenues were 992.9m last year, up 4pc from a year earlier. An Post recorded a 14pc jump in e-commerce parcels, while higher footfall at local post offices contributed to an 11pc rise in retail income. The company operates 901 post offices across the country.

A number of price increases were also introduced during the year, which An Post said offset a 6.1pc decline in letter volumes.

CEO David McRedmond justified the increase in the price of stamps on the basis that the postal system is a fixed-cost network. If I delivered three letters to you this time last year and Im just delivering two to you now, Im not saving any money. The cost of delivery is the same, he told the Irish Independent.

He added that prices rises are now pretty standard across Europe, and that An Posts are still much at, or below, EU average.

Mr McRedmond revealed that the Government has contacted An Post in relation to the reduction in TV licence sales, so we are having discussions with them.

Financially, we now make a loss on the collections and thats nothing to do with us. Thats because of the well-publicised issues around RTE and people not paying for licences, he said.

Youll see in our numbers we issued 15pc fewer licences last year and the real impact was from the middle of last year when we were seeing reductions of about 25pc. Its kind of levelled out now: people are still buying TV licences and paying for them.

An Post sold its investment in the National Lottery, along with other shareholders, for 17.4m last year. The original investment was 25m, but over the course of its involvement An Post got 46m in cash dividends.

The accounting loss of 16.7m in these financial statements reflects a deficit against a carrying value at the time of the disposal, its annual report explained.

Last year, too, the company relocated its headquarters and 900 staff from the GPO on OConnell Street to the EXO Building at North Wall Quay in the docklands.

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) doubled year-on-year to 38.5m.

An Post recorded a net profit before exceptional items of 9m without any state subsidy. It also repaid a 30m loan to the Government over the year, with the groups debt dropping to 39m.

Post offices, which provide banking services for AIB and Bank of Ireland customers, delivered 2.4bn in transaction value across the year. This reflected 6 million transactions in total, a jump of 13pc on 2022 levels.

An Post says it added 23,000 new current-account customers in 2023, while the value of its loans rose by almost a quarter. About 52.7 million parcels were delivered in 2023, reflecting an average of 23 parcels per address. This was up 14pc from a year earlier.

The number of parcel returns also rose by 27pc in 2023, An Post reported.

Growth of 18pc has already been recorded so far this year, with Irish companies accounting for the same parcel volume as Amazon, according to An Post. It says about 60m was collected in Customs revenue on behalf of the State.

The State Savings deposits, which An Post manages on behalf of the NTMA, stood at 25bn.

An Post is a vibrant commercial business that I am proud to say has returned to growth and positive cash-flow with improved profitability, having completed the first phase of our company transformation, delivering on our key strategic objectives, and all with no State subsidy, Mr McRedmond said.

Financial year 2023 shows a doubling of the Ebitda operating performance. This represents a return to more normalised profit in the post-pandemic period,  added chief financial officer Peter Quinn.

The company says it has introduced a new strategy for the coming five years, with a focus on growing the e-commerce business, reducing emissions, and introducing guaranteed next-day delivery.

An Post plans to invest 200m from internally generated resources in its Green Light 2028 plan, and envisages new revenue generation of 260m-300m to offset declining letter volumes. It says it is on target to become a 1bn company with 100m Ebitda by 2028.
Google Ireland has said it intends to apply to South Dublin County Council for planning permission to extend its data storage centre at Grange Castle Business Park.

The tech giant says it wants to develop a 72,400 square metre data storage facility, which the application says will incorporate data halls, with associated support areas, a high voltage compound as well as offices and staff facilities.

The development will also include a new active travel thoroughfare connecting Grange Castle Business Park South with Profile Park Road.

A spokesperson for Google told the Irish Independent: We have issued the formal notice that we will be submitting a planning application to expand our existing data centre in Ireland. This application reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting the growing demand for our services and supporting Ireland's digital economy."

Asked how big an investment this would represent, or how many jobs would be created, the spokesperson: Unfortunately we are not in a position to share.

Google opened its first data centre at Grange Castle ten years ago. The business park now plays host to several data centres linked to other tech companies. They include CyrusOne, Digital Realty, Equinix, Amazon and Microsoft.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

Vantage is due to open its first operation in Ireland there, with an investment of more than 1bn.

The website of South Dublin County Council says: One of the worlds leading ICT players, Google calls Grange Castle International Business Park home. Google commenced development of a 30,000sq meter data centre facility at Grange Castle Park in 2014.

Four years later Google announced it was investing 150m on a second data centre there, a facility that would create about 400 jobs at peak during its construction. At the time it brought Googles total capital investment in Ireland to 1bn since 2003.

Earlier this year Google appointed Vanessa Hartley as its Ireland country lead, following the departure of Adaire Fox-Martin who had become CEO of Equinix.

Data centres are an increasingly contentious issue due to concerns over the amount of energy they consume. In 2022, South Dublin County Council was told by the Government to drop its ban on their development in the region, saying it was not in tune with national policy.

Data centres now consume close to 20pc of the power on the Irish electricity grid, but the Government has remained supportive of them, due to the amount of employment that Big Tech firms in Ireland create.

Last year Microsoft got planning permission to operate a gas-powered plant at the site of its data centre in Grange Castle, with the aim of reducing the energy demands it places on the national grid.

Google and other large tech companies have applied for licences to run other types of on-site power generators, as a way of reducing the consumption of their data centres.

The International Energy Agency has previously forecast that electricity demand in Ireland will increased by 7pc a year until 2026, the highest rate in Europe, and driven by the needs of data centres. It has been estimated that the centres could consume up to 30pc of all electricity supply by 2030.
The Government needs to focus on building future prosperity rather than having one last giveaway budget, according to employers group Ibec.

In a pre-budget submission released yesterday, Ibec laid out proposals for a 4.6bn spending package but said the Government needs to resist the urge to offer temporary giveaways to Irish households ahead of the general election.

Ibec noted that existing spending commitments already limit what is available for budget-day spending. This includes resources committed to the Future Ireland fund, the Contingency Reserve, and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature fund.

The lobby group urged the Government to focus on competitiveness in Budget 2025, as challenges emerge around state-driven investment competition, geopolitical tensions and decreasing trading openness.

Fergal OBrien, Ibecs executive director of lobbying and influence, said multinationals have indicated there is a sense of policy complacency about the success of inward investment.

It is recommending that the entry point to the higher rate of income tax should increase to 46,000 a year, while tax credits should increase by 100 for single earners and 200 for married couples and civil partners.

The group noted that Irish energy costs are significantly higher than those in other EU countries. It called on the Government to undertake a benchmarking exercise to find out why this is.

Ibec also proposed a number of actions related to the delivery of net-zero carbon targets in Ireland, including the introduction of a carbon contracts scheme targeted at industrial companies and a super deduction capital allowance for business investments in environmental areas.

Investments in critical infrastructure and affordable housing should also increase in the upcoming budget, Ibec said. There should be a further extension of the development contribution waiver beyond the end of this year. This is a waiver on levies payable to local councils for new residential developments. Housing targets should increase to 20,000 social, affordable and cost rental units each year by the end of the decade.

Every indication is that the Government will likely have less money for Budget 2025 than in recent years, if they are to align with domestic fiscal rules, Mr OBrien said, adding that there is a natural pre-election temptation to provide benefits for Irish households.

This approach would pose a considerable risk to the stability of public finances in the future given the current global context and obvious gaps in economic and infrastructural capacity in the economy, he said.
The States stake in AIB has fallen to 25.5pc after the Government announced the successful sale of another part of its shareholding in the bank.

The disposal was done by way of a placing in an accelerated book building process to institutional investors.

The deal saw the Department of Finance dispose of approximately 5pc of the issued ordinary capital of AIB at a price of 4.90 a share.

Minister for Finance Jack Chambers said today that the gross proceeds from the sale will be 593m, with this price 24.7pc higher than the previous transaction last November.

Around 16.1bn has been returned to the State from its investment in AIB to date, Mr Chambers added.

The Government has been gradually reducing its ownership in the bank in recent years. It was forced to nationalise AIB in 2011 due to huge losses resulting from bad loans during the Celtic Tiger.

When the deal is settled, this will be returned to the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.

The minister has also undertaken not to sell further shares in the company for 90 days.

Mr Chambers said that the transaction was well received, with strong demand recorded from a large number of high quality international institutional investors.

We continue to make significant progress in reducing the States shareholding in AIB and this is evident in this shareholding reducing from c. 71pc at the beginning of 2022 to c. 25.5pc today meaning the free float in AIB has now increased to 74.4pc which will be important for the attractiveness of the bank to institutional investors, he said.

Mr Chambers added that the Government wants to continue to normalise the relationship between the State and the bank.

It remains this Governments belief that banking in the main is an activity that should be provided by the private sector, he said.

AIB chief executive Colin Hunt said the bank welcomed the transaction.

This well-supported transaction is another important milestone in the normalisation of the share register and will yield a further c. 593m for the Irish taxpayer to whom AIB owes an immense debt of gratitude for its support during the financial crisis, he said.
The main reasons for changing employers included personal wellbeing or the mental-health impact of a job

The number of Irish workers changing jobs has risen to its highest level in three years, according to the latest Microsoft Ireland Work Trend Index.

The survey of 650 workers across most sectors found that almost one in four had moved employer in the past year.

This was up from 19pc the previous year and from 14pc in 2022.

Just under half of workers said they hoped to make extra income in a side hustle

These findings show the strength of the labour market, with the unemployment rate currently standing at 4pc.

It means that workers are more confident about securing a new role if they are unhappy with their current job.

Microsoft found that the main reasons for changing employers included personal wellbeing or the mental-health impact of a job, as well as a lack of promotion opportunities, pay rises and an unsatisfactory work-life balance.

The trend was driven by younger workers, according to the report.

More than half of Gen Z workers (born after 1997) had left their job in the past year.

This was also reflected in the millennial generation (born 1981-96), with over a third of these workers also making the decision to move to a new position.

Half of workers surveyed also revealed they are considering switching organisations within their industry in the next 12 months.

86pc of younger millennials said they found hybrid working challenging

Just under half of respondents said they were hoping to make extra income from their own business, or through a side hustle in the coming year.

A number of workers highlighted some of the disadvantages associated with hybrid working.

The number of workers feeling isolated, demotivated and out of touch as a result of remote working increased by 5pc year-on-year.

About 86pc of younger millennials stated that they found at least one aspect of hybrid working challenging, the Microsoft report says.

Workers in Ireland are less concerned than elsewhere about the impact AI will have on their roles. Just under 20pc said they were worried about AI, far lower than the surveys global average of 45pc.

However, AIs adoption rate of 29pc in Ireland also fell well below the global average of 75pc, which suggests a lack of access according to Microsoft.

For the last three years, workers are saying they are overwhelmed  impacted by poor work-life balance, and for some, a sense of disconnect through hybrid working, Microsoft Ireland chief operating officer Ronan Geraghty said.

This draws a parallel with the increasingly transient nature of our workforce and now an emerging trend of many seeking additional ways of earning income.
Thomas Leysen rules out paying trophy asset price for Britains Telegraph titles

Thomas Leysen received an honorary doctorate from Queens University for services to business and commerce

Consolidation and winning readers trust are crucial to preserve journalism in the digital age, the chairman of Irish Independent publisher Mediahuis has said.

Prominent Belgian industrialist Thomas Leysen was speaking in Belfast in advance of receiving an honorary doctorate from Queens University for services to business and commerce.

Mediahuis became a major player in the Irish newspaper market when it bought Independent News & Media (INM) in 2019. Mediahuis also owns titles in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.

The Leysen familys interests in the group began in 1976, when Mr Leysens late father Andre joined others in the rescue of bankrupt Belgium newspaper De Standaard.

His memories of that time are vivid.

He wanted to preserve the newspaper for the community, so he stepped in to rescue it  thats how my family got into publishing

I still remember that the newspaper stopped being published for one day because of the bankruptcy. But then the rescue went into effect  and so it was a great moment when my father pushed the printing presses to get the presses rolling again.

Mr Leysen, now a Doctor of Science in Economics, said the companys acquisition of INM had been driven by its strong belief in consolidation.

It was a great moment when my father pushed the printing presses to get the presses rolling again

To preserve journalism in an age of digital transition is an arduous task  and to be successful takes scale, to be as efficient as possible on the digital side.

We have set out on a strategy to be one of the consolidators of the news industry in Europe, because if you have that scale, you can preserve journalism. Otherwise, a lot of regional brands and news brands come under pressure. We see that in a variety of countries.

Mediahuis chair Thomas Leysen. Photo: Stephen Hamilton

Mediahuis had acquired titles in the Netherlands before turning its sights to Ireland and INM.

We saw that INM was a once-great publishing company that for a number of reasons had lost its way a bit, and we felt we could play a constructive role so we approached the then shareholders.

Five years after the acquisition, digital subscription figures for Mediahuiss Irish titles have soared. The Belfast Telegraph has one of the biggest digital subscriber bases among UK regional titles.

This is out of this relatively small community here in Northern Ireland  so it shows that with the talents that were here, together with the talents of Mediahuis worldwide, we can do good things.

But he described the media landscape in the North as relatively fragmented with three daily newspapers for a small population. You also have some purely digital initiatives and you have a big role for the BBC, so it is in a way a very competitive media landscape.

But we are really proud of the titles we have and we have the strength to continue and to continue to develop.

As for the acquisition of another Northern Ireland title?

I wouldnt totally exclude it, but thats not what we are focused on right now.

We are really proud of the titles we have

And a bid for the UKs Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, which are due to be auctioned next month, is probably not going to be for us.

Mediahuis was linked to a possible purchase of the titles.

The prices which have been mooted are really very high, and its maybe seen by some as a trophy asset or an element of political influence.Were not in that business. Were in the business of trying to ensure that trustworthy journalism can flourish and that we make a viable business case out of it.

He said he did not expect the UK government to protect newspapers.

I think we have to stand on our own two feet and not to rely too much on government intervention in the market. I think we have to play our role as a free and independent press.

If I have one concern, it is that a degree of a level playing field is preserved. And in the digital space, the BBC is obviously competing with us.

If I have one concern, it is that a degree of a level playing field is preserved

We have to fund our journalism by subscriptions or advertising revenue and the BBC is taxpayer-funded  so thats a bit of an issue. We have to be attentive and we have to hope that there is intention of the government not to make it too difficult for the private players to survive in the digital age.

He said ensuring Mediahuis titles were a trusted news source was crucial. The company has signed up to The Trust Project, an organisation which measures transparency and trustworthiness.

Its one thing talking about trust in journalism and earning the trust of our readers  but things like The Trust Project, where theres specific methodology to measure the trust readers put in your titles, make it more tangible.

Its really important that we measure how the trust in our titles evolves and that we really strive to earn and deserve trust in the quality of our journalism and the reliability and transparency of how we operate.

He said he was honoured to receive his doctorate from Queens.

Im really pleased by it, and it certainly cements my emotional link with Belfast. Its something special that I will treasure and which will give me an additional reason to come back to Belfast from time to time.
Falling birth rates: is there anything to be said for another mass?

Amid fears of a population collapse, demographer Paul Morland proposes ways to prevent it, with varying degrees of persuasiveness

Question of religion: In the UK, Catholic women have half a child more than their secular peers

David W Higgins Thu 27 Jun 2024 at 03:30







Everyone is talking about population these days. Elon Musk has warned of population collapse while Emmanuel Macron speaks of the need for Frances demographic rearmament. Sharp language defines a discourse that barely existed some years ago. Go back decades and the population bomb dominated world thinking. We were once on course for too many people, not too few.
Jeremy Renner has shared his hesitance to tackle demanding acting roles as he recuperates from a severe snowplough accident.

The Avengers star (53) is continuing his comeback after the serious accident last year that left him with more than 30 broken bones.

The actor was injured on January 1, 2023, while trying to help his nephew, who was trying to free his car from the snow, when the plough began to roll down the hill, according to a police report.

Appearing on the Smartless podcast, the Hawkeye actor admitted he felt very scared about returning to acting, saying he does not have the energy to tackle challenging roles as he still grapples with his recovery 18 months on.

I just dont have the energy for it. I dont have the fuel. I have so much fuel to put into this reality, this body, all this stuff, Renner said.

I cant just go play make-believe right now. Because that takes a lot of time to get right here every day just so I can have a positive thought, so I can progress, so I can always keep growing.

Read more Jeremy Renner joins Knives Out sequel after snowplough accident

Because Im to do, like, f**king fiction? Im still trying to live in reality, Im trying to live. So it was a hard line for me to cross. It was a big stretch. It was very, very challenging for me mentally to get over that hump.

In January, Renner reprised his role as power broker Mike McLusky for the filming of the third season of the Paramount+ crime thriller Mayor of Kingstown, a year after his accident happened.

However, the Hollywood star said he is still recovering from his extensive injuries.

I still struggle with it sometimes, like, I dont take it super seriously. Im in a character that I can do very well and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to kind of slide back into it, he said.

But if it was a very challenging role, I couldnt have taken it. Not challenging in the sense that  because the shows challenging  but its if I had to go play [Jeffrey] Dahmer or something, something so far from me.

Despite this, it was recently announced that Renner will join Daniel Craig in the new Knives Out film set for release in 2025.
In cinemas; Cert 18

Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe in KINDS OF KINDNESS. Photo by Atsushi Nishijima. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.  2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

The Yorgos Lanthimos circus is back in town. Weve barely had time to catch our breath since the last run  it has, after all, been just six months since Poor Things, Lanthimoss demented, award-winning fairy tale premiered in Irish cinemas.

Some of us are still getting our heads around that angular, absurd fantasy, for which the awesome Emma Stone collected a Best Actress Oscar. She deserved it too but is the world ready for another trippy Lanthimos joint? Maybe.

Its worth remembering that Kinds of Kindness, a so-called triptych fable full of weird ideas and weirder protagonists, is the first original Lanthimos feature since 2017s The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

On Poor Things, everyones favourite Greek filmmaker had Tony McNamara adapting an Alasdair Gray novel. On The Favourite, McNamara and Deborah Davis collaborated on the screenplay. Here, the acclaimed director is back in the writing chair. So too is his old pal, Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster, Dogtooth).

These are important details. Lanthimos is an extraordinary manager of other peoples stories but its when he gets to tell his own that his films truly soar.

Kinds of Kindness is by no means his best work  there is, perhaps, too much of it, and the finished product lacks discipline. But there are flashes of brilliance.

Its funny, tragic, difficult to stomach yet impossible to turn away from. Its unlike anything else in cinemas

It is a film that tests its limits and toys with our expectations. Its funny, tragic, difficult to stomach yet impossible to turn away from. Its unlike anything else in cinemas, basically.

Some might compare Kinds of Kindness to The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. The truth is somewhere in between, and Lanthimoss latest offering uses the same cast to tell three different stories, each one a little more disturbing than the last.

In the first tale, Jesse Plemons (the most valuable player here) portrays a troubled young professional named Robert Fletcher, whose sociopathic boss Raymond (a deeply unsettling Willem Dafoe) controls every aspect of his life. Poor Robert can barely dress himself in the morning without Raymond telling him which colour socks to wear.

His meals are planned; his marriage to Sarah (Hong Chau) was arranged. Raymond gets to decide whether they have any children and that should be the point at which Robert tells his boss where to shove it.

Instead, its after Raymond asks Robert to take another mans life that our hapless protagonist finally puts his foot down. The boss subsequently turns his back on his nervous protege, and poor Robert is alarmed to discover that he is incapable of making any decisions for himself.

In the second tale, Plemons once again takes centre stage, this time playing an anxious police officer named Daniel whose wife Liz (Emma Stone) is missing at sea. Daniels best friends (Mamoudou Athie, Margaret Qualley) are worried about their pal. It gets worse after Liz finally returns, and Daniel convinces himself that his wife has been replaced by an imposter.

In the third sequence, Plemons and Stone are Andrew and Emily, a couple of recently-appointed cult members whose job is to find a woman who can raise the dead. A difficult task, and it hardly helps that Emily cant keep away from the home she once shared with her controlling husband, Joseph (Joe Alwyn).

Tall tales there, and Lanthimos applies his usual tricks throughout. His characters exist in slippery, sideways worlds where nobody is happy; where common decency is a myth and where needy, manipulative humans are constantly seeking approval.

Its a universe on the edge of collapse and its full of people whose lives have been destroyed by toxic, codependent relationships. Thats what makes Lanthimoss film so compelling. Its what holds it in place, even when it looks as if its creator has lost the run of himself.

Kinds of Kindness is Lanthimos at his most self-indulgent

And lets be clear: Lanthimos, collaborating once again with Irelands Element Pictures and Dublin cinematographer Robbie Ryan, takes some big swings here.

Not all of them work out. His cinematic short stories would perhaps leave a bigger mark if hed trimmed them down and tightened them up. The 164-minute runtime is pushing it, and Kinds of Kindness is Lanthimos at his most self-indulgent.

Thank goodness, then, for a committed A-list cast, who deliver their lines and control their roles in a way that this unique if decidedly uneven feature doesnt always deserve. Entertaining and frustrating, in equal measure.
US rapper Killer Mike is expected to avoid charges after his arrest (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Killer Mike is expected to avoid charges over an alleged physical altercation which led to his arrest at the 2024 Grammy awards.

The US rapper, real name Michael Render, recently completed community service after he was arrested for a misdemeanour battery  having scooped three Grammy awards earlier in the night during a star-studded ceremony.

Mr Render has successfully completed the offices hearing process, including a community service requirement that was imposed.

We have no further comment at this time, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney told the PA news agency.

Killer Mike performing on stage at the BottleRock 2023 Music Festival (Ken Howard/Alamy/PA)

The 49-year-old was escorted in handcuffs by police at the Crypto.com Arena in February, in video footage posted to social media.

It came after the star celebrated several Grammy wins on stage during the pre-broadcast ceremony.

He picked up best rap album for his sixth studio album, Michael, while his track Scientists And Engineers featuring Andre 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane won best rap song and best rap performance.

Collecting his awards on stage, Killer Mike said: This is for all the people who think youre too old to rap  we keep hip hop alive. Never ever stop doing what you do.

He later added: You cannot tell me dreams do not come true.

His previous Grammy win came in 2003, scooping best rap performance by a duo or group after featuring on Outkasts track titled The Whole World.

A representative for Killer Mike has been contacted for comment.
Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in Literature 10 Oct 2024 | 7:05 PM Stockholm, Oct 10 (UNI) South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced here on Thursday. see more..

S Korean author Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in Literature 10 Oct 2024 | 6:50 PM Stockholm, Oct 10 (UNI) South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday. see more..

28 killed in Israeli airstrike on school in central Gaza 10 Oct 2024 | 5:44 PM Gaza/Jerusalem, Oct 10 (UNI) At least 28 Palestinians were killed and more than 54 others injured Thursday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced persons in the central Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Health Ministry. see more..

Ex-Bangladeshi MP Mohibur Rahman sent to judicial custody 10 Oct 2024 | 5:04 PM Dhaka, Oct 10 (UNI) Bangladesh's former Member of Parliament from Sunamganj-5 Constituency Mohibur Rahman Manik has been sent to judicial custody till his bail plea hearing is held next Monday, media reports said. see more..
The Dubliner talks about her ambitions for the BBC Radio 4 show and the advice she would give to young women looking to get ahead

This very tall, young, arty looking guy behind the counter says, Are you Nuala McGovern? Im such a fan of Womans Hour, she says, referring to the BBC Radio 4 show she presents. Just goes to show, you never know who could be listening.

Getting recognised is something that the Dublin-born broadcaster is having to get used to, now that she is permanently in one of British radios top jobs. It happened to me too at the SuperValu in Killester, she says. Its hilarious, but also lovely.

McGovern has described being the presenter of Womans Hour as the best job on British radio, hands down, and no wonder: it comes with a weekly listenership of around 3.7 million and is as varied as they come.

Today, for example, we had senior women from seven of the [British] political parties in ahead of the election to talk about issues that were decided by our listeners, she says. Then, tomorrow theres the author Laura Dockrill, an item about Chinese MeToo, and an item on female surgeons, and how they improve surgical outcomes on a team. You never get bored, and I hope that goes for the listener as well.

McGovern was announced as Emma Barnetts replacement in April and shares the role with Anita Rani, who hosts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

McGovern covered for Barnett during her maternity leave in 2023, interviewing the likes of Malala Yousafzai, Arlo Parks, Rosamund Pike and Laura Dern. But other, slightly less starry guests, stick out. Katriona OSullivan [the Maynooth academic and author of Poor] made such an impact on me. She blew everyone in here away.

And last week, a woman came on who had lost her son, he had been a stillborn baby, and she decided to donate her breast milk, just to give back to other premature babies. You just think, gosh, what a privilege to speak to these women.

About 40pc of the Womans Hour listeners are male. Given the heat in the online climate when it comes to feminist or gender discussion, does she come up against any trolls or critics?

I think among women there are lots of different opinions or takes on what feminism is or isnt, or should be, she says. Theres not one opinion for Womans Hour, and there will be some that are upset with the programme and the issues [covered], and thats completely normal. My job is to serve the listener and to be aware of the issues that are out there.

McGovern admits that when it came to staking her claim for the top job after Barnetts departure, she wasnt backward in coming forward.

If there are any younger women reading this, Ill say, you have to let people know what you want, she says. You have to be clear in your own mind, and if its something you want, go for it. When I actually got the call, I thought it was a scam because I didnt recognise the number. Eventually, I got my wits about me, called them back and realised I got the job. I was so delighted and yes, proud of myself, that Id managed to get where I wanted to go.

Its the latest chapter in a varied career for McGovern, who grew up in Drumcondra with four siblings. She spent many formative years helping out in her father Jims pub, the Goblet in Artane. They used to give out to me because Id be chatting too much instead of working at times  I guess that was a pointer in what direction I would go in, she says.

Like anyone hankering for a career in journalism, she looked briefly to media outlets in Ireland after studying English and Italian in UCD. I didnt really see a way in [to Irish media], she says. It was the early 90s, and it felt like something that was not achievable. Id have loved to have worked on RTE, but I couldnt see the path into it.

Opportunities came elsewhere. She taught English in Italy and worked for an Italian newspaper, then was lucky enough to land a visa for the US. Upon landing in New York, she got a job as a researcher/producer on the Adrian Flannelly Show, a radio programme for an Irish-American audience. I was 25 at that stage and I was like, OK, Im home, she says.

From there, she moved on to the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC, New Yorks public radio station.

On September 11, 2001, McGovern was working as a producer on this show and looking out the window on to Manhattan when a plane hit the World Trade Centre. From there, we were thrown into a news frenzy, she says. Everything changed from that moment, with US policy as well. It was the beginning of Afghanistan, Iraq, Homeland Security, Osama bin Laden. all those big political stories that have ramifications now.

American politics soon became McGoverns strong suit  a base of knowledge that proved handy when she moved to the BBC World Service as a news reporter in 2009. From there, she was sent on assignments worldwide, from Guantanamo Bay and the Mexican/US border at Tijuana to Ukraine and Turkey.

During Covid, she broadcast many of her reports from the kitchen table in her family home in Wicklow. After coming home to visit her parents on St Patricks weekend 2020, she realised that she wouldnt be able to return to the UK for two weeks. In the end, she stayed here for months.

I dont know how they did it, but they managed to get me all this radio broadcast equipment within a day, she smiles. 

More recently, she covered the inauguration of President Trump, as well as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. That was possibly the most intense broadcasting experience Ive had  youre well supported, youve done your prep and you know whats expected of you, but there was an expectation that you get it right, and the scrutiny on it is immense, she says.

McGovern is heading back to the US to cover the presidential election later this year. Her plan, for the rest of the year, is to make Womans Hour as good as it can be.

I havent invented [the show], its been here for a very long time, and Im trying to treasure it and bring it to the next level and perhaps to people that arent listening yet, she says. I want to get to places we havent been before. Ive been lucky enough to get to this age and still be at that point that there are new skills to try and hone. Also, lets get Dolly Parton on Womans Hour.
They say you should never do your supermarket shop while hungry, or your trolley will end up unexpectedly piled high with wallet-draining Calabrian anchovies, Manchego-stuffed olives and crates of quails eggs. The same maxim could also be applied to watching Disney+s The Bear, which returns today for its third series. Do not watch this on an empty stomach, or you might accidentally burn down your house in a misplaced attempt to flambe some cherries into submission.

The Bear | Season 3 Official Trailer

We return to The Bear, newly reinvigorated as a fine dining establishment, to find it open for business. Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) continue to balance their working relationship on a knifes edge, while Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is settling into working life, even as his domestic existence remains complicated. The family  heavily pregnant Sugar (Abby Elliott) and, non-literal, Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt)  continue to support the project, but the stress of the kitchen weighs heavily on Carmy. Having run from the fire of Michelin-starred kitchens before, can Carmy stand the heat this time?

When The Bear was first released, it was described as a comedy-drama. The credentials of its creator, Christopher Storer, reinforced this: he had directed for comedians like Bo Burnham and Hasan Minhaj, and executive produced Ramy Youssefs sitcom, Ramy. And The Bear has always had its funny moments, outsourcing much of the humour to Moss-Bachrachs Richie or Matty Matheson as the less-than-handy handyman, Fak. But as the shows acclaim has grown, so have its ambitions. The third seasons opener is just an ASMR montage of people making ravioli and tweezing edible flowers onto flumes of luminous foam, which serves as an emotional amuse-bouche for the episodes to come. It is avant-garde stuff  evoking the confusion felt by the weird third course on a tasting menu  but one that comes dangerously close to being boring.

It is an aesthetic evolution that mirrors that of The Bear itself, the restaurant that Carmy and Sydney are turning into one of Chicagos hottest spots. F*** this fancy s***, a customer tells Carmy. I want my s***. That is the tension faced by The Bears brigade, between serving an ornate nine-course menu and continuing to provide the hot, dripping sandwiches that made the family businesss name. Storer has the same dilemma: dive deeper into the examination of frayed psyches or deliver more of the kinetic, almost slapstick, intensity of life in a hectic kitchen?

One thing that is not in doubt is The Bears deep love of food. As an art, sure, but also as a vocation. At times the relationship is clinical (I subtracted, and I pushed, Carmy tells Sydney, explaining his constant reinvention of their menu), but more often it serves as high allegory for human purpose. People dont remember the food, Olivia Colmans famous Chef Terry, tells an audience. Its the people that they remember. And yet she is speaking at a wake for her celebrated restaurant, an assembly that mirrors an earlier funeral in the series. The restaurant is a living, breathing organism, composed of ego and community, but also of food. Scallops, asparagus, dill, pasta, fennel, beef.

FX's The Bear Season 3 is out now on Disney + (Photo: Disney +)

For all that The Bear continues to deliver on its visual splendour  its intensity and the chaos of the kitchen  something is lost in this new series. The stakes feel lower with the restaurant now open and Richie having found some meaning in the front of house. If the first series was about returning to your roots and the second about turning those roots into a nice, earthy terrine, what drives this third instalment? The cast are still exceptional  particularly Moss-Bachrach and Edebiri, the latter elevated to TVs A-list since the show first aired  but the show is starting to feel repetitious. The Beef evolves with the city, a restaurant critic for the Chicago Telegraph writes, on the new restaurants opening. The Bear, however, feels stuck in a loop of its own creation.

The cast are still exceptional  particularly Moss-Bachrach and Edebiri  but the show is starting to feel repetitious.

To be a victim of your own success requires you to achieve something. And while Part III of The Bear (as the show styles it) doesnt hit the heights of episodes like The Fishes or Forks, it is still a serviceable frenzy of culinary panache. Whether viewers tolerance will eventually wane for the, almost pornographic, attention paid to the plating of gourmet food remains to be seen. MasterChef but with Illinoisans loudly yelling at one another is an interesting fusion, but one that still needs to prove itself more than a fad.
One letter explained how by late March, more than 650 acres of potato crop remained unharvested and that others had been forced into salvage operations on their land. Stock Image: Getty.
The Irish Independent understands that these offences include rapes, sexual assaults and domestic violence cases, although the precise number of these instances among the figure has not been specified.

Natasha O'Brien speaking to the media as she joined protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photo: PA

A report into serving members of the Defence Forces found 68 personnel have criminal convictions or are currently before the courts on criminal charges which range from drink-driving to rape.

The review was ordered last week after Private Cathal Crotty (22) was spared a jail sentence for a violent attack on Natasha OBrien in Limerick two years ago.

While avoiding a prison sentence meant Crotty could continue serving with the Defence Forces, the military has issued proceedings against him.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) may also appeal the sentence on the grounds of undue leniency, although no such appeal has yet been filed.

The report was compiled by the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, and presented to Tanaiste Micheal Martin.

In a statement yesterday his office said a total 68 Defence Forces personnel have convictions or are currently before the courts for criminal offences.

Simon Harris not satisfied with handling of Cathal Crotty case

The Irish Independent understands that these offences include rapes, sexual assaults and domestic violence cases, although the precise number of these instances has not been specified.

A spokesperson for Mr Martin said: The Tanaiste has been absolutely clear since becoming Minister for Defence 18 months ago on the need for urgent transformation of the culture in the Defence Forces.

He is adamant that the Defence Forces is a place where no one convicted of serious physical assaults, sexual offences or domestic or gender-based violence can continue to be in active service.

Following the Natasha OBrien case, the Tanaiste was informed last Friday of another case involving a Naval Service member who is still serving after being convicted of assault causing harm last November.

In light of this, he requested a report from the chief of staff to find out how many serving members of the Defence Forces have civil convictions, or are before the civil courts on serious criminal offences.

Last night the Tanaiste was informed of 68 Defence Forces personnel who have been convicted, or are currently before the civil courts, on a range of criminal offences including public order, drink-driving, drugs offences, physical assault and sexual offences.

He also received the report requested on the case of the Naval Service member convicted of assault causing harm.

The Tanaiste has now asked officials to provide a concise report based on the information received.

He has sought legal advice from the Attorney General on how this information can be published in an appropriate and legally sound way, the spokesperson said.

Crotty has less than 48 hours to defend his position in the Defence Forces before he is discharged.

When Crotty was informed of the decision to discharge him, the soldier was given the opportunity to make representations against his dismissal and appeal the decision.

While his dismissal is expected to happen next week, this could be delayed if Crotty seeks a judicial review, though this has not happened yet.

Last week, Crotty (22) was given a three-year suspended sentence after he assaulted Ms OBrien in Limerick in 2022.

Ms OBrien was on her way home from work with a friend when she heard Crotty shouting homophobic slurs at a passer-by and asked him to stop.

Crotty responded by assaulting Ms OBrien and the young woman suffered serious injuries as a result.

In the hours after the attack, Crotty boasted about the attack online, writing: Two to put her down, two to put her out.

In the weeks afterwards, Ms OBrien and her friend scoured social media platforms to find the identity of the man who assaulted her and they came across Crotty.

This information was then passed on to An Garda Siochana.

There has been widespread condemnation of the sentence handed down by Judge Tom ODonnell, who also ordered Crotty to pay Ms OBrien 3,000 in compensation.

Thousands have taken to the streets in protest, calling for reforms in sentencing, while the Dail this week gave Ms OBrien a standing ovation and acknowledged the work she had done in speaking out after the attack.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said he had nothing but respect and indeed pride in the thousands of men and women who serve in Oglaigh na hEireann, while speaking to reporters in Brussels, adding: I think the best thing I can do for them is make sure these matters are not allowed lie  that its just not accepted and that its called out.

Remember, its only about a year since a judge-led independent review into our Defence Forces uncovered really horrific situations. The chief of staff referred to the findings as stark.

We then had a situation where the Government decided to establish a tribunal of investigation.

I am the Taoiseach of this country. And zero tolerance is not a political slogan. Zero tolerance is the cultural change that must become embedded in every part of our society, including the Defence Forces, Mr Harris said.
Ex-manager of Dublin dog pound fined after euthanasia drug illegally given in food

A Bichon Frise dog died the following day, while gardai found an Akita in a bad state and suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, before he also died

A Bichon Frise dog. Stock photo: Getty

Jessica Magee and Sonya McLean Thu 27 Jun 2024 at 16:25







The former manager of a Dublin dog pound has been fined 500 for allowing a euthanasia drug to be stored and administered unlawfully to two dogs.
BREAKING | Border Fox Dessie OHare (68) walks free from prison after six years

OHare has served the maximum time allowable for the false imprisonment and assault of a long-serving member of staff of the late Jim Mansfield Senior

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

Patrick O'Connell Thu 27 Jun 2024 at 18:32







This is the moment Border Fox Dessie OHare walked free from maximum security Portlaoise Prison earlier today.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said he will not be intimidated out of his family home after a bomb threat at his house last night.

The hoax led to a security alert at the Taoiseachs Wicklow home while his wife and young children were present.

He said on arrival for a summit in Brussels: "Im staying in my home. This is a clearly unacceptable situation. Even the word hoax, I'm not sure it's fair word because I've no doubt these things are done to intimidate and to upset.

I have young children, and I have a wife. This is an utterly unacceptable situation. I do think, and I say this really respectfully, that all of us in our discourse, including the media, need to reflect on how we sometimes comment on these matters.

You know, if it's masked men who have turned up outside your house, it wouldn't be described as a protest. It's not protest when it happens outside my house.

And this situation cant be allowed to continue.

It is understood a person rang the Samaritans helpline on Wednesday evening and stated that a bomb had been placed at the house of Mr Harris, while also giving a code word.

Gardai rushed to the Harris home, where a search was carried out.

No device was found and the Taoiseachs family did not have to be evacuated.

While the incident is now being treated as a hoax, security sources have expressed serious concerns.

This is outrageous. This is a family home, one source said.

This is a young family who have been subjected to three incidents at their home in the past 11 weeks.

Protests led by far-right activists have taken place at Mr Harris home in recent weeks, which gardai are investigating as acts of harassment.

In the most recent incident, masked persons arrived at the property, while three people were arrested last week as part of the garda investigations into the intimidation and harassment.

The investigations are being led by the Special Detective Unit, the Gardas counter terror branch.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

The home of Justice Minister Helen McEntee has also been the subject of hoax bomb threats recently, with her family evacuated a number of times.

Commenting previously on the recent security threats, Mr Harris said: Of course theres the distinction between protest and some of the carry-on that we see outside certain peoples homes. Im speaking broadly in relation to that, and certain scenarios around the country.

Protest is a fundamental part of democracy. Protesting does not equate to thuggery. I know the difference. Im glad the guards know the difference, and the people of Ireland are certainly aware of the difference as well.

Im very grateful to An Garda Siochana for their incredible work.

Ms McEntee also last week said such incidents would not be tolerated.

Im not blind to the environment in which politicians are working, she said. Weve seen how during the most recent election candidates were subjected to abuse, and in some instances, physical attacks. Its not acceptable. Its not OK.

The Indo Daily: Is the Taoiseach safe in his own home?

We have to say very clearly, its not something that were going to tolerate.

But also, the gardais response has been very clear that anybody who engages in anything other than legitimate protest  which we all support  that is crossing a line and well push back on that.

But also, there are those who wish to obstruct the work of politicians, there are those who wish to sow division and instil fear.

What we have to ensure is that they do not  the very small minority who are doing this  have an impact on those who are in public life.

It is understood senior garda management have changed their policy and have become more proactive in how they manage far-right protests at politicians homes.

This is intended to send a message to far-right protesters  that targeting politicians at their family home is not fair game.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said he is concerned about the rise of far-right groups in Ireland

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said he believes the driver behind a 10pc hike in arson attacks in Ireland last year was the far-right-inspired targeting of refugee accommodation centres.

Mr Harris, who was speaking at a conference in Cork on combating human trafficking, said there is a noticeable anti-immigration sentiment across Ireland.

I think that sentiment has been a motivation for some of the arson attacks that we have seen, he said.

I cant say that the complete rise in those figures is all down to those incidents, but that has been a driver for the increase.

There have been over two dozen arson attacks on properties nationwide over the last year-and-a-half after they were linked to refugee accommodation by agitators on social media.

In many cases, the properties involved were never earmarked for such use and such claims were deliberate misinformation.

In other cases, arson attacks have taken place against proposed refugee centres in Tipperary, Cork, Dublin, Wicklow, Galway and other counties.

A total of 15 arson attacks took place last year.

Mr Harris said gardai were not underestimating the threat posed by such far-right-linked groups.

He said criminal investigations are continuing in respect of all the arson attacks involved and gardai are hopeful of bringing those guilty to justice. In several cases, CCTV footage will prove critical to potential prosecutions.

Mr Harris added that he is seriously concerned given that the latest crime figures have indicated a surge in activity by organised crime gangs, particularly in relation to drug smuggling and drug dealing.

What I am very concerned about is that there is a huge amount of drugs, illicit drugs, moving around the world, he said.

Organised crime groups are always looking for a chink in the armour to move big amounts of commodity, so it is a concern that Ireland is being targeted in that way.

But I would point to the work of our Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. I would also point to the international collaboration we have in respect of trying to defeat the movement of drugs.

In several cases, far-right activists have praised the attacks and, in one case, took credit for it

Government officials have also expressed concern in recent months at the surge in serious crimes such as arson.

Far-right groups have been blamed for inciting local concerns about such refugee accommodation centres.

In several cases, far-right activists have praised the attacks and, in one case, took credit for it.

Gardai were particularly concerned by the number of people involved in a recent attack in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and the willingness to use violence against private security guards at the property involved.

A number of vehicles were deliberately damaged.

Weapons and explosives offences have jumped by 10pc, according to the latest crime statistics released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Robbery, extortion and hijacking incidents increased across all regions, with the largest jump seen in the eastern (24pc) and southern regions (21pc).

Sexual offences and homicide and related offences have fallen by 12pc and 8pc respectively.
Pippa Hackett and Roderic OGorman are the two candidates contesting the Green leadership (PA)

Minister Roderic OGorman said the Green Party must grow its seats while Senator Pippa Hackett said it must be unapologetically green in their first leadership campaign debate.

Mr OGorman and Ms Hackett took part in a husting for the Green Party leadership in the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College this evening.

Nominations for the leadership closed on Monday, with both candidates securing over the threshold of 50 nominations from within the party.

Approximately 200 party members gathered to listen to speeches and field questions to the two candidates looking to replace Minster Eamon Ryan.

The partys poor performance in the local and European elections this month, where it secured just 23 seats on local councils, losing 26 and both of its two sitting MEP seats, was a large talking point.

In his opening statement, Mr OGorman said: We lost many dedicated hardworking councillors...our core vote held strong but if we are just going to rely on our core vote, we are going to lose Dail seats.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth vowed that he is not standing for leader to manage decline.

"I will not accept defeat. I am standing for leader to hold our seats, to grow our number of seats and to win in every part of Ireland, he said.

Senator Hackett said the party must be unapologetically green and promised as Green Party leader to deliver green jobs across the country, keep public transport costs low and provide all island connectivity through an extensive rail network.

On how the party can better support and win back younger voters, Mr OGorman said the biggest worry he heard while canvassing was that young people have a real sense that they will never own a home.

"People think they are going to rent the rest of their lives and that is a huge concern, he added.

Ms Hackett said that tax bands must be looked at for younger workers, that the addictive nature and dangers of social media must be addressed, as well as a zero tolerance approach to gender-based violence on the streets and in the courts.

On why they should be the next leader of the Green Party, Mr OGorman said he has a good working relationship with the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and leaders, and has been involved in high stakes negotiations, including a tense budget last year.

Ms Hackett said she also has a good relationship with Cabinet leaders and was involved in the programme for government negotiations in 2020, meaning she knows what works and doesnt work in running a Government.

She said the main pitch of the Green Party to voters in the next general election is to be unapologetically green and listen to and meet with the partys critics and take a few steps back to the point where the party was aligned with voters.

Whether the public drifted away from us or whether we drifted away from the public, we need to figure out. Thats what Ill do as leader, she added.

Mr OGorman said climate and restoring nature, which are hardwired into the DNA of the party will be essential in their next general election.

"But I do think it is important that we speak to the concerns that people bring to us as well because the vast majority of people at the doors are not opening with the climate crisis, they are opening with what is the challenge in their life is right now.

"We need to be able to speak to those issues they want to vote for people that are on that wavelength with them, he said.

A second husting will take place online on Sunday, ahead of voting for a new leader which takes place from July 4 to July 7.

The partys new leader will then be announced on Monday, July 8.
John Walsh was originally from Mayfield in Cork city but fell in love with the west Cork island, became a resident and later emerged as one of the greatest champions for Irish island living.

ONE of Ireland's best-known island campaigners was honoured with a unique funeral tribute by his beloved Bere Island.

John Walsh was originally from Mayfield in Cork city but fell in love with the west Cork island, became a resident and later emerged as one of the greatest champions for Irish island living.

He died last Sunday in Cork University Hospital (CUH) following an illness.

Mr Walsh lay in repose at Harrington's funeral directors in Castletownbere on Tuesday with hundreds attending to show their respect for the tireless island campaigner.

His removal to St Michael's Church on Bere Island became the focus of a unique island tribute.

Mr Walsh's funeral cortege was brought to the island by the local ferry service.

However, islanders had arranged for a special armada of boats - led by Mr Walsh's own vessel - to provide an honour guard for the ferry as it left the mainland and steamed to the Bere Island dock.

Further, Sean Harrington's tug co-ordinated with the funeral armada and it provided a special honour arc from its water jets as the cortege crossed the channel.

Tributes to Mr Walsh were paid by Bere Island campaigners and Irish fishing groups.

Helen Riddell of the Bere Island Group said everyone on the island wanted to extend their sympathies to Mr Walsh's family on his loss.

'The Skipper', the voice of the Irish fishing community, said that Mr Walsh was a fearless advocate for his community and for island residents.

Once, when asked why he decided to live on Bere Island, Mr Walsh said that, having travelled to west Cork and viewing the island, he decided it was better to live on the island rather than be standing on the mainland staring out at it.

He worked as development officer for Bere Island and was deeply involved in all groups who promoted the welfare of island residents including Bere Island GAA for whom he acted as a trustee.

The island measures 10km by 3km and boasts a population of 218 people.

However, Bere Island boasts strong connections to families on the mainland - and to islanders whose jobs have brought them away from Beara.

Mr Walsh campaigned tirelessly to promote tourism to Bere Island as well as local industries such as fishing, salvage and farming.

The island's famous Park Run was his concept.

"He was a loving family man who represented the very best of Bere Island," one local said.

Bere Island GAA said that "he will be a huge loss to the Bere Island community but most especially to his family and friends."

He also worked to ensure that island facilities matched those on the mainland.

As a mark of respect, Bere Island locals organised special shuttle buses to bring people to and from the ferry docks to St Michael's Church for Mr Walsh's Requiem Mass.

Islanders also ensured that Mr Walsh's Requiem Mass was broadcast on Bere Island Radio for those unable to attend the service.

Mr Walsh is survived by his wife, Sheila, son Adam, daughters Laura and Aoife, his brother Laurence, his sisters Angela OLeary and Caroline OSullivan as well as his sisters and brothers in law, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mr Walsh was laid to rest on the cemetery adjoining St Michael's.
Washington/New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) There has been a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities in India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

In his remarks during the release of the annual 2023 International Religious Freedom Report, Blinken said the report documents cases where violence is occurring at the societal level, sometimes with impunity, and it also contributes to the repression of religious communities. In India, for example, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges.

The report says that Ten of 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose penalties specifically against forced religious conversions for the purpose of marriage.

The report said that in March 2023, a group of 93 former senior civil servants wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concerns regarding continued harassment of Christians in particular by government officials and political party leaders associated with the government.

Christians and Muslims were arrested under laws banning forced religious conversions, which religious groups said in some cases were used to harass and imprison members of religious minority groups on false and fabricated charges or for lawful religious practices.

Citing the new criminal laws passed by Parliament last year, it said that Media commentators said the new laws could be used to punish Muslim men purportedly seeking to marry non-Muslim women to convert them to Islam. Opponents said the new laws were unnecessary and the strict penalties were out of line with lighter penalties given for more serious offenses. Prime Minister Modi reiterated calls to enact a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) at the national level as called for in the constitution instead of a system of separate personal laws for religious communities. Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and tribal leaders and some state government officials opposed the initiative on the grounds it was part of a project to turn the country into a Hindu Rashtra (a Hindu Nation).

It said that in December, Prime Minister Modi hosted 100 Christian representatives from different denominations at his official residence and praised the contributions of the countrys Christians, but more than 3,200 individuals from the Christian community dissociated themselves from the meeting, citing growing anti-minority attacks and anti-minority hate speech by certain government officials.

It cited the National Crimes Record Bureau to say that Attacks on members of religious minority groups, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, occurred in various states throughout the year, including cases of cow vigilantism based on allegations that Muslim men were participating in cow slaughter or trade in beef. There were also attacks on religious leaders, disruption of Christian and Muslim worship services, vandalism of religious minorities houses of worship, and violence between religious groups. Islamic groups in Jammu and Kashmir also reportedly attacked non-Muslims during the year.

The report said that during the year, senior US officials continued to raise concerns about religious freedom issues with their Indian counterparts.

During his visit in April, the Secretary of State Blinken also discussed developments in religious freedom with women leaders. In July, the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights met with civil society organizations and underscored the U.S. commitment to freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.

Throughout the year, the Ambassador, embassy, and consulate officials, the Assistant Secretary of State and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and other official U.S. visitors engaged with government officials and members of religious communities, including representatives of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh faiths, to discuss the importance of religious freedom and pluralism, the value of interfaith dialogue, and the operating environment for faith-based organizations.

UNI RN
A Northern Ireland man has insisted he didn't need to be saved after he was rescued in Tenerife by crews searching for missing teenager Jay Slater.

David Larkin (51), who now lives in Scotland, was found by search crews scouring a park in Spains Canary Islands close to where the teenager was last seen.

Jay Slater, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared following an attempt to walk back to his accommodation after missing a bus. The search for the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer is now in its second week.

But Mr Larkin told the Daily Mail he is an "experienced" hiker and said he knew what he was doing.

"I can tell you now; I wasnt tired and I wasnt disoriented, and I didnt need rescuing.

"I think there was a lot lost in translation when they saw him and I explained to them I had water, I was wearing layers, I had my rucksack with food and Im an experienced hiker.

"I think they want to show how good they are, but I certainly didnt need saving.

"I feel so sorry for the boys family and hope hes found soon."

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

Mr Larkin said he knows the trails well and did not need help, saying he was "embarrassed" rescuers thought he did. He arrived on the island at the start of June and has been staying at a remote one-bedroom hut on the edge of a cliff.

He added: "I went into the canyon and I saw the helicopters looking and thought they were looking for the lad but I didnt for one minute think they would end up picking me up.

"I dont want to appear ungrateful, and I thanked them for their concern but I was fine."

Missing Jay Slater (social media)

Mr Slater had attended the NRG music festival on the island with two friends before his disappearance and was last heard from on Monday last week.

The walk from Mr Slater's last known location, Rural de Teno Park in the north of the island, to his accommodation would have taken about 11 hours on foot.

A fundraiser set up by the last person to speak to Mr Slater hit its target of 30,000 on Sunday.

The GoFundMe created by Lucy Law to "get Jay Slater home" had received 33,000 in donations by Monday morning.

Ms Law said her friend told her in a frantic phone call last Monday at 8.30am that he was "lost in the mountains, he wasn't aware of his surroundings, he desperately needed a drink and his phone was on 1pc".

Mr Slater was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with shorts and trainers, and carrying a black bag.
New Finance Minister Jack Chambers inadvertently channels British prime minister Rishi Sunak as he is soaked by heavy rain as he speaks to the media outside Government Buildings on Thursday. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

New Finance Minister Jack Chambers wants to keep the TV licence but has ruled out an increase in the contentious 160 charge.

His position is at odds with Media Minister Catherine Martin and the Green Party, who are pushing for the charge to be scrapped.

The Coalition is at a crossroads as it is due to make a decision on future reform of RTE, due in a couple of weeks. The Media Committee is next week expected to recommend for the charge to be scrapped and RTE funded independently through the newly established Comisiun na Mean.

I dont believe there should be an increase in the TV licence fee in the context of reform or a new model which is developed, said Minister Chambers. He was speaking at Government Buildings as he and assembled media were soaked by heavy rain on Thursday afternoon.

He did not answer questions on whether the charge should be lower, but said the TV licence is an important income source for the State and for public service broadcasting.

He said he will be in talks with the Media Minister on reform of the TV licence in the next two weeks.

I think maintaining a direct payment or contribution from the Irish public is of central importance, if the TV licence or the contribution from the Irish public is abolished, that contribution will have to be found elsewhere, he said.

The Dublin West TD said the new funding model, in his opinion, will have to involve an ongoing contribution from the public.

His position is the same as that of his predecessor, Michael McGrath, and has been the Fianna Fail position. Tanaiste Micheal Martin has suggested previously that if Revenue collects the TV licence instead of An Post the 160 fee should decrease.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

Fine Gael is believed to be in favour of a hybrid model which would see annual exchequer funding as well as a form of the TV licence, paid each year by households.

The new Minister for Finance promised to bring careful economic management in finalising the summer economic statement over the next two weeks.

The Government is then expected to announce a giveaway Budget in the autumn ahead of an impending general election.

Responsible and careful economic management is at the core of what Ill be bringing as Minister for Finance, he said.

Jack Chambers has been appointed as Fianna Fails deputy leader

Fine Gael Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has also already expressed an interest in bringing down the VAT rate for the hospitality sector to 9pc.

Im well able to say no in the national interest, said Minister Chambers.

We have to plan for the long term and thats why in addition to making decisions on expenditure increases or around changes to taxation, we need to plan for the long term.

He said when deciding tax cuts, the Government will have to be mindful of the wider economic picture as well as the risks to the Irish economy, such as deglobalisation.

He said ministers will have to prioritise their spending asks.

We want to give workers and families a break in the context of income tax reductions but we have to be careful around that, he said.
Soldier Cathal Crotty has just 48 hours to defend his position in the Defence Forces before he is discharged.

Last week, Mr Crotty (22) was given a three year suspended sentence after he assaulted Natasha OBrien in Limerick in 2022.

Ms OBrien was on her way home from work when she heard Mr Crotty shouting homophobic slurs at a passer-by and asked him to stop.

Mr Crotty responded by assaulting Ms OBrien and the young woman suffered serious injuries as a result.

In the hours after the attack, Mr Crotty took to social media to boast about the attack.

Two to put her down, two to put her out, Mr Crotty wrote online.

In the weeks after, Ms OBrien and her friend scoured social media platforms to find the identity of the man who assaulted her and came across Mr Crotty and the information was passed to An Garda Siochana.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

There has been widespread condemnation of the sentence handed down by Judge Tom ODonnell, who also ordered Mr Crotty to pay Ms OBrien 3,000 in compensation.

Thousands have taken to the streets in protest, calling for reform in sentencing, while the Dail this week gave Ms OBrien a standing ovation and acknowledged the work she had done in speaking out after the attack.

In handing down his sentence, Justice ODonnell noted the impact a custodial sentence could have on Mr Crottys career in the Defence Forces.

Natasha O'Brien joins protesters outside Leinster House in Dublin (Photo: Gareth Chaney/PA Wire)

However, last week Mr Crotty was informed that he will be discharged from the army as a result of the assault and this could happen early next week, according to The Irish Times.

When Mr Crotty was informed of the decision to discharge him, the soldier was given the opportunity to make representations against his dismissal and appeal the decision.

While his dismissal is expected to happen next week, this could be delayed if Mr Crotty seeks a judicial review, though this has not happened yet.

Separately, a request to the Court of Appeal to review a sentence on grounds of undue leniency can be made by the Director of Public Prosecutions within 28 days of the sentence being imposed.

Speaking today, Taoiseach Simon Harris confirmed he had received the full details of how many Defence Forces personnel have civilian criminal convictions.

It comes after he complained in the Dail on Tuesday that it was utterly unacceptable that he could not stand up and answer a question as to how many people with domestic abuse and violent crime convictions remained serving.

I have nothing but respect and indeed pride in the thousands of men and women who serve in Oglaigh na hEireann and who do so with distinction on a daily basis at home and abroad, Mr Harris told reporters in Brussels.

I think the best thing I can do for them is make sure these matters are not allowed lie -- that it's just not accepted and that it's called out.

Remember, it's only about a year since a judge-led independent review into our Defence Forces uncovered really horrific situations. The chief of staff referred to the findings as stark.

We then had a situation where the Government decided to establish a tribunal of investigation.

I am the Taoiseach of this country. And zero tolerance is not a political slogan. Zero tolerance is the cultural change that must become embedded in every part of our society, including the Defence Forces.

I will speak up and speak out for the women of this country who have been failed, badly failed, over a significant period of time.

My colleague, Minister Carroll MacNeil has met with women in the Defence Forces. The Tanaiste is leading an important program of reform and I commend and support the work that he is doing.

But we are not where we need to be in relation to zero tolerance. And people in every aspect of our society need to know zero tolerance isn't just something they talk about in the Dail. It's something you have a responsibility to implement in your workplace as well.

And I'll await the full report in detail from the Tanaiste who is due to meet with the Chief of Staff, but I do remain this afternoon very concerned.

There is no place in my view for people who have convictions in our Defence Forces, particularly convictions in relation to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

He added: And I also think there's serious consideration together we need to give an accept this may require a change on our end -- if there are serious allegations made against somebody, what happens to them in the period of time before that allegation goes to court? How can they possibly be allowed to continue to serve and is there a need to change regulations in that space? There may be.

Theres a serious issue here. And as Taoiseach I remain concerned this afternoon.

We're going to get to the bottom of this, and we're going to get it right.
A second teenager has died in hospital after the crash between an e-scooter and a bus in which another youth was killed in Waterford city overnight.

In an update this afternoon, gardai said the second teenager, who had also been travelling on the device, had died from his injuries.

The other male on the e-scooter, also aged in his teens, had been pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The driver of the bus was not injured and there were no passengers on the bus when the incident happened, at around 2.10am near the South Eastern Technological University (SETU).

In an update on Thursday afternoon, the gardai said: Gardai attended the scene of a fatal road traffic collision involving a bus and an e-scooter that occurred shortly before 2:10am on Thursday, 27th June 2024 on the R680 Cork Road in Waterford city.

One person travelling on the e-scooter, a male youth in his teens, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A second male youth in his teens, who was also travelling on the e-scooter was taken to Waterford University Hospital with serious injuries. He passed away from his injuries earlier this afternoon, 27th June 2024.

A technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators has been completed and the road has re-opened, gardai said. A Garda Family Liaison Officer (FLO) has also been assigned to provide support to the families of the two dead boys.

Their deaths bring to 92 the number of people who have died on the roads so far this year.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

Independent Waterford TD Matt Shanahan wrote on social media: My thoughts and prayers for those young lives cut short earlier today. Words seem useless at this time - hopefully the families and friends involved know that all of Waterford wants to wrap them in a blanket of love, consolation and community support! RIP

Newly elected Metropolitan Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Joe Kelly, earlier described the incident as an absolute tragedy.

I would express my deepest sympathy to them, the parents and extended family of the youngster who has been tragically killed, he said.

Its an absolute tragedy for the family. Whatever about the rules and regulations, there is a huge human element in this, and we cant forget that. There is a family now, and a wider circle of friends, grieving now."

Under recently enacted laws, e-scooters may be used on Irish roads as long as they cannot travel at more than 20kmh, the rider is at least 16, and it is carrying no passengers or cargo.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the Cork Road in Waterford city between 1.45am and 2.15am are asked to make this footage available to Gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
Media Minister Catherine Martin says she does not believe the public would accept any reform of the TV licence that would see money being collected through Revenue. Photo: PA

The contentious 160 TV licence should be scrapped and RTE should instead be funded through Coimisiun na Mean, the Dails Media Committee is to recommend.

The committees recommendation will cause further tensions within the Coalition as Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Greens clash on future funding of the broadcaster.

News of the proposal is expected to be welcomed by Media Minister Catherine Martin, who said tasking Revenue with overseeing the charge is unpalatable.

She is at odds with her coalition partners as she wants to see direct exchequer funding of RTE.

However, Fianna Fail is against dropping the licence fee and wants to see Revenue collecting it.

Fine Gael is understood to be more in favour of a hybrid model that would see a lower TV licence charge each year for households, which would be supplemented by state funding.

The Government has promised that the Cabinet will sign off on an overhaul of RTE before the Dail breaks for its summer recess on July 11.

A report by the Dails media committee into the future funding of public service media is to be published next week.

The committee also investigated the RTE scandal last year over its finances and the misreported 345,000 of payments to presenter Ryan Tubridy.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) published its findings last March.

It is expected that the media committee will now lay out its recommendations on how public media should be funded in Ireland.

The report will recommend the TV licence be ditched and for the broadcaster to be funded independently of government, through a body such as the newly established Coimisiun na Mean.

This would ensure governments do not interfere with how the broadcaster is funded long-term.

The recommendation was not unanimous within the committee and members had to hold a vote. However, the vote passed and the recommendation is expected to be included in the report, which will be published next Wednesday.

The funding could take the form of a multi-year budget with money ring-fenced for public service media

The report comes as the Coalition is to make key decisions on the TV licence charge in the coming weeks.

Speaking yesterday, Ms Martin said she does not believe RTE should have to compete for funding every year during budget negotiations.

We have over 60pc direct exchequer funding already of public service media. That is only set to rise due to the decrease in TV licence revenue, she said.

TG4 is already directly exchequer-funded as it currently stands. I dont see the argument that it can compete in an annual budget.

Instead, the funding could take the form of a multi-year budget with money ring-fenced for public service media.

What would be proposed, as the Future of Media Commission recommended, is that it be multi-annual and I would see that as being a five- to seven-year ring-fenced amount that would be recommended by an independent regulator which we now have in Coimisiun na Mean, Ms Martin said.

However, she said she believed generating funding through Revenue was not something that would be accepted by the public.

The alternative to the direct exchequer funding is that it would be the Revenue, a type of broadcasting tax, which would take in 500,000 more households, she said.

I dont see that as palatable because when we look at what the future funding model would be, it needs to be sustainable and future-proofed. It needs to be free of interference, but it must have the public acceptance as well.

I think all three elements have to be given the full consideration in this decision, but we will reach a decision and that is what is of paramount importance.
Face-to-face talks break down dashing hopes of dealFlight privileges cancelled including cheap tickets and use of car parks Ialpa says it has lowered its 24pc pay claim

Ialpa president says solution to resolving the Aer Lingus dispute lies with the airline

Aer Lingus pilots are understood to be considering further strike action after talks with management aimed at resolving their pay dispute broke down without progress earlier today.

The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) has already declared a day of full strike action for this coming Saturday in addition to its open-ended work-to-rule which began on Wednesday.

Already more than 200 flights have been cancelled, affecting more than 30,000 passengers at the start of peak summer holiday season.

It is understood the union executive is now considering adding further strike action.

For this to happen, its executive committee would have to ask the disputes committee within its umbrella union Forsa for sanction. If it is approved, the union would have to give the company seven days notice.

Responding to the latest development, Aer Lingus said: We note the intention of Ialpa to consider further strike action and to request Forsas approval of such action. Aer Lingus believes that this would be entirely inappropriate given the request of the Labour Court this week that the dispute should not be escalated.

Talks between Aer Lingus and representatives of the pilots' union to resolve the industrial dispute broke down earlier today.

Ialpa said it had moved from the figure of 23.8pc that it was seeking for a pay rise, in a bid to resolve the ongoing pay dispute.

Representatives of pilots' union and Aer Lingus management had been engaged in negotiations on Thursday morning in an attempt to bring an end to the stand-off.

Ialpa president Mark Tighe said: "At this point, talks have broken down.

"We are allowed a smaller group - both sides did - to meet to see if they could come to some sort (of agreement), he said.

"Ialpa officially moved from its inflationary figure of 23.88pc. The company has not moved from its statement that anything more than 12.25pc would have to be funded by pilots' own payments through work practice."

In its latest communication to Ialpa members, the union said it had lowered its 23.88pc pay demand in a conversation with airline investors.

It said its executive would meet this afternoon to consider todays negotiations.

Talks concluded today without agreement and without further talks planned due to the companies stated inability to increase above 12.25 percent without IALPA providing significant work practice changes. IALPA moved in its position in relation to the pay increase sought in the context of trying to reach an overall agreement," the statement said.

IALPA met with airline investors today for a Q&A, facilitated by Barclays Bank to give an insight on the dispute from a union perspective.

IALPA will continue to be available to talk with Aer Lingus in good faith, however it is incumbent on the airline to change their position, the same position stated in the PPT.

The company has escalated the dispute by reinforcing that they will unilaterally alter or terminate the majority of our Collective Agreements and also issuing new instructions to ground staff to prevent pilots from accessing the airlines lounges.

Aer Lingus chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said that the airline "engaged constructively" in discussions with Ialpa and Forsa.

"We tried to discuss items that could actually resolve this dispute, in particular we tried to discuss productivity, flexibility and the modernisation of our collective agreement," Mr Moriarty said.

"All items that we believe are essential to reaching a pay deal with Ialpa and increasing the 12.25pc that was agreed with all other collectively bargained groups, increasing that for pilots.

"We believe that discussion of those items are essential.

"Unfortunately Ialpa was unable to enter into discussions on those items. In fact, it informed that it had no mandate to do so.

"We advised Ialpa and encouraged them to revisit that mandate in order to put within their power the normal aspect of pay negotiations."

A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said: Pilots are on strike for eight hours on Saturday 29th  it would seem that this would be an opportune time for IALPA to meet pilots to adjust IALPAs mandate so that it is capable of engaging in meaningful negotiations that can resolve this dispute.

"The Labour Court indicated to both parties on June 25 that it would respond positively to a joint referral of the dispute to the Labour Court for its assistance. In this context, Aer Lingus is willing to proceed with a formal joint referral to the Labour Court and calls on Forsa to agree to such a formal joint referral.

This morning, Mr Tighe said both the union and Aer Lingus had agreed to smaller negotiating teams to try to progress talks.

Discussions between Ialpa and Aer Lingus continued with a team of three on each side.

The negotiations got under way at 9.30am this morning.

"We have met with Aer Lingus management. Aer Lingus have agreed to have a smaller team of three people on each side to see if things can be progressed," Mr Tighe said.

"That will continue as we speak and I will now prepare for a meeting with Barclays and airline investors this afternoon.

"The negotiations will continue on a more technical basis with a smaller group and we hope that management will see a solution.

"I couldn't comment on what is going on in there other than negotiations are continuing."

This comes as travel perks for striking pilots and their families have been suspended until further notice as Aer Lingus said its top priority is to mitigate significant disruption to passengers.

In a document sent to all pilots, management announced it is cancelling flight privileges including cheap tickets, changing sick-leave arrangements following a rise in absences and will not allow the use of car parks during strike action.

It is understood some pilots commute to work from abroad using the travel privileges.

The discussions kicked off at 9.30am at the Maldron Hotel, near Dublin Airport, after Ialpa accepted an invitation from the airline to face-to-face talks.

Passengers anxious about industrial action at Aer Lingus

An indefinite work-to-rule began yesterday and an eight-hour strike is planned for Saturday. The pilots want pay rises worth a total of almost 24pc paid in phases over three years.

The Labour Court has asked Ialpa not to ramp up its action until it reviews the dispute on July 1, but no commitment has been given.

In the letter to pilots, the airline issued a number of warnings and threatened to dock pay if unofficial action takes place.

Aer Lingus said its priority is to mitigate the significant disruption that is being caused by the unions proposed industrial action. Where possible, it says it will reaccommodate customers who are affected.

The letter claimed the action is clearly designed to frustrate all the airlines efforts to avoid significant flight cancellations

As a consequence, and effective from 26 June 2024, all staff travel privileges, and tickets (including those already issued) for those Ialpa/Forsa members who participate in this industrial action, [and] their qualified relatives will be suspended until further notice, said the letter from chief operations officer Adrian Dunne.

He said any travel privilege bookings already made for the remainder of June and for July will be cancelled and refunded and bookings beyond this timeframe kept under review.

The private and confidential message said it is inaccurate for Ialpa or Forsa to describe it as a strict work-to-rule and claimed it goes far beyond this.

It is very regrettable that the Ialpa community is now embarking on an escalated course of action which will not only damage our business but will significantly disrupt the travel and holiday plans of so many of our valued customers during our busy summer season, it said.

The letter claimed the action is clearly designed to frustrate all the airlines efforts to avoid significant flight cancellations at short notice and would negatively affect pilot training.

It was revealed as Aer Lingus unexpectedly invited Ialpa to talks yesterday.

This followed unsuccessful informal discussions at the Labour Court earlier this week.

Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa) president Mark Tighe arrives for a meeting at the Labour Court in Dublin on Tuesday. Photo: PA

It is unclear whether Aer Lingus will change its negotiating stance at todays talks, and Ialpa has already said it has no mandate to discuss issues that the airline wants to address.

It appears the airlines position regarding flexibility and productivity changes in order to lift a pay offer by Aer Lingus beyond 12.25pc remains unchanged.

Meanwhile, the letter to pilots warns that any action that breaches agreements or contractual obligations will be regarded as unofficial industrial action.

Those who participate will be immediately removed from the payroll or held personally liable for any losses.

For the avoidance of doubt, a pilot will be subject to a proportionate deduction of pay in respect of part-performance of a rostered duty, it said.

The letter said pilots must not wear their uniform during any picketing

It warned that if there continues to be a noted increase in pilot absences or inflexibility outside the official industrial action, it will take appropriate action.

The letter says there has been a noticeable increase in ad hoc pilot sick leave. It says it would temporarily amend its sick leave policy from yesterday so that any pilot on sick leave will be required to be certified by a doctor from the first day of their absence.

In addition, pilots taking part in the weekend strike may not use the airlines staff car parks at Dublin and Cork Airport during the stoppage.

The letter said they must not wear their uniform during any picketing.

Other Aer Lingus staff, including cabin crew, secured pay rises worth 12.25pc in a deal that spans from last year to next year. Pay was boosted by 5.75pc last October, or 1,840, whichever is greater; 3.5pc was applied from January 1 this year; and 3pc is due from next January 1.

In addition, there will be a once-off tax-free voucher payment on October 1 this year, worth 750.

A spokesperson for Aer Lingus said: "Staff travel for pilots participating in industrial action has been discontinued.

"The purpose of this is to allow additional space for the re-accommodation of passengers who have been disrupted by the continuing industrial action which commenced on 26th June and the strike action taking place on 29th June."
Practice is having a chill effect on clients, says report

The National Rape Crisis Helpline is freephone, confidential and available 24 hours a day on 1800 778888

The use of counselling notes in rape trials may be having a chill effect on the decision to seek justice, a new report warns.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) annual report shows a shortage of judges and courtrooms last year resulted in considerable delays to trials starting.

Of the victims and survivors the organisation supported in the criminal courts, half had their cases adjourned last year.

The DRCC recorded a worrying and growing number of callers to its crisis helpline over the past year who reported feelings of suicide.

According to the annual report, 18,605 people contacted the National Rape Crisis Helpline last year.

The DRCC said this represented a slight increase on figures for 2022 and more than half were first-time callers. Nearly 500 calls involved clients talking about suicide.

In an overview of the reports findings, CEO Rachel Morrogh said staff and volunteers who operate the helpline noted an increase in people disclosing mental health challenges and feeling that there was nowhere to turn.

The impact of increased levels of distress and additional support requirements led to greater numbers of clients requiring longer periods of counselling, she said.

A worrying and growing number of callers reported suicidal ideation, with almost 500 calls involving feelings of suicide over the course of 2023.

This was in evidence throughout the year, with spikes in such calls in April, August and towards the end of the year.

The largest proportion of callers contacted the helpline for support concerning a rape that had occurred as an adult (39.8pc)

Ms Morrogh also warned that the use of victims counselling notes in rape trials may be having a chill effect on decisions to seek justice.

The pathway to justice can take years and the delays to trials starting caused great distress for clients, she said.

Further anxiety is caused by the fact our clients counselling notes can be requested by law, and this practice may be having a chill effect on peoples decision to seek justice or indeed deter them from receiving therapy and counselling to support their healing process.

The report noted that the shortage of judges and courtrooms caused great distress for clients, compounding their existing levels of upset and trauma as they awaited a court date.

Of the victims and survivors the DRCC supported in the criminal courts, half (30) had their cases adjourned.

The findings and data are detailed in the report, which will be launched today by Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

It shows most contacts with the freephone national helpline were from females (71.3pc), while there was a growth in contacts from males  17.5pc last year compared with 15.7pc in 2022.

There was a steep rise in contacts who identified as other, making up 11.2pc of contacts last year compared with 0.3pc in 2022. People between the ages of 30 and 39 made almost a fifth of the calls.

The largest proportion of callers contacted the helpline for support concerning a rape that had occurred as an adult (39.8pc).

The second-most common reason for calling was to discuss child sexual abuse (33.6pc), followed by sexual assault as an adult (16.7pc).

January was the busiest month for calls to the helpline, followed by July and August.

The busiest times of day for calls on average were between 11am and 1pm and 2pm and 4pm.

A total of 71.6pc of clients had experienced sexual violence as adults, with 28.4pc abused as children

Over the course of last year, the DRCC provided therapy to 497 clients, which was fewer than in 2022.

It said there are a number of reasons behind this, most notably the ongoing recruitment challenges.

It added: Thankfully, towards the end of the year we recruited a new cohort of therapists and this meant we finished 2023 having fulfilled 3,761 appointments.

The majority of clients were female (89pc), with 10pc male and 1pc identifying as other. A total of 71.6pc of clients had experienced sexual violence as adults, with 28.4pc abused as children.

In terms of sexual violence experienced as adults, 265 therapy clients (42.2pc) reported being raped, 3.7pc cited marital or intimate partner rape, 17.4pc cited sexual assault and 2.1pc cited sexual harassment.

Online abuse was cited by 2.2pc of clients, aggravated sexual assault by 2.1pc and suspected drug-facilitated rape by 1.9pc.

Of the 497 clients, 310 were new. As in previous years, most new clients knew the person who had raped or assaulted them.

A total of 92.4pc of childhood abuse incidents and 82pc of sexual violence incidents as adults were perpetrated by a person or people known to the victim.

Of the 310 new clients, 102 had reported the crimes against them to gardai (either last year or previously), a reporting rate of 33pc, which was a slight decrease from the 37pc in 2022.
Ahead of this weekends Pride celebrations, were highlighting local, queer-run businesses to support this year and every year, from food and drink to fashion and beauty

A selection of products from the best LGBT-friendly local businesses to support this Pride season

Over the past decade, Pride Month celebrations saw the high street decked out in rainbow-coloured displays, with retailers offering themed items and brands releasing targeted ad campaigns to support the LGBTQ+ community. To some queer people, it smacked of rainbow capitalism, where businesses seek to profit from the LGBT movement, but it also resonated with many Gen Z and millennial consumers, who find it important to shop brands that shared their values.

This year, the displays are noticeably more subdued. The Business of Fashion reported that Nike did not release a Pride collection or campaign for the first time in 25 years, citing research that retailers are overall stocking less Pride-themed merchandise compared to last year, out of fear of a backlash. In 2023, a number of brands faced criticism for recognising Pride, including Bud Light, whose campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney drew a furious boycott the beer company still hasnt fully recovered from.

While some of the large retailers have shied away, there are many small, local, queer-run businesses you can shop from. We asked some Irish tastemakers for their favourites to support this Pride month  and all year round.

Claddagh tank, 60, MNW Design

Claddagh tank, 60, MNW Design

Megan Walsh is a pioneering independent clothing designer and her stuff is absolutely stunning, says Kevin Twomey (@kevin2mey), co-host of the Im Grand Mam podcast. In the colder months youve probably seen one of her colourful Claddagh scarves caressing a strangers neck but she also sells beautiful vests, caps and the cutest shorts, and her Irish heritage is always at the forefront of her creations.

The cotton jersey tank tops are a standout, bedazzled with harps, Claddaghs or the words Eire and Ireland, available in sizes XS-L.

Buy it here

Cinnamon bun, 5, Bear Lemon

Cinnamon buns, 5, Bear Lemon

As well as being stocked in Dublins Brew Lab, Ciara Lennons mobile bakery travels around Dublin, including outside Griffith Park in Drumcondra on Saturdays.

All of her bakes are vegan, and her top seller is the cinnamon bun, made with vanilla bean cream cheese topping and cinnamon crumb. For Pride weekend, she will be making maritozzi, an Italian cream bun with raspberry syrup, lemon cream and pistachio. Check out her Instagram (@bearlemon_) for menus and where to find her.

Valentia Island Vermouth, 35 for 70cl, Celtic Whiskey Shop

Valentia Island Vermouth, 35 for 70cl, Celtic Whiskey Shop

Anna and Orla [OCarroll] are an amazing wife and wife team on Valentia Island. They even got married at the lighthouse there! explains James Byrne, who co-founded sustainable lifestyle store Faerly.ie with his husband Eoin Houlihan. We love everything about this gorgeous brand and how they tell their story on social media. And we could never go back to Aperol Spritz after trying the Valentia Spritz.

Get it here.

Creme blush, 29, Lukey Beauty

Creme blush, 29, Lukey Beauty

Luke Nolan is the founder of this inclusive cosmetics brand, which is based in Dublin and manufactures in Italy. A colourist and educator, Nolan drew on his experience in the luxury beauty industry to develop his first collection of blushers, which consists of four shades in a creamy, buildable formula, packaged in adorable baby blue compacts. He is set to expand the range with two new shades in the coming months, with plans to launch in a major Irish retailer this autumn.

Find the range here.

Cruffins, 4.50, Pickled

Cruffins, 4.50, Pickled

Keely [Buckley] and Katy [Walsh] have made something really magical here and I can confirm their food is as good as it looks on Instagram, James says of this deli in Macroom, Co Cork. Theres often a queue and its honestly worth it.

In addition to its seasonal sandwich specials, Pickled is known for its decadent filled cruffins, with regularly changing flavours like strawberry and mascarpone or peaches and cream.

Check them out on Instagram here.

Twisted thistle bag, from 200, Mala Studio

Twisted Thistle bag, from 200, Mala Studio

Named after the Irish word for bag, this London-based studio was established by textile designer Hannah Whelan. She takes inspiration from Irish landscapes, culture and even ice-cream when making her fabulously unconventional accessories, from the sturdy Turf bag and the colourful Twisted Thistle to the playful Wibbly Wobbly Wonder totes.

Buy it here

Pint hair claw clip, 15, Dream Deli

Pint hair claw clip, 15, Dream Deli

Food content creator Sian Conway (@sianconway) recommends this Dublin craft business. Owner Aoife McDermott sells a wide range of deli-themed items, such as sausage roll stickers, hashbrown tealight holders and hot wedge key rings.

She does those gorgeous Guinness claw clips that have everyone in a chokehold online, Sian explains, referring to the best-selling hair accessory, an acetate claw in the shape of a classic pint of stout. Its currently sold out, but Dream Deli will be reopening preorders for the next drop in the coming weeks  keep an eye on its Instagram account for dates (@d.r.e.a.m.deli).

Loaded brownie, 4, Mud Bakery

Loaded Brownie, 4, Mud Bakery

Shane Murrays bakery supplies several coffee shops around Dublin (see mudbakery.com) and sells at Glasnevin Food Market on Saturdays. His signature bake is the Loaded Brownie, a fudgey milk chocolate treat topped up with salted caramel and torched meringue.

A3 giclee print, 65, Poot Mendes

A3 giclee print, 65, Poot Mendes

I dont know an awful lot about art but what I do know is that Im a fan of his work and some of his prints are on proud display in my gaff, Kevin says of Conor Hamills prints, sold via Instagram DM under the name Poot Mendes (@pootmendes). Is it that the composition of his collages is so well-balanced and thoughtfully arranged? Is it his vibrant use of colour? Perhaps its just the fact that his art often features pics of ridey lads and bare arses

Boot Transphobia badge, 2.95, In Rainbows

Boot Transphobia badge, 2.95, In Rainbows

Based in Co Down, Alli McKee is a young trans artist who sells handmade badges, art prints, stickers and apparel, such as this boot collage showing solidarity with the trans community. In addition to his designs celebrating queer liberation, McKees works include striking lino cut prints of birds, and he offers a custom badge-making service, too.

Buy it here

Granola, 8 for 500g, Daddys Cafe

Granola, 8 for 500g, Daddys Cafe

Daddys Cafe serves up the most divine comfort dishes made from seasonal and local Irish produce. Owner Colm [Keane] is absolutely sound and has created something really special. I always try to find time for a visit any time Im there, Kevin says of the Rialto eatery. The French financiers are my favourite and are gorgeous with a cuppa.

The cafe sells a number of items online, including Colombian coffee for nationwide delivery or its small-batch granola, made with Flahavans organic oats, toasted pecans, seeds and sweet spices, for collection.

Get it here.

Mug, 24.50, Adonis Flower Designers

Mug, 24.50, Adonis Flower Designers

Sinead Crowes Dublin flower shop will be donating all proceeds from the sale of these lovely rainbow mugs to youth charity BelongTo. Each mug is hand-thrown and painted in Co Down, and they are available to buy individually or in pairs (45).

Crowe has also created a delightful Pride bouquet of brightly coloured flowers (60), and will donate 20pc of the sale price to BelongTo.
Lufthansa will add an environmental charge of up to 72 to its fares, the airline group has said, joining at least one other European rival in doing so as the industry battles to cover the cost of new EU rules on reducing emissions.

Airlines have warned for years that regulations requiring them to use more expensive sustainable jet fuel could drive up costs.

Ticket prices have already surged in recent years in the post-Covid travel boom, raising fears that further increases could start deterring travellers from flying.

Fares will go up between 1 and 72 depending on the type of ticket, on all flights departing from European Union countries, Britain, Norway and Switzerland, the German airline group said.

Some of the increases are effective from June 26 for departures starting from January 1, 2025 onwards.

It said the charge would "cover part of the steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements" such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from bio-based materials - regarded as crucial to making flying less polluting.

It follows an SAF contribution charge imposed by Air France-KLM in January 2022, which added up to 12 on business fares and up to 4 on economy fares at the time.

That group is now considering broadly similar measures to Lufthansa, a person familiar with the matter said, indicating a charge that could be higher.

"We have a SAF contribution in place, applicable to all flights (not only on departure from Europe) to transparently reflect the additional cost of incorporating sustainable aviation fuel," an Air France-KLM spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Aviation is deemed responsible for about 2pc of the world's carbon emissions, but is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise as fuel for flights cannot be easily replaced with other kinds of power.

European regulators have introduced rules that ask fuel suppliers to ensure 2pc of fuel at EU airports is SAF by 2025, rising to 6pc in 2030 and 70pc in 2050, with many arguing that these measures will increase costs for the sector.

"I think it is logical to assume that other airlines will follow Lufthansa's lead as it looks to pass on the increasing cost of environmental regulations in the EU," said Dudley Shanley, an analyst at Goodbody.

British carrier easyJet, which has focused much of its environmental strategy on carbon reductions using hydrogen technology, said it wasn't planning to follow Lufthansa's footsteps.

"We don't apply legacy carrier surcharges and have no plans to do so," an easyJet spokesperson told Reuters.

Wizz Air also said it would avoid additional surcharges, adding in a statement that "in order to avoid burdening passengers with higher costs we urge governments to provide incentives to enable the aviation industry to achieve its environmental goals more effectively."

In the United States, both United Airlines and Southwest said they don't have an environmental surcharge.

Ryanair and Aer Lingus owner IAG did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether they would introduce similar measures to Lufthansa.

Singapore's government also introduced a levy on flight tickets earlier this year to help fund the additional cost of SAF.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr warned last year the EU targets would be hard to achieve and hinted that higher costs would be passed on to customers.

The price hike, which the airline called an "Environmental Cost Surcharge", will cover part of these costs for 2025 and will apply for all airlines in the Lufthansa group except for Eurowings tickets sold directly by the company, a spokesperson said.

On short and medium-haul flights, the fares will go up by up to 5 in economy and 7 for business class.

On long-haul flights, the costs will go up between 18 and 36 for business fares and up to 72 for first class fares from 2025, Lufthansa confirmed to Reuters.

A spokesperson said the move was not tied to Lufthansa's high labour costs after strikes this year, which led the airline to issue a profit warning ahead of first quarter results.

He added the additional costs weren't expected to go up further for now.
It is the pain, financial and otherwise, for the parties involved  and the impact of this dispute on the travelling public, on the hospitality industry and on the wider business community  that requires that there is a cessation of hostilities for the good of our economy and our international reputation.
Google adds 110 languages including over 10 spoken in Russia to Google Translate

Moscow, June 27 (UNI) US tech giant Google said on Thursday that with the use of artificial intelligence it has added 110 languages to its translation service Google Translate, including those spoken in Russia.

"Were using AI to expand the variety of languages we support. Thanks to our PaLM 2 large language model, were rolling out 110 new languages to Google Translate, our largest expansion ever," the company said in a statement.

The added languages include those spoken across Europe, Asia, Africa and other regions. Portuguese, Punjabi (Shahmukhi), most spoken in Pakistan, and the Berber language Tamazight (Amazigh), among many others, are now represented in the translation service, the company said.
Husband and Wife team Tim Joe and Anne O Riordan, Clondrohid, on stage at the Bumbleance fundraiser at O Riadas in Ballymac

Pat O Callaghan, Millstreet, took part in the Vintage Run for Bumbleance in his 1983 Golf GTI

Marie and John McEnery, Moyvane, pictured at the Vintage Run fundraiser for Bumbleance in Cullen. The event was organised by Cork Music Station and Millstreet Vintage Club for the Childrens Ambulance Service.

Daithi Tully, Lyre and Pat Murphy, Nadd, pictured at the Vintage Run fundraiser for Bumbleance in Cullen

Denis OCallaghan, Kiskeam, chatting to country singer Effie Neill at the Bumbleance fundraiser at O Riadas in Ballymac

Willie Fitzgerald of Cork Music Station and Millstreet Vintage Club members Bernard Crowley, Mairead Hurley, Mary O Riordan and Mary Crowley signing up all those who travelled to Cullen to support the fundraiser for Bumbleance (Childrens Ambulance Service)

Alex and Bernie Nagle from Headford, took part in the Vintage Run fundraiser for Bumbleance in Cullen

Paddy Moore, HSE and Ritchie Walsh of Bumbleance, with Willie and Ita Fitzgerald of Cork Music Station and Millstreet Vintage Club who ran their 6th annual Vintage Run fundraiser for Bumbleance last Saturday. All photos by Sheila Fitzgerald.

They rolled in from all over Cork, Kerry and Limerick in stately vintage vehicles to support the fundraiser for Bumbleance, the Childrens Ambulance Service.

Hosted for the 6th year in a row by Cork Music Station and Millstreet Vintage Club, this is an event that certainly tugs at the heartstrings and brings into sharp focus the sad reality of children and their families who have to cope with serious illness.

Cullen was the starting point on Saturday evening and participants got a melodious send off courtesy of the Cullen Pipe Band. The convoy headed for the Kingdom by the scenic route and arrived at O Riadas Bar & Restaurant in Ballymac where complimentary hot food awaited them.

Then it was a case of take the floor and everyone danced their socks off to live music from Tim Joe and Anne O Riordan, Barry O Halloran and Glor Tire contestant Effie Neill who made the journey from the Beara Peninsula to take part.

Over the past five years, the event which Ita and Willie Fitzgerald run in conjunction with Millstreet Vintage Club, has raised 14,203 for the Childrens Ambulance Service. Donations for last weeks event will be accepted until July 7.

Organisers thanked everyone who helped make the Bumbleance Run so successful.

Ita Fitzgerald, speaking to The Corkman said We had a three year old patient from Kerry at the event with his parents who wanted to support the fundraiser because their child is a frequent user of the service. Their story really brings home to people how important it is to support fundraisers like this.

Bumbleance is the Childrens Ambulance Service of Ireland.

Travelling half a million kilometres each year, Bumbleance provides safe and comfortable transportation for Irelands youngest patients as they travel between their homes and hospitals, hospices, treatment centres and respite centres nationwide.

Bumbleance continually strives to make positive life impacts for sick children.

Readers can contribute to the fundraiser until July 7 by logging onto https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/WilliamFitzgerald.

Alternatively contact Willie Fitzgerald on 087 222 9874, Ita Fitzgerald 087 986 5217 or Bernard Crowley 087 792 4406
Pictured at a recent information evening were Cllr Bernard Moynihan, who deputised for the Mayor of the County of Cork along with Cllr John Paul O'Shea and Cork County Council staff Michael Lynch, Patricia Liddy and Kevin Morey. Photo by Sean Jefferies Photography.

Cork County Council has launched a survey inviting the Kanturk community to contribute their views to the development of a regeneration plan for the town.

Funding of 30,000 to develop a Town Centre First Regeneration Plan for the North Cork town was approved in March this year by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The funding will be used to develop a community-led vision for Kanturk leading to the development of a Town Centre First Plan that can then support competitive bids for national and local funding to progress the projects identified.

The aim of the Town Centre First Policy is to create town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community.

Welcoming the launch of the survey, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll said: The findings of this survey will play a guiding role in the development of the Town Centre First plan for Kanturk. I encourage all members of the community in Kanturk and surrounds to have their say. All ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Cork County Council will be developing the regeneration plan for Kanturk in consultation with residents and business owners together with the wider community who visit the town regularly.

To complete the survey, visit Cork County Councils website www.corkcoco.ie

Alternatively, printed copies of the survey are available at Kanturk Library. The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and will be open until Wednesday, July 31.

Next steps will involve focused consultation with key stakeholder groups to mark the start of the plan development process.

For queries, contact Cork County Councils Town Regeneration Office at townregenerationoffice@corkcoco.ie
Pat Lyons celebrating his 88th birthday with his wife Maura at the Mushera Platform Dance. Picture John Tarrant

Cllr Michael Looney and Cllr John Paul O'Shea take time out from discussing Cork County Council affairs to enjoy the Mushera Platform Dance. Picture John Tarrant

Essie O'Connell, Rockchapel and Seamus Curtin, Kilcorney take a dance at the Mushera Platform. All photos by John Tarrant.

A 150-year-old tradition is being kept alive and well thanks to the good people of Mushera who marked St Johns Day on Monday with the historic custom of platform dancing.

An isolated shower on the day failed to dampen peoples spirits as large numbers convened at the nearby St. Johns Well for the annual outdoor Mass before progressing to enjoy a dance at the Mushera Platform.

Mushera dancing is maintaining a tradition that started generations ago on the slopes of Mushera on St. Johns Day. This was a meeting place where local musicians would play the accordion or violin, while young and old got up and danced.

A traditional date was maintained, the platform known for miles around and people came to support from the neighbouring parishes of Duhallow and Muskerry.

The 2024 outing saw young and old enjoy the slush, jives, waltzes, Siege of Ennis to the Set and the Stacks of Barley. Music and songs from the popular Liam Kenny and Jerome Coakley of Lee Sound kept the party ongoing til late.

Spokesperson for the organisers Rita OSullivan expressed delight at how the event went.

Platform dancing at Mushera was revived in 2013 and looks back on similar outings from days of old. We had a hiccup with a shower of rain at the start, thankfully, it passed over quickly and once the floor was dried, it was dancing to mark the local feast day.

Its just great to return on St. Johns Day and meet up with great friends. Everybody enjoyed themselves and ongoing development at the location over recent years helped to accommodate extra cars in addition to putting in place the platform, said Rita.

Dancing continues at the Mushera Platform on Sunday afternoon, July 7, music and song by Tim Joe and Anne.
Special Needs Assistants have borne the brunt of the assaults, according to the TD

A Cork TD has expressed concern at Department of Education figures which show that there has been an increase in the number of assaults on teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) in primary and secondary schools.

Cork South-West TD Holly Cairns, who is the leader of the Social Democrats, said that figures provided to her show a worrying rise in the assaults on teachers and SNAs in particular, over a five year period.

In 2019, 144 teachers and SNAs availed of 3,451 days of assault leave. Last year, however, the figure for staff absent on assault leave almost trebled to 412, with 7,454 days taken, Deputy Cairns said.

SNAs working in primary schools have borne the brunt of these assaults, with 296 availing of 5,572 leave days in 2023.

This is another reminder of the pressures that school staff face on a daily basis. The figures may not even tell the full story as they do not include undocumented absences due to assaults.

Deputy Cairns said that the rise in assaults on educational staff is adding to existing problems caused by the ongoing understaffing of schools.

The teacher vacancy rate stands at 28 per cent and there continues to be a shortage of SNAs and Special Education Teachers (SETs) in classrooms around the country, Deputy Cairns said.

There are children in our schools who are unable to get additional supports as they are still waiting on an assessment of need. We need to properly quantify the level of need for these supports and provide them  in the interest of the welfare of children and teachers.

The Social Democrats leader said that the assault figures come just weeks after the Catholic Primary School Management Association revealed that more than 70 per cent of primary schools had run a deficit in the past 12 months because of increased costs and a shortfall in the capitation grant.

Many schools have had to rely on cash reserves to cover basic expenses such as light, heat and transport. Some principals have even had to resort to toilet cleaning duties due to financial constraints on recruiting ancillary staff, she said.

Minister for Education Norma Foley must outline what steps she will take to improve the safety of our teachers and SNAs and ensure that schools are adequately funded to meet the everyday reality of working in a classroom.
A key priority for the proposed Mallow Relief Road is to ease the traffic congestion that has blighted the North Cork town in recent years.

In the letter to Minister Chambers, Cllr Kenny also availed of the opportunity to enquire about the possibility of securing extra funding for the Mallow Relief Road.

It was announced in February that the N72/N73 Mallow Relief Road had been allocated 300,000 by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).

Cork County Council have however stated that the 300,000 received will allow for very limited progress.

The Divisional Manager for North Cork Kevin Morey stated at a Northern Committee meeting on Monday, May 20 that if additional funding is not allocated for the Mallow Relief Road in the coming months they will not be able to progress to the planning stage.

In the letter Cllr Kenny acknowledged that Minister Chambers has previously spoken with members of the Mallow Relief Road Alliance during his tenure as Junior Minister for Transport.

Cllr Kenny then asked for an indication on the possibility of extra funding being made available to bring the Mallow Relief Road to planning stage by the end of this year. Can we have any indication on the possibility of extra funding being made available to bring the Mallow Relief Road to planning stage by the end of 2024. This project is of significant importance to the development of Mallow and the northern area of Cork County.

In the letter Cllr Kenny said the funding received to date for the relief road has been extremely disappointing. Over the past two years, I do believe we can all agree that the minimal funding received for this project has been extremely disappointing, considering the amount requested by Cork County Council (upwards of 1.2m).
Artist's impression of how the Oscar Traynor Road site might look with the development of 850 homes. Pic: @housingDCC

A Dublin councillor has called for a pause on the first phase of an affordable housing purchase scheme as prices have climbed up to 169,000 higher than first indicated.

Councillor John Lyons told the Irish Independent it was quite incredible to see so-called affordable homes as part of a new scheme at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock, going for 475,000 for a three-bed house.

A three-bed home costing upwards of 475,000 is completely outrageous, he said.

We were told in a meeting in 2021 by councillors, specifically Fianna Fail, Green Party and Labour councillors who voted to give away this public land, that the maximum housing purchase price would be no more than 308,750.

Now were in June 2024 and we see the price has gone up to 475,000. Its a complete and utter travesty to see public land being squandered in such a way because these houses are not affordable for anyone, even on a decent income.

He added that he thought it was hugely important for public representatives in Dublin City Council to investigate these new figures and determine how there has been such a shift in the asking price.

Cllr Lyons has called an emergency motion which will be dealt with at a council meeting taking place next Monday.

I am calling on the chief executive of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare, to pause phase one of this affordable housing purchase scheme, he said.

I want to convene a special meeting of DCC where they can explore how they came up with these outrageous figures.

Following negotiations and the collapse of agreements over several years, Dublin city councillors signed off on a deal for the redevelopment of 17 hectares of public land near the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel in November 2021.

Under the deal, the developer would build 853 homes on the site  40pc for social housing, 40pc for cost rental, and 20pc designed to be sold to low and middle-income workers qualifying for the affordable purchase scheme.

Back then, councillors were told that a one-bed unit would cost between 204,000 and 238,000, but this week documents circulated to councillors said the price range would be 264,358 to 308,750.

In 2021, councillors were told a two-bed unit was to cost between 227,000 and 284,000, but they are now being priced at 355,769 to 427,500.

Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment.
Joy as 34 neurodiverse and autistic graduates from NOW Group training academies get new opportunities

Some of the 34 neurodiverse and autistic participants graduating from NOW Group Training Academies. Pic: Mark Stedman

Participant of the Year, Josh Byrne, from Irishtown, pictured with NOW Group board members Keavy Ryan (A&L Goodbody), Priscilla ORegan (BT Ireland), and NOW Group Chairman, John Gordon. Pic: Mark Stedman

Sisters Kate (left) and Emma Connolly with their mum, Anita Whyte, from Seapoint, at the NOW Group graduation event at Dublin City Hall. Pic: Mark Stedman

Anu Doris, Josh Byrne and Amy Dowley at the NOW Group graduation at Dublin City Hall. Pic: Mark Stedman

A Dubliner who felt she was getting nowhere when applying for jobs, has started a new chapter in her life thanks to a social enterprise helping neurodiverse participants find employment.

The NOW Group held its inaugural graduation event at Dublin City Hall last week, with 34 neurodiverse and autistic participants from across Dublin graduating from its training academies.

The participants graduated in core industries including digital and catering, each of which equipped participants with tangible skills, experience and qualifications.

Amy Dowley (26), from Rialto, didnt know where to turn to after her Leaving Cert and after months of applying for jobs, felt like she was getting nowhere.

Thanks to her participation with the NOW Group, she is now employed with Circle K.

Im finally starting my new chapter in my life and Im really glad, Ms Dowley told the Irish Independent.

Sisters Kate (left) and Emma Connolly with their mum, Anita Whyte, from Seapoint, at the NOW Group graduation event at Dublin City Hall. Pic: Mark Stedman

After I finished my Leaving Cert, I really didnt know what I wanted to do. I thought I wanted tattoo design or something like that because Im very good at drawing.

I went to a college in Sandymount called Roslyn and I did a two-year retail course there. I enjoyed doing the course, it was very good. After I finished that I went to a college called Pierce College and did a woodwork course for a few years.

As part of my retail course, we had to work in a cafe. I went to The Loaf Cafe in Kilmainham and the manager, Kieran, introduced me to Brian from the NOW Group.

Brian and I started talking. He asked me what subjects I did in college, all my hobbies and what I would like to achieve from joining the NOW group. Thats how it all started.

It was great being part of the NOW Group. I got to meet so many different people. I gained a lot of confidence in myself and put myself out there. I definitely have made friends.

I got to meet a lot of people like the Lord Mayor of Dublin and the President of Ireland. I never thought I would ever do something like that at all.

They helped me get a job. Im working part time now in Circle K and its all thanks to the NOW Group. They really gave me the confidence to go for the job and it was a fantastic opportunity when I got the call to say I got the job.

Down the line, maybe Ill get a full-time job. Im enjoying being with Circle K, she added.

Amy received her OCN Level 1 in Vocational Skills at the NOW Group graduation, where she spoke about her journey to over 100 people.

NOW Group graduates Josh Byrne and Amy Dowley. Pic: Mark Stedman

Josh Byrne from Irishtown was crowned as Participant of the Year at the event. After taking part in the NOW Group catering academy, Josh is now a valued team member at the Patriots Inn in Kilmainham.

Last year, the NOW Group launch coincided with the news that the European Disability Forum had named Ireland as the worst country in Europe for people with disabilities in employment (32.5pc). This is well below the European average of 51pc.

They believe more services are required to close this gap, and academies for people with neurodiverse conditions are the first step in helping to deliver opportunities for all within the workplace.

Maeve Monaghan, NOW Group CEO, said: We are so proud of our participants for their commitment and enthusiasm and are confident that this is just the first cohort of many who will graduate from our academies in the years to come.

We are committed to delivering the full remit of NOW Group services for people with intellectual disabilities across Ireland. In just one year, our team has demonstrated the impact the NOW Group delivers, but theres so much more to do.

Some of the 34 neurodiverse and autistic participants graduating from NOW Group Training Academies. Pic: Mark Stedman

John Gordon, Chair of NOW Group, added: The impact that the NOW Group is delivering in Northern Ireland is significant. In 2023-24, this amounted to support for 1,800 participants, and 257 jobs secured.

This is our vision for Ireland. We will build our services and deliver jobs with purpose for those with learning disabilities and autism.

After just one year, Im delighted to hear that many of our graduates already have roles secured, including Josh, our Participant of the Year, whos now employed in catering.

Neurodiverse individuals bring a unique set of strengths and perspectives to the table, and our vision is ambitious.

We hope that NOW Group academies will deliver skills for over 1,000 participants in Ireland in the next four years and are determined to build strong partnerships with forward-thinking businesses that embrace all abilities, he added.

To support its ambitions, the NOW Group has just opened its first office in Dublin, with a team of six including Regional Manager, Jessica Conlon.
Ahead of the Eras Tour coming to Dublin, concert organisers have been opening early merch stores

Taylor Swift fans tell how they "had to see" the Eras tour in Dublin

Taylor Swift super-fans, who are eagerly anticipating her three sold-out Dublin gigs at the Aviva Stadium, were getting into the spirit today at the 3Arena, picking up their Eras Tour merchandise.

There were barricades outside 3Arena this morning with fans decked out in Taylor Swift Eras Tour hoodies and sporting the tote bags.

Official Eras Tour merch is on sale at the 3Arena in Dublin.

It opened on Thursday, June 27 at 10am, with the merch shop closing at 8pm the same day.

Its the same for all three of Taylors show dates  Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The 3Arena opened its doors at 10am this morning to queues of Swifties who were excited to get decked out ahead of The Eras Tour.

Excitement is reaching new heights for fans who were lucky enough to get their hands on a ticket, which is as rare as gold dust.

Some fans have travelled from far and wide.

Amanda Thoet, who lives in San Francisco, California, flew out with her mother, Melissa Thoet, who is based in Denver, Colorado.

The trip was a surprise 60th birthday gift for Melissa.

Both sporting "In my lucky era" t-shirts, the mother and daughter duo are attending their second Eras Tour gig, having already seen her perform in Tampa, Florida.

This one will be different because she has some new music, but its always a good time, Amanda said.

Melissa added that the energy is something that cannot be replicated.

Each time, you feel so special, like youre the only fan she came for, she said.

Isabella and Alannah, best friends from Dublin, said this is not their first time seeing the superstar.

I saw her during the Reputation tour when she came to Dublin last time, and I saw her in Dublin as well, Isabella said.

Speaking about the popularity of this tour compared to others, she added that it was so versatile.

Theres so much to dance to. Its all her eras, and you can be in your emotions, cry, and sing along.

The duo is attending her first gig of the Eras Tour in Dublin on Friday.

The hoodies/jumpers are priced between 75 and 80 and t-shirts are price at 45.

Tote bags are 30, and posters are 20. Bracelets are 35.

The early merch store is card-only.
UHK says there no plans to seek the appointment of a full-time Consultant Pathologist to undertake this service

Several Kerry families have been waiting days for post-mortems to be carried out delaying the funeral of their loved ones, the Dail has heard.

TD Danny Healy-Rae has criticised the delay and said they it was unacceptable

The post-mortem delay refers to non-suspicious deaths where a cause of death must be investigated but it is not a criminal case.

Currently these Kerry post-mortems are carried out by pathologists from Cork University Hospital, UHK has confirmed in a statement.

The hospital further stated there are currently no plans to seek the appointment of a full-time Consultant Pathologist at UHK.

Deputy Healy-Rae raised the issue in the Dail and referred to three Kerry families who he said had to wait between 6- 9 days for the post-mortem thus delaying the funerals of their loves ones. He said he was also aware of many more in the same situation.

"What is happening in Kerry is too stressful for families. I appeal to the Government to do something about it. If a pathologist for Kerry cannot be found in Ireland, surely somebody can be sourced from abroad . We need a full-time pathologist in Kerry. We are no different from any other part of the country. The State is neglecting its statutory obligation to carry out post mortems in a timely fashion in Kerry, he said

It is not acceptable that families have to wait up to nine days for a post-mortem and up to 11 days to have the funeral concluded. They just want to get the remains home. Death comes suddenly, with no notice. When a body is taken to the morgue in Tralee, all the family wants is for the post-mortem to be concluded, the remains returned and to have a dignified funeral, with their friends around them to help them grieve. It is a natural process, he said.

He sought a response from the Minister for Health and Minster for Justice on the matter. Minister of State at the Department of Health Deputy Colm Burke said that a distinction must be made between the role of pathologists in suspicious and non-suspicious deaths.

The Office of the State Pathologist, OSP, is an important independent body under the auspices of the Department of Justice. The OSP provides the State with a national forensic pathology service whereby a forensic pathologist is on duty, 24 hours a day, each day of the year. The pathologist's primary remit is to perform post mortem examinations in suspicious deaths, as directed by the coroner.

Meanwhile, he said, post-mortem examinations in non-suspicious deaths under the remit of the coroner are directed to be performed by hospital-based histopathology consultants.

"Post mortem examination is an important part of clinical care and one of the most informative investigations in medicine. It can provide objective information on the cause of death, which is of value to the family of the deceased and also to healthcare professionals, he said.

He said this service in Kerry is undertaken by consultants based in Cork as part of integrated approach to care adding that if there are delays he will check what has caused this and come back.

"If there were delays, I will check what the reason is for those and revert to the Deputy. I will also get him the average time it takes for post-mortems, he said

"If there was a delay, then I extend my sympathies to the families. It obviously should not be occurring.

I assure families that coroners throughout the country work closely with hospitals and consultant pathologists at a local level to ensure that post-mortems are carried out as directed and in a timely manner.
The imminent closure of the Chronic Pain Service in Sligo University Hospital on June 28 is causing widespread distress amongst the 1,500 patients on its waiting list, according to Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas Healy.

This is terrible news for all of these people and for their families, stated Cllr Healy.

Having chronic ongoing pain, often back pain, results in loss of mobility, exacerbation of existing illnesses and often leads to mental health problems.

This is a vital service, established since 2006, which covers not only Sligo but the entire region and is a specialised service whereby the amount of pain relief given has to be balanced against the effect of the medications on the patients condition. What will happen now is that people in chronic pain will end up attending their local Emergency Departments which are, as we all know, already overwhelmed and understaffed.

This is a huge setback for the people of the West and North-West who will now face longer waiting times and the prospect of having to travel to Dublin for treatment. I have contacted the Sinn Fein spokesperson on health, Deputy David Cullinane, and have asked him to raise it as a Parliamentary Question in the Dail.

This current government has once again failed to invest in the health service. We need the government to invest in the Chronic Pain Service to make it a full time Consultancy Post with a full support team to tackle the waiting lists and then to maintain the service in Sligo. Instead of this they are now reducing the service by closing the Sligo Pain Service and also Galways one which is operating at a reduced rate.

This is called a pain service for a reason, concluded Cllr Healy, for many people it is a final step in a long journey of chronic, unremitting pain. These people badly need, and deserve, immediate attention and an ongoing service to help control their pain.
New Delhi , June 27 (UNI) President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the modernisation of the armed forces was essential for strong India and the Government is continuously focusing on reforms so that the forces maintain their supremacy during wars.



Addressing the first Joint Session of Parliament after the formation of the Narendra Modi-led third NDA government at the Centre, the President said, "Reforms in our armed forces should be a continuous process so that our forces maintain their supremacy during wars. Guided by this, my Government has introduced many reforms in the defence sector in the last 10 years".
Tomasz Surowiak pleaded guilty to spitting at a bouncer during a disturbance at a nightclub in Mullingar last October.

Judge Bernadette Owens ordered Tomasz Surowiak to return to court in October to show evidence of his attendance with an alcohol addiction counsellor.

A rowdy man who spat at a bouncer and hurled abuse at revellers inside a Mullingar nightclub has pledged to undergo counselling to curb his alcohol issues.

Tomasz Surowiak (31), Longfield, Edgeworthstown, Longford, was arrested by gardai arising out of an incident on October 28 last year.

Gardai had been called to reports of an intoxicated male who was causing a disturbance on Dominick Street shortly after 1am.

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When officers arrived at the Final Fence nightclub, they were informed Surowiak had spat at a bouncer and was shouting abuse at customers inside the premises.

Judge Bernadette Owens ordered Tomasz Surowiak to return to court in October to show evidence of his attendance with an alcohol addiction counsellor.

The accused, who is from Poland, was later charged with assault, public intoxication as well as using threatening and abusive behaviour, offences he previously pleaded guilty to at the beginning of last month.

On that occasion, Surowiak who, the court was told had ten previous convictions to his name, was ordered by Judge Bernadette Owens to return to court and show proof of the counselling he was undertaking.

However, when the case returned before Mullingar District Court today (Thursday), Judge Owens was informed by defence solicitor John Quinn that Surowiak had still to commence those sessions.

That revelation prompted an angry response from Judge Owens.

Thats not what I was told, she said.

Who told who on May 2 that he was attending a counsellor?

Tomasz Surowiak pleaded guilty to spitting at a bouncer during a disturbance at a nightclub in Mullingar last October.

Following a brief adjournment, Mr Quinn said his client had been unable to secure the required levels of counselling ordered by the court because of a lengthy waiting list that was currently in place.

He said compensation monies had also been handed over, adding Surowiak needed additional breathing space in which to meet those conditions.

He will need more time, but he is prepared to do the counselling and he has undertaken to me he will carry out the counselling as directed by his GP to get it underway, he said.

Surowiak was remanded on continuing bail to a sitting of Mullingar District Court on October 24.
Gillian Doyle is a Property Claims Handler for Zurich Insurance Europe from Wexford who has two very young kids, a busy household, a husband who works full time and a farm to look after. She couldnt afford to do a full-time degree but was eager to retrain in a new industry and was able to earn & learn her way through the insurance industry with this apprenticeship.

Minister of State, with responsibility for Insurance, Neale Richmond was at the launch of the 2024 Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship. "On-the-job apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity to upskill while working and earning a full-time salary and I am delighted to see their success in the insurance industry. Any initiative that nurtures talent in the insurance industry is to be welcomed; there are many opportunities in insurance and as Ireland is a leader in Europe for insurance, we must ensure that our workforce has the skills it needs both now and into the future.

"Increasing the number of apprenticeships is a goal for this Government and so I am glad to see this programme continue to grow. I wish all the apprentices this year the best of luck, and hope that you have long, successful careers, he said.

The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship has the highest percentage of females in an apprenticeship with a near even split of 53 per cent females and 47 per cent males, an age profile of 18 to 55 years old and has celebrated its completion by graduates.

Of their previous graduates, 91 per cent are still working in the insurance sector and 68 per cent continue to work for the same employer they completed their apprenticeship with. 48 per cent of all graduates have achieved first class honours.

Now in its ninth year, the apprenticeship is open to everyone, school leavers, new graduates, career changers and older learners, who meet the entry requirements. The work-based training programme combines academics delivered remotely through ATU Sligo (Atlantic Technological University) with on-the-job learning, allowing apprentices to acquire technical and business skills while studying towards a degree.

Dermot Murray, CEO The Insurance Institute said theyre incredibly proud of the growth of their Apprenticeship programme over the past nine years. "Last year we welcomed a record number of 130 new apprentices and thats a testament to the resilience, success and diversity of the programme. It also signifies a broader societal shift in terms of the realisation of the value of apprenticeships and the immense opportunities they present. We look forward to welcoming our 2024 apprentices and would like to thank the insurance employers involved in the programme for their support and commitment, said Mr Murray.

Anyone interested in applying for this years programme can log on to www.earnandlearn.ie to find all the information they need, including locations of the jobs available, how to apply and entry requirements.
Last week, I was at the launch of Spayaware by the ISPCA, highlighting the importance of spaying and neutering pet dogs and cats to reduce the numbers of unwanted puppies and kittens in Ireland.

Ive been involved in this event for over twenty years: the first Spay Week was held in 2002, at a time when over 20000 unwanted dogs were being euthanased in Irish dog pounds every year. Fast forward to 2022, and this figure had reduced to only 340. There are many reasons for this huge drop in annual death rate of stray dogs, but an increasing awareness of the importance of controlling the reproduction of your own pet has certainly played a significant role.
New evidence provides fresh perspectives on the communities in Wexford over the past 9,000 years

A crowd attended the launch of a book about interesting archaeological discoveries made during the construction of the New Ross Bypass.

New Ross Municipal District hosted the launch of new Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) publication Places for the Living, Places for the Dead: archaeological discoveries on the N25 New Ross Bypass, at New Ross Library.

The book was edited by Senior Archaeologist, Transport Infrastructure Ireland James Eogan (MIAI FSA), and is the latest addition the TII Heritage Series was published in December 2023.

Alongside detailed reports on the evidence excavated at eight key sites, the book provides an overview of the archaeology of this region and shows how the remains uncovered on the bypass route deepen our understanding of human activity in the lower Barrow Valley over almost nine millennia. Chapters written by experts in their fields consider different topics and periods in greater detail. This includes the paleoenvironmental background of the sites uncovered, the nature and range of evidence for the first farmers and early metal-using societies in the region, the impact of Anglo-Norman colonisation and the establishment of a feudal economy in the area.

The book, which is richly illustrated with eight specially commissioned artistic visualisations, and more than 140 photographs, plans, drawings, and maps, describes the discoveries and shows how this new evidence provides fresh perspectives on the communities who called this place home over the past 9,000 years.

The event was attended by over 70 enthusiastic members of the public and representatives from TII, Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd, The Heritage Council, Wexford County Council and New Ross Municipal District elected members.

TII Chief Executive, Peter Walsh, presented landowner Philip Becker with a signed copy of the book as one of the most significant finds of a Norman period farmstead was discovered on Mr Beckers land.

Deputy Wexford County Council Chief Executive, Eamonn Hore, who acted as Master of Ceremonies on the night, said: What a wonderful night of knowledge and learning about or past, excellently presented in the lovely setting of New Ross Library. My thanks to all who contributed.

The book can be purchased from Wordwell Books, an e-book is also available from digital platforms.
Former RTE broadcaster Eileen Dunne is the new chairperson of the Kennedy Summer School, replacing New Ross man Willie Keilthy, who drove the festival forward, along with the late festival founder Noel Whelan, for over a decade.

The festival of Irish American politics and culture, runs every autumn over three days of talks from a diverse range of speakers, drawing hundreds to New Ross and generating an estimated 250,000 for the local economy.

The directors of the annual Kennedy Summer School have expressed their thanks and gratitude to Mr Keilthy for his dedication to the festival, following his decision to step down from his long-standing role.

The Kennedy Summer School was originally founded in 2012 by the late Noel Whelan alongside Willie Keilthy and Sean Reidy and has evolved into a cornerstone event in New Ross calendar of festivities. Its mission to foster dialogue and intellectual exchange has made it a beacon of cultural and educational enrichment.

Speaking of his decision Mr Keilthy said: I have been honoured to chair the Kennedy Summer School for the past ten years and have thoroughly enjoyed the role. Working closely with my fellow directors Dr Brian Murphy, Larry Donnelly, Dr Charles Larkin, Dr Matthew Jebb, Sinead McSweeney, Prof Briona Nic Diarmada, Eamonn Hore and Eileen Dunne its been my privilege to witness the annual event grow and develop the international status it enjoys today.

"But now is the right time for me to step down and Im delighted to pass the baton onto Eileen Dunne who will officially take over from me on July 4 when she will launch the schools very exciting 2024 programme.

Director of the Kennedy Summer School Dr Brian Murphy said: Willie has been an incredible leader for the Kennedy Summer School through the good and the sad times, from the highs of securing some top global guests and making all the necessary arrangements, to the very sad loss of the late Noel Whelan and Dr Bob Mauro of Boston College, and in navigating and delivering the summer school through Covid times.

"There has been no task Willie hasnt been able to overcome. On behalf of all of the directors of the Kennedy Summer School we thank him sincerely for his dedication, his wisdom and passion that he brought to the table so abundantly each year - thank you, Willie.

In welcoming Eileen Dunne to the role Director Larry Donnelly said: Eileen is a distinguished figure in the world of journalism and a director of the school for the past five years, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to her new position. Having served as a journalist and news presenter for RTE before her retirement in 2022, Dunne's tenure at the national broadcaster has endowed her with a deep understanding of current affairs and communication. Her dedication to the school's values and her commitment to its continued growth make her an ideal candidate to lead the Kennedy Summer School into its next chapter.

Under Dunne's stewardship, the Kennedy Summer School is poised to build upon its legacy, further enriching the relationship between New Ross and the USA, particularly fostering the partnership with Boston College, Massachusetts, and Purdue University, Indiana. As she steps into her new role, she expresses her enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the school's ongoing success.

Details of the 2024 programme for the Summer School are also to be announced in the coming week, with the official launch of the Kennedy Summer School 2024 programme set to take place on Thursday, July 4, at an event in Boston College, Dublin.

For further details see www.kennedysummerschool.ie
Wexford resident Sally Harpur ODowd published her globetrotting uncle's draft biography which had been filed away for over 50 years

Richie Kennedy, Wally O Neill, Sally Harpur O Dowd, Nuala O Neill and Ita Grattan holding copies of 'Temporary Soldier Unqualified Engineer' which is on sale at Red Books now.

Lt. Colonel Ernest Ian Wilson Harpur, whose fascinating memoir has finally been published over 50 years since his passing.

Ernest Harpur certainly lived a life less ordinary. Having survived two World Wars and the 1920 Iraq rebellion by the skin of his teeth, he also travelled the world in his role as a civil engineer surveying and building large bridges, railways and dams all over the world from Iraq to Brazil, India to Nigeria, and everywhere in between.

In the knowledge that his was somewhat of an unusual life with plenty of tales to tell, he had been working on a draft biography or memoir shortly before he passed away in the mid 70s. His widow Daphne carefully filed away the draft manuscript and it was after her passing that her niece, Wexford resident Sally Harpur ODowd came into possession of it.

"A few years ago I accidentally came into possession of a blue folder which once belonged to my Auntie Daphne, Sally recalls. It contained a rough draft manuscript of a biography which her husband Ernest Harpur, my uncle, had written shortly before his passing.

"For many years I didnt know what to do with it, but when a Wexford-based historian friend Paul Wright read it in 2023, he strongly recommended I publish it, since it was a humdinger of a story, but also an important historical document.

The new book Temporary Soldier and Unqualified Engineer is the result and it was officially launched at Red Books in Wexford last week, where its now available to purchase.

Richie Kennedy, Wally O Neill, Sally Harpur O Dowd, Nuala O Neill and Ita Grattan holding copies of 'Temporary Soldier Unqualified Engineer' which is on sale at Red Books now.

In it, Ernest takes the reader on a journey through his experiences of global conflict and onto his work on some massive construction projects across the world.

Among the projects he worked on was the construction of one of the first modern bridges over the Euphrates River in Iraq during the 1920s, the same bridge which was destroyed by US and UK coalition forces 60 years later during the 1991 Gulf War.

During this period he met with famous people as Gertrude Bell (who helped establish King Faisal as Iraqi leader in 1921) and the archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley (who excavated at Ur of the Chaldees).

A fascinating first-hand account of history, Ernest tells of his work to restore the railways in post-WWII Germany; the dangers he faced along the way (among them wild elephants); his pioneering survey of remote areas of Northern Nigeria; his dam work in Northern Rhodesia and even surveying work during the 1960s for London's new Victoria Underground Line.

Having worked all over the world, Ernest eventually retired to Schull, Co Cork, and when word got around that a renowned engineer was living locally, he was headhunted to build several water supply schemes locally.

"More than anything else, in this book my Uncle Ernest celebrates his life-long love of engineering, as well as his undying zest for life," Susan says proudly.

Temporary Soldier and Unqualified Engineer is available to purchase from Red Books now, with all proceeds going to the shops sanctuary project. The book is also available in The Book Centre Wexford and via Amazon.
Members of Icon Fitness who will be competing in Battle Cancer in aid of the Hope Cancer Support Centre. Pic: Jim Campbell

Members of the Icon Fitness gym in Wexford town have raised approximately 3,000 for the Hope Cancer Support Centre by taking part in a special fitness challenge in the RDS, Dublin. In what was a friendly, fun event, the Icon Fitness team joined members from 300 other gyms for Battle Cancer, a 90-minute CrossFit challenge.

Teams were invited to fundraise for The Irish Cancer Society or their chosen cancer charity with Icon Fitness choosing to donate all proceeds to Wexfords Hope Cancer Support Centre. To help them in their efforts, the Hope Centre sent t-shirts to the Icon Fitness team.

Alison Malone was one of those who took part in the challenge and she said all those at Icon Fitness understood the importance of the event.

We decided to take part and help to raise funds for the Hope Centre because cancer is an illness which touches everyone at some point in their lives.

Thanking Rebecca Robinson and Denise Leniston for their work in driving the team on, Alison also paid tribute to all those who supported and sponsored the participants.
Students from St. Josephs National School in Arklow were recently presented with a Gaelbhratach (Irish flag) at a ceremony in Roscrea, County Tipperary.

Gaelbhratach is an Irish language scheme focused on promoting Irish in primary and secondary schools around the country, with the annual, post-primary Gaelbhratach Awards Ceremony celebrating the significant contributions made by teachers and students around the country towards the promotion of the Irish language in their schools.

A 24-hour speaking challenge, skipping through Irish and learning Irish in the schoolyard at lunchtime, are just some of the activities set up and run by the student committees that were recognised for their promotion of the Irish language.

Students at St. Gerards Junior School, Bray will also be visited by the Gaelbhratach staff to receive their award in the coming weeks.

Run by Gael Linn, Gaelbhratach is a national initiative that encourages primary and secondary school students to speak Irish outside of the formal classroom setting.

Over 70 flags will be awarded to primary school students across Ireland  the most awarded in any one year. Flags are awarded in recognition of their efforts to inspire and empower their school communities to speak Irish.

Barry O Siochru, the first full-time Irish language officer in the Students Union, University of Galway, was the MC for the event and Niamh Ni Chroinin, TV presenter at TG4, presented the flags to students.

Commenting on the ceremony, Niamh said: Congratulations to all the dedicated students who are using Irish in such fun and exciting ways. Being able to speak Irish has brought me so many opportunities and it is so encouraging to see so many young people engage with the language.

The Gaelbhratach scheme is a fantastic way for students to take charge of their own use of the language, bring it into everyday life and make it enjoyable.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Edel Ni Bhraonain, Bainisteoir Gaelbhratach said: Gaelbhratach gives young people of all backgrounds the opportunity to use and develop their Irish language skills in an interactive and non-traditional way. The programme aims to put the student voice at the centre of their learning through the Gaelbhratach committee.

The role of this student-led committee is to direct the Gaelbhratach activities throughout the school year  empowering students in Wicklow to take ownership of how and when they use their Irish.

We have new schools hoping to join the scheme each year and it is inspiring to see young peoples passion for the language, she added.

The most rewarding part of the scheme is hearing feedback, from students and teachers alike, on how they have integrated the language into their everyday lives and the impact it has had.
Bray, County Wicklow, has emerged as the least fashion-obsessed location in Ireland, according to a new study on fashionable towns and cities in Ireland.

The study analysed Google searches for a list of keywords, including but not limited to summer dress, denim skirt and flare jeans to determine the most stylish locations in Ireland.

Conducted by plus-sized fashion experts Zizzifashion.com, it examined the search volume tool Google Keyword Planner for a list of fashion-related keywords, including Louis Vuitton bag, mini dress and maxi skirt to determine the most stylish towns and cities in Ireland. The locations with the highest average monthly search volume per 10,000 people have been named the most fashionable.

And with just 563 searches per 10,000 people, the people of Bray are searching for fashion-related keywords 39pc less than the nations average.

Waterford follows as Irelands second most unfashionable town. The study reveals that the south-eastern city has an average monthly search volume of 578 per 10,000 people, which is 38pc below the average in Ireland.

According to the study, Cork ranks in third, with 603 searches per 10,000 people, followed by Navan, with 619 searches per 10,000 people.

Greystones and Dundalk tie as the fifth least trendy locations in Ireland, with 701 searches per 10,000 people.

Irelands fashion capital, according to the study, is Cavan, which leads the way as the most trend-setting town in Ireland.

The town has an average monthly search volume of 1,510 per 10,000 people, 63pc above the national average of 928 per 10,000 people; dress is the most popular term, with 132 searches per month, before Debs dress and summer dress, respectively.

In second place is Ballina, Count Mayo, where the towns second most searched-for term is midi dress, with 133 average monthly searches, after dress and before Debs dress. The town has an average monthly search volume of 1,431 per 10,000 people, 54pc above the national average.

Kildare is the third most stylish location in Ireland. Home to the Kildare Village shopping outlet, the town searches for fashion-related terms an average of 1,391 a month per 10,000 people, 50pc higher than the countrys average. Marc Jacobs tote bag, with 41 average monthly searches, is the third most popular term, following dress and Debs dress.

A spokesperson at Zizzifashion.com has commented on the findings and pointed to a lack of shopping centres in the towns that performed poorly.

Cavan, Ballina and Kildare have officially been crowned Irelands fashion capitals. Its interesting to see smaller towns dominating the top ten most stylish locations, rather than the nations more crowded cities. Dublin, for example, comes in as the tenth most stylish location, while being the only city mentioned in the top 10, they said.

This may be due to the lack of diverse shopping centres located in Irelands lesser populated towns, suggesting that more rural residents are choosing to shop online. However, these findings may also be signalling that Irelands towns are leading the way in fashion this summer as people search for the latest trends and fashion must haves.
Communities the length and breadth of Wicklow can look forward to the delivery of more housing and investment on the back of Uisce Eireanns newly approved water supply project for the Eastern and Midlands region.

Implemented to ensure sustainable water supplies and support balanced regional development, the project, which has received Cabinet approval in principle under the Infrastructure Guidelines, can now proceed to planning.

One of the largest and most important infrastructure projects in the history of the State, the project can secure sustainable water supplies for up to 2.5 million people, creating a water spine across the country which will ensure an urban level of service to towns and regions from Tipperary to Dublin and Carlow to Drogheda.

The delivery of the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region, will play a critical role in supporting sustainable development.

In Wicklow, the project will allow water resources that are currently being channelled to the Greater Dublin area to be redirected to provide a secure, sustainable water supply capable of supporting regional development opportunities.

This will provide the capacity to support population growth in several areas, including Avoca, Ballinteskin, Rathdrum, Laragh-Annamoe, Barndarrig, Ballinapark, Dunlavin and Hollywood.

It will also provide the capacity and flexibility to support greater commercial water demand for existing businesses and potential future investment in these areas. This will be in addition to other significant investments by Uisce Eireann in the county.

Since 2014, the utility has invested almost 300 million in water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the county, with significant continued investment in infrastructure and programmes planned.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD said: I am very glad to have received Government approval today for the Water Supply project to proceed at Approval Gate 1 under the Infrastructure Guidelines.

What this means is that Uisce Eireann can now progress the project through the remaining Infrastructure Guidelines approval gates, including the submission of a planning application to An Bord Pleanala in 2025.

This marks an important first step in what is a multi-billion euro project which will ensure a sustainable water supply for our country both now and into the future.

Not only that, but this project will enable much-needed housing delivery. One of the key recommendations in the recently published Housing Commission report was to take urgent action to ensure delivery of the critical Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands Region and with todays Cabinet approval we are doing just that and showing our commitment to this project and to the future generations.

Uisce Eireann CEO Niall Gleeson added: The Water Supply Project is critical for the future of our country.

By delivering a secure, climate-proof supply of water for up to 50 per cent of the States population, it will facilitate increased demand for housing, enable sustainable economic growth and support competitiveness across the Region.

Crucially, it will also help us meet the challenges of climate change by diversifying our water supplies to ensure safe, resilient water services for communities across the region, and reduce the vulnerability to drought and other extreme weather events.

The Water Supply Project Eastern and Midlands Region proposes to abstract a maximum of two per cent of the average flow of the River Shannon at Parteen Basin downstream of Lough Derg.

Treated water will then be piped 170km through counties Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare to a termination point reservoir at Peamount in County Dublin, connecting into the Greater Dublin network.
New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Averring that "transparency and probity" are a must in government recruitments and examinations, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the Centre was committed to a fair probe and giving strict punishment to the culprits in the recent paper leak instances.Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of parliament here, President Murmu urged all to rise above partisan politics and find a concrete solution.

"Regarding the recent instances of paper leak in some examinations, my Government is committed to a fair investigation and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits," the president said during her address.

The president's reference to the issue came on the back of allegations of paper leaks related to the NEET-UG and UGC-NET examinations, which have raised a political storm in the country.
Suri Cruise is reportedly the latest celebrity child to drop their fathers last name.

The 18-year-old graduated high school on June 21 with her famous mother, Katie Holmes, by her side.

In photos obtained by Page Six, the Dawsons Creek alum celebrated the milestone with her teenage daughter outside the United Palace Theater in Manhattan, where the ceremony took place.

For the occasion, Suri wore a white sundress under her bright red graduation robes, while Holmes was dressed in a matching light yellow pleated pants set and a collared long-sleeve shirt.

Multiple outlets later revealed that Suri had gone by Suri Noelle instead of Suri Cruise in her schools graduation ceremony program.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - June 27th

The Page Six report included a photo of the graduation pamphlet credited to celebrity news agency Backgrid, with the name Suri Noelle circled. The moniker is likely a tribute to her 45-year-old mother, whose middle name is Noelle.

The same weekend as her high school graduation, Suris father Tom Cruise was among the star-studded guests at Taylor Swifts Eras Tour at Londons Wembley Stadium on June 22.

Cruise and Holmes, who tied the knot in November 2006, divorced in June 2012 after five years of marriage. The former couple welcomed their only child together in April 2006.

Earlier this month, the 18-year-old hinted at her college plans in a viral TikTok video.

The since-deleted clip, which was posted by one of Suris classmates, saw the high school seniors showing off their college sweaters.

Suri seemingly revealed shell be heading to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the fall, as she wore a red sweatshirt with her new alma mater.

Its currently unclear if Suris name change to Suri Noelle is a permanent, legal adjustment or a professional choice. However, it comes amid an influx of celebrity children  namely, the children of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt  who have decided to forgo their famous last names.

Last month, People reported that Jolie and Pitts 15-year-old daughter, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, was listed as Vivienne Jolie in the Playbill program for The Outsiders on Broadway.

Just a few weeks prior, her older sister Shiloh legally requested to drop Pitt from her last name on the day she turned 18, according to documents obtained by TMZ.

Meanwhile, a viral video previously revealed that the former couples 19-year-old daughter Zahara was introduced by her universitys sorority as Zahara Marley Jolie, also excluding her fathers last name.

The name changes came amid speculation surrounding Pitts reported estrangement from his children, as well as an ongoing legal battle over shares of the former couples French winery, Chateau Miraval.

The Mr & Mrs Smith co-stars split in 2016 after two years of marriage and 12 years together. Theyre also parents to sons Maddox, 22, Pax, 20, and Knox, also 15.
Police now examining the CCTV footage

Spanish police are examining CCTV footage from a local town on the island of Tenerife near where British teenager Jay Slater disappeared, its mayor said on Tuesday.

Slater (19) went missing on June 17 and his phone was last traced to the Masca ravine in a remote national park on the Canary Islands archipelago.
The National Rallys ple include a referendum that nods to the great replacement conspiracy theory and a ban on dual nationals holding some jobs

For a political leader as confident in communication as Jordan Bardella, a slip of the tongue is never insignificant. Especially when uttered twice in the same minute. Eager to dispel caricatures of his policy platform, the president of the French far-right National Rally party declared on TV on June 14 that French people of foreign origin or nationality had nothing to fear from the policy I want to implement, were he to become prime minister after Frances snap election, the first round of which takes place on Sunday. Thats provided, he added, that they work, pay their taxes, pay their contributions, respect the law and love our country.
How the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton might change the election in Florida and North Carolina
The man accused of killing seven people at a 2022 Independence Day parade in Chicago has rejected a deal requiring him to plead guilty to seven charges of murder in a stunning courtroom scene just days before the second anniversary of the attack.
With no day after plan to end the war, Israelis have never been so depressed about their future

New fronts of war may open up while gears of political system have become jammed

People attend a demonstration calling for the immediate return of hostages held in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, at Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

Max Boot Washington Post Thu 27 Jun 2024 at 03:30







Visiting Israel, as I did last week, is a depressing experience as the war in Gaza nears its ninth month. Ive been going to Israel for a quarter-century, and Ive never seen Israelis as gloomy as they are now  not even during the second intifada in the early 2000s, when Palestinian terrorists were regularly blowing up public buses.
Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community!

Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.
Kolkata: Volvo Car India Wednesday announced the launch of Reverse Project that aims at reversing the environmental damage through planting trees commensurate to the mileage done on EV cars of any brand.

The company has joined forces with ASSOCHAM in planting 10,000 trees thereby converting an urban dump yard in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh into a lush urban forest.

Volvo has planted 5 trees for each of its Electric Vehicle (EV) sold to date as well as 4 trees for other EV owners who wish to be associated with the Reverse Project.

Once associated with the project, EV owners of other brands can have trees named after them, commensurate to the mileage they have done on their EVs. Additionally, non-EV owners can also pledge and join this initiative.

This innovative approach not only underscores Volvo's dedication to sustainability but also signifies a meaningful step towards a greener and healthier future.

Jyoti Malhotra, Managing Director, Volvo Car India said The Reverse Project gives car owners all over India an opportunity to contribute towards reversing the environmental damage. Not only will Volvo Car dedicate 5 trees for every Volvo EV bought but will also extend a similar opportunity to other EV owners.

"Irrespective of where you are in India and what EV you drive, once you register on the Reverse Project site 4 trees at the Urban Forest will be named after you for every 5000 kilometres that you drive. What better way to turn kilometres into trees. For non-EV users once they take a pledge, 3 trees will be named on their behalf

Volvo Car India has committed towards the tree plantation and taking care of the urban forest for next 4 years.

This initiative has seen results with the landfill that once posed a major environmental threat due to garbage and construction waste dumping has now been transformed into a lush green-lung that the city truly needs.

At Volvo Car India, our mission is to deliver unparalleled safety and sustainability. This commitment drives our Reverse Project efforts, emphasizing that environmental protection is a collective responsibility. We commit ourselves to caring for this urban forest for four years, we even invite others to also participate and get recognition by getting a tree named after themselves. said Ms. Jyotsana Singh Kaushik as Director - Marketing and PR, Volvo Car India.

The Reverse Project initiative aligns with Volvo Car India's broader goal of promoting a sustainable planet and achieving net carbon neutrality by 2040.

This commitment extends beyond their cars by transforming Urban Dump yard area into Urban Forest.

Everyone who joins Volvo Car India in their drive to reverse the planet will receive a certificate, recognizing their contribution to this vital environmental effort.

Deepak Sood Secretary General, ASSOCHAM & Trustee from ASSOCHAM Foundation for CSR (AFCSR) said This collaborative effort by Volvo and AFCSR sets a commendable example for the industry. It reflects the transformative impact that can be achieved through collective environmental responsibility. AFCSR stands firmly behind such initiatives, acknowledging the vital role of shaping a sustainable future.

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Photo courtesy: Facebook/Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi/IBNS: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal , who this morning went from anticipating release on bail to being arrested again by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), addressed Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court directly to defend himself over claims that he tried to evade blame for the alleged liquor policy scam.

Kejriwal was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March, in connection with charges that he orchestrated the sale of liquor licenses for Rs. 100 crore used to fund the Punjab and Goa election campaigns.

"A false narrative is being spread by CBI sources in the media - that I put the blame of the liquor policy scam on Sisodiaji. I did not make any such statement blaming him or any other person," Kejriwal told the court.

"I had said Sisodiaji is innocent... Aam Aadmi Party is innocent... and I am innocent. But CBI plans to malign us in the media. Please record... CBI sources spread fake news," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi Chief Minister's objections came after the CBI claimed in court he tried to pin the blame specifically for recommending that liquor stores in the city be privatised on his party colleague.

"CBI is defaming me... defaming AAP. I am innocent and Sisodia ji is also innocent," he said.

The significance of his speaking up was added to by the court, which held that the available evidence, including that presented by the prosecution, did not suggest such statements were made.

Kejriwal then continued addressing the court, this time revealing what he told the federal agency last year during the AAP leader's nine-hour interrogation in August when he was called as a witness.

"I told them (the CBI) there were three points. First - increase revenue. Second - reduce crowds to handle law and order. Third - open liquor shops in right proportion (i.e., equal distribution across the city)," he told the Rouse Avenue Court.

Speaking about his communication with Sisodia, the Chief Minister said, "I gave instructions to Manish Sisodia to keep these three things in mind in the policy."

Meanwhile, responding to arguments made by Arvind Kejriwal's lawyers, the CBI told the court it could have acted against the Delhi Chief Minister at any time, "even during elections".

However, the CBI said it chose to act only with the permission of the court.

Kejriwal's lawyers had criticised the agency for acting when it did, pointing out it had done nothing since grilling their client last year. "This case is pending since August. I was called as a witness... I appeared and, for nine hours, I assisted. Not a single notice since then..."

The CBI earlier in the day arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the alleged liquor policy scam inside the Rouse Avenue Court, media reports said.

Kejriwal, who is already under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case linked to the alleged scam, then withdrew his plea challenging the stay on granting of bail in the Supreme Court.

The senior politician, who heads Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), will file a fresh plea in the Supreme Court.

Kejriwal, who was granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, faced a setback after the ED filed a plea challenging his release in the Delhi High Court.

The High Court paused the bail in a setback for Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024.

The ED argued the lower court's grant of bail was "completely flawed". Kejriwal then moved the Supreme Court to overturn the stay order.

Despite acknowledging the High Court action as "unusual", the top court refused to oblige and said it would be improper to intervene as the Delhi HC had reserved its judgement.

In more setback for Kejriwal, who is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, stayed his bail accusing the lower court of not granting enough time to the prosecution for argument and not listing the conditions for the bail.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X post of AAP

New Delhi/IBNS: In protest against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal 's arrest in the alleged liquor policy scam, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's customary address to the joint session of Parliament on Thursday.

The AAP MPs were seen holding placards with slogans reading, "Stop misusing ED, CBI", "Won't allow dictatorship".

AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, "Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested and put in jail by CBI when he was likely to get bail from the Supreme Court and he had got bail from the trial court. The Prime Minister should stop the misuse of investigating agencies. We will boycott the President's speech because it is written by the government and big talks will be made about democracy in it.

"But on the contrary, the Constitution is being crushed all over India. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain were arrested. That is why we are protesting here and opposing the President's address."

The Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday sent Kejriwal to a three-day custody of CBI, which arrested him in connection with the now scrapped Delhi liquor policy.

Kejriwal was already in jail after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrest in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged scam.

Kejriwal's bail overturned

Kejriwal, who was granted bail by the Rouse Avenue Court, faced a setback after the ED filed a plea challenging his release in the Delhi High Court.

The High Court paused the bail in a setback for Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED on March 21, 2024.

The ED argued the lower court's grant of bail was "completely flawed". Kejriwal then moved the Supreme Court to overturn the stay order.

Despite acknowledging the High Court action as "unusual", the top court refused to oblige and said it would be improper to intervene as the Delhi HC had reserved its judgement.

In more setback for Kejriwal, who is lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, stayed the bail accusing the lower court of not granting enough time to the prosecution for argument and not listing the conditions for the bail.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate over money laundering allegations while framing the Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22, which was later scrapped after the Lieutenant Governor raised red flags.

The ED has alleged the money Kejriwal got from the liquor sellers was used to fund the party's campaign in Goa since he is the convenor of the AAP.

Kejriwal and the AAP have throughout maintained the Centre has been misusing its agencies to harass the Opposition with false cases.

Kejriwal was given an interim bail in May for a brief period until June 2, 2024 for campaigning in the Lok Sabha polls.

He went back to the jail on June 2, 2024 the day next to the last phase poll date.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video

New Delhi/IBNS: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday made the customary address to the joint session of Parliament for the first time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) returned to power for the third consecutive term.

From NorthEast to Economy to Agriculture, Murmu touched upon several topics in her address to the 18th Lok Sabha.

The opposition MPs, which are in meaty numbers this time, occasionally raised slogans at the President, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) parliamentarians boycotted the address over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in the liquor policy case.

Here's some quotes from President Murmu's address

1. The whole world is talking about the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The world is witnessing that the people of India have elected a stable Government with clear majority, consecutively for the third term.

2. My Government believes that there should be healthy competition among the states to attract investors from all over the world. This is the true spirit of competitive cooperative federalism.

3. The resolve to Reform, Perform and Transform has made India the fastest growing economy in the world today.

4. My Government is giving equal importance to all the three pillars of the economy  Manufacturing, Services and Agriculture.

5. To enable farmers to meet their small expenses, more than Rupees 3,20,000 crore have been disbursed to them under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi.

6. Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have ample capacity to meet this demand.

7. As a Vishwa-Bandhu, India has taken initiatives in providing solutions to many global problems.

8. Connectivity of all kinds is being expanded in the North-East. Development works are being taken up in every field including education, health, tourism and employment.

9. Women in our country had been demanding greater representation in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha for a long time. Today, they stand empowered by the enactment of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

10. A scheme like PM JANMAN with an allocation of more than Rupees 24,000 crore is proving to be a means of development of the most backward tribal communities.
Photo courtesy: Pavithra Gowda Instagram profile

Bengaluru/IBNS: The Karnataka Police has served a notice to woman sub-inspector for allowing Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa 's girlfriend, actress Pavithra Gowda , a co-accused in the Renukaswamy murder case, was allowed to apply makeup in police custody, media reports said.

Pavithra was taken to her residence to record details of the crime scene on June 15.

During the visit, Pavithra was seen applying lipstick and also flashed a smile while she was returning from the residence in police custody.

Chilling details of the murder

The probe has found out that Renukaswamy's testicles were ruptured and had an ear missing.

Renukaswamy's face was half-eaten by dogs when the victim's body was found in the drain.

The victim was tied, beaten up with sticks and was given electric shocks before his body dumped in the drains of Kamakshipalya, probe report finds.

Genesis of the murder

According to police, the victim had posted an objectionable comment on Kannada actress Pavithra Gowda's Instagram handle accusing her of causing a rift between Thoogudeepa and his wife Vijaya Lakshmi.

This happened after Pavithra posted an Instagram video celebrating his 10-year relationship with Darshan, who has been married to Vijaya Lakshmi for 20 years.

Darshan's aides reportedly carried Renukaswamy in a taxi from Chitradurga to their Bengaluru hideout where they tortured the victim to death.

After allegedly beating to death, Renukaswamy's body was dumped in a stormwater drain at an area which falls under Kamakshipalya Police Station.

Police reportedly got to know from a food delivery man who saw a dog eating the body of the victim.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from X post by President Murmu

New Delhi/IBNS: In a statement potent enough to irk the Congress, President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday referred to the 1975 Emergency era- which was declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi - calling it "the biggest and darkest attack on Constitution".

Murmu made the remark while speaking about the Constitution in his address to the joint session of Parliament.

The President said, "The Indian Constitution is going to complete 75 years in a few months' time. The Constitution has withstood every challenge over the last 10 years. Even when the Constitution was being framed, there were a lot of powers which wanted India to be unsuccessful."

"The Constitution has been attacked a number of times since it was made. Emergency was the biggest and darkest attack on the Constitution. Chaos broke out in the entire country at that time.

"But the country has defeated such unconstitutional powers because democracy has remained a tradition in India," she added.

LIVE: President Droupadi Murmu addresses both Houses of the Parliament https://t.co/4hNviAsCmv  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 27, 2024

In response, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told ANI, "There was no logic of talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years. She should have spoken about today's issues. We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemployment...

"The word Manipur did not come out from President Murmu or PM Modi. Issues like the India-China border should have been taken up in the address..."

#WATCH | On President Droupadi Murmu's address, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says "There was no logic of talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years. She should have spoken about today's issues. We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemployment...The word pic.twitter.com/dhSmUo5f6M  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

On the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also slammed the Congress over the Emergency, which completed 49 years on June 25, 2024.

The Prime Minister said, "Tomorrow is June 25. For those who are dedicated to the dignity of the Constitution of this country, those who have faith in the democratic traditions of India, 25 June is an unforgettable day.

"Tomorrow, on 25 June, it will be 50 years since the black spot was put on Indian democracy. The new generation of India will never forget that the Constitution was completely rejected, India was turned into a prison, and democracy was completely suppressed."
Photo Courtesy: Unsplash

Patna: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has carried out its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case in Bihar, arresting two accused from Patna named Manish Kumar and Ashutosh.

According to CBI sources, Manish Kumar allegedly transported students in his car and arranged accommodation for about two dozen students implicated in the scandal, while Ashutosh is accused of providing lodging for the students at his home, reported NDTV.

The NEET exam controversy

The controversy arose when 67 students achieved perfect scores of 720 in the NEET-UG exam.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said this happened as some candidates were awarded grace marks due to a faulty question and logistical delays in paper distribution at some centers.

However, a Bihar Police investigation revealed that the exam paper had been leaked to a select group of candidates.

The NEET-UG exam, taken by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical students, was held on May 5, and the results were released on June 4.

Despite the NTA's efforts to manage the situation, allegations of a widespread leak continued with protests and legal actions nationwide.

The Supreme Court also got involved, slamming the NTA for its handling of the issue.
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video

New Delhi/IBNS: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the central government is committed to the investigation into the paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination and the guilty will be punished, media reports said.

Murmu said this during his address to the joint session of Parliament.

She said, "The government is committed to give the youth opportunities to prove their talent, be it government admission or examination. The hindrance to it is not acceptable."

"The government is committed to proper investigation into the recent paper leak incidents and serves strict punishment to the culprits. Even before we have witnessed incidents of paper leaks in several states. We have to rise above party politics on this," the President added.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out the first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case in Bihar, detaining two accused from Patna named Manish Kumar and Ashutosh.

According to CBI sources, Manish Kumar allegedly transported students in his car and arranged accommodation for about two dozen students implicated in the scandal, while Ashutosh is accused of providing lodging for the students at his home, reported NDTV.

The controversy arose when 67 students achieved perfect scores of 720 in the NEET-UG exam.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) said this happened as some candidates were awarded grace marks due to a faulty question and logistical delays in paper distribution at some centers.

However, a Bihar Police investigation revealed that the exam paper had been leaked to a select group of candidates.

The NEET-UG exam, taken by nearly 24 lakh aspiring medical students, was held on May 5, and the results were released on June 4.

Despite the NTA's efforts to manage the situation, allegations of a widespread leak continued with protests and legal actions nationwide.

The Supreme Court also got involved, slamming the NTA for its handling of the issue.
Photo courtesy: File image/UNI

Bengaluru: A Vokkaliga seer has urged Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to step down in favour of his deputy DK Shivakumar amid a tug of war within the ruling Congress in the state, media reported.

The call from the seer comes in the midst of a growing demand inside the Siddaramaiah cabinet to appoint three more Deputy Chief Ministers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat, the SC-ST, and the minority communities.

Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamsthana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji voiced strong support for DK Shivakumar during the Kempegowda Jayanti event in Bengaluru, held to celebrate the birth anniversary of the city's founder. The request was made in the presence of both Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar on stage.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, belongs to the Vokkaliga community, a dominant group in the southern parts of the state.

"Everyone has become Chief Minister and has enjoyed power. But our DK Shivakumar has not become the Chief Minister. So the request is, Siddaramaiah, who has experienced (the post), should please give up the power to our DK Shivakumar in the future and bless him," Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji wwas quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Addressing the gathering, he said: "Only if Siddaramaiah makes up his mind, can this happen. Else it won't. So with 'namakaras', I request Siddaramaiah to make DK Shivakumar the Chief Minister."

However, Siddaramaiah politely dodged the request, saying that the decision lies with the Congress high command.

In his response, DK Shivakumar said he was travelling to Delhi along with Siddaramaiah to discuss development projects pending Centres approval with elected Lok Sabha MPs.

DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah fiercely competed to get the Chief Ministers post, but, ultimately, the Congress high command managed to persuade DK Shivakumar to become the Deputy CM.

As DK Shivakumar has not hidden his ambition to helm the state, a section of Congress feels that Siddaramaiahs camp has been pressing for three more deputy CMs to keep DK Shivakumar in check.

Talks surrounding DK Shivakumars ascent to the post of Karnataka CM have intensified after two-and-a-half years of Congress rule in the state.

Leaders in DK Shivakumar's camp are increasingly voicing their support for him. On Wednesday, Channagiri Congress MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga publicly urged the party to appoint DK Shivakumar as the Chief Minister.
Photo courtesy: X/Om Birla

New Delhi/IBNS: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and senior members of the INDIA bloc met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Thursday to formally lodge their protest against his remark in Parliament, where he referred to the "dark days of the Emergency".

The opposition, including the NCP's Supriya Sule Misa Bharati from the RJD, and Kanimozhi of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, said Birla's actions were "a very grave matter impacting Parliament's credibility" and expressed "profound concern and anguish over this travesty of parliamentary traditions".

In the meeting, Gandhi reportedly told Birla, who read out a resolution flaying the government at the time (led by the party's Indira Gandhi), that the reference to the Emergency as well as the call for two minutes' silence over it, which triggered howls of protest from the opposition benches, was unnecessary.

"Yesterday, that is June 26, 2024, at the time of offering felicitations on your election as Lok Sabha Speaker, there was general camaraderie in the House... as such occasions generate. However, what followed... reference from the Chair in regard to declaration of Emergency, is deeply shocking."

I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting upon the very credibility of institution of Parliament.



Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament.



This coming from the Chair as one of the pic.twitter.com/EEwO27kIwM  Congress (@INCIndia) June 27, 2024

"Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament. This, coming from the Chair, as one of the first duties of a newly elected Speaker, assumes even greater proportions," a letter addressed to the Speaker, signed by KC Venugopal, said.

"So many things were discussed... about functioning of Parliament. Of course this issue also came up and Rahulji, as Leader of the Opposition, told the Speaker the reference could have been avoided. It was clearly a political reference... it could have been avoided," Venugopal told the media this evening.

What did Om Birla say?

Without naming the Congress Om Birla Monday said: "On this day then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an Emergency... and attacked the Constitution. Democratic values and debate have always been supported in India (but)... dictatorship was imposed. Democratic values were crushed and freedom of expression was strangled."

"25th June 1975 will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India."

He even called for two minutes of silence to remember "the determination of all those who opposed the Emergency" and flayed the government at the time.

Birla's comments prompted furious criticisms from opposition MPs, many of whom jumped to their feet to condemn the resolution. The Congress' Shashi Tharoor called it an "unfortunate" message by the Speaker.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Birla for the resolution and mention of the Emergency in Parliament, posting on X, "I am glad the Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time, and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled."

I am glad that the Honourable Speaker strongly condemned the Emergency, highlighted the excesses committed during that time and also mentioned the manner in which democracy was strangled. It was also a wonderful gesture to stand in silence in honour of all those who suffered  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 26, 2024

Days earlier the Prime Minister launched a broadside of his own.
Actor Junaid Khan has made his acting debut in Maharaj, a new Netflix film that gets into the historical struggle of Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and reformer in 1862 Bombay. The movie explores themes of societal reform and women's empowerment, focusing on Karsandas' courageous battle against exploitative rituals. Whether you have seen it or not, Maharaj blends real-life incidents with fictional elements, primarily centred around a defamation case against journalist Karsandas filed by Jadunath Maharaj aka JJ. For those seeking clarity on the film's ending, here is a simplified explanation of the ending of Maharaj:



What was the defamation case all about?

Still from Maharaj/X

In the film, Kishori, engaged to Karsandas and a believer in Maharaj's divine powers, tragically takes her own life after Maharaj breaks her trust and hurts her faith as a holy man. Before her death, Kishori leaves a letter for Karsandas, urging him to expose Maharaj and his corruption.

Determined to seek justice, Karsandas attempts to publish the truth in Dadabhai Naoroji's newspaper, but faces resistance and decides to launch his own paper, Satyaprakash. Through relentless effort, Karsandas exposes Maharaj's misdeeds despite attempts by Maharaj's followers to suppress the truth.

Also Read: Maharaj on Netflix: Pushtimarg Vaishnava sect, haveli culture and the real Krishna seva explained

Maharaj retaliates by suing Karsandas for Rs. 50,000 and temporarily closing his temple gates, demanding an apology. However, fearing a loss of support, Maharaj eventually reopens the gates. The film portrays Karsandas' unwavering pursuit of truth and justice amidst societal challenges and personal tragedy.



Maharaj ending: Does Karsandas win the defamation case filed by Jadunath Maharaj aka JJ?

As Karsandas challenges Maharaj's actions through his newspaper, he faces fierce opposition but finds unexpected support from allies. The climax of Maharaj culminates in a dramatic courtroom showdown where Karsandas, supported by numerous witnesses, exposes Maharaj's wrongdoing.

Any criminal charges against JJ?

In the last scenes, Karsan is seen in the court, showing the locals that the man they were worshipping was actually a cruel impostor, not a holy man. Inspired by Karsan's courage, his widowed sister-in-law also testified against the impostor, which led about 30 other women to share their stories of abuse and harassment.



Also Read: All about real-life Jadunathji Brijratanji who filed defamation case against Karsandas shown in Netflix's Maharaj

Despite all this, the court found the impostor not guilty, but the judge recommended starting criminal proceedings against him (JJ). Thanks to Karsan's efforts and the trial, people realised the truth about who they had been trusting. They understood that it was wrong to let women be mistreated in the name of tradition.

For more news and updates from the world of OTT, celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Google is shaking things up this year by moving its annual "Made by Google" event to August 13, instead of the usual October. This early event is already creating a buzz among tech enthusiasts who are eager to see the latest from Google's lineup. From the new Pixel 9 series to the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the event promises to showcase some exciting innovations.



Event Location and Time

This year, the event will take place at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, a change from its usual New York venue. It will start at 10 AM PT (10:30 PM IST). Although specific livestream details haven't been shared yet, the early announcement has already set high expectations.

What to Expect: Pixel 9 Series and More

According to a report by 9To5Google, the event will focus on "Google AI, Android software, and the Pixel portfolio of devices." This means we can expect the introduction of the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and the highly anticipated Pixel 9 Pro XL. Google has already teased the Pixel 9 Pro in a brief 12-second video, confirming speculations about its launch.

Made by Google is coming August 13  and well be showcasing the latest #Pixel devices, the best of Google AI and @Android software updates. Sign up for updates  https://t.co/W5MELxS9fK pic.twitter.com/AHvF2iIXXV  Google (@Google) June 25, 2024

Other Hardware Announcements

In addition to the Pixel smartphones, we can expect the unveiling of the Pixel Watch 3, which will come in two sizes, and the second generation of Pixel Buds Pro.

AI-Powered Features in the Pixel 9 Series

Google's teaser video for the event, captioned Get Ready for Magic at Made by Google, hints at exciting new features for the Pixel 9 series. These could include some of the Gemini AI-powered features showcased at the Google I/O developers conference, such as spam call detection using on-device AI processing and Gemini Live.

Software Announcements: Android 15

On the software side, Google is expected to introduce new features and enhancements in AI technology for smartphones and the broader Android ecosystem. With Android 15 in development for several months, it's likely that this new OS will debut alongside the Pixel 9 series. The Android 15 OS is anticipated to bring major changes, including an improved user interface, satellite messaging, enhanced near-field communication (NFC) for contactless payments, and more. Additionally, it will be the first OS to natively support Google AI features powered by Gemini.

More Hardware: Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2

The Pixel Watch 3 series, like the Pixel 9 series, is expected to come in different display options, including an XL model with a larger dial and display. The standard model is anticipated to be 41mm in size, while the XL model could be 45mm.

There are also reports that Google will introduce the Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds at the event. While these earbuds are not expected to bring major upgrades, they will likely feature better Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and some AI-powered features, such as real-time translation compatibility with Pixel smartphones.

As June comes to a close, the Made by Google event is just weeks away, ready to showcase the latest innovations and advancements from Google. Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the "Made by Google 2024" event, where Google is set to unveil its latest technological marvels, including the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Android 15.
Imagine booking a flight ticket months in advance, arriving at the airport, boarding your flight on the designated day, only to find someone else already seated in your assigned spotonly this time, they weren't mistaken about the seat number; your ticket had been resold. This exact scenario recently unfolded for a man traveling from the US to Colombia, and what ensued next is nothing short of astonishing.

A flight attendant advising them how things should be divided amongst the row of three seats | Image: Canva

Juan Manuel, a lawyer from Colombia traveling from Los Angeles to Bogota, had booked his round-trip ticket three months prior.



Also read: 'Flight Filled With Dogs': World's First Dog-Centric Airline, BARK Air, Takes Off!



However, upon boarding, he encountered another passenger seated in his assigned seat, causing confusion. The airline staff later explained that the flight had been oversold, leaving Manuel frustrated and disappointed.

Manuel, who had purchased his ticket for an important meeting related to a case in LA, recounted the ordeal.

Credit: Instagram

Despite arriving early and boarding the plane on time after encountering delays at the counter, he found that his seat was occupied.



Upon comparing boarding passes with the passenger, an Avianca agent informed him that his ticket had been resold and asked him to disembark.

As Manuel was about to leave the plane, he became upset and argued with the staff.

Also read: From Air India To Vistara: How A Man Took Over 200 Flights & Stole Jewellery Worth Lakhs From Cabin Baggage



A video capturing his frustration has since gone viral, where he can be heard saying, "I paid for it, they deducted it from my card, you havent given me anything, it wasn't a favor! It seems disrespectful to me that you would sell something you dont have."

NEW: Man has a meltdown on a plane set to depart from Los Angeles to Bogota, Colombia after flight attendants told him he had to exit because they double booked.



This is one of the rare instances where I'm on the side of the passenger having a meltdown.



The man claimed he had pic.twitter.com/BpslCQDDyT  Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 25, 2024

The incident has sparked outrage online, with many questioning the airline's practices.

One commenter remarked, "The airline double-booked, absolutely their faulthow does this even happen with seat assignments?"

Another expressed disbelief, stating, "Why did the airline allow him to board if this could have been prevented before loading the plane?"

A third commenter argued, "It should not be legal to sell something you don't have. The guy bought his ticket months in advance and they took his money at the time of purchase. He should be guaranteed a seat."

The viral video has brought attention to issues of airline overbooking and passenger rights, resonating with viewers worldwide.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Japan is embarking on a groundbreaking project to construct a 300-mile automated conveyor belt, known as the Autoflow-Road, connecting Tokyo and Osaka. This innovative road network aims to enhance transportation efficiency by addressing two major issues: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and alleviating the shortage of delivery drivers in the country.

Representational image

Addressing the shortage of delivery drivers

Japan is grappling with a severe shortage of delivery drivers, primarily due to its rapidly aging population. This shortage is causing significant delays and inefficiencies in the nation's transportation system. According to the Nomura Research Institute, conventional freight transportation is projected to decline to 1.4 billion tonnes by 2030, down from 1.43 billion tonnes in 2020.

Unsplash

In response to this challenge, the Autoflow-Road is seen as a timely solution. The automated conveyor belt will operate 24 hours a day, with pallets capable of holding up to one tonne of cargo. This system is expected to replace the jobs of approximately 25,000 drivers per day, providing a much-needed boost to Japan's logistics sector.



Also Read: Japan telecom leader SoftBank unveils AI filter to transform angry screams into calm speech

A step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The plan for the Autoflow-Road involves installing conveyor belts beneath highways, on ground tracks, and along motorways. This initiative is designed not only to increase transportation efficiency but also to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By decreasing the reliance on traditional delivery trucks, the project aims to lower Japan's carbon footprint.

Reuters

Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito highlighted the dual benefits of the project during its unveiling ceremony, stating, "The Autoflow-Road will not only address the logistics crisis but also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We would like to speedily proceed with discussions on the matter."



Also Read: Ancient beach buried by Mount Vesuvius 2,000 years ago reopens after thorough restoration

This ambitious project underscores Japan's commitment to innovative solutions for its transportation challenges. By leveraging advanced technology, the country hopes to create a more sustainable and efficient logistics network, ensuring smooth cargo transportation across the nation.



For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


They say that you can choose your friends, but not your neighbors, and Bharat Mistry from Sheffield, England, learned it the hard way after he was dragged into a bitter border dispute with the couple next door. Mistry was involved in a year-long border dispute with his neighbors, Irene and Graham Lee, which came to a head in 2021, when the couple chopped off the branches of a tree on their side of the border.

Tree cut in half

The 16-foot-tall fig tree had stood outside their homes for 25 years, but it became a bone of contention between the neighbors. According to Mistry, the Lee couple was angered because birds had been nesting there and damaging their driveway with droppings. So, in 2021, the Lees cut the branches on their side, leaving it looking empty. But their actions unintentionally made it a tourist attraction of sorts.

Also read: UK Couple Wins Case Against Developer For Building 4Million Home 'Too Close To Neighbours'

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Viral photos attract tourists

According to British media reports, the tree, located in the suburb of Waterthorpe, started attracting visitors after photos of it went viral. The tree has been tagged as a tourist attraction on Google Maps, and visitors have left reviews.

"Interesting tree that was cut in half due to a feud between the two neighbors. The story was also over the news and was interesting to visit the location and see the news turn into real life. Google Street View is not updated since 10 years ago, so you can actually see the original tree before it was cut off. Not worth driving a long distance, but if you were nearby, it's worth paying a visit," one of the Google reviews read.

Also read: Woman Who Beat Cancer Receives Heartwarming Welcome From Neighbours

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Half-cut tree becomes a landmark

Three years after the tree was cut in half, it still manages to attract visitors and has become a landmark of sorts. According to some neighbors, the two families are still not on talking terms.

For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
We frequently come across videos on social media that impress us. People have recently garnered a lot of popularity on social media by creating viral films and hilarious reels. In a recent article, a boy was spotted dancing in front of the company's human resources department during a job interview. People were amazed after seeing the video on Instagram.

Which video went viral for a man dancing at the interview?

If you work in the business world, you'll be unable to stop giggling after viewing this video | Image: Instagram

If you work in the business world, you'll be unable to stop giggling after viewing this video. The clip was shared on Instagram. In the video, we observe a person dancing in an amusing manner. The video mentions, "Wrote Dancing skill as a hobby in CV."



Also read: Viral Video: Women Smashes Windscreen Of Lamborghini While Dancing On Its Roof

"When HR takes your skill seriously" was the caption on the video. In the video, we observe a woman sitting opposite the man dancing and carrying some paperwork in her hand.

Why was the man asked to dance at his interview?

The person dancing mentioned dancing as a passion, thus he was encouraged to display his hobby in front of HR | Image: Instagram

According to the video, the person dancing mentioned dancing as a passion, thus he was encouraged to display his hobby in front of HR.



The funniest aspect is that the person in the video was dancing to the song Kajra Re from the film Bunty Aur Babli. He appears to have no idea how to dance based on the manner he was moving.

How did people on the internet react?

The video went viral on the Internet shortly after it was posted, with over 55 lakh viewers. It has been liked by over a lakh people. Thousands of individuals left comments on the video.

Also read: Viral video: Rare footage appears to show a man walking through the clouds

One user noted, "The HR is doing her job with complete dedication." "Every company deserves such an HR," one person said, while another added, "Bro, you are chosen."

A third user said, "Come to Mumbai, you are a great actor."

Check the hilarious video here.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

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Oliver the 'humanzee' was once considered to be the 'missing link' in the evolutionary chain. His human-like walking style and features meant he was strikingly similar to one of us. And resurfaced footage of Oliver has left viewers truly terrified.

Where was Oliver captured?

Oliver was a chimpanzee captured in the Democratic Republic of Congo | Image: X

Oliver was a chimpanzee captured in the Democratic Republic of Congo and purchased by trainers Frank and Janet Berger in 1970. Because of several physical and behavioural characteristics, many people thought he was a human-chimp hybrid, sometimes known as a 'humanzee'.



Also read: Heartwarming Moment: 28-Year-Old Chimpanzee Sees Sky For The First Time After A Lifetime In Captivity

Along with having a small head, his face appeared to be flatter than that of an average chimpanzee. Oliver also had a pronounced nose and would walk upright on two legs, rather than on his knuckles like a chimp.

What traits made Oliver a humanzee?

Oliver lacked the chimpanzees trademark | Image: X

As well as him having a bald head, Oliver lacked the chimpanzees trademark short, white beard and pronounced forward jaw. Instead, he had pointed ears, placed much higher than usual whilst even having freckles.



Some thought he was the missing link, which is not a term used by biologists. That's because the term it implies the evolutionary process is a linear phenomenon and that forms originate consecutively in a chain.

Instead, the term 'last common ancestor' is preferred and scientists said that Oliver was not a human-chimpanzee hybrid. Commenting on the resurfaced footage, one viewer said: "Woah I remember this really freaked me out."

How did Oliver land in California?

In 1975, Frank and Janet sold Oliver to Michael Miller, a Manhattan lawyer who transferred it to Ralph Helfer, a partner in Enchanted Village, a tiny amusement park in Buena Park, California.

Also read: Chimpanzee Spotted Applying Insect To Son's Wound, Researchers Says It's A First

In 1989, he was purchased by Buckshire Corporation, a Pennsylvania facility that leases animals for scientific and cosmetic purposes.

Check the video here.

What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments.

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Ratan Tatas love for animals is a renowned fact. There was a time when he excused himself from an event organised by King Charles to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award for philanthropy at Buckingham Palace as one of his pet dogs felt terribly sick.



Another popular story about the legendary business tycoon Rata Tata is that he has a standing instruction for Taj Mahal Hotel to ensure that animals are treated if they enter the premises.

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Recently, the philanthropist took to Instagram to request people to help him find a blood donor for a dog admitted to his Small Animal Hospital in Mumbai.



He shared details of the requirements in his post. I would really really appreciate your help, Ratan Tata wrote.

He further added that the medical staff at his animal hospital requires blood for a 7-month-old dog admitted for a suspected tick fever and life-threatening anaemia. He also mentioned the eligibility criteria for the donor dog.

Also Read: Why Ratan Tata doesn't feature among the world's richest people

The post, since being shared a few hours ago, has gone viral. Till now, it has accumulated almost 6 lakh likes. The post garnered tons of comments from people.

The internet got together to help him and shower him with praises

A user commented, Have sent a text with a contact for a potential match. Another person added, Imagine a billionaire posting request posts for helping dogs.

A user complimented him and wrote, Most down-to-earth businessman.

If Ratan Tata sir can do it, then why cant we?, asked another one. Previously, Ratan Tata has utilized social media to seek assistance for a distressed dog. In a similar instance, he employed Instagram to successfully reunite a rescued dog with its owners

My office found an abandoned/lost dog last night at Sion Hospital, Mumbai. If you are his guardian or have any leads, please email reportlostdog@gmail.com with some evidence of ownership. Meanwhile, he is in our care and is being treated for his wounds, he wrote in the share posted last year.

Also Read: Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata Receives KISS Humanitarian Award; All You Need To Know

About Ratan Tatas Small Animal Hospital

The Small Animal Hospital, overseen by Tata Trusts, is a specialized veterinary facility focused on the care of cats and dogs. Located in Mumbai, this hospital is equipped with advanced technology and collaborates with specialists across various disciplines to diagnose and manage complex medical cases in pets.
Google, currently led by CEO Sundar Pichai, stands as one of the largest companies globally with a market cap exceeding $1 trillion. Reflecting on Google's inception, most recall its co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Yet, lesser known is the fact that Ram Shriram, an Indian billionaire, was one of Google's earliest investors.



Meet Ram Shriram, a visionary businessman who has strong ties with Google, Amazon and several other tech companies

Kavitark Ram Shriram, born in Chennai, India, pursued his education in mathematics at the University of Madras. He later relocated to the United States, where he began his career by joining Netscape in 1994 as an executive. Following this role, he served as president of Junglee, an online comparison shopping firm that was acquired by Amazon in 1998. Subsequently, Ram Shriram held a vice president position at Amazon before departing in 2000.

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Since then, he has been actively investing in technology startups through his venture capital firm, Sherpalo Ventures.



The name "Sherpalo" is a combination of "sherpa" and "Palo Alto," reflecting his approach to guiding and supporting early-stage companies.

Also Read: Inside Sundar Pichai's career: How Google fought Twitter tooth and nail to retain its CEO

Ram Shrirams early life

Ram Shriram, originally from India, studied mathematics at the University of Madras before moving to the United States in 1994. He began his career by joining Netscape as an executive. Following this, Shriram became the president of Junglee, an online comparison shopping company that Amazon acquired in 1998. After the acquisition, he served as a vice president at Amazon under Jeff Bezos.

In 2000, Ram Shriram founded Sherpalo Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage technology startups. He is renowned as a founding board member of Google, now Alphabet Inc., and although he has sold most of his stock in Google, he remains on the board of Alphabet. Shriram is also actively involved in various other roles, including serving on the boards of Paperless Post and Yubico. Additionally, he has contributed significantly to Stanford University, where he was vice chair of the Board of Trustees and a board member of Stanford Seed. He has also served as a longtime advisor to the School of Engineering at Stanford.

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Shrirams philanthropic deeds

Ram Shriram and his wife contributed $61 million to Stanford University to enhance its engineering programs. Their daughters also studied at Stanford, reflecting their deep ties to the university.

In 2023, Ram Shriram received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in recognition of his notable contributions and accomplishments.

Also Read: Meet Thomas Kurian, CEO Of Google Cloud, Who Is Richer Than His Boss Sundar Pichai! This Is His Net Worth

How much money did he invest in Google?

Shriram made his initial investment in Google in 1998, putting in $250,000 (Rs 1 crore approx as per dollar rate). By the time Google went public, he held 5.3 million shares. Over the following twenty years, although he sold the majority of his shares, he retained his position on the board of Alphabet, Google's parent company.

Not just Google, he has also invested in other tech startups including Razorpay, Inmobi, Notion, and Skyroot Aerospace (India's 1st space startup) among others.

Shriram facilitated a meeting between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Google founders which resulted in Bezos becoming an investor in Google

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According to a Medium report, Jeff Bezos became an investor in Google after the funding round had officially closed. While vacationing in the Bay Area, Bezos contacted Ram Shriram to arrange a meeting with Google's founders. Following this meeting facilitated by Shriram, Jeff Bezos proceeded to invest $250,000 in Google in 1998 at a share price of 4 cents.



Madhuri Dixits husband Dr Shriram Nene is all praise for the entrepreneur

Recently an X user shared by the name of Uttkarsh Singh posted an interesting thread on Ram Shriram. While the post garnered a lot of responses, Madhuri Dixits husband Dr Shriram Nene also commented on the thread calling the entrepreneur one of the finest people he had ever met.

One of the finest people we have met and someone I share names with. #RamShriram https://t.co/8W0QONStaB  Dr. Shriram Nene (@DoctorNene) June 27, 2024

This Indian American billionaire is the reason why Google exists, X user Uttkarsh Singh wrote in the first post of his X thread. Shriram Nene re-shared the post with a caption, One of the finest people we have met and someone I share names with.

Ram Shrirams net worth

As per Forbes, Ram Shriram's current net worth stands at $2.8 billion (Rs 23, 368 crore).
The countdown for Anant Ambani and Radika Merchants wedding has begun. Mukesh Ambani is set to host an opulent bash for his youngest son which will be held from 12-14 July.

The wedding invitations are being distributed with Anant paying a visit to his close friends from the industry. On the other hand, Nita Ambani recently visited Varanasi to offer the first card at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and seek the blessings of the almighty for this son.

Nita Ambani donated 2.5 crores to two temples during her visit to Varanasi

ANI

While visiting the city to seek blessings at the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple for her son Anant's wedding, she also savored street-side Banarasi chaat and visited a weavers' store to purchase sarees for the occasion. She generously donated Rs. 1 crore to the Maa Annapurna Temple and Rs. 1.5 crore to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, as per a report by TOI. Later, she participated in the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.



Also Read: From sky to mountains: Nita Ambani's heartfelt tale of how husband Mukesh named their twins Isha & Akash

After worshipping, she spent some time at the ghat to witness Ganga Aarti followed by gorging on some local chaat and shopping

Nita Ambani spent time by the sacred river, witnessing the Ganga Aarti after offering prayers at the Baba Vishwanath shrine. She visited a chaat stall in the Dashashwamedh area, enjoying local cuisine. Later, she visited weaver Vijay Maurya's home in Sahityanaka, Ramnagar district, where she observed the handloom process and inquired about the materials used.

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She admired the intricate embroidery on the sarees. Previously, she had summoned numerous Banarasi businesspeople and artisans to her hotel to showcase their sarees, from whom she placed orders with several different weavers.



Nita Ambani selected our Lakkha Buti saree, which is prepared by traditional 'kadhua technique, incorporating one lakh butis, said a saree manufacturer Angika Kushwaha, a PhD in textile, of Ramnagar.

According to her father, Amresh Kushwaha, who is also the chairman of the UP Industrial Cooperative Association, Nita Ambani bought over a hundred sarees from different weavers for the wedding event.

Also Read: Did You Know? Nita Ambani Earned Monthly Salary Of Rs 800 In Her First Job As School Teacher

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's wedding invitation for Lord Shiva

#WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh: Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani visits a chaat shop and interacts with locals pic.twitter.com/1QIY4Ha0xs  ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2024

Mukesh Ambani's wife and founder of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani placed the wedding card at the feet of Lord Shiva.

Today I am here with the invitation for the wedding of Anant and Radhika to offer it to the almighty. She has arrived in Varanasi and will offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple, ANI posted along with a video on X.
After sliced bread, the best invention that could have happened for foodies was - readymade idli/dosa batter!



It could be a personal opinion but the tedious task of soaking rice and dal overnight, grinding it in a mixie and then keeping it for a couple of days for fermentation killed the craving for lip smacking idlis and dosas.

Miles away in Bengaluru, a businessman saw an opportunity and came out with a perfect solution - ready to cook batter.

Enter iD Fresh Food! Initially, it began as a virtual kitchen, delivering pre-packaged meals. However, founder PC Musthafa later introduced the concept of selling idli and dosa batter under his brand, which significantly transformed the company's trajectory.

PC Musthafa/instagram

In the business-oriented podcast The Neon Show last year, he revealed, "We Indians dont trust our packaged food. Anything in a package form is considered unhealthy. When we launched the product in the market, we were surprised, no one was willing to buy a package of batter. We started sending 100 packets to the market, and 90 used to come back."

Nevertheless, iD Fresh Foods experienced a surge in sales and established itself as a prominent name in breakfast foods. Musthafa emphasized that the brand's differentiation lay in its decision to avoid chemicals in its pre-made batter, a choice that resonated well with middle-class households.

iD Fresh Foods journey

The venture was started by Musthafa and his cousins from a 50 square feet kitchen in 2005. In 2005, the brothers recognized a promising business opportunity in batter due to high demand and unreliable supply. Combining the entrepreneurial spirit of Musthafa, who had experience in IT roles across various countries, with the grocery background of their cousins, they started small with basic equipment and a second-hand Scooty. By the end of their first year, they had earned Rs 8 lakh, and within three years, their revenue soared to Rs 50 lakh, marking a rapid and successful start to their business venture.



PC Musthafa/instagram

In 2009, iD Fresh Foods ventured ambitiously into Chennai, aiming to replicate its Bengaluru success in the idli-dosa batter market. Musthafa invested the company's entire savings of Rs 20 lakh to establish a plant. However, the venture failed as competitors were selling batter at much lower prices. After struggling for over a year, iD was forced to exit the Chennai market, causing significant financial strain.

As per a Forbes report, during this challenging phase, Musthafa drew strength from his team, comprising friends, family, and relatives from Kerala. Despite grappling with severe cash flow problems that led to delayed salaries and personal struggles like being unable to pay his son's tuition fees, Musthafa was profoundly moved by the unwavering loyalty and solidarity displayed by his team members. The daily carrom games they played together became more than just recreation; they symbolized the resilience and unity that upheld iD Fresh Foods during its most trying moments. These bonds reinforced the company's spirit and determination to overcome adversity and forge ahead.

Also Read: Haldiram's Success Story: From Selling Bhujia For 2 Paisa Per kg To Rs 70,000 Crore Empire

PC Musthafa's first financial investment

PC Musthafa/instagram

On a podcast, CEO PC Musthafa recounted his journey from humble beginnings, where he took on odd jobs like selling firewood in his village. Saving diligently, he accumulated Rs 150, which he used to make his first financial investmenta goat, which became the first asset in his family's possession.

Continuing to build on his savings and investments, Musthafa eventually traded up by selling the goat to purchase a cow for his family. The cow's milk provided additional income, enabling them to enjoy three meals a day, marking a significant improvement in their living conditions.

Through perseverance and prudent financial management, Musthafa eventually secured admission to the National Institute of Technology (NIT) and pursued a career in IT. In 2006, drawing on his experiences and entrepreneurial spirit, he co-founded iD Fresh Foods.

Also Read: From Elon Musk To Warren Buffett: 11 Inspiring Quotes By World's 11 Richest People On Life And Success

Inside PC Musthafa's dosa-idli batter empire

In FY21, iD Fresh Foods reported an operating revenue of Rs 294 crore, up from Rs 238 crore in FY20, and further increasing to Rs 522 crore in FY23. During this period, the company managed to reduce its losses from Rs 42.8 crore to Rs 32.88 crore, as per Forbes.

iD Fresh Foods operates five manufacturing plants located in Ajman, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The company has raised approximately Rs 366.53 crore in funding, with notable investors including Sequoia Capital, Helion Venture Partners, Premji Invest, and NewsQuest Capital.

In terms of revenue distribution, around 43 percent of iD's revenue comes from batter products, 33 percent from parota, and 12 percent from dairy products.

iD Fresh Foods future plans

Looking ahead, iD Fresh Foods plans to expand its presence into Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar in the coming months. The company has significantly enhanced its manufacturing capabilities, producing approximately 1.1 lakh kilos of idli-dosa batter and 4 lakh parotas every day, establishing itself as a major player in the batter segment.

Muthafas eureka moment at IIM-B

As the chief guest at IIM-B, PC Musthafa, CEO of iD Fresh Food Global, shared his journey, failures, and insights with the incoming class. Reflecting on his own graduation day at IIMB 17 years ago, where he was inspired by Mukesh Ambani's presence as the Chief Guest, Musthafa expressed his gratitude for being invited back to a similar prestigious event. He highlighted the honor he felt in addressing the new batch of future leaders, offering them three valuable pointers drawn from his experiences as an entrepreneur. He posted the video on his Instagram handle:

According to HT, In 2023, self-made entrepreneur PC Musthafa's empire was valued at 3,000 crore. Coming from a non-wealthy family background, Musthafa's journey involved diligent effort to co-found iD Fresh Foods, a company known for its production of idli batter and other food products.
Celebrating its 15 years of operation, the Acropolis Museum has unveiled a new exhibition space offering visitors an enhanced opportunity to understand and interpret the material remains and history of an entire neighbourhood in ancient Athens.

Dubbed Museum under the Museum, the exhibit displays an ancient neighbourhood discovered during excavations conducted in the area for the construction of the Acropolis Museum and the local metro station.

Culture Minister Lina Mendoni attended the opening ceremony, praising the museum altogether for establishing an international presence, among the most formidable of its kind, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

Ms. Mendoni also addressed the issue of reuniting the Parthenon Sculptures.

She said that with the establishment, construction, and operation of the Acropolis Museum, Greece managed to negate long-standing arguments put forth by the British Museum that Greece lacked suitable and worthy hosting facilities to house the marvellous sculpture it is seeking to bring back to their birthplace.

It is now widely accepted, both nationally and internationally, that Greece supports its claim for the reunification of the sculptures with tangible evidence of its strong commitment, practical capability, and expertise in their protection, preservation, and interpretation, she said.

For decades, Greece has exemplified a model of conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation for the entire Acropolis site, including the Parthenon.

Over the past 15 years, it has become abundantly clear that the British Museums argument no longer holds, Ms. Mendoni said. The seamless integration of the Acropolis Museum with the rock and monuments of the Acropolis, its harmonious coexistence with both ancient and modern elements, and its role as an ideal setting for showcasing the masterpieces all contribute to its suitability for hosting the entirety of the Parthenon Sculptures.

The new museum space  an excavation site, as envisioned by architects Bernard Tschumi and Michalis Fotiadis  is an extension of the museuman organic continuation that bridges space and time, organizers said.

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The need to upgrade the European Union's defense capabilities is unquestionable, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during the European Council discussion on European defense strategy and industry, sources said on Thursday.

Mitsotakis

underlined that Europe is at a time when it needs to do more in this sector , to develop and fund the European defense industry, and not be dependent on third parties. "Anything less sends the wrong message," he underlined.

The PM was also expected to talk about the proposal he had jointly submitted with Donald Tusk in a letter to the President of the European Commission on the need to create a joint European defence project that will be financed with European funds.

In addition, the European Council was also expected to discuss who would assume the presidencies of the European Council, the European Commission, and the position of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs.

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Clashes that broke out between bands of incarcerated criminals in Greeces maximum security prison, have left one inmate dead and another injured, authorities have said

The clash erupted between two groups of Albanian prisoners in Ko.rydallos, Greeces Maximum Security prison.

The inmates refused to enter their cells, claiming that the heat

was unbearable.

According to police sources, one group of hardened criminals urged the other to return to their cells due to the sweltering conditions.

Still, tensions flared,spiralling out of control with the assailant taking a knife and stabbing the victim.

He was as an Albanian repeat offender known as T.Z. He has since then confessed to authorities tostabbing his 35-year-old fellow inmate, also an Albanian.

Investigations revealed that the victim and the confessed assailant were acquainted, having previously escaped together.

Authorities also recovered the kitchen knife used in the murder.

In 2011, the assailant used the same method to kill his father and infant sibling in Kalamata.

Authorities identified his latest vicitim as Alphonse Dotsi, who, in 2015, killed a businessman during a robbery in Western Attica.

The businessman was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head inside a warehouse in Eleusis.

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The Labour Partys presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has tasked Federal Government on ending drug abuse in the country.

The former Anambra state governor also called for serious punishment for any law offenders found guilty.

Obi disclosed this in a statement on X page, on Wednesday while commemorating the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

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The LP candidate blamed economic hardship and unemployment for causing drug addiction among young people.

He said: For a predominantly youthful population, Nigeria, where poverty and unemployment are on the increase, the incidence of drug abuse remains high. Economic hardship and other poor socio-economic factors have been identified as the leading factors fueling drug abuse among our youth.

A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that Nigeria and some African countries will witness a 40 per cent rise in the population of drug users, especially the youth population if urgent measures are not taken.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reports that about 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15-64 years, abuse drugs.

The National Bureau of Statistics reports a 14.4 per cent drug prevalence in Nigeria, which is twice the global average of 5.8 per cent.

READ MORE: Company MDs, VIPs, Their Children Are Also Into Drugs  NDLEA

The government should invest in rehabilitating those already caught in the web of drug abuse and stringent punishment meted out to drug traffickers.

Drugs and substance abuse have contributed to high rates of crime, moral decadence in society, and other associated health hazards. It also greatly dampens the productivity of people, especially the youth population.

We must, therefore, seek to save our nation from the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. More efforts must be channelled into preventing the spread of this virus.
A cooking gas explosion in Jamata, a village in Kogi States Lokoja Local Government Area, has destroyed over 100 houses.

According to DAILY POST, the explosion on Wednesday destroyed buildings and property worth millions of naira.

Bashir Abubakar Gegu, the Kogi State Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, bemoaned the losses and advised residents to use cooking gas with caution during a visit to the impacted village.

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READ MORE: CHIVIDO2024: Wizkids Manager Joins Celebrities To Celebrate Davido, Chiomas Marriage

I am urging all and sundry to abide by the rules of gas usage. This accident is avoidable, but for negligence and failure to abide by the safety rules of the use of cooking gas, this happened, he added.

He told the victims that the state government will provide them with immediate and long-term assistance in getting back on their feet and running their businesses.


No less than five persons have been reportedly killed in a deadly attack on Ishieke Police Division in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The deceased persons are said to be the gunmen who attacked the station and were killed during a gun battle with security operatives on Wednesday night.

The assailants were said to have stormed the area around 9:30 pm and started shooting sporadically forcing residents to scamper for safety.

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A local, Tony Nwori, disclosed that the gunmen arrived at the police station with two cars and started shooting sporadically in the air.

READ ALSO: Illicit Drugs Worth 7,362kg Seized, 109 Offenders Convicted In Kaduna

He said the gunmen engaged in a gun duel with the policemen on duty in front of the station for over 30 minutes, before other security operatives came for reinforcement, resulting in the deaths of five suspected gunmen.

According to another source, the situation drew the attention of more security operatives, including the Army, who came in their numbers to apprehend the hoodlums.

The source said, they continued shooting sporadically on the air while moving to Odomoke Ishieke market along Nwiboko Obodo road in Ebonyi Council Area.

The police in the South East state have not commented on the incident.
Despite insecurity challenges facing the country, Nigeria Army has reportedly deployed at least 177 troops to Guinea Bissau.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that the soldiers will be contributing to the ongoing Economic Community of West African Statess peacekeeping mission in the country.

Announcing the deployment on Wednesday, Chief of Operations, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Boniface Sinjen, led this out at the graduation ceremony of troops of Nigerian Company 3 ECOWAS Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau held at Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Center Jaji.

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Sinjen said: Guinea-Bissau is grappling with political instability and institutional crisis, which poses a significant threat to peace and sustainable development in the sub-region.

This deployment is in line with the mandate of the mission which has been extended severally to consolidate the relative peace and stability in the country.

You gallant men of the Nigerian Army have been trained by this renowned Centre of Excellence to play that critical role.

READ MORE: Troops Rescue Seven Women, Nine Children From Terrorists In Borno

This Pre-Deployment Training (PDT) has equipped you with the necessary tactical skills and knowledge to support the government of Guinea-Bissau in stabilizing the country.

I therefore urge you to remain committed to upholding the principles of ECOWAS peacekeeping operations.

I implore you to maintain the highest level of professionalism, discipline, and respect for human rights and the sovereignty of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

As ambassadors of Nigeria, your behaviour will reflect on the nations image, so I urge you to uphold the highest standards of conduct and maintain the integrity of our esteemed profession.

He warned that Nigeria military have a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation, drug trafficking and abuse.

Sinjen said: Any personnel found guilty of such offences will face severe consequences. The Nigerian Armys commitment to upholding the highest standards of discipline and integrity remains unbroken.


Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, says that most households in Nigeria now resort to prayers when they are sick, instead of purchasing medicines to treat themselves.

Obi stated this on Wednesday at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, while delivering a keynote address during the 6th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN).

He bemoaned the state of the nations health sector saying many pharmaceutical companies have left the country, making drugs very expensive for the poor.

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Obi, who was the keynote speaker at the event with the theme, Access to Quality Medicine in An Unstable Environment, said rather than partner local pharmaceutical industries for manufacturing of high quality drugs, government has instead been issuing licences for importation of drugs and collection of revenues from the importers.

READ ALSO: FG Must End Drug Abuse, Punish Perpetrators  Peter Obi

I visited a primary health centre in an outskirt of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and, discovered that there were 50 pregnant women in the hospital, and, there was just one medical staff attending to them.

There are about 24,000 primary health centres in the country, but how many of them are functional?

The allocation to health as contained in the current national budget is nothing to write home about. There is need to prioritise issues concerning health such that in addition to providing health insurance to all the citizens, there should be a deliberate policy by government to ensure local production of drugs and medicines.

We need to dismantle the type of leadership we have in the country, and, everyone must show commitment to install a government that will provide good governance, otherwise, we cant move forward.

The prices of drugs today are so high that in most homes, the only good medicine they know is prayers. We can not continue like this, he said.


Governor Siminalayi Fubara has stated that Rivers State is not leaning on Party affiliation but on a revolutionary movement that ensures democratic values are protected.

Fubara made the declaration on Wednesday, while receiving in a courtesy visit by the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

The governor said he will not be distracted by the calculated blackmail and sabotage from some quarters against his administration.

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The governor noted that God has continued to protect the State as one of such plots to create crisis was averted when someone who attempted to detonate a dynamite at the Presidential Hotel area blew off his own arms.

He stated that despite being the most abused Governor in the entire federation he remains focused on the delivery of democratic dividends in the State.

In our state today we are no longer doing party. We are doing a movement, so you dont blame me if I dont go to the side of party too much. The party has failed us here, so what we are doing here is to stand with our two legs on the soil of Rivers State, so that we can defend democracy, Fubara said.

READ ALSO: Rivers Crisis: Well Seek Tinubus Intervention To Avoid Anarchy  Orji Kalu To Fubara

Fubara told members of the committee to factor in the interest of Rivers State as they recommend the privatisation and commercialisation of public companies, saying that when the State buys stakes in such companies, it can be protected and supervised to be viable.

He said: I will also appeal to you that in this process of privatisation, anything that has to do with our own State here that needs to be privatised, the Rivers State Government will be interested. Because you cant come here and own our property when we have the resources to have shares or to acquire some portion of it.

So, as a committee, if there is anywhere you can support us; if they is anyone that is still available, let us know, and let us get the details so that we can own it.

It is only when we own it that those assets can be protected. It is only when we own it, that is when those assets become viable to the State, and also become viable to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Six teenagers, have reportedly drowned in Mbang river at Ribang village, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

As revealed on Wednesday, the tragedy occurred around 5:30pm as the students were returning home from their West African Junior School Examinations on Tuesday

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The victims, identified as Manasseh Monday (16), Musa John (16), Pius David (15), Monday Ayuba (16), David Danlami (19) and Yahuza Audu (16), were students of Government Secondary School, Fadan Chawai.

Comrade Simon Ishaku Chinge, the National Public Relations Officer of the Ribang Development Association, who confirmed the incident, revealed that three bodies had been recovered and buried while three others remained missing despite ongoing search efforts by the community.

READ ALSO: Gas Explosion Rocks Kogi, Destroys Over 100 Houses</a

The schoolchildren left home full of hope and excitement, their parents expecting to reunite with them after their exams, only to meet their untimely death, Chinge said.

He noted that over the years, the river had claimed numerous lives.

The river is a crucial passage for the community and residents who must travel approximately eight kilometres to access schools or medical facilities.

Chinge however called on the Federal Government , Governor Uba Sani, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung of Kaduna South and their House of Representatives member to assist the community by providing a school, hospital, access road and bridge to prevent further tragedy.
The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested individuals responsible for the killings of a Point of Sale operator and a rice hawker in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, last week.

Mr Adeniran Akinwale, the state Commissioner of Police, revealed this on Wednesday while parading 21 individuals detained for various crimes in the state, claiming that the killers were also responsible for the other deaths in the state last week.

Recall that on Tuesday of last week, gunmen on motorcycles assassinated a ticket officer from the Commercial Motorcycles Riders Association, as well as a PoS operator in the EKSUTH region and a rice hawker in the Oja Bisi neighbourhood.

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The CP, who was represented at the procession by Sunday Abutu, the state Police Public Relations Officer, stated that the accused will be charged in court once the investigations were completed.

He implored residents to be security conscious and report to the nearest police station any suspicious person or group of persons.

According to Abutu, three members of the killer squad, who are also members of the Eiye Confraternity, have been captured, and police are looking for others who are on the run.

The PPRO said that following the recent fracas among rival secret cult group members, especially the Supreme Eiye Confraternity and the Black Axe Aiye Confraternity in Ado-Ekiti that led to unrest as well as killing and robbing of innocent citizens, the command activated a full-scale manhunt to arrest the perpetrators, bring them to justice and restore a peaceful atmosphere.

READ MORE: Anambra Police Step Up Search For Officer Accused Of Extorting N810,000 From Driver

He said that the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, acting on credible tip-off, arrested one Aluko Olamide in Ado Ekiti. Further investigation led to the arrest of one Atewogboye Olumide Emmanuel at Ekute Quarters, Ado Ekiti. Intensified effort led to the arrest of one Salawudeen Lookman.

He identified exhibits recovered from them as phones, SIM cards, locally manufactured single barrel pistols, and ammo.

Abutu said, The suspects confessed that they, alongside other fleeing members of their gang identified as Atewogboye Ibrahim and one nicknamed Tornado, were responsible for the killing of one Omoyajowo Olanipekun (ticket agent) on Tuesday last week, the killing of one Ibrahim Taofeek Ayinde (POS operator), and the killing of one Abdullahi Dogon-Daji (rice hawker) on Thursday last week.

They equally confessed to the attacking and killing of one Abdullahi Abubakar on June 19 during the process of robbing him of his motorcycle. The gang equally shot one Olakunle Rasak at Ori Apata, Along Adebayo Area, Ado-Ekiti, who is presently receiving treating in the hospital.

The suspects confessed further that the killing of the rice hawker inside Bisi Market was a mistake as they actually targeted a rival cult member who was standing beside the victim.

According to them, the attack was to revenge the killing of one Okunola Dami, who was their member, who was shot dead on 27th May 2024 around Dalimore Area, of Ado-Ekiti, by members of a rival secret cult group.

Other suspects paraded were four who admitted to being involved for robbery attacks on several innocent individuals in Ado-Ekiti and Ikere Ekiti.

The suspects also included five males who admitted to stealing cars from parking lots in Ado Ekiti.
The company best known for RStudio, the leading integrated development environment (IDE) for R programmers, has quietly launched a next-generation IDE designed specifically for both R and Python. The Positron IDE is available in public beta as of today for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Created by Boston-based Posit PBC, formerly RStudio, Positron is based on Microsofts Visual Studio Code. Users of VS Code will likely find Positrons look and feel rather familiar, with panels for writing code and viewing code output, consoles and terminals, and an activity bar at the far left offering options for file navigation, version control, debugging, and extensions. However, Positron is packaged out of the box to be easier to set up, especially for R users but also for Python.

Theres no need to install extensions in order to get R up and running in Positron, as is the case with VS Code. Likewise you dont have to install an extension for Positron to run Python. In fact, youre cautioned not to install the usual VS Code extensions for R and Python in Positron, since the IDE already comes with that functionality built-in. For both languages, you should have the basic language files installed on your system, as well as the IPykernel package to run Python. Positron easily found both my R and Python installations at first launch.
Southwest Philly's Lay Bankz is a TikTok star whose tracks have seen more than 100 million hits on Spotify. She is best known for her melodic rap hits, but Bankz emphasizes that she can do it all: sing, rap, pop, R&B. Read more

Are you ready for the New Philly Wave? Philadelphia artist Lay Bankz was recently announced as a member of the 2024 XXL Freshman Cover lineup. XXL, the hip-hop magazine, typically debuts the list in early summer and it recognizes artists who are shifting cultural norms in pop, R&B, and rap. With her inclusion, Bankz, 20, joins the ranks of J. Cole, Future, and Kendrick Lamar, among others, whove received the honor.

Bankz is the seventh Philadelphian to join the XXL List, and the second woman from Philly, after Tierra Whack, who was named in 2019. Philly musicians Meek Mill (2011), Lil Uzi Vert (2016), PnB Rock (2017), 2Rare (2023), and Fridayy (2023) are also alums of the list.

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I love where Im from. I wouldnt want to be from nowhere else, Bankz, the Southwest Philly native, said in April. She went viral on TikTok with her rap called Ick and contributed to the popularity of the Blick, a dance with roots in Philly club, which became a national phenomenon in early 2023.

Blicking is honestly just fun. Its just supposed to be like youre releasing your wiggle, Bankz said. Ive been blicking my entire life, because I grew up in Philly culture with tanging and toprocking.

Ick currently sits at 87 million plays; her most popular song is Tell Ur Girlfriend, with over 181 million plays on Spotify.

Bankzs music stands out for the way she blends elements of R&B with Jersey club, providing a melodic yet futuristic sound. In addition to the melodies, she represents Philadelphias rap culture through her flows and word play.

The String Theory Performing Arts alum cites Aaliyah, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and Michael Jackson as influences. She counts Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock, who was fatally shot in 2022, as one of her favorite artists.

This year, she said in April, Bankz plans to release back-to-back singles and then an album, music that is truly Lay Bankz to the bone. This new era of music is really just showing my supporters the real me.
FringeArts, at Race Street and Delaware Ave., received funding from the William Penn Foundation in 2012. Read more

Change is coming to Philadelphias largest foundation devoted solely to giving in the region.

The William Penn Foundation is instituting a broad set of changes  from the kinds of projects and organizations it is interested in funding, to how groups may apply for money.

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Some of these shifts are being influenced by a generational turnover playing out gradually on the foundations board. Founded by the Haas family with fortunes amassed through ownership of chemical manufacturer Rohm & Haas Company, the foundation is phasing in leadership of the familys fourth generation.

Preparation for an eventual generational handoff has been underway for a decade and roughly coincides with a new 10-year strategic plan. While the new giving priorities and interests were championed by the fourth generation, they were developed in partnership with the one before it, says Katherine H. Christiano, William Penns board chair.

Climate change feels like it is being raised up by millennials and Gen Z, and youll see that in our new plan, but it was supported very much by the third generation, says Christiano, 38, a great-granddaughter of foundation founders Phoebe and Otto Haas.

Its with their support [that the foundation is] really prioritizing opportunities for communities that have experienced a lot of racial inequity and a lot of other forms of injustice.

What is the William Penn Foundation?

William Penn Foundation has long been a powerhouse philanthropy in the region. It approved just over $154 million in grants in 2023, a spokesperson said. In recent years, after the Annenberg Foundation moved its headquarters from Radnor to Los Angeles and as the Pew Charitable Trusts shifted focus beyond Philadelphia, the William Penn has assumed primacy among local foundations.

William Penn, founded in 1945, provides an ongoing stream of support for many local charities across several areas  arts and culture, the environment, education, literacy, the creation of public spaces, and community-building.

The foundation also has made some spectacular one-time gifts  like a $25 million donation to the Free Library of Philadelphia announced in 2014, or a 2016 pledge of up to $100 million to revitalize parks, libraries, recreation centers, and playgrounds across Philadelphia.

The new set of priorities and strategic plan dont represent a dramatic shift, leaders say, and in one important way they are an affirmation of constancy amid a dramatically shifting funding climate.

I feel like hopefully its a reassurance that were not going anywhere, says Christiano.

How is the William Penn Foundation changing?

Previously, the foundation channeled giving through three main program programs: arts and culture, education, and watershed protection. Now it will have five.

Giving to arts and culture programs will continue. The program will still provide operating support to groups, but will open up the program to funding capital projects, such as new buildings. Under the heading of children and families, giving has been largely focused on literacy. Now the program will give more broadly toward groups that provide family support systems for mental health, homelessness, high-quality early childhood education, and connecting families to public benefits and tax credits, among other areas. William Penns environmental work will expand beyond its current concern relating to clean water. Funding will now go toward groups working to reduce illegal dumping, increasing green space and tree plantings, land conservation, building green stormwater infrastructure, and the intersection of green spaces with social interaction. In the past, William Penns work with the watershed has gone up to New York, northern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey  this huge tri-state area, said Christiano, and we are bringing the environmental work closer to home, closer to the greater Philadelphia region. In its new democracy and civic initiatives program, the foundation will address Pennsylvanias democratic process to build trust and participation, particularly among underrepresented communities, according to a program description. Another distinct granting program new to the foundation will support programs aimed at reducing barriers to workforce training and employment retention.

How will the new funding be allocated? Who gets the money?

In terms of how funds will be allocated among the five giving areas, Christiano said democracy/civic initiatives and workforce training programs will have less of an allocation since theyre a newer and more exploratory area for us.

Each program is described in greater detail in materials posted on the foundations website this week.

Officials say they hope that in addition to working with its traditional fundees, groups that might have thought themselves unqualified or too small will raise their hands for possible funding. Most groups will be able to respond to a quarterly request for proposals the foundation will put out for particular giving areas  such as improving public spaces in Philadelphia  with an application that officials say is streamlined from its previous version.

We very much wanted to simplify that application process and have it not be such a heavy lift, especially for the smaller organizations who are doing this amazing work, but dont have a full time person to be writing these really long grant applications all the time.

Also new: William Penn will make clear that it is looking for grant proposals that help meet specific objectives  reducing the gap between Black and white voter turnout in the 2032 presidential election, for instance, or putting 10,000 workers with high barriers to employment through workforce training and having 85% still employed 18 months after training.

As for the future of grand gestures like the $25 million to the Free Library, the foundation always has an ear to the ground. The only qualification is that a project or initiative be good for the city in some way, Christiano says.

I mean, its as simple as that.
Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said the murder case involving Enrique Lopez-Gomez is "just as disturbing as it is straightforward." Read more

Enrique Lopez-Gomez told investigators in Chester County that he was frustrated that his wifes 21-month-old son wouldnt stop crying early Monday morning. So he hit the child in his abdomen, hard enough, prosecutors said Thursday, that he killed him.

Although the toddler was lethargic, unresponsive and visibly injured, Lopez-Gomez did not call for medical help for him for hours afterward, and instead performed what he described to investigators as a Guatemalan healing ritual involving lemon oil, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

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Lopez-Gomez, 20, has been charged with third-degree murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and related crimes in the death of the toddler, whom prosecutors did not name. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.

He remained in custody, in lieu of $10 million bail, as well as a detainer from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said Lopez-Gomez and his wife are both natives of Guatemala, but it remained unclear if he was in the country legally  sometimes, ICE issues detainers on prisoners whose alleged crimes violate the terms of their visas, according to the prosecutor.

De Barrena-Sarobe said the charges filed against Lopez-Gomez were the latest example of crimes against children in the county. Two other cases involving child victims have been filed in the last month, one involving the fatal neglect and abuse of Malinda Hoagland, 12, and another connected to Hunter Hawa, 8, who accidentally overdosed on narcotics belonging to his parents.

Its a straightforward fact scenario and unfortunately its just as disturbing as it is straightforward, de Barrena-Sarobe said of the case involving Lopez-Gomez.

Investigators were first notified of the case just before 11 p.m. Monday, when the boys uncle called 911 to report that the child was unresponsive at a home on Cope Road in Kennett Township. As soon as medics and police officers arrived, they realized very quickly that something was tragically wrong with this child, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

The boy had no pulse, shallow breathing, and bruises on his abdomen, chest, legs, arms, and neck, according to the affidavit. He could not be resuscitated.

Medical staff at Nemours Childrens Hospital pronounced the child dead not long after. An autopsy later ruled he died of blunt-force trauma, and that his injuries were likely deliberately inflicted.

At the hospital, the boys mother, Nora Perez-Gomez, and Lopez-Gomez gave inconsistent information about the childs injuries and where they lived, the affidavit said. Neither could explain his injuries, investigators said, aside from saying they believed the evil eye had been cast upon him.

During an interview Wednesday, Lopez-Gomez told detectives that he had been changing the toddlers diaper inside the West Grove Township apartment he and Perez-Gomez share about 4:30 a.m. on Monday when he slipped and fell, accidentally hitting the boy with his knee, the affidavit said.

When the boy continued to cry, Lopez-Gomez punched him in his abdomen and put him to bed. When Perez-Gomez came home from work, her husband did not tell her what had happened, even as the boy was showing signs of serious injury, according to the affidavit.

Perez-Gomez later took the boy to the home on Cope Road. Lopez-Gomez did not go with her, but arrived later to perform the healing ritual, the affidavit said. He did not tell anyone at the home about how the boy had been injured, nor call for medical assistance.

He told police the boy was not breathing and unresponsive, according to the affidavit.
Students march onto Bryn Mawrs campus as their final destination for the protest in Bryn Mawr, Pa., on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. The students walked from Haverford college to Bryn Mawrs campus along Lancaster Avenue. Read more

Members of Bryn Mawr Colleges Board of Trustees will meet with students this fall to discuss the schools endowment and investment strategies, the liberal arts colleges outgoing president announced last week.

The decision comes in response to the nationwide protest movement of pro-Palestinian students and supporters who have urged college administrators to divest from companies with business ties to Israel as the war in Gaza drags on.

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Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges, along with the University of Pennsylvania, are among the campuses nationwide that have been the sites of demonstrations and encampments.

But Bryn Mawr would be among the few higher education institutions in the region to schedule formal discussions with students over investments. In May, Rutgers University administrators agreed to meet with pro-Palestinian students to discuss their endowment concerns. Penn had held several negotiations with encampment leaders.

However, President Kim Cassidys letter, which was addressed to the campus community on June 21, was short on details of how they might be structured and who would participate.

And the college has previously stated that none of its more than $1 billion endowment is held in investments tied to Israels military.

In April, Cassidy and the chair of the board of trustees held an educational session with students to review the colleges investment strategy. Those participating were told that a small percentage of the schools endowment is held in commingled funds that include Israeli companies, according to an attendee.

Cassidys letter said that a group of trustees would devote time around [their] October board meeting to meet in a facilitated session with campus members over its investment strategy.

She did not say who those members were, and a college spokesperson did not offer further comment.

Cassidys 11-year tenure at the college ends Monday, when Wendy Cadge, a dean and religion scholar at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, who was selected president this year, will take office.

Much of Cassidys message was devoted to commending the colleges response to an academic year that was defined by the aftermath of Oct. 7 Hamas attacks  and the conversations about antisemitism and Islamophobia that arose as a result.

Cassidy said she wrote the letter to provide some closure, particularly after her conversations with faculty, students, alumni, and trustees over Bryn Mawrs response to the continuing loss of life, destruction, dislocation, and suffering in Gaza and the terrible events of Oct. 7 and their ongoing impact in Israel.

The outgoing president also mentioned the colleges commitment to academic freedom and expression.

In reference to the forthcoming conversation with trustees, Cassidy said that members of the campus community are interested in learning more about the investment of the colleges endowment, and in sharing perspectives about values and commitments they hope the college will consider in making investment choices.

Elez Beresin, a rising Bryn Mawr College senior and president of the schools Jewish Voice for Peace group, said Cassidys message was vague on our end.

Were fairly disappointed that the most we could get our school to commit to was a conversation, said Beresin, speaking on behalf of JVP. That feels like extremely bare minimum to us.

Beresin did say, however, that she hoped the October discussions would lead to conversations about divestment  even if activists would like the college to sever ties that are not directly connected to Israels military.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted across the country during the spring, leaving universities and law enforcement scrambled to address protests that saw students sprawl across college greens and occupy academic buildings.

Some encampments lasted weeks before being removed by law enforcement or voluntarily taken down; many attracted pro-Israel counterprotesters, in some instances leading to skirmishes between groups.

But protests at Bryn Mawr remained peaceful. Students at the womens institution erected a 25-tent encampment on April 27, and continued to demonstrate through the end of the semester.

Those disruptions led Cassidy to announce in May that the college would be moving its commencement from its long-held location on the central campus to a nearby field.
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Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, answering questions from the press after the announcement of the launch of a year-round opportunities this fall at a number of Philadelphia Schools in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Read more

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Thursday announced her plan to pilot extended-day, extended-year programs at 25 district and charter schools this fall  an initiative she said would provide both an academic boost for kids and support for working parents.

Schools will not just be open to provide free before- and after-care, but also will stay open during winter and spring breaks and offer six-week summer programs, Parker said.

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 READ MORE: These Philadelphia schools will start offering year-round school

But the mayor  who was joined by Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. and other city and education officials  declined to discuss how or whether the program would transition into more formalized year-round schooling, a pledge shed made on the campaign trail.

We have our sea legs, right? Were working to stand it up, Parker said at a news conference at City Hall. She stressed that next years program would be voluntary, and that officials would be learning from the experience to expand future efforts.

Heres more of what Parker said about the program and how it will work:

Which schools and students will be impacted?

In addition to 20 district schools, the pilot will include five charter schools: Belmont Charter School, Mastery Charter at Pickett, Northwood Charter School, Pan-American Charter School, and Universal Creighton Charter School. (Penny Nixon, the CEO of the Universal charter network, and Joel Boyd, the Mastery networks CEO, were present Thursday.)

The pilot will focus on K-8 students, said Debora Carrera, the citys chief education officer. She said that in participating district schools, before- and after-school programming would be offered from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and that schools would remain open for services on half-days  when students are traditionally sent home earlier for staff professional development.

Those schools will also be open for students during winter and spring breaks, Carrera said.

Meanwhile, families at all the pilot schools will be able to opt in to six-week summer programs, she said. But she and Parker said no one would be forced to participate.

Were trying to do absolutely nothing to interfere with the plans you have for your children, Parker said, referring to summer travel. What were really talking about here today is young people for whom that is not the standard operating procedure in their life.

The district, in a partnership with the citys Office of Children and Families, currently offers before- and after-school programs in more than 60 schools. A district spokesperson said the mayors initiative provides consistent hours, a push to all five days, and winter and spring break coverage.

How were the schools chosen?

Participating schools were selected based on several criteria, Carrera said: In a district with massive facilities needs, the pilot schools have air-conditioning that can support summer programming, she said.

The schools are also located throughout the city, and 10 are community schools, which have existing agreements with the city to support students non-academic needs  allowing for rapid programming and expansion, Carrera said.

The schools are also located in communities where children are at high risk for involvement in the child welfare or juvenile justice system, Carrera said.

Who will staff the programs and will teachers have a choice?

The district will rely on community-based providers that currently offer extracurricular programs at a number of schools. On Thursday night, the school board will vote on a $20 million action item that aims to support providers across the district, including those for before- and after-care programs, Watlington said. He added that more information will come on cost once the district sees the demand for the program.

Changes to district teachers schedules would require negotiating with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which said earlier this week that it was caught off guard by news of the program.

The district is not going to burn out or overburden teachers, Watlington said. Asked whether the participating schools would become year-round schools going forward  and if teachers would have to change their schedules to continue working there  he said that the pilot schools would have the first right to continue into future years, but that officials dont want parents or schools to feel like somethings forced on them.

A spokesperson for the PFT, Jane Roh, said Thursday that the union was still awaiting direct communication about the pilot from [school district] administration so we have no new comment at this time.

Parker, meanwhile, expressed frustration with sources earlier this week who disclosed news of the pilot program to The Inquirer. When the folks leak the story, this is how you know the intention wasnt a good intention. They knew we hadnt completed our check-the-box list, Parker said. Whoever you were, it was cute.

What happens next?

It wasnt clear whether the pilot program would lead to year-round schooling. Parker  who repeated that the pilot was not changing the school calendar  said she wanted to address misconceptions about her proposal.

The narrative with so many people in the city, they heard me on the campaign trail talking about year-round schooling, Parker said. People think about the traditional educational day, and that our children are just going to be sitting in the same classrooms all day long, from 7 in the morning to 6 in the evening. ... That in no way defines what we mean when we talk about extended-day, extended-year schools.

Parker, who said she wanted to close the opportunity gap, said other cities such as Los Angeles and Boston had seen success from extended-day and -year programs.

When it comes to public education, our goals are high, and they must be. For far too long, our schools have struggled with far too little, Parker said.

Funding has been a barrier for the district, which will see federal COVID-19 relief money run out in September. Philadelphia is banking on an increase in state aid proposed by Democrats after a Commonwealth Court ruling last year finding that Pennsylvania had unconstitutionally deprived lower-wealth school districts of needed resources.

Watlington, who included a year-round pilot program in his strategic plan, didnt comment on how the program might be expanded.

Right now, were focused on year one, he said.
Lynn Oxenberg and her husband, Larry, show off family photos in the hallway of their Elkins Park, Pa. home. Read more

Every two days, Lynn Oxenberg leans over her bathroom sink while her husband shaves the shadow of auburn hair beginning to cover her head.

Once clean shaven, she sticks to her scalp four tan patches with electrodes designed to keep aggressive cancer cells from growing in her brain.

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She stuffs the protruding wires and a two-pound battery into a mini backpack, then heads to the grocery store, or library, or lunch with friends.

This has been Oxenbergs routine for six years. It can be arduous, but its kept the 73-year-old Elkins Park grandmother alive far longer than most people diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that kills in an average of 15 months.

Penn doctors are now researching whether the treatment routine, paired with highly sensitive MRI monitoring, could one day make Lynns experience  living with glioblastoma for years  less of an anomaly.

 READ MORE: Penns CAR-T treatment shrank brain tumors in seven patients, rare progress against deadly glioblastoma

There is no cure for glioblastoma, and the disease is exceptionally difficult to treat. Glioblastoma is typically treated with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, then monitored closely for signs the cancer is growing again. Once the cancer begins to regrow, it is almost always fatal. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can never eliminate all of the cancer because glioblastoma tumors burrow into brain tissue like an octopus tentacles.

Penn researchers are testing whether they can help glioblastoma patients, who have already had surgery and other treatment to reduce the size of their tumor, to live longer by pairing the Tumor Treating Fields (TTF) therapy Oxenberg uses with artificial intelligence-powered MRIs that take a tumors temperature for highly precise results.

The combination departs from the standard of care for the disease. Instead of waiting for the disease to return and treating it with more chemotherapy or radiation, TTF therapy, made by Swiss pharmaceutical Novocure, constantly sends electric fields through the brain to keep cancer cells from growing. The temperature-taking MRIs can show the earliest signs that a tumor is returning, and help doctors swiftly pivot their care plan.

Suyash Mohan, Penns director of neuroradiology research, calls it a whole brain treatment that could be more effective than attempting to isolate a tumor that can never be fully eliminated. The TTF therapy keeps cancer cells in check, and the highly detailed MRIs can help make quick changes to treatment, if necessary.

 READ MORE: Cancer patients staring down scanxiety | Expert Opinion

Novocures FDA-approved TTF therapy device, Optune, has shown modest results in extending life spans for glioblastoma patients. Patients in Novocures phase 3 trial who wore the device 70-80% of the time lived an average of 21 months, compared to 15 months among patients who received standard treatment. But the device can be cumbersome: Patients must shave their heads to glue electrodes in place. Unlike medications that remain in the body hours or days after being taken, Optune only works when being worn.

Some cancer experts say that while the results are promising, convincing patients to take such aggressive measures can be challenging. The treatment is covered by Medicare and many commercial health plans, but costs $21,000 a month without insurance.

Its unclear whether the approach will ever lead to a significant change in the outlook for glioblastoma patients. But Mohan thinks the work at Penn is a glimpse at the possibility that someday, one of the most notoriously aggressive cancers could be treated as a chronic condition.

The overall survival of this disease hasnt changed in the last 25 years, Mohan said. We have to reassess how we approach this tumor.

Artificial intelligence-powered MRIs for glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a fast-growing brain cancer most common among older adults. Treatment can slow the cancers growth and help manage symptoms, but there is no cure.

Patients may have surgery to remove the largest portion of the tumor, though some are too deep in the brain to access. Surgeons typically cant remove the entire tumor  its tentacles that reach down into the folds of the brain are impossible to safely remove.

 READ MORE: Six former Phillies died from the same brain cancer. We tested the Vets turf and found dangerous chemicals.

Doctors may recommend radiation or chemotherapy to kill remaining cancer cells, but because the tumor becomes so intertwined in the brain, it is difficult to target cancer cells without also killing healthy brain cells.

Doctors rely on MRI imaging to help them track whether treatments are shrinking the tumor. But some treatments cause inflammation that can look similar to a tumor on an MRI, which makes it hard for doctors to tell exactly where the tumor is.

Mohan and his colleagues developed a tool that acts as a thermometer, using artificial intelligence to give a more nuanced reading of the brain. The MRI technique uses images from the whole brain to create a real-time temperature that can tell doctors more precisely where a tumor is and whether its growing or shrinking.

Patients are scanned every two months  as often as they would be with a traditional MRI. But the results are available right away, which can reduce anxiety waiting for answers and allow doctors to make more immediate changes to patients treatment plans, Mohan said.

The goal is to provide more advanced MRI images that can help doctors make faster, more precise decisions about patients care, he said.

Disrupting glioblastoma cells with electricity

Penn is currently testing the MRI technique in a clinical trial with glioblastoma patients receiving TTF therapy. Whereas chemotherapy and radiation target specific tumor spots  with varying precision  TTF sends electrical currents through the whole brain to disrupt cancer cell growth.

Initial clinical trials for Optune found a small increase in life expectancy for patients treated with TTF therapy, and a greater likelihood of surviving up to five years.

But the demands of the treatment outweigh the potential benefits for some patients, said Stephanie Weiss, chief of the division of neurologic oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Patients must shave their head every two days to ensure the electrode pads will stick to their skin, and use a glue that can be irritating.

And because the treatment only works when the device is being worn, patients are supposed to wear it for at least 18 hours a day for two years.

It makes a lot of sense, Weiss said, but I think what were doing right now is rudimentary.

Novocures executive chairman, William Doyle, agrees theres room for improvement. The company, which has offices in Wayne, is designing thinner head patches and exploring whether they can increase the power delivered through the patches, which would reduce the amount of time patients must wear the device.

The company is also working on an app that would help patients track how long theyve worn the device.

Admittedly not the most stylish look, Optunes gauze head wrap and mini backpack can make it possible for glioblastoma patients to survive long enough to make it to important family milestones, like a childs graduation or wedding, Doyle said.

You can live with this, is the message the company sends patients and doctors, Doyle said.

Living with glioblastoma

Oxenberg was diagnosed in December 2017, and after shed had surgery and as much chemotherapy as her body could tolerate, her doctor suggested she try Optune. Oxenberg agreed.

She began her treatment in April 2018 and still wears the device 90% of her day.

She was reluctant to part with the red hair that had been her identity since the maternity ward nurses paraded her around to show off the fiery fluff sticking out of the hospitals swaddling blanket.

I realized my hair was overrated, she said.

Its a trade she says she is willing to make for more time with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Earlier this month, all 10 of them headed to North Carolinas Outer Banks for their annual summer vacation. The sun and sea breeze felt different against her exposed scalp. And she soaked it in.
Drew Drechsel, a former American Ninja Warrior champion whom a federal judge described as a dangerous predator was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to manufacturing child pornography and enticing an underage South Jersey girl to travel for sex.

According to prosecutors, Drechsel met the victim in 2014 after an American Ninja Warrior contestant event, where they exchanged numbers and began texting each other. She was 14 at the time.

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In July 2015, the teen and Drechsel, then 26, texted about her visiting the New Era Ninja Gym in Hamden, Conn., which Drechsel owned, as a 15th birthday present.

During her visit, prosecutors said, the two had sex after Drechsels girlfriend left the gym. The next day, the teen told her mother about the encounter. When her mother confronted Drechsel, he did not deny having sex with the girl, but said he had not known her age.

But Drechsel continued to see her, meeting her multiple times for sex over the next two years. A forensic analysis of Drechsels cell phone also revealed several images and a video of the girl when she was 14 to 16 years old.

To this day I still cannot get out of my head how he took advantage of me while I was a child, and the wave of PTSD those thoughts provoke, the woman, now in her mid-20s, said in court Wednesday at Drechsels sentencing. Drew is dangerous. ...it takes a predator to open gyms for children around the country, and then prey on the girls who go into those gyms.

Prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Camden also presented testimony from another woman who recounted how Drechsel groomed her when she was 16 and a student at one of his gyms, then continued a relationship with her for six months before ending it to date her best friend, who was also underage.

The woman told the judge that shortly after she and Drechsel broke up, he raped her at a party at his house while she was drunk, and urged U.S. District Judge Renee Bumb to impose the longest possible sentence. The woman said she reported the crime to police several years later, but no charges were filed in connection with that or the other behavior she described in court.

Both women said Drechsel used his celebrity to groom them and lure them into sexual relationships. They said the grooming and abuse still haunted them and left them struggling to trust themselves and their loved ones, more than a decade later.

Drechsel, who pleaded guilty last June, apologized to the woman he admitted having sex with when she was a teen, and said he had loved her at the time. He also described his efforts over the last four years to help others while incarcerated, tutoring other inmates for the GED, and serving on the prisons suicide watch team.

A simple Im sorry doesnt cut it, Drechsel said. Nothing in the English language can describe the regret, shame and embarrassment I feel in my soul.

The judge, however, challenged him for what she saw as a lack of consideration for the consequences of his actions

You thought you were such a celebrity, such a big shot that you could take advantage of people, of children, Bumb told Drechsel. Is that what superheroes do?

No mam, he replied.

Ultimately, Bumb sided with prosecutors when she imposed the 121-month sentence. Drechsels attorney had sought a 96-month prison term, arguing that Dreschels efforts to improve himself since his arrest merited a lighter sentence. The judge also ordered Dreschel to register as a sex offender and pay the woman $100,000 in restitution.
Two men were killed in separate shootings Wednesday night in Philadelphia, police said.

Shortly before 8:40 p.m. in South Philadelphia, a 21-year-old man was on the 2200 block of South 23rd Street when he was shot in the chest. He was transported by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:16 p.m.

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Just after 5:40 p.m., there was a double shooting on the 800 block of Foulkrod Street in the citys Summerdale section, police said. An unidentified man was transported by medics to Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:01 p.m.

A 67-year-old man also was taken by medics to Einstein with a gunshot wound to his left arm. He was listed in stable condition.

Police reported no arrests in either case.

As of earlier on Wednesday, the city had recorded 125 homicides this year, according to the police department. That is a 40% decline from this same time last year, when the city had 210 homicides.

Shootings and homicides are down dramatically after three years of record-setting violence in Philadelphia.
Congressional candidate Ashley Ehasz, speaks at an abortion rights rally in Sellersville on Monday. She is making abortion a key part of her campaign against incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Read more

As a few dozen people gathered in a Perkasie park Monday, Jane Cramer recalled the gut punch two years ago that came when the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away the constitutional right to an abortion.

I do hope it really motivates people because its such a personal, core thing, said Cramer, a committeeperson with the Pennridge Democrats who organized the rally for Bucks County voters to hear from Democratic candidates who support abortion rights.

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The final speaker at the rally was Ashley Ehasz, a Democrat running to oust four-term Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick from his Bucks County-based seat. She spoke in front of lawn signs declaring the incumbent to be anti-choice.

Ehasz, an army veteran who lost to Fitzpatrick in 2022, is making abortion a focus of her rematch against the Republican. But it may be an uphill battle in a purple district that has voted for Fitzpatrick while supporting Democrats for president and other offices, even as Democrats won up and down the ballot in 2022, riding a wave of abortion rights activism. But the partys ability to continue winning on abortion will be tested in this years congressional and presidential races.

Last cycle, Ehasz also made abortion a key issue and lost to Fitzpatrick by nearly 10 points.

Ehasz and her allies are convinced that this year is different. They argue that abortion has become a more salient issue in the last two years. And theyre expecting more funding to amplify the messaging.

Fitzpatrick enjoys broad popularity in the First District and is the only Republican representing the Philadelphia area in Congress, after other seats have flipped in recent years. He has successfully cultivated an image as a moderate on abortion and other issues.

In a statement, Fitzpatricks campaign dismissed the Democrats messaging as false and pointed to votes hes made in favor of reproductive rights.

Ashley Ehaszs repeated lies and fear-mongering will get her exactly where it got her in her failed 2022 campaign: with an embarrassing landslide electoral defeat, the statement said.

A focus on abortion

As she travels the district, Ehasz said, abortion is often the issue voters cite as their most important concern. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania through 23 weeks of pregnancy, but Ehasz said voters are watching restrictive policies be enacted in other states and are afraid.

Her campaign is leaning on the same message it used in 2022: framing Fitzpatrick as more anti-abortion than voters realize by pointing to votes hes taken in favor of a 20-week abortion ban, against legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade, and, more recently, in favor of defense budgets that blocked the military from paying for female service members to travel to obtain abortions.

According to internal polling conducted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Ehasz takes the lead against Fitzpatrick once voters are told that Fitzpatrick is anti-abortion. The memo argues that Fitzpatrick overperforms among women and college-educated voters but that messaging about abortion changes those dynamics.

However, it tested no other issue messaging on which Fitzpatrick might run.

Olivia Cappello, a spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood PAC, said she anticipated that the organization would spend heavily in Pennsylvania, including against Fitzpatrick.

Our overarching message in Pennsylvania really stays the same across these races, Cappello said. Its that Pennsylvanians need leaders who are going to stand up for their rights to decide whats best for their own bodies.

Challenges ahead for Ehasz

Steve Medvic, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin and Marshall College, said Ehasz faces a steep climb.

Medvic said theres no evidence in polling that abortion is a more salient issue than it was in 2022, though voters approach to the issue has become less visceral and more tied to state-level changes to reproductive health care.

Fitzpatrick, he said, has succeeded by separating himself from the national narrative. Ehasz will need to chip away at the incumbents bipartisan, moderate reputation.

Thats a pretty heavy lift, Medvic said. You have to convince people that what theyve known for several years, thats just not true.

Jeffrey Gilmore, chair of the New Britain Republican Party and Fitzpatricks brother-in-law, said the congressman has earned respect across the district that wont erode easily.

He is a people person. He gets out into the community quite frequently, Gilmore said. Hes not afraid to go anywhere and talk to people.

Funding appears to be the biggest change between the 2022 cycle and the rematch. By April, Ehasz had already raised more than $1.3 million compared with $970,543 in the entirety of her 2022 campaign.

And Democrats are expecting that number to grow after the DCCC placed the district on a list of key races to flip in 2024.

Those who might not have the information, we will have the resources this time to make sure it is heard, she said.

Fitzpatricks stance on abortion

Fitzpatrick has remained relatively quiet on the abortion issue. In a statement following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, he highlighted a need for bipartisan consensus that both respects a womans privacy and autonomy, and the sanctity of human life.

In a statement this week, Fitzpatricks campaign said he supports Pennsylvanias current abortion law. The campaign also cited Fitzpatricks votes to protect access to contraception and in vitro fertilization as well as a vote for a bill that sought to protect the right to cross state lines for an abortion. The campaign did not respond to questions about his votes against legislation that sought to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

Some of Fitzpatricks votes have angered antiabortion groups, and he has a C rating on his voting record from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America; only two other Republicans are rated below B.

Brian is not going to make abortion an issue with his campaign, Gilmore said. He will simply tell you its a state issue and not a federal issue.

But Republicans in Bucks County have shown some concern about their vulnerability on the issue.

At a rally for Senate candidate Dave McCormick earlier this month, Ted Harrison, a Bucks County voter, spoke up to urge Republican candidates to stop talking about the issue.

Im sure there are a small percentage where thats a primary issue, he said, and that can impact the election.
Dave McCormick, Republican candidate for the Senate, speaks at a GOP event alongside Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst at the Bucks County Republican Committee in Doylestown earlier this month. On Wednesday he spoke in Delaware County to roll out his agenda to help families. Read more

U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick announced Wednesday that hes proposing $15,000 in tax credits for fertility treatment and vowed to oppose any restrictions on such treatments.

Speaking to a gathering primarily of Republicans in Delaware County, McCormick sought to present himself as a commonsense, pro-family Republican who could successfully champion myriad policies from child care to social media.

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Just days after appearing alongside former President Donald Trump at a rally in Philadelphia, McCormick promised to focus on problem solving over ideology as he appealed to voters in Delaware County, where the electorate has moved to the left since Trumps 2016 election and will be key to McCormicks race against the incumbent Democratic senator, Bob Casey, and the presidential election.

I think that any candidate that stands up for family is going to resonate very, very well in Delaware County because Delaware County is all about that, said Frank Agovino, the chair of the countys Republican Party.

McCormicks new pro-family agenda comes following the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion  a ruling the Pennsylvania Democratic Party was quick to point to in response to McCormicks new agenda.

Two years ago, David McCormick celebrated the Supreme Court decision that ripped away womens right to make their own personal decisions about their bodies. In the Senate, TaNisha Cameron, a spokeswoman for the party, said. McCormick would be a vote for a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest  and thats why Pennsylvania voters will reject him in November.

During his first Senate run in 2022, McCormick said he supported banning abortion except when a mothers life is at risk. Now, his campaign website says he opposes a national abortion ban and supports exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Republicans have grappled with how to effectively message around reproductive rights in the last two years, as voters have repeatedly shown a support for abortion rights and state-level action across the country has bred fear over access to fertility treatment and contraceptives.

McCormick, speaking Wednesday to a crowd of GOP activists and likely voters, pivoted to policies that dont directly address abortion rights but aim to help those who want or already have children.

Ill fight for every family in our commonwealth at every stage of life, McCormick said. We need a leader whos going to bring real change.

Here are three key pieces of his agenda:

IVF tax credit

McCormick is proposing a $15,000 refundable tax credit for fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization and vowed to oppose any legislative effort to restrict such treatments.

He said he would seek to make the tax credit available to families twice a year, meaning families could be eligible for $30,000 annually, so that expensive fertility treatments could be more accessible to people struggling to have children.

I cant think of a better pro-family, pro-woman, pro-business policy than this one, he said.

IVF became a national political issue earlier this year, after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos are babies and IVF procedures were temporarily halted in the state. Democrats have seized on the issue and have cast Republicans as anti-IVF, pointing to the Alabama decision as a consequence of overturning Roe v. Wade and warning that similar scenarios could play out in other states. McCormicks tax credit proposal represents the continued push by GOP candidates to position themselves as supportive of fertility treatments in light of that criticism.

McCormick also said Wednesday that he would propose making an existing federal adoption tax credit fully refundable and increasing the popular federal child tax credit.

Scholarships for private school

Citing concerns about low test scores in Pennsylvania schools, McCormick proposed establishing a federal tax credit for donations to organizations that provide scholarships for private schools.

Lawmakers in Harrisburg already set aside more than $470 million each year for two tax credit programs. Theyre also debating whether to create a school voucher program, which would send funds directly to families in low-performing districts, as part of this years budget due by June 30.

Democrats have largely opposed vouchers and are critical of existing tax credit programs for private school scholarships because of concerns about equity and funding losses for public schools.

McCormicks proposal would not directly provide vouchers to students but would aim to increase funding for organizations that provide private school scholarships by allowing taxpayers to deduct donations to such groups from their federal taxes.

Virtual school during the COVID-19 pandemic, McCormick said, caused many parents to realize they were unhappy with curriculum at their childs school. These scholarships, he said, give them an out while creating competition between schools.

That competition will be great for everybody but its gonna be disruptive as hell. And it needs to be, he said.

Banning kids from social media

Comparing the risks social media can pose for youth to those of alcohol and cigarettes, McCormick proposed banning anyone under the age of 16 from social media sites. He did not outline how such a ban would be enforced.

Social media, McCormick said, has reached a point where it poses an unacceptably high risk to minors through cyber bullying, scams, pornography, and online predators.

Just as the government sets an age for access to alcohol and tobacco, he said, it should set an age limit for access to these sites.

Getting the government involved in regulating access to information is a slippery slope but I think were hitting a tipping point, he said.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied in Pennsylvania polls. A Washington Post analysis shows how that would change if Trumps support were underestimated in the same way it was in past years.

The analysis underscores the importance of every vote in Pennsylvania as the two candidates prepare for their first debate of the election on Thursday.

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By averaging out data from various pollsters, the Post found that Trump is leading in five out of seven swing states. And Pennsylvania is the only swing state where Biden and Trump are tied. This is supported by a recent Philadelphia Inquirer/New York Times/Siena College poll that showed Trump slightly in the lead, but within the margin of error  resulting in a statistical tie.

Polling website 538 tracks polling averages daily, and currently has Trump leading by 0.7 points in Pennsylvania as of Wednesday.

 READ MORE: Biden is struggling in Pa.  even with his base  as voters prefer Trump on major issues. Here are takeaways from an Inquirer/NYT/Siena poll.

Panning out to the national vote, 538 shows Trump and Biden polling evenly nationwide, as of Wednesday, and the Post shows Trump up by less than one point. While national polls can help gauge public opinion, the winner is not determined by the popular vote, which is why localized polling, especially in swing states, is important.

How would the poll results look with the same miscalculations from past years?

Trump won Pennsylvania by a little less than a percentage point in 2016, and Biden won by a little more than one percentage point in 2020. But polls underestimated Trumps support in the state both years.

 READ MORE: Trump is still lying about winning Pa. in 2020. Hes still wrong.

Biden and Trump are currently tied in Pennsylvania, but polls arent perfect. And when applying the last three presidential election polling errors to this years results, Trump would be in the lead each time.

Poll results underestimated Trump by three points in Pennsylvania in 2020, and by five points in 2016, according to the Washington Post. Because the candidates are currently tied, those numbers measure how much Trump would lead Biden today if the same errors were applied.

Poll results were more accurate in 2012. The final polling averages found then-President Barack Obama leading by six points, and he won the state by five points, according to the Post. This was a negligible difference, but still, if applied to this years polls so far, Trump would be up by less than one percentage point. Thats how close the race is.

Polls arent meant to predict the future, but rather capture public opinion at a given time. A lot could change before November, and polls could be underestimating or overestimating either candidate.

The Post estimated that if the economy improved before Election Day, Biden could lead national polls by an average of six points. On the flip side, Trump could lead national polls by an average of less than a percentage point if the economy gets worse. There is a fair amount of uncertainty at this point surrounding these particular projections, however, according to the Post.

But amid all the unknowns, one thing is certain: Both candidates recognize just how crucial Pennsylvania will be to deciding Americas next president.
Workers set up lighting for the upcoming CNN presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in Atlanta. Read more

 READ MORE: Presidential debate: Start time, how to watch and stream first 2024 faceoff between Harris and Trump

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off Thursday night in Atlanta in the first of two scheduled presidential debates ahead of the 2024 election.

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If youre thinking its early for a presidential debate, thats because it is. Thursdays debate is the earliest in modern U.S. history, made possible because Biden and Trump have been the presumptive nominees for months, well before the conventions this summer.

The debate is also historic. Its the first time the current president has taken the stage against a former president. Itll also be the first time in nearly four years well see either Biden or Trump on the debate state  Biden didnt face a serious contender during the Democratic, and Trump skipped the debates during the Republican primary.

Another reason were getting a summer presidential debate, rather than three events in the fall: Its a break from the decades-long run of the Commission of Presidential Debates, which has managed the events dating back to 1987.

Two CNN anchors will be moderating tonights debate  Philly native and The Lead host Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the host of Inside Politics.

Eagle-eyed Philly viewers should keep an eye on Tappers cufflinks, which will be repping the National League-leading Phillies.

The 90-minute event will feature muted microphones, allowing candidates to deliver a full response without being interrupted. There also wont be a studio audience, eliminating live reaction to the candidates remarks.

Despite having agreed to the terms, Trump complained about the rules during his rally in North Philly last week, telling his supporters CNN has taken so much fun out of the event.

Its like death to us, Trump said.

Another departure from previous presidential debates is the inclusion of two commercial breaks. Candidates wont be allowed to speak with their staff during the breaks, and will only be allowed to have a pen, a pad of paper, and a glass of water throughout. Prewritten notes are prohibited, and the candidates will stand for the duration.

While CNN is hosting the debate, it will also air on all major broadcast networks and cable news channels to an expected TV audience north of 70 million viewers (the first debate of the 2020 cycle, which took place in September, drew 73.1 million viewers).

Heres what you need to know ahead of the debate:

What time does the first presidential debate start and end?

Presidential debate: Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden Date: Thursday, June 27 Start time: 9 p.m. Location: CNNs Atlanta studios Moderators: CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash TV: All major broadcast and cable news networks

The first president debate between Trump and Biden is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern and last an hour and a half.

The debate will be hard to miss. In addition to CNN, the event will air live on all major broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS) and cable news networks (C-SPAN, MSNBC, Fox Business, Fox News). It will also be available to stream on a host of so-called skinny cable bundles, such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Now, and FuboTV.

In order to carry the debate, networks had to agree to keep CNNs logo on the screen and not break into the event with their own hosts and analysis until its over.

You can also stream the debate right here, courtesy of C-SPAN:

Trump picks a fight with moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash

Ahead of the debate, Trump and his campaign have picked a fight with moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, despite having agreed to the terms months ago with CNN.

It began on Saturday night. During his rally on Temples campus in North Philly, the former president told his supporters, Fake Tapper really hates Trump.

The rhetoric escalated Monday, when Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavit attacked Tapper and Bash, calling their coverage of the former president biased before being cut off by CNN host Kasie Hunt.

You come on my show, you respect my colleagues. Period, Hunt wrote on social media following the interview. I dont care what side of the aisle you stand on, as my track record clearly shows.

CNN defended its anchors in a statement, calling them well respected veteran journalists who have covered politics for more than five decades combined,

They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNNs Republican Presidential Primary Debate this cycle, CNN said.

Recent news and opinions about the 2024 election

Here are some recent stories about the 2024 election from The Inquirer:

2024 presidential debate schedule

The Trump and Biden campaigns have agreed to just two debates during the 2024 election:

June 27: CNNs Studios in Atlanta, moderated by The Lead anchor Jake Tapper and Inside Politics anchor Dana Bash. Sept. 10: Location to be determined, moderated by ABC World News Tonight anchor David Muir and Sunday World News Tonight anchor Linsey Davis

A vice presidential debate that was scheduled to be held on Sept. 25 at Lafayette College between Vice President Kamala Harris and whomever Trump picks as his running mate was officially canceled this week. It is unclear if the vice presidential candidates will take a debate stage this election cycle.
The view from the fitness area of the Laurel condominiums on Rittenhouse Square. The building was proposed at 54 stories, Richard Gross said, but the developer was persuaded to reduce its height. Read more

The Center City Residents Association (CCRA) is a community organization like no other. Covering much of downtown Philadelphia to the west of Broad Street and South of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, it represents some of the citys most iconic locales.

In recent years, Richard Gross has been synonymous with CCRA. A relatively recent Philadelphia resident  he moved to town 12 years ago from Washington, D.C.  he put his career as a lawyer and public servant to use negotiating with big developers who had their eyes on the neighborhood.

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Gross is (probably) the only community group leader with a Tony Award, won for producing a revival of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? on Broadway. He also served as a legal aid lawyer in Boston, ran the Consumer Product Safety Commission under Jimmy Carters administration, and orchestrated big real estate deals in the District of Columbia.

Gross and his wife, Bobby, recently moved to Santa Barbara, Calif., to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Before he left town, Gross talked with The Inquirer about development in Center City and how the citys Registered Community Organization (RCO) policy needs to change.

How did you get involved in CCRA?

In 2012, [Philadelphia developer] Pearl Properties wanted to build the [equivalent of the] Empire State Building on the corner where we live, 19th and Chestnut.

They wanted a zoning change, and I couldnt understand why anybody should give them a break to overbuild. So [at a community meeting] I introduced myself to Pearl and said, Id like to talk to you about the right building. I dont want to go to court, but I think there is a way to get this done.

Finally after three losses on their part, they came back to me. We hired [Philadelphia architect] Cecil Baker. We paid half and they paid half, and he designed the right building. And it ended up being the Harper, which is a home run. Its one of their best buildings.

How has Center City changed over the course of your time here?

When we came here, it felt like the sixth borough of New York, only cheaper. Great restaurants, great spaces, great culture, and a wonderful community.

COVID wiped some of that out. People didnt interact as well. People didnt go to restaurants. People stayed away from culture. Street behavior got worse. There was an influx of homeless and drug-addicted people. Center City took a hit.

Were just now seeing a full recovery, although were not seeing a full retail recovery yet, not withstanding what CCD says. We see too many vacancies on Walnut and Chestnut. But Ive been really happy to participate in the process of building back with better retail and the restaurant scene.

What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time at CCRA?

Im particularly proud of the community benefits agreements we have. Theyre all on our website. Each major building since I started has come to agree with CCRA on the design, the presence on the street, the minimum disruptions during construction, and a sensitivity to loading and traffic in a very congested neighborhood. I am very proud that weve welcomed a ton of new space.

My experience with Pearl told me that we could get developers to do the right thing for the neighborhood and still make enough money. I think weve established a culture. Its not aggressive. Its not litigation. Its a culture of lets cooperate to find the best buildings for the neighborhood.

The Laurel is a good example of that. That was originally supposed to be 54 stories of shear glass. It was wrong for Rittenhouse Square. I reached out to Tim Downey, the president of Southern Land Co., and the two-year process resulted in the redesign of the Laurel, which is a much better building and much more handsome. And its only 48 stories.

In the last election, voters approved a ballot measure to require city government-backed insurance policies for RCOs like yours. But the laws governing them are very weak, and opponents of the measure fear taxpayers will get stuck with the bill for bad neighborhood group behavior. Most RCOs arent as sophisticated or resource-rich as CCRA.

There arent a lot of 30-story buildings being built in Kensington or in South Philadelphia, so we have to be prepared to handle issues that most RCOs dont face. For that reason we have a professional staff person. We have access to architects and engineers, many of them live in the neighborhood.

Some of the smaller RCOs are problematic, and we need professionalism there. Im hopeful that the planning department will improve the RCO performance because it is a little uneven throughout the city.

But do I think RCOs should get protection? Yes. We [CCRA] buy insurance ourselves, but many of them cant afford it. I think along with that protection, there need to be standards that our RCOs hew to in order to take advantage of the insurance. Its an important municipal function, but there needs to be some supervision.
Fireworks over the Philadelphia Museum of Art during the Wawa Welcome America Festival on July 4, 2023 following a free concert featuring Demi Lovato and Ludacris on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Read more

Hey all, Sam Ruland here, Service editor, filling in while Rosa is out this week.

And what a star-spangled week it is! As the Fourth of July approaches, our citys skies are set to sparkle with fireworks, but the heat promises to return, making sure it truly feels like summer. This week, weve got you covered with the best spots to enjoy the dazzling fireworks displays, from the Delaware River waterfront to the cozy corners of neighborhood parks.

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Amidst the festivities, the Wawa Welcome America Concert will turn up the volume with Kesha and Ne-Yo lighting up the stage. Its the perfect backdrop for your holiday celebrations. And for those looking to escape the urban buzz (and that aforementioned heat), why not take a kayak down the Schuylkill? We have the top picks for places to paddle and enjoy a bit of nature in the city.

Please note, we wont be in your inboxes next week due to the Fourth of July holiday, but well be back the following week with more updates and fun things to do. Also, apologies for the hiccup yesterday with our alert about the Chinese Lantern Festival  technical difficulties got the better of us!

As we navigate the highs and lows of summer in Philly, from spectacular shows in the sky to sizzling temperatures, lets dive into all the excitement our city has to offer. Stay cool, stay safe, and lets make this a Fourth to remember!

 Sam Ruland (@sam_ruland, email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Looking for a refreshing way to enjoy the summer, especially with the heat wave upon us? Our city offers a variety of watery escapes that are perfect for cooling down and taking in the sights from a unique perspective. Whether youre a seasoned paddler or a first-timer, Philadelphias rich tapestry of rivers and creeks provides an idyllic backdrop for adventure. From sunset kayaking on the Schuylkill, to exploring hidden gems like the Pine Barrens in New Jersey, theres something for everyone. Consider joining the Philadelphia Canoe Club for its Thursday Night Social Paddle  an excellent way to meet fellow water enthusiasts and unwind after a busy week. And for those who crave a blend of adventure and tranquility, the overnight camping trips on Treasure Island might just be the perfect getaway.

The best things to do this week

 Wawa Welcome America July 4 Concert: Head to the Parkway for an unforgettable night of music and fireworks. Grammy winners Ne-Yo and Kesha will light up the stage, followed by a spectacular fireworks display in front of the iconic Art Museum steps.

 Fireworks on the Waterfront: Celebrate early July Fourth with stunning fireworks along the Delaware River. Free viewing at Cherry Street Pier and nearby locations.

 Bailar en FDR!: Join in for a vibrant salsa night at Fairmount Park. Dance under the stars with an experienced instructor and tasty bites from Taqueria Morales.

 Chinese Lantern Festival: Immerse yourself in the magic of the Year of the Dragon at Franklin Square. Cultural performances, food, and a 200-foot-long dragon await!

 Wawa Hoagie Day: Dont miss the chance to grab a free hoagie today at Wawa Hoagie Day. Celebrate with the community and enjoy a Philly favorite.

 Akwaaba Tea Salon: Experience a soulful afternoon tea at Akwaaba Tea Salon. Savor deviled eggs, curry chicken, and peach cobbler in a unique and cozy setting.

 My calendar picks this week: Grooving to Kesha and Ne-Yo at the concert, catching a fireworks show along the river, and discovering the diverse art and sculpture scene of Bucks County at the Bucks Fever Art Exhibition.

The thing of the week

This week, the 9th Street Market is more colorful and interactive than ever, thanks to a vibrant cart rolling down its pathways. The cart, part of the Our Market project by local artist Michelle Angela Ortiz, aims to capture and celebrate the diverse voices of the markets immigrant and migrant vendors, business owners, and residents. In partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, Ortiz is building a digital archive of stories that reflect the rich, multicultural tapestry of this historic marketplace. As it makes its way through the bustling market, it invites passersby to share their experiences and contribute to a growing archive that aims to tackle issues of gentrification, racism, displacement, and erasure.

Join Ortiz and her team on select Saturdays to be part of this unique storytelling experience.

Summer fun this week and beyond

 Cape May Goes Digital: Enjoy the beach without the hassle! Cape May is one of the latest Jersey Shore towns to introduce cashless digital beach tags. Buy your tags online and either pick them up in person or display them right from your mobile phone. Wave goodbye to the old paper tags and hello to a seamless sun-soaked day!

 Dive Into Local Swim Clubs: Looking for a summer splash? Check out these 9 exclusive swim clubs across Philadelphia and the suburbs. From kiddy pools for the little ones to cabanas for adults, these members-only clubs are your private retreat for fun and relaxation under the sun.

 Smart A/C Usage: Stay cool without breaking the bank this summer. Learn the most efficient ways to use your air conditioner and save on energy bills. Tips include turning off your A/C when youre not home and considering a PECO home energy assessment to maximize efficiency.

 Service Dog Rescue Needs Help: A Pennsylvania service dog rescues license was pulled due to neglect, and now seven dogs are in need of new, knowledgeable homes. If you have experience with working dogs and can provide the care they need, consider adopting and giving these dogs a new lease on life.

 Star-Struck by Cheesesteaks: Fabien Frankel, the House of the Dragon star, cant get enough of Phillys cheesesteaks, especially the ones from Angelos. Though he struggles to describe them, his enthusiasm for this local delicacy is unmissable. Join him in celebrating one of Phillys iconic eats!

Our music critics picks

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca breaks down the best shows in town this weekend and next week:

 Thursday Spotlight: Quasi at World Cafe Live: Experience Quasi performing their album Featuring Birds in full. With Marnie Stern opening, this show is a must-see for fans of intricate guitar work and powerful drumming.

 African Desert Blues Double Feature: Catch Entran De LAir at Johnny Brendas on Thursday and Mdou Moctar at Union Transfer on Friday. These performances showcase the profound musical traditions and modern influences from the Sahara.

 Saturday Scene: Join Chill Moody at Spruce Street Harbor Park for Moodys Klubbhouse Live, featuring a lineup of exciting guests. Later, Hiatus Kaiyote brings its Australian funk to Franklin Music Hall, supporting their new album Love Heart Cheat Code.

 Sunday Serenade: Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets: Wrap up your week under the stars in King of Prussia with Nick Lowe and the masked marvels of Los Straitjackets. Get a sneak peek of Lowes new album Indoor Safari, coming this September.

This week, a typo on a new I-95 sign sparked more than just a few laughs; it reminded us that perfection is overrated. The misspelled Cenrtal Phila swiftly hidden under a black cloak by PennDot could have been a moment of shared humor rather than a covered-up blunder. Yes, typos on large public displays like highway signs are embarrassing, but theyre also a reminder that behind these public services are real people, prone to the occasional mistake.

Perhaps we could have left the typo visible as a nod to our collective imperfection. After all, the intended message was clear, and sometimes, acknowledging our slip-ups openly can endear more than it offends. This minor misstep on a major highway could have been a chance to share a city-wide chuckle, fostering a moment of unity and light-heartedness in our often too-serious lives.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

As we all try to beat the heat this week, Im making frequent stops at Johns Water Ice whenever I venture outside and binging The Sopranos on HBO during the hotter hours. How are you staying cool during these scorching days? Drop me a line and let me know your favorite summer escapes! Stay cool and stay safe out there. Let me know!
We support the proposed changes by the NSW government as they are a step towards enhancing transparency and stamping out unethical behaviour in the strata insurance sector, said ACIL chair Tyrone Shandiman. ACIL will be reviewing legislative proposals to ensure they meet the standards that consumers need. We certainly want to avoid the situation that occurred in 2015, where industry bodies negotiated legislation that was so watered down it had the opposite effect of what was intended. We view this moment as a pivotal opportunity to ensure that the right outcomes for consumers are in place, overcoming the significant issues that have publicly tarnished the industry. The devil will be in the detail.
We are very excited about our new partnership with Steadfast and how together we can support the Itjumatj Woka Healthy Country Project, he said. The project isnt just about land management, its about reconciliation and strengthening community. By working together, the landcare community and Traditional Owners can promote landscape health and social cohesion. I hope this project will inspire other landcare groups and First Nations organisations across the country to collaborate on projects to improve landscape restoration and support First Nations people to care for [the] country.
Hamilton Island Race Week is Australias most prestigious keelboat regatta and the perfect opportunity to show Nautilus Marine Insurances support for the sailing community, he said. The team at Nautilus Marine Insurance and the organisers of Hamilton Island Race Week share the same passion for sailing and enjoy seeing everyone participate in this magnificent sport. Nautilus Marine Insurance is very proud of being able to support Hamilton Island Race Week, and to also support boat owners all over Australia with quality coverage and security.
Its vital to ask if you are there for your client. Are you guiding them down the right path and direction? he asked. Its important to make sure the policy is responding for your clients the way its supposed to be and that they have the proper resources. Thats something we take very seriously.
The food and agriculture industry is one of the most important sectors in Australia and contributes significantly to the countrys economic growth. It has an international reputation for producing safe, high-quality products and is a strong exporter of products across various categories to global markets. However, the industry is exposed to a widening range of disruptive forces, from droughts and natural disasters to trade disputes and regulatory changes, as well as perennial risks such as product recalls, factory, and warehouse fires, he said. Many of the challenges food and beverage firms face today are of a different order from those they have overcome before. Our findings reveal that escalating external threats are heightening instability risks across companies, spanning from political, climate, climatic, cyber, and workforce domains.
The first volleys of this latest legal headache for Howden will be heard later today as the pair head to court to argue jurisdictional issues in what has been pencilled in as a two-day hearing. It is highly likely that Mishcon de Reya will be attempting to exclude the Brazilian claims from the UKs courts  Brazilian law frowns on restrictive covenants so if the case were to be heard in that country, Howdens arguments (for those employees) would benefit from a legal tail wind.
Our values are foundational to every business decision at Integrity, she said. Our purpose is to make insurance and financial services simpler, more beneficial and ultimately more human for all stakeholders  and we cant fulfill it without an unparalleled employee experience that reflects the diversity of those we serve. We express gratitude to our board and executive team, who continue to set the tone for inclusive leadership, innovation and respect to drive industry-wide transformation. These awards are another confirmation of the significance our employees place on the positive and inspiring company culture weve worked to create. We look forward to continuing to meet and expand those high standards so we can collectively help even more Americans plan for the good days ahead.
We are confident that his leadership of the global strategy team will keep Markel focused on the priorities and resources needed for industry leadership. I look forward to partnering with Phil in this work, Noble said.
DuPont, 3M, Honeywell and 16 other defendants were sued on Tuesday by Connecticut firefighters who said their protective gear was contaminated by toxic forever chemicals linked to cancer.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they believed the proposed class action filed in the New Haven, Connecticut, federal court is the first to exclusively target firefighter gear containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

The Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, five other unions and five firefighters sued on behalf of firefighters across the state, including cities such as Hartford and Stamford.

They said jackets, pants and other turnout gear leeched PFAS into firefighters through their skin, ingestion and inhalation, and that more PFAS is absorbed as temperatures rise and sweat builds up.

The plaintiffs said that led to subclinical cellular changes in their bodies which put them at increased risk of developing adverse health conditions, justifying at least $5 million of damages for violations of Connecticut product liability law.

DuPont and 3M produced PFAS used in the protective gear, while a Honeywell subsidiary was among the gears sellers, and failed to warn of the risks, the complaint said.

In a statement, DuPont said the lawsuit was without merit, and that we look forward to vigorously defending our record of safety, health and environmental stewardship.

DuPont also said it has never manufactured PFOA and PFOS, which are types of PFAS allegedly in the plaintiffs gear.

In a statement, 3M said it will defend itself in court or settle as appropriate, and that its handling of PFAS has evolved with changes in science, and with societal and regulatory expectations.

Honeywell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

PFAS are found in hundreds of consumer and commercial products including cosmetics, non-stick pans and stain-resistant clothing.

They earned the sobriquet forever chemicals because they do not break down easily in the human body or environment.

PFAS have been linked to negative health effects, including higher cholesterol, low birth weights and reduced antibody response to vaccines, as well as kidney and testicular cancer.

Last year, DuPont, 3M and two other companies reached more than $11 billion of settlements to resolve claims that firefighting foam and other products containing their PFAS polluted drinking water. None admitted wrongdoing.

The case is Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut et al v 3M Co et al, U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, No. 24-01101.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkEditing by Bill Berkrot and Aurora Ellis)

Topics Lawsuits Connecticut
New Hampshire is suing social media video service TikTok Inc. for allegedly violating the states consumer protection act, Attorney General John M. Formella announced.

The states complaint against TikTok filed in Superior Court in Merrimack alleges that the company has engaged in unfair and deceptive acts or practices in violation of New Hampshire law by designing an unfair product and misleading the states consumers about its safety.

It also accuses TikTok of violating childrens privacy by collecting and using their personal data.

According to the suit, TikToks platform includes addictive features to exploit young users naivete and ongoing brain development and maximize the time young users spend on the platform in the interest of profit and make it hard for children to disengage from the platform and lead to a cycle of excessive use.

The 124-page, heavily redacted complaint alleges that the company knows this cycle of use results in profound harm to its young users, including depression, anxiety, and isolation from friends and family. TikTok Under Scrutiny TikTok, the company, is a subsidiary of the Chinese company ByteDance, Ltd. TikTok is facing scrutiny around the globe not only over its practices relating to children but also over its ties to its Chinese parent company and Chinas government. The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing a lawsuit accusing TikTok of violating the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, which bars collecting data about children under the age of 13. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against Musical.ly (now TikTok) for illegally collecting childrens personal information. Musical.ly agreed to settle the allegations for nearly $6 million President Joe Biden in April signed a law that would ban TikTok unless its Chinese parent ByteDance sells it off within a year. The company is challenging the law in the courts. Officials in the United Kingdom have also investigated TikTok. The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) found that over a million children had engaged with TikTok without parental consent. The breach resulted in a nearly 13 million penalty. In February, the European Commission opened formal proceedings against TikTok for potential breaches of the Digital Services Act, which addresses concerns over risks to mental and physical health of minors.

The complaint further alleges that as the company deployed these features, it also lied to parents about the safety of the platform, downplayed the risks posed, while touting supposed safety measures that the company knows are ineffective.

Meta Lawsuit

The lawsuit is not the first attempt by New Hampshire to hold social media platforms accountable. In October 2023, Formella filed a complaint against Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, alleging similar manipulative design features and deceptive business practices.

The New Hampshire lawsuit attempts to tie the popularity of TikTok to mental health issues facing New Hampshire teens. It claims that since the video app launched in 2017, TikTok has grown into a constant presence in teenagers lives, and at the same time, the rates of mental health problems among New Hampshire high school students have skyrocketed.

The suit cites statistics from the states department of education that in 2021, almost half (44.2%) of New Hampshires high school students reported symptoms of clinical depression, feeling persistently sad or hopelessa 57.8% increase from 2017.1

Also between 2017 and 2021, the percentage of New Hampshire high school students who reported seriously considering suicide jumped from 16.1% to 24.7%.2, while the percentage of high school students who reported actually attempting suicide went from 5.9% to 9.8%.

The AGs suit contends that younger people are an easy target for TikToks addictive design because their brains are still in development.

TikToks addictive design features deliberately alter the physical brain chemistry of the New Hampshire children who use TikTok. In other words, TikTok has intentionally changed the chemicals inside the brains of tens of thousands of children in New Hampshire, the suit alleges.

While TikTok says it is important to protect children, the lawsuit claims its leaders know that its policies to do so are not effective and that some of its content to young users has been shown to encourage dangerous and violent behaviors.

Consumer Injury

According to the complaint New Hampshire consumers have suffered injury because TikToks conduct unreasonably creates obstacles to the free exercise of consumer decision-making and induces users to spend significant time on the app, including time the users themselves report they do not want to spend on the app.

The state is asking the court for an order permanently enjoining TikTok from engaging in unfair acts and practices, restitution to consumers, civil penalties in the amount of $10,000 for each violation of the states consumer protection act, and an award covering all legal costs and expenses.

The action is being brought exclusively under the law of the New Hampshire; no federal claims are being asserted.

Topics Lawsuits
The regulation that sets up the European Unions new agency to combat money laundering went into force on Wednesday, and the authority already has its first job posting: the position of chair.

Candidates have until July 8 to apply to head the Frankfurt-based agency that expects to employ about 430 people and is set to open next year. The annual salary for the position is nearly 290,000 euros ($310,000).

Earlier this year, the EU named Frankfurt as the home of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA). Previously the bloc lacked any pan-EU body to control dirty money.

Money laundering and the financing of terrorism are major concerns for the EU. They pose major risks to the EUs economy and financial system, and to the security of its citizens, the job posting reads.

The European Commission aims to identify a shortlist of at least two candidates, with a final selection by the beginning of 2025.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner lobbied for the AMLA to be based in Frankfurt, which is already home to the European Central Bank and the EUs insurance supervisor.

Lindner said on social media platform X that Wednesday marked an important step in fighting money laundering.

Honest citizens and honest business people are hurt when clans and mafia  are able to launder money on a grand scale, he said.

Germany, Europes largest economy, has been criticized for failing to do enough to tackle money laundering.

The AMLA plans to post other jobs for legal officers and experts from December.

($1 = 0.9362 euros)

(Reporting by Tom Sims; editing by Miranda Murray and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Topics Europe
Venezuelas state oil company PDVSA has begun using tankers that navigate off radar to supply its closest political ally, Cuba, as a fleet of state-owned vessels that have historically covered the route dwindles, according to documents and ship monitoring services.

Cuba and its main oil supplier, Venezuela, for over a decade had exclusively used their own tankers to navigate between the two countries.

Delayed maintenance, however, has taken some ships out of service and the emergence of Mexico as a new supplier to Cuba using some of the same vessels have the two revamping routes to get desperately needed crude oil and fuel to the island.

Top Shipping Flag Cuts Approval for Sanctioned Russian Insurer

A large portion of tanker fleets owned by Venezuela and Cuba are under U.S. sanctions, which also limits their travel. Operated by third parties, dark fleet vessels often lack western insurance and send false location signals to disguise their movement.

PDVSA in June began co-loading crude and fuel oil cargoes that deliver a portion in Cuban waters, and from there depart to destinations in Asia to discharge the remaining volume, according to company shipping documents.

The vessels spoof their signal, making them look elsewhere in the Caribbean while they are discharging in Cuba, often by ship-to-ship transfers, according to monitoring service TankerTrackers.com and a satellite photo by Planet Labs seen by Reuters.

One of the vessels, the Panama-flagged Neptune 6, was last week near Cubas Nipe Bay transferring Venezuelan heavy crude and fuel oil to Cuba-flagged vessel Esperanza, according to the documents and photo, analyzed by TankerTrackers.com. The ships transponder is signaling a location north of Curacao since late May, according to LSEG data.

PDVSA and the foreign affairs ministries of Venezuela and Cuba did not provide comment. It was not immediately clear if the use of third-party vessels to supply Cuba is temporary.

In Need of Barrels

The extra vessels could help boost Venezuelas oil supply to Cuba, which so far this year is at 27,000 barrels per day (bpd), compared with 51,500 bpd in the same period of 2023.

The covert help comes as demand for electricity produced by oil-fired plants soars during sultry Cuban summers.

Blackouts that were occasional in Cuba have become routine as imported supplies are limited and logistical issues complicate domestic fuel distribution to its aging power plants.

Cuban energy officials also have said workers are tuning up and providing maintenance to power generating plants ahead of the high-demand summer season, and hope the coming months will see fewer blackouts.

Cuba has not been able to fully recover its oil storage capacity since a devastating fire destroyed a portion of the islands largest oil terminal, Matanzas. The lack of tanks forces suppliers to transfer cargoes to other ships used for floating storage by Cuba.

In May, Mexicos state company Pemex resumed oil shipments to Cuba after a three-month pause in the same vessels used to ship oil from Venezuela, Reuters reported.

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga in Houston, additional reporting by Dave Sherwood in Havana; editing by Marguerita Choy)

Photograph: An oil tanker during sunset. Photo credit: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Topics Energy Oil Gas
Sanctions on shipping companies are undermining safety at sea and pose dangers for trade as ship standards are impacted, the chief executive of sanctioned Russian shipping group Sovcomflot said.

The European Union imposed sanctions on Russias state-owned and top tanker company Sovcomflot (SCF) and its CEO Igor Tonkovidov, according to the measures published in the EUs Official Journal on Monday.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasurys enforcement arm OFAC separately designated 14 crude oil tankers as property in which Sovcomflot has an interest.

EU Adds 27 Russian Vessels to List of Entities Under Sanctions

Sovcomflot is genuinely disappointed that high-quality safe maritime transportation is sacrificed for short-term geopolitical motivations, which certainly does not contribute to improving the safety of maritime transportation, especially in European waters, Tonkovidov said in comments sent to Reuters on Tuesday.

SCF strongly objects (to the) separation of the worlds trade fleet into antagonistic camps, destruction of safety culture and values gained by maritime industry over the past decades.

Tonkovidov said the group would certainly continue to adhere to the highest standards.

His comments were first reported by shipping publication Tradewinds.

In April, Tonkovidov told reporters that sanctions had impacted the companys operations, limiting our geography and commercial prospects.

SCF, which was previously one of the worlds leading tanker operators, transported 75 million metric tons of oil in 2023, mainly to the markets of China, India and the Mediterranean.

Western sanctions imposed on Russia have prompted the exit of international service companies such as ship engine makers and also safety certifiers, which have added to challenges for the countrys fleet.

Global shipping industry officials have also warned of the safety dangers posed by hundreds of aging and unregulated tankers in the so-called shadow fleet transporting oil from countries hit by sanctions and other restrictions including Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul in London and Gleb Stolyarov in Russia; editing by Matthew Lewis)

Photograph: Suezmax crude oil tanker SCF Primorye. Photo credit: Sovcomflot (SCF)

Related:
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Brit Re and the managing general agent Optio Group.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Brit Re Names Partner Res Ex-CEO Bonneau as Non-Executive Director

Brit Ltd. announced the appointment of Jacques Bonneau to the board of Brit Re as a non-executive director, subject to regulatory approval.

Bonneau retired as CEO and president of PartnerRe in March 2024, and is a highly regarded leader within the global re/insurance sector, Brit said. Other positions Bonneau has held in his career include a number of senior executive roles at Chubb and senior adviser to the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA).

Based in Bermuda, Bonneau will bring considerable experience, insight and relationships which will be of deep value to Brit as it embarks on a strategic plan to significantly expand its presence in Bermuda across property, casualty and specialty reinsurance, the company added.

We are delighted to appoint Jaques to the Board of Brit Re and believe welcoming an individual of his standing in the industry reflects our intent for Brit in Bermuda. We look forward to benefiting from his expertise and network, commented Martin Thompson, CEO Brit Group.

Building out Brit Re to write a broader range of business is a natural next step for us. Bermuda is a dynamic and thriving multi-class re/insurance market and we are excited about the opportunity to attract new local specialist talent to work alongside Brits existing reinsurance underwriting capabilities in London, said Jon Sullivan, group chief underwriting officer.

Graham Pewter, chairman of Brit Re, said: We welcome Jacques to the Brit Re board. His appointment will support our Bermudian growth ambitions as well as deepening the boards experience and strengthening our governance.

A subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings, Brit underwrites commercial specialty insurance with a focus on property, casualty and energy business.

***

Optio Group Taps AXAs Soni as Group CEO

Optio Group, the London-based specialty MGA, announced the appointment of Deepak Soni as chief executive officer.

Soni joins Optio Group from AXA, where he served as commercial director of AXA Insurance Co. for the past nine years, playing a pivotal role in executing AXAs UK commercial strategy and growing the business. Throughout his tenure at AXA, Soni held multiple senior positions, overseeing its SME, direct-to-consumer, delegated authority, and specialty lines businesses.

Prior to joining AXA in 2015, he spent nine years at Hiscox in various senior roles, including head of Hiscox Direct Commercial, following an early career as a broker at Aon for three years.

The appointment of Soni as CEO has been a long-anticipated and carefully considered decision by the Optio board and its private equity partners, Preservation Capital Partners, the company said in a statement.

Soni brings extensive experience, strategic vision, and a proven track record of building businesses, positioning him perfectly to lead Optio through its next phase of global expansion and profitable growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions, the statement added.

Topics AXA XL
MUSKEGON, Mich. (AP)  Severe thunderstorms cut power to thousands of homes and businesses Tuesday in western Michigan, less than a week after storms left thousands in the dark across the state in suburban Detroit.

Roughly 98,000 Consumers Energy customers were still without power by the evening, with most of those outages in Muskegon and Oceana counties along Lake Michigan, the utility said.

Crews would be focusing on assessing damage and restoring critical customers first, Consumers Energy said.

Indiana Michigan Power, which serves areas in both states, said 3,500 customers were in the dark by late afternoon, down from the 11,000 who lost power earlier Tuesday.

The utility said the Three Rivers, Michigan, area was hardest hit by the storms that knocked down trees and tree limbs.

About 500 utility workers were heading from northern Indiana to southwestern Michigan to restore power, although I&M said more storms could slow down the effort.

Its not safe for our lineworkers to work aloft in bucket trucks or on the ground with electrical equipment amid strong winds, lightning and heavy rain, the utility said.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Michigan
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued its final investigation report into the fatal naphtha release and fire at the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery (BP Toledo Refinery) in Oregon, Ohio, on September 20, 2022, which resulted in the death of two BP employees, who were brothers.

During an emergency situation at the refinery, liquid naphtha was released from a pressurized vessel, which resulted in a vapor cloud that subsequently ignited, causing a flash fire, which fatally injured the two BP employees. The events on September 20, 2022 resulted in approximately $597 million in property damage at the refinery, including loss of use. Over 23,000 pounds of naphtha were released during the incident.

This is the largest fatal incident at a BP-operated petroleum refinery in the United States since the fatal explosions and fires at the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, in 2005, that resulted in the deaths of 15 workers and injured 180 other people.

The CSBs report details a series of cascading  and worsening  events throughout the day of September 20, 2022, that contributed to the release and fire. The CSB found that there was an alarm flood, with more than 3,700 alarms going off in the 12-hour period prior to the fatal incident, which overwhelmed and distracted BPs board operators, causing delays and errors in responding to critical alarms.

The CSB also found that the refinery failed to implement a shutdown or hot circulation through the use of stop work authority or otherwise in time to prevent the fatal incident.

As a result of its findings, the CSB is issuing a total of seven safety recommendations to the current owner of the facility (Ohio Refining Company LLC, a subsidiary of Cenovus Energy Inc., which acquired the refinery from BP in February 2023); the American Petroleum Institute (API); and the International Society of Automation (ISA). Each recommendation aims to address an existing safety gap.

The CSB did not make any recommendations to BP, since BP no longer operates the Toledo Refinery.

The CSBs board members are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.

Source: CSB

Topics Ohio
Volkswagen said on Wednesday it was recalling over 307,000 vehicles in North America due to a potential wiring fault that may deactivate front passenger air bags when the seat is occupied.

The recall covers 271,000 2021-2024 model year Atlas and 2020-2024 Atlas Cross Sport SUVs in the United States and about 36,000 in Canada where the passenger occupant detection system (PODS) may experience a fault in the wiring and could pose a safety risk in the event of a crash.

The Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport are among the automakers best-selling vehicles in the United States.

This is the second recall by VW over the issue. In March 2023, Volkswagen recalled 143,000 2018-2021 Atlas and 2020 Atlas Cross Sport vehicles over the issue and the automaker met with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to discuss the differences between the production periods.

VW said out of abundance of caution, the committee decided to recall the Atlas vehicles with a specific technology installed and said it was based on 1,730 warranty claims for replaced PODS parts.

Volkswagen will notify all owners of the affected vehicles by Aug. 16, the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Once parts are ready, Volkswagen dealers will replace the PODS sensor mat and wiring harness with improved parts free of charge, Volkswagen added.

Until the recall repair has been performed, NHTSA advised vehicle owners to avoid the use of the front passenger seat when possible.

The recall also affects nearly 36,000 vehicles in Canada.

Earlier this year, Volkswagen issued a recall of more than 261,000 vehicles in the United States due to an issue with a jet pump seal inside its fuel tank.
The US Supreme Court curbed the Securities and Exchange Commissions ability to press complaints before in-house judges, saying defendants have a constitutional right to make their case to a federal jury when the agency is seeking financial penalties.

The 6-3 decision could reduce the commissions leverage to extract high-dollar settlements. It deals a blow to an administrative system the SEC once used to adjudicate more than 100 cases a year before scaling back amid legal challenges.

The ruling could ripple across the government, potentially affecting the Federal Trade Commission, Agriculture Department and Environmental Protection Agency. A Justice Department lawyer said during arguments that more than two dozen agencies now impose penalties through administrative proceedings and that only some of those bodies have the option to go to federal court instead.

Dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the ruling will unleash chaos across the government.

The dispute is part of a Supreme Court term likely to have broad implications for federal regulators. The justices are also considering whether to overturn a precedent that gives agencies leeway when they interpret ambiguous congressional commands. The courts conservative majority has been broadly skeptical of what it views as overreach by regulatory agencies.

The majority said that the SECs antifraud provisions replicate common law fraud and that it was well established that those types of claims should be heard by a jury.

A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. Rather than recognize that right, the dissent would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in the hands of the Executive Branch. That is the very opposite of the separation of powers that the Constitution demands.

Roberts was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Sotomayor listed 19 other agencies that also impose civil penalties through administrative proceedings. She said several agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, currently dont have the legal authority to go to court to seek civil penalties.

For those and countless other agencies, all the majority can say is tough luck; get a new statute from Congress, Sotomayor wrote in an opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The latest ruling is a victory for George Jarkesy, a former hedge fund manager and conservative radio host. The SEC accused Jarkesy in 2013 of misleading investors about who served as his funds prime broker and auditor and about their investment strategies and holdings.

The ramifications of this case are so much bigger than one person, Jarkesy said in an emailed statement. After a decade of gross misconduct and blatantly unconstitutional political attacks from the SEC and their in-house court, today the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution still matters.

SEC Order

An administrative law judge found Jarkesy had committed securities fraud, and the SEC eventually ordered him to pay almost $1 million. The high courts decision nullifies that order.

The Biden administration argued unsuccessfully that SEC complaints dont fall within the Constitutions Seventh Amendment and its jury-trial right. That provision by its terms applies to common law suits, which typically are between private parties.

The administration pointed to a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that said Congress can create public rights, aimed at protecting the common good, and empower an agency to handle adjudications.

Jarkesy and his allies, including Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, said the SEC process is fraught with injustice. Defendants have fewer rights to obtain evidence in administrative hearings than federal court, and SEC lawyers can rely on third-party hearsay testimony. Appeals go to the same SEC commissioners who approved the complaint in the first place.

Industry Impact

The ruling could have significant effect on how brokers, investment advisers and others that fall under SEC rules can settle cases. Many enforcement proceedings are settled through the administrative process, which allows parties to file enforcement orders and settlements at the same time.

The SEC may want to amend its language in future administrative cases that explicitly require defendants to waive their rights to jury trials, said Rebecca Fike, a partner at the law firm Vinson & Elkins in Dallas and a former senior counsel in the SECs enforcement division.

If the regulator views the ruling as requiring even greater caution in using administrative judges, more cases might be settled in court, Fike said. That brings greater uncertainty for the SEC and defendants because it opens the door to a judge disagreeing with settlements, she said.

Theres something about court filings that most corporate defendants want to stay away from, Fike said.

The high courts decision also raises the question of what constitutes fraud specifically in the securities context, said David Fredrickson, senior of counsel at Covington & Burling and a former SEC senior attorney. Many cases that have challenged the agencys use of administrative proceedings involved fraud allegations, assuming the allegations are similar to common law fraud, he said.

But Congress also authorized the SEC and perhaps other agencies to define things that are fraudulent, Fredrickson said.

Its unclear whether fraud allegations that, for example, involve violations of the SECs advertising rules or a brokers failure to provide confirmation of a sale might still go through the administrative process, he said.

The case is Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, 22-859.

Photo: Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

Topics Fraud Legislation
LAKE TOXAWAY, N.C. (AP)  A 12-year-old boy who was enrolled in a wilderness therapy program for troubled youths in North Carolina died in February from an inability to breathe in the mostly plastic tentlike structure he was sleeping in, according to an autopsy report.

The 8-page report released Monday by North Carolinas chief medical examiners office focused on the damaged bivy, or small camping enclosure, and determined the adolescent died of asphyxia.

The bivys internal mesh door was torn, while a weather-resistant door was used instead to secure the opening, the report stated. Medical examiners noted that bivy products often warn against fully securing the weather resistant opening because it may lead to breathing restriction.

Asphyxia due to smothering refers to death due to the inability to breath in oxygen, in this case due to covering the nose and mouth with a non-breathable material, the medical examiners wrote.

The autopsy report is the fullest accounting so far of the boys death, which occurred in the care of Trails Carolina. The organization has described itself as a nature-based therapy program that helps 10-to-17-year-olds work through behavioral or emotional difficulties.

Trails Carolina did not immediately respond to an email sent through its website seeking comment. The program is in Lake Toxaway, in mountains about 120 miles (190 kilometers) west of Charlotte.

Two weeks after the boy died, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said it was removing all children from the programs care for two months to ensure the health and safety of the children.

Trails Carolina said in a February news release that everything points to an accidental death.

We grieve with the family of the student who tragically passed and have promised to do everything we can to determine what happened, the release said.

The boy had history of anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and migraines, the autopsy report stated. He was brought from his home in New York to the Trails Carolina wilderness program at the request of his family. He died less than 24 hours after arriving.

A counselor told detectives from the Transylvania County Sheriffs Office that the boy refused to eat dinner and was loud and irate, but later calmed down and ate snacks, according to an affidavit filed with a search warrant that was released in February. The boy slept on the bunkhouse floor in a sleeping bag inside a bivy that had an alarm on its zipper triggered when someone tries to exit.

The counselor said the boy had a panic attack around midnight and was checked on at 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., the affidavit stated. He was stiff and cold to the touch when he was found dead at 7:45 a.m.

According to the autopsy report, the bivies the campers slept in were placed on top of a thick plastic sheet that was folded up the sides in the form of a canoe. Because the boys mesh door was torn, the weather-resistant door was secured with the alarm.

Counselors checked on the boy during the night but couldnt actually see him because of the outer, opaque layer of the bivy being closed, the autopsy report stated.

When the boy was found dead, his body was turned 180 degrees from the entrance and his feet were near the opening, which would have allowed the waterproof material to fall onto his head and face, the report stated.

He was placed into this compromised sleeping area by other(s) and did not have the ability to reasonably remove himself from the situation with the alarm securing the opening, medical examiners wrote. The standard protocol was deviated from due to using a damaged bivy and securing the outer weather resistant door instead of the inner mesh panel.

Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics North Carolina
Since 2013, events have raised over $10 million in support of nonprofits helping those in need in the US and UK

LOS ANGELES  June 26, 2024  The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization marking 30 years representing the insurance industry through its mission of helping communities and enriching lives, hosted the IICF Regional Forums this month across five cities. This years forums in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas and London gathered nearly 800 attendees for discussions centered around advancing the future of work, talent, inclusion and innovation. Since 2013, IICFs leadership events have raised $10 million in support of regional nonprofits helping those in need.

Insurance industry and business leaders from around the globe led powerful sessions centered on a range of critical topics focused on building a more inclusive and innovative future of work and recruiting new talent to the insurance industry. Speakers across the forums included Subha Barry, President of Seramount; Heather Giordano of CNA; Rekha Skantharaja, CEO & President, Tangram Insurance Services; Jeanette Ward, CEO, Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Katie Lennon, Head of ESG for the UK & Lloyds at AXA XL.

Key takeaways from the events included:

Grounding DEI Ambition: Trevor Gandy, Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at AXA XL, shared how DEI measures can only be impactful if grounded in a companys core values and culture. DEI needs to be clearly linked to the workplace and performance improvement should resonate with the workforce as a whole.

New Practices, Not Best Practices: Xavier Ramey, Founder and CEO of Justice Informed, discussed how we should be fighting for authenticity and integrity to build a more inclusive future of work. This takes focusing on new practices, rather than implementing the same best practices as always.

Create a Culture of DEI: From Default to Design: Rekha Skantharaja, CEO & President of Tangram Insurance Services, observed that Todays journey calls us to move in a more human space and that engaging in authentic discussions and asking employees what they think is important  and then critical to be willing to act on feedback.

Advancing Talent to Advance Our Industry: Dallas Forum Co-Chairs Jeanette Ward, CEO of Texas Mutual, and Katie Beth Ongena, AVP Executive Talent Management Consultant at Chubb, delivered an inspirational closing about the opportunities for welcoming new talent into our industry. Ward concluded that IICFs events deliver one of the best professional development programs in our industry.

Bridging the Gap: Uniting Social Progress and Environmental Stewardship: Katie Lennon, Head of ESG, UK and Lloyds, at AXA XL, posited that its not that we dont have the resources to solve problems, its about having the will to be courageous and distribute the resources we have to make a difference.

As we celebrate IICFs 30th anniversary this year, the Regional Forums were a fantastic showcase of the collective strength of our industry when we work together, said Elizabeth Myatt, VP, Chief Program Officer of IICF. Across our forums, the speakers and attendees shared powerful insights and practical advice that will translate to key actionable steps in their respective workplaces. We are proud to convene the insurance industry for these essential discussions, all while working to raise funds for nonprofits supporting those in need across the US and UK and we look forward to seeing everyone next year at our Global Conference, again hosted in New York City.

IICFs leadership events were established as the Women in Insurance Conference Series in 2013 and are the only events of their kind to benefit nonprofit and charitable organizations through IICFs Community Grants Program. Since 2013, more than $10 million has been raised through the IICF Regional Forums and Global Conferences, benefiting nonprofit partners. IICF grants provide direct support in addressing food insecurity, homelessness, education, disaster relief and preparedness, children at risk, veteran causes and more. IICF will surpass $50 million in total grants awarded, and more than 3 million meals delivered to vulnerable children, as the foundation celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024.

Special thanks to the Four-Conference Diamond Presenting Sponsors Amwins, CNA, Markel and USAA and all generous event sponsors for their support of our events and for making an inclusive and innovative future of work a core priority. Next June, IICF will host its 2025 Global Conference in New York. Registration and additional details will be available later this year at www.IICF.org

About the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF)

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) is a unique nonprofit that unites the collective strengths of the insurance industry to help communities and enrich lives through grants, volunteer service and leadership. Established in 1994, IICF is celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of serving as the philanthropic voice and foundation of the insurance industry throughout 2024, having contributed $48 million in community grants along with over 337,000 volunteer hours by more than 125,000 industry professionals. IICF reinvests locally where funds are raised for maximum community impact, serving hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across the US and UK.

IICF is a registered nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Learn more at www.iicf.org or follow us on social media at: LinkedIn and Instagram

Topics Trends
Ukraine is not the only part of Europe vulnerable to missiles and air attacks (Dausend et al., 2024). Existing capabilities, in particular NATOs integrated air and missile defence systems (NATO, 2023), are insufficient to comprehensively protect European territory. Experience in both Ukraine and Israel shows that effective missile defence is actually feasible. Yet, air defence systems such as the US-made Patriot or the German Iris-T are expensive  one reason why European governments have not invested sufficiently.

EU debt outside of national fiscal rules would provide resources for the costly roll-out of the European public good air defence as a response to an imminent threat to European security. This act of mutual assistance would free national budgetary resources and provide long-term funding stability, thereby also helping to boost the domestic defence industry. We discuss how such EU debt could be justified in EU law and concretely implemented.

Defence has typically been considered an area of purely national sovereignty with little willingness to advance integration due to differences in preferences. Defence and military capabilities are likened to core sovereignty issues and a countrys ability to effectively exercise state power (Dobbs, 2014). This has led some national constitutional courts to identify defence as a core function of the nation state for its sovereignty. This would imply that transferring competence for defence to the EU could be unconstitutional and core defence capabilities would therefore have to remain under national control (German Federal Constitutional Court, 2009). The sensitivity of defence as an issue of national concern is further reflected in the very limited collaboration that defence has seen throughout the EU integration process. Accordingly, European Treaties flag defence and military issues (just like the Common Foreign and Security Policy more generally) as areas of national competence, where EU-based defence activities are limited in scope and constrained by unanimity voting.

Yet, Merand and Angers (2014) highlight that European defence integration enjoys consistently high levels of public support. Genschel and Jachtenfuchs (2015) identify the increasing integration without federalisation of core state powers, including defence, in the EU. Graf (2020) demonstrates that strategic threat perceptions can impact public opinion on European defence cooperation and integration, e.g. the perception that Russias military activities in Ukraine are a threat to Germanys security increases support for the creation of a common European army. Likewise, Burgoon et al. (2023) underline that crises relax the constraining dissensus in relation to defence integration. They find both cross-border support for European defence as well as converging preferences on the actual design of such policy. It is therefore perhaps no surprise that the somewhat ad hoc German proposal on air defence, the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), put forward by Chancellor Scholz in August 2022, has rapidly been endorsed by 21 participating states, with Poland also considering taking part.

The initiative, however, has been criticised by France and others, in part because of its focus on US and Israeli defence companies providing central elements of the air defence systems.

Yet, if EU debt were additional, purchases from US companies would not crowd out European industrial development. Moreover, EU debt funding for air defence could include spending on the further development of European air defence industrial capacities, including the French/Italian SAMP-T systems, as highlighted by President Macron (2024). Moreover, while the debt financing is strictly limited in scope and quantity to European air defence (mainly for the legal reasons outlined below), the financial investments would also provide long-term funding that would ensure the necessary stability for effective industrial policy and fiscal forward guidance for the industry to enhance production capacities. The build-up of capacities of domestic defence companies in air defence is all the more important in order to have a diversity of systems rendering European air defence more resilient to possible disruptions from foreign suppliers.

Since air defence concerns Europe as a whole and not only the EU, an EU funding initiative should be open to European allies, including the United Kingdom and Norway, which are part of the same airspace that needs to be defended. While the EU borrowing mechanism that we propose would focus on EU procurement, non-EU allies could be associated with that mechanism.

ESSI and its proper governance design

Why air defence is a European public good

Defence is almost by definition a public good as states hold the monopoly on the use of force. What requires further justification is to what extent defence is a European public good. A European public good can be defined as a good not supplied at an adequate level without public intervention (Breton, 2024; Fuest & Pisani-Ferry, 2020), and which should be provided, at least partially, at the EU level to internalise externalities and reap benefits of scale, notwithstanding potential differences in national or local preferences (Claeys & Steinbach 2024). This definition from the fiscal federalism literature (Tiebout, 1956; Oates, 1972; Alesina et al., 2005) does not necessarily apply to all dimensions of defence to the same extent. In the EU, as well as in NATO, any national army provides a public good beyond its own security to some extent as it can be called up and contribute to collective defence via NATO Article 5 and Article 42(7) Treaty on European Union. This is a direct way of contributing to collective deterrence and thereby shows that national defence capacities are, at least to some extent, a European public good. As countries can, to a degree, count on assistance from others, there is an incentive to free ride on others provisioning of military services.

An area with particularly strong scale effects and externalities is air defence. When it comes to threat detection, the more radar and other detection systems are interconnected and data shared, the easier it is to detect threats early on and the lower the investment needed for every individual country. For aircraft, cruise missiles and drones flying at low to medium altitude, countries of first entry should typically be the ones that neutralise the threat, thereby providing a public good to all countries further away that might have been targeted. Even for high-altitude ballistic missiles, the detection and provision of neutralisation can happen from countries other than the one targeted. For example, a ballistic missile threatening the Netherlands is unlikely to be intercepted only in the Netherlands. European air defence is therefore a particularly strong type of public good that few to no European countries could provide on their own. Scale economies and externalities thus offer a strong rationale for providing the public good at the European level rather than nationally. With fixed costs for building up air defence being significant, integrating national efforts into one unified approach can untap substantial saving potential.

At the same time, the Germany-led ESSI  while having been endorsed by 22 European countries  has been seen critically in France and Italy in particular. The criticisms concern the strategic level, questions of scale and availability as well as industrial policy questions (Arnold & Arnold, 2023). While preference heterogeneity exists at the European level, it is not impossible in the case of air defence to overcome some of the differences to provide the good at the EU level. At the strategic level, there is the worry that building up a strong air defence would upset the balance of power and deterrence between Russia and Europe, in particular as concerns high altitude deterrence such as the one provided through the Arrow 3 system. There is also fear that there is too much investment in air defence rather than in capacities for deep strikes. As concerns the questions of scale and availability, the reservation is that ESSI relies too strongly on US-based systems, in particular on the Patriot system, which creates strategic dependencies on the US and limits availability based on the production capacity of the US company Raytheon. Finally, the industrial policy worry is that European taxpayer money would boost US defence companies instead of advancing European systems from France and Italy, in particular SAMP-T.

Since the inception of ESSI, some convergence has been achieved on these three dimensions, and French President Emmanuel Macron has explicitly recognised the importance of ESSI for countries without nuclear deterrence (Federal Government, 2024). When it comes to the balance between deterrence and strike capabilities, there is a growing recognition that air defence cannot come at the expense of strike capabilities  while at the same time, the importance of air defence has been recognised for countries with limited nuclear deterrence. When it comes to strategic dependence, MDBA Germany is building a factory to produce Patriot missiles, but capacities might still be insufficient and dependencies exist. These drawbacks must, however, be balanced against the advantages of the availability of the US systems and their high performance. To make debt funding acceptable and ensure Europes air defence industry strives, it will be important to strengthen the interoperability of systems and include SAMP-T systems, Iris-T as well as other European systems in the European funding efforts.

The adequate governance design for air defence as a European public good

Characterising air defence as a European public good does not necessarily imply that all its elements should be centralised at the EU level (Claeys & Steinbach, 2024). Rather, the EU legal and institutional framework offers a menu of design options that allow customising the governance of the public good guided by efficiency and trade-offs described above. One design option that accounts for policy preferences that are too diverse is the provision of club goods rather than EU27 provision of European public goods. The Treaties generally allow for the provision of club goods through enhanced cooperation and defence is a case in point (Fuest & Pisani-Ferry, 2019; Demertzis et al. 2018). One design option offering flexibility in governance would be the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). PESCO is an area of security and defence cooperation through the development of national contributions towards more defence capabilities in relation to development, research, acquisition and armaments. Projects involving non-EU countries have also been pursued under the PESCO umbrella. PESCO could thus become the framework for some air defence equipment purchases and for enhancing R&D in air defence in collaboration, where applicable, with the European Defence Agency and the European Defence Fund.

ESSI is currently running outside of the EU as a Germany-led initiative among European countries that are also NATO members. ESSI currently includes 21 states, of which 17 are EU members (Poland may soon join) while four are European allies (Norway, the UK, Switzerland, Turkey). The PESCO cooperation framework counts 26 EU member states. The PESCO framework provides sufficient flexibility for at least the 17 EU ESSI members to cooperate in PESCO projects. ESSI could become a new PESCO project, and those 17 EU countries (of the 26 PESCO members) supporting the project can agree on a club good based initiative of ESSI.

The participating member states would agree among themselves on the arrangements for, and the scope of, their cooperation and the management of that project. Integrating non-European countries into ESSI is possible under the PESCO architecture, as it has already been practiced in the past by integrating the US and Canada into the PESCO Military Mobility project.

The advantage of pursuing ESSI within PESCO is that a suitable institutional governance exists that could provide the basis for joint debt financing and could also be used for increasing cooperation in procurement as well as R&D. In particular, integrating ESSI into PESCO would allow the use of resources from the European Defence Agency (EDA), for example, to enhance the interoperability of different systems and invest in R&D, including the French and Italian air defence system.

Also, supplying air defence as a public good can be customised by its delivery in a central or decentral fashion. In our understanding, the EU would play no operational role in air defence, which would remain solely the competence of member states and the agreed NATO framework. Some elements, however, could be delivered at the EU level, such as defence procurement of air defence (e.g. joint large-scale purchases of military equipment). In a less ambitious approach, the purchases would still be done nationally but under a joint framework contract. Jointly issuing debt would not require the European Commission to decide on spending as this would remain in principle the responsibility of the member states, or, if centrally decided, subject to unanimity in the Council.

As joint procurement will create not only winners but possibly also some losers, such as incumbent industrial players who may lose their (national) market shares, it is important to consider political implications. Incumbent industrial players seek to retain their (national) market shares, but joint (rather than national) procurement and purchase of air defence armaments can revitalise competition, break up national markets and threaten national champions (Burgoon et al., 2023). Some regions may be adversely affected if the regional industry loses market shares. While some compensation mechanisms are politically advisable to strengthen the domestic defence industrial base (which would not benefit significantly from the US/Israel-oriented industry), the key point in our proposal is that the overall market size should increase more rapidly, making the joint debt issuances and joint procurement a positive sum game. With the larger spending, it should be possible to include TWISTER and SAMP-T in the ESSI purchases.

Debt financing ESSI

Economic rationale for EU debt funding

PESCO projects are generally financed by those countries participating in PESCO projects. In the case of air defence, joint debt issuance could raise the resources to fund the member states spending on ESSI in the context of PESCO while also reserving some funds for centrally organised purchases and R&D. The idea would be to use EU debt as a mechanism to prevent the catastrophic event of a direct military threat from Russia (Wolff, 2020).

The economic rationale for debt funding air defence is straightforward: building the air defence systems represents a huge upfront investment cost. Once the system is in place, the operating costs are relatively small. The operation of the radar systems and sustaining the readiness is costly but nothing compared to the actual costs of putting up the systems. Large upfront investments should be funded by deficits for tax-smoothing arguments as well as for spreading costs over the periods during which systems will be used.

Legal implications of EU debt financing air defence

The legal implementation of exceptional debt financing ESSI is challenging but feasible. There is a general restriction for the EU budget to fund expenditure arising from operations having military or defence implications. However, our solution introduces EU borrowing off-budget and outside the regular EU budget (like with NextGenerationEU). Further guarantees to protect the (financial) interests of neutral states are possible.

With NextGenerationEU as the precedent of debt financing EU expenditure, there are several legal strings attached to repeating debt financing. A distinction must be made between borrowing for ESSI purposes and spending for ESSI activities. The central legal authority for the Commission to borrow on behalf of the EU is the Own Resources Decision (ORD) (Grund & Steinbach, 2023). The ORD requires both a unanimous Council decision that designates the main sources of EU financing and ratification by each member state. The ORD authorises borrowing and specifies how the borrowing proceeds are to be used. This implies that borrowing requires a new ORD and hence ratification by EU countries in line with domestic constitutions (as specified by Article 311 TFEU). The financial resources that the EU borrows under Article 311 TFEU and the ORD are externally assigned revenues just like under NGEU.

In turn, spending of the funds raised needs to have a distinct legal anchor, which, in the case of NGEU, was the emergency clause of the EU Treaties (Article 122 TFEU). This provision is also referred to as a solidarity clause and it justifies the financing of targeted and temporary economic measures in exceptional situations. The emergency clause requires linking the use of borrowed funds to addressing the exceptional occurrence within the meaning of Article 122 TFEU. Despite obvious differences with NGEU, the building up of an ESSI-based air defence can be likened with an emergency and solidarity situation under Article 122 TFEU, in which member states give mutual assistance to divert an immediate security threat.

The Russian attack on Ukraine was an unforeseen shock hitting and putting at risk the security of the EU and its member states. Even if the attack primarily aimed at a non-EU country, there is wide consensus that Russian territorial imperialism engenders a direct threat to EU security (Cavoli, 2024). The legal standard has been specified by the German Federal Constitutional Court (2022) requesting that debt financing be limited in duration, volume and substance. The last requirement entails linking the use of borrowed funds to addressing the exceptional occurrence within the meaning of Article 122 TFEU. This was key to the German Federal Constitutional Court (2022) ruling, which held that the relevant instrument remains strictly limited to the historically exceptional case of support[ing] the recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis. It may well be argued that an assault in the immediate neighbourhood country of the EU by military means can be likened to a historically exceptional case, which leads the ESSI project fortifying European defence to respond to this exceptional event. Even today, the direct threat of a Russian attack on EU territory is visible. Increased hybrid attacks and stray missiles reaching EU territory are among some of the numerous indicators of the immediacy of the threat.

Conclusions

The increased threat perception has shifted sentiment in Europe, and the building up of defence capabilities has increased in importance in many countries. Surveys also indicate that citizens want the European Union to play a larger role in defence (Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2024). It is therefore no surprise that the German initiative to build up a European air defence system, called ESSI, has been welcomed and endorsed by 22 European countries. Yet, France and Italy in particular have expressed reservations about the initiative, even though some strategic convergence has become visible in the course of 2023.

This article argues that joint EU debt funding would be appropriate to boost European air defence. Joint funding can be justified by the fact that air defence is a European public good with a lot of externalities and spillovers. Debt funding is appropriate since air defence system build-up requires high upfront costs. We have discussed the legal approaches to such debt funding following a model that is close to the post-COVID-19 NextGenerationEU recovery plan and find that such a legal construction is tenable.

Policymakers would be well advised to rapidly set up such a major EU debt programme to boost European security in a spirit of solidarity between European countries. This would free national fiscal resources for other urgently needed defence systems. They should further adjust ESSI to take into account justified industrial policy concerns and support the research and development for system interoperability and the enhancement of European technology in air defence. Finally, policymakers need to find ways to include non-EU ESSI members in the efforts. While most of the jointly issued EU debt would be dispersed to EU ESSI members to fund their purchases and could therefore be matched by non-EU ESSI members domestic funding, adding equivalent national debt contributions of the respective ESSI countries to any joint purchases and joint R&D efforts would complement the approach. On the whole, EU debt would allow the advancement of European defence efforts in a highly threatening security environment. Joint EU debt funding would internalise the major security externalities of air defence, be treaty compatible and politically highly welcome  without hindering EU industrial policy objectives.

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Arnold, S., & Arnold, T. (2023). Deutschlands schwache Fuhrungsrolle bei der europaischen Luftverteidigung. SWP-Aktuell, 2023/02. https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2023A02

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New Finance Minister Jack Chambers will have to show discipline when it comes to fiscal policy to ensure that the forthcoming budget does not additionally stimulate the economy through unaccounted for tax cuts, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has said.

The warning comes as Mr Chambers prepares for the summer economic statement, due to be released next month, which will set out the parameters of the budget later this year. This will be the last budget of the coalition Government before an election is called.

In its latest quarterly economic bulletin, the ESRI said it is imperative that fiscal policy be disciplined to ensure that, while the Government increases expenditure particularly in investment, it does not additionally stimulate the economy in other areas such as taxation.

Research professor at the ESRI Kieran McQuinn said they have no problem indexing the tax bands to inflation, the issue comes when it comes to cutting taxation rates without clawing it back from other areas of the economy.

He added that if the Government wanted to make tax cuts it would have to ensure they are fiscally neutral.

Care will have to be taken, especially in Budget 2025, to ensure that fiscal policy does not exacerbate the capacity constraints which may arise and lead to inflationary pressures, the ESRI said.

The institute is forecasting moderate growth in the Irish economy this year and next. Gross domestic product, which is heavily influenced by the number of large multinational companies based here, is expected to grow by 2.5% this year and 3.2% in 2025.

Modified domestic demand  which excludes the activity of multinationals  will grow by 2.2% this year and by a further 2.9% next year. The pace of inflation is expected to continue to decrease with 2% projected for the rest of the year.

The ESRI said this, in combination with increasing nominal wages, has led to real wage growth for the first time in two years. Real wages are expected to grow by 2% this year and by 3% next year.

The ESRI suggests that consumption will continue to grow strongly into 2024 and 2025 as real incomes recover and the higher-than-expected savings ratio continues to provide a potential boost to expenditure.

The labour market is expected to remain strong with unemployment remaining just above 4%.

The ESRI said there are a number of risks to the domestic economy which include potential geopolitical shocks in both Europe and Asia. Another risk is maintaining investment levels in the presence of certain capacity constraints.

Among the other capacity constraints identified was housing. The ESRI said it is evident that while housing supply is on an upward trajectory, it needs to increase at a faster pace if it is to meet the underlying demand for housing in the Irish economy.

The institute added that net inward migration will play an important role in providing much-needed labour supply for many capital projects as well as the day-to-day running of the economy.
Gig

Gemma Dunleavy

Connollys of Leap, June 29

Gemma Dunleavy. Picture: Aiesha Wong

Hailing from the Sheriff St community in Dublins North Inner City, Dunleavys garage-heavy music resonates with stories of resilience and solidarity. Her track Up De Flats came out in summer 2020 and four years on, its safe to call it one of the best Irish songs ever. Her shows are full-on energy and hopefully well get a taster of new tunes too.

Festival

Night and Day

Lough Key Forest Park, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, June 28-30

Damien Dempsey will play at the Night & Day Festival in Boyle

A family-friendly, though over-20s event, Night and Day festival returns to Roscommon this weekend with a great lineup heavy on stellar Irish acts, such as Damien Dempsey, Ash, and Bell X1. As well as the usual festival activities like a wellness area, you can make use of activities in the forest park, like orienteering, BMXing, and ziplining.

Comedy

Dylan Moran

City Limits, Cork, June 28

Dylan Moran brings his work-in-progress wander to Cork

Hes traversed the county in the past week, playing De Barras out west and Sea Church in Ballycotton, but today, the acclaimed comic is back at the esteemed comedy club in Cork City as part of his work-in-progress wander. On a side note: Can you believe its been over 20 years since the third and final season of Black Books!?

Film

Kinds of Kindness

Out June 28

Emma Stone in Kinds Of Kindness. Picture: Searchlight Pictures/Yorgos Lanthimos

Element Pictures and director Yorgos Lanthimos, and actors Emma Stone and Willem Defoe all return, having worked together on the Oscar-winning Poor Things, for this similarly oddball affair. Joined by everyones favourite character actor Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness is an intricate triptych fable that is sure to be a cult hit.

Stream

Supacell

Netflix, all six episodes available now

Supacell. Picture: Olly Courtney/Netflix

A sci-fi/fantasy epic set on the streets of south London, a group of seemingly ordinary people unexpectedly develop superpowers but don't appear to have a connection between them aside from being black. Violence is promised, but theres much more than that as director/auteur Rapman assembles a stellar cast and asks what it means to be black in 2024.
Taylor Swift kicked off the first of three sold-out nights at the Aviva Stadium on Friday as The Eras Tour finally hit Dublin.

We followed the action live from 2:30pm, with reporters and photographers outside the Aviva Stadium chatting to fans (and trading friendship bracelets), while Denise O'Donoghue brought us along the three and a half hour spectacle from the inside.

Read about night one, exactly as it unfolded, below.

10:34pm

And it's all over!

We hope you enjoyed following along with us tonight, and make sure to check out Denise O'Donoghue's full review from night one here.

10:33pm

It's the final song of the night, as Swift closes her epic first night in the Aviva with Karma.

There's no lyric change to 'the guy on the Chiefs' tonight, which we can take as confirmation Travis Kelce was not at tonight's show.

10:30pm

As Swift sings Mastermind, a song where she writes of "nothing being accidental," her eagle-eyed Swifties have noticed the official post from tonight's Aviva Show is the same picture that was posted the night before she announced 1989 (Taylor's Version), and she's never repeated a picture for a pre-show post before.

Could this mean Dublin fans attending night two at the Aviva might be in for a special Taylor's Version announcement?

NOT TO ALARM EVERYONE BUT THE PIC TN USED TO TEASE TODAY'S SHOW WAS THE SAME EXACT PIC THEY USED FOR LA N5 (THE SHOW BEFORE 1989 TV ANNOUNCEMENT) BUT INSTEAD WITH THE FILTER THIS TIME- They have NEVER repeated a pic for a preshow post before this...  #DublinTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/V2khzOttOq  The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) June 28, 2024

10:25pm

It's getting hot in here... Swift has removed her jacket and is in her Midnights bodysuit for Vigiliante Shit, followed by Bejeweled.

"I miss you, but I miss sparkling," she sings to a crowd, entirely on their feet. It's a sea of twinkling lights, as people hold their phones in the air with flashlights on.

10:10pm

And it's the last era of the night. Swift appears in her iconic bedazzled Louboutin cowboy boots for the midnights era.

During Anti-Hero, she once again spots something in the crowd, but it seems to get sorted while she is speaking.

"Someone needs help over there... never mind you got it. Everyone who works in this stadium is amazing," she says.

10:05pm

Swift is at the piano for the second half of the surprise set. And, it's just as we predicted.. she plays Sweet Nothing.

A big grin from Swift as she sings the lyric, "A pebble that we picked up last July / Down deep inside your pocket / We almost forgot it / Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?"

And the crowd sings the line even louder, we reckon they might have heard it in Wicklow...

She mashes it up with Hoax from Folklore, the first time she's played the track live.

 #DublinTSTheErasTour: Taylor mashed up Sweet Nothing x Hoax for surprise songs! pic.twitter.com/hnQ45e0st2  Christy |Taylor Swift & Harry Styles Updates (@haylorflorals) June 28, 2024

10pm

It's one of the most anticipated moments of the night...Swift has appeared in a blue dress for the start of her acoustic surprise set.

This is the section of the show where she digs deep in the back catalogue.

For fans on night one, first up is State of Grace on the guitar, the opening track from her seminal break-up record Red and.. she's mashed it up with You're On Your Own Kid, the song with the iconic lyric "so make the friendship bracelets".

9:55pm

A hAon, do, tri, ceathair! Swift embraces her cupla focail changing the 1, 2, 3, during I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.

9:43pm

While some 50,000 Swifties inside are enjoy seeing Mother (if you know, you know) in person, there are still lots of groups of fans outside the stadium enjoying their own sing-a-along, including these friends from Glenageary NS in Killiney.

9:33pm

And we're into another era! For The Tortured Poets Department, Swift is dressed in a white gown and black gloves, designed by Irish glove designer Paula Rowan.

She kicks it off with a mash-up of But Daddy I Love Him and So High School, about her new beau Travis Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs player was rumoured to be in Dublin tonight for the show, but as of yet hasn't been spotted.

9:17pm

Swift has changed into a green and orange sequin ensemble for Style, the opening track for her 1989 era.

The singer has been changing her outfit for this era on a regular basis and seems to have ensured a particular nod to Ireland tonight with this look.

Swift has changed into a green and orange sequin ensemble for Style, the opening track for her 1989 era. Picture: Denise O'Donoghue

9:15pm

During 'willow' the second song in her evermore set, Swift notices a fan who appears to be in distress in the audience.

"We need some help down there," she says, pointing and calling for security's attention.

Swift has been vigilant throughout her shows with flagging security whenever a fan catches her attention.

Many fans have been camped out since this morning ahead of the gig, and water is being passed through the crowd to ensure everyone stays hydrated

9:12pm

Swift has moved into her evermore era with Marjorie, a song dedicated to her grandmother Marjorie Finlay who was an opera singer.

The Aviva Stadium audience are all on their feet waving their phones in the air.

8:57pm

A two-minute applause broke out after Swift finished Champagne Problems, followed by chants of 'Taylor, Taylor' and 'Ole, Ole, Ole.'

8:47pm

Taylor says it "feels right" to play songs from her Folklore album in Ireland.

"Irish people are such great storytellers. The folklore from Ireland is unmatched.

"I think it might be 50/50. 50% they're great storytellers and 50% they just have the best accents.

"My Irish friends, they just start talking and they could just be telling the most boring story", she went on, " but I am just like.."

Taylor Swift arrives on to the Aviva Stadium stage for the first of her three sold out Dublin gigs as part of her Eras tour. Picture: Chani Anderson

Taylor has left the stage with 'Look What You Made Me Do' with no Reputation (Taylor's Version) announcement...for now.

After a quick costume change, she's back atop the magical 'Folklore' cabin for the star of her cottagecore era.

We're kicking off with Cardigan.

8:25pm

Taylor is now in her Reputation era.

Shes appeared in her signature black snake bodysuit, and opened with Ready For It?

Fans have been speculating that the star will announce Reputation (Taylors Version) this weekend.

Will tonight be the night?

Taylor Swift arrives on to the Aviva Stadium stage for the first of her three sold out Dublin gigs as part of her Eras tour. Picture: Chani Anderson

Before playing All Too Well, Swift asks the crowd who is here for the first time, and who has seen her before.

"I'm so stoked if you've listened to my music for 15 years or listened to it for 15 minutes.

"One of the reasons I love this particular show, this particular tour so much is because if you've been to see me in concert before, this feels like a trip down memory lane for us.

"But if you've never seen a show before, it's like we get to all experience my favorite memories from tours I've done before all together here tonight.

"And that just makes me incredibly happy, to get to experience all of this with you.. Whether it's your first time or your 15th time or 50th time seeing me.

"And there is one song that I would absolutely love to play you from Red. If you happen to have about 10 minutes..."

8:02pm

One of Swift's dancers Kameron Saunders has been making a name for himself ad-libbing in her song 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' with a phrase native to the city they are in.

Tonight in Dublin, he tells Taylor's ex, "pog mo thoin".

7:56pm

Taylor has appeared with a 'I Bet You Think About Me' t-shirt to kick off the Red era with '22'.

Strutting down the catwalk in a pair of black glitter hotpants, she made one lucky little girls dreams come true when she gave them her 22 hat.

The fan also got a big hug from the star and a high-five.

7:41pm

And it's the first costume change of the night!

Swift has appeared on stage with her signature bedazzled silver guitar and black and silver sparkly dress to kick off the 'Fearless' era.

Taylor Swift takes to the stage for her first of three sold out concerts in the Aviva Stadium. Picture: Chani Anderson

Just before playing Lover, Taylor Swift addressed the crowd.

What an absolute honour and a privilege it is to say these words welcome to the Eras tour Dublin.

"I havent played a show in Dublin in over 5 years.

"And I know you know this, but nobody does it like you.

"Were a couple of songs into this very long show, and Im already seeing people in the audience who should be getting awards for their performance.

Not only do you know the words, youre screaming them!"

And that's the conclusion of the Lover era, the first era of the night.

7:16pm

Here she is! Taylor Swift has come on stage at the Aviva to deafening screams from Irish Swifties, declaring: Alright Dublin, we have arrived!

Her first song is Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince before singing Cruel Summer.

Taylor Swift performing on stage at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, during the Eras Tour. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Outside, a couple dozen fans are setting up camp across the Aviva, with younger swifties going from group to group trading friendship bracelets. Many fans here were unlucky in The Great War.

Rebecca McCullough, Rose Hogan and Hannah Murphy are three such fans, decked out in Taylor merch and cowboy hats.

Rose says she had signed up to six different concerts and was waitlisted for all, meaning she didnt even get a chance to try for tickets. It was very hard, she says.

As we chat, the girls are still refreshing their phones hoping some golden resale tickets might appear, even if they are restricted view tickets. It would be worth it, Rebecca says.

Taylor Swift fans Zara, 7 and Derbhla Mcnamee pictured outside the Aviva Stadium. Picture: Chani Anderson

Paramore wrapped up a few minutes before 7pm and were now anxiously awaiting Taylor Swift, who should appear within minutes.

Ryan Tubridy has just taken his seat near us and there is a queue of well wishers to say hello to him. The former Late Late Show host had teased on Instagram that he was home from London for the gig.

Hes exchanging friendship bracelets with some children who stopped by to meet the Toy Man.

Taylor Swift fans gather outside the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to listen to Taylor performing during the Eras Tour. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

7pm

Barbara Marquez, Mallika Singh and Ana Zimmerman are here Taylor-gating.

Wherever Swift plays, fans who havent been lucky enough to secure a ticket have gathered outside stadiums to try and soak up the atmosphere.

These three fans Champagne Problems is that they dont have tickets for any of the shows this weekend - but theyve come armed with their own bottle of champagne, spice bags, strawberries and crisps and a picnic blanket to listen from the outside.

6.40pm

Surprise guests have been a major factor of Swift's Eras Tour so far - the biggest one of all made a debut in Wembley.

Her boyfriend Travis Kelce popped up on stage at her London performance.

Could we see him make another cameo in Ireland?

6.15pm

Paramore have arrived on stage with Hard Times.

Singer Hayley Williams, wearing a bright red jacket, danced around the stage before shouting Dublin, lets go! They are moving down to the mid-pitch stage for their take on Burning Down The House.

Williams is sporting a Cranberries t-shirt on stage.

Paramore take to the stage at the Aviva Stadium as the support act for the Taylor Swift Eras Concert. Picture: Chani Anderson

U2 has welcomed Taylor Swift to Ireland with a bouquet of flowers.

Swift shared a picture of the gift on her Instagram Stories, as well as the note which read:

Dear Taylor, welcome back to our hometown leave some of it standing?!!!! Your Irish fan club, Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry.

Swift thanked them for always being the classiest and coolest and described it as Irish hospitality.

Should we expect to see Bono and co in the VIP tent?

6pm

Katie Kilgannon from Sligo has tickets for all three nights.

Miss Swift famously has a scar from her crafting days with hot glue guns - and Katie took on similar risks having made her own outfit for each night.

Tonight shes dressed as a Mirrorball with a headband crafted from Christmas bauables and tinsel.

My mam is an art teacher, she shrugs. Over the course of the weekend shes also made a replica of Swifts midnights outfit complete with garter for Saturday, and has a snake bodysuit from the reputation era in the works for Sunday.

Im delusional, Im hoping for reputation (Taylors version) announcement on Sunday.

Swift is yet to release her re-recorded version of the reputation album and many fans think Dublin may just be the place where she finally embraces the snakes once more.

Katie Kilgannon, Jenni Monahan and Alainn Wong outside the Aviva Stadium Credit: Evan Treacy

5.51pm

A cheer has gone up as the crew remove the coverings from the stage and the walkway out to the middle of the pitch. Instruments are waiting on the main stage for support act Paramore, best known for hits like Misery Business and Still Into You.

The support act is expected to start in about half an hour ahead of Tay-Tay so fans (yes, Im talking to my fellow millennials in particular) should get to their places soon a the night is about to begin.

5.42pm

Thiia Toure has traveled from the US to serve Taylor tonight. She wont admit the number of times shes seen the singer live already or itll get me in trouble she jokes.

Thiia, who is dressed in Swifts berry Evermore dress tonight, has even met the singer before. She said she was the sweetest, most humble person and she smells really good.

Picture Chani Anderson

5.25pm

Fans are filing into the Aviva at a nice steady pace.

Inside the gates once tickets are scanned and through the turnstiles each concert-goer receives a white wristband which will flash at key points during the concert.

Food (including hot options like chips, chicken goujons, etc) and drink are on sale inside the stadium and there are water refill points around the venue too, but note bottle caps must be binned at the gate.

After pausing for the obligatory selfie to post on Instagram, fans are finding either their seats in the stands or a prime viewing spot on the pitch.

Many fans on the pitch are sitting down ahead of the show  a wise move, itll be a long night for those still breaking in their cowboy boots.

5.15pm

A major convoy with a garda escort just passed fans queuing outside the Aviva Stadium.

How Did It End? Well, it went towards the stadium!

A convoy under police escort suspected to be Taylor Swift arriving at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

5pm

Doors have opened at the Aviva Stadium!

Fans, some of whom have been queuing for more than 11 hours, are now streaming through the turnstiles in South Dublin.

If you've any last-minute questions before heading to the gig, have a read of our handy guide to the weekend below.

4.45pm

Dean McGuire and Niamh Quigley from Louth have come dressed as Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince from Swifts Lover era.

Niamh Quigley and Dean Maguire attending Taylor Swift at the Aviva on Friday evening. Photo: Evan Treacy

The song is about Swifts disillusionment with American politics and the lyric my team is losing, battered and bruising, is believed to be a reference to the Republicans victory with Donald Trump in 2016.

Lets hope she wasnt watching the debate last night..

4.30pm

Even the gardai have gotten involved with the festivities this weekend!

They performed Shake it Off in a viral video.

This weekend, @taylorswift13 will take to the stage in Dublin. This is just one of many events taking place nationwide over the coming days.



Keep an eye on our social media channels for traffic information for these events. For more info, see here https://t.co/DXXMNq4nME pic.twitter.com/ScuXkaV7p8  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) June 27, 2024

4pm

The world's biggest popstar is making her return to Ireland for the first time in five years.

However, she does have a bit of a history on these shores!

3.25pm

Some fans have travelled from much further than Swifty Dad though - and even without tickets, as Nebraska native Nicole Neemann explains.

3pm

One man is in his 'Swifty Dad' era.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Jonathan explained how he was here with his daughter Georgina.

The duo weren't able to get tickets for Taylor's gigs in Wembley, but did manage to secure them for tonight in the Aviva.

Jonathan and Georgina Davis attending Taylor Swift at the Aviva on Friday evening. Photo: Evan Treacy

She made him a t-shirt with Swifty Dad on it for his birthday and they are over to celebrate Georgina's birthday.

Our reporter Nicole Glennon estimates that she has "about 50" friendship bracelets with her - all made using beads from necklaces she found in charity shops!

2.35pm

There is good news on the weather front for any fans heading to Friday evening's performance, as the rain is set to stay away from Dublin.

Showers will be affecting the south west of the island and will roll north-eastwards, but not until after the concert wraps up shortly before 11pm.

Our reporter Nicole Glennon is on site at the Aviva and has already swapped friendship bracelets with a couple of fans from Cork!

Taylor Swift fans Clementine, Zora Kane Tornquist and Chloe O'Sullivan Cullen from Cork were delighted to trade bracelets with Irish Examiner reporter Nicole Glennon. Picture Chani Anderson

2.20pm

Happy Swiftmas to one and all and welcome to our live updates on the first of Taylor Swift's three Irish dates on her record-breaking Eras Tour.

The American superstar's private jet touched down at Dublin Airport shortly after midday, while just across the city, fans were queuing outside the Aviva Stadium at 5am to get the best spots for the gig!
Bill Cobbs, known for his roles in hit films Night At The Museum and The Bodyguard, has died aged 90, his agent confirmed.

The veteran US actor died on Tuesday evening in the Inland Empire, California, surrounded by his family, his agent Chuck I Jones told the PA news agency.

Mr Jones said that it is thought he died of natural causes.

From one iconic theater to another, Bill Cobbs went to NY and worked at the Negro Ensemble Theater. His passing reminds me of the talent pool that populated the Black Theater at that time. They were that Moses generation that is leaving us now passing on a great responsibility  Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) June 26, 2024

Cobbs was best known for playing Whitney Houstons manager Bill Devaney in 1992 hit The Bodyguard starring Kevin Costner, and security guard Reggie in 2006 comedy Night At The Museum opposite Ben Stiller, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson.

Other fan-favourite roles include playing coach Arthur Chaney in Air Bud, Moses the Clock Man in The Hudsucker Proxy from the Coen brothers and Dr Elton Lloyd in John Sayles Sunshine State.

His TV credits included appearing on The Sopranos, The West Wing, Sesame Street and Good Times.

Throughout his career, Cobbs was trusted with small but pivotal roles, featuring in 200 film and TV credits.

Among those paying tribute was US actor Wendell Pierce, who remembered his Ill Fly Away and The Gregory Hines Show co-star as a father figure, a griot, an iconic artist.

Bill Cobbs was born and raised in Cleveland, he said in a statement on X.

He shared so many stories about the city he loved. Its serendipity that Im here in Cleveland as I learn of his passing. He comes from a great legacy of the Black Theatre.

To honour Bill and his memory, I will dedicate myself to creating work he would be proud of.
As a warm yellow sun sinks below the horizon, small skiffs return home from sea. The rusted blue skiffs, battered by wind and water. Women and children stay behind, patiently awaiting the return of their husbands and fathers. At home, children play with rubber bands that neatly line each of their wrists.

The heat is heavy, and clings to your skin. The humidity leaving a dampness in your clothes. They laugh loudly, hug tightly, live closely, love unapologetically. This is my experience of the Badjao tribe. A seafaring indigenous tribe that lives just above the shoreline in Davao, the Philippines.

I was sitting in a Leaving Cert English class the first time I heard about the Badjao tribe. Ahap subu (Badjao for good morning) was the greeting my teacher opened class with that day. As it happens, my English teacher was the founder of a charity, EMBRACE Badjao.

Fast forward to today, and I am volunteering with the charity, working in the community, for a second year running. I first worked with the tribe last year, where I spent two weeks teaching in the school built by EMBRACE Badjao. Following that experience, meeting the beautiful people that live here, I knew that I would want to come back again.

First walking into the compound last year was surprising. The profound poverty and deprivation that exists within the community were expected. But I knew there was something more at play here. I felt that instantly. Reverberating through these homes, travelling through the corrugated iron roofs, was music blaring from a shared speaker.

The music providing a soundtrack for the joy and hope that prevails in a difficult environment. The place fizzed with vitality. I was a little uncertain, the first time I walked down the narrow concrete path that runs between the tiny homes of these wonderful people. I wondered what I would encounter.

But then I walked into the school. Ahap subu! Ah, that glorious phrase. The 50 children, vibrating with excitement in their tiny seats, were impatiently anticipating our arrival. Their collective enthusiasm was infectious. In that moment, I was certain that I was in the midst of something special.

The children were so warm and loving. One moment that stands out to me from that first trip, happened on my second day of teaching. The volunteers were playing with some of the children after school had finished.

The day had been a bit hectic, moving from one lesson to the next. I was distracted. Until I felt a small hand examining my left elbow. I looked down to see a little girl, maybe eight years old, gently placing a purple plaster on me. She smiled up at me, revealing her dimpled cheeks. She had noticed a small graze.

I find it easy to whir through life at home. Humming through my college commute, without ever really looking through the window of my train. Making so many plans, that I fail to see the life that is already happening in front of me. And this beautiful child opened my eyes to that fact. I miss the graze in need of a plaster.

That moment sums up so much of the beauty of the Badjao people. I had been welcomed into the tribe like an old friend, even though I had only known them for a matter of days. So, when I was told I could come back again this year, it was a no-brainer. Any chance to experience the warmth and generosity of the Badjao was an opportunity I couldnt pass up.

I had no idea just how much that ahap subu would come to mean in my life, four years ago. But here I am. Writing this after spending a day singing, dancing, playing and learning with the kids. And I am finding it difficult to articulate how full that has made me feel. The experience of the Badjao tribe is something that I struggle to unravel.

The needs of the tribe are immense, but it is so far outweighed by their strength. Their resolute warmth, resilience and hope is a joy to witness. And even more so to feel. Its a feeling that will linger, long after the trip is over.

Mostly, I find myself overcome by the reality that being welcomed into the community once again, is a debt Ill never be able to pay back. It has been a gift.

Magsukul.
Location

A landmark hotel offering the best people-watching from its first-floor gallery, The Westbury is smack-bang in Dublins heart.

Grafton Streets buskers are seconds from the front door, while youre surrounded by excellent shopping, classic Dublin pubs and main tourist attractions.

The bedroom views allow you to do some serious spire counting over the citys skyline too. A really super address.

10/10

Style and design

While The Westburys exterior is no Georgian stunner, its contemporary facade looks smart and important.

Inside, a subtle Art Deco theme has been thoughtfully and successfully woven throughout the property, from the elegant public areas to the glamorous Sidecar cocktail bar, chic Wilde restaurant and plush bedrooms.

Symmetric motifs, refined repeat patterns, angular coving and gold accents lend a gilded sophistication to the hotel that whispers refined luxury. Think old-world vibes with a contemporary energy.

10/10

Service

Theres something charming about The Westburys staff. An international team well versed in the warmth of an Irish welcome, its clear that staff training is a priority here.

Encounters with everyone from management like Elena and Cian to Sidecar waitress Noa and restaurant staff like Brendan and Daniel shows off a team of pros who connect with guests to make lasting impressions.

This style of notable above-and-beyond hospitality is the kind we hope all visitors are lucky enough to encounter when they come to our shores.

10/10

A suite at the Westbury

Rooms

Sumptuous, stylish and well lit, the bedrooms have all been beautifully refurbished with luxe Deco flourishes, dark wood and clean lines.

Feeling like a refuge from the city bustle, ours has great natural light, good storage, a comfy seating area with coffee table and magazines, plenty of lamps, lovely rooftop views and a freestanding rolltop bath.

Generous piles of fluffy towels and extra Malin+Goetz toiletries ensure weve all we need. Aircon is quiet and the beds are firm and comfy with cool cotton pillows.

Theres no door on the bathroom  which is tucked around a corner  and, though the toilet has its own door, some may find the set-up unusual.

9/10

In-room perks

A dedicated bar nook filled with cut glasses in different sizes, gorgeous striped coffee cups, a kettle and a coffee machine is smartly designed.

Top marks for the bottled milk and box filled with three kinds of coffee pods and nine kinds of Ronnefeldt teas, with multiples of each.

Shortbread biscuits come as standard too and there are chocolates at turn-down. A well-stocked mini-bar offers a mix of niche Irish and international brands.

10/10

Wilde restaurant at The Westbury

On the menu

Pre-dinner drinks in the glamorous marble-and-leather Sidecar cocktail bar, where the mixologists wear white tuxes, is pure fun.

Theres great service and an engaging menu of originals alongside a serious spirit collection.

Balfes at street level is a seven-days-a-week brasserie thats one of the citys busiest spots.

Wilde, with its airy terrace and floral decor, is a dreamy fine-dining restaurant. Excellent prawn cocktail and sole meuniere, plated tableside off the bone, are stand-out dishes, with signature Baked Alaska less so.

Breakfast is served in this lovely room too, with the terrace tables brighter than the internal ones.

The buffet is small but includes everything youd want, including good yoghurt, fresh fruits, juices and a small charcuterie and cheese selection.

Eggs Royale with superb Hollandaise on a fluffy muffin is great, as is the delicious breakfast tea. A lacklustre croissant and cinnamon roll disappoint, however.

8.5/10

Activities and amenities

Theres no pool or spa but the neighbourhood is surrounded by premium beauty businesses and salons.

Theres a fitness suite and jogging station but runners will find Georgian Dublin the nicest track of all.

The concierge team can arrange anything youre looking for, from restaurant booking to tickets.

8/10

Escape notes

Room to improve? Despite the luxurious bedrooms theres no mirror near a plug socket in ours, which means I kneel in the sitting room to dry and style my hair using the obscured bar mirror. While a fan of Malin + Goetz toiletries, the single use plastics should really be phased out.

Access for guests with disabilities? Full access across the property including specially adapted rooms.

Family-friendly? Very, including interconnecting rooms, a teddy bear gift, cute tent for sleepovers, colouring book, milk and cookies, a special afternoon tea and babysitting service.

Dogs welcome? Service dogs only.

EV chargers? Yes, in the underground car park.
The Garda Commissioner has flagged concerns about the emergence of potentially lethal nitazenes, as further overdoses from the drug have been reported in the southeast of the country.

The HSE confirmed that a number of overdoses believed to be linked to the deadly drug have occurred in the southeast recently, following on from similar incidents in Limerick, Galway, and Dublin, earlier this month. Late last year, there were 77 overdoses in Dublin and Cork linked to the nitazenes, which are many times more powerful than heroin.

The World Drugs Report 2024, compiled by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC),

has highlighted the emerging use of nitazenes in Europe, including Ireland, because the cultivation of opium, from which heroin is made, fell by 95% in Afghanistan last year after the Taliban banned the production of narcotics.

Commissioner Harris said: Afghanistan as a centre of production is nearly diminished to zero and that means that these artificial drugs are displacing that market and they are extremely dangerous.

"People arent clear about what they are taking and it can be an exceptionally dangerous product then. We have seen overdose cases through North America and we are now beginning to see them arrive on our shores.

It is very concerning. As described by the UN, it is a health emergency in terms of its impact, and its impact on those who are vulnerable through addiction to drugs.

Mr Harris added: What I am very concerned about is that there is a huge amount of drugs, illicit drugs, moving around the world.

"We are concerned about it. Organised crime groups are always looking for a chink in the armour to move big amounts of commodity, so it is a concern that Ireland is being targeted in that way."

The World Drug Report 2024 said significant numbers of overdoses linked to etonitazepyne have been reported in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada, and the substance has been also identified in Belgium, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

"Etonitazepyne and started being sold as heroin in Ireland in late 2023, which led to a wave of overdoses," the report said.

Possibly as a consequence of less heroin being available on local markets in Ireland, etonitazepyne (N-pyrrolidino etonitazene) and protonitazepyne (N-pyrrolidino protonitazene) started being sold as heroin on the streets of Dublin and Cork in late 2023, which led to a wave of overdoses , according to media sources, totalling 77 cases in the two cities in November and December 2023.

Significant numbers of overdoses linked to etonitazepyne had previously only been reported in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada, while it was also identified in Belgium, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

A warning is in place since the National Drug Treatment Centre confirmed nitazene in yellow, counterfeit benzodiazepine tablets associated with the overdoses in Limerick, Galway, and Dublin in mid-June.

The deaths of two men in Limerick and Dublin are believed to have been linked to the drug.

A HSE spokeswoman said: In relation to the UNODC report referenced, we had not seen Etonitazepyne in Ireland.

"We remain concerned about all drug use and it is important to note from our recent treatment figures, there has been an increase in presentations to treatment services associated with cocaine, which may be as a result of increased treatment provision by the HSE.
A man, aged in his 20s, has been arrested in connection with an assault with occurred in Dublin on Sunday.

The assault occurred on OConnell Street and Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin 1, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The violent assault left a Canadian tourist, aged in his 40s, in a serious condition in hospital.

The man is currently being held at a Garda Station in Dublin under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

This is the fourth arrest made by gardai as part of this investigation.

A man, aged in his 30s, who was arrested on Monday, has been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the DPP.

The injured man, a tourist aged in his 40s from Canada, remains in hospital in a serious condition.

Gardai are continuing to appeal to any individuals who were in the Cathal Brugha Street area, near the Living Room Bar, between 12:40am and 1am, and any individuals who were on O'Connell Street Upper near the Spar Shop, Funland and Tourism Office, opposite the Spire, between 12:40am and 1am on Sunday morning, to contact them.

In a statement, a Garda spokesperson said: "Anyone who has camera footage (including dash cam) is asked to make this available to Gardai.

"Anyone with information is asked to contact Store Street Garda Station on 01 666 8000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.

"Investigations are ongoing."
A 31-year-old Cork man arrested under the Public Order Act and taken to the cell of a Garda station reacted by smearing the walls of the cell with faeces and even using it to write his own name on a wall.

On Wednesday at Cork District Court, Roy Cambridge, of 178 Silversprings Court, Mayfield, Cork, was jailed for six months for causing this criminal damage.

Sergeant Aisling Murphy said: On September 10, 2023, at 7am, Garda Emma McDonald took up duty as member in charge of Mayfield Garda Station.

When inspecting the cells and introducing herself to Roy Cambridge who was in custody in Cell No 3  detained under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act  Garda McDonald found that faeces had been smeared on the inside of the inspection hatch on the cell door. The cell had been in clean, working order prior to Roy Cambridge being placed in it.

Later, it was observed that more faeces had been smeared on the cell walls. Roy had been written on the wall in faeces also, Sgt Murphy said.

Judge Mary Dorgan said because of the nature of the criminal damage and the fact that the accused had 142 previous convictions  of which six were for causing criminal damage  she had a 10-month prison sentence in mind.

However, following defence submissions in mitigation by solicitor Frank Buttimer the judge said: I am going to stick by that 10 months but I will suspend the last four months of that on condition that he complies with an 18-month probation bond, complying with all directions.

Mr Buttimer said the accused was pleading guilty to the criminal damage charge.

Even though it is a most unpleasant thing, the damage was limited. It was not permanent damage. It was an unpleasant act committed by someone in a state of distress.

He had a background of addiction issues and mental health difficulties. He had been addicted to diamorphine and had been on an addiction programme.

The damage was more in the way of cleaning than actual damage, Mr Buttimer said.

Judge Dorgan said: I consider that someone has had to clean up this.
A man at a garda station had to be taken to hospital where he shouted abuse at staff and now he has been jailed for two months.

Richard Harrington, aged 37, of Cork Simon Community, pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on the same date.

Sergeant Aisling Murphy outlined the background to the incidents for Judge Mary Dorgan at Cork District Court.

On January 2, 2022, Sergeant Vincent McCarthy was assisting an arrest of another person when he was approached by Richard Harrington who was verbally abusive to gardai at the scene.

He assumed a fighting stance. He left but returned a short time later and began this behaviour again, Sgt Murphy said.

Arrested for this threatening behaviour and taken to the Bridewell garda station it became necessary to transfer him to the Accident and Emergency unit of Mercy University Hospital for a check.

Sgt Murphy said that it was on his release from hospital that he shouted abuse at staff and put himself in breach of the same act again.

Joseph Cuddigan, solicitor, said: While in prison he has engaged in all the treatment programmes up there.

The accused had 59 previous convictions. Nine of them were for the same offence of engaging in threatening behaviour.

Judge Mary Dorgan imposed two concurrent two-month sentences on the accused.
A Mexican businessman who pleaded guilty to defrauding international students of nearly 30,000 by selling them college places that he had not secured for them, has been jailed for nine months.

Raul Rodriquez Ramirez (36), now living in Dublin, pleaded guilty to all of the offences last year.

At his sentence hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, Judge Orla Crowe imposed an 18-month sentence with the final nine suspended. She said a longer prison sentence would be difficult for him because he is a non-national.

The court heard he has paid back 18,050 to his victims which will be divided equally among them based on the payments they made which ranged from between 1,200 to 3,800.

Dressed in a black bomber jacket and jeans and a grey shirt, Ramirez could be heard protesting with his legal team saying I will pay the rest in two weeks when they explained he was to be incarcerated.

His sentence included a bond of 100 and he was ordered to keep the peace from the day of his sentence and for up to two years of his post release.

Mr Ramirez stood up in the dock after speaking to his barrister and said yes in agreement to the conditions of his prison sentence.

Judge Crowe said Mr Ramirez was in a significant position of trust to young people travelling from very far away". There is a huge breach of trust, she said.

Mahsun Karakoyun outside Dublin circuit court on Thursday said: 'This is not justice really.' Picture: Collins Courts

She said she had listened to all 18 victim impact statements by the students given to the court on previous hearings and that they were very distressing.

Some, she said, had lost their life savings, others were unable to attend funerals of their loved ones at home and one student had to avail of food from a homeless service.

She said the deception had significant and serious consequences on the young non-nationals who did not have the necessary resources to fall back on when they lost their money.

This would have, of course, been well-known to the defendant who is a non-national himself, she said.

Judge Crowe said the maximum custodial sentence for each of the counts was five years in prison and she was of the view that there was a headline sentence of two years.

There were mitigating factors, she said, which included that Mr Ramirez had paid back more than half of the 30,000 he defrauded the students of, and that he was a previously legitimate businessman in Ireland with no previous convictions.

Ramirez set up the former Travel Now business in Dublin in 2018 and was successful until the covid pandemic. He was the CEO of the company which organised English courses for students who came to Ireland to study.

The court heard he was taking money from the injured parties from June 10, 2020, to June 18, 2021, without securing the courses for the students.

Five of the 18 affected students were in court for the sentence and said they were not pleased with the outcome.

Ana Patricia Garibay Martinez outside Dublin circuit court on Thursday: 'I dont know how to feel.' Picture: Collins Courts

Ana Patricia Garibay (33) from Mexico had been defrauded of 1,500 by Ramirez when she tried to buy a place on an English course.

She told the Irish Examiner: I was here for nearly five years and to study English and I work. I have a visa stamp 1 so I am sponsored by my work, and I am a chef.

I booked a course with Travel Now and I paid his agency. The first course was fine, and the second course was when he lost the money and then he went back to Mexico.

I realized a lot of people had lost their money and it became so upsetting. I dont know how to feel. It went on for so long and its not about the money, the industry is not looked after properly.

Mahsun Karakoyun (29) from Turkey said: This is not justice really. Sending him to prison at least he will have time to reflect and hopefully he will not do it again and maybe we can fight against the government for not looking at this more, the stress and anxiety was so hard.

I dont feel any better over this, he stole from us, and its hurt many people."
DNA evidence was presented on Thursday at the trial of five men and a teenager charged with the murder of a father of seven at a funeral in Tralee.

Forensic scientist, Sibeal Waldron of Forensic Science Ireland said the background information given to her was that the deceased was attacked with a number of implements or weapons and that he bled from his injuries and subsequently died.

She was also informed that one of the accused  Patrick Dooley  a brother of the deceased, told gardai he bled from a hand injury sustained when defending his late brother.

Defendants deny murder charge

Each of the accused denies the charge of murdering 43-year-old Tom Dooley of Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5, 2022.

Five defendants, all with the surname Dooley  Patrick, 36, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney; Thomas, 43, from the halting site, Carrigrohane Rd; Thomas Jr, 21, from the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork; Michael, 29, of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and Daniel, 42, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, Co Kerry  are on trial, as is the sixth defendant who is a teenager.

Only 21-year-old Thomas Dooley Jr faces the second charge that he intentionally or recklessly caused serious harm to Siobhan Dooley, the wife of the deceased man. He has pleaded not guilty in respect of this count also.

Blood and DNA evidence

Dr Waldron examined a machete recovered from the cemetery where the attack happened and she found no blood on it but she sampled the blade for DNA and found a match for 43-year-old Thomas Dooley Sr.

She examined clothing from Thomas Dooley (Jr) and found blood staining on his right runner near the heel matched DNA for the deceased. She also found blood which matched the defendant Thomas Dooley Jrs own DNA on his own runner.

In respect of the teenager, his tracksuit pants were examined and a blood sample on the right leg matched the DNA of the deceased. Another blood stain on the right leg of the teenagers pants matched the DNA of Patrick Dooley.

Clothing belonging to Michael Dooley was examined but no blood was found on any of them. Clothing belonging to Patrick Dooley was stained with his own blood, according to the witness.

A Canada Goose jacket was found in a white Peugeot van identified as a relevant vehicle during the investigation. Blood staining on the right sleeve matched Patrick Dooley, Dr Waldron said.

A hammer found in the van had blood staining on the handle which matched for Patrick Dooley.

The forensic scientist was told of evidence from the deceased mans widow, Siobhan, that she scraped the face of one man in the cemetery. Swabs from under her fingernails showed her own DNA and the DNA of Thomas Dooley Sr.

Trial continues

The trial will continue with further forensic evidence on Friday June 28 before a jury which now consists of 14 members, including two substitute members, as one man from the original 15 jurors was excused from further participation. There are 12 men and two women on the jury.
Last week I wrote here about the plans to revamp the footpaths and pedestrian crossings of Cork, a major undertaking which will cause major upheaval in the centre of the city for a couple of months.

At that time I mentioned what I thought was a pretty obvious point: that ongoing maintenance of those footpaths et al would have made such a large-scale operation unnecessary. For instance, I mentioned those street lights up and down St Patrick's Street which look terrible  strips of posters and flyers half-cleaned off and half-abandoned, giving the metal a streaked, stained look. If those were cleaned properly and regularly  and similar issues addressed in the same way  would we need to shut down the main thoroughfare in town even as tourists descend on Cork for the summer?

Another by-product of the works is disruption of bus routes in Cork  if buses cant access St Patrick's Street then obviously alternative routes and stops have to be found for the duration of those works. Not great news for those who use buses regularly, particularly those whose normal routes carry them through the centre of the city to destinations across town.

Is it stating the obvious, though, to see this as both crisis and opportunity? The disruption is unfortunate and annoying but could we bite the bullet here and think of it as the ideal way to introduce pedestrianisation for the centre of Cork city?

All of it?

It might be easier to get people used to the centre of town as a vehicle-free zone in the long term if they have to accommodate that idea in the short term.

The traffic implications of Cork City Councils plan? As reported by Eoin English here, the local authority has warned that traffic diversions and temporary traffic restrictions will be in place and disruption should be expected.

St Patricks Street will be closed northbound from July 1 to mid-August 2024 with a diversion via Grand Parade, South Mall, Parnell Place and Merchants Quay.

The Grand Parade will be closed to north- and westbound traffic from mid-August to mid-September 2024 with diversions via the South Mall, Parnell Place and the city quays.

Is there a case to be made for shutting down traffic totally in those streets this summer?

If there were, it wouldnt be the first time this was mooted.

You can open up RTEs online archives and see a report from 2007 in which this subject emerges. Reporter Jennie OSullivan talks about the renovation of the old Dunnes Stores building on St Patrick Street:  ... City centre traders initially opposed pedestrianisation but now agree it works and have welcomed plans to extend it to Corks most famous thoroughfare...

You might ask about the lack of progress in the intervening seventeen years and express your disappointment, but as the Carpenters liked to sing, weve only just begun.

You can go back further into those RTE archives and find another report from the same source, this time going back to 1978.

This bulletin features some very atmospheric footage of seventies Cork with a reporter discussing the famous Land Use Transportation Study and its implications for the city centre: Patrick Street will be closed to through traffic and areas of it and some side streets pedestrianised.

Decades-old discussion

But wait! Come with me through The Time Tunnel (reference specific to early-seventies kids) and we arrive at another television report on the very same topic. Coverage, in fact, of the (actual) pedestrianisation of a street in Cork.

In this footage a fresh-faced Peter Barry, later to become Tanaiste and Minister in several different government departments, explains to a reporter offscreen that pedestrianisation is here to stay: I'm certain... in fact Im sure that this is only the beginning of a number of pedestrian streets in Cork.

In a foreshadowing of Jennie OSullivans report, Barry adds his fellow traders were very keen on it (pedestrianisation), they were the people who were pushing in the last 18 months trying to get the Corporation to bring it in."

That last report was aired in 1971.

If the municipal authority and local businesses were in favour of this over the years why has there been no real progress on pedestrianising St Patrick's Street almost half a century since it was proposed?

As noted, one of its connecting streets was first pedestrianised fifty-three years ago, and other streets leading to St Patricks Street have also been shut to traffic in the intervening decades.

I doubt you could find anyone in Cork who would argue that French Church Street or Cook Street should be reopened to cars. Why the reticence with the main drag?

The case for banning traffic is well made in this passage: The Central Retail District is perhaps the most important part of the core of the city. It is known to and used by virtually the entire population of the city and the surrounding area on a relatively frequent basis.

It is important that it have a strong and separate identity for users. This image will be enhanced if the area is in some way made to differ from adjacent areas. The gateways to the area should be well defined, accentuating the entrances into this important part of the city.

The primary implementing mechanism proposed is to create a traffic free environment throughout most of the Central Retail District. This will make the area special in the mind of the user, and also provide an environment in which pedestrians will have a special status.

Thats from a document which a reader kindly forwarded to me after he discovered it in the Cork City and County Archives out in sweet Blackpool.

The document, with its attractively dreamy title (The Pedestrian Idea ... ), was published by the Department of Town Planning of Cork Corporation in March 1980. The section quoted above shows how much of it is still applicable, even if other parts might spark some debate.

Given that the major part of the Central Retail District will be pedestrianised, and given the general incompatibility of pedestrians and cyclists in the one area, and the narrow width of most of the areas to be pedestrianised, it is proposed that bicycles like motor vehicles will for the most part be prohibited from the area.

Bicycles will be accommodated however by the establishment of parking areas for them at convenient entry points to the pedestrianised area ... routes to these stations be developed in order to make it easier for cyclists to get to this important part of the city...

Its doubtful that banning bicycles from a pedestrianised city centre would find favour now, but park that for a moment (cough).

It appears that every decade or two the pedestrianisation of Pana comes into vogue as an idea, something worth considering, a notion that might take hold. Then it disappears for another twenty years or so.

Now circumstances have given us an ideal opportunity to pedestrianise the city centre now. Why not give it a go?
Over a century ago, on September 3, 1923, a young woman, 22-year-old Hanna OConnor, of Glenbeigh, Co Kerry, was returning from a night out. She and her friends had enjoyed music and dancing and were walking the four miles home when they happened to meet a group of Free State soldiers, one of whom was Lieutenant John Hunter.

The young women and the soldiers were engaged in conversation when a shot rang out striking Hanna in the abdomen, and she collapsed into the arms of one of her friends. She died of her wounds two days later, before which she gave a statement to the Civic Guards. As the young women spoke and joked with the soldiers, she said she responded to one who asked if they were Free State girls, that she was, in fact, a die hard, that is, a supporter of the anti-Treaty side.

She said once she admitted to being a die-hard, the soldier next to her fired his revolver, and she was about "to die" because of that shot, a shot fired simply because she was a woman with a voice and an opinion.

Lieutenant John Hunter was arrested and charged with murder initially, but this was changed to manslaughter, to which he pleaded guilty. He expressed regret but said he did not know the gun was loaded when he pointed it at Hanna OConnor. The prosecution argued that Hunter, as an officer, should have been aware that his gun was loaded, and he should not have taken it out and pointed it at a young woman in the first place.

The fact that OConnor had said she was a die hard to a National Army soldier was dismissed as "mere cant" and not relevant to Hunters actions. This, despite the long litany of physical, gendered and sexual violence committed by the National Army on anti-Treaty women during the Civil War.

Mr Justice Ernest Pim did acknowledge that Hunter had committed a very serious crime, but his guilty plea and his expressions of sorrow at the death of OConnor were taken into consideration and he was spared a custodial sentence, being bound to the peace for three years. According to the judge, the main learning was that an officer of the army should not be so negligent in handling firearms.

Almost a century later, in May 2022, a young woman of a similar age to OConnor, Natasha OBrien, was walking home from work one evening, when she also encountered a soldier, Private Cathal Crotty, of the Irish Defence Forces, the successor body to the National Army. Crotty responded to requests from OBrien to stop shouting homophobic slurs at a man on the street by attacking and viciously assaulting her.

He brutally battered her, bruised her body, broke her nose, and inflicted such severe concussion that it was feared she could have a brain bleed. This vicious assault, which she thought might end in her death, has led to panic attacks and nightmares. She has also suffered from recurring PTSD and, as a result, lost her job.

When the case came to court, the judge in this instance, Mr Justice Tom ODonnell, accepted Crottys belated guilty plea, acknowledged the viciousness of the attack and its long-term and ongoing impact on OBrien and proceeded to hand down a three-year fully suspended sentence on the violent perpetrator.

One hundred years separate these violent assaults on women by members of the armed forces in Ireland, yet the judgements remain the same  a slap on the wrist and a suspended sentence for the guilty party. Over the intervening century, we have seen campaigns which highlighted the inadequacy of the laws on violence against women including domestic violence, coercive control, physical assaults, sexual assault and rape.

Signs at the Natasha O'Brien Protest outside Limerick District Court this week. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

We have also had campaigns which highlight misogyny and homophobia, both in society and in the workplace, including in the armed forces, as the Women of Honour support group, which campaigns for women who have suffered physical and sexual abuse in the Defence Forces, has revealed.

All of these campaigns have led to changes in the law, in policy, in equality legislation, in training, and in sentencing. Sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and violence against women are, now, viewed in law and in society as unacceptable and illegal.

And yet it remains the case that the careers of violent men are seen as in need of more protection than seeing justice being served for the female victims of that violence.

The message, loud and clear, is that these campaigns and changes have not come close to fully transforming what remains a violent, misogynistic patriarchy.

The judiciary, the army and the legal system are among the many male-dominated arenas which need to reflect on their responses to mens violence. Private Crottys proud boast about the assault on his Snapchat account  Two to put her down, two to put her out  should echo long and hard in the judiciary and among the armed forces.

No woman should experience such deficient, shoddy and distinctly gendered (in)justice in a courtroom again.

Read More Sarah Harte: Violent crimes against women are systemically minimised in our society
How Kinsale is this?

An online property trawl shows just 17 listings with a Kinsale address for under the current national median price of 330,000  starting with a derelict house in Nohoval village.

But, putting search filters at the other end of the price scale, there are 17 properties with a Kinsale district address price at over 1 million, and/or multiples of it.

The lower end of the price scale includes sites without planning permission, whilst the cheapest habitable buy is possibly a one-bed apartment in the town, from 175,000, with a two-bed in the same building for 195,000.

At the top-end, the current highest listing is the well-known Ballinacurra House, at 4m after a price reduction, and one of the very latest, Currahoo House, a period home with guest cottage on six acres on the Bandon river near Kilmacsimon Quay, at 2.5m (via Savills).

Ballinacurra House. File picture Denis Minihane

Then, theres quite a cluster in the 1.5m to c 2.5m bracket, including the large family Ferrypoint, on a headland at Rathmore with a 1.75m guide via joint agents Josie Dinneen and Brendan Bowe.

Thats for a c.6,000 sq ft five-bed home with indoor swimming pool, on just over three acres, perfect for an energetic family, they say. (Up river closer to Innishannon, another home the 1.05m Shippool Lodge, also has a swimming pool as well riverbank, plus internally a dramatic, columned library and bespoke finishes).

Not all buyers have to fish at this upper price echelon, however: the good news is there are brand new houses available in Kinsale itself, at prices from 365,000: thats for a two-bed townhouse at Abbey Fort, a Hatley Homes development off the Dunderrow/Innishannon road by sports pitches (its also associated with Gannons who have substantial complete schemes locally too), with sales directed by Paul Hannon of Sherry FitzGerald.

Abbey Fort has a creche for 90 children: other new home prices there and currently available include larger three-bed mid-townhouses of 1,094 sq ft priced from 435,000, while the traditional staple three-bed semi-ds are 485,000/490,000. Four-bed c 1,377 sq ft end terrace homes, A-rated, there are priced from 495,000 at the scheme with 100 sales to date, and with 40 remaining (theres planning for 86 more homes in a similar mix on another adjacent site just to the north).

Other than that, new homes locally are pricier: theres a further launch at old Mercy Convent site due possibly later this year where some very large villa new builds will be in the multi-million euro price bracket. Two other development releases in the past year in the town saw new builds at 1m and upwards.

Agent Josie Dinneen says theres a real shortage of homes in the second-hand market in the broad 300,000 to 500,000 bracket and as a result interest in surrounding villages has increased, with properties fetching up to 30% over listing price as demand is high.

Currahoo House, Kinsale. Picture: Savills

Also contributing to the shortage of landlords Airbnbing their properties in the past several years rather than long-term renting them due, Ms Dinneen suggests, to RTB restrictions and a c.2% rent freeze and there is little incentive for them to sell due to 33% capital gains tax.

Thats despite the high rents that can be commanded locally: those seeking a rental property will find their choices down to single digits right now, with the cheapest looking like a room with patio access for 200 a week, or more typically, houses at rents of 2,000 to 4,000+ a month of the eight currently available: there are ones at far higher rates available, off-market.

And, the difficulty of finding accommodation for staff in the hospitality sector, both season and year-round, has been widely remarked upon: in this case, Kinsale is far from alone in having to deal with the rental crisis.

Back in the sale market, the price bar for existing quality second-hand stock has now moved after Q1 of 2024 to the half-a-million mark, or even 600,000 in some cases, says agent Brendan Bowe: thats in contrast to a current national average of c 340,000 for homes: Kinsales mid-market, for those looking for a detached home of say 1,800 sq ft is now most likely in the region of 750,000+(eg 10 Harbour Heights).

Also notable in the Kinsale market is the rise of cash buyers, with Brendan Bowe reckoning that 55% of his sales now are to purchasers who dont need a mortgage or other lending: thats a jump up from 45% just a year ago, while buyers in the Irish diaspora coming to Kinsale typical have very substantial savings and deposits available to them.

Overseas buyers  both returning Irish and international  see Ireland as politically and economically stable, with an excellent education system and work opportunities, with a lifestyle offer then in the likes of Kinsale layered on top of that, as well as having a climate thats relatively benign in comparison to other international hot spots, both literally and metaphorically.

And, in Kinsale, people are prepared to pay a premium for all of that.
Britain's Prince Harry has been ordered to explain to a High Court judge how private messages to the ghostwriter of his memoir were destroyed amid their potential relevance to his legal action against the publisher of The Sun.

In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Fancourt said the apparent deletion of Harry's exchanges with John Moehringer on the Signal messaging platform, as well as drafts of Spare, before the books publication was not transparently clear.

The judge ordered Harry's lawyers to carry out further searches of his laptop and examinations of his texts and Whatsapp and Signal messages from 2005 to January last year, for evidence potentially relevant to the litigation over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

He ordered Harry to make an interim payment of 60,000 in legal costs to NGN after ruling largely in favour of the publishers bid for a wider search for evidence at a one-day hearing in London.

Harry, 39, alleges he was targeted by journalists and private investigators working for NGN, which also published the now-defunct News Of The World.

He is among a number of people to bring cases against the publisher, with a full trial of some cases due to be held in January.

The publisher has previously denied unlawful activity took place at The Sun.

Mr Justice Fancourt said there was evidence that a large number of potentially relevant documents and confidential messages between Harry and his ghostwriter were destroyed some time between 2021 and 2023, well after this claim was under way.

The position is not transparently clear about what exactly happened and needs to be made so by a witness statement from the claimant himself explaining what happened, he said, adding that this should cover what attempts have been made to retrieve the Signal messages.

The judge said Harrys exchanges with Mr Moehringer may have related to the parts of Spare in which unlawful information gathering in relation to newspapers was discussed.

The Duke of Sussexs barrister David Sherborne (James Manning/PA)

Harrys barrister, David Sherborne, said in written arguments that his client had not discussed unlawful information gathering via text or WhatsApp with anyone and that his Signal messages with the ghostwriter had been wiped.

But Mr Justice Fancourt said this was apparently contradicted by Mr Moehringer who previously said he and Harry were texting around the clock.

NGNs disclosure bid is focused on uncovering any evidence that could relate to whether Harry knew he had a potential case against the publisher earlier than the legal time limit of six years before he filed his claim in September 2019.

In his oral ruling, the judge said he had real concerns this issue was being inadequately dealt with by Harrys legal team, adding that the majority of searches for material had been carried out by Harry himself rather than lawyers.

He said Harry had only disclosed five documents as being relevant to issues to be considered at trial, describing this as rather remarkable and gives me cause for concern about the disclosure exercise.

The judge also granted NGNs request that Harrys former solicitors at law firm Harbottle & Lewis and members of the royal household  Clive Alderton, private secretary to Britain's King Charles, and Michael Stevens, the keeper of the privy purse  should be written to to request material relevant to the litigation.

Earlier on Thursday, NGNs barrister Anthony Hudson KC claimed Harry had to be dragged kicking and screaming into allowing his personal emails to be examined for potential evidence.

The court heard some 11,570 emails from Harry's now-closed ha@sjpkp.com email account were being reviewed for potential disclosure by his lawyers over the course of 150 hours and at a cost of 50,000.

Mr Hudson accused Harry of obfuscation and creating an obstacle course in the face of NGNs efforts to source more material.

In written arguments, he said the loss of the Signal messages with the ghostwriter gives rise to real concern as to whether the claimant has complied with his obligation to preserve potentially relevant documents.

Mr Sherborne said NGN had wrongly characterised his approach to disclosing material, accusing the publisher of embarking on a classic fishing expedition for potential information that was entirely unnecessary and disproportionate.

He said accusations that Harry was putting up obstacles was the height of hypocrisy, telling the court that NGN had previously deleted millions of emails as a way of hiding incriminating evidence.

In written arguments, Mr Sherborne said Harry had gone above and beyond his obligations and had already searched his Californian home for material.

He said Harry no longer had laptops, mobile phones or data backups from before September 2013.

Prince Harry's Hotmail email address used before 2014 had been deactivated, he said, while there were no relevant social media accounts that fail to be searched.

British royal aides had also been contacted and have confirmed they do not hold relevant documents, Mr Sherborne added.
The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of former US president Donald Trump granted a defence request for a hearing on whether prosecutors improperly breached lawyer-client privilege when they obtained crucial evidence from one of Trumps ex-lawyers.

But US district judge Aileen Cannon also denied a request for a hearing on a separate Trump team claim that the Justice Department had submitted false or misleading information in an application for a warrant to search the Republican ex-presidents Florida estate for classified records two years ago.

The order amounts to a mixed result for both sides and ensures further delays in a criminal case that has already been snarled by significant postponements, resulting in the indefinite postponement of a trial that had been set to begin on May 20 in Fort Pierce, Florida.

In a bid to suppress as evidence the classified documents seized by the FBI during the August 8, 2022, Mar-a-Lago search, defence lawyers have said the Justice Department omitted or misrepresented certain facts in its application to a magistrate judge to obtain a warrant.

Donald Trumps defence team claimed claim the Justice Department had submitted false or misleading information in an application for a warrant to search Mar-a-Lago (Chris Szagola/AP)

They argued, for instance, that the application should have noted that a senior FBI official proposed seeking the consent of Mr Trumps lawyers for a search rather than obtaining a court-authorised search warrant.

But Judge Cannon sided with special counsel Jack Smiths team in finding that neither that nor any other of the alleged omissions raised by the defence had any bearing on whether or not prosecutors had sufficient probable cause to search the property.

Even accepting those statements by the high-level FBI official, the motion offers an insufficient basis to believe that inclusion in the affidavit of that officials perspective (or of the dissenting views of other FBI agents as referenced generally in his testimony) would have altered the evidentiary calculus in support of probable cause for the alleged offences, she wrote.

But her order was not a complete win for the government as she said she would schedule a separate hearing to consider the question of whether prosecutors had improperly obtained the co-operation of Mr Trumps lawyers through an exception to lawyer-client privilege.

Defence lawyers are ordinarily shielded from being forced to testify about their confidential conversations with their client but can be compelled to do so if prosecutors can show that their legal services were used in furtherance of a crime  a doctrine known as the crime-fraud exception.

The then-chief federal judge in the District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, agreed with Mr Smiths team that the exception applied and ordered grand jury testimony from two of Mr Trumps lawyers.

She also directed one of his lawyers, M Evan Corcoran, to turn over audio recordings that documented his impressions of conversations he had had with Mr Trump about returning the documents. Those conversations are repeatedly cited in the indictment and held up by prosecutors as incriminating evidence.

It is the obligation of this court to make factual findings afresh on the crime-fraud issue, Judge Cannon wrote. And a standard means by which to make such findings as is customary in criminal suppression litigation  is following an evidentiary hearing at which both sides can present evidence (documentary and testimonial, as applicable).
(Photo : Unsplash/Maxim Hopman)

Several employees at Yale New Haven Hospital are expressing deep concern about their safety as several incidents of vehicle thefts, break-ins, and an alleged assault happen in and around the hospital's parking lot, The Hour reported.

Increasing Crime Records In and Around Yale New Haven Hospital

The crimes have been observed to be increasing in the vicinity of Yale New Haven Hospital, where 17 incidents required police intervention, including nine assaults, several robberies, and instances of theft in the past three months. Among these incidents, two involved assaults with a firearm, Police Chief Karl Jacobson confirmed.

In response, patrols will be increased in the area, and discussions between the police department, Yale Police Department, and Yale New Haven Hospital security to prevent further issues are already underway.

Petition for a Safer Parking Lot

By Friday afternoon, more than 1,000 people had signed a change.org petition urging the hospital to enhance safety in its surrounding parking lots for Yale New Haven Hospital employees, who pay approximately $60 monthly for parking taken from their paychecks.

According to the New Haven Police Department, employees face frequent incidents, such as window break-ins, car thefts, and thefts of tires and rims, at least six times a week with no action taken by the hospital. While acknowledging that employees pay fees directly to the hospital, leaders declined to collaborate with the city, opting not to allocate funds for gated lots with badge swipe access and neglecting to patrol the parking lots due to staffing shortages.

The petition also requests a safer Yale New Haven Hospital with improved lighting, gates with badge access, surveillance cameras, and regular security patrols to prevent vehicle theft and vandalism.

READ ALSO: NY Home Depot Deploys Guards, Dogs to Watch for Thieves, Deter Aggressive Migrants Targeting Shoppers

Crimes Stirring Fear and Frustration Among Hospital Workers

Speaking anonymously due to concerns about retaliation, a nurse informed News 8 that her Honda was targeted in a car burglary, with the rear windshield shattered and panel broken into, remarking, "It's frightening because I should feel safe at my workplace."

Among other things that have dismayed employees is the lack of communication and transparency from the hospital's leadership. Employees would not have known about the crimes happening almost daily if they had not been posted on social media or covered by the media.

According to employees, senior leadership knew, but they were not directly affected, as many long-term employees and higher-ups at the hospital opt for parking in the Air Rights Garage or other nearby garages. While preventing crime is not in the hands of the hospital management, the employee criticized their canned response, "The city owns the lots, not us."

According to their statements, hospital employees advocate for better protection and support, emphasizing the need to focus on their jobs without safety concerns. Marisa Ragonesi voiced her frustration at feeling disregarded and undervalued, describing herself as more than just a number and highlighting concerns about being taken advantage of and literally being robbed of.

RELATED ARTICLE: Postal Police Workforce Unassessed Since 2011, Relies on "Outdated" Data Amid Crime Surge

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Waymo, the driverless vehicle company, announced the end of its waitlist, finally allowing San Francisco passengers with a working credit card to hail a ride with the Waymo app.

The Waymo One Rollout

Nearly 300,000 people in San Francisco have registered for the ride-hailing service Waymo One since it opened the waitlist. This Tuesday, the company announced that the wait is finally over, according to a blog post.

Waymo has been steadily expanding its operations in San Francisco for several years, providing tens of thousands of weekly trips and safe, sustainable, and reliable transportation options for residents and visitors. Over the past two years, Waymo has reported covering more than 3.8 million miles, transporting passengers across San Francisco.

NHTSA Safety Probe Into Waymo

Despite Waymo's claim that road safety is a priority, federal safety regulators have been casting doubt on the safety of its autonomous vehicles operating in Phoenix and San Francisco.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) initiated a probe last month into Waymo's self-driving vehicle software following 31 reported incidents involving robotaxis making unforeseen maneuvers resulting in crashes and potential violations of traffic safety regulations. The investigation, categorized as a "preliminary evaluation," focuses on assessing the software's capability to prevent collisions with stationary objects and its effectiveness in detecting and responding to traffic safety devices such as cones, TechCrunch reported.

READ ALSO: GM's Driverless Mission: Relaunching Human-Driven Fleet to Create Maps and Collect Road Data After Robotaxi Incident

Waymo's Impact on Economy, Environment, and Industry

Waymo touts have been building on more than 15 years of expertise in creating safe and reliable autonomous driving technology since beginning their first rides in Palo Alto in 2009 despite being under the regulators' radar.

30% of Waymo rides in San Francisco are destined for local businesses, including individual restaurants, live music venues, bars, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, parks, and museums, which significantly boosts the local economy.

Since launching its commercial operations in August 2023, Waymo has also exclusively operated an all-electric fleet powered by 100% renewable energy sourced through San Francisco's CleanPowerSF program, enabling Waymo to reduce carbon emissions significantly, estimated at approximately 570,000 kg. A recent rider survey indicates that 53% of its users in San Francisco believe that using Waymo has contributed to their efforts to be more environmentally friendly. In contrast, another survey reveals that over half of Waymo riders in San Francisco report feeling safer while traveling with Waymo, attributing this improvement to their experience with the service.

Waymo Driver also enhances road safety in the cities it serves, citing high-severity collision avoidance better than even the most attentive human drivers. Data also indicates that Waymo vehicles experience fewer insurance claims, injuries, and police reports than human drivers, which has been proven in more than 30 scientific papers.

Waymo's operations also contribute to enhanced safety for other road users. With over 3.8+ million miles driven with passengers in San Francisco through March, the Waymo Driver experienced 17 fewer crashes resulting in injuries and 12 fewer crashes reported to the police than human drivers.

Waymo is committed to expanding its service gradually and responsibly, collaborating closely with city and state authorities, first responders, and road safety advocates to ensure their service provides reliable, safe, environmentally friendly transportation and positively impacts mobility in local communities, the statement reads.

RELATED ARTICLE: GM's Cruise Facing Pedestrian Accident Controversy Sparks Accountability and Transparency Issues According to Regulators

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(Photo : Pexels/Photo by Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz)

Trinity Valley School is involved in a sensitive controversy as Fort Worth City Jail arrested a former piano teacher on Monday for alleged inappropriate conduct with a child, officials said.

Indecent Conduct Allegation

Trent Muse, 28, was taken into custody around 1 p.m. based on four warrants accusing him of indecent exposure involving a child, Bradley Perez, spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department, said.

The investigation is ongoing, but no further details were disclosed due to the sensitive nature of the offense and the involvement of juveniles, Perez informed the Star-Telegram via email.

Trinity Valley Community's Commitment to Child's Safety

The safety and welfare of students and the entire Trinity Valley community is the Trinity Valley School's foremost concern. Upon receiving reports of conduct involving a former piano teacher in the presence of students during the 2022-2023 school year, the school promptly notified Child Protective Services, currently meeting with affected families and providing ongoing assistance and support throughout the process, Head of school Blair Lowry emphasized in a statement to the Star-Telegram.

Officials at the Fort Worth K-12 private school did not specify the nature of the behavior or Muse's name in a letter sent to parents on Tuesday.

The statement added, "Inappropriate conduct is not tolerated," and the school administration expressed deep concern over these reports.

READ ALSO: Snapchat Faces $15M Settlement as California Civil Rights Probe Exposed Unfair Treatment to Female Employees

The Controversial Resignation of Trinity Valley School's Head

A few weeks later, after the controversy, the Head of Trinity Valley School, Blair Lowry, resigned from her position on June 5 to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship, according to the letter.

The resignation follows news from about two weeks ago that Fort Worth police were investigating conduct involving a former piano teacher with students during the 2022-2023 school year, according to a previous letter sent by Trinity Valley School to parents. The specific nature of the conduct under investigation was not disclosed.

Lowry, who served as the Head of the school for the past four years, also led TVS in its future planning, according to the letter to parents. The letter said that the school is now working on establishing a new short-term leadership structure and plans to provide further details by the end of the week.

The school did not disclose whether Lowry's departure was planned or if it was related to the alleged misconduct involving the piano teacher, who has not been publicly identified.

According to the statement sent last month, Trinity Valley School employees undergo rigorous background checks before hiring. They must sign an affidavit affirming they have no history of charges or convictions related to inappropriate relationships with minors. They also receive training on maintaining boundaries and reporting child abuse suspicions, the statement says. While the teacher in question, Trent Muse, had not been on the Trinity Valley School campus since April 2023, the school asserted that he had passed a background check and reference checks before being hired.

RELATED ARTICLE: Ohio Landlord Fined $200,000 for Sexually Harassing Female Tenants, Barred from Renting Properties Again

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Unsplash/Hermes Rivera)

An Indian-American couple has been sentenced to prison for luring a relative to enroll in a school only to be exploited to work at their gas station and convenience store. The Justice Department said.

The Arrest of Indian-American Couple

The court has sentenced Harmanpreet Singh, 31, to 135 months (11.25 years), and Kulbir Kaur, 43, to 87 months (7.25 years) in prison and were ordered to pay their victim, Singh's cousin, of $225,210.76 restitution for luring the victim to the United States under the pretenses of school enrollment only to be subjected to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to work extended hours in exchange for minimum compensation.

READ ALSO: Hyundai Sued by The Labor Department After Violations Linked to Child Labor in Alabama Exposed

The victim, who has long been sincerely aspiring to pursue an education and enhance his life, has been deprived of fundamental human necessities and stripped of his liberty, the US Attorney Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, said.

Trial Evidence of The Case

According to the Justice Department, the evidence presented at trial in 2018 revealed that the victim was enticed to travel to the US from India with false promises of helping him enroll in school. Still, his immigration documents were seized upon his arrival, and he was coerced into providing labor and services at Singh's store involuntarily from March 2018 to May 2021.

Singh and Kaur employed various coercive tactics to force the victim to work at the store, performing tasks such as cleaning, cooking, stocking, and managing the cash register and store records for between 12 and 17 hours nearly every day in exchange for minimal pay, as detailed in trial evidence.

Aside from confiscating the victim's immigration documents and subjecting him to physical abuse, threats of violence, and other forms of serious harm, Singh and Kaur also degraded the victim's living conditions to coerce him into continuing work. According to the evidence, the victim was frequently left alone at the store to sleep in a back office for extended periods on multiple occasions, restricted access to food, denied medical care and educational opportunities, and monitored using surveillance equipment both at the store and in their home.

The evidence further demonstrated that the victim's requests to return to India were ignored, and he was coerced into overstaying his visa instead. Otherwise, he would be physically assaulted by Singh by pulling his hair, slapping, and kicking him whenever he requested his immigration documents or attempted to leave. The victim was also threatened with a revolver on three separate occasions, where he tried to take time off or expressed a desire to leave and was compelled to marry Kaur and used this marriage as leverage to threaten to seize his family's properties or falsely report him to the police if he attempted to leave.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division emphasized that the sentence should clearly signal that such exploitation "will not be accepted in our communities."



RELATED ARTICLE: South Texas Border Couple Sentenced for Smuggling an Immigrant, Benefiting from Forced Free Labor

 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo
By Emilie El Khoury, Queens University, Ontario | 

(The Conversation)  The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah recently released videos showing footage from one of its drones flying over the Israeli city of Haifa and the surrounding area. Hezbollah released the videos shortly after American special envoy Amos Hochstein went to Beirut in a bid to get Lebanese political leaders to pressure Hezbollah to withdraw from the border with Israel.

Following Hochsteins visit, Hezbollah released images captured by one of its drones called the Hudhud (Hoopoe), highlighting strategic military and civilian infrastructure inside Israel.

The following day, the groups secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, gave a speech where he reiterated that Hezbollah has the ability to launch targeted strikes anywhere in Israel.

The drone footage provides evidence of Hezbollahs growing technological capabilities. Along with Nasrallahs speech, it appears designed to check Israeli threats to invade Lebanon and send a message that Hezbollah has the ability to cause serious damage in Israel in the event of a full-scale war.

Use of drones

In response to Israels attack on Gaza, Hezbollah has been attacking Israeli military positions along the border with Lebanon since October 2023. The Israeli military has shelled and launched airstrikes on several areas of southern Lebanon. Hundreds of people, predominantly Lebanese, have been killed and tens of thousands on both sides of the border have been forced to flee the area.

Israeli media reports suggest the military chose not to shoot down Hezbollahs drone. Israel justified this decision by citing a concern over civilian casualties. However, military analysts believe that failing to intercept enemy drones during a conflict indicates inadequate detection capabilities.

Typically, a foreign military aircraft flying over a territory would immediately be neutralized to eliminate any security risk, potentially by targeting it over water or unpopulated areas.

Technological advancements are enabling Hezbollah, and the broader Axis of Resistance, to challenge Israels air superiority and its ability to maintain total control over the skies.

This includes development of highly powerful missiles and the ability to intercept or destroy Israeli drones such as the Hermes 450 and Skylark frequently used in reconnaissance missions over Lebanon.

However, this also exposes Lebanon to heightened risks, with each new weapon unveiled by Hezbollah potentially escalating the conflict.

Mutual deterrence

Confrontations between Israel and Hezbollah over the years have been marked by tit-for-tat attempts to establish mutual deterrence. In recent months, Hezbollah has shot down Israeli drones and bombed Israeli military bases.

Since October 2023, Israel has conducted preemptive and retaliatory strikes in Lebanon, targeting members of Hamas and Hezbollah, especially in southern Lebanon. In June, Israel targeted Taleb Sami Abdallah, a key Hezbollah commander on the Lebanese-Israeli front.

Following this attack, Hezbollah intensified its offensive, launching rockets that caused wildfires in Israel. The weekend that followed remained relatively calm due to Eid al-Adha celebrations.

Middle East Eye Video: Nasrallah says nowhere in Israel will be spared if full-blown war breaks out

Israel has also taken measures to deter Hezbollah attacks by disrupting the use of GPS navigation and location-based apps, such as Google Maps, out of security concerns, aimed at countering drones, missiles and other technologies used by Hezbollah and other armed groups. This demonstrates Israels determination to maintain its technological superiority and develop countermeasures against emerging threats.

However, while groups like Hezbollah have increasingly adopted advanced technology, they also rely on more rudimentary tactics to evade detection. Nasrallah once described Hezbollahs use of such tactics in an interview with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

The Iron Dome

Hezbollah has significantly bolstered its military and technological arsenal since its last war with Israel in 2006, and would likely pose a larger threat to Israels military in a broader confrontation.

Hezbollah recently claimed to have destroyed an Iron Dome battery, although the Israeli military said it was unaware of any damage to its launchers.

Iron Dome is designed to defend Israel from short-range missiles and drones launched by armed groups. It consists of batteries located throughout the country, and uses radar to track incoming targets and interceptor missiles to destroy them.

While Israel has touted Iron Domes interception rate, U.S. officials have said the system could be overwhelmed in an all-out war with Hezbollah.

Psychological warfare

Hezbollah is well aware that Israel is unlikely to show restraint in pursuit of its political and military goals.

This is as evidenced by the bombardment of Gaza and Israeli military tactics like the Dahiya Doctrine, which calls for the wide scale destruction of civilian infrastructure. Israeli airstrikes and threats of invasion have already forced around 95,000 people to flee southern Lebanon.

By provoking Israel, Hezbollah demonstrates its readiness to challenge it head on. The question remains: does Hezbollah truly possess this capability, or is it bluffing?

In his speech, Nasrallah emphasized the group has not yet revealed the full extent of its capabilities and hinted at further actions to come. His comments form part of Hezbollahs strategy in the psychological war with Israel, and the current escalation represents a significant development.

Hezbollah is attempting to dictate the pace of the clashes, frustrating the population in northern Israel by giving impression that Hezbollah is controlling the situation and imposing its conditions on the area.

This psychological war appears to be having a real impact, causing Israeli leaders to avoid disproportionate responses and prompting growing concern among Israelis about their governments inability to control the situation. More than 96,000 Israelis have fled the north since October 2023.

The Israeli military says it has approved operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon. However, despite Israels undeniable military superiority over Hezbollah, its actions so far indicate it acknowledges the dangers a wider war could bring. Israeli officials have warned that infrastructure like the electricity supply could be severely damaged in a full-blown war.

The Israeli army has not fought a major war in years, and appears increasingly bogged down in Gaza. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has spent much of the last decade fighting in Syria, providing its fighters with battle experience. Furthermore, if the war does escalate, Hezbollah allies in Iran, Iraq and Yemen could become even more involved.

Ultimately, Hezbollah knows Israel is much stronger. However, through psychological warfare it is sending the message that any conflagration would also be destructive for Israel.

It is imperative all parties involved exercise restraint. The fighting and destruction must end to protect the well-being of the people in the region who are suffering the devastating consequences of this conflict.

Israels military spokesman recently stated its not possible to destroy Hamas because destroying an idea with weapons is impossible. The same applies to Hezbollah. This conflict can only be solved around the negotiating table with a peace that safeguards the security and dignity of all people.

Emilie El Khoury, Postdoctoral fellow at Queens Universitys Centre for International Policy and Defence (CIDP), Queens University, Ontario

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
By Nasim Ahmed | 

( Middle East Monitor )  Israel has long relied on its much-vaunted hasbara  propaganda  to obscure the brutal reality of its colonial occupation of Palestine. Essentially a sophisticated propaganda machine, the hasbara industry, as Professor Ilan Pappe demonstrates in his new book, has been instrumental in shaping the narrative in the service and maintenance of the Zionist project. Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic, as Pappe notes, has a long history. Having founded the state of Israel on terrorism, against the wishes of the native population, the Zionist groups that used violence to disrupt the history of Palestine are now determined to shield the occupation state from the global outrage that its genocide in Gaza has provoked.

New revelations by the Guardian have exposed the extent of Zionist lobbying in the US, revealing a coordinated and well-funded effort by the Israeli government to influence public opinion and political discourse. The goal is to shape American debates on college campuses, in Congress and across social media. Another top priority is suppressing criticism of Israel, which is achieved by lobbying lawmakers to adopt the controversial International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Jewish racism, and conflate legitimate criticism of Israel with . . . anti-Semitism.

The roots of this latest campaign can be traced back to 2017 when the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs developed a programme known initially as Kela Shlomo. This was designed to conduct what Israel termed mass consciousness activities targeted primarily at the US and Europe. The programme, later rebranded as Concert and now operating under the name Voices of Israel, was conceived as a vehicle to operate outside the government and provide a rapid and coordinated response against the attempts to tarnish the image of Israel around the world.

Former Minister Gilad Erdan envisioned Concert as a PR Commando Unit capable of launching social media attacks against celebrities who criticise Israel. The programme has since evolved and expanded its scope since 7 October. As of November last year, the Israeli government is said to have allocated at least 32 million shekels (approximately 6.8m) for advocacy efforts to reframe the public debate. This funding is overseen by Amichai Chikli, the 42-year-old Likud minister who now heads the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.

During a Knesset hearing in November, Chikli assured lawmakers that there was new money in the budget for a pushback campaign against global opposition to Israel, quite separate from traditional public relations efforts. However, this did not pose a challenge, especially considering the extensive network of Zionist organisations operating throughout the US, all happy to donate generously to such efforts.

Chikli mentioned 80 programmes already underway for advocacy efforts to be done in the Concert way. The primary goal of Concert, as I wrote in 2022, is to privatise Israels propaganda efforts by recruiting influencers and organisations to speak favourably about the apartheid state in various media channels, social media platforms and conferences both at home and abroad.

The initiative was designed to operate indirectly, allowing the Israeli government to fund pro-Israel organisations and activities without appearing to do so overtly.

Several American organisations have been identified as working closely with the Israeli governments advocacy efforts. These include the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), which reportedly received most of its funding in 2018 from the Israeli agency running Concert. ISGAP has been instrumental in shaping Congressional investigations into universities over claims of anti-Semitism. The Zionist lobby was named as one of the groups that spearheaded the push to drive Harvard Universitys first black female president, Claudine Gray, out of office following a row over alleged anti-Semitism.

The Young Turks: Israels Propaganda Campaign To Control Discourse Uncovered by Lee Fang

Another organisation, the National Black Empowerment Council (NBEC), listed as a partner of Voices of Israel, has published open letters from Black Democrat politicians pledging solidarity with Israel. CyberWell, a pro-Israel anti-disinformation group led by former Israeli military intelligence and Voices officials, has established itself as an official trusted partner to TikTok and Meta, helping to screen and edit content. This partnership highlights a striking correlation between the inclusion of Zionist lobby groups as trusted partners and Metas systemic censorship of pro-Palestine content.

Another Zionist group mentioned by the Guardian is Hillel International, one of the largest Jewish campus organisations in the world. Hillel has received financial and strategic support from Mosaic United, a public benefit corporation backed by the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. This longstanding partnership is now being leveraged to shape the political debate over Israels brutal military campaign in Gaza. In February, Hillels chief executive, Adam Lehman, reportedly appeared before the Israeli Knesset to discuss this strategic partnership with Mosaic and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. Lehman noted that the collaboration had already yielded significant results.

Notably, none of the groups identified have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a US law requiring groups that receive funds or direction from foreign countries to disclose their activities to the Department of Justice. One struggles to find a parallel in terms of a foreign countrys influence over American political debate, said Eli Clifton, a senior adviser at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Theres a fixation on policing American discourse on the US-Israel relationship, even on college campuses, from Israel, going all the way up to Prime Minister Netanyahu.

A key aim in this campaign has been the aggressive promotion of the highly controversial IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. This definition has faced criticism, including from its drafter, Kenneth Stern, who has argued that it is being weaponised by the pro-Israel lobby. Seven of the eleven examples cited by IHRA conflate criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. The result has been the stifling of free speech and legitimate criticism of the apartheid state. Several US states, including Georgia, South Carolina and South Dakota, have passed legislation recently incorporating the IHRA definition into hate crime statutes.

At the federal level, the US House of Representatives passed legislation in April this year to encode the IHRA definition into Department of Education standards. If enacted, this law would enable the federal government to withdraw funding from universities that fail to curb criticism of Israel and Zionism, as well as impose punitive measures against pro-Palestine advocates. The push to embed the IHRA definition into federal law is part of a wider campaign, particularly targeting US college campuses, where pro-Palestinian activism has surged since 7 October.

Israeli officials have conducted multiple Knesset hearings with American Zionist organisations to discuss co-ordination efforts. Margarita Spichko, an official from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, testified that her office produces weekly reports based on information gathered from US partners, including Hillel. These reports are utilised to monitor and respond to campus activities related to Israel and Palestine. Additionally, an aide to Israels National Security Council noted that the Prime Ministers office regularly meets with DC-based Zionist groups, further confirming Tel Avivs orchestration of American Zionist organisations.

Commenting on the Israeli PR Commando Unit targeting the American population, Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, said:

Theres a built-in assumption that theres nothing at all weird about viewing the US as sort of an open field for Israel to operate in, that there are no limitations.

Craig Holman, an expert on lobbying rules at Public Citizen, noted the potential legal issues surrounding these activities: While there are several exemptions to FARA registration, nearly all the exemptions are overridden if a person or group seeks to influence American public policy and public opinion at the suggestion or behest of the foreign government.

The scale and sophistication of Israels efforts to shape public discourse in the US raise serious questions about the extent of its influence in American politics and academia. As the genocidal campaign in Gaza continues and criticism of Israeli policies intensifies, these coordinated efforts are poised to escalate. This growing Israeli influence threatens to undermine free speech and subvert the very principles of American democracy, all in the pursuit of defending what is so clearly a rogue, apartheid regime.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.

Via Middle East Monitor
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Independence Gold Corp. (TSXV: IGO) (OTCQB: IEGCF) (the "Company" or "Independence") is pleased to announce additional assay results from the spring drill program carried out at its 100% owned 3Ts Project. The 3Ts Project is located approximately 185 kilometres ("km") southwest of Prince George, British Columbia and is comprised of seventeen mineral claims covering approximately 8,840 hectares in the Nechako Plateau region of central British Columbia. It is situated 16 km southwest of Artemis Gold Inc.'s Blackwater Project and covers a low-sulphidation epithermal quartz- carbonate vein district within which more than a dozen individual mineralized veins, ranging from 50 metres ("m") to more than 1,100 m in strike length, with true widths up to 25m, have been identified.

The spring drill program, consisting of 22 holes and totaling 5,130m, was designed to test several targets along the Ted-Mint and Tommy Vein Systems, both near surface and at depth below the sill. The program also tested early-stage exploration targets, including the Johnny and Ian veins, in order to generate additional drill data for incorporation into the current resource model (see report titled "Technical Report on the Mineral Resource Estimate Update for the 3Ts Gold Project, Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada" authored by Armitage and Miller, effective August 18th, 2022; please see news release dated August 18th, 2022 for further details). The combined in-pit and underground components of the Tommy and Ted-Mint vein systems contain a total inferred resource estimate of 4,469,297 tonnes grading 3.64 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold and 96.26 g/t silver, at a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t gold equivalent ("AuEq") in-pit and 2.0 g/t AuEq underground, containing 522,330 ounces of gold and 13,831,415 ounces of silver, or 687,156 AuEq ounces.

The results in this release are from drill holes designed to test both the Ted-Mint and Tommy Vein systems at depth. These holes intersected mineralization below the microdiorite sill and show consistency in grades and widths as seen in shallower sections above the sill. These drill holes are some of the deepest intersections Independence has drilled to date and demonstrates that mineralization remains open at depth. It should also be noted, as in the previous release (see news release dated June 20, 2024) gold and silver mineralization was intersected in both quartz-carbonate veins as well as rhyolite hosted stockworks. Also of note is that drilling intersected the Larry Vein (3TS-24-09) for the first time at a shallow depth returning 2.00m grading 2.99 g/t gold and 13.50 g/t silver. Due to its proximity to the main Tommy Vein, the Larry has potential to be included in future resource models.

Highlights from the drill holes in this release include:

Ted-Mint Vein System Drill Hole 3TS-24-08: 24.00m grading 3.19 g/t gold and 41.54 g/t silver



Tommy Vein System Drill Holes 3TS-24-09: 5.00m grading 11.81 g/t gold and 251.80 g/t silver 3TS-24-10: 6.00m grading 3.47 g/t gold and 44.17 g/t silver 3TS-24-11: 17.00m grading 7.03 g/t gold and 46.18 g/t silver 3TS-24-12: 6.08m grading 15.20 g/t gold and 117.60 g/t silver



Please refer to the website for a map showing the veins and drill hole locations.

Drill Hole Host Rock From

(m) To

(m) Drill Intercept

(m)* Gold

(g/t)** Silver

(g/t) Gold Equivalent*** 3TS-24-08 Rhyolite-hosted stockwork 81.00 105.00 24.00 3.19 41.54 3.61 including 87.50 90.50 3.00 8.90 107.33 9.97 and including 91.50 94.50 3.00 10.74 156.33 12.30 3TS-24-09 Quartz Veins 6.00 8.00 2.00 2.99 13.50 3.13 and 274.00 279.00 5.00 11.81 251.80 14.33 including 277.00 278.00 0.50 32.42 454.00 36.96 3TS-24-10 Rhyolite-hosted stockwork 288.00 289.00 1.00 0.96 4.00 1.00 and 291.00 297.00 6.00 3.47 44.17 3.91 including 294.00 295.00 1.00 11.03 66.00 11.69 and 305.00 310.00 5.00 1.74 - 1.74 3TS-24-11 Quartz Veins 313.63 323.50 9.97 6.50 42.86 6.93 including 319.50 321.00 1.50 23.01 178.00 24.79 and 326.00 343.00 17.00 7.03 46.18 7.49 including 330.00 332.00 2.00 20.83 144.50 22.28 and including 333.50 334.50 1.00 12.42 25.00 12.67 and including 338.00 340.00 2.00 12.22 104.50 13.27 and 349.00 350.00 1.00 1.20 - 1.20 3TS-24-12 Quartz Veins 142.00 148.08 6.08 15.20 117.60 16.38 including 144.50 146.00 1.50 47.88 284.67 50.73

*the true widths of the veins are approximately 85% of the reported interval width

**Using a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t gold as per the resource estimate for "in-pit" grades

*** AuEq assumes Au $2,000 USD/Oz, Ag $20 $USD/Oz and utilizes formula AuEq = (Ag(g/t)*($Ag/$Au))+Au(g/t) and uses a metallurgical recovery of 97.9% for gold and 95.5% silver as determined from testing on composite materials from the Mint Vein (see March 4th, 2021 news release)

Randy Turner, President & CEO of the Company, commented, "We are very pleased with the results received to date from the spring drilling program as they continue to confirm that the mineralization is open at depth at both the Tommy and Ted-Mint Vein Systems with intersections and grades consistent with drill results from above the sill. We look forward to seeing the results from the remaining drill holes from the spring program as we continue to plan the summer exploration program at 3Ts."

Drill Hole Information from this release

All drill holes completed to date have been sent to SGS lab in Vancouver for sample preparation and analysis. Robotic sample preparation is used to ensure reproducibility; samples are pulverized to greater than 85% passing 75 microns. All samples are submitted for four acid digest with an ICP finish. Gold grades are obtained by fire assay with AAS finish. Samples which return greater than 10 parts per million gold and 100 parts per million silver are resubmitted for fire assay with a gravimetric finish.

Collar Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth* Dip Total Length 3TS-24-08 364940 5876480 1,126m 270 -45 150m 3TS-24-09 363810 5877034 1,160m 270 -60 319m 3TS-24-10 363827 5876747 1,175m 270 -50 315m 3TS-24-11 363841 5876818 1,180m 270 -60 385m 3TS-24-12 363626 5876660 1,230m 90 -65 200m

* Based on true north. For magnetic declination add 17.5 degrees.

NOTES ON MINERAL RESOURCE ASSUMPTIONS MADE IN THIS NEWS RELEASE

1. The classification of the current Mineral Resource Estimate into Inferred Resource is consistent with current 2014 CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

2. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and numbers may not add due to rounding.

3. All Resources are presented undiluted and in situ, constrained by continuous 3D wireframe models, and are considered to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction.

4. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. An Inferred Mineral Resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Indicated Mineral Resources with continued exploration.

5. It is envisioned that parts of the 3Ts deposit may be mined using open pit mining methods. In-pit mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t AuEq within a conceptual pit shell.

6. The results from the pit optimization are used solely for the purpose of testing the "reasonable prospects for economic extraction" by an open pit and do not represent an attempt to estimate mineral reserves. There are no mineral reserves on the Property. The results are used as a guide to assist in the preparation of a Mineral Resource statement and to select an appropriate resource reporting cut-off grade.

7. Underground (below-pit) Mineral Resources are estimated from the bottom of the pit and are reported at a base case cut-off grade of 2.0 g/t AuEq. The underground Mineral Resource grade blocks were quantified above the base case cut-off grade, below the constraining pit shell and within the constraining mineralized wireframes. At this base case cut-off grade the deposit shows good deposit continuity with no orphaned blocks.

8. High grade capping was done on 1.0 m composite data.

9. Bulk density values (specific 2.7 grams per cubic centimetre) were determined based on physical test work from each deposit.

10. "Recoverable AuEq" is based on metal recoveries of 97% for Au and 94% for Ag.

11. The in-pit base case cut-off grade of 0.4 g/t AuEq considers a mining cost of US$2.80/t rock and processing, treatment and refining, transportation and G&A cost of US$22.00/t mineralized material, and an overall pit slope of 55 degrees. The below-pit base case cut-off grade of 2.0 g/t AuEq considers a mining cost of US$80.00/t rock and processing treatment and refining, transportation, and G&A cost of US$25.00/t mineralized material.

12. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues

About Independence

Independence Gold Corp. is a well-financed mineral exploration company with holdings ranging from early-stage grassroots exploration to advanced-stage resource expansion in British Columbia and Yukon. The Company is positioned to add shareholder value through systematic project advancement, while management continues to evaluate additional gold and silver projects for possible acquisition. For additional information, visit the Company's website www.ingold.ca.

Andy Randell, P.Geo., the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical information in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF INDEPENDENCE GOLD CORP.

"Randy Turner"

Randy Turner, President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Independence within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements with respect to the Company's planned drilling and exploration activities. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those identified and reported in Independence's public filings under Independence Gold Corp.'s SEDAR profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Although Independence has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Independence disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.

Suite 580  625 Howe, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2T6

Telephone: 604-687-3959

Facsimile: 604-687-1448

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 27, 2024) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (OTCQX: FDMIF) (FSE: 9DL0) ("Founders" or the "Company") announces drill core assay results from its fully-funded 2024 drill program at the Antino Gold Project in southeastern Suriname. This release reports ten drill holes from the Froyo Zone ("Froyo"). Drill hole assays and collar locations are available below as well as on the Company's website.

New Drilling Highlights at Froyo

Vertical Extension of Mineralization by 85 metres (m) at Froyo 24.0 m of 5.06 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 280.0 m (24FR067) 11.7 m of 2.37 g/t Au from 252.3 m (24FR067) 10.0 m of 1.06 g/t Au from 247.0 m (24FR066) 2.0 m of 5.47g/t Au from 311.0 m (24FR066) 2.0 m of 5.96 g/t Au from 336.0 m (24FR066) 2.0 m of 7.78 g/t Au from 259.00 m (24FR068)



Additional sub-parallel Mineralized Shears Identified in the Hanging Wall of Main Froyo Shear 5.0 m of 3.84 g/t Au from 153.0 m (24FR067) 2.0 m of 5.47 g/t Au from 311.0 m (24FR066)



This new mineralization demonstrates excellent continuity to depth from the previously identified shear-hosted mineralization at Froyo. Drill holes 24FR066 and 24FR067 extend the Froyo Zone by 85 m with intercepts in 24FR067 of 24.0 m of 5.06 g/t Au and 11.7 m of 2.37 g/t Au, highlighting two substantial shears. The intercepts in both drill holes are potentially a deep representation of the Main Froyo Shear but the shallower interval may also correspond to the near-surface gold in the Main Froyo Shear's hanging wall. Drilling is ongoing to further test and model the continuity of gold mineralization at Froyo. The mineralization at Froyo remains open in all directions.

"We are excited to see Froyo continue growing, with broad intercepts at depth and early indications of a potential new gold-bearing shear further east," commented Colin Padget, President & CEO of Founders. "The geology suggests that the Froyo Zone comprises multiple NW-striking shears with meaningful gold grades and intercepts. The abundance of gold-bearing structures indicates a robust regional gold system, and we see major potential for further discoveries. Despite rainy-season conditions, our drill team continues to report excellent drilling production, and we are all looking forward to the arrival of our third diamond drill and the start of drilling at Buese next week."

Table 1: Drilling Results and Highlights at the Froyo Zone

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Core Length* (m) Au (g/t) 24FR057 101.00 105.00 4.00 2.65 and 110.00 116.00 6.00 1.36 and 131.00 136.00 5.00 4.01 and 162.00 164.00 2.00 8.64 24FR058 NSA 24FR059 NSA 24FR060 NSA 24FR061 51.60 57.60 6.00 2.76 24FR062 NSA 24FR063 212.00 216.00 4.00 0.52 24FR066 165.00 170.00 5.00 1.37 and 247.00 257.00 10.00 1.06 and 311.00 313.00 2.00 5.47 and 336.00 338.00 2.00 5.96 24FR067 5.10 14.10 9.00 0.31 and 153.00 158.00 5.00 3.84 and 252.30 264.00 11.70 2.37 and 280.00 304.00 24.00 5.06 24FR068 259.00 261.00 2.00 7.78

*Intervals are estimated to represent 85% or more of true width based on current drill data

Table 2: Drill Hole Locations

Hole ID Easting* (m) Northing* (m) Elevation (m) Azimuth () Dip () Depth (m) 24FR057 817072.9 400986.1 167.5 341.1 -51.3 250.4 24FR058 817148.5 400727.9 212.7 241.2 -60.6 188.9 24FR059 817164.9 400670.6 216.0 237.5 -58.6 220.9 24FR060 817167.4 400601.2 216.1 240.9 -56.9 200.0 24FR061 817229.8 400676.8 215.2 242.8 -59.6 210.0 24FR062 817503.8 400148.2 202.8 265.6 -46.1 362.2 24FR063 817504.2 400148.2 202.8 264.2 -59.1 374.2 24FR066 817266.0 401105.2 118.0 259.9 -54.5 452.2 24FR067 817244.0 401046.7 149.0 276.9 -51.4 416.3 24FR068 817245.1 401046.5 149 257.9 -57.1 401.2

*The coordinate reference system is WGS 84, UTM zone 21N (EPSG 32621)

Figure 1: Upper Antino Plan Map with Historical Auger Samples

Figure 2: Plan map of Froyo Gold Zone

Figure 3: Vertical Section of Froyo Gold Zone

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on advancing the Antino Gold Project located in Suriname, South America, in the heart of the Guiana Shield. Antino is 20,000 hectares and has produced over 500,000 ounces of gold from surface and alluvial mining to date1. The Company drilled 10,000 metres in 2023 and is fully financed for drilling in 2024.

1 2022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P. Geo & Rock Lefrancois, BSc, P.Geo.

Quality Assurance and Control

Results from samples were analyzed at FILAB Suriname, a Bureau Veritas Certified Laboratory in Paramaribo, Suriname (a commercial certified laboratory under ISO 9001:2015). Samples are crushed to 75% passing 2.35 mm screen, riffle split (700 g) and pulverized to 85% passing 88 m. Samples were analyzed using a 50 g fire assay (50 g aliquot) with an Atomic Absorption (AA) finish. For samples that return assay values over 10.0 grams per tonne (g/t), another cut was taken from the original pulp and fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Founders Metals inserts blanks and certified reference standards in the sample sequence for quality control. External QA-QC checks are performed at ALS Global Laboratories (Geochemistry Division) in Lima, Peru (an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited facility). A secure chain of custody is maintained in transporting and storing of all samples. Drill intervals with visible gold are assayed using metallic screening. Rock chip samples from outcrop/bedrock are selective by nature and may not be representative of the mineralization hosted on the project.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Michael Dufresne, M.Sc., P.Geol., P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

Founders Metals Contact Information

Katie MacKenzie, Vice President, Corporate Development

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Nick Stajduhar, Director

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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-Looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Company's recently completed financings and the future or prospects of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect ", "is expected ", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-Looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, other factors may cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management discussion and analysis. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

All material information on Founders Metals can be found at www.sedarplus.ca.
TORONTO, June 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Minsud Resources Corp. (TSXV: MSR) ("Minsud" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce the receipt of assay results from five (5) additional drillholes, which were completed as part of the ongoing Phase IV infill and scout drilling program at the Chita Valley Project, San Juan Province, Argentina.

Drilling has resumed on the infill drilling program covering an area of approximately 2.5 square kilometres, for the purpose of generating a Mineral Resource Estimate on the Property. This area represents the primary mineralized zone within the Chinchillones target, as delineated through drilling.

From February 2024, continued drilling in Phase IV focused along the NE-trending corridor at the eastern end of the Chinchillones target. To date, Minsud has completed 8,856m in 14 drillholes during the first half of 2024. Assays have been received for drillholes CHDH24-99 to CHDH24-103, totaling 3,736.6m and are reported here.

Key highlights and associated figures are provided below. Drilling results are summarized in Table 1. Drillhole locations are shown in Map 1.

CHDH24-102 was drilled with an orientation of 315/-65 to a depth of 743.70 metres:

Significant Drill Intercepts: 527.7m @ 0.26% Cu, 9.70 g/t Ag and 0.16% Zn, from 216m depth. including 8.0m @ 3.85% Cu, 188.60 g/t Ag, and 1.28% Zn, from 386.0m depth.

Geology: The drillhole was comprised of intercalated phreatomagmatic breccia and fine to medium- grained porphyritic dacite. The dacitic, matrix supported, polymictic breccia contains porphyritic dacite and quartzite clasts. There is moderate to strong advanced argillic alteration (kaolinite- pyrophyllite) affecting the matrix and clasts. Disseminated sulphide mineralisation is ubiquitous with numerous high sulphidation veins containing estimated 3-5% pyrite-bornite-sphalerite-tennantite. From 391m , there are consistent sulphides occurring as disseminations, cavity in-fill, and veins. Both intermediate sulphidation (IS) and high sulphidation veins are present. This intercept has established potential continuity and increased volume of similar higher-grade intercepts from CHDH23-84, CHDH23-89, and CHDH23-69 (see PR releases dated May 8, 2023 and November 20, 2023 ). The strong mineralization is interpreted as largely associated with a superposed high sulphidation event over the earlier porphyry Mo-Cu body at depth. o Cu-Au-As mineralization is clearly aligned NNW on the eastern edge of the Dome.



CHDH24-103 was drilled with an orientation of 315/-65 to a depth of 850 metres:

Significant Drill Intercepts: 384.0m @ 0.33% Cu, 5.85 g/t Ag, 85 ppm Mo, from 466.0m depth. including 15.0m @ 2.47% Cu, 0.22 g/t Au, 30.13 g/t Ag, and 0.159% Zn, from 548m depth.

Geology: This drillhole is located 150m NW from CHDH24-102. Up to 414.0m , host rocks include clast-supported, phreatomagmatic breccias containing mineralized clasts of dacitic porphyry, quartzites and early diorite porphyry. The lithologies are moderately to strongly silicified, with abundant high sulphidation veins. Linear breccias are overprinted by earlier moderate quartz-sericite alteration. Up to 5% modal estimate of sulphides. From 414.0m , the diorite porphyry variably hosts moderate to strong zoned quartz-sericite alteration. Pyrophyllite is observed in fractures and high sulphidation veins, with locally up to 3-5% total sulphides (pyrite-tennantite-sphalerite). Stockwork vein zone is characterised by dense microveins hosting sulphides in a spectrum of porphyry and epithermal veins (i.e., high sulfidation, B- and A-type, and pyrite veins). From 692.3m , the tonalite porphyry exhibits moderate quartz-sericite alteration with a quartz-sulfide stockwork zone (20-25 vein/m frequency) consisting of B-type, pyrite, and HS veins with pyrite-bornite-chalcopyrite microveinlets associated with HS veins. Up to 7% modal estimated sulphides within these high-grade intervals (pyrite-chalcopyrite-bornite-tennantite-molybdenite). Bornite appears in HS and B-type veins and disseminated in quartz veins.



Chichillones Infill Drilling Program Update

MSA continues the Chinchillones infill drilling program covering an area of approximately 2.5 square kilometres, for the purpose of generating a mineral resource estimate on the Property.

The program comprises 27,488 metres of diamond drilling, distributed in 32 drillholes. A total of 13 drillholes totaling 9,838 metres (CHDH23-86 to CHDH23-98) were completed by the end of 2023, while an additional 8,856m in 14 drillholes was completed during the first half of 2024, for a total of 18,694 metres completed to date in the infill program. Grid interval/hole spacing is currently set at approximately 100 metres. The average depth of the planned drilling is approximately 800 metres.

Continued infill drilling program was mainly concentrated in the SW-NE corridor at the eastern end of the Chinchillones target. Drilling tested the lateral and depth continuity of the higher-grade Cu-Au body intersected from previously reported drillholes CHDH23-73 and CHDH23-62. Further drilling is intended to outline the geometry of this Cu-Au body, with CHDH22-62 to -69 and CHDH23-96 associated with the eastern edge of the dome. The remainder of the infill program of approximately 17,650 metres is expected to be completed by Q3 2024.

Completed 2024 Roadmap Items:

Flotation metallurgical testing at ALS Kamloops is ongoing. These metallurgical tests are a prerequisite for a maiden resource estimate on the Chinchillones polymetallic deposit discovery.

Terraspec. TIMA, micro-XRF and QXRD mineralogical studies have been completed in representative samples from the 2023 drillholes.

Ongoing 2024 Roadmap Items:

Continuation of the remainder of the infill program of approximately 17,650 metres, expected to be completed by Q3 2024.

Outline the geometry of the high-grade Cu-Au body identified in CHDH22-62 through CHDH23-69 and CHDH23-96, associated with the eastern edge of the Dome.

Continuation of metallurgical testing on representative domains. Establish high, medium, and low-grade domains for metallurgical and recovery testing.

Continuation of mineralogical studies, Terraspec, TIMA, and QXRD on samples.

Beginning in Q4 2024, continue with the development of new Exploration Targets identified during geological mapping surveys completed in 2023.

Completion of an NI 43-101 resource estimate at the Chinchillones area within the Chita Valley Project by the end of Q4.

Ramiro Massa, Minsud's President & CEO, said: "After a brief hiatus in our drilling program and, of course, a well-deserved respite for our hard-working drilling and geological teams, drilling at Chinchillones resumed on February 15. Likewise, the continuous flow of highly encouraging results from the Chinchillones infill program has resumed as well. As we move forward into the second half of 2024, we anticipate several exciting developments, including the completion of an updated resource estimate."

Table 1: Phase IV Diamond Drilling Program  Summary of Results

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m)

(*) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Mo

(ppm) Pb

(ppm) Zn

(ppm) CHDH23-99 228.00 386.00 158.00 0.18 % 0.11 8.96 9 672 6912 Inc 292.00 362.00 70.00 0.30 % 0.15 11.79 10 232 11594 404.00 756.00 352.00 0.15 % 0.08 2.42 54 34 470 CHDH23-100 422.00 558.00 136.00 0.11 % 0.16 9.82 7 1319 6904 Inc 460.00 498.00 38.00 0.02 % 0.07 6.16 3 1741 9073 572.00 672.00 100.00 0.54 % 0.28 4.09 21 76 253 Inc 628.00 672.00 44.00 0.89 % 0.44 3.69 32 46 212 774.00 827.60 53.60 0.25 % 0.06 2.16 137 25 239 CHDH23-101 66.00 134.00 68.00 0.11 % 0.10 11.96 30 963 2882 176.00 340.00 164.00 0.07 % 0.05 1.27 50 41 246 CHDH23-102 216.00 743.70 527.70 0.26 % 0.05 9.70 50 422 1621 Inc 386.00 394.00 8.00 3.85 % 0.36 188.60 5 2840 12787 CHDH23-103 55.00 242.00 187.00 0.12 % 0.09 13.46 58 548 4307 466.00 850.00 384.00 0.33 % 0.05 5.85 85 193 683 Inc 548.00 563.00 15.00 2.47 % 0.22 30.13 47 281 1588

* intervals reported in the above table are not true thicknesses

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

All core samples were submitted to the ALS Global Laboratories in Mendoza, Argentina for preparation and analysis. All samples were analyzed for Au by fire assay / AA finish 50g, plus a 48-element ultra-trace four acid digest with ICP-MS and ICP-AES finish. Minsud followed industry standard procedures for the work with a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program. Field duplicates, standards and blanks were included with all sample shipments to the principal laboratory. Minsud detected no significant QA/QC issues during review of the data.

Qualified Person (QP) Statement

Case Lewis, P.Geo., VP Exploration of the Company, is a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Lewis has visited the property and has read and approved the contents of this release.

About the Chita Valley Project, San Juan Province

The Chita Valley Project is a large exploration stage porphyry system with classic alteration features, widespread porphyry style Cu-Mo-Au and polymetallic Ag-Pb-Zn mineralization hosted by hydrothermal phreatic breccias and associated gold and silver-bearing polymetallic veins of intermediate sulphide composition that conformed an outcropping porphyry system at Chita and a lithocap of a porphyry system at Chinchillones. San Juan Province of Argentina has a robust mining sector and recognizes the important economic benefits of responsible development of its substantial Mineral Resource endowment.

Current exploration activities on the Chita Valley Project are being funded by South32 Limited ("South32") in accordance with the earn-in agreement between the parties entered into on November 1, 2019 as amended.

On April 5, 2024, Minsud completed the issue to a wholly-owned subsidiary of South32 of a 50.1% shareholding in Minera Sud Argentina S.A. ("MSA"), Minsud's indirect Argentinian subsidiary that holds and operates its flagship Chita Valley Project. The issue was made in accordance with South32's earn-in right under the earn-in agreement dated November 1, 2019.

About Minsud Resources Corp.

Minsud is a mineral exploration company focused on exploring its flagship Chita Valley Cu-Mo- Au-Ag-Pb-Zn Project, in the Province of San Juan, Argentina. The Company's shares are listed on the TSX-V under the trading symbol "MSR", and on the OTCQX under the symbol "MDSQF".

About South32 Limited

South32 is a globally diversified mining and metals company. South32's purpose is to make a difference by developing natural resources, improving people's lives now and for generations to come. South32 is trusted by its owners and partners to realise the potential of their resources. South32 produces commodities including bauxite, alumina, aluminium, copper, silver, lead, zinc, nickel, metallurgical coal and manganese from its operations in Australia, Southern Africa and South America. South32 also has a portfolio of high-quality development projects and options, and exploration prospects, consistent with its strategy to reshape its portfolio toward commodities that are critical for a low-carbon future.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release includes certain information that may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about strategic plans, spending commitments, future operations, results of exploration, anticipated financial results, future work programs, capital expenditures and objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information including, but not limited to: fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar, Argentina peso, and the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and Argentina or other countries in which the Corporation may carry on business in the future; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration and development activities; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration and development (including environmental hazards or industrial accidents); risks relating to the credit worthiness or financial condition of suppliers and other parties with whom the Company does business; presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining, including those currently enacted in Argentina; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities; availability and increasing costs associated with operational inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities; business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, the Company; challenges to, or difficulty in maintaining, the Company's title to properties; risks relating to the Company's ability to raise funds; and the factors identified under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Filing Statement dated April 27, 2011. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking-information contained in this news release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Russia's security council said Tuesday that the International Criminal Court's issue of an arrest warrant for former defence minister Sergei Shoigu was "insignificant", Russian news agencies reported.

"The decision by the pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court over the secretary of the security council, Sergei Shoigu, is insignificant," the council's press service said, the TASS news agency reported.

The court said Tuesday that it had issued warrants for Shoigu and Russia's army chief Valery Gerasimov over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constituted alleged war crimes.

"It's all hot air since the ICC's jurisdiction does not cover Russia" and the decision was taken "as part of the west's hybrid war against our country", the press service said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Shoigu as defence minister last month, replacing him with Andrei Belousov, an economist. He then appointed Shoigu as secretary of the security council.

Russia has not yet made an official comment on the ICC's warrant for Gerasimov, chief of the general staff.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday welcomed a decision from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Russia's chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

The warrants -- issued over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constitute alleged war crimes -- are the latest in a series of actions by the court over the Ukraine war, including an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"These barbaric missile and drone strikes continue to kill people and inflict damage across Ukraine," Zelensky said.

"This decision is a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians is inevitable," he added.

"Every criminal involved in the planning and execution of these strikes must know that justice will be served. And we do hope to see them behind bars," the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media.

The two men are accused of the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian objects and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of "inhumane acts" in Ukraine, the ICC said in a statement.

The Ukrainian presidency's chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote that "Shoigu and Gerasimov bear individual responsibility" for the strikes.

"This is an important decision. Everyone will be held accountable for evil," he said.

"Every war criminal should be held accountable," said Ukraine's human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.

The country's prosecutor general's office also welcomed the news in a statement.

"This is a new significant step towards full accountability for the aggressor," it said.
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday said it had issued arrest warrants for Russia's top army chief and ex defence minister over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constituted alleged war crimes.

The ICC warrants are the latest in a series of actions by the court over the Ukraine war, including an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The warrants, issued on Monday but made public on Tuesday, concerned the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

The pair are accused of the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian targets and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of "inhumane acts" in Ukraine, the ICC said in a statement.

ICC judges said there were "reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least 10 October 2022 until at least 9 March 2023."

The court said these strikes were "directed against civilian objects" and even when targets could be considered military, civilian damage "would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage".

Ukraine hailed the "important" decision, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Kyiv hoped to see the pair "behind bars".

"This decision is a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrainians is inevitable," Zelensky said on social media.

Russia dismissed the warrants as "insignificant".

The country's security council said: "It's all hot air since the ICC's jurisdiction does not cover Russia" and the decision was taken "as part of the West's hybrid war against our country."

The ICC, based in The Hague, does not have its own police force to enforce arrest warrants. It relies on the justice systems of its 124 members to carry them out.

In theory, anyone under a warrant is prevented from travelling to an ICC member state for fear of arrest.

Putin himself has travelled abroad, notably to Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- none of whom are ICC members.

However, he did skip a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group in South Africa, which would have been expected to carry out the warrant.

"As I have repeatedly emphasised, no individual, anywhere in the world, should feel they can act with impunity," said ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who pressed the charges.

"And no person, anywhere in the world, should feel they are deserving of less protection than others."

- 'Historic first' -

Moscow lashed out at the warrant against Putin, calling it "void" and issuing its own warrant against the ICC's president in response.

Putin replaced Shoigu as defence minister last month in a major shake-up to Russia's military leadership more than two years into its Ukraine offensive.

The 68-year-old was appointed Russian defence minister in 2012 and has had a decades-long political career of unmatched longevity in post-Soviet Russia.

He was named the new secretary of the Security Council, replacing his longstanding Putin ally Nikolai Patrushev.

The Kremlin said there were no plans to replace Gerasimov as chief of the general staff.

Along with Shoigu, Gerasimov had been targeted by a hardcore group of influential pro-offensive military bloggers for Moscow's perceived battlefield failures.

Observers believe Gerasimov was closely involved in devising the plan to send troops to Ukraine in conditions of absolute secrecy.

After taking over in 2012, Gerasimov has been the longest-serving chief of the general staff of the post-Soviet era.

The ICC, created in 2002 to investigate war crimes around the world, in September opened a field office in Kyiv as part of efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for potential war crimes.

That move came after an international office to probe Russia for the war crime of aggression opened in The Hague in March 2023 in what Kyiv called a "historic" first step towards a tribunal for Moscow's leadership.

Along with Putin, the ICC has also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges of unlawful child deportations during the Ukraine war.

In March this year, the ICC issued warrants for two senior Russian officers, Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov, over strikes on infrastructure in Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday will issue a verdict in the case of a jihadist police chief accused of "unimaginable crimes" during an alleged reign of terror and sexual slavery in the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, 46, is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture, rape and sexual slavery, and destroying religious and historic buildings.

Prosecutors say Al Hassan personally oversaw amputations and floggings as police chief when Islamic militants seized control of Timbuktu for almost a year from early 2012.

During the trial, which opened in 2020, prosecutors said Timbuktu citizens had lived in fear of "despicable" violence, citing the case of a man whose hand was amputated after being accused of petty theft.

"He was tied to a chair... and his hand was chopped off with a machete. A member of the armed group then held up his hand as a signal to others," said then-chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Bensouda said the women and girls of Timbuktu suffered most under the "gender-based persecution" in force under Al Hassan's alleged reign of terror.

He is accused of forcing women and girls to "marry" fighters, with some victims raped multiple times, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said he was "personally involved" in flogging women accused of adultery. Other women were allegedly beaten for what the Islamists saw as misdemeanours such as not wearing gloves.

Al Hassan himself told investigators that the people of Timbuktu were "scared out of their minds", according to the prosecutor.

- 'Pearl of the desert' -

Founded between the fifth and 12th centuries by Tuareg tribes, Timbuktu is known as the "Pearl of the Desert" and "The City of 333 Saints" for the number of Muslim sages buried there during a golden age of Islam.

But jihadists who swept into the city considered the shrines idolatrous and destroyed them with pickaxes and bulldozers.

The militants from the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Dine groups exploited an ethnic Tuareg uprising in 2012 to take over cities in Mali's volatile north.

Al Hassan is the second Malian jihadist tried at the ICC for destroying religious sanctuaries in Timbuktu, which is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The court sentenced Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi in 2016 to nine years in prison, reduced by two years on appeal in 2021.

On Friday, the ICC made public an arrest warrant for one of the Sahel's top jihadist leaders over alleged atrocities in Timbuktu from 2012 to 2013.

Iyad Ag Ghaly, is considered to be the leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which operates in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Also known as "Abou Fadl", Ag Ghaly is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Timbuktu, the ICC said.

These included murder, rape and sexual slavery, and attacks on buildings dedicated as religious and historic monuments.

Judges issued the warrant against Ag Ghaly in mid-2017, but the document has been kept under wraps for the past seven years because of "potential risks to witnesses and victims".

ric/bc/smw

HERITAGE OIL
The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Valery Gerasimov as "absurd" and lacking legal force.

The Hague-based court said Tuesday it had issued arrest warrants for the pair over a barrage of Russian missile strikes against Ukrainian energy targets and civilian sites that the ICC said could be classed as "war crimes".

Russia is not a member of the ICC, but the arrest warrant mandates the more than 120 states that are to arrest Shoigu or Gerasimov if they set foot on their territory.

"We do not recognise the jurisdiction of this court, we are not a member of the relevant statute and therefore we do not recognise these warrants" Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"Moreover, we consider them quite absurd, just like the last two warrants which concerned the head of state and children's ombudsman," he added.

The ICC last year issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and his children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-controlled territory.

Shoigu was removed as defence minister last month in a major shake-up of Russia's military leadership, moving to become secretary of the Security Council.

Gerasimov is chief of the General Staff and has overall operational command of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday convicted a jihadist police chief of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during a reign of terror in the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, 46, was found guilty of crimes including torture and outrages upon personal dignity.

Presiding judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua said Al Hassan played a "key role" overseeing amputations and floggings as police chief when Islamic militants seized control of Timbuktu for almost a year from early 2012.

A timetable for his sentencing will be handed down soon.

Dressed in a yellow robe and white headdress, Al Hassan sat impassively throughout the nearly two-hour verdict with arms folded.

Al Hassan was also involved in interrogations where torture was used to extract confessions, Mindua said.

Mindua laid out in detail the reign of terror under the militants in Timbuktu, including women being arrested then raped in detention.

"The inhabitants had no other choice but to adapt their lives and lifestyles to conform to the interpretation of Islamic Sharia law... imposed on them by the force of arms," said Mindua.

Mindua described brutal floggings in the central square in front of crowds including children, as well as a public amputation by machete.

Al Hassan was convicted of "contributing to the crimes perpetrated by other members" of the jihadist groups including mutilation and persecution.

He was however acquitted of the war crimes of rape and sexual slavery, as well as the crime against humanity of forced marriage.

He was also acquitted of the war crime of attacking protected objects.

Despite the acquittals, deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said he was "pleased with the verdict, which proved the accused was guilty of a certain number of charges."

"I am thinking of the victims and I say again in the name of the prosecutor... that we will stay by their side, study the verdict carefully and that next steps... will be so that a more complete justice is given to these victims," he added.

- 'Pearl of the desert' -

Founded between the fifth and 12th centuries by Tuareg tribes, Timbuktu is known as the "Pearl of the Desert" and "The City of 333 Saints" for the number of Muslim sages buried there during a golden age of Islam.

But jihadists who swept into the city considered the shrines idolatrous and destroyed them with pickaxes and bulldozers.

The militants from the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Ansar Dine groups exploited an ethnic Tuareg uprising in 2012 to take over cities in Mali's volatile north.

On Friday, the ICC made public an arrest warrant for one of the Sahel's top jihadist leaders over alleged atrocities in Timbuktu from 2012 to 2013.

Iyad Ag Ghaly is considered to be the leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), which operates in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Also known as "Abou Fadl", Ag Ghaly is wanted on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Timbuktu, the ICC said.

These included murder, rape and sexual slavery, and attacks on buildings dedicated as religious and historic monuments.

Judges issued the warrant against Ag Ghaly in mid-2017, but the document has been kept under wraps for the past seven years because of "potential risks to witnesses and victims".

ric/rlp

HERITAGE OIL
Both sides in Sudan's brutal civil war are using starvation as a weapon of war, UN experts said Wednesday, charging that foreign governments providing them military support were "complicit" in war crimes.

War has raged for more than a year between the regular military (SAF) under army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The conflict, which began in April 2023, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and has provoked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Four independent UN rights experts pointed out that more than 25 million civilians have been left hungry and in urgent need of aid, amid warnings of a looming famine.

"Both the SAF and the RSF are using food as a weapon and starving civilians," said the experts, including the special rapporteur on the right to food.

They highlighted the ongoing siege of El-Fasher, the last city in Darfur outside RSF control, which had left hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped and suffering from hunger and thirst amid a dire lack of food and water.

"The extent of hunger and displacement we see in Sudan today is unprecedented," said the experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but who do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.

In a press statement, they demanded that both sides "stop blocking, looting and exploiting humanitarian assistance".

Local efforts to respond to the crisis were being hampered not only by unprecedented violence but also by targeted attacks on responders, they said.

"The deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers and local volunteers has undermined aid operations, putting millions of people at further risk of starvation," they said.

The experts maintained that "foreign governments providing financial and military support to both parties in the conflict are complicit in starvation, crimes against humanity and war crimes".

The experts did not name the countries, but they called on the parties to the conflict to agree to an immediate ceasefire and to inclusive political negotiations.

They also called on the international community to "accelerate humanitarian action".

"It is imperative that the UN, international donors, and states accelerate efforts to alleviate the suffering of millions of Sudanese facing famine," they said.
Paris judges on Wednesday confirmed a French arrest warrant for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad over alleged complicity in crimes against humanity for 2013 chemical attacks, the plaintiffs' lawyers said.

The Paris appeals court found Assad could be sought over deadly August 2013 attacks on Syrian soil with chemical weapons.

"This is a historic decision. It's the first time a national court has recognised that a sitting head of state does not have total personal immunity" for their actions, said the plaintiffs' lawyers Clemence Bectarte, Jeanne Sulzer and Clemence Witt.

Prosecutors from a unit specialised in investigating terrorist attacks had sought to annul the warrant, arguing that immunity for foreign heads of state should only be lifted for international prosecutions, such as before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

They did not aim to "question the existence of evidence demonstrating Bashar al-Assad's complicity in the chemical attacks," they said.

France is believed to be the first country to have issued an arrest warrant for a sitting foreign head of state.

The Syrian opposition hailed the move on Wednesday.

"The victims' families... appreciate these efforts, which provide them with moral support and apply additional pressure on the Assad regime, another step in getting justice for the Syrian people", the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition forces said in a statement.

The group, which brings together diverse strands of Syrian opposition, called on other countries to follow suit and for charges to be brought before the International Criminal Court.

International Human Rights League (FIDH) lawyer Mazen Darwish posted on X that the French decision was "great news" and "a new victory for the victims".

"There is no immunity in this type of crime," he added.

2013 attacks

The anti-terrorist prosecutors could yet appeal the judgement to France's highest court, the Court of Cassation.

The arrest warrant -- initially issued in mid-November on the request of investigative magistrates specialised in so-called crimes against humanity -- calls for Assad to be detained over his role in the chain of command for attacks on Adra and Douma on August 4-5, 2013, and East Ghouta on August 21.

Around 450 people were hurt in the first attack, while American intelligence says over 1,000 were killed with sarin nerve gas in East Ghouta, a suburb of Syrian capital Damascus.

Alongside Assad, the warrants target his brother Maher -- then head of the Syrian army's fourth division -- and two generals, Ghassan Abbas and Bassam al-Hassan.

The anti-terror prosecutors contested only the warrant for Bashar al-Assad's arrest.

The investigation by France's OCLCH crimes against humanity unit is based on photos, videos and maps, many supplied by plaintiffs, as well as testimony from survivors and former military personnel.

Soon after the attacks, Syria agreed to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and has denied subsequent allegations it continued to use the arms.

It had its OPCW voting rights suspended in 2021 following poison gas attacks on civilians in 2017.

The Syrian civil war broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests, escalating into a deadly armed conflict involving foreign powers and global jihadist groups.

The war has killed more than half a million people and displaced half of the country's pre-war population.
The Guinea court hearing the trial of ex-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara and others over a 2019 massacre on Wednesday said it would issue a verdict on July 31.

Along with 11 other government and military officials, Dadis Camara is charged with numerous cases of murder, sexual violence, torture, abduction and kidnapping.

On September 28, 2009, and in the following days, members of the presidential guard, soldiers, police and militiamen brutally cracked down on an opposition rally at a stadium in the suburbs of the capital Conakry.

At least 156 people were killed, 109 women were raped and hundreds of people injured, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry. The actual figures are thought to be higher.

On Wednesday the presiding judge announced the verdict date after the prosecution and the defence rested their cases.

"I didn't do anything, I did not commit a crime," Dadis Camara told the court. "The prosecutor did not produce any proof of my guilt. I rely on God and the wisdom of the court".

Guinean prosecutors had in late May requested life imprisonment for Dadis Camara and six other defendants, saying they were guilty of crimes against humanity for the massacre.

The landmark trial has gripped the West African country, with drama from the courtroom beamed to the nation's televisions and radios.

Dadis Camara has blamed the massacre on subordinates who he said acted beyond his control and denies any responsibility.
For almost two hours, some 40 people gathered in a Bamako hotel room at the invitation of the International Criminal Courts local office appeared to be very concentrated. The group was largely made up of human rights activists, but without the presence of victims. They were watching a live broadcast of the verdict against Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud, a former commissioner of the Islamic police during the occupation of Timbuktu, northern Mali, by the Ansar Eddine and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) armed groups more than ten years ago. Only the ordeal of an alleged thief whose hand was cut off in public during those dark hours -- as recounted by presiding judge Antoine Kesia-Mbe Mindua -- caused the audience to react. Amidst the reactions of outrage, some noted the inexpressive, almost serene face on screen of Al Hassan, seated in the dock in The Hague wearing a lime green Bazin and traditional turban.

After a four-year trial, a majority of the three judges found Al Hassan guilty of part of the charges brought against him for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between April 2, 2012 and January 29, 2013 in Timbuktu: torture, cruel treatment, persecution and other inhumane acts. It found he committed these crimes directly, or contributed to them with others, or aided and abetted them. However, Judge Mindua dissented and acquitted Al Hassan on all charges, apparently on the basis that he had acted under duress. More importantly, a majority of the judges cleared him of war crimes charges of rape, sexual slavery and other inhumane acts in the form of forced marriages.

The ICC has abandoned women

This acquittal immediately caused negative reactions in Mali. The head of a victims association, who requested anonymity, thinks that the ICC has abandoned women. She said this unbalanced verdict will exacerbate the trauma suffered by victims of sexual crimes. I myself was assaulted during the occupation. For us in Timbuktu, Al Hassan is responsible for the crimes committed, she continued angrily.

Seydou Doumbia, one of a group of three lawyers representing 2,196 victims, also considers the verdict unsatisfactory. A large number of our victims of sexual crimes are not satisfied, he confided, assuring us that the evidence presented was sufficient for Al Hassan to be found guilty. However, it is still too early to decide whether to appeal, he says. We are a collective of lawyers and we must first adopt a common position. For the time being, we are waiting for the sentence to be handed down. This could take several more weeks.

According to the lawyers analysis, the Court found that the sexual crimes had been perpetrated by members of the Hisba (morality police) and not by members of the Islamic police under the authority of Al Hassan. Doumbia finds this judgement curious. He points out that some of the rapes were committed in places under the responsibility of Al Hassan and that members of his Islamic police were involved in the forced marriages. Yehia Ahma Cisse, one of the few people in Timbuktu who agreed to testify openly, goes further. Head of the regional coordination of the Timbuktu victims association, he says they have witnesses who can directly incriminate Al Hassan. He knew everything. Its a shame that the court didnt call us to testify. What are we going to say to the women now? he asks. He pauses, then continues: According to the ICC, this man they see in their minds and whose very name brings them fear is not guilty of any sexual crime. Its incomprehensible.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, for whom the prosecution of sexual violence is an official priority, preferred in his press release to welcome the verdict. Mr Al Hassans conviction marks a significant step toward holding accountable those most responsible for atrocities committed against the civilian population in Timbuktu and in the region, he writes. This is an important moment for the International Criminal Court and for my Office. It is the first time an accused has been prosecuted and convicted for religious persecution, and for the passing of sentences without due process.

Talking Timbuktu

In Bamako, the ICC had set up a live feed of the verdict handed down in The Hague, but in Timbuktu, where most of the victims are based, the event seems to have gone unnoticed. I talked all day with other leaders of victims associations, but none of them mentioned the verdict, which means they didnt know about it, says Yehia Ahma Cisse. Justice Info contacted several journalists and heads of victims associations in Timbuktu, who said they only found out about the verdict through these calls.

The ICC did send invitations to some people in Timbuktu, but they had to travel to the capital, Bamako, at their own expense. For logistical reasons and because of a poor Internet connection, no broadcast was scheduled in Timbuktu, says Margot Tedesco, the ICCs public information officer in Mali. According to her, the ICC now intends to carry out information work, with the support of associations and the media, so that the victims are aware of the verdict and its implications. The victims are waiting to see what sentence will be handed down to Al Hassan. But they also say they are anxiously awaiting the Courts decision on reparations. The president of a womens association made a plea to this effect in the room during the video broadcast.

But the Court did not raise the issue of reparations at this stage. We are no further ahead today than we were a few weeks ago. All the victims have asked for reparations, and we are waiting for clear decisions from the ICC on this, says Cisse. In 2021, the ICC Trust Fund for Victims began paying individual reparations to victims of the destruction of mausoleums in Timbuktu. These reparations are linked to the trial of Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, who was sentenced in September 2016 to nine years in prison after pleading guilty. A year later, the court ordered individual and collective reparations of 2.7 million, including 1 million for individuals. After this new verdict in which no judge seems to agree with another, the wait for these reparations now begins.
In a significant stride towards international stardom, model-turned-actress Jung Ho Yeon has graced the cover of the August 2024 edition of ELLE USA, and is slated to mark her English-speaking production debut.

Clad in elegant Louis Vuitton attire, Jung Ho Yeon exudes grace and sophistication on the cover of one of America's most prestigious fashion and lifestyle magazines.

Jung Ho Yeon gained global recognition for her captivating presence in the hit Netflix series "Squid Game."

Now, she ventures further into the realm of English-speaking productions with her upcoming role in the Apple TV+ series "Disclaimer," where she will work alongside Cate Blanchett, Louis Partridge, and more.

In an exclusive interview featured in ELLE USA, Jung Ho Yeon candidly shared insights into her preparations for this pivotal role and her aspirations for her burgeoning acting career.

READ ALSO: Jung Ho Yeon Reveals Real Score With Devin Booker - Is She Still With Lee Dong Hwi?

Reflecting on her journey from modeling to acting, Jung Ho Yeon expressed gratitude for the opportunities that have come her way.

"It's been a challenging but immensely rewarding experience to take on roles that push me beyond my comfort zone."

The South Korean talent has quickly become a global sensation, admired not only for her striking appearance but also for her dedication to her craft.

Her role in "Disclaimer," an anticipated psychological thriller, promises to showcase her versatility and acting prowess to an international audience.

Meanwhile, watch Jung Ho Yeon experiencing Korean barbeque in New York City below!

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Joan Cabigas.
Versatile Chinese star Wang Yibo turned heads at Paris Fashion Week but not in a good way, due to his questionable outfit.

Want to know what the people are saying about his recent look? Then read on!

Wang Yibo's Questionable Ensemble At Paris Fashion Week Become Hot Topic

Chinese actor Wang Yibo was recently appointed as the newest global brand ambassador of the Spanish luxury fashion brand Loewe. He was invited to this year's Paris Fashion Week and flew from China to Europe.

With his popularity, many are excited to see him and his ensemble for the big event. Fans were happy to see his presence at the fashion event. However, not everyone was satisfied with his overall look.

In particular with his outfit. He showed up in a questionable look at the brand's show that happened last June 22.

The young star, who found fame in "The Untamed and Legend of Fei," donned a black jacket layered over what looked like a denim shirt that sprouted bright colors pink, yellow, orange, and blue pieces of fabric.

According to media reports, the shirt Wang Yibo was wearing is a one-of-a-kind piece from Loewe's Autumn/Winter 2024 collection and will not be sold.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:THIS Idol Accidentally Steps on Chest Pastie - And Fans Are Curious About Girl Who Left It

While some fans complimented the actor for the avant-garde ensemble, calling it 'super fashionable,' many were disappointed by it.

Netizens Compare Wang Yibo's Outfit to Feather Duster

The colorful top was compared to a variety of things including a feather duster, toilet-cleaning brush, and even a feathered shuttlecock. Netizens shared their different opinions regarding the actor's outfit.

"Isn't that the feather duster my parents used to discipline me as a kid?"

Some blamed that it was Wang Yibo's stylist or Loewe designer, Jonathan Anderson's vision.

Netizens also observed and speculated that Yibo might not have been a fan of the outfit, pointing out that he was unhappy at the event, sporting a sour expression.

"With that ensemble, it's no wonder he didn't smile."

Meanwhile, Wang Yibo posted some snaps of him taken at the fashion event. He was also spotted having a close interaction with the legendary Anna Wintour. The male star also thanked Jonathan for inviting him to the fashion event.

Loewe's Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson then expressed his gratitude to the actor's attendance at the event, through Wang Yibo's Instagram post.

What can you say about Wang Yibo's outfit? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai San Miguel wrote this.
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Over the next five years, the provincial government expects to see nearly 9,000 new homes built in Kelowna. Most new homes in Kelowna are coming in the form of condos or apartments in multi-family housing projects, rather than single-family homes.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei has told off the Gen Zs who are yearning to oust President William Ruto from power over what they termed as a failure by the president to listen to them in due time, leading to loss of lives.

In a statement, Singoei asserted that any attempt to shift the objectives of the anti-finance bill protests to force the ouster of President William Ruto is unconstitutional.

He noted that the protests were successful after the Head of State bowed to pressure and withdrew the contentious bill.

The PS added that it was a great opportunity for the young people to work together with the state after President Ruto called for dialogue.

"The high objectives of the protest, despite the regrettable loss of lives and destruction of property, has been a spectacular success.

"The Finance Bill 2024 is dead and the President now seeks an honest conversation with Kenyans, particularly her young people, on the way forward.

"This is a huge opportunity to work together to reform the state in a manner that best aligns with the people's aspirations.

"To shift the legitimate objectives of this protest to force the ouster of the president is unconstitutional," Korir remarked.

His remarks came even as protests were witnessed in some major cities, including Mombasa and Kisumu on Thursday.

In Nairobi, where protestors had planned to march to State House, security was heightened as KDF officers were deployed to assist the anti-riot police officers in case of any ensuing protests.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - There was drama in Nairobi Central Busines District after career activist Boniface Mwangi was roughed up by a group of youthful protesters over claims of falsely assuming authority as their leader.

The Gen Zs confronted Boniface and demanded to know who installed him as their leader.

Hatuna leader (we dont have a leader), they were heard saying.

Boniface was trying to plead with the protesters to go home after he got reports that goons had infiltrated the peaceful demos.

Hatuendi(we are not going), they were heard saying as they marched on.

The renowned activist was forced to scamper for safety after he was roughed up and slapped.

Boniface is a career activist and mostly depends on donor funds to survive.

He has been trying to cash in on the ongoing anti-finance bill protests.





Watch video.

Kenyan anti-government protestors have rejected a centralized leadership and insisted that they have no power hierarchy. A local activist was almost roughed up in Nairobi CBD over claims of falsely assuming authority. pic.twitter.com/K2JsxsftTK  Cyprian, Is Nyakundi (@C_NyaKundiH) June 27, 2024

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has disclosed plans by President William Rutos government to impose a 25 per cent tax on shoe imports.

This comes amid demonstrations by the Gen Zs who do not want any further increase in taxes.

During an interview, Kuria stated that the taxes aim to reduce the appeal of importing shoes and support local manufacturers.

According to Kuria, Kenya possesses ample livestock resources to supply hides needed for shoe manufacturing, underscoring the country's potential to bolster its local shoe industry.

"This year, by the way, we are imposing a 25 per cent on shoes. If you want to buy from Italy, prepare to pay more," the CS stated.

"We have skin and have the second-largest herd of cattle that can produce shoes in Africa and right here in Kenya."

The CS further revealed that during his tenure in the Ministry of Trade, he imposed taxes on imports of products such as cement.

As a result, he celebrated the opening of a clinker factory in West Pokot that now employs 2,800 people.

"We have these huge problems of unemployment and when we keep on importing things from outside denying our country of jobs, we are really sabotaging ourselves," Kuria added.

"Last year, I put in taxes for imports which are brought in from outside. As a result, a factory for cement was opened up in West Pokot. 2,800 people are employed as a result of deliberate policies that I put there."

President William Ruto had made public his plans to ban the importation of shoes entirely to promote local industries in the sector.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has pleaded with Kenyans, especially Gen Z, not to punish members of Parliament who approved the punitive Finance Bill, 2024.

Speaking in Mombasa yesterday, the remorseful Gachagua asked for forgiveness on behalf of the UDA MPs.

He defended the lawmakers, saying they were just doing their job by toeing the party line when they voted YES to the bill.

He further noted that since the Head of State had thrown out the bill in its entirety, it was only fair if Kenyans softened their stance against the lawmakers.

"I want to ask Kenyans not to punish MPs for the stand that they took.

"A government is formed by a political party. Once a government has a programme in Parliament and decides it is good for the people, members of Parliament from that party must toe the line," stated Gachagua.

"I do not want you to punish members of Parliament, they just did what is right in terms of our political formation.

"Allow them to support their government because that is why they were elected as members of the government party."

"Let us not harass, abuse, and attack their properties.

"They were just doing what the government wanted and now that the government has decided to do the right thing, I think we should close that chapter," the DP added.

Gachagua asked the public to wait until 2027 in case they want to punish or affirm a lawmaker regarding fallout stemming from the Finance Bill 2024 or any other matter.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - American rapper, Julio Foolio tragically posted on social media 'God thank you for allowing me to see another year' hours before he was shot dead at his 26th birthday party.

The rapper, whose real name was Charles Jones, was celebrating with friends at an AirBnB in Tampa, Florida, before he checked into a Holiday Inn when he was 'ambushed' in the parking lot.

Foolio shared photos and videos of the pool party with his Instagram followers throughout the evening of June 22.





One story revealed the police showed up and shut down the celebration, but the party continued to another location.

The rapper also tragically posted on X the day before: 'God thank you for allowing me to see another Year & To celebrate another birthday. Appreciate all the birthday wishes so far.'





One video posted on Foolio's social media saw him showing his followers around the AirBnB with a pool that he was staying in.

He captioned the post: 'We jus[t] got to here for my pool party Tampa Florida if you already got the addy pull up at 6-6:30.'

Foolio's death has been confirmed by his attorney Lewis Fusco after Tampa Police said they responded to a 911 call regarding a shooting at 11606 McKinley Drive at approximately 4.40am.





One person was killed and three others injured in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn.

Tampa Police Public Information Officer Jonee' Lewis wrote in a press release: 'The victim in this morning's shooting is believed to be Charles Jones.

'Positive identification is pending confirmation from the Medical Examiner's Office.'

The popular Jacksonville rapper has been a target of numerous shootings in the past with the latest occurring just eight months ago in October 2023. This was said to be another 'ambush' style attack.

On November 8, 202, he was also injured in a shooting.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has urged Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua not to mislead Kenyans by claiming he was against the Finance Bill 2024.

In a statement on X on Thursday, the CS accused Gachagua of being deceitful in his sentiments about the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

Kuria claimed the second in command was part of the team that drafted the initial Bill before Ruto made concessions.

The CS alleged that Gachagua chaired the meeting where a resolution was made to include value-added tax (VAT) on bread and milk.

"The Committee meeting that endorsed the original Finance Bill, which included VAT for milk and bread, was chaired by the Deputy President. What a lying, dishonourable man," Kuria stated.

During a press briefing from Mombasa Wednesday, Gachagua distanced himself from the retrogressive bill and thanked President William Ruto for withdrawing the bill.

He also urged President William Ruto to start listening to people and cease the stone age politics of chest-thumping.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024  United States President Joe Biden reached out to President William Ruto over the wanton killings of innocent Gen Zs during the protests against his draconian Finance Bill.

Moments after Ruto gave in to the Gen Zs and withdrew the draconian bill, Biden lectured him, warning him to stop the killings in Kenya.

Through US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Biden spoke of the need for Kenyan security agencies to avoid using excessive force while restraining protestors.

Considering the withdrawal of the Bill meant Kenya would not be able to raise over Ksh300 billion, Blinken and Ruto also spoke of the economic prospects of the country.

Details of the call were revealed by State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller who underscored Kenyas importance to US foreign policy.

In a call with Kenyan President Ruto, Sec Blinken emphasized the importance of reducing tensions and ensuring security services demonstrate restraint and refrain from violence, Miller revealed in a statement.

The U.S. will remain a steadfast partner of Kenyas government and people as they address economic challenges.

During a separate press brief briefing, Blinken remarked that the US was in possession of evidence that Kenyan security officers used excessive force on protestors.

"We have seen well-documented reports of violence against protesters, and what we have said is in our  in our conversation with that  with the Kenyan Government is that they should use non-lethal methods and prevent civilian harm in dealing with peaceful protests," he remarked.

The situation in Kenya also received attention from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (Minnesota's 5th District) and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Kieni Member of Parliament Wainaina Njoroge has fired 350 workers after protestors broke into his chain of supermarkets stealing goods worth Sh 550 million.

Addressing the media on Thursday, Wainaina, who is the owner of Chieni Supermarkets located in Nyeri and Nanyuki, said he lost goods worth Sh 550 million after protesters stormed his shops on Tuesday.

Wainaina's supermarkets were looted after he supported the Finance Bill 2023.

The lawmaker stated that the total value of goods stolen by looters from chain stores amounted to Sh 450 million.

The remaining estimate of Sh 100 million accounted for equipment, including bakery shelves, which turned into scrap metals after the shop was set ablaze.

Njoroge noted that the scrap metals are currently being collected after the fire was put out. He decried the move, saying it has forced the supermarket to lay off over 300 workers.

"The scrap metals are now scavenging for the metallic stands that remained after the inferno.

"We have been forced to lay off our staff, a move that will see 350 people left jobless," Njoroge said.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dropped a bombshell, exposing NIS Director General Noordin Hajis dirty dealings.

Speaking during a live address to the nation from Mombasa, Gachagua accused Haji of ostensibly hatching a plot to frame him and former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the key financiers and the hidden faces behind the anti-finance bill protests by Gen Z.

Gachagua stated that the plans flopped, before proceeding to call on state agencies to stop victimizing leaders with divergent political views.

At the same time, the DP accused Haji of presiding over a dysfunctional intelligence system and blamed him for Tuesday's demos and feeding President William Ruto disjointed intelligence.

"On Tuesday, Noordin Haji was trying to put up a team together and propaganda and attribute the chaos to leaders including myself and former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

It is very clear and the President has admitted that the protests were caused by the anger of Kenyans on the Finance Bill," Gachagua charged.

Gachagua further blamed the NIS for what he termed as incompetence in briefing security agencies such as the National Police Service (NPS), leading to public anger boiling over and resulting in Kenyans breaching Parliament.

As a result, Gachagua called on Noordin Haji to resign, stating that he had failed in his mandate.

Gachagua further stated that the NIS had failed to alert the President in good time, specifically, two months before about how Kenyans truly felt about the Finance Bill, 2024.

The Deputy President, therefore, blamed Haji for the loss of lives and massive destruction of property witnessed on Tuesday.

"Senior officers have told me in confidence they did not have advance intelligence brief so that they prepare in advance," stated Gachagua.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27,2024 - Fresh details have emerged over how the National Security Council is divided over the ongoing protests by Genz that have shocked the presidency to the core.

The NSC consists of the President, Interior Cabinet Secretary, Chief of Defense Forces, Inspector General of Police, and National Intelligence Service (NIS) boss.

According to sources, NIS boss Nordin Haji was put to task on why the ongoing protests by Gen Z have exposed the government, particularly the presidency.

In his response, Haji said the demos were initially organized by young people but the moment politicians hijacked the demos that is when everything went south.

When he was asked by President William Ruto to name politicians sponsoring the demos, Haji named Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and former President Uhuru Kenyatta as the people sponsoring the demos.

Haji went on to say that Uhuru and Gachagua had hired men from Muranga and Thika towns to come to Nairobi and cause deadly chaos on Tuesday that left several protestors dead and properties worth billions of shillings destroyed.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua criticized National Intelligence Service Director Noordin Haji over the Gen Z protests that turned deadly on Tuesday when protesters breached Parliament security by force.

Speaking during a live press conference, Gachagua threw Haji under the bus, blaming him for the protests.

Gachagua accused Haji of misleading President William Ruto about the severity of the protests.

As a result, he called for the resignation of the NIS boss over what he described as the dissemination of disjointed intelligence to Ruto.

Gachagua claimed that the country has a disjointed intelligence system, insisting that NIS had failed in intelligence gathering, which could have been used to avert the fatal demonstrations on Tuesday.

During the same address, Gachagua disclosed that 13 NIS assistant directors had been removed from the intelligence service.

Gachagua did not mince his words, insisting that Haji bears the most blame for Tuesday's protest due to failing to gather accurate intelligence, which led to Ruto receiving inactionable information.

"We have a dysfunctional NIS that has exposed the government and the people of Kenya.

"Had the NIS briefed the president two months ago about how the people of Kenya feel about the Finance Bill 2024, so many Kenyans would not have died.

"There would have been no mayhem, but they slept on the job."

"Noordin Haji must take responsibility for the deaths, mayhem, failing President Ruto and Kenya for not doing his job.

"He must do the honourable thing, not just taking responsibility but resign," Gachagua stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been thrown into mourning following the death of his elder sister, Leah Wangari Muriuki.

In a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday, Gachagua, who has been branded by Kenyans as a truthful man announced his sister's passing, saying that he and his family were devastated by the news.

"I am saddened to receive news of the passing of our eldest sister Leah Wangari Muriuki. Leah has been our Mother and the family Matriarch."

Gachagua paid tribute to his sister by recognizing her role as the leader of the Gachagua family after their parents' passing

"She has taken good care of the larger Gachagua Family after the death of our father and our two mothers."

The deputy president also extended his deepest condolences to his late sister's husband, children, and grandchildren.

The second in command concluded his statement by asking God to heal the country and all families.

Gachagua did not disclose the cause of his sister's death in his statement.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - President William Ruto met with Coast region governors at State House in Nairobi to deliberate the way forward following a ban on Muguka.

During the meeting, the governors from the six coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, and Taita Taveta under Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani called on the Head of State to consider their decision on banning the crop.

While defending their move, the leaders led by Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir Sheriff urged the president to declare the crop a national hazard.

According to them, Muguka consumption was associated with an array of health problems including lack of sleep, hallucinations, lack of appetite, stomach ulcers, tooth decay, and low libido.

They further convinced the Head of State that the consumption of Muguka bred idleness, irresponsibility, crime, wastage of household resources, and the problem of addiction.

Further in minors in our schools, it has brought about lack of attention in class, truancy, absenteeism, poor academic performance, school dropouts, high cases of indiscipline in schools and teenage pregnancies, the leaders argued.

"The Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani leadership unequivocally and unanimously support the Muguka ban by the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani Governors."

Following their complaints, President Ruto thus agreed with the governors to form a committee of professionals to look at the issues touching on Miraa and Muguka.

While addressing the concerns raised by the governors, Ruto underscored the need to liberate the Coast region and other parts of our country from drugs and substance use.

The president's meeting with the coastal Governors followed a similar meeting with the leaders from Embu on the ban of Muguka.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Gatundu North Member of Parliament, Njoroge Kururia, is among the Kenya Kwanza politicians displaying lavish lifestyles on social media, even as millions of Kenyans complain about the high cost of living.

The arrogant MP voted Yes for the punitive finance bill and insulted the brave Gen Zs who took to the streets to protest again the bill, calling them idlers.

Njoroge was a keyboard prayer at Bishop Edward Mwais Jesus Winner Ministry church in Roysambu before he became am MP.

He is now busy vomiting on hungry Kenyans on social media.

A few weeks ago, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua asked leaders in the government to respect Kenyans who elected them even if they're now 'wealthy'.

Speaking on Friday, June 14, in Ruai, Kasarani Constituency, Nairobi County, the DP said it was wrong for some leaders to ignore their mandate and instead, take to misleading and stepping on the people who look up to them for solutions for their challenges.

"I want to ask all leaders in Kenya to stop insulting Kenyans. When we eat and get full, let us not vomit on them," remarked Gachagua.

The Deputy President added, "I have heard some leaders disrespecting the people that elected them. Kindly respect wananchi. Even if you are now wealthy, dont fall into the temptation of spitting and disrespecting those who dont have anything. Kindly give them respect even if they dont have anything like you do."

See photos of the first-time MP's lavish lifestyle.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Mandera East Member of Parliament, Hussein Weytan, refused to side with oppressors by rejecting the punitive Finance Bill.

Hussein voted No for the bill while all other Mandera MPs voted Yes to please President William Ruto, despite millions of Kenyans rejecting the bill.

The Azimio-coalition MP was given a heroic welcome by his constituents for failing to betray them as other MPs were reportedly bribed with Ksh 2 Million each by the state to pass the bill.

They carried him on their shoulders like a hero and erupted in joy after he visited his constituency.

Watch the video.

The only MP from Mandera County who voted NO. He was welcomed in his constituency today this way! pic.twitter.com/VVotBGm4F1  Azimio TV (@AzimioTv) June 26, 2024

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Kapsaret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi is facing losses after his newly launched club in Eldoret was vandalized by Anti-Finance Bill protesters on Tuesday.

Angry protesters opposing the Finance Bill started throwing stones at the club named Timba XO, causing damage to its expensive windows.

Other demonstrators started banging on the club's gate in an attempt to force it open, as they chanted in unison, "Ruto must go."

They gained access to the club and stole expensive bottles of whiskey after overpowering the security guards.

It is now emerging that Sudi unleashed his private gang to deal with the intruders.

According to Kileleshwa Ward MCA Robert Alai, 5 people were bludgeoned to death by Sudis ruthless gang, and others were injured.

5 people were bludgeoned to death by Oscar Sudis private gang at Timba XO club, Alai tweeted.

Sudi alleged that politicians from the Rift Valley region planned the vandalism.

The UDA lawmaker condemned the move, saying he has never thought of destroying anyones property.

I have never in my life planned to destroy peoples property. My work has always been helping people who don't have parents, building churches, and other things. We know people who organized it and the leaders are from home, said Sudi.

At the same time, the vocal MP suspended all his planned activities including charity events and fundraising until further notice.

I will not say anything bad but since it has become something else let me also rest and suspend everything that I had planned until further notice, Sudi stated.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA), Robert Alai, claims that senior government officials and members of parliament affiliated to the Kenya Kwanza coalition were shaken after youths stormed Parliament on Tuesday during the violent anti-finance bill demos.

According to Alai, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and 4 Kenya Kwanza MPs spent the night at Hemingways hotel - one of the most prestigious hotels in the city.

They were reportedly fearing for their lives after the protests turned chaotic.

Protesters started targeting the private residences of Kenya Kwanza politicians, prompting Murkomen and the 4 MPs to spend the night in the posh hotel.

Murkomen and 4 MPs allied to Kenya Kwanza went to spend the night in Hemingways Hotel last night while fearing for their lives over the demonstrations, Alai tweeted.





The Tuesday protests saw MPs escape through an underground channel after the Parliament came under siege when a group of anti-tax demonstrators gained access to the House moments after lawmakers passed President Rutos highly contested Finance Bill 2024.

The protesters, who had been clashing with police and chanting anti-government slogans in Nairobi since morning, accessed the highly fortified Parliament Buildings via Uhuru Highway.

The MPs escaped to Bunge Towers through an underground channel as the anti-tax protesters breached the Parliament Building.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.






Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Surfing legend, Tamayo Perry, who once appeared in a Pirates of the Caribbean film, has been killed in a shark attack while surfing off the shores of Oahu.

Perry, 49, was found off Malaekahana Beach on Oahu's North Shore by local surfers with an arm and a leg missing, according to Stab Magazine.

First responders said he appeared to have suffered 'more than one possible shark bite.'

Lifeguards then brought Perry to shore by jetski and paramedics pronounced him dead, officials said in a news conference.

Ocean Safety personnel posted shark warnings in the area following the attack.

Perry started surfing at the age of 12, and by the time he was a teenager, he was considered the 'quiet up-and-coming local boy who had to borrow surf boards because he had no sponsors,' according to The Encyclopedia of Surfing.

'By 1997, the wiry goofy-footer had gone a long way to developing a tube riding style, combining traits from Gerry Lopez and Tom Carroll, his two favorite old-school Pipeline surfers,' it says.

Two years later, Perry would win the Pipeline Masters, and by 2005, Perry was widely regarded as one of Pipeline's most prominent surfers - gaining attention for his smile and casual poise as he battled large waves.

His charisma and skills also landed him roles in the 2002 hit Blue Crush, Lost, the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Hawaii Five-0.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - The young generation in the country has successfully made President William Ruto drop the controversial Finance Bill 2024 after two weeks of protests.

Ruto dropped the bill on Wednesday, admitting that Gen Z had defeated him.

The young generation, comprising 75 percent of the Kenyan population, had been protesting for the past two weeks. The hallmark of their protests came on Tuesday when they stormed and vandalized the Parliament Building.

Following the storming of Parliament, President William Ruto dropped the bill and said he had withdrawn it from Parliament.

Genz said they welcomed the President's decision to withdraw the bill but maintained Ruto 'must go' over poor governance.

When asked whom they want to replace Ruto with, Gen Z said they want former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Okengo Matiang'i to take over.

Responding to persistent calls, the former CS has reportedly taken steps indicating his inclination towards reentering politics, such as printing and distributing branded caps.

"Thank you, Fred Matiang'i for believing in Maleek's Courier to ship your caps from the UK," read a post from Tongola Mate.

Known for his transformative leadership in various ministries under former president Uhuru Kenyatta's administration, Matiang'i earned praise for his significant reforms, particularly in education.

Matiang''i is currently in exile in the United Kingdom.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Renowned businessman and tycoon, Kiprop Bundotich, has accused Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii of recruiting a militia gang to cause mayhem.

Taking to his X account, Bundotich claimed that Governor Bii spent Ksh 20 million, money looted from the county coffers, to hire the gang.

The gang was filmed singing Kalenjin war songs at an unidentified location.

The rogue governor reportedly hired the gang to kill and maim peaceful anti-finance bill protesters and despite the President withdrawing the bill, he insists that the gang must unleash violence on innocent people.

Bundotich advised him to use the money to pay back some of the funds he obtained fraudulently after conning the youth through the Finland Scholarship scandal.

"Governor Bii, you are using the County's money to finance a war.

"The president has called for a timeout, and you are saying game on.

"The budget to be spent tonight and tomorrow is 20 million.

"Use this money to pay back some of the Finland cash you used for the 2022 elections. Blood will be on your hands, the vocal tycoon tweeted.





Watch video.

@GovernorBii, you are using County's money to finance war. The president has called for a timeout, and you are saying game on. The budget to be spent tonight and tomorrow is 20 million. Use this money to pay back some of the Finland cash you used for the 2022 elections. Blood pic.twitter.com/UFT7fYKgzi  Buzeki Kiprop Bundotich-OGW (@BuzekiKiprop) June 26, 2024

The Kenyan DAILY POST.




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - A vocal United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Member of Parliament is seeking forgiveness from his constituents for voting yes to the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

Speaking on Thursday, Turkana Central Member of Parliament Joseph Namuar said he regrets heavily for supporting the Finance Bill 2024.

Namuar commended President William Ruto for declining to assent to the bill despite sailing through in parliament.

According to the MP, President Ruto's decision to withdraw the bill was a testament to the Head of State's commitment to fulfilling the demands of Kenyans.

If by any means we made a mistake, we the MPs who voted YES to the Finance Bill ask for forgiveness, the lawmaker pleaded.

And just the way the president called for a dialogue, we as the presidents soldiers, ask for forgiveness on your behalf, he added.

Kenyans across the political divide have vowed to punish any MP who supported the Finance Bill 2024.

The Kenyan DAILY POST




Thursday, June 27, 2024 - Central Turkana Member of Parliament Joseph Namuar now regrets supporting President William Rutos draconian Finance Bill.

While addressing the press, the remorseful UDA legislator acknowledged his mistake and pleaded for forgiveness from his constituents.

Namuar commended Ruto for declining to assent to the bill despite sailing through in Parliament.

According to the MP, Ruto's decision to withdraw the bill was a testament to the Head of State's commitment to fulfilling the demands of Kenyans.

If by any means we made a mistake, we the MPs who voted YES to the Finance Bill ask for forgiveness, the lawmaker pleaded.

And just the way the president called for a dialogue, we as the presidents soldiers, ask for forgiveness on your behalf, he added.

The legislator, while admitting the decision, expressed empathy for Kenyans who were affected by the nationwide demonstrations.

Namuar's plea came hours after Ruto announced the withdrawal of the Finance Bill after Kenyans expressed widespread dissatisfaction with the proposed tax measures.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
You wish to spend more time with patients while giving high-quality care. Youre tired of dealing with health plans red tape. Maybe a colleague boasted that he could charge $300 to $400 per consult out of pocket. To which you say, You know what, I can do that too! We dont blame you. However, when starting our cash-pay clinic, we juggled several elements during the transition. We distilled that planning into four parts, you must consider before launching that journey. This will prevent you from making the same mistakes we did and help patients understand your cash-pay clinic setup.

You cant undo a cash pay or direct primary care (DPC) clinic with a control + Z keystroke.

1. Ask yourself, why? Why do you want to do this? Yes, really. Is the pursuit of cash pay for you? Your patients? Your team? To reclaim sanity? To make more money? To ease major stress? Do you want more control over your time (and maybe your life)? Dont consider going 100 percent private if you are unclear on any of these aims.

2. Envision the patients you want to see. Medicine is a local practice at heart. Knowing your community within 20 to 30+ miles of the clinic is a great first step for proper targeting. Like any prolific office, seek new patientsbut choose them well.

Lets do a brief exercise. Patient caricatures grant insights, especially so for cash-pay clinics. Write a list of what your ideal patient personas are. How do these patients spend their day? What is their home life situation? Do they pour milk before cereal? What do they do for work? Start there. Avoid focusing on age alone.

The best personas have two complements. Think salt and pepper or Reeses peanut butter and chocolate. Make sure there is a clear link between where the patient comes from (e.g., their profession, social background, aspirations, etc.) and what you offer (XYZ outpatient service tailored to said patients). Channel your diagnostic observation skills. Have your manager take notes too. Your first draft personas will be precisely wrong but vaguely right. Iterate them to be mostly correct. For any cash-pay office, there will be some bias toward the affluent. Not everyone has spare cash for health carethats the reality. But do not assume that you will only serve your local Kardashians. Theres more variety in socio-economic background than you may expect. Keep an open mind for other demographics you havent reached yet.

Given that medical bills are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S., its no surprise that patients view health care as an expense. Take yourself for example. You probably have medical insurance. Over 92 percent of U.S. residents have some form of health coverage. That plan is paid for either directly (your premium) or indirectly (your taxes). Said insurers then promise that your care will be handled at minimal extra expense. Youre already paying for the insurance, which is supposed to work for you. So why bother shelling out more dough? And now the private pay doctors lament, But I provide X, Y, and Z to my patients above and beyond expectations! Dont waste your breath on patients being close-minded about out-of-network setups.

So who do you target instead? Certain patients consider their health to be an investment, not an expense. They view their doctor as a lifelong partner, not a one-visit dictator, of their care. Prevention and process become just as important as treatment. These patients are willing and able to pay for high-quality care, even if their income exceeds U.S. GDP per capita. For example, if you have expertise in skin cancers, leverage that to the hilt. Carry the years worth of trust built up among your most loyal intergenerational patients with a white glove. You can lose these patients in ten seconds. Regardless of what personas resonate best with your services, cultivate the proper mindset among all your patient groups. Again, position your services as an investment, not an expense. This is the essence of patient demographic targeting.

3. Know your timeline. From experience, we went cash pay in three months but had to rip off many band-aids at once. We terminated all insurance plans, including Medicare, in one swoop. We do not recommend this drastic violence of action. Its a smoother process to peel off insurance contracts, a few at a time, over 6 to 12 months. We did not have that luxury. But you mighttreasure that time. Exercise selectivity in cutting the lowest value-add and lowest volume health plans first. Larger plans such as Aetna and Medicare drastically impact your patient panel. Save them for last. Build up experience with appeasing patients from the smaller plans you remove first. Explore if a hybrid out-of-network dynamic works for the clinic. But avoid being hybrid forever. This will confuse new and established patients, especially if you drop some but not all commercial plans under the same parent. There is an exception: terminating government payers but keeping all other insurers. Its not uncommon for specialty practices to pack the schedule with higher-paying commercial plans over Medicare. The moral issues of alienating these members can be its own story.

Blocking appropriate time matters. Terminating plans can take longer than expected. You may have a contractual obligation to care for certain members in-network up through a specific date. Other health plans may be flexible with termination requests, but some cool-off periods may be at least three months. Consult your lawyer or state medical association for best practices here.

4. Choose your business model wisely. Cash-pay medicine is much more than asking patients to show me the money! Patients should understand what they are paying for ahead of time. Heres a brief summary table (pending a more detailed guide).

Most existing private pay clinics choose a paygo or concierge model. Reimbursement must align with the nature of your specialty. A neurosurgeon probably shouldnt have a retainer. Family medicine doctors fare better with a concierge setup over paygo. Your location and ideal patient pool can allow for some exceptions.

Beyond this list: the road ahead. Youre more prepared than before but maybe a little overwhelmed. Going cash pay is a huge decisionif possible, take your time in making this choice. And then 100 percent commit when ready.

Rushi Nagalla is co-founder of a dermatology practice. Sandhya V. Koppula is a dermatologist.
In the past year alone, legislative assaults on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education have surged across the United States. This disturbing trend threatens the foundational values of our academic institutions and endangers the very essence of health equity in medical education and practice.

The recent introduction of the Embracing Anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curriculum, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act by Rep. Greg Murphy, MD, and its 35 cosponsors marks a new low in this misguided crusade. If passed, this bill would prohibit medical schools from receiving federal funding if they implement DEI policies. This move could have devastating consequences for our nations future.

According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, since 2023, 84 bills in 28 states have been introduced to prohibit colleges from having DEI offices, staff, and initiatives. These bills ban training, question hiring and promotion practices, and limit diversity goals in admissions and employment. As a result, at least 116 college campuses have altered or eliminated programs that impact individuals from historically marginalized communities.

As a faculty member at my school of medicine, I teach students and faculty about medical and research ethics, trust, and trustworthiness. Today, we discuss historical atrocities to understand the importance of autonomy, beneficence, and justice. We explore how individuals deserve to be treated with respect. Contrary to miseducation claims, I do not blame a majority group for past atrocities. Instead, I teach about the historical foundations of modern medical education and health systems. We must learn from past mistakes and pay attention to how the most vulnerable, including our loved ones, navigate health care today.

I emphasize the physician-patient relationship, the importance of connection and communication, and the need for cultural humility. Treating the patient, not an entire culture, is crucial. We should expect our physicians to listen to what lies behind a patients response. Speaking about biases and lived experiences is part of this dialogue. DEIs miseducation falsely suggests that discussing bias is about making racist accusations, but we all have biases that influence our interactions.

Every year, I review applications and interview residency candidates. I speak with medical school applicants who all want to help people. No one can argue that this country does not need more health professionals. We also need diversity among these professionals to connect with patients lived experiences. According to AAMC projections, the U.S. will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 by 2036. We need to expand our health professional workforce, not limit it. The miseducation of DEI incorrectly claims we are accepting unworthy candidates. Yet, holistic review processes have been in place for years, allowing us to increase class sizes and produce more primary care physicians.

DEI is not just about race and ethnicity but also includes gender equity, accessibility, and rural health. My work in community engagement and health research literacy impacts all populations, including predominantly white, rural areas in Indiana. DEI efforts ensure we address health inequities and include marginalized groups. Health equity happens through DEI despite political challenges. Indianas public health funding has increased due to research on health disparities.

I call on all health professionals, faculty, students, staff, and trainees to communicate the importance of DEI for health equity. The miseducation of DEI ignores the critical role of equity in ensuring everyone has a fair chance to achieve their highest health potential. We must address injustices and obstacles to health care, even those within our privileges.

Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally. Correct this miseducation with information. We are in medicine and health because we care. The miseducation of DEI has led to the elimination of critical efforts and the silencing of voices that speak to its impact. Educate others about the true meaning of DEI in health and education. DEI is about health. If making people healthy is political, then what are we doing?

The social mission of academic medicine requires us to stand for DEI. Do not be complacent; get involved. Where is the pro-DEI and health equity legislation? A few years ago, we discussed reclaiming academic medicines social mission and its social responsibility. We achieve this by viewing everything through an equity lens.

Years ago, I participated in a workshop that shaped my professional identity. We were asked to introduce ourselves without using our titles. I said I am a cheerleader for faculty and students, reminding them they belong here and ensuring communities have access to higher education and health. This is DEI in action, though I had not mentioned the term. DEI has been weaponized, but we must reclaim its true purpose.

We care about patients and their health. We formulate research questions to cure and relieve suffering. We are all in the academic medicine and health sciences professions, with health equity as our goal. By remaining reactive and silent, we become complicit in undermining health equity.

The dismantling of DEI initiatives impacts our patients, trainees, and colleagues. Consider this: over 24 percent of U.S. physicians are international medical graduates, and over 37 percent are womengroups once marginalized in medical training. DEI efforts are pivotal in achieving these milestones. In 2023, more than 200,000 faculty members served in academic medical centers, with my institution housing 5,000 of these dedicated professionals. Imagine the transformative power if each of these individuals championed the message that DEI is synonymous with health equity.

We must harness our collective strength to uphold these principles as educators and advocates. Institutions must recognize their role as bastions of academic excellence and societal progress. We are called to speak the truth and advocate for justice, ensuring that DEI remains integral to our mission. The future of our health care system depends on it.

Sylk Sotto is a bioethicist.
The lives of children across Ireland will be improved in multiple ways through 122 RTE Toy Show Appeal grants announced today, which were made possible by the generosity of viewers of last Novembers Late Late Toy Show.

The response from Late Late Toy Show viewers to the appeal will help transform the lives of 1.1 million children, young people and their families in Ireland, with every county on the island benefitting from grants totaling 3.6 million.

The RTE Toy Show Appeal was founded in 2020 and has raised over 21 million for childrens charities to date.

The RTE Toy Show Appeal began in 2020,and was inspired by the story of Saoirse Ruane from Kiltullagh Co Galway, who won the hearts of the nation with her appearance on The Late Late Toy Show.

Saoirse sadly passed away in March of this year, and RTE Director General Kevin Backhurst today spoke of Saoirses enduring legacy with The Toy Show Appeal.

Announcing the grants, RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst said: The RTE Toy Show Appeal is one of the most important things that we do as an organisation. We are so grateful for the support of our Late Late Toy Show audience whose generosity has ensured that RTE can continue to make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children, and their families across the island, north and south. Children have always been the inspiration behind the Late Late Toy Show and have, in turn, inspired the RTE Toy Show Appeal, not least, Saoirse Ruane who will be remembered as someone who made such a positive and lasting impact on us all. Her memory will live on through the RTE Toy Show Appeal and the many young lives that will be transformed.

The RTE Toy Show Appeal, in partnership with the Community Foundation Ireland, announced today that the following five charities are to receive transformative grants of 120,000 each.

The Offaly Traveller Movement was awarded funds to extend its unique Travelling to Wellbeing Mental Health Service which is a Traveller specific programme to address the critical mental health needs within the Traveller community.

Crosscare was awarded a transformative grant for their innovative social supermarket pilot aimed at addressing the root causes of food poverty in a dignified and effective way and promoting a move away from food banks that can perpetuate poverty and contribute to industry around food surplus.

Community Law & Mediation received funding for its Children and Young Peoples Law Service to meet the needs and realise change for marginalised groups.

Children At Risk in Ireland CARI was awarded a transformative grant for its trauma-informed therapeutic group support for adolescents who have experienced child sexual abuse, and parent support groups for carers of adolescents who have experienced child sexual abuse.

Baboro International Arts Festival for Children was granted the award to roll out a creative sensory workshop model for children with additional needs in five schools across Galway, Westmeath, and Clare, accompanied by professional development for teachers.

The remainder of the donations will be split amongst over a hundred charities across the island of Ireland by charity partner Community Foundation Ireland who manage the grant process on behalf of RTE and its viewers. Among the recipient charities are organisations like AsIAm Ireland's Autism Charity, Barnardos, Barretstown, Cancer Care West and Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland said: Childrens lives in every county are about to be transformed thanks to the huge generosity of RTE Late Late Toy Show viewers and the Toy Show Appeal. Colour, excitement and joy are being introduced into so many young lives including those living with illness and disability. Protection and safety will also be provided to those living with bullying, in violent homes and facing abuse. The Community Foundation is a proud partner of RTE in realising the vision of viewers to support children across Ireland.

Grants are being provided under three main areas of support:

Addressing Essential Needs to assist those children in every county who face the greatest challenges. Projects include: family support for children across Ireland at risk of food poverty, therapy and counselling for children and young people facing homelessness (Dublin), and specialist legal support for children in the care system. 650,000 has been dedicated to ensuring children are fed, warm, safe and have brilliant opportunities ahead of them.

Health and Wellbeing focuses on supporting children living with disabilities and life limiting conditions. In total, over 1.5M is being awarded this year to provide health, disability supports, mental wellbeing and therapy services. Grants include supports for children with cancer diagnosis in Cavan, palliative care supports for children in Munster and supporting those with ADHD in Belfast.

Creativity and Play will ensure the lives of marginalised and disadvantaged children are full of colour, creativity and fun. Grants include: providing access to recreational activities including surfing in Donegal and Galway, developing a neurodiversity sensory centre in Leinster, and a youth theatre for children with disabilities all across Ireland.

Local projects and organisations in every county of Ireland will receive grants to help with a diverse range of needs including meeting basic needs like food and essentials, disability supports, creativity and play and bereavement support. Over 287,000 has been awarded to 13 charities and organisations in Northern Ireland including Angel Eyes NI Services, Youthlife, Sticky Fingers Arts and Action Mental Health.
Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty has accused the Tanaiste of being completely dishonest over the Governments housing policy, after they went head to head in the Dail.

The Ceann Comhairle threatened to suspend the Dail, as Sinn Fein TDs and Micheal Martin disagreed with a Government housing scheme.

Sinn Fein criticised an affordable housing scheme in Coolock in north Dublin, after it emerged earlier this week that a three-bedroom home will cost up to 475,000 euro.

Mr Doherty described the house prices as bonkers.

The Tanaiste today failed to answer if he believes that 475,000 for a home is affordable under his Governments scheme. Instead he chose to mislead the Dail because he knows it's not affordable. We need to build affordable homes on public land. That's what a Sinn Fein led pic.twitter.com/7cANXEgixn  Pearse Doherty (@PearseDoherty) June 27, 2024

He added: This week, Dublin City Council announced the prices of what this Government describes as affordable homes in Oscar Traynor Road would be sold for.

A sum of 400,000 euro is the lowest price people will pay for a three-bedroom home. The price will rise to 475,000 euro.

The sum of up to 309,000 euro is the price people will pay for a one-bedroom home in Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock.

The Government calls this its affordable housing scheme. It is bonkers. This is the Minister and the Governments idea of affordability.

It is astonishing and people will wonder if they are living in a parallel universe.

The question is how out of touch can the Government get if it thinks these prices are affordable?

How can anybody stand over a scheme that offers a three-bedroom home for prices of between 400,000 euro and 475,000 euro and call it affordable?

We warned the Government this plan would lead to homes that were unaffordable and out of the reach of ordinary people and we were right.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fail refused to listen and look where we are today.

Mr Martin accused Mr Doherty of leaving out details of the housing policy, including that the scheme approved by Dublin City Council contained 20% affordable homes, 40% social homes and 40% cost-rental homes.

Of the 853 homes we are talking about 20% are affordable homes, 40% are social homes and 40% are cost-rental homes, Mr Martin told the Dail.

Why did the Deputy not mention the 40% social homes? Why did he not mention the 40% cost-rental homes?

Let us take the advertised prices and the Deputys figures of 400,000 euro. The advertised prices are 264,000 euro for a one-bed home, 356,000 euro for a two-bed home and 399,000 euro for a three-bed home.

Those prices are 100,000 euro lower than the marker price at the moment, bear that in mind, because of schemes the Government introduced to support providers.

Let us go further. Let us take the First Home scheme, the shared equity scheme, which Sinn Fein opposed.

Anyone purchasing a home through that scheme can get up to 100,000 euro, which brings the price down to 300,000 euro.

Mr Doherty disputed Mr Martins claims, accusing the Tanaiste of misleading the House.

He suggested that these houses will be sold for 270,000 euro. It is a bloody plain lie, Mr Doherty added.

Mr Martin rejected the accusation.
1 News reports:

The Governments independent advisory group has recommended brand new Cook Strait ferries, similar in size to the current fleet, 1News understands.

Last week, Ministers received a report from the group in which its understood options were laid out for the specifications of the new ferries and when they could arrive.

The group has recommended that the ferries be smaller than the proposed iRex ferries and not rail-enabled, although rail would still be able to be shunted onto the vessels as often happened now.
Macrons decision to call a snap election looks to be backfiring badly. The latest polls are:

National Rally (right) 36%

New Popular Front (left) 29%

Together (centre) 21%

Republicans (centre-right) 7%

So his faction looks to get barely 20% and the hard right and hard left will get over 60% between them meaning the new Government will need one of them in it.

The next Prime Minister could be Jordan Bardella, who is only 28 years old.

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Simon Wilson writes:

Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Sweden occupy positions 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 on the UNs inequality-adjusted Human Development Index. New Zealand is a mere 17th. Those same countries also hold five of the top seven places on the World Happiness Index. Theyre doing pretty well.

Are there things we could learn from them?
By Lee Hae-rin

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) held its Korea Tourism Startup Center (KTSC) investor relations Demo Day in Singapore, Wednesday, to showcase the innovative technologies of Koreas leading travel tech startups to key industry stakeholders in Singapore and Southeast Asia, the state-run tourism promotion agency said Thursday.

The three-day event, which kicked off Tuesday, bridged nine Korean tourism ventures with Singaporean and Southeast Asian venture capital firms, investors, corporations and other industry stakeholders in the travel and tech ecosystem for networking and business opportunities.

The nine companies that participated in the event were Monolith, Tripbtoz, Uniquegood Company, Eoding, Gadget Korea, NomadHer, Uniuni, K-Style Hub and Teuida.

On the first day, a seminar was held on Singapore market entry strategies and Singapore Airlines new digital innovation lab, known as KrisLab, held a proof of concept session. The second day offered an introduction to the Singapore Tourism Authority's startup program, or the Singapore Tourism Accelerator, and domestic tourism startup investor relations pitching. On the final day, discussions were held on investment and collaboration through one-on-one matching between nine Singaporean investors and the participating Korean startups.

"Since establishing the KTSC in Singapore in August 2022, the KTO has achieved significant overseas investment attraction in a short period of time, with over 670 business matching cases and support for establishing 10 corporations," said Kim Dong-il, the executive vice president of the KTO.

"The KTO will continue to support the service exports of local travel tech companies to strengthen connections within the startup ecosystem."

Meanwhile, Kim met with representatives from Singaporean venture capital firms specializing in tourism, including KB Fintech Lab and the Korea Venture Investment Corp.s Singapore office, to discuss ways to establish a strategic partnership with KTSC Singapore and support the global expansion of small and medium-sized tourism venture companies.
By KTimes

Actress Kim Hye-yoon has sold out her upcoming fan meeting amid the continued popularity of the recently concluded drama, "Lovely Runner."

Artist Company, her agency, announced that both sessions of Kim's Seoul fan meeting, "Hye-ppiness," scheduled for July 13, have completely sold out.

This fan meeting marks Kim's second since her debut 10th-anniversary event last year. It aims to offer a special time for fans who have shown immense love for her role in the hit series "Lovely Runner."

The teaser poster, featuring a natural and feminine vibe, along with the main poster showcasing Kim's charming allure by the refreshing summer sea, gained an enthusastic response upon release, highlighting her new appeal and raising fans' anticipation for the event.

She is expected to showcase various aspects of her personality never seen before as a token of gratitude for their support, as she is putting her utmost effort into preparing for the fan meeting, seeking to create unforgettable memories for her fans.

The "Hye-ppiness in Seoul" fan meeting will take place on July 13 at the Woonjung Green Campus Grand Hall of Sungshin Women's University, with two sessions at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.
Inspired by Scarlett O'Hara character, Seol forged on to survive

By Jung Ha-won

Seol Song-ah still remembers the first time that she read "Gone with The Wind'' in North Korea in 2007. The book, one of a few American titles officially translated in the North, was one of the most popular titles available for loan at a street book vendor  so much so that its rental fee was triple other books,' its cover was torn out, and its worn, dog-eared pages were full of patched-up holes. Out of curiosity, Seol, then a 38-year-old state-run company worker, borrowed the novel and, in the following days, stayed up all night to devour it, thinking  this is my story.

North Korea  one of the worlds most impoverished and isolated countries  may appear to have little in common with 19th-century society in the American South. But in the character of Scarlett O'Hara  a flawed yet strong-willed woman who fought her way through the hardships of the American Civil War, often by challenging old traditions  Seol saw herself and many other women around her in North Korea.

Like the Old South back then, the North Korean society we had known was crumbling down. And like Scarlett, we had to do whatever it took to survive and provide for our family during this chaotic time  often defying the old values we had been taught before, Seol told me. Many of my girlfriends also read the book and said the same thing  'this is our story.'

In the North's society ruled by a regime with little tolerance for dissent, none of the women could publicly voice the sense of frustration they felt. But 16 years later, Seol, having fled the North, settled in Seoul and established herself as a journalist, then wrote a novel that captured the hopes and struggles of many North Korean women during these tumultuous years  a story that, to a degree, mirrored the iconic heroine of the U.S. novel.

The Woman Who Stole the Sun  Seols first, Korean-language novel published last year  centers on an ordinary housewife whose life is turned upside down after the catastrophic collapse of the Norths centrally planned economy in the late 1990s. Bom-soon endures enormous hardships like famine, starvation, imprisonment, deaths in the family, violence by state officials as well as an abusive husband and everyday oppression under the totalitarian regime. But she manages to survive and even thrive by learning the rules of the harsh and opportunistic new world  like many women who abandoned the traditional ideal of an obedient housewife and eventually led North Korea's transformation to a nascent, quasi-market economy.

Despite being fiction, the novel also offers a glimpse into how women in North Korea emerged from the ashes of the old system to become a driving force for many economic, social and cultural changes in the country today.

A majority of merchants in the hundreds of private markets that have popped across North Korea for the past two decades  one of the key parts of the country's economy today  are women, while men are often bound to state-assigned, relatively low-paying jobs. A majority of North Koreans who flee the country and settle elsewhere in search of better lives are also women (in South Korea alone, over 70 percent of North Korean defectors who have settled there are women). They are key consumers of foreign pop culture brought across the border  including smuggled South Korean TV dramas  and the new lifestyles featured in those pop culture products. And as women gain greater financial independence, more of them defy the traditional expectation to be mothers, sending the countrys birthrates plummeting in recent years.

While the North rarely discloses data on its demographics, official estimates by South Korea showed that women in the North marry later, have fewer babies and even divorce more than before. The Norths total fertility rate  the number of babies an average woman is expected to have during her lifetime  also dropped from 2.69 in the 1980s to 1.59 in the 2000s to 1.38 for the 2010-2019 period, according to estimates by Seouls central bank. And more North Koreans are opting for divorce in response to gender inequality or violence in families, which had been taken for granted (as normal) in the past, Seouls unification ministry said in a recent report based on interviews with over 6,300 North Korean defectors. It said womens growing financial clout has triggered many changes in the Norths gender dynamics for the past decades, although North Korea, in general, remains deeply patriarchal, with its political and official economic systems dominated by men. For instance, over 75 percent of respondents said womens status in families had been elevated, in some cases to equal with or even above their husbands, as more women earned money, often more than their husbands.

Such demographic and cultural shifts raised the alarm within the Norths regime. Pyongyang launched desperate campaigns to stress womens traditional role, with the Norths leader Kim Jong-un calling for mothers power to prevent a decline in birthrates in a tearful speech last year. The campaigns also signal the Norths wariness over working women who play modern, active roles in society, instead of traditional ones like in the past, Seouls unification ministry said in the report.

Women wouldnt explicitly defy Kim Jong-uns regime, considering doing so can literally mean death in a place like North Korea, Seol said. But in the eyes of the regime, women challenging their husbands is tantamount to challenging the broader social and political systems based on patriarchal family units, and this can be seen as just unsettling and dangerous to the state authorities in the long run.

But women in North Korea have changed as more of them got a taste of money and what its like to be financially empowered, Seol said, adding she had often questioned herself, Why should I wash my husbands dirty socks and do all the chores at home, when I work just as hard as him outside the home, often making even more money than him?

And now, women are even more eager to make money in the Norths market system than beforeno amount of preaching and pressure by the regime will convince them to change their minds and stay at home, said the 55-year-old.

Seols book, partly based on her personal experiences as well as her family's, portrays this changing reality through the life of its lead character. It describes in great detail how Bom-soon survives in the dog-eat-dog world of the fledgling market economy and builds a fortune through various trades: she moves from hawking vegetables on the street to selling fuel and home-produced medicines and to eventually building apartments. In this process, she also navigates the corruption-laden bureaucracy, including the countrys notoriously brutal prison system, and fights off rivals while winning  and losing  allies and lovers along the way.

Bom-soons journey also features many real-life events, including the disastrous 2009 currency reform and chronic energy and medicine shortages, as well as women's frustration over the deeply patriarchal culture at home and in broader society. And even her romantic life evolves to reflect what Seol described as womens changing views on desirable masculinity: she moves from her idealistic but weak-minded boyfriend to a well-connected but patriarchal husband to a street-savvy and pragmatic lover who respects her and supports her throughout her ordeals and increasingly lucrative business ventures.

"Many women in North Korea feel conflicted between the traditional feminine ideals forced upon them by the government and the new femininity they have discovered while working in the private economy  which is more ambitious, enterprising and calculating, Seol said. Through the novel, I wanted to reflect those changing attitudes of women who are stuck between yesterdays ideals and todays reality in North Korea.

Seol, who settled in South Korea in 2011 and earned a Ph.D. with a thesis on the North Korean economy, currently reports on the North Korean economy as a journalist for Radio Free Asia (her real name is Choi Sol, but she writes fiction under the pen name of Seol Song- ah). But she has also written essays and short fiction stories describing the lesser-known aspects of the lives of North Korean women  sexual desires, sexual abuse in the workplace, abortion, changing gender dynamics within the family and frustrations with the politically repressive and male-dominated society.

These new female characters, who emerged out of the Norths shift to a market economy, are perpetually exposed to violence but also shatter gender-related customs and sexual norms, Kim Sung-kyung, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, wrote in a book about the lives of North Korean women, describing Seols characters as revolutionary.

Although the women's voices remain limited under the North's authoritarian regime, and their desire for change falls short of explicitly challenging the political status quo, they have been constantly challenging  and changing  many old ways of life on the ground in North Korea, Seol said.

Bom-soon symbolizes the tenacity and strength of all the North Korean women who rose above many challenges with sheer determination to survive and thrive, she said. In that sense, maybe you can call her North Korea's Scarlett O'Hara.

Jung Ha-won is a journalist and author of "Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Koreas Feminist Movement and What It Means for Womens Rights Worldwide."








Real estate item sold in art auction for first time in Korea

By KTimes

Seoul Auction hosted an unprecedented event where an officetel unit's presale right was auctioned for 21.9 billion won ($15.8 million), the auction house said Wednesday.

The unit, part of the residential facility "The Palace 73" set to be built in Banpo-dong, Seocho District, Seoul, had an initial auction price of 16 billion won.

The bidding process was intense, with the price escalating in increments of 500 million won over 11 rounds, eventually reaching 21.5 billion won.

The final bid of 21.9 billion won was made by a sealed bidder, securing the presale right.

The auctioned presale right corresponds to a single officetel unit in "The Palace 73," with a floor area of 261.3 square meters (approximately 79 pyeong).

The original presale price was 21 billion won. This building is notable for being designed by Richard Meier, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect who retired amid sexual harassment controversy.

This unique factor contributed to its inclusion in an art auction, a first for Korean real estate.

The winning bidder will have the unit's interior designed by Meier's architectural firm, Meyer Partners, and will receive art consulting services from Seoul Auction. Seoul Auction has decided not to charge the typical 18 percent commission fee for this transaction.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
Korea's top 4 conglomerates take up 40% of GDP in 2023
North Korea said it has successfully conducted a missile test to secure multiple warhead capability, state media said Thursday, contradicting South Korea's military announcement that the test is believed to have ended in failure.

During the test conducted Wednesday, the North's Missile Administration "successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, adding that the test was meaningful in achieving "the goal of rapidly developing the missile technologies."

The test used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometer radius, which is favorable for ensuring maximum safety and measuring the flight characteristics of individual mobile warheads, the KCNA said.

The separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to three target coordinates, it said.

The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, it added.

The test was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, it said.

The announcement contradicts South Korea's announcement that the missile exploded in air.

Officials of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from an area in or around Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m., but exploded over the East Sea after flying some 250 kilometers.

A military source told Yonhap News Agency that the North could have have test-fired a hypersonic missile.

However, the North said the test "used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometer radius."

The separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to three target coordinates, the KCNA said.

The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, it added.

The test was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), and Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, the KCNA said.

The officials emphasized that enhancing "the MIRV capability is a very important defense technological task and a top priority of the WPK Central Committee," the KCNA reported, suggesting it might also be a top priority for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Developing MIRV technology was included in North Korea's five-year development plan, which was unveiled during the eighth congress of the WPK in January 2021.

North Korea claimed that "the test is part of the administration's normal activities," the KCNA said.

This is the first time North Korea has publicly disclosed that it conducted a missile test to secure multiple warhead capability.

South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. (Yonhap)
The United States will oppose any cooperation between Russia and North Korea on Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine's territory, a State Department official said Wednesday, amid speculation that North Korean workers could potentially be sent there for reconstruction work.

Matthew Miller, the spokesperson, made the remarks as concerns have arisen that a recent security treaty between Russia and the North would likely bolster their military cooperation to the extent that Pyongyang could even commit its personnel to support Moscow in Russia-occupied areas in Ukraine, including those in Donetsk.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty that commits each other to provide military assistance to the other "without delay" in the event of an armed invasion.

"Obviously, we have been quite concerned about the burgeoning relationship between North Korea and Russia. Obviously, Donetsk is part of Ukraine, not part of Russia," he told at a press briefing.

"So any kind of increased cooperation between those two countries, when it relates to activities on occupied Ukrainian territory, is something that we would oppose," he said.

On Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder floated the possibility of North Korean troops becoming "cannon fodder" should they be sent to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine  an apparent display of U.S. opposition to the North's potential move to back Russia's war effort.

Commenting on the North's latest ballistic missile launch and its sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea, Miller renewed calls for Pyongyang to refrain from "provocative" actions and return to diplomacy. (Yonhap)
Military raises possibility of NK's photos being 'fabricated'

By Kwak Yeon-soo

North Korea, Thursday, claimed to have successfully tested a multiple warhead missile, contradicting South Korea's assertion that the missile exploded midair. This has raised questions about the credibility of Pyongyang's claim.



Pyongyangs state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the test carried out on Wednesday succeeded in separating warheads that were accurately guided to three coordinate targets.

The test is aimed at securing the Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) capability, KCNA said. The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar.

MIRV technology allows a ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to destroy individual targets. This is the first time North Korea explicitly claimed to have successfully launched a multiple warhead missile.

In January 2021, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un mentioned the multiple warhead missile as one of the technologically-advanced weapons he plans to develop in the future, along with spy satellites, hypersonic missiles and submarine-launched nuclear missiles.

However, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) dismissed North Koreas claim of successfully conducting a multiple-warhead missile test, calling it a method of deception and exaggeration.

North Korea disclosed something different this morning, but we believe this is merely a method of deception and exaggeration. North Koreas missile launched yesterday exploded in an early stage of flight, and we still believe the launch ended in failure, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the JCS, said in a press briefing.

The JCS official said the photos released by the North purporting to be of Wednesdays test were likely fabricated or recycled from a previous launch.

Experts expressed mixed opinions on North Koreas announcement of the successful missile test.

Chang Young-keun, head of the missile center at Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said it is questionable whether the MIRV was sequentially separated outside the atmosphere, then successfully re-entered the atmosphere and hit predetermined targets.

North Korea said the test used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometer radius, but it is difficult to regard it as simulated testing of MIRV capabilities with sufficient guidance and control capabilities at the altitude required for an actual intercontinental ballistic missile, Chang said.

However, Lee Il-woo, director at Korea Defense Network, said it appears that the South Korean military failed to detect and assess Pyongyangs missile test.

It seems like the military only thought of a missile flying in arc, while the MIRV missile makes trajectory corrections while flying. A decoy is believed to have separated from the missile. Unless the images supplied by North Korea are fabricated, I think North Koreas claim is valid, he said.

Shin Jong-woo, a former senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said its difficult to conclude that the missile exploded in midair, adding the photos released by the North are unlikely to be manipulated.

Its hard to determine that the launch failed just by seeing the photos released by the North, Shin said. "Some say the missile traveling about 250 kilometers is proof of a failed test, considering it's a short range, but I think North Korea was only trying to show off its multiple warhead missile capability. Its just a warm-up. Next, North Korea will likely test the missile over thousands of kilometers.

Lee said more tests will follow as North Koreas ultimate target is to overcome U.S. homeland missile defenses. North Korea will likely seek to target U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers like the USS Theodore Roosevelt. It believes multiple warhead missiles can disproportionately damage U.S. military power, he said.

The unification ministry condemned the missile launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to the region and beyond.

Meanwhile, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo launched their first trilateral multi-domain exercises dubbed Freedom Edge on Thursday amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has ramped up public executions of its people who watched or distributed South Korean movies and music, South Korea's unification ministry said Thursday, underscoring Pyongyang's attempt to block the inflow of outside culture that it views as a threat.

North Korea has been stepping up surveillance and punishment of its people, in particular, youths, by implementing three so-called evil laws to prevent North Koreans from accessing outside information, the ministry said in a report on the North's human rights situation.

The ministry made public a report on the North's human rights situation for the second straight year in 2024, with this year's documents mainly based on additional testimonies from 141 North Korean defectors in 2023.

For the first time, the report included an example of a public execution for violating the law adopted in 2020 on the rejection of "the reactionary ideology and culture."

The law calls for a sentence of up to 10 years of hard labor for people who bring and spread outside culture and information. Punishment is known to be tougher in the case of those watching and disseminating South Korean dramas, movies and music. The North views such behaviors as anti-socialist acts that could threaten the very existence of the regime.

A defector who fled North Korea last year said he witnessed the public execution of a 22-year-old in South Hwanghae Province in 2022 for listening to 70 South Korean songs, watching three South Korean movies, and distributing them to seven people.

"Since the law took effect, a person could be sent to a prison camp just because of watching (South Korean movies). The person who initially brought them in will face the most severe punishment  being shot by a firing squad," the defector was quoted as saying in the report.

The two other repressive laws aimed at strengthening internal control are the act adopted in 2021 on education of young people and that enacted in 2023 on the protection of Pyongyang dialect and culture.

North Korea has frequently inspected mobile phones of its people in a bid to crack down on whether there are any South Korean expressions in text messages or address books. In 2021-2023, North Korea ramped up house searches to hunt down those accessing outside culture and information.

Wearing a white wedding dress as a bride, a groom carrying the bride on his back, and wearing sunglasses are also stated as examples of violating the anti-reactionary ideology law, it said.

A North Korean defector in her 20s, who came to South Korea on a wooden boat with her family last year, said three of her acquaintances were publicly executed in 2023 because they watched South Korean dramas.

"The Kim Jong-un regime has in earnest executed those who were caught after watching South Korean dramas, calling them traitors," she told reporters.

"There have been so many cases of executions in North Korea due to drug-related incidents and the issue of South Korean dramas. It has become quite common," she added.

The report also shed light on the harsh lives of North Korean workers dispatched abroad, describing them as living under "slave"-like conditions.

North Korea sent its workers abroad, including Russia, Mongolia and Africa, to earn hard currency in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

North Korean workers had to toil for long hours without being allowed proper rest. Despite long hours of labor, they received little wages and even had to repatriate the bulk of their money back to the North Korean regime.

A North Korean defector who was sent to Russia in 2019 said he worked for 16-17 hours daily, with only two days of holidays permitted per year, the report said. Around 40 workers dispatched to Russia in 2019 lived in containers at a construction site, barely washing their faces once a month and not bathing for six months.

The report said North Koreans' right to life was infringed on during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the authorities took a firmer grip on people, citing the need for quarantine measures. In early 2020, North Korea shut down its border with China due to the pandemic before partially reopening it last year.

Electricity ran on barbed wires along the border, and patrol guards at border areas were provided with 60 rounds of live ammunition and ordered to immediately kill anyone if there was an attempt to enter the pandemic-induced sealed areas.

In 2021, two party officials were publicly shot to death in a summary execution in violation of the emergency quarantine law, as they permitted people detained in a quarantine facility to bathe.

Meanwhile, North Korea is believed to have 10 political prison camps across the nation so far, with four currently under operation, the report said. The ministry said the North appears to have shut down the Yodok concentration camp, known for its notorious brutality.

North Korea has long bristled at the international community's criticism of its human rights abuses, calling it a U.S.-led attempt to topple its regime.

The North's human rights issue has gained renewed attention as this year marked the 10th anniversary of the release of a landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report that accused North Korean officials of "systematic, widespread and gross" human rights violations.

"The ministry published the report on North Korea's human rights in its commitment to raising awareness about the North's serious rights abuses at home and abroad," said Kim Soun-jin, director general at the Center for North Korean Human Rights Records. (Yonhap)
South Korea has imposed independent sanctions on four Russian vessels and eight North Koreans for engaging in illicit weapons and fuel trade and other activities in violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.

The sanctions also include five entities, including North Korea's Missile Administration, which is responsible for the latest missile launch on Wednesday that Seoul claims was a failed test, the ministry said in a press release.

The ministry noted that the latest move is in response to a military pact signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit in Pyongyang on June 19. This pact calls for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other "with all means" at their disposal and "without delay" if either of the two countries is invaded or enters a state of war.

The four Russian vessels were involved in supplying refined oil to North Korea through ship-to-ship transfers, a critical resource for North Korea's development of nuclear and missile armaments.

Such activity violates UNSC sanctions, specifically Resolution 2397 adopted in December 2017, which bans the supply, sale and transfer of luxury items to North Korea.

The sanctioned vessels will require special approval from South Korean port authorities if they wish to enter a South Korean port.

Other entities include Russia-based M Leasing LLC, responsible for weapons trading between Moscow and Pyongyang, and Euromarket, located in Georgia, which has been selling Russian oil to North Korea.

The sanctions also target eight North Koreans, all of whom are involved in developing and managing missiles within North Korea's Missile Administration, according to the ministry.

Han Kum-bok and Kim Chang-rok are involved in missile development within the agency, while Choi Chol-ung and Ma Chol-wan have been engaged in missile operations. Notably, Choi accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Russia last September.

Ryu Sang-hun, an official spearheading a program to develop a spy satellite, was also responsible for the country's successful launch of a military spy satellite in November 2023.

The other three North Koreans are involved in the development of ballistic missiles, the ministry said.

Financial and foreign exchange transactions with the sanctioned entities and individuals will require prior approval. (Yonhap)
Fatalities in foreign labor force account for over 10% of total deaths in the workplace in 2023

By KTimes

"Safety training for day laborers? If they provide it, great; if not, what can we do?"

These were the words of Lee, 46, a naturalized Korean born in China, in response to the tragic fire at the Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, including 18 foreign nationals.

Lee revealed that during his time as a day laborer at a factory in Gyeonggi Province last year, he never received any safety training. This was also the case at a factory where he worked for about two years prior.

According to current laws, workplaces are required to provide 30 minutes to 1 hour of safety and health training upon hiring day laborers or temporary workers with contracts shorter than a week, but this mandate was not followed.

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have known where to evacuate in case of a fire," Lee said, recalling the danger.

The Aricell factory fire, the deadliest single accident for foreign workers in recent memory, has brought the issue of safety training for these workers to the forefront.

The tragedy has raised concerns that the lack of safety training, especially for foreign day laborers facing language barriers, might have exacerbated the impact.

Many foreign workers in industrial settings expressed a shared sentiment that the Hwaseong disaster feels all too close to home.

Foreign workers' fatalities on rise

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's report on 2023 accidental deaths released Tuesday, there were 85 foreign worker fatalities last year, representing 10.5 percent of the total 812 accidental deaths.

While the overall number of accidental deaths decreased by 62 from the previous year (874), the number of foreign worker deaths remained unchanged at 85. This indicates that foreign workers are often placed in relatively more dangerous working environments.

One major contributing factor is inadequate safety training. Companies may find it challenging to provide safety training in multiple languages or may neglect it because day laborers work for only a few days.

Jeong Young-seop, an official from the Migrant Solidarity Network, said, "The lack of industrial safety education for foreign workers has been a longstanding issue. There has been a continuous need for tailored on-site training, including in their native languages."

Unfortunately, incidents of foreign workers losing their lives due to insufficient safety training are recurring annually.

In July 2022, a Nepali worker died while cleaning a machine at a metal parts manufacturing factory in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. The court sentenced the company representative to two years in prison, stating, "The company neglected safety issues by failing to provide adequate training for foreign workers."

Ineffective safety training

Even when safety training is conducted, it often lacks effectiveness. Training sessions may be conducted solely in Korean, which many foreign workers do not understand well, or programs may be provided online, leaving participation voluntary.

Choi Jeong-gyu, a lawyer who has handled numerous cases involving foreign worker injuries, said, "At construction sites, you see workers from various countries, but there are rarely any efforts to explain safety protocols step by step in their native languages."

Foreign workers at the Aricell factory might have faced similar neglect. The husband of a Chinese national who died in the fire reported "my wife mentioned another battery fire had happened two days before the accident, but she never received any evacuation training."

Both the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) criticized the situation, pointing out that Aricell lacked a safety manager, even though companies handling chemicals with over 50 employees are required to appoint one.

Need for improved safety training for foreign workers

Despite Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan's claims that "regular and adequate safety training was provided to the workers," there are concerns that these measures were merely perfunctory. Thorough investigations are needed to determine whether the safety training was effective and sufficient.

If the safety training environment for foreign workers does not improve, major disasters are bound to keep happening, analysts said.

"We need to devise meticulous and effective safety training programs for foreign workers, who mainly occupy high-risk jobs," said Kim Jong-jin, director of the Labor Citizen Research Institute.

Lee Byung-hoon, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University, said, "We must examine the vulnerable conditions of foreign workers and strengthen safety management standards. Workspaces should never become death traps."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.


Medical professors serving as senior doctors at three major hospitals of Yonsei University launched an indefinite walkout Thursday, but little disruptions to hospital operations have been reported, officials said.

Professors at Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital and Yongin Severance Hospital began suspending the treatment of outpatients, non-emergency surgeries and other services, except for the operation of emergency rooms and intensive care units, according to its emergency committee.

The walkout will continue until the government comes up with "tangible measures" to resolve the ongoing health care crisis as trainee doctors have left worksites since late February in protest of the government's decision to raise the medical school admission quota, according to the officials.

It is not exactly known how many Yonsei medical professors took part in the strike, but hospital officials said their operations fell about 10 percent on-year and most planned treatments and other services have been provided normally.

"Some professors are off today and tomorrow, but not many would do that next week," a hospital official said.

"No major crisis has been reported, and there have been no cases where patients were turned away," he added.

Individual professors are supposed to make their own decisions on whether to join the collective action.

But the strike put a damper on hopes for a breakthrough after medical professors affiliated with Seoul National University, Catholic University of Korea and Samsung Medical Center shelved plans to stage an indefinite walkout in apparent consideration of patients and the people.

The Korean Medical Association (KMA), a major doctors' lobby group, earlier warned of an indefinite strike starting Thursday. But it changed course and decided to discuss their next steps during a meeting Saturday.

The KMA led a one-day strike last week, which involved some community doctors.

The government expressed regrets over the move and called for dialogue, reiterating its commitment to a greater investment in medical education.

"Despite the decision, I believe that most medical professors will never leave their patients. The government will strive harder for dialogue with the medical circle to resolve the matter," senior ministry official Kim Guk-il told a press briefing.

"The government has devised medical reform plans based on demands from the medical community and is gathering various opinions. We will listen to the voices of medical staff more carefully," Kim said.

Despite calls for talks to seek a breakthrough, trainee doctors have not budged an inch while demanding the withdrawal of the plan to raise medical school enrollment.

Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong told a parliamentary session Wednesday that the government "will try to come up with new measures" to resolve the situation.

Despite strong opposition from doctors, the government finalized an admissions quota hike of some 1,500 students for medical schools late last month in an effort to address the shortage of doctors. (Yonhap)
Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun and his Japanese counterpart held talks in Washington and they agreed to launch a working group on cooperation in the supply chain for clean hydrogen and ammonia, Seoul officials said Thursday.

Ahn and his Japanese counterpart, Ken Saito, also agreed to expand cooperation based on Seoul's Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) initiative, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Korea and Japan vowed to expand cooperation to stabilize the global supply chain, including key minerals as well.

Seoul and Tokyo also discussed ways to enhance ties on other multilateral platforms, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the World Trade Organization, as well as in relationships with the U.S. and China.

"During a bilateral summit on the margins of a trilateral summit between Korea, Japan and China last month, the leaders of the two countries highly praised progress in cooperation between Korea and Japan, and agreed to accelerate collaboration in various fields, including energy, economic security, hydrogen and supply chains," Ahn said in his opening remarks.

Based on growing bilateral ties, he expressed hope for discussions on diverse ways for cooperation.

Saito also took note of "great improvement" in relations between the two countries over the past year.

"Japan and Korea are important neighbors that share basic values and should work together in dealing with various tasks of the international community," he said.

"The two countries' cooperation has taken on increasing importance for regional stability and development at a time when world situations remain uncertain due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East," he added.

The bilateral meeting came amid the improving relationship between Seoul and Tokyo, after the Yoon administration decided last year to compensate Korean victims of Japanese wartime forced labor without seeking contributions from the Japanese companies involved.

Ahn was visiting Washington to participate in a trilateral ministerial meeting with the U.S. and Japan to discuss ways of strengthening three-way cooperation on supply chains and economic security. (Yonhap)
The "entire" Korean Peninsula could go nuclear if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House, strikes an inadequate nuclear deal with North Korea and pulls out American troops from South Korea, a prominent U.S. expert said Wednesday.

Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), made the prediction in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine, noting the hope that "reasonable" lawmakers at the Capitol might guide Trump's policies is "misplaced."

In the piece titled, "America's Asian partners are not worried enough about Trump: How his return could destabilize the region," Cha delivered a message to Asian leaders: "The ride is likely to be bumpier and more unpredictable a second time around."

Trump, the presumptive Republican standard-bearer, is set to face off against President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 general election. The two are set to engage in their first presidential debate Thursday, a showdown that policymakers around the world will carefully watch to hear their policy stances.

"Such a scenario would almost certainly result in the nuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula," Cha said, claiming that a second Trump term could "most fundamentally" change the Korean Peninsula.

He was referring to the scenario in which Trump cuts a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that does not disarm the North of short-range ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles and tactical nuclear weapons, and then withdraws American forces from Korea.

In the case of South Korea's nuclearization, Cha said a regional chain reaction could ensue.

"Myanmar, for instance, has shown interest in uranium enrichment and in North Korea's nuclear weapons designs," he said. "Although Japan currently embraces nonnuclear norms, the country also has nearly 50 tons of fissile material at its fingertips  enough to make 5,000 nuclear weapons. Taiwan might not want to be left out of the club."

Concerns have already persisted that if reelected, Trump could threaten to withdraw or scale back the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in a move to pressure Seoul to jack up its share of the cost for stationing USFK.

Observers sought to assuage the concerns, pointing to congressional efforts to maintain the current USFK troop level through the National Defense Authorization Act.

But this belief is misplaced, Cha warned, saying a second Trump administration is likely to be "far more disruptive" for Asia than the first one was.

"If Trump gets a second chance at the presidency, he is even more likely than before to see allies as trade adversaries, reduce the U.S. military footprint worldwide, befriend autocratic leaders and challenge the norms that have thus far secured nuclear nonproliferation in Asia," he said.

"Washington's Asian security partners will need to become far more self-reliant for their defense as America becomes simply another transactional, self-interested player instead of the benevolent patron that has long supported the liberal order in the region."

Touching on Biden's efforts to reinvigorate alliance-based cooperation in security and other realms, Cha said, "No amount of institutionalization can really Trump-proof these advancements."

The expert also said that China's influence in Asia will "inevitably" grow if the U.S. becomes "just another transactional player" in the region. (Yonhap)
Top industry officials of Korea, the United States and Japan expressed concerns Wednesday over the "weaponization" of economic dependencies on certain supply sources for strategic goods as they held their first trilateral meeting on economic security in Washington.

Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Japanese Industry Minister Ken Saito issued a joint statement following the Commerce and Industry Ministerial Meeting, which underscored a deepening of trilateral cooperation amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.

The meeting was a follow-up to a landmark summit agreement that Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reached during their high-profile meeting at Camp David in August.

"We share concerns over the weaponization of economic dependencies on certain supply sources for strategic goods," they said in the statement.

"To address the resulting, systemic vulnerabilities stemming from such dependencies, we intend to promote a level playing field through more closely coordinated efforts, including working together, and with other partners, on relevant criteria that take into account not only economic factors, but also factors linked to the Principles on Resilient and Reliable Supply Chains," they added.

They were referring to the principles of transparency, diversification, security, sustainability, and trustworthiness and reliability.

The U.S. has been striving to work with its allies and partners to reshape global supply chains, primarily for industrial areas that could pose security risks, as the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges have laid bare stark vulnerabilities in key supply chains, particularly those heavily reliant on Chinese manufacturing.

The three officials stressed their shared intent to leverage the trilateral ministerial mechanism to promote the development of critical and emerging technologies, and strengthen the security and resiliency of their countries' economies.

"Recognizing these two goals are intertwined, we aim to prioritize cooperation to strengthen the resilience of supply chains in key sectors, including semiconductors and batteries; and to promote the Principles on Resilient and Reliable Supply Chains," they said.

They also pointed out joint efforts to deepen their coordination of export controls on advanced technologies as well as developing international standards and ensuring "safe, secure, and trustworthy" use of artificial intelligence.

In particular, they agreed to cooperate on export controls for critical and emerging technologies, "further align on Russia controls," and collaborate on an outreach to countries in Southeast Asia, according to the statement.

"As part of these efforts, there is an urgency to our three sides working closely together to identify potential supply chain vulnerabilities for strategic goods that have resulted from a wide range of non-market policies and practices," they said.

In his opening remarks, Ahn said that the three-way meeting will set a "comprehensive and robust institutional framework" for economic cooperation encompassing industry, technology, supply chains, workforce and investment.

"Indeed, there are no better partners than Korea, the United States and Japan when it comes to advanced technologies and innovations," he said in his opening remarks.

Raimondo pointed out that at the Camp David summit, Yoon, Biden and Kishida tasked the ministers to leverage the trilateral ministerial platform to "raise our shared ambitions to a new horizon."

"We're doubling down our efforts to work together in the area of semiconductors, biomanufacturing, quantum, AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing," she said.

"Now is the time for us to align more closely than ever to continue promoting the development of these critical emerging technologies, while also working together to strengthen our supply chains and protecting our mutual national and economic security interests."

She also added a global dimension to the three-way cooperative undertaking.

"We have to work together to the benefit not just of our countries, but of the world ... the safety and security of the world," she said.

Pointing to a "more complex" international situation, Saito underlined the need to work with like-minded countries on supply chains and other issues. (Yonhap)
Chances high for NATO members to discuss Pyongyang-Moscow treaty

By Nam Hyun-woo

South Korea is facing increasing pressure to use the upcoming NATO summit as leverage to manage the strengthened ties between North Korea and Russia.

This years NATO summit is scheduled to take place in Washington from July 9 to 11. While Seouls presidential office has not yet announced whether President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the event, South Korea was invited by NATO in April as one of the AP4 countries, which are non-NATO partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

If Yoon attends the summit, it will mark his third participation in the gathering of Washingtons European allies.

During his attendance at last years summit in Lithuania, Yoon called for NATOs united response to North Koreas nuclear and missile programs, stressing that Pyongyangs belligerence also poses an actual threat to European countries.

In response, NATO members condemned North Koreas nuclear and missile programs in their communique for the first time in five years.

Over the past year, as Yoon has pointed out, Pyongyang has increasingly posed a threat to European countries. According to Kyivs defense ministry, North Korea has supplied at least 1.8 million rounds of 122- and 155-millimeter shells to Russia for use in the war against Ukraine. Additionally, North Korea has recently enhanced its military cooperation with Moscow through a significant treaty that includes mutual defense assistance in the event of an attack on either party.

This background offers South Korea an opportunity to raise NATO's awareness of North Korean threats during this year's summit, and to advocate for cooperative measures between democracies in Northeast Asia and Europe to counteract military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

With Russian President Vladimir Putin threatening to change Moscows nuclear doctrine, this years NATO summit will likely place the war in Ukraine as its top agenda again, said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. In doing so, it is natural for NATO members to prioritize discussions on North Koreas arms supply to Russia and the recent Pyongyang-Moscow treaty."

During a June 24 press briefing, James O'Brien, U.S. assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, said, The security concerns faced in the Indo-Pacific are very similar to those that are faced in NATO's Article 5 territory, and added, It makes sense to share lessons and to work together against similar collective threats.

NATOs Article 5 states that if an ally becomes the target of an armed attack, each member of the alliance considers it an attack on all and commits to taking appropriate actions to aid the ally under attack.

The remarks are seen as part of U.S. efforts to bolster ties between NATO and its Indo-Pacific allies. If Washington underscores this idea during the NATO summit, there is a strong possibility that Seoul, especially if Yoon attends, will echo that view.

If the U.S. stresses the necessity of stronger pressure against weaponry cooperation (between North Korea and Russia) and South Koreas unyielding stance against the Pyongyang-Moscow treaty, Seoul can respond by expressing its strong support and commitment to counter the Norths provocations and the treaty, as well as promising tighter coalitions with its friendly nations, Hong said.

"Whatever the specifics may be, it is important for South Korea to align its stance with that of the U.S. regarding the NATO summit. However, South Korea should avoid making excessive proposals, such as providing lethal weapons to Ukraine or proposing a cooperation scheme that involves NATO actions in the Far East region."
The ancient city of Gyeongju located in southeastern Korea was picked to host the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The preparatory committee for the APEC summit held a meeting earlier in the day and selected Gyeongju, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as the venue for the summit scheduled for next November, the ministry said in a press release.

The upcoming APEC summit is to be hosted in Korea for the first time in 20 years since its previous one held in the southeastern port city of Busan in 2005.

During the meeting, the committee also decided to utilize the efforts of the other two candidate cities  Incheon, west of Seoul, and the southern resort island of Jeju  by hosting various ministerial and senior official meetings associated with the APEC summit.

Gyeongju, one of the nation's most popular tourist destinations, was the capital of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). (Yonhap)
The U.S. ambassador to Korea stressed Thursday the importance of international cooperation in building resilience against cybersecurity threats, including those posed by North Korea.

Amb. Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think tank based in Seoul.

"The ever growing scope of cybersecurity means that no country can get far on its own. This is why the United States has bilateral and multilateral engagements with key allies and partners," the ambassador said.

Highlighting North Korea as one of the "malign actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in cyberspace to achieve their ends," Goldberg emphasized the importance of trilateral efforts with Seoul and Tokyo.

"International cooperation, especially with like-minded allies like the Republic of Korea, is vital to building resilience in our shared cyber ecosystem," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

Emphasizing that this year is particularly significant as over 50 countries worldwide are holding high-stakes elections, Goldberg called for more discussion at the international level.

"It's not an understatement to say the strength of our democracy depends on the strength of our cybersecurity infrastructure," he said.

Lim Jong-in, special advisor to President Yoon Suk Yeol on cyber issues, also highlighted the importance of trilateral cooperation in the face of potential cyber attacks.

Citing hostile nations, such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, Lim underscored the necessity of maintaining robust digital systems under the concept of "digital solidarity." (Yonhap)
South Korea's military on Thursday dismissed North Korea's claim of successfully conducting a multiple-warhead missile test earlier this week as a form of "deception," reaffirming its assessment the missile exploded in the air.

Earlier in the day, the North said it conducted a successful missile test Wednesday aimed at securing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capabilities, contradicting South Korea's earlier assessment the launch ended in failure.

"North Korea's missile launched yesterday exploded in an early stage of the flight," Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told reporters in a briefing. "North Korea made a different announcement this morning but (we) believe that this is merely a method of deception and exaggeration."

Lee said photos released by the North this morning of the missile launch appeared to be similar to its launch of the Hwasong-17 liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched in March 2023.

"North Korea failed in its last space rocket launch and failed again yesterday, and (we) believe that there is a motive to cover these up," he said, noting that both South Korea and the United States assessed Wednesday's launch as a failure.

In its announcement, the North said the test used the "first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometers radius" and the separated warheads were guided correctly to three targets.

South Korea's military earlier said the North launched a ballistic missile toward the East Sea but the missile exploded in midair after traveling some 250 kilometers, with fragments scattering over the sea.

MIRV technology allows a ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets. It is largely associated with ICBMs due to its strategic use. (Yonhap)
A Seoul court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that a group of national university students filed to seek tuition fee refunds for disruptions to learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 366 students from Seoul National University and Incheon National University filed the suit against the state and school foundations, claiming their right to learn was violated because they could not take in-person classes during the pandemic.

But the Seoul Central District Court rejected the suit, saying it is hard to view that their right to learning was violated just because of online classes.

In a separate case raised by private university students, the district and appeals court dismissed the request for refunds on similar grounds, saying remote classes were part of inevitable measures to protect the right to life and the right to learn at a time when life was threatened by the coronavirus.

The appellate court upheld the lower court's ruling, citing educational services offered by the university need not take the form of face-to-face classes. (Yonhap)
The defense ministry said Thursday it has decided to ban physical discipline training in boot camp in the wake of the recent death of an Army conscript after a grueling disciplinary session.

Last month, the soldier died two days after collapsing during the session that involved running laps and performing push-ups in full combat gear at a boot camp in Inje County, 126 kilometers northeast of Seoul.

In a meeting led by Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho on Thursday, senior defense and military officials decided to restrict physical disciplinary sessions for troops in boot camp as part of follow-up measures to last month's incident, according to the ministry.

Discipline training usually takes place when soldiers commit minor violations of rules or their commander's orders.

As part of efforts to improve boot camp safety, the Army also decided to hold grenade training sessions over three weeks instead of the current two weeks to help trainee soldiers better understand the explosive weapon.

The move comes after another recruit died last month in a grenade explosion during a training session at a boot camp in Sejong, 113 km south of Seoul.

All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military in a country facing constant security threats from North Korea. (Yonhap)
Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae recommended Thursday three senior judges as candidates to replace three outgoing justices at the top court, court officials said.

Cho picked Roh Kyung-pil, a senior judge at the Suwon High Court; Park Young-jae, a senior judge at the Seoul High Court; and Lee Sook-yeon, a judge at the Patent Court, and delivered the recommendation to President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the Supreme Court.

The appointment process will begin, including the parliamentary hearing on the nominees, once Yoon submits an official request for parliamentary consent to the National Assembly.

In South Korea, all 14 Supreme Court justices are appointed by president with the consent of the National Assembly. (Yonhap)
Angry husband stopped SUV in bus-only lane amid argument with wife; bus driver and husband get jail time

By KTimes

Two men, an intercity bus driver and the driver of a car that stopped in a freeway bus-only lane resulting in a collision that killed the car driver's wife and injured three others, have been sentenced to serve prison time, according to court officials on Thursday.

The car's driver and his wife exited the stopped vehicle on the freeway during an argument.

The Daejeon District Court sentenced the 59-year-old bus driver to one year in prison for violating traffic laws, which resulted in the womans death. The husband, 66, was sentenced to two years in prison for involuntary manslaughter due to negligence.

The incident occurred on March 19 last year at 9:25 a.m. on the northbound lane of the Gyeongbu Expressway, 293 kilometers from Seoul, near Nami-myeon, Seowon District, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

The bus driver, who was driving an intercity bus in the inside lane of the four-lane road, hit and killed the 65-year-old woman who had exited the stopped car.

Investigations revealed that before the accident, the husband and his wife were driving on the highway when they began arguing about the speed at which he was driving.

In anger, the husband abruptly changed lanes into the bus-only lane and stopped the car. When he exited the vehicle, his wife got out from the passenger side and was attempting to move to the drivers seat when she was struck and killed by the bus.

This article was assisted by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.


Ministry, police looking into contracts between Aricell, workforce suppliers and foreign workers

By Jun Ji-hye

The Ministry of Employment and Labor has launched an investigation into lithium battery maker Aricell over suspected illegal hiring of foreign workers after Mondays deadly fire at its factory killed 23 employees, including 18 foreign nationals, officials said Thursday.

In particular, the ministry is looking into whether Aricell had directly imposed work orders on foreign temporary laborers hired by subcontractors, which is an illegal practice.

Korean laws distinguish between dispatched workers and subcontracted workers. The former receive work orders directly from contractors, while the latter are not directly asked to do work by contractors. The latter receive work orders from their suppliers, and the contractors are only responsible for payment for their work.

The laws allow dispatch of workers for only 32 types of industries that require professional knowledge, but it is widely believed that the Aricell factorys range of work does not fall within these categories. Therefore, if the factory gave direct work orders on foreign workers, it would be considered illegal hiring, aimed at cutting down on labor costs.

If Aricell substantially exercised authority on subcontracted workers, it can be seen as the use of dispatched workers, regardless of the type of contract it signed. We are looking into this, a ministry official said.

The official noted that other key factors to determining the illegality of the hiring process are whether foreign laborers worked jointly with Aricell employees in a group and whether Aricell decided on the working and resting hours of foreign workers.

The Aricell factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was engulfed in fire on Monday, killing 17 Chinese nationals, five Korean nationals and one Laotian national. Eight others were also injured.

On Tuesday, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency booked five officials of Aricell and workforce suppliers on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, among others, and banned them from leaving the country.

Aricell CEO Park Soon-kwan, who is also the head of Aricells parent company S-Connect, said during a press conference on the same day that the factory had 103 employees, of which 50 were regular workers and 53 were foreign workers.

He also said the foreign laborers who died were all subcontracted workers, and their suppliers gave work orders to them, trying to defend the factory from suspicions that it illegally used dispatched workers via the subcontract system.

There was no illegal dispatch of workers as work orders came from their suppliers, Park said. We offered sufficient safety education to the workers and stored batteries properly.

On the other hand, one of the companies that supplied foreign laborers to the battery factory said that Aricell used dispatched workers illegally and called Park a liar, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Regarding this, the labor ministry official said, Due to their conflicting arguments, it will be necessary to check what is fact.

Even if Aricell had used subcontracted workers legally, the factory could not be immune from accountability for not offering employment insurance and occupational health and safety insurance for foreign workers, the official noted.

Meanwhile, Aricell hired lawyers from Kim & Chang, the largest law firm in Korea, in connection with the accident, one of the worst industrial disasters in the nations history, though how many lawyers are working to defend the factory is unknown so far.
The new president-elect of the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, one of two major teachers' unions, offered to step down Thursday over revelations he had received disciplinary measures for sending an inappropriate letter to his student.

Park Jung-hyun, 44, who was newly appointed as the youngest president last week, was found to have been reprimanded while he served as a high school homeroom teacher in 2013, and was transferred to a nearby middle school.

Park claimed that he received disciplinary action due to his favoritism of a particular student, but students who attended the high school at the time countered that Park's actions were hard to deem as pure favoritism.

It was later found that Park referred to a particular student as "darling" in the letter and included phrases like "I love you more today than yesterday," or "I want to hug you now."

Calls have since grown for his resignation.

In a statement he published through the union on Thursday, Park offered to step down, saying he "deeply apologizes to all teachers of the association and takes all responsibility."

"I am deeply sorry for concerning the Korean Federation of Teachers' Associations, its members, and all of the nation's teachers through my past errors and mistakes, and for the disgrace I caused," he added.

The teachers' union said the acting vice president will take over the position until a new president is elected.

It also apologized for failing to meet the "responsibility and anticipation" as the largest teachers' association in the country and vowed to reform its candidate evaluation system. (Yonhap)
By Michael Breen

At the beginning of this year, when Kim Jong-un announced he was abandoning reunification, South Koreans were flummoxed and did not know how to react.

But what Koreans agreed on, with hardly the need for debate, was that even if the North was walking away, the South still wants reunification.

That position continues to make sense half a year later, but only because Koreans are still trying to get their heads around whether Kim meant what he said.

If it becomes clear in time that the North Koreans really are giving up and forging a new and separate national identity, South Koreans will face a dilemma. How can South Korea, as a democratic state, force reunification on an unwilling partner? It can't.

South Korea would have to go dictatorial again before it can behave like Russia toward Ukraine and try to take over an unwilling United Nations member state.

What South Korea needs is a reset, a new model.

In the decades since the Korean War, South Koreans have had two models for reunification. For the first 40 years, if South Korea had the means, it would have probably invaded. People may dispute this claim, but I've seen Korean business leaders of the older generation directly recommend to very senior American political leaders that Americans bomb North Korea to solve the nuclear problem. As Korea was restrained by the Americans and by its own leaders' common sense, this was more sentiment than policy. Beyond that, reunification wasn't realistically imagined. It was talked about as a kind of fantasy. Every child from kindergarten onward wanted to grow up to achieve it.

After the Berlin Wall fell and the two Germanies united, this picture changed. In 1991, Seoul sent a team of specialists to observe the unification process between East and West Germany. When they reported back a year later, the government was shocked by the realization that reunification with North Korea would cause social and economic upheaval.

Within a short time, without anyone saying out loud that they didn't want reunification, a national consensus emerged for gradualism over absorption.

The Germanies had unified at the end of a 21-year process of familiarization, at the end of which the East Germans allowed themselves to be acquired wholesale. South Koreans, the new wisdom in Seoul went, are at the beginning, not the end, of that process.

The thinking in South Korea was that, in time, North Korea would change, or its regime would be removed, and South Korea would be invited in, like a vulture fund sorting out a failed bank, to make it our own. It will happen decades from now, South Koreans thought in 1992.

Well, those decades have passed. South Korea has had a few false starts. Three presidents have visited Pyongyang. But each time, something went wrong, and Koreans walked back to the blocks to start again.

But this time, only one athlete is walking back. The other guy has given up.

Perhaps what has to change now is the model. From Germany to Ireland, from acquisition to merger. In other words, the government in Seoul needs to play the long game and figure how, just as the larger Ireland has to figure out, how it can attract the people of the northern part, with their separate modern identity, into a new shared identity, without fear of loss, subjugation or disadvantage.

The good part of such a reset is that South Korean citizens will benefit from a reckoning with the aspects of the country that make it unattractive. One, for example, is the need to figure out why so many of the children of the workaholic generation that made the country great find no meaning in marriage and children of their own.

Another is to do something about the vicious political culture. A country that prosecutes the hell out of every outgoing administration is surely going to be as nasty as a medieval witchfinder with North Korean officials the day after the reunification celebrations.

There is also a need for South Korea to take charge of its vision and its own affairs, and particularly wrest the North Korea issue from Washington, which sees it through the military lens of its own security and has no interest in identities or reunification.

South Korea's hope in this approach is that given a glimmer of freedom, North Koreans will not be able to abandon reunification and will want to share what South Koreans have.

Michael Breen (mike.breen@insightcomms.com) is the author of "The New Koreans."
By Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu

During his recent visit to Central Asia, President Yoon Suk Yeol unveiled the "K-Silk Road" initiative, which included visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This strategic move aims to bolster Korea's influence and presence in the region.

The K-Silk Road initiative seeks to merge Korea's technological prowess with the abundant resources of Central Asia. Beyond fostering economic ties, a key focus of the initiative is the exploration and development of critical minerals in the region. To further these goals, plans are underway for an upcoming Korea-Central Asia Summit, which will be pivotal in advancing these strategic partnerships.

President Yoon's first stop of his Central Asia tour was Turkmenistan, where he met with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Given Turkmenistan's status as a major global natural gas producer, the country holds significant strategic value for Korea. During the visit, Hyundai Engineering secured agreements to establish a fourth desulfurization facility at the Galkynysh gas field and to collaborate on developing a polymer plant in the Kiyanli region. Similarly, Daewoo Engineering signed a cooperation agreement to work on related projects, underscoring Korea's commitment to expanding its energy and industrial footprint in Turkmenistan.

In addition to energy, Korea seeks to take part in smart city initiatives in this country and plans to provide technical support to Turkmenistan's Arkadag city project. The parties met at the Korea-Turkmenistan Business Forum and discussed the construction of smart cities and technologization of existing cities. Sejong and Busan were cited as examples in this regard.

During his visit to Kazakhstan, President Yoon met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, where discussions centered on energy and critical minerals. The two leaders reached an agreement for joint exploration and development of lithium mines, involving the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources and SK Ecoplant. They also agreed to cooperate on the extraction and development of other critical minerals, including lithium, chromium, manganese and uranium. Furthermore, Doosan Enerbility signed an agreement with Samruk Energy to collaborate on the renovation and modernization of power plants and thermal facilities in Kazakhstan, strengthening bilateral ties in the energy sector.

Furthermore, Uzbekistan stands out as Korea's most significant partner in Central Asia, playing a pivotal role not just in the economic and energy sectors but also in historical and cultural exchanges. The deep-rooted connections between the two countries are bolstered by an ethnic Korean community of approximately 200,000 people in Uzbekistan and a shared history that dates back to the Goguryeo period of the 6th and 7th centuries. These historical ties have paved the way for a robust and multifaceted relationship. The arrival of the first Korean language teachers in 1992 marked a significant milestone in cultural diplomacy, further strengthening the bond between the two nations and fostering closer ties through educational and cultural exchanges.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pays special attention to Korea and says he is ready to contribute to Korea's regional policies. While the current trade volume is $3 billion, the potential is said by both countries to be $15 billion. Companies such as Hyundai, SK, Samsung, LG, Lotte and Daewoo, which are already operating in the country, have been cited as models by Uzbek officials.

Korea's new regional policy has been approached from various perspectives. In his analysis for Uzbekistan's Daryo Media Agency, political analyst Eldaniz Gusseinov highlights Korea's ambitious political initiatives in the region. Gusseinov points out that Korea is embracing a broader Eurasian strategy, rebranding its long-standing Central Asian policies with new content while maintaining their essence. He underscores the importance of Korea nurturing its relationship with Russia within this framework and advocates for strengthening these ties through multilateral platforms.

Asrorbek Satarov, another political analyst, advocates for a balanced strategy in Central Asia's engagement with Korea. He notes that the region's significance has surged in the wake of the war in Ukraine, positioning it as a hub for cheap labor. Satarov cautions that Uzbekistan should avoid becoming merely a source of labor for Korean enterprises, suggesting the need for a more equitable and strategic partnership.

Furthermore, Kazakhstan's media outlets express dissatisfaction with expectations from Korea. A news article in Ulys Media reports that efforts to enhance the working conditions for Kazakh citizens in Korea have not yet commenced. The article questions the delay in signing the anticipated agreement, which was expected during President Yoon's visit, and seeks clarity on when Korea will respond positively to this matter.

With this new concept, the K-Silk Road focuses on official development assistance, energy resources, cultural links and government-private networking. In the coming period, we may witness an intensified engagement in Central Asia with the inclusion of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, but the concerns and expectations of the regional countries should be the main priority for Korea.

Dr Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu (oztarsu@gmail.com) is a senior researcher at the Institute of EU Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Proper safety training, better working conditions urgent

The recent fire at a lithium battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which claimed the lives of 23 workers, highlights the urgent need to protect migrant workers in Korea. Tragically, 18 of the victims were foreign nationals, including 17 ethnic Chinese and a Laotian. These workers, hired through a subcontractor on a daily basis, were not provided with essential safety training despite working with highly hazardous materials.

Lithium is a spontaneously combustible material that can reach temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius when ignited, making it difficult to extinguish with water due to the risk of a secondary explosion. Appropriate safety measures are crucial in environments dealing with dangerous substances. Unfortunately, however, the migrant workers at the plant were not prepared for the accident, as evidenced by security camera footage showing them trying to use extinguishers and struggling to find exits due to obstructed pathways. This highlights a significant deficiency in safety education and preparedness.

Industrial sites employing large numbers of foreign laborers have often come under criticism for neglecting to offer proper safety education and training, citing language barriers as an excuse. Against this backdrop, migrant laborers are vulnerable to higher risks of death from industrial accidents compared to their local peers.

According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, out of 812 industrial deaths last year, 85, ot 10.4 percent, involved foreign nationals, up from 9.7 percent in 2022. The trend is worsening with foreign workers accounting for 11.2 percent during the first three months of this year.

Koreas dependency on foreign workers is growing because of its labor shortage, aggravated by a low birth rate paired with an aging population. The number of foreign workers active here stood at 920,000 last year, accounting for 3.2 percent of total employment. This represents an increase of 80,000 from the previous year. To address the shortage of workforce at the industrial sites, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration hiked the number of work permits for eligible migrants by 165,000. However, employers continue to suffer from a chronic labor shortage and call for more foreign workers.

Amid a steady increase in demand for foreign workers, however, Korea has largely failed to improve its working conditions. A large number of migrant workers, especially those on daily contracts, are usually sent to work sites without adequate safety training and education. Aricell, where the fire broke out, for instance, has more than 50 foreign workers, mostly on daily contracts, out of its total 100 or more employees. Such negligence is not acceptable given the critical roles the migrant workers play in keeping plants and other industrial sites operational.

The labor sector heaped criticism against the government. In a statement, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) criticized the government for having failed to take proper steps despite hundreds of foreign workers dying every year from industrial accidents. Despite the increasing influx of migrant workers, the government deserves criticism for abolishing an assistance center for foreign workers. Employers are also accountable as they have been coercing the migrant workers without providing them due safety training, the KCTU said.

Now is the time for the government and companies to collaborate closely in thoroughly reexamining the working conditions faced by foreign workers and developing comprehensive safety measures for them. This should include providing adequate safety education, guaranteeing concrete measures, and offering specific manuals to ensure that all foreign workers understand safety protocols.

The recent tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of how vulnerable foreign laborers in the nation are to workplace hazards. The government and the employers should recognize the contributions of the migrant workers to the Korean economy and focus on enhancing their safety at work. They should implement practical and proactive measures to protect them from future industrial accidents and prevent potential tragedies.
By Baek Byung-yeul

LG Electronics introduced its LG CLOi robot featuring Google's generative AI, Gemini, showcasing the its initiative to provide advanced robot services with enhanced intelligence, the company said Thursday.

At the Google Cloud Summit Seoul event, LG introduced the Gemini-powered CLOi GuideBot. LG said this is the first time generative AI has been incorporated into CLOi robots.

Gemini can receive user commands in various ways, including text, voice, images and coding. At the annual conference, LG demonstrated to visitors the robot's AI chatbot function that naturally answers questions and generates photo images through voice commands.

LG plans to launch the LG CLOi GuideBot equipped with Google's generative AI within this year, while also expanding the application of generative AI functions to its existing guide robots through wireless software updates.

While the CLOi robots launched so far can perform various roles such as visitor guidance, advertising and security based on pre-populated data, they can only answer limited questions that are not pre-populated.

With enhanced language capabilities through generative AI, the CLOi robots strengthen their communication functions by autonomously generating various questions that arise in conversations with users. They can also provide natural answers to unexpected questions through searches, enabling more accurate responses to customer inquiries.

LG expects robots to evolve to perform more creative and complex tasks with generative AI. The company plans to increase its presence in the market expected to grow to $64.35 billion by 2030, according to data by Statista.

"Through the synergy of LG Electronics' advanced AI robot technology capabilities and big tech companies' AI platform technology, we will lead innovation in customer experience in the robot business," Roh Kyu-chan, head of the robot business division of LG, said.

LG has been accelerating the establishment of a robot ecosystem. The company has been developing the robotics business in various spaces, such as airports, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, retail stores and warehouses.
By Lee Min-hyung

BUSAN  Renault Korea unveiled its highly anticipated Grand Koleos hybrid SUV for the first time globally on Thursday, aiming to make a significant impact with this eco-friendly luxury family vehicle in the market.

The high-end SUV, better known as its project name of Aurora 1, made its long-awaited debut on the sidelines of this years Busan Mobility Show. The vehicle attracted huge attention from visitors, as the carmaker did not release any new models here for the past four years.

The Korean subsidiary of the French automaker aims to widen its market share with the strategic model, even if competition remains fierce against home-grown players  such as Hyundai Motor and Kia.

Renaults bet on the hybrid SUV is seen as part of the carmakers efforts to jump into the global boom on hybrid vehicles, at a time when the global electric vehicle industry navigates challenges before widespread adoption.

Grand Koleos is equipped with the firms E-Tech hybrid powertrain  a combination of a 1.64 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery and a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, the carmaker said.

The E-Tech hybrid system enables drivers to enjoy a powerful and dynamic driving experience with a maximum 245 horsepower output. Renault Korea also highlighted the vehicle's prompt and smooth response during acceleration in electric mode as another key advantage.

The hybrid powertrain is optimized for city driving, offering enhanced fuel efficiency. Renault Korea claims it can achieve fuel savings of up to 50 percent compared to gasoline-powered vehicles when driving in urban areas.

Renault Korea expressed confidence in boosting total sales with the new hybrid SUV, especially since it is equipped with a range of state-of-the-art in-vehicle safety functions. The company has outfitted all trims of the vehicle with its active driver assistance system. Additionally, drivers can park the vehicle more easily thanks to its full auto parking system, according to the carmaker.

Renault Koreas previous SUV lineups  such as the QM6 and XM3  displayed decent sales performances, so the carmaker hopes to extend the momentum with the latest luxury SUV.

Grand Koleos also features trendy artificial intelligence (AI) functions. The vehicles AI infotainment system analyzes the driving patterns of its customers, and automatically changes driving modes optimized for each user.

An extensive scale of collaboration with our global partners and auto researchers here allowed us to launch the vehicle, Renault Korea CEO Stephane Deblaise said.

Grand Koleos will compete with the Santa Fe and Sorento  the two best-selling family SUVs manufactured by Hyundai Motor and Kia.

Renault Korea plans to start deliveries of the new SUV in the latter half of this year. Customers who want to purchase the vehicle can visit either the carmakers sales offices or its booth set up at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) in the southern port city.
Casper Electric unveiled for 1st time

By Lee Min-hyung

BUSAN  Hyundai Motor, Kia and BMW have placed a strategic focus on compact electric vehicles (EVs) by showcasing their new lineups in the category at this years Busan Mobility Show, in an effort to overcome the frozen sentiment in the global EV market.

As the EV industry progresses toward widespread public adoption, hybrid cars are currently bridging the gap. However, carmakers have shown a strong commitment to expanding their EV lineups with smaller, more affordable models.

Hyundai Motor drew attention at the mobility fair on Thursday with the worlds first launch of the Casper Electric. This marks the debut of the brands smallest-ever crossover SUV in an all-electric version. The vehicle is equipped with a 49 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, allowing it to travel up to 315 kilometers on a single charge.

Casper Electric, unveiled for the first time in the world here, will drive the mass adoption and popularization of EVs, Chung Yoo-seok, vice president and head for Hyundai Motors domestic business division, told reporters on the sidelines of the auto fair.

The compact EV has secured enhanced marketability, as its battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in only 30 minutes, according to Hyundai Motor, which added that this is fit for typical city drives. The vehicle will be priced at less than 30 million won ($21,600).

Kia displayed its full EV lineups  the EV3, EV6 and EV9  during the fair, in a show of its determination to lead the upcoming EV era. Kia also focused on promoting the EV3 out of the lineups by running a special EV3-dedicated zone. The compact electric SUV was unveiled in May.

Genesis, a luxury brand under Hyundai Motor Group, displayed its facelifted Electrified G80 mid-sized sedan for the first time on the sidelines of the fair.

BMW Korea showcased its small crossover iX2 EV and a set of other vehicles, including ones from its MINI brand.

The company was the only imported carmaker to set up a booth at the mobility show. Many other foreign carmakers opted out of participating this year due to declining popularity and minimal marketing impact of the event.

But BMW reiterated its strong will to give back to regional societies by widening its corporate activities for the co-prosperity with them.

BMW Korea will set a new stepping stone to realize sustainable corporate activities with regional communities, BMW Korea CEO Han Sang-yun said.
Bolivian armed forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening and a general was arrested after President Luis Arce slammed a "coup" attempt against the government and called for international support.

Earlier in the day, military units led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, recently stripped of his military command, had gathered in the central Plaza Murillo square, home to the presidential palace and Congress. A Reuters witness saw an armored vehicle ram a door of the presidential palace and soldiers rush in.

"Today the country is facing an attempted coup d'etat. Today the country faces once again interests so that democracy in Bolivia is cut short," Arce said in comments from the presidential palace, with armed soldiers outside.

"The Bolivian people are summoned today. We need the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat in favor of democracy."

A few hours later, a Reuters witness saw soldiers withdraw from the square and police take control of the plaza. Bolivian authorities arrested Zuniga and took him away, though their destination was unclear.

Inside the presidential palace, Arce swore in Jose Wilson Sanchez as the military commander, Zuniga's former role. He called for calm and order to be restored.

"I order that all personnel mobilized on the streets return to their units," Sanchez said. "We entreat that the blood of our soldiers not be spilled."

The United States said it was closely monitoring the situation and urged calm and restraint.

Tensions have been building in Bolivia ahead of general elections in 2025, with leftist ex-President Evo Morales planning to run against former ally Arce, creating a major rift in the ruling socialist party and wider political uncertainty.

Many do not want a return of Morales, who governed from 2006-2019 when he was ousted amid widespread protests and replaced by an interim conservative government. Arce then won election in 2020.

Zuniga said recently that Morales should not be able to return as president and threatened to block him if he attempted to, which led Arce to remove Zuniga from his post.

Ahead of the attack on the presidential palace, Zuniga had addressed reporters in the square and cited growing anger in the landlocked country, which has been battling an economic slump with depleted central bank reserves and pressure on the boliviano currency as gas exports have dried up.

"The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay," Zuniga told a local TV station, calling for a new cabinet of ministers.

"Stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country, stop humiliating our army," he said in full uniform, flanked by soldiers, insisting the action being taken was supported by the public.

Zuniga told reporters later on Wednesday that Arce had on Sunday asked him to "raise something up" to boost his popularity, without offering evidence.

Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo later said Zuniga was seeking to court popular support and that the nine people injured in the attempt proved "this was not a drill."

'Strongest condemnation'

Morales, head of the ruling MAS socialist party, said that his supporters would mobilize in support of democracy.

"We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people," Morales said.

Bolivia's public prosecutor's office said it would launch a criminal investigation against Zuniga and others involved in the attempted coup.

Public support for Arce and Bolivia's democracy has poured in from regional leaders and beyond.

"We express the strongest condemnation of the attempted coup d'etat in Bolivia. Our total support and support for President Luis Alberto Arce Catacora," Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on X.

Even conservative political opponents of the government in Bolivia condemned the military action, including ex-President Jeanine Anez, who was imprisoned in 2022 amid political turmoil.

"I fully reject of the mobilization of the military in the Plaza Murillo attempting to destroy constitutional order," she wrote on X. "The MAS with Arce and Evo must be got out through the vote in 2025. We Bolivians will defend democracy." (Reuters)
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will meet on a debate stage on Thursday for the first of two televised face-offs that could prove critical in their tight rematch race to win the White House in November.

Here is what you need to know:

When and where are the debates?

The first debate will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday (local time) on CNN and be broadcast from an Atlanta studio without a live audience.

It can also be viewed on CNN affiliates, without a cable login on CNN.com and is available for simulcast on other U.S. channels.

More than four months ahead of the Nov. 5 vote, the CNN debate will be the earliest presidential debate in modern U.S. history.

Television news channel ABC said it will host the second presidential debate on Sept. 10, also from an audience-free studio.

Who will moderate the debates?

Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate CNN's debate. ABC's will be moderated by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.

Who will debate?

CNN said only Biden and Trump met its conditions for participating in the debate: appear on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency and receive at least 15 percent in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not make the cut.

ABC will also require debaters to appear on enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral votes and receive at least 15 percent in four separate national polls.

What are the rules?

In Thursday's 90-minute debate, candidates will appear at a uniform podium, be given a pen, paper and bottle of water and cannot use props or notes, CNN said.

"Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak" and moderators "will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion," CNN said.

Biden will be on the podium on the right side of viewers' screens, and Trump will get the last word after a coin toss.

Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during the two commercial breaks, and there will be no studio audience.

ABC's debate rules have not yet been announced.

What to watch for

U.S. presidential debates often draw tens of millions of viewers, and through history have determined the course of some races. This time, strategists say there are risks for both candidates, who are locked in a tight race and share low enthusiasm from voters.

Biden, 81, and former president Trump, 78, are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency and viewers are sure to question their cognitive abilities and emotional steadiness.

Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the president's age.

Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his volatility and sometimes changing positions on issues, such as abortion. Biden's campaign is hoping to talk about abortion and Trump's about immigration, but CNN's moderators will decide the questions.

Topics may include: how the candidates would handle challenges posed by persistently high grocery prices, migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars.

Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on 34 felony counts for involvement in a hush money scheme could come up during the debate, as could the legal woes facing Biden's son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

Who will be there?

Campaign staff will be on hand to talk to reporters afterward in the "spin room."

The Biden campaign declined to comment on whether the president might bring any guests to the debate, but California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to be there.

Trump's campaign is hosting a watch party in Atlanta, with rumored contenders to be Republican vice presidential running mate - North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, and others listed as "special guests."

What happened last time?

Then-President Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 race, with their first exchange devolving into a chaotic shouting match. According to Nielsen Media Research, more than 73 million people tuned in for the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020.

For the second debate, moderators said they would mute each candidate's microphone to allow the other to speak without interruption for the first two minutes of each debate segment. But the candidates behaved more civilly and the mute button was not a major factor.

A third debate was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and spent three days in a hospital. He declined to participate in a virtual event.

Is that it?

Traditionally, there are three presidential debates, however no third Trump-Biden matchup has been announced yet.

Vice President Kamala Harris accepted a CBS News invitation for a vice presidential debate on either July 23 or Aug. 13, according to a campaign spokesperson. (Reuters)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is "marvelling at the horizon" as he tastes freedom in Australia after a five-year stretch in a London high-security prison, his wife said Thursday.

The 52-year-old landed in Canberra the night before, hours after pleading guilty in a U.S. Pacific island court to a single count of revealing military secrets.

Under a plea deal, he was sentenced to time already served and allowed to walk free, ending a 14-year legal struggle with the U.S. Department of Justice.

"He's overjoyed to be back home. He's just marvelling at the horizon," Stella Assange told Australia's public broadcaster ABC.

When told of his release, the couple's two children were "jumping on the sofa and just ecstatic, and they want to show Julian the seals," she said.

Assange spent more than five years in London's Belmarsh prison fighting extradition to the United States on charges under the 1917 Espionage Act.

He had already lived for seven years in Ecuador's London embassy to escape extradition to Sweden over sexual assault charges, which were eventually dropped.

The couple have not had time to discuss how their lives will play out since his release, said Stella, who met Assange while he was still in the Ecuadorian embassy and married him in the London prison.

"That's why we have asked for privacy and space and time to figure things out," she said.

"I packed the bags and got on a plane and got here to receive Julian. And what happens next? Well, hopefully, rest, recovery and a period of calm."

Journalism 'on trial'

Assange's lawyer Jen Robinson said his plea deal would not set a legal precedent because it was not a judicial decision.

But she said the U.S. prosecution itself was "chilling."

Assange was jailed because of a U.S. extradition request for publishing classified but "important" information that revealed evidence of war crimes and human rights abuses, she said.

"That is journalism," Robinson argued.

"Journalists around the world should be under no illusions that this is the prosecutorial policy of the United States government," she said.

"And while we have managed to secure Julian's freedom, I think it is true to say that journalism still remains on trial." (AFP)
China will hold a key political meeting historically watched for signals on economic direction from July 15-18, state media reported Thursday.

A year and a half after crippling COVID-19 restrictions ended, China's recovery has lost pace, sending ripples of unease through the country's leaders and citizens.

The Third Plenum, originally expected last autumn, is highly anticipated in the hope it will resolve uncertainty and reveal details of the Chinese leadership's strategy going forward.

Announcing the dates, state news agency Xinhua said the meeting would "primarily examine issues related to further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization."

Authorities have been clear they want to re-orientate the economy around high-tech innovation and domestic consumption.

But economic uncertainty is fuelling a vicious cycle that has kept the latter stubbornly low.

So far, President Xi Jinping's government has resisted any big stimulus, and last week the head of China's central bank warned that was not on the cards.

The economy still faced many challenges, he said, but authorities would exercise moderation. (AFP)
The European Union and two of its member countries, Lithuania and Estonia, signed security agreements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.

The agreement with the EU lays out the bloc's commitment to help Ukraine in nine areas of security and defence policy  including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

The pact  along with the documents signed with Lithuania and Estonia  is intended to complement other similar agreements sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defence against Russia's invasion.

Countries including the United States, Britain, France and Germany have sealed such pacts with Kyiv.

Officials say the agreements are not the same as the mutual defence pact between NATO nations, but are pledges to provide Ukraine with weapons and other aid to bolster its own security and deter any future invasion. (Reuters)
European Union leaders were poised to approve Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa and Kaja Kallas as the heads of the 27-nation blocs top institutions for the coming years, tasking them with shaping policy for the worlds biggest trading bloc.

After the three mainstream political groups in the European Parliament reached an agreement earlier this week, the trio were expected to be approved at a two-day summit starting Thursday in Brussels, despite criticism from the far right.

Under the deal reached by negotiators from the conservatives, social democrats and liberals, von der Leyen, a conservative, will be proposed for a second term as European Commission president. Costa, a former Portuguese socialist prime minister, will be nominated to succeed European Council President Charles Michel, while Kallas, the Estonian prime minister known for her tough line on Russia, will be proposed as the blocs top diplomat to replace Josep Borrell.

While Michel's appointment is decided by EU leaders, both von der Leyen and Kallas will also need to be approved by lawmakers.

The European Parliament election held June 6-9 saw the EU's legislature shift to the right and dealt major blows to mainstream governing parties in France and Germany. But the three mainstream groups managed to keep a majority of seats and didn't take into consideration the rise of the far-right group of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose political group in the European Parliament is now the third-largest.

Under the EUs treaties, the leaders choice of candidates should reflect the results of the election, sharing the posts among the winners. At their previous meeting earlier this month, leaders failed to agree on the blocs top jobs.

Meloni criticized the deal on the eve of the summit, saying it didn't take into account the will of EU citizens "who are calling for a more concrete, less ideological Europe.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was part of the negotiating team that proposed the top jobs, said the common position of the three mainstream groups was reached only to facilitate the process and not to ostracize Meloni.

The decision is for Madam Meloni and other leaders, said Tusk, who himself was European Council president from 2014-2019. There is no decision without Prime Minister Meloni. This is obvious.

Under the EUs complicated division of powers, the leaders get to nominate the next president of the European Commission, which is responsible for drawing up EU policy on everything from the climate to the colossal shared budget.

Over the last five years, von der Leyen led a huge drive to secure billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses during the pandemic, set up an economic recovery fund and drummed up support for Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, including by backing Kyivs future EU membership.

The European Council presidents job is to broker deals between the EU's member states, while the top diplomat represents the bloc on the world stage. (AP)
Three suspected leaders of a failed coup against Bolivian President Luis Arce were remanded in custody on Friday for six months, the country's top prosecutor said.

Former army chief Juan Jose Zuniga, former head of navy Juan Arnez and Alejandro Irahola, former head of the army's mechanized brigade, will be held in a high-security prison not far from the capital La Paz.

"This pre-trial detention ordered by the judge will undoubtedly set a precedent, and is a good signal for the investigation to move forward," said Attorney General Cesar Siles.

The three officers face charges of engaging in an armed uprising and terrorism and face up to 20 years in prison, Siles said on state television.

A total of 21 active, retired and civilian military personnel were arrested in connection with Wednesday's attempted coup, in which troops and tanks were deployed in the heart of the capital, where they tried to break down a door of the presidential palace.

Zuniga said his goal was to "restructure democracy" in Bolivia. He was soon captured and the troops pulled back.

- 'Coup on one's self'? -

In an unusual twist, Zuniga claimed he was following Arce's orders and that the president had hoped for the coup to trigger a crackdown that would boost his popularity.

Arce denied the allegations. "How could one order or plan a coup on one's self?" he told reporters.

Tensions in the Andean nation have been rising in recent weeks over surging prices, shortages of dollars and fuel, and a feud between Arce and powerful former president Evo Morales ahead of the 2025 election.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced Thursday that he would soon visit his "friend" Arce to support him following the unrest.

Russia "strongly" condemned the attempted military coup, its foreign ministry said Thursday, warning against "destructive foreign interference" in the South American country.

UN chief Antonio Guterres "welcomes the peaceful resolution of the situation," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, having earlier expressed alarm over the abortive coup.

Condemnations of the coup bid also poured in from Madrid, Washington and across Latin America.

- Political tug of war -

Bolivia, which has a long history of military coups, has in recent weeks been rocked by an economic crisis due to a drop in natural gas production, its main source of foreign currency until 2023.

The country has had to reduce fuel imports, and there is a shortage of dollars, which has triggered protests by powerful unions of merchants and freight transporters.

Gustavo Flores-Macias, a professor of government at Cornell University in New York state, told AFP the failed coup was "a symptom of a significant and broad discontent" in the country.

For now, "we must carefully evaluate how widespread the discontent is within the armed forces," he said, adding that Arce's government was facing "a critical moment of weakness."

Bolivia is also deeply polarized after years of political instability, and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.

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In a thrilling buildup to her highly anticipated solo comeback, BLACKPINK Lisa has sent fans into a frenzy with a tantalizing MV teaser for her latest single, "ROCKSTAR."

The teaser drop came hot on the heels of a unique glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of the MV production, highlighting a diverse casting call that sparked widespread interest. Lisa's agency, LLOUD, recently initiated a "Q&A" session, engaging directly with fans to gather expectations ahead of the MV's release.

The move set the stage perfectly for the unveiling of the MV teaser the following morning, further fueling excitement among Lisa's global fanbase.

LISAs ROCKSTAR MV TEASER PROMO IN TIMES SQUARE, NEY WORK 



pic.twitter.com/TTIMrrbOUd   (@bratzlloud) June 27, 2024

However, even before the teaser's release, a casting notice on social media surfaced in a Thai group.

The post said, "Finding actors for films, ads, MVs, and events," drawing attention to the upcoming MV project.

It detailed various roles sought for Lisa's "ROCKSTAR" MV, ranging from motorcyclists and skateboarders to LGBTQ and drag queens, underscoring the MV's diverse and inclusive vision.

Job: MV for an international artist. (Very famous, 100 million followers) Take this job, trust me, you won't regret it. Time: May 22-24, 2024 (Day or night depending on the scene)

12-hour shifts with 1-hour breaks

Rehearsal Time: May 21-22, 2024

Payment: 3,000 Baht/day (approx 81 USD/day) (including makeup, hair, etc.)

Duration: 1-2 days, 8-10 hours/day

Training by a French choreographer. Additional Information: 70 M/F/LGBTQ (Faces can be exposed or not) Groups: 1. Motorpunks and Skanks (large motorcycles): 1,500 Baht (approx 40 USD/day) (including makeup, hair, etc.) 2. Skateboarders: 3,000 Baht (approx 81 USD/day) (including makeup, hair, etc.) 3. LGBTQ/Drag queens: 5,000 Baht - 8,000 Baht (approx 135-216 USD/day) (including makeup, hair, etc.) - price will be confirmed later 4. Various supporting actors with distinctive, non-mainstream looks: 1,500 Baht - 3,000 Baht (40-80 USD/day) (including makeup, hair, etc.) - price will be confirmed later

The casting post revealed intricate details about the production process, indicating that a significant portion of the MV was filmed in Lisa's native Thailand.

Notably, the casting call offered competitive daily rates, particularly noteworthy in the local context.

For instance, dancers participating in night shoots in Bangkok's vibrant Chinatown were compensated generously, reflecting Lisa's commitment to ensuring fair compensation for talent.

READ ALSO: BLACKPINK Lisa Earns Attention For THIS Following 'ROCKSTAR' Teaser

Over three consecutive nights, dancers dedicatedly filmed scenes from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., earning approximately 240 USD for their contributions across the duration.

This dedication and the scale of the production underscored the meticulous planning and artistic direction guiding Lisa's solo endeavor.

The casting call also highlighted the global scale of Lisa's solo comeback, with roles tailored to reflect the MV's dynamic and eclectic themes.

From large motorcycles to diverse LGBTQ representations, each casting choice aims to enrich the visual narrative of "ROCKSTAR."

Residents of Bangkok's Chinatown, where substantial portions of the MV were filmed, shared insights into the nocturnal shoots, emphasizing the community's excitement and support for Lisa's creative venture.

The involvement of a French choreographer further underscored the international collaboration and artistic pedigree behind the scenes.

The generous compensation offered to talent involved in the MV, estimated to total thousands of dollars for just one scene, resonated positively within online communities.

The move was hailed as a testament to Lisa's commitment to artistic integrity and fair treatment of creative contributors.

Watch Lisa's "ROCKSTAR" MV teaser below!

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BLACKPINK Lisa's New 'Rockstar' Teaser Has Netizens in Frenzy - Here's Why

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
ENHYPEN member Jay has once again faced health challenges, this time during the group's ongoing tour in Japan. The issue came to light after Jay experienced significant knee pain following the first day of their performances in Hiroshima as part of the ENHYPEN FATE PLUS IN JAPAN tour on June 26, 2024.

In response to Jay's condition, Belift Lab, the agency managing ENHYPEN, released an official statement on June 27, 2024. The statement acknowledged Jay's health concerns and the medical advice received locally in Hiroshima.

According to Belift Lab, Jay was advised by medical professionals to minimize strenuous movements, including choreography and intense performances.

[NOTICE]



ENHYPEN Jays Health Condition and Future Schedule Update



Hello,

This is BELIFT LAB.



We would like to provide you with information regarding ENHYPEN member Jays health and future schedule.



Following the ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR FATE PLUS IN JAPAN - HIROSHIMA 1st concert pic.twitter.com/xpHMo56IuJ  ENHYPEN ASIA  (@AsiaEnhypen) June 27, 2024

IN CASE YOU MISSED THIS: ENHYPEN Jay Draws Mixed Reactions After Second Apology Over Korean History Issue

The statement reads:

"Hello.

This is Belift Lab. This is regarding ENHYPEN Jay's health condition and his upcoming schedules. After the first day of shows for ENHYPEN FATE PLUS IN JAPAN Hiroshima, Jay experienced knee pain and was treated and diagnosed by local medics. As a result, they advised him to refrain from strenuous movement including choreography and performances, etc. Although the artist himself possesses a strong will to participate, following the advice from the medics, we will be minimising his movement during today's show. He will not participate in the sound check and will perform on a chair without dancing for the show. As for Music Core in Japan, ENHYPEN will perform as 6, without Jay. We ask fans for their understanding. The company prioritizes the health of the artist and will do our best in his treatment and recovery so that he can meet fans healthily as soon as possible.

Thank you."

- Belift Lab

Despite the compromise made for the concert, Jay will not be participating in the upcoming Music Core in Japan on June 28, 2024. This marks a recurrent issue, as fans point out Jay's previous struggles with knee problems dating back to the group's US tour in late 2023.

thank you for working hard during US tour even though you had to endured the pain in your knee. you did so well and im beyond proud of you. now its time for you to rest properly, your health is the most important thing, jay. i love you so much pic.twitter.com/r5VrRVyySS  rin  (@jaysphile) October 23, 2023

is jay wearing a knee supporter?  my jeongseong, i'm still hoping it's for precautions and that youre not in pain... pls be well my love :(((( pic.twitter.com/17K6gJBfj0 November 16, 2023

Fans of ENHYPEN have voiced their frustrations over what they perceive as inadequate management of Jay's health by Belift Lab. Concerns have escalated as Jay's knee issues seem to persist, with visible signs of discomfort observed as early as November 2023, when he was spotted wearing a knee supporter.

This rly isn't funny, I need @BELIFTLAB to take this seriously. "Our artists' health is our top priority" when said artist has endured knee pain for a year nowevery single leg of the tour that's been going on forever. How many wv notices are u gonna release before u wake tf up? June 27, 2024

Jays knee pain has been going on for a long time right?? With Belift fcked up schedule, it will never heal. They talk abt prioritizing the artists health but cant even consider giving them a rest. Fck u @BELIFTLAB  tashi (@en_tashii) June 27, 2024



Many fans argue that the agency's actions appear reactive rather than proactive, waiting until the situation worsens before taking substantial measures. They highlight Jay's relentless schedule and the pressures of preparing for ENHYPEN's upcoming comeback amidst an extended tour and other promotional activities.

The group's packed schedule continues unabated, extending well into August, culminating in a comeback slated for July 14, 2024.

YOU MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTED IN: ENHYPEN Jay Dating Rumor: How Was He Entangled With ITZY Yuna?

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Cassidy Jones.
TREASURE returned to Malaysia after a year!

All 10 members crushed the stage with their amazing performances, and this time with endless firework!



TREASURE is finally back to meet all Malaysian TEUME after a year!

"2024 TREASURE RELAY TOUR [REBOOT] IN KUALA LUMPUR", organised by iMe MY, was held on 22nd June 2024. Even before the concert started, TEUME were already waving their lightsticks, excitedly singing along to the songs, livening up the entire Axiata Arena!

TREASURE first came to Malaysia last year in 2023, and made a promise that they will return with a new tour as soon as possible. Today, all 10 members fulfilled their promise and performed once again in Malaysia after 1 year and 3 months!

Bursting with youthful energy, TREASURE couldn't stop showing their cute sides to TEUME during the concert, swooning the entire crowd.

TREASURE, consisting of HyunSuk, JiHoon, Yoshi, JunKyu, JaeHyu, Asahi, DoYoung, Haruto, JeongWoo and JungHwan, kickoff the concert with "BONA BONA", "JIKJIN" and "BOY" in a red royal outfit, giving off a classy yet cool vibe!

The members did not forget to greet TEUME with some Malay words, starting off with "Apa Khabar", and "Saya Rindu Kamu".

In addition to this, the very sweet members even went extra miles and shared "It's been a long time since I came back, I miss you guys!".

Malaysian TEUME immediately went wild hearing these words. When asked for a Malaysian dish recommendation, Leader Hyun Suk passed his microphone to the crowd, but funnily, it was passed to a Thai fan, who recommended "Chicken" and "Roti Canai" to the members.

TEUME's enthusiasm stimulated TREASURE to dance and sing even more energetically. TREASURE did not lose to TEUME. They couldn't stop showing their love for TEUME, constantly showering them with "MEMANG MANTAP", "BAGUSNYA", "CANTIKNYA", and "I LOVE YOU". On top of this, they constantly threw hearts to fans during "I Want Your Love" and "I Love You", melting the hearts of all TEUME!

During encore, TREASURE sang their hit songs "RUN", "GOING CRAZY" and "DARARI". Before they left the stage, TREASURE said "It's always sad whenever we say goodbye, but thank you for always accompanying us, and we will continue to shine further!"
BLACKPINK Jisoo faced disrespectful fans at the airport, sparking concern for her well-being.

On the morning of June 27, Jisoo was spotted at Incheon Airport, Korea, returning from her schedule in Paris, France. The arrival of BLACKPINK's eldest member quickly turned chaotic as a large crowd of fans gathered, eagerly waiting to greet her as soon as she appeared.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BLACKPINK Jisoo Raises Brows as Dior Global Ambassador - Why Is Her Image on Brink of Being Tarnished?

Amid the excitement, some overly enthusiastic fans began pushing forward and "shoving" gifts at Jisoo, which clearly overwhelmed her. In particular, some fans went as far as throwing items like packages of instant pho and Hello Kitty plush toys towards her.

Although Jisoo accepted the gifts, it was obvious that the crowd made Jisoo uncomfortable. She attempted to signal for fans to calm down. Even though she was wearing a mask, it was visible on Jisoo's face that she was becoming overwhelmed and confused by the situation.

YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: BLACKPINK Jisoo Is the 'Main Event' At Dior Show + K-Netz Rave Over Her Beauty

Once Jisoo was safely inside her vehicle, she held a live stream to connect with her fans despite the overwhelming situation she faced.

During the stream, she expressed her discomfort about the aggressive welcome and mentioned being hit by thrown gifts. She revealed her surprise that her altered flight details had been leaked, as she had switched airlines to avoid such situations.

Jisoo just said on Live that it was dangerous at the airport today and that she's glad she got into the car safely and Jisoo said that fans' presents flew over her head and piled up, so she had to be careful pic.twitter.com/hpzvHYXBVN June 27, 2024

Despite the hectic welcome, Jisoo made it a point to go live on Bubble to properly greet the fans who came to the airport and to reassure them of her safe return. She also shared that she planned to rest up before resuming her filming commitments.

Despite being attacked by fans upon arriving after her long flight, Jisoo went live because she felt like she wasnt able to greet everyone who came to see her properly and wanted to tell fans she made it back safely. Jisoo said shes going home to rest before doing her best to pic.twitter.com/ZbyYjoMi8W    (@blackpinkbabo) June 27, 2024

you know what? JISOO is so kind to all of you. After the airport incident caused by fans upon her arrival after a long flight, she chose to do a live broadcast because she felt she hadnt been able to greet everyone properly and wanted to let her fans know she made it back pic.twitter.com/Ku9IawAQu2 June 27, 2024

CHECK THIS OUT: BLACKPINK To Focus On Solo Activities In 2nd Half Of 2024 - Why Are BLINKs Divided?

This incident has sparked an immense debate in the BLINK community. Many slammed the rude fans for their behavior and requested that those who plan to see the members in the airport in the future give the idols their proper space.

Others praised Jisoo for her professional attitude, calling out those who made her uncomfortable while still sharing love with the fans who support her.

What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below!

FOR YOU: BLACKPINK Jisoo Reveals True Feelings on Entering 30s

In other news, Jisoo is set to make her acting comeback with the drama "Influenza," where she will star alongside Park Jeong Min.

She is also slated to make her big screen debut as Lee Ji Hye in the film adaption of the webtoon "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint."

Here, she will star alongside Lee Min Ho.

KpopStarz Owns This

Written by Alexa Lopez
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GoSL Statement

56th Session of the Human Rights Council:

Interactive Dialogue on the Annual Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

19 June 2024

Mr. President,

The statement by the High Commissioner refers to challenging human rights situations throughout the world. We share the serious concerns expressed by many delegations at the immense loss of life and suffering we continue to witness in the Gaza.

Sri Lanka continues to address and strengthen ongoing efforts to promote post conflict reconciliation and human rights through domestic processes established within the constitutional framework.

Consultations on the draft Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation Commission bill continues, allowing ample time for public input before it is tabled in Parliament. Several consultations have taken place with stakeholders including Members of Parliament representing all political parties including the Northern and the Eastern Provinces and civil society.

Demonstrating significant public trust in the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), 5,556 out of 6,025 complainants appeared before the OMP. By April 2024, the OMP traced 16 missing persons, confirming 11 alive, 1 deceased, with 4 cases pending before the Court. Further, 1,709 families received Certificates of Absence (CoA), with the validity extended until 2028. The OMP collaborates with the ICRC to obtain technical assistance in data collection, protection and management and legal and forensic expertise.

The Office for Reparations (OR) has granted approximately 2.1 billion LKR to 7,347 families from 2023 to end of May 2024 and continues to implement several projects to provide psychosocial support for aggrieved communities.

The Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) has been further strengthened by an Act of Parliament whereby it now functions as an independent institution.

The Interim Secretariat on the Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism (ISTRM) has held 65 consultations and conducted visits to the Northern and Eastern Provinces in December 2023 and January 2024 respectively, to engage stakeholders regarding the draft bill.

A draft bill will be presented for the establishment of the Office for Overseas Sri Lankan Affairs (OOSLA), which has made progress in facilitating mutually beneficial engagement between the Sri Lankan government and overseas Sri Lankans.

Launched on 5 February 2024, the Urumaya Programme focuses on empowering over 2 million people from all communities and regions by granting land ownership. Over 1000 freehold deeds were distributed in Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya districts in May 2024.

Mr. President,

The challenging human rights situations throughout the world must be assessed with impartiality, non-selectivity, objectivity and avoiding double standards in keeping with the founding principles of this Council. Sri Lanka strongly opposes arbitrary and unilateral action which is contrary to these principles. Exceeding the mandate given by Member States to the OHCHR and politicization could lead to erosion of confidence in the work of the OHCHR.

Sri Lanka rejects the external evidence-gathering mechanism established by HRC resolution 46/1 and extended by resolution 51/1 and re-iterates that it has wide-ranging legal and political implications for all countries. It is unhelpful and only serves to divide and further polarize communities in Sri Lanka, with no tangible benefit. It also prejudges the commitment of domestic legal processes. It is a drain on scarce resources of Member States.

An important aspect of the Governments economic recovery is the targeted measures towards the poor and vulnerable communities in order to ensure their wellbeing through the provision of essential supplies. This is reflected in the social safety nets initiatives including the Aswesuma cash transfer programme and through several other social welfare measures.

Sri Lanka welcomes the progress reported by China at the recent 4th cycle of its UPR review. We note the enormous progress made by China in uplifting the lives of the Chinese people which enhances the meaningful realization of their economic, social, civil and political rights.

Sri Lanka remains an active participant in the multilateral framework and will continue to work with international partners to enhance the quality of life of all its peoples.

I thank you, Mr. President.
New Delhi June 27: A meeting of the leaders of the opposition coalition, the INDIA bloc, was held at Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi after the joint session of Parliament on Thursday. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, TMC MP Derek O'Brien, NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi, DMK MPs K Kanimozhi, and Tiruchi Siva among others attended the meeting.

"Attended the meeting of floor leaders of all parties of the INDIA bloc under the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today in Delhi. We, in the House, are unitedly committed to fighting for the issues and rights of the people," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on Facebook. According to sources, many major issues including the ongoing row over the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) were discussed in the meeting. INDIA Bloc To Demand Discussion on NEET Issue in Parliament on June 28, Stage Protest if Denied, Say Sources.

During the meeting, the leaders decided to give notice in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on Friday demanding a discussion on the NEET examination issue, the sources said. Also, the INDIA bloc leaders will stage a demonstration on July 1, Monday, at the Gandhi Statue in Parliament on alleged political vendetta, misuse of central agencies including CBI and ED against the opposition, the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, other ministers, former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and three ministers in West Bengal, they added. NEET-UG Paper Leak Row: NSUI Members, Congresss Student Wing, Barge Into NTA Headquarters, Lock Its Office in Protest (Watch Video).

"Several issues were discussed today in the meeting. There will be a debate on all the issues in the Parliament whether the President's address or the election of the speaker. You will see this in the coming days," Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said while speaking to ANI after the meeting. He said that the INDIA bloc leaders have also decided to participate in the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address on Monday, July 1. The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday and the Rajya Sabha session commenced on Thursday. Both sessions will conclude on July 3.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Barpeta (Assam) [India], June 27 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday inspected the Barpeta Satra monastery in Barpeta district and said that for the first time in 62 years, its roofing sheets will be replaced.

"For the first time in 62 years, the roofing sheets of the revered Barpeta Satra will be replaced. I consider myself blessed to be able to take part in this sewa," Assam CM Sarma said.

Also Read | Gurugram Shocker: 18-Year-Old Girl Gang-Raped in Sohna Area by Five Persons; Accused Absconding.

The Barpeta Satra is a prominent monastery in Barpeta, Assam. Barpeta Satra was established by Vaishnavite saint and socio-religious reformer Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva's key disciple Mahapurush Madhabdev.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday accused a certain section of people of creating disturbances in the state through criminal activities following the results of Lok Sabha polls.

Also Read | Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Shiv Sena-UBT Leader Sanjay Raut Wants Uddhav Thackeray As Next 'CM Face', Faces Pushback.

The Assam Chief Minister also directed the state police to take stern action against the perpetrators.

https://x.com/himantabiswa/status/1806328560086585766

"We have observed that, following the Lok Sabha election results, a certain section of people are trying to disrupt peace in the state through criminal activities and they indulged in such criminal activities. In last three years, such crimes had remarkably declined. But over the last one month some serious incidents had happened and this is a matter of concern," CM Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister highlighted the recent rape incidents in Mazbat, Dhekiajuli, Dudhnoi and mob violence incidents in Kokrajhar, Barpeta villages showed concern over the incidents and directed the state police to take strong action in the matter.

"We are concerned about the spike of such incidents and a certain section indulged in such crimes. I directed the state police to take strong action against them," Assam CM said.

According to Election Commission of India figures, in the 2024 general election BJP won nine seats, Congress won three, BJP's allies Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United Peoples' Party, Liberal (UPPL) got one each out of the total 14 seats Lok Sabha seats in Assam. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Doda (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 27 (ANI): Three terrorists were neutralized in an encounter with security forces on Wednesday in the Gandoh, Bhaderwah sector of district Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, ADGP Jammu Anand Jain said.

The search operation is still underway to find the hidden terrorists, arms, and ammunition.

Also Read | President Droupadi Murmu To Address Joint Sitting of Parliament Today; Motion of Thanks To Be Moved in Both Houses.

Speaking with ANI, the ADGP of Jammu, Anand Jain said, "Three terrorists have been neutralized in this encounter, and arms and ammunition have been recovered from them. A search operation is going on in the area. We launched a search operation as soon as we received information of the presence of terrorists... Two M-4s and one AK-47 rifle have been recovered..."

In a press conference, the ADGP Jammu said, "We have recovered two M-4s and one AK-47 gun, grenades, and basic necessities stuff from the terrorists."

Also Read | LK Advani Health Update: Veteran BJP Leader Admitted to Delhi AIIMS; Condition 'Stable' (Watch Video).

Indicating stricter actions against the ones who provided the habitation to terrorists, Jain stated, "We will take stricter against the ones who provided habitation to the terrorists. Also, I want to urge people to help us in finding out those people."

On the emergence of new terror organizations, the ADGP asserted, "There is the presence of groups in this area and a search operation is underway. As the investigation into the Chhattergala incident is also underway, so, it's yet to be discovered if it's a new scheme of terror organizations."

Furthermore, he assured that there is no threat to the Amarnath Yatra and an investigation is underway to find out the terrorists whose sketches were issued.

Earlier, on Wednesday, it was reported that two terrorists had been killed in an ongoing joint operation in the Gandoh area of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Two more terrorists have been neutralized in an ongoing joint operation in the Gandoh, Bhaderwah sector of district Doda," ADGP Jammu said in a post on X.

Arms and ammunition were recovered from their possession, he said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Another coup happened in Latin America, but this one did not go as the coup plotters wanted as Bolivia President Luis Arce managed to mobilize civilians to stop the military from taking over the government. This meant that, unlike most Latin American coups, this one ended quite peacefully.

On Wednesday, the apparent peace in Bolivia was shattered when military armored vehicles tried to ram down the doors of the country's government palace as a coup d'etat became apparent. However, the soldiers were forced to pull back as Arce's supporters arrived, armed with Bolivian flags and cheering in a central square.

After the soldiers were repelled, Arce appeared in the palace, surrounded by his ministers, to address the attempted coup d'etat, saying, "Here we are, firm in Casa Grande, to confront any coup attempt. We need the Bolivian people to organize."

According to the Associated Press, the coup was led by Juan Jose Zuniga, the general commander of the army. Arce confronted him in the palace's hallway, and the confrontation was seen on Bolivian TV. Arce ordered the general and his forces to withdraw in that confrontation.

"I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination," the president told the coup plotter. Before this happened, Zuniga told journalists in the plaza, Surely soon there will be a new Cabinet of ministers; our country, our state, cannot go on like this."

After his withdrawal, the Bolivian Army general told reporters that "for now," he recognizes President Luis Arce as commander in chief. Nobody was hurt in the confrontation.

Arce called for "democracy to be respected," soon after, adding, "We cannot allow, once again, coup attempts to take the lives of Bolivians."

READ MORE: Belize is Making Beer From Coca, Plants Used To Make Cocaine

Leaders from the Americas Condemn Latest Bolivia Coup d'etat Attempt

Soon after the attempted coup, several leaders slammed the plotters, including the Organization of American States. Former Bolivian leaders also joined in on the condemnations, as well as Chile President Gabriel Boric and Honduras President Xiomara Castro.

Meanwhile, the United States says it is closely monitoring the situation in Bolivia.

Bolivia is considered a powder keg right now. In recent months, there had been a mounting political rift between Luis Arce and one-time ally, leftist icon, and former President Evo Morales. In addition, there had been an economic decline in the country, which included intensifying protests all over the country. Morales is expected to run against Arce in the elections next year.

Luis Arce Immediately Fires Bolivia Coup Head, Appoints Replacement

As part of the fallout from the coup, President Luis Arce has now appointed General Jose Wilson Sanchez as the new chief of the country's army, replacing coup plotter Zuniga. It was Arce himself who swore Sanchez into his new position inside Bolivia's presidential palace.

Immediately after being sworn in by Arce, General Sanchez ordered the e soldiers to return to their barracks and for their leaders to avoid bloodshed, according to Reuters.

READ MORE: Bolivia: 5 of the Weirdest Dishes Served in This Country

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Attempted coup taking place in Bolivia - CNN
A defiant Honduras ex-President, Juan Orlando Hernandez, was sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in prison for conspiring with drug traffickers to ensure over 400 tons of cocaine reached the United States.

US District Judge P. Kevin Castel handed down the sentence, along with an $8 million fine, emphasizing that the penalty should serve as a warning to powerful individuals who think they are above the law, Politico reports.

Hernandez was convicted in March after a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court.

The case was closely followed in his home country, where many were shocked by the outcome.

"I am innocent," Hernandez declared through an interpreter at sentencing. "I was wrongly and unjustly accused."

READ NEXT: Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez Testifies in New York Drug Trafficking Trial

Courtroom Drama and Hernandez's Defense

During his sentencing, Honduras ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez delivered a lengthy statement, frequently interrupted by Judge P. Kevin Castel, who reminded him it was not the time to relitigate the trial.

Hernandez claimed to be a hero in the fight against drug trafficking, asserting that he collaborated with US authorities under three administrations.

However, the judge pointed out that evidence showed Hernandez used "considerable acting skills" to present himself as an anti-drug crusader while protecting the drug trade with Honduras' police and military.

Castel described him as a "two-faced politician hungry for power" who shielded select traffickers.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence plus 30 years.

Hernandez, 55, served two terms as president of Honduras and was extradited to the US in 2022.

US prosecutors alleged he worked with drug traffickers since 2004, accepting millions in bribes. Hernandez denied taking bribes and claimed his trial was unjust.

US Ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu called the sentencing an important step against drug trafficking's social consequences.

Hernandez's wife, Ana Garcia, decried the sentencing as a "judicial lynching" and expressed hope for an appeal.

Witnesses, including traffickers, testified that Hernandez protected major cocaine dealers like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to CBS News.

Judge Castel emphasized that Hernandez received a fair trial, detailing evidence of his guilt and the murders linked to the drug trade during his career.

Hernandez's Political Career and Downfall

Honduras ex-President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who served from 2014 to 2022, was accused by the Justice Department of using his power to extradite certain drug traffickers while protecting those who supported him.

Prosecutors said the Honduran National Police were involved in protecting cocaine shipments.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Hernandez abused his position to run Honduras as a "narco-state."

Despite Hernandez's defense claiming he cooperated with US authorities, the judge noted his use of "considerable acting skills" to hide his true intentions.

Hernandez's legal team plans to appeal his conviction.

He was found guilty of facilitating the smuggling of around 500 tons of cocaine to the US since 2004, using drug money for personal enrichment, political campaigns, and electoral fraud.

Several convicted traffickers testified to bribing him.

Hernandez's conviction aligns with other Latin American leaders, such as Panama's Manuel Noriega and Guatemala's Alfonso Portillo.

He closely worked with the Sinaloa Cartel. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram emphasized that Hernandez's case proves no one is above the law.

In March, a Manhattan jury found him guilty of accepting bribes to protect US-bound cocaine shipments, Aljazeera noted.

The sentencing was seen as a rare moment of accountability in Honduras.

Hernandez denied the accusations, but evidence led to his conviction and lengthy prison sentence, highlighting the extensive reach of drug cartels and government corruption.

READ MORE: Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille Takes Charge Amid Kenya Police Arrival

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Former Honduran president convicted - From ABC News
The White House is taking a victory lap after Border Patrol reported that there are fewer and fewer migrants trying to cross the US-Mexico border. This is evident as the CBP announced that they have made 40% fewer arrests as encounters have fallen to their lowest level since January 2021, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to show that Biden's new border policies are working.

This significant drop is much higher than previous reports, which saw a massive 25% drop in migrant encounters and arrests. These drops reportedly stem from President Biden's border clampdown, where migrants will be deported before they can plead asylum as long as the number of migrant encounters per day does not drop to 1,500.

Politico has reported that daily crossings have already fallen to below 2,400 encounters, which is already below the threshold. This is not yet enough to lift the restrictions, but it is a sign that Biden's measures are working despite Republican efforts to say that Biden is allowing migrants to cross the US-Mexico border illegally.

This is considered a political win for Biden as he continues to point out that top rival Donald Trump was the one who derailed legislative efforts at the US-Mexico border. The announcement was also made ahead of the Biden-Trump presidential debate scheduled for Thursday where they are expected to tackle the issue of immigration, with Biden now having the numbers to back up whatever his position will be.

"President Biden will keep leading, including by taking action to secure our border and by calling on Congressional Republicans to do their jobs and pass the bipartisan border security bill," said White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.

In addition to stricter rules on the border, Biden has also been working with leaders in the countries along the migration route, especially in Mexico and Guatemala. Non-Mexican migrants deported back to Mexico are often bused back to their starting point in Mexico, which is along the Mexico-Guatemala border. Meanwhile, Biden has promised to aid businesses in Guatemala so that people there would not leave the country for a better life in the US.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Claimed He Was Tortured Before Taking Georgia Mugshot Photo; Gets Fact-Checked and Ridiculed

Alejandro Mayorkas Lauds Joe Biden's Border Crackdown During Visit to the US-Mexico Border

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was in Arizona to visit the US-Mexico border and heaped his praise on the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, which covers most of Arizona from New Mexico to the Yuma County line.

The Tucson Sector had seen a 45% decrease in migrant encounters since the Biden border clampdown started. It was once one of the busiest border sectors in the US this year and now had one of the highest migrant crossing declines, according to Arizona Central.

Joe Biden Employing a Carrot and Stick Approach on Migrants Crossing the Border

While many found Biden's new border restrictions to be harsh, especially for asylum seekers fearing for their lives, Biden has also loosened some restrictions on certain migrants as he walls a political tightrope regarding immigration.

As MSN noted, while Biden is employing "the stick" to dissuade migrants from illegally crossing the border, he is also using "the carrot," which is his latest plan to legalize hundreds of thousands of migrants who are already here. This includes a path to citizenship for around 500,000 spouses of US Citizens.

READ MORE: US-Mexico Border: Illegal Immigrant Arrests Go Down 25% Since Joe Biden's Border Crackdown

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: President took action on border when Congress failed to act: Sec. Mayorkas - MSNBC
Former President Donald Trump has received modified permissions from New York Judge Juan Merchan, allowing him to discuss trial witnesses, such as Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, before his forthcoming CNN Presidential Debate against President Joe Biden.

This recent development comes as part of a revised Trump gag order, maintaining restrictions on discussing prosecutors, court staff, or their families until Trump's scheduled sentencing on July 11, according to BBC.

Trump Gag Order Modifications

New York Judge Merchan's decision represents a significant adjustment to the initial constraints imposed on Donald Trump's public statements during his trial.

The judge cited altered circumstances following Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records as grounds for relaxing certain aspects of the gag order.

Trump is now authorized to publicly address the witnesses who testified against him and can provide commentary on the composition of the jury pool in Manhattan, with the caveat that he refrains from disclosing any juror's personal identifying information.

Steven Cheung, the spokesperson for Trump, sharply criticized the revised gag order, describing it as unconstitutional, CNN reports.

Cheung declared Trump's immediate intent to appeal the ruling, arguing that the restrictions unjustly suppress Trump's voice, particularly as a leading contender in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

Previously, New York's highest court had declined to entertain Trump's appeal challenging the constitutionality of the original gag order.

Trump and Judge Merchan engaged in multiple disputes over the gag order throughout the trial proceedings. Trump consistently argued that it allowed witnesses such as Cohen to criticize him freely while preventing him from publicly defending himself.

Judge Merchan had expressed frustration over Cohen's public statements but acknowledged legal limitations in restricting them under current laws.

READ NEXT: NY's Highest Court Rejects Trump's Appeal on Hush Money Gag Order

Future Considerations and Court Proceedings

Despite the relaxation of restrictions on Trump's discourse regarding trial witnesses, Judge Merchan emphasized ongoing concerns for jurors' safety and maintained the gag order's protective measures for prosecutors and court personnel until the sentencing date.

Manhattan prosecutors supported retaining these safeguards, citing increased threats and security risks during the trial phase.

The Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment on the specifics of New York Judge Merchan's recent decision, emphasizing the importance of upholding a fair and secure judicial process leading up to Trump's sentencing, Fox News noted.

As the legal proceedings continue, Trump's ability to publicly discuss aspects of the trial remains limited by the conditions outlined in the modified gag order.

The debate surrounding the Trump gag order reflects broader debates about balancing free speech and judicial integrity in high-profile trials involving public figures.

Donald Trump's legal team is expected to continue challenging the constraints imposed by the gag order as they prepare for future legal proceedings and electoral campaigns.

New York Judge Juan Merchan's decision to adjust the gag order on Donald Trump's public statements marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the former president.

While Trump gains some freedom to discuss trial witnesses before he debated with President Joe Biden, significant restrictions remain in place until his sentencing.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden's Law License Suspended After Gun Case Guilty Verdict

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Judge in Trump's "hush money" prosecution partially lifts gag order - From CBS News
A tragic incident at Lincoln Hills School for Boys in northern Wisconsin has resulted in the death of Corey Proulx, 49, a dedicated staff member who succumbed to injuries sustained during an assault by a 16-year-old inmate, Javarius M. Hurd.

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections announced Proulx's passing on Wednesday, attributing it to injuries inflicted during the altercation, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Governor Tony Evers expressed profound sorrow over a Wisconsin youth counselor's death, ordering flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of his service.

According to DOC Secretary-Designee Jared Hoy, Proulx exemplified dedication and compassion as a youth counselor, returning to Lincoln Hills after a brief hiatus.

The tragic loss has deeply affected the DOC community, highlighting corrections staff's challenges in their commitment to rehabilitation and public safety.

READ NEXT: Wisconsin Teen Suspected of Shooting Dead After Police Confrontation

Details of the Assault and Legal Proceedings

A Wisconsin teen inmate faces serious charges, including second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder, and battery by a prisoner, all stemming from the incident on Monday night.

The assault, which occurred in a residence hall at Lincoln Hills, escalated when Hurd targeted a female staff member before assaulting Proulx, causing him to strike his head on concrete, 2 First Alert reports.

Despite efforts to airlift him to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Proulx was declared brain-dead by the Lincoln County Coroner on Tuesday.

A Wisconsin teen inmate appeared in court on Wednesday, where details from the criminal complaint painted a grim picture of the events.

The complaint outlines Hurd's aggressive behavior towards the staff member, throwing soapy water at her and punching her before turning his violence towards Proulx in the courtyard area.

Video evidence captured the assault, underscoring the severity of the incident.

Facility Oversight and Challenges

Lincoln Hills School and its counterpart, Copper Lake School for Girls, have faced ongoing scrutiny and legal challenges, including allegations of excessive force and inadequate staffing.

Despite improvements noted by a court-appointed monitor, incidents like Proulx's death highlight persistent concerns about safety and operational standards at the youth prison.

Rep. Michael Schraa, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Corrections, lamented the tragic loss and emphasized the need for urgent reforms in response to escalating violence within DOC facilities.

He underscored the committee's commitment to holding hearings to address systemic issues and ensure accountability.

Corey Proulx's untimely death at Lincoln Hills School underscores the risks faced by corrections staff and the urgent need for reforms within Wisconsin's youth prison system.

As investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the assault, the tragic incident serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges in balancing rehabilitation with safety in correctional settings, WKOW noted.

The community mourns the Wisconsin youth counselor's loss and advocates for measures to prevent such tragedies in the future, ensuring that those who serve in the line of duty are protected and honored for their dedication to public service.

This comprehensive overview captures the details surrounding the tragic event at Lincoln Hills School, providing clarity and context to a developing story impacting Wisconsin's correctional system.

READ MORE: Texas Girl Fights Back, Leaves Marks on Attackers After Creek Rescue

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ross Key

WATCH: Teen assaults counselor at Lincoln Hills Prison, resulting in death - From WISN 12 News
As the humanitarian crisis in Haiti continues to escalate, the US Border Patrol has discovered a sailboat filled with over 100 migrants just off the coast in Florida. The US Coast Guard confirmed the Border Patrol report that they tried to enter the United States via sailboat.

A total of 118 migrants were found aboard the sailboat, which was found by CBP officials in Florida territorial waters. They were soon given medical examinations, interviewed, and processed.

"I can confirm there was a recent migrant landing in the vicinity of the Key West Nature Preserve," Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg told NBC News.

The discovery comes as more and more desperate Haiti citizens flee the country as violent criminal gangs have taken over the streets, with murder, kidnapping, and violence being rampant. A majority of the capital remains under the control of these gangs as Kenyan forces arrived in the country to reinforce the beleaguered local authorities.

"The political unrest and rampant violence in Haiti have created the conditions for another mass migration surge that is directly impacting South Florida," warned Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez after the sailboat was discovered. "The security of our community is at risk of another mass migration event from Haiti due to the rampant gang violence and the mass release of thousands of violent criminals from the country's jails."

The administration of Governor Ron DeSantis is infamous for its hard-right anti-immigrant policies. This led the Florida Immigrant Coalition to call on state and federal officials to provide humane treatment and support to the migrants.

"Haitian migrants, including children, endured a perilous seven-day journey at sea, arriving off Key West in a sailboat, seeking safety and security, and highlighting the growing violence and humanitarian crisis in Haiti," said the coalition in a statement.

READ MORE: Mexico Wearing Down Migrants as New Tactic to Deter Immigration Amid Biden Crackdown

Migrants From Cuba Arrive More Than Migrants from Haiti in Florida

Samuel Briggs II, the acting Chief Patrol Agent of the agency in Miami, soon released a statement on social media, saying that once ashore, paramedics began evaluating the Haitian migrants and transported them to a local clinic where no life-threatening injuries were found.

As the Associated Press noted, these migrant boats coming from Haiti are rare, though it is a sign of the dire condition happening in the Caribbean nation right now. Because of its proximity to Florida, migrant boats from Cuba are much more common.

Some Haiti Migrants Now Opt to Stay in Mexico Instead of the US

As thousands of Haitians flee, many try to go to the US through the US-Mexico border, arriving in South America before making a long trek through the dangerous Darien Gap and cartel-controlled areas. However, many Haitians have now decided to make Mexico their home instead.

"I wanted to go to the United States, but I don't think there's another country that offers the opportunity that Mexico does right now," 34-year-old Evens Luxama told VOA News. "In Mexico, they accept you, not only Haitians but all foreigners. They do everything to get you regularized, so that you have your papers, and with your papers, you can bring your family to live with you."

READ MORE: Welcome Corps Group Helping US Citizens and Residents Support Refugees Come to the US Legally

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Haitian Migrants Look For The American Dream In Mexico - AJ+
ANSWERING UNKNOWN CALLS

Dear Heloise: Regarding the letter from Victoria D., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who asked how to silence spam calls, I disagree with your advice.

My father suffered from health problems and dementia, and he was very fragile during the last few years of his life. I could not afford to miss a call from any of his caregivers. Yes, I had the facility and doctors phone numbers stored so that I could easily identify those callers. However, the significant majority of individuals who were responsible for my dad throughout each day and night used their personal cellphones for all communications. There was no way I could disregard a call from an unknown number because so many times, it was simply someone new or a known contact using a different phone.

Victoria D. should try to have a conversation at work to explain her circumstances. Her boss should not be giving her dirty looks for monitoring these calls because she has very good reason to do so. If its a large enough firm to have a human resources department, they should provide her with some guidance as well.

Bottom line: I answered a lot of spam calls for a few years. It was 100% worth it because sometimes it would be someone who was calling about my dad. I assure you that I would rather have upset my boss than miss a critical moment in caring for my dad.

I read your column every day in the Orange County Register. Thank you for all the great advice! -- Jennifer Bodenhoefer, Laguna Hills, California

SUBSTITUTE FOR SHOEHORN

Dear Heloise: I traveled to an out-of-state wedding recently. I brought my dress shoes, but I forgot my shoehorn. You know what worked perfectly? The end of a travel-sized tube of toothpaste! -- Mark, Arlington, Texas

FREEZING GINGER

Dear Heloise: I wanted to comment on the letter regarding ginger uses: Dont bother with trying to use it all up quickly. Instead, peel the ginger, then freeze it in large knobs. Then, when needed, simply grate the frozen ginger on a zester microplane or a plain grater. Afterward, just put the unused knobs back in the freezer. -- Lori Londa, via email

TURKEY BASTER USE

Dear Heloise: Sometimes I accidentally overfill the water tank of my drip coffeemaker. Ive found that I can use my clean turkey baster (the kind with a squeeze bulb on one end) to remove the extra water. Its easy, and it works great. Thanks for many years of wonderful hints! -- Janet E., Hidden Hills, California

REUSING EGG CARTONS

Dear Heloise: I accumulate many egg cartons, both foam and paper, but recently, I found a good use for them. I needed packing materials for a box that I was sending, so I used the entire egg carton to wedge my delicate items in the box. This protected it and prevented it from moving around. They are lightweight and durable.

Egg cartons are also good for holding paintbrushes while in the middle of a project. Then you can just toss them in the trash for an easy cleanup. -- Janet Faulkner, via email

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I cant answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.

SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise@Heloise.com

(c) 2024 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
UPDATE: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board rescheduled for Wednesday, July 31 a hearing to take public comment on the renewal of the Category 2 Slot Machine Operator License for Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC, operator of the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino. Its scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Town Hall Rotunda meeting room of Bethlehem City Hall, 10 E. Church St.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Power outages caused by powerful storms Wednesday night forced the cancellation of a public hearing Thursday morning for the re-licensing of the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was scheduled to convene the hearing at 10:30 a.m. in Bethlehems Town Hall meeting rotunda beside City Hall, but there was no electricity to the complex in the morning.

As a result, the hearing would be rescheduled, board spokesman Doug Harbach told lehighvalleylive.com.

The Bethlehem Area Public Library next door was closed for the day, as well, due to no electricity.

A sign on the book drop at the Bethlehem Area Public Library announces the closure of the facility due to a power outage Thursday, June 27, 2024.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com

State casino regulators at Thursdays hearing planned to take public comment on the renewal of the Category 2 Slot Machine Operator License for Wind Creek Bethlehem LLC, operator of the casino on the citys Southside. The license covers casino operations in general and is good for five years, Harbach said.

There was no new date immediately set for the hearing.

Due to severe damage from a storm in the Bethlehem area last evening resulting in wide-spread loss of power, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (Board) has cancelled the scheduled Wind Creek License Renewal hearing for today, Harbach wrote in a news release that went out at 9:41 a.m. The Board will announce a new date for the hearing soon.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Lily Gladstone knows the gravity stories about what she calls the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous people have. But she also values humor in telling those stories.

In Fancy Dance, set for a limited theatrical release Friday and streaming release on Apple TV+ June 28, Gladstone plays Jax, who has cared for her niece, Roki, since her sisters disappearance on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. As the pair searches for their loved one and prepares for Rokis upcoming powwow, they share moments of unexpected levity baked into the emotional story.

You would be very hard pressed to find any Indigenous person in North America today that is not touched by an element of the story very personally, Gladstone said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. We all know an MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person). Its something that we all collectively kind of grieve and work to fix.  We stick together and we survive through it by being funny, by finding humor in it.

Newcomer Isabel Deroy-Olson, who stars alongside Gladstone as Roki, said the films humor helps the audience get through the heavier moments of the story  which was also true for the actors.

With all of us having a pretty similar sense of humor, we brought that behind the scenes, too, as a way to kind of lift each other up, and thats so true in all of our communities, she said. We just we like to laugh with each other. Showing that both on and off screen was really important to us.

You have to keep joy, you have to keep laughter, and you have to keep our optimism in order to survive an ongoing genocide, said director and co-writer Erica Tremblay.

Named after Jacqueline Jax Agtuca, who works for the National Indigenous Womens Resource Center, Gladstones character grows frustrated with the lack of attention or care authorities put towards her sisters case and turns to her community for help in the search. Gladstone said amplifying this kind of story on screen without it being shoved down anybodys throat can inspire change.

By being and embodying a character, a person whos going through the steps of doing that work, youre inviting the audience into that perspective, into that world where they get to learn about the jurisdictional loopholes and the inequities in society that are creating the obstacles for the characters theyre rooting for, she said.

You learn about that obstacle in a way that you have a desire to change it, instead of just hearing about it in a PowerPoint presentation or as a talking point on a news segment that youre going to fast forward through because youre more interested in what the score was for your team, Gladstone continued.

While movies and shows have broached the subject of missing Indigenous people before, theyve often been criticized for coming up short in accurately and respectfully depicting the issue or dont reach a wide audience. Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Paramount hit Yellowstone, wrote and directed one of the very few widely distributed films about the topic with 2017s Wind River.

ABCs 2022 drama Alaska Daily also explored violence against Native women and the lack of attention paid to their cases, but was canceled after one season. ABC had previously put out Big Sky, a Montana-set drama that premiered in 2020 and caught flak for centering on white victims instead of Indigenous women, who make up the majority of the states missing and murdered population.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs estimates there are approximately 4,200 missing and murdered cases nationally that have gone unsolved.

Fancy Dance focuses on the lack of institutional support and jurisdictional issues that make solving cases of missing Indigenous people difficult. In another shift from its predecessors, Fancy Dance does not show any violence against women on screen, a move that is often viewed as exploitative.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, and despite critical acclaim, it had not been picked up by a distributor until over a year later. Tremblay said the filmmaking team didnt see the offers they were expecting based on how they were hitting the checklist of what it takes to make a successful indie film, but noted that the film landing on Apples streaming service is their dream ending.

The lynchpin to the whole plan to get this film out into the world was Lilys continued advocacy of the film and the beautiful moment that that she and all of the Indigenous cast and crew of Killers of the Flower Moon had last year, Tremblay said. Lily using some of that shine to aim at Fancy Dance, I think was critical for us and were so grateful to be where were at.

 By KAITLYN HUAMANI Associated Press
Federal food safety regulators said Tuesday that they have warned a top U.S. bakery to stop using labels that say its products contain potentially dangerous allergens when they dont.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors found that Bimbo Bakeries USA  which includes brands such as Sara Lee, Oroweat, Thomas, Entenmanns and Ball Park buns and rolls  listed ingredients such as sesame or tree nuts on labels even when they werent in the foods.

Under FDA regulations, such products are misbranded, FDA officials said in a warning letter sent to officials at the companys Horsham, Pennsylvania, headquarters earlier this month.

Food labels must be truthful and not misleading, officials said. The warning followed inspections late last year at Bimbo plants in Phoenix, Arizona, and Topeka, Kansas, that make Sara Lee and Brownberry breads.

In addition, FDA officials indicated that allergen labeling is a not a substitute for preventing cross-contamination in factories.

Advocates with the nonprofit group FARE, Food Allergy Research & Education, said such labeling does a disservice to the estimated 33 million people in the U.S. with food allergies. Those consumers have to be constantly aware of foods that can cause potentially life-threatening allergic reactions, said Sung Poblete, FAREs chief executive.

Our community relies on accurate product labeling for their health and safety, Poblete said in an email. These findings about Bimbo Bakeries products undermine their trust and further limit their choices.

Bimbo, a Mexico City-based food giant, bills its U.S. operations as the largest commercial baking company in the country. In an email, company officials said they take their role in protecting consumers with allergen sensitivities very seriously and that they are corresponding with FDA to resolve the issue.

Concerns over labels at Bimbo and other companies followed a law that took effect in 2022, which added sesame to the list of major allergens that must be listed on packaging.

Because it can be difficult and expensive to keep sesame in one part of a baking plant out of another, some companies began adding small amounts of sesame to products that didnt previously contain the ingredient to avoid liability and cost. FDA officials said that violated the spirit, but not the letter, of federal regulations.

Some companies, including Bimbo, began listing allergens such as sesame on labels as a precaution in case of cross-contamination.

FDA officials acknowledged Tuesday that statements that a product may contain certain allergens could be considered truthful and not misleading. Bimbo officials have until July 8 to identify steps taken to remedy the issue  or to explain why the labeling doesnt violate FDA standards.

By JONEL ALECCIA

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Work by Pennsylvania lawmakers to complete a new budget was on track to blow into the new fiscal year, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and top lawmakers still expressing optimism Thursday that closed-door talks are yielding progress, despite the missed deadline.

For Shapiro, it will be his second straight budget that failed to get across the finish line by the constitutional deadline of July 1 in Pennsylvanias politically divided government.

The Republican-controlled Senate recessed Thursday, planning to return to session after the weekend. The Democratic-controlled House was in session Thursday, as well, but officials had yet to say whether the chamber would follow suit and depart for the weekend, to return Monday.

Shapiro in February floated what he called an ambitious $48.3 billion budget plan that relied on about $3 billion in reserve cash to balance it. A dominant feature is a $1.1 billion boost, or 14% more, for public schools, an amount that has drawn GOP objections that it would lead to quickly draining the states massive surplus.

For their part, Republicans passed their own $3 billion tax-cutting plan, which Democrats said would have a similar effect of wiping out a projected surplus of about $14 billion.

In remarks on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said negotiators were working diligently and that he believed a budget could be finalized next week.

I am quite confident that we have movement significant enough to allow the pieces of a budget puzzle to come together shortly after the constitutional deadline of June 30, Pittman said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro arrives in Blue Bell, Pa., Jan. 5, 2024. Work by Pennsylvania lawmakers to complete a new budget is on track to blow into the new fiscal year, with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and top lawmakers still expressing optimism Thursday, June 27, that closed-door talks are yielding progress, despite the missed deadline.AP File Photo/Matt Rourke

Shapiro, at an unrelated event in Philipsburg on Thursday, said talks are productive and ongoing, and he expressed optimism that a deal would come together soon.

We have had very productive, very honest dialogue and dialogue where every party involved understands that the only way we get this done is to compromise, and that is what were working toward now, Shapiro said.

Negotiators have shared little about their closed-door talks.

The consequence of failing to get Shapiros signature on a new budget bill is losing some of the states spending authority, particularly on discretionary payments, such as those to vendors, counties, public schools and grant applicants.

The impact of such missed payments generally takes until August to be felt by schools and counties. In a budget stalemate, the state is still legally bound to make debt payments, cover Medicaid costs for millions of Pennsylvanians, issue unemployment compensation payments, keep prisons open and ensure state police are on patrol.

All state employees under a governors jurisdiction have continued to report to work and be paid as scheduled during budget stalemates in recent years.

By MARC LEVY and MARK SCOLFORO

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UPDATE 2: Woman, 21, identified as victim in Warren County homicide

UPDATE 1: Man arrested after fatal shooting in small N.J. town, investigators say

Authorities responded to a reported shooting incident Thursday morning in Independence Township, the Warren County Prosecutors Office said in a news release.

A suspect was taken into custody in the incident reported about 8:20 a.m. on Alphano Road, according to the release from Acting Prosecutor Anthony Picione.

There is no additional danger to the public, the release states.

Authorities were not immediately commenting on whether anyone was injured.

The incident drew a response from township police, New Jersey State Police and the prosecutors office, according to the release.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
Editors note: This post has been updated with new information from regional and state police.

Over 37,000 Lehigh Valley and northwest Jersey residents remained without power Thursday morning after strong, gusty winds and downpours Wednesday evening took down trees and limbs and knocked out utility lines across the region.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area Wednesday evening. AccuWeather.com radar showed the band of severe storms cross the Bethlehem area shortly after 7 p.m.

As of 7:45 a.m. Thursday, PPL Electric Utilities was reporting 7,829 Northampton County residents still without power, with the majority of customers living in Lower Saucon Township (4,056) and Bethlehem (3,149). Another 8,195 were without power in Lehigh County, with the majority in Bethlehem (4,263); and Lower Macungie (1,925).

PPL spokeswoman Tracie Witter told lehighvalleylive.com all of Catasauqua; the Westgate Hills area of Bethlehem, Lehigh County; and west toward Orefield were hit pretty hard. The majority of folks are expected to have power restored by 3 p.m. Thursday, Witter said.

PPL had a total of 100,000 of its customers out in its territory by 8 p.m. Wednesday. By Thursday morning, that total dwindled to 48,835.

So our crews worked diligently over night to restore power to our customers, Witter said, noting 600 field workers were brought in to assist PPLs teams.

Witter said hundreds of workers were expected to be on all day Thursday, providing both field-based and back-office emergency response operations across PPLs service territory. The roster includes lineworkers, foresters, damage assessors and call center staff.

Met-Ed, a FirstEnergy Corp. company, was reporting 14,193 customers without power, with the majority in Easton (4,908); Williams Township (1,190); and Wilson Borough (1,121). In Lehigh County, 475 remain without power.

Met-Ed spokesman Todd Meyers told lehighvalleylive.com crews worked overnight to restore the majority of customers and will be working 16 hours on, eight hours off until everyone is restored.

JCP&L, another FirstEnergy company, had 6,795 residents without power in Warren County as of 8 a.m.. The majority live in Knowlton Township (1,217).

The utility companies reported all the outages were caused by storms. The public is being urged to stay away from any downed wires.

Meyers said because trees could break wires and bring them to the ground, folks should always assume wires are energized and stay at least 30 feet away  about the length of a school bus.

They can be deadly without sparking, smoking or sizzling, Meyers said.

Part of a tree fell on this house in the 300 block of Grandview Boulevard in Bethlehem on the evening of June 26, 2024.Mike Nester | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Pennsylvania State Police troopers responded to numerous calls for trees blocking the roads, alarms caused by power outages and vehicle crashes during and after Wednesdays storm, Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for Troop M in Bethlehem, told lehighvalleylive.com.

Bethlehem police Capt. Nicholas Lechman told lehighvalleylive.com his department also fielded a significant amount of storm-related calls, mostly related to downed trees, utility lines and power outages. Several traffic signals remain out throughout the city. Drivers to use caution and expect travel times to be higher than usual, he said.

Additionally, City Hall lost power for most of Thursday morning. A sign was posted on the front door announcing the closure. Around 10:15 a.m., Lechman said power was restored to the building and some city workers were expected to return to business.

Power outages caused by Wednesdays powerful storms forced the cancellation of a public hearing Thursday morning in Bethlehem for the re-licensing of the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino.

In Easton, police Capt. Salvatore Crisafulli told lehighvalleylive.com officers call volume was steady during and after the storm. City public works crews worked on clearing downed trees. In Allentown, police Capt. Kyle Pammer said his department dealt with about a dozen storm-related calls.

(There was) nothing of a serious nature that resulted in substantial road closures or businesses being closed, Pammer said.

In New Jersey, Wednesday nights storm proved deadly as a 30-year-old man was killed when a large tree in his backyard fell on him in East Orange, lehighvalleylive.com sister site nj.com reported.

Several local roadways remain shut down across the region. PennDOTs traffic website, 511pa.com, on Thursday morning reported closure affecting:

Raubsville Road  between Morgan Hill Road and Flafair Drive  in Williams Township.

Freemansburg Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets  Bethlehem Township.

Jacobsburg Road  between Belfast and Sexton Roads  in Bushkill Township.

Wood Avenue north  between Wood and Chief Tatamy streets  in Tatamy Borough.

Main Street  between Monocacy Avenue and Fifth Street  in Chapman Borough.

Brookside Road  between Indian Creek Road and Sauerkraut Lane  in Lower Macungie Township.

Shankweiler Road  between Coffeetown Road and Cedar Crest Boulevard  in North Whitehall Township.

A tree limbs crashed onto a detached garage and car at the intersection of Wood Ave. and N Mulberry St. in Easton seen on June 27, 2024. Storms damaging storms rolled through the Lehigh Valley the night before causing wide spread power outages. Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com

Utility crews, however, might get some relief from the stormy conditions Thursday and Friday.

Thursdays forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a seasonable high temperature of around 84 degrees, according to both the weather service and AccuWeather. The weather service predicts mostly clear skies with a low temperature around 55 degrees for Thursday night.

Similar weather is on tap for Friday, with both weather agencies calling for sunny skies with a high temperature near 82 degrees.

The next chance for rain comes Friday evening into Saturday when temps are forecast to fall to a low around 62 degrees, both weather agencies say. Theres a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, but mainly after 2 a.m. Saturday in the Lehigh Valley, according to the weather service. The chance of precipitation is 20%.

A tree is snapped off at the base of its trunk Thursday, June 27, 2024, along North Boulevard in Bethlehem following powerful thunderstorms the previous night.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com

More rain is in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday, both weather agencies say. The weather service predicts showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Itll be mostly cloudy, with a high temperature near 84 degrees, according to both weather agencies. The chance of precipitation is 60% with new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms, the weather service says.

Saturday evening is expected to fall to a low temperature around 73 degrees with more showers and thunderstorms expected, mainly before 2 a.m. Sunday. The chance of precipitation is 80% with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible, the weather service says.

Sunday calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high temperature near 88 degrees, both weather agencies predict. The chance of precipitation is 30%, the weather service says.

The National Weather Service recorded 0.6 of an inch of rain Wednesday at its climate station at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, just outside Allentown.

With June coming to a close, the official Lehigh Valley precipitation tally for the month of 1.32 inches was 2.47 inches below normal. For the year through Wednesday, 24.44 inches of precipitation had fallen, which is 3.63 inches above normal.

Current radar

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Laois County Council is leading the process hire someone to "spark regional and national enthusiasm" that would turn the Midlands into a "food sector landmark".

The local authority is fronting a Laois County Council a process with Longford, Offaly and Westmeath councils for the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition project is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027.

As part of fulfilling this role, it is recruiting a Midlands Regional Food and Drink Network Manager. The roles and responsibilities are outlined by Laois County Council.

It includes: "Spark regional and national enthusiasm by establishing the Midlands as a food sector landmark and an active component of immediate environment and local/regional community".

The manager will also be asked to engage and develop a community of stakeholders from the wider food, innovation and enterprise community by attending events and networking. More below picture.

Some of the Laois produce at the Laois Taste Food & Drink 2023 Awards celebration at Ballykilcavan Farm and Brewery, Stradbally. Pic: Michael Scully

Another function will be to create and nurture a "collaborative, innovation-fuelled environment". The person will also be expected to encourage "networking benefit and synergies" among regional and other food businesses.

The successful applicant will be required to ensure education and training and skills development within impacted communities is "at the heart of the project".

The Manager will also have to identify and pursue opportunities to further develop the food and drink sector across the four counties.

The Food and Drink Network Manager will be based in the Midlands on a fixed-term contact up to the end of March 2026. The payscale is 57,675 - 74,978 per annum.

The Laois Taste network has been set up by local producers to promote food and drink produces in Laois.
A man denied threatening to burn down his childrens grandmothers house in Laois.

The man (33), who cannot be named due to the nature of the proceedings, was accused of threatening to cause criminal damage and breach of a barring order in Laois on October 25, 2023.

His ex-partner told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that on the day in question she had a doctor's appointment and her sister was minding her kids on the date in question. She said her sister was walking with her eldest child when the man approached and asked to talk to the child.

She said when her sister told the child was told to keep walking, the man called her sister a whore and a prostitute and threatened to burn down their mothers house. The woman said she had been on the phone to her sister at the time and heard the conversation.

She said every time he gets intoxicated with drugs threats start to come and she said it puts her in fear. She said she had been in a long term relationship with him and they had a number of children together but he is basically a different person when using drugs.

Counsel for the accused said his client denies threatening to burn down a house. He said the woman had only recently contacted him to ask him to look after one of the children.

I am in fear of him and I will always be in fear of him, the woman said.

Her sister took to the stand and said when she had told the child to continue walking the man had called her a whore and prostitute and said he was going to burn down her mothers house.

I am pretty sure he had a knife in his pocket, she said.

She was asked by the mans barrister whether she had given verbal abuse back.

I said I know I will never be the childrens mother, she recalled.

When quizzed by Judge Andrew Cody on the knife, the woman said I am assuming it was a penknife.

The court heard the man was arrested and questioned about the incident. He denied threatening to burn down the house and asked why would I burn down a house with my kids in it?

What kind of father would do that? he asked.

The man took to the stand and gave evidence. He claimed the childs aunt had pushed the child and said he cant speak with her.

I did get a bit vexed. There was shouting from both sides, he said.

I said look, you cant tell my daughter not to talk to me, he stated.

The man denied having a knife and said he just wanted the matter dealt with. He claimed it was being blown out of proportion.

She was shouting junkies and smell bags as well, he said.

The man said he previously had a problem with heroin. When asked by Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby how that had made him feel, the man replied, like a scumbag.

When asked by Sgt Kirby whether he had called the woman a prostitute, he replied, probably. However, he denied threatening to burn the house down.

Did you call her a slut? Sgt Kirby asked.

No, and I didnt call her a leg opener either, he replied.

Judge Andrew Cody said there was a number of inconsistencies in the evidence given by the two sisters, particularly in relation to the knife but also in relation to other matters.

Judge Cody said there was no order preventing the man from talking to his children as that provision had been struck out.

He said he couldnt convict the defendant on other accusations but he bound he man to the man to the peace for two years and warned him that he needed to be careful.
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Motorists in Laois are being urged to think about security when parking.

Laois Offaly Crime Prevention Officer Garda Sergeant Graham Kavanagh recently issued the security advice. The advice is particularly timely with people out visiting scenic areas to enjoy the warm weather.

If you are travelling with your car to coastal and scenic areas, plan your journey before you go. Check online if the location has a website or app with safety tips for visitors.

Leave the expensive property at home if not required. Choose well serviced and well lit car parks where possible. Avoid car parks with signs of public disorder or criminal damage, such as broken glass. Park legally, do not obstruct vehicles or entrances, said Sgt Kavanagh.

When you are leaving your car in remote locations, take your keys with you. It goes without saying that things like handbags, jackets, wallets, laptops, and shopping should never be left on view in the vehicle. A good idea is to leave an empty glove box open, showing would-be criminals that there is nothing for them to steal.

As you leave, double check that your doors and windows are locked. Dont be tempted to leave the windows slightly open.

If you are the victim of a crime or if you see any suspicious activity call 999 or 112 and report it, he said.
A 'high-level' volunteer is being sought to chair a new body in Laois to monitor community policing and safety issues around the county.

As part of a new Government initiative, Laois County Council and other local authorities across Ireland are seeking voluntary chairpersons to develop and manage Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) in their area.

The Department of Justice says the Partnerships will have a wider membership than the JPCs and will include residents, local councillors, community representatives, business and education representatives along with a range of public services. These include the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Siochana and the local authority.

The JPC chairs in Laois have all been county councillors. But expressions of interests are being sought for non-political individuals to take up the posts.

The Depatment says the Chairperson will be to lead the work of the Partnership and find consensus among the members so that a tailored local community safety plan can be developed. They will also be responsible for driving forward the implementation of the community safety plan so that it delivers tangible benefits in the community.

It is also stated that they are an essential part of the new whole of Government approach to community safety.

"The approach aims to bring all the relevant state services and the community together at local authority level to create bespoke local safety plans," said the Department.

The role of the Chairperson will be:

Provide leadership and strategic direction;

Lead the Local Community Safety Partnership in making informed decisions and solutions tailored to the needs of the specific community which they are working in;

Implement the Local Community Safety Plan in conjunction with both community and public services;

Act as an advocate for the LCSP and representing the LCSP to the public, media and other stakeholders as appropriate.

"It is a significant high-level volunteering role, within their own community/county, which will require dedication and time," says the Government.

Each Partnership will be supported by a dedicated Community Safety Coordinator and an administrator. Both of these permanent positions will be funded by the Department of Justice and recruited by and sit within each local authority.

The Secretariat for each LCSP will be provided by the local community safety coordinator.
Laois TD Sean Fleming has not ruled out making a Dail gain for Fianna Fail at the expense of his party's partners in Government Fine Gael at the General Election.

The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, where his party leader Micheal Martin is the senior Minister, also confirmed that his party has commenced the process of selecting candidates for the national poll which looks set to happen later this year.

Minister Fleming told the Leinster Express / Laois Live that his party's HQ in Dublin is sending out nomination papers to party branches around Ireland to line up its team of candidates. Nominations will be accepted by HQ until July 13.

He confirmed that he would be putting his name forward for selection in his seventh General Election. He has retained his Dail seat at every national poll since first being elected in 1997 when his party swept to power for the first time led by Bertie Ahern.

As for what strategy his party would adopt in the new three-seat constituency, Minister Fleming said the first aim would be to retain a seat. He said a second potential target would be to win a second Dail seat in Laois.

To do so FF would have to unseat 2020 Laois Offaly constituency poll topper Brian Stanley of Sinn Fein or win the seat being vacated by Fine Gael's long-serving TD and former minister Charlie Flanagan. Dep Flanagan is retiring from politics.

Vote transferring between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael was noticeably evident for the first time at the Local and European Elections perhaps a sign that the partnership between both groups in Government has extended to vote management.

FF and FG have also shared control of Laois County Council for over a decade. However, FG lost a seat in the 2024 election in Laois and is now the junior partner in the alliance.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live put it to Minister Fleming that the coalition with Fine Gael nationally might be an obstacle to seizing the opportunity created by Dep Flanagan's departure. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Sean Fleming and Charlie Flanagan at the Laois Offaly General Election count in 2020 in Portlaoiase. Pic: Alf Harvey

However, Minister Fleming was not ruling anything out.

"If Fianna Fail can win two of the three seats I don't care who is the loser," he said.

The TD said that no strategy had been decided upon and it was not clear if the party would even select two candidates. He added that HQ could add a candidate and also had to keep in mind gender quotas when selecting people to run in constituencies in Laois and elsewhere.

As for the holding of an election, Minister Fleming did not believe it should be held before the Budget 2025 measures are implemented via the passing of the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill in the Oireachtas. He indicated that November should be the month.

Fine Gael has yet to select a candidate or candidates to run. Returned county councillors Conor Bergin and Willie Aird have been mentioned. Thomasina Connell ran for the party in 2016 when Laois was a three-seat constituency with parts of Kildare. She lost her seat in Portlaoise at the local elections.

A newly elected councillor for the Stradbally area, Vivienne Phelan, has been mentioned also as a candidate. Her local election campaign was launched by Taoiseach Simon Harris.

Minister Fleming said the Laois candidate selection convention would take place sometime after July 13 but a date has yet to be fixed.

The Castletown-based TD topped the poll in 2016 when Laois and Offaly were split for the first time. He was returned alongside Charlie Flanagan and Brian Stanley. Just six candidates ran in 2016.
The funeral details have been confirmed for legendary GAA commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh who will be laid to rest in his native Kerry.

The iconic figure within RTE and the GAA will be remembered at his funeral on Saturday in Daingean Ui Chuis, Co Kerry.

Mr O Muircheartaigh died at the Mater Hospital in Dublin on Tuesday at the age of 93.

His body will lie in repose at O'Connor's Funeral Home in Daingean Ui Chuis, Co Kerry on Friday from 11am to 8pm with funeral mass set for 11am on Saturday at St Mary's Church in the town.

He will be buried afterwards at Milltown Cemetery in Daingean Ui Chuis.

READ NEXT: 'I'm not going anywhere' - Lottie Ryan responds to report of axe from big 2FM show

Tributes have continued to flood in from the world of GAA and beyond to Micheal.

President Michael D Higgins described him as an "unmistakable voice" that will "forever be linked with our memories of some of the greatest matches in GAA history."

He continued: "His beautiful Irish delivered with a love of its sounds and sense to Gaelic games is a wonderful legacy that Micheal O Muircheartaigh leaves.

"Indeed, so many matches may in fact be remembered more for his commentary than for the action on the pitch. For Micheal turned every match into an epic tale, his commentaries capturing like no other the sense of occasion, the atmosphere in the stadium and on the terraces, the ebb and flow of the play and of every movement.

"Micheals encyclopaedic knowledge of players, their clubs, antecedents and relatives, his evocation of each parish and townland across the country, provided unparalleled insight to the listener and viewer.

"Over the 61 years over which he provided us with such fine commentaries, his unique and distinctive voice transformed sound to picture, effortlessly filling us with the atmosphere of anticipation of victory or defeat, but most of all, with immense suspense, excitement and delight.

"Away from the microphone, Micheal was full of kindness and wry humour, a man who will be remembered fondly by all of his colleagues, former students, and all those throughout the country and among our diaspora who got such joy from his commentaries each weekend.

"As chairman of Bord na Gaeilge, he was an activist for the Irish language and travelled the country promoting the Irish language in all its aspects. I recall wondering at the long journeys he undertook to be back in his native Kerry.

"May I express my deepest condolences to his family and many friends.
A Laois charity, Embrace Farm has been granted 14k in funding from the RTE Toy Show Appeal.

The response from Late Late Toy Show viewers to the appeal will help transform the lives of 1.1 million children, young people and their families in Ireland, with every county on the island benefitting from grants totaling 3.6 million.

The RTE Toy Show Appeal was founded in 2020 and has raised over 21 million for childrens charities to date.

The RTE Toy Show Appeal began in 2020,and was inspired by the story of Saoirse Ruane from Kiltullagh Co Galway, who won the hearts of the nation with her appearance on The Late Late Toy Show.

Saoirse sadly passed away in March of this year, and RTE Director General Kevin Backhurst today spoke of Saoirses enduring legacy with The Toy Show Appeal.

Embrace Farm is a farming organisation which was founded by Brian and Norma Rohan, a farming family from Shanahoe, County Laois in 2014. Brian and his wife Norma with extended family lost his father Liam Rohan to a sudden farm accident in 2013.

After researching, their aim was to set up a support network for farm families who, like them, have lost a loved one or suffered serious injury in a farming accident.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Embrace FARM (@embracefarmsupport)

Embrace FARM obtained its fully charitable status in 2017 and is now fully operational as a not-for-profit organisation, the first of its kind for the farming community in Ireland.

The organisation is guided and controlled by a voluntary Board of Directors. This includes representatives from families who have bereaved family members or suffered injuries due to farm accidents, as well as professionals working in the agricultural sector.

The lives of children across Ireland will be improved in multiple ways through 122 RTE Toy Show Appeal grants announced today, which were made possible by the generosity of viewers of last Novembers Late Late Toy Show.

Announcing the grants, RTE director general Kevin Bakhurst said: The RTE Toy Show Appeal is one of the most important things that we do as an organisation. We are so grateful for the support of our Late Late Toy Show audience whose generosity has ensured that RTE can continue to make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children, and their families across the island, north and south. Children have always been the inspiration behind the Late Late Toy Show and have, in turn, inspired the RTE Toy Show Appeal, not least, Saoirse Ruane who will be remembered as someone who made such a positive and lasting impact on us all. Her memory will live on through the RTE Toy Show Appeal and the many young lives that will be transformed.

Denise Charlton, chief executive of community foundation Ireland said: Childrens lives in every county are about to be transformed thanks to the huge generosity of RTE Late Late Toy Show viewers and the Toy Show Appeal. Colour, excitement and joy are being introduced into so many young lives including those living with illness and disability. Protection and safety will also be provided to those living with bullying, in violent homes and facing abuse. The Community Foundation is a proud partner of RTE in realising the vision of viewers to support children across Ireland.

Local projects and organisations in every county of Ireland will receive grants to help with a diverse range of needs including meeting basic needs like food and essentials, disability supports, creativity and play and bereavement support.
The first feature film by Laois resident Jeremy Curl will premiere in Dublin on Saturday, July 27.

Dubbed an absurdist dark comedy, The Highest Brasil was filmed at locations in Abbeyleix and Rathdowney and features extras from the locality.

Director and Abbeyleix resident Jeremy Curl said the film is probably the first Irish feature film to show real unsimulated sex.

I run a small production company in Laois and as this is our first feature film, we are thrilled that it has been acquired by a major US distributor and is slated for release later this summer. We filmed most of the movie in Laois and with almost no budget, so with a worldwide streaming release we are excited that the film will be seen by audiences around the world, he said.

So whats it about? According to the synopsis, sea monsters, self help and sexual utopia. With his marriage crumbling, Seamus, a struggling fisherman, is unexpectedly offered the delicious pleasures of an unusual new life. But to turn his desperation into hope, he will need to put his trust in a group of misfits whose project becomes more and more deranged. This absurdist dark comedy asks if there really is more out there for each of us or is this it?

Jeremy believes Laois is an ideal place to film and he is delighted the county will feature on the silver screen worldwide.

We filmed in Laois last year around Rathdowney and Abbeyleix, including in Morrisseys pub. Some local residents in Abbeyleix were extras. The film stars well known Irish comedian Ger Staunton. I wrote and directed the film as since I live in Abbeyleix I know what a great place Laois is for film - the landscape and unspoilt towns. I think it is often overlooked as a place to film and it is great that audiences will see more of our wonderful county once the movie streams to a worldwide audience, he said.

Pictured above: A still from the film. Credit Brendan Films

Before film, Jeremy undertook expeditions without motorised transport to document extremely remote, little-known tribal areas of Africa. He has walked across the Sahara twice, and exhibited his expedition photographs widely, including alongside Nelson Mandela. In 2013 he was presented with an award for achievement in desert exploration by the crown prince of Dubai.

The Highest Brasil is his first feature film. Watch a trailer for the film: https://vimeo.com/922917031
Schools in Laois are in urgent need of a cash injection due to what a Laois TD claims is a funding crisis caused by higher bills.

Speaking in The Dail in the past week, local Sinn Fein TD for Laois/Offaly Brian Stanley called for increased funding for primary schools in Laois and Offaly.

A number of schools in Laois and Offaly have contacted me regarding the funding crisis, and outlined the dire financial situation they are in," he said.

He continued: "In recent weeks I have also met with the INTO and Irish Primary Principals' Network, to listen to them and their concerns around funding for their schools. While costs continually go up, support in real terms from the state goes down," he said.

The TD claimed the Government does not listen to them.

"If the Government did listen, they would know that seven out of ten primary schools have run at a deficit at some stage over the past 12 months. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured: Brian Stanley TD

Schools reported that their heating costs have risen by an average of 37% over the course of the past two years.

"Electricity costs increased by an average of 35%, and insurance costs by 19% on average during the same period. One off cost of living grants does not cut the mustard. They do not address the ongoing funding crisis," he said.

The TD that if schools are lucky the Capitation Grant will cover heating, electricity, and school insurance but there are other bills to be paid.

"It does not cover costs such as bins and sanitary disposal, office software system, Irish water charges, or a range of other things," he said.

The Sinn Fein representative said OECD figures show that Ireland spends on average 12.5% less per student at primary level than other developed countries.

He added that the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Green coalition could fund the education sector adequately if they chose to.

"This Government chooses not to fund our primary schools to the levels required. Funding in Education needs serious, immediate, and huge investment.

The Capitation Grant needs to be aligned with current cost of living and in parity with other educational sectors. A Grants Schedule must be published at the start of each school year with certainty that the funding outlined will be paid on the dates outlined," he said.

The TD said the teacher supply crisis must also be urgently addressed.
An Garda Siochana (AGS) based in County Kildare are investigating an incident of criminal damage which occurred at a County Kildare school.

The matter was discussed on KFM yesterday morning by Garda Jonathan Ryan.

He explained to host Eoin Beatty that the incident took place at Colaiste Chiarain in Leixlip sometime between June 20 (Thursday) last and June 24 (Monday) last, with the incident being reported to AGS on the latter date.

Gda Ryan added: "A caretaker called in to the school on Monday morning and discovered that a shed (on the school's grounds) had been broken into, and a number of tins of paint had been taken out and daubed all over the walls of the school."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Leixlip Garda Station on 01 666 7800.

When asked about the matter by the Leinster Leader, a spokesperson for AGS responded: "Gardai are investigating an incident of criminal damage at a premises on Celbridge Road, County Kildare which was reported on Monday, June 24, 2024."

"Investigations are ongoing," they added.
Minister for Education Norma Foley today announced that eight schools in Kildare have been shortlisted for an energy retrofit programme as part of an 81 million EU funding package.

The 81 million is part of a package of funding totalling 240 million which Ireland has secured under the REPowerEU Programme. REPowerEU is the EUs plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels, boost the independence and security of the Unions energy supply and accelerate the green transition.

Kildare Senator Fiona O'Loughlin has welcomed the announcement and said: I know that my party colleague, Minister Foley, and her Department have put a lot of work into securing this significant level of funding through the programme.

The approved schools from this shortlist will, through the programme, enjoy significantly better energy performance and a more comfortable teaching and learning environment.

The eight Kildare schools will be given a deep retrofit to achieve a Building Energy Rating (BER) of at least B by installing heatpumps, LED lighting and mechanical heat recovery ventilation. The fabric and airtightness of the schools will also be upgraded and electric car chargers will be installed.

Senator O'Loughlin added, I am assured that final decisions on schools to be included in the programme from this shortlist will take account of a range of factors, including the scope of works required in the individual school following detailed assessment by design teams, procurement considerations, and the need to remain within both budgetary and time parameters.
There has been an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Ireland, with some 622,300 travellers arriving in May, an increase of 8.5% compared to last year, new figures indicate.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the largest contingent of visitors came from Great Britain at 34.9%, followed by the United States (20.2%), and then Germany (7.4%).

The visitors stayed a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country, a drop of 0.3% compared to May 2023.

The visitors most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday or leisure at 45.1%.

Visitors spent 810.6 million euro in total on their trips, an increase of 29% when compared to May 2023.

Gregg Patrick, a statistician in the CSO tourism and travel division, said: The results show that 622,300 foreign visitors departed Ireland on oversea routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.5% compared with May 2023.

Some 34.9% of the visitors were from Great Britain, 20.2% were from the United States, and 7.4% were from Germany. Typically, their visit lasted 7.2 nights.

Their most frequent reason for their journey (45.1%) was for holiday or leisure purposes.

Around half of the visitors stayed in hotels, and the typical cost of their visit was 1,303 euro, comprising 334 euro on fare, 51 euro on prepayments, 437 euro on accommodation, and 480 euro on day-to-day expenditure.

Their average cost 12 months previously was 1,096 euro.

Of the 622,300 foreign visitors who left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, the highest proportion was from Great Britain, accounting for 217,200 of all visitors (34.9%).

The second highest proportion, at 20.1%, was from the United States, accounting for 125,400 visitors.

The third highest proportion (7.4%) came from Germany, comprising a further 46,300 visitors.

This visitor profile remains largely unchanged from May 2023, when 34.8% of the visitors were from Great Britain, 18.4% from the United States, and 7.7% from Germany.

Foreign visitors who left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024 spent a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country.

Broken down by residency, other European visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,669,100 (37.4%) of the nights.

The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was the United States and Canada, making up 1,248,800 (28.0%) of the total nights.

Visitors from Great Britain were the third most significant, accounting for a further 1,041,300 (23.3%) of the nights.

Other visitors made up 502,800 (11.3%) of the nights.

Compared to May 2023, the total visitor nights in the country remained largely the same, decreasing by 0.3%.

In total, 2,057,800 passengers left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.4% compared with May 2023.

The majority of departing passengers were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes, at 61%.

A further 8.8% were same-day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound using an airport or seaport in the Republic of Ireland (3.3%), foreign resident transfer passengers (4.6%), or other foreign resident same-day visitors (0.9%).

Some 30.2% of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 622,300 visitors in total.
Fans flocked to a stadium in Dublin on Thursday to buy Taylor Swift merchandise ahead of three sold-out gigs.

The US pop sensation will play three sold-out gigs at the Aviva Stadium this weekend.

Some young Swifties pulled on their new jumpers and hoodies as soon as they bought them from a merchandise stand in the 3Arena.

Some speculated about what songs she would play as part of her set list, and one girl wondered if she would use some Irish words on stage.

Eilis Brown from Dublin went to pick up merchandise for her two granddaughters, who live in Galway, Ava, 14 and Holly, 16.

The two have been thinking about their outfits since last July and spent a day making friendship bracelets.

Asked why she thinks Swift is so popular, she said: Shes great, shes a very good woman. Look at the way she took on Spotify, shes brilliant.

These girls, going in and out to school in their daddys car and coming up and down to Dublin, all they listen to is Taylor Swift.

Nyla Dempster and Sophie Hyland, from Belfast, separated the friendship bracelets they had made outside the 3Arena.

Sophie said: Her songs are good, she makes good albums, and they all fit together and theyre easy to make up dances to. Like Love Story, you could make up a duet with Love Story.

It makes me feel good and something that I can listen to all the time.

Nyla said: I like it because you can really dance to it. My favourite one is Getaway Car.

Katie Jackson and Rebecca Serejko, who flew from London to see Swift perform in Dublin, said they had seen her live 10 years ago.

They tried to buy tickets to see her in London and Edinburgh before getting tickets in Dublin  and even took the day off work to secure them.

Shes a brilliant performer, Ms Serejko said.

I like that shes got music for every kind of mood that youre in, Ms Jackson said.

You want to have a bit of an angsty day, you want to have a little jump around the house, its really fun, theres also something really satisfying that shes a woman doing it and beating everyone else.

So its also nice to listen to it and say yeah, go for it.

Alexis Stolarun, from Connecticut in the US, said she is going to go to the gig on Saturday and Sunday.

I think its just easier to listen to and everything can relate to her music, and theres all different styles as well.

Its just really exciting, shes just a great performer and just a really fun concert.

I think people think that youre crazy if you talk about it too much. Its a fine line between how much do you share with people and she just gets a lot of hatred for no reason.

Amy from Co Meath bought crew neck jumpers, half-zip jumpers and hoodies for four people.

Ive seen her here in the 3Arena before, for 1989, and Ive seen her in Croke Park for Reputation, so this will be my third time to see her, she said.

Were so excited, its like a cult. Weve been watching The Eras Tour online for months. And theres loads of people from different countries in the 3Arena who have travelled to see her for the second time, third time.

Its the community, and the friendship bracelets, like the hours weve put in making the bracelets at home.

Asked if she has to explain the fandom to people, she said: I think people think were a bit too old for it because were in our 20s, but you know what, weve seen her through all the Eras, weve grown up with her music, so we feel like were the real fans.

Erin Delgehausen from Arizona, in the US, and Kylee Baldwin from Ohio, in the US, said they saw her perform in the States and decided to see her abroad, both choosing Dublin as an option.

Ms Baldwin said she has been a fan since she was nine, when Shouldve Said No was released in 2006.

Ms Delgehausen said she became a Swiftie after seeing the opening night of the Eras Tour in Phoenix, in the US.

It was a transformational experience. Everyone makes fun of me and teases me about it, but I went in and came out a different person. So Ive listened to nothing but her music non-stop since that night.

Ive been to one show, but Ive watched every live stream on my phone since opening night.

She said: She is every person. She has found a way to connect with everyones experiences universally, no matter your age, and she is just amazingly connected to her fanbase and just understands what its like to be a woman and exist in the world.

Shes managed to connect to people across all ages in a way that Ive never seen with anyone else before.

Lamar, a medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, said Swifts music, lyrics and artistry are what she loves.

Im very excited to see everything, she said.

We were awake early, I think we had like four or five different laptops open, we managed to get into the queue quicky, we were happy we didnt miss it.

She added: I grew up listening to Taylor, since I was a kid her music was so prominent and then as I grew older her music resonated, at every stage of my life it felt like her songs were there and were so meaningful and then the fan base is really good.
UL Solutions Plans to Construct Advanced Automotive and Battery Testing Center in Korea to Serve the Automotive Industry





UL Solutions Inc. (NYSE: ULS), a global leader in applied safety science, today announced plans to construct a new Advanced Automotive and Battery Testing Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, expanding current UL Solutions battery testing capacity in the region and adding electric vehicle (EV) charger testing and other capabilities.

To serve customers across the Asia Pacific region, the center, expected to open in the second half of 2025, will help strengthen Korea's EV industry, respond to increased demand from new and existing customers, and provide faster access to safety and performance testing and other services.

"The global transition to sustainable energy has driven innovation in the automotive industry, which can be seen clearly in Korea and across Asia," said Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions, who visited Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province during a recent trip to Korea. "Innovation cannot succeed without safety, and we are pleased to work closely with automakers and other customers as together we build an industry that is safer, more secure, and more sustainable."

The new facility, construction of which is subject to local government approvals, including zoning, will provide expanded EV battery testing capacity. This laboratory will leverage the technology used in the recently opened UL Solutions Korea Advanced Battery Laboratory in Pyeongtaek to test for reliability and performance. Plans also include an EV charger testing laboratory and an EV battery material laboratory. In addition, the center will be built to test automotive plastic safety, including flammability and performance, with technology in use in UL Solutions in the U.S.

The Advanced Automotive and Battery Testing Center will add to the capacity now available at the existing Pyeongtaek facility and will complement other UL Solutions battery testing capabilities and facilities globally, including the UL Solutions E-Mobility and Energy Laboratory in Changzhou, China, BatterieIngenieure by UL Solutions in Aachen, Germany, and the UL Solutions North America Advanced Battery Laboratory under construction in Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S.

About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

Certain statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, among other things, statements regarding the planned construction and opening of a new laboratory. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements made in this press release, including the risks discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as other factors described from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake or assume any obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by law.

26 june 2024 at 17:50

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UNGUESS strengthens its international footprint by joining forces with Ferpection





Ferpection, a French company active in User Research since 2014, will join UNGUESS's orbit starting from the first half of 2024, marking the birth of a new European leader in the market of User Experience research and Software Quality

MILAN, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UNGUESS (unguess.io), the first platform in Italy to use crowdtesting methodology to conduct tests and obtain relevant and effective feedback from a real user community, has announced the creation of a leading European group in the fields of Quality and UX research through the acquisition of Ferpection, the expert UX Research consultancy active in the French market with a high-profile client portfolio, with brands such as Air France, Clarins, L'Oreal, LVMH, Matmut, SANEF.

This initiative aims to strengthen UNGUESS's presence in France, expanding its commercial network and enhancing Ferpection's product offerings by leveraging the Quality and Security services provided by UNGUESS. Ferpection's clients will also benefit from UNGUESS's platform and technological architecture, utilizing its dynamic and global crowd for tester recruiting. In addition, Ferpection will bring to the partnership its robust expertise in impact-driven solutions for businesses focusing on CSR, including eco-conception, inclusivity, and accessibility.

"We are very excited to have Ferpection as our strategic partner in the French market" commented Luca Manara, CEO of UNGUESS. "They've been leading the UX Research market in France and relentlessly creating value for their customers both in France and at an international level. We were looking for a team of like-minded experts that will help carry the torch from UNGUESS and benefit from our ambitions to go even further. This operation undoubtedly represents a significant step in our international expansion plan ? a step that would not have been possible without the continued trust of our investors in the Series B funding round of over 10 million completed last January".

"When we met Luca and the team at UNGUESS - commented Thibault Geenen, Founder and CEO at Ferpection - we were surprised by what we could achieve together on a European level. UNGUESS had pushed their platform both in the QA and UX space. Meanwhile, we had, in the past year, moved away from our platform to focus on services. It was like two teams being re-united again. This is an element that more and more customers are asking for. Before, you could provide the tech or the services. The truth is that now customers need them both. Beyond that, we are already seeing synergies around ur shared vision for experience and quality solutions in Europe."

UNGUESS Figures

The completion of the acquisition of Ferpection follows a period of robust development for UNGUESS, which saw record revenue and orders in the first quarter of 2024, confirming the results achieved in 2023 ? a year that ended with organic growth of over 30%. The goal for 2024 is to exceed 10 million in turnover and achieve operational breakeven. As Luca Manara mentioned, UNGUESS had closed a funding round of over ?10M at the beginning of 2023, led by FITEC, with participation from existing investors in the corporate structure, notably P101 SGR with its two vehicles Programma 102 and Italia 500, managed on behalf of Azimut, Italian Angels for Growth (IAG), Club degli Investitori, and Club Italia Investimenti 2.

UNGUESS https://unguess.io/about-us/

FERPECTION https://ferpection.com/en/about/

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449726/UNGUESS.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449723/unguess_logo.jpg

SOURCE UNGUESS

27 june 2024 at 04:46

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Singtel and Hitachi Digital Partner to Accelerate Industrial AI Solutions





Singtel, a leading communications technology group in Asia, and Hitachi Digital, representing Hitachi's broad end-to-end digital transformation services and technology capabilities, today announced a new collaboration that will pair Hitachi's deep AI expertise with Singtel's Paragon platform, the all-in-one orchestration platform for 5G, edge computing and cloud.

Hitachi Digital will deploy Paragon at the Hitachi Americas' Santa Clara R&D Labs, followed by a pilot in a U.S. factory for Industry 4.0 use cases. The pilot will aim to validate the interoperability of Hitachi AI applications on quality assurance, workplace safety, immersive training and pre-emptive maintenance on Paragon. The trial will also enable the integration of Paragon with Hitachi industry cloud applications and digital services to enable enterprises to transcend the limitations of complex, low-latency connectivity and productivity experiences.

Hitachi's pre-built Industrial AI applications together with the Paragon platform's network and multi-cloud orchestration capabilities will be used to create multiple Paragon-related offerings to help clients improve and accelerate their cloud operations. Subsequently, Hitachi Digital Services will go to market with these offerings as a Singtel Paragon authorized System Integrator ? presenting a unique value proposition to enterprise customers looking to leverage multiple network protocols in delivering digital transformation in industrial settings.

Mr. Bill Chang, CEO of Singtel's Digital InfraCo, said, "Enterprises in the fast-growing Industry 4.0 sector depend on high quality, reliable connectivity to ensure smooth operations. We are pleased to collaborate with Hitachi Digital, leveraging Paragon to manage its connectivity and cloud needs across Hitachi's manufacturing facilities. Integrating Hitachi's advanced AI applications with Paragon's ecosystem will enhance our suite of solutions for manufacturing enterprises and enable them to seamlessly transform their operations powered by AI."

Mr. Frank Antonysamy, Chief Growth Officer, Hitachi Digital, said, "Hitachi has invested heavily in combining decades of digital, data, cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and connectivity expertise to establish transformative solutions for Industry Cloud deployments. Our applications and consulting services in this area have been an integral part of the digitalization movement impacting businesses around the world. We anticipate that this partnership with Singtel will enable us to once again increase the capabilities of next gen technologies in enterprise environments, enabling a new level of productivity for customers."

Organizations have often struggled with industrial 5G deployments because of complex and fragmented solutions. AI has added a new layer of complexity to this equation as organizations now also attempt to accelerate AI adoption in these scenarios. Singtel Paragon is a comprehensive solution that enables them to connect with the 5G network and securely deploy edge computing and AI rapidly on telco infrastructure, thus reducing time-to-market and shortening the innovation curve.

The collaboration between Singtel and Hitachi will bring together interoperable solutions with expert delivery services, which will greatly benefit organizations seeking to address industrial AI complexity.

For more information about Singtel's Paragon platform, please visit: www.singtel.com/business/products-services/5g/paragon.

For more information on how Hitachi Digital Services can support future Paragon platform implementations, please visit: Hitachi Digital Services website.

About Singtel

Singtel is a leading Asian communications technology group, operating next-generation connectivity, digital infrastructure and digital businesses including regional data centre arm Nxera and regional IT services arm NCS. The Group has presence in Asia, Australia and Africa and reaches over 780 million mobile customers in 21 countries.

For consumers, Singtel delivers a complete and integrated suite of services, including mobile, broadband and TV. For enterprises, Singtel offers a complementary array of workforce mobility solutions, data hosting, cloud, network infrastructure, analytics and cyber security capabilities.

Singtel is dedicated to continuous innovation, harnessing technology to create new and exciting customer experiences, support enterprises in their digital transformation and shape a more sustainable, digital future.

For more information, visit www.singtel.com.

About Hitachi Digital LLC

Hitachi Digital, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., is responsible for accelerating the worldwide digital business of the Hitachi Group. It achieves this by amplifying the digital capabilities of and strengthening collaboration between other Group companies such as Hitachi Vantara, GlobalLogic, Hitachi Energy, Hitachi Digital Services, and Hitachi Rail ? ultimately to deliver cohesive and comprehensive digital strategies for Hitachi Group customers. Hitachi Digital is dedicated to meeting the increasing market demands for digital transformation, particularly in the social infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, and in industrial segments such as manufacturing. Visit https://www.hitachi.us/digital-for-all/ for more information.

About Hitachi Digital Services

Hitachi Digital Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., is an edge-to-core digital consultancy and technology services provider helping organizations realize the full potential of AI-driven digital transformation. Through a technology-unified operating model for cloud, data and IoT, Hitachi Digital Services' end-to-end value creation for clients is established through innovation in digital engineering, implementation services, products, and solutions. Built on Hitachi Group's more than 110 years of innovation across industries, Hitachi Digital Services helps to improve people's lives today and build a sustainable society tomorrow. To learn more, visit https://hitachids.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.?

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the 3 business sectors of "Digital Systems & Services" ? supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" ? contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" ? connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's revenues as 3 sectors for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 31, 2024) totaled 8,564.3 billion yen, with 573 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 270,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

27 june 2024 at 05:05

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Yamaha Rightwaters Renews Sponsorship with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Fosters Support for "Win Back Our Water" Campaign





Yamaha Rightwaterstm recently renewed its sponsorship of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), a relationship that began in June of 2022 when Yamaha became the official outboard of BTT. With continued support from Yamaha Rightwaters, BTT will advance its international mission to conserve bonefish, tarpon and permit species as well as their habitats.

Since June of 2022, BTT has expanded its Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Initiative, leading the planning of a 1,000-plus-acre tarpon habitat restoration project in Southwest Florida. BTT also continues to advance its mission in the Florida Keys, where the organization was founded more than 25 years ago. Yamaha Rightwaters provided an outboard to power the BTT research boat used to research bonefish spawning in the region.

"By joining forces with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, we can amplify our efforts to protect and preserve vital marine ecosystems in the Florida Keys," said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Program Manager, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. "Yamaha Rightwaters' support of BTT also helps to foster a future where our industry and marine environments can thrive together."

BTT directly addresses the decline of juvenile tarpon habitat in Southwest Florida by applying scientific approaches to map existing habitat, restore degraded habitat and enhance habitat protections. Bonefish spawning research led to a major breakthrough in the spring of 2023 when BTT documented a bonefish spawning site, a hopeful sign for the species' continued recovery after a decades-long decline. BTT continues a comprehensive research and conservation program in the Keys and across the Caribbean basin with staffed programs in The Bahamas, Belize and Mexico as well as grant-funded research projects in Cuba and other locations.

In addition to renewing its sponsorship of BTT, Yamaha Rightwaters also provided a Yamaha F70 outboard for "The Florida Boat Sweepstakes." Part of BTT's Win Back Our Water campaign, "The Florida Boat Sweepstakes" runs from May 3 to August 15, 2024. Launched in November 2023, BTT's Win Back Our Water campaign seeks to raise awareness of Florida's urgent water quality issues. The campaign highlights key issues identified as harming Florida's water quality including altered freshwater flows, failing and/or outdated wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, pharmaceutical contaminants and glyphosate pollution that results from the use of herbicides.

"We greatly appreciate Yamaha's continued support of our organization and its generous donation of a F70 outboard to power ?The Florida Boat'," said Jim McDuffie, President and CEO of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. "In partnership with Yamaha Rightwaters, BTT is conserving and restoring vital sportfish habitat at scale. Our latest collaboration? ?The Florida Boat Sweepstakes'?will raise funds for this critical work while also raising awareness of the issues threatening Florida's waterways and the science-based solutions BTT is pursuing to address them."

Win Back Our Water educates and encourages Floridians to take action to protect the state's waterways and builds on BTT's water quality priorities, most notably advocacy in support of Everglades restoration. The campaign emphasizes the importance of water quality not only for marine ecosystems but also for the many Floridians who depend on clean water for their livelihoods, recreation and quality of life.

"The Florida Boat" will tour several fisheries within the state during the summer, beginning in the Florida Keys, to highlight the water quality issues and the science-based solutions needed to address them.

For more information and to enter The Florida Boat Sweepstakes, please visit: BTT.org/the-florida-boat.

About Bonefish & Tarpon Trust

Bonefish & Tarpon Trust's mission is to conserve bonefish, tarpon and permit?the species, their habitats and the larger fisheries they comprise. BTT pursues this mission across the southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea through science-based conservation, education and advocacy. Learn more at BTT.org.

Yamaha Rightwaters is a national sustainability program encompassing all of Yamaha Marine's conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, reduction of marine debris, and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha's long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources, and the Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.

Yamaha's U.S. Marine Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of Yamaha Marine products in the U.S. including Yamaha Outboards, Yamaha WaveRunners, Yamaha Boats, G3 Boats and Skeeter Boats. Supporting 2,400 dealers and boat builders nationwide, Yamaha is the industry leader in reliability, performance, technology and customer service.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

 2024 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

This document contains many of Yamaha's valuable trademarks. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only and are not intended to be an endorsement.

Bonefish & Trust is a registered trademark of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Inc.

27 june 2024 at 08:05

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Menlo Security Exposes Three New Nation-State Campaigns





Menlo Security, a leader in browser security, today released its latest report, "Global Cyber Gangs," which uncovered three novel nation-state campaigns employing highly evasive and adaptive threat (HEAT) attack techniques. The report highlights state-sponsored threat actors' growing sophistication and shifting behavior and describes how their novel techniques evade traditional security controls.

In a recent 90-day period, Menlo Labs uncovered a trifecta of sophisticated HEAT campaigns?LegalQloud, Eqooqp, and Boomer?compromising at least 40,000 high-value users, including C-suite executives from major banking institutions, financial powerhouses, insurance giants, legal firms, government agencies, and healthcare providers. The breadth and depth of these breaches signal an alarming escalation in cyber warfare, all detailed in this report.

"This year, state-sponsored cyberattacks such as these have impacted at least one-third of American citizens," said Andrew Harding, Vice President of Security Strategy at Menlo Security. "State-sponsored cyberattacks are a looming cloud over security leaders, and our research shows that they have been growing in both sophistication and scale. One thing is clear: attackers are moving fast and refreshing their tactics to target the browser, and traditional security controls such as SSE or SWG are letting these attacks slip through the cracks."

Menlo Labs identified these novel campaigns:

LegalQloud, hosted on Tencent Cloud (the largest Internet company in China), impersonates legal firms to steal Microsoft credentials, targeting governments and investment banks in North America. Menlo Labs discovered 500 enterprises targeted by this campaign in a 90-day period, bypassing URL categorization and block lists.

Eqooqp can defeat multifactor authentication (MFA) and targets a range of government and private sector organizations, including logistics, finance, petroleum, manufacturing, higher education, and research. Nearly 50,000 attacks associated with this campaign have been detected and stopped by Menlo Cloud in recent months.

Boomer is an intricate phishing campaign targeting sectors such as government and healthcare. In Boomer attacks, threat actor employs advanced evasive techniques including dynamic phishing sites, custom HTTP headers, tracking cookies, bot detection countermeasures, encrypted code, and server-side generated phishing pages.

Other key findings surrounding these campaigns include:

60% of malicious links clicked by a user are attributed to phishing or fraud.

25% of phishing links clicked by the user goes undetected by legacy URL filtering.

Microsoft is the most impersonated brand across industries.

The Menlo Security findings presented in this report reveal the increasing sophistication and alarming prevalence of evasive attacks by nation-state actors, capable of bypassing MFA using Adversary in the Middle (AiTM) kits. Leveraging unique and early-stage telemetry from within the Menlo Cloud, Menlo Security developed effective defenses against these HEAT attacks. The Menlo Secure Cloud Browser, with HEAT Shield phishing prevention, offers real-time protection by executing web requests in the cloud. This eliminates the browser attack surface, preventing malicious activities from ever reaching endpoints.

Download the Global Cyber Gangs Report to read the full findings, including which specific tactics each campaign used, the verticals they are targeting, and how these evasive techniques are evolving.

To learn more about the role of browser security in eliminating the risk of highly evasive threats, visit Menlo Security's platform overview page or schedule a demo.

About Menlo Security

Menlo Security protects organizations from cyber threats that attack web browsers. Menlo Security's patented Cloud-Browser Security Platform scales to provide comprehensive protection across enterprises of any size, without requiring endpoint software or impacting the end user-experience. Menlo Security is trusted by major global businesses, including Fortune 500 companies, eight of the ten largest global financial services institutions, and large governmental institutions. The company is backed by Vista Equity Partners, Neuberger Berman, General Catalyst, American Express Ventures, Ericsson Ventures, HSBC, and JPMorgan Chase. Menlo Security is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more information, please visit www.menlosecurity.com.

27 june 2024 at 09:40

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i3 Energy PLC Announces Result of AGM





i3 Energy plc ("i3", "i3 Energy", or the "Company"), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, notes that at its annual general meeting (AGM) held on 27 June 2024, all resolutions duly passed. Voting results for each of the resolutions were as follows:

RESOLUTION VOTES FOR % VOTES AGAINST % VOTES TOTAL % of ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL VOTED VOTES WITHHELD 1 563,483,815 99.29% 4,037,322 0.71% 567,521,137 47.20% 47,314 2 567,195,732 99.94% 332,300 0.06% 567,528,032 47.20% 45,441 3 566,861,060 99.88% 669,214 0.12% 567,530,274 47.20% 43,199 4 564,703,015 99.54% 2,624,598 0.46% 567,327,613 47.18% 240,838 5 564,968,400 99.59% 2,351,997 0.41% 567,320,397 47.18% 248,054 6 565,010,762 99.62% 2,155,090 0.38% 567,165,852 47.17% 402,599 7 565,033,243 99.62% 2,129,371 0.38% 567,162,614 47.17% 405,838 8 561,389,393 98.98% 5,771,659 1.02% 567,161,052 47.17% 407,400 9 564,624,082 99.55% 2,544,077 0.45% 567,168,159 47.17% 400,292 10 457,559,589 80.64% 109,885,428 19.36% 567,445,017 47.19% 123,434 11 457,791,284 80.67% 109,729,506 19.33% 567,520,790 47.20% 47,661 12 566,987,041 99.90% 560,361 0.10% 567,547,402 47.20% 21,050

END

Enquiries:

i3 Energy plc

Majid Shafiq (CEO) c/o Camarco

Tel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980

WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker)

James Joyce, Darshan Patel Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666

Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker)

Peter Krens Tel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker)

Ashton Clanfield, Callum Stewart Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600

Camarco

Andrew Turner, Violet Wilson, Sam Morris Tel: +44 (0) 203 757 4980

Notes to Editors:

i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside.

The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing high working interest asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets.

i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications for long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements.

i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [email protected] or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC

27 june 2024 at 09:55

View the original press release on accesswire.comNews published onand distributed by:
A military fighter jet flies above the Taiwan Strait as seen from the closest point in mainland China to the island of Taiwan, in Pingtan in southeastern China's Fujian Province, August 5, 2022. NG HAN GUAN / AP

Taiwan's defense ministry said Thursday, June 27, it had detected 35 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around the island during the 24-hour window leading up to 6:00 am.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has said it will never renounce the use of force to bring the self-ruled democracy under its control.

It has stepped up pressure on Taipei in recent years and held military drills around the island following last month's inauguration of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who Beijing regards as a "dangerous separatist."

During those drills, Beijing sent 62 military aircraft around Taiwan in the highest single-day total this year, according to Taipei's defense ministry.

Read more Subscribers only China conducts major military drills around Taiwan
The US Supreme Court is set to allow abortions in Idaho for women experiencing medical emergencies, according to a copy of a verdict briefly posted on its website and seen by Bloomberg News on Wednesday, June 26.

The court's apparent decision comes two years after the conservative-majority bench overturned the nationwide right to terminate a pregnancy, making reproductive rights a pivotal issue that could affect the outcome of the November presidential election.

The ruling  which Bloomberg posted in full, but is not necessarily the final version  would reinstate a lower court's injunction ensuring that hospitals could terminate pregnancies to protect a mother's health, dismissing appeals by the northwestern state's leaders.

The court ruled 6-3 in favor of lifting a stay it placed in January on an order issued by a federal judge in Boise, while it took up the case. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

Yet the new ruling, which was mistakenly uploaded, according to court officials cited by Bloomberg, does not tackle the central issue raised by the case  namely, whether Idaho's near-total ban on abortion conflicts with a federal law requiring hospitals to stabilize patients needing emergency care.

A decision on the merits could have potentially sweeping national consequences.

Rather, the Supreme Court said the appeals are being dismissed as "improvidently granted," and the case should rather run its course in lower courts.

Most stringent anti-abortion laws

After the fall of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Idaho enacted one of the most stringent anti-abortion laws in the United States.

It allowed the procedure only in cases of rape, incest and "when necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman," and provides for penalties of up to five years in jail for a doctor who carries out an abortion.

Read more Subscribers only US Supreme Court weighs Idaho's near-total abortion ban

President Joe Biden's administration then sued the state, arguing its Defense of Life Act violated a federal law requiring hospitals that receive government Medicare funding to provide emergency room care, including abortion, in situations that are serious but not necessarily life-threatening.

Concurring with the majority, Justice Elena Kagan said the decision "will prevent Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harm to a woman's health."

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred with the majority but expressed unhappiness that the court had chosen not to hear the case merits.

"I dissent in part because, in my view, the Court is wrong to dismiss these cases as improvidently granted," Jackson wrote, adding the "procedural mechanism" should not be "turned into a tool for the Court to use to avoid issues that it does not wish to decide."

This view was echoed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which called the order a "temporary reprieve."

'Pregnant people are not out of the woods'

"If the leaked opinion is accurate, it is clear that pregnant people are not out of the woods  not by a longshot," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.

Read more Subscribers only US Supreme Court guarantees access to abortion pill

"Make no mistake: The Supreme Court had the opportunity to hold once and for all that every pregnant person has the basic right to emergency abortion care, but it appears it failed to do so," Kolbi-Molinas continued, adding, "As a result, the health and lives of pregnant people across the country will continue to be at risk."

Meanwhile, Justice Alito said the court's decision to distance itself from a case it initially chose to take was "baffling" and a sign it "simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents."
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A NEW PRINCIPAL has been announced for a Limerick city secondary school.

Michael OConnor will become only the third lay principal in the 140-year history of St Clements College based at South Circular Road.

The Tipperary native will take up his post in time for the new school term on September 1 next.

A former teacher in Doon, Mr OConnor said he is delighted to take on the role of principal and is looking forward to working with staff, students and the wider school community.

READ MORE: Limerick auctioneer Lisa is all set to lead IPAV as its president

The Redemptorists are renowned here in Limerick and worldwide for their commitment to social justice, equality and to the good of all, and this is also the ethos of St Clements College. Our aim is to produce not just well educated but well-rounded young men. We are passionate about creating a welcoming environment rooted in Catholic values which draws the very best out of all in the school, he said.

After graduating from Dublin City University with degrees in science and education, Mr OConnor taught for some years in London before returning to Ireland to teach in Cistercian College at Roscrea.

In 2010, he was appointed principal of St Michaels College, Cappamore, until its amalgamation with two other schools to form Scoil Na Trionoide Naofa in Doon.

This was the first newly built Catholic secondary school in Ireland in over 20 years at the time.

In 2015, he was appointed principal of Colaiste Phobal Roscrea.
AN on-the-run police killer faces an "extreme and draconian" sentencing regime if he is sent back to prison in Northern Ireland, the High Court has heard.

Christopher Shane Frane was sentenced to a minimum of six years for the manslaughter of a police officer in 2013. The sentencing judge also gave Frane an indefinite custodial sentence that requires him to remain in prison until he can prove he is no longer a danger to the public. The 36-year-old absconded from Northern Ireland on January 24 this year when on day-release from prison and was arrested in the Republic in February on foot of an extradition warrant.

Frane had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Constable Philippa Reynolds. Ms Reynolds, who was 27 at the time, was the back seat passenger in a police patrol car that was struck by a stolen Toyota Landcruiser driven by Frane in February 2013 in Derry. She was killed instantly.

Frane's barrister, Karen Quinlivan KC argued before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath at the High Court on Wednesday last that to surrender her client would be a breach of his rights under the Constitution and Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. She said it is accepted that Frane has shown genuine remorse and regret and has embraced opportunities for rehabilitation in prison.

However, before allowing Frane's release, the parole board in Northern Ireland must be satisfied that he no longer poses a risk to the community. This requirement, counsel said, sets an "almost impossible standard" for him to meet and despite his efforts he has not been cleared for release. Ms Quinlivan pointed out that a judge of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland has described indefinite custodial sentences as "extreme and draconian" and urged lawmakers to reconsider them.

READ MORE: https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/1539222/heartbreak-as-limerick-nurse-and-mum-of-two-dies-after-caesarian-section.html

Ms Quinlivan said it is a well-established principle that preventing risk to the public cannot be the only objective of sentencing.

A sentence requiring a person to prove they are no longer a risk to society would be unconstitutional in this jurisdiction, she said, and such a regime represents an egregious and fundamental defect in the sentencing regime in Northern Ireland.

John Fitzgerald SC, for the Minister for Justice, said that Ms Quinlivan was asking the court to look behind the decisions made by a parole board in a different jurisdiction. He said this is not permitted in law. For the court to refuse surrender on Constitutional grounds, he said the respondent would have to show that there was an "egregious defect" in the system that cannot be remedied. The Northern Irish authorities, he said, are presumed to comply with conventional legal requirements and will allow any issue to be litigated. The High Court in Dublin, he said, is not an appeal court for the parole commission in Northern Ireland.

Mr Justice Patrick McGrath will deliver his judgement at a later date.
THE DOG involved in a vicious attack on another dog in Limerick city on Tuesday evening is at the centre of a court case in relation to another incident in 2023, Limerick Live has learned.

The pitbull, which was unrestrained and appeared to be without an owner, viciously attacked a smaller dog in a residential area on the Annacotty-Castletroy Greenway on Tuesday.

Brave locals removed the offending animal from the other dog and placed him in a chokehold position.

The dog who was attacked was seriously injured, but no people were harmed over the course of the incident.

The offending dog was destroyed on the scene.

According to one local resident, the dog in question attacked another dog last year on August 29, 2023.

In response to a query from Limerick Live about last years incident, a garda spokesperson said: as this matter is currently before the courts, An Garda Siochana is not in a position to provide comment.
ON THE N69 while travelling between Limerick and Listowel along the Shannon Estuary you will pass the village of Glin.

It is a village steeped in history and connected with the famous Knights of Glin as well as the renowned Glin Castle.

But, if while travelling down the N69, you should look to your left just as you approach Adams service station, you might notice an old ruin of a building perched beside a small stream, covered in ivy.

This discreet and unobtrusive structure looks no different to any of the other old ruins dotted around the county. But this, the old castle of Glin has an interesting history and marks a fascinating chapter in local history for the area.

On the 9th of July the anniversary of the siege of Glin Castle will have passed and with the opportunity to remember a moment almost lost to memory.

The Siege of Glin Castle, in 1601, was a three-day engagement between Sugan Earl and the President of Munster, George Carew. It occurred within the Nine Years War and saw the forces of ODonnell and ONeill against the English crown.

The Sugan Earl was an ally of the ODonnells and ONeills.

On the 6th of July 1601 the castle and its surrounding area was subject to a siege that lasted three days and saw the destruction of this old castle.

The 1600s was a time of upheaval in Ireland and in Munster in particular with the English crown attempting to exert its influence over the lords of the area. In the middle of the Nine Years War the Sugan Earl attempted to claim the title the Earl of Desmond.

The plantations of Munster were beginning and the Sugan Earl attempted to push back against this campaign. The President of Munster, Queen Elizibeth Is representative in Munster, was Carew whose methods were intelligent and forceful and had managed to crush the majority of rebellion in Munster by mid-1601.

However, Glin was one of the last few holdouts.

The Nine Years War is famous in Irish history, fought by the ODonnells and the ONeills on one side and the English crowns forces on the other. It ended in 1602 after the Irish forces lost to the English near Kinsale and many fled abroad. But Munster, Limerick and even Glin had a place in this grand sweeping war that seems so distant now.

The Knight of Glin at the time chose to follow the Sugan Earl. He fought for control over the area of Desmond and rallied an army of a few thousand. Carew was told to secure the plantations in Munster and did so with cunning and intelligence.

He cleaved long-held loyalties, dividing and conquering his enemies. He marched east starting in Bruff taking a castle there and moving on to Croom Castle which he also subdued. Glin was an important location on the banks of the Shannon and with access to the sea and to Limerick upriver.

READ ALSO: Breast cancer survivors savour the freedom as they paddle the water in Limerick

He set out to capture it and surrounded the area. Thus began the siege of Glin. In a delicate game of chess, the Sugan army was encamped not more than a couple of miles from Glin and could have broken the siege had the Sugan Earls leadership been strong and decisive. But it wasnt.

Carew closed in around the castle and urged the 80 local defenders to surrender. When they refused the assault began, with heavy cannons and a large number of soldiers, the defenders were beaten back to the keep of the old castle, much of which remains.

Some defenders jumped from the ramparts of the castle into the nearby river that runs along the side of the castle down to Shannon. The only noted survivors of this fray on the defenders side were reportedly the 5 who jumped and fled.

The names of some of the defenders are still remembered locally and you will find many with the same surnames in the parish still, names like Dore, Guiltinane and Culhane.

Carew repaired the castle and held it. The castle and its title was eventually returned to the Knight of Glin after the war was over. The Knight did have to wait for a pardon from the Queen, for a while hiding in the Sliabh Luachra Mountains.

The modern castle we all recognise on the far side of the village looking over the Shannon was built in the 1700s and became the home to the remaining Knights for the next couple of years.

This little footnote in history occurred more than 400 years ago but the memory of it still lingers in the area. The old keep still stands and you can find a brass plaque marking the location.

This anniversary of the siege offers us the opportunity to consider the land and the history that surrounds us on a daily basis, even something as simple as the drive from Limerick to Listowel and what stories the landscape holds.

Padraig O'Donnell is an English and history teacher
THE AGM of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District - the first meeting since the local election at the beginning of June, saw two familiar faces return to the helm at the top table.

Fine Gael colleagues Adam Teskey and Stephen Keary, who were both elected in the first count, were elected as Cathaoirleach and Leas-Cathaoirleach.

With formalities out of the way, the ongoing issue of the boil water notice for 7,000 people under the Foynes/Shannon Estuary scheme came to the fore.

The notice was put in place in May 2023, and despite commissioning works with upgrades including an ultraviolet disinfection unit, there is still no end in sight for those affected by the notice.

Cllr Teskey called on the new mayor, John Moran, to call an immediate meeting with Uisce Eireann and to treat this as a priority issue.

Councillors were on a site visit in December and were told that the notice would be lifted imminently, but nothing happened.

His party colleague Cllr Keary called for a dedicated person to be assigned from Irish Water to regularly communicate with and update the councillors about progress.

READ ALSO: Breast cancer survivors savour the freedom as they paddle the water in Limerick

Mayor John Moran said that while he appreciates their frustration, this issue goes beyond their district and he has to consider all of Limerick and not just one area.

He asked councillors to give him a summary of events so far and said that overall, he wants a list of their priority issues to form part of his mayoral plan.

Mayor Moran said he will request the meeting and will attend if he is in a position to do so.
MAYOR John Moran has publicly commended Natasha O'Brien for speaking out and for her dedication as she advocates for legal reforms following her recent traumatic experience.

The mayor met Ms O'Brien and her friend Shauna Daly at City Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The council's night time economy advisor, Ashlene Reyburn also attended the meeting.

Ms O'Brien has rose to national prominence after she spoke out last week after the soldier, who viciously assaulted her to the point of unconsciousness was given a suspended sentence. She received a standing ovation in the Dail on Tuesday.

Prior to the early morning attack on O'Connell Street in 2022, Ms O'Brien and her friend told a group of men, which included the accused Cathal Crotty, not to use a homophobic slur.

After the meeting with Ms O'Brien, Mayor Moran said people intervening in the harassment of another person, when others may just walk away, is "exactly how we expect our communities to look out for one another".

"The assault on Natasha that followed her intervention should never have happened and should not be allowed to happen to anyone else.

"Since she first spoke out on Thursday of last week, Natasha has become a national symbol of courage, striving to change laws to ensure others in Limerick and elsewhere dont endure the same ordeal.

"Natasha has articulated her concerns directly to me and we discussed how the new office of mayor can help to push for positive change. Despite that the mayor does not hold specific policing powers, Natasha and I do, however, believe that the office can and should be used as an agent of positive change," said Mayor Moran.

READ MORE: PICTURES: Protesters gather outside Limerick Courthouse to call out misogynistic system

He said we all want a safer Limerick, indeed, a safer Ireland.

"Speaking generally, people need to understand that there are serious consequences to their actions when they decide to act inappropriately on our streets. We want to empower people to act positively for safer communities.

"Our national legislators need to ensure all of us feel protected by the law and in this particular case, I am also looking for the Defence Forces to show leadership.

"I have asked Natasha to keep me informed of progress she makes and I encourage others in Limerick who have been similarly impacted to reach out and contact me at mayor@limerick.ie ," said Mayor Moran.

The mayor and Ms O'Brien have agreed to a further meeting in mid-August to identify if his office can support further.

"As security on our streets is a priority for me, I have already met this week with senior Limerick gardai and local business owners to discuss similar issues of concern in Limerick city centre," concluded Mayor Moran.
Mumbai/Bengaluru: The rapid expansion of quick commerce companies into consumer households across the country is bringing with it not just sales revenues, but also the emergence of advertising as a feasible source of steady, growing income.

Attracted by the lure of the fast-delivery companies' increasing penetration, consumer goods companies across major categories such as food, beauty, bags, petcare, confectionery, among others, are beginning to ride this gravy train to reach their target audiences.

Thanks to advertisements by companies in these industries, quick commerce platforms like Zepto and Blinkit (owned by Zomato) and Swiggy Instamart have seen a surge in advertising volumes and revenue.

According to Karan Taurani, senior VP at Elara Capital, FMCG companies could be spending, broadly, anywhere between 700 crore and 800 crore in ads on quick commerce platforms, making this an important income stream for the platforms as they move into newer categories like electronics.

There is a strong potential for quick commerce companies to grow their ad revenue by over 50-60% and also outperform overall e-commerce ad revenue growth rates," Taurani said.

Last week, Zepto said it expects advertising revenue to touch 1,000 crore in the next 12 months. The figure has already hit 400 crore in May 2024.

The advertising business is scaling rapidly and is growing at the rate of 150% year-on-year, driving up margins steadily," Zepto co-founder and chief executive officer Aadit Palicha had said in an interview with Mint last week.

Then, Blinkit's ad revenue grew 220% year-on-year in the third quarter of the previous fiscal, according to the company's earnings release. It said companies advertise with the intent of building visibility for their products for a highly engaged and fast-growing customer base with spending power.

The quick-commerce advertising opportunity is turning out to be promising so far," Albinder Dhindsa, CEO of Blinkit, said in Zomato's shareholders letter in Q3 FY24. The number of advertisers on the platform grew to 557 from 242 during the quarter.

Blinkit declined to comment on its advertising business when contacted.

A spokesperson of Swiggy, which operates the Instamart quick commerce platform, said that over the past six months, there has been a consistent month-on-month increase in the number of brands partnering with the platform to enhance consumer engagement, increase visibility, and drive growth.

Swiggy's in-depth understanding of users, gained from its extensive presence in food delivery, further strengthens its ability to support brands effectively," the spokesperson said. Different brands utilize quick commerce platforms according to their unique needs. For instance, established market leaders may focus on increasing category penetration through targeted promotions, while newer brands can drive trials among a select group of potential customers."

This approach enhances transparency, flexibility, and visibility among the target audience, ultimately leading to improved ROI,"the spokesperson added.

Typically, consumer goods companies promote new products or push offers at large retailers as well as online platforms. They advertise on e-commerce platforms in the form of banner ads and run promotions or offer discounts across platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, Nykaa or Zepto.

Brands love the new ad vehicle

While it is not a flood yet, consumer goods companies are beginning to get a feel of the new advertising opportunity. Companies across consumer categories are setting aside a part of their digital ad budgets for these quick commerce platforms.

For packaged foods company Parle Products, e-commerce (excluding quick commerce) contributes 4.5-5% of the companys sales. The company has been investing in quick commerce in line with the sales growth on such platforms.

Quick commerce is shaping up quite well for us. From less than 1% of our business two years ago, it is now contributing to close to 2% of our overall sales. Because revenues are going up, our spends and investments are also improving," said Krishnarao Buddha, senior category head at Parle Products.

Salil Murthy, managing director, Mars Petcare India, another big advertising category in quick commerce, said, Quick commerce now constitutes a significant share of Mars Petcare India's overall e-commerce sales, reflecting the growing consumer preference for fast delivery. We are seeing an uptick in demand from q-commerce platforms, with investments yielding a strong ROI and significantly impacting sales and consumer engagement."

Beauty products company Plum said its marketing expenses across e-commerce platforms, including quick commerce, are proportional to the size of the channels. The company gets 20% of its e-commerce sales via quick commerce.

The overall economics with regard to how much we invest on any platform is pretty much the same. Since the primary motivation for shopping on quick commerce is not price, discounts are lower, so whatever money is saved on discounting tends to be ploughed back into marketing on the platform," said Shankar Prasad, founder and CEO of Plum.

Sizing up the opportunity

Accessories company Baggit spends 8-10% of its sales towards advertising on e-commerce on business-as-usual days, and 12-13% during the festive season and other sales. It will "wait and watch" before allocating significant budgets to quick-commerce platforms.

Consumer brands tend to spend a lot more money on e-commerce platforms since they host a range of brands and it's important to stand out," said Nina Lekhi, founder and MD of Baggit.

"For quick commerce, we will wait to see how demand picks up. When the competition in the category picks up and we see these platforms becoming lucrative channels, we will decide the marketing budget."

Nikhil Rao, chief marketing officer of Mars Wrigley India, said the company actively invests in the growing e-commerce channel, especially in paid search and on banner advertising.

This helps drive shopper conversion as well as brand building when done well. We are also looking at unconventional ways of driving search via organic and other marketing activations like sampling and bespoke activation with our partners," Rao said.

While we anticipate continued investment on e-commerce platforms to meet the sustained momentum in online shopping trends, we are careful to not overspend and make it unsustainable for us."

Scaling up

Quick commerce platforms are gaining scale, at least in Indias top cities. Indias quick-commerce market grew 77% in 2023 to $2.8 billion in gross merchandise value, accounting for 5% of Indias overall e-commerce market, according to consulting firm Redseer.

GMV, a key metric in e-commerce, tracks the total value of all goods sold on a platform, excluding discounts and other expenses.
Mumbai: Mumbai: Japanese liquor major Suntory Holdings on Thursday announced the formation a new subsidiary in India that will focus on selling non-alcoholic beverages as well as wellness products in the country.

To be sure, the company already sells alcoholic beverages such as Yamazaki and Hibiki whiskies via Suntory Global Spirits (earlier known as Beam Suntory). The new India subsidiary, set up to cover corporate functions, will commence its operations in July. The new entity will focus on soft drinks and wellness products.

Suntory India will be headed by managing director Masashi Matsumura with its office located in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has a portfolio of famous Japanese whiskies such as Yamazaki and Hibiki, apart from American whiskies Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, canned ready-to-drink 196, The Premium Malts beer, Japanese wine Tomi, and Roku gin among others spirits.

Also read | Beam Suntory launches Sipsmith gin in India Its non-alcoholic drinks include Orangina, Lucozade, Oasis, Suntory Tennensui water, among others. Globally, the company operates throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.9 billion in 2023.

The Indian Market The move comes as the company plans to bolster its presence in the country's overall beverages market-including both liquor as well as soft drinks.

India is a remarkably attractive market and a key geopolitical player on the global stage, with strong cultural and economic ties with Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Together with our spirits business, Suntory Global Spirits, we will enhance our presence as a multifaceted beverage company in this vital market by supporting our soft drinks and health & wellness businesses to build foundations in India through investments and partnerships, said Tak Niinami, president and CEO of Suntory Holdings.

Earlier this year, Beam Suntory was rebranded as Suntory Global Spirits to reflect the companys presence across categories in spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. The new name was revealed a decade after Suntory Holdings acquired Beam Inc in 2014, according to information available on the company's site.
Lynas Rare Earths plans to separate two heavy rare earths used in electric vehicles and electronic gadgets at its plant in Malaysia, a step that could help to loosen Chinas grip on markets for the critical materials.

The Australia-listed company has designed a new process that will for the first time produce separated dysprosium and terbium at the plant, from which it ships rare-earth materials to customers in the U.S., Europe and East Asia. China essentially refines all the worlds heavy rare earths today.

Dysprosium and terbium are soft metals that are often used in magnets to help them run better at higher temperatures. Each also has other uses, spanning defense technologies to nuclear reactors to lighting. They are listed as critical minerals in a number of countries, including in the U.S.

Those rare earths have to date been sold by Lynas to Chinese separators as part of a mixed compound that includes other heavy rare-earth oxides. Lynas produces light rare earths including neodymium and praseodymium, which are used in magnets as well.

This is the first step towards offering an expanded suite of heavy rare-earth products," Chief Executive Amanda Lacaze said Thursday.

Lynas has been seeking to increase its production capacity to feed what it expects will be a steadily growing market for rare earths, especially from sources outside of China. The company is separately advancing preconstruction activities for a planned processing facility in Texas, which will separate both heavy and light rare earths, it said.

The U.S. and other countries have been looking to break Chinas stranglehold on rare earths, although Western miners have faced headwinds from low prices, rising costs and stricter regulations. In Australia, the government provided miner Iluka Resources a loan to build the countrys first refinery for both light and heavy rare earths. Lynass Texas project is backed by the U.S. government and was conceived to supply the Department of Defense as well as commercial customers.

Lynas said it is working on a detailed engineering design for the new Malaysia circuit, which it expects will be able to separate up to 1,500 metric tons of mixed heavy rare-earth compound annually. It aims to start producing separated dysprosium and terbium from next year.

Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com
CHICAGOTech entrepreneur Rishi Shah was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison Wednesday for his part in what prosecutors called a billion-dollar fraud scheme centered on video advertisements in doctors offices.

Federal Judge Thomas Durkin said Shah, former chief executive and co-founder of startup Outcome Health, had undermined the integrity of the markets.

The only deterrence to white-collar crime or any kind of crime is jail," he said. Its the only thing that gets peoples attention."

Outcome installed video screens in physicians offices and charged pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk and Bristol-Myers Squibb to run drug ads targeted at patients in the waiting room. Prosecutors said company leaders misled clients, auditors, lenders and investors about how many offices had received the screens, and inflated the supposed effectiveness of its advertising.

The Wall Street Journal revealed the fraud in a 2017 article that cited former employees as well as advertisers. In a court document filed Monday, prosecutors said Shah and former Chief Financial Officer Brad Purdy were fixated on finding the leak, and that Purdy said he was talking to a security company started by Israeli special forces people."

Prosecutors in 2019 indicted Shah, Purdy and former President Shradha Agarwal, alleging a nearly $1 billion scheme to defraud clients and investors, including Goldman Sachs and an investment firm founded by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

A jury last year found Shah, Purdy and Agarwal guilty of numerous criminal counts of wire, mail and bank fraud. A fourth executive, Ashik Desai, served as the governments chief witness and received a reduced sentence in exchange for his testimony.

Agarwal and Purdy are due to be sentenced later this week.

Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for Shah, arguing he was the frauds driving force," motivated by the desire to become a billionaire. They said he reaped such rewards as a $10 million Chicago home and luxury vacations while snaring junior employees in the scheme and pushing aside those who raised concerns.

These kinds of corporate fraud schemes have real impacts on people," prosecutor Kyle Hankey said.

Shahs lawyers said he had already suffered a stained reputation and the loss of most of his wealth. They disputed the financial harm allegedly suffered by investors, lenders and advertisers, and asked that Shah receive a lengthy term of home confinement.

Lawyer William Burck said Shah was driven not by greed but a desire to educate patients, and tried to make things right when he learned of problems.

He wasnt about trying to rob people blind," Burck said. He did everything he could to try to put money back in peoples pockets."

Speaking to the judge, Shah said he regretted his arrogance, overconfidence and mistakes, and was sorry for harming those who trusted him with their money and careers. He asked for leniency so he could rebuild his life with the lessons he had learned.

Durkin said Shah had a comfortable upbringing and wasnt compelled to commit any crimes.

You could have been successful without cheating," he said. This company had a good idea."

Shah is due to surrender himself to authorities in September. His lawyers said he plans to appeal the verdict and sentence.

Write to John Keilman at john.keilman@wsj.com and Rolfe Winkler at Rolfe.Winkler@wsj.com
Infosys has settled charges of violating provisions of insider trading with the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Reuters reported on June 27.

Salil Parekh, CEO of India's second biggest IT services export company, has agreed to pay a fine of 25 lakh (close to $30,000) to the markets regulator for failing to have adequate controls to prevent insider trading, it added.

The case pertains to entities and individuals including Pranshu Bhutra, Amit Bhutra, Bharath C. Jain, Capital One Partners, Tesora Capital, and Venkata Subramaniam V. V. Pranshu Bhutra is senior corporate counsel of Infosys and Venkata Subramaniam V. V. is senior principal, corporate accounting group, Infosys.

Capital One and Tesora Capital, two partnership entities, were investigated by Sebi for their trading activity.

The Case SEBI in 2021 banned Infosys's senior corporate counsel Pranshu Bhutra and Venkata Subramaniam VV Senior Principal, Corporate Accounting Group along with six other related entities from accessing capital markets until further orders for insider trading.

In a statement, Infosys said it would initiate an internal investigation into the insider trading matter.

A SEBI order by whole-time director Madhabi Puri Buch said that the aforesaid Infosys officials were found to have leaked unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) to the companys audited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, which resulted in ill-gotten gains for those involved.

Also Read | Foxconn bias: Govt asks TN for report on discrimination against married women

There is ample prima facie evidence which demonstrates that entities have been in violation of SEBI Act and Prohibition of Insider Trading ( PIT) Regulations. This has not only violated the integrity of the market but also prima facie resulted in undue benefit to them over general investors" the order said.

The alert system of the markets regulator had generated insider trading alerts for Infosys' scrip around the corporate announcement about the strategic partnership of Infosys with Vanguard.

The information related to the deal was UPSI and the UPSI period was from 29 June, 2020 to 14 July, 2020.

In May 2022, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) lifted restrictions imposed by SEBI on Infosys in its earlier order pertaining to alleged insider trading by employees of the IT major.
Rivian gets the thing it needs most out of its deal with Volkswagen: cash. What Volkswagen receives in exchange is less clear-cut.

The carmakers late on Tuesday announced a tie-up aimed at leveraging their different strengths to fix their respective weaknesses in an industry upended by the rise of electric vehicles.

Rivians problems are financial and operational: It has well-reviewed EVs, but still loses money to make them, setting it on a road to ruin. Volkswagen is a master of scale manufacturing and still generates huge operating cash flowsthe analyst consensus is for roughly $38 billion this yearbut hasnt nailed the complex software necessary to create cutting-edge EVs.

Overlay these two skill sets and you get a win-win situation, or that is the theory. The reality will depend partly on how well they work together in a proposed joint venture that neither side will control.

In Volkswagens case, there is also the crucial question of capital efficiency that has long weighed on the stock. It could end up putting $5 billion into Rivian and the JV. If this simply comes on top of internal investments, it will add complexity and cost to an organization in desperate need of simplification.

The JV, to be run by co-chief executives supplied by each company, will focus on the so-called electrical architecture of EVs. This is the system that connects and controls vehicle electronics, increasingly via a software stack" that can deliver over-the-air updates. Getting it right makes EVs smart as well as electric. The technology is tougher for old-school automakers than just replacing gas engines with batteries and motors because it requires a different kind of engineering.

Volkswagen EVs such as the ID.4 have been praised for their hardware but criticized for their infotainment system, particularly in China. Last year the company invested in Chinese EV maker Xpeng to get access to its software for the local market, and the Rivian deal follows a similar pattern.

Volkswagen will start by giving Rivian $1 billion through a convertible note, with another $2 billion for further tranches of equity next year and in 2026, subject to conditions. In addition, the German company will put $1 billion into the JV later this year, including to secure Rivians current electrical architecture. A $1 billion loan to the JV may follow in 2026.

Rivians stock soared 36% in premarket trading. While the gains are exaggerated by short-covering and may ebb, they reflect the much-reduced risk investors face now that the company has a strategic backer. Rivian, which is expected to burn through $4.1 billion of cash this year, is holding an investor day Thursday. The deal has come in time to give it better answers to questions about its financial viability.

Volkswagens preference sharesthe instrument most institutional investors in Europe tradewere down 2% in midday trading Wednesday. That is despite a roughly 50% paper gain on half of its initial Rivian investment, which will convert into stock at a price based on levels before the deal was announced. Investors have been burned before by Volkswagens habit of throwing money at problems.

The German company invests much more of the cash it generates than its peers. The Rivian deal forced it to cut its guidance for automotive free cash flow after acquisitions to just 3.5 billion euros at the midpoint, equivalent to $3.7 billion. General Motors expects to generate $9.5 billion at the midpoint by selling only two-thirds as many vehicles.

If partnerships with Rivian in the U.S. and Xpeng in China can deliver top-notch vehicles, it will be a win for Volkswagen. To turn that into a win for its investors, though, the German company will also need to limit software investments at home to avoid the usual waste and duplication. For a company with a big state shareholding and an unusually dominant union, that may be the harder part.

Write to Stephen Wilmot at stephen.wilmot@wsj.com
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court curbed the Securities and Exchange Commissions ability to press complaints before in-house judges, saying defendants have a constitutional right to make their case to a federal jury when the agency is seeking financial penalties.

The 6-3 decision could reduce the commissions leverage to extract high-dollar settlements. It deals a blow to an administrative system the SEC once used to adjudicate more than 100 cases a year before scaling back amid legal challenges.

The ruling could ripple across the government, potentially affecting the Federal Trade Commission, Agriculture Department and Environmental Protection Agency. A Justice Department lawyer said during arguments that more than two dozen agencies now impose penalties through administrative proceedings and that only some of those bodies have the option to go to federal court instead.

Dissenting Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the ruling will unleash chaos across the government.

The dispute is part of a Supreme Court term likely to have broad implications for federal regulators. The justices are also considering whether to overturn a precedent that gives agencies leeway when they interpret ambiguous congressional commands. The courts conservative majority has been broadly skeptical of what it views as overreach by regulatory agencies.

The majority said that the SECs antifraud provisions replicate common law fraud and that it was well established that those types of claims should be heard by a jury.

A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. Rather than recognize that right, the dissent would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in the hands of the Executive Branch. That is the very opposite of the separation of powers that the Constitution demands.

Roberts was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Sotomayor listed 19 other agencies that also impose civil penalties through administrative proceedings. She said several agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, currently dont have the legal authority to go to court to seek civil penalties.

For those and countless other agencies, all the majority can say is tough luck; get a new statute from Congress, Sotomayor wrote in an opinion joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The latest ruling is a victory for George Jarkesy, a former hedge fund manager and conservative radio host. The SEC accused Jarkesy in 2013 of misleading investors about who served as his funds prime broker and auditor and about their investment strategies and holdings.

The ramifications of this case are so much bigger than one person, Jarkesy said in an emailed statement. After a decade of gross misconduct and blatantly unconstitutional political attacks from the SEC and their in-house court, today the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution still matters.

SEC Order

An administrative law judge found Jarkesy had committed securities fraud, and the SEC eventually ordered him to pay almost $1 million. The high courts decision nullifies that order.

The Biden administration argued unsuccessfully that SEC complaints dont fall within the Constitutions Seventh Amendment and its jury-trial right. That provision by its terms applies to common law suits, which typically are between private parties.

The administration pointed to a 1977 Supreme Court ruling that said Congress can create public rights, aimed at protecting the common good, and empower an agency to handle adjudications.

Jarkesy and his allies, including Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, said the SEC process is fraught with injustice. Defendants have fewer rights to obtain evidence in administrative hearings than federal court, and SEC lawyers can rely on third-party hearsay testimony. Appeals go to the same SEC commissioners who approved the complaint in the first place.

Industry Impact

The ruling could have significant effect on how brokers, investment advisers and others that fall under SEC rules can settle cases. Many enforcement proceedings are settled through the administrative process, which allows parties to file enforcement orders and settlements at the same time.

The SEC may want to amend its language in future administrative cases that explicitly require defendants to waive their rights to jury trials, said Rebecca Fike, a partner at the law firm Vinson & Elkins in Dallas and a former senior counsel in the SECs enforcement division.

If the regulator views the ruling as requiring even greater caution in using administrative judges, more cases might be settled in court, Fike said. That brings greater uncertainty for the SEC and defendants because it opens the door to a judge disagreeing with settlements, she said.

Theres something about court filings that most corporate defendants want to stay away from, Fike said.

The high courts decision also raises the question of what constitutes fraud specifically in the securities context, said David Fredrickson, senior of counsel at Covington & Burling and a former SEC senior attorney. Many cases that have challenged the agencys use of administrative proceedings involved fraud allegations, assuming the allegations are similar to common law fraud, he said.

But Congress also authorized the SEC and perhaps other agencies to define things that are fraudulent, Fredrickson said.

Its unclear whether fraud allegations that, for example, involve violations of the SECs advertising rules or a brokers failure to provide confirmation of a sale might still go through the administrative process, he said.

The case is Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, 22-859.

--With assistance from Zoe Tillman.

(Updates with comments from Sotomayor, Jarkesy and attorneys starting in 10th paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
The National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences is likely to declare the National Eligibility Entrance Test, Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024 exam date next week, NBEMS president Abhijat Sheth told ANI. The decision comes after a review meeting between NBEMS officials and the Union Health Ministry to assess the situation and the feedback received by the government.

NBEMS cancelled the NEET PG 2024 exam just 12 hours before it was scheduled to be conducted on June 23 after the controversy over the NEET UG paper leak.

It is important to note that the NEET PG 2024 exam was originally scheduled to take place on March 3, however, it was moved to July 7. But latter the National Medical Commission (NMC) rescheduled the exam to June 23 due to Rath Yatra event, which too was cancelled after the NEET UG controversy.

Also Read | INDIA bloc to bring adjournment motions on NEET in Parliament

The NBEMS president stressed that the integrity of the NEET-PG exam has never been doubted. However, recent concerns from the students prompted the government to review the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols to ensure the sanctity, safety, and security of the examination.

Earlier, the National Board of Examinations for Medical Sciences announced a change in the examination pattern of the National Eligibility Entrance Test-Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2024. The NBEMS said that various medical entrance exams conducted in the country will have mandatory time-bound sections.

NBEMS has decided to introduce mandatory time-bound sections in all its MCQ-based examinations, such as NEET-PG, NEET-MDS, NEET-SS, FMGE, DNB-PDCET, GPAT, DPEE, FDST, and FET, which are conducted on a computer-based platform. This measure has been implemented to enhance the security and sanctity of the exams in light of emerging threats during the examination process, the board had said earlier.

As per the notification, the new pattern divides the question paper into multiple time-bound sections, where candidates have to complete each section within the allotted time before proceeding to the next. It is important to note that a candidate cannot review or modify his/her answers to a section after completing its allotted time.
NEET UG 2024 re-exam: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to release the results of the NEET UG re-exam on June 30. The testing agency conducted a re-examination on June 23 for 1,563 candidates who were previously awarded grace marks in the NEET UG exam due to a 'loss of time' and was later scrapped by the honourable Supreme Court, giving candidates the choice to opt for a re-test or to retain the original scores excluding the grace marks.

Only 813 of the 1,563 candidates took the re-exam last Sunday. The remaining 48% of candidates opted for their original scores, excluding the grace marks.

Also Read | JoSAA counselling 2024 round 2 seat allocation result today at josaa.nic.in

It is important to note that Haryanas Jhajjar centre, which came under scrutiny due to several top rankers emerging from there, 287 out of the 494 candidatesrepresenting approximately 58% appeared for the NEET UG 2024 re-exam.

NEET UG 2024 re-exam: Steps to check the results Go to the official website of NEET UG 2024: exams.nta.ac.in/NEET

Click on the ' NEET UG re-exam results 2024' tab available on the homepage

Enter login credentials such as Application Number, DOB and Security PIN

A new window will open, and the scorecard will be reflected on the screen

Download the scorecard and save

Print the NEET UG 2024 scorecard for future reference. Candidates must ensure their scorecard includes their photo and barcode, or re-download it if it is missing.

Also Read | Infosys settles insider trading charges with SEBI

The NEET UG exam 2024 was held on May 5, with more than 24 lakh candidates taking the exam. The NTA declared the results on June 4, 2024, with 67 students securing a perfect score of 720.
India's youngest infrastructure financier is elbowing into large project finance that has so far been the preserve of state-run banks, aided by its ability to raise cheap finance and give subsidized loans.

Designed as a development finance institution to support long-term projects, the National Bank For Financing Infrastructure And Development (NaBFID) took birth in 2021. Though it has been in the lending market for a while, it was a recent loan deal that made banks sit up and take note.

Also read | NaBFID considers $4.8 billion worth of bond sale to double loan disbursements

In March, NaBFID outbid State Bank of India (SBI) for a 9,000 crore loan, two bankers aware of the matter said. While SBI, India's largest bank by assets, pitched 8.2% for a proposal by National Highways Authority of Indias (NHAI) infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) to raise 9,000 crore, NaBFID offered 8%.

This made other lenders come to the negotiating table," one of the two bankers cited above said. The one-year NaBFID Lending Rate (NLR)  its benchmark rate  was at 8% in March, as per its website. It has since been raised to 8.2%.

Ultimately, the NHAI InvIT loan was sanctioned jointly by NaBFID and the other banks at a rate closer to 8%.

Emails sent to NaBFID, NHAI and SBI remained unanswered.

According to one of the two bankers cited above, NHAI's InVIT has been borrowing from banks led by SBI for the past couple of years. InvITs are collective investment vehicles to monetize infrastructure assets.

Also read | NaBFID planning to offer takeout loans

A second banker said the NHAI loan was made to the InvIT which has toll-earning assets. Moreover, NHAIs credentials ensure it gets some of the finest pricing on bank loans.

For banks, it is a challenge to finance such long-duration projects because most loan agreements by commercial banks in project finance have a clause for refinancing after seven to 10 years, whereas a development finance institution like NaBFID can sanction even 30-year loans," the banker said.

The Union road ministry on 19 March said the National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT), the investment trust set up by NHAI, has raised funds for national highway stretches totalling 889 km. In the third round of monetization, NHIT has raised unit capital of around 7,272 crore from marquee domestic and international investors and debt of around 9,000 crore from Indian lenders, to fund the acquisition of National Highway stretches," it said.

In line with govt plan

The push by NaBFID aligns with the government's plan to invest heavily in infrastructure projects to drive economic growth.

To be sure, top lenders like SBI and several other banks have much bigger infrastructure loan portfolios. For instance, SBIs infrastructure loan book stood at 3.95 trillion as on 31 March, accounting for 12.2% of its aggregate loans. At Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank, infra loans were at 1.12 trillion and 98,494 crore, respectively, as on 31 March.

In comparison, NaBFID had outstanding loans of 35,342.4 crore in the same period, though cumulative sanctions of loans stood over 1 trillion. Rajkiran Rai G., managing director of NaBFID told Financial Express on 10 June that it has already disbursed 45,000 crore loans so far, and expects to grow the book to 93,000 crore by the end of FY25. Total bank loans to the infrastructure sector stood at 13 trillion in FY24, showed data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Two other bankers said that although NaBFID's loan book is still small in comparison, they believe the lender is intent on growing it.

Set up in 2021 with an initial capital of 20,000 crore, NaBFID's advantage comes from its ability to raise market debt at just 15-20 basis points (bps) over sovereign securities. It can also extend cheaper loans, since the government made it a 5,000 crore grant to subsidize lending rates.

The lender's total borrowings stood at 25,016 crore, of which bank loans were at 5,500 crore and non-convertible debentures (NCDs) at 19,516 crore as on 31 March, as per its annual report. Of the total NCDs, 10,000 crore was raised for 10 years and 9,516 crore for 15 years.

Grants, contributions likely

Analysts believe that going by the NaBFID Act, the government could continue providing support through grants or contributions in the future. Rating agency Icra said in a note on 25 June that if internal capital generation does not keep pace with growth, Centre may continue supporting it whenever required, though this is not expected in the next few years.

Anil Gupta, senior vice-president and co-group head of financial sector ratings at Icra said that the opportunities for infrastructure financing have gone up multi-fold, given the significant large pipeline for infrastructure projects.

Financing is only one of the roles of NaBFID, and given its developmental role in conceptualizing and planning of such infrastructure projects, NaBFID has a bigger role to play in the overall development of the sector."
Mumbai: The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Rajeev Raghuvanshi on Thursday revealed that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has conducted risk-based inspections of over 400 pharmaceutical manufacturing units over the past year and a half, resulting in the closure of 36% of these facilities.

We have been successfully doing risk-based inspections and inspected about 400 manufacturing units and I am not very happy to say that more than 36% of them had to be closed because there was a reason to close them, Raghuvanshi said at an Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) event. These MSMEs had to shut down as they realised that they cannot meet the expectations of the regulators.

As the quality assurance of drugs manufactured in the country continues to be a cause of concern, CDSCO is about to start four key projects that will help the Indian pharmaceutical industry to continue improving and maintaining the quality of the drugs coming out of India, the pharmacy capital of the world.

One of the four projects, the regulatory body CDSCO will be coming out with is a digital platformDigital Drug Regulatory System, he said.

Also read | Centre seeks to strengthen, restructure drug pricing order committee So four big-ticket projects are in the pipeline and one of them we are coming out with is our digital platform, which would cover the complete regulatory value chain in this country, said Raghuvanshi.

The organisation plans to structure the platform in a way that brings aboard all the stakeholders involved in the industry from regulatory bodies to manufacturers and retailers.

Each and every stakeholder, government, private, semi-government, whoever has any stake in the regulatory value chain would be brought onto that platform. And so, you have solutions to all kinds of quality issues. We are waiting on the final approval from the government but to design this we have already floated the RFP and the final tender is yet to be done, he added.

Also read | Govt doctors told to give suggestions on over-the-counter drug sale in 3 months Raghuvanshi then disclosed the second project the organisation is working on - the regulatory rationalisation initiative, under which CDSCO has hired two internationally renowned consultancy organisations. One of the two consultancy firms is tasked to look at CDSCOs internal process, while the second one will take a look at The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and rules to rationalise while removing the redundancies and simplifying the whole regulation.

Quality Upgrades The first one he disclosed will start its working from 1 July while the second one will begin its work in a couple of weeks time.

Third being, increasing the internal scientific cadre at CDSCO. Unfortunately today there is not a single scientific cadre to do an internal review of the files, which the stakeholders are not comfortable with. So we are initiating a process to get the internal scientific cadre at CDSCO so that more than 50-60% of the activities of the final review can happen internally, he continued.

Finally the fourth project, Raghuvanshi added, is not part of the CDSCO but for the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) to set up the Digital IP. IPC is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare committed to ensuring quality and safety of drugs.

The product is in its final stages and will be in use by the next month as it is under final testing, he added. Raghuvanshi is also the secretary-cum-scientific director of IPC.

Furthermore, he revealed that the revised Schedule M part of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940 will begin its audit process from 1 July.

Also read | Drug pricing regulator seeks data ahead of setting price ceilings for formulations Schedule M deals with 'Good Manufacturing Practices' to be followed by pharmaceutical manufacturing units in the country.

Dr Arunish Chawla, secretary, department of pharmaceutical, said that quality is the paramount focus, standing on three essential pillarsmarket, patient, and neighbour. Market quality commands a premium and builds reputation, which is our best defence against malpractices. Patient quality is driven by robust regulatory systems, and India is progressing rapidly on this front. Our mission going forward is to make quality the centre of policy framework, he said.
New Delhi: Come July, manufacturers of laboratory glassware will need to comply with new standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as demand for high-quality scientific equipment grows globally, two people aware of the matter said.

The plan is to enhance product quality to help improve Indias credentials and competitiveness in the global market, with laboratory glassware being exported to the US, Europe, West Asia, Africa, and Latin America," the first person said.

Poor quality glassware is prone to failure under normal laboratory conditions, posing safety risks to researchers and potentially contaminating samples.

It was needed to bring QCO for this segment as tests conducted with low-quality glassware would yield unreliable or inconsistent results, affecting the reliability and validity of scientific findings, the second person said.

The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, have jointly issued the quality control order.

The new standards require finished product to have an ISI mark that is obtained after a thorough inspection by BIS scientists.

Manufacturers also need to ensure material composition, dimensional accuracy, resistance to temperature variations, and chemical stability.

With the industry facing challenges, including competition from cheaper plastic alternatives and fluctuations in raw material prices, technological upgrades are essential to maintain global standards and market position, the second person said.

Common laboratory glassware includes beakers for holding samples, burettes for precise liquid dispensing, pipettes for transferring measured fluids, condensers for cooling and heating liquids, desiccators, drying pistols for moisture absorption, and funnels designed to accurately pour liquids into narrow-necked containers.

Queries emailed to the consumer affairs ministry remained unanswered till press time.

Curbing imports India's laboratory glassware industry is vital to the nation's scientific and industrial landscape. The QCO for this category of products is aimed at improving the quality of products and restricting import of sub-standards products in the country, said Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think tank on trade policies.

"As the demand for high-quality scientific equipment grows, so does the potential of India's laboratory glassware industry. Continued investment and support are crucial to harnessing this potential and ensuring the industry's role in advancing scientific and technological innovation," he said.

Also Read: More goods to come under quality control orders in Make-in-India step India's total laboratory glassware exports amounted to $33.08 million in FY24, marking a decrease of 1.90% compared to the previous financial year, as per the commerce ministry data. India exports laboratory glassware valued to destinations including the US, EU, Germany, Switzerland, and the UAE.

In FY24, India exported laboratory glassware worth $10.08 million to the US against $10.51 million in the previous year.

India imported laboratory glassware valued at $30.9 million from countries, including Singapore, Germany, and China, largely same as FY23.

The major manufacturing hubs for laboratory glassware are Ambala in Haryana, Delhi, and Hyderabad in Telangana, which have positioned India as a key player in the global market.
AExperts from the health and education sectors urged the government to increase the number of hospital beds and create awareness around the National Education Policy in their pre-budget consultations with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.

Health experts suggested ways to improve the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme so that the poor can access quality healthcare at lower prices, apart from issues focussing on social sector welfare, women and children, two people who attended the meeting said.

Ayushman Bharat aims to cover over 100 million poor and vulnerable families, or around 500 million individuals, providing coverage of up to 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation.\

Should have at least 3.5 beds for every thousand: WHO "We have less than two (hospital) beds for every thousand people. The WHO says we should have at least 3.5 beds for every thousand people. There is also a huge disparity between the density of beds across states. For instance, Karnataka has four beds for every thousand people, but Bihar has only 0.3. The government will have to review the healthcare policy in states," said Girdhar Gyani, director general at the Association of Healthcare Providers of India.

Experts also suggested forming a separate cell for creating awareness around the National Education Policy.

"States need to be made more aware of the purpose of the National Education Policy. A separate cell could be formed (in this regard)," said Anant Pandhare, a trustee, Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishthan.

"The government is very keen on pushing schemes for the poor, like tackling malnutrition and strengthening ASHA workers. The government noted down a suggestion about tackling juvenile diabetes and congenital diabetes," Pandhare added.

The new education policy, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, proposes several reforms, including funding for private sector research, structural changes in school education, the establishment of a national research foundation, integration of vocational education and coding from upper primary schools, among others.

It is the third national education policy since India's independence.

Prominent experts who attended the consultation on Thursday included Arvinder J Singh (Ashoka University), Ajit Ranade (Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics), Rukmini Banerjee (Pratham Education Foundation), Reddy Subrahmanyam, former secretary, higher education and social justice, among others.

Senior finance ministry officials present at Thursday's meetings included Ajay Seth, secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, and the government's chief economic advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran, finance secretary TV Somanathan.

The finance minister has already met economists, representatives of industry, capital markets and financial sector, farmers' associations, MSMEs, leaders from the trade and services industry, employment and skilling sectors.
MUMBAI : India has long relied on global giants for medical devices to equip a healthcare network burdened by a lack of doctors, expensive treatments, and inadequate technology. But now, domestic medtech firms are taking the fight to their international peers, attracting interest from top-tier global investors and pharmaceutical giants.

According to Indian government estimates, India is the fourth-largest market for medical devices in Asia. Globally, though, Indias medtech sector claims a meagre 1.5% share, which market experts predict will grow substantially as global investors, including KKR & Co., Morgan Stanley, and Warburg Pincus, rush to back domestic medical equipment makers.

Anish Bafna, chief executive and managing director of Healthium Medtech Ltd, sees Indias medtech sector seizing a 10-12% global market share by 2030, backed by Indias National Medical Devices Policy of 2023.

This ambitious target," Bafna said, underscores Indias potential to become a global medtech hub."

Bafna has good reasons for his optimism. Last month, US private equity firm KKR & Co. won a bidding war to acquire Healthium from British PE firm Apax Partners for $700-800 million. The medtech company manufactures and sells surgical products in about 90 countries.

India unveiled its medical devices policy with ambitions for the domestic medtech sector to account for 10-12% of the expanding global market over the next 25 years.

Mansukh Mandaviya, former Union health minister, said last year that the government was confident of fostering the medical devices sectors growth from present $11 billion to $50 billion by 2030".

The challenger advantage

Several domestic medtech firms are already credible challengers to multinational companies in India and global markets, said Anshul Gupta, managing director and head of healthcare investment banking at Avendus Capital.

The financial services firm has advised several companies in the healthcare sector, including NephroPlus and Maiva Pharma, on their deals.

Bengaluru-based NephroPlus is among Asias largest dialysis care providers. Last month, it secured 850 crore in an investment round led by Singapore-headquartered PE firm Quadria Capital.

Maiva Pharma, a Bengaluru-based injectables manufacturer, raised 1,000 crore last month from a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and India Life Sciences Fund-IV.

In certain segments of medtech, (multinational companies) have been defocused and have shrunk their incremental investment dollars due to lower return versus investment," said Gupta.

But for Indian medtech companies who are playing the challenger strategy and hence starting from a low base, returns on investments in technology, clinical trials, and marketing infrastructure to capitalise on a large global opportunity remains an attractive proposition".

A global demand for affordable quality

The growing global interest in the domestic medtech space is largely driven by Indias low-cost manufacturing advantage.

The domestic medtech sector is catching up with its global peers as investors recognise the need for high-quality products at affordable prices to meet the demands of an ever-expanding global healthcare network.

Private equity and venture capital players have rightfully recognised the existing industry gap and corresponding market opportunity," said Bafna of Healthium Medtech, and are backing category leaders who can challenge the status quo, gain market share from the MNCs in India, and also leverage the potential in larger export markets."

Also read | Healthtechs latest buzzword is a relentless killer

Earlier in April, US private equity firm Warburg Pincus struck its largest deal ever in Indias healthcare sector, picking up a 65% stake for about $300 million in Chennai-based Appaswamy Associates, a maker of ophthalmic equipment.

Earlier in June, domestic private equity firm Jashvik Capital invested $25 million in Bengaluru-based Futura Surgicare, which sells surgical devices to more than 10,000 hospitals in India and has regulatory approvals in over 70 countries.

The Indian medical devices opportunity is large and growing," Jashvik Capital had said in a statement announcing the deal, adding that roughly ~$11.25 billion of domestic demand and about $3 billion of global demand can be serviced from India".

When pharma meets medtech

In October, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd acquired a stake in EzeRx, a Bhubhaneshwar-based maker of a portable device that can screen for anaemia without drawing blood. In February last year, Sun Pharma acquired stakes in digital healthcare startups Agatsa Software and Remidio Innovative Solutions.

Agatsa is an early-stage digital diagnostic devices company, while Remidios flagship portable camera can detect eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Cipla Ltd, another domestic pharmaceutical giant, last month agreed to invest up to 26 crore in Achira Labs, which would take its stake in the maker of medical test kits to 27.27%. It had earlier acquired a 21.05% stake in Achira in 2022.

Also read | Healthify maps a global run amid profit chase

For pharma companies, medtech firms are a natural adjacency, said Avendus Gupta.

India has a strong pharmaceutical and medical supply chain, which supports the growth of the medtech industry," added Vipin Singhal, associate director at Anand Rathi Investment Banking. Even so, the sector faces several challenges, he said, including a fragmented market and the need for better cost-effective" distribution network.

Singhal also underscored innovations driving growth in Indias medtech sector: True North-backed Trivitron Healthcares cardiology and operating room equipment; Terumo Penpols blood bags, Agappe Diagnosticss reagents for vitro diagnostics, and Perfint Healthcares devices for image-guided minimally invasive surgeries, among several others.

A government booster dose

Domestic medical device makers also benefit from the governments drive to encourage local manufacturing through its production-linked incentive, or PLI, scheme.

The Indian medtech industry is in the early to mid-phase of development where the Indian pharma industry was perhaps 15-20 years ago", said Gupta of Avendus Capital.

According to Singhal of Anand Rathi Investment Banking, Indias medtech market is likely to expand from $12 billion today to $50 billion by 2030. This will reduce Indias import dependence (for medical devices) from current 64.6% to 35%," he said, and boost exports from current $3.4 billion to $18 billion by 2030."

The growth in the medtech sector will also be driven by the rapid expansion of Indias broader healthcare sector, which Singhal said is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 14% annually to reach $600 billion by 2030.

Also read | Why Tata Capital Healthcare Fund is wary of healthtech bets

The medtech sector's potential growth is evidenced also in the offtake of the government's PLI scheme for medical devices.

In February, the governments Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers said in a report that under the PLI scheme for medical devices, the government will provide an incentive of 3,420 crore to new projects between 2022-23 and 2026-27.

As of June 2023, 26 applicants have invested 852 crore out of committed investment of 1,330 crore (64%)," the committee said in its report.

Such government initiatives will fuel innovation in medtech, said Hariharan Subramanian, managing director of Siemens Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, who sees telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and AI-powered diagnostics as areas with immense potential in India.

The global medtech industry is predicted to reach $800 billion by 2030, with Indias contribution rising to $50 billion," he said. This translates into a big potential for Indian medical device manufacturers to not only meet domestic demand but also become global exporters."
It has been hard to make money in Chinese stocks. Unlike the U.S. market, even the countrys tech giants have disappointed investors in the past few years. But investors focusing on something more boringdividends from some of Chinas least-loved companiesdid far better.

Cash returns to shareholders from listed Chinese companies over the past three years amounted to more than two trillion yuan, the equivalent of $275 billion, according to Goldman Sachs. Most of that came through dividends, though they also have stepped up stock buybacks. The total return on an MSCI gauge tracking Chinese stocks with high dividend yields has outperformed the broader MSCI China index by around 28 percentage points over the past three years.

State-owned enterprises with some stock-market presence have been especially rewarding. By contrast, an imploding housing bubble and regulatory crackdown have sunk shares of many private-sector Chinese companies. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks such as tech behemoths Tencent and Alibaba, has lost around 40% of its value in the past three years.

A separate index tracking state-owned enterprises with listings in Hong Kong, on the other hand, has risen 2% over the same period. Even this year, which has seen Chinese equity markets rebound, the SOE gauge has done better than the broader market. Some standouts: Oil company Cnooc has tripled in value since the end of 2021, while carrier China Mobile has surged by 59%.

These state companies are usually in what are considered old economy sectors such as banking and energy. While they dont offer exciting growth opportunities, what they have instead is stable cash flows and lower regulatory risk. The Hong Kong-listed SOEs have a dividend yield of 5.7% versus 3.8% for all of the Chinese stocks listed there.

Significantly, dividend payout ratiosthe share of profits returned to shareholders in that wayare still lower for Chinese SOEs than for private companies, according to analysts at Bernstein Research.

The broker also noted that their payout level is already close to the highest ever, but it could keep rising. Chinese policymakers are eager to boost the valuations of SOEs and increasing shareholders returns is one possible way to do so. It could also help to foster a stock ownership culture in a country where real estate has been the preferred store of wealth.

And Goldman points out that boosting dividends could also provide fiscal relief to the government, especially at a time when land sales revenue has plummeted. The bank estimated that every one-percentage-point increase in the payout ratio of the listed SOEs could increase fiscal revenue by 23 billion yuan.

Chinese equities are among the cheapest in the world, and perhaps for good reason with its once-hot economy sagging. Brave investors might want to bet on them narrowing a gap that still puts them at less than half of the earnings multiple and less than a third of the price-to-book value of U.S. stocks.

Or they could focus on dividends. Profit is an opinioncash is a fact.

Write to Jacky Wong at jacky.wong@wsj.com
In recent times, metal stocks have notably outperformed in the Indian financial markets. The sectoral index as well as many stocks in this sector have regularly set new record highs and consistently achieved significant milestones.

In 2024 year-to-date (YTD), all constituents of the Nifty Metal index have delivered positive returns, with one stock more than doubling investors' wealth. Additionally, all these stocks have shown positive performance over the past one and three years.

Recently, metal stocks have shown remarkable performance, propelled by a substantial rise in industrial metal prices. This surge has bolstered investor confidence, as higher prices are expected to substantially boost companies' profit margins.

The Nifty Metal index has gained over 21 percent in 2024 YTD, surpassing its entire CY23 return of 18.66 percent in six months. In comparison, the benchmark Nifty rose over 10 percent.

Meanwhile, in the last 1 and 3 years, the Nifty Metal index has rallied 58 percent and over 85 percent, respectively, again outperforming the benchmark. In the last 1 year, the Nifty has gained over 27 percent while in the last 3 years, it has jumped 51 percent.

Earlier this month, the Nifty Metal index hit its record high, crossing the 10,000 levels. While the Metal index has been volatile in June so far, down 0.3 percent amid volatility concerning the 2024 Lok Sabha Election results, it had given positive returns in the previous 3 months, up 6 percent in May, 11 percent in April and 4 percent in March. However, the index was flat but in the red in the first 2 months of the current calendar year.

Also Read | Passenger Vehicle sales volume growth estimated to decelerate to 3-5% in FY25

Analysing stock performances for this year so far, Hindustan Zinc has given multibagger returns, surging almost 105 percent. It was followed by Vedanta, which jumped over 68 percent and Jindal Stainless, up over 40 percent. Meanwhile, JSPL, NALCO, and Tata Steel also advanced between 20 and 40 percent. Among other stocks, SAIL, NMDC, Hindustan copper, and Hindalco also rose over 10 percent each.

Ratnamani Metal Tunes, JSW Steel, and APL Apollo Tubes were also positive but up in single digits between 1 and 6.5 percent.

The sharp rise in industrial metal prices can be attributed to a combination of increased demand from growing business activity in major economies and ongoing supply disruptions due to heightened tensions in key metal-producing nations. The recent ban on Russian metals, specifically nickel and aluminum, by Washington and London has further exacerbated concerns about potential disruptions to global supply chains.

Also Read | Top 5 penny stocks that could shoot up soon

Additionally, China's property support measures and better-than-expected industrial data have spurred momentum buying, driving base metal prices higher. The rally has also been supported by banks, miners, and investment funds, who have been highlighting coppers promising long-term prospects. A surge of investment into the market has helped maintain elevated prices. Moreover, nickel and aluminum prices have also been on a rise.

Going ahead, experts believe that Strong PMI figures in China and robust economic fundamentals in the US have driven up commodity prices. While demand remains resilient, supply issues in copper and aluminum have supported base metal prices. The ban on Russian-origin metals at the London Metal Exchange (LME) has also bolstered aluminum prices. The outlook for metals remains favorable, with potential Federal Reserve rate cuts being a key factor. Additionally, a possible stimulus from China could further drive the rally in metal prices.

IIFL Securities predicted that rising exports from China to the rest of the world could push steel prices lower globally (including India). However, domestic demand is expected to grow 8-10 percent in FY25. Moreover, coking coal prices declined marginally in May24, while the increase in the Indian steel prices MoM could result in improved margins for steel companies in the coming quarter. However, the recent increases in stock prices of steel companies cap the potential upside. Hence, it continues to maintain a neutral outlook on the steel sector.
Investing in penny stocks can be a high-risk, high-reward proposition, but for those with a keen eye for market trends, it offers the potential for significant gains. As the market continues to show signs of recovery and growth, certain low-priced stocks are catching the attention of savvy investors. A select few of these are showing strong potential of rebounding.

In this article, we delve into the top five penny stocks poised for a substantial rise, examining their recent performance, market position and growth prospects. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just getting started, these stocks are worth watching for their potential to deliver outsize returns.

#1 Bodal Chemicals

Bodal Chemicals is India's leading integrated dyestuff company and the largest domestic manufacturer of dye intermediaries.

It has a 20% share of the domestic dye intermediaries market and 13% of the dyestuffs market. Its global market share is 6% and 3%, respectively, in the dye intermediaries and dyestuffs.

The company has state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) laboratories that it uses to develop new products and processes. Recently, it added benzene derivatives to its product portfolio.

The stock has been languishing in the same range for the last few months owing to a slowdown in global demand, particularly in Europe. However, management expects the demand to improve in a couple of quarters.

Meanwhile, the company is working on optimising the use of its capacity to improve margins. It is also adapting to market changes and focusing on efficiency and reducing costs.

Management also aims to reduce debt levels over the next few years. Efficient working capital management has led to improved debtor days, which it expects to maintain. With a new greenfield project expected to commence operations, the company also stands to benefit from higher production, which could improve sales and profit growth.

#2 Meghmani Organics

The companymanufactures pigments and agrochemicals at its factories in Gujarat.

It makes green and blue pigment products that are used to manufacture printing ink, plastic, paints, textiles, leather, and rubber. It also produces pesticides for crop and non-crop applications and offers more than 30 pesticide formulations in India.

In FY24 the company reported a 38% year-on-year decline in revenue owing to sluggish global demand and lower prices. Profitability was also hit by up to 70 crore owing to inventory destocking.

However, this is a temporary blip. The companys long-term growth prospects remain intact thanks to its infrastructure and product range. Management expects demand to stabilise in the second half of FY25 and anticipates growth in the nano Urea and titanium dioxide segments. Meghmani Organics has recently entered titanium dioxide manufacturing through its acquisition of Kilburn Chemicals. The chemical is primarily used in the paints and coatings industry.

The company has also entered the crop nutrition segment through Meghmani Crop Nutrition (MCNL), a wholly owned subsidiary. This makes Mehmagi Organics the first private player to enter nano urea fertiliser manufacturing.

The company remains committed to its expansion plans, further enhancing its presence in the global market and solidifying its position as a key player in the agricultural solutions industry.

#3 South India Paper

South India Paper manufactures paper, paperboards and cartons. It is also in the power generation business.Its key products include kraft liners, test liners, machine-glazed kraft paper, corrugated boards and wraparound boxes. It operates a kraft paper manufacturing unit and a packaging division with a captive cogeneration power plant at Mysore. About 40-45% of the paper it manufactures is used in the packaging division.

Losses in FY23 and a recent fire incident at one of its warehouses brought to the fore some operational issues. Nevertheless, the company has raised capital to fund its recent capex and expects margins to improve once the new capacity starts operations in earnest. The companys debt to equity ratio is below 1.

According to the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA), the paper consumption in India is expected to grow at 6-7% a year to 30 million tonnes by 2027. This makes India the worlds fastest-growing paper market and highlights the sectors immense investment potential.

#4 Sarla Performance Fibers

The company manufactures various types of polyester and nylon yarns. It has a range of more than 250 varieties of value-added nylon and polyester yarns and threads.

The stock has risen over 60% in the last six months and has the potential to rise further. One reason for the recent run-up could be that the company's promoters have been buying up shares from the public market. In the March 2024 quarter, Hindustan Cotton, the promoter group, increased its stake in the company by acquiring 85,431 shares through four open-market trades. This increased its stake from 56.5% in February to 56.6% as of March.

In the December 2023 quarter, Sarla Performance clocked impressive 18.2% year-on-year revenue growth to 96.3 crore. It reported a 300% surge in net profit from 2.1 crore to 8.5 crore.

#5 Rubfila International

Rubfila International is the only Indian company that makes both talcum and silicon-coated rubber threads.

The company's products are used in niche areas such as toys, meat packing, medical webbing and bungee-jumping cords. It has also entered the hygiene segment by acquiring Premier Tissues.

Rubfila has a manufacturing capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes and is expanding its capacity to meet the growing demand for rubber threads. In the past three years the company's revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%, led by high demand for rubber threads. Net profit grew at a healthy rate of 6% over this period.

Rubfila has consistently rewarded shareholders with dividends over the past five years while remaining debt-free. Looking ahead, it is poised to focus on increasing exports to drive growth.

Conclusion

These five penny stocks show promise of surging back to 100 with their recent performance and growth prospects.

However, it's crucial to approach penny stock investments with caution. Their inherent volatility and lower liquidity can lead to significant price fluctuations, which makes them far more risky than those of more established companies.

Thorough research and due diligence are essential, as is a well-diversified portfolio. So while the allure of substantial returns is enticing, investors should balance this with an understanding of the potential downsides.

Always consider tailoring your investment strategies to your individual risk tolerance and financial goals. Informed and cautious investing can help navigate the complexities and risks of penny stocks effectively.

Happy investing!

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such.

This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com
Worldbuilding. Spreader of bloat. Masker of deficiencies. Scourge of the two-hour film. The idea isnt new, of course; Cecil B DeMille and Fritz Lang were building cinematic worlds a hundred years ago. But increasingly its become an excuse for filmmakers with obscene budgets to luxuriate in their pretend worlds, and a burden on viewers who favour propulsive storytelling over immersiveness. Everyone wants to be Denis Villeneuve when they should be aiming for Ridley Scott.

Kalki 2898 AD is three hours of protracted worldbuilding, the first entry in a planned cinematic universe. Sometimes its stirring genre cinema, at other times it feels padded-out, derivative and dull. It ends like an episode of TV, everything hanging in the balance, all bets hedged. Theres no sense whether we should expect one or five more of these.

Director Nag Ashwin begins on the battlefield of the Mahabharata, with the defeated Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) awaiting his death. This is followed by a strange, though well-rendered, title sequence, an animated montage of atrocities through human history (though mostly 20th century events). Then were in the year 2898, in Kasi, the worlds only surviving city. The elite live in The Complex, a floating futuristic metropolis; the common folk fight for scraps in a grimy steampunk ghetto. This unhappy world is ruled by the fascist forces of Supreme Yaskin (Kamal Haasan), a 200-year-old being consumed with finding a mysterious serum which can only be extracted from the body of a pregnant woman.

The problem is, fertility has become rare, and soldiers are routinely dispatched to look for suitable candidates, who are imprisoned and seeded. For the serum to be effective, a pregnancy of at least 150 days is requireda criterion met, after several failures, by SUM80 (Deepika Padukone), later Sumati. Though she can't remember her own mother, Sumati wants her unborn child to live, and so do the rebels whove been battling the Complex. Theres a whole lot of Star Wars going onSupreme Yaskin is Supreme Leader Snoke, his soldiers resemble paratroopers, blasters shoot coloured lights, and theres even a takedown of a robot thats like the hobbling of an At-At. Yet, what mustve tickled Nag most is dubbing his protagonists rebels, given Prabhas is famously known as rebel star.

The entry scene is such a staple of south Indian action cinema that its conventions are ripe for subversion. Compared to his ludicrously macho entry in Salaar: Part 1Ceasefire, Prabhas introduction in this film is practically Looney Tunes. No sooner does bounty hunter Bhairava face a group of thugs than he seems to power down, lying in the street and telling his car-droid Bujji (voiced by Keerthy Suresh) that hed rather not fight. When the brawling starts, its soundtracked by semi-classical music. Bhairava retains this jokey-ness through the film, which is helpful when youre a magnificent fighting machine but are required to be tossed around by 81-year-old Amitabh Bachchan.

After the rebels spirit Sumati out of the Complex, Ashwatthamaancient but still very powerfulturns up to confirm that the unborn child is even more special than they realise: he will be an incarnation of demigod Karna. The film briefly becomes an amalgam of Fury Road and Children of Men, with Bhairava chasing them across the desert, determined to capture the huge bounty theyve placed on Sumathi. The first fight between him and Ashwatthama is disappointing, as are most of the combat scenes. Though Nag is working with top fight coordinators in Andy Long and Nick Powell, he cant convey clearly the physics of his universe. Its the same problem as Ayan Mukerji and Brahmastra: a director with no background in action put in charge of a monumentally expensive action film.

Nags fights arent memorable, but he does have a way with CGI imaginings. Despite the boring yellow patina of the film, the image-making is surprisingly innovative: a fortune-telling hologram parrot, a giant statue as elevator, the rough tactility of the droids and vehicles and pods, the sleek soullessness of the womens prison. Santhosh Narayanans score does a lot to flesh out these environments, from a chiming theme reminiscent of Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy to Zimmer-ian sturm und drang.

I watched the Hindi dub of Kalki 2898 AD; Id intended to see it in Telugu, but the subtitles werent working at the theatre. Either option wouldve involved a trade-off as far as dubbing is concerned, with actors from Telugu (Prabhas), Hindi (Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone), Tamil (Kamal Haasan, Pasupathy), Malayalam (Anna Ben) and Bengali cinema (Saswata Chattterjee). I doubt any version wouldve redeeemed Ashwin and Sai Madhav Burras barely functional writing or made the occasional use of Americanized English (Youre creeping her out) any less jarring.
From the onset of the pandemic to the end of 2023, about 17 million new investors had registered on Indian investment platforms, such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The inclination of Gen Z towards investments is among the key growth drivers of the Indian economy.

This generation has heard all about the 2008 financial crisis and experienced the 2020 health crisis and recessionary fears that spanned the next three years. Those in India have experienced a lot more, including high-speed UPI transition and demonetization. In short, this generation has been through an economic roller-coaster ride.

Also Read | How millennial and Gen-Z couples are driving growth in the wedding industry

Undoubtedly, their attitude towards financial management is significantly different from that of their parents. The two generations differ fundamentally because the previous generation focused on necessities and savings, whereas the new one targets wealth creation and early retirement with a topping of YOLO (you only live once).

Gen Z does not want to compromise present desires for a future that has no guarantee. So, what is their take on investing, and do they know more than their parents? Lets see.

Generation of Infobesity While parents have a considerable influence on Gen Zs financial behaviour, newer generations verify everything from the world wide web. Social media, podcasts, and tutorials are their resources for hands-on, experiential advice. These platforms have exposed them to the concepts of smart money management, ESG investment, and diversification.

However, Gen Z has access to excessive amounts of information. This information overload has made them more risk tolerant with a heavy dose of FOMO (the fear of missing out).

Also Read | 4 fixed income sources every Gen Z needs for stability

Higher risk shifts investing decisions towards high-return (which often comes with high risk) asset classes. This is in stark contrast to what their parents or grandparents would have done. In fact, Gen Zs predecessors wouldnt approve of this investing strategy.

Gen Z is Tech Savvy Being digital natives, the younger generations rely on technical tools for speculating, assessing risk, and budgeting. They invest through mobile apps, leveraging anytime, anywhere facilities. This is an extension of how they spend.

Gen Z looks up discount codes, reward points, and ways to extend offers to their near and dear ones. Newer investment opportunities with low entry barriers and innovative instruments have widened their choices.

Also Read | 5 ways Gen-Z investors can turbocharge their wealth planning

Gen Z Wants to Live Debt-Free Gen Z does not want to take on large loans and live under debt. You can find a million videos online telling them how staying in a rented house is better than paying a loan for decades to own a home, along with the extra thousands they have to shell out in the form of interest on these loans. With zero-interest BNPL facilities, this generation is accustomed to convenience, often with little or no added cost.

They know how to save for a vacation without scaling down on investments. They thrift and invest in assets that they appreciate. This again contrasts with their parents, who spent on vehicles and residential property for themselves and to give their family a better standard of living. Todays generation would buy property to rent it out.

Shift in Investing Attitudes While 54% of first-time investors in mutual funds are Gen Z, 41% of this generation invests in individual stocks. Surprisingly, the previous generations are also more inclined toward mutual funds, although they prefer indices to individual stocks. The shift is the result of online and app-based technical tools that facilitate informed decision-making. Moreover, Gen Z has lower liabilities and is focused on building wealth.

The bottom line is that Gen Z seeks information online while their predecessors consulted financial advisors to make informed decisions. So, it isnt about one generation having more knowledge; it is all about investing attitude and financial goals. Plus, Gen-Z seeks tech solutions for all its needs, which has led to the rising demand for cutting-edge platforms that ease informed investments.
NEW YORK (AP)  Competitive eater Joey Jaws Chestnut will take his hot dog-downing talents to an army base in Texas for America's Independence Day this year after a falling out with organizers of the event that made him famous, the annual 4th of July eating contest in Brooklyn's Coney Island.

Chestnut, of Indiana, will compete against soldiers in Fort Bliss, in El Paso, in a 5-minute hot dog eating contest. That's instead of the 10-minute Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, where he competed against the world's top competitive eaters since 2005 and hadnt lost since 2015. In 2021 he set the current record of 76 hot dogs, in 10 minutes.

Organizers of that event initially said he couldn't attend due to a sponsorship conflict, which Chestnut said involved a deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs.

Chestnut said he was  gutted  he couldn't compete in the event in Coney Island, where he said he loved the atmosphere and the sometimes-sweltering crowds.

Those people have been sitting in the sun, waiting. They know what to expect. And theyre not shocked. Theyre cheering and yelling and pushing me, Chestnut said Thursday in a phone interview.

But Chestnut says he's not going to sit home and do nothing. And he's hopeful the soldiers will push him to perform. Fearful of being lazy in competition with amateurs, the perennial world champion will try to out-eat four soldiers, pitting his frank-swallowing total against theirs combined. If they work together, they might even beat him.

If they (each) break ten, thatd be pretty good, Chestnut said Thursday as he fasted on water, lemon juice and liquified calories as part of his pre-competition routine.

Around 15,000 people, mostly soldiers and their families, are expected to attend the annual Pop Goes the Fort celebration at Fort Bliss. It also is to include fireworks and performances by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the 1st Armored Division Band, according to Fort Bliss Morale Welfare and Recreation organization spokesperson Marlow Brestar.

Chestnut said he'll do a practice routine Friday, then ingest oils to make sure there's a clean highway, there won't be any traffic jams" in his digestive system before heading to Fort Bliss, the sprawling desert army base that's home to the 1st Armored Division. It will be his first visit to El Paso.

Maybe Ill get to get on a tank, he said.

Fans can watch Chestnut compete on Netflix against rival Takeru Kobayashi in September.

He's hopeful that he can get back to competing on July 4th next year, either with Netflix or at the Nathans Famous contest. To head back to his cherished Coney Island event though, he'd need to make up with the event organizers, Major League Eating.

I feel bullied, he said. If Im ever going to work with them again, theyre going to have to apologize," Chestnut said.

Major League Eating says it eventually conceded the sponsorship issue, according to a statement from spokesman George Shea.
SYDNEYWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed in Australia as a free man for the first time in more than a decade, waved to supporters as he exited his airplane and then disappeared from public view. His immediate priorities: eating real food, playing with his children and going to swim in the ocean.

But people close to Assange think he will eventually return to the public spotlight, fighting for press freedom, defining his legacy and promoting human rights.

He doesnt strike me as a shrinking violet," said Andrew Wilkie, an Australian lawmaker who advocated for Assanges release from prison in London. I dont think hes finished writing the Assange story yet."

In a deal that allowed him to go free, Assange on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Espionage Act, in a U.S. courthouse on Saipan, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific. He was sentenced to the 62 months he already served in a London prison while he fought extradition to the U.S., paving the way for his return to Australia.

Assanges family said the breakthrough happened when it became clear he would be able to raise First Amendment arguments at an appeal hearing in the U.K. The U.S. also turned sympathetic to arguments made by Australia that Assanges detention had gone on too long, and it was time for legal proceedings to end and him to come home.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he first raised the matter with President President Biden at a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Madrid two years ago. A delegation of Australian politicians flew to Washington last year to advocate for Assanges release.

Quiet diplomacy was the way to go," said Arthur Sinodinos, who was Australias ambassador to the U.S. from 2020 to 2023. This was not the sort of issue to try and beat up the Americans on in public."

Assange, 52, said Australias intervention was critical to his release. Assange told Albanese in a phone call after he landed in Canberra, Australias capital, that he had saved his life, one of his lawyers said.

Assange didnt attend a press conference organized by WikiLeaks soon after his arrival on Wednesday night, or a media event on Thursday. His wife, Stella, said he needed time to heal. She said their children were so excited when they found out Assange would be coming home that they jumped on the sofa.

Assange, who said he was working as a journalist, remains a polarizing figure. To some hes a hero for exposing wrongdoing and advocating for free speech and media freedom. Others argue he endangered national security at a time of war. The U.S., in bringing the legal proceedings, disputed that Assange was a journalist.

One issue that Assange and his supporters are set to pursue in the near term is a presidential pardon. His lawyers said the case should never have been brought, but it needed to end. A pardon, his supporters argue, would help unwind the damage done by his prosecution, which they say could have a chilling effect on journalists.

But a pardon is far from certain. Assanges detention had become a sticking point between the U.S. and Australia, a close ally that has been deepening military cooperation with the U.S., and the leaders of both nations could be happy to let the matter rest now that Assange is free.

Galvanizing the global network of volunteers who had advocated for Assanges release could also be a challenge, given that many are tired from years of effort and their main goal has been achieved. And there could be opposition from both sides of the aisle in the U.S., political analysts said.

Whether to issue a pardon is ultimately a personal decision by the president. A special office within the Justice Department evaluates requests for pardons and then provides recommendations.

Whatever the outcome of that campaign, Assange will find it hard to resist the temptation to talk about the issues that he cares about, people close to him say. Stella Assange said her husband will always defend human rights and speak out against injustice. One of his lawyers said Assange had sacrificed his own freedom for freedom of the press.

Assange also appears entrenched as WikiLeakss figurehead, even if its unclear how long it will take him to recover out of the public eye. Hell be at a hideout in the Australian bush," according to Assanges brother, Gabriel Shipton.

Hell always have an outsized voice," Shipton said. There will be quite a large demand for him to speak on different issues. And Im sure he will oblige."

In some ways, Assanges development into a firebrand activist with scores of followers is at odds with a childhood where he struggled to fit in.

Assange moved around frequently during his youth, attending multiple schools. He was drawn to computers, with a lawyer once describing his computer as his only friend, and in the mid-1990s he pleaded guilty to hacking charges, according to a report published in an Australian newspaper. A young Assange, the report said, was not afraid to speak up to authority."

In 2006, he founded WikiLeaks, created as a haven for whistleblowers seeking to expose government secrets. In 2010, WikiLeaks released Collateral Murder," an edited video that showed a U.S. military helicopter in Iraq firing on a group of people who turned out to include journalists from Reuters. It provoked an international media sensation.

I was a famous teenage hacker in Australia, and Ive been reading generals emails since I was 17," Assange said at an event in 2009, court documents show.

His legal troubles accelerated soon after. Assange initially faced allegations of rape in Sweden in 2010. He sought asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London in 2012 and holed up there for years, fathering two children.

WikiLeaks published tens of thousands of classified documents, prompting U.S. prosecutors in 2019 to charge him under the U.S. espionage law. He was apprehended by U.K. law enforcement after being kicked out of the Ecuadorean embassy. The Swedish allegations were eventually dropped.

Human-rights activists and doctors were concerned about Assanges treatment in prison. A U.N. representative and his medical team visited him in May 2019 and found that he was showing all the symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture," the U.N. human-rights agency said.

In a post on X, Stella Assange said her husband suffered a stroke on the first day of a court hearing in October 2021. In the Lancet, a medical journal, a letter from doctors who supported Assange said he had been strip searched, handcuffed repeatedly and moved to multiple different holding cells. During legal proceedings, he was held in a bulletproof enclosure and unable to fully hear.

U.K. authorities denied Assange had been ill-treated in statements to media organizations.

Hes just rediscovering normal life," Stella Assange said Thursday. And he needs space to do that."

Write to Mike Cherney at mike.cherney@wsj.com
Amarnath Yatra: With devotees, Sadhus and Sadhvis eagerly waiting to commence the Amarnath Yatra, the government in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday welcomed pilgrims and shared crucial guidelines to be followed for their safe journey during the 52-day long pilgrimage.

The pilgrimage to the Amarnath Shrine located at the far end of the Lidder Valley will commence on June 29 and conclude on August 19.

The yatra to pay obeisance at the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in south Kashmir will commence from the twin tracks  the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag or the 14 km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal.

Do's for the Yatris  Collect his/her RFID Card from designated locations in J&K before embarking on the yatra.

 Mandatorily wear the RFID cards issued by SASB at all times during the yatra.

 Wear comfortable clothes during the pilgrimage.

 Yatris are advised to wear trekking shoes.

 Yatris are advised to walk slowly while ascending and take time to acclimatise themselves.

 Drink an adequate quantity of water and stay hydrated.

- Contact the nearest medical facility if experiencing shortness of breath/ discomfort, and try to descend to a lower altitude, if possible.

Don'ts for the Yatris

 No yatri is allowed to enter the Yatra area without an RFID card.

 Yatris must avoid exerting themselves beyond their capacities and take frequent breaks and rests en route.

 Yatris must avoid polluting the environment by littering waste material along the trekking route and in the surrounding areas.

 Yatris are advised not to commence the journey on an empty stomach.

 Yatris must avoid drinking alcohol, caffeinated drinks and smoking.

 Yatris should not attempt to take any shortcuts en route and watch out for danger zone signages where they must move cautiously.

Spot registration The administration began the process for on-the-spot registration of devotees on Thursday.

 For unregistered pilgrims, an on-the-spot registration center has been set up in the Shalimar area of Jammu.

 A special camp for the registration of sadhus has been set up at the Purani Mandi-based Ram temple complex.
Amid an ongoing political slugfest and blame game over a viral video that showed youngsters allegedly consuming drugs at a Pune hotel, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has initiated bulldozer action against several illegal bars and pubs in the city.

The action was taken on the directions of TMC Commissioner Saurabh Rao in various wards of the city after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered stern action to make Thane and Mira-Bhayander areas drug-free.

Also Read | Ratan Tata pens a heart-wrenching post to seek donor for a puppy in Mumbai

Just two days ago, a similar action was taken on various establishments in Pune after two youths were allegedly seen consuming drugs in the washroom of Liquid Leisure Lounge bar, which remained open in violation of the prescribed time limit.

The TMC said action was taken against pubs, bars and illegal establishments engaged in drug-related activities.

"A total of 31 paan stalls within 100 metres of schools and colleges in the Municipal Corporation jurisdiction were seized. Whereas, 8 illegal establishments were razed including hotels, pubs, bars and nine other sheds were demolished," said the TMC.

Several bars, pubs and illegal establishments were demolished in Thane.

In the Wagle Estate area, action was taken against Panchsheel Bar, Indian Taste Bar, many unauthorised pan stalls and gutkha vendors.

Secret Bar and Hookah Parlour in the Vartak Nagar Ward Committee area, as well as pubs and bars located in Kothari Compound, were razed. An unauthorised construction of Social House Pub was also demolished.

In Uthalsar, the action was initiated on unauthorised hotels and hookah parlours.

Similarly, Khushi Ladies Bar on Ghodbunder Road and Mayuri ladies bar at Ovala were razed to the ground.

Demolition of Mayuri ladies bar at Ovala in Thane.

TMC Deputy Commissioner GG Godepure said the action will continue until all the unauthorised hotels, pubs and bars in areas under the municipality's jurisdiction are completely razed.
Several Congress student wing members on Thursday entered the National Testing Agency (NTA) office building in Delhi and locked the place from inside. They were protesting the alleged rigging of several examinations, including NEET exams.

According to reports, around 100 members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) stormed the NTA office, while simultaneously, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged protests at Jantar Mantar. They raised slogans and held up placards during the demonstration.

The NEET-UG controversy erupted after as many as 67 students scored a perfect 720 in the result announced on June 4. The exam was conducted on May 5 across 4,750 centres. Around 24 lakh candidates appeared for the exam.

Following the uproar, the NTA cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 students and conducted a retest on June 23. Only 52 per cent of students appeared for the retest.

Meanwhile, with videos of trunks kept outside the NTA going viral, the National Testing Agency said they were empty boxes kept outside the hall at NTA and did not have any sensitive material inside them. Never did we keep these boxes in the open, as reported by the media. Also, we have a sufficient number of security personnel deployed at the place where boxes are kept, said NTA in a post on X.

CBI arrests two The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two people from Bihar in the NEET-UG paper leak case, making the first arrests in the case.

The accused  Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar  allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination, where they were given leaked papers and answer keys.

So far, the CBI has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.

SC issues notice to NTA over OMR sheets Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has asked the National Testing Agency (NTA) to be apprised of whether there is any time limit for raising grievances regarding the OMR sheets provided to the candidates who appeared in NEET-UG 2024.

A vacation bench of Justices Manoj Misra and SVN Bhatti tagged the petition with the pending matters and listed it for a hearing on July 8.
The government has asked Tamil Nadu to submit a "detailed report" addressing allegations that Foxconn rejected married women for jobs at its iPhone assembly facility in Chennai, Reuters reported.

In a statement, the Ministry of Labour said it was taking note of media reports about married women not being allowed to work at Foxconn India Apple iPhone plant.

Also Read | Heavy rainfall in Delhi brings relief from heat | Watch

The Govt Statement The Ministry issued a statement on June 26 citing Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 and adding that it "clearly stipulates that no discrimination be made while recruiting men and women workers".

"Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination is to be made while recruiting men and women workers. As the state government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, the report has been sought from it," it said.

Further, the office of the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner has been asked to provide a "factual report".

The report noted that Apple and Foxconn did not respond to queries, and the TN government office did not respond outside of working hours.

As per lawyers, Indian laws do not categorically disallow discrimination based on marital status while hiring, the report stated. It added that Apple and Foxconn's own policies, however, bar such practices at its facilities.

Companies Deny Discrimination Apple denied reports of such discrimination and noted that Foxconn employs some married women in India. "When concerns about hiring practices were first raised in 2022, we immediately took action and worked with our supplier to conduct monthly audits to identify issues and ensure that our high standards are upheld. All of our suppliers in India hire married women, including Foxconn," Apple said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Foxconn said in a statement it "vigorously refutes allegations of employment discrimination based on marital status, gender, religion or any other form." It added that in its latest round of hiring, almost 25 per cent of the women it hired were married, without specifying the number or where they were employed.

Speaking to PTI, sources said Foxconn has reached out to the government to clarify its stance.

"Foxconn had clarified that 25 per cent of the latest hires are married women. This would mean nearly one-third of the total women are married. This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India," one of the sources said.

The Foxconn factory currently has about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in the country with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during peak periods, they added.

According to sources, the company has stated that the media report is based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers.

Foxconn did not respond to PTI's queries on the matter.

Also Read | UK election 2024: Key issues at stake in polls as Rishi Sunak faces Keir Starmer

Details of Investigation A Reuters investigation alleged that Foxconn systematically excluded married women from jobs at its main India iPhone assembly plant.

Apple and Foxconn acknowledged lapses in hiring practices in 2022 and said they had worked to address the issues. However, all the discriminatory practices documented by Reuters at the Sriperumbudur plant near Chennai took place in 2023 and 2024, and the companies didn't address those instances.

The decision was reportedly based on the grounds that married women have more family responsibilities than their unmarried counterparts.

S Paul, a former human resources (HR) executive at Foxconn India who left the company in August 2023, told Reuters, "Risk factors increase when you hire married women. Foxconn typically doesn't hire married women because of cultural issues and societal pressures. The company's view was that there were many issues post-marriage. Among them is that women have babies after marriage."

In addition to him, 17 other employees from more than a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies in India and four current and former Foxconn HR executives backed the claim.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that the heatwave condition has abated from the country, and issued red rain alert for Coastal Karnataka for today.

The weather department said that rainfall activity is likely to increase over Northwest India from today with heavy to very heavy rainfall over the plains of northwest India during June 28 and 30.

Orange alert  The weather department has issued an orange alert for Konkan and Goa from June 27 to July 1.

 Coastal Karnataka, Saurashtra & Kutch are likely to receive isolated very heavy rainfall on June 27 and 28.

 South Interior Karnataka, Kerala & Mahe, north Coastal Andhra Pradesh and West Madhya Pradesh are likely to receive heavy rainfall on June 27.

 Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely along the West Peninsular Coast during the next 5 days.

 Isolated very heavy rainfall is very likely over East Rajasthan from June 27 to July 1.

 Uttarakhand and Odisha are likely to receive very heavy rainfall from June 27 to June 29, East Uttar Pradesh on June 28 and 29, and Bihar on June 29.

 Haryana and West Uttar Pradesh are likely to receive heavy rainfall on June 29 and 30.

 Fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning very likely over Northwest and east India during next 5 days.

Also Read | Top 5 herbal teas to enhance your immunity during monsoon

Monsoon advancement IMD said that conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Rajasthan; remaining parts of MP, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, some more parts of UP, Chandigarh and some parts of Haryana, Delhi and some more parts of Punjab.
NEET-UG paper leak case: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two people in connection with its probe into NEET-UG paper leak, making first arrests in the case.

The accused  Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar  were held in Patna, Bihar. The central agency has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.

According to PTI, quoting officials, both the accused allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination, where they were given leaked papers and answer keys.

The accused have been produced in court for further police custody.

The CBI formed special teams to investigate the case after the government decided to entrust the matter to the central agency for a comprehensive investigation amid ongoing uproar over grace marks to students and 67 students getting perfect 720 marks. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the exams, cancelled the grace marks given to 1,563 students and conducted a re-test for them on June 23. Of the 1,563 students, only 52 per cent students attempted the re-exam.

"National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET (UG) Examination on May 5, 2024, in OMR (pen and paper) mode. Certain alleged irregularities, cheating, impersonation, and malpractices have been reported. For transparency on the conduct of the examination process, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, after a review, has decided to entrust the matter to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation," the government said.

Indian Youth Congress protests Police resort to lathi charge during Indian Youth Congress' protest over the alleged rigging of the NEET UG exam and against the Agniveer Scheme at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

School principal questioned The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team on Wednesday visited a school in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh and interrogated the Oasis school staff, including the principal, Ehsanul Haque, who was also the district coordinator of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday asserted that highway agencies should not charge tolls for poor-quality roads. If you don't provide good quality service, you should not charge a toll, the BJP leader said at a global workshop on satellite-based tolling, which will be implemented over 5,000 km this financial year.

We are in a hurry to start tolling to collect user fees and protect our interest. You should collect the user fee where you provide the best quality road. If you collect toll on roads with potholes, mud, then there will be a backlash from people, the road and transport minister said as quoted by PTI.

The state-owned NHAI intends to introduce a GNSS-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system within the current FASTag framework, initially adopting a hybrid approach that will simultaneously utilize both RFID-based ETC and GNSS-based ETC.

NHAI plans to implement this system first on commercial vehicles and then on private vehicles, considering scalability and privacy concerns. The highway authority has also suggested incorporating driver behaviour analysis and backend data analysis to detect fraud.

"With GNSS, the payment modes might be converted from prepaid to postpaid. Banks and financial institutions might be able to provide faster credits based on travel plans," NHAI said.

Also Read | NHAI seeks global partners for GNSS-based toll collection system

On Tuesday, Gadkari said the construction of highways under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) could be made flexible and market-driven to ensure completion. I believe that infrastructure should be developed by the contractors.

Under HAM, the government provides around 40 per cent of the project cost and the contractor the remaining. "Why should the government always provide 40 per cent even if the contractor is willing to invest more than 60 per cent of the project? What is needed is completion, and the proposals should be market-driven," he asked.

Also Read | Govt issues new guidelines to make Indian highways safer

The implementation of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based electronic toll collection is expected to increase India's total toll collection by at least 10,000 crore, Gadkari added.

In 2023-24, India's total toll collection reached 64,809.86 crore, marking a 35 per cent increase from the previous year and exceeding government and industry estimates due to a surge in commercial traffic.
Despite knowing that they won't be able to register their marriage, and it will not be held as legal, a same-sex couple recently got married in a traditional ceremony in Gurugram.

Anju Sharma and Kavita Tappu, who have been living together for four years, said that they both find each other extremely caring.

Anju said that even her mother found Kavita well-behaved when she was working for her as a make-up artist.

Anju and Kavita are now married to each other for two months. Both of them are active on social media platforms and have shared several videos of them on Instagram.

I once invited her (Kavita) as my make-up artist for my shoot in Gurugram. She stayed with me for nearly 22 days. She was so well-behaved that even my mother liked herShe is extremely caringWe have been living together for 4 years, Anju told ANI.

Stating that she stood with her through thick and thin, Anju said, Our marriage is not legal. It is legal and acceptable abroad, but not in India. I talked to my lawyers before the wedding about how to register it, to which they advised it could not be registered and would not be accepted as per law. We could get a live-in relationship certificate.

Kavita stated that she was aware that their videos would go viral on social media, but it feels bad when people drag her family into it.

Calling Anju extremely caring, Kavita said that she was proud of her decision and very happy with her.

"She is a TV serial artist. I was a makeup artist and worked in Haryana for ten years. But now I don't work as she has assured me that she will earn, and there is no need for me to work," said Kavita.

Kavita added that it has been 2 months since their marriage. We want to adopt an orphan child in the future. We are lucky that our families were so understanding, added Kavita.

I was worried about what my neighbours started saying behind my backWe are happy with our decision, said Anju.
Heavy rainfall is likely today, June 27, in Karnataka, Goa, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange alert, the second-highest level of warning, for these regions.

These are the regions where there are chances of precipitation in the coming days:

The IMD, in a press release dated June 26, forecast the possibility of heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana on June 27, and in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala until June 28, and in Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka until June 30.

Chances of precipitation are high in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh as heavy rainfall is expected until June 30 and in Maharashtra on June 27 and June 28.

The weather department hinted at heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh until June 30. Moreover, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab must gear up for heavy rainfall expected over the next three days.

Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Assam, Meghalaya, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on June 27;Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during June 27-June 30, Bihar on June 27, June 29 and June 30; Jharkhand during June 28-June 30; Odisha on June 29; Gangetic West Bengal on June 30, the weather agency stated in its bulletin.

The IMD also forecast isolated very heavy rainfall over Odisha on June 27 and June 28; Arunachal Pradesh during June 27-June 30; Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during June 28-June 30.
(Bloomberg) -- Lundin Mining Corp. is considering a potential sale of two European zinc mines as the Canadian metals producer turns its focus to copper in Latin America, according to people familiar with the matter.

Vancouver-based Lundin is gauging interest in its Zinkgruvan mine in Sweden and Neves-Corvo mine in Portugal, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. Any divestment would help raise funds for further investments in a suite of copper assets in Chile and Argentina.

Deliberations are at an early stage and theres no certainty Lundin will proceed with a sale, the people said.

The European mines, which are Lundins oldest assets, generated about 19% of its revenue last year. Zinkgruvan, an underground mine southwest of Stockholm that has operated continuously since 1857, churned out 76,349 tons of zinc last year, according to the company. Neves-Corvo produced 108,812 tons of zinc as well as 33,823 tons of copper.

The firm is meanwhile pressing ahead on projects in South America. Its Josemaria project in Argentina, a vast copper and gold deposit in the Andes, will cost about $5 billion to build into a mine, according to Royal Bank of Canada. On Tuesday, it increased its stake in one of its Chilean copper mines, Caserones, from 51% to 70% in a $350 million deal.

The company has undergone a series of changes since the death of Swedish-Canadian founder Lukas Henrik Lundin in 2022. The firm relocated its headquarters from Toronto to Vancouver last year, prompting a wave of leadership changes, and Lundins son Jack Lundin took over as chief executive officer in December.

The company owns three already-operating copper mines in South America  two in Chile and one in Brazil.

We have a strong balance sheet today, and we are not in a position where we need to divest out of any of our assets in our portfolio, said Jack Lundin, who declined to comment directly on potential European asset sales in a Tuesday interview.

Were not required to make a sale to make our ambitions in South America a reality.

The worlds biggest mining companies are all seeking to expand in copper, in anticipation of rising prices as demand for clean power and data centers is forecast to outstrip supply in future years.

Zinc prices have similarly rallied this year on the back of constraints on mine supply, though the long-term outlook is clouded by the metals heavy exposure to the downtrodden construction sector.

Lundin has received unsolicited offers for Neves-Corvo before, including one that valued the operation at around $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
The Maharashtra legislature session commenced on Thursday, June 27, at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan amidst protests by opposition members over farmer issues and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) exam paper leak.

On the first day of the monsoon session of the state legislature, members belonging to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP), protested.

The protesting lawmakers expressed their dissent over alleged irregularities in the May 5 medical entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency.

They held placards, raised slogans and alleged that the government failed to address the issues of the masses.

The BJP-led Mahayuti government organized a press conference on June 26 ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature. The opposition alliance boycotted Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's customary tea party on the same day.

Also read: More trouble for Ajit Pawar? What Maharashtra MLC polls' secret ballot means for NCP A day before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of the State Assembly, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis charged the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi for creating fake narratives. He alleged that most paper leaks happened when Uddhav Thackeray held the post of the state's Chief Minister.

Also read: Maharashtra govt allocates  10 crore for Waqf Board, VHP says: Mahayuti will have to face wrath of Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the opposition, After getting some votes by creating fake narratives, I feel that the opposition has now got into the mindset of telling lies. We will expose this factory, which creates fake narratives, in the upcoming assembly session, reported ANI.

The Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly is being held in Mumbai and will conclude on July 12. The ruling Mahayuti alliance will present the budget in both Houses of the legislature on Friday, June 28.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG), a national-level exam for admission to medical programmes conducted by the National Testing Agency on May 5 this year, is under a cloud of suspicion following alleged malpractices. Now, the Bihar Police has collected vital evidence in the case, which could lead to further arrests and unearth the racket behind the scam linked to the NEET-UG exams, which attracted 24 lakh aspirants.

Additional Director General of Economic Offences Unit (EOU), NH Khan informed Hindustan Times that the matter was with the CBI now and all evidence collected by the Bihar Police would be handed over. He said, We also have to submit our report to the Supreme Court and that we will do in a sealed envelope with the up-to-date status of our investigation and evidence gathered thus far, HT reported.

Here's what happened A phone call from their Jharkhand counterparts alerted the Patna division of the Bihar Police. The cops were informed about a suspicious car roaming the city, possibly with links to suspected elements trying to influence the outcome of the NEET-UG examination process.

Deputy Inspector General and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Patna, Rajeev Mishra, informed Station House Officers across the city to track down the vehicle. Eventually, the police seized the car, and arrested three men holding four different admit cards of NEET aspirants, the PAN card of another applicant, and passport size photographs. The police caught hold of a junior engineer employed with the Danapur Nagar Parishad, Sikandar Prasad Yadavendu, his driver, Bittu Kumar, and the father of NEET aspirant Ayush Raj, Akhilesh Kumar.

Following the investigation, the alleged irregularities and paper leak suspicions were confirmed. The origin of the leak was traced to a Jharkhand school.

The probe led to two other suspects the son of the vice-president of the Janata Dal (United)s Khagaria unit and IT engineer from Bengaluru, Amit Anand and a contractor based out of Bihar, Nitish Kumar.

It was found that the duo demanded 30-32 lakh per candidate for leaking the exam papers. Police officer said, Yadavendu, in turn, demanded 40 lakh from each candidate so he could pocket 8 lakh, HT reported.

During the investigation, it was also revealed that the applicants were made to memorise the answers from the leaked question paper at Learn Boys Hostel and Play School in Patnas Khemnichak.

DIG Rajeev Mishra confirmed that the police search found half-burnt papers.

When police searched the place, we found a bundle of half-burnt papers. We sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory. The FSL team somehow managed to discover the booklet number. Yadavendu brought four aspirantsAyush, Anurag Kumar, Shivanandan Kumar, and Abhishek Kumar  to the centre.

An investigator said, We identified their examination centres and detained the four aspirants for the investigation, per the HT report. Later, the EOU took charge of the case and arrested five more people from Deoghar in Jharkhand.

Bihar EOU officials blamed the NTA for delaying their investigations and alleged that the question paper samples came in on June 20. EOU investigations revealed that the question papers were sent in PDF format on May 4 and traced the location to Jharkhands Hazaribagh.

The EOU official said, We traced the box and envelope in which the T3 set of the papers was dispatched from the examination centre. Preliminary investigations showed it was torn at the back, and resealed to resemble an original sheet, reported HT. He added, It seems like the two boxes were tampered with. The superintendent at the exam centre said that digital locks on both boxes could not be opened because of a technical issue, and they had to be broken open, the officer said.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is planning to set up an institute in Guwahati in collaboration with the government of Assam to conserve natural resources in the eastern Himalayas, one of the world's most biodiversity-rich regions, a top official said.

This comes after TERI, an independent, not-for-profit this February announced that it would set up a world class institute on energy transitions in Hyderabad in collaboration with the union power ministry. Setting up a second institute in Guwahati is another step in that direction.

The glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the eastern Himalayas are the source of several of Asia's great rivers and have tremendous potential for hydroelectric generation.

The plan is to create green jobs Through the institute, the plan is to create green jobs, enhance agricultural productivity, boost demand for electricity in the region, and contribute to Indias energy requirements from renewable energy sources.

The Northeast is blessed with a lot of biodiversity and tree cover. We are developing very fast, so it is important for us to ensure that that growth is sustainable, and we take care of our natural resources. There are a few initiatives that have already been taken but much more is required in the region in terms of creating awareness at all levels, right from the communities because they should be driven by job prospects, and it is not at the cost of losing or going for a bigger disaster, Vibha Dawan, director-general of TERI told Mint.

On the project status, Dhawan said, It is in the discussion stage with the government of Assam. The Institute of Himalayan Studies will undertake research on biodiversity conservation; increasing forest cover; reducing impact of climate change; climate risk assessment etc. The institute will undertake formal degree oriented training as well as bringing awareness at grassroots and MDPs for decision makers.

Also Read: Himalayan glacier loss in past 20 years equals weight of 570 million elephants

India aims for 500 GW of renewable energy installed capacity while cutting carbon emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030, production of 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen during the same period, which will be supported by 125 GW of renewable energy capacity. So far, 50 solar parks with an aggregate capacity of 37.49 GW have been approved in India.

Queries sent to the principal secretary to the government of Assam and spokesperson remained unanswered at press time.

Meanwhile, with the new minister joining in, TERI is gearing up to sign an agreement with the power ministry for setting up an Institute for Energy Transition at TERI Campus in Hyderabad.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has been scammed by a Russian impostor who he spoke to thinking it was the former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

In a video now going viral, Cameron can be seen talking to someone, supposedly Poroshenko, over video call. The two discuss in detail about the US presidential candidate Donald Trump, Labour, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Petro Poroshenko served as Ukraine's president from 2014 to 2019.

In a video published by Guido Fawkes, Cameron is heard saying that he does not think Britains approach to the Ukraine war would change under a Labour government.

He is also heard talking about a private dinner he had with Trump in April, during which he lobbied him to allow Republicans to vote in favour of US military aid for Ukraine.

Also Read | PM Modi to visit Russia in early July | All you need to know

Who were the scamsters? The call, seemingly lasting about 15 minutes, shows Cameron speaking on his mobile phone, casually dressed and outdoors. It was conducted by Russian pranksters known by the aliases "Vovan and Lexus."

The pair is renowned within Russia for having tricked numerous Western politicians throughout the years, such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Britain's former defence minister in 2022, Ben Wallace.

Vovan and Lexus have previously refuted Western claims of their association with Russian intelligence services, yet their inquiries to targets frequently align with topics pertinent to the Russian state.

Also Read | As Britain gears up for an election, no one is talking about brexit

Kremlin spreading disinformation A spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office, in a statement, said that they made public the fact that this call happened weeks ago, to do the right thing and make sure others were warned of the risk at the earliest opportunity.
Kalki 2898 AD review: Kalki 2898 AD, starring Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan, has been released in theatres nationwide. Public reviews are pouring in on social media.

I couldnt believe my eyesam I watching an Indian movie or a Hollywood blockbuster? The quality and graphics are uncompromised. In one word, congratulations to the entire team. Proud of you all, especially Nag Ashwin. Love you, man, came from one viewer.

Stellar is an understatement.Outstanding & enthralling feat from telugu cinema, came from another.

One viewer called it a masterpiece and wrote, The visuals and set up is something that has not been seen from Indian cinema, Interesting storyline. However, the screenplay is done in a mostly flat way so far. Prabhas has fun character.

I lost all faith in Prabhas after watching Adipurush and Salaar. But, this one is extremely good. It shows that the movie has a budget of 600 crore. The VFX is obviously good as they have collaborated with Hollywood, said one viewer after watching the movie.

Another viewer called it Hollywood stuff. First half. Very good stuff from NagiOne fight is little draggedOverall very impressive narration and Hollywood stuff. Surprise elements. Pre interval is of next level, the viewer added.

A viewer called it a visual feast. This sci-fi comedy brilliantly blends stunning worlds with laugh-out-loud moments. beautiful visuals are a treat for the eyes, the viewer added.

Kalki 2898 AD: Negative reviews While many find the movie outstanding, there are some who were left unimpressed.

The movie is bearable whenever Prabhas is NOT on the screen. The world building is good but it's boring first half. And Comedy falls flat! Some cringe moments too! So far very poor! Hoping to get it better in Second Half!, wrote one social media user after watching the first half.

Also Read | Kalki 2898 AD tickets priced at 2,300 in Mumbai

Watched #KALKI and honestly, it was a disaster! The plot was all over the place, and the acting by [prabhas , deepika] was cringe-worthy. How did this even get greenlit? wrote another user.
On this day: Multiple events held on this day in history continue to find mention in our history books, newspapers, and movies. The day marks the death anniversary of India's first Field Marshal, Sam Manekshaw in 2008. Years ago, first colour TV emerged by Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York on June 27, 1929. Back in 1871, yen became Japan's modern unit of currency under the New Currency Act.

First colour TV in 1929 On June 27, 1929, H. E. Ives and his colleagues at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York held the first public demonstration of colour TV. The world witnessed a bouquet of roses and an American flag as the first images on colour TV. The 50-line colour television images were transmitted with the help of a mechanical system between New York and Washington. The commercial production of colour after twenty-thirty years post the demonstration of colour TVs.

Also Read | Viral video: Pune woman in saree juggles bottles while holding baby

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw death anniversary India's first Field Marshal, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, who was fondly known as Sam Bahadur. Sam Manekshaw was the chief of the army staff of the Indian Army during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Manekshaw holds the title of being the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal. Sam Manekshaw is remembered for his bravery and camaraderie. Manekshaw's humble nature and resolute behaviour has made him popular across in the Indian Army for generations. His active military career spanned four decades, beginning with service in World War II.
A social media user has shared his interaction with a middle-aged couple at a party. The couple shared a habit they engage in for fun, not because they lack money. They revealed that they often dine at five-star restaurants in Delhi and Gurgaon, carrying a dead fly with them.

Also Read | Hyderabad man gets bugs in chicken biryani, netizens react

Midway through their meal, they discreetly place the fly in their food and then make a big scene about it. To appease them, the restaurant management usually waives the cost of that dish or sometimes the entire meal. The couple seemed proud of this trick for getting free meals and mentioned that they had done it many times.

The user, Udit Bhandari, found the practice quite disgusting. According to him, the couple revealed their tricks because after a few drinks people lose their inhibitions. Other users who reacted to the post expressed their opinions that resonated with Bhandaris.

Also Read | Karnataka health department bans use of artificial food colours in kebabs

I am glad that I haven't met anyone like them. I thought these types of people existed only in reel life not real. You should start filtering your circle and the people you meet, wrote one user.

They seem to be not tight on money. But tight on basic civic sense nd morality, posted another.

Netizens share similar stories My brother used to work in McD part-time long back. He said that many privileged folks come to McD, eat halfway and complain about bread, veggies or ordered something else. They will settle it by replacing another order or providing extra meals as a policy, wrote another.
SEOUL : North Korea said it had successfully tested technology for raining down multiple nuclear warheads at oncea top weapons goal for Kim Jong Un and an increased threat to the U.S. and its allies.

But, in an unusually pointed rebuke, South Korea denounced the self-declared achievement as a bluff.

The contradictory assessments illustrate high stakes for both Koreas: Seoul is trying to keep close tabs on its neighbors missile program as Pyongyang develops an increasingly capable nuclear threat. North Korea covets multi-warhead weapons because they are harder to defend against.

Relations between the neighboring countries have worsened in recent years, growing more militaristic and confrontational. Kim abandoned hopes of peaceful reunification in January and signed a new defense pact with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin just last week. South Korea, under conservative Yoon Suk Yeol, has tightened its military partnership with the U.S. and Japan, including new three-way drills that began Thursday.

The truth from Wednesdays fiery test isnt so readily apparent, weapons experts said. Both Koreas conceded a missile roared into the sky and then left a trail of smoke behind before crashing into the water.

In North Koreas state-media account, three separate warheads fired from an intermediate-range missile hit their unspecified targets. State media released photos of smoke trails it claims show warhead separation. But the images make it difficult to confirm the missiles flight characteristics, and North Korea has fabricated details of its weapons achievements before, the experts say.

Among the top weapons priorities that Kim detailed in a policy speech in 2021, one was possessing the ability to launch several nuclear warheads from a single missileor, in military parlance, a multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle," or MIRV. Having that would raise North Koreas threat to the U.S., since multiple warheads can be aimed at different targets at once. Pyongyang wants to add MIRV capabilities to its long-range missiles that already have a demonstrated range to strike the U.S. mainland.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff dismissed the Kim regimes assessment as deceptive and exaggerated." Seoul labeled the Monday launch as a test of hypersonic technology. Hypersonic missiles fly at high speeds and closer to the Earth than ballistic missiles, which makes them difficult to detect on radar. While the separation of warheads in a MIRV test would occur on the descent, the North Korean missile launched on Wednesday exploded in the flights initial stage, a South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman said.

A multi-warhead missile uses complex technology. North Korea has yet to demonstrate it can mount even a single warhead onto a missile that safely re-enters the atmosphere after withstanding enormous pressure and heat. The Wednesday launch was intentionally carried out within a smaller radius for safety reasons, Pyongyang said.

Some of the experts think South Korea may have erred in their assessment, identifying the intended warhead separation as an accidental explosion. The North Korean imagery of the launch isnt sufficient in quality to make a firm determination. Without elaboration, Seouls military defended its conclusion by saying it had relied on classified information and data that couldnt be shared publicly.

The MIRV system that North Korea is working on is based on old Soviet technology, but it is unlikely that Russia would transfer such key nuclear technologies despite recently vowing closer military cooperation with Pyongyang, including last week, said Yang Uk, a military expert at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

We havent seen evidence that North Koreas warheads successfully hit the targets or whether the launch was successful, but the continued investment in this technology means North Korea is advancing the capability to launch a nuclear strike on the U.S.," Yang said.

With its botched spy-satellite launches in recent years, including one last month, North Korea has come clean on its failures within hours. But Pyongyang has a record of stretching the truth about other weapons advances. In 2022, Pyongyang claimed to have fired the Hwasong-17, one of its newer intercontinental ballistic missiles. It turned out to be an older-generation Hwasong-15, and Seouls military concluded that footage released by state media was heavily edited.

Exaggeration can be a political tool to showcase a deterrent against U.S. and South Koreas military capabilities," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com
An Indian student studying at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, built his career on lies until a Reddit post exposed his fraud. Aryan Anand, 19, admitted his entire application was fake and pleaded guilty in Northampton County earlier in June.

Anand was arrested on April 30 for forgery and theft of services. Before that, Lehigh gave Anand a full scholarship from his native India. Anand enrolled, but a Reddit moderator flagged one of his posts, titled "I have built my life and career on lies."

According to Anand, the reason behind the lies was securing admission and financial aid to attend a university in the United States.

According to a news release from Stephen G. Baratta, the Northampton County District Attorney, Anand faced multiple charges: second-degree felony for forgery and tampering with records and third-degree felonies for theft by deception and theft of services. He was released on June 12 by Judge Jordan A. Knisley with a $25,000 bail.

Anand then pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, a second-degree felony in Pennsylvania. He could have faced 10 to 20 years in prison, but university officials intervened, leading to his expulsion from school and deportation to India instead.

The Reddit post detailed how Anand faked transcripts, financial statements and even a death certificate for his father. The father, however, is still alive. Northampton County Assistant D.A. Michael Weinert mentioned that the moderator might not have known whom to inform if the author hadn't made a key error.

Key error by Aryan Anand "The defendant only had one other university that he followed, which was Lehigh University. So, the moderator actually reached out to Lehigh to give them a heads up," ABC7 quoted Weinert as saying.

"It was difficult to really verify these things. I think that was great work by Lehigh and their police force. They were able to really dig deep and find all this really was false," Weinert added.
Here are some key issues at stake in the UK general election on July 4:

Will jaded voters turnout? The campaign has been largely lacklustre with the opposition Labour party that is widely predicted to win determined not to take any risks.

Opinion polls indicate that Brits are yearning for a change in government after 14 years of Conservative party rule but are still unconvinced about Labour's plans.

Indeed, Labour has repeatedly warned that it does not have a "magic wand" to change the country.

The apathy extends to both leaders, with 72 percent having an unfavourable opinion of Tory leader Rishi Sunak and 51 percent of Labour's Keir Starmer, according to a YouGov poll this month.

That has prompted questions about whether voters will turn out in large numbers spurred by the promise of change or remain at home jaded by years of chaos and no great love for party leaders.

Labour figures have made no secret of their concerns surrounding voter apathy, with dozens of seats closely contested and up for grabs.

Turnout (67.3 percent in 2019) will provide an indicator of voters' distrust of their political class, and a challenge for the next government.

Eighth time lucky for Farage? An unexpected addition to the campaign, Nigel Farage -- the Brexit figurehead who has now become the spokesperson of hard-right, anti-immigration views -- entered the race as the leader of Reform UK.

Despite a surge in the polls, UK's first-past-the-post system makes outright victory for the 60-year-old former European parliamentarian and his party unlikely.

If he succeeds at his eighth attempt to get a seat in parliament as the MP for Clacton-on-Sea in east England, Farage -- a Donald Trump ally -- will have even more visibility.

If he fails, his startup Reform party, currently polling around 19 percent, will still play a decisive role in the race between the Tories and Labour in several constituencies.

Tories swept away? Several polls suggest the party of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson will win fewer seats than the 141 it secured in 1906, in what would be the worst result since its creation in 1834.

Britain's media are already speculating about who would succeed Rishi Sunak to lead the fragmented party.

It remains to be seen how many big names will save their seats and what direction the party, which was centrist under David Cameron (2010-2015) and then drifted to the right, can take.

In the event of Reform's success, some Tories would not object to an alliance.

Weakened Scottish nationalists? Nothing seems to be going right for the Scottish National Party (SNP), which has dominated the devolved nation's politics for the last 15 years.

The surprise resignation of charismatic first minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2023 destabilised the party. Her successor Humza Yousaf only lasted a year.

The left-wing party is still the target of a probe into its finances in which Sturgeon's husband was implicated and does not have a viable strategy to deliver independence, a fight that was revived by Brexit but blocked by London.

First Minister John Swinney insists that winning in a majority of Scotland's 59 UK parliamentary constituencies would be a green light for him to launch fresh negotiations on a new referendum with the new government in London.

The SNP currently holds 43 seats. But Labour looks set to use its national momentum to reassert its dominance in Scotland. July 4 promises to be the first electoral test for the pro-independent movement's difficulties.

Return of the Lib Dems? Gliding down a waterslide, falling off a paddleboard, roasting marshmallows or building sandcastles, centrist Ed Davey has run an offbeat campaign for this election.

His stunts and policies alike have set out to carve a niche for his Liberal Democrat party while Sunak and Starmer duel, Farage returns and Labour moves back to the centre ground.

The Lib Dems' rise to around 12 percent in polls and their strong presence in southern England could win them up to 67 seats, according to one YouGov poll, up from 11 in 2019.
How many hours do you end up spending on regulatory matters?" we asked Agarwalji, a garment exporter. Around 15-20%," he said, approvals and inspections, labour audit, water, building certificate, new site formalities and so on. Every day, I spend a couple of hours going through some of these." Since this involved government officials, he couldnt delegate it; officers would insist that the owner be their single point of contact. This is not an exception, but a sad reality facing many manufacturers, specially MSMEs.

Manufacturing MSMEs are at the centre of job-led growth in India. Firms up to 10 years old account for about 30% of all formal employment. Yet, most Indian manufacturers stay small and suffer from low productivity; firms that last 40 years only increase employment by 1.4 times from where they started.

Similar firms in the US increase employment by seven times. One big factor holding MSMEs back is the burden of various local, state and central government regulations and approvals. According to a 2022 World Bank survey, senior managers in manufacturing firms, like Agarwalji, spend nearly 15% of their time dealing with government regulations.

This diverts time from business imperatives, creating a regulatory glass ceiling that discourages investment and growth. When we try to understand root causes, we see a combination of suspicion towards private enterprise and a deeply risk-averse bureaucracy. This results in rules that are too many, too complex and too process-heavy.

By some estimates, formal enterprises must navigate more than 25,000 labour-related compliance requirements. This includes a web of central and state government licences, permissions, registrations and renewals. A recent report by TeamLease RegTech found that nearly 500 compliances are required to set up and run a small automotive manufacturing unit.

The rules often focus on the wrong things, like asking for quarterly reports on raw material usage or specifying the creation of a managing committee for canteens in a factory. Other rules even dictate how often factory walls need to be repainted. While many of these are not followed, selective enforcement will not create an ecosystem conducive to growth.

Bad laws need to be reformed, not ignored. We need to foster a sense of trust between businesses and the government. The latter, on its part, needs to implement fewer and better laws. The aim should be to promote competition and growth, rather than incentivizing firms to remain small and under the radar.

States can learn from each other. In 2014, Rajasthan amended its labour laws to introduce flexibility and incentivize MSME growth. The result? Output and workers per factory grew at twice the pace than the rest of India for the next two years. Plus, common-sense practices such as clear criteria for approvals, well-defined timelines and effective grievance resolution mechanisms will help reduce arbitrariness and uncertainty in the business environment.

We must also build trust between bureaucrats and the political leadership. A 2010 survey of IAS officers found that 80% cited political interference as a reason for leaving the service. Outdated procedures were a key constraint. On the other hand, it has been observed that when bureaucrats feel confident that their decisions will not be subject to later inquiries, they work together with businesses to resolve issues.

Investigations of bureaucrats (or politicians) should be based on clear evidence of wrongdoing, and not just on the impact of their decisions on private enterprise. Any decision will have winners and losers, after all. That assurance could empower bureaucrats to administer rules without stifling businesses. Indeed, states that perform better on many metrics, like Tamil Nadu or Gujarat, typically have better relationships between their politicians and bureaucrats.

Also read: Improve R&D for exports, ease of doing business, review tariffs on Chinese goods, industry leaders tell the FM

As government regulation improves, compliance and enforcement will follow. Bureaucrats will have more resources to enforce fewer laws, while businesses will have fewer incentives to break rules. Bureaucrats and industry can work in sync. Effective grievance resolution can aid cooperation between the government and businesses. The governments role as a facilitator would then become clearer.

Economic growth and job creation are imperatives. To achieve this, entrepreneurs must be treated not with suspicion but as responsible partners in the countrys growth. The appropriate role of government is to create an environment where businesses are encouraged to do what they do best: create jobs and wealth. Fewer, simpler and clearer laws would be a step in the right direction.
Satire has long been accepted as a legitimate form of free speech, not constituting defamation. However, with the advent of deepfakes created using generative AI tools, whether content is parody or defamation is not limited to only the question of what is said, but now includes the question of whether the viewer can reasonably tell who said it.

Several public figures in India have recently been the subject of deepfakes, some of which were widely circulated on social media. While morphed images are not a new phenomenon, deepfakes created by artificial intelligence (AI) are distinguished by a much higher degree of realism.

As AIand deepfakes in particulargo mainstream across online platforms, the question of how these technologies affect our legal obligations becomes more prominent.

The Delhi high court recently examined the use of non-consensual deepfakes in the matter of Anil Kapoor vs Simply Life India & Others. The Hindi film actor Anil Kapoor had approached the Delhi high court against the misuse of his image, name, voice and persona without his consent.

The Delhi high court observed that tools like AI have made it possible for unauthorized users to use the visual and audio data of any person to create deepfakes. The court held that Anil Kapoors likeness, image, persona, etc, all deserve to be protected under intellectual property law, and therefore users cannot create deepfakes without consent for their own commercial purposes.

The court also observed that the legal protection accorded to free-speech referring to public figures includes satire within its ambit, but does not include speech that jeopardizes the individuals personality" or attributes associated with (them)"

Television journalist Rajat Sharma has also approached the Delhi high court seeking broad orders on deepfakes, including directions for access to be blocked to software applications that enable their creation. The Delhi high court will consider this case further in July 2024.

Satire versus defamation in the world of deepfakes: While the Delhi high courts decision in the Anil Kapoor case does provide a Lakshman Rekha, or red line on what is acceptable, the question of how deepfakes interact with the law of defamation remains open.

Defamation, under civil law, has two aspects: first, the publication of content in any medium, and second, the content that is thus placed in the public domain is found to lower the reputation of its subject.

One line of defence against defamation is that it qualifies as fair comment, which typically includes forms of satire, parody or mimicry, depending on the specific statements made and context in which the content is published. The same standards cannot be directly applied to deepfakes.

In the case of satirical drawings and depictions in film or text of an individual, a fair-minded viewer or reader is aware that the content in question did not actually originate from the subject of the satire. However, recent research suggests even fair-minded people may have difficulty determining whether statements or actions are attributable to the subject of a deepfake.

However, if a deepfake creates the illusion that its subject has said or done something that would harm the persons reputation, it would arguably no longer qualify as an opinion or satire. Defamation may arise not only from the content of such a deepfake, but also from the mis-attribution of words and actions to the person depicted.

Celebrities famous for promoting a healthy lifestyle or green causes could have their reputation harmed by deepfakes that depict them discussing a love for junk-food or flying on a private jet. These situations appear to fall outside the ambit of protected satire, recognized by the Delhi High Court in the Anil Kapoor case.

Balanced use of deepfakes for the creation of satire: While several jurisdictions, including India, see a legitimate public interest in satire, the obvious signs that usually lead an audience to conclude that the content theyre consuming is satirical are likely to be missing in hyper-realistic deepfakes. The use of disclaimers on deepfakes can mitigate the risk that a viewer will be misled into taking the content as genuine.

The EU now requires AI-generated content, including deepfakes, to be labelled as such. A similar measure is included in advisories issued by Indias ministry of electronics and information technology on 1 March and 15 March 2024.

Indian courts have held that even where content does not, from its context, appear to be defamatory, a disclaimer indicating that the content is satire may usefully safeguard the rights of all parties.

As deepfakes become increasingly likely to pass for genuine portrayals, content that is meant to parody rather than deceive may still be defamatory. Clear warnings that such satirical content is generated using AI, and that it does not actually seek to depict real events, could help manage viewer expectations and reduce the likelihood of unintended defamation charges and their penal consequences.

Hardik Malik, associate at Khaitan & Co, contributed to this article.
Perhaps the most intractable economic problem facing Indian policymakers today is how to translate Indias high GDP growth into high employment growth. One clear message from the reduced BJP share of seats in Parliament, especially its reduced share from Uttar Pradesh, is voter frustration with the lack of opportunities for proper employment and decent livelihoods.

Yet, curiously, the dominant policy debates are all about maximizing GDP growth, with little attention paid to accelerating employment growth. Our economic strategy lens needs to change, focusing on employment growth alongside GDP growth.

In the early years of planned development, the emphasis was on heavy industries producing capital goods. Consumer goods industries were given short shrift. Later, when the consequences of neglecting agriculture caught up with us during the food crisis of the mid-1960s, attention shifted to agriculture and the Green Revolution.

After the foreign-exchange crisis of 1991, attention shifted again, this time to structural adjustment reforms, mainly in industry and trade policy, as well as fiscal policy. But all these shifts in policy were driven by concerns about growth of output, never by the need to optimize employment growth.

The implicit assumption was that if output growth was high, high employment growth would follow. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

If we can now shift our focus from output growth alone to optimizing growth of output and employment, looking at the comparative advantage of sectors through this bi-focal lens, the relative importance of sectors would look very different.

It is in this context that I will make a pitch in this column for tourism and allied activities. This sector has never been considered to have much economic significance, but in fact it has enormous potential that remains mostly unexploited.

India is the fifth largest economy in the world, expected to soon become the third largest. However, it is ranked 39th in the latest World Economic Forum global tourism ranking, with a share of only 1.6% in global tourism income. The share of tourism in the economy is a negligible 0.9%, down from 2.7% in 2019-20; tourism was one of the worst affected sectors in the pandemic.

Also read: India slips 10 spots since 2019 on WEFs travel & tourism ranking despite growth

However, it is a very employment-intensive sector. The 2022-23 Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) indicates that its share in employment is 5.5%: i.e., more than five times its share in GDP. Also, tourism has strong linkages with allied sectors in terms of both output and employment.

Thus, compared to its 0.9% direct share of GDP, the combined direct and indirect share is 1.8%. Similarly, its direct plus indirect share in total employment, estimated at 76 million persons, is 12.6%, well above its direct share of 5.5% (PLFS 2022-23).

This is the core of the sectors potential significance. If the direct GDP share of tourism could be restored to its pre-pandemic level of 2.7% of GDP in, say, the next 3 years, then the total share of tourism plus allied activities would be back up to 5.4% The volume of direct plus indirect employment of the sector would then go up 95 million.

If that direct GDP share could be further raised to 5.4%, double the pre-pandemic level, in another three years, then by the end of this decade, the tourism sector could be providing total employment of 195 million. These are not small numbers. Yet, such goals are achievable.

To address the scepticism in policy circles about the possible role of tourism in optimizing both GDP and employment growth, it is useful to look around the world at what it has contributed elsewhere. This column has been inspired by what I am seeing in our sojourn through southeastern Europe, how these countries have leveraged their historical legacies and natural features to maximize tourism revenue and employment.

To take just one example, in a small country of less than 4 million persons like Croatia, which has reached a per capita income level of $23,000, the services sector accounts for as much as 61% of its GDP while tourism alone accounts for 20%, higher than the share of all industry.

This is despite its limited tourism asset, a large Adriatic coastline, which is no comparison for Indias vast coastline, the Himalayas and southern hills, apart from its many game parks, cultural assets, heritage sites and innumerable sites for religious tourism.

Sceptics may still dismiss the potential of the sector in India, arguing that its role in a small country like Croatia is of little relevance to India. However, in China, the manufacturing hub of the world and an economy about five times the size of Indias, tourism contributes 11% of its GDP today, as it did before the pandemic.

So the real reason for the unimportance of tourism in India is neither its size nor lack of potential. Instead, it is a policy failure from the beginning to recognize the potential of the sector in helping optimize both GDP and employment and also earn scarce foreign exchange.

But taking tourism seriously will require not only a whole mindset change among policymakers, but also resources and incentives to put a suitable tourism ecosystem in place, from travel options to hotels to efficient high-quality services at tourism sites.

Also read: How to get more tourists to Incredible India

Hopefully, in her forthcoming budget, Indias finance minister will make a break with the past and provide adequate resources as well as incentives to accelerate the growth of this sector. The payoff in terms of output and employment growth as well as extra forex earnings would be well worth the initiative.
New Delhi: The Union government is considering setting up a fund to support exports by small businesses. A proposal for the fund may be placed in the upcoming Union budget by the finance ministry, two people aware of the development said, adding that the fund may have a corpus of around 5,000 crore.

The fund is likely to focus on first-time exporters with an annual turnover of less than 25 crore, one of the two people mentioned above said on condition of anonymity.

MSMEs and, more so, efforts to boost their export potential are expected to get a major push in the upcoming budget, the second person said.

The fund would be used to set up export facilitation centres at district level to help small businesses gauge potential markets and explore opportunities.

It would also be used to develop export capacity of first-time exporters at district level by imparting necessary skills to compete in international markets in both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) areas.

Queries sent to the ministries of MSME and commerce remained unanswered till press time.

Boosting small businesses Further, the first person cited earlier added that the fund would boost the ODOP (one district one product) scheme, which was launched in 2018 to provide a framework to develop the value chain and align support infrastructure for production of district-specific products. So far, under this initiative, the Centre has identified 1,102 products from 761 districts.

Several schemes are already in place to support MSME exports. For instance, the Centre runs the Marketing Assistance and Export Promotion scheme that provides training to the workforce of these smaller businesses on marketing, packaging for export products, and also gives out awards for quality products.

Currently, MSMEs contribute about 45% to the country's total exports, according to a Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report. However, experts believe there is immense scope to increase this share further.

A report jointly published by Niti Aayog and Foundation for Economic Development in March this year noted that exports remain an under-utilized opportunity for MSMEs, even as they are called the powerhouse of the Indian economy and contribute significantly to employment generation, exports, and overall economic growth.

Citing data from the Udyam portal, the NITI Aayog report said that despite the opportunity for MSMEs to pursue exports, only 0.95% of MSMEs are engaged in it. Out of the 15.8 million MSMEs registered on Udyam, only over 150,000 units claimed to export their goods and services.

In terms of MSME exports through the e-commerce route, data from GTRI showed that India significantly lags a comparable economy like China. GTRI data showed that in 2022, MSMEs in China exported goods worth over $200 billion through e-commerce platforms, while India's e-commerce export is barely $2 billion that year.

Rahul Ahluwalia, co-founder of Foundation For Economic Development, noted that one of the key support that MSMEs require is simpler export processes, including a green channel for e-commerce, simpler compliances, and fewer restrictions around export payments.

Targeting particular firms will require government to decide which firm is 'worthy'...which is very tricky. Broad reforms that make MSMEs lives easier in tangible ways are much better, he said.

Why MSMEs are being eyed Presenting the interim budget for FY25 on 1 February, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the government aims to make small businesses globally competitive.

It is an important policy priority for our government to ensure timely and adequate finances, relevant technologies and appropriate training for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to grow and also compete globally," she had said. "Orienting the regulatory environment to facilitate their growth will be an important element of this policy mix.

The focus on MSME exports has gained momentum at a time when India's merchandise exports dipped 3.11% year-on-year (y-o-y) in FY24 to $437.06 billion, according to data from the commerce ministry.

In May, India's merchandise trade deficit widened to a seven-month high, largely due to a surge in imports. That month, exports grew 9.1% y-o-y to $38.13 billion, while imports grew 7.7% y-o-y to $61.91 billion. The deficit in May stood at $23.78 billion, up 5.5% y-o-y and up 24.5% from April.
After the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rejected the Opposition's demand for the Deputy Speaker's post in exchange for their support of the NDA's Speaker candidate, the NDA's nominee, Om Birla, was elected as the Speaker by a voice vote on Wednesday.

"We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their Speaker (candidate), but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker will be given to opposition...," Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said on June 25.

Now, all eyes are on the post of Deputy Speaker, which the Opposition has been vying for since the beginning. The Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's post has been lying vacant since 2019.

Why the Opposition wants Deputy Speaker post? Most opposition leaders cited a "parliamentary tradition" to claim the Deputy Speaker's post. "The tradition has been that if the Speaker is appointed from the ruling party, then the deputy speaker is from the opposition...," Congress leader Sachin Pilot was quoted by PTI as saying.

Congress MP KL Sharma said it is the tradition of a healthy democracy to give the Deputy Speaker post to the Opposition.

Also Read | Who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha? The answer lies in numbers

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari backed the argument, saying, "...As far as the election is concerned, when the Parliamentary traditions were disregarded, we registered our protest in a democratic manner."

Even AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi hoped that the NDA government would "reduce" the burden of newly-elected Speaker Om Birla by having a Deputy Speaker.

How BJP reacted to Opposition's demand for Deputy Speaker post? Union Minister and BJP leader Pralhad Joshi said the NDA was ready to have a discussion about the Deputy Speaker's post when the time to elect a person for the post arrived, but it was not right to put a precondition.

Was the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha always from the Opposition? There was no Deputy Speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha. In 2014, AIADMK's M Thambidurai was appointed as the Deputy Speaker. The AIADMK was then an ally of the NDA.

Congress leader K Suresh said, They [BJP] denied [the post to] us in the last two terms of the Lok Sabha, saying that you are not the recognised Opposition. Now, we are recognised as the Opposition. Deputy Speaker post is our right, but they are not ready to give us.

In the last two Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019, the BJP emerged as the largest party, comfortably crossing the half-way in the Lok Sabha. The Congress had then received less than one-tenth of the total seats in the Lower House (543). In the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the BJP fell short of around 30 seats to attain the majority mark.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the Deputy Speaker was an Opposition MP during the tenure of Dr Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and PV Narasimha Rao as PMs.

Who is a Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha? The members of the Lok Sabha elect the Deputy Speaker. In the Speaker's absence, the Deputy Speaker presides over the House's deliberations. The Deputy Speaker in India was known as Deputy President till 1947.

Also Read | Will Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker be from INDIA bloc? 5 points

Why is Deputy Speaker's post important? A look at the role of the Deputy Speake of Lok Sabha:

1. In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker as the Speaker. As per a document shared by the government, the House sits for nearly seven months in a year and each sitting lasts for about seven hours at present. This makes it difficult for the Speaker to be present in the House throughout such long sittings.

"Every now and then, when he has to attend to his other duties, he has to vacate the Chair, and in his absence it is usually the Deputy Speaker who presides over the deliberations of the House. Further, the Deputy Speaker is required to perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker, whenever that Office is vacant," the document reads.

2. The Deputy Speaker has the same powers as the Speaker when presiding over a sitting of the House. He/she is not subordinate to the Speaker, but holds an independent position. He/she is answerable to the House alone.

3. If the Deputy Speaker is a member of a Parliamentary Committee, he/she is appointed as the Chairman of that Committee, explains the 2012 booklet in the Indian Parliament.

4. A Deputy Speaker, unlike the Speaker, can speak in the House, take part in its deliberations and vote as a member on any question before the House. He, however, can do so only when the Speaker is presiding. "When he is himself in the Chair, the Deputy Speaker cannot vote except in the event of equality of votes," the document says.

5. The Deputy Speaker occupies the 10th place in the order of precedence along with the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Ministers of State of Union and members of the Planning Commission.

How is Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha elected? The procedure for choosing the Deputy Speaker is the same as the Speaker, except that the Speaker fixes the date for the election of the Deputy Speaker. The election of Deputy Speaker is governed by provisions of Article 93.

Also Read | How is Lok Sabha Speaker Elected? Explained in 5 points

Members are informed of the date of election through the Bulletin. The form of motion for choosing the Deputy Speaker is the same as for selecting the Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker holds office from the date of his election till the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. He is eligible for re-election.

Is election of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha mandatory? Article 93 of the Constitution of India states, "The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be."
Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray had a "chance encounter" with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the two top political leaders of the state awaited a lift at Vidhan Bhawan on Thursday.

A video clip showing the political friends-turned-foes, Thackeray and Fadnavis, engaging in a brief conversation went viral on Thursday. The incident took place on the first day of the state legislature's monsoon session.

When asked about the conversation with Fadnavis, Thackeray said at a press conference, "People must have thought of the song, 'na na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe' (I fell in love with you despite denials). But no such thing will happen."

"Lifts dont have ears, so it is a good suggestion to have more such meetings in lifts," the former chief minister added on a lighter note while speaking to reporters in Marathi on Thursday.

According to news agency PTI, Thackeray said that nothing else was to be inferred from the lift encounter as it was an unexpected meeting".

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Pravin Darekar, who was also in the lift, said, When the lift doors opened, Fadnavis walked towards the side of the ruling party offices and Uddhav ji walked to the opposition party offices. This means he (Uddhav) has no intention of joining the ruling benches.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said the meeting between Thackeray and Fadnavis showed that there can be political differences but no animosity.

The current monsoon session of the state legislature is the last one before Maharashtra goes to the assembly polls in four months.

Also Read | Dry day in Mumbai: Liquor shops closed due to Maha Legislative Council polling

There are reports that the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is planning to present a please-all budget ahead of the polls.

There is speculation that Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, is set to table a populist budget after the Mahayuti alliance's drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

In the last Maharashtra Assembly elections, the ruling alliance won 17 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats, while the opposition MVA  comprising the Congress, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (UBT)  bagged 30.
President Droupadi Murmu's speech to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday sparked divisions between the Opposition and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While the NDA and BJP leaders praised the address, the opposition leaders criticised it, saying, There was nothing new in the address.

Here's how Opposition leaders reacted to President's address AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said there was no mention of minorities, unemployment or the NEET exam row in the President's address. There was nothing new in the address. It was like an old wine in a new bottle, he said. Owaisi added, There are paper leaks everywhere. They are playing with the lives of 25 lakh youth and their families.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor objected to the President mentioning the 1975 Emergency in her speech. There was no logic of talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years.

Shashi Tharoor said Murmu should have spoken about today's issues. We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemployment. The word Manipur did not come out from President Murmu or PM Modi. Issues like the India-China border should have been taken up in the address, he said.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav reacted to the President's joint address to both Houses of Parliament, saying that it is a tradition and the speech, in reality, represents the government's views. This is the tradition, and it happens every time. We listen to the President. That is actually the speech of the Government, Akhilesh Yadav was quoted by ANI.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said this is no longer a Presidential address. This has been the Modi address since 10 years, he said. Even after 50 years, they are talking about an Emergency, there has been an Emergency in this country for 10 years, remove that, Raut said.

NDA leaders defend President's speech BJP MP Trivendra Singh Rawat attacked the Opposition, saying its leaders are saying the old things that they had mugged up. He said the President's Address clearly reflects the government's future plansthe blueprint and roadmap of the country's development.

LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said the Opposition's work is to say something or the other all the time. I believe that the President told us in a concise manner what the NDA government has done for the country and what they want to do for the country in future. She gave information about every scheme, first-time MPs were able to learn a lot from her speeches, she added.
Did the government-run television channel give the Opposition unfair coverage during the President's address in Parliament? The Congress crunched some numbers to highlight "who was shown how many times in the 51-minute President's address". The party alleged a stark difference between the coverage given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

It shared an analysis to support the claim that the cameraman covering the address for Sansad TV was biased towards the Opposition.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister and Leader of the House Narendra Modi was shown 73 times on TV, while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was shown six times  12 times less than PM Modi.

He further alleged that the government was shown 108 times and the Opposition was shown only 18 times. "Sansad TV is for showing the proceedings of the House, not for the narcissism of cameramen," Ramesh posted on X on Thursday.

Sansad TV "is the Parliamentary channel of India". The government television channel was created in 2021 by merging Lok Sabha Television and Rajya Sabha Television. The channel broadcasts the proceedings of the two Houses of Parliament and other public affairs programming.

President's address President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday. It was her first address after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.

In her speech, Murmu said the government is working towards creating an enabling environment for the youth of this country to dream big and realise those dreams. She said it is the continuous endeavour of the government to provide right opportunities to the youth of the country to demonstrate their talent.

"By providing encouragement to youth and their startups, the government has been able to lay down a strong foundation for a self-reliant defence sector...In the past, the youth had to run from pillar to post in order to get their certificates attested. Now their self-attestation is sufficient," she said.

She said the central government is reviving the country's cultural heritage and glory along with making efforts to build the future for the nation, taking pride in both 'vikas' and 'virasat'.

"My government, along with making efforts to build a future, is also reviving the country's cultural heritage and glory. Recently, the new grand Nalanda University campus that was inaugurated has added a new chapter to this," she said.

President Murmu highlighted various accomplishments of the country in the past few years. Referring to the landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the moon's south pole, she said, as a country, "we should take pride in this" and added that India is on its way to becoming the world's third-largest economy.
President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday for the first time after the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Here are the top ten quotes:

1. The President said people are aware that only this government can fulfil their aspirations. In the upcoming sessions, this government will present the first budget of this term. The Union Budget will be a futuristic document, and reforms will be fast-tracked. This budget will effectively document the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget."

2. Speaking on the NEET UG exam paper leak, President Murmu noted that cases of paper leaks and irregularities in exams are being probed at a high level. There is a need to rise above partisan politics. Sanctity and transparency must be in government recruitments and examinations.

3. Divisive forces conspiring to weaken democracy create a chasm in society from within and outside the country. Every attempt to tarnish our democracy should be condemned by all, she noted. President further spoke on the Emergency, saying, Emergency was the biggest and darkest chapter of a direct attack on Constitution.

4. My government has provided 3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of my government's new term, more than 20,000 crores has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also rapidly increased the MSP for Kharif crops. Today, India is changing its agriculture system considering its current needs.

5. The president further lauded the world's rapidly increasing demand for organic products. She said, Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand. Therefore, the government is integrating the supply chain of natural farming and related products...On India's initiative, the whole world celebrated International Millet Day in the year 2023. You have seen that the whole world has recently celebrated International Yoga Day.

6. President Murmu said that the reform process in the Armed Forces should continue to keep it combat-ready. She further noted that the government is working to increase coverage of accident and life insurance by using Digital India and the postal network, adding, The strength of banks enables them to expand their credit base and contribute to the economic growth of the nation.

7. The government has started granting citizenship to refugees under CAA law; wish for a better future for such persons, said President Murmu. She said, Women demanding more participation in Lok Sabha and assemblies are empowered by women's reservation law.

8. Our goal is to ensure that no one remains untouched by government schemes, the President said. For the development of the northeast, my government has increased the (budget) allocation by over 4 times in the last 10 years. The government is working to make this region a Strategic Gateway under the Act East Policy. All kinds of connectivity are being extended to the northeast...My Government is working continuously to bring peace to the northeast. In the last 10 years, several old issues have been resolved, several agreements have been made, and phase-wise repealing of AFSPA is underway in areas with unrest after making rapid progress there.

9. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to three days' CBI remand by the Rouse Avenue Court in the Delhi Excise Policy case. AAP leader Sandeep Pathak emphasized the supreme authority of the President and the Constitution, highlighting that it is crucial to speak out against any form of dictatorship carried out under the guise of justice.

10. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, I express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar for withdrawing my suspension. Today the proceedings of the House will also begin in Rajya Sabha and President Droupadi Murmu is inaugurating the session. We will definitely boycott the President's address because this is not the President's own statement, rather she reads the government's statement. She reads the written speeches of the government. So that is why we will boycott the President's address.
Will astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who are spending overtime on Boeing's Starliner capsule, ever return from space?

Earlier this week, Reuters cited sources as saying that Starliner's latest targeted return date is July 6. This would mean that the mission, originally planned for eight days, would last a month.

The current situation on Boeing's Starliner brings back the memory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) successful failure mission that stunned everyone 54 years ago.

Marred by an explosion on a spacecraft, three astronauts were left "swinging around the moon", over 2,05,000 miles away from Earth. The year was 1970, the mission was Apollo 13 and the US' third attempt to land on the Moon, near the crater Fra Mauro, had turned into a survival challenge for the crew.

Houston, Weve Had a Problem  the phrase that has now become famous was radioed from Apollo 13 to Mission Control upon a catastrophic explosion that dramatically changed the mission. Three things were "absolutely necessary" for the survival  team work, good leadership and initiative to think out of the box.

How is Apollo 13 similar to Boeing's Starliner capsule? The situation of US astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, may not be the same, or as dire as that of the Apollo 13 crew. However, technical glitches on the spacecraft and the following mid-mission fixes may offer similarities between the two NASA missions.

Since its June 5 liftoff, the Boeing capsule has had five helium leaks, five maneuvering thrusters go dead and a slow-moving propellant valve that signalled unfixed past issues, Reuters reported.

This prompted the crew in space and mission managers in Houston to spend more time than expected pursuing fixes mid-mission. NASA officials were quoted as saying that they want to better understand the cause of the thruster failures, valve issue and helium leaks before Starliner begins its return.

Now, here's a throwback to the Apollo 13 mission and the story behind the incredible journey of its crew, who raced against the time and space to return to Earth after a failed moon-landing attempt.

Meet the Apollo 13 heroes Before delving into Apollo 13's incredible journey back to Earth, meet the heroes behind the safe landing of the three-membered crew. The three astronauts who battled for their life in space were Jim Lovell (Hanks), Fred Haise (Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Bacon).

Commander Jim Lovell and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise were scheduled to land on the Moon in the lunar module Aquarius on April 15 and explore the Fra Mauro region for 33 hours. Command Module Pilot Swigert was supposed to remain in lunar orbit in the command module Odyssey. The crew would have returned to Earth on April 21.



But their journey was cut short by four days after an explosion rocked the spacecraft and put their life at risk. The ground crew at Mission Control, along with astronaut Ken Mattingly (Sinise) and flight director Gene Kranz (Harris), raced against time to bring the astronauts back home.

The crew members of the Apollo 13 mission: Exiting the helicopter from left to right are Fred Haise, James Lovell and John Swigert.

Also Read | NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore stuck in orbit

'Plagued by bad luck from the very beginning' Days before the Apollo 13 mission launched, the crew was exposed to German measles. According to NASA, backup lunar module pilot Charles Duke exposed the crew to measles.

"Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly had no immunity to measles and was replaced by backup command module pilot, John Jack Swigert," the US space agency said.

Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell said in an interview that the mission was "plagued by bad omens and bad luck from the very beginning".

Jim Lovell (left), Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise pose for their official portrait.

A loud bang John Jack Swigert, Fred Haise and James Lovell felt a "little vibration" just 5-1/2 minutes after the Apollo mission launched into the space, NASA reported.

Two days into the journey, the crew made a live TV broadcast from space, soon after which mission control asked Swigert to "flip a switch to perform a routine stir of the spacecraft's oxygen tanks".

Nine minutes later, the spacecraft was rocked by an explosion, causing first Swigert and then Lovell to report back to Earth  "Houston, we've had a problem." The blast sounded like when "you take a coke can and squeeze it".

"We heard this loud bang, which kind of reverberated with a little echo because the vehicles we were in were metal vehicles. It was kind of...you in a big barrel and hit on the side with a sledgehammer kind of sound. In the tunnel area, some of the metals were actually crinkling  kind a like you take a coke can and squeeze it," an astronaut explained.

What caused explosion? 'It was a bomb waiting to go off' The explosion was caused by an oxygen tank that had blown up, causing the second oxygen tank to also fail. The oxygen tank that exploded appeared to be completely empty, and there were indications that the oxygen in the second tank was rapidly depleting. The explosion blew the entire side of the spacecraft off.

It was later revealed that the explosion had occurred on the tank which already damaged. The crew was unaware that the spacecraft had been damaged even before it blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970.

Jim Lovell explained what had exactly happened.

"Years before the flight, when the spacecraft was being built, a damaged liquid oxygen tank was installed in the spacecraft. The tank had been dropped on the factory floor. A little piece of the plumbing had prevented the normal procedure for removing oxygen after a routine test prior to the flight," he said.

"And then, on the day before the flight, we filled up the tank again with liquid oxygen, and it was a bomb waiting to go off," Lovell said.

That bomb exploded on April 13, 1970  200,000 miles from Earth.

3 men lost in the space: No sleep, water and light The electrical system in the command module was dying. "The command modules normal supply of electricity, light and water was lost, and they were about 200,000 miles from Earth," NASA said.

The trip was marked by discomfort beyond the lack of food and water. "Sleep was almost impossible because of the cold" as the temperatures dropped to 3 degree Celsius. Moreover, carbon dioxide became a problem with every exhale.

The warning lights also indicated the loss of two of three fuel cells, which were the spacecrafts prime source of electricity. The oxygen supply was needed to run the fuel cells.

"Now, in the process of powering down the Command Module, which has less than 15 minutes remaining of electrical power," an astronaut was heard saying in a radio message.

Escape plan: The crucial 15 minutes The lunar module, which was supposed to land on the Moon's surface, became the crew's lifeboat. The three astronauts moved to the Lunar Module for most of the return flight.

Lovell said the first goal at that time was to transfer "the guidance system" from the command module to the lunar module (which was now carrying the crew back to the earth).

"We have about only 15 minutes to do that," Lovell said. "We were in the lunar module before the round realized it," he added.

As they flew towards the Moon, the next step was calculating a return home. For this, five trajectories or paths were carved out to help the crew return to Earth.

Gene Kranz, Apollo 13 lead Flight Director, said it was clear by that time that the spacecraft won't land but go around the Moon.

To deal with the rising carbon dioxide levels, Mission Control devised a way to use canisters in the command module by placing them in the lunar module. They using plastic bag cardboard and tape.

To conserve electricity, the crew shut down most systems. This caused a lot of heat, making sleep impossible in the freezing cold environment. Water condensed inside the spacecraft.

How to get the crew home? The team was now left with a "dead service module [damaged during explosion], a command module that had no power to it and a lunar module that was a wonderful vehicle" but didn't have a heat shield. This was the reason the team decided to abandon the lander module upon entry into the Earth.

Before the explosion, Apollo 13's lander module (carrying the crew) was on the path that would enable it to land on the Moon, taking "it out of a free-return-to-Earth trajectory".

This meant that the crew was no longer in the path that would allow them to be "swung around the Moon" and come back towards aligning to the landing spot on the Earth.

So, now, the task was to get it back on a free-return course.

Three hours after the explosion, the crew used the Lunar Module's descent engine to modify their course to a "free-return trajectory" around the Moon -- meaning lunar gravity would slingshot them back to Earth.

This looped Apollo 13 around the Moon, using its gravity to aim the spacecraft back towards Earth.

Good to be back! Soon, a coarse correction pointed the crew towards a safe return to earth.

Four hours before landing, the crew shed the service module. The mission control had insisted on retaining it until then because everyone feared what the cold of space might do to the un-sheltered Command Module heat shield.

The crew finally saw the damage from the explosionthe service module. They prepared for re-entry and jettisoned the Lunar module.

Unsteady shot of Service Module: WATCH

Three hours later, the crew left the lunar module Aquarius and then splashed down gently in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.

On April 17, 1970, Apollo 13 re-entered the earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean safely. The Apollo 13 spacecraft hovered in the space for exact "five days, 22 hours, 54 minutes, 41 seconds".

The journey back to earth was not that easy Originally designed to support two astronauts for two days on the lunar surface, the lander module had to keep three men alive for about four days.

"Water lines froze. The crew ate little and slept even less...Power consumption was carefully controlled," the Planetary Society explained.

Besides, the team "really threw away the book". An official had said back then, "We had never powered down the command module in space and had never re-reactivated one.

Upon their return, Lovell, Swigert, and Haise had lost 14, 11, and 6.5 pounds, respectively, over the six-day mission.
Samsung is generating significant buzz with the pre-reservation initiative for its highly awaited Galaxy Z series smartphones, part of the forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for July 10, 2024, in Paris. This event is expected to showcase groundbreaking innovations, emphasizing the integration of advanced AI into Samsung's latest devices.

The pre-reservation scheme, which kicked off recently, allows enthusiasts to secure early access to the new Galaxy Z series by making a token payment of 2000. This initiative is available through multiple channels, including Samsung's official website, exclusive stores, major online retailers like Amazon.in and Flipkart.com, as well as various leading retail outlets across India. Those who opt to pre-reserve are set to enjoy exclusive benefits worth up to 7000 upon completing their purchase.

In addition to the smartphones, Samsung is also offering a similar pre-reservation deal for its upcoming Galaxy ecosystem products. By paying 1999, customers can unlock benefits worth up to 6499, making this an attractive offer for tech enthusiasts looking to upgrade their entire suite of devices.

The highlight of the event will undoubtedly be the unveiling of the next generation of foldable smartphones: the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. These models are expected to showcase significant advancements, including enhanced AI capabilities and a more refined design.

According to a report by Smartprix, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be available in three storage configurations in the US: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, with prices set at $1899.99, $2019.99, and $2259.99, respectively. This marks a $100 increase across all variants compared to last years models, likely reflecting the advanced features and design improvements.

The new foldable smartphones are likely to be offered in three colors: Navy, Silver Shadow, and Pink, and will be lighter than their predecessors, weighing 239 grams compared to the previous 253 grams. This reduction in weight is part of Samsung's efforts to enhance user experience and portability.

Besides the foldable phones, Samsung is expected to introduce new designs and upgrades for its wearable technology, including the Galaxy Buds 3 series and the all-new Galaxy Ring. These devices will likely feature seamless integration with the Galaxy AI, promising users a more interconnected and intelligent ecosystem.

As the anticipation builds, Samsung has announced that it will release teasers, trailers, and updates leading up to the Galaxy Unpacked event. This will provide eager fans with glimpses of what to expect, further fueling excitement for the official announcements on July 10.

Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world  Click here to know more.

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As the global economy faces many problems, Chinas economic performance has become increasingly crucial. Participants at the 15th Summer Davos unequivocally acknowledged Chinas leading role in the clean technology industry, artificial intelligence (AI), and the larger economy. With major investments and achievements in these industries, China is positioning itself as a crucial actor in global economic dynamics.

Leading the Charge in Clean Technology

Chinas technological advancement and manufacturing capabilities have placed the country at the forefront of the fight against climate change. At the Summer Davos, attendees highlighted Chinas ability to lead in sustainable development. Member of the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum Giorgia Ortolani underlined Chinas enormous clean technology and innovation investments as main drivers of sustainable development.

Co-director of U.S.-based Climate Interactive Andrew Jones hailed Chinas photovoltaic solar power for helping to replace conventional energy sources like coal and gas, therefore reducing greatly the impact on climate change. Likewise, Fergal Whyte, director of Arup Group, saw Chinas efforts in scaling up solar farms, photovoltaic panels, and wind farms, thereby significantly increasing energy output.

Artificial intelligence: transforming sectors

Another recurring topic at the conference was artificial intelligence, of which several cited China as a main inventor. Senior managing director of Accenture James Nunn-Price indicated interest in the wide uses of artificial intelligence in several sectors, including manufacturing and energy, which can improve worldwide economic performance. Policy Nexus founder and CEO Thomas Liu underlined the industrial possibilities of artificial intelligence and underlined Chinas central importance in AI application.

Economic Strength and Transparency

Though Chinas economy has always been export-driven, it is now more focused on technology and innovation. Senior Cornell University lecturer Lourdes Casanova observed Chinas leadership in green sectors, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. China is positioned to sustain economic development by keeping low production costs, strong exports, and large investments in long-term technology developments.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang also spoke before the event, stressing Chinas dedication to market-driven expansion. This dedication to transparency stands out from the protectionist inclinations observed in many other nations, therefore indicating a more inclusive attitude to world economic integration.

American businesses and Chinese investments

Reflecting Chinas critical importance in their worldwide plans, several American corporations have made large investments in China. Notable instances include:

Apple Inc.: Apple depends on Chinas effective manufacturing capacity because a significant portion of its operations there.



Tesla Inc.: For its electric vehicle manufacturing and sales across Asia, Teslas Gigafactory in Shanghai has grown to be a central hub.



Qualcomm Inc.: Leading semiconductor supplier, Qualcomm has close relationships with Chinese smartphone producers, so China is a major market for its products.



Knightsbridge Group: Specifically in venture capital (VC) and advisory services, the Knightsbridge Group has also been growing its operations in China. Making use of its great experience, Knightsbridge Group is significantly helping Chinese entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Their pursuits consist in:

Aiming to assist the expansion of Chinas little giants and unicorns, venture capital investments in early-stage enterprises spanning technology, healthcare, and clean energy industries help to foster innovation.

Providing strategic planning, market analysis, and regulatory compliance support to enable startups negotiate Chinas challenging corporate environment.



The Increasing Value of Asia and China in the Global Economy



Along with other Asian countries, China is growing in significance on the scene of world economy. The fast expansion of the area and technical developments there are changing patterns of world trade and investment. International businesses and investors are eager to seize Asias promise as its impact grows.

Together with its strategic economic policies, Chinas proactive approach to integrating advanced technology is generating an atmosphere fit for continuous development. The nations developing venture capital business and increasing leadership in clean technology and artificial intelligence clearly show this tendency.

Significant progress in clean technology, artificial intelligence, and more general economic reforms defines Chinas economic development. The nations dedication to transparency and creativity helps to explain its prominent role in the world economy. As American businesses and foreign investors such as the Knightsbridge Group increase their interactions with China, the cooperative efforts will probably propel more developments and mutual progress. The 15th Summer Davos underlined these trends, therefore underlining Chinas leadership in the new phase of world economic development.



Shayne Heffernan
The third non-statutory public consultation for the much delayed N4 Mullingar to Longford (Rooskey) upgrade begins next Tuesday, July 2.

The project team is hosting this consultation based on the Emerging Preferred Route Corridor (EPRC).

Also read: Longford Senator turns heat on Minister Ryan to fast-track N4 upgrade plan

The second non-statutory public consultation took place over three years ago, in February/ March 2021, and it was anticipated back then that an EPRC would be announced in the latter part of 2021.

Also read: Transport Infrastructure Ireland announces 1.4m for N4 upgrade

That didn't happen as the project hit something of a road block much to the frustration of local political representatives however following pressure exerted on Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and the allocation of 1.4m from TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) the N4 upgrade is back on the agenda.

Also read: Mystery of viral Garda car in ditch picture solved amid reports of serious crash

In-person consultation events will take place in Longford, Mullingar and Edgeworthstown, with members of the project team in attendance.

Longford Arms Hotel N39 FK26: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 2pm-8pm

Mullingar Park Hotel N91 A4EP: Wednesday, July 3, 2024 2pm8pm

Edgeworthstown Library N39 F7Y8: Thursday, July 4, 2024 2pm-8pm

A virtual consultation will also be available to access via the project website on the same day.

The N4 Mullingar to Longford (Rooskey) project team is looking forward to engaging with the public on the development of this major infrastructure project and to receiving your feedback.

Also read: Ryan under mounting pressure amid fears Longford to Mullingar N4 upgrade could be scrapped
A Longford man received a five month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, arising from a dangerous driving incident where he drove at a vehicle and caused injury to a man.



Tommy McGinley, with an address at 10 Palace Drive, Ardnacassa, was also disqualified from driving for five years and fined 500 at last weeks sitting of Longford District Court arising from the incident which took place at Legion Terrace, Longford on September 16, 2023.



He was convicted of driving a vehicle, which was involved in causing injury to Johnny Nevin and failing to stop. Mr Nevin sustained a dislocated ankle.



Sergeant Enda Daly told the court that the incident was captured on CCTV.



The footage showed a large white van being driven at speed. Sgt Daly said that Mr McGinley admitted it was him driving the van.



Solicitor Fiona Baxter, representing Mr McGinley, stated that some of the occupants of the vehicle that was driven at are pursuing claims for personal injuries.



The court was told that Mr McGinley had 20 previous convictions.



Ms Baxter told the court that Mr McGinley was not shying away in relation to the incident.



She then went on to read to the court some extracts from the Garda interview conducted with her client.



I went to my father-in-laws. A white car drove in. The occupants had implements. I took off, Mr McGinley told Gardai.

A second man, Martin roadrunner Nevin got out of the car, he added.



He added that the incident was videoed by Michelle Nevin.



Mr McGinley also stated that he had gone to the house in question, because I wanted to get an argument quashed.



I was in fear. Martin Nevin took a stick and was coming at me. It would not be nice to get your head smashed in by a guy who does heavyweight boxing, he added, in his interview with Garda.



Ms Baxter told the court that her client had readily agreed to strict bail conditions. These included him moving to live in Roscrea. This move caused significant hardship to Mr McGinleys wife.



My client is a full-time carer for his parents. My client agreed not to drive his vehicle. He has fully complied with the bail conditions, Ms Baxter added.



She added that her client has been engaging with Dr Enda Hayden.



There is a report by Dr Hayden which provides a very detailed history of personal tragedy that my client has endured. Since my client returned to Longford, he has been going about his business. He is supported by his wife and parents. He is remorseful and he entered a plea at the first opportunity, she continued.



Following Ms Baxters statement on behalf of her client, Sgt Daly interjected, I am not sure who the victim is. Speculation has been brought into it.



Ms Baxter retorted, there is no speculation, the matter is recorded on CCTV.



Judge Bernadette Owens addressed the matter. The facts of this case indicate a very serious incident. Mr McGinley has a relevant previous driving conviction, dating back to 2014. There is a backstory to this incident, she stated.



She went on to warn all parties involved that there should not be repercussions to the outcome.



Mr McGinley has to get credit for pleading to the charges. He has complied with bail conditions. The court has to take into consideration his family commitments, the judge stated.



When Judge Owens announced her verdict, Ms Baxter asked if the disqualification could be put back until November 1.



The judge declined this. Your client knew that, by pleading guilty to a section 53 charge, that he was facing disqualification. However, I will instead postpone the disqualification to August 1, she stated.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: June 27 2024

The celebration honored Cooley's lifelong dedication to veterans, her community and her family.

Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter recently joined members of the community at a ceremony commemorating the life and legacy of Nina Cooley with the symbolic renaming of the intersection of Fawn Drive and Grenadier Lane as "Nina Cooley Way." The celebration honored Cooley's lifelong dedication to veterans, her community and her family.

Nina Cooley's journey began in Brooklyn during World War II when her brother Stevie's draft inspired her commitment to supporting servicemembers. She channeled her concern into frequent letter-writing, a practice that became her lifelong mission. After the war, Nina married Harold, a United States Army veteran, and they began their family in Levittown, where Nina's involvement with AMVETS Post 44 in Hicksville first took root.

Nina's leadership within the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary was remarkable. She served as New York State Historian, then Treasurer, before becoming the youngest New York State Department President in the organization's history. In 1960, while expecting her fifth child, Nina and Harold acquired the "Twins Inn" bar and two-lane bowling alley in East Islip, which led to the formation of AMVETS Post #18 in 1963.

The Cooleys' commitment to veterans and community was unparalleled. Nina founded the Ladies Auxiliary Post #18 in 1965, becoming its first charter President. Under her leadership, AMVETS Post #18 became a hub of community activity, hosting bingo nights, parades, and various holiday events for families.

Nina's grandson shared personal stories, highlighting her impact on the community. He recounted how the Cooleys' pool became a gathering place for neighborhood children and how Nina's "Gram's Day" tradition every Wednesday during summer brought together generations of her family.

For over 70 years, Nina wrote letters, sent Christmas cards, and care packages to soldiers worldwide. She also integrated these efforts into local school districts, implementing Flag Poster and Essay contests, creating a bridge between veterans and the community.

"Nina did what she loved and wanted nothing in return," her grandson shared. "She loved everyone for who they were, never judging and always seeing the good in everyone."

"Nina truly embodied a spirit of service, patriotism, and unwavering dedication to our nation's veterans and their families," said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter. As you pass by Nina Cooley Way, may you be inspired by her lifelong dedication to serving others, and the sentiment that so guided her life, One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one Nation, evermore.

Nina's legacy lives on through her extensive family, including 8 children, 22 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, and 8 great-great-grandchildren, as well as the countless lives she touched in the community.
Qais Khazali (center), the leader of Asaib al Haq, and Akram al Kaabi (center-right), the commander of Harakat al Nujaba.

The leader of one of Iraqs most influential and powerful Iran-backed militias threatened US interests in the Middle East in response to a potential large-scale Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Islamic Republics proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen have increasingly targeted Israeli territory following Hamass October 7 attack.

Qais al-Khazali, the secretary general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (the League of the Righteous), warned in a televised speech that should Israel attack Lebanon, let America know that it has made all its interests in the region and Iraq subject to targeting and danger, the Lebanese Hezbollah controlled al-Minar reported on June 25. Asaib Ahl al-Haq is listed by the US as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Khazali is a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Israel has recently ramped up its rhetoric against Hezbollah, possibly indicating an imminent operation in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on June 23 that the intense phase of the war with Hamas in Gaza is gradually concluding and that the Israel Defense Forces focus will soon shift to Lebanon to fight the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Khazalis remarks come a few days after US officials expressed support for Israel in the case of escalating conflict with Hezbollah. President Joe Bidens envoy Amos Hochstein told Lebanese officials during his Beirut visit that the US will not prevent Israel from invading southern Lebanon should Hezbollahs attacks persist, Axios reported on June 24. A few days prior, US officials reassured an Israeli delegation that the Biden administration is fully prepared to back Israel should a full-out war break out.

Iran-backed militias in Iraq had temporarily halted their attacks against US bases in the region following the Islamic Resistances strike that killed three US service members in Jordan on January 28. However, six months later, it appears that Iran and its proxies calculations have shifted. A drone was intercepted at the Al-Tanf military base in Syria on June 22, likely launched by Iran-backed militias in Iraq. This attack came shortly after the Iran-backed Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada blamed the US for a June 21 strike near the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Khazali: An Iranian proxy

Khazali has a long history of supporting and directing Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. Before Khazali and his brother, Laith, along with a senior Hezbollah military commander known as Musa Ali Daqduq, were captured by British forces in March 2007 and transferred into US custody, they played a significant role in forming what US military commanders called the Mahdi Army Special Groups.

Daqduq, who had served as the commander of Hezbollahs special forces, was tasked by the Qods Force to organize, train, and advise the Mahdi Army Special Groups. These Special Groups were established as an analog to Lebanese Hezbollah, Irans premier proxy in the Middle East. Daqduq worked closely with the Khazali brothers.

These groups received training, funds, weapons, intelligence, and other key aid from Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force (IRGC-QF). During his detention, Khazali admitted to playing a pivotal role in the Special Groups formation and subsequent attacks on US, Coalition, and Iraqi forces. [See LWJ report: Iraqi militant Qais Khazali warned us about Iran. We ignored him.]

The League of the Righteous is responsible for thousands of attacks on US forces in Iraq. However, its assault on the Karbala Provincial Joint Communications Center in 2006 was particularly brazen and significant. The group plotted the operation with the help of Qods Force, and the League of the Righteous fighters who carried out the attack trained in an Iranian mock-up facility. The plan was to capture American soldiers and bring them to Iran. Khazali issued the order to kidnap US service members, but League of the Righteous fighters instead executed five American soldiers in cold blood when the operation hit a roadblock.

Despite their involvement in the deadly Shia insurgency in Iraq and complicity in killing hundreds of American troops, the US military freed Qais and Laith al-Khazali in 2009. More than 100 League of the Righteous commanders and fighters were also freed. Daqduq was handed over to the Iraqi government in 2011 and freed shortly afterward. The US State Department listed Daqduq as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in late 2012.

The US military released the Khazalis and their men because it believed the League of the Righteous would lay down their arms and join the political process. They did no such thing. Upon his return, Qais retook control of the League of the Righteous, and he serves as its secretary general to this day. The group remains one of the premier Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and has expanded its activities into Syria under the banner of Harakat al Nujaba.

Designation of Khazali and the League of the Righteous

The US Treasury Department designated Khazali, his brother Laith, and other militia leaders for human rights abuses over killing dozens of innocent Iraqi civilians amid nationwide anti-Iran uprisings in 2019.

In March 2020, the US State Department added the Asaib Ahl al Haq to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Additionally, the Khazali brothers were added to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. [See LWJ report: State designates Iran-backed League of the Righteous as Foreign Terrorist Organization.]

Asaib Ahl al Haq and its leaders are violent proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in the press release announcing the designations. Acting on behalf of their masters in Tehran, they use violence and terror to further the Iranian regimes efforts to undermine Iraqi sovereignty.

States designation acknowledged that the League of the Righteous is extensively funded and trained by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force.

According to State, the League of the Righteous has claimed responsibility for more than 6,000 attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces since its creation in 2006. AAH has carried out highly sophisticated operations, including mortar attacks on an American base, the downing of a British helicopter, and an attack on the Karbala Provincial Headquarters that resulted in the capture and murder of five American soldiers.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republics regional malign influence.
Its been a rough week for country music legend Willie Nelson, whose representatives said Wednesday that he will be taking more time away from the Outlaw Music Festival Tour due to unspecified health concerns. This comes just one week before the tour is expected to come to Massachusetts.

Willie Nelson will not be performing at tonights show in Virginia Beach, an X post reads. We expect Willie to return to the tour shortly.

Headliners Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Celisse will perform at the Virginia show as scheduled. In addition, Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelsons son, will play some of his fathers songs with some special guests, the post read.

This marks the fourth show the 91-year-old musician has dropped out of on the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which started Friday at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Nelson pulled out of the shows due to an unspecified health issue his representatives said last Friday, as previously reported by MassLive.

We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctors orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days, a statement posted to X Friday read. He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.

On Sunday, Nelsons representative released a statement, stating, Willie will be fine. I live in Los Angeles and will fly next week to see the performances on the East Coast. I cant wait, according to Fox News.

The Outlaw Music Festival is scheduled to come to the Xfinity Center in Mansfield on Tuesday. More information about the festival can be found online.
Those with a sweet tooth wont want to miss the 2024 Newburyport Chocolate Tour.

Now in its 21st year, the annual tour will be held Saturday, Oct. 5 from 12-4 p.m.

Starting at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 26 Pleasant St. in Newburyport, the walking tour will let ticket holders sample chocolates from more than 30 stores.

Participants historically get a map of all the shops participating and a bag to take their goodies home, the town of Newburyport said about the tour last year. There is also typically some chocolate-themed baskets for raffle.

The Newburyport Chocolate Tour is sponsored by local businesses every year and donates 100% of its proceeds to non-profit organizations in the area. Among this years seven beneficiaries include Greenstone Gives and Sweet Paws Rescue.

Tickets, which went on sale Sunday, can be purchased through Eventbrite. Tickets start at $20 per person.
A jury has found Boston defense attorney Gary Zerola guilty of raping a 21-year-old woman in her bed while she slept following a night of heavy drinking in January 2021, according to the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office.

On Wednesday, after five hours of deliberation, the Suffolk County Superior Court jury found the 52-year-old lawyer guilty of one count of rape, but acquitted him of a more serious charge of aggravated rape and burglary, the district attorneys office said.

He is set to be sentenced on July 15.

These cases are always difficult, and this victim deserves enormous credit for taking the stand and telling the jury what happened to her that night, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. I thank the jurors for considering all of the information presented to them and for returning a just verdict.

As many as a dozen women have accused Zerola of rape in nearly indistinguishable assaults dating back to 1996, according to The Boston Globe.

The prosecutor-turned-defense-attorney has been acquitted of such charges in three previous trials  the most recent of which happened last year.

Zerolas latest trial

Zerolas June 2024 trial stemmed from a night in January 2021 when he went out drinking with the victim, according to the district attorneys office. The victim was a friend of a woman Zerola was dating, and the three partied together on Zerolas tab.

The victim became too intoxicated, so Zerola and the woman he was dating helped her back to her Beacon Hill apartment, the district attorneys office said.

Prosecutors said the victims friend initially prevented Zerola from helping the victim undress and made sure he left the apartment. But he soon sent her home in an Uber, the Globe reported.

Zerola later entered the victims apartment without permission and raped her while she slept, the district attorneys office said. Prosecutors allege that she awoke to Zerola raping her around 2 a.m., the Globe reported.

She pulled away, screamed at him to leave, and reported the rape immediately by FaceTime video call to her friend, court documents say, according to the Globe.

Prosecutors said the victims friend could see that the victim was distraught and hear Zerola in the background saying that the victim had left him her keys and invited him to come back to the apartment, the Globe reported.

He soon left the apartment, and the next day, the victim reported the rape to police and underwent a sexual assault examination at a hospital.

During the trial, Zerolas lawyer  high profile Boston defense attorney Rosemary Scapicchio  called his accuser a liar and unsuccessfully argued that her account of that night was filled with inconsistencies, the Globe reported.

Zerolas legal history

In June 2023, Zerola was found not guilty of two counts of rape in connection with the 2016 sexual assault of a 23-year-old woman in a North End apartment. Prosecutors accused him of raping his girlfriends coworker after she fell asleep on a couch after a long night of partying. Zerolas attorneys successfully argued that the sexual encounter was consensual.

In 2008, Zerola was found not guilty of rape and attempted rape in separate trials. Earlier that decade, sexual assault charges were brought against him in New Orleans and Miami and later dropped.

At least three other sexual assault allegations were levied against Zerola in the 1990s, the Globe reported. Despite this, he was named one of People Magazines most eligible bachelors in 2001.

Zerola is a Suffolk University Law School graduate who worked as a prosecutor in Essex and Suffolk counties for a short time more than two decades ago. He later became a criminal defense attorney.
A Cape Cod woman was charged with murder Wednesday evening after police found her inside a crashed car with a man who had been fatally stabbed, the Cape and Islands District Attorneys Office announced Thursday morning. The cases statement of facts sheds light on how 33-year-old Renato Chaves ended up riding in a car en route to a hospital with the woman authorities say stabbed him to death.

What happened before police arrived

In an interview with police through a Portuguese translator, 29-year-old murder suspect Juscelene Guedes explained that Chaves was her ex-boyfriend, according to court documents. He came to her apartment at 404 Great Marsh Road in Centerville Wednesday night, and they got into an argument, she said.

During the argument, Guedes said, Chaves pulled out a knife with a yellow handle and kicked Guedes in the thigh, according to court documents. Somehow, she was able to get the knife away from him, and she then nicked his forearm with the knife before stabbing him in the chest, she told police.

Security camera footage and accounts from two of Guedes neighbors indicate that Chaves entered Guedes apartment at 404 Great Marsh Road around 7 p.m. Wednesday night, according to court documents. When he came out of the home about seven minutes later, he was bleeding profusely from a stab wound in his chest.

One of the neighbors told police that he happened to be in a nearby driveway in his car when Chaves came out of the apartment, according to court documents. Chaves came over to the neighbor and explained that his ex had stabbed him before asking the neighbor to drive him to a hospital, the neighbor told police.

Chaves got in the front passenger seat, and before he and the neighbor could drive off, Guedes jumped in the backseat of the car and asked to come with them to the hospital, according to court documents. Guedes repeatedly screamed Chaves name as they drove towards the hospital, but Chaves became pale and unresponsive, the neighbor told police.

Soon, the neighbor said, Guedes was pleading with him to not turn her over to police because shed go to jail, according to court documents. The neighbor did not explain how the crash happened.

What happened after police arrived

Police received multiple 911 calls about the crash near the TD Bank location on Route 28 in Hyannis shortly before 7:20 p.m., according to court documents. Police found that two cars had collided, with one car landing in a nearby intersection and the neighbors car coming to rest just north of the intersection.

The first police officer at the scene quickly noticed Chaves in the front seat with a large blood stain on his chest, according to court documents. The officer cut his shirt open and found a 1.5-inch stab wound in the middle of his chest, as well as a kitchen knife on the floor of the car.

The wound had stopped bleeding by the time the officer got to Chaves, but the officer provided him with medical aid anyway, according to court documents. An ambulance soon brought Chaves to Cape Cod Hospital, but he was declared dead shortly before 8:40 p.m.

The second officer to arrive at the scene was quickly informed by a woman standing nearby that there was a man with a stab wound in one of the cars, according to court documents. The woman noticed Guedes running from the scene, and shouted Get her! Get her! at the officer, who chased Guedes down and arrested her.

After a preliminary interview with Guedes, investigators went to her apartment and discovered a trail of blood from inside the apartment out into the driveway, according to court documents. They also found a stack of cash on the kitchen table.

During a subsequent interview with police, Guedes said she and Chaves had a long history of domestic incidents, according to court documents. She asserted that investigators would find numerous text messages and voicemails on her phone in which Chaves threatened her, but the statement of facts doesnt say whether they actually did.

Whats next

Guedes is scheduled to be arraigned in Barnstable District Court on Thursday on charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the Cape and Islands District Attorneys Office said previously. It is unclear whether she plans on arguing in court that she killed Chaves in self-defense.
In 2023, the judge overseeing the murder trial of Karen Read, a Mansfield woman charged with the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, declared a mistrial in another high-profile case involving the death of a police officer  a history that could come into play as deliberations continue in Reads trial.

In that case, Emanuel Lopes was accused of killing a Weymouth police officer and a 77-year-old woman in July 2018. Lopes was charged with two counts of murder, possession of a firearm without a license, destruction of property, and negligent driving of a motor vehicle in connection with the killings.

A lawyer representing Lopes contended that Lopes was suffering a psychotic episode at the time and had struggled with his mental health for years, WCVB-TV reported at the time. In that trial, deliberations stretched for five days before breaking down on June 28, 2023.

Read more: Karen Read trial live updates: Day 3 of jury deliberations underway

Judge Beverly Cannone ultimately declared a mistrial, finding the jury could not agree on a verdict. State law gives judges the authority to take such an action, which then requires prosecutors to decide whether or not they intend to bring the case again.

But, judges also have the authority to ask the jury to keep deliberating and determine a verdict  a step Cannone took this year in Lopes second trial, according to The Boston Globe.

During the trial, which ended in February, jurors told Cannone they had reached an impasse and could not come to a verdict. But, after Cannone pushed jurors to continue deliberating, they returned a verdict and found Lopes guilty.

Deliberations in Reads trial were in their third day on Thursday. Theyve spent about eight hours deliberating so far since Tuesday.

Down the street from the courthouse, about 50 of Reads supporters cheered as she made her way inside the court with her legal team just before 9 a.m. Thursday

A supporter yelled warrior as Read walked by.

Read, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe, who was found cold to the touch and unresponsive on Jan. 29, 2022, outside of a home in Canton.

Norfolk County prosecutors say Read struck OKeefe with her SUV while driving intoxicated. Reads attorney, David Yannetti said during the trials opening statements that her car never struck OKeefe and that others are to blame for his death.


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Jurors returned Thursday to Dedhams Norfolk County Superior Court to continue deliberations in the trial of Karen Read, a Mansfield woman charged in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John OKeefe.

Presiding Judge Beverly Cannone told the prosecution and defense team to be ready to be back within five minutes notice on Thursday.

Follow the latest updates here:

3:45 p.m. update: Jury heads home without a verdict

The jury indicated they wanted to go home, Judge Beverly Cannone said in court. She asked to see the attorneys at a sidebar conversation.

The jury has deliberated roughly 14 hours following closing arguments on Tuesday.

Cannone told the jurors their deliberation efforts were appreciated.

9 a.m. update: Jurors resume deliberations

Jurors arrived at the courthouse Thursday to continue their deliberations. Theyve spent about eight hours deliberating so far since Tuesday.

Down the street from the courthouse, about 50 of Reads supporters cheered as she made her way inside the court with her legal team just before 9 a.m.

A supporter yelled warrior as Read walked by.

The assembled supporters were less than on Tuesday when lawyers delivered their closing arguments and the jury entered deliberations, but they displayed the same familiar pink clothing and signs proclaiming their trust in Reads innocence.

Read, 44, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of OKeefe, who was found cold to the touch and unresponsive on Jan. 29, 2022, outside of a home in Canton.

Norfolk County prosecutors say Read struck OKeefe with her SUV while driving intoxicated. Reads attorney, David Yannetti, said during the trials opening statements that her car never struck OKeefe and that others are to blame for his death.

On Wednesday, jurors left by 4 p.m.

The jury asked to see a copy of a report made by the state polices Special Emergency Response Team (SERT). The team searched for evidence at 34 Fairview Road between 5:20 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2022.

The judge said the jurors have all the evidence they will receive and no more additional will be given.

The court also provided updated verdict slips to jurors after the defense team raised concerns. Language was added that gives jurors the option to choose not guilty to the lesser charges.
The defense for the driver charged in the deadly 2022 Hingham Apple Store crash is seeking records from Toyota in an attempt to prove that artificial intelligence technology installed in the crash vehicle could have caused the crash.

Bradley Rein, 53, has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and motor vehicle homicide in the death of 65-year-old New Jersey resident Kevin Bradley.

Bradley was killed on Nov. 21, 2022 when Reins 2019 Toyota 4Runner crashed into the Apple Store at Hinghams Derby Street Shops. Nearly two dozen other people were injured in the crash, and Rein is also facing 22 assault charges and a reckless operation charge in connection with the incident.

Read more: Defense claims deadly Hingham Apple Store crash was caused by AI

Plymouth County prosecutors claim that Reins SUV traveled through the shopping plaza parking lot at a consistent high rate of speed, reaching 60 mph before crashing into the Apple Store. Data collected from the SUV indicates that he never stepped on the brakes during the crash, according to prosecutors.

After the crash, Rein cooperated with police. His explanation for the crash was that his right foot had become stuck on the accelerator as he drove through the lot, according to police. He told investigators that he tried to brake but was unable to.

More recently, Reins defense attorney, Joan Fund, has argued that faulty artificial intelligence (AI) technology installed in the SUV by Toyota may have caused the crash.

During a hearing on Thursday in Plymouth County Superior Court, Fund asked that the judge grant her request to issue a court order demanding records from Toyota of customer complaints regarding unintentional acceleration in the car companys vehicles.

Fund argued that there is plentiful anecdotal evidence that unintentional acceleration has happened in Toyota vehicles the past even though investigators have struggled to recreate these issues outside already-recognized defects. She asserted that Toyota has worked hard to keep this problem under wraps, and that prosecutors are aiding the car company in this effort by asking the judge to deny her request.

Assistant District Attorney David Cutshall countered by arguing that Funds request was too broad and unspecific, and that the customer complaints may not only not be admissible in court, but may not even exist. He also argued that the defense has not put forth a substantive argument as to how AI technology couldve caused the unintentional acceleration, and highlighted that Reins explanation to the police was that his foot became stuck on the accelerator, not that the car responded in an unexpected way.

Fund also asked that the court order Toyota to turn over documents laying out exactly how crash data is recorded in its vehicles. She argued that the parties need more information because a video of the crash showed Reins SUVs brake lights coming on during the crash. This supports his assertion that he tried to brake, counter to what the crash data indicates.

Cutshall responded by asserting that the video didnt show the brake lights coming on like they would if a driver hit the brake pedal, but instead simply flashed a few times. This can happen in the midst of a crash, he argued.

The judge ultimately took Funds requests under advisement and scheduled the next hearing in the case for Aug. 9.
Elvis Presley may have left the building, but his blue suede shoes havent  and now fans have an opportunity to step into these legendary size 10-and-a-halves.

Presleys blue suede shoes are up for auction at British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd with an opening bid of 55,000 pounds  the equivalent of $69,654.20 U.S dollars, according to the auction listing.

However, the lot is estimated at 100,000 to 120,000 pounds, or $126,649.60 to $151,969.80 U.S. dollars. They are stamped Nunn-Bush on the heel.

The lot simply transcends 20th century popular culture, the auction listing states.

Besides naming his 1956 hit Blue Suede Shoes, after his actual footwear, Presley put the shoes to use on and off the stage, according to Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd.

There is a lot of history wrapped up in these well worn blue suede shoes which are synonymous with the name Elvis Presley, the listing states.

During his performance on the Steve Allen show in 1956, Presley wore the shoes while singing I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, and Hound Dog, Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd said.

The shoes have an unbroken line of provenance, its listing reads. The shoes were gifted to Alan Fortas, a close friend of Elvis, before Presley left for the Army in 1958.

In addition to the shoes, three documents of authenticity are included in the lot, such as a letter of authenticity signed by Jimmy Velvet, a friend of Elvis, an Elvis Presley Museum certificate of authenticity also signed by Jimmy Velvet and a letter from Alan Fortas.

Those interested in placing their bids can do so at bid.henryaldridge.com/auctions.

Live auction dates for this lot are between June 28, and June 29.
A former Boston College High School teacher accused of raping a student approximately 15 years ago was released on his own personal recognizance during his arraignment on a charge of rape of a child Thursday morning.

Weston resident and Jesuit priest Kevin White, 62, was a theology teacher at the school when he sexually assaulted a then-15-year-old student in his classroom sometime between 2008 and 2009, the prosecution alleges in court documents. He pleaded not guilty to the child rape charge on Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court.

The prosecution alleges that White took a particular interest in the victim while a teacher at Boston College High and repeatedly invited the teen to come to his classroom alone after school, according to court documents. White is accused of raping the student during one of these visits.

The victim didnt tell anyone about the assault until 2021 when they disclosed the assault amid a school investigation into an unrelated matter, according to court documents.

White has repeatedly denied the allegation through his defense attorney, Douglas Brooks. In a statement, Brooks said that White passed a polygraph test related to the case.

Notably though, the accuracy of polygraph tests  which are also known as lie detector tests  is hotly-debated. They are generally inadmissible as evidence in court in the U.S., and in Massachusetts, they cannot be admitted as evidence in any criminal trial.

On Thursday, the judge ordered White released under two conditions  that he have no contact with the victim and that he stay away from children under 18 years of age, according to court records. His trial is scheduled for June 23, 2025, but he is next due in court for a pretrial conference on Aug. 7 of this year.
Warning: This story contains descriptions of sexual exploitation of children.

A 38-year-old man who worked at Brighton High School is facing a 30-count indictment charging him with sex trafficking of a child and aggravated rape of a child, among other charges, in connection to the sexual exploitation of five high school students between the fall of 2023 and March 2024, prosecutors said.

John Jamar Cokley, of Boston, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury last week and will appear in superior court on July 2 for a dangerousness hearing, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Haydens office said in a statement. Cokley had previously faced charges in lower court, but the indictment expanded the charges against him.

Cokley is charged with seven counts of sex trafficking of a child, five counts of aggravated rape of a child, one count of rape of a child by force, three counts of posing a child in a state of nudity, four counts of posing a child in a state of sexual conduct, four counts of enticing a child under 18 into commercial sex, two counts of inducing a minor to sell a controlled substance, one count of dissemination of harmful matter to a minor, possession of child pornography and purchasing child pornography.

Between 2019 and 2021, Cokley worked as a paraprofessional at Brighton High School and was affiliated with a Boston-base non-profit that works with at-risk youth and their families. During that time, Cokley is accused of surrounding himself with teenage girls and grooming them, exploiting their vulnerabilities and financial insecurities, according to Haydens office.

In March, a local high school told police a student there was being sexually exploited. Investigators were given a series of Instagram messages between the student and Cokley, which prosecutors say contained naked videos and images and discussions of where Cokley would meet the student to have sex in exchange for money, according to the statement.

Investigators later found additional girls who reported being exploited or abused by Cokley, Haydens office said. The girls told police they met Cokley on Instagram where he used the username Hiddenjewelsgh, and were induced into sending him nude videos and images in exchange for money.

Cokley is accused of randomly messaging girls on Instagram and complimenting them on their appearance to make a connection. Prosecutors say he then offered the girls an allowance in exchange for nude images or videos. He is also accused of asking to meet up in person to have sex in exchange for money and asking two girls to sell marijuana.

During the encounters, Cokley wore a black ski mask, prosecutors say.

Prosecutors say Cokley often complained the girls were not responding to him fast enough and would threaten to take away their allowance. On one occasion, he is accused of asking one of the girls to go to the school bathroom and take a naked video of herself in exchange for a payment through CashApp, according to Haydens office.

A search of Cokleys phone and Instagram account found dozens of naked images and videos of the victims, according to prosecutors. Cokley could also be seen in multiple self-produced videos of child sexual abuse material, Haydens office said.

In the statement, Hayden called the allegations extremely disturbing

Social media is embedded in our society and so is the manipulation and exploitation that come along with it, Hayden said. I commend these students and the school for coming forward and encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim to contact the police.
As jurors in the Karen Read trial entered their third day of deliberations, they are also more than two months into a trial that started jury selection on April 16.

For those who work, that means nearly nine weeks of lost wages since testimony began. So how much are jurors being paid for that time?

In Massachusetts, employers are required to pay regular wages for the first three days of jury duty, according to the state court system. This applies to full-time, part-time, temporary and casual employees. Self-employed jurors must also pay themselves for the first three days.

For those who work part-time or unpredictable schedules, such as retail or food service jobs or substitute teachers, they will only be paid for days they were scheduled to work or the hours they would typically work in that time.

Basically, we look at what has been the norm if they dont have regular hours, said Jury Commissioner Pamela Wood. If youre a part-timer but you come in every week because they need you because youre covering for others, then well say you have to pay. This person has this unpredictable schedule, but the norm is they might be called in any day.

For anyone who lives in Massachusetts but works in another state, this rule may not apply. However, if you work in Massachusetts for a company located outside the state, your employer is still required to pay for the first three days.

Employers cannot require their employees to use vacation or personal time for jury duty.

After those three days are up, all jurors are paid $50 per day by the state. This pay is taxable.

Some employers may voluntarily continue to pay the employee their regular wages, but in that case they could require the employee to turn over the state compensation received for jury duty to offset that pay.

Jurors who are unemployed, retired or students can request to be reimbursed for travel and childcare expenses of up to $50 per day for the first three days of service. People who work outside of Massachusetts can also request to receive the $50 payment for the first three days if their employer is not required to pay them.

Jurors get a check within 14 days of completing service, according to the state. If they serve for more than a week, they get paid within 10 days after the end of each week.

On average, jurors will serve from about 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., minus an hour for lunch, on each day of a trial. This works out to about $7.69 per hour each day, well below the state minimum wage of $15 an hour.

The rate has not changed since it was put in place in 1982, Wood said.

While it may seem low, Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states that pay that much, and one of only eight that require employers to compensate jurors, according to the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts.

Federal jurors, too, are paid $50 per day, although judges may decide to up that amount to $60 after 10 days, according to the U.S. Courts. This rate was established in 2018, when it was increased for the first time in 28 years from $40, the Washington Post reported at the time.

In a 2022 report, the Center for Jury Studies wrote that low compensation for jury duty can prevent the participation of low-income and minimum-wage workers who cannot afford to miss out on work hours.

While jury service is often presented as the paradigm of civic duty, that alone is insufficient to address the financial realities that jury service in contemporary times imposes on citizens, the report says. The value of juror compensation is apparent: increases in class representation, enthusiasm and candor in participation, and increasing faith in the judiciary are all potential hallmarks of a judicial system that demonstratesthrough adequate compensation consistent with prevailing wagesthe value of the jury.

In 2020, the Washington Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs in a class action case who had sued their county over its $10 per day pay for jury duty, saying that paying below minimum wage unfairly excluded low-income residents from participation, according to the Associated Press.

While the court ruled that the issue should be addressed by the states Legislature, not the courts, they acknowledged that the failure to pay adequately could make it more difficult for these workers to participate and that it is one of the reasons people often skip jury duty.

Some states have raised juror pay in the last few years, and a handful have gone above the $50 that up until recently was the top wage across the country. In 2022, Arizona upped juror pay for trials in its superior courts from $12 to between $40 and $300 per day (lower courts still pay $12 per day).

While there have been no official proposals to increase juror pay in Massachusetts, Wood said she has been monitoring these changes around the country.

Im looking at seeing if theres something Massachusetts could do in that regard, she said. But it still remains one of the very highest rates in the country, and has been for the last 40 years.
The Internal Revenue Service released a rare apology to billionaire hedge fund director Ken Griffin and thousands of other wealthy Americans in connection with a data breach that resulted in a 2022 lawsuit, the agency said in a statement.

The apology followed a settlement of a lawsuit between the IRS and billionaire hedge fund director Ken Griffin, along with thousands of other wealthy Americans. In the statement, the agency said IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn leaked information to the press.

Late that year, ProPublica shared private data from the breach of some of the countrys wealthiest people, including billionaire hedge fund director Ken Griffin, Elon Musk, former President Donald Trump and Jeff Bezos, in its reporting.

He violated the terms of his contract and betrayed the trust that the American people place in the IRS to safeguard their sensitive information, the IRS statement read. The IRS takes its responsibilities seriously and acknowledges that it failed to prevent Mr. Littlejohns criminal conduct and unlawful disclosure of Mr. Griffins confidential data.

Griffin and other wealthy Americans were assured by the IRS that Littlejohns actions that it has made substantial investments in its data security to strengthen its safeguarding of taxpayer information, the agency added.

Littlejohn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison for disclosing thousands of tax returns without authorization, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The incident implied potential weaknesses in the IRSs systems, the agency said, and the IRS plans to work with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Government Accountability Office, other government agencies and independent third parties to be on the lookout for any possible vulnerabilities.

The agency believes that its actions and the resolution of this case will result in a stronger and more trustworthy process for safeguarding the personal information of all taxpayers, the agency said.
For one day this weekend, about 40 goats will be available to adopt for free through the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, offering a potential savings of up to $250.

On Saturday all regular adoption fees for goats aged 1 year or older will be waived in an effort to pull out all the stops to get these animals into the loving homes they deserve, according to Kaycie McCarthy, an equine and farm animal outreach and rescue manager at the MSPCAs Nevin Farms in Methuen.

The organization ended up with 49 goats from an animal cruelty case in Ayer earlier this year, McCarthy said, according to a statement in an MSPCA-Angell news release.

McCarthy said the roughly 40 goats available for adoption also include some from a separate surrender, which occurred in Owego, New York through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

We dont often waive fees for goats as theyve historically been adopted pretty quickly after coming to the farm, McCarthy said. But given the number of surrenders weve had in the last few months, our population has swelled.

The MSPCA-Angell said rather than having prospective owners spend between $150 to $250 to adopt a goat, that this weekend the group hopes that money can instead be put toward the care of these animals in their new homes.

People often think that they need to be experienced farmers to adopt goats, but thats not true, McCarthy added. If you have adequate shelter for goats and are willing to learn, thats all that matters.

The goats at Nevins Farm range in age from 5 months old  as some of the goats were pregnant upon their arrival  to up to 10 years old.

McCarthy said the MSPCA had to wait until the pregnant goats gave birth and until many of the male goats were castrated before offering them up for adoption.

Various breeds of goats, such as Nigerian Dwarfs, La Manchas and Alpines  all horned varieties  exist in the MSPCAs current herd, the organization said.

Goats can be goofy and fun pets. They play together and climb things. They sometimes try to sneak food like a puppy might, McCarthy said. We know that theyll bring a lot of light and love to their new homes.

Those interested in adopting a goat should register on the MSPCAs website. However, registration is not required to attend the open house for the goats on June 29.

Watch a video of some of the goats available for adoption this weekend through the MSPCA below or by clicking here to watch via the MSPCA-Angell YouTube channel.
Niche, a review and ranking site that is focused on changing the way people choose their education, ranked Brookline the best Massachusetts suburb to live in, giving the town an A+ grade.

The grading scale is based on education in the area, overall crime and safety, housing prices, nightlife, diversity, job opportunities and other aspects of living. Grades are assessed through feedback data and user opinions in the area.

While a suburb of Boston, Brookline offers residents an urban feel to the community with plenty of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks to choose from, according to a Niche report.

Brookline has been described as a great neighborhood thats warm and cozy with plenty to do according to current resident reviews on the site. One resident said that while the area can be quite pricey, Brookline is incredibly safe, clean, quiet, and close to the main city of Boston.

Cambridge, Newton, Lexington and Belmont followed closely behind in the rankings of best suburbs in Massachusetts. Carmel, Indiana, was ranked the best suburb in the U.S.
A sand tiger shark was found with at least three stab wounds and left on a Marshfield beach over the weekend.

Local shark biologist John Chisholm of the New England Aquarium shared photos of a young sand tiger shark that he said was was stabbed and left on the beach.

Chisholm said the shark was still moving when a woman found it on the beach on Saturday, the Boston Globe reported.

It was reported to measure less than 3 feet and was likely around 1-year-old, the Globe reported.

Its pretty unlikely that it survived, he told the Globe. Those were pretty big wounds along the body.

All captured sand tiger sharks are required to be released in Massachusetts.

The shark population began to rapidly decline due to sustained fishing pressure, according to the New England Aquarium. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the population along the East Coast declined by about 90%, making them a rare sighting.

... this population decline was acknowledged relatively quickly by federal and state fishery managers and conservation measures were enacted in 1997 and 2009 that prohibited the retention of any sand tiger in any fishery along the U.S. East Coast  in other words, all captured sand tigers must be released, the aquarium wrote.

Still, people often mistake tiger sharks as dogfish which is part of the reason people kill them, Chisholm wrote.

Its the responsibility of fishermen & women to know their catch, Chisholm wrote in his X post.
As the Fourth of July approaches, its not uncommon to hear fireworks going off at night. But police and fire departments are asking Massachusetts residents to leave those to the professionals.

Fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts for those without a certification or licensing.

In advance of the Independence Day holiday, the City of Cambridge wants to remind the community that fireworks are illegal, dangerous, and can cause trauma for residents, the city wrote in a press release, adding that it includes sparklers.

Fines for people who have or use fireworks can range between $10 to $100. Those fines significantly increase for those who sell fireworks, the police department stated. Those fines can be up to $1,000 and possible jail time.

Police are also required to take the fireworks.

But that might not be the most expensive part.

Between 2012 and 2021, Massachusetts fire departments reported more than 900 fires related to illegal fireworks. And in the past five years, seven firefighters have been injured due to illegal fireworks. Damages have been estimated at more than $1.5 million, according to a press release by the state.

Between 2019 and 2023, Massachusetts medical facilities treated more than 200 people for burns and other injuries from fireworks, the state said. Two dozen people were treated for severe burn injuries that covered 5% or more of their body.

If those fires involve your house or an injury, insurance companies might not but much help.

According to Cavallo & Signoriello Insurance Agency, home insurance wont cover damage caused by illegal acts.

And because fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts, any incident involving private use would not be covered by insurance, the insurance agency wrote. ... And that means you could be on the hook for expensive medical or legal expenses.

You could also be on the hook for civil damages.

In short, if someone is hurt with fireworks that you light or that you provide, or if you set off fireworks that cause a fire leading to injuries, you may be liable for civil damages, Sheff Law wrote in a blog post. If you are injured by fireworks, or by a fire caused by fireworks, you may need to know who purchased those fireworks to prevail in a civil lawsuit.

For a full list of professional fireworks shows, click here.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey kept up her two-front effort on the states migrant crisis on Wednesday, repeating a familiar call for Congress to step in to deliver relief.

While the Bay State continues its efforts to house new arrivals and help them find jobs, Congress still needs to act on comprehensive immigration reform, as well as funding for states like Massachusetts, the Democratic governor told reporters on Wednesday at the State House.

Healeys comments came as a team of five administration officials, led by state Emergency Assistance Director Gen. Scott Rice, were wrapping up a trip to the southern border aimed at educating federal officials and others on the states immigration challenges.

Healey didnt offer specific comment on the status of those efforts, but she did say that the administrations team was charged with making clear that we have reached capacity here. We dont have housing available right now.

Last fall, Healeys office imposed a 7,500-family cap on the states emergency shelter system, which houses both migrants and permanent Massachusetts residents.

State lawmakers since have injected hundreds of millions of dollars worth of additional taxpayer money into the system, and approved a 9-month cap on shelter stays, with extensions under certain conditions.

Healey said it was important for Rices team to communicate directly with folks on the ground about the states efforts to deal with the ongoing influx of new arrivals in the system.

Two weeks ago, Healeys administration asked the federal government for an additional $34.5 million in support for its shelter efforts, with $1.3 million earmarked for Boston, MassLive previously reported.

That effort garnered the backing of Massachusetts Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, also threw her support behind the push.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden also issued a suite of executive actions intended to stem the flow of asylum-seekers at the nations southern border.

On Wednesday, Healey, also a Biden reelection campaign surrogate, thanked the White House for its actions. But repeated her longstanding call for further action.

I applaud President Biden for his executive action through the executive order, she said.

Healey has faced ongoing criticism from Republicans, who have accused her of not acting aggressively enough to contain the crisis.

They have called, for instance, for changes to the states Right to Shelter law, which obligates the commonwealth to provide services to people who seek them.

In a statement, state Republican Party Chairperson Amy Carnevale described the border trip as a stunt that distracted attention from the issue.

Despite [Healey] signing a nine-month limit for migrants to stay in state-funded emergency housing, with options to extend, the influx of migrants to the Commonwealth continues unabated, Carnevale said. In spite of her rhetoric, the Right to Shelter Law remains unchanged, ensuring that migrants are still legally guaranteed housing upon entering Massachusetts.
(*This story was updated at 3:33 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, 2024, with additional reporting.)

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey sharply criticized Thursdays U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Idahos emergency abortion law, saying it leaves the procedure open to attack by extremists.

The Supreme Courts non-decision leaves millions of pregnant women in limbo, and allows anti-abortion extremists to continue their attack on emergency abortion care, Healey wrote in a post to X after the high court issued its closely watched ruling.



In Massachusetts, theres no debate. We protect reproductive freedom and your right to the care you need, the Arlington Democrat said.

The Supreme Courts non-decision leaves millions of pregnant women in limbo, and allows anti-abortion extremists to continue their attack on emergency abortion care.



In Massachusetts, theres no debate. We protect reproductive freedom and your right to the care you need. https://t.co/xhC0fKQ7Gx  Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) June 27, 2024

On Thursday, the high court cleared the way for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortions for now in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon.

The ruling came a day after an opinion was briefly posted on the courts website accidentally and quickly taken down, but not before it was obtained by Bloomberg News.

In a statement, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell noted the split nature of the ruling, which she described as an important reprieve.

The ruling will allow pregnant people in Idaho to obtain an emergency abortion if their life or health is in serious jeopardy Campbell said.

While I am grateful that Idahos draconian abortion ban will not bar emergency abortions in the near future, I want to be clear that more trouble appears to be on the horizon for emergency abortion access in many states, Campbell continued. My office will continue our fight to ensure that everyone can access emergency abortion care in order to protect their lives and their health.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., criticized the timing of the ruling.

The Supreme Court decided to wait until after the election to tell Americans whether women who are in crisis can get the emergency medical care they need, Warren said. The Supreme Court doesnt get the final word on abortion  the American people do.

The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts and could end up before the Supreme Court again.

It doesnt answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a similar case, the state of Texas also argued that federal health care law does not trump a state ban on abortion and the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state.

The Idaho ruling doesnt appear to affect that finding. The Biden administration has appealed the case in Texas, leaving another avenue for the issue to appear before the high court.

The justices are unlikely to even consider whether to take up the Texas case before the fall.
The Massachusetts state Senate has started wading through a nearly $5.2 billion bond bill that its backers say will help address the states housing affordability and access crisis.

Lawmakers in the majority-Democrat chamber spent much of the day on Thursday dealing with scores of amendments that lawmakers filed to the bill, a version of which already has been approved by the state House.

State Sen. Lydia Edwards, D-3rd Suffolk, the chambers point person on the legislation, described it as a badly needed course correction on housing policy, according to State House News Service.

The bill is a "second chance for people who have an eviction record; regional equity, not focusing on an urban perspective and being as dense as possible in just certain areas, Edwards, of Boston, said.

Looking at our rural and seasonal communities, and the infrastructure that comes with those aspects, thats where well start the course correction. We also look at how we look at discrimination in our housing policy, she continued. We have to provide toolkits to our municipalities to address that. We know theres a missing middle class. We look to maintain permanent conversations at how we house our seniors. We cannot continue on the same path.

The bill adopts several proposals Gov. Maura Healey recommended in her $4.1 billion version of the bill, including: allowing tenants to seal previous eviction records in certain cases, creating a new designation to address housing availability in seasonal communities, and allowing a simple majority voting threshold for inclusionary zoning ordinances and bylaws at the local level, up to 13 percent of affordable units, State House News Service reported.

It notably leaves out a proposal to allow for real estate transfer taxes.

More than a dozen communities have sought authorization from Beacon Hill to tax the sale of expensive properties within their borders to help pay for affordable housing.

The House also left this policy out of its bill, meaning it is likely dead for this session though any senator could propose to add it through an amendment.

The Senate bill also excluded the $1 billion bond authorization to expand the Massachusetts Water Resource Authoritys service area to the suburbs south of Boston, which was a priority of House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, the wire service reported.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr, R-1st Essex/Middlesex, stressed the bipartisan challenge facing his colleagues.

This is a subject on which there is widespread bipartisan agreement. We are in a very very important situation in the state, and we cannot deny that we have a deficiency of hundreds of thousands of units, Tarr said, according to State House News Service. The fact is, while we often do bond bills, and we often do housing bond bills, this one is somewhat unique, in the extent of its size, but also that it represents a pivot to a stature and a posture with more proaction to housing.

Debate on the bill was expected to continue into Thursday night.

https://www.masslive.com/politics/2024/06/heres-whats-in-the-mass-senates-more-than-5b-housing-bond-bill.html
Thursdays U.S. Supreme Court ruling rejecting the nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma has dealt a blow to Massachusetts efforts to fight opioid addiction.

But the states top cop says shell keep fighting for funding even as Massachusetts stands to lose as much as $110 million from the $5.5 billion settlement with the company.

The high courts ruling "effectively vacat[ed] the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbells office said in a statement.

The landmark settlement would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids.

But it also would have provided billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic.

After deliberating more than six months, the justices in a 5-4 vote, blocked an agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims.

"It is no secret that members of the Sackler family, through their control of Purdue, fueled the opioid crisis, devastating countless lives in the pursuit of profit. The Sacklers must and will be held responsible, and, in the wake of this decision, we will use every power available to us to make sure that occurs, Campbell said.

Campbell said her office will continue our nation-leading work to obtain the funding that is desperately needed to save lives, restore communities, and fight the opioid epidemic in the commonwealth.

In a separate statement, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., also criticized the high courts ruling.

The Sackler family made a fortune from hooking people to opioids that killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, and then tried to use the bankruptcy system to keep their money, Warren said.

The Supreme Court closed this bankruptcy loophole, but that doesnt make things right for the millions of people who have lost loved ones to opioid overdoses. This is a first step towards accountability for the Sackler family, Warren continued. Its time for the Sacklers to pay up.

In 2018, Massachusetts became the first state to join what became a multi-state lawsuit against members of the Sackler family and other executives and directors of Purdue Pharma, the maker of opioid drugs, including OxyContin.

An eventual settlement agreement was announced in 2021, that would have required billions of dollars to be paid for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs in Massachusetts and communities across the country.

The settlement would also have required that tens of millions of documents be made public. The high court had put the settlement on hold last summer, in response to objections from the Biden administration.

The Sacklers would have contributed up to $6 billion and given up ownership of the company, but retained billions more.

The agreement provided that the company would emerge from bankruptcy as a different entity, with its profits used for treatment and prevention.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said nothing in present law authorizes the Sackler discharge.

Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

Opioid victims and other future victims of mass torts will suffer greatly in the wake of todays unfortunate and destabilizing decision, Kavanaugh wrote.

OxyContin first hit the market in 1996, and Purdue Pharmas aggressive marketing of it is often cited as a catalyst of the nationwide opioid epidemic, with doctors persuaded to prescribe painkillers with less regard for addiction dangers.

Massachusetts has received tens of millions of dollars in settlement money from opioids-related lawsuits since 2021, but local governments have been slow to spend their share of the funding, WBUR reported last December.

Associated Press reports are included in this story.
BOSTON  In his long journey back from a rib strain that first sidelined him back in April, Triston Casas took a significant step forward Wednesday.

After undergoing an MRI Tuesday which revealed that the ribcage was properly healed, Casas took 20 or so dry swings Wednesday afternoon.
A tornado swept through parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts late Wednesday, impacting three communities, the National Weather Service confirmed.

A survey team from the weather service found evidence of tornadic damage as it investigated the storms that swept through New England late Wednesday, Torry Dooley, a meteorologist with the weather service, said. The tornado touched down in Lincoln, Rhode Island and traveled through Cumberland, Rhode Island before ending in North Attleborough in Massachusetts.

While the survey was not in fact complete, Dooley said the survey team determined the storm did in fact cause the tornado to develop.

The majority of the damage was the snapping and uprooting of trees, as some trees landed on homes and caused structural damage to homes, Dooley said. Its not clear how many homes were damaged.

A tornado warning was issued at 11:23 p.m. on Wednesday, with the risk area covering communities like Attleboro, Norton and Easton.

A report on the tornado is expected to be available Thursday night or Friday morning, Dooley said.
WEST SPRINGFIELD  As a world traveler, Roberta Page has experienced a lifetime of learning about the cultures and people that make each country unique. Now, the founder of the nonprofit Its West Springfield is bringing the world to her hometown.

On Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Page and Its West Springfield will be putting on the first-ever WorldFest, an event that welcomes residents with connections all over the globe to honor their heritage at the Dante Club. There will be a $5 entrance fee to help cover the cost of the event, but all children in high school and younger will be granted free admission.
SPRINGFIELD  Nearly a decade after a state and local partnership was created to radically remake eight underperforming middle schools, Springfield schools today have rebounded and become a national model, recently attracting groups from across the U.S. to see the success for themselves.

This spring, a group from Georgia spent a whole day visiting Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership schools to find out how they operate, and to observe students and teachers in several classrooms that are part of the zone.
SPRINGFIELD  A Hampden County jury concluded Brenda Mayhew killed a friend who took her in amid the throes of a mental health crisis.

Mayhew was found guilty of three criminal counts including first-degree murder on Wednesday afternoon. Jurors deliberated for about eight hours over two days.
If the organisers of the Blacksod D-Day commemoration felt neglected by the Department of Defence, the same could not be said of An Post. The national postal service, of which Maureen Sweeney was a valued part, honoured her memory on June 6 with a series of full page adverts in the national dailies. Headed The Postmistress who turned the tide in World War II, the promo was centred on a picture of Blackrock Lighthouse, on which was superimposed the images of Maureen and her children.

As the world well knows by now, it was Maureen Sweeneys weather report from remote Blacksod that helped turn the tide of history and ensured the most successful amphibious military assault in the history of warfare. The Normandy invasion would lead to the liberation of France and the saving of the world from tyranny and domination. When the dwindling band of Allied survivors gathered on the beaches two weeks ago, it was to accept a moving display of international gratitude and a tribute to the extraordinary valour of young men who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

But if Maureen Sweeneys warning served to avoid a bloodbath on the waters off Normandy, there was still unimaginable carnage as the seaborne assault on German positions was executed. Seven thousand allied ships and landing craft took part in the operation, but the soldiers who waded ashore found themselves sitting targets for Nazi machine gun fire. Of the 150,000 Allied troops who came ashore, 9,000 were killed or mortally wounded within the first 24 hours. In addition were many of the 18,000 paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines and straight into the jaws of hell.

The water was red with blood. There were bodies floating all around us, one recalled.

The dozens of cemeteries that dot the Normandy headland, with their row after row of uniform white crosses, are testament to the folly of glorifying war.

The liberation of the world from the threat of Nazism came at a high cost, and the young men, in the prime of their lives, who waded ashore, must have been aware of the high stakes involved. The 22 million people who visit the Normandy beaches each year come in admiration of what was achieved, but few can be blind to the reality of the cost in human life that the extraordinary military operation imposed.

For the French themselves, the D-Day mission carries more sombre overtones and a more complex place in the countrys history. Many remember with bitterness the heavy toll exacted; 20,000 civilians were killed during the battle of Normandy; the town of Caen, the administrative centre, and several others, were razed to the ground.

On the morning of the landings, the Gestapo executed 80 political prisoners at the jail in Caen. Most of them were members of the French Resistance, earlier rounded up by the French militia  their one-time neighbours and friends  who had chosen to collaborate with the Nazis. To many locals, this is unfinished business that neither time nor repentance have allayed. There is, in the words of French officials, a plurality of memories which have yet to be confronted.

Yet another aside to the Normandy commemorations was the ongoing Russian resentment at being excluded from ceremonies that marked the Allied success but that, in the eyes of Moscow, failed to recognise the Soviet contribution to the eventual victory. The Soviet Union had suffered 9 million military deaths in the course of the war, nine times more than the combined losses of its Allied partners.

Seasoned observers have noted ominously that a country with the capacity to absorb manpower losses on such a scale is unlikely to step back from whatever beatings it might endure in its current war in Ukraine.
A MAYO judge expressed frustration that he was unable to impose post release supervision orders on a man who assaulted a garda while experiencing a psychotic episode.

Judge Eoin Garavan made the remarks at a sitting of Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court after imposing a 20 month prison sentence on Domhnall Cosgrave (38) of Inchboley, Ballylinan, Co Laois who pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Garda Katie Conlon in Castlebar courthouse on April 18, 2023.

The court heard that Mr Cosgrave assaulted Garda Conlon in one of the courtrooms of Castlebar Courthouse where she was on duty at the time. Mr Cosgrave pulled Garda Conlon by the hair and swung her around and pulled her to the floor of Castlebar Courthouse before he was restrained and arrested.

Mr Cosgrave has been in custody since the incident and was a patient in the Central Mental Hospital from August to December last year where he was diagnosed with acute schizophrenia. The court heard that Mr Cosgrave who has a history of cannabis and other illicit drug use was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time where he believed he was an undercover garda.

Mr Cosgrave, who has no previous convictions, was deemed to be a low risk of reoffending, but Judge Garavan expressed concern that without supervision, the defendant may stop taking his medication and return to use cannabis and other drugs.

He stated that he was going to structure a sentence where he would impose a 20 month sentence but suspend the final two months on the condition Mr Cosgrave come under the supervision of the Probation Service for the next 12 months.

Backdated sentence

The court heard that the sentence would be backdated to time already served which would mean that Mr Cosgrave would be immediately released from custody.

However, Mr Cosgrave informed his legal representatives that he would not enter into a bond and would serve the remainder of the 20 month sentence in custody. This would mean he would be due for release on July 18 and as a result he will not be subject to supervision post release.

Judge Garavan said that there was a gap in the legislation and he could not impose conditions on Mr Cosgrave post release which he felt would benefit Mr Cosgrave and everyone else in society.

There is no post release order available to me, he said. So be it, he added before backdating the 20 month sentence to April 19, 2023.

Sergeant Sinead Barrett had earlier told the court that Mr Cosgrave had come to the attention of Gardai in Galway on April 17 and detained under the Mental Health Act. He was deemed fit for release but was arrested on the morning of April 18 for public order offences and brought to Castlebar District Court later that day.

He arrived at the courthouse at approximately 3.50pm and was not co-operative and had to be restrained in the foyer of the courthouse. Garda Conlon was on duty in the courthouse and was kicked by him when she assisted her colleagues.

Mr Cosgrave was brought back to Castlebar Garda Station until his case was called before Judge Fiona Lydon in Castlebar District Court.

Sgt Barrett explained that Mr Cosgrave was brought into the court room at approximately 5.17pm and was charged and released on bail. After signing his bail bond, he was walking past Garda Conlon when he grabbed her by the hair and knocked her against the court benches and the ground.

Castlebar Courthouse where assault on garda took place

Judge Garavan was informed that Garda Conlon has still not returned to duty and suffers from pain to her neck and shoulder as well as headaches. She also suffers from nightmares and is receiving counselling for psychological problems affecting her. A victim impact statement was provided to the court but was not read into the record.

Apology

Dr Laura Byrne, counsel for the defendant, said that her client wishes to apologise to Garda Conlon for his conduct on the day and for the injuries caused to her as a result of his actions.

She said that medical reports state that at the time of the offence Mr Cosgrave was acutely unwell and had a long standing untreated paranoid psychotic illness and he was very divorced from reality. She added that the report states that his offending behaviour was motivated by his underlining and undiagnosed and untreated mental illness.

He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but at the moment is not experiencing any hallucinations nor is he paranoid or delusional.

Dr Byrne said her client has benefitted from treatment in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) and the report demonstrated the extent of his illness before he obtained the benefit of treatment. Dr Byrne said this was the first time he sought any help in relation to his mental illness and now accepts he has a mental illness and requires to be treated with medication.

Dr Byrne said his client chose not to avail of a special verdict by way of his mental illness and had pleaded guilty to the offence.

Cannabis use

The medical reports were not read into the court but Judge Garavan noted that Mr Cosgrave had led a 'pathetic' and 'transient lifestyle' with no history of employment since 2017 and a history of long-term cannabis use and taking other psychotic substances.

Judge Garavan said that the report states that the defendant was imagining a lot of things at the time which led to the offence such as believing he was an undercover garda and had to commit an offence to get into prison.

However he also noted that before he went into the CMH he stated that he did not like the look of Garda Conlon and the way she looked at him and felt the gardai needed a 'good hammering'. He also noted that Mr Cosgrave felt that Garda Conlon was exaggerating her injuries and sought to minimise the effect on the victim. Judge Garavan noted he did not lash out at the male prison officers or gardai but at the female garda.

Judge Garavan acknowledged the injuries caused to Garda Conlon and the ongoing difficulties she has in her life both in terms of the physical and psychological effects on her caused by the assault.

He said he had to take Mr Cosgrave's culpability and responsibility as well as his medical condition into account when sentencing him and imposed a 20 months sentence.

Dr Byrne stated that the medical reports found Mr Cosgraves risk of violence was considered to be low and it can be mitigated by attendance to community mental health services and adherence to prescribed medication and abstinence from illicit substances such as cannabis.

Concern

Judge Garavan expressed concern at his conclusion saying this was hard to believe. He said that there was little point in imposing a prison sentence without any post release supervision but was constrained in doing that by the legislation which doesn't allow it.

He said the only option open to him to do this was to impose a suspended sentence with conditions to undergo supervision post release. However after Mr Cosgrave refused to sign a bond, he said he had no option to impose a post release supervision order and for the defendant to serve the remainder of the sentence in prison.
The approval of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact by the Dail marks a turning point in the reform of Irelands immigration system, Maria Walsh MEP has said.

Maria Walsh, who is a MEP for Midlands-North West, was involved in drafting the EU Migration Pact at European level, being one of only two Irish MEPs to sit on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), the Committee responsible for the Pact.

The Shrule woman called the issue of migration one of the EUs biggest policy failures to date, which is why Irelands adoption of the EU Migration Pact is so important.

The EU has a common external border, and we therefore need a common European migration policy.

Without the Pact, Ireland would be an outlier in Europe. As a small island nation, we cannot afford to go it alone on one of the defining issues of our times. We would be left operating less effective measures, and would see a further increase in applications. By opting into the Pact, our laws on asylum and migration will be fully aligned with the EU for the first time, continued Ms Walsh.

The former Rose of Tralee said many politicians have argued against the Pact for their own political gain, with false and misleading information handed out as truth. She named claims of a significant cost to Ireland in opting into the Pact as an example, but explained that really, 'the opposite is the case'.

She said: In addition to the savings from a more efficient system, there is also a substantial EU budget of 1 billion which we can access to support implementation of the Pact. Further funding will also be available in the next EU budget, which I intend to be closely involved in.

The MEP referred to Sinn Feins opposition to the Pact disappointing, but not surprising, and said it highlighted one of the partys defining characteristics, a thinly-veiled Euroscepticism.

Once again, Sinn Fein have opposed working with our European neighbours on a key European issue. The votes of Deputy McDonald and her colleagues in the Dail highlight their partys resistance to working as a bloc to harness the strength of the EU. Instead, they prefer to choose a go it alone routes, and deploy rhetoric such as open borders and Irish sovereignty in an attempt to scaremonger, she added.

The grown-ups in the room know that Irelands adoption of the EU Migration Pact is key to reforming our migration system, and I look forward to continuing my work on this issue over the course of the coming two-year implementation period, Ms Walsh MEP concluded.
by Fern Siegel , June 27, 2024

Vaping is dangerous  and to prove it, The Facts Now, a division of Tobacco Free Florida, kicked off a new campaign.

Alma, its agency of record, has debuted three spots targeting Gen Z teens, a demographic highly influenced by social media, especially when it comes to vaping. But the dangers of vaping, both physical and mental, are never presented.

Instead, Alma's three spots  Behind the Screen, Behind the Road Trip and Behind the Ball  show kids watching peers vape, while juxtaposed with a harsher reality: addiction, mood swings and anxiety. Far from looking cool or glorifying vaping, the ads show its ugly consequences.

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The spots are running across OTT and streaming video, OLV, radio and streaming audio, digital, social and search.

Alvar Sunol, Chief Creative Officer at Alma, said: Social media has had a positive impact on so many young peoples lives, but its also exposed U.S. teens to content that doesnt paint a realistic picture of addition. Authenticity and transparency can inspire action, and if our campaigns can help reach one person and show them how social media can leave out important information, we can raise awareness among teens and help make a difference.

Almas client roster includes Pepsi and Coors Light. The agency was repositioned as The Ungeneral agency to produce culturally relevant work.
by Barbara Lippert , Columnist, June 26, 2024

Perhaps FX was as excited and jumpy as I was, waiting to see The Bear band back together. Thus, the much-awaited season 3 episodes dropped on June 26 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Hulu and FX in the U.S., three hours earlier than had been previously announced.

Titled Tomorrow, the first episode is described as The next day and the days that led to it, which sounds perfect. The second is called Next, while the third ep, Doors, echoes that back-of-the house-shout that has become familiar to Bear-watchers.

All 10 episodes of the critically acclaimed series were released at once. So we can chew on this delicious output for weeks.

It turns out that every smarter-than-the-average Bear character is back, including actors Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, alongside Abby Elliott, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colon-Zayas and Matty Matheson. And be still my heart: Oliver Platt and Molly Gordon will again play their respective roles, as Uncle Jimmy -- the restaurant investor poised to take The Bear back if theres no profit -- and the lovely Claire, with whom Carmy allowed himself a romantic situationship. That left the Jeremy Allen White character stressed-out, in an existential (and freezer) crisis over having taken his manic focus away from the kitchen. Claire hears him calling their relationship a waste of time.

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As for that other female fave, new partner/chef de cuisine Sydney (Edebiri) also argues with her partner Carmy, but is now a triple threat. Like her character, the actor also keeps stretching and directed episode 6, titled "Napkins." Reportedly, that episode will follow line-cook now-sous-chef Tina (Colon-Zayas), whose nuanced life story has been perceptively told so far.

In the meantime, as it did in season 2, American Express and Disney/FXs The Bear" collaborated to create custom content. It features Resy restaurants in Chicago providing Inside Access to "The Bear."

After all, Chicago and its real-life foodie culture (from street beef to the meticulous level of haute cuisine that Carmen Berzatto is killing himself to achieve) is more than a backdrop. A deep understanding of the citys character and quirks is woven into the writing.

Three tightly shot spots feel like a smart and natural extension of this foodie heaven. They focus on the chefs and owners of several Chicago-based Resy restaurants, two of which were featured in some form on The Bear.

In season two, says Jason Vincent, Giants chef/owner, "the restaurant Verdana was made up for the show, but it was actually [shot in] my restaurant, Giant. He goes on to talk charmingly about what occasionally gun-toting Cousin Richie learned about the importance of hospitality in the show.

The second spot features an innovative breakfast sandwich invented by the character Sydney for the Bears kitchen. Its stolen from the restaurant Kasama, and co-owner Genie Kwon tells the camera that people come in and order like Sydney.



A third spot focuses on the importance of travel for chefs to learn their craft, which connects with the second season storyline featuring Marcus, the gentle baker (Boyce) sent to a Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen to train under a master pastry chef. It turns out that the master was a competitor and colleague of Carmy before the muscley chef came back to Chicago to take over his deceased brothers sandwich joint.

Oliver & Nicolas Poilevey, co-owners of the restaurant Obelix (and Chicago natives and brothers) talk about the inspiration they got from training abroad.

The spots are enjoyable and sync perfectly with the vibe of the show.

Now lets get to bingeing and feasting.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 27, 2024

A new law that could result in a ban on TikTok violates the free speech rights of users of the app as well as the company itself, a coalition of digital rights groups argues in new court papers.

The law directly restricts protected speech and association, deliberately singles out a particular medium of expression for a blanket prohibition, and imposes a prior restraint that will make it impossible for users to speak, access information, and associate through TikTok, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Democracy & Technology, Media Law Resource Center and other groups write in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Thursday with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

They are backing TikTok's request to block enforcement of the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. That law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, will prohibit web hosting services and app marketplaces from distributing TikTok unless it's divested by China-based parent company ByteDance within one year.

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Some lawmakers who supported the statute expressed concerns that the Chinese government could spread propaganda through TikTok, and could collect personal data about the app's U.S. users.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups argue that those types of national security concerns don't justify a ban on the app.

As the Supreme Court has repeatedly held, the governments invocation of 'national security' does not diminish First Amendment protections or the scrutiny applied to laws infringing on those rights, they argue.

The organizations call attention in their brief to a 1971 Supreme Court ruling that allowed The New York Times to publish the Pentagon Papers (which dealt with military involvement in Vietnam), despite vague assertions by the government that doing so could compromise national security.

That ruling is particularly relevant because it invalidated a prior restraint on speech -- meaning an order that prohibits speech in advance -- the groups write.

They add that the Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act should be considered a prior restraint because it functionally bars TikTok users from speaking or receiving speech through the app, and directly bars TikTok from curating speech for its users before that speech can be published.

The organizations also say the new law plainly raises the issue of political bias and motivation, singling out TikTok because of its foreign ownership even as other major social media platforms raise similar privacy and content-moderation issues.

The appeals court is expected to hear arguments over the law on September 16.
by Colin Kirkland , June 27, 2024

TikTok is challenging Amazon Prime Day next month with Deals For You Days, the social-media companys own U.S. sales event that will feature savings on thousands of products from brands and retailers like L'Oreal Paris, Our Place, Too Faced and Zwilling USA.

Beginning July 9, the sales event will feature deals exclusively on TikTok Shop, with merchants and creators participating in content challenges for short video and TikTok Live shopping events where they can interact directly with their followers and share their favorite products and best-sellers, the company said in a recent statement.

The Live shopping events are indicative of TikTok's Chinese doppelganger app Douyin, on which live-streams mark its biggest revenue driver, and will offer exclusive discounts on trending brands like Benefit Cosmetics and COOLA, as well as viral creators like Simply Mandys and Canvas Beauty founder Stormi Steele.

In addition, famed makeup artist and YouTuber Tati Westbrook will be going live on TikTok to showcase her favorite beauty and lifestyle products.

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When TikTok launched Shop, it quickly became a clear rival to online retailers Temu, Shein, and Amazon, which recently revealed that its annual Prime Day sales will take place on July 16 and 17.

Earlier this year, TikTok reported its goal of growing its short-form video shopping platform tenfold in the U.S. to $17.5 billion by instituting live-shopping Douyins model across the app, which helped ByteDance's revenue outpace the projected growth of major social-media companies like Meta and Tencent in 2023, surging roughly 30% to over $110 billion.

To help drive continuous activity on the app in the U.S., TikTok offers influencers free shipping and subsidies for selling goods in videos and livestreams, while also publicizing competitive deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which resulted in over 5 million new U.S. customers buying products on the app, the company said.

Despite the potential U.S. ban, TikTok is forging ahead with this new round of exclusive deals as it attempts to be a primary contributor to a predicted rise in social commerce sales, which, according to eMarketer forecasts, are expected to more than double to $144.5 billion by 2027 from $67 billion last year.
Palletways team

To support Armed Forces week, Palletways and its independent members are highlighting their ongoing support for veterans seeking new careers in the transport and logistics industry, to encourage more people to get involved.

Supporting ex-servicemen and women through employment is important to Palletways, having pledged to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2022, and achieved the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award eighteen months later. Since January 2023 fifteen Palletways members have followed suit and pledged their own commitments to the Covenant. In addition to these fifteen members, a dozen more across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are now working alongside Palletways to offer job opportunities to service leavers and support their transition to civilian life.

As well as a change of career, veterans can access additional training, work placements, insight days, mentoring schemes, guaranteed interview schemes and support for reservist leave and deployment.

Service leaver Maggie Williamson, Palletways General Manager for Service Excellence, joined the Womens Royal Army Corps (WRAC) at the age of 18 to pursue a career shed dreamt of since primary school - she served as a Sergeant in the WRAC as a Data Telegraphist and worked in Cyprus and various camps in Germany and Northern Ireland. Commenting, she says: Palletways has an unwavering commitment to the Armed Forces community and were determined to make a positive difference in the lives of those who have served our country.

Rob Gittins, Managing Director, Palletways UK comments: Im proud of how we choose to contribute to the armed forces community as a company, and thats expanding as member companies get involved too. This is special during this year, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and the culmination of a week of celebrations where the public show their support and appreciation for the Armed Forces community.

Palletways partners with FrontFoot.Jobs which list vacancies to the armed forces community. The site is dedicated to ex-military, service leavers or their spouses looking for vacancies within companies that support those who have served or still are serving. Also in the last 18 months, Palletways has attended 18 service leavers recruitment fairs through thee British Forces Resettlement Scheme and Career Transition Partnership, accompanied by members which have been beneficial.

One veteran appointment that resulted from attending a careers fair was Rachel Lee, a distinguished former RAF non-commissioned officer, who now works as member GE-BE Transports new health, safety and compliance manager. Using her experience in auditing, compliance and health and safety processes gained during seven years at RAF Marham, Rachel now plays a key role in the growth and success of the Norfolk company.

Rachel said: Ge-Be Transport actively supports veterans in their transition to civilian workplaces and was supportive during my own transition. My new role, which Im really enjoying, is to further embed health and safety into the DNA of the organisation and foster an inclusive and positive mental and wellbeing culture, to support staff and the communities we work with.

The annual Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday in June to allow the public to show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, whether they be actively serving, veterans or cadets. This year it falls on June 29.
Rebecca Price as head of commercial services

A Midlands-based pallet pooling specialist has made a senior appointment to lead its commercial services team in the UK and Ireland.

IPP has appointed Rebecca Price as head of commercial services to enhance the digitalisation of its personalised service while supporting its ambitious growth plans.

Rebecca brings extensive experience to the role and an impressive CV, having worked in customer service and experience for 20 years and built high-performing teams in a range of industries, including the utilities, social housing and construction sectors.

IPPs commercial team, which is based in Coventry, is responsible for the day-to-day running of customer accounts and works in collaboration with other departments to provide excellent customer experience.

The companys reusable, sustainable wooden pallets are used by a wide range of FMCG brands across the UK and Europe.

Rebecca said: My experience lies in using data to drive transformational change and identifying opportunities to improve the service a customer receives.

As head of commercial services, my role at IPP is key to ensuring the customer experience is excellent throughout while driving down pallet loss for the benefit of all our customers.

We understand our customers have high sustainability targets and it's our job to go the extra mile to help them achieve their targets through increased digitalisation.

Im looking forward to getting out and seeing our customers in person, understanding their individual needs and processes and looking at how we can use data to make further improvements to their IPP service.

Rebeccas appointment follows the recent additions of Paul Timbrell as head of commercial accounts and Sarah Mercer as business programme director.

Shelley Pierre, commercial director at IPP, said: We are investing heavily in the expansion of our heads of functions to support our UKI growth strategy.

"Collectively, the team is highly skilled and has extensive experience in delivering growth; the appointment of a new head of commercial services will enable IPP to drive the digitalisation of our services forward.

Rebeccas experience will also enhance our customer experience and prepare our commercial services team for the next stage of growth, while using data to identify new ways to improve processes and add value to the service we provide.

Rebecca added: The supply chain industry is fast moving with a lot of complex processes happening in the background.

I find that really exciting and its why I wanted to work in the industry; its fast paced and will only go from strength to strength.

IPP, which is part of the Faber Group, provides reusable pallet and box pooling services across Europe for fast moving consumer goods and industrial supply chains, operating a pay-per-use model over ownership.

The company has set a target to become net-zero by 2045 following the publication of Faber Groups first sustainability report earlier this year.
Professor Ben Voyer

Professor Ben Voyer explains how packaging in the luxury market is an art form that intricately weaves psychology, emotion and consumer behaviour, shaping perceptions and driving purchasing decisions.

In the nuanced realm of luxury goods, packaging represents far more than mere containment, it is an intricate dance of psychology, emotion, and consumer behaviour. Luxury packaging design and presentation are pivotal in consumer decision-making, subtly shaping perceptions and driving purchases.

Luxury markets, renowned for their resilience in economic downturns, are sustained by the unique purchasing patterns of consumers who persist in indulging despite broader financial challenges. The evolving dynamics of these transactions underscore a shift towards fewer, yet more costly, purchases, underscoring the pivotal role of comprehending and appealing to consumer emotions.

The narrative of luxury is woven into its packaginga timeless symbol of exclusivity and perfection. From the iconic Burberry check to the unforgettable design of a perfume bottle, the right packaging amplifies the immediate allure and ensures enduring brand resonance in the minds of discerning consumers. To delve deeper into the science behind these consumer choices, you can hear Ben Voyer deliver his talk, "The Science Behind Behaviour: How and Why Consumers Make Choices," at London Packaging Week between 10:45 AM and 11:15 AM on Wednesday, September 11.

Voyer is a distinguished figure at the intersection of consumer psychology and marketing, renowned for his expertise in understanding the deeper motivations behind consumer behaviour. Serving as the Cartier Chair Professor of Behavioural Science, Voyer's academic prowess is dedicated to unravelling the emotional and cognitive processes that drive purchasing decisions. "It's something that is often ignored or not thought about," he told London Packaging Week. "With a lot of the packaging we're doing, we view luxury as a habit, but there is not much deeper reflection about the consumer decision-making process and how packaging is processed and perceived emotionally, especially by consumers."

Understanding your customers on a deeper level is the cornerstone of creating packaging that resonates on a personal and emotional level. This is especially crucial for luxury and beauty brands in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) sector, where personalisation can make or break customer loyalty. As Voyer highlights, knowing individual preferences allows brands to craft packaging that feels bespoke and intimately connected to the consumer. "The more you get to know your customers, the more you know their preferences," he added. "The key is to build an offering in the packaging that directly reflects these preferences. That is the key, and it's becoming increasingly important for luxury and beauty brands, especially when you're in the direct-to-customer field where your customers, most DTC brands, tend to be built around communities and consumers that are part of the community.

"In the world of luxury, you care as much about what consumers see as what consumers do not see. So, if you think about some of the biggest luxury brands in the world, like Hermes, when they make a shirt or make a T-shirt, they care as much about the inseam inside that you will never see the overall look or feel of the fabric. And that's the attention to detail, the drive for absolute perfection that is part and parcel of the DNA of a luxury brand."

Unlike everyday retail purchases, where packaging is often discarded, luxury packaging is designed to be cherished and kept. This distinct difference highlights the value and exclusivity associated with luxury products. The packaging serves as a lasting reminder of the extraordinary purchase, reinforcing the brand's identity and the consumer's indulgence. Luxury packaging enhances initial satisfaction and fosters long-term loyalty by enabling consumers to relive their shopping experience. Each use of a beautifully packaged cream or perfume bottle evokes memories of the luxury store and the purchase, making the brand more memorable and desirable.

"For luxury brands, packaging is the tangible part of the experience," added Voyer. "A luxury store is something that is unique and something that causes the consumer to see a lot of value in the products that they want to purchase. However, the packaging is what will stay with the consumer. They will keep the packaging, and it is common for people who buy luxury shoes to keep the shoe box. You would not do that if you go and buy a pair of Nike shoes or Adidas shoes, but if you buy a pair of luxury shoes, you will keep the packaging. If you buy a handbag, it will not just come in a cardboard box. It will be a proper fabric bag. Packaging is that tangible reminder that you've bought something that is out of the ordinary, which is what luxury is about."

For some luxury products, such as perfumes or cosmetics, much of the product's cost is invested in its packaging and marketing rather than the product itself. Whether it is the opulent design of a perfume bottle or the sophisticated feel of a beauty jar, packaging plays a crucial role in the storytelling process that convinces consumers to invest in high-end items. "Most of the cost will not be in the actual perfume itself; it will be the bottle," he continued. "It will be the packaging. And, of course, it will be marketing. It will be a celebrity endorsement. The same goes for beauty, where it can be about creating a unique, exclusive feel of a bottle or a jar, but sometimes it is also about mimicking what you would find in a lab. Many luxury beauty products are all about having dermatologist ingredients, and they will be about mimicking a biology lab. In luxury, packaging is part of storytelling, and we know that storytelling is almost everything when it comes to convincing people to splurge on extremely exclusive and expensive items, products, or services.

"I think if you get the right packaging, it can last a lifetime for the brand. If you think about the monogram for brands such as Louis Vuitton or Chanel, it was not meant to be a recognizable status symbol; it was just meant to be part of the pattern. But it has been pushed forward, much like the Burberry check. It has become a luxury branding and packaging forma present within a present. Whether you are buying for yourself or someone else, the packaging is the first present you get, whereas if you go to Zara or H&M, you might not even get any form of packaging because you probably have to pay for the bag. But with luxury, it is part and parcel of the experience, and packaging is that symbol that makes the whole story stand up."

In the luxury market, the stakes are continuously rising, meaning brands need to thoroughly understand the nuances of packaging. Packaging in luxury is not just about aesthetics; it involves a deep comprehension of the emotional and informational processing that drives consumer reactions. According to Voyer, one of several stellar components of London Packaging Week's impressive conference agenda, relying on outdated strategies or making assumptions can lead to significant missteps, especially when launching new products.

"The stakes are much higher in luxury, and they're getting higher and higher, which is why you need to understand all of the information and emotional processing of packaging," he said. "Because if you just guess what the reaction might be, or if you just use a playbook from 10 or 20 years ago, you may get it massively wrong. So, if you think about launching a new product, that could have massive implications for an established player and a newcomer."

In the realm of luxury brands, heritage stands as a fundamental pillar, embodying the unique craftsmanship and know-how honed over generations. Heritage brands leverage their rich histories to create an authentic luxury experience that resonates deeply with consumers. As brands navigate evolving consumer expectations, balancing heritage, lifestyle appeal, and sustainability becomes increasingly complex yet crucial.

Voyer continued: Heritage is key because it is linked with unique know-how passed and perfected over generations, decades, and centuries; luxury brands that do not have heritage often need to nail the lifestyle aspect of a luxury brand. Typically, most American luxury brands think about Ralph Lauren; they have a living founder, and it is an incarnation of a certain lifestyle. That is because there isn't the heritage behind it, and it's such a key aspect of selling luxury, selling a luxury experience, and giving people access to a unique set of competencies. This ability to produce exact movement, to make a certain item a certain way, and if you do not have that heritage, you will need to compensate in quite a few different ways, typically with lifestyle and more traditional marketing celebrity endorsement, influencer endorsement, and things like.

"On sustainability, your average customer looks to have a transcending experience where they buy luxury and sustainability. We might argue that this is starting to change. Still, by and large, sustainability is not the primary criterion because, for most consumers, it's like every day they go into a luxury store and buy two, three, or four items, so when they do go into a luxury store and have a unique experience, they want to be in that norm-breaking moment where they can indulge. They do not have to think about sustainability. That is one of the things that we observe with consumers who are not regular luxury consumers. Regular luxury consumers, and perhaps the younger generation of luxury consumers, like more casual luxury consumers, are starting to think more about sustainability. But your average middle-aged luxury consumer will not want that. They will dodge that experience because it's not something that is out of the ordinary."

As we navigate the intricate world of luxury goods, it becomes clear that packaging is far more than just a functional element; it is a sophisticated interplay of psychology, emotion, and consumer behaviour. How luxury items are packaged significantly influences consumer perceptions and purchasing decisions, transforming mere products into cherished experiences.

The ability to resonate personally and emotionally with consumers is crucial, especially in the luxury sector, where packaging can significantly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is imperative for brands to master the art of packagingthat much is clear. But this now involves much more than a simple appreciation for aestheticsrather, it involves a deep comprehension of the emotional and informational processes that drive consumer reactions.
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A new housing development is going up near Fort Detrick, Maryland, and the Army is considering a series of engineering efforts to protect the homeowners after it contaminated adjacent land throughout much of the 20th century by testing biological weapons.

Many of the homes next to what is known as the Area B section of the base are already built -- some of them for sale -- and single-family properties are selling for about $640,000, which is roughly the median price for the area. That nearby 399-acre section of Fort Detrick was once a proving ground for the Army's biological warfare program and used as a disposal site for chemical, medical and radiological waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Decades ago, the Army was frequently testing biological weapons on the outskirts of the Washington, D.C., area, and those grounds are still heavily contaminated. Fort Detrick served as the center of the Pentagon's bio-weapon development, until those weapons were outlawed by President Richard Nixon.

Read Next: Soldiers Now Face Punishment for Sharing, Liking Extremist Content on Social Media Under New Army Policy

Today, much of the surrounding area in that part of Frederick, Maryland, has contaminated groundwater, among other environmental concerns. Area B is on the EPA's National Priorities List for Superfund sites, meaning it ranks a top concern for known releases of hazardous substances, contaminants or pollutants, according to the agency.

The upcoming home development on potentially poisoned lands was first reported in the Frederick News-Post. The news outlet reported that new groundwater sampling in May showed "high concentrations of contamination along the southwest fence line of Area B and a nearby residential development that could potentially impact dozens of planned homes."

The Army is assessing installing technologies similar to radon abatement systems, according to Maria Gallegos, an Army spokesperson.

Those systems can lead to increased electricity bills and generally serve as vents to expel toxic gasses. The Army declined to comment on specific technologies that may be implemented to counter toxic groundwater or vapor emitting from the ground.

The service also declined to comment on whether it will reach out to families that have already purchased homes on land that may have environmental or safety issues.

Technicians work in a laboratory at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Md., in the late 1960s under the offensive biological weapons program that the Army ran there from 1943 to 1969. (AP Photo/Department of Defense)

In the 1940s, Area B was used to test biological weapons -- mostly viruses, bacteria and fungi that could potentially be weaponized, including experiments with E. coli, according to the EPA. Testing was also done on phosgene, a gas used as a chemical weapon in World War I -- and responsible for some 85,000 deaths at the time -- and sterilized samples of the bacteria that causes anthrax were also buried in Area B.

"Test animals were buried in trenches or pits located in Area B after autoclave sterilization," according to the EPA's description of the site's activity.

There was an attempt to decontaminate that area of Fort Detrick in the 1970s, but groundwater testing since the 1990s has continued to find pollution. "Most of the drinking water wells near Fort Detrick have been closed, and affected residents were connected to public water supply," according to the EPA.

Army Installation Management Command said in a statement that the main environmental concern for the new housing development is trichloroethylene. That chemical compound was also a main pollutant of water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for decades, and prolonged exposure can cause kidney cancer among other health complications, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, two volatile organic compounds, have also been major chemical constituents found during groundwater testing, according to the EPA.

The contamination can potentially impact dozens of new residential real-estate developments in the area, based on internal documentation from the Army Corps of Engineers. Army officials canceled a scheduled Military.com interview with Fort Detrick's environmental official.

Related: DoD to Expand Investigation, Cleanup of 'Forever Chemicals' in Response to New EPA Standards
A commander of an Air Force special operations squadron in Florida has been fired from his role after being arrested on charges related to domestic violence, including choking his wife and a child.

Lt. Col. Brent P. Byng, the commander of the 19th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on Sunday evening on charges of abuse of a child, obstructing justice, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of domestic battery by strangulation -- all felony crimes, according to the police report. He was removed from his command the following day.

Byng, 44, entered active duty in 2007. As commander of the 19th Special Operations Squadron, he oversaw the training school for AC-130H, AC-130U and MC-130E aircraft, and he served in that role for roughly a month before being removed from command, according to an Air Force Special Operations Command spokesperson.

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Byng had received decorations such as the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Air Force Achievement Medal, according to his record, provided by Air Force Special Operations Command.

"We are aware of the situation regarding the allegations about and the arrest of Lt. Col. Byng, and the Air Force is cooperating fully with the local authorities," Lt. Col. Rebecca Heyse, an AFSOC spokesperson, told Military.com. "The incident is under investigation by local law enforcement."

Attempts to reach Byng at phone numbers listed in public records for him were unsuccessful. It's not clear whether he has retained an attorney to represent him in the case.

Byng came back to his home on Sunday from a party at a friend's house and "accused his wife of cheating on him," according to an arrest report provided to Military.com.

He allegedly asked his wife to see her phone; she refused and walked into the bedroom. Byng "became irate and enraged," followed her into the bedroom and proceeded to grab her by the neck, "squeezing until she could not draw breath," according to the police report.

Two children were present, and the wife passed her phone to them and told them to run away. Byng allegedly took out a folding pocketknife, opened it and told them to give him the phone, the report detailed.

Byng followed them outside and is accused of grabbing one of the children on the front porch and picking them up by their neck, according to police. He allegedly released his grip only when he saw a friend pulling into the driveway.

The wife and children told police they believed "he was attempting to take the phone to prevent them from calling law enforcement for help," the arrest report stated. The children and the wife ran back inside, and the woman climbed the backyard fence to get into a neighbor's house to use their phone.

The firing of the 19th Special Operations Squadron commander follows the removal of another AFSOC squadron commander last year after that officer was arrested and accused of driving under the influence, hitting a vehicle and leaving the scene in Florida.

Related: Special Operations Commander Fired After Being Arrested for Alleged Drunk Driving, Hit and Run
The Army has set new policies making it more difficult for units to deny soldiers' requests to take leave to receive reproductive care including abortions, according to a force-wide memo.

The strict new policies strip company-level commanders, usually a captain, of any authority to deny a soldier's request to take leave and travel for care, and move that authority to the brigade level, typically a colonel much higher up in the soldier's chain of command. That brigade commander is also required to receive legal counsel if they deny the soldier's request, according to the policies set earlier this month.

The move follows new Pentagon rules last year for all the service branches allowing up to three weeks of administrative leave and transportation expenses for troops who seek abortion care when the life of the mother is at risk and for other fertility treatments, for themselves or when traveling with a spouse seeking that care. That earlier policy came after a Supreme Court decision that allowed states to ban or curtail abortion services.

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In the new Army policy, the service also included a provision for commanders who morally object to the treatment a soldier is seeking. In that scenario, the approval will move on to the next level in the chain of command -- but the policy stipulates that the request "will not be delayed."

Making decisions on approvals or disapprovals will not take more than a week, the policy states.

That denial authority goes far beyond the Pentagon's initial guidance, which left the responsibility to low-level, and often young, commanders. Moving the denial authority higher in the chain of command presumably makes it much less likely a soldier's request would be denied, adding burdensome bureaucratic layers if commanders say no.

Beefing up that denial authority is a similar move to how the Army handled its parental leave policy implemented in 2023, after Congress mandated each of the services grant 12 weeks of leave for new mothers and fathers in the military. The Army's implementation of that policy was long delayed and eventually came a month after the congressionally mandated deadline.

The delay was mostly due to a behind-the-scenes debate on denial authority, as Army Secretary Christine Wormuth sought protections that were stronger than the other services. In the Army, only the first general officer in the chain of command above a birth and non-birth parent can deny the leave, while the other services placed much of that authority on low-level commanders.

Still, Military.com later found anecdotes of new parents being denied leave by company commanders. That concern eventually spurred Wormuth to publish a rare follow-up memo to the force reminding commanders where the denial authority lies.

The Pentagon's reproductive care policy was a reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion established in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

The lion's share of troops are stationed in politically conservative states, many of which had so-called "trigger laws" that went into effect immediately after the court's decision and dramatically reduced access to abortions. Even in cases in which the life of the mother is at risk, women have had difficulty getting care.

The new policy allowing troops travel and leave was meant to ease that burden for those stationed in areas where abortion services are either banned or tightly restricted, allowing them to travel to other locations and states for health care.

However, it has also caused blowback from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., waged a nearly yearlong blockade of senior officer promotions, which he eventually ended with no concessions from the Pentagon after outcry and criticism from lawmakers in his own party.

This month, House Republicans passed a measure into the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that would ban the military from covering leave and travel costs for service members seeking abortions.

It remains unclear whether the measure will ever become law. The House and Senate still need to negotiate a final version of the bill that must be signed into law by President Joe Biden, which could happen later this year.

Related: Culture War Political Fights Resurface as House Approves 19.5% Junior Enlisted Pay Raise and Senate Eyes 5.5%
BERKELEY, Missouri  Boeing is moving forward with its combat aircraft expansion project near its Berkeley complex, though recent comments from military officials have injected new uncertainty into an Air Force program the company is reportedly pursuing.

Steve Nordlund, senior site executive for Boeing St. Louis, said Wednesday the company is making a "tremendous amount" of investment in developing capabilities for fighter jets, satellites and "future products."

Nordlund referred to a new building included in the expansion here as an "advanced combat aircraft" site, expected to be completed in 2026. The new 1.1 million square-foot facility would nearly double its manufacturing footprint here.

Nordlund said Wednesday the expansion marks a "pretty big moment for the St. Louis site."

"Don't underestimate, this is a pretty big bet for the Boeing Company," he said.

The $1.8 billion expansion project at Boeing's north St. Louis County complex is poised to become one of the largest defense projects in the region's history. The county council approved about $155 million in tax breaks for the project in September.

Boeing also opened a specialized lab and testing facility here last year, and plans to open an advanced post-assembly site in the second quarter of 2025.

On Wednesday, as Nordlund showed reporters the view of the expansion sites from the seventh floor of the company's offices in Berkeley, he said he couldn't comment on what other programs the sites might include.

Boeing has said the expansion is intended for "new aerospace programs," suggesting that the project doesn't hinge on any one contract.

The expansion was announced last year as a competition moved forward to build the next generation of fighter jet for the Air Force, known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD. Last year the Air Force said it planned to award a contract in 2024.

Nordlund said he couldn't confirm or deny that the company is pursuing the competition, and the Air Force hasn't publicly said which defense contractors are competing. But trade publications have reported that Boeing is believed to be facing off against Lockheed Martin.

Earlier this month, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Aviation Week that the 2026 fiscal year budget is "tough." Kendall didn't confirm that the service is looking at dramatically cutting funding for the competition, according to the report. Asked directly, he said: "I don't want to get ahead of myself on any of this, OK? I'm just saying we're open-minded right now on the things we're looking at."

A couple of days later, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin was asked at an Air & Space Forces Association event if, in light of other spending needs, the agency can still "do" NGAD.

"We're going to have to make those choices, make those decisions," Allvin responded.

Boeing had previously referred questions to the Air Force, citing the classified nature of the program. The Air Force said in a statement that it is building its budget memo for the 2026 fiscal year, and the details will be released early next year.

Loren Thompson, a longtime Washington-based defense analyst, said the Air Force seems to be signaling that the program is "something they'd like to have, but not something they're going to make huge sacrifices to achieve."

But given the secrecy of the program, even seasoned defense-industry analysts are finding it difficult to gauge the weight of Allvin and Kendall's remarks, or how Boeing officials may be feeling about them.

"NGAD is entirely secret," Thompson said. "It's hard to judge what the Air Force is saying. ... It's hard to determine what part it plays in Boeing's future business plan."

Briefings and tours with Boeing officials this week, in the leadup to the Farnborough International Airshow, proved that the expansion is one of many ongoing changes within the company's St. Louis footprint.

Officials have designed the layout for the T-7 trainer plane's manufacturing line in Berkeley, and expect the first parts to arrive later this year. The company has been building MQ-25 refueling drones at the same site, but later this year will move production over to a newly built, 300,000-square-foot factory at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah.

And with U.S. and foreign orders for fighter jets growing, the company hired about 100 people, recently, to staff up its F-15 manufacturing line. Boeing plans to deliver 16 this year, but will increase to 24 in 2026.

Earlier this year Boeing secured a $1.3 billion contract from the U.S. Navy for 17 new F/A-18s. Rather than winding down next year, the order extended the life of the St. Louis County manufacturing line into 2027.

2024 STLtoday.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Marine Corps launched a new maintenance tracking program Tuesday, hoping to make it easier for Marines to request fixes for problems they encounter in the barracks.

The system, called QSRMax, has existed in parts of the military, but now it is service-wide for the Corps. Across the force, Marines should see quick response codes -- also known as QR codes -- in their barracks.

The intent is for Marines to identify the problem, scan the code on their phones, and report the issue to maintenance facilities. The Marine Corps said that the requests will be seen at the strategic level, meaning that leaders echelons above the requesting Marine can collate and keep track of maintenance problems en masse.

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The initiative is part of the Marine Corps' Barracks 2030 plan, which is meant to improve housing for Marines who might have lived in squalid, vermin-infested and sometimes flooded rooms, according to a government watchdog report from last year and previous Military.com reporting.

"QSRMax is a major component of improving management within the Barracks 2030 plan," Maj. John Parry, a spokesperson for the service's installation command, told Military.com on Wednesday. "This new digital maintenance tracking system was designed to improve accountability and responsiveness for maintenance requests and allow Marines to track them in real time."

Across the military, it can be a problem to keep track of maintenance requests, respond to them and then fix them. Some issues can remain stagnant without a fix for months, according to a Government Accountability Office report from 2023.

Earlier this year, Military.com reported on improvements the Corps was trying to make in light of concerning images that surfaced on social media showing poor living conditions for Marines. One initiative was a pilot program at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, where the QSRMax concept was tested.

That Miramar pilot has proved to be a blueprint for how the Corps wants to improve barracks and maintenance, according to Parry. It tested "resident advisers" or staff noncommissioned officers assigned to the barracks for more oversight.

Currently, when Marines submit a maintenance request through the QSRMax system, it is received by barracks managers. Barracks managers are often junior troops -- an additional duty, in most cases -- and are given the daunting tasks of overseeing that fixes get done.

The Marine Corps is trying to rectify that.

"I don't want to put a corporal or a sergeant who's not a barracks manager in charge of that barracks," Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith told reporters in October. "That's how you fix the public works -- with a professional to a professional."

In a memo obtained by Military.com last year, the Marine Corps said that it planned to replace the 532 noncommissioned officer barracks managers with 115 government personnel and 232 contractors. Those "professional barracks managers" will report to the installation commander, and the idea is to take the responsibility away from Marines who may not be qualified to manage a barracks and give it to someone whose full-time duty is to do so.

For now, the QSRMax program is in full effect and looks to increase "transparency and accountability" about barracks fixes for Marines.

"The introduction of QSRMax marks a new chapter in facilities maintenance within the Marine Corps, characterized by efficiency, transparency and responsiveness," a Marine Corps message announcing the program said Tuesday.

Related: Marine Corps Plans Resident Advisers in Barracks and Other Fixes as Gross Facility Photos Surface Online
NASA said Wednesday that it has selected SpaceX to build the one-of-a-kind space vehicle meant to propel the now-decades-old International Space Station to a reentry at the end of its life without damaging anything on the ground.

The announcement came on the same day that the crew of the ISS had to unexpectedly board their capsules to wait for the outcome of a near collision with space debris from a satellite.

The ISS is already four years past its originally planned operational lifespan and has faced a raft of recent problems -- air leaks from the structure have worsened and pieces of ISS-related space junk, including jettisoned parts of SpaceX Dragon capsules, have recently crashed to Earth after failing to burn up in the atmosphere. Also, the ballooning inventory of satellites in orbit has placed the ISS in added danger of a collision.

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In its announcement of SpaceX's contract award, NASA expressed the fleeting nature of the new vehicle's existence. Like the space station, the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle "is expected to destructively [break up] as part of the re-entry process."

The agency provided details, in a white paper also published Wednesday, of the deorbiting plan along with an explanation of why it and its four international agency partners settled on deorbiting rather than other ideas, which were proposed by people who wanted to see at least some of the space station survive for its historical value.

Neither item published Wednesday described any details of the coming vehicle's design.

To propel the space station onto its final trajectory for a desirable reentry, NASA requested proposals for "a new or modified spacecraft using a large amount of propellant." Between the SpaceX Dragon's crewed and cargo-only versions, the capsules have visited the ISS dozens of times, but the announcement didn't say whether the plan involves modifying a Dragon.

The contract is worth $843 million. Dragon capsules launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. The cost of the launch will be part of a separate contract.

While getting a new vehicle built, NASA will have only worse options in the event of an emergency.

For a spacecraft to reenter the atmosphere, the U.S. government requires a 1-in-10,000 likelihood or less of the debris resulting in a "public risk," according to the white paper. With the vehicles that currently visit the station, such as Russia's Progress cargo capsules that already provide propulsion, the deorbiting wouldn't meet that standard.

But the planned end to the space station's service isn't the only reason it might need to deorbit.

NASA's safety advisers, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, recommended in 2022 that NASA address not only "the lack of a well-funded, controlled reentry and deorbit plan" but also the growing likelihood of an emergency happening in the meantime.

As recently as Wednesday, crews had to evacuate the interior of the ISS to wait inside their capsules, ready to fly home in the event of damage, as debris passed close by from a satellite that broke up in orbit.

The current crew members include Navy Cmdr. Matthew Dominick, commander of the most recent Crew Dragon mission, and retired Navy Capts. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams, commander and mission pilot respectively of the first human test flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule.

A NASA spokesperson told Military.com that, in the case of a mission-ending emergency between now and the projected end of the station's operations in 2030, the plan is to deorbit with the propulsion from a Russian Progress capsule, a solution already deemed insufficient as the final plan. NASA officials did not address what might be done if the Progress capsule also got hit in the collision and the space station began to naturally fall back to Earth uncontrolled.

In addition to the added risk of a collision, the ISS has faced issues including air leaks that worsened earlier this year.

However, "NASA and its international partners regularly conduct structural analyses of the station to ensure it continues to be safely and productively crewed and operated," according to the white paper. "These analyses show ample margin to fly through at least 2030."

Meanwhile, recent news that debris from the ISS reached the ground when it was supposed to burn up, including an old battery pack that struck a home in Florida and parts of an expendable Crew Dragon cargo trunk that fell in North Carolina, could have implications for the success of the deorbiting.

The flight controllers for Skylab discovered the limitations of the mathematical estimates made to predict how and when a space object will burn up in the atmosphere in 1979, when that earlier space station failed to disintegrate as predicted and their final maneuver overshot the target by thousands of miles, scattering debris in a remote part of Australia.

The white paper also breaks down the alternatives to deorbiting that NASA rejected as infeasible or too dangerous, including an uncontrolled reentry (too risky to people on the ground); any kind of disassembly for repurposing in space or returning to Earth (difficult because the ISS wasn't built in a way that's conducive to easy disassembly, and the space shuttles with their large cargo bays no longer fly); and boosting to a much higher orbit (the current astronaut capsules aren't meant to go higher, and the ISS can't operate without a crew, among other reasons).

SpaceX will build the vehicle then turn it over to NASA to own and operate for the deorbiting. NASA's announcement did not specify a delivery date.

Related: Starliner Crew to Join Storied Lineup of Military Astronauts Who Test-Flew U.S. Spacecraft
Heart surgeries were paused at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Aurora, Colorado, for more than a year in 2022 and 2023 as a result of changes made by leaders who cultivated a "culture of fear" at the hospital, the VA Office of Inspector General has found.

Two reports released Monday by the VA's top watchdog found that the facility paused cardiac surgeries from June to July 2022 and again from September 2022 to October 2023. Leadership told their regional directors of the first pause but did not inform them or the VA's Central Office in Washington, D.C., of the second, longer suspension.

The VA OIG said the pauses did not directly contribute to patient harm, but the toxic work environment, explored in a separate investigation, jeopardized patient safety.

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"Senior leaders failed to utilize High-Reliability Organization principles, undermined the stability and psychological safety of service leaders and staff, and created a culture of fear," Dr. John Daigh, the VA assistant inspector general for health care inspections, wrote in a report.

According to the investigations, five adult critical nurse practitioners who worked in the hospital's surgical intensive care unit left in April 2022 as a result of changes made to their jobs by leadership.

Following those departures, the hospital paused heart surgeries for a month, resuming them only after increasing physician coverage of the intensive care unit at night by bringing in the former chief of surgery, former interim intensive care unit director and another surgeon who also worked during the day to provide care.

The facility was forced to pause heart surgeries again two months later after continued efforts to attract permanent personnel failed. During the second pause, the hospital's entire cardiac surgical staff left. The hospital was able to resume procedures only 13 months later after it contracted with the University of Colorado to provide surgical teams.

The staffing issues and changes to the surgical intensive care unit were part of a larger problem investigated by the VA OIG in a separate report also drafted by Daigh. In that investigation, the office found a workplace climate in which leaders belittled staff publicly and dismissed their concerns, leading to resignations and transfers, as well as an environment where staff was unable to express concerns over procedures or patient safety.

"The resulting moral distress has led to an exodus of skilled staff at all levels, which in turn harms veteran care," one employee told OIG investigators.

Shortly after the investigations began, the hospital director and chief of staff were temporarily assigned elsewhere, and two other leaders resigned.

Hospital Director Michael Kilmer was sent to another regional directorate, although his LinkedIn profile still lists him as director and CEO of VA Eastern Colorado Health. Dr. Shilpa Rungta, the former chief of staff, is serving as interim physician adviser to the VA assistant under secretary of health for clinical services.

"VA recognizes that a negative employee culture can have a negative impact on patient experience, and the interim leadership at VA [Eastern Colorado Health Care System] is focused on creating a psychologically safe and healthy environment for staff," facility leaders said in a release Monday.

The Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center is one of the VA's newest, most modern facilities, opening its doors in 2018 five years behind schedule and $1 billion over budget, with a total cost of nearly $2 billion.

Last month, roughly 500 surgical procedures were canceled or delayed at the facility after staff found a mysterious black residue on reusable medical equipment needed for some surgeries.

The exact source of the residue, which appears to be plastic, according to news reports, has yet to be determined but is likely linked to sterilization equipment.

The IG reports made several recommendations to VA leaders at both the local and headquarters level to improve the facility's workplace environment and patient services. Those included a complete review of the facility's operations, staffing, leadership and retention, and a focus on the regional office, known as a Veterans Integrated Services Network, or VISN.

The VA OIG recommended standardization of the VISN directors' roles and responsibilities and an investigation into the circumstances that kept the VISN director in the dark about a 13-month pause in cardiac surgeries.

The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health held a hearing Wednesday on the VA's regional structure, focusing on its lack of standardization and ability to provide continuity of care.

During the hearing, Dr. Julie Kroviak, the VA's principal deputy assistant inspector general, described the disbelief her office had when they investigated the Aurora hospital.

"When you have that type of exodus of clinical staff, when you have closure of a cardio-thoracic program ... how that noise doesn't make it to the higher level for an immediate intervention, rescue, whatever, our team was appropriately baffled by that story," Kroviak said.

Acting Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Support Services, Veterans Health Administration, Al Montoya assured lawmakers that the VA has responded, with the under secretary of health's office sending a team to Aurora to ensure that the department was "appropriately resourcing" the facility.

"I personally have a staff member out there from my team this week; I'll be personally making a trip out there next month to make sure there is progress, to make sure we are holding them accountable to moving forward," Montoya said.

Sunaina Kumar-Giebel, director of the Rocky Mountain Network, said the facility is committed to "prioritizing a culture of safety."

"Allegations of unsafe patient care or misconduct are taken seriously. These investigations will help ensure veterans, employees and stakeholders have full confidence in the quality and integrity of the leaders and care delivery provided," Kumar-Giebel said in a statement Monday.

Related: Nurses Rally at VA Headquarters in DC to Protest Staffing Reductions
Veterans' families are geared up for Friday's special session of the Virginia General Assembly to review the massive changes made to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, or VMSDEP. In May, the assembly passed a budget slashing the long-standing program that provided educational funds to the families of veterans most affected by military service.

This change sparked fierce objections from veterans groups and affected families, prompting policymakers to review the decision.

History and Impact of VMSDEP

In its current form, VMSDEP grants tuition waivers to the spouses and children of certain deceased and disabled service members and veterans at public colleges and universities in Virginia. The program provides an eight-semester tuition waiver to the dependents of those killed, missing in action, taken prisoner or permanently disabled because of their military service. Over the years, the program has enabled the dependents of these personnel to pursue higher education without the burden of financial constraints.

The Repeal: A Controversial Move

In mid-May, the Virginia General Assembly included significant changes to VMSDEP in the two-year budget that takes effect July 1. The assembly did not publicly seek input from stakeholders on the changes.



The changes require veterans' families to exhaust other forms of federal or state financial aid before receiving any tuition waiver benefits. It also restricts the types of education that are eligible. Lastly, it changes the nature of disabilities that qualify.

The legislators justified their decision based on growing costs. According to a Virginia House Appropriations Committee report, the cost of VMSDEP waivers grew from about $12 million to $65 million from 2019 to 2023. The program amounts to an unfunded mandate, with the costs being borne by colleges and universities, and it's reportedly experiencing an increase in dependents whose parents served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Veterans organizations, educational institutions and affected families condemned the changes. Critics argue that the financial savings from the repeal are negligible compared to the massive economic benefit that Virginia receives from its veteran residents and the profound impact on the lives of military families. They also highlight that the program's benefits are not merely financial but symbolic, representing the state's commitment to honoring the sacrifices of its military personnel.

The Fight to Overturn the Repeal

Swift backlash gave rise to VMSDEP Friends, a grassroots effort that grew from 300 to 2,700 people in just six weeks. It has partnered with national veterans service organizations, launching a campaign to raise awareness about the program's importance and to gather public support for its reinstatement.

VMSDEP Friends has attended all subsequent state meetings, drawing attention to the personal stories of those who have benefited from VMSDEP, including testimonials from students who have graduated thanks to the program and families who currently rely on its support. The emotional impact of these stories has been a powerful tool in garnering sympathy and support from the broader public.

Social media has also played a crucial role in the campaign. Hashtags such as #SaveVMSDEP and #SupportMilitaryFamilies have trended on various platforms, amplifying the voices of those affected by the repeal. Online petitions have garnered thousands of signatures, and advocacy groups have used these platforms to coordinate their efforts and disseminate information.

Legislative Response and Future Prospects

Despite signing the original budget bill, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has called for repealing the changes.

The Virginia House of Delegates is set to meet Friday to review a bill to fully repeal the changes and restore the benefit. As of Wednesday morning, this legislation had 95 of 100 delegates signing on. The Senate Finance Committee did not advance a bill repealing the changes in a recent special session.

After the House meets Friday, the Senate returns Monday.

The Broader Implications

The fight to overturn the repeal of VMSDEP highlights broader issues related to how states support military families. It raises questions about the prioritization of budgetary allocations and the values that guide such decisions. Advocates argue that programs such as VMSDEP are a social contract between the state and its veterans, many of whom picked Virginia as their home specifically because of VMSDEP.

The debate also underscores the importance of public engagement and advocacy in shaping policy decisions. The swift and organized response to the repeal demonstrates the power of collective action and the impact that personal stories can have on public opinion and legislative outcomes.

Conclusion

The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program has drawn veteran families to settle in Virginia. In return, Virginia has received the economic benefit of the $5 billion in annual disability compensation received by veterans residing there. VMSDEP beneficiaries often stay in Virginia, adding educated employees to the workforce.



The significance of VMSDEP cannot be overstated. For families that have lost a breadwinner or are grappling with the challenges of caring for a disabled veteran, this program has been a beacon of hope. It has allowed many to achieve educational and professional goals that might otherwise have been out of reach.

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SALINE, MI  A 41-year-old Saline man was arrested Thursday morning after he attempted to rob a Saline bank, according to police.

Saline police officers were called to the reported robbery around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Old National Bank branch, 200 N. Maple Road, Saline Chief Marlene Radzik said in a release.

The man handed a note to a teller demanding money, implying he was armed with a weapon, police said. He then fled the bank, running southeast and getting into a white truck. He left the truck and continued to run south across Michigan Avenue.

He did not take any money, said Eugene Rush, spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office.

Read more: Man arrested for attempting to rob Saline bank

A Saline police officer who was investigating a nearby crash saw the man running, noticed he matched the description of the man who attempted to rob the bank and ran after him. A second Saline officer also pursued the man, and police took him into custody near Bemis Road and Old Creek Drive.

The man is being held at the Washtenaw County Jail.

Crews from Pittsfield Township, Milan police and the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office assisted Saline police.

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FLINT, MI -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against her by a top aide to former Gov. Rick Snyder, saying shes entitled to prosecutorial and qualified immunity and was not directly involved in her offices attempt to prosecute him for alleged Flint water crisis crimes.

Nessel made the claim in a filing on Thursday, June 27, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Richard Baird sued Nessel and Flint water prosecutors in federal court last month, saying they ran roughshod over his constitutional rights when they pursued criminal charges, including perjury and extortion, that were ultimately dismissed against him.

In addition to the attorney general, the lawsuit names former state Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, leaders of the Flint water prosecution team, as defendants. Neither Hammoud nor Worthy had responded to the lawsuit as of late Thursday afternoon.

Judge Terrence G. Berg had previously set a deadline of Friday, June 28, for the three defendants to respond to the Baird lawsuit.

Baird, a Flint native and one of nine government officials prosecuted by Hammoud and Worthy for alleged water crisis crimes, said in his lawsuit that he suffered damages of $2.8 million as a result and is owed roughly $800,000 he was forced to spend defending himself in that case.

Nessels answer to the lawsuit gives Berg two options for dismissing the case against her -- immunity and her lack of involvement in the Flint water criminal prosecutions.

Two immunity doctrines ... bar Bairds claim, the Attorney Generals motion to dismiss says. First, even assuming the Attorney General was involved in Bairds indictment (she was not), she maintains absolute prosecutorial immunity for the allegations in the complaint.

Second, because Baird cannot show a violation of federal law, let alone a violation of clearly established federal law, the Attorney General is also entitled to qualified immunity.

The motion to dismiss also says Nessel should be excused from the lawsuit because Baird cannot show Nessel was personally involved in the conduct of water prosecutors because she erected a conflict wall that put Flint water prosecutors on one side of the wall and civil investigations on the other.

The Attorney General ... was screened from the prosecution team and led the Department of Attorney Generals defense team for civil litigation, the motion says.

Nessel appointed Hammoud and Worthy to lead criminal cases related to the Flint water crisis.

Bairds lawsuit maintains those prosecutors carried out a malicious prosecution, abused process, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress.

It claims Nessel, Hammoud and Worthy violated his constitutional due process rights, depriving him of a fair notice of the charges against him by not conducting a preliminary examination.

Baird was indicted by a one-man grand jury in January 2021. He was charged with perjury, extortion, obstruction of justice, and felony misconduct in office.

The charges against him and all other defendants were dismissed after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that the states one-man grand juror statute did not allow for them to be indicted without a preliminary hearing.
JACKSON, MI  Five Jackson firefighters have headed to Indiana to compete in a muti-state event for a chance to be crowned the best firefighters in the Midwest.

Lts. Joe Carpenter and Dan Peterson and Firefighters Matt Jabkiewicz, Casey Pollins and Blake Barber departed Wednesday, June 26, for the Firefighter Challenge Leagues Combat Challenge Midwest Regional in Valparaiso, Indiana, ready to represent the Jackson Fire Department.
The first 2024 presidential debate airs Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET, hosted by CNN. It will also be simulcast across major broadcast stations like ABC, NBC, Fox News and CBS. Those without cable can watch former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in the debate for free with trials from Philo on its USA Today Channel, Fubo, Hulu Live TV and DIRECTV Stream. You can also access it on Sling TVs CNN channel.

About the debate:

The first 2024 presidential debate will be hosted in CNNs Atlanta Studios, with only former President Trump and President Biden  Robert F. Kennedy didnt qualify. Trump will speak last tonight, while Biden was able to choose which side of the stage he would like the podium on. Unlike previous debates, there will be no studio audience tonight so that candidates can maximize the allotted time. Candidates microphones will also be muted when they arent speaking, and CNNs Jake Tapper and Dana Bush will moderate the event. This marks the first time either candidate has been on the debate stage since before the 2020 presidential election.

While CNN has not shared the discussion topics ahead of the debate, CBS news suggested that possibilities include border security, immigration and abortion rights among others. Watch the first 2024 presidential debate live tonight, June 27, at 9/8c on CNN, Hulu Live TV, Philos USA Today Channel and other major networks.

How to watch:
BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing on Wednesday. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos. Xi asked Chinh to convey his cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and to Vietnamese President To Lam. Xi said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, ushering bilateral relations into a new stage. Over the past half a year, the two parties and the two countries have enjoyed close exchanges among high-ranking officials and smooth cooperation in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said. Noting that the world today is going through changes unseen in a century, Xi said both China and Vietnam have maintained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, demonstrating the strengths of the socialist system. He said the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance is in line with the modernization needs of the two countries, and is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability and to promoting the development of the global socialist cause. China is willing to work with Vietnam to maintain solidarity and friendship, consolidate mutual support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that China also stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to march toward modernization and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. Xi stressed that China is committed to comprehensively deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization, which will bring new opportunities for the two sides to expand cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, connectivity and digital economy. He called on the two sides to maintain high-level exchanges, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance connectivity, and promote the high-quality development of practical cooperation between the two countries. China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam and hopes that Vietnam can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, he said. He said the two sides should make good use of the friendly exchanges between the two parties, support border provinces in strengthening exchanges, implement livelihood projects on agriculture, education and medical care, and consolidate public support for China-Vietnam friendship through a good use of people-to-people and youth exchange platforms. The two sides should properly handle maritime issues, speed up joint maritime development and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi added. Chinh conveyed cordial greetings from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President To Lam to Xi. He said that Vietnam and China, both as socialist countries led by the communist party, have a tradition of good-neighborliness and friendship. Hailing China's great achievements on all fronts, Chinh said the Vietnamese side thinks highly of China's important role as an engine and ballast for global economic growth, and supports China's development and prosperity and the realization of its Second Centenary Goal as scheduled. Vietnam supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and opposes the politicization of economic, trade and sci-tech issues, Chinh said. Vietnam hopes to learn from China's new theories, practices and achievements in party and state governance, and to stick to the path of socialism along with China to achieve common development, he added. Noting that Vietnam supports China's position on the Taiwan question and firmly adheres to the one-China principle, Chinh said that it is the top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam's foreign policy, which will not be disrupted by external interference, to deepen strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation with China, and build a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance. He added that Vietnam will join hands with China to continue enhancing political mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, encouraging youth exchanges, consolidating public support, strengthening multilateral coordination, and properly handling differences, to earnestly promote the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.


On June 27, following the election of the President of the Republic of Lithuania which was held on May 26, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, sent a congratulatory letter to H.E. Dr. Gitanas Nauseda, the incumbent candidate, on his re-election as the President.

In the letter, noting the deepening bilateral relationship under the strategic partnership, Prime Minister Kishida conveyed his willingness to work closely with Lithuania in maintaining and strengthening the free and open international order based on the rule of law. He also expressed his intention to cooperate with the President to further strengthen bilateral relationship and promote joint efforts in the international arena.
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BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for sustained efforts to promote high-quality development and common prosperity in areas with large ethnic minority populations.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to people in Jingning She Autonomous County, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Established in 1984, Jingning is China's sole autonomous county of the She ethnic group. The population of the She ethnic group stood at 18,410 at the end of last year, roughly 11 percent of the county's total.

The county's Party and government authorities recently sent a letter to Xi, highlighting Jingning's achievements over the past 40 years and vowing to take the lead in promoting common prosperity in ethnic regions.

Commending the accomplishments of the 40-year-old county, Xi said he is happy to know that people of all ethnic groups are leading better lives.

He encouraged Jingning to continue to uphold fine traditions, strengthen ethnic unity, and leverage its unique advantages to usher in a new chapter of development.




Harare businessmen accused of defrauding government in goat scheme scandal

In a concerning development, two Harare-based businessmen, Mike Chimombe and Moses Mpofu, have found themselves at the center of a high-profile fraud case involving the misappropriation of millions of dollars from the governments Presidential Goat Scheme.

The two men, aged 43 and 49 respectively, were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa, charged with fraud.

According to the prosecution, Mpofu, who serves as the managing director of Blackdeck Pvt Ltd, and Chimombe, are accused of defrauding the government of a staggering US$7 million after they allegedly failed to fulfill their contractual obligations to supply the promised goats, despite having received the payment.

The State has vehemently opposed the granting of bail, with prosecutor Mr Anesu Chirenje seeking a postponement of the matter until today to allow for a thorough examination of the documentary evidence and the presentation of testimony from two investigating officers.

The magistrate, Mrs Gofa, ultimately ruled in favour of the State, adjourning the matter until today for the bail ruling.

The prosecution alleges that Mpofu and Chimombe forged a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) tax clearance certificate and a NSSA compliance certificate in the name of Blackdeck, which they then attached to the bidding document submitted to the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development for the Presidential Goat Pass-on Scheme tender.

Investigations have revealed that the certificates were falsified, with the NSSA compliance certificate belonging to a different company and Blackdeck Pvt Ltd being deregistered from the NSSA system in January 2016.

Furthermore, the ZIMRA tax clearance certificate was also found to be fraudulent, with the QR code belonging to a different company.

The ministry subsequently transferred ZWL$1.6 billion (equivalent to US$7.7 million at the time) into the companys bank account. However, investigations revealed that the accused persons only managed to supply a total of 4,208 goats valued at US$331,445, and allegedly converted the remaining US$7.3 million to their personal use.

This case has sent shockwaves throughout the country, highlighting the urgent need for robust measures to ensure the transparency and accountability of government procurement processes. As the investigation continues, the public eagerly awaits the outcome of the bail ruling and the subsequent legal proceedings.

Breaking News via Email

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Readers, there will be a Live Blog for The Debate. Doors open at 8:30PM EDT (and the link wont work before then). Bring your bingo cards and appropriate libations! lambert

And readers, patient readers, I had a bit of a technical debacle, where an intermittent fault in posting caused me to lose some precious time. And now I must hustle! lambert

Bird Song of the Day

Eastern Meadowlark (Eastern), E OF DRYDEN; VIRGIL RD.; DANIEL CORY FARM, Tompkins, New York, United States. This is fantastic. Not only is it over five minutes long (with a recorded announcement, I grant) its older than I am. What a great resource.

* * *

In Case You Might Miss

(1) The Debates, pre-game analysis.

(2) Murthy v. Missouri.

(3) Digital ID exposure debacle.

(4) CDK auto dealer outage and consumer spending.

* * *

Look for the Helpers

Fossil of child with Down syndrome hints at Neanderthal compassion [Reuters (NL)]. Living among a small band of Neanderthals in what is now eastern Spain was a child, perhaps 6 years old, with Down syndrome, as shown in a remarkable fossil preserving traits in the inner ear anatomy indicative of this serious genetic condition.

This fossil, unearthed at the Cova Negra archeological site in the province of Valencia near the city of Xativa, not only represents the earliest-known evidence of Down syndrome but, according to scientists, hints at compassionate caregiving in these extinct archaic humans  close cousins to our own species. The pathology which this individual [Tina] suffered resulted in highly disabling symptoms, including, at the very least, complete deafness, severe vertigo attacks and an inability to maintain balance, said paleoanthropologist Mercedes Conde-Valverde of the University of Alcala in Spain, lead author of the study published in the journal Science Advances, opens new tab. Given these symptoms, it is highly unlikely that the mother alone could have provided all the necessary care while also attending to her own needs. Therefore, for Tina to have survived for at least six years, the group must have continuously assisted the mother, either by relieving her in the care of the child, helping with her daily tasks, or both , Conde-Valverde added. Among other pathologies, there were abnormalities in the semicircular canals  three small tubes that govern balance and sense head position  and a reduction in the size of the cochlea, the part of the inner ear involved in hearing. The fossils precise age has not been determined, but Conde-Valverde noted that the presence of Neanderthals at the Cova Negra site has been dated to between 273,000 and 146,000 years ago.  Compassion, then, is adaptive (which doesnt say much for neoliberalism, or its Rule #2).

* * *

My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (Helpers in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday normal incidents and stories of the communism of everyday life are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).

Politics

So many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital. Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles

* * *

The Supremes

Get ready for the Supreme Court to drop some bombshell decisions [Politico]. The court is scheduled to issue opinions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. By far the biggest pending decision is Donald Trumps bid to be declared immune from federal criminal charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election.  Friday, then (meaning also that the Supreme Court denied the voters the opportunity to see the candidates duke it out on executive power, a case for the ages, good job). Supreme Court Rules Anyone Who Had Abortion Under Roe Must Be Re-Impregnated [The Onion]. From 2023, still germane. In a controversial 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that any American who underwent a legal abortion under Roe v. Wade must now be re-impregnated. Any U.S. citizen who terminated a pregnancy during the nearly 50 years that it was nationally legal must immediately report to a governmental agency or Catholic hospital to be re-impregnated, read the conservative-led decision penned by Chief Justice John Roberts, which went on to explain that now that the highest court in the land has negated bodily autonomy as a constitutional right and made it vastly difficult to find reproductive care, they finally have time to work backwards in punishing anyone who was able to benefit in the past. Frankly, after working tirelessly with local and state governments to all but sever the ability of an American woman of child-bearing age to retain authority over her own uterus, it brings me great pleasure to right this wrong once and for all by undoing the long-completed lawful abortions of the Roe era.' US Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho for now [Reuters].  Vote for Trump, suburban women! Vote for Trump, oxycontin victims! It's insane that Kagan and Sotomayor dissented on this one. https://t.co/FpG8TklkGU  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) June 27, 2024

2024

Less than a half a year to go! Fridays RCP Poll Averages: At this point, we should entertain the hypothesis that the Bragg verdict is a damp squib, unless Biden can somehow leverage it in the debate. Swing States (more here) still Brownian-motioning around. Of course, it goes without saying that these are all state polls, therefore bad, and most of the results are within the margin of error. If will be interesting to see whether the verdict in Judge Merchans court affects the polling, and if so, how. NOTE Sorry for the excess red dots; I cant seem to make them go away! * * * The Debates: Biden-Trump Debate Takes Shape as Clash With No Love Lost' [Wall Street Journal]. Biden held several days of debate practice at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. Most of the mock sessions were held in a movie theater on the property and some of the debate preparation went late into the evening, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump took a different approach, eschewing mock debates and multiday briefings in favor of policy refreshers with aides and allies, including some senators on his vice-presidential shortlist. Both candidates were to fly to Atlanta on Thursday before the debate.  If Trump thinks he can wing it, thats a problem. Can he really work to a two-minute timer? If not, will he try to dominate the moderators? With his mike cut off?* Not a good look. NOTE * Maybe Trump could bring a cellphone and broadcast his post-cut-off remarks out to Truth Social (or possibly Rumble). That would be amusing; presumably the entire venue is not in a Faraday cage. The Debates: Debate expectations are low. But it could still upend the 2024 race [Politico]. This years contest features the highest share of adults in at least three decades expressing negative views of both candidates, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey  higher than even four years ago, when the candidates first matched up. For these hate-watchers  independents and voters who do not have favorable opinions of either candidate  expectations may be low. But its where the battle may be won or lost, in an election likely to be decided at the margins. The stakes are only low if youre judging it as a kind of theater, said David Axelrod, the former top Barack Obama strategist. It may be one of the more consequential in American history. As in 2016 and 2020, voters who hold an unfavorable view of both the Democratic and Republican candidates tilt slightly toward Trump now. But polling suggests that they are more persuadable. Polling commissioned by the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter showed voters who view both Trump and Biden trust Trump more on most issues but are more worried about Trumps temperament than Bidens age  the two most important measuring sticks for each candidate in Thursdays debate.  But given sufficient volatility, the measuring stick carefully devised by opinion-havers might turn out not to be relevant at all. The Debates: 3 answers to the most challenging debate questions for Joe Biden [Salon].  No reason to quote this, but it might be interesting to check back later and see if word got through to Bidens staff. Its not bad! The Debates: Biden seizes debate limelight for Project 2025 push [Axios]. The Biden campaign is using Thursdays debate to launch a new offensive against Trump allies radical plans to transform the U.S. government, known as Project 2025. The Biden campaign wants to convince jaded voters that a second Trump presidency poses grave risks to the country. Biden officials see Project 2025  which calls for an unprecedented expansion of presidential power  as a useful blueprint for what Trumps return would bring. The controversial transition agenda was compiled by the Heritage Foundation with input from close Trump allies and former aides  some of whom are likely to take top jobs if he wins  but Project 2025 is not an official campaign platform. The Trump campaign points instead to the Agenda47 website for policies explicitly endorsed by former President Trump. Google search interest in Project 2025 surged earlier this month, and a John Oliver segment on Trumps plans for a second term racked up nearly 5 million views on YouTube in under a week. The Biden campaign, whose messaging around Project 2025 accelerated after Marchs State of the Union address, is trying to capitalize on the viral momentum.  Google searches and John Oliver? I wouldnt call it viral momentum; Id call it preaching to the choir. Its also a little late for Biden to try to define Trump before Trump defines himself (TRUMP: After the 2016 transition, when the first thing Jim Clapper did was leave a horses head in my bed, I felt the next transtion  sorry, Joe, hey, wake up!  needed a little attention from our team. Well, not really, but you see what I mean.) The Debates: In This Debate, CNN Is the Decider [New York Times]. For the first time in decades, a single television network will have sole discretion over the look, feel and cadence of a general-election presidential debate. Unlike in past years, when an independent, nonprofit commission oversaw the contests, CNN has picked the moderators, designed the set and will choose the camera angles that viewers see. Lest any voters forget whos in charge, the red CNN logo will be ubiquitous: Rival channels seeking to simulcast the event had to agree to leave the networks on-air watermark untouched. More: Within the cutthroat TV news industry, the debate is seen as an enormous marketing coup for CNN, which even at a time of austerity for cable television has stood out for ignominious reasons. The channel is currently on track for its lowest-rated month in prime time since 1991, with fewer than 100,000 average viewers a night among adults 25 to 54, according to Nielsen. And: [T]he last time CNN hosted a major televised political event, at a New Hampshire town hall last May, it was widely perceived as a debacle. The CNN leader behind that evening, Chris Licht, was fired a month later. Thursdays debate is a significant test for his successor, Mr. Thompson, a former chief executive of The New York Times and director general of the BBC. Finally: On Thursday, much focus will be on the moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, and their ability to keep proceedings on track. Neither anchor has moderated a general-election debate, but they both have experience at various Republican and Democratic primary debates sponsored by CNN, including an audience-free bout between Mr. Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders in March 2020. The Debates: The Guy Playing Trump in Bidens Debate Prep Has Some Thoughts [Politico]. Bob Bauer is Bidens personal attorney and has had a long career as one of the Democratic Partys top campaign lawyers. But these days, he may be best known for playing Trump during Bidens mock debate sessions. Bauer on the format: [L]ets start with it being a Kennedy-Nixon format without an audience. Lets take down the, if you will, the politics of audience. That is to say the hooting and the endless effort on the part of moderators to warn the audience that they really need to be quiet and not create any kind of commotion. This is a serious format. Its a format in which the candidates can be heard, but theyre the only ones who are heard and theyre performing for the country, not performing for a select audience, some of whom were fortunate enough to receive tickets to the event. So I think that is a very strong point in its favor. * * * Trump (R): I guess welll see how Trump does with only two minutes per answer to work with: Be as objective as you can. Policy differences aside, watch the first 20-30 minutes of Trump's interview with @theallinpod  where, unscripted, he's pressed on complex policy questions  and then try to argue his supposed "cognitive decline" is in the same universe as Biden's: https://t.co/cm8TjYvtKZ  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 22, 2024 Trump (R): Pretty soon the Democrats are going to have to pivot away from racism: Yet another poll shows Trump making huge gains with Black and Latino voters, while stable or slightly losing ground with White voters 2020 Trump vote: White: 58%

Black: 12%

Latino: 32% 2024 Trump vote (per YouGov poll): White: 57%

Black: 24%

Latino: 44% pic.twitter.com/x8MET1XwYX  Michael Tracey (@mtracey) June 23, 2024 * * *

The Wizard of Kalorama

Michelle Obamas voting initiative teams with Headspace to help voters manage mental health [The Hill]. When We All Vote, the voter registration and engagement organization launched by Michelle Obama, and the mental health platform Headspace are teaming up to help voters manage their mental health throughout the 2024 election season. See next snippet. And: People need mental health support during this time of uncertainty now more than ever, When We All Vote said in a statement announcing the partnership on Thursday, citing a poll released in May by the American Psychiatric Association that found 73 percent of Americans are particularly anxious about the election. The alliance between Obamas [***cough***] nonpartisan [***cough***] effort  which the former first lady launched in 2018  and Headspace will include a voter registration portal, an election season survival guide that features free audio and video mindfulness exercises and an election stress assessment. Headspace will also debut a section in its app dubbed Politics Without Panic that will include meditations intended to help voters leverage stress-relieving tools needed to stay calm and focused. Obama said in an interview earlier this year that fears about the 2024 White House race were keeping her up at night. I am terrified about what could possibly happen, Obama said in January.  Thats another way of saying 2024 is existential for Democrats; see below at Realignment and Legitimacy. And who, you may ask, runs Headspace? The Election Bias [Russell Glass, LinkedIn]. From 2016. Russell Glass is CEO of Headspace (also involved with Rock the Vote, so the connection makes a sort of sense). To bring us back to the real world, with real names, if Hillary and Donald were the two people above, I would vote for Hillary. Our choice is not between two qualified and equally capable candidates for President. It is between Donald Trump  who is arguably the least qualified candidate for President in history if judged by zero public service experience and a spotty business record, and Hillary  who is arguably the most qualified presidential candidate in history if judged by holding office at almost every level of the federal government (including being fourth in line for the President already as Secretary of State).  So its absurd to pretent that HeadSpaces survival guide, or stress assessment, or meditations will be anything other than partisan tools. And its especially shameful to use mental health apps as a recruiting tool; the masquerade and the bait and switch reminds me of the conservative pregnancy center scam. Exclusive: Michelle Obamas private frustration with the Bidens [Axios]. Former First Lady Michelle Obama privately has expressed frustration over how the Biden family largely exiled her close friend Kathleen Buhle after Buhles messy divorce from Hunter Biden, two people familiar with the relationship told Axios. The family tensions  and the former first ladys disdain for partisan politics  are partly why one of the Democrats most popular voices hasnt campaigned for President Bidens re-election, the sources said, even as former President Obama has been a willing surrogate. When Buhle published her own memoir in 2022 she used Michelle Obamas publisher, and several of Michelles former communications aides were hired to coordinate the books rollout. The famously insular Bidens disapproved of Buhle writing the book with some unflattering details about the family, but Buhles defenders noted that she wrote it only after Hunters own book had included intimate details about their marriage and his addictions.  Which would be why Michelle Obama prefers indirection, as described above. She is, after all, still the Chicago Aldermans child.

Republican Funhouse

Conservative groups draw up plan to dismantle the US government and replace it with Trumps vision [Associated Press]. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Mike Tyson. Meaning, as I urge here, that planning is one thing, and the ability to execute is another. More: With more than a year to go before the 2024 election, a constellation of conservative organizations is preparing for a possible second White House term for Donald Trump, recruiting thousands of Americans to come to Washington on a mission to dismantle the federal government and replace it with a vision closer to his own. Led by the long-established Heritage Foundation think tank and fueled by former Trump administration officials, the far-reaching effort is essentially a government-in-waiting for the former presidents return  or any candidate who aligns with their ideals and can defeat President Joe Biden in 2024. With a nearly 1,000-page Project 2025 handbook and an army of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the deep state bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.  To be fair, I need to dig into the Heritage Foundations plan for the civil service, assault on the civil service, and so forth (out of scope for this post). Offhand, though, I dont think boot camps for conservatives are going to do the job (or, rather, they will do about as well as Liberty University Law School did in producing putatively Christian lawyers for the Bush Administration). Governing really is a skill. Its not like running a business or, for pitys sake, a start-up. House Dems angle to head off Project 2025, second Trump term [Courthouse News Service]. Reading all the way to the end: The Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this year approved a subpoena for the Federalist Society founder, demanding he turn over the financial details of his relationship with Supreme Court justices. Leo, however, has refused to comply with the summons and Democrats have been largely silent about whether they will step up enforcement action against him.  I would certainly be shocked and horrified if all the Democrat pearl-clutching about Project 2025 was nothing but a fundraising gimmick (and a talking point for Joe Biden, master debater). * * * GA: In Georgia, post-conviction relief for Trump [Washington Examiner]. In Georgia, a new poll shows Trump as strong as he ever was. In the survey, done by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the University of Georgia, Trump leads Biden by 5 points, 43% to 38%  just outside the polls margin of error. Together with the two other polls that have have been done since Trumps May 30 conviction, the survey shows Trumps support holding steady despite momentous events. NV: Why Nevada Is the Most Unpredictable Swing State in the 2024 Election [Bloomberg]. Of all the battleground states in the US presidential election, none is a greater puzzle for Joe Biden and Donald Trump than Nevada. Thats because the state  with its relatively sparse population and high proportion of Spanish-speaking residents  is unusually difficult to poll. In one example of its inscrutability, two surveys conducted on overlapping days in May had sharply different results: A Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll found Biden and Trump tied in Nevada, while a New York Times/Siena College poll found the Republican ahead by 12 points. No other battleground state has produced such a wide range of recent polling results, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Add to that some of the most rapid demographic change anywhere in the US, and the state whose major population center is Las Vegas is shaping up to be the races biggest crapshoot.  Worth reading in full. Its complicated out there on the ground! NY: Jamaal Bowmans Loss Is the Start of a New Era [Ross Barkan, New York Magazine]. George Latimer ousted Representative Jamaal Bowman, a two-term leftist and critic of Israel, in whats believed to be the most expensive congressional primary ever fought. For moderates hoping to check the power of the Squad in Congress, it was a joyous night; for the many progressives who hoped to save one of their most prominent politicians, it was a deeply dispiriting  if no longer shocking  turn of events. Latimer was technically an insurgent but didnt campaign like one. Recruited by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Westchester County executive targeted Bowman for failing, in his view, to adequately support Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks. AIPAC spent at least $14 million on behalf of Latimer, an extraordinary sum, drowning television and radio stations with advertisements lacerating Bowman and propping up the more conservative Latimer. Notably, the AIPAC-funded ads said nothing about Israel, instead focusing on Bowmans alleged lack of loyalty to Joe Biden, who is liked enough by many Democrats. Bowmans embrace of the Democratic Socialists of America, who are explicitly anti-Zionist, may have alienated moderate Jewish voters even more.  Well Bowman was not the strongest candidate. Remember the ridiculous fire alarm incident? And Bowman had been, in any case, marked for death by the New York Democrats: gerrymandering is a hell of a drug pic.twitter.com/CoLW272piS  Samit Sarkar (@SamitSarkar) June 26, 2024 So the lesson is not that AIPAC is all-powerful; the lesson is that AIPAC had to spend a boatload of money to take down a weak candidate in a newly gerrymandered district  I mean, the Bronx and Westchester? Really?  with a strong candidate of their own (and Latimer was a strong candidate; well known, well-liked). Im not saying that AIPAC isnt powerful; but theyre not all powerful. * * * The Day My Old Church Canceled Me Was a Very Sad Day [David French, New York Times]. When we moved to Tennessee in 2006, we selected our house in part because it was close to a [Presbyterian Church in America] church, and that church became the center of our lives. On Sundays we attended services, and Monday through Friday our kids attended the school our church founded and supported. We loved the people in that church, and they loved us. But: I was a senior writer for National Review at the time, and when I wrote pieces critical of Trump, members of the alt-right pounced, and they attacked us through our daughter. They pulled pictures of her from social media and photoshopped her into gas chambers and lynchings. Trolls found my wifes blog on a religious website called Patheos and filled the comments section with gruesome pictures of dead and dying Black victims of crime and war. We also received direct threats. The experience was shocking. At times, it was terrifying. And so we did what we always did in times of trouble: We turned to our church for support and comfort. Our pastors and close friends came to our aid, but support was hardly universal. The church as a whole did not respond the way it did when I deployed. Instead, we began encountering racism and hatred up close, from people in our church and in our church school. The racism was grotesque. One church member asked my wife why we couldnt adopt from Norway rather than Ethiopia.  An experience not unique on the right, I might add. Nevertheless. Tampa dentist arrested after making more than 100 online threats, FBI says [Tampa Bay]. In one text message, Kantwill made death threats to a person he identified as a fake Reverend. Being the anti-Christ piece of st that you are, we are going to kill you. Torture first, then death, the text from Kantwill reads. The victim installed nearly $4,500 worth of surveillance cameras due to his genuine fear of Kantwill, according to court records. A private message sent by Kantwill through Instagram to another person reads, Cannot wait to shoot your ghetto ass in the street, followed by a racial slur. In September 2019, he wrote to one victim: God bless the Great President Trump and his family. Fk you and yours. Hire extra security  youre gonna need it. The next month, the FBI interviewed Kantwill and told him to stop sending the messages. Despite the FBIs warning, Kantwill spent the next 10 months sending threats to over 40 victims via social media and email, the motion states.  Again, not unique to any political party or faction, though operating differently in different cases (for example, the Canadian government closing the bank accounts of protesting truck drivers, pretty violent if youve got to make rent). However, I translate this to harassment of election officials, where every case I know about came from Trump supporters post-2020. I think thats a bad thing, partly because election officials tend to be volunteers, and also because those in my small town are church-going older ladies.

Realignment and Legitimacy

Sharing: Todays SCOTUS decision in Murthy v. Missouri is a win for fighting election disinformation. It overturns the 5th Circuits extreme ruling, and allows government agencies to resume sharing their expertise/information on foreign interference, voting disinfo, and election threats.  Brennan Center (@BrennanCenter) June 26, 2024 As I have been saying for some time, the spooks are intelligence community is seeking the power to determine whether elections are legitimate or not; that is what the Brennan Centers tweet amounts to operationally. What happens on Wednesday, November 6, when stories on foreign interference and election disinformation, sourced to anonymous government officials, appear on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post? (Remember, again, that for Democrats, election 2024 is existential.)

Syndemics

I am in earnest  I will not equivocate  I will not excuse  I will not retreat a single inch  AND I WILL BE HEARD. William Lloyd Garrison

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Covid Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot ; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); Iowa COVID-19 Tracker (in IA, but national data). Infection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts (especially on hospitalization by city).

Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put COVID in the subject line. Thank you!

Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur dAlene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard) ; NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard) ; PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV ( wastewater ); WY ( wastewater ).

Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).

Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usees); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).

Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).

Stay safe out there!

* * *

Transmission: Covid

COVID Cases Are Rising Again. Heres How to Stop It From Ruining Your Summer [Self] (20 million readers, they say). When I see an article like this in a mainstream venue like Self, I feel like the tide is slowly turning in favor of sanity. The deck: Two new variants are fueling an uptick in infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Uptick? Minimizing, not so good. But where conventional public health MR SUBLIMINAL [groan] practice is to treat only deaths and hospitalizations as the important metric, this article mentions infection (a critical metric in every previous pandemic). And the lead: Four years into the pandemicwhich, yes, is still very much a thing (!!!). And: Research suggests that repeat infections increase your chances of getting long COVID and could magnify the severity of your symptoms if you already have it. And: How you choose to stay safe during this mini-surge in coronavirus activity is generally a personal decision, given that the government scrapped all preventive measures and basically left public health up to the honor system [ouch].  Anyhow, I read the rest of the article, and I dont think anybody could go very wrong with it. Ritual handwashing mention, but N95 mentioned (in public places where you might encounter elderly people or more folks who have health conditions that weaken their immune system, which means everywhere, right?).

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TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts

Wastewater This week[1] CDC June 17: Last Week[2] CDC June 10 (until next week): Variants [3] CDC June 22 Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC June 15 Hospitalization  New York[5] New York State, data June 26: National [6] CDC June 1: Positivity National[7] Walgreens June 17: Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic June 22: Travelers Data Positivity[9] CDC June 3: Variants[10] CDC JUne 3: Deaths Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC June 15: Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC June 15:

LEGEND

1)  for charts new today; all others are not updated.

2) For a full-size/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and open image in new tab.

NOTES

[1] (CDC) This weeks wastewater map, with hot spots annotated.

[2] (CDC) Last weeks wastewater map.

[3] (CDC Variants) KP.3 dominating.

[4] (ER) This is the best I can do for now. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Now acceleration, which is compatible with a wastewater decrease, but still not a good feeling .(The New York city area has form; in 2020, as the home of two international airports (JFK and EWR) it was an important entry point for the virus into the country (and from thence up the Hudson River valley, as the rich sought to escape, and then around the country through air travel.)

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). This is the best I can do for now. Note the assumption that Covid is seasonal is built into the presentation. At least data for the entire pandemic is presented.

[7] (Walgreens) 4.3%; big jump. (Because there is data in current view tab, I think white states here have experienced no change, as opposed to have no data.)

[8] (Cleveland) Still going up!

[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesnt even run back to 1/21/23, as it used to, but now starts 1/1/24. Theres also no way to adjust the time rasnge. CDC really doesnt want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, thats why the shape of the curve has changed.

[10] (Travelers: Variants) Same deal. Those sh*theads. Im leaving this here for another week because I loathe them so much:

[11] Deaths low, but positivity up.

[12] Deaths low, ED up.

Stats Watch

Employment Situation: United States Initial Jobless Claims [Trading Economics]. The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 6,000 from the prior week to 233,000 on the period ending June 22nd, below market expectations of 236,000. The claim count fell for a second consecutive week since hitting the 10-month high of 243,000, but remained well above the average from this year to underscore that while the US labor market remains at historically tight levels, it has softened from its post-pandemic [sic] resilience.

Manufacturing: United States Durable Goods Orders [Trading Economics]. New orders for manufactured durable goods in the United States rose by 0.1% month-over-month in May 2024, following a downwardly revised 0.2% increase in April and better than market forecasts of a 0.1% fall. It marked the fourth consecutive monthly advance in durable goods orders, albeit slowly.

Manufacturing: United States Kansas Fed Manufacturing Index [Trading Economics]. The Kansas City Feds Manufacturing Production index fell to -11 in June 2024 from -1 in the previous month, pointing to the fourth monthly contraction. The decline was primarily driven by paper, plastics, machinery, and transportation equipment manufacturing. All month-over-month indexes were negative and fell from last month, except supplier delivery time and the price indexes.

GDP: United States GDP Growth Rate [Trading Economics]. The US economy expanded an annualized 1.4% in Q1 2024, slightly higher than 1.3% in the second estimate, but continuing to point to the lowest growth since the contractions in the first half of 2022.

* * *

Tech: ID Verification Service for TikTok, Uber, X Exposed Driver Licenses [404 Media]. A company that verifies the identities of TikTok, Uber, and X users, sometimes by processing photographs of their faces and pictures of their drivers licenses, exposed a set of administrative credentials online for more than a year potentially allowing hackers to access that sensitive data, according to screenshots and data obtained by 404 Media. The Israel-based company, called AU10TIX, offers what it describes on its website as full-service identity verification solutions. This includes verifying peoples identity documents, conducting liveness detection in a real-time video stream with the user, and performing age verification, where a service will predict how old someone is based on their uploaded photo. AU10TIX also includes the logos of other companies on its site, such as Fiverr, PayPal, Coinbase, LinkedIn, and Upwork, some of which confirmed to 404 Media they are active or former AU10TIX clients.  But no retina or fingerprint data, so everything is good!

Tech: Think the CDK outage is just about cars and dealerships? Think again [CNN]. If you arent in the market for a car or your familys income isnt tied to a car dealership, you might not be aware of crippling cyber attacks that have left nearly 15,000 dealerships across North America struggling to provide services to customers. Or if you are aware of it, you might think, Well that sucks, but good thing I wont be hurt by it. Not so fast. Just like the strikes that upended many parts of the economy last summer, the longer the CDK outage goes on, the greater the impact it will have on the US economy. Yes, you read that right. The CDK incident isnt an isolated event implicating only dealers and buyers. Last month there were $122 billion of transactions at car dealerships, according to Commerce Department estimates. That accounts for 17% of all retail sales in May. An outage lasting through June 30 would mean 10 days without dealership access to CDK. If sales slide even just 10% at the average dealership as a result, total auto retail sales could dip by around $4 billion for the month, according to estimates by Russell Price, chief economist at Ameriprise Financial, based on last months retail sales report. But in his view, the average dealership will probably experience a more drastic drop, closer to 40% for each day the outage drags on. If it ends up lasting 10 days, he estimates theyll lose $16 billion in sales. That, he estimates, would depress total retail sales by 2.3%. Now heres where it gets even more glaring: Retail sales arent just some minor part of the economy. They account for about a third of all consumer spending.

Tech: The Revenue Agency puts Google in its sights: alleged 1 billion tax evasion [First Online]. Italian (and their own translation): After the agreement signed in 2016, the Italian tax authorities once again put the spotlight on Google, challenging the Mountain View giant for alleged tax evasion worth one billion. The Revenue Agency puts it in the sights again Google. And this time the bill could be billions. She reveals it The Sun 24 hours, according to which the Italian tax authorities are challenging the Mountain View giant alleged tax evasion amounting to approximately 1 billion of Euro. The Milan Prosecutors Office is also investigating the matter.

* * *

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 46 Neutral (previous close: 41 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 40 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jun 26 at 1:24:11 PM ET.

Class Warfare

What kind of party is split on working class issues?

Democrats are really split on the rights of working people, and no policy shows that better than the fight over non-competes. Here Rhode Island Governor @GovDanMcKee vetoed a bill passed by both legislative chambers unanimously. https://t.co/VjsFsjqZGn  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) June 27, 2024

News of the Wired

A Spud Gunners Guide [SpudGuns.org]. The deck: The definitive potato cannon guide, More: Well its been a long time in coming however Ive finally ported a great design for spudguns.org that Ive had sitting on the back burner for a number of years. Took a bit of doing to code the design by hand in Notepad with all the nested tables originally, however with Dreamweaver its only taken a few hours, not weeks. My goal on this site is to be a on[e] stop shop to reference existing designs, math, ideas, everything related to potato guns.  I have a vague memory I was thinking of building one of these things to fire at the woodchucks, but readers talked me out of it. So maybe not news you can use.

* * *

Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. From griffen:

Griffen writes: Recent May hike excursion in North Carolinas Dupont Forest. Pretty decent rainfall prior to going there.

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for three or four days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:

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Yves here. This is a wonderfully acid piece on what The Economist has always amounted to. Enjoy!

By Satyajit Das, a former banker and author of numerous works on derivatives and several general titles: Traders, Guns & Money: Knowns and Unknowns in the Dazzling World of Derivatives (2006 and 2010), Extreme Money: The Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk (2011), A Banquet of Consequences RELOADED (2021) and Fortunes Fool: Australias Choices (2022). His latest book is on ecotourism and mans relationship with wild animals  Wild Quests (out 1 May 2024)

The Economist has reputedly over 1.6 million subscribers globally. As of May 2024, it has one less. My cancellation brings to an end over 35 years of reading The Economist. Originally the subscription was a present from a relative who passed on the pre-digital print version to me weekly. After she died, I continued until recently.

Wanna-be?

Founded in 1843 by Scottish economist James Wilson The Economist describes itself as a newspaper rather than a magazine. With its fire engine red masthead, sometimes striking covers and distinctive typeface, The Economistis a publishing success.

Its ubiquity was brought home to me some two decades ago in Madagascar  a location not noted for availability of the printed word in any form. Our travels required frequent transits through the capital  Antananarivo. At the threadbare international airport, a teenage vendor inevitable had copies of The Economist. We came to recognise each other and he would supply the newspaper, both the latest edition and back issues that I had missed.

Today, via its print and digital editions, it claims a readership of 6.5 million. For much of its history, it had a modest circulation. The expansion seems to date from the 1980s.

But throughout its history, The Economists reach has been less important than its readership. Its target audience has always been the elite, originally the higher circles of the landed and monied interests. Politicians, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Benito Mussolini, George W. Bush and Angela Merkel, and business leaders were/ are regular readers. In a profile in the New York Times Magazine, Bill Gates, then a young prodigy, claimed that he did not have a TV because it would prevent him from his cover-to-cover reading of The Economist each week.

Half the readership is estimated to be in North America, a fifth in the UK, and the rest split around the world, concentrated in Europe. Less than 30 percent of its readership is women.

Its audience would self-describe as: management or professional, high income and high influence. James Fallowshad a different take. Readers, particularly American and non-UK buyers, were buying into certain myths. One was snobbery  anything English must be better. Another was status anxiety. Readership, like other luxury brands, offered differentiation. Aspirants imitated their rich and influential role models.

Throughout its history, The Economists marketing has used these subliminal concerns. One ad read: I never read The Economist. The speaker is: Management trainee  aged 44. Another ad proclaimed: Its lonely at the top, but at least theres something to read.

Oxbridge Blues

My earnest and careful readership did not deliver the coveted affluence and influence. Over time, disappointment permeated my view of the newspaper which has prominent critics Alexander Zevins book Liberalism at Large: The World According to the Economist as well as pieces from Fallow, Adam Tooze and Pankaj Mishra.

The initial attraction, other than imbuing me with the sought-after intellectual rank, was The Economists coverage of global affairs beyond that featured in other media. But it was, I discovered, an economics oriented version of the Readers Digest. It enabled you to say you were across issues when, in reality, you were not. It was an older version of scrolling through headlines or newsfeed.

There were other weaknesses. As a weekly published each Friday, it is ideal for Rip van Winkle readers who are asleep for most of the time awaking intermittently on publication day. While less problematic when news sources were slower, instant news and 24/7 media cycles can make The Economist appear dated. A multiplicity of newsletters that subscribers can sign up for provide more timely coverage. But this means large portions of the weekly edition is often redundant appealing mainly to readers with memory issues.

The content is allegedly the work of around seventy journalists mostly working out of London, although increased data and graphical intensity may have increased numbers in recent years. The model presents available information in The Economist style rather than original reporting. It is a human version of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Economist has a limiting homogeneity, in part, because of the remarkable longevity of its editors. In its 180+ year history, there have been only 17 editors. Articles lack the customary authorial by-line. The anonymity is puzzling as the correspondents and writers are actually listed on its website.

John Ralston Saul in his 2002 The Doubters Companion: A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense questioned the attempt to fake the appearance of a single sagacious personality. He thought that hiding the names of the authors was designed to create the illusion that they dispense disinterested truth rather than opinion. Michael Lewis suggested that the anonymity covered the callow youth of The Economists staff. He told Fallows that it is written by young people pretending to be old people. If readers, especially Americans, got a look at the pimply complexions of their economic gurus, they would cancel their subscriptions in droves.

The journalists are predominantly white and mainly educated at Oxford, especially Magdalen College, and Cambridge. Qualifications seem heavily skewed towards  a First at Oxbridge. This selection bias is similar to the British intelligence services (remember Philby, MacLean and Burgess) and the civil service (described by Dominic Cummings as a horror show or weirdos and misfits). This lack of diversity is apparently advantageous producing an uniform point of view, even if it is wrong.

The style is Oxbridge undergraduate  obscure vocabulary, tendentious wordplay, self-conscious understatement, unconvincing self-disparagement, mordant wit and irony. Leaders offer strong opinion consistent with the gospel. Stories desperately seek informative and quirky anecdotes to highlight the authors cleverness. The Obituary section strives constantly to surprise the reader with obscure departed. The tone is frequently condescending and clubby  the reader, a part of a select group, is being let in on precious secrets.

The opinion column labels summarise the stylistic tendencies. Bagehot which comments on Britain is named for the 19th-century British constitutional expert and one-time editor of the newspaper. European commentary is titled Charlemagne after the Emperor of the Frankish Empire. Chaguan, named for Chengdus traditional Chinese Tea houses, is where observations on China are placed. Banyan which provides opinions on Asia takes its name from the eponymous tree common to the region. Buttonwood provides analysis of financial matters. It is baptized for the tree where early Wall Street traders gathered. Schumpeter is the opinion column for business matters.

The phrasing struggles with the anonymity  your correspondent, this reviewer or [name of column] was informed.. etc. The most characteristic aspect of the writing is its certainty. The Economist combines reporting, commentary and fearless didactic prescriptions for every problem to nations, policymakers, businesses and individuals despite uncertain domain expertise.

A former writer summed up this glibness as the author knowing that three steps must be taken but unsure of what they are. An ability to re-write history or self-justify, especially its often inaccurate forecasts, is a feature. An expensive education provides one alibi: as Lord Keynes stated When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir? . The statement may in fact be that of Paul Samuelson not Keynes.

The sought after effect is of omniscience that the newspaper believes plays well with its reader. The Economistsbest-and-brightest ivy league educated staff are always right. The formula of hiring well-educated graduates from the best schools to regurgitate information or specialist publication is profitable. But this best practice modern journalism has risks not least of all its susceptibility to AI-driven substitution.

Opinionated

For ancients like me looking for mundane facts, The Economists frequent inability to differentiate between datum and opinion is unsatisfactory. Despite protestation of a time when publications recited facts, journalism has always been biased. Historically, it has reflected the opinion of media owners and their agendas. The troubling aspect is the confusion between fact and opinion, the authors seeming inability to tell the difference or superimposition of editorial views on events.

The philosophical blinkers are consistent with a publication created to muster support for abolishing the British Corn Laws (18151846), a system of import tariffs. It is combines some version of conservatism, free markets, free trade, free immigration, deregulation and globalisation. On social issues, it espouses individual rights and vague liberal values.

Former Defence Secretary Robert Gates once noted that President Joe Biden had been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades. As Zevins analysis reveals The Economist has often found itself similarly wrong-footed on pivotal issues throughout its existence.

Democracy has been relegated behind property rights and commerce. The newspaper was less than supportive of universal suffrage masking its opposition behind questions of what democracy required and meant. In the American Civil War, it sympathised with the slavery-supporting South on the grounds of free trade  the cotton planters needed export markets.

The Economist justified empire and colonialism on grounds of economics and stability. Global wealth creation demanded imperialism vindicating invasions, annexation, occupation, pacification, violence and exploitation. The struggles and rights of colonised people were barely acknowledged.

The newspaper likes most wars involving the USA and the UK. It opposed the two twentieth century world wars because of the threat to trade and capital flows. The Economist saw World War Two as a welcome opportunity to revive liberalism following the stagnation of the 1930s.

During the cold war, the newspaper was rabidly anti-communist, conveniently mislabelling nationalism and the liberation fight of colonised peoples to provide an excuse for intervention. It unabashedly supported dubious policies  the US orchestrated removal of Mohammad Mosaddeghs elected Iranian government and replacement by the Shah; the overthrow of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo; the replacement of Sukarno by Suharto in Indonesia; and the bloody right-wing coup led by General Pinochet that overthrew Chiles Allende government. Apocryphal reports suggest that an editor danced around the office in London when the news of Salvador Allendes apparent suicide was received shouting: my enemy is dead. Violence and foreign interference was justifiable where economic success was at stake.

During the Vietnam war, the newspaper supported the US. The My Lai massacre was the fog of war. Saturation bombing of North Vietnam and the expansion of the war into Cambodia and Laos (where ordinary people are still being injured and killed by US mines and unexploded munitions) was insufficient for The Economist. Much of its war reporting of this period has been characterised as little more than propaganda served up by the US intelligence services (surely an oxymoron).

The 1989 fall of the Soviet Union and allied eastern European regimes was celebrated by The Economist as a victory of democracy and free markets. It cheered on Western economists shock therapy to transition these economies to market-based structures. In the Soviet Union, deregulation and privatisation transferred large swathes of national wealth into the hands of oligarchs. In Russia, Anatoly Chubais is reviled as the politician who sold off state assets at bargain basement prices. The Economist admired his dynamic vision. The steep social costs were the price of progress which the newspaper bemoaned was taking place too slowly.

The editorial policies place blind faith in markets, which are assumed to nearly always be more efficient in allocating resources. The approach dismisses the role of states in allowing an economy to flourish through the provision of essential economic and social infrastructure.

The Economist embraced global finance although its understanding was incomplete. Its 2012 Special Report on Financial Innovation, argued that financial innovation was positive: Finance has a very good record of solving big problems, from enabling people to realise the value of future income through products like mortgages to protecting borrowers from the risk of interest-rate fluctuations. The Report confidently stated: The evidence  suggests that the market does a brilliant job of nurturing and refining instruments that people want. This was despite conceding that it was difficult to actually measure the benefits of financial innovation. The newspaper followed Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic presidential candidate in 1952 and 1956: Here is the conclusion on which I base my facts.

The faith in markets and financial wizards did not preclude unfettered support for massive government bailouts of financial institutions after the 2008 financial crisis. There are, the newspaper declared, no atheists or laissez-faire advocates in foxholes. Pragmatism not political or economic dogma, was required because only governments could restart capital flows in a crisis. The fault was people not the system or the underlying ideology. The newspaper once supported Mussolini for sorting out the Italian economy and making the trains run on time.

The Economists record on social issues is equally equivocal. Voting rights for women, described as having no capacity for reason, were resisted. It rushed to the defence of climate sceptic Bjrn Lomborg on the grounds of freedom of speech. When it finally succumbed, devoting an issue to the climate emergency, the emphasis was on market-based solutions and wunderwaffe technology, much of which did not exist at least on a commercial scale.

Criticism of specific editorial positions could be defended on the grounds that it was the orthodoxy of the time. But as critics, like Zevin, point out it was something fundamental  an ambivalence to facts and an overweening ideological certainty . Manichean perspectives on Afghanistan, Iraq, the Ukraine war and the Gaza genocide show that old attitudes persist. In economic and financial matters, The Economist has become an apologist for a system unconstrained by moral or ethical concerns and uncontrollable by elected governments. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it questioned government intervention such as social controls, subsidised vaccine production and unprecedented income support on the grounds that it was meddling in markets and restricting personal freedoms.

Events now defy neat categorisation heightening editorial confusion. The US, which has not prevailed in a military conflict since World War 2, if you exclude Panama and Granada, is flailing. The UK has receded into impotent and comic irrelevance. The rise of and unpleasant dependence on China, which has steadfastly refused to embrace The Economists prescribed path to prosperity, is galling.

Adulation of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan is difficult to square with a legacy of unsound finances, political instability and policy drift. The degeneration of unfettered finance into highly leveraged speculation and repeated episodes of instability and disorder was unexpected. Tensions between demographics, immigration, trade restrictions, sovereignty, security, rule of law, regulation, incentives, inequality and sustainability are often irreconcilable. To paraphrase William James, the newspapers thinking seems like a rearrangement of prejudices.

Adding to the muddle is the aging and dying male readership. Attempts to widen its appeal to women and other nationalities and the influx of bright-young-things with more contemporary preoccupations risk alienating the existing readership.

The Economist struggles to understand why a superior viewpoint is reviled by the vast majority of people, who have been left behind. It deplores the disparity between their perfect system and public dissatisfaction manifested in growing populism and voter acrimony and which it is unable to either explain or offer an antidote to. The newspaper seems trapped between celebrating the past, lamenting the present and its extravagant hopes for the future.

It risks becoming a mouthpiece for an isolated rich, powerful, and networked power clique without connection to the societies in which they operate. It exemplifies Keynes view that capitalism cannot survive if its workings are reduced to merely furnishing the wealthy with the means of getting wealthier.

Whimpers

Despite my growing distrust and dislike, the subscription rolled on. There was comfort in reading a Soviet-era Pravda-like publication  providing clarity about what was untrue and knowing the official view on things. I fretted about the pros and cons of alternatives which were plagued by problems. There was sloth. There was fear that I would miss out on the one item of knowledge that would assure my wealth and power. My eventual cancellation was not from principled pique but for mundane reasons  whimpers not bangs.

On or about 12 April 2024, I was unable to access my digital weekly edition. I assumed some software update or technical gremlin. When the problem continued, I contacted the help desk and was diverted to a site in Southern India. The online chat  real or mechanised  suggested reboots, changed passwords, deleting cookies and caches. When the problem continued, it was elevated to the technical team. The promised rapid fix did not eventuate.

Over the next few weeks, I settled into a routine of emailed complaints which were met by implacable form responses without resolution. It was unclear whether the problem was unique to me or a wider glitch. Finally, I rang The Economist in Singapore threatening cancellation. My problem was further escalated (my issue had risen to heights higher than the Burj Khalifa).

There being no further communication or progress, about 1 month after the start of these problems, I rang to cancel my subscription and arrange a refund. This focused attention. There was much consultation with supervisors. I was offered a half-price renewal if I did not cancel. The fact that a renewal without access was useless had to be explained carefully and repeatedly to different staff members who were miffed at my lack of gratitude for this generous concession. I gave them 3 business days to restore access.

Nothing happened and I rang to terminate. Like HAL, the customer service person couldnt do that. His supervisor would get back to me. Threats of a nuclear strike led to a manager coming on the line. The supervisor big-heartedly (he told me so) agreed to the cancellation and backdating the refund to the time of lost access. I was welcome to re-subscribe but only at full rates. I thought it wise to agree the amount due to me. He demurred as this was done automatically.

The refund was A$11.92 short. I emailed my highly-technical calculations (amount paid divided by the number of issues paid for multiplied by the number of missed issues). The shortfall, presumably validated by some human or artificial intelligence, was eventually paid ending my decades old relationship with The Economist. Regular emails arrive now asking me to rate the newspapers customer service!

It seems fitting that The Economist was undone by the things it espouses. I had exercised my freedom of choice. The Economist will not miss me but the sentiment is mutual!

 2024 Satyajit Das All Rights Reserved

An earlier version of this piece was first published on [date] in the New Indian Express.
Yves here. Jomos post summarizes a new study which lends yet more support to the view that inserting insurers into heathcare raises cost without improving results. And as an aside, it can worsen patient outcomes by denying and delaying care, as well as wasting the time of doctors, who should be treating patients, on billing administrative. Please circulate this post to skeptics who have yet to get the memo on the huge deadweight that medical insurance winds up creating.

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram, former UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development. Originally published at Jomos website

Comparative research on healthcare financing options shows revenue-financed healthcare to be the most cost-effective, efficient, and equitable, while all health insurance imposes avoidable additional costs.

Private Health Insurance

Rejecting the private health insurance option is easy due to well-known US problems. Risk pooling is limited as private insurance only covers those who can afford it.

The resulting moral hazard and cherry-picking problems reflect the publics weak bargaining power vis-a-vis healthcare providers and insurance companies.

US health spending per capita is the highest, partly due to additional private health insurance costs. The share of US national income spent on healthcare has risen to 18%!

Such avoidable insurance management costs are quite high, averaging almost 4% more. Consequently, upward cost pressures remain intense.

Yet, despite spending so much, it only ranks 40th in average life expectancy worldwide. Its other health indicators also leave much to be desired.

Hence, greater spending does not necessarily improve health outcomes, and spending more on insurance does not improve health either.

Revenue Financing

Hence, the main healthcare financing choices are social health insurance (SHI) and revenue financing, which enables risk pooling for entire national populations.

After reviewing extensive evidence, the World Banks Adam Wagstaff found revenue financing much more cost-effective, efficient, and less expensive than insurance options.

Germany, the only major OECD country heavily reliant on SHI, is second only to the US in health spending per capita, largely due to insurance administration costs.

With insurance premium revenue increasingly inadequate, the government finances the ever-growing funding gap. Rather than being a healthcare financing option for the future, it should be recognised as an atavism, even for highly unionised Germany.

Social Health Insurance

SHI advocates insist it is needed owing to inadequate fiscal means. But budget shortfalls imply a lack of political will. SHIs claims to raise more money are grossly exaggerated.

SHI premiums are effectively flat or pro rata taxes, making overall tax incidence more regressive. SHI financing is inadequate everywhere and under growing stress due to ageing societies.

Most governments claim to be committed to inclusion and equitable access, but SHI would undermine declared national commitments to the WHOs healthcare for all and the UN SDGs universal healthcare.

Besides betraying these commitments, SHI cannot ensure the needed funding or financial sustainability. Any realistic government should recognise SHI will be politically unpopular.

SHIs costs and dangers, including the perverse incentives involved, are rarely acknowledged. Employers have minimised their SHI liabilities by casualising labour contracts. Rather than employ workers directly, they hire indirectly, using various contract labour arrangements.

Priorities?

The typical emphasis on curative health services has also worsened health outcomes by neglecting vital public health programmes. By emphasising curative services, many causes of ill health do not get sufficient attention.

Many preventive and public health problems remain neglected and underfunded. Most governments must spend more on prevention, especially to address largely preventable non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The world needs far better healthcare financing. Various complementary reforms are also required. Instead, poorly sequenced, ill-considered reforms have been the norm in recent decades.

The resulting non-system offers poor, weak and ineffective incentives for public and preventive health provision. Meanwhile, potentially lucrative segments have been privatised or contracted out, often to incompetent political cronies.

The UK NHS capitation system successfully transformed doctors incentives. Instead of prioritising patient payments, UK doctors are incentivised to ensure the well-being of those under their care.

Recognise Market Failure

Former UK Conservative Party adviser and non-interventionist market economist Professor Geoffrey Williams rejects any [government] intervention  in almost every area of economic activity, but not in health, because health is quintessentially the place where markets fail.

That is why we use health more often than any other example when we teach about market failure, particularly insurance market failure. We know the health market fails and that we cannot find market solutions to those market failures as we might in other forms of market failure.

We know that government tax funding is the only real way of providing universal healthcare. Neither universal healthcare nor health for all can be achieved without adequate revenue financing, even if termed insurance.

Improving Healthcare

Malaysia has low infant and maternal mortality rates and improved life expectancy thanks to simple, low-cost reforms introduced from the 1960s, especially training village midwives to help mothers and babies.

Lowering such mortality is responsible for over four-fifths of increased Malaysian life expectancy over the decades. Now, much more should be done to improve babies and mothers nutrition for the first thousand days from conception to age two.

A hybrid system would not work, as it would only provide some public financing to address egregious market failures. Targeting would be worse, both costly and involving both inclusion and exclusion errors.

With political will, revenue financing is sustainable despite rising costs. We should renew our commitment to public healthcare, not as it has become, but as it should be.
At the Money: Keeping It Simple The Big Picture

The great wealth transfer is coming (but are advisers prepared?) FT

Climate

AIs appetite for power could double datacenter electricity bills by 2030 The Register. The deck: Believe it or not, this is modest relative to other predictions.

Gassy cows and pigs will face a carbon tax in Denmark, a world first AP

Massive Saharan dust plume making its way over the Atlantic The Watchers

1,000 Lightning Strikes Trigger CA Wildfires: Fire Season Has Arrived Banning-Beaumont Patch

Europes largest renewable producer scales back plans for wind and solar plants FT

State and Local Climate Litigation for Protecting Public Health NEJM
As we have long said, If your business depends on a platform, you dont have a business. That principle implies If your exercise of free speech depends on a platform, you dont have free speech. And now we are seeing that Biden Administration efforts to pressure social media companies to clamp down on misinformation even when later proven to be true, such as the bona fides of Hunter Bidens laptop, are in the free and clear.

In a Kafkaesque ruling, the Supreme Court decided by 6 to 3 that the plaintiffs in Murthy v. Missouri, whod largely prevailed in lower court decisions, did not have standing to bring the case. We have embedded the ruling at the end of this post, and the document includes Samuel Alitos dissent.

Oddly, theres comparatively little reaction in the Twitterverse to this loss to users and the public at large. I hope Glenn Greenwald weight in. There are only a few pointed takes like these:

Its a sad day for America, as the Supreme Court has just ruled that the government can collude with Big Tech companies to censor free speech. The First Amendment is now dead in the United States. pic.twitter.com/bvLWjfGwcw  Tulsi Gabbard  (@TulsiGabbard) June 27, 2024

BREAKING: Jonathan Turley condemns Supreme Court ruling allowing the Biden White House to limit free speech, says, "The Government is engaging in censorship by surrogate," and adding, "They have made a mockery of the limits of the 1st Amendment." WATCH pic.twitter.com/BCBRHeaJ0j  Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 26, 2024

Now admittedly, the case has simply been remanded. The plaintiffs have the opportunity to amend their filings so as to attempt to cure the standing problem, or make new filings with different plaintiffs. However, the logic of the ruling poses a high bar.

To put this in simple terms, the Supreme Court found that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated that they had been harmed with sufficient particularity, as both shown that they had been damaged and produced a smoking gun as to whodunnit. The latter point of view flies in the face of many past rulings that found that government throat-clearing could have a chilling effect and that alone was sufficient to support a First Amendment challenge. Here, instead, the plaintiffs were to demonstrate that they faced the prospect of not just past but probable future censorship. For anti-vaxxers, that seems intuitively plausible, but how does one demonstrate that?

This is the gist of the decision on standing. For ease of digestion, from the Syllabus:

Neither the individual nor the state plaintiffs have established Ar- ticle III standing to seek an injunction against any defendant. Pp. 8 29. (a) Article IIIs case or controversy requirement is fundamental to the proper role of the Judiciary. Raines v. Byrd, 521 U. S. 811, 818. A proper case or controversy exists only when at least one plain- tiff establish[es] that [she] ha[s] standing to sue, ibid.i.e., that she has suffered, or will suffer, an injury that is concrete, particularized, and actual or imminent; fairly traceable to the challenged action; and redressable by a favorable ruling, Clapper v. Amnesty Intl USA, 568 U. S. 398, 409. Here, the plaintiffs theories of standing depend on the platforms actionsyet the plaintiffs do not seek to enjoin the plat- forms from restricting any posts or accounts. Instead, they seek to enjoin the Government agencies and officials from pressuring or en- couraging the platforms to suppress protected speech in the future. The one-step-removed, anticipatory nature of the plaintiffs alleged injuries presents two particular challenges. First, it is a bedrock prin- ciple that a federal court cannot redress injury that results from the independent action of some third party not before the court. Simon v. Eastern Ky. Welfare Rights Organization, 426 U. S. 26, 4142. Sec- ond, because the plaintiffs request forward-looking relief, they must face a real and immediate threat of repeated injury. OShea v. Lit- tleton, 414 U. S. 488, 496. Putting these requirements together, the plaintiffs must show a substantial risk that, in the near future, at least one platform will restrict the speech of at least one plaintiff in response to the actions of at least one Government defendant. Here, at the pre- liminary injunction stage, they must show that they are likely to suc- ceed in carrying that burden. On the record in this case, that is a tall order. Pp. 810.

This is the nut of the issue from the ruling itself:

Here, the plaintiffs theories of standing depend on the platforms actionsyet the plaintiffs do not seek to enjoin the platforms from restricting any posts or accounts.

I hate to say it, because writers like me are very much harmed by this ruling, but it does sound like a case with compelling evidence (the Twitter Files) was not properly conceptualized and argued.

The nature of the abuse of rights is analogous to shareholder suits. Experts are welcome to correct me, but my impression is that First Amendment suits are normally filed by publishers against the government, or alternatively, by voters where their right to speak in the so-called town square (in public spaces, in public meeting) is denied or unduly restricted. Here, the argument effectively that the government muscled the platforms to restrict the speech of various users.

So in my amateur lawyer opinion, the suit would have to be approached like a derivative shareholder suit, where shareholders step in to assert the rights of the corporation that it ought to be asserting but isnt due to hopeless conflicts or laziness. There are certain standards the plaintiff have to meet, called demand futility. In layperson terms, the plaintiffs must establish that their demands have failed (posts were not restored, de-amplification was not reversed) or that the demand is futile (the platforms are not going to stand up to the Feds out of fear of various forms of retaliation. Recall that the Twitter Files did contain not-very-thinly-veiled threats).

Again I am not expert in this area. But the Section 230 waiver of liability for Facebook, Twitter et al rests on the law treating the platforms as passive conduits for user-submitted material, and therefore exempts from liability for content, on the fiction that they are not publishers making editorial decisions. A reconceptualized filing might try to pin the platforms on the horns of a dilemma: how can they be mere message board equivalents if they are moderating at scale and acceding to government arm-twisting? Does their conduct go beyond the legislative intent behind the liability protection? There seems to be no evidence that their legal departments even went as far as sending missives to the Feds questioning the First Amendment grounds of the institutionalize meddling.

Having said that, as Matt Taibbi stresses in his write-up, the Supreme Court went way beyond where it had to go to dismiss the case on Article III standing. It validated the Administration claims that stories about the Hunter Biden laptop as a Russian scheme and meaningful levels of vaccine injuries were disinformation.

And the Alito opposition is very persuasive. Alito argues that if you look merely at the case of one plaintiff, Jill Hines, the co-director of Health Freedom Louisiana, that contrary to the majority opinion, she more than met the Article III threshold for showing she had been harmed by the censorship campaign, that she was highly likely to have her posts censored and de-amplified, and that the (in this case Facebook) action was traceable to Biden Administration action (Alito includes many quotes from Biden officials and servile Facebook responses). So his dissent could be a roadmap for refiling the case. However, Alitos big point is that First Amendment rights need to reflect the current state of technology (which is a basis for looking more critically at how to apply the Article III tests). This court is clearly loath to do so.

What was unusual about this case was that the Twitter Files had provided so much factual grist, the sort of thing damaged parties usually cannot access to establish that their suspicions are valid. Yet waging a proxy war via social media apparently succeeded in making everyone responsible, giving the Supreme Court as easy dodge by pointing out the plaintiffs had not targeted the immediate perps, the social media platforms.

As Taibbi concluded:

Murthy v. Missouri may not have been a perfect challenge to digital censorship, but Im struck by the difference in the way the appellate judges in the Fifth Circuit responded to the evidence, as opposed to the Supreme Court. The appellate judges reacted like people. They read profanity-laden tirades directed at the platforms from the White House, and blithe recommendations regarding exactly how much this or that media figure should be deamplified and expressed instinctive revulsion and outrage, before collecting themselves and delivering a careful and limited ruling. The Supremes clearly did not find this conduct surprising or upsetting in the slightest, which is the problem. The Supreme Court, irrespective of its partisan construction, has been shrugging at outrages to the Bill of Rights since 9/11. The national security establishment increasingly becoming a black box during that time has made these challenges harder. But kudos to the plaintiffs and their lawyers for attacking anyway, because terms like traceability and nonjusticiable and special factors are all the spy state has in its defense.

There are some possibilities for reversing or reducing this loss. One as mentioned above, is repleading the case. Another is for similarly-situated plaintiffs. RFK, Jr. had won a preliminary injunction for censorship of his anti-Covid-vax speech, but that was stayed pending the ruling on this case. Its hard to think that RFK, Jr. cant meet the standard of showing past and imminent prospective harm, given the impact of smothering mis social media voice on both his anti-vax foundation and his Presidential campaign. I have not had a chance to read his filings to see if he targeted the platforms and had a clearer history of wrestling with them over down-ranking and content-removal than the Murthy plaintiffs.

Another angle would for states opposed to the Supreme Court ruling to band together, draft model legislation, and pass free speech laws. Intuitively, there should be no bar to creating protections that now exceed those of the First Amendment. Perhaps they can remedy the refusal of the Supreme Court to clarify the position of social media platforms when they act as arms of official censors.

Finally, it would be amusing, if Trump wins, to see his Administration closely replicate the practices of the Biden Administration in stomping on speech it dislikes. Will the platforms suddenly discover the First Amendment if they face pressure from officials with opposed ideological view? This ruling has the potential to become a nest of hornets down the road.
Yves here. Our Nick Corbishley has often criticized Ursula von der Leyens corruption and willingness to boost predictably bad aggressively neoliberal/neocon policy idea. But her pending re-installation as the queen of Europe the president of the European Commission provides yet another opportunity to review her sorry record. One indicator of her incompetence: shes managed to make her predecessor Jean-Claude Juncker look good.

And please welcome our new contributor George Georgiou. If you are nice to him, perhaps he will submit other posts.

By George Georgiou, an economist who for many years worked at the Central Bank of Cyprus in various senior roles, including Head of Governors Office during the financial crisis

To be accused of impropriety on one occasion may be regarded as a misfortune but to be accused on four occasions looks like carelessness. (With apologies to Oscar Wilde)

If there is one individual who, more than anyone else, symbolises the ineptitude of the European Commission then it is surely the Commissions president, Ursula von der Leyen (hereafter, VDL).

Questions about VDLs lack of probity first surfaced in 2015 when she was accused of plagiarising her doctoral dissertation. She was eventually cleared of the accusations but as the BBC reported on 9 March 2016, the president of the Hannover Medical School, Christopher Baum, conceded that Ms von der Leyens thesis did contain plagiarised material, but he added there had been no intent to deceive. Her first lucky escape.

VDLs lack of probity continued while she served as Germanys Minister of Defence between 2013 and 2019. During her tenure at the ministry, she became embroiled in a scandal regarding payments of 250 million to consultants related to arms contracts. Germanys Federal Audit Office found that, of the 250 million declared for consultancy fees, only 5.1 million had been spent. Furthermore, one of the consultants was McKinsey & Company, where VDLs son was an associate, thus raising a possible conflict of interest. It also emerged that messages related to the contracts had been deleted from two of VDLs mobile phones. Although she was eventually cleared of corruption allegations, questions over her probity during that period remain to this day.

Having survived two scandals, VDL couldnt believe her luck when in July 2019 Macron, together with Merkel, bypassed the Spitzenkadidaten process and nominated her as Jean-Claude Junkers successor as head of the European Commission. The Spitzenkadidaten process, through which the lead candidate emerges and is then ratified by the European Parliament, is itself somewhat arcane. In VDLs case, she was fortunate that the EU couldnt agree on either of the two lead candidates at the time, Martin Weber and Frans Timmermans. It was thus left to the consummate fixer, Macron, and VDLs mentor, Merkel, to come to an agreement using that great democratic and transparent tool called the backroom deal. VDLs nomination was accepted by the European Council and on 16 July the European Parliament voted to accept her appointment. But it was a close vote. Out of a total of 747 MEPs, only 383 voted for her, 327 voted against, 22 abstained, and one vote was invalid. Under the EU rules, the president of the Commission must be elected with more than 50% of the MEP votes. Thus, she received only 9 votes more than the threshold. Compare this to her predecessor, Juncker, who in 2014 received 422 votes.

After she was appointed president of the European Commission, VDL again became embroiled in controversy, this time involving the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer. The scandal, which the media dubbed Pfizergate, related to the purchase of 1.8 billion doses of the Pfizer vaccine for use across the EU. It transpired that: a) the number of doses was far greater than was required, resulting in a significant number having to be either destroyed or donated; b) the excess doses cost the EU 4 billion; c) the total value of the contract, which Politico reported as being approximately 20 billion, was inflated; and d) the most damaging charge, the contract for the vaccines was negotiated directly between VDL and Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer. The negotiations were conducted using sms messages, which VDL later claimed to have deleted.

The New York Times, which initially carried out the investigation into Pfizergate, brought a lawsuit against the European Commission for failing to provide access to the sms conversations between VDL and Bourla. In Belgium, a lobbyist, Frederic Baldan, filed a criminal complaint citing corruption and the destruction of documents. The Belgian lawsuit was eventually taken over by the European Public Prosecutors Office, which opened a criminal investigation. The outcome of these legal proceedings/investigations is still pending.

One would have thought that the imprudent VDL would have learned a lesson from all these transgressions but it seems that nothing will stand in the way of Ursula and a good scandal. Which brings us to her latest impropriety, cronyism. In January of this year, VDL had appointed fellow CDU politician, Martin Pieper, to a newly created and lucrative post of special envoy for SMEs. The appointment was reported by La Matinale Europeenne in February but it wasnt until April that the controversy surrounding the appointment received wide coverage in the English language media.

The appointment was controversial for two reasons: 1) the recruitment process was flawed and 2) the choice of Pieper was seen as politically motivated. On the first issue, it was revealed by an anonymous EU official that there had been two other candidates, one from Sweden and one from the Czech Republic, who had scored better than Pieper in the recruitment process.

On the second issue, there was strong suspicion that Pieper had been chosen by VDL in order to curry favour with the CDU and thus win their backing for her reappointment as head of the European Commission. The appointment sparked a strong response both from other members of the Commission and from MEPs. Four senior Commissioners, including Joseph Borrell and the Internal Market Commissioner, Thiery Breton, wrote to VDL on 27 March expressing their concern about the appointments lack of transparency and impartiality. On 11 April, MEPs voted by 382 to 144 to rescind Piepers appointment. Although the vote was not binding on the Commission, Piepers position became untenable and on 16 April he resigned. In the words of Daniel Freund, a German/Greens MEP, reported on Euronews, it was sad and shameful. He added: I dont know how we can explain it to the voters.

At the time of writing, Euronews has reported that a deal has been sealed for her reappointment. Its not clear when the European Parliament will formerly vote for her but its likely to be later this week. The exact date is a trivial matter. What is not trivial is that VDLs reappointment for another 5 years, despite all the improprieties mentioned above, would confirm what many have been advocating for some time, that the EU needs radical reform. EU citizens need to see that EU institutions are far more transparent, accountable and democratic.
The Tennessee State University Board of Trustees has announced Ronald Johnson as interim president of the university, effective July 1.

According to a release, Johnson will serve in the role for one year while the board conducts a national search for a permanent leader to replace the departing Dr. Glenda Glover.

Previously, Johnson was interim president at Kentucky State University, where he managed operations and addressed financial challenges at the institution. He was also president of Clark Atlanta University from 2015 until 2018, where he led turnaround plans.

TSU President Glenda Glover to Retire Glover's announcement follows a critical report regarding financial issues at the school

Johnson is also a former member of the President's Advisory Board of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Previously, he served as the chairman of the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States. He co-founded and is now an advisory board member of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute.

TSU board chair Dakasha Winton says in the release that Johnson is "the right fit" for this time at the university.

His proven leadership in strategically addressing complex issues while developing innovative paths forward will further lead the University during this transition," Winton said.

TSU's current board was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee in March, when state legislators passed a bill vacating the board seats. The previous board was in the midst of a presidential search, having named three finalists in March just before the turnover. The new board announced it would start over and appoint an interim leader during its search.

Glover, who attended Clark Atlanta for business school, says in the release that Johnson "did an incredible job" there and will be an "excellent leader."

"I will provide Dr. Johnson with any necessary support as he takes the helm of our great institution to continue the legacy of excellence that is the hallmark of Tennessee State University," Glover says.

This article was first published via our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
Support to Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine was warmly welcomed to the Washington Summit and Allies reaffirmed that they will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership. Heads of State and Government issued a Statement of the NATO-Ukraine Council , in which Allies welcomed the launch of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU) in Wiesbaden, Germany with logistical hubs on NATOs eastern flank, and to coordinate the provision of military equipment and training for Ukraine. Allies also welcomed the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC) to identify and implement lessons learned during Russias war of aggression, and increase Ukraines interoperability with NATO. They also announced a Pledge of Long-Term Security Assistance for Ukraine for the provision of military equipment, assistance and training, providing a minimum baseline funding of EUR 40 billion within the next year, and sustainable levels of security assistance in the future.
From 24 to 26 June 2024, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, attended the US AFRICOM African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Botswana, where he delivered a speech on security governance and partnerships. The conference was organised by the US-Africa Command and brought together top military leaders from across Africa to exchange knowledge, encourage partnerships and foster collaboration in the field of security.

This years edition took place in Gaborone and was co-hosted by the United States and Botswana. On the side-lines of the conference, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee engaged in meetings with the Chiefs of Defence of Botswana, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal. Admiral Bauer also met with the Ghanaian Force Commander of the Accra Initiative Multinational Join Task Force and US AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael E. Langley. The purpose of these meetings was to share views on the latest security developments in the region and discuss avenues for cooperation.

During a panel intervention on Security Sector Governance and Enhancing Partnerships with the South, Admiral Bauer stated that partnerships enrich NATOs situational awareness in areas beyond its direct neighbourhood, and they ensure that NATO can successfully contribute to common security challenges. Partnerships are not only about what we do, they are also about who we are. In the Alliance, we wish to partner with others to meet our security challenges. What happens in Europe, affects Africa. And what happens in Africa, affects Europe.

The Chair of the Military Committee also highlighted the importance of a well-coordinated security system, where the relationship between the political and military authorities is balanced. In order to be effective, the top military level needs to be able to provide unfettered military advice to the top political level. This requires mutual trust. Admiral Bauer also stressed the importance of mission command. This means that the top strategic leadership determines the why and the what, and the lower level leadership determines the how.

The lack of proper mission command explains many of Russias military failures in its war of aggression against Ukraine. The Ukrainian armed forces had implemented mission command as a result of many years of training alongside Allied Armed Forces. It is ingrained in the Ukrainian military culture to leave room for creative solutions and fast decision-making on the lower levels.

Admiral Bauer stressed that NATO has a shared interest in working for a more stable and prosperous African continent. African voices, African leadership and African insight are critical to understand how to tackle the current security environment. The diversity of your backgrounds enriches our dialogue, fostering innovative solutions and approaches to common threats.

This year marked the first time the United States has co-hosted the African Chiefs of Defence Conference with an African nation and the first time the conference took place in Africa.
(As delivered)

Prime Minister Kallas,

Dear Kaja,

Welcome back to NATO Headquarters.

Its great to see you again.

And thank you for your strong, personal commitment to our transatlantic Alliance and your leadership.

Estonia leads by example, by investing more than 3% of GDP on defence and also by providing unprecedented support to Ukraine and you have committed to continue the support.

And you also lead on the issue of innovation and cyber including with the NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn.

So Estonia is contributing to our shared security, to our collective defence in many different ways.

And therefore, Estonia is a highly valued NATO Ally.

Then, of course, NATO supports Estonia also in many different ways, with a multinational battlegroup in Tapa, led by the United Kingdom, helping to deter any aggression against Estonia.

NATO fighter jets patrol the skies over Estonia and Spain will soon deploy air defence battery, a NASAM battery to your country to strengthen your air defences.

Then I would also like to add that the fact that we are now investing more across the whole Alliance also make NATO stronger to reinforce Estonia if needed.

We have several hundred thousand troops on high readiness.

And we also have Finland and Sweden as members and of course with Finland and Sweden as members of NATO that has strengthened NATO, it has also made it much more easier to move equipment and forces into the Baltic region if needed.

Today in our meeting, we discussed the final preparations for the NATO Summit in Washington, which will take place in just two weeks time.

The main issue there will be our support for Ukraine.

President Putin believes that he can wait us out.

It is important that we demonstrate that that's not the case, that we are ready to stand by Ukraine for the long haul and therefore, I expect NATO leaders to agree that NATO will lead the coordination of security assistance and training for Ukraine with a new NATO command in Wiesbaden to coordinate training and the provision of security assistance to Ukraine.

And also that Allied leaders will agree a long term pledge of support to Ukraine.

This will provide Ukraine with greater predictability for the long haul.

I also expect leaders to send a clear message on Ukraine's path towards NATO membership.

We will of course also address our own deterrence and defence.

We have agreed new, more ambitious defence plans.

Allies are delivering more forces, high readiness, investing in high end capabilities and this year, 23 Allies are going to invest more than 2% of GDP on defence, which is great progress compared to where we were just a few years ago.

We will also address our global partners, especially our Indo Pacific partners and the European Union. The war in Ukraine demonstrates that our security is not regional, it is global, because we see how Iran, North Korea are providing weapons, drones, ammunition to Russia to enable them to conduct the war of aggression against Ukraine.

But we also see how China is propping up the Russian war economy enabling Russia to support to conduct a war of aggression against Ukraine.

So therefore, it is important that we meet with our Asia Pacific partners as we will do at the Summit in Washington.

So once again, Prime Minister Kallas, it's great to have you here.

It's great to see how Estonia is really stepping up and investing heavily and doing more for NATO and your strong personal commitment to NATO.

So please, you have the floor.

- - - - - - - -

NATO Deputy Spokesperson: We'll go to questions, starting with DPA in the third row in front of me here please.

Ansgar Haas, DPA: Ansgar Haas, German Press Agency, DPA. Prime Minister together with your colleagues from Poland and the other Baltic countries you are asking for EU money to build a defence infrastructure system to protect the EU external border to Russia and Belarus. Can you tell us a little bit more on this? How much money do you need for this? What kind of infrastructure do you want to build? And a question to the Secretary General. Do you support this project? Or would it be better to do it via NATO? Thank you.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: Yes, we sent this letter together with the Baltic and Polish Prime Ministers to have a focus on this defence infrastructure as well. This is clear that we have the external borders with Russia and Belarus so this defence infrastructure needs to be built. And this is not the only funding question, but it's also a political issue. Do we see that the threat comes from there and this defence initiative also needs to foresee the protection of our people for the years to come. So of course, everything needs funding. We haven't spelled out the number exactly. It depends what we can do with this and if others will follow as well, because we understand in European Union, everybody has their worries. We have other external borders where there's a strong migratory pressure, for example, but you know, in order to protect and defend also Europe, we need the defence infrastructure and that needs political decisions, but also needs funding. That is true.

NATO Secretary General: NATO is the bedrock of European security. NATO is present in all those countries with battlegroups, with NATO forces, and NATO has for decades invested in critical military infrastructure through our common funded investment programs. But most importantly, NATO agrees defence plans and NATO sets capabilities targets for each and every Ally. We have just now agreed more ambitious defence plans. And also, part of that is more infrastructure because we need more infrastructure to move more forces to ensure that we have the storage facilities, the airports, the different types of infrastructure, so we need to deliver on the agreed defence plans and agreed capability targets agreed by NATO Heads of State and Government and Ministers since we had the Vilnius Summit. What matters for NATO is that all Allies delivers on these capability targets, that they invest in the infrastructure we have agreed that they should provide. How they fund that, doesnt matter for NATO. So, whether they fund it from their national budget or from EU budgets, that's not a NATO issue. I understand that's important for them as individual NATO Allies, but the only thing that matters for NATO is that Estonia and all other countries in NATO deliver on what we have agreed for their defence plans, the infrastructure, their capabilities, their readiness, and all the other things we have agreed to enable us to meet the level of ambition on collective defence and deterrence. How they're funded is for Allies to decide. If they are able to find EU money, that's fine, if they have to go to for national money, that's also fine. Thats not for NATO.

NATO Deputy Spokesperson: Estonian Public Broadcaster in the fourth row place.

Joakim Klementi, Estonian Public Broadcasting: Estonian Public Broadcasting, Joakim Klementi. Madam Prime Minister should NATO set a goal of either 2.5% or 3% GDP for all Allies, is this what's necessary? And is Mark Rutte the right person to lead these negotiations? The Dutch are famously economical in the EU, they're not in favour of euro bonds for defence, for example, is Mark Rutte the right person to do this. And for the Secretary General, how important is the personal touch of the Secretary General in this? And will NATO be different under the helm of Mark Rutte? Thank you.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: Yes, first. We have the defence investment pledge of 2% and 23 Allies are fulfilling this defence investment pledge. Of course, we see that the security reality is different. We have to spend more. And we would like to see this spending get, or this target to be at least 2.5%, because in 1988 all of the Allies were spending more than 2 actually, some even 6% on defence because the threat was real. There was Cold War going on. Now we have a hot war in Europe and we are not spending enough. But it is positive that this spending is increasing. I was yesterday in Luxembourg, and even they are increasing their defence spending although they have much better neighbours than we do. So, the strength of NATO comes from all the Allies and their input to NATO, to their own military. What is actually interesting or it's important to understand and I think this is now more and more going through to the public as well, that we don't have to talk about the national defence like, you know, you're talking about defence of Luxembourg. No, we are talking about regional defence, which is the defence of Europe, which means that your inputs, investments to defence is for the whole region and I think this understanding is fundamental. What comes to Mark Rutte, then, the Allies just decided that he will be the right person to lead NATO. And I'm confident that he is able to do that, I've seen him around the European Council table. So definitely he's going to bring something new to the table. So, we are of course very grateful for Jens, we have had very similar views on everything and we hope that it is the same with Mark. Thank you.

NATO Secretary General: First, just very briefly on the 3 or 2%. I think is important to note the decision we made at the Summit in Vilnius, because the previous NATO decision was from 2014. There we agreed that we should strive towards, to move towards 2% of GDP for defence spending. In Vilnius at the last Summit, we agreed that 2% should be the minimum. And we also agreed more ambitious defence plans that will then require more ambitious capability targets. And what we ask Allies to deliver is both on the spending, but as important we also ask them to deliver the capabilities to fulfil the defence plans. And we have specific capabilities for each and every Ally. And for most Allies, it will require more than 2% to deliver on those capability targets. So minimum means minimum. So, for many Allies, this will mean 3% and that is something which is more than 2%. Then I warmly welcome that NATO Allies have decided that Mark Rutte will be my successor. I know Mark Rutte for many years. We have worked together as Prime Ministers, we have worked together in my capacity as Secretary General of NATO. And Mark Rutte is a strong supporter of the transatlantic bond, North America and Europe. He knows NATO very well, and he is very skilled and experienced consensus builder, which is perhaps the most important task of any NATO Secretary General, is to build consensus among 32 Allies. So, I wish him every success as we continue to strengthen NATO. And I know that NATO will be in safe hands with Mark Rutte as Secretary General. Then until the first of October, I will focus on doing my task as Secretary General and there will be a Summit in a couple of weeks time which will require all my intention and then I look forward to hand over the responsibility to Mark Rutte in October.

NATO Deputy Spokesperson: Weve time for one or two more. We'll go to AFP in the second row here please.

Max Delaney, AFP: Thank you very much. Max Delaney, AFP, a couple of questions for the Prime Minister. First issue talking of people getting new jobs. Is it a done deal for you to become the High Representative of the EU? And why do you think you're the right person for that job? And then on Ukraine at the NATO Summit, you spoke very forcibly forcefully about NATO needing to do everything it can to give a strong package for Ukraine, at the moment it's a non-binding commitment on future funding, and no progress towards membership. Do you think NATO risks disappointing Ukraine again at Washington? Thanks a lot.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: I will start from the second question. So Ukraine I think all the things that we are doing for Ukraine, I mean, the different agreements, different military support. I mean, the F-16 coalitions, different things, training their soldiers. This is actually in substance, taking Ukraine towards NATO. So very often, we concentrate on the words very, very strictly on the words but let's look at the whole picture. And there I think you know, we are moving towards a NATO membership even if we are not putting some additional words to the agreements that we already have. So what comes to the jobs then? Well, let's not run ahead of decisions in politics. You know, surprises happen, so never know. And we have a saying in Estonian, that don't go and share the bear skin before the bear has been shot. So I will not do that.

NATO Deputy Spokesperson: Final question. To Postimees, in the fourth row here, please.

Unknown Journalist, Postimees: [inaudible] Postimees, I wanted to ask about the upcoming Summit as well. Many of the things will probably be agreed about by the Ambassadors and other officials working here. What issues would still require substantial discussion by the leaders in Washington?

NATO Secretary General: I think we need to understand how NATO works. The fact that we have a Summit, creates the momentum, creates the political will in all the capitals to find consensus to enable us to make decisions. So youre right that most of the issues will be hopefully agreed, at least before we arrive in Washington. Sometimes there are some issues that need to be finally negotiated with the leaders in the room, but it's during the Summit. But the fact that they meet, the fact that we have the Summit is what enables to make these decisions. And I expect them to have full agreement on the NATO command for Ukraine, which will be important because it will create a more robust, more sustainable framework for our support. I expect that we will have an ambitious pledge for long term support for Ukraine. And I'm confident that well also find language expressing progress when it comes to NATO membership. And all of this will hopefully be, I say, not 100% agreed but at least very close to agreement before we arrive in Washington, then in Washington well also make decisions on deterrence and defence and ensure that we are delivering on the capabilities we have agreed as part of the new defence plans.

NATO Deputy Spokesperson: That's all we have time for, thank you very much.
Trudeau govt to make all bathrooms in Parliament buildings GENDER NEUTRAL

The Liberal administration of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently announced that all bathrooms on Parliament Hill will soon become totally gender neutral

Parliament Hill in downtown Ottawa is home to Canada's parliament buildings and the seat of the country's federal government. The left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) recently presented a motion before the House of Commons to scrap all gendered bathrooms in federal workplaces  and Trudeau's administration is supporting this measure.

Earlier this June, NDP Member of Parliament (MP) Don Davies led a petition in the House of Commons that all male and female bathrooms be banned in federal workplaces due to the significant barriers that exclusionary bathroom policies create for transgender, non-binary and other gender non-conforming individuals.

"The people who signed the petition point out that safe access to bathrooms is a basic physical need and necessary for participation in civic life, the workplace, educational settings and other public spaces," said Davies in a statement before the House of Commons. "They also point out that exclusionary bathroom policies cause significant barriers for trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. They note that avoiding bathroom use can result in serious health consequences, including urinary tract infections and kidney problems."

"Therefore, they call on the government to, among other things, amend the Canada Labour Code to require gender-inclusive bathrooms in all federally regulated workplaces and to ensure that there is access to public bathrooms for everyone in this country," Davies continued.

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In response, the Trudeau administration has decided to scrap all gendered bathrooms on Parliament Hill.

According to MP Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, approximately 200 bathrooms in the Centre Block and the Parliament Welcome Centre will be redesigned to be more accessible and inclusive.

Duclos stated that more than half will be individual facilities with a single toilet and sink, while a few dozen units will be "designed to be barrier-free" or "accessible to wheelchairs" with no urinals. In addition to Parliament Hill, the policy extends to various federally regulated spaces, including national parks.

Duclos then explained that this move is designed to cater to the expectations and needs of LGBT Canadians, ensuring the facilities meet the demands of the 2030s and beyond.

Removal of women-only bathrooms could lead to increased sexual violence against women

Historically, most public places in Canada, including government buildings, did not have separate bathrooms for women until the election of the first female MP in 1921. Now, their removal is drawing the ire of the Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights (CAWSBR) organization.

"Women and girls in Canada are five more times to be sexually assaulted than males, with 99 percent of sexual assaults being perpetrated by men," CAWSBR said. "This disparity in terms of vulnerability and safety is the primary reason for why sex-segregated spaces have been considered a necessity (and, one could argue is a fundamental right for females, under the Canadian Human Rights Act), when it comes to facilities used in public and private sectors, including bathrooms, change rooms and hospital rooms." (Related: Female student RAPED in trans-inclusive restroom at New Mexico school.)

The organization believes that the removal of women-only bathrooms could not only lead to an increase in sexual violence against women but would also render women-only spaces meaningless, "as any male who decides that they identify as a girl or woman may now use girls/womens facilities."

"Girls and women, despite the Canadian Human Rights Act, despite being at high risk of sexual assault by males, are being ordered to open their spaces and their rights when it comes to their most vulnerable spaces to include males. Damn the consequences," they added.

The latest stories about the transgender takeover of America can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Watch Gabor "Gabe" Zolna talking about transgender inmates sexually assaulting biological women in prison below.

This video is from the zolnareport.com channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

WOKE CULT: CVS tells employees to use whatever restroom or locker room that is appropriate to the gender they identify with  and other woke insanities.

U.K. nurses sue National Health Service for siding with transgender employee over allegations of sexual harassment in changing room.

Bartender charged with hate crime for confronting male-to-female transgender who used womens bathroom.

Transgender coach David Sasha Yates joins Pennsylvania high school GIRLS in locker room to change.

REPORT: Virginia father arrested after his teen daughter allegedly raped by trans student in public school.

Sources include:

LifeSiteNews.com

OpenParliament.ca

CBC.ca

Brighteon.com
Chinese lunar probe returns with first-ever samples taken from the far side of the moon

A Chinese lunar probe has just returned with first samples ever taken from the far side of the moon

Chinese state television showed images on Tuesday, June 25, of the capsule holding the samples, as it hovered down under a parachute onto the grassy plain of China's northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Scientists said the rocks inside the space capsule could open a fresh window into how Earth's closest neighbor formed.

Chang'e 6, which landed on the far side in early June, isn't the first space mission to deliver back home moon rocks. Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 mission in 1969 brought back moon rocks, overturning a then-prevalent theory about the composition of the lunar surface.

Before Apollo 11, researchers had believed that the moon formed when a large number of asteroids near Earth slowly gathered together.

However, the minerals in the moon rocks that the astronauts brought back indicated a more violent origin story, as stated by Richard Carlson, director emeritus of the Earth and Planets Laboratory at the Carnegie Science research institute in Washington D.C.

"The wisdom now is that something the size of Mars, for example, hit the Earth and spalled off enough material to put it into orbit and form the moon," Carlson said.

That is to say that the huge ball of molten magma that was torn from the Earth by this collision ultimately cooled into the sphere people see in the sky.

The theory is generally acknowledged today, but the evidence remains insufficient. This is because all of the lunar missions to date  the United States' Apollo missions and several robotic lunar missions launched by the Soviet Union  all landed probes or people on the near side of the moon.

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"Think about the geology of the Earth: If you only landed in North America, you'd be missing a big part of the story, right?" Carlson stated.

Chang'e 6 only the second probe to land on the far side of the moon

China's newest robotic probe landed on the far side of the moon, which is a much more daunting task because the far side faces away from Earth and there is no straight path to communicate. Instead, Chang'e 6 counted on a satellite orbiting the moon to transmit its signal.

Early this month it utilized a drill and scoop to gather samples from a lava flow in an area called the South Pole-Aitken basin, which is a crater that is billions of years old, on the opposite side of the moon to Earth.

It remained unseen to Earth until the 1960s when the first lunar orbiters brought back pictures of the moon's far side. Chang'e 6 is only the second-ever landing on the moon's far side following the Chang'e 4 mission in 2019. (Related: China launches spacecraft that will explore the hidden side of the moon)

The samples from the far side, which is less affected by volcanic activity compared to the near side, could provide critical insights into the moon's formation and history.

As stated by Zongyu Yue, a geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences: "The samples, being the first obtained from the far side of the moon, are expected to answer one of the most fundamental scientific questions in lunar science research: What geologic activity is responsible for the differences between the two sides?"

"There are significant differences between the far side and the nearside of the moon in terms of lunar crustal thickness, volcanic activity, composition, et cetera," he added.

Follow Space.news for more news about lunar missions.

Watch the video below about China's Chang'e-6 probe successfully landing in Inner Mongolia.

This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

China to begin construction of LUNAR BASE using moon soil.

NASA sounds alarm over Chinas plans to control parts of the moon.

China may try to claim the moon as prize if it beats US in space race.

Sources include:

NPR.org

Newsweek.com

Brighteon.com
AIPAC-funded House Democrat wants to railroad passage of Countering Antisemitism Act

New York Rep and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is pushing for the total censorship of criticisms about Israel by the immediate passage of the "Countering Antisemitism Act" which is believed to be backed by the Jewish non-governmental group Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee Political Action Committee (AIPAC)-funded lawmaker, posted on X, formerly Twitter, about his stance making it appear that the said legislation needs speedy approval. "The dangerous explosion of antisemitic incidents in New York City and the nation requires decisive action at every level of government. We have to crush this cancer with the fierce urgency of now. Congress must pass the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act. Immediately."

The dangerous explosion of antisemitic incidents in New York City and the nation requires decisive action at every level of government. We have to crush this cancer with the fierce urgency of now. Congress must pass the bipartisan Countering Antisemitism Act. Immediately.  Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) June 14, 2024

A handle on X reported that Jeffries had collected $1.5 million from AIPAC and the Israel lobby which is why he is exerting all his efforts to push for the bill. "Now he supports censorship bills trying to CRIMINALIZE criticism of Israel. The representative is COMPROMISED." AIPAC Tracker tweeted.

Hakeem Jeffries has collected $1.5 MILLION from AIPAC and the Israel lobby. Now he supports censorship bills trying to CRIMINALIZE criticism of Israel. The representative is COMPROMISED.https://t.co/4nm0mFjyqA pic.twitter.com/nwghHCLa1Y  AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) June 14, 2024

Meanwhile, the bill was introduced by AIPAC-funded senators Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) back in April to silence criticism of Jews and Israel and police Americans' online speech. It would create a new national coordinator to counter antisemitism within the Executive Office of the President to "counter the spread of antisemitism online (i.e., government-coerced censorship), including to impose accountability for individuals."

"The Countering Antisemitism Act is the most far-reaching antisemitism initiative to be introduced in Congress," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. "It offers a smart, bipartisan, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to combating this hatred and protecting Jews around the country."

The act was proposed because according to ADL, the U.S. Jewish community is facing the "worst crisis of antisemitism" in history. Apart from a national coordinator, the legislation will also establish an interagency task force to coordinate the implementation of federal strategies to counter antisemitism. ADL added that this would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center to produce an annual threat assessment of antisemitic violent extremism. It will also assign someone from the Department of Education to advise and oversee efforts to counter antisemitic discrimination at colleges and universities. It would also formally designate May as "Jewish American Heritage Month."

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Critics say that if the same bill were introduced but replaced "Jews" with "Whites" or "Christians" and demanded to police "anti-whiteism" and "anti-Christianism," eyebrows would raise at Congress. (Related: The Israel lobby is First Amendments principal enemy, former senior diplomat warns.)

Poll: Most Jews support Biden's re-election bid

President Joe Biden's all-out support of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza seems to not be wasted as he is now getting massive support from the so-called "chosen people of God."

According to a recent survey conducted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) from March 12 to April 6, Jews are still backing Biden amid public opinion that the president's policies on Israel and Gaza could hurt him among Jewish voters.

The poll also suggested that Jews are increasingly concerned with the rising antisemitism in the U.S., especially since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, but trust Biden more than Trump to address it. It reflected that 61 percent would support Biden, 23 percent would support Trump and 10 percent would support "someone else." The results are similar to the share of respondents in the poll who say they voted for Biden in 2020 (64 percent) and who say they voted for Trump in 2020 (21 percent).

Moreover, 93 percent of the respondents say antisemitism in the U.S. is either a "serious problem" (56 percent) or "somewhat of a problem" (37 percent), with 7 percent saying it's not a problem.

Most Jews (87 percent) also say that "since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7," they think antisemitism in the U.S. has "increased a lot" (55 percent) or has "increased somewhat" (33 percent). One percent said antisemitism has decreased and 12 percent say it stayed the same.

At the same time, American Jewish adults feel increasingly connected to Israel, with 85 percent saying they think it's important for the U.S. to support Israel and 57 percent saying they feel more connected to Israel or their Jewish identity since the attacks.

"Despite rising antisemitism making Jews feel less safe, American Jews are defiantly proud about who they are and even more connected to Israel," said AJC CEO Ted Deutch, a former member of Congress who left in 2022 to lead the nonpartisan global advocacy group for the Jewish people.

The poll also showed Biden enjoys a high approval rating (56 percent) for his overall job as president, with 24 percent approving "strongly" and 32 percent "somewhat." Forty percent disapprove, including 16 percent "somewhat" and 24 percent "strongly."

Asked about Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, approval drops to 48 percent, with 13 percent "strongly" approving and 35 percent "somewhat" approving. Forty-three percent disapprove, including 20 percent "somewhat" and 23 percent "strongly."

The survey asked 1,001 Jewish adults and used a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

Check out IsraelCollapse.com for the ongoing war Israel is waging, with the help of the U.S. and its allies, in the Middle East.

Sources for this article include:

InformationLiberation.com

TheHill.com
Ecuadorian illegal assaults 13-year-old girl in broad daylight in New York park

An illegal migrant from Ecuador has been arrested and charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in a park in New York City

The suspect, 25-year-old Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, has been charged with predatory sexual assault, first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree robbery, second-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, obstructing governmental administration and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Kissen Park in Queens on June 13.

According to the videotaped confession of Inga-Landi, he used a "machete-style" blade to attack a 13-year-old boy and girl, who were allegedly having "sexual relations" in the park in broad daylight. He then pulled out a knife he found in the park to threaten the teens, tied them together with a shoelace, stuffed the girl's mouth with a bandana and cut off her shorts and underwear. All while recording himself binding and gagging the young girl.

Inga-Landi confessed that he raped the girl and told them to wait for 20 minutes while he escaped with their phones, which he later threw away. He successfully fled the crime scene.

But with the help of the description given by the two teens  a distinctive boar tattoo on the chest and dental braces  along with the surveillance video on the area and several tips about Inga-Landi's whereabouts to the New York Police Department, the suspect was eventually arrested.

After five days of manhunting, Inga-Landi was recognized by a group of people from a wanted poster. Angela Sauretti, one of the individuals, called 911 while about 10 people swarmed him, tied him up and held him down until police arrived on the scene to arrest him.

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The DNA collected from a water bottle at the rape scene matched a sample Inga-Landi provided to immigration authorities in 2021 with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On the day of his arrest, an ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New York City issued an immigration detainer to prevent his release. Criminal Court of the City of New York Supervising Judge Joanne B. Watters ordered him held without bail until his next court date on July 1 during his arraignment. Watters concurred with Assistant District Attorney Kasey Esposito that Inga-Landi posed a flight risk due to his "tenuous" ties to the United States.

"The brazen and brutal nature of this defendant's actions are indicative of someone who does not follow the law, and who has no regard for anybody else, but himself, and he will not return to court," Esposito said.

If convicted, Inga-Landi would face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.

The long list of illegal migrants committing heinous crimes will continue until Biden acts on it

This incident is not the first time that an illegal migrant has been charged with rape.

Earlier this month, the ICE confirmed the arrest of Yader Alexander Morales-Quevedo, a 24-year-old Guatemalan national who unlawfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border "on an unknown date at an unknown location without being inspected, admitted or paroled," for sexually assaulting a child in Massachusetts in August 2022. The Bristol County Superior Court arraigned him for raping a child with an additional charge of posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct in January 2023.

Similarly, in February, the Gateway Pundit recounted a similar instance where another Guatemalan national was convicted of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 14 and put behind bars. Just like Morales-Quevedo, this illegal unlawfully entered the U.S. in April 2011 at an unknown location "without being inspected or admitted by a U.S. immigration official." (Related: Illegal alien who entered the country undetected has been arrested, charged with CHILD RAPE in Massachusetts.)

However, the Gloucester District Court ordered his release despite the ICE detainer against him. Agents from ERO Boston reportedly re-arrested the 34-year-old Guatemalan on Feb. 21 as part of ICEs effort that "focused on the apprehension of unlawfully present non-citizen sex offenders."

And the long list of illegal migrants unlawfully crossing the U.S. border, while committing heinous crimes will continue until the Biden administration acts on their lax border policies.

Head over to InvasionUSA.news for similar stories.

Watch Pinal County, Arizona Sheriff Mark Lamb warning that people who dont love America are blending in with the gotaways that authorities fail to catch in the clip below.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Rep. Grothman: DHS monitoring over 600,000 illegals with CRIMINAL RECORDS.

Venezuela emptying prisons, CRIMINALS blending in with migrants trying to cross US border.

British court BLOCKS deportation of convicted migrant child rapist because it would harm his mental health.

Illegal alien Tennessee soccer coach accused of drugging, raping little boys while FILMING pedophilic crimes.

Biden DOJ erases child sex trafficking language from government website after losing track of 85,000 migrant children.

Sources include:

LawEnforcementToday.com

Breitbart.com

TheGatewayPundit.com

ICE.gov

Brighteon.com
Finland to provide bird flu vaccinations to all workers exposed to animals

Finland is set to become the first country in the world to offer avian influenza virus vaccinations to workers exposed to animals.

According to several reports, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced on June 25 that the government bought avian influenza vaccines for 10,000 people, each consisting of two injections from CSL Seqirus, an Australian manufacturer with the broadest influenza vaccine portfolio in the world, as part of a joint procurement with the European Union in which the bloc will distribute up to 40 million doses for 15 member states.

"The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or other circumstances," the THL said.

Beginning on June 30, the THL is expected to administer the vaccines to workers exposed to animals, including fur farm workers and laboratory technicians handling bird flu samples. Should any human infections be confirmed, the vaccine will also be offered to individuals in close contact with the infected patients.

Finland is set to administer bird flu vaccinations even without any reported human cases

Finland has yet to report any human cases of avian influenza. And yet, the Finnish government is already taking proactive measures to "curb" the potential virus transmission.

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has long affected bird populations but has recently been detected in other species. For instance, in 2023, Finland's fur farms, which operate in an open-air environment, experienced significant bird flu outbreaks among mink and foxes. This, in turn, resulted in the culling of approximately 485,000 animals to mitigate the transmission risk. (Related: Avian bird flu suddenly becomes COW FLU as dairy farms begin culling animals to destroy the domestic food supply.)

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"The conditions in Finland are very different in that we have fur farms where the animals can end up in contact with wildlife," said Hanna Nohynek, a chief physician at the THL.

Robert Johnson, the director of the United States' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Medical Countermeasures Program, said that both the ASPR and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that H5N1 currently poses a low public health risk.

There are three confirmed human infections this year in the U.S., with no evidence yet of person-to-person transmission. The government has yet to establish concrete plans for vaccinating farm workers or other high-risk groups.

"Further sort of deliberations or decisions around vaccine really will require further conversations around the U.S. government," said Demetre Daskalakis, a CDC official.

But instead of calling out Finland for immediately taking proactive measures to "curb" the potential virus transmission, U.S. officials claimed that vaccines "could be deployed before an outbreak begins."

Follow Influenza.news for more stories about bird flu.

Watch the May 6 episode of "The Robert Scott Bell Show" below. "The Robert Scott Bell Show" airs every Monday at 4-5 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Australian supermarket chain imposes limits on EGG PURCHASES following bird flu-related poultry culls.

FEAR PSYOP: High mortality bird flu could already be engineered for rapid human transmission, warns former CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield.

BIOTERRORISM: Gates Foundation awarded $9.5 million to UW-Madison to make H5N1 bird flu transmissible to humans.

FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN TAKEDOWN: Over 4 million chickens to be slaughtered after bird flu detected at egg farm.

COINCIDENCE? Health officials warn about bird flu outbreak just in time for the vote on WHOs pandemic treaty.

Sources include:

TheGuardian.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
French official admits censorship is needed for government to control public opinion

In a recent interview with, French Army General Pierre Schill revealed that censorship is needed in the age of the Russia-Ukraine conflict to keepsafely nestled away from public scrutiny.

The ongoing conflict in eastern Europe has "changed the dynamics of combat" such that more extensive use of drones and military adaptation of civilian technologies is absolutely vital "to influence both national and international public opinion," Schill said.

"The army plays a crucial role in the information domain," Schill added. "Without the capacity to convince and to counter adverse influence, any military engagement can fail. The emergence of social networks has reinforced this notion and has significantly accelerated the dissemination of information, whether true or false, while increasing its volume, reach and resonance."

Schill's commentary about the merits of silencing free speech came ahead of Eurosatory 2024, a major defense and security conference in Paris.

(Related: Did you know that it is now a crime in France to vocalize opposition to mRNA "vaccine" injections  violators face a 45,000 euro fine and up to three years in prison for questioning "the science.")

Relentless media propaganda failing to convince public to support Ukraine

The globalists apparently thought they had the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the bag. They never could have anticipated in their narrow, ivory towered perspective that no amount of media and government propaganda will ever successfully convince the majority that endlessly sending weapons and cash to Ukraine is in their best interests.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Despite relentless propaganda day in and day out about how we need to send all of our resources to Volodymyr Zelensky and his friends, including Joe "the big guy" Biden, most Americans, around 70 percent, want the war and welfare to stop.

Former U.S. diplomats Michael Gfoeller and David Rundell wrote an op-ed for Newsweek last year that highlighted how the "propaganda machine" has massively "overplayed its hand" in the handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Schill is one of the shills, as his name implies, pushing for endless welfare to support the war machine in Ukraine. He believes that all of the most advanced technologies are necessary to ensure a Zelensky win  this includes long-range drone surveillance, electronic warfare and weapons with heavy lethality.

Schill also believes that Western militaries need to do a better job of protecting high-value targets like command posts, especially in an era of technological advancements that make them easier to detect.

Just four days after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2022, France deployed more than 500 troops to NATO's eastern flank in Romania. This location serves as the bloc's "spearhead" battalion, and it now houses more than 1,000 soldiers as well as an air defense detachment and a forward command element.

"These successive deployments show the reactivity and preparedness of our troops," Schill said. "The difficulties in the administrative, customs, interoperability and training domains have been overcome. We're drawing the lessons with our European partners."

Eurosatory, by the way, is Europe's largest defense show. This year's presentation is said to take "the full measure" of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"Only demons and dirtbags look to control public opinion," wrote a commenter at RT about Schill's worldview. "Good-natured people or forces simply tell the truth or present facts. They don't care whether you like it or not for they know they are fighting for a just cause."

Another noted that all this talk about protecting "democracy" in Ukraine is a crock since its true purpose is really about "capitalism and helping the rich get even richer."

"And everyone knows it," this person added.

Out-in-the-open censorship is one of the most common last-ditch efforts of a dying empire to keep itself alive. Learn more at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

NaturalNews.com
Large-scale prisons being secretly erected in all 50 states  will they be used to house illegals or force Americans into concentration camps?

Former 24-year Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) veteran J.J. Carrell got the chance to interview Christie Hutcherson of Women Fighting for America about a sinister plot by the globalists to build large-scale prison structures and compounds in all 50 states, purportedly to house illegal aliens but probably actually to imprison Americans in concentration camps.

Hutcherson has an extensive background in federal contracting having worked at forward operating bases (FOBs) in military war zones. Her company built soft-sided structures, water facilities and other necessities for soldiers as part of a multi-billion dollar operating agreement with Washington, D.C.

Because she has access to the federal database of contract bids for all of the government projects going on at any given time, Hutcherson can see specifically and exactly what is going on behind the scenes at any given time.

"There are bids for detention facilities being built in all 50 states in America," Hutcherson explained to Carrell in the interview, which was also covered by Redacted  watch below:

"I go in the database, J.J, and there are detention facility bids to build individual detention facilities in every state in the union. Who do you think they're built for? Are they built for all the illegal aliens or unaccompanied alien children? Of course not."

(Related: Back in early 2022, we warned you that some politicians have been pushing for concentration camps to be built in the United States  well, it looks like that time has arrived.)

Concentration camps in America

Carrell, who considers himself something of an expert on these types of things, says he was shocked at what Hutcherson had to say. He says he fell for the idea that these detention facilities are for illegals and migrants, not Americans.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

"Most of these ICE facilities are completely empty," Carrell explains. "I've talked to my buddies in Texas and in San Diego, I've talked to my ICE supervisors, and they tell me that they're empty."

"So you're talking anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 beds across America, mainly on the southern border, are empty. Why are they empty? Because we have massive catch and release."

Back in the old days when Carrell was more directly involved in border work, he says they did not just catch and release illegal aliens. They would transport the illegals they caught to ICE facilities for processing and eventual deportation.

"They went and they waited there a week, two weeks, a month, whatever it was, to go in front of the judge, fined or deported, deported or found to be guilty of reentering as a felon, then they spent time in federal prison, then they would be deported  so we had all this bed space," Carrell explains.

"I get someone that's a reported felon now, I'm releasing them on the street. So you go from arresting people three years ago, setting them up for deportation and prosecution, goes to a camp space in an ICE facility, then the courts and deportation  not now. Everyone gets arrested by the Border Patrol, they quickly "vet" them, then release them."

Even more disturbing is the fact that there are closer to 30 million, if not more, illegals who have flooded the U.S. just in the past couple years. This is enough to replace the populations of about 36 states, Hutcherson further says.

"Why would they need to continue to [house them in camps] that if they're trying to absorb, assimilate, etc.? I believe it's to do like what the Nazis did to the Jews  concentration camps, processing facilities. They're going to need some place to process the dissidents."

The worst time in human history is almost here. Learn more at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

YouTube.com

NaturalNews.com
Minnesotas Rapidan Dam in imminent failure condition after heavy rains, nearby residents told to evacuate

The historic 114-year-old Rapidan Dam in south-central Minnesota is on the brink of failure after abnormally high levels of rainfall caused the river to erode the earth around one side of the dam, leaving parts of it in ruins.

Rapidan Dam, located around 70 miles southwest of Minneapolis, was built between 1908 and 1910. It is currently struggling to withstand the relentless force of the waters and accumulated debris in the swollen Blue Earth River. The situation has already affected approximately 45,000 residents of the nearby city of Mankato and the other 25,000 residents of Blue Earth County.

After a weekend of heavy rainfall, aerial footage showed how floodwaters engulfed a house and washed away the Xcel Energy substation. This substation, crucial for supplying power to nearby customers, has compounded the crisis with widespread power outages.

The flooding has caused power outages and forced the closure of several bridges across the river. Critical infrastructure, including bridges on County Road 33 and County Road 90, are being monitored for debris accumulation. Nearly 20 road closures have already been announced, with additional closures possible as conditions evolve. The city of North Mankato is proactively constructing a levee to protect lower parts of the city, assuring residents that these measures are precautionary.

All this led to the erosion of the dam's western embankment, which sent torrents of water cascading over the structure. On June 23, debris began piling up at the dam, which intensified the risk as the river eroded the west side of the structure. (Related: Damage at Glen Canyon Dam could jeopardize water supplies in Western U.S.)

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Residents have taken to social media to express their concerns and share their experiences. One user commented about their sister needing a boat to evacuate her home near Sanger Pit, a park northeast of the dam. Another user hoped that emergency services would rescue animals from nearby Sibley Park.

Terri Baumgarteer, a resident of Watonwan County's Madelia, around 15 miles west of the Rapidan Dam, described the rapid rise of floodwaters in the Watonwan River, a tributary of Blue Earth River: "We noticed a little bit on the back of the yard yesterday morning. We had family watching the house for us during the day, and then between 7 and 9, it just shot up."

Blue Earth County residents warned of dam's "imminent failure condition"

In response to the growing crisis, Blue Earth County Emergency Management has issued a critical alert to county residents that the dam was in "imminent failure condition."

"We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place; however, we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies," the office announced in a statement.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and state-level emergency officials have also reportedly been closely monitoring the situation and have already sent instructions to residents in nearby low-lying areas to evacuate immediately.

"Emergency management is on the ground and acting quickly to ensure the safety of Minnesotans as the situation develops. No changes to the dam structure are being proposed at this time. Surrendering the exemption simply means that the FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] would no longer have regulatory authority over the dam," Walz said.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for thousands downstream, effective until 4:30 p.m. on June 25. Other nearby cities, including Fairmont, are also in the flash flood radius and are bracing for potential impacts. Blue Earth County officials are currently enacting the Rapidan Dam Emergency Action Plan, coordinating efforts to address the unfolding disaster. Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Kristi Rollwagen emphasized continuous monitoring and resource deployment to support affected areas.

Furthermore, the Minnesota National Guard has been mobilized as a precautionary measure, with troops and emergency services actively assisting in evacuation efforts and flood management. Local law enforcement and emergency responders are on high alert, working to ensure the safety of residents and mitigate further damage.

Disaster.news has more articles about recent weather events and natural disasters.

Watch this short clip of floodwaters breaking through one part of the Rapidan Dam.

This video is from the PureTrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Two Pittsburgh bridges closed after 26 barges break loose on Ohio River.

Historic rains and flooding push California fault lines toward the Big One.

Mississippi farmers say heavy flooding caused them to lose crops.

Killer floods in Europe give the world a glimpse of chaotic future.

Biblical flooding devastates mainland China.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
Breaking: Supreme Court rules horribly on most important free speech case in a century  Murthy v. Missouri with Gateway Pundits Jim Hoft as 1 of 5 top plaintiffs is rejected by court

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT RULES HORRIBLY ON MURTHY V. MISSOURIThe Most Important Free Speech Case in a Century

(Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

In a stunning 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Biden Administrations policy of deleting, suppressing, and deplatforming specific people, topics, and ideas is immune from suit, leaving no one able to challenge it in court.

The ruling, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, came down with the following key decision: Neither the individual nor the state plaintiffs have established Article III standing to seek an injunction against any defendant.

In sum, the court rules that the two different types of parties, states, and individuals harmed by these government policies, do not have standing to sue. This case procedurally related to the request for a preliminary injunction for the government to stop the censorship regime while the case was going on.

This decision will make the trial court action in this case more difficult but, insiders say, not impossible. Its a horrible decision, but the underlying case at the lower court marches forward. The Gateway Pundit is dedicated to fighting the government for the free speech rights of everyone, we are committed to ultimate victory, said John Burns, General Counsel for the Gateway Pundit.

In addition, Justice Coney Barrett let the government off the hook for the censorship regime the government created and maintained. Heres the key passage:

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platforms had independent incentives to moderate content and often exercised their own judgment. To be sure, the record reflects that the Government defendants played a role in at least some of the platforms moderation choices. But the Fifth Circuit, by attributing every platform decision at least in part to the defendants, glossed over complexities in the evidence.

There were no complexities in the evidence  the evidence was clear: the FBI, White House, and other officials were specifically directing, demanding, and coercing social media companies to take down posts that related to topics they wanted suppressed.

Here are some of the key topics brought out in discovery that the government was most interested in suppressing, generally:

Hunter Bidens laptop

Vaccines

Voter fraud in the 2020 election

COVID policy, masking, lockdowns, vaccine mandates

These are the topics the Supreme Court is now enabling the government to once again suppress.

Justice Sam Alito said, in dissent, This is one of the most important free speech cases to reach this Court in years.

Instead of standing for the First Amendment, these six Justices, Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown-Jackson, Brett Kavanaugh, and Sonia Sotomayor, stood for speech suppression. SHAME!

The Supreme Court is making it procedurally impossible for a citizen or a state to challenge the governments ability to silence your digital speech. The practical consequence of this decision is to re-open the floodgates of social media censorship and speech suppression.

Thank you to US Senator Eric Schmitt and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry for launching this investigation! Thank you to Attorney John Sauer for his brilliant work in moving this case forward.

And a special thanks to Missouri AG Andrew Bailey and Louisiana AG Liz Murrill who led the efforts at the US Supreme Court oral arguments in March. They are true free speech champions.

Plaintiff Jim Hofts statement below:

Of course, we were very disappointed with todays opinion by the US Supreme Court. The Gateway Pundit has been one of the primary targets of the government censorship complex. It is chilling to learn that the Supreme Court believes the government can regulate the dissemination of news to the American Public. We were victims of government propaganda, and the American people suffered because of it. When we reported on the Hunter Biden laptop in October 2020 and the governments COVID agenda during the pandemic, although we were correct, we were targeted and silenced.

We are concerned by the Courts decision that the government will be allowed to continue using secret backchannel efforts to silence opinions not sanctioned by those in power and that more voices will be silenced. We will consult with our attorneys to determine our next steps.  Jim Hoft

The case presented three key issues for the nations highest court to resolve:

whether the plaintiffs had standing, which is a legal concept meaning that the courts allow that person to claim an injury, whether the governments urging social media companies to deplatform, delete, and suppress the content of specific citizens and topics such as Hunter Bidens laptop, vaccines, voter fraud in the 2020 election, COVID policy, among others, were violations of the first amendment, and whether the terms of the trial courts injunction, meaning a court order for the government to stop suppressing speech while the case was ongoing, was proper.

Free Speech champions have said that this case is the most significant free speech case in a generation.

The Gateway Pundit Publisher Jim Hoft is one of the lead Plaintiffs in the case.

Because of the way legal appeals are procedurally handled, the appeal to the Supreme Court is styled as Murthy v. Missouri, but the underlying case at the trial court is Missouri v. Biden, even though they are all legal actions originating out of the same case.

On March 18, 2024, the US Supreme Court heard arguments from Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Aguin?aga representing The Gateway Pundits Jim Hoft , the state of Missouri, the state of Louisiana, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Aaron Kheriaty, and Jill Hines (Free Speech Plaintiffs) in our case against the Biden Administration and an army of government agencies.

Before all of the appeals, the case originally started after the States of Missouri and Louisiana, joined by The Gateway Pundit and the other individuals, noted above, alleged that the Biden White House and DOZENS of federal officials and agencies were conspiring with and/ or coercing Social Media Companies such as Facebook, Twitter and others to censor the speech of MILLIONS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS, particularly during COVID and the lead-up to and aftermath of the 2020 Presidential Election.

The evidence clearly showed  and even Mark Zuckerberg admitted to this, that the FBI pressured Facebook to take down the Hunter Biden laptop story  in true Fascist manner, the Feds worked with or otherwise demanded that Big Tech police the speech that they disagreed with and that went against the governments approved party dogma.

The Gateway Pundit and the other Plaintiffs initially sought out a preliminary injunction and were able to acquire a substantial amount of evidence in support of that injunction. You may recall that, probably not coincidentally, on July 4, 2023, Federal Judge Terry Doughty issued an order granting Gateway Pundit, et als motion for the preliminary injunction, preventing the government from working with Big Tech to censor Americans speech while the full lawsuit was being battled (likely to be a multi-year period).

The government immediately appealed this Order to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the injunction was improper and that the plaintiffs lacked the proper authority to challenge government action.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals substantially agreed with the good guys, and the scheming government tyrants were left with no choice but to appeal their case yet again  this time to the Supreme Court of the United States.

A variety of left-wing groups shamefully came out to side with the government, on the side of suppressing citizen speech, in the name of combatting disinformation. including Stanford University, Senator Mark Warner, and a small group of far-left Secretaries of State. Those siding with free speech included Americas Frontline Doctors, Americans for Prosperity, Atlantic Legal Foundation, Charlie Kirk, Claremont Institute, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education FIRE, Steven Crowder, journalist Matt Taibbi.

The Chamber of Commerce filed an amicus brief siding with neither party.

Lawyers involved with the case told the Gateway Pundit that from oral arguments it became clear there was a core 3-3 split on the court, with Ketanji Brown-Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, firmly on the side of letting the government suppress speech. Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh appeared to be on the side of free speech. The case, they believed, hinged on the way in which Amy Coney Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts ruled.

The appeal was filed with the Supreme Court on September 14, 2023, so it has taken over nine months to get a decision on this issue, primed before the height of the 2024 election cycle, where the Biden Administration was gearing up to use these expansive powers once again to police social media to suppress news, views, and commentary of citizens it disliked.

In March, the champions for each side made their case at oral arguments in person before the assembled Supreme Court.

Gateway Pundit founder and publisher Jim Hoft and Gateway Pundit attorney John Burns were present at the oral arguments.

In March, Jim Hoft interviewed his fellow individual free speech plaintiff-respondents in the Murthy v. Missouri case.

See HERE for the interview with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

See HERE for the interview with Dr. Martin Kulldorff.

See HERE for the interview with Aaron Kheriaty.

See HERE for the interview with Ms. Jill Hines.

Each of these individuals is a spectacular advocate for the First Amendment and freedom from tyranny. We hope you can take the opportunity to watch these highly inspiring interviews, which offer firsthand accounts from these exceptional Americans who have and continue to fight against government censorship and oppression.

FREEDOM ISNT FREE  and neither is fighting tyrants. The Gateway Pundit needs your help. PLEASE DONATE TO GATEWAY PUNDITS legal fund to help our fight against illegal censorship  both governmental AND private.

We rarely ask for donations for ourselves at TGP. Please help us continue our fight for truth.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
Roger Stone: Democrats will try to put Trump in JAIL before Republican National Convention

Veteran political operative Roger Stone has predicted that the Democrats will try to put former President Donald Trump in jail before the 2024 Republican National Convention

He issued this prediction during a recent appearance on the "Health Ranger Report," noting that Trump's sentencing is scheduled on July 11. The hearing comes days before the 2024 convention, scheduled from July 15 to 18 at Milwaukee.

"I think they will, if this is about election interference," Stone told the Health Ranger Mike Adams. "What could be a greater act of election interference than to deny him the ability to go to the convention to accept the nomination and give his acceptance speech  that would be quite extraordinary. I personally think it will be overreaching extraordinarily, and it will backfire even worse than what they have already done."

Adams agreed with the last point, elaborating on how this will backfire on the Democrats. He noted that the Democrats might say Trump has to appear in an orange jumpsuit, owing to his felony conviction in the hush money trial presided by Judge Juan Merchan.

The Natural News and Brighteon.com founder remarked that this could become a mockery of the normal electoral process. But there is a silver lining, as it would also lead to more Americans coming to their senses and realizing that the American republic is gone and needs to be brought back again.

According to Adams, the American justice system has failed and become fraudulent after being weaponized against Trump. He reiterated that Trump has actually won two elections and is about to win a third one in terms of the actual voting of the American people. Even people who espouse centrist political views are saying that Americans need to support Trump to restore the proper functioning of the judicial system and maintain America's constitutional republic.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Stone: Trump vs. Biden debate a risky one for both candidates

Stone also remarked that the Democrats are so disturbed by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) that it clouds their political judgement. This will only help the former president in the final days going to the November election. The longtime Republican operative pointed out that the GOP needs to use every technical and legal advantage to win as well as ensure a free, fair, honest and transparent election. (Related: Biden regime under investigation for 2024 ELECTION INTERFERENCE.)

Stone mentioned the upcoming presidential debate, which is happening for the first time before the Republican and Democratic national conventions. According to him, the debate is a risky one for both Trump and President Joe Biden at this time.

"I think this upcoming debate has enormous risk for both of them. So, you have two huge events here which, I think, are going to greatly affect this race," said the host of the "Stone Zone" podcast, pertaining to his guilty verdict and potential sentencing.

"They think that those things are going to affect Trump negatively. I actually think in the end, they're both going to affect him positively."

According to Stone, Trump just has to carry himself in a presidential fashion and avoid falling for the bait of becoming an attack dog. He also expressed his belief that Trump would be able to handle Biden and debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, both from CNN.

Adams agreed with his guest's sentiments. "All Trump has to do is just tell the truth about the failures of Biden's economy, the success of the Trump economy, and just behave in a presidential fashion. Then I think he wins the debate," Adams said.

Stone mentioned the fundamental problem the Democrats have is they cannot run based on their disastrous record, and they are going to run a negative campaign and a campaign of distortion such as Trump being a convicted felon.

"They cannot talk about the economy. They cannot talk about peace and prosperity. They have nothing whatsoever positive to run on, so they have to run a completely negative campaign and a campaign of distortion."

Follow Trump.news for more stories about former President Donald Trump.

Watch the full conversation between Roger Stone and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

DEMOCRATS WORST NIGHTMARE: The minority majority that Trump is winning right now.

Donald Trumps campaign is attracting increasing numbers of young voters, threatening to end Democratic dominance over this demographic.

Poll finds older Arizona voters OVERWHELMINGLY favor Trump over Biden.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

USAToday.com

Ballotpedia.org
Yemeni military reiterates warning to Israeli-linked ships not to pass through the Red Sea after claiming to have sunk 2 ships that violated the blockade

The Yemeni military warned Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red Sea not to violate the country's ban on using the waters within the forces' range to travel to the ports of the occupied Palestinian territories after it successfully targeted two ships in the past few days.

On June 15, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said, "The Yemeni Armed Forces renew their warning to all companies of the consequences of dealing with the Israeli enemy and the arrival of their ships to the ports of occupied Palestine. They (the vessels) will be targeted in the area of operations of the Armed Forces," he asserted.

The warning came after the country's military launched strikes with missiles and drones on two commercial ships, the cargo ship Verbena and the bulk carrier Tutor. "The ship Verbena sinks in the Gulf of Aden after being targeted by many missiles," Saree said on Saturday. "The ship Tutor, which was targeted by a naval drone and several ballistic missiles and drones, is at risk of sinking in the coming hours." On June 19, the Liberian-flagged Greek-owned ship finally sank. (Related: Yemen's Houthis attack bulk carrier in Red Sea with suicide drone boat  first time in this conflict.)

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Monday that the attack killed "a crew member who hailed from the Philippines." The Philippines has yet to acknowledge the death, but the man who had been aboard the Tutor has been missing for over a week in the Red Sea.

The armed forces of Yemen's Ansarallah-led government have targeted Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red Sea near Yemen's coast since November while the ban has been rolled out since Oct. 7, as soon as Israel retaliated against Hamas and launched massive genocidal operations in Gaza. At least 37,296 Palestinians have been killed to date, most of them women and children and another 85,197 individuals have sustained injuries as a result of the war so far.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Saree added that his nation vows that their forces would keep up their operations as long as the Israeli regime sustains the war and retains a crippling siege that the regime has been simultaneously enforcing against the beleaguered enclave. "These operations are dedicated by our Yemeni armed forces to our mujahideen brothers in Gaza for their steadfastness and jihad, may God protect them and all the free people of the Palestinian people on the occasion of the blessed Eid Al-Adha. Victory is only from God," Saree added.

In retaliation, the United States and United Kingdom navy troops have been carrying out airstrikes against Yemen's armed forces and have sought to protect Israeli-linked commercial ships with their missile defenses.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian-owned, Polish-operated MV Verbena has also been on fire since Thursday when two missiles struck it. The crew abandoned the ship on Saturday after failing to contain the blaze and were rescued by another commercial vessel, the MV Anna Meta.

As per the U.S. CENTCOM, the Iranian warship IRIN Jamaran failed to respond to the Verbana's distress call. CENTCOM claimed the Iranian ship was only 14 kilometers away when the distress signal was sent. "This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis [Ansarallah] threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Centcom will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities," a CENTCOM statement issued on June 16 read.

U.S. intel claims a 90% decline in shipping through Red Sea due to Houthi attacks

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported recently that container shipping through the Red Sea has declined by 90 percent from December to February because of the Houthi attacks. As much as 15 percent of the world's maritime traffic flows through that corridor.

The operations of the Iran-backed group have been reported to have impacted at least 65 countries and forced at least 29 major energy and shipping companies to alter their routes, according to the rare public assessment by the Department of Defense's intel arm. "Threats to Red Sea transits are compounding ongoing stress to global maritime shipping caused by interruptions at the Panama Canal due to drought," the DIA said.

Alternate shipping routes around Africa cost nations around 11,000 nautical miles for each journey, increasing fuel costs by approximately $1 million for each voyage.

Steve Lamar, CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association said: "Delays and cost increases are mounting. Although companies are exploring alternative shipping options, adverse knock-on effects continue to disrupt logistics globally. More needs to be done to ensure the safety of crews and security of cargo by eliminating existing or future threats entirely."

The Red Sea attacks have also impacted humanitarian relief efforts. Aid for Sudan and Yemen has been delayed by weeks as a result of longer routes around Africa, reports indicated.

Chaos.news contains more stories related to worldwide conflicts.

Sources for this article include:

TheCradle.co

APNews.com

SupplyChainBrain.com

CNBC.com
Roger Stone: Biden administration willing to provoke WORLD WAR to prevent Trump victory

According to political pundit Roger Stone, the Biden administration is willing to get involved in a world war just to stop former President Donald Trump from making a return to the White House.

"I do think these people will go to a world war if they think it can be helpful in stopping Trump's return to the White House. And perhaps they think that [President Joe] Biden would be strengthened if he's seen as a wartime president," he said during a recent appearance on the "Health Ranger Report" with the Health Ranger Mike Adams.

"I think they're wrong on that second point, but they're entirely capable of starting a world war if necessary, and I think it is a very, very real danger."

According to Stone, nobody in the Biden administration  including Secretary of State Antony Blinken  knows how to negotiate. The administration doesn't recognize negotiation or diplomacy as the wheelhouse of possibilities, he added. The host of the "Stone Zone" podcast recounted that there were at least three opportunities to end the Russia-Ukraine war, but all of them were vetoed by the U.S. Department of State under Blinken's leadership.

"So they have no interest in ending this conflict; they have no interest in stopping the horrific killing on both sides. Ironically, Biden blurted out a long time ago at the beginning before the hostilities actually began that he would have been willing to give up certain parts of Ukraine. And then, I guess they reeled him back in."

In contrast, the two lauded Trump as an outstanding negotiator and deal-maker. The Natural News and Brighteon.com founder pointed out that the former president could come in and iron out a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Stone agreed, adding that Trump "would use his negotiation talents to end this conflict almost immediately."

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Adams warns: Ukraine's situation could WORSEN ahead of the presidential election

The Health Ranger meanwhile warned that some major things he called "black swan" type of events can happen before the November presidential election. Noting the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, he pointed out that things in Ukraine could unravel catastrophically in the next couple of months.

Adams mentioned that Russian President Vladimir Putin had already laid out the final terms of a peace agreement with Ukraine, but the West had immediately rejected his terms. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's term has expired, which means he is no longer the elected representative of Ukraine. This, according to Adams, is one reason why Russia won't negotiate with him. (Related: Putin ready to end conflict with Ukraine if Russia gets to keep territories it currently controls.)

Moreover, the Verkhovna Rada  Ukraine's unicameral parliament  constitutionally has the power to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine. But there are lawmakers whose terms are expiring in the next couple of months.

Adams asked his guest if there was anyone who could even negotiate on behalf of Ukraine and whether Putin was willing to put up with Western forces who had failed to keep their word.

Stone replied that the Russian leader has shown enormous restraint and is hoping to find an administration with whom he could settle the matter and stop the war. Trump appears to be the best candidate, with the political operative adding that his deal-making skills won't only benefit Washington, Kyiv and Moscow. Even the economies of other nations would be saved as they would be allowed to do energy deals with Russia.

The political operative also clarified that the issue isn't about Russia wanting to seize control of Ukraine. Instead, Putin objects to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) missiles being pointed at Russia's border. The Russian leader also made it very clear that NATO accepting Ukraine as a member is his line in the sand.

Follow WWIII.news for more stories about the possibility of a third world war.

Watch the full conversation between Roger Stone and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Roger Stone warns Democrats will do everything to try to stop Trumps imminent victory.

NATO countries planning expanded land corridors to rush more troops to the front lines with Russia.

Kuleba: Russia will eventually have to be involved in peace talks with Ukraine.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

StoneZone.com
Biden campaign chair CONCEDES Floridas 30 electoral votes to Trump

The head of President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign has conceded that Florida's 30 Electoral College votes belong to his rival , former President Donald Trump.

Jen O'Malley Dillon, chairwoman of Biden's presidential campaign, made this admission during a recent podcast interview with Puck News. When asked by the far-left outlet whether the Biden campaign considered the Sunshine State as a battleground state, she responded in the negative.

The admission has reportedly left Biden's ground organizing staff in Florida with dampened spirits. They took to social media to express their frustration: "Writing Florida off through a paywalled Puck News article while [campaign] staff are on the ground organizing here is not great. This was such an unnecessary, demoralizing gut punch." (Related: POLL: Trump holds 14-point lead over Biden among Arab Americans in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia.)

Dan Kanninen, battleground states director for the Biden campaign, quickly countered Dillon's statement  adding to the campaign's mixed messaging. "Florida is in play," he asserted to The Hill.

According to Kanninen, Trump and his supporters are taking the state for granted while their extreme agenda continues to harm Floridians. The former White House liaison at the Obama-era Environmental Protection Agency stressed that Biden has has a strong story to tell on issues that matter most to Floridians, suggesting the campaign will continue to invest in the state.

A RealClearPolitics (RCP) average poll shows Trump leading Biden by 7.6 points in Florida. In 2016, Trump secured the Sunshine State by 1.2 points and in 2020, he secured it again by 3.3 points.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Dillon also told Puck News that the Biden campaign is focused in North Carolina. But the incumbent winning the Tar Heel State appears to be unlikely, as the recent RCP average poll showed Trump leading by 5.8 points there. He won the state by 3.6 points in 2016, and won it again four years later by 1.3 points.

Florida Dems claim Trump "is in trouble" there  really?

The Biden campaign's approach has raised questions about its strategy and messaging. With mixed signals and internal frustration, the campaigns path forward remains uncertain. As political observers watch closely, Bidens campaign risks appearing like a classic losing campaign, struggling to find its footing in key battleground states.

The Biden campaign's claim that "Florida is in play for the 2024 presidential election seems to be a far-fetched claim. Democrats in the Sunshine State are highlighting a new public opinion survey released by Fox News. The said survey, which polled 1,075 registered voters from June 1 to June 4, found that Trump (50 percent) leads Biden by just four points (46 percent).

"Trump is in trouble in Florida," the Florida Democratic Party declared in a statement, asserting that the results "confirms that Florida is back as a battleground state." The party subsequently used the poll results in a fundraising pitch.

But a closer look at the poll reveals that the results favor Trump more than Biden. The real estate mogul's lead against the incumbent expands to seven points when third-party candidates are introduced. Here are the poll's results if third-party candidates are factored in:

Donald Trump (47 percent)

Joe Biden (40 percent)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (seven percent)

Cornel West (two percent)

Jill Stein (one percent)

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are set for re-election, while Trump has not yet announced his running mate. Kennedy selected Nicole Shanahan as his running mate, while West selected Melina Abdullah of the Black Lives Matter movement as his vice president. Meanwhile, Stein is aiming to secure the Green Party's nomination at its national convention in August.

Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president.

Watch this video of Trump warning that the U.S. "won't have a country left" if he loses in November.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump campaign launches initiative encouraging Republicans to embrace early voting and mail-in, absentee ballot options.

Trump campaign raises $400M following hush money trial guilty verdict.

Poll finds older Arizona voters OVERWHELMINGLY favor Trump over Biden.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

FloridaPhoenix.com

Brighteon.com
ESCALATION: Biden to officially deploy American military contractors to Ukraine as WWIII looms

Supposedly to help speed up the maintenance and repair of the American weapons systems being used by the regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the administration of President Joe Biden is planning to deploy American military contractors to Ukraine.

Four United States officials familiar with the matter reportedly told CNN that the policy is still being worked on and has not yet been signed by President Biden.

"We have not made any decisions and any discussion of this is premature," one regime official told CNN. "The president is absolutely firm that he will not be sending U.S. troops to Ukraine."

In what looks a whole lot like a smokescreen, CNN appears to be framing the narrative on Biden's behalf by "leaking" the news while at the very same time quoting a source that insists the news is not what it seems.

To send U.S. military contractors to Ukraine represents another violation of Russia's red line. And yet, the Biden regime continues to push the limit while claiming that "U.S. troops" are not, nor will they ever be, sent to Ukraine.

While some might argue that military contractors are not the same as troops, the fact remains that the U.S. is still directly involved in the conflict and increasingly so with moves like this.

(Related: Speaking of Biden, CNN is covering for him by issuing a gag order on its exclusive coverage of the upcoming presidential debate.)

Pentagon to green light contracting American companies to operate in Ukraine

As the powers that be (TPTB) lose control over the abomination known as the Western financial system, they have to do something to keep their corporations afloat and in control. This is why the Pentagon is soon expected to start awarding contracts to American companies so they can operate inside Ukraine.

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Officials say the green light will go at some point in 2024, marking the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 that Washington will make a big move like this to try to transfer its illegitimate assets from the U.S. to Ukraine.

Of course, the cover story is that this is all necessary to fight Russia and "win the war," but the truth is that TPTB are scrambling to grab as much as they can while their Titanic sinks in seemingly slow motion. Part of this involves fortifying and concentrating everything they still have inside Ukraine.

If people really understood the importance of Ukraine remaining under the full control of Zelensky et al. in order for the deep state to continue ruling, they would see that Russia is, in many ways, trying to do the world a favor by eliminating the parasites that have taken control of Ukraine.

Right now, the Western power structure is having to transport damaged equipment to nearby North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries like Poland or Romania for repair. This is allowing Russia too much leeway to win, which is why priority number one for the Biden regime is not to work for Americans but to instead concentrate all its efforts on Ukraine.

The same goes for your tax dollars, by the way. None of that money is going towards anything that helps the average person anymore. It is instead being funneled into the pockets of Biden, Zelensky, and all the rest of the power brokers who are facilitating this global heist.

The Biden regime has also given the green light for Ukraine to start using U.S. weapons to strike the interior of Russia, which Putin warned would not be tolerated. So far, Putin's response is restrained, but once the restrainer is removed all bets are off.

Biden is sending the world straight into another world war. Learn more at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

ThePostMillennial.com

X.com

NaturalNews.com
Bidens new executive order FAILS to stop border crossings

A new executive order (EO) by President Joe Biden aimed at curbing illegal immigration appears to be ineffective

The EO titled "A Proclamation on Securing the Border," which took effect on June 5, aims to address the surging numbers of illegal border crossers entering the United States. It stipulates that asylum applications will be denied when the seven-day average of migrant apprehensions at the southwest border exceeds 2,500 per day. But newly released data from several reports beg to differ.

For instance, data from NewsNation reveals that nearly 4,000 migrants were apprehended on the first full day of the order, with numbers escalating to 10,000 by June 8. That same day, Fox News reported 5,600 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) encounters recorded on the first day of the order, including 4,000 illegal crossings. The next day on June 9, the New York Post reported that approximately 10,000 migrants were in Border Patrol custody  four times the limit set by Biden's order.

John Modlin, chief patrol agent of the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector, reported the same in his sector with 7,500 apprehensions in the first week of June, consistent with the 7,800 apprehensions of the previous week and higher than earlier weeks in May. Meanwhile, San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond noted that thousands of migrants entered the county over the weekend, adding to the 151,000 street releases recorded this fiscal year.

"Bidens executive order is a facade, offering the illusion of security while doing nothing to address the real issues at our borders," Desmond stated as he described the EO.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also echoed these concerns, blasting the Biden administration for refusing to implement effective deterrents for illegal crossings. He also suggested that the new EO might inadvertently even encourage more illegal immigration. (Related: NYC Mayor Adams: Illegal immigration under Biden has become a NATIONAL CRISIS.)

"As long as the Biden administration refuses to provide any type of enforcement, any type of blockage of people crossing illegally, all this new Biden policy is going to do is to actually attract and invite even more people to cross the border illegally," Abott told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo on June 9.

"And you've seen on videos ever since the Biden order went into place. There's no slowing down of people crossing the border. In fact, it's just accelerating."

CBP agent: EO would only normalize illegal border crossings

Meanwhile, an anonymous senior CBP source suggested that the latest EO by Biden won't significantly curb the influx of illegals. Instead, the edict would do the opposite and normalize the entry of two million migrants annually.

They argued that the threshold set by the EO could still allow almost a million migrant apprehensions per year without limiting asylum eligibility. This is particularly true if cartels or the Mexican government manage border crossings to stay just below this threshold.

The source also noted that "lawful pathways" implemented during the Biden administration have already permitted the entry of nearly one million additional "legal" migrants at U.S. ports, who often enter the country unnoticed.

Moreover, the new executive order does not address the 800 to 1,000 migrants evading capture daily. Instead, these lawful pathways, strategic illegal crossings under the threshold, and "gotaways" could result in over two million migrants entering the U.S. annually without facing the EO's consequences.

"Some of the statements contained within the order are outright lies. The order attributes low migrant crossings in 2020 to travel restrictions placed by other countries during the COVID pandemic  that's a lie," the source said.

Visit InvasionUSA.news for more reporting about how Joe Biden's soft immigration policies are destroying the republic.

Watch Chad Caton commenting on New York City Mayor Eric Adams' appeal to Biden to do something about illegals.

This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Border Patrol chief highlights smuggling networks control over illegal immigration.

CBP agent warns Bidens immigration executive order will NORMALIZE arrival of 2 million migrants annually

Bidens policies allowed mass immigration thats now completely destroying America.

Sources include:

YourNews.com

DailyCaller.com

Breitbart.com

Brighteon.com
Attacks on cheap fakes extend Biden Administrations war on free speech

(Article by Kenin M. Spivak republished from RealClearWire.com)

There were two astonishing developments this week in the Biden administrations continuing attack on free speech. First, just days ahead of the Supreme Courts decision on whether to uphold the Fifth Circuits injunction against the administrations extensive censorship enterprise, a second White House press secretary strongly encouraged the media to chill political debate. Second, Karine Jean-Pierre was masterful in her delivery of the new Biden attack line on cheap fakes.

To set the stage: last year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a federal district courts finding that the evidence likely established that the Biden Administration, including then spokesperson Jen Psaki, had engaged in a broad attack on free speech in violation of the First Amendment. It issued an injunction prohibiting the White House and other federal agencies from taking actions, formal or informal, directly or indirectly, to coerce or significantly encourage social-media companies to remove, delete, suppress, or reduce social-media content containing protected free speech.

The government appealed to the Supreme Court, which stayed enforcement of the injunction, pending its review. The Court heard oral argument in March. The administration might prevail, despite browbeating social media into blocking core political speech, including criticism of Biden, humor, and discussion of the Hunter Biden laptop. Yes, that same laptop the Justice Department and FBI just admitted were legitimate and tamper-free. A decision is expected within 10 days.

Now, KJP and the administration are doubling down. Attacking a new category of cheap fake videos, KJP blasted the media for publishing unaltered video of the presidents frailties. Her objection appears to be that by presenting information about the president out of the context preferred by the administration, this video is, in effect, fake. See here.

While the administration was unclear about the missing context, I infer that it prefers a focus on the presumed majority of the presidents 10 AM to 4 pm, Monday-to-Friday workday during which he is not frozen, wandering aimlessly, mumbling incoherently, or blanking out. I understand that preference, but it is unseemly, and depending on next steps, may be unconstitutional, for a government official, speaking from the White House, to seek to chill free speech.

KJP claimed these videos are misleading, manipulated and deep fakes. A deep fake is false. But, what KJP really means is to falsely allege that the videos are out of context. As such, her attack has all the earmarks of the administrations censorship campaign against malinformation. The administration defines three categories of speech it asserts should be censored, misinformation and disinformation, which include falsehoods, and malinformation, which is used out of context, specifically, truthful information that does not have a progressive spin.

Aside from the misinformation in KJPs attack  the videos presented by mainstream media and respected conservative online publications are revealing, unedited windows into a physically and cognitively impaired president; they are neither out of a context necessary to understand what we are seeing, nor manipulated. Regardless, the White House press secretary (as contrasted to a campaign spokesperson), has no business demanding censorship of videos that paint the president in a bad light. Actions like this led two federal courts to issue injunctions against the White House.

The Supreme Court explained in W. Va. State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette (1943) that If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion. In Ashcroft v. ACLU (2002), the Court declared that with few exceptions, the First Amendment means that government has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter, or its content.

Labeling speech as misinformation does not strip it of protection. In United States v. Alvarez (2012), Justice Anthony Kennedy explained that even false statements may not be censored, writing some false statements are inevitable if there is to be an open and vigorous expression of views.Our constitutional tradition stands against the idea that we need Oceanias Ministry of Truth.

Speaking directly to KJPs demands, Justice Kennedy added: The mere potential for the exercise of that [censorship] power casts a chill the First Amendment cannot permit if free speech, thought, and discourse are to remain a foundation of our freedom.The response to the unreasoned is the rational; to the uninformed, the enlightened; to the straight-out lie, the simple truthSociety has the right and civic duty to engage in open, dynamic, rational discourse. These ends are not well served when the government seeks to orchestrate public discussion through content-based mandates.

It is irrelevant that the publishers or social media companies will be the instrument of suppression. As Justice Clarence Thomas summarized in 2021, The government cannot accomplish through threats of adverse government action what the Constitution prohibits it from doing directly.

The administration is afraid that voters will learn the truth. It is now up to a free media and the Republican candidate for president to make certain that voters know how to apply that fear.

Read more at: RealClearWire.com
Climate change is a $100 trillion wealth transfer from the poor to the rich

Grateful to those who subscribed last week, especially those who tossed me some cash. I am charging the lowest rate allowed, $30 annually, monthly lowest is $5. Once a week, I plan to write something about our rapidly evolving culture, and once a week, I plan to deconstruct the malignancy of the environmental movement, which I believe is the primary driver of an impending economic catastrophe everyone sentient dreads. No one else is doing this work, in part because everyone who does is shut down. Here, at Substack, I think I am obscure enough to be able to drill down without someone auditing me, firing me, cancelling me or pulling a contract. I have deep connections among those fighting this fight, and my work will be well informed. As before, I have stellar training and have written for almost every great publisher in the US, UK and Canada.

(Article republished from ElizabethNickson.Substack.com)

If you fund me, I can do more.

Predator or Prey?

Ever asked yourself why six million have poured through the Southern border in the last 8 months? Oh, I know, in search of economic freedom, oppression by their home governments, or oligarchs, drugs, death squads, crime etc. Same with Africa. But again, why do they risk so much to leave homelands that almost certainly, most of them love. The idea of place is not an idea, it is a deep attachment, physical, emotional and sensate that trumps reason. You have to kill a lot of your natural self to leave, to risk your life and that of your children to escape to the cold grey north and never return. The fear alone would overwhelm all but the strongest.

They are leaving because they must.

But why now? Its been bad forever. In South and Central America, between the descendants of the Conquistadors and the Commies, everyone has been ground beneath the heel of the oppressor for 20 generations. Because activist charities pay for these long trains of migrants? Because the left in Europe and Democrats have declared the border open?

No. Well yes, and no, those latter are just the mechanisms. And they have been deliberately constructed.

Mostly they are coming because Black Rock , the UN, the WEF are grabbing their lands, the more fertile the better, driving them from those lands and sticking them into tenement cities where they have to scratch like chickens for a living. Agenda 2030 is ravening under the radar in the US and Canada, where civil society in the pay of the government and environmental NGOs funded by oligarchs, is taking as much land and as many resources as possible out of the productive economy and shoving it into the land banks of BlackRock.

In the south, its not surreptitious. It is state policy to destroy their lives, to take their ancestral lands, whether its 40 acres or a half acre and leave them begging by the side of the road.

This piece was removed from the UN website within a day

Climate Change is a complex financial mechanism which under the guise of saving the planet, is meant to save the predator class.

Which is not only morally bankrupt, but is dealing with a level of government and corporate debt that they know they cannot sustain. In the healthiest economy in the world, the US, all profits now are coming from either some mechanism of government subsidy  the $6 Trillion of the Covid catastrophe - or Collateralized Default Obligations . For instance right now Penguin is in court attempting to buy Random House. Why? Because they can borrow money to do that, buy back some of their stock and pay their shareholders. It will mean middle managers will lose their jobs, and marginal books will not be published, but the ravening maw of Jamie Diamond and Larry Fink will be satiated. For the moment. There is no other reason. Growth, real growth has stalled in every single enterprise.

This is how it works at the top of the class pyramid:

Last week on my island we were treated to the spectacle of well-heeled, highly educated, well-spoken older men and women arguing that the impoverished elderly, the young, and families starting out should not have housing because of climate change. Our island is 74 square miles with 10,000 residents. That means we have one resident per five acres.

Our government, the trust, had proposed the use of accessory buildings, brought up to code, for long-term rentals.

The extreme form of land conservation we practice has meant that housing prices have skyrocketed, so only the rich and the well-pensioned can afford to live here. A thousand or so working age people manage to make a living, generally via remote work. We have no staff for the schools, hospitals, businesses, restaurants. They cannot afford to live here.

About 200 people on our islands, mostly in their 70s and 80s, tightly aligned with the hysterical wing of the environmental movement work the process to stop any growth. Every new resident who pulls a permit is visited and threatened by a by-law officer. The woman who instigated this specific weapon, a former enviro bureaucrat from LA, demanded full time by-law officers for years until she won, after which she fought for aggressive enforcement.

With this one act, she set islanders against each other, creating conflict where there was none. This too is deliberate. A community divided is easily controlled.

Ring any bells?

At the same time, in our vast swaths of upland forests, the UN organization Transitions is slowly accreting that land. For who? We dont really know. Transitions is everywhere, in the US, in Canada, in every country in Europe. It is where you live. It is one of the many prongs of Agenda 2030. Everywhere, it invades local governments and acts to suppress economic activity.

Transitions also trades carbon credits. For who? Who do you think?

Therefore Transitions, which has a rainbow-colored smiley PR face, is in that business. Buying land to transfer it to international organizations and mega-rich families so they can make money on our forests. But not us. We cant. We cant even thin them to prevent catastrophic forest fire.

Those contracts must be interesting, not that anyone can see them. The first thing they do is act as whacking big first-time tax deductions. The second thing they do is act as an annual tax deduction because those trees are eating CO2. Very clever. International interests buy our land (and yours) and use it to not pay taxes. While banking some of the most valuable assets on the planet.

Multiply this 100,000 times, and you will see just a very tiny piece of the vast tapestry, the puzzle, of the Climate Change/Agenda 2030 plan that will shut down economic activity everywhere.

Imagine these people embedded in every single industry. Because they are. Canada has enough oil and gas to supply the world for the next five hundred years. We have all the rare earth minerals required by electric cars and every green invention. We, the most highly educated work-force in the world, have developed hundreds of mitigations that prevent knock-on effects for the mining we do. Mining is the most productive engine of the economy. Its job multiplier is 7, and all seven jobs are high-paying jobs. Mining means rural counties and townships can thrive, pay for their schools, their healthcare.

Every farm, every ranch, every rural business, every logging operation, every developer, every contractor and builder, every grocery chain, every surprisingly successful business has an activist cadre assigned to it. All that activist does is strategize on how to destroy that business. And they are paid, through environmental organizations funded by BlackRock.

Tucker Carlson ran a piece Monday night about an Amish cattle farmer, the most successful in his region, super-green, who doesnt use fertilizer or even gas, who was visited and shut down by an armed gang of government thugs.

This is how they operate. Find the most successful in any sector or sub-sector, attack and destroy. No one must accrete enough financial or community-based power to fight back.

They are going to reap the whirlwind.

Read more at: ElizabethNickson.Substack.com
FALSE FLAG dirty bomb radioactive materials now routinely shipped to Ukraine

The world's power brokers are secretly sending loads of radioactive substances to Ukraine so a "dirty bomb" can be created and detonated "under someone else's flag," it has been confirmed.

Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov of the Russian armed forces said that "available operational information" shows that radioactive substances continue to be sent by the West into Ukraine, which he described as a country that has become "a dumping ground for spent nuclear fuel and waste from hazardous chemical industries."

The United States in particular contrived a carefully crafted technical and legal framework through which it is able to quietly fortify its biological-military capabilities in foreign countries rather than domestically where the public might learn about their presence and revolt.

Just like how the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) bioweapon is now believed to have been developed at biolaboratories in places like Ukraine and China, nuclear dirty bombs are also being built on foreign soil for use in the endless wars the U.S. continues to wage and fight.

The radioactive materials typically travel through Poland and Romania before entering Ukraine, Kirillov explained. And the presidential administration of Volodymyr Zelensky is what oversees these shipments from origin to destination.

(Related: Hungary just hopped off the "NATO train" due to the West's "hopeless" escalation of war in Ukraine.)

This is why Russia is fighting Ukraine

All of this and more is why Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in the first place. Kiev operates as the money laundering middleman for the U.S. to build and deploy radiological, biological and chemical weapons.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Just last year, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) asked the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences to study fresh samples of radiological, chemical and nuclear material, as well as bioweapons and traces of their use.

After President Putin launched his special military operation in Ukraine back in early 2022, the Russian military found documents confirming Kiev's interest in continuing to aid the U.S. in building weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The same documents show that Andriy Yermak, the head of Zelensky's office, oversees the organizational, financial and logistical aspects of the import of Western radiochemical substances into Ukraine.

Kirillov emphasized the fact that "dirty bombs" and other radiological, chemical and biological weapons are being built with Western materials inside Ukraine for use in "false flag" attacks, meaning the West is building and detonating these weapons only to then blame another country, i.e., Russia, for them.

Another Ukrainian government official, chief medical officer Igor Kuzin, was also named by Kirillov as playing a role in the development of WMDs inside Ukrainian territory.

The U.S. is also building WMDs in sub-Saharan Africa, the Ukrainian documents obtained by the Russian military further show. An entire laboratory and training center for the development of biological weapons is currently being constructed in Ethiopia under a joint program with financial support from the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Interestingly enough, employees of the U.S. Army's Institute of Infectious Diseases conducted a study on bat hantaviruses in Kenya just last year. This suggests there are more COVIDs soon on the way once whatever bat hantavirus bioweapon they are trying to make is finished.

"From normalcy to dying for the U.S. administration to secret biolabs to selling children on the black market to extracting their blood for sex parties," one of our readers wrote in a comment about the decline of America under corrupt rule.

"It's a bit of a change from Hillary's Haiti template, so to speak."

The deep state wants indefinite war in Ukraine because that's how they think they'll stay in power forever. Learn more at DeepState.news.

Sources for this article include:

SputnikGlobe.com

NaturalNews.com
Discreet prepping: Top 6 ingenious diversion safes to hide your valuables in plain sight

When prepping for emergencies, you might want to hide money or other small valuables in convenient hiding places like diversion safes.

Diversion safes look like ordinary household items, like canned food or a flower pot, but with hidden compartments for storing small valuables discreetly. If you hide your diversion safe in an ideal location, it can be almost impossible to find, unless a burglar already knows that you are hiding one somewhere in your house.

Here are some of the best diversion safes for your emergency funds or survival caches. (h/t to TruePrepper.com)

Cleaning product stash can

A burglar won't usually rummage under the kitchen sink to look for valuables to steal.

When buying a cleaning product stash can, make sure it matches a cleaning product that you already use at home so it will be harder to find. Keep in mind that most products will be the same size and the weight as half-used container of the original cleaning product.

A cleaning product stash can is easy to open and close. With its compact size, it's also easy to grab if you are in a hurry to leave the house during an emergency.

Flower pot fire safe

If you need an indoor or outdoor solution, try a flower pot fire safe. Some products have a keyed lock under the planter drop-in to access the safe, which can help deter curious kids.

Use lag bolts to secure the plant and make it harder to pick up. To make the pot convincing, place your own plant in it. (Related: SHTF bartering must-haves: 13 Things that will be in demand after an EMP attack.)

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Outlet wall safe

The average house has many outlets, and nobody is going to consider them as a potential hiding spot.

This is one of the few diversion safes that require installation to work. You will need to make a hole in your wall where an outlet usually goes.

This type of wall safe is ideal if you need to hide very small valuables at home, such as expensive jewelry. To maintain the illusion, plug an appliance you rarely use or a nightlight in the outlet.

Spam can safe

Keep Spam can safes in your survival stockpile if you want to hide several small valuables without arousing suspicion.

This diversion safe should fit in fine in any non-vegetarian pantry. Use it to hide money, keys, or other valuables.

Fake marker diversion safe

The fake marker diversion safe is one of the smallest diversion safes available and it can only fit a folded bill or another small item inside. It is usually the same size as a normal marker, with a small working head that screws on.

Unlike the other diversions safes in this list, you can carry the fake marker around with you if you prefer to keep it on your person.

Canned food stash safe

If you have room, your pantry is one of the best places to have a safe. And if you are installing a larger security safe, pantry and laundry rooms are preferred over bedrooms and closets because thieves will search these areas first.

But if you don't have enough room for a full safe, you probably have enough room for a can or two.

Since these food cans are rather large, you can store more money and other valuables in them, especially if you hide two or three cans among the other items in your pantry.

Pick the type of can that wouldnt look out of place in your pantry. Keep the fake canned meat next to real canned meats and the fake canned veggies near the real canned veggies.

Where to buy canned food for your survival stockpile

Here at the Health Ranger Store, we want to help you prepare for different emergencies.

We offer different canned foods for your survival stockpile, where you can also hide fake Spam cans and several canned food stash safes.

Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries are full of essential nutrients, and they are an excellent healthy snack that you can enjoy all year round.

They have been carefully freeze-dried to preserve the taste, texture and nutrients of fresh produce without any chemical preservatives. You can eat them directly or reconstitute them by simply adding water.

Health Ranger Select Freeze-Dried Organic Whole Blueberries contain no gluten or GMOs and have undergone extensive lab-testing for glyphosate, heavy metals and microbiology.

They are also vegan, non-China and certified Kosher and organic.

We also offer Freeze-Dried Organic Mango Diced. Our freeze-dried mango pieces are grown in Mexico under strict organic standards.

The freeze-drying method preserves taste, texture and nutrients better than any other food preservation method ever invented.

You can enjoy freeze-dried mangoes as a snack or rehydrate them by soaking them in water.

Check out this link for a list of must-have food items for your stockpile.

Visit Preparedness.news for more tips on how to prep for emergencies in secret. Visit Health Ranger Store and Brighteon Store to find more supplies for your prepping needs.

Watch the video below as Health Ranger Mike Adams talks about helpful prepping reminders and resources for emergency comms and asset protection.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Staying under the radar: Tips for efficient stealth prepping.

Mastering stealth prepping: Top tips to stay under the radar.

Grow your own feast: Top crops for your home vegetable garden.

Hiding in plain sight: Keep a low profile and make your bug-out location inconspicuous.

Sources include:

TruePrepper.com

HealthRangerStore.com 1

HealthRangerStore.com 2

HealthRangerStore.com 3

Brighteon.com
Wildly unpopular Macron threatens civil war in France if he loses upcoming snap legislative election

French President Emmanuel Macron has threatened "civil war" on his nation if his globalist Renaissance Party loses the upcoming snap legislative elections to the conservative populist National Rally and the far-left New Popular Front (NFP) coalition.

In a message lashing out at the popularity of La France Insoumise, the leading party of the NFP, Macron claimed that the so-called "far-right" solution it is proposing to fix mass migration and the breakdown of the social order in France will only lead to "division and civil war" because they are based on "categorizing people in terms of their religion or origins."

Macron further claimed that there is "a civil war behind" the political agenda of the NFP because they "categoriz[e] people in terms of their religious outlook or the community they belong to."

Trying to fix France's out-of-control mass migration problem in order to restore order and civility is simply "a means of justifying isolating [migrants] from the broader national community," Macron continued. "And, in this case, you would have a civil war with those who do not share those same values."

(Related: Did you hear? Macron dissolved the entire French parliament after Marine Le Pen and National Rally thrashed him in the recent European elections.)

Macron likely to see his prime minister ousted after snap election

Just like they did in the recent European elections, Marine Le Pen's National Rally party is expected to place first in the fast-approaching snap elections. National Rally is said to have more than double that of Renaissance, which is why Macron is having a meltdown.

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Macron apparently called the special snap election because he mistakenly thought National Rally would be too low on resources and too disorganized at that point to achieve a legislative majority, especially on such short notice. Macron, hilariously, was dead wrong.

The French right, admittedly, is not in very good shape. It tried unsuccessfully to rally together into a broad right-wing coalition against Macron, only to end up widening the splinter between National Rally and the more mainstream conservative party The Republicans.

On the left, most parties have joined with La France Insoumise to form the NFP. The left and right together are popular enough to ensure that Renaissance and Macron's liberal coalition Ensemble will likely place third in the snap elections.

National Rally will probably not secure an outright majority, but a third-place Ensemble means that Macron's first choice of prime minister will likely get ousted, making it difficult for Macron to continue governing.

"In France, they take it all too seriously," one of our regular readers wrote about the political climate in France. "I might be in a pub or club without a care in the world and the men want to talk politics."

"I had hoped that talking cuisine would gain me more friends than talking la politique. French vin? Keep France as full as we can of its own culture and merit. Viva la France!"

Another wrote that Macron is clearly trying to maintain a dictatorial position over the French who no longer want him to hold that title.

Another of our regulars emphasized the fact that tyranny exists both on the left and the right, which is why the best route is dead center to keep the polar opposite ends of the political spectrum in a stalemate where they can cause the least amount of harm.

"In the West, everybody is tired of left-wing tyranny. In the east, people rejoice over right-wing tyranny as they have given up on their lives. No matter which wing or center, tyranny can exist in all shapes and sizes as long as the people allow it."

When tyrants don't get what they want, they try to ruin everything in an angry rage. Learn more at Tyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com
Report finds more Chinese military-aged men are crossing the southern border than ever before

An alarming number of Chinese military-aged men have entered the United States illegally since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. In March alone, the number of Chinese migrants surged by 8,500 percent compared to March 2021

A private social network run by a self-identified Chinese government agent provides resources for illegal immigrants to enter the United States and evade border authorities, as uncovered by a Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) investigation.

The network is known as the "American Self-Guided Tour Channel" and it is a Chinese-language Telegram group with over 8,000 members. The channel serves both as a discussion forum for Chinese migration into the U.S. and as a hub for providing documents and information on specific routes into the country. (Related: Number of Chinese nationals crossing U.S.-Mexico border SOARS as Biden announces ineffective crackdown plan.)

Documents in the channel identify gaps in the U.S. border wall, instruct Chinese nationals on how to answer questions from Border Patrol agents, and provide scripts for requesting asylum. The channel is overseen by an individual who promotes Chinese Communist Party propaganda, bans users who dissent from the Party line, and identifies himself as a Chinese police officer.

Despite the Biden administration's claims of taking decisive action to secure the border through the use of executive powers, these measures seem to be more about creating a perception of action, especially as illegal immigration remains a top concern for Americans.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Speak freely without censorship at the new decentralized, blockchain-power Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Mainstream media outlets have described Biden's actions against immigration as allowing the president to suspend asylum claims between ports of entry when there are an average of 2,500 crossings a day over seven days. This threshold has reportedly been met in the past week. But even these same outlets have admitted that this threshold has already been met at least once, the number of border crossers has increased by about 25 percent since Biden's action to "suspend entry" and Border Patrol is still being forced to release those crossing illegally into the United States.

Biden's executive action limiting migrants who can claim asylum went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, June 5. This still amounts to over a million illegal crossings per year, not including those entering through legal points or those brought in through a migrant sponsorship program.

Additionally, parts of the Biden administration's new rule that haven't been extensively reported include protections from deportation for "undocumented" spouses of U.S. citizens and inadequate background checks for unaccompanied migrant juveniles.

Chinese migrants "disillusioned" about China

The huge spike in Chinese people making the journey across the Darien Gap, the mountainous and densely forested region between Panama and Colombia  now so popular it is known in Mandarin as "zouxian," or walking the line  has been driven by China's Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns, increasingly rigid rule and the recent flatlining of China's economy.

"There has been a downturn in the Chinese economy. People have become unemployed, and theres discontentment about the governments tight policies," said Min Zhou, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

More than 37,000 Chinese citizens were arrested for illegally crossing the southern border in 2023, nearly 10 times the total in 2022 and more than double that of the entire previous decade.

"The Chinese migrants are particularly vulnerable," says Giuseppe Loprete, head of mission in Panama for the United Nations' International Organization for Migration, which provides information for migrants to cross the Darien Gap safely. "They are seen as more wealthy, and so they can be targeted. The language problem also means that if something happens, it's more difficult for them to access medical attention."

According to Zhou, this wave of undocumented Chinese migrants differs from the migration wave of the 1980s and 1990s.

"They are now coming from all over the country. They are skilled. Some are college graduates," Zhou warned.

Visit OpenBorder.news for more stories about the migrant crisis.

Watch this video about military age Chinese migrants cross border en masse as Naval forces build.

This video is from the Evolutionary Energy Arts channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

House Republicans worried about "sharp uptick" in Chinese migrants illegally crossing U.S. border.

National security threat: China building a bridge in Central America to fuel U.S. MIGRANT CRISIS.

Chinese illegal immigrant arrested for unauthorized entry onto Marine Corps base in California.

Border agents report encounters with nearly 30,000 Chinese illegal immigrants since October.

RED DAWN ALERT: Chinese agents are being sent across Mexican border to prepare for attacks on U.S. soil.

Sources include:

AllNewsPipeline.com

DailyCaller.com

AlJazeera.com

Brighteon.com
House votes to eliminate corrupt J6 Committee run by RINOs and traitors

The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) in the Republican-led House of Representatives voted 3-2 this week to declare the January 6th Committee , also known as the J6 Committee, as illegitimate.

The vote immediately invalidates all subpoenas issued by the committee, and now the House can proceed to file an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in Steve Bannon's case, Bannon having been directly involved in the events that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.

"[House Speaker Johnson] did such a good thing here," Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) wrote in a tweet.

"Should have been done DAY ONE of Republican control. We are finally beginning to clean up the mess and remediate the harm of the J6 UnSelect / Illegal Committee."

Please click the link and read @RepJimBanks excellent letter to Speaker Johnson supporting Steve Bannon's call for a BLAG amicus brief to be filed to support Steve at the Supreme Court.https://t.co/LkKH04FdBx pic.twitter.com/DjDn9Hz8TA  Jeff Clark (@JeffClarkUS) June 25, 2024

(Related: Back in the spring, those who participated in the January 6 event filed a class action lawsuit alleging police misconduct and brutality.)

Where's Trump in all this?

The J6 Committee was established by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi back in 2021 during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "pandemic." It led to Bannon receiving a four-month prison sentence, set to start on July 1, for refusal to comply with committee subpoenas.

With the J6 Committee no longer a thing, the fate of Bannon, a retired Navy officer and former executive chairman at Breitbart News, could change. Don't forget as well that Bannon spent seven months as President Trump's chief strategist and senior counselor in 2017 after he helped successfully guide Trump's 2016 campaign to victory.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

Since Trump is the guy who basically led the charge on January 6, his followers who are being persecuted and imprisoned want answers. One of them is former Trump regime adviser Peter Navarro who is already serving a four-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress.

"The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group voted 3-2 to file a brief with the D.C. Circuit in the case against Steve Bannon," announced House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in a joint statement with Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

"The amicus brief will be submitted after Bannon files a petition for rehearing en banc and will be in support of neither party. It will withdraw certain arguments made by the House earlier in the litigation about the organization of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol during the prior Congress."

The GOP leaders added in their statement that they believe then-Speaker Pelosi "abused her authority when organizing the Select Committee."

Back when Pelosi was forming the committee in July 2021, she rejected then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's choice of Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Jim Jordan (R-Oh.) to serve as the GOP representatives on the panel. As a result, McCarthy refused to let any Republicans participate in the "sham process," prompting Pelosi to instead choose RINO Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).

"Speaker Johnson and House leadership showed tremendous courage in repudiating the illegally constituted J6 Committee and its activities / investigations," Bannon celebrated following the dissolution of the J6 Committee.

Johnson, meanwhile, has been making the media rounds to announce the House GOP's plans moving forward.

"The previous statement of the House, under Speaker Pelosi, was incorrect," Johnson told CNN in a recent interview.

"We do not believe the January 6 special committee was properly constituted. We don't think it followed the House rules. And now we're finding, under our own investigation, that they have in fact covered up some evidence. That's a great concern to a lot of people."

More related news coverage can be found at BigGovernment.news.

Sources for this article include:

Twitter.com

NaturalNews.com

DailySignal.com
Smart meter REFUGEES in New Mexico try to stop the technology from entering the state, citing human health and wildlife impacts

New Mexico, one of the few states without smart meters, is on the brink of introducing the invasive technology across the state . A legal brief has been filed with the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission, voicing opposition to the proposed rollout of smart meters by the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM). The brief outlines significant concerns regarding the health impacts of radio-frequency (RF) radiation emitted by these devices, as well as their adverse effects on wildlife. These devices put out non ionizing radiation spikes, emitting up to 10,000 to 200,000 pulses a day . Some people are more sensitive to the effects of RF radiation , but like it or not, the damage is occurring silently and without our consent. Some people have left their state to seek refuge in New Mexico, where there is currently no widespread use of smart meters.

New Mexicans for Utility Safety challenge the states grid modernization plan

Smart meters, also known as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), are digital devices designed to monitor and transmit real-time data on electricity, gas or water consumption to utility companies. These devices are constantly providing utility companies with private data. Advocates of the technology argue that smart meters enhance efficiency and allow for more accurate billing. However, an advocacy group called the New Mexicans for Utility Safety, show proof that the RF radiation emitted by smart meters poses serious health risks.

PNM has filed three applications with the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission, asking to modernize the grid with the smart meter technology. Their latest attempt on October 2022 was met with strong opposition from the public. However, the Commission ignored the public comments on the issue. During the hearing, the Commission claimed that public comments will not be considered as evidence in this proceeding.

Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Use our decentralized, blockchain-based, uncensorable free speech platform at Brighteon.io. Explore our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions.

New Mexicans for Utility Safety fired back and said that public comments should be considered in evaluating PNMs Cost Benefit Analysis. Their latest filing challenges PNM's grid modernization plan, arguing that PNM has neglected to adequately address the health and environmental implications of smart meters in its regulatory filings. Moreover, they criticize the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission for allegedly dismissing public comments regarding these concerns during a recent public hearing. PNM has defended its modernization plans, asserting that smart meters are essential for enhancing grid efficiency and customer service.

Legal brief exposes human health and environmental impacts from smart meters

According to the legal brief, which gives reference to public comments on the matter, numerous individuals have reported adverse health effects shortly after smart meters were installed in their homes. Elizabeth Foley Walsh shared her experience shortly after a smart meter was installed near her home in North Carolina. She quickly developed severe headaches and dizziness, which were later diagnosed as temporal lobe seizures.

Deirdre Novella, another commentator cited in the brief, alleged that exposure to smart meters at her workplace contributed to symptoms of radiation poisoning and a subsequent leukemia diagnosis. Novella wants to see smart meters banned in New Mexico, and says the state should remain a safe haven from smart meters due to growing awareness of RF radiation exposure.

In addition to health concerns, the legal brief also addresses the impact of smart meters on wildlife. Commentators have noticed a decrease in bee, bird and frog populations following smart meter installations on their properties.

The legal brief urges the Commission to consider the cumulative impact of smart meters on public health and wildlife in its decision-making process. It calls for a comprehensive evaluation that includes input from affected individuals and rigorous examination of scientific evidence related to RF radiation and its potential consequences.

For up-to-date information on RF and tracking technology, visit SmartMeters.News.

Sources include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalHealth365.com

SmartMeters.news

BioInitiative.org
Supreme Court tosses case over Biden coercion of social media

The Supreme Court on Wednesdayinto removing content and banning users based on political views.

(Article by Tyler Durden republished from ZeroHedge.com)

In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue - as opposed to tossing the case on merit - just like the vast majority of election fraud cases which didn't make it past lower courts.

Clearly it was easier to punt this one than focus on the mountain of evidence that the Biden administration and US intelligence agencies were directly pressuring social media platforms to censor free speech disfavorable to the regime.

GOP attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, along with five social media users, filed the underlying lawsuit claiming that US government officials exceeded their authority by pressuring social media platforms to moderate content. The individual plaintiffs include Harvard's Martin Kulldorff and Stanford's Jay Bhattacharya, as well as Gateway Pundit owner Jim Hoft.

Justice Alito wrote the dissenting opinion and was joined by Thomas and Gorsuch. "For months, high-ranking Government officials placed unrelenting pressure on Facebook to suppress Americans' free speech. Because the Court unjustifiably refuses to address this serious threat to https://t.co/qhwL5wGuI3  Seth Dillon (@SethDillon) June 26, 2024

The laws sought to prevent social media companies from banning users based on their political views, even if users violate platform policies.

The lawsuit included various claims relating to activities that occurred in 2020 and before, including efforts to deter the spread of false information about Covid and the presidential election. Donald Trump was president at the time, but the district court ruling focused on actions taken by the government after President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. In July last year, Louisiana-based U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty barred officials from communication of any kind with social-media companies urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech. -NBC News

If the allegations made by plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States history, wrote Doughty. The plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in establishing that the government has used its power to silence the opposition.

Dozens of people and agencies were bound by the injunction including President Biden, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, the Treasury Department, State Department, the US Election Assistance Commission, the FBI and entire Justice Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Bhattacharya and Kulldorff, who are among the originators of the Great Barrington Declaration that denounced the lockdown regime, have been victims of social media censorship. For example, the pair says their censorship-triggering statements included assertions that "thinking everyone must be vaccinated is scientifically flawed," questioning the value of masks, and stating that natural immunity is stronger than vaccine immunity.

While the case was dominated by Covid-19 censorship, it also encompasses the Justice Department's efforts to suppress reporting about Hunter Biden's "laptop from hell" in the run-up to the 2020 election. Doughty gave credence to that accusation.

"The evidence thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario," wrote Doughty in a 155-page ruling. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian 'Ministry of Truth'."

"The White House defendants made it very clear to social-media companies what they wanted suppressed and what they wanted amplified," wrote Doughty. "Faced with unrelenting pressure from the most powerful office in the world, the social-media companies apparently complied."

Doughty quoted communications from administration officials to social media company employees, saying they represent "examples of coercion exercised by the White House defendants." Here's a small sampling:

"Cannot stress the degree to which this needs to be resolved immediately . Please remove this account immediately.

. Please remove this account immediately. To Facebook: Are you guys fucking serious? I want an answer on what happened here and I want it today.

This is a concern that is shared at the highest (and I mean highest) levels of the WH

Hey folks, wanted to flag the below tweet and am wondering if we can get moving on the process of having it removed. ASAP

The judge also noted that the badgering came simultaneous with threats of changing the social media regulation scheme, and that those threats had extra credibility since they came as the Democrats controlled the White House and Congress.

On appeal the New Orleans-Based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals narrowed the scope of Doughty's injunction, however it still required the White House, FBI and top health officials not to "coerce or significantly encourage" social media companies to remove content considered to be misinformation in a practice known as "jawboning" - in which the government pressures private parties to do its bidding, sometimes with the implicit threat of negative consequences if its demands aren't met.

Read more at: ZeroHedge.com
Trump calls out MSMs DOUBLE STANDARD when it comes to reporting about his cognitive health vs. Bidens

Former President Donald Trump has called out the mainstream media's (MSM) double standard when it comes to reporting his cognitive function and that of his rival, incumbent President Joe Biden.

He issued this rebuke during his June 22 campaign rally in Philadelphia. Trump told attendees at the City of Brotherly Love that the MSM calls him "cognitively impaired" if he slips up even once. In contrast, Biden can "fall off the stage" but the MSM will still dismiss it as "fake."

"I go for two hours without teleprompters. And if I say one word slightly out, they say, 'He's cognitively impaired,'" Trump lamented. "Whereas Biden can run into walls, he can fall off the stage, he can fall up the stairs  and then they say it was fake, he was fine. And then, the press goes along with it. They go along with it."

The former president continued by pointing out that everything about the Biden administration is "fake," including the Federal Bureau of Investigation's crime statistics the White House is pushing.

"Now he's even saying that all his mishaps were fake. They say the fake news covered him in a fake manner. That's a lot of fake. That's a lot of fake news back there. All we want them to do is be honest, because theyre all going out of business. Nobody believes them anymore. And it didnt help when they went along with the Biden scam."

The real estate mogul's remarks followed several clips of Biden's cognitive decline going viral on social media. In response, the MSM denounced these as "cheapfakes"  mirroring the Biden campaign's narrative that the videos were misleading or lacked context in some way. (Related: Desperate White House claims all videos of Biden acting clueless are DEEP FAKES.)

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

The MSM also pointed out that it was unfair to question Biden's mental competence or fitness, given the videos purportedly being fake. However, the MSM also ran several stories questioning Trump's mental competence or fitness.

The real estate mogul ultimately called Biden "the worst [U.S.] president in history so far." He called on Americans to vote him out in November "or this country is not going to survive another year."

Texas Rep. Jackson calls on Biden to take DRUG TEST before debate

To debunk claims that Biden's cognitive function is at its nadir, U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) demanded in a letter that Biden submit to a drug test before his June 27 presidential debate with Trump, organized by CNN. Jackson served as White House chief physician in the Obama and Trump administrations before being elected to Congress in 2020.

Jackson's three-page letter dated June 24 called on Biden and White House Chief Physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor to submit to a "clinically validated drug test." The congressman continued: "This drug test should be administered both immediately before and after the debate and should include, but not be limited to, performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)."

"American citizens must have absolute confidence in their president's ability to perform [their] duties as head of state and commander in chief, and the debate performance absolutely should be indicative of an individual's ability to perform these critical duties free of any PEDs or mood-altering medications."

In the letter, Jackson noted Biden's "refusal to submit to a cognitive exam." This, the congressman argued, "has created a condition of great concern for our country as Americans watch the continued decline in our president's cognitive performance."

Trump himself also agreed with Jackson's proposal, taking to Truth Social to express support. "Drug test for Crooked Joe Biden? I would, also, immediately agree to one," the former president posted on June 24.

Head over to Trump.news for more stories about the former president.

Watch Fox News anchor Trey Gowdy pointing out that Biden's cognitive function is continuing to slip below.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

COVER-UP: White House chief doctor deems Biden fit to work, but omits cognitive test.

WSJ admits Biden showing signs of COGNITIVE DECLINE during closed-door meetings.

Biden's cognitive decline is now painfully obvious to the world, yet Dems continue to deny it.

Doctors urge Biden to take MENTAL COMPETENCY test following increasing evidence of president's cognitive decline.

DOJ special counsel report describes Biden as having "diminished faculties" and "faulty memory"  proving critics right that he is in a state of COGNITIVE DECLINE.

Sources include:

Mediaite.com

FoxNews.com 1

FoxNews.com 2

Brighteon.com
Zakharova: France has 3 OPTIONS, the third being the DEATH of its military operatives in Ukraine

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MID), has warned France of retaliatory measures in response to threats of "sanctions on Russian diplomats in Paris" from the ministry's French counterpart.

Earlier, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) threatened that remarks from the Russian diplomatic mission in the French capital concerning the probable deployment of French military advisers to Ukraine "would not go without consequences." An MID representative specifically pointed out that French instructors who teach Ukrainian militants to better target Russians would become a legitimate target "as in war"  something that didn't sit well with the MEAE.

According to Zakharova, this threat from the MEAE followed a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Her boss and Russia's top diplomat said in a June 4 press conference in the Republic of the Congo: "French instructors, if sent to Ukraine, would become a legitimate target for Russian armed forces."

Zakharova then took to the messaging platform Telegram, singling out the MEAE official who issued the threat against the Russian diplomatic mission. She provided three options as a possible answer to the staffer.

"First, that there is still a tradition of asking questions. Second, that there is still a tradition of answering questions. Third [is] the possible death of French nationals in Ukraine, which French authorities have previously vehemently denied," Zakharova said, per a report by Russia Today. "Then I'll add Option D: If our diplomats are touched, you will receive retaliatory measures." (Related: France to announce the official deployment of "military instructors" to Ukraine to help train Kyivs new recruits.)

We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Explore our decentralized, peer-to-peer, uncensorable Brighteon.io free speech platform here. Learn about our free, downloadable generative AI tools at Brighteon.AI. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance.

Russian state news agency TASS also quoted Zakharova as stating that Moscow had "confirmation  coming in on reports that France is preparing to send its troops to Ukraine," referring to trainers. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said there were already "specialists" in Ukraine "under the guise of mercenaries."

Macron's office claims there's no evidence French operatives are in Ukraine

During the June 4 press briefing, Lavrov also dismissed the "peace conference" sponsored by Ukraine that is set to take place in Switzerland. Russia, which presently occupies about 18 percent of Ukrainian territory mainly concentrated in the east, isn't invited to the conference.

"This conference in Switzerland has no meaning," he said. "The only meaning it can have is to try to preserve this anti-Russian bloc, which is in the process of crumbling."

Meanwhile, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 4 that it wouldn't comment on Lavrov's remarks. It added that there was no evidence that French military advisers were in Ukraine.

But Macron's remarks in media interviews appear to be a complete 180 from his current sentiment. In an interview with the Economist magazine, he considered the probability of sending troops to Ukraine if "Kyiv requested it and if Russian forces breached the front line."

"We should not be intimidated; we are not faced with a great power," Macron told the magazine. "Russia is a middle power with nuclear weapons, but its GDP is smaller than that of Europeans, smaller than that of Germany, smaller than that of France."

He also espoused the same sentiment in an interview with the Le Parisien newspaper. "It is possible that at some point, and I do not wish for it, nor will I initiate it, it will be necessary to carry out operations on the ground, whatever they may be, to counter Russian forces," the French president said.

Follow RussiaReport.news for more stories about the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Watch this clip about French President Emmanuel Macron reiterating his warning that North Atlantic Treaty Organization troops could be deployed inside Ukraine.

This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Macron's suggestion of NATO deploying troops to Ukraine receives little support.

Zakharova: Washington's call for Moscow to join peace talks "DETACHED FROM REALITY."

Russia claims France is readying deployment of 2,000 troops to Ukraine.

Senior Russian military officer warns that Ukraine conflict could become FULL-BLOWN WAR in Europe.

HYPOCRITE: As Macron threatens to send troops to Ukraine, France purchases 600 million euros worth of Russian gas.

Sources include:

Financial-World.org

AlJazeera.com

TASS.com

Brighteon.com
The summer season of 2024 in the United States has so far recorded a series of extreme heat events, above-average temperatures, and high humidity.

Since the start of June, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued multiple excessive heat warnings and heat alerts over the risk of heat-related illnesses. These weather hazards threaten vulnerable human populations, pets, and even wild animals.

Over the past several weeks, the weather service has warned about the dangers posed by high heat index, which pertains to the combination of air temperatures and relative humidity.

In its latest weather alert, the NWS on Wednesday, June 26, issued a general US heat advisory for multiple states across the southern and southeastern US, including Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

Heat-related illnesses are the greatest risks during summer since extreme heat can impact the body. In recent years, health experts have reported that these heat symptoms, including heat stress, are responsible for the deaths of hundreds to thousands of people. In North America and Europe, the regions saw significant human fatalities during the summer months between June and August in 2021 and 2022.

US Summer Season 2024

The US summer season 2024 officially started last Thursday, June 20, and this period is expected to cause hot weather, record-breaking temperatures, and even heat wave events. Since the onset of the current month, US meteorologists have recorded early-season heatwaves in different parts of the country, where some temperatures have reached more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).

Earlier this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted chances for above-average temperatures in June, particularly across the western and central parts of the nation. In its US climate outlook, the NOAA expected drier-than-average conditions in the northern Rockies and northern Great Plains.

Also Read: US Heat Forecast: NWS Issues Heat Advisory for Risk of Heat Illnesses in Texas and Louisiana

NWS US Heat Advisory

Initial US summer forecasts have been confirmed as of late June 2024, indicating that above-normal warm weather is still in store for different parts of the country. On Wednesday early morning, the NWS issued its US heat advisory, including but not limited to the following areas:

Southeast Texas

South central-southwest Arkansas

North central-northwest Louisiana

Southeast Oklahoma

Central Mississippi

Central North Carolina

Southeast South Carolina

Southeast Georgia

The NWS warned that heat index values for some of these areas could exceed 100, meaning there is a risk for heat-related illnesses caused by hot temperatures and high humidity. The US Government weather agency advises the public to take extra precautionary measures when outside.

This is not the first time the weather agency issued a heat advisory for the region. In May 2024, the NWS also gave a similar weather alert for Texas and Louisiana over the risk of heat illness. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the most common symptoms caused by high heat and humidity are:

Heat stroke

Heat exhaustion

Heat rash

Heat cramps

Related Article: NWS Heat Warning: Temperature to Rise Up to 100F in Pennsylvania, New York, Surrounding Region
In the lush rainforests of Panama, a unique dance of nature has been happening for almost thirty years. Two distinct species of manakins have been blending in with the lush foliage, challenging the human ability to distinguish between species. This is the story of the stable hybrid zone that resulted from the manakins with golden and white collars breeding together. This phenomenon interests scientists as well as bird enthusiasts.

Hybrid Zone: A Stable Melting Pot of Genes

The idea of a hybrid zone is not new in science. It's an area where two species come together, mate, and have offspring with mixed-ancestry.

The hybrid zone in Panama, however, stands out for its stability. A recent study conducted by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign academics and published in the journal Evolution clarified this phenomenon.

According to the study, the hybrid population's genetic composition has mostly remained unchanged in the last 30 years. This is fascinating since hybrid zones are usually dynamic environments where changes in gene flow can have a significant long-term impact. However, the hybrids-the progeny of the white- and golden-collared manakins-have managed to preserve a stable genetic equilibrium in Panama.

Phenotypic Puzzle: Appearance vs. Genetics

One of the most intriguing features of this hybrid zone is the contrast between genetics and appearance. With their golden yellow collar and dark green belly, the most genetically mixed hybrids are nearly identical to the golden-collared manakin. This is true even though their genetic makeup is equally divided between the two parent species.

On the other hand, the birds that look the most mixed, with traits from both species, are the ones that have most of their DNA from white collars. This surprising discovery emphasizes how complex genetic expression may be and how it might vary from physical characteristics.

Also Read: Russian Scientist Attempted to Create Human-Chimp Hybrid, But the Results Were an 'Abomination'

Implications for Evolutionary Biology

The stability of the hybrid zone in Panama provides essential information on the processes that uphold species boundaries. It also begs the question of what elements support the continuation of such a zone. Is it the manakin behavior, the surroundings, or some other force of evolution at work?

Experts want to continue tracking and analyzing this hybrid population to understand its endurance. The answers may profoundly affect our understanding of biodiversity and evolution in general, as well as the Panamanian manakins.

The Panamanian hybrid zone is evidence of the complex dance of life, in which species can coexist peacefully while overcoming adversity to preserve a fragile genetic balance. This natural wonder reminds us of life's mobility and the mysteries still to be unearthed in evolutionary biology.

How can this research impact conservation efforts?

The new study's findings about the genetic stability of Panamanian manakins have significant ramifications for conservation initiatives. It improves our knowledge of hybrid species' adaptability, which is essential for developing successful conservation plans. Conservationists can better devote resources to conserve more fragile species by identifying genetically stable populations.

Additionally, genetic research supports biodiversity monitoring by recording changes in genetic diversity, which is crucial for evaluating ecosystem health. Guaranteeing genetic diversity also helps restoration programs succeed by promoting ecological resilience.

Moreover, research of this kind can impact policy-making by highlighting the need to preserve genetic diversity and supporting nations in meeting their international conservation obligations.

Ultimately, maintaining genetic diversity is essential for species survival and adaptation, highlighting its significance within the larger conservation and biodiversity preservation framework. The knowledge gathered from the study of Panamanian manakins will greatly benefit future conservation efforts, as it will ensure that the planet's biodiversity is preserved for future generations.

Related article: Hybrid Rice Strain Could Improve Rice Yields and Help Low-Income Farmers
Shark attacks on humans are phenomena often described by wildlife experts as rare, but related incidents worldwide have seemingly occurred more frequently than observed in the past. In Hawaii, fatal shark encounters have been recorded since the late 20th century. These attacks happened even in shallow waters where victims are known to have engaged in different activities like surfing, snorkeling, and spearfishing.

Recently, a Hawaii shark attack incident led to the death of Tamayo Perry, a lifeguard and a former professional surfer. Perry was also known as an actor from "The Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and other Hollywood movies, including "Blue Crush." Reports in recent days indicate that the 49-year-old died from an apparent shark attack in the waters off the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in the Central Pacific Ocean.

Hawaii Shark Attack

It was Sunday, June 23, when Perry was attacked and bitten multiple times by a shark while swimming near Goat Island. Local emergency responders brought the victim to shore but was pronounced dead already. The recent Hawaii shark attack happened when the said lifeguard was surfing during his shift break on Oahu's North Shore, according to local reports.

Due to the renewed threat, the recent marine animal attack has sparked safety issues in Oahu and other parts of the US island state. According to the Hawaii State Government, there have been three recorded Oahu shark attacks incidents in 2024 alone so far. Two out of the three cases resulted in lacerations to the victims with no reported deaths. Details of the encounters are based on witnesses and/or evidence.

In late December 2023, a fatal shark attack occurred in the waters of Maui, Hawaii. The male victim lost his left leg after being ambushed by an unknown shark species (measuring 8-10 feet in length) approximately 150 years from the shore. In December 2022, a woman also died while snorkeling in Hawaii after an unidentified shark species attacked her.

Also Read: Tiger Shark Attacking Small Kayak Off Hawaii Coast Caught on Video

Is Hawaii Safe to Swim?

Hawaii is known as one of the most well-known vacation destinations and surfing hotspots in the world. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, there were approximately 9 million visitors to the island state in 2022 alone. However, the Hawaiian Islands also pose natural risks for visiting tourists, ranging from wildfires to volcanic eruptions, flash flooding, hurricanes, and unprovoked shark attacks.

While oceans in general can be a dangerous place for both experienced and inexperienced swimmers, marine hazards can still be avoided. Aside from sharks, dangerous ocean conditions like large waves and water currents are also life-threatening risks. According to Hawaiian authorities, below are some of the ocean safety tips that an individual should apply:

Before swimming, check for potential ocean hazards such as rip currents, rocks, and shore breaks.

Only engage in water activities when a lifeguard is present.

Swim with a companion and know your limits.

Related Article: Man Dies In Maui After Shark Attack; Higher Number of Attacks Observed In Hawaii From October To December
The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is a wild cat species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula region, located in southwestern Europe. Over the past 200 years, the population of these predatory cats has significantly declined due to various natural and anthropogenic factors.

Some of these causes include the decrease of their prey, habitat loss, and collisions with speeding vehicles, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Despite the Iberian lynx population decline, the past several decades saw widespread conservation efforts toward the endangered species. With less than 100 individuals left in 2002, their population has gradually increased to more than 1,000 as of May 2023, wildlife authorities reported.

Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the Iberian lynx is saved from near extinction.

Thanks to lynx conservation efforts such as reproduction and protection projects, the disappearing big cat species native to Spain and Portugal are making a comeback.

However, environmental and ecological threats, including climate change and decreasing food resources, remain a significant factor in the survival and reproduction of the Iberian lynx species. Regardless, efforts to preserve the said wild animals have continued.

Iberian Lynx Population Decline

It was previously thought that the Iberian lynx population was at the edge of extinction because of their dwindling numbers. According to the WWF, below are some of the threats to the wild cats:

Decreasing food base

Car hits or vehicle collisions

Habitat loss and degradation

Illegal hunting

Climate change

In terms of available food resources, the Iberian lynx in Europe has been struggling; this is because epidemics like myxomatosis and hemorrhagic disease have affected rabbit populations across the European region throughout the years, the WWF explains. Moreover, the expansion of human infrastructure like dams, roads, and railways has contributed to the damage or destruction of the wild cats' habitats.

Also Read: Iberian Lynx: Oldest Ancestor Recently Found In Spain, Researchers Say

Saving an Endangered Species

In a recent press release, the IUCN announced the changing of the conservation status of the Iberian lynx from endangered species to vulnerable under its IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The organization attributed the Iberian lynx rebounding to the continued, sustained conservation efforts. The announcement mentioned that 62 mature Iberian lynxes in 2001 increased to 648 individuals in 2022.

This significant growth in their population, which includes young and mature lynx, is not estimated to be more than 2,000 individuals. Previous estimates by scientists of Iberian lynx populations in recent years have shown the steady progression of their once-disappearing species. This pattern only shows that conservation efforts of the wild cats have been effective for more than 20 years.

In 2002, the conservation authorities classified the L. pardinus species as "critically endangered" and upgraded the Iberian lynx conservation status to "endangered" in 2015, according to the International Society for Endangered Cats. This upward trend continued in 2019 and even after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the flourishing of wildlife even in human population centers.

Related Article: Iberian Lynx, Source of Genes that Live on in Over 900 Felines, Dies at 20 - Spain
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Feature: Chinese scientists brave Arctic depths, discover bonds beyond borders

Xinhua) 08:32, June 27, 2024

Zhao Hongying, a member of the Chinese Arctic expedition team, checks a sampling device to capture microplastics from the air at China's Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

NY-ALESUND, Norway, June 26 (Xinhua) -- In late June, amid Norway's Svalbard archipelago, marking the onset of summer in the Arctic islands, Chinese scientists at a pioneering research outpost delve into uncharted territories while fostering deep friendships with colleagues worldwide, blending scientific exploration with the warmth of human camaraderie.

ARCTIC EXPEDITION AND RESEARCH NEXUS

"You came at a very good time, as tomorrow is the annual litter cleaning campaign," Chinese scientist Hu Zhengyi tells this summer's new research fellows at one of the planet's northernmost permanent residences, a town named Ny-Alesund at a latitude of 79 degrees North.

The researchers traveled over the glaciers to the town in a twin-turboprop aircraft.

"The day after tomorrow is our midsummer party," Hu tells them, excited about inviting newcomers to the town's upcoming events.

Originally a coal mining settlement, scientific research has been the main activity in Ny-Alesund since the 1960s. The town is currently home to scientists from over 10 countries, including members of China's Arctic Yellow River Station, located on the far east side of the settlement.

Around 40 people live in the community all year round, although more researchers come in the summertime, which can bring the population to up to 180.

Hu, who is the manager of the Chinese station, participates in all aspects of town life, from the Norwegian Constitution Day parade to litter-cleaning campaigns and summer barbecue parties. Sometimes he will drink a beer while chatting with old or new friends, although he says he is "a lightweight when it comes to drinking."

Established in 2004, the Yellow River Station is China's first Arctic scientific research station. The facility provides support for scientific monitoring and research in glaciology, terrestrial ecology, marine ecology, space physics, and atmospheric studies.

Earl Sullivan Lester, senior engineer with the Norwegian Mapping Authority, shared with Xinhua how he got to know the head of the Chinese station over chili sauce.

"Back home we call it 'Happy Chef,'" Lester explained, referring to a Chinese chili sauce which Chinese researchers always bring to the cafeteria as a necessity for daily meals.

Before coming to Svalbard, Lester was not aware of the existence of a Chinese research station here. Now he calls it "a really special part of this community."

When a jar of chili sauce becomes the catalyst for a connection between two people, it exemplifies the typical way many friendships are formed in this town.

"The direct, human, one-on-one conversations you can have here really accelerate or amplify the possibilities for collaboration," Lester said.

ENVIRONMENTAL CRUSADE IN SVALBARD

In Svalbard, Chinese and Norwegian scientists have been conducting a collaborative project on how microplastics affect polar environments.

"Industry is producing chemicals all the time," said Geir Wing Gabrielsen, section leader in Toxicology at the Norwegian Polar Institute, who has worked in Svalbard for over 40 years.

"There are probably 200,000 chemicals on the market and we only have good knowledge of 10 percent of them," he said.

It is estimated that over 150 million tons of plastics have accumulated in the world's oceans since the onset of industrial production in the 1950s, according to a study by the Arctic Council's working group Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment in 2019.

Plastic items break down into microplastics, which keep on accumulating in the environment, eventually finding their way into every part of the food chain.

Since 2017, Chinese and Norwegian scientists have been cooperating to collect samples from the air and ocean around Svalbard, attempting to identify unknown chemicals. Samples are sent to Shanghai's Tongji University for analysis.

"It is very important to have good laboratories for doing such analytical work," Gabrielsen said.

Gabrielsen noted that Tongji University's "fantastic lab" has been used to identify new chemicals as well as to follow their development patterns, thus providing input into an "important international process."

To solve a global issue, it takes an attitude of openness and active data sharing, Lu said. "Based on our sincere and open-minded cooperation, this project has been stable and successful."

POLAR LEGACY AND CULTURAL CROSSROADS

On the roof of the Yellow River Station, there is a sampling device to capture microplastics from the air, working tirelessly under the midnight sun.

One hundred meters to the west is a monument to famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who chose Ny-Alesund as a starting point for his expeditions to the North Pole a century ago.

To the east, the mooring mast for Amundsen's airship "Norge" still stands on the tundra.

The work of Amundsen and his contemporaries marked a turning point for polar exploration, when it moved from a search for personal glory through conquering extremes and breaking records, to a focus on systematic scientific inquiry.

Meanwhile, the allure of Ny-Alesund for contemporary tourists lies in the juxtaposition of century-old expedition relics and ongoing scientific endeavors.

Today, when cruise tourists drop by for a few hours in the town, many of them stop in front of the Yellow River Station to take pictures of an ornament of two guardian lions. The ornament is a symbol of Ny-Alesund, said Solveig Roti Dahl, an adviser with the town's management company Kings Bay.

On June 21, Kings Bay organized the traditional summer litter clean-up in the town.

Hu was assigned to group six, tasked with cleaning the port area. His haul included rusty nails from the bygone coal mining era.

"We are guests in Norway," said Hu. "It's just good manners to show our full support and enthusiasm whenever an activity is hosted in town."

Hu has also often invited his new friends to visit the Chinese station. "After all, we believe in building relationships, whether personally or professionally."

Tourists are seen near the mooring mast for Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's airship "Norge" in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows China's Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Chinese scientist Hu Zhengyi attends the annual litter-cleaning campaign in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Chinese scientist Hu Zhengyi (R) communicates with Special Adviser of Norwegian Polar Institute Kim Holmen at China's Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

A monument to Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen is seen in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows a view outside China's Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Earl Sullivan Lester, senior engineer with the Norwegian Mapping Authority, speaks during an interview in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on June 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
DALIAN, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Attendees for the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, have called for increased international collaboration to address challenges of energy transition and climate change. Liu Zhenmin, China's special envoy for climate change, emphasized the need to enhance cooperation and avoid protectionism measures to facilitate energy transition and combat climate change. Global and regional cooperation is needed in this endeavor, Liu told a panel discussion at the three-day event held in northeast China's city of Dalian. Liu acknowledged that Asian countries, which have a lion's share of global coal consumption, face significant challenges in transitioning to cleaner energy sources. He refuted the Western accusations of overcapacity in China's clean energy sector, highlighting instead the strong global demand for renewable energy products. "We need to continue to encourage and support our enterprises to build up the capacity and produce more products," Liu said. He added that China's manufacturing sector has contributed to reducing the global prices of solar and wind products. To meet its dual carbon commitments and help fight the climate crisis, China has been vigorously developing and establishing its new energy sector. It has been the world's largest market for new energy vehicles for years. China is also a major supplier of wind and solar power equipment and power batteries. It has driven down the cost of renewable energy and helped some other countries obtain clean, reliable, and more affordable energy, providing 50 percent of the world's wind power equipment and 80 percent of global photovoltaic equipment. Liu's viewpoints were echoed by Kim Sang-hyup, co-chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth from the Republic of Korea (ROK). Kim highlighted the potential for cooperation among China, Japan and the ROK in developing a green industrial ecosystem. More cooperation dialogues are needed as the cooperation should expand to other parts of the world, including ASEAN and African countries, Kim stated. Delegates from the leading Chinese power and battery companies have joined in the call for cooperation. Wen Shugang, chairman of China Huaneng Group, a major power company in China, called for more global cooperation to eliminate protectionist barriers and mitigate geopolitical influences so that technologies can work better for the well-being of humanity and the protection of the Earth. "Tackling climate change and promoting energy transition is a common responsibility for all of humanity," Wen said. With the pledges of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, China is firmly committed to low-carbon and clean energy development and that is why the country has made great achievements in this respect, Wen said. Wen emphasized that China's clean energy technologies can benefit developing countries, as there is a huge low-carbon market demand for affordable Chinese solutions. Robin Zeng, founder and chairman of battery giant CATL, proposed a "sharing model", or win-win model, to allow the distribution of production capacity to span from the resource countries to China and the market countries. Zeng said CATL is willing to license technologies to battery makers in other countries and help build the industry there. "Climate change and sustainability are so important for everyone," he said.
Ever consider how much of AI is a hallucination? Not how much AI output is hallucination, but rather how much of what we hear or read about it is genuine? Could it be that AI success is mostly hype, and that all the hype may be hurting the technology rather than helping? Enterprises need to get to the bottom of AI, not in technical terms but in terms of making a business case. How that happens is what will determine whether AI is real or maybe a hallucination.

Weve all heard the stories about how AI is revolutionizing work, how its saving companies tens of thousands of hours of labor, and how professionals all need to be learning to be effective users of AI. While that may save your job for a while, the storylines say that AI is probably going to eliminate it eventually, and maybe eliminate you, too. Most people I talk to dismiss the extreme stories about AI harm, but how about the extreme stories about its benefits?

AI is mostly hype. And the hype is hurting AI, in the sense that its misdirecting a lot of effort and thus hindering adoption. But AI is revolutionizing work, and it is saving timeoften lots of it. Its something you should learn to use, and maybe some should learn to fear. Its not coming for your job, though. And, in fact, right now the most popular uses of AI couldnt make a business case. Does any of this make sense? Well see.

Hype isnt necessarily a bad thing. Building buzz generates interest, gets new technologies tried, helps your salespeople get appointments, and keeps your company in the news. Apples AI announcements got a lot of attention. And though many said its news was pedestrian, even boring, what could Apple do but announce AI that does the stuff everyone is already writing about? Sometimes you need to erect a massive billboard that says what everyone else is saying; its called marketing. We keep clicking on extravagant AI stories, so its working.

Wall Street loves AI, and it rewards companies that make AI announcements, even just partnerships with an AI vendor or the launching of AI tools that only match what competitors are doing. Most of this activity relates to generative AI, and most to personal productivity tools and capabilities, something we can all relate to. With all this AI love floating about, its no wonder people think its taking over the world.

But sometimes you have to wonder if were looking in the right places to gain insight into AI value and progress. I recently read a story about how AI had saved dozens of person-years of time in a few months. But did this make a business case? Truth is, we dont know. What was the per-worker benefit, and how much did it cost per worker to save that time? Did any of the time savings translate to saving the company money, cutting current positions or eliminating the need to hire into new ones? If your average worker makes twenty dollars an hour, and AI tools save one hour a week, how much does that save the company? Nothing, unless you dock the employee an hour a week or can use the time to eliminate the need to hire someone else. We never seem to hear about these points, but theyre the ones that matter to CFOs.

Everyone likes to save their own labor, to unload repetitive and boring tasks, and so theres a lot of interest in this sort of AI application. The problem is that this kind of worker assistance doesnt seem to monetize. I was told by CIOs who audited the use of generative AI in their companies that generative AI tools to help workers with documents, emails, etc. almost never actually saved money. However, the tools their companies were trying were either free or very cheap, and the CIOs said they might save a bit of time or improve results a bit. One CFO said that most of the AI we hear about is what we could fairly call AI candy. Or maybe another AI hallucination?

There are good AI projects that save money, though, and CIOs say that these do typically involve the CIO and go through the traditional CFO assessment. For example, almost every company that has tried AI as a customer support chatbot says that it has improved customer service and lowered costs, and CIOs say that theyve had no difficulty making a business case for AI in that mission. In applications involving network management, just over 80% of CIOs said their projects met ROI goals, and three-quarters of companies that self-hosted AI models for business analysis said their projects met business goals. Why dont we hear about these?

The problem, say CIOs, is that in the early days of adoption of any technology, its the potential of the technology that gets the most attention. Generative AI is easy to play with, so a lot of people do, and their interest gets a lot of attention. The specific challenges of self-hosting AI are of interest to a small number of users, too small to attract as much attention. In addition, the small number of enterprises actually involved in CIO-driven, self-hosted projects means that it takes longer to expose all the real issues to be faced, to answer the questions that will be the most critical for AI adoption.

Going back to those CIOs, over three-quarters say that they dont have staff skills needed to launch an AI project and bring it to completion. A few admit to having hired for such a project and then found it couldnt make the business case, pass a compliance audit, or both. Apparently, all this dabbling with generative AI in personal productivity applications isnt educating the workforce in a way that supports staffing those real-world, money-saving, projects. One CIO told me that there were 20 training sessions offered on writing generative AI prompts for every one course about hosting business analysis applications in a way that could pass compliance muster.

The biggest problem may not be compliance muster, but financial muster. If AI is consuming hundreds of thousands of GPUs per year, requiring that those running AI data centers canvas frantically in search of the power needed to drive these GPUs and to cool them, somebody is paying to build AI, and paying a lot. Users report that the great majority of the AI tools they use are free. Let me try to grasp this; AI providers are spending big togive stuff away? Thats an interesting business model, one I personally wish was more broadly accepted. But lets be realistic. Vendors may be willing to pay today for AI candy, but at some point AI has to earn its place in the wallets of both supplier and user CFOs, not just in their hearts. We have AI projects that have done that, but most CIOs and CFOs arent hearing about them, and thats making it harder to develop the applications that would truly make the AI business case.

So the reality of AI is buried in hype? It sure sounds like AI is more hallucination than reality, but theres a qualifier. Millions of workers are using AI, and while what theyre currently doing with it isnt making a real business case, thats a lot of activity. Is it possible that someone in this mass-market AI group, will uncover something that creates enough real value to pay all those AI bills and earn a profit? Is it possible that just having millions demand AI would eventually compel companies to accept paying for the same applications CIOs and CFOs scoff at today? If thats what happens, then today AI isnt a hallucination after all, and it might prove that those CIOs and CFOs, and maybe even me, are the ones hallucinatingbut I wouldnt bet on it.
Air India to fly A350 planes on Delhi-London route from Sept 1

A

ir India announced on Thursday that it will start operating its wide-body A350-900 aircraft on the Delhi-London route with two daily flights from September 1.

"The A350-900 will replace the currently deployed Boeing 777-300 ER and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on 14 of 17 weekly flights. As a result, an additional 336 seats will be available on the Delhi-London Heathrow route each week," the airline said in a statement.

The airline said that it will introduce premium economy class seats in the A350-900 planes operating on the Delhi-London Heathrow route. The airline will offer a choice of 24 wide seats arranged in a 2-4-2 configuration in a dedicated cabin.

The deployment of our flagship A350s and the B777s with upgraded cabin interiors to London Heathrow marks a significant milestone for Air India. It demonstrates our commitment to elevating the travel experience of our guests to truly world-class standards as we continue to renew our fleet, said Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India.

 Air India to fly A350 planes on Delhi-London route from Sept 1

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EVMs passed every test from SC to people's court: President Murmu

A

mid the Opposition's concerns over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that EVMs have passed every test, from the Supreme Court to the people's court, in the last few decades.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament, President Murmu said, "Today, the whole world respects us as the Mother of Democracy. The people of India have always demonstrated complete trust in democracy and expressed full faith in electoral institutions."

She stressed the need to preserve and protect this trust to sustain a robust democracy.

The President said, "Hurting the faith of people in democratic institutions and the electoral process is like cutting the very branch on which we all are sitting."

She said that "we should collectively denounce every attempt to undermine the credibility of our democracy.

"We all remember those times when ballot papers were snatched and looted," she said.

To ensure the sanctity of the electoral process, it was decided to use EVMs which have passed all tests, the President asserted.

The President was referring to the Supreme Court's judgment rejecting the demand for reverting to the old system of paper ballots.

 EVMs passed every test from SC to people's court: President Murmu

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'Actor banna safal ho gaya': Kartik Aryan recalls meeting Paralympian Murlikant Petkar

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ollywood heartthrob Kartik Aaryan said Actor banna safal ho gaya as he recalled meeting India's first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, the inspiration for the actor's latest release 'Chandu Champion'.

Kartik took to Instagram where he shared a video of him meeting Petkar while shooting a swimming sequence for the biopic, saying the 79-year-old Paralympian insisted on taking the stairs.

Kartik said he was over the moon when Petkar told him Ekdum mere jaisa kar rahe ho, adding that Petkar even shared anecdotes about the medals he was wearing.

In the caption, Kartik wrote: Couldn't have imagined a non-swimmer like myself swimming without the use of legs... Meet The Real Champion who inspired me to achieve the impossible @murlikantpetkar Firstly, Thank you for being you and being a living inspiration present amidst us Sir.

Kartik also said that at first, he did not believe that the story of 'Chandu Champion' could be true.

Your story was important for everyone to know - to make everyone believe in themselves. When Kabir sir narrated Chandu Champion for the first time, I didn't believe that this could be a true story. 'Aapne ek zindagi mein, anek zindagiyan jo jee hain' (sic), he wrote.

The 33-year-old star added that it was an incredible experience working on Petkars life.

From not being able to believe your story in the first place to living your extraordinary life for almost two years, it's been an incredible experience and utmost honour. My life has changed ever since you entered my life. I have never received so much love and appreciation for my work before, as I'm getting for Chandu Champion. It's overwhelming!!, the actor said.

He added: "Really fortunate that I got the opportunity to meet you and relive some unbelievable, magical and inspiring moments of your life. Actor banna safal ho gaya.

Murlikant Petkar won the gold in 50m freestyle swimming at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, clocking 37.33 seconds.

Petkar, who served as a jawan in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army, sustained severe bullet wounds during the 1965 war against Pakistan.

 'Actor banna safal ho gaya': Kartik Aryan recalls meeting Paralympian Murlikant Petkar

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Know all about brain-eating amoeba infection that claimed two lives in Kerala

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xposure to contaminated water is a major reason for infection from a brain-eating amoeba that has claimed the lives of two young children within a month in Kerala, said doctors calling for avoiding swimming in lakes and other water bodies.

Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but fatal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae, Naegleria fowleri amoeba, also known as brain-eating amoeba, found in freshwater, lakes, and rivers.

A week earlier, the infection Amoebic encephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, claimed the life of Dakshina, a 13-year-old girl from Kannur.

Earlier in May, a five-year-old girl also from Kannur succumbed to the infection.

Another 12-year-old boy from Kozhikode has been suspected of the disease after showing symptoms of the amoebic infection. While two cases follow within days of a swim in a lake, in Dakshina's case, it reportedly took several months to manifest.

"Amoebic encephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, typically starts one to 9 days after exposure to contaminated water. This infection enters through the nasal cavity and advances rapidly, potentially becoming fatal within days," Dr. Arjun Srivatsa, Director & HOD - Institute of Neurosciences, Sakra World Hospital, told IANS.

Symptoms commonly include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, hallucinations, sensitivity to light, and coma.

There are two types of amebic encephalitis, namely primary meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE). The initial symptoms of PAM are indistinguishable from bacterial meningitis, while the symptoms of GAE can mimic a brain abscess, encephalitis, or meningitis.

Antimicrobial therapy is the mainstay of the treatment yet the mortality rate is above 90 per cent.

Dr. John Paul, Consultant in Tropical Medicine & Infectious Disease, SPARSH Hospital, Bengaluru, called on parents to "take precautions before allowing children into any waterbody".

"PAM affects the central nervous system rapidly and the mortality rate is 90 per cent. This usually occurs in healthy children and young adults who would have been exposed to any waterbody that has the presence of amoeba Naegleria fowleri. This amoeba is present in warm and fresh water and the soil," Dr John told IANS.

Dr John explained that a week after contracting the infection, the symptoms progress by causing stiffness in the neck; seizures; confusion, hallucinations, and personality changes; photophobia; loss of balance.

"If not detected at the earlier stages the patients symptom progresses to coma, severe brain swelling, and death," he said.

The experts advised avoiding swimming, diving, or submerging, especially for people who are immunocompromised, to minimise the risk of contracting amoebic encephalitis from contaminated water.

"If swimming is necessary, using nasal clips can provide some protection against Naegleria fowleri entering through the nasal passages," Dr. Arjun said.

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Scientists at the University of California, USA, have developed a precision-guided sterile insect technique to eliminate the primary African malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, and subsequently reduce malaria transmission.

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Study: Eliminating malaria vectors with precision-guided sterile males. Image Credit: RealityImages / Shutterstock

Background

Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease that spreads to humans through mosquito biting. According to the 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) factsheet, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths across 85 countries.

The widespread distribution of the malaria vaccine has effectively prevented the worst disease outcomes in recent years. However, disease eradication in the most highly infected regions requires completely eliminating the primary African malaria mosquito vector Anopheles gambiae.

Conventional methods, including insecticide-based technologies and environmental controls, are becoming less effective because of the faster emergence of drug-resistant mosquito populations. This highlights the need for developing novel control measures to break the chain of disease transmission.

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a promising control measure that acts through the mass releases of infertile males, which naturally locate, copulate with, and sterilize their monandrous (having only one male sexual partner) female mates.

The conventional sterilization processes include the transfer of radio-sterilized defective sperm and copulation with a sperm-less male. The development of a scalable genetic SIT system in mosquitoes requires a combination of precise male sterilization and female elimination systems. This is called precision-guided SIT.

In this study, scientists have developed a precision-guided SIT in Anopheles gambiae for inducible, programmed male sterilization and female elimination, which can be used on a large scale in SIT operations.

Development of precision-guided sterile insect technique

The scientists developed a multi-guide RNA (gRNA) line targeting the well-characterized female-essential locus doublesexF (dsxF) and male-fertility genes Zero population growth (zpg) and 2-tubulin (2).

Using a binary CRISPR strategy, they crossed this gRNA line to a Cas9 transgenic line and observed significant but incomplete female androgenization (development of secondary male sextual characteristics) in the hybrid progeny. This could be due to dsxF targeting, as mentioned by the scientists.

They further improved female elimination by crossing the gRNA line to the Ifegenia Genetic Sexing System line, establishing double homozygous gRNA-expressing lines. The Ifegenia Genetic Sexing System line targets the female-essential gene femaleless (fle) to enable an egg-based distribution modality.

By crossing these two lines to Cas9, they confirmed the presence of mutations within each gene in the hybrid progeny.

Population suppression following the release of pgSIT males at different ratios to wild type. (A) Test suppression cages were established with 50 wild-type males, 50 wild-type virgin females, and either 0, 50,100, 250, or 500 pgSITD15 males (for the 0:1, 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, and 10:1 pgSIT:wild-type male ratios respectively). After mating and blood feeding, the hatching rate was calculated for each cage. (B) The egg counts from population suppression assay cages. Groups 0:1 and 10:1 are significantly different (P < 0.05, Dunnetts multiple comparisons). Mean and SD shown. (C) Population suppression as measured by the hatching rate (%) from cages suppressed by different ratios of pgSIT males to wild type males. The hatching rate is reported as the percent of eggs that hatched (n% = n 1-d-old larvae/n eggs laid). The 0:1 control group differs significantly with both the 5:1 (P < 0.001) and 10:1 (P < 0.001) groups (one-way ANOVA, Dunnetts multiple comparisons test). Mean and SD shown. Created with Biorender.com.

Effectiveness of precision-guided sterile insect technique

The final precision-guided SIT system developed in the study produced more than 99.5% male sterility and more than 99.9% female lethality in the hybrid progeny.

The genetically sterilized male mosquitoes lacked testes but otherwise maintained a normal lower reproductive tract. These mosquitoes also exhibited good longevity. The presence of a normal lower reproductive tract revealed that these mosquitoes are able to transfer a mating plug, an essential requirement for the induction of refractoriness in females.

The scientists conducted competition cage trial assays wherein these male sterilized mosquitoes competed against wild-type male mosquitoes. The findings showed that sterilized mosquitoes are able to induce sustained population suppression.

Furthermore, the scientists modeled hypothetical releases of precision-guided SIT Anopheles gambiae eggs to explore their potential to eliminate a local Anopheles gambiae population. The findings showed that the precision-guided SIT system can eliminate local Anopheles gambiae populations and subsequently prevent malaria transmission.

Study significance

The study describes the development of a genetic SIT technology termed precision-guided SIT system that exhibits complete female elimination and near complete male sterilization. Genetically sterilized male mosquitoes produced using this system are able to induce robust population suppression and are predicted to eliminate wild Anopheles gambiae populations.

As mentioned by the scientists, this system may enable suppression of the adjacent species within the Anopheles gambiae complex, including Anopheles arabiensis, Anopheles quadriannulatus, Anopheles melas, and Anopheles merus.

This system does not aim to release transgenes into the population. However, rare fertile escapee males observed in the study suggest that some CRISPR transgenes can be released in the population. These transgenes are expected to disappear from the population because of their inherent fitness defects.

Overall, this precision-guided SIT system is a valuable addition to the malaria genetic biocontrol toolkit. It fulfills most of the criteria needed for use in SIT releases. This system can produce highly sterile male mosquitoes in mass, which can cause robust population suppression.

This system is more confinable and scalable than other genetic modification technologies developed to date for this particular malaria mosquito species. This system can significantly contribute to the eradication of deadly malaria vectors.
In a recent study published in The British Journal of General Practice, researchers investigated Parkinson's disease (PD) risk among individuals with new-onset anxiety and associated risk factors.

Background

Anxiety problems are common among older individuals, frequently beginning early in life and connected to cognitive impairment. PD has the second-highest prevalence rate among neurodegenerative disorders worldwide, causing symptoms of motor and non-motor type. Anxiety is more prevalent in PD patients, but the PD risk in individuals aged 50 years and above with incident anxiety is unclear.

Previous research indicating that anxiety or anxiolytic prescriptions increased the risk of developing Parkinson's disease failed to account for lifestyle characteristics, socioeconomic position, and prodromal aspects. The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS) examined PD incidence over 12 years among male and predominantly White healthcare personnel.

About the study

In the present retrospective cohort study, researchers evaluated Parkinson's disease incidence among individuals aged 50 years and above presenting with and without anxiety. They also explored clinical signs and symptoms that may increase PD risk among anxious individuals.

The researchers examined primary care data from the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2018, focusing on individuals over the age of 50 who had experienced incident anxiety. They obtained IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD), comprising de-identified information of The Health Improvement Network (THIN), including routine electronic medical records collected using In Practice Systems (IPS) or Vision GP. The researchers also included general practice data meeting the acceptable mortality reporting (AMR) and acceptable computer usage (ACU) requirements.

Participants in THIN were 50 to 99 years old, enrolled in participating practices between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, with records of one or more anxiety episodes in the general practitioner database following a year without previous anxiety episodes. During the first report of anxiety, the researchers paired each participant with four unexposed individuals, matching for gender and age. They used the incident and dynamic group approach or exposure density sampling, in which individuals could initially function as controls and may subsequently become exposed (if they acquire anxiety).

The researchers used Weibull survival regressions to predict the time to Parkinson's disease among individuals with anxiety and those without and determine PD risk in anxious individuals. They estimated the hazard ratios (HR), adjusting for sociodemographic variables and lifestyle behaviors [age, biological sex, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic deprivation, smoking status, and alcohol use], and significant mental and physical health issues.

The researchers used survival estimations to plot the progression of patients with and without anxiety. They investigated the existence of PD risk and associated prodromal characteristics in the period between the diagnosis of anxiety and one year before PD diagnosis. They visually assessed proportional hazard assumptions for survival modeling. They accounted for missing covariate data by multiple imputations using chained equations.

Results

There were 70,925 women and 38,510 men diagnosed with their initial episode of anxiety, whereas the unexposed cohort comprised 553,586 women and 324,670 men. Sleep problems, constipation, exhaustion, and sadness were typical prodromal symptoms among anxious individuals. In total, 331 individuals with anxiety acquired Parkinson's disease during follow-up, with a median duration of five years between the initial anxiety episode and Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Parkinson's disease incidence rates among those with anxiety and without were 1.0 and 0.5 per 1,000 individual years, respectively.

After adjusting for age, gender, lifestyle characteristics, social deprivation, head trauma, severe mental disease, and dementia, the risk of Parkinson's disease doubled compared to the non-anxious group. In addition, non-anxious individuals lived longer without acquiring Parkinson's disease than anxious people did. Women (HR, 0.4) and individuals from the most impoverished socioeconomic backgrounds (HR, 0.6) had a lower PD risk.

Symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease development among anxious individuals were motor features such as tremors (HR, 21), rigidity (HR, 5.1), balance impairments (HR, 4.2), autonomic features such as low blood pressure (HR, 4.0), and constipation (HR, 2.6), sleep disturbances (HR, 2.2), cognitive impairment (HR, 1.8), fatigue (HR, 1.8), and depression (HR, 1.7).

Conclusion

The study findings showed that anxiety considerably elevates Parkinson's disease risk among individuals aged 50 years, with a two-fold increase in risk for those with anxiety as the initial presentation. Depression, sleep disruption, cognitive impairment, fatigue, hypotension, tremors, stiffness, constipation, and balance impairment increase Parkinson's disease risk.

Further research could determine the relationship between anxiety and other prodromal symptoms, which might lead to earlier diagnosis and better management of Parkinson's disease and an increased risk of PD in those over the age of 50.
In a recent study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, researchers used a large, binational cohort (total n = 4,731,778) to investigate the short- and long-term associations between SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes. They used exposure-driven propensity score matching to compare their samples outcomes against the general population and individuals with a non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection.

Study: Short- and long-term neuropsychiatric outcomes in long COVID in South Korea and Japan. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock

Study findings revealed that COVID-19 survivors were at significantly heightened risk of developing cognitive deficits, insomnia, encephalitis, and at least four other neuropsychiatric sequelae. Specific conditions included Guillain-Barre syndrome (aHR, 4.63), cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67), insomnia (aHR, 2.40), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93), and nerve/nerve root/plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47). Encouragingly, vaccination was observed to attenuate the neuropsychiatric effects of the infection. These results are particularly interesting to clinicians and healthcare policymakers as they imply that the early management of COVID-19 may help their patients short- and long-term mental health.

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV2) caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains one of the worst disease events in recorded human history, infecting approximately 700 million individuals and claiming more than 7 million lives in the three years since its discovery. Unfortunately for its survivors, the condition has been observed to induce long-term physical and psychological ailments that persist well past the diseases primary infection.

This colloquially termed long-COVID has been loosely defined as a multisystemic illness of persistent or newly developed COVID-19 symptoms or comorbidities that remains present for three or more months following recovery from the primary SARS-CoV-2 infection. Alarmingly, the number of long-COVID patients is estimated to be between 18% and 70% of COVID-19 survivors, with recorded numbers (more than 65 million confirmed patients) assumed to be but a fraction of its undocumented global prevalence. Long-COVID thus represents one of the most oppressive healthcare concerns of the modern age.

Long-COVID is a recently described and, therefore, relatively poorly understood disease. A growing body of research demonstrates the association between long-COVID and neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression, insomnia, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction, with durations often exceeding six months. Unfortunately, previous studies aiming to evaluate psychiatric risks in COVID-19 survivors versus the general populace suffer from small sample sizes, limited follow-up durations, and, most notably, highly biased hospital-derived cohorts. The outcomes of such studies are confounding, thereby damping Long-COVID management and mitigation efforts.

About the study

The present binational (South Korea and Japan) study aims to assess the relative risk of adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in COVID-19 survivors versus the general populace. It also compares this risk between the former cohort and survivors of another respiratory infection (ARI). For this study, primary exposure comprised the onset of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 (or ARI), while the primary outcome consisted of diagnosing one of 13 groups of neuropsychiatric disorders.

The study dataset was divided between discovery and validation. The discovery dataset was obtained from the K-COV-N cohort, a population-based, nationally representative summation of the South Korean National Health Information Database (n = 10,027,506). The validation dataset was derived from the Japanese claims-based cohort (JMDC; n = 12,218,680). Both datasets included patient-level age (>20 years), sex, income, medical history, region of residence, and insurance claims data. All participant outcomes were recorded using the World Health Organizations (WHOs) International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) codes.

The study methodology used exposure-driven propensity score matching to establish baseline-corrected comparisons between COVID-19 survivors and the general populace or ARI. This served the dual purpose of evaluating the robustness of observations and generalizing study findings across the large binational sample cohort.

Statistical analyses included the computation of Cox proportional hazards regression models (adjusted hazards ratios [aHR]) to estimate short-term, long-term, and overall neuropsychiatric risk between included sample subgroups (SARS-CoV-2 infection and ARI), thereby inducing reverse causation. Covariates were accounted for by including Charlson comorbidity indices, smoking status, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, and body mass indices (BMIs) of included participants.

Study findings

The discovery and validation cohorts initially comprised 10,027,506 and 12,218,680 participants, respectively. Exclusion of individuals with incomplete health records, a previous history of neuropsychiatric disorders, COVID-19 and ARI coinfections, and multiple confirmed COVID-19 reinfections resulted in a final sample size of 4,731,778 participants. The mean age of study participants was found to be 48.4 years, with 50.1% of individuals being male.

Exposure-driven propensity score matching results suggested a 1:4 ratio for COVID-19 versus the general population (discovery/South Korean sample), 1:2 for COVID-19 versus the general population (validation/Japanese sample), and 1:1 across both COVID-19 versus ARI (discovery and validation) comparisons.

Short-term (<30 days following infection recovery) risk assessments revealed that COVID-19 survivors had a substantially elevated risk of neuropsychiatric events (aHR = 2.35) compared to the general populace, with some conditions, particularly encephalitis (aHr = 12.34), Guillain-Barre syndrome (aHR = 11.89) and insomnia (aHR = 5.36) presenting alarmingly increased risk. These findings were consistent (albeit attenuated) with those observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection versus ARI comparisons, with the former presenting an aHR of 1.36 compared to the latter.

Long-term risk assessments similarly revealed that COVID-19 survivors were significantly more likely to retain neuropsychiatric disorders for longer than 30 days when compared to the general populace and ARI (aHR = 1.71 and 1.60, respectively).

Guillain-Barre syndrome had the highest hazard ratio post-COVID-19 diagnosis (aHR, 4.63; 95% CI, 1.6612.98), followed by cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.395.15), insomnia (aHR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.152.69), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.082.40), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.183.94), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.642.44), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.772.09) and nerve/nerve root/ plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.361.59).

Time attenuation evaluations revealed that while South Korean individuals returned to near general populace risk levels in 12 months following initial infection recovery, the same was not valid for the Japanese cohort. Encouragingly, the patient-level risk of neuropsychiatric events was strongly associated with infection severity and vaccination status  risks were lower in mild SARS-CoV-2 infections and when multiple vaccinations were received.

Conclusions

The present study establishes the link between COVID-19 infections and a subsequently heightened risk of neuropsychiatric sequelae development in South Korean and Japanese natives. Furthermore, it is the first to compare this risk between COVID-19 survivors, the general population, and other respiratory infections. While time attenuation results highlight Japanese individuals as having persistent risk even after 12 months of COVID-19 recovery, insights into the associations between infection severity/vaccination status and risk can better equip clinicians and healthcare policymakers to manage their patients and this silent global pandemic.
Foxconn, the manufacturer of Apple iPhones, has reportedly informed the government that 25% of its new hires are married women. The company also stated that its safety protocol, which mandates that all employees refrain from wearing metal regardless of gender or religion, is not discriminatory.

Also Read: Apple Supplier Foxconns Hiring Practices Exclude Married Indian Women At Tamil Nadu Plant: Report

In an informal note shared with the government following reports that it is not hiring married women, Foxconn clarified that such stipulations are not part of its policy. According to sources cited by news agency PTI, the company suggested that these claims may have been made by individuals who were not hired.

In response to media reports alleging that married women are being barred from working at Foxconns Sriperumbudur iPhone assembly plant, the Ministry of Labour and Employment requested a detailed report from the Tamil Nadu governments labour department on Wednesday, June 26.

What Foxconn Said?

Foxconn has clarified that 25 per cent of the latest hires are married women. This would mean nearly one-third of the total women are married. This ratio compares favourably to any factory in this sector currently operating in India, PTI quoted one of the sources as saying.

They added that such media reports malign the fast-growing Indian manufacturing sector.

The Foxconn factory currently has about 70 per cent women and 30 per cent men and the Tamil Nadu plant is the largest factory for women employment in the country with the total employment having touched 45,000 workers during peak periods, they said.

The company has also informed that the discussion around Hindu married women being discriminated against for wearing metals (ornaments and jewellery) is entirely slanted and wearing metal in such factories is a safety issue, a fact well recognised by both the industry and the government.

Any person wearing metals  man or woman  regardless of their status (single or married) and their religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh etc.) are required to remove metals while working in the factory, the source said quoting the companys informal note.

For safety reasons, no one wearing metal is allowed to work on the shop floor and this is a prevalent practice in several industries.

According to sources, the company has stated that the media report is based on anecdotal comments by 5-10 people or potential job seekers. These comments likely came from candidates who did not get the job or no longer work at Foxconn.

Government Took Notice Of The Issue

Section 5 of the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 clearly stipulates that no discrimination shall be made while recruiting men and women workers. As the state government is the appropriate authority for the enforcement and administration of the provisions of this Act, the report has been sought from the state government, the Ministry of Labour & Employment had said in a statement.

Additionally, the office of the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner has been directed to provide a factual report to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, according to the statement.

When It Started?

A Reuters investigation report published on June 25 revealed that Foxconn discriminates against married women by rejecting their job applications, because of their greater family responsibilities compared to unmarried counterparts as the reason.

The report revealed that the smartphone manufacturer systematically excluded married women from job opportunities at its main iPhone assembly plant in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai. The worlds largest contract electronics maker justified this by claiming that married women have more issues post-marriage.

As per the report, this was confirmed by numerous former and current employees from over a dozen Foxconn hiring agencies across India, many of whom spoke to the news agency on the condition of anonymity.

Agents and Foxconn HR sources cited family duties, pregnancy, and higher absenteeism as reasons for not hiring married women at the plant. Additionally, many noted that the jewellery worn by married Hindu women could interfere with production.
Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, chaired the fifth Pre-Budget Consultation in New Delhi, earlier this week, which focused on gathering vital inputs from representatives of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector for the forthcoming General Budget 2024-25.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recommend the finance ministry to allocate funds to set up Hi-Tech training labs in micro,small, and medium enterprise (MSME) clusters under public-private partnership model; and for providing skill vouchers for re-skilling and up-skilling employees of MSMEs in new and emerging technologies.

The interim Budget for FY25 allocated Rs 22,138 crore to the MSME sector, same as the previous financial year. A substantial share of the allocation will go towards the establishment of more clusters and new technology centres.

Sitharaman, during her Budget speech, had said, it is an important policy priority for our Government to ensure timely and adequate finances, relevant technologies and appropriate training for the MSMEs to grow and also compete globally.

Sandeep Jain, representing the Federation of Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (FISME), emphasized the necessity for comprehensive digitisation of the funding process.

Jain said, In terms of funding, we have emphasised that there should be complete digitisation. The discretionary powers that bankers currently have should be eliminated. Regarding GST, representatives from certain sectors such as ceramics, TV, textiles, etc., have discussed their concerns with the finance minister.

He added, She assured them that she will consider their issues and get back to them. The MSME sector is mostly directly connected to citizens, so there is a demand to strengthen the MSMEs. Just as housing loans are provided at lower rates, MSME loans should also be offered at reduced rates.

Murali Krishna Vasireddy, President of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Small and Medium Industries Associations (FAPSIA), underscored the challenges faced by MSMEs in Andhra Pradesh, particularly those still reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He called for simplified taxation and a reduced compliance burden, as well as tax exemptions for MSMEs supplying goods and services for significant government projects like the Polavaram dam.

Vasireddy also requested tax exemptions for unique, geo-identified products such as Dharmavaram sarees, Kondapalli toys, and Atreyapuram Putharekulu sweets, to support local artisans and promote regional economic development.

Ghanshyam Ojha, President of Laghu Udyog Bharti, along with General Secretary Om Prakash Gupta, presented a detailed agenda for strengthening Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs).

They emphasised the need for prioritizing MSEs in manufacturing sectors to transform India into an export hub and achieve the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).

Their proposals included the establishment of a robust system for accurately identifying the number of MSEs, addressing working capital issues, and creating a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism for MSEs.

Ojha and Gupta also suggested several policy changes, such as easing land conversion laws for MSMEs and providing consistent and subsidised electricity rates nationwide.

They advocated for enhanced support for MSME exports and tax deductions for the internationalisation of MSMEs, highlighting the need to overcome competition from other countries and improve the marketing capabilities of Indian MSME exporters in international markets.

Addressing liquidity crunches, they suggested cluster-based financing strategies and urged for timely fund releases from government bodies.

They also called for simplified Udyam Aadhaar registration, a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism, and uniformity in labor law thresholds to ease compliance. Measures to streamline land conversion, provide subsidised electricity, and incentivise exports were also emphasized, aiming to enhance MSE competitiveness and foster sustainable growth.

Attended by Union Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, Finance Secretary and Secretary of Expenditure, Secretaries from the Departments of Economic Affairs, Industrial Policy and Promotion, and MSME, along with the Chief Economic Adviser, the meeting underscored the governments commitment to addressing the challenges faced by MSMEs.
Skill sector firms have proposed that the government develop measures to offer a safety net for gig workers, create formal opportunities for construction laborers, and provide tax rebates for households contributing to social security deposits for their domestic workers.

During a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman focused on employment and skilling, the industry presented these suggestions to boost employment and enhance skill development.

Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO of CBRE, said that the meeting was on skilling and the government sought suggestions on what can be done on that front.

Industry body Indian Staffing Federation ED Sucheta Dutta said that domestic workers, who are mainly women, do not have future security and financial literacy.

So, we suggested that if the household provides a social security deposit on behalf of the domestic worker and in return, the household will get a rebate of 12 per cent in income tax, Dutta said.

Career-tech platform Internshala CEO Sarvesh Agarwal said that broadly the discussions were on how to make India the skill capital of the world.

There were also several suggestions on the safety net for the gig workers, creating global opportunities for the college students and how to create formal opportunities for the construction workers, he said.

Gayathri Vasudevan, Chief Impact Officer, Sambhav Foundation, said that the whole discussion happened on what is important for employment and skills.

How to use NEP (national education policy) better, how can you give standard deductions to middle-class families, so that they can invest in the skill set, Vasudevan said.

Budget 2024 Date

The NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to present Indias full union budget in mid-July. An interim budget was presented on February 1.

This budget, marking Modis first major policy announcement in his third term, is anticipated to outline potential shifts in Indias economic priorities for the next five years.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is reportedly contemplating lowering personal tax rates for certain groups while maintaining the nations fiscal deficit target for the year.
The German engineering company Robert Bosch is considering a bid to acquire the American home appliance maker, Whirlpool. Sources cited by media reports suggest that Bosch is in discussions with advisors regarding this potential acquisition. Whirlpool, with a market capitalization of around $4.8 billion, would enhance Boschs position in the home appliance sector if the deal goes through. No official comments have been made by either company yet. Representatives from both Bosch and Whirlpool have stated that they do not respond to market rumours. Following the report, Whirlpools stock saw a 12.7 percent increase in early trading. Its stock hit a 52-week high after reports about its acquisition by Bosch went viral. In recent years, Whirlpool has been restructuring significantly, including merging its European operations with Turkish competitor Arcelik and divesting its Middle East and African businesses.

Whirlpool, known for its household appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators, has in recent years also launched espresso machines and other kitchen appliances as its traditional products have seen growth slow. The Michigan-based company recently said it would cut about 1,000 jobs to boost profit margins. Whirlpool has lost about 50 percent of its market value in the past two years.The potential acquisition comes as Bosch, the worlds largest automotive supplier, seeks to expand its division that produces large home appliances through acquisitions. Acquiring Whirlpool, which owns brands such as Ariston, Hotpoint, Ignis, and Privileg, would be one of the most significant disclosed deals for the German industrial giant.

Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung mentioned in May to the German business daily Handelsblatt that the company was considering several larger acquisition targets and did not exclude the possibility of entering new business areas or pursuing a global deal. In June, he informed reporters that the group was open to listing some of its divisions on the stock market as a way to explore financing options for these deals, though he did not specify which divisions might be involved.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is expected to propose a fourfold increase in parking fees whenever pollution levels in the city reach stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Another proposal for extending the automated toll-collecting system agreement at 13 major road entry points connecting to Delhi is also likely to be tabled in the MCD House for administrative approval, news agency PTI reported.

The MCD House meeting at the corporations headquarters is slated for June 27.

Reason For Proposed Revision of Delhi Parking Charges

According to the agenda of the meeting, the enhancement of parking fees by four times is proposed under stage-II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as directed by the Commission for Air Quality Management in Delhi and its adjoining areas.

It aims to control the pollution levels in the city caused by the movement of vehicles.

The civic body has also listed as urgent business the extension of the contract of its RFID-based electronic toll collection system at 13 major entry points covering 65 toll lanes to the national capital.

These major toll plazas include Kundli, Rajokri, Tikri, Aya Nagar, Kalindi Kunj, Kapashera, DND Toll Bridge, Badarpur-Faridabad (Main), Badarpur- Faridabad, Shahdara (Main), Shahdara (Flyover), Gazipur (Main) and Gazipur (old).

The RFID system is installed at 13 locations at a total cost of Rs 80.95 crore plus GST 18 per cent including 5 years of O&M under the monitoring/direction of EPCA/CAQM through the contractor Tecsidel India Pvt. Ltd and GHV (India) Pvt. Ltd. (JV), the agenda read.

The existing contract is slated to expire on November 25, 2024. The civic body has proposed to extend the agreement with the existing contractors for two years till 2026.

(With PTI inputs)
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday demanded that highway authorities should not impose tolls on poor-quality roads. If you are not providing quality service, you should not impose tolls, the BJP leader said at a global workshop on satellite-based tolling systems to be introduced on 5,000 km this fiscal.

We are in a hurry to introduce tolls to collect fees and protect our interests. One should impose user fees where one offers the best quality of roads. If you impose tolls on roads with potholes and mud, people will retaliate, the Minister of Road and Transport was quoted by PTI.

The state-run NHAI intends to introduce a GNSS-based electronic tolling system under the current FASTag system, initially adopting a hybrid approach using both RFID-based and GNSS-based tolling systems.

The NHAI plans to implement this system first for commercial vehicles and then for private vehicles, keeping in mind concerns about scalability and privacy. The highways authority has also proposed to include driver behaviour analysis and backend data analytics to detect fraud.

With GNSS, payment modes could be changed from prepaid to postpaid. Banks and financial institutions could provide faster loans based on travel plans, NHAI said.

On Tuesday, Gadkari said that under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), highway construction could be made flexible and market-driven to ensure completion. I believe that infrastructure should be developed by the contractors.

Under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM), the state bears around 40 per cent of the project cost while the contractor bears the rest. Why should the government always bear 40 per cent of the cost even if the contractor is willing to invest more than 60 per cent of the project? What we need is a deal and the proposals should be market-driven, he asked.

Gadkari added that the introduction of electronic toll collection based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is expected to increase Indias total toll revenue by at least Rs 10,000 crore. In the year 2023-24, the total toll collection in India reached Rs 64,809.86 crore, marking a 35 per cent increase over the previous year and exceeding the government and industry estimates due to the sharp rise in commercial traffic.
Petrol, and Diesel Prices On June 27, 2024: Oil marketing companies have announced updated petrol and diesel prices on Thursday, June 27. The countrys Petrol and diesel prices depend on crude oil prices internationally. Fluctuations in crude oil prices lead to changes in fuel prices in India. Check the latest petrol, and diesel prices to know if there is an increase in the amount customers will have to shell out for a litre.

Government oil marketing companies release the latest petrol and diesel prices daily at 6 am in the country.

The prices have remained unchanged in most parts of the country since March 2024 when the central government cut petrol prices by Rs 2. Before that, the fuel prices remained steady since May 2022, following a reduction in fuel taxes by the central government and several states. However, the Karnataka government has recently increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre on higher sales tax.

Companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, and Indian Oil Corporation of India release the prices of petrol and diesel on their websites. Let us know the latest fuel prices.

Petrol Diesel Price Today In India (Check city-wise rate list below)

Mumbai Petrol & Diesel Price

As of June 27, the petrol price in Mumbai continued to exceed the Rs 100 mark, reaching Rs 104.21 per litre, while diesel was priced at Rs 92.15 per litre.

Delhi Diesel Price Today

As of June 27, the cost of diesel is priced at Rs 87.62 per litre.

Delhi Petrol Price Today

As of June 27, the cost of petrol in Delhi is Rs 94.72 per litre.

Kolkata Petrol & Diesel Price

In Kolkata, the price of petrol is Rs 103.94 and the price of diesel is Rs 90.76 per litre.

Chennai Petrol & Diesel Price

In Chennai, the price of petrol is Rs 100.85, while the price of diesel is Rs 92.43 per litre.

Check city-wise petrol and diesel prices on June 27:

Petrol-Diesel Rates in other cities (Petrol-Diesel Rates 27 June 2024)

Noida: Petrol Rs 94.66 per litre and Diesel Rs 87.76 per litre

Gurugram: Petrol Rs 95.05 per litre and diesel Rs 87.91 per litre

Chandigarh: Petrol is Rs 94.24 per litre and diesel is Rs 82.40 per litre

Hyderabad: Petrol is Rs 107.41 per litre and diesel is Rs 95.65 per litre

Jaipur: Petrol is Rs 104.88 per litre and diesel is Rs 90.36 per litre

Patna: Petrol is Rs 105.42 per litre and diesel is Rs 92.27 per litre

Lucknow: Petrol is Rs 94.52 per litre and diesel is Rs 87.61 per litre

Know the price of petrol and diesel through SMS

You can also find out the latest petrol and diesel prices in your city through SMS. If you are a customer of Indian Oil, then you will have to write RSP along with the city code and send it to 9224992249. If you are a customer of BPCL, then you can get information about the new price of petrol and diesel by writing RSP and sending it to 9223112222. Whereas, if you are a customer of HPCL, then you can find out the price of petrol and diesel by writing HP Price and sending it to 9222201122.
Stocks To Watch On June 27: After a flat start, markets edged higher as expected, gaining over half a percent on Wednesday. In todays trade, shares of Inox Green, Titagarh Rail, India Cements, Dr Reddys, and Bharti Airtel among others will be in focus due to various news-related developments.

Dr Reddys Laboratories: Subsidiary Dr Reddys Laboratories SA, Switzerland, entered into an agreement to acquire Nicotinell and related brands from Haleon plc and its associate companies.

State Bank of India: On Wednesday, June 26, SBI announced the successful raising of Rs 10,000 crore through its fifth infrastructure bond issuance. The bonds carry a coupon rate of 7.36 per cent. The issuance garnered strong investor interest, with bids exceeding Rs 19,884 crore, oversubscribing the base issue size of Rs 5,000 crore by nearly four times. A total of 143 bids were received, reflecting widespread participation from a diverse investor base.

IIFL Securities: SEBI has initiated an investigation into Sanjiv Bhasin, associated with IIFL Securities. Officials have reportedly seized Bhasins digital devices and gathered evidence as part of the probe. The investigation focuses on allegations of market manipulation and front-running against Bhasin.

Telecom stocks: Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea; a total of 141.4 MHz of spectrum was auctioned, amounting to Rs 11,340 crore. Bharti Airtel acquired 97 MHz, Reliance Jio acquired 14.4 MHz, and Vodafone Idea acquired 30 MHz of spectrum.

ITD Cementation India: The company secured a Rs 1,082 crore marine contract for constructing the Third Berth (Jetty) at Dahej LNG terminal in Gujarat, along with specified additional works.

CSB Bank: According to reports, FIH Mauritius Investments intends to sell a 9.72 per cent stake via a block deal, aiming to raise Rs 595 crore. The floor price for the transaction is Rs 352.4 per share.

PI Industries: The company announced its acquisition of Plant Health Care Plc for 32.8 million, aiming to expand its portfolio in sustainable agriculture solutions.

Inox Green Energy: Ace investor Ashisk Kacholia has invested Rs 40 crore in Inox Green Energy Services as part of the latters Rs 1,050 crore fund raise plan.

Titagarh Rail Systems: Blackrock has bought over 9.46 lakh shares in Titagarh Rail Systems for Rs 153.12 crore through block deals.

JSW Energy: JSW Energy arm JSW Neo Energy signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for wind and solar projects with a cumulative capacity of 1,325 MW.

RVNL: KRDCL-RVNL JV received letter of acceptance (LoA) for project worth Rs 156.47 crore from Southern Railway.

Bharti Airtel: Bharti Airtel has acquired 97 MHz spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2100MHz frequency bands for a total consideration of Rs 6,857 crore.
Many historic steps and major economic decisions will be taken in the upcoming budget, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament.

The budget that will be presented by the government in the next Parliament session will be a document of its futuristic vision, the President said in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The budget will have major economic and social decisions and many historic steps will be taken. The speed of reforms will be increased to fulfil the aspirations of people, she said.

She said her government believes there should be healthy competition between states for investment.

This is in the spirit of competitive-cooperative federalism, she added.

Murmu further said, India has become the worlds fifth-largest economy. There has been an average 8 per cent growth in the last 10 years, even though these were not normal times.

This growth rate has been achieved despite a global pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world. This is the result of the reforms of the last 10 years. India alone is contributing 15 per cent to global growth. My government is working to make India the worlds third-largest economy, she said.

Union Budget 2024 Date

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to table the union budget for FY25 on July 23 or 24. This will be the full union budget of the Modi 3.0 government. Earlier on February 01, an interim budget was presented.

The budget presentation will coincide with the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, set to begin on July 22 and likely to continue until August 9.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which began on June 24, will run until July 4 and will adjourn sine die as it is a special session.

The President also emphasised the union governments efforts toward womens empowerment and the improvement of the Northeast.

Demand for organic products is increasing globally, and Indian farmers are capable of fulfilling this demand, she added.

The President also highlighted that the government has built 3.8 lakh km of rural roads under PM Gramin Sadak Yojana to connect villages.

India has taken steps to find solutions to several global problems, she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the performance of Indian universities in the THE World University Rankings. As per the statistics released recently by Phil Baty, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, the participation of Indian varsities has increased tremendously since 2016. A total of 31 universities participated in 2016 and the number has now risen to 133. In 2024, as many as 124 varsities took part in the global rankings. This makes India the fourth-represented country in the rankings.

Indias rising visibility in the THE world rankings is remarkable, driven by Narenda Modis internationalisation reforms. A record 133 Indian universities have submitted to the 2025 rankings  up from 42 in 2017  making India the 4th best represented in the world, wrote Phil Baty on microblogging site X.

Reposting Batys post, Modi said that the government will continue to support its universities and provide more opportunities for growth and innovation. Great to see Indias universities making strides on the global stage! Our commitment to quality education is yielding encouraging results. We will continue to support our educational institutions and provide opportunities for growth and innovation. This will help our youth greatly the prime minister wrote while sharing Batys post.

Great to see Indias universities making strides on the global stage! Our commitment to quality education is yielding encouraging results. We will continue to support our educational institutions and provide opportunities for growth and innovation. This will help our youth https://t.co/3uRGU79KiK Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 27, 2024

Earlier, on June 7, CEO and Managing Director of QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, Nunzio Quacquarelli, said that the last 10 years have seen continued improvement in the performance of Indian universities in QS World University Rankings under the PMs leadership. As many as 46 institutions compared to 11 in 2015 participated in the rankings which is a 318 per cent increase in 10 years, and the best amongst the G20, he said.

PM Modi reposted Quacquarellis post stating, Over the last decade, we have focused on qualitative changes in the education sector. This is reflected in the QS World University Rankings. Compliments to the students, faculty and institutions for their hard work and dedication. In this term, we want to do even more to boost research and innovation. (sic)

Stay ahead with all the exam results updates on News18 Website.
TV actress Sana Makbul, in the recent episode of Bigg Boss OTT Season 3, opened up about her struggles with liver disease  Non-alcoholic Hepatitis. While talking to her fellow contestants, the Is Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Dun actress recalled the days when she couldnt even get out of bed. Sana said, Ive non-alcoholic Hepatitis- a liver disease. Im one of those people who have never tasted alcohol in my life, but yet got diagnosed with it. Usually, people get to know about their liver disease mostly when they are in the last stage of it. I was lucky in that case as I got to know about my liver disease pretty early.

Sana Makbul added, In 2021, I didnt understand what I was going through. There were days when I couldnt even get up from the bed. Teh actress also opened up about the time when she had to undergo surgery due to a dog bite.

Bigg Boss OTT 3 also features Armaan Malik, Shivani Kumari, Chandrika Dixit aka Delhis Vada Pav girl, Sai Ketan Rao, Ranvir Shorey, Deepak Chaurasia, Shobha De, Munisha Khatwani, Kritika Malik, Rapper Neazy, Sana Sultana Khan and Poulami Das. The first contestant who got evicted from the show was Neeraj Goyat.

Bigg Boss OTT 3 is hosted by Anil Kapoor. The last season saw Salman Khan as the host.

The reality show streams on Jio Cinema Premium.
Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed delighted audiences with their chemistry in the iconic Pakistani series Zindagi Gulzar Hai 12 years ago. Now, the two are set to make their long-awaited comeback with a new drama titled Barzakh. The makers of the show dropped a teaser, which has further fueled the excitement of Fawad and Sanams reunion. The teaser features several actors of the show applying kajal to their eyes s soothing music plays in the background.

In the captions, Fawad revealed that the official trailer will be released on July 1 and the show is scheduled to debut on July 19 on Zindagi YouTube and ZEE5 Shows.

Eyes lined with secrets, ready to reveal the mysteries within. When all else withers will love endure? Trailer launching on 1st July  are you ready for the journey? Barzakh, Premieres 19th July on Zindagi YouTube and ZEE5 Shows, he wrote.

Interestingly, the upcoming show will also mark Fawads return to Indian screens after an eight-year hiatus. The Pakistani actor last appeared in Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma starrer Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Earlier, talking about the show and meaning behind the title Barzakh, the shows writer, Asim Abbasi in an interview with Indian Express said, Barzakh literally means purgatory. But it has its root in Persian and Arabic and also means a veil between two different worlds. At the core of it is a dysfunctional family, we are exploring a fathers relationship with his son, grandson, we are exploring a man coming to the end of his life and reflecting back, the loves he won and lost.

Commenting on the shows casting, Abbasi explained that he wrote the story without any actors in mind. However, Sanam Saeed became a natural choice for the role as she has this stoicism, but beauty and empathy in her eyes that her character here needed.

Abbasi did not think of Fawads casting initially. The writer said that he thought Fawad may look for a hero-driven role and Barzakh required equal weightage to all the actors.

But the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Hai actor loved the script and was eager to become a part of the show.

It wasnt planned from my side that this is a casting coup of bringing these two together after a long time. They were well suited and hungry to do something that was different, Asim Abbasi added.

Apart from Fawad Khana and Sanam Saeed, Barzakhs cast includes leading Pakistani actors Khushhal Khan, Faiza Gillani, Sajid Hassan, and Uzma Beg.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be in a face-off in the first US presidential debate of the 2024 on June 27 in Atlanta. The debate, hosted by CNN, will be the first time either candidate has been on a debate stage since 2020.

The debate comes so early in the general election campaign cycle that neither man will have accepted their partys formal nomination yet. The election is expected to take place on November 5.

Heres what you need to know about the debate.

What time is the debate?

The first 2024 US presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump will take place on Thursday, June 27 at 9 pm ET (Friday, June 28, 6:30 am IST). CNN will host the 90-minute debate at its studios in Atlanta without a live audience. The debate will be moderated by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

Where to Watch?

You can watch the debate live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Max, and CNN.com without needing a cable login. CNN will share its feed with other broadcast and cable news networks for a simulcast.

Some free options to stream the debate include CNN.com, C-SPAN.org, the C-SPAN Now app, PBS.org, and Plex TVs NBC News Now channel. Paid streaming services like Sling TV Blue, Hulu With Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo will also carry the debate.

USA Today will stream the debate live on YouTube on Thursday at 9 pm ET. The debate will be available to watch on demand after it concludes.

Who is Taking Part in the Debate, What is the Criteria?

Democratic incumbent Joe Biden will be up against his Republican challenger Donald Trump. They last debated on October 22, 2020, as part of that years presidential race.

The criteria to participate is set by US news network CNN, which include having candidates name on enough state ballots to reach the Electoral College threshold needed to win the presidency, and having received at least 15% support in four separate national polls of registered and likely voters.

Bidens campaign had proposed excluding third-party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., from the debates outright. Under the debate commissions rules, Kennedy or other third-party candidates could qualify if they secured ballot access sufficient to claim 270 Electoral Votes and polled at 15% or higher in a selection of national surveys, as per The Associated Press report.

Trump didnt take part in any of the GOP primary debates, so this is his first time on stage this cycle. Biden didnt debate any of the Democrats challenging him, either.

What is the Debate Format?

The 90-minute debate will have two commercial breaks, the CNN said. Biden and Trump have agreed to appear behind the podiums and their microphones will be muted until its their turn to speak.

While no props or pre-written notes will be allowed on the stage, candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water, the CNN said.

There will be no live audience in order to ensure candidates may maximise the time allotted in the debate.

Why is the Debate Early This Time?

Both Trump and Biden said they want to appeal to the American voters before the early-voting period opens. The debate is typically held in September and October after the Republican and Democrat parties have announced their nominees.

Since 1988, the dates for the debate have been set by the Commission on Presidential Debates, a non-profit sponsored by the two major parties. The commission had selected three dates: one in mid-September and two in October.

But last month, the Biden campaign abstained from the traditional schedule and pushed the first debate date to June. It also reduced the number of debates to two.

What are the Topics on the Table?

Although CNN has not shared the topics, but most likely the debate will centre around border security and immigration, abortion rights that excited the Democrats since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade.

Foreign policy could be another hot topic that could be debated on amidst the Israel-Gaza war and Russia-Ukraine conflict and competition with China.

Trumps felony conviction in a case related to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election; the conviction of the presidents son, Hunter Biden, for his purchase and possession of a gun while he was addicted to crack cocaine; and the US economy could other important topics that could be taken up during the debate, according to a report by CBS.

How Important are Presidential Debates in the US?

According to a Pew Research Center poll from 2016, around 63% of voters said the presidential debates were very or somewhat helpful in deciding which White House hopeful to cast a ballot for.

But research has shown that debates have little impact on viewers or voters. But some experts have suggested that candidates debate performances can impact how favourably they are perceived by voters, which can affect the choices of undecided voters, according to Dustin Carnahan is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State Universitys College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

According to Nielsen ratings, two of the three most viewed presidential debates in American history occurred in 2016 (Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton with 84.4 million viewers) and in 2020 (Donald Trump and Joe Biden with 73.1 million viewers).

Presidential debates often dominate news coverage for at least 48 hours, and content across other media platforms are likely to be more political than normal. For example, during the Trump-Clinton debate, around 17 million debate-related posts were shared on X (formerly Twitter).

When was the First Televised Debate?

The first televised debates in 1960 took place between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Since then, all such events have been held in September or October.

Debates did not take place again until the 1976 election, and from then on, took place in front of live audiences that were instructed to not make noise aside from the beginning and ends of the debate.

When is the Next Presidential Debate in 2024?

Biden and Trump have agreed to one more debate, which will be hosted by ABC News on September 10.

A vice presidential debate could take place either July 23 or August 13.
The Reasi bus attack in Jammu on June 9 in which nine pilgrims were killed and 41 injured has made the Jammu and Kashmir Police more strongly advocate that the militants be tried under the Enemy Agents Ordinance, 2005. The law, considered more stringent than the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), has either a life term or a death sentence as punishment.

The Enemy Agents Ordinance law was invoked in February 2022 along with UAPA in a case of drug smuggling from across the border. Then in May 2022, in a separate case of espionage, the ordinance was invoked again.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) RR Swain said the law should be explored to try those spreading terror in J&K with the help of their agents. The fighters cant be brought under the realm of investigation, they should be shot dead. Those who support them, if we are talking of investigation there, Ive said somewhere that they will be treated as enemy agents, DGP Swain quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

What is the Enemy Agents Ordinance?

The Enemy Agents Ordinance was originally promulgated by the Dogra Maharaja and was first issued in 1917. It is referred to as an ordinance since laws made during the Dogra rule were called ordinances.

After Independence and the Partition of India, the ordinance was in 1948 re-enacted as a law by the Maharaja in exercise of his law-making powers conferred by Section 5 of the Constitution Act (1939), which gave the then ruler of Jammu and Kashmir powers to make laws, issue proclamations and promulgate ordinances. All such actions taken by the Maharaja pursuant to powers conferred under Section 5 are considered duly enacted and promulgated laws.

According to the ordinance, whosoever is an enemy agent or, with an intent to aid the enemy, conspires with any other person to any act which is designed or likely to give assistance to the enemy or to impede the military or air operations of Indian forces or to endanger life or is guilty of incendiarism shall be punishable with death or rigorous imprisonment for life or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also be liable to fine.

After the repeal of the Constitution Act on 17 November, 1951, the ordinance remained unaffected due to clause (b) of Section 6, General Clauses Act, 1977, that provided blanket protection to laws previously made under any enactment that was subsequently repealed.

When Article 370 of the Constitution was repealed in 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act was passed, which listed out state laws that were to continue while several others were replaced and repealed with Indian laws.

Laws such as Enemy Agents Ordinance and Public Safety Act remained; and the Ranbir Penal Code was replaced with the Indian Penal Code. Other laws including The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 or Forest Act, and The Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 were extended to J&K as well.

Judicial Scrutiny of the Law

In the 1959 judgment in the case of Rehman Shagoo and Ors vs State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the ordinance even after the repeal of the Constitution Act under which the ordinance was originally promulgated.

The ordinance was challenged in the J&K High Court in 1948 on the grounds that it should have lapsed without ratification, but the court ruled that it would remain in force until repealed, since it has protection under clause (b) of Section 6 of the 1977 Act and under Section 157 of the 1957 J&K constitution, as mentioned in a report by ThePrint.

How Trials are Conducted under the Law

Maqbool Bhat, the founder of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, was charged under the Enemy Agents Ordinance. He was hanged in Tihar Jail in 1984.

A special judge who is appointed by the government in consultation with the High Court conducts the trial. The accused cannot seek a lawyer for defence unless permitted by the court.

The ordinance says, In any proceedings before the Special Judge and in proceeding before a Judge reviewing under section 9 the proceedings of a Special Judge when the Special Judge or the reviewing Judge grants permission in this behalf, a person accused of an offence triable under this Ordinance may be defended by a pleader.

The verdict given under the ordinance cannot be appealed, and the decision by the special judge can only be reviewed by a person chosen by the Government from the judges of the High Court and the decision of that person shall be final.

According to the ordinance, Any person who, without the previous authorisation of the Government, discloses or publishes any information with respect to any proceedings or with respects to any person proceeded against under this Ordinance, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is finally a free man! The dramatic saga that lasted for more than a decade ended on June 26 after Assange pleaded guilty to violating the espionage law in a US court, and returning to his home country Australia.

Assange, who founded the whistleblower media group Wikileaks in 2006, released classified documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010, among others.

He was sentenced to five years imprisonment, which he had already spent in a British prison while fighting extradition to the US. Assange had left the British prison on June 24 to appear before a US federal court in the Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth in the Western Pacific.

What are the Cases Against Assange?

Assange was born in Townville, Australia, in 1971, and studied mathematics and physics at University of Melbourne, but dropped out before completing his degree. He launched WikiLeaks in 2006, which publishes large datasets of censored or otherwise restricted official materials involving war, spying and corruption.

In 2010, it published a cache of around half a million sensitive military files on Iraq and Afghanistan, including a classified video from 2007 that showed a US Apache helicopter firing on civilians, including two Reuters correspondents in Baghdad. Around 250,000 secret diplomatic cables from US embassies were also released. The US government launched an inquiry into one of the largest security breaches in its military history.

In September 2010, Assange fled to Britain over allegations of sexual assaults based on the accusations of two Swedish Wikileaks volunteers. He was arrested two months later. Assange, however, denied the charges and claimed that the case was being made to extradite him to the US.

In June 2012, after the UK Supreme Court rejected his final challenge against extradition to Sweden, Assange went to the Ecuadorean embassy in London seeking asylum.

In 2017, while the Swedish prosecutors dropped their investigation, the British police maintained that Assange would be arrested. He remained in the embassy for seven years. Assange lawyers argued that he exposed wrongdoings in Iraq and Afghanistan while the US government said his actions put lives of people at risk.

Timeline of Julian Assanges Legal Saga

2010: In a series of posts, WikiLeaks releases almost half a million documents relating to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

August 2010: Swedish prosecutors issue an arrest warrant for Assange based on one womans allegation of rape and anothers allegation of molestation. The warrant is withdrawn shortly afterward, with prosecutors citing insufficient evidence for the rape allegation. Assange denies the allegations.

September 2010: Swedens director of prosecutions reopens the rape investigation. Assange leaves Sweden for Britain.

December 2010: Assange surrenders to police in London and is detained pending an extradition hearing. The High Court grants Assange bail.

February 2011: A district court in Britain rules Assange should be extradited to Sweden.

June 2012: Assange enters the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London, seeking asylum, after his bids to appeal the extradition ruling fail. Police set up an around-the-clock guard to arrest him if he steps outside.

August 2012: Assange is granted political asylum by Ecuador.

July 2014: Assange loses his bid to have an arrest warrant issued in Sweden against him cancelled. A judge in Stockholm upholds the warrant alleging sexual offenses against two women.

March 2015: Swedish prosecutors ask to question Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy. In August, Swedish prosecutors drop investigations into some allegations against Assange because of the statute of limitations; an investigation into a rape allegation remains active.

February 2016: Assange claims total vindication as the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention finds that he has been unlawfully detained and recommends he be immediately freed and given compensation. Britain calls the finding frankly ridiculous.

September 2018: Ecuadors president says his country and Britain are working on a legal solution to allow Assange to leave the embassy.

October 2018: Assange seeks a court injunction pressing Ecuador to provide him basic rights he said the country agreed to when it first granted him asylum.

May 2019: Assange is sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for breaching his bail conditions. Sweden reopens sexual assault investigation against him.

May 2019: The US government indicts Assange on 18 charges over WikiLeaks publication of classified documents. Prosecutors say he conspired with US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pentagon computer and release secret diplomatic cables and military files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In November, the Swedish government discontinues their investigation against him.

June 2020: The US files a new indictment against Assange that prosecutors say underscores Assanges efforts to procure and release classified information.

January 2021: A British judge rules Assange cannot be extradited to the US because he is likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions.

July 2021: The High Court grants the US government permission to appeal the lower courts ruling blocking Assanges extradition.

June 2022: The UK government orders the extradition of Assange to the US. The High Court in England ruled that Assange can bring a new appeal against extradition to the US.

May 2023: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Assange should be released and nothing is served by his ongoing incarceration.

June 2023: A High Court judge rules Assange cannot appeal his extradition.

February 2024: Assanges lawyers launch a final legal bid to stop his extradition at the High Court.

March 2024: Two High Court judges in London give US authorities three more weeks to submit further assurances, including a guarantee that Assange wont get the death penalty, before deciding whether they will grant him a new appeal against his extradition.

May 2024: The two High Court judges rule that Assange can mount a new appeal based on arguments about whether he will receive free-speech protections or be at a disadvantage because he is not a US citizen. The date of the hearing has yet to be determined.

June 24, 2024: The US Justice Department says in a letter filed in court that, under a deal with the agency, Assange will be allowed him to walk free in return for pleading guilty to an Espionage Act charge of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information.

What Assange Plea Deal with the US Govt?

Under the plea deal, Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to the charges under the Espionage Act, which set him free. The charge that he pleaded guilty to is conspiring to unlawfully obtain and release classified US national defence documents. This will end the US pursuit of Julian Assange in the 14-year-old battle.

A filing from the US Department of Justice to the US district court stated: .we anticipate that the defendant will plead guilty to the charge in the Information of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified information relating to the national defense of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  793(g), and be sentenced by the Court for that offense.

The judge approved his plea, sentenced him to the five years he had already spent in the UK fighting extradition, pronouncing him a free man.

Julian Assange landed in the Australian capital Canberra on June 26. His wife Stella Assange and their two children have been in Australia awaiting his release.

(With inputs from Associated Press)
President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday the Centre had made efforts to solve the paper leak crisis and was committed to an impartial probe, addressing a burning issue that has drawn fierce criticism from the Opposition and has prompted a series of steps by the Centre aimed at exam reforms.

It is the Centres priority to give equal opportunity to all aspiring candidates. My government is committed to a fair investigation and to punish those behind paper leak incidents, Murmu said in Parliament, remarks that came in the backdrop of the cancellation of UGC-NET as well as a massive row over the NEET-UG 2024 examination.

Her speech invited a sharp response from the members of the Opposition, who shouted slogans and showed disagreement.

ALSO READ | NEET, NET Paper Leaks to Recruitment Test Scams: Modus Operandi of Gangs from the Printing Press to the Exam Centre

Paper leak cases are coming up at all levels and the Centre has already formed new laws to tackle the issue, the President said.

President #DroupadiMurmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of ParliamentMy government is committed for fair investigation and to punish those behind paper leak incidents, she says. Listen in #NEET #ExamLeak #Parliament pic.twitter.com/tgmPyOH5mL  News18 (@CNNnews18) June 27, 2024

NEET-UG Paper leak

CBI, after taking over the probe into the NEET paper leak case, visited a school in Jharkhands Hazaribag and quizzed its principal in connection with the alleged irregularities in medical entrance test NEET, an official said. The probe agency is investigating the matter in multiple states, including Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The Centre has formed a seven-member committee to look into the matter. Last week, amid protests and litigation, the Centre shunted out National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General Subodh Singh and handed over the probe into irregularities in NEET-UG to the CBI, which is now probing a total of six cases in the matter.

On June 21, the Bihar Police detained six people from Jharkhands Deoghar district in connection with the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam.

NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.
A notice has been issued by the Karnataka Police to a sub-inspector for allowing Pavithra Gowda, the main accused in the murder of Renukaswamy, to wear makeup while under lockup in the state womens home.

Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is the second accused in the alleged killing of his fan Renukaswamy. Pavithra is presently under judicial custody and lodged at Parappana Agrahara along with actor and partner Darshan Thogudeepa.

Pavithra was found to have used makeup while leaving the home to go to the Annapoorneshwari Nagar Police Station, where she is often brought for questioning as part of the investigation.

The woman officer, who was in-charge of accompanying and transporting Pavithra from the state home to the station and back, should have been more observant and not allowed the accused to apply makeup while in custody, the police department said.

According to a statement issued by Deputy Commissioner (West) S Girish, Gowda (Accused No. 1) was lodged at the state home every night while in police custody and probably kept her makeup kit in her bag.

The lady PSI used to go there every day and escort her to the AP Nagar police station. The lady PSI could have observed this and prevented the accused from doing this. For this negligence, she has been issued a notice seeking an explanation, said the DCP.

It is alleged that both Pavithra and Darshan were involved in brutally assaulting and subsequently killing Renukaswamy , and later dumping his body in a canal in Bengaluru after the victim sent offensive messages and photos to Pavithra.

Pavithra, Darshan and 15 others are currently in judicial custody.

A total of 17 people are accused in the murder case. According to police sources, Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder.

Renukaswamys body was found near a stormwater drain adjacent to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

According to the post-mortem report, Renukaswamys death was caused due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple blunt injuries sustained.
In the case of a severed human finger found in an ice cream cone in Mumbai earlier this month, a DNA report on Thursday revealed that it belonged to Omkar Pote, an assistant operator manager working at Fortune Company, Pune.

On May 11, 2024, while packing ice cream, part of the middle finger of Omkar Potes right hand was cut. The manufacturing date on the ice cream cone is also the same day.

Following the revelation, Mumbai Police registered a case of negligence against Fortune Company.

On June 12, Malad resident, 26-year-old Orlem Brendan Serrao had eaten half of the butterscotch ice cream ordered online by his sister, when he sensed something wrong on his tongue. When he took a closer look, he found a human finger inside it.

He lodged a complaint with the ice cream company on its Instagram page, however, when there was no response from the firm, Serrao informed the police about the incident.

The police, in its initial probe, said that it was a human finger in the ice cream and sent it for forensic investigation.

The complainant in the case, a 26-year-old doctor with MBBS degree who stays in Malad west, had ordered a butterscotch ice-cream cone of Yummo company. While consuming the ice-cream after lunch, he came across a half an inch long piece of flesh with a nail in the ice cream, the police had said.
Lifestyle influencer and fashion designer Archana Makwana, who sparked a row after performing yoga at Amritsars Golden Temple complex, has now called for the cancellation of the police complaint filed against her. Makwana claimed that not one person who watched me perform Yoga stopped me or raised an objection.

Vadodara-based Archana Makwana was booked by the Punjab police on June 22 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by performing yoga at Amritsars Golden Temple.

The case was registered after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) complained about the influencer, following which she was booked under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In an Instagram post, Makwana, who was also provided police protection in the wake of death threats received has questioned how her actions hurt someones religious sentiments.

When I was doing Shirshasana on 21st June 2024 at Golden Temple Amritsar 1000 sikh people were watching me not one person stopped me or raised an objection on it. In fact, the Gentleman who took my photo was a Sardarji himself he didnt find it offending, he didnt stop me from doing it, and the people who were watching it Live werent offended then I am wondering how come its wrong & how has it hurt someones religious sentiments ? she said in a social media post.

The local people who come to the temple every day dont know the rules, then how can they expect a Hindu Girl travelling for the first time to Punjab to know the rules, especially when no one stopped me, she added.

All this is baseless, I dont know what is the propaganda of the SGPC TRUST but I feel victimised. The FIR against me needs to be quashed because it doesnt have any base, its just that because the SGPC COMMITTEE didnt disclose the true facts to the police they accepted it. I tried to sort this issue Peacefully but they dont seem to understand it, its affecting my business and I wont tolerate it, the influencer further said.

Everyone who agrees with me and wants to support me please raise a voice against them stating that the FIR needs to be cancelled by writing to Punjab Police, her post added.
The Uttar Pradesh government, aiming to enhance security measures for women and children, has introduced a provision disallowing anticipatory bail for individuals accused of crimes against them.

The state government has introduced an amendment ordinance in light of anticipatory bail provisions under the central governments newly enacted and soon-to-be-implemented criminal laws, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023. The state cabinet approved the promulgation of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (Uttar Pradesh Amendments) Ordinance, which seeks to amend provisions related to anticipatory bail under section 482, dealing with the exercise of inherent powers by the high court, taking into account specific circumstances in Uttar Pradesh.

Under the amended provisions, offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code concerning rape will be exempted from anticipatory bail. Additionally, the ordinance also includes provisions for activities against the nation or government. It covers legislations such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Narcotics Drugs & Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985, Official Secrets Act, 1923, UP Gangsters and Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986, and UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, under its ambit of laws wherein anticipatory bail will be disallowed.

The new provisions aim to expedite investigations into sexual offences, facilitating the prompt gathering of biological and scientific evidence. They also seek to alleviate potential fears and pressures faced by victims.

During a cabinet session recently, the draft of the Indian Civil Defence Code (Uttar Pradesh Amendment) Ordinance 2024 was approved, paving the way for its enactment pending the governors consent. Following this approval, the home department will issue a formal notification.

State finance minister Suresh Khanna clarified that while the Indian Security Code 2023 permits anticipatory bail for those anticipating arrest, modifications were necessary considering Uttar Pradeshs unique circumstances. The state government has enacted this ordinance, stipulating a policy of zero tolerance towards crimes targeting women and children, thereby fostering unwavering faith in the states authority and legal system, he said.

During deliberations, the cabinet also discussed the exclusion of section 482 in cases where the potential punishment includes the death penalty.
No injustice will be done to Other Backward Classes or any other community while giving reservation to the Marathas, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured on Wednesday on the eve of the monsoon session of the state legislature.

Holding a press conference here along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde said the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance would not shower assurances on people, but the budget to be presented during the session  last before the assembly elections  will be beneficial for farmers, the youth and women.

No injustice will be done to the OBCs or any other community while giving reservation to the Maratha community, he said, pointing out that the Mahayuti government convened a special session to give 10 per cent reservation to the Marathas earlier this year.

While the Marathas led by Manoj Jarange are demanding reservation in the OBC category, OBC leaders including senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal are opposed to sharing reservation with the Marathas.

Shinde, meanwhile, also asserted that the government will not abandon farmers.

The Opposition was unable to see the development work carried out by his government, the chief minister said, and claimed that Maharashtra had become an investment destination, contrary to the Oppositions allegation that big-ticket projects were going to Gujarat.

Earlier in the day, the Oppositions Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance boycotted the customary tea party organised by the chief minister before the start of the session.

The government has failed to address the issues of the masses including those of farmers, MVA leaders alleged.

Accusing the Opposition of spreading lies, deputy CM Fadnavis said the government will expose the factory of false narrative in the monsoon session.

The Opposition should ask itself why a single irrigation project in Vidarbha region was not approved by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the BJP leader said.

CM Shinde took a jibe at the Congress, saying it won only 99 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, the highest in the last three Lok Sabha elections, and will take 25 years to reach the figure of 240.

(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi won and you lost, he said.

Fadnavis alleged that it was during the MVA rule that most paper leaks took place in the state.

He also accused the MVA government of closing the water grid programme for Marathwada.

The government is ready for discussion during the session and to respond to all questions. The government is fully prepared, he asserted.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said there was no place for the Manusmriti in a state like Maharashtra. He was responding to a row over alleged mention of the ancient text in a draft curriculum.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8 to discuss bilateral relations between New Delhi and Moscow, CNN-News18 has learnt.

The visit will see discussions on defence, oil, gas, and other Indian strategic interests, said top government sources.

This trip is important after PM Modis recent visit to the G7 summit in Italy as most of the global leadership is going through a change and even the US presidential election is just a few months away.

National security adviser Ajit Doval has already met Russian President Vladimir Putin on several occasions and PM Modis visit could be seen as part of Indias efforts to ascertain the way forward.

The Prime Minister last met the Russian President on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan in 2022, where he told Putin that todays era is not of war.

This visit is also important because of the strong bilateral between the two countries. India doesnt want Russia to be fully dependent on China for too many things as India is hugely dependent on Russia for several defence procurements.

Sources say this visit may be useful for the West also as only India is seen as a strong mediator in the present circumstances amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Discussions on issues like defence, the China factor, and mediation on Ukraine, etc, that were previously taken up by NSA Doval will now be held at the top level even as all eyes are on the India-Russia relationship that has become a decisive factor in global geopolitics, said the sources.
The Madras High Courts Madurai Bench recently rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed for a reduction in the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) application fee.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice GR Swaminathan observed that, unlike the enrolment fee, there is no statutory provision specifying a fixed amount for the examination fee and a Writ of Mandamus requires demonstrating a legal right.

Furthermore, the court said that despite no statutory violation, it could intervene if the fee was excessively high. However, with the examination fee set at Rs 3,500, the HC concluded that it was reasonable and found no grounds for interference.

The plea was filed by Gokul Abimanyu, a practicing lawyer at the Madurai bench. He argued that section 24(1)(f) of the Advocates Act, 1961, stipulates that the enrolment fee payable to the State Bar Council is Rs 600 and what is payable to the Bar Council of India is Rs 150. What is presently charged by the State Bar Councils across the country is in excess of the prescribed sum, he contended.

He further submitted that a writ petition has been filed in this regard before the Supreme Court.

However, the division bench pointed out that the issue before it pertained to the examination fee for the All India Bar Examination rather than the enrolment fee for the Bar.
The US has some concerns over Indias engagement with Russia in military and technology domains but at the same time Washington has confidence and trust in New Delhi to advance partnership in key areas, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Wednesday at a virtual media briefing that was focused on his and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivans visit to India last week.

We have full and frank dialogue between the United States and India, and we discuss our mutual relationship with key countries and those include Indias relationship with Russia. I think we are seeking to develop a much deeper and stronger technological relationship between the United States and India. We are clear which areas are affected by the continuing relationship between India and Russia militarily and technologically, said Campbell.

During the recent visit of the high-level American delegation to India, technology was at the heart of discussions. India is part of the small group of countries with which the US is working closely on technology.

We have many areas of alignment, but it is not surprising that there would be area where we have had perhaps different perspectives, views, historical ties. We seek to narrow those areas where there are differences.

The discussions also included a review of Indias planned acquisition of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, the proposed joint production of Stryker infantry combat vehicles, and ongoing negotiations between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd for the co-production of GE F414 engines, which will power Indias future fighter jets.

On the MQ-9B drone agreement, Campbell confirmed that a letter of offer and acceptance for the drones was sent to India in March.

Campbells statement that the US has some concerns over India-Russia military engagement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis expected visit Moscow for the first time since the Russia-Ukraine war started. Modi is likely to be in Russia for summit-level talks with President Vladimir Putin in the second week of July.

Reports suggest India and Russia are likely to sign mutual logistics agreement. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has instructed the Russian Ministry of Defense to hold negotiations with the Indian delegation on the draft approved.

Defence cooperation is a major pillar of the India-Russia strategic partnership and is guided by the agreement on military-technical cooperation.

Experts say the two aims behind launching the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology initiative are  containing China from posing itself as a leader of global technological initiatives and the US wanting India to reduce its dependence on Russian defence exports.
The Indian government has rejected the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)s latest report on minorities in the country, sources told CNN-News18 on Thursday.

The USCIRF has issued a detailed statement and again called upon the Joe Biden administration to designate India a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC. It said it is alarmed by Indias increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf.

The Indian government sources said that the recent election results were a clear example of religious freedom in India. Democratic rights were given even to terror accused and they won Lok Sabha seats, they said.

USCIRF report is superficial and done on the basis of noise on social media and nothing has been done on the ground, said a source. Recent election results of Engineer Rashid and Amritpal Singh are a clear reflection of democratic rights given to Indian minorities. There is no curb and control and the Indian government never tried to reach any mosque or gurdwara to stop these two candidates from contesting elections.

The only thing that is happening now, according to the sources, is a full crackdown on hatemongers and terror perpetrators.

State governments are harsh on those who are doing anti-national activities and central agencies are watching those who want to spread terror, a source said. We have maximum ISIS busts in the initial planning stage and youths are converted back to normal life with the assurance of parents and these are minorities. The blacklisting of many Indian Sikhs was removed and reviews are going on again and again. We expected this kind of report during elections also and their agenda is also well-known.

The sources also said that it is absolutely wrong on the part of the organisation to say that the government cant regulate foreign grants. In cases of FCRA licence cancellation, they were doing anti-national activities and taking foreign grants only for this purpose, said a source. Licence cancellation is always under law scrutiny and agencies have to face the law and without investigations, nothing has been done.

The sources also said that it was wrong to claim that there were delayed responses to violence by the government. They pointed out that seven-phase polling was carried out recently and it all remained peaceful.

This report is nothing but data crunching and reporting of incidents that happened during the year, they added.

Earlier, official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Randhir Jaiswal said, The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is known as a biased organisation with a political agenda. They continue to publish their propaganda on India masquerading as part of an annual report.
Indian Minorities Foundation, a non-government organisation, has slammed the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)s latest report on minorities in the country.

The USCIRF has again called upon the Joe Biden administration to designate India a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC. The organisation said that it is alarmed by Indias increased transnational targeting of religious minorities and those advocating on their behalf.

In a post on social media site X, the Indian Minorities Foundation condemned the USCIRFS efforts to label India alongside authoritarian regimes like Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and China.

IMF strongly condemns the USCIRFS International Religious freedom report. USCIRFs efforts to label India alongside authoritarian regimes like Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and China overlook Indias democratic framework, vibrant civil society, and pluralistic history. pic.twitter.com/jHYGY6lPqp Indian Minorities Foundation (@Minoritiesfdn) June 27, 2024

Flawed comparisons with non-democracies highlights the USCIRFs failure to understand the nuanced reality of Indias religious freedom landscape and discredits genuine concerns about human rights violation globally, it said.

It said that the USCIRFs value judgments on religious freedom have no respect for Indias unity and territorial integrity. It also pointed out that since 2020, the USCIRF has consistently attempted to designated India Country of Particular Concern, or CPC, but the US State Department has refused to endorse this designation.

Indian Minorities Foundation, founded by Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor of Chandigarh University, says it is committed to promoting patriotism and national pride among minority groups and support to empower individuals and communities. The group asserts that it is working to promote a sense of belonging and inclusion and its main objective is to foster a sense of national pride among minority groups by highlighting their shared history, culture, and contributions to the nation, and by encouraging active participation in civic life.
KERALA LOTTERY KARUNYA PLUS KN-528 RESULT ON THURSDAY, JUNE 27, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Karunya Plus KN-528 lucky draw for Thursday, June 27. The draw was conducted in Thiruvananthapuram at Gorky Bhavan, which is close to Bakery Junction.

ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Result Today (July 2): Sthree Sakthi SS-422 Winners Announced!

The winner of the first prize will get a whopping Rs 80 lakh. The winners in second and third place will get Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively. The draw was overseen by impartial judges to ensure transparency and equity. Check the LIVE UPDATES and FULL LIST of winning numbers below.
Sam Manekshaw, fondly known as Sam Bahadur, is amongst some of the most famous figures of the Indian Army. The former chief of army staff served the country during several wars and conflicts. He became the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal, which is the highest attainable rank in the Indian Army.

Sam Manekshaw was born in a Parsi family on April 3, 1914. His father Hormusji Manekshaw was a doctor. His brother Jemi Hormusji Framji Manekshaw served in the Indian Air Force and became Air Vice Marshal.

In his military career, Sam Manekshaw saw five wars, starting from World War II. He then saw the 1948 war against Pakistan, the 1962 Indo-Sino War, 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars.

In 2023, his legacy was shown on the big screen in the biopic film, simply named Sam Bahadur. Actor Vicky Kaushal played the titular role.

Other than his stellar military record, Sam Manekshaw was also known for his robust personality. He is credited with the famous quote, If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is Gorkha. Sam Manekshaw succumbed to pneumonia on June 27, 2008. He was 94 years old. In 2014, his statue was erected in Wellington, the place where he died.

Lesser-Known Facts About Sam Manekshaw
Natasha Poonawalla has rightfully solidified herself as the reigning queen of over-the-top fashion trends. Courtesy: Her avant-garde fashion picks and eclectic style choices. Yet again, she is back to serving top-tier fashion goals. Natasha was recently in London to attend an event at the Victoria and Albert Museum. During the big night, Natasha spread her monochrome magic. She slipped into an all-black maxi dress coming from the shelves of Versace. The ravishing number was adorned with a crystal-embellished bustier and subtle tassels. Its plunging sweetheart neckline was held together with barely-there spaghetti straps in the V formation. The heavy-duty bustier extended downwards to form a straight ankle-length hem with vent extension.

Adding a bit of Hollywood charm, Natasha styled the outfit with a pair of matching latex evening gloves. She kept her look minimal by teaming it with a pair of diamond studs. The surprising touch to her ensemble? A Judith Leiber Microphone Hot Mic clutch truly stole the spotlight. Final touch: A pair of edgy Versace Black Gianni Ribbon Satin Cage Heels. Moving on to her makeup, Natasha nailed it with a shimmery, smokey eye glam with subtle wings. Her glam was accentuated with well-defined brows and wispy mascara-laden lashes. A perfectly contoured face defined her jawline beautifully. The stroke of luminous highlighter added that radiant glow. A demi-matte pink lip shade complemented her look with utmost finesse. Natasha left her silky tresses flowing freely with a middle parting.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Natasha Poonawalla (@natasha.poonawalla)

Natasha Poonawalla made a stunning appearance in a pristine white mini-dress by Valentino. The backless number featured intricate floral embroidery. With a plunging halter neckline, she flew down to form a cutout detailing around the midriff region. She styled the look with solid white statement earrings and a massive diamond ring. Making a maximal impact the minimal chic way was her golden Schiaparelli Rigid Moulded Mouth Clutch. Natashas outfit was perfectly complemented by impeccable winged eyeliner, groomed brows, fluttery lashes and glossy lips. Generously blushed cheekbones added a flush of colour to her flawlessly contoured base. Natasha left her wavy tresses loosened.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Natasha Poonawalla (@natasha.poonawalla)

Natasha Poonawallas fashion diaries never fail to hit the ball out of the park. We truly cant wait to witness her next outing.
Bollywood star Aamir Khan has recently invested in a lavish property located in the upscale Pali Hill neighborhood of Mumbai. The actor purchased an apartment in a high-end building for a sum exceeding 9 crore. As per meticulous examination of property registration records by SquareYards.com, Aamir Khan secured this esteemed property for a substantial Rs. 9.75 crore.

Aamir Khans latest property, spanning approximately 1,027 square feet in carpet area, is all set for occupancy. The property transaction, completed on June 25, attracted a stamp duty of Rs. 58.5 lakh and a registration fee of Rs. 30,000. Situated in the prestigious Bella Vista Apartments within the upscale Pali Hills neighborhood, this property is nestled in one of Mumbais most elite residential areas, renowned for its serene ambiance and lush surroundings.

In addition to this new residence, Aamir already possesses multiple properties within Bella Vista Apartments and Marina Apartments in Pali Hills. Its worth mentioning that both Bella Vista and Marina Apartments are earmarked for redevelopment.

Meanwhile, Aamir Khan possesses an expansive 5,000-square-foot, sea-facing residence in Bandra, spanning two floors. The interiors of this vast apartment exhibit a minimalist design, complemented by a sizable open area suitable for hosting gatherings and events.

In 2013, Aamir acquired a farmhouse worth 7 crore in Panchgani, sprawling over 2 acres. Furthermore, the actor has made significant investments in commercial real estate. Various sources suggest that he holds ownership of 22 residences in Shahabad, Hardoi district, Uttar Pradesh.

In his most recent prominent role, Aamir starred in Laal Singh Chaddha (2022). He also made a cameo appearance in Revathis Salaam Venky (2022), where Kajol played the lead role.

Work-wise, the actor is currently filming for a social dramedy titled Sitaare Zameen Par. He wrapped the Delhi schedule a few weeks back and headed to Vadodara for further shooting. Meanwhile, Sitaare Zameen Par is expected to focus on Down Syndrome. Besides the Mann actor, the film will feature Genelia Deshmukh as the female lead in the film.
Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan met and fell in love in their early 20s. They tied the knot in December 1998 and welcomed their first child together, Arhaan, in November 2002. However, the couple left their fans shocked when they separated after 19 years of marriage. Malaika had also revealed on her show, Moving In With Malaika, that it was her who proposed to Arbaaz.

Now, in a new interview with Hello magazine, Malaika spoke about co-parenting Arhaan with her ex-husband. For whatever its worth, touch wood, weve found a great balance now, Malaika said. Perhaps initially it was a little tricky. And rightly so  because thats just how life is. We both knew that irrespective of everything else and what may have transpired between two adults, it should never reflect on a child  and we have figured out a very congenial way of co-parenting.

Talking about her parenting strategy, Malaika said, Ive said this before; Id rather have Arhaan be my friend  where he can feel comfortable talking to me about anything. I would hate it if he felt he couldnt come to me or had to think 10 times before speaking his mind, wondering whether his mum is going to completely flip out! I like the fact that he can come tell me anything if he wants  and that goes for my nieces and nephews too. I love feeling cool enough to hear them out, give them a point of view and yet, let them feel theyre making their own decisions without forcing my ideas or thoughts onto them.

A few years back, Malaika had talked about how her family did not want her to go ahead with the divorce. I think, sab ki pehli yehi raai hai ki mat karna. Koi aapko nahi kahega ki, Haan, haan, please jayiye, kariye. Thats the first thing, ki aap soch samajh ke yeh decision lena. I went through the same thing, India Today quoted Malaika as saying on Kareena Kapoor Khans radio show.

Arbaaz Khan is now married to makeup artist Sshura Khan. They tied the knot in December 2023 at Arbaazs sister Arpitas home in Mumbai. Malaika, on the other hand, is dating actor Arjun Kapoor. However, rumours are rife that all is not well between Malaika and Arjun.
Manisha Koirala, one of Bollywoods most popular actresses in the 90s, made a notable comeback with the web series Heeramandi. With a large fan base on social media, she frequently shares professional and personal updates with her followers. Recently, she shared a rare picture with her best friend  her mother, Sushma Koirala, from a recent event. The candid photo has garnered admiration from many fans, who are charmed by the mother-daughter duo.

In the photograph posted by Manisha Koirala on her social media handles, both she and her mother were seen dressed in beautiful sarees. The actress opted for a bright yellow and golden drape. On the other hand, Manishas mother wore a traditional pink saree. The duo held each other close as they smiled brightly at the camera. In the caption, Manisha wrote, My best friend my amablessed to have her in my life.

Fans soon took to the comments section to praise Manisha as well as her mother. One of them said, Mom and daughter team is an unbreakable duo,  while another stated, Omg you bother are so gorgeous.

While Manisha Koirala earned a lot of fame in showbiz, she faced a personal struggle with cancer. Manisha has often shared how her parents and family were always by her side throughout her battle. In an interview with NDTV, she revealed that during her fight with cancer, she realised only her immediate family, including her parents and brother, remained close to her. She said, I realised that when everybody leaves me, these are the people who will be with me.

Moreover, the actress opened up about how her focus was on taking care of her parents and making the most of what she has in life. She told the portal, What I have is ageing parents, whom I love. Im the apple of their eye, Im the centre of their universe, and Im going to cherish that. In fact, I fly back to Kathmandu more often now and spend time with them. And I love that.

On the professional front, Manisha Koraila was last seen as Mallikajaan in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Heeramandi. The Netflix show also starred Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal and others.
A Quiet Place has consistently kept audiences on the edge of their seats, and much of that success is owed to John Krasinskis vision. As Krasinski steps down from the directors chair for the third installment, A Quiet Place: Day One, the franchise welcomes a new director, Michael Sarnoski, who brings a fresh perspective to the series.

Sarnoski shares his experience of joining the project and says, The only parameter I was given was that it had to be set in New York City. To be honest, at first I wasnt sure I wanted to do an invasion story set in Manhattan. That seems to be an entire genre of its own. So I knew that if I was going to do it, it would have to be completely different from anything that came before. I gave John a one-minute pitch about a woman who comes to New York on a quest for her favorite pizza just as the world is ending. Johns response was, Yeah! Lets do it.

Sarnoski met with Krasinski periodically to review each draft, but says for the most part he was given complete creative freedom. He adds, If I needed clarification on something, I could ask John. Otherwise, he just let me play with what I wanted to do.

On the film and the creatures, he said, Theyre superfast and attack very quickly, and it makes you ask questions about where all the bodies are going, how the creatures eat, whether they have their own family units, and how they relate to each other, he says. In this film, we start to learn more about them.

With A Quiet Place: Day One experience the day the world went quiet. Directed by Michael Sarnoski, this installment takes place before the events of the previous two films. A woman named Sam must survive an invasion in New York City by bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic sound hearing.
In the upcoming episode of Bigg Boss OTT 3, Payal Malik will be seen breaking down while talking about her husband, Armaan Maliks second marriage with Kritika Malik. On Thursday morning, JioCinema dropped a promo in which Payal was seen narrating how Armaan told her about his marriage with Kritika. She mentioned that she did not know about Armaans decision before and got to know about his marriage with Kritika only after they tied the knot.

One day, I was out and Kritika and Armaan were somewhere together. They must have talked and decided to get married, and Kritika agreed. They got married and came back. I received a call saying, Hey Payal, we have some good news. I understand everything about them, so I immediately asked, Did you two get married?' Payal said as she broke down into tears.

Manisha Khatwani interrupted her asking if she felt betrayed by her best friend, Kritika. Didnt you feel that they betrayed you? Your friend, your best friend, got married to your husband? she asked. While Payal did not react to this, Armaan got worried and rushed to her. He tried to console Payal. Watch the promo here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by JioCinema (@officialjiocinema)

Armaan married his first wife, Payal in 2011 and they welcomed a son named Chirayu Malik. Six years later, in 2018, Armaan married Payals best friend, Kritika, without legally ending his first marriage. On December 4, 2022, Armaan took the internet by storm as he announced the pregnancies of both Kritika and Payal. Armaan is now a father to four children: Chirayu, Tuba, Ayan, and Zaid.

Ever since the trio entered the Bigg Boss OTT 3 house, they have been making headlines with many slamming the makers for allegedly promoting polygamy. Recently, Armaan addressed the controversies surrounding his marital status and told India Today, If someone is genuinely curious and wants to know about our life, how we three have managed to live as one family, then Id be happy to share my story with them. Theres no issue with people inside the house being curious about our set-up. However, if someone talks in a derogatory manner or chooses to pick a fight for no reason, then Im capable of giving it back to them in the exact same tone and manner.
Sharmin Segal has been making headlines ever since ever since the release of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. First, she was trolled for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansalis directorial and then she was also accused of being arrogant and disrespectful towards her co-stars. However, in one of her recent posts, Sharmin took an indirect dig at negativity on social media as she trolled herself.

On Thursday, Sharmin Segal took to her Instagram handle and shared a series of pictures from her Italy vacations. However, in the caption of her post, she gave a hilarious twist to her Heeramandi dialogue. Ek baar break lijiye. Ice cream kha lijiye. Swimming karne ko hai tayyar hum. Neela neela pani dikha dijiye (sic), she wrote. Check it out here:

However, it is worth noting that Segal switched off the comments section of her post, most likely to avoid getting trolled again.

Released on May 1, 2024, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar explores the various aspects of a womans trials and tribulations. Besides Sharmin, it also stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar Suman and Adhyayan Suman in key roles.

Previously, in an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Sharmin opened up about her trolling and told us, The audience is the king at the end of the day. And as a creative person, its very important to acknowledge that. They have a right to their opinion  positive or negative. Thats one thing that gives me perspective and allows me to be okay.

Sharmin further shared that the positive responses were as many as the negative ones and yet the internet chose to focus more on the latter. I had given my all to Alamzebs character. We tend to fixate on the negatives but there are so many positives that have also come along, which we dont talk about. Its perhaps not interesting enough to talk about positives and we tend to look over them to some degree, she added.

Meanwhile, there are rumours that Sharmin has also been roped in for Bhansalis Love and War. However, there is no official confirmation to this as of now.
Sonakshi Sinha made her first public appearance with Zaheer Iqbal after their wedding. The newlyweds were seen arriving for a family dinner in Mumbai last night. Sonakshi and Zaheer happily posed for the paps and held each other close. The video has gone viral across social media.

Sonakshi looked beautiful in a red dress, flaunting her bridal glow. Zaheer complemented her in a white shirt with black pants. Sonakshi and Zaheer also wore red and white respectively for their wedding reception.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood)

Sonakshi Sinha has been subjected to immense trolling over her inter-faith marriage with Zaheer Iqbal. Sonakshi and Zaheer opted for a civil marriage, which took place at the actress Bandra home on June 23. Unfortunately, the couple had to disable the comments section while sharing their official photos from their civil marriage and reception due to unwarranted hate and negativity.

Recently, Sonakshi seemingly addressed the trolls who have been criticising her inter-faith marriage on social media. The actress re-shared a post on her Instagram story that talked about love being the universal religion. Sonakshi also dropped a comment on the post shared by Prasad Bhat, and wrote, Truest words!! This is adorable! Thank you.

Meanwhile, veteran actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha has also lashed out at those protesting against his daughter Sonakshis inter-faith wedding with Zaheer Iqbal and calling it love jihad.

Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, he told Times Now.

A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors I say  go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say), the veteran actor added.

Sonakshi and Zaheer dated for seven years before taking their relationship to the next level. While they got hitched in an intimate ceremony, the couple hosted a grand reception for their friends from the film industry.

Several celebrities including Salman Khan, Kajol, Vidya Balan, Rekha, Huma Qureshi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aditya Roy Kapur, Tabu and Anil Kapoor, among others attended Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbals star-studded reception.
Sushant Divgikr took to Instagram recently and spoke about witnessing a celebrity wedding being gatecrashed. Sushant said that several strangers had gatecrashed the wedding just to make reels for Instagram. While Sushant did not name the celebrity, netizens speculate that the couple in question are Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal.

This speculation comes as Sushant recently attended Sonakshi Sinhas wedding reception in Mumbai. Additionally, Sonakshi also reacted to Sushants post by dropping a bunch of laughing emojis in the comments section. Check out the post here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sushant Divgikr/ Rani KoHEnur (@sushantdivgikr)

Sushant wrote, Just experienced several people gate crashing and/or trying to gate crash a celebrity wedding recently. I cant believe people will get fully dressed, pretend like theyre invited and then sneak in!! For what joy? So you can enter and just make some reels? he asked. I am in disbelief as to how people can be so faaaaltu.

Sonakshi and Zaheer opted for a civil marriage, which took place at the actress Bandra home on June 23. Sonakshi and Zaheer dated for seven years before taking their relationship to the next level. While they got hitched in an intimate ceremony, the couple hosted a grand reception for their friends from the film industry.

Several celebrities including Salman Khan, Kajol, Vidya Balan, Rekha, Huma Qureshi, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aditya Roy Kapur, Tabu and Anil Kapoor, among others attended Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbals star-studded reception.

Recently, Sonakshi Sinha made her first public appearance with Zaheer Iqbal after their wedding. The newlyweds were seen arriving for a family dinner in Mumbai last night. Sonakshi and Zaheer happily posed for the paps and held each other close.

Sonakshi looked beautiful in a red dress, flaunting her bridal glow. Zaheer complemented her in a white shirt with black pants. Sonakshi and Zaheer also wore red and white respectively for their wedding reception.

Meanwhile, Sonakshi has been subjected to immense trolling over her inter-faith marriage with Zaheer Iqbal. Shatrughan Sinha also lashed out at those protesting against his daughter Sonakshis inter-faith wedding with Zaheer Iqbal and calling it love jihad.

Anand Bakshi saab has written about such professional protestors, Kucch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna. To this I would like to add, Kehne waale agar bekar, bekaam-kaaj ke ho to kehna hi kaam ban jata hai (For unemployed people, this is all the work they have). My daughter has done nothing illegal or unconstitutional, he told Times Now.

A wedding is a very personal decision between two people; no one has the right to interfere or comment. To all the protestors I say  go, get a life. Do something useful with your life. Aur kucch nahi kehna (I have nothing else to say), the veteran actor added.
Gone are the days when it used to take years to build a narrative. As we move into the age of artificial intelligence (AI), it only takes a moment to do so, thus blurring the boundary between reality and hoax. As T.S. Eliot avers, Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act falls the shadow. Generative AI has intruded workspaces, organisations, healthcare, education sectors, and even our democracy. What sounded fictitious a few years back has become the quotidian reality of our lives.

To put it another way, reality has become a metric that can be constructed and, therefore, manipulated by the politicking of technology. How else could one understand the bombardment of more than a million deepfakes in the recently concluded Indian elections?

It is no less a strange paradox that season 3 of the Panchayat web series and the elections for the 18th Lok Sabha coincided in India. Situating the dekh raha hai Binod within this election context, one could understand the deepfake provenance of our present-day democratic setup. Just as Bhushan in the web series constantly uses this phrase both as a provocative, scandalous, and populist tool to manipulate the common people in the village, and to set his agenda right, in the same way, the deepfake tools used by the Opposition was an election propaganda to gain mileage in the Lok Sabha.

For example, a deepfake video of Amit Shah was widely circulated in which he was purportedly seen hinting at the end of reservation rights of the SCs, STs, and OBCs, and scrapping the Constitution. During this election, we also witnessed other deepfake videos, such as one where actor Ranveer Singh speaks in a disparaging tone about PM Modi, while the video displays the Congress party symbol with the text: Vote For Nyay, Vote For Congress. Even the dead politicians were resurrected through the generative power of artificial intelligence, which sums up the shock-and-awe effect of the deepfake age on Indian democracy in recent times.

To understand the dekh raha hai Binod syndrome, one need only observe how a single man like Bhushan convincingly uses narrative to obfuscate the line between fact and fiction He defends and promotes the idea of democracy, while challenging the political stance of the current village panchayat head. Just like the Opposition, Bhushan did not taste victory, however, his rhetorical ammunition positions him as an effective storyteller. This mirrors how the Congress party, despite losing the national election, enthusiastically wove and amplified narratives of both their victory and the triumph of democracy.

Perhaps the Congress found solace in the belief that deepfake videos contributed to reducing the ruling partys seats in the Lok Sabha. Maybe it sought to construct a narrative of its strong comeback. Both perspectives are crucial in grasping the dangers posed by the rampant proliferation of generative AI, which has eroded the sanctity of Indian democracy. As rightly pointed out by Santishree Pandit, What stood out this time was how these narratives ended up targeting democracy and its electoral processes directlya dangerously alarming trend for both Indian democracy and society.

The moot point, however, is that, unlike the reel life of web series, the real India has not one but several Bhushans, and that should be enough to gauge the implications of the deepfake phenomenon. In our populist era, the underlying premise of the dekh raha hai Binod syndrome underscores the rise of nationalist fervour, exacerbated by the diminishing ability of our populace to discern fact from fiction. This syndrome highlights that popularity often equates to populism, signalling a dangerous disconnect from our reflective spaces while entrusting our destinies to the manipulative powers of artificial intelligence.

It is apparent that the nation was swayed by the syndrome and the deepfake videos shared by the Opposition, with equal vigour and ignorance. Put this way, the deepkfake of AI is a manifestation of the syndrome, which seems to have become a mandatory prologue to our electoral processes and practices, thus animating and diminishing what can be counted as real. While our eyes and minds grapple to distinguish between human and machine intelligence, our ears are stuffed with the wax of populist voices and the juggernauts of artificial reality.

With the rise and updates in technology, we are surrounded by new challenges which demand human interventions to tackle them. Assigning the task of creation and intervention to machine learning is bound to have ramifications for the entire civilisation, which neither multinational corporations nor political parties can fathom at this juncture. Because social media platforms and AI depend on a set of codes, and, therefore, the codes can be designed in a way that impedes our thinking spaces, even our ability to control the machines. Precisely why PM Modi expressed his concerns about this detrimental trend plaguing our democracy.

Indias 18th Lok Sabha election is just the tip of the iceberg for our leaders and the world to understand the stigmatizing effects of generative AI. The shift to the deepfake age also signifies the crude reality that the obverse of popularity is populism in our present-day democracy, underpinned as it is with the Dekh raha hai Binod syndrome. For the moment, it looks like this syndrome will continue to speak to our populace unless the government comes out with stringent laws, applicable across parties and the nation. If the deepfake becomes the quotidian reality of our democracy, the inevitable corollary of it would be public fate being decided by the amount of lies one could tell and perpetuate. Doesnt that ring a bell?

Om Prakash Dwivedi is an author and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
A day after he held a meeting with MPs from NDA ally Telugu Desam Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met members of the other major alliance partner, JD(U), and said Bihars welfare is critical for a better India.

The prime minister shared pictures of the meeting and said the BJP and JD(U) have a long history of working together in their fight against poor governance, corruption and criminalisation in Bihar.

Had a great meeting with @Jduonline MPs. Our Parties have a long history of working together and fighting poor governance, corruption and criminalisation in Bihar. The leadership of Shri @NitishKumar Ji has taken Bihar on the path of development. We will keep working together for good governance, Modi said on X.

Union minister Lalan Singh was also present during the meeting. The JD(U) MPs later spoke about the warmth with which Modi spoke about his association with Bihar, their party and leader Nitish Kumar.

The prime minister told us that we all must work towards the cause of the people and their welfare. He said the welfare of Bihar is critical for the welfare of the entire country, a JD(U) MP told News18.

Bihar has seen a lot of political turbulence in the last five years. Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who got elected in 2020 in alliance with the BJP, jumped ship to join rival RJD. Then, his return to the NDA fold in January resulted in the change of government in the state.

He also asked us to go and interact with people and understand their problems, and if there are issues to go to him with them. He said he will be more than happy to provide a solution, said another JD(U) MP about Modis assurance to them.

The MP said the prime minister also reiterated that the NDA was a natural alliance and had a long history of staying united, especially in its fight against corruption and bringing good governance to the people.

Since Nitish Kumars to-and-fro, the situation has mostly been one of water under the bridge. In fact, the NDA along with Chirag Paswans LJP (Ram Vilas) and HAM leader Jitan Ram Majhi, was able to secure 30 out of 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Both got ministerial berths in the Union Cabinet. The ruling alliance is now focusing on keeping the momentum going for the assembly polls at the end of 2025.
Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena has approved temporarily dissolving the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission (DDCD) and the removal of its non-official members till a mechanism is developed for the screening and selection of domain experts as its vice-chairperson and members, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday.

Reacting to the development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi said it will challenge the LGs illegal decision in courts.

In a file noting marked to the Delhi chief secretary, Saxena said the entire exercise of creating the DDCD by the incumbent government was only to extend financial benefits and patronage to certain favoured political persons of partisan inclinations.

Ostensibly, the commission was created to serve as a policy think-tank manned by domain experts, on the lines of the Planning Commission/NITI Aayog, so as to provide inputs of governance that a political executive assisted by mostly generalist civil services may be deprived of.

It was not meant to accommodate favoured individuals, unelected friends or politically partisan people, the file noting read.

The LG said the positions of the vice-chairperson and non-official members were envisaged to be co-terminus with the incumbent government.

Albeit initially these positions were honorary, they were subsequently converted into highly-paid and perked positions, viz. the vice-chairperson, DDCD in the rank, pay and facilities equivalent to the minister of GNCTD and the non-official members in the rank, pay and facilities equivalent to the secretary to the Government of India, he said.

Saxena noted that according to the Delhi governments planning department, there is no work allocation amongst the members of the DDCD.

Therefore, the continuation of the non-official members, whose appointments were made in an arbitrary manner without following any procedure, drawing huge salaries is not only undesirable but also patently illegal. To say the least, it is a blatant and clear case of nepotism and favouritism in utter disregard of all rules.

Accordingly, the proposal of the service department  for rescinding the appointment orders of the non-official members is approved, the file noting read.

Additionally, the proposal of the services department  regarding exploring the possibility of dissolving the DDCD as an interim measure etc is also approved, it read.

In the communication, Saxena cited an April 29, 2016 notification that said the non-official members are appointed by the chief minister in the rank, pay and facilities equivalent to the secretary to the Government of India or as may be determined by the chief minister.

However, all the members were paid salaries in the rank and pay equivalent to the secretary to GoI, without exercising any option of determination of their pay by the chief minister.

This clearly demonstrates that the chief minister did not exercise any prudence in determining the salaries payable to the non-official members, which should have been commensurate with their job description. The payment of such a huge salary without such determination is a clear violation of the said notification dated 29.04.2016 and is a clear case of favouritism only on political considerations, the file noting read.

The LG has also asked the finance department to humanly explore the possibility of recovering the salaries paid to the non-official members of the DDCD.

In 2022, DDCD Vice-Chairman Jasmine Shah was restricted from discharging his duties and his office sealed, while the facilities enjoyed by him were withdrawn following an order issued by the LG.

In a statement, the AAP government said the LGs decision to dissolve the DDCD and remove its three non-official members is illegal, unconstitutional and a brazen violation of the jurisdiction of his office.

Asserting that the DDCD comes under the chief minister and only he has powers to take action on its members, the statement alleged that the LGs sole purpose in dissolving the DDCD is to stop all the work of the Delhi government, which has been his singular contribution to the governance of Delhi ever since he assumed office.

We will challenge this illegal order of the LG in the courts. The DDCD was constituted vide gazette notification dated 29.04.2016, which was approved by the then LG of Delhi. A plain reading of sections 3 and 8 of the notification explains that the non-official members of the DDCD are appointed solely by the decision of the chief minister and only he has powers to remove any of the members before the completion of their term.

However, in brazen disregard of existing rules and laws as well as decisions of his predecessors, LG Vinai Saxena, acting in collusion with officers of the services department, has chosen to exceed the jurisdiction of his office and tried to usurp the powers of the elected chief minister of Delhi by taking action on the DDCD. It is categorically stated that the appointment process for the vice-chairperson and members of the DDCD is similar to the process followed for public commissions in all state governments across India, including in BJP governments, the statement read.

The sole purpose of Saxenas illegal order is to stop all the work and policy reforms being carried out by the Arvind Kejriwal government, it added.

In the process of hating the elected government under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Vinai Saxena has started hating the people of Delhi. He very well knows that the DDCD, which acts as the policy think-tank of the Delhi government, has played a key role in shaping the Delhi model of governance over the years, it said.

The statement added that the DDCD has made a defining contribution in shaping many flagship policies and welfare schemes of the government, such as the Delhi EV Policy 2020, the Delhi Solar Policy 2016 and 2024 and the Rozgar Bazaar initiative.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, the same case for which he was previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. The CBI has sought five-day custody of Kejriwal for custodial interrogation, citing fresh details in the investigation.

The developments in Kejriwals case and custody are politically significant for him and his party. The CBIs action coincides with the Parliament session, with all Opposition leaders and MPs in Delhi to attend it.

Despite Kejriwals significant role in the INDIA bloc, having held several meetings with senior Congress leaders and other prominent politicians, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is yet to see any solidarity movement on the streets of Delhi or on the floor of Parliament demanding his release or protesting the recent actions.

Several instances of coordination issues or lack of consensus have reflected through decisions taken by some of the alliance partners during the Lok Sabha session, including the choice of Speaker candidate or seeking division during the voice vote to elect the speaker. But the lack of support and voices in favour of AAPs Arvind Kejriwal and JMMs Hemant Soren show the glaring fissures in the Opposition alliance.

The expected unified reaction from all the alliance partners, primarily from the Congress, is still missing. Among other instances of coordination gap, the current situation of not supporting the AAP enough in its fights against the ED and CBI to get Kejriwal bail, appears to be undermining the very objective of the INDIA bloc.

Latest Twist in Kejriwal Saga

The CBI moved for an arrest warrant after questioning Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on Tuesday. The series of events culminating in the Delhi Chief Ministers arrest came when he was fighting for bail and had moved the Supreme Court to challenge a stay granted by the Delhi High Court on the trial courts bail order.

The CBI sought five-day custody of Kejriwal, pleading that the central agency has got fresh materials and inputs against the Delhi CM. The court, with certain riders, granted a three-day custody. However, the CBI may seek extension of custody in connection with the case, which will mean more difficult days for Kejriwal and his party.

The ED is investigating the money trail, alleged hawala links, and alleged kickbacks from businessmen, while the CBI is probing fraud, criminal conspiracy, financial misappropriation, and loss to the government exchequer. The ED, on May 17, filed its ninth supplementary chargesheet in connection with Delhi liquor policy case, naming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP as prime accused.

As the trial begins, the directorate may initiate legal measures to recover the proceeds of the crime which, according to the investigators, is around Rs 100 crore. The party may lose some of its assets, while some of its bank accounts may be frozen by the directorate as part of penalty actions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

What Does a Prolonged Jail Term Mean for Arvind Kejriwal?

The stretched jail term for Kejriwal may be detrimental for his party as Delhi will be going to polls next year. With the assembly elections scheduled in 2025 in Delhi, the challenge for AAP to keep its house in order and continue with its political relevance.

Apart from Kejriwal, other senior leaders and ministers like Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain are still behind bars, while senior MP Sanjay Singh is out on bail. Sisodia has been in jail for almost one-and-half-years now, while Jain is languishing in jail for over two years. None of the senior ministers of the government succeeded in getting bail.

With the ED preparing for further legal action against the AAP, an accused in the case, it may become difficult for Kejriwals colleagues to keep the political structure afloat, while managing the administration. Even though AAP fared reasonably well in Punjab, it failed in winning a seat in Delhi in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Deafening Silence of INDIA

AAP MPs and senior politicians of the party have staged a protest in the Parliament complex demanding Kejriwals release. However, there has been no discussion with the allies. In fact, the alliance partners are yet to join the protest in support of Kejriwal.

Same is the case when it comes to alliance support for former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren. Soren was arrested in January and has been behind bars since then. He was never granted interim bail either.

During election campaigning, the Opposition had raised the issue of alleged atrocities by central agencies and had accused the BJP of political vendetta. However, post-election, the same opposition parties have not joined the protests meetings of their alliance partners AAP and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
The Crime Investigation Department probing molestation charges against former Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday filed a chargesheet in the special court dealing with POCSO cases. After the police registered a case of molestation in March against the BJP stalwart, Karnataka director general of police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.

The case was registered based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting in February, at his residence in Dollars Colony. Yediyurappa has denied the charge, and said people would teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies against me.

The 54-year-old woman, who had levelled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital last month, due to lung cancer. The CID questioned Yediyurappa for about three hours on June 17 in connection with the case.

The Karnataka High Court had earlier passed orders restraining the CID from arresting Yediyurappa in the case.
Kolkata, Jun 26: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Wednesday asserted the recent Lok Sabha poll results point to the fact that India is not a Hindu Rashtra.

Sen, who arrived in Kolkata from the US in the evening, also expressed displeasure over the continuation of putting people behind bars without trial even under the new dispensation.

That India is not a Hindu Rashtra only has been reflected in the election results, Sen told a Bengali news channel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport here.

We always hope to see a change after every election. Some of what happened earlier (during the BJP-led central government) like putting people behind bars without trial, and widening the gap between the rich and poor, are still continuing. That must stop, he said.

The eminent economist said there is a need to be politically open-minded, especially when India is a secular country with a secular Constitution.

I do not think the idea of turning India into a Hindu Rashtra is appropriate, Sen, 90, said.

He was also of the opinion that the new Union cabinet is a copy of the earlier one.

The ministers continue to hold similar portfolios. Despite a slight reshuffle, the politically powerful are still powerful, he said.

Sen recalled that during his childhood when India was under the British rule, people were jailed without any trial.

When I was young, many of my uncles and cousins were put in jail without trial. We had hoped that India would be free from this. Congress is also to blame for the fact that this did not stop. They didnt change it But, this is more in practice under the present government, the Nobel laureate said.

On the BJP losing the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat despite building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Sen said attempts were made to overshadow the countrys true identity.

 Building the Ram Temple spending so much money to portray India as a Hindu Rashtra, which should not have happened in the country of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It shows an attempt to neglect Indias true identity, and it must change, he said.

Sen also said that unemployment was on the rise in India, and sectors like primary education and primary healthcare were being neglected.
INDIA Bloc To raise NEET-UG Paper Leak Issue In Parliament Tomorrow Amid the ongoing probe into the NEET-UG paper leak case, the Opposition on Thursday said it would raise the issue in the Parliament on Friday. All INDIA bloc parties will give notice on the NEET paper leak row in Rajya Sabha, while the Opposition plans to serve adjournment notice on the matter in Lok Sabha, sources informed.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore Calls President's Address 'Same Old Story Of PM Modi's Election Speeches' On President Droupadi Murmus address, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, The Presidents address is the same old story of the election speeches of PM Modi. The real issues of joblessness, womens security, MSME sector, caste censusall real issues have been forgotten. Illusionary things have been spoken. We all know that the cabinet frames the Presidents address. This Presidents address has been disappointing for us. We will raise those issues in the presidential debate We know that there is an undeclared emergency happening in the country. For the past nine years, all the rights of the opposition have been denied. Two CMs are in jail and more than half a dozen governments have been toppled through Kamala Operation Kamala Media is under attack. All these things are happening and undeclared emergencies are happening in this country

ASP (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad Says It Is "Good That President Mentioned Emergency Period In Her Address But..." Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad said, It is good that the President mentioned the Emergency period in her address, but what about the undeclared emergency in the country today?If we dont talk about fundamental issues, then how will things happen? In Nagina, there are no employment opportunities, there is a problem of floodCaste atrocities are risingWe had hoped the President would speak about all these issues, but the President didnt. We will speak on these issues.

We Should Not Politicise President's Address To Parliament: Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora said, We should not politicise the Presidents address to the ParliamentToday all political parties should work together to take the country forward. We should talk about issues of national security, the economy and employment opportunities.

Parliament LIVE: We Can't Simply Forget What Happened In Past, Says BJP MP Arun Govil On the Presidents remarks on the Emergency in her address to Parliament, BJP MP Arun Govil said, We cant simply forget what happened in the past. Congress never mentions what they did with the Constitution but only talks about saving the Constitution now.

Parliament LIVE: When New Govt Comes To Power, President's Address Should Talk About Policy Decisions Of Govt, Says DMK MP On the Presidents address to Parliament, DMK MP T Siva said, When a new government comes to power, the Presidents address should talk about the policy decisions of the government but it spoke about what happened in the past. They (BJP) didnt have a clear majority and standing with support of allies.

Parliament LIVE: President Offers Best Wishes to Paris-bound Athletes, Mentions India's Oly Bid in Parliament Address President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday conveyed her best wishes to Indian athletes who would be competing in next months Paris Olympics, and backed the countrys audacious bid to host the 2036 Games in her address to a joint sitting of the two houses of the Parliament here. In her address, Murmu said the efforts of the central government, led by Narendra Modi, has ensured higher-than-ever medal hauls for Indians at global events.

Parliament LIVE Updates: Nothing New In President's Address, Says AIMM MP Asaduddin Owaisi On President Droupadi Murmus address, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, In the entire address, there was no mention of minorities or unemployment. US State Secretary Antony Blinken said yesterday that there has been an increase in hate speech in India and religious places of minorities are getting demolished. There was nothing new in the address, it was like an old wine in a new bottleRe-NEET should have been done. There are paper leaks everywhere. They are playing with the lives of 25 lakh youth and their families.

Parliament LIVE Updates: President Should Have Spoken About Today's Issues, Says Cong MP Shashi Tharoor On President Droupadi Murmus address, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, There was no logic of talking about Emergency in the address after 49 years. She should have spoken about todays issues. We did not hear anything about the NEET exam or unemploymentThe word Manipur did not come out from President Murmu or PM Modi. Issues like the India-China border should have been taken up in the address.

Parliament LIVE: Six New MPs Take Oath as Rajya Sabha Members Six newly-elected MPs from Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh took oath as members of Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar welcomed the new members. The first among those who took oath was Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh (Bihar), followed by Sarfaraz Ahmad of JMM and Pradip Kumar Varma of the BJP (both Jharkhand).

Parliament LIVE Updates: Kashmir Valley Gave Befitting Reply to Enemies of India Through Record Polling: Prez Murmu President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday highlighted the high voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha elections and said Kashmir has given a befitting reply to the enemies of India by breaking polling records of many decades. Addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu also said the Constitution has fully come into force in Jammu and Kashmir where things were different earlier due to Article 370.

Parliament LIVE Updates: PM Modi Introduces His Council Of Ministers in Rajya Sabha In the first session of the Rajya Sabha after the NDA got elected for their third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced his council of ministers.

'My Government Committed To Fair Probe Into Paper Leak Cases': President Droupadi Murmu In Parliament President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday the Centre had made efforts to solve the paper leak crisis and was committed to an impartial probe, addressing a burning issue that has drawn fierce criticism from the Opposition and has prompted a series of steps by the Centre aimed at exam reforms.

Parliament LIVE: Wish Better Future For Families Who Received Citizenship Under CAA, Says President President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, she said, My Government has started giving citizenship to refugees under the CAA law. I wish a better future for the families who have received citizenship under CAA. My Government is re-establishing the heritage and culture of India along with efforts to build the future. Recently, a new chapter has been added to it in the form of the Vocational Campus of Nalanda University. Nalanda was not just a university, it was proof of Indias glorious past as a centre of basic knowledge. I am confident that the new Nalanda University will prove helpful in making India a global knowledge hub.

Parliament LIVE: Emergency Was A Big Attack On Constitution, Says President Droupadi Murmu While addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament today, President Droupadi Murmu remembered the Emergency period and called it as a big attack on Constitution.

Parliament LIVE: President Murmu Congratulates People Of J&K For High Voter Turnout The President congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections and lauded the Election Commission for holding the worlds biggest democratic exercise. A very good outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken, she said. In the last four decades, we only saw low voter turnout in Kashmir amid strikes and shutdowns. Enemies of India used to project it as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir on the global stage. This time, the people of Jammu and Kashmir gave a befitting reply to such forces, she said.

Parliament LIVE: President Murmu Hails Agricultural Reforms In Country President Droupadi Murmu while addressing the Parliament today said, My Govt has provided Rs 3.20 lakh crores to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than Rs 20,000 crores has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops. Todays India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs. Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand. Therefore, the government is integrating the supply chain of natural farming and related productsOn Indias initiative, the whole world has celebrated International Millet Day in the year 2023. You have seen that recently the whole world has also celebrated International Yoga Day

Parliament LIVE: India Is Now The 5th Largest Economy In The World, Says President Murmu President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session of both Houses of Parliament. She said, The pledge of reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world. In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest economyDespite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate. This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in national interest in the last 10 years. Today, India contributes to 15% of the global growth. My Government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world.

Parliament LIVE: Budget Will Introduce New Reforms In Nation, Says President Droupadi Murmu In the upcoming sessions, this government is going to present the first budget of this term. This budget will be an effective document of the governments far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget, said President Murmu.
The BJP on Thursday said political violence in West Bengal is a major concern, especially under the Mamata Banerjee-led government. It alleged that a woman worker was stripped and beaten up for supporting the saffron party in Cooch Behar district.

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya said there is a Sandeshkhali in every village of the state, referring to the small fishing village in the Basirhat subdivision of North 24 Parganas district. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the area was in the news after a number of women residents made sexual assault allegations against now-jailed TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his men.

There is a #Sandeshkhali in every village of Bengal. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice. Concerns over political violence and safety of women under Mamata Banerjee remains a huge concern, he said in a post on X, where he posted a video of the woman worker in a hospital after the alleged assault.

Malviya said the woman worker belongs to the BJPs Minority Morcha. She was stripped naked and attacked at Ramthenga Market in the Mathabhanga assembly segment of Cooch Behar, he said.

He said she was dragged by her hair and subjected to severe physical assault. This brutal assault has shocked members of the community she belongs to, he added.

Since the announcement of the election results, she had been in a state of panic and avoided leaving her home. Currently, she is admitted to the hospital, said Malviya, who is also the BJPs West Bengal co-incharge.

The TMC has not yet responded to the BJPs allegations.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday joked about a secret meeting, after his accidental encounter with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis outside an elevator in the Vidhan Sabha generated much speculation. The two leaders were spotted exchanging more than just a few words and even shared the lift. When asked about it later, the former Maharashtra chief minister reportedly said they will hold all their secret meetings in the lift.

Watch: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and the Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis share the same lift while going to the Vidhan Sabha pic.twitter.com/YmefNTcbGQ IANS (@ians_india) June 27, 2024

On the first day of the last session of the state legislature, the media went into a frenzy when Fadnavis ran into Thackeray, who was waiting for a lift. And more so, when he beckoned his archrival to ride the elevator together while a couple of persons already inside were asked to step out.

A smiling Thackeray obliged and went up from the ground floor to the upper floor where the assembly is situated. But after alighting, both walked away in opposition directions. Later, when media persons asked Thackeray what the two leaders spoke about, he said it was a mere coincidence and nothing more.

In another development, BJP leader Chandrakant Patil dropped in to meet Thackeray, leader of opposition (council) Ambadas Danve, ex-minister Anil Parab and others at the Shiv Sena (UBT) office. There was an atmosphere of cheerful camaraderie, as Patil even distributed chocolates and conveyed his advance wishes to Parab who contested the just-concluded MLC elections, the result of which is expected on July 1. Thackeray also asked the minister to maintain cordial relations always.

Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogavale sought to downplay the scenario, and ruled out the possibility of any talks between the BJP and Thackerays Shiv Sena. But, his colleague Sanjay Shirsat said Thackeray and Fadnavis may have winked at each other.

What happened on Day 1 of the monsoon session?

Ahead of the monsoon session, however, Thackeray took a jibe at the government calling it a leakage government and said people will soon be saying tata, bye-bye to it. Monsoon session (of Maharashtra Assembly) starts today but people are saying tata, bye-bye to this government. Budget will be announced by this government tomorrow. We expect them to tell us how much money they spent on Maharashtra. This is a leakage government; leakage is happening at Ram Mandir and there is also the paper leak matter, he said.

Opposition members also staged a protest on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan as the monsoon session of the state legislature began. The protesters, belonging to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP), raised slogans against the government over the issues related to farmers and the NEET exam.

Sitting on the stairs of the state legislature complex, the opposition members raised slogans holding placards. On Wednesday (June 26), the opposition alliance boycotted CM Eknath Shindes customary tea party on the eve of the session, accusing the government of failing to address issues of the masses.

During the session, being held in Mumbai from June 27 to July 12, the ruling Mahayuti will present the state budget in both Houses of the legislature on June 28. The interim budget was tabled in February ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

(With agency inputs)
Imagine a world where one half of the population is prevented from reaching their full potential because the means to manage a natural physical process arent available. Were talking about women and girls and menstruation.

Promising young students miss days of school each month, because the toilets in the school are too dirty, or they lack the basic facilities to help them manage their period hygienically. Over the course of months and years, it adds up, and the results can be seen in their performance at school. Ditto women workers in workplaces that arent giving their female workers the basic respect of meeting their biological needs.

This isnt just an Indian issue. At least 500 million women and girls globally lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM).

In India, while the Swachh Bharat Mission has made significant strides in toilet construction, ensuring access to toilets alone isnt enough. To achieve a truly Swachh Bharat for all women and girls, proper MHM needs to be integrated into public sanitation infrastructure.

Understanding the Challenges

Lets look at the basics first.

Often, toilets arent designed for menstruation. Many toilets lack the basics  lids for discreet disposal of menstrual waste, separate changing areas, and a reliable water source for washing. This forces women and girls to resort to unsafe practices like using old cloth or stuffing materials, increasing the risk of infections.

Toilets where the doors dont lock or the lights dont work can feel incredibly unsafe, even if you have a friend waiting for you outside. This is especially so when one is menstruating, because it cant be a quick run in and run out. It is also really, really difficult to manage a change of pads in a half squat (which is how most women navigate public toilets that dont look clean), and that problem is compounded when you cant see what youre doing, or when youre afraid someone will walk in any moment, or both.

Moreover, deep-rooted societal taboos surrounding menstruation make it difficult for women and girls to openly discuss or access MHM products and facilities. This silence means that there are situations when women will opt out of a job or educational opportunity, rather than face the embarrassment of explaining why they cant come to work or school during their menses. A recent World Bank Group study examining the complex relationship between water and gender, The Rising Tide: A New Look at Water and Gender, illustrates how a disregard of menstrual hygiene needs serves to entrench the lower status of women and girls.

Affordability of sanitary napkins remains a challenge for many women and girls in India, particularly those living in rural areas and/or in poverty. Without access to affordable menstrual hygiene products, managing their periods hygienically becomes a constant struggle.

Taken together, these challenges can snowball, impacting women and girls health, education, and overall well-being. Failing to address these challenges can affect women in four key ways:

Health Risks: Unsafe menstrual hygiene practices can lead to a range of health problems like urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, and reproductive tract disorders. These can have long-term health consequences, impacting a womans overall well-being and potentially hindering her future fertility.

School Absenteeism : Fear of leaks or staining because they cant safely change their pads in school toilets can force girls to miss school during their periods. This disrupts their education, creates gaps in knowledge and potentially hinders academic progress. Over time, this can contribute to a wider gender gap in education.

Reduced Social Participation : When managing menstruation hygienically is a challenge, girls and women may limit their participation in public life. This can restrict their ability to work, engage in social activities, or use public transportation freely.

Loss of Dignity and Self-Esteem : The inability to manage their periods hygienically can lead to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and social isolation for women and girls. This can have a devastating impact on their self-esteem and confidence.

Strategies for Improving MHM in Public Toilets

Fortunately, bridging the MHM divide in public toilets doesnt involve significant investment or training, especially when compared to the challenges the Swachh Bharat Mission faced in constructing toilets in the first place.

For starters, we need to equip public toilets for MHM: bins with lids for safe and discreet disposal of menstrual waste, and a reliable source of clean water for washing are absolutely essential. Ensuring proper ventilation and lighting is a baseline for all toilets  irrespective of who is using them!

Next, we need to break the taboo around menstruation through menstrual literacy. This can be done through workshops, community outreach programs, and incorporating MHM education into school curriculums. It is also very important that men and boys be given the same education as women and girls, so they too, can help break the taboo, and create a more supportive environment for women and girls.

Sanitary products can be prohibitively expensive, causing women to resort to other means which arent as safe or hygienic. We need the GoI and NGOs to work together to introduce programs to subsidize or provide free sanitary products to ensure they are accessible to all women and girls, regardless of their economic background.

The Path Forward

It is essential to elevate the dialogue on MHM and advocate for the necessary changes in public infrastructure and social attitudes.

For 3 years now, Mission Swachhta aur Paani has brought together the right stakeholders on a common platform, so that issues of importance can be discussed, and solutions found. These stakeholders include govt officials, municipalities, NGOs, activists, grassroots organizations, sanitation workers and affected communities.

For the uninitiated, Harpic has joined hands with News 18 in creating Mission Swachhta aur Paani  a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. Mission Swachhta aur Paani advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility. It also functions as a repository for information on a vast variety of topics surrounding toilet access, toilet hygiene, and how to help improve toilet access and toilet habits across the board.

More importantly, Mission Swachhta aur Paani empowers all of us to have the conversations we need to, even when the problem doesnt strictly affect us. The fight for MHM belongs to all of us  even men. We were all given birth by women, we work with women, we are friends with them, we were educated by them. How can this not be something that bothers us?

Let it bother you enough to take action. Write to your local municipality, talk about it online, or just talk to the women in your life about the support they need. Join us here to add your voice to the discussion, and help us create a Swasth and Swachh Bharat.
Apple is not interested in using Meta AI chatbot for iPhones and other devices. As per reports, the company is worried about Metas alleged privacy issues that can become a bigger problem for Apple as it looks to build a privacy-focused AI roadmap in the industry.

When we did hear these reports about Apple getting ready to work with Mark Zuckerbergs Meta, eyebrows were raised, purely because of their history and ideological differences in many ways.

After all, on one side you have a company that prides itself on user privacy, while on the other end, a company that has a sketchy history with our data. So, when Bloomberg confirmed our doubts by stating that Apple and Meta couldnt agree on terms for a deal, it was hardly shocking.

Not Meeting Eye to Eye

Privacy cant be the only reason why these companies seem to have backed out of the deal. Tim Cook and Zuckerberg have taken potshots at their rivals, and we even see them competing in the mixed reality (XR) segment with Vision Pro and Quest headsets.

There was also the tussle of iMessage (blue bubbles) and RCS chats (green bubbles), where WhatsApp is the outlier (owned by Meta). So, when there was talk about Meta AI coming to iPhones later this year, similar to a deal with OpenAI for ChatGPT, most people expected things to fall through, and thats exactly what has happened here.

Imagine the Meta AI chatbot running on iPhones, and Apple having no control over how the tech runs on its devices and what data it can access from the users. Nightmare would be understatement in so many ways.

Open To More Deals

You could say that OpenAI is hardly different from Meta but the deal has been officially signed, and Apple wouldnt have done it without doing its due diligence on its data process and systems. In fact, Google was also said to be in talks with Apple for a similar deal, so its not like Apple is overly critical about the company and its measures but just making sure its side of the deal is clear and fair.

Were yet to see how Apple plans to bring ChatGPT on iPhones which will become clearer when iOS 18 rolls out later this year. But for now, the company has shown its clear intent on working with rivals, as long as they can comply and abide by its policies.
Microsoft Edge can be annoying with its pop-ups asking people to use it instead of Chrome. But those of you who actually use the Chromium-based web browser have got some concerning news.

The Indian government has warned users about a major security issue concerning the Microsoft Edge web browser this week. The new security bulletin via the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In gives the security warning a high rating.

Microsoft Edge Security Risk: What We Know

The security agency claims that the web browser from Microsoft has multiple security vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to cause denial of service conditions, remote code execution and bypass the security of your device and give them access to the data.

These vulnerabilities exist in Microsoft Edge due to Type Confusion in V8, inappropriate implementation in WebAssembly, out of bounds memory access in Dawn and Use after free in Dawn. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending a specially crafted request on the targeted system, CERT-In mentions in its notes.

The security bulletin also points out that the security issue is affecting Edge browser stable version prior to 126.0.2592.68. So, if you are using this version of Edge, we highly recommend you to update the browser right away.

Microsoft Edge Security Risk: What To Do Next

Microsoft has already issued a security bulletin for this issue, so we suggest you update the Edge browser on your PC and other devices right away. You can go to Microsoft Edge  Help And Feedback  About Microsoft Edge and you will automatically see the latest version installed on the device.

In the other news about Microsoft, the company has been forced to halt the process to release the controversial Recall feature with the newly launched Copilot Plus PCs in the market. Many people are worried about the feature tracking all their activities which raises a serious privacy red flag, and the company has decided to rework on the tool before it is launched.
Direct usage of tobacco claims a staggering 8 million lives every year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The tobacco epidemic is a notorious public health threat the world has ever been exposed to. And as dangerous it is, recently, it has come to light that a person smoking for decades developed a condition. Curly black hair started growing at the back of his throat, inside his mouth. Seldom, we come across strange medical scenarios in the modern day that even take the best doctors by surprise even the most prolific ones, and this case is one of those. Lets take a look at this incident.

The number of people living on the planet is more than 800 crore. It will surprise you to know that more than 130 crore out of these 800 consume tobacco or tobacco products. This figure is from the WHO. People also have to face colossal health conditions due to the consumption of tobacco. Some fall prey to other diseases, while some fall into the rabbit hole of cancer, and die.

In this case, a 54-year-old man from Austria, whose name remains undisclosed, has been reported to be going through a strange condition. Along with hair growing in his throat, he is also facing difficulty in breathing. Doctors have no idea how this could have happened. The man also complained of a hoarse voice and chronic cough. He has been smoking many cigarettes every day since the age of 20 starting 1990. He also reported that there was an incident of coughing out a hair during that time.

In 2010, while trying to diagnose his problem, doctors sent a camera down his throat, through his windpipe. The picture showed several hairs growing in his throat. They removed the hair from his mouth and gave him antibiotics after bacteria were found in the hair, for temporary relief. But this condition hadnt reversed. The hair never stopped growing till the present day. The man was given treatment for a rare condition called endotracheal hair growth.

An article about this was also published in the American Journal of Case Reports. The doctors who came from Austria said that smoking can cause inflammation in the throat, due to which the cells can turn into hair follicles. Whenever the doctors took a look into his throat, six-nine two inch hair had grown in his throat. Some of this hair also got stuck in his voice box and they would go upwards into his mouth.

The doctors said, We guess that the hair growth started due to the patients habit of smoking cigarettes. Due to this, perhaps the hair follicles inside started growing rapidly in the form of hair. But due to the rarity of such cases, the assumption cannot be proved.

After this, the doctors urged the man to give up the habit of smoking. In 2020, he also gave it up. After this, the doctors burned the roots of the hair growth through endoscopic argon plasma. In a year, there were two more hairs that grew, and doctors did the same procedure again. Since then no hair growth has been there.
Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Sons, is seldom active on social media. But the whole world knows about his affection for animals, as he is often seen posting about them. Recently, the industrialist urged the people of Mumbai to help out a dog with blood donation through a post on the social media platform Instagram. He has made a heartfelt appeal to all pet parents to find a blood donor for a seven-month-old dog in dire need of a blood transfusion at the Small Animal Hospital in Mumbai. The internet has lauded the entrepreneurs commitment to animal care.

Ratan Tata uploaded a picture of a dog in need of a blood transfusion and wrote, I would really, really appreciate your help. This 7-month-old dog at our animal hospital needs an urgent blood transfusion. He was admitted for a suspected tick fever and life-threatening anaemia. We urgently need a dog blood donor in Mumbai. Through the post, he has also listed the dog donor eligibility criteria. The post specified the eligibility criteria for potential dog donors:

1. The donor dog must be clinically healthy and between 1 to 8 years of age.

2. The dog should weigh about 25 kg or more.

3. The dog should have been fully vaccinated, dewormed, and free from any major illnesses or tick infestations for at least the past six months.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ratan Tata (@ratantata)

The post received a tremendous response from dog parents, with many coming forward to donate blood for the 7-month old dog. Soon, the request was closed after the dog received the blood. To thank the dog parents and dogs who came forward, Ratan Tata shared another post with pictures of the dogs who donated blood. He wrote, I would like to thank the spirit of Mumbai and Casper, Leo, Scooby, Ronny, and Ivan for coming forward and donating blood for the patient in crisis. He also mentioned that the blood of one of the dogs has been cross-matched, and he hopes that the recovery will be quick.
A police officer from South Carolina, US, was demoted after misusing the citys surveillance cameras to spy on his wifes movement. According to a report in WCSC, Ryan Terrell confessed he used security cameras in April to catch his wife cheating.

While Terrell initially claimed he was concerned for his wifes safety it was later revealed he had other motives. His monitoring led to the discovery of his wife meeting with a sergeant in a Target parking lot on April 11. Following interviews with all parties involved, it was confirmed that Terrell wasnt a threat to anyones safety, but he still faced disciplinary action for the misuse of city resources.

The officer reportedly warned his wife that he would go to jail if he caught her with the sergeant. According to the report, Terrell used the surveillance cameras more than once including when his wife was caught with the sergeant and during three other instances. Before the investigation, Terrell was a Lieutenant, in charge of supervising the Verkada system in the technology unit, but he was demoted to Master Patrol Officer. Additionally, he was put under a six-month probationary period and had his access to the system withdrawn.

The investigations were initiated after Ryan Terrell displayed anger in front of several colleagues, who later alerted the Office of Professional Standards due to concerns about his behaviour. Meanwhile, Terrell began his professional journey in the US Navy as a Master at Arms before becoming a corrections officer at the Charleston County Detention Center. As per his LinkedIn profile, he has held several positions with the City of North Charleston Police Department since September 2008.

In an earlier case, a police officer named Gavin Harper was accused of obsessive and intrusive behaviour and avoided jail after he caught his wife in an objectionable situation with another married police officer. Harper had placed a tracker on his wifes car and followed her to a Screwfix store in Birkenhead, Merseyside. After getting caught, Harper was reportedly attacked by his wife and her lover in the car park. However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on whether Harper had assaulted his wifes new partner.

Harper is currently facing a two-year jail term and has been suspended for two years from his duties. Harper intended to share the video as evidence of two active officers having an inappropriate relationship.
Welcoming a new furry friend is always a joyful occasion, and recently, a Pune-based beauty brand added a delightful new member to its teama kitten. Nariyal Cosmetics celebrated this moment by hosting a traditional Hindu naamkaran ceremony for the white and orange kitten. In a unique video, employees can be seen performing a welcome aarti, applying tilak on the kittens forehead and showering it with flowers. The highlight of the ceremony was when one of the employees gently whispered the name Cocaya into the kittens ear.

Following the rituals, the rescued cat was captured cutting a special chocolate cake with the help of another employee. The day concluded with the kitten getting pampered with love and treats. After the organisation posted the adorable footage on their official Instagram handle, it quickly went viral and garnered over 1 lakh views.

Social media users flooded the comments section with positive responses, as they thanked the company for giving happy life to the Cocaya. On the other hand, some even offered caring advice for the kitten. Sharing the clip, the brand wrote, And we named her COCAYA. Shes a rescued baby. Two of our team members found her.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nariyal Cosmetics (@nariyalcosmetics)

Reacting to the post, a user wrote, The part where everyone hit the bua after whispering the name was cute.

Another suggested, Please neuter him /her when they reach the right age, god bless you for adopting the cutie.

Its a great idea that every offices should implement to adopt a pet friend at the premises to give them a good life and have a stress free work environment, a comment read.

Another wrote, Always happy to see a pet treated as family.

An individual shared, Wow I wish I was also part of your company.

One more added, This is so magical, following all the rituals.

Amazon is one of several tech giants that allow pets in their offices. According to the company blog, more than 10,000 dogs are registered to accompany their owners to work. Interestingly, pets are also welcome to participate in virtual meetings. This initiative began when the company adopted a Corgi named Rufus in Amazons early days. Employees used his little paw to click the computer mouse while launching some of the companys first web pages.

The company provides specially designed play areas and hosts dog-friendly events to support workplace enjoyment. Additionally, the company also offers perks like discounted pet insurance, and welcomes new pets with special packages and free treats.
Incumbent Joe Biden and former US president Donald Trump will meet on a debate stage on Friday for the first of two televised face-offs that could prove critical in their tight rematch race to win the White House in November. Here is what you need to know:

The first debate will air on

The first debate will air at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday (6.30 am IST on Friday) on CNN and be broadcast from an Atlanta studio without a live audience. It can also be viewed on CNN affiliates, without a cable login on CNN.com and is available for simulcast on other U.S. channels. More than four months ahead of the Nov. 5 vote, the CNN debate will be the earliest presidential debate in modern U.S. history. Television news channel ABC said it will host the second presidential debate on Sept. 10, also from an audience-free studio.

Who will Moderate?

Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate CNNs debate. ABCs will be moderated by anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. CNN said only Biden and Trump met its conditions for participating in the debate: appear on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not make the cut. ABC will also require debaters to appear on enough state ballots to reach the 270 electoral votes and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls.

Any Rules?

In Thursdays 90-minute debate, candidates will appear at a uniform podium, be given a pen, paper and bottle of water and cannot use props or notes, CNN said. Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and moderators will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion, CNN said. Biden will be on the podium on the right side of viewers screens, and Trump will get the last word after a coin toss. Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during the two commercial breaks, and there will be no studio audience.

What To Expect

Biden, 81, and former president Trump, 78, are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency and viewers are sure to question their cognitive abilities and emotional steadiness, Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the presidents age. Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his volatility and sometimes changing positions on issues, such as abortion. Bidens campaign is hoping to talk about abortion and Trumps about immigration, but CNNs moderators will decide the questions.

Topics may include: how the candidates would handle challenges posed by persistently high grocery prices, migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the ongoing Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars. Trumps role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on 34 felony counts for involvement in a hush money scheme could come up during the debate, as could the legal woes facing Bidens son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.

Who Will Be There?

Campaign staff will be on hand to talk to reporters afterward in the spin room. The Biden campaign declined to comment on whether the president might bring any guests to the debate, but California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to be there. Trumps campaign is hosting a watch party in Atlanta, with rumored contenders to be Republican vice presidential running mate  North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, and others listed as special guests.

History?

Then-President Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 race, with their first exchange devolving into a chaotic shouting match. According to Nielsen Media Research, more than 73 million people tuned in for the first Biden-Trump debate in 2020. For the second debate, moderators said they would mute each candidates microphone to allow the other to speak without interruption for the first two minutes of each debate segment. But the candidates behaved more civilly and the mute button was not a major factor. A third debate was canceled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and spent three days in a hospital. He declined to participate in a virtual event.

(With agency inputs)
The US has said it is looking forward to the results of the Indian inquiry into the allegations that an Indian official was involved in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

Gupta, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14. They (Indian officials) have announced that they are conducting an inquiry, and we will look forward to the results of that inquiry, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question on members of the Foreign Senate Foreign Relations Committee writing a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a strong diplomatic response on the Indian governments involvement in an alleged assassination attempt on a US citizen on US soil. Following the allegations, India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the plot.

Miller said, We will respond to those members privately as we always do. I wont speak to that here. But as pertains to the other issue, when this issue first arose, we made clear that we had raised it with the government of India and told them that we expected there to be a full investigation. During a virtual media briefing on Wednesday on his and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivans visit to India last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, the US has consistently pressed India for updates on the Indian investigation into the alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Pannun and made it clear that it seeks accountability in the case.

We have had constructive dialogue with India on this topic and I would say that they have been responsive to our concerns, he said. Weve made clear that we seek accountability from the Government of India and we have consistently asked for updates on the Indian committee of inquirys investigations, Campbell said. And I would just simply say that we raised this issue directly with the Indian governmentat the most senior levels between our two sides, he said. He was replying to a question on whether the murder-for-hire plot targeting Pannun was raised during meetings that he and Sullivan held with their Indian counterparts.

Responding to another question on the Lok Sabha elections in India, Miller said, When it comes to the Indian elections, we have been quite clear on behalf of the United States government that we celebrate what was the largest exercise of democracy in the history of the world. It was an extraordinary achievement. And then when it comes to the outcome of the election, we obviously take no side. Thats a question for the people of India to decide, Miller said.
The rat-a-tat firing of guns silenced the strings of the guitar at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 and within minutes the concert ground became the graveyard of 360 Israeli music lovers. The Hamas terror attack meant that those who chose the music festival in Kibbutz area over the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah would not return home to their loved ones.

According to the locals and friends of the victims, terrorists surrounded the ground from all sides and started firing with sophisticated weapons. They also threw grenades in waves. The Hamas terrorists then abducted several Israeli nationals from the Nova site. Locals said those who were wounded but were trying to drag themselves to safety were shot point blank by the terrorists.

Tehila, a mother of three, told News18 that her daughter was supposed to attend the music festival with her friends, skipped the event at the last minute. My daughter was supposed to attend the event, but she cancelled at the last minute. But unfortunately, two of her friends were killed by Hamas terrorists at the site. I have come here for the prayer. May we get back all the hostages soon. They killed those who were injured and were dragging themselves towards safe areas. They fired at the injured peoples heads, she said.

The site in Israels Negev Desert is close to the Gaza border and is also near the Kibbutz Beeri area which saw the bloodbath first. Its an open ground in an isolated area and looks like a bare playground. The victims had parked their cars nearby which were also targeted by Hamas terrorists.

An ambulance was there at the Nova festival site for medical help as part of the preparation for the festival. When Hamas terrorists started firing, 18 people tried to take shelter in the ambulance. But the terrorists spotted them and started firing at them. They fired RPGs, lobbed grenades and set the ambulance on fire. All 18 met their deaths like this. Most of them were burnt. Two bodies were even buried together by mistake. Later, when we got to know about it, we took out one body, said Elinor Kogen Levy, a tour guide.

Amid the heavy firing, a young boy left in his car for a safe place. He saw a group struggling to save themselves and signalled to them to come to his car. He dropped them at a safe place, went back to the site and picked up another group and dropped them safely at a nearby area. He was on his phone talking to his family constantly. His family was asking him not to go back, but he again went back for a friend. The terrorists saw him and fired multiple rounds at his car. He died there itself with his friend, Levy said.

1,560 Burnt Vehicles

The burnt vehicles have been kept at a compound near the Nova site. The compound consists of 1,560 vehicles evacuated from the Gaza Enclaves roads and communities in the weeks following the October 7 attack.

The compound was originally established as a logistical solution, providing storage to vehicles evacuated from the regions roads, to ensure they remain clear and allow the military forces operational movement.

The evacuation of the vehicles was led by the Home Front Command officers and soldiers in coordination with the Netivei Israel company, and in cooperation with property tax personnel who seized the vehicles to identify, and later compensate, their owners. The vehicles that were brought to the compound went through a comprehensive process on their original location and again on the compound, including the disposal of hazardous devices such as explosives, grenades and other weapons that could harm the personnel handling the vehicles, the collection of the victims remains to be brought to proper burial, and collection of the vehicle occupants personal belongings and identifying objects, cameras and intelligence information that could provide better understanding of the events, the Israel Government said.

Each vehicle carries in itself a story about families and friends, about love and sorrow, about lives lived and promises unfulfilled.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange landed in Australia on Wednesday after spending over five years in a British high-security jail and seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London. He had battled extradition to the US, where he faced 18 criminal charges tied to WikiLeaks release in 2010 of thousands of classified documents and diplomatic cables.

Among the most controversial leaks by WikiLeaks were videos from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the early to mid-2000s, which highlighted issues such as abuse of prisoners in US custody, human rights violations, and civilian deaths. Here are the 10 exposes by WikiLeaks that shook the world:

1. Iraq War

In 2010, WikiLeaks released classified US military documents exposing civilian casualties and controversial tactics during the Iraq War. The leak not only exposed the human cost of the conflict but also ignited a global debate on the ethics of war and the need for transparency in military operations. The revelations shed light on incidents of civilian deaths, including those caused by US coalition forces.

2. Guantanamo Files

WikiLeaks published documents detailing operations at Guantanamo Bay, revealing detainee abuse and the legal limbo faced by prisoners. The disclosures fueled international outcry and calls for the facilitys closure. Among the most troubling revelations were accounts of torture and mistreatment of detainees, which sparked renewed calls from human rights organizations, governments, and activists for the closure of the facility.

3. Afghan War Diary

WikiLeaks released a trove of documents known as the Afghan War Diary, exposing civilian casualties, covert operations, and Taliban tactics. The leaks provided unprecedented insight into the Afghan conflicts complexities. It revealed how civilian casualties were massively underreported, detailed covert operations where US contractors used male child prostitutes in Afghanistan, and established the fact that the Taliban was only growing stronger despite US efforts.

4. Collateral Murder Video

WikiLeaks published a classified video showing a US Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed civilians, including journalists. The video showed the helicopter crew mistakenly identifying civilians as armed insurgents and firing on them, including a Reuters photographer and his driver. This incident raised significant ethical questions about rules of engagement, civilian protection, and transparency in wartime operations conducted by the US military.

5. NSA Watch on World Leaders

WikiLeaks revealed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had targeted world leaders. The documents showed that the NSA had bugged a private climate change strategy meeting between then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. The NSA intercepted sensitive diplomatic cables detailing how Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored Italys Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to help patch up his ties with US President Barack Obama.

6. DNC Email Controversy

The release of Democratic National Committee emails by WikiLeaks in 2016 exposed internal party divisions. The leaked emails suggested that DNC officials favoured Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders, leading to allegations of unfair practices and manipulation of the primary process. This controversy deepened mistrust among Sanders supporters and added fuel to broader debates about transparency, fairness, and integrity within the American political system.

7. Saudi Cables

WikiLeaks published a series of Saudi diplomatic cables shedding light on regional politics, human rights abuses, and Saudi Arabias influence in the Middle East. The leaked documents revealed details about Saudis strategic alliances, covert operations, and diplomatic maneuvers. The leaks prompted intense scrutiny of Saudi Arabias domestic and foreign policies, particularly regarding its human rights record and involvement in regional conflicts.

8. Snowden NSA Documents

In collaboration with Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks published classified NSA documents revealing global surveillance programs. The disclosures sparked debates on privacy rights, government oversight, and the role of whistleblowers. The revelations prompted discussions on the balance between national security and civil liberties, with many arguing that the surveillance programs violated privacy rights.

9. Hillary Clinton Emails

During the 2016 US presidential election, WikiLeaks published emails from Hillary Clintons campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The leaks raised concerns over cybersecurity, political transparency, and foreign interference. The leaks prompted widespread scrutiny of cybersecurity practices within political campaigns and organizations. The disclosures fueled debates about political transparency and the publics right to access information.

Former U.S. Secretary of State and Chancellor of Queens University Belfast, Hillary Clinton and former U.S president Bill Clinton arrive at Hillsborough Castle for the Gala dinner, in Belfast, April 19, 2023. (Reuters)

10. Vault 7

WikiLeaks released the Vault 7 series in 2017, exposing CIA hacking tools and surveillance techniques. The leaks raised concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities, government surveillance capabilities, and digital privacy. The leaks detailed the CIAs capacity to exploit vulnerabilities in various electronic devices, including smartphones, computers, and smart TVs, to conduct covert surveillance operations worldwide.
URUMQI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Businessmen from many parts of the world have gathered in northwest China's Xinjiang, displaying exquisite goods such as French wine, Serbian coffee, Australian chocolate and Ghanaian drums. The 8th China-Eurasia Expo, held at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, commenced Wednesday in the regional capital of Urumqi. Themed "New Opportunities of Silk Road, New Vitality for Eurasian Cooperation," the expo will run until Sunday. It has drawn over 1,900 participants from 50 countries, regions and international organizations, showcasing over 6,000 varieties of products. The expo, which has been successfully held seven times, has become an important channel for economic and trade cooperation between China and Eurasian countries, said Gao Yunlong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, at the opening ceremony. China and Eurasian countries are highly complementary in economy and have close connections in industrial and supply chains, he said, expressing the hope for the two sides to enhance strategic synergy, deepen cooperation and jointly create a new chapter in Eurasian collaboration. "This is our first time participating in the China-Eurasia Expo, and we hope to achieve fruitful results here in Xinjiang," said Nebojsa Terzic at the Serbian pavilion. He expressed the belief that the event will further cultivate Chinese consumers' appetite for high-quality Serbian products. Covering an area of 140,000 square meters, this year's expo encompasses four major exhibition zones including investment cooperation, international exhibitions, special industries and equipment manufacturing. "We have brought multiple exhibits, including lightweight construction machinery, recyclable construction elevators, and a 5G tower crane simulation cockpit," said Zhang Heng, general manager of the Xinjiang branch of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd. Attributing their rapid overseas expansion to the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, Zhang expected more collaboration with overseas clients. "We're already close to finalizing a project in Kazakhstan," Zhang added. This year's expo has also set up a special pavilion for the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), aiming to showcase its unique features, progress and achievements of three areas in Urumqi, Kashgar and Horgos. As the first pilot FTZ in China's northwest border areas, Xinjiang FTZ was officially established in November 2023. The FTZ has since embarked on an array of reform initiatives, marking a robust start to its development. From January to April this year, the total import and export volume of the Xinjiang FTZ reached 38.5 billion yuan (about 5.4 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 27.92 percent of the total import and export volume of Xinjiang. Frances Wu, an exhibitor from Australia, spoke highly of Xinjiang's geographical advantage of being close to Central Asia. The company hopes to leverage this expo to gain in-depth understanding of the policies of the Xinjiang FTZ, and intends to invest and establish factories in Xinjiang, with the aim of processing high-quality Kazakh camel milk powder. "Being close to the source of raw materials, if we can establish production facilities in Xinjiang, the market prospects for our products will undoubtedly be very promising," he noted. Li Xuan, an official at the regional department of commerce, stated that Xinjiang will fully leverage the platform of the China-Eurasia Expo to develop public service products that facilitate exchanges and collaboration among countries in Asia and Europe. Since 2011, seven sessions of the China-Eurasia Expo have been successfully held, yielding fruitful results. During past expos, more than 12,200 domestic and foreign exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions exhibited, attracting a total of 2.16 million visitors.


Paris Hilton urged Congress on Wednesday to make changes in the nation's child welfare system, describing her own mistreatment as a teenager in residential schools as illustrative of the urgency. "These programs promised growth, healing and support but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely or look out a window for two years," Hilton testified to the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington, People reports. The reality star added: "I was force-fed medications and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked and thrown into solitary confinement."

Hilton has been critical of the $50 billion industry she calls a "tough love" teen course-correction business that includes therapeutic boarding schools, military-style boot camps, juvenile justice facilities, and behavior-modification programs, per the Guardian. The celebrity urged greater protections for children in the care of such institutions, provisions contained in the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. When her parents sent her to a series of residential programs as a remedy for rebellious behavior, she said, they "fell for the misleading marketing of the troubled teen industry." Hilton said her phone calls were monitored, preventing her from telling her parents what was happening to her. (More Paris Hilton stories.)
A US Air Force member is in the custody of Japanese authorities, charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a girl in Okinawa in December. According to an indictment released this week, 25-year-old airman Brennon Washington approached the underage girl in a park on Dec. 24 "with the purpose of kidnapping and conducting indecent acts on her," Stars and Stripes reports. He allegedly lured her into his car and sexually assaulted her at his off-base home. Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said Tuesday that Washington has been in the custody of Japanese authorities since he was charged in late March, reports the BBC .

"We will continue to request the US side to prevent such incidents at every opportunity," Hayashi said. The girl was between 13 and 15 years old at the time of the incident, a source close to the investigation tells the Mainichi. Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said he only learned about the case on Tuesday because the foreign and defense ministries had not told him about it, the Japan Times reports. "Not only does it cause anxiety among the residents of the prefecture, who are forced to live side by side with the base, but it also tramples on the dignity of women, especially considering the fact that the victim is a minor," he said.

Around 30,000 US troops are stationed in Okinawa and numerous previous incidents have led to protests from the island's residents, including the kidnapping and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in 1995. A spokesman for the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base told Stars and Stripes that "leadership is deeply concerned by the severity of this alleged crime and has worked diligently with local authorities to investigate the allegations thoroughly while ensuring due legal process under applicable laws and agreements." (More Okinawa stories.)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer struggled to get their messages across Wednesday as the final televised debate of the election campaign began, as protesters outside the building drowned out their answers. The two politicians vying to become Britain's leader after the July 4 election were facing off live on the BBC. As the event got underway, indistinguishable but loud shouting could be heard from outside the venue at Nottingham Trent University in central England, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered, the AP reports.

Host Mishal Husain acknowledged the distraction, which continued as the two politicians traded barbs about ethics, taxes, and migration. Protest is a part of Britain's democracy, she noted. Neither Starmer or Sunak made any reference to the protest. The ruckus, though it tapered off in the second half of the debate, made for a messy end to a debate series that has seen Starmer, Sunak, and other party leaders appeal directly to voters. Sunak, whose Conservative Party is trailing Labour in the polls, was on the offensive as he sought to turn the political dial.

Despite the big lead in the polls, Starmer insisted that nothing should be taken for granted and that people needed to vote if they want change. However, both candidates dodged giving a direct response to an audience member who asked whether they were "the best we've got to be the next prime minister of our great country," per the AP. Sunak said he understood the frustration implicit in the question, given the tough times the country has experienced in the past few years, with the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath. Starmer said he was not surprised by the question, saying "people feel this way because the country is in such a state."

(More United Kingdom stories.)
Ramiro Gonzales, the Texas death row inmate who once made headlines with his desire to donate a kidney before his death, was executed in the state Wednesday. Gonzales, 41, sexually assaulted and murdered 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, the girlfriend of his drug dealer, in 2001. His attorneys and other supporters had pushed for mercy, arguing he was a transformed man, but the state Board of Parole and Pardons voted unanimously Monday to deny the defense team's clemency request, the Washington Post reports. In his final statement before the lethal injection was administered, Gonzales apologized profusely to Townsend's family, CNN reports.

Gonzales, whose petition to donate a kidney back in 2022 was denied, became a committed Christian and a preacher behind bars, and also acted as a mentor to his fellow inmates. His attorneys argued in their appeals that such actions proved their client had changed and would not be a danger in the future, a requirement in Texas for a person to be eligible for the death penalty (the Post notes that's a "contentious" part of the state's capital punishment process). But state attorneys pointed to other violent behavior committed before his conviction as evidence the jury was correct in its finding of "future dangerousness." (More Texas stories.)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet and raised a celebratory clenched fist as his supporters cheered Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to obtaining and publishing US military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga. Assange told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a phone call from Canberra's airport tarmac that Australian government intervention in the US prosecution had saved his life, Assange lawyer Jennifer Robinson said. Assange embraced his wife Stella Assange and father John Shipton, who were waiting on the tarmac, but avoided media at a news conference less than two hours after he landed, the AP reports.

"Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here. But you have to understand what he's been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate and this is a process." Stella Assange told reporters. Albanese said Assange told him during their phone call he was looking forward to playing with his children, conceived while Assange was in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years. It is unclear where Assange will go from Canberra and what his future plans are. His South African-born lawyer wife, the mother of his two sons, has been in Australia for days awaiting his release. "WikiLeaks' work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government," one of his lawyers said.

(More Julian Assange stories.)
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Debate Could Be One of the 'More Consequential' in History

Stakes are high as Biden, Trump prepare to face off
Walgreens' stock plunged more than 20% in trading Thursday morning after the company reported disappointing earnings and slashed its profit outlook. The drugstore chain said it plans to cut a "significant" number of its more than 8,600 stores in the US, CNN reports. Walgreens has already closed more than 2,000 stores over the last decade. CEO Tim Wentworth said Thursday that a quarter of the remaining stores aren't profitable and a "significant portion" of them could close, reports the AP .

"We are at a point where the current pharmacy model is not sustainable and the challenges in our operating environment require we approach the market differently," he said. Customers, Wentworth said, "have become increasingly selective and price sensitive in their purchases." He told CNBC that "the consumer is absolutely stunned by the absolute prices of things, and the fact that some of them may not be inflating doesn't actually change their resistance to the current pricing."

Wentworth told the Wall Street Journal that the locations the company will be taking a "hard look at" include those that are too close to each other and those most affected by theft. He said the chain hopes to reassign employees from closed locations. "We don't see this as an employee reduction, we see this as a footprint reduction," he said. The company has also been closing VillageMD clinics. Wentworth told CNBC that Walgreens is reducing its stake in the primary care network so "we can invest back in the retail pharmacy business that represents our future." (More Walgreens stories.)
The winter rising of the Matariki star cluster marks the beginning of the Maori New Year, which is marked by a public holiday tomorrow.

Unfortunately, opportunities to view the cluster may be limited this year, with NIWA forecasting cloudy conditions across much of the country.

Forecaster Seth Carrier said the upper North Island is likely to get the best views this week.

"It's a mixed bag of weather but cloud is quite dominant across the country over the coming days," he said.

"However, most places will have a morning or two with just partial cloud, so there may be opportunities to see the star cluster if you're lucky."

How to find the Matariki star cluster

Astrophotographer and Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told AM people wanting to view the cluster should look for the three stars that form the bottom of The Pot constellation, also known as Orion's Belt.

"We know that as Tautoru," he said.

"If you look for the pot, if you make a line through the bottom of the pot going to the left, that's going to point you towards Matariki."
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has carried out a rare mid-winter medical evacuation from Antarctica.

The C-130H Hercules aircraft landed back in Christchurch shortly after 5pm with an American patient on board with a non-life threatening condition, but one that requires medical treatment that cannot be carried out in Antarctica.

On Tuesday, the aircraft flew from its RNZAF base in Auckland to Christchurch, before departing for Antarctica in the early hours of the morning and landing at Phoenix Airfield at 8.50am. It departed for the return flight to Christchurch at 10am.

Flights to Antarctica at this time of year are "very challenging" due to the extreme Antarctic environment, changeable weather conditions and because there is no daylight.
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Zahra Ayaz

As climate change continues to impact the Middle East, some countries are turning to innovative - and controversial - solutions to address increasing water scarcity. One such solution is the "artificial rain" system pioneered in neighboring Dubai. The question now is whether Bahrain should follow suit.

Dubai's artificial rain system works by using drone technology to seed clouds and stimulate precipitation. Electrically-charged drones shoot small amounts of ionizing salt into the atmosphere, which supposedly helps water droplets coalesce and fall as rain.

While the technology remains unproven on a large scale, Dubai has touted the system as a way to artificially increase rainfall and address its chronic water shortages.

So what are the potential pros and cons for Bahrain adopting a similar system?

On the plus side, Bahrain faces many of the same water challenges as Dubai, with high temperatures, low rainfall, and dwindling groundwater supplies. Artificial rainfall could help supplement Bahrain's limited natural precipitation and reduce its reliance on energy-intensive desalination. This could have both environmental and economic benefits.

During Bahrain's extreme summer months, a artificial rain system could provide critical relief for the population. By lowering temperatures and increasing moisture in the air, the artificial precipitation could ease the demand for water-intensive cooling and potentially lower energy costs and emissions. The psychological uplift of "real" rain, even if induced, should not be underestimated either.

However, the artificial rain technology remains experimental, with questions around its long-term viability and potential unintended consequences.

There are also concerns about the ethics and equitability of Bahrain essentially "buying" rainfall, while poorer countries suffer the effects of climate change. The high costs of implementing and maintaining a cloud-seeding program could also be prohibitive.

Ultimately, whether Bahrain should adopt a artificial rain system is a complex decision that requires carefully weighing the trade-offs.

More research is needed on the technology's efficacy and environmental impact. There also must be broader regional cooperation and consideration of social justice implications.

For now, Bahrain may be better served focusing on other water conservation and management strategies, from improving agricultural practices to upgrading infrastructure.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for startups in the Kingdom of Bahrain, supported by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), recently hosted its highly anticipated StartUp Bahrain Pitch series. The event was organized in collaboration with key industry stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB). This edition featured a keynote speech by Mohammed Al Aali who discussed the four pillars of investment that incentivize an investor to select a startup to invest in. The event highlighted four Bahraini startups showcasing their innovative ideas to a panel of experienced local and regional judges, including: Dr. Jonathan Doerr, Partner at Antler; Saif Almaamari

Venture Capitalist and Startup Mentor at Omantel; Ivo Detelinov, General Partner at Oryx Fund; and Mohammed Al Aali, Managing Director at United Enterprises. Exhibiting great potential for growth and success through their pitches, the startups included were: Daleel, a financial marketplace that helps individuals find the best financial products and aids financial partners in acquiring new customers and gaining insights; Qetaat, a comprehensive e commerce platform focused on urban development sectors, specifically real estate, construction and industrial sectors, offering related products and services.; Takhlees, a one-stop platform mobile app for all clearance needs, simplifying administrative tasks with seamless online or offline access and document pickup and delivery; and Parcel, a fully digital delivery solution for homes and small businesses, serving over 500,000 customers and becoming Bahrain's leading delivery provider.

After a meticulous evaluation of the startups, the panel of judges announced Daleel as the first place winner, and Parcel as the second place winner. Reflecting on their remarkable win, the Daleel team expressed great pride in this achievement which was made possible through this unique opportunity to present their startup on a national scale and in front of investors and entrepreneurship experts.
Mum who killed her 3 daughters jailed for 18 years in New Zealand

Mum who killed her 3 daughters jailed for 18 years in New Zealand

AFP | Wellington, New Zealand

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A New Zealand judge yesterday sentenced a woman to 18 years imprisonment for murdering her three young daughters in 2021. Lauren Dickason will begin her sentence at a mental health hospital in the custody of the state, a court official at Christchurch High Court told AFP, for the triple killings.

In a statement to local media after her sentencing, Dickason said she had "failed" her children and her husband, who has since moved back to South Africa.

"I take responsibility for taking our three beautiful girls from this world," she said. "I would like to take this opportunity to convey the deepest and most sincere remorse for the extreme pain and hurt cause to my children and my family by my actions."

Justice Cameron Mander did not impose a minimum non-parole period in sentencing Dickason, who escaped life imprisonment which is the usual penalty for murder in New Zealand.

Dickason was found guilty last August on three counts of murder having smothered her twoyear-old twins Maya and Karla and first daughter Liane, six.

The killings took place in September 2021 at their home in Timaru while her husband was out to dinner with colleagues. He found the bodies of his children when he returned home.

The family had moved to New Zealand from South Africa just weeks before. During last year's trial, Dickason admitted killing the girls, but had argued a defence of insanity and infanticide, triggered by the stress of the move.

Under New Zealand law, infanticide is a defence for a mother who causes the death of her child when, "at the time of the offence, the balance of her mind was disturbed".
VANCOUVER, BC, June 27, 2024 /CNW/ - A new research initiative in British Columbia is exploring ways for the BC healthcare system to tailor depression treatments to the unique needs of each person, moving towards a more effective and patient-centred approach.

Medicines work differently for different people because of their genetic makeup. Pharmacogenomics can help predict which medications are most likely to work best. (CNW Group/Genome British Columbia)

"Depression is very common. In Canada, more than 1 in 10 people will suffer a form of major depression at some point in their lives," says Dr. Jehannine (J9) Austin, a professor of medical genetics and psychiatry at the University of British Columbia and one of the project co-leaders, which is funded by Genome British Columbia (Genome BC).

"Drug therapies are one of the main ways to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) but finding the right medication can be a frustrating trial-and-error process, often leading to delays in symptom relief and unnecessary side effects," says Dr. Austin.

This is because an individual's genetic makeup can impact how well a certain medication works for them and whether that person will experience side effects.

A process called pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) can help. With a blood or saliva sample, PGx testing analyzes an individual's genetic makeup to predict which medications are most likely to work best and least likely to cause side effects. PGx testing for antidepressant medications looks at just three specific genes and is currently only available through private companies.

"This project builds on previous research demonstrating the benefits of PGx testing in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Our current focus now is on translating this technology into practical benefits for patients across BC," says Dr. Federica Di Palma, Genome BC's Chief Scientific Officer and Vice-President, Research and Innovation.

This new research initiative, "Pharmacogenomic testing for people with major depression: A study of implementation strategies," focuses on developing the most acceptable, cost-effective, and feasible approaches to integrating PGx testing into routine depression care in BC.

The research team, which includes three patients with lived experience of depression, will gather input from a wide range of affected and interested individuals, including healthcare professionals, policymakers and the public.

"We want to ensure that any PGx testing program developed in BC is not only safe and effective, but also meets the needs and preferences of all patients and healthcare providers no matter where they live in the province," said, Lisa Ridgway, Ginny Landry and Linda Riches, patient partners and research team members.

The research findings will provide valuable guidance for policymakers considering the adoption of PGx testing for depression treatment in BC.

About Genome British Columbia:

Genome BC is a not-for-profit organization supporting world-class genomics research and innovation to grow globally competitive life sciences sectors and deliver sustainable benefits for British Columbia, Canada and beyond. Genome BC has been a leading organization for nearly 25 years, attracting over $1 billion in direct co-investment to the province, which has contributed to funding more than 550 genomics research and innovation projects. These initiatives advance health care and also address environmental and natural resource challenges, improving the lives of British Columbians. In addition to scientific programming, Genome BC integrates genomics into society by supporting responsible research and innovation and fostering an understanding and appreciation of the life sciences among educators, students and the public. www.genomebc.ca

SOURCE Genome British Columbia

A.G. Klei, Senior Communications Manager, Genome British Columbia, 604.218.0498, [email protected]
A former Upstate New York official is facing multiple felonies after being accused of stealing money to pay for improvements on her familys homes.

The Democrat & Chronicle reports a grand jury indictment unsealed Tuesday says Michelle Marini, the former deputy town supervisor of Greece, N.Y., has been charged with corruption, grand larceny and official misconduct. She allegedly abused her position to steal goods and services in relation to work done at three properties, including her house and her childrens homes.

According to WXXI, its unclear what town resources were used, but the Monroe County District Attorneys Office said the charges are related to her involvement with the development and construction of the Greece Community and Senior Center, now known as The Center at Greece Town Hall. An investigation found cost overrides billed to the community center project were actually for work done on the Marini familys homes.

Marini is also accused of unlawfully using a GPS tracker on a Greece town residents vehicle.

Ryan Murphy, a local ironworker who posted allegations of misconduct on a Facebook page called Town of Greece Uncovered, said he found a GPS tracking device hidden in the wheel well of his truck in March, according to WXXI. Murphy suspected it was placed by town officials.

Marini served as deputy to Town Supervisor William Reilich from 2014 through 2023. In December, she moved to Webster and was named the towns director of constituent services, a position she still holds.

Greece and Webster are both suburbs of Rochester in Monroe County.

Reilich and Marini were also accused of misconduct in a federal lawsuit filed last year by Robert Bobby Johnson, a former Deputy Public Works Commissioner for the Town of Greece. Johnson alleged he was ordered by Reilich to do unpaid work on vintage cars at Reilichs Hot Rod Ranch, including on a replica of the Batmobile signed by Batman actor Adam West, as well as install Ring cameras at Marinis home.

This is another domino falling, Murphy told WXXI, and thats a very good thing for the town of Greece.

Marini is scheduled to be arraigned July 2.
Waltham, Massachusetts, June 27th, 2024, CyberNewsWire

Infinidat, a leading provider of enterprise storage solutions, has introduced a new automated cyber resiliency and recovery solution that will revolutionize how enterprises can minimize the impact of ransomware and malware attacks. Infinidats InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection (ACP) is a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity integration solution that is designed to reduce the threat window of cyberattacks, such as ransomware. Sophisticated cyberattacks, including new sinister forms of AI-driven attacks, are increasingly targeting the data storage infrastructure of enterprises.

Infinidats InfiniSafe ACP enables enterprises to easily integrate with their Security Operations Centers (SOC), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) cybersecurity software applications, and simple syslog functions for less complex environments. A security-related incident or event triggers immediate automated immutable snapshots of data, providing the ability to protect InfiniBox and InfiniBox SSA block-based volumes and/or file systems and ensure near instantaneous cyber recovery.

The merging of cybersecurity and data infrastructure has been compelling CIOs, CISOs and IT team leaders to rethink how to secure enterprise storage across hybrid multi-cloud deployments in light of increasing cyberattacks. Enterprises need proactive strategies, seamless integration across IT domains, and the most advanced, automated technologies to stay ahead of cyber threats, said Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat. Recognized as a cyber secure storage expert, Herzog is coming off participation in a string of cybersecurity panel discussions, roundtables and conference events.

Infinidat has carved out a very unique leadership position as the only storage vendor to offer an automated enterprise storage cyber protection solution that seamlessly integrates with cyber security software applications, said Chris Evans, Principal Analyst at Architecting IT. Infinidats newly launched InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection that easily meshes with the SIEM, SOAR or Security Operations Centers is exactly what enterprises need to include enterprise storage as a comprehensive approach to combat cyber threats.

Infinidats new InfiniSafe ACP capability orchestrates the automatic taking of immutable snapshots of data, at the speed of compute, to stay ahead of cyberattacks by decisively cutting off the proliferation of data corruption.

Evans added, This proactive cyber protection technique is extremely valuable, as it enables taking immediate immutable snapshots of data at the first sign of a potential cyberattack. This provides a significant advancement to ensure enterprise cyber storage resilience and recovery are integral to an enterprises cybersecurity strategy. ACP enhances an enterprises overall cyber resilience by reducing the threat window and minimizing the impact of cyberattacks on enterprise storage environments.

The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection is one of the biggest innovations of the year in cybersecurity because it unlocks the full potential of an enterprises security posture and maximizes the investments that an enterprise has made in protecting the business. By plugging into existing security mechanisms and continuous monitoring, InfiniSafe ACP bridges the gaps between enterprise storage and cybersecurity strategies that can transform the way CIOs and CISOs think about enterprise data infrastructures.

Information technology leaders have identified this ability to automate data snapshot commands and data pathways as critical to early detection and worry-free cyber recovery that minimizes the effects of even the most vicious and deceptive cyberattacks of malicious actors. An enterprises security team can put all its information from security operations through an enterprise storage intelligence grid to create the most sensitive triggers that often get missed by existing technologies and techniques.

Paul Rapier, VP of Information Technology at the Detroit Pistons, stated, Infinidats efforts in enhancing cyber resilience for enterprises, particularly through the new InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection, are noteworthy for data security.

Allen Shahdadi, Vice President of Global Sales at Sycomp, said, Infinidat has become synonymous with guaranteed cyber resilient storage. Infinidat continues to deliver powerful solutions that solve critical cyber issues for enterprises and service providers around the globe. The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection solution brings much needed capabilities to fight more effectively against cyberattacks. The automatic capture of immutable snapshots of primary data could be the difference between your data being held ransom and the rapid recovery of your data. Before international cybercriminals, hackers and fraudsters can gain an advantage, Infinidats InfiniSafe reduces the threat window decisively.

The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection solution is the latest in a string of cybersecurity capabilities that Infinidat has brought forward to strengthen enterprise storage in the face of constant threats of a tsunami of cyberattacks. Infinidat has also unveiled the following extensions of its state-of-the-art cyber resilient capabilities:

InfiniSafe Cyber Detection for VMware  Access to InfiniSafe cyber resilience capabilities to combat cyberattacks has been expanded into VMware environments. The impact of a cyberattack can be readily determined through this cyber detection capability, with highly granular insights by leveraging AI and machine learning whether or not a VMware datastore and the VMs they encompass have been compromised.

 Access to InfiniSafe cyber resilience capabilities to combat cyberattacks has been expanded into VMware environments. The impact of a cyberattack can be readily determined through this cyber detection capability, with highly granular insights by leveraging AI and machine learning whether or not a VMware datastore and the VMs they encompass have been compromised. InfiniSafe Cyber Detection for InfiniGuard  Cyber detection will be extended onto the InfiniGuard purpose-built backup appliance to help enterprises resist and quickly recover from cyberattacks. This proven capability provides highly intelligent scanning and indexing to identify signs of cyber threats in backup environments, helping ensure that data has integrity. The enhanced version will be available in 2H 2024.

As a leader in cyber resilient storage, Infinidat first unveiled its InfiniSafe software-based platform two years ago with a set of cybersecurity functions. This solution has won numerous awards and has been proven by large global enterprises. The comprehensive cyber resilience capabilities of InfiniSafe technology improve the ability of an enterprise to combat and protect against ever-increasing cyberattacks and data breaches by uniquely combining immutable snapshots, logical air gapping, fenced/isolated networks, and virtually instantaneous data recovery into a single, high-performance platform.

The InfiniSafe ACP is the latest example of Infinidats broadening innovation. It was introduced alongside the launch of the InfiniBox G4 family of next-generation storage arrays for all-flash and hybrid configurations. The G4 series is a completely new storage array family built from the ground up that substantially extends Infinidats cyber storage resilience and delivers up to 2.5x improvement in performance. The InfiniBox G4 series introduces a new set of foundational elements, powered by InfuzeOS, which is Infinidats software defined storage operating system.

Webinar On Demand

To watch Infinidats end-user webinar about the new solutions  The Future of Enterprise Storage, Cyber Security and Hybrid Multi-Cloud  users can click here.

About Infinidat

Infinidat provides enterprises and service providers with a platform-native primary and secondary storage architecture that delivers comprehensive data services based on InfiniVerse. This unique platform delivers outstanding IT operating benefits, support for modern workloads across on-premises and hybrid multi-cloud environments. Infinidats cyber resilient-by-design infrastructure, consumption-based performance, 100% availability, and cyber security guaranteed SLAs align with enterprise IT and business priorities. Infinidats award-winning platform-native data services and acclaimed white glove service are continuously recommended by customers, as recognized by Gartner Peer Insights reviews. For more information: www.infinidat.com.

Connect with Infinidat

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Director of Global Communications

Sapna Capoor

Infinidat

[email protected]

+44 (0) 7789684159


Ilya Sutskever, X-Chief Scientist at OpenAI has created a new startup Safe Superintelligence. Ilya was the Chief Scientist at OpenAI and enabled OpenAI to become the leader in Artificial Intelligence. Sutskever has made several major contributions to the field of deep learning. He is notably the co-inventor, with Alex Krizhevsky and Geoffrey Hinton, of AlexNet, a convolutional neural network. From November to December 2012, Sutskever spent about two months as a postdoc with Andrew Ng at Stanford University. He then returned to the University of Toronto and joined Hintons new research company DNNResearch, a spinoff of Hintons research group. Four months later, in March 2013, Google acquired DNNResearch and hired Sutskever as a research scientist at Google Brain. He was peronally recruited to OpenAI by Elon Musk in 2015.

Ilya likely is well positioned and well informed to determine that Superintelligence is achievable and he likely has a clear plan for doing it. The questions are when will he do it? Will it be ahead of OpenAI, Meta, Google, Amazon and Tesla/XAI, Anthropic, Chinese AI companies ?

Most of the major AI teams seem to have gotten to OpenAI GPT4-level AI systems within about one year of the leader.

Safe Superintelligence is going to focus completely on creating intelligence beyond human intelligence. Ilya believes this will be possible in a relatively short amount of time with a small team.

If all of the competing AI teams get there within a year of each other then what will that mean? What will it mean to get to Artificial General Intelligence? What will it mean to go beyond human intelligence.

If all major AI teams make huge AI advances then it will be a world with robotaxi, advanced humanoid robots and superintelligence and increasing amounts of AI.
UPDATE: Route 73 has re-opened, police said at 1:19 p.m.

A portion of Route 73 in Evesham is closed after police received a report of a bomb placed at a business, officials said.

Buildings are being evacuated and detours are in place in the area of Route 73 and Brick Road, Evesham police chief Walt Miller said at about noon.
In 1994, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright starred in Forrest Gump.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis and scripted by Eric Roth (who adapted the story from the Winston Groom novel), told a remarkable tale of one man through various eras of his life.

Forrest Gump won the Oscar for best picture and five other Academy Awards, including honors for Hanks, Zemeckis and Roth.

Now, 30 years later, Hanks, Wright, Zemeckis and Roth have teamed up once again.

Their upcoming film, Here, is based on the work of artist Richard McGuire, who hails from New Jersey.

McGuire, who grew up in Perth Amboy and is a Rutgers alum, is a multidisciplinary artist whose work encompasses visual art but extends to other media. In the early 80s, McGuire, a bassist and illustrator, became a founding member of the New York band Liquid Liquid, known for the iconic song Cavern, which was famously used in Grandmaster Melle Mels 1983 hit White Lines (Dont Do It).

Here is based on McGuires 2014 graphic novel of the same name, which was in turn based on a comic short story titled Here that was published in 1989 in Raw, a comics anthology magazine.

A scene from Richard McGuire's 2014 graphic novel "Here," which uses the same space to show windows into different time periods.Richard McGuire/Pantheon Books

A trailer for the film adaptation of Here (see video below) shows Hanks and Wright and other people, figures and scenes in the same location, the same spot as the story jumps around in time within the same frame.

For the whole movie, the camera is fixed on that spot, though various windows pop up within the space to show what else was happening that very same location in different years.

Because of the films wide timespan, we see Hanks and Wright at different ages. The actors were de-aged during the course of their performances using Metaphysic Live AI.

Were at the right place at the right time making this movie, Zemeckis, who co-wrote the movie with Roth, says in a Sony Pictures featurette for the film (see below). Theres a huge library of images of Tom Hanks and Robin Wright at different ages and we can process it and basically put it on like makeup.

The film follows Hanks and Wrights characters  Richard Young and Margaret Young  from childhood, but also, like McGuires graphic novel, the life of the space in question, from the prehistoric era to the eve of the Revolutionary War to the 50s and the future.

Paul Bettany, Michelle Dockery and Kelly Reilly play supporting roles.

In the original story, McGuire depicts the living room of his childhood home in Perth Amboy in 1957.

This is the window through which he depicts seemingly all of time  or at least a great deal of it.

Each panel or portal, marked with its year, is a piece of the historical record (and the ages to come).

A buffalo from 10,000 BCE meets a young woman in 1970 in McGuire's "Here."Richard McGuire/Pantheon Books

Sometimes its a living room where McGuire shows his own family, other times its a scene occupied by the Leni Lenape, Benjamin Franklin or dinosaurs.

The various scenes are in conversation with each other  like a buffalo in 10,000 BCE presented next to a young woman on a rug in the living room in 1970.

The artist dug into the history of the area to create the story.

It kind of is my family but it isnt, McGuire told NJ Advance Media in 2014. Its the location, but it isnt really the physical room. I didnt want it to be misconstrued first as a history book, which it isnt ... Its about impermanence. Its about a bigger thing.

Here is due in theaters Nov. 1.

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Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup.
A former Newark deputy mayor, who also once served as a member of the state Assembly from Hudson County, admitted Wednesday that he conspired with two city business owners to obtain bribes, federal prosecutors said.

Carmelo G. Garcia, 49, of Hoboken, pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to defraud the city of Newark and the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation.

He pleaded guilty also to honest services wire fraud, and receiving bribes in connection with the business of a federally funded local government and organization, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office District of New Jersey.

Garcia is also the former director of the Newark Department of Economic and Housing Development, and served as executive vice president and chief real estate officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation.

We entrust public officials to act in the best interest of the people they serve, not to abuse their position for their own personal gain, FBI  Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said in a statement. Today, Carmelo Garcia admitted he violated the citizens of Newarks trust when as deputy mayor he accepted bribes to advance and influence private real estate interests.

From 2017 through April 2019, Garcia looked for and received large payments and other benefits from two pawnbrokers who also own property in Newark  Frank Valvano Jr., 56, of Florham Park and Irwin Sablosky, 64, of Springfield  and others, the office said. The money, $25,000 in cash, was given in exchange for Garcias use of his official positions and influence to advance real estate development matters of interest to Valvano and Sablosky.

These matters included obtaining preliminary designation letters for Valvano and Sablosky and securing Newark-approved redevelopment agreements that allowed them to purchase and acquire various city-owned properties for redevelopment, and to ensure that Garcia did not use his influence and authority to act against their interests, investigators said.

In addition to cash, Garcia also received jewelry, including multiple high-end watches and chains, from Valvano and Sabloskys pawnbroker and jewelry business, authorities said.

Phone records, text messages and emails obtained by police showed extensive talks between Garcia, Valvano, Sablosky, and others over the two years, including text messages where Garcia arranged to personally collect cash provided by Valvano and Sablosky, according to the release. In one instance, in June 2018, Garcia, then the citys acting deputy mayor and director of the citys Department of Economic and Housing Development, received an envelope containing $25,000 in cash, supplied by Valvano through an intermediary, in the restroom of an unidentified New Jersey restaurant.

Carmelo Garcia abused his position of trust to oversee HUD grant money that was intended to provide housing assistance and improve the community in which he served, Special Agent in Charge Vicky Vazquez, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, said. He willfully devised an egregious kickback scheme resulting in the theft of critical taxpayer dollars, placing the integrity of HUDs programs at risk, and violating the trust of the communities who rely on them.

Garcia originally was indicted in October 2021 with Valvano and Sablosky, officials said. The case of his alleged conspirators was still pending before a federal judge.

As part of Garcias guilty plea, he agreed to criminal forfeiture of the $25,000 corrupt cash payment and administrative/civil forfeiture of the jewelry that he obtained from the scheme.

He is scheduled to sentenced on Dec. 12, the office said.

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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
The official July 4th holiday falls on a Thursday in 2024, setting the stage for fireworks, parades, concerts and special events throughout New Jersey this weekend and into next week.

From small town celebrations to the massive fireworks displays in New York and Philadelphia visible from New Jersey, scores of events are planned to celebrate Independence Day.

NJ Advance Media has combed through events scheduled throughout all 21 counties to provide our readers with this list. Many towns have celebrations scheduled for multiple days. (Have an event we should add? Send the information to press@njnpublishing.com.)
The New Jersey mother accused of drowning her daughters, ages 1 and 3, told investigators she needed to kill the children for religious purposes after having concerning thoughts days leading up to the Tuesday night attacks at her Lakewood apartment that also including stabbing one of the girls in the stomach, authorities said.

The new details in the case against Naomi Elkins, 27, were revealed in an affidavit of probable cause filed by detectives in support of murder and weapons charges. Elkins remains held at the Ocean County jail ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for Monday.

Elkins family issued a statement through her attorney Mitchell Ansell Thursday morning.

The sad truth is Naomi Elkins has a well-documented history of severe mental illness which has absolutely played a major role in these devastating events, the familys statement said. While we acknowledge the seriousness of the charges that she is facing and respect same, we also believe that its important to recognize the incredible complexities presented by mental health challenges.

Elkins, who works at a daycare in Lakewood, told investigators she had been having concerning thoughts for a couple of days, authorities said in court documents. She took her children to work with her on Monday, and spent that night praying about the thoughts, authorities said.

Elkins took the girls, whose names are redacted in court documents, to the daycare center again on Tuesday while she worked and then returned to her rented apartment in the basement of the home , authorities said.

She said that once she was home, she believed that she needed to kill the children for religious purposes, detectives wrote in court documents.

Elkins told investigators she used a serrated knife to stab the 1-year-old girl in the stomach and back before she placed the child on a couch while she ran a bath, authorities said. Elkins then brought the 1-year-old to the bathroom where she held the girls head under the water for two to three minutes, authorities said.

As Elkins drowned her younger daughter, her 3-year-old ran into the bathroom because she was scared, authorities said.

Elkins then turned on the bathtub in another bathroom, brought her 3-year-old into that bathroom and held her head under the water, counting to 50 multiple times to ensure the girl had drowned, authorities said.

Elkins then called Hatzolah Medical Services, a private religious ambulance service that serves that Lakewood, at 4:51 p.m. to report that she had harmed her children, authorities said. She had mistakenly called a Hatzolah office in Brooklyn, New York at first, but was connected to the local office in Lakewood, authorities said.

Medics called police and performed CPR on the girls, but both were pronounced dead at the scene minutes later, authorities said

The knife was found in a bathroom sink, authorities said.

Elkins 40-year-old husband left for business in Virginia on May 24 and was not home at the time of his daughters deaths, authorities said.

While investigators interviewed Elkins, one asked her if she wanted to write a letter to her children. Elkins agreed and referenced killing the children in the letter.

The letter released by her attorney says the family is committed to pursuing the most just and fair outcome through the legal system taking into account all of the circumstances involved.

The Elkins Family is deeply saddened by the tragic events that have occurred involving Naomi Elkins and her two young children. Our hearts go out to the grieving family and to all people affected by this unimaginable loss.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
Two dry, less humid days are ahead for New Jersey ahead of a weekend of unsettled weather that includes thunderstorm threats on both Saturday and Sunday.

The last of the rain has pushed off the coast Thursday morning after strong storms lashed the state Wednesday evening and overnight, but more than 70,000 homes and businesses remain without power as of 7 a.m., according to NJ Advance Medias outage tracker.

A woman in Bergen County was seriously hurt when a tree crashed through her home during the storms Wednesday evening.

Muggy conditions are expected to last through the morning before giving way to lower humidity in the afternoon under mainly sunny skies and highs in the 80s.

Pleasant, dry conditions continue through the overnight when temps fall into the 60s.

Friday should also be uneventful with more sun and highs in the mid-to-upper 80s.

The weekend forecast includes a chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday in New Jersey, according to AccuWeather.com.AccuWeather.com

Saturday and Sunday wont be quite as nice, though neither day is expected to be a washout.

Theres a chance of thunderstorms both days that could be accompanied by damaging winds. Both days will be warm and humid with Sunday the hotter and potentially wetter of the two.

Highs on Saturday will be in the 80s with a heat index in the low-to-mid 90s. Showers are likely to linger through the night.

Sunday will be more uncomfortable as highs climb into the upper 80s and low 90s with a heat index that flirts with 100, the weather service said in its Thursday morning forecast discussion.

Early indications are that Monday and Tuesday will be sunny with highs in the low-to-mid 80s.

Current weather radar

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
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This week, New Orleans will be well represented when the new attraction Tianas Bayou Adventure opens at Walt Disney World. The attraction is based on the animated film The Princess and the Frog. With that in mind, we recall some of Disneys other connections to New Orleans.

According to a recent post on the Disney Parks online blog, Walt Disney first visited New Orleans in 1940. He returned in 1956, dining at Antoines Restaurant, which became a frequent stop during his future visits to town.

Disney developed an affinity for the city, its culture and jazz, in particular. In 1960, a New Orleans-themed celebration was held at Disneyland, featuring performances from jazz musicians, including some of Disneys own animation staff, who formed a band known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

In 1966, Disney unveiled a permanent tribute to the Crescent City with the opening of a 3-acre section of his Disneyland theme park called New Orleans Square. Disney himself made trips to New Orleans during the research and design process for the $18 million project, which took four years to design and build.

New Orleans Mayor Victor Schiro traveled to Anaheim, California, for the dedication ceremony in July 1966, naming Walt Disney an honorary citizen of New Orleans before the two led a Dixieland jazz parade through the square. It would be one of Disney's last public appearances before his death later that year.
Motorists travelling along the North Devon Link Road (NDLR) are advised of an upcoming overnight closure between Landkey roundabout and Portmore roundabout due to essential roadworks, exacerbated by recent hot weather conditions.

Griffiths, the contracted construction firm overseeing the NDLR improvements, announced that the road closure is scheduled to take effect from 10pm on Sunday, June 30, until 6am on Monday, July 1.

The construction company announced that the decision to close the road during these hours is essential to allow sufficient time for the final surface course to cool adequately.

This cooling period is crucial for the safe installation of permanent road markings by the appointed white lining contractors.

In a statement, Griffiths said: Due to the hot Weather, it is necessary for the NDLR to close the road between Landkey roundabout and Portmore roundabout on Sunday 30th June. This is to allow additional time for the final surface course to cool, which will then allow the white lining contractor to install the permanent lines. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

In response to the closure, diversions have been planned by Griffiths in collaboration with Devon County Council.

Motorists approaching Barnstaple are advised to follow diversions via Mount Sandford Road, directing traffic onto Landkey Road to minimise disruption and maintain traffic flow.

The ongoing enhancements to the NDLR form part of a broader effort to improve connectivity and safety across North Devon's road network
The reporter recently learned from a Wuhu Municipal Government press conference that the first international cargo route from Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, "Wuhu  Hanoi (Vietnam)," is scheduled to officially open on June 28.

On March 18 of this year, the National Port Management Office issued a reply agreeing to the temporary opening of cargo functions at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport, allowing the airport to temporarily open for cargo operations. This makes Wuhu the only city in the province currently with both maritime and air functions.

The first international cargo route from Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport is operated by JD Airlines, marking an important step in the strategic cooperation between the Wuhu Municipal Government and JD Group.

Since its opening on April 30, 2021, Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport has actively promoted the opening of ports and the construction of a professional aviation cargo hub. In 2023, the airport's passenger throughput exceeded 1.2 million, and cargo and mail throughput surpassed 20,000 tons, laying a solid foundation for port opening.

The launch of the first international cargo route marks a new starting point for the comprehensive opening of international cargo functions at Wuhu Xuanzhou Airport. It is a milestone in the history of Wuhu's aviation development and represents a significant step towards integrating Wuhu into the world-class airport cluster of the Yangtze River Delta and building an airport-based logistics hub.





Source: Anhui Daily
Meijer was recognized as a Great Place to Work for the sixth straight year.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer has more than 10,000 employees and 42 stores in Indiana, including superstores in Highland, Merrillville, Portage, Valparaiso and Michigan City.

Meijer plans to soon open its 43rd location in Indiana and is eying a store in Crown Point.

It earned a Great Place to Work certification based on its responses to The Trust Index Study, which weighs employee feedback on organizational culture, credibility, fairness, respect, camaraderie and pride.

From the beginning, Hendrik and Gezina Meijer established a special culture that makes our company a great place to work, Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said. This team member feedback is a testament were living the legacy our founders envisioned.

Meijer has participated in the program for six straight years. It attained its highest survey store this year. It got its strongest marks for making new employees feel welcome, providing a safe place to work and being committed to diversity, equality and inclusion.

Meijer turns 90 years old this year. It provides employees with weekly pay, flexible scheduling, employee discounts, health insurance, 401(k)s, free college education, paid parental leave, child care discounts and career advancement.

It said it treats employees like family.

These are our highest scores to date on this survey, which is really meaningful, said Michelle Hall, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Our leaders are not only creating a positive environment for team members across the company to learn and grow, but theyre doing it in a way that makes Meijer a Great Place to Work and also a great environment for our customers to shop.
The Supreme Courts right-wing supermajority talks a lot about the importance of history and tradition in deciding cases. And yet as those six justices made clear once again on Thursday morning in one of the biggest cases of the current term, only certain histories and certain traditions matter.

The decision, in Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, struck down the S.E.C.s use of in-house judges to bring enforcement actions against securities fraud. The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases, the majority wrote, which means arrangements like the S.E.C.s  which Congress explicitly created and which are also used by roughly two dozen other agencies  are unconstitutional. If the agency wants to go after securities fraud, it will have to go to federal court.

The problem with this neat-sounding conclusion is that it ignores two centuries of well-established practice to the contrary. When a lawsuit involves the protection of rights of the public generally, juries have never been required. As the Supreme Court affirmed in a 1977 case, Congresss power to give executive-branch agencies the first stab at adjudicating and imposing civil penalties has been settled judicial construction  from the beginning.

Thursdays ruling is thus a seismic shift in this courts jurisprudence, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Its impact will reach far beyond securities fraud, hamstringing similar tribunals in agencies responsible for the environment, public health, food and consumer safety, worker protections and much more.
The CNN moderators get to ask the questions of President Biden and Donald Trump at Thursday nights debate, but our Opinion writers have a few suggestions of their own.

Binyamin Appelbaum, editorial board member:

What steps would you take as president to increase housing production in the United States?

Charles Blow, Opinion columnist:

Mr. Trump, how would your policies on the war in Gaza differ from President Bidens?

Michelle Cottle, Opinion writer:

What do both of you say to the significant bloc of voters who are not enthusiastic about their electoral choices this election, who want fresh blood and something/someone different?
The stakes in this years presidential election are the greatest in my lifetime. So as a way to frame the choice before voters, I offer these foreign policy questions for President Biden and Donald Trump in the debate on Thursday:

President Biden, for months you called on Israel to refrain from invading Rafah and to allow more food into Gaza. Yet Israel did invade Rafah, and half a million Gazans are reported starving. Havent you been ignored? And isnt that because of your tendency to overestimate how much you can charm people  Senate Republicans, Xi Jinping, Benjamin Netanyahu  to cooperate with you? When will you move beyond charm and use serious leverage to try to achieve peace in the Middle East?

Mr. Trump, the Abraham Accords you achieved among Israel and several Arab countries were a legitimate foreign policy success, but you largely bypassed Palestinians. Perhaps as a result, those accords may have been a reason Hamas undertook its terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, to prevent Saudi Arabia from joining and recognizing Israel. So did the Abraham Accords bring peace or sow the seeds of war? Isnt it a mistake to ignore Palestinians and to give Israel what it wants, such as moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, without getting anything in return?

President Biden, you have been pushing a plan for Gaza that involves a cease-fire and a three-way deal with Saudi Arabia, America and Israel ending in a path to Palestinian statehood. Maybe itll come together, but if not, whats your Plan B? If this war drags on, or expands to include Lebanon and perhaps Iran, how do you propose to deal with the Middle East more effectively than youve dealt with it so far?

Mr. Trump, youve suggested that Israel is taking too long to finish the war in Gaza. So what precisely are you advocating? Are you saying that Israel should use more 2,000-pound bombs to level even more of Gaza and kill many more civilians? Or are you saying that Israel should cut a deal that leaves Hamas in place and then pull out?
Last week, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland, a Democrat, signed an executive order issuing pardons for 175,000 marijuana and drug paraphernalia convictions, saying, Today, we take a big step forward toward ensuring equal justice for all. But, he said, this wont be our last effort. We must continue to move in partnership to build a state and society that is more equitable, more just and leaves no one behind.

Meanwhile, Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana, a Republican, recently signed several bills that he says are intended to expand faith in public schools.

One requires teachers and other school employees to address transgender students using the pronouns for the genders listed on their birth certificates  God gives us our mark, Landry said. The governor, The Advocate reported last year, has an intensely anti-L.G.B.T.Q.+ record, having opposed anti-discrimination protections even though he has a gay brother and, as Louisianas attorney general, pushed the states ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth.

Early this month, as NOLA.com reports, Landry also signed a bill to block transgender people from using facilities in schools, prisons and domestic violence shelters that align with their gender identity. In a statement, he said that the bill protects womens safety and reinforces the very definition of what it means to be a woman.
Killer Mike will not face charges for the altercation with a security guard that led to his arrest at the Grammys on the same February night he won three awards, Los Angeles authorities announced this week.

In a statement, Ivor Pine, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorneys Office, said the veteran rapper had fulfilled a community service requirement that was imposed. The office declined to comment further.

Representatives for Killer Mike, born Michael Render, declined to comment.

News of the arrest disrupted an otherwise triumphant night for Killer Mike. Minutes before he was escorted from Crypto.com Arena in handcuffs, he had been onstage accepting the award for best rap album for Michael, his first solo album in more than a decade. A song from the album, Scientists & Engineers, which features Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane, received two awards.

Killer Mike was evasive in comments made to journalists after the arrest, but a statement from the Los Angeles Police Department said he had been arrested on a charge of misdemeanor battery. In his own statement, two days later, the rapper said he had gotten into an altercation with a security guard while trying to enter the venue.
The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam says it will return an Henri Matisse painting that has been in its collection since 1941 to the heirs of its former owner, a German-Jewish textile manufacturer and art patron who sold it to fund his familys escape of the Netherlands Nazi occupation.

The museum announced the return of the work, Odalisque, on Tuesday after the Amsterdam City Council received binding advice from the Dutch Restitutions Commission, a government committee that rules on cases of Nazi-looted art.

The heirs said in a statement that the decision provided symbolic justice. The Matisse underwent the same journey from Berlin to Amsterdam as our grandparents, they said. But it stopped there in the Stedelijk, with almost no acknowledgment from whence it came for 80 years.

Before World War II, Matisses Odalisque, dated 1920-21, was part of the private art collection of Albert and Marie Stern. Albert and his brother Siegbert had helped establish a leading Berlin womenswear company in the 19th century. Albert and Marie were patrons of the arts and regularly hosted art and music events at their Berlin home. Marie, who had studied art, assembled a collection that also included works by Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch.
Evan Gershkovichs trial began in Russia

Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter and a U.S. citizen, has already endured nearly 15 months in a notorious Moscow prison. Yesterday, his trial finally began.

Gershkovich, 32, is the first Western journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the 1980s. He faces up to 20 years in a penal colony on a spying charge that he, his employer and the U.S. have all called bogus and politically motivated. The Russian authorities havent revealed any evidence that he was a spy.

There is little doubt about the outcome of the trial, but there may be hope: a prisoner exchange.

Its widely accepted that the Russian state regards his case as leverage to get Russians held in custody  either in the U.S. or in other Western countries, said my colleague Ivan Nechepurenko, who is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and has covered Gershkovichs case.

Theres going to be this trial, but the more important process will be the ongoing talks between Russian and American intelligence services about a potential prisoner exchange, Ivan said.
Tens of millions of Americans will tune in tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern to watch President Biden and Donald Trump take the stage at an audience-free CNN studio in Atlanta for their first debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. It could be the most consequential 90 minutes of the race.

Almost everyone already has opinions about both candidates, most of them negative. But as our national political correspondent Shane Goldmacher told me, many people havent seen either Biden or Trump speak at length in a long time: This is a chance to shape public perspective straight with the voters who matter, and because there is not another debate until September, those perceptions could be lasting, he said.

The Times will carry the debate live, with real-time analysis and fact checks from 60 of my colleagues.

Expectations for tonight are higher for Trump than they are for Biden, according to a recent Times poll. However, Shane said, there might be more at stake for Biden: His team pushed for the historically early debate to nudge voters away from viewing the election as an up-or-down vote on Bidens tenure, and to allow more time for them to consider the profound differences between the candidates.
Partisan media outlets have fixated this week on Thursday nights first presidential debate  and how their preferred candidate could prevail.

Many conservative media outlets have parroted former President Donald J. Trump by questioning the fairness of the debate, which CNN will host, as well as President Bidens fitness for it. Several publications piled on Mr. Trumps longstanding criticism that CNN is biased against him. Many also repeated Mr. Trumps baseless claim that Mr. Biden would be under the influence of performance-enhancing drugs during the event.

Liberal outlets criticized Mr. Trump and his campaign for making the claims about CNN and for the barbs about medication, saying both were lobbed out of desperation. They also suggested the debate could show Americans that Mr. Trump was an erratic candidate.
The N.F.L. must pay almost $5 billion in damages for artificially inflating the price of Sunday Ticket, a subscription service offered by DirecTV that showed out-of-market games, a federal jury in Los Angeles decided on Thursday.

The verdict, which capped a monthlong class-action trial and almost a decade of legal wrangling, includes about $96 million in damages for the bars and restaurants that subscribed to the service, and more than $4.6 billion for roughly 2.4 million residential subscribers. Damages in antitrust cases like this are tripled by law, which means the league may have to pay more than $14 billion.

The jurys damages were most of what the plaintiffs lawyers were seeking. Its a great day for consumers everywhere, said Bill Carmody, one of the plaintiffs lawyers.

The N.F.L. is expected to appeal the verdict.

We are disappointed with the jurys verdict today in the N.F.L. Sunday Ticket class action lawsuit, Brian McCarthy, a league spokesman, said in a statement. We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit.
Sewell Chan, the editor in chief of The Texas Tribune, will become the next executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review.

Mr. Chan, 46, has helmed The Tribune, a pioneering nonprofit newsroom, since October 2021. He will join CJR on Sept. 16, the publication announced on Thursday.

CJR, which covers the media industry, has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. It now prints two magazines a year and runs a digital operation.

Its always been an intellectual leader in our field, especially on news ethics and decision-making, Mr. Chan told The New York Times. I want CJR to be a voice for working journalists who face existential challenges  from hedge fund owners to authoritarian leaders to online harassment  and to explain to the public why fact-based news is more important than ever.
Walgreens is planning to close more of its roughly 8,700 stores in the United States, its parent company said on Thursday, after the retail pharmacy giant reported third-quarter earnings that fell short of analyst expectations.

The pharmacy chain also cut its profit outlook for the year, citing worse-than-expected consumer spending.

We witness continued pressure on the U.S. consumer, Tim Wentworth, the chief executive of Walgreens Boots Alliance, told investors during an earnings call on Thursday. Our customers have become increasingly selective and price-sensitive in their purchases.

As of February, Walgreens has closed 625 U.S. stores. The company did not specify how many additional stores it would close as part of its significant multiyear program to cut back on costs. But roughly a quarter of the pharmacy chains U.S. stores  those that the company doesnt see as crucial to its long-term strategy  could be affected, Mr. Wentworth said.
But thats not how nation-states view territory, no matter how desolate it is. That is why India and China have their armies deployed on these heights along an unmarked and, in many places, contested boundary between the two countries. In the absence of any fencing or barbed wire to demarcate territory, soldiers from each nation contend with considerable ambiguity when conducting patrols along whats known as the Line of Actual Control. Vinod Bhatia, who served as director general of military operations for the Indian Army and is now retired, describes it as a line of perceptions.

Its four lines, actually, he told me when I visited Delhi last year. One is the Indian perception of the Line of Actual Control. Another is the Chinese perception of the Line of Actual Control. Third is the Indian perception of the Chinese perception of the Line of Actual Control  because we have a perception based on their line of patrolling. And the fourth is, of course, the Chinese perception of the Indian perception of the Line of Actual Control.
In 1960, Israeli agents smuggled the Nazi official Adolf Eichmann from Buenos Aires to Jerusalem to stand trial for his role in the Holocaust. Rather than focus on the operation, or on Eichmanns notorious defense, June Zero thoughtfully braids three stories that relate to the events around Eichmanns execution by hanging in 1962.

Jake Paltrows film, which premiered at festivals in 2022, might sound like an exercise in hagiography: Drawing on actual accounts, its framed by the tale of David, a plucky Israeli teenager who finds himself involved in Eichmanns fate. But the shifting story, written by Paltrow and Tom Shoval, complicates the act of commemoration and dwells on the moral quandaries and uncomfortable resonances that result from the events.
Music is a contemporary retelling of the Oedipus legend, though the parallels between the director Angela Schanelecs experimental drama and the original Greek myth are elusive by design.

In the beginning of the film, a crew of young people pull up to a craggy Grecian coastline, among them Jon (Aliocha Schneider), whose feet, like Sophocles hero, are scraped and bloodied. While there, Jon accidentally knocks one of his companions into a rock. The friend, Lucian (Theodore Vrachas), hits his head, and Jon goes to prison for his crime. Upon his release, he reunites with a willowy woman, Iro (Agathe Bonitzer), with whom he starts a family.

All of this unfolds with little to no dialogue. The biggest plot points are choreographed like somber dances, gestural fragments in a loosely bound narrative that employs booming, baroque music (and later, modern indie ballads) to sculpt its emotions.
Washed in a mood of misery and unease, this bizarre debut feature gains heft from David Chizallets often lovely photography and a sound design that prioritizes slurping and chomping. The actors are above reproach; but the movies star is inarguably the cadaverous marionette, voiced by Beau, that plays Gorcha. Its creepily insinuating presence  and hilarious involvement in a cringe-inducing sex scene  cements The Vourdalak as an endearing oddity. Surrender to its vintage vibe and its emotional kick may surprise you.

The Vourdalak

Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes. In theaters.
Amid a torrent of criticism about the recent spate of chaotic commutes, officials of Amtrak and New Jersey Transit laid out a plan on Thursday to identify and fix the problems plaguing their operations.

The two railroads, which share the tracks of Amtraks Northeast Corridor from Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan to Trenton, N.J., pledged to scrutinize their infrastructure and equipment to investigate why they have performed so poorly in the last several weeks. The detailed plan came on the heels of an impromptu meeting on Thursday called by New Jerseys governor, Philip D. Murphy.

Mr. Murphy, a Democrat who promised to fix New Jersey Transits operations if it killed him, said the series of disruptions had been unacceptable. Kevin Corbett, the chief executive of the transit agency, and Amtraks chairman, Tony Coscia, agreed.

Our absolute commitment is to get stuff fixed, Mr. Murphy said at the round-table meeting, held at his office in Newark.
You know youve touched a nerve with progressive activists when they tell you not just that youre wrong but that youre on the other side.

Such is the fate of any old-school liberal or mainstream Democrat who deviates from progressive dogma. Having personally been slapped with every label from conservative to Republican and even, in one loopy rant, fascist, I can attest to how disorienting it is given my actual politics, which are pure blue American only when they arent center French.

But its not just me. New York magazines liberal political columnist Jonathan Chait was accused of lending legitimacy to a reactionary moral panic for critiquing political correctness. When Nellie Bowles described the excesses of social justice movements in her book Morning After the Revolution, a reviewer labeled it a conservative memoir. Meghan Daum, a lifelong Democrat, was accused of having fallen into a right-wing trap for questioning the progressive doctrine of intersectional oppression.

If this was just about our feelings, these denunciations could be easily brushed aside. But the goal and the effect is to narrow the focus of acceptable discourse by Democrats and their allies. If liberals are denounced for punching left when they express a reasonable difference of opinion, potentially winning ideas are banished.
Frank Bruni, a contributing Opinion writer, hosted a written online conversation with Matthew Continetti, the author of The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism, and Olivia Nuzzi, the Washington correspondent for New York magazine, to banter and bicker about the first debate of the 2024 presidential election between President Biden and Donald Trump.

Frank Bruni: Olivia, Matt, I thank you for joining me and I wonder if youre as disoriented as I am. A general-election presidential debate in June? Which wasnt organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates? And pits the current president against his immediate predecessor, who recently turned 78 but is the spring chicken onstage? Its the Anomaly Olympics. What does that say about this moment in America?

Matthew Continetti: The dizziness you feel is the result of a truly strange presidential election. This is the first presidential rematch since 1956, and the first time a current president has faced a former president since 1912. Biden and Trump are the oldest presidential candidates in history, and among the least liked. Also, as you may have heard, one of the candidates was recently convicted of a crime. The word unprecedented was invented for 2024.

Olivia Nuzzi: I am usually disoriented when I look at our political landscape. The unusual decision to have a debate before the nominating conventions seems to be about two things that the campaigns are in rare agreement on: 1. They have long been unhappy with the commission. 2. The outcome of this election, like the 2016 election, seems likely to be determined in part by the presence of third-party candidates. By holding a debate this early, the Biden campaign was able to keep Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off the stage, something both major-party nominees have an interest in.
Gail Collins: Not to be obvious or anything, Bret, but do you have any predictions about the big debate tonight?

Bret Stephens: No predictions, just the wish that both candidates deliver roughly the same performances they put in four years ago: a coherent Joe Biden and an unhinged Donald Trump. My fears are that Trump will rein it in and avoid being goaded into flatly denying the results of the 2020 election  and that Biden will lose it with some obvious memory lapse, slurred sentence or troubling blank stare.

But heres my question for you: If Bidens performance is disastrous, will you join me in calling for Democrats to find a new nominee?

Gail: Itd have to be pretty super disastrous, Bret. Sure, if the president suddenly goes blank and stares at the screen in silence or forgets where hes speaking and starts commending the Democratic congressional candidate from Delaware.
Kiyomi Lowe regularly hears people mispronounce her name or sometimes forget it altogether. I get Naomi, Kaiomi, sometimes Kimmy, she said. It doesnt bother her: Ill respond to anything.

She is less forgiving when friends and acquaintances forget the name of her dog, a shar-pei. I get Bruno a lot, she said. To which she responds: No, its Brutus! The dog doesnt care. But I care for the dog.

Ms. Lowe is a stylist at Als Barber Shop, a popular six-chair salon in Boulder near the campus of the University of Colorado. On a recent morning, she fell into a spirited conversation with her fellow stylists and several customers over a delicate question: Should you be responsible for remembering the name of a friends pet? Whats the etiquette?

A big question, said Jen Himes, a stylist, who conceded that she sometimes made a naming mistake, which pained her. Ive gotten a lot of pet names wrong. Im, like, Hows Pookie? And theyre, like, Its Rufus! or whatever.
After so many years of hard work and preparation, the world-class athletes who arrive for the Paris Olympics next month could face one final hurdle before they vie for medals: figuring out how to stay cool.

As a part of a publicly stated goal to make these the greenest Olympics ever, Paris 2024 organizers chose to forgo conventional air conditioning in the athletes village. Instead, an extensive system of water pipes beneath the floorboards of the dorm-style residences have been installed to provide cool air  or at least air that wont top 79 degrees Fahrenheit, even amid a heat wave.

But those conditions arent mild enough for many national federations, including the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which plans to outfit its athletes rooms with portable air conditioning units.

A spokesman for the U.S.O.P.C., who acknowledged that many other countries, including Germany, Australia, Canada and Britain, had made the same call, described it as a high-performance decision. Translation: With so much at stake, Olympians cannot afford to melt into pools of high-octane muscle fiber in the days and hours ahead of their competitions.
Verizon told some of its customers on social media that it was also aware of the issue and that its teams were working with local providers to resolve it.

A T-Mobile representative said the carrier was one of several providers impacted by a third-party vendors issue that is intermittently affecting some international roaming service and was also working to resolve it.

George Lagos, a 70-year-old real estate developer from Dunedin, Fla., who is visiting the Greek island of Crete with his family, noticed on Wednesday that his T-Mobile cellular data was not working. For about 24 hours, he said, he was not able to reach the people he had made plans with, though luckily, they had already gone over the details together.

You know its an inconvenience, but it wasnt a disaster, said Mr. Lagos, whose service appeared to be restored by Thursday evening. I didnt miss a flight. I didnt have a taxicab looking for me or anything.

But there was a more serious concern: His wifes mother has been sick and Mr. Lagoss wife could not reach the person who was helping take care of her.
Dear Tripped Up,

I am a single American mother living in Jordan and working for the United Nations. In September 2019, I adopted my then 5-year-old son from China, and promised him we would return to visit his country every year. But the pandemic broke out. When China finally reopened to tourists in 2023, we got visas and booked a July flight to Beijing via Doha on Qatar Airways, paying about $1,400 total. My now 9-year-old had worked hard to maintain his language and was excited, but nervous. At that time, the Chinese government required passengers to fill out a Health Declaration Form in advance or upon arrival. The link on the Qatar Airways website was broken, but I confirmed online and with friends who had recently traveled to China that I could fill it out upon arrival. At the airport, Qatar Airways disagreed, and when I once again couldnt get the form to work, we were denied boarding. My son collapsed on the airport floor, sobbing. I rebooked for the next day, and we flew to Beijing via Istanbul on Royal Jordanian and China Southern for $1,882. Neither airline requested to see the QR code showing my form had been approved: All passengers upon arrival were made to fill out new forms. Qatar Airways mostly refunded the tickets  we received $1,185  but refused to admit it was wrong. Considering the more expensive last-minute flight and other costs (such as rebooking domestic flights and trains in China) we are out about $930. I believe the airline should provide a flight voucher that compensates us for that amount. Can you help? Elizabeth, Amman, Jordan

Dear Elizabeth,

Your run-in with the complex world of international travel documentation was especially devastating because of the emotional stakes this trip represented for your family. But confusion over documentation leads to denied boarding thousands of times a day, said Max Tremaine, the chief executive of Sherpa, a company that maintains a database of international entrance requirements for travelers.

Not to excuse Qatar Airways for what I will charitably call a vigorous over-enforcement of the rules, but those frontline airline workers facing long lines at check-in can have a difficult task, making snap judgments on whether travelers have sufficient documents or not.

Countries all have their own entry rules depending on the passports that travelers hold and where they are coming from, and airlines are fined when they mistakenly allow people to fly. The decision may be straightforward when their customers are an American family with valid passports headed direct from New York to London for a weeks vacation. But travel can be complicated  consider, say, when a Dutch banker is on his way to Bangladesh via Cairo or an Australian trapeze artist with a one-way ticket heads to a performance in Kyrgyzstan through Frankfurt.The pandemic only complicated this complicated system. In your situation, your itinerary had you going through Qatar Airways hub in Doha, meaning those behind you in line in Jordan were probably headed to dozens of countries, all with their own rules.
When city leaders in Boston set out last spring to renew their focus on violence prevention, they set a modest goal: reduce homicides by 20 percent in three years.

No one imagined what the city of 650,000 has seen so far this year: four homicides, a 78 percent reduction from the 18 that took place over the same period in 2023.

Luck has played a part, the normal ebb and flow of violent crime. Yet the longer the quiet has persisted, the more pressure the city has felt to sustain it. As summer set in with a blistering heat wave, anxiety rose. Will a seasonal uptick in violence shatter the preternatural calm?

Were not even halfway through the year, and I get superstitious, Michael Cox, the Boston police commissioner, said in a recent interview, acknowledging his reluctance to talk too much about the phenomenon. But we are doing so many things, and hopefully it is having an impact.
At least one person died climbing Mount Fuji days before the official start of the climbing season, and three bodies were found on the mountain, the police and local media said.

Among them was a professional rock climber, Keita Kurakami, according to Patagonia, which he was an ambassador for. He lost consciousness while ascending the mountain, Japans tallest, on Wednesday and was pronounced dead at a hospital, the local police said, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The three bodies were discovered about three-quarters of the way up the 12,400-foot mountain, all near its crater but in different locations, the local police said on Wednesday, according to NHK. It is unclear when the bodies were found. All three are thought to have been climbers who ascended separately, the broadcaster said.

For all of last year, seven Mount Fuji deaths were reported.

The police in Shizuoka Prefecture, where some trails to the summit start, started searching after a woman in Tokyo reported on Sunday that she had lost contact with her 53-year-old husband who had gone to climb Mount Fuji, the police said. He left on Friday evening and on Saturday, sent his family a photo taken near the summit but then fell out of contact, NHK said. The man was identified as one of the dead, Eriko Takahashi, the Shizuoka police department spokeswoman, said in an interview on Thursday.
Before President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump take the stage in Atlanta on Thursday, their battle to engage Black voters has reached a fever pitch.

Surrogates, officials and organizers from both parties held a flurry of events in Atlanta barbershops, community centers and labor halls this week, using the backdrop of the early matchup between the two presidential candidates to encourage a crucial voting bloc in the heart of a key battleground state to turn back out in November.

Their efforts come as Black voters, long considered Democrats most loyal constituency, have voiced increasing frustrations with Mr. Biden and his party over the last several months. Some Black voters have suggested that they would support Mr. Trump in November or not vote at all.

But even as the Trump campaign aims to take advantage of the blocs softening support for Mr. Biden, it faces challenges in growing its grass-roots Black support and embracing policy positions that are popular with a broad enough swath of Black voters, particularly those who have supported Democrats in the past. Some of the challenges that the G.O.P. faces in fracturing Mr. Bidens coalition were on display at these events.
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, a Republican and reluctant Trump supporter, had for weeks declined to answer if former President Donald J. Trump was his pick to be the G.O.P. nominee.

On Wednesday, Mr. Kemp finally answered the question: He did not vote for the partys standard-bearer in the primary; instead, he cast a blank ballot.

I voted, but I didnt vote for anybody, Mr. Kemp said in an interview yesterday with CNN, adding he was resigned to the outcome. Look, at that point, it didnt really matter.

Mr. Kemp said he would support the Republican candidates for president and vice president, and Mr. Trump was expected to be the likely presidential nominee. After the 2020 election, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Kemp for certifying the results in Georgia, a state that Joseph R. Biden Jr. won by over 11,000 votes. Mr. Trump went so far as to call for Mr. Kemps resignation. Mr. Biden is the first Democrat to win Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992.
May was a particularly deadly month for the Russian army in Ukraine, with an average of more than 1,000 of its soldiers injured or killed each day, according to U.S., British and other Western intelligence agencies.

But despite its losses, Russia is recruiting 25,000 to 30,000 new soldiers a month  roughly as many as are exiting the battlefield, U.S. officials said. That has allowed its army to keep sending wave after wave of troops at Ukrainian defenses, hoping to overwhelm them and break through the trench lines.

It is a style of warfare that Russian soldiers have likened to being put into a meat grinder, with commanding officers seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are sending infantry soldiers to die.

At times, this approach has proved effective, bringing the Russian army victories in Avdiivka and Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. But Ukrainian and Western officials say the tactics were less successful this spring, as Russia tried to take land near the city of Kharkiv.
The Supreme Court temporarily put on hold on Thursday an Environmental Protection Agency plan to curtail air pollution that drifts across state lines, dealing another blow to the Biden administrations efforts to protect the environment.

The ruling followed recent decisions chipping away at the agencys authority to address climate change and water pollution.

Under the proposal, known as the good neighbor plan, factories and power plants in Western and Midwestern states must cut ozone pollution that drifts into Eastern ones. The emissions cause smog and are linked to asthma, lung disease and premature death.

The ruling was provisional, but even the temporary loss for the administration will suspend the plan for many months and maybe longer.
The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected one of the primary ways the Securities and Exchange Commission enforces rules against securities fraud, likely also making it harder for other regulatory agencies to bring enforcement actions.

The S.E.C., like other regulators, sometimes enforces its regulations and imposes penalties using in-house tribunals without juries rather than federal courts. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for a six-justice conservative majority, said that practice violated the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.

A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator, the chief justice wrote.

The decision in the case divided along ideological lines. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, accusing the majority of upending longstanding precedent to cut back on the authority of administrative agencies.
In March 2018, a day after announcing sweeping tariffs on metals imported from Americas allies and adversaries alike, President Donald J. Trump took to social media to share one of his central economic philosophies: Trade wars are good, and easy to win.

As president, Mr. Trump presided over the biggest increase in U.S. tariffs since the Great Depression, hitting China, Canada, the European Union, Mexico, India and other governments with stiff levies. They hit back, imposing tariffs on American soybeans, whiskey, orange juice and motorcycles. U.S. agricultural exports plummeted, prompting Mr. Trump to send $23 billion to farmers to help offset losses.

Now, as he runs for president again, Mr. Trump is promising to ratchet up his trade war to a much greater degree. He has proposed universal baseline tariffs on most foreign products, including higher levies on certain countries that devalue their currency. In interviews, he has floated plans for a 10 percent tariff on most imports and a tariff of 60 percent or more on Chinese goods. He has also posited cutting the federal income tax and relying on tariffs for revenue instead.

Mr. Trump, who once proclaimed himself Tariff Man, has long argued that tariffs would boost American factories, end the gap between what America imported and what it exported and increase American jobs.
Protesters returned to the streets of Kenya on Thursday, some of them demanding the resignation of President William Ruto, despite his announcement a day earlier that he was abandoning a tax bill that drew large-scale demonstrations in which nearly two dozen people were killed.

The crowds in Nairobi, the capital, were much smaller than those on Tuesday, when tens of thousands of protesters flooded into the city center as lawmakers debated and then passed the contentious legislation. That demonstration turned violent as people stormed the building and set parts of it ablaze, and rights groups say that at least 23 people were killed and more than 300 others injured as the police used tear gas and bullets against them.

On Thursday, a heavy police and military presence was visible across the capital, with officers in cars and trucks and on horseback guarding the roads leading to Parliament, the presidents official residence and several downtown streets. Much of the central business district remained closed as police officers chased and tear-gassed smaller crowds waving white roses. Protests continued until evening in some neighborhoods in Nairobi.

Some activists and opposition political leaders had urged demonstrators not to march toward the presidents official residence in Nairobi on Thursday for fear of more bloodshed. But others said the killings, shootings and abductions in recent days  which activists said were some of the bloodiest in Kenyas recent history  would not deter them from pushing Mr. Ruto to resign.
As Macron rolls the dice, France holds its breath

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, shocked his nation when he dissolved Parliament and called for a snap election after his party was trounced by the far right during European elections. On Sunday, voters head to the polls for the first round of voting as French politics reels.

For insight, my colleague Daniel Slotnik spoke with Roger Cohen, The Timess Paris bureau chief.

Whats at stake?

Roger: Well, President Macron has taken a huge gamble. The immediate possibility is that the far-right National Rally could win a majority, or even an absolute majority, in the national Parliament. That would represent the end of a postwar absolute taboo in France against the far right attaining the highest offices of government.

Why would Macron call this vote after he was beaten soundly in the E.U. parliamentary elections?

Some think he may be calculating that if the National Rally enters government now, the party will be discredited by the 2027 presidential elections, because its much more difficult to govern than to rail from outside the gates of power.
Shahjahan Bhuiya, who hanged some of Bangladeshs highest-profile death row inmates in exchange for reductions in his own robbery and murder sentences, then briefly became a TikTok star after his release from prison, died on Monday in Dhaka, the nations capital.

The national police said on Tuesday that the cause of death, in a hospital, had not been confirmed. Abul Kashem, Mr. Bhuiyas landlord, said in an interview that he had driven Mr. Bhuiya to the hospital on Sunday after he complained of chest pains.

Last year, Mr. Bhuiya told the local news media that he was 74. But according to his national identity card, provided by Mr. Kashem, he was 66 at his death.

Mr. Bhuiya was sentenced to 42 years in prison for robbery and murder in 1991, the news media reported. But he was able to shave a decade off the sentence because of good behavior and in exchange for hanging fellow inmates. The authorities granted him early release last year.
Taiwan raised its warning level for travel to China on Thursday, urging its citizens not to visit there unless necessary after Beijing spelled out potential punishments  including execution in extreme cases  for what it called diehard supporters of Taiwanese independence.

China regards Taiwan, a democratically governed island of 23 million about 100 miles off the mainland coast, as its territory. It demands that Taiwan ultimately accept unification and has long denounced Taiwanese who oppose its claims to the island.

Last week, China turned up the pressure, issuing legal guidelines that detailed the steps it might take to punish supporters of Taiwanese self-rule. They came as tensions between U.S.-backed Taiwan and China ratchet ever higher. Last month, Taiwan swore in a new president, Lai Ching-te, who has vowed to preserve democracy on the island and is denounced by Beijing.

The new rules adopted by China authorize execution for what it describes as exceptionally severe cases of Taiwanese separatism, though the language stops short of saying exactly what actions might constitute a severe offense.
His prime minister was among the last to know. That is how secretive, how confined to a small group of advisers President Emmanuel Macrons shock decision to dissolve Parliament and call French legislative elections was.

Gabriel Attal, 35, was a personal favorite, his wunderkind, when Mr. Macron named him prime minister in January. Yet, just months after entrusting Mr. Attal with the task of revitalizing his government, Mr. Macron snubbed him as he considered one of the most important decisions of his presidency: whether to call an election at the very moment the anti-immigrant National Rally party had surged.

Mr. Macrons style has always been intensely top-down, but this time he has played with the possibility of ushering in the once unthinkable in the form of a far-right government. The small group making the decision was so insular that even many of his ministers and supporters were left dumbfounded at his readiness to take such a gamble.

A photograph posted by Mr. Macrons official photographer on Instagram captured the dismay when, on June 9, Mr. Macron told his government of his decision. Mr. Attal, arms crossed, looks blank. Gerald Darmanin, the longtime interior minister who has since announced he will likely leave the government, looks incredulous, his hands clasped in front of his face.
Israel and Egypt agreed to allow at least 19 sick children, most of them cancer patients, to leave Gaza for medical treatment on Thursday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said, in the first major evacuation of critically ill Gazans since the Rafah border crossing shut down in early May.

The Israeli military said the operation had been carried out in coordination with the United States, Egypt and the international community. In total, 68 people  sick and injured patients and their escorts  were allowed to leave, the military said.

Tania Hary, who directs Gisha, an Israeli nonprofit organization that advocates the free movement of Palestinians, said she was relieved that the children may have a chance at life and finally receive the care they deserve. But she emphasized that many more sick and wounded people remained trapped in Gaza, without any obvious mechanism for how they might be evacuated.

It is a drop in an ocean of suffering, as thousands more wait to reach medical facilities outside the strip, she said. It serves as another reminder that the most vulnerable residents of Gaza  its children, sick and elderly  are paying the highest price.

More than 10,000 sick and wounded people in Gaza require urgent care that is available only outside the enclave, the World Health Organization said this week. They include those wounded in airstrikes, as well as cancer patients, children with life-threatening illnesses and older people who need open-heart surgery.

Even before the war, many Gazans were forced to travel abroad for lifesaving treatments, like chemotherapy, which were almost nonexistent in the Gaza Strip. The enclaves health sector has struggled for more than 15 years under a crippling Israeli-Egyptian blockade intended to contain Hamas.
The wealthy petrostates of the Persian Gulf have big plans for the future, hoping to increasingly attract tourists and investors, host marquee sporting events, build new cities and diversify their economies away from oil.

But they face a looming threat that they cannot easily buy their way out of: extreme and sometimes deadly heat that roasts their countries every summer, which climate change is expected to exacerbate in the coming decades.

Sweltering temperatures drive up energy demand, wear down infrastructure, endanger laborers and render even simple outdoor activities not only unpleasant, but potentially perilous. That all will impose a significant long-term tax on the vast ambitions of Gulf countries, experts say.

We keep thinking we want to go bigger and larger, but we dont think about the implications of climate change in the future, said Aisha Al-Sarihi, a research fellow from Oman at the Middle East Institute at National University of Singapore. If we keep expanding and expanding, it means we need more energy, more water and more electricity, especially for cooling. But there are limits, and we see those limits today.
Central Tehran is ablaze this week with posters and billboards of the six candidates in Fridays presidential election, and the streets are jammed with buses taking supporters to campaign rallies, yet it is hard to find enthusiasm even for voting, much less for any individual candidate.

Iranians will head to the polls in a special election to choose the successor to former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

The election comes at a critical moment for Irans leadership. The economy has been weakened by years of sanctions, and under Mr. Raisis ultra-conservative leadership, personal freedoms and expressions of dissent have been increasingly quashed. Yet the government is keen to persuade more Iranians to show up at the polls in large numbers because voter turnout is seen as a measure of its support and legitimacy.

It may be a challenge, after years of voter boycotts and apathy, and judging from a small sample of interviews in recent days. Conversations with more than a dozen government workers, students, businesspeople and other ordinary men and women revealed a degree of weariness, even skepticism, despite the risks of speaking freely in Iran.
An Israeli soldier was killed and another was severely wounded overnight during a raid in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the military said on Thursday. It was the latest in a series of violent Israeli raids in the city.

The soldier who was killed, a sniper team commander, fell during operational activity, the Israel Defense Forces said in a brief statement, which gave few details. Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported that one Palestinian man had been wounded in the raid.

Jenin, in the north of the West Bank, houses a refugee camp founded more than 70 years ago for Palestinians displaced in the wars surrounding the creation of the state of Israel. The city and camp are bastions of armed resistance to the occupation. Israel has conducted frequent raids there over the years, but they have become more common since Oct. 7, when Hamas led a deadly attack on Israel that prompted a war in Gaza.

The military detained 28 people during the overnight raid and nine remain in detention, including Jamal Hawail, a member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, according to a statement from the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, which is linked to the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian Prisoners Club, a nongovernmental organization. The council sets policy for Fatah, the political party that controls the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli statement did not comment on the arrests.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been detained in the raids, which Israeli officials say are part of counterterrorism operations against Hamas and an extension of the war.

The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Turk, said this month that Israeli forces and settlers had killed more than 500 people in the West Bank since Oct. 7. In the same period, 24 Israelis, of whom eight were members of the security forces, were killed in the West Bank and in Israel in clashes or what Israel called attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank, Mr. Turk said.
Israels prime minister and president toured northern Israels border and met with military commanders there on Wednesday, amid escalating tensions with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and mounting concerns from world leaders that a wider war could break out.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, posted a video on social media during his visit of him saying that Israeli forces were determined and committed to the mission of achieving victory, and no less.

The tours by Israeli officials along the border with Lebanon came as Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, concluded four days of meetings in Washington with senior Biden administration officials, who repeatedly stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to tensions with Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militia has been targeting Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack set off a war with Hamas in Gaza. Tensions have flared in recent weeks.

Hezbollahs provocations threaten to drag the Israeli and Lebanese people into a war that they do not want, Lloyd J. Austin III, the U.S. secretary of defense, said in a meeting with Mr. Gallant on Tuesday. Mr. Austin added that such a war would be a catastrophe for Lebanon, and it would be devastating for innocent Israeli and Lebanese civilians.

Mr. Gallant, in that same meeting, said Israel was working to achieve an agreement. But he added that Israel was determined to establish security in the north and change the reality on the ground.

We must also discuss readiness for every possible scenario, Mr. Gallant said.
5W Public Relations partners with Alto Canto Tequila, a Mexican-owned brand produced using only organic agave, water and wild fermentation. The agency will spearhead a comprehensive communications campaign, spanning media relations, influencer programming, strategic counsel and event activations. Alto Canto distinguishes itself as one of the only luxury tequila brands globally to prioritize wild fermentation methods. Were looking forward to the success of our integrated marketing campaign with 5W, said Alto Canto Founder Daday Suarez, Their proven track record of experience launching new brands, spirits expertise and deep relationships with the media make them the perfect agency for us.

William Mills Agency picks up Bancography, a Birmingham, Ala.-based financial services consulting and technology company. Bancography provides branch planning solutions, software tools and primary marketing research capabilities to banks and credit unions. It also offers Bancography Plan, a market analysis and branch planning software tool that allows financial institutions to forecast profitability for proposed branch locations and to evaluate the performance of existing branches. Partnering with William Mills Agency will help further Bancographys exposure and build greater levels of our brand recognition in the credit union, banking and fintech industries, said Bancography COO Laura Levie.

Foxglove Communications, a public relations, thought leadership and brand strategy agency, adds OpenTable, a restaurant tech platform serving more than 55,000 venues and millions of diners, to its roster of hospitality industry clients. As AOR, Foxglove will work to amplify OpenTables efforts to support restaurantsfrom helping address industry challenges such as bots and no-shows to helping partners maximize revenue through partnerships, product features and integrations designed to fill seats. OpenTable continues to lead the conversation in the tech and restaurant spaces with products that anticipate the needs of restaurants and diners. Foxglove impressed us with their deep industry knowledge and understanding of what it means to be restaurant-first, said Open Table SVP, restaurant sales & services Steve Sintra.
An Offaly primary school has celebrated 150 years of providing education to the children in the community.

Seir Kierans NS, Clareen celebrated the incredible milestone and Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory, Bishop Niall Coll, led the celebration of Mass on the school grounds, starting with Mass at 7pm in the evening.

Following the Mass, the school launched its book Then and Now 1874-2024, a celebration of the past 150 years of primary education in Seir Kierans NS.

The large gathering present then came back up to the Parish Hall and the school, where light refreshments were served, as well as providing everyone with the opportunity to view photographs, old roll books and projects, all celebrating this special event.

Principal of the school, Jonathan Dunne, extended a warm welcome to all past pupils, past staff as well as all those who are in the community, who were attending the celebration. 150 years is a special milestone for any school to reach and we wanted to mark the occasion in a special way.

Bishop Coll said Seir Kieran is an island parish and is an extremely important parish in the Diocese of Ossory because of its important monastery founded about 1,500 years ago.

He spoke about the vital importance of the monastic spirit in Christianity, an impulse which originated in dissatisfaction with the Church's direction and a desire to follow a more rigorous path. This impulse led to the foundation of remote monasteries in the desert. Irish monks were often driven by this impulse as well (as we can see in places like Skellig Michael and Tory Island).

They wanted to live a special life, away from the comforts and temptations of society, said the Bishop.

The Bishop added that since the foundation of Seir Kieran there have been about 50 generations of Christians in the region. Today we are celebrating 150 years of the school. We are also honouring all those who have been part of the school for the last century and a half and we are honouring all the good Christians who have lived here for the last 1,500 years. Most of them lived a life which wasn't as materially rich as ours. Things are difficult today but in reality we live better than most who have gone before us.

Fr Michael Reddan said he settled in the parish four years ago and I have loved it. The priests in the Ossory Diocese have been very friendly and supportive. Prior to that I enjoyed 14 happy years in the Diocese of Killaloe. The Greek philosopher Socrates described education as 'the kindling of a flame and not the filling of a vessel.'

"Thankfully the days of rote learning, dull repetition and the dreaded stick have long been removed from the classroom and have been replaced by enquiry and fun, discovery and affirmation. Today our beautiful school echoes to the sound of enthusiastic chatter and singing and laughter and that is how it should be. This school has mapped the journey from the misery of a post famine country to the bright vibrant Ireland of today.

"Many good people, teachers and pupils alike, have been part of that journey. Where once there were clay floors, rattling windows, hungry, unkempt children and slates to write on, there are now warm carpeted rooms, double glazed windows and happy, well cared for children. The crude writing slates of long ago have been replaced with colourful text books and the very latest in computer technology and digital learning aids.

The Principal Jonathan Dunne welcomed the Bishop, the priests, public representatives, staff members present and past, and the pupils and parents. This is a day when we can be justly proud of our school and what has been achieved. We are mindful of the extraordinary and fruitful journey that has been travelled over the last century and a half.

Since Fr John Purcell started in 1874 we have been so fortunate with our priests who came and served in our parish. One of them was Fr Collier who was very popular and served here for over thirty years. We have also been fortunate with our excellent Boards of Management who have served with distinction since 1975.

This school has always benefited greatly from the spirit of volunteerism and good people stepping up to the plate to do what had to be done. There is no National School in the land which would survive without this crucial spirit of volunteerism; without those who stepped up and served on the Boards of Management. We are very grateful to the successive Boards because without them we wouldn't be the successful school that we are today.

It is very good to see former staff members here this evening.

Much-loved staff members over the years included the late Sean O'Neill who worked in the school for 42 years. Whoever worked here felt a sense of pride in being here.

We are also blessed with the quality of people who live in the parish. In the parish we have lost our shop, our post office. Now we have the GAA, the Church and this school. This school is essential to the heartbeat of the local community. We have a number of excellent groups in the parish, including the Active Retirement Group, who raised money for the school; a water scheme; the parish choir. All in all we are truly blessed with our community.

"We are truly blessed with our children. They are a gift. A school is nothing without the children who attend it. Over the past 150 years, we have been truly blessed with the children, who have passed through our gates. Testimony from the current staff and past staff supports me in recognising the decency of the children who have attended and who continue to attend Seir Kieran's NS.

There is also a common thread about the character of the people who have been educated in Seir Kieran's. It is an innate decency. This comes from the message of Jesus which is at the heart of our school. This message is about love, respect and tolerance for others.

Here's hoping that future generations will carry on all the proud traditions of Seir Keiran's NS and when it comes to the 200th year anniversary those present then can reflect back with the same sense of pride as we feel today, on our 150th year anniversary.

He praised the current staff members Sinead Murphy, Mariosa Kennedy, Fiona Birmingham, Edel Kealey, Leanne Kelly, Maria Harding, Gerardine Kealey, Brendan Collins and Gill Dunne.

He also recognised the efforts of those who put together the book St Kieran's National School Then and Now to mark the birthday. The Principal pointed out that a lot of the work had already been done by those who compiled the compilation celebrating the school's 135th anniversary. In this publication we have simply sought to build upon their excellent work.
According to the latest Met Eireann weather forecast, Ireland is in for a lot of wet and windy weather in the coming days with just the odd glimpse of summer.

According to Met Eireann, the weather is set to be very mixed with the North Atlantic dominating, feeding in alternating wet and dry spells.

According to Met Eireann, Thursday will be blustery and outbreaks of showery rain will extend nationwide this morning, persisting into the afternoon, while generally becoming confined to Ulster this evening. It will be driest overall across south and southeast counties with the best of the sunny spells here. Cool for the time of year with highs of 13 to 17 degrees. Unseasonably windy too with fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.

Tonight will be mostly dry with clear spells, and moderating westerly winds. Some passing showers still too though, mainly in the North. Lows of 8 to 11 degrees.

According to Met Eireann, Friday will be a day of sunny spells and well scattered showers, mainly in the North and West in mostly moderate westerly winds. Becoming cloudy with more general rain arriving into Connacht and Munster later in the evening. Highs of 14 to 19 degrees, mildest for Leinster and east Munster.

Low cloud and scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle will gradually extend eastwards on Friday night. It will remain driest, coolest and clearest for Ulster. Lows of 7 to 13 degrees in light southerly or variable breezes.

According to Met Eireann, there will be a damp, locally wet start on Saturday with overnight rain and drizzle gradually clearing away southeastwards. Sunny spells will develop across the northern half of the country. Highs of 15 to 19 degrees in mostly moderate northwest breezes.

Dry with clear spells on Saturday night and just light northwesterly breezes. Cool with lows of 6 to 9 degrees.

The latest Met Eireann weather forecast for Ireland says that some showers will affect Ulster on Sunday with showery rain arriving into Atlantic counties during the afternoon. Driest and mildest across the Midlands, South and East with sunny spells. Highest temperatures of 13 to 20 degrees, all in light to moderate westerly breeze.

Sunday night will see scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, but with some areas staying dry. Mild with lows of 11 or 12 degrees in light to moderate southwesterly breezes.
ONE year on from the retirement in Lorrha NS of the principal Olive OMeara, two more staff members have bid farewell to the classroom in that school.

Pauline McIntyre, Special Education teacher, and Martina Duggan, Special Needs Assistant, were joined by members of their families, pupils past and present, Board of Management and Parents Association members, parents and people from the community on Monday June 16th for the retirement Mass which also doubled up as the end of year ceremony, and was celebrated by Fr Tom OHalloran.

All of the children in the school participated in some way or another with Darren Bourke leading the choir which enhanced the lovely occasion.

School principal John Skehan presented 6th class with their end of year school reports before the limelight turned to the two staff members of whom many speakers spoke highly and lovingly about and how they would be missed from school life.

Pauline commenced her teaching career in 1984 in her home parish of Kinnitty. In 1985 she went on the diocesan panel and got a job in Borrisokane NS, a position she held until 2001. Later that year, a position came up in Lorrha and Pauline was successful in her application working alongside Olive OMeara and Eileen Mannion. The school was allocated a base post for learning support along with Rathcabbin NS in 2006 and so Pauline has worked as the SET teacher since then with the school clusters varying over the years.

Pauline, in thanking everyone, said it was a pleasure and a great privilege for her working with the children and staff of Rathcabbin, Redwood and Lorrha schools through the years. She went on to mention various staff, BOM and Parents Associations that helped and supported her over the years and as she said the most important people in the school, the pupils, past and present. She also thanked her family and her extended family, some who were present on the day.

Pauline finished by saying we should never think that we have no influence, as a kind word or a good deed left behind can never be erased. This, she said, is actually part of our school motto  always treat others as you would like them to treat you.

A very shy SNA Martina Duggan had her husband Oliver speak on her behalf. He too thanked everyone who worked with Martina over the twenty two years she spent in Lorrha NS including former teachers Eileen Mannion, Caroline ODonoghue and Patrice Murray, the many substitute teachers, dance teachers, elocution and language teachers. Born and raised in Looscaun, Woodford, where she attended school and secondary in Woodford, Martina first worked in the Civil Service before training as a SNA.

Oliver said that Martinas time spent in Lorrha NS has always been a pleasant experience. This, he continued, was due in no small way to the leadership of Mrs Olive OMeara, school principal for the majority of those years, her successor Mr Skehan and deputy Aoife McLoughney. Their support, professionalism and dedication made Martinas job easier than it might have been in different circumstances, he said. In conclusion Oliver thanked everyone who prepared the event for the two ladies.
The former manager of a Dublin dog pound has been fined 500 for allowing a euthanasia drug to be stored and administered unlawfully to two dogs.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Donal Moroney (70) was not present at Ashton Pound in Castleknock over the weekend of July 24, 2020 when a drug called Dolethal was administered orally to a Bichon Frise and an Akita.

The lethal medicine, containing Pentobarbital Sodium, is only allowed to be stored at a veterinary practice and to be administered intravenously by a vet.

Moroney, of Ayrfield Drive, Coolock, Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of using the pound for storing an animal remedy designated Veterinary Practitioner Only, possessing the remedy while not a vet himself and permitting a lay person to administer it orally to two dogs.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Martin Nolan said staff at the pound did not have the experience or qualifications to store or administer the drug in question, but described Moroneys level of culpability as quite low.

Judge Nolan took into account mitigating factors including Moroneys guilty plea, his cooperation with gardai, his long history of good work with animals and his serious health problems.

Moroney, who has no previous convictions, was ordered to pay a fine of 500 within the next three months.

The former owner of the pound, David Stone, was fined 30,000 in February 2023 for three similar charges.

Stone (66), of Hazelbrook, Loughlinstown, Ratoath, Co Meath had been running the pound since 1996 and had contracts with local councils including Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown county councils.

Moroney started working at the pound as a warden in 2004 and became a manager shortly afterwards, the court heard.

Garda Aine McQuillan told Paul Carroll SC, prosecuting, that a warden at the pound emailed gardai in July 2020 outlining his concerns about the giving of certain drugs to dogs.

Gardai called to the premises and established that staff members had administered the product Dolethal to two dogs on Friday July 24, 2020, by squirting it into their food.

The Bichon Frise dog died the following day, while gardai found the Akita in a bad state and suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, before he also died.

Mr Carroll told the court that a practice had developed at the pound where staff would collect bottles of this highly lethal product and squirt it into the food of dogs deemed to be violent, aggressive or to be put down.

Gda McQuillan interjected to tell the court that the drug was also sometimes squirted into dogs mouths.

A vet would then be called sometime later and administer it properly.

Payment records collected from the veterinary practice indicated that this had been going on for up to a year prior to these offences.

The court heard that there was nothing to suggest that Moroney had administered the drug directly himself, but that he was in a management position which had informed the practice and had on occasion directed others to collect the drug.

The bottles of Dolethal were clearly labelled Veterinary Practitioner Only, the court heard. The drug is extremely dangerous to humans also and an accidental spillage of as little as 3 cc on the skin could lead to death, counsel said.

Moroney told gardai he was not working the night the drugs were administered to the dogs.

Garda McQuillan agreed with Annemarie Farrell SC, defending Moroney, that the practice of making these drugs available at the pound pre-dated Moroney joining the staff in 2004.

Ms Farrell said that when Moroney started work, the euthanasia rate at the pound was over 50 per cent and that this had been reduced to four per cent, in line with national levels, by 2019.

The court heard that Moroney did not attend the pound after March 2020 because of Covid as he had extensive health problems.

In 1989, Moroney had part of his right lung removed, and he suffered five heart attacks between 2000 and 2001. He also underwent a triple heart bypass and suffered several pulmonary embolisms and an aortic aneurism, the court heard.

Counsel said the court case had caused enormous shame to Moroney who had dedicated his entire life to the care of animals.

Several testimonials were handed in to court on Moroneys behalf, speaking to his exemplary character in the community and his lifelong love of animals.

The court heard that Moroney is currently in receipt of the State pension of 277 per week.
Tullamore for Gaza, a local group formed late last year in support and solidarity with the people of Gaza, is holding a second bridgil (bridge vigil) for Gaza on Kilbeggan Bridge in Tullamore this Friday evening, June 28 at 6pm.

A similar bridgil event held by the group in May was very successful, with approximately eighty people in attendance and plenty of support from passers-by.

As was the case last month, it is hoped that every county in Ireland will hold a bridge protest.

Grainne Fallon, organiser with Tullamore for Gaza explained the importance of local actions such as this,

The needless and brutal loss of lives of men, women and children in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli forces and state since October last year is nothing short of a travesty. It is a genocide, no doubt about it. Over 37,000 people have now been killed. Local actions are really important in letting our local politicians know that the people of Ireland and the people of Offaly will not stand for this. It also allows those who can't travel to the larger protests across the country the opportunity to make their voices heard.

Tullamore for Gaza is calling for the people of Tullamore to gather family and friends to show support and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Palestine.

Attendees are asked to bring along Palestinian flags and home-made placards. The event is family-friendly and open to all.
Eighty-eight Ukrainians are to move into Inchmore House in Clara. At the first meeting of Tullamore Municipal District since the local elections, Councillor Neil Feighery said he had just received confirmation.

Cllr Feighery said all of the councillors had been ''getting it in the neck'' about the matter even in recent weeks.

''In the context of Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing warfare. We welcome them as happened in Edenderry in recent weeks. This is a positive development and we finally have a decision on that.'' said the Fine Gael councillor.

There had been mounting speculation in Clara that the listed building was to be used to house asylum seekers. Some had suggested that 100 males would be placed there. A protest took place at one stage outside the entrance to the historic building.

However, following correspondence from local representatives to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to clarify the situation, the Department issued what it called a ''briefing note for Public Representatives and Key Stakeholders.''

The accommodation being provided at Inchmore is self-catering. It provides a fully equipped kitchen/dining facilities with separate recreational spaces, including living area, TV area, childrens play area, reading rooms etc. Toilets and showers are ensuite.

There are three accessible toilets/showers provided. The accommodation consists of 58 bedrooms varying in size.

An operations manager will be on site daily to assist the residents with day to day queries they may have, in addition to the normal daily management of the facilities.

For an initial period there will be a full-time security personnel. Following this initial assessment period, it is envisaged this security presence will be reduced in level with the need of facility.

There will be cleaning and maintenance staff on site as required.
60 Indian nationals arrested in Sri Lanka for alleged online financial scams

Posted by Editor on June 27, 2024 - 6:47 pm

Sri Lankan Police have arrested 60 Indian nationals who are allegedly involved in online financial scams.

These arrests were made by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in the Thalangama, Madiwela, and Negombo areas.

The police also confiscated 135 mobile phones and 57 laptops from the suspects.
SOFTSWISS and F1 legend Rubens Barrichello celebrated 'Acelerados' 10th anniversary with an exclusive track day event featuring the legendary Williams FW33 car.

SOFTSWISS and F1 legend Rubens Barrichello co-hosted a unique racing event in France to mark the 10th anniversary of 'Acelerados.' The celebration featured the legendary Williams FW33 car and offered participants an unparalleled racing experience.

F1 Legend Barrichello & SOFTSWISS Celebrate 'Acelerados' 10th Anniversary with Exclusive Family Track Day

June 26, 2024  SOFTSWISS, an award-winning global iGaming software supplier, joined forces with F1 legend Rubens Barrichello to celebrate the 10th anniversary of 'Acelerados'. The event occurred in France, where participants experienced the thrill of driving in one of the fastest racing contests, featuring the legendary Williams FW33 car that Barrichello raced during his peak F1 career.

A Unique Racing Experience

The exclusive track day was a significant highlight, fulfilling Barrichello's long-standing dream of racing in a legendary car alongside his sons. The event also featured a specially designed three-seater bolide, allowing Barrichello to share this unique racing experience with the 'Acelerados' audience. That day, he gave fans and participants a rare opportunity to engage with motorsport at an elite level.

Celebrating 'Acelerados' Milestone

Founded in 2014 by Rubens Barrichello and automotive journalist Gerson Campos, 'Acelerados' has become a leading platform for motorsport enthusiasts. The channel offers comprehensive car overviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the racing world. The 10th-anniversary celebration was a testament to its success and influence in the motorsport community.

SOFTSWISS' Role in the Celebration

The SOFTSWISS team was crucial in supporting Barrichello and 'Acelerados.' Olga Resiga, Chief Business Development Officer at SOFTSWISS, expressed her excitement about the event: "The race was breathtaking, and I am thrilled to have been part of this remarkable occasion. Celebrating this milestone for Rubens Barrichello has been an honour. This collaboration underscores the shared values and integrity of both SOFTSWISS and its Non-Executive Director. We are committed to fostering partnerships within and beyond our industry, and it is truly special to share these moments together."

Barrichello's Reflections

Rubens Barrichello, Non-Executive Director in Latin America at SOFTSWISS, said, "I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement from my colleagues during this significant event! I am proud to be part of a company that values and supports external initiatives like this celebration. This demonstrates SOFTSWISS' commitment to a proactive and engaged approach in all its endeavours. It is impressive to see that SOFTSWISS applies this same strategy in business, consistently going the extra mile for its partners."

Expanding SOFTSWISS' Global Presence

SOFTSWISS continues to expand its presence in the iGaming industry worldwide. The recent appointment of Rubens Barrichello as Non-Executive Director in Latin America reflects SOFTSWISS' strategic aim to leverage his extensive experience and insights within the Latin American market. This move aligns with the company's vision to strengthen its global footprint and deliver exceptional gaming solutions.

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international tech company supplying software solutions for managing iGaming projects. The expert team, which counts over 2,000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds multiple gaming licenses and provides comprehensive iGaming software solutions. Their product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, Game Aggregator, Affilka affiliate platform, Sportsbook Platform, and Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS was the first to introduce a Bitcoin-optimized online casino solution.

The celebration of 'Acelerados' 10th anniversary with SOFTSWISS and Rubens Barrichello exemplifies the synergy between the iGaming and motorsport industries. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for 'Acelerados' and highlights SOFTSWISS' commitment to innovation and partnership.


An orphanage bombed by Israel in Gaza in 2009.

(Image by International Solidarity Movement) Details DMCA



As of April 29, 2024, the Jewish state of Israel has slaughtered over 14,500 children in Gaza. Israel has also caused at least 17,000 Palestinian children to become orphans in Gaza (if you think the Palestinians and Hamas caused this to happen, please read this article). There are so many children who are wounded and whose family has been killed 'wounded child, no surviving family - WCNSF' is the initialism that medical workers in Gaza have created to classify these child victims. In at least one case, a Palestinian child in Rafah, Sabreen Jouda, came into the world minutes after her mother and family were killed in an Israeli bombing. Her mother was killed by the Israeli bomb, more than likely a bomb the Biden administration and US politicians from both parties provided, along with her father and four-year-old sister. When first responders learned her mother was 30 weeks' pregnant, they rushed her to a hospital where an emergency cesarean section was performed, bringing Sabreen Jouda into the world, out of the dead body of her mother.

In addition to the above Israeli slaughter children in Gaza, it is estimated that there are at least 4,000 dead children under the rubble.

The ungodly and cruel slaughter Israel is carrying out in Gaza is destroying complete and extended Palestinian families. This eye-opening article explains how one man has had 270 family and extended family members killed by Israel and its US politicians who enable the Jewish state to inflict genocide on the Palestinian people of Gaza.

All the horror and pain Israel has, and is currently, inflicting on the people in Gaza is in line with the Hebrew Bible, what the Christians call the Old Testament. Israeli PM Netanyahu gave a speech to the Israeli army invoking a genocidal passage from their Hebrew Bible in which he said,

"You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible. 1 Samuel 15:3 'Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass'."

The Israeli military is carrying out the Hebrew Bible-based slaughter, sparing no one in Gaza.

Judaism is the original Abrahamic man-made "revealed" religion. Its god is cruel and violent and is of profound influence of all of the Abrahamic "revealed" religions that sprang out of Judaism: Christianity, Islam and Mormonism. In The Age of Reason, The Complete Edition, Thomas Paine made the important observation that "Belief in a cruel god makes a cruel man." Judaism and the other Abrahamic "revealed" religions prove Thomas Paine to be correct time after time.

Imagine how much better the world will be once reason and nature-based Deism overcomes the Abrahamic "revealed" religions. The orders for genocide from an imaginary cruel god and the accompanying belief of people of faith that they are required to fulfill those ungodly orders will be replaced with this enlightened belief expressed by Thomas Paine in The Age of Reason,

"I believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy."
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

What do you do when the thief's position is to "stop the steal"? ("We need to watch the vote. We need to guard the vote. We need to stop the steal.") Yes, of course, I'm thinking about "our" former president. You know, the 78-year-old guy who's been mocking his 81-year-old adversary in the 2024 election campaign as "cognitively impaired" and insisting that President Biden "should take a cognitive test like I did." Of course, having said that, Donald Trump promptly called the White House doctor who gave him that cognitive test he "aced" Ronny Johnson, instead of Ronny Jackson.

Yes, it's true -- and I say this as a nearly 80-year-old myself -- that anyone of any age could do that, but Donald Trump is anything but anyone of any age. We're talking, after all, about the guy who more than once confused Joe Biden and Barack Obama, not to speak of his Republican opponent in the primaries, Nikki Haley, and former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (only to claim that he was being "sarcastic"). Of course, it's true that President Biden has had his own slips and mix-ups, but unlike You Know Who, he hasn't preemptively refused to accept an election loss in 2024. I'm thinking about the candidate who said of the coming election (in the context of his previous loss): "I don't believe they'll be able to do the things that they did the last time. I don't think they'll be able to get away with it," even as he indicated that the country might face a "bloodbath" if he doesn't end up back in the Oval Office.

It could face a bloodbath even if he does. In fact, count on one thing, whoever wins this year, those bump stocks that Trump's Supreme Court approved will only make the all-American future unimaginably bloodier. And one thing is painfully clear, as TomDispatch regular Karen Greenberg, and Julian Zelizer, who have co-edited the soon-to-be-published book Our Nation at Risk: Election Integrity as a National Security Issue, suggest today, our democracy is on the edge of" well, who knows quite what? But let the two of them explore the subject. Tom

An Election in Danger?

The Fragile State of American Democracy

By Julian Zelizer and Karen J. Greenberg

Officials and election experts are now struggling in a big-time way. How, they wonder, can they effectively address mounting threats -- of violence, election denialism, foreign influence, and voter discrimination? Do they run the risk of alarming the public to the point of reducing voter turnout? Are there reasons to assuage fears about either election disinformation or possible election interference in 2024? Standing in Pointe du Hoc, France, to mark the anniversary of D-Day, President Biden told the world that those who fought in that pivotal battle are "asking us to do our job: to protect freedom in our time, to defend democracy." Election security would be a good place to start.

Perhaps one way to assess the question of election stability and security in 2024 is to ask: How different is this election from earlier tumultuous ones in American history?

What, if any, lessons can we draw from the past? Or are we in genuinely uncharted territory today?

In truth, when it comes to presidential elections, this country has faced some frightening moments in its history, ones that touch on a number of the fears that confront us today. We may never have faced the likes of Donald Trump, but we have experienced disputed vote tallies, Supreme Court interference, threats of violence, voting rights restrictions, and a lack of confidence in the process itself.

Contested Elections

Donald Trump has made no bones about it. Should he lose the coming election, he reserves the "right" to refuse to accept the results. In 2020, his denial of the results led to a violent attempt to block Congress from certifying the vote on the following January 6th. To date, any accountability for his past actions has been minimal. Found guilty last month of falsifying business records to conceal election law violations in 2016, he has yet to be sentenced and may well appeal all the way up to a sympathetic Supreme Court. Moreover, he hasn't been tried yet in Georgia and in federal court in Washington, D.C., on significantly more serious criminal charges about ways he and his followers tried to subvert the results of the 2020 election -- and he's unlikely to be before the November elections.

Most Republicans have remained at his side. Indeed, election denialism has become a rallying point rather than a mark of shame. As a result, the former president continues to engage in implied threats to the democratic political process with unwavering partisan support. And were he to disappear from the political scene thanks to a decisive defeat in 2024, others could follow him in exploiting the democratic system for political gain.

While there have been a handful of disputed presidential election results since the country's founding, two stand out. In the election of 1876, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular and electoral vote to Samuel Tilden. The Republicans protested that, in three states, the results were uncertain. To resolve the issue, Congress created a bipartisan panel, including House and Senate representatives and five Supreme Court justices. That panel then granted Hayes all 20 disputed electoral votes, giving him a one-point electoral margin over Tilden, and so making him president. Ultimately, the country found a way forward.

More than a century later, in the 2000 election between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, the results again lay in dispute. Gore had won the popular vote, but the electoral vote was too close to call. All eyes focused on Florida where the results would determine the outcome. Although the Florida Supreme Court ordered a statewide recount, the Supreme Court stopped it and, in doing so, made Bush president.

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New Delhi, India - June 22, 2024: The Indian Investors Federation (IIF), represented by Ms. Rohini Raina, Director of Corporate Relations, held a significant strategic meeting at FORE Academy and Management Institute today from 10 AM to 2 PM. The primary focus of this meeting was to discuss the advancement of mental agility and holistic development programs aimed at enhancing the learning abilities of students and professionals. Purpose of the Meeting Ms. 
Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about a federal investigation of a door plug blowout that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing blatantly violated the agencys investigative regulations as well as a signed agreement by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door plug blowout on a Boeing passenger jet in Portland, Oregon.

During the incident, a panel that plugged a space left for an extra emergency door blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9. Pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injuries.

The NTSB said that on Tuesday during a media briefing, a Boeing executive provided non-public investigative information to the media about the Alaska Airlines incident that the agency had not verified or authorized for release. The NTSB said that Boeing portrayed the NTSBs investigation as a search to find the individual responsible for the door plug work, but the agency said its focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Thursday. Shares of The Boeing Co., based in Arlington, Virginia, were flat before the opening bell.

The NTSB said that given its recent actions, Boeing wont have access to investigative information the agency produces about the Alaska Airlines incident, but it will keep its party status to the investigation.

The NTSB is unable to fine Boeing, as it doesnt have enforcement authority. While the agency could have stripped away Boeings party status, the NTSB may have considered it more important to keep Boeing as a party to the investigation because of its employees expertise.

The NTSB said that it may subpoena any relevant records it requires during the course of the investigation. It also will subpoena Boeing to appear at an investigative hearing in Washington D.C. on Aug. 6 and 7. The agency said that, unlike other parties, Boeing wont be able to ask questions of other participants.

The NTSB said that it will coordinate with the Department of Justices Fraud Division, giving them information about Boeings recent unauthorized investigative information releases related to the 737 Max 9 door plug investigation.

In May the Justice Department told a federal judge that Boeing had violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution after two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft.

After Max jets crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia, killing 346 people, the FAA and other regulators grounded the aircraft worldwide for more than a year and a half.

It is now up to the Justice Department to decide whether to file charges against Boeing. Prosecutors will tell the court no later than July 7 how they plan to proceed, the department said in May.

Boeing has been under intense scrutiny of late. Earlier this month, CEO David Calhoun defended the companys safety record during a contentious Senate hearing, while lawmakers accused him of placing profits over safety, failing to protect whistleblowers, and even getting paid too much.

There has been pressure on Calhoun to resign immediately, but he has no plans to do so. Calhoun previously announced that he will step down by the end of 2024.

-- Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer
The Native American Youth and Family Center on Tuesday celebrated the opening of a shelter designed to support Native families experiencing homelessness.

The Milwaukie shelter  called kwat yaka haws, which means Aunties Place in the Chinook language  can accommodate families of up to seven people in each of the buildings eight bedrooms, which feature private bathrooms and kitchenettes. Hand-painted murals by Native artists line the walls around the buildings communal areas, and the Milwaukie waterfront is only a 10 minute walk from the shelters doors.
Oregonians have their own opinions about which parts of the state are their favorites, choices that vary depending on whether youre looking for scenic beauty, a thriving cultural scene, an urban feel, adventure, recreation, family fun, and more.

So, its sometimes interesting -- and sometimes baffling -- to hear what others outside the state find notable in Oregon. Do we agree with their choices about which beach is best? Which campgrounds are tops? What city is a great travel destination? Maybe. Maybe not.

The latest example of an outside source weighing in on Oregons attributes comes from the HGTV website. A list called 50 of the Most Charming Small Towns in America invites readers to Explore the hidden gems of each state: towns with quaint shops and restaurants, fascinating histories, fun experiences and natural beauty.

Related: Two Oregon towns featured on HGTV list of must-visit movie filming locations

Among the municipalities in other states that make the list are Unalaska, Alaska; Winslow, Arizona (and yes, they mention the towns shout-out in The Eagles song, Take It Easy); Carmel, California; Wallace, Idaho; Kennebunkport, Maine; Nantucket, Massachusetts; Hannibal, Missouri; Whitefish, Montana; Carson City, Nevada; Taos, New Mexico; and La Conner, Washington.

So, which Oregon community made the most charming small towns list? Take a bow, Jacksonville!

The southern Oregon town is described this way on the HGTV list: Historic Jacksonville, Oregon, is in southern Oregons wine country and a gateway to the Applegate Valley Wine Trail. Come in the summer to enjoy the Britt Music & Arts Festival, the Pacific Northwests premier outdoor summer performing arts event, or explore the towns independently owned shops, restaurants and hiking and biking trails year-round. Jacksonville has been called one of Americas 10 coolest small towns.

Want to know more? The Oregonian/OregonLive invites readers to visit the Jacksonville Woodlands, where its easy to let the outside world vanish: busy Interstate 5 just five miles away, even the bustling small town below. A peaceful silence settles over the southern Oregon forest, a place designed for wandering and disappearing into nature.

 Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist

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In what can only be called interesting news: Oregonians apparently are the second-to-last state when it comes to complaining.

Thats one of the main takeaways from a survey by Preply, a tutor website, anyway.

According to a press release, the website surveyed 2,000 Americans about their biggest gripes in life and how they feel about our culture of complaining.

Oregon came in right under Georgia as the state where people complain the least.

If the people of Oregon are complaining less than most people across the country, this cannot be good news for the rest of the country, because people here love to complain. We complain about our cities, our streets, crime, whats opening, whats closing, the weather.

Take, as an example this recent KATU Facebook post asking people to describe Portland in three words. Many of their answers could be described in one word: Complaints.

So, we can only imagine how much complaining is happening in No. 1 most complaining state, Mississippi.

But what does this survey say Oregonians complain about, when they find time in their busy schedule of not complaining to complain? Preply says: Prices.

According to their survey, 100% of Oregonians complain about prices, which tracks, and is the No. 1 thing people across their survey complained about, because of course. Who wants to spend money?

One thing we dont complain about that much is our children. According to the survey, Only 35% of residents complain about their kids.

That, of course, is because Oregons children are perfect. Those 35% are probably complaining about kids they happened to run into at a playground in Washington.

 Lizzy Acker covers life and culture and writes the advice column Why Tho? Reach her at 503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com or @lizzzyacker

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Norske Skog Opens New Thermomechanical Pulp Line at Skogn Mill in Norway

According to Norske Skog, a fossil CO2 reduction of around 80% has been calculated, and the NOx emissions will be reduced by around 40%. According to Norske Skog, a fossil CO2 reduction of around 80% has been calculated, and the NOx emissions will be reduced by around 40%.

June 27, 2024 - Norske Skog on June 25 officially opened a new thermomechanical pulp (TMP) production line at its pulp and paper mill in Skogn, Norway.

Norske Skog first announced the NOK 180 million (USD 18.2 million) TMP line project in January 2023. The company received grant funding of about NOK 40-50 million from the NOx fund.

Key facts about the project:

The new thermomechanical production line (TMP) replaces expensive recycled paper with fresh fibre.

More than 70% of the equipment is second-hand, reducing our carbon footprint with approximately 500 tons of CO2, and major cost savings.

A fossil CO2 reduction of around 80% has been calculated, and the NOx emissions will be reduced by around 40%. The ash reduction is estimated at around 60%.

Havard Busklein, Managing Director at Skogn, said, "As a company, we are concerned about sustainability at every step of the value chain. The vast majority of the equipment is reused from other mills in the industry, which have chosen to close or convert their production. Our skilled employees have seen this opportunity and utilized it to create a very cost-effective project."

Skogn Mill

Norske Skog Skogn is one of the largest newsprint mills in Europe. The mill has three paper machines  PM1, PM2 and PM3  with a combined production capacity of 480,000 tonnes per year of newsprint and improved newsprint.

The NOx Fund

The NOx Fund was established in 2008 by 15 business organizations based on the NOx Agreement with the Norwegian authorities. Through the Agreement, the NOx Fund is to reduce NOx emissions in Norway and contribute to fulfilling Norway's commitments under the Gothenburg Protocol and the EU's emissions directive. The main task of the NOx Fund is to finance concrete NOx reduction measures. The Fund provides financial support to businesses to implement green technology and reduce NOx emissions.

Norske Skog is a leading producer of publication paper with strong market positions and customer relations in Europe and Australasia. The Norske Skog Group operates four mills in Europe, two of which will produce recycled packaging paper following ongoing conversion projects. In addition, the Group operates one paper mill in Australia.

SOURCE: Norske Skog

Read a related article: Norske Skog Skogn to Invest NOK 180 Million in New Thermomechanical Pulp Line - Jan. 27, 2023.
Voith Employee, Christian Schiel, Posthumously Inducted into Paper Industry International Hall of Fame

Michael MacGregor (on the right), a former colleague of Christian Schiel and a co-sponsor of the award nomination, accepts the award posthumously on Schiel's behalf from Dan Clarahan, Atlas Science Center Board of Director President and Paper Industry International Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Michael MacGregor (on the right), a former colleague of Christian Schiel and a co-sponsor of the award nomination, accepts the award posthumously on Schiel's behalf from Dan Clarahan, Atlas Science Center Board of Director President and Paper Industry International Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

June 27, 2024 (Press Release) - On June 19, 2024, Christian Schiel, a former Voith employee, was posthumously inducted into the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame (PIIHOF) in recognition of his many innovative developments that contributed greatly to modern paper machine designs. The award was accepted by Michael MacGregor, a former colleague of Schiel and a co-sponsor of the award nomination, during a presentation at the Wisconsin Paper Council's annual meeting in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Since 1992, the PIIHOF has honored and recognized more than 140 giants in the paper industry from around the world, including Johann Matthaeus Voith and Dr. Herbert Ortner, a former Voith employee.

"During his lifetime, Christian Schiel was an extraordinarily gifted inventor and innovator of papermaking technology," said Ron Crotogino, who is also a previous colleague of Schiel and nominated him for the award. "Seeing his innovations come to life in a production machine was the only reward Christian ever sought. Today's formal induction to the Hall of Fame is an outstanding recognition of the innovations made by this remarkable man."

Schiel built his career by completing a three-year apprenticeship as a millwright, and ultimately earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Oskar von Miller Polytechnikum in Munich, Germany in 1954. He then began working for Voith in Heidenheim, Germany, as a Design and Planning Engineer. During his career, he also spent five years in North America working at the Powell River Company in British Columbia, Canada and the Mead Corporation in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Upon returning to Voith in 1962, Schiel embarked on a productive career centered on pioneering advancements. Throughout most of his career, Schiel was employed as the Chief Development Engineer for papermaking technology at Voith in Heidenheim, Germany.

Over the years, Schiel was named as inventor or co-inventor on 149 U.S. patents and a number of additional patents in other jurisdictions. His most impactful innovations include the fabric press; fabric covered press rolls; the technology to manufacture suitable press sleeves; flexible-nip presses; the technologies for the manufacture of flexible roll sleeves; numerous compact press configurations that took full advantage of new press designs; and a series of forming devices based on the roll-forming concepts for the manufacture of a broad range of paper grades.

"Christian was key in the development of many Voith Paper machine technologies and designs that are in use today," said Rob Crossman, President, Products & Services North America, Voith Paper. "We thank the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame for honoring the life and contributions of a colleague who has made such an important impact on our industry."

Voith Paper, part of the Voith Group, is the full-line supplier to the paper industry, providing a wide range of technologies, services, components and products, and offers paper manufacturers solutions from a single source.

SOURCE: Voith
The Supreme Court admitted that it had unintentionally posted a document online on Wednesday connected to a pending abortion case, which Bloomberg Law acquired a copy before it was erased from the website.

Supreme Court Confirms Briefly Uploading Document Online

Patricia McCabe, the Supreme Court spokeswoman, verified that the document was "inadvertently and briefly uploaded" to the court's website but explained that the ruling has yet to be released.

Bloomberg also shared a copy of the document. However, another source could not specifically confirm it. It is unclear whether it was a draft decision, the actual decision, or neither.

According to Bloomberg, the court has set to allow emergency room doctors in Idaho to execute abortions in certain circumstances and is possibly to dissolve an appeal brought by Idaho officials, permitting a lower court ruling in favor of the Biden administration to be re-established.

Justice Samuel Alito, in a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, argued that the court should not have dismissed the case.

In January, the Supreme Court blocked the lower court ruling and allowed Idaho to enforce its abortion lawfully while agreeing to hear oral arguments. Other provisions of the ban are already in effect and will remain unaffected by the ruling.

The case involves whether a federal law regulating emergency room treatment supersedes Idaho's strict abortion ban. Dismissing the appeal would leave this legal question unresolved.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote separately, stating that the court should have addressed the broader issue, which is likely to arise in another case soon and affect other states with similar abortion restrictions. She expressed that the decision is merely a delay for pregnant patients in Idaho, who remain in a precarious position due to unclear legal requirements for their doctors.

In a separate opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett explained her vote to dismiss the case, citing a "miscalculation" in taking it up before an appeals court had reviewed it. She noted that both sides had altered their legal arguments upon reaching the high court, contributing to the confusion.

Read Also: Tennessee Court Deliberate Over Possibility of Preventing Abortion Ban in Cases of Pregnancy Complications

Idaho's Law Penalizes Healthcare Professionals Who Perform Abortion

Idaho's law enforces criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison, on anyone executing an abortion, and healthcare professionals found in violation can lose their licenses.

The federal government sued, leading a federal judge in August 2022 to block the state from enforcing provisions under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which mandates appropriate emergency room care, including abortions in certain situations where a woman's health is at risk.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue rulings on Thursday and Friday as it concludes its current term, with the abortion case being one of 12 argued cases yet to be decided.

Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson said the Supreme Court missed the chance to affirm EMTALA's protection of emergency abortions nationwide.

The early posting is a notable error for the Supreme Court, which has increased security around opinion drafting and releases since a 2022 leak of Justice Samuel Alito's pivotal opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, overturning Roe v. Wade.
The mom of an 11-year-old girl, who has been missing since 2022, has now been determined as a suspect in her daughter's vanishing.

11-Year-Old Girl Missing Since 2022

Authorities record that Madalina Cojocari was last seen on November 21, 2022, when she disembarked from her school bus in Cornelius, North Carolina. Although her parents proclaimed her missing on December 15, they alleged she had been lost since November 23, according to a police record.

Earlier this week, the Cornelius Police Department declared in a Facebook post that Diana Cojocari, the girl's mom, "is considered a suspect" in the lawsuit. The police did not give details on why she was named a suspect and did not answer a request for comment.

Diana Cojocari was discharged from jail last month after serving almost 18 months for declining to inform that her daughter was missing. Cojocari, who is in the U.S. on a green card, might be expelled back to Moldova.

Christopher Palmiter, her husband, was also liable for not informing his stepdaughter's vanishing and obtained a 30-month supervised trial penalty. The police highlighted their pledge to locate Madalina, compelling the public to share her photo and give any beneficial data.

Shortly after the girl was recorded missing, police declared that her mom and stepfather "clearly" knew more than they were revealing. Capt. Jennifer Thompson declared in a video at the time that this is an important case involving a child whose parents are keeping back data from us.

Police had previously mentioned that Madalina's school attempted to contact Diana Cojocari multiple times between November 23 and December 15, the day she reported her daughter missing.

Mother Delays Reporting Disapperance of 11-Year-Old Daughter

Diana Cojocari informed the police that she last saw her daughter going to bed on November 23. On that same night, she and her husband argued, and the following day, Palmiter drove to Michigan.

She claimed she discovered her daughter missing around 11:30 a.m. on November 24 but waited until Palmiter returned on November 26 to ask if he knew her whereabouts. According to the arrest report, upon his return, Palmiter inquired about Madalina's whereabouts from Cojocari.

Police questioned Diana about the delay in reporting her daughter missing, to which she responded that she feared it might cause a conflict with Christopher, as noted in the arrest sheet.

The arrest record also noted that Chris and Diana talked about Madalina's location several times over the following three weeks but did not reach out to the authorities.

Before Madalina vanished, her mom asked relative assistance to leave their residence, citing a bothered relationship with her husband and a desire for a divorce, according to a search warrant in March 2023.

In December, officers searched the family's house, taking over two dozen items, including three cell phones. Additional items taken during the search were redacted from the inventory document.

Authorities declared that Madalina was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes, and a white T-shirt and jacket. The FBI defined her as standing 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 90 pounds. A photo issued to the public shows her smiling and wearing a shirt that reads, "I can change the world with love."
A Southern California woman, Nicole Elizabeth Virzi, is now facing charges in a Pittsburgh child homicide case. Virzi, 29, a Ph.D. student, has been condemned for killing the infant baby of her close friend and abusing the twin brother of the child.

The Ph.D. student is now facing multiple charges, including irritated assault, charges for homicide, and additional counts of venting the welfare of a child.

Southern California Woman Charged With Newborn's Death

After the incident happened, police officers in Pittsburgh presently made an arrest on Virzi on June 16 at the apartment where the parents of the injured newborn babies, Savannah Roberts and Ethan Katz, lived.

The Southern California woman is a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at San Diego State University and UC San Diego and was arrested roughly 4.5 miles northeast of downtown Pittsburgh.

Virzi reportedly called 911 on June 15 around 11:15 p.m. to report that a six-and-a-half-week-old baby she was watching had fallen from a bassinet and was getting unresponsive.

First responders instantly arrived on the scene and transported the baby, Leon Katz, to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children's Hospital. Unfortunately, Leon Katz was pronounced dead the next day, just before 5:50 a.m.

During the inquiry, investigators discovered that before Leon was injured, his parents had taken his twin brother to the hospital after Virzi informed them of injuries to the baby's genitals.

According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner learned that Leon suffered a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds.

Dr. Arlel Goldschmidt of the Medical Examiner's Office subsequently performed a primary autopsy, determining that Leon's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and ruling it a homicide.

Jail records indicate that Virzi is presently held without bond and is listed for a primary hearing on July 24 in the Magisterial District Court in Pittsburgh.

Support for the Newborn Victims' Parents

David Schrager, Virzi's counsel, described her as a longtime friend of the family who had traveled from California to visit the parents before her arrest. He stated that his client denies any serious allegations or any intention that she was involved in harming the newborn babies in any way.

Schrager added that Virzi has no unlawful history and is studying Ph.D. He added that both parties have known each other for at least five years and that she was a longtime friend of the family.

An online fundraiser created by Isabella Kahhale and Sam Plateto to support the family referred to Virzi as a "trusted family friend."

As of Tuesday, the fundraiser had raised over $66,000 in donations. The authors wrote that Ethan and Savannah are facing significant monetary burdens on top of managing the insufferable loss of their cherished son, Leon.

The finances gathered will be used to cover the cost of medical bills resulting from injuries sustained by both Leon and Ari, burial costs, and relocation costs as they navigate this tough time.

Background and Broader Implications

A video posted by the Heart and Mind academic journal on June 13, just days before the incident, shows Virzi explaining a paper she authored on depression in women. In the videotape, she appears well-spoken and discusses how physical symptoms of depression can lead to heart disease.

Virzi, who's described on her UC San Diego profile as a someone studying under the mentorship of Professor Thomas Rutledge, now faces severe allegations that have shocked the community and raised questions about her conduct and background.

As this case unfolds, the parents of Leon and Ari are left to grapple with an unbelievable tragedy on what was meant to be a joyful occasion, Father's Day and their wedding anniversary.
A San Diego judge has ruled in favor of the family with children who were wrongfully detained at the U.S. border for hours.

The children and their families are being awarded compensation totaling over $1.5 million for the damages, emotional torture, and trauma the children acquired during the unjust questioning by border officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Family Awarded $1.5M for Wrongful Detention

In a corner decision, U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel established that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CCBP) officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry falsely judged a 9-year-old girl for 34 hours and her 14-year-old family for 14 hours.

The siblings, both U.S. citizens, were detained while trying to cross the border from Mexico to attend an academy in San Ysidro, California. Judge Curiel ruled that the detention of the siblings violated the Fourth Amendment rights, which protects against senseless searches and confiscations.

The court awarded 1.1 million to the sister, 175,000 to the brother, and 250,000 to their mother, Thelma Medina, for false imprisonment, purposeful infliction of emotional torture, and negligence. The family filed their suit in 2022, seeking justice for the trauma they endured.

Wrongful Detention of Siblings at the US Border

On March 18, 2019, the siblings were stopped by CBP officers at the San Ysidro border crossing due to a perceived disagreement in the family's passport card photo.

The officers claimed to see a mole in the print that was not present on the girl in person. This led to a secondary examination where the family gave an incorrect answer about their former crossings, pressing officers to detain them further.

During the detention, the family was pressured to admit she was someone else, allegedly a cousin.

Despite the U.S. government's claim that the brother had mistakenly identified his sister as the cousin, Judge Curiel rejected this explanation, doubting that the youthful girl would falsely confess under similar circumstances.

The judge emphasized that detaining the children without proper inquiry while their mother and godmother were trying to reach them was unreasonable.

While her children were in guardianship, Medina made hopeless attempts to get answers from CBP, indeed reaching local police and the Mexican Consulate. Her daughter's time in custody was marked by fear and confusion, resulting in night terrors and the need for remedies after her release.

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Judicial Implications on Violation of Constitutional Rights

Judge Curiel's ruling condemned the CBP's conduct as "extreme and outrageous," pressing the agency's failure to consider the probable consequences of detaining young children for similar extended periods.

The ruling underscored the significance of upholding constitutional rights, even in border security operations.

Medina expressed gratitude to Judge Curiel for admitting the injustice her children faced. Her attorney, Joe McMullen, criticized CBP leadership for not taking corrective measures following the incident. He stressed that no other child should receive parallel treatment.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land crossing between the U.S. and Mexico, processes roughly 70,000 vehicle passengers and 20,000 pedestrians northbound daily.

This case highlights the need for responsibility and reform in border enforcement practices to help prevent future violations of civil liberties.
Paris Hilton, a famed celebrity and advocate, returned to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee, passionately advocating for the modernization of America's foster care system.

Sharing her own personal experience, Hilton spoke of her traumatic youth in domestic establishments, emphasizing wide issues of abuse and neglect within the system.

Paris Hilton Testifies Before Congress on Foster Care Abuse

Paris Hilton addressed Congress on Wednesday regarding the severe treatment she and other children endured in foster care installations, following a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that stressed wide failures in tracking similar abuses.

Hilton emphasized to members of the House Ways and Means Committee that she is speaking on behalf of children whose voices are frequently unheard. She added that the maltreatment these children have faced is nothing short of unlawful.

According to the report, nearly 50,000 children live in foster care establishments across the country, yet numerous states fail to cover cases of multiple abuses occurring within the same facility. The HHS inspector general's office found significant gaps in data collection, hindering efforts to identify patterns of maltreatment in domestic settings.

Reflecting on her own traumatic journey, Hilton reported being forcefully removed from her home at the age of 16 and placed in four different domestic treatment facilities.

During her congressional address, she stated that these programs and facilities for troubled youth promised mending, growth, and support. But rather, in her experience, she was denied basic freedoms, silenced and confined from even looking out a window for two years.

She added that she was subjected to forced medications and sexual abuse by staff members and revealed having endured violent conditions, being dragged down corridors, stripped of clothing, and confined to isolation.

Hilton also blamed the foster care system's lack of transparency, pointing out how her parents were misled about the deplorable conditions she faced under the guise of therapeutic care.

The inspector general's report exposed that at least 32 states don't document abuses occurring in out-of-state facilities, even when these facilities are contracted through companies entering government funding. This disclosure echoes findings from a recent Senate Finance Committee disquisition, which exposed systemic abuse within foster care establishments operated by large, for-profit businesses.

Hilton prompted lawmakers to imagine the plight of children placed by the state without regular oversight, emphasizing the critical need for responsibility and reform in the $23 billion foster care industry.

Advocacy and Legislative Efforts for Child Welfare Modernization Reform

Across the United States, taxpayers allocate billions annually to support foster care programs, placing thousands of children either with families in homes or with relatives.

Recently, federal attention has concentrated on the most costly segment of this system, residential treatment facilities, where daily costs can soar into the hundreds of dollars.

These establishments generally cater to children with complex medical or behavioral needs, yet their operations, as Paris Hilton stressed, frequently warrant effective oversight, raising concerns about prioritizing financial gain over the well-being of foster youth.

Hilton, who recently became a mother to two children, Phoenix and London, with husband Carter Reum, emphasized her commitment to championing for children whose voices go unheard in the system. Her testimony serves as a poignant call to action, championing stricter regulations and enhanced protections to assure the safety and well-being of all children in foster care.

Paris Hilton's plea before the congressional commission emphasized her personal stake in ensuring the safety and welfare of all children, reflecting her growing influence as a prominent advocate for child safety in Hollywood.
I was mightily unhappy, almost physically ill in fact, when I first came across this story:

I have always deeply disliked Hugh Grant as an actor. Even when Ive liked a movie in which he starred, Ive had to like it in spite of his being in it. And, based purely on one old news story involving him, I dont especially admire him as a person. I doubt that Heretic is going to cause me like him more.

I find the very idea of Heretic viscerally upsetting. But will the film give deranged people deranged ideas? Will it make missionary service, especially for sister missionaries, more dangerous? I dont know. I hope not, but I suppose thats a possibility. Its certainly imaginable.

Today, I read through Elder Jeffrey R. Hollands remarks at the most recent general conference of the Church, back in April 2024. (See Motions of a Hidden Fire.) This passage once again struck me with great power:

Another experience began 48 hours after my wifes burial. At that time, I was rushed to the hospital in an acute medical crisis. I then spent the first four weeks of a six-week stay in and out of intensive care and in and out of consciousness. Virtually all my experience in the hospital during that first period is lost to my memory. What is not lost is my memory of a journey outside the hospital, out to what seemed the edge of eternity. I cannot speak fully of that experience here, but I can say that part of what I received was an admonition to return to my ministry with more urgency, more consecration, more focus on the Savior, more faith in His word. I couldnt help but feel I was receiving my own personal version of a revelation given to the Twelve nearly 200 years ago: Thou shalt bear record of my name  [and] send forth my word unto the ends of the earth.   Morning by morning; and day after day let thy warning voice go forth; and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thy speech.  Arise[,]  take up your cross, [and] follow me. My beloved sisters and brothers, since that experience, I have tried to take up my cross more earnestly, with more resolve to find where I can raise an apostolic voice of both warmth and warning in the morning, during the day, and into the night.

That is a remarkable account. It reminds me of an earlier testimony from the late Elder David B. Haight (1906-2004), also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I cite here only the introduction to the story, which is well worth reading in its entirety:

The evening of my health crisis, I knew something very serious had happened to me. Events happened so swiftlythe pain striking with such intensity, my dear Ruby phoning the doctor and our family, and I on my knees leaning over the bathtub for support and some comfort and hoped relief from the pain. I was pleading to my Heavenly Father to spare my life a while longer to give me a little more time to do His work, if it was His will. While still praying, I began to lose consciousness. The siren of the paramedic truck was the last that I remembered before unconsciousness overtook me, which would last for the next several days. The terrible pain and commotion of people ceased. I was now in a calm, peaceful setting; all was serene and quiet. I was conscious of two persons in the distance on a hillside, one standing on a higher level than the other. Detailed features were not discernible. The person on the higher level was pointing to something I could not see. I heard no voices but was conscious of being in a holy presence and atmosphere. During the hours and days that followed, there was impressed again and again upon my mind the eternal mission and exalted position of the Son of Man. I witness to you that He is Jesus the Christ; the Son of God; Savior to all; Redeemer of all mankind; Bestower of infinite love, mercy, and forgiveness; the Light and Life of the World. I knew this truth beforeI had never doubted nor wondered. But now I knew, because of the impressions of the Spirit upon my heart and soul, these divine truths in a most unusual way. I was shown a panoramic view of His earthly ministry . . .

Finally, I close with a few chilling specimens that Ive extracted from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File. Read them at your own risk:

Podcast: The Relief Society General Presidency on the Blessings of the Global Initiative for Women and Children: The Relief Society General Presidency talks about providing the Saviors relief through maternal and newborn care, child nutrition efforts, immunizations and education

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Church of Jesus Christ Transforms Orphanage in Cote dIvoire: Elder Alfred Kyungu presents new and renovated buildings to the Yopougon Attie Nursery

After the Storms: Latter-day Saints Aid Recovery Efforts in 2 U.S. Communities: A month after tornadoes caused destruction and devastation, communities in Texas and Missouri have rallied through selfless service

Sisters Yee, Browning and Spannaus address public health and minister to Saints in Mexico: Church leaders meet with the Mexican Diabetes Association and visit members in Guadalajara
In the new Kevin Costner epic western Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One, settlers in the late 1800s travel westward to find new homes and opportunities. Through the treacherous journey, they also face grief and despair along with community and connection. Two characters, Frances Kittredge (Sienna Miller) and First Lt. Trent Gephardt (Sam Worthington) try to move forward after experiencing an immeasurable loss.

In a recent interview with Reel Faith, Miller and Worthington talk about the making of Horizon and what they feel is the motivation behind their characters, Frances and Trent.

Because Horizon is being told over four movies, you have this long to build this journey for these two. In a normal movie, it would be sped up. But now were just starting to see the closeness of these two. When you read the script, was there any trepidation in signing up for something that you didnt know how long of a commitment there would be?

Sienna Miller: Well, initially, it was going to be shot back-to-back and then the strike happened, and then all sorts of other interferences. So, its gone on longer than it was originally scheduled to do. But I think if Kevin Costner calls you to be in a western you do it, you know, hes a master of that genre. I am a child of the 90s. So just even being in his orbit is still completely exciting. And, and to see a landscape thats so far and totally unfamiliar to me to be in this on these sets with these costumes and other actors work with the amazing Sam Worthington. Every ingredient was there.

Sam, I wanted to ask you, and portraying somebody who is law and order, at a time when there is really very limited law and orderwhat do you feel about your character? What did you take away from him when you read him? And when you stepped into his shoes? What drives him?

Sam Worthington: I think all the characters are searching for something, His role is authority. But I dont think they had any idea what those what was happening (in the new frontier). I think thats the great part of the character is that he doesnt really understand this frontier war, he would much prefer to be back fighting in the Civil War, of all things. So, he looks to the settlers and finds a kinship with these characters that might give them some ease and some peace.

Sienna, your story, which propels the movie in the very beginning really provides the gravity for it. What did you think when you read and stepped into her shoes?

Sienna Miller: Well, I remember that the hook for me was that scene in the tunnel with my daughter, and the resourcefulness of how she keeps them both alive. And I found that so moving. When I read it, I was like, I just have to do that scene. You know, shes really formidable and courageous. And yeah, it was. It was a pleasure.

Where does she get hope from after suffering a trauma like that? She is resilient. Do you think its because of her daughter? Is she pressing on for her sake?

Sienna Miller: Yeah, I think she has something to live for. Of course, that makes sense as being a mother myself. I think without her daughter, she probably would have given up. But shes made this journey across America, shes stuck. She has to make the best of it. I think everybody in that time, there was very little time for reflection and looking back, and what if. So, I admired that in her.

What do you think audiences take from this movie? Its very entertaining. Its beautifully shot. I mean its like postcards, so many of the scenes, but what will they take away other than just being entertained? Are there lessons? Maybe understanding each other?

Sam Worthington: Yeah, I think Costner, what hes trying to do is not set out and make a traditional western in the sense of gunfights and black hat, white hat, but one that has nuance of behavior of who we are. I think hes examining this formation of America, through this story, where people are struggling, and at the end of the day, hoping that things work out. I think thats something that we can question all the time, but living in America is a struggle with where we are heading towards and hopefully were heading in the right direction.

Well, with both of you not being not having this Americana background, was it fun to step into that?

Sienna Miller: For me, just dissecting how this country became what it became in such a short span of time and what were the origins of that? The American we know today? Thats fascinating. Its something I hadnt thought enough about. And yeah, I grew up watching westerns. For me, that was a Hollywood movie. So, to be on those sets and playing that character was really a dream realized.

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter One, written and directed by and starring Kevin Costner and starring Costner, Miller, Worthington, Abbey Lee, Luke Wilson, Will Patton, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Furhman, Jena Malone, and Michael Rooker, releases June 28 and from New Line Cinema and Territory Pictures.

Watch the interview with DeWayne Hamby, Sienna Miller, and Sam Worthington below.
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Following the outrage at how Nana Boakye, a student at Christian Service University College, was brutally assaulted by individuals identified as thugs affiliated with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has condemned the incident.



The attack occurred during a speech by former President John Dramani Mahama, when Boakye retorted, "Mahama will lose," in response to remarks directed at Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.



After this incident, Richard Ahiagbah visited Nana Boakye on the morning of Saturday, June 22, 2024, to express his support and has since condemned the attack on the young man.



Speaking on the matter, Ahiagbah highlighted the gravity of the situation, emphasizing that no Ghanaian should suffer such unprovoked and lawless abuse for exercising their right to free speech.



"It is absolutely unacceptable for anyone to be assaulted for merely expressing their opinion.



"Nana Boakye did nothing wrong by disagreeing with former President Mahama. The attempt by the Ashanti NDC to downplay this issue is equally troubling," he said.



Ahiagbah's remarks reflect the broader sentiments within the NPP and among some Ghanaians who are appalled by the incident.



The NPP director of communications further called for immediate action from law enforcement authorities, criticizing the police for their inaction in apprehending the perpetrators.



"It is deeply troubling that the police have not taken action to arrest those responsible for this vicious assault on Nana Boakye. We demand justice for him and a thorough investigation into this matter," he added.



The attack on Nana Boakye has raised serious concerns about political intolerance and the safety of individuals who choose to voice dissenting opinions.



The National Communications Director of the NPP, Richard Ahiagbah, is, therefore, urging the government and relevant authorities to ensure the protection of free speech and to hold those responsible for such acts of violence accountable.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The sod has been cut for the reconstruction of the one-kilometre Nima-Paloma drain under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project.



The project spans the Ring Road, through Asylum Down, Adabraka to Odawna into the main Odaw drain. The closed drain, which will be 10 metres in width and three metres in depth, is expected to be constructed over an 18-month period to improve its water carrying capacity.



A Ghanaian company, Arako Construction Ltd, is executing the project which forms part of efforts to mitigate the impact of perennial flooding in Accra.



Sod-cutting

The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, cut the sod for commencement of work in Accra yesterday. Present were the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Dr Prince Hamid Armah; the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, and the Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey, Dr Zanetor Rawlings.





Others included the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Hydrological Authority, Dr John Kissi; the Municipal Chief Executive of Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, Samuel James Nii Adjei Tawiah, and the Adabraka Atukpai Mantse, Nii Tetteh Adjabeng II.



Due diligence

The Coordinator of the GARID project, Dr Kwadwo Ohene Sarfoh, explained to the Daily Graphic that after construction, there would be a year for defects liability. On the cost of the project, he said we looked at it at the evaluation and we were able to get value for money.



There were certain pre-requisites to be met, including payment of compensation to affected persons and businesses; contestations had to be dealt with; environmental and social management had to be dealt with so that the contractor can develop an environmental management plan, he said.



Cooperation

Mr Oppong Nkumah urged all persons living in communities along the project area to cooperate with the contractors and also desist from dumping solid waste into drains.



The state cannot be spending so much on infrastructure, only for it to be undermined by bad behaviour, he added. The minister urged metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to strictly enforce building and sanitation regulations to help curb flooding.



For his part, Mr Titus-Glover also directed MMDAs to descend heavily on persons who continue to flout sanitation laws and building regulations despite sensitisation and prior warnings.



The MMDas must crack the whip on persons who continue to dump solid waste indiscriminately into drains, he said.

Source: graphiconline.com









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Atik Mohammed has criticised the founder and leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen for trying to recuse himself from the failure of the NPP government to stabilize the economy when he was the Trade Minister.



Atik Mohammeds comment comes on the wheels of a recent lecture given by the Independent candidate for the Movement for Change (M4C), Alan Kyerematen where he had said that the two major political parties, New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have exhausted their competencies and capabilities and should not be returned to power.



According to Alan Kyerematen, both parties have had the opportunity to govern the country for the last thirty-two (32) years and have yet to demonstrate, either through words or actions, what sustainable plans they have for Ghana in the near future.



During the unveiling of the Great Transformation Plan (GTP), Alan Kyerematen said, "the GTP is a blueprint to Ghanas economic transformation and outlines robust policy prescriptions and practical steps towards building an enterprise economy in the country."



He further stated that among other things, the GTP is to build a prosperous, united and peaceful Ghana that provides equal opportunities for all, particularly young people, women and other vulnerable groups to realise their full potential and improve their livelihoods and general wellbeing, as demanded by the 1992 constitution.



However, Atik Mohammed argued that, if Alan Kyerematen had all the ideas and plans he believes he has, what then stopped him from sharing it with President Akufo-Addo when he was serving as the Trades and Industry Minister for seven years.



Speaking on Tuesday, June 25th's edition of Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' Morning Show, Atik Mohammed said, Afrafranto is trying to poach smaller political parties to join the movement but I think there is a great deal of inertia that ought to be broken. The campaign is not moving as it is anticipated. If he claims to have a big plan for Ghana, where was the plan when he was the Trades and Industry Minister?



He can give the excuse that the President wasnt listening but Im yet to be told that he shared that big plan with President Akufo-Addo but the President did not listen to him. If you had a big plan, did you have to wait till you become the leader for the Movement for Change before you tell us you have a big plan, he argued.



Atik Mohammed further stated that, there is no way Alan Kyerematen can completely divorce himself from the crisis of the NPP government.



Try hard as he may, he talks as though he was never a part of the government, meanwhile you were the Trades and Industry Minister for seven years. He cant completely say that he was unaware of the crisis the government has plunged the country into. He was already at the centre of it."







Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Audio Attachment: Listen to both the Majority and Minority sides in parliament

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has clarified that, there is no such thing as a Free SHS bill before Parliament, hence the allegations from the Majority Caucus that the Minority is opposed to the bill cannot be accurate.



The Minority Leader thus asserted that the caucus is willing and ever ready to support any legislation that will seek to improve and sustain the Free Senior High School policy.



At a press conference on Wednesday, the Member of Parliament for Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam in the Central region stated, We are here to address a major desperation on the ruling NPP and the members of Parliament working for the government, particularly the majority leader. In the last few days, the majority leader is on record to have accused the NDC minority of not supporting the Free SHS bill. Let me put on record that there is no such bill before Parliament.



He said, We are hearing from him, for the first time, that the government is considering a bill to be presented to Parliament called the Free SHS bill. As we speak, there is no bill. It is important for us to reiterate that we cannot oppose a bill we have not seen. We have not said anywhere that we are going to oppose such a bill. We are rather urging the NPP to hurry up in presenting such a bill to Parliament.



Dr. Ato Forson assured Ghanaians and the general public that, the NDC has never said it is against the Free SHS policy, but quickly added that, what the NDC have always wanted is a review to address the challenges associated with the policy.



In fact, if there is anybody in this country who is on record to have said that he does not believe in the Free SHS law, it is rather Dr. Bawumia. He is on record to have said that there is no need for a law or bill to regulate Free SHS, not the NDC," Dr. Ato Forson emphasized.









Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com









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Former Minister for Central Region, Kwamena Duncan has cautioned Ghanaians against re-electing former President John Dramani Mahama during the December presidential elections.



Mr. John Mahama and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are said to be the two favorite candidates, one of which will win the election.



However, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, founder of Movement for Change and New Force leader, Nana Kwame Bediako a.k.a IamFreedom among others are contesting as independent candidates.



As Ghanaians gear up for the December 7 polls, Kwamena is reminding them of Mr. Mahama's track record, listing his poor performance under his regime and admonished the populace not to dig up their past.



"We saw the past. We can't go back to the past. The past holds nothing for us", he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show.



Kwamena appealed to the electorates to make a wise decision by voting massively for Dr. Bawumia stressing "Bawumia represents the future; the bold solutions for this country".

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghana's Member of Parliament for the Odododiodioo Constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye has described as horrible the anti-tax protest in Kenya.



According to him, even the Kenyan military could not calm the protestors that invaded the premises of the National Assembly in the capital, Nairobi.



Nii Lante Vanderpuye was part of a five-member Ghanaian delegation that was visiting the Kenyan lawmaking chamber when the violence led by young Kenyans broke out.



A viral video showed when the police led Nii Lante Vanderpuye and other MPs to a bunker in the Kenyan parliament.



"It was horrible to see, it got to a time when the policemen were running away. The youth virtually overrun the police, broke Parliament house gates, burnt two police vehicles, they were throwing their canisters at the policemen, the soldiers came in, the soldiers couldn't stop them," Nii Lante Vanderpuye said on Accra-based TV3.



Protesters on Tuesday breached Kenyas parliament and set portions of the House on fire following the approval of a controversial tax bill by the Senate.



President William Ruto on Wednesday announced his decision to reject the bill and have it sent back to parliament for reconsideration.







Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman/Peacefmonline.com









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The New Jersey mother accused of drowning her daughters, ages 1 and 3, told investigators she needed to kill the children for religious purposes after having concerning thoughts in the days leading up to the Tuesday night attacks that included stabbing one of the girls in the stomach, authorities said.

The details in the case against Naomi Elkins, 27, were revealed in an affidavit of probable cause filed by detectives in support of murder and weapons charges. Elkins remains held at the Ocean County jail ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for Monday.

Her attorney, Mitch Ansell, couldnt be immediately reached Thursday. His office said Wednesday night, We dont have a formal statement to release at this time.

Elkins, who works at a daycare in Lakewood, told investigators she had been having concerning thoughts for a couple of days, authorities said in court documents. She took her children to work with her on Monday, and spent that night praying about the thoughts, authorities said.

Elkins took the girls, whose names are redacted in court documents, to the daycare center again on Tuesday while she worked and then returned to her Lakewood apartment, authorities said.

She said that once she was home, she believed that she needed to kill the children for religious purposes, detectives wrote in court documents.

Elkins told investigators she used a serrated knife to stab the 1-year-old girl in the stomach and back before she placed the child on a couch while she ran a bath, authorities said. Elkins then brought the 1-year-old to the bathroom where she held the girls head under the water for two to three minutes, authorities said.

As Elkins drowned her younger daughter, her 3-year-old ran into the bathroom because she was scared, authorities said.

Elkins then turned on the bathtub in another bathroom, took her 3-year-old into that bathroom and held her head under the water, counting to 50 multiple times to ensure the girl had drowned, authorities said.

Elkins then called Hatzolah Medical Services, a private religious ambulance service that serves Lakewood, at 4:51 p.m. to report that she had harmed her children, authorities said. She had mistakenly called a Hatzolah office in Brooklyn at first, but was connected to the local office in Lakewood, authorities said.

Medics called police and performed CPR on the girls, but both were pronounced dead at the scene minutes later, authorities said

The knife was found in a bathroom sink, authorities said.

Elkins 40-year-old husband left for business in Virginia on May 24 and was not home at the time of his daughters deaths, authorities said.

While investigators interviewed Elkins, one asked her if she wanted to write a letter to her children. Elkins agreed and referenced killing the children in the letter.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com
Actor and comedian Jay Johnston, who is best known as the voice of the villainous Jimmy Pesto Sr. on the long-running animated sitcom Bobs Burgers, is expected to plead guilty for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Captiol.

Johnston is expected to change his plea from not guilty to guilty during a plea agreement hearing scheduled for July 8, according to The Daily Beast.

Johnston is facing four counts, including felony obstruction of officers in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection, and knowingly entering a restricted building unlawfully and impeding passage through, or within, Capitol grounds or any Capitol buildings.

Johnston was arrested in March 2021 after the FBI tweeted a photo asking for information on his identity.

Video footage reportedly shows Johnston pushing against police and helping rioters who were attacking officers guarding an entrance to the Capitol. Johnston is shown holding a stolen police shield over his head and passing it to other rioters during the Jan. 6 attack.

After Johnston was identified, he was banned from Bobs Burgers.

In addition to Bobs Burgers, Johnston has also had roles in Mr. Show with Bob and David, Arrested Development, and Anchorman.
Who knew Kevin Costner was this close to rubbing shoulders with the Peoples Princess.

According to the former Yellowstone actor, Costner and Princess Diana were almost paired together for an on-screen romance but it never came to fruition.

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the Oscar winner said a sequel to his 1992 movie The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston was in the works, but with Princess Diana taking up the role as his co-star.

But unfortunately, the princess died in a tragic car accident in Paris, France, the summer of 1997 at the age of 36, forcing the movie to be shelved.

I could not replace Princess Di, he said.

Right after, things went downhill with the royal family.

It got kind of ugly, Costner said. When Diana passed, about a year later it had leaked out that I was prepping Bodyguard 2 with her.

And what happened was, the royal family kind of turned on me a little bit, he continued. Like, No, thats not true. And it got actually kind of ugly. And I let it go for a while. It just got uglier and uglier.

As it turns out, the now 68-year-old actor reached out to the Dutchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, for advice on how to handle the tricky situation. At the time, Ferguson had just gotten a divorce from Prince Andrew.

Her advice to Costner was to just let it go, but that didnt stop the actor from eventually speaking with the family.

Finally I called up Sarah and said, Sarah, you need to tell me who is leading the charge there on this thing. She goes, No, no, no, Kev, you dont want to talk to them. I said, Yes, I do. I called them up and I said, Im telling you something, you need to stop, because it is true. And if you dont stop, Im gonna start. Because it was, Costner recalled.

When Costner was in talks to make the sequel to the classic film, Princess Diana had just separated from her former husband Prince Charles, now King Charles, at the time.

Costner revealed that it was indeed Ferguson who initially connected him with the princess for the movie and recalled when he reached out to her to tell her about the role.

What had happened was, I started talking to her through Sarah, and I said, Look, Im gonna do Bodyguard 2 and I think I can build this around you. Would you be interested? he explained to Diana. And she goes, Yes. My lifes about to change. I didnt really go into depth with it, but I thought I understood what she was saying.

She was very sweet and we talked. The second time we talked she said, Is there going to be a kissing scene? I said, Do you want there to be one? She said, Yeah, and I said, Then well do that. I wasnt going to make the full romance about her. But there was going to be a moment that we did. And she was so sweet about this, he added.

Much later, the actor found out that Diana actually had a crush on him during that time. In an interview with People, Costner shared that Prince William told him about how his late mother felt during a meeting some years ago.

We met in this room, and it was just us, Costner explained to People. He walked up, and we shook hands...The first line out of his mouth was, You know, my mom kind of fancied you.
It was a big day for The Young & The Restless Joshua Morrow and his lifelong fans as the beloved soap star celebrated 30 years as character Nick Newman on the CBS soap opera on June 21.

After being played by twins and child actors, Nick Newman was rapidly aged in 1994 when the character returned home from boarding school as a teenager. Thats when Morrow took over the role from John Nelson-Alden as Victor Newman and Nikkis son.

So far, Morrow has received five Daytime Emmy Award nominations.

Fridays episode paid tribute to the actor by showcasing his impact on the show.

Morrow, who isnt incredibly active on social media but posts from time to time, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and sent a special, heartfelt message to his undying fan base.

I just wanted to throw a big thanks for the outpouring of support and love from my 30th! he wrote to fans. Its been truly a magical ride and my deep appreciation for you guys is massive. Thanks for sticking with me and your boy, Nick. I love playing him, and its been an incredible honor!

Morrow is a father to three sons and a daughter shared with his wife Tobe, whom he married in 2001. Recently, his son Crew was announced to play Will Spencer on Y&Rs sister soap, The Bold and The Beautiful.

The character Katie Logan, played by Heather Tom, played Morrows onscreen sister Victoria Newman for years on Y&R.
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) wildlife staff during July will provide free guided tours of the only population of the rare regal fritillary butterfly in the eastern United States at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County.

Reservations are required and attendance is limited, according to a release.

All attendees, including children, must register online at www.ftig.isportsman.net/ButterflyTours.aspx and obtain a free permit. To attend a tour, you must present a permit for that specific date and time slot.

Guided tours will be offered, rain or shine, on July 4, 5, 6 and 7. No rain dates will be provided.

These tours allow the public to see this rare butterfly and its grassland habitat on military training ranges, as well as the many other natural wonders on the 17,000-acre military installation, Robert Hepner, DMVA Director for Facilities and Engineering. said. Staff will also highlight a variety of animals and plants found at Fort Indiantown Gap and how the military presence on the installation is vital to the persistence of these species and their ecosystems.

Attendees will be required to travel from the meeting location to the tour location in their personal vehicles. Tours will last approximately one hour plus driving time. Meeting location and parking information will be provided after obtaining a permit.

Visitors of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend. Tours will be on foot on gravel roads and mowed paths. Those attending are asked to bring drinking water and wear appropriate clothing and footwear for uneven terrain.

Wandering off the path, into the fields, or away from your tour guide is prohibited. There will be little or no shade on the tour route.



Like many military installations, Fort Indiantown Gap is home to a diverse population of plants and animals, many of which are rare and considered species of conservation concern. It is home to 49 species of mammals, 143 species of breeding birds, 37 species of reptiles and amphibians, 35 species of fish, more than 800 species of plants, and many notable species of invertebrates including 86 species of butterflies and more than 500 species of moths.

They are supported by an assortment of high-quality habitats, including rare early successional ecosystems such as grasslands, thickets, shrublands, and young forests that were created and maintained from disturbances caused by military training, fires, and conservation efforts.

The installation is home to 1,000 acres of scrub oak and pitch pine barrens and approximately 2,200 acres of native grassland habitat  the largest in the state.

Fort Indiantown Gap, which serves as headquarters to the DMVA and the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG), is the only live-fire, maneuver military training facility in Pennsylvania.

The 17,000-acre installation balances one of the regions most ecologically diverse areas with a military mission that annually supports nearly 18,000 PNG personnel and more than 113,000 additional personnel from other branches of service, multinational partners and interagency partners at the federal, state and local level.

General inquiries about the tours can be emailed to RA-DMVA-Wildlife@pa.gov or call (717) 861-3299.
A 75-year-old woman from Lancaster County bought a $50 lottery ticket, scratched it in the parking lot and won a prize so big she didnt believe it.

I could not believe my eyes! Donna Osborne said in a news release from the Pennsylvania Lottery. I went back into the store and said, Can you please check this? Is it right or wrong? Well, the clerk said, Its right!

Osborne bought the Monopoly Own It All scratch-off ticket worth $5 million from a Speedway store in Leola. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
By Cedar Attanasio, The Associated Press

NEW YORK  Competitive eater Joey Jaws Chestnut will take his hot dog-downing talents to an army base in Texas for Americas Independence Day this year after a falling out with organizers of the event that made him famous, the annual 4th of July eating contest in Brooklyns Coney Island.

Chestnut, of Indiana, will compete against soldiers in Fort Bliss, in El Paso, in a 5-minute hot dog eating contest. Thats instead of the 10-minute Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, where he competed against the worlds top competitive eaters since 2005 and hadnt lost since 2015. In 2021 he set the current record of 76 hot dogs, in 10 minutes.

Organizers of that event initially said he couldnt attend due to a sponsorship conflict, which Chestnut said involved a deal with Impossible Foods, which makes plant-based hot dogs.

Chestnut said he was gutted he couldnt compete in the event in Coney Island, where he said he loved the atmosphere and the sometimes-sweltering crowds.

Those people have been sitting in the sun, waiting. They know what to expect. And theyre not shocked. Theyre cheering and yelling and pushing me, Chestnut said Thursday in a phone interview.

But Chestnut says hes not going to sit home and do nothing. And hes hopeful the soldiers will push him to perform. Fearful of being lazy in competition with amateurs, the perennial world champion will try to out-eat four soldiers, pitting his frank-swallowing total against theirs combined. If they work together, they might even beat him.

If they [each] break ten, thatd be pretty good, Chestnut said Thursday as he fasted on water, lemon juice and liquified calories as part of his pre-competition routine.

Around 15,000 people, mostly soldiers and their families, are expected to attend the annual Pop Goes the Fort celebration at Fort Bliss. It also is to include fireworks and performances by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the 1st Armored Division Band, according to Fort Bliss Morale Welfare and Recreation organization spokesperson Marlow Brestar.

Chestnut said hell do a practice routine Friday, then ingest oils to make sure theres a clean highway, there wont be any traffic jams in his digestive system before heading to Fort Bliss, the sprawling desert army base thats home to the 1st Armored Division. It will be his first visit to El Paso.

Maybe Ill get to get on a tank, he said.

Fans can watch Chestnut compete on Netflix against rival Takeru Kobayashi in September.

Hes hopeful that he can get back to competing on July 4th next year, either with Netflix or at the Nathans Famous contest. To head back to his cherished Coney Island event though, hed need to make up with the event organizers, Major League Eating.

I feel bullied, he said. If Im ever going to work with them again, theyre going to have to apologize, Chestnut said.

Major League Eating says it eventually conceded the sponsorship issue, according to a statement from spokesman George Shea.

Unfortunately, this was not enough to get us to an agreement, the statement said. We think this is a powerful tribute to our armed forces and we wish Joey the best of luck at his event.
Scams abound in this day and age. Some are just annoying, others are very nefarious.

This one is most definitely among the latter.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning United States citizens  specifically elderly individuals who own timeshares  of a rise in scams that are mostly being carried out by Mexican drug cartels.

These scams involve bad actors attempting to con these part-time property owners into shelling out hefty sums of cash, all under false pretenses related to their timeshare properties.

On top of that, those behind the scams conduct extensive research on potential victims in order to effectively target them. They also create false documents and impersonate people from trusted institutions in order to further sell the scam.

Scamsters then attempt to get their victims to give them either money or cryptocurrency. The ill-gotten funds are then used to back the cartels operations.

Timeshare fraud has low overhead costs and minimal reinvestment, needing only a rental of small space, telecom setup, and English-speaking employees with access to restore databases, explains Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who also leads the FBI New Yorks Complex Financial Crimes Branch.

There is a lower perceived risk of prosecution and extradition for timeshare fraud but easy cash flow that goes directly into the Mexican banking system and obfuscates to facilitate money laundering activities.

Roughly 6,000 people have fallen victim to timeshare scams, the report states, with about $300 million in total lost.

Roberts urges people to remember that an individual should never ask you to pay upfront fees or taxes in advance, nor should they ask you to do something like provide a power-of-attorney form, as these are not standard practices in the timeshare industry.

The following is recommended as precautionary steps against falling victim to these scams yourself:
By Peter Smith and David Crary, The Associated Press

Sean Rowe, a 49-year-old bishop from western Pennsylvania, on Wednesday became the youngest person ever elected as leader of the Episcopal Church.

He immediately issued a sobering call for the church, which has faced division and chronic membership loss, to confront an existential crisis that he compared with the steel industry collapse in his native Rust Belt.

Rowe, who leads two small dioceses along Lake Erie, will succeed Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American to hold the position, when Currys nine-year term ends on Nov. 1. The presiding bishop serves as the denominations chief pastor, president and CEO.

Rowe was elected on the first ballot in the House of Bishops, which convened behind closed doors Wednesday in the Episcopal cathedral in Louisville. Rowe received 89 votes, the required majority, with other votes widely dispersed among the other four candidates.

The House of Deputies, consisting of clergy and lay people, confirmed his election with 95% of the vote, followed by strong applause.

The only presiding bishop to take the post at a younger age than Rowe was the first one, William White, who was 41 when he served briefly in 1789 when there was no leadership election.

Rowe was 32 in May 2007, when he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, based in Erie. For almost 12 years, he was the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church.

In 2019, he also began overseeing the Diocese of Western New York, based in Buffalo. The adjacent dioceses, with less than 10,000 members between them, have been collaborating on ministries in recent years.

He said that sort of collaboration is just one example of how the church needs to adapt to new realities.

Its not too strong to say that were facing an existential crisis, Rowe told the House of Deputies after his election. Its not because our church is dying, or because weve lost the belief in the salvation of God in Jesus Christ, but because the world around us has changed and continues to change. It changes all the time. And God is calling us ever more deeply into the unknown.

The Episcopal Church is an offshoot of the Church of England in the United States and has been the spiritual home of many of the American founding fathers and U.S. presidents.

But as with other mainline Protestant denominations, membership in the Episcopal Church has been declining for decades. After peaking at 3.4 million in 1959, it had fallen to 1.9 million when Curry was elected leader in 2015 and dipped to under 1.6 million in 2022. Average Sunday church attendance for Episcopalians nationwide was 614,241 in 2015; by 2022 it had dropped to 372,952.

Rowe compared the churchs challenges to the collapse of the steel industry, which had employed his grandparents, when he was growing up in Pennsylvania.

Ive been around to see things that I love go away, he said. I watched everything that I had known evaporate.

He cited tensions within the denomination, without giving specifics, and called on members to be more gracious and forgiving toward each other. He called on them to turn their anger at injustice instead of turning it inward on each other.

Still, he offered reassurance by quoting the late Catholic monk and author Thomas Merton  a favorite son of the conventions host state of Kentucky  about proceeding in faith despite uncertainty.

You do not need to know precisely what is happening to embrace challenges with courage, faith, and hope, he said.

On a practical level, Rowe called for the church to avoid top-heavy structures and steer more of its funds and resources toward local and diocesan ministries.

FILE - Bishop Michael Curry speaks outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Sept. 22, 2021. The Episcopal Church, at its General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, is scheduled to elect a new leader Wednesday, June 26, 2024 to replace Curry, who for the past nine years has served as the first African American presiding bishop of the 239-year-old denomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)AP

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Rowe graduated from nearby Grove City College in 1997 with a bachelors degree in history.

He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2000, before returning to western Pennsylvania.

The bishop is known for his research and work on organizational learning and adaptive performance in the church. He earned a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University in Erie in 2014.

After the election, Curry praised his successor in a news conference. He credited Rowe with both a vision and a sense of the mechanics that will help us get there.

Curry, in opening remarks to the General Convention on Sunday, urged delegates to remain optimistic.

This Episcopal Church is stronger, more durable and has a future that God has decreed and that God has figured out, he said. Dont you worry about this church. Dont you weep and dont you moan. Just roll up your sleeves and lets get to work. Thats our future.

Throughout his ministry, Curry has been an outspoken leader on a range of challenging issues, including racial reconciliation, climate change, immigration policy, and LGBTQ+ equality. Among his favored causes: establishing ecumenical summer day camps for children, creating networks of day care providers, and encouraging large investments in urban neighborhoods.

In 2018, he became a global star with a stirring sermon at the widely televised royal wedding of Britains Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Curry, 71, has battled a variety of health problems since May 2023, when he was hospitalized for treatment of internal bleeding and an irregular heartbeat. In March, doctors successfully surgically inserted a pacemaker as part of ongoing treatment.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
By Amanda Seitz, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court appears ready to rule that hospitals in Idaho may provide medically necessary abortions to stabilize patients at least for now, despite the states strict abortion law, according to a copy of the opinion that was briefly posted on Wednesday to the courts website and obtained by Bloomberg News.

The document suggests that a 6-3 ruling from the court will reinstate a lower courts order to allow Idaho emergency rooms to provide abortions that save a womans health as the broader legal case plays out.

The Justice Department had sued Idaho over its abortion law, which allows a woman to get an abortion only when her life  not her health  is at risk. Idaho doctors say they were unable to provide the stabilizing treatment the federal law requires and that is typically standard of care, prompting them to airlift at least a half-dozen pregnant patients to other states since Idahos law took effect in January.

But attorneys for Idaho have said their state law allows for women in dire circumstances to get an abortion and is not in conflict with the federal law.

The federal law, called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA, requires doctors to stabilize or treat any patient who shows up at an emergency room.

Heres a look at the history of EMTALA, what rights it provides patients and how a Supreme Court ruling might change that.

What protections does EMTALA provide patients at an ER?

The law requires emergency rooms to offer a medical exam if you turn up at their facility. The law applies to nearly all emergency rooms  any that accept Medicare funding.

Those emergency rooms are required to stabilize patients if they do have a medical emergency before discharging or transferring them. And if the ER doesnt have the resources or staff to properly treat that patient, staff members are required to arrange a medical transfer to another hospital, after theyve confirmed the facility can accept the patient.

So, for example, if a pregnant woman shows up at an emergency room concerned that she is in labor but there is not an OB-GYN on staff who could deliver her baby, hospital staff cannot simply direct the woman to go elsewhere.

Why was this law created?

Look to Chicago in the early 1980s.

Doctors at the citys public hospital were confronting a huge problem: Thousands of patients, many of them Black or Latino, were arriving in very bad condition  and they were sent there by private hospitals in the city that refused to treat them. Some were gunshot victims who hadnt been stabilized. Most of them did not have health insurance.

Chicago wasnt alone. Doctors working in public hospitals around the country reported similar issues. Media reports, including one of a pregnant woman who delivered a stillborn baby after being turned away by two hospitals because she didnt have insurance, intensified public pressure on politicians to act.

Congress drafted legislation with Republican Sen. David Durenberger of Minnesota saying at the time, Americans, rich or poor, deserve access to quality health care. This question of access should be the governments responsibility at the federal, state, and local levels.

Then-President Ronald Reagan, a Republican, signed the bill into law in 1986.

What happens if a hospital turns away a patient?

The hospital is investigated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. If they find the hospital violated a patients right to care, they can lose their Medicare funding, a vital source of revenue needed for most hospitals to keep their doors open.

Usually, however, the federal government issues fines when a hospital violates EMTALA. They can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why did the Supreme Court look at the law?

Since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has repeatedly reminded hospitals that his administration considers an abortion part of the stabilizing care that EMTALA requires facilities to provide.

The Biden administration argues that Idahos law prevents ER doctors from offering an abortion if a woman needs one in a medical emergency.

But Idahos attorney general has pointed out that EMTALA also requires hospitals to consider the health of the unborn child in its treatment, too. Attorneys for Idaho have also said that theres no conflict between the state and federal law since Idaho allows doctors to perform an abortion if the womans life is at stake.

Abortion rights activists and Women's March leaders protest as part of a national day of strike actions outside the Supreme Court, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)AP

What are the advocates saying?

Anti-abortion advocates argue that state laws banning abortion can coexist with the federal law that requires hospitals to stabilize pregnant patients in an emergency.

The prominent anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has called the lawsuit in Idaho a PR stunt.

The EMTALA case is based on the false premise that pregnant women cannot receive emergency care under pro-life laws, said Kelsey Pritchard, the groups state public affairs director after the case was heard earlier this year. It is a clear fact that pregnant women can receive miscarriage care, ectopic pregnancy care and treatment in a medical emergency in all 50 states.

But many doctors say its not as clear cut as anti-abortion advocates claim.

In rare cases, a woman may risk sepsis, hemorrhaging or reproductive organ loss if a troubled pregnancy is not terminated. But Idahos state law forces a doctor to wait until the patient is close enough to death to end a pregnancy, doctors argue.

Doctors risk a minimum two-year imprisonment for providing an abortion if the womans life is not at risk.

Theres nothing worse than feeling as a physician that you know what the patient needs and you cant get it for them, Dr. Jessica Kroll, the president of the Idaho American College of Emergency Physicians told reporters during a press conference early this month.
By Nathaniel Rosenberg, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Drew Drechsel, a former American Ninja Warrior champion whom a federal judge described as a dangerous predator was sentenced to just over 10 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to manufacturing child pornography and enticing an underage South Jersey girl to travel for sex.

According to prosecutors, Drechsel met the victim in 2014 after an American Ninja Warrior contestant event, where they exchanged numbers and began texting each other. She was 14 at the time.

In July 2015, the teen and Drechsel, then 26, texted about her visiting the New Era Ninja Gym in Hamden, Conn., which Drechsel owned, as a 15th birthday present.

During her visit, prosecutors said, the two had sex after Drechsels girlfriend left the gym. The next day, the teen told her mother about the encounter. When her mother confronted Drechsel, he did not deny having sex with the girl but said he had not known her age.

But Drechsel continued to see her, meeting her multiple times for sex over the next two years. A forensic analysis of Drechsels cell phone also revealed several images and a video of the girl when she was 14 to 16 years old.

To this day I still cannot get out of my head how he took advantage of me while I was a child, and the wave of PTSD those thoughts provoke, the woman, now in her mid-20s, said in court Wednesday at Drechsels sentencing. Drew is dangerous. ...it takes a predator to open gyms for children around the country, and then prey on the girls who go into those gyms.

Prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Camden also presented testimony from another woman who recounted how Drechsel groomed her when she was 16 and a student at one of his gyms, then continued a relationship with her for six months before ending it to date her best friend, who was also underage.

The woman told the judge that shortly after she and Drechsel broke up, he raped her at a party at his house while she was drunk, and urged U.S. District Judge Renee Bumb to impose the longest possible sentence. The woman said she reported the crime to police several years later, but no charges were filed in connection with that or the other behavior she described in court.

Both women said Drechsel used his celebrity to groom them and lure them into sexual relationships. They said the grooming and abuse still haunted them and left them struggling to trust themselves and their loved ones, more than a decade later.

Drechsel, who pleaded guilty last June, apologized to the woman he admitted having sex with when she was a teen and said he had loved her at the time. He also described his efforts over the last four years to help others while incarcerated, tutoring other inmates for the GED, and serving on the prisons suicide watch team.

A simple Im sorry doesnt cut it, Drechsel said. Nothing in the English language can describe the regret, shame and embarrassment I feel in my soul.

The judge, however, challenged him for what she saw as a lack of consideration for the consequences of his actions.

You thought you were such a celebrity, such a big shot that you could take advantage of people, of children, Bumb told Drechsel. Is that what superheroes do?

No mam, he replied.

Ultimately, Bumb sided with prosecutors when she imposed the 121-month sentence. Drechsels attorney had sought a 96-month prison term, arguing that Dreschels efforts to improve himself since his arrest merited a lighter sentence. The judge also ordered Dreschel to register as a sex offender and pay the woman $100,000 in restitution.

(c)2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Student protests on college campuses called on universities to pull their investments from Israel over the war in Gaza. While some schools agreed to at least discuss divestment, Pennsylvania higher education institutions will not have the choice if a bill continues through the state legislature.

Protestors at one campus demanded divestment [from Israel] and the abolishment of the schools Hillel, a Jewish student organization, Sen. Steven Santarsiero, D-Bucks County, said. This targeting can be nothing else but a blatant act of antisemitism.
By Aliya Schneider, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., met with Israels president and prime minister during his first visit to the country he has staunchly supported.

Fetterman has been one of Israels biggest supporters in Congress, pleasantly surprising conservatives who disparaged him as he entered the public view as a progressive. As a result, hes faced pushback from progressives, but Fetterman has resisted the progressive label in recent years.

Before this trip, the Pennsylvania senator, who is not Jewish, had never been to Israel.

Weve been through dark times in these months of anguished war, and during that time I can say that Israel has had no better friend than Sen. John Fetterman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video posted Wednesday to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Senator John Fetterman, and thanked him for his visit and his consistent support of Israel.

The PM told the Senator that his standing up to pro-Palestinian demonstrators, while waving an Israeli flag, was courageous and heart-warming. pic.twitter.com/Zc34HCrRuA  Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) June 26, 2024

Fetterman wore a white hoodie and a Nova Music Festival wristband given to him by a family of a victim of Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He clasped his hands as he stood beside Netanyahu, who was clad in a suit and tie. An American flag and Israeli flag hung side by side behind the two men.

I want to thank you for your courageous statements that show moral clarity and moral courage, and you just say it the way it is, Netanyahu said in the video. And we appreciate this friendship at all times, but especially at these times.

We stand with Israel through this, and Im so sorry for whats been done to this nation, Fetterman said.

While the senators devout support for Israel has become a much larger part of his political persona since Oct 7, his support for the Middle East ally didnt start then. While campaigning for his 2022 Senate primary, he told the publication Jewish Insider that he would lean in on supporting the alliance.

Other political allies of Israel have begun to draw lines in the sand as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, but Fettermans support has remained unconditional.

Fetterman also met with Israel President Isaac Herzog. Herzog said in a post on X on Tuesday that he appreciated Fetterman wearing the Nova wristband, from the outdoor music festival near the Gaza border where hundreds of people were killed Oct. 7, as well as his demands for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

You are a beacon of moral clarity as we fight to defend the free world against true evil, the post said.
On Wednesday at 8:39 p.m. an updated tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 9 p.m. for Greene County.

"At 8:39 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Point Marion, or 8 miles north of Star City, moving east at 45 mph," says the weather service. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely."

Locations impacted by the warning include Point Marion, Fairchance, Smithfield, Bobtown, Greensboro, Chalkhill, Mount Morris and Cheat Lake.

The weather service comments, "Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."

Tornado watch vs. Tornado warning: Know the difference

When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the distinction between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Here's a breakdown:

Tornado watch: Be prepared!

A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation.

It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room.

While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states.

Tornado warning: Take action!

A Tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar.

This is the real deal  there's an immediate threat to life and property.

Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or by trained spotters and law enforcement.

Knowing the difference between these two alerts is essential in staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger approaches.

Prepare for a tornado

Stay weather-ready:

Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings

Sign up for notifications:

Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes.

Establish a communication plan:

Create a family emergency plan that includes a designated meeting place and important contact information. If your home lacks a basement, identify a nearby safe building, like a church or a relative's house, that you can reach quickly.

Choose a secure shelter:

Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows.

Establish a communication plan:

Conduct a family severe thunderstorm drill regularly so everyone knows what to do if a tornado is approaching. Make sure all members of your family know to go there when tornado warnings are issued. Don't forget pets if time allows.

Prepare your home:

Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Extend a helping hand:

Encourage your loved ones to prepare for the possibility of tornadoes. Take CPR training so you can help if someone is hurt.

Staying safe during a tornado: Quick actions to take

When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service:

Stay informed:

Stay vigilant and stay informed by tuning in to local news broadcasts or using a NOAA Weather Radio to receive updates on tornado watches and warnings.

At home:

If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows.

At work or school:

In the workplace or at school, adhere to tornado drill procedures and proceed promptly and calmly to your designated tornado shelter. Avoid areas with large, open spaces like cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums, and stay away from windows.

Outdoors:

If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be.

In a vehicle:

It is not safe to be in a vehicle during a tornado. The recommended action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.

Remember, acting swiftly and following safety protocols are essential for your well-being when a tornado is imminent.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
On Wednesday at 8:48 p.m. an updated tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service in effect until 9 p.m. for Indiana and Westmoreland counties.

"At 8:48 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 11 miles southeast of Black Lick, or 13 miles southeast of Homer City, moving east at 45 mph," says the weather service. "Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely."

The warning is for New Florence and Seward.

The weather service comments, "Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Tornadoes are difficult to observe at night. Take cover now!"

Tornado watches and warnings: Your safety guide

When it comes to tornadoes, understanding the difference between a Tornado watch and a Tornado warning can be a matter of life and death. Let's break it down:

Tornado watch: Be prepared!

A Tornado watch is your advance warning that conditions are ripe for tornado formation.

It's your signal to review your emergency plans, ensure your supplies are in order, and identify your safe room.

While it doesn't indicate an imminent tornado, it's a heads-up to be prepared to take swift action if a Tornado warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.

Watches come from the Storm Prediction Center and often cover a large area, potentially spanning multiple counties or even states.

Tornado warning: Take action!

A Tornado warning signifies that a tornado has been spotted or detected by weather radar.

This is the real deal  there's an immediate threat to life and property.

Your response should be swift: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows.

If you're in a mobile home, a vehicle, or caught outdoors, find the nearest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

Warnings are issued by your local forecast office and pinpoint a much smaller area, typically the size of a city or a small county, where a tornado has been identified, either by radar or through reports from trained spotters and law enforcement.

Knowing the distinction between these two alerts is paramount for staying safe during tornado season. Stay informed, have a plan, and act promptly when danger looms.

Prepare for a tornado

Stay weather-ready:

Keep an eye on the weather forecast to stay informed about tornado risks. Tune in to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updates on tornado watches and warnings

Sign up for notifications:

Know how your community sends warnings. Some communities have outdoor sirens. Others depend on media and smartphones to alert residents of severe storms capable of producing tornadoes.

Establish a communication plan:

Have a family plan that includes an emergency meeting place and related information. If you live in a mobile home or home without a basement, identify a nearby safe building you can get to quickly, such as a church or family member.

Choose a secure shelter:

Pick a safe room within your home, such as a basement, storm cellar, or an interior room on the lowest floor without windows.

Establish a communication plan:

Conduct regular family drills for severe thunderstorms so everyone knows what to do when a tornado threat arises. Ensure that all family members are aware of the safe location to seek shelter, and don't forget about your pets if time permits.

Prepare your home:

Consider reinforcing your safe room for added protection. You can find plans for fortifying an interior room on the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Extend a helping hand:

Encourage your neighbors and loved ones to prepare for possible tornadoes. Consider taking CPR training to be of assistance in case of injuries.

Tornado safety: What to do when the twister hits

When a tornado strikes, taking swift action is crucial to ensuring your safety and minimizing potential harm. Follow these guidelines from the weather service:

Stay informed:

Remain vigilant and stay updated by listening to local news broadcasts or a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watches and warnings.

At home:

If you are at home and a tornado warning is issued, make your way to the basement, a designated safe room, or an interior space away from windows. Don't forget to ensure the safety of your pets if time allows.

At work or school:

Follow your tornado drill and proceed to your tornado shelter location quickly and calmly. Stay away from windows and do not go to large open rooms such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.

Outdoors:

If a tornado is on its way, seek shelter inside a solid building immediately. Sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe places to be.

In a vehicle:

Being inside a vehicle during a tornado is highly unsafe. Your best course of action is to drive to the nearest shelter. If reaching shelter is not possible, either stay inside your car while covering your head, or abandon the vehicle and seek safety in a low-lying area such as a ditch or ravine.

Always keep in mind that taking swift action and following established safety procedures are crucial for your well-being when a tornado threat is imminent.

Advance Local Weather Alerts is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to compile the latest data from the National Weather Service.
A third person has been charged in the investigation of a 27-year-old woman found dead earlier this month in southwestern Ontario. Police tape blocks off a crime scene July 13, 2021, in Baltimore, Md. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Jose Luis Magana
That tree, located on the KVR Trail across from the Penticton police station was vandalized in July 2023. Reader John Patrick shows it today, compared with a beautiful tree beside it. What could have been?
Day 4 of Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em has concluded here at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. Of the 45 competitors who started the day, the final six players will return for Day 5, where the tournament will play down to a winner.

The last six players standing navigated through a record-breaking field of 10,939 entrants to arrive at the final table and capture a piece of the $14,603,565 prize pool and a coveted World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet.

The chip leader heading into the start of Day 5 is Argentinian Franco Spitale, who is on the hunt for his first WSOP bracelet and has already locked up the largest cash of his tournament career. Spitale was cheered on by a rowdy rail of friends fueled by many adult beverages.

End of Day 4 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Franco Spitale Argentina 83,600,000 42 2 Stephen Dauphinais Canada 68,700,000 34 3 Justin Carey United States 63,900,000 32 4 Harvey Jackson United States 25,200,000 12 5 Paul Saso United States 22,600,000 11 6 Charles Kersey United States 9,800,000 4

Stephen Dauphinais will enter Day 5 in second chip position in part thanks to a daring bluff he executed with eight players remaining. Dauphinais went all in on the river against Justin Carey with seven high, and Carey ended up folding.

Day 4 Action

Day 4 action was fast and furious; 45 players were slimmed down to 27 within the first two and a half hours of play. Spitale had a massive double elimination during Level 36 with 17 players remaining. Ramon Rivera was all in with ace-king, Larry Quang was all in with ace-three, and Spitale had both opponents covered and was all in with ace-queen. A queen of clubs fell on the flop, giving Spitale the lead. Neither opponent could catch up, and Spitale took a commanding chip lead over the remaining players.

Notable eliminations included three time bracelet winner Sean Troha in 43rd place ($36,830). Day 3 chip leader Martin Mathis in 37th place ($36,830), and Bracelet winners Max Neugebauer in 24th place ($55,560), and Jason Wheeler in 18th place ($55,560). Jason Hickey was eliminated in seventh place when his ace-king could not beat Stephen Dauphinais jack-ten, sending the final six players home for the night.

Remaining Payouts

Place Prize 1 $1,250,125 2 $1,001,170 3 $651,040 4 $500,110 5 $376,470 6 $289,630

Action will begin on Day 5 at 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 27, at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, where a champion will be crowned.

The tournament will resume at Level 41, with 47:34 remaining on the clock. Blinds are 1,000,000/2,000,000, with a 2,000,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 60 minutes long, with 15-minute breaks every two levels and a dinner break to be determined.

Streaming will begin at 6:00 pm on PokerGO (subject to change), and PokerNews will be providing updates on delay in sync with the stream so as not to spoil any of the tournament as it progresses.

Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the remainder of this event and future coverage throughout the summer.
Day 3 of Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em at the World Series of Poker concluded with thrilling action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, leaving only 11 players vying for the prestigious bracelet and the top prize of $368,025. Each remaining player has secured at least $28,474, with aspirations to climb higher in the payout ladder.

Turkey's Yucel Eminoglu leads the pack with an impressive 15,900,000 in chips. Known as the "Mad Turk," Eminoglu boasts $1,500,000 in poker earnings and gained momentum with a decisive hand where he eliminated Daniel Bizoza with pocket aces.

End of Day 3 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Yucel Eminoglu Turkey 15,900,000 80 2 Buck Bucceri United States 7,725,000 39 3 Sean Jazayeri United States 7,050,000 35 4 Paul Runge United States 6,750,000 34 5 Gary Fisher United Kingdom 4,975,000 25 6 Michael Minetti United States 4,875,000 24 7 Manelic Minaya United States 4,600,000 23 8 Kevin Song United States 4,400,000 22 9 Philip Muller United States 4,375,000 22 10 Gregory Nichols United States 3,500,000 18 11 Felix Barriga Chile 2,675,000 13

Buck Bucceri enters Day 4 with 7,725,000 chips, enough for second place. Bucceri was inspired by positive messages from his son throughout the day, something he hopes will continue on Day 4, while Sean Jazayeri, holding 7,050,000 in chips, brings extensive experience with over $2,000,000 in tournament earnings and a notable World Poker Tour victory.

Paul Runge from Oregon, previous owner and frequent flyer of the Bend Poker Club, stands strong with 6,750,000 chips, while Gary Fisher, representing the United Kingdom, aims to convert his 4,975,000 chips into a spot at the final table while secretly hoping for some Battenberg cake.

In the middle of the pack, you find the likes of Michael Minetti, a seasoned grinder with over $500,000 in poker earnings and a previous runner-up in the Seniors Event, continues his quest with 4,600,000 chips. Manelic Minaya, boasting over $2,000,000 in tournament winnings, built on his impressive Day 2 performance and returns in the thick of the action.

Kevin Song

Kevin Song, a decorated player with $4,000,000 in tournament earnings and multiple final table appearances since his first bracelet win in 1997, starts with 4,400,000 chips. Song is the only returning player to have already captured some WSOP hardware. His stack on Day 4 is the equivalent of 22 big blinds.

Philip Muller, Greg Nichols, and Chile's Felix Barriga are the three shortest stacks, the latter sitting down armed with 13 big blinds.

Big Names Fall By the Wayside

Day 3 began with 119 players from a record-breaking 3,362 entrants on Day 1. Some of the better known players included the always entertaining Grammy award-winning player Anthony Johnson aka Tony Mercedes aka Hot Chocolate according to the drink server, finishing 30th for $11,848, and bracelet winners, Lee Markholt, Larry Wright, Tong Li, Vince Burgio, and Barry Greenstein all making significant runs.

Players will reconvene at the Horseshoe Event Center on Thursday, June 27, at 11 a.m. local time for the fourth and final day. They will start at Level 31, with blinds set at 100,000/200,000 and a big blind ante of 200,000. Regular breaks are scheduled every two levels.

For the latest updates and breaking news from the 2024 World Series of Poker, follow PokerNews.
The fourth and final day of Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em will play out today at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with 11 players looking to get their hands on the bracelet and the $368,025 first-place prize.

Turkey's Yucel Eminoglu sits in pole position with a stack of 15,900,000, which is more than double the stack of his closest rival Buck Bucceri who has 7,725,000. Sean Jazayeri rounds out the top three stacks with 7,050,000 chips.

The only remaining bracelet winner in the field is Kevin Song, who starts the day with 4,400,000 chips  good for seventh in the counts. Song won his bracelet back in 1997 and it would be a spectacular feat to secure a second gold strap 27 years after his first.

Start of Day 4 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chips Big Blinds 1 Yucel Eminoglu Turkey 15,900,000 80 2 Buck Bucceri United States 7,725,000 39 3 Sean Jazayeri United States 7,050,000 35 4 Paul Runge United States 6,750,000 34 5 Gary Fisher United Kingdom 4,975,000 25 6 Michael Minetti United States 4,875,000 24 7 Manelic Minaya United States 4,600,000 23 8 Kevin Song United States 4,400,000 22 9 Philip Muller United States 4,375,000 22 10 Gregory Nichols United States 3,500,000 18 11 Felix Barriga Chile 2,675,000 13

All of the remaining players are guaranteed a payday of at least $28,474, but with the pay jumps becoming increasingly bigger with each elimination, there could be some intense laddering.

Remaining Payouts

Place Prize (USD) Place Prize (USD) 1 $368,025 7 $59,693 2 $238,748 8 $46,281 3 $178,250 9 $36,161 4 $134,075 10 $28,474 5 $101,606 11 $28,474 6 $77,584

Play begins at 11 a.m. in the Horseshoe Event Center with blinds starting at Level 31 (100,000/200,000/200,000) with an average stack of just over 6,100,000 chips (around 30 big blinds).

Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the day for the latest action on the felt and to see who has what it takes to get their hands on the bracelet.
One of the most popular split pot game tournaments of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw a total of 507 players come out to play. Event #61: $2,500 Stud/Omaha 8-or-Better saw a bigger field than last years turnout of 460, and only 77 players saw a piece of the $1,128,075 prize pool. The beginning of the day saw 21 players with eyes set on the bracelet and the first-place prize of $222,703, but by the end of the day, there was only one.

For many years, the list of greatest players without a bracelet has featured the name Dario Sammartino. The Italian pro has climbed to the top of the all-time money list in Italy with an impressive $16 million in lifetime earnings and many WSOP final table appearances in various formats. At the start of the day, he was on this list, but now, at its close, he can proudly cross his name off as he took home his first WSOP bracelet and a first-place prize of $222,703.

Oh, I feel so good, Sammartino said with a gracious smile across his face, and finally, after 12 years, I am so happy. It was a very tough field. This marks Darios 24th appearance at a WSOP final table and his third time getting heads up for a bracelet. Third time's the charm as his match with Jon Kyte lasted just under ninety minutes.

Dario Sammartino and his rail

This field was amazing, Sammartino said about the highly skilled field of mixed game players and bracelet winners. I played online all year and many mixed games with some of the best players. I learned from the best by playing with the best. Last year, I started to study and improve, and now Im a bit better. Sammartino was planning on playing a full WSOP schedule before this victory, and nothing has changed on that front. I will try to play everything, but my main priority is the 10k 2-7 No-Limit. After that will be the main event.

Sammartinos rail was filled with friends and family. The first place he walked after winning the bracelet was to his rail, to be embraced by those closest to him. I think love is everything in life. It is very important for me. I have the love of my friends and the love of my family; without them, I am nothing. So thank you to my family, to my friends, to my girlfriend, and my son.

Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Dario Sammartino Italy $222,703 2 Jon Kyte Norway $148,462 3 David Williams United States $102,335 4 Jeff Madsen United States $71,810 5 Federico Ottenio United States $51,315 6 Matt Vengrin United States $37,354 7 Joey Couden United States $27,709 8 Scott Blackman United States $20,954

Day 3 Action

The players came back to quick action as early play saw multiple casualties in the early levels of the day. Brian Schwartz (21st-$8,369), Christopher Battenfield (20th - $8,369), Joshua Ray (19th - $8,369), Ryan Schoonbaert (18th - $8,369), and David Margolis (17th - $8,369) all fell before the final two tables.

The final two tables saw the pace of eliminations slow down. Still, the shortest stacks never seemed safe as bracelet winner Nick Kost (16th - $8,369), Jared Talarico (15th-$10,208), Troy Murdough (14th - $10,208),Dai Ishibashi (13th - $10,208), Patrice Boudet (12th - $10,208), and Jacob Nepom (11th - $12,713), all fell in the next batch of eliminations.

The final player to go before the final table was Columbian player Jose Ferro. His pair of eights could not run down the eights and threes of Federico Ottenio and Ferro collected $12,713 for his deep run.

Final Table Action

Paul Zappulla flirted with the chip lead many times with two tables left, but multiple pots prior to the final table had gone poorly. He eventually played a pot in Omaha Hi-Lo where he flopped top pair and a gutter against Jeff Madsen, who flopped a king-high straight. Zappulla got in final chips in on the turn and was unable to make his straight, giving Madsen the pot and leaving Zappulla to finish the table in ninth place, good for $16,159.

David Williams ended his run in third place.

Securing a ladder due to that bustout was Scott Blackman, who began the final table as the shortest stack. His good fortune would end shortly after as he was chopped up in a stud hand between Joey Couden with a six-low and David Williams with aces and kings. Both were enough to beat Blackmans pair of nines, and he collected $20,954 for his finish.

Madsen fell to the very short stack but managed to scoop a massive triple-up through Williams and Kyte to put himself into contention for the chip lead. Another pot saw Madsen put himself into the lead as he made aces up against Couden, leaving him with just a few chips. The bracelet winner got in his last chips with wired jacks against Sammartino, who made aces on sixth with a low. No improvement came on seventh street, and Couden ended his run in seventh place for $27,709.

Shortly after, it was Matt Vengrin departing in sixth place. After losing a couple of big pots to Kyte, he was down to just a couple of big bets, and he also found himself all in against Sammartino. He moved in his last chip on fifth street with wired fives against Sammartinos low draw, which turned into aces up on seventh street. Vengrin squeezed the last card in hopes of making trip fives, but it was no good and he collected $37,354 for his efforts.

Kyte took over the lead in the final table, acquiring over half of the chips in play with five players left. Though he managed to land a couple of sizable dents into Kytes stack, Ottenio ended up drifting down the counts and became the shortest stack. He was eventually all in for his last chips in Omaha up against Williams and Kyte. Ottenio ended up with just a pair of kings up against two flushes, with Williams holding the nut flush to more than double in the hand, while Ottenio was eliminated in fifth place for $51,135.

After that elimination, Madsen was the next player on the chopping block, holding just two big bets. He got his last chips in Stud in a pot between himself, Kyte, and Sammartino. The side pot got big and Kytes pair of queens were good to scoop the whole thing. He put himself back into the chip lead while the four-time bracelet winner was eliminated in fourth place for $71,810.

Jon Kyte finished as runner-up in the tournament.

The three-handed match began with Kyte holding sixty percent of the chips and Sammartino and Williams sitting neck and neck in second and third place, respectively. That changed when a massive pot saw Kyte take a huge bite out of Williams stack, leaving him short. Williams doubled shortly after that, but his final hand came in Omaha in a pot against Sammartino. Sammartino had flopped top set against Williams open-ended straight and flush draw. The board bricked out seeing Sammartino come into heads up with only a slight deficit, and the WSOP bracelet winner was eliminated in third place for $102,355.

The heads-up match initially saw Kyte push himself further into the lead, but then Sammartino found some momentum in a sizable Omaha pot, where Sammartino flopped a set that turned into a full house. After that, Sammartino went into the lead and never let up with the pressure. Kyte tried to climb back, but the final big confrontation saw Kytes Broadway be second best against Sammartinos flush. The final hand saw his last chips be put in from Stud, and his pair of kings ended up second-best against Sammartino's straight. Sammartino won the tournament, while Kyte finished in second place for $148,462.

Thank you for reading along with PokerNews. Stay tuned for all updates from the 2024 WSOP.
"We're not trying to go quicker, we're trying to be more efficient," Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Girardeau said.

Girardeau said he believed the non-agenda item public comment periods provide the city council with valuable information but added "it kept getting back to what we are doing, what city council is and what these meetings are about."

"These meetings are about the business of the city of Aiken," Girardeau said. "It seemed to be the right thing to do [to eliminate the first non-agenda item public comment period]."

He added it's important to let the people asking the city council and the city's residents to approve a proposal to go first on the agenda because they've spent weeks or months crafting that proposal.

"It's not about keeping anyone from talking," Girardeau said. "But, we're going to let the business items go first."

Councilman Ed Woltz said he supported requiring people to sign up to address the council.

Woltz, a former member of the city's Planning Commission, said the commission previously required people to sign up to speak.

He said it gives the city the ability to prioritize its residents  "the ones who pay the taxes," Woltz said  and the ability to prevent the same person from speaking on every issue before the council.

"The sign-up sheet gives us a a way to organize this thing a little better," Woltz continued. "I don't think it's bad to put them out there. Anybody that doesn't want to sign up must have a reason because I don't think it hurts to put your name down and say I'm here."

Councilwoman Gail Diggs said she favored eliminating one non-agenda item public comment period. She said she wanted to keep the one at the beginning of the meeting and eliminate the one at the end.

Diggs added she didn't have a really strong opinion on the sign up sheets but felt there are people attending the meeting who may not want to speak until they listen to other speakers.

South Carolina doesn't specify how municipalities are to receive public comment, Councilwoman Kay Brohl said. So, the municipalities can set their own rules.
ANDERSON  If oddsmakers are correct, South Carolina is on the verge of sending a second Republican woman to Congress.

Sheri Biggs' GOP primary win over Donald Trump-endorsed pastor Mark Burns in an Upstate congressional district sets her up to join Charleston's U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in Washington, giving Republican women two seats on the state's seven-member House delegation.

Biggs must first get past Democrat Bryon Best, a paint store manager in Greenwood, in the general election Nov. 5. She is heavily favored to win the deep red 3rd Congressional District where Trump carried 68 percent of the turnout in 2020.

Biggs' victory came even as Republican voters elsewhere ousted the last of the state's GOP "sister senators" known for fighting to preserve abortion access. Lexington state Sen. Katrina Shealy lost in a blowout runoff June 25.

Biggs, a family nurse, did have to eke out her win in the June 25 runoff with Burns with a 2-point, 51 percent to 49 percent win, according to unofficial election results.

In the runoff, Biggs struck a delicate balance of campaigning on her gender  or rather, choosing mostly not to. She identified herself as a wife and mother but leaned more on her conservative platform, like helping Trump build a wall at the Southern border and curbing runaway spending in Washington.

Being a woman can be an advantage in Democratic primaries nationwide, but the same is not always true for Republican women, said Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University.

"Conservative women are still running primarily as conservatives and not as women ... for the very reason the sister senators are flying out of office," Vinson said.

Who is Sheri Biggs?

Biggs is originally from rural Mississippi and lives in Seneca with her husband, Bill. She is an Air National Guard lieutenant colonel and served as a medical crew director of five combat missions and three combat support missions in Afghanistan.
FLORENCE  Florences elected officials can hardly get through a meeting without mentioning the electric vehicle battery plant.

They use words like "transformative," "monumental," "extraordinary" and "historic."

But there are doubters.

Gloomy headlines about the electric vehicle market earlier this year raised concerns that the battery plant may not be as surefire a success as officials say.

Gregg Robinson, the CEO of the Florence County Economic Development Partnership who spearheaded recruiting AESC, said those concerns are valid, but hes nevertheless confident the project will succeed.

Electric vehicles are coming, Robinson argued  even if the market is unsettled  and the factory is poised to be a key part of the manufacturing pipeline for decades to come.

If AESC falls through on its promises, state and local governments can recoup the funding theyve provided. Even in a worst-case scenario in which AESC pulls up stakes and leaves, officials will repurpose the property, Robinson said.

That building will not sit idle, he said. It will be a state of the art manufacturing facility.

The lithium-ion battery plant promises to bring dramatic changes to Florence and the Pee Dee if it succeeds. The $3.2 billion, 3 million-square foot "gigafactory" will employ 2,700 people.

Yet the ghosts of South Carolinas development failures loom over the factory.

High-profile projects, like the VC Summer nuclear power plant and the Carolina Panthers training facility, fell flat after state and local governments invested tens of millions of dollars. The aftermath of both spawned criminal investigations and lawsuits.
FLORENCE  The Florence County Planning Commission cleared the way for a development across from Buc-ees that critics argue poses an existential threat to a nearby historic rural community.

The monthslong fight between developers and the centuries-old Back Swamp community in northern Florence County has raised questions about what officials should prioritize: economic growth or historic preservation.

At a June 25 meeting, commissioners sided with economic growth, approving a proposal to encourage commercial development by rezoning the property.

Its the second time commissioners have approved the proposal. The Florence County Council sent it back to the commission in May for procedural reasons.

The commission voted 5-3 to pass the plan. It now heads back to County Council.

More than 60 people packed the meeting room, most opposed to the rezoning. Nine people spoke in favor of the plan. Ten spoke against it. Many others weighed in with emails and phone calls before the meeting.

Advocates argued development on the property is all but inevitable. They said opponents were divorced from the economic reality  that more business in the area would grow jobs and income across Florence.

Opponents said the project represented a needless attempt to grow no matter the cost. Developing the property would put historic and natural resources in the area at great risk, they argued.

The 105-acre property is bordered by North Williston Road and East Pocket Road. It sits across from Buc-ees and less than a mile from Interstate 95.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina House and Senate leadership reached a compromise deal on numerous reforms to the way its membership selects judges, capping off a top priority this legislative session after months of finagling behind closed doors.

The reforms, poked and prodded by lawmakers for more than a year in often-contentious debates on the floor and in committee rooms, represent a near-perfect hybrid of two versions of the bill proposed by the House and the Senate.

It expands the size of the Judicial Merit Selection Commission  the legislative body that selects judge candidates  from 10 to 12, four of whom will be appointed by the governor. It imposes term limits on members, limiting appointees to the commission to just two two-year terms.

It bars members on the commission from serving if a relative is up for consideration. It increases the amount of time members of the legislature and the public can review a candidates qualifications. And it expands the pool of applicants who can be considered for a seat, from three to six.

The deal  while lauded by top lawmakers in the House and Senate  still leaves much to be desired by critics.

The new reforms offer few restraints on the ability of so-called lawyer-legislators to select judges, and in fact require members to be a 10-year member of the state bar association. The bills newly imposed term limits do not preclude members from serving in the future. And the bill declined to address issues plaguing the states selection process for magistrates  the county-level judges appointed primarily by the Senate who have attracted the largest share of ire from reform advocates.
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Presentation to business leaders of Angola sponsored by NYU Abu DhabiNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / ABO Capital , an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa, hostedProfessor Yaw Nyarkofor a masterclass covering A New Digital Financial Era at their Executive Training Center in Luanda, Angola on May 21, 2024.The masterclass, which was sponsored by NYU Abu Dhabi, featured Professor Nyarko presenting about the blockchain, cryptocurrency (including central bank digital currencies and stablecoin), and AI. Executives from various industries who attended not only learned about the future of finance, they also had the opportunity to discuss what these new financial and technological developments will mean for the Angolan economy. Key takeaways from the session included how emerging nations, such as Angola, can use financial innovation to strengthen and grow their economies."If you do traditional things, you will get traditional results," said Professor Nyarko. "Instead think about educating the youth, sending them into a village and letting them start a business using today's financial tools. Empowering young leaders with critical knowledge about the modern financial system has transformational effects on emerging economies." Nyarko is a professor of economics at New York University (NYU), Director of NYU Africa House and the Center for Technology and Economic Development (CTED), as well as Co-Director of the Development Research Institute (DRI). He studies economic development and human capital, which recently culminated in a pioneering study on the impact of brain drain on Africa's intellectual and economic development and work on African Commodity Exchanges."It was a distinct pleasure for ABO to host Professor Nyarko at our Executive Training Center for his masterclass," said ABO Capital Chairman and CEO Zandre Campos. "Professor Nyarko and I share a mission to spearhead economic growth and development across our home continent. His presentation will spark Angola's business leaders to embrace new technologies and strengthen the nation's economy as a result." ABO Capital's Executive Training Center is designed to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a workplace. The center hosts programs that connect trainees directly with opportunities in the private sector. Based in the financial center of Luanda, trainees gain first-hand experience to learn and work in key sectors driving economic development in Angola, including financial institutions, telecommunications, oil companies, and energy suppliers.About ABO CapitalABO Capital is an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa. Led by global entrepreneur Zandre Campos, ABO Capital invests in companies that create value and promote economic development throughout Africa. With a focus on education and technology, ABO Capital also operates in the financial services, energy, manufacturing, distribution and real estate sectors. ABO Capital is headquartered in Angola with offices in Dubai and the United States. Learn more atabocapital.net About Zandre CamposZandre Campos is one of the great, innovative business leaders and global entrepreneurs emerging out of Africa. Currently, he is chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm that builds opportunities in emerging markets across Africa. Campos was named one of the Top 25 African business influencers and was a recipient of the Distinguished Business Excellence Award by African Leadership Magazine and the Africa Award by CEO Magazine. An advocate for bringing better education and technology to Africa, Campos is frequently quoted as an expert on Africa in the media and has spoken at leading industry conferences around the world.About NYU Abu DhabiNYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity's shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi's high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.Media ContactChristina LevinCaliber Corporate Adviserschristina@ calibercorporateadvisers.com SOURCE: ABO Capital
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 05:00:30

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2024 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. ("Arbor" or "the Company") (NYSE:ABR) for violations of the securities laws.The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Arbor is the subject of a report issued by Viceroy Research November 17, 2023, titled, ""Arbor Realty Trust - Slumlord Millionaires." According to the report, "Arbor's high-risk multifamily bridge loans, which comprise substantially all of its asset book, are going bad fast The end is near." Viceroy Research then issued a follow up report on December 5, 2023, titled "Arbor - Jacksonville Case Study." In the second report, Viceroy Research claims that the Company's "entire loan book is distressed and underlying collateral is vastly overstated." Based on this news, shares of Arbor fell by more than 5% over the next two trading sessions.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq. www.schallfirm.com Office: 310-301-3335 info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 02:05:30

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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 26, 2024 / Birkenstock Holding plc ("BIRKENSTOCK" or "we") (NYSE:BIRK) announced today the pricing of an underwritten secondary public offering of 14,000,000 of its ordinary shares (the "Ordinary Shares") by BK LC Lux MidCo S.a r.l. ("MidCo"), an entity affiliated with L Catterton (the "Selling Shareholder"), at a price to the public of $54.00 per share. The Selling Shareholder has sole voting and dispositive power over 9,880,814 shares offered, and the Selling Shareholder and the executive officers and certain other employees of the BIRKENSTOCK Group have shared voting and dispositive power over 4,119,186 shares offered.In connection with the offering, the Selling Shareholder has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 2,100,000 additional Ordinary Shares. BIRKENSTOCK is not selling any Ordinary Shares in the offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Ordinary Shares by the Selling Shareholder.The closing of the offering is expected to occur on June 28, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. BofA Securities, Citigroup, Evercore ISI, Jefferies, Morgan Stanley, UBS Investment Bank, BMO Capital Markets, BNP PARIBAS and HSBC are acting as bookrunners for the proposed offering, and Baird, Deutsche Bank Securities, Stifel, William Blair, Williams Trading, Telsey Advisory Group, Academy Securities, Independence Point Securities and Loop Capital Markets are acting as co-managers for the proposed offering.A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to the offering has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and was declared effective on June 26, 2024. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained, when available, from Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, via telephone: (866) 4712526, or via email: prospectus-ny@ ny.email.gs.com; and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by email at prospectus-eq_fi@ jpmchase.com and postsalemanualrequests@ broadridge.com This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.This press release shall also not be considered an offer of securities in any member state (each, a "Member State") of the European Economic Area ("EEA"). This press release does not constitute a "prospectus" within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended and any relevant national implementing measure, the "Prospectus Regulation"). In the EEA, any potential offer of securities would only be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation, as implemented in that Member State, from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of securities.ABOUT BIRKENSTOCKBirkenstock Holding plc is the ultimate parent Company of Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG and its subsidiaries (the "Birkenstock Group"). BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of geography, gender, age and income and which is committed to a clear purpose - encouraging proper foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and backed by a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless super brand with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the Zeitgeist brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics categories. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature ("Naturgewolltes Gehen").CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSCertain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to our current expectations and views of future events, including our current expectations and views with respect to, among other things, the proposed offering of Ordinary Shares. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate to matters of historical fact. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "expect," "should," "plan," "intend," "estimate" and "potential," "aim," "anticipate," "assume," "continue," "could," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "will," "would" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward- looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those expected in our forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors described in the sections titled "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 18, 2024 as updated by our reports on Form 6-K that update, supplement or supersede such information. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release and is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as required by law.INVESTOR & MEDIA C
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 08:00:37

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BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Bradda Head Lithium Ltd ("Bradda Head", "Bradda", or the "Company") (AIM:BHL)(TSXV:BHLI), the North America-focused lithium development group, is pleased to announce its audited financial results for the year ending 29 February 2024.Financial and operational highlightsSuccessful completion of the Basin drill programme in August 2023, which preceded an upgraded Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for a total Inferred Lithium Carbonate Equivalent ("LCE") content of 1.0Mt. Receipt of US$2.5 million royalty payment following MRE update. Conclusion of the Phase 3 drill programme at San Domingo highlighting encouraging assay results, and expansion of project area with an additional 8km2 of new lode claims staked. Recorded net loss of US$ 1,503,858 (28 February 2023: US$3,887,588) Cash and cash deposit balances at year end stand at US$ 1,664,662 (28 February 2023: US$ 7,746,519).Ian Stalker, Chairman of Bradda Head, commented:"It is with great pleasure that I share this report following the close of a challenging but exciting year for the Company. As the following report demonstrates, Bradda Head has maintained its clear focus to expand and develop our resources, and has successfully delivered what we set out to do. The drilling programme at Basin, completed in August 2023, significantly upgraded our resource to 1.0Mt, triggering a royalty payment of US$2.5 million from the LRC. We were also highly encouraged by the promising results from our San Domingo drilling programme completed in December 2023, the second large-scale drilling programme completed at this project in a year. Both of these achievements speak to our determined and ongoing efforts to progress our portfolio."In the coming year we intend to further replicate these successes. We are currently evaluating the final results from our Basin drilling programme completed in FY2023 and firmly believe these will deliver a further upgrade of our existing MRE, unlocking a further royalty payment of US$3 million from the LRC, facilitating further investment into our portfolio. Since year end, we were pleased to have successfully reached a settlement agreement over the fraudulent payment (notified 29 March 2022), recovering a portion of the funds, in line with our expectations."At Bradda Head, we remain confident in our long-term vision to provide US lithium for the US market. Despite a challenging year for the lithium market, there is growing optimism that this is changing, driven by the demand for electric vehicles combined with the precariousness of current supply chains. Our assets are optimally located to capitalise on these developments, as the US seeks to define a domestic source of lithium supply. We look forward to continuing to meaningfully progress our portfolio, and seize the opportunity presented to us by the strategic location of our assets." Copies of the 2024 Audited Report and Financial Statements are being posted to shareholders and will shortly be available from the Company's website www.braddaheadltd.com The Company will post its Notice of Annual General Meeting ("AGM") to Shareholders shortly. The AGM will be held at the Sanderson Suite, Claremont Hotel, Loch Promenade, Douglas, Isle of Man IM1 2LX, with the date to be confirmed.THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU No. 596/2014) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SUCH PERSONS SHALL THEREFORE CEASE TO BE IN POSSESSION OF INSIDE INFORMATION.For further information please visit the Company's website: www.braddaheadltd.com Contact:Bradda Head Lithium Limited +44 (0) 1624 639 396 Ian Stalker, Executive ChairmanDenham Eke, Finance DirectorBeaumont Cornish (Nomad)+44 (0) 2076 283 396 James Biddle / Roland CornishPanmure Gordon (Joint Broker)+44 (0) 2078 862 500 Hugh RichShard Capital (Joint Broker)+44 (0) 2071 869 927 Damon Heath / Isabella PierreRed Cloud (North American Broker)+1 416 803 3562 Joe FarsTavistock (Financial PR)+ 44 20 7920 3150 Nick Elwes / Josephine Clerkint braddahead@ tavistock.co.ukAbout Bradda Head Lithium Ltd. Bradda Head Lithium Ltd. is a North America-focused lithium development group. The Company currently has interests in a variety of projects, the most advanced of which are in Central and Western Arizona: The Basin Project (Basin East Project, and the Basin West Project) and the Wikieup Project.The Basin East Project has an Indicated Mineral Resource of 17 Mt at an average grade of 940 ppm Li and 3.4% K for a total of 85 kt LCE and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 210 Mt at an average grade of 900 ppm Li and 2.8% K (potassium) for a total of 1.09 Mt LCE. In the rest of the Basin Project SRK has determined an Exploration Target of 250 to 830 Mt of material grading between 750 to 900 ppm Li, which is equivalent to a range of between 1 to 4 Mt contained LCE. The Group intends to continue to develop its three phase one projects in Arizona, whilst endeavouring to unlock value at its other prospective pegmatite and brine assets in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. All of Bradda Head's licences are held on a 100% equity basis and are in close proximity to the required infrastructure. Bradda Head is quoted on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange with the ticker of BHL and on the TSX Venture Exchange with a ticker of BHLI.The Mineral Resource statement for the Basin Project was authored by Martin Pittuck, CEng, MIMMM, FGS who works for SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd, an independent mining consultancy. Mr. Pittuck has over 25 years' experience undertaking and reviewing Mineral Resource estimates and has worked on lithium clay estimates for over 5 years. Mr. Pittuck consents to the inclusion of the technical information in this press release and context in which they appear. Reference is made to the report entitled "Independent technical report on the Basin and Wikieup Lithium clay projects, Arizona, USA" dated October 18, 2022 with an effective date of June 10, 2022 was prepared by Martin Pittuck, CEng, MIMMM, FGS, and Kirsty Reynolds MSci, PhD, FGS and reviewed by Nick Fox MSc, ACA, MIMMM. The Report is available for review on SEDARplus ( www.sedarplus.ca/landingpage) and the Company's website www.braddaheadltd.com Bradda Head is quoted on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange with the ticker of BHL, and on the TSX Ventures exchange with a ticker of BHLI.Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view the full announcement.http:
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 17:01:12

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The groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable delivers significant improvements in connectivity speed and bandwidthSOUTHBOROUGH, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Cable Matters, a leader in providing top-tier connectivity solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking Thunderbolt 5 cable manufactured by Lintes Technology Co., Ltd. The cable is available in 3 different lengths: 1 foot, 1.6 feet and 3.3 feet. This latest innovation delivers unparalleled performance, supporting up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional data transfer and up to 120 Gbps of video bandwidth, a substantial leap from the previous Thunderbolt 4 technology.Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cableThe new Thunderbolt 5 cable by Cable Matters represents a significant advancement in connectivity technology, offering increased bandwidth and power delivery capabilities. The Bandwidth Boost technology enables the cable to transmit up to 120 Gbps for the best display experience, providing up to 3 times increase over Thunderbolt 4's maximum bandwidth. This enhancement is particularly beneficial for demanding applications such as high-resolution video streaming, extensive data transfer, and high-speed gaming.The introduction of the Thunderbolt 5 cable aligns with the needs of modern users who require robust, high-performance connectivity solutions. "The Thunderbolt 5 cable not only supports the fastest data transfer rates but also ensures compatibility with a wide range of devices thanks to its backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, and DisplayPort 2.1 standards," said Jeff Jiang, President of Cable Matters.Jason Ziller, vice-president and general manager of the Client Connectivity Division at Intel, expressed enthusiasm about the new cable, stating, "The Thunderbolt 5 technology is a game-changer in the realm of connectivity and significantly enhances the user experience by providing more speed, power, and flexibility. It's an exciting advancement that underscores Cable Matters and Intel's commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in technology." Consumers can expect the Thunderbolt 5 cable to support multiple 6K or 8K displays, offer enhanced charging capabilities up to 240W, and maintain high-speed connections over longer distances without degradation. Gamers can take advantage of a 540Hz refresh rate on a single display, or connect up to three 4K 144Hz displays. The Cable Matters Thunderbolt 5 cable is not only a technological leap forward but also a testament to the company's commitment to innovation and quality.About Cable MattersCable Matters, with headquarters in Southborough, Massachusetts, offers a complete line of cables, adapters, docking stations and networking products for home, office, and data center. Cable Matters offers first-class quality products, backed by exceptional customer service, at an affordable price.Established in 2009, Cable Matters serves markets in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan.Cable Matters is a registered trademark of Cable Matters Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.Media Contact:Sarah WhitePhone: 508-460-1560Email: press@ cablematters.com Contact InformationSarah WhiteMarketing Managerpress@ cablematters.com 5084601560SOURCE: Cable Matters Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 18:45:45

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Camino Minerals Corporation (TSXV:COR)(OTC PINK:CAMZF)(WKN:A116E1) ("Camino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has been granted exclusivity to complete due diligence and negotiate documentation by August 31, 2024, to acquire (the "Proposed Acquisition") the Puquios Project, a construction-ready copper project located in Chile, approximately 130 km northeast of La Serena, Coquimbo region (the "Project"). Camino has signed a non-binding Letter-of-Intent ("LOI") dated May 29, 2024, to acquire the Project in a 50:50 joint venture with Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd. ("Nittetsu"). On June 26, 2024, Camino made a cash payment to the vendor pursuant to the LOI in the amount of CAD$100,000 for the exclusivity arrangement.The Proposed Acquisition complements the Company's partnership with Nittetsu on the Los Chapitos copper project. Nittetsu is currently completing an earn-in on Camino's Los Chapitos copper project in Peru (see news release dated June 14, 2023), but is an arm's length party to Camino under TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") policies. Nittetsu operates the Atacama Kozan copper mine and is currently constructing the US$400M Arqueros mine, both in Chile. Partnering with Nittetsu on a second copper project creates construction, operational, exploration, and capital markets synergies between Nittetsu and Camino.The potential vendors of the Project are Santiago Metals Investment Holdings II SLU and Santiago Metals Investment Holdings II-A LLC, which are companies owned by a fund advised by Denham Capital and are a non-arm's length party to Camino under TSXV policies. Separate Denham-advised funds hold a shareholder interest in Camino of approximately 15% and Justin Machin, a Managing Director of Denham Capital, is a member of the Camino board. Pursuant to the LOI, Camino and Nittetsu are proposing to acquire 100% of the Puquios Project by acquiring all of the shares in Cuprum Resources Chile SpA ("Cuprum", a Chilean corporation and the owner of the Project) for consideration consisting of equal amounts of cash (CAD$10M) and shares (CAD$10M), contingent payments with a value of CAD$25M and a 1% net smelter return royalty. Based on the current terms set out in the LOI, Nittetsu is expected to provide the initial cash consideration of CAD$10M, and Camino to provide initial share consideration of CAD$10M, priced at a share price equal to the lesser of CAD$0.075 and the share price of a financing anticipated to be undertaken by the Company in connection with the Proposed Acquisition (which financing shall be subject to TSXV acceptance, and the terms of which are to be finalized and announced at a later date). In parallel, Nittetsu and Camino plan to finalize a 50:50 joint venture for the Project, in which the copper off-take for the Project will be shared at 50%.The Proposed Acquisition will constitute a non-arm's length "Reverse Takeover" for Camino as that term is defined in Policy 5.2 of the TSXV.Highlights:Copper production in an easily accessible mining district with infrastructure in Chile would complement the advancement of copper exploration projects in Peru. Camino-Nittetsu partnership combines a proven team of mine builders, mine operators, and capital markets experts to continue building a copper platform for investors looking for a production and growth investment in copper. Construction-ready project to capture an anticipated near-term strong copper market.Jay Chmelauskas, CEO and President of Camino said: "A construction-ready copper mine acquisition would be transformational for Camino to capture production and cash flow from a projected near-term strong copper price. Such a construction project would expedite copper production ahead of our exploration assets in Peru and create a larger copper platform for investors looking for growth and greater liquidity in copper. Nittetsu has been a great partner at our Los Chapitos project in Peru and extending this partnership to a new copper production asset with Nittetsu's operational experience in Chile, provides growth and new opportunities for both companies." Camino's Corporate Development Strategy:Camino has been very active in advancing a corporate acquisition strategy, reviewing multiple projects over several years in order to build a copper portfolio ahead of what the Company believes to be strong macro-economic conditions for copper production. The Company considers Puquios to be one of the best construction-ready projects available in the market and of the right size for Camino to finance and build. In addition, the Company believes that adding copper production assets to its portfolio of exploration assets will enhance and support its exploration strategy. Ultimately, the Company seeks to become a consolidator in the copper sector, creating value through cashflow generation and new copper discoveries.Cuprum, the operating company in Chile that owns the Project and headquartered in Santiago, Chile, is engaged in the development of mineral resources. It has obtained a NI 43-101 compliant feasibility report dated January 14, 2022 in respect of the Project, and Camino management has been advised that Cuprum has secured all necessary environmental approvals and permits to begin construction in the near future of the plant and mine in respect of the Project.The parties are working toward completion of definitive documentation for early Q3 2024. The Proposed Acquisition, if consummated, is expected to involve the acquisition by Camino and Nittetsu of the shares of Cuprum. The principals and insiders of the Company post-closing of the Proposed Acquisition (including the Camino board composition) are yet to be determined, but the LOI contemplates certain Camino board representation rights granted to Denham Capital based on share ownership percentage thresholds beginning at 9.9%. Completion of the acquisition is subject to due diligence, settlement of definitive agreements, Camino shareholder approval, TSXV and other regulatory approvals, satisfaction of certain permitting milestones and other customary conditions. The Camino board representative of Denham Capital has and will continue to abstain from all deliberations and voting in respect of the Proposed Acquisition. No finders' fees will be payable by Camino in respect of the Proposed Acquisition and the Company will seek a waiver of any sponsorship requirements of the TSXV in respect of the Proposed Acquisition.A comprehensive press release will be issued if and when definitive agreements are settled in respect of the Proposed Acquisition. The shares of Camino will remain halted pursuant to TSXV Policy 5.2.About Nittetsu Mining Co., Ltd.:Nittetsu is a Japanese corporation
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 19:40:28

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Shareholders vote overwhelmingly for all resolutions TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Cerrado Gold Inc. (TSXV:CERT)(OTCQX:CRDOF) ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that at its Annual and Special Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders ("Shareholders") of the Company held earlier today, all resolutions presented to Shareholders were approved overwhelmingly. Details of the voting results are set out below.Meeting Voting ResultsA total of 40,637,097 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 39.490% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company. All resolutions presented for Shareholder approval at the Meeting were duly authorized and approved as follows:Election of DirectorsThe Shareholders elected each of the eight nominees listed in the Company's Management Proxy Circular (the "Circular") dated May 29, 2024. Details of the voting results are as follows:Name Votes For%Votes Withheld %Maria Virginia Anzola 35,537,458 98.078%696,2871.922%Mark Brennan34,969,592 96.511%1,264,1533.489%Robert Campbell35,276,658 97.359%957,0872.641%Christopher Jones35,549,658 98.112%684,0871.888%Kurt Menchen35,372,158 97.622%861,5872.378%Jad Salomao35,049,358 96.731%1,184,3873.269%Elmer Prata Salomao34,921,458 96.378%1,312,2873.622%Robert Sellars35,517,158 98.022%716,5871.978%Appointment of AuditorsThe resolution to re-appoint KPMG LLP ("KPMG") as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, with their remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors was varied, as the Company received notice of resignation from KPMG after the publication of the circular dated May 29, 2024 on SEDAR+. Upon receiving the notice of KPMG, the Company appointed McGovern Hurley LLP to fill the auditor vacancy. At the meeting, the board varied the resolution so that McGovern Hurley LLP would be elected as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year, with their remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors. Details of the voting results are as follows:Total Votes % of Votes CastVotes For 40,337,083 99.262% Votes Withheld 300,014 0.738% Total Votes Cast 40,637,097 100%Approval of the Sale of Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda.The Shareholders approved the previously announced proposed arm's length sale by the Company to Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining PLC, of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company's subsidiary, Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda., which holds the Company's Monte Do Carmo project in Brazil (the "Transaction").Total Votes % of Votes CastVotes For 34,987,215 96.560% Votes Against 1,132,623 3.126% Votes Withheld 113,907 0.314% Total Votes Cast 36,233,745 100% Shareholder approval of the Transaction marks a significant milestone towards the closing of the Transaction, the terms and conditions of which are set out in the option agreement (the "Option Agreement") dated March 4, 2024, entered into among the Company, Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., Hochschild Mining PLC and Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda. The TSXV provided conditional approval of the Transaction on June 17, 2024.The closing of the Transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions set out in the Option Agreement as well as the final approval of the TSXV. Please see the news release (the "News Release") of the Company dated March 5, 2024, and the Circular, for a comprehensive description of the Transaction and Option Agreement.In accordance with the provisions of a Loan Agreement among the Company, as borrower, and Amarillo Mineracao do Brasil Ltda, as lender (the "Lender"), dated March 4, 2024 (the "Loan Agreement"), immediately following the shareholders' approval of the Transaction, all of the credit obligations owing by the Company and two of its subsidiaries, Serra Alta Mineracao Ltda and Serra Alta Participacoes Imobiliarias S.A., to the Lender under the Loan Agreement were deemed to have been repaid in full and therefore the Loan Agreement terminated. In accordance with the Loan Agreement, the amount outstanding that has been deemed to have been repaid shall be applied as partial consideration payable by the Lender to complete the Transaction.The Option Agreement, the News Release and the Circular can be found on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca The Company also wishes to announce that Kurt Menchen is stepping down from his role as President & Country Manager, Brazil. Mr. Menchen will remain a director of the Company. Management and the Board wish to express their sincere gratitude to Mr. Menchen for all his contributions advancing the Monte do Carmo Project in Brazil.About CerradoCerrado Gold is a Toronto-based gold production, development, and exploration company focused on gold projects in South America. The Company is the 100% owner of both the producing Minera Don Nicolas and Las Calandrias mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina, and the highly prospective Monte Do Carmo development project, located in Tocantins State, Brazil under option to Amarillo Mineracao Do Brasil Ltda., a subsidiary of Hochschild Mining PLC. In Canada, Cerrado Gold is developing it's 100% owned Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project located outside of Chibougamou, Quebec.In Argentina, Cerrado is maximizing asset value at its Minera Don Nicolas operation through continued operational optimization and is growing production through its operations at the Las Calandrias Heap Leach project. An extensive campaign of exploration is ongoing to further unlock potential resources in our highly prospective land package in the heart of the Deseado Masiff.In Canada, Cerrado holds a 100% interest in the Mont Sorcier Iron Ore and Vanadium project, which has the potential to produce a premium iron ore concentrate over a long mine life at low operating costs and low capital intensity. Furthermore, its high grade and high purity product facilitates the migration of steel producers from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, contributing to the decarbonization of the industry and the achievement of SDG goals.For more information about Cerrado please visit our website at: www.cerradogold.com Mark BrennanCEO and ChairmanMike McAllisterVice President, Investor RelationsTel: +1-647-805-5662 mmcallister@ cerradogold.com DisclaimerNEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPON
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 14:04:09

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /CMC Metals Ltd. (TSXV:CMB)(Frankfurt:ZM5P)(OTCQB:CMCXF) ("CMC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has completed the final payment on the Blue Heaven Property with the optionor Strategic Metals Ltd. ("Strategic") and as a result is now an 80% owner of the Property. The original final payment of the option agreement was amended and subsequently a payment of 5,000,000 common shares at a deemed price of $0.03 per share, with a four month hold period, was provided to Strategic as the final payment for the Property.The Blue Heaven Property comprises of 118 claims (1,975 hectares) that are contiguous to the Company's Silver Hart Project in south-central Yukon. Blue Heaven is characterized with 13 mineralized areas and 36 showings many of which are yet to be evaluated by the Company. A brief program in 2022 extended previous trenching at the Desire Showing (subsequently renamed as the Golden Cross Zone) with highly positive results including:8.0 meters grading 13.39% lead, 1.57% zinc, 359.25 g/t silver and 1.17% manganese including 1.0 meter of 10% lead, 5.1% zinc, 1,500 g/t silver and 2.3% manganese 13.0 meters grading 8.25% lead, 4.22% zinc, 151.57 g/t silver and 9.16% manganese including 1.0 meter of 23.86% lead, 0.9% zinc, 623 g/t silver and 2.3% manganese A 14.0 meter mineralized area including 1.0 meter samples containing: 3.61% lead, 3.1% zinc, 199 g/t silver, 12.6% manganese 10% lead, 2.5% zinc, 360 g/t silver and 3.7% manganese 10% lead, 8.5% zinc, 459 g/t silver, and 1.6% manganese Several other 1.0 meter length individual samples containing: 49.8% lead, 3.7% zinc, 857 g/t silver and 5.7% manganese 13.4% lead, 5.6% zinc, 167 g/t silver and 10.5% manganese 59.46% lead, 1.8% zinc, 1,076 g/t silver and 3.2% manganese 21.01% lead, 1.1% zinc, 820 g/t silver and 1.4% manganese 16.53% lead, 0.3% zinc, 425 g/t silver and 0.7% manganese 64.56% lead, 5.6% zinc, >1,500g/t silver and 2.3% manganese 29.26% lead, 0.7% zinc, 1,295 g/t silver and 0.5% manganeseThese preliminary results demonstrate the potential for stacked manto sequences but require a lot more investigation to be conclusive in this regard. The area around the Golden Cross Zone is also characterized by several outcrops with extensive manganese which has been found to be indicative of silver-lead-zinc CRD-style mineralization on the Silver Hart property. These areas will be further evaluated with trenching and detailed mapping once an exploration permit has been secured for the propertyIn addition, a bulk sample collected by Nordac Resources Ltd. in 1999 from the Blue and H zones by comprised of 51.47 dry tonnes grading 8,563 g/t silver, 56.2% lead, 9.5% zinc and 1.2 g/t gold. Also, a recent in-depth analysis completed by Ronacher-McKenzie Geosciences on the 2021 SkyTEM airborne electromagnetic survey identified four areas of exploration prospectivity that were deemed to merit detailed evaluation.A permit application including a renewal for exploration at Silver Hart and proposed exploration activities at Blue Heaven has been submitted and accepted for review by the Yukon Environmental and Assessment Board.Mr. Kevin Brewer, P.Geo. and President and CEO of the Company noted that "The Golden Zone area, four new areas of exploration prospectivity, and the numerous showings on the Blue Heaven Property indicate significant exploration potential. Combined with the neighboring Silver Hart claims, CMC now has secured a significant interest on over four kilometers of a prospective carbonate belt that is an excellent target for skarn, vein and carbonate replacement high grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization." Qualified PersonQualified Person Kevin Brewer, a registered professional geoscientist, is the Company's President and CEO, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has given his approval of the technical information pertaining reported herein. The Company is committed to meeting the highest standards of integrity, transparency and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological reporting, geophysical investigations, environmental and baseline studies, engineering studies, metallurgical testing, assaying and all other technical data.About CMC Metals Ltd.CMC Metals Ltd. is a growth stage exploration company focused on opportunities for high grade polymetallic deposits in Yukon, British Columbia and Newfoundland. Our polymetallic silver-lead-zinc CRD prospects in the Rancheria Silver District include the Silver Hart Deposit and Blue Heaven claims (Yukon), Amy and Silverknife claims (British Columbia). Our polymetallic projects with potential for copper-silver-gold and other metals include Bridal Veil (central Newfoundland) and Logjam (Yukon).On behalf of the Board: "John Bossio" John Bossio, ChairmanCMC METALS LTD.For Further Information and Investor Inquiries: Kevin Brewer, P. Geo., MBA, B. Sc.(Hons) , Dip. Mine Eng.President , CEO and DirectorTel: (+52) 669 198 8503kbrewer80@ hotmail.comSuite 1000-409 Granville St., Vancouver, BC, V6C 1T2To be added to CMC's news distribution list, please send an email toinfo@ cmcmetals.caor contact Mr. Kevin Brewer directly.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."This news release may contain certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, statements that address the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles and exploitation activities and developments. In this release disclosure regarding the potential to undertake future exploration work comprise forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks, including the ability of the Company to raise the funds necessary to fund its projects, to carry out the work and, accordingly, may not occur as described herein or at all. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements inc
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 15:01:01

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Concord, the leading agreement management platform for scaling SMBs, announces the launch of its groundbreaking Agreement Intelligence, powered by AI.AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Concord, the leading agreement management platform for scaling SMBs, announces the launch of its groundbreaking Agreement Intelligence, powered by AI. The new capability, which will be available from July 15, 2024, effortlessly unlocks key data - including dates and parties - from agreements, contracts and other important documents, to enable seamless and automated lifecycle management.Concord Unveils Revolutionary AI-Powered Agreement Intelligence for Contract Management Concord, the leading agreement management platform for scaling SMBs, announces the launch of its groundbreaking Agreement Intelligence, powered by AI.The Agreement Intelligence feature, integrated into Concord's app, automatically extracts key contract terms and populates data within seconds. This capability enables businesses to capture essential details from contracts immediately upon uploading, significantly reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors. Additionally, the AI can auto-populate third-party data, generating instant summaries of parties involved in agreements."Concord's AI-driven solution is a game-changer for businesses handling large volumes of contracts," said Matt Lhoumeau, CEO of Concord. "By automating the extraction and entry of key terms, our users can focus on strategic tasks rather than tedious administrative work." One of the standout features is the enhanced analytics capability, providing users with actionable insights from signed agreements. This includes metrics that help mitigate risks and boost financial performance throughout the contract lifecycle. Concord's AI also offers bulk analysis, allowing users to upload and process hundreds of files simultaneously, streamlining contract management processes.More than one million users already trust Concord for their agreement management needs. Organizations from many different industries have reported significant improvements in efficiency and organization since adopting Concord.With this new AI feature, Concord continues to lead the market in providing innovative solutions that drive productivity and streamline contract management. The company invites businesses to experience the future of contract management by trying out the new AI feature upon its release on July 15.For more information or to schedule a demo, visit Concord's AI page.About ConcordConcord is an all-in-one contract management platform that helps organizations unlock the data in all their agreements. With features like real-time editing, e-signatures, and now AI-powered analytics, Concord enables businesses to stay compliant, mitigate risks, and drive revenue growth.Contact Ben ThomasEngagement ManagerConcordEmail: benjamin.thomas@concord.app Contact InformationBen ThomasEngagement Manager, Concordbenjamin.thomas@concord.app 3239848463SOURCE: ConcordView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 17:45:23

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Recognised for its innovative approaches in social housing and supported living, Citygate Housing secures top honours for blending robust financial performance with significant social impact.LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Compare the Financial Markets (CTFM) is delighted to announceCitygate Housing as the recipient of the Best Alternative Investment Award for 2024.This award celebrates Citygate Housing's exemplary achievements in propriety investment, particularly through their innovative social housing and supported living initiatives.As a leading authority in financial and investment insights, CTFM recognises organisations that not only show outstanding performance and innovation but also contribute positively to societal needs. "Citygate Housing exemplifies the spirit of what theBest Alternative Investment Award stands for:innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility," said Alex Mercer, Head of Award Committee at CTFM.Citygate Housing has distinguished itself through a strategic approach to real estate that combines robust financial returns with substantial social impact. Their commitment to developing sustainable housing solutions for vulnerable populations in the UK has set them apart in the competitive real estate investment landscape.The award was presented at the annual CTFM Conference held in London, which was attended by industry leaders from across the financial and real estate sectors. "This accolade is a testament to our rigorous selection process and Citygate Housing's dedication to excellence," Mercer added.*About Compare the Financial Markets (CTFM)*CTFM is a premier platform offering insights, news, and analysis on the global financial markets, investment opportunities, and emerging economic trends. With a commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in the financial sector, CTFM also hosts annual awards recognising the achievements of standout performers in various investment categories.For further information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact:Sarah Medina, Media RelationsEmail: sarah.m@comparethefinanciamarkets.com Website: https://www.comparethefinancialmarkets.com SOURCE: Compare the Financial Markets (CTFM)
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 20:32:56

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / The Entrepreneur's Law Group has announced the successful debut of "Ready, Set, Launch: The Essential Playbook for Entrepreneurs," by attorney Courtney Jared Bannan, Esq . A boutique firm providing resources and services to entrepreneurs and businesses, The Entrepreneur's Law Group is proud to addBannan 's authorship to its expanding toolkit. The book is available online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and also on the shelves of select Barnes and Noble stores. It is available in hardcover, softcover, and Kindle versions.Ready, Set, Launch: The Essential Playbook for Entrepreneurs"Ready, Set, Launch' empowers you with insights on selecting the optimal business structure, ensuring compliance, and assembling a winning team," reads the book's synopsis. "Dive into the intricacies of raising capital and master the art of social media marketing to amplify your brand's reach." The book is designed to guide an entrepreneur through the process of turning a vision into a reality, beginning from the construction of a business blueprint to the successful launch and secure foundation of a long-term venture. The book's 31 chapters include informational content and interactive exercises, such as a comprehensive business startup checklist full of crucial details informed by the author's extensive experience."Ready, Set, Launch is more than a book; it's a mentor, a strategic partner, and a roadmap for your entrepreneurial endeavors," reads the synopsis. "Get ready to transform your dreams into a thriving reality as you embark on this comprehensive and interactive guide to entrepreneurial success." Courtney Jared Bannan, Esq.: Skilled Attorney, Trusted Expert, AuthorBannanhas been a major force behind the success of The Entrepreneur's Law Group for some time, serving as a mentor for aspiring attorneys and a critical asset for entrepreneurs and business moguls served by the boutique firm. With a Juris Doctor in International and Comparative Law and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Finance, Bannan is admitted to practice law across multiple states and is a Certified In-House Counsel in Arizona. She has been successful in launching her own venture as the Founder of the tech startup behind the dSkribe legal app.Bannan is also a certified Vinyasa yoga teacher based on training she received in India, and she believes that she "can reshape the legal profession by integrating mindfulness into legal practice." All of this skill, wisdom, and experience form the backbone of "Ready, Set, Launch," giving the book an incredible depth of authentic, real-world wisdom. Through her mentorship, service, and now her authorship, Bannan is cementing a legacy of helping up-and-coming professionals find success in a world of complications, competition, and risk.About The Entrepreneur's Law GroupA boutique law firm designed specifically to serve entrepreneurs and startups, The Entrepreneur's Law Group has made its mission to "meet the unique needs of entrepreneurs, startups, and large enterprises with expanding verticals." The services offered by the firm include creative analysis of business ideas and assistance with navigating regulations and industry-specific laws. The boutique offers general counsel to provide personalized and tailored consulting and legal services that meet the specific needs of clients. "We focus on regulatory concerns so that you can focus on your idea."MEDIA DETAILS:Company name: The Entrepreneur's Law GroupCompany Media Contact: Courtney Jared Bannan Email: cjb@ courtneyjaredbannan.comCompany Website: https://courtneyjaredbannan.com/ SOURCE: The Entrepreneur's Law Group
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 08:01:12

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THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.Genflow Biosciences Strengthens Pre-Clinical Efforts with FDA Guidance and CDMO and CRO SelectionLONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Genflow Biosciences Plc (LSE:GENF)(OTCQB:GENFF) ("Genflow" or "the Company") an emerging leader in the field of longevity research, focused on developing therapeutic solutions for the prevention of age-related diseases is pleased to report advancements in its pre-clinical programs.Genflow has initiated a feasibility study with a Contract Development Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), Exothera S.A, to assess the ability to produce its future MASH clinical lot in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).Genflow is also in the process of selecting Contract Research Organizations (CROs) to conduct its upcoming dog clinical trial, aimed at studying its promising drug candidate, GF-1004. The Company is currently evaluating requests for proposals (RFPs) and is working diligently to finalize a definitive agreement next month.In addition, Genflow has received research guidance from the FDA's Initial Targeted Engagement for Regulatory Advice on CBER Products (INTERACT). The Company submitted a comprehensive briefing package detailing all preclinical (in vitro and in vivo) studies conducted with its lead drug candidate, GF-1002, for the treatment of Metabolic Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH).The FDA has encouraged Genflow to proceed with its plans to identify appropriate animal models through pilot proof-of-concept (POC) studies. These studies will inform the definitive POC, toxicology, and biodistribution studies necessary for eventual clinical trials. Detailed summaries of the products used in each animal study and their comparability to the intended clinical product are to be included.Dr. Eric Leire, CEO of Genflow commented: " We are excited by the momentum we have built in moving forward with our pre-clinical programs and the guidance received from the FDA. This encouragement reinforces our commitment to developing effective therapeutic solutions for age-related diseases. As we move forward with our dog clinical trials, we remain focused on our mission to improve healthspan." ContactsGenflow BiosciencesHarbor AccessDr Eric Leire, CEOJonathan Paterson, Investor Relations+32-477-495-881+1 475 477 9401Joint Corporate BrokersCapital Plus Partners LtdKeith Swann, +44 0203 821 6169Jon Critchley, +44 0203 821 6168About Genflow BiosciencesFounded in 2020, Genflow Biosciences Plc. (LSE:GENF) (OTCQB:GENFF), a biotechnology company headquartered in the UK with R&D facilities in Belgium, is pioneering gene therapies to decelerate the aging process, with the goal of promoting longer and healthier lives while mitigating the financial, emotional, and social impacts of a fast-growing aging global population. Genflow's lead compound, GF-1002, works through the delivery of a centenarian variant of the SIRT6 gene which has yielded promising preclinical results. Scheduled to begin in 2025, Genflow's clinical trial aims to explore the potential benefits of GF-1002 in treating MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis), the most prevalent chronic liver disease for which there is no effective treatments. Please visit www.genflowbio.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.DISCLAIMERThe contents of this announcement have been prepared by, and are the sole responsibility of, the Company.This announcement may contain forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's or the Directors' expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statement that refers to projections, forecasts or other characterisations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, is a forward-looking statement. The words "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "might", "plan", "possible", "potential", "predict", "project", "seek", "should", "would" and similar expressions, or in each case their negatives, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.Forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company, the business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company's actual financial condition, actual results of operations and financial performance, and the development of the industries in which it operates or will operate, may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. In addition, even if the Company's financial condition, results of operations and the development of the industries in which it operates or will operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of financial condition, results of operations or developments in subsequent periods. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include regional, national or global, political, economic, social, business, technological, competitive, market and regulatory conditions.Any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement applies only as of the date of this announcement and is expressly qualified in its entirety by these cautionary statements. Factors or events that could cause the Company's actual plans or results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any c
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 22:30:16

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / In the immigration consultancy field, Amir Ismail, who is head quartered in Toronto, Canada, is a reliable and trustworthy source. Over three decades of professional experience have been devoted to assisting people and families in navigating the intricacies associated with immigration. As a Licensed, Recognized, and Authorized Citizenship and Immigration Practitioner, Mr. Ismail has earned a great deal of respect since he started his career in 1991.Certified and Licensed ProfessionalThe qualifications of Mr. Ismail attest to his proficiency and professionalism in the area of immigration consultancy. He is formally allowed by the Government of Canada to represent clients in immigration and citizenship matters as a member in good standing of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), formerly the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). This accreditation guarantees that Mr. Ismail is qualified to offer competent legal counsel and representation to anybody looking to immigrate to Canada.Mr. Ismail is a distinguished member of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC) in addition to the CICC. His membership in these respectable organizations demonstrates his dedication to maintaining the highest moral standards.An Unwavering Lifetime Dedicated to Immigration ConsultingMr. Ismail began his job in the family immigration consulting firm at an early age, having personally immigrated to Canada. He has been one of the few approved advisors helping customers make one of the biggest decisions of their lives - relocating to a new nation - for more than thirty years, and he takes great delight in that fact. His unwavering efforts to assist others in realizing their aspirations of establishing new lives overseas are a testament to his dedication and enthusiasm for his business.Strong Expertise and Expert AssociationHis qualification as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) enhances Mr. Ismail's already broad knowledge base and solid reputation in the Canadian immigration community. This certificate attests to his acceptance by numerous provincial and territorial administrations in addition to federal government agencies including Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the Immigration Refugee Board, and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).Mr. Ismail has a distinct advantage over his rivals thanks to his tight collaboration with seasoned attorneys and industry experts throughout the years. By engaging in ongoing professional development activities like training sessions and seminars, he makes sure to stay up to date on the most recent advancements in Canada's immigration procedures.Personalized and Caring AssistanceAmir Ismail finds immense satisfaction in offering his customers individualized and considerate service. Having firsthand experience with the difficulties and advantages of immigration, he provides his clients with a special and sympathetic viewpoint. Many people who have made a smooth adjustment to their new lives overseas have found him to be a reliable counselor and friend since he takes great satisfaction in his promptness, attention to detail, and personal touch.Professional Accreditations and MembershipsSeveral esteemed qualifications and professional associations throughout Amir Ismail's career attest to his dedication to excellence in immigration consulting:The national regulating authority that oversees immigration consultants in Canada is the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), of which Amir Ismail & Associates is a proud member. This membership guarantees that they follow the most moral and ethical guidelines in the immigration consulting industry. Furthermore, Mr. Ismail has volunteered his time at the CICC as a committed mentor, offering advice and encouragement to recently graduated immigration consultants.Canada's Professional Immigration Consultants Association (CAPIC): Mr. Ismail participates actively in CAPIC, the leading organization devoted to professional development and lobbying.The Prominent Career and Professional Connections of Amir Ismail Amir Ismail's career is distinguished by a number of esteemed accreditations and associations that demonstrate his dedication to excellence in the immigration consulting field:Amir Ismail & Associates is pleased to be a member of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), which is the national organization that oversees immigration consultants in Canada. By virtue of their membership, they are guaranteed to uphold the most moral principles and ethical standards in the immigration consulting industry. Furthermore, Mr. Ismail has been a committed volunteer mentor at the CICC, offering advice and encouragement to recently graduated immigration consultants.Professional Immigration Consultants of Canada Association (CAPIC): Mr. Ismail actively participates in the leading organization devoted to professional development and advocacy as a member of CAPIC.Global Presence: Mr. Ismail has a wide-ranging professional network. Offering specialized immigration solutions that address the particular requirements of clients in a variety of marketplaces, he is well-known in the Gulf area and other nations.Rotary International: By belonging to Rotary International, Mr. Ismail is a part of a global organization that promotes long-term change and builds sustainable community initiatives. This relationship is a testament to his commitment to making a positive impact on society and assisting global community development initiatives.Amir Ismail continues to set the bar high for the immigration consulting sector by providing clients worldwide with comprehensive services and knowledgeable advice thanks to his affiliations and commitment to professional development.Amir Ismail & Associates: Why Choose Us?1. Background and Tradition Amir Ismail & Associates is a family-run practice with over 30 years of experience that has a track record of resolving difficult and varied immigration issues. They are considered leaders in the immigration consultancy area because of their vast experience.2. A High Rate of Success The company has helped thousands of applications navigate the difficulties of migrating to Canada and other countries since 1991, with a success rate of over 90%.3. Dedication to Customers Amir Ismail & Associates is committed to giving each client individualized attention and outlining expectations in order to give them peace of mind and information throughout their immigration process.4. Well-Known Expertise The company provides services in Canada, Pakistan, Dubai, and other countries and is well-known for its profici
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 11:01:30

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Harbor Diversified, Inc. ("Harbor Diversified" or "the Company") (OTC PINK:HRBR) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Harbor Diversified securities between May 10, 2022 and March 29, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/HRBR Case Details:According to the Complaint, Harbor Diversified describes itself as "a non-operating holding company that is the parent of a consolidated group of subsidiaries, including AWAC Aviation, Inc. (AWAC'), which is the sole member of Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC (Air Wisconsin'), a regional air carrier. Harbor is also the direct parent of three other subsidiaries: (1) Lotus Aviation Leasing, LLC (Lotus'), which leases flight equipment to Air Wisconsin, (2) Air Wisconsin Funding LLC (AWF'), which provides flight equipment financing to Air Wisconsin, and (3) Harbor Therapeutics, Inc. (Therapeutics'), which is a non-operating entity with no material assets." The Complaint alleges that Harbor Diversified made materially false and/or misleading statements because the Company misrepresented and failed to disclose the following adverse facts pertaining to the Company's business, operations, and prospects, which were known to Defendants or recklessly disregarded by them. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:(1) Harbor Diversified's financial statements from May 9, 2022 to the present were misstated due to improper revenue recognition;(2) Harbor Diversified lacked adequate internal controls; and(3) as a result, Harbor Diversified's statements about its business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.The truth began to emerge, according to the Complaint, on March 29, 2024, when Harbor Diversified filed with the SEC a current report on Form 8-K in which it announced that certain of its previously-issued financial statements would need to be restated as a result of improper revenue recognition. Further, Harbor Diversified disclosed a material weakness in its internal controls that has the company's management evaluating "appropriate remediation actions." On this news, according to the Complaint, the price of Harbor Diversified stock fell by $0.28 per share, or14.25% , to close at $1.73 on April 1, 2024.Therefore, the Complaint further alleges that as a result of Defendants' wrongful acts and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Harbor Diversified's common shares, investors have suffered significant losses and damages.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: bgandg.com/HRBR or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Client Relations Manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Harbor Diversified you have until July 8, 2024, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff.There is No Cost to YouWe represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Nathan Miller,332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 14:04:17

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WALTHAM, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Infinidat, a leading provider of enterprise storage solutions, has introduced a new automated cyber resiliency and recovery solution that will revolutionize how enterprises can minimize the impact of ransomware and malware attacks. Infinidat's InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection (ACP) is a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity integration solution that is designed to reduce the threat window of cyberattacks, such as ransomware. Sophisticated cyberattacks, including new sinister forms of AI-driven attacks, are increasingly targeting the data storage infrastructure of enterprises.Infinidat's InfiniSafe ACP enables enterprises to easily integrate with their Security Operations Centers (SOC), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) cybersecurity software applications, and simple syslog functions for less complex environments. A security-related incident or event triggers immediate automated immutable snapshots of data, providing the ability to protect InfiniBox and InfiniBox SSA block-based volumes and/or file systems and ensure near instantaneous cyber recovery."The merging of cybersecurity and data infrastructure has been compelling CIOs, CISOs and IT team leaders to rethink how to secure enterprise storage across hybrid multi-cloud deployments in light of increasing cyberattacks. Enterprises need proactive strategies, seamless integration across IT domains, and the most advanced, automated technologies to stay ahead of cyber threats," said Eric Herzog, CMO at Infinidat. Recognized as a cyber secure storage expert, Herzog is coming off participation in a string of cybersecurity panel discussions, roundtables and conference events."Infinidat has carved out a very unique leadership position as the only storage vendor to offer an automated enterprise storage cyber protection solution that seamlessly integrates with cyber security software applications," said Chris Evans, Principal Analyst at Architecting IT. "Infinidat's newly launched InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection that easily meshes with the SIEM, SOAR or Security Operations Centers is exactly what enterprises need to include enterprise storage as a comprehensive approach to combat cyber threats." Infinidat's new InfiniSafe ACP capability orchestrates the automatic taking of immutable snapshots of data, at the speed of compute, to stay ahead of cyberattacks by decisively cutting off the proliferation of data corruption.Evans added, "This proactive cyber protection technique is extremely valuable, as it enables taking immediate immutable snapshots of data at the first sign of a potential cyberattack. This provides a significant advancement to ensure enterprise cyber storage resilience and recovery are integral to an enterprise's cybersecurity strategy. ACP enhances an enterprise's overall cyber resilience by reducing the threat window and minimizing the impact of cyberattacks on enterprise storage environments." The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection is one of the biggest innovations of the year in cybersecurity because it unlocks the full potential of an enterprise's security posture and maximizes the investments that an enterprise has made in protecting the business. By plugging into existing security mechanisms and continuous monitoring, InfiniSafe ACP bridges the gaps between enterprise storage and cybersecurity strategies that can transform the way CIOs and CISOs think about enterprise data infrastructures.Information technology leaders have identified this ability to automate data snapshot commands and data pathways as critical to early detection and worry-free cyber recovery that minimizes the effects of even the most vicious and deceptive cyberattacks of malicious actors. An enterprise's security team can put all its information from security operations through an enterprise storage intelligence grid to create the most sensitive triggers that often get missed by existing technologies and techniques.Paul Rapier, VP of Information Technology at the Detroit Pistons, stated, "Infinidat's efforts in enhancing cyber resilience for enterprises, particularly through the new InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection, are noteworthy for data security." Allen Shahdadi, Vice President of Global Sales at Sycomp, said, "Infinidat has become synonymous with guaranteed cyber resilient storage. Infinidat continues to deliver powerful solutions that solve critical cyber issues for enterprises and service providers around the globe. The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection solution brings much needed capabilities to fight more effectively against cyberattacks. The automatic capture of immutable snapshots of primary data could be the difference between your data being held ransom and the rapid recovery of your data. Before international cybercriminals, hackers and fraudsters can gain an advantage, Infinidat's InfiniSafe reduces the threat window decisively." The InfiniSafe Automated Cyber Protection solution is the latest in a string of cybersecurity capabilities that Infinidat has brought forward to strengthen enterprise storage in the face of constant threats of a tsunami of cyberattacks. Infinidat has also unveiled the following extensions of its state-of-the-art cyber resilient capabilities:InfiniSafe Cyber Detection for VMware - Access to InfiniSafe cyber resilience capabilities to combat cyberattacks has been expanded into VMware environments. The impact of a cyberattack can be readily determined through this cyber detection capability, with highly granular insights by leveraging AI and machine learning whether or not a VMware datastore and the VM's they encompass have been compromised.InfiniSafe Cyber Detection for InfiniGuard - Cyber detection will be extended onto the InfiniGuard purpose-built backup appliance to help enterprises resist and quickly recover from cyberattacks. This proven capability provides highly intelligent scanning and indexing to identify signs of cyber threats in backup environments, helping ensure that data has integrity. The enhanced version will be available in 2H 2024.As a leader in cyber resilient storage, Infinidat first unveiled its InfiniSafe software-based platform two years ago with a set of cybersecurity functions. This solution has won numerous awards and has been proven by large global enterprises. The comprehensive cyber resilience capabilities of InfiniSafe technology improve the ability of an enterprise to combat and protect against ever-increasing cyberattacks and data breaches by uniquely combining immutable snapshots, logical air gapping, fenced/isolated networks, and virtually instantaneous data recovery into a single, high-performance platform.The InfiniSafe ACP i
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 20:51:01

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Dillard Elementary students were very excited to attend the annual Career City event hosted by Ranger Good Works. Six key leaders from GL Homes had conversations with the students and told them about their jobs at the company, the importance of education, and working hard. GL Homes PresidentMisha Ezratti taught them about the homebuilding industryand passed out renderings of a homebuilding development project as a visual aid for these students.The individuals who attended the event from GL Homes were Lucas Cuartas, Misha Ezratti, Howard Langshaw, Nicole Marshall, Julian Morrison, and Sil Rivera. It was an admirable act of kindness to contribute to the event and offer their time to these deserving students.Igniting curiosity in children can open their eyes to a world of possibilities and a bright future. The Ezratti family recognizes the importance of giving back to the community and is dedicated to enlightening students at a young age about the various opportunities available to them, even beyond the industry of Itchko Ezratti's GL Homes.Ranger Good Works empowers under-resourced local school communitiesin South Florida through program and operational support, volunteering, and fundraising initiatives. The Ezratti family has formed a lasting relationship with Ranger Good Works through these efforts, and they are planning to collaborate again in the future. "The Summer of Service has been incredibly rewarding for all of us," said Misha Ezratti. "The Career City event, in particular, was a memorable experience for every employee who attended, highlighting the profound impact we can make together in our community." To learn more about the various ways GL Homes is making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities, visit glhomesphilanthropy.com About GL HomesFounded in 1976, GL Homes is a uniquely American success story. Built by Itchko Ezratti, who believed that hard work, integrity, and quality craftsmanship would thrive in the marketplace, GL Homes has since grown into one of Florida's largest homebuilders.Misha Ezratti, son of company founder Itchko Ezratti, is President of GL Homes and leads the charge in overseeing operations across the state of Florida today. With a more than 45-year track record, countless industry awards and accolades, and most importantly, more than 100,000 happy GL homeowners, it's easy to see how Itchko Ezratti's GL Homes has grown into a top luxury home builder across both Florida and the nation.Contact: contact@ insightinformernews.com SOURCE: GL Homes
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 16:02:36

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Former IBM Blockchain Lab Founder and Global Head of Digital Assets at State Street Named Advisor to Industry's Only Scalable Proof of Work BlockchainNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Kadena, the industry's only scalable Proof-of-Work blockchain, welcomes Nitin Gaur, the founder of IBM Blockchain Lab and a former Global Head of Digital Assets at State Street, as an advisor. Gaur, a distinguished leader in blockchain with a robust patent portfolio, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to guide Kadena's strategic direction for implementing a decentralized approach to traditional finance.Kadena Announces Nitin Guar as Advisor Stuart Popejoy, CEO and co-founder of Kadena, expressed his excitement about the new addition to Kadena's advisory team. "We are thrilled to welcome Nitin Gaur to Kadena as an advisor, joining blockchain inventor Dr. Stuart Haber, among others. His deep understanding of blockchain technology and his institutional background will be instrumental as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with our platform." Gaur shared in the excitement to join Kadena. "Kadena has a bright future with a world-class team of executives and advisors. I'm excited to bring my experience in blockchain-powered business networks, especially in financial services, to add to a strong foundation." Gaur's contributions to the field extend beyond his work at IBM and State Street. He is a sought-after speaker at various global events, advised on digital currency initiatives at Stanford University, and holds 100-plus patents.For more information about Kadena and its initiatives, please visit www.kadena.io About Nitin GaurNitin Gaur is currently the founder and CEO of LedgerLink, an AI-driven Web2.5 platform. The goal of LedgerLink is leading Digital Asset and Technology Design, with aspirations to transition part of the company's financial market infrastructure and its clients to the new digital economy. In this role, Gaur aims to dedicate energy to bridging traditional finance and emerging decentralized finance with concepts around enterprise-grade digital-asset custody, risk-model frameworks, tokenization of traditional assets, and fund structures to transform and modernize the market infrastructure with a vast partner ecosystem. Nitin Gaur also serves as the CTO and co-founder at Portal Asset Management, an acclaimed crypto hedge fund. He is also the co-host of the "Beyond Bitcoin" podcast, which offers deep insights into the evolution and adoption of digital assets across industries.In his previous role, Nitin Gaur served as Managing Director at State Street and was the founder and Director of IBM Digital Asset Labs - committed to devising industry standards and use cases and working towards making blockchain for enterprise a reality. In parallel, Gaur also served as CTO of IBM World Wire - a cross-border payment solution utilizing digital assets. He also founded IBM Blockchain Labs and led the effort to establish blockchain practices for the enterprise. Prior to this role, Gaur was working in the capacity of CTO, IBM Mobile Payments, and Enterprise Mobile Solutions. Gaur holds an MS in Management Information Systems and an MBA in Finance from The University of Maryland. He was also appointed as an IBM Distinguished Engineer and was recognized as a Master Inventor with a rich patent portfolio.About KadenaKadena, a blockchain technology company founded in 2017 by Stuart Popejoy and Will Martino, who created JP Morgan's first blockchain and led the SEC's Crypto Committee, stands as the industry's only scalable layer-1 Proof of Work (PoW) blockchain. This unique scalability enables Kadena to deliver infrastructure-grade performance for any blockchain project. Along with our smart contract language Pact, Kadena's platform provides the world with the tools and environment to turn ideas and ambitions into reality, paving the way for true blockchain mass adoption.Kadena LinkedInKadena on X (formerly Twitter)Kadena DiscordContact InformationKadena PressKadena Presspress@ kadena.io SOURCE: KadenaView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 20:51:07

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Keychain Is Transforming the Way Brands Find Manufacturers with AI TechnologyNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry faces numerous challenges in managing its complex supply chain. Finding reliable manufacturing partners can be a time-consuming and costly process, often involving multiple intermediaries and extensive negotiations.Keychain, a startup co-founded by Oisin Hanrahan, Umang Dua, and Jordan Weitz, aims to simplify this process with its AI-powered platform designed to connect brands with a network of over 24,000 manufacturers. Recently, Keychain secured $18 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, underscoring the potential of its innovative approach.A Comprehensive Solution for CPG BrandsKeychain's platform offers a comprehensive solution for brands looking to streamline their manufacturing processes. The platform's services include competitive intelligence, manufacturer sourcing, terms negotiation, and compliance management, all designed to reduce the time and cost associated with bringing new products to market.By providing a centralized platform that connects brands with manufacturers, Keychain aims to eliminate the inefficiencies that plague the traditional methods of finding manufacturing partners. This not only speeds up the product development process but also allows brands to focus more on innovation and quality, rather than the logistics of manufacturing.Harnessing the Power of AIThe key to Keychain's success is its use of artificial intelligence. The platform's AI algorithms analyze a variety of factors, including product type, manufacturing capacity, and geographical location, to match brands with the most suitable manufacturers. This ensures that brands can quickly find partners that meet their specific needs, significantly reducing the time it takes to get products from concept to market.In addition to helping brands find manufacturing partners, Keychain's AI capabilities also provide valuable insights into market trends and competitor activities. This allows brands to make more informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition in an increasingly dynamic market.Driving Efficiency and TransparencyKeychain's platform not only makes it easier for brands to find manufacturing partners but also enhances the overall transparency of the supply chain. This is particularly important in the CPG industry, where understanding market dynamics and responding quickly to consumer needs can be a significant competitive advantage. By providing a more efficient and transparent way to manage the supply chain, Keychain is helping brands to reduce costs, improve product quality, and increase their market responsiveness.Future Growth and ExpansionWith its robust platform and strong financial backing,Keychainis well-positioned for future growth. The company plans to expand its platform's capabilities and increase its network of manufacturers, further enhancing its ability to meet the needs of brands in the CPG industry. Additionally, Keychain aims to extend its services to include select retailers and brands, broadening its impact on the market.As the CPG industry continues to evolve, platforms like Keychain will play an increasing importance.ContactGabrielle Curry gabrielle.curry@keychain.com SOURCE: Keychain
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 18:30:43

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ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Orlando's Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse is gearing up to celebrate 40 years of delicious and fun-filled dining. With 13 locations spanning Central Florida and Tampa, the family-owned Teppanyaki restaurant has become a Florida restaurant staple that tourists and locals flock to each year. Kobe Steakhouse brings countless family and friends together through an interactive dining experience, where skilled chefs cook Japanese cuisine up close on an open stove with a theatrical flair, eliciting plenty of laughter and rumbling stomachs.Kobe Japanese Steakhouse Celebrates 40 Years "So much has changed over the decades," said Mr. Chan Nguyen, owner of Kobe Steakhouse. "But our desire to create a destination full of life and ignite happiness in all those who dine with us remains the Kobe Way' of how we do things at our company. These past 40 years have exceeded our expectations." As for the future of Kobe Steakhouse, Mr. Nguyen and the Kobe team have no plans of slowing down. With their newest location off of West 192 in Kissimmee, their mission of providing a premium Japanese dining experience to communities across Florida remains the same. With menu updates, daily promotions and specials, and a top-tier rewards program, Kobe has something for everyone.No matter which location you choose to dine at this summer, Kobe Steakhouse promises a customized dining experience perfect for creating memories with family and friends."As I reflect on these years gone by, I'm reminded of every individual who has contributed to Kobe's journey," said Mr. Nguyen. "From our dedicated past and present employees who shape our strong company culture to our supportive community business partners, and our cherished customers whose unwavering support fuels our growth. They are all the backbone of our business. We are proud to serve them." Help the Kobe family celebrate four decades of business! Beginning July 8th, dine in and enjoy a teppanyaki dining experience at any location with their $40 Kobe Anniversary Menu. The limited-time menu also includes an option to add on 6oz of Premium A5 Grade Japanese Wagyu Beef for only $60.Follow Kobe on Instagram @Kobesteakhouse to find out more about their 40th Anniversary promotions, including an Instagram Giveaway.Contact InformationJackie GillardiMarketing Managermarketing@ kobesteakhouseusa.com SOURCE: Kobe Japanese SteakhouseView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 18:12:40

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As the fintech grows, CEO Everett K. Sands says Wen will bring his 20 years of experience to a role focused on innovative capital strategiesLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Lendistry announces today that a new Chief Financial Officer, Clark Wen, joined its leadership this week, making a clean transition as their previous CFO, Jeffrey J. Alfano, leaves the firm.Clark Wen, Chief Financial Officer at Lendistry As Lendistry emerged from its rapid response to the pandemic, Jeffrey Alfano helped the company rebuild its offerings for small business loans, SBA 7(a) loans, and commercial real estate. Under his leadership, Lendistry was granted a $100 million bond guarantee through the U.S. Treasury's CDFI Fund and closed an $85 million Senior Notes Offering with 25 socially-responsible banks and insurance companies, which was one of the largest institutionally-led capital raises by a CDFI in 2022. The notes received an investment grade "A" rating from Egan Jones.Clark Wen has more than 15 years of experience in consumer finance and SMB lending, most recently serving as Managing Director at Crestline Investors where he made private credit and preferred equity investments through Crestline's opportunistic credit platform. In this role, he spearheaded Crestline's specialty finance strategy, investing over $800 million to support financing businesses in rapid growth cycles, dislocated markets, or underserved consumer segments. His experience before Crestline includes roles at Black Diamond Capital Management's Private Equity Team and EY's Corporate Finance Practice. Wen also served on the Board of Directors at Ironhorse Funding and Foxpoint."I'm excited to join Lendistry where forward-thinking innovation and responsible execution are in balance," says Wen. "As I move from the investment side to the operating side of consumer finance, I hope to play a transformative role within Lendistry's leadership and for the small businesses and communities we serve." "Jeff leaves our company well-positioned to experience this change with minimal impact, and I thank him for his stellar work," says Everett K. Sands, CEO of Lendistry. "We chose Clark to elevate our capital raising strategy and support the next phase of our growth as we enter new industries in which small businesses and undercapitalized communities have lacked responsible lending partners for too long." About LendistryB.S.D. Capital, Inc. dba Lendistry ( lendistry.com) is a minority-led fintech that provides innovative lending products for small businesses and administers grant programs for government agencies nationwide. Headquartered in a Los Angeles Opportunity Zone, Lendistry uses technology and community partnerships to overcome systemic barriers to capital access. In 2024, Lendistry CEO Everett K. Sands was an Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles award winner. Lendistry has both Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Entity (CDE) certifications and is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco. Lendistry SBLC, LLC is an SBA Preferred Lender and the nation's only African American-led SBA designated Small Business Lending Company. In collaboration with The Center by Lendistry, a nonprofit business education organization, Lendistry provides economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved urban and rural small business borrowers and their communities.Contact Information:Kate KearnsCommunications managercommunications@ lendistry.com SOURCE: LendistryView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 13:45:20

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TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /NextSource Materials Inc. (TSX:NEXT)(OTCQB:NSRCF) ("NextSource" or the "Company") is pleased to announce an update on its global anode expansion strategy, including positive results of a technical and economic study (the "Study") for the construction of a proposed battery anode facility (BAF) located in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The Company further announces it has launched a strategic partner process to consider expressions of interest it has received for funding the battery anode facilities both in the Middle East and globally.As announced in February 2023, NextSource plans to construct, in stages, multiple BAFs globally in key jurisdictions that would be capable of producing commercial scale graphite anode active material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicle (EV) applications. This planned series of BAFs will leverage exclusive access to well-established proprietary anode processing technology currently supplying anode active material to major EV automotive companies (OEMs).The key jurisdictions being evaluated for potential BAF expansions are Madagascar, the KSA, the United Arab Emirates, and North America.Anode active material comprises a range of value-added graphite products including spheronized purified graphite (SPG) and coated SPG (CSPG).Study Results for BAF in Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaStantec, a global engineering service provider and partner firm with NextSource, has completed a conceptual design and an AACE Class 5 evaluation to develop Battery Anode Facilities in selected sites in the KSA. The KSA BAF will be capable of producing natural graphite anode active material for lithium-ion batteries used in EV applications.Stantec has worked in conjunction with NextSource's technology partners to develop a Middle East compliant plant design, using proven process technology to reduce future qualification times. The Study included an assessment of the process design and equipment, an application of relevant design standards and codes, an analysis of future operational requirements, and an environmental permitting analysis.The highlights of the Study are as follows:KSA BAF with a production capacity of 20,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of CSPG: Full production achievable in 16 months from initiation of construction Post-tax NPV8% of US$677.0 million and an IRR of 20.3% Capital costs of US$280 million plus working capital of US$12 million funded through equity Annual forecasted revenues of $230.1 million with an EBITDA of $128.5 million Potential to improve the economics with debt funding and/or joint venture The KSA BAF design will be based on NextSource's technology partner's proprietary anode processing technology that is currently supplying SPG and CSPG material to major EV automotive companies (OEMs), including Toyota and Tesla. Sites visits within the KSA have already been completed by the Company as part of the selection process for the proposed location for the KSA BAF. NextSource plans to develop an anode processing hub over the next five years, with a total production capacity of 100,000 tpa of CSPG.The KSA has identified graphite and anode processing as a top priority critical battery material as part of Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" - a comprehensive blueprint for the country's economic and social transformation, aiming to reduce its dependence on oil revenue and diversify its economy.The KSA offers very attractive funding and operating incentives to locate value-added processing facilities in-country with an accelerated permitting and development timeframe.Rendering of a 20,000 tpa Natural Graphite Battery Anode Material Processing Facility President and CEO, Craig Scherba, commented,"NextSource's vision is to become a global supplier of critical battery materials. We are examining a number of potential locations to develop BAFs as part of our global expansion strategy, leveraging our exclusive access to established technology to create a diversified supply of anode active materials for EVs. Developing a BAF in Saudi Arabia would position us to capitalize on the Kingdom's robust infrastructure, strategic location along shipping routes, and highly supportive business environment. By aligning with Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 plan, we can contribute meaningfully to the country's development while delivering value to our shareholders and stakeholders." Battery Anode Facility Expansion StrategyThe construction of a proposed BAF in the KSA is part of the Company's global expansion strategy to construct BAFs in key geographic locations, each with modular production capacities, that can be expanded in lockstep with OEM demand. The Company has not made a final construction decision nor completed final site selection for the KSA BAF. The timing of a construction decision and determination of the production capacity of the KSA BAF will depend on completing site selection, executing binding offtakes for anode active material, securing project funding, and obtaining the necessary permits to initiate construction.As previously announced, NextSource has exclusive partnership and technology licensing agreements (the "BAF Partnerships") to construct and operate value-added BAFs capable of producing natural graphite anode active material for use in EV lithium-ion batteries. NextSource's technology partners operate production facilities that produce anode active material for major EV battery manufacturers that supply international OEMs, such as Toyota and Tesla.Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030In 2016, the KSA launched Vision 2030 as a long-term three-pillar development plan to modernize its economy and society by transforming the country into a global investment powerhouse, and as an international processing and manufacturing hub connecting three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe.Vision 2030 spans multiple sectors but with a special emphasis on the mining sector, which is the third pillar in the strategic roadmap. The KSA has ambitions to create growth diversify from oil and gas by establishing itself as a global hub for battery material processing. Notably, the KSA has prioritized graphite and anode material as key components of this ambitious plan.KSA Battery Anode FacilityBased on advanced discussions with major battery manufacturers and OEMs, the Company is evaluating the accelerated construction of a large-scale BAF in the KSA capable of producing 20,000 tpa of CSPG for international OEM customers as well as OEM's already operating in the KSA, which includes Lucid Motors, Ceer Motors and Hyundai Motors.The Company has commenced design work for the KSA BAF and is in the process of completing site selection in the Industrial City of Yanbu, strategically situated along major
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 09:20:31

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UPPSALA, SWEDEN / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Biovica International (STO:BIOVIC-B) (STO: BIOVIC.B) (FRA:9II) The shareholders of Biovica International AB, reg. no. 556774-6150, (the "Company") are hereby invited to the extra general meeting to be held on Monday 15 July 2024, at 14:00 CET at Baker McKenzie's office at Vasagatan 7 in Stockholm.Right to attend the general meetingShareholders wishing to attend the general meeting must:i. on the record date, which is Friday 5 July 2024, be registered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB; andii. notify their participation at the general meeting no later than Tuesday 9 July 2024. Notice of participation at the general meeting shall be sent by regular mail to Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, Attn: Carl Bohman, Box 180, 101 23 Stockholm, Sweden (please mark the envelope with "Biovica extra general meeting 2024") or by e-mail to carl.bohman@bakermckenzie.com . Upon notification, the shareholder should state their full name, personal identification number or corporate registration number, address and telephone number, and, where applicable, details of representatives, proxy holders and advisors.Nominee shares Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of a bank or other nominee, must temporarily register their shares in their own name with Euroclear Sweden AB in order to be entitled to participate in the general meeting. Such registration, which normally is processed in a few days, must be completed no later than on Friday 5 July 2024 and should therefore be requested from the nominee well before this date. Voting registration requested by a shareholder in such time that the registration has been made by the relevant nominee no later than on 9 July 2024 will be considered in preparations of the share register.Proxy etc. A shareholder who wishes to be represented by proxy shall issue a written and dated proxy to the proxy holder. If the proxy is issued by a legal entity, a certified copy of the registration certificate or corresponding document ("Registration Certificate") shall be enclosed. The proxy must not be more than one year old, however, the proxy may be older if it is stated that it is valid for a longer term, maximum five years. The proxy in original and the Registration Certificate, if any, must be available at the general meeting and a copy should well before the meeting be sent to the Company by regular mail to Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, Attn: Carl Bohman, Box 180, 101 23 Stockholm (please mark the envelope with "Biovica extra general meeting 2024") or by e-mail to carl.bohman@bakermckenzie.com , and should, in order to facilitate the entrance to the general meeting, be at the Company's disposal no later than on Tuesday 9 July 2024. A proxy form will be available for downloading on the Company's website www.biovica.com Draft agendaOpening of the meeting. Election of chairman of the meeting. Preparation and approval of the voting list. Election of one or more persons to certify the minutes. Examination of whether the meeting has been properly convened. Approval of the agenda. Resolution regarding share savings program for senior executives and key personnel within the Company and the Group in Sweden and Denmark. Resolution to adopt share savings program. Resolution to issue warrants and approval of transfer of warrants. Resolution regarding share savings program for the Company's board of directors. Resolution to adopt share savings program. Resolution to issue warrants and approval of transfer of warrants. Resolution regarding employee stock option program for senior executives, other employees and key individuals within the Company's American group. Resolution to adopt employee stock option program. Resolution to issue warrants and approval of transfer of warrants. Resolution regarding performance share program for senior executives, employees and key personnel within the Company's American group. Resolution to adopt performance share program. Resolution to issue warrants and approval of transfer of warrants. Closing of the meeting. Proposed resolutionsItem 2: Election of chairman of the meeting The board proposes that Carl Bohman, LL.M., at Baker McKenzie, is appointed as chairman of the general meeting.Item 7: Resolution regarding share savings program for senior executives and key personnel within the Company and the group in Sweden and Denmark.Background and motive The board of directors of Biovica International AB, reg. no 556774-6150 (the " Company "), proposes that the extra general meeting resolve to implement a share savings program for all employees in the Company's business in Sweden and Denmark (" Share Savings Program 2024/2027:1 ") in accordance with below.The purpose of the proposal is to create conditions to retain and increase motivation among all employees in the Company in Sweden and Denmark. The board of directors believes that it is in the interest of all shareholders that such individuals, which are deemed to be important for the group's development, have a long-term interest in a positive development of the Company's share price. Through the proposed program, a long-term ownership commitment is created, which is expected to stimulate an increased interest in the business and the Company's performance in general.In order to secure the Company's commitments according to Share Savings Program 2024/2027:1, the board of directors proposes that the extra general meeting resolves on a directed issue of warrants and approval of transfer of warrants in accordance with what appears in item 7b.Resolutions in accordance with items 7a and 7b below are taken as one decision and are thus conditional of each other. Resolutions in accordance with this item 7 requires support by shareholders holding not less than nine tenths of both the shares voted and of the shares represented at the general meeting.A presentation of other incentive programs, preparation of the proposal, costs for the programs and effects on key performance measures etc. are described below.Item 7a: Resolution to adopt share savings program.The board of directors of the Company proposes that the extra general meeting resolves to adopt Share Savings Program 2024/2027:1 according to the following main guidelines:Participation in the Share Savings Program 2024/2027:1 requires that the participant acquires B shares in the Company (" Saving Shares "). For each Savings share, the participant has the opportunity to receive up to four (4) additional B shares in the Company. Allotment of shares requires the participant to retain their Savings Shares for the entire period running from and including 1 October 2024 to and including 1 October 2027 (the " Saving Period %2
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 15:00:32

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BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Preservica, the leader in Active Digital Preservation archiving, is pleased to announce ongoing enhancements to Preserve365, its embedded archiving and Digital Preservation solution for Microsoft 365. Preserve365 now integrates with Microsoft Power Automate to expand on our recent connectivity announcement withMicrosoft Retention Labels . This new integration allows Microsoft customers to use Power Automate to standardize and automate review, retention and archival disposition workflows at scale for high-value, long-term records in Microsoft SharePoint.Stuart Reed, Chief Product Officer at Preservica, added, "Preserve365 addresses the pressing need at many organizations to simplify and automate compliance and ensure long-term and legacy records in Microsoft 365 can always be quickly found, read, and actioned for FOI, regulatory, legal and AI value needs. Using Microsoft Power Automate in combination with Preserve365 allows customers to further leverage existing Microsoft investments and eliminates the need to learn and use separate vendor-specific archiving and discovery tools".Records retention and disposition at scaleThe new Preserve365 connectivity with Microsoft Power Automate enables record review, retention, and archival disposition actions to be integrated into standard business workflows, including connections to over 400 other applications. Information Management teams can build simple to advanced workflows to enable long-term records compliance and archiving at scale - from gated steps including email triggers to full automation and integration with Microsoft retention labels - saving hours of repetition, review and discovery by Records Managers.For Government - deliver consistent policies and processes for the transfer of permanent and long-term digital records from agencies and departments to central archives and records functions - including the minutes of boards and commissions, substantive correspondence of elected officials, mission-critical public policy decisions, social care, engineering and planning records.For Businesses - deliver consistent and compliant management of critical long-term and permanent Microsoft 365 records across central functions, departments, branch offices and subsidiaries - including records for regulatory compliance, ESG, HR, brand, Intellectual Property, litigation, major projects and strategic decision making.Archiving and Digital Preservation that's part of the Microsoft 365 experienceDeveloped in collaboration with Microsoft and available to customers through the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, Preserve365 simplifies compliance by making the archiving, digital preservation, and retrieval of high-value, long-term, and permanent records an integral part of the Microsoft 365 and Microsoft SharePoint experience.The solution embeds Preservica's unique Active Digital Preservation archiving technology into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem minimizing the risk of data obsolescence, automatically maintaining long-term records in trusted readable file formats to ensure they can always be quickly found and actioned over decades - including records migrated to SharePoint from legacy file shares and other systems.Take the Preserve 365 self-guided tourInformation and Compliance Managers - learn more herePreserve365 is available on the Azure marketplace About PreservicaPreservica is changing the way thousands of organizations around the world protect and re-use long-term digital information. Preservica's unique patent pending Active Digital Preservation archiving software automatically keeps every file alive in future-friendly formats over decades to ensure that critical, high-value information can always be quickly found and actioned for FOI, compliance, legal, brand, knowledge reuse and cultural needs. The UK National Archives, Texas State Library and Archives, MoMA, Yale and HSBC are some of the leading corporations, archives, libraries, museums and government organizations around the world that trust their data protection and future-proofing to Preservica. For more information, visit https://preservica.com/ Twitter:@PreservicaLinkedIn:@PreservicaMedia Contact:Anna StevensonYork IEanna@ york.ie SOURCE: Preservica
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 17:21:26

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MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ( TSX.V:QPM)(FSE:YXEP)(OTCQB:CJCFF) ("QPM" or the "Corporation") congratulates Ophir Metals Corp. ("Ophir") on their discovery announced on June 25, 2024, of spodumene pegmatites (lithium) in pegmatite dykes at Pilipas in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory in Quebec. Ophir's discovery is located approximately 3.7 km northwest of its Ninaaskuwumin spodumene pegmatite its 100%-owned Elmer East project on the trend of this discovery (see Figures 1 and 2 below).At Ninaaskuwumin, QPM reported assay values from the nine samples from the discovery outcrop range from 1.10% to 3.92% Li2O (see press release of January 18, 2024). Based on the lithium assays and the fractionation level of the pegmatitic material, derived from the pXRF K-Rb ratios for muscovite and K-Feldspar, the surface mineralization has the potential to extend along a NW-SE 3.8 km-long trend. The results for the Ophir's Pilipas discovery are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on QPM's Elmer East project."Ophir's discovery shows that the areas around both discoveries have the potential to host one of the largest spodumene pegmatite resources in the James Bay region. We are planning to sample and drill our Ninaaskuwumin spodumene pegmatite in late summer and early fall and wish Ophir the best of success in making additional lithium discoveries" commented Normand Champigny, CEO.An updated corporate presentation is available on the Corporation's web site www.qpmcorp.ca Qualified PersonNormand Champigny, Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects, has prepared and reviewed the content of this press release.About Quebec Precious Metals CorporationQPM has a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. The Corporation focuses on advancing its Sakami gold project and its newly discovered, drill-ready Ninaaskuwin lithium showing on the Elmer East project. In addition, the Corporation holds a 68% interest in the Kipawa rare earths project located near Temiscaming, Quebec.For more information please contact:Normand ChampignyChief Executive OfficerTel.: 514 979-4746 nchampigny@ qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Figure 1Figure 2SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 16:03:42

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Leading Electrolyzer Manufacturer from China is Repositioning for Global MarketsBEIJING, CHINA AND MADRID, SPAIN / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Hygreen Energy ("Hygreen" or "the Company"), a global electrolyzer supplier for green hydrogen production, is pleased to announce the completion of its amalgamation of Beijing SinoHy Energy Co., Ltd. ("SinoHy"). The transition will reposition the Company to become a major player in global hydrogen markets, and foster Hygreen Energy's growth as a leading electrolyzer manufacturer internationally.SinoHy brings over 17 years of electrolyzer manufacturing experience and a solid track record of supplying electrolyzer solutions primarily in the Chinese market, where the hydrogen sector has seen strong demand. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shandong, China spans over 40,000 square meters with largely automated production lines, and is currently capable of 2 Gigawatts of annual production capacity.With the growth of the hydrogen and renewable energy sectors in recent years, Hygreen Energy is well-positioned to leverage its years of experience to address the overseas electrolyzer market, which is expected to grow at 83% CAGR, to a global market size of 431 GW by 2030.This transition will see Hygreen Energy transform the company's global competitiveness with strategic investments, partnerships, product positioning, marketing, localized regional manufacturing, technical support, and technology development.The transition will also include forming a new organizational structure to better serve the Company's customers, partners and hydrogen projects around the world. This includes establishment of new offices and staffing in key locations around the world to broaden business development and technical support functions within different regions of the world, including Madrid, Toronto, Dubai, Hong Kong and more.In conjunction with the Company's new global structure, Hygreen Energy has also secured a number of international partnerships and strategic hires to enable the Company's global expansion. This includes:Javier Romero - Key Shareholder and Board DirectorFormer World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, and renowned leader in capital, strategy and management of clean technology companiesMarcelino Oreja - Chairman, EMEAFormer CEO of Enagas, member of European Parliament, and extensive leadership success in biogas, energy and hydrogen sectorsDaniel Salamanca - Managing Director, EMEAOver 20 years of success in renewable energy and environment industries across Europe and South AmericaAlan Tan - Vice President, Global Business DevelopmentFormer Vice President of electrolyzer manufacturer Next Hydrogen with extensive business development experienceEthan Hugh - Global Marketing DirectorOver 20 years of experience in hydrogen, fuel cell and mobility sectors, including Loop Energy's expansion to global marketsAyman Monged - Director of Sales, North AmericaOver 30 years of experience in hydrogen and new energy, including Cummins-owned HydrogenicsJon Pemberton - Representation & Market Development in Australia (Zest Energy)Renowned in Australia for 20+ years of leadership in renewable energy, hydrogen and energy storage solutions.Markus Lehmann - Representation & Market Development in Brazil (Navigatio GH2)Leader in capital, strategy and development of new energy infrastructure projects in solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, hydrogen across Latin AmericaThis broader global leadership strategically complements the executive team from SinoHy, who bring extensive electrolyzer manufacturing experience and management strength led by CEO Benny Wang. The executive management team brings decades of experience in electrolyzer production, technology development, technical support and day-to-day operations of an electrolyzer business. With over 300 electrolyzer projects executed, SinoHy's executive team will transition to lead Hygreen Energy to its next levels of growth.The Company's product offerings are manufactured to certification and compliance requirements across different regional specifications around the world, and the Company is already supplying electrolyzers to customers across four continents to date. Moreover, Hygreen Energy's technology expertise and product offerings will expand to AEM in addition to alkaline and PEM, and the Company's manufacturing capacity is on track to increase to 5 Gigawatts in 2025, with further automation of manufacturing to better support its growing customer base.Hygreen Energy's Chief Executive Officer, Benny Wang said, "With our growth internationally, we are repositioning ourselves to be more competitive in global markets, including a range of strategic and operational improvements to better serve our clients, partners and projects around the world. The new Hygreen Energy brand reflects our transition to support and thrive in the rapidly-growing global hydrogen market, as we say hello to a greener future." About Hygreen EnergyHygreen Energy is a world leading electrolyzer manufacturer that offers comprehensive solutions to green hydrogen production. Specializing in Alkaline and PEM technologies, Hygreen electrolyzers are rigorously tested and proven with extensive in-field usage, and we continue to advance our technologies with the development of AEM electrolyzers. With over 17 years of experience and over 300 electrolyzer projects under its belt, Hygreen engineers are some of the world's most experienced experts in supporting EPCs and hydrogen project developers. By reshaping the electrolyzer industry with an unmatched combination of efficiency, safety, cost, durability and modularity, Hygreen Energy is enabling our clean energy transition with electrolyzers that are now in use by customers worldwide. Say hello to a greener future with Hygreen Energy. Visit us at www.hygreenenergy.com Hygreen Energy Media Inquiries:Ethan Hugh | Global Marketing Director | ehugh@ hygreenenergy.com SOURCE: Beijing SinoHy Energy Co,. Ltd. d.b.a. Hygreen Energy
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 12:32:46

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CATALUNA, SPAIN / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Stark Future is not just a rising star; it's a revolution in the motorcycle industry. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Barcelona, Stark Future is on the brink of becoming the fastest-growing Spanish startup in history. As of mid-2023, sales and production commenced, and by 2024, the first full year of revenue Stark is pacing towards an annual revenue of 90 million euros. An outstanding path that has only just started, and has already made Stark the largest electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world, excluding Scooters and children's bikes.Market Leadership and ExpansionThe Stark VARG has quickly become a dominant model in the niche category of motocross, outperforming many of its gas competitors in sales. "Stark is now preparing to achieve the same penetration in significantly larger road categories, with motorcycle platforms with a non-comparable level of innovation." Says Anton Wass - CEO Stark Future.Production Scale-Up: Stark Future has significantly increased its production capacity, with its state-of-the-art factory near Barcelona housing advanced robotic assembly lines of both the battery pack and the motorcycle. This expansion meets the rising demand and ensures high-quality and consistent production standards (Motorcycle News).Global Reach and Market PenetrationStark Future now delivers in more than 50 countries across the world, with the United States being the largest market. Stark Future's global presence is a testament to the strong demand for innovative, high-performance electric motorcycles that combine cutting-edge technology with sustainability. By expanding the distribution network and leveraging online sales channels, Stark has made it easier for customers worldwide to access their revolutionary products.Economic Impact for SpainStark Future is not only revolutionizing the motorcycle industry but also making a significant impact on the Spanish economy. Directly, Stark is creating hundreds of jobs in its headquarters and factory near Barcelona. Indirectly, generating thousands of jobs in the supply chain and related industries, driving economic growth in the region and across the country. This commitment to local manufacturing and sustainable practices further strengthens Stark's contribution to the Spanish economy.Financial HighlightsRevenue Growth: Stark Future is pacing to achieve more than 90 million EUR in revenue by the end of 2024. This phenomenal growth is driven by Starks flagship product, the Stark VARG, and rapid scaling production capabilities. Where the company currently produces 1000 motorcycles per month.Investment and Financing: Stark Future's growth is further bolstered by significant investments. Such as 50 million euros from Eicher Motors Ltd., the parent company of Royal Enfield, acquiring a 10.35% equity stake. A further 20 million euros from Santander, and a 25 million euro credit facility from Big Bets. This substantial financial support is designated for expanding production capacity, optimizing manufacturing processes, and advancing research and development efforts (Cycle News) (Motorcycle News). This impressive portfolio of investments underscores major investors' confidence in Stark Future's vision, capabilities, and cutting-edge technology. (Business carsales AU)Technological InnovationThe Stark VARG: Stark Future's flagship model, the Stark VARG, is revolutionizing the motocross sector by being the first electric vehicle competing head to head with its ICE competition, and winning. This has been achieved through groundbreaking technical innovation in the powertrain, battery, and chassis of the VARG. Notably, Stark Future made history by winning the Arenacross in the UK, a world first for an electric bike against combustion engines (Electric Cycle Rider).Vision and CommitmentSustainability and Innovation: Stark Future is driven by a vision to create sustainable, high-performance motorcycles that outperform ICE competitors. The company's innovative approach and commitment to environmental responsibility reflect its core values and dedication to a cleaner, healthier planet, whilst not compromising performance.Company Milestones2020: Company was FoundedStark Future was established to revolutionize the motorcycle industry. The founders brought their extensive experience and passion for innovation to create a company dedicated to sustainability and high-performance electric motorcycles..2021: Built the First Electric Motorcycle Leading Its CategoryIn 2021, Stark Future built the first electric motorcycle that not only matched but exceeded the performance of its ICE counterparts. This breakthrough established Stark as a formidable player in the motorcycle industry.December 2021: Achieved a Historic LaunchIn December 2021, Stark Future achieved the most successful launch of any motorcycle company in history, receiving 850 orders within the first 24 hours without any marketing spend. This unprecedented success highlighted the strong market demand for Stark's innovative products.2022: Established a 20,000 m Factory Outside BarcelonaTo meet the growing demand, Stark Future established a state-of-the-art 20,000 m factory near Barcelona. This facility is equipped with advanced robotic assembly lines, enhancing production capacity and ensuring high-quality standards.2022: Secured Major Investment from Royal EnfieldIn 2022, Royal Enfield, the world's 5th largest motorcycle manufacturer, invested 50 million euros in Stark Future. This strategic partnership provided significant financial backing and affirmed the company's position as a contender in the motorcycle industry.2023: Started Production and Delivered Initial Units2023 marked the start of production, with the first few thousand bikes delivered to customers. This milestone demonstrated the ability to scale operations and fulfill market demand effectively.2023: Began Development of Road-Legal ModelsIn 2023, Stark Future began developing road-legal models, which are expected to be even more groundbreaking. These new projects are crucial to the company's growth and vision, positioning Stark for further market expansion.2024: Achieved World's Largest Electric Motorcycle Manufacturer StatusBy 2024, Stark Future is on track to become the world's largest electric motorcycle manufacturer, (excluding scooters and kids' bikes). This achievement underscores the rapid growth and market leadership.2024: On Track to Become one of the Fastest-Growing Spanish StartupsStark Future is set to become one of the fastest-growing Spanish startups in history, driven by innovative products%
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 20:50:54

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Keychain's AI-Powered Platform Matches Food and Beverage Brands with CPG ManufacturersNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /Keychain is poised to revolutionize the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry with its newly launched platform designed to connect brands with reliable manufacturers.This startup, founded by Oisin Hanrahan, Umang Dua, and Jordan Weitz, recently secured $18 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This substantial investment highlights the industry's recognition of Keychain's potential to transform the way brands source their manufacturing partners.A New Era in CPG ManufacturingThe CPG industry is known for its complex supply chain, often involving multiple intermediaries and time-consuming processes to identify and secure manufacturing partners. Traditional methods, such as trade shows, brokers, and extensive factory visits, not only delay product development but also increase costs and reduce market responsiveness. Keychain aims to address these inefficiencies by offering a centralized, AI-powered platform that connects brands with over 24,000 manufacturers globally.Keychain's platform provides a one-stop solution that covers all aspects of the manufacturing process. This includes sourcing manufacturers, competitive intelligence, onboarding, terms negotiation, and compliance management. By consolidating these services, Keychain allows brands to streamline their operations, reduce time-to-market, and focus more on innovation and quality.A Solution Driven by AIThe platform's AI capabilities are central to its value proposition. Keychain uses advanced algorithms to match brands with manufacturers that best meet their specific needs, based on criteria such as product type, manufacturing capacity, certifications, and geographical location. This ensures that brands can quickly find the most suitable partners, significantly cutting down the traditionally long and cumbersome process of product development.Moreover, the platform's AI can provide insights into market trends and competitor activities, helping brands to stay ahead of the curve. This level of transparency and data-driven decision-making is a game-changer in the CPG industry, where understanding market dynamics and responding swiftly to consumer demands are crucial.Impact on the IndustryBy reducing the time it takes to get products to market by up to 50%, Keychain is poised to significantly impact the CPG industry. This acceleration in product development not only benefits brands by allowing them to bring new products to consumers faster but also gives manufacturers more business opportunities, enhancing their operational efficiency and profitability.Keychain's founders bring a wealth of experience to the table. Oisin Hanrahan, formerly the CEO of Angi (previously Angie's List), leverages his extensive background in building platforms that connect service providers with customers. His vision for Keychain is to create a more efficient and transparent supply chain that benefits both brands and manufacturers.Future ProspectsWith its robust platform and substantial funding, Keychain is well-positioned for rapid growth. The company plans to expand its services to include more functionalities and to grow its network of manufacturers. Additionally, Keychain intends to extend its platform to select retailers and brands, broadening its impact across the industry.As the CPG industry continues to evolve, platforms likeKeychainwill play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of product development and supply chain management. By harnessing the power of AI and leveraging a vast network of manufacturers, Keychain is setting new standards for efficiency and transparency in the CPG manufacturing landscape.ContactGabrielle Curry gabrielle.curry@keychain.com SOURCE: Keychain
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 21:00:35

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Matt Sullivan Promoted to COO, Michael Flanagan Named Chief Investment OfficerCAMDEN, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 /The Michaels Organization, a national leader in residential real estate with full service capabilities in development, property management, construction and investment, announced today that Matt Sullivan has been named Chief Operating Officer. Michaels also announced that Michael Flanagan has been elevated to Chief Investment Officer, a newly created role on Michaels' Senior Executive Leadership Team.Matthew Sullivan The Michaels Organization Chief Operating Officer Matthew SullivanThe announcements were made by Michaels' Chief Executive Officer, Mark Morgan."Both Matt and Mick are visionary leaders, and I'm pleased to have them serving in these roles, along with our other senior leaders, as we continue to execute our strategic vision for the organization," said Morgan. "The depth of their experience, along with our financial strength, robust development pipeline, award-winning property management operations, and deep commitment to our mission of creating housing solutions that lift lives ensures that we are positioned well for the future." Sullivan, who has been with Michaels since 2021, previously served as Executive Vice President, Investment Management. As Chief Operating Officer, Sullivan has overarching responsibility for Michaels' asset management operations, risk management, refinance and dispositions platforms, and the support functions of Information Technology, Human Resources, and Corporate Marketing.Prior to joining Michaels, Sullivan served as Managing Director of Asset Management and Capital Markets at CRC Companies, where he was responsible for asset planning, forecasting, recapitalization, refinancing, and dispositions. In his nearly 20 years of asset management experience, Sullivan has successfully closed more than $1B of acquisitions, dispositions, and refinancings. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.Flanagan joined Michaels in 2019 as Vice President of Capital Markets and was named President of Development in 2022. As Chief Investment Officer, Flanagan will lead Michaels' investment and development platforms. The new role will enhance the management of capital allocation and investment decisions across Michaels' diverse line of businesses.Flanagan joined Michaels with more than 20 years of experience in capital markets, real estate and finance. Prior to Michaels, he held a number of senior positions at Lendlease Corporation, both in the U.S. and Australia, including having responsibility for the funding of Lendlease's off-balance sheet investments across the globe. Flanagan holds a Master of Business Studies from University College Dublin's Smurfit Graduate Business School. He received his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland.About The Michaels OrganizationMichaels is a national leader in residential real estate, offering full-service capabilities in development, property management, construction, and investment, and asset management. Serving more than 200,000 residents in more than 600 communities across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Michaels is committed to crafting housing solutions that jumpstart education, civic engagement and neighborhood prosperity, and to creating Communities That Lift Lives.Contact InformationLaura ZanerVice President, Michaels Corporate Marketinglzaner@ tmo.com 856-988-5983; 856-630-1540Related ImagesMatthew Sullivan The Michaels Organization Chief Operating Officer Matthew Sullivan Mick Flanagan The Michaels Organization's Chief Investment Officer, Mick Flanagan SOURCE: The Michaels OrganizationView the original press release on newswire.com
PR-Inside.com: 2024-06-27 15:15:56

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ST. JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / June 27, 2024 / Vulcan Minerals Inc. ("the Company" - "Vulcan") (TSX-V:VUL), is pleased to provide the following exploration update on its 100% owned Carbonear project in eastern Newfoundland.Highlights:Significant zinc and lead soil geochemical anomalies identified Gravity survey completed in two test areas with positive results Historic core resampledSoil GeochemistryThe Company completed an extensive soil geochemical program in 2023 (1243 samples) in addition to a 2022 (636 samples) soil program. Sampling was primarily focussed along a magnetically anomalous zone in favourable structure as identified from high resolution airborne magnetic and LIDAR surveys completed by the company in 2022. All samples reported were analysed by SGS Canada Inc. The areas of primary interest are located within the 2023 soil grid particularly north and south of Gull Pond as per maps below covering the 2023 soil survey.The Gull Pond area exhibits strongly anomalous zinc and lead values. A total of 125 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 70 parts per million (ppm) lead with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile of 298 ppm. These values range up to a maximum of 0.1630% lead (1630 ppm). Regarding zinc, 126 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 72 ppm with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile value of 207 ppm. These values range up to 628 ppm zinc. These results confirm the regional historic results for zinc and lead which is consistent with the area being one of the highest multi-element geochemical anomalies in Newfoundland based on lake sediment and stream sediment data.Figure 1: Carbonear Project Soil Geochemical Sampling - 2023 Pb ppm (Percentile)Figure 2: Carbonear Project Soil Geochemical Sampling - 2023 Zn ppm (Percentile)Gravity SurveyBolstered by the favourable soil results, the Company completed a ground gravity survey over the Gull Pond north and south grids in May. The survey was designed as a test program to detect any near surface density anomalies that may be associated with zinc-lead sulfide bodies and to determine if the magnetic anomalies observed have any gravity correlation. Sedimentary exhalative deposits (SEDEX) occur stratigraphically within certain favorable beds. At Carbonear, based on previous drilling (see below), certain sedimentary beds contain disseminated pyrrhotite (iron sulphide) providing a magnetic response that may be helpful in locating zinc and lead sulfides. Based on the preliminary gravity data and interpretation, the north and south grids both exhibit bouguer and residual gravity anomalies. Further interpretation results will be released when finalized. The preliminary results are encouraging because the anomalies coincide with the magnetic trend and the highest geochemical zinc and lead soil anomalies.The survey consisted of 50 m stations on 200 m line spacing. A total of 510 stations were recorded, covering approximately 4 square kilometers.Sampling Historic drill holesThe only reported drill holes on the project area were drilled in 1997. A total of ten holes were drilled for 1014 meters to test weak HLEM ground electrical conductors north and south of Gull Pond. Given that the Company's recent work has enhanced the prospectivity of this general area, the company resampled Holes CP-97-08 and CP-97-10 to better ascertain the tenor of mineralization previously identified. These holes contain anomalous zinc mineralization over a potential stratigraphic interval of approximately 100 meters based on 23 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-08 (average 0.38% Zn) and 10 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-10 (average 0.25% Zn). Following relogging of the core at the Newfoundland and Labrador government core storage facility it was felt that further sampling of these holes was justified based on numerous indications of finely disseminated mineralization. To confirm and better define the tenor of mineralization, an additional 31 samples over 42.5 m in Hole CP-97-08 and 26 samples over 47 m in Hole CP-97-10 were taken for assay. Mineralization consists of disseminated sulphides in turbiditic siltstones and secondary fracture fillings. Details related to resampling assays will be released when results are compiled and interpreted.President Patrick Laracy commented "While anomalous zinc-lead mineralization is not ore-grade, it does confirm the deposition of sulphides within a favourable sedimentary sequence for SEDEX style deposits and validates the potential for more robust zinc - lead mineralization within the system. Carbonear is an early-stage exploration project in a search of a world class SEDEX deposit. We are systematically exploring this large land package located about a 1.5 hour drive from our offices in St John's with the objective of getting it to the drill target stage." The property was originally identified (1980) for its sedimentary exhalative base metal potential by Cominco, who operated the giant Sullivan SEDEX mine in British Columbia, one of the largest zinc-lead mines in the world. The project area has geologic attributes similar to other major SEDEX deposits worldwide. These attributes include a late Precambrian clastic sedimentary basin sequence of black shale/siltstone/sandstone containing substantial turbidite sequences containing lead and zinc mineralization.Quality ControlVulcan contracted GroundTruth Exploration to complete the soil geochemical survey at the Carbonear Project in 2023. Soil traverses were carried out on 200 m spaced grid lines with 50 m stations south of Gull Pond and 400 m spaced grid lines with 100 m stations north of Gull Pond. Samples were collected using hand augers to target C horizon soil. GroundTruth collected 4 field duplicate samples per 100 samples. Samples were delivered by GroundTruth to SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) in Grand Falls-Windsor for preparation prior to analysis at the SGS Burnaby laboratory. Vulcan employed SGS's two-acid leach / ICP-MS multi-element analysis. SGS's analytical laboratories operate under a Quality Management System that complies with ISO/IEC 17025 and undertake their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. Preliminary inspection of these control samples shows them to be within the expected limits.About VulcanVulcan Minerals is a precious and base metals exploration company based in St. John's, NL. The Company has strategic land positions in multiple active Newfoundland exploration and development belts. The Company has leveraged its exploration exposure in much of this land position through equity ownership of other explorers obtained by way of option and royalty agreements. It also holds approximately 30.5 per cent of the shares in Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV:SALT). Atlas Salt is currently developing the Great Atlantic salt mine
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said it generated revenues steadily growing from N361 billion in 2022 to N501 billion in December 2023.

The managing director of the NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, disclosed this during a visit to the Lagos ports access roads.

During the visit on Wednesday, he explained that President Bola Tinubus economic policies drove the growth.

He noted that despite global economic headwinds that characterised the year 2023, the NPA maintained momentum to surpass its sterling performance of 2022.

He commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for his leadership towards driving change in the industry.

The implementation of continuous performance improvement measures resulted in unprecedented revenue generation and remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the federation, with revenues steadily growing from N361 billion in 2022 to N501 billion as of December 2023 and remittances increasing from N93.4 billion in 2022 to N131.2 billion by year-end 2023.

Taxes paid to the government of the federation also grew at various times in the period under review up to $77.7 million and N17.6 billion, respectively, Mr Bello-Koko said.

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The records added to strategic forecasts set to be actualised in 2024, such as the $1 billion reconstruction of the Tincan Island Port Complex and the comprehensive rehabilitation of Apapa, Rivers, Onne, Warri and Calabar Port Complexes.

New port developments to include Badagry Deep Seaport, Snake Island, Burutu and Ondo Deep Seaports, the Port Community System (PCS) and the National Single Window, amongst other initiatives for port competitiveness, are being aggressively implemented.

It is evident that the Nigerian Ports Authority has been positioned not only to create but sustain superior performance necessary to maximise the comparative advantages that Nigerias maritime endowments confer, he said.

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President Bola Tinubu has approved the move to upgrade the Ibadan Domestic Airport, Alakia, to an international airport.

This development was made known by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday in Ibadan.

The President has graciously approved my request for the upgrade of Ibadan Airport to an international airport, Mr Makinde said in a short video clip making the rounds on social media.

According to Mr Tinubus Special Assistant on Social Media, Segun Dada, the Ibadan airport had never been upgraded since it was built in 1982, and it is expected to be upgraded with modern facilities because of the states potential to attract economic development.

This, in turn, will catalyse the GDP growth of the region and country, Mr Dada said.

Prospects and ongoing efforts

In his newsletter on Thursday, Mr Makinde explained that upon completion of the airport upgrade, which will include the expansion and extension of the runway and the general upgrade of the facilities, the state will begin to receive international flights from anywhere in the world into Ibadan.

ALSO READ: Senate wants Ibadan Airport renamed after Ajimobi

This is not a hasty decision. Neither are we simply trying to start a project because others are doing the same. This is a well-thought-out decision based on data, science and logic, the governor said.

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Mr Makinde noted that the government has completed the 500,000-litre aviation fuel storage and dispensing facility, which has been concessioned to Bovas Group.

We have also upgraded part of the facilities at the airport, which led to new airlines like Green Africa and Air Peace including Ibadan in their flight schedules, the governor said.

It is a fact of history that Ibadan is a nodal city, where traders arrived with their caravans. I always remember this when I think of the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam with their byline See, Buy, Fly, the governor explained.

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Renowned Nigerian documentary photographer and filmmaker Tam Fiofori, known as Uncle Tam, has died.

The 82-year-old writer, critic, and media consultant died on Tuesday, but the news of his death broke on social media Wednesday.

Mr Fiofori was also a notable chronicler of Nigerias history through his albums. His films, which include the works of Nigerian artists Biodun Olaku, J. D. Okhai Ojeikere, and Olu Amoda, have left an indelible mark on the countrys cultural landscape.

Fioforis influence extended beyond Nigeria. He lived in Harlem, New York, in the 1960s, where he became Sun Ras manager and produced writing considered a founding connection between Ra and the movement known as Afrofuturism. This international exposure shaped his perspective and greatly influenced his work.

He was famous for his significant contributions to film and photography. He managed American jazz legend Sun Ra, wrote for numerous publications, and was a founding executive of the Photographers Association of Nigeria.

Legacies

Fioforis legacy includes award-winning films and influential writings. In 2022, he received the IREP Lifetime Achievement Award. Femi Odugbemi, founder of the iREP Documentary Film Festival, praised him as a monumental figure in the documentary world.

Born in Okrika, Rivers State, the late Fiofori grew up in Benin City, where his father, Emmanuel Fiofori, taught at Edo College. He attended Kings College, Lagos, and later Kings College London for his university education, after which he focused on writing and music.

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In the US, he was an associate of Sun Ra. According to the Pan African Space Station, he invited Sun Ra to Lagos for FESTAC 77, which led to a visit to the Kalakuta Republic. He documented this experience in the Nigerian journal Glendora Review.

His role in bringing underground black creativity to the American national consciousness in the 1970s was significant. As the first New Music/Electronic Music Editor for DownBeat and a contributor to many other art and literary publications in the US and Europe, he played a crucial role in shaping the cultural narrative of the time.

He served as a film consultant to the Rivers State Council for Arts and Culture, director of the Rivers State Documentary Series, and consultant/scriptwriter to NTA Network on Documentaries. He was also a founding executive of the Photographers Association of Nigeria (PAN).

His works have been exhibited in Africa, Europe, and the US.

Awards and movies

Among the honours the late Fiofori received were awards from the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), the present International Documentary Film Festival, and Music in Africa.

He starred in films such as Odum and Water Masquerades in 1974, Biodun Olaku: Nigerian Painter, J. D. Okhai Ojeikere: Master Photographer, and Olu Amoda: A Metallic Journey in 2015.

Some of his publications include the print documentary A Benin Coronation: Oba Erediauwa of 2011.

He contributed to the 2018 book African Photographer J. A. Green: Re-imagining the Indigenous and the Colonial, edited by Martha G. Anderson and Lisa Aronson.

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The organisers of the Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL), which aims to promote African talents and creativity worldwide, have announced the date and location of the 14th edition.

At a press conference on Wednesday at Eko Hotel Lagos, the AFWL founder, Ronke Ogunwusi, unveiled this years edition, themed Traditional Fabrics and Royal Regalia.

This unique theme promises to bring a fresh perspective to African fashion and is set to be held on 11 and 12 October 2024 in London at the Kensington and Chelsea Conference and Events Centre.

The AFWN (Africa Fashion Week Nigeria) 2024 will be held between 7 and 9 December 2024 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Explaining the inspiration behind the theme, Mrs Ogunwusi, wife of the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, said it had to do with royalty.

We all know that our Adire is trending at the moment. Some things I wear are Adjire, and people dont even believe its Adire. So, the traditional fabrics talk more about Adire and other conventional fabrics of Africa, like the kente, the mud cloth, and fabrics like that. And then the royal Adire, of course, Im a royal. So I have to try to infuse.

I always try to infuse my royalty into anything we do at Africa Fashion Week. Because thats who we are. As Africans, our fashion is part of our DNA. Its our identity. And we must wear it with so much pride and showcase it with pride. The fact is that we are very, very stylish. Deeply, said the AFWL founder.

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Olori Ronke added that AFWL was about creating a platform to promote the creative talents in Africa.

Reminiscing about her passion and AFWN, Olori Ronke said, Its all about promoting the creative talent out of Africa. Before we started AFWL in 2011, there wasnt a platform that could showcase the greatness and talent of our creatives in Africa. So this year is our 14th edition in London and our 10th edition in Nigeria.

Its all about promoting the creative talents out of Africa. Before we started Africa Fashion Week London in 2011, there wasnt a platform that showcased the greatness of the talents of our creatives in Africa. There must be a platform that showcases them because for creativity to grow, there must be one that showcases and promotes its growth.

AFWL

AFWL began 14 years ago in Europe and has become the most prominent fashion event promoting and nurturing African and African-inspired design talent. It encompasses catwalks, exhibitions and other events.

When asked how models are scouted in London, Olori Ronke, a British-born model, stated that they could be discovered either during auditions or through modelling agencies.

So its a two-way thing. Sometimes, we do auditions, and sometimes, we work with modelling agencies. Because its also an opportunity not for designers but also for black young people who are models who want to go into the industry, she noted.

Furthermore, the London University alumna praised her husband for being the most consistent financial partner of the AFWL.

AFWL has had designers repeatedly attend the show because they get value for their money.

So from that first edition, the venues have always improved and gotten bigger because we needed to create more people from outside London because its an opportunity. These are some of the brands that, if not for this platform, may not have had the opportunity to be seen or to be known, and theyve come back because theyve gotten tangible results.

The mother-of-one also mentioned that, hopefully, the government will support establishing an Adire trade centre in London, making shipping Adires to other countries easy.

Adire Oodua Textile Hub

However, the 49-year-old talked about her other brand, Adire Oodua hub in Ile Ife, Osun State, which she said the Onni financially supports.

Olori Ronke founded the Adire Oodua hub in 2021 with the Ooni of Ife as the Chairman of the hub. The Adire Oodua Hub serves as a dedicated resource and educational centre focused on preserving the traditional techniques of Adire textile manufacturing.

The Hub enhances awareness and fosters an understanding of the sustainability of Adire production. It aims to create a platform for young people to earn a sustainable living.

Olori Ronke disclosed that they have trained over 1200 people in the production of Adire courtesy of her husband, who solely foots the training bills worth N450,000 per person annually.

She said, Weve trained over 1,200 at the moment, courtesy of my husband, who funds the training.

Additionally, she said the Adire training is now open to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

And right now, weve graduated to another programme of taking NYSC youth corners so that we can train them so they can come and do their youth service with us. We pay them, and we train them. So we give them accommodation. We pay them for training to learn, she added.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of fashion, where trends come and go, there are moments when creating a collection that transcends seasons is something only some fashion designers can achieve.

Moreover, with the evolving fashion tastes of consumers or patrons, creating pieces that always appeal to many motivates most fashion designers like Aliyu Bala.

Mr Bala, a self-taught designer, is the visionary behind The Ochanya Chic Collection 2024 by Roots & Runway Brands. The collection is the fifth in the series of designs for roots and runway brands.

The collection is a rich blend of traditional Ankara prints and contemporary silhouettes. Each piece is a result of meticulous planning, countless hours of design, and skilled craftsmanship, highlighting his ability to incorporate various elements into a fabric and transform it.

For instance, the jumpsuits in the collection have organza balloon sleeves, while the asymmetric crop tops are paired with jogger pants.

However, the attention to detail truly set the Ochanya Chic Collection apart. It isnt any different with the exaggerated double-sided pocket details on the two-piece sets and the dramatic bell sleeves on the crop tops. The designer describes it as a creative blend of tradition and modernity.

Ochanya Chic Collection

The Kogi-state-born designers Ochanya Chic Collection speaks to his clienteles diverse tastes and preferences by combining different fabrics and playing with proportions.

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Delving deeper into the collection, its evident that his unique style of using Ankara fabrics was not merely an aesthetic decision but a reflection of his deep understanding of the cultural significance and symbolism associated with these prints.

Each Ankara design in the collection, named after personalities, city buildings, sayings, or well-known individuals, told a unique story and added a layer of depth to the garments that transcended mere fashion.

However, as with any great endeavour, the path to success is always challenging. The use of Ankara fabric in fashion design is no exception. Many designers need help with the proper techniques for removing paper labels from the fabric and keeping up with the latest trends and innovations in Ankara fashion.

But it is here that Roots & Runway truly shines. The brand has navigated these challenges through its commitment to continually learning and exploring new design techniques.

Uniqueness

What truly sets Roots & Runway apart is the unwavering dedication to sustainability and social responsibility.

In a world dominated by fast fashion, the brands commitment to promoting the sustainable use of Ankara fabrics and fostering a more developed and planned future is promising. It showcases the transformative power of fashion, not just to make a statement but to make a lasting, positive impact.

The Ochanya Chic Collection 2024 by Roots & Runway Brands showcases Ankara fabrics potential in contemporary fashion design and its sheer brilliance and versatility.

Projecting the future of this brand, evidently, this collection demands to be seen, experienced, and celebrated. If the Ochanya Chic Collection is any indication, it is a bright, bold, and unapologetically beautiful future.

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The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has issued a warning to filmmakers to desist from promoting and producing films that promote same-sex relationships and pornography that contravenes the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act and the NFVCB Act.

The 2013 Same-Sex Prohibition bill was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan despite opposition from the international community, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom.

Mr Jonathan signed the bill into law on 17 January 2014.

The existing act prescribes 14 years of imprisonment for same-sex marriage and ten years imprisonment for aiding and abetting the act.

The Board says the warning follows reported cases of covert activities by some filmmakers and content creators, who have been flouting the law with impunity.

The censors board said these filmmakers and content creators produce, promote, distribute and stream prohibited and unapproved content, especially same-sex content, on social media and other online platforms.

The NFVCB, in a statement on Thursday, said: It regrets that despite its recent sustained engagements with filmmakers and the leadership of guilds and associations in the motion picture industry for a safer and healthier screen, filmmakers still produce obscene and unlawful content.

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Warning

The Board also said it works with relevant security agencies to track the filmmakers and production companies involved. It will also stop at nothing to ensure that those already identified face the full wrath of the law.

The National Films and Videos Censors Board(NFVCB) also warned that releasing music videos, skits and films without their classification is an offence.

The NFVCBs classification system, which assigns age ratings and content advisories to audiovisual content, is a crucial tool for families to make informed viewing choices and protect children from unsuitable material. Filmmakers and content creators need to adhere to this system.

The NFVCB Director General, Shaibu Husseini, earlier announced the extension of the boards classification requirements to include music videos and skits.

It is also an offence to distribute or exhibit any film or video content, musical videos and skits on any platform without recourse to the National Film and Video Censors Board for classification.

The Board reiterated its commitment to enforcing the law, stating, We are collaborating with relevant security agencies to track any individuals and production companies involved to ensure they face the full consequences of the law.

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Two confirmed cases and 118 suspected cases of cholera have been confirmed in Katsina State, North-west Nigeria.

The states Primary Healthcare Development Agency said the suspected cases were recorded in different local government areas of the state, while the two confirmed cases were recorded Kadusa Local Government Area.

The states Incidence Manager and Director of Epidemiology, Kabir Suleiman, disclosed this during a press conference on Wednesday, announcing that the state has begun preparing for the outbreak of the disease.

Strategies in place

Mr Suleiman disclosed that the agency had enforced a sensitive surveillance system to monitor and detect cholera cases across the 34 local government areas and created oral dehydration points.

Oral dehydration points are used to provide oral treatment for patients with suspected cholera and refer those with severe dehydration to cholera treatment facilities.

He said: We have all the necessary gadgets needed from the local government areas to the state level to respond to these outbreaks.

Cholera is a very severe illness which is detected with acute diarrhoea commonly associated with a lot of complications. Cholera is basically caused by bacteria.

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He said Katsina is one of the most populous states in Nigeria, with over nine million population cut across 34 LGAs and 361 wards. Among these, we have 21 LGAs that are security-compromised.

We have also commenced deployment of commodities to the 34 LGAs of the state because Kastina is one of the states termed as high risk for Cholera based on the report of the global task force for Cholera control, he said.

Prevention

Mr Suleiman noted that its rapid response system had controlled the outbreak of cholera in the Kadusa local government area earlier in the year.

Based on our records, the week that we had a big outbreak this year was week 12 around March, where we had an outbreak of Cholera from Kadusa LGA, and we were able to send our rapid response team to the LGA with support from the government and partners We recorded about 68 cases there with one death, he said.

He also maintained that the state is working round the clock to prevent the outbreak of any infectious disease.

We have maintained our system at alert, where we are at alert mode, rapid response team including the surveillance and notification officers have been trained where we emphasise the need for them to detect cases wherever they are, he added.

In terms of infection prevention and control, we want to ensure that if the infection happens, it does not spread, especially in the healthcare setting.

He stated that on the risk communications, the health agency had produced jingles that would be aired on different stations for residents of the state to be sensitised.

The global resurgence of cholera

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday announced a resurgence of cholera cases across countries in Africa, East Asia, America, Europe, and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

According to the organisation, about 195,00 cholera cases have been reported in the five regions between January and May, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region reporting the highest number of cases of more than 98,000 cases from seven countries.

Africa has the second-highest number of cases, with 92,789 cases from 14 countries. A distant margin from what was found in America, where about 3,700 cases from one country were recorded as the third highest from an affected region.

This data, WHO said, combines both suspected and confirmed cases of the disease.

In Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES has consistently reported that the country has been experiencing a spike in the number of recorded cases.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the country has recorded more than 65 confirmed cases with more than 30 deaths from January to June across about 100 local governments in 30 states.

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is discontinuing the Price Verification System (PVS) for foreign exchange transactions.

The bank made this known on Wednesday in a circular signed by the Acting Director of the Trade & Exchange Department, W.J. Kanya, addressed to authorised dealer banks and the general public.

In a circular dated August 17 2023, the bank introduced the PVS, directing that everyone who wants to ask for Form M must use the system to check and confirm the cost.

Form M is required for all importers bringing goods into Nigeria with foreign currency. The form must be completed on the CBN Single Window platform.

All applications for Form M shall be accompanied by a valid price verification report generated from the price verification portal.

For the avoidance of doubt, by this circular, the price verification report has become a mandatory trade document precedent to the completion of a Form M, it said at the time.

However, according to a recent circular, starting July 01, applications for Form M will no longer need validation via the Price Verification Report from the PVS.

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Given recent developments in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, the CBN discontinues the Price Verification System (PVS).

Consequently, with effect from July 01, 2024, all applications for Form M shall be validated without the Price Verification Report generated from the Price Verification Portal, it said.

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On the night of 21 April, Oliver was brutally killed at Leisure Court Estate in the Sabon Lugbe area of Abuja, where he worked as a gateman. His bullet-riddled body was recovered the following morning by the residents.

He saw the kidnappers attempting to enter a building, and he shot at them. Unknown to him, others were behind him. They shot him from the back, Kayode Imole, a resident of the estate, told PREMIUM TIMES.

A security man in the estate, who pleaded anonymity, said Oliver stood no chance against the invaders because he was armed with a locally-made gun with one bullet. After firing the bullet, there was nothing else to do, he lamented.

Not first time

The incident was not the first this year in the beautiful estate surrounded by a bush. But it was the first in which a person was killed.

According to a resident, the same night the security man was killed, a woman and her daughter were kidnapped. Two young girls and an adult were also kidnapped10 days later on 30 April.

As in other cases of kidnapping recorded in the estate, the woman and her daughter were released by their abductors after the payment of ransom.

In the first incident this year, recorded on 15 January, a resident of the estate, Olaitan Tayo (not real name), was kidnapped while returning from work at about 10.15 a.m.

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That night, four men with AK-47 guns ambushed Mr Tayo as he drove home in his blue Lexus ES SUV. They fired repeatedly at his car, dragged him out of it and marched him into the bush, leaving the vehicle behind.

Narrating his ordeal to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Tayo said he and the kidnappers trekked in the bush until 5 a.m. when they arrived at a cave close to a military checkpoint around Kuje.

Before I got to that spot that night, they attempted to stop two cars. Olanrewaju (whose family members were later kidnapped in their home) was driving one of the cars, but he was able to escape. They were shooting at my car; I thought they were security men at first. One of the bullets went through the roof of my car, Mr Tayo narrated.

My car eventually stopped after a bullet hit the engine, but they continued to shoot at the tyres. They marched me into the bush, and we trekked for over seven hours till we got to the cave around five in the morning.

I was the only one with them in the cave, and I tried to negotiate with them. They did not assault me. We saw some herders passing with cows from the cave, but they couldnt see us to tell you how thick the bush was. The cave is just a 15-minute drive from the military checkpoint.

Mr Tayo said his kidnappers demanded N50 million as ransom but later accepted N15 million. My friends and family raised the money, he stated.

Mr Olanrewaju, who escaped the night Mr Tayo was kidnapped, was attacked in his house on 1 May. The kidnappers took away his 10-year-old daughter, another 15-year-old girl and a friend of his staying with him after arriving in Abuja to take a new job with an NGO. Mr Olanrewaju said that the friend was to assume duty the following day.

We were inside around 10:30 p.m. when they attempted to break the gate. I used the walkie-talkie provided to communicate with the residents and guards, but no one could come. They (kidnappers) cut the electric wire and entered the gate. They couldnt open our door, so they started breaking the window.

I opened the door because I thought if they got angry, they would shoot and kill. I opened the door and prostrated immediately. But they told me to stand up and asked for my family.

Mr Olanrewaju said the kidnappers took away his phone and later used it to demand ransom for the release of his family members. Currently, I am gathering the money. I want to sell my cars and house, he said.

According to a resident, the kidnappers consistently increased in number each time they attacked the estate.

They were four, with two of them carrying guns, when they struck in January. But when they returned in April, there were six of them, four of them bearing arms. On their 1 May visit, there were eight with all welding guns.

Ransom payment

PREMIUM TIMES they learnt that residents have paid over N30 million to secure the release of kidnap victims since January.

Police response

Following the 21 April bloody attack, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Beneath Igweh, led some officers to the estate.

After combing the bush around the estate for about three hours, the police officers returned with two individuals who they paraded as suspects.

But ten days after the visit of the police, the kidnappers struck again and went away with three persons from the estate. Residents said the police did not respond to the latest incident.

Some residents complained that the police and the estate management also did not want the incidents reported in the media.

We wanted to invite the press after the last attack, but the management told us not to, a resident said, who also preferred anonymity to avoid victimisation.

The FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, did not respond to several calls and messages this reporter sent to her mobile telephone on the incidents at Leisure Court Estate.

Fear

The constant attacks have left the residents feeling insecure. Some said they were considering relocating from the estate.

I just moved, and I have advised my friend to do the same, a house owner in the estate, Mr Raphael, told this reporter.

However, for many residents, the decision to move house is complex in Abuja.

Where will I go? I bought this house to stop wandering around, Mr Imole said.

N2.5 million service charge

Some residents said the estate is porous to attack because it has no fence. They blame the management for their vulnerability to attacks.

This newspaper learnt that residents paid N2.5 million to the estate management as an infrastructure/service fee for electricity, security, perimeter fencing, road and other provisions. Yet, they still need to make individual arrangements for security.

Except for Phase 1, other areas do not have gates. Phase 4 is the biggest, but the gate has been abandoned for over a year. There is no fence or security outpost.

Also, look at our gate in Phase 1 here. We requested removing the bamboo, but it has not been completed since then.

Another resident, Joseph Sunny, urged the police to allow security guards in the estate to be properly armed.

How can you with a local gun face someone with AK 47 or AK 49? he said.

Estate management reacts

Just before the reporter filed this report, a member of the estate management, who gave his name only as Mr Dimeji, told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone that the police had deployed some officers to the estate. At the same time, the residents have hired more security guards.

The residents hope those steps will check the attacks on their beautiful estate.

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The Senate on Thursday extended the implementation of the capital component of the 2023 budget till 31 December.

The upper chamber also extended the implementation of the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget till December.

This follows the request of President Bola Tinubu for the extension of the implementation of both budgets.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the extension of the appropriation bills during the plenary after it was read for the first, second and third times and supported by most senators.

The appropriation bills were separately considered at the Senate Committee on Supply.

This is the second time that the lawmakers will be extending the implementation of the 2023 budget and its components since the beginning of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

In March, the upper chamber extended implementation of the capital component of the 2023 budget and implementation of the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget till June.

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With the development, the 2023 budget will be implemented for two years despite the existence of the 2024 budget.

It also means that the federal government is currently implementing two budgets, the 2023 and 2024 appropriation Acts.

Debate

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, led the debate on the extension of the budget during the plenary.

He said the extension was required to allow the federal government to complete ongoing projects captured in the budgets.

This Bill, therefore, intends to further extend the implementation period of the Acts to 31st December, 202,4 given the strategic importance of some key projects nearing completion and to allow for continued implementation for the maximum benefit of the country.

Undoubtedly, this would go a long way to avoid the compounding problems of abandoned projects. Hence, the need for the enactment of this proposed legislation to extend the implementation, Mr Bamidele said.

He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support the extension.

I therefore urge my colleagues to give their full support to these bills to allow for full utilisation of the capital releases to help reflate the economy.

The Minority Leader, Abba Moro, supported the extension of the appropriation bills.

Mr Moro noted that there is a need for an extension of the budget. Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) observed that the main reason for the extension was to allow the federal government to complete ongoing capital projects.

Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North) said there were many uncompleted projects in different parts of the country.

Mr Kalu urged his colleagues to disregard criticism of the extension of the budgets.

Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) argued that the budgets should not be extended continuously.

Mr Ninigi advised the lawmakers to ensure that the federal government implements the projects as contained in the approved budget.

Responding, Mr Akpabio explained that the upper chamber will monitor the implementation of the capital component through an oversight function.

Implementation is left to the executive, and oversight is left for the legislative, Mr Akpabio added.

After the contributions, Mr Akpabio put an extension of the budgets to voice vote and the majority of the lawmakers supported it.

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The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said members of the upper chamber will not hesitate to approve new aircraft for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima if there is a need.

Mr Akpabio stated this on Wednesday during the plenary.

He was responding to criticisms from Nigerians who condemned the planned purchase of new aircraft for Messrs Tinubu and Shettima because of the harsh economic situation in the country.

Mr Akpabio insisted that no amount of blackmail would prevent the lawmakers from approving new presidential jets for the two leaders if it is a necessity.

The senate president, however, clarified that the presidency has yet to request for the new aircraft as speculated in some sections of the media.

The Senate is very responsible. The National Assembly is very responsible. We will look into issues that will benefit the governance of the country irrespective of anticipatory blackmail. They know very well that something like that might come in future. And if it is a necessity, the Senate will look into it. But there is nothing like that before us now, Mr Akpabio said.

Responding to criticism on social media

The senate president submitted that it will be unprofessional to respond to criticism emanating from the social media during plenary.

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He reiterated that he never assured of the purchase of new aircraft for Messrs Tinubu and Mr Shettima.

Mr Akpabio said, It is not good for us to run the Senate by answering people in the social media because the social media is garbage in garbage out.

I was in Zanzibar attending an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting when that information went out that the senate president said he would approve a brand new plan for the president irrespective of whether they are suffering or not suffering.

There was never a time such a statement came from me because Ive never had any correspondence to approve a plan or not approve a plan and I did not want to answer, but they went to generate it and then they went around as if I was saying that I did not care about the Nigerian people. I did not do this.

We care about the president. We care about the Nigerian people. We will approve things that will benefit the Nigerian people. We will approve things that would improve the living standard of the people.

At the same time, we will also take cognisance of the duties of Mr President. If his vehicle is bad, we will repair the vehicle. If his plane is bad, we will approve money for the repair of the plane. So that is not an issue. There is nothing before us. I dont think you should worry about it.

I read the presidents correspondences to us. There was nothing about plane or no plane, but I can tell you that when you hear stories such as the death of the vice president of Malawi as a result of a defective plane, and then you hear incidents such as the death of the president of Iran as a result of defective aircraft In fact, this time it was a helicopter and all that. We shouldnt ever dream and allow such. It wouldnt be.

The House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence recently discussed a plan to purchase new aircraft for the president and vice president.

Also, its counterpart in the Senate said it would back the move.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested three persons who allegedly impersonated military officers to defraud some unsuspecting persons.

A statement by EFCCs spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday, identified the suspects as Dennis Baba, Wyclife Midala and Samuel Kayode.

The statement said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday.

He stated that the suspects had allegedly defrauded some members of the public, by operating a three-man syndicate advertising fake bids for contract while claiming to be military officers in the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

The commission said that it began an investigation after receiving several complaints.

It said one of the multiple victims claimed N21 million loss to the antics of the suspect.

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EFCC said the investigation into the matter was ongoing.

It said the suspects would be charged in court upon conclusion of investigation.

Cases of impersonation

Earlier in January, the police arrested three members of a four-man gang who were parading as EFCC officials while robbing students of Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture (MOUAU) in Umudike.

The police said they were able to recover some of the missing items alongside four EFCC jackets, one toy gun and four EFCC search warrants.

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Wealthy individuals, government agencies, charitable organisations and religious institutions have been urged to embark on aggressive advocacy campaigns in primary and secondary schools on menstrual hygiene and climate change.

Queen Solomon, the winner of the 2023 Miss Heritage International and Executive Director of Improved Child Education in Africa, gave the advice while distributing sanitary pads and writing materials to pupils of Government Junior Secondary School (GJSS) Apo Legislative Quarters on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ms Solomon said the aim of the event was to enable girls to have sound knowledge on how to live a better life, check outbreaks of diseases and prevent unwanted pregnancies.

The NGO boss said that most challenges facing girls in the society was how to manage themselves during the menstrual period.

She however, appealed to the government to always ensure functional infrastructure in all public schools to ensure proper hygiene for girls during their menstrual period.

She pledged to carry the campaign to all schools across the country to compliment the governments effort at ensuring a clean environment and improving girl child education in the country.

We are here today to educate students on menstrual hygiene. Girls need to understand that good hygiene is necessary and paramount.

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We will continue to advocate for this and ensure all the six geopolitical zones in FCT are reached, she said.

Speaking, the Head Girl of the School, Rejoice Chukwuka-Charles, said that the campaign provided ample opportunity for girls in the school to ask questions on the best ways to manage themselves during the menstrual period.

She said, Knowledge impacted on the girls will go a long way in encouraging and building a better future for the younger generation.

In her goodwill message, Rebecca Alaku, Chief Education Officer of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), said that the provision of writing materials and sanitary pads would encourage young girls and increase child enrollment in FCT schools.

Also, the Vice Principal of Administration of the school, Felicia Gyaube, expressed gratitude to the philanthropist for considering the school in her Pet Project.

Ms Gyaube called on parents not to shy away from their responsibility of educating their girls on the effective management of sanitary pads.

Ms Solomon represented Nigeria and won the 2024 Miss Heritage International in Bangkok in December last year.

The campaign also featured talks on the need to avoid violence especially fighting between students of different schools.

Over 3,000 exercise books, 500 sanitary pads and other instructional materials were given to the pupils.

She also planted economic trees in the school as part of her advocacy to address challenges of climate change in the country.

Ohaeri Osondu Joseph, Fnipr Fcai

Director, Media/Publicity

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The Deputy National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Ayo Olorunfemi, has cautioned those calling on the partys 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to defect to another political party to actualise his presidential ambition.

He said those urging Mr Obi to leave the Labour Party in the belief that he could win the next presidential election in 2027 on the platform of another party were delusional.

Well, I will just use the word delusional. Those that are pressing for such are delusional. Some people can rate themselves. The true Obidients out there will not, and I repeat, they will not advise Peter Obi to leave the party, Mr Olorunfemi said when he appeared on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Wednesday.

LP crisis

Many members of Mr Obis supporters group, popularly called the Obidients, have recently called on him to leave the LP amid a leadership crisis rocking the party.

The crisis has worsened due to the controversies surrounding the partys March National Convention in Anambra State, which INEC disowned.

Amid the crisis, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which formed the party in 2002, has accused the National Chairman, Julius Abure, of running the party like his personal property and urged him to step down.

In a recent interview on Symfoni TV, actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo, a key figure of Mr Obis 2023 campaign and still his fervent supporter, criticised the party over the lingering crisis.

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Mr Okonkwo joined the LP on 24 August 2022, one month after resigning from the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the partys Muslim-Muslim ticket issue.

LP remains Obis best chances to win 2027 election

However, Mr Olorunfemi insisted on Wednesday that the party was not in a crisis.

He said the party was only going through challenges he hoped would be resolved within the next few weeks.

According to him, the party remains Mr Obis best chance to win the 2027 presidential election.

He said the true Obidients, including students unions, the Nigerian youths, the hardworking people of Nigeria, the people who are tired of what is going on in Nigeria, and people who are tired of hunger, still want Mr Obi to remain in the Labour party.

Which political party should he go back to? To go back to PDP, or to APC or to where? Mr Olorunfemi queried. This is a political party that is based on ideology. We are social democrats here. The people who put this political party together are social democrats, and that is entrenched in the constitution. The only place for Peter Obi to be able to win in 2027 is the Labour Party, and we are already preparing for that.

Mr Olorunfemi expressed hope that Mr Obi would not leave the Labour Party, maintaining that the former presidential candidate has his final destination in the party.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, whose foray into politics started around 2007, had been a member of two political parties before joining the Labour Party before the 2023 elections.

In 2014, he defected from the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), on whose platform he served as governor of Anambra State for two terms between 2007 and 2014.

He emerged as the running mate of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 elections. They came second in the election, losing to the then-incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Obi left the PDP for the LP preparatory to the 2023 general elections.

He ran as the LPs candidate in the presidential election.

Mr Obi won in Nigerias federal capital, Abuja, and 11 out of Nigerias 36 states, polling 6,101,533 votes.

However, he came third behind President Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate, who emerged the winner of the election with a total score of 8,794,726 votes, and Atiku, the PDP candidate, who came second after polling a total of 6,984,520 votes.

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Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has approved the release of N4.7 billion to pay gratuities to retirees, bonuses and wardrobe allowance for civil servants in the state.

Ekerete Udoh, the spokesperson to Mr Eno, disclosed this in a statement to reporters in Uyo on Thursday.

Mr Udoh said the approval was a bold move by the governor towards fulfilling his campaign promises to the Akwa Ibom people.

Giving a breakdown of the approval, Mr Udoh said that N2.3 billion would be used to pay the gratuities of retired civil servants in the state.

He further said N1.1 billion would be used for wardrobe allowances to public school teachers while N1 billion would be used to pay bonuses to public service workers.

Mr Udoh said the governor had released the sum of N79 million to award scholarships to four Akwa Ibom indigenes recently admitted to study Standard Pilot and Standard Air Traffic Control courses at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.

Also, N104 million has been released as part payment of the 2024 primary school teachers leave grant, and N172 million as a severance package for chairmen and vice-chairmen of local government councils who served between 2018 and 2022, he said.

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Mr Udoh said the governor remained committed to improving the lives of the people through his administrations ARISE agenda.

The governor believes strongly in promoting the wellbeing of retirees and the current workforce.

The current move is part of the governments efforts to cushion the effect of the economic situation. It is a testimony of the state governments commitment to the welfare of the people, he said.

(NAN)

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The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has outlined steps to resolve the 10-year power outage challenge in Iwo road  Lalupon communities in Ibadan.

IBEDCs officer in charge of the Technical Unit, Christopher Lawal, made this known while addressing journalists on Wednesday.

He said part of the measures to be taken would include, but not limited to, placing 65 per cent of customers on the feeder who are currently receiving supply with 40 transformers on load shedding, while exploring options to back-feed some of the remaining distribution substations from an alternative feeder.

He explained that there would be extensive use of isolators with the existing network arrangement within a timeline of three weeks as well as cascading of load between feeders within a timeline of four weeks.

He added that Odo ori 11kv feeder will be converted to a 33kv feeder between an estimated period of eight to nine weeks as the medium-term solution.

He emphasised that IBEDC has held numerous meetings with community leaders to explain the situation and explore solutions.

Mr Lawal said that, in the long run, the construction of the 33Kv substation project in Lalupon, funded by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), would completely resolve the ongoing power supply challenges in the area.

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We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused by these challenges and are using this medium to assure our customers that every effort is being made to expedite the completion of the 33kV substation project and restore full power supply.

As a customer-centric company, we are deeply concerned about the supply situation. As such, we have held over 10 meetings with the leaders of the communities to explain the situation. These meetings underscore our commitment to resolving these issues and improving service delivery, he added.

Recall that PREMIUM TIMES reported that the residents of the communities, on Monday, staged a peaceful protest to the IBEDC office and Oyo State government secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, where government representatives promised to intervene in the matter.

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Daniel Onyishi, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) commander in Anambra State, said the agency arrested 360 suspects concerning drug-related offences from June 2023 to June 2024.

The commander also said that 197 persons were prosecuted for illicit drug trafficking in the state during the year under review.

He disclosed this at an event to mark the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and the 10th edition of the Drug Quiz Competition for Secondary Schools in Anambra in Awka on Wednesday.

Mr Onyishi said that a pharmacist, Alexander Onyido, the traditional ruler of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, sponsored the events.

According to him, the command also counselled and rehabilitated 258 former drug addicts and reconciled them with their families.

He said that a total of 2.8557 tonnes of drugs, including cannabis and other dangerous substances, were seized during the year.

He explained that the command achieved the feat by collaborating with sister security agencies and communities.

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He reiterated the agencys determination to increase awareness campaigns on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse, especially among youths in the state and beyond.

Earlier, the chairperson of the occasion and traditional ruler of Awka, Gibson Nwosu, represented by his Palace Secretary, Pius Okonkwo, described the years International Drug Day as apt.

He urged community leaders and families to sensitise their members to the inherent dangers and how to survive without drugs.

On his part, the acting Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Joseph Ikechebelu, represented by the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Solomon Nwigbo, commended the NDLEAs efforts toward the drug fight.

He unveiled the institutions drug policy, which, among other things, prohibited drugs and substance abuse for a serene environment, practical teaching and learning.

The programmes sponsor, Mr Onyido, represented by his son, Ikenna Onyido, pledged to continue the fight to achieve drug-free societies.

He explained that the awareness campaign would be sustained to sanitise the society, including schools.

(NAN)

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The Katsina State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has called on the state government to assist farmers in controlling worms destroying crops in their farmlands.

The AFAN chairman in the state, Yau Umar-Gojo-Gojo, made the call while speaking with journalists on Wednesday in Katsina.

He said the worms invaded farmlands and ate up stems, which made it difficult for the crops to survive.

Mr Umar-Gojo-gojo said the problem was much more common in places like the Batarawa, Mani, Daura, and Funtua axes.

He said the worms mainly attacked newly planted crops like maize, guinea corn and millet.

The chairman advised the affected farmers to apply the recommended insecticides to kill and prevent the worms from spreading to other places.

We have received complaints from some of our members that the worms are seriously destroying their crops.

We have visited such affected places and seen how the worms but we advised them to, as a matter of urgency, use recommended chemicals to kill the worms before the government intervenes to reduce losses.

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He said the worms appeared due to rainfall seizures in many places in the state for over ten days.

We are hoping that they will disappear as soon as rainfall resumes; we are hopeful for the rainfall any moment from now, he said.

Mr Umar-Gojo-gojo urged the state government to assist the farmers in controlling the worms and save them from recording pre-harvest losses.

We are calling on the government to assist the farmers with chemicals to control these worms.

The government can deploy the 722 extension workers to each ward in the state to ensure the elimination of such insects in their respective communities.

At least, the government has given each extension worker a motorcycle and sprayer for use in his area where necessary.

So, the government should also provide them with the chemicals to control the worms, he advised.

He feared the problem could affect agricultural productivity, especially maize, guinea corn and millet unless urgent measures were taken.

The chairman explained that farms that reported such problems were in the significant areas producing such crops. (NAN)

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Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed for counter-terrorism operations in Sokoto State on Thursday foiled a kidnap attempt, neutralising five terrorists and rescuing two hostages held by them

This is contained in a post on the official X Handle of the Nigerian Army on Thursday.

The army said the troops responded to a distress call from the Baniguntu and Gohonau forest areas in Gudu Local Government Area of the state and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle.

It said other terrorists who survived the encounter fled with gunshot wounds.

According to the army, the rescued hostages, identified as Nura Isya and Saluhu Hamza, were safely handed over to the Chairman of Gudu Local Government Area for medical attention and reunification with their families.

The successful operation not only prevented a potential tragedy, but also led to the recovery of 5 AK-47 rifles, 32 rounds of ammunition, and a Tecno phone, further disrupting the activities of the terrorist group.

This heroic rescue mission highlights the resoluteness of the Nigerian Army to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of citizens in Sokoto State and across the country.

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The troops swift and decisive action serves as a testament to their dedication to protecting the lives and well-being of the people they serve, it said.

(NAN)

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In a brief ceremony, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation delivered cheques totalling nearly $2 million to the World Food Programme and the Nigeria Red Cross Society.

Funding was made available by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who reached out to the ministry to coordinate the project.

At the inception meeting of its Flood Assistance Programme, attended by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Fatou Sarr, handed over both cheques to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs who then handed them over to the Red Cross and the World Food Programme.

First, the Nigerian Red Cross, which aims to reach 3,500 households in Adamawa, Anambra, Oyo, Kebbi, Kogi and Rivers states, got a cheque of $906,205. The Red Cross will also dig 12 water boreholes to ensure access to clean water, thereby reducing the risk of water-borne diseases in selected communities. According to the Director for Disaster Management of the Nigerian Red Cross, Benson Agbro, this agreement exemplifies our shared commitment to humanitarian principles and the well-being of our citizens. It is a testament to what we can achieve through collaboration and solidarity. Together, we are not just responding to a disaster; we are building a foundation for a more resilient and prosperous future for our nation.

Next, Fatou Sarr, assisted by representatives from the Ministries of Humanitarian Affairs and Foreign Affairs, also presented a cheque for $1 million to the Deputy Country Director of the World Food Programme, Guy Adoua. In Mr Adouas own words:

This partnership will continue to deliver essential food, nutrition and resilience-building support to the communities in Katsina and Sokoto states and strengthen state government institutions and programmes for greater sustainability. ECOWAS and the Government of Nigeria have once again demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people with a generous contribution. Together, we are creating sustainable solutions that will ensure long-term food security and resilience in the region.

The project implemented by WFP will provide food and nutrition assistance to more than 14,000 individuals over a period of six months. It will also provide livelihood support and psycho-social support to promote social cohesion and peace.

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In her remark, Ms Sarr said: ECOWAS has reaffirmed its dedication to alleviating the suffering of people impacted by humanitarian crises. The ECOWAS Commission is set to provide financial assistance, including

$906,205 for flood disaster relief in Nigeria from 2022 and $1,000,000 to support victims of violence in Nigeria in 2023. These funds aim to help stabilize the affected individuals.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Abel Enitan, said the project was timely:

Suffice it to state that the lingering in our relief efforts, especially in combating hunger, malnutrition and the shortage of essential non-food items, highlights the importance of these projects, supported by the ECOWAS Commission. This is a substantial support for the ongoing efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria and it is coming at a time when funding for Humanitarian assistance is dwindling globally.

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Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday he wont sign into law a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and several people were shot dead. The protest was the biggest Kenya has witnessed in decades.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the government wanted to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill would cause more economic pain as millions struggle to get by. The chaos on Tuesday led the government to deploy soldiers to disperse protesters.

Mr Ruto earlier called protesters actions treasonous, saying they would ensure a situation of this nature does not recur again.

In declining assent to the proposed legislation, the president now says the bill caused widespread dissatisfaction and he has listened and conceded.

It is necessary for us to have a conversation as a nation on how to manage the affairs of the country together, he said.

Human rights groups say at least 22 protesters were killed and scores more wounded on the streets of Kenya. Members of the protest movement, led largely by young Kenyans, vowed in social media posts before Mr Rutos Wednesday remarks to return to the streets on Thursday for another day of demonstrations.

You cannot kill all of us, activist Hanifa Adan said on X. Tomorrow we march peacefully again as we wear white, for all our fallen people. You will not be forgotten!

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It was not immediately clear whether the protests planned for Thursday would go ahead given Mr Rutos decision not to sign the finance bill.

Sovereignty belongs to the people, Caroline Giathi, one of the protesters, told PREMIUM TIMES, saying they have already seen the results of their efforts. Now, we are demanding justice for everyone massacred. They are killing so many people.

Mr Ruto acknowledged deaths, calling it an unfortunate situation, and offered condolences. He said about 200 people had been wounded.

The protests started last week, initially against proposed sharp tax increases on staples including bread, cooking oil, and diapers. But the rallies that began peacefully turned violent with Mr Ruto alleging that criminals hijacked the demonstrations.

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The federal government has restated its commitment to creating a conducive environment for journalists and the Nigerian media.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at a book presentation titled Writing for Media and Monetising it by Azu Ishiekwene.

As we celebrate this milestone, it is also important to reaffirm the commitment of the President Bola Tinubus administration to a free and responsible journalism.

We understand that a society can only flourish when its media organs are free to report the truth without fear of retribution and to equally hold those in authority accountable.

The Tinubus administration is therefore, dedicated to creating an environment where journalists can work freely, without intimidation, and with the assurance that their rights will be acknowledged and protected, Mr Idris said.

The minister, however, stressed that, freedom for the Nigerian media comes with responsibility.

He noted that as the government championed the cause of a free press, it is incumbent on the media to exercise the freedom with a sense of duty, ethics and patriotism.

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According to him, it is crucial that the information disseminated to the public by the Nigerian is accurate, balanced, and devoid of sensationalism.

We must all strive to ensure that this role is played with the utmost responsibility while we work closely to advance the course of good governance in our country.

We must be wary of fake news, misinformation and disinformation and indeed, new cankerworms that destroy individual and corporate reputation, and above all, destabilise the society, Mr Idris said.

Speaking on the book, the minister said the author had done a huge favour of distilling his great skill, talents and experience into the 280 pages of valuable works.

I am very glad about the enthusiastic reception that the book is getting from a wide range of quarters as well as stellar reviews and comments, from some of our most respected media practitioners.

This initiative represents a meaningful way for the author to give back to the Nigerian media industry by offering valuable guidance and support to the next generation of journalists.

Indeed, the way Azu has creatively deployed the Internet for this new book is a testament to how well he has kept up with changing times and technologies, he said.

Speaking, the Chairman, Leadership Newspaper Group, Zainab Nda-Isaiah, said the author has been honing his craft, writing articles that educate, inform and entertain on various and diverse topics.

This book is not just a collection of tips and tricks, but a comprehensive guide that covers the entire process of writing for media from idea generation, to publication.

However, this book is in a class of its own, because beyond what I just mentioned as its focus, the book also focuses on monetising the craft of great writing, Mrs Nda-Isaiah said

Meanwhile, Ahmed Shekarau, the CEO of the Media Trust group , encouraged the Nigerian media to focus on human angle reporting that would create traffic in the media space,

Similarly, Kadaria Ahmed, founder and chief executive officer, Radio Now 95.3fm, stressed the need to educate citizens on the significance of what they are doing.

Abiodun Adeniyi, a professor of Mass Communication and dean, School of Postgraduates Studies, Baze University, emphasised on the need for the media to be creative and adapt new trends in media profession.

(NAN)

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President Bola Tinubus request to extend the 2023 capital component of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the Supplementary Appropriation Act until 31 December on Thursday polarized the House of Representatives along party lines, as opposition lawmakers opposed the proposal.

President Tinubu seeks the extension of the two budgets until 31 December to allow for a full implementation of the law.

However, the opposition to the presidents request forced the lawmakers into an executive session amid loud booing from members of the opposition parties.

The lawmakers are currently in the executive session that ensued after Speaker Abbas Tajudeen became unable to restore order to the chamber.

Inherited budgets

President Tinubu inherited the N21.8 trillion budget from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.

However, the capital component of the budget suffered during the transition period, as many of the projects in the 2023 budget were not funded while the new administration settled in.

Mr Tinubu also inherited the N819 billion 2022 Supplementary Budget from the last administration.

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In July 2023, the president sent an amendment to the National Assembly to amend the N819 billion budget.

The amendment included a N70 billion package for the National Assembly and N500 billion for palliatives and other capital expenditures to cushion the effect of the recent fuel subsidy removal policy.

In October 2023, Mr Tinubu sent a N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget to the National Assembly for approval. According to the president, the majority of the items in the budget were for tackling insecurity.

However, a review of the budget by PREMIUM TIMES showed some frivolous items.

For instance, there was N28 billion for the purchase of luxury cars for the president and the first lady and the renovation of the presidents residence, among other allocations for the State House.

There was also the controversial N5 billion for the presidential yacht.

Meanwhile, a large portion of the N2.17 trillion was allocated to the security sector.

Previous amendments

The Acts were first extended on 31 December 2023 for a period of three months.Their lifespans were extended to 30 March 2024.

The extensions were a sequel to a request by President Tinubu via a letter to the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Shortly before the expiry date, President Tinubu made another request for the extension of the two budgets until 30 June 2024. The lawmakers speedily okayed the request.

In the House, the bills went through the three stages of bill passage on the same day.

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Members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) arrived on Wednesday at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Edo State, for a two-day meeting to review their stance on the anticipated industrial action over the non-payment of their members withheld salaries.

Similarly, various branches of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have called for congresses to address the issue ahead of a meeting of the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU leadership scheduled for Thursday, 4 July.

SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, who confirmed the NEC meeting to PREMIUM TIMES, lamented what he described as the unfair treatment of its members by the government.

He said it was unfortunate that the government mistook for weakness or cowardice its members understanding and act of patriotism that led to the suspension of the industrial action in 2022.

The leadership of the two unions had written on Wednesday, 19 June, to the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, threatening to order the withdrawal of their members from their duty posts should the government fail to pay the workers withheld salaries.

The letter with reference number JAC/NS/VOL.III/01 was written under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU and signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and the National Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi.

The government, through the Minister of Education and his Minister of State counterpart  Tahir Mamman and Yusuf Sununu, respectively, on Wednesday met with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve some grey areas as contained in the unions press statements shared by the leadership of its various zones.

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However, both SSANU and NASU members said the government has opted to dare the consequences of its preferential treatment of one union over the others, especially considering Wednesdays meeting with ASUU.

They said there are no reasons not to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike, even as they condemned the government for pushing us to the wall.

Backstory

In March, the two unions embarked on a one-week warning strike over the withheld salaries of their members.

The matter is a spillover crisis from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, which withheld four months salaries of the members of the unions for the period they downed tools between May and August 2022.

The SSANU and NASUs academic counterpart- ASUU, which stayed away from work for more than seven months, also had its members salaries withheld due to the governments introduction of the no work, no pay rule.

However, the new administration of President Bola Tinubu ordered the payment of parts of the salaries. Still, only ASUU members received pay for four months out of their about eight months withheld salaries. The members of SSANU and NASU were not paid for any of the outstanding months.

JAC said it wrote to the education minister, Mr Mamman, and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, but has yet to receive a response, prompting it to decide on a one-week warning strike in March.

New threat

The unions said, despite various letters, engagements, and assurances from the government, the withheld salaries remain unpaid, leading to growing frustration among the workers.

We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of the government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members. This also negates the spirit of collective bargaining and builds distrust, the union wrote in the letter.

JAC noted that the governments deafening silence and failure to pay the withheld salaries is creating a high level of agitations and contentions among our members in the universities and inter-university centres such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on university campuses.

They also cautioned that failure to comply not later than two weeks from the date of the correspondence will leave them with no option but to shut down the universities and inter-university centres.

SSANU NEC meeting

The NEC meeting of SSANU comprises the unions branch chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers, zonal chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers, and national officers. It serves as the supreme organ of the union but takes directives from the branch congresses.

According to the union President, Mr Ibrahim, the meeting, scheduled between Thursday and Friday, will appraise the issues and make recommendations for the various branches to discuss at the congresses.

The President, however, said he could not preempt the decision of its members, but I am sure that my members are agitated because their patriotism has been taken for cowardice.

The Chairman of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter of the union, Olusola Falowo, confirmed that his chapter would hold its congress on Monday to consider the recommendations at the NEC.

Almost every other chapter will do the same between Monday and Tuesday ahead of the JAC meeting scheduled for Thursday. As I am talking to you now, the NASU congress is holding in my school over the same matter, Mr Falowo said.

Other union members who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the condition of anonymity confirmed that there was no going back on the decision to declare an indefinite strike. They said three months after the suspension of the warning strike, the government has refused to accede to their demands.

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The police have arrested 985 phone snatchers, 73 armed robbery and 70 kidnap suspects in Kaduna State in the last two months.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Ali Dabigi, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Thursday in Kaduna.

Mr Dabigi thanked individuals and institutions whose support had been instrumental to the achievements recorded in the last two months.

In the last two months, 985 suspected phone snatchers, 73 armed robbery suspects and 70 kidnap suspects were arrested, while nine bandits were neutralised.

Five AK 47 rifles; seven locally-made arms; 1,817 rounds of live ammunition; and eight vehicles of different brands were recovered, while eight suspects were arrested in connection with car-theft.

Seven motorcycles of different brands; one tricycle, and 29 rustled cattle were also recovered, while one suspected railway vandal was arrested.

These achievements are part of the testament to the hard work and dedication of the officers and men of the police command in Kaduna.

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We remain committed to serving and protecting the people of Kaduna state with integrity and professionalism, he said.

According to him, the persistent support, guidance and leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has been pivotal in steering the command towards greater efficiency and effectiveness.

The police chief also sought the continued support and commitment of the Kaduna State Government to enhance the security of the state.

Their collaboration with the police has been key to our efforts to maintain peace and order.

Our achievements would not have been possible without the cooperation of our sister security agencies and their dedication and teamwork have been crucial in our joint operations and successes.

Some of the suspects paraded by the police on Thursday.

I also appreciate the media support and patriotism in the fight against crime which has helped to provide safety and protect the dignity of the law-abiding people of Kaduna State, Mr Dabigi said.

(NAN)

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The House of Representatives has once again extended the capital component of the 2023 Appropriation Act and the Supplementary Appropriation Act until 31 December after a closed-door session amid opposition from a section of the House.

The request by President Bola Tinubu was sent to the House on Thursday during an emergency session held by the House.

In the letter read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on the floor of the House, the president stated that the extension is to enable the government to fully implement the two budgets.

The request involves extending the lives of the N21.8 trillion 2023 budget and the N2.17 trillion 2023 supplementary budget.

The N27.5 trillion 2024 budget is also running concurrently with them.

The debate and rowdy session

House Leader Julius Ihonvbere moved a motion to suspend the relevant sections of its rules to allow the bill to be given expeditious readings.

The Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, seconded the motion.

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Leading the debate on the bill, Mr Ihonvbere described the request by the president as a straightforward request, noting that the bill is not seeking to change the content of the Acts but to extend their lifespans.

Speaking against the bills, Mr Chinda said the National Assembly has, in the past four years, worked to maintain a January-December budget cycle but that the request by the president has the potential of derailing the cycle.

He said the extension would mean the country running three budgets concurrently, in addition to the 2024 supplementary budgets the president is expected to send to the National Assembly soon.

Mr Chinda added that the extension may be legal but not moral.

Let me say that there are things that are legal but morally not correct. We are aware of the importance of the implementation of capital projects, and we know what capital projects can do in the lives of our people.

But the application for extension of the 2023 Appropriation Act is also coming with the request to extend the life of the 2023 supplementary budget. We are also expecting the 2024 supplementary budget. A situation where we may have four budgets running concurrently is a bit of a problem, Mr Chinda said.

Speaking further, he said the Leader of the House should step down the request, while the capital projects in the bill should be transferred to the yet-to-be-proposed 2024 Supplementary Appropriation Bill.

I will suggest that the House leader (Ihonvbere) step this bill down. Meanwhile, the projects that were not completed in the 2023 budgets can be transferred to the 2024 supplementary budget, he said.

Mr Chindas speech was greeted with loud applause from members.

Speaking in support of the request, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) argued that there is nothing illegal in the request, stating that the PDP lawmakers are playing to the gallery.

However, when the former Majority Leader, Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano), spoke against the bills, it became obvious that the division over the bills was not limited to the opposition lawmakers.

Mr Doguwa, a self-confessed ally of Mr Tinubu, said the request is inappropriate and reiterated the argument that it fails the moral test.

You have two substantive budgets, the 2023 budget extended to December, and you are running them concurrently. I want to say without any fear of contradiction that the request may be legal, but that moral question will always be raised.

For us as a House and an institution may not have the cause to stop it, I will be for it. I will convince people to be for it. We must unite ourselves and send a signal to the government of the federation, he said as members also applauded his speech.

But Mr Doguwas subsequent attempt to sway the lawmakers to grant the presidents request for the sake of the country was met with a hostile reaction as the members booed him.

Following the failed attempt by the Kano lawmaker to drum up support for the request, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen also tried to appeal to the members with no success. He stated that the request is critical for the security sector.

The supplementary budget of 2023 is 90 per cent security-related. Because we couldnt do everything we wanted to do, the president is asking that an extension be granted. Please, lets kindly support this, he pleaded.

As the House became rowdy with the chant by the lawmakers, Mr Tajudeen called for a closed-door session to discuss the concerns of his colleagues.

Calmness after 30-minute closed-door session

When the door of the chamber was opened again after the closed-door session, the atmosphere was completely different. The lawmakers were more relaxed.

Mr Tajudeen announced that the lawmakers agreed to allow the legislation with the assurance that the president is going to ensure the speedy implementation of the two budgets.

He added that he would be presenting them to the president.

The bill was subsequently given a speedy passage through the first, second, Committee of Supply, and third reading stages within 20 minutes.

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President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to screen and confirm Hashimu Argungu, a retired police officer, as the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The presidents request was contained in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the plenary on Thursday.

Mr Argungu, a retired deputy inspector general of police was appointed as the chairperson of the PSC earlier this month alongside Onyemuche Nnamani as secretary and Taiwo Lakanu, also a retired deputy inspector general of police, as a member of the commission.

If confirmed, Mr Argungu will replace Solomon Arase, who was sacked by President Tinubu.

The trio were directed to manage the affairs of the commission pending their confirmation by the Senate.

Mr Akpabio, thereafter referred the letter to the Senate Committee on Police for further legislative action and directed it to report back after one week.

FCCPC nominations

President Tinubu, in a separate letter, also requested the confirmation of Olatunji Bello as the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

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Mr Bellos nomination was referred to the Senate Committee for Trade and Investment.

The appointee served as commissioner in Tinubus government in Lagos.

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The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, says there is a plan to establish an ultra-modern medical centre for the use of senators, members of the House of Representatives, staffers of the National Assembly and visitors to the two chambers.

Mr Akpabio disclosed this on Thursday in his address to welcome his colleagues back to the chamber after observing the Eid-El-Kabir holiday.

The Senate had cut short its holiday to commence plenary. It was scheduled to resume on 2 July.

Mr Akpabio said the planned hospital will be constructed in such a way that it will be easily accessible to all the lawmakers and staffers of the federal legislature.

In this our second legislative year, it is our plan to establish a state-of-the-art medical facility in close proximity to us to serve the distinguished senators, honourable members, National Assembly staff, and our esteemed guests. This initiative aims to provide functional and effective healthcare for all, he said.

What we have done

Speaking on the achievements of the Senate since its inauguration on 13 June 2023, Mr Akpabio said it passed 25 bills.

He listed some of them as the South-east Development Bill, Northern Development Bill, Old National Anthem Bill and Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers Bill.

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We successfully passed twenty-five bills, diligently fulfilled our oversight responsibilities, fostered inter-parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy, and intervened in matters close to the hearts of our fellow countrymen.

With remarkable efficiency, we swiftly approved the 2024 Appropriation Bill in record time, setting the stage for the timely implementation of the budget. We championed the South East Development Bill and the Northern Development Bill.

Bridging the gap between our glorious past and our inspiring future, we dug into our history and restored the treasurable old National Anthem in the National Anthem Bill. We also stood firm in protecting our children and future generations by passing the Death Penalty for Drug Traffickers Bill, he said.

He also mentioned the bill to increase salaries and allowances of judicial officers, the Student Loan Scheme Bill, the NYSC Trust Fund Bill and the Bill for the Establishment of the Nigeria Maritime Agency, as others passed by the upper chamber.

Mr Akpabio also listed the commissioning of the National Assembly Library and engaging in parliamentary diplomacy to promote the international community as some of the achievements recorded in the last one year.

Furthermore, we prioritised the welfare of Nigerian judges by approving the bill to increase their salaries. Naturally, we also took legislative actions that not only reshaped our sociopolitical landscape but will reverberate through the corridors of time, benefiting our future generations.

The Student Loan Scheme, a flagship bill that exemplifies the compassion and patriotism of this esteemed body, stands as a testament to our dedication. Additionally, we celebrate the passage of bills such as the NYSC Trust Fund Bill and the bill for the establishment of the Nigeria Maritime Agency. Within the last legislative year, we also completed and commissioned the National Assembly Library.

Recognising the interconnectedness of our world and the global nature of our society, we engaged in parliamentary diplomacy to showcase our thriving democracy to the international community. These diplomatic endeavours yielded fruitful relationships in countries like China, the United Arab Emirates, and various African nations.

We also fostered inter-parliamentary friendship groups within our region and beyond. By promoting our democracy abroad, we not only increased our global presence but also paved the way for Foreign Direct Investment in vital projects within our beloved nation.

Poverty alleviation

Mr Akpabio said the Senate under his leadership is concerned with the high rate of poverty among Nigerians.

He assured that the upper chamber will continue to strive to eradicate poverty in the country.

The Tenth Senates commitment to poverty alleviation goes beyond mere duty; it is an obligation we hold dear. We must continue working tirelessly to ensure that all our policies are designed to provide sustenance for every Nigerian.

It is crucial to remember that the strength of a chain is determined by its weakest link, and thus, we must steadfastly support the Executive in their efforts to renew the hopes of our fellow Nigerians, he said.

Our challenges

The senate president noted that his leadership had been confronted with several challenges since its inauguration last June.

He said, We have traversed many obstacles since embarking on this journey, but there are still many challenges ahead. Our beloved Nigeria grapples with pressing issues that demand our immediate attention.

We cannot turn a blind eye to the burning problems that afflict our great nation. Insecurity, the need for economic growth and diversification, the fight against corruption, and the pursuit of social justice are just a few of the pivotal issues that require our patriotic commitment and collective determination.

In times like these, true leadership and faithful representation are called for. We must rise above partisan interests and prioritise the common good. Our mandate is not solely to legislate but to be the voice of the people, representing their hopes and dreams and working tirelessly to create a Nigeria that is fair, prosperous, and inclusive.

To achieve this, we must be guided by the principles of accountability, transparency, and good governance. Let us be the shining example of integrity, honesty, and fairness. Let us be the beacon of hope and progress that our people yearn for.

He urged his colleagues to be focused and prioritise the welfare of their constituencies.

Distinguished senators, I implore you to remain focused on the welfare of the people in your actions and decisions. Let us never forget that we are here to serve the Nigerian people, to uplift the lives of the less fortunate, and to create an environment where every citizen can thrive and fulfil their potential. Our success will not be measured by the power we hold or the positions we occupy, but by the impact we make in the lives of those we represent, he said.

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The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says the troops of the armed forces have neutralised 2,245 terrorists, apprehended 3,682 terrorists and criminal elements and rescued 1,993 kidnapped hostages between April and June.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major general, made this known while briefing journalists on the operations of the military in the second quarter on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Buba said the troops recovered 2,783 weapons and 64,547 ammunition and denied the oil thieves an estimated sum of over N10 billion during the period.

He said the arms and ammunition recovered included 1,169 AK47 rifles, 36,273 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 14,764 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 713 assorted arms and 9,850 assorted ammo.

Others, according to him, are 9.2 million litres of stolen crude oil, 2.8 million litres of illegally refined AGO, 29,900 litres of DPK and 31,380 litres of PMS, amongst other items.

In the North-east, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai conducted operations deep in terrorist enclaves in Sambisa Forest and the Tumbuns of the Lake Chad Region targeted at terrorist commanders and leaders strongholds.

He said the operations denied terrorists the ability to carry out major offensive as well as diminished their offensive capability, saying the terrorists were limited to low-level skirmishes and attacks, mostly on soft targets.

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According to him, troops neutralised 857 terrorists, arrested 913 suspects and rescued 594 kidnapped hostages during the second quarter of the year.

Additionally, troops recorded a total of 4,582 surrendered BH/ISWAP terrorists combatants and their families.

Troops dismantled the terrorist military capabilities by recovering 559 AK47 rifles, 151 fabricated rifles, 181 dane guns, 157 assorted arms, 13,493 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 5,409 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 4,921 assorted ammunition.

The air component of Operation Hadin Kai in the second quarter of the year conducted air interdictions to terrorist enclaves at Mandara mountain, Maradun, Southern Tumbun Fulani and several other locations in the NE.

Several terrorist enclaves and hideouts were destroyed, killing terrorist leaders, commanders and foot soldiers as well as destroying their logistics dumps, he added.

In the North-central, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation Safe Haven neutralised 130 terrorists, arrested 544 suspects and rescued 277 kidnapped hostages.

He added that the troops also recovered 39 AK47 rifles, 37 fabricated guns, 126 assorted arms, 3,852 rounds of 7.62mm special, 827 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 499 assorted ammunition.

Under Operation Whirl Stroke, he said the troops, with the support of sister services, had emplaced measures to minimise communal clashes and optimised operations against terrorist and their cohorts.

Mr Buba said the troops neutralised 138 terrorists, arrested 377 suspects and rescued 204 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered 63 AK47 rifles, 110 assorted arms, 3,563 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1,524 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 649 assorted ammunition.

In the North-west, he said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 764 terrorists, arrested 673 suspects and rescued 592 kidnapped hostages.

According to him, troops recovered 420 AK47 rifles, 126 fabricated guns, 174 assorted arms, 9,893 rounds of 7.62mm special, 4,678 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 1,239 assorted ammunition.

He said the air company conducted air interdiction to terrorist enclaves/camps in Kankara, Zurmi, Danmusa, Maradun and Gusau, as well as other areas within Katsina and Zamfara States.

According to him, several terrorist leaders and commanders were wiped off the battlefield via air interdictions conducted.

Under Operation Whirl Punch, the defence spokesperson said the troops neutralised 170 terrorists, arrested 366 suspects and rescued 178 kidnapped hostages in the last three months.

He added that the troops recovered 60 AK47 rifles, 88 assorted arms, 2,016 rounds of 7.62mm special, 924 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 88 assorted ammunition.

According to him, the air component conducted air strikes on terrorist enclaves at Mariga, Kabago, Alawa Forest, Kwaki forest, East Getamiya, Katarma, Chikun, Kuduru, Giwa and several other area in which terrorists hibernate within in Niger and Kaduna States.

In the South-south, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation Delta Safe, neutralised 14 violent extremists and arrested 455 persons involved in crude oil theft.

He said the troops also recovered 9.2 million litres of stolen crude oil, 2.8 million litres of AGO, 29,900 litres of DPK and 31,380 litres of PMS, as well as recovered 2,752 assorted weapons.

According to him, troops also discovered and destroyed 243 wooden boats, 2,752 assorted ammunition and 543 illegal refining sites within the quarter.

In the South-east, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation UDO KA conducted rigorous clearance operations across the theatre to frustrate the activities of the IPOB/ESN group and maintain peace in the region.

According to him, troops neutralised 180 terrorists, arrested 354 suspects and rescued 149 kidnap hosta149 kidnappedops also recovered 28 AK47 rifles, 44 pump action guns, 3,456 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1,402 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 801 live cartridges and 324 assorted ammunition, he said.

(NAN)

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To boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, as well as provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme to cover all geo-political zones in the country.

Under the programme, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos, is prioritised.

Other road infrastructure projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is underway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are also prioritized.

The president has also approved full counterpart financing for Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway; to traverse Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Borno, as well as for the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway; which will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.

The Sokoto-Badagry road project is specially prioritised for its importance as some of the states it will traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.

Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.

In addition, other items under the National Construction and Household Support Programme include:

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(1) One-off allocation to states and the Federal Capital Territory of N10 billion for the procurement of buses and CNG uplift programme.

(2) Delivery of N50,000 uplift grants each to 100,000 families per state for three (3) months.

(3) Provision for labour unions and civil society organizations.

(4) Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and sale of assorted foodstuffs to be distributed across the nation.

Speaking during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, stating that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

While emphasising the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanitys most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.

We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanisation of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.

How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days, President Tinubu said.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

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The chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the arrest of two officers over acts of alleged misconduct during an operation at a hotel in Lagos on Thursday.

The two EFCC officers were seen in a viral video clip assaulting a woman during the operation at Regional Hotel in Ojo, Lagos, a statement from the commissions Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said.

Mr Olukoyede ordered their arrest after the video clip went viral on social media platforms on Thursday.

The statement did not disclose the names and other details of the two officers.

A video clip which went viral online on Thursday showed about five EFCC operatives in tactical vests break into a room through the door. As soon as they entered the room, one of them began to slap repeatedly a woman they met seated on the bed.

The woman did not try to fight back or struggle with the operatives.

EFCC described the woman as a staff member of the hotel. But PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm the claim.

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However, social media commentators, who also shared different video clips capturing scenes from the EFCC operation, said both the staff and guests of the hotel were assaulted by the commissions operatives.

The operatives led the woman out after the short scene inside the room. Two of them could be seen inspecting the drawer of a table in the room. One of them picked up something, which is not clear in the video clip reviewed by our reporter, before leaving the room.

EFCC said the incident occurred during an early morning sting operation carried out by the operatives of the commission.

This operation led to the arrest of a sizable number of suspects who are currently being profiled, the statement said.

It added, The EFCCs boss has also ordered detailed investigations of the operation carried out at the hotel and assured that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any of the officers found to be culpable.

Olukoyede assures the general public that the EFCC would continue to perform its duties professionally and with profound respect for the rule of law.

117 suspects arrested

Meanwhile, the commission announced the arrest of 117 suspected internet fraudsters at the hotel in a later statement by Mr Oyewale on Thursday.

The suspects were arrested at Regional Hotel, Iyana- Ishasi, Lagos in a sting operation, following verified intelligence about their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud, the statement stated.

The statement said operatives recovered items, including mobile phones, laptops and four cars from the suspects a the point of arrest on Thursday.

They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, the statement added.

Not the first time

The Chief Executive Officer of Lakers Lounge Hotel and Bar in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Oladimeji Ogunfolaju, reported similar cases of harassment by EFCC operatives at his hotel in 2023.

Mr Ogunfolaju petitioned the EFCC over repeated raids on his business premises by the anti-graft agencys officials.

He claimed the raids paralysed business activities and caused him to incur a debt of N168 million.

I want justice. I even contemplated suicide because the thought of the loan repayment has been affecting me, he said.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, slammed former Senator Shehu Sani over the latters claim that pro-democracy activists should have taken power in 1999 after the exit of the military.

Mr Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State, questioned the performance of Mr Sani as a member of the 8th Assembly, stating that activists dont perform in office.

The minister said this at the 2024 Annual Lecture and Awards ceremony organised by This Nigeria newspaper Annual Lecture and Gold Prize Award in Abuja on Thursday.

The theme of the event was 25 Years of Nigerias Unbroken Democracy: Prospects & Possibilities. 

During a panel discussion, Mr Sani, a prominent activist during the struggle against the military in the 90s, narrated how pro-democracy activists shunned the transition plan of the Abudulsalam Abubakar regime, a decision the former lawmaker said allowed the career politicians to take over power.

He disclosed that the former military leader urged most of them to participate in the transition process, but they declined.

He added that by the time they changed their minds, the career politicians had taken over.

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Mr Sani said some of the prominent activists, including the late legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi, Femi Falana and others, declined to participate but that Bola Tinubu, who later became the governor of Lagos in 1999, agreed to participate in the transition process.

And after four years in prison, when we came out from prison, this is where the story is going to begin. Abdulsalam Abubakar invited all who fought for democracythat I am going to hand over power to a democratically elected government. I want all of you, the freedom fighters, to come together and take over power. At that very time, Gani opposed it. Three times, he invited us; we even refused to answer his calls.

He didnt invite the politicians; they were knocking at his door. After we decided to listen to him, we came and sat down.

But after our struggle in 1998 and 1999, we said we were not going to cooperate with the military. Gani opposed, Falana opposed, all opposed. It was Tinubu who said if we dont get in, who would be there?

By the time we all agreed to join the politics, politicians had taken over all positions. Gani tried to be president, and Falana tried to be governor of his state, he couldnt. I tried to be governor of Kaduna State, I couldnt because all the spaces had been taken over, Mr Sani said.

It was at this point that Mr Wike requested the microphone, stating that just because Mr Sani and others participated in the struggle does not mean power should be handed over to them.

Mr Wike said activists often fail at governance, adding that Mr Sani should produce his scorecard as a senator.

He said, The mere fact that you were an activist does not mean that you do well. Activists have always failed.

Activists have failed. We have seen activists that were given appointments, and yet they failed. When you were a senator, how did you perform? What was your performance as a senator?

Mr Wike also took a shot at another panellist, Mike Ozekhome, a prominent lawyer, during the diatribe.

He asked Mr Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), not to pontificate on election matters.

And you said something about taking the election side. As an activist, how many times have you rejected briefs, those who have rigged the election, you have always defended them, Mr Wike said.

Messrs Sani and Ozekhome did not get the opportunity to reply.

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Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, says sustaining democracy in the country requires constant nurturing and vigilance.

Mr Abdulsalami, who Adamu Jidda, a general, represented, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the second edition of ThisNigeria Newspaper Gold Prize and Annual Lecture Awards.

The theme of the lecture was 25 Years of Nigerias Unbroken Democracy  Prospects & Possibilities.

The former head of state midwifed the current democratic dispensation in 1999, which has lasted for 25 years.

Mr Abdulsalami said that electoral integrity, human rights, economic development and social justice remained critical areas that demand the countrys collective attention and action.

He also said the nations democratic journey had not been without its trials.

Democracy is an evolving process, and the past 25 years have taught the country that it requires constant nurturing and vigilance.

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We have faced political turbulence, economic fluctuation and social upheaval, yet through it all, the Nigerian spirit has remained indomitable.

We have shown that in spite of our differences, we are united in our commitment to conducting elections that are inclusive, prosperous and democratic, he said.

Mr Abdulsalami stated further that the next 25 years and more would certainly bring challenges and opportunities.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the foundations are built and strengthened and that our democratic institutions are fortified.

Let us take a moment to reflect on a remarkable journey Nigeria has undertaken over the past quarter of a century.

In 1999, our nation embarked on the path of democratic governance, a path marked by aspirations, challenges and unwavering commitment to the principle of freedom, justice and equality.

Democracy, as we all know, is not a system of government, it is a testament to the will of the people, it represents our collective voice, our shared values and our common aspirations.

For Nigeria, the past 25 years have been a testament to the resilience of our democratic institutions, he said.

He said the country must recognise the role of the media in the democratic journey.

He also noted that the press had been the watchdog of democracy, holding leaders accountable, shedding light on issues that matter and providing a platform for diverse voices to be heard.

ThisNigeria, in particular, has been at the forefront of this endeavour, championing the cause of free and fair journalism.

In his keynote address, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome called for genuine democracy, effective governance, economic reform, youth engagement and social justice to ensure the countrys progress and unity.

He reflected on the significance of the 25-year milestone since the country returned to democracy in 1999.

He noted that the generation born during this period had no experience of military juntas and repressive regimes.

He emphasised the need for youth involvement in governance, citing historical examples of young leaders in the country and other countries.

He also highlighted the potential of the nations youthful population and the importance of harnessing their energy for national development.

He called for a new constitution that would reflect the will of the people and for electoral reforms to ensure free and fair elections.

He highlighted what he observed as an underrepresentation of women in government and the need to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to gender equality

Shehu Sani, a former senator and an activist, reflected on the challenges faced by activists and leaders in the struggle for democracy and underscored the sacrifices and injustices endured during those tumultuous times.

He highlighted the importance of perseverance and collaboration in striving for democratic ideals.

Abiodun Adeniyi, a professor of Mass Communication at Baze University, said that democracy requires constant effort, and the responsibility of citizens is to work towards a better democratic system.

American democracy, often seen as the bastion of democracy, has been around for centuries but still faces challenges.

While it is one of the most functional and referenced democracies, it is not the best.

Controversies and violence mar our election processes.

We need to improve gender representation and ensure inclusivity in governance, reflecting the true nature of democracy.

To strengthen our democracy, we need to focus on election integrity, credible leadership and systemic change.

Corruption remains a persistent problem, and our institutions are weak.

We need a synergy to build a self-regulating democratic system, not give up and continually strive for more democracy, Mr Adeniyi said.

The publisher of ThisNigeria, Eric Osagie, said the 2024 edition celebrated and critically examined Nigerias quarter-century of uninterrupted democratic governance, discussing its prospects and possibilities.

Mr Osagie said the Gold Prize Awards were presented to individuals who had demonstrated outstanding contributions to the nations democratic development.

Our 2024 Awardees are persons who made the critical difference in the discharge of their duties with uncommon zeal and commitment to the common good of the citizens and the country, he said.

(NAN)

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It is undeniable the fact that President Tinubus administration has shown a commitment to addressing insecurity, but more needs to be done to restore public trust and confidence in the governments ability to protect the nation. With a comprehensive approach and collective effort, Nigeria can overcome its security challenges and ensure peace and stability for its citizens.

Nigeria has been plagued by various security challenges for over a decade, including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and separatist agitations. Despite high expectations from President Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration, the situation has deteriorated further, with increased kidnappings and ransom demands. According to a recent report, 3,707 citizens have been killed and 3,238 abducted between May 2023 and now.

The worsening security situation can be attributed to several factors, including under-resourced and poorly equipped security forces, corruption, high unemployment, poverty, weak governance structures, and a lack of political will.

However, it is encouraging to note that President Tinubus administration is adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing insecurity through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The strategy focuses on strengthening security forces, enhancing intelligence capabilities, and fostering regional and international collaboration.

Going by the feeler from the ONSA, the administration has increased funding, provided modern equipment, and comprehensive training programmes to enhance the operational capacity of the military, police and other security forces.

In addition, we are told that the administration has prioritised the addressing of economic factors contributing to insecurity, investing in education, healthcare, and job creation to mitigate the underlying causes of crime and violence. Efforts to combat corruption within the security sector have also been intensified, and regional security cooperation has been enhanced through diplomatic engagements with neighbouring countries.

I strongly believe that to effectively tackle Nigerias security challenges, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach is required. This includes reforming and adequately equipping the security agencies, enhancing accountability, embarking on economic development programmes, investing in education and vocational training, building trust between security forces and local communities, establishing effective mechanisms for resolving disputes, and judicial reforms.

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The government must also demonstrate strong political will, with consistent policies, adequate funding, and transparency. Citizens must also recognise that security is a collective responsibility, not just the responsibility of security forces.

It is undeniable the fact that President Tinubus administration has shown a commitment to addressing insecurity, but more needs to be done to restore public trust and confidence in the governments ability to protect the nation. With a comprehensive approach and collective effort, Nigeria can overcome its security challenges and ensure peace and stability for its citizens.

Kabir Fagge Ali, a youth corps member with PRNigeria Centre, wrote via faggekabir29@gmail.com

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Looking at it from the perspective of a journalism teacher, this book seems to be the longest feature story ever written by a Nigerian journalist. And It Came to Pass could be described as an experiential autobiography/biography because the writer comes away as an active witness in the unfolding history. The author, at a point, became an active participant  a participant-observer  who was embedded in some of the scenes in the unfolding drama.

This article is based on And It Came to Pass, the third book written by Anietie Usen and published by Parresia Publishers, Lagos, this year. It tells the story of how a Qua Iboe/United Evangelical Church Deacon turned an Apostolic Church pastor/All Nations Christian Ministries International founder, Eket, into a state Governor. It is also the story of how a hospitality industry self-styled Governor became the Governor of a state in Nigeria. In that respect, Ken Caleb Olumese, Guvnor of Niteshift Coliseum must be green with envy!

Looking at it from the perspective of a journalism teacher, this book seems to be the longest feature story ever written by a Nigerian journalist. And It Came to Pass could be described as an experiential autobiography/biography because the writer comes away as an active witness in the unfolding history. The author, at a point, became an active participant  a participant-observer  who was embedded in some of the scenes in the unfolding drama.

Autobiographies and biographies have the power to reveal a persons life in raw form. From the struggles they witnessed to the hurdles they jumped over. This genre covers it all.

And It Came to Pass reminds me of another great journalistic tour de force written by two outstanding American journalists, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, titled, All the Presidents Men. Anietie Usens book is delivered in simple, down to earth, clear, concise, captivating prose. It is detailed, well researched, racy, gripping. Anietie Usen has, through this book, defended his best in class status among journalists of his generation in West Africa.

And It Came to Pass is the first ever blow-by-blow account of an electoral contest from the search, selection, anointing, presentation, endorsement, nomination, litigations, campaigns, victory, assumption of office and strides of an elected Governor in the first year in office. This reviewer has followed politics in Nigeria since 1979 and that submission is from ones observatory. What is more, this book was written and published in record time  within four months; from February to May!

Lessons

A curious reader gets to know that the former Governor, Udom Emmanuel, is a man of courage and strong convictions; a man who, once he sets his sights on a goal, goes all out to pursue and achieve that goal. Theres a lesson in focus, determination, self-confidence, self-belief, strategic planning and a display of unapologetic mastery and control of his environment. On page 270 of the book, Emmanuel Enoidem, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) is quoted as describing Udom Emmanuel in the following words: he may not look intimidating and threatening, but he is not only courageous but a great strategist. If you underated Udom Emmanuels strength in strategic planning, it is at your own peril.

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As submitted by Assam Assam, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Nigerias former Ambassador to Russia, Even for daring to bring a Pastor as a successor, a man without political sophistication and declare that this Eket Pastor will perform 100 times better than him, an international banker that is a mark of uncommon courage

The second lesson shows the former Governor as one with a God complex and a God centred person who has 100 per cent belief and trust in God and so in the infallibility of his plans. On page 272 of the book, the Dean of Commissioners, Sir Monday Uko, alluded to that, I think he got that strength from his strong belief in God. Udom Emmanuel is very deep spiritually That man does not miss his daily prayer hours, no matter what happens. He does not play with anything that has to do with God. You can say every other thing you want to say against him but he believes so much in God.

Monday Uko, himself a Knight of John Wesley, concluded his testimonial in these words, Udom Emmanuel is one man who is very deep when it comes to the things of Godhe is very solid when it comes to God (Page 274).

The third lesson is from the life of the principal subject of the book as a contented person. On page xxxi, Governor Umo Eno says, my father also had this belief that what he does not have cannot bother him. He was very contented with what he had, and I think that is one of the graces God has given to me. I dont disturb myself over what people have, and at every point in my life, I have been content with what God has done for me.

The fourth lesson speaks to industry: being self-driven, seeing opportunities and seizing them (See page xxxii, lines 18-32).

The next lesson is that theres a sense of joy and fulfillment in self-help. We were six of usso my mother would help. She would buy soft drinks, and we had to go round the streets of Ikeja and hawk them. We helped joyfully. It wasnt embarrassing at all. In the Barracks, it was like a competition amongst us children. My friends would call on me when they were leaving for the streets. It was fun. (Page xxxiv).

Theres a lesson on being a church-centred ethical person, on following a path that doesnt conflict with ones internal reactions. Pastor Umo Eno shut down a nightclub, even after borrowing money to set it up on getting called into the Ministry. In his own words, When I left the Church that day, the Club came to an end. People couldnt believe it. Yeah, it was painful  a great pain.

The book showcases the public speaking skills, breadth of knowledge, eloquence and power of articulation of Pastor Umo Eno. It presents someone who was prepared for his present status and station in life.

There is a lesson that documents filed in the Court of Justice must be defended verbally, as such documents cannot speak for themselves, especially in criminal cases. Legal authorities describe such documents as moribund and dead!

There are two lessons on page 99. One teaches that anyone can make a way from the lowest estate in life to the highest rung in the society: if I could crawl my way up from the abyss of hopelessness, and a few years later, became the second largest employer of labour in the State, after the Government, with a monthly wage bill of over N25 million, you, too, can, he declares. That conviction is again repeated on page 238: people who heard my voice reading my Inaugural address knew this was not completely me. That God can bring me this far from the basest of backgrounds, and all of a sudden, I just found out that tomorrow morning, by noon, I will be the Governor. Ah! It was unbelievable. Unbelievable! I think God specializes in things that seem impossible.

The other lesson still found on that page is the subjects heart of gratitude and humility. Furthermore, theres a lesson in how a seemingly negative framing can turn into hilarious positivity. On page 207, the wife of Umo Eno declares that, they say my husband is albino, and some call him yellow fever, but I call him my Golden Boy. It is not what others call you, everything depends on what you and those in your inner circle, your loved ones call you!

The eleventh lesson from the book is the presentation, in very bold and sharp relief, of Pastor Umo Eno as a man of uncommon empathy. This shows in his strides as governor so far.

A Word for Publishers

Publishers have a high responsibility to serve readers with correctness in all ramifications  Grammar , spellings, punctuation, tenses, word use. They should also fact  check content to ensure accuracy and credibility. They should invest time to edit and revise copy for clarity, readability and also pay more attention to detail. It is my opinion that the abdication of every responsibility in the process of publishing to artificial intelligence is a disservice to both authors and readers. This is because, in my own opinion, artificial intelligence lacks the psychedelic, experiential sophistication to be relied on for total quality and all round excellence in book publishing.

Let me commend the author for his latest contribution to political history but hasten to observe that the use/promotion of value-laden nicknames for certain highly placed public officials in a serious book of record is a no no, for me. On page 279, he writes, Standing now before the new Governor, backing the curious crowd and about to take an oath of Office as Secretary to the State Government, SSG, was the Secretary General of the Governorship Campaign Council, Prince Uwah His nickname is Hammer and the Hall erupted with the chant of Hammer, Hammer, Hammer! I see this as negative role modeling. Theres a tendency for the imagination of readers to run wild in an attempt to find the context for such an alias.

It is important to note that nicknames come with several associations. They hold tremendous significance in shaping the identities of bearers, and also convey cues, messages and meanings. Apart from just being labels, nicknames can evoke emotions, create certain impressions, in addition to influencing how others perceive those so branded.

On the whole, one sees this effort as a new genre in book writing  part biography and part autobiography! The subject contributed a chapter, the Epilogue, to the book, while Anietie Usen takes credit for the greater content of the work. This, therefore, makes the book a hybrid between a biography and an autobiography. Maybe, scholars would find a new name for this innovation.

In one word, one of the greatest strengths of And It Came to Pass is its recency. The account isnt about yesteryears. Most readers would have witnessed the events and can relate with the contents of the book.

Udeme Nana is the founder, Uyo Book Club.

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This is MIKTA, five nations firmly committed to the advancement of global stability and prosperity. In the year ahead, we anticipate further collaboration with Nigeria, be it through roundtable discussions with a particular focus on fostering international cooperation for development or, activities to share our cultural heritage, such as film screenings, to build our mutual understanding. This will contribute to the realisation of a more secure and prosperous Nigeria and global community, as well as a tighten friendship amongst our countries into the future.

The world today is interdependent yet polarised, facing conflicts and geopolitical tensions that threaten our shared goal of a sustainable future.

Eleven years ago, Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkiye, and Australia came together to birth MIKTA, an innovative, cross-regional platform, uniting five middle powers committed to democracy, international law, open economies, and multilateralism, to help steer the world in a positive direction.

In establishing MIKTA in 2013, we were conscious that the world was changing rapidly. Global issues in finance and economics, security, the environment, and sustainable development, have challenged efforts to maintain international stability and prosperity.

Moreover, changes to global power dispersal, the ascendance of regionalism, and growth of non-state actors prompted a need to review global governance structures. We were convinced the world needed new, innovative partnerships to provide constructive solutions to challenges.

Although, we come from diverse cultures and regions, MIKTA countries share core values. We are strategically located and linked regional leaders. We are democracies that benefit from open economies with robust growth rates and a significant level of economic power. We are also like-minded on many global challenges and are active contributors to major international fora. We have the will and capability to contribute to protecting public good and strengthening global governance.

Working together, we believe, we can play a constructive role in the international agenda.

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MIKTA countries have worked seamlessly across continents to show the world that with shared commitment, consensus and cooperation, humanity can work together to address challenges and deliver shared prosperity. As such, we are steering our collective efforts towards reinforcing global governance, promoting multilateralism, and championing inclusive, sustainable development, to ensure the international system, led by the United Nations, works equitably for all.

We are also working towards deeper cooperation on accelerating the realisation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given Nigerias commitment to these goals, we look forward to sharing strategies and innovations that drive progress, particularly in combating poverty and fostering sustainable development. We know that by working together, we can achieve remarkable success and help those in need.

MIKTA partners recognise the key role that Nigeria plays within its own region, including as the current chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

We also recognise Nigerias own commitments to democracy, pursuing constructive responses to global issues and interest in an effective, rules-based order. These all make Nigeria a natural partner and friend for MIKTA countries.

A key focus of all MIKTA partners for the coming year is the empowerment of women, recognising their key roles in all areas of global discourse, from development and peace building to climate action. This aligns closely with Nigerias efforts to enhance the involvement of women in all spheres.

We will work with Nigeria to address systemic barriers that hinder womens full participation in the economy and society more broadly. This is exemplified by the pioneering feminist foreign policy of Mexico, which serves as the rotational chair of the MIKTA group, during 2024.

We are also working towards deeper cooperation on accelerating the realisation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given Nigerias commitment to these goals, we look forward to sharing strategies and innovations that drive progress, particularly in combating poverty and fostering sustainable development. We know that by working together, we can achieve remarkable success and help those in need.

MIKTA stands as a testament to what can be achieved when diverse nations with shared values come together. Our collective actions this year will reflect our commitment to global cooperation, the well-being of our peoples and the planet.

This is MIKTA, five nations firmly committed to the advancement of global stability and prosperity. In the year ahead, we anticipate further collaboration with Nigeria, be it through roundtable discussions with a particular focus on fostering international cooperation for development or, activities to share our cultural heritage, such as film screenings, to build our mutual understanding. This will contribute to the realisation of a more secure and prosperous Nigeria and global community, as well as a tighten friendship amongst our countries into the future.

Alfredo Miranda is the ambassador of Mexico in Nigeria, and chair of MIKTA, comprising the ambassadors of Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkiye and the High Commissioner of Australia to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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He came prepared, and he was highly recommended based on his career history as the man who always got the job done. Beyond being the first non-military officer to serve as Nigerias National Security Adviser since the return to democracy in 1999, Mallam Nuhu Ribadus trail of triumphs in tackling the security compromises he inherited has set him apart. Its easy to see how his background as a specialized police officer, lawyer, and fearless investigator and prosecutor of financial crimes has eased him into the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in just one year in charge.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu took charge at a time when the kidnapping economy, terrorist financing, and money laundering underscored the criminal enterprises built by terrorists, kidnappers, and bandits whove held the nation ransom. As the founding chief executive of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he understands that to get to the root of our security compromises, we must follow the money trail linked to these crimes against the state. This approach isnt surprising from a game-changer who, under his watch at the EFCC, recorded over 200 criminal convictions, making it the most respected anti-corruption agency in Nigerias history and a model for many governments around the world.

Delivering a public lecture at the Combined Convocation Ceremony of Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, in April, Ribadu explained the doctrine that has defined his approach to solving the nations multifaceted security crisis. He argued that the way forward is unorthodox. The solution involves implementing a strategy that merges military, political, and socio-economic initiatives, emphasizing the need for cross-border cooperation, youth empowerment, and the reinforcement of local institutions. Achieving this requires inclusive dialogue, preventive measures, and regional support to ensure security and stability.

This doctrine has driven Ribadus engagements with regional and community stakeholders. For example, in the Niger Delta region, it has helped increase crude oil production by as much as 500,000 barrels per day. In the South-East, more than forty police stations destroyed by criminals in recent years have been rebuilt and reactivated. Additionally, the sit-at-home order by secessionist elements is now at its weakest, regularly ignored by residents who were once held hostage by it.

Ribadu has ensured improved operations through intelligence gathering and sharing, leading to targeted actions that have resulted in the elimination of key bandit leadersthe most in one year since the banditry began. In the North-West, previously elusive bandit leaders have been decimated, with many others arrested. Abubakar Mainok, Haruna Isiya Boderi, and Kachallah Damina are among the ISWAP kingpins neutralized in clearance operations to secure the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. In the North-Central region, the intensity of farmer-herder clashes has considerably reduced. The North-East, which has long endured the ravages of terror, is now seeing not only stability but also efforts towards reconstruction and rehabilitation to restore its former glory.

Since Ribadu assumed office in June 2023, the Nigerian government has successfully secured the release of more than 4,600 hostages, neutralised over 9,000 terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, and arrested more than 7,000 others. Large quantities of assorted weapons and ammunition have also been recovered. Some of the rescued individuals had spent as much as three years in captivity and had long given up hope of freedom. Ribadu has ensured swift rescue missions for abducted children and citizens. The rapid responses to rescue operations, from the freeing of the Kuriga schoolchildren to the release of students abducted from the Federal University of Gusau, and the recent rescue of Kogi students coordinated by ONSA, will go down in history as defining moments of Ribadus first year as NSA.

To neutralise the economic threats to Nigerias sovereignty, Ribadu participated in operations to enforce action against the culprits, particularly Binance, a serial offender in several countries, in accordance with the nations laws. Pursuing offenders with links to trans-border terrorism is a familiar terrain for him and is aided by his distinguished international network and reputation. Ribadu has utilised his international networks to track trans-border terrorists and their financiers.

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The NSA has fostered collaborations both domestically and internationally. He has ensured seamless coordination within Nigerias armed forces. In 2023, ONSA hosted the second United KingdomNigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) Dialogue, demonstrating a commitment to strengthening partnerships to address mutual security concerns. ONSA has also held a Counter-Terrorism Summit in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism, which saw over 400 foreign delegates, including two serving presidents, in Nigeria. In March 2024, Ribadu convened a meeting with Northern Governors and security chiefs aimed at enhancing cooperation in combating insecurity in the region. One significant outcome of this meeting was a consensus on the need to shift focus from merely holding ground to strategically influencing perceptions and gaining the trust of local populations in the fight against insecurity.

ONSA is a multifaceted organisation with several critical functions and offices. Over the past year, we have witnessed the revitalisation of these specialised centres, including the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC), the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubus commitment to ensuring security and stability across the country. These efforts are crucial in addressing the diverse security challenges we face today.

Ribadus non-kinetic strategies have played a crucial role in preventing farmer-herder clashes, with significant results evident in states like Kaduna, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Sokoto, and Plateauexcept for a few isolated incidents in Plateau State. These states, which have experienced some of the worst communal clashes in the past decade, have seen marked improvements and greater stability over the past year. The previously unaddressed security issues have given rise to numerous Middle Belt activists who have allied with their southern counterparts to single out certain northern demographics as the masterminds of their insecurity.

His unique interventions in matters of national importance are noteworthy due to his ability to strike deals and honor them, which helps prevent issues from escalating into national crises. Reviewing Ribadus first year in office as NSA would be incomplete without highlighting his focus on reforming the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Much has been written and said about the anomaly of a militarised shift in internal security in Nigeria, with the Armed Forces permanently present and actively operating in virtually every State. Improving the capacity of the Police has since become an ongoing imperative, and there have been varying attempts over the years to accomplish this, with mixed results.

Ribadu has now put this high up on his agenda, drawing on his 25-year career in the Force. In 2023, the Office of the NSA entered a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the German Embassy in Nigeria for the rollout of a comprehensive police reform program that will support the work of the Special Presidential Committee on Police Reform. Ribadu has prioritized interagency coordination and collaboration across a diverse group of law enforcement personneloften across bordersto achieve success in his pursuit of fraudsters and cybercriminals.

While hes not a man given to blowing his own trumpet, even though he operates in a country where many mistake media activity for effectiveness, Ribadu acknowledges that law enforcement agencies cannot hope to receive much credit for the criminality they quietly foil. He recently described his role as NSA as a demanding job that requires dexterity, hard work, and consensus-building across security and political structures. In the 12 months since his historic appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has demonstrated a solid understanding of what is expected and has lived up to the onerous responsibilities of one of the most critical public sector assignments in the country.

While we have not yet reached our ultimate goal in terms of national security, the progress made thus far under Ribadus leadership at ONSA is promising. His holistic and pragmatic approach, which complements military efforts through enhanced coordination and intelligence sharing, indicates a committed effort towards restoring order and security. These steps indicate a thoughtful and effective strategy aimed at comprehensively addressing our security challenges.This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubus administrations commitment to supporting the armed forces and encouraging inter-agency coordination in combating terrorism, criminality, and all forms of terror, ensuring the nations lasting stability.

Abdulrahman Usman Leme has held leadership positions at the Dangote Group, Sani Bello Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, NIRSAL PLC, and writes from Abuja, Nigeria.

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The Mastercard Foundation today announced the appointment of Carole Wamuyu Wainaina to its Board of Directors. Carole Wainaina is a senior business leader with 35 years of global experience in multinational and multilateral organisations in areas including strategy, organisational transformation, and human resources.

I am delighted to welcome Carole Wainaina to our Board of Directors. The Mastercard Foundation is executing a bold strategy to create economic opportunities for young people in Africa and indigenous youth in Canada. Caroles experience in the public and private sectors, global networks, and knowledge of the African continent will be invaluable, said Zein Abdalla, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Mastercard Foundation.

I am honoured to join the Mastercard Foundations Board of Directors. I look forward to working with a dynamic team advancing education and financial inclusion to create opportunities for young people, build stronger communities, and contribute to more inclusive economies. This important work benefits all of us, and I am pleased to contribute to the Foundations impact in Africa and Canada, said Ms Carole Wainaina, Senior Advisor to the CEO at Africa50 and Non-Executive Director at various organisations.

Ms Carole Wainaina has worked for several years at Africa50, the Morocco-based Pan-African infrastructure investment platform capitalized by African countries and the African Development Bank. She was previously COO, responsible for establishing Africa50 and leading a multi-disciplinary team including Strategy, Investor Relations & Fundraising, Communications, HR & Administration, and Environmental & Social Governance (ESG).

She has served as the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources at the United Nations, leading transformational initiatives for the Secretary-General and member states.

Ms Carole Wainainas experience in the philanthropic sector includes serving on the non-profit boards Impact(Ed) International, and Harvard Business School Africa Research Board. She is an angel investor and mentor to several founders.

The Mastercard Foundations Board of Directors includes:

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

 Zein Abdalla (Board Chair), Retired President of PepsiCo, Inc.

 Baroness Valerie Amos, CH, Master of University College, Oxford University and former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN.

 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

 Louise Arbour, C.C., Jurist-in-residence at Borden, Ladner, Gervais LLP, and former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She also served as the United Nations Special Representative for International Migration.

 Jay Ireland, Retired President and CEO of General Electric Africa.

 Jennifer Fonstad, Co-founder and leader of the Owl Capital Group.

 Michael Sabia, CEO of Hydro-Quebec.

 Robin Washington, Former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gilead Sciences, Inc.

 Sewit Ahderom, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Gro Intelligence.

 Tsega Gebreyes, Founding Partner and CEO at Satya Capital Limited.

Read more about the Mastercard Foundation Board of Directors here.

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organisations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.

Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organisation separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and programme decisions are determined by the Foundations Board of Directors and leadership.

For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org.

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The police have arrested three men for allegedly beating up the chairman of Katcha Local Government in Niger State, Danlami Saku.

The police spokesperson in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

He said Abdullahi Kasimu, 68, Baba Mohammed, 30, and Ahmadu Mohammed, 25, all of Gadza village in Katcha Local Government Area, were taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the police after a preliminary investigation at the Katcha police division.

Mr Abiodun stated, On June 16, 2024, at about 1800hrs, information was received at Katcha Division that the chairman of Katcha Local Government, Danlami Abdullahi Saku, was attacked by some miscreants along the Saku-Gadza village road after the Sallah prayer at his village, Saku.

The attack was allegedly reported to be linked to a debt issue between the chairman and one Alhaji Yanda of the same area. The chairman sustained serious injuries during the attack, and he was taken to General Hospital, Bida and later referred to another hospital for further treatment.

The suspects were transferred to the SCID on June 21 for investigation and prosecution. During interrogation, Alhaji Abdullahi narrated that he lent the chairman N1 million since August 2023, but several attempts to recover the money proved abortive.

READ ALSO: Bandits release 40 kidnap victims in Niger State

He further said that on June 16, Saku promised to see him. He was on the way after the Sallah prayer when he was accosted, and there was an altercation that led to serious injuries on him. He noted that the chairman had transferred the money to him before being rushed to the hospital, he said.

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The council chairperson was beaten up during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations over an alleged debt of over N1 million.

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Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello snubbed the Federal High Court in Abuja again on Thursday, stalling, for the fifth time, his scheduled arraignment for the N80 billion money laundering charges pending against him.

Instead of appearing in court, the former governor sent his lawyers to request the transfer of the case to the courts division in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

Mr Bello, who left office as governor of Kogi State in January, faces 19 counts of money laundering involving over N80 billion allegedly diverted from the coffers of Kogi State during his time as governor.

EFCC filed the charges after Mr Bello left office and lost his immunity from criminal prosecution. However, the agency has not been able to bring him to court.

Before Thursdays proceedings that he snubbed, Mr Bello had avoided court sessions scheduled for his arraignment on 18 April, 23 April, 10 May, and 13 June.

Request for transfer

At the re-scheduled proceedings on Thursday, his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), informed the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, of the defence teams request for transfer of the case to Mr Bellos home state.

Mr Adedipe informed the judge, Emeka Nwite, that the defence had sent a letter to the courts Chief Judge requesting the transfer of the case to Lokoja.

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Mr Adedipe said the request to transfer the case is based on their legal consideration that Lokoja is a more suitable territorial jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Although the letter requesting the transfer of this matter to Lokoja was written by Yahaya Bellos lead counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, I am, however, under obligation to draw the attention of this honourable court to the issue, Mr Adedipe said.

He added, We requested in substance that this matter be administratively transferred to the Federal High Court, Lokoja Judicial Division, which we believe has territorial jurisdiction to handle this matter.

Mr Adedipe said the defence also wrote a letter on 13 June to inform the prosecuting agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), about the defendants request.

He said the letter to the EFCC was sent through Rotimi Oyedepo, a SAN and senior prosecution team member.

Mr Adedipe also told the judge that the Chief Judges office has sent correspondence dated 14 June to the prosecution to ask for their stance on the request.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Joshua Ibrahim Aji, a Special Assistant to the Chief Judge, signed the 14 June letter addressed to Mr Oyedepo of the EFCC.

You will find attached the copy of a letter by counsel to the defendant on the above subject matter, dated 10 June 2024.

I am directed by His Lordship, the Honourable, the Chief Judge to forward the letter to you for your response within 6 (six) days of receipt, Mr Aji, the chief judges aide, wrote.

EFCC opposes call for transfer

However, the EFCCs lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, a SAN, opposed the case transfer application, describing it as an attempt to frustrate the trial.

The EFCC lawyer urged the judge to hold Messrs Adedipe and Mohammed, the two senior advocates in the defence team, responsible for their inability to produce their client in court despite their undertaking.

The EFCC lawyer also urged the court to cite the two SANs for contempt for violating the undertaking they gave the court at previous proceedings.

Defence responds again

But Mr Adedipe, in response to Mr Pinheiro, said he was not Mr Bellos lead counsel. He noted that he had not made any undertaking regarding the production of Mr Bello in court.

He accused the prosecution of malice and misrepresentation.

Mr Adedipe further informed the court of his intention to withdraw his representation for Mr Bello, citing section 349(8) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

However, the EFCCs counsel argued that it was too late for the defence lawyer to withdraw and urged the court to set an example.

Meanwhile, the judge, Mr Nwite, adjourned the matter until 17 July for the arraignment of the former governor and ruling on EFCCs request to cite the two senior lawyers for contempt.

Stiff resistance to trial

Efforts by the EFCC to arraign Mr Bello for the pending N80 billion money laundering charges have failed, with the former governor refusing to attend court on different occasions since April.

Mr Bello anchored his refusal to appear in court on the Kogi State High Court ruling shielding him from arrest. He accused the EFCC of disobeying the court decision by filing charges against him and making moves to arrest him.

However, the EFCC appealed against the decision. The anti-corruption agency insisted that it violated no court order by exercising its powers and relying on the arrest warrant issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja on 17 April for his arrest to prosecute him.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja ruled in favour of EFCC on 13 June, declaring that a court of law cannot preclude the EFCC or any law enforcement agency from investigating and prosecuting crime.

Mr Bello has refused to attend court despite EFCCs efforts and court orders to bring him for trial.

On 17 April, the day the court issued a warrant for his arrest, EFCC attempted to effect his arrest at his residence in Abuja. However, the move was frustrated by the police attached to the premises. The former governor was eventually sneaked away in his successor, Governor Ahmed Ododos convoy.

The following day, 18 April, Mr Bello refused to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment.

The anti-graft agency declared him wanted but has been unable to effect his arrest.

He snubbed subsequent proceedings on 23 April, pushing the court to order that he be served the charges through his lawyers.

He also did not show up in court on 10 May when the judge rejected his lawyers application seeking an order to halt his trial pending an appeal regarding his trial.

He similarly snubbed the court on10 May. Then, his lawyers undertook to produce him in court on 13 June. However, the defendant failed to appear in court on 13 June as his lawyers promised.

The court re-scheduled the arraignment for 27 June (Thursday).

Again, Mr Bello did not show up on Thursday,, forcing the judge to further adjourn the arraignment till 17 July.

Charges

In the charges pending in court, EFCC accused Mr Bello, his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu (said to still be at large) of conspiring to convert the total sum of N80.2 billion public funds to personal use in February 2016.

The commission alleged that Mr Bello and others reasonably ought to have known that the money forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity  criminal breach of trust.

EFCC also alleged in another count that Mr Bello, between 26 July 2021 and 6 April 2022 in Abuja, aided a firm, E-Traders International Limited, to conceal the aggregate sum of over N3 billion (N3,081,804,654) in account number 1451458080 domiciled in Access Bank Plc.

READ ALSO:EFCC arrests suspected fake military officers

The anti-graft agency has faced difficulties bringing Mr Bello to court for arraignment.

Earlier on 17 April, the judge issued a warrant of arrest against the former governor. However, an attempt by EFCC operatives to arrest Mr Bello based on the arrest warrant that day was obstructed by the police officers attached to his house at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

The anti-graft agency has since declared Mr Bello wanted.

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A Sokoto State High Court sitting has restrained the state government from removing 10 district heads in the state.

The judge, Kabiru Ahmed, gave the order dated 13 June in exparte applications by two district heads for the maintenance of status quo ante bellum.

The complainants, Buhari Tambuwal and Abubakar Kassim, sued the Governor of Sokoto State, Ahmad Aliyu, the Attorney-General of Sokoto State and the Sokoto Sultanate Council.

The court asked the parties involved in the case to stay all actions and or further actions in connection with all matters dealing with and or pertaining to the removal and or dethronement of District Heads in Sokoto State (particularly the 1st and 2nd Plaintiffs/Applicants), as the District Heads of Tambuwal in Tambuwal LGA of Sokoto State and the District Head of Kebbe in Kebbe LGA of Sokoto State, respectively.

The injunctive relief is to operate against the Governor of Sokoto State, the Attorney General of Sokoto State and the Sokoto Sultanate Council pending the hearing and determination of the motion for interlocutory injunction filed before the same court and fixed for 23 July 2024, for hearing.

The court considered the applicants argument that the respondents attempt to appoint a new district head during the ongoing legal process would cause irreparable harm if not restrained.

It, therefore, granted the interim injunction to keep things as they are until the hearing of the substantive application for interlocutory injunction.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The judge, Mr Ahmad, agreed with the written address of Counsel to the applicants, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Ibrahim Abdullahi, also a (SAN).

The development followed the removal of some district heads by the state government.

READ ALSO: Sokoto govt speaks on alleged plan to dethrone Sultan

Below is the list of district heads affected by the order

1. Buhari Dahiru Tambuwal  District Head of Tambuwal in Tambuwal Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

2. Buhari Muhammad Abdulrahman  District Head of Illela in Illela Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

3. Nasiru Shehu Umar  District Head of Dogondaji in Tambuwal Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

4. Aliyu Barade  District Head of Wamakko in Wamakko Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

5. Atiku Bello Ayama  District Head of Gongono in Tangaza Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

6. Sule Ajiya Kalambaina  District Head of Kalambaina in Wamakko Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

7. Abubakar Kassim  District Head of Kebbe in Kebbe Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

8. Ibrahim Bello Dansarki  District Head of Tangaza in Tangaza Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

9. Kabiru Marafa Acida- District Head of Alkammu in Wurno Local Govt Area of Sokoto State

10. Usman Abdullahi  District Head of Talluwa in Bodinga Local Govt Area of Sokoto State.

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A journalist has quit his job at Freedom Radio, Kano, following critical comments he posted on Facebook against the state government and House of Assembly on the scrapping of four emirates in the state.

Abubakar Ishaq posted a video on his personal social media handles saying the decision of the state government in dissolving the Emirates is unpopular with residents of the scrapped emirates.

He said the decision will affect the ruling New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) in the state in the 2027 elections.

Mr Ishaq, in a statement dated 11, June, announced his resignation from Freedom Radio after 16 years of service.

He said the reason for the resignation was personal.

What he said about the Emirates crisis

Mr Ishaq, who anchored a popular political programme, Kowanne Gauta, said several residents are not aware of the historical background of the emirates in Rano, Karaye, and Gaya.

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The government did not do the residents of the scrapped emirates a favour by upgrading them to first class emirates; previously, they were first class emirs. The government just returned to them their initial first-class titles, which they have; its not a favour; people must understand this.

The elevation to first-class emirates has brought a drastic improvement in the areas more than any other time, but for selfish reasons and lack of foresight by the lawmakers, they went ahead and dissolved them.

Right from the governor to the lawmakers that did this, the result will not favour them during the election. No serious person from the dissolved emirates will vote for you, Mr Ishaq said.

Reacting to the development in a Facebook post, a former Vice Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abdullah Uba-Adamu, described the resignation as the loss of an iconic voice.

Mr Adamu commended the radio station for its creativity and mentioned several of its staffers who have excelled and exited the station.

Now, to Ibrahim Ishaq an Uwa Rano. Also, an incredibly amazing voice. One social media outlet described it as Iconic. I couldnt agree more. When Abubakar General left Freedom in 2015, the vocal attracting power of the Station fell on the larynx of Ishaq. His main programme was Kowanne Gauta, a political programme aired between 9.00 to 9.30 p.m. on weekdays.

His fantastic voice was complimented by his rapid-fire smooth flow  like a fast-flowing river in a shallow bed. Usually, people listen to the radio while engaged in something  the radio being in the background. Not when Ishaq is presenting. You have only a Hobsons Choice  listen to him and stop whatever you were doing. Not possible to mix the two because you dont want to miss a word of what he was saying. He is truly gifted.

I was shocked, therefore, when he resigned from Freedom Radio on June 11, 2024. I am not aware of the intricate internal politics of the Station, but I felt sad at his resignation because, for me, he remained one of the most significant reasons for listening to Freedom Radio, Mr Uba-Adamu said.

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The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Brass, Bayelsa, has destroyed 10 illegal refinery sites in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

The navy also destroyed a speedboat and seized 100,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

The Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base, Ifeanyichukwu Mabeokwu, a navy captain, disclosed this while speaking with reporters during the operation on Thursday.

Mr Mabeokwu said his team carried out the operation and subsequent destruction in line with the navys aspiration to decimate illegal refining sites and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta.

My team and I are here to carry out deactivation operations in these illegal refining sites.

As you can see, there is a large one with over 10 refining units; it has, cumulatively, about 80 litres of illegally refined AGO and 100,000 litres of stolen crude oil respectively.

The illegal refining site is hidden away at the core of Nembe Creek, and it took the deployment of high-resolution drones to discover this site.

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Now it has been discovered, we are going to do everything possible to see that this does not exist and will cease from this moment.

The discovery was made early this morning at about 0630-7000 hours, he said.

According to the commanding officer, the team met all the ovens still active on arrival, to prove illegal activities were ongoing just before they (suspects) sensed the naval presence and fled.

I believe they heard the sound of our gunboat, and they abandoned the site. As we arrived here, nobody was seen, he said.

Mr Mabeokwu said the navy, under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla, will stay committed to maintaining the security and safety of the Nigerian maritime domain.

According to him, the navy will continue to facilitate a conducive environment for legitimate businesses to flourish and contribute to the nations economic progress.

He, therefore, warned those who indulge in such illegitimate businesses to desist, promising that the navy would not allow them to find peace.

(NAN)

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Five persons were feared killed on Wednesday when some gunmen attacked Ishieke Police Divisional Headquarters in Ebonyi State, Nigerias South-east.

Ishieke is a community in Ivo Local Government Area of the state.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the gunmen invaded the police facility at about 9:30 p.m. and started firing sporadic shots.

One of the residents, who asked not to be named, said five of the gunmen were shot dead when security agencies stormed the area and engaged the hoodlums in a shootout.

They were shooting at the gate when some army people and policemen came and started firing at them. Five of the gunmen fell down, he said.

Another resident, Meshack Nwachukwu, said although the security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a shootout, he could not confirm if there were casualties.

Thats the report we are getting. But you know this thing happened late at night. So, I have not confirmed any casualty, Mr Nwachukwu said.

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He, however, said he could confirm that the hoodlums razed some police operational vehicles parked in front of the facility.

An official of Ivo Local Government Area, who asked not to be named, said the gunmen were seven in number. Still, five of them were killed when security operatives trailed them to the Alibaruhu Area of the state.

He said the body of one of the two fleeing gunmen was later recovered in a bush during a search by the operatives.

We are hoping the remaining person will be found, he said.

Video clips

Some video clips, apparently recorded during and shortly after the attack, have been circulating on social media.

In one of the clips, about three vehicles, believed to be those of the police operatives, were in flames.

In another clip, the gunmen were heard speaking in hushed tones while they fired shots.

The police spokesperson in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking his comments.

Worsening insecurity

Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Ebonyi State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred exactly one month after gunmen killed three in Akpoha, a community in Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

Many residents were also injured during the attack, which occurred in late May.

In April, gunmen killed a police officer in Abakaliki during an attack on a police checkpoint.

Gunmen, in early March, shot dead four police operatives in another attack in Abakaliki, the state capital.

The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra, which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria.

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A former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has urged Nigerians and Africans to embrace the green economy revolution to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Mr Ikpeazu said this on Wednesday at the 40th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, according to a statement from his media team which was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday.

The former governor spoke shortly after he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a professional association that manages the advancement of collective exploration in natural chemistry and atomic science in Africa.

Collective shift

Mr Ikpeazu, who served as governor of Abia State from 2015 to 2023, emphasised the need for a collective shift towards a sustainable future.

The former governor, who has taught biochemistry in some Nigerian universities, lamented Africas vulnerability to climate change despite contributing less than 15 per cent to global pollution.

He stressed the importance of adopting green practices, utilising clean energy, and reducing fossil fuel consumption to protect the environment and public health.

Were trying to draw the consciousness of the world to this unfortunate paradigm. However, we must also begin to think like the rest of the world. Think green, go green, use clean energy, cut down on fossil fuel utilisation and use clean energy, he said.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

This is because if you destroy the environment, youre literally destroying your health. You know that the world is 66 per cent water and if we keep on putting it in danger and continue to deplete the ozone layer, flooding will become the order of the day. Then we lose our farmlands and houses, Mr Ikpeazu added.

Conserving the environment

Also speaking at the event, the President of the Nigerian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Matthew Wegwu, stressed that biochemists play a crucial role in promoting sustainability and conserving the environment.

Mr Wegwu, a professor, said there was a need for collective action to protect the planet.

Like Mr Ikpeazu, the professor called for the adoption of green practices to ensure a sustainable future.

The world is going green now. Before, we all contributed to the destruction of the environment through pollution.

We didnt understand that sustainability of planet earth required everybody to go green. And as biochemists, we all understand the importance of going green, he said.

Ikpeazus professional background

Mr Ikpeazu studied clinical biochemistry at the University of Maiduguri from where he graduated in 1984.

The former governor later obtained his masters degree in biochemical toxicology from the same university in 1990, before bagging a doctorate degree in biochemical pharmacology from the University of Calabar, four years later.

Before joining politics, Mr Ikpeazu lectured in many Nigerian universities in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ebonyi State University and Calabar Polytechnic.

The former governor has indicated interest to attain professorship in his field where he has over 80 scientific articles published in local and international journals.

A fellow of the Nigeria Environmental Society, the former governor is a co-author of the book, The Biochemistry of Environmental Pollution.

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Governors from the southern part of Nigeria, under the aegis of the Southern Governors Forum, have called for the consideration of the cost of living and the ability of each state to pay in reaching an agreement on the new minimum wage.

They also advocated that each state negotiate the new wage with the labour unions.

The position was contained in a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

In the 16-point communique, the Forum called for strengthening fiscal federalism and devolution of powers and expressed concern over current practices where mineral licences are issued and explorations undertaken without recourse to state governments.

It noted that issuing mineral licences without carrying the states along has resulted in criminal activities, attendant negative environmental impact, and ecological degradation, with no remediation commitment or revenue accruing to the states or the Federal Government.

The governors maintained that being the economic and industrial region of the country, there was a need to address the inadequate power supply in the region by taking advantage of the recent constitutional amendment that now allows states to regulate, generate, transmit and distribute electricity whilst also considering optional sources like renewables.

The southern governors said they have resolved to aggressively embark on an energy transition plan from fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) to cleaner energy, specifically Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and ultimately Electric Vehicles (EVs), to help reduce the cost of transportation, which would lower the cost of food, goods and services for the citizens and residents.

Article Page with Financial Support Promotion Nigerians need credible journalism. Help us report it. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians. Our thorough, researched reporting relies on the support of readers like you. Help us maintain free and accessible news for all with a small donation. Every contribution guarantees that we can keep delivering important stories no paywalls, just quality journalism. SUPPORT NOW x Do this later

The meeting also called on the federal government to rehabilitate, repair, and reconstruct Trunk A roads and transfer some of them to states that have expressed interest in taking them over.

It applauded President Bola Tinubu for conceptualising and commencing the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which cuts across eight states of the region.

The communique hinted that the governors have resolved to commission a regional multimodal transport masterplan that would prioritise connectivity of rail, road, air and water transportation to facilitate interstate, intra-regional movement of persons, goods and services, thereby enhancing the ease of doing business.

It further stated that the Southern States Development Agenda (SSDA) would comprise a team whose primary responsibility is to outline a holistic plan to foster trade and investment, sustainable growth and development, economic prosperity, social harmony and food security for the region.

The development agenda, the governors added, would work hand in hand with individual state investment promotion and facilitation agencies, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), and other relevant MDAs and multilateral agencies as necessary.

On the issue of state police, the governors resolved to continue to advocate the creation of state police against the backdrop of the success of the regional community-based security outfits, which have been effective in intelligence gathering.

The governors, the communique further stated, resolved to remain united and committed to oneness of purpose, noting that the physical boundaries that divide the people of the south could not be compared to the strong bonds of enterprise, resilience and culture that they share just as they have resolved to be deliberate about intra region trade, partnerships and investment facilitation and promotion, which was agreed would require a structured and coordinated collaborative approach.

The members of the Forum commended Mr Tinubu for the food palliative support to states and the laudable economic recovery reforms and policies through the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

They pledged to support him in his unwavering resolve to reposition the country and build a greater future for all.

It would be recalled that at the end of the meeting, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, was chosen as the new chairman of the Forum, while Charles Soludo, the governor of Anambra State, was appointed vice chairman.

The communique concluded that quarterly meetings of the Forum would be held and rotated among member states.

However, the Forum paid respect to its immediate past chairman, the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, with condolences extended to his family.

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The Paris flagship, which is MINISO's largest store in Europe, marks a significant milestone for MINISO's ongoing global expansion, aligning perfectly with the brand's ambitious "Super Store" strategy. This strategic approach focuses on establishing large-format stores in key, high-traffic areas. These "Super Stores" offer customers a truly immersive MINISO experience, showcasing the brand's extensive product range across categories like household goods, cosmetics, stationery, and more. The new flagship, which sprawls across two floors and over 8,600ft2, particularly highlights MINISO's IP collaboration collections - one of the brand's key strategic product categories - with design elements and store zones dedicated to Sanrio, Disney, Barbie and others. The store will also be the first in France to debut the new BT21 IP collection.

The new opening comes on the back of strong financial performance for the brand in the March quarter of 2024. The brand's total global revenue grew 26% YoY to US$515.7 million, while revenue generated from overseas markets surged by 52.6% YoY to US$169.2 million. This impressive performance reflects the relevance and resilience of the brand's business model and the universal appeal of its products.

"The new flagship store in Paris is another exciting step forward for MINISO," said Vincent Huang, general manager of MINISO overseas distributor markets and vice president. "Following the successful launch of Super Stores in Times Square and Oxford Street, this prestigious Parisian location further solidifies our commitment to the 'Super Store' strategy and its role in elevating the customer experience and propelling our global brand recognition."

MINISO's "Super Store" strategy goes beyond simply offering a wider product selection. These larger stores create a more engaging and interactive shopping environment, fostering a sense of discovery and excitement for customers. This emphasis on experience, combined with the brand's dedication to high-quality products at affordable prices, is a key driver of MINISO's success in international markets.

With the addition of the Paris flagship, MINISO now boasts a presence in 110 overseas (outside mainland China) markets, with 6,630 stores worldwide. The brand's long-term vision is to become a global super brand, and it plans to achieve this by establishing 900 - 1,100 new stores globally in 2024, with over 50% of the new stores to be located overseas. This strategic expansion will solidify MINISO's position as a leading lifestyle destination for consumers around the world.

About MINISO

MINISO Group is a global lifestyle brand offering a variety of trendy lifestyle products featuring IP design. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting, and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeal to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality, and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2448666/MINISO_in_Paris.mp4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2448710/The_new_MINISO_Champs_Elys_es_brings_an_eye_catching_design_to_the_famous_avenue.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2448664/The_new_flagship_features_IP_collections_such_as_Sanrio__Disney_and_Barbie.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2448665/The_grand_opening_drew_large_crowds_as_the_store_broke_MINISO_s_overseas_single_day_sales_record.jpg
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global 3D printing in education sector market size is estimated to grow by USD 1.10 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 13.64% during the forecast period. Benefits offered by 3D printing in education sector is driving market growth, with a trend towards continuous development of new products. However, growing threat from 3d printing rental services in education sector poses a challenge. Key market players include 3D Systems Corp., Anker Innovations Technology Co., Ltd, BigRep GmbH, Desktop Metal Inc., EOS GmbH, Formlabs Inc., Gizmo 3D Printers Pty Ltd., HP Inc., Kinpo Group, Markforged Holding Corp., MATERIALISE NV, Photocentric Ltd., Raise 3D Technologies Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Sculpto ApS, Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co. Ltd, Sindoh Co. Ltd., SLM Solutions Group AG, Stratasys Ltd., SprintRay Inc., Ultimaker BV, and voxeljet AG.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global 3D printing market in education sector 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report

Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered End-user (Higher education and PreK12), Type (3D printing services and materials and 3D printers), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa) Region Covered North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Key companies profiled 3D Systems Corp., Anker Innovations Technology Co., Ltd, BigRep GmbH, Desktop Metal Inc., EOS GmbH, Formlabs Inc., Gizmo 3D Printers Pty Ltd., HP Inc., Kinpo Group, Markforged Holding Corp., MATERIALISE NV, Photocentric Ltd., Raise 3D Technologies Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Sculpto ApS, Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co. Ltd, Sindoh Co. Ltd., SLM Solutions Group AG, Stratasys Ltd., SprintRay Inc., Ultimaker BV, and voxeljet AG

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

The education sector is witnessing an uptick in the adoption of 3D printing technology. This trend is primarily driven by the numerous benefits of 3D printing, such as enhanced learning experience and improved teaching methods. Consequently, vendors in the market are expanding their product offerings to cater to the growing demand. In April 2024, SprintRay Inc. Introduced two new 3D printers, the Pro 2 and Midas + resins, which offer improved heating and better build platform recognition. Similarly, in November 2023, Stratasys Ltd launched the F3300 FDM 3D printer, which provides unmatched value to customers through reduced labor, increased uptime, and superior part quality. Anker Innovations Co. Ltd followed suit in August 2023 with the launch of its new AnkerMake M5C 3D Printer, featuring customizable single-click, double-click, and long-press actions. These new launches will boost sales and fuel the expansion of the global 3D printing market in the education sector.

The 3D printing market in the education sector is experiencing significant growth, with proof of concept in various industries like healthcare, defense, automotive, and consumer electronics. Three-dimensional items created through additive processes using digital files are revolutionizing education. Resin 3D printers and filaments are popular choices for creating customized products. Selective laser sintering, electron beam melting, and laminated object manufacturing are advanced techniques used in industrial and aerospace sectors. The competitive environment drives product extensions, with nonprofit organizations (NPOs) joining the 3D printed community. Consistent quality is crucial in the final 3D product, minimizing process downtime in the post-pandemic scenario. Printer segments like Fused Deposition Modelling and Powder Bed Fusion cater to prototyping needs in the industrial segment. Digitization, smart factories, machine learning, and robotics are key trends shaping the future of 3D printing in education and beyond. Online 3D printing services offer convenience and accessibility to a wider audience.

Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend. For more details- Download a Sample Report

Market Challenges

Several vendors in the 3D printing market cater to the education sector by providing rental services for institutions. This option enables educational institutions to access advanced 3D printers without the upfront investment. Rental providers offer additional benefits such as guidance on printer selection, warranty coverage, classroom materials, and technical support. Companies like Mileshied Ltd. (trading as Utility Rentals), iMakr, Verashape, and Airwolf 3D offer 3D printers on a rental basis. Airwolf 3D provides weekly and monthly rental options. Although this trend may impact the sales of new 3D printers, it presents an opportunity for vendors to expand their customer base and generate recurring revenue. Institutions can focus on their educational objectives while benefiting from the latest 3D printing technology without the burden of ownership costs.

The 3D printing market in education sector is experiencing significant growth, particularly in customized products for students. However, challenges persist, including process downtime, inconsistent quality, and high initial investments. In the post-pandemic scenario, digitization and smart factories are driving demand for 3D printing in industrial segments. Printer segments like Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Powder Bed Fusion, and Prototyping continue to lead. Companies like Redington Limited, Materialize, Wipro, and Autodesk are key players. Hardware advancements in Polymer printers, such as Fused Filament Fabrication, Digital Light Processing, and Stereolithography, are crucial. Software advancements, automation, and simulation applications are also essential. Industrial hubs face operational expenditures and rely on reliable large-format systems. Climate change, Brexit, and changing technologies pose challenges. Key trends include machine learning, robotics, online 3D printing, and hardware and software services. Companies like HP, Microsoft, and leading 3D printing technologies such as Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering, Polyjet, Multi Jet Fusion, Binder Jetting, and Electron Beam Melting continue to innovate.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This 3d printing in education sector market report extensively covers market segmentation by

End-user

1.1 Higher education

1.2 PreK12

Type

2.1 3D printing services and materials

2.2 3D printers

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 APAC

3.4 South America

3.5 Middle East and Africa

1.1 Higher education- The higher education sector is integrating 3D printing technology to prepare students for industries that value critical thinking and collaboration skills. Engineering students use 3D printing for prototype design, while medical laboratories study body organs and art students create artwork. Universities offer graduate courses on legal issues in 3D printing. For instance, Pennsylvania State University and IIT-Madras provide such courses. Vendors like 3D Systems and Stratasys offer 3D printing solutions for education. Government initiatives, such as MeitY's national strategy in India, encourage colleges to adopt 3D printing. Universities like Osmania University collaborate with industries to develop innovative products using 3D printing technology. For example, they procured 3D metal printing technology from SLM Solutions Group AG and Ultimaker FDM 3D printer from Ultimaker BV. These collaborations and investments in 3D printing technology will drive growth in the higher education sector during the forecast period.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

The 3D printing market in the education sector is experiencing significant growth due to the customized products it offers. With the shift towards digitization and smart factories, 3D printing is becoming an essential tool for educational institutions. In the post-pandemic scenario, 3D printing is expected to play a crucial role in reducing process downtime and ensuring consistent quality in the production of final 3D products. The printer segment includes Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), Powder Bed Fusion, Selective laser sintering, Electron Beam Melting, and Laminated Object Manufacturing. These technologies cater to various industries such as healthcare, defense, automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, and industrial. 3D printer filament and 3D printing services are essential components of the 3D printing ecosystem. Machine learning and robotics are being integrated into 3D printing to enhance productivity and efficiency. Online 3D printing and simulation applications are also gaining popularity in the education sector. The healthcare sector is leveraging 3D printing for creating customized medical models, prosthetics, and surgical tools. The defense sector is using 3D printing for producing prototypes and spare parts. The automotive sector is utilizing 3D printing for creating customized car parts and designing concept cars. Overall, the 3D printing market in the education sector is poised for significant growth in the coming years, driven by the need for customized products, consistency in quality, and the integration of advanced technologies such as machine learning, robotics, and simulation applications.

Market Research Overview

The 3D printing market in the education sector is witnessing significant growth due to the customized products it offers. However, process downtime and high initial investments are challenges. In the post-pandemic scenario, digitization, smart factories, machine learning, robotics, and online 3D printing are driving the market. Printer segments include Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Powder Bed Fusion, and others. Prototyping is a major application in the industrial segment. Additive processes like Stereolithography, Digital Light Processing, and Selective Laser Sintering are popular. Hardware and software advancements in Polymer printers, Fused Filament Fabrication, and Large-format systems are crucial. Reliability and automation are key factors. The competitive environment includes players like Autodesk, Microsoft, HP, and others. Climate change, Brexit, and operational expenditures are external factors influencing the market. The education industry uses 3D printing for proof of concept, product extensions, and in nonprofit organizations and the 3D printed community. Industries like healthcare, defense, automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics are also adopting 3D printing.

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The online language learning market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by advancements in technology and increased globalization. With the rise of e-learning platforms, interactive apps, and AI-driven language tools, learners now have access to a variety of resources to enhance their language skills. The convenience of learning anytime, anywhere, combined with personalized learning experiences, has made online language education more appealing. As a result, the market is projected to continue expanding, catering to diverse demographics and addressing the growing demand for bilingual and multilingual proficiency in both personal and professional settings.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

End-user

Higher Education



PreK12

Type

3D Printing Services And Materials



3D Printers

Geography

North America



Europe



APAC



South America



Middle East And Africa

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
ST. PAUL, Minn. and CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) today announced the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge (#YoungScientist) top 10 finalists. As the nation's premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

The competitions culminating eventwhere Americas Top Young Scientist will be namedtakes place October 14-15, 2024, at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This year's finalists  10 students ranging in age from 13-15  identified an everyday problem in their community or the world and submitted a one- to two-minute video communicating the science behind their proposed solution. In 2024, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge offered innovative ways for students to engage in science through new entry categories, including robotics, home improvement, automotive, safety, AR/VR, and climate technology. An esteemed and diverse group of judges, including 3M scientists and leaders in education from across the country, evaluated entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge, and communication effectiveness. The competition's culminating eventwhere America's Top Young Scientist will be namedtakes place October 14-15, 2024, at the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"For 17 years, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge has brought together some of the world's brightest young minds to reimagine what's possible. Each of the remarkable students exemplifies how science and innovation make the world a better place for all," said Torie Clarke, EVP & Chief Public Affairs Officer at 3M.

The top 10 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists include students from public and private schools across the U.S. Each finalist will be evaluated on a series of challenges, including a presentation of their completed innovation. Each challenge will be scored independently by a panel of judges. The grand prize winner will receive $25,000, a unique destination trip, and the title of America's Top Young Scientist.

The top 10 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists are as follows in alphabetical order by last name:

Ankan Das , Sanford, Florida , Sanford Middle School , Seminole County School District

Steven Goodman , Longwood, Florida , Milwee Middle School , Seminole County School District

Aakash Manaswi , Orlando, Florida , Lake Highland Preparatory School, Orange County School District

Prince Nallamothula, Frisco, Texas , Lawler Middle School , Frisco ISD

Ronita Shukla , Acton, Massachusetts , RJ Grey Junior High School, Acton Boxborough Regional School District

Sirish Subash, Lawrenceville, Georgia , Alton C. Crews Middle School , Gwinnett County Public School District

Rithvik Suren, Windsor, Connecticut , Academy of Aerospace & Engineering, CREC School District

Hanna Suzuki , Bedford, Massachusetts , John Glenn Middle School , Bedford School District

William Tan , Scarsdale, New York , Scarsdale Middle School, Scarsdale School District

Minula Weerasekera, Beaverton, Oregon , Whitford Middle School , Beaverton School District

To learn more about the 3M Young Scientist Challenge and meet the 2024 finalists, visit YoungScientistLab.com.

"We are delighted to celebrate these young innovators and honor them for this achievement. The 3M Young Scientist Challenge nurtures student curiosity and showcases the scientific acumen of all participants. We cannot wait to see these ideas come to life in the coming months!" said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Social Impact at Discovery Education.

In its 17th year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge continues to inspire and challenge middle school students to think creatively and apply the power of STEM to discover real-world solutions. America's Top Young Scientists have gone on to give TED Talks, file patents, found nonprofits, make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and exhibit at the White House Science Fair. These young innovators have also been named TIME Magazine's first Kid of the Year, featured in The New York Times Magazine, Forbes, and Business Insider, and have appeared on national television programs such as Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and more. In addition, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge Alumni Network includes more than 100 former challenge finalists and winners for networking and grant opportunities.

The award-winning competition supplements the 3M and Discovery Education program Young Scientist Lab, which provides no-cost dynamic digital resources for students, teachers, and families to explore, transform, and innovate the world around them. All the resources are also available on Discovery Education Experience, the award-winning K-12 learning platform.

For more information about Discovery Education's award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

About 3M

3M (NYSE: MMM) believes science helps create a brighter world for everyone. By unlocking the power of people, ideas and science to reimagine what's possible, our global team uniquely addresses the opportunities and challenges of our customers, communities, and planet. Learn how we're working to improve lives and make what's next at 3M.com/news

About Discovery Education

Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.

SOURCE 3M Company
Stock Symbol: AEM (NYSE and TSX)

TORONTO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE: AEM) (TSX: AEM) ("Agnico Eagle" or the "Company") today announced that it will release its second quarter 2024 results on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, after normal trading hours.

Second Quarter 2024 Results Conference Call and Webcast

Agnico Eagle's senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 11:00 AM (E.D.T.) to discuss the Company's financial and operating results.

Via Webcast :

To listen to the live webcast of the conference call, you may register on the Company website at www.agnicoeagle.com, or directly via the link here.

Via Phone :

To join the conference call by phone, please dial 416.764.8659 or toll-free 1.888.664.6392 to be entered into the call by an operator. To ensure your participation, please call approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call.

To join the conference call without operator assistance, you may register your phone number here 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the call to receive an instant automated call back.

Replay Archive :

Please dial 416.764.8677 or toll-free 1.888.390.0541, access code 576159#. The conference call replay will expire on September 1, 2024.

The webcast, along with presentation slides, will be archived for 180 days on the Company's website.

About Agnico Eagle

Agnico Eagle is a Canadian based and led senior gold mining company and the third largest gold producer in the world, producing precious metals from operations in Canada, Australia, Finland and Mexico. It has a pipeline of high-quality exploration and development projects in these countries as well as in the United States. Agnico Eagle is a partner of choice within the mining industry, recognized globally for its leading environmental, social and governance practices. Agnico Eagle was founded in 1957 and has consistently created value for its shareholders, declaring a cash dividend every year since 1983.

SOURCE Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
VANCOUVER, BC, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Aritzia Inc. (TSX: ATZ) will release its first quarter fiscal 2025 financial results after market close on July 11, 2024. A conference call to discuss the earnings results will follow.

Conference Call Details

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2024

Time: 1:30pm PT / 4:30pm ET

To participate in the conference call:

Please dial 1-844-763-8274 or 1-647-484-8814.

The call is also accessible via webcast at http://investors.aritzia.com/events-and-presentations/.

A recording will be available shortly after the conclusion of the call:

Please dial 1-855-669-9658 and the replay access code 0774.

An archive of the webcast will be accessible on Aritzia's website.

About Aritzia

Aritzia is a design house with an innovative global platform. We are creators and purveyors of Everyday Luxury, home to an extensive portfolio of exclusive brands for every function and individual aesthetic. We're about good design, quality materials and timeless style  all with the wellbeing of our People and Planet in mind.

Founded in 1984 in Vancouver, Canada, we pride ourselves on creating immersive, highly personalized shopping experiences at aritzia.com and in our 115+ boutiques throughout North America  for everyone, everywhere.

Our Approach

Aritzia means style, not trend, and quality over everything. We treat each in-house label as its own atelier, united by premium fabrics, meticulous construction and an of-the-moment point of view. We handpick fabrics from the world's best mills for their feel, function and ability to last. We obsess over proportion, fit and that just-right silhouette. From hand-painted prints to the art of pocket placement, our innovative design studio considers and reconsiders each detail to create essentials you'll reach for again, and again, and again.

Everyday Luxury. To Elevate Your World.

SOURCE Aritzia Inc.(Communications)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ArtPrize, the international art competition and cultural event held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan, returns September 1328, 2024. And this year's return marks a tremendous increase in the numbers of participating artists, entries, and venues set to once again delight and inspire. Visitors eager to immerse themselves in this vibrant creative experience and witness amazing events should mark their calendars now, because it won't be long before the summer season turns to ArtPrize season.

By the Numbers

ArtPrize 2024 Registration Soars with Over 1,600 Artists from 53 Countries

With registration concluded, ArtPrize 2024 can officially announce that 1,644 artists have registered to exhibit their work in the form of 1,152 different entries. This abundance of creativity will be displayed in over 180 venues across the city of Grand Rapids. These numbers represent the event's highest participation since 2017.

The national and international reputations of ArtPrize continue to bloom. Registered artists for 2024 hail from 53 different countries and 42 different states, working across all genres and mediums. At the same time, the event continues to provide a showcase for local and regional artists.

"We're thrilled with the numbers," says Executive Director of ArtPrize, Catlin Whitington. "The participating venues and global artist response really underscores the meaningful work the ArtPrize team has been putting in. We can't wait for this year's competition and to share what we are cooking with the world in September."

The evolving makeup of participating artists extends beyond geography. Through numerous efforts, including the Visibility Awards, ArtPrize is working to provide a platform for an increasing number of artists from underrepresented communities.

And there's more, as JoLee Kirkikis, Exhibitions Director explains. "We've increased our outreach to young artists and are proud that ArtPrize participants now represent roughly an equal amount across the various age demographics."

The Tradition Continues. And Continues to Grow.

This year marks fifteen years since the inception of ArtPrize, and the second under leadership from the City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University. It continues its tradition of utilizing digital democracy, encouraging all visitors 13 years and older to vote for their favorites. With over $600,000 in awards and grant opportunitiesincluding some that are new for 2024 the sixteen-day event will again culminate with one remarkable entry receiving the $125,000 Public Grand Prize.

To learn more about this year's event and make your plans for ArtPrize season, visit artprize.org .

About ArtPrize

ArtPrize is an annual, open, independently organized, international art competition that celebrates creative expression, bringing together art enthusiasts, artists, and the community. Since its inception, ArtPrize has aimed to showcase the transformative power of art and foster a culture of creativity.

SOURCE ArtPrize
California-born brand plans for rapid expansion across the Western U.S. by year's end

SAN DIEGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Buzz Coffee Roasters kicked off 2024 with multiple new restaurants and successful limited-time offers, but the popular coffee brand is just getting started. In the last two years, Better Buzz has doubled its store count from 12 to 24, with plans to double that number to 48 over the next year. The company is looking eastward toward Arizona and Nevada, as well as opening more locations in Southern California.

Over the first half of this year, Better Buzz opened three new locations: one in the Laguna Hills area of Orange County (pictured here), its 19th San Diego location in Oceanside and its first out-of-state location in Uptown Phoenix. (Photo credit: Better Buzz Coffee Roasters)

Over the first half of this year, Better Buzz opened three new locations: one in the Laguna Hills area of Orange County, its 19th San Diego location in Oceanside and its first out-of-state location in Uptown Phoenix. While all three new units are off to a promising start, the Phoenix location boasted the brand's most successful opening day on record.

Looking forward, Better Buzz is on track for a record year with 12 new locations in the pipeline  including three in Las Vegas, with the first one debuting in September. The company also plans to launch six more locations in Phoenix, a third Orange County location and two more in San Diego.

"While we're thrilled with our progress so far, we're even more excited about our rapid growth for the rest of the year," said VP of Marketing Amanda Cameron. "We're planning to keep the momentum growing, spreading the buzz to even more neighborhoods. Our goal is to expand north in Southern California with major concentration on the Los Angeles area to San Diego, as well as growing in Arizona and Nevada to make our famous Best Drink Ever more accessible."

Along with its rapid growth, January saw the launch of three limited-time menu items: the Chili Crunch Breakfast Wrap, the Iced London Fog and the Sea Salt Caramel Latte. The wrap quickly became one of Better Buzz's top-selling menu items and was eventually added to the core menu. The brand's spring and summer limited-time offers include the Mazapan Cold Brew, the Espresso No-Tini, the Spicy BBQ Ranch Chicken Wrap and  just announced  Buzz Energy drinks.

Better Buzz Coffee Roasters, which started as a four-wheel coffee cart, has grown into a beloved brand with 24 locations across California and Arizona. The recent expansion into the Grand Canyon State highlights the company's strategy to enter new markets while maintaining its core values of quality and innovation.

To stay up-to-date on expansion plans, follow @betterbuzz on Instagram.

About Better Buzz Coffee Roasters

Founded in 2002 as a craft coffee cart by two college students, Better Buzz Coffee Roasters is committed to providing top-quality coffee in a fun, friendly atmosphere. The brand emphasizes freshness, with coffee roasted and delivered weekly to its cafes. Certified as an organic roaster by CCOF, Better Buzz prioritizes sourcing Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance coffees. Each location offers a range of handcrafted beverages, made-to-order food items and fresh pastries, with popular offerings like the Horchata Iced Latte and the "Best Drink Ever." The company's mission is encapsulated in its slogan: LIFE'S BETTER BUZZED.

For more information, visit betterbuzzcoffee.com or follow on Facebook or Instagram .

SOURCE Better Buzz Coffee Roasters
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global binge-eating disorder treatment market size is estimated to grow by USD 568.7 million from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.78% during the forecast period. Increasing prevalence of binge-eating disorder is driving market growth, with a trend towards development and approval of new drugs. However, side effects of binge-eating disorder drugs poses a challenge. Key market players include Alvogen Iceland ehf, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC, Eli Lilly and Co., Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., Lupin Ltd., Omeros Corp., Pyramid Healthcare Inc., Rosewood Centers for Eating disorders, Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., Tryp Therapeutics Inc., Viatris Inc., VIVUS LLC, and Walden Behavioral Care.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global binge-eating disorder treatment market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies- View the snapshot of this report

Binge-Eating Disorder Treatment Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2023 Historic period 2018 - 2022 Forecast period 2024-2028 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.78% Market growth 2024-2028 USD 568.7 million Market structure Concentrated YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 6.24 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, UK, Germany, China, and India Key companies profiled Alvogen Iceland ehf, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Chronos Therapeutics Ltd., Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC, Eli Lilly and Co., Johnson and Johnson Services Inc., Lupin Ltd., Omeros Corp., Pyramid Healthcare Inc., Rosewood Centers for Eating disorders, Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp., Tryp Therapeutics Inc., Viatris Inc., VIVUS LLC, and Walden Behavioral Care

Market Driver

The binge-eating disorder treatment market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing prevalence of this condition. Pharmaceutical companies are actively developing new treatments for binge-eating disorders, with several initiatives underway. For instance, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. And Massachusetts General Hospital announced a collaboration in 2022 to assess TNX-1900 as a potential treatment for patients diagnosed with both binge-eating disorder and obesity. The planned phase 2 clinical trial, which was set to launch in the second half of 2022, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 60 patients. Additionally, Tryp Therapeutics reported interim results from its Phase II trial with psilocybin (TRP-8803) for binge-eating disorder treatment, showing an average reduction of 80% in daily binge-eating episodes. These developments indicate a positive impact on the global binge-eating disorder treatment market during the forecast period.

The Binge Eating Disorder (BED) treatment market is experiencing significant growth due to the rising prevalence of BED, Bulimia, and other eating disorders. This market caters to patients diagnosed with psychological and non-psychological problems, including comorbidities like general medical illnesses, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance use disorders. Doctors are focusing on individualized treatment options for patients, including psychotherapy and medications. Antidepressant drugs, such as serotonergic antidepressants, are commonly used to treat BED. New treatments, like Lisdexamfetamine with Methylphenidate and Centanafadine Sustained-release Tablets, are undergoing Phase 2 and Phase 4 clinical trials. Costly treatment for eating disorders can be a challenge for patients. However, healthcare services continue to offer various treatment therapies, including medication and psychotherapy, to help manage symptoms of excessive feeding and impairments related to overweight or normal weight profiles. Other medical disorders, such as gastrointestinal problems, headaches, and sleeplessness, can also be addressed through these treatments. Anorexia and its related disorders, such as bulimia, continue to pose a challenge in the treatment market. The use of medications like Solriamfetol and Dasotraline is being explored to address the complex nature of these disorders. The overall healthcare expenditures for treating eating disorders are expected to increase as more effective and accessible treatment options become available.

Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend. For more details- Download a Sample Report

Market Challenges

Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a serious mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period, often accompanied by feelings of shame or guilt. While binge-eating disorder drugs offer potential treatment options, their use comes with significant risks, particularly during pregnancy. These drugs have been linked to congenital abnormalities, stillbirths, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, gestational hypertension, prematurity, postpartum hemorrhage, and delayed motor development in newborns. Furthermore, binge-eating disorder drugs can cause physical side effects such as headaches, insomnia/hypersomnia, and gastric distress, as well as emotional side effects like hyperactivity, hostility, emotional lability, irritability, and self-harm. These side effects may hinder the growth of the global binge-eating disorder treatment market, as they impede patient compliance and contribute to treatment resistance in up to 30% of cases. Therefore, the uncertainty surrounding the safety and efficacy of binge-eating disorder drugs, particularly for pregnant women, presents a significant challenge for the market's growth during the forecast period.

The Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) treatment market faces several challenges in addressing this medical disorder characterized by excessive feeding, often leading to overweight or normal weight profiles. Patients with BED often suffer from comorbid mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance use disorders. Treatment options include psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs, and medication from the Pharmaceuticals category, such as Lisdexamfetamine with Methylphenidate, Centanafadine Sustained-Release Tablets, and Serotonergic antidepressants like Solriamfetol and Dasotraline . However, costly treatment and potential medical complications, including cardiac diseases, insomnia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, headaches, and sleeplessness, pose significant challenges. Doctors play a crucial role in diagnosing and treating BED, but healthcare expenditures continue to rise due to the high demand for healthcare services. The Phase 2 and 4 clinical trials of these treatments demonstrate promising results, but more research is needed to individualize treatment and improve patient outcomes. (Biological Psychiatry, Psychiatry Research)

For more insights on driver and challenges - Request a sample report!

Segment Overview

This binge-eating disorder treatment market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Distribution Channel

1.1 Offline

1.2 Online

Type

2.1 Antidepressants

2.2 Anticonvulsants

2.3 Stimulants and others

Geography

3.1 North America

3.2 Europe

3.3 Asia

3.4 Rest of World (ROW)



1.1 Offline- In 2023, the offline sector held the largest share of the global binge-eating disorder treatment market. This segment's dominance can be attributed to several factors. Offline retailers offer product assurance, authenticity, and verification, making them a preferred choice for customers. Additionally, offline stores provide convenience, personalization, and personal support, which fuels their expansion during the forecast period. The advantages of offline stores include a wide geographical presence, ease of production and inventory management, and efficient goods transportation. Market players invest in brick-and-mortar stores to increase their regional and global shares. The growth of the retail sector, which improves access to binge-eating disorder treatment drugs, is expected to accelerate offline segment growth, thereby boosting the overall market expansion.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2017-2021) - Download a Sample Report

Learn and explore more about Technavio's in-depth research reports

The Paracetamol market is experiencing robust growth due to its widespread use as an analgesic and antipyretic. With increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and rising consumer awareness, the demand for paracetamol is on the rise globally. Meanwhile, the Antibiotics market continues to expand, driven by the persistent need to combat bacterial infections. However, the market faces challenges such as antibiotic resistance and stringent regulations. Innovations in antibiotic development and strategic collaborations are pivotal in addressing these issues, ensuring sustained market growth and effective healthcare solutions.

Research Analysis

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a serious mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption, often accompanied by feelings of guilt or shame. This eating disorder differs from bulimia in that there's no purging or compensatory behaviors. BED affects individuals of all weight profiles, including those who are overweight, obese, or normal weight. Comorbid psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, are common in individuals with BED. Additionally, individuals with BED may experience various non-psychological problems, including medical disorders like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, and other comorbid disorders. While there are no specific medications approved solely for BED, some medications, such as antidepressants and anti-obesity drugs, may be used to manage symptoms and underlying conditions. Treatment for BED typically involves a combination of psychological interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychotherapy, to help individuals understand and change their eating patterns and address any underlying emotional or psychological issues.

Market Research Overview

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a type of eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption, often accompanied by feelings of guilt, depression, or anxiety. BED can affect individuals of all weight profiles and is often accompanied by bulimia, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse-control disorders, and substance use disorders. Comorbid medical problems, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal issues, can also be present. Psychological problems, including impairments in social and occupational functioning, can result from BED. Treatment options include psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy, and medications, including antidepressant drugs and lisdexamfetamine with methylphenidate. The diagnosis of BED involves a thorough evaluation by healthcare professionals, including doctors and mental health specialists. Treatment therapy can be costly and may involve a combination of medication and healthcare services. Phase 2 and 4 clinical trials are currently underway for new treatments, such as Centanafadine Sustained-Release Tablets, solriamfetol, and dasotraline. BED can also lead to medical complications, including cardiac diseases, insomnia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The Biological Psychiatry and Psychiatry Research journals have published numerous studies on the causes and treatments of BED and related eating disorders. It is important to note that BED is a complex medical disorder and treatment should be individualized based on the specific needs and circumstances of each patient. Other eating disorders, such as anorexia, can also present with similar symptoms and should be considered in the diagnostic process.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Distribution Channel

Offline



Online

Type

Antidepressants



Anticonvulsants



Stimulants And Others

Geography

North America



Europe



Asia



Rest Of World (ROW)

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
The winners are:

- Oprah Nkera, Medford High, attending Harvard University

- Madeline Morris, Medford High, attending George Washington University

- Mariam Marcos, East Boston, attending University of Massachusetts Amherst

- Braden Faiella, Saugus, attending Saint Anslem College

- Christian Garcia, Chelsea High, attending Northeastern University

Spada Law created the scholarship to support and encourage students to pursue their educational goals. Each recipient receives $1000 in unrestricted funds that can be used for tuition, books, supplies, or housing.

Spada said the scholarship was inspired by the people who helped him while growing up in the inner city and getting into college despite difficult circumstances.

"It's important to me that we take the time to celebrate their accomplishments as we look to their future," Spada said. "We want them to know that what they have done and what they will do matters and is appreciated."

Spada Law Group is a boutique firm based in Chelsea, MA, providing personal attention and specialized skills to accident victims. Our firm serves English and Spanish-speaking clientele with the main office in Chelsea and appointment-only offices in Newburyport, Peabody, and Springfield.

Contact:

Len Spada

617.889.5000

SOURCE Spada Law Group
BOSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohn & Dussi, a full-service law firm with its principal office in Boston, is pleased to announce the addition of two new associate attorneys to their team, based in the Boston office. The firm specializes in Creditor's Rights, Workouts and Bankruptcy, Equipment Leasing & Finance, Corporate & Financial Services, Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law.

Harris Cohn has joined the firm as an Associate. Prior to joining Cohn & Dussi, Attorney Cohn worked as an associate at an insurance defense firm.

He received his bachelor's degree from University of Massachusetts Amherst and, in 2023, he graduated cum laude from Suffolk University Law School, where he earned the Jurisprudence Award in Civil Procedure and the Honorable Mention Brief Award for legal writing. Attorney Cohn is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Michael Marracino has also joined Cohn & Dussi as an Associate. His practice focuses on business litigation, commercial contract disputes, and commercial collections. Before joining the firm, Attorney Marracino practiced international taxation in Boston. He also has experience in asset-based lending.

Attorney Marracino received his undergraduate degree in accounting from St. Bonaventure University and earned his J.D. in 2022 from New England School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and holds a CPA license in the State of New York.

"We are thrilled to welcome Harris and Michael to our team," said Lewis J. Cohn, Managing Partner at Cohn & Dussi. "Their diverse experiences and skills will be valuable assets to our firm as we continue to provide comprehensive legal solutions to our clients."

About Cohn & Dussi

Cohn & Dussi is a full-service law firm with offices in Boston, Mass., and Providence, RI, that offers clients comprehensive, customized solutions to their clients' complex business challenges. Attorneys in the firm offer extensive experience in collections and workouts, creditors' rights, commercial litigation, leasing, bankruptcy, corporate and finance law, construction law, and real estate transactions. Over the course of more than 25 years, Cohn & Dussi has built long-term relationships with its clients, solving problems using a team approach and leveraging a national network of attorneys in all 50 states. Learn more at cohnanddussi.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lisa Lazarczyk

Tel: 617.838.7327 or [email protected]

SOURCE Cohn & Dussi
Leading advisory firm accelerates international growth strategy

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BPM LLP, one of the 35 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the United States, continues to grow its international presence with an expansion into Canada.

BPM Advisory will focus on providing advisory services to technology, financial services and consumer business clients across Canada's global technology and innovation hubs. The move reflects the increasing demand for advisory services in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, systems implementation outsourcing and business consulting in Canada.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to help spearhead our expansion efforts in Canada," said Maxim Cere-Marcoux, Senior Manager with BPM. "As a native, I've been able to see first-handedly, the growing needs for specialized services of companies operating in the tech ecosystem in this dynamic market. With a diverse and skilled workforce, we're primed to counsel companies on both sides of the border."

This sets BPM on an upward trajectory for growth spanning North America and beyond. The Firm has expanded to over 1,250 professionals, working in over 35 U.S. states and globally in countries including India, the Philippines and now four Canadian provinces (Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta). These moves deepen BPM's bench of talent and strengthen its client service offerings and resources.

"We're thrilled to enter the next phase of our international expansion plan," commented BPM CEO Jim Wallace. "With our growing presence in and outside of the U.S., we're committed to expanding our footprint as a global player, both in support of our colleagues and clients."

"This is an exciting chapter in our growth journey," added Nick Steiner, BPM Advisory Practice Group Leader. "It allows us to extend our expertise and cutting-edge solutions to a global audience, helping businesses confidently navigate risks and seize opportunities."

BPM's globalization strategy continues to attract diverse talent, supported by its commitment to flexibility and non-traditional, future-focused work-based learning. As a fast-growing firm, BPM has ambitious plans to further its international presence, eyeing several new markets.

BPM Advisory will not be providing accounting services in Canada at this time.

To learn more about BPM's advisory solutions for Canadian businesses, visit BPM Canada - Unlock Growth and Success for Your Business.

About BPM

BPM LLP is one of the 35 largest public accounting and advisory firms in the United States. Recognized as one of IPA's 100 Fastest-Growing Firms, BPM works with clients in the technology, life science, consumer business, wine and agriculture, financial and professional services, real estate, and nonprofit industries. As a Certified B Corp, BPM's diverse perspectives, expansive industry knowledge, and progressive solutions come together to create exceptional experiences for individuals and businesses worldwide.

SOURCE BPM
The Rebellious Riveters Scholarship Program aims to empower students by offering tuition support in post-secondary technical programs across the United States

PURCHASE, N.Y., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the spirit of championing the unconventional, Rebellious Wines from California today announced the Rebellious Riveters Scholarship in partnership with TechForce Foundation. The scholarship is a testament to the brand's commitment to challenging the status quo and aims to empower individuals eager to forge careers in skilled trades.

The development of this Rebellious Riveters Scholarship Program is a direct response to Rebellious Wines' recent survey, which found that more than half (55%) of Americans believe in breaking gender norms through their career choices. It comes at a critical time as America grapples with a dual challenge: filling the skills gap in its labor market and breaking down gender norms that have kept underrepresented populations out of these lucrative careers.

"The skills gap in trade careers is a pressing issue. Our country needs nearly 800,000 new automotive, diesel, collision repair, aviation, and avionics technicians by 2027 to meet demand, and the underrepresentation of diverse groups is a key factor to consider," said TechForce Foundation CEO Jennifer Maher. "Support from Rebellious Wines contributes to TechForce Foundation's charitable work of inspiring all students to explore technician careers, supporting them through their education and connecting them to successful careers. We're dedicated to increasing representation and partnering with like-minded partners like Rebellious Wines to empower students around the U.S. and provide the crucial support they need to break into these fulfilling careers."

The industry is experiencing a significant skills gap among underrepresented populations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are particularly underrepresented, accounting for less than 3% of employed technicians. The Rebellious Riveters Scholarship aims to address this disparity and inspire more people to pursue careers in the skilled trades.

"This scholarship is about equipping unapologetically rebellious individuals with the tools they need to build successful careers," said Bob DeRoose, President and CEO of Kobrand Corporation. "We are committed to breaking barriers and are honored to support those who embody this notion of being rebellious for good. After all, their drive and determination will ultimately help bridge the skills gap, proving that the future of these industries will be both inclusive and rebellious."

The Rebellious Riveters Scholarship Program will begin accepting applications on June 26, 2024, and will accept submissions on a rolling basis through August 2024. The scholarships will be available for eligible students enrolled in any post-secondary technician program across the United States.

Please visit www.rebelliouswine.com/rebelliousriveters for more information about the Rebellious Riveters Scholarship Program.

About Kobrand Corporation:

Founded in 1944, Kobrand Corporation remains one of the few family-owned wine and spirits companies in the United States. Kobrand's portfolio of fine wine and spirits was meticulously selected according to a single, unerring principle: quality. This continued focus has made the Kobrand name synonymous with wines and spirits of the highest caliber for over 75 years. Kobrand is the exclusive US agent for an outstanding selection of fine wines from all key wine regions, including the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Chile, Argentina, Germany, and New Zealand. For more information about Kobrand and our portfolio visit http://www.Kobrandwineandspirits.com

About Rebellious Wines:

Founded on the belief that the best wines are born from the unbridled spirit of Nature, Rebellious wines are a testament to the unconventional. With a focus on selecting the finest grapes and embracing unexpected blends, Rebellious offers an extraordinary experience that challenges the status quo. These wines embody an unapologetically rebellious nature, resulting in full-bodied creations that captivate the senses. Like their namesake, they serve as a beacon for those who dare to live on their own terms. Rebellious wines are not just wine; they are a toast to the innovators and trailblazers who continue to inspire and redefine our society, an invitation to embrace the unpredictable and a splash of extraordinary.

About TechForce Foundation:

TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $4 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, 'new collar' STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming. TechForce's online network of students, working technicians, instructors, employers, industry professionals and enthusiasts is the conduit through which the charity delivers its free resources for the benefit of aspiring technicians. For more information, visit techforce.org. Follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin.

SOURCE Rebellious Wines
After Spending $61 Million in a Failed Effort to Deceive Voters, Big Oil Withdraws Referendum in Defeat

Coalition Led by Neighborhood Activists and Environmental Justice Communities Celebrates Winning Health and Safety Laws Protecting Californians from Toxic Oil Drilling

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California (CSHC) announced that despite opponents spending nearly $61 million on deceitful efforts to repeal a California law (SB 1137) that protects neighborhoods from toxic drilling, Big Oil has reversed course and forfeited their deceitful ballot measure from the November ballot in a stunning defeat.

"Big Oil spent tens of millions of dollars trying to fool voters, using the profits made at the expense of community health, but it was no match for the groundswell of people power and community support we were able to unite all across California," said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, CSHC Steering Committee Member and Executive Director of Communities for a Better Environment. "Though Big Oil is crawling back in defeat on this issue, we know this won't be the last David vs. Goliath fight we win against them."

By initially putting a deceptive measure on the ballot, Big Oil tried to repeal a law (SB 1137) that would make existing oil and gas wells safer by meeting tighter health and environmental requirements within 3,200 feet of neighborhoods, schools, daycare centers and healthcare facilities, and keeping new wells from being built in these areas.

"This campaign has been about giving voice to the people living in communities most affected by Big Oil's indifference to public health, where drilling has taken place in their backyards and in the places where they work, play and go to school. This was a contest between industry profits and public health, and our bold campaign won. Because of this broad and powerful coalition of community organizers, activists, elected officials, health workers, philanthropies and more, Big Oil knew it would be unable to overturn a 2022 California law passed by a bipartisan legislature, and has withdrawn. Time to move ahead, and connect public health with the amazing growth industry of renewable energy in California," added philanthropist Wendy Schmidt, the top funder of the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California.

The withdrawal of the referendum means the health and safety law is once again in effect immediately. Oil and gas companies may no longer drill new wells or redrill existing wells within the health buffer, and will need to comply with pollution control and safety measures designed to reduce the harm from existing wells. Californians will benefit immediately from the law's protections. For example, Signal Hill Petroleum, which contributed $3.2 million dollars to the campaign to overturn the law, will be unable to proceed with its dangerous proposal to drill dozens of new wells within the health buffer.

Nearly 30,000 oil and gas wells in California sit within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, hospitals and other public areas, exposing nearly 3 million people, disproportionately communities of color , to emissions that can cause birth defects, respiratory illnesses and cancer. An independent scientific advisory panel in 2021 advised California officials that a 3,200-foot setback between oil wells and sensitive receptors is the minimum distance to protect public health.

The Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, organized as CAvsBigOil.com, began with community leaders standing up to toxic oil drilling in their neighborhoods and has grown to include more than 400 organizations, labor unions, community and faith leaders, two Governors of California, public health groups, and environmental justice leaders from across California, working to hold oil companies accountable for creating a public health crisis, especially for communities of color.

For more information about our campaign, please visit our website at: www.CAvsBigOil.com

Paid for by Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, sponsored by nonprofit environmental and health organizations. Committee Top Funders: Advocacy Action Fund, Inc., Wendy Schmidt, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

SOURCE Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California
New services include four equity and three fixed income ETFs, bringing Capital Group's ETF platform to 21

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Group has introduced seven new active, transparent exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to complement its existing suite of core building block solutions for investor portfolios. The new strategies, including four equity and three fixed income ETFs, start trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today. In a little over two years, Capital Group has launched 21 (11 equity, nine fixed income and one multi-asset) ETFs with assets under management (AUM) of $29B, gaining over 4% market share within active ETFs1.

The seven new funds include:

"Financial professionals can now choose from 21 Capital Group ETFs, which sit within some of the largest and most commonly allocated categories," said Scott Davis, Capital Group's head of ETFs. "Our robust suite of ETFs gives financial professionals and their clients the ability to construct model portfolios, for which we've heard a clear demand, as well as access to Capital's long-term, active approach to investment management, competitive fees and potential for above-benchmark returns as they pursue their long-term financial goals."

"We know our active ETFs are an important, differentiated addition in the marketplace as nearly 25,000 financial professionals2 already use our funds. Our aim is to continue to bring Capital's long history of pursuing superior, consistent investment results to more financial professionals and their clients," Davis added.

Details of the full suite of available Capital Group ETFs can be found here.

About Capital Group

Capital Group, home of American Funds, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research, and individual accountability since 1931.

As of March 31, 2024, Capital Group manages more than $2.6 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individuals and institutional investors around the world. Capital Group manages equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups.

For more information, visit capitalgroup.com.

Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

Investors should carefully consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. This and other important information is contained in the fund prospectuses and summary prospectuses, which can be obtained from a financial professional and should be read carefully before investing.

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1 Source: Morningstar. Direct U.S. ETFs only as of May 31, 2024

2 Source: Capital Group. Integrated ETF sales tracking solution leveraging 3PD, firm data pack and other data sources (24.6k advisor sellers) as of May 31, 2024.

Media Contact:

Sarah Christiansen, Capital Group

[email protected]

650-447-4986

SOURCE Capital Group Companies
ARLINGTON, Va., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, June 29th, marks the one-year anniversary of the landmark decision in the case of Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard/UNC, a pivotal event in the history of American education. This ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court has brought an end to race-based affirmative action policies in college admissions, heralding a new, long-overdue era of equal opportunity and merit-based selection at all American colleges and universities.

The decision was an essential victory for Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit organization of over 19,000 members who are committed to ensuring that all students are judged by their individual merits and achievements rather than their immutable racial or ethnic backgrounds.

The ruling has been widely celebrated by substantial majorities of all Americans who believe that it restores the fundamental principles of the colorblind legal covenant that binds together our multi-racial nation.

Over the past year, it has been broadly reported that educational institutions across the country have been adapting to this new legal landscape. Many have implemented novel policies and procedures they claim will ensure that their admissions processes are both fair and transparent. These changes purport to provide equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds.

Edward Blum, president of SFFA, stated, "This ruling is a long-overdue monumental step forward in our nation's pursuit of a truly fair and unbiased educational system. It affirms the principle that every student should have an equal opportunity to succeed based on their hard work and talents. We are proud to have played a role in this historic moment and look forward to the positive changes it will bring to college admissions nationwide."

Blum added, "SFFA is closely monitoring the new admissions policies that are being implemented by undergraduate, law, and medical colleges and universities. This organization is prepared to challenge any school that illegally uses applicant essays or racial proxies as a substitute for racial classifications and preferences."

Blum said, "Dozens of polls have revealed that nearly 70% of Americans agree with the Supreme Court's decision to end racial preferences in college admissions. The message these polls make clear is that Americans of all races do not believe individuals should be treated differently because of their race."

Blum added, "As a legal and ethical principle, if race as a factor in college admissions is unconstitutional and unfair, then it must follow that race as a factor in internships, fellowships, scholarships, hiring and promotion, and contracting is unconstitutional and unfair as well."

Blum concluded, "SFFA has been fortunate to be represented by some of the most talented and dedicated lawyers in the countryspecifically the Consovoy McCarthy law firm. We are also indebted to the dozens of courageous students who, beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2023, joined our organization to keep these lawsuits ongoing."

Contact:

Edward Blum

703-505-1922

SOURCE Students for Fair Admissions
License provides exclusive access to innovative epigenetic editors and expands the reach of Chroma's platform

BOSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chroma Medicine, Inc. (Chroma) a genomic medicine company pioneering single-course epigenetic editing therapeutics, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with the Whitehead Institute to access intellectual property and technology developed in the lab of Chroma co-founder Jonathan Weissman, Ph.D.

The novel technology called CHARM (coupled histone tail for autoinhibition release of methyltransferase) uses a compact epigenetic editing effector domain to recruit and activate endogenous DNA methyltransferases to durably silence target genes. CHARM can utilize a self-silencing mechanism to limit its duration of expression and has been shown by Dr. Weissman's lab to induce brain-wide prion protein silencing in vivo.

With an aim to deliver on the transformative potential of epigenetic editing, Chroma is expanding the versatility of its platform by leveraging this new technology to rapidly advance a new class of therapeutics that harness epigenetics, nature's innate mechanism for gene regulation, to achieve unparalleled control of gene expression without cutting, nicking, or altering the DNA sequence.

"This agreement is a powerful example of our deep commitment to innovation in genomic medicines," said Catherine Stehman-Breen, M.D., Chroma's Chief Executive Officer. "Adding CHARM to our arsenal of technologies strengthens our mission to bring a broad portfolio of durable epigenetic editing therapeutics to patients."

About Whitehead Institute and Weissman Laboratory

Whitehead Institute is a world-renowned non-profit research institute dedicated to improving human health through basic biomedical research. Whitehead Institute's mission is to forge new frontiers in science, uncovering insights today that unlock the potential of tomorrow.

The Weissman Laboratory is looking at how cells ensure that proteins fold into their correct shape, as well as the role of protein misfolding in disease and normal physiology. They are also developing experimental and analytical approaches for exploring the organizational principles of biological systems and globally monitoring protein translation through ribosome profiling.

About Chroma Medicine

Chroma Medicine is a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of genomic medicines that harness epigenetics, nature's innate mechanism for gene regulation, to deliver precise, programmable single-course therapeutics while preserving genomic integrity. The company's modular platform enables development of medicines that can address a wide range of complex diseases, whether they require silencing, activation, or targeting multiple genes at once. Chroma was founded by the world's foremost experts in genomic research and is led by a veteran team of industry leaders and scientists with deep experience in genomic medicine, drug discovery, and development. For more information, please visit chromamedicine.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).

SOURCE Chroma Medicine
ZURICH, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB) will hold its second quarter earnings conference call on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

The company expects to issue its second quarter earnings release and financial supplement after the market closes on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. These documents will be available on the company's investor website at investors.chubb.com.

The earnings conference call will be available via live webcast at investors.chubb.com or by dialing 877-400-4403 (within the United States) or 332-251-2601 (international), passcode 1641662. Please refer to the Chubb website under Events and Presentations for details. A replay will be available after the call at the same location. To listen to the replay, click here to register and receive dial-in numbers.

About Chubb

Chubb is a world leader in insurance. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 40,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.

SOURCE Chubb Limited
Partnership creates new access to program and sustainability incentives for farmers within The DeLong Co., Inc. network

MINNEAPOLIS, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CIBO Technologies, the climate software company for agriculture, today announced a multi-year strategic partnership with The DeLong Co., Inc. , a privately-owned and family-run enterprise based in Clinton, Wisconsin with 38 grain, agronomy and export locations throughout the United States. Through this collaboration, CIBO Impact helps farmers within The DeLong Co., Inc.'s grower network find, qualify for and enroll in regenerative agriculture incentive programs backed by the USDA and private companies with Scope 3 emissions targets.

Partnership at a Glance: Increase Farm Profitability, Achieve Sustainability Goals, And Create a Resilient Supply Chain

The DeLong Co., Inc. seeks to bring new incentive opportunities to its growers' sustainable and climate-resilient farming practices. The DeLong Co., Inc. chose the CIBO Impact Platform to scale access to public and private programs and incentives that encourage farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture farming practices. Ultimately, this leads to increased near-term profitability by aligning, accessing, and optimizing stackable incentives for farmers on their path to improved productivity and long-term profitability.

"We're always looking for new ways to promote farmland resilience and sustainability across our supply chain. Teaming up with CIBO enables us to broaden farmer access to regenerative agriculture programs, cutting carbon emissions, improving soil health and harnessing financial incentives. Through CIBO's Impact, we can oversee and validate regenerative agriculture practices at scale," said Chris DeLong, President of The DeLong Co., Inc.

The DeLong Co., Inc. is a trusted advisor to farmers, and can help them unlock new opportunities from downstream customers looking to reduce emissions in their supply chain. CIBO Impact supports the development, delivery and management of these programs at scale.

Together, The DeLong Co., Inc. and CIBO are able to:

Increase Sustainable Ag Incentive Payments: Farmers within The DeLong Co., Inc.'s grower network can access the right combination of financial incentives to fund their practice transition and drive farmland resilience and profitability.

Farmers within The DeLong Co., Inc.'s grower network can access the right combination of financial incentives to fund their practice transition and drive farmland resilience and profitability. Prequalify Land & Understand the Potential Return: Farmers and their advisors can draw or upload field boundaries and leverage CIBO-sensed practices to understand eligibility for incentive programs instantly.

Farmers and their advisors can draw or upload field boundaries and leverage CIBO-sensed practices to understand eligibility for incentive programs instantly. Deliver Simplified Program Enrollment: CIBO's convenient workflows and scaled data make enrollment more efficient and effective for farmers.

CIBO's convenient workflows and scaled data make enrollment more efficient and effective for farmers. Monitor Status & Generate Income: Farmers can instantly view program and payment status on the CIBO platform and get paid as practices are verified.

Farmers can instantly view program and payment status on the CIBO platform and get paid as practices are verified. Automatically Prequalify for New Programs: As new incentive programs are deployed, fields will automatically run through prequalification. Farmers are notified of new opportunities.

As new incentive programs are deployed, fields will automatically run through prequalification. Farmers are notified of new opportunities. Navigate the complexity of NRCS Programs: CIBO's program engine digitizes the workflow of NRCS applications and drives farmers towards those practices that are most likely to be funded in their region.

Dan Ryan, CEO of CIBO Technologies, added, "CIBO takes pride in partnering with organizations like The DeLong Company, to scale access to regenerative agriculture program incentives. Whether it's building initiatives to reduce Scope 3 emissions or simplifying the application from USDA funding, CIBO stands as a strategic technology provider, committed to empowering farmers and our customers."

For more information on CIBO Impact or becoming a GNP, please visit: https://www.cibotechnologies.com/grower-network-partner-usda-programs-landing-page/

MEDIA CONTACTS

CIBO Technologies

KWT Global

[email protected]

The DeLong Co., Inc., Inc.

[email protected]

About CIBO

Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2015, CIBO applies advanced technology and software to deliver a deep understanding of agricultural systems at scale. We focus on delivering solutions that drive regenerative agriculture in order to help to mitigate climate change, advance food system resilience, and improve grower outcomes. CIBO is a 2021 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards finalist and was named 2022 AgTech Breakthrough "AI-based AgTech Company of the Year." Learn more at cibotechnologies.com.

About The DeLong Co., Inc.

Since 1913, The DeLong Co., Inc. has established itself as a pioneer in the agricultural industry, providing best-in-class grain trading, exports, agronomy, seed, crop insurance, transportation, and wholesale services. The company operates 39 facilities across the United States and has remained family-owned and operated for six generations. With a deep-rooted commitment to their customers and communities, the family strives to build on their legacy of integrity, family, innovation, growth, and quality. Learn more at delongcompany.com.

SOURCE CIBO Technologies
Leader in Platform as a Service and a pioneer of cloud native principles, Heroku demonstrates a significant commitment to cloud native innovation

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloud Native Computing Foundation  (CNCF), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced that Heroku has joined the Foundation as a Platinum member and will have a representative on the CNCF Governing Board.

Salesforce Heroku, a leader in Platform as a Service (PaaS), is used by developers to deploy, manage, and scale modern apps. The company has championed concepts like stateless applications and separate build and run stages that have become "The Twelve-Factor App." This approach empowered developers to create portable, scalable, and reliable applications. The Twelve-Factor App influence extends beyond Heroku's user base, shaping industry practices for building and deploying software. These principles became a significant part of the foundations for cloud native applications.

"Heroku is pleased to join CNCF as a Platinum member, reinforcing our commitment to advancing cloud native technologies and contributing to the open source community alongside our peer innovators," said Bob Wise, CEO, Heroku. "Heroku is a big believer in the work CNCF is doing to create a landscape of vendor-neutral open source we can all rely on for the long term."

Heroku is a founding member of the Cloud Native Buildpacks (CNB), a CNCF incubation project, as well as active project maintainers. CNB takes application source code and transforms it into an OCI image without the need for Dockerfiles. This helps organizations standardize how their images are built, improving both the day one and day two stories. As one of the pioneers of cloud native principles, Heroku is now building on top of cloud native technologies like Kubernetes, CNB , and OpenTelemetry.

"We are pleased that Heroku has joined CNCF as a Platinum member," said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of the CNCF. "This significant investment is a testament to the importance and continued growth of cloud native technologies and the thriving ecosystem that has flourished around Kubernetes and cloud native. Heroku's commitment to open source infrastructure is welcomed and will be a significant asset to the community."

Heroku will be sharing more innovations at Salesforce's biggest customer event Dreamforce , happening September 17-19, 2024.

Join Heroku and other CNCF members at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon + Open Source Summit China in Hong Kong, August 21-23, KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America in Salt Lake City, November 12-15, and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe in London, UK, April 1-4, 2025.

Additional Resources

About Cloud Native Computing Foundation

Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry's top developers, end users, and vendors and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 800 members, including the world's largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io .

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Media Contact

Jessie Adams-Shore

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation
New micropayments platform enables publishers to convert 97% bounce rates into revenue

CINCINNATI and COVINGTON, Ky., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Content Credits, a new micropayments platform, is proud to announce its commitment to bringing quality content to people of all income levels and backgrounds. With its cutting-edge technology and dedicated publishing partnership model, Content Credits is intent on changing the way people access and pay for content online.

"We believe everyone should have access to the valuable information and resources provided by publishers and media, regardless of their income," said Adam Koehler, co-founder and chief executive officer of Content Credits. "That's why we're thrilled to offer a more affordable and accessible alternative to traditional paywall models."

With Content Credits, users can purchase individual articles or pieces of content at a fraction of the cost of a traditional subscription. As an example, with Content Credits, a consumer interested in reading a specific article published online by a particular media outlet can choose to purchase that one article from that outlet for 25 cents or 10 centswhatever price the outlet determines. This makes it easier for people to access and learn from some of the most valuable information available on the Internet without breaking the bank.

Key Features:

Seamless Integration: The platform integrates seamlessly with existing paywalls, providing an additional revenue stream for publishers.

The platform integrates seamlessly with existing paywalls, providing an additional revenue stream for publishers. Micro-Payment Model: Users will bypass traditional subscriptions and pay for individual articles they want to read, making high-quality content more accessible.

Users will bypass traditional subscriptions and pay for individual articles they want to read, making high-quality content more accessible. Flexible Pricing: Publishers will set the price per article, allowing for a tailored approach that reflects the value of the content.

Publishers will set the price per article, allowing for a tailored approach that reflects the value of the content. Data Insights: Publishers will gain access to valuable data on reader preferences and behaviors, helping them optimize content and pricing strategies.

Publishers will gain access to valuable data on reader preferences and behaviors, helping them optimize content and pricing strategies. Blockchain Technology: The backend will leverage blockchain technology to manage transactions securely and transparently, ensuring that payments to writers, publishers and the platform are accurate and timely.

The backend will leverage blockchain technology to manage transactions securely and transparently, ensuring that payments to writers, publishers and the platform are accurate and timely. AI-Driven Recommendations: As a future integration, Content Credits plans to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and provide personalized content recommendations to users and actionable insights to writers, helping them create more engaging content based on reader preferences.

"By offering a pay-as-you-go option, we empower readers to access premium content as needed, while also helping publishers tap into new audiences and increase their revenue," added Koehler. "This dynamic approach benefits everyone involved, fostering a more inclusive digital content ecosystem."

Impact on Bounce Rates and SEO: Traditional paywalls often result in high bounce rates, with studies showing that websites can have bounce rates as high as 60% to 90% for landing pages and blogssome reaching as high as 97%. High bounce rates negatively impact SEO, as they are often correlated with lower search rankings due to reduced user engagement and session duration. By providing a flexible micro-payment option, Content Credits will help reduce bounce rates, improve user engagement, and ultimately enhance SEO performance for publishers (Marcel Digital) (MarketSplash).

Ad Revenue Impact: Paywalls can also impact ad revenue by reducing the number of visitors who see ads. Studies show that the number of unique visitors can decrease by up to 16.8% when paywalls are implemented, leading to fewer ad impressions and lower ad revenue (iZooto) (The Good). By offering a micro-payment option, Content Credits will ensure more eyeballs on ads, enhancing ad revenue potential for publishers.

"As we finalize the technology, we're looking for early adoptersboth publishers and consumersto establish platform relationships," said Dan O'Keeffe, Content Credits co-founder and chief marketing officer. Those interested can visit ContentCredits.com to be among the first to sign up and receive $10 in free credits when the entire system is live, allowing them to be among the first to experience the benefits of micro-payments firsthand.

"Additionally," added O'Keeffe, "publishers are invited to reach out to discuss the model, understand its benefits, and participate in testing. This collaboration is crucial to refining the platform and ensuring it meets the needs of both readers and publishers."

Content Credits is leading the charge in the fight for affordable and accessible content, and invites publishers and both creators and consumers of content to join the movement and help bring valuable information to people everywhere. Visit ContentCredits.com for more information.

Additional co-founders include Vimal Patel, chief technology officer, and Rob Kantner, chief creative officer.

About Content Credits

Founded in 2024, Content Credits is at the forefront of revolutionizing digital content accessibility. By partnering with leading publishers and leveraging innovative blockchain technology, Content Credits offers a micropayment platform that makes premium content affordable and accessible to all. Our mission is to bridge the digital divide and foster a more informed and equitable society. By allowing users to earn and spend "Content Credits," this service incentivizes high-quality content creation and consumption on all platforms while avoiding cumbersome and discriminating paywall experiences, fostering a vibrant and rewarding online environment for publishers, businesses and consumers.

Media Contact

Dan O'Keeffe

513.235.8638

[email protected]

ContentCredits.com

SOURCE Content Credits
The solution analyzes brain activity and detects cognitive distraction, drowsiness, and alcohol in drivers to improve road safety, potentially saving over 20,000 lives each year

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/-- CorrActions, an Israeli AI Driver NeuroMonitoring company, is unveiling a new transformative AI cognitive distraction detection solution. The solution was presented at the mid-year meeting of the TRB (Transportation Research Board) Committee on Impairment in Transportation which took place in Washington D.C. in mid June. The CorrActions software aims to enhance road safety and save lives by assessing if a driver is intoxicated, drowsy, or distracted. When cognitive impairment is detected, the NeuroMonitoring solution can take immediate action, such as alerting the driver or activating safety measures.

The innovative CorrActions' Driver NeuroMonitoring solution is the first software-only monitor of driver cognitive impairments caused by alcohol, drowsiness, cognitive distraction, and more, using data already existing in the vehicle  from the steering wheel, seat, in-cabin radar, and additional sensors and is implemented by OTA (Over The Air) software update without any new hardware being required. The software works passively in the background and doesn't use visual identification or a camera of any kind, making it completely non-intrusive to protect the driver's and passengers' privacy.

CorrActions' NeuroMonitor technology is based on a scientific discovery that reads EEG brain activity through the imprint of EEG signals on muscle sub-movements. One of the measures advocated by the NHTSA is the use of EEG, referred to as an objective measure that is most frequently used to measure brain states.

While driving under the influence of alcohol is well-known as a cause of fatalities on the world's roads, distracted driving is another dangerous impairment that frequently occurs. When driving, cognitive distractions like daydreaming can be incredibly dangerous and potentially fatal. In these situations, even though drivers are with "hands on the steering wheel and eyes on road", their minds are distracted and "off driving". In 2022, driving drunk, distracted, and drowsy caused more than 20,000 car crash fatalities in the US alone.

Last year, NHTSA began the process of standardizing impaired-driving prevention technology that would be mandatory by manufacturers to prevent intoxicated driving.

"Using CorrActions' Driver NeuroMonitoring System can contribute to a 70% reduction in fatalities caused by intoxicated driving. Moreover, it can result in $5 billion savings annually," said Ilan Reingold, CEO of CorrActions. "Given our software's close-to-zero false positives rate, its high accuracy, and its unobtrusive nature, drivers will quickly accept and trust the solution which will contribute to widespread adoption."

CorrActions was founded in 2019 by Dr. Eldad Hochman, a neuropsychologist and scientist, and Zvi Ginosar, an experienced business executive. The company's CEO, Ilan Reingold, is a former Chief Business Officer at Sony and General Manager at Broadcom. CorrActions raised $7.25 million in its Series A round which closed in October last year. CorrActions is the developer of the world's first Driver NeuroMonitoring solution  a software-only, multi-symptom brain activity monitor that is highly accurate, privacy-centric, and market proven.

Images can be downloaded here.

Additional reading:

Traffic Safety Facts, 2022 Data. Published May 2024. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813579. www.corractions.com

Media contact:

Amir Ben Artzi, Meirovitch PR, [email protected]

SOURCE CorrActions
DALLAS, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubhub, the nation's foremost provider of pediatric homecare software, proudly announces its attainment of SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, marking a significant milestone in its dedication to safeguarding customer data and enhancing user satisfaction. This achievement underscores Cubhub's unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of security and confidentiality within its cutting-edge homecare technology solutions.

SOC 2 Type 2 compliance is a certification awarded to organizations that demonstrate exemplary controls and safeguards for protecting customer data. By adhering to the rigorous criteria set forth by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Cubhub assures its customers of the stringent security measures in place.

Key benefits of SOC 2 Type 2 compliance for Cubhub's Medicaid-based clients include:

Enhanced Data Security: Ensuring robust protection of sensitive health data, minimizing risks of breaches and unauthorized access.

Ensuring robust protection of sensitive health data, minimizing risks of breaches and unauthorized access. Assured Software Reliability: Reinforcing trust among healthcare providers and patients through a secure and dependable software platform.

Reinforcing trust among healthcare providers and patients through a secure and dependable software platform. Alignment with Regulatory Standards: Demonstrating compliance with vital healthcare regulations such as HIPAA, thereby instilling confidence in meeting industry requirements.

Demonstrating compliance with vital healthcare regulations such as HIPAA, thereby instilling confidence in meeting industry requirements. Focused Risk Management: Proactively identifying and mitigating potential data security threats within the Medicaid healthcare sector.

Cole Ballweg, CEO of Cubhub, commented, "At Cubhub, trust is foundational to our customer relationships. Achieving SOC 2 Type 2 compliance affirms our steadfast commitment to security, privacy, and reliability. It reinforces our belief that everyone benefits when their software partner operates with integrity."

About Cubhub

Cubhub provides state-of-the-art software solutions tailored for Medicaid-based home health care, driving innovation that revolutionizes business operations for our clients. Committed to empowering agencies with automation tools that enhance efficiency and prioritize patient care, Cubhub continues to set new standards in the industry. Discover how Cubhub can transform your home care agency at www.cubhub.io .

Media Contact: Presley Perkins, [email protected]

SOURCE Cubhub Systems
Website developed by public-private partnership of Texas organizations to serve as essential guide through disasters

HOUSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BeforeDuringAfter, a multi-functional website designed to help Texas small businesses prepare for, respond to, and ultimately recover from natural disasters and other unpredictable incidents, is now available statewide at beforeduringafter.com .

BeforeDuringAfter was created through a public-private partnership between Texas Mutual Insurance Company , TEXSAR , the Texas State University Institute for Government Innovation , OneStar Foundation , and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas , with additional support from Wells Fargo .

"At TEXSAR, we pride ourselves on preparedness," said Justin McInnis, president at Texas Search and Rescue. "This new platform better connects Texas communities with their local emergency management officials, trusted disaster focused data sources and response agencies, ultimately helping small businesses prepare before a disaster and providing them with necessary resources to navigate and recover from the unexpected. We're proud to partner with like-minded organizations to launch a tool that can make a difference for small businesses and the communities in which they reside."

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) , 40% of small businesses that close in the wake of a disaster never reopen, and an additional 29% go out of business within two years of a disaster.

To help small businesses with resources, BeforeDuringAfter provides a readiness roadmap that outlines essential steps to help them prepare before a disaster strikes, includes access to crucial government information and local news updates during a disaster, and features a recovery timeline that includes steps businesses can take to help them bounce back after a disaster.

For more information on BeforeDuringAfter and to learn how to prepare your small business before disaster, visit beforeduringafter.com .

ADDITIONAL QUOTES FOR ATTRIBUTION

Rebecca Davio, Director, Texas State University Institute for Government Innovation

"In Texas, disasters start and end locally. Creating BeforeDuringAfter took more than two years, and we are proud that the platform is finally available to aid in the resilience of Texas communities when facing disasters."

Jeremiah Bentley, VP of Marketing and Community Affairs, Texas Mutual Insurance Company

"At Texas Mutual, part of our commitment to build a stronger, safer Texas means doing our part to help businesses and communities become more prepared, and recover quicker in the event of a disaster. BeforeDuringAfter is just one way we're invested in creating strong, safe and resilient communities across the state."

Chris Bugbee, President and CEO, OneStar Foundation

"OneStar Foundation believes we are stronger when we come together, and we are proud to be a part of the coalition supporting the development of BeforeDuringAfter. This platform represents a significant step forward in ensuring small businesses, nonprofits, and the communities we serve are better equipped to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters."

Christopher Rios, Senior Community Impact & Sustainability Specialist, Wells Fargo

"Small businesses are the backbone of our Texas communities. Wells Fargo works collaboratively with community partners to support small businesses during many financial challengesincluding natural disasters. We know firsthand that better preparedness leads to faster recovery, and we are proud to be part of this coalition to launch BeforeDuringAfter in Texas."

About BeforeDuringAfter

BeforeDuringAfter was developed as a resource to help Texas small businesses prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural and other unpredictable incidents. The website is made possible by a coalition of partners, including Texas Mutual Insurance Company, TEXSAR, the Texas State University Institute for Government Innovation, OneStar Foundation, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, with additional support from Wells Fargo. Explore more at beforeduringafter.com .

Media Contact: ECPR Texas

[email protected]

(512) 472-9599

SOURCE Texas Mutual Insurance Company
Event hosted by Pisco Chile and ProChile

NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City, the nation's cocktail trendsetter, hosted a celebration of Chilean culture and spirits with the "Discover Chilean Pisco Trade Event" on Wednesday, June 26th. Set in the popular bar-restaurant Le Louis, this event immersed trade and media in the unique attributes of Chilean pisco.

Pisco Chile and ProChile designed the event to introduce trade and media professionals to Chilean pisco's distinct qualities and unique flavors. Expert Market Research (EMR) reported earlier this year that the global pisco market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6% between 2024 and 2032 to reach a value of nearly USD 1128.10 million by 2032. Pisco's rising popularity can be attributed to the burgeoning global cocktail culture and the growing appreciation for artisanal and premium spirits. This trend is particularly evident in North America, where consumers increasingly seek unique, high-quality spirits. New York City provided an ideal backdrop for this event, reflecting the city's influence on national and global cocktail trends.

Top producers presented their piscos, shared craft-production methods, and their unique histories, unveiling what makes Chilean pisco a standout on the global spirits stage. The event featured a Tasting Experience from renowned producers including Pisco Curu, Pisquera Cogoti, Pisquera de Chile, Pisquera Tulahuen, Pisquera Bauza, CAPEL, and El Gobernador. Each producer offered a distinct perspective on Chilean pisco and presented a signature cocktail highlighting the versatility of their spirit. Cocktails include;

Pisco Mule: Pisco Cogoti, ginger beer, lime

Pisco de Playa: Pisco Waqar, pineapple, strawberry, lemon juice, vanilla syrup

Elqui Lemonade: Pisco Capel, lemonade, berry, ginger ale

Pisco Punch: Pisco El Gobernador, pineapple, lemon juice, simple syrup

The Encumbrado: Pisco Bauza, grapefruit, Drambuie

Pisco-groni: A pisco Mistral 40 negroni

The Sanhattan: A pisco Curu Manhattan-style cocktail inspired by the nickname "Sanhattan," reflecting Chile's capital, Santiago's , Manhattan -like ambitions.

The event celebrated Chile's national spirit and its significance in Chilean culture. Strong attendance and enthusiastic feedback indicated a keen desire for education about Chilean pisco and its unique attributes.

"We are thrilled to be introducing Chilean Pisco and its history in one of the world's trendsetting cities. Chile is proud of our national spirit, our icon of celebrations, and the role Pisco plays in everyday Chilean culture and our heritage. At this event, we showcased different styles and a variety of cocktails, and are humbled by the positive response from valued members of the industry. We look forward to continuing to introduce the diversity and versatility of Chilean Pisco to members of the trade and consumers," said Claudio Escobar, Manager of Pisco Chile.

"The event held in NY within the framework of Vinexpo is a continuation of the effort made by the Association of Pisqueros of Chile together with ProChile to position Chilean pisco in one of the priority markets for the industry," added Andrea Sapag, Trade Commissioner of Chile in New York.

About Pisco Chile:

Pisco Chile is the Pisco Trade Association of Chile dedicated to supporting, promoting and celebrating Chilean pisco and Pisco producers, fostering appreciation for its unique qualities and rich heritage.

About ProChile:

ProChile is the Chilean government's institution responsible for promoting exports of goods and services and contributing to the country's economic growth. Our mission is to contribute to Chiles sustainable development, through the internationalization processes and the promotion of goods and services offered. Through a network of highly specialized and committed people from our regional and international offices, ProChile supports the diversification of the countrys exports for the promotion of inclusive foreign trade that incorporates the gender perspective, the attraction of foreign investment and tourism, all of which contribute to and strengthen the country's image.

Media Contact:

Sicily Cronin

917-213-0254

[email protected]

SOURCE Pisco Chile
"Working on this collaboration was a dream come true," notes Rousteing. "I was only nine years old when "The Lion King" was first released, but still today, almost three decades later, I only need to close my eyes to replay that incredible mix of music, images and emotions. The lessons that I absorbed, as I sat, absolutely transfixed by what was happening on the giant screen in front of me, have remained with me for my entire life."

The collection incorporates key ingredients of Balmain's DNA. While guiding the house for the last thirteen years, Rousteing has consistently riffed on three essentials: a deep reverence for Balmain's singular heritage, a passion for the incomparable savoir-faire of Parisian couture, and a willingness to build upon intimate reflections about his own distinctive voyage through life. Signature Balmain silhouettes and the impressive embellishment and tailoring skills of the house of Balmain are evident throughout this limited-edition offering. In addition, there is a clear continuation of Olivier Rousteing's examination of his personal biography, reflected in his fascination with the brilliant creativity that sets apart African craft and artistry, a theme that has notably marked his Paris Fashion Week runways since the discovery that his birth parents were originally from Somalia and Ethiopia. Africa's stunning weavings, mesmerizing patterns, intricate embroideries and striking silhouettes continued to be strong inspirations for Rousteing and his Balmain design team, as they worked on this collection.

This collaboration also shines a spotlight directly upon a new generation of young African talents. Both Disney and Balmain are proud of their long traditions of championing emerging artists and this new collection builds upon that shared history, introducing a grouping of fresh and appealing visions to a global audience. South African painter Nika Mtwana created a compelling Afrofuturistic portrait for the collectioncleverly managing to incorporate a scene from "The Lion King" into his work, via a reflection on the lens of his subject's sunglasses. Rousteing adapted Mtwana's design into the colorful prints that cover some of the limited-edition collection's tees, tops and dresses. Cameroonian painter Enfant Precoce's concentrates on Disney's Simba, with his artwork showing "The Lion King" star navigating through a dreamlike landscape filled with an array of African wildlife. Precoce's designin an array of black-and-white and multi-colored variationscovers totes, coats, suits, tees and gowns. South African painter Cassius Khumalo relies on a striking mix of vivid blue, deep black and gold-foil to create an eye-catching portrait of Disney's Nala, the film's strong and independent lioness. Khumalo's powerful image has been adapted for a series of totes, tees and hoodies.

The collection is showcased in a short film directed by Femi Oladigbolu and produced by Disney in collaboration with Balmain. Shot at different locations in South Africa's Western Cape province, the film seamlessly weaves together impressive natural beauty and the striking silhouettes, patterns and colors of the new collection, as it follows a Rousteing-led Balmain Army, composed of 30 models from all across Africa, making its way through stunning landscapes before arriving at a joyous homecoming celebration. The film will be shown during the July 5th "Lion King In Concert" evening at London's Royal Albert Hall, featuring the Chineke! Orchestra conducted by Sarah Hicks. Oladigbolu's film celebrates the power of community and, as Rousteing notes, it also underlines the guiding inspiration behind his designs for The Lion King Collectionan inspiration that he sums up in a short phrase: "by celebrating where we come from, we can clearly see where we are headed."

"That statement really says it all for me," explains Rousteing. "It is, of course, a key theme of "The Lion King." It also explains my design process at Balmain, where I constantly reference the house's extraordinary history. But, more personally, it reflects my own long search for answers about my origin. And that's why returning to Africa to work on this film was such an incredibly moving experience for me. It released that same wave of emotions that I experienced when I first viewed "The Lion King," all those many years agofor, as you can imagine, watching that solitary lion cub construct his own unique and chosen family, while searching for truth about his heritage, hit me, an adopted child, particularly hard."

"In celebration of the 30th anniversary of "The Lion King," Olivier Rousteing and the team at Balmain created a vibrant and powerful collection, beautifully capturing the heart and essence of the iconic film and the spirit of Africa," said Tasia Filippatos, President, Disney Consumer Products. "This collaboration continues Disney's lasting legacy of working with global visionaries and spotlighting future generations of creatives.

To further highlight Rousteing's distinctive personal journey, ABC Owned Television Stations presents the documentary special, "On The Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight: Disney's 'The Lion King' x Balmain," as well as a special episode of "Localish Unfiltered," which will premiere on Hulu and the ABC Owned Television Stations' streaming and digital platforms on July 10. It is executive produced by Nzinga Blake, executive producer of Race & Culture at ABC Owned Television Stations.

The Disney x Balmain: The Lion King collection will launch on July 8th, online at Balmain.com and across the globe at Balmain addresses and the world's leading fashion boutiques. Pop-up boutiques filled with the collection's offerings will open on July 8th inside Los Angeles' Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills and July 11th inside Hong Kong's Harbor City. In London, both Selfridges and Harrods will feature the collection. In Paris, the large windows at Balmain's rue Saint Honore flagship will be dedicated to the entire collection. For more information on the collection's pop-up locations, visit Balmain.com or Balmain's social media accounts.

Media kit (photos and videos): Link

About Balmain

More than 75 years ago, when Pierre Balmain first introduced his "New French Style," it immediately became clear to all that his eponymous house was offering a distinctly fresh, bold, and feminine conception of haute couture, one which broke with many of the well-established conventions of the era. His audaciousness paid off. Pierre Balmain became one of the handful of young French talents who ushered in the mid-century golden age of couture and helped to re-establish Paris as the world's fashion capital.

Since 2011, Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has been inventively building upon Pierre Balmain's extraordinary legacy, while always remaining true to his own determination to design clothes that reflect the way his inclusive, powerful and global Balmain Army wishes to live today. The result is 21st-Century Balmain's renewed French stylea unique and instantly recognizable house silhouette and attitude that highlights the singular craftsmanship of the celebrated Balmain ateliers, while consistently referencing a rich Parisian heritage.

About Disney Consumer Products

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the division of Disney Experiences that brings beloved brands and franchises into the daily lives of families and fans through products  from toys to t-shirts, apps, books, console games and more  and experiences that can be found around the world, including on the Disney Store e-commerce platform and at Disney Parks, local and international retailers, as well as Disney store locations globally. The business is home to world-class teams of product, licensing and retail experts, artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

SOURCE Disney Consumer Products
RICHMOND, Va., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Do No Harm, the nation's leading medical watchdog group, launched a campaign to fire Assistant Health and Human Services Secretary Rachel Levine following bombshell reports revealing Levine pressured the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to remove age restrictions from standards of care resulting in children subjected to unscientific, irreversible, life-altering medications and surgeries.

Newly unsealed documents publish emails showing Levine pressured WPATH to remove the age limits due to political concerns, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting the change. The emails are excerpts from legal filings in a federal lawsuit that opposes Alabama's ban on gender-affirming care.

In less than 24 hours since the campaign launched, Do No Harm received more than 1,000 signatures on a petition to get Levin to resign immediately or be fired.

Do No Harm's petition reads, in part: "Levine's demands were politically motivated and showed no concern for medical evidence or ethics. As the documents show, Levine worried that age restrictions would cause more states to pass laws protecting children ... Rachel Levine has harmed children by intervening in the development of medical guidelines. We call on Rachel Levine to resign immediately. Failing that, we call on President Biden to fire Rachel Levine."

Do No Harm Chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb condemned Levine and the Biden Administration in a statement:

"Rachel Levine and the Biden Administration ignored science and subjected children to life altering experimental medical treatments in the name of radical politics. Their unscientific pressure campaign against WPATH to remove age-based guidance for transgender surgeries that risked harming thousands of children. Do No Harm is calling on Levine to resign immediately, or be fired, for putting politics over patients."

Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With more than 8,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and in 14 countries, DNH has achieved more than 9,700 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.

SOURCE Do No Harm
For the 10th year, United Way has recognized Entergy as a top 10 company for creating positive, lasting change across Southeast Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- United Way of Southeast Louisiana, or UWSELA, recently recognized Entergy as the leading company in their Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces for 2023-2024. This is the 10th year in a row Entergy has been recognized in the top 10 list.

"Our collaboration with Entergy has been pivotal in our steadfast dedication to bridging divides and fostering avenues for prosperity so that every individual in our community can thrive in health, education and financial stability," said UWSELA President and CEO Michael Williamson. "Congratulations to Entergy for securing the top ranking, and heartfelt appreciation goes to our unwavering partners who drive UWSELA's mission to eliminate poverty across Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes."

The annual ranking recognizes businesses in UWSELA's seven-parish service area that are investing in a more vibrant Southeast Louisiana and its residents through employee contributions, volunteerism, corporate gifts, in-kind support and fundraisers. In 2023, Entergy shareholders and employees raised or contributed more than $1.1 million to UWSELA.

"We are honored to be recognized as the leader of the top ten most generous companies in Southeast Louisiana," said Patty Riddlebarger, Entergy's vice president of corporate social responsibility. "This recognition reflects our unwavering dedication to supporting the very communities where we live and work to create a positive impact. By collaborating with United Way, we are strengthening our workforce, boosting the local economy and enhancing the overall health and wellness of the communities we serve."

Each year, Entergy employees participate in United Way campaigns to raise funds for their communities. Company shareholders match employee contributions dollar-for-dollar to maximize the impact of employee giving. Through the company's partnership with UWSELA, Entergy continues to implement a range of initiatives aimed at addressing poverty, promoting education and workforce development, providing financial assistance to vulnerable customers, improving its communities and caring for the environment.

This year's Top 10 Most Generous Workplaces include:

Entergy Corporation

Valero Meraux Refinery

Shell

Chalmette Refining, LLC - PBF Energy

Zachry Group

International Paper

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc.

Rain Carbon Inc.

Pan-American Life Insurance Group

Latter & Blum | Compass

Entergy is committed in its mission to give back and make a difference in the communities it serves across its service area in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In 2023, the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility had a profound impact on its customers and communities, resulting in an economic impact of nearly $140 million.

Learn more about Entergy's commitment to serving its communities here.

About Entergy

Entergy is a Fortune 500 company that powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife

SOURCE Entergy Corporation
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Browse in-depth TOC on "Environmental Monitoring Market"

174 - Tables

39 - Figures

217 - Pages

Environmental Monitoring Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $14.7 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $18.6 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% Market Size Available for 20212029 Forecast Period 20242029 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Product, Sampling Method, Component, Application, End user, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Supportive rules and regulations by government to reduce environmental pollution Key Market Drivers Need for efficient natural resource management

The monitor's segment is to register a significant growth rate over the forecast period of 2024-2029.

Based on the product, over the forecast period of 2024-2029, the monitors segment is to register a significant growth rate. The environmental monitoring product market is segmented into monitors and software. The monitors segment comprises indoor monitors, outdoor monitors, and portable monitors. The key factors encouraging the growth of monitors segment during the forecast period are the growing installation of environmental monitoring systems/stations/equipment and the continuous development and commercialization of outdoor environment monitoring sensors.

The air pollution monitoring segment accounted for the largest share of environmental monitoring in 2024-2029.

Based on application, during the forecast period, the air pollution monitoring segment is anticipated to dominate the environmental monitoring market, holding the largest market share. The segment commands a significant share due to the implementation of rigorous air pollution control regulations by numerous governments, heightened levels of air pollution in major markets like the US, Europe, China, India, and the Middle East, escalating health anxieties, and the rising acceptance and demand for sensor-based air quality monitoring systems.

Asia Pacific registered the highest CAGR in the market during the forecast period.

In 2024, Asia Pacific is expected to register the highest CAGR in the market for environmental monitoring during the forecast period. Asia Pacific comprises China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, and the rest of Asia Pacific. Factors such as the technological advancements in the field of environmental sensors, increase in government funding for the establishment of environmental monitoring stations and greater adoption of pollution monitoring technologies are driving the growth of the APAC environmental monitoring market during the forecast period.

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Environmental Monitoring Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

1. Need for efficient natural resource management

Restraints:

1. High costs of environmental monitoring devices

Opportunities:

1. Supportive rules and regulations by government to reduce environmental pollution

Challenge:

1. Slow adoption of pollution control policies

Key Market Players of Environmental Monitoring Industry:

As of 2023, prominent players in environmental monitoring are Agilent Technologies (US), Danaher (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), PerkinElmer (US), 3M (US), Emerson Electric Co. (US), bioMerieux S.A. (France), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Emerson Electric Co. (US), and Forbes Marshall (India), among others.

A breakdown of the primary participants referred to for this report is provided below:

By Company Type: Tier 1 25%, Tier 2 37%, and Tier 3 38%

By Designation: C-level 34%, Directors 35%, and Others 31%

By Region: North America 24%, Europe 32%, Asia Pacific 28%, Latin America - 10%, MEA- 6%

Recent Developments:

In March 2024 , Emerson Electric co. launched Rosemount 3490 Controller that helps to optimize processes, enhance sustainability and ensure regulatory compliance for water and wastewater applications

, Emerson Electric co. launched Rosemount 3490 Controller that helps to optimize processes, enhance sustainability and ensure regulatory compliance for water and wastewater applications In December 2021 , Honeywell International Inc. announced a user-friendly monitor that alerts users when indoor air conditions may present an increased risk of potentially transmitting airborne viruses.

, Honeywell International Inc. announced a user-friendly monitor that alerts users when indoor air conditions may present an increased risk of potentially transmitting airborne viruses. In February 2021 , 3M invested $1 Billion to achieve carbon neutrality, reduce water use, and improve water quality

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Environmental Monitoring Market - Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The report will enable established firms as well as entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which, in turn, would help them to garner a larger market share. Firms purchasing the report could use one or a combination of the below-mentioned strategies to strengthen their market presence.

This report provides insights on the following pointers:

Analysis of key drivers (Increasing need for efficient natural resource management, Development of wireless cellular and non-cellular communication technologies, Increased health concerns due to rising pollution levels), restraints (High costs associated with environmental monitoring products), opportunities (Increased health concerns due to rising pollution levels, Supportive government rules and regulations to reduce environmental pollution, Growing oil & gas industry, Development of high-end environmental monitoring systems based on nanotechnology), and challenges (Slow adoption of pollution control policies) influencing the growth of the environmental monitoring market

Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios offered by the top players in the environmental monitoring market

Service Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming trends, R&D activities, and service developments in the environmental monitoring market

Market Development: Comprehensive information on lucrative emerging regions

Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new services, growing geographies, and recent developments in the environmental monitoring market

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market segments, growth strategies, revenue analysis, and services of the leading market players.

Related Reports:

Radiation Dose Management Market - Global Forecasts to 2028

Air Quality Monitoring System Market - Global Forecasts to 2028

Healthcare IT Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare Analytics Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Particle Counters Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Get access to the latest updates on Environmental Monitoring Companies and Environmental Monitoring Industry

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Rails to Trails Conservancy Analysis Finds Most Grant Awards Address Needs of Bicyclists and Pedestrians, and Many Fill Gaps in Active Transportation Networks That Provide Equitable Mobility Options for Rural, Suburban and Urban Places

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest round of FY 2024 U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) RAISE Grants reinforces the widespread demand for connected walking and biking infrastructure that exists in rural, urban and suburban communities across the country, according to an analysis by Rails to Trails Conservancy, the nation's largest trails and active transportation advocacy organization.

Nearly one-quarter of all FY 2024 RAISE grants awarded (23.6%), totaling more than $425 million, were for projects entirely focused on trails, walking and biking, with many emphasizing infrastructure investments that would create more connectivity within neighborhoods and between regions. Sixty-four percent of projects included elements to support safer walking and biking.

"Demand for connected walking and biking infrastructure continues to grow for communities of all sizes and types due to urgent needs to prevent traffic crashes and improve access to economic opportunities," said Kevin Mills, RTC's vice president of policy. "With each round of federal infrastructure grants, we continue to see an influx of projects that close gaps in trail and active transportation systems to create new connections and mobility options for people across the country. These are the investments that make communities function better for everyonenecessary improvements that local leaders are championing and Congress is celebrating."

Among the awards were several significant trail-network projects across the country, which are creating new access to safe routes where people can walk, bike and be active outside, particularly in underserved and historically disadvantaged communities. In Washington, D.C., $25 million will create new access to the regional trail network, and in Baltimore, a portion of a $15 million grant will be used to connect South Baltimore with the developing Baltimore Greenway Trails Network, a 35-mile trail loop throughout the city. The City of Waukesha, Wisconsin, received $1.1 million to design two key trail bridges within the regional Route of the Badger trail network, addressing safety concerns at highway intersections. All three trail networks are part of RTC's TrailNation initiative, a nationwide effort to catalyze trail and active transportation networks for millions of Americans.

Searcy, Arkansas, secured $4.2 million to plan and design the Little Red Greenway, linking Kensett to downtown Searcy as an expansion to the existing 5.5-mile Searcy Bike Trail. And Sen. Patty Murray celebrated investments for Washington State trails that include $25 million to close the final gap in the Eastrail regional trail, creating 42 miles of walking and biking access that supports quality of life and economic development in King County.

This round of awards adds to the far-reaching support for trails, walking and biking that has been demonstrated consistently by Congress and the USDOT under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including FY 2023 RAISE grants supporting walking and biking projects in 48 states and Washington, D.C., and the recent Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grants, which included walking and biking infrastructure in 85% of all awards.

While these investments are significant, they continue to fall short of the total demand for connected active-transportation investments emerging in rural, suburban and urban communities across the country. RTC's research has found that more than 150 trail networks are developing nationwide, with at least one in every state, necessitating a sustained, dedicated federal funding source to more quickly move these projects forward.

"The influx of federal investments in these projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law shows a growing recognition by Congress and the USDOT of the significance of walking and biking to support safe, affordable and climate-friendly mobility. What is lacking, however, is the guarantee of consistent investment over time that a dedicated program would provide to ensure that gaps in these essential infrastructure networks will be closed," said Mills. "We're counting on Congress to channel their enthusiasm for these awards into an ongoing commitment to connect active transportation infrastructure by finally funding the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program in FY 2025 and beyond at the level set by Congress in their last transportation bill."

Nationwide, RTC has seen plans amounting to more than $10 billion of unmet need for projects that connect active transportation networks. According to RTC, fulfilling these plans would be transformative, with the potential to equitably deliver economic, mobility, health, safety and climate benefits. To realize these benefits, communities need sizeable grantslike those that RAISE can provideto close gaps between existing sidewalks, bike lanes and multiuse trails to create seamless walking and biking routes that connect where people live and the places they go routinely. Current discretionary and dedicated federal programs deliver significant investments for trails, walking and biking, but many communities will not achieve their infrastructure goals without reliable funding at sufficient scale that is focused on active transportation. The far-reaching impact and demand for trails and other walking and biking infrastructure calls for programs that exclusively fund active transportation to ensure consistent progress over time.

RTC is advocating for transformative policies that increase funding for active transportation and create accountability for progress on climate, equity and safety goals, such as the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP). This new program provides dedicated funding for the planning and construction of safe and connected active-transportation networks and long-distance spine trails. The program was authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and RTC, Congressional champions and partners across the country are continuing to advocate for full program funding in the FY 2025 federal budget.

Learn more about the demand for trails, walking and biking infrastructure and available federal funding at railstotrails.org/funding.

Rails to Trails Conservancy is the nation's largest trails organizationwith a grassroots community more than 1 million strongdedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

CONTACT: Patricia Brooks, [email protected], 202.351.1757

SOURCE Rails to Trails Conservancy
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fielding Graduate University will honor an educational innovator, inclusion advocate, and visionary leader in the nation's capital in July.

Ronald Mason Jr., JD, former president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), will be awarded this year's Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation. The award ceremony will take place during Fielding's convocation on July 10 at 4 p.m. ET at UDC's Theater of the Arts (1400 K St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20005).

Ronald Mason, Jr., JD

Mason, who began his tenure at UDC in 2015, was the university's ninth and longest-serving president. He stepped down on June 30, 2023, after leading the only public university in the nation's capital and the only exclusively urban land-grant institution in the United States. UDC is Mason's third presidential appointment.

While at the helm of UDC, Mason partnered with Fielding's President Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D., to offer the UDC-Fielding Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship doctoral program, which launched in 2019. The first student cohort graduated in 2023. While the leadership studies and urban studies fields have made significant strides in recent decades, they have been mostly male-centric, white-dominated, and limited to narrowly focused topics like urban transportation, urban education, and urban planning. The partnered urban leadership and entrepreneurship doctoral program at UDC-Fielding seeks to produce a new generation of scholars and practitioners. Its first cohort graduated in 2023.

"I am humbled to receive this year's Marie Fielder Medal. It's a prestigious honor," said Mason, who recalled previous awardees and those in the Fielding community "who believed in a moral universe and made it their responsibility to fight for justice both inside and outside of the academy." He said Orlando L. Taylor, Ph.D., the former director of the Marie Fielder Center, and Fielding President Katrina S. Rogers, Ph.D., are among them. "I am grateful that my contribution to the cause allows me to be counted among their number."

The Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation is an annual signature award bestowed by the Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Social Innovation. This award recognizes an individual for a lifetime of achievements devoted to efforts supporting educational access and success.

"We are honored to have President Mason accept the Fielder Medal in recognition of his career devoted to HBCUs and their students," said Katherine McGraw, Ph.D., Director of the Marie Fielder Center for Democracy, Leadership, and Education. "His leadership at Jackson State University and the University of the District of Columbia has ensured opportunities for countless African American students to access and thrive in higher education. Nothing could be more appropriate to the mission of the Marie Fielder Center to advance social and educational justice and inclusion."

Past recipients of the Marie Fielder Medal for Social Transformation include Dr. Orlando L. Taylor, former Distinguished Senior Advisor to Fielding's President and former Executive Director of the National Science Foundation-funded Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL); Dr. Walter Bumphus, President of the American Association for Community Colleges; Dr. Gary Orfield, Co-Director of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA; Dr. Patricia Gurin, Nancy Cantor, Distinguished University Professor Emerita of Psychology and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan; American labor leader Dolores Huerta; and Professor Angela Davis, social justice activist, writer and scholar.

The award ceremony and graduation convocation will also be live-streamed on Fielding's YouTube Channel: fielding.edu/YouTube.

Journalists are invited to cover the Marie Fielder Medal presentation, which will:

Feature remarks from Ronald Mason Jr. , JD, this year's awardee, and Katherine McGraw , Ph.D., Marie Fielder Center Director

, JD, this year's awardee, and , Ph.D., Marie Fielder Center Director Fielding's convocation and graduate toast

Speakers will be available for interviews.

To learn more about the event, please visit fielding.edu/fielding-to-honor-2024-marie-fielder-medal-for-social-transformation-recipient-ronald-mason-jr-j-d. To learn more about Fielding's 50th Anniversary, visit 50.fielding.edu.

For 50 years, Fielding Graduate University has been educating leaders in pursuit of a more just and sustainable world. An accredited nonprofit leader in transformative education, our School of Leadership Studies and School of Psychology combine facetoface and online learning, delivering a personalized graduate education that fosters individual development, community collaboration and societal engagement.

SOURCE Fielding Graduate University
BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Flyers Cocktail Company announces their 'Sunset Spritz Hemp THC Cocktails.' These Hemp THC cocktails are built from the brand's best seller 'Apero Spritz' flavor, targeted for the outside summer occasion, including beaches, parks, rooftops, parties and backyards.

Flyers Cocktail Company's THC Sunset Spritz

Similar to the brand's Sparkling 'House THC Cocktails,' the 'Sunset Spritz' cocktails are zero proof, low sugar, 30 calories, made with real juice and are available in ready-to-drink 12oz cans. These cocktails are offered in Mango Guava, Grapefruit Lime and Watermelon Mint flavors, all including elevated notes of white wine flavor, delivering the complexity expected from the company. The San Francisco Ready-To-Drink Competition recently awarded the zero-proof cocktails with Gold and Silver medals. The flavor profiles were meticulously created over six months with Brooklyn-based James Beard nominee, Ivy Mix, known as Flyers 'Chief Flavor Officer.'

"Our House Apero Spritz has always been a popular seller for us, so it was a no-brainer to further tap into that success with our 'Sunset Spritz' cocktails. Pairing these new flavors with our growing subscription and DTC service will excel our mission in serving the world's best zero-proof THC cocktails to customers across the US," says Lewie (Craig Lewis), Brooklyn based Co-Founder and CEO of Flyers Cocktail Company.

The timing of the 'Sunset Spritz' launch comes on the heels of their recent brand evolution in May, which included a new logo, website and product design. New York-based consulting agency, Safari Sundays, provided branding services for both the company's new look and for the 'Sunset Spritz' packaging. The latter incorporates a brighter color palette in an effort to honor both their flavor profiles and the summer occasion they are marketed towards.

The brand's 'Sunset Spritz Hemp THC Cocktails' can be purchased at drinkflyers.com

About Flyers Cocktail Company

Flyers Cocktail Company provides sophisticated ways to enjoy nights out, happy hours and hangs without the need to compromise well-being to get a buzz. The brand believes in a world where consumers have access to safe and elevated alternatives to alcohol, in traditional alcohol channels.

Co-Founded with Damon Gorrie, and created by world-class mixologist and James Beard nominee Ivy Mix, their zero proof Sparkling House THC Cocktails bring world class flavors into the modern age. Flavors range from the classic Ol' Fashioned, a refreshing sparkling Apero Spritz, and vibrant Yuzu Margarita with a hint of chili. These flavors come in ready-made cans with the option of single flavor or mix packs online, and 4-packs in retail locations. Flyers Cocktail Company prides itself on working with the highest quality ingredients, suppliers and manufacturers in the country, and with 70+ flavor rounds, have solidified themselves as the world's most awarded hemp cocktails and one of the fastest growing THC beverages on the market.

Learn more about Flyers Cocktail Company at drinkflyers.com and on social @drinkflyers.

Press Contact:

Nicole Lewis, General Manager

[email protected]

About Safari Sundays

Based in New York City, Safari Sundays is a consulting and marketing agency with expertise in branding, design, and innovation. Operating since 2005, the agency has provided services to Lays, Doritos, 7-Eleven, Slurpee, and more.

Learn more about Safari Sundays at safarisundays.com and on social @safarisundays

SOURCE Flyers Cocktail Company
HACKENSACK, N.J., June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, Inc. ("FREIT") is pleased to announce today that a settlement has been reached between FREIT and certain of its affiliates and Sinatra Properties, LLC and Kushner Companies, LLC, (the "Kushner Parties") regarding previously reported ongoing litigation. The litigation involved a dispute between the parties related to a purchase and sale agreement entered into on January 14, 2020 (the "Purchase and Sale Agreement").

The Settlement Agreement between the parties to the litigation provides for the payment of a total of $16.9 million by the Kushner Parties to FREIT and its affiliates, consisting of the release to FREIT and its affiliates of the $15.0 million deposit made by Sinatra Properties, LLC under the Purchase and Sale Agreement and an additional payment of $1.9 million by the Kushner Parties on or before July 26, 2024. The $15.0 million deposit has been received by FREIT and its affiliates.

The Settlement Agreement provides for customary mutual releases, dismissal of the litigation with prejudice and the discharge of lis pendens that had been filed by Sinatra Properties, LLC against the properties that were subject to the Purchase and Sale Agreement. While the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability by any of the parties for any of the claims asserted in the litigation, it does conclude a multi-year dispute between the parties.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The statements in this report, which relate to future earnings or performance, are forward-looking. Actual results may differ materially and be adversely affected by such factors as market and economic conditions, longer than anticipated lease-up periods or the inability of certain tenants to pay rents. Additional information about these factors is contained in the Company's filings with the SEC including the Company's most recent filed reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, Inc. is a publicly traded (over-the-counter  symbol FREVS) REIT organized in 1961. Its portfolio of residential and commercial properties are located in New Jersey and New York, with the largest concentration in northern New Jersey.

For additional information, contact Investor Relations at (201) 488-6400

Visit us on the web: www.freitnj.com

SOURCE First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
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Future Of Automotive Industry Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 88 million units Estimated Value by 2030 104 million units Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 2.4% Market Size Available for 20202030 Forecast Period 2024-2030 Forecast Units Value (Units) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Covers Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Landscape, Connected Vehicles, Autonomous Driving Technologies, Electric Vehicles (Evs), Innovations In Battery Technology, Powertrains And Shared Mobility Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, Europe, Row and North America Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Growing adoption of connected vehicles Key Market Drivers Consistent growth in the EV segment over traditional ICE vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are anticipated to witness significant growth.

The introduction of autonomous cars with enhanced safety features and higher level of automation is shifting the trends in the automotive market. Numerous OEMs are introducing Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) autonomous vehicles, including Nissan (Japan), Honda (Japan), Audi (Germany), BMW (Germany), and Mercedes-Benz (Germany). OEMs such as BMW and Mercedes have received approval for L3 autonomous vehicles in Germany and the US, respectively. BMW has also received approval to test its L3 vehicles in Shanghai, China. We expect L3 vehicle sales to gain pace in 2024 as these OEMs start rolling out their L3 models. In addition to testing the cars on roads several tech giants and OEMs have adopted acquisition strategies to take over smaller companies that operate in the space of developing driverless or autonomous technology. The number of Level 3 (L3) autonomous vehicles is projected to grow at a CAGR of 86.5% between 2023 and 2030. The Level 4 (L4) autonomous vehicle market is expected to experience limited commercial growth, primarily in select markets.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific region hold the major share in the sales volume of PV and CV combined. The major factor for this is the intensive manufacturing and export of cars in China. The Chinese market is the world's largest market in terms of vehicle sales as well as production. In 2023, China's sales volume for passenger vehicles was over 25 million units, with a share of around 50% globally. China is the most dominant nation in automotive industry with respect to supplying raw materials, manufacturing as well as its sales. China has the most powerful supply chain of EV batteries. Over 50% of the EV batteries are manufactured in China. Moreover, around 75% of the components of EV batteries are manufactured in China. These Chinese manufacturers are looking to expand their services and acquire additional market share around the world. The Asia region has seen growth in automobile production in 2022 and 2023. Continuing this trend, the Asia region will dominate the market during the forecast period.

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Future Of Automotive Industry Dynamics:

Drivers:

Consistent growth in the EV segment over traditional ICE vehicles

Restraints:

Highly dependent on the global economic factors

Opportunities:

Growing adoption of connected vehicles

Challenge:

Short range of EVs and charging time

Key Market Players Future of Automotive Industry:

Prominent players in the Future of Automotive Industry include Toyota Motors Corporation (Japan), Tesla (USA), Volkswagen AG (Germany), Ford (USA), BYD (China), Hyundai Motor Corporation (South Korea).

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Future of Automotive Industry Recent Developments:

In June 2024 , Honda started the of production of its new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio , US.

, Honda started the of production of its new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in , US. In May 2024 , BYD launched the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, an upgraded version of its BEV model platform and Sea Lion 07 EV SUV will be the first model based on this model.

, BYD launched the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, an upgraded version of its BEV model platform and Sea Lion 07 EV SUV will be the first model based on this model. In May 2024 , Exicom, a leading EV charger and power solution provider in India launched a Harmony Gen 1.5 DC fast charger.

Future of Automotive Industry Size - Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the technologies that are predicted to drive the automotive industry in future.

This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies.

The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

This report provides insights on:

Analysis of key Trends in 2023 till 2030 (Electrification, Rise of 5G, Connected Cars, Smart Manufacturing etc).

in 2023 till 2030 (Electrification, Rise of 5G, Connected Cars, Smart Manufacturing etc). Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the automotive market.

Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the automotive market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets  the report analyses the automotive market across varied regions.

Comprehensive information about lucrative markets  the report analyses the automotive market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about diversification of supply chains, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the automotive market.

Exhaustive information about diversification of supply chains, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the automotive market. Competitive Assessment: Assessment of market shares, growth strategies and service offerings of leading players like across passenger and commercial vehicle segments which are then dirther divided into ICE and electric among others in the automotive market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the autonomous vehicle market and provides them information on key market drivers, challenges, and opportunities.

Related Reports:

Global Automotive Industry Outlook, 2024

Autonomous / Self-Driving Cars Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Connected Car Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Electric Vehicle Market - Global Forecast 2030

Get access to the latest updates on Automotive Companies and Automotive Industry Growth

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
Company brings together innovative technology with top media forensics

and cybersecurity experts to safeguard against deception

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- GetReal Labs, the world's leading authority on malicious manipulated content and deepfakes, today announced its launch from stealth. The company has been incubated over the past two years by Ballistic Ventures, the premier venture capital firm for early-stage cybersecurity innovations, and UC Berkeley Professor Hany Farid, the preeminent and most trusted media forensics expert in the field.

"The inception of GetReal stems from years of watching AI trends and the democratization of its systems and tools. With a significant amount of all online content soon to be AI-generated, and first-hand accounts of how nefarious actors are exploiting advancements, we're at the juncture where GetReal is critical," said Ted Schlein, Co-founder and General Partner of Ballistic Ventures, who co-founded GetReal Labs and serves as its interim CEO. "We incubated GetReal because we understand the very real and growing threats to economies and society. Our mission is to stop these threats with the market's most advanced technology for authenticating content and detecting deception  and the team we've assembled gives me great hope for our future."

"The malicious use of AI comes with serious and immediate consequences. It's not futuristic. We've already seen it happen, from market turmoil caused by a viral image of a Pentagon explosion, to the deepfake disruptions in Slovakia's latest election, and the CFO-deepfake that led to a $25M wire transfer," said Hany Farid, Co-founder and Chief Scientist of GetReal Labs, who also serves as Professor at UC Berkeley in the Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information. "Having spent over 25 years working with corporations and governments on digital forensics and image analysis, I can say with certainty that there's a real and urgent need to address malicious content now. That's why GetReal is here, and I'm excited we can finally share what we've built."

GetReal Labs' mission is to protect organizations worldwide from the threats posed by the malicious use of manipulated content. From AI-generated profiles on social media, to voice scams targeting individuals in corporate accounting and IT teams, to a photoshopped image of a CEO in handcuffs, GetReal offers a suite of forensic solutions for multimedia content as well as real-time detection of malicious voice and video. The company will shape the way organizations protect themselves from deceptive content, including:

Financial institutions and corporations for fraud prevention and trusted communications

for prevention and trusted communications Media organizations for verification and integrity

for verification and integrity Government agencies for law enforcement and national security

"We're entering the new era of generative AI, but what we see now is really only scratching the surface of what's to come," said renowned cybersecurity expert Kevin Mandia, founder and former CEO of Mandiant and Co-founder and General Partner at Ballistic Ventures. "The new attack vector it has created cannot be ignored. GetReal's ability to provide advanced detection of deception and clear explainability of results is what will give organizations the leg-up in this new fight. The team deeply understands this space, and their innovation is exactly what's needed."

In addition to Schlein and Farid leading the company and its vision, GetReal Labs also announced today the appointment of Jim Brennan as Chief Product and Technology Officer. Brennan has spent over two decades driving product vision and engineering leadership at BetterCloud, IBM Security, SecureWorks, Red Hat, Internet Security Systems and the Department of Defense.

To date, GetReal Labs has raised investments from Ballistic Ventures and Venrock. Ballistic Ventures Co-founder and General Partner Roger Thornton, who co-founded GetReal Labs, will join GetReal's board.

For corporations, financial institutions, government agencies, social media companies and other organizations looking to authenticate content and combat deception, reach out to us.

About GetReal Labs

GetReal Labs is the world's leading authority on malicious synthetic content and deepfake detection, offering advanced solutions to authenticate content and combat deception. The company's technology serves corporations, financial institutions, media organizations, government agencies and social media companies. GetReal Labs was incubated by Ballistic Ventures, the venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to funding and incubating entrepreneurs and innovations in cybersecurity, and Hany Farid, the go-to source for media forensics. Learn more at getreallabs.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

SOURCE GetReal Labs
Prayers for Kenya to Find a Peaceful Resolution over Financial Bill 2024

WASHINGTON and NAIROBI, Kenya, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Peace Foundation co-convened the Global Peace Leadership Conference Africa 2024 together with the Interreligious Council of Kenya and the Chandaria Foundation on June 25-27, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Government of Kenya was to officially open the conference on June 26, 2024.

However, in the days leading up to the opening day of the conference, what began as a legitimate political debate about pending legislation, turned violent. The Global Peace Foundation recognizes the urgency and complexity of the current circumstances affecting the nation of Kenya. In the wake of deaths and protests of June 25, 2024, we canceled the Opening Ceremony of the Global Peace Leadership Conference Africa 2024 where President William Ruto was set to give the keynote address to give him time to focus on the affairs of his nation and find the best way forward together with the People of Kenya. We are pleased to hear President Ruto's announcement on June 26, 2024 that he declined to sign the Finance Bill 2024 in accordance to the wishes of his people. Our thoughts are for all those who lost their lives and were injured, and our prayers are for the peaceful resolution of these issues.

The Global Peace Foundation is guided by the vision of "One Family under God" which encapsulates the essential, universal principles and values that order our world and should be the moral compass for our lives. Such principles are the necessary foundation for any constitutional republic in which ethical citizens can live together in freedom and peace.

The era of the modern constitutional republic was ushered in with the founding of the United States, which etched into stone the notion that freedom and fundamental human rights come from a transcendent authority and not from any human institution. This is expressed in America's Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

These ideals are similarly expressed in the Kenya constitution. Please remember that these are the principles and values upon which all constitutional republics are built.

Kenyans are spiritual people with deep commitment to their faith. During this time of difficulty, please turn to your spiritual leaders to find wisdom and guidance as to the right way to proceed.

We beseech all Kenyans to continue to work to resolve contentious situations in a manner that is true to those ideals without violence, without destruction of property, and in ways that do not create an environment that is unsafe for all Kenyans.

For inquiries please contact [email protected]
The new ASR-6000 series delivers unmatched power density and flexibility for AI server and data center applications.

TAIPEI, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading provider of customized, integrated test solutions, GW Instek today introduced the ASR-6000 Series High-Performance AC/DC Power Source, a ground-breaking series engineered to address the escalating power demands of artificial intelligence servers and data centers. This launch reaffirms the company's commitment to pioneering innovative electronic measurement technologies.

Built to meet the rigorous demands of AI servers and data center applications, the ASR-6000 series comprises the ASR-6450 and ASR-6600 models. The ASR-6000 model delivers up to 18kW of power output, adeptly meeting the stringent requirements of contemporary AI and GPU server racks, which consume between 50-60kW per rack. It equips industries to proactively manage the escalating challenges associated with energy demands and technological advancements. This system is crafted to enhance our clients' ability to efficiently test and manage power supplies in the most challenging environments.

Leading Features of the ASR-6000 Series:

AC single/three-phase input and output capabilities combined with programmable scenarios to mimic various power conditions.

Simultaneous testing of multiple devices made possible by the multi-channel output function, simplifying server rack power supply testing.

Silicon carbide (SiC) technology integration to increase power efficiency and reduce energy losses.

Remote operation made possible by a web-based control interface without the need for additional software, increasing user accessibility and convenience.

Tony Chuang, GW Instek Director of the Power R&D Business Unit, stated, "The primary advantage of the ASR-6000 series lies in its utilization of cutting-edge third-generation silicon carbide technology. This innovation has enabled the realization of high power density within a compact 4U design. Furthermore, it features enhanced web control capabilities, multi-channel output, and a variety of communication interfaces. These attributes collectively ensure that GW Instek's power products are designed with the adaptability to be compatible across all testing scenarios."

The ASR-6000 is well-suited for critical power applications, including but not limited to uninterruptible power systems, AC inverters, and server and communication power supplies.

With power-hungry AI workloads driving a surge in data center power consumption, the ASR-6000 series offers a future-proof solution designed for the rigorous testing and validation of robust, energy-efficient power systems. It is expertly tailored to meet the burgeoning needs for adaptable and resilient energy solutions, crucial in today's automated and energy-conscious market landscape.

To learn more about the ASR-6000 series or to schedule a demonstration, please contact: [email protected]

About GW Instek

Founded in 1975, Good Will Instrument Co., Ltd (GW Instek) started as Taiwan's first professional manufacturer specializing in electrical test & measurement instruments, initially producing power supplies before expanding into a broad array of high-precision instruments including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, digital multi-meters and safety testing systems. Now a significant player in the global market, GW Instek boasts a diverse product range with over 300 items, serving more than 80 countries from its headquarters in Taipei and subsidiaries across continents including China, America, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Europe, and India. Renowned for its commitment to quality, reliability, and innovation, GW Instek has received numerous national awards and was ISO 9002 accredited in 1993, reflecting its integrity and creative approach to electronic testing and measurement solutions. This longstanding focus on excellence ensures GW Instek remains a trusted name in the educational and industrial sectors, continually enhancing its R&D and manufacturing capabilities to meet the evolving needs of its global clientele.

For more information on the company and its innovative solutions, please visit https://www.gwinstek.com

SOURCE GOOD WILL INSTRUMENT CO., LTD.
COVINGTON, Ky., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth Hotels, a Covington, Kentucky-based hotel management company, is thrilled to announce the completion of a comprehensive $6.2 million renovation project, enhancing both the interior and exterior of the Hampton Inn Louisville Airport. This extensive transformation underscores the commitment to providing exceptional comfort and modern amenities to our guests.

Renovation Ribbon Cutting for the Hampton Inn Louisville Airport

The renovation project encompassed significant upgrades across all facets of the hotel. Guests will now be greeted by a refreshed exterior facade, featuring contemporary design elements that blend seamlessly with the vibrant Louisville landscape. The interior renovations include updates to guest rooms, common areas, and facilities, ensuring a modern and comfortable stay for all visitors.

Key highlights of the renovation include:

Guest Rooms: Complete overhaul with new furnishings, bedding, and state-of-the-art in-room technology.

Complete overhaul with new furnishings, bedding, and state-of-the-art in-room technology. Lobby and Common Areas: Redesigned spaces that offer a welcoming and stylish atmosphere.

Redesigned spaces that offer a welcoming and stylish atmosphere. Exterior: Updated facade with improved landscaping and lighting for enhanced curb appeal.

Updated facade with improved landscaping and lighting for enhanced curb appeal. Amenities: Upgraded fitness center, and enhanced breakfast area to better serve our guests' needs.

"We are excited to unveil the newly renovated Hampton Inn Louisville Airport," said Isaiah Lewis, general manager of Hampton Inn Louisville Airport. "This $6.2 million investment reflects our dedication to providing top-notch accommodations and amenities to our guests. We are confident that the enhancements will significantly elevate the guest experience and solidify our position as a premier choice for travelers in Louisville."

The Hampton Inn Louisville Airport is strategically located near Louisville International Airport, making it an ideal destination for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel offers convenient access to popular attractions such as the Kentucky Exposition Center, Churchill Downs, and the Louisville Zoo.

For more information or to make a reservation, please visit Hampton Inn Louisville Airport's website or call (502) 366-8100.

About Commonwealth Hotels

Commonwealth Hotels was founded in 1986 and is a proven partner in providing hotel management services with superior financial results. The company has extensive experience managing premium branded full-service and select-service hotels. Additional information may be found at www.commonwealthhotels.com.

Contact

Barbara E. Willen

Commonwealth Hotels, LLC

[email protected]

859.392-2254

SOURCE Commonwealth Hotels, Inc.
KISTA, Sweden, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HANZA AB has signed an agreement with Munters Europe, a world-leading global supplier of energy efficient and sustainable climate solutions.

Munters offers innovative, efficient and sustainable solutions to various customer segments, where accurate control of indoor humidity, temperature and energy efficiency is crucial. The initial deal amounts to approximately SEK 10 million and includes the manufacturing of complete electrical cabinets in HANZA's manufacturing cluster in Central Europe. Munters is a new customer to HANZA and the parties look forward to expanding the cooperation after the initial deal.

"We are very pleased that Munters has chosen HANZA as their partner. With our 'All you need is one' concept, we can offer complete manufacturing of the product in all our manufacturing clusters and we will be a strategic manufacturing partner for Munters for the future", says Veronica Svensson, Sales Director for HANZA in Scandinavia.

Deliveries start immediately.

For further information please contact:

Veronica Svensson, Sales Director Scandinavia

+46 76 888 19 88

[email protected]

Erik Stenfors, CEO

+46 709 50 80 70

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com.

https://news.cision.com/hanza-ab/r/hanza-wins-contract-from-munters,c4007566

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/6093/4007566/2888240.pdf HANZA wins contract from Munters
HALTON HILLS, ON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Hayward Gordon ULC, a leader in industrial pumps and mixers, and EBARA Pumps Canada Corporation, a leader in standard pumps, are pleased to announce their strategic amalgamation to form EBARA HG ULC. In addition, Scott Turbon Mixer Inc., a leader in stainless-steel sanitary mixers, is changing its name to EBARA Mixers Inc. These changes will strengthen market position, streamline corporate structure, and enhance support for our valued customers.

EBARA Mixers Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Hayward Gordon Group)

Effective June 30, 2024, the changes represent a significant milestone for all companies. The newly renamed entities, EBARA HG ULC and EBARA Mixers Inc. will combine the strengths, expertise, and resources of Hayward Gordon ULC, Scott Turbon Mixer Inc., and EBARA Pumps Canada Corporation, providing enhanced value and innovative solutions to our clients.

EBARA HG ULC, registered in Canada, will offer the Hayward Gordon brand of pumps and mixers, Sharpe Mixers (V-series), and EBARA Pumps Canada's standard pumps. EBARA Mixers Inc. registered in the USA, will provide sanitary mixers under the Scott Mixers brand (formerly known as Scott Turbon Mixer) and industrial and portable mixers under the Sharpe Mixers brand. The EBARA, Hayward Gordon, Sharpe Mixers, and Scott Mixers brands will continue to be actively and proudly promoted.

"We are excited to join forces with EBARA Pumps Canada Corporation to create EBARA HG ULC," said Yusuke Nagatani, President and CEO of EBARA HG ULC. "Our combined capabilities and resources will enable us to leverage our comprehensive expertise to provide greater value to our customers. Additionally, our new company name for our mixers business, EBARA Mixers Inc, will enable greater recognition of our mixers brand globally under the EBARA Group umbrella."

Brahim Arnout, Chief Operating Officer of EBARA HG ULC and former President of EBARA Pumps Canada Corporation, added, "This merger marks the beginning of a new chapter of enhanced cooperation. As EBARA HG ULC, we will be strategically positioned to innovate and lead in the industrial pumps and mixers market."

The amalgamation and renaming of the legal entities will also see the launch of new logos, a new visual identity, and a redesigned website. With these changes, we assure our clients and stakeholders that all current products, services and client relationships will continue seamlessly.

For more information about the amalgamation and our new corporate structure, please visit www.haywardgordon.com or contact Sabrina Bladon, Vice President of Marketing at EBARA HG ULC.

About EBARA HG ULC

EBARA HG ULC, a proud member of the EBARA Group, brings together three industry-leading brands in the pump and mixer markets: Hayward Gordon, EBARA Pumps, and Sharpe Mixers. The company is a leader in solids handling pumps and mixers tailored for water and wastewater treatment and caters to the global mining sector for high-quality, harsh-duty mixers and pumps. Additionally, it offers one of the most extensive lines of industrial pumps in North America. EBARA HG ULC operates two manufacturing facilities in Canada, Halton Hills, Ontario, and Aurora, Ontario, where it continues to set leading industry standards in quality and performance.

About EBARA Mixers Inc.

EBARA Mixers Inc., a division of the EBARA Group, encompasses two industry-leading brands in the sanitary and industrial mixers markets: Scott Mixers and Sharpe Mixers. As a leader in providing one of North America's most extensive lines of mixers in various industries, including food and beverage, personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, adhesives, paints and pigments, EBARA Mixers Inc. is dedicated to innovation and excellence. The company's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Adelanto, California, USA, signifies its commitment to quality and performance in producing top-tier mixing solutions.

About EBARA Corporation

EBARA Corporation was established in 1912, with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. Today, it has over 100 operations worldwide and more than 19,000 employees. It is one of the world's leading producers of pumps, compressors, fans, gas turbines, chillers, and semiconductor equipment for the industrial, energy, infrastructure, and environmental sectors.

SOURCE Hayward Gordon Group
BETHESDA, Md., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HiLabs, a leader in AI-powered solutions for healthcare data management, is proud to announce that a study utilizing HiLabs technology and conducted by its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Neel Butala, has been prominently featured in the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's June report to Congress in its discussion of Medicare Advantage Provider Networks. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an independent congressional agency that advises the U.S. Congress on the Medicare program.

The HiLabs study, initially published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), highlights significant discrepancies in provider directories, raising concerns about the impact on patients' access to timely care. The study examined data from 449,282 U.S. physicians and found that 81% of provider entries had inconsistencies across five major health plans. This widespread issue underscores the urgent need for improved provider data management practices.

"We are honored to have our study recognized in the MedPAC report to Congress," said Dr. Neel Butala, the lead author of the study. "These findings illuminate a critical problem that affects patient care. Provider directory accuracy is essential for ensuring patients have access to the right care, at the right time."

The study's findings have significant implications for both healthcare providers and patients. Inaccurate provider directories can lead to delayed care, surprise billing, and the creation of ghost networks. These issues have recently drawn the attention of regulators and lawmakers. An increasing amount of legislation, such as the No Surprises Act, focuses on protecting patients from issues that stem from errors in provider data.

"This recognition by MedPAC is a testament to the critical importance of accurate provider data," said Amit Garg, CEO of HiLabs. "Highlighting the study's impact in such a prominent report is an important example of how AI solutions can effectively address real-world challenges. By leveraging advanced AI technology, we were able to identify and analyze discrepancies in provider directories, showcasing the practical applications of AI in healthcare to improve patient outcomes."

About HiLabs

HiLabs is a leading provider of AI-powered solutions that clean dirty data, unlocking its hidden potential for healthcare transformation. HiLabs is committed to transforming the healthcare industry through innovation, collaboration, and a relentless focus on improving patient outcomes. For more information, please visit hilabs.com or contact [email protected].

SOURCE HiLabs
RENO, Nev., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - i-80 GOLD CORP. (TSX:IAU) (NYSE:IAUX) ("i-80", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of Metallurgical work completed by Blue Coast Research Ltd. ("BCR") on samples from the company's Ruby Hill and Golden Hill (FAD) Projects located in Eureka County and along the southeastern end of the Battle Mountain/Eureka gold trend in Nevada. The Properties are host to multiple polymetallic base metal deposits and/or zones of mineralization that are being advanced by the Company concurrent with the gold deposits.

The BCR Study was commissioned to enhance the understanding of the various deposits for planning purposes related to the recovery of the multiple metals contained within each zone. Locked cycle testing was completed on sulphide dominant composites from the Hilltop (Upper, Lower and East), and the FAD (East, West and Gold Hill Oxide) Zones. Highlights from the Company's 2023/2024 metallurgical programs include:

High grade zinc and/or lead concentrates were produced with positive recoveries for each of the four sulphide dominant composites  with zinc recoveries of up to 96.0%, lead recoveries of up to 97.9% and silver recoveries of up to 85.0%

Positive gold recoveries from cyanidation were achieved for the upper oxidized mineralized zones, realizing 86.8% for Upper Hilltop and 85.1% for Golden Hill

Notably, the composites contain low silica and low deleterious metals, enhancing the expected potential of future concentrates

Work in 2024 will include additional metallurgical work on the Mineral Point deposit at Ruby Hill that is host to a measured and indicated resource of 3.2 M ounces of gold and 97.5 M ounces of silver ( 203.2 M tonnes, 0.49 g/t Au, 14.9 g/t Ag) and an inferred resource of 1.9 M ounces of gold and 72.3 M ounces of silver ( 157.3 M tonnes, 0.37 g/t Au, 14.3 g/t Ag). This makes it one of the largest gold/silver deposits in the United States .1

__________ 1 See Ruby Hill Technical report title "NI 43-101 Report on 2021 Ruby Hill Mineral Resource Estimate Eureka Country, Nevada, USA" with Effective Date July 31, 2021 at https://www.i80gold.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/RubyHill-Tech-Report-2021.pdf and on Sedar or at www.i80gold.com

The Ruby Hill and Golden Hill Properties collectively represent one of the Company's primary assets - host to multiple gold, base metal and precious metal-rich polymetallic deposits and mineralization. Drilling completed between 2022 and 2024 at the Blackjack, Hilltop and FAD zones intersected significant highgrade mineralization with all zones remaining open for expansion. Initial polymetallic (base metal) resource estimates are being planned as part of the Company's mine development strategy for these properties with mine workings accessing both the gold and polymetallic deposits.

"We are encouraged by the positive recovery of the multiple metals contained within the Hilltop and FAD deposits", stated Todd Esplin, Technical Director of i-80 Gold. "We believe that this work will be included in future resource estimates, mine planning and economic studies."

The scope of the program completed by BCR included chemical and mineralogical characterization, comminution test work, cyanidation test work and bench top flotation testing. A total of eight samples were submitted for both chemical and mineralogical characterization. Chemical characterization for the samples is shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1 - Summary of head chemical characterization of all composites

Sample ID Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Pb(%) Zn(%) Fe(%) S2- (%) Upper Hill Top Oxide (Upper HT Ox) 10.89 395 14.7 2.1 15.2 2.2 Lower Hill Top (Lower HT) 1.74 336 9.7 12.9 11.6 14.7 East Hill Top (HTE) 0.04 4.3 0.0 11.3 10.4 11.6 Upper Hill Top Sulphide (Upper HT Sul) 0.74 475 27.2 11.9 11.5 15.9 Upper Hill Top Sulphide-B (Upper HT Sul-B) 2.88 708 37.2 8.9 13.9 19.1 FAD West (FAD_W) 6.02 396 6.4 21.2 22.4 24.3 FAD East (FAD_E) 4.68 249 3.9 14.4 18.8 21.1 Gold Hill Oxide (GH_Ox) 2.27 21.1 0.4 4.5 12.6 0.1

Differences in the chemical and mineralogical properties between each of the zones resulted in metallurgical testing tailored to the specific characteristics of each sample. Base metal rich (Zinc and Lead) sulphide dominant mineralization occurs in the Hilltop, FAD and Blackjack samples with higher pyrite (and gold) in the FAD samples. Non-sulphide lead (cerussite) is present in the oxidized portion of the Upper Hilltop Zone. Only trace sulphides were found in the Golden Hill oxide gold mineralization.

A cyanidation program was initiated for near-surface, oxidized mineralization, from the Upper Hilltop and Golden Hill oxide gold zone that demonstrate that both are amenable to cyanidation. Whole rock bottle roll tests on these composites achieved positive cyanidation gold recoveries of 86.8% for Upper Hilltop and 85.1% for Golden Hill.

Flotation Test Work

Sulphide dominant samples (Lower HT, HTE, FAD_E, FAD_W) underwent extensive floatation test work and utilized a conventional sequential lead-zinc flow sheet depending on the mineralogy. This testing ultimately culminated in successful locked cycle tests being conducted on each composite with high grade zinc and/or lead concentrates being produced at acceptable recoveries. All lead concentrates produced grades at 58% or greater and all zinc concentrates graded at 53% or greater. The results are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2 - Summary of program final flotation results for selected composites

Composite Test ID Product Assays Distribution as % of

contained metal Au

(g/t) Ag

(g/t) Pb

(%) Zn

(%) Au Ag Pb Zn Lower HT LCT-2 Pb Clnr 2 Conc 6.8 2330 75.4 4.3 37.9 85.0 97.9 3.9 Zn Clnr 2 Conc 1.4 191 0.4 56.9 13.9 11.9 1.0 89.8 HTE LCT-3 Zn Clnr 3 Conc - 9.4 - 53.9 - 53.0 - 96.0 FAD_E LCT-6 Pb Clnr 3 Conc 3.0 2598 60.6 8.9 3.4 63.4 88.8 3.8 Zn Clnr 3 Conc 1.0 222 0.9 54.9 4.9 21.7 5.2 92.6 FAD_W LCT-5 Pb Clnr 3 Conc 2.8 2834 58.4 11.3 4.9 76.1 89.2 6.2 Zn Clnr 3 Conc 1.5 198 1.5 54.2 7.2 14.8 6.3 82.3 Upper HT Ox F-29 Pb Clnr 3 Conc 91.7 3840 77.1 - 17.3 22.4 13.2 - Oxide Clnr 3 Conc 17.2 1086 61.9 - 17.6 34.5 57.5 - Combined Pb Conc. 28.7 1514 64.3 - 34.9 56.9 70.7 -

The oxide/transition samples in the Upper Hilltop Zone (Upper HTOx and Upper HTSul) required a different approach due to the more complex mineralogy owing to the presence of cerussite (lead carbonate). For these samples, a sulphidization stage was added after a lead-pyrite flotation flowsheet, that resulted in a significant improvement in lead recovery compared to a conventional lead sulphide (only) flowsheet. A successful batch test using this approach was conducted on Upper HTOx (F-29 shown above) which produced a combined lead concentrate grading 64% lead and recovery of 70.7%.Due to the complexity of Upper HTSul mineralization, a limited flotation program was conducted. However, detailed mineralogical analysis of the flotation products provided a path forward and suggest that (1) sphalerite misplaced to the galena concentrate can be reduced by reducing the rougher flotation time and (2) opportunity may exist to improve lead recovery by utilizing a similar flotation flowsheet as Upper HTOx (pyrite flotation followed by sulphidization of cerussite with NaSH).

Based on the work completed by BCR on the FAD mineralization, the majority of the gold mineralization reports to the rougher and cleaner tails. The scope of work focused solely on the base metal mineralization and future test work will include a focus on gold recoveries from polymetallic mineralization at FAD.

Blackjack Flotation Test Work:

In 2008 Barrick Gold commissioned G & T Metallurgical Services Ltd to conduct flotation test work on Blackjack Lead-Zinc mineral composites.

Composition of Low and High Zinc Composites

Composite Assay in % or g/t Cu Pb Zn Fe Ag Au S C As Pb(ox) Zn(ox) Low Zinc 0.022 0.72 3.7 16.5 24 0.45 17.4 0.05 0.26 0.13 0.17 High Zinc 0.029 2.45 24.5 4.1 196 0.47 16.0 1.07 0.03 0.19 0.13 Note: Aq and Au assays are reported in g/tonne, all others are in percent.

The lock cycle testing on the high zinc composite produced good metallurgical results with approximately 91% of the lead recovered into a lead concentrate grading approximately 70% lead. Approximately 85% of the silver in the feed reported to the lead concentrate, which contained almost 5600 g/t silver. Zinc recovery into the zinc concentrate was 97% at a zinc concentrate grade of nearly 61%.

Future work will look to build upon the previously completed work and optimize recoveries from the Blackjack deposit.

Note - Blue Coast Research Ltd was not involved or did not conduct any Blackjack metallurgical flotation test work

Overall, this program showed that the samples tested responded positively to flotation and future metallurgical work recommended by BCR includes the evaluation of a larger number of samples to better understand the project, completing a larger and more rigorous comminution study to understand milling requirements, conduct additional metallurgical work on Blackjack samples, conduct D-IMS analysis of Lower HT, FAD_E and FAD_W to quantify the amount of gold mineralization locked with pyrite, and determine if primary grinding inert media can improve selectivity in HTE and Lower HT samples.

Hole ID and Location of Composites used in Testing

Composite Hole ID Easting Nad83 UTM Northing Nad83

UTM Elevation (m) Lower HT iRH22-38 587348 4375336 1979 iRH22-39 587346 4375338 1978 iRH22-40 587346 4375348 1978 iRH22-41 587345 4375342 1978 HTE iRH22-61 587520 4375184 1994 FAD_E PC22-07 587179 4373123 2102 FAD_W GH21-03 587090 4373069 2115 GH21-04 587114 4373182 2114 GH21-05 587114 4373177 2114 PC22-01 587033 4373235 2107 Upper HT Ox iRH22-54 587456 4375134 1999 iRH22-55 587618 4375134 2006 iRH22-70 587388 4375282 1986 High and Low Zn G & T Sample BRH-75C 587677 4375547 1738

Sample material was selected through reviewing drill core visually and geochemically to determine differences in mineralization styles. Intervals were then selected on the basis of being representative of the particular composite within each mineralized zone.

Joint Venture Update

The negotiation of definitive documentation related to the previously announced proposed joint venture of the Ruby Hill Property continues to advance. Metallurgical work completed to-date as part of the due diligence program related to this partnership has indicated recoveries similar to those achieved in the BCR work.

Qualified Person

Tim George, PE, is the Qualified Person for the technical information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. George has reviewed and approved this press release.

About i-80 Gold Corp.

i-80 Gold Corp. is a Nevada-focused, mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold producer status through the development of multiple deposits within the Company's advanced-stage property portfolio with processing at i-80's centralized milling facilities. i-80 Gold's common shares are listed on the TSX and the NYSE American under the trading symbol IAU:TSX and IAUX:NYSE. Further information about i-80 Gold's portfolio of assets and long-term growth strategy is available at www.i80gold.com or by email at [email protected].

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the results of the Company's 2023/2024 metallurgical programs, the interpretation of such results and management's expectations based on such results; potential relating to metallurgical recovery rates, the expansion or mineral resources at Ruby Hill and Golden Hill and the potential of the Ruby Hill and Golden Hill projects, the timing and results of technical and economic studies and the completion of the Ruby Hill joint venture transaction. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

SOURCE i-80 Gold Corp
HOUSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- I'm Lonely, Inc. is thrilled to announce the launch of its innovative dating app, designed to help users connect in person with potential partners who share similar interests within their local community. The platform, available on both Android and iOS devices, will officially launch on August 1, 2024.

A Solution Born from Personal Experience

Introducing I'm Lonely - The in person social platform I'm Lonely Verification

I'm Lonely, Inc. was founded in early 2024 by individuals who experienced the challenges of finding meaningful connections. The founders were frustrated with existing dating apps that were expensive, ineffective, and riddled with fake profiles and bots. This realization spurred them to create a space that genuinely facilitates real-life connections and community engagement.

Jeremy Scott, Co-Founder and COO, states, "I believe our business is inspirational because we address a real societal problem and provide a solution that positively impacts people's lives. Loneliness is a prevalent issue affecting our mental wellness, especially in today's fast-paced and technology-driven world. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, loneliness is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, addiction, dementia, and early death."

Unique Features and Benefits

I'm Lonely, Inc. is redefining how people connect in a tech-driven world with its commitment to authenticity, verification, and user experience:

Authentic Connections : Facilitates in-person meetings and events for genuine interactions.

: Facilitates in-person meetings and events for genuine interactions. No Pay-to-Play : Ensures equal access to all features without additional costs.

: Ensures equal access to all features without additional costs. Privacy Commitment : Never sells or shares personal information with third-party companies.

: Never sells or shares personal information with third-party companies. Verified Profiles : Employs a thorough verification process to eliminate fraudulent profiles and bots.

: Employs a thorough verification process to eliminate fraudulent profiles and bots. Community Engagement: Partners with local businesses and corporations to enhance community involvement and mental wellness.

Upcoming Events and Giveaways

To celebrate the launch, I'm Lonely, Inc. will be at the Houston Soul Food Festival on July 6 from 12 PM to 6 PM CDT. Attendees can look forward to exciting giveaways:

Receive a free year of Elite subscription by being one of the first 1,000 attendees to sign up at the booth.

A chance to win a free 4-night cruise for two from Galveston or a lifetime Elite subscription. To enter, attendees must sign up at the booth, post on social media using #HoustonSoulFoodFestival and @imlonelyinc, and download the app between August 1 and August 11 .

I'm Lonely, Inc. aims to deepen community involvement by partnering with small businesses to list their services, thereby helping users shop and grow their local community. Additionally, the company is forming partnerships with corporations to offer its platform as a mental wellness benefit to employees, further combating loneliness and enhancing community strength.

Join the Revolution

Discover a platform that truly cares about your experience and community. Join I'm Lonely, Inc. in the dating revolution and experience a new way to connect meaningfully with others.

For more information, visit www.imlonely.live or follow I'm Lonely, Inc on Facebook , Instagram , X , or YouTube .

About I'm Lonely, Inc.

I'm Lonely, Inc. is a trailblazing company dedicated to addressing the growing issue of loneliness in modern society. Founded in early 2024 by a team of individuals who personally experienced the struggles of forming meaningful connections, I'm Lonely, Inc. is committed to fostering authentic, in-person interactions within local communities. Frustrated by the shortcomings of traditional dating apps, which are often costly and plagued by fake profiles, the founders sought to create a genuine social platform for dating.

The newly launched social interaction dating app provides users with the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and engage in community events, all while maintaining a high standard of authenticity and user privacy.

Media Contact:

David Moss - Co Founder & CEO

Jeremy Scott - Co Founder & COO

P: 832-736-7893

Website: www.imlonely.live

Social Media

SOURCE I'm Lonely, Inc.
New sustainable energy ETF lists with US$1.6 billion invested by Finnish pension insurer Varma at launch

ATLANTA, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ), a leading global asset management firm, announced today the launch of the Invesco MSCI Global Climate 500 ETF (KLMT). KLMT begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange with $1.6 billion in assets from Finnish pension insurer, Varma.

"The launch of KLMT is clear indication that sophisticated institutions are increasing their usage of ETFs for a variety of functions. We are excited to collaborate with MSCI to address the needs of one such investor and provide Varma with a US ETF that offers the precise strategy needed for their portfolio," says Brian Hartigan, Global Head of ETFs & Indexed Investments. "Invesco is one of the few global asset managers capable of servicing clients who want customizable, cross-regional ETFs for exacting exposures."

Institutional interest in ETFs continues to grow as many large, experienced investors recognize that the unique attributes of an ETF - tax efficiency, liquidity and cost effectiveness - can fill a specific need in their portfolios. ETFs can often provide liquidity in more nuanced areas of the market that might require expertise to manage efficient exposure, such as, for example, senior loans. But not every "off-the-shelf" ETF can offer large, experienced investors the precise exposure needed. KLMT is a great example of Invesco's ability to work with global partners to create a lower-cost, passively managed ETF that meets the exact investment mandate set forth by Varma.

"We are very pleased to work alongside Invesco, one the world's biggest asset managers, and MSCI, a leading global index provider, to create an ETF tailored to Varma's systematic investment preferences," says Timo Sallinen, Varma's Head of Listed Securities. "Our $1.6 billion investment in KLMT will help us meet our principles for responsible investing and gives us more flexibility for investing our 61 billion assets."

KLMT seeks to track the MSCI ACWI Select Climate 500 Index, which is an index comprised of securities of global companies that meet certain environmental and climate criteria relative to their peers, including a track record of reducing greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. The index is constructed by selecting the constituents from the market capitalization weighted MSCI ACWI ex Select Countries Index. MSCI and Varma worked together to design the index, to ensure it captures constituents with one or more greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets that fit into Varma's precise investment parameters with respect to energy transition.

"We are excited that Varma and Invesco have chosen the MSCI ACWI Select Climate 500 Index as the benchmark for the new Invesco MSCI Global Climate 500 ETF," said Christine Berg, Head of Client Coverage, Americas at MSCI. "This is a great example of how custom indexes can be used to support the unique views of large institutional investors."

Varma's investment experience may not be representative of other customers' investment experience and is not a guarantee of future performance or success.

About Invesco Ltd.

Invesco Ltd. (TickerNYSE: IVZ) is a global independent investment management firm dedicated to delivering an investment experience that helps people get more out of life. With offices in more than 20 countries, our distinctive investment teams deliver a comprehensive range of active, passive and alternative investment capabilities. Invesco managed US $1.7 trillion in assets on behalf of clients worldwide as of March 31, 2024. For more information, visit www.invesco.com/corporate.

Invesco Distributors, Inc. is the U.S. distributor for Invesco Ltd.'s products and is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Invesco Ltd.

About Risk

There are risks involved with investing in ETFs, including possible loss of money. Shares are not actively managed and are subject to risks similar to those of stocks, including those regarding short selling and margin maintenance requirements. Ordinary brokerage commissions apply.

The Fund's return may not match the return of the Underlying Index. The Fund is subject to certain other risks. Please see the current prospectus for more information regarding the risk associated with an investment in the Fund.

Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not utilize an investing strategy that seeks returns in excess of its Underlying Index. Therefore, the Fund would not necessarily buy or sell a security unless that security is added or removed, respectively, from its Underlying Index, even if that security generally is underperforming.

Stocks of medium-sized companies tend to be more vulnerable to adverse developments, may be more volatile, and may be illiquid or restricted as to resale.

The risks of investing in securities of foreign issuers, including emerging market issuers, can include fluctuations in foreign currencies, political and economic instability, and foreign taxation issues.

Stocks of companies with favorable Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) attributes may underperform the market as a whole. As a result, the Fund may underperform other funds that do not screen companies based on ESG attributes. The criteria used to select companies for investment may result in the Fund investing in securities, industries or sectors that underperform the market as a whole or underperform other funds screened for ESG standards.

Investments focused in a particular industry are subject to greater risk, and are more greatly impacted by market volatility, than more diversified investments.

The performance of an investment concentrated in issuers of a certain region or country is expected to be closely tied to conditions within that region and to be more volatile than more geographically diversified investments.

Financial information related to foreign securities may be less reliable. Market quotations may not be readily available for some securities, and those securities may be fair valued which may be different than if the security had been valued using market quotations. There is no assurance that the Fund could sell a security for the value established for it at any time.

The Fund is non-diversified and may experience greater volatility than a more diversified investment.

Because the Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar.

Since ordinary brokerage commissions apply for each buy and sell transaction, frequent trading activity may increase the cost of ETFs.

Invesco does not offer tax advice. Please consult your tax adviser for information regarding your own personal tax situation.

Invesco Ltd. is not affiliated with Varma or MSCI.

Before investing, investors should carefully read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus and carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and more complete information about the fund(s), investors should ask their advisors for a prospectus/summary prospectus or visit invesco.com/fundprospectus.

Invesco Distributors, Inc. 06/24 3652347

NOT A DEPOSIT l NOT FDIC INSURED l NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK | MAY LOSE VALUE | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY

Contact: Stephanie Diiorio, [email protected], 212.278.9037

SOURCE Invesco Ltd.
WESTFORD, Mass., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to SkyQuest, the global IoT in Healthcare Market size was valued at USD 215.4 billion in 2022 and is poised to grow from USD 252.1 billion in 2023 to USD 926.9 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 16.8% in the forecast period (2024-2031).

The use of Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare industry refers to the connection of all connected devices and healthcare equipment through the Internet. The growing digitization of the healthcare industry is projected to bolster the demand for IoT in healthcare across the forecast period. High adoption of electronic health records and the increasing importance of healthcare data are also slated to augment IoT in healthcare market development going forward. The global IoT in healthcare market is segmented into component, end user, application, and region.

Download a detailed overview:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/iot-in-healthcare-market

IoT In Healthcare Market Overview:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $ 252.1 billion Estimated Value by 2031 $ 926.9 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% Forecast Period 20242031 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Component, Application, End-user and Connectivity Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Latin America Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increase in Adoption of IoT in Healthcare Industry Key Market Drivers Integration of AI within the IoT in healthcare is Driving the Market

Segments covered in IoT in Healthcare Market are as follows:

Component Medical Devices (Wearable External Devices, Implanted Medical Devices, Stationary Medical Devices), System and Software (Remote Device Management, Network Bandwidth Management, Data Analytics, Application Security, Network Security), Services (Deployment and Integration Services, Consulting {Training, and Education}, Support and Maintenance Services)

Application Telemedicine (Store and Forward Telemedicine, Remote Patient Monitoring, Interactive Telemedicine), Clinical Operations and Workflow Management, Connected Imaging, Patient Monitoring, Medical Management, Others

End-user Hospitals, Surgical Centers, Clinics, Clinical Research Organizations, Government & Defense Institutions, Research & Diagnostic Laboratories

Connectivity Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Satellite, Zigbee, Near-field Communication, Others



Request Free Customization of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/iot-in-healthcare-market

Hospitals to Remain at the Top in Terms of IoT in Healthcare Adoption

Growing hospitalization around the world has resulted in an increased burden on these healthcare institutions. To manage this increasing workload, hospitals are quickly investing in advanced digital technologies such as IoT and robotics. High emphasis on improving patient outcomes and the adoption of a patient-centric care approach is also estimated to help promote the use of IoT devices in this sub-segment.

A growing number of clinical trials and high investments in medical R&D are also opening the scope for IoT adoption in clinical research organizations. The increasing complexity of the regulatory framework and the need for more clinical data will also promote the use of IoT devices in clinical research organizations. Meanwhile, rising demand for faster turnaround times from diagnostic and research laboratories will also help promote the demand for IoT technology for diagnostic laboratories and research laboratories over the coming years.

View report summary and Table of Contents (TOC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/iot-in-healthcare-market

Telemedicine: Key to Unlocking Full Potential of IoT in Healthcare Business

The growing prevalence of chronic diseases around the world has boosted the demand for novel healthcare solutions thereby resulting in innovations such as telemedicine. Rising demand for better patient monitoring in all scenarios and advancements in telemedicine technology is forecasted to help this segment hold a high share of the global IoT in healthcare market. IoT devices are highly crucial for the proper adoption of telemedicine, and this is why growing demand for telemedicine will benefit market development over the coming years.

Remote patient monitoring is another key application estimated to uplift the demand for IoT in healthcare. Growing demand for home care and the establishment of multiple remote care centers are projected to help promote the adoption of IoT in healthcare across the forecast period and beyond. The use of IoT devices and systems to automate or improve clinical operations1 and workflow management will also help market development in the future. Medication management is also a key application that is expected to gain traction over the coming years and promote the use of IoT technology across the healthcare industry. Medication management, especially for the geriatric population, will be crucial as aging people opt to live more independently worldwide.

In conclusion, the global IoT in healthcare market has a lot of scope owing to rapid digitization in the healthcare space. Increasing awareness regarding the benefits of IoT deployment is estimated to help IoT in healthcare providers gain good revenue from almost all segments. Hospitals are projected to remain the most lucrative end user for new as well as established IoT in healthcare companies operating in the market.

Related Reports:

Internet Of Things (IoT) Market

Blockchain IoT Market

Internet Of Things (IoT) Professional Services Market

IoT Security Market

5G IoT Market

About Us:

SkyQuest is an IP focused Research and Investment Bank and Accelerator of Technology and assets. We provide access to technologies, markets and finance across sectors viz. Life Sciences, CleanTech, AgriTech, NanoTech and Information & Communication Technology.

We work closely with innovators, inventors, innovation seekers, entrepreneurs, companies and investors alike in leveraging external sources of R&D. Moreover, we help them in optimizing the economic potential of their intellectual assets. Our experiences with innovation management and commercialization has expanded our reach across North America, Europe, ASEAN and Asia Pacific.

Contact:

Mr. Jagraj Singh

SkyQuest Technology

1 Apache Way,

Westford,

Massachusetts 01886

USA: (+1) 351-333-4748

Email: [email protected]

Visit Our Website: https://www.skyquestt.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2446095/SkyQuest_Logo.jpg

SOURCE SkyQuest Technology
Santa Cruz Sport Adventure Vehicle tops Midsize Pickup segment

Hyundai advances seven ranks to achieve third place among mass-market brands

Hyundai Elantra finishes third in the popular Compact Car segment

Hyundai Tucson finishes third in the popular Compact SUV segment

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS)sm ranked the Hyundai Santa Cruz as America's Best Midsize Pickup in initial quality today. Additional vehicles in Hyundai's lineup performed well, with the Hyundai Elantra and Tucson finishing third in their respective segments. Overall, as a brand, Hyundai improved by seven ranks to secure third place among mass-market automakers, exceeding the mass-market brand average by 19 PP100.

Robert Mansfield, vice president, global automotive, J.D. Power, present the J.D. Power IQS Best Midsize Pickup trophy for the Hyundai Santa Cruz to Omar Rivera, executive director, quality and service engineering, Hyundai Motor North America in Fountain Valley, Calif., June 26, 2024. (Photo/Hyundai)

"This trophy underscores Hyundai's commitment to delivering vehicles of the highest quality," said Omar Rivera, executive director, quality and service engineering, Hyundai Motor America. "The Santa Cruz not only offers innovative design and versatility, but it also exemplifies our meticulous attention to detail, advanced engineering, and rigorous quality control. We are dedicated to continuously enhancing the quality of our vehicles and ensuring that our customers are always satisfied."

Study Highlights:

The J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study is based on responses from 99,144 purchasers and lessees of new 2024 model-year vehicles surveyed early in their ownership period. This is the study's 38 th year.

year. J.D. Power measures initial quality by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100) during the first 90 days of ownership. A lower score reflects higher quality.

Conducted between July 2023 through May 2024 , J.D. Power's 2024 IQS study is the result of 227 Voice of the Customer (VOC) questions plus relevant repair data survey organized into 10 categories: infotainment; features, control and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; climate; and unspecified (unique to repair). The study is designed to provide automakers with information to help identify problems and drive product improvement.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance.

J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (in development in Georgia), and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai's 835 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a recent economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America
Brand recognized with First 1,000 Day Promise Certification, Pesticide Free and Purity Awards

BOSTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kabrita, the leading global goat milk formula manufacturer, today announced that the Clean Label Project (CLP), the national non-profit that recognizes brands that place an emphasized focus on purity and surpass the minimum regulations required by FDA, has awarded Kabrita Goat Milk-Based Infant Formula with its highest level of purity achievements including three certifications: First 1,000 Day Promise Certification, Pesticide Free and Purity Awards. This marks Kabrita as the first and only goat milk-based infant formula to achieve these honors, and it joins the ranks of Kabrita's Goat Milk Toddler Formula which also received the same awards.

Earlier this year, Kabrita introduced the first and only goat milk-based infant formula in the United States to meet all FDA requirements. This milestone came after completing years of clinical testing to prove that Kabrita's infant formula is safe and that it provides complete nutrition for a baby's growth in the first year. Goat milk proteins are more similar to breast milk proteins than cow milk proteins, making it easier to digest. It also contains 5x more naturally occurring oligosaccharides than cow's milk, the third largest component of breast milk.

"As a Europeanmade company with 75 years of infant formula experience, Kabrita has always met  and in many cases exceeded  the strictest European standards for babies," said Elieke Kearns, PhD, RD, director of medical and scientific affairs, Kabrita USA. "The Clean Label Project certifications are an important third-party reassurance to the strict safety standards that go into our high-quality products. Our goal has always been to produce the safest goat milk-based infant formula on the market."

In order to secure CLP certifications, Kabrita Goat Milk-Based Infant Formula underwent significant safety testing. Each certification and award ensures that Kabrita has met standards based on CLP's industry benchmarks:

First 1,000 Days Promise Certification : A comprehensive review of a company's food safety programs and independent testing to ensure compliance with key elements of European baby food regulations, including heavy metals and plasticizers.

A comprehensive review of a company's food safety programs and independent testing to ensure compliance with key elements of European baby food regulations, including heavy metals and plasticizers. Purity Award: Requires independent testing for heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers, and benchmarking the test results against other similar products in the same category. It is reserved for products in the top 1/3 of the category.

Requires independent testing for heavy metals, pesticides, and plasticizers, and benchmarking the test results against other similar products in the same category. It is reserved for products in the top 1/3 of the category. Pesticide Free Award: Aims to satisfy consumers' desire to reduce exposure to commonly used pesticides in foods. Products undergo independent testing to verify they meet CLP's standards.

"Goat milk-based infant formula is a welcome addition to the U.S. market and we're thrilled parents can feed their babies with confidence knowing that Kabrita's infant formula is of the highest quality and standards," said Jackie Bowen, founder of Clean Label Project. "Babies deserve the very best and The Clean Label Project's strict certifications provide an important reassurance."

Kabrita's goat milk is sourced from goats on over 100 family owned farms in the Netherlands, and undergoes a highly rigorous process with over ninety quality checks. With over 75 years of formula experience, Kabrita is the #1 goat milk formula worldwide, feeding 1.5 million babies daily. Kabrita Goat Milk-Based Infant Formula is available for purchase on Kabrita.com, Amazon and national retailers including Thrive Market, Wegmans, Meijer, Giant, Fresh Thyme and more.

Want to learn more about goat milk-based infant formula and how it compares to other infant formula options? Join Malina Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN and Erin Moore, RN, CPNP, CLCL, two healthcare professionals well known for their social media educational content as they explained the similarities and differences of goat, cow, and soy-based infant formulas in this popular Kabrita Medical webinar.

About Kabrita USA

Kabrita USA is a division of Ausnutria, a Dutch company with over 100 years of dairy expertise. At Ausnutria, we own the entire supply chain, from farm to consumer end product. All formula produced in manufacturing facilities undergoes a strict safety process that includes more than 90 quality checks to guarantee the highest quality and safety for consumers. Goat milk used in production is collected from more than 100 affiliated family-run goat farms in the Netherlands, with production locations located in Ommen, Kampen, Leeuwarden and Heerenveen.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Kabrita
BEIJING, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- From June 24 to 27, Kempinski Hotels, Europe's oldest luxury hotel brand, in collaboration with contemporary Chinese luxury brand NUO Hotels, hosted the 2024 Kempinski and NUO Hotels China Roadshow in Beijing and Shanghai. The event aims to showcase the group's vast and diverse brand offering, alongside its premium services, reaffirming Kempinski and NUO's unwavering dedication to enhancing the customer experience in China.

The roadshow attracted the participation of 28 Kempinski hotels including eight properties from outside China, and three NUO hotels. Kempinski's Chief Commercial Officer, Amanda Elder, commented, "China plays a pivotal role in Kempinski Hotels' global strategic blueprint, serving as a cornerstone of our expansion and investment efforts. Our unwavering commitment is to deliver comprehensive, thoughtful, and exceptional services to our Chinese guests. Additionally, our multi-brand matrix strategy is tailored to address the diverse and personalized needs of business travelers in the market. The approach not only solidifies our brand's standing but also enhances our market competitiveness."

As one of the first international hotel groups to enter the Chinese market, Kempinski established its presence in Beijing in 1992 with the opening of Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center (Now Kempinski Hotel Beijing Yansha Center). In 2001, it formed a joint venture, Key International Hotel Management. Over 32 years in China, Kempinski has deeply rooted itself in the market.

Alongside, NUO, a premium Chinese brand, has embedded local culture as its core. Each new location serves as a fresh canvas for NUO to reinterpret and express the unique Chinese culture of a particular era or region. NUO is steadfast in its commitment to diversifying its portfolio across the business, holiday, and heritage hotel segments, and is currently rounding out this offering with three hotels in Beijing.

In April 2024, Bristoria, a Kempinski brand, opened its first hotel in Yangzhou City, China. Embodying the philosophy of simplicity with depth, Bristoria emphasizes a relaxed ambiance, dedicated to offering travelers a premier, one-stop service platform tailored for business travel.

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Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2447222/Kempinski_and_NUO_Hotels_Launch_China_Roadshow_to_Showcase_Diverse_Brands_and_Services.jpg
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lanvin Group (NYSE: LANV, the "Group"), a global luxury fashion group, announced today that Lanvin, Lanvin Group's flagship brand and the oldest continually operating couture house in France, has appointed Peter Copping as Artistic Director. He will take the role as the creative lead for womenswear and menswear collections, starting from September 2024.

A British national and graduate of Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London, Peter Copping began his career at Sonia Rykiel and then spent over a decade at Louis Vuitton with Marc Jacobs as head of womenswear. He was subsequently named Creative Director of Nina Ricci in Paris and Oscar de la Renta in New York, where Mr. de la Renta, who had himself been a designer at Lanvin under Antonio Castillo, designated Copping his successor. Most recently, Copping served as Head of Couture at Balenciaga where he directed the ateliers for the reintroduction of the couture collection.

Drawing on the breadth and depth of his wide-ranging experience across categories and continents, Copping brings to Lanvin the singular perspective and technical expertise of a modern couturier. His mission aligns with the brand transformation initiated over the past two years wherein Lanvin is reframed in contemporary culture by a sensibility of radical chic and French sophistication.

Zhen Huang, Chairman of Lanvin Group said, "With 135 years of heritage, Lanvin boasts an exceptionally rich history and is one of the most celebrated names in fashion worldwide. As Lanvin Group's flagship brand, Lanvin is an integral part of our family. With the nomination of Peter Copping, we look forward to the Maison's continued transformation and growth."

Eric Chan, CEO of Lanvin Group, said, "Lanvin Group is delighted to welcome Peter Copping to Lanvin. I am certain that Peter's outstanding talent and capacity to reinterpret the codes of the Maison with curiosity and innovation make him the ideal candidate to drive success for Lanvin. This new chapter for the house fits perfectly with our commitment to meeting the evolving needs and desires of our clients."

Peter Copping, Artistic Director of Lanvin, said, "Jeanne Lanvin was a visionary of her time whose interests and passions extended far beyond fashion, as do my own. I am extremely honoured to have been chosen as Artistic Director of Lanvin and to be able, along with the atelier and teams, to write the next chapter for this iconic House."

About Lanvin Group

Lanvin Group is a leading global luxury fashion group headquartered in Shanghai, China, managing iconic brands worldwide including Lanvin, Wolford, Sergio Rossi, St. John Knits, and Caruso. Harnessing the power of its unique strategic alliance of industry-leading partners in the luxury fashion sector, Lanvin Group strives to expand the global footprint of its portfolio brands and achieve sustainable growth through strategic investment and extensive operational know-how, combined with an intimate understanding and unparalleled access to the fastest-growing luxury fashion markets in the world. Lanvin Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'LANV'. For more information about Lanvin Group, please visit www.lanvin-group.com, and to view our investor presentation, please visit https://ir.lanvin-group.com.

Enquiries:

Media

Lanvin Group

Hezhi Zhang

[email protected]

Investors

Lanvin Group

James Kim

[email protected]

SOURCE Lanvin Group
JOHANNESBURG, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- South Africa's financial landscape is dynamic, and the crucial role of regulation in this sector cannot be overemphasized. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has been keen on strengthening its sound regulatory system to ensure that the trading space is protected.

Amidst this environment, famous South African entrepreneur Warwick Sneider has recently officially stated that his new website - the one that is set to help financial brands become regulatory compliant - is live. Sneider's experience spans several industries such as online brokerage, gaming, casinos, investment analysis, and cryptocurrency. He is a consultant and advisor of choice thanks to his vast knowledge of South African regulations.

"Providing services to help financial companies become regulated is a critical part of what I do," Sneider stated. "This new website is a leap forward in offering these services more effectively. By handling all the complexities of regulation, my team helps our clients build trust and credibility in the market. We are dedicated to guiding financial brands in achieving their goals and meeting all legal requirements to foster a secure climate for them."

The Role of FSCA in Enhancing Financial Market Safety

The FSCA's actions against unlicensed entities underscore the significance of regulation in the modern financial services industry. Just last year, the FSCA penalized several leading names for regulatory breaches. Such steps demonstrate that the regulator is keen on ensuring compliance in South Africa. Moreover, with the emergence of cryptocurrencies, the FSCA has also made it compulsory for all crypto firms operating in South Africa to declare their businesses. Non-compliance attracts serious consequences such as fines of up to $510,000 or imprisonment.

"My primary goal is to streamline the process of procuring and vetting of any and all regulatory compliance for financial brands," Sneider added. "By leveraging my extensive experience and deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, I assist businesses in becoming licensed and maintaining their regulatory status. This process not only benefits consumers but also strengthens the integrity of the financial market as a whole. We must now understand that the FSCA's guidelines, from capital protection to the requirement to segregate funds, are crucial for the creation of a credible trading environment."

About Warwick Sneider

Warwick Sneider is a well-established businessman in South Africa, known for his management positions in several large companies. Having worked in the financial services industry and regulatory technology, he has earned a reputation as a go-to expert for businesses requiring assistance in these fields. He has also held executive positions with some of the most reputable real estate companies including Waritz Property Group and Parklane Investment Holdings Ltd.

The services offered by Warwick Sneider include helping firms navigate the regulatory environment and ensure they are compliant with the FSCA within the stipulated time. His approach to regulation is all-encompassing and focuses on factors such as transparency, safeguarding of clients' funds, and the stability of the market, eventually contributing to a safer financial ecosystem.

https://warwicksneider.com/





SOURCE Warwick Sneider
City of Madison Economic Development Director Matt Mikolajewski and LAC leaders attended the groundbreaking ceremony for The View and The Victoria at Huxley Yards, two affordable housing apartment complexes for families and seniors in Madison, Wisconsin. Additional photos and renderings available upon request.

MADISON, Wis., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC), a mission-driven acquirer and developer of affordable housing, celebrated their groundbreaking yesterday on the future site of The View and The Victoria at Huxley Yards, during a ceremony with LAC leaders, local policymakers and partners. The Huxley Yards developments will provide a combined 553 affordable housing units to individuals, families and seniors in Dane County earning less than 50%, 60% or 70% of the Area Median Income.

City of Madison Economic Development Director Matt Mikolajewski and LAC leaders attended the groundbreaking ceremony for The View and The Victoria at Huxley Yards, two affordable housing apartment complexes for families and seniors in Madison, Wisconsin.

"Lincoln Avenue Communities is proud to break ground on the largest ground-up affordable housing property to be developed in Wisconsin," said Jeremy Bronfman, LAC CEO. "Once completed, Huxley Yards will provide hundreds of high-quality, affordable homes for Madison residents."

The View will provide 303 affordable housing units for families and individuals, and The Victoria will provide 250 affordable units for seniors. The View and The Victoria at Huxley Yards will also be the first new construction development established under Madison's Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan.

"The Oscar Mayer Special Area Plan envisions an entirely new neighborhood for the City of Madison. This project will help that plan come to fruition," said Matt Mikolajewski, City of Madison economic development director. "We are grateful for the investment that Lincoln Avenue Communities is making in the City of Madison and appreciate all the work of the Lincoln Avenue Communities team to get us to this groundbreaking."

The properties will offer community amenities and resident services, such as job training and nature classes. The View will feature a pool, community classroom, fitness center, and an active playground area. The Victoria will include a club room, craft room, fitness center, two rooftop courtyards, and a fenced dog run, among other amenities. Both properties will be Wisconsin Green Built Home certified and incorporate sustainability features such as rooftop solar system.

"LAC is committed to creating innovative housing solutions in the nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas," said Kevin McDonell, LAC vice president and regional project partner. "The View and The Victoria are especially important developments for families and seniors facing limited housing in Wisconsin's capital."

The developments are financed by Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits provided by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and the National Equity Fund; Solar Tax Credits purchased by the NEF; an Opportunity Zone Fund Investment; a Citi Cash Collateralized Taxable and Tax-Exempt construction-to-perm loan; tax increment financing from the City of Madison; and a Brownfield Idle Sites Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

"We are grateful to the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, National Equity Fund and Citibank for their support," said Kyle Brasser, LAC vice president and regional project partner. "Their partnership, along with the City of Madison's collaboration, has been crucial in bringing a vibrant new community to Madison."

About LAC: Lincoln Avenue Communities (LAC) is one of the nation's fastest-growing developers, investors, and operators of affordable and workforce housing, providing high-quality, sustainable homes for lower- and moderate-income individuals, seniors, and families nationwide. A subsidiary of Lincoln Avenue Capital, LAC is a mission-driven organization with a presence in 28 states and a portfolio of 155+ properties comprising 27,000+ units.

SOURCE Lincoln Avenue Communities
Harvest Yard, the Somm. Hotel, and River Run Townhomes Complete Mid-2025

WOODINVILLE, Wa., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Anyone who has been to the Hollywood District of Woodinville recently has noticed the tower-cranes and has seen the transformation in process. Rather than developing the parcels over time, the majority of the construction is being done simultaneously. By mid-next summer, the new Harvest Yard and the Somm. Hotel will be open for business and the initial real estate offering, River Run at Harvest, will be complete and likely sold out.

Harvest Yard - Open for Business Summer 2025

Anchored by prominent regional tenants, Harvest will be a destination retreat, both for people living in the broader Seattle area, and those planning their northwest travel. The Yard will include nearly 100,000 square feet of retail space and three levels of underground parking for up to 650 vehicles. Some of the most prominent regional restauranteurs have chosen to be in the Yard, including Sherbert Ho's Market Fishmonger with its coveted crab and lobster rolls, Ho's Bar Dojo and its Asian-fusion cuisine, Eric Donnelly's Rockcreek Seafood and Spirits, and Ethan Stowell's How to Cook a Wolf. The Yard will also offer a wide variety of tasting rooms  wineries include Gard Vintners, Lachini Vineyards, Cascade Cliffs, Grosgrain Vineyards, Upchurch Vineyard, Avennia Winery, W.T. Vintners, Sama Cellars, and DiStefano Winery. J.P. Trodden will offer its small batch bourbon and cigars will be featured at Kings Cigar Club. Other tenants include Rustic Cork's wine bar, Elm Candle Bar, Chasing Fireflies, and First & Main Real Estate. The Yard itself is a gathering spot with all these tenants surrounding a generous outdoor plaza. All of these and more are expected to be open in mid-summer of 2025.

The Somm. Hotel and Spa is also on schedule to open early next summer. A Marriott Autograph Collection, this 4-star boutique hotel includes 164 sleek guest rooms and suites, a luxury spa, fitness facility, a gourmet three-meal restaurant, lobby bar, and a rooftop bar and amenity space with unobstructed views of Mt. Rainier and the Sammamish Valley. The hotel will also be a coveted event facility, with 10,000 feet of space for banquets, weddings, corporate retreats, and special events. With a main-level bridge connecting The Somm. directly to the Yard, it will be easy to stay and play at Harvest.

Living at Harvest.

River Run at Harvest, with its 31 townhomes located alongside the Sammamish River Tail, will be fully complete by mid-2025, with the first homes move-in-ready by the end of 2024. Ranging in size from 1,968 to 2,975 square feet, these townhomes are located in the private corner on the river trail and many feature views of Mt. Rainier. "Presale response to River Run has been strong," says Sonya Johnston, broker of Harvest Agency, LLC. "Our buyers are excited to recreate on the Sammamish River Trail in the morning, and walk to the restaurants, tasting rooms and shopping at the Yard in the afternoon."

The Harvest redevelopment is the culmination of years of planning, design, entitlement, and execution. "We always wanted to build out Harvest in a single phase, to mitigate any lengthy construction environment, for the town and for new Harvest tenants and residents," says Jim Tosti, co-owner of Harvest. "We are thrilled that vision is coming to fruition, and that people can look forward to enjoying Harvest in 2025 and beyond."

SOURCE Harvest
Jones Soda's Crossover HD-9 Brand Meets Consumer Demand for Mini Drinks, Broadens Footprint in Growing New Category

SEATTLE, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Soda Co . (CSE: JSDA, OTCQB: JSDA ), the original craft soda known for its great taste, unconventional flavors and iconic brand, today announced Mary Jones Hemp Delta-9 (HD-9) Shooters. The new product joins the brand's highly popular HD-9 craft sodas and gummies, featuring the same pure cane sugar formulation and classic taste of Jones Soda, adapted for HD-9.

Credit: Mary Jones

Mary Jones HD-9 Shooters continue Jones Soda's transition from a soda company to a high-growth beverage company. The product taps into the hot consumer trend of small serving portable beverage formats, similar to a shot. It is two ounces of Jones' favorite taste with 10MG of HD-9, available in the brand's award-winning Berry Lemonade as well as Green Apple, MF Grape, and Orange & Cream.

HD-9 Shooters are a perfect shot of low-dose HD-9 for parties, events or gifts, ready for partying any time and ideal for keeping in your pocket or handbag for your next social occasion.

"Jones Soda has been a market leader in product innovation for more than two decades with our mainline craft sodas. We blazed new trails again in 2022 with Mary Jones cannabis, the first non-alcoholic crossover cannabis beverage brand, and now with Mary Jones HD-9 we are gaining a national presence in the broad retail market," said David Knight, CEO of Jones Soda. "It's an understanding of today's modern consumer, who oscillates between beverage formats as the occasion fits. Mary Jones HD-9 Shooters meet the demand as consumers are seeking non-alcohol alternatives."

Mary Jones new HD-9 products have been met with incredible reception from the broader consumer base as well as traditional and cannabis retailers. The products are powered by Jones Soda's longtime reputation for flavor innovation, along with its unmatched brand persona, cult following and market-leading product innovation.

Mary Jones HD9 Shooters are available in brick-and-mortar stores, including liquor stores, smoke and tobacco retailers, grocery stores and more. The new products are also available online at GoMaryJones.com .

About Jones Soda Co.

Jones Soda Co. (CSE: JSDA, OTCQB: JSDA ) is a leading craft soda manufacturer with a subsidiary dedicated to cannabis products. The company markets and distributes premium craft sodas under the Jones Soda brand, and a variety of cannabis products under the Mary Jones brand. Jones' mainstream soda line is sold across North America in glass bottles, cans and on fountain through traditional beverage outlets, restaurants and alternative accounts. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. For more information, visit www.jonessoda.com , www.myjones.com , or https://gomaryjones.com

SOURCE Mary Jones
HONOLULU, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Matson, Inc. (NYSE: MATX), a leading U.S. carrier in the Pacific, has declared a third quarter dividend of $0.34 per common share. The dividend represents a two-cent, or 6.3%, increase over the previous quarter's dividend and will be paid on September 5, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 1, 2024.

"This announcement marks the twelfth consecutive annual increase to Matson's quarterly dividend," said Matt Cox, Matson's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The increase reflects the strength of our business and confidence in our long-term free cash flow growth. As always, we remain committed to the return of excess capital to shareholders through the execution of share repurchases after funding our dividend, supporting our operations with maintenance capital, and investing in growth opportunities, while maintaining an investment grade balance sheet."

About the Company

Founded in 1882, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. Matson provides a vital lifeline of ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, and to other island economies in Micronesia. Matson also operates premium, expedited services from China to Long Beach, California, provides service to Okinawa, Japan and various islands in the South Pacific, and operates an international export service from ports in Alaska to Asia. The Company's fleet of owned and chartered vessels includes containerships, combination container and roll-on/roll-off ships and custom-designed barges. Matson Logistics, established in 1987, extends the geographic reach of Matson's transportation network throughout North America and Asia. Its integrated, asset-light logistics services include rail intermodal, highway brokerage, warehousing, freight consolidation, supply chain management, and freight forwarding to Alaska. Additional information about the Company is available at www.matson.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the relevant forward-looking statement, including but not limited to, statements about free cash flow growth, capital allocation plans and the timing, manner and volume of repurchases of common shares pursuant to the repurchase program. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This release should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the SEC through the date of this release, which identify important factors that could affect the forward-looking statements in this release. We do not undertake any obligation to update our forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Matson, Inc.
Tracie Wickenhauser joins the nation's largest laser hair removal provider.

OMAHA, Neb., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Laser hair removal giant, Milan Laser Hair Removal, has announced the appointment of Tracie Wickenhauser as Chief Operating Officer.

Tracie Wickenhauser, Chief Operating Officer, Milan Laser Hair Removal

Wickenhauser brings over 25 years of experience driving results in business operations, strategic planning, team leadership, customer experience, and financial analysis with major national retail brands. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President of Services at PetSmart, leading corporate and field teams in its services division. Wickenhauser has also held prominent leadership roles with Michaels, Kohl's, and Gordmans.

"I am thrilled to join Milan Laser at this pivotal moment in its growth," said Wickenhauser. "Together, we will harness the collective energy and expertise to drive operational excellence, elevate the customer experience, and propel the company to new heights."

In her role with Milan Laser, Wickenhauser leads the company's operations across 350+ locations in more than 35 states, ensuring a top-tier, seamless customer experience while nurturing a culture of excellence. She reports to company President, Colleen Papek.

"With Tracie's proven track record in business operations, I am confident she will play an integral role in positioning Milan for continued success, as we expand our footprint across the country and make a positive difference in the lives of our Clients," said Shikhar Saxena, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Milan Laser. "I am beyond excited to have her on the team."

To learn more about Milan Laser Hair Removal, visit www.milanlaser.com.

About Milan Laser Hair Removal

Founded in 2012 by two board-certified medical doctors in Omaha, Nebraska, Milan Laser Hair Removal is the nation's largest laser hair removal provider. Milan Laser is a premier employer with 350+ locations in more than 35 states and 2,000+ employees nationally. Laser hair removal is all Milan Laser does, performing more than 80,000 treatments each month. Milan Laser provides life-long results for all genders and skin tones in a safe, judgment-free environment, and highly trained medical professionals perform all treatments. For more information, visit www.milanlaser.com .

Press Contact:

Mary Carrick

Sr. Manager, Communication

[email protected]

Phone: (402) 301-1370

SOURCE Milan Laser
Dariyus Setna brings over 25 years of experience with a proven track record of building and scaling strong businesses, grooming high-performing teams, and consistently driving industry-leading revenue and EBITDA growth. He has been the founder and CEO of a successful consulting business as well as held various leadership and executive roles at EY Consulting, Capgemini, Cognizant and Globant. At his last organization, Globant, Dariyus was a key member of the Executive Leadership Committee, playing a vital role in achieving 4X revenue and 5X market capitalization growth over five years.

At Movate, Dariyus focuses on developing and driving the strategy and execution for propelling business growth by engaging Movate's executive-level prospective and existing customers through a consultative and outcome-focused model.

Dariyus, upon joining Movate, said, "As AI and various digital technologies continue to evolve rapidly, clients need a dependable digital services partner to help them evaluate, embrace, and implement these technologies to transform their businesses. Movate seamlessly brings deep industry domain expertise, relevant digital technology and process experience, boundless agility, innovation, and a maniacal focus on delivering tangible business outcomes for clients. I look forward with excitement to my journey with Movate."

With strong analytical acumen and a visionary leadership style, Chris Condon brings over 25 years of expertise in CX, technology, and delivery solutions. Throughout his career, Chris has held various leadership roles within a leading technology and digital services organization. Prior to joining Movate, Chris had spent over 23 years at TTEC, starting in operations and eventually moving on to sales leadership. His most recent role was Chief Revenue Officer at TTEC Digital, and he previously managed the North American Sales division of TTEC Engage. Chris also managed contact center operations at Merrill Lynch with a focus on corporate equity plan administration services.

At Movate, Chris spearheads the strategy and expansion efforts of the Digital Customer Experience (DCX) and Revenue Solutions businesses, overseeing sales and account management responsibilities. His key responsibilities include shaping the company's Go-To-Market strategies for DCX and driving new business development initiatives.

On joining Movate, Chris said, "Movate's deep heritage in CX services, and more recent investments in digital and AI-driven CX capabilities, well ahead of other firms in the market, attracted me to Movate. I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and get to work on being part of our growth strategy, bringing differentiated solutions to our clients, and in doing so growing our business."

Sunil Mittal, CEO of Movate, said, "Over the past few years, we've made substantial investments to position ourselves for growth in the years ahead. We've completed a couple of acquisitions, expanded our footprint into new locations, and bolstered our executive team. Dariyus and Chris are seasoned executives that bring solid business expertise, a digital-savvy approach and a customer-focused mindset to the table. Their presence will further enhance our go-to-market capabilities to help deliver growth momentum and nurture stronger customer relationships. I'm excited to welcome Dariyus and Chris to our executive team and wish them the very best in their new roles."

For more information about Movate's management team, please visit: Leadership Team for the Digital Age.

About Movate:

Movate is a digital technology and customer experience services company committed to disrupting the industry with boundless agility, human-centered innovation, and relentless focus on driving client outcomes. It helps ambitious, growth-oriented companies across industries stay ahead of the curve by leveraging its diverse talent of over 12,000 full-time Movators across 20 global locations and a gig network of thousands of technology experts across 60 countries, speaking over 100 languages. Movate has emerged as one of the most awarded and analyst-accredited companies in its revenue range. To know more, visit: www.movate.com.

Follow Movate on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449834/Dariyus_Setna_Movate.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449833/Chris_Condon_Movate.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2237530/4589111/Movate_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Movate Inc.
BEIJING, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from China.org.cn about multilingual versions of "Keywords to Understand China: Organizational System of Governance":

Fourteen bilingual versions of "Keywords to Understand China: Organizational System of Governance" were unveiled at the 30th Beijing International Book Fair on June 20. The book series aims to help people around the world understand China's new ideas and measures in modernizing its state governance system and governance capacity.

Gao Anming, editor-in-chief of China International Communications Group (CICG), addressed the event. He said that after years of development, the "Keywords to Understand China" program has expanded its scale and presence both domestically and internationally, effectively enhancing global understanding and recognition of Chinese civilization, China's development path, and China's propositions, thereby helping the world better understand China.

Fan Daqi, vice president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, said that the latest book series outlines the basic concepts, functions, operational structures, and interrelations of various entities within China's state governance system. The book series aims to help the international community understand the fundamental organizational methods of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in governing the country in the new era.

Lina Chebaro, senior copyright manager of Lebanon's Arab Scientific Publishers, said that the "Keywords to Understand China" multilingual book series helps the international community better understand the reasons behind the success of the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics. She said that Arab Scientific Publishers will publish the book series, believing the books will help Chinese publishers better open the Lebanese market.

Also at the event, the copyright signing ceremony for the publication of the Polish, Turkish, Arabic, and Korean versions of the book series was held.

Compiled and published by CICG and its subsidiaries, the book series is available in 15 languages, including Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, German, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, Kazakh, Vietnamese, and Indonesian.

Multilingual versions of 'Keywords to Understand China' released

http://www.china.org.cn/china/2024-06/26/content_117274750.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
National Eczema Association publishes a new paper on eczema and mental health in Skin Health and Disease.

NOVATO, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Eczema Association (NEA) today announced the second publication from its real-world research on eczema and its impacts on mental health. The results were published in Skin Health and Disease in June 2024. The first paper from this research, which examined eczema patients' perceptions of how mental health relates to eczema symptoms, was published in Dermatitis in March 2024.

Over 31 million Americans live with atopic dermatitis (eczema), a chronic skin disease without a known cause or cure that is associated with significant and multifaceted burden. Research has already shown that eczema is strongly associated with symptoms of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression and social isolation. However, until now there has not been an understanding of what type of mental health support eczema patients receive or don't receive from their primary eczema provider.

"This is the first study to explore this important topic for the eczema patient community," said Jessica Johnson, lead author of the study and director of community engagement and research at NEA.

As part of the study, adult eczema patients (18 years or older) as well as the primary caregivers of younger eczema patients (children and teens ages 8 to 17 years) completed a survey about mental health and eczema's relationship to mental health. The survey included questions about eczema symptoms, mental health symptoms, perceptions of the connection between eczema and mental health and experiences accessing mental health services.

Mental health services in the survey were defined as, but not limited to: counseling with a mental health provider; cognitive behavioral therapy; social support groups; alternative mental health therapy (such as music or art therapy); and/or mental health medications.

Important findings from the study include:

42% of patients with AD and caregivers of children/teens with eczema never spoke about mental health with primary eczema care providers





50% of patients were never asked about mental health by their primary eczema care provider during any visits





64% of adult patients and caregivers of young patients with eczema were not referred to mental health resources





The patients more likely to be referred to mental health services included children, men, those with limited education and people seeing non-specialists





If patients were referred to mental health resources, the most common referrals were to counseling services (23% of referrals), alternative mental health therapy (15%), cognitive behavioral therapy (13%) and peer/social support groups (12%)





Among those who received a referral for mental healthcare, 57% utilized the recommended services





The patients more likely to have never spoken with their primary eczema care providers about mental health included women, people of low income and people seeing specialists (such as dermatologists or allergists) for their primary eczema care





Young adults 1834 years old frequently reported not being asked about their mental health but wanted to be

This survey showed that a significant portion of patients are not being asked about or did not speak to their eczema care provider about mental health. Furthermore, most eczema patients are not receiving referrals for mental health support.

"We know about the emotional and psychological toll that eczema can take on patients of all ages," added Wendy Smith Begolka, study senior author and chief strategy officer at NEA. "Ideally, patients and healthcare providers would feel comfortable discussing mental health during their visits. Our study highlights the opportunity to help this discussion occur more consistently."

More research is needed to identify the most effective mental health interventions for eczema patients, as well as current barriers to referring patients to mental healthcare. Future studies may also help us better understand the role of patient advocacy organizations, like NEA, in helping to mitigate the overall mental health burden of eczema.

Additional findings and insights from this study are expected to be published in the coming months.

For more information about this study and other research conducted by NEA, visit NationalEczema.org/surveys.

About the National Eczema Association

Founded in 1988, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest patient advocacy organization serving the over 31 million Americans who live with eczema and those who care for them. NEA provides programs and resources to elevate the diverse lived experience of eczema, and help patients and caregivers understand their disease, actively engage in their care, find strength in one another  and improve their lives. Additionally, NEA advances critical eczema research and partners with key stakeholders to ensure the patient voice is represented and valued in education, care and treatment decision-making. The eczema community is at an exciting juncture, with increased recognition of the seriousness and burden of eczema and a surge in scientific interest and development of new treatments. Bolstered by NEA's strategic plan, Blueprint 2025, we are driving toward the ultimate vision: a world without eczema. Learn more at NationalEczema.org.

SOURCE National Eczema Association
Ranking includes factors such as diversity, culture, work-life balance, career opportunities

CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Help at Home, the leading national provider of in-home, person-centered care for seniors, announced today that it has been named as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for 2024 by Newsweek. America's Greatest Workplaces in the United States is determined by a large-scale employer study based on over 1.5 million comprehensive company reviews from over 250,000 employees.

Newsweek Names Help at Home as One of Americas Greatest Workplaces 2024 (PRNewsfoto/Help at Home)

As evidence of Help at Home's commitment to being an employer of choice, the company experiences higher than average industry retention rates, as well as high client and employee satisfaction NPS scores. According to Newsweek, these important employee satisfaction touchpoints foster a sense of belonging and optimism. Employees at designated Greatest Workplace companies are seen as more motivated and engaged. Companies benefit from creating great workplaces where employees who like their work are more productive with lower turnover rates. By staying at companies longer, loyal employees contribute to organizational stability and consistency. Additionally, employees experience less burnout, which carries over to the customer experience.

"At Help at Home, our nearly 60K caring and compassionate caregivers are the cornerstone of our organization," said Help at Home's Chief Human Resources Officer Michelle Bonfilio. "We also recognize the invaluable talent and dedication of our administrative teams to provide the infrastructure and supportive work environment that enables caregivers to provide their very best care to the clients in the communities we serve, helping them to age in place independently at home."

"Finding a great workplace is an important decision that needs to factor in pay, respect, training and advancement as well as healthy work-life balance. Newsweek and market-data research firm Plant-A Insights are proud to publish "America's Greatest Workplaces 2024," the second annual ranking that highlights companies committed to offering a positive and supportive working environment," said Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek.

This designation is a true testament to Help at Home's commitment to its deep-rooted "caring for the caregiver" philosophy. In the past three years, Help at Home has received several Forbes Best Employer and Newsweek recognitions  and for each of these recognitions, we thank our team of dedicated caregivers and administrative employees.

Details about Newsweek's America's Greatest Workplaces 2024 methodology and the list of full winners are available by visiting America's Greatest Workplaces 2024 - Newsweek Rankings .

About Help at Home

Help at Home is the leading national provider of high-quality, home care services offering innovative programs designed to help seniors and underserved complex chronic populations remain healthy in their homes. As of March 31, 2024, Help at Home operated more than 180 branch locations across 11 states and provided in-home personal care and integrated care management services to approximately 70,000 clients with the help of more than 57,000 highly trained and compassionate caregivers. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Help at Home has nearly 50 years of operating experience in the home care industry. For more information about Help at Home, visit helpathome.com

Kristen Trenaman

VP of Public Relations & Brand

[email protected]

Contact: 502-445-4126

SOURCE Help at Home
OAKLAND, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Workers, the trusted legal advocates for injured workers in Northern California, proudly announces the latest addition to their accomplished team. The firm has recently welcomed a highly skilled attorney, Bahar Madani Hamidi, who brings with her a wealth of expertise and a commitment to championing the rights of injured workers.

Advocating for the Injured: Pacific Workers' Core Mission

Pacific Workers has been at the forefront of providing dedicated legal representation to injured workers across Northern California for years. Their unwavering commitment to securing justice for those affected by workplace accidents and injuries has earned them a reputation as the premier workers' compensation law firm in the region.

Meet the New Attorney: Bahar Madani Hamidi

Bahar Madani Hamidi: vocation of service to the community and fight for fair compensation

With a solid career as an attorney with recognized experience in workers' compensation and dispute resolution cases, Bahar Madani Hamidi is the newest legal professional to join Pacific Workers.

Bahar's record of accomplishment of negotiating, resolving outstanding child support lines, and appearances before the Fresno County Workers' Compensation Appeals Court, are just a sample of her great ability and potential to serve our community.

This graduate of Pacific University's McGeorge School of Law with a recognition of the McGeorge School of Law, Juris Doctor (J.D.), has been a member of the California Bar since December 2017. In addition, she has been a co-founder of the Nasim Rad Hope Foundation - nasimrad.org since 2013. There she oversees raising funds for children with leukemia and other blood cancers.

We at Pacific Workers welcome back Bahar Madani Hamidi, who enjoys watching documentaries, discovering recent music, and supporting local businesses.

The Pacific Workers Difference

Pacific Workers' unwavering commitment to their clients remains their driving force. With the addition of Hamidi Bahar to their esteemed team, the firm is even better positioned to provide top-tier legal services to injured workers seeking justice in Northern California.

The firm's dedication to a client-centric approach, coupled with the expertise and passion of their legal team, sets Pacific Workers apart in the realm of workers' compensation law. They remain steadfast in their mission to ensure that injured workers receive the support, guidance, and compensation they rightfully deserve.

Contact Information

For more information about Pacific Workers, please contact:

Carmen Ramirez

333 Hegenberger Rd. Suite 751

Oakland, CA 94621

(510) 444 - 2512

[email protected]

www.pacificworkers.com

About Pacific Workers:

Pacific Workers is a leading workers' compensation law firm serving Northern California. With a team of dedicated legal professionals, Pacific Workers is committed to advocating for the rights of injured workers and helping them secure the compensation and benefits they deserve. The firm's relentless pursuit of justice and unwavering client focus has earned them a reputation as the premier workers' compensation advocates in the region.

Note to the Editors: For more information about Pacific Workers or to schedule an interview with their legal team, please contact www.pacificworkers.com Carmen Ramirez at [email protected]

SOURCE Pacific Workers' Compensation Law Center
Inaugural Capsule by LA Based-Artist Kelly Malka

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacsun, the leading destination for Gen Z fashion, is proud to announce the launch of the Pac Artist Network Series, an extension of the Pacsun Collective and a testament to Pacsun's commitment to the arts. This series will feature limited-edition capsule collections designed by emerging artists. The inaugural collaboration features Los Angeles-based artist , known for her vibrant and playful style that captures the essence of her hometown. ATRBUTE, a global talent agency representing leading illustrators and artists, facilitated the connection with Malka.

Pacsun Launches Pac Artist Network Series Inaugural Capsule by LA Based-Artist Kelly Malka Pacsun Launches Pac Artist Network Series Inaugural Capsule by LA Based-Artist Kelly Malka

"The Pacsun Artist Network Series is a celebration of emerging creative talents in fashion and art, which are core pillars of Pacsun," Richard Cox, VP of Men's and Global Partnerships at Pacsun. "Working with artists like Kelly Malka allows us to bring innovative designs to our community and beyond, as an extension of our Pacsun Collective, the community-based creative group that helps to co-create our brand."

Malka's exclusive collection showcases iconic LA landmarks through her distinctive illustrations, bringing a fresh and lively touch to Pacsun's fashion offerings. As a first-generation American, Malka's artistic style is deeply influenced by her Jewish Moroccan heritage, adding a rich cultural dimension to her work. "I'm thrilled to be partnering with Pacsun and ATRBUTE on this project," says Malka. "It's an incredible opportunity to share my art with a wider audience and celebrate the beauty of Los Angeles through fashion."

Pacsun's Artist Network Series follows the success of Pacsun's 2024 Festival Campaign, which highlighted young musical talent and their original music, with Pacsun assisting in the creation of music videos for their songs, showcasing their commitment to music as another core brand pillar.

This initiative marks a significant step in connecting artistic talent with the fashion world, offering a unique platform for talented artists to showcase their work and connect with a young, fashion-forward audience. Pacsun is committed to supporting emerging artists and bringing their unique visions to the forefront of fashion, and the series will continue to feature diverse voices from various backgrounds.

Collection imagery and additional assets can be found here.

About Pacsun:

Pacsun is a purpose-driven, leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Delivering the latest contemporary, streetwear, and activewear, Pacsun partners with the best brands at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and sport to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level to inspire the next generation. Founded in 1980 in Newport, CA, Pacsun is now co-created in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on , , , and.

About ATRBUTE:

Atrbute is a global talent agency encompassing ATRBUTE, ATRBUTE Studios, and ATRBUTE Labs. We're strategists and artist managers who champion original voices and support artistic endeavors in an ever evolving age of media. We represent creatives, photographers, artists, illustrators, animation studios and directors to partner their work with iconic brands.

About Kelly Malka:

Kelly Malka is an illustrator and designer living and working in Los Angeles. As a first-generation American, her artistic style is informed by the colors, language, tradition and culture absorbed from her strong Jewish Moroccan heritage during summers abroad.

SOURCE Pacsun
As one of the Leading Cannabis Beverage Brands and Board Member of the Cannabis Beverage Association, Pamos continues to Advocate for Regulation, to Support the Development of the New Alternative Beverage Category

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pamos Cannabis Cocktails & Spirits recently launched its hemp-derived Delta-9 THC beverage brand with major retailers across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. This expansion into the southeastern states is very timely given the rapidly growing demand for nonalcoholic beverages in the United States and the strong consumer sentiment around access to regulated cannabis products.

Alternative beverages such as Pamos Spirits & Cocktails are quickly gaining popularity in traditional alcohol retailers. Alternative beverages such as Pamos Spirits & Cocktails are quickly gaining popularity in traditional alcohol retailers.

"Seeing the largest retailers and distributors across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina bringing Pamos to their customers is continued evidence that consumer demand for these products is being noticed by mainstream operators across the country." said David Mukpo, CEO and Co-Founder of Pamos. "These are exciting times for our industry, and we are in the unique position to build a category by partnering with established and trusted retailers and distributors who clearly see the opportunity and are ready to fold hemp beverages into their traditional alcohol portfolios."

In South Carolina, Pamos is now sold in more than 100+ traditional retail doors including the two largest retail liquor chains in the state. Across Georgia, Pamos is offered to retailers through a network of beer, wine and spirit distributors, and available in traditional alcohol retailers, as well as restaurants and hotels.

Florida is quickly becoming the second largest market for Pamos with products on-shelf in the state's largest retail chain. Additionally, several of the state's largest beer, wine and spirit distributors are adding Pamos to their expanding alternative beverage portfolios.

Mukpo added, "Pamos brings a unique product set with our award-winning non-alcoholic spirit, as well as our great tasting, ready-to-drink canned cocktails, positioning the brand to become a leader in the southeastern markets as consumers increasingly look to expand their beverage choices."

Hemp-derived Delta-9 THC versions of both Pamos Spirit and ready-to-drink Pamos Spritz canned cocktails are rolling out across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina retail locations, which will include category endcaps, dedicated cooler doors and standalone brand displays. This partnership will be supported by local market activations grounded in brand and consumer education in the 17 states Pamos currently operates in, including Texas in more than 200 Spec's Wine, Spirits & Foods locations.

Call for Regulations

Delta-9 THC, derived from the hemp variety of cannabis sativa, was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. This legislation has spurred innovation in hemp-derived products, as well as a calling from operators in the industry for responsible guidelines moving forward.

Diana Eberlein, Chair of the Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA), commended southeastern retailers for introducing Delta 9 THC beverages to customers in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, signaling a significant advance in the normalization and acceptance of cannabis-infused drinks. "Alongside Pamos, these forward-thinking retailers and distributors are showcasing how the larger THC beverage category can harmoniously integrate with traditional alcohol offerings in mainstream retail settings."

Eberlein further praised retailers in these states for their open-minded approach to the evolving beverage landscape. "As we work to pave the way for the hemp beverage category, it's crucial to seize opportunities arising from industry and regulatory developments. The recent federal committee vote on the Farm Bill amendment offers a chance to integrate the hemp beverage segment into the alcohol industry. With the existing infrastructure in the alcohol industry, we can effectively regulate hemp beverages. The CBA will continue collaborating with stakeholders to establish responsible regulations, ensuring our beverages meet strict standards and gain approval for sale."

About Pamos Cannabis Cocktails & Spirits

Launched in 2021, Pamos Cannabis Cocktails & Spirits caters to both new and experienced cannabis consumers offering a line of non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverage alternatives to traditional cocktails and spirits. The cannabis beverages category has been driven by the beverage form factor that is more recognizable and approachable to curious consumers, as well as being an alcohol alternative.

With the mission of introducing the world to cannabis beverages through cocktail culture, the Pamos portfolio includes a large format Cannabis Spirit (750ml) in two dosages, which can be used as the spirit base of your favorite cocktail recipe in place of alcohol or enjoyed over ice, as well as several Ready-to-Drink cocktails in "cocktail-inspired" flavors: Peach & Guava Bellini, Tropical Mai Tai, and Raspberry Long Island Iced Tea. To learn more, visit www.pamos.com.

About the Cannabis Beverage Association

The Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) is the leading national, non-profit trade association established in 2019 to represent and support the rapidly growing cannabis beverage industry. Our mission is to unite cannabis beverage industry stakeholders and advance the collective interests of the industry through advocacy and education. The CBA membership includes companies across the beverage industry, including brands, distributors, labs, packaging companies, and ancillary businesses. The CBA works to uphold the following values in how we conduct business: Diversity and Equality, Inclusiveness, Reliability, Testing & Safety, Trust in Manufacturing, and Safe Access. For more information about the Cannabis Beverage Association and membership details, please visit cannabisbeverageassociation.org and follow us on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT: Charles Nicolas - 214-557-5454 [email protected]

SOURCE Pamos
Former Commonwealth Team Joins Perigon as Advisors

SAN FRANCISCO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Perigon Wealth Management LLC ("Perigon"), a rapidly growing independent wealth management firm with offices across the country and approximately $7.75 billion as of March 31, 2024,1 in client assets, today announced the acquisition of Creative Financial Planning Inc. of New York, a firm with approximately $150 million in assets under management (AUM). Terms were not disclosed.

Creative Financial Planning's Founder and CEO Lisa Hayes, CFP, ChFC, AIF, and COO Daniel Gwizdak, CFP, will become wealth managers and partners at Perigon. The team was formerly with Commonwealth Financial Network.

"Together, Lisa and Daniel built an incredible relationship-driven practice that focuses on the needs of their community," said Perigon CEO Art Ambarik. "Lisa began her career in the wealth management industry to invest profits from her successful small business and welcomed Daniel to her team as a student intern. Their incredible story, decades of service and passion, dedication and knowledge of the wealth management industry are the perfect complement to Perigon's culture."

Hayes, a life-long entrepreneur, began her financial services career after researching how to invest profits from her Hamptons-based cleaning service. She started at an estate planning company and then launched Creative Financial Planning in 1985 to help families and business owners like herself manage their wealth. Gwizdak served as an intern with the firm, joining full-time in 2007 and becoming the chief operating officer in 2016.

Perigon is an advisor-led firm that has added teams and offices across six major markets since December 2021. Perigon was named one of RIA Channel's 2022 Top 50 Wealth Managers by Growth in Assets and included on the Forbes Top RIA list.2 In September 2022, the firm announced a merger with PM Wealth Management LLC, and formed a strategic alliance with Prager Metis CPAs LLC, a tax advisory firm. In November of that year, Perigon announced it acquired Nauset Wealth Management LLC, and expanded its Atlanta office.

About Perigon Wealth Management

Perigon Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Founded, owned and led by lifelong financial advisors, Perigon Wealth Management is an independent RIA firm that strives to provide clients with peace of mind by identifying and implementing clear and customized plans to achieve the financial objectives necessary to realize their life goals. Additionally, Perigon Wealth Management offers financial advisors who join its platform a robust and flexible program that accommodates the widest possible array of affiliation structures and business models. With approximately $7.75 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2024, Perigon Wealth Management is passionate about accelerating the business growth of its financial advisors and simplifying their operations, without sacrificing their independence. For more information, please visit https://perigonwealth.com.

1 Perigon provides investment advisory and related services for clients nationally; Perigon will maintain all applicable registrations and licenses as required by the various states in which it conducts business. For more information, please visit www.perigonwealth.com or the Security and Exchange Commission's ("SEC's") website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov and search with Perigon's CRD# 131037.

2 Learn more about RIA Channel's 2022 Top 50 Wealth Managers at https://www.riachannel.com/2022-top-50-wealth-managers-by-growth-methodology/ and Forbes" Top RIA ranking methodology at https://www.forbes.com/sites/rjshook/2022/10/25/methodology-americas-top-ria-firms-2022/?sh=4058511e17d9

Media inquiries:

Lorene Yue

Haven Tower Group

424 317 4854

[email protected]

SOURCE Perigon Wealth Management
CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Praxedo, a leading field service management software company recognized in the Gartner Magic Quadrant since 2016, is pleased to unveil its latest milestone: seamless integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. This strategic partnership empowers field service teams to elevate their operations, streamline workflows, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Praxedo's robust suite of features optimizes scheduling, dispatching, and workforce management, delivering tangible benefits such as improved efficiency, cost reduction, and real-time communication. By integrating with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Praxedo extends its capabilities to offer a comprehensive solution that synchronizes data, automates processes, and eliminates manual tasks, enabling businesses to focus on delivering exceptional service.

"We are excited to announce this integration of Praxedo with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central," said Cedric Venard, General Manager for North America at Praxedo. "Business Central supports a lot of growing field service organizations, and this new release outlines our commitment to empowering them with cutting-edge tools that enhance their productivity and drive profitable growth."

Key benefits of the Praxedo and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central integration include:

Optimized service management and improved service delivery performance with seamless information & data flow.

Improved work order accuracy: Create and schedule work orders in Business Central and manage them in Praxedo.

Enhanced reporting with Business Central dashboards including data from completed service calls in Praxedo.

Improved service management efficiency: maintain up-to-date customer, job site, and asset information across platforms.

Immediate Return on Investment thanks to a seamless and quick implementation

"Our standard connector to Dynamics 365 Business Central is the result of collaboration between our Engineering teams, Dynamics users and Microsoft partners. We invite partners in the Microsoft ecosystem to reach out to us and learn more about our partnership programs," said Nicolas Eparvier, VP Channel and Alliances, NA.

To learn more about how Praxedo and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central can transform your field service management, visit www.praxedo.com

About Praxedo

Praxedo is a leading provider of field service management software, offering solutions that streamline operations and optimize workforce efficiency. Trusted by over 1,500 businesses and 65,000 users worldwide, Praxedo empowers field service teams to deliver exceptional service and drive business growth.

Note to Editors: Gartner and Magic Quadrant are registered trademarks of Gartner, Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Praxedo
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Emily Wilkins, President of the National Press Club on the first day of trial for Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

"The first day of Evan's trial was conducted behind closed doors. Even the observers from the U.S. Consulate had to leave the courtroom  an early sign of the unjust sham trial we expect to come.

"We understand Evan will be unjustly convicted because all those indicted in these kinds of trials in Russia are convicted. There will be no actual evidence presented, as there is no evidence. There will be nothing fair about this trial.

"Evan was fully credentialed to be in Russia and reporting for the Wall Street Journal. This reality is being ignored in Yekaterinburg where they are pretending Evan was reporting for the government  a ridiculous accusation with no basis in truth.

"We remain concerned for Evan's safety and the lack of details about where he is being held during the trial and if he can still send and receive letters from his family. Our biggest question remains: how soon are we bringing Evan home? We see his next trial date is now set for August. 13."

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-725-7787 for the National Press Club

SOURCE National Press Club
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Only truck-exclusive brand ever to top prestigious benchmarking study

Ram 1500 wins best full-size pickup second straight year

Ram top-performing Mass Market brand, and #1 overall

Fourth time in five years Ram among top three in industry  second time as #1

Ram 1500 best Full-size Light-Duty Pickup second straight year

Ram 2500/3500 pickup third among Heavy-Duty Pickups

Alfa Romeo Stelvio second among Compact Premium SUVs; second consecutive year among top two

Ram outperformed every brand in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), remaining the only truck-exclusive marque ever to do so.

The result adds to an extraordinary string of top IQS finishes by Ram, which has ranked among the three leading brands in the industry four times in the last five years  a record that includes a first-place standing in 2021, the first such achievement by a truck-exclusive brand in the benchmark study's history.

Capping this year's performance is the Ram 1500's win in the Full-size Light-Duty Pickup segment, and a third-place finish among Heavy-Duty Pickups for the Ram 2500/3500.

"This recognition is particularly uplifting because our customers are extremely demanding," says Ram-brand CEO Chris Feuell. "Satisfying them to the point where we rise above every other brand in the industry is testament to the boundless creativity of our designers and engineers, and the unwavering dedication of our assemblers and dealers."

Also enjoying the spotlight is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio with its second -place ranking among Compact Premium SUVs  the sporty model's second consecutive year among the segment's top two.

Such results mark greater significance because this year's study featured new metrics that better captured the voice of the customer.

"Stellantis brands have enjoyed top IQS rankings for several years," noted Bill Kendell, Senior Vice President-North America Customer Experience at Stellantis. "But to achieve what Ram has achieved in this year's study, with its broader scope, is a clear demonstration that our team can and will deliver on the mission statement of our organization: Every Customer Counts, Every Journey Matters."

Added Kendell: "For us, this new study marks a new beginning. We will use our past successes to build a better future for our customers."

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance.

J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

Ram Truck Brand

In 2009, the Ram Truck brand launched as a stand-alone division, focused on meeting the demands of truck buyers and delivering benchmark-quality vehicles. With a full lineup of trucks - the Ram 1500, 2500/3500 Heavy Duty, 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab and ProMaster - the Ram brand builds trucks that get the hard work done and families where they need to go.

Ram continues to outperform the competition and sets the benchmark for:

Best-in-class standard horsepower

Segment-first 1,000 lb.-ft of torque with Cummins Turbo Diesel

Most luxurious: Ram 1500 Tungsten with real metal and leather elements and a new 14.5-inch Uconnect touchscreen

Best ride and handling with a double wishbone front suspension and five-link solid rear axle with available, segment-exclusive, active-level, four-corner air suspension

Best-in-class available rear leg room

The most cargo space available in any traditional full size cargo van

Most capable full-size off-road pickup  Ram Power Wagon

Most awarded light-duty truck in America

Highest owner loyalty of any half-ton pickup

The latest J.D. Power APEAL study, which rates the emotional bond between customers and their vehicles, named the 2023 Ram 1500 as the best full-size light-duty pickup.

Ram is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Ram and company news and video on:

Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Ram Truck brand: www.ramtrucks.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RamTrucks

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramtrucks

Twitter: @RamTrucks, @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/RamTrucks, https://www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

SOURCE Stellantis
HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Relm Insurance ("Relm"), a leading specialty insurance carrier supporting emerging and innovative industries, and SideChannel, a prominent provider of cybersecurity services and technology, are thrilled to announce a new partnership.

This collaboration grants Relm's innovative and high-growth client base access to SideChannel's virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services, also known as "CISO as a Service." Through this partnership, Relm's insureds can now tap into SideChannel's deep cybersecurity consulting and risk management services, eliminating the need for a full-time employee.

SideChannel's VP of Partnerships, David Menichello, commented on today's announcement, "We are excited to partner with Relm to assist clients with their security and risk management capabilities. Designing and implementing security programs that are practical, effective, and aligned with unique risks and business priorities requires leadership and extensive experience, which are core to our vCISO service."

An effective security program is essential for any organization to protect its assets, prevent operational disruptions, and meet regulatory and contractual obligations. Specific to Relm's client base, which includes high-growth companies and emerging industries, security programs need to be forward-thinking and implemented in lockstep with business initiatives.

Relm's Global Head of Distribution and Innovation, Christian Davies, added, "This partnership exemplifies our commitment to providing unparalleled client support by integrating these advanced cybersecurity solutions into our insurance product offerings. With continued first-to-market solutions and value-added services, we're constantly striving to be the best insurance partner for our broking network and our clients."

Relm clients utilizing the vCISO service can lower their risk profiles, potentially leading to lower premiums, and both organizations look forward to further strengthening their collaboration.

About Relm Insurance

Relm Insurance Ltd. (Relm) is a Bermuda-domiciled specialty insurance carrier supporting emerging industries that spur innovation and next-generation technologies. Launched in 2019 to address the scarcity of insurance capacity available to these high-growth markets, Relm plays an active role in bolstering the resilience of these innovative industries.

Relm's unrivaled industry expertise and solutions-driven track record makes it a highly sought-after risk partner for businesses and institutions operating at the forefront of Web3, digital assets, AI, and alternative medicine. Relm has earned a Financial Stability Rating of A, Exceptional, from Demotech. Visit www.relminsurance.com for more information.

About SideChannel

SideChannel helps emerging and mid-market companies protect their assets. Founded in 2019, the Company delivers comprehensive cybersecurity plans through a series of actions branded SideChannel Complete.

SideChannel deploys a combination of skilled and experienced talent, and technological tools to offer layered defense strategies supported by battle-tested processes. SideChannel also offers Enclave; a network infrastructure platform that eases the journey from zero to zero-trust. Learn more at sidechannel.com.

SOURCE Relm Insurance Ltd
BEIJING, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn: The China-Switzerland Business Dialogue and a roadshow for the 2nd China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) were held in Zurich on June 19, with Chinese and Swiss officials and business leaders in attendance.

Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), led the Chinese delegation at the event and gave a keynote speech.

CCPIT Chairman Ren Hongbin introduced the mutual industrial strengths of China during the China-Switzerland Business Dialogue in Zurich

Other speakers included Chen Yun, Chinese consul general in Zurich and for the Principality of Liechtenstein, Xie Guoxiang, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Switzerland, Stefan Barny of Switzerland Global Enterprise, and Robert Wiest, president of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

The event drew over 100 business leaders from both countries.

Ren emphasized the complementary nature of China's extensive market and integrated industrial chains with Switzerland's advanced economy and industrial capabilities. He invited Swiss companies to participate in the upcoming CISCE to enhance cooperation and streamline global supply chain processes.

Stefan Barny of Switzerland Global Enterprise stated that Switzerland Global Enterprise would work to facilitate greater Swiss participation in the next expo, viewing it as a crucial step in strengthening Sino-Swiss and global economic ties.

President Wiest of the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce commended CCPIT's efforts in organizing the expo, describing it as an effective and professional platform that contributes to the orderly development of international trade.

Chen Yun, Chinese consul general in Zurich, praised the inaugural CISCE for demonstrating China's commitment to economic openness, which has bolstered international confidence in the second expo. She encouraged Swiss companies to seize the opportunities presented by the event to enter the Chinese market.

Xie Guoxiang, minister-counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Switzerland, highlighted the significant industrial strengths of both countries and the vast potential for cooperation, encouraging more businesses to pursue tangible collaborations with China.

The second CISCE, set to take place in Beijing from Nov. 26 to 30, 2024, will showcase advanced manufacturing, intelligent vehicles, green agriculture, clean energy, digital technology, healthy living, and supply chain services. Over 400 companies, ranging from local enterprises to global players, have already committed to participating in the event.

http://www.china.org.cn/business/2024-06/26/content_117274766.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
Roers Companies selects Funnel's Renter-Centric CRM and AI solution for 8,446-unit portfolio

TAMPA, Fla., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Funnel Leasing , the only front office product suite to successfully centralize operations for leading companies, today announced its newest client Roers Companies, a 2024 NMHC top 50 developer and builder and multifamily real estate investment firm powered by in-house development, construction, and property management. Roers Companies is rolling out Funnel's multifamily CRM and AI Virtual Leasing Agent  across their entire 8,446-unit portfolio. This partnership demonstrates Roers Companies' commitment to giving their onsite leasing teams a hand, and providing an exceptional renter experience, through Funnel's solution that will allow their teams to support new lease-ups and ongoing leasing activity throughout the portfolio.

"We are thrilled to partner with Funnel and give our teams a hand while enabling more flexible operations as we continue to grow," said Brady Olson, Director of Leasing Operations, Roers Companies. "At Roers Companies, we pride ourselves in not only our bold vision but more importantly the extraordinary results we deliver upon this vision."

Roers Companies earned several honors recently including: 2024 Property Management Company of the Year at the Minnesota Real Estate Awards, 8th on Austin Business Journal's 2024 list of largest Austin multifamily developers , and Roers Brothers Named Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024 Heartland Award Finalists . These awards exemplify their ethos of building the future of multifamily real estate.

"Funnel is honored to partner with Roers Companies, they are implementing our core products that are proven to drive efficiency and future-proof their business by giving them operational flexibility moving forward," said Tyler Christiansen, CEO, Funnel. "Their tech-forward approach demonstrates a commitment to delivering value to investors and owners, and leaving the old operating model's playbook behind."

About Funnel

Funnel provides a win to three vital groups: operators looking to reduce costs and improve efficiencies; stretched-thin onsite teams who demand a better long-term career; and renters who demand a better customer experience. Funnel's AI and automation-powered platform is the enterprise-grade solution industry leaders, owners, and operators trust to deliver a streamlined, consistent, and connected experience from first inquiry through years of renewals, while simultaneously saving operators quantifiable money through the operational flexibility only a renter-centric platform can provide. We call it Renter Management Software; our clients call it the new operating model.

About Roers Companies

Roers Companies is a multifamily real estate investment firm powered by in-house development, construction, and property management. The company builds quality rental housing in areas where demand outpaces supply, with more than 13,000 units developed across 14 states since 2012. Roers Companies has been recognized as a National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Top 25 Developer and Builder as well as the 2024 Minnesota Real Estate Awards' Multifamily Property Management Company of the Year.

Media Contact:

Funnel

Hannah O'Leary, Senior Manager Corporate Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Funnel
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) resulting from allegations that U.S. Steel may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public.

So what: If you purchased U.S. Steel securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses.

What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=26696 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

What is this about: On March 13, 2024, The Washington Post published an article entitled "Biden calls American ownership of U.S. Steel 'vital' as he opposed deal." It stated, in pertinent part, that "President Biden [said] that he opposed Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, an extraordinary move that comes as a federal panel continues its review of the transaction for any potential effect on national security."

On this news, U.S. Steel stock fell by 12.7% on March 13, 2024, and 6.3% on March 14, 2024

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
Michael Pellegrino Has Been Appointed COO of Sargento Following Retirements of Mike McEvoy, EVP of Operations, and Kristi Jankowski, EVP of Innovation

PLYMOUTH, Wis., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sargento, the Wisconsin-based leader in cheese, has announced third-generation family owner Mike McEvoy's retirement from his position as Executive Vice President of Operations at Sargento. Sargento has also shared news of Kristi Jankowski's retirement from her long-held position as Executive Vice President of Innovation. On the heels of these two esteemed colleagues' retirements, Chief Executive Officer Louie Gentine has appointed Michael Pellegrino to Chief Operating Officer.

Michael Pellegrino Kristi Jankowski Mike "Mac" McEvoy

Combined, Mike and Kristi bring more than 50 years of exceptional contributions to Sargento. They will continue to provide strategic counsel by staying on as advisors to the senior leadership team through the end of the year.

Mike McEvoy joined the family-owned cheese brand in 1997. Over the years, Mike has held a variety of positions at Sargento, including Trade Promotion Manager, Marketing Manager, Vice President of Sales, President of Food Ingredients Division and has led the Operations Team since 2013. As part of the third generation of the company's family ownership, Mike has overseen more than $600 million of capital expansions while demonstrating care and compassion for the Sargento Family of employees.

Kristi Jankowski has been with Sargento since 1999. Under her leadership as EVP of Innovation the past 14 years, Kristi and her team have generated almost $3 billion in revenue for the company while enhancing its reputation as a category-leading innovator. Kristi and her team have earned the prestigious Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation award for Sargento Ultra-Thin Slices natural cheese, Sargento Balanced Breaks and Sargento Balanced Breaks  Cheese & Crackers. She led the company's Idea Center where Sargento employees can share their ideas that aid in the development of Intellectual Property. This program has generated numerous patents and trade secrets; developed technical capabilities for the company and Sargento employees.

Michael Pellegrino joined Sargento in 2009. During his tenure he has held various executive positions including his most recent role as President and Chief Growth Officer. In his newly appointed role as Chief Operating Officer, Michael's expanded responsibilities will include leadership for the Business Units (Consumer Products and Food Service & Ingredients), Operations, Innovation, Sales, Supply Chain and Strategic Planning. During his tenure, Michael and his team have accelerated the growth of the Sargento brand to become a national market-share leader in the retail cheese category. He has also led best-in-class integrated marketing campaigns that have made Sargento one of the most recognized brands in the dairy case.

"The Sargento Family and I have been blessed to have the leadership and companionship of Mike and Kristi. We're grateful for their years of service and for the continued advisory roles they will hold through 2024," said Louie Gentine, CEO of Sargento. "We also look forward to a successful road ahead with Michael Pellegrino as our Chief Operating Officer. Based on his proven track record, we know he will deliver against our ambitious growth plan while realizing our vision to the most innovative, best-loved real food company."

About Sargento

With over 2,500 employees and net sales of nearly $1.8 billion, Sargento is a family-owned company that has been a leader in cheese for more than 70 years. Founded in 1953 in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Sargento is proud to be the company that successfully introduced America to pre-packaged sliced and shredded natural cheeses and cheese blends. Today, Sargento is still based in Wisconsin, where they make and market amazing, high-quality shredded, sliced and snack natural cheese products, as well as ingredients. Company leadership lives to serve local communities and employees, whom they refer to as the Sargento Family. www.sargento.com

SOURCE Sargento Foods
SOFIA, Bulgaria, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Scalefocus, the trusted provider of tailored software solutions and services, has won three prestigious Gold Globee Awards for its outstanding contributions to technology and innovation. These accolades highlight the company's commitment to driving transformative business solutions through advanced artificial intelligence and data analytics.

1. Most Innovative Company of the Year  Artificial Intelligence

Scalefocus Wins Trio of Prestigious Gold Globee Awards for Innovation and Excellence

Awarded the Gold Globee at the 19th Annual 2024 Globee Awards for Technology, Scalefocus is recognized for delivering comprehensive AI-driven business transformations that ensure long-term success. This award underscores their relentless pursuit of harnessing AI to revolutionize business operations, enhance efficiencies, and unlock new growth opportunities.

2. Most Innovative Company of the Year | IT Services

In another significant win, the company has been honored with the Gold Globee at the 16th Annual 2024 Golden Bridge Awards. This award celebrates Scalefocus as a leader in IT services for their AI-powered innovation and suite of reusable software modules that accelerate development in key business areas.

3. Energy & Utilities Disruptors

Scalefocus has also been awarded the Gold Globee at the 4th Annual 2024 Globee Awards for Disruptors for innovative contributions to the energy sector. Their LNG planning tool, which saves millions of euros annually has positioned them as a key disruptor, driving efficiency and strategic insights in energy and utilities.

Celebrating Innovation and Excellence

"We are immensely proud to receive these prestigious awards," said Ivan Ivanov, CEO of Scalefocus. "These honors reflect our unwavering dedication to leveraging AI and advanced analytics platforms to create innovative solutions that not only meet but exceed our clients' expectations. Our teams' commitment to excellence and innovation has been the cornerstone of our success, and these awards are a testament to their hard work and ingenuity."

About the Globee Awards

The Globee Awards are renowned for recognizing excellence in business and innovation across various industries worldwide. The 19th Annual 2024 Globee Awards for Technology and the 16th Annual 2024 Golden Bridge Awards received entries from organizations globally, celebrating outstanding achievements in technology and IT services. Additionally, the 4th Annual 2024 Globee Awards for Disruptors honor groundbreaking innovations reshaping industries.

About Scalefocus

Founded in 2012, Scalefocus is a leading IT company based in Sofia, Bulgaria, renowned for its innovative approach to technology solutions. Their focus on internal and external innovations, particularly in AI, has established them as a front-runner in delivering AI-driven business transformations and advanced analytics solutions. Scalefocus continues to set new benchmarks in technology services, driving lasting customer value and industry disruption.

For more information about Scalefocus' award-winning solutions, please visit their website.

Media Contact:

Petya Scalefocus

00359896811220

[email protected]

SOURCE Scalefocus
Info-Tech Research Group's latest blueprint explains how local governments can overcome IT challenges related to service delivery, innovation, and data security. The firm's research provides actionable insights to help public sector IT leaders transition from passive observers to proactive strategic collaborators and ensure sustainable growth and improved public service delivery amid evolving technological demands.

TORONTO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Local governments are under mounting pressure to adapt their IT strategies to address evolving community needs and exponentially changing technological landscapes. This pressure extends to public sector IT leaders, who are in turn facing significant hurdles, such as enhancing service delivery, driving innovation, and ensuring data security. To support IT's efforts in maintaining efficiency and effectiveness in delivering public services, Info-Tech Research Group has released its most recent blueprint, Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Local Government. The firm's research, outlined in the new industry resource, suggests IT leaders in the public sector emphasize adaptive delivery models, optimized operations through automation, and the adoption of digital innovation to drive sustainable growth in public service delivery.

Info-Tech Research Group's "Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Local Government" blueprint highlights four key priorities public sector IT leaders should consider to enhance service delivery, drive innovation, and ensure data security. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

"To overcome common obstacles and embrace Exponential IT transformation, local governments should focus on building adaptive delivery models, optimizing operations through automation, fostering strategic relationships, embracing digital innovation, and cultivating workforce flexibility," says Patrick Spencer, research fellow at Info-Tech Research Group. "By emphasizing foundational capabilities, collaboration, and a forward-thinking mindset, local governments can leverage Exponential IT to address the changing landscape of public service delivery and drive sustainable growth in the digital age."

Info-Tech's insights bring to light the complexities of technology adoption in the public sector, where limited funding, internal resistance to change, and insufficient resources are hindering the implementation of technology projects. Additionally, the ongoing difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled and motivated IT professionals further exacerbates these challenges, making it difficult for local governments to effectively leverage emerging technologies.

The research indicates that despite partial automation in government IT systems, failing to use AI fully represents a missed opportunity within the sector. Effective decision-making and service delivery rely on the government's ability to swiftly identify real-time trends.

Info-Tech's blueprint underscores the critical role of Exponential IT, a strategic integration of rapidly advancing technologies that can revolutionize local government operations. To effectively leverage Exponential IT, Info-Tech suggests that public sector IT leaders prioritize the following four key priorities:

Let AI Take Over Core Operations: Streamline processes, automate tasks, and improve service efficiency. Implementing AI in core operations accelerates incident detection, enhances productivity, and ensures quicker response times, leading to heightened citizen satisfaction and operational effectiveness. Treat Data as a Product: Drive innovation and informed decision-making by building a robust digital infrastructure that integrates and governs data effectively. This approach ensures data quality, facilitates seamless data flow, and enables better resource allocation and trend analysis, ultimately optimizing service delivery. Drive a Product Ownership Mindset: Enhance user experiences, increase engagement, and build trust by providing personalized solutions and recommendations. Promoting a product ownership culture fosters accountability and continuous innovation, leading to tailored IT solutions that meet the specific needs of the community. Fund Exponential Value Creation: Create sustainable, connected urban environments that improve the quality of life for residents through Exponential IT solutions like IoT infrastructure and smart transportation systems. By prioritizing investments in advanced technologies, local governments can drive economic growth and enhance public services.

By adopting AI-driven processes, integrating data as a core asset, fostering a culture of product ownership, and investing in innovative technologies, local governments can overcome current challenges and drive sustainable growth.

These recommended strategic initiatives not only enhance service delivery and operational efficiency but also ensure that local governments can meet evolving community needs and expectations in a rapidly advancing technological landscape.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Info-Tech's public sector experts, including Patrick Spencer, and to access the complete Priorities for Adopting an Exponential IT Mindset in Local Government blueprint, please contact [email protected].

Info-Tech LIVE 2024

Registration is now open for Info-Tech Research Group's annual IT conference, Info-Tech LIVE 2024, taking place September 17 to 19, 2024, at the iconic Bellagio in Las Vegas. This premier event offers journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest IT research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. To apply for media passes to attend the event or gain access to research and expert insights on trending topics, please contact [email protected].

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software-buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
Recognized for Vision and Execution. Sinch Continues to Drive Innovation in Customer Communications

ATLANTA and STOCKHOLM, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinch, which is pioneering the way the world communicates through its Customer Communications Cloud, announced that the company has once again been positioned as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS). Sinch views this recognition as proof of their strong Super Network and the breadth of communication channels they offer across messaging, email, and voice, enabling businesses to operationalize CX and engagement. Sinch believes that their innovative AI capabilities, integration with over 500 platforms, and global market reach empower them to serve customers of any size, anywhere in the world. The evaluation was based on specific criteria that analyzed the company's overall Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.

"We believe our recognition as a Magic Quadrant Leader for the second consecutive year validates our dedication to our customers and our ability to enable them to deliver superior customer experiences," said Laurinda Pang, CEO of Sinch. "Digital, one-to-one communications are critical through marketing, operations, and care. Sinch simplifies customer communications throughout the entire journey. Our leading API Platform and comprehensive applications empower businesses to exceed customer expectations and deliver personalized communications at scale using both established and new communications channels."

Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players. The research enables you to get the most from market analysis in alignment with your unique business and technology needs.

View a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant report to learn more about Sinch's strengths and cautions, among other providers' offerings, https://go.sinch.com/sinch-gartner-mq-24-pr

Source: Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Communication Platforms as a Service, Lisa Unden-Farboud, Pankil Sheth, Ajit Patankar, Brian Doherty, 24 June 2024

For more information contact:

Janet Lennon

Director of Global Communications

[email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/sinch-ab/r/sinch-named-a-leader-in-the-2024-gartner--magic-quadrant--for-cpaas-for-the-second-consecutive-year,c4007751

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Sinch AB
WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 26, SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe and country music icon Randy Travis testified before Congress on the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 791), which would require AM/FM radio stations to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air.

In his testimony at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe highlighted that the U.S. is the only democratic nation in the world without a performance right for artists on AM/FM radio and advocated for Congress to modernize the nation's copyright law to protect creators.

Huppe said, "Congress must set a standard that creators need to be compensated wherever and whenever their music is played  especially when their creations form the backbone of the business model like they do for AM/FM radio."

Huppe also underscored how the current system harms artists domestically and overseas: "American musicians lose almost $300 million of taxable U.S. income each year because we lack these protections in the U.S.  this is on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars they are already missing out on domestically."

Country music star Randy Travis also provided testimony during the hearing on behalf of creators. Randy's remarks (delivered by his wife Mary) emphasized the need to provide fair compensation for artists who form the backbone of the music industry.

Mary Travis said, "Music is, was, and will always be his lifeline. But that lifeline has changed. And we need to acknowledge that. The days of Randy packing a car and trekking thousands of miles across the country to visit radio stations and deliver copies of his newest cuts on cassette, in hopes of having his music heard, are a thing of the past.

Of all the things we do differently than we did a century ago, one thing remains the samethe voice is still the mandatory bridge between the writer and the listener. And it's time to do right by the ones that create the sound, the melody, the emotion that keeps the listeners coming back and the advertisers buying in."

In 2013, Travis was hospitalized with viral cardiomyopathy and now suffers from aphasia, making it difficult to speak and sing. Earlier this year, Travis demonstrated how artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool in support of creators by using an AI model to release a new song, called "Where That Came From."

Today, Randy and Mary Travis joined ABC's Good Morning America to share more about his journey, the importance of the American Music Fairness Act, and how AI can positively impact the music industry with the right protections in place.

Full witness testimony as well as a video of the hearing is available at judiciary.house.gov .

About SoundExchange

SoundExchange is the premier music tech organization on a mission to power the future of music. It was independently formed in 2003 to build a fairer, simpler, and more efficient music industry through technology, data, and advocacy. The only organization designated by the U.S. government to administer the Section 114 sound recording license, SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of 700,000 music creators and growing. Through proprietary music tech solutions that turn data into accurate revenue, SoundExchange has paid more than $11 billion in distributions to date. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.

SOURCE SoundExchange
Martina L. Cheung appointed President and Chief Executive Officer

Douglas L. Peterson to retire as CEO

Transition will occur on November 1, 2024; Mr. Peterson to remain with Company as special advisor until December 31, 2025

NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) announced today that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected Martina L. Cheung, S&P Global's current President of S&P Global Ratings, to succeed Douglas L. Peterson as the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2024. Additionally, Ms. Cheung has been appointed as a member of the Board, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Peterson will remain on the Board until May 2025 and be a special advisor to the Company until December 31, 2025.

Ms. Cheung has held multiple leadership roles in her 14 years at S&P Global. She currently leads S&P Global Ratings, which realized $3.3 billion in annual revenue for 2023, a 9% increase over the prior year, with 56.5% full-year operating profit margin. Additionally, under her leadership, S&P Global Sustainable1 had revenue growth of 24% in 2023. Prior to her current roles, Ms. Cheung led S&P Global Market Intelligence, during which time the division exceeded $2 billion in annual revenue. She also served as S&P Global's Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for developing the Company's growth and innovation investment priorities. Additionally, she was Head of Risk Services in S&P Global Market Intelligence, helping clients navigate the complex credit and risk landscape, and grew the business at a compound annual growth rate of more than 9%. Ms. Cheung has been instrumental in S&P Global's most significant mergers and acquisitions, including the IHS Markit merger in 2022 and the SNL Financial acquisition in 2015.

"On behalf of our entire Board, I am delighted to have a leader of Martina's exceptional caliber become S&P Global's next President and CEO," said Mr. Peterson. "As a long-standing member of the Executive Committee, Martina has had a profound impact on the evolution and growth of S&P Global. She is a tremendous leader with deep operational expertise and unparalleled knowledge of our business and the entire industry."

"The Board and I have had a robust succession process in place for many years, and now is the ideal time for this transition. With strong footholds in strategic growth areas spanning private markets, sustainability, and the energy transition, as well as leadership in artificial intelligence, we are optimally positioned for the long term," Mr. Peterson continued. "The privilege of leading S&P Global for the past 11 years has been the highlight of my career. Martina has been critical to so much of this success, and I am excited to support her as she leads us into the next phase of growth and innovation."

"The selection of the CEO and ensuring a smooth and successful transition is one of the Board's most important responsibilities," noted William D. Green, Chair of the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. "The Board conducted a thorough and thoughtful process to identify the best leader for S&P Global's next chapter, and it is a strong testament to our leadership team's strength and capabilities that we have the ideal candidate in Martina. We have the utmost confidence in her as she steps into the President and CEO position, and we look forward to working alongside her to deliver continued results and value for our customers, employees, and shareholders."

Joining in 2011 and serving as CEO since 2013, Mr. Peterson has been integral to building the company S&P Global is today and has overseen transformational growth. During his tenure as CEO, the Company generated exceptional performance, with revenue growing from $4.45 billion to $12.50 billion, adjusted diluted earnings per share increasing from $2.75 to $12.60, return of capital to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases totaling more than $30 billion, and the Company's market cap increasing from $16 billion to over $135 billion. Further, Mr. Peterson oversaw important inorganic growth at the Company, culminating in its landmark acquisition of IHS Markit.

"Doug is a visionary leader who led the Company through significant growth and success. We are very grateful for the indelible mark he has made," said Richard E. Thornburgh, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. "During his time as President and CEO, Doug led the evolution of our Company from a diversified publishing holding company to a focused, markets-oriented information services company. Anticipating the most important trends in financial markets, he invested in fast-growing areas, such as financial and sustainability data and benchmarks, artificial intelligence, technology, and global capabilities, while divesting slower growing, non-core businesses, creating incredible shareholder value. Doug's legacy is truly admirable."

"I am honored to be named S&P Global's next President and CEO and proud to guide our business and our extraordinary people across the globe," said Ms. Cheung. "Doug's vision and leadership transformed S&P Global into the remarkable company it is today. Doug has been an incredible leader for S&P Global and a mentor to me personally. His legacy will be felt for years to come. I'm glad we will continue working closely together on a seamless transition for our shareholders, our customers, our people, and the markets we serve."

Additionally, Yann Le Pallec, Executive Managing Director and Head of Global Ratings Services at S&P Global Ratings, has been appointed to succeed Ms. Cheung as President of S&P Global Ratings, effective November 1, 2024.

The Company's full-year financial guidance is unchanged.

About Martina L. Cheung

Martina L. Cheung is President of S&P Global Ratings. Ms. Cheung also serves as the Executive Lead of S&P Global Sustainable1, responsible for driving the enterprise-wide growth strategy for sustainability.

Ms. Cheung joined the Company in 2010 as Vice President of Operations for S&P Global Ratings and went on to serve as S&P Global's Chief Strategy Officer, where she was responsible for developing the Company's growth and innovation investment priorities. She was also Head of Risk Services in S&P Global Market Intelligence, helping clients navigate the complex credit and risk landscape. She most recently led S&P Global Market Intelligence, and Ms. Cheung formerly served on the Board of CRISIL.

Ms. Cheung is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, and served on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) subcommittee on Climate-Related Market Risk. Ms. Cheung has spoken on key industry topics covering technology, cyber security, energy transition, and diversity in the workforce across public forums that include the World Economic Forum at Davos and the Institute for International Finance, among others.

In recognition of her industry-wide impact and leadership, Ms. Cheung received the prestigious Merit Award from The Women's Bond Club in 2022. She was also honored by INvolve on the 2023 Top 100 Women Executives and the 2024 top 100 Empower Executives lists. Ms. Cheung was recognized at the 2022 Ascend A-List Awards for her contributions to advancing Pan-Asian professionals. She was also inducted into the Academy of Women Leaders by the YWCA New York City in 2016.

Ms. Cheung is the S&P Global Executive Sponsor for the Women's Initiative for Networking Success (WINS). Ms. Cheung serves on the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities New York.

Prior to joining S&P Global, Ms. Cheung worked in the consulting industry, first in Accenture's Financial Services Strategy group and later as a Partner at Mitchell Madison Consulting. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and a Master's Degree in Business Studies from National University of Ireland, Galway.

About Douglas L. Peterson

Throughout his tenure as CEO of S&P Global, beginning in 2013, Douglas L. Peterson proved to be a purpose-driven and highly effective leader. His vision to drive growth in developed and emerging markets and to create new products and services, leveraging his global experience in financial services, capital markets, and risk management, has transformed the Company.

Mr. Peterson devised a highly successful strategy, repositioning the Company towards higher growth businesses, including early adoption of artificial intelligence and sustainability data and benchmarks, generating substantial shareholder value. In 2016, he rebranded the Company to S&P Global reflecting its strong heritage, clear vision and values, and leading market position.

When Mr. Peterson first joined S&P Global in 2011 as President of the Company's credit ratings business, he quickly established himself by delivering results and building strong relationships across a wide range of constituencies. He rebuilt trust in the ratings agency with policy makers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders following the financial crisis. He also established a control, compliance, and governance framework as the Company became more heavily regulated globally.

Before joining S&P Global, Mr. Peterson was the Chief Operating Officer of Citibank, N.A., Citigroup's principal banking entity that operates in more than 100 countries. His earlier roles included CEO of Citigroup Japan, in addition to serving as Citigroup's chief auditor, and leadership roles in Uruguay and Costa Rica.

In 2019, Harvard Business Review named Mr. Peterson one of the 100 best-performing CEOs in the world. That same year, S&P Global was ranked 50th out of The Wall Street Journal's Top 250 Best Managed Companies, and in 2021, S&P Global was once again named to this prestigious list, coming in at number 30. In 2023, Fortune ranked S&P Global number three on its Modern Board 25 list. Doug has also been ranked the #1 CEO in the Business, Education and Professional Services Sector by Institutional Investor annually over the last five years.

Doug is a leading voice on sustainability issues. He chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center's ESG Taskforce, and in 2021 he led a workstream of the G7's Impact Taskforce on mobilizing private capital for public good by advocating for globally consistent standards to measure, value, and account for sustainability.

Doug chairs the U.S. Japan Business Council and is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Japan Society and National Bureau of Economic Research. In addition, he serves on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee, is a member of the Business Roundtable, and a member of the UN Global Compact Board. Doug is also a Trustee of Claremont McKenna College and the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

About S&P Global

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through sustainability and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world.

We are widely sought after by many of the world's leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world's leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today.

Investor Relations:

Mark Grant

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel: + 1 347 640 1521

Media:

Christina Twomey

Global Head of Communications

Tel: +1 410 382 3316

SOURCE S&P Global
The Tampa 2 procedure was created to be easy to replicate while achieving equal or better outcomes compared to the Cox-Maze IV, a widely used surgical intervention for AFib introduced in 2002. AFib is a cardiac condition noted by an irregular, frequently rapid heart rhythm and is typically treated with prescription, catheter-based and/or surgical interventions.

"We created the Tampa 2 procedure after years of collaboration between cardiology and cardiac surgery in conjunction with surgical pioneer Dr. James Cox (originator of the Cox-Maze IV procedure). This state-of-the-art technique has the potential to redefine surgical management of atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Sherman.

Like its predecessor, the Tampa 2 creates scar tissue to block abnormal electrical signals that cause AFib but adds two lines of ablation (the method to create scar tissue) and has a different approach made possible by new tools and technology. The Tampa 2 achieved its namesake because of the two additional lines of ablation, developed by two Tampa physicians, all while tipping their hat to the success the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had with their Tampa 2 defense. More than 50 successful Tampa 2 procedures have been performed at St. Joseph's Hospital, including the treatment of Brittany Williams , a patient of Dr. Sherman. Now the benefits of the Tampa 2 procedure extend beyond the walls of St. Joseph's Hospital as Dr. Sherman and Dr. Makati host lectures across the country to train physicians on all aspects of AFib treatment. In addition, the two physicians presented their procedure and clinical findings at the 2024 International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery annual meeting in Athens, Greece (see abstract here ).

"We are very proud that this novel procedure was developed here at BayCare and St. Joseph's Hospital," said Dr. Makati. "We are excited to continually offer new, lifesaving procedures to our community and beyond. This is only possible by the innovative spirit and collaborative efforts of our colleagues here in Tampa and around the world."

For more information about the Heart Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital: https://baycare.org/locations/hospitals/st-josephs-hospital/services/heart-and-vascular

About St. Joseph's Hospital

St. Joseph's Hospital, part of the BayCare Health System, is known for advanced medical technology and compassionate care. Its Centers of Excellence include the Heart and Vascular Institute, Cancer Institute, Stroke and Neuroscience Program, Robotic Surgery Program and Emergency/Trauma Department, which provides more emergency care than any other hospital in Tampa Bay. More than 70 specialties are represented among the medical team, including internal medicine, cardiovascular surgery and neurosurgery. The hospital was founded in 1934 by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. The 615-bed hospital is located at 3001 West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tampa, Florida. For more information: BayCare.org/SJH.

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. The system is West Central Florida's largest provider of behavioral health and pediatric services and its provider group, BayCare Medical Group, is one of the largest in the region. BayCare's diverse network of ambulatory services includes laboratories, imaging, surgical centers, BayCare Urgent Care locations, wellness centers and one of Florida's largest home care agencies, BayCare HomeCare. BayCare's mission is to improve the health of all it serves through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information visit BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System
Tampa General's Women's Institute certified nurse midwife Dr. Jessica Brumley will lead the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

TAMPA, Fla., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) today announced that Jessica Brumley, CNM, PhD, FACNM, a certified nurse midwife at Tampa General Hospital and associate professor and director of the Division of Midwifery, at USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). She will serve in the national position for two years.

Dr. Brumley was vice president of the ACNM for three years before serving as president-elect for a year. In addition, she has held various positions with the ACNM, including Tampa chapter chair, Florida affiliate president and numerous national committee chairs within the organization. Brumley was recognized as Tampa General's Midwife of the Year in 2018 and 2019 and helped to develop and implement labor support trainings throughout Florida with a focus on reducing the low-risk cesarean section rate through a partnership with the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative.

"Over the past few years, Dr. Brumley has made a tremendous impact on midwifery education and practice at USF, Tampa General Hospital and throughout the state of Florida. She will lead the American College of Nurse-Midwives and will contribute to their success," said Judette Louis, MD, MPH, chief of the TGH Women's Institute and James M. Ingram Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "She continues to be an incredible advocate for care practices, tools and policies that support family-centered maternity care at Tampa General and beyond."

The American College of Nurse-Midwives is the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in the United States. The organization sets the standard for excellence in midwifery education and practice in the country and strengthens the capacity of midwives in developing countries. Its members are primary care providers throughout the lifespan, with a special emphasis on pregnancy, childbirth and gynecologic and reproductive health.

"Dr. Brumley's commitment to maternal health has enabled Tampa General to deliver extraordinary care and support to mothers and their newborns," said Melissa Golombek, DNP, vice president of the TGH Women's Institute and Muma Children's Hospital at TGH. "We look forward to seeing her extend the expertise she's provided at TGH and improving midwifery services for women across the country."

TGH is ranked a top 10 hospital in the nation and the highest-ranked hospital in Florida for Obstetrics & Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report for 2023-24. Additionally, Tampa General is named a Best Maternity Hospital 2024 by Newsweek. TGH has also achieved a Level IV designation in maternal care from The Joint Commission  the gold standard in accreditation. This encompasses a range of obstetric services, from routine prenatal care to high-risk obstetric and neonatal services, aimed at optimizing outcomes for both mothers and newborns.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings  in the top 100 nationally in the 2024 America's Best Large Employers, the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women, and the top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2022, provided a net community benefit of approximately $240.3 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT USF HEALTH

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.

Media Contacts: Danielle Caci USF Health Media Contact: Sarah Worth Public Relations Manager Director of Communications & Marketing (813) 844-4666 (813) 928-0861 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
18 projects will receive funding to support their growth and development

COLUMBIA, Md., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the 2024 Maryland Makerspace Initiative Program ("Makerspace Program") awardees. Funding will be awarded to 18 projects spanning across nine (9) counties and Baltimore City.

Female Designer Working With 3D Printer In Design Studio

"TEDCO is committed to supporting the continued growth of innovation in Maryland. The Makerspace Program is just one tool that TEDCO has to promote this expansion," said Terry Rauh, chief finance and operations officer at TEDCO. "And after witnessing the success and growth of last year's awardees, we are hopeful that these awardees will continue the trend."

What is the Makerspace Program?

Created through legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly, the Makerspace Program provides grants of up to $100,000 and technical assistance for qualified entities looking to establish a new Makerspace, expand an existing Makerspace, or develop Makerspace programming. The goal is to grow a state-wide community of Makerspaces that provides entrepreneurs with access to tools, technologies and knowledge to support their growth and development as well as expand workforce training.

"We are excited to announce the awardees for the 2024 Makerspace Program," said Justin Ferguson, program manager for TEDCO's Entrepreneur & Ecosystem Empowerment (E3). While we could only select 18 awardees, we want to thank everyone who applied. With more than 40 applicants for the 2024 awards, the competition was fierce, showcasing the innovative and entrepreneurial spirits spread across Maryland. We look forward to witnessing the growth and success these hubs of innovation will bring to Maryland's entrepreneurial ecosystem."

The 18 awardees for the 2024 Makerspace Program include:

Last year, 20 projects received funding from TEDCO for the creation or expansion of Makerspaces throughout Maryland. One of these awardees was Stacy Stube, founder of the Fashion Heritage Needle Trades Foundation, who took advantage of the inaugural grant opportunity. Through receiving the award, she was able to support her vision of developing a Fashion Innovation Hub that would allow founders to prototype and small batch produce pre-sold marketing fashion samples and needle trades products.

For more information about TEDCO's Makerspace Program, visit https://www.tedcomd.com/makerspace.

About TEDCO

TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

Media Contact

Tammi Thomas, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, TEDCO, [email protected]

SOURCE TEDCO
MIAMI, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TerraPay, a global leader in money movement, is pleased to announce the appointment of Juan Loraschi as Vice President  Head of North America Business. This strategic addition underscores TerraPay's commitment to deepening its presence in the growing remittances market across the Americas.

Juan joins TerraPay with a distinguished career in the Financial Services and Consumer Products industries. With extensive expertise in General Management and Operations and significant international experience, he has demonstrated his ability to drive profitable growth in both domestic and global markets.

The US market, which surpassed $200 billion in remittances in 2023, continues to present significant opportunities for growth. The remittance market in the Americas has expanded 25 times over the last 30 years, with no signs of slowing down. Juan's strategic leadership will be critical as we capitalize on this potential.

Juan's career includes prominent roles at Western Union in various leadership positions, including Global Vice President of Go-To-Market & Pricing - Head of Northeast Region US, Head of Andean Region and Central America and at Intermex as Vice President of Business Development. His fluency in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, combined with his exceptional interpersonal skills, positions him strongly to lead TerraPay's efforts in Americas.

Welcoming Juan to the team, Sudhesh Giriyan, President - Cross border payments at TerraPay, said, "I am delighted to have Juan join the team. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the Americas market which will undoubtedly be invaluable to TerraPay's journey, especially as we continue to expand our presence in the region. His track record of driving growth and his strategic vision align perfectly with our goals and mission."

Juan Loraschi, VP  Head of North America at TerraPay, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "I am thrilled to be part of TerraPay's mission to revolutionise global money movement. The North America market presents tremendous opportunities, and I look forward to contributing to TerraPay's growth and success in the region."

Juan's appointment is poised to leverage the opportunities across the Americas region, driving TerraPay's strategic initiatives to enhance financial inclusion, simplify cross-border payments, and foster sustainable growth.

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

About TerraPay:

TerraPay simplifies global money movement  by providing a single connection to the most expansive cross-border payments network regulated in 31 global markets and enabling payments to 144 receive countries, 210+ send countries, 7.5Bn+ bank accounts and 2.1Bn+ mobile wallets. TerraPay is on a mission to connect a borderless financial world, making moving money everywhere instant, reliable, transparent, and fully compliant. TerraPay pushes the boundaries for global businesses  ranging from banks, fintechs and money-transfer operators to travel businesses, creator economy platforms and e-commerce marketplaces  while driving financial inclusion in even the most inaccessible markets. Founded in 2014, TerraPay is headquartered in London, with global offices in Bangalore, Dubai, Miami, Bogota, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Hague, Dakar, Joburg, Nairobi, Milan, Singapore and is expanding rapidly, having received funding from leading investors, including the IFC (the World Bank), Prime Ventures, Partech Africa, and Visa.

For more information visit: terrapay.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1222771/TerraPay_Logo.jpg

SOURCE TerraPay
The Stagwell (STGW) agency will share guidance for communicators during the 2024 election cycle

NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harris Poll is once again sponsoring the Fierce Pharma PR & Communications Summit, the premier event dedicated to providing life science communicators with industry updates and best practices for successful communications strategies during today's complex healthcare environment. The summit will be held July 8 and 9, 2024 in Jersey City, NJ.

Michele Salomon, Vice President, The Harris Poll, will participate in a panel on July 8 providing guidance for communicators during the 2024 election cycle, one in which communicators face unprecedented challenges and opportunities in a landscape marked by political discourse. Featuring additional experts from Boehringer Ingelheim, National Pharmaceutical Council, Teva, and Weber Shandwick, the panel is tailored to equip industry professionals with essential insights on navigating the complexities of the ongoing campaign rhetoric and its impact on pharmaceuticals and biotech.

Salomon will share a variety of research from The Harris Poll to help communicators understand public sentiment as it relates to when, how, and why companies should address the election cycle.

"We see so much data about how the public is feeling and it's not always clear they feel they are being listened to," said Salomon. "The public is tired and scared, uncertain about many things on both a personal and political level, find the news stressful, and are unsure if they can talk about issues that matter to them."

This environment is mirrored for companies and organizations, though the stakes are different. "Rather than putting a friend or family relationship in jeopardy if we speak up, companies risk their reputation, offending their customers, investors and other stakeholders. Our data helps explain the broader context while also providing specific guidance that communicators can put into practice," says Salomon.

The panel will explore:

Strategies for responding to the growing political discourse and navigating the delicate balance between corporate communication and political influence

Actionable insights on building a proactive communication plan that anticipates and addresses the industry's evolving landscape during the election season

How the industry is perceived in the context of political influence and lobbying and understand the implications

Crisis communication strategies tailored to address challenges specific to the election cycle, ensuring preparedness for potential reputational risks

The Harris Poll boasts decades of experience across the spectrum of health insurance companies, pharmaceutical/biotech/medical device companies, medical associations, nonprofit organizations, health and wellness companies and academia.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963, part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. To learn more, please visit www.theharrispoll.com

Contact:

Michele Salomon

[email protected]

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
VOICE OF THE VENDOR;

Learning to Listen with the Heart - PepsiCo Creates Space to Strengthen Partnerships With Their Supplier Diversity Vendors

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo hosted its 2nd Annual Supplier Diversity Summit, 'The Voice of the Vendor,' on June 11-12, 2024, in Purchase, NY. This year, Tomahawk Information Solutions was among four distinguished companies invited to participate as one of the "Voices of the Vendor."

From Left to Right: Brenden Rickabus, Dienye Benibo, Aimee Holguin Rickabus, Sommer Shankle, Kelly Nayak, Michael Alexander, Quentin Thomas PepsiCo Supplier Diversity SummitVoice of the Vendor Panel from left to right: Lee Polk, VP of Harris & Ford, Jill Parrino CSO of Rose International, Quentin Thomas VP, Global Sales, Brian Riha Co-Founder 82 South, Inc.

"We are beyond thrilled with our amazing partnership with PepsiCo. Dienye Benibo and Mike Alexander are always there for us, treating us like family," stated Aimee Holguin Rickabus, CEO and Co-Founder of Tomahawk Information Solutions. "PepsiCo's 40 years of unwavering belief, steadfast commitment, and visionary strategies in their DEI and Supplier Diversity programs are both simple and elegantly dynamic. PepsiCo empowers people. They empower communities. They empower businesses. They practice what they preach."

"When we first crafted the idea of hosting PepsiCo's Supplier Diversity Summit, our goal was to deepen relationships with existing suppliers and to start partnerships with some new suppliers. In year two of our event, we knew we needed to do a better job listening, resulting in the addition of a "Voice of the Vendor" panel to our agenda." explains Dienye Benibo, Sr. Director, Supplier Diversity at PepsiCo.

"Our first 'draft pick' for that panel was Quentin Thomas from Tomahawk Information Solutions. Not only had our partnership with Tomahawk been strong (and still growing), but we also knew Quentin would provide the candor that we needed to get better."

"The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), with whom PepsiCo has a partnership, found that companies with diverse supplier bases show a 133% greater return on procurement investments," added Holguin-Rickabus. "Certified minority-owned businesses generate more than $400 billion in annual revenue and economic output, leading to the creation and preservation of 2.2 million jobs and $49 billion in annual revenue for local, state, and federal tax authorities."

The correlation between women's workforce participation and economic growth is clear. According to OECD data from 2017, research shows that countries with higher female workforce participation tend to experience a boost in GDP per capita, indicating the positive effects of inclusive employment practices. Closing gender employment gaps could boost GDP per capita by nearly 20 percent, illustrating the vast economic potential of gender equality "The Gender Employment Gap Index (GEGI) suggests closing gender employment gaps could increase GDP per capita by nearly 20% (Source: GEGI, https://hdl.handle.net/10986/37062)."

By using NMSDC's model, we can all manifest economic security and growth for everyone which in turn helps create social justice- all while taking care of Mother Earth. These concepts are purposely created to work together- they are interlinked each dependent on one another. When these ideas are cared for with authentic commitment they grow into robust actions of creative compassion and productive peace. As an NMSDC and WBENC Certified Woman-Minority Owned Small Business, we are dedicated to fostering diversity to expand economic opportunities for all" added Ms Holguin- Rickabus.

"Everyone at Tomahawk was extremely grateful to be selected as a partner to participate in this event. Our Partnership with PepsiCo continues to grow, as a team, we are all excited to be on this journey with you. Tackling supplier diversity initiatives together, working in parallel on social impact efforts, and being innovative with one of the largest companies in the world. Grateful is the word that stands out the most for us. Thank you so much PepsiCo Team! We are beyond excited to see where future projects and opportunities lead us," Quentin Thomas, VP of Global Sales, TIS.

2022 marked the 40th anniversary of PepsiCo's Supplier Diversity Program. From an initial spend of $5 million in 1982 to nearly $30 billion spent over the past four decades across PepsiCo's entire value chain, the program has significantly impacted women, minority, veteran, and LGBTQ-owned businesses. By fostering relationships with suppliers, PepsiCo creates opportunities for these businesses to thrive. This initiative not only enriches PepsiCo with new ideas and perspectives but also contributes to building stronger, more equitable communities. Recognized by various organizations, PepsiCo's Supplier Diversity Program has received numerous awards over the years.

PepsiCo Supplier Diversity Team

Dienye Benibo, St. Director-Program Lead, Mike Alexander, Sr. Manager, Strategy Lead , Arpit Gupta, Sr. Manager, Strategy Lead, Kelly Nayak, Sr. Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Abril Tellez, Analyst, Insights, Monica Florist, Analyst, Insights.

Tomahawk Information Solutions is a Value-Added IT Reseller specializing in Enterprise Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, and AI. TIS prioritizes the well-being of its clients by increasing productivity while driving massive savings for their IT needs. To learn more about Tomahawk Information Solutions and their game-changing IT services please visit our website at [ www.tom-is.com

Tomahawk Information Solutions is proud to be a WBENC and NMSDC Certified Latina-owned IT company that supports the practices of DEI and Supplier Diversity.

Media Contact:

Name: Aimee Holguin Rickabus

Title: CEO and Co-Founder

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Tomahawk Information Solution
NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The global travel and business bags market size is estimated to grow by USD 13.88 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.09% during the forecast period. Growing demand for lightweight travel bags is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing demand for travel and business bags with smart features. However, rising labor costs and fluctuating raw material prices poses a challenge. Key market players include DELSEY, Eagle Creek Holdings LLC, Hermes International SA, IT Luggage Ltd., Kering SA, Ohio Travel Bag LLC, Osprey Packs Inc., Prada Spa, Ralph Lauren Corp., Safari Industries India Ltd., Samsonite International S.A., Tapestry Inc., Targus, The LVMH group, Titan Co. Ltd., Tods Spa, United States Luggage Co. LLC, Valigeria Roncato Spa, VIP Industries Ltd., and Wildcraft India Pvt. Ltd..

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global travel and business bags market 2024-2028

Get a detailed analysis on regions, market segments, customer landscape, and companies - Click for the snapshot of this report

Forecast period 2024-2028 Base Year 2023 Historic Data 2018 - 2022 Segment Covered Product (Travel bags and Business bags), Distribution Channel (Offline and Online), and Geography (Europe, APAC, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America) Region Covered Europe, APAC, North America, Middle East and Africa, and South America Key companies profiled DELSEY, Eagle Creek Holdings LLC, Hermes International SA, IT Luggage Ltd., Kering SA, Ohio Travel Bag LLC, Osprey Packs Inc., Prada Spa, Ralph Lauren Corp., Safari Industries India Ltd., Samsonite International S.A., Tapestry Inc., Targus, The LVMH group, Titan Co. Ltd., Tods Spa, United States Luggage Co. LLC, Valigeria Roncato Spa, VIP Industries Ltd., and Wildcraft India Pvt. Ltd.

Key Market Trends Fueling Growth

The travel and business bags market is experiencing significant growth due to increasing consumer preference for smart luggage. Vendors provide a variety of products, including trolley bags with advanced features such as TSA-approved fingerprint locks, built-in weight scales, Bluetooth trackers, and USB ports with power banks. RFID-blocking pockets and magnetic zipper pullers are additional features. Notable brands like Samsonite offer fingerprint-activated locks and Bluetooth trackers. These innovations enhance convenience and efficiency, driving market expansion.

The Functionality, Remote Locations, Travel, and Business bags market is experiencing significant growth. These bags cater to various needs such as corporate events, commuting, and vacations. The latest trends include lightweight, durable, and sustainable materials like nylon and canvas. Locations and climate conditions are essential factors driving the demand for these bags. Domestic and international travelers seek comfortable and compact bags for their trips. Comfort features like padded shoulders and adjustable straps are popular. Additionally, the integration of technology like RFID protection and USB charging ports adds value to the market. The market also offers a wide range of sizes and styles to cater to diverse customer preferences. Overall, the Travel and Business bags market is a dynamic and evolving industry.

Research report provides comprehensive data on impact of trend. For more details- Download a Sample Report

Market Challenges

The travel and business bags market faces challenges from rising production costs in Asian countries due to labor expenses and raw material procurement. Vendors respond by investing in technology, collaborations, and automation. Fluctuating leather prices, driven by regulations and transportation costs, add to the challenge. Fuel price volatility increases transportation expenses, putting pressure on profit margins. These factors negatively impact market growth during the forecast period.

The Travel and Business Bags market faces several challenges. Durability is a key concern, as bags must withstand frequent use and travel conditions. Lightweight and compact design are essential for convenience, yet they should not compromise security. Comfort is another challenge, as bags may be carried for extended periods. Customization is also important, as consumers seek bags that meet their specific needs. Additionally, the market must keep up with technological advancements, such as RFID protection and charging ports. Cost is a significant factor, as consumers seek affordable yet high-quality options. Lastly, sustainability is becoming increasingly important, with consumers preferring eco-friendly materials and production methods.

For more insights on driver and challenges - Download a Sample Report

Segment Overview

This travel and business bags market report extensively covers market segmentation by

Product

1.1 Travel bags

1.2 Business bags

Distribution Channel

2.1 Offline

2.2 Online

Geography

3.1 Europe

3.2 APAC

3.3 North America

3.4 Middle East and Africa

and 3.5 South America

1.1 Travel bags- The travel bags segment of the global travel and business bags market experienced significant growth over the last five years, driven by the increasing popularity of tourism, adventure tours, and outdoor sports. Major players in this market include Kering SA and LVMH, offering travel bags through brands like Bottega Veneta, Guccio Gucci, SAINT LAURENT, Donna Karan International, LOUIS VUITTON, BERLUTI, CELINE, Christian Dior, and FENDI. The number of international tourist arrivals, which reached approximately 975 million in 2023, further fueled demand. Despite volatility in airline ticket prices, the market is expected to grow due to the rise in disposable income and increased tourism and vacation trips post-lockdowns.

For more information on market segmentation with geographical analysis including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) - Download a Sample Report

Research Analysis

The Travel and Business Bags market encompasses a wide range of products designed to cater to the needs of modern-day consumers in the travel and tourism sector. This market includes various types of bags such as duffel bags, business bags, trolley bags, and suitcases. These bags are made from diverse materials like jute, textile, coated fabrics, leather, and other materials. The changing lifestyle and increasing population have led to a significant increase in demand for luggage, both lightweight and durable. The travel industry's growth and the rising income levels have further fueled the market's expansion. The fashion industry also plays a crucial role in this market, as consumers seek stylish and trendy bags to complement their lifestyle. The commodities market's fluctuations can impact the prices of raw materials used in bag manufacturing. Overall, the Travel and Business Bags market is a dynamic and evolving industry that caters to the diverse needs of consumers in the travel sector.

Market Research Overview

The Travel and Business Bags market encompasses a wide range of products designed to cater to the needs of professionals and frequent travelers. These bags are engineered to be durable, functional, and stylish, offering ample space for laptops, documents, and personal items. The market is driven by the increasing trend of remote work and business travel, leading to a surge in demand for high-quality bags that can withstand the rigors of daily use. Key features of these bags include multiple compartments, adjustable straps, and waterproof materials. Additionally, the market is witnessing the emergence of smart bags, which offer advanced features such as charging ports and GPS tracking. Overall, the Travel and Business Bags market is a dynamic and competitive space, with manufacturers continually innovating to meet the evolving needs of consumers.

Table of Contents:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

3 Market Sizing

4 Historic Market Size

5 Five Forces Analysis

6 Market Segmentation

Product

Travel Bags



Business Bags

Distribution Channel

Offline



Online

Geography

Europe



APAC



North America



Middle East And Africa



South America

7 Customer Landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10 Company Landscape

11 Company Analysis

12 Appendix

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contacts

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Homeowners in many south and southwest suburbs will have to pay a lot more in property taxes as the median tax bill jumped a record 19.9% in the region, according to an analysis released today by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

The biggest increases in homeowners' tax bills occurred in 15 south suburbs where taxes soared 30% or more. Of those 15 suburbs, 13 have mostly Black populations. In two towns, Dixmoor and Phoenix, the median tax bill more than doubled.

"Many homeowners are going to be shocked and angry when they get their bills," Pappas said. "South suburban homeowners already pay some of the highest property taxes in the county, and these increases will make paying those bills even more difficult."

A research team created by Pappas released its Tax Year 2023 Bill Analysis, a detailed examination of nearly 1.8 million bills to be mailed to property owners July 2 and due a month later on Aug. 1.

This year's Second Installment bills include a new feature, "Where Your Money Goes," that breaks down the amounts of money billed by each taxing district and shows whether taxes went up or down.

Among key findings of the analysis:

Across Cook County , property taxes rose about $706 million , climbing from $17.6 billion to $18.3 billion . Homeowners are shouldering an extra $611 million , or nearly 86% of this year's increase, while commercial properties owe an extra $102.9 million and taxes on vacant land dropped by $7.8 million .





, property taxes rose about , climbing from to . Homeowners are shouldering an extra , or nearly 86% of this year's increase, while commercial properties owe an extra and taxes on vacant land dropped by . In the south and southwest suburbs, where all properties were reassessed, taxes rose a total of $265.4 million . The median south suburban residential tax bill increased by 19.9%, the largest percentage increase in at least 29 years, according to Treasurer's data. Homeowners bore the brunt of the increase as their taxes rose $396.8 million while taxes on commercial properties dropped by $121.6 million .





. The median south suburban residential tax bill increased by 19.9%, the largest percentage increase in at least 29 years, according to Treasurer's data. Homeowners bore the brunt of the increase as their taxes rose while taxes on commercial properties dropped by . In the north and northwest suburbs, taxes rose $213.7 million from $4.06 billion to $4.27 billion . Residential taxes increased $109.8 million while taxes on commercial properties increased $103.1 million .





from to . Residential taxes increased while taxes on commercial properties increased . In Chicago , taxes increased by a modest 2.6%, largely because of an increase in the Chicago Public Schools tax levy and bill increases in many tax increment finance districts. In the north and northwest suburbs, overall taxes rose by 4%, with slightly bigger percentage increases for businesses than homeowners.

Homeowners in the south and southwest suburbs are being hit hard because new assessment shifted 4% of the overall tax burden from businesses onto them. The financial shift was caused by elimination of the 10% COVID-19 assessment reduction enacted in 2020, higher home selling prices and the success businesses had appealing their assessments at the Board of Review, which handles appeals of valuations made by the Assessor's Office.

Particularly hard hit were homeowners in Park Forest, where the median residential bill rose by 56% to $7,152. In Dixmoor, the median bill increased by 122%, to $1,950. And in Phoenix, where nearly all of the village is in a tax increment finance district, the median bill shot up by 107% to $1,744.

Nearly 4,200 south and southwest suburban homeowners who paid no taxes last year will get bills this year. That's because the value of their exemptions no longer exceeds the higher assessed values of their homes. The median for those bills was $1,115.

Across the county, more than 1.3 million homeowners must pay more in property taxes, while about 251,600 were billed less. Taxes for more than 88,000 commercial properties increased, while nearly 28,000 went down.

State law allows school districts to hike taxes by the prior year's increase in the Consumer Price Index, or 5%, whichever is less. Because the CPI increased by 6.5% in 2022, school districts were allowed a 5% increase. But the overall percentage increase was higher, partly due to a provision called recapture.

Recapture is a 2021 provision in the Illinois tax code that allows school districts and many local governments to recover money refunded to property owners who successfully appealed their taxes the previous year. Recapture led to an additional $136.3 million being tacked onto bills this year. That's $51.9 million less than was added to property owners' bills last year.

Significant increases in the amount of money the city of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools said they needed to operate, coupled with recapture and higher tax increment financing district bills, boosted the overall property tax burden in Chicago by $221.8 million. That broke down as a $116.6 million increase on commercial properties and a $103.9 million increase on residential properties.

The analysis is the latest addition to the Pappas Studies, a series of examinations of the complex property tax system available at cookcountytreasurer.com.

Property owners who don't want to wait for their bills to arrive in the mail can pay their taxes online now at cookcountytreasurer.com. Partial payments are accepted.

SOURCE Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas
Offering An Elevated Twist On A Classic American Sauce

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TRUFF, the truffle brand known for reimagining and elevating pantry staples, releases TRUFF Buffalo Sauce, its newest hot sauce variation. TRUFF Buffalo Sauce is a bright and flavorful fusion of the sophisticated elegance of black truffle, the tang of vinegar, the kick of cayenne, and the lush silkiness of olive oil.

TRUFF Buffalo Sauce

TRUFF has brought truffle-infused products to a broad consumer base through its premium condiments line spanning hot sauce, pasta sauce, mayonnaise, oil and salt. TRUFF's hero product, its hot sauce, is a leading seller in the natural channel and the fastest-growing hot sauce in conventional grocery. The new Buffalo Sauce is the brand's latest addition on its quest to offer unparalleled flavor experiences.

"Our take on buffalo isn't just about reimagining a staple sauce; it's a reflection of our commitment to enhancing the everyday dining experience," says Nick Guillen, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at TRUFF. "We thoughtfully combined luxury with tradition by incorporating the unmistakable, bold flavor of TRUFF with the timeless flavor of buffalo sauce. The result is a culinary masterpiece we like to call TRUFFALO."

The new sauce will be available in 6-ounce bottles topped with TRUFF's distinctive truffle-inspired cap in a vivid orange. Available online at TRUFF.com and on Amazon, TRUFF's new Buffalo Sauce speaks to the brand's track record of successfully putting a premium, stylized spin on consumer categories that have been historically dominated by legacy brands.

TRUFF has experienced groundbreaking company growth since its launch in 2017. The brand's distinctive flavor, high-quality ingredients, new product innovation, and social following have helped it build a significant base of loyal consumers, an impressive list of collaborators, and accolades. The brand's latest partnerships include launches with Lucasfilm, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and The Super Mario Brothers Movie. Most recently, the brand announced that SKKY Partners Jay Sammons and Kim Kardashian's private equity firm focused on high-growth, market-leading consumer brands  had acquired a significant minority stake in TRUFF.

For more information please visit TRUFF.com or @sauce on Instagram.

ABOUT TRUFF

TRUFF's lineup of luxury pantry staples is designed to elevate the dining experience. Originally founded through a popular food and lifestyle Instagram blog called @sauce, TRUFF immediately propelled into social media virality with the release of its hot sauce in 2017. The brand quickly became the fastest growing company in the hot sauce space due to its distinctive flavor profile, pristine bottle, Truffle Inspired cap, and of course the coveted Instagram account @sauce that makes tagging a no-brainer. Taking inspiration from the flagship black truffle experience, TRUFF has expanded its family of products to include other popular favorites like Pasta Sauce, Mayonnaise, Oil and Salt. You can find TRUFF's variety of products in stores nationwide and around the world in the UK, Australia, Kuwait, and South Korea. TRUFF is gluten-free and non-GMO. Visit www.TRUFF.com for more information and recipes.

CONTACT: Michelle Gabe, [email protected]

SOURCE TRUFF
Registered attendees had the unique opportunity to explore the innovative facility and witness its advanced capabilities firsthand. Through exclusive lab tours, participants gained insight into the expertise and pioneering technology TUV Rheinland employs in its testing processes.

"We are very proud to have welcomed the ICPHSO members to our laboratory, as we had the opportunity to celebrate with them this important milestone in our history and show them the innovations and top-of-the-line technology we use for testing," said Mickey Yu, Global Business Field Manager at TUV Rheinland. "This event allowed us to highlight that our Bentonville facility has been proudly serving major United States global retailers and brands customers since 2011. We offer a wide range of services, including chemical, physical, and mechanical testing for consumer products as toys, kitchenware, textiles, and packaging material. Our competitive advantage is to support customers from all the supply chain in the US and global retailers and brans to access new markets showing compliance to federal and state regulations."

Our 20,000 sq. ft. laboratory is a one-stop solution for all our customer consumer product testing needs. Our Bentonville facility offers a full spectrum of services, encompassing medical device testing, toy safety evaluation, softlines and hardlines assessment, and food contact material analysis. As a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - Accepted Testing Laboratory, we are uniquely positioned to perform a comprehensive array of chemistry and mechanical tests, ensuring compliance with the latest regulations, such as the new CPSC/Sturdy Act requirement for furniture. With dedicated spaces for chemical, textile, and toy testing, along with room for future expansion, our laboratory reinforces TUV Rheinland's commitment to being your trusted partner in regulatory compliance.

Simon Allitt, Head of Retail North America at TUV Rheinland, shared, "Our goal at TUV Rheinland is to be the best partner to meet the standards and regulations for companies around the globe. With our team's expertise, we provide our customers an advantage through service quality and speed in our state-of-the-art Bentonville Lab. In that way we improve our workflows for analytical chemical and mechanical testing, and we are creating a world-class capability scope for all types of retail products."

The Bentonville laboratory not only strengthens TUV Rheinland's leadership in the US but also enhances its coverage network throughout the Americas, enabling the company to provide comprehensive solutions to customers seeking to enter the US market.

For more information about TUV Rheinland's services and its commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability, please visit here.

About TUV Rheinland

Safety and quality in almost all areas of business and life: That's what TUV Rheinland stands for. The company has been active for more than 150 years and is one of the world's leading testing service providers. TUV Rheinland has more than 22,000 employees in over 50 countries and generates annual sales of more than 2.4 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the globe, accompany innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In this way, the independent experts ensure trust along global flows of goods and value chains. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact for more sustainability and against corruption. Website: www.tuv.com

Contact for press:

Asif Manzur

[email protected]

+1 214-502-4310

SOURCE TUV Rheinland
The Nation's Fastest-Growing Engineering and Consulting Firm Makes Strategic Acquisition of Lexington, KY-based Firm



ORLANDO, Fla., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- UES, a national leading engineering and consulting company, has acquired CSI, a diversified consulting firm specializing in engineering and construction science located in Lexington, KY, with an additional office in Cincinnati, OH. Founded in 2009, CSI provides comprehensive geotechnical engineering, drilling, testing, inspection, and environmental services. Recent notable projects include providing geotechnical engineering for the construction of LG&E and KU's Cane Run Station, a 300,000-sf natural gas power plant, and quality testing services for the US Army Corps of Engineers' 19th Engineer Battalion's Facility.

CSI joins the Midwest region of UES, led by Pat Donovan, P.E. "With their addition, we're thrilled to expand services in Kentucky and Ohio and the surrounding areas," said Donovan, P.E. "CSI's team of experts and suite of engineering and testing services complements our own, and together as Team UES, we will achieve our goal to be the premier engineering consultant in the nation." CSI's leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business.

CSI co-founder and President Shayne Brashear shared, "We are excited to join UES in their pursuit of growth in the Midwest. The ability to further our reach allows us to serve our clients at the highest level, while providing rewarding career opportunities for our people."

With nearly 4,000 professionals across 90+ branches, UES provides specialized engineering, environmental, materials testing, and inspection services to clients across the United States. Beginning in 2019, UES' acquisitions have included prominent engineering firms including: Universal Engineering Sciences, GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, GEOServices, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, Speedie & Associates, Rock Engineering Testing & Laboratory, Dan Brown and Associates, Carmichael Engineering, Faulkner Engineering Services, Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt, Riner Engineering, GEO Solutions, Biome Consulting Group, InControl Technologies, and now CSI, which have made UES one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.

About CSI

Consulting Services Incorporated (CSI) is a diversified consulting firm specializing in engineering and construction science with respect to finite subsurface and construction observation with offices in Lexington, KY, and Cincinnati, OH. CSI was founded in 2009 with a corporate philosophy of providing sound engineering solutions to construction-related engineering projects. Since its inception, CSI has grown to become a firm registered in 14 states supporting clients in the engineering and construction fields along the southeastern United States. For more information, please visit csikentucky.com.

About UES

UES is a privately held, rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with expertise in the areas of environmental and earth sciences, sustainable infrastructure solutions, and geophysical technologies. With nearly 4,000 professionals across 85+ branches, UES provides specialized geotechnical engineering, environmental, materials testing, and inspection services to clients across the United States. UES consults on projects of all sizes in industries such as transportation, water and wastewater, data centers, energy, healthcare, education, residential, and more. UES was named 'Hot Firm of the Year' by Zweig Group in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. For more information, visit teamues.com.

Media Contact:

Lindsay Graham

Director, Marketing & Communications

UES

407-310-7396

[email protected]

SOURCE UES
Motel 6 is Top Choice for Comfortable and Wallet-Friendly Stay in 2024

DALLAS, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Motel 6, a name synonymous with affordable lodging, has again been voted the "Best Budget-Friendly Hotel Brand" in the annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for 2024.

The 10Best honors serve as a trusted source for recommendations across various travel and lifestyle categories. This year, USA TODAY readers named Motel 6 the No. 1 choice for travelers looking for a clean, friendly, dependable, and most importantly, affordable place to stay whether for leisure or business travel.

"We're thankful to the readers of 10Best and USA Today for voting us Best Budget-Friendly Brand," said Julie Arrowsmith, President and CEO of G6 Hospitality, parent company of Motel 6. "Motel 6 is an iconic brand with a passion for serving the budget-conscious traveler. We keep things simple by giving guests just want they want, whether that's a pet-friendly hotel, military discounts, or just a welcome respite by the highway where they'll find a clean, comfortable room at a great price."

Each year, USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards highlight the best-of-the-best in contests covering categories such as destinations, food and drink, hotels and things to do. A panel of travel experts and 10Best.com editors first nominate 20 hotel brands in the lodging category, and the final top 10 winners are then chosen by the readers' popular vote. This category highlights the best budget-friendly hotels that combine affordable rates and amenities that give travelers a comfortable and wallet-friendly stay.

To book a stay at one of the nearly 1,500 Motel 6 or Studio 6 hotels across the U.S. and Canada, visit www.motel6.com or www.studio6.com.

About Motel 6

Motel 6, an iconic brand synonymous with affordable lodging, has franchised locations throughout the United States and Canada. Since 1962, Motel 6 has been known as the trusted place to find a clean, comfortable room at a fair price. Pets always stay free at Motel 6. The 2024 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 report ranked Motel 6 in the top 50 of all franchises. For more information, please visit www.motel6.com. For franchise opportunities, please visit www.g6hospitality.com.

Media Contact:

Jordyn Levine

(224) 509-5203

[email protected]

SOURCE Motel 6
ZURICH, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DFINITY Foundation announces the launch of UTOPIA, a new compute platform technology that creates private serverless clouds powered with unique security and resilience properties. The technology will enable enterprises and governments to build systems and services that do not depend on highly fallible cybersecurity technologies such as firewalls and anti-malware for protection against cyber attacks. The technology enables AI to run securely, enables software to manage digital assets natively, and allows governments to achieve sovereignty. UTOPIA is an acronym for "Unstoppable Tamperproof Open Platform for Independent Autonomy."

UTOPIA technology directly addresses the critical IT challenges of our time. In 2025, the annual cost of cybercrime will pass 10 trillion dollars, with AI set to accelerate the growth of this problem dramatically. Today, everything from critical enterprise infrastructure to simple websites is at constant risk from ransomware that takes down systems while penetrative hacks continue to exfiltrate sensitive data at scale. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, 9,487 new data breaches have been publicly disclosed, with more than 35 billion personal records revealed to have been stolen. As this situation continues to worsen, cybersecurity threatens to become a challenge on a par with war and climate change.

Governments and enterprises can use UTOPIA's open-source software to create private and sovereign serverless cloud platforms using compute capacity such as servers in data centers and compute instances provided by existing cloud services. What sets the technology apart, is that UTOPIA cloud platforms are created by a network protocol with mathematical properties that guarantee tamper-resistance and resilience, in ways analogous to blockchain technology, but with efficiency, performance and scalability characteristics suitable for hosting enterprise compute at scale.

UTOPIA cloud platforms can host serverless software that hackers cannot interact with in ways that allow them to change functionality, access private data, or install ransomware that encrypts software and data. This heralds a revolution in the way that enterprises and governments can build systems and services.

Dominic Williams, Founder and Chief Scientist of the DFINITY Foundation commented "UTOPIA reinvents compute by solving for the greatest IT challenges of our time: cybersecurity, resilience, IT productivity and sovereignty. Governments are wary of cloud services as they must surrender sensitive data to them. UTOPIA offers a solution by enabling them to operate next-generation private sovereign clouds over home-country hardware that have game-changing security properties."

IT productivity is a pressing issue for enterprises and governments. The world spends 2 trillion dollars a year on IT personnel, who often spend the vast majority of their time chasing the complexity of current IT. UTOPIA platforms host serverless software and data in a secure serverless cloud environment that increases productivity by dramatically simplifying the development and administration of online systems and services.

UTOPIA technology is based on ICP (Internet Computer Protocol), which currently powers the Internet Computer network. In over three years in production, the Internet Computer has never suffered an outage, or a hack, while hosting hundreds of applications and millions of users. This means that ICP technology has been battle-proven and hardened for powering a public network that runs in the most demanding threat environment possible.

About the Internet Computer:

The Internet Computer is currently used by millions of users and runs thousands of applications. Applications on the Internet Computer are built from smart contracts giving them the security features from blockchain, making them tamperproof and unstoppable. Different from other blockchain platforms, smart contracts on the Internet Computer are very powerful and on par with traditional software: they can serve web content, interact with any other Internet services, and process large amounts of data. A further difference is that due to the unique architecture and novel cryptography, the Internet Computer is energy efficient and comparable with traditional software that runs on Big Tech's cloud services, and orders of magnitude lower than competing blockchains.

About DFINITY:

The DFINITY Foundation was established in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2016. Since then, it has become the largest blockchain tech employer in Switzerland and the DACH Region, with talented people from local and international organizations, such as IBM Research, Google Research, Meta, etc. The DFINITY Foundation is the creator and a major contributor to the Internet Computer, a third-generation blockchain that extends the functionality of the Internet from a network that connects devices globally to a computing platform that hosts systems and services directly on the blockchain.

Contact:

Aaron Dodd

[email protected]

+351 85 192 6681

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449835/Utopia_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UTOPIA
SEATTLE, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Poison Center (WAPC), Washington's nonprofit provider of free medical advice regarding medication errors, poisonings, and drug overdoses, is pleased to announce the hiring of James Leonard, PharmD, DABAT as its Managing Director. Dr. Leonard will lead the WAPC's call center services, providing oversight to the WAPC's pharmacist and nurse specialists in poison information and ensuring the WAPC continues its provision of high-quality treatment advice and consultations. Dr. Leonard will additionally advance the WAPC's mission to prevent and reduce harm from poisoning by cultivating relationships and collaborations with healthcare and public health entities across the state.

Dr. James Leonard, Managing Director of the Washington Poison Center

Born and raised in western Washington, Dr. Leonard holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy from the Washington State University College of Pharmacy and is board certified in applied toxicology. Dr. Leonard completed a general pharmacy residency in Olympia, then moved to Maryland to complete a two-year clinical toxicology fellowship at the Maryland Poison Center and University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. He returns to Washington and the WAPC following five years of leadership positions at the Maryland Poison Center.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Leonard back to Washington and our center," remarks Dr. Scott Phillips, Executive and Medical Director of the WAPC. "Dr. Leonard brings an exceptional blend of expertise in toxicology as well as familiarity with and dedication to the health and safety of our local communities. We are confident he will spark innovative approaches to strengthening our services, and will help lead the Washington Poison Center in providing the best care possible to Washingtonians."

The Washington Poison Center is hosting a livestream on their YouTube channel and Facebook page to introduce Dr. Leonard. Join the stream on Wednesday, July 10 at 1pm PST.

Media contact: [email protected]

About the WAPC: The Washington Poison Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit mandated by Washington State to deliver poison and drug exposure-related medical advice and education to community members, first responders, and healthcare providers. WAPC provides medical advice through a 24/7/365 free telephone line staffed by specially trained pharmacists, nurses, and physician medical toxicologists. WAPC also provides free programs to educate local communities on poison safety, prevention, and harm reduction.

SOURCE Washington Poison Center
DALLAS, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zimperium, a global leader in mobile security, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Michael Williams as our new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). With an illustrious career spanning over two decades in cybersecurity marketing, Michael brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation.

Michael Williams joins Zimperium from KnowBe4, the world leader in security awareness training, where as CMO he helped lead the company through a successful IPO and acquisition. His leadership earned KnowBe4 top rankings in industry reports and most importantly, unparalleled ARR growth. Previously, as CMO Symantec, Michael led the company's return to pipeline and enterprise growth. His extensive experience also includes senior leadership roles at Blue Coat Systems and McAfee, where he drove global marketing growth strategies.

At Zimperium, Michael will be responsible for shaping and executing our marketing strategy, expanding our market penetration and thought leadership. His deep understanding of the cybersecurity landscape and his innovative approach to marketing will be invaluable as we continue to lead the industry in mobile threat defense.

"Michael's appointment marks a significant milestone for Zimperium," said Shridhar Mittal, CEO of Zimperium. "His extensive experience and proven success in the cybersecurity sector makes him the ideal leader to drive our marketing efforts. We are confident that Michael's vision and leadership will help Zimperium achieve new heights of success."

Michael Williams commented: "I have followed Zimperium for a long time and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of such a dynamic and innovative team. Cyber attacks on mobile devices and applications are at an all-time high as organized cyber criminals exploit mobile as the primary infiltration point for ransomware, credential theft and account takeover. Zimperium is the global leader in mobile security and I'm very proud to be part of their mission to protect enterprises across the world."

For more information about Zimperium visit www.zimperium.com

About Zimperium

Zimperium enables companies to realize the full potential of mobile-powered business by activating a Mobile-First Security Strategy. Built for the demands of mobile business, Zimperium's Mobile-First Security Platform delivers unmatched security across both applications and devices. Only Zimperium delivers autonomous mobile security that dynamically adapts to changing environments so companies can securely capitalize on the new world of mobile-powered opportunities. Zimperium is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and backed by Liberty Strategic Capital and SoftBank. For more information, follow Zimperium on X (@Zimperium) and LinkedIn, or visit www.Zimperium.com

Media Contact

Sena McGrand

[email protected]

SOURCE Zimperium
La Paz, June 27 : Armoured vehicles and troops of the Bolivian Armed Forces pulled back from the presidential palace in La Paz on Wednesday evening, hours after an attempted coup.

Bolivian police arrested rebel military commander General Juan Jose Zuniga, who led the failed coup attempt.

Bolivian President Luis Arce condemned the coup attempt and called on citizens to mobilise and defend democracy. He also named a new army commander who ordered troops to withdraw.

Earlier, soldiers marched on Plaza Murillo, a square outside the seat of government, led by General Zuniga, and forced their way into the old government headquarters, Palacio Quemado.

The presence of armed troops generated a strong response from citizens, who gathered in the streets surrounding Plaza Murillo, the epicentre of Bolivia's political power, to denounce the military move.

Representatives of social organisations in different parts of the country also demonstrated in defence of democracy, joining the President's call to protect the constitutional order.
Lucknow, June 27 : A man hacked his elder brother to death over a dispute about cooking dinner and then walked to the police station to surrender.

The incident took place on Wednesday night when the accused Sujit Kori, 27, killed his elder brother Ashok Kori, 35, after the latter asked him to cook dinner.

Ashok Kori, an ice cream seller, was intoxicated when he returned home and asked his brother -- also in an inebriated condition -- to start cooking.

Sujit refused to cook and this led to an altercation between the two. Sujit picked up an axe and fatally attacked his brother.

After the incident, Sujit went to the Banthra police station on the outskirts of Lucknow and surrendered. He was arrested.

Additional DCP South zone, Shashank Singh said that the murder weapon has been recovered and the body has been sent for postmortem.

Both the brothers were unmarried and their parents had passed away a few years ago.
Barabanki, June 27 : A trainee police sub-inspector allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki on Wednesday night in his room within the premises of Kothi police.

The victim identified as Arun Yadav, 30, had recently been transferred just two and a half months ago.

According to police, a suicide note from the scene cited his battle with migraine as the reason behind the step.

Additional SP (ASP) of Barabanki, Akhilesh Narain Singh, said that Arun, a resident of Kanpur, had joined the police force in March 2023.

"After completing a year of training, he was posted as Sub-Inspector at Kothi Police Station in March 2024. He shared his room with his batchmate Vishesh Kumar Kuril," the ASP said.

On Wednesday after having lunch together at the station canteen, Vishesh Kumar left for some work while Arun Yadav returned to his room. When Vishesh Kumar returned around 8 p.m., he found the door locked from inside.

Upon breaking open the door, he discovered Arun Yadav's lifeless body and service revolver nearby.

Vishesh Kumar immediately informed the senior authorities about the tragic event.

ASP Singh said that the suicide note indicated distress due to migraine issues as the motive behind his decision. Family members have been informed about the incident.
Manila, June 27 : Seven suspected rebels have been killed in a clash in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila, the Philippine military said on Thursday.

In a report, the military said that the fighting broke out between a band of the New People's Army rebels and government forces on Wednesday afternoon in Pantabangan town, Xinhua news agency reported.

No soldier was killed or wounded in the clash.
Seoul, June 27 : North Korea has successfully conducted a missile test aimed at securing multiple warhead capability, state media reported on Thursday, contradicting South Korea's assessment that the test is believed to have ended in failure.

During the test conducted on Wednesday, North Korea's Missile Administration "successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads", the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea said the test was "aimed at securing the MIRV capability", referring to multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology, which allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets.

The announcement contradicts South Korea's assessment that the missile exploded in the air, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Wednesday, South Korea said that the missile was launched from an area in or around Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m. but exploded over the East Sea after flying some 250 km.

However, North Korea said the test "used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometre radius".

The separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to three target coordinates, the KCNA said.

The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, it added.

The test was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), and Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, the KCNA said.

The officials emphasised that enhancing "the MIRV capability is a very important defence technological task and a top priority of the WPK Central Committee," the KCNA reported, suggesting it might also be a top priority for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Developing MIRV technology was included in North Korea's five-year development plan, which was unveiled during the eighth congress of the WPK in January 2021.

North Korea claimed that "the test is part of the administration's normal activities," the KCNA said.

This is the first time North Korea has publicly disclosed that it conducted a missile test to secure multiple warhead capability.

South Korea, the US and Japan condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Lucknow: A view of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly during the Winter Session, at Vidhan Bhawan in Lucknow on Tuesday, Dec. 06, 2022. (Photo: Phool Chandra/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

Lucknow, June 27 : The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to convene the Monsoon Session of the state legislature in July 2024 or the first week of August 2024.

"The monsoon session of the state legislature is likely to be convened sometime in July 2024 or in the first week of August 2024," said a senior official.

Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly's budget session that began on February 2 was adjourned sine die on February 10. Under Article 174 of the Constitution of India, the state government must convene the Monsoon Session before August 10.

It provides, "The Governor shall from time to time summon the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session."

This will be the first session of the state Legislative Assembly after the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

All eyes are set on unfolding political developments. The Leader of Opposition, Akhilesh Yadav has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Kannauj, the SP will have to nominate a new leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Assembly.

Akhilesh Yadav has resigned from the Karhal Assembly seat following his election to the Lok Sabha and so have others, including SP MLA Awadhesh Prasad from the Milkipur seat of Ayodhya. There are now 10 vacancies in the state Legislative Assembly and Uttar Pradesh will witness a mini Assembly election of sorts in the coming months.
Kanpur, June 27 : A court in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur has awarded life imprisonment to a 26-year-old youth for the murder of his neighbour during a robbery at her house seven years ago.

The body of Nisha Kejriwal, 52, was found inside her house on July 12, 2017.

Police managed to establish the presence of Nisha's neighbour Aditya Narain Singh, then 19, at the crime spot, through CCTV footage.

It was established that he had murdered the woman for robbery. Nisha Kejriwal was alone at home when Aditya Singh struck, as her husband and son were at their shop and her daughter was in school. The convict had friendly relations with the Kejriwals and was well aware of the daily routine of every member of the house.

Police had recovered gold and silver ornaments and Rs 1.4 lakh cash from Aditya's house during the investigation.

The Kanpur police said that before the murder, Aditya was in Mumbai for three years. He had cleared CLAT and studied LLB only for the first semester, as he was expelled from college because of his "bad habits".

Demanding capital punishment for the accused, additional district govt counsel Vinod Tripathi submitted he had committed a heinous crime and had hit "as many as 13 blows of hammer and knife" on the victim's face.

Additional sessions judge Azad Singh observed that the investigating officer, Rajan Kumar Rawat, had made several errors, and directed a copy of the court order to be sent to the commissioner of police for "appropriate action".
New Delhi, June 27 : With Iran set to hold snap polls on Friday to elect the successor to late President Ebrahim Raisi, a three-way race -- heading into a run-off -- is likely, as per various surveys, though they differ on the positioning of the top three candidates.

Meanwhile, authorities hope for a heavier 'legitimising' turnout, given the unprecedented low percentage of voting in the 2021 elections and parliamentary polls earlier this year.

The turnout in the 2021 elections - which Raisi won - was 48.8 per cent - the lowest ever so far since the 1979 revolution. It further declined to around 41 per cent in the two-round Majles election in March and May this year. Part of the disenchantment of voters is over social and economic issues and the prevention of a large number of reformists. Mavericks like former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, barred from the presidential race, also do not pass vetting.

The predictions of the likely turnout, as per the surveys and analyses, depend on the orientation of the pollsters or analysts. While those by emigres, who do not enjoy the best of relations with the present Iranian dispensation, claim a much lower turnout would be recorded this time, those by in-country groups, related to government institutions, are more sanguine, report a slight bump up.

However, they also do not predict any radical breakout.

It was perhaps with this in mind, that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called for a "maximum" voter turnout in a message to the country's "enemies".

"The Islamic Republic has enemies. One thing that helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies is the elections. If a good turnout is seen in these elections, then it will make the Islamic Republic proud," he said in his address at a religious function.

All six approved candidates, pegged as five hardliners/conservatives, of various intensities, and one reformist, are still in the race, unlike some previous instances, when some hardliners withdrew and threw support behind others of their persuasion to prevent vote fragmentation.

The top three contenders are former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Majles Speaker and former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (both hardliners), and cardiac surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, who served as a minister in the Khatami regime (reformist).

The other three - Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, Vice President and Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs head Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, and cleric and former Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi - do not figure much in the calculus.

However, the surveys rate the chances of the top three quite differently, as per reports.

The Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), which is affiliated with the government's Academic Centre of Education, Research, and Culture, in a survey published on Wednesday last week, has forecast a turnout of over 50 per cent, placing Jalili first, and Pezeshkian second - less than a percentage point ahead of Qalibaf.

However, its update on Monday had Pezeshkian now leading over Jalili, albeit by a small margin, while Qalibaf stayed in third place.

In both, none of the leading candidates was even the 30 per cent mark, indicating a run-off.

Meta, a polling organisation in the Imam Sadeq University in Tehran, in its survey published last week, had forecast just over 50 per cent turnout, with Pezeshkian ahead - but over Qalibaf, while Jalili was in third place.

An update this week had the same positioning but with lower numbers for the candidates. It was also claimed that in a run-off, Qalibaf would beat Pezeshkian, and if the run-off was Qalibaf vs Jalili, the former would triumph then too.

A survey by the "privately-run" Shenaakht, coming out in the middle of the month, predicted well over 50 per cent turnout, and Qalibaf on top and both Pezeshkian and Jalili tied in second place - over 10 percentage points behind.

While for Jalili and Qalibaf, their closeness to Supreme Leader Khamenei and the IRGC background could weigh in their favour with their establishment, sole reformist candidate Pezeshkian, whose presence seems geared at drawing out reformist voters for higher voting, may find the going tough unless there is a massive turnout in his favour.

However, his ethnic background - being an Azeri - could cloud his chances. And then, his recent statements supporting Iran's return to the nuclear deal and wider outreach to the West drew veiled censure from the Supreme Leader, who was scornful of those believing that "everything good comes from the US." The other two peg more hopes from BRICS and the SCO.

Pezeshkian also strayed from consensus by expressing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

But, no matter who wins, any radical change in domestic and foreign policies is unlikely since the President is only the second in command. And then, it is the Supreme Leader who also certifies the winner.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
Kolkata, June 27 : As the Ranghat-Dakshin Assembly constituency in West Bengal's Nadia district is heading for the crucial bypoll on July 10, three factors are keeping the BJP in a comfort zone in this electoral battle.

The first factor is the overwhelming support of Matua voters for the BJP camp that not only remained intact in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls but also increased to some extent. This was evident from the results of the two Matua-dominated Parliamentary constituencies of Bangaon in North 24 Parganas district and Ranaghat in Nadia district, where the sitting BJP MPs were able to retain both seats with comfortable margins.

Ranaghat-Dakshin, as one of the seven Assembly constituencies under the Ranaghat Lok Sabha, contributed significantly to ensuring the huge victory margin of the BJP's Jagannath Sarkar in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. The state BJP leadership is confident that in the bypoll they will continue enjoying the unstinted support of the Matuas, a backward class community which came as refugees to West Bengal from Bangladesh.

The second factor is the turncoat image of the Trinamool Congress candidate from Ranaghat-Dakshin, Dr Mukut Mani Adhikari, who was elected as a BJP candidate from the same Assembly constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

However, he joined the Trinamool Congress just before the Lok Sabha polls and also got the nomination to contest from the Ranaghat Lok Sabha as the ruling party candidate, which compelled him to resign as a member of the state Assembly. He was defeated in the Lok Sabha polls and Trinamool Congress nominated him as a candidate for the Assembly bypoll.

Now as Ranaghat-Dakshin is heading for a three-cornered contest in the bypolls between Adhikari, BJPas Manoj Kumar Biswas and CPI(M)as Arindam Biswas, past poll statistics are yet another comfort factor for the saffron camp.

In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Adhikari, as the BJP candidate, got elected from the Ranaghat-Dakshin by a margin of 16,515 votes. However, as per the Assembly-wise results of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Adhikari, as a Trinamool Congress candidate, trailed by a massive margin of 35,936 votes in 2024.

So the three factors of the Matua equation, the turncoat image of the opponent and the past poll statistics keep BJP in a more or less comfort zone in the forthcoming bypolls.

Despite maintaining a record of peaceful polling in the past, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to depute 12 companies of Central Armed Forces personnel for Ranaghat-Dakshin in the bypolls.
Seoul, June 27 : South Korea, the US and Japan began their first trilateral multi-domain exercise on Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, amid efforts to deepen security cooperation against threats from North Korea, recently emboldened by its deepening ties with Russia.

The three-day exercise, named Freedom Edge, got underway in international waters south of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, the JCS said, after the three countries' defence chiefs agreed to launch the drills early this month in line with their leaders' agreement last year, Yonhap news agency reported.

Last August, President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to hold "annual, named, multidomain" trilateral exercises regularly during their summit at Camp David as part of efforts to deter evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

The drills mobilised various warships and aircraft from the three sides, including the US Navy's USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, South Korea's Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong destroyer and Japan's JS Ise helicopter destroyer.

"Freedom Edge expresses the will of South Korea, the US and Japan to promote trilateral interoperability and protect freedom for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula," the JCS said in a statement.

The exercise will focus on ballistic missile defence, air defence, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interdiction and defensive cyber training, the JCS said, adding the three sides will continue to expand Freedom Edge going forward.

The new exercise takes its name from key bilateral exercises the US holds regularly with the Asian neighbours -- Freedom Shield with South Korea and Keen Edge with Japan.

While the three countries have held combined maritime and aerial exercises, Freedom Edge marks their first trilateral exercise to take place across multiple domains.

Freedom Edge also takes place amid growing concerns over deepening military ties between North Korea and Russia.

Last Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit in Pyongyang, where they signed a "comprehensive strategic partnership" treaty that calls for military assistance if one of them is attacked.

South Korea, the US and Japan have jointly condemned the expanding military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.
Seoul, June 27 : South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Thursday dismissed Japan's renewed protest over South Korea's routine maritime survey near the East Sea islets of Dokdo.

On Wednesday, Japan's Foreign Ministry complained through diplomatic channels, demanding an immediate halt to the maritime survey conducted by the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency around the rocky islets.

This marked the third complaint lodged by Japan in June, following similar protests on June 6 and 11, Yonhap news agency reported.

In response, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the maritime survey is a legitimate activity, emphasising that Dokdo is indisputably South Korean territory historically, geographically and under international law.

"We cannot accept any of Japan's claims regarding our territorial sovereignty," a Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Dokdo has long been a recurring source of tension between the two neighbours, as Tokyo repeatedly asserts its sovereignty claims in policy papers, public statements and school textbooks.

Tokyo also complains every time Seoul conducts regular maritime surveys.

The state-run Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency regularly dispatches a research vessel around Dokdo to monitor ocean currents and measure sea temperatures using sonar technology as part of its ongoing maritime surveys.

South Korea maintains a small police detachment on the islets, effectively controlling them.
Bengaluru, June 27 : The Karnataka Railway Police recovered the lifeless body of a newborn baby from a dustbin on a train in Bengaluru.

The incident came to light on Thursday, and the Yeshwanthpur Railway Police has taken up the investigation.

According to police, the body of the baby boy was recovered from the Prasanthi Express, which arrived at Yelahanka Railway Station in Bengaluru from Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

The baby was wrapped in a white cloth and dumped into the dustbin.

Passengers who noticed the baby inside the dustbin informed the Railway authorities.

The railway police suspect that the baby was born on the train and immediately after birth was dumped into the dustbin.

The police are verifying CCTV footage to ascertain what exactly took place. More details are yet to emerge regarding the incident.
Mumbai, June 27 : Veteran star Kamal Haasan and his 'Indian 2' co-actor Siddharth are closer than they appear, going by the post he has shared on social media.

Kamal took to Instagram and shared a photo taken aboard an aircraft.

In the image, Kamal is seen smiling at Siddharth, who is seated opposite him, with Siddharth's reflection visible in a mirror.

For the caption, Kamal, who is fondly known as Ulaganayagan by his fans, wrote: "Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear!" and tagged Siddharth in the post.

Kamal Haasan began his career as a child artiste at the age of six. He has been a part of the acting world for over five decades and has worked in multiple languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and Hindi.

The actor, who is known for acclaimed movies such as 'Sadma', 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye', and 'Saagar', has several films lined up for release.

His film 'Kalki 2898 AD', also features Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, and Disha Patani.

In this movie, Kamal will be seen playing Supreme Yaskin, the proclaimed god of the complex.

Set in 2898 AD in a post-apocalyptic world, the film is inspired by Hindu mythology and centres around a modern-day avatar of Vishnu.

'Kalki 2898 AD' was released on June 27.

The acclaimed star, who loves being called an 'Indian' actor, also has 'Indian 2', a vigilante action film directed by S. Shankar, in the pipeline. It is a sequel to his 1996 movie 'Indian', and Kamal will reprise his role as Senapathy, an ageing freedom fighter turned vigilante who fights against corruption.

Additionally, he is working on 'Thug Life' with Mani Ratnam, which is currently being shot. The film also stars Ali Fazal and Rohit Saraf.
New Delhi, June 27 : With Iran set to hold snap polls on Friday to elect the successor to late President Ebrahim Raisi, a three-way race -- heading into a run-off -- is likely, as per various surveys, though they differ on the positioning of the top three candidates.

Meanwhile, authorities hope for a heavier 'legitimising' turnout, given the unprecedented low percentage of voting in the 2021 elections and parliamentary polls earlier this year.

The turnout in the 2021 elections - which Raisi won - was 48.8 per cent - the lowest ever so far since the 1979 revolution. It further declined to around 41 per cent in the two-round Majles election in March and May this year. Part of the disenchantment of voters is over social and economic issues and the prevention of a large number of reformists. Mavericks like former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, barred from the presidential race, also do not pass vetting.

The predictions of the likely turnout, as per the surveys and analyses, depend on the orientation of the pollsters or analysts. While those by emigres, who do not enjoy the best of relations with the present Iranian dispensation, claim a much lower turnout would be recorded this time, those by in-country groups, related to government institutions, are more sanguine, report a slight bump up.

However, they also do not predict any radical breakout.

It was perhaps with this in mind, that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called for a "maximum" voter turnout in a message to the country's "enemies".

"The Islamic Republic has enemies. One thing that helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies is the elections. If a good turnout is seen in these elections, then it will make the Islamic Republic proud," he said in his address at a religious function.

A day before the election, five of the six approved candidates, pegged as four hardliners/conservatives, of various intensities, and reformist, were in the race. Like previous some pervious instances, one of the hardline candidates -- Vice President and Foundation of Martyrs and Veteran Affairs head Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi -- dropping out and urging others to do so to coalesce support between one strong (hardline) candidate.

However, Hashemi, whose withdrawal was announced on the eve of polls, did not indicate any choice of candidate.

The other two -- Tehran Mayor Ali Alireza Zakani and celeriac and former Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi -- do not figure much in the calculus.

However, the surveys rate the chances of the top three quite differently, as per reports.

The Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), which is affiliated with the government's Academic Centre of Education, Research, and Culture, in a survey published on Wednesday last week, has forecast a turnout of over 50 per cent, placing Jalili first, and Pezeshkian second - less than a percentage point ahead of Qalibaf.

However, its update on Monday had Pezeshkian now leading over Jalili, albeit by a small margin, while Qalibaf stayed in third place.

In both, none of the leading candidates was even the 30 per cent mark, indicating a run-off.

Meta, a polling organisation in the Imam Sadeq University in Tehran, in its survey published last week, had forecast just over 50 per cent turnout, with Pezeshkian ahead - but over Qalibaf, while Jalili was in third place.

An update this week had the same positioning but with lower numbers for the candidates. It was also claimed that in a run-off, Qalibaf would beat Pezeshkian, and if the run-off was Qalibaf vs Jalili, the former would triumph then too.

A survey by the "privately-run" Shenaakht, coming out in the middle of the month, predicted well over 50 per cent turnout, and Qalibaf on top and both Pezeshkian and Jalili tied in second place - over 10 percentage points behind.

While for Jalili and Qalibaf, their closeness to Supreme Leader Khamenei and the IRGC background could weigh in their favour with their establishment, sole reformist candidate Pezeshkian, whose presence seems geared at drawing out reformist voters for higher voting, may find the going tough unless there is a massive turnout in his favour.

However, his ethnic background - being an Azeri - could cloud his chances. And then, his recent statements supporting Iran's return to the nuclear deal and wider outreach to the West drew veiled censure from the Supreme Leader, who was scornful of those believing that "everything good comes from the US". The other two peg more hopes from BRICS and the SCO.

Pezeshkian also strayed from consensus by expressing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

But, no matter who wins, any radical change in domestic and foreign policies is unlikely since the President is only the second in command. And then, it is the Supreme Leader who also certifies the winner.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted atvikas.d@ians.in)
Mumbai, June 27 : Political eyebrows shot up as some senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were seen rubbing shoulders and displaying bonhomie with their archrival Shiv Sena (UBT)'s top leaders, on the first day of the last session of the current Maharashtra Legislature Session, here on Thursday.

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Political eyebrows shot up as some senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were seen rubbing shoulders and displaying bonhomie with their archrival Shiv Sena (UBT)as top leaders, on the first day of the last session of the current Maharashtra Legislature Session, here on Thursday.

Legislators and media persons went into a frenzy as ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray waited for a lift at the Vidhan Bhavan and suddenly, the ruling MahaYuti ally and BJP Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis reached there.

When the lift stopped for them, a couple of persons in it were asked to step out and Fadnavis was seen beckoning Thackeray to join him, even as others like Pravin Darekar and Minister Chandrakant Patil were already present inside (the lift).

A smiling Thackeray obliged and went up a" in a cloud of speculation a" from the ground floor to the upper floor where the Assembly is situated. But after alighting, both walked away in opposition directions.

Later, when media persons mobbed and quizzed Thackeray for a bite, he airily replied that it was just a coincidence and nothing more.

In another development, Patil dropped in to meet Thackeray, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, ex-minister Anil Parab and others at the SS (UBT) office.

An atmosphere of cheerful camaraderie seemed to prevail there, and a grinning Patil even distributed chocolates and conveyed his "advance" wishes to Parab who contested the just-concluded MLC elections, the result of which is expected on Monday (July 1), while Thackeray asked the BJP visitor to "maintain cordial relations always."

However, MahaYuti ally Shiv Sena leader Bharat Gogavale sought to downplay the developments, and ruled out the possibility of any talks opening between the BJP-SS (UBT), while his colleague Sanjay Shirsat said Thackeray-Fadnavis may have "winked" at each other.

Rejecting all political and media speculation, SS (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik termed it as "mere coincidence and nothing else" that Thackeray and Fadnavis happened to travel in the legislature building lift.
Bengaluru, June 27 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said that the exclusion of the names of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and his son, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, from the invite for the birth anniversary celebrations of Bengaluru founder Kempe Gowda was a mistake and blamed officials for it.

"It will be rectified from next year," he said.

Speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of Kempe Gowda at the Vidhana Soudha on his 515th birth anniversary, Shivakumar said, "There was no intention to disrespect anyone, and the officers should ensure that prominent community leaders are included in the invitation."

"The officers follow protocol. We were occupied, and as per the protocol, the names were dropped. Union Minister Kumaraswamy represents the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda hails from Hassan. There is no standing rule that their names should not be included in the invitation. They should have been added, and we will rectify it next time," he said.

The move by the Congress government in Karnataka to not invite former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has stirred controversy.

Reacting to the development in Delhi, Kumaraswamy stated on Wednesday, "Kempe Gowda does not belong to anyone. He belongs to the state. I got to know that our names were dropped from the invitation. I won't give much importance to it. I will not make an issue of this."

BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra said, "One cannot become a community leader through cunningness and conspiracy. The people of the community will not agree to this. The State Vokkaliga Association has slammed the state government over this and stated that it had insulted the prominent leaders of the community."

Assuring that all leaders will be invited, Shivakumar said, "I am also planning to invite other community leaders. Kempe Gowda is not owned by the Vokkaligas. People from other communities should also be invited. Kempe Gowda built Bengaluru city for the welfare of all people. There might be some mistakes, and they will be addressed next time."

"To propagate his ideas and create awareness among people, the government is releasing funds to organise debates and interaction programmes on Kempe Gowda in all schools run by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Bengaluru and at taluk centres. Kempe Gowda is not confined to one community or religion. He belongs to all. This decision aims to create awareness about Kempe Gowda's efforts to build the city," Shivakumar stated.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Kumaraswamy and Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V. Somanna garlanded the portrait of Kempe Gowda at the Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi.
Mumbai, June 27 : The makers of Riteish Deshmukh's debut series 'Pill', which is based on the pharmaceutical industry, unveiled the trailer on Thursday.

The actor described being part of the journey as enlightening.

The over-one-minute-long trailer begins with an introduction to Riteish's character, Prakash Chauhan, who does everything in his power to delve into the Indian pharmaceutical world.

It showcases the process through which a pill reaches an individual, involving powerful pharmaceutical industrialists, corrupt doctors, medical representatives, compromised drug regulators, politicians, journalists, and whistleblowers.

Talking about his debut series, Riteish said: "It's exciting to venture into the world of digital streaming. When you're entrusted with a compelling story like 'Pill', there's a huge responsibility to do justice to it."

The actor said it is intriguing to learn about the complexities behind something as seemingly simple as a pill that impacts the daily lives and well-being of people.

Riteish added: "Being a part of this journey has been incredibly enlightening. Working alongside visionaries like Raj Kumar Gupta and Ronnie Screwvala, who have poured their hearts into this project, is a true honour."

"Prakash Chauhan is a character of both simplicity and strength, and I am confident that his fight against the corrupt pharma players will resonate with the audience," he added.

The trailer then shows how a pill circulating in the market has negative repercussions after consumption. However, Prakash faces off against the manipulative CEO of the company, portrayed by Pavan Malhotra, taking on a firm fight to uncover the truth.

Producer Ronnie Screwvala shared: "With 'Pill', we aim to entertain as well as increase awareness among people. Riteish brings his unparalleled acting prowess to the series, making his digital debut even more exciting. And as always, it is a pleasure working with Raj, who has helmed this one with his thrilling expertise."

Creator Raj Kumar Gupta said that celluloid has always been his medium of expression, as he has made films across genres to bring different stories.

"A story like 'Pill' needed to be told through a longer format," said the director, who has previously made films such as 'No One Killed Jessica' and 'Raid'.
New Delhi, June 27 : Using artificial intelligence (AI), Google on Thursday announced to add 110 new languages to Google Translate, including Cantonese, NKo and Tamazight.

These new languages represent more than 614 million speakers, opening up translations for around 8 per cent of the world's population.

"Some are major world languages with over 100 million speakers. Others are spoken by small communities of Indigenous people, and a few have almost no native speakers but active revitalisation efforts," the company said in a statement.

About a quarter of the new languages come from Africa, representing the largest expansion of African languages to date, including Fon, Kikongo, Luo, Ga, Swati, Venda and Wolof.

In 2022, Google added 24 new languages using zero-shot machine translation, where a machine learning model learns to translate into another language without ever seeing an example.

"We announced the 1,000 languages initiative, a commitment to build AI models that will support the 1,000 most spoken languages around the world," the company informed.

Among the new languages, Punjabi (Shahmukhi) is the variety of Punjabi written in Perso-Arabic script (Shahmukhi), and is the most spoken language in Pakistan.

"Tok Pisin is an English-based creole and the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea. If you speak English, try translating into Tok Pisin  you might be able to make out the meaning," said Google.
Hyderabad, June 27 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday demanded that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao apologise for engineering defections of legislators when he was the chief minister.

Stating that KCR has no moral right to speak about defections, Revanth Reddy claimed that it was KCR who started this and "bought" 61 MLAs and MLCs.

Addressing a news conference in Delhi, the Chief Minister demanded that the BRS supremo should come to Telangana Martyrs' Memorial and apologise for encouraging defections.

Revanth Reddy was replying to a question about the BRS finding fault with the defection of its five MLAs to the Congress.

The Chief Minister recalled the statements by BRS leaders K. T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao that the Congress government would collapse within 100 days. He said the BJP leaders had also made similar statements.

The Congress leader remarked that KCR's eyes have not opened even after BRS drew a blank in recent Lok Sabha elections.

He mentioned that the vote share of BRS has plunged to 16 per cent.

He reiterated that KCR helped BJP win Lok Sabha seats to defeat the Congress party.

Revanth Reddy remarked that KCR, who was not even allowing his MLAs to come closer to him till recently, had now opened the doors of his farmhouse.

He slammed the former chief minister for not accepting the invitation to attend state formation day celebrations.

"Is there any tradition of the leader of the opposition speaking at state formation day celebrations," he asked while responding to a statement by BRS leaders that KCR did not attend the ceremony as he was not given an opportunity to speak.

The Chief Minister said the Congress party would benefit from the experience and services of senior Congress leader T. Jeevan Reddy.

He alleged that the opposition tried to take advantage of Jeevan Reddy's reported unhappiness.

Jeevan Reddy, a member of the Legislative Council, had come out openly against the Chief Minister's move to admit BRS MLA M. Sanjay Kumar into the party without consulting him.

The Congress leadership summoned the senior leader to Delhi to pacify him.

Revanth Reddy, who is also the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), said that the term of PCC president was three years and he had already requested the high command to appoint a new president.

The Chief Minister, who is camping in Delhi for three days, said with the formation of new government at the Centre, he was trying to secure pending funds for the state. He reiterated that the state government would work with the Centre for the state's development.

Revanth Reddy said he was meeting central ministers to request adequate budgetary allocations. He also plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Bengaluru, June 27 : Amid the internal strife in the ruling Congress in Karnataka over the demand to create more posts of Deputy Chief Minister and a change of guard in the post of state Congress chief, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday suggested that those seeking solutions should approach the party high command.

Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar, who's also the President of Karnataka Congress, said, "Those who are talking to the media can approach the part high command for solutions. There is no reason to discuss the issue before the media. Let them find any solution they want. The media won't provide a solution, it can only give publicity."

When asked about the demand to appoint a new Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief, Shivakumar said he is very pleased with the development.

"They should not waste time and should act on this matter. Let them go to places where they can find solutions. I don't have any objections," he said.

Meanwhile, sources confirmed on Thursday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has warned Congress ministers not to express their opinion in public on creating more posts of Deputy CM.

The sources also said that CM Siddaramaiah has spoken to state minister K.N. Rajanna and asked him not to issue any statements on this matter.

Minister for Cooperation Rajanna had claimed that the party high command had indicated that after the general elections, the KPCC President would be changed, and since the elections are over now, he is reminding the high command about its earlier statement.

He also advocated the creation of Deputy CM's posts for Lingayats, Muslims, and oppressed classes.

By creating more Deputy CM's posts, the party would reach all the communities and benefit in the elections, he had said.

Rajanna and Excise Minister R.B. Thimmapura, both close confidantes of CM Siddaramaiah, are pushing for more Deputy CM's posts, though the Chief Minister has been silent on the issue.

Shivakumar loyalist and Congress MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga had said that the party's precedence has been to make the KPCC President the Chief Minister.

On creating more Deputy CM's posts, let the party make Shivakumar the Chief Minister and announce as many Deputy CMs it wants, Shivaganga had said.
Seoul, June 27 : The US ambassador to South Korea stressed on Thursday the importance of international cooperation in building resilience against cybersecurity threats, including those posed by North Korea.

Ambassador Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a think-tank based in Seoul.

"The ever-growing scope of cybersecurity means that no country can get far on its own. This is why the US has bilateral and multilateral engagements with key allies and partners," the Ambassador said.

Highlighting North Korea as one of the "malign actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in cyberspace to achieve their ends," Goldberg emphasised the importance of trilateral efforts with Seoul and Tokyo, Yonhap news agency reported.

"International cooperation, especially with like-minded allies like South Korea, is vital to building resilience in our shared cyber ecosystem," he said.

Emphasising that this year is particularly significant as more than 50 countries worldwide are holding high-stakes elections, Goldberg called for more discussion at the international level.

"It's not an understatement to say the strength of our democracy depends on the strength of our cybersecurity infrastructure," he said.

Lim Jong-in, special advisor to President Yoon Suk Yeol on cyber issues, also highlighted the importance of trilateral cooperation in the face of potential cyberattacks.

Citing hostile nations, such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, Lim stressed the necessity of maintaining robust digital systems under the concept of "digital solidarity".
Jammu, June 27 : GoC Army's Nagrota-based White Knights Corps, Lt General Navin Sachdeva, on Thursday, reviewed operational preparedness in Jammu & Kashmir's Doda district and also saw the arms and ammunition recovered from three slain terrorists in Gandoh area on Wednesday.

Jammu, June 27 (IANS) GoC Armyas Nagrota-based White Knights Corps, Lt General Navin Sachdeva, on Thursday, reviewed operational preparedness in Jammu & Kashmiras Doda district and also saw the arms and ammunition recovered from three slain terrorists in Gandoh area on Wednesday.

He complimented the troops for their professional conduct of the operation and exhorted them to continue maintaining operational focus.

The arms and ammunition recovered from three slain terrorists during a joint operation by police, army and CRPF has exposed the army of Pakistan for supplying weapons purchased by them from the US and China to the terrorists.

Arms and ammunition recovered yesterday from slain terrorists include US-made M4 Carbine with Thermal Sight. STANAG Magazines (For 5.56 mm M4). Chinese TYPE 56-1 (AK-56) Assault Rifle, AK Magazines (7.62 mm) and Chinese TYPE 86 Hand Grenades.

In the past, the security forces recovered specially made US and Chinese armour-piercing bullets from the terrorists operating in J&K.
Mumbai, June 27 : Auteur S.S. Rajamouli has heaped praise on the cast of the latest release 'Kalki 2898 AD', saying the film "transported me into various realms with its incredible settings".

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Auteur S.S. Rajamouli has heaped praise on the cast of the latest release 'Kalki 2898 AD', saying the film "transported me into various realms with its incredible settings".

Rajamouli took to Instagram Stories, where he shared a poster of the film featuring Prabhas that hit the screens on Thursday.

For caption, he wrote: "Loved the world-building of 'Kalki 2898 AD' It transported me into various realms with its incredible settings."

Talking about Prabhas, he said: "Darling just killed it with his timing and ease"

Rajamouli also praised megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone for their performance in the film.

"Great support from Amitabh Bachchan ji , Kamal sir, and Deepika," he wrote.

It was the climax that stunned Rajamouli, who also praised 'Kalki 2898 AD' director Nag Ashwin.

"The last 30 minutes of the film took me to a whole new world. Kudos to Nagi and the entire Vyjayanthi team and their unmatched efforts in executing it," he wrote.

Directed by Nag Ashwin, 'Kalki 2898 AD' is inspired by Hindu scriptures and is set in a post-apocalyptic world in the year 2898 AD.

On the work front, Rajamouli's his last directorial venture 'RRR' starring NTR Jr and Ram Charan turned out to be a blockbuster.
Mumbai, June 27 : Shiv Sena (UBT) president and ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday categorically declared that his 'lift-ride' with MahaYuti ally and Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was a "sheer coincidence" and nothing more.

Reacting to the wildfire political speculation and flutter in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) circles, Thackeray cited a popular Bollywood song from the film 'Jab Jab Phool Khile' (1965), and said: "... 'na, na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe'anothing like that is going to happen with the BJPa you can rest assured."

On political suspicions about why the 'elevator meeting' and what transpired in the closed metal box with several BJP leaders around him, Thackeray jocularly shot back: "It is said that walls have earsa so henceforth, any secret conversations must be held only in lifts!"

About BJP Minister Chandrakant Patil - who 'dropped' in for a surprise meeting at the SS (UBT) office in the legislature building -- when journalists questioned as to who winked at whom -- Thackeray dismissed the query with a retort: "... from tomorrow, I shall sport goggles."

The Parliamentary Affairs and Higher Education Minister Patil presented a large packet of milk chocolate to Thackeray, while Leader of the Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve whipped out a box of 'pedas' (milk-sweetmeat) and offered it to the visitor, saying "this is for our victory in the Lok Sabha elections" amid much laughter and bonhomie.

Later, Thackeray took potshots at Patil saying that, like the free higher education for girls, the BJP Minister (Patil) should stop doling out 'free chocolates' as the people of the state are tired of the MahaYuti government.

Describing the ongoing legislature sitting as "the farewell session of the MahaYuti government", Thackeray trained guns on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and recalled how the 'illegal regime had promised that there would no more farmers' suicides in the state.

"The farmers' suicides have not ended, but the CM is practicing 5-star style farminga is there any other farmer in the country who flies in a helicopter to till his land?" asked Thackeray in a potshot at Shinde.

The ex-CM reiterated the opposition MVA's demands for a full loan waiver to the farmers in the state before the (October) Assembly elections, plus taking steps to tackle the drought-like situation with the monsoon playing truant, besides provision of food, water, and fodder to the tillers.
New Delhi, June 27 : With Iran set to hold snap polls on Friday to elect the successor to late President Ebrahim Raisi, the contest, shaping up as a three-way race between two hardliners and a conservative, will head into a run-off, as per various surveys. However, they vary on the final positions of the contenders.

A bigger concern is the turnout. Authorities hope for a heavier 'legitimising' turnout, given the unprecedented low percentage of voting in the 2021 elections and parliamentary polls earlier this year.

A day before the election, four of the six approved candidates - three four hardliners/conservatives, of various intensities, and a reformist - remain in the race.

The top three contenders are former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, Majles Speaker and former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf (both hardliners), and cardiac surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian, who served as a minister in the Khatami regime (reformist).

Like some previous instances, some hardline candidates dropped out to coalesce support behind one strong (hardline) candidate.

The first was Vice President and Foundation of Martyrs and Veteran Affairs head Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi on late Wednesday and then, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani on Thursday.

However, both, whose support was in single digits, did not express a choice between Jalili or Qalibaf.

Cleric and former Minister Mostafa Pourmohammadi remains in the race.

The turnout will be key. In 2021 - when Raisi won - it was 48.8 per cent - the lowest ever so far since the 1979 revolution. It came down to around 41 per cent in the two-round Majles election in March and May this year. Part of the disenchantment of voters is over social and economic issues and the debarment of reformist candidates.

However, known reformists like Ali Larijani and Eshaq Jahangiri or mavericks like former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were not allowed to contest this time too.

The predicted turnout, as per the surveys and analyses, depends on the orientation of the pollsters or analysts. Those by emigres, largely hostile to the present Iranian dispensation, claim a much lower turnout this time, but in-country groups, related to government institutions, are more sanguine, reporting a slight bump up.

However, they also do not predict any radical breakout.

It was perhaps for this that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called for a "maximum" voter turnout in a message to the country's "enemies".

"The Islamic Republic has enemies. One thing that helps the Islamic Republic overcome its enemies is the elections. If a good turnout is seen in these elections, then it will make the Islamic Republic proud," he said in his address at a religious function.

On the candidates, the Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA), affiliated with the government's Academic Centre of Education, Research, and Culture, in a survey published on Wednesday last week, forecast a 50 per cent turnout with Jalili first, and Pezeshkian second - slightly ahead of Qalibaf.

However, an update on Monday had Pezeshkian leading over Jalili, albeit by a small margin, while Qalibaf stayed in third place.

In both, none of the leading candidates was even the 30 per cent mark, indicating a run-off.

Meta, a polling organisation in the Imam Sadeq University in Tehran, in its survey published last week, had also forecast just over 50 per cent turnout, with Pezeshkian ahead - but over Qalibaf, while Jalili was in third place.

An update this week had the same positioning but with lower percentages, and claimed that in a run-off, Qalibaf would beat Pezeshkian, and Jalili too in a run-off.

A survey by the "privately-run" Shenaakht, published mid-June, predicted well over 50 per cent turnout, and Qalibaf on top and both Pezeshkian and Jalili tied in second place - over 10 percentage points behind.

While for Jalili and Qalibaf, their closeness to Supreme Leader Khamenei and the IRGC background could weigh in their favour with their establishment and conservatives, Pezeshkian, whose presence seems geared at drawing reformist voters, may find the going tough, unless there is a massive turnout in his favour.

Despite endorsements by former Presidents Mohammad Khatami and Hasan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javed Zarif, his ethnic background - being an Azeri - could also cloud his chances. And then, his recent statements supporting Iran's return to the nuclear deal and wider outreach to the West drew veiled censure from the Supreme Leader, who was scornful of those believing that "everything good comes from the US". The other two peg more hopes on the region and from BRICS and the SCO.

Pezeshkian also strayed from prevalent consensus by expressing support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

But, no matter who wins, any radical change in domestic and foreign policies is unlikely since the President is only the second in command. Also, the Supreme Leader has to certify the winner first.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
Baghdad, June 27 : Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and the Commander of the NATO mission in Iraq discussed on Thursday cooperation between the two sides after the end of the US-led coalition mission in Iraq.

Al-Sudani received in his office Lucas Schreurs, who recently assumed command of the NATO mission in Iraq, as they discussed the security situation in the region as well as the NATO mission's cooperation with Iraqi security institutions in the fields of advisory, training, and intelligence coordination, according to a statement from al-Sudani's media office.

Al-Sudani stressed during the meeting the importance of developing bilateral cooperation with the NATO mission, following the end of the international coalition's mission in Iraq, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iraq and the US agreed in January to form a joint Higher Military Commission to end the international coalition's mission in Iraq, and the commission has held several meetings to work out a plan to withdraw the foreign troops from the country, according to Iraqi authorities.
Mumbai, June 28 : Bollywood heartthrob Kartik Aaryan said "Actor banna safal ho gaya" as he recalled meeting India's first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, the inspiration for the actor's latest release 'Chandu Champion'.

Mumbai, June 28 (IANS) Bollywood heartthrob Kartik Aaryan said "Actor banna safal ho gaya" as he recalled meeting India's first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, the inspiration for the actor's latest release 'Chandu Champion'.

Kartik took to Instagram where he shared a video of him meeting Petkar while shooting a swimming sequence for the biopic, saying the 79-year-old Paralympian insisted on taking the stairs.

Kartik said he was over the moon when Petkar told him "Ekdum mere jaisa kar rahe ho", adding that Petkar even shared anecdotes about the medals he was wearing.

In the caption, Kartik wrote: "Couldn't have imagined a non-swimmer like myself swimming without the use of legs... Meet The Real Champion who inspired me to achieve the impossible @murlikantpetkar Firstly, Thank you for being you and being a living inspiration present amidst us Sir."

Kartik also said that at first, he did not believe that the story of 'Chandu Champion' could be true.

"Your story was important for everyone to know - to make everyone believe in themselves. When Kabir sir narrated 'Chandu Champion' for the first time, I didn't believe that this could be a true story. 'Aapne ek zindagi mein, anek zindagiyan jo jee hain' (sic)," he wrote.

The 33-year-old star added that it was an "incredible experience" working on Petkar's life.

"From not being able to believe your story in the first place to living your extraordinary life for almost two years, it's been an incredible experience and utmost honour. My life has changed ever since you entered my life. I have never received so much love and appreciation for my work before, as I'm getting for Chandu Champion. It's overwhelming!!," the actor said.

He added: "Really fortunate that I got the opportunity to meet you and relive some unbelievable, magical and inspiring moments of your life. Actor banna safal ho gaya."

Murlikant Petkar won the gold in 50m freestyle swimming at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, clocking 37.33 seconds.

Petkar, who served as a jawan in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army, sustained severe bullet wounds during the 1965 war against Pakistan.
Johannesburg, June 27 : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday expressed his profound sadness at the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to 20 others in Congo.

The casualties of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) members were inflicted by a mortar attack on one of their bases in the town of Sake, in eastern Congo, on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Ramaphosa offered his "deep condolences" to the families of the fallen troops as well as their commanders and colleagues, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The President's thoughts are also with the SANDF members who are recovering from their injuries," the statement said.

Ramaphosa assured the bereaved families and the injured troops that the SANDF would take the utmost care to provide the necessary logistical and psychosocial support to all those affected.

"As we mourn the deaths and casualties inflicted on our soldiers, we value and are humbled by the sacrifices they have made for the cause of peace and stability in our region, and they shall not be forgotten," he said.

According to the statement, the South African soldiers are part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Congo, which was deployed in December 2023 to support the Congolese government's efforts to restore peace and security in the eastern part of the country.
Seoul, June 27 : A court on Thursday rejected an administrative litigation filed by the mother-in-law of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to demand the state health insurance corporation scrap its bid to retrieve benefits paid to her.

The Seoul Administrative Court made the decision, as the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has voluntarily cancelled a plan to retrieve the benefits worth about 2.3 billion won ($1.66 million) from Choi Eun-soon after the Supreme Court upheld her acquittal in 2022 of the charges related to the money, Yonhap news agency reported.

Choi was indicted for illegally operating a long-term care hospital for the elderly without a medical license in February 2013 and unlawfully accepting 2.3 billion won in state benefits from the NHIS until 2015, in collaboration with three business partners.

Initially, a district court had sentenced her to a three-year prison term in 2021. However, in January 2022, the Seoul High Court overturned the ruling, finding her not guilty of the charges. The Supreme Court approved the acquittal in December 2022.

Following the district court's ruling, the NHIS decided to retrieve the 2.3 billion won from Choi, prompting her to file an administrative suit to nullify the decision.
Seoul, June 27 : Russia should not make a mistake that could hurt its relations with South Korea in an "irreversible" way, a Seoul official warned on Thursday, in a tit-for-tat exchange of words after Moscow warned against Seoul hinting at potential arms support to Ukraine.

The comment from Seoul's Foreign Ministry came a day after Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman at the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned South Korea not to take rash steps that could bring about an irreversible outcome for the bilateral relations, Yonhap news agency reported.

Zakharova's comments came in response to the remarks by South Korea's National Security Adviser Chang Ho-jin that South Korea could consider supplying weapons to Kiev, depending on Moscow's actions in the follow-up to the treaty it signed with North Korea on pledging mutual defence.

"We warn that Russia should not make a mistake that could lead to irreversible consequences in South Korea-Russia relations," Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a regular press briefing.

"Additionally, we hope that the Russian side will move away from relying on North Korea and act appropriately as a permanent member of the UN Security Council," Lim added.

Tensions have heightened after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared an upgrade of their countries' relationship after talks in Pyongyang last week.

The new treaty commits them to providing mutual military assistance in case either of them is put under armed attack.

South Korea has expressed grave concerns over the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea in violation of UN resolutions, urging Moscow to act responsibly and cut off such military ties with Pyongyang.

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said South Korean Ambassador to Russia Lee Do-hoon had a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko in Moscow on Wednesday (local time) and heard Moscow's position on the new partnership treaty with North Korea.

In the meeting, Lee stressed that any cooperation that would help North Korea's arms buildup poses serious threats to security in the region, and called for Russia's clear explanation of its actions.

Russia voiced regrets over South Korea's reaction to Putin's visit to Pyongyang, reiterating that its cooperation with North Korea is not directed at Seoul and the treaty is defensive, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
New Delhi, June 27 : Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda is scheduled to unveil three public health initiatives in the national capital on Friday, in the presence of Ministers of State Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao and Anupriya Singh Patel.

The Union Minister is set to launch a virtual National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM), a dashboard for Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) and spot food licence scheme for food vendors, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The virtual NQAS assessment for AAM sub-centres will represent a significant innovation in the quality assurance framework for public health facilities as a time and cost-saving measure.

Through this system, the virtually assessed health AAM-sub centre will be conferred with the NQAS certificate.

The IPHS guidelines, introduced in 2007 and updated periodically with the latest update in 2022, set quality benchmarks for public health facilities from primary to secondary level healthcare facilities.

To expedite this process, the ministry has developed a dashboard that will aid the national, state and district health institutions and health facilities in quickly monitoring compliance with respect to IPHS standards and taking action accordingly.

A new functionality for the instant issuance of licenses and registrations through the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) will also be launched.

FoSCoS is a state-of-the-art, pan-India IT platform designed to address all food safety regulatory needs. This innovative system simplifies the licensing and registration processes, offering an enhanced user experience.
With a hawkish undertone, RBI-MPC may continue to retain the repo rate: Experts. Image Source: IANS News

Mumbai, June 27 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced on Thursday that it has, with the concurrence of the government of India, decided to put in place a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries for 2024 to 2027.

Under this Framework, the Reserve Bank of India would enter bilateral swap agreements with the central banks of SAARC countries, who want to avail of the swap facility.

The SAARC Currency Swap Facility came into operation on November 15, 2012 with an intention to provide a backstop line of funding for short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or balance of payment crises of the SAARC countries till longer term arrangements are made.

Under the Framework for 2024-27, a separate INR Swap Window has been introduced with various concessions for swap support in Indian Rupee.

The total corpus of the rupee support is Rs 250 billion.

The RBI will continue to offer the swap arrangement in US dollar and Euro under a separate US Dollar/ Euro Swap Window with an overall corpus of $2 billion.

The Currency Swap Facility will be available to all SAARC member countries, subject to their signing the bilateral swap agreements.

Apart from India, the other SAARC member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
New Delhi, June 27 : Exposure to contaminated water is a major reason for infection from a brain-eating amoeba that has claimed the lives of two young children within a month in Kerala, said doctors calling for avoiding swimming in lakes and other water bodies.

Amoebic encephalitis is a rare but fatal central nervous system infection caused by free-living amoebae, Naegleria fowleri amoeba, also known as brain-eating amoeba, found in freshwater, lakes, and rivers.

A week earlier, the infection Amoebic encephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, claimed the life of Dakshina, a 13-year-old girl from Kannur.

Earlier in May, a five-year-old girl also from Kannur succumbed to the infection.

Another 12-year-old boy from Kozhikode has been suspected of the disease after showing symptoms of the amoebic infection. While two cases follow within days of a swim in a lake, in Dakshina's case, it reportedly took several months to manifest.

"Amoebic encephalitis, caused by the Naegleria fowleri amoeba, typically starts one to 9 days after exposure to contaminated water. This infection enters through the nasal cavity and advances rapidly, potentially becoming fatal within days," Dr. Arjun Srivatsa, Director & HOD - Institute of Neurosciences, Sakra World Hospital, told IANS.

Symptoms commonly include severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, hallucinations, sensitivity to light, and coma.

There are two types of amebic encephalitis, namely primary meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE). The initial symptoms of PAM are indistinguishable from bacterial meningitis, while the symptoms of GAE can mimic a brain abscess, encephalitis, or meningitis.

Antimicrobial therapy is the mainstay of the treatment yet the mortality rate is above 90 per cent.

Dr. John Paul, Consultant in Tropical Medicine & Infectious Disease, SPARSH Hospital, Bengaluru, called on parents to "take precautions before allowing children into any waterbody".

"PAM affects the central nervous system rapidly and the mortality rate is 90 per cent. This usually occurs in healthy children and young adults who would have been exposed to any waterbody that has the presence of amoeba Naegleria fowleri. This amoeba is present in warm and fresh water and the soil," Dr John told IANS.

Dr John explained that a week after contracting the infection, the symptoms progress by causing stiffness in the neck; seizures; confusion, hallucinations, and personality changes; photophobia; loss of balance.

"If not detected at the earlier stages the patientas symptom progresses to coma, severe brain swelling, and death," he said.

The experts advised avoiding swimming, diving, or submerging, especially for people who are immunocompromised, to minimise the risk of contracting amoebic encephalitis from contaminated water.

"If swimming is necessary, using nasal clips can provide some protection against Naegleria fowleri entering through the nasal passages," Dr. Arjun said.
Going to CBI soon with proof of Mamata Banerjee's involvement in Saradha scam: Suvendu Adhikari. Image Source: IANS News

Kolkata, June 27 : West Bengal Advocate General, Kishore Datta, on Thursday informed the Calcutta High Court that the state government was willing to give conditional approval to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari to protest in front of Raj Bhavan against post-poll violence.

Datta informed the single-judge Bench of Justice Amrita Sinha that LoP Adhikari can be allowed to protest in front of the Raj Bhavan for four hours on June 30, which is a Sunday.

However, Adhikari's counsel immediately objected to the date and said organising the demonstration on June 30 would not be possible for his client.

Thereafter, Datta informed the court that in case of a change in date he would have to get back to it after consulting with the authorities concerned.

Expressing displeasure, Justice Sinha said, "Postponing the hearing again and again is not a good practice. Because of political cases, other cases often get hampered. This court has to say that there is no reason to trust whatever politicians say."

Initially, the police refused to give permission to Adhikari to stage the dharna and he approached the court arguing that the police gave permission for a similar demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan last year.

However, the court directed the LoP to come to it with another spot and Adhikari's counsel informed the court that his client had chosen the street in front of the office of the Director General of Police as the alternative venue.

Now, the situation has taken a different turn as the government has informed the court that it is willing to give conditional approval for the demonstration in front of Raj Bhavan.
Chandigarh, June 27 : A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday with Haryana's Department of Education to integrate gender curriculum into the educational framework for three years in the middle school curriculum.

This initiative by Breakthrough, an organisation that makes gender-based violence unacceptable by transforming the culture that permits violence, aims to reshape gender attitudes, aspirations, and behaviours among students in grades six to eight.

Following the MoU, a day-long event on aTowards Gender Transformative Schools and Women and Child-Friendly Panchayatsa was held here.

The event focused on how gender-transformative schools and women- and child-friendly panchayats are interrelated and important in creating a community that is gender-just. Institutions such as schools and gram panchayats are extremely important in shifting and shaping social norms.

Anurag Dhalia, Assistant Director, Department of Education, said: aThe integration of the aTaaron Ki Tolia curriculum represents a significant step towards fostering a more equitable educational environment in the state. By addressing gender biases early on, we are equipping our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to challenge and overcome societal inequalities.

"I believe this partnership with Breakthrough will lead to significant changes in the gender attitudes, behaviours and overall understanding of students, teachers, and parents."

Breakthrough's 'Taaron Ki Toli' is a comprehensive school-based program targeting adolescent girls and boys aged 11 to 14. The curriculum is designed to foster psychological, interpersonal, and social skills, utilising interactive methods such as games, songs, drawing, and other engaging activities.

These methods facilitate discussions on critical issues like gender stereotypes, roles at home, girlsa education, women's employment, and harassment. The program aims to embed a gender-sensitive perspective within the middle school curriculum, tailored to the contextual needs of the school education system in the state.

Nayana Chowdhury, Senior Director, Head of Programs at Breakthrough, said: aThis MoU is a landmark achievement in our mission to create a gender-equal world. I strongly believe that this partnership will ensure that the next generation of students is equipped with the values and understanding necessary to breakdown gender barriers and foster equality.

"Through comprehensive training for educators and a curriculum that engages students in critical discussions about gender roles and stereotypes, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive society."

As part of this partnership, Breakthrough will serve as the gender technical partner to the Department of Education and will be responsible for training teachers in 125 schools across the state.
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front-row taxi ride.
Lucknow, June 27 : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday began a closed-door, annual meeting with the 'pracharaks' (preachers) of four regions of eastern Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow to discuss the preparations for the organisation's centenary year and other organisational issues.

Lucknow, June 27 (IANS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday began a closed-door, annual meeting with the apracharaksa (preachers) of four regions of eastern Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow to discuss the preparations for the organisationas centenary year and other organisational issues.

At the meeting, other than preparations for the centenary year of the RSS, the functionaries discussed the 'Guru Dakshina' programme, among other issues.

Sources said the RSS General Secretary is also likely to discuss solutions to reach out to the common man more extensively. They said there are also possibilities of a coordination meeting with the BJP and the state government.

Founded in September 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, the RSS will celebrate its centenary year from September 2024 onwards.

The three-day meeting of RSS functionaries from Kashi, Goraksh, Kanpur, and Awadh region is being held at the Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Nirala Nagar in the state capital.

The RSS media centre, Vishwa Samvad Kendra, said that it is an annual organisational meeting of the Sangh which is conducted so that the old functionaries get to know the new ones.

Sources said various topics related to the expansion and strengthening of the RSS in the four regions are also likely to be discussed over the course of the meeting.

Alongside its basic work of organising 'Shakhas', the Sangh will strive to increase its presence and activities in every section of the society, sources said.
New Delhi, June 27 : Manish Mehrotra is acknowledged as the foremost exponent of 'Progressive Indian Cuisine'. Prateek Sadhu is the new star on the block, having garnered a wall full of accolades during his stint at Mumbai's Masque restaurant, and then deciding to relocate to a Himalayan village named Darwa, a 40-minute drive away from Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh, to open his passion restaurant, Naar, in the middle of nowhere.

The two maestros, one seasoned and the other, young, joined forces and pulled off a culinary coup at Indian Accent, first in Mumbai and then in New Delhi (sadly, for only two days in each city). And as we would expect from them, the 12-course tasting menu they laid out was not only a feast for the senses (with certain items, predictably, overshadowing the others), but also an education for the palate.

We found out, for instance, that the 'sundarkala', presented like a bundle of fine threads in a 'sinki' broth with Ladakhi sausages, are noodles made with 'mandua atta' (finger millet flour) that originated from a village in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. The 'sinki' broth is a Nepali soup prepared with preserved and fermented tap root sections of radishes. Indeed an invigorating combination presented like a work of art -- it got our full marks.

One of the dishes christened by Sadhu as 'Dirty Toast' turned out to be an open sandwich topped up by minimally cooked Himachali trout. The whole wheat bread turned out to be a 'khambir', which Ladakhis have usually every morning with their favourite butter tea. It only needed the touch of an inventive chef to acquire an elevated profile.

The tasting menu opened for the vegetarians with a slice of 'tadgola', the fleshy and juicy fruit of the sugar palm tree, which grows abundantly in our coastal regions, sitting in a pool of raw mango 'panna' with Panna pakodis (a tribute to the famous 'paneer pakodas' that have been best-sellers at the shop of Ludhiana's Sardar Panna Singh for the past 70 years) and little watermelon roundels.

The combination was seamless; for the non-vegetarians a sliver of hamachi, or yellowtail, a fish that is a favourite of sushi makers, replaced the 'tadgola', but even diehard carnivores would have loved the ice apple.

Another such surprise was the 'askalu', a festive dish from Kullu that many compare with idlis. The 'askalu' are made with fermented rice flour slurry in a stone utensil with compartments named 'askali'. Sadhu described the 'askalu', with their crispy exterior and soft insides, as Himachali donuts.

It came with Mehrotra's favourite 'Calcutta biryani aloo' (the chef's theory is that the potatoes that are integral to the Calcutta biryani are sponges that soak up the vibrant flavours of the preparation and therefore deserve a life of their own) and the 'beetroot dahi vada', which completely blew our mind! Both were like little umami bombs.

The dish that got everyone licking their fingers was the ghee lamb. The meat extracted from lamb shanks was paired with sunchokes (the white and creamy roots of a flowering tree related to the sunflower family that are mistakenly called Jerusalem artichokes) and 'dal kachori' (the vegetarians got pooris stuffed with 'sattu').

Dal kachori with 'ghee lamb'? Well, it tasted divine when dipped into the thick jus enriched by ghee as well as the gelatinous extract from the lamb shanks that went into making the dish. And how did the 'sattu'-stuffed pooris pair with the vegetarian option -- tawa green jackfruit, mustard and coconut? Our vegetarian friend gave a satisfied thumbs up.

The final round of the coup came in the form and shape of the dessert platter -- an explosive avant garde interpretation of the Kashmiri delicacy, 'shufta' (dry fruits and lightly fried paneer squares mixed seamlessly with ghee, sugar and spice powders). It was accompanied by a delectable pineapple and ragi cake to ensure no one went back home half-satisfied.

If there was proof needed for why master chefs are so prized in this world, one had only to dig into the sensation Mehrotra and Sadhu laid out for us. Even their little surprises, from Mickey Mouse-shaped roasted mini papads to the byadgi chilli sauce -- surprisingly with a hint of natural sweetness and expectedly bright red -- accompanying the lemon crab and dried shrimps, left us with a wow feeling.

No wonder, an entire generation of young chefs looks up to Mehrotra for inspiration and even before Sadhu opened his restaurant "up in the hills", he had 380 reservation requests sitting in his email account.

Today, Sadhu has patrons flying in from Chennai and Bengaluru to experience his five-hour meals, and the residents of the village, scenting money, are already constructing additional floors on top of their houses to inveigle those who come to the restaurant to spend some days in that little slice of paradise.
Bengaluru, June 27 : The district administration on Thursday intervened to try and resolve a row over 'Tulsi puja (Holy basil worship)' in an apartment complex in Bengaluru.

Bengaluru, June 27 (IANS) The district administration on Thursday intervened to try and resolve a row over aTulsi puja (Holy basil worship)a in an apartment complex in Bengaluru.

According to police, the incident took place in the Provident Welworth City apartment complex which houses 3,000 flats near Amanikere.

A group headed by a retired Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officer had objected to the placement of the aTulsi Katte (sacred structure in which the holy basil plant is grown)a and demanded that it be removed.

However, a majority of the residents opposed the move and continued Tulsi puja.

The group opposing it had then urged the residentsa association to provide space for a mosque and a gurudwara in the apartment complex, failing which, they should remove the aTulsi Katte.a

Given the division on religious lines there is tension between the over 15,000 residents of the apartment complex.

Taking cognisance of the development and to avoid any untoward incident, the district administration is sending a team to the apartment complex to talk to the two groups and resolve the issue.
New Delhi, June 27 : A seminar on 'Drug Addiction Reform & Rehabilitation' was hosted by the 'Hugs Life Holistic Drug De-Addiction Rehabilitation Centre & Consultation and Training Institute' at the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham Mandir in the national capital.

Dignitaries from different fields of the Ministry including representatives from different political parties, police and Narcotic Control Bureau, media and other social workers, mental health organisations and students joined in reaffirming their commitment to combating the scourge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Tejiender Singh, (motivational speaker and health guide) the programme organiser, explained why they chose the Akshardham Temple premises for this event.

"During his lifetime, Bhagwan Swaminarayan inspired 3,000 sadhus to travel through villages where they counseled people to give up addictions. Pramukh Swami Maharaj (1921-2016) continued this movement, ensuring that people led an addiction-free life in India and worldwide.

"During his lifetime, Pramukh Swami Maharaj inspired over 4 million people worldwide to give up addictions. These included entrepreneurs, world leaders, research scientists, farmers, and tribal communities. On 'De-addiction Day: Celebrating Transformation', dignitaries paid homage to Pramukh Swami Maharaj's tireless efforts in this area," he said.

Meera Sondagar, a volunteer of Akshardham temple said: "Today, Mahant Swami Maharaj, the head of BAPS, inspires countless to shun the shackles of addictions. The de-addiction programme is now focused on schools. Members of the Children's Forum have already started visiting schools to inspire teenagers to stay away or give up gutkha and smoking."

The programme started at 5 p.m. with prayer. Kids from different schools of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh presented a skit with the topic "How addiction can destroy our life and how to overcome it".

Dinesh Bouddh, Commissioner of Narcotics, Delhi participated in the programme as chief speaker.

He addressed the assembly by thanking the organizers.

He then covered the narcotics vision, drug policies, rehabilitation, and anti-addiction efforts made by the government and other organisations like BAPS.

He noted that 70,000 to 80,000 people die each year worldwide due to drug addiction.

He emphasized the importance of June 26 as the "International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking" and ended by urging attendees to pledge, "We will avoid addiction and support others to do the same".

Sunil Deodhar, Former National Secretary of BJP and former co-in charge of BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit, emphasised addiction-free India along with various initiatives including cleanliness, digital transaction, Yoga practice, vocal for local, millets consumption and organic farming.

Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Republican Party of India (A) president appealed to everyone to stay away from drugs and addictions. He also talked about the impressive work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the field of development like road construction, upgradation of airports and employment.

He also praised the outstanding work of the government for uplifting 25 crore people who were below the poverty line.

Rachana Vashistha, (a social reformer and activist) concluded the programme with her thanksgiving speech.

Among many other eminent personalities who attended the programme which included former Associate Professor Rajeev Chander Sharma, Orthopaedic Surgeon Vijay Singh Chauhan, Delhi government administrative officer Sumit Jidani and more.
Chandigarh, June 27 : The Chandigarh University and Bajaj Auto Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding for a six-month skill development residential programme on the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Bajaj Engineering Skill Training (BEST) Centre of Excellence, to come up on the varsity campus, will bring the academy closer to the industry. Its four-stage programme has been prepared by Bajaj Auto.

Admission will be on the basis of merit, while there will be provision of scholarships also. World-class trainers will train students.

"The skills of the students have to be developed. Students are entering the industry after getting world-class training. With the passing of the course, they will have two to three job offers. Latest equipment will be here and there will be practical knowledge in which they will work on machines and will get better job opportunities in the country itself," Chandigarh University Director General Hrridyash Deshpande said.
Kolkata, June 27 : Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay said on Thursday evening that he has written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention in resolving the impasse over the swearing-in ceremony of two newly-elected Trinamool Congress legislators -- Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar.

Bandopadhyay told mediapersons that in the letter, he has requested the President to direct West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose to nominate either the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the state Assembly to administer oath to the two Trinamool MLAs.

"I hope the President will give the right advice to the Governor. There was a similar impasse before as well. At that time, I asked the Lok Sabha Speaker whether he administers oath to the new MPs or it is done by the President.

"He told me that going by tradition, the Lok Sabha Speaker presides over the swearing-in of new MPs. But what is happening in West Bengal now is contradictory to that tradition," Bandopadhyay said.

The Speaker also said that he tried to contact the Vice-President and C.V. Ananda Bose's predecessor, Jagdeep Dhankar, to speak to him on the issue.

"But the Vice President could not take my call because of his preoccupations. Hope I will have a discussion with him on the matter soon," Bandopadhyay said.

To recall, the Bengal Governor had invited Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar to take the oath at the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.

However, they declined the invitation, claiming that going by convention, in the case of winners of by-elections, the Governor assigns the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker to administer the oath.

But the Governor refused to hold the programme in the Assembly and left for Delhi on Wednesday afternoon.

Reacting to the developments, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said earlier on Thursday, "The two legislators have been elected by people's mandate. What right does the Governor have to stop them from taking oaths? It has been almost a month that uncertainties are shrouding the issue."

She also supported the demand of Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar that either the Governor come to the Assembly to administer the oath or nominate the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker to do the same.

The two newly-elected Trinamool legislators also staged sit-in demonstrations in support of their demand within the Assembly premises on Wednesday and Thursday.

"They are right. Either the Governor should nominate the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker to administer the oath, or he should go to the Assembly himself and do the needful. Why will the two MLAs go to the Raj Bhavan," the CHief Minister asked.
Hyderabad, June 27 : A city court on Thursday dismissed bail petitions of three suspended police officers who are accused in the alleged phone tapping case.

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court denied bail to former Additional SPs Bhujanga Rao and Tirupathanna and former DSP Praneeth Rao.

The court, which had reserved its orders on Wednesday, pronounced the same on Thursday.

The accused had sought bail on the ground that police had not filed the chargesheet when they had moved their application.

The lawyers of the accused had argued that police had not filed a chargesheet within the mandatory period of 90 days from the date of registration of the FIR.

However, the public prosecutor submitted to the court that the chargesheet was submitted to the court on June 10 but, due to some errors, the court had returned the chargesheet, and it was re-submitted.

It may be recalled that police had to file the chargesheet for the third time on June 25 after the court returned the same twice.

Three serving police officers and a former officer have so far been arrested in the case, relating to alleged tapping of phones of politicians, business people, celebrities and even some judges during the previous government of BRS.

Several opposition leaders, including then Congress MP and present Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, dissidents within the then ruling party, businesspersons and journalists were among those whose phones were allegedly tapped by a team within the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB).

The phone tapping and snooping row came to light after the BRS lost power to Congress and an official in SIB who was part of the operation was found destroying the collected data.

In March, a case was registered with the Panjagutta police after a petition was filed by additional SP, SIB D. Ramesh.

Praneeth Rao was arrested after he allegedly destroyed hard disks and other data after Congress came to power in December last year.

Later, the police arrested Bhujanga Rao, Tirupathanna and former Deputy Commissioner of Police P. Radha Kishan Rao.
Bengaluru, June 27 : Amid the reported infighting in the Karnataka Congress, Chandrashekara Swamiji, a prominent seer of the Vokkaliga community, on Thursday demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and pave the way for Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar to take up the job.

The Vokkaliga seer made the remarks at an event to mark the 515th birth anniversary of Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru, in the presence of the Chief Minister.

This development has stirred a debate in the political corridors of the state, reigniting the issue of Shivakumar becoming the CM for a 2.6-year term.

Chandrashekara Swamiji said, "Everyone has enjoyed the seat of power by becoming the Chief Minister except D.K. Shivakumar. Hence, I request our experienced Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to vacate the CM's post and bless Shivakumar."

Talking to the media after the programme, the seer reiterated, "It is Shivakumar's turn now. Hence, CM Siddaramaiah should vacate his chair for him. Later, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda can become CMs."

"Who won 135 seats for the Congress in Karnataka? It was Shivakumar who spent money, toured the state, and ensured the party's victory. Siddaramaiah was sitting quietly before coming to power. I don't want to comment further on this. But handing over power to Shivakumar is justice," the Swamiji maintained.

The seer also said that he did not discuss the matter with Shivakumar.

"I am speaking my mind. He (Shivakumar) should have become the CM by now, but Siddaramaiah has not given him the opportunity and is holding on to the post. Someone should convince Siddaramaiah. I am not talking about the Vokkaliga community, I am vouching for Shivakumar," he added.

Reacting to the remarks, CM Siddaramaiah said the party high command will decide on the position of Chief Minister.

"The Swamiji cannot decide on this. It is for the high command to decide, and what decision it takes will be followed," the Chief Minister said.
New Delhi, June 27 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Thursday that he would abide by whatever decision the Congress high command takes amid the buzz over a possible change in the Chief Minister's chair in the southern state.

Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Shivakumar said, "Some people are over-enthusiastic. But we should not take them seriously. The party's decision will be final."

The Karnataka Congress chief was referring to the remark of prominent Vokkaliga seer Chandrashekara Swamiji, who on Thursday demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and pave the way for Shivakumar to take up the job.

Asked about state minister K.N. Rajanna's statement that he was ready to relinquish his ministership to become the Karnataka Congress President, Shivakumar said he would respond to it later.

"He will get an appropriate answer," he said.

On his visit to the national capital, Shivakumar said, "I am here to meet the newly-elected MPs from Karnataka to discuss the pending central projects. It is necessary to bring up issues concerning the state and put pressure on the Centre."
Bhopal, June 27 : Three persons, including two siblings whose father was a native of Pakistan, were given Indian citizenship certificates under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday.

The third person who received the Indian citizenship certificate under CAA, Rakhi Das, has parental roots in Bangladesh.

Sameer Salwani and Sanjana Salwani, whose father was a native of Pakistan, shifted to India in 2012. The trio had applied for Indian citizenship in May this year, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.

The certificates were handed over to them by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav at the state secretariat in Bhopal.

Speaking on this occasion, CM Yadav said, "Those who have been given Indian citizenship certificates were living in the neighbouring countries, which were part of 'Akhand Bharat'. The state government welcomes them. They are now allowed to live here as Indian citizens."

The Chief Minister also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made this possible by introducing the CAA.

To recall, on March 11, the Centre notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024, thus paving the way for enforcing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.
No color is off limits to a chameleon. While a lot of animals have color patterns  birds and fish, for example  the cells that make their vibrant displays possible typically absorb or reflect certain regions of the visible light spectrum.

Chameleon skin cells are different from the cells of these animals and other lizards; iridophores can actually absorb or reflect any and all colors of the spectrum, rather than just certain colors.

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"Some species change more colors than others," Flynn says. "For example, some will change shades lighter to darker, while others will change to more vibrant, bright colors. There are quite a few species, so there is a lot of variance. Among all of them, they can change all different types of colors  even colors that aren't visible to the human eye!"

Tiny sacs contain the pigments inside the iridophores of a live chameleon, but when the chameleon's mood changes, its nervous system activates these cells, contracting or expanding them.

When the animal is relaxed, the cells stay close together and reflect short wavelengths, like blue. A rush of excitement pushes those cells farther apart, enabling each iridophore to reflect longer wavelengths, like red, orange and yellow.
Bengaluru, June 27 : The Karnataka Police's CID, which is probing the POCSO case against veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, submitted a charge sheet against him in the special fast track court here on Thursday.

As per the charge sheet, Yediyurappa, in collusion with the other three accused, had been charged under the Pocso Act and IPC's sections 354(A) (sexual harassment), 204 (destroying document or electronic record) and 214 (offering bribe to another person to make them conceal an offence).

The other accused face charges who colluding with Yediyurappa to hush up the case under IPC's sections 204 and 214.

The charge sheet mentions that the complainant had gone to meet Yediyurappa at his residence on Feb 2 this year to seek his help regarding the sexual assault against her 17-year-old daughter. Yediyurappa, holding the wrist of the girl, took her into a room in his residence, locked it, and sexually harassed her by putting his hand into her bra and pressing her chest, it said.

However, it mentions that the girl resisted and came out of the room. Afterwards, the BJP leader had refused to help them.

When the victim uploaded the photo and video on a social media account, the accused had got them called to his residence through other accused persons and gave Rs 2 lakh cash to the complainant. The accused had also got the photos and video deleted from social media and from the iPhone gallery.

The victim's mother had passed away on May 26 due to health complications in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa had refuted the charges and said that he was ready to face any case.

"A mother and daughter were found near my residence. We did not entertain them out of suspicion. But, once I saw them sitting near my house with tears in their eyes. I called them and asked why they were weeping. They claimed that they were going through a big crisis. I called up Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand asked him to help them out. The woman and daughter started talking against me there itself and they were sent out."

"Then the matter had taken a different turn. If we come forward to help, these are the consequences to be faced. I had even given them money after hearing their woes. I will face everything," the former Chief Minister had said.
New Delhi, June 27 : The Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF) has issued a strong condemnation of a report prepared by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

In a statement released on Thursday, the IMF emphasised that USCIRF's attempt to categorise India alongside authoritarian regimes such as Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, Russia, and China disregards and overlooks the country's democratic structure, robust civil society, and rich pluralistic heritage.

"This mischaracterisation undermines USCIRF's credibility and understanding of India's religious freedom landscape," the statement said.

It also pointed out that the USCIRF has once again found itself on the wrong side of the world's largest democracy with its most recent report attempting to designate India as a "country of particular concern (CPC)".

The IMF said the USCIRF's 'misdirected activism' to target India has repeatedly failed to obtain the US State Department's approval with the latter's refusal to accord CPC designation since 2020.

The IMF also asked whether the USCIRF is conducting itself as an agent of conflict rather than an instrument of harmony as it purportedly claims to be.

"This question merits deeper examination," the statement said.

The USCIRF in its report has again raised 'concerns' over religious freedom in India.

Reacting to it, the IMF said that unlike the authoritarian regimes mentioned, Indian federalism with its autonomy to states on matters such as law enforcement gives different regions the constitutional freedom to formulate and enforce laws in a manner no different from the American federalism.

"Flawed comparisons with non-democracies highlight the USCIRF's failure to understand the nuanced reality of India's religious freedom landscape and discredits genuine concerns about human rights violations globally," said the IMF, adding, "It is puzzling that the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his remarks spoke of an increase in anti-conversion laws, while in reality no new laws were passed by any state during the period of focus of the report. His broad sweeping reference to hate speech is at odds with the kind of hateful speech targeted against India and its elected leaders that routinely emanates from North America these days."

"This hateful speech includes instances that have glorified violence and celebrated the assassination of a former Prime Minister of India. It would appear perhaps that the line blurs between free speech and hate speech depending on the country of origin," the IMF said.

It also said that unsubstantiated references in his remarks to demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority communities fail to note that the few stray instances of demolitions have little to do with religion and everything to do with illegal constructions in violation of the rule of law.

The IMF said the USCIRF report seems to be unduly influenced by NGOs and activists who have been at the receiving end of regulations that have nothing to do with religion or religious identity.

According to the IMF statement, by mixing up the secular issue of strict monitoring of foreign funding to NGOs and activists under FCRA regulations with allegations of violence against minorities, the USCIRF report exposes itself as batting for foreign funding to NGO activism in India.

The IMF said that ironically, the report's preamble dedicates an entire section to what it labels as 'malign foreign influence'.

Perhaps the irony was lost on the authors that USCIRF's own actions in support of foreign funding of NGO activists would be no less an instance of "maligning foreign influence", the IMF said.

By giving a communal twist to the ethnic violence in Manipur, the USCIRF report crosses a very dangerous line with its patently false and communal labeling of Meitis as Hindus and Kukis as Christians to further exacerbate the ethnic faultlines in Manipur, the IMF said.

Two issues make it abundantly clear that the USCIRF's value judgments on religious freedom have no respect for India's unity and territorial integrity, it added.

The first has to do with the comments on Kashmir in the context of Article 370.

The USCIRF has failed to recognise that the revocation of Article 370 was aimed at integrating Jammu and Kashmir more closely with the rest of India, fostering economic development, and ensuring equal rights for all residents, the IMF argued.

The move was also upheld by the Supreme Court, reflecting its constitutionality while the Election Commission has already started the process of holding elections in the region as a step towards restoring statehood, the IMF statement said.

The second has to do with the reference to the Khalistani movement and the USCIRF parroting a new catchphrase that is routinely being used by the advocates of Khalistan -- transnational repression.

It is almost as if the world's largest democracy is obliged to patronise those who advocate destabilising India's territorial integrity from beyond its borders, said the IMF, adding, "By seeking to falsely frame the issue as one of religious freedom, the USCIRF's comments sum up all that is wrong with its mission."

"By focusing disproportionately on perceived negatives and ignoring the broader context of religious freedom and social harmony within the world's largest democracy, the USCIRF risks exacerbating tensions rather than fostering understanding and resolution," the IMF said.
Agartala, June 27 : Barely three-and-a-half months after the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) joined the BJP-led government in Tripura, the tribal party on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over sluggish progress in implementing the tripartite accord signed between it and the Central and Tripura governments for the "constitutional solution" of problems faced by tribals.

TMP President Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, accompanied by party leaders, told media persons that they might re-assess its tie-up with the BJP if the state government showed a pessimistic attitude in supporting and implementing their demands.

He said that the TMP is in alliance with the BJP but if the dominant party did not maintain its commitments given to the TMP, "Why should we stay here? We also have a responsibility to the people of the state. We need to do our duty."

Political observers said that the TMP's threat is to keep its base among the tribals, unlike the BJPas other alliance partner, the Indigenous Peopleas Front of Tripura (IPFT), which secured eight seats in the 2018 Assembly election but only a single seat in 2023, proving declining its base among the tribals.

The TMP, which won 13 seats - all reserved for tribals - in 2023, on Thursday also announced that it would contest the three-tier panchayat polls next month alone.

"We cannot lose our identity as a regional party. We would highlight the basic issues and problems of the tribals. We would fight for the constitutional solutions of the tribals' demands and issues," Hrangkhawl told the media.

He said that they are not happy and already told this to the party founder supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, who, he claimed, has also expressed his dissatisfaction over the slow progress of the tripartite agreement, which focused on providing socio-cultural, economic, and political rights to the indigenous population and for their development.

The TMP also urged the State Election Commission to conduct the elections for the Village Committees (equivalent to Gram Panchayats) in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas.

After year-long hectic parlays, the TMP signed the tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2 and on March 7 two MLAs of the party became ministers of the BJP-led government. According to the agreement, a Joint Working Group/Committee would be formed to work out and implement the mutually agreed issues in a time-bound manner to ensure an "honourable" solution to tribals' demands.
Jaipur, June 27 : The Rajasthan government on Thursday organised a state-level social security pension transfer programme in Jhunjhunu, where Rs 1,037 crore was transferred to the bank accounts of 88 lakh pension beneficiaries.

Addressing the programme, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma said that civilised and developed societies are sensitive toward the development of all sections of people.

"Pension in the form of social security provides financial support to the needy and keeps them connected to the mainstream. Keeping this in mind, the state government has increased the pension amount along with increasing the scope of social security pension schemes. The government is determined for the upliftment of all sections of people, including the elderly, single women, and people with disabilities, among others," he said.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister transferred Rs 1,037 crore to the bank accounts of more than 88 lakh pensioners in the state with the click of a button.

"The state government has increased the Social Security Pension Scheme amount from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,150, and it will be increased further in a phased manner. Every promise made in the Sankalp Patra is being fulfilled. At present, more than 88 lakh people are being benefited by the state government under the pension scheme.

"Our government has added more than 2.41 lakh new beneficiaries to these pension schemes in a short span of six months. More than 2.74 lakh people are getting the benefits of pension in Jhunjhunu district. Due to digitisation, the beneficiaries are getting the benefits of the schemes without any hassle now," the Chief Minister said.

He also said that after Independence, some political parties made false promises and misled the people by doing politics of appeasement and corruption.

"But in the last 10 years during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, various decisions have been taken for the welfare of the poor, border security, and economic empowerment, due to which India's respect has increased globally.

"The state government has taken important decisions like increasing the amount under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000, giving a bonus of Rs 125 on MSP of wheat to make it Rs 2,400 per quintal, and providing domestic gas cylinder for Rs 450," Sharma said.

The Chief Minister also said that under the Palanhar Scheme, the state government is providing financial assistance of up to Rs 1,500 per month for children up to 6 years and up to Rs 2,500 per month for children aged 6 to 18 years.

In April and May, 5.82 lakh children have been given the benefits of the scheme by spending Rs 234 crore, he said.
New Delhi/Bengaluru, June 27 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday held a meeting with all Union Ministers and MPs from his state, underlining the need for everyone to work together unitedly for the development of the southern state.

Addressing a meeting of Union Ministers and MPs from Karnataka at a hotel in the national capital, Siddaramaiah stressed the need to raise voice on issues concerning the state inside and outside the Parliament.

"Mekedatu project requires approval from the Centre. Efforts also need to be continued regarding Upper Bhadra Project. It has been a year since the Union Finance Minister made the announcement in her budget," he said.

The Karnataka CM also appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman -- the Rajya Sabha MP representing Karnataka -- who was also present in the meeting, to release the grant.

"We have submitted a request to give AIIMS to Raichur. It requires to be fulfilled. This would contribute to the improvement in the Human Development Index in the region.

"We have sought drought relief of Rs 18,172 crore. We have not received the whole amount. There is a need to make efforts to get the remaining relief," Siddaramaiah said.

The Karnataka CM also mentioned to the Union Ministers from the state that the state government submitted a proposal to consider Bengaluru International Airport as Air Cargo Complex, "which will accelerate exports and in turn boost economic activity".

Saying that Karnataka is lagging behind in railway connectivity, Siddaramaiah appealed to the Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, to provide more grants to the state on a priority basis to increase railway connectivity, he stated.

"I appeal for approval of all these demands, plans and proposals. We are holding this friendly meeting to submit requests. Development of the state is our only goal. There is no need for politics, criticism and emotional accusations. My request is -- let's try amicably for the development of the state," the veteran Congress leader said.
Hyderabad, June 27 : The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Thursday demanded the Congress government in Telangana to provide two lakh jobs as promised ahead of the Assembly elections and announce a job calendar.

BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao claimed that the Congress made numerous promises to the unemployed but failed to implement them as some unemployed youth and job aspirants met him and expressed their dissatisfaction with the Congress government's failure to deliver on its promises.

They advertised job calendars extensively before elections, announcing dates and notifications for around 10 exams, but none have been issued, said KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known.

He said that if the government failed to fulfil the promises, BRS leaders would protest on behalf of the unemployed. Failure to fulfil these promises may result in the same unemployed individuals, who helped the government come to power, causing its downfall, he warned.

He demanded that the government release the pending notifications immediately.

He noted that during the elections, the current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy promised an increase of 2,000 jobs in Group 2 and a few thousand more in Group 3 but he did not fulfil his promise to the youth and students of Telangana. Only 60 jobs were added to the previous governmentas Group-1 notification, and technical excuses are being made to avoid fulfilling job increase demands, he said.

KTR reminded the government that their Congress, in the first cabinet meeting, promised a mega DSC to recruit teachers but has deceived the unemployed. He emphasised that BRS will hold the government accountable in the upcoming Assembly session.

He assured the job aspirants that the BRS would support and fight for the unemployed. He demanded the selection of candidates for Group-1 mains in a 1:100 ratio, as previously demanded by current Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka in the Assembly while they were in opposition.

Upcoming exams include TET, Group 1 prelims, DSC, Group 2, Group 1 mains, and Group 3, which are scheduled on back-to-back dates without sufficient preparation time for the aspirants. KTR emphasised that adequate time between exams is necessary as many students take multiple exams.
Bhopal, June 27 : The Madhya Pradesh government is all set to start Prime Minister Excellence Colleges with additional facilities for the students, including bus service, from the new academic year beginning July 1.

Last week, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reviewed the preparations for the new initiative with the concerned officials and issued guidelines regarding the same.

This came after the state government decided to name one government-run college as 'PM Excellence' college in each district.

At present, a total of 570 government colleges are operating in Madhya Pradesh, of which 55 (in 55 districts of MP) would now be known as 'PM Excellence' colleges. The facilities and faculties in these colleges have been upgraded, for which the state government has sanctioned more than Rs 460 crore.

"More than 1,500 teachers of different subjects, who have good academic records, would be shifted to the PM Excellence colleges," a senior official associated with the higher education department told IANS.

The administrations of the respective 'M Excellence colleges have been directed to ensure that the students get better facilities for study as well as sporting activities.

The state Cabinet had passed the proposal to run PM Excellence colleges in Madhya Pradesh in the very first meeting after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assumed office in December last year.

CM Yadav, who was the Higher Education Minister in the previous government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is personally monitoring all the developments related to this initiative, an official said.
Aizawl, June 28 : At least three persons including a Myanmarese national were killed while one was injured after a mound of sand collapsed while they were digging sand in Mizoram's Champhai district, the police said.

A police officer said the mishap happened near Melbuk village when a portion of the sand mound collapsed and the labourers were buried beneath the sand.

The deceased, including the injured, aged between 16 and 20, were engaged in a digging operation in the Tiau river for commercial purposes.

While two people, residents of Mizoram, died on the spot, the Myanmar national succumbed to his injuries on the way to a hospital.

The injured person is now under medical treatment in the Champhai district hospital, the police official said.

Police said that those who were digging river sand for commercial purposes by using excavators breached safety norms.
New Delhi/Agartala, June 28 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday and discussed various issues including extension of connectivity with Bangladesh, officials said in Agartala.

During the meeting with PM Modi, CM Saha requested him for a new railway link from south Tripura's Belonia to Feni in Bangladesh, commencement of vehicular movement between the two countries using the 'Maitri Bridge'.

An official of the Chief Minister's Office in Agartala said that CM Saha also demanded conversion of single line to double line railway track, declaring MBB airport as an international airport, the establishment of 'agar' (tree) international trade and research centre in Agartala.

CM Saha also demanded to include Sabroom (Tripura)-Ramgarh-Chittagong (Bangladesh) and Sabroom-Ramgarh-Mongla route as the protocol route for transit and trans-shipment.

The Tripura CM also met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda, to discuss various important issues related to the state's development.

CM Saha requested J.P. Nadda to set up an AIIMS-like institute in Tripura, another medical college at Kulai in Dhalai district, one-time special grant to continue uninterrupted National Ambulance Services and extend the Regional Geriatric Centre Project.
Amritsar, June 28 : Accusing Gujarat-based social media influencer Archana Makwana, who is facing charges for performing yoga at the Golden Temple here, of working under "some nefarious and hateful" agenda, the SGPC said the entire design of her behaviour and acts is clear from her social media activities.

"First she violated 'maryada' at Sri Harmandar Sahib, hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community after posting objectionable photos or videos on her social media," the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), considered the aMini Parliamenta of the Sikh religion, said.

Noting that after the manager of Sri Harmandar Sahib lodged a complaint against her and an FIR under Section 295-A of the IPC was registered by Amritsar police, Makwana apologised about the incident, "but even after her apology, she continued to post objectionable content on her social media instigating and provoking the people on public platform to stop visiting Gurdwara Sahib and ran a false propaganda against the SGPC".

"It seems Archana is working under some nefarious and hateful agenda," the SGPC, which has control over Sikh religious affairs and manages gurdwaras in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, including the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple, said.

"In a video today, she is claiming that no maryada-related guidelines have been displayed by the management of Sri Harmandar Sahib, while the fact is that a large screen is installed at the Ghanta Ghar entrance gate, from which she took entry. She is claiming that nobody stopped her from making videos or clicking photos, while the fact is she was stopped at the entry gate on June 21 by the on-duty sewadar, when she was filming her entry on a mobile of washing her feet in the Charan Ganga," it said, adding that she also "threatened" the SGPC management to withdraw the FIR lodged against her.

"If she felt apologetic, why she is continuing to post objectionable and hateful expressions towards the SGPC, the representative body of Sikhs," it said.

The SGPC also said that Makwana did not even pay obeisance at the Sri Harmandar Sahib or any related Gurdwara Sahib inside the complex on June 21, adding that she had visited Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 20 as well, when she paid obeisance and did some asewaa, "but that does not give her liberty to come next day and violate the maryada".

It said that on her first visit, she was provided all possible guidance as sought, "but on June 21, she did not feel it necessary to seek any guidance and did objectionable act inside the complex".

In such a situation, the SGPC management said that it demands Makwana be arrested "to unearth the anti-Sikh nefarious design under which she seems to have been working and her case be decided in a court of law.

It said that the Sri Harmandar Sahib is open to people from all backgrounds without any discrimination, however, following the norms is mandatory for all visitors and devotees.

The SGPC said that the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib has instructed the asangata coming to pay obeisance at Sri Harmandar Sahib to take care of amaryada' inside the complex, including keeping their phones switched off, while "artists who come to pay obeisance here should not use this holy place for the promotion of their films, songs, etc., but should get spiritual power from here".

The incident has sparked outrage among the Sikh community and Amritsar police have sent a notice to Makwana.

"If she does not appear by June 30, then two more notices will be sent to her. If still, she does not appear before the police, a team will be sent to arrest her," a senior police official said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, Darpan Ahluwalia said Makwanaas statement would be recorded first and she will be arrested only after that.

The social media influencer was last week booked by Punjab Police, under the IPC's section 295-A (deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class) for hurting religious sentiments for doing yoga inside the Golden Temple premises, on the SGPC's complaint. She was provided protection by Gujarat Police after she received multiple threat calls.
Australian electric car owners have long been calling for more charging stations to catch up to the rising rate of EVs on our roads.

A North Sydney EV driver received a letter warning him to immediately cease charging his car via a cord across his street. Source: The North Shore Times

Australian councils are cracking down on drivers who "unlawfully" charge their electric vehicles via power cords across public land, citing safety concerns, as more drivers are caught connecting their cars up to a residential power source while still parked in the street. One Tesla owner in an affluent Sydney suburb has been threatened with a $330 fine if he doesn't "immediately cease" the practice.

A number of councils across Sydney have vowed to clamp down on the trend, which they say "poses a significant risk to public safety", despite there being a well-reported lack of available charging infrastructure around the city's suburbs to cater to growing demand.

Australian EV motorists have long been calling for more charging stations but according to North Sydney Council, "the five charging facilities available at car parks" should be enough to cater to the number of EV motorists within the LGA, which has a population of around 72,000 people.

However may are finding alternative options.

Waverton resident John Slaytor said he went to the effort to ensure the cable was covered, minimising the risk of a tripping hazard. Source: North Shore Times

Tesla owner 'stunned' at receiving threatening letter from council

John Slaytor, from the harbourside suburb of Waverton, about four kilometres north of the CBD, said he was "stunned" to receive a letter from council warning him that if he doesn't immediately stop charging his Tesla from home, they would "have limited options but to consider further regulatory action"  including a fine of $330.

Slaytor, who doesn't have a driveway and isn't able to park his car directly on his property, said he even went to the effort to use a plastic covering over the charging cord to ensure it didn't pose a tripping hazard for passersby. He said his street rarely attracts significant foot traffic after 6pm, and within the area  and across Sydney overall  many homes don't have driveways, forcing residents with EVs to run cables from their homes out onto the street.

"I was astonished  we were only charging at night and we live on a very quiet street, he told The North Shore Times. "A lot of homes in Sydney dont have driveways and its a huge issue for electric vehicle owners because theres no other way of being able to charge cars from home. We have a climate emergency but the council is instead more worried about public liability, and being sued."

EV motorists around the country have been forced to run cables from their homes onto the street in a bid to charge their cars. Source: Facebook

Other councils across city clamp down on 'unlawful' charging

Elsewhere in Sydney, Mosman Council has also taken a similar stance, urging drivers to use publicly available electric vehicle fast charging stations, but even these stations "still take an hour" to fully charge cars, Slaytor argued, which is "not something you want to be doing every day".

A North Sydney Council spokeswoman said the authority "has a responsibility to ensure public safety".

Electrical cables that run across footpaths are unlawful (and) we encourage residents who are not able to charge electric vehicles on their own properties to make use of the charging facilities available at five council car parks, she told the Times.

"Warnings are issued for first offences where possible and over the past year council has issued fewer than 10 warnings and no fines."

It's estimated that within NSW, 30 per cent of drivers don't have access to private off-street parking to charge an EV, according to the state government.

Some techniques have proved problematic, especially if you ask local councils. Source: Facebook

EV drivers urged to use public infrastructure

In the letter Slaytor received, council said: "You are formally warned that placing any electric charging cables in/on/or over the footpath is an offence and this practice must cease immediately".

"In the circumstances that an electric charging cable is again identified over the footpath, Council will have limited option but to consider further regulatory action, including, but not limited to the immediate issuance of Penalty Infringement Notices," it read. "Council understands the need to charge your EV, however the placement of charging cables in public spaces pose significant risks to public safety."

Slaytor said he spent more than $1000 on his charging equipment, and juicing up his Tesla at home was significantly cheaper than using publicly available equipment, costing about 8c per kilowatt compared to 50c at public charging points. "I have solar panels and if I was able to charge from home during the day it would be a lot better for the planet," he said.

Yahoo News Australia has contacted North Sydney Council for comment.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Jerusalem, June 28 : About 35 rockets and missiles fired from Lebanon struck the city of Safed in northern Israel on Thursday evening, causing fires, power cuts and property damage, the Israeli military said.

"The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Aerial Defence Array successfully intercepted most of the launches," the Israeli military said in a statement.

According to the country's Magen David Adom rescue service, no deaths or injuries were reported.

A house was struck by one of the projectiles, the Merom HaGalil Regional Council said in a statement.

The Fire and Rescue Authority reported that several fires erupted and civilians were stuck in elevators due to power outages.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said in a statement that it had attacked the Israeli air base in Safed with Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli attacks on the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon and the town of Sohmor in eastern Lebanon a day earlier, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lebanese military sources told the news agency that some of the rockets were intercepted by Israeli Iron Dome missiles.

The fresh Hezbollah attacks took place amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border as Israel warned it was "ready" to launch a "full-scale" offensive against Hezbollah.

In a separate statement, the IDF said Israeli warplanes, earlier in the day, struck a Hezbollah military structure in the southern Lebanese village of Ramyah and killed two Hezbollah operatives in the village of At Tiri.

On the same day, unnamed Lebanese military sources confirmed to Xinhua that three Hezbollah members were killed and a fourth was wounded in two Israeli airstrikes on Ramyah and Haddatha.

Tensions have been rising along the Lebanon-Israel border since October 8, 2023, following a rocket barrage launched by Hezbollah toward Israel to show its support for the surprise attack on southern Israel launched by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip the day before.
Were attempting to unravel the tangled web of literary influence by talking with the great writers of today about the writers of yesterday who influenced them. This month we spoke with two writers whose latest novels pay ample homage to their literary forebearers. Paul Theroux (Burma Sahib, The Mosquito Coast) talks about the multifarious life and work of George Orwell. Ferdia Lennon (Glorious Exploits) discusses the peerless literary ambition of James Joyce.

Paul Theroux on George Orwell

Orwell is one of those rare masters of both fiction and nonfiction. Do you think thats what he set out to become?

He saw himself as a novelist. His earliest writing was poetry, so he wrote poems. Theyre not very good, but they're very telling. One is about a prostitute. One ends, "I wasn't born for an age like thiswas Smith, was Jones, were you?" But he read fictionJack London, Somerset Maugham, H.G. Wells, D.H. Lawrence, Henry Millerand his ambition was to write a novel. And so Orwells reading as a policeman in Burma led him to start a book, which was the earliest flickerings of Burmese Days, but it didn't catch fire.

After five years in Burmawith a uniform, with power, with a pretty good salary, with a lot of authority, and with a solid job in the British Rajwhat did he do? He became a dishwasher in Paris and a tramp in London. His first book was going to be called Confessions of a Dishwasher and it turned out to be Down and Out in Paris and London. He wasn't a particularly good novelist until the end with 1984, which was brilliant but derivative from a Russian novel called We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. He made his living as a journalist, as an essayistnot a good living.

Do any of his books stand out to you as his most essential?

It's hard to say what is most representative, because they were all so different. Of course, 1984 is a masterpiece. Maybe that's representative because he always said everything he did was political, that everything he wrote had a political intention.

But I think the novel that moves me is Coming Up for Air, which is about a man who goes back to where he grew up and sees how much it changed. It's a book about a nostalgia for lost England, a very heartfelt book, because the man goes back to the Thames Valley where Orwell grew up. In a way it's a nostalgia for Orwell's own childhoodwhere he went fishing, the local street, the little local shops, and so forth. But they've all been either Americanized or changed, and where he used to go fishing, the lovely fishing hole is a now place where people throw junk, old tiresa polluted little pond. That's a great book, representative of a mood he has.

But Down and Out, which is a book about a tramp, the dropout bookthats very representative of the mood he had after Burma. And then after that he wrote some novels and didn't make any money, but was still committed politically and fought in the Spanish Civil War. So he writes Homage to Catalonia. He was not a soldier. He was pretty tough, but he had bad lungs. But he was committed to the cause so he fought and was woundedshot in the neck. And when you think about Animal Farm, which is an animal fable; Burmese, which is a book about colonialism; 1984, a book about the future. The books are all different. Heres the thing: how long was Orwell's writing career? He published his first book in 1933 and he died in 1950. Hes got about 16 years. When you think of what a short writing life he had, it's amazing.

What strikes you most about his style?

He said that writing should be like a window pane, so he never used a word for effect. He never tried to make it sound poetic or florid, lapidary. He tried to write as clearly as possible. He never wanted to be accused of being tendentiousof loading his argumentso hed make it as clear as possible. In an essay called Politics in the English Language, he talks about cliches. He was the enemy of cliches. You only laugh at them. So when you're reading him, one of the things that you notice first of all is that there's no cliches in his writing. He never uses a phrase just for the beauty of the phrase. He kind of is the enemy of thatof making it sound pretty. He doesn't want it ugly, but he wants it perfectly plain. The window pane. The transparency of prose.

He definitely seemed to believe that a writer should learn by varied, firsthand experience.

His life is kind of a modelamazing, when you think of it. His father was a civil servant in India in charge of opium inspections, so his father was crating up opium and sending it to China so the Chinese could be addicted to it. So that's kind of shameful. But his father is in the Raj and he sends his son to a terrible schoolthey beat the children and the food is terrible. After that, he goes to Eton, one of the most expensive exclusive schools in England. They wear tuxedos and top hats. All his fellow students have money, are members of the aristocracy, have titles. And he's there, and he's a great student. He becomes a policeman, a colonist.

After that, he becomes a dishwasher. Then the Spanish Civil War, and then the First World War and then Second World War, where he's a fire warden. Then he sees all the contradictions in totalitarianism, and reads We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, and suddenly he's inspired. And then writing 1984, smoking his head off, he gets the news that he's terminally ill. And he thinks if I get married, maybe I'll live longer. Married a woman called Sonia. Suddenly, at the very end of his life he becomes incredibly wealthy. In his last months, after years of poverty, he suddenly gets all this money, and then he dies at the age of 46. What a life!

Ferdia Lennon on James Joyce

Which do you think is the quintessential Joyce read? I could see an argument for any of them.

Thats a really good point. And I think that kind of gets to the heart of one of the things that's really special about Joyce. You could go Dubliners, which is almost like the epitome of realist, psychological fiction, and of that type of short story that maybe began with Maupassant, and with Dubliners you have it at its highest level in "The Dead." And yet on the other hand, you go over to Ulysses, and you have this modernist masterpiece, which is the complete opposite. Everything is on the table, every chapter is an experimentation different from what had gone before.

And at the same time, while Finnegans Wake isnt necessarily as enjoyable, one could argue that its Joyce at peak literary madness.

Completely. That's exactly itthe pure ambition of it. That's one of the only Joyce books that I can say I haven't absolutely loved. With all the other Joyce works, what I find really interesting is that they're profound, intellectual, lyrical, but they're also very moving. There's this fully realized emotional core to Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Ulysses. In Finnegans, there might be, but it's pretty impenetrable. Still, I love the ambitionthat he would try to do it and take it that far. He was basically a legend in Parisian and world literary circles, and how do you go further than Ulysses? How do you top it? And maybe the only way for him to top it was to write something that couldn't be judged because it was completely opaque.

What do you think of his work on a stylistic level?

In the Dubliners mode of psychological realism, I think hes incredibly perceptive. He goes between quite beautiful, lyrical prose and straight-up, simple English in a way that is very finely balanced. In Ulysses, what I really enjoy is that I don't think I've ever read another novel that replicates the experience of being alive, that blend of thought, physical, sensory experience in a way that's as immersive as certain sections in Ulyssesthe fragmented, stream of consciousness style. He's a lot more playful with the language. Certain sections of Ulysses are hilarious. He's got a great sense of humor, but it also can be heartbreaking. We can go from real intense bawdiness into the depths of someone's trauma, and he can flip that very rapidly.

I dont know if any writer ever has been so great at switching between that bawdiness and seriousness.

That is something that I find really inspiring about him, because before Joyce, there was an idea amongst serious literary fiction novelists that that was just people didn't talk about that. They didn't masturbate. They didn't go to the toilet, or if they did, it absolutely wasn't a subject for serious fiction. One of my favorite scenes in Ulysses is where Bloom is on the toilet and then going and cooking a kidney.

Whats interesting is that he both does those very sensory, vivid, embodied scenes as good as anyone has ever done them, and yet he was also one of the first people to do that. Very often the first endeavor into an area or a subject matter you might go, Oh, well, that's great because it's innovative, but technically we got much better, whereas I actually don't think we've technically gotten much better at describing those kinds of things. I think he did it as well as anyone and he was the innovator.

What do you think writers should learn from him?

I think there's a there's a bunch of things that you can learn from Joyce. Study his short stories, you will learn balanced, lyrical prose style, great characterization, a great sense of unity and structure. If you study Ulysses, you will get a sense of the sheer breadth of experimentation and playfulness that's possible in fiction. You can write in one mode, but there are so many different modes that he adopts the shifts and discards almost chapter by chapter.

What I would also say is that even though Ulysses is this epic novel which is incredibly experimental and seems to spool out in every different direction, it has this really robust structure that he's taken from the Odyssey. It gives the narrative a solid spine, and even if we haven't read the Odyssey, certain stories like the Trojan Warthey've entered into a kind of public consciousness, so we kind of know them. So as we read Ulysses, each episode unfolds and there is a certain level of expectation amidst this really playful madness. There's this solid structure that runs through it. So I think one of the things that Joyce can show a writer is that the more ambitious, the more experimental, the more wild the narrative, the more robust the structure needs to be.

Also the work ethic. Hes one of the greatest writers ever and yet he failed a lot. Most of the copies of Dubliners in the first printing were actually bought by him. His first attempt at writing Portrait of an Artist, his first novel, was going to be this epic version of what became Portrait of an Artist. It was like 500-plus pages but in the end, he had to set it aside and go back to it and create this really slim, great novel, which is the bridge between Dubliners and Ulysses. He also spent as long on certain chapters of Ulysses as many people would spend on a novel. He was this genius, but he also worked incredibly hard, and he had many, many setbacks, and yet he still kept going, and he didn't temper or reduce his ambition. He had his flaws, he had his doubts, he had his failures. He's both mythic and very human as well.

In many ways he was a bit of a mess. He was always overspending. There were a lot of things he wasnt good at. But he was this incredible writer and he absolutely had this fundamental belief in the importance of literature and in trying new things and pushing it. What did he say? "If Ulysses isn't worth reading, then a life isn't worth living." He was a man who definitely believed in his endeavor.

These interviews have been lightly edited for clarity.

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The Beijing International Book Fair, which concluded its five-day run on June 23, celebrated its 30th edition this year. The event hosted 1,600 exhibitors from 71 countries and regions. Overseas exhibitors totaled 1,050, marking an increase of 150 (or 17%) from last year. Weve gathered a selection of photo highlights from the fair. All photos by Teri Tan unless otherwise stated.

For the second year running, the BIBF was held at the modern and centrally located China National Convention Center in the Beijing Olympic Park. The venue, which is connected to two big hotels and a short walk from the subway station, offers six levels of exhibition areas and conference facilities, a basement carpark and various side entranceswhich means that the main, and prominently decorated, fair entrance saw little traffic and only sporadic short queues. Photo courtesy BIBF.

Professional visitors could go from one exhibition hall to the next, and could attend major events such as the PubTech Conference, the BIBF World Childrens Book Forum, and the Beijing International Publishing Forum, which were held during the first three days of the fair.

Artificial intelligence was the focus of the second edition of the PubTech Conference. Talks by speakers from Elsevier, Peking University, and Shanghai Data Exchange, for example, were positive and pragmaticnot fearfulinsisting that AI is here to assist in content editing, generation, and planning for the publishing industry, and not to replace humans.

Short video e-commerce via TikTok, Xiaohongshu, and WeChat apps, and more, has become Chinas top channel for online book marketing and retail, contributing 26% to its total book sales. As such, the presence of vloggers and live-streaming sessions to promote and sell books directly was par for the course at BIBF.

Harry Potter remains popular in China since the publication of the series first three titles back in 2000. Seen here is the display dedicated to the boy wizard within the Imported Books Pavilion.

Outside the Imported Books Pavilion was a colorful mural featuring Julia Donaldsons The Gruffalo. Interestingly, Donaldsons bestselling picture book was inspired by a Chinese folk tale known as The Fox That Borrows the Terror of a Tiger,

The ninth BIBF Picture Book Fair was a dedicated section offering an activity stage, book exhibits, a game zone (based on the Eggy Party mobile game), a reading area, and even a coffee stand. A big installation of Elmer the Patchwork Elephant sat in the center, attesting to the popularity of this character in the Chinese book market.

A special display within the BIBF Picture Book Fair celebrated the 50th anniversary of DK. The theme was the universe, which has become a trendy topic in China due to the countrys ongoing Lunar Exploration Program. Books on astronomy for both children and adults have been in high demand in this marketplace.

Animated television series such as those starring Peppa Pig and Disney characters are beloved by Chinese children. Peppa Pig, which was purportedly banned in China back in 2017, is set to have its worlds largest stand-alone theme park in Shanghai.

The BIBF Illustrators Exhibition displayed 120 outstanding works chosen from approximately 12,000 entries from 46 countries/regions. The winners of the BIBF International Illustration Awards included Amanda Itzel Mijangos Quiles (from Mexico), Margaux Romano (Italy), Jean Mallard (France), Anne Crausaz (Switzerland), Gaby Bazin (France), and Mattia Riami (Italy).

Theme-based exhibits such as the BIBF Cookbooks Show, where there were talks on beer and wine accompanied by tasting sessions, were aimed at connecting content creators and publishers with the reading public while facilitating cross-cultural communications and exchanges.

Parents flocked to the CITIC Press booth to check out its childrens books. The company came in second among the top five childrens publishers in China in 2023; the top slot went to 21st Century Publishing House, while the third was taken by Changjiang Juvenile & Childrens Publishing House.

In China, parents pay a lot of attention (and money) to early childhood education and books for their kids. This has ensured that the childrens book segment, while declining in recent years, continued to have the largest share26.98% in 2023of the Chinese retail book market.

The Online Publishing Pavilion was a key exhibition area at this years BIBF, showcasing new publishing formats such as online literature and games/animation from major companies including Tencent, NetEase, and Douyin Group (or TikTok as it is known outside of China). Seen here are visitors trying out virtual-reality headgears.

The Gifts from the World section gave visitors the opportunities (and excuses) to purchase non-book items and souvenirs, including handicrafts, leatherware, paintings, tea sets, and toys.

Scholastic is a popular brand in China, and its BIBF booth was often crowded with visitors.

Online learning platforms, such as this one offering singalong titles and augmented reality-based products, are seeing higher traffic and demand, especially after the Chinese governments July 2021 crackdown on after-school tutoring services, an industry once valued at well over $100 billion. Increasingly, parents are turning to such platforms to supplement their childrens Chinese- and English-language learning efforts.
The State of Origin series has been sent to a decider in Queensland after the Blues won 38-18 on Wednesday night.

Yahoo's live news blog has concluded for Thursday, June 27.

In a big update this afternoon, Woolworths has implemented a new product limit as bird flu continues to spread across Australia.

Bruce Lehrmann has been ordered to pay $2 million to Network 10 in legal fees.

Julian Assange has spent his first night in Australia for the first time in nearly 15 years after arriving on Wednesday evening following his guilty espionage plea in a US court in Saipan.

There's plenty of relief in NSW after the Blues managed to level the State of Origin series with a 38-18 win.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER 10 updates Bruce Lehrmann 'one of the most hated men in Australia' Bruce Lehrmann's lawyer has told a court her client is arguably one of the most hated men in Australia. It comes after his former landlord Gaenor Meakes alleges the former political staffer caused more than $13,200 in damages to the Balgowlah property rented for him by Seven, who picked up the $100,000 bill. She also claims she is owed $6000 in missed rental payments because Mr Lehrmann moved out of the luxury three-bedroom rental three weeks before the end of the lease. The property owner has launched proceedings against her former tenant in a bid to recoup the cost of the alleged property damage and unpaid rent. On Thursday, Mr Lehrmanns lawyer Zali Burrows told the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal her client basically learned about these proceedings through the media. She asked the court for permission to represent Mr Lehrmann in the tribunal  which normally requires people to represent themselves  because of the media attention. Read more here.

It's not all gravy We take you to pub feeds now and Yahoo Lifestyle reporter Tahlia Pritchard has written about her disappointment when visiting a popular Sydney pub this week. Buying the schnitzel, she was shocked to learn she had to pay $3 for gravy, on top of the $27 for the schnitzel. So it begs the question, should a sauce be included with the Aussie classic? Have your say below.

Woolworths introduces product limit Woolworths has introduced a limit on how the amount of eggs a customer can buy as two separate bird flu outbreaks impact supplies. A Woolworths spokeswoman said a two-pack purchase limit had been introduced in NSW, the ACT and Victoria to manage stock delays, stressing it will be "short term". It follows Coles introducing a similar policy weeks ago.

Man arrested after woman's body found at home A man has been arrested after a woman's body was found inside a Sydney home this morning. Police attended a Russell Lea home shortly after 11am after reports of a domestic incident and found a woman's body at the address. She is believed to be in her 50s and has yet to be formally identified. A 42-year-old man known to the woman was arrested at the scene and is assisting police with inquiries.

$2 million legal bill could be 'deal of the century' And we can now confirm Bruce Lehrmann has been ordered to pay the $2 million sought by Network 10. The network's overall legal expenses for defending the case amounted to almost $3.7 million but after Justice Lee found the network had failed in one of its key defences and the firm also lost out in a number of preliminary legal bids, the amount payable by Lehrmann was reduced to approximately $3.1 million. Network 10 agreed to bill Lehrmann for a flat rate of $2 million after a hefty discount was applied, the network's barrister Zoe Graus said on Thursday. While Lehrmann did not consent to or oppose the order, his lawyer Paul Svilans told the court he did not know enough about how Network 10's lawyers had been paid to know whether the discounted amount was realistic. "It might be the deal of the century, the $2 million, for all I know," he told the court. - With AAP

Network 10 want $2 million from Bruce Lehrmann Network 10 is seeking $2m from Bruce Lehrmann following his bruising defamation suit loss. Mr Lehrmann was dealt a devastating blow in April when Justice Michael Lee found he had, on the balance of probabilities, raped Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in March 2019. The judge dismissed Mr Lehrmanns claim he had been defamed by a 2021 interview between Ms Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson on The Project in which Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by a colleague after a night out. Bruce Lehrmann. Justice Lee found it was more likely than not that Mr Lehrmann was hellbent on having sex with Ms Higgins and that he did not care one way or another whether (she) understood or agreed to what was going on. The parties returned to the Federal Court on Thursday to argue about the legal bills accrued during the proceedings and the manner in which they will be paid. Tens barrister Zoe Graus on Thursday told the court that the broadcaster was seeking a lump-sum payment against Mr Lehrmann. Ms Graus told the court that Network 10 was seeking $2m from the former political staffer. Read more here. -NCA NewsWire

Major Origin conundrum for NSW It was a stellar performance from Mitchell Moses last night as the Blues levelled the State of Origin series. It now begs the question  if the Blues win at Suncorp, where would Nathan Cleary fit in next year once healthy? Both operating best at No.7, it will be a big dilemma for coach Michael Maguire in 2025, with the Panthers star never quite fulfilling his potential for NSW. So what do you think? Have your say below.

Forgotten scratchie wins mum $25k months later How's this for a belated Mother's Day gift. a Launceston woman has won $25,000 on a scratchie months after her kids gifted it her for Mother's Day. My three kids gave me some scratchies months ago for Mothers Day and I didnt know how to do them, so I scratched one and forgot about the rest," she told Instant Scratch-Its officials. The other day I decided to actually scratch the left-over tickets and I was left in complete shock." She says she's going to give each child $5k and enjoy the rest with friends.

Mayor's big claim in search for Jay Slater The search for British teen Jay Slater has entered a tenth day on the Spanish island of Tenerife, with a local mayor making a huge claim about the 19-year-old. Emilio Jose Navarro told media there has been several unconfirmed sightings of Slater watching the Euro 2024 soccer tournament on the island following his disappearance. Jay Slater's disappearance has gripped millions. He says police have spoken to those who have made the claims. His disappearance continues to fuel a slew of conspiracies online, with the UK and millions around the world gripped by the case. Slater disappeared after attending a music festival, before reportedly ending up at an Airbnb 40km north of his accomodation. Read more about the search for Slater here.

Julian Assange's big four words for Albo "You saved my life." That's the huge four-worded message Julian Assange delivered to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after his government facilitated his release from prison. Speaking to media shortly after Assange's arrival in Canberra, his lawyer Jennifer Robinson said didn't think the remark was "an exaggeration". Albanese said his release, and first taste of freedom after nearly 15 years, was the "culmination of careful, patient and determined advocacy". Read more here. Earlier tonight I was pleased to speak with Julian Assange to welcome him home to his family in Australia. pic.twitter.com/r0Yl3iJtdb  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) June 26, 2024

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Best things to do on a couples getaway to Phuket

Explore the marine wonders of the Andaman Sea



Phuket has a well-deserved reputation for its world-class dive sites. Many travellers head to the island especially to scuba dive the fringing reefs, coral walls, wrecks, caves, and tunnels.

Whether youre ready to earn your PADI certification or eager to dive into the Andaman Sea for its marine treasures, there are ample sites to suit.

Dont miss the Similan Islands. They are revered among the dive community for the islands deep reefs, crystal clear waters, and plentiful fish. Expect to spy giant trevally, barracuda, manta rays, and even whale sharks if youre lucky.

If you prefer the pace of snorkelling, you can easily see tropical fish in vibrant colours from many of Phukets beaches. Popular snorkelling spots include Freedom Bay, Ao Sang Beach, Ya Nui, and Banana Beach.

Wander charming Old Phuket Town

For the best way to experience Phukets rich and varied history, head to the Old Town. While its easy to spend time looking up, enamoured by the towns colourful and ornate Sino-Portuguese architecture, whats inside these former homes is as appealing.

Thai Hua Museum is a great site to understand the islands history. From there, alternate between the vibrant shrines dotted around the town and the quirky boutiques and bustling eateries.

Around the Old Town you can sample delectable Thai food, but you can learn to cook it here, too. Blue Elephant is a cooking school favourite, set inside a beautiful former mansion.

On the weekend, countless market stalls line the streets selling pretty much everything. Save room for some Thai street food!
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By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/26/2024



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Matt James has explained why he doesn't feel pressure to propose marriage to girlfriend Rachael Kirkconnell 's 25th season filmed in late 2020 and aired in early 2021.While Matt's journey to find love on the show didn't end in an engagement, he and his winner, Rachael, have been happily dating for well over three years now."We're doing great. I feel like when you feel pressure, it's when you don't want to do something. So I've never really felt pressure [to get engaged] because it's something that I've always wanted to do," Matt, 32, told Us Weekly."And it's something that we're going to do at some point. That's why we're together and what we're working toward. I'm excited about our future."When Matt is finally ready to pop the question, he admitted it may be difficult to completely surprise the love of his life.Matt joked of Rachael, 27, "She asks a million questions. 'Why are you asking me to get my nails done? Why are we doing this?' She's just so intuitive that it's going to be tricky.""It's going to be tough because she needs a reason why we do anything -- and not a crazy reason, [but] just to know why," 25 alum continued."She never does something just to do it. So when that happens, I'll have to think outside the box. I'll have to stretch the truth on why we're doing something."It's also hard for Matt to fathom that ABC had announced him as star a whopping four years ago.When asked to give his younger self some advice, Matt quipped, "That's a good question. What would I tell Matt? I'd probably tell him that Tom Brady 's going to win a Super Bowl, so put some money on the Bucs."But on a serious note, Matt told the magazine, "I would say, 'Just enjoy the process. It's going to be crazy, but just trust yourself.' Because I don't regret anything that's happened over the past four years. It's been amazing."Matt gave his final rose to Rachael on 's Season 25 finale, and despite a two-month split in early 2021, they've been going strong as a couple ever since April 2021.Matt teased in February that he and Rachael are happy doing things at their own pace. He explained at the time, "If you do things that other people want you to do and you don't consider y'all's feelings, then I think that is a recipe for disaster."But Matt said his marriage proposal to Rachael will be "special" -- not on the couch at home -- when that time comes and he's "definitely excited" about the idea of taking their relationship to the next level.In July 2023, Matt and Rachael discussed with Us how they didn't get annoyed by Bachelor Nation's fascination with their relationship and when they're going to break up or get engaged "We post and share every aspect of our lives. So for people to be curious means that we're, you know, keeping them in the loop and we want them in the loop."Rachael agreed that she understood and embraced the hype surrounding her relationship, especially because fans had been hoping for a marriage proposal at the end of Matt's season.But winner asked fans to consider the fact she and Matt weren't able to spend a lot of time together while filming and so their romance truly started in the real world, away from cameras."It's not that weird [to not be engaged]. I feel like that's pretty normal," Rachael explained earlier this summer. "I feel like we're doing all the right things to take our relationship to the next step."winner and Matt gushed about how they're extremely happy with their relationship."Matt really is just my best friend," Rachael told the magazine."I think at the end of the day, it's just really fun to live the life that we live together. I don't think anything that we do would be nearly as fun if I weren't with him."Rachael continued, "I love our dynamic, I think that we make each other better people. We bring out the better version of ourselves. I think we have a lot to teach each other."Matt also agreed that he's been dating his best friend, which "makes everything that much better.""You get to enjoy life with that person," the former star elaborated. "It's a great come true. We're always telling ourselves how blessed we are."Rachael told Us in June 2022 of taking her relationship with Matt to the next level, "The only timeline I give him is I was like, 'I've got to have kids before, you know, I can't have kids.' So keep that in mind."Rachael said she and Matt weren't concerned with others' expectations for their relationship and future together."I feel like it's pretty crucial to just have fun with one another no matter where we're at or what we're doing," Rachael shared. "We got to make the most of everything."And Matt told the Los Angeles Times around the same time, "We're one of the only couples from that franchise still going strong. The reason is we're going at things at our own pace. We're not playing games that a lot of people play just to stay in that circle."After falling in love on , Matt and Rachael briefly split in February 2021 during Rachael's memorable racism controversy , which resulted in former host Chris Harrison and ABC agreeing to part ways.But Rachael was extremely apologetic, and so she and Matt reconciled in April 2021.Interested in more news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
Filmed from a plane, the vast herds look like tiny ants as they run across South Sudan during the Great Nile Migration.

Earths largest land migration of mammals has been confirmed, with observers calling it a remarkable and unmatched wildlife phenomenon.

Two planes captured a staggering 330,000 images across a 122,774 square kilometre African landscape  an area roughly twice the size of Tasmania. Of these 59,718 were analysed and combined with radio-collar tracking data to create the estimate.

Stunning images shared with Yahoo News this week show grasslands entirely covered in galloping animals in an event thats been dubbed the Great Nile Migration. A higher estimate, suggests almost 6 million antelope moved across South Sudan between April 28 and May 15, 2023.

It was the first time in history that a comprehensive aerial survey of wildlife has been conducted in South Sudan. The region has been subject to decades of war and civil unrest which has impacted both humans and wildlife.

Related: Groundbreaking UN report pinpoints key wildlife extinction driver

From above, antelope look like tiny ants as they migrate across South Sudan. Source: Marcus Westberg

Peter Fearnhead, the CEO of African Parks, described the results as staggering. The astonishing scale of the migration is only equalled by the responsibility to ensure that it survives into the future in an extremely complex landscape, he said.

The antelope species captured in the survey included:

5 million white-eared kob

350,000 Mongalla gazelle

300,000 Tiang

16,000 Bohor reedbuck

Are the results good news for Africa's wildlife?

The survey was a collaboration between conservation non-profit African Parks and the Government of South Sudan.

White eared kob Antelope herd across South Sudan during the Great Nile Migration . Source: David Simpson

Giraffe galloping across a field in South Sudan. Source: Marcus Westberg

While the findings are good news, they come with a warning that several species face threats from unmanaged exploitation and this could result in a collapse of migratory patterns, impacting the traditional communities who depend on wildlife to survive. Its authors noted populations of sedentary creatures like hippo, buffalo, elephant, warthog and cheetah have plummeted since the 1980s.

Noting that wildlife faces unprecedented amounts of commercial-scale poaching, Fearnhead believes successful management can only be achieved by bringing the South Sudan's ethnic groups together.

"Working with these local communities to protect this vital ecosystem will help perpetuate this global phenomenon whilst also bringing about stability, safety and security and creating a sustainable future for the people who live in this area," he said.

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'Over the next 20 years, we would be adding almost 10 million people to the workforce every year!'

'And we won't be able to give employment to even 2 million out of the 10 million every year.'

'Don't forget, it keeps adding every year.'

IMAGE: A homeless boy holds biscuits that he received as alms as he takes shelter from rain in front of a fast food shop in Mumbai, November 11, 2009. Photograph: Arko Datta/Reuters

India is said to be one of the youngest major economies in the world with 40% of the population below the age of 25 and 65% below the age of 35.

India's median age of 28 years is much lower than that of China and US (38-39) and Japan (49).

India is also a country where youth unemployment at 45% is among the highest in the world.

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2022-2023, India's female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) is only 37% -- only about half as much as in China's.

The fertility rate for India in 2022 was 2.1 births per woman while it is 0.75 in Hong Kong, 0.88 in South Korea and 1.30 in Japan.

But the total fertility rate in India is projected to decline to 1.73 by 2036. It means, very soon India also will have a lot more elderly people.

The question is, is India ready for the demographic change?

Dr Anil B Deolalikar, who is the Professor of Economics and Founding Dean Emeritus of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, recently published a detailed study on the Demographic changes in India: Implications for policy (external link).

"At the end of the day, India becoming a third or the fourth largest economy is meaningless if the living standards of people are poor, if the per capita income is low. In India, the per capita income is very low. India is really a low, middle-income country," Dr Deolalikar tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier in the concluding segment of a two-part interview:

Part 1 of the Interview: 'We Are Frittering Away The Demographic Dividend'

If you take the economic growth of India, there is a sharp difference between how it is in the southern and western part of India and the northern part of India.

Along with this, while the fertility rate is quite low in the southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it is very high in states like Bihar, UP, and MP...

Where will this lead to?

In many ways, there are really two different Indias.

I have pointed out in my paper, over the next 20 years, we would be adding almost 10 million people to the workforce every year! And we won't be able to give employment to even 2 million out of the 10 million every year. Don't forget, it keeps adding every year.

And half of the 10 million every year are going to be from the three states of Bihar, UP and Madhya Pradesh. Where are they going to get the jobs?

The jobs are in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

There are virtually no manufacturing jobs in UP and Bihar.

This regional inequality is going to make the problem of unemployment even worse.

When the southern states are well on their way to the demographic transition, the northern and eastern states are far, far behind.

They almost resemble the sub-Saharan Africa. If you look at the fertility rate of Bihar and UP, it is almost as high as Africa.

But if you look at the fertility rate of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, they are like the South East Asian countries of Thailand, Malaysia, etc.

India is like two different continents in one.

As fertility rate comes down in the southern parts of India, do you think this will lead to more migration from the north to the south?

Even today, the jobs are in the south and labour force is in the north.

So, there is already migration happening for jobs from the north to the south.

The differing rates of fertility decline and economic growth between the two Indias means you will have a surplus of working-age persons, mostly youth, in the East and North but a deficit in the West and South.

This will result in very high levels of youth migration from states such as Bihar and UP to states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This is almost inevitable.

It has happened in other middle-income countries like China.

And it even occurred in India when rapid agricultural growth in Punjab and Haryana in the aftermath of the Green Revolution resulted in a large seasonal migration of agricultural labour from Bihar to these two states.

Do you feel youth unemployment is going to make it more and more difficult for India in the coming years?

Yes, it is going to be very difficult for the country.

What is happening now is, the high rate of economic growth is giving people a false sense of feeling that India is doing very well. You read every day about India becoming the third largest economy in the world, India overtaking Japan soon, etc.

But at the end of the day, India becoming a third or the fourth largest economy is meaningless if the living standards of people are poor, if the per capita income is low.

In India, the per capita income is very low. India is really a low, middle-income country.

The human capital in India is very poor.

Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters

You wrote in your paper, to take advantage of the demographic dividend, the country will need to invest heavily in the human capital of its children, who will be entering the workforce in large numbers over the next few decades. ..

That is, investment in education, health and nutrition.

I will not say it is not happening; it is happening but at a very slow rate.

The latest data from the National Family Health Survey show that roughly a third of all children below 5 are underweight and stunted.

These children are going to be the workers of tomorrow.

How can we expect them to be productive workers if they lack basic nutrition and do not even have basic numeracy and literacy skills by secondary school age?

India will not remain young forever. Though we have only 6.1% of the population above the age of 65 now unlike the 28% in Japan, in another couple of decades, India will have a lot more elderly people. Is the country ready for that eventuality?

You are right. Even though we are a relatively young population as of now, the fertility rate decline that has been set in motion means that the population will start aging soon.

The median age is predicted to be around 37 by mid-century and 46 by the end of the century. This doesn't fully convey how rapidly the country's elderly population will grow.

The population aged 60 years and older currently stands at about 140 million, while that aged 65 years and older is 90 million.

The 60+ population is projected to grow very sharply over the next three decades, more than doubling to a level of 320 million by mid-century. Thereafter, it will continue to increase, albeit at a more gradual pace, reaching 450 million by 2075 and 480 million by 2100.

As the country ages, you will see that the health problems of the elderly are much more expensive to treat. You have dementia, diabetes, Alzheimer's, chronic heart disease, etc.

India's expenditure on health per capita is among the lowest in the world.

Despite past policy promises, India's public spending on health is stuck at about 1% of GDP. In contrast, China spends 3% of its GDP on health.

Kerala is already a geriatric society...

Yes. It is not going to be very long before Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also join Kerala in that dimension!

You know how poor our public health infrastructure is currently. We cannot cope with the health problems right now. How can we when it is going to multiply ten folds in the next 20 years which is not very far away?

IMAGE: Dr Anil B Deolalikar IMAGE: Dr Anil B Deolalikar

Is it a bleak scenario?

I do not want to sound too pessimistic.

Economic growth can solve a lot of problems. When you have rapid economic growth, the government earns more tax revenues, and can invest more heavily in education, health, and physical infrastructure.

If they do that, the country will be able to face the aging problem, which will come in a big way in the next 20 years.

If not, the result will be disastrous.

You will have continuing growth. But you will have greater inequality.

You will have more unemployed young people looking for jobs.

You will also have more elderly who are not able to support themselves which is already happening in Kerala.

Even China which has started aging very rapidly, is not fully prepared for it. If a more affluent China is facing the problem of aging now, it is going to be much worse for India.

That's why I suggest in my paper that as the problems are formidable, we should not gloat over the high economic growth rate we are witnessing in the last two decades.

We should seize the moment and invest heavily in education, health and employment generation.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Larger listed domestic-focused tyre companies have underperformed the benchmarks in the last three months but exporter Balkrishna Industries has bucked the trend.

The company, which exports off-highway tyres, has generated 43 per cent returns in this time compared to MRF and Apollo Tyres, which are down 5-10 per cent.

In addition to better-than-expected performance in the March quarter, exports and market share gains have helped Balkrishna pull ahead of peers.

Rishi Vora and Praveen Poreddy, analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities, said MRF, Ceat, and Apollo Tyres had a weak quarter due to weak demand for tyre replacements in the commercial vehicle segment and obligations for extended producer responsibility (EPR).

The second makes manufacturers responsible for the environmental impact of the products from initial production to the efficient disposal of tyres.

Apollo and Ceat have announced price hikes to offset the obligations for EPR as well as raw material costs.

MRF has not announced any hike.

In contrast, Balkrishna reported a strong quarter led by sales volume growth, product mix, tight cost control, and favourable foreign exchange.

Riding on a volume growth of 13 per cent to 82,085 tonne, the company reported a 15 per cent rise in standalone net sales for the quarter to Rs 2,673 crore.

Operating profit margins in the March quarter were robust at 24.9 per cent, up 460 basis points year-on-year (Y-o-Y) and 125 basis points sequentially.

Volume growth, margin expansion, and higher other income led to a net profit of Rs 481 crore, up 88 per cent Y-o-Y and 56 per cent sequentially.

The company, whose tyres are used in agriculture, mining, and industries, has a market share of 5-6 per cent and is aiming to take this to 10 per cent.

In addition to diversification initiatives, serving companies in the non-farm tyre segments is expected to aid in market share expansion.

While the last two years were muted with volumes under 300,000 tonnes, there were green shoots in the March quarter.

However, the company is cautious on end-user demand given geo-political risks.

ICICI Securities has modelled an annual sales volume growth of 9.4 per cent over FY24-26 to 350,000 tonnes by FY26.

Balkrishna stands out amongst its peers because of its healthy margins, return ratios profile, and strong balance sheet, according to analysts Shashank Kanodia and Manisha Kesari of ICICI Securities.

The brokerage has a hold rating on the stock given the sharp run-up in its price over the past month with gains of about 25 per cent.

The street will monitor the movement of raw material costs. Kotak Institutional Equities said that international and domestic natural rubber prices (spot) have risen by 16-21 per cent from Q3FY24 average levels, driven by supply concerns and adverse weather in rubber-producing countries.

If these prices hold at current levels, the brokerage expects a 300 basis points margin erosion for tyre companies.

Keynote Research is positive on the prospects of Balkrishna and has revised its rating from reduce to neutral with a target price of Rs 2,995 at 36 times its FY25 earnings.

Chirag Maroo, an analyst of the brokerage, said the company would be able to pass on the increase in costs to customers, leading to a stable operating profit.
'Episodes of targeted attacks on Muslims established that for a section of people and, sadly, even officials of the State, the election results conveyed no lessons.'

'Opposition parties must not be hesitant in speaking out whenever the mob with tacit State support targets Muslims,' asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.

IMAGE: A Muslim man arrives to vote at a polling station in the old quarters of Delhi, May 25, 2024.

All photographs in this feature have been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Indian Muslims were among those greatly relieved with the Bharatiya Janata Party with Narendra Modi at its helm, not securing again a clear majority of its own. But will the fact that Modi is no longer a 'lord' onto himself, and is instead dependent on coalition partners with potential to be exacting at times, make India a communally less-polarised nation?

Will Muslims be able to once again lead a more zestful life, no longer having to constantly look over their shoulders to check if a marauder's arm or a lynch brigade was reaching out for them?

Questions arise because within days of the election results, several incidents across several states, notably Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana made it clear that although the verdict may have been reassuring there was little change in people's actions.

These episodes of targeted attacks on Muslims established that for a section of people and, sadly, even officials of the State, the election results conveyed no lessons.

The script was eerily familiar in Chhattisgarh, where a mob of cow vigilantes detained a truck within Raipur district in which three Muslims men were transporting buffalos from Uttar Pradesh to adjoining Odisha.

The crowd took law into their hands and in the violence perpetrated on the alleged cattle-smugglers, all the three men died.

In MP's Mandla district, the state government performed the role of the mob and dished out bulldozer justice to eleven Muslim families by demolishing their homes.

Brazening it out, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, obviously exuberant after the BJP swept all 29 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, decided to observe this year as Gauvansh Raksha Varsh (bovine protection year).

The houses which were demolished had been allegedly built on government land. But, the reason cited for sending the bulldozers to raze the houses was the allegation that these families were key players in the illegal beef trade in the state.

The state government alleged that following a tip off, they discovered beef in the refrigerators in these eleven houses and thereafter decided to demolish the houses.

Tellingly, the local superintendent of police stated that the meat seized from these houses, was found to be beef by the local government veterinarian.

However, it is well known that often buffalo meat, whose trade and consumption is permitted, is often mistakenly assumed to be cow meat.

IMAGE: A Muslim woman leaves a polling station during the seventh and last phase of India's general election in Varanasi, June 1, 2024. Photograph: Priyanshu Singh/Reuters

In September 2015, in the first such publicised incident after Modi became PM, in Dadri in UP, Mohammed Akhlaq was lynched to death on suspicion of storing beef in his house, although a forensic test later established that it was not cow meat.

It is necessary to recall the Dadri incident because the political response to it was contrasting.

While Modi, back from the United States after his maiden visit as PM, remained silent, several Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal condemned the incident and went to commiserate with the family.

The issue also figured significantly in the Bihar assembly elections with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and its allies, including the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United and the Congress, raked up this matter to garner the secular anti-BJP vote.

In contrast, now, almost the entire Opposition remained silent not just on the recent Chhattisgarh and MP incidents, but on the others too.

Quite clearly, the Opposition parties are diffident about speaking out when 'politics of hate' manifests itself.

IMAGE: Muslim women arrive at a polling station to vote during the second phase of the general election in Mathura, April 26, 2024. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters

Does this mean that attacks on Muslims by vigilante groups and even government forces merely on suspicion is the new normal?

Does the passive response of Opposition parties demonstrate that these parties do not have the political courage to articulate concerns of the Muslims and even the Christians, because it fears backlash from Hindus?

It is well known that even the Congress was cautious in fielding and deploying its Muslim leaders in elections from the first general elections onwards.

But in recent decades there has been significant fall in number of Muslim candidates fielded not just by the Congress, but even other non-BJP parties.

The guilt for shrinking Muslim presence in Parliament is not solely that of the BJP and its coalition partners.

At 78, the total number of Muslim candidates in the fray this time is an all-time low -- significantly lower than 320 in 2014.

The total number of 26 Muslim Lok Sabha members, this was the same number in the 17th House, is way below their proportion in population.

Importantly, even parties which avowedly pursue secular politics and are active in states with significant Muslims presence, like the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress, significantly reduced the number of their Muslim candidates.

Very significantly in the Moradabad Lok Sabha seat, the SP did not field its sitting Muslim MP and instead put up a Hindu upper caste woman.

Despite the fact that the constituency has more than 45% Muslim voters, the SP candidate defeated the BJP nominee.

With an eye on the Muslim vote the Bahujan Samaj Party put up a Muslim candidate, but he polled only slightly more than 90,000 votes, in contrast to the SP nominee's vote share of 637,000.

Quite clearly, the Muslim voters cast their lot tactically and backed candidates with the best chance to worst the BJP nominee.

It is evident that the community has not turned against opposition parties for selecting fewer Muslim candidates.

But, choosing to remain silent when Muslims are attacked by lynch-armies backed by the BJP and its affiliates, with tacit support of the government, will be little but self-defeating politics.

While it will be premature for non-BJP parties to begin fielding Muslims with gusto, but it is time to intervene in debates whenever violent incidents occur, and when the State plays a partisan role, as it did in Mandla and Ratlam where in a separate episode the homes of four Muslims were demolished by the state administration after charging them with throwing bovine remains inside a temple.

IMAGE: Muslim women wait to vote at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of India's general election in Varanasi, June 1, 2024. Photograph: Priyanshu Singh/Reuters

Marginalising communal politics and ensuring that Muslims live with dignity will be a long haul and Opposition parties cannot baulk from the pursuit of secular politics due to fear of antagonising the majority community.

As Verdict '24 has demonstrated, there are regions in India where people are beginning to withdraw support to communal and divisive politics.

In the course of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi evolved a radical vocabulary of secularism and found support for this among people besides securing backing of some opposition parties.

His coinage of running shops of mohabbat (love and affection) in the market of nafrat (hatred) must not remain just that.

Instead, the sense articulated through the slogans has to become second nature.

The Opposition must gain courage and believe that advocating for peaceful coexistence among various religious communities is the original credo of India.

In the same vein, it must argue that the Hindutva worldview of unitarist cultural nationalism was rejected by people for decades after Independence.

Divisive politics based on hate and prejudice gained support only through the decades-long Ram temple agitation. But, as some sections of Indians made it obvious in the elections, there are limits to such politics.

Opposition parties must not be hesitant in speaking out whenever the mob with tacit State support targets Muslims.

It must be communicated to people that no Indian Muslim should be made to feel that their ancestors took a wrong decision during Partition to remain in the nation of their birth where religion was not the basis of nationalism.

Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay is an author and journalist based in Delhi-NCR. His latest book is The Demolition, The Verdict and The Temple: The Definitive Book on the Ram Mandir Project. He is also the author of Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Occasional lovers' tiffs have marked the history of RSS-BJP relations.

To think that Nagpur will bring about any change in leadership is a misreading of both its intent and its power, points out Shekhar Gupta.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at the pran pratishta of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, January 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

What was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh thinking when it decided to unleash a flurry of statements, widely seen as expressing disapproval of the Bharatiya Janata Party government for its ahankaar (arrogance)?

The four specific instances include Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat's speech at the conclusion of the RSS workers' training, and a specific reference to ahankaar by Indresh Kumar, a member of the Sangh's executive committee and chief patron of the RSS-backed Muslim Rashtriya Manch.

Mr Kumar said that Bhagwan Ram had punished the BJP's arrogance by limiting it to 240 seats, way below the halfway mark.

He also said the justice of Ramrajya ensured that the INDIA bloc was kept even lower at 237 because it is 'Ram virodhi' or anti-Ram.

Ratan Sharda, an RSS intellectual often articulating the organisation's viewpoint and ideology on television channels and in newspaper op-eds, had more specific criticism over the BJP undermining its own ideological commitment by inducting many known critics of the RSS, and thereby paying the price.

The fourth is an article in the RSS mouthpiece, Organiser, blaming the alliance with the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party for the debacle in Maharashtra.

Read together, these four instances look like the first coordinated criticism of the BJP under Narendra Modi by the RSS in the past decade.

In fact, Mr Bhagwat in his speech counselling restraint said he'd prefer pratipaksh (the other side) to virodhi (Opposition).

Which brings us to our next question: What is the RSS trying to achieve?

Caught in this flutter are all sides with stakes in power politics or a voice in the political debate.

First of all, it is most certainly amused by the ready celebration of its latest 'intervention' by the liberal side.

For a community that fought the RSS ideology for decades to now find solace in its chief's non-specific criticism is ironic as well as desperate.

Even some in the Congress have expressed the same wish, partly to tease the BJP, but partly also in the belief that it will weaken Narendra Modi.

There's been a flurry of articles and social media posts with Mr Bhagwat's quotes, generally saying, 'We understand that you (Prime Minister Modi) won't listen to us. But at least listen to Mohan Bhagwat.'

In this brave new post-June 4 universe, the RSS chief is seen as less illiberal -- and more acceptable -- than the Modi-Shah BJP.

This is an incredible misreading of the situation. The fact is that occasional lovers' tiffs have marked the history of RSS-BJP relations.

These rarely change anything substantively.

To think that Nagpur will bring about any change in leadership is a misreading of both its intent and its power.

This election has shown Mr Modi's critics that he is beatable. It will, however, require much hard work over the next five years, one state election after another, to achieve that.

It can't happen through any internal coup whatsoever, whether blessed by the RSS or not.

Plus, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, to suggest that the RSS is in the mood to unsettle its own government.

If they are the guru and the current BJP leadership their shishyas, see this criticism as a disappointed teacher upbraiding their favourite pupils for indifferent performance.

It isn't as if the RSS and the BJP haven't been at odds at different points in time.

We will list three. But this, after the election results, isn't one such.

This BJP was formed in 1980 from the wreckage of the original Bharatiya Jana Sangh, after the Janata Party, with which it had merged in 1977, crashed.

Since then, we can see how a 20 year itch has marked the RSS-BJP relationship.

Each time, the BJP emerged chastened. Think of 1984, 2004, and now 2024.

IMAGE: Bhagwat addresses the valedictory ceremony of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg-2 in Nagpur, June 11, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The first, 1984, was not the BJP's fault. It is just that the RSS, concerned about the crisis in Punjab, was swayed by what it saw as the imperative of national interest.

In those weeks of crisis, it concluded that India was going to be more secure under Rajiv Gandhi than under another coalition government that might include the BJP.

There was also that storied meeting between Rajiv and then sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras.

I covered that election, especially in Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, and found the RSS workers not just absent from the BJP campaign, but often spreading the word to vote Congress for stability and rashtrahit (national interest).

The RSS had no complaints with the BJP. It is just that it wasn't its time yet.

In 1998, the RSS celebrated the rise of the first BJP-led coalition under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

His personality and temperament, however, clashed with that of then sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan, and by 2003, the strain was visible to all.

The RSS was again less than enthusiastic in the 2004 election, which Vajpayee and L K Advani advanced by about five months.

This is when they lost power, albeit narrowly.

Many of these irritants were underlined by Sudarshan in a two-part WalkTheTalk interview for NDTV in April, 2005.

To be sure, the approach for the interview had come from the sarsanghchalak's office.

I hadn't asked for it, because RSS chiefs rarely, if ever, give interviews.

Sudarshan's tone, after Vajpayee had lost power, was 'Serves him right. If only he had listened to us.'

By this time, the RSS had also noted the rise of a much younger leader in Narendra Modi, way more faithful to its ideology.

Fast forward another 20 years and the itch came in the run-up to the 2024 campaign.

The BJP now believed that all it needed to do was campaign in Modi's name, that it would be a one-man campaign for them by him.

The RSS might have felt a little slighted, particularly at the ground level, in spite of the fact that so many aspects of the ideological project -- Kashmir-Article 370, Ram Mandir, triple talaq abolition -- had been achieved.

Mr Modi was also careful to give Mr Bhagwat pride of place at the Ram Mandir consecration.

IMAGE: Modi with Bhagwat during the pran pratishtha ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, January 22, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo

The ideology was never undermined, but the swayamsevak was just made to feel that he wasn't so indispensable anymore.

Mr Bhagwat said in his speech earlier this week that the RSS did in this election what it always does: Fine-tuning public opinion.

But the BJP itself had stated that it believed it had grown up and could walk on its own, without needing the RSS's little finger to hold on to.

This is where the relative indifference could have come from.

That, however, was before the results. The point is made, and it's over.

This government, the power of Modi and Shah, are indispensable for the RSS, particularly as it is set to launch its 100th anniversary celebrations.

That's why its words merely mean chastisement from a doting teacher to a favourite pupil.

Reading anything more into this would be very poor judgement -- and wishful thinking for Mr Modi's pratipaksh.

By special arrangement with The Print

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
The Congress's student and youth wings took to the streets in the national capital on Thursday over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams, with NSUI members forcefully entering the NTA headquarters and locking its office, and the IYC staging a huge protest at Jantar Mantar.

IMAGE: NSUI members stage a protest in NTA hq, New Delhi, June 27, 2024. Photograph: Screen grab courtesy NSUI via ANI on X

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has threatened to lock NTA offices across the country if their demand to ban the NTA is not met.

The police resorted to lathicharge to disperse protesters at Jantar Mantar where the Indian Youth Congress, Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) and Delhi University's Krantikari Yuva Sangathan continued their indefinite sit-in for the second day on the issue.

At the National Testing Agency (NTA) headquarters at Okhla, the Delhi police has deployed a team of security personnel to prevent the recurrence of any such protest.

NSUI members stormed into the testing agency's headquarters during the protest led by its national president Varun Choudhary.

The students' body staged a sit-in inside the NTA office for nearly an hour and left by the time senior police officers reached the spot.

Visuals from the scene showed NSUI members raising "shut down NTA" slogans inside the building of the agency. It also showed students locking the NTA office with an iron lock and chain.

"The NTA officials had locked the door from inside as students were protesting. Subsequently, the protesters also locked the door from outside with an iron chain and lock," a police officer said.

"No more Corrupt NTA. #NTA BAN," read a message pasted on the iron lock and chain.

The students outfit has threatened to lock NTA offices across the country if their demand to scrap the testing agency is not met.

There was no immediate response from the NTA about the incident.

In separate protest earlier in the day, the IYC staged a massive demonstration at Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG exam and against the Agniveer Scheme.

The Congress's youth wing accused police of using batons against the protesters.

A huge crowd of IYC workers led by its national president Srinivas BV gathered at the Jantar Mantar with placards against the NTA.

When Youth Congress workers started moving forward to gherao Parliament as previously announced, police tried to stop them by setting up barricades.

They also lathicharged the protestors and detained many IYC workers, visuals from the protest site showed.

A senior police officer, however, refused allegations of lathicharge and said "mild force" was used when the protesters tried to break the barricades.

According to the police, the IYC had given a time slot from 10 am to 1 pm for the protest. As they did not disperse from the area beyond the permitted time and when they stood on the barricades, the police used mild force to disperse them from there.

"Mild force was used only after they (students) pelted stones and bottles on the policemen deployed near the barricades," the officer said.

The officer said some of the protestors tried to break the barricades by pushing a parked water tanker towards it.

Around 60 protestors were detained from the site, the officer said.

Members of AISA and other students outfits also staged a demonstration in large numbers carrying 'dhaplis', posters and banners. They demanded that the NTA be scrapped and that called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

According to the police officer, a case may be registered against NSUI and IYC for creating ruckus at the NTA office and Jantar Mantar.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

The education ministry also cancelled the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) and NEET (postgraduate) examinations after receiving inputs that the exams' "integrity may have been compromised".
Rangers photographed the couple carrying out the illegal act on the restricted area in Queensland.

A couple were caught taking their dog onto Michaelmans Cay, a restricted area on the Great Barrier Reef. Source: DES

A couples illegal dog act in an Australian national park has landed them in court where they were ordered to pay over $1,500.

A photo supplied by rangers shows what they did wrong. Youll need to zoom in, but if you look beyond the buoy with the sooty tern on it, and past the shallow reefs, its possible to make them out at the edge of the sandy island.

As you can see, the pair were caught by rangers lounging on the beach with their pet kelpie just metres from a flock of protected seabirds.

Related: Audio recording used to lure extinct bird back to remote island

What's so special about this Great Barrier Reef island?

Rangers say entering the restricted zone at Michaelmas Cay, a national park situated 40 kilometres northeast of Cairns, could have scared away parent birds and caused their chicks or eggs to die from sun exposure and predation. The sandy stretch is one of the regions most important breeding grounds and during nesting season its home to 20,000 birds.

Queensland Parks and Wildlifes Dan Schaper said visitors to islands around the Great Barrier Reef have a responsibility to know where they cant take their pets.

Brown noddies (left) and gannets (right) are among the protected birds that nest on Michaelmas Cay. Source: Getty

In general, if part of a national park is closed, it is closed for good reason, either to keep people safe or to protect the environment. We also dont allow pets into national parks because they can carry diseases or injure protected wildlife, he said.

In this case, Michaelmas Cay provides critical habitat and breeding grounds for seabirds, which nest all year round on the coastal outcrops and can be easily disturbed by people and especially by domestic animals.

Other incidents of owners caught with animals in national parks

How much were the dog owners fined?

The couple were caught taking their dog onto the island in 2022, but they only faced court last Thursday. The department of environment (DESI) released details of the case this week to remind other tourists not to make the same mistake.

The man was fined $300 and ordered to pay $551 in court proceedings, while his partner was given a $200 fine and ordered to pay $450 in court proceedings.

If youre thinking of visiting Michaelmas Cay you can find out more about what rules youll need to respect here.

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A Vokkaliga seer on Thursday publicly urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and make way for his deputy D K Shivakumar, amid a power tussle within the ruling Congress.

IMAGE: Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo/Rediff archives

The seer's appeal has come at a time when there is growing demand within the Siddaramaiah cabinet to have three more deputy chief ministers -- from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.

Vishwa Vokkaliga Mahasamastana Math seer Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji raised the pitch for Shivakumar at the Kempegowda Jayanti event in Bengaluru to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bengaluru's founder, in the presence of both Siddaramaiah and the deputy chief minister on the dais.

Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress President, is a Vokkaliga -- a dominant community in the southern parts of the state. Currently, he is the only deputy chief minister.

"Everyone has become chief minister and has enjoyed power, but our D K Shivakumar has not become the chief minister. So the request is, Siddaramaiah, who has experienced (the post), should please give up the power to our D K Shivakumar in the future, and bless him good," Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji said.

Addressing the gathering, he said: "Only if Siddaramaiah makes up his mind this can happen, or else it won't happen. So with 'namakaras', I request Siddaramaiah to make D K Shivakumar the chief minister."

Reacting to a question on the seer's appeal, Siddaramaiah, later speaking to reporters, said: "Congress is a high command party....this is a democracy. We will follow whatever the high command says."

Shivakumar said: "Things have been said.... We both (him and Siddaramaiah) are travelling to New Delhi to discuss with MPs from the state, regarding the state's projects (pending approval from the Centre)."

There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the chief minister's post after the declaration of assembly election results in May last year, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the deputy chief minister.

There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational chief minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-half years but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

Shivakumar has made no secret of his ambition to become chief minister, while Siddaramaiah had sought public support during the Lok Sabha polls so that the Congress wins maximum number of seats in the state, which would strengthen his position.

A section within the Congress is of the opinion that the statement by the ministers seeking three more deputy CMs, was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks he might seek the CM post after two-and-half years of this government's tenure, and to counter his influence both in the government and party.

Leaders in Shivakumar's camp too seem to have started coming out openly in support of their leader.

Channagiri Congress MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga on Wednesday urged the party to make Shivakumar the chief minister.
An accidental encounter between Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray in a lift in the Vidhan Bhawan complex on Thursday caused ripples in state political circles, but both sides quickly sought to downplay the meeting.

IMAGE: Devendra Fadnavis with Uddhav Thackeray during an event in Mumbai on September 25, 2019. Photograph: ANI Photo

On the first day of the state legislature monsoon session, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Fadnavis and former CM Thackeray -- political friends-turned-foes -- found themselves waiting for the lift together in the Vidhan Bhawan premises in south Mumbai.

A viral video shows the two leaders exchanging some words. Asked about the conversation later, Thackeray, an MLC, said, "People must have thought of the song, 'na na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe' (I fell in love with you despite denials). But no such thing will happen."

Lifts don't have ears so it is a good suggestion to have more such meetings in lifts, the former CM added on a lighter note, while speaking to reporters.

Thackeray, a former BJP ally and a bitter critic of the national party, said nothing else was to be inferred from the lift encounter as it was an 'unexpected meeting'.

BJP legislator Pravin Darekar, who was also in the lift, said, "When the lift doors opened, Fadnavis walked towards the side of the ruling party offices and Uddhav ji walked to the opposition party offices. This means he (Uddhav) has no intention of joining the ruling benches."

Darekar said Maharashtra has a rich political legacy of opposing leaders maintaining respectful and cordial relations.

State Forest Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar sought to downplay the chance meeting and declined to attach any political significance to it.

He made it clear that there is no scope for any reconciliation between the BJP, an ally of the Shiv Sena headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the Thackeray-led opposition party.

"The unplanned meeting between the two leaders holds no political significance. Following discussions within my party's core committee, it is clear that a political alliance between the two (BJP-Sena UBT) is highly improbable," Mungantiwar noted.

"Our core team is in complete agreement regarding the decision to not form an alliance with Uddhav Thackeray," the minister emphasised.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said the meeting between Thackeray and Fadnavis showed there can be political differences but no animosity.

Talking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan premises, Shirsat, an MLA, said fights can be political but personal ties should not break.

"You can understand the meaning of this (meeting) that we don't have personal fights. Uddhav saheb must have realised that he is being misguided by the ones like Sanjay Raut (Sena-UBT MP). There should be differences but no animosity. This is an example of that," emphasised Shirsat.

The ruling party MLA said Maharashtra's long political tradition has been to maintain cordial relations despite differences.

Shirsat claimed Thackeray was unlikely be the CM's face of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the upcoming assembly polls.

Senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil also met Thackeray in the office of the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Ambadas Danve.

Patil presented Thackeray a bouquet and a milk chocolate.

"You will give another chocolate to the people tomorrow," Thackeray quipped, in an apparent reference to sops being part of the state budget to be tabled on Friday.

This is the last legislature session before the state assembly polls due in four months. There are reports that the ruling Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party is planning to present a 'please all' budget ahead of the polls.

There is speculation that after the drubbing of the Mahayuti alliance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio, is set to table a populist budget.

Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, the ruling alliance won 17, while the opposition MVA combine of the Congress, NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar and Shiv Sena-UBT bagged 30.
The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is open to the idea of having a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, sources said on Thursday, stressing that a call on the matter will be taken later.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and other ministers and MPs attend the proceedings of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: SansadTV/ANI Photo

They said the NDA has not rejected the opposition's claim on the post but criticised its insistence that its nominee should be given the position, saying such a precondition could not be considered during the speaker's election.

There was no deputy speaker during the previous Lok Sabha.

It may be noted the government's efforts to reach a consensus on Om Birla's choice as the speaker fell through as the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) insisted that it should be promised the position of his deputy as per 'convention'.

The NDA's brains trust had said that the opposition's demand can be considered when the election for the deputy speaker takes place but it should not impose any precondition.

The opposition ended up putting up seasoned Congress leader K Suresh as its candidate, with Birla getting elected by a voice vote.

Though different governments in past have allowed the opposition to have its nominee as the deputy speaker, the Bharatiya Janata Party has noted that it has not always been the case.

The Congress has claimed that as the recognised opposition party, a status it did not enjoy during the previous two Lok Sabha, its member should get the position in the Lower House.
Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have decided to raise the NEET issue in both houses of Parliament on Friday and members will give notices in this regard, sources have said.

IMAGE: Opposition MPs attend the proceedings of the third day of the 18th Lok Sabha session, at Parliament in New Delhi on Wednesday. Photograph: SansadTV/ANI Photo

The decision was taken at a meeting of the INDIA bloc floor leaders on Thursday, they said, adding that opposition members are set to file adjournment notices in the Lok Sabha and under Rule 267 in the Rajya Sabha.

The leaders of various parties have also decided to hold a protest on Monday morning before the parliamentary proceedings start, raising the issue of 'political vendetta' against opposition leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and three West Bengal ministers, using agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and income-tax department, the sources said.

INDIA bloc leaders met at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in New Delhi.

Besides Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule (both from the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar), Derek O'Brien (Trinamool Congress), Sanjay Raut, Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Sanjay Singh, Sandeep Pathak (both Aam Aadmi Party), N K Premchandran (Revolutionary Socialist Party) and Mahua Majhi (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) were present on the occasion.

Gandhi later said in a Facebook post that he attended the floor leaders' meeting.

'All of us are committed to unitedly raising the issues concerning people and fight for their rights,' the Congress leader said in the post in Hindi.

The opposition leaders discussed a range of issues that will be jointly raised in both houses of Parliament. The issues include unemployment, price rise, misuse of central agencies, breakdown of institutions, the NEET exams and paper leaks.

With the INDIA bloc parties demanding the appointment of a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha from the opposition ranks, the sources said they would press for their demand strongly and discuss the names for the post soon.

They are of the view that the deputy speaker's post should go to any of the principal opposition parties like the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the TMC or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

'Floor leaders of INDIA parties met at INC President Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge ji's residence to chalk out the strategy for the rest of the Parliament session,' Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said in a post on X.
A Bharatiya Janata Party office-bearer from Shirur in Maharashtra's Pune district has sought the removal of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and his Nationalist Congress Party from the ruling alliance, which also consists of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and other leaders during a tea party ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly, at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

A video of Sudarshan Choudhary, the BJP's Shirur tehsil vice president, making the demand at a party meeting recently has gone viral, leading to a backlash from the NCP, whose workers mobbed him on Thursday and sought an apology.

"It is a suggestion to you. Listen to what party workers are thinking. If you really want to make a decision, remove Ajit Pawar from the Mahayuti (ruling alliance)," Choudhary tells the BJP leadership in the video.

He also said senior leaders like Subhash Deshmukh, Rahul Kulkarni and Yogesh Tilekar, who were present in the meeting, could have become ministers and others could have been made head of state-run corporations if Pawar was not part of the ruling dispensation.

The BJP had been opposing Pawar for the last 10 years but workers are now in a state of fear because the Deputy CM is at the helm of affairs, Choudhary further claimed.

It is the wish of all BJP workers in the tehsil that they do want such power which also involves Ajit Pawar, he added.

"Why bring Ajit Pawar to power because he will issue orders and suppress BJP workers," Choudhary said in the video.

Speaking to reporters on the issue, Choudhary said during the review meeting held in Shirur, BJP workers freely expressed their wish.

Meanwhile, several Nationalist Congress Party workers arrived at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) complex in Pune when Choudhary was talking to reporters, shouted slogans against him and sought an apology for the statement on the deputy CM.

They tried to blacken his face but he managed to escape. Police arrived at the scene and took control of the situation.

Choudhary later clarified the views were personal and did not represent the BJP's stand.

"If my words have offended Ajitdada, then I apologise," he said while criticising NCP workers for creating a ruckus on the issue.

In a social media post in which he tagged Deputy CM and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Chaudhary said he was expressing public sentiments and was subsequently threatened by 'NCP goons'.

He asked Fadnavis to give him police protection as he feared for his life.

The ruling alliance got a drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha polls, managing to win just 17 seats against the Maha Vikas Aghadi's 30.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP emerged victorious on just Raigad seat.

In Shirur, NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Amol Kolhe trounced the ruling alliance's Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil by a margin of more than 1.40 lakh votes.

Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs had joined the Shinde government in July last year.

*****

BJP may want Ajit Pawar to contest elections separately and divide MVA votes: Rohit

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Rohit Pawar on Thursday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party may want the rival NCP led by his uncle and Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to contest the coming assembly elections separately in order to cut into the Opposition's votes.

The saffron party was trying to reduce Ajit Pawar's political importance, he told reporters in Mumbai.

The BJP might offer Ajit Pawar only 20 of the 288 assembly seats, and the latter could then walk out of the ruling alliance, said Rohit, grand-nephew of NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar.

"To keep Ajit Pawar out may be a strategy of the BJP, or both BJP and Ajit Pawar group. He may contest separately to divide the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's votes, especially those of NCP (SP). But the people and the MLAs in Ajit Pawar's party are not fools," he said.

The people have shown in the Lok Sabha elections that they would not entertain 'vote cutters', said Rohit, MLA from Karjat Jamkhed.

Asked about reports that some MLAs from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP met NCP-SP Maharashtra chief Jayant Patil on the state legislature premises here, Rohit repeated his claim that 18 to 19 MLAs of the Ajit faction were in touch with Jayant Patil and Sharad Pawar.

"The two leaders will decide who should be inducted back in the party," he added.

About some BJP workers reportedly criticising the saffron party's decision to include Ajit Pawar in the ruling coalition during a review meeting in Shirur, Rohit said earlier only BJP leaders targeted the NCP chief. Now even party workers were speaking out against Ajit Pawar, he said.
Samajwadi Party MP R K Chaudhary's demand to replace the Sengol installed next to the Lok Sabha Speaker's chair with a copy of the Constitution triggered a war of words on Thursday, with opposition leaders backing him, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party castigating him for 'disrespecting' Indian and Tamil culture.

IMAGE: Sengol is being carried in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries prior to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to be addressed by President Murmu in New Delhi, June 27, 2024. Photograph: @narendramodi/X

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Chaudhary demanded that the Sengol, which was used as a symbol of transfer of power when India got Independence, should be removed as it represents monarchy.

'India is a democratic country. But when we got independence, priests suggested that a symbol of transfer of power should be given. So a 'rajdand' (sceptre) was prepared. Lord Mountbatten transferred it to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. But he realised what it meant, and kept it in a museum in Allahabad. What was the need to place it in Parliament?' Chaudhary told PTI.

'A sceptre is a symbol of the way of decision-making of a king. Before democracy came, there were over 500 kingdoms in India. They were made to surrender, and democracy was established. Now the nation is independent. If there is no king, there should be no sceptre,' he said.

In a monarchy, Chaudhary said, the decision of the king is supreme, which is not the case in a democracy.

'Hence the 'sengol', which represents monarchy, should not be in the House.'

'This is not a dictatorship, it's not a monarchy. This is a democracy. Sengol should be sent back to where it came from and a big copy of the Constitution should be kept there,' he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, meanwhile, called the demand outrageous.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Chaudhary's remarks betray the 'ignorance' of SP leaders and demonstrate their lack of respect for Indian history and culture.

'The Samajwadi Party has no respect for Indian history and culture. The comments of its top leaders on Sengol are reprehensible. It shows their ignorance and also reflects the hatred of the I.N.D.I alliance especially towards Tamil culture,' he wrote on his X handle.

He further said Sengol is a matter of pride for India, and it is an honour that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given it the highest respect by placing it in Parliament.

Modi installed the historic Sengol in the Lok Sabha next to the Speaker's chair in the new Parliament building on May 28, 2023, after performing a puja.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Samajwadi Party, saying that through the letter written by its MP to Birla, the party has insulted Indian and Tamil culture.

He asked if the DMK and the Congress agree with Chaudhary's remarks.

"He has said that Sengol is the symbol of monarchy and a 'rajadanda' (king's stick). It is an outright insult to Indian culture and Tamil culture. On this, the DMK and the Congress, especially Tamil Nadu Congress, should clarify if they accept such an insult to Sengol," Poonawalla told a press conference at party headquarters when asked for comment.

Showing a picture of Jawaharlal Nehru with Sengol, he asked if the first prime minister of India was holding a 'symbol of monarchy'.

BJP national spokesperson C R Kesavan called Chaudhary's demand outrageous.

"Samajwadi Party MP's outrageous and outlandish statements have insulted our revered Adheenam heads and millions of devotees of Shaivite mutt. This SP MP has undermined the sanctity of Parliament and insulted the office of the President. SP MP RK Chaudhary should first educate himself about the Sengol," Kesavan said.

Asked about Chaudhary's remarks, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "He must have felt so, as the PM did not bow to the Sengol when he took oath..."

"What is the problem with placing the Constitution there?" he further asked.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said many members had opposed the placing of Sengol in Parliament when it was first brought.

"When Sengol was being installed, most of us said this is a symbol of monarchy. Our prime minister had the traits of a monarch...," he said.

Showing a copy of the Constitution, he said, "Keep a copy of this, the nation will be run by this."

RJD MP Misa Bharti said, "We are in a democracy. Sengol can be put in a museum where everyone can see it. We support whoever has brought this up. As it is a symbol of monarchy, it should be removed."
Ten Indian fishermen, arrested for allegedly engaged in illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters on Monday, will be charged with the death of a Navy sailor, who was killed in an operation to seize their trawler, authorities in Colombo said.

Image only for representation. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo

A senior sailor from the Navy Special Boat Squadron sustained critical injuries due to 'the aggressive manoeuvres of the Indian trawler, resisting its seizure', said a statement issued by the Sri Lankan Navy.

'Unfortunately, the senior sailor succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the Teaching Hospital, Jaffna,' it added.

The Navy said that 10 Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler was seized on Monday.

The trawler was brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and the fishermen were handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for legal proceedings.

The Kankesanthurai Police had filed a 'B' report with the Mallakam Court in Jaffna, seeking the prosecution of 10 Indian fishermen.

'They face charges for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters, death of a naval person during the operation and for causing damage to naval property,' the statement said.

The Jaffna Magistrate conducted a post-mortem examination of the deceased sailor.

The examination determined that the sailor's death was an accident, resulting from spinal cord damage, the Navy said.

The Jaffna fishermen attended the 40-year-old sailor's funeral in the north-western district of Kurunegala.

The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.

The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.

The Sri Lanka Navy said it has arrested more than 200 Indian fishermen and seized 27 trawlers for illegal fishing in the country's waters so far this year.

In 2023, the Navy arrested 240 Indian fishermen along with 35 trawlers for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
Police have arrested a sub-inspector and are trying to trace another officer after after two brothers died by suicide over alleged harassment by them, officials said on Thursday.

Image used only for representation. Photograph: ANI Photo

On June 22, Sanjay Singh, a resident of Roopdhanu village in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide over alleged harassment by Sadabad Police.

According to police, Sanjay's brother-in-law had eloped with a minor girl.

The Sadabad Police asked Sanjay to produce his brother-in-law in connection with the case before June 22, but he died by suicide the same day, they said.

On Monday, Sanjay's brother Pramod Singh, a home guard, also took his life. He left a suicide note behind in which he accused the Sadabad Police, they said.

After the suicides of the brothers, the villagers protested against the police and demanded action against the officer. Following this, Sub-inspector (SI) Hariom Agnihotri and Inspector Mukesh Kumar were suspended on the directions of Aligarh Range Inspector General Shalab Mathur, the police said.

On Tuesday, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Barhan Police Station against the two officers under the Indian Penal Code Section 306 (abetment of suicide) and SI Agnihotri was arrested the next day, police said.

"SI Agnihotri was produced before the court and sent to jail, while Inspector Kumar is still absconding and search is on," Etmadpur Assistant Commissioner of Police Sukanya Sharma told PTI.

Union minister SP Singh Baghel visited the village and met the aggrieved family.

He said the UP government has given Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family.

*****

NHRC notice to UP DGP

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has issued a notice to the police chief of Uttar Pradesh over the reported suicides.

The police are supposed to protect the people from any atrocity but in this case, it appears that they became the 'perpetrators' which is a matter of concern, the NHRC observed.

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of the media report carried on June 25 that 'two brothers of Agra committed suicide within three days due to alleged harassment by police personnel of Sadabad police station in Hathras', the human rights panel said in a statement.

Reportedly, a suicide note in this regard has been left by one of the brothers, it said.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, indicate a serious issue of human rights violation.

'Going by the media report, it appears that the police personnel acted inhumanly and cruelly with both the victims due to which they ended their lives. Therefore, the Commission has issued a notice to the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report within one week,' the statement said.

It should also include the status of the FIR registered, action taken against the officials responsible, and relief if any, provided to the next of kin of the deceased, it added.

'According to the media report, the police had detained the younger brother for two days alleging that his brother-in-law had eloped with one girl and released him only after taking a bribe of Rs 10,000. Two days later, his elder brother and nephew were picked up by the police demanding Rs 90,000 as a bribe to release them,' the statement said.

'Reportedly, a part of the amount was also paid but the concerned SHO of PS Sadabad, Hathras was pressurising them for further payment. The elder brother had reportedly also brought the matter to the notice of the SO for action against the SHO,' it said.
Criticising the Centre over the alleged paper leak in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar claimed that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has less than 25 permanent employees but was conducting over two dozen exams.

IMAGE: National Students' Union of India (NSUI) students stage a protest against alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and the cancellation of UGC-NET exams, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

Kumar, the Congress in-charge for Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, alleged the Centre gambled with these competitive examinations by asking the NTA to conduct those.

"NTA has about a dozen employees on deputation from various departments and some contractual employees. Due to inadequate internal experts, NTA outsourced the paper setting, paper distribution and data security protocol work to private technical service providers and external experts," he claimed.

Kumar said NTA's functioning was akin to playing with the future of students.

NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates appearing in it for admission to MBBS courses. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.
BENNINGTON  As a musical and adventurous kickoff to their summer reading program, the Bennington Free Library hosted drummer Otha Day in the grassy courtyard behind the historic 1865 building on the corner of Silver and Main.

"What a joyful way to kick-off Bennington Free Library's summer reading program," exclaimed Linda Donigan, the library's youth services librarian, as she assisted Day. "It's 'Adventure Begins at Your Library: Drum to the Beat with Otha Day.'"

Day, Donigan and others were setting up for the event. Some assistants were setting chairs around the courtyard in a large circle. Others were unloading Day's drums from the white van that he had pulled up to the curb, and placing them at the center of the large circle.

The drums were large, wooden and authentic, and included djembes and dunduns from Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia and Senegal in West Africa; darbukas from Egypt, Turkey and Armenia in the Middle East; and congas, bamboulas and tanbous from Haiti, Cuba, Domincan Republic and Jamaica in the Caribbean.

As Day took a seat at the far end, he began to welcome the stream of participants. Donigan and others went to gather more chairs. Soon, about five dozen had gathered together for the event.

Day was thumping out a steady beat, a young helper was passing out shakers to the attendees. Soon, the space was alive with a common heartbeat.

"Take your shaker, wave it round, wave to e-very-body here," called out Day to the beat. "One. Two. Three and four. Lookin' good. Lookin' good. Look a-round. One. Two. Three and four. One. Two. Every. One."

Day worked the group through the process of feeling the music, feeling the beat, acknowledging one another, and following directions.

With the pulsing rhythm emanating from the group, Day called out shifts in the beat and pattern, asking individuals to lead or follow others, "Ohhh, that's great. Every-body follow that. Look. Here. See that move? One. Two. Three and four."

Bodies were swaying, and grins were spreading across faces.

Periodically, Day continued to call a stop to the proceedings and introduced new concepts and skills.

"Put your shaker in one hand, and place your other hand flat in front of you. Good. Now " he instructed, miming the new technique and rhythm until the beat was sure and steady throughout the group.

"Look behind you over there," he called into the beat, moving to one side and then the other. "Look behind you over there. Open your eyes and see the whole world. Right to-gether. Open your eyes and see the world. Open your eyes and see together. There. You. Go. Beat. Beat. One. Two. Everyone  and, stop. Great job."

"We're all connected," Day instructed, making eye contact with the glowing faces. "Everyone in this whole world. Just like this big circle, we live on a planet, and everyone  the billions and billions of people around the world  we're all connected. You're not just connected here, but to everybody around the world. And the way we all just came together  we're connected by this sound right here."

Day thumped out the beat on his drum and heads bobbed in recognition, "By this right here  the heartbeat."

Day continued to speak about the connectedness of humankind, the power of storytelling through music and beat, and how music is something we share, like words.

Passing out the large wooden drums, Day began teaching that collective concept through Funga Alafia, a West African welcome song originating in Liberia. Eventually bringing in other lyrics, like Ashay Ashay for peace, wellbeing, love and joy  and showing how movement could be incorporated into the beat.

The full-bodied bass drums, with their resonating, low, full sound, filled the courtyard with an intense spiritual presence, and the sense of community intensified as individuals stepped forward to dance in abandon. Applause and cheering broke out in appreciation.

"Kids and grownups alike drummed, sang and danced their hearts out today," said Donigan as the program concluded, laughing as a group of youngsters danced out of the courtyard, still entranced by the beat of their own heartbeats.

"All were welcomed to be a part of this joyful drum circle and experience community and rhythm with a 'heartbeat.' Otha Day brought his beautiful drums, but more importantly, his message of peace and love, and the power of reading."

This summer, Donigan may be correct: Adventure really does begin at the library.
It's no secret Queensland's Far North is home to some of the country's deadliest animals. But that didn't deter one traveller from tempting fate.

An Aussie social media user has raised eyebrows for swimming in croc country, in defiance of warnings. Source: TikTok

An Australian woman has been accused of playing "Russian roulette" with her life after taking a dip in the ocean in croc country  an act that contradicts the messaging from both wildlife authorities and locals in the area.

Tarlia Merau, who describes herself online as a "nomad" currently embarking on a "solo trip around Australia", uploaded a video to social media earlier this month in which she says she "couldn't resist" going for a "little dip" in the ocean at Palm Cove, north of Cairns.

With signs in place warning travellers that crocodiles are known to frequent the area, Merau acknowledges the warning but still plunges into the notably murky water to cool off as a couple of onlookers walk by on the sand and say "oh, you're brave".

According to Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Croc Country  considered to be typical crocodile habitat  begins at the Boyne River south of Gladstone, and extends up the east coast and across the far north and northwest to the Northern Territory border.

Tarlia Merau said she 'couldn't resist' taking a quick dip in the sea at Palm Cove, north of Cairns in Queensland. Source: TikTok

Woman's dangerous act in croc country

In the video, Merau said "this is something that I'm still trying to get used to", pointing to a sign warning travellers about the dangers of crocodiles and jellyfish in the sea. "I really want to go for a swim," she said. "But I don't want to swim with the crocodillies. Sharks no problem  crocodillies, no."

Merau then proceeds to plunge into the ocean and submerges herself into the water while recording.

"The water's so warm here," she said. "How could I not?"

Merau was clearly "refreshed" after the swim, which she said did not last long. "In, out, that was my swim." But people online responding to the video were quick to point out how dangerous swimming in the area can be.

"Nice murky water! Just the way the crocs like it. I'm not sure you understand how they operate," somebody wrote. "Now that's really taking risking it to a new level," said another. "Play stupid games win stupid prizes," said a third.

Risky trend blasted by wildlife authorities

The woman's encounter reflects the broader trend of people recording "dangerous" acts around native Australian wildlife, something that officials have been trying to crack down on.

Last week, footage of a man pulling at the tail of a timid crocodile in an Australian creek sparked uproar after it was shared to an Instagram account which glorifies bogan behaviour. The unsettling clip prompted concern for the "scared" reptile as wildlife authorities look into the origin of the video.

In March, a desperate warning was issued against what was described as "foolish behaviour" near the water's edge in other parts of Croc Country, with one repeat act carried out by fishermen blamed for attracting deadly predators to the area.

Fishers who discard fish frames and bait near boat ramps in Queensland's north, particularly around the Cassowary Coast, have been warned by environmental officials to dispose of such material away from the water after a number of recent close calls.

Officers with the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) say they've received three separate reports of a three-metre crocodile "hanging around" at the Maria Creek boat ramp at Kurrimine Beach, waiting to be fed.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Editor's Note: Soob Soobitsky, recent graduate of Leland & Gray Middle High School who will be studying journalism at New England College,
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WHITINGHAM  Emily Carris Duncan is running uncontested in the Democratic primary for the Windham-6 seat in the House of Representatives.

With a baby on the way, Tristan Roberts decided not to seek reelection after serving one term. Carris Duncan said she was recruited by members of the Democratic party to run for the position representing Halifax, Whitingham and Wilmington.

"It's a challenging situation for legislators," she said. "We're lucky to be flexible enough to try to make this work."

Carris Duncan is an artist and educator who grew up in Rutland and interned at the Statehouse when her father Bill Carris was a senator for Rutland County. She now lives in Whitingham with her husband.

In Philadelphia, Carris Duncan served on a neighborhood zoning board around 2013 or 2014. She moved back to Vermont in 2021 after spending about 10 years running a gallery space that also held workshops.

Much of her artwork involves quilting and dyes. She also teaches embroidering.

Returning to Southern Vermont largely had to do with "happenstance," she said. After looking all over Vermont and neighboring states during the height of COVID-19, housing proved difficult to find.

"We really just got lucky," Carris Duncan said, adding that she's "very blessed" to have such good restaurants in the area.

Asked why she decided to run for office, Carris Duncan said, "I come from a very political background so it's always been something I've toyed with."

"Also, I'm just a very involved person," she said. "I think representing rural communities is very important."

Getting resources to less populated areas can be difficult, Carris Duncan said. She's interested in affordable housing including heating, cooling and all the things that go into into maintaining a home.

Carris Duncan is concerned about taxes, which she said is "always such a sticky wicket."

"We've got to figure it out," she said. "We can't have people moving because their taxes are too high."

Unsurprisingly, Carris Duncan is very interested in education. She also wants to ensure farms and small businesses are supported.

Bringing people together is part of her role as an educator and public event organizer. She said she wants to channel that energy in the Legislature and make sure "we're not doing things in isolation."

One of her political heroes is the Black farmer Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting and women's rights activist, community organizer and leader in the civil rights movement. She served as vice-chairperson of the Freedom Democratic Party, which she represented at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

John Gannon of Wilmington, former Windham-6 representative, said he believes Carris Duncan would be the first person from the BIPOC community to serve in the position. BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

"I think representation as a Black Vermonter is hugely important," Carris Duncan said. "I think sometimes, it can be easy to forget that we're here."

Carris Duncan would like to see more members of the BIPOC community come to Vermont.

"Vermont needs willing hands to pitch in and there are plenty of willing hands in the BIPOC community," she said. "I would also say the same is true for the queer community, too."

Carris Duncan also identifies as queer.

Roberts said he's enjoyed getting to know Carris Duncan as a candidate and excited for voters to get to know her between now and the general election in November.

"She shares my concerns about the quality and the cost of public education, and we share an excitement about the role of the arts and creative solutions for Vermonts biggest problems," Robert said. "If elected, shell be a fresh voice representing Whitingham and all of Windham-6."

Carris Duncan said she's really here to listen.

"I know that we have a lot of strings to weave together but I'm a fiber artist and that's what I do for a living," she said. I'm here to listen and I'm really here to work for the people."

Carris Duncan said her father has been helping out with her campaign.

"It's been really cool working with him," she said.
Across the country, more than a million birds have so far been euthanised as the avian influenza continues to wreak havoc on farms in the east.

Woolworths is limiting how many cartons of eggs customers can buy per shop as strains of avian flu continue to spread across Australia, now having been detected at a total of 11 properties along the east cost.

The supermarket giant announced Thursday it is "expecting a short-term delay" in stock, one month after rival Coles released a similar statement, as supplies across Victoria, NSW and the ACT are impacted by the spread of the disease and subsequent culling.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Woolworths spokesperson said stock "from one of our egg suppliers" had been impacted across the three jurisdictions "due to the temporary closure of one of their packing sheds."

"Their supply is expected to recover over the next week as they ramp up operations at their other sites," the spokesperson added. "As a precaution to help manage this stock delay, were introducing a two-pack purchase limit on eggs in NSW, ACT and Victoria."

The limit comes after bird flu was detected at an eighth Victorian farm on Tuesday, and as ACT authorities investigate a suspected outbreak on a commercial egg farm in Canberra. There are currently two known outbreaks in NSW.

"The ACT commercial egg farm has been locked down with no products, eggs, and machinery allowed in or out, and the site's hens will need to be depopulated," NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said in a statement this week.

So far more than one million chickens had been destroyed nationally to limit the spread of the disease.

As bird flu continues to spread around Australia's east coast, Woolworths has joined Coles in implementing a purchasing limit on eggs in some supermarkets. Source: Getty/AAP

'No need to worry' just yet, experts say

While the impacts of the virus have proved devastating for Australian poultry farms, experts have said Australians shouldn't worry about it from a public health perspective  at least not yet.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Professor Enzo Palombo, food health and safety expert at Swinburne University, said "there's no need to panic" and "no real sense that anything significant is happening locally which we should be concerned about" for now.

There are now a total of 11 poultry farms across Australia that have been impacted by the bird flu. Source: NCA Newswire

However there is growing evidence to suggest the virus "could come across to humans more readily and cause problems", which "could end up being the start of the next pandemic". He said "the real concern from a public health point of view" will be if "what's happening in the US with [spread to] mammals" occurs on home soil.

"I don't believe it constitutes a major public health threat here yet, but I think what's most concerning is what's happening in the US with the dairy cattle, there have been documented transmissions from cattle to humans, most likely through milk," he said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

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Fujifilm Business Innovation NZ is seeking expressions of interest from potential partners in the Napier and Nelson areas as the next phase of its Growth Partners programme.

Announced last June, Growth Partners seeks to identify local people across New Zealand who understand technology and who were eager to help local businesses solve challenges and find new ways to work smarter.

Growth Partners are exclusive Fujifilm sales and field support agents for their area, replacing what largely used to be a direct model of engagement.

Since launching our Growth Partners programme weve had interest from right across New Zealand, said David Jupe, managing director of Fujifilm.

Our first partner was announced in October 2023 and now that theyre off and running, were turning our focus to Napier and Nelson as the next two areas where we see particular opportunity.

Fujifilm was looking for partners with deep roots in the two communities who were keen to apply their local knowledge to help businesses in their areas utilise Fujifilm technology, he said.
The city's authors are taking their thoughts and memories elsewhere, as a new publishing base emerges in exile.

Writer Carpier Leung can remember when his Q&A format book "Hong Kong 101" was given a whole table to itself at the Eslite chain of bookstores when it came out in Hong Kong a few years ago.

Published in 2020, the book offered a handy introduction to questions of changing identity, institutional challenges and social issues in the former British colony over the past century. So much so that it was adopted as a textbook by many schools.

"Nowadays, that is completely unthinkable," Leung said. "It can't even go on public sale now."

Hong Kong's bookstores once drew Chinese-language bibliophiles from far and wide in pursuit of some of the city's most off-beat, salacious and politically radical writings, coupled with cute or alternative takes on art and culture -- like Leung's photo essay on the city's iconic housing estates titled "The Call of the Grid."

But even before the 2020 National Security Law ushered in a crackdown on public criticism of the authorities, the Chinese government had been positioning itself to take control of the city's main publishing imprints and bookstore chains, squeezing out dozens of independent stores as it did so.

And as the political crackdown gathered momentum, libraries made lists of books likely to run afoul of the new law, and pulled them from the shelves.

War on libraries

In what some dubbed a "war on libraries," titles addressing the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, as well as books written by jailed protest leader Joshua Wong and Occupy Central movement founder Benny Tai, started disappearing from public view.

And as people were actively encouraged by police to inform on any words or deeds that could be deemed subversive under the law, bookshores and publishing houses were also engaging in self-censorship.

An undated image shows Carpier Leung viewing part of his extensive collection of Hong Kong memorabilia at his home in Taiwan. (Chen Hsiao-wei)





Many writers and booksellers left the city for fear of arrest, or to seek a freer environment in which to work. Democratic Taiwan, with its educated readership and use of traditional Chinese characters, was a natural home for many Hong Kong literary folk.

"Hong Kongers are dispersing, and so are their books," according to Chuang Jui-lin, Leung's editor at Taiwan's SpringHill Publishing. "Local Hong Kong publications have managed to survive in the political wilderness."

Hong Kongers were a highly visible minority at this year's Taipei International Book Fair, with many of their latest offerings happily published by the Hong Kong departments of major Taiwanese publishing houses.

Nostalgia and memory are a constant theme for this segment of the market, Chuang said.

"I have the very strong impression that, regardless of their political stance, many of my Hong Kong friends are working to preserve [memories and a connection to Hong Kong]," Chuang said. "This is being done very meticulously."

Chuang said even a Hong Kong Cantonese dictionary has been selling well.

"Everyone seems to feel that buying a book like that, even if they just keep it at home, is a form of support," she said, citing non-fiction works about Hong Kong's bird-keeping tradition, including birdcage craftsmanship.

"Even the tiniest thing can be turned into a book, because it's like a magnification of memories. Readers are keen to just look at such detail," she said, adding that Leung's book on public housing is a good example, because it captures "many details of Hong Kong."

Sea change

One of the reasons Leung's book can't be sold in Hong Kong any more is the way he folds in the city's social and political history with beautiful photography of its housing estates.

Once considered a safe seat for pro-establishment candidates in District Council elections, the housing estates were often cut off from the concerns of Hong Kong's educated middle classes, who typically took to the streets in downtown Hong Kong Island, more than an hour's trip away from the housing projects of Tuen Mun or Wong Tai Sin.

But in 2019, everything changed, Leung said, and local people turned out to resist plans to extradite alleged criminal suspects to mainland China, and later to demand fully democratic elections.

An undated image of Taiwan-based based author Carpier Leung. (Chen Hsiao-wei)





"The young people in particular felt that they wanted to protect the place where they grew up, and those feelings and sense of identity just came pouring out," he said. "But how could a Hong Kong reviewer talk about such things? I found that this book could only be published in Taiwan."

It hasn't always been this way. Hong Kong publishers once rushed to publish books about the 2014 Occupy Central movement.

But by 2019, the Chinese authorities had decided that the lack of "patriotic education" in the city's schools was the reason for recent waves of mass popular protest, and imposed the National Security Law on the city, while abolishing the Liberal Studies curriculum and replacing it with classes on patriotic feeling and "national security" from kindergarten to university.

For Huang Hsiu-ju, editor-in-chief of Taiwan's Rive Gauche Publishing House, publishing works by Hong Kongers about Hong Kong is a way to resist totalitarianism.

"The Hong Kong experience has been there all along, but we have just been too focused on ourselves and didn't realize how important it was," said Huang, who has published 13 books on Hong Kong issues so far.

Blank boxes

One book, a memoir of Occupy Central founder Chu Yiu-ming, bears the scars of the Hong Kong crackdown openly, offering up 16,000 blank boxes in lieu of Chinese characters in a chapter that the pastor feared could turn into evidence against him at his trial.

But Huang persuaded Chu to persevere with the rest of the book.

She remembers telling him: "If you don't write it, then it's gone, and the things that should be remembered will disappear."

Eventually, she and the art director assuaged Chu's concerns by "censoring" parts with blank boxes, a choice that echoes the blank sheets of the 2022 "white paper" protests, Huang said.

An undated image shows large portions of Occupy Central founder Chu Yiu-ming's memoir replaced by blank boxes to indicate censorship, amid concerns the chapter could be used against him by Hong Kong prosecutors. (Yang Tz-lei)





Rive Gauche's best-selling books are both about the 2019 protests. Published in 2020, they have sold around 9,000 copies each, and while sales have slowed in recent months, they have not dried up entirely.

What Rive Gauche is doing in non-fiction, author Leung Lee Chi and Ho Kwun-lung, editor-in-chief at Taiwan's ECUS Publishing House, are doing for literary works by Hong Kongers.

Leung Lee Chi's next novel "Everyday Movement" will soon be translated into English, offering up 10 short stories depicting Hong Kong in 2019 for an international audience.

"Winning literary awards or publishing books in Taiwan seems to be where the future of Hong Kong writing lies," she said, adding that she has long wanted to be published in the island, which is home to many of her literary heroes.

Red lines

Leung, 29, fled Hong Kong in 2021 after Everyday Movement ran into censorship issues with the original publisher.

"There were a lot of sensitive passages in my manuscript," she said. "I wanted to know if it was OK to refuse revisions suggested by the publisher."

An undated image of Hong Kong author Leung Lee Chi. (Yang Tz-lei)





When the reply came that her editor wasn't even sure about where the political "red lines" lay, Leung took a plane to Taiwan and carried on writing in the coastal county of Hualien.

Her Taiwanese editor Ho has worked with a few emerging Hong Kong authors in recent years, and is considered part of a new generation of Taiwanese publishers who care about Hong Kong.

"When I started working on these books, I didn't have a preconceived idea that I would focus on literature from Hong Kong," he said. "My approach was that of an author who is working on a good novel, which I hoped readers in Taiwan would enjoy reading."

For Carpier Leung, it's about a unique voice that is still coming out of Hong Kong, despite the censorship back home.

Writing in the postscript of his book on public housing estates, Leung comments: "After visiting all the big housing estates in Hong Kong, my strongest impression was probably that ... speaking is hard, but we still have to find a way to do it."

"Finding out how to do that, and how to let more people speak too, is part of our task as human beings."

As for all the books about everything from siu mai and egg waffles to hiking trails and architecture, Chinese-character fonts and local crafts, he's pretty sure where it's all coming from.

"I would say that everyone is looking for a safe way to express their love for Hong Kong," he said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
South Korea said the Norths test ended with the ballistic missile exploding in the air.

A view of an individual mobile combat separation and guidance control test conducted by the the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas Missile General Directorate at unknown location, according to the Korean Central News Agency, in this image released by the Korean Central News Agency on June 26, 2024.

North Korea successfully conducted a missile test aimed at securing multiple warhead capability, its state media reported on Thursday, a day after South Korea said the test had ended in failure when the ballistic missile exploded in mid-air.

The Norths state-run Korean Central News Agency said its Missile Administration successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads, during the Wednesday test.

The test was aimed at securing the MIRV capability, KCNA reported.

MIRV, or multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology, allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets.

The Souths Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday that North Korea test fired a ballistic missile over the sea off its east coast but it exploded in the air soon after the launch.

It added the missile was launched from an area in or near Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m. but exploded after flying some 250 km (155 miles).

A JCS official told reporters that the military was considering the possibility that North Korea had launched a hypersonic missile, adding that smoke appeared to emanate from the missile more than on previous test launches.

However, North Korea claimed the test used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 km radius.

The KCNA did not refer to the South Korean assessment but said the separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to three target coordinates. The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, it added.

Pak Jong Chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Koreas ruling Workers Party of Korea, and Kim Jong Sik, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, oversaw the test, according to the KCNA.

"The MIRV capability is a very important defense technological task and a top priority of the WPK Central Committee, KCNA cited officials as saying.

North Korea included developing MIRV technology in a five-year development plan announced in January 2021.

South Koreas military on Thursday dismissed the Norths claim of success, reaffirming its assessment the missile exploded in the air.

North Koreas missile launched yesterday exploded in an early stage of the flight, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the JSC, told reporters in a briefing. North Korea made a different announcement this morning but we believe that this is merely a method of deception and exaggeration.

North Korea failed in its last space rocket launch and failed again yesterday, and we believe that there is a motive to cover these up, he added, noting that both South Korea and the United States assessed Wednesdays launch as a failure.

Edited by RFA Staff.
Police were not able to capture the suspects, who fled into the jungle at night.

Alleged drug runners in northwest Laos shot at police and fled on foot into dense jungle leaving behind two vans packed with meth and heroin, a police social media post said.

At about 9 p.m. on June 21, officers noticed that the two vehicles did not have license plates and ordered them to pull over for inspection. The occupants of the vehicles allegedly shot at the police and abandoned the vehicles, fleeing into the forest, the Bokeo province police department said on its Facebook page.

After inspecting the vehicles, they found around 5.8 million meth pills and 225 kilograms (almost 500 pounds) of heroin.

Its the latest incident in Laos struggle to eradicate drugs from proliferating inside the country.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone reported on June 10 to the Lao National Assembly that cracking down on drugs remains a national priority and in the first half of this year, the government was able to arrest 2,616 drug suspects.

Most of the drugs are from either Myanmar or China because they cant be produced here in our country, an officer of the Bokeo Police Department, who like all unnamed sources in this report requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA Lao.

He said that part of Laos is prone to drug smuggling, and that by law, samples of the seized drugs would be sent to a lab to verify that they are indeed meth and heroin. The rest will be destroyed.

The officer explained that they did not pursue the suspects because they were armed and it was very dark in the forest, so they didnt want to take unnecessary risk.





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A resident who lives near where the incident occurred told RFA he heard gunshots at around 9 a.m.

It was at night and nobody at my house had gone to bed yet, he said, The next morning, I found out that there was a clash between police and drug smugglers.

He said he and his neighbors were disappointed that the suspects were not apprehended.

Another resident said that he wished the police would have brought the suspects in because it is likely they are smuggling drugs in from other countries.

There is a large market for drugs in Laos, particularly among younger people, an employee of a rehab center in the province said.

Many Laotians, especially youths aged 15 or 16 have become addicted to drugs and are admitted to the rehab center. Sometimes, the center has up to 30 of them, she said.

Drugs, particularly meth, are available anywhere in our village and region, she said. Drugs destroy peoples lives. If the government cant stop this, many more people will be affected.

Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
The latest hydropower project deal would send most of the generated electricity outside the country.

Government officials have signed an agreement with a joint venture company to build a US$184 million dam in northern Laos that will send most of its generated electricity to neighboring Vietnam, a Ministry of Energy and Mines official told Radio Free Asia.

The hydropower project on the Nam Neun river in a mountainous area near the Vietnam border will generate 124 megawatts and is the latest dam planned for the impoverished, landlocked country, which has already built dozens with the aim of selling 20,000 megawatts of electricity to neighboring countries by 2030 and becoming the battery of Southeast Asia.

The dam will be built in an area that straddles Xiengkhouang and Houaphan provinces and is expected to be completed by 2027, according to the ministry official who requested anonymity to speak freely about a government matter.

The concession contract for the Nam Neun 1 Dam project was signed at a ceremony in Vientiane on June 19.

The project will be overseen by Vientiane-based Phongsubthavy Group Sole Co. Ltd., but a Vietnamese company will conduct the feasibility study and carry out the construction work, the ministry official said. The total cost is estimated to be.

Power generated by this dam will be exported to Vietnam through a 220 kilovolt transmission line, according to the agreement.

A preliminary study determined that some reserved forest will be cleared, and the reservoir behind the dam will flood other areas of reserved and protected forest, according to the ministry official.

Because the dam will be built in a remote area, no residents will have to relocate  a common source of complaints from Laotians on other hydropower projects.

The Nam Neun flows into a tributary of the Mekong River  the Nam Ngiep river  in Xiengkhouang province.

A Xiengkhouang province villager told RFA that the dam could still affect the lives of people downriver who depend on the river as a food source.

Once the dam construction is completed, it will absolutely affect the environment and everything will not be the same, he said. The government and the relevant organizations and companies should conduct a feasibility study on its impacts to local people and the environment.

Though the Lao government sees power generation as a way to boost the countrys economy, many of the projects have been controversial because of their environmental impact, displacement of people without adequate compensation and questionable financial and power demand arrangements.

Translated by Phouvong. Edited by Matt Reed.
At least four civilians were killed and 10 wounded in airstrikes, residents said.

An ethnic minority rebel force that recently ended a five-month ceasefire with the military said on Thursday it had captured 26 junta-occupied camps in two days of fighting in northeast Myanmars Shan state.

The Taang National Liberation Army, one of three forces in the Three Brotherhood Alliance that launched Operation 1027 in October, resumed fighting across northern Shan state and Mandalay regions on Tuesday.

In January, Chinese officials brokered a ceasefire between the three allied armies and junta forces as the fighting began to pose a risk to Chinese economic interests across the country.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, or TNLA, captured camps in northern Shan states Nawnghkio, Kyaukme, Mongmit and Hsipaw townships and Mandalay regions Mogoke township, the group said in two statements.

Seventeen junta soldiers under the Kyaukme-based Operations Command Headquarters surrendered on Wednesday and the fighting was still going on, said TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo.

Were still taking control of some of the camps. Im not sure what the next step is because fighting is still fierce in those townships, she said. The military council is using heavy artillery and air strikes.

Weapons seized by the TNLA and joint forces during fighting with the junta in northern Shan state on June 26, 2024. (TNLA)





The TNLA, along with allied militias of pro-democracy activists called Peoples Defense Forces, have captured eight army camps, including one artillery position, in Kyaukme township, 13 camps in Nawnghkio township and five camps in Mogoke township. Twenty junta troops had been killed but the TNLA did not disclose any casualties among anti-junta forces.

On Thursday morning, the TNLA and its allies launched attacks on two junta infantry battalions in the ruby-mining Mogoke township, the TNLA said. Allied fighters came from Peoples Defense Force-Mandalay, the Danu Peoples Defense Force and the Northern Shan State Alliance Army.

One resident of Mogoke town told Radio Free Asia that fighting erupted on Wednesday evening when junta forces launched at least seven air attacks on the outskirts of the town at around 8:30 p.m.

Houses were shaking when they bombed the villages, said the resident who declined to be identified for security reasons. Bombs also landed in some city neighborhoods. The plane flew above us over and over again, dropping bombs for about 45 minutes. No one dared to go outside.

Some residents were wounded in the airstrikes, he said, adding that many people were facing food shortages due to the closure of shops.

TNLA joint forces on the front lines in Kyaukme, northern Shan State on June 26, 2024. (TNLA)





Many civilians in Kyaukme township have fled because of the conflict, said another resident, adding that four civilians were killed and at least 10 were wounded in airstrikes on Wednesday.

We heard the sound of shots fired from junta camps 501 and 502, said the second resident, who also declined to be identified. People have started to move. The fighting isnt over.

The junta has not released any information about the conflict. Calls to the militarys spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, went unanswered on Thursday.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.
Thailand had become Myanmars main source of arms acquired through the international financial system: envoy.

A Mi-35 helicopter is seen flying over northern Myawaddy as it attacks Karen and student rebels, April 20, 2024.

Financial institutions must do more to stop the Myanmar junta acquiring weapons, a U.N. human rights rapporteur said, singling out Thailand as the new main source of military supplies that Myanmar was getting through the international banking system.

Thailand said it was studying the report from the special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, adding that its banking and financial institutions follow the banking protocols of any major financial hub.

Many Western governments have imposed sanctions on the Myanmar junta that seized power in a 2021 coup and Andrews said international community efforts to stop the flow of weapons have had some success.

The juntas procurement of weapons, dual-use technologies manufacturing equipment and material through the international banking system was down by a third from US$377 million in the 2022 financial year to US$253 million in 2023, he said.

But the junta had taken opportunities to skirt restrictions and its forces continue to systematically assault Myanmar civilians using powerful weapons of war obtained from abroad, Andrews said in his report.

The junta, known as the State Administration Council, or SAC, had altered its sources of weapons and military supplies and exploited gaps in sanctions regimes, changed financial institutions and taken advantage of the lack of political will on the part of governments to coordinate and enforce action, he added.

The SAC has identified and is aggressively seizing opportunities to circumvent sanctions and other measures taken by the international community, said the rapporteur.

Andrews contrasted the response to Myanmars bloody crisis from two of its neighbors: Singapore and Thailand.

Singapore, long a major supplier of military equipment with close commercial ties with Myanmar, had articulated a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons, in line with a U.N. General Assembly resolution that passed overwhelmingly after the coup.

Following an investigation by the Singapore government, exports to Myanmar of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost US$120 million in FY2022 to just over US$10 million in FY2023, according to Andrews.

Leading source

Thailand, on the other hand, does not have an explicit public policy position opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar, Andrews said, adding that exports from Thailand-registered entities more than doubled over the same period, from just over US$60 million to nearly US$130 million.

Many SAC purchases previously made from Singapore-based entities, including parts for Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters used to conduct airstrikes on civilian targets, are now being sourced from Thailand, he said.

Thailand has now become the SACs leading source of military supplies purchased through the international banking system, he added.

Andrews noted that, as with Singapore, he found no evidence that the Thai government was involved in or aware of the transfers but noted that if it were to respond in the same way the Singapore government had, the SACs capacity to attack the people of Myanmar would be significantly reduced.

Thailands foreign ministry said in a statement it had seen Andrews report and was looking into it.

Many countries have been named and certainly these are countries where the majority of financial transactions in the region would pass through, the ministry said.

Our banking and financial institutions follow banking protocols as any major financial hub. So we will have to first establish the facts before considering any further steps.

Andrews called on states that support human rights in Myanmar to halt the sale of weapons to it by their companies and for financial institutions to freeze relations with Myanmars state-owned banks.

The rapporteur said the findings in his report covered purchases via the formal international banking system and not military procurement pathways such as in-kind trade or purchases with hard currency.

While Singapores military exports to Myanmar had dropped dramatically, and those from Russia and China also declined, Indian exports remained constant, according to Andrews, while acknowledging some of Myanmars military procurement from those countries may have moved to informal channels.

Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn.
The worlds largest coast guard ship patrolled the U-shaped line where China claims control over disputed waters.

Chinese coast guard ship CCG 5901, known as The Monster in Philippine waters on June 24, 2024.

Chinese coast guard ship CCG 5901, dubbed The Monster for its size, has conducted a patrol along the so-called nine-dash line that China drew to claim most of the South China Sea, said maritime experts.

The vessel appears to have returned to base in Hainan island after a ten-day tour through neighboring countries waters.

The patrol serves the purpose of reaffirming Chinas nine-dash line, but also sending a warning message to the Philippines as it passed through six sensitive Philippine locations, said Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University, who has tracked the ships movement over the last ten days in a map that shows a U-shaped path resembling the line.

The CCG 5901s path between June 17-27, next to a map of Chinas self-claimed nine-dash line. (Ray Powell/RFA)





Manila and Beijing have been confronting each other over some disputed reefs in the South China Sea that lie within Philippine waters but also inside the nine-dash line.

The self-claimed line is described by Chinese scholars as historic and is featured on Chinese maps as a set of nine, sometimes 11, segments that encircle up to 90% of the regional waterway.

Beijing uses it to demarcate territorial claims over most of the South China Sea, including sections that fall within areas claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries.

An international arbitration tribunal in a case brought by the Philippines in 2016 ruled that Chinas claim to historic rights is unlawful, but Beijing declared the ruling null and void and refused to recognize it.

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China has been making efforts to reinforce the nine-dash line, especially with the presence of its large coast guard and maritime militia fleets.

The 12,000-ton CCG 5901 is currently the biggest coast guard vessel in the world  far larger than the size of a U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser.

The ship, armed with heavy machine guns, also has a helicopter platform and a hangar large enough to accommodate larger rotary wing aircraft.

The last time The Monster turned on its AIS, or automatic information system, was at 9:50 p.m. UTC on June 26, when it was about 100 nautical miles (185 km) east of Sanya in southern Hainan, according to data from the tracking website MarineTraffic.

MarineTraffic uses AIS signals to track ships but the Chinese vessel has mostly been running dark, or not broadcasting AIS, since leaving the Sanya base on June 17, 2024.

Vexing problem for ASEAN

Philippine coast guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela has confirmed that the CCG 5901 was last monitored in the morning local time at a distance of 46 nautical miles (85 km) from Sanya.

In a post on the social platform X, Tarriela said that using Canadas dark vessel detection technology, his force has recreated the past track of the Chinese coast guard vessel.

According to the spokesman, the CCG 5901 directly encroached upon the territorial waters of the Philippines, violating our sovereignty.

On June 19, it was spotted at Thitu, or Pag-Asa island, under the Philippines control. It spent a night at Subi Reef  an artificial island that China has militarized  before passing Union Banks and entering Malaysias waters on June 20.

Malaysian law enforcement ships were shadowing the Chinese vessel in the waters near Luconia Shoals, also claimed by China, on June 21-23.

On June 24, the vessel was patrolling near the Second Thomas Shoal, known locally as Ayungin Shoal, where a week prior the Philippine military and the Chinese coast guard had a tense stand-off resulting in a Filipino sailor losing a finger.

The shoal is only 195 km (121 miles) from the Philippines Palawan island but lies within Chinas nine-dashed line.

Earlier this year, the CCG 5901 made several intrusive long-term tours near some oil fields in Vietnams exclusive economic zone, orEEZ, where Hanoi has exclusive access to the natural resources in the waters and in the seabed.

The presence of Chinese coast guard vessels, including The Monster, in regional countries EEZs is an old and increasingly vexing problem which ASEAN should, but unfortunately have no coordinated response to, said Kwa Chong Guan, senior fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

ASEAN members Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all have overlapping EEZs in the South China Sea.

ASEAN needs new policy initiatives on the South China Sea, Kwa told BenarNews, a RFA-affiliated news service. Perhaps Malaysia as the next Chair of ASEAN in 2025 could rise to the occasion and lead the association to propose some.

BenarNews reporter Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.

Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.
The session draws thousands of monks from monasteries and colleges.

An exiled Tibetan monk makes a point during a dialectics debate with another monk at the Kirti monastery in Dharmsala, India, Jan. 18, 2016.

Chinese government authorities in a Tibetan-populated county of Sichuan province have shortened the duration of a key weeklong debate on Buddhist philosophy and reduced the number of monks who could attend the event, Tibetans with knowledge of the situation said.

The annual Dhokham Jang Gunchoe, or Great Winter Debate Session, is a longstanding tradition of Tibets three monastic universities  Drepung, Gaden and Sera  and traditionally occurs in the eleventh month of the Tibetan calendar. It draws thousands of monks from other Buddhist monasteries and colleges.

The event began on June 19 at Za Bhum Nyingma Monastery under tight restrictions in Sershul county in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the provinces northwest.

Authorities shortened the two-week event, which enjoys popularity across Tibetan-populated regions, to one week and cut the number of monastic attendees to 3,200 from about 7,000, said one Tibetan source, who like others in the report declined to be named.

Tibetan monks debate Buddhist philosophy at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, August 25, 2003. (Guang Niu/Reuters)

The restrictions are yet another example of how China has sought to control and limit religious activities in Tibet because authorities see Tibetan Buddhism as a threat to the sovereignty of the Chinese political state.

They also have set up police stations in or near monasteries, subjected monks and nuns to patriotic re-education, and kicked Buddhist clergy members out of Buddhist institutes.

During the session, armed police were stationed at the Zabum Nyingma Monastery and patrolled the surrounding mountains, while lay people visiting the monastery were held up at checkpoints, said the sources from inside and outside Tibet.

Authorities also scrutinized monks and nuns attending the event to ensure they were free of political affiliations, they said.

Because local authorities suddenly halted arrangements for Dhokham Jang Gunchoe in 2023, the monastery and its supporters petitioned provincial authorities for permission to hold the session this year, said one of the sources.

They received permission, but authorities reduced the duration and the number of participants, citing security concerns, he said.

Translated by Rigden Dolma for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
The Auburn Chamber Orchestra has received a grant for $1,685 from the Leadership Council of the Cayuga Community Fund on behalf of the Central New York Community Foundation.

The money will support the purchase of percussion instruments and related accessories, the orchestra said in a news release.

The orchestra will perform four concerts in its 2024-2025 season, with music selected by conductor Victor Vallo Jr. The instruments purchased with the grant money will be needed to perform the music as written, the orchestra said. It thanked the Central New York Community Foundation for its assistance.
Almost a decade has passed since a Bishkek court sentenced Kyrgyzstan's second president to 30 years in jail for the murders of scores of protesters during the April 2010 revolution.

But now the Belarus-based ex-president, Kurmanbek Bakiev, might be about to make a highly controversial return to his Central Asian homeland -- this time as an investor.

Current President Sadyr Japarov is the third president in Kyrgyzstan to gain office after a predecessor's term was cut short by a political crisis.

But populist Japarov was a top-ranking member of the Bakiev regime who was ousted -- an adviser to the president and then his anti-corruption czar -- and went into opposition to the new government after the revolution that left more than 80 protesters dead.

In media comments on June 22, Japarov confirmed reports on social media about plans for the 74-year-old Bakiev to build a garment factory where relatives of the victims of the April 2010 shootings would be able to work.

At the same time, Japarov stressed, the initiative had come from the relatives themselves, who he said reached out to the Bakiev family with a request for compensation. An agreement for the factory was the result of the talks.

Does that mean the rehabilitation of Kyrgyzstan's bloodiest ex-president is now imminent?

If it is, it is unlikely to be popular, not least with other so-called Aprilites -- those involved in the 2010 protests -- who remain firmly opposed to any reconciliation with the authoritarian former leader.

Pax Kyrgyzus

Despite a giant crackdown on political opposition, independent media, and civil society, Japarov has portrayed himself as something of a peacemaker when it comes to what he calls Kyrgyzstan's "old wounds."

This positioning was embodied in his extraordinary achievement of hosting a meeting involving all five former Kyrgyz leaders in Dubai in February 2023.

"Of course the former presidents spoke bitter words, aired grievances, and admitted their mistakes. But most importantly they were able to forgive each other. This was my goal," Japarov said of the meeting at the time.

Whether or not they truly managed this, suspicions were aired that the gathering was more about rehabilitating one ex-leader in particular -- Japarov's former boss, Bakiev.

Japarov, however, insisted that was not the case. The talks would not have been able to take place in Bishkek, he said, because Bakiev has an outstanding conviction, meaning he would be arrested if he arrived on Kyrgyz soil.

But Japarov -- himself a former convict -- did not reinforce that point in his most recent comments about his former boss.

Instead, the head of state confirmed that he had twice received delegations from a public association consisting of Aprilites who had claimed to be in contact with the Bakievs.

"Looking at their situation, on the one hand, I felt sympathy for them. And on the other hand, I thought that if it is possible to help 200 families, then this is a good thing," Japarov told the state information agency Kabar, noting the poverty of many of the families.

He added that the land near Bishkek airport would be returned to the state if the investment did not happen.

That doesn't look likely for the moment.

The decision to allocate 1.6 hectares of land to the organization called April 7 Solidarity was rubber-stamped by the cabinet on May 29.

Private news agency AKIpress reported that the garment factory investment could total 1 billion soms (about $11.5 million).

When correspondents of RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service visited the plot of land intended for the textile factory on June 26, they found that the area was already being transformed with heavy machinery.

Plant construction foreman Jenish Nusubaliev told the correspondents that work had begun about two weeks ago.

But to what extent does April 7 Solidarity truly represent the revolution's victims?

Whose 'Solidarity'?

According to the April 7 Solidarity's public registration documents, it was registered on April 8, 2024.

It is therefore not one of those Aprilite organizations that emerged soon after Bakiev's overthrow that became important lobbying groups before fading from the political scene.

The three founders of the group are a trio of men that share a single patronym: Bakytbekovich.

The group's leader and apparent spokesman is Usupbi Sherimbaev, who first went public with the news about the Bakiev-linked textile investment on Facebook on April 18.

In his video post, Sherimbaev suggested he had spoken to Bakiev directly, in Minsk, where he and other top members of the family are living in exile.

But when he spoke to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service on June 24, Sherimbaev conceded that the talks had instead been in Kyrgyzstan with children of the former president's brothers, whose names he did not provide.

The relative with whom Sherimbaev spoke "is the son of one of [Bakiev's] younger brothers. I don't know exactly whose son this is. It is not known how much money will be allocated for the construction of the factory. This will become known during construction," Sherimbaev said.

He further acknowledged that he could not have flown to Minsk anyway due to an outstanding conviction against him, the veracity of which he refutes.

The details of that court judgment were made public on Facebook by opposition politician Temirlan Sultanbekov several days before Japarov's comments to Kabar.

The conviction, said Sultanbekov, was for child molestation and was handed down in 2022.

But after spending some time in jail, Sherimbaev's eight-year sentence was inexplicably shortened and converted to a probation-like sentence instead.

Sultanbekov is presently the chairman of the opposition Social Democrats party, but he is also the secretary of a large group of April 7 relatives that joined forces shortly after Japarov held talks with some 200 Aprilites -- Sherimbaev among them -- at the beginning of the year.

Sultanbekov's group is firmly opposed to any rehabilitation of Bakiev or his regime.

"How can [authorities] allocate land for the construction of a factory by a person sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment in Kyrgyzstan?" Sultanbekov asked in an interview with RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. "How would they even invest the money? This money should be immediately confiscated!" the politician fumed.

Belarus Exile

In Facebook postings, Sultanbekov speculated that Sherimbaev had agreed to the take on the role of a "prominent Aprilite" prepared to deal with Bakiev in exchange for an end to his "hopeless situation" in jail.

He provided no evidence of that claim.

Sultanbekov told RFE/RL that his group represented "10 out of 11" organizations set up by April 7 relatives and boasted a membership of up to 2,700 people.

April 7, 2010, was certainly a before-and-after in Kyrgyz politics.

The heavy human sacrifice -- not a feature of the Tulip Revolution that brought Bakiev to power five years earlier or the unrest that catapulted Japarov to the presidency in 2020 -- drove significant changes, even if corruption remained rampant and development slow-paced.

Under the constitution passed in a referendum in June 2010, the parliament was empowered and presidents were restricted to a single six-year term in office.

A decade later, Japarov took power less than two weeks after being freed from jail and oversaw the reversal of all those changes in another constitutional reform drive.

But he continues to publicly acknowledge the revolution's importance.

April 7 ended "family clan rule" and "showed that a government that does not take into account the will of the people is doomed to a short life and deprived of the future," Japarov said in an address on this year's anniversary.

After being overthrown, Bakiev and other key members of the former ruling family eventually fled to Belarus, with many alleging the family took millions of dollars in state funds with them.

Minsk sometimes looked like an awkward exile both for them and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

And with Belarus joining Russia under Western sanctions over its support for Moscow's war in Ukraine, it has surely become even more awkward.

Lawyer Leila Nazgul Seiitbek, chairwoman of the Vienna-based NGO Freedom For Eurasia, argued that sanctions had "had an impact on Belarus's government and those associated with it," but she said she believes Japarov's regime is just as eager to bring Kyrgyzstan's second president back as Bakiev is to make a return.

"The ill-gotten money of the Bakievs will, of course, be a real asset to Japarov and Tashiev," Seiitbek told RFE/RL, referencing Kyrgyzstan's national security chief, Japarov's de facto co-ruler, and another Bakiev protege, Kamchybek Tashiev.

In this sense, the garment factory "served under the guise of reconciliation with the families of protesters who died in April 2010" may just be the tip of the iceberg, Seiitbek argued.
After the Taliban's de facto government cut ties with a number of diplomatic missions operated abroad by diplomats loyal to the ousted Afghan republic, the British and Norwegian authorities have opted to shut down Afghan embassies on their soil.

Both Oslo and London say their decisions in no way represent official recognition of the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan, which no country recognizes due to concerns over a woeful human rights record and other failures to live up to promises it made before seizing power in August 2021.

But experts say the embassy closures are likely to pave the way for more engagement with the Taliban, which controls all of Afghanistan's territory and has increased its hold on power.

Diplomats who served the former Afghan government were left in limbo when the Taliban took control, but remained open for business in some Western states and continued to assist Afghan citizens.

The window on their operations began to close when the Taliban announced in July that it was cutting ties with 14 such missions in Western countries and that it would not accept any consular documents they processed, a critical source of funding to keep them running.

Many of the consular services, such as verification of identity documents or police clearance, offered by the embassies do require a degree of cooperation from the country's government because diplomatic missions might not be able to access all government data.

This month, the British Foreign Office announced that it was shutting down the Afghan Embassy in London, explaining to RFE/RL on September 9 that the decision was made after the "dismissal of its staff by the Taliban."

Norway quickly followed suit, announcing that the Afghan Embassy in Oslo would be shut down on September 12.

Both the British and Norwegian governments have indicated that the move does not amount to a formal recognition of the Taliban's hard-line government. And the embassy buildings, which are Afghanistan's properties, will be eventually handed over to a "recognized" government of Afghanistan.

But Hameed Hakimi, an Afghanistan expert, says the decisions to shut the embassies can be taken as "reality setting in" that the Taliban is "unlikely to be replaced in the immediate future."

And for the Taliban, he says, it creates an opportunity to argue that its rule is being acknowledged, even without formal recognition.

"The Taliban can use this to their advantage in their pursuit of claiming legitimacy with the Afghans and internationally," said Hakimi, an associate fellow at London's Chatham House think tank.

More than a dozen countries, mostly Afghanistan's neighbors, already operate embassies in Kabul, and some have accredited Taliban diplomats. The Taliban government also partially controls diplomatic missions in some countries, and has established working relations with Afghan diplomatic missions in the Czech Republic, Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, and the Afghan Consulate in Munich.

The missions operating in Western countries staffed by diplomats appointed by the previous government are the outlier.

Hakimi said that if all those missions are shut down, it "truly signifies the closure of the chapter of the Afghan Islamic Republic."

The Afghan Islamic Republic, as it was formally known, emerged soon after a U.S.-led military alliance toppled the Taliban government in November 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Nearly two decades later, the internationally recognized Afghan republic collapsed as the Taliban seized power in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Taliban, meanwhile, recreated its brutal emirate from the 1990s by imposing harsh bans and discriminatory laws that resulted in widespread human rights violations. Afghan women and girls are deprived of education and employment in most sectors and lack fundamental freedoms.

These Taliban policies have so far kept its government from being officially recognized. This absence of recognition has complicated engagement with the Taliban government on important issues, such as humanitarian aid, and made it difficult for the estimated 2 million Afghans living in Western countries to access consular services.

Graeme Smith, a senior Afghanistan analyst at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, says Western governments might be acting on the UN special coordinator's recommendation to facilitate the processing of documentation for Afghans abroad.

In his report endorsed by the UN Security Council in December 2023, Feridun Sinirlioglu, the UN special coordinator for Afghanistan, called for better cooperation between the Taliban regime and the outside world to ensure that Afghans can obtain the paperwork they need to continue with their daily lives.

"Afghans have been suffering in limbo without clarity about where to go when they need identity papers or travel documents," Smith said, describing how Afghans who still do not have travel documents from another country suffer from the lack of consular services.

"The steps we are witnessing now may represent practical efforts by some governments" to remedy the situation, Smith said.

The challenge remains, he said, to ensure that efforts "aimed at pressuring the regime do not sabotage the lives and livelihoods of Afghans."

Many Western capitals are also grappling with the complex issue of what to do with Afghan asylum seekers whose applications were rejected.

Last month, Germany deported 28 Afghan men convicted of crimes in the country to Kabul, with Qatar playing an intermediary role in securing the Taliban's cooperation in accepting the returning Afghans.

Smith said that some countries "are discovering the usefulness" of having a consular presence "connected to the authorities in Kabul" if they need to arrange the return of Afghan migrants.

"But it's unclear if that motivated the recent closures," he said.

Both Britain and Norway have not said anything about whether they will allow the Taliban government to offer consular services in London and Oslo.

The fates of the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and consulate in Bonn are not clear, although the consulate in Munich is likely to remain open because it cooperates with the Taliban government on consular services.

In London, Afghanistan expert Hakimi said the closure could create an "opportunity for the Taliban to lobby with the Western countries" and allow its representatives to at least run counselor services.

These Afghan diplomatic missions can remain closed indefinitely, similar to what happened in the United States, where the Afghan Embassy and two consulates have been closed since March 2002. The Afghan Embassy in Canada offers remote consular services to Afghans living in the United States.

In Norway, Afghans have mixed feelings about their embassy's closure.

Sima Nouri, an Afghan woman living in Oslo, is worried over how her compatriots will now access consular services.

"There is a possibility that the process of forced deportation of Afghan refugees will begin," she told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. "This process, however, must be stopped."

Mina Rafiq, another Afghan woman in Norway, prefers shutting the embassy down to cooperating with the Taliban.

"This might work to the advantage of Afghan asylum seekers," she said, "because the Norwegian government will now have to give them necessary documents."
At least 22 people were killed and 117 others injured in Israeli strikes on Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry reported on October 10 after an Israeli strike on a school sheltering Palestinians in Gaza killed dozens of people.

Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported two evening air raids in central Beirut. The first targeted an eight-story building and the second a four-story building that completely collapsed as a result of the strike, NNA said.

A Lebanese security source quoted by Reuters said at least one senior Hezbollah figure was targeted in the attacks, which were the third on Beirut since Israel started a military campaign in southern Lebanon last month targeting the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia and sparking fears of an all-out regional war.

Hezbollahs Al Manar TV reported after the strikes that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top security official with the group, had failed. It said that Safa had not been inside of either of the targeted buildings.

Hezbollah kept up rocket fire into Israel on October 10. The military said several drones heading toward Israel were intercepted.

Earlier on October 10 an Israeli strike on a school in the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 people, Palestinian medical officials said, while a separate Israeli strike hit UN peacekeeper headquarters in southern Lebanon, prompting Italy to summon the Israeli ambassador.

The Israeli military said it carried out a "precise strike on terrorists" who had a command and control center embedded in the school.

"This is a further example of the Hamas terrorist organization's systematic abuse of civilian infrastructure in violation of international law," a military statement said.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU, has denied such accusations. People who had been sheltering at the school said the strike hit a meeting of aid workers and injured 54 other people.

Israel has continued to strike at what it says are militant targets across Gaza as it battles Hamas militants even as the war broadened to include Hezbollah in Lebanon amid rising tensions with Iran.

In a separate incident on October 10 the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said an Israeli tank fired on its headquarters in the town of Naqoura, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers. The nationality of the injured peacekeepers was not released.

The UN peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL said in a statement that Israeli forces also fired on a nearby bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, damaging vehicles and a communication system.

The Italian Defense Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador in protest, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told a press conference that "hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base...could constitute war crimes." Crosetto added that Italy has asked for an official explanation "because it was not a mistake."

The French Foreign Ministry said that while no French solider was injured in the incident, it also demanded an explanation.

The Israeli military announced earlier on October 10 that it had eliminated another important Hezbollah member as it kept up its attacks against the Iran-backed group.

Adham Jahout, a member of Hezbollah's Golan Terrorist Network was killed in an air strike in the area of Quneitra in Syria, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said.

Jahout was relaying intelligence from Syrian regime sources to Hezbollah and facilitating operations against Israel in the Golan Heights, the IDF said.



Israel annexed the Golan Heights after capturing them from Syria during the 1967 Middle East war. The annexation has not been recognized by most countries.



Separately, the Israeli military said on October 10 that it had eliminated two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon and its warplanes attacked munitions depots in the Beirut area and in southern Lebanon. It did not immediately reveal the identities of the two commanders.



Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, while the European Union blacklists its armed wing but not its party, which has seats in the Lebanese parliament.



The latest strikes came as the United States, Israel's main ally, warned against bombardments in Lebanon similar to those that caused large-scale destruction in Gaza as Israel retaliated against Hamas following the U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that left more than 1,100 people dead.



Israel's bombardment of central and northern Gaza in recent days has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials say.

"There should be no kind of military action in Lebanon that looks anything like Gaza and leaves a result anything like Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists on October 9.



The warning came after U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call on October 9 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border.

The United States warned Israel on October 9 against launching a military action in Lebanon like the one it has conducted in Gaza, and U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the need for a diplomatic arrangement for the return of both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border.



Biden also condemned Iran's ballistic-missile attack on Israel on October 1, a White House statement said.



Biden "affirmed Israel's right to protect its citizens from Hezbollah, which has fired thousands of missiles and rockets into Israel over the past year alone, while emphasizing the need to minimize harm to civilians, in particular in the densely populated areas of Beirut," the statement said.
One year ago, Hamas -- the U.S.- and EU-designated Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip -- carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, the deadliest in the countrys history.

In response, Israel launched an aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas and rescue the 251 hostages taken by the group.

Israel has expanded its war in recent weeks by invading Lebanon and launching air strikes targeting Hezbollah, the armed group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon.

RFE/RL spoke to Lior Yohanani, manager of quantitative research at the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based independent research center, which on October 7 released a wide-ranging survey of Israeli public opinion after one year of war.

RFE/RL: Can you explain what your study found as to how Israelis view the past year since Hamas's October 7 attack?



Lior Yohanani: Well, I think Israelis still don't see October 7 as an event that's over. Sure, the actual horrific events of that day ended, but Israelis are still living with the consequences.

There are two main aspects to this. First, since October 7, Israel has been in this multifront war that doesn't seem to have an end in sight. And then, of course, there is the issue of the hostages still being held in Gaza. So, we're seeing a sharp drop in people's sense of personal security. Almost three quarters of the public feel less safe compared to before October 7, and that's despite a year of war and some significant military achievements. On the flip side, we're also seeing that most people say their lives have returned to normal when it comes to things like work, media consumption, and family and social gatherings.

Another thing we're noticing is that the Israeli public is giving pretty low marks to all the political and military leaders for the performance since October 7. For example, almost two-thirds of Israelis are rating Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's performance since then as poor or not good.

RFE/RL: How has Israel's involvement in a two-front conflict, in both Gaza and Lebanon, as well as a confrontation with Iran affected public opinion among Israelis?



Yohanani: It's tough to answer that question, because we're at the point where things could go in a few different directions. In the last few weeks, we've seen a major escalation in the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and just last week, Iran launched nearly 200 ballistic missiles at Israel, which Israel is expected to respond to. In a survey we just did recently, we asked whether Israeli society and the military could handle fighting on two or more fronts for an extended period of time, and the results were pretty striking. Over 70 percent believe that yes, both Israeli society and the military can handle that kind of prolonged fighting. So, while the situation is complex and evolving, there seems to be a strong sense of resilience and capability among Israelis, even in the face of these multiple threats. But of course, public opinion could shift depending on how events unfold in the coming weeks or months.



RFE/RL: Is there support for Netanyahus response to October 7? Is there debate in Israeli society, as well as political circles, over Netanyahus strategic choices?



Yohanani: First of all, it's important to say that the Israeli public has largely supported significant military operation against Hamas in Gaza. That said, the Israeli discourse around the October 7 events, the ongoing war, and especially toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very polarized between right-wing supporters on the one hand and left and center supporters on the other.

People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term."

So, on the left and the center, there is a high level of distrust and suspicion toward Netanyahu and his government. For instance, Netanyahu's apparent reluctance to pursue a deal for returning the hostages in exchange for ending the fighting in Gaza is seen by large parts of the public, even on the right, as resulting from Netanyahu's dependence on far-right, ultranationalist members of his government who refuse any compromise or ceasefire.

Now for a long time, Netanyahu and his ministers argued that only significant military force would lead Hamas to compromise and release the hostages. Now, with military attention and resources shifting to the north, people are asking, where is this massive military force that was supposed to bring the hostages home?

One question we have asked several times since October 7 in our polls is what should be the main goal in Gaza: Dismantling Hamas or bringing back the hostages? And as time goes on, public opinion is increasingly supporting the return of hostages. In our current survey, 62 percent saw bringing the bringing back the hostages as Israel's main goal, while only 29 percent pointed to dismantling Hamas as the primary objective.

RFE/RL: How do ordinary Israelis see the question of the remaining hostages amid the continued protests by the hostages' families?



Yohanani: As I mentioned before, most of the public supports a deal to release the hostages, even if it means ending the war and withdrawing the military forces from Gaza. There's this widespread feeling that we've left the hostages behind, and that's really hitting at our sense of solidarity, which is a deep and fundamental value, I think, in Jewish history in general and in Israel society in particular.

At the same time, the campaign run by the Hostages And Missing Families Forum has become very politicized. Many right-wing supporters see it as weakening Israel. As time goes on, we're seeing more and more harassment of protesters who support bringing the hostages back. There are cases of passersby cursing, even hitting and throwing eggs, at hostages' families. In our latest survey, we asked about the effectiveness of the protests and actions taken by the hostages' families.

Despite most of the public feeling empathetic toward the hostage issue, only less than a third think these actions are actually helping to advance a deal for the hostages' release, while almost 40 percent think they're actually hurting the cause. So, you've got this complex situation where people want the hostages back, but there is disagreement and some backlash about how to make that happen.

RFE/RL: Can you explain the reasons behind the apparent contradiction in views regarding prioritizing a negotiated return of the hostages, or destroying Hamas?

Yohanani: You're right to point out that apparent contradiction. Let me break it down a bit. As I mentioned earlier, a clear majority of the public sees a deal to release the hostages as the main goal. But there is a big gap between political camps on this issue. In the center and left, about 80 percent support the deal for the hostages' release, while the opinions on the right are evenly split. So, for most of the left and center, the fighting in Gaza has run its course. They feel most military objectives have been achieved, and Hamas's military power has been significantly weakened. From their perspective, continuing the fight now only puts the hostages at greater risk.

It's important to know that about half of the right-wing also shares this view of prioritizing the hostages' release, but the other half of those on the far-right thinks dismantling Hamas is more important.

Why? For a couple of reasons.

First, there's a security stance that Hamas must be wiped out and not allowed to recover. There is also a very strong sentiment of revenge, with minimal consideration for the cost, whether it's the lives of the hostages, soldiers, let alone innocent civilians in Gaza. Another significant component openly discussed in religious nationalist circles is the return of Jewish settlement to the Gaza Strip after Israel evacuated Jewish settlements from there in 2005.

RFE/RL: Is there public confidence that Israel will ultimately be able to remove the threat of Hamas and Hezbollah and come out of this conflict with greater prospects for a peaceful and stable near-term future?



Yohanani: Right now, the Israeli public isn't showing a lot of optimism. In our current survey, when we asked people if they're optimistic or pessimistic about Israel's future, we found more pessimists, 48 percent, than optimists, 45 percent.

I also think it's important to note that a peaceful future, as you put it, or peace in general, isn't really a common concept in the current Israeli discourse. I would say the hope of Israelis is that the military actions against Hezbollah and Iran will lead to a situation where Israel's existence isn't in question, and that Israeli military superiority will prevent events like October 7 from happening again. So, it's less about peace in the traditional sense, and more about security and deterrence. People are hoping for a future where Israel can exist without constant threats, rather than expecting a harmonious relationship with its neighbors in the near-term.
A scheduled meeting between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo aimed at renewing of the process of talks on the normalization of relations between the two countries failed to take place in Brussels on June 26 amid continued signs of animosity on both sides.

Although it had been confirmed there would be a new round, Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic only met with their European counterparts.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who was to host the Kurti-Vucic meeting, confirmed that "no progress in implementation of the agreement could be achieved."

These efforts will continue next week, Borrell said, when he will again try to host the two negotiators in Brussels.

Borrell said the EU would "continue putting all our efforts and capacity at the service of the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia."

Vucic blamed Kurti for the talks failing to take place, saying his counterpart "didn't want to see me."

Kurti presented three conditions for further engagement in the broader normalization process, including the formalization of the Basic Agreement through the signatures of the respective heads of state and government and the handing over Milan Radoicic and his paramilitary-terrorist group to Kosovos judicial authorities.

Kurti said the conditions he presented were "guarantees of good faith and goodwill that would enable the implementation of the agreement."

Kosovo wants Serbia to turn over Radoicic, who is considered the mastermind of an attack in northern Kosovo on September 24, 2023, by armed ethnic Serbs on a Kosovo police patrol, killing one of the officers.

Borrell said Serbia was not ready to fully meet Kosovos conditions citing constitutional constraints, while Vucic indicated he was ready to explore options in formalizing the agreement in line with past dialogue practice.

The parties positions remain far apart on how implementation of the agreement could be launched -- and consequently how the normalization process should continue. As I said before, the EU cannot alone want normalization of relations if the parties themselves cannot agree how to move forward, said Borrell at the end of the meeting.

Serbia has never acknowledged Kosovos 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia. In the late 1990s a NATO intervention against Belgrade ended fighting between Kosovo and Serbia that claimed some 10,000 lives, mostly ethnic Albanians.

There were never high expectations for the June 26 meeting. The European Union wanted to organize the round to renew the talks that appear to many observers to be on life support. The last time leaders met was in September 2023.

Borrell said that despite coming changes in the EU leadership -- he is due to leave office in the autumn -- the obligations for Serbia and Kosovo remain the same.

In a few months time, there will be different people, different names in our jobs, but the agreements, the council conclusions and the European Unions expectations will not change. The member states will not change. The commitments and obligations of Kosovo and Serbia will not go away. Everyone will still be looking at the capacity and willingness of the Serbian president and Kosovo prime minister to deliver a better, European future for their people, Borrell said ahead of the talks.

Normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia is at the heart of the European Unions engagement in the Western Balkans, he added.

With reporting by AFP
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On June 24, 2024, DENZA, the premium new energy vehicle brand majority-backed by BYD, inaugurated its first flagship store in Hong Kong, the DENZA Kowloon Bay Flagship Store.

Photo credit: DENZA

The event also marked the debut of the right-hand drive version of the DENZA D9 in Hong Kong, along with the display of the DENZA D9 Four-seat Pioneer Edition and the DENZA Z9GT, showcasing the brand's luxurious product lineup.

The DENZA Kowloon Bay Flagship Store stands out in its choice of location, layout, and design. Situated in Hong Kong's largest automotive district, Kowloon Bay, the store occupies nearly 2,000 square meters, facing Mega Box, the largest mall in Kowloon Bay. The store features vehicle display areas, a V2L (vehicle-to-load) scenario display area, two VIP rooms, and a new car delivery area, providing a comprehensive luxury service experience. The design, predominantly white with coffee-colored wood grains and mirrored ceilings, combined with two-story high floor-to-ceiling glass walls, creates a bright, spacious, and luxurious atmosphere.

Photo credit: DENZA

Zhao Changjiang, General Manager of BYD DENZA Sales Division, noted that the prevalence of Alphard vehicles in Hong Kong as celebrity chauffeur cars is set to change. He also revealed that to date, DENZA D9 has garnered orders for nearly 1,000 vehicles in Hong Kong.

On June 11, DENZA announced its official entry into the Hong Kong market, with the DENZA D9 priced from HKD 668,000. Zhao predicted the official price range would be between HKD 660,000 and HKD 750,000.
Tributes have been paid this evening to one of Ireland West Airports founding board members, Mr John Dillon of Ballindrehid, Ballyhaunis, who died unexpectedly at Mayo University Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

Mr Dillon was well known throughout the west as a businessman and a former Board and Trust member at the airport.

He held the distinction of being the airport's longest-serving board member and was a passenger on the first flight into Knock. He also held the title of airport secretary when the facility officially opened in 1986.

In a statement this evening Ireland West Airport said: "All at Ireland West Airport are saddened to learn of the passing of former Board and Trust member, John Dillon.

"John was a respected and renowned businessman in his own right, operating the very successful family travel business in Ballyhaunis, John Dillon & Sons, originally established by his grandfather to accommodate the Irish who were emigrating and seeking tickets for the transatlantic boat which came into port in Galway.

"He was passionate about travel and unwavering in his dedication to progress the airport during his 24-year tenure. Johns experience and expertise in the travel industry were key to developing the Airports charter business, which saw significant growth from 2002 onwards  the results of which are now enjoyed by the thousands of passengers who use the airport today.

"In recent years, John with his family continued to travel and use the airport on many occasions and was clearly proud of what has been achieved over the decades since his endeavours in developing it from the 1980s with Monsignor Horan. He always had a smile, a laugh and a word of advice for staff when passing through."

Paying tribute to John Dillon, Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, added: Today is a sad day for the Dillon family, his many friends, neighbours and the wider community as we learned of Johns unexpected passing. On behalf of the airport, we offer our sincere condolences and prayers to his wife, Cait; daughters, Sheila, Joanne and Barbara; son, Tom and family at this time. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

BYD puts SEAL EV onto Japanese market

BYD recently launched its electric vehicle model, the SEAL, in the Japanese market. The SEAL comes in two variants, both equipped with an 82.56 kWh battery. The rear-wheel-drive variant is priced at 5.28 million yen (approximately 240,000 yuan) with a range of about 640 km, while the all-wheel-drive version costs 6.05 million yen (approximately 275,500 yuan) with a range of about 575 km. Local deliveries are expected to begin by the end of July and August, respectively.

Photo credit: BYD

GAC Toyota to hold first technology launch conference

GAC Toyota's Executive Vice President, Wen Dali, announced on Weibo that the company will hold its first technology launch conference on June 28, marking its 20th anniversary.

Changan Lumin EV adds two new variants, starting at 50,900 yuan

On June 27, Changan released the Lumin Chengfeng and Qihang Edition models to celebrate the compact EVs two-year anniversary. The new variants offer upgraded features and come in two range options: 205 km and 301 km. The guidance prices are 50,900 yuan for the 205-km version and 57,900 yuan for the 301-km version.

Pony.ai launches paid Robotaxi service at Beijing Daxing International Airport

On June 27, autonomous driving solution provider Pony.ai announced the launch of its paid autonomous shuttle service (Robotaxi service) at Beijing Daxing International Airport, becoming one of the first companies in Beijing to obtain a commercial pilot license for expressways with a safety operator in the drivers seat.

Geely-backed eVTOL maker AEROFUGIA closes Series B financing round

Recently, Geely-backed eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) developer AEROFUGIA completed its Series B financing round, raising several hundred million yuan for the company. This marks the largest single financing event in China's low-altitude economy eVTOL sector in the past two years.

FAW Toyota rolls off first locally developed new AVALON car

On June 24, FAW Toyota's first independently developed new AVALON car rolled off the production line at its Chengdu plant.

ZEEKR receives road test permit for unmanned vehicles in Ningbo

On June 25, Geelys premium new energy vehicle brand ZEEKR received the first batch of "Ningbo Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Test Permit" from Ningbo authorities.

DENZA inaugurates first flagship store in Hong Kong, China

On June 24, 2024, DENZA, the premium new energy vehicle brand majority-backed by BYD, inaugurated its first flagship store in Hong Kong, the DENZA Kowloon Bay Flagship Store.
Cate McCurry, PA

There has been an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Ireland, with some 622,300 travellers arriving in May, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared to last year, new figures indicate.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the largest contingent of visitors came from Britain at 34.9 per cent, followed by the United States (20.2 per cent), and then Germany (7.4 per cent).

The visitors stayed a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country, a drop of 0.3 per cent compared to May 2023.

The visitors most frequent reason for travelling to Ireland was for holiday or leisure at 45.1 per cent.

Visitors spent 810.6 million in total on their trips, an increase of 29 per cent when compared to May 2023.

Gregg Patrick, a statistician in the CSO tourism and travel division, said: The results show that 622,300 foreign visitors departed Ireland on oversea routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared with May 2023.

Some 34.9 per cent of the visitors were from Great Britain, 20.2 per cent were from the United States, and 7.4 per cent were from Germany. Typically, their visit lasted 7.2 nights.

Their most frequent reason for their journey (45.1 per cent) was for holiday or leisure purposes.

Around half of the visitors stayed in hotels, and the typical cost of their visit was 1,303, comprising 334 on fare, 51 on prepayments, 437 on accommodation, and 480 on day-to-day expenditure.

Their average cost 12 months previously was 1,096.

Of the 622,300 foreign visitors who left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, the highest proportion was from Britain, accounting for 217,200 of all visitors (34.9 per cent).

The second-highest proportion, at 20.1 per cent, was from the United States, accounting for 125,400 visitors.

The third-highest proportion (7.4 per cent) came from Germany, comprising a further 46,300 visitors.

This visitor profile remains largely unchanged from May 2023, when 34.8 per cent of the visitors were from Britain, 18.4 per cent from the United States, and 7.7 per cent from Germany.

Foreign visitors who left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024 spent a total of 4,462,100 nights in the country.

Broken down by residency, other European visitors spent more nights in the country than any other residency group, accounting for 1,669,100 (37.4 per cent) of the nights.

The next most important visitor group, in terms of nights spent, was the United States and Canada, making up 1,248,800 (28.0 per cent) of the total nights.

Visitors from Britain were the third most significant, accounting for a further 1,041,300 (23.3 per cent) of the nights.

Other visitors made up 502,800 (11.3 per cent) of the nights.

Compared to May 2023, the total visitor nights in the country remained largely the same, decreasing by 0.3 per cent.

In total, 2,057,800 passengers left Ireland on overseas routes in May 2024, an increase of 8.4 per cent compared with May 2023.

The majority of departing passengers were Irish residents heading outbound for tourism or other purposes, at 61 per cent.

A further 8.8 per cent were same-day visitors, comprising Northern Ireland residents heading outbound using an airport or seaport in the Republic of Ireland (3.3 per cent), foreign resident transfer passengers (4.6 per cent), or other foreign resident same-day visitors (0.9 per cent).

Some 30.2 per cent of the departing passengers were foreign resident overnight visitors, constituting 622,300 visitors in total.
Bigg Boss OTT 3 Latest Update: Sana Sulatana removed as 'Janta Ka agent'

Sana Sultana is currently facing backlash by several housemates.

Bigg Boss OTT 3 Latest Update, Janta Ka Agent: Bigg Boss OTT 3 has been running live and people have been catching all the insights of the show. In the meanwhile, it is being reported that Sana Sultana has been removed as a 'Janta Ka agent'. Now, the question is, "Who will be the new 'Janta Ka Agent' in Bigg Boss OTT 3?"

It is pertinent to mention that Sana Sultana was appointed as the Janta Ka Agent before her entry inside the house. Anil Kapoor had announced her as 'Janta Ka Agent' on the stage, the label that came with immunity and even a perk of getting inputs from outside the house.

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Ever since Sana Sultana entered the house, several housemates were seen talking about her and that she was being fake.

Recently, Bigg Boss sent an input based on the audience's feedback that people love her bond with Naezy and Sai Ketan Rao. Likewise, she was advised to keep doing the same.

Bigg Boss OTT 3 has been fetching a lot of attention because of its newness. Recently, the Bigg Boss eliminated Neeraj Goyat in a mid-week eviction that left everybody shocked.

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(Bigg Boss OTT 3 Latest Update, who will be the new 'Janta Ka Agent' after Sana Sultana, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
Golden Temple Yoga Controversy: Archana Makwana responds to summon, says "Wont tolerate"

Archana Makwana has been summoned by Punjab police to appear before June 30.

Golden Temple Yoga Controversy latest news: In a major turn of events, Archana Makwana, prominently known as Yoga Girl these days, took to Instagram and responded to the summon sent by the Punjab police on Wednesday. She said that the FIR registered against her was baseless and that it should be withdrawn.

In a caption shared alongside the video, Archana Makwana said, "When I was doing Shirshasana on 21st June 2024 at Golden Temple Amritsar 1000 sikh people were watching me not one person stopped me or raised an objection on it. In fact, the Gentleman who took my photo was Sardarji himself he didnt find it offending, he didnt stop me from doing it, and the people who were watching it Live werent offended then I am wondering how come its wrong & how has it hurt someones religious sentiments?"

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She added, "The local people who come to the temple every day dont know the rules, then how can they expect a Hindu Girl traveling for the first time to Punjab to know the rules, especially when no one stopped me? All this is baseless, I dont know what is the propaganda of the SGPC TRUST but I feel victimized."

"The F.I.R. against me needs to be quashed because The F.I.R. doesnt have any base, its just that because the SGPC COMMITTEE didnt disclose the true facts to the police they accepted it. I tried to sort this issue Peacefully but they dont seem to understand it, its affecting my business & that I wont tolerate it at all Everyone who agrees with me & wants to support me please raise a voice against them stating that the F.I.R needs to be canceled by writing to Punjab Police," she added.

Here's what Archana Makwana said in her latest video:

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(For more latest news apart from Golden Temple Yoga Controversy news, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman)
A new chief for NATO

As Russias war of aggression against Ukraine goes on, the 32 NATO members nominate the Dutch PM Mark Rutte for the Alliances top civilian post.

Mark Rutte si Jens Stoltenberg) sursa foto: nato int)

Sorin Iordan, 27.06.2024, 13:50

The Dutch PM Mark Rutte will be the 14th secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, replacing the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, a former PM of Norway, who has led the Alliance since 2014.

The decision made by NATOs leading decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, which comprises officials for the 32 member states, was a mere formality, after Ruttes last challenger, the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis, announced he was pulling out of the race for lack of support.

NATOs new leader will take office on October 1, but until then his appointment will be made official at the summit due in Washington this July. Ruttes name had been mentioned ever since 2023, and quite rapidly he secured the support of several NATO members, including the US, the UK, France and Germany.

For a while, the Estonian PM Kaja Kallas was also in the race, with support from the Allies on the eastern flank, who argued that those countries needed better representation in the Alliance, in the context of the war initiated by Russia in Ukraine.

The candidacy of Klaus Iohannis, on the other hand, is still a mystery. The reasons why the Romanian president announced his bid for the post are yet unknown, given that at that time Rutte was already backed by important NATO members.

Mark Rutte is known for his critical position regarding Russia, and for the political and military support for Ukraine. The Netherlands is one of the Allies that reached the target of 2% of GDP earmarked for defence, in line with NATO requirements, and has provided Ukraine with F-16 aircraft.

The incumbent NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed the nomination of Mark Rutte as his successor. He said the latter was a true trans-Atlanticist, a strong leader, and a consensus-builder. I know I am leaving NATO in good hands, Stoltenberg added.

Apart from the war in Ukraine, Rutte might have to handle a prospective US administration headed by Donald Trump, the promoter of America First policies, should the latter return to the White House after the presidential election.

In Kremlin, the announcement regarding the new NATO chief was received with scepticism. Ruttes appointment will not entail changes in NATOs approach, which is hostile and aimed at supressing Russia, as the Russian presidencys spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

He once again accused NATO members of getting involved directly in the war in Ukraine, by supplying heavy weaponry to Kyiv, and warned that Russia would retaliate after the Ukrainian army received the green light to use such weapons against targets on Russian territory. Peskov also emphasised that at present Moscow is treating NATO as a hostile alliance. (AMP)
Japan will on Thursday release May numbers for retail sales, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

In April, overall retail sales were up 2.4 percent on year, while large retailer sales rose an annual 1.2 percent.

New Zealand will see June results for the confidence index from ANZ and the activity index from NBNZ; in May, the business confidence index had a score of 11.2, while the activity index was up 11.8 percent.

China will release May figures for industrial profits; in April, profits rose 4.3 percent on year.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
A 28-year-old man underwent kidney transplant procedure at Northwestern Medicine without general anesthesia and got discharged in less than 24 hours.

"This is the first case at Northwestern Medicine where a patient was awake during an entire kidney transplant procedure and went home the next day, basically making this an outpatient procedure. Our hope is that awake kidney transplantation can decrease some of the risks of general anesthesia while also shortening a patient's hospital stay," commented Satish Nadig, transplant surgeon and director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center.

John Nicholas has been suffering from kidney issues since he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at the age of 16. Eventually, his kidney function declined and testing revealed an inflammation in the kidneys.

On May 24, he received a kidney from his childhood friend in an awake transplant procedure, which took less than two hours to complete.

Vicente Garcia Tomas, anesthesiologist and chief of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine at the hospital, said, "For John's case, we placed a spinal anesthesia shot in the operating room with a little bit of sedation for comfort. It was incredibly simple and uneventful, but allowed John to be awake for the procedure, improving the patient experience".

The hospital said that Nicholas was a perfect candidate for the procedure due to "his age, limited risk factors and eagerness to participate" in the cutting-edge kidney transplant.

"It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and be aware of the magnitude of what they were doing," said Nicholas.

Following the awake kidney transplant, Northwestern Medicine is planning to establish Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation or AWAKE program for patients who can't have general anesthesia or have a high-risk of general anesthesia, or any other reasons.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Economic confidence from the euro area and the Financial Stability Report from the UK are the top economic news due on Thursday.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's INE is slated to issue retail sales data for May.

In the meantime, consumer and sentiment survey results are due from Sweden.

At 3.30 am ET, Sweden's central bank announces its monetary policy decision. Economists expect the bank to hold its key rate at 3.75 percent.

At 4.00 am ET, the European Central Bank is scheduled to release monetary aggregates for May. M3 is forecast to grow at a faster pace of 1.5 percent annually after a 1.3 percent gain in April.

Also, consumer and business sentiment survey results are due from Italy.

At 5.00 am ET, the European Commission publishes euro area economic sentiment survey data for July. The economic confidence index is expected to climb to 96.2 in June from 96.0 in May.

At 5.30 am ET, the Bank of England is set to issue the Financial Stability Report.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The United States is offering up to $5 million as a reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of German fugitive Ruja Ignatova, who is wanted by FBI for her participation in one of the largest global fraud schemes.

Nicknamed as 'cryptoqueen', the Bulgarian-born German entrepreneur defrauded investors from across the world out of billions of dollars as co-founder of OneCoin Ltd for a decade.

Ignatova promoted OneCoin as a digital currency investment through false statements and representations to attract investors. By 2017, OneCoin is believed to have defrauded victims of more than $4 billion.

On October 12, 2017, Ignatova was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Two weeks after the indictment, Ignatova traveled from Bulgarian capital Sofia to Greek capital Athens to evade arrest and has been a fugitive since then.

In February 2018, a superseding indictment was issued charging Ignatova with the additional crimes of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud.

In 2022, FBI added her to its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, offering a reward of up to $250,000 for information leading to her arrest.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department Of State announced that the reward was being increased to up to $5 million under the department's Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.

Those who have information about Ignatova have been advised to contact the FBI via Telegram: @RujaReward, Signal: @RujaReward.01, or online at tips.fbi.gov. Those who are located outside the United States have been advised to visit the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Germany has also criminally charged Ignatova for her role in the transnational fraud scheme.

The 44 year-old lady is the subject of a BBC podcast series, 'The Missing Cryptoqueen', and the 2022 book of the same name.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
The latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that 39 states across the United States are currently experiencing a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases this summer.

This surge is primarily attributed to the rapid transmission of new variants of the virus. These variants are categorized as subtypes of the omicron variant, with the KP.3 lineage being the most prevalent, constituting approximately 33.1% of cases nationwide, followed by KP.2 at 20.8% and LB.1 at 17.5%.

The duration of this summer wave of COVID-19 remains uncertain, with medical experts cautioning that it could persist for a considerable period. Dr. William Schaffner, an expert in infectious diseases, forecasts a continued rise in cases throughout August, followed by a decline, only to rise again as colder weather sets in.

Notably, emergency department visits related to COVID-19 have surged by nearly 15% in comparison to the previous week, while virus-related hospitalizations have increased by 25% since late May. Furthermore, there has been a notable spike of almost 17% in deaths from the virus in the most recent week.

Dr. Thomas Russo emphasizes that population immunity has waned over time, underscoring the critical role of booster shots in mitigating infections. As the weather leads people to spend more time indoors with air conditioning, the risk of infection amplifies due to indoor activities. To minimize the risk of infection, it is imperative to adhere to preventative measures such as wearing masks, practicing frequent hand washing, and following quarantine protocols, particularly when traveling or utilizing public transportation.

Health officials recommend those infected with the to isolate for a minimum of five days, continue to observe safety measures, and consider treatment, particularly for high-risk individuals. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) has reported that the current variants respond favorably to Paxlovid treatment.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Health News
Recently, the Douglas County Health Department has issued a warning about a significant increase in cases of sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis.

Dr. Leah Casanave announced that instances of syphilis have surged to the highest levels ever recorded. Data from 2022 shows a staggering 110% rise in infectious cases since 2014.

Casanave emphasized the importance of regular screenings, especially for pregnant women, as untreated syphilis during pregnancy can lead to severe complications such as miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, or neonatal death. Dr. Ann Berry-Anderson from the Nebraska Medical Center also highlighted the potential consequences for infants, including jaundice, blistering rashes, enlarged liver or spleen, and long-term neurological problems.

To identify potential symptoms of syphilis, individuals should be vigilant for signs like white sores in the mouth, red rashes on the body, and flu-like symptoms. It is crucial to use protection during sexual activity to reduce the risk of syphilis transmission, as this disease can cause serious harm to vital organs and pose significant risks to both adults and infants.

The key message from experts is the importance of early detection and treatment to prevent long-term health complications associated with syphilis.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Health News
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On June 25, Geelys premium new energy vehicle brand ZEEKR received the first batch of "Ningbo Intelligent Connected Vehicle Road Test Permit" from Ningbo authorities.

Photo credit: ZEEKR

This allows ZEEKR's unmanned vehicles to obtain temporary license plates and conduct road tests in Ningbo city, advancing its autonomous driving technology development and application.

ZEEKR's unmanned vehicles will commence autonomous driving tests on the Shenglu Elevated Road, reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h. The vehicles feature Level 3 conditional autonomous driving capabilities, allowing the system to handle driving tasks under certain conditions while the driver remains ready to take control if necessary. Key functions include automated driving in congested expressway and urban fast roads. During these tests, a safety officer will sit in the driver's seat with their hands off the steering wheel.

Previously, Geely Holding Group, ZEEKR's parent company, partnered with renowned autonomous driving technology company Waymo. ZEEKR will provide vehicles for Waymo One's unmanned fleet, based on the SEA-M architecture and equipped with WaymoDrive's Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities for future commercial operations in the United States. In June, ZEEKR's self-developed SEA-M intelligent driving system obtained an L3 expressways autonomous driving test permit for Shanghai.
Hyundai has finally revealed their new small electric SUV which will take on the likes of Punch EV

At the 2024 Busan International Mobility Show today, Hyundai Motor Company revealed their all-electric Inster. This A-segment sub-compact EV is set to revolutionize urban driving with its unique design, impressive range, and cutting-edge technology.

2024 Hyundai Inster EV  Design and Versatility

New Hyundai Inster is based on the Casper small SUV. It boasts a bold, futuristic design that combines a robust exterior with a spacious interior. Its compact size makes it perfect for city driving, while the extended body and wheelbase offer more interior space and a rugged road presence. The vehicles standout features include strong fenders, a high-tech circuit board-style bumper, and a bold skid plate.

Insters LED daytime running light signature, pixel-graphic turn signals, tail lamp, and bumpers add to its distinctive look. Customers can further personalize the car with LED projection headlamps and a two-tone exterior with a contrasting black roof. Wheel options range from 15-inch steel with wheel covers to 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interior Features

Inside, the Inster provides enhanced technology and convenience with a 10.25-inch digital cluster, a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation, and a wireless charging dock. The pixel theme is repeated inside, with graphics on the Insters steering wheel boss reinforcing the cars high-tech image. The interior design also features customizable upper door trim garnishes for owners to further personalize their vehicle.

The vehicle offers versatile seating, with the front row providing walk-through access. All seats can be folded flat, including the drivers seat, for increased flexibility. A front bench seat option and heated front seats and steering wheel are also available. The second-row seats are split 50/50 and can slide and recline. It also gets a single pane sunroof.

2024 Hyundai Inster EV  Battery Specs, Range

Hyundai claims Inster excels in its EV capabilities with fast charging and a segment-leading range. It offers two battery options: a 42 kWh standard battery and a 49 kWh long-range battery. The latter provides an impressive range of up to 355 km (WLTP) on a single charge. With a DC high-power charging station, the Inster can charge from 10 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes under optimal conditions.

The vehicle is equipped with an 11 kW on-board charger as standard, and a battery heating system and high-efficiency heat pump are available. External and internal Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality provides power for external devices (110V/220V), allowing bi-directional charging without requiring additional equipment. This enables customers to freely use or charge devices such as electric bicycles, scooters, and camping equipment.

Advanced Technology and Safety

Hyundai Inster offers a wealth of cutting-edge technology, including a multitude of advanced safety and driver assistance features. It includes comprehensive Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features such as a Surround View Monitor (SVM), Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist Rear (PCA-R), Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM), and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 1.5 (FCA 1.5).

Other safety features include Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Safety Exit Warning (SEW), Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop and Go, Highway Driving Assist 1.5 (HDA 1.5), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), High Beam Assist (HBA), Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), and Rear Occupant Alert (ROA). The ADAS Parking System combines Parking Distance Warning (PDW) Front and Rear with a Rear-View Monitor (RVM) for greater visibility.

Sustainable and Stylish

Sustainability is a key focus for the Inster, with the use of recycled materials in both its exterior and interior. The Insters exterior features black high-gloss recycled paint, which replaces the carbon black pigment traditionally used in black paint with a coloring made from recycled waste tires. Inside, recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from bottles and bio-polypropylene material extracted from sugarcane are used. The vehicle offers a range of vibrant exterior colors, including Atlas White, Tomboy Khaki, Bijarim Khaki Matte, and Buttercream Yellow Pearl, with some available in two-tone combinations.

Global Rollout and Future Plans

Hyundai plans to launch the Inster first in Korea this summer, followed by Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Most equipment and technologies will come fitted as standard, with enhanced convenience and design features available optionally. Specifications will be confirmed closer to launch. An additional variant, the Inster CROSS, will join the lineup in the future, featuring a rugged, outdoor-focused design.

India launch of the Hyundai Inster EV is not on the cards. But we will get Inster based Exter EV, which will take on the Tata Punch EV. Launch of Hyundai Exter EV is expected sometime in 2025.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of SAIC Volkswagen ("SAIC VW"), a new chapter of cooperation between Volkswagen Group and SAIC Motor commenced on the afternoon of June 27.

Photo credit: SAIC Motor

Volkswagen Group, SAIC Motor, Volkswagen (China) Investment Company Ltd., Volkswagen (China) Technology Co., Ltd., and SAIC VW signed multiple technical cooperation agreements in Shanghai related to new product projects for SAIC VW. These agreements include technical cooperation for developing three plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) models and two battery electric vehicle (BEV) models in China. This Sino-German collaboration aims to power the joint venture with technology, marking the beginning of a new chapter in their partnership. From 2026 and beyond 2030, these jointly developed PHEV and BEV models are expected to be gradually introduced to the market.

Just over a month ago, on May 20, also in Shanghai, SAIC Motor signed a cooperation agreement with Audi to officially initiate the joint development of the Advanced Digitized Platform. The production base for this new intelligent digital platform will also undergo updates, with new vehicles set to roll off the assembly line in 2025.

With the signing of these multiple cooperation agreements, SAIC VW's product lineup and technical capabilities in the new energy vehicle (NEV) field will be further enhanced, with a product plan extending beyond 2030.

Over the past four decades, SAIC VW's shareholders have worked together to promote the development of the joint venture. SAIC VW is one of China's earliest joint-venture car manufacturers and has achieved many industry firsts, contributing to the development and integration of China's modern automotive industry into the global market.

"We are fully committed to advancing our electrification strategy and have outlined a clear roadmap. The Chinese electric vehicle market is vibrant and highly competitive, and strengthening our strategic cooperation with SAIC Motor to promote the electrification of SAIC VW's product lineup is of great significance to us. Therefore, Volkswagen Group will continue to provide top-notch technology and innovative mobility solutions," said Ralf Brandstatter, Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China. "This will further accelerate the transformation of SAIC VW with the support of Volkswagen and its strong partners. We are expanding our range of all-electric intelligent connected vehicles and focusing on accelerating our layout in the growing PHEV sector to offer consumers more attractive product choices."
Read the full story on The Auto Wire

Dashcam Footage Shows Stolen Mercedes Chase In Melbourne

Usually when we have dashcam footage of a stolen car chase its from one of the police cruisers. But this footage out of Melbourne, Australia is from the stolen Mercedes two suspects were inside. Seeing the perspective of the fleeing criminals is a unique twist versus what were used to getting.

Teens steal luxury cars in Melbourne.

The footage starts with the pair in the Mercedes as theyre pulling out of a parking lot in the city. The woman spots the Stop Stick police placed over the sole exit and asks if they can leave that way, with the man just gunning it, making for a good stick.

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Later, the man, whos driving, realizes hes lost at least one tire. He wants to ditch the stolen car and run away on foot, then hop on a train. The woman, on the other hand, wants to drive to a different part of the city, then ditch the ride. They keep arguing about this for a while as the man keeps trying to put distance between them and the parking lot.

Whats more, the conversation between these two, who are reportedly 40 and 28, seems erratic. Were thinking its possible alcohol or drugs were making things less than clear for the suspects.

At one point the man is convinced a regular car is in fac a cop. This causes him to take a sudden left turn on a side street then speed away in an attempt to ditch the imaginary tail. He even swears the car makes the same turn as them. But the rear-facing camera footage shows thats not true.

Still, the guy blasts through red lights and at one a truck catches the rear of the speeding Mercedes, spinning it out and disabling the stolen car. Neither suspect was able to get away on foot.

Image via Dash Cam Owners Australia/YouTube

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Hyundai Inster front quarter

Inster measures 3.8m long, 1.6m wide and 1.6m tall

Hyundai is gearing up for an assault on the mainstream electric car market with the new Inster, priced from 23,495  or 249 per month on PCP finance.

It's based on the Hyundai Casper, a diminutive city car that has so far been sold exclusively with a petrol engine in Korea. Its platform has been stretched by 230mm (with a 180mm of that growth in its wheelbase), improving both practicality and the available space for an underfloor battery pack.

The Inster measures 3.8m long, 1.6m wide and 1.6m tall, which positions it between the Dacia Spring and the Citroen e-C3.

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Despite the car's smaller footprint, Hyundai insiders are confident that the Inster is as practical as its five-seat rivals, thanks to its efficient packaging and configurable interior. Its wheelbase almost matches that of the larger Hyundai i20, for example, and its four seats are more versatile than those in traditional hatchbacks. Each can be folded completely flat and the two rear seats are also capable of sliding and reclining to open up more leg room or boot space as its needed.

The Inster will be offered with two mechanical configurations at launch. Entry-level cars get a 96bhp front-mounted motor that delivers a 0-62mph sprint time of 11.7sec and a top speed of 87mph. Its paired with a 42kWh battery pack, which is claimed to deliver a range of 186 miles between charges. The flagship long range Inster is boosted to 113bhp and 49kWh, taking its range to 217 miles and its top speed to 93mph, while reducing its 0-62mph time to 10.6sec.

Both versions use the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry and all Insters get a heat pump and 85kW (DC) charging capabilities as standard.

Although those specifications place the Inster roughly on a par with its classmates, Hyundai believes that it will stand out for its interior connectivity and on-board technologies.

Inside, all versions get a pair of 10.25in digital displays (an instrument panel and an infotainment touchscreen), and you can use your smartphone as a key to unlock and start the car.

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Hyundai Inster rear quarter

The Inster also gets Hyundais full suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including a 360deg parking camera, adaptive cruise control and the Korean brands novel blindspot monitoring system, which projects a camera image of your rear quarter view onto the instrument panel as you indicate.

Deliveries of the Inster are set to start by next spring. UK customers will be offered both battery options and two trim levels, named 01 and 02.

Kit including the digital instrument panel, infotainment touchscreen, rear-view camera and automatic headlights are standard. However, to get the sliding rear bench, flat-folding front seats or LED headlights you have to opt for 02 trim, priced from 26,745.

We believe we will start electrification not only for the early adopters but for the mass market, said Paolo Gnerro, product planning manager for Hyundai Motor Europe.

He explained that the company is targeting two new types of customers with the Inster: very young, potentially buying their first new cars; and empty-nesters  families with kids already [moved out of] home, mainly in their 50s, who want a second car for running errands.

Hyundai Inster interior - seats folded

Gnerro added that he believed the Inster would operate outside the traditional size-bound segments, pointing to changing customer behaviours with EVs.

He explained: They were not saying 'this is a 3.8m car; its A-segment'. They were segmenting the cars depending on the range, no matter the size of the car. For them, a 350km-range [217-mile] car is comparable to another 350km car, no matter what the size is.

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00104 mclaren 750s front

Six years have passed since the McLaren 720S arrived  a supercar whose engineers were, at the time, quite open regarding their anxiety over its eventual replacement.

In fairness, they had reason to be. In the 720S, those engineers created an exceedingly light, monumentally potent supercar with class-defying road manners. Talk about a hard act to follow.

Today, we know that the full-bore replacement for the 720S will involve a hybridised V8 powertrain, due to come onstream in a few years time. The car to house it is currently being masterminded by new McLaren CEO Michael Leiters (formerly of Ferrari), with fresh styling overseen by Tobias Suhlmann, who is tucking his feet back under his desk in Woking after a short spell at Bentley.

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As the successor to the 720S, it will exist as a big brother to the hybridised-V6 Artura and will ring the retirement bell for a model that brought hypercar performance to the supercar realm, putting in quite a shift as goes McLarens desire to be a rival to Ferrari.

In fact, in terms of performance at this price point, the Italians have only just outdone the 720S, requiring an 819bhp plug-in hybrid powertrain in the far heavier Ferrari 296 GTB to do so. But the extraordinary 720S isnt finished just yet, and before its true successor arrives, it has evolved into this, the 244,815 McLaren 750S.

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Suzuki

In a world where off-roading continues to grow in popularity, the Suzuki Jimny remains a forbidden curiosity among U.S. buyers. The mini-SUV has proved immensely popular in other regions, but here in the States, it's out of reach (unless you find one that's 25 years old or more and bring it over yourself).



Shifting emissions regulations in some key markets might shift a massive change for the Jimny lineup in the near future, however. Specifically, the automaker is reportedly expected to release both a hybrid and an all-electric variant of the SUV, as well as a potential pickup bodystyle by 2030.

The news comes by way of the Aussie publication CarSales, who recently spoke with Suzuki Australias Michael Pachota during the launch event for the latest Swift. The executive highlighted the popularity of the Jimny down under, where it is the second-most-popular small SUV behind the Mazda CX-3.

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Pachota recognized the need for more efficient powertrains as we continue to march towards the EV future. The Jimnys 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine has already been barred from entry into a number of markets due to its emissions levels, with tighter regulations coming in many regions. Thats particularly true in Australia, where the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is set to ramp up for 2025.

Suzuki

I'd like to see other variations of the Jimmy product  variations that could probably even help with NVES, said Pachota.

A hybridized variant of the SUV would make for a logical stop-gap until a fully-electric model arrives, which is expected to take place before 2030 as one of five upcoming EV launches for the brand. Suzuki has already committed $1.5 billion to develop EVs for critical markets like Japan, India, and Europe, and the continued popularity of the Jimny all but secures its electrified future.

Suzuki is also reportedly mulling over the idea of a pickup variant of the Jimny, which was first teased back at the 2019 Tokyo Auto Salon. And while that design concept has yet to find its way to production, Suzuki New Zealand has already started converting Jimnys into utes with help from a local converter. Given the popularity of pickups in that part of the world, an officially sanctioned version is probably a safe investment from the automaker. It would also provide a perfect opportunity to revive the Mighty Boy nameplate.

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Of course, we arent likely to get any of these machines over here in the United States. The Jimny was never designed with the U.S. market in mind, and would likely require some reconfiguration for federalization. Add in the fact that Suzuki's automotive dealer network is non-existent, and the challenges seem difficult to overcome. Wed still love to see it happen, however.

Suzuki

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Two Die In Portland Stolen Car Crash

Like a number of other cities, Portland, Oregon has been struggling with car theft climbing rapidly over the past several years. Despite some trying to characterize the problem as no big deal, car theft poses a serious public safety risk. For example, this crash in Portland involving a stolen vehicle left two men dead and another with life-threatening injuries.

Watch Canadian police bust some car thieves.

According to Portland Police Bureau, officers tried performing a legal traffic stop on the car just after midnight on June 25. At the time, police didnt know the vehicle was stolen. The suspects took off.

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Were assuming they were speeding big time from the image of what was left of the car after it hit another vehicle and a power pole. Not only did it flip onto the roof, it looks like the rear end is destroyed and one of the front wheels was completely sheared off.

Who knows how much more damage was hidden from view. So its not really a shock that two men in the suspect car were found already deceased when police came upon the crash scene. A third man in the vehicle sustained life-threatening injuries and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The worst thing about cases like this is when an innocent bystander is seriously injured or killed. Thankfully, the woman in the car which was hit by the suspects only sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene. So thats a relief.

Power was knocked out to people living in the area, too. The suspect car must have hit the pole pretty hard.

Show this crash scene photo to anyone who says car theft is a victimless crime. It isnt. Car theft fuels other crimes and it leads to criminals driving recklessly in stolen vehicles, then crashing like this.

Image via Portland Police Bureau

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LOS ANGELESThe hunks of Hot House are arriving at their ultimate fuck destination ready and willing to Take It From the Topa new release out today from the award-winning studio..

Falcon | NakedSword exclusive Sir Peter leads a cast of American and European studs who take over a massive villa for Hot Houses newest feature film. Directed by Trenton Ducati and Ryan Brian, Take It From the Top premieres Friday on DVD and digital download in the Falcon | NakedSword store.

The films first scene, featuring the Hot House debut of Allen King as he gets fucked by Joel Hart, hits FalconStudios.com Friday with future episodes dropping on the site every Friday.



Joel Hart is rubbing his hands all over his inked muscles when Allen King walks down the stairs and hops onto his lap.



In future episodes, Sir Peter lounges by the pool as Cole Hughes drops to his knees. Then, Derek Kage and Eros Manos are on a mission to have sex in every square foot of the house while Benjamin King heads outside to unwind from a busy day by getting dicked-down by Joel Hart. Christening the new chaise lounge, Jamal Costa services every inch of Manuel Reye.
Nick Hagen Ronald Taylor.

Roxanne Frith Paula Cunningham.

Detroit Area Agency on Aging The Inclusive Health Care Taskforce hosted an information and resource fair on June 13.

Steve Koss Caira Boggs.
Kathalee James at Pontiac Oaks park.

Tim Greimel at Pontiac Oaks park.

A new dock at Pontiac Oaks park, funded by Oakland County's Healthy Communities plan.

A new dock at Pontiac Oaks park, funded by Oakland County's Healthy Communities plan.

Oakland County Parks Commission Chair Ebony Bagley, Pontiac City Council Member Kathalee James, Oakland County Parks Commissioner Shanell Weatherspoon, and Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel at Pontiac Oaks park.
Fran Dwight Sydney Ellis, of the Kalamazoo County Land Bank, shakes hands on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 with Land Bank Chairman Thomas Whitener at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Eastside Square Condominiums.

Al Jones A second phase of development for the Eastside Square Condominiums is expected in the 1600 block of east Main Street, utilizing space adjacent to the Eastside Sunrise Plaza at the corner of Main Street and Hazard Avenue.

Fran Dwight Rob Peterson, of Dover Birch & Associates, talks with visitors about the commercial space inside the new Eastside Square Condominiums.

Fran Dwight Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson, left, and Project Manager Ryan Vlietstra center, talk while inside the open commercial space at Eastside Square Condominiums.

Fran Dwight Several community leaders beside residence attended the Tuesday, June 25, 2024 ribbon cutting ceremony for the Eastside Square Condominiums.

Fran Dwight Realtor Twala Lockett-Jones joined Sydney Ellis and many others for the Tuesday, June 25, 2024 opening of the Eastside Square Condominiums.

Fran Dwight Here is a look inside on the new Eastside Square Condominiums.

Fran Dwight Gerald King, an artist who participated in creating the Eastside Square pocket plaza, and James Jackson, president of the Kalamazoo Eastside Neighborhood Association board, were on hand to celebrate.

Fran Dwight Here is a look inside on the new Eastside Square Condominiums.
Courtesy Photo Ida Byrd-Hill, CEO of the Detroit-based Automation Workz, speaking at the convening of the West Michigan African American Tech Readiness Collaborative.

This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Battle Creek series BATTLE CREEK, MI  Black people continue to be excluded from jobs in the tech sector and a Detroit tech entrepreneur is working on an initiative to change this using Battle Creek as a home base for this work.The exponential growth of electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, and semiconductor industry investments provides underserved populations an opportunity to leapfrog into higher-paying careers, and solidify African American economic freedom for decades, says Ida Byrd-Hill, CEO of Automation Workz headquartered in Detroit.I see the Michigan information technology cluster replicating the 22% growth it experienced over the past 10 years."However, that previous growth spurt did not translate to job opportunities for African Americans, according to an article on the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility website Black people make up 12 percent of the US workforce but only 8 percent of employees in tech jobs. That percentage is even smaller further up the corporate ladder; just 3 percent of technology executives in the C-suite are Black, according to a McKinsey analysis of Fortune 500 executives.That gap is likely to widen over the next decade. Across all industries, technology jobs  those in data science, engineering, cybersecurity, and software development are expected to grow 14 percent by 2032. Black tech talent in those roles is expected to grow only 8 percent over the same period, according to the article.On June 18 Byrd-Hill met with about 30 community leaders, policymakers, educators, manufacturing industry, and tech industry stakeholders, who make up the West Michigan African American Tech Readiness Collaborative (WMAATRC), at Kingdom Builders Worldwide to present the findings in a report titled West Michigan Titanium Triangle  Shifting African Americans Into High-Tech Drive. Supported by a $150,000 contract with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this report, spearheaded by Byrd-Hill, looks at the current landscape and future opportunities for African Americans in high-tech industries.In order to understand the present and future, we have to understand the past, says Dr. Alana White, Program Officer for WKKF. Historically, African Americans who were part of the Great Migration were segregated into lower-paying jobs. Some of that still remains. We look at the past and where we started and many of our Michigan communities still have folks segregated by race and income and theyre not necessarily close to job centers. With no robust public transportation, it makes it hard for them to get to jobs.One of the things discussed during the recent meeting is that we have employers who still may not necessarily hire people because of their race and zip code, White says.Ford Motor Companys announcement in early 2023 that it had selected the City of Marshall as the site for its Blue Oval Battery Park , would prove fortuitous for Byrd-Hill who met White months earlier at a Michigan Works conference in Detroit.The two talked about the types of skills that are needed as we think about the future of work, White says. We need to look at median household income by race in Battle Creek and go back to this regional play and what the landscape is. If we do tech training, what is really needed and who are the employers?Among the information in the report that surprised Byrd-Hill was the high level of poverty being experienced by Battle Creeks African American residents.Even when they go through workforce development training, theyre only making between $10 to $12 an hour. Thats not good, she says. I think what workforce development should be doing is moving people into the middle class. This shocked me because Battle Creek is the home of the Kellogg Company and one thing Kelloggs did over the years was provide middle-class jobs.Byrd-Hillchose Battle Creek as the home base for her work on this issue because its centrally positioned in this burgeoning tech corridor which she has dubbed the West Michigan Titanium Triangle region. This geographic area includes Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Jackson, and Kalamazoo "This West Michigan region is attracting all sorts of tech employer investments, like the Ford Motor Companys BlueOval battery plant in Marshall, LG Energy Solutions expansion in Holland, and the Gotion Semiconductor plant in Mecosta County, Byrd-Hill says. When you look at that region, you have three battery plants within 60 miles of each other. Theyre competing with each other and stealing workers from one another. They could solve this if they all came together to create a tech hub with its own tech ecosystem.According to the report, Industry 4.0 has empowered Michigan corporations to become highly technological as they embrace these nine emerging technologies to increase productivity and hence profitability.: System Integration, Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Big Data, Autonomous Robots, the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Augmented Reality, Cybersecurity, and Simulations/Video Gaming. High-tech manufacturing firms boast returns exceeding those of the vaunted Silicon Valley tech stars. In 2023, they have had revenue growth of 23.2% re-establishing themselves as the backbone of America.Byrd-Hill says the second shocker for her in the report is how the jobs needed for the Electrical Vehicle revolution dont have African Americans employed in it at all levels from electrical technicians to data managers and everything in between.In Calhoun County, 2% of all electricians currently identify as People of Color, according to the report. When White saw this data, she says, It really started to dawn on me how much work we have to do across the whole community to make sure occupations reflect our home community. What is the work ahead?These industrial technology firms silently dot the landscape from Benton Harbor to Jackson to Big Rapids, improving the product manufacturing process to deliver appliances, autos, cereal/snacks, furniture, medical devices, utilities, and cars," according to the report. "The 'West Michigan Titanium Triangle' is experiencing a talent shortage. All firms, from retail to healthcare and manufacturing, feel the pain as they desire employees with digital technology skills.McKinsey says businesses will risk billions if Black professionals continue to be underrepresented in tech jobs.Closing the gap means making changes to education, recruiting, and retention initiatives, according to the McKinsey article.While digging into research for her report, Byrd-Hill says she learned that many African Americans dont believe theyre smart enough to be in the tech industry because of the narrative surrounding it.One of the things I impress upon young people is that you dont have to be a genius, you just have to be intelligent, she says. People have gotten accustomed in the past to the thinking that manual labor jobs equal big wages and that youve got to have some type of post-secondary education, apprenticeship, or be in a trade union.A confluence of different factors makes it difficult in some ways so work of the future doesnt become work of the past, White says. She cites the intimidation people have about mathematics and technology.Historically, when you think about public schools, a lot of times the African American community has not gotten a good foundation from K-12 institutions, Byrd-Hill says. If you had a really weak experience and didnt have college-prep classes. its going to be a struggle."Now were seeing reverberating effects of what happened. In a lot of Michigan school districts, most young people didnt have algebra. They may have had healthcare or manufacturing math. If the career you want to go into requires problem-solving in algebra, youre already barred from the process.Within the state of Michigan, 69% of people dont graduate from community college because they cant pass an algebra class, Byrd-Hill says.We remediate in a very different way. We start with video gaming, using building blocks to build an algorithm. If my students can move a robot from point A to point B, we know they can do coding. Rather than trying to teach them algebra, were on a decimal system, and in computer tech, theyre in a binary world. We teach them binary and take them back to the decimal world. They dont know that and it just happens. Theyre doing conversions and may not even realize it.While eliminating the intimidation surrounding the learning of math and technology, Byrd-Hill also addresses the education required to land a job in the tech sector which offers a wide range of jobs that are within reach with certifications.I run a tech training institute. Were rolling out this battery tech program as we speak. We have career readiness built into the curriculum so people can soar. All you need is a willingness to learn and put in the hard effort. Its designed to be a grand opportunity if you didnt think you could.Her highest-paid graduate is making $166,000 and about 30% percent of her graduates are making more than $80,000, including a young man who went from making pizzas to operating a robot-based Little Ceasers pizza shop after earning his cyber-security certification.I recently went into a restaurant that had not one cashier and you had to go to a kiosk to order. Somebody has to repair those kiosks when they break down, Byrd-Hill says. Were not thinking about technology in the broader sense. Not everyones going to be a coder.As examples of whats out there, she cites Corewell Health which has about 2,000 people working a variety of different tech jobs, including data analytics, data management, and troubleshooting within its technology department.When you start talking about technology in any city in the rustbelt, people will say, Were not a technological hub and most technology happens in Silicon Valley.Were centered around industrial technology in the Midwest. All of our technology is enclosed in four walls. If you go to Stryker, all of their medical devices are produced with technology. Whirlpool is one of the largest manufacturers. Anything that has a computer chip is a technological device  stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, and cellphones are among these.White says, We need to unlearn the different ways as adults we learn. We need to get over the myth mindset about high-tech careers because theres a diversity of jobs related to technology.The community has a role to play in this, she says.Children are educated in school, but also in our community. That means parents, mentors, and the community need to understand that. Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) offers career academies and tech pathways and I go back to we are all educating our children and its all of our responsibility and part of that education means being bearers of hope."We want a vibrant region and we want to ensure the region has diverse options so that our children when they become adults will want to be here in Battle Creek and work and be engaged in a vibrant community.In 2017 WKKF made a $51 million commitment to strengthen Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) so all students have access to a quality education to ensure their academic success . In the ensuing years that financial commitment grew to include collaboration, including one with Grand Valley State University and BCPS, and scholarship opportunities like the Bearcat Advantage We invested in BCPS because we wanted to support a school district thats not necessarily been invested in in the same way as other school districts, White says. Were a Foundation that cares about kids. We focus on three areas  thriving children, working families, and thriving communities."As I think about the set of systems around children and all of the things we invest in Battle Creek and around the world, Im thinking about the future of work and what that looks like for adults and generations to come and really creating equitable pathways.Byrd-Hill publicly rolled out the work she is focused on in Battle Creek in 2023. That gathering featured a keynote speech titled, "Can the Battle Creek region become an NSF Innovation Engine?" by Allen Walker, Senior Advisor to the U.S. National Science Foundation's newly established Directorate for Technology.The WMAATRC was formed during that gathering.The next steps going forward include meeting quarterly with the Battle Creek Black Economic Summit to develop ways to get more of the communitys African Americans into jobs in the tech sector.The Federal government is looking for individuals to come together as collaboratives to get funding, Byrd-Hill says. This will involve conversations about how we come together as a collaborative and work together to have a bigger vision of where we want the Black community to go. A lot of our meetings will include putting job descriptions on the table. A lot of jobs are getting filled by people who dont live in the region because people dont have that training.She also is working to convince the federal government to locate research and development areas in Black communities, saying that these operations lead to new businesses and greater opportunities.It creates multiple startups and attracts big business that wants that R & D. College towns are always growing because universities are always doing R & D, Byrd-Hill says. If you bring that to economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, now theres a shift in that neighborhood that leads to housing and retail. Its no longer a poor community but an affluent one.White says shes working with Byrd-Hill to prioritize recommendations in the report and identify other groups and communities that could be worked with.Yes, its a report to really spur some additional conversations and action around the future of our community," she says. If the future of work is trending towards tech, A big part of that need is to create on-ramps and opportunities for people to get on that pathway.
Mike Wenninger The is the food-preparation area at Cafe Rica.

Balloon Illumes at Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival in Battle Creek.
BP has implemented a hiring freeze and halted new offshore wind projects, it was reported on Thursday, as part of a strategic shift under new chief executive officer Murray Auchincloss.

Auchincloss, who took over in January, was reportedly aiming to address investor concerns by emphasising oil and gas investments, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico and US shale basins.

The strategy, according to Reuters, was a response to rising profits from fossil fuels, driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which contrasted with lower returns from renewables.

Sources within BP told Reuters that dozens of employees previously focussed on new renewable projects had been reassigned to existing initiatives, such as offshore wind farms in the UK and Germany.

BP was also apparently planning to invest in biofuels and short-term low-carbon ventures, including a recent $1.4bn purchase of Bunge's 50% stake in the Brazilian sugar and ethanol joint venture BP Bunge Bioenergia.

The company was also expected to cut jobs in the renewables sector, though specific targets were not known.

Auchincloss, alongside chief financial officer Kate Thomson, was prioritising a pragmatic approach to growth, with Reuters reporting that he was targeting $2bn in cost savings by 2026 and reducing the executive leadership team from 11 to 10 members.

BP confirmed the strategic shifts to Reuters, emphasising six new priorities to streamline operations and enhance company value.

The company's most notable external hire under Looney, Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, resigned in April for personal reasons, with her successor, William Lin, expected to focus more on gas operations.

BP's recent share price underperformance had fuelled speculation about a potential takeover, adding pressure on Auchincloss to balance decarbonisation with the immediate demand for fossil fuels.

Despite slowing its target to cut oil and gas output by 2030 from 40% to 25%, BP was maintaining its goal to develop 10 gigawatts of renewable capacity by the same year.

Reuters said the company was also bolstering its exploration team to replenish reserves and sustain output, reflecting a broader shift towards traditional energy sources.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
AMSTERDAMPleasure products manufacturer Kiiroo on Thursday announced the appointment of Wim den Ouden as its new European Sales Manager.

Having begun his career at Unilever, where he honed his skills over a decade, den Oudens most notable professional achievements were in the movie industry, working with Twentieth Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company, where he successfully managed the sales of new releases and an extensive catalogue of films.

On joining Kiiroo and the Feel Group, den Ouden commented, "Im excited to start my career with Kiiroo and boost sales across Europe. I believe my past experience will be beneficial to ensuring Kiiroo becomes a household name."

Kiiroo aims with den Ouden's appointment as European Sales Manager to expand its footprint in the European market.

"We are thrilled to welcome Wim den Ouden to our team," Kiiroo CEO Toon Timmermans said. "His extensive background and dynamic approach to sales will be instrumental in driving our growth and strengthening our relationships with partners across Europe."
Bunzl upgraded its profit guidance for the year on Thursday, citing improved margin performance and successful acquisitions.

The FTSE 100 company said it expected robust revenue growth for 2024, buoyed by acquisitions completed earlier in the year, despite a slight decline in underlying revenue.

For the first half, Bunzl anticipated a year-on-year revenue decrease of 3% to 4% at actual exchange rates, and a 0% to 1% decline at constant exchange rates.

Underlying revenue, which accounts for organic growth adjusted for trading days, was expected to fall by approximately 5%.

The decline was put down to volume reductions and deflation in the US market.

However, the group projects a strong improvement in operating margins compared to the first half of 2023, leading to substantial adjusted operating profit growth at constant exchange rates.

In North America, the expected revenue decline in the first half is attributed to reduced volumes in the US foodservice redistribution business and the impact of transitioning customer-specific inventory in the US retail sector, alongside deflationary pressures.

Despite the challenges, second-quarter revenue trends in North America were anticipated to improve over the first quarter, with recovering volumes.

Continental Europe and the UK and Ireland were forecast to see a moderate decline in underlying revenue, while the rest of the world was expected to experience some growth.

Notably, North America was set to achieve good margin growth, and the UK and Ireland, along with the rest of the world, were poised for very strong margin growth, driven by acquisitions and effective margin management.

Bunzl also noted its recent strategic acquisitions, noting that in April, it signed an agreement to acquire RCL Implantes, a Brazilian distributor of surgical and medical devices, which generated revenue of BRL 112 million (18m) in 2023.

The acquisition, pending final clearance, was set to enhance Bunzl's presence in the Brazilian market.

In June, Bunzl completed the acquisition of Clean Spot, a Canadian distributor of cleaning and hygiene products, which recorded revenue of CAD 7m (4m) in 2023.

Our agile and entrepreneurial teams continue to deliver robust profit growth, said chief executive officer Frank van Zanten.

I am delighted with the ongoing successful margin management, including increasing penetration of own brands, demonstrated across the group, allowing us to upgrade our full year profit outlook today.

Van Zanten said he was also pleased to welcome two more businesses to Bunzl, taking its total committed spend on acquisitions to around 600m so far this year.

After an excellent start to the year for acquisitions, we maintain a strong balance sheet, providing us with significant optionality to continue to self-fund value-accretive acquisitions and our pipeline remains active.

At 0845 BST, shares in Bunzl were up 0.59% at 2,056p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
In an update for the first six months of the year, the outsourcer said it now expects underlying operating profit of 270m for 2024, up 10m on previous guidance. It also expects free cash flow to be better and financial leverage to be lower than prior guidance.

Chief executive Mark Irwin said: "We continue to explore new ways to bring together the right people, the right technology and the right partners to help governments around the world respond to the complex and difficult challenges they face.

"As we enter the second six months of the year, while mindful of a potential impact internationally from elections in 2024, we remain optimistic about the quality of our pipeline of potential new work to support our medium-term growth targets."

Group revenues for the first six months are expected to be down around 4% on the same period a year earlier at 2.4bn. Serco said it has seen continued growth in its international immigration services platform, supported by the acquisition of European Homecare in early March, despite some reduced volume variable work in Australia.

Along with growth in defence and justice, this has partially offset declines in other areas, in particular lower revenue from the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contract and its previously-announced exit from some low margin contracts in the UK.

The company said its on track to meet revenue guidance for the full year of 4.8bn, slightly below the 4.9bn generated in 2023.

First half underlying operating profit is set to be better than expected at about 140m, down from 148m in the same period a year earlier. Serco put the lower profit down to the new CMS contract, immigration volumes in Australia, mobilisation costs on new work, and the prior year benefiting from a 6m one off settlement.
India's NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and Australia's Space Machine Company have signed a Launch Service Agreement to enhance their space collaboration. The agreement was finalized at an event in the national capital, attended by ISRO chief S Somanath and the Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green.

Addressing the event, the ISRO chief said, "We have heard that the vision for the next 25 years, Amrit Kaal, has already been announced. That was only just two months back. So what we have been doing is converting that vision into actionable items". He elaborated on several missions that ISRO is working on, including further exploration of the moon.

"We will, by 2028...have the first launch of the station. So to make that happen by 2028, we have engineered the BAS first module, and that will go on LVM3. So for that, there is another proposal: how to build it, what are the technologies required, what timeline we will build and what everything costs. That has been put in a separate proposal, which will be put before the government again for approval", S Somanath said.

"The third element is the Chandrayaan series of missions, which requires... further exploration of the Moon until we land on the Moon. So we have worked out a configuration with Chandrayaan-4, how to bring samples back from the Moon to Earth. And that we propose with multiple launches because our current rocket capability is not enough to go on one mission and then bring back samples", he added.

The Australian representative spoke at the event and expressed Canberra's pride in the collaboration between the two countries in the space industry. "Just on behalf of the Australian government, I want to say how proud we are to see this important first emblem of the engagement between Australia in the space industry. We are...big backers of the Indian space industry, and that's why we've developed a special mechanism to support Australia and India space collaboration. An ideal first outcome is to have an Australian payload on outstanding work advice-based machines and by their energy and collaborators, I wish them the very best", he said.

Taking to social media platform X, he said that Australia will fund specific partnerships worth Rs 100 crore over the next three years. "The Indian #space industry has taken off. Australia is a committed partnerand we are ready to share our dark skies, tracking assets, and deep #science capabilities for mutual benefit. We will also be funding specific partnerships worth Rs 100 crore over the next three years," he stated.
Stocks to watch on June 27, 2024: Indian stocks are expected to open lower today following a global trend of decline. The Nifty futures are indicating a negative start, trading 64 points lower at 23,803. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 is down by 1.13 percent, and the Topix index has decreased by 0.69 percent. South Koreas Kospi has shed 0.69 percent, while the small-cap Kosdaq is up by 0.07 percent. Additionally, Hong Kongs Hang Seng futures are down 1.22 percent.

Reliance Industries: Jio has strengthened its position by acquiring the right to use spectrum in the 1,800MHz band in two circles for a provisional cost of Rs 973.63 crore.

State Bank of India: On Wednesday, June 26, the country's largest bank, SBI, announced that it had raised Rs 10,000 crore through its fifth infrastructure bond issuance at a coupon rate of 7.36%. The issuance received an overwhelming response, with bids exceeding Rs 19,884 crore, surpassing the base issue size of Rs 5,000 crore by nearly four times. A total of 143 bids were received, indicating broad participation and a diverse range of investors.

IIFL Securities: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has initiated an investigation into Sanjiv Bhasin, who is associated with IIFL Securities. SEBI officials have reportedly examined Bhasins digital devices and collected evidence as part of the probe. The investigation is focused on allegations of market manipulation and front-running against Bhasin.

Raymond: The company will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) on June 27. At the meeting, the reappointment of Gautam Singhania to the board for a five-year term, from July 1, 2024, to June 20, 2029, will be proposed. The meeting will also address his remuneration for the next three years as CMD.

Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea: A total of 141.4 MHz of spectrum was sold for Rs 11,340 crore. Bharti Airtel acquired 97 MHz of spectrum, Reliance Jio acquired 14.4 MHz, and Vodafone Idea acquired 30 MHz.

RBL Bank: Board of directors' meeting is scheduled for June 27, 2024, ahead of the annual general meeting (AGM) on the same day. The purpose is to discuss raising funds through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).

PI Industries: A company's wholly-owned subsidiary is planning to purchase all the shares of Plant Health Care Plc, a UK-based company that specializes in agricultural biological inputs. The acquisition is valued at 32.78 million and will include the entire 100% stake of Plant Health Care Plc, which is listed in the UK and has subsidiaries in the US, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries. Plant Health Care Plc is well-known for its patented peptide-based biological products and is a significant player in the global agricultural market. The transaction is expected to be completed within three months.

LTIMindtree: The L&T Group announced that SN Subrahmanyan, vice chairman of its IT firm, will take over as chairman following AM Naiks resignation from the board on June 26th. Subrahmanyan, popularly known as SNS, joined the board of L&T Infotech on January 10th, 2015, and was appointed vice chairman on May 4th, 2017.

KEC International: The infrastructure company has announced securing new orders worth Rs 1,025 crore in its transmission and distribution (T&D) and cables businesses.

Dr Reddys Lab: The pharmaceutical company announced that its subsidiary, Dr. Reddys Laboratories SA, has signed a definitive agreement with Haleon plc and its associate companies to acquire their global portfolio of The pharmaceutical company announced that its subsidiary, Dr. Reddys Laboratories SA, has signed a definitive agreement with Haleon plc and its associate companies to acquire their global portfolio of consumer healthcare brands in the Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) category, excluding the United States.

AU Small Finance Bank: The lenders board will consider a proposal to raise funds through the issuance of equity shares.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The NYPD is asking for the publics help to identify a man sought for questioning in connection with a bizarre incident where an individual allegedly impersonated a police detective and pepper sprayed a victim at the South Ferry/Whitehall station in Manhattan.

The victim lives on Staten Island and the shield is believed to be fake, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday at about 6:35 p.m. on the northbound R train platform at the station near the Whitehall Terminal that is used by riders of the Staten Island Ferry, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

An unknown individual wearing an NYPD detective shield displayed from a chain around his neck was unlawfully stopping commuters from entering the transit system and attempting to detain them while identifying himself as a police officer, according to the police statement.

The individual allegedly attempted to stop a 46-year-old man who was trying to walk away from him. The individual allegedly discharged pepper spray from a can toward the back of the 46-year-old mans head, according to the police statement.

The unidentified individual then fled on a northbound R train and was spotted on surveillance video at the 8th Street-NYU subway station prior to exiting the transit system, according to the police statement.

The 46-year-old victim suffered burning and swelling on his face and traveled by private means to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan where he was treated and then released, police said.

Police described the individual sought for questioning as a man seen with NYPD detective shield number 694 attached to a chain hanging around his neck. He also was wearing ripped denim shorts, a black and yellow T-shirt and a yellow hat

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

The NYPD is asking for the publics help to identify a man sought for questioning in connection with a bizarre incident where an individual allegedly impersonated a police detective and pepper sprayed a victim at the South Ferry/Whitehall station in Manhattan. (Courtesy of NYPD)Courtesy of NYPD
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As a way to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday in a traditional way, the Zimmer Club will host a free Huck Finn Fishing Tournament and Costume Contest at Willowbook Park near the Carousel for All Children on Eton Place.

And in keep with tradition, organizers of the club  the Andrew E. Zimmer Fish & Game Protectors and Conservation Association  ask that club members wear maroon colored shirts, while kids are encouraged to dress in costume.

The contest, from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., is open to children 5 through 14.

Fishing poles and bait will be provided at the event and trophies will be awarded to the winners.

The 89th annual Huck Finn Fishing Tournament at Willowbrook a few years ago. Pictured are Stella and Mark of New Dorp. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)Staff-Shot

The Costume Contest will also be reprised where boys and girls come dressed as one of the three main characters from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.

Second place winner for the Huck Finn contest a few years back: Mason Berkhart. Staten Island Advance/Pamela SilvestrI)Staff-Shot

The schedule is as follows:

8 a.m. On-site registration opens. Fishing poles and bait handed out.

The Fishing Tournament will run from 9 to 11 a.m.

Costume Contest 11:10 a.m. with trophy presentations.

Visit https://www.aezclub.com/for early registration and further information about the event and costume contest rules.

The 89th annual Huck Finn Fishing Tournament in 2017. Pictured, from left, are Evelyn, Allison, Gwyneth, Peter and Louis Demontreux of Sunnyside and Westerleigh. (Staten Island Advance/ Victoria Priola)Staff-Shot

This is the 96th year that the Andrew Zimmer Conservation Club has been providing free programs for adults and children.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE ZIMMER CLUB

In 1926, the Zimmer Club was founded on Staten Island by Andrew E. Zimmer whose passion was to preserve Staten Island for the community and for future generations.

Zimmer grew up on his family farm located on Richmond Avenue by Fresh Kills where he enjoyed the outdoors  cabbing, fishing, and hunting. The farmland is now part of the Staten Island Mall.

Zimmer became Staten Islands original conservationist and New York State appointed him as the first Environment Conservation Officer registered in Richmond County.

In 1928, he and 11 of his friends, submitted paperwork to New York State for a Certificate of Incorporation. They formally became the Andrew E. Zimmer Association Inc. People continued to call the Organization the Zimmer Club.

The 501(c)7 membership Organization meet twice a month, pay dues, and hold various family dinners, and other functions. Members are over 21 years of age with the exception of its Intern Program for college age students.

The primary objective is the conservation, protection, and preservation of wildlife on Staten Island and in the great outdoors.

The Zimmer Club hosts various New York State, Sportsman Education Safe Boating and Driver Safety certification classes. The clubhouse venue is defined as a community facility for various community and not for profit groups who need assistance.

The club supplied the NYS Department of Conservation with water patrol craft and stocked ponds and lakes on Staten Island with freshwater fish.

In 1960, the club purchased property at 4411 Arthur Kill Rd. Charleston.

In 1985, Andrew E. Zimmer died.

In 2004, eight members of the Andrew E. Zimmer Association Inc (founded in 1926 a/k/a the Zimmer Club by native Staten Islanders) realized that many clubs, like theirs, cater to their adult members first and youth programs second.

They determined that a 21st Century youth spends too much time watching TV, playing a video games or using their computers. They found the answer and formed a new organization where the youth are the primary members. Adults who can impart knowledge and expertise became their membership.

On Sept. 29, 2005 the Zimmer Club Youth Conservation Program of Staten Island, Inc. became a reality. It was established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and registered with the New York State Attorney Generals Office. The eight founders were the original Board of Directors.

They solicited students, donations, non-member instructors, public, NYS and NYC program funding. The venue allowed the youth organization to hold classes at our clubhouses and grounds and most classes are free to the youth of Staten Island.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - The College of Staten Island High School for International Studies held its commencement ceremony for the Class of 2024 at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook on Wednesday.

Students, dressed in black cap and gowns, were supported by enthusiastic cheers from their families and friends.

Your four-year journeys have really been something to take in. In the last year alone you experienced an earthquake and solar eclipse all in the same week. Last year, Canadian wild fires thrust us indoors and brought back remote learning. Before that you beat a pandemic and did not let COVID get the better of you, Joseph Canale, the schools principal, said. Class of 2024, please keep it close... if no one has told you yet today and never forget it after today, I care about you and Im so glad you were here.

Students were awarded medals for their exceptional performance across various subjects. Additionally, although there were no designated valedictorian or salutatorian, two members of the Class of 2024 -- Winnie Zheng and Nana Hemans -- delivered speeches at the ceremony.

CSI High School for International Studies 2024 Class Speakers, Winnie Zheng (left), and Nana Hemans (right). - (Courtesy/CSI High School)Courtesy/CSI High School

The guest speaker at the event was Dr. Robert Palton, Deputy Superintendent of District 31, who is deeply involved in the community and brings extensive experience in educational management. He specializes in fostering positive school environments, classroom management, community partnerships and curriculum development to enhance education.

The candidates for graduation are:

Hanfaa Abdul, Youmna Afifi, Tajreen Ahsan, Jalen Alejandro, Laila Ali, Saleh Allahabi, Shevin Amarasinghe, Juliana Ambrosino, Lucien Amos, Ananthi Anantharajah, Zeniah Arroyo, Naveya Aviles, Lilien Badalov, Isra Baluch, Keegan Baluja, Eden Binyaminova, Ayden Bruno, Jinbin Cai, Isabella Calvo, Javier Castillo, Terence Chan, Elias Chawki, Burhan Cheema, Jasmine Chen, Joanna Chen, Vicki Chen, Bryan Costello, Kayla Cronin, Joanne M Darretta, Jaziel Diaz Hernandez, Terell Douglas, George Dugan, Zaynab Elhari, Yusuf Elhashash, Ganna Elshabassy, Calvin Eng, Maria Estrada, Layla Faris, Olivia Fermainte, Veronica Fouad, Natalie Frias, Aimee Fuentes, Luke Fulton, Anson Fung, Jarien Garcia, Yessenia Gomez, Haylee Skye Gonzalez, Mekenzie Gonzalez, Kishan Gunawardana, Kaemon Guo, Winson Guo, Mia Isabel Gutierrez, Aaron Guzman, Ali Hassan, Faith Mary Heffernan, Nana Hemans, Amanda Hepworth, Alithia Houtas, Joy Huang, Hayat Humaidi, Ivan Ignatov, Sophia Iorio, Triniti Jackson, Gabriel Jacobs, Birken Johnson, David Jones, Aylin Kanbur, Amany Ayman Khalaf, Shady Medhat Khalil, Parvina Khodjimatova, Christian Ja Koterba, Alexander Va Langman, Kaitlyn Lee, Rachel Lei, Renee Li, Andy Liang, Kyle Lin, Ying Na Liu, Tyler Angel Lopez, Wang Xin Lu, Alexis Lyublinskiy, Ava Mahnken, Olivia Mai, Sonny Maldonado, Torres Leonardo Mariaca, Ryan Marniche, William McDonald, Ginebra Mejia, Mohamed Monawar, Alana Montanez, Jayden Morales, Manuel Muniz, Anthony Munoz, Lily Ann Munoz, Sarah Nader, Karen Medhat Naseif, Elisa Nelaj, Solomiya Nikolaichuk, Zukhra Nurmakhmadova, Nicholas Pizzo, Emily Privalova, Rasheed Qandeel, Tayyaba Qayyum, Sara Radomsky, Richard Reinhold, Devin Rhoden, Manar Saleh, Christopher Salfarlie, Keira Saliski, Arbi Saraci, Saurav Sharma, Brian Sheehy, Jared Sterling Tosado, Joshua Sterling Tosado, Raneem Suleiman, Haja Timberlake, Sakshi Tiwari, Brayden Todaro, Justin Tung, Matthew Umahag, Jonell Valerio Vasquez, Aaron Varghese, Daniella Vaynshtteyn, Zachary Velbovets, Shania Williams, Darryn Wu, Eric Wu, Wanyi Xie, Cici Yang, Aayan Zafar, Ali Zahrieh, Stephanie Zhang, Yi Feng Zhao, Jessica Zheng, Winnie Zheng
Syracuse, N.Y.  A 21-year-old man from Ecuador suffocated a woman on her 21st birthday and then hid her body in a Syracuse park, prosecutors said.

The man buried the woman in a shallow grave about 15 feet back from trees in Lincoln Park on the citys North Side, according to prosecutor Alphonse Williams. The man was staying in an Airbnb diagonally across the street from the park, he said.

The man, Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis, was charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse, according to records from the Onondaga County Justice Center jail. He was booked in the jail Wednesday afternoon.

Further reading: Woman killed in Syracuse, dumped in park endured grueling journey to U.S. in search of a better life

Chacaguasay-Ilbis had travelled to Central New York last week to meet the woman, Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza, for her birthday on Tuesday, June 18, Williams told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. People have told prosecutors that the two had gone to primary school together in their home country of Ecuador, Williams said.

Chacaguasay-Ilbis can be seen walking into the Airbnb at 916 Hawley Ave. around 4:20 p.m. June 18 with Toaquiza, according to surveillance video the property owner shared with family and police.

Three hours later, the video shows him carrying Toaquiza on his back, with her arms and legs wrapped around him. She appears limp and doesnt move. Its not possible to tell if shes alive.

Williams said the owner of the Airbnb told police that there was blood found in the home.

Chacaguasay-Ilbis later returned to the Airbnb, and exited soon after with new clothes on, the video shows.

He hopped into a waiting Lyft minivan to the local Greyhound station, Williams said, and boarded a bus with a ticket to New York City.

Chacaguasay-Ilbis turned himself in to the police Tuesday evening in Spring Valley in Rockland County, Williams said. The suburban community is located about 35 miles northwest of New York City, near the New York-New Jersey line.

It is not clear what he had been doing for the past week, if he is employed or where he resides, Williams said.

Chacaguasay-Ilbis travelled to the United States last year and surrendered himself at the border, Williams said. He was released, Williams said, and may be applying for asylum.

Syracuse police picked up Chacaguasay-Ilbis on Wednesday morning from Spring Valley and transported him back to Central New York, police said in a news release Wednesday evening. He is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday morning.

Toaquiza was reported missing around 12:10 a.m. Wednesday, June 19 by her family before her body was found around 11:40 a.m. Saturday in Lincoln Park.

Her uncle, Paul Toaquiza, said she lived with him, his wife and children on the citys North Side. They immigrated from Ecuador last year searching for better economic opportunities, he said.

Police ask anyone with information about the case to call them at 315-442-5222.

Police officers search Lincoln Park near the corner of Hawley Avenue and Mather Street in Syracuse on Saturday, June 22, 2024. A body was found in the 1100 block of Hawley Avenue that morning.Fernando Alba | falba@syracuse.com

More Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard coverage:

Woman killed and dumped in Syracuse park seen with man at Airbnb across the street

Woman found dead in Syracuse identified; family says she was reported missing days ago

Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive.com. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here.

Native Staten Islander Barbara Ann Martin, 59, passed away on June 25, 2024, in Freehold, N.J., after a courageous battle with cancer. She worked for 30 years for Safe Horizon, where she rose to the esteemed position of director of restitution. She had a passion for knitting, crafting, and baking, and enjoyed peaceful walks. Read the full obituary on SILive.com.

Jeanne A. Meisels, 90, passed away on Jun. 17, 2024. An Astoria, Queens native, Jeanne was a gifted artist and art instructor who made a lasting impact on Staten Island. She is survived by her children, grandson, and many friends and students. Read the full obituary on SILive.com.

YESTERDAYS OBITUARIES

Karen Ann Myerwold, 67, passed away on Jun. 23, 2024. Born and raised in Staten Island, Karen was a New York City secretary before focusing on her family. She is survived by her husband, son, dog, sister, and grandchildren. Read the full obituary on SILive.com.

Laura Ann Pilieri, 58, passed away on Jun. 5, 2024. A lifelong New Yorker, Laura was known for her kindness, love of children and cats, and varied interests. She is survived by her partner and many friends and family. Read the full obituary on SILive.com.

Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by Advance Media staff.
According to the Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) third-quarter results for the 2024 fiscal year, certain underperforming U.S. stores will be closed as a part of the companys multiyear footprint optimization program.

We continue to face a difficult operating environment, including persistent pressures on the U.S. consumer and the impact of recent marketplace dynamics, which have eroded pharmacy margins. Our results and outlook reflect these headwinds, despite solid performance in both our International and U.S. healthcare segments, Walgreens Chief Executive Officer Tim Wentworth said in a press release.

There are currently more than 8,600 Walgreens in America. Walgreens did not disclose the specific number of stores that are in jeopardy, but published reports say it could be up to a quarter of the companys stores.

As stated by Reuters, Walgreens shares have declined by 20% due to weak consumer habits across America. The WBA also reported that their adjusted operating income was $613 million, a 36.3% decrease on a constant currency basis from last year, and earnings per share (ESP) are down 36.6% on a constant currency basis compared to last years third quarter.

The adjusted ESP was lowered from Marchs $3.20 to $3.35 to $2.80 to $2.95.

The results this morning were just absolutely terrible. I mean, its kind of been the theme over the last three to eight earnings reports to be brutally honest, David Wagner, portfolio manager and equity analyst at Aptus Capital Advisors, said to Reuters.

However, Wentworth expressed optimism and a determination to recover in the press release.

Informed by our strategic review, we are focused on improving our core business: retail pharmacy, which is central to the future of healthcare. We are addressing critical issues with urgency and working to unlock opportunities for growth. Many of these actions will take time, but I am confident that we have the right team and the right strategy to lead a business turnaround for the Walgreens that our customers and patients need, Wentworth said.

Overall, the fiscal year so far has resulted in $13.1 billion in operating losses, which is a loss $6.7 billion greater than last years at the same point of the fiscal year.

Walgreenss fiscal report explained that pharmacy sales increased by 4.4% and comparable pharmacy sales increased by 5.7%. However, retail is a different story, with a 4.0% decrease in retail sales and a 2.3% decrease in comparable retail sales.

Walgreens has closed 484 stores in the United Kingdom and 625 stores U.S. as of February, and according to Reuters, the company is not opposed to closing down more stores outside of the ones being actively reviewed.
An Atlantic City councilman who already was the subject of a legal challenge to his candidacy was arrested last week on criminal charges, NJ.com reported.

Democrat Muhammad Zia was accused of threatening a witness outside of a New Jersey courthouse, on the second day of a trial in which hes accused of residing outside of his district.

Zia, who is in his first term after defeating a Republican incumbent, is facing charges of terroristic threats and witness tampering in connection with the incident.
NEW YORK  Fingers tightly crossed, prayers uttered fast and furious, the Yankees sent Luis Gil to the mound Wednesday night, asking him to accomplish what Gerrit Cole couldnt: shut down the Mets.

Not only did Gil fail, he did so in a way that left no doubt about his fatigue level. Gil was charged with five runs before being knocked out in the fifth inning of the Yankees 12-2 catastrophe against the Mets.

It was the Bombers ninth loss in 12 games. Theyve dropped four series in a row. Theyre in danger of falling out of first place, only a game ahead of the Orioles.

Whats wrong with the Yankees?

How much time do you have?

The Bombers started the night hoping Gil could rebound from his concerning start against the Orioles last week. Manager Aaron Boone wrote off Gils seven-run, 1.1 inning meltdown as an aberration, nothing that couldnt be forgotten with a strong outing against the Mets.

But both Gil and the Yankees were in trouble from the first inning on. The Mets had the bases loaded and looked ready to do damage. Tyrone Taylor ended the threat by fouling out to Jose Trevino, but the message had been sent: Gil was being hunted.

The Mets finally caught up to him in the third inning when Francisco Alvarez smoked a two-run home run. That came after J.D Martinez RBI single.

It was all downhill from there for the Yankees. They managed just two hits in five innings off Sean Manaea and watched helplessly as the Mets tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning.

Gil, clearly tired, walked Brandon Nimmo to lead off the inning. One out later the right-hander hit Martinez, ending his night. Alvarez greeted reliever Caleb Ferguson with a RBI double to right, giving the Mets a 5-0 lead.

It was at that point the rain gods decided theyd seen enough of the Yankees. A heavy downpour began at 8:45 pm, which, if nothing else, kept the Mets from piling on the runs for the next hour and a half.

NOTABLE:

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto both homered on Tuesday night, as they continued their singular assault on opponents.

The two sluggers rank first and second, respectively, in the major leagues in walks, on-base percentage and times on base. They also own two of the three highest batting averages in the American League.

-Coles day-after analysis of his four-inning, four-home run, no-strikeout meltdown against the Mets.

I just didnt throw enough strikes, didnt make quality pitches with my arm-side four-seamer, he said. Thats on me, but it also comes with building up to 100 pitches. Im not there yet.

Cole admitted he was surprised by the Mets discipline laying off pitches just off the plate.

He noted seven pitches in the first inning that were within three inches of the outside corner. They were either not called strikes or not swung at by the Mets.

That made a big difference, Cole said.

Here are other recent Yankees posts to check out:

-- Gleyber Torres called into office after no hits, bad error, lack of hustle

-- Yankees midseason grades: Many reasons to worry with skid, injuries, bad seasons in play

-- Time to worry? What Yankees should make of Gerrit Coles 4-homer, no-Ks disaster | Klapisch

-- Juan Soto reflects on Aaron Judge with amazing 29-HR, 75-RBI 1st half in books

-- What Yankees had to say about J.D. Davis dreadful debut

-- DJ LeMahieu continues to be grounded by biggest weakness

-- Yankees cant overcome Gerrit Coles clunker in loss to Mets

-- Yankees, Mets super team: Joe Torre or Casey Stengel? Al Leiter or Luis Severino? Tough call at 2B

Bob Klapisch may be reached at bklapisch@njadvancemedia.com.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As most Melbourne theatregoers would be aware, were in an awkward transition period this year. There is, as always, plenty to see, but you may not find it in the usual location. The Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation is in full swing, and well be navigating significant disruptions for some time yet. That project should be worth the wait  it promises to reshape and connect a district of performance venues, galleries, and other major arts institutions on the south bank of the Yarra, stretching from Hamer Hall to the Malthouse. Short-term pain was inevitable, though, and with the State Theatre, the largest at Arts Centre Melbourne, now closed until 2027 for renovations, Opera Australia and the Australian Ballet have been forced to relocate. Our city has its famed East End theatre district to pick up the slack, but that has flow-on effects for commercial musical theatre. Heres a Melbourne stage guide to keep you in the loop through an unusual year. Cathy-Di Zhang and John Longmuir star in Opera Australias touring production of La Boheme. Credit: Daniel Boud OPERA Opera lovers have borne the brunt of renovation frustration, but if youre looking to commemorate the centenary of Puccinis death, you wont go wanting. Victorian Opera is staging La Rondine at the Palais Theatre (August 8-10) and Melbourne Opera a yet-to-be-announced Puccini festival in September. For Opera Australias national tour of La Boheme, youll have to wander to regional Victoria or outer metropolitan Melbourne: Dean Bryants production seems to be headed everywhere except Melbourne (July 12 to August 3). Murray Bails classic novel Eucalyptus has been adapted into an opera. For those seeking more contemporary fare, Jonathan Mills opera Eucalyptus, adapted from Murray Bails award-winning novel, plays at the Palais (October 16-19), while in a curious coincidence, Bails former spouse Helen Garner has also inspired an opera, based on her novella The Childrens Bach, to be staged by Lyric Opera at Theatre Works (August 30 to September 7).

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BALLET All eyes in the ballet world will be on the global premiere of Christopher Wheeldons Oscar. Im desperately intrigued to see how the spirit of Oscar Wilde  a queer saint and the most verbally gifted of figures  will be resurrected through a pre-linguistic medium like dance, and its bound to be a highlight of the Australian Ballets program from their new temporary home at the Regent Theatre (September 13-24). Callum Linnane stars in Oscar for the Australian Ballet. Credit: Jason South MUSICAL THEATRE It does mean losing one big commercial musical in 2024, though its hard to see a glass half empty with big-budget crowd-pleasers such as Wicked and Disneys Beauty and the Beast now showing. Six  the musical that cheekily reimagines the wives of Henry VIII as pop stars  returns (August 2 to October 20), and will precede Tina (from September 21), the jukebox biography of rock legend Tina Turner, with Sister Act to follow (from November 3). Casey Donovan and Genevieve Lemon in the Australian production of Sister Act. Credit: Benny Capp If that seems a little thin, theres a new Australian musical based on Miles Franklins My Brilliant Career at the MTC (November 7 to December 18), and musical theatre mavens can seek solace in Melbournes thriving independent scene. Venues such as the Butterfly Club in the CBD, or Chapel Off Chapel in Prahran, regularly program indie musicals and cabaret, and there are gems to be found. You can see Nadine Garner starring in Broadway composer William Finns song cycle Elegies at fortyfivedownstairs (July 10-21), or catch a Victorian Opera production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller at the Arts Centre Melbourne Playhouse (September 14-21). Adventurers and masochists might even brave the upcoming musical parody of Fifty Shades of Grey at St Kildas Alex Theatre (July 19-28). A classic reimagined, no doubt!

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Kala Gare stars in the musical adaptation of Miles Franklins My Brilliant Career. MAIN STAGE THEATRE Fear not if youre a theatre traditionalist  there are more than enough genuine classics being reimagined at the Melbourne Theatre Company and the Malthouse, not to mention our commercial stages, to keep you satisfied. Anyone who witnessed Nikki Shiels star turn as Nora Helmer in Ibsens A Dolls House many years ago will be itching to see her as Blanche Dubois in the MTCs upcoming production of A Streetcar Named Desire (July 9 to August 17). Theatres most notorious faded southern belle is a role that attracts the finest actresses in the world  Ive seen Cate Blanchett, Isabelle Huppert and Sigrid Thornton playing Blanche in my time  and Shiels certainly has the talent for a once-in-a-generation performance. Nikki Shiels will play Blanche in Melbourne Theatre Companys A Streetcar Named Desire. Credit: Chris Hopkins Over at the Malthouse, Bojana Novakovic returns to the stage after a decade away to bring fiery presence to another legendary role  Lady Macbeth. Macbeth (An Undoing) reinvents Shakespeares play to re-centre the fiend-like queen and trace a plausible arc for her unexplained and unshown descent into madness (July 5-28). And Red Stitchs acclaimed production of Edward Albees marital slugfest Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is being revived at the Comedy Theatre (from June 29), starring Kat Stewart (Underbelly, Offspring) and David Whiteley. The first run sold out in hours, and rightly so. Like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton before them, Stewart and Whiteley are husband and wife in real life, and under Sarah Goodes direction their savage and cynical power games dominate the stage. The cast of Trophy Boys (from left): Gaby Seow, Fran Sweeney-Nash, Emmanuelle Mattana and Leigh Lule. Credit: Penny Stephens Bored by the canon? No worries. Theres a cornucopia of new work to be sampled. Among the brightest lights are Emmanuelle Mattanas Trophy Boys at Arts Centre Melbourne (July 16-21)  a smart, timely and darkly hilarious satire that has an all-female and nonbinary cast in full drag, playing a debating team at an elite all-boys private school. Anyone who suffered a private school education will love (and feel avenged by) this show.

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Its great to see performance artist Nicola Gunn returning to Australian shores, too. Apologia at the Malthouse (August 6-18) will explore the problem of translation through the performers fantasy of being a French actress. If its anything like Piece for Person and Ghetto Blaster (2015), expect unorthodox brilliance, an intricate juxtaposition of stylised physical theatre and Gunn saying aloud, with whimsical directness, what others only dare think. Nicola Gunn stars in Apologia at the Malthouse Theatre. Main stage highlights are too numerous to list, but include Suzan-Lori Parks tragicomic two-hander about brothers with a secret history, Topdog/Underdog (August 23 to September 21) and Martyna Majoks sharp and big-hearted play Cost of Living (September 14 to October 19), which explores caregiving, disability and role reversal in intimate relationships, both at the MTC. Loading INDIE THEATRE Melbournes independent scene offers some of the most original and daring theatrical experiences. It also offers its share of total excruciation, of course, making it chancier for newcomers to navigate. As a veteran poison-taster, I can recommend a couple of shows to watch out for. At fortyfivedownstairs, the mavericks from Bloomshed will upend The Importance of Being Earnest (August 1-11). Their lively and inventive take on George Orwells Animal Farm, and their bizarre fusion of sport and art, A Dodgeball Named Desire, make this show a serious temptation (and we know what Oscar Wilde thought about those). Also at fortyfivedownstairs is Bad Boy, a solo work from a theatrical dream team  playwright Patricia Cornelius, director Susie Dee and performer Nicci Wilks  promising a powerful deep-dive into toxic masculinity and domestic violence (September 26 to October 6). You can also encounter a wealth of niche, hybrid, immersive and experimental performance at places such as Arts House in North Melbourne or the Substation in Newport, before the Melbourne Fringe Festival takes over the city in October.

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Eating outTrends Our 10 favourite new Melbourne restaurant and bar openings of the year (so far) Halfway through 2024 its clear economic pressures are hitting the hospitality industry hard. But theres been some exciting new venues, and trends, to emerge. Emma Breheny and Dani Valent June 27, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

One thing we do know: 2024 will not go down as a boom year for hospitality. There are fewer openings, a concerning number of closures, and many businesses are just holding on through a tough, quiet winter. Another thing were sure of: restaurant people are resilient, creative and infused with the belief that what they do matters. We couldnt agree more. So, at this mid-point of the year, weve surveyed the dining landscape, assessed the new and the novel, and distilled 10 key trends that show whats great about Melbourne hospitality right now, and where it might be going. All of them give us hope, make us happy and reignite our belief that, even in tricky times, Melbourne is still one of the worlds great cities for snacking, dining and drinking. With snacks like prawn sandwiches, Bar Olo does double duty as a bar and a restaurant. Simon Schluter The small bar sibling The exemplary opening: Bar Olo

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165 Nicholson Street, Carlton, barolocarlton.com.au Anthony Scutella was trying to solve a problem 15 years in the making: where to send Scopri (one of Melbournes most beloved Italian restaurants) customers for an aperitivo or digestivo. But in opening a holding bar nearby, with Bar Olo he also unwittingly hit a nerve among diners. When dinner feels too frivolous but staying at home is getting stale, you need an in-between option. Somewhere with no minimum spends and no questions asked about your intentions. Enter the restaurant spin-off. Bar Olo looks gorgeous enough to feel like a treat, has restaurant-quality service and food, but can be used in any way you want. It joins a steady march of new-wave bars opened by skillful restaurateurs, with fewer strings attached than their main venues. Do we call it the diffusion line, a resto-bar or a micro-restaurant? The jurys out on that part. The high-end restaurants opening more casual, more affordable, just as delicious bars next door

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Butter chicken is out, pork fry is in. Eating Indian doesnt have to mean filling up on standard north Indian curries any more, with a new wave of regional Indian and Sri Lankan restaurants expanding the repertoire and the pleasures. Dishes of egg, cabbage, prawns with okra, and dry pork at Toddy Shop. Luis Enrique Ascui Toddy Shopis a cheery expression of the Keralan toddy shop, a casual south-Indian eatery known for a quick-brewed liquor made from coconut or palm sap, and spicy food, such as dry-fried pork. The cosy Fitzroy version is from local chef Mischa Tropp who is cooking affordable, home-style dishes from Kerala, such as his mums curry-leaf cabbage stir-fry, comfort food like an onion-rich tamarind-spiked curry with fried eggs, and cocktails that remix south Indian flavours. Case in point: the gold fashioned with bourbon, jaggery and turmeric. Honourable mentions: Hopper Joint, Prahran; Enter Via Laundrys bar, Carlton North; Bibi Ji, Carlton Emerald City chef Joel Alderdice behind the counter of his four-seat restaurant. Simon Schluter

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Tinier and tinier The exemplary opening: Emerald City 207 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, emeraldcityhealesville.com More chefs are rethinking traditional dining and experimenting with very small restaurants where interaction is a key part of the experience. Joel Alderdice moved from the 60-seat winery restaurant at Tarrawarra to four-seat Emerald City, hidden out the back of Cavanaghs Whisky and Alehouse in Healesville. Its intimate and special: many sittings are booked out by people celebrating a birthday or anniversary and Alderdice is adept at engaging or melting into the background, depending on the mood. His tasting menu is a succession of punchy snacks: one highlight is halloumi made especially for Emerald City by local cheesemakers Stone & Crow, fried in front of diners and drizzled with hot whisky honey to serve.

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16 Toorak Road, South Yarra, zitasfocaccia.com The focaccia sandwich, just like cargo pants and butterfly clips, has been resurrected by a new generation. Theyve left the dried oregano and sun-dried tomatoes in the 1990s, instead favouring taller, fluffier, squishier bread. The new focaccia is more likely to be served fresh, with fancy fillings stacked to implausible heights. Theres classically Italian mortadella, taleggio cheese and prosciutto, but lamb sausage and even octopus have been spotted between bread. The only downside? Grabbing a sandwich is now an oxymoron, as some focaccia bars, such as JuJus Deli and Zitas, embrace the old-school lunch bar model of making (and even baking!) to order. What the focaccia? Six hot new Italian sandwich shops to add to your hit list

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Honourable mentions: Jujus Deli, Thornbury; Lil Lane, CBD; 3 Salamis, Essendon; FOC, CBD. Sebastian Kakigoris signature creme brulee kakigori with layers of sweet meringue, different textures of ice and hidden strawberry swirls. Simon Schluter The super specialists The exemplary opening: Sebastian Kakigori 203 Queen Street, Melbourne, sebastiankakigori.com.au

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If youre shipping ice from Japan, youre probably pretty serious about making the coolest cold treats in town. Sebastian Kakigori is one of a number of one-dish specialists betting that diners prefer obsessive expertise over choice, at least sometimes. In this case, its kakigori, a Japanese shaved ice dessert. Chef Hiroshi Kawamata has moved from Tokyo to Melbourne to open Sebastian, bringing his signature creme brulee kakigori with him. To create this $35 sweet treat, easily shareable between two, Kawamata starts with a block of clear, bubble-free ice from Kanazawa, made using pure water from the sacred peak of Mount Hakusan. He shaves the ice with a special machine  coarse first, then fluffy and snowy  paints the surface with meringue, then a layer of sugar, which he then brulees with a blowtorch. Burning a bowl of ice is fun, crazy and theatrical; eating it is pure, ephemeral pleasure. See also the rose and strawberry creation. Honourable mentions: Sanhe Congee, West Melbourne; Lulu and Me Cheesecakes, Collingwood; Da Paolo Pizza pop-up. North Fitrovians can experience the pie floater in upmarket form. Jana Langhorst

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Pub and pubber The exemplary opening: North Fitzroy Arms 296 Rae Street, Fitzroy North, northfitzroyarms.com.au Like bangers and mash, or a pie, chips and beer, there are magnetic forces drawing together Melburnians and the pub right now. Most nights, punters spill out of the latest backstreet boozer to be given new sheen, the North Fitzroy Arms. And operators are flocking to the pub, with Hawthorns Beehive the next in line for a makeover by a hospitality group. The North Fitz has mastered the old-new balance thats driven all successful pub makeovers of the last decade or so, with a raffish front bar giving way to a dining room full of design cues from French bistros. Theres a thoughtful drinks list that goes far beyond beer, old-school flourishes like chore coats on staff and candlelight, and no-nonsense pub essentials like a pool table and fish and chips. But theres just enough 2024 on the menu, such as an ethically sourced retired dairy cow beef patty in the burger.

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158 Sydney Road, Coburg, geminimelbourne.com Every canny business owner looks for a lack and fills it with something appealing, but not all of them have as much personal motivation as Tresna Lee and Shane Farrell, the owners of Gemini. The Coburg locals didnt think it was right that they had to head out of their suburb to find the kind of all-day cafe, bar and restaurant that they hankered for. So they did what any of us would do: sold their house, bought an old socialist book room, and turned it into the community hub of their dreams. Here for the long haul, Gemini aims to be threaded through locals lives: there are shelves of pantry essentials, coworking Fridays with unlimited filter coffee, catch-ups where you can turn up alone to meet near neighbours, and happy hours with $3 oysters and $16 martinis (laugh-cryingly called The Broque Era). Of course, those way out of the postcode are also welcome for snacks (dont miss the spiced nuts), meals (crumbed celeriac with harissa is rocking the winter menu) and conversation. Honourable mentions: The Walrus, St Kilda; Bistra, Carlton;Babajis Kerala Kitchen, Warburton Dojus salted calamari on seasoned rice with Geraldton wax is a fresh play on Korean flavours. Bonnie Savage Pride of plate

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The exemplary opening: Papelon Unit 190, 81 Hopkins Street, Footscray, instagram.com/papelonmelbourne Papelon has the distinction of being Melbournes only Venezuelan restaurant, part of a small community of Latin American restaurants in the city. But owner Reveka Hurtado joins a raft of others dipping into their memories, their familys culture and beloved regional specialties to present their spin on Korean, Palestinian, Nepalese, Nigerian and more. These restaurateurs are exploring all of it, even the unsexy stuff or dishes that may confound outsiders. A selection of South American dishes at Papelon. Jason South Filipino restaurant Askal is named after the street-dogs that are celebrated in the Philippines for their grit and adaptability.

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Eat Pierogi Make Love is embracing the cabbage, potatoes and sausages of Poland. Spots like these and Papelon might be where some people get their first taste, or they might be a long-awaited taste of home  their owners dont mind, as long as youre meeting them on their terms. Honourable mentions: Askal CBD; Doju CBD; Falastini, Preston; Little Lagos, Fitzroy; Eat Pierogi Make Love, Brunswick East Molli bistro-bar (left) and Little Molli cafe-deli are sibling venues in Abbotsford. Tim Harris (left) and Kristoffer Paulsen All things to all people

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Molli & Little Molli 20 Mollison Street, Abbotsford, molliabbotsford.com.au Crammed into a single Abbotsford corner is a bistro, cafe, grocer, deli, sandwich shop and bar. How?Molli (and sibling Little Molli) is a chameleon venue, a clever model that aims to be the answer to whatever diners need. Staying in? Come to us for salumi and cheese, they say. Only up for a morning coffee? We know your order. Splashing out? Well chill the champagne. Summing it up as Grab and go, stay and snack, Mollis creators The Mulberry Group will explore the concept again later this year with Sarafian, the deli linked to chef Tom Sarafians more formal debut restaurant Zareh.

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Honourable mentions: the day-to-night trifecta that is Ca Com, Jeow and Anchovy in Richmond; Emilietta sandwich bar tucked inside Trattoria Emilia. Stokehouse Pasta and Bars Wednesday night lasagne special. Arianna Leggiero Very special specials The exemplary offering: Lasagne at Stokehouse Pasta and Bar 30 Jacka Boulevard, St Kilda, stokepastaandbar.com.au

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Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A trial is always about what happens in the court, not what happened at the crime scene. Which means a jury of six men and six women in the Supreme Court spent seven days deciding what happened 346 kilometres away and 1558 days earlier. (There had been a plan to take the murder jury to the crime scene on a giant army Chinook helicopter, but it was deemed to be too expensive.) There was only one eyewitness and he was the defendant  Greg Lynn  charged with the murders of campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill. The jury found him guilty of Clays murder and not guilty of Hills. It is a huge endorsement of the jury system that 12 people would study the evidence so closely to deliver a split decision, choosing not to blindly accept either the versions presented by the defence or the prosecution. They were more rigorous than that. On hearing the verdict, Lynn showed no emotion, which is not surprising. He was a commercial airline pilot. They are selected only after rigorous psychological testing shows they have logical and ordered minds, and then trained to remain calm in potentially catastrophic circumstances. This is why when a pilot loses an engine they go to the book, not the parachute. Lynn may be a strange man who did strange things, but that does not make him a murderer.

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The prosecution was based on logic. The defence on Lynns sworn testimony. The prosecution said Lynns case was based on lies. The defence said the prosecution was guessing. A strong case can be based on independent witnesses (human and electronic), crime scene evidence, pathology reports and admissions from the accused. Clockwise from left: A sketch of the Bucks Camp site Gregory Lynn drew for police; Lynn; Carol Clay; and Russell Hill. The Lynn case had none of the above. The prosecution could not prove how the couple died because Lynn had dumped, burnt and pulverised the bodies, and police were unable to gather vital evidence from the scene as Lynn had burnt the site. What was agreed was that Lynn had a confrontation with Hill at a remote campsite. That Hill, 74, and Clay, 73, died violently and that Lynn destroyed the crime scene, left clues to make it look like it could be a robbery and hid the bodies. The prosecution said Lynn shot them then destroyed evidence and hid the bodies because he was a murderer. The defence said Lynn was present when they died, panicked, then destroyed evidence and hid the bodies because he believed police would think he was a murderer. This scenario goes against all of Lynns training. All flight staff are taught to self-report any possible mistakes. It is drilled into us, says one experienced flight staff.

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When the judge removed the option of finding Lynn guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter, it appeared the jury would have to find Lynn guilty of two murders or set him free. They did neither. Loading They found a third version  one that was not put to them in open court. Rather than choose to side with the prosecution or the defence, the jury reviewed Lynns evidence and testimony from a ballistic expert to analyse Lynns claim Clay was accidentally shot. It would appear the jury concluded that Hill was killed in unprovable circumstances, but Lynn then murdered Clay because she was a witness to the death. With the option of manslaughter off the table, the jury had to conclude whether Hill was murdered  a deliberate act  not just unlawfully killed  a reckless act. With no forensic evidence, it was impossible for the jury to establish the exact circumstances of Hills death, but they apparently concluded it was so damning that Lynn chose to kill Clay and destroy the crime scene in the cover-up. In his police interview, Lynn said: Im not a bad person. Yet he admitted he acted despicably. But does this mean he is a murderer?

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Lynn says that on March 20, 2020, while camping at Dry River Creek Road (also known as Bucks Camp) in the Wonnangatta Valley, he had a dispute with Hill that led to the older man leaning into Lynns car to grab a shotgun. The two men fought over the gun, Lynn says, with Hills finger on the trigger when it accidentally discharged, hitting Clay in the head while she crouched down on the passenger side of Hills white Toyota LandCruiser ute, with the shot deflecting off the vehicles external mirror. Realising Clay was dead, Hill attacked Lynn with a knife, fell on his blade, causing a fatal chest wound. It is unusual for a random shot to hit someone hiding from the line of fire. It is even more unusual for a ricocheted solid shot to hit someone in the head, killing them instantly. We contacted a respected mathematician asking for a calculation of the odds. He said the variables made it impossible to be accurate, but it was wildly improbable. As a general proposition, people do not die from a single stab wound to the chest ... To put this in perspective: In another case where a woman was shot allegedly after a gun was dropped, the probability was one in 160 billion. But the question for the jury was not that it was improbable but whether it was possible. They found that it was not. It is even more unusual for an accidental self-inflicted stabbing wound to avoid the ribs and breastbone to create a fatal wound. Again, the jury had to decide if it was possible. They found it was impossible to establish what happened and acquitted Lynn on this count.

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According to Lynn, Hill died instantly. A senior pathologist not involved in this case said: As a general proposition, people do not die from a single stab wound to the chest unless it triggers an underlying condition such as heart disease. If either Clay or Hill lingered, Lynn would have been duty bound to call for help, but if they were dead, his actions from that point were about self-preservation. He couldnt save them, so he may as well save himself. Loading There is something else that is unusual. Lynn gave sworn evidence opening himself to cross-examination. Usually, the accused stays silent. Lynn was the only defence witness. The defence considered calling character witnesses to show that Lynn was a good egg. But the Crown would have wanted to call rebuttal witnesses including the parents of his first wife, Lisa. They would have testified about her mysterious death in 1999 and how she was terrified of Lynn. They could have given evidence of how Lynn had beheaded the familys pet miniature pig in a fit of rage and left it on the doorstep for Lisa to find, and how the next-door neighbours dog that had annoyed Lynn was found dead and strung up on their fence.

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The unprecedented disciplinary action was made possible by a tightening of governance rules, introduced with support from Jones as vice president, following a 2021 review into a toxic culture that had led 11 of 21 alumni council members to quit. The report that followed was kept secret until now and found misogyny, misandry and aggression had occurred among councillors for the volunteer network for former students of Carey in Kew. The report, for which the association paid HR firm Lawson Delaney $18,150, outlines how a factional split that emerged between older and younger members over a perceived push to appeal to a more diverse cohort worsened when newer members sought council election. The independent volunteer organisation for 20,000 old boys and girls is funded by contributions from parents and has an investment account of about $1 million. Council members who spoke to The Age claimed the newly elected members were being pushed by the school to run for council to transfer control to Carey. The school denied the claim.

The report found there was a co-ordinated effort to have certain individuals elected to the executive and ordinary council through mass proxy harvesting. Most councillors participated to one degree or another, or found themselves being carried along on a train that they never meant to board, the author wrote. I will no longer serve on a venomous toxic and backstabbing council that simply have it done the old boys way. Departing female councillor The report refers to a meeting in February 2021, at which the president at the time introduced a motion to implement a new governance and operating model in which a committee of 10 would be appointed by the Carey principal and another employee of the school. What is clear, is that an agenda was being driven by the president in a manner that was not open and transparent, the report found.

The delivery of the plan hours before the meeting, the lack of clarity in response to simple questions and the quantum of proposed changes deeply concerned some councillors. There was a push for the review when the council imploded in the weeks after the meeting and 11 of its 21 members quit, including its president and all seven women members. The secret report details how one departing female councillor used her resignation letter to say shed witnessed abhorrent psychological harm and intimidation. I will no longer serve on a venomous toxic and backstabbing council that simply have it done the old boys way, she wrote. Council members who spoke to The Age said Carey had pushed for the review to be undertaken by the schools lawyers. The incoming president opted to pay more than $18,000 to an external group to review the period of disunity from early 2020.

About 15 current and former alumni members contributed about 250 pages of submissions and 23 hours of interviews, according to Lawson Delaney. Carey Baptist Grammar School principal Jonathan Walter dismissed the reviews findings. Carey opted not to participate, and the school has rejected the reports findings. In a letter seen by The Age, Carey principal Jonathan Walter wrote to the incoming president at the time to express his support for keeping the report secret. Recommendations around council reforms are constructive and valuable. Specific recommendations around behaviour or strategy, however, almost all imply wrongdoing by the school or its staff or seek to impose obligations on the school, he wrote.

Walter said this week that Carey does not endorse the process that was undertaken for this review in relation to its reliability or transparency and the matters described were inconsistent with the schools understanding of events. Loading The school has been consistently clear about its desire for the OCGA [Old Carey Grammarians Association] to remain an independent organisation. The school has no wish to control the operations of the OCGA, he said. The school does not intervene in the selection of the OCGA council. The OCGA is an independent entity and selects its own council through independent elections. Simon Wood, who took over as president after the councils mass exodus but has since stepped down, said he had no reason to question the reports accuracy.

Wood, who kept the report secret despite pressure from those who contributed, claimed he was treated dishonestly by Walter, whom he accuses of letting him take the blame over not releasing the report. The entire experience wore me down, leading me to resign as president, he said. An alumni spokesperson said the association had undertaken a number of reforms since the report was written, including overhauling its culture and governance. Over the last four years weve made some incredible progress and introduced comprehensive changes, the spokesperson said. Were deeply proud to have a dynamic, diverse council team with an average age of 29 and a female majority.
A former Collingwood player, charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of two West Australian women on June 7, has been granted bail.

Thelma Clausen, 82, and Coral Seinor, 83, residents of the coastal town of Jurien Bay north of Perth, were killed when the car they were in collided with a Toyota Prado, and a road train towing two trailers, on a highway about 170 kilometres north of Perth.

Thelma Clausen and Coral Seinor (left) and Shannon Cox (right). Credit: Composite image

Police allege Shannon Cox, 38, was behind the wheel of the Prado that morning when it collided with the Suzuki hatchback, driven by one of the women, on Brand Highway in Cooljarloo.

A 12-year-old female passenger in the Prado also received minor injuries and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
A Perth man has been arrested after allegedly arranging for three men to kill his father-in-law in India.

Maddington man Shiv Sheetal, 42, has been charged with attempted murder. He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where he did not apply for bail.

Shiv Sheetal was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of his father-in-law. Credit: Facebook

WA Police launched an investigation after they were contacted by Indian authorities who were looking into the attack on a 65-year-old man in Kahlon Village, Punjab India.

Police allege the older man was attacked with a machete and then shot in the back of the head in February last year but survived with a fractured skull and serious brain injury after the gun misfired.
Melbourne Airports owners are preparing to fight for an underground rail station on the site after a federal government report found it should not be built below ground unless the operators could show it made commercial sense.

The mediator appointed by the Commonwealth to intervene in the dispute between the airport and the Victorian government, Neil Scales, handed a report with three key recommendations to federal Transport Minister Catherine King this month.

An artists impression of a proposed above-ground station at Melbourne Airport.

Both sides are at odds over how a railway station at Tullamarine should be built, with the airport asking that it go underground while the state pushes for a more cost-effective elevated option.

On Thursday, King said the report recommended the underground option should not be considered by state and federal governments, and that if the airports owners wished to pursue this idea, they should provide a comprehensive business case for consideration.
Victorian hospitals must get rid of waste and duplication, the states health minister has declared, as she and the premier left it up to health services to make their budgets work under strict new rules.

The Age revealed on Thursday that two of Victorias largest health services had imposed immediate hiring freezes in response to new funding arrangements that mean hospitals will not have their budgets topped up if they fall into the red.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said hospitals were not being asked to cut patient care. Credit: Penny Stephens

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas was asked four times on Thursday whether hospitals would have to wind back services as a result of her governments demand for savings.

The Labor frontbencher declined to rule out bed closures or elective surgery cancellations, but did insist she had not asked hospitals to slash patient care as part of a bid to rein in spending.
Editor's note: Summertime is prime time for food trucks. Stay tuned for local and regional food truck news and highlights, with your Billings business host Lillian Palmer. If you have local food truck news, email lpalmer@billingsgazette.com.

I have some last-minute news for fellow foodies and food truck followers, On The Hook Fish and Chips will make a stop in Billings Thursday, June 27. The truck will be parked in the NAPA Auto Parts parking lot at 3175 Grand Ave, from 11-7 pm.

For those who are new to the On The Hook following, its a food truck specializing in sustainably-sourced, wild Alaskan cod fish and chips, with small-town western roots.

On The Hook was started in Laramie, Wyoming in 2014, by two University of Wyoming students: Ocean Andrew and Hunter Anderson. Their one truck has since evolved into a food-truck franchise, with trucks traveling to 17 states across the country. Montana was one of their first regional expansions outside of their home state of Wyoming.

We serve the state of Montana five times a week with a franchisee owned truck, Relations Coordinator Ben Cochran said. We serve the city of Billings twice a month on a Thursday at the NAPA store (on Grande Ave).

On The Hook touts the fact that all their wild Alaskan cod is line caught; never caught in a net. This is something they take great pride in, noting on their website that line catching fish is fresher, kinder, higher quality, and more sustainable compared to net catching. This is also something that stems back to their startup.

The fish are caught by Ocean Andrews dad, Shaun Andrew, who is captain of the 187-foot Northern Leader and owner/operator of Alaskan Leader Fisheries, Cowboy State Daily wrote. The ship was featured on an episode of Discovery Channels Mighty Ships.

As a company standard, On The Hook plans to keep their fish line-caught moving forward.

On The Hook is introducing their new custom sodas this week, which will be available this week in Billings.

Our Root beer and Strawberry (soda) is made with cane sugar and served ice cold in a glass bottle!, their Facebook post said. Make sure you check out our new clothing brand!

Get this, the duo has launched a clothing brand recently, called On The Hook Outfitters. Their new brand features a cable knit sweater with a draw-string hood; tailored for an old-world fishermen vibe and practical use. These guys are just a movin-and-a-shakin.

If you miss them this time around, theyll be back. Till then, you can check out their website or follow their socials, and get On The Hook.
Israeli strike on Syria kills two: state media



Damascus, June 26 (AFP) Jun 26, 2024



Two people were killed in an Israeli strike on southern Syria on Wednesday, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a military source.

According to the NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strike targeted the service centre of a foundation affiliated with pro-Iranian groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The strike was near Sayyida Zeinab, which is home to an important Shiite sanctuary and is defended by pro-Iranian militias and the army.

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the country, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters, including from Hezbollah.

"At around 11:40 pm, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial assault from the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting a number of positions in the southern region, killing two people and injuring a soldier," the SANA report said.

It said Syrian air defence had also shot down some missiles, without giving further details.

The Observatory, however, said that three people were killed in the strike, including an elderly woman, with another 11 injured.

It had initially reported one death.

On June 19, a Syrian army officer was killed in the same region, according to SANA.

Israeli strikes have increased since the Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, has long been a key ally of the Syrian government, but has said repeatedly that it has no combat troops in Syria, only officers to provide military advice and training.

Israeli authorities rarely comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
Bolivian army chief arrested after coup attempt



La Paz, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Bolivia's army chief was arrested Wednesday after sending soldiers and tanks to take up position in front of government buildings in what President Luis Arce called an attempted "coup d'etat".

The troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square where the presidency and Congress are situated, in the afternoon, prompting global condemnation of an attack on democracy.

One of the tanks tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace.

Surrounded by soldiers and eight tanks, the now-dismissed army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga said the "armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years."

Shortly thereafter, AFP reporters saw soldiers and tanks pulling back from the square.

Later Wednesday, Zuniga was captured and forced into a police car as he addressed reporters outside a military barracks, footage on state television showed.

"General, you are under arrest," Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera told Zuniga.

"No one can take away the democracy we have won," Arce said from a balcony of the government palace in front of hundreds of supporters.

Earlier he had urged "the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat in favor of democracy," in a televised message to the country alongside his ministers inside the presidential palace.

He also swore in new military leaders, firing Zuniga.

Former president Evo Morales wrote on X that "a coup d'etat is brewing" and also urged a "national mobilization to defend democracy."

- Zuniga's anti-democratic remarks -



Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.

Morales, who was Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019.

The leftist and former coca union leader won that vote but was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.

He returned after Arce won the presidency in October 2020.

Since then a power struggle has grown between the two men, and Morales has increasingly criticized the government and accused it of corruption, tolerating drug trafficking, and sidelining him politically.

Six months ago, the Constitutional Court disqualified Morales from the 2025 elections, however he is still seeking nomination as the MAS candidate.

Arce has not said whether he will seek re-election.

Zuniga appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest Morales if he insisted on running for office again in 2025.

"Legally he is disqualified, that man cannot be president of this country again," he said.

Since that interview, rumors have swirled that Zuniga was on the verge of being dismissed.

- Calls for calm -



The US administration of Joe Biden said it was keeping a close eye on events in Bolivia and "calls for calm," according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

Condemnations of the troop movements also poured in from across Latin America, with leaders of Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela calling for democracy to be respected.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X: "I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d'etat in Bolivia."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called for "respect for democracy and the rule of law," in a message on X.

The Organization of American States (OAS) said the international community would "not tolerate any form of breach of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia."
Defense minister says Israel doesn't want war but warns Hezbollah



Washington, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on a visit to Washington that his country does not want war in Lebanon but was ready to inflict "massive damage" on Hezbollah if diplomacy fails.

"We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario," Gallant told reporters during the visit that ended Wednesday.

"Hezbollah understands very well that we can inflict massive damage in Lebanon if a war is launched," he said.

Tensions have been rising, with growing skirmishes along the border between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia, since the October 7 attack by Hamas that prompted a relentless Israeli retaliatory campaign in Gaza.

Gallant said that Israel has killed more than 400 Hezbollah "terrorists" in recent months.
Marcos says Philippines must 'do more' than protest China sea actions



Manila, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



President Ferdinand Marcos said Thursday that the Philippines needs to do more than protest Beijing's "illegal actions" in the South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe surrounded and boarded three Filipino navy boats last week, video showed, foiling what Manila said was a resupply mission to troops manning a grounded warship on Second Thomas Shoal.

It was the latest and most serious incident in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to nearly all of the strategically located waterway.

"We have filed over a hundred protests, we have already made a similar number of demarches," Marcos told reporters.

"We have to do more than just that," he said, without specifying what other steps Manila might take.

The clashes have raised concern the conflict will draw in the United States, which is bound by a 1951 mutual defence pact to come to Manila's aid in case of an "armed attack" on its forces or vessels in the Pacific theatre.

Manila has also raised concerns that Chinese forces might take action against the warship BRP Sierra Madre, an ageing ship that was deliberately grounded on the shoal in 1999 to assert Philippine claims to the area.

A small garrison of Filipino marines stationed aboard the decrepit vessel relies on frequent resupply for survival.

Marcos on Thursday echoed his senior security aides' assessment that the June 17 clash next to the grounded warship did not constitute an armed attack.

"It's not armed. There was no gunshot. They did not point a gun at us, but it was a deliberate action to stop our people," Marcos said.

"So, although there were no arms involved, nonetheless, it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by Chinese forces."

A Filipino soldier lost a finger in the incident, with Manila also accusing the Chinese coast guard of stealing guns and damaging three boats along with navigational and communication equipment.

Beijing insisted its coast guard behaved in a "professional and restrained" way and blamed Manila for the clash.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday that Manila had filed a diplomatic protest.

On Tuesday, Manalo told a Senate hearing that Manila hopes to convene a meeting with Beijing early next month "specifically to discuss the recent incidents".

Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

China deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters around the shoal and has turned several reefs into artificial militarised islands.
Philippine army says seven leftist rebels killed in clash



Manila, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



The Philippine military said Thursday it killed seven communist rebels in a gun battle in the north of the country.

The firefight occurred the day before near the municipality of Pantabangan as the army battled about 20 New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas, said Maj. Jimson Masangkay, spokesman for the 7th Infantry Division.

Troops recovered the bodies of seven rebels, a military statement said, adding there were no casualties among government forces.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has waged one of the world's longest Maoist insurgencies.

The Philippine military estimates there are fewer than 2,000 guerrillas left, and firefights have become less frequent.

Hundreds of communist rebels have surrendered in recent years in exchange for financial assistance and livelihood opportunities, according to the government.
Bolivian army leaders arrested after coup attempt



La Paz, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Two Bolivian army leaders were arrested Wednesday after soldiers and tanks took up position in front of government buildings in what President Luis Arce called an attempted coup.

The troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square where the presidency and Congress are situated, in the afternoon, prompting global condemnation of an attack on democracy.

One of the tanks tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace.

Surrounded by soldiers and eight tanks, the now-dismissed army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga said the "armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years."

AFP reporters saw soldiers and tanks pulling back from the square shortly after. The uprising lasted about five hours.

Zuniga was captured and forced into a police car as he addressed reporters outside a military barracks later on Wednesday, footage on state television showed.

"General, you are under arrest," Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera told Zuniga.

A second senior military officer Juan Arnez Salvador, who was head of the Bolivian navy, was also arrested Wednesday night.

Salvador's arrest was announced by Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo, who said that Zuniga and Arnez are "two military coup leaders who tried to destroy democracy and the institutionality of our country and failed."

Speaking from a balcony of the government palace, Arce told hundreds of supporters that "No one can take away the democracy we have won."

He had urged "the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat in favor of democracy," in an earlier televised message to the country alongside his ministers inside the presidential palace.

He fired Zuniga and Salvador and swore in a new set of military leaders.

Before he was arrested, Zuniga told reporters that the president had told him to stage an uprising, in order to trigger a crackdown that would make him look strong and boost his sagging approval rating.

At a meeting Sunday, the general said, Zuniga asked Arce "so we bring out armored vehicles?" He said the president answered, "bring them out."

Arce's instructions were to "stage something to raise his popularity," Zuniga said.

Former president Evo Morales wrote on social media platform X that "a coup d'etat is brewing" and urged a "national mobilization to defend democracy."



- Zuniga's anti-democratic remarks -



Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.

Morales, who was Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019.

The leftist and former coca union leader won that vote but was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.

He returned after Arce won the presidency in October 2020.

Since then a power struggle has grown between the two men, and Morales has increasingly criticized the government and accused it of corruption, tolerating drug trafficking, and sidelining him politically.

Six months ago, the Constitutional Court disqualified Morales from the 2025 elections, however he is still seeking nomination as the MAS candidate.

Arce has not said whether he will seek re-election.

Zuniga appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest Morales if he insisted on running for office again in 2025.

"Legally he is disqualified, that man cannot be president of this country again," he said.

Since that interview, rumors have swirled that Zuniga was on the verge of being dismissed.



- Calls for calm -



The US administration of Joe Biden said it was keeping a close eye on events in Bolivia and "calls for calm," according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "deeply concerned" by events in Bolivia and called on all actors, including the military, to "protect the constitutional order and to preserve a climate of peace", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Condemnations of the troop movements also poured in from across Latin America, with leaders of Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela calling for democracy to be respected.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X: "I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d'etat in Bolivia."

The Organization of American States (OAS) said the international community would "not tolerate any form of breach of the legitimate constitutional order in Bolivia."

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N. Korea says successfully tested multiple-warhead missile



Seoul, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



North Korea successfully tested its multiple-warhead missile capability, state media said Thursday, as dozens more trash-laden balloons sent by Pyongyang landed in the South.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with Pyongyang ramping up weapons testing while bombarding the South with balloons full of trash it says are in retaliation to similar missives sent northwards by activists in the South.

The balloons briefly forced Incheon Airport, Seoul's major hub, to close on Wednesday and, in response to the successive launches, South Korea has fully suspended a tension-reducing military treaty and re-started propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts and live-fire drills near the border.

North Korea claimed it had "successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads", the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Thursday.

The "separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to the three coordinate targets" during the test carried out on Wednesday, it said.

"The test is aimed at securing the MIRV capability," KCNA added, referring to multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology -- the ability to fire multiple warheads on a single ballistic missile.

South Korea's military had said the North's test on Wednesday appeared to be of a hypersonic missile, but that the launch ended in a mid-air explosion.

More smoke than usual appeared to emanate from the missile, raising the possibility of combustion issues, a South Korean military official said, adding it may have been powered by solid propellants.

According to KCNA, the test "was carried out by use of the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometre (105 to 124-mile) radius".

"The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar," it said.

Acquiring multiple-warhead missile technology is an ultimate goal for nations seeking ICBM-level missiles to carry nuclear warheads, said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

It appears the North is "testing such technology step by step over the long haul", he told AFP.

"They appear to be making technological advancements in the early development stages of multiple-warhead missiles."

The United States and Seoul have repeatedly accused North Korea of providing ammunition and missiles to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin was in Pyongyang last week for a high-profile state visit that underscored his growing ties with leader Kim Jong Un.

The pair signed a "breakthrough" agreement that included a pledge to come to each other's aid if attacked.

South Korea, which said last week it would "reconsider" a longstanding policy that bars it from supplying arms directly to Ukraine, announced Thursday it will impose unilateral sanctions against four Russian ships and eight North Korean individuals over arms shipments and oil transfers between the two countries.



- Balloon blitz -



North Korea has floated hundreds of trash-carrying balloons southward for three consecutive days in a tit-for-tat propaganda campaign.

Seoul's military said around 70 balloons had landed by Thursday morning, mainly in northern Gyeonggi province and the Seoul area, with the contents found not to be hazardous.

"The payload is about 10 kilograms (22 pounds), so there is a risk if the balloons descend rapidly," it said, adding the military was ready to respond.

South Korea's Marine Corps resumed live-fire exercises on islands near the western inter-Korean border on Wednesday, the first such exercises since the 2018 tension-reducing military deal with the North was fully suspended this month.

South Korea and the United States also staged joint air drills Wednesday involving around 30 aircraft, including Washington's advanced stealth fighter jet the F-22 Raptor.

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a US aircraft carrier on Tuesday that arrived in South Korea for joint trilateral military drills this week aimed at countering North Korean threats.

The drills, which run from Thursday to Saturday, involve Washington's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Tokyo's guided-missile destroyer JS Atago, and Seoul's KF-16 fighter jets, among other assets.

Pyongyang has routinely criticised such exercises as rehearsals for an invasion.
Russia jails man for 12 years over alleged Ukraine help



Moscow, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



A Russian court in the annexed peninsula of Crimea sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for filming Russian military sites to help Ukraine's armed forces, Russian news agencies reported Thursday.

Since sending troops into Ukraine, Moscow has targeted hundreds of its own citizens that it says have aided or supported Kyiv throughout the two-year conflict.

Crimea's supreme court said it had found a man born in 1991, a resident of the Saky district, "guilty of high treason," Russian state news agencies reported, citing the court's press service.

Prosecutors said the man had "made videos of the process of work of an air defence system and commented on its location with the goal of assisting Ukraine's armed forces," the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

They say he then sent the footage to a Ukrainian chatbot set up to collect information on Russian military targets.

Russia opened a record number of treason cases in 2023, independent rights groups say, after tightening laws and increasing punishments amid its offensive on Ukraine.

Ukraine has heavily targeted Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Kyiv in 2014, launching multiple missile and drone strikes against the peninsula since Russia launched its full-scale military offensive in February 2022.
Bolivian army chiefs arrested after coup attempt



La Paz, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Two Bolivian army leaders have been arrested after soldiers and tanks took up position in front of government buildings on Wednesday in what President Luis Arce called an attempted coup.

The troops and tanks entered Plaza Murillo, a historic square where the presidency and Congress are situated, in the afternoon, prompting global condemnation of an attack on democracy.

One of the tanks tried to break down a metal door of the presidential palace.

Surrounded by soldiers and eight tanks, the now-dismissed army chief General Juan Jose Zuniga said the "armed forces intend to restructure democracy, to make it a true democracy and not one run by the same few people for 30, 40 years."

AFP reporters saw soldiers and tanks pulling back from the square shortly after. The uprising lasted about five hours.

Zuniga was captured and forced into a police car as he addressed reporters outside a military barracks later on Wednesday, footage on state television showed.

"General, you are under arrest," Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera told Zuniga.

A second senior officer Juan Arnez Salvador, who was head of the Bolivian navy, was also arrested Wednesday night.

Salvador's arrest was announced by Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo, who said that Zuniga and the navy chief are "two military coup leaders who tried to destroy democracy and the institutionality of our country and failed".

Speaking from a balcony of the government palace, 60-year-old Arce told hundreds of supporters that "No one can take away the democracy we have won".

He had urged "the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat in favor of democracy," in an earlier televised message to the country alongside his ministers inside the presidential palace.

He fired Zuniga and Salvador and swore in a new set of military leaders.

Before he was arrested, Zuniga told reporters that the president had told him to stage an uprising, in order to trigger a crackdown that would make him look strong and boost his sagging approval rating.

At a meeting Sunday, the general said, Zuniga asked Arce "so we bring out armored vehicles?" He said the president answered, "bring them out."

Arce's instructions were to "stage something to raise his popularity," Zuniga said.

Former president Evo Morales wrote on social media platform X that "a coup d'etat is brewing" and urged a "national mobilization to defend democracy."



- Zuniga's anti-democratic remarks -



Bolivia is deeply polarized after years of political instability and the ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party is riven by internal conflict between supporters of Arce and his former mentor Morales.

Morales, who was Bolivia's first Indigenous president, was extremely popular until he tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term in office in 2019.

The leftist and former coca union leader won that vote but was forced to resign amid deadly protests over alleged election fraud, and fled the country.

He returned after Arce won the presidency in October 2020.

Since then a power struggle has grown between the two men, and Morales has increasingly criticized the government and accused it of corruption, tolerating drug trafficking, and sidelining him politically.

Six months ago, the Constitutional Court disqualified Morales from the 2025 elections, however he is still seeking nomination as the MAS candidate.

Arce has not said whether he will seek re-election.

Zuniga appeared on television on Monday and said he would arrest Morales if he insisted on running for office again in 2025.

"Legally he is disqualified, that man cannot be president of this country again," he said.

Since that interview, rumors have swirled that Zuniga was on the verge of being dismissed.



- Calls for calm -



The US administration of Joe Biden said it was keeping a close eye on events in Bolivia and "calls for calm," according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

Russia "strongly" condemned the attempted military coup, its foreign ministry said Thursday, warning against "destructive foreign interference" in the South American country.

"We express our full, unwavering support for the government of President Luis Arce," it said, adding that Moscow stood in "solidarity with... our reliable strategic partner".

UN chief Antonio Guterres was "deeply concerned" by events in Bolivia, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Condemnations of the troop movements also poured in from across Latin America, with leaders of Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela calling for democracy to be respected.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva wrote on X: "I am a lover of democracy and I want it to prevail throughout Latin America. We condemn any form of coup d'etat in Bolivia."

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Senior Turkish army officer held on human trafficking charges: defence sources



Istanbul, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



A senior Turkish military officer with the rank of a brigadier general has been detained on suspicion of human trafficking across the Syrian border, defence ministry sources said on Thursday.

The sources confirmed reports in the Turkish media this week that a brigadier general in charge of regional operations in Syria had used his official car to smuggle people through checkpoints without being notice, earning thousands of dollars.

It was not clear whether he was ever in the car at the time.

Defence ministry sources confirmed his detention, without saying when or where it took place.

The reports said he was detained in Ankara following an order from the prosecutor in Akcakale district of Sanliurfa province near the Syrian border.

The sources confirmed an investigation had been opened and the officer had been forced to retire shortly afterwards.

"Administrative and judicial processes are under way," the sources said, indicating they would pursue any lawbreakers within the army, regardless of rank.

Since 2016, Turkey has carried out successive ground operations to expel the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from northern Syria, where its proxies now control two large border strips.

Ankara views the YPG, which dominates the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which it has outlawed as a "terrorist" group.

The civil war in Syria has killed more than half a million people since it erupted in 2011 after Damascus brutally cracked down on anti-government protests.
China expels former defence minister from Communist Party



Beijing, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Former Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party for causing "great damage to (its) cause" through offences including suspected bribery, state media said on Thursday.

Li was ousted last October after only seven months in the role following a lengthy absence from public view, one of the most prominent examples in a series of high-level disappearances from China's military establishment and political class.

State broadcaster CCTV said in a separate report on Thursday that Li's predecessor, Wei Fenghe, had also been expelled from the party and passed on to prosecutors over alleged corruption.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting campaign against official graft since coming to power more than a decade ago.

Proponents say the drive ensures clean governance, but critics argue it also serves as a means for Xi to purge political rivals.

The Communist Party's powerful Politburo of senior leaders ruled on Thursday Li had "betrayed his original mission and lost his party spirit and principles", according to CCTV.

He "seriously polluted the political environment and industrial ethos in the field of military equipment, and caused great damage to the party's cause, national defence and the construction of the armed forces", it said.



- 'Extremely severe' -



Li is suspected of bribery, accused of abusing his position to take "huge sums of money" in return for favours and of bribing others.

He also "illegally sought personnel benefits for himself and others", CCTV said, adding "the nature (of his offences) is extremely severe, their impact was particularly egregious, and the harm from them was particularly huge".

Li's months-long disappearance from public view last year sparked rumours about his political future.

He had travelled to a security conference in Russia in August and days later held a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to handout photos.

However, he then vanished for several months until his removal was confirmed in October.

His sacking followed the dramatic ouster of foreign minister Qin Gang in June last year.

Qin's whereabouts and condition remain unknown, and Beijing's foreign ministry again declined to answer a question about him this week.



- 'Fight and win' -



Xi last week repeated his vow to crack down on graft in the armed forces during an address to a meeting of the Central Military Commission.

He urged China's top brass to "eradicate the soil and conditions in which corruption thrives (and) expand the depth and breadth of the anti-corruption struggle", state media reported.

Xi also called on the military to "strengthen the all-round supervision of senior cadres in exercising their duties and using their powers".

China and its regional neighbours have butted heads in recent months over territorial claims in the hotly disputed South China Sea.

China has also held war games around Taiwan, the self-ruled island that it claims as part of its territory and has vowed to seize one day, by force if needed.

Xi said China's army must "always dare to fight and win", adding that the "situation in the world, country, party and army are undergoing complex and profound changes".
Eight family physicians will complete the Billings-based Montana Family Medicine Residency on June 28. The program is thrilled that 75% of this years graduates will practice medicine in Montana and all will be caring for patients in the Rocky Mountain West.

Based at RiverStone Health, MFMR is a three-year residency sponsored by Billings Clinic, Intermountain Health and RiverStone Health. MFMR is Montanas first graduate medical education program and has been training family physicians for rural practice for nearly 30 years. Here are this years graduates:

 Brooke Fettig, MD plans to stay in Billings to practice outpatient medicine.

 Marina Hansen, MD will practice outpatient medicine at Providence Women's Care and Family Wellness in Missoula.

 Alex Hetrick, DO will practice inpatient and outpatient medicine in Polson.

 Jameson Laub, DO will practice rural family medicine in Cortez, Colorado.

 Travis Loy, MD is staying in Billings to practice outpatient medicine at Intermountain Health in the Billings Heights.

 Daniel Pak, MD will return to his hometown of Mill Creek, Washington to practice outpatient medicine.

 Adam Putnam, DO is joining Bitterroot Health in Hamilton to practice outpatient medicine.

 Jalyn Walker, MD will practice outpatient medicine in Red Lodge.

After a ceremony recognizing the Class of 2024 on Wednesday, June 26, RiverStone Health welcomed nine new physicians in the Class of 2027.
Syria to demobilise tens of thousands of reservists: defence official



Damascus, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Syria plans the phased demobilisation of tens of thousands of reservists from next month, a defence ministry official said, as fighting in the civil war has wound down in recent years.

"Tens of thousands will be demobilised by the end of the current year, and the same next year, while maintaining combat readiness and acting in the interests of the people," Major General Ahmed Sleiman told Syrian state television late Wednesday.

Syria's conflict has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions more since it broke out in 2011 after security forces cracked down on anti-government protests.

The Syrian army is composed of three main groups: soldiers who enlist voluntarily, those conscripted as part of compulsory military service, and reservists, who have completed their service but can be summoned for further duty at any time.

Over the years, the army leadership repeatedly extended reservists' terms of service -- currently set at six years -- and failed to demobilise soldiers whose compulsory military service had ended.

Sleiman said the demobilisation of reservists will be based on a three-phase plan beginning next month and running until the end of October 2025.

Reserve service will be reduced to a maximum of two years in the final phase, he added.

Sleiman said the decision aimed to "achieve an advanced army that relies on voluntary enlistment, through a new volunteer contract", according to which anyone who has completed five years of service and does not wish to continue will be discharged.

Those who enlisted voluntarily and have served for 10 years will be exempted from all reserve service, he added.

The military has announced several demobilisations since the conflict broke out.

In a 2015 interview, President Bashar al-Assad highlighted the importance of "volunteer" fighters, without whom "the army would not have been able to hold on for four and a half years of such a difficult war".

With support from Iran, and after Russia intervened militarily in support of the government in September 2015, Assad was able to regain much of the territory lost in the early years of the conflict.

A 2021 report from the European Union's asylum agency said that "the evasion of conscription has been reported as one of the main reasons for young men over the age of 18 having fled Syria" and key obstacle to their return.

In the war's early years, experts said a combination of casualties, defections and draft-dodging saw the military lose half of its 300,000-strong force.
Ultra-Orthodox draft could undermine Netanyahu's government, again



Jerusalem, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



As Israel fights the Gaza war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces new political headwinds after the top court ruled this week that ultra-Orthodox men must be drafted for military service.

What has long been a flashpoint issue in Israel's fractious politics could break up his right-wing coalition government and send the divided country to new elections.

Most Jewish men and women in Israel must serve in the military, but since 1948 the insular ultra-Orthodox community has been granted draft exemptions so some students can continue yeshiva study.

Over the years, the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community has ballooned, and with it the number of exemptions.

The Israeli High Court in a landmark decision this week ordered the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men at a time the military is fighting Hamas in Gaza and as the threat of war looms against Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Several prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis publicly dug in their heels after the ruling, with one declaring enlistment "a religious transgression" and that "it's like they're forcing us to profane the Shabbat", the Jewish day of rest.

The court ruling was the latest twist in a decades-long dispute at the heart of Israeli politics -- one that set off a political crisis in 2018 that saw Israel go to the polls five times in the four succeeding years.

Haredim, who observe a strict interpretation of Jewish law and live in insular communities, say their Torah study does as much to protect the country as military service.

"Up until now, there's always been some legal basis not to call them into the army," said Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute.

Now, however, he said, Haredim "have no exception and no legal basis not to do it".

A growing chorus of Israelis has called for ultra-Orthodox men to bear an "equal share of the burden" of military service, but it remains unclear how the court's decision will impact Haredi enlistment in practice.



- Economic penalties -



Around 66,000 ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students are currently eligible for army enlistment, said Friedman.

Some ultra-Orthodox men already serve in the army.

An Israeli military human resources officer told lawmakers in February that the number of ultra-Orthodox men enlisting annually has held steady at around 1,200 since 2019, down from around 3,000 in 2017.

The court's decision doesn't mean everyone eligible will get a draft order this week. Any push by Israeli authorities to enlist Haredi men into the military would only occur in months to come.

"The question is the pace: whether it be 3,000 now and 6,000 next year, or (if they) will keep the very slow pace we witness now," Friedman said.

Yeshivas whose students dodge the draft now face major government budget cuts, in some cases as much as a third of their annual budgets, said Barak Medina, a law professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Yeshivas get subsidies based on students enrolled, and will be penalised for each one that doesn't enlist.

Those economic penalties may put pressure on ultra-Orthodox institutions to comply.

"I am fairly sure that Haredi society will organise people who want to enlist and can enlist," said Nechumi Yaffe, a professor of public policy at Tel Aviv University specialising in the ultra-Orthodox community.

"It will change Haredi society."

Earlier this month, Netanyahu's Likud party revived a bill that aims to legislate Haredi enlistment targets and legalise exemptions for yeshiva students.

But opponents to the legislation -- including a handful of Likud lawmakers -- say the bill is toothless, gives de facto exemptions to around 90 percent of Haredi men in each cohort, and does not meet the military's increased manpower needs during wartime.



- 'Buy more time' -



Medina said there doesn't appear to be enough support within Netanyahu's governing coalition to pass the bill.

That won't stop the prime minister who will lean on his allies to throw their weight behind it, he said.

"It is either you support this sweeping legislation that provides exemption to all the students, or we are going to early elections."

Netanyahu's ruling coalition holds 64 seats in the 120-member parliament. His majority depends on two Haredi political parties that together control 18 votes.

If they bolt, it could send Israel to new elections at a time the nation, traumatised by the October 7 attack, is deeply divided over Netanyahu's government, the conduct of the war and efforts to bring home the hostages Hamas is holding.

Friedman believes Netanyahu will likely try to stall until the Knesset, Israel's parliament, takes summer recess on July 28.

"He's trying to postpone the collapse of the government, buy more time," and in the meanwhile shore up his coalition, Friedman said.

Yaffe, at Tel Aviv University, said a public opinion survey she conducted this week among Haredim indicated "great anger" toward their parties' politicians, and growing disillusionment with the current "full-on right wing" government's ability to serve the community's interests.

That doesn't necessarily translate to an appetite for new elections.

"It's a question of interests," Yaffe said. "Would a different government give them more?"
UN calls for probe, fair trials in Bolivia after failed coup



Geneva, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



The United Nations called Thursday for an investigation into allegations of violence surrounding the failed coup bid in Bolivia, and for those detained to receive fair trials.

The bungled bid by military chiefs to overthrow Bolivian President Luis Arce's government deepened turmoil in a country facing severe economic decline.

"I am deeply worried about Wednesday's military incursion at the presidential palace in Bolivia," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

"It is crucial for Bolivian authorities, including the armed forces, to ensure full respect for human rights under all circumstances, protect the constitutional order and maintain peace.

"I urge the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of violence and reports of injuries. Those responsible must be held to account, and those detained in relation to the events must receive fair trials."

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights said dialogue and democratic mechanisms were the only way to resolve tensions.

Army chief Juan Jose Zuniga on Wednesday deployed troops and tanks to the heart of the Bolivian capital La Paz, where they tried to break down a door of the presidential palace.

Shortly thereafter, soldiers and tanks pulled back and local television broadcast images of Zuniga's arrest.

Bolivia's naval chief Juan Arnez Salvador was also arrested. The two men face up to 20 years in prison for the crimes of terrorism and armed uprising, prosecutors said.
EU chief estimates EU defence needs at 500 bn euros



Brussels, Belgium, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told leaders Thursday that the bloc could need to invest 500 billion euros ($535 billion) in the next decade to bolster its defences, diplomats said.

European Union countries are pushing to ramp up their defence industries and rearm their militaries after years of underinvestment in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Diplomats said von der Leyen presented the estimate at a EU summit in Brussels during discussions on the gaps in the bloc's defence capabilities.

The head of the EU's executive did not, however, provide a detailed breakdown of what her projected sum covered.

"We didn't see spreadsheets, we didn't see details, this is pie in the sky money," one EU diplomat said.

There is also no clarity on how the EU would finance the investment.

Von der Leyen's European Commission was supposed to provide written options for raising funds at the summit, but instead she opted to deliver just a presentation.

There is a standoff over whether the EU should consider joint borrowing, similar to how it financed its recovery programme after the Covid pandemic.

"Several countries, including France and Estonia, are in favour of eurobonds," an EU official said. "But Germany and the Netherlands are against."

EU countries have already increased their defence spending in the decade since Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

That trend has accelerated since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with a sharp increase in the number of EU countries hitting NATO's target of spending two percent of gross domestic product on defence.

The bloc's defence agency says EU countries spent a total of 240 billion euros on defence in 2022.

The increases in EU defence spending in recent years have nonetheless been dwarfed by those of China and Russia.
US targets petrol tankers over Iran nuclear 'escalation'



Washington, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



The United States on Thursday announced sanctions against shipping companies for transporting Iranian oil, saying it was a response to Tehran's nuclear "escalation," on the eve of presidential elections in the Islamic republic.

"Over the past month, Iran has announced steps to further expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

He said the United States was imposing the sanctions "in response to these continued nuclear escalations," saying, "We remain committed to never letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome."

The State Department announced sanctions on three shipping companies, all based in the United Arab Emirates, for allegedly transporting Iranian oil as well as 11 associated vessels.

The sanctions block any assets of the companies in the United States and criminalize US transactions with them.

The United States already has a sweeping unilateral ban on other countries buying Iranian oil, imposed by former president Donald Trump when he withdrew from a nuclear deal.

President Joe Biden's administration initially said it would restore the 2015 deal but gave up after exhaustive negotiations with Tehran, major protests inside Iran and, more recently, tension over Iran's support for Palestinian militants Hamas.

The UN nuclear watchdog said earlier this month that Iran is further expanding its nuclear capacities, with Tehran informing the agency that it was installing more cascades at enrichment facilities.

Iran's cleric-led government denies seeking a nuclear weapon. Iran on Friday holds elections for president after conservative Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash.
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...Its also the feeling of being dependent  Im lucky to have friends nearby whove been able to support with phone calls and bringing me food, but you go from feeling like some whos independent to suddenly being very dependent and vulnerable. Ms Brown said that a Crabtree staff member told her: "When you live in a block of flats you should expect that at times the lift might break."
But the judge found that he may not understand the kind of documents that have to be handed over relating the first time he became aware of a possible case against NGN.
The Haredi make up around 14 per cent of Israels 9.5 million citizens, and are the fastest-growing segment of the population. Because they are disproportionately young, they make up 24 per cent of recruitment-age Israelis, according to the Israel Democracy Institute. Haredi men study full-time as part of a scheme funded by government stipends.
FARGO  Court documents related to a newly filed case in U.S. District Court in North Dakota are shining a light on how investigators discovered a major drug trafficking operation being run by a Mexican cartel member out of a federal prison in Colorado which led to the shipment of large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and other illegal substances to North Dakota and several other states.

A recently unsealed search warrant shows that Homeland Security investigators started looking into the drug trafficking operation last spring.

A UPS package containing 15,000 fentanyl pills was intercepted by federal agents in Fargo on June 16, 2023. Subscriber information obtained by grand jury subpoena for a phone number connected to the package led investigators to 26-year-old Jesus Celestin-Ortega, who was at the time serving a 15-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Florence, Colorado.

Court documents identify Celestin-Ortega, also known as Flaco, as a Mexican cartel member and member of the Mexican prison gang Paisa. He was arrested in Colorado in the summer of 2019 on federal drug and firearm charges.

Investigators said Celestin-Ortega was communicating directly with people outside FCI Florence, always during scheduled lockdown hours, by text, phone calls and Facebook Messenger, and arranging for deliveries of fentanyl, meth and heroin from Mexico to people in North Dakota and several other states including Minnesota, California, Colorado, Georgia, Missouri, Texas and Arizona.

The U.S. Attorney's Office on Wednesday announced that nine people from various parts of the country including Minnesota, Arizona, Texas and Colorado have been indicted on charges related to the operation. Two of them remain fugitives.

Celestin-Ortega is charged with four crimes in the case, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and the distribution of controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances into the United States from Mexico, money laundering and continuing criminal enterprise for his alleged leadership role in the trafficking conspiracy.

All other co-defendants have also been charged with the first count of conspiracy to distribute, and at least two have been charged with the second and third counts of conspiracy to import and money laundering.

The conspiracy charges carry 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentences with a maximum penalty of life in prison and up to a $10 million fine. All of the indicted co-conspirators who have appeared in court have entered not-guilty pleas.

The indictment says the operation started in January of 2022. It accuses the co-defendants of helping to facilitate shipments of fentanyl and meth to Fargo in June and December of last year, as well as the delivery of 1 kilogram of heroin to Grand Forks in February of this year.
The Ministry of Finance (MF) on Thursday borrowed almost RON 3.036 billion off commercial banks in two issues of benchmark bonds, one of which comprised bonds of a residual maturity of 19 months and an average yield of 6.1% per annum, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).

The nominal value of the issue was RON 500 million, and the banks offered almost RON 1.831 billion.

An additional auction is scheduled for Friday to borrow another RON 75 million at the yield set on Thursday for the bonds.

Also, the MF borrowed RON 1.67 billion in an issue of bond certificates of a residual a maturity of 58 months and an average yield of 6.67% per annum.

The nominal value of the issue was RON 500 million, and the banks offered RON 1.795 billion.

MF has planned for June 2024 to borrow RON 6.2 billion off commercial banks, to which RON 750 million can be added in additional sessions of non-competitive offers related to bond auctions.

The total amount of RON 6.95 billion is RON 1.06 billion higher than the one scheduled for May 2024 of RON 5.89 billion, and it is intended for public debt refunding and government deficit financing.
ICI Bucharest will be attending the Regional Conference of Rectors of Central and Eastern Europe (C2R), which main theme this year is University Francophonie Amid Global Challenges: Perspectives for Central and Eastern Europe, a release sent to Agerpres on Thursday informs.

The conference includes a series of plenary sessions with the participation of renowned experts in the field of education and research, roundtable conferences and thematic workshops on various topics of interest to French-speaking universities, a session to present AUF projects and programmes and an official opening and closing ceremony. The event also offers networking and collaboration opportunities for the participants, facilitating the exchange of best practices and the initiation of joint projects.

The Regional Conference of Rectors, organised under the aegis of the Francophonie University Agency (AUF), brings together academic leaders, rectors and representatives of AUF higher education establishments in the region.

The event is hosted by the Bucharest School of Economics (ASE), between June 27 and 28, 2024.

The National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics - ICI Bucharest - is a member of the Francophonie University Agency, an international network of higher education and research institutions bringing together 1,005 universities from 117 countries on five continents promoting academic and scientific co-operation among French-speaking countries. This affiliation underlines ICI Bucharest's commitment to the values of the Francophonie and international education and research co-operation.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad, paid an official visit to the Republic of Moldova between 25 and 27 June, the purpose of this visit being to deepen the cooperation between the armed forces of the two states by promoting the military component of the strategic partnership and intensifying the relationship military support for joint participation in missions and operations under the auspices of the UN, OSCE, NATO or the EU, a release by the Ministry of National Defense sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, reads.

The visit of General Gheorghita Vlad was at the invitation of his counterpart from Chisinau, Brigadier General Eduard Ohladciuc.

"At the same time, during the meeting, the security situation in the extended region of the Black Sea was evaluated, with emphasis on the evolution of the war started by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, on increasing the presence of the Moldovan military at training programmes in Romania and on actions to increase the visibility of the armed forces of the Republic of Moldova within the activities organized by NATO and the EU," the press release adds.

The Chief of the Defence Staff emphasized that in the last decades the joint training resulted in a special, consistent and, above all, long-lasting collaboration between the armed forces of the two countries.

During the visit, members of the Romanian Army delegation and officials from the National Army's General Staff planned a series of additional actions in order to develop the command-control capability and the defensive capacity of the Republic of Moldova's army.

The head of Defence Staff was present on Thursday at the Day of Distinguished Visitors of the SCUTUL PACII / PEACE SHIELD 2024 exercise, organized in the Military Training Base in the area of Bulboaca. 700 soldiers from the Republic of Moldova, Romania and 19 other partner states took part in the exercise. PEACE SHIELD 2024, at which our country was represented by soldiers from the 81st Mechanized Brigade, is part of the evaluation program of the Concept of Operational Capacity of the armed forces of the Republic of Moldova.
Romania has made remarkable progress over the past two decades in preserving the lessons of the past in the collective memory and in combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and hatred, President Klaus Iohannis said Thursday in a message delivered in the context of the 83rd anniversary of the Iasi Pogrom.

The message was presented by state counselor Constantin Ionescu at the official ceremony commemorating the victims organized in Iasi.

In his message, the president emphasised that "education remains the most effective tool to thwart attempts to deny the history of the Holocaust and to discourage possible hate-motivated behaviour".

"Every year in Iasi, our commitment to remembrance, human dignity, respect and tolerance is renewed by honouring the memory of the victims of the Iasi Pogrom, one of the most tragic events of the Second World War, which deeply marked our history. Eighty-three years ago, tens of thousands of lives were tragically and brutally cut short by order of the Ion Antonescu regime. Torn from their homes, subjected to brutality and forced to breathe their last breath in the courtyard of the Chestura [name of the police station at the time, editor's note] or on the 'death trains', the Jews were deprived of any protection and driven without remorse to their death," said Klaus Iohannis.

In this context, he noted the testimonies "of resilience, courage and compassion that sprang from the midst of darkness, survivors and rescuers who had the strength to pass on their stories to right our society".

According to the president, the Iasi Pogrom "was not an isolated event, but was the result of the escalation of anti-Semitic attitudes, fueled by destructive rhetoric, a surrender of the human spirit to prejudice".

"This unleashing of absolute evil demonstrates that indifference in the face of hatred, discrimination, anti-Semitism and intolerance can allow evil to dominate and destroy communities, traumatising societies and entire generations. It is therefore vital that we refuse to remain silent in the face of injustice," the president said.

The head of state also mentioned the current tensions in the world and the "toxic" influences at present.

"Today's event is of particular importance, especially in the complicated international context, where toxic, anti-Semitic, racist and hateful influences are once again trying to pervert humanity. Today, when we feel the threat of extremism, it is essential to remember that the last time extremism took hold in Europe, the consequences were catastrophic for all humanity, and that period was marked by suffering and heinous crimes," he said.

In his opinion, these attempts can be rejected "by firmly punishing all abuse, by promoting respect for international humanitarian law, by reiterating our firm and active commitment to be a strong voice against discrimination and injustice and by supporting peace and reconciliation".

Klaus Iohannis also called for knowledge and education. "Young generations need to know the dramatic consequences of hatred and prejudice, so that they understand the importance of protecting democracy, of assuming individual responsibility in upholding values and behaviors that make our society a tolerant one, a society that defends freedom and human dignity. Young people must learn the historical truth and know how to recognize lies, misinformation and disinformation in order to build a world in which such atrocities will never be possible again," the Head of State added.

"I urge you to cherish the bonds of faith and the values that unite us and to build a future in which justice, dignity and peace prevail for all," Klaus Iohannis further conveyed in his message.
The Romanian Embassy in Washington organized an event in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to celebrate 20 years since Romania joined NATO, with several democratic and republican members of the Congress from relevant committees for the consolidation of the Romania-USA Strategic Partnership, such as those for foreign relations and armed forces, taking part.

The congresspersons highlighted Romania's steadfast anchoring on the Euro-Atlantic path, shortly after leaving communism, and our country's indisputable support for American efforts in theaters of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including prior to joining the North Atlantic Alliance, the embassy shows in a Facebook post.

Brad Wenstrup, congressman from Ohio, evoked the moments when he fought alongside Romanian soldiers in Iraq, Thomas Kean, congressman from New Jersey, who visited Romania for the first time in 1988, appreciated the radical transformation of our country from Romania during Ceausescu to the strategic ally of the U.S., and Deborah Ross, US Representative for North Carolina and co-president of the friendship group with the Republic of Moldova, mentioned the importance of continuing our indispensable support for the European path of the neighboring country.

For his part, congressman Pat Fallon from the state of Texas, who visited Romania in April 2022, immediately after the launch of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, described Romania as "one of the most solid and reliable allies on the Eastern Flank", thanking for the continuous support given to Ukraine and recently reconfirmed by the decision to donate a Patriot system.

At the event, members of Romania's economic delegation to the Select USA Investment Summit, the largest forum for promoting trade and investment in the United States, were also present.
National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu says that, at a meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES) leaders on Thursday in Brussels, he talked about the strong message sent by Romanians for a more united European Union that respects all its citizens.

"I discussed today at the meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Brussels with European heads of state or government the strong message sent by Romanians for a more united European Union that respects all its citizens. Our European political family is to be much better represented in the future leadership of the EU and we will continue to make all the necessary efforts so that Romania's voice is heard," Ciolacu wrote on Thursday in a social media post.

He added that within PES, Romania's PSD is "a respected and influential party", capable of representing the interests of Romanians with strength and professionalism.

Ciolacu on Thursday in Brussels participated in a PES meeting of the heads of state or government in preparation for the Council of the European Union as the incumbent Romanian prime minister.
National leader of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor said on Thursday in Cluj-Napoca, after a meeting of the Council of UDMR Representatives (CRU), that his party will file a candidate for this year's presidential election.

"No matter when the presidential election will take place, the Hungarian community in Romania will have a candidate. Hungarians must have a voice in the presidential election," said Kelemen.

According to him, UDMR will have its own presidential candidate because it wants to show the strength of the Hungarian community that matters and can be counted on in Romania.

"The Hungarian candidate will talk about the hopes and problems of the Hungarians, he will talk about the problems of society, but he will also have a message about what kind of country we want."

Kelemen added that by postponing the announcement of the presidential election, the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) shows that you cannot trust the promises of PSD and PNL.

"They show that individual interests always take precedence over the interests of the community and the country. If you promised to hold elections in September, then keep your promise! Stop looking for explanations that don't stand, don't invoke either that it's hot outside, or that it's summer. Yes, autumn is harvesting time, and winter is cold. That's the way it is. I think that those in the government coalition are not ready and speculate. We should not speculate, but we should present ourselves to the electorate, talk to the voters, tell them what we want and ask for their trust. That is what we will do."
Ian Froeb Restaurant critic Follow Ian Froeb Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis downtown, poses a conundrum stickier than its toffee pudding. How has the pairing of the worlds most famous chef and St. Louis most luxurious hotel resulted in an experience this bloodless? Ramsays Kitchen delivers a five-star view at Four Seasons prices with all the flair of the complimentary breakfast at a La Quinta Inn.

Do I need to introduce Ramsay himself? Protegee of legendary British chef Marco Pierre White. Holder of three Michelin stars at his London flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Prolific, profane television host of Hells Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and MasterChef, among others.

If you follow upscale dining in St. Louis, you also know the Four Seasons eighth-floor dining room and its rooftop deck overlooking downtown, the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch. This opened with the hotel in 2008 as Cielo Restaurant & Bar, an elegant Italian restaurant that evolved under its successive executive chefs Fabrizio Schenardi and Gian Nicola Colucci into one of the areas best kitchens.

In 2018, Cielo gave way to Cinder House, a Brazilian-inspired restaurant from acclaimed St. Louis chef and restaurateur Gerard Craft. Cinder Houses wood-fired fare was appealing from its debut, and the restaurant was gaining momentum before the pandemic with the introduction of the Dias Room tasting menu, Crafts most ambitious project since he closed his all-time-great Niche.

To my surprise, the hotels background is as pertinent to Ramsays Kitchen as the chefs biography. Of course, I didnt expect to see Ramsay stalking the dining room, sprinkling f-bombs like finishing flakes of Maldon sea salt. I did expect a baseline of hospitality from the Four Seasons. Instead, across three visits, service ranged from distracted to brusque. The dining room and bar look much the same as they did as Cielo and Cinder House, but the vibe that could transform local diners into pampered guests for a couple of hours has dissipated.

Maybe the Four Seasons is simply absorbing the restaurants energy. Again, I didnt expect Ramsays Kitchen to match the haute cuisine of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, but if that latter restaurant is the Major Leagues, Ramsays Kitchen is single-A ball  the lower tier of single-A, where the marginal prospects toil.

The St. Louis Ramsays Kitchen, which opened in April, is the fifth in the chain, following locations in Boston, Las Vegas, Oklahoma and the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois. The menu is similar at each, though with some variations. Boston features a raw bar, for example. St. Louis doesnt.

In general, though, the Ramsays Kitchen concept incorporates the same essential flaw as the two other culinary heavy-hitters St. Louis hotels have imported in recent years, the relatively short-lived Grand Tavern by David Burke at the Angad Arts Hotel in Grand Center and Casa Don Alfonso at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis in Clayton. Ramsays Kitchen isnt as pretentious as either of those venues  the snootiest note here is the insistence on calling tap water house water  but it, too, assumes we in Flyover Country have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of such exotic delicacies as, say, tuna tartare and jumbo-lump crab cakes.

Those are two of the six appetizers on the dinner menu. (Those half-dozen starters also include airy Parker rolls, which you must order in lieu of bread service.) Ribbons of avocado encircle the tuna tartare, though your eye will be drawn to the considerable glob of sour cream on the plate. Either garnish will cushion your palate from the tuna itself, saltier than the ocean from which it was plucked thanks to an overpowered garlic-chili soy sauce.

The crab cake is inviting in its simplicity, a single cake of plump jumbo-lump crab meat atop an herb aioli with a mixed-green salad to the side. The crab cake uses minimal filler. It barely holds together as a cake. Yet once you get past the initial sweetness of the crab, you wait in vain for another flavor. The herbs in the aioli are more subliminal suggestion than seasoning.

For $27 and $30, respectively, you would expect more nuance from the tuna tartare and crab cake, whichever chefs name is attached to the restaurant. The sticky cauliflower, another appetizer, is more moderately priced at $16. The snappy morsels are compulsively snackable, but the cloyingly sweet Korean BBQ glaze shows as much passion for the myriad dimensions of Korean cuisine as a consultants PowerPoint deck on the hottest restaurant trends of 2016.

To the list of things I correctly didnt expect from the new Four Seasons restaurant, I can add a spectacular failure. Still, a daring flop would have been preferable to this snoozer of a menu, generic hotel food with a celebrity-chef gloss.

A main course of smoked chicken does taste smoky, though not so smoky to distract me from the overcooked white meat or a dull, lumpy red bean-bacon ragu. The Crispy Skin Salmon yields tender flesh under its crisp-as-advertised skin, but the promised crackle of a lemon vinaigrette and a chimichurri sauce vanished into a mellow cauliflower puree.

My dinner companion and I sat up straight when the server delivered the Ramsays Kitchen fish and chips, a tremendous plank of fried haddock perched on thick wedges of thrice-cooked potato. The batters subtle, but unmistakable sweetness inspired us to share our favorite deep-fried fair foods rather than the fish that batter jacketed. The potatoes, though texturally perfect, lacked salt or any other seasoning.

Yes, Ramsays Kitchen serves Ramsays signature beef Wellington. Yes, if youre already splurging on dinner here, you might as well order it. The beef inside its golden-brown puff-pastry shell is a gorgeous medium-rare  the kitchens mandatory temperature on this dish  and the mushroom duxelles inside the crust and the red-wine demiglace on the plate lend the tender meat a needed swagger. Still, for a $69 main course, I wanted something nicer to accompany the beef Wellington than more unseasoned potatoes (a puree this time) and a few glazed root vegetables.

The beef Wellington is fine. The RK Burger, from the lunch menu, is also fine, two smashed patties larded with American cheese and mayonnaise. For $23, though, you should expect more than fine. And while the expense of a Four Seasons restaurant is a given, the hotels reputation demands a restaurant, celebrity chef or not, so transporting that you arent compelled to count each line item as you order it.

Fine isnt the four-letter word associated with Gordon Ramsay. Its especially damning because this restaurant, more so than Cielo or Cinder House, will likely draw diners to the Four Seasons who would not usually drop a few hundred bucks on dinner.

Heres another four-letter word you dont need to bleep: pass.

Rating Not recommended. The Post-Dispatch evaluates restaurants on the following scale, lowest to highest: not recommended, recommended, highly recommended, essential. The rating reflects how the restaurant succeeds on its own terms  and how it meets a diner's good-faith expectations of quality food and hospitality  regardless of cuisine, location or cost.

If you go WHERE: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, 999 North Second Street MORE INFO: 314-881-5759; gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen/locations/stlouis MENU: Upscale American and British fare with global accents HOURS: Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

How much RK Burger $23 Crab cake $30 Crispy skin salmon $39 Beef Wellington $69

Photos: Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay attends grand opening of Ramsay's Kitchen at the Four Seasons Hotel
ST. LOUIS  An 11-month-old boy was hit by shattered glass Wednesday afternoon in the city's West End neighborhood.

The boy's mother and grandmother were driving north on Skinker and Olive boulevards, near the border of University City, around 12:20 p.m. Another driver pulled up next to their car and asked if they had heard her honking, said St. Louis police spokesperson Mitch McCoy.

The family continued driving, McCoy said, but then their rear window was shattered by a gunshot. The glass hit the boy, and the family called 911.

No one was seriously injured.

Police believe the shooting was a result of road rage. They did not have a suspect in custody as of late Wednesday afternoon.

McCoy called the incident another senseless act of violence.
ST. LOUIS  A city jury has convicted a man of killing another man in an argument over money from stolen catalytic converters.

Jurors convicted 21-year-old Cleveland V. Washington Jr. on Wednesday of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Deionta McCurry, 23, on Aug. 21, 2022 in the Dutchtown neighborhood.

Prosecutors said Washington shot McCurry in the 3600 block of Montana Street after an argument over money they'd earned from stealing catalytic converters. The shooting was captured on surveillance video.

But Washington claimed self-defense. His attorney, Robert Taaffe, said at trial McCurry threatened to rob and kill Washington after the two had been out stealing catalytic converters. Washington believed McCurry was armed and shot him, Taaffe said.

"He was getting robbed," Taaffe said. "He had to protect himself."

Prosecutors, however, said Washington left the car where he was sitting with McCurry before returning and shooting him.

"When he came back, he was the aggressor," said special prosecutor Gordon Ankney.

Jurors recommended Washington be sentenced to 30 years in prison for second-degree murder followed by 15 years for armed criminal action, according to a news release from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office.

Washington is also charged in a separate case with taking a 73-year-old City Justice Center guard hostage last year. That case is still pending.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Thursday stripped the Securities and Exchange Commission of a major tool in fighting securities fraud in a decision that also could have far-reaching effects on other regulatory agencies.

The justices ruled in a 6-3 vote that people accused of fraud by the SEC, which regulates securities markets, have the right to a jury trial in federal court. The in-house proceedings the SEC has used in some civil fraud complaints violate the Constitution, the court said.

A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court's conservative majority.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who read from her dissent in the courtroom, said that litigants who seek to dismantle the administrative state would rejoice in the decision.

Federal agencies that oversee safety in mines and other workplaces are among many that can only impose civil penalties in in-house, administrative proceedings, Sotomayor wrote, joined by Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan.

For those and countless other agencies, all the majority can say is tough luck; get a new statute from Congress, she wrote.

The case is among several this term in which conservative and business interests are urging the nine-member court to constrict federal regulators. The courts six conservatives already have reined them in, including in a decision last year that sharply limited environmental regulators ability to police water pollution in wetlands.

The SEC was awarded more than $5 billion in civil penalties in the 2023 government spending year that ended Sept. 30, the agency said in a news release. It was unclear how much of that money came through in-house proceedings or lawsuits in federal court.

The agency had already reduced the number of cases it brings in administrative proceedings pending the Supreme Court's resolution of the case.

The high court rejected arguments advanced by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration that relied on a 50-year-old decision in which the court ruled that in-house proceedings did not violate the Constitutions right to a jury trial in civil lawsuits.

The justices ruled in the case of Houston hedge fund manager George R. Jarkesy. The SEC appealed to the Supreme Court after a divided panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out stiff financial penalties against Jarkesy and his Patriot28 investment adviser.

The appeals court found that the SECs case against Jarkesy, resulting in a $300,000 civil fine and the repayment of $680,000 in allegedly ill-gotten gains, should have been heard in a federal court instead of before one of the SECs administrative law judges.

Jarkesys lawyers noted that the SEC wins almost all the cases it brings in front of the administrative law judges but only about 60% of cases tried in federal court.

The appeals court also said Congress unconstitutionally granted the SEC unfettered authority to decide whether the case should be tried in a court of law or handled within the executive branch agency. And it said laws shielding the commissions administrative law judges from being fired by the president are unconstitutional.

Those issues got virtually no attention during arguments in November, and the court chose to resolve the case only on the right to a jury trial.

Notable Supreme Court cases of 2024

Supreme Court upholds a gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims The justices ruled in favor of a 1994 ban on firearms for people under restraining orders to stay away from their spouses or partners.

Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun accessories used in 2017 massacre The high court found 6-3 that the Trump administration did not follow federal law when it reversed course and banned bump stocks.

Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication The Supreme Court has preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year.

Supreme Court clears the way for the NRAs free speech lawsuit against an ex-New York official The unanimous opinion reverses a lower court decision tossing out the gun rights groups lawsuit against ex-New York State Department of Financial Services Ssuperintendent Maria Vullo.

Supreme Court finds no bias against Black voters in a South Carolina congressional district The Supreme Court has preserved a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, rejecting a lower-court ruling the district discriminated against Black voters.
EQS-Ad-hoc: Einhell Germany AG / Key word(s): Monthly Figures/Miscellaneous

Einhell Germany AG: Business Development 2024



27-Jun-2024 / 15:02 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Business Development 2024

Einhell Germany AG, listed in the Prime Standard of Deutsche Borse AG

(ISIN: DE 0005654933) announces the following:

Einhell Germany AG will announce the following at the Annual General Meeting on June 28, 2024.

In the period from January to May 2024, group sales amounted to EUR 478.2 million (previous year: EUR 428.5 million).

Sales of EUR 565 million are expected in the first half of 2024 (previous year: EUR 525.9 million). The return on sales before taxes and PPA (Purchase Price Allocation) will be around 8.5 % (previous year: 8.6%). For the entire financial year 2024 the Einhell Group expects sales of EUR 1,030 million and return of sales before taxes and PPA will be approximately 8.0 %.

Landau/Isar, June 27, 2024

The board
The Naha District Court building in Naha, Okinawa, as seen on June 24, 2024. (Keishi Koja/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  Gov. Denny Tamaki of Okinawa lodged a complaint Thursday with the U.S. Air Forces 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base over the indictment in March of an airman accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor.

Okinawa Vice Gov. Takekuni Ikeda delivered the complaint Thursday morning to wing commander Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, a spokeswoman for the prefectural Military Base Affairs Division told Stars and Stripes by phone that day.

Ikeda expressed strong resentment about the incident and asked for apologies and appropriate compensation, according to the spokeswoman.

The airman, Brennon R. E. Washington, 25, was indicted by local prosecutors March 27 on charges of indecent kidnapping and nonconsensual sexual intercourse in December with a girl under 16.

Evans phoned the prefecture Wednesday to explain that Washington was handed over to Japanese authorities in March, but subsequently was released on an undisclosed amount of bail, she said.

Washington is restricted to Kadena Air Base pending trial, and international law prevents him leaving the country, she said.

This crime allegation does not reflect most of the U.S. service members that work for the Japan-U.S. alliance,  Evans said Thursday, according to the spokeswoman. It is very regretful that it is causing concerns to the citizens of Okinawa.

An unnamed representative for the 18th Wing acknowledged an emailed request from Stars and Stripes for comment Thursday but did not immediately responded.

Neither Okinawa police nor the Naha Public Prosecutors Office had publicly released information about the airmens indictment prior to scheduling him Monday for a hearing July 12 in Naha District Court.

Okinawa prefecture learned of the indictment after local media reported it Tuesday, the spokeswoman said.

Tamaki, already opposed to the U.S. military presence on Okinawa, at a press conference Tuesday expressed frustration with being kept in the dark, she said.

Not receiving any notice about this kind of crime will raise mistrust, Tamaki said, according to the spokeswoman.

Some government officials in Japan may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The day of Washingtons indictment in March, Masataka Okano, Japans vice-minister for foreign affairs, lodged a protest with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a Tuesday press conference.

Okinawa prefecture was also afforded late notice of that exchange, the division spokeswoman said. We were noticed about the ministrys protest by the Okinawa liaison office of Japans Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, she said.

Hayashi on Wednesday in Tokyo refrained from commenting on why Tamaki was not informed earlier of Washingtons indictment.

In light of the purpose of Article 47 of the Criminal Procedure Code, we are aware that the public prosecutors carefully decide whether to officially announce it or not, its amount and method, depending on each case, Hayashi said at a press conference. He cited the effects of disclosing information on the prestige and privacy of the related persons, investigations and trials.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Maki Kobayashi at a regular press conference Wednesday repeated Hayashis explanation.

The Naha Public Prosecutors Office and Naha District Court declined to provide further information about Washingtons release on bond.
The Buffalo Soldier Gate at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)

AUSTIN, Texas  A Fort Bliss soldier and his wife were indicted on federal charges that they held a knife to a childs throat, did not feed her properly and confined her to the garage of their on-post home at the west Texas Army base.

The four-count indictment of Sgt. Coreydon Stepaniak and his wife Cecilia Stepaniak, both 34, spans nearly five years and accuses the couple of endangering the life of the child who federal authorities only described as a girl younger than 15 years old.

The FBI arrested Stepaniak on June 20 at Fort Irwin in California, and his wife was arrested on the same day in El Paso, according to court records filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. They are charged with conspiracy to commit injury to a child, injury to a child, child endangerment and child abandonment.

The 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss confirmed Coreydon Stepaniak is a wheeled-vehicle mechanic who first enlisted in the Army in April 2011.

An arraignment hearing is set for Friday at the El Paso federal courthouse with Magistrate Judge Robert Castaneda. If convicted, they each face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge, a minimum of 180 days to two years for the injury to a child charge, and a minimum of two years to 20 years for the endangerment and abandonment charges, according to the Justice Department.

Cecilia Stepaniak, a legal guardian for the victim, is accused of visiting the childs medical care provider April 3, 2019, and falsely telling the provider the child was lying and out of control and she had to be removed from elementary school for bullying other children, according to court documents.

She also told the medical staff that she had placed cameras in her home in case the child tried to lie to someone about facing abuse at home.

From that date through the summer of 2023, the couple is accused of dangerously restricting the childs food intake, which caused her to suffer malnutrition.

Investigators said Cecilia Stepaniak held a sharp kitchen knife to the childs throat in January 2022, hit her with a cellphone charging cable and kicked the child while she was on the ground.

The couple is also accused of locking the child in a dark closet at Fort Bliss on Feb. 17, 2023, for an unknown amount of time that day. Coreydon Stepaniak then unlocked the closet, shouted obscenities and threatened violence toward the child.

Throughout the years, the couple would force the child to live and sleep in a garage that did not have any heating or cooling and required her to use a bucket for a toilet. They also forced her to exercise multiple times a day for extended periods of time.

Two attorneys listed for Cecilia Stepaniaks federal case did not respond to a request for comment. No attorneys were listed for Coreydon Stepaniak.

The FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division declined to offer additional information about the case, including how many children lived in the home and the exact age and condition of the child.

However, a case opened June 21 in El Paso County family court showed five children under the Stepaniaks care. Another attorney listed for the couples county case did not return a phone call Thursday. The soldier had two previously closed cases in family court, one regarding paternity in 2018, and another in 2023.

Only one child victim is referenced in federal court records.

The Defense Departments family-focused website Military OneSource offers resources on how to report child abuse in the military community and when to make a report. The military also offers a 24/7 phone line at 800-342-9647 that provides confidential help, locates resources and expert guidance.
1the Forbidden city



The Forbidden City, also known as the Forbidden City, is the most complete and largest wooden structure ancient building complex in China and even the world. It is known as "the first of the five major palaces in the world". The Forbidden City was built under the order of Yongle Emperor Zhu Di. According to its layout and functions, it is divided into two parts: the "outer court" and the "inner court". Taking Qianqing Gate as the boundary, the outer court is to the south of Qianqing Gate and the inner court is to the north. The outer dynasty is also called the "former dynasty". It is centered on the three main halls of Taihe Hall (Jinluan Hall), Zhonghe Hall and Baohe Hall. It is the place where feudal emperors exercised their power and held grand ceremonies. The inner court is centered on the Qianqing Palace, Jiaotai Palace, Kunning Palace and the three rear palaces, as well as the East Sixth Palace and the West Sixth Palace on the east and west sides. It is where the feudal emperors and concubines lived, which is commonly known as the "Three Palaces and Six Courtyards" .

There are a large number of precious cultural relics in the Forbidden City. According to statistics, there are millions of pieces, accounting for one-sixth of the total number of cultural relics in the country. The Clock Museum has clock demonstrations at 11 o'clock and 14 o'clock every day, which is not to be missed.

2Badaling Great Wall



The Badaling Great Wall is the best-preserved section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and the most representative section. It is the outpost of Juyongguan, an important pass of the Great Wall. With an altitude of 1,015 meters, it has a dangerous terrain and strong gates. It has always been a battleground for military strategists. Climbing the Badaling Great Wall, you can see the undulating mountains as far as the eye can see, and the majestic and vigorous northern mountains stretch endlessly. The Badaling Great Wall is majestic because of the mountains, and the mountains are even more steep because of the Great Wall. "You are not a true man unless you visit the Great Wall." The Badaling Great Wall is a must-see for people from all walks of life at home and abroad when visiting Beijing. So far, more than 300 world-famous people, including Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher, have climbed the Great Wall. The Badaling Great Wall offers a panoramic view of the beautiful mountains and rivers here.

3Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum



The Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum mainly consists of two parts: the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum and Qin Shi Huangs Mausoleum. Qin Shihuang Yingzheng began building the cemetery when he ascended the throne at the age of 13. The construction took 38 years and the project was huge. The creation of the terracotta warriors and horses is based on real life, vivid, delicate and lifelike. Before visiting the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, it is best to understand the relevant historical knowledge.

4Three Gorges of the Yangtze River



When the Yangtze River flows through the eastern edge of the Sichuan Basin, it breaks through the mountains and rushes to form a magnificent and unique grand canyon, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. The Three Gorges stretches from Baidi City in Fengjie County, Chongqing City in the west to Nanjinguan in Yichang City, Hubei Province in the east. It consists of Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. Among them, Qutang Gorge is located in Fengjie, Chongqing, Wu Gorge is located in Wushan, Chongqing and Badong County, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei, and Xiling Gorge is located in Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei. Four hundred miles of steep passages and three beautiful names accommodate endless beautiful scenery. It is the most unique and magnificent landscape gallery on the Yangtze River.

5Guilin Yangshuo landscape



"Guilin's landscapes are the best in the world, and Yangshuo is the best in Guilin" highly summarizes the important position that Yangshuo's natural scenery occupies in the world. "Green mountains, beautiful waters, strange caves, and beautiful rocks" are among the four wonders in the world. The tourism resources in the county can be divided into the first ring, the second belt and the fifth scenic spot. The scenery of the Yangshuo section of the Lijiang River is the essence of the entire Lijiang River, and there are also famous scenic spots such as Yulong River, Shili Gallery, Guzhai Stone City, and Xingping Ancient Town.

6Sichuan Wolong Giant Panda Reserve



Wolong Nature Reserve is located in the southwest of Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. In the 200,000-hectare nature reserve, there are lush forests, fresh air, and beautiful natural scenery. When you go to Wolong, of course, you mainly focus on seeing pandas. This is the home where giant pandas depend for their survival. There are many pandas and they are very naive. If you are lucky, you can get close contact with them and take photos with them. In addition to seeing giant pandas, there are also many rare nationally protected animals and plants here. The wild giant panda observation station, giant panda museum, golden monkeys and other venues are also worth visiting. Wolong has some restaurants and hotels with relatively complete facilities.

7Jiuzhaigou Valley, Sichuan



The beauty of the scenery in Jiuzhaigou Valley is known as "beyond the beauty of the world": it is rich in animal and plant resources, with a wide variety of virgin forests, inhabited by more than ten kinds of rare and precious wild animals such as giant pandas; in the distance, there are many snow-capped peaks and white snow. Ai Ai. The clear blue water can be seen up close, and the bottom is clearly visible; coupled with the cultural landscape composed of Tibetan wooden buildings, hanging prayer flags, trestles, mills, Tibetan customs and myths and legends, Jiuzhaigou is beautiful in all seasons, like a fairy tale. It is also a popular filming location for domestic film and television dramas.

8Lhasa Potala Palace Jokhang Temple



This is a gathering place for devout believers. All along, countless believers and tens of thousands of heads kowtowed in front of her. In recent years, many friends have traveled here on foot, by bike and by car. It is also a rapidly growing city. If you imagine Lhasa to be a pristine world, then it may give you different expectations. There are also high-rise commercial districts and dazzling streets. Hotels, banks and shopping malls are all available.

The most important thing to experience in Lhasa is the slow life. Here, you will unconsciously slow down the pace and rhythm, follow the local Tibetans on the prayer path of Barkhor Street, and make some beautiful blessings and wishes. Sit down and drink a cup of sweet tea for 60 cents, bask in the sun in front of the Jokhang Temple, and chat with some like-minded friends who will become lifelong friends.

9Lijiang Ancient Town, Yunnan



The ancient city of Lijiang began to take shape during the Southern Song Dynasty and has a history of eight or nine hundred years. Since the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Lijiang has been called "Dayanxiang" because it is located in the center of Lijiang Dam, surrounded by green mountains and surrounded by green water. It looks like a large jasper inkstone, so it got its name.

10Pingyao Ancient City, Shanxi



Pingyao is a city that lives between history and modernity. Images of the past and present clearly overlap in this city. If Lijiang is a pure and beautiful girl, then Pingyao is a Gone with the Wind with a profound background.

Pingyao Ancient City is one of the four intact ancient cities in China, with a history of more than 2,700 years. The building was built in accordance with the traditional feudal etiquette "Zuozu Youshe" and Zhu Yuanzhang's "build the wall high" policy, and the city wall and the streets and alleys form a huge Bagua pattern. Pingyao also has China's earliest financial institution, Rishengchang. It is the financial giants of the eight largest financial institutions in Pingyao that have made Pingyao what it is today.

Walking along a street in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, you will be greeted by majestic city buildings with upturned eaves. The red lanterns lit up on both sides of the street, the historic fonts and traditional-style buildings, if it werent for the tricycles and motorcycles flying by to remind you, it would seem that you were on a journey a few centuries ago, and you would be in a trance. The glorious era of Shanxi merchants a hundred years ago: the rich cultural atmosphere of Shanxi merchants, the gray walls of deep houses, the sunset on market buildings, the gongs and drums of social fires, as well as the simple folk customs and mouth-watering delicacies, bring travelers an incomparable sense of leisure and comfort. Feel. In the Jinzhong residential community centered on Pingyao, there are more than four courtyards with red lanterns hanging high. In addition, there are colorful sculptures from Shuanglin Temple, Mianshan...

see more: https://www.tochinatravel.com/
Rapper Jeleel! performs in 2023 at the South by Southwest Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. (Patrick Quiring)

AUSTIN, Texas  The Army and companies that make weapons have been dropped as sponsors of the South by Southwest Conference and Festival after more than 100 artists and performers protested military participation in the event.

After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model, festival organizers said in a statement posted to their website. As a result, the U.S. Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.

The Austin festival is held annually in March to celebrate music, film, education, technology and culture and has increasingly in recent years had participation from the Army, other service branches and defense industry giants including Collins Aerospace, BAE Systems and RTX, formerly known as Raytheon.

The combination of the Army signing on as a 2024 super sponsor and the ongoing war in Israel with Hamas militants drew heavy criticism earlier this year from artists and pro-Palestine organizations.

This is a tremendous win accomplished by the hard work of activists and the principled artists who withdrew their labor in protest of Israels genocidal assault on Gaza, the Austin for Palestine Coalition, a local advocacy group, wrote in a statement. We commend SXSW for listening to the demands of the artists.

The nine-day festival, which began in 1987, is now attended annually by roughly 300,000 people, according to the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau. The 2024 event included nearly 1,200 artists and performers and hosted world premieres for the movies The Fall Guy, Civil War, and Road House.

Past keynote speakers have included former President Barack Obama, actress and director Olivia Wilde and author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Army Futures Command Gen. James Rainey attend the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on March 9, 2024. The Army participated in the event as a sponsor. (Katie Smith/Army Futures Command)

Army Futures Command has been based in Austin since 2018 and has been involved with the festival in some form every year since. Some of the 2024 Army-hosted events included a discussion about the future of power, another about the greatest innovator in the history of the world, and a talk about tech in the Army with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth and Gen. James Rainey, commander of Army Futures Command.

Some of the Armys bands and the Army eSports Team also participated in events. Participants had a chance to try out the Army Combat Fitness Test as well.

A joint group of innovation units from across the Defense Department has also hosted an event throughout the festival titled This is Our House, which featured battling robots, a flight simulator, talk of electric tactical vehicles and a forum on psychedelics for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. At night it transformed into a concert space with SPIN magazine.

We appreciated the opportunity to join South by Southwest in 2024, Lt. Col. Jamie Dobson, spokeswoman for Army Futures Command, said in a statement. With U.S. Army Futures Command headquartered in Austin, we value any opportunity to join with our community to ignite discovery and make new connections.

Despite the Army being dropped from SXSW, Dobson said the service will continue to seek opportunities to meet technology innovators and leaders, explore new ideas and insights, and create dynamic industry partnerships because tomorrow is worth protecting.
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp pulls into port at Naval Station Rota, Spain, June 25, 2024. The Wasp and the loading dock ship USS Oak Hill, along with embarked elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are now in the Mediterranean, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said on June 27. (Petty Officer 2nd Class Drace Wilson)

NAPLES, Italy  A Navy amphibious group has entered the Mediterranean Sea ahead of the imminent exit of a carrier strike group that spent much of the year engaged in naval combat at a pace unseen since World War II.

The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, along with embarked elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are in the Mediterranean, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet said Thursday.

Wasp transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday evening after a replenishment stop at Naval Station Rota in Spain. Oak Hill entered the sea on June 18, according to Gibraltar-based ship watcher Michael Sanchez.

The arrival of Wasp and Oak Hill comes as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group prepares to return to the U.S. after a nearly nine-month deployment in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean.

On Thursday, Eisenhower, along with the destroyer USS Gravely and the cruiser USS Philippine Sea, were at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek Island of Crete.

The port visit was only the second for Eisenhower during its deployment, much of which was spent protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea from attack by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

The carrier at one point was launching 100 flights a day up to seven days a week while fending off Houthi drone and missile attacks on mainly unarmed ships.

The Wasp ARG deployed June 1. Wasp and a third ship in the ARG, the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York, most recently participated in training in Poland as part of the NATO multinational exercise Baltic Operations 24.

It wasnt clear on Thursday whether New York would join the group in the Mediterranean.

On Saturday, the Pentagon announced that Eisenhower had left the Red Sea and would spend a short amount of time in the eastern Mediterranean.

The carriers return to the United States comes as Houthi drone and missile strikes continue in the Red Sea. The most recent attack came June 12 against a commercial ship, which sank six days later.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, currently taking part in a military exercise near South Korea, is expected to replace Eisenhower in the Red Sea.

During a news briefing Monday, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder wouldnt say why Eisenhower was in the eastern Mediterranean or how long it will remain.

The Defense Department has maintained a robust variety of capabilities throughout the region to both provide force protection capabilities but also serve as a deterrent and enable us to respond to a multitude of contingencies, and so that wont change, Ryder said.

The Bataan ARG was the last amphibious force in the Mediterranean, leaving the area in early March after nearly eight months in Europe and the Middle East.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt arrives in Busan, South Korea, June 22, 2024. (Aaron Haro Gonzalez/ U.S. Navy)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  The United States, South Korea and Japan kicked off their first large-scale exercise Thursday with naval and air drills in undisclosed locations in waters near Seoul and Tokyo, according to the Souths military the same day.

Freedom Edge, the first large-scale, multidomain exercise between the three countries, began Thursday with three days of naval drills, the Souths Ministry of National Defense said in a news release.

The drills come one day after North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile from near Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan. The countrys state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday that the launch successfully tested a missile capable of carrying several independently targetable warheads.

South Koreas military on Wednesday said the missile failed and exploded in mid-air.

Warheads from North Koreas missile test Wednesday flew to three targets, KCNA reported. A decoy was reportedly also deployed from the missile.

The maritime portion of Freedom Edge will include the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, and destroyers USS Halsey and USS Daniel Inouye, the release said. The three U.S. warships arrived Saturday in Busan for a port call.

Two South Korean and two Japanese destroyers, as well as several maritime patrol aircraft from the two countries, will also participate, according to the Souths military.

The three navies will practice ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, search-and-rescue, maritime interception and cyber defense scenarios, according to the release.

Speaking aboard the Theodore Roosevelt on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Freedom Edge symbolizes the U.S.s ironclad defense commitment to Seoul and that the inclusion of Japanese forces will be another powerful deterrent against North Korea, according to a news release from the Souths presidential office.

The U.S., South Korea and Japan have conducted shorter trilateral maritime and aerial drills.

The Theodore Roosevelt accompanied South Korean and Japanese destroyers for a two-day anti-submarine and maritime interception drill in waters south of Jeju Island in April; aircraft from the three countries also escorted a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber on a bomber task force exercise in December.

Freedom Edge is expected to be on a larger scale than those previous drills. President Joe Biden, Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to conduct the multidomain exercise following a summit at Camp David, Md., in August.

Freedom Edge will reaffirm their shared security goals amid North Koreas threats and violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said in a June 2 news release.

North Korea fired over a dozen ballistic missiles in seven separate days of testing so far this year.

The communist regime has also launched four satellites in the last 13 months, most recently on May 27. The U.S., South Korea and Japan allege Pyongyangs satellite launches are conducted using prohibited ballistic missile technology.
Philippine navy Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci speaks with Rear Adm. Joaquin J. Martinez de Pinillos, vice commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, during a reception aboard the USS Blue Ridge, June 20, 2024. (Belen Saldana/U.S. Navy)

This story has been corrected

The USS Blue Ridge, the 7th Fleet flagship, steamed into Manila this month for a port call, its first since 2019, the day after Chinese and Philippine sailors clashed at a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

The amphibious command ship, homeported at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, arrived June 18, said 7th Fleet spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Toi Williams in a news release Thursday. The Blue Ridge departed Manila on Saturday, fleet spokeswoman Lt. Jamie Moroney told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.

The stop included meetings between Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, head of 7th Fleet, with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Philippine fleet commander Rear Adm. Renato David and Lt. Gen. Arthur Cordura, vice chief of staff for the Philippines armed forces.

We could not be more honored to make our first port visit of our summer patrol to Manila with the USS Blue Ridge and our Seventh Fleet Team. Our enduring partnership with the people of the Philippines is deeper and stronger than it has ever been, Kacher said, according to the release.

Philippines armed forces and 7th Fleet staff also met aboard the Blue Ridge for talks June 20 and 21, according to a separate Thursday news release from 7th Fleet.

The meeting included discussions on further cooperation between the two navies, improving communication and maritime security in the region. Participants also discussed the modernization of the Philippines military, Moroney said.

It is through forums such as staff talks that we align our efforts with our Philippine Fleet counterparts, Lt. Cmdr. Joseph McGinnis, a 7th Fleet theater security cooperation officer, in the news release. These opportunities strengthen the enduring partnership between our two maritime forces.

The Blue Ridge arrived a day after Philippine navy and Chinese coast guard crews clashed again over possession of Second Thomas Shoal, a shallow reef in the Spratly Islands.

The Philippines garrison a small detachment of troops there on the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded World War II-era hulk, to bolster its territorial claim.

During the June 17 confrontation, Chinese coast guard crew members wielding knives and machetes damaged a Philippine navy inflatable boat, injured a crew member and seized weapons.

Afterward, Carlson denounced Chinas role in the altercation and Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned his Philippine counterpart to reassure him of the U.S. commitment to defend the Philippines under their mutual defense treaty.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday sought to reduce tensions with a call for dialogue with China. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Monday the U.S. should remain resolute in its support for the Philippines.

Beijing has repeatedly demanded the Sierra Madres removal, and routinely uses its coast guard to block Philippine supply ships. Chinese vessels have used aggressive tactics against the ships, including using water cannons, ramming, boarding and seizing supplies and weaponry from Philippine sailors.
Susan Gibbs and Jorge Gonzalez look up at the SS United States ocean liner at Pier 82 in Philadelphia on Friday, July 23, 2021. The ship was the fastest passenger ship built and the largest ever made in the U.S., according to the SS United States Conservancy. Gibbs grandfather, William Francis Gibbs, was the self-taught naval architect and marine engineer of the ship. (Heather Khalifa/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

PHILADELPHIA  An SOS is ringing out from the SS United States in South Philadelphia, which needs to find a new home by September. And if its stewards dont find a new berth for the vessel, the Queen of the Seas may ultimately head to the scrap pile.

A yearslong dispute between the SS United States Conservancy and its landlord at Pier 82  where the ship has been posted since 1996  ended June 14, with a federal judge giving the ships stewards 90 days to vacate the premises.

With the clock ticking, the conservancy launched an urgent fundraising campaign last week to raise half a million dollars that would help cover moving expenses. The 1,000-foot-long vessel is incapable of self-propulsion, so a move would require tug boats in addition to insurance and other dock preparations.

The conservancy has aimed to give the SS United States new life since it took possession of it in 2011, but the stewards warn that without a temporary home and funds, the vessel could be lost forever.

Our search for a new temporary or permanent location has been ongoing and began well before the litigation, but if a dock cannot be found in the coming weeks, well be forced to commit to reefing or scrapping the vessel, said conservancy board member Warren Jones in a statement.

But just where the ship could go remains to be seen. The conservancy is prioritizing finding a temporary berth in the Philadelphia area or elsewhere along the East Coast.

Heres a rundown of what could happen.

A temporary berth

In the short term, finding a temporary berth is the best-case scenario for the ship on such a tight deadline and would give the conservancy more of a runway to find a partner who would share its vision to reimagine the ship. Ideally, the new berth would be in the Philadelphia region, helping the conservancy save on a complicated and costly move.

Detonation

Its not quite what it sounds like, but this method does involve explosives. The conservancy could endeavor to sink the ship and turn it into an artificial reef and diving destination.

This approach has been taken before. In 2006, the Navy and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked with Escambia County, Fla., to sink the former naval warship USS Oriskany in nearby Pensacola waters. The Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a World War II ship used by the Air Force, was similarly sunk in the Florida Keys three years later.

Sinking a ship isnt as easy as it sounds. It cost the Navy $20 million to clean the Oriskany for sinking, according to the New York Times. The Tampa Bay Times reported that the project to turn the Vandenberg into a reef cost $8.6 million.

The conservancy wouldnt say just how much such a procedure would cost for the SS United States. The ship has already been stripped of all furnishings, as well as asbestos, but to sink it would need to undergo a more intense stripping of electric cables, liquids, and other metals to meet federal regulations.

During the two-day trial between the conservancy and ships landlord in January, Susan Gibbs, conservancy president and granddaughter of the ships designer, said the reef option had been considered in the past, but was not the first choice for the ship.

Should the conservancy take this approach to save the ship from the scrapyard, it would not fund the cleaning and sinking itself, requiring a mix of public and private funds.

The conservancy would still work to create a land-based museum focused on the ship even if the real one ends up in deep waters.

Redevelopment

The failure to give the SS United States a second life is not for lack of ambition or imagination. Its generally been a lack of financing. Past owners have pitched time-share condos as well as a cruise line. Most recently, the conservancy paired with RXR Realty and MCR Hotels to release plans that include a 1,000-room hotel, which would include green space, room for events, and a ballroom.

Still, the estimated cost of redevelopment for the hotel is in the ballpark of $400 million and that doesnt include the cost of making over whatever pier the ship lands on.

How realistic is it that a developer steps in? The conservancy would say only that it has had some entities express interest. To the conservancy, mixed-use commercial development has always been the preferred final use for the vessel.

The scrap heap

This is the worst-case scenario. Should the conservancy be unable to secure even a temporary berth to keep exploring options such as redevelopment, the ship would have to be marketed for scrap, again.

The ship would be transported to a yard where it would have to be disassembled and whatever the conservancy gets for the material, it would put toward opening a museum for the ship.

Can the conservancy appeal the judges decision?

The conservancy is proceeding as though it will have to abide by the Sept. 12 deadline to move, but it has not discounted future legal actions.

For now, its asking President Joe Biden and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to step in and help.

2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC.

Visit at inquirer.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A soldier in an armored vehicle is deployed outside the Quemado Palace at Plaza Murillo in La Paz on June 26, 2024. (Aizar Raldes/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Bolivia President Luis Arce late Wednesday swore in a new army commander general after troops led by his predecessor stormed the presidential palace Wednesday in an attempted coup.

Arce installed commander general Jose Wilson Sanchez to take over as the countrys new military chief, who promptly ordered the military to retreat and the troops appeared to be obeying. Wilson Sanchez takes the place of army general commander Juan Jose Zuniga who led the uprising, had entered the presidential palace but then exited shortly thereafter and left the plaza adjoining the palace.

By late afternoon in La Paz, however, there were myriad signs that the government was reasserting control. Arce walked through in the main square that was taken over by military, and greeted his own supporters before re-entering the palace.

Hours earlier, Bolivian troops led by Zuniga had stormed the presidential palace as socialist President Luis Arce denounced a coup attempt and called on his supporters to take to the streets to defend democracy.

Military personnel had already taken over the capitals main square when they crashed a tank into the palace, then used tear gas to try to repel chanting crowds, according to images broadcast on local TV.

We need for the Bolivian people to organize and mobilize against the coup detat and in favor of democracy, Arce said in a nationwide address flanked by his cabinet. He said he was located at Casa Grande, an annex that is next door to the presidential palace that was stormed.

Arce said on social media earlier that some military units were conducting irregular operations. TV images showed general commander Zuniga entering the palace after the armored vehicle hit it. He then quickly left the building.

Zuniga was fired earlier this week after saying he would prevent former President Evo Morales from running again for the presidency, El Pais reported. Arce and Morales have a thorny relationship but used to be close political allies in the left-wing MAS party.

Arces socialist government, which was elected in 2020, has recently struggled with an economic crisis amid dwindling natural gas exports, a shortage of dollars and a currency peg that has effectively collapsed.

Bolivia is among the worlds most politically turbulent nations, having had nearly 200 coups and revolutions since it won independence from Spain two centuries ago. Morales was ousted by the army as recently as 2019 after a disputed election.

The country narrowly avoided a financial crisis in 2023 by passing a law to allow the central bank to sell about half of its gold reserves. Six months later, that had nearly all been spent: The bank had just 23.5 tons of gold left at the end of the year, and the law says this figure cant drop below 22 tons.

Morales recently split with Arce as the two battled for control of the ruling socialist party. He also denounced the coup attempt.

The move by Bolivias military come just as Brazils Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and other leftist Latin American presidents sought to reunite Arce and Morales ahead of next years presidential elections in Bolivia, according to a Brazilian government official.

Brazil, however, didnt see any indication that a coup was underway, a second official said. Both requested anonymity in discussing Lulas strategy.

The Brazilian president had already announced plans to meet Arce in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the beginning of July, right after a Mercosur summit that will take place in Paraguay.

Nations including Ecuador and Brazil said that democracy must be upheld in Bolivia. The secretary of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, said on X that he condemned the events.

The army should subject itself to the civil powers legitimately elected, he said.

U.S. National Security Council spokeswomen Adrienne Watson said that the United States is closely monitoring the situation in Bolivia and urge calm and restraint.

With assistance from Simone Iglesias and Jordan Fabian.

2024 Miami Herald.

Visit at miamiherald.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Hikers on the Yoshida Trail approach the torii that signals theyve reached the summit of Mount Fuji, Japan, in August 2019. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)

Climbing Mount Fuji on a trip sponsored by a U.S. military base will cost more this year as Japan seeks to offset the impact of thousands of visitors to the iconic volcano.

Yamanashi prefecture this summer is charging a new, 2,000-yen hiking fee, or $12.46, a prefectural spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The money will go to any fee needed to regulate visitors, as well as for safety measures, the spokesman said.

The prefecture also installed a gate, a crowd-control measure, at the Yoshida Trail at the mountains 5th Station, where tour buses park and many hikers begin their trek to the 12,390-foot summit.

About 60% of all Mount Fuji climbers take the Yoshida Trail, according to a Japan Times report May 4. No fee is charged at the Subashiri, Gotemba or Fujinomiya trails on the Shizuouka prefecture side of the mountain.

Climbing season begins Monday in Yamanashi and July 10 in Shizuoka and ends in early September.

Along with the new fee, Yamanashi prefecture will limit the number of hikers on the Yoshida Trail to 4,000 daily and close the 5th Station gate from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., except for individuals with mountain hut reservations getting to the mountain late, the spokesman said.

The regulation aims to prevent exceeding congestion near the summit and prevent so-called bullet climbing,  the spokesman said. Bullet climbers ascend Fuji at night, catch sunrise at the summit and descend without taking a rest.

The spokesman said visitors may make reservations online through the prefectures website for the Yoshida gate. Hikers without reservations may pass through the gate until the number reaches 4,000.

Government spokespeople in Japan are often required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Hikers thread their way along the Yoshida Trail on Mount Fuji, Japan, in August 2019. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes)

Local authorities have voiced concern over overcrowding trails on Mount Fuji, the spokesman said. A falling climber could cause domino toppling and lead to a major accident, he said.

Thousands of people of all ages safely ascend the mountain every day, but the journey is not without risk. Authorities found the bodies of three missing climbers inside the crater atop Mount Fuji on Wednesday, according to a report Thursday in Japan Today.

The same day, a professional climber in his 50s, Keita Kurakami, lost consciousness around 10,000 feet on the Yoshida Trail and later died in a local hospital, according to the report.

Groups with outdoor recreation programs at bases in the Tokyo area typically hike the Yoshida Trail to the summit, Yoshimasa Nakamura, recreation specialist at Yokota Air Base, told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.

Yokota Outdoor Recreation is adding $20 to its Mount Fuji day hikes, for a total $90, Nakamura said. There is no change to the number of hikers the trip can accommodate, he said.

The next trip from Yokosuka Naval Base to Mount Fuji is July 13, with room on the bus for 32 hikers, Hiroyuki Yoneda, a recreation aide with Morale, Welfare and Recreation, told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The trip with the extra fee costs $87 dollars, which has not deterred customers from signing up, Yoneda said.

At Camp Zama, the outdoor recreation program is not adding the hikers fee to its trips or reducing its planned hikes, but hikers must pay the additional 2,000 yen on their own at the trailhead, Miho Overly, program assistant at Zamas MWR program told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

At Yokota, Nakamura said he hopes the added cost will not deter people from hiking Mount Fuji. As a guide at Yokota, Nakamura has climbed the mountain more than 100 times, with as many as 30 hikers at once.

I like the feeling of reaching the summit, he said. When all the fatigue is gone, youre at the top and you have the feeling of comfort.
A Navy contractor collects water samples Jan. 31, 2024, as part of the Navys long-term monitoring program at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. (Krystal Diaz/U.S. Navy)

The U.S. government is urging a judge to award only a fraction of the $7 million sought by 17 plaintiffs seeking compensation for a 2021 Navy fuel spill in Hawaii that contaminated their drinking water.

The United States recognizes that the [plaintiffs] experienced stress, anxiety, and worry in the days after they learned about the November 2021 fuel spill, and these harms entitle them to compensatory damages, Justice Department attorneys said in a post-trial defense brief filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Honolulu.

The millions of dollars in compensation the plaintiffs propose, however, miss the mark because many of the physical and psychological injuries claimed by them were not caused by the spill or predated it, the defense brief states.

About 7,500 individuals have joined several federal lawsuits claiming medical, emotional and financial injury from the jet fuel contamination, which originated with a spill in November 2021 at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility a few miles from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The fuel seeped into one of three wells used by the Navy in its water distribution system for thousands of households on and near the joint base.

Two years after the initial contamination, the cases of 17 bellwether plaintiffs were heard last month during a two-week trial in Hawaii federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Leslie Kobayashi heard the case without a jury.

The plaintiffs attorneys filed a post-trial brief June 6 and may file a rebuttal brief before July 12.

Kobayashi said she will issue a decision in subsequent weeks.

The dueling briefs restate the arguments over cause and compensation that both sides made during the trial.

The government admitted responsibility for the water contamination but contends it could not have caused the host of medical conditions alleged by the plaintiffs.

The trial record and applicable law do not support the Bellwether Plaintiffs position that everyone -- regardless of location, duration of exposure, preexisting conditions, or other traumas -- received the same dose, suffered physical injuries, and has long-lasting psychological harm from the November 2021 spill, the defense brief states.

The plaintiffs failed to prove required causation factors, assuming instead that because a biological injury occurred after a spill, it must have been caused by the spill, the defense brief states.

The brief proposes compensation for the 17 plaintiffs in ranges that total from $108,828 to $458,792, adding that the thousands of pending cases should employ the same framework.

This framework better reflects the injuries caused by the November 2021 spill, the differences amongst the Bellwether Plaintiffs, the alternative causes of their alleged physical and psychological symptoms, and awards in comparable cases, the defense brief states.

By contrast, the plaintiffs post-trial brief proposes compensation for each individual ranging from $225,000 to $1.28 million, for a total just over $6.85 million.

The plaintiffs lawyers base their compensation claim on factors such as pain and suffering, impairment, mental anguish, life disruption, lost wages and therapy.

The brief argues the plaintiffs were harmed by the Navys mishandling of the contamination crisis.

In November 2021, the Navy knew that its water system was interconnected and that its own policies required that the Navy disclose the fuel release and issue an immediate warning to all users of the water system to prevent harm, the brief states.

Instead, the Navy chose to issue guidance by neighborhood  waiting until people reported odor, sheen, and medical complaints from a given area. That decision was contrary to science and policy.
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham, the U.S. European Command's deputy commander, speaks at Air Base Powidz, Poland, April 5, 2023. Basham said recently that some NATO allies don't grasp the stakes involved when it comes to dealing with Russia. (Agustin Montanez/U.S. Air Force)

STUTTGART, Germany  The United States and its allies must prepare for a generational struggle with Russia that will endure for years regardless of how the war in Ukraine turns out, a three-star American general in Europe said this week.

Lt. Gen. Steven Basham, during an interview at his U.S. European Command headquarters in Stuttgart, said a top concern is that not everyone inside the NATO alliance grasps the magnitude of the stakes involved when it comes to dealing with Russia.

If I were other countries out there, Id be very worried, Basham said Wednesday. And Im hoping thats actually what the alliance really starts to understand. This is not about Ukraine. Its about Russia.

Bashams warning comes as he wraps up two years of running day-to-day operations as EUCOMs deputy commander. He held the same job at U.S. Air Forces Europe and Africa headquarters when Russia launched its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham, at the time the U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa deputy commander, speaks during a Bomber Task Force press conference at RAF Fairford, England, Oct. 20, 2021. ( Eugene Oliver/U.S. Air Force) Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven L. Basham, EUCOM deputy commander, speaks to airmen at RAF Alconbury, England, Feb. 16, 2023. Basham recently said that Russia will likely continue to be a threat, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. (Eugene Oliver/U.S. Air Force)

Months before Russian forces began mounting on Ukraines border under the pretext of drills, it had already become clear to U.S. military leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin was preparing to invade, he said.

There are just certain things that you watch, and a military will do certain things if theyre actually going to go into conflict, Basham said. We wont talk about this (intelligence) here. But there are clear signals.

Those signals were evident as early as the summer of 2021, he said.

Although theres no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, now in its third year, a Russian defeat there wouldnt mean an end to the threat Moscow poses to the Continent, Basham said.

While we accept that here (at EUCOM headquarters), I dont think others fully understand that.  It could end either good with Ukraine or bad with Ukraine, but it doesnt go away with Ukraine, Basham said.

For many of the U.S.s key allies in NATO, Russias invasion was a jolt that upended old assumptions about security in Europe. While the Kremlins initial armed incursion in Ukraine in 2014 also set off alarms, countries such as Germany were largely dismissive of the idea that Russia posed a major threat.

A reliance on cheap Russian gas and related economic ties also factored into Germanys relaxed approach in the years following Moscows 2014 land grab.

I can unequivocally say that, in hindsight, it wouldve been prudent to have a more robust response to the annexation of Crimea, Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted in a September 2022 interview with German radio.

Since Russias February 2022 invasion, there have been encouraging signs among allies, Basham said, pointing to a larger number of NATO members hitting the alliances benchmark of dedicating 2% of gross domestic product to military matters.

Yet militaries need to move with more urgency when it comes to energizing a defense industrial base, he said.

Top allied officials have conceded that supporting Ukraine has taken a toll on weapons stockpiles. The issue has become a top priority for NATO, with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasizing the need for government to work with industry on ramping up production.

Basham said he is worried that a lingering status quo mindset persists.

What we have to do right now is realize that every minute is precious, Basham said.

Russias economy is already on a wartime footing, which has enabled the Kremlin to absorb the losses taken on the battlefield, both in manpower and equipment.

EUCOM chief Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who also serves as NATOs supreme allied commander, told lawmakers in April that the Russian military is larger than it was at the start of the war.

The question is whether Russia, should it come to a negotiated settlement in Ukraine, would pivot from its military footing.

Theyve industrialized their nation to a wartime economy. Would they reverse that and go the other direction? I think the assessment is no, Basham said. As a matter of fact, thats actually whats keeping their economy going.

EUCOMs forecast is that Russia will remain on its current trajectory for a long, long time, Basham said.

While allies have a window to prepare for potential aggression in Eastern Europe, its not clear how big that opening is, he said.

If its two years, five years, whatever, just start moving on it, he said.

In the meantime, NATO is acting on new regional defense plans that will have implications for U.S. forces in Europe, Basham said.

The planning harkens back to the Cold War, when units assigned to Europe knew what cities and towns they would be operating in should the Soviet Union invade.

That type of operational planning fell by the wayside after the collapse of the USSR. Now its back.

For troops, that means learning all the roads and bridges theyll need to cross if fighting breaks out. You have to actually walk that terrain, Basham said.
A video screen grab shows U.S. Sen. John Fetterman meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (X/Prime Minister of Israel)

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., met with Israels president and prime minister during his first visit ever to the country he has staunchly supported.

Fetterman has been one of Israels biggest supporters in Congress, pleasantly surprising conservatives who disparaged him as he entered the public view as a progressive. As a result, hes faced pushback from progressives, but Fetterman has resisted the progressive label in recent years.

Before this trip, the Pennsylvania senator, who is not Jewish, had never been to Israel.

Weve been through dark times in these months of anguished war, and during that time I can say that Israel has had no better friend than Sen. John Fetterman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video posted Wednesday to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Fetterman wore a white hoodie and a Nova Music Festival wristband given to him by a family of a victim of Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel. He clasped his hands as he stood beside Netanyahu, who was clad in a suit and tie. An American flag and Israeli flag hung side by side behind the two men.

I want to thank you for your courageous statements that show moral clarity and moral courage, and you just say it the way it is, Netanyahu said in the video. And we appreciate this friendship at all times, but especially at these times.

We stand with Israel through this and Im so sorry for whats been done to this nation, Fetterman said.

While the senators devout support for Israel has become a much larger part of his political persona since Oct 7, his support for the Middle East ally didnt start then. While campaigning for his 2022 Senate primary, he told the publication Jewish Insider that he would lean in on supporting the alliance. Other political allies of Israel have begun to draw lines in the sand as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, but Fettermans support has remained unconditional.

Fetterman also met with Israel President Isaac Herzog. Herzog said in a post on X on Tuesday that he appreciated Fetterman wearing the Nova wristband, from the outdoor music festival near the Gaza border where hundreds of people were killed Oct. 7, as well as his demands for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

You are a beacon of moral clarity as we fight to defend the free world against true evil, the post said.

2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC.

Visit at inquirer.com.

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A driver transports humanitarian aid from a U.S. Army vessel across the floating pier and onto the beach in Gaza on June 8, 2024. (Kelby Sanders/U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON  The inspector generals of the Defense Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development announced Thursday that the agencies would open reviews into the U.S. militarys floating pier used to transport humanitarian assistance to Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip.

Each review will focus on a different aspect of the mission to move needed aid from the sea into the embattled enclave. The Pentagon review will assess how effectively the military has facilitated the delivery of food aid. USAIDs review will focus on the distribution side and evaluate how food aid has reached the agencys key partner in the region, the U.N.s World Food Program.

The agreements between the DOD and USAID establish roles and responsibilities that help enable U.S. humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza through the maritime corridor, Robert Storch, the Pentagons inspector general, said in a statement. Through our collaboration, we will leverage the unique expertise, resources and capabilities of our teams to optimize our oversight in this important area.

The Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, pier is meant to provide another way to deliver needed aid into Gaza. Health officials have warned that millions of Gazans face extreme hunger as Israel continues its war against Hamas militants who launched a surprise assault in October from the enclave.

But the pier has been plagued with problems since May 17 when it became operational. The Pentagon announced less than two weeks later it would be removed for repairs after suffering damage from rough seas and bad weather.

A driver transports pallets of humanitarian aid on June 14, 2024, from the USNS GySgt Fred W. Stockham across a floating platform and onto an Army vessel off the coast of Gaza. (Isaak Martinez/U.S. Navy)

The pier became operational again June 7. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said at the time that the issue with the pier was solely from unanticipated weather.

A week later, CENTCOM announced the pier was being temporarily removed due to high seas.

The pier was again reattached June 19, though Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, told reporters earlier in the week it only became fully operational Tuesday after scheduled maintenance Monday.

Ryder said more than 6,800 metric tons, or 15 million pounds, of humanitarian aid had been delivered for aid groups to distribute.

News reporters were invited onto the pier this week for the first time since it has been used off the coast of Gaza. From the pier, they could see aid piling up against a backdrop of near-total destruction, The Associated Press reported.

While aid from the pier is reaching the beach, its still difficult to get supplies to Palestinians in Gaza. The World Food Program has suspended aid delivery from the pier due to security concerns after the Israeli military appeared to use the area in a June 8 hostage rescue. Lawlessness around the pier, with hungry Palestinians seizing aid off trucks headed to delivery zones, is also a major concern according to the AP.

U.N. officials told the AP on Tuesday that they are considering suspension of aid operations across Gaza unless steps are taken to better protect humanitarian workers.
Felix Sater, the Moscow-born deal maker who was once part of Donald Trumps inner circle, lost a civil trial in which he was accused of helping a wealthy Kazakh man launder millions of dollars through US real estate including condos at the Trump SoHo tower. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Felix Sater, the Moscow-born deal maker who was once part of Donald Trumps inner circle, lost a civil trial in which he was accused of helping a wealthy Kazakh man launder millions of dollars through US real estate including condos at the Trump SoHo tower.

A federal jury in Manhattan issued the verdict Wednesday in favor of the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, and one of the countrys biggest lenders, BTA Bank, awarding more than $32 million in damages, including interest, according to the lawyer for the plaintiffs, Matthew L. Schwartz of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

The loss in court is a setback for Sater, a controversial real estate operative who once had offices at Trump Tower. I reject the verdict and will be appealing, Sater said in a telephone interview. The verdict has yet to be posted on the court docket.

We are privileged to have been able to present this evidence to a US jury, and are thrilled with the verdict in favor of our clients, including the jurys imposition of punitive damages for the deliberate and particularly morally culpable conduct of Felix Sater, said Schwartz, Boies Schillers chairman-elect and managing partner.

Global Recovery Effort

Almaty and BTA claimed that Sater helped Ilyas Khrapunov launder a portion of the roughly $6 billion allegedly looted from the bank by his father-in-law, former BTA Chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov, in the years before the financial crisis. The case is part of a global effort by BTA to recover the money, which was allegedly siphoned from the bank through a web of shell companies and bogus loans.

Almaty alleges some of the laundered money was stolen from the city by Khrapunovs father, when he was mayor, through corrupt sales of municipal land.

Sater, who as late as 2011 was handing out business cards identifying himself as a Senior Advisor to Donald Trump, denied the allegations. But he testified that he lied when he helped Khrapunov conceal his role in lucrative deals to dodge a worldwide freezing order that tied up his familys assets. Sater allegedly made millions in the process.

I wasnt legally obliged to tell the seller, the buyer of anything, to tell anyone of dirty laundry of a deal I was working on, Sater testified on June 18 during a nearly three-week trial. They had a due diligence department. If they found it, they found it. If they didnt find it, they didnt find it.

The investments at the center of the case included several units at Trump SoHo, an Ohio mall and private equity deals.

Trump Adviser

Trump, 78, isnt a defendant and isnt accused of wrongdoing in the case, but the trial put fresh attention on Trumps dealings as he campaigns to return to the White House, including his ties with Russia before the 2016 election. Sater, who advised Trump on real estate investments and at one point led his failed effort to build a Moscow skyscraper, was one of many witnesses interviewed in Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Trumps 2016 campaign.

Sater met Khrapunov in Trump Tower to discuss laundering the allegedly stolen money and personally arranged meetings between the wealthy Kazakh and Trump to discuss possible investments, BTA and Almaty said in the complaint. But the bank and the city went to great lengths in court documents to distance Trump from the allegations.

There is no suggestion that either Ilyas or Sater disclosed to Mr. Trump the illicit origin of the stolen funds, or that Mr. Trump engaged in any impropriety whatsoever in connection with Ilyas Khrapunov, according to the lawsuit.

Stabbed Rival Broker

Sater, who worked at Bear Stearns and other Wall Street firms in the 1980s, served time in prison for stabbing a rival commodities broker in the face with a broken margarita glass in a bar fight in Midtown Manhattan in 1991, which led to lasting nerve damage for the victim.

He later pleaded guilty to racketeering for taking part in stock swindles that defrauded investors of more than $40 million. To stay out of prison, Sater worked as an informant to US prosecutors investigating the mobs role on Wall Street. BTA says Sater turned to real estate after he was banned from selling securities in 1999.

Wednesdays verdict is the latest legal twist for one of the more colorful people in Trumps orbit. BuzzFeed News in 2018 reported that Sater spent more than two decades as an intelligence asset for the US government.

Khrapunov has denied wrongdoing. He previously said that he managed his own familys investments legally and denied that his Swiss company was a front for his father-in-law or that he had laundered any ill-gotten gains. Ablyazov has also consistently denied wrongdoing.

The case is City of Almaty v. Sater, 19-cv-02645, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an event in Umatilla, Florida, on June 25, 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS)

(Tribune News Service)  Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said Florida will not comply with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthys declaration that firearm violence is a public health crisis.

Murthy, the nations top doctor, issued the advisory Tuesday as the U.S. grapples with growing numbers of deaths and injuries involving firearms. He called for a comprehensive approach similar to responses to tobacco and motor vehicle deaths.

In a video announcing the advisory, Murthy said that 54% of U.S. adults report that they or a family member have experienced a gun-related incident. He noted that firearm violence is the leading cause of death for American children and adolescents.

A day before Murthys advisory, residents of New Tampa crowded into a community center to raise concerns about a recent streak of shootings in the area, including one Friday on New Tampa Boulevard that left two dead.

Murthy called for universal background checks, a ban on assault weapons, more federal funding for gun violence prevention research and tighter regulations on the gun industry, among other suggestions.

The surgeon general cannot enforce those recommendations. A nationwide implementation of the suggestions would require legislation from Congress.

While some state legislatures may consider Murthys proposals, DeSantis on Wednesday said Florida will not comply.

In a post on X, the governor said Murthy is attempting to violate the Second Amendment through the public health bureaucracy.

He referenced the federal governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic and said unelected bureaucrats used public health as a pretext to deprive citizens of their rights.

I believe the governors post speaks for itself, Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for the governors office, said when asked to expand on DeSantis position.

The National Rifle Association rejected the advisory, too.

This is an extension of the Biden administrations war on law-abiding gun owners, Randy Kozuch, executive director of the association, said in a statement on X.

America has a crime problem caused by criminals, he said. The reluctance to prosecute and punish criminals on the part of President (Joe) Biden and many of his allies is the primary cause of that.

Murthy said the impacts of firearm violence extend beyond people with direct experiences. There are wider ripples of harm for people who witness the violence, live in communities frequently affected by it or read about it in the news, he said.

Firearm violence is a public health crisis, Murthy said. Our failure to address it is a moral crisis.

2024 Tampa Bay Times.

Visit tampabay.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Authorities released surveillance image of a man who they said was seen in video chanting, Raise your hand if youre a Zionist! on a crowded subway. He has since turned himself in to police, cops confirmed on June 26, 2024. (NYPD/TNS)

NEW YORK (Tribune News Service)  A masked pro-Palestinian protester recorded terrorizing a crowded Manhattan subway train by screaming Raise your hand if youre a Zionist! surrendered to police Wednesday, officials said.

After seeing multiple wanted posters seeking his apprehension, Anas Saleh, 24, surrendered to NYPD transit cops at the Canal St. station with a lawyer in tow.

He was charged with attempted coercion, a misdemeanor, and given a desk appearance ticket. Hes expected to answer the charges in Manhattan Criminal Court in a few weeks.

His face covered with a black and white headscarf, Saleh allegedly stepped on a crowded subway train at the 14th St.-Union Square station on June 10 and started chanting, Raise your hand if youre a Zionist! This is your chance to get out!

When no one responded, Saleh said, Ok, no Zionists. Were good! before stepping off the train.

The train was held in the station as cops cleared protesters from the platform.

Saleh was part of a protest in Union Square where footage posted to social media shows a small group of demonstrators holding up a flag saying, Long live October 7th.

Protesters then flooded into the subway and rode down to Wall St., where they staged a larger action outside the Nova Exhibition, a memorial created to honor the victims of Hamas Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis. Hundreds were taken hostage.

The Manhattan DAs office and NYPD have been actively investigating this incident since it occurred, a spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said of the subway incident. We encourage anyone with additional information to call (212) 335-9040.

At the Wall St. protest, footage shows a protester waving a flag with Hamas logo on it and another with the emblem of Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. Someone else is seen holding a sign saying Zionists are not human.

The next day Mayor Eric Adams joined relatives of the victims of the Oct. 7 terror attack to condemn the protesters, calling their actions despicable.

Hamas is a terrorist organization, Adams said. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization.  Is this what New York represents? I say no.

The word Zionist means someone who supports Israel and believes in the creation of a Jewish state, but during the many protests over the Hamas war in the city since Oct. 7 some activists have been equating the term with simply being Jewish.

Among too many activists, its now socially acceptable code for Jewish, the New York Daily News Editorial Board wrote after the incident. See, the defense goes, were not going after Jews because of the God they pray to; were going after people because they believe in Israels right to exist as a Jewish state.

Any Jew on such a car would have good reason to feel intimidated, just as if someone chanted Raise your hand if youre gay, or Raise your hand if youre Republican, or Raise your hand if youre Black, followed by This is your chance to get out, the June 14 editorial continued. Every responsible New York leader should stand up against such vile behavior.

2024 New York Daily News.

Visit nydailynews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(Facebook/Immigration And Customs Enforcement)

(Tribune News Service)  Eight men from Tajikistan who were arrested this month over alleged ties to ISIS had reportedly sparked suspicion they were plotting a potential attack on U.S. soil, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation.

While there was no evidence confirming a specific terrorist attack had been planned, the chatter was troubling, CBS News reported Wednesday, citing sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As of Wednesday, the men were still in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, facing removal proceedings.

They were arrested over the course of multiple days on immigration charges and have not been charged with terrorism-related offenses.

When they originally crossed into the U.S. over the southwest border in 2023 and 2024, nothing connected them to the Islamic State terrorist group, officials said. After ICE arrested them for entering the country without legal documents, they were released and given a hearing date.

But when intelligence information came through of possible ISIS ties, an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force began investigating. By then, the men were residing in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities.

After months of surveillance, they were taken in as part of a joint operation between ICE and the task force.

The individuals arrested are detained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, the FBI said in a email statement to the Daily News. As the FBI and [the Department of Homeland Security] have recently described in public and partner bulletins, the U.S. has been in a heightened threat environment.

Just days before, FBI director Christopher Wray said the bureau had disrupted multiple terrorist attacks in cities and communities around the country during his tenure and that the heightened risk of violence in the U.S. before Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel had only increased in the ensuing months.

Since then, weve seen a rogues gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against Americans and our allies, Wray said during a congressional appropriations hearing.

Neither the FBI nor the Homeland Security Department had further comment Wednesday about the eight people in custody.

We havent made any additional statements and we have not confirmed various news reports, the FBI told The News.

With News Wire Services

2024 New York Daily News.

Visit nydailynews.com.

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Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during a briefing at the U.S. Capitol on May 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/TNS)

DALLAS  Sen. Ted Cruz hosted a field hearing Wednesday in Dallas to discuss deepfake revenge porn and his new legislation tackling the issue.

The bill, unveiled last week, would make it a federal crime to publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate images, whether authentic or created artificially with AI or other computer tools. The TAKE IT DOWN Act would also require websites to remove the content within 48 hours of receiving a request from a victim. Cruz compared this requirement to existing copyright laws on Wednesday and said the mechanism of enforcement with the Federal Trade Commission would be similar.

Aledo High School student Elliston Berry and her mother Anna McAdams shared testimony at the University of North Texas at Dallas event of her experience last fall. A male classmate took images of Berry and her friends from Instagram and used an artificial intelligence program to make them appear to be nude photos, distributing them widely on Snapchat.

I was 14 years old when I was violated all over social media, and I was just 14 years old when I feared my future was ruined, Berry said. My goal is to prevent any other student from undergoing this issue  and hopefully turn this horrible situation into something good.

Advocates said the mandatory removal of content is a unique and essential aspect of this bill, because they fear tech companies wont do it on their own. They cited examples of people making hundreds of requests and pointed to Berrys photos being removed by Snapchat after Cruzs office reached out to the company.

Snapchat did not have a comment on Berrys case but pointed to policies prohibiting sexual exploitation and deepfakes on its platform.

Its imperative that tech plays a role here, and if they wont do it voluntarily, they should be required to do so, said Stefan Turkheimer, vice president of public policy for the nonprofit Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. This is a problem that is not just facilitated by them, but created by them and the proliferation of these images is not possible without them.

Andrea Powell, director of The Reclaim Coalition, which works to end online Image-based sexual violence, said one of the top needs she sees among victims she works with is having the images taken down.

When we think about traditional offline sexual assault, which is also horrific, there is a post-traumatic stress factor, she said. But you cant be post if youre always worried about the future of your violence being exposed online.

2024 The Dallas Morning News.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Lawmakers are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to take more steps to reduce a backlog of claims from disabled veterans and their survivors seeking health care services and benefits. (Stars and Stripes)

WASHINGTON  Lawmakers urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to take more steps to reduce a backlog of claims from disabled veterans and their survivors seeking health care services and benefits, which peaked at more than 400,000 in January.

VA managers and union leaders testified this week at a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee subpanel on disability assistance and memorial affairs about their response to the recent surge in requests for compensation driven by passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or PACT Act.

In the two years since the PACT Act became law, the VA has received an average of 195,800 claims per month, an increase of 57,000 claims from the prior two years, according to the VA.

The PACT Act, adopted in 2022, awards benefits to veterans exposed to toxins during military service, including from burn pits, Agent Orange, asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Willie Clark, deputy undersecretary for field operations at the Veterans Benefits Administration, said the backlog has dropped from 423,179 claims pending for more than 125 days in January to 300,000 claims as of May.

Clark emphasized the VA has made gains by centralizing claims in areas that include toxic exposures and military sexual trauma. The centralization enables workers who have developed specialized training and knowledge to focus on these areas.

He said a Minnesota veteran in his 70s recently filed a claim for cancer that was sent to the Houston office and the Milwaukee regional office. Clark said five days later the VA determined the veteran had a terminal illness that needed immediate decision and resulted in him being awarded 100% in disability compensation, up from 10%.

But lawmakers said more work needs to be done to reduce the wait times for receiving benefits.

Clark pointed to the unprecedented increase in claims that has added to everyones workload.

As new employees are onboarded and complete the training, the Veterans Benefits Administration is further poised to reduce inventory and improve delivery, he said.

Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann, a deputy director at the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a nonprofit organization for family members grieving the loss of a service member or veteran, said there are chronic delays in indemnity compensation for dependents of deceased service members and veterans.

This is the point where most survivors give up because they feel it is not worth continuing to try to obtain their benefits, she said.

Kenneth Smith, assistant deputy undersecretary for operations management in the VA Office of Field Operations, said about 600 forms have been sent to parents and guardians of the children to clarify the steps needed to ensure families receive compensation. He said in the past minors signed the forms when an adults signature also was needed.

Smith also said when mistakes are made by processors  called avoidable deferrals  claims might be sent to another regional office for correction.

Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., said he is hearing from veterans and survivors that backlogged claims seem to get stuck in the automated routing system of the national work queue, causing lengthy delays.

The claim is bounced among several offices for review but fails to yield a decision in a timely manner, and processors rarely receive feedback about their work, he said.

Unnecessary deferrals produce large-scale inefficiencies, Pappas said.

Clark said the national automated work queue distributes claims for processing using an algorithm based on capacity at regional offices to handle them.

Each night, the queue sorts claims based on age and priority while also balancing the national workload across all regional offices, he said.

The work queue also assigns claims to specialty offices that works on more complex cases for health care coverage. The VA has focused on hiring and training processors to handle these cases, Clark said.

Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, who is chairman of the subcommittee, said there needs to be greater attention to reducing delays, especially in processing claims for military sexual trauma and survivor benefits.

Veterans and survivors with special types of claims experience longer times for decisions, he said.

Rep. John McGarvey, D-Ky., asked for ideas to smooth the process and ease holdups in decisions.

James Swartz, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2823, said the current approach of moving claims to different regional offices at different stages of the approval process is creating confusion among processors.

AFGE Local 2823 is the union representing the Cleveland office of the Veterans Benefits Administration.

Every regional office often has its own way of conducting specific tasks, Swartz said.

He said small, but critical differences in how claims are handled contribute to unnecessary delays in awarding benefits.

McGarvey said one of his constituents who filed a claim for military sexual trauma has been waiting for more than a year for a decision.

Upon contacting the VA on behalf of the veteran, he said his office learned the claim would be reprocessed when the office had the staffing and capacity to get it done.

These issues have a devastating impact on veterans and their families. The claims that require special handling are getting caught in a system that is not equipped to manage the complex reviews, McGarvey said.
Alan Ward (56) murdered his wife Catherine Doyle (41) at their home at Greenfort Drive, Clondalkin

A violent domestic abuser who stabbed his wife to death has failed in a bid to overturn his conviction at the Court of Appeal.

Alan Ward (56), who had been forced to leave his previous home in Tallaght after he used a Samurai sword to stab his neighbour during a fight, murdered his wife Catherine Doyle (41) at their home at Greenfort Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on March 1, 2019.

Ward had denied the charge, arguing that his responsibility was diminished due to a mental disorder brought on by a stroke he suffered two years earlier.

His trial heard that he had a long history of violence towards his wife and others prior to suffering the stroke.

As the court sat this morning to deliver its judgment Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, for Ward, said he had just become aware that his client believes that forms relevant to his defence were not put before the trial court. Mr O Lideadha said he did not know what material his client was referring to and asked for an adjournment to allow the legal team to discuss the matter further.

He said Ward had also told him that due to difficulties arising from his stroke, his client didn't understand what was happening during his trial.

The three-judge court refused the application to adjourn and the judgment was delivered by Ms Justice Una Ni Raifeartaigh. She said that Ward had been married for 23 years and had a history of domestic violence and a long history of alcohol abuse.

He developed communication difficulties following a stroke in 2017 and two years later he stabbed his wife to death upstairs in their home. When his son Adam came to help, having heard a bang, Ward attempted to slash him with the knife and threatened to kill him.

At trial, Ward relied primarily on the defence of diminished responsibility due to a mental disorder brought on by his stroke. Had the jury accepted that defence, they would have convicted him of manslaughter rather than murder.

Catherine Doyle

Two experts told the trial that Ward did have a mental disorder but they differed on whether his actions were better explained by that disorder or by intoxication.

Ward's legal team argued that the prosecution expert should not have been allowed to offer his opinion that alcohol was the greater factor. Ms Justice Ni Raifeartaigh rejected that argument, saying the expert's evidence would have been incomplete and artificial had he not offered his opinion on how the mental disorder interacted with intoxication.

Ms Justice Ni Raifeartaigh said the trial judge was careful to point out that the ultimate decision regarding diminished responsibility was for the jury.

The court rejected three further grounds of appeal, saying they were not satisfied Ward had been able to show that his trial was unfair or unsatisfactory.

At Ward's trial, Dr Damian Smith offered the opinion that having regard to the background circumstances, in particular the history of violence and abuse, alcohol intoxication was the more likely cause of the appellants behaviour in killing the deceased.

Dr Smith said he was not satisfied that the brain injury caused by a stroke in 2017 was sufficient to diminish Ward's responsibility, although he said the final decision was a matter for the jury.

The defence had called consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul OConnell who said a combination of brain damage and PTSD were present in Ward but that this was complicated by alcohol misuse.

Giving evidence at the trial, Dr O'Connell said it was up to the jury to decide if Ward should be found to have diminished responsibility due to his mental disorder and he therefore would not offer his own opinion.

During the trial, Adam Ward, a son of the accused and deceased, told the jury that he emerged from his room after hearing a bang and saw his father in the doorway of his parents' bedroom striking downwards. When Adam asked what he was doing, his father told him, "get the fuck away from me or I'm going to kill you," swiped at him with the blade and lunged towards him.

Adam stepped backwards, out of the way of the knife, and ran downstairs.

When he saw his father following he quickly unlocked the front door and ran across the street to where he saw a small group of people. He told them what had happened and one of them called gardai.

Arising from the attempted attack on his son, Ward was convicted of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Adam Ward and of attempting to stab him.

The trial also heard that Ward was convicted in 2002 of assaulting his wife causing her harm. Gardai were called to their home to respond to domestic disputes five times over the years. When he lived in Tallaght, Ward got into a fight with a neighbour and stabbed him in the neck with a Samurai sword. Gardai were called to that incident but Ward's neighbour decided not to make a complaint, the trial heard.

In 2017, Adam said his father had a stroke which affected his speech and required him to attend classes to learn how to talk.

He said his father's personality didn't change following the stroke; the only difference Adam noticed was the difficulty his father had with his speech.
Gavin ONeill (47) was in the throes of a heroin addiction at the time

Gavin ONeill was on drugs at the time and had compensation in court

A hotel guest who pulled out the pipes under the bathroom sink was in the throes of a heroin addiction at the time, a court has heard.

Gavin ONeill (47) was now clean but had been going through a lot of difficulties due to his addiction, his solicitor said.

The defendant caused 700 worth of damage to the hotel room en suite, and he had the compensation in court.

Judge David McHugh ordered ONeill to complete 200 hours community service in lieu of four months in prison.

The judge adjourned the case to a date in September to allow the probation service to complete a community service assessment.

ONeill, with an address at Woodview Heights in Lucan, admitted criminal damage at the Spa Hotel in Lucan on June 11, 2021.

Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai went to the Spa Hotel and they were brought to a bedroom, Room 308.

Sgt Callaghan said gardai knocked on the door, and a male voice answered, but he did not open the door.

Sgt Callaghan said that the hotel manager opened the bedroom door for gardai, who then entered the room. The sergeant said gardai found ONeill down on the bathroom floor, pulling out the pipes from under the sink.

The cost of the damage was 700, and he had the compensation in court, his solicitor said.

The court heard that ONeill had six previous convictions, but had not come to garda attention for a number of years.

Defence solicitor Valerie Buckley said ONeill was a father of one, who was going through a very difficult period due to his addiction to heroin at the time.

Ms Buckley said that ONeill had completed a drug rehabilitation programme and was now drug free.

She said the defendant was focused on staying clean of drugs and staying out of trouble.

Asking the judge to be as lenient as possible, Ms Buckley also said that ONeill wished to apologise for his behaviour.

Ordering ONeill to complete community service, Judge McHugh said the defendants behaviour was self-induced and he was lucky to avoid a jail sentence.
A prosecutor told the court that Hamill had been captured on CCTV lifting a metal tray and using it to strike the victim a number of times

A West Belfast man recently sentenced for a burglary spree was handed a three month custodial sentence yesterday for a cowardly assault of a fellow inmate.

Newtownards Magistrates Court heard that the victim and another youth had a confrontation in Hydebank YOC on 14 December 2022.

A prison officer intervened and the other youth was put into his cell but as the victim went to get his dinner, Jordan Hamill and three others prisoners assaulted him.

A prosecutor told the court that 20-year-old Hamill had been captured on CCTV lifting a metal tray and using it to strike the victim a number of times, leaving the victim with a small cut to his lip.

Last February at Downpatrick Crown Court Hamill, from Leeson Street in the west of the city, was handed a 32 month sentence with half to served in custody and half on licence after he admitted five charges of burglary including at three neighbouring properties at The Courtyard in Crawfordsburn and two further neighbours on the Old Windmill Road, also in Crawfordsburn, all committed within 90 minutes of each other on 26 March 2022.

Sentencing Hamill, Judge Geoffrey Miller KC said it was a depressing enough statistic that with more than 100 previous convictions, the 20-year-old has spent around a quarter of his life in custody.

In four of the burglaries Hamill broke into the properties with intent to steal while in one other, he stole car keys and a hammer while two further charges of stealing a JBL speaker and a power adapter from inside the car and attempting to steal the Honda Jazz were left own the books.

Judge Miller outlined how a couple walked into the kitchen of their home only to find a figure looking at them but the male ran out, getting into their Honda Jazz but the owner ran out after him and told him to get out.

Forty-five minutes later the next victim heard a noise in his living room so went to investigate and found a man standing in a bedroom, holding his step-daughters iPad.

The householder shouted at him and the male slurred dont hurt me as he fled the property empty handed.

Ten minutes after that incident, a lady found Hamill standing in her living room and shouting on her husband for help, he grabbed the burglar and shouted at him to leave.

Hamill threatened that Im going to knock your c*** in but as Judge Miller highlighted, the burglar was running off at that stage and the victim told cops he was not in fear at any stage.

The judge said there were similar incidents at two other properties where Hamill had let himself in, was spotted and he fled when confronted.

With a multitude of calls made to police and descriptions and CCTV handed over, officers received a radio transmission that Hamill had been spotted on North Queen Street in north Belfast and he as arrested in a flat a short time later, clearly under the influence of drink or drugs.

The stolen speaker and power adapter were found on his person and he was wearing the same clothes as captured on CCTV but notwithstanding that, he refused to answer police questions during interviews.

In court on Wednesday defence counsel Conor Holmes submitted that compared to the others Hamill had played a peripheral role in the assault, adding that his release date depended upon the sentence imposed.

Describing it not just an assault but a cowardly assaultthere was four on one, Districty Judge Francis Rafferty imposed a three month custodial sentence.
Sean Norris confirmed he understood the two charges against him

A Belfast man accused of deliberately running over his six-month-old puppy was back in court today accused of having a weapon and causing criminal damage.

Appearing in the dock of Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine, Sean Norris confirmed he understood the two charges against him, both alleged to have been committed on June 25 this year.

Norris, from Colinbrook Drive in Dunmurry, is accused of causing criminal damage to windows and possessing a weapon, namely a hammer, at Oakglen in Antrim.

A police officer gave evidence that he believed he could connect Norris to each of the charges and as defence counsel Grant Powles indicated that he was not applying for bail, District Judge Peter King remanded the 23-year-old into custody to appear again next Tuesday.

In a separate case, Norris faces three charges arising from incidents on May 19 this year including two charges of causing unnecessary suffering to two dogs and making a threat to kill his brother.

Limavady Magistrates Court

Previous court hearings heard that police feared Millie, the collie puppy, had been left severely injured and probably dead after Norris told them he ran over the six-month-old dog three times but following searches around the Glenshane Road, she was found alive and well.

Const. Robinson had outlined how police found the defendants car abandoned on the hard shoulder of the M2 in the early hours of May 19.

When officers attended at Norris family home in Belfast, they were made aware that he had left after an argument which had centred on the welfare of the dog.

They alleged that Mr Norris wasnt providing adequate care for the dog, said the officer, adding that after the argument Norris had taken off in the car and headed towards Maghera and the Glenshane Road.

The earlier court hearing heard that police found what they believed to be fur and blood on the front bumper of Norris car and when he was interviewed, he told police he had let Millie out of the car to go to the toilet but he was not able to get her back into the car.

He told police effectively that he ended up hitting the dog three times, said Constable Robinson, the first at 30mph, the second time after he turned and came back again in first gear, wasnt too sure of the speed, and then hitting it a third time in first gear.

At the time of the interview we were under the impression that she had succumbed to the injuries but obviously that differs at present, he told the court.

The threats towards his brother related to a number of text messages sent by Norris where he declared that he wanted to cause him harm.

During interviews, Norris admitted that he was angry with his brother, something which the officer said police find particularly concerning, adding that the brother appears to be confused as to where this situation has come from.

The second charge of animal suffering relates to Norris mothers Bichon Frise in that the defendant told police I hate it  I gave it a few good slaps and boots to shut it up when he was looking after it while his mum was on holiday.

By coincidence, that case was mentioned yesterday morning and the court heard that Norris is due to be examined by a consultant psychologist in the coming weeks.
Mr Oliver said he felt like a shell of a human when he awoke from his induced coma, connected to 15 drip wires and breathing through a respirator, not knowing if he would ever be able to leave the hospital or resume some sort of normal life.

A man who left a young English tourist in a three-week coma following an unprovoked attack in the street has withdrawn an appeal against his four-and-a-half-year sentence after a judge highlighted the level of violence involved in the assault.

There was very serious violence inflicted on the streets of Dublin, with not one but two victims, said President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham today, when the appeal by Stefan Bornac (21) came before the three-judge court.

Bornac, with an address at Woodlands Park, Naas, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Thomas Oliver and to assault causing harm to James Lightly on DOlier Street in Dublin 2, on April 17, 2022.

Mr Oliver, a 25-year-old college student, spent three weeks in a coma at Beaumont Hospital after he was knocked unconscious in the assault.

Mr Oliver and his friend Mr Lightly were among a group of seven university friends visiting Dublin for the weekend, when there was an exchange between Mr Oliver and the occupants of a car stopped at a traffic light.

Bornac, who was aged 18 at the time, got out of the car and walked over to Mr Oliver, punching him with a right-hand swing to the temple with considerable force, before he began punching Mr Lightly several times, knocking him to the ground and then kicking him in the head.

Mr Oliver was transferred by ambulance to St Jamess Hospital and intubated, then transferred to Beaumont where he was again intubated.

In a victim impact statement, Mr Oliver said that he and his family and friends would never be able to reconcile the damage, pain and trauma caused by the actions of Bornac. Mr Oliver said he felt like a shell of a human when he awoke from his induced coma, connected to 15 drip wires and breathing through a respirator, not knowing if he would ever be able to leave the hospital or resume some sort of normal life.

Bornac was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four and a half years in prison, with the final nine months suspended. He subsequently launched an appeal against this sentence.

When his case was called at the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Birmingham told counsel for the appellant Michael Bowman SC that the attack involved very serious violence inflicted on the streets of Dublin, with not one but two victims. Noting that the violence involved kicking someone when they were down on the ground, Mr Justice Birmingham said that the merits of the appeal do not leap from the page.

After consulting with his client, Mr Bowman told the court that he wished to withdraw the appeal.

Mr Justice Birmingham said that the appellant was being very sensible and had benefited from very high-quality legal advice.
It was alleged that Mr Divakaran had repeatedly parked beside Ms Bs car and made comments about her movements, including picking her child up from a creche

A female healthcare worker broke down repeatedly while giving evidence at a fitness-to-practise inquiry about being terrified and scared by the inappropriate behaviour of a male colleague at a HSE centre in Tipperary.

The woman, known only as Miss B, was visibly distraught as she recounted a series of interactions with a physiotherapist, including one incident where he placed his hand on her buttocks and attempted to kiss her, which left her feeling unsafe at work.

The physiotherapist, Sarath Divakaran, appeared before a fitness-to-practise inquiry of CORU  the regulatory body of health and social care professionals  where he is accused of 18 separate allegations of professional misconduct.

It is claimed that Mr Divakaran engaged in inappropriate behaviour with two female colleagues while working at South Tipperary Therapy Services (STTS) in Clonmel, Co Tipperary between 2019 and 2022.

Counsel for CORU, Neasa Bird BL, said it included claims of unwanted physical touching and comments of a sexual nature.

Although Mr Divakaran  a native of India who has worked in Ireland since 2003  admitted that he had sometimes crossed professional boundaries, he denied engaging in any harassment or conduct of a sexual nature.

The physiotherapist claimed his actions were misinterpreted and gravely misunderstood.

The inquiry heard allegations that he had made inappropriate comments about Miss Bs appearance and asked a question about her sexual relationship with her husband.

Mr Divakaran is also accused of harassing her by repeatedly calling into her office and asking for a hug and to go for lunch together.

Ms Bird said it was also alleged that Mr Divakaran had repeatedly parked beside Ms Bs car and made comments about her movements, including picking her child up from a creche.

Nine allegations relate to his conduct with Miss B including that he slowed down in his car while passing her on the premises of STTS on January 27, 2022 at a time when he was already aware of concerns about his behaviour and where management had spoken to him about the issue.

Similar allegations were made against Mr Divakaran in relation to another colleague, identified as Miss A, including touching her in her pubic area.

The inquiry heard that initial complaints about Mr Divakarans behaviour in November 2019 were dealt with informally by the implementation of a safety plan.

However, formal complaints about the physiotherapist were made in February 2021 after it was claimed that he had breached the terms of the safety plan.

The inquiry heard that the physiotherapist was in complete shock and disbelief when he first became aware of complaints about him five years ago.

Mr Divakaran said he had been trying to be friendly and to fit in with colleagues without realising he had made them feel uncomfortable.

He claimed he had followed the safety plan diligently but accepted with hindsight that he had behaved unprofessionally and was truly sorry.

In evidence, Miss B wept openly as she outlined how she was terrified that the physiotherapist would call to her home or her childrens creche following his inappropriate behaviour towards her at work.

Miss B said she realised the gravity of the situation after becoming aware in November 2019 that Mr Divakaran had also been engaging in similar conduct with another female colleague.

I was terrified to be on the floor or in my office on my own, she added.

In evidence, Miss B said she originally found Mr Divakaran to be a very friendly person and it was clear he was well-liked and held in high esteem.

The witness said she had bought the physiotherapist lunch in Cashel in October 2019 as he had been very kind in relation to a child whose care they shared.

Miss B said it was the first time she became aware that he was having difficulties in his life including feeling alone and isolated and they shared stories about married life and children.

She recalled that at the end of the lunch, Mr Divakaran asked if he could give her a hug.

Miss B said she did begin to wonder when he also asked her if could give her a second hug but allowed him on that occasion.

She said she never went to lunch with him again, despite numerous persistent requests from him when he called into her office.

Miss B said he always carried a diary to make their encounters look like they were for professional reasons but it was all a mask.

She also described feeling uneasy and uncomfortable when he once remarked that she looked good in jeans.

When he called to her office on November 8, 2019, Miss B said he asked her out of nowhere would you ask for it if you wanted it.

The inquiry heard Mr Divakaran apologised for asking what he accepted was an inappropriate question.

A week later, Ms B claimed he insisted on being given a hug before placing his hands on her buttocks and attempting to kiss her after she had shown him a photo of her in gym wear.

He moved in so quickly, I was caught where I was situated, she recalled.

Miss B said she felt uncomfortable around him and decided the best thing was to stay away from him.

However, she explained she had not wanted him to feel rejected as she had concerns about his mental health.

Miss B said she called the physiotherapist into her office on November 25, 2019 after becoming aware that he had engaged in similar inappropriate behaviour with another female employee.

She asked a colleague to stand outside the door for security reasons while she told him she never wanted to see him again.

I was assertive and very strong but internally I was a complete and utter wreck, she observed.

Miss B recalled that he became angry but that he left quickly when she held the door open and saw their colleague outside.

The inquiry heard the witness had to take sick leave because she felt unsafe at work and only returned after a safety plan was put in place.

On her return, Miss B said she avoided the canteen and other areas because her piece of mind was totally gone.

She claimed the physiotherapist had manipulated and planned everything and had played her like a fiddle.

Under cross-examination Miss B admitted exchanging friendly text messages with Mr Divakaran after one of the incidents because she was trying to boost his competence and self-esteem.

As a human being and a professional I had great compassion and sympathy for him, she added.

She told counsel, Ellen Finneran BL, that she had fought the HSEs decision to relocate both her and Mr Divakaran away from STTS because she felt she was being punished.

Arrangements were subsequently put in place that neither would work in the centre at the same time.

Miss B confirmed she was dissatisfied with the HSEs handling of the matter and that she has initiated High Court proceedings against both the HSE and Ms Divakaran.

A social care leader at STTS, Nuala Phelan, gave evidence that she was concerned in October 2019 about an increase in the frequency which Ms Divakaran called to the office she shared with Miss B.

Ms Phelan said she was anxious about the matter as the physiotherapist appeared agitated that she was in the office when he called to see Miss B.

The inquiry, which is expected to last three days, will resume on Thursday.
The name or breed of the dog, or the animals welfare following the attack, were not stated in court

A 21-year-old former student, who was bitten violently and viciously by a dog, has settled a 60,000 personal injury claim against the owner and the person in whose care the dog was at the time.

No details of the settlement were divulged in the Circuit Civil Court today but barrister Dermot Murphy, counsel for bite victim Joey Chong, told Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain that his client was taking a pragmatic approach to the proceedings.

Chong, of Belfry Lawns, City West Road, Saggart, Co Dublin, had sued the dog owner Jia Kang Chai, of Camden Avenue, Dublin 15, and De Feng Wu, owner of Segrave Rise, Finglas, Dublin 11, where the attack occurred.

The name or breed of the dog, or the animals welfare following the attack, were not stated in court.

Chong had claimed to have been violently and viciously attacked by the dog and had suffered severe personal injury, alleging a fracture and multiple bites that had left up to 15 marks and scrapes to the left forearm.

Mr Murphy, who appeared with Coleman Legal Partners for Chong, told Judge Ni Chulachain that the claim against the second named defendant, De Feng Wu, could be struck out with an order for the plaintiffs legal costs.

In relation to the first named defendant (Jia Kang Chai) against whom we obtained judgment in default of appearance, the case may also be struck out, Mr Murphy said. A sensible approach has been taken by the plaintiff, he added.

Judge Ni Chulachain said she would made the orders asked for.
Jason McInerney (36), who has family ties to Co Laois, pleaded guilty to the horror assault

A VIOLENT criminal who has spent the majority of his adult life behind bars, has been jailed for a savage attack on his girlfriend where she was forced to dive from a moving car to escape his clutches.

Jason McInerney (36), who has family ties to Co Laois, pleaded guilty to the horror assault which left the woman with friction burns, spinal injuries and a stab wound to her leg.

He had been out of prison for just over a year when he assaulted the woman over a number of days in July 2023 near Marbella in Spain.

McInerney had spent 15 years behind bars for his part in a shooting at a wedding in the UK in which the groom was wounded.

He then escaped custody during a court hearing in which he bit a detectives nose and went on a five-month crime spree before being re-captured.

Last month, he was given another nine-year prison sentence following a trial in the UK for the attack in Spain, which sparked a major police manhunt.

However, he was arrested in the UK where authorities liaised with Spanish investigators to have the trial there.

The woman tried at one point during the violent ordeal to alert staff in a pharmacy, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.

When the couple then got into McInerneys car he stabbed her in the leg.

Seriously injured and in fear for her life, she threw herself out of the car at 110kph and was dragged down the road with McInerney holding her arm.

She eventually managed to escape and alert a member of the public who took her to a beach bar where the police were called.

McInerney still had her belongings and passport and she need assistance from the British Consulate in Malaga to get home .

She was met by Hertfordshire police who took her to hospital where she was found to have friction burns, a laceration to her leg and fractures to the spine, according to the CPS.

The prosecution relied on CCTV, including from the pharmacy and the beach club where the victim took refuge, medical evidence and the victims accounts to both the Spanish court and the police in the UK.

McInerney pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm in Spain before sentencing at St Albans Crown Court last month.

Charles White from the Crown Prosecution Service said: This was a prolonged and violent assault which left the victim alone abroad, utterly terrified and with no passport to get home.

In cases of domestic violence, UK authorities can prosecute even if the offence took place outside of the UK. Securing the evidence file required swift liaison with the Spanish authorities, which was facilitated by CPS International.

With this crucial evidence we were able to build a strong case to show the violence which was inflicted on the victim by McInerney.

We are pleased to have secured justice and that this individual is now behind bars.

Detective Inspector Samantha Alcock, from Hertfordshire Constabularys Domestic Abuse Investigation Support Unit, said: Ive been in policing for over 20 years, and Jason McInerney is one of the most dangerous offenders Ive encountered.

I hope that this lengthy sentence will show that the law will always catch up with you, no matter what method you use to try and evade the authorities.

My team of detectives, alongside the Spanish authorities and colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, have worked tirelessly to bring McInerney to justice.

I hope this prison sentence shows how serious the defendants crimes were and re-assures our community that we take reports such as these very seriously.
The Sunday World understands that these offences include rapes, sexual assaults and domestic violence cases, although the precise number of these instances among the figure has not been specified.

A report into serving members of the Defence Forces has found that 68 personnel have criminal convictions or are currently before the courts on criminal charges.

The review was ordered last week after Private Cathal Crotty (22) was spared a jail sentence for a violent attack on Natasha OBrien in Limerick two years ago.

While avoiding a prison sentence meant Crotty could continue serving with the Defence Forces, the military has issued proceedings against him.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) may also appeal the sentence on the grounds of unduly leniency although no such appeal has yet been filed.

The report was compiled by the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Sean Clancy, and presented to Tanaiste Micheal Martin last night.

In a statement his office said that a total 68 Defence Forces personnel have convictions or are currently before the courts for criminal offences ranging from drink driving to sexual assault.

Simon Harris not satisfied with handling of Cathal Crotty case

The Sunday World understands that these offences include rapes, sexual assaults and domestic violence cases, although the precise number of these instances among the figure has not been specified.

A spokesperson for Mr Martin said: The Tanaiste has been absolutely clear since becoming Minister for Defence 18 months ago on the need for urgent transformation of the culture in the Defence Forces. He is adamant that the Defence Forces is a place where no one convicted of serious physical assaults, sexual offences or domestic or gender-based violence can continue to be in active service.

Following the Natasha OBrien case, the Tanaiste was informed last Friday of another case involving a Naval Service member who is still serving after being convicted of assault causing harm last November. In light of this, he requested a report from the Chief of Staff to find out how many serving members of the Defence Forces have civil convictions, or are before the civil courts on serious criminal offences.

"Last night, the Tanaiste was informed of 68 Defence Forces personnel who have been convicted, or are currently before the civil courts, on a range of criminal offences including public order, drink driving, drugs offences, physical assault and sexual offences.

He also received the report requested on the case of the Naval Service member convicted of assault causing harm. The Tanaiste has now asked officials to provide a concise report based on the information received. He has sought legal advice from the Attorney General on how this information can be published in an appropriate and legally sound way.
UN Security Council condemns terror attack in Russia's Dagestan

Xinhua) 09:03, June 27, 2024

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020, shows the outside view of the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, and reaffirmed the need for all states to combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, in accordance with the UN Charter and other obligations under international law.

UNITED NATIONS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council issued a press statement on Wednesday condemning "in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack in Russia's Dagestan on Sunday.

The members of the Security Council condemned "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack" in the Republic of Dagestan, the Russian Federation, the statement said.

The deepest sympathy and condolences are expressed to the families of all the victims, to the government and to the people of Russia, and a speedy and full recovery is wished to those who were injured, the statement said.

Reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, the Security Council members underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.

They urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Russian government and other relevant authorities in this regard.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, and reaffirmed the need for all states to combat by all means threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, in accordance with the UN Charter and other obligations under international law.

Attacks in southern Russia's Republic of Dagestan on Sunday has left at least 21 people dead, including police officers and civilians, and many others injured.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The 51-year-old died on June 20 at Hampton Wood Way, Finglas, after suffering suspected stab wounds.

Michael Chino Ryan was due to become a dad again to a baby boy called Oscar, his funeral notice has revealed.

The 51-year-old died on June 20 at Hampton Wood Way, Finglas, after suffering suspected stab wounds.

Ryan had previously been an associate of gang boss Eamonn the Don Dunne but had not been involved in organised crime at the time of his death.

Today, his funeral details were announced on rip.ie.

His removal is to St. Oliver Plunkett's Church, Rivermount, on Friday morning for Mass at 10am, with burial afterward in Glasnevin Cemetery.

The death notice reads: Gone too soon.

Predeceased by his beloved mam Bernie and sister Bernadette (Berno) Jnr.

Michael (Chino) will be deeply missed, forever loved and never forgotten by his partner Tanya, children Cameron, his unborn son Oscar, Eoin, Rebecca and Zoe, his grandsons, his dad Christopher, sisters and brother Vivienne, Elizabeth and Christopher.

May Michaels gentle soul rest in peace.

Chinos friends and family have left tributes to the Ballymun native on rip.ie.

Michael Ryan

One wrote: Our deepest condolences to Christy and all of Michaels family, our thoughts and prayers are with you all at this very difficult time, may God comfort you all, may his gentle soul rest in peace, reads one.

Rest in peace Chino, look over your family and kids, during this heart-breaking time, may you get the best bed in heaven pal, another read.

Rip our lovely cousin, thinking of your family at this sad time, especially my uncle Christy. May you get the softest pillow in heaven x, a third said.

Rest in peace Chino, added another.

Ryan was known to gardai having previously been involved in a large cash in transit theft with murdered mob boss Eamon Dunne.

He was convicted in connection with the botched robbery with Dunne, Alan and his brother Wayne Bradley and a number of others who followed a Chubb Ireland Nissan Patrol jeep for a number of hours in the hope of stealing nearly one million euro inside.

Ryan, who was 39 at the time, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to the same charge as the Bradley brothers - conspiring to rob a security van.

Meanwhile, a man has been remanded in custody after gardai charged him with Ryans murder.

Unemployed Joseph Lawlor (38) of Hampton Wood Road, Finglas, appeared before Judge John Hughes at Dublin District Court on Saturday.
Maksymowicz said 'tell me that they will help him. Stupid vodka, f*** sake.'

A 54-year-old man murdered by his partner in his west Belfast home died from a single stab wound to the neck, a court heard today

As details concerning the October 2022 murder of Anthony Browne emerged for the first time, his killer Wiktoria Maksymowicz was told she will be sentenced for the fatal knife attack next Wednesday.

Belfast Crown Court heard that due to his level of intoxication on the evening of October 14, 2022, it was highly likely that Tony Browne was unconscious when he was stabbed and killed in the bedroom of his Poleglass home.

As Mr Browne's loved ones, including his twin daughters, sat in the public gallery of Court 13, Maksymowicz (35) was brought into the dock in handcuffs.

She pleaded guilty last month to three offences 'aggravated by reason of involving domestic abuse' including murder and was handed a life sentence.

The Polish national, with an address at Woodside Park, pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Browne on October 14, 2022, and possessing cannabis on the same date.

She also admitted charges of possessing a knife on a Translink bus and assaulting Mr Browne the day before his murder, on October 13, 2022.

The minimum amount of time she will spend in custody before being considered eligible for release will be determined by Mr Justice O'Hara during next week's tariff hearing.

Crown barrister Frank O'Donoghue KC told today's plea hearing that Mr Browne had been sober for around 10 years before meeting Maksymowicz.

Murder victim Anthony Brownes daughter Shannon and family members leave Belfast Crown Court on Thursday (Photo by Alan Lewis)

The prosecutor said she began staying over at his Woodside Park bungalow, before they entered into a relationship and after this Mr Browne's life "unfortunately and tragically descended from that point into alcohol and drug addiction, culminating in his murder.

He said that the day prior to the murder, the couple were on a bus on the Falls Road and at around 4pm, the driver observed them drinking vodka.

Believing the couple to be drunk, the couple were challenged and escorted off the bus.

CCTV was also viewed which showed Maksymowicz was carrying a lock-knife that was found in her possession in the aftermath of the murder.

Sometime between 5pm and 6pm that evening, a nephew of Mr Browne's called at his home. He noticed they were both drinking and in good form.

Mr O'Donoghue said: "While the three of them were drinking in the living room, the defendant went into the kitchen.

"When she came back into the living room, she had a silver dinner knife... and she then stabbed the deceased just above his right knee."

This occurred whilst Mr Browne was sitting in a chair wearing boxer shorts and resulted in a puncture to his skin.

The prosecutor said Mr Brown's nephew was in "complete shock" and that Maksymowicz attacked her partner "out of nowhere."

The nephew also recalled his uncle "didn't really react" and that Maksymowicz cleaned up the wound then applied a bandage.

Mr O'Donoghue then turned to the following day and said that around 1.20pm on October 14, 2022, a neighbour called to Mr Browne's home and noticed the couple were drunk.

Just before 10pm that evening, a 999 call was made by Maksymowicz who said she required an ambulance.

Paramedics arrived at the bungalow at 10.10pm and discovered an unconscious male lying on the bedroom floor bleeding heavily from a wound to the right side of his neck.

Tony Browne

Maksymowicz was also present and was in a distressed state, holding a tea towel to Mr Browne's neck.

CPR was attempted at the scene and he was conveyed to the A&E department at the Royal Victoria Hospital where a trauma team was waiting.

The ambulance arrived at the hospital at 10.30pm and despite efforts to resuscitate Mr Browne, his death was confirmed at 10.57pm.

Mr O'Donoghue said Maksymowicz was arrested at Woodside Park and whilst being taken to a police station, she said 'tell me that they will help him. Stupid vodka, f*** sake.'

She also said 'I tried to save him, I tried to protect him' and 'I did not kill him.'

The prosecutor told Mr Justice O'Hara that due to the levels of alcohol in his system, it was likely Mr Browne was unconscious when he was stabbed. He also said it was probable that he was dead before the ambulance arrived.

Mr O'Donoghue confirmed that the deceased died from a single stab wound to his neck  and as details of this were aired, Maksymowicz sat in the dock crying.

Defence barrister Gavan Duffy KC then addressed the senior judge and said Maksymowicz immediately accepted she was responsible for Mr Browne's death.

Family picture of murder victim Anthony Browne (Photo Alan Lewis)

He said his client has expressed "regret and remorse for her actions and the consequences of her actions" and for the "pain and suffering" she has caused to Mr Browne's family and friends.

Confirming Maksymowicz grew up in Poland and came to Ireland aged 17, Mr Duffy said a traumatic event in her childhood had contributed to her issues with alcohol and that she started abusing both drink and drugs from around the age of 11.

Describing the stabbing of Mr Browne as "a spontaneous act in extreme drunkenness", Mr Duffy said that whilst in custody, Maksymowicz has taken steps to address her issues.

The defence barrister added that his client has a clear criminal record.

After listening to submissions from both the Crown and defence, Mr Justice O'Hara said he wanted time to reflect on what he heard and would impose the tariff next Wednesday, on July 3.

As Maksymowicz was being led back into custody by prison staff, Mr Browne's loved ones held up a picture of him as his killer walked past them.
OHare has served the maximum time allowable for the false imprisonment and assault of a long-serving member of staff of the late Jim Mansfield Senior.

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

The notorious Republican terrorist was picked up by a black Mercedes shortly after 2.30pm and then then driven away from the prison where he has spent the last six years of his life.

The 68-year-old is understood to have spent this morning saying goodbye to his fellow inmates before packing up his belongings and readying himself for his exit.

OHare has served the maximum time allowable of his 10-year sentence with three suspended for the false imprisonment and assault of a long-serving member of staff of the late Jim Mansfield Senior.

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

He led a gang of terror thugs who attempted a forced takeover of security at the Mansfield property during a chaotic period when Jim Mansfield Jnr was employing a series of dissident groups at the family home at Tasaggart in south Dublin.

Along with killer Declan Whacker Duffy, OHare used his fearsome reputation and his fists to terrorise employee Martin Byrne, who would be placed on the Witness Protection Programme such was the level of threat in the run-up to the trials.

While businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr was found not guilty in relation to the kidnap, he was convicted and jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the assault.

Behind bars for more than 13 months in Portlaoise, Mansfield Jnr was held on the C1 landing at the jail where OHare was top dog and was afforded the terror thugs protection during his period of incarceration before being released in March of last year.

OHare is one of the most complex figures to have emerged from Northern Irelands Troubles. Born in Keady in Co. Armagh, he came from a family steeped in Republicanism.

He was originally a member of the Provisional IRA and led a unit that killed part-time UDR member Margaret Ann Hearst in front of her three-year-old daughter.

He was linked to a series of killing and attacks but left the PIRA in the late 1970s as he was deemed too violent and erratic for the group.

In 1987, he kidnapped the dentist John OGrady and demanded a 1.5 million ransom while moving his victim around the country.

At one point he severed OGradys fingers and left them in a church as a mark of his intentions should the money not be paid up.

For weeks, gardai played cat and mouse with the kidnapper and eventually after a shootout rescued OGrady, but OHare got away.

Three weeks later, he was caught and survived despite having been shot eight times in Urlingford in Co. Kilkenny.

The Border Fox, Dessie O'Hare pictured as he is released from Portlaoise Prison

At his trial in 1988 he was sentenced to 40 years in prison, where he ranted to the Special Criminal Court about being the victim of British and Irish brutality and he called on Republicans to raise their guns and turn them on the judiciary, the prison service personnel, Defence Forces and gardai. He described himself as an Irish patriot.

After his release under the terms of the Good Friday Peace Agreement, he returned to his border home in Monaghan and pursued a spiritual life, going to retreats and visiting Medugorje  but he continued to mix with dangerous criminals and paramilitaries and was suspected of working as an enforcer and debt collector.

In 2012, he again gave a ranting speech about patriots and the struggles of Ireland when he gave an oration at the funeral of his murdered friend Eamon Kelly, a veteran mentor to gangland figures including the late Martin Marlo Hyland and Eamon The Don Dunne.

While OHare tried to keep a low profile, his secret criminal life was blown in June 2015 when he was caught in the middle of a ruthless kidnap and attack on Mr Byrne at Mansfields property.

He pleaded guilty and was jailed in 2018 and has been incarcerated in Portlaoise Prison ever since, where he is regularly visited by his wife and where he was regarded as being the ultimate model prisoner.
Dozy dine and dashers who ran before paying bill leave behind a wallet and a bag of clothes

Pictures of the wallet and the bill were posted on Facebook and handed in to gardai

FIVE dine and dashers who fled a restaurant without paying their bill were not only captured on CCTV but one of them left behind his ID and bank card  in a wallet with a picture of a snake on it.

Restaurant owner Eileen Finucane was so angry at the brazenness of the lads that she posted a picture of the wallet and their bill on social media  and handed over all the evidence to gardai.

Eileen, who owns the popular Kitty O Ses Seafood And Grill restaurant in Killarney, says the incident happened last Sunday when the five guys scarpered without paying their 111.80 bill.

Eileen Finucane says she just wants the bill to be paid

Among the items they enjoyed were two fish and chips, two steak ciabatta sandwiches, one prawn stir fry, beer battered onion rings, a pint of Heineken, a bottle of Coors and a bottle of still water.

Happy Fathers Day, she posted on Facebook with a smiley emoji.

To the guys who had a meal here today in Kittys and decided not to pay for their meal there is a God. You left a bag of clothes and one of your wallets with your PTSB card and other cards that identify you.

You are also on CCTV, even though you decided to sit outside in the sun. I wonder why.

Oh yes, you can pick up your wallet whenever suits you, but not at Kittys! In Killarney Garda station. Would have been cheaper if you paid. Clowns, she added with emojis.

Eileen runs Kitty O Ses in Killarney

Eileen has had almost 300 shares of her post and has been inundated with praise for her actions.

One follower said: Good for you Eileen, there are some scumbags out there and some urged her to tap the card for 50 a few times to pay for the bill.

I was tempted to take the money off the card, but I decided to let the Guards deal with it as I would have been in trouble with them maybe, Eileen told the Sunday World. The Guards told me off for putting it on Facebook, but I said to them its lucky I didnt put their bloody picture on Facebook.

Eileen, who is from Listowel and lived in England for decades, has been running Kittys for five years.

It won a local Restaurant Of The Year award and has had a recent visit from comedian Dara O Briain.

This happened about noon last Sunday, Eileen says.

Eileen with her late husband Seamus

The group of five guys were aged about 19 or 20 and were the first ones in. They were definitely Irish.

They knew what they were doing when they came in. They sat outside, although it was a beautiful day. But they sat at the end table, so they could get off and run and theyd be away before anyone knew they were gone.

Similar incidents have happened twice before in her premises  once involving two people and another time with a trio.

I didnt report it to the Guards those times as it wasnt worth the hassle, she says.

This time around they left a bag of clothes and a wallet with a bank card and their ID card.

He had a bit of cash in his wallet too, but I just thought you know what, Im just going to turn the whole lot over to the Guards, you never know who youre dealing with.

Its happened twice before but this time around he left a calling card. We also had them on CCTV and theres good images of them.

I thought they have to be taught a lesson and made an example of. I want my money, thats all I want.

Pictures of the wallet and the bill were posted on Facebook and handed in to gardai

Although the bill was not huge, Eileen insists she has a business to run.

I know its happened here in Killarney before and theres been images posted, but I didnt do that. I was tempted to put the CCTV up, but I just said Id talk to the Guards, she adds.

You wouldnt think about 20 each was too much to pay for them. You cant have any business without CCTV now as you dont know what people are going to do.

Eileen, who lost her husband Seamus to Covid at the start of the pandemic, says her staff have tried to catch up with dine and dashers.

We ran after them before and it was no good. I told my staff if they run let them run, dont even attempt to follow them.

People said to me maybe they forgot to pay and I said well if you forgot to pay and you left your wallet, youd come back. Of course they knew what they were doing.

Ann and Bernard McDonagh were caught after scamming Welsh restaurants out of more than 1,000

Eileens experience comes in the wake of similar high profile incidents in the UK.

An Irish couple living in Wales, Ann and Bernard McDonagh, were last month jailed for cynically and brazenly carrying out a string of dine and dash offences at numerous restaurants, racking up large bills for food and drink before leaving without paying.

Swansea Crown Court heard how Ann (39) and Mayo man Bernard McDonagh (41), from Port Talbot, had defrauded restaurants and a takeaway in south Wales.

The court was told the couple was from a very large Travelling community and the judge criticised them for reinforcing negative stereotypes.

Ann was jailed for 12 months, while Bernard was given an eight month sentence.

Ann and Bernard McDonagh were caught after scamming Welsh restaurants out of more than 1,000last

The pair dishonestly obtained food and drink at four restaurants and one takeaway in south Wales, with the unpaid bills totalling more than 1,000.

Their ruse would involve Ann presenting a dud card. When it was declined, they said they would fetch some cash but never returned.

Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland says the problem in this country is thankfully not as prevalent as it is in the UK.

Youd see isolated cases, he concedes. I think Irish people are generally by and large honest, but you have a proportion in every society who unfortunately are dishonest.

I would advise all businesses to have CCTV if they can just to cover themselves for such incidents.

A Garda spokesperson said investigations into a theft in Killarney are ongoing.
Picture the scene as I strolled through a balmy city centre on Thursday after work, and counted not one, not two, but three separate men with their spouts out, tinkling away to their hearts content.

When penning a weekly column, inspiration can strike when you least expect it.

Take this week, for instance, when I fully planned to pore over the rising tide of abuse against politicians, after Green Party leader Eamon Ryan dramatically stepped down, but was randomly slapped in the nostrils by an even more unpleasant trend instead.

Picture the scene as I strolled through a balmy city centre on Thursday after work, and counted not one, not two, but three separate men with their spouts out, tinkling away to their hearts content.

Stroll through Limone sul Garda in Italy in summer, and you breathe in the mood-boosting smell of freshly squeezed lemons.

Traverse Tokyo in spring, and its the soothingly sweet scent of cherry blossom that fills your lungs.

But wander around Dublin at any time, and increasingly, the only recognisable aromas in the air are wee and weed.

I can only assume its the people who voted our capital the fourth best-smelling city in Europe in a recent survey by vape company Haypp, after the likes of baklava-perfumed Athens and spotlessly clean Zurich, who were smoking most of it.

Now, I dont mean to kick up a stink, but when did peeing in public become so prevalent?

Almost not a day goes by when I dont see someone evacuating their bladder against a shop front or office in broad daylight, without even having the common decency to go down a laneway, like the good old days.

Its not just guys either, as Ive also witnessed a lady  and I use the term as loosely as her sense of privacy  squatting in the middle of OConnell Street well before dark.

Suffice to say, the Covid-era mantra of wash your hands has definitely gone down the toilet.

As someone who has reached the regrettable age of having to take a safety wee before going to bed or just leaving the house, I can empathise to a point, especially with so many pubs and filling stations now guarding the code to their loos more closely than the Vatican secret archives.

Queuing for the Portaloos at a music festival earlier this month, where more people appeared to be waiting to fill their nose than empty their tank, I even briefly considered joining the en-plein air piddlers, before one of the doors mercifully swung open.

For anyone whose pelvic floor has seen better days will tell you, or anyone else who requires readily available facilities for whatever reason while out and about, the real problem, of course, is not wild toileting  but the embarrassing lack of public toilets in cities and towns nationwide.

Public toilets installed at the top of Grafton Street in Dublin

During the Covid-19 lockdowns, with shopping centres and cafes closed, the scale of the e-pee-demic became clear when Dublin City Council had to install two sets of toilets, one at Wolfe Tone Square, which has since been removed, and one at St Stephens Green, which recent figures show is costing almost 400,000 a year to run, including a hire charge, cleaning and CCTV.

Despite promising to improve things, authorities have continued to blame watertight budgets for not saying oui to installing more public restrooms, like the self-cleaning unisex ones in Paris, at one point even calculating an average cost of 7 per pee.

But it only takes a quick ramble around Dublin to show that it needs to be made a number one priority.

In the end, spending a penny shouldnt cost the dignity of our capital.
"People were screaming and there was a lot of turbulence, the source said.

Passengers on a Ryanair flight from Bulgaria to Dublin were left terrified after the plane they were travelling on was struck by lightning during a storm.

The flight took off from the capital Sofia and was en route to Ireland late last night when the incident during extreme weather conditions.

Its understood that the flight was initially delayed before it took off for the Irish capital.

However, according to a passenger, less than 10 minutes into the flight, the plane was struck by lightning during stormy conditions leaving passengers shaken.

"People were screaming and there was a lot of turbulence, the source said.

"It was a really terrifying experience.

Its understood the plane was then diverted to Bucharest in Romania and that passengers had to stay there overnight while the aircraft was being serviced.

The flight took off earlier today and arrived in Dublin this afternoon.

In a statement, Ryanair apologised for any inconvenience caused to passengers but said the incident was beyond our control.

This flight from Sofia to Dublin (26 June) diverted to Bucharest after the aircraft encountered a lightning strike, a spokesperson told the Sunday World.

"The aircraft landed normally in Bucharest at 03:15 local, passengers disembarked, and the aircraft was taken for inspection by our engineers before being cleared to return to service later that morning.

Affected passengers were notified and subsequently updated via email, SMS & PUSH.

The statement continued: Despite Ryanairs efforts to arrange accommodation and transport to/from the airport for passengers while the aircraft was being serviced, there were limited staff available at the airport due to the late hour, and passengers were advised that they could also arrange individual accommodation and transport to/from the airport and that they could claim back expenses on Ryanair.com.

This flight departed for Dublin later that same day (27 June) arriving in Dublin at 3.15pm local."

Ryanair sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused as a result of this weather-related diversion, which was beyond our control, the spokesperson added.
One teenager was pronounced dead at the scene

A second teenager has died following a road crash involving a bus and an e-scooter shortly before 2:10am this morning in Waterford city.

Gardai rushed to the scene of the collision on the R680 Cork Road where one person travelling on the e-scooter, a teenage boy, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A second teenage boy, who was also travelling on the e-scooter, was taken to Waterford University Hospital with serious injuries. He passed away earlier this afternoon, June 27.

A technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators has been completed and the road has re-opened. A Garda Family Liaison Officer (FLO) has been assigned to provide support to the families at this time.

Gardai are appealing for any witnesses to this collision to come forward.

Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling on the Cork Road in Waterford city between 1:45am and 2:15am are asked to make this footage available to gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Waterford Garda Station on 051 305300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Newly elected Metropolitan Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Joe Kelly, earlier described the incident as an absolute tragedy.

I would express my deepest sympathy to them, the parents and extended family of the youngster who has been tragically killed, he said.

Its an absolute tragedy for the family. Whatever about the rules and regulations, there is a huge human element in this, and we cant forget that. There is a family now, and a wider circle of friends, grieving now."

Under recently enacted laws, e-scooters may be used on Irish roads as long as they cannot travel at more than 20kmh, the rider is at least 16, and it is carrying no passengers or cargo.
An election hopeful wants to establish citizens assemblies to change the way Tauranga City Council involves the community in decision making.

Election hopeful Hautapu Baker is championing the idea of deliberative democracy, particularly in the shape of citizens assemblies.

Countries such as Ireland and Greece already have similar systems in place and citizen assemblies have been used in Auckland. Hautapu believes Tauranga could be next and at least three mayoral candidates agree.

Citizens assemblies are made up of randomly selected residents. The assemblies discuss specific topics, hear from experts and engage in structured debate.

The assemblies are tasked with reaching a consensus and providing recommendations, based on local and external evidence, to elected members.

Hautapu, a father and former council community engagement officer, is standing for the Welcome Bay ward in this years election.

He says citizens assemblies could help mitigate the dysfunction and adversarial politics that have previously stalled progress in the city. Such assemblies focussed on problem-solving and removed some of the self-interested politicking that, in his view, had plagued Tauranga in recent years, he says.

Hautapu says he has already discussed the idea with mayoral hopefuls Tina Salisbury, Andrew Caie and Ria Hall who have each indicated interest.

Its been a while since Tauranga has had democracy and its important we move forward rather than move backwards and the best-placed people to determine that are, actually, our community, he says.

Deliberative democracy leads to a more authentic community voice.

Citizens assemblies unlock the unheard voices of Tauranga and balance out the too-often-heard voices at council, Hautapu says.

Such a shift would help bridge divides, build public trust and enhance the legitimacy of council decisions, he says.

Assemblies could also allow people to have more of a say on topics like Plan Change 33 or fluoridation - decisions that could have an intergenerational impact, he says.

Hautapu was among those who spoke at a public deliberative democracy meeting earlier this month. He was joined by Dr Anne Bardsley, a researcher in civic engagement and environmental policy.

Anne, who has worked with citizens assemblies for Auckland Transport, told the Bay of Plenty Times citizen assemblies had already worked well in Auckland, Greece and also Ireland where its now part of the machinery.

Mayoral candidate Tina Salisbury, pictured in 2019. Photo / NZME.

The thing that Ive noticed is what the community in Auckland says is not what politicians think they want. Its really different - because we dont get the loud voices as you tend to [through the regular council process], she says.

Anne says citizens assemblies, which she likened to juries, were about empowering communities which too often had no input in council decisions.

Weve asked people if they have been involved in consultation before and most of them, probably 75 per cent, have never been.

Anne referenced a panel recently tasked with reviewing proposed transport and parking measures in Auckland. There was an assumption no one would be in favour of proposed charging fees but after reviewing the information and what was involved, all panel responses were in favour, she says.

Thats the biggest thing, elected representatives think they know what people want but unless youre actually out talking to people, they dont.

Taurangas transition from commissioners to a fully elected council in the election could be a real window to instigate such significant change, she says.

Tina told the Bay of Plenty Times establishing a more proactive way to engage the community in council affairs was at the top of her agenda.

Getting a plan to do this right away was the second thing she would do if elected mayor, she says. The first was to form her team.

I think one of the things we continually hear re negative criticism of councils is we dont listen.

Tina says it was easy for some people to feel an apathy to local government, a feeling of why engage when it doesnt make a difference?.

Andrew Caie is running for mayor of Tauranga and in the Te Papa ward. Photo: NZME.

The standard process involved a council making plans before approaching the affected community with an ultimatum that didnt necessarily offer desirable options. Because of this councils often had to go back, do more work, and repeat the process until an agreeable resolution was found, she says.

This wasted time and money whereas pre-engagement before plans were made would speed things up, she says.

Tina says pockets of the community, such as students or people working during the day, were not always available to attend meetings or consult with council staff. She says she was keen to incorporate smart technology to ensure people could engage with local government at any time, not just the hours council staff worked.

Andrew, who was also running for a seat in the Te Papa ward, says the city needed better engagement and he was open to the idea of citizens assemblies but felt they would be best used on a case-by-case basis.

Ria Hall is running for mayor. Photo / Alex Cairns.

I want our people to be involved so much more.

In a previous interview, Ria, who is also running for Papamoa, says she was keen to introduce citizens assemblies for our communities to have their say.

Weve got so many people that live here in Tauranga and so many specific sets of voices and everyone deserves to be heard and everyone should be heard because we are the makeup of Tauranga now and into the future.

Former Gisborne councillor and Resource Management Act Commissioner Manu Caddie also spoke at the meeting.

Manu, Ngati Pukenga, grew up in Tauranga and recently returned. He says people needed to know that citizens assemblies made a difference, but they needed buy-in from councils and local politicians.
Sometime last month, a Buffalo elementary school teacher pulled into an Amherst parking lot to meet the 13-year-old girl, named Lilly, that he had talked with online for about a year.

Instead, as the teacher parked, he was ambushed by a member of Predator Poachers, a group that creates fake social media profiles of underage girls to attract the attention of adult men. Members engage in lengthy exchanges with the men before confronting them at the arranged meeting spots.

As a camera recorded the scene from another vehicle, a Texas man named Alex Rosen drew the teacher into an extended conversation about his intentions toward Lilly.

Rosen held printed pages of their messages, including those of a sexually graphic nature, and referred to explicit images that, according to Predator Poachers, were sent by the teacher to the purported teenage girl.

The remorseful teacher argued that the pair had formed a true bond and claimed he wouldnt have attempted any sexual contact until she was of legal age, according to the video. But, in the end, he decided to turn himself in to Amherst Police.

Steven DeMart, 36, faces a charge of attempted endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, police reported.

And he was placed on administrative leave by Buffalo Public Schools, where he serves as an instrumental music teacher at Dr. George Blackman School of Excellence, according to the district website.

This is a wake-up call for me, the teacher said to Rosen in the video. This is honestly the one thing I know I needed to kick me to be more aggressive with this. I appreciate you.

The exchange between the teacher, later identified as DeMart, and Rosen is shown in an hourlong video posted to YouTube by Predator Poachers Southeast Texas on Saturday.

However, the strategy raises legal questions, officials said, and law enforcement agencies rarely encourage the public to pursue this type of investigation.

Lets say you undergo one of these sting operations and turn that over to the police, said Mark Bartholomew, a University at Buffalo law professor whose areas of study include the law and technology and online privacy rights. There are reasons why certain things are deemed proof, you know, why certain things are not deemed entrapment when legal authorities do it. And, of course, someone operating on TikTok or Instagram isnt necessarily following all those regulations.

Predator Poachers describe themselves as investigative journalists and share online the recordings of confrontations with the men the group targets.

The video recorded in Amherst has been viewed 136,000 times and received more than 1,600 comments  primarily from fans of the organizations efforts.

In the recording, after DeMart pulls up to the parking lot, Rosen gets out of his car, taps on DeMarts window and, when DeMart rolls it down, says, Hey, Steven, lets go have a conversation about Lilly, OK?

Rosen introduces himself as Gordon and grips paper printouts that, he said, include messages between DeMart and Lilly.

He does not identify the teacher beyond Steven, nor does he clearly identify the school where he teaches.

Rosen indicated that he knew DeMart had communicated online with other underage girls, but he doesnt specify how he became aware of this.

In the video, DeMart discloses to Rosen how he used Instagram to satisfy a foot fetish, which evolved into pursuit of content of underage girls feet, then on to pornographic media of underage girls.

He said he felt a genuine connection to Lilly, and that the two had bonded over food, art and music. He said he did not intend to start a relationship with her until she was an adult, and only if she consented.

I never want to hurt a child, because of my profession, DeMart tells Rosen. I have a 2-year-old.

As Rosen continues his questioning, DeMart admits to sending an explicit video of himself to Lilly.

I messed up with that, DeMart says to Rosen.

DeMart adds that he has had a rocky marriage, is set to begin couples therapy and that he would be willing to discontinue contact with Lilly immediately.

Their conversation abruptly ends when heavy rain begins.

Rosen says he would meet at DeMarts Amherst residence about an hour later to continue their discussion because he wants to develop an action plan and connect DeMart with help. The video then cuts to a new scene at DeMarts residence.

Rosen knocks on DeMarts door, but no one responds.

Rosen then calls 911, is connected to the Amherst Police Department by a dispatcher, and explains that he has evidence that DeMart had intended to meet a 13-year-old, had previously sent an explicit video to her and also had viewed child pornography.

Amherst police officers soon arrive, and after a first officer is debriefed by Rosen, a second officer arrives and reports that DeMart had just turned himself in at the front desk of the police station. The second officer and Rosen exchange information about how Predator Poachers can submit evidence before the video ends.

When contacted by The Buffalo News, Amherst Police revealed that they had issued an appearance ticket issued to DeMart, but did not share the incident report due to the ongoing investigation. One day later, police sent a news release about the investigation of DeMart to local media.

Buffalo Schools took quick action, too, upon learning of the accusation.

The district was made aware of an allegation against Mr. Steven DeMart, and he was immediately placed on paid administrative leave on May 29, 2024, pending an investigation, Buffalo Schools spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond said. The district is unable to comment on personnel matters.

Rosen did not reply to multiple emails requesting comment, while DeMart could not be reached. Buffalo Teachers Federation President Rich Nigro said his union cannot comment on matters under investigation.

DeMart is not the first person to be trapped by a fictional 13-year-old named Lilly.

A local TV station in Port St. Lucie, Fla., reported in January that police arrested a 27-year-old who met Predator Poachers when he thought he was meeting Lilly.

Although police acknowledged the YouTubers help in the arrest, Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro discouraged others from following the Predator Poachers example, CBS12 reported.

Predator Poachers claim their stings have led to arrests by law enforcement in more than 40 states, including a previous arrest of a retired Buffalo teacher. Their work is similar to the NBC show To Catch a Predator, which ran from 2004-2008.

Bartholomew said crimes that target children are considered particularly heinous by the public, and theres a sense that law enforcement isnt able to keep up with the volume of misconduct occurring in the shadows of the internet.
Secretly, I feel like a genius when I discover a secondary use for this or that -- in case I run out of this but have plenty of that. Like using a paper coffee filter to wash a glass top or mirror when Im in a pinch for paper towels. Or using a paper towel to create a coffee filter when I discover at the worst moment that were out of filters! Youre going to feel like a genius, too, once you read todays tips from ingenious readers about ways that they save time and money every day.

OPEN FIRST BOX

As a military family, whenever the movers arrived to move us to the next assignment, I always had one box I marked Open First. In it were bed sheets, towels, soap, a coffee maker and a toaster. No matter how late we arrived at our new home, we didnt have to spend another night in a hotel. We could make our beds, get cleaned up and start the next day with coffee and toast without having to open multiple boxes looking for stuff. -- Cindy, Ontario, Canada

SAFE LOCK SPRAY

So as not to damage your locks in the long term, use only a graphite-based spray to keep your locks from sticking in all weather conditions. We use Lock-Ease brand, after finding that many other brands can cause damage at greater cost! -- Kathie, South Carolina

DOGGIE BAGS

My husband and I love to host dinner parties for our family and friends. I like to send leftovers home with our guests in repurposed gift bags (from birthday parties, etc.). The bags add a bit of charm and are much more tidy and pleasant-looking than a plastic grocery bag. -- Maggie, Ohio

SHOUT IT OFF

Even after trying oven cleaner, stove door cleaner and other products, we could not get rid of the crud on the glass front of our wood stove. Finally, we found the solution! We place newspapers on the floor under the open doors and spray full-strength Shout Triple Acting laundry stain remover on the glass. Let soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a single-edge razor blade, scrape the black off the glass. Spray again lightly and wipe with a paper towel. Works like a charm! -- Lyle, email

BREAKFAST RICE

Leftover cooked rice serves as a wonderful hot cereal. Steam the rice with a little bit of water, and then serve with milk, chopped nuts and raisins or some other dried fruit. My children love it and frequently ask for breakfast rice. -- Gigi, California

SUPER CORD

I save a lot of time vacuuming my large home since purchasing a 50-foot extension cord that I keep coiled up in an attractive wicker basket. Now I can vacuum almost the entire house without retracing my steps or taking time to unplug and replug my vacuum cleaner. -- Linda, Michigan

SUPER CLEAN!

Cant get the stovetop burner pans clean? Try this: Fill a big pot with water. Add about 4 tablespoons of baking soda and a few squirts of dishwashing soap. Place the stained burner pans in the water and bring to a boil, making sure the suds do not boil over. Allow them to boil gently until all the baked-on spots are removed. Rinse the pans and wipe clean. They will sparkle like new. -- Nicole, South Carolina

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at Ask Mary. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book Debt-Proof Living.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Music legend announces unplanned break for tour

Neil Young and Crazy Horse are taking an unplanned break from their first tour together in a decade. According to Youngs website, a few band members got sick and need time to recover from the unspecified illness.

We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break, a statement said. We will try to play some of the dates we miss as time passes when we are ready to rock again... We know many of you made travel plans and we apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks for your understanding and patience. Health is # 1.

According to Billboard, the statement was signed by Young and Crazy Horse members Micah Nelson, Ralph Molina and Billy Talbot.

All summer concert dates in the U.S. and Canada are now listed as canceled. Several California shows are still tentatively scheduled for September.

Young, 78, and his longtime band released a new live album in April featuring recordings made in 1990. Young is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, plus solo projects featuring hits like Harvest Moon, Heart of Gold, Rockin in the Free World and Old Man.

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Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news about movies, TV, music and celebrities.
Lenox, N.Y.  A 53-year-old woman died after being hit by a car while walking in the road in Madison County Wednesday, troopers said.

Lezlie Moyer-Hansen, of Chittenango, was walking in the driving lane of Route 5 near Clark Circle in the town of Lenox around 7:51 p.m. when a 2016 block Honda CR-V hit her, troopers said in a news release Thursday.

The car -- driven by Camille A. Downer -- was traveling east when it collided with Moyer-Hansen. Downer, 40, was not injured in the crash.

Moyer-Hansen was rushed to Upstate University Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

State police are investigating the crash.

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A 21-year-old man from Ecuador who suffocated a woman on her 21st birthday in Syracuse said Thursday he doesnt remember anything because he was under the influence of alcohol.

The man, Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis, was arraigned in Syracuse City Court Thursday morning. He is accused of suffocating Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza on her birthday before hiding her body in Lincoln Park on June 18.
Update: Police say a 24-year-old man killed himself in Letchworth State Park after fatally shooting his 80-year-old grandfather.

* * * * *

Mount Morris, N.Y.  Letchworth State Park was completely shuttered Thursday as police searched the massive park for a homicide suspect, reports said.

The investigation that led the popular park that spans two Western New York counties to close Thursday morning started with the death of an elderly man in the Rochester area.

Officers rushed to a house on Pinegrove Avenue in Irondequoit just before 6 a.m. after a woman called 911, Irondequoit Police Chief Scott Peters told News 10NBC. After evacuating the home, officers entered and found a man in his 80s who had been shot to death, police told the TV station. His name was not immediately released.

A search for the suspect eventually led to a manhunt at Letchworth, which stretches from Mount Morris to Portageville.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the manhunt was over.

No cause for harm or alarm, the Livingston County Sheriffs Office posted on Facebook, but the Park remains closed while Law Enforcement is on scene completing their investigation.

The New York State Police said the situation that led the park to close had resolved, but did not detail how, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.

By 2 p.m., the south end of Letchworth State Park had reopened from the Portageville entrance to the Castile entrance, according to the parks website. The north end of the park remains closed.
Utica, N.Y.  A 56-year-old woman who issued inflated charges to her Oneida County employers customers and moved millions into a personal account was sentenced to three years in federal prison Wednesday, prosecutors said.

Carol Evans, of West Winfield, admitted to depositing approximately $1.8 million in checks into her personal bank account and keeping nearly half a million for herself, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of New York.

Evans plead guilty in March to wire fraud. She admitted to stealing nearly $500,000 from January 2016 to February 2023, according to court documents.

Her employer, Sullivan Contracting, of Sauquoit, entrusted Evans to issue checks to vendors, prosecutors said. The company was unaware she inflated the amounts and deposited the difference into her bank account, they said.

She originally faced a maximum of 20 years in prison but was sentenced to three years. She also was ordered to pay $498,690 in restitution.

Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com.
Rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, best known for hits like Look Back at It and Drowning, will perform at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY on Saturday, June 29 (6/29/2024) as part of his Better Off Alone Tour. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m. with special guests Sleepy Hallow and Pardyalone opening.

The North American leg of the tour kicked off the day after his fifth studio album, Better Off Alone, was released on May 17 and will continue through the end of October.

Often referred to as "The King of New York, the rapper is no stranger to Upstate New York. He previously performed at the Outer Harbor in Buffalo and the Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial in Syracuse last year.

Where to buy A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie tickets:

Ticketmaster has limited standard admission tickets available, but greater availability and deals are offered by Vivid Seats, SeatGeek or StubHub.

Heres a look at the best prices available:

Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

A complete list of A Boogies tour dates is available here.

Related: Missed Vince Staples Black in America Tour presale? Heres how to get tickets

How to get to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester:

The Blue Cross Arena is located at One War Memorial Square, Rochester, NY 14614, approximately an hour and a half from Syracuse by car.
Third Eye Blind, the 90s pop-rock band best known for hits like Semi-Charmed Life and Jumper, is bringing their 2024 Summer Gods Tour to Upstate New York for two concerts in Darien Lake and Saratoga Springs.

The band, led by frontman Stephan Jenkins, will perform at the Darien Lake Amphitheater on Wednesday, July 3 and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on Tuesday, July 16. Both concerts start at 6:30 p.m., with with special guests Yellowcard and A R I Z O N A opening.

Where to buy Third Eye Blind concert tickets:

Ticketmasters Live Nation has limited standard admission tickets available, but greater availability and deals are offered by Vivid Seats, SeatGeek or StubHub.

Heres a look at the best prices available:

Wednesday, July 3 - Darien Lake Amphitheater

Tuesday, July 16 - SPAC

Prices and availability are noted at the time of publishing and are subject to change.

The Summer Gods Tour kicked off on June 8 and will continue through August.

"The theme on this tour is joy, Jenkins said in an interview with Rock Cellar Magazine. Music is a unifying force, and you cant actually reconnect with people without a basis of joy. So its kind of like a restart.

A complete list of Third Eye Blinds Summer Gods tour dates is available here.

Catch other notable concerts, including Chris Stapleton on July 11 and Red Hot Chili Peppers on July 12 at the Darien Lake Amphitheater and Foreigner & Styx on July 30 and The Doobie Brothers on August 13 at SPAC.
A Central New York man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a school bus he claimed belonged to him.

Daniel Finley, 29, has been charged with stealing a school bus from Durham Bus Services in Utica. Employees said they noticed the bus was missing Tuesday morning and located it with GPS tracking at the intersection of Eagle St. and Park Ave. around 8:15 a.m.
Sean Rowe, a 49-year-old bishop who leads the Diocese of Western New York in Buffalo, on Wednesday became the youngest person ever elected as leader of the Episcopal Church.

He immediately issued a sobering call for the church, which has faced division and chronic membership loss, to confront an existential crisis that he compared with the steel industry collapse in his native Rust Belt.

Rowe, who leads two small dioceses along Lake Erie, will succeed Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American to hold the position, when Currys nine-year term ends on Nov. 1. The presiding bishop serves as the denominations chief pastor, president and CEO.

Rowe was elected on the first ballot in the House of Bishops, which convened behind closed doors Wednesday in the Episcopal cathedral in Louisville. Rowe received 89 votes, the required majority, with other votes widely dispersed among the other four candidates.

The House of Deputies, consisting of clergy and lay people, confirmed his election with 95% of the vote, followed by strong applause.

The only presiding bishop to take the post at a younger age than Rowe was the first one, William White, who was 41 when he served briefly in 1789 when there was no leadership election.

Rowe was 32 in May 2007, when he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, based in Erie. For almost 12 years, he was the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church.

In 2019, he also began overseeing the Diocese of Western New York, based in Buffalo. The adjacent dioceses, with less than 10,000 members between them, have been collaborating on ministries in recent years.

He said that sort of collaboration is just one example of how the church needs to adapt to new realities.

Its not too strong to say that were facing an existential crisis, Rowe told the House of Deputies after his election. Its not because our church is dying, or because weve lost the belief in the salvation of God in Jesus Christ, but because the world around us has changed and continues to change. It changes all the time. And God is calling us ever more deeply into the unknown.

The Episcopal Church is an offshoot of the Church of England in the United States and has been the spiritual home of many of the American founding fathers and U.S. presidents.

But as with other mainline Protestant denominations, membership in the Episcopal Church has been declining for decades. After peaking at 3.4 million in 1959, it had fallen to 1.9 million when Curry was elected leader in 2015 and dipped to under 1.6 million in 2022. Average Sunday church attendance for Episcopalians nationwide was 614,241 in 2015; by 2022 it had dropped to 372,952.

Rowe compared the churchs challenges to the collapse of the steel industry, which had employed his grandparents, when he was growing up in Pennsylvania.

Ive been around to see things that I love go away, he said. I watched everything that I had known evaporate.

He cited tensions within the denomination, without giving specifics, and called on members to be more gracious and forgiving toward each other. He called on them to turn their anger at injustice instead of turning it inward on each other.

Still, he offered reassurance by quoting the late Catholic monk and author Thomas Merton  a favorite son of the conventions host state of Kentucky  about proceeding in faith despite uncertainty.

You do not need to know precisely what is happening to embrace challenges with courage, faith, and hope, he said.

On a practical level, Rowe called for the church to avoid top-heavy structures and steer more of its funds and resources toward local and diocesan ministries.

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Rowe graduated from nearby Grove City College in 1997 with a bachelors degree in history.

He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2000, before returning to western Pennsylvania.

The bishop is known for his research and work on organizational learning and adaptive performance in the church. He earned a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University in Erie in 2014.

After the election, Curry praised his successor in a news conference. He credited Rowe with both a vision and a sense of the mechanics that will help us get there.

Curry, in opening remarks to the General Convention on Sunday, urged delegates to remain optimistic.

This Episcopal Church is stronger, more durable and has a future that God has decreed and that God has figured out, he said. Dont you worry about this church. Dont you weep and dont you moan. Just roll up your sleeves and lets get to work. Thats our future.

Throughout his ministry, Curry has been an outspoken leader on a range of challenging issues, including racial reconciliation, climate change, immigration policy, and LGBTQ+ equality. Among his favored causes: establishing ecumenical summer day camps for children, creating networks of day care providers, and encouraging large investments in urban neighborhoods.

In 2018, he became a global star with a stirring sermon at the widely televised royal wedding of Britains Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Curry, 71, has battled a variety of health problems since May 2023, when he was hospitalized for treatment of internal bleeding and an irregular heartbeat. In March, doctors successfully surgically inserted a pacemaker as part of ongoing treatment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning over a particular type of financial crime thats linked to Mexican cartels.

In an announcement, the agency said it has seen a rise in scams targeting timeshare owners. The primary victims are older Americans, particularly wealthy ones looking to recoup some of the money spent on their real estate investment. In the last five years, upwards of 6,000 victims have reported more than $300 million in losses to the agencies, the agency said.

Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, who leads FBI New Yorks Complex Financial Crimes Branch, said in a blog post.

Roberts said the scams have caught the FBIs attention because its illicit proceeds are increasingly used to fund violent cartels in Mexico.

Timeshare fraud has low overhead costs and minimal reinvestment, needing only a rental of small space, telecom setup, and English-speaking employees with access to resort databases, Roberts said. There is lower perceived risk of prosecution and extradition for timeshare fraud but easy cash flow that goes directly into the Mexican banking system and obfuscates funds to facilitate money laundering activities.

How do timeshare scams work?

Timeshare fraudsters do their homework before they target their potential victims, going as far as creating fake documents and impersonating individuals from trustworthy institutions like banks. They then use high-pressure sales tactics and phony information, such as mimicking legitimate entities email addresses and forging official documents, to convince victims that offers regarding their timeshares are real.

Initial contact is generally made by phone or email with the scammer pretending to be a U.S. or Mexican-based third-party time share broker or sales representative, the FBI said. They then urge the owner to exit their timeshare, rent out their property or invest in share certificates. Fraudsters then press victims to pay upfront fees or taxes to secure the deals.

After this phase, fraudsters generally reapproach the victims posing as lawyers trying to help them recoup the money they lost to the first scammers and asking for court or legal fees. Scammers dont stop there, however, and often circle back to impersonate government officials who either claim they can help recoup some of the lost money  for a fee, of course- or threaten the person claiming the initial payment was suspicious and the person is being fined or prosecuted.

No matter the stage, its all an effort to separate the victim from their money.

Warning signs of a timeshare scam from the FBI

You shouldnt be asked to pay upfront fees or taxes in advance or to provide power-of-attorney forms.

If someone contacts you claiming to be a government official and talks to you about a settlement or threatens to arrest or prosecute you if money isnt paid, its a scam.

If someone threatens to subpoena you to appear in a court outside of the U.S. or claims to be working for the FBI or U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Control its a scam.

How to protect yourself

Dont answer phone calls from unfamiliar numbers.

If someone contacts you about your timeshare and requests cash upfront, stop communicating with them, and dont pay.

Never sign, notarize, or send any power-of-attorney or legal documents via email.

Victims can report timeshare fraud here.
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A Buffalo man who allegedly followed a woman into her apartment building to commit a burglary and then engaged in lewd behavior was arraigned Friday before City Court Judge Phillip Dabney Jr. on third-degree burglary and public lewdness charges, according to the Erie County District Attorneys Office.

Prosecutors said 26-year-old Orlando Martinez Jr. was additionally arraigned on charges of second-degree harassment and second-degree trespass.

Martinez is accused of following a 62-year-old Buffalo woman into her Delaware Avenue apartment building about 10 p.m. June 15. He allegedly followed her into an elevator and then into a hallway where he is accused of having exposed himself before committing a lewd act and fleeing the building. The victim reported the incident to police.

Martinez, who remains held on bail set at $3,500 cash or $50,000 bond, is scheduled to return to court July 18 for a felony hearing.

Prosecutors requested that the judge remand Martinez for allegedly committing a misdemeanor sex offense while he was released on a pending case involving a similar crime in May.

If convicted of the highest charge against him, Martinez faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

 Harold McNeil
Beef-Quest Research Project aims to Reduce Age of Cattle Finishing

Reducing the average finishing age of the prime beef cattle population to 22-23 months of age, by 2030, is one of the main greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies for the Irish beef sector. Earlier finishing of beef cattle, not only has the potential to decrease the quantity of GHG emissions an animal emits over their lifetime, but can be economically advantageous, by lowering total costs associated with rearing an animal, and thus is a key contributor to on-farm profitability.

Pictured are Tara Carthy, Teagasc; Alan Kelly, UCD; Kevin Downing, ICBF; Paul Smith, Teagasc; Minister Martin Heydon T.D; David Kenny, Teagasc ; John Harrisson, DAFM; Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director and Edward O Riordan, Teagasc.

"The Beef-Quest project, funded by my Department, will make an important contribution to advancing our knowledge on how we can further reduce age of cattle finishing.

Understanding the large variation in the lifetime animal performance on Irish beef cattle farms, is a key focus of the Teagasc lead Beef-Quest project, recently funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). In collaboration with ICBF and UCD, this project, will use data currently available within the industry to map the lifetime live weight gain performance of the national beef herd.

Martin Heydon T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, reviewed some of the initial results, from the national data sets, which were presented at the live cattle finishing demonstrations at the Teagasc BEEF2024 Open Day in Grange.

Minister Heydon said; To expedite a reduction in finishing age of cattle, there is an urgent need to identify and quantify the key factors currently impeding Irish beef farms from achieving potential live weight targets. The potential has been highlighted from what is being achieved on high-performing grass-based commercial and beef research farms. The Beef-Quest project, funded by my Department, will make an important contribution to advancing our knowledge on how we can further reduce age of cattle finishing.

Teagasc researcher Paul Smith said; Since 2010, the average finishing age of the Irish prime beef cattle population has reduced by around 2 months, with minimal negative impact on average carcass weight. For example, the average finishing age of suckler-bred steers has reduced by about 1 week per annum with a slight increase in average carcass weight.

Farmers sought for Beef Quest project

As part of the Beef-Quest project, a new large-scale on-farm study is planned that will aim to generate new data to investigate the effect of nutrition, health and on-farm environment on the lifetime live weight gain performance of cattle on commercial beef farms. Data generated from the project, will be utilised to determine both the environmental and economic benefits associated with the optimisation of animal nutrition, health and on-farm environment, and subsequently aid the identification of the most effective on-farm measures for reducing the finishing age of Irish beef cattle.

Expressions of interest from both suckler and dairy-beef farms interested in participating in the Beef-Quest project are currently being sought. Benefits for signing up to the project include free live weight recording of growing cattle, forage analysis as well benchmark reporting of your farms performance with that of other farms within the programme. Regular live weight recording of growing cattle is the only way to accurately monitor the live weight gain performance of growing cattle, so why not avail of free live weight recordings as part of the Beef-Quest project.

To express an interest in getting involved in Beef-Quest contact paul.smith@teagasc.ie
Rahul Lal BHPian

Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: New Delhi Posts: 95 Thanked: 477 Times

Re: Maruti Jimny Review Quote: TSS Originally Posted by Can anyone who has bought Jimny accessories from Amazon Japan let me know what is the approximate shipping and custom duty levied

However in some check out they mention only cost & shipping charges. They do not collect custom duty from you at that time. In this case before delivery of package, DHL sends you message & mail to transfer duty amount in their account. This amount is already been paid by them to custom on your behalf. In addition they also charge around Rs 800/- as convenience fee. So you can calculate duty amount at the time of placing order itself.

If you have option then try to choose item where duty element is collected in advance by Amazon.

Yes, you need to add your credit card details to reach the check out stage. I have ordered multiple times from Amazon Jp & found to be absolutely safe. Amazon Japan there are two type of check out. In most of the cases Amazon provides you total cost ie cost + shipping + custom duty which you have to pay at the time of check out. So no more charges are to be paid on receiving the package.However in some check out they mention only cost & shipping charges. They do not collect custom duty from you at that time. In this case before delivery of package, DHL sends you message & mail to transfer duty amount in their account. This amount is already been paid by them to custom on your behalf. In addition they also charge around Rs 800/- as convenience fee. So you can calculate duty amount at the time of placing order itself.If you have option then try to choose item where duty element is collected in advance by Amazon.Yes, you need to add your credit card details to reach the check out stage. I have ordered multiple times from Amazon Jp & found to be absolutely safe. Last edited by Turbanator : 3rd July 2024 at 21:38 . Reason: fixed quote
In context: Polyfills are snippets of JavaScript code that provide modern features on older web browsers. There's nothing wrong with polyfills per se, but miscreants and cyber-criminals can easily abuse them to turn legit websites into threats against visitors.

Originally developed as an open-source project for offering JS polyfills to third-party developers, the polyfill.io domain is now a dangerous internet threat. Earlier this week, security analysts discovered that a mysterious Chinese entity named Funnull is abusing the domain to inject malicious code into websites.

Funnull is a content distribution network (CDN) provider believed to be operated by Chinese cyber-criminals, although details about the company turned out to be mostly made up or nonsensical. Over 100,000 websites use polyfills.io to make their code more compatible with older browsers. Funnul allegedly targets these sites in a classic, web-based supply chain attack.

Many popular websites, including the World Economic Forum, Intuit, and Jstor, use the cdn.polyfill.io domain. Anyone visiting one of the affected sites can become a victim of Funnul's criminal operation, as it uses their browser to spread and run the malicious polyfill code injected into the domain.

When Funnull purchased polyfill.io in February, the project's original developer, Andrew Betts, said that any website still using the domain had to remove it "immediately." Betts created the polyfill service without owning the corresponding domain, so he had no control over its sale. Chinese criminals (or possibly state threat actors) have now started to abuse a project that could still provide some valuable functionality for web companies.

The most popular CDN providers, like Cloudflare, have already created forks of the original polyfill.io service, providing users and web developers a much safer choice for their backward compatibility efforts. Meanwhile, Google warned its advertising partners that "specific third-party libraries," including polyfill.io, bootcss.com, and others, could be abused to redirect visitors away from their intended web destination.

Google Ads are now blocked on websites still using the original polyfill.io domain, while security analysts are urging developers to check their code for any use of the domain and remove it. The Polyfill.io GitHub repository, which started to receive complaints about malicious scripts, is currently unavailable to the public.
TL;DR: Samsung Electronics reportedly sold more smartphones than Apple in the US during the 12 months between April 2023 and March 2024. However, the US tech giant still managed to sell more flagship premium-priced models during the same period.

The report from CIRP suggests that Samsung and Apple remained the two biggest smartphone brands in the US between April 2023 and March 2024. Samsung took the top position with a 38 percent market share, while Apple was a close second with 33 percent.

Motorola surprisingly secured the third spot with a 13 percent market share, and Google rounded out the top four with six percent.

Despite surpassing Apple in the overall market, most of Samsung's sales came from its mid-range and entry-level models, while nearly two-thirds of Apple's market consisted of "flagships." According to the data, 64 percent of Apple's market was for its flagship devices, while only 42 percent of Samsung's sales came from its top-of-the-line products.

CIRP defines flagships as "the most current model family" for each vendor. For Apple today, this means the iPhone 15 family. For Samsung, the current flagships include the Galaxy S24 models, as well as the latest Flip and Fold devices. Before the September 2023 launch of the iPhone 15, the iPhone 14 models were Apple's flagships. Similarly, the Galaxy S23 series were Samsung's flagships before the launch of the Galaxy S24 line earlier this year.

Samsung secured the top position in the US market thanks to its varied product portfolio catering to consumers at almost all price points. While the Galaxy S-series typically gets all the press, Samsung's biggest sellers have always been the A-series devices, designed for people who want a no-frills smartphone at an affordable price.

On the other hand, Apple doesn't offer much for the value-conscious buyer, leaving the entire segment to Android vendors. The only "affordable" smartphone in Apple's portfolio is the dated iPhone SE, launched in 2022 with a starting price of $429.

Apple is expected to launch an updated version of the device in spring 2025, with several design upgrades and faster hardware. It will be interesting to see if this update can challenge Samsung's dominance in the mid-range market.
A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against the City of Buffalo challenging the constitutionality of its since-disbanded school zone speed camera program.

An Amherst company filed the lawsuit in 2021 after one of its vehicles was cited for traveling 38 mph in a 15-mph zone near Buffalo Promise Neighborhood Children's Academy on Bailey Avenue.

Homestead Repair and Renovation, joined in the lawsuit by a ticketed motorist, called the camera at BPN Academy unauthorized and the program unconstitutional, adding the $50 fines paid to the city for speeding violations amounted to unjust enrichment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. rejected those claims last February, and U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. this week adopted Schroeder's recommendation to dismiss the lawsuit.

The company contended the area around BPN Academy did not meet the definition of a school speed zone. The academy provides day care and preschool child care services.

The company's lawyer said the magistrate judge took the fact-finding task away from a jury.

At its peak, the city set up speed cameras around 20 schools. The last one was turned off in July 2021.
A hot potato: AI data has become a treasured resource for companies as they seek to train new models. With many publicly available sources rapidly running dry, firms are turning to private datasets protected by privacy laws. To give themselves cover, these companies are inserting small changes into their privacy statements to allow them to use the data in this way.

Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission warned that companies would be sorely tempted to change the terms and conditions of their privacy statements to allow them to use their customers' data to train AI models. To avoid backlash from users concerned about their privacy, companies may try to make these changes quietly and with little fanfare, the commission said. However, such actions would be illegal, it added, noting that any firm reneging on its user privacy commitments risks running afoul of the law.

"It may be unfair or deceptive for a company to adopt more permissive data practices  for example, to start sharing consumers' data with third parties or using that data for AI training  and to only inform consumers of this change through a surreptitious, retroactive amendment to its terms of service or privacy policy," it said in no uncertain terms.

But this is precisely what is happening, according to an analysis by The New York Times.

As companies seek data to train their AI models, they are increasingly turning to data protected by privacy laws. To give themselves legal cover, they are carefully rewriting their terms and conditions to include terms like "artificial intelligence," "machine learning," and "generative AI."

Google is just one example. Last July, it made several key tweaks to its privacy policy. It now states that Google uses publicly available information to help train its language AI models and develop products like Google Translate, Bard (now Gemini), and Cloud AI capabilities.

Google explained the change to the Times saying it "simply clarified that newer services like Bard (now Gemini) are also included. We did not start training models on additional types of data based on this language change."

Last month, Adobe undertook a similar action and faced customer backlash over the changes. A popup notified users of the update, suggesting that the company could access and claim ownership of content created with its Creative Suite to train AI models, among other purposes. Many users were furious, especially upon realizing they could not access their projects without immediately agreeing to the confusing new terms. This led to a wave of canceled subscriptions and forced Adobe to issue a clarification about the updated terms.

In May, Meta informed its Facebook and Instagram users in Europe that it would use publicly available posts to train its AI. However, after complaints from the European Center for Digital Rights in 11 European countries, Meta paused these plans.

It is easier for Meta to gather data from its US users due to weaker consumer protections and a patchwork of state and federal oversight agencies, including the FTC.

It remains to be seen what actions the commission will take as more privacy policies are changed to incorporate AI data training.
The big picture: NASA has select SpaceX to help deorbit the International Space Station once the facility reaches the end of its operational life in 2030. Several strategies on what to do with the ISS once its clock runs out were considered including pushing it to a higher orbit to delay reentry or waiting for it to decay naturally. Ultimately, a deorbit vehicle was decided upon.

When the time comes in early 2031, a SpaceX-made deorbit vehicle will dock with the ISS and help guide it down in a controlled manner. Pieces that don't burn up during reentry are expected to crash into an uninhabited part of the south Pacific Ocean.

NASA said the contract to build the deorbit vehicle has a total potential value of $843 million. That doesn't include the cost for launch services, which NASA said it will procure at a later date. Once SpaceX finishes construction, NASA will take ownership and operate it during the mission. The deorbit vehicle, like the space station, will be destroyed upon reentry.

Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA, said the plan will allow for the continued use of space near Earth.

The ISS is jointly operated by five space agencies including NASA, the CSA (Canadian Space Agency), the ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and State Space Corporation Roscosmos (Russia). Each agency is responsible for controlling and managing the hardware it brought to the station, and is also responsible for its safe deorbit.

All countries involved except Russia have publicly committed to continue operating the space station until 2030, with Russia remaining committed through at least 2028.

Construction on components for the ISS started in the mid-90s, with the first module launching in late 1998. The first resident crew arrived at the tail end of 2000, and the ISS has been continuously crewed ever since.

NASA will be transitioning to commercially owned space destinations that are "closer to home," we're told, to help support deep space exploration missions to Mars and the Moon.
We recently named Gravitee a top startup to watch for enterprise architects - and for good reason! The analyst firm Gartner has also recognized Gravitee as a visionary when it comes to modern API management. And the latest update from the company - who today has launched Federated API Management - continues to establish the company as a leader pioneering unique solutions for customer needs.



For those unfamiliar with Gravitee, their platform gives developers safe and standardized ways of exposing their APIs, enabling other developers throughout the organization and/or at customer/partner organizations to seamlessly consume them. They also add a governance layer to ensure APIs are used within the parameters set by architecture teams.

Modern enterprises are managing thousands to tens of thousands of APIs - a problem colloquially known as API sprawl - and until today there was no way to discover and govern all of these APIs in a central place without a forced standardization on a single API Gateway and Management solution. Unfortunately, this kind of standardization isn't common and, sometimes, isn't even optimal. As a result, organizations are in need of a unified management and governance layer that sits "on top of" their various API Gateway and Management solutions.



It's surprising a solution like this doesn't already exist in the market, as we've seen consolidation and centralization efforts happen across the tech stack. With so many different tools and services, companies are looking to simplify their operations and build more central sources of truth.



Well, if you are one of those people - whether you are a developer who wants a single place to publish and consume APIs - or you are the platform team that wants to make safe access simple and easy to boost developer productivity while maintaining control - then you should take a serious look at Gravitee.

Gravitee's Federated API Management solution provides unified governance across 3rd party API Gateway providers including Amazon API Gateway and Google Apigee, as well as event brokers such as Solace. It's worth pointing out that Gravitee users get all of the benefits of centralization and visibility even if they don't use Gravitee as their API Gateway. This is extremely important. Within a single organization, one team may use Amazon API Gateway; another may use Gravitee; another may use Google Apigee - it doesn't matter. It's a single place to visualize it all, no matter which gateway or event broker your team is using.

"We built federated API management because we know that various teams across a given organization leverage myriad tools to manage their APIs," said Rory Blundell, CEO of Gravitee. "Even if a team isn't using Gravitee as their API Gateway, they can still take advantage of having a central source of truth for visibility, subscription control, governance, and more."

The company has been ringing the bell on what it truly means to be a modern API management solution. If you are reading this, you should ensure that whatever platform you are using (even if you've built it yourself) checks these three boxes, according to Gravitee:



The Three Pillars of Modern API Management (APIM)

1 - Multi-Gateway and Multi-Broker: API Management, as a practice, must support the ability for API publishers to manage, secure, and govern APIs and services from multiple different API Gateways and event brokers.

2 - Event-Native: API Management must treat event streams and event APIs as first-class citizens on par with synchronous APIs, as more and more organizations introduce event streaming. This will enable teams to get more ROI out of their initial investment in streaming.

3 - AI-forward: API Management vendors must find ways to both (1) improve their API Management offerings through AI and (2) better enable organizations to leverage AI as a force-multiplier.

We haven't seen too much from the company on the AI-forward pillar. But if we were placing bets, we know that this fast-moving company will likely announce something soon, as it continues to define what it means to be a modern API management solution.
Navigating IT environments requires eyes to monitor and protect its digital assets. Every known organization is at risk of falling victim to cyberattack. Cybercriminals continue to discover new ways of infiltrating the system, which forces enterprises to invest in the best security solutions. TechTimes sits down with Santiago Bassett, the CEO of Wazuh, to discuss the journey of the company, from its humble beginnings to becoming the leading provider of open-source security solutions.

Company Origin

"Wazuh makes cybersecurity accessible to all organizations through open-source technology and collective intelligence." The company provides unified XDR (extended detection and response) and SIEM (security information and event management) solutions that are easy to deploy and integrate with third-party tools. Both keep threats under control and safeguard workloads across IT environments, packaged in one security platform.

The company ensures threat detection and remediation at no cost as its multi-platform security agents collect security and runtime event data. As Bassett answered, "Wazuh builds free and open-source cybersecurity for everyone."

Competitive Edge

Every company has a unique selling point or advantage over its competitors. When asked about theirs, Bassett mentioned Wazuh has "the largest open-source cybersecurity community" where users can interact with product developers, contributors, and others through multiple community channels for complementary support services.

Wazuh takes pride in its community as it comprises an ecosystem of users and contributors who value the quality, transparency, security, flexibility, and cost efficiency of open-source products. Bassett said, "We continuously leverage our open-source community to build a better product."

True to his testament, the open-source security platform has over 20 million downloads annually. It is customizable to meet the specific requirements of organizations. This gives users greater flexibility and control over their environment. Numerous enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies and tech giants, have chosen Wazuh to improve their cybersecurity posture, reduce costs, and avoid costly fines and penalties as the platform also supports compliance standards like PCI DSS and SOC2.

Standards of Quality

Wazuh adheres to high standards of quality to deliver a modern and comprehensive cybersecurity solution that can address the evolving threat landscape through its SIEM and XDR capabilities. These standards "ensure that the Wazuh platform is reliable, secure, and effective" as Bassett said. The company conducts regular audits and follows secure coding practices to maintain the quality of its platform.

Wazuh makes its source code publicly available so anyone can review, audit, and verify its quality. "This transparency helps in identifying and addressing potential issues quickly."

Company Culture

Wazuh values transparency, collaboration, and innovation. Through its open code base, the company credits its developers and contributors. Bassett said, "Our goal is not only to grow as a project but also to contribute to the democratization of cybersecurity."

These virtues have been key to its success as the company grows in pursuit of its vision, with a team of 200+ professionals distributed worldwide. "Active communities provide robust support and knowledge sharing, leading to high-quality, secure, and sustainable products."

Moreover, having a transparent code and regular audits from the community helps ensure high security and reliability. With their contribution, Wazuh can deliver timely upgrades so its users can save operational costs instead of worrying about provisioning or maintaining the infrastructure.

Materializing the Company Vision through The Power of Collective Intelligence

The collective efforts of its team and contributors set up the company to successfully materialize its vision. All leaders and employees of Wazuh are dedicated and committed to making cybersecurity accessible to all organizations through open-source technology.

"Many great companies, like Red Hat and Elastic, have built their businesses around open-source products. There are also successful open-source projects, like the Linux Kernel and Apache HTTP Server, both known for their high-quality code, strong communities, and extensive documentation."

Ideally, in the future, Bassett hopes that Wazuh "will become an essential part of any robust cybersecurity infrastructure." Currently, it is the most widely used XDR and SIEM technology, with tens of millions of downloads per year.

The cybersecurity industry is rapidly adopting the Wazuh platform. Eventually, the open-source security platform will become an essential part of any robust cybersecurity infrastructure. Bassett believes that "leveraging the adoption of our solution to gather global cybersecurity telemetry will enhance user protection through the power of collective intelligence."

Earning its Keep

How does the company grow as a business when anyone can download or access the platform for free? The company monetizes through multiple channels. First, it offers Wazuh Cloud, which delivers Wazuh software as a service (SaaS), providing a ready-to-use solution that requires no additional hardware or software. This service features a flexible infrastructure that customers can customize to their needs and upgrade to the most suitable tier. Additionally, Wazuh provides professional support for users who prefer on-premises deployments. The company also collaborates with over 100 partners worldwide through its partner program, enabling them to deliver managed security services using Wazuh. This diversified approach ensures robust business growth while maintaining a free, open-source platform for the community.

Prospects can also sign up for its partner program and get exclusive benefits like a 4-day online technical training course, pre-sales assistance, and special discounts on any offerings and partnership renewal fees. As Bassett had explained they "collaborate with over 100 partners worldwide through our partner program, enabling them to deliver managed security services using Wazuh." Signing up allows them to deliver managed security services through the enterprise-ready security monitoring platform.

Personal Advice from the CEO

Santiago Bassett left his job and founded Wazuh even though he had no entrepreneurial or business experience. He started the company with no funding, yet his goal was to make a unified platform to counter present-day, sophisticated cyber threats.

When asked for his personal advice to anyone planning to start a business in the cybersecurity industry, he said to "innovate and be different."

Bassett echoed the Apple campaign "Think Different," which applies to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to thrive in the industry. Since the market is crowded and competitive, he reiterated that "trying to emulate what everyone else is doing can result in failure."

Conclusion

Wazuh distinguishes itself through its open source technology and collective intelligence. At no cost, its platform can monitor and protect digital assets across a wide range of environments and improve an organization's cybersecurity posture. Its accessibility, scalability, and community support makes the platform a compelling choice for many enterprises to counter evolving threats.

Start protecting your environment with Wazuh.
The renowned heavy metal rock band Metallica was recently hacked by crypto scammers who took over their X account to promote a Solana-based token called "METAL." However, the famed band is not affiliated with the coin, and it was later confirmed that it was a bogus cryptocurrency launched by unknown threat actors.

That being said, the crypto hackers were able to become the master of puppets for a brief time, as they were able to pull the strings of some who believed it and saw a massive rise before its eventual crash.

Metallica X Account Hacked to Promote SOL-based 'METAL'

A report from CoinTelegraph spotted a post from Metallica's X account, which promotes a new Solana-based token called 'METAL' on their account, and it was regarded as a scam that used the band's name to gain popularity. This elaborate scheme saw various posts on Metallica's X account, which peaked at $3.37 million during that time.

In the various posts made by the bad actors, it claimed that it was in collaboration with Ticketmaster and MoonPay, an international crypto exchange platform.

Apart from earning the tokens, the hackers staked several rewards, including a signed custom Xbox Series X and matching decals for the console and controller.

Crypto Scammers Attack, Metallica Has No Affiliations

That said, MoonPay President Keith Grossman clarified that they are not supporting the 'METAL' Token on the SOL blockchain and warned users to be careful of it. Metallica's official X account also reposted this statement from Grossman, denying their affiliation with the crypto.

The posts made on Metallica's account are now deleted, but the band has not yet made any official statements. Moreover, three hours later, the coin also dropped to $90,000.

Crypto Scams Involving Famed Personalities

In the world of cryptocurrency, there have been many occasions where famed personalities promoted the coins, but it is not every time that these are legitimate, as many of those are scams. One scammers' most commonly used identities is renowned tech billionaire and crypto enthusiast Elon Musk, ranging from Tesla to one of the latest centered on the fake Neuralink token.

Despite the many times that these coins were proven fake and immediately shut down, this did not stop scammers from creating new ones centered on elaborate schemes to steal from the public. Earlier this month, the legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan denied his affiliation with a scam meme coin called $HULK, asking users to avoid it and steer clear of the crypto.

Not many of these tokens last long in the market, as many personalities whose names have been dragged by these scammers have shut down their legitimacy and denied their connections to it. Now, another famous name in the music industry was used, with the scammers going as far as hacking Metallica's X account to promote the coin, which now plummeted as it was found to be a scam.
Malware threats are reportedly increasing at an alarming rate with roughly 7,500 new variants created every day, claims the latest Blackberry cybersecurity report.

According to the company's preliminary telemetry for the first quarter of 2024, attacks based on new malware variants increased by 40% every minute, or 5.2 new viruses every minute, or approximately 7,500 every day.

There is reportedly also a growing trend of targeting business establishments. A third (36%) of all threats were directed at commercial enterprises, which include manufacturing, retail, automotive, and professional services.

This percentage shows a 3% increase compared to the previous reporting period. However, a 10% rise in new malware incidents was observed in this area as threat actors became more proficient.

Ismael Valenzuela, an executive at BlackBerry's Threat Research and Intelligence, claims that threat actors are motivated by a desire to either witness nations burn or take advantage of their victims by stealing money.

Furthermore, according to Valenzuela, navigating the cybersecurity landscape could feel daunting in a year where over 50 nations are holding elections, geopolitical tensions are at an all-time high, and everyone's attention is focused on the Olympic Games.

UK on AI-Assisted Hacking

The latest report comes as artificial intelligence, a rapidly developing field of technology, is also predicted to assist many threat actors in becoming even more adept hackers.

According to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) of the United Kingdom, during the next two years, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will probably lead to a rise in ransomware attacks and phishing schemes globally, as they will facilitate less skilled hackers in causing harm online.

The report claims that AI will enhance threat actors' social engineering skills. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can already be used to enable convincing communication with victims, including the creation of lure documents, without the requirement for translation, spelling, or grammar checks-which are often signs of phishing.

This will increase over the next two years as models advance and usage increases. Threat actors will likely be able to choose high-value assets for examination and exfiltration over the next two years because of AI's quick data summarization, which will increase the value and impact of cyberattacks.

Ransomware continues to be the most dangerous cyber threat facing UK businesses and organizations, as hackers adapt their business models to maximize efficiency and profitability.

AI Hacking Until 2025

AI will reportedly enhance the number and intensity of cyberattacks and cyber operations involving phishing, hacking, and surveillance. It is currently being used for hostile cyber actions. Finally, this tendency will likely continue until 2025 or later.

Due to the use of GenAI and large language models (LLMs), the same UK report claims that until 2025, it will be impossible for anyone to recognize, much alone assess if an email or request for a password reset is legitimate. This means that the advancements in AI will subsequently make it more difficult for everyone to distinguish scams from legitimate practices.
Google's endless scrolling is officially coming to an end, having been introduced in October 2021. The tech giant is reportedly going back to its roots with the classic pagination bar at the bottom of the screen.

Instead of automatically displaying results that people didn't specifically request, a Google representative informed outlets that the modification enables them to deliver search results more quickly.

Continuous scrolling did not significantly increase user happiness levels, which Google claimed was another important element. Following the initial set of results for desktop searches, the well-known "Next" button will appear at the bottom of the page. Meanwhile, the "More results" option will be visible to mobile users, who must press it to view more pages.

Although the visual alteration is not that noticeable, the effects might be greater, particularly for websites that frequently appear on page two or near the bottom of Google's first results page.

Fewer people go past the first page now that they must click or tap to view further listings. This can result in fewer visitors to websites ranked below.

Latest Google Search Changes

The tech giant continues reinventing Google's search page this year. Google most recently unveiled AI overviews, a technology wherein artificial intelligence summarizes data for search queries instead of displaying links to websites. Because of its problems, Google appears to be reducing its implementation even though it is more user-friendly.

As everyone knows, Google had major problems with inaccurate and misleading information when it first launched AI Overviews, and these problems have plagued the service ever since. Google subsequently acknowledged the issues with AI Overviews and stated that it is attempting to resolve them to improve the user experience moving ahead.

According to sources, the technology is currently on the platform in less than 15% of cases. This figure is significantly lower than when it was first tested under the previous name, the Search Generative Experience (SGE), where it was observed to be about 84 percent.

The study states that if a user searches in question form and a featured screenshot is available, Google will probably provide AI overviews. Nevertheless, AI overviews are now hidden until users click or touch them, and they are only seen when users opt into the experience on Google Search.

Google Dials Back on AI Overviews

Although Google has acknowledged that its flawed technology is to blame, it is not exactly flinging AI at people now. However, the company is not giving up on having AI appear on Search. Given that Google stated that AI Overviews would be updated to resolve the problems, there might be an impending redesign.

Artificial intelligence has a history of producing misleading information or hallucinations, which is a well-known technology issue. Google's AI Overview may have experienced this problem ever since it launched. Its mid-May launch was marred by a poor user experience prioritizing erroneous and fraudulent search summaries over conventional ones.
Volvo's EX30, the automaker's cheapest electric vehicle model, will now be delivered later for US consumers. Deliveries were initially expected in late 2024 but are now targeted for 2025.

According to Volvo, the statement results from shifts in the global automotive scene, which coincide with an increase in EX30 production for the US market in Belgium. Volvo's newest electric vehicle, the EX30, became a best-seller in Europe when production began in China last autumn.

Volvo almost outsold the EX40 (17,400) in the first quarter of 2024, selling 14,500 EX30 units worldwide. Volvo has notified reservation holders and merchants about the delay in the EX30, stating that the new target delivery date is 2025.

The EU disclosed additional taxes on Chinese electric vehicle imports, including those from Geely, Volvo's parent company, earlier this month.

Volvo on EU Tariffs

Bjorn Annwall, Volvo's deputy CEO, expressed disapproval of the move, stating that the company is committed to fair and free commerce and that anything that impedes that is "not a good thing."

Due to the EU tariffs, Volvo then decided to relocate the production of several of its electric vehicle models from China to Belgium. According to reports, the massive car manufacturer is shifting the production of its EX30 and EX90 vehicles from China to Belgium. Sources say the carmaker may also move the production of certain models destined for the UK to Belgium.

Annwall speculated that Belgium may be the source of the EX30 headed for the US. In response to demand, Volvo has previously stated that it will produce the EX30 in Ghent, Belgium, but not until 2025 when it will start shipping to the US.

Inexpensive EV Dominance

Right now, affordable electric cars are all the rage, and many large automakers have already acknowledged that consumers prefer inexpensive EVs. Notably, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated that the company wants to create and market more reasonably priced electric cars, adding that their next generation of EVs would be profitable and accessible.

According to Farley, Ford's upcoming array of electric vehicles will rival the best on the market. Ford is trying to replicate some of the success on US soil, and China's strategic bet on electric cars has "paid off so far," according to an interview.

Farley revealed earlier this year that Ford was "secretly" working on a smaller EV architecture to accommodate more affordable vehicles. Furthermore, Ford prioritizes smaller EV cars over larger three-row electric SUVs.

Farley claims that to create the new platform, Ford put together a small Skunkworks team that included some of the best EV engineers in the world. The team reportedly includes many Tesla and Apple employees.

According to Farley, the company's engineering approach is completely different, which may lead to a more reasonably priced product with a smaller battery and distinct chemistry.
WhatsApp is reportedly developing a feature that allows users to select the Large Language Model Meta AI (Llama) 3 model for the Meta AI chatbot.



This feature is in development and not yet available to beta testers, according to a Thursday feature tracker update reported by Gadget360. With the new functionality, users can choose between the Llama 3-70B AI model and the more sophisticated Llama 3-405B AI model for a limited number of prompts.



WABetaInfo, a popular WhatsApp feature tracker, discovered this upcoming feature in WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.24.14.7. Beta testers cannot see or interact with it yet. In the upcoming feature, users may choose between the speedier Llama 3-70B model and the more advanced Llama 3-405B model with this new feature, which builds on the app's Meta AI chatbot.



WABetaInfo screenshots show the new "Meta Llama model" options menu, wherein users can pick their AI model from this menu. The Llama 3-70B model is "faster," while the 3-405B is "better for more complex prompts."



The feature notes: "Preview the 405B model for a limited number of weekly prompts. After reaching your limit, use the 70B model to continue conversations."



The Llama 3-405B AI model is not yet available. Although Meta released the 8B and 70B models in April, it still trained the 400 billion-parameter Llama 3 model. According to this new WhatsApp feature, Meta plans to fine-tune the 405B model depending on user interactions.

Video Replies Feature Coming Soon

Moreover, WhatsApp is exploring a video reply option, a departure from its text and voice chatting features, TechTimes previously reported.



The discovery in WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.24.14.5 shows the platform's trend toward interactive and intuitive communications. With the new update, users may now answer video messages with video replies, a major improvement over the previous version that only permitted text or voice responses.

WhatsApp Will Stop Updating in Over 30 Devices

Meta innovates WhatsApp's beta features, testing them before releasing them. Recently, the platform included AI picture production and media content upgrades. WhatsApp's development team has also been working on security features like Chat Lock, which keeps closed chats safe even when users enter on different devices.



In another update, WhatsApp announced that it will stop updating in 35 devices with older Google and Apple operating systems. This list contains Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, Sony, LG, and Apple devices, per GizChina. The article advised users to check the list to see if their smartphone is impacted by the move.



Despite their age, some people use old smartphones and tablets because of their good hardware. However, WhatsApp recommends Android 5.0 and iOS 12 for continued use of the service. This allows the app to access newer operating system technologies for safe and efficient messaging online.
Ford is reportedly now looking for a change in its EU team's leadership chain amid growing struggles in the automaking giant's electric vehicle shift and just weeks after losing a top executive to Volkswagen.

Martin Sander, the senior European executive at Ford, departed the business earlier this month to become a Volkswagen employee. As the new head of sales and market for VW, Sander joined the company. Ford is cutting staff at its Cologne, Germany, European headquarters, including eliminating Sander's post.

With effect from July 1, 2024, Ford will have four directors in Cologne instead of nine, the company said, as part of a larger "transformation of its European business."

According to Kieran Cahill, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ford-Werke GmbH, the downsizing "simplifies" the company's management structure, but it also allows the corporation more agility as it attempts to turn around its European business.

Ford had trouble making ends meet, so the carmaker changed its EU leadership. According to the study, the new electric Explorer must boost sales. Otherwise, Ford might eventually give up on selling cars in Europe altogether.

Ford is treading carefully in the EU, with almost 98% of its income coming from the US. Its second EV built on Volkswagen's MEB platform is not far off. Later this year, Ford intends to start building its second MEB-based EV, the Explorer being the first.

Ford and Volkswagen on China's EV Dominance

Low-cost electric mobiles from China continue to dominate the EV market, forcing automakers like Ford and Volkswagen to catch up with China's EV titans, such as BYD Co.

Volkswagen, the German automotive behemoth, most recently revealed its intentions to create electric vehicles priced at roughly 20,000 euros ($21,746) for the European market. The business has declared that it plans to make its world premiere in 2027.

The ID.1 initiative was launched when top European manufacturers were challenged by Chinese competitors vying for market share. Some competitors have a 30% cost advantage over their Western counterparts.

Volkswagen announced that lowering emissions and component transportation routes would be the primary responsibility of the project's localization in Europe. At the time, Volkswagen issued a warning, stating that unless the European market was given two to three years to prepare for the competitive challenge, the industry's survival in Europe was in peril.

As part of these efforts, Volkswagen is executing cost-cutting and savings measures at its eponymous brand worth 10 billion euros by 2026.

Ford's Projected Low-Cost EV Shift

CEO Jim Farley also recently disclosed that Ford seeks to create affordable electric vehicles in the US despite its challenges in the EU EV market.

According to Farley, Ford will compete with the best in the market with its next array of electric vehicles. According to Farley in an interview, China's strategic bet on electric vehicles has "paid off so far," and Ford is trying to replicate some of the success on US soil.

Farley revealed earlier this year that Ford was "secretly" working on a smaller EV architecture to facilitate more affordable vehicles. Ford is also holding off on releasing its larger three-row electric SUV in favor of the more affordable EV vehicles.
There has been talk for years of opening the cavernous Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad train shed, with little to date to show for it.

That is expected to change in the coming months.

After more than two years of track work, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority plans to open the primarily state-funded $57 million, ground-level DL&W Station in January 2025 with two four-car platforms. A stair tower at South Park Avenue and Illinois Street is expected to be completed in May 2025, with a skybridge connecting to KeyBank Center at South Park Avenue and Main Street coming in 2026.

City passenger rail will share about half of the 100,000-square-foot space with the Yards and Shops complex used to keep Metro Rail cars in service since the 1980s.

On the second floor, construction is expected to begin next year on a planned $52 million multiuse space that envisions a public market, artists, food vendors and a place for gathering for music and special events. The first phase is expected to open in 2026 with 75,000 square feet of space indoors and 55,000 square feet outdoors that will offer some of the best riverfront views in Buffalo.

The NFTA is excited to soon welcome the public back in the building for the first time since the last train left in the 1960s, said Darren Kempner, the NFTAs director of government affairs and development. The shed will provide an active passenger destination, but also a destination for four-season indoor and outdoor activity adjacent to the Canalside and Cobblestone districts.

The buildings history, he said, has kept it in the public eye, even when its been mostly inactive.

Its a great gathering space with a lot of history of Buffalo. The Canadiana used to dock right here, Kempner said of the SS Canadiana, a passenger excursion steamer that operated between Buffalo and Crystal Beach Park in Ontario from 1910 to 1956. People have an affinity for being in the building with all the history.

The NFTA did a study in 2015 that led to the decision to bring Metro Rail service to the station. Developer Samuel Savarino was chosen by the NFTA to develop the second floor, and hired the consultant Projects for Public Spaces in 2021, which created the cheaper, lighter, quicker concept used at Canalside.

The DL&W Terminal is poised to become Buffalos next transformative destination, the placemaking organization said in a report issued that fall after considerable public engagement. With the right programming, management and design, the Terminal can become an inclusive place where the arts, food and music bring people together in a unique multiuse gathering place for the region.

Gov. Kathy Hochul helped make the activation of the second floor a reality in 2022, when she provided $30 million for its reuse.

The old DL&W, lets get that done once and for all, Hochul said in making her announcement. I think that has such potential to be another anchor down on our beautiful waterfront.

The DL&W Terminal, named for the railroad that connected Buffalo and Hoboken, N.J., and by ferry with New York City, opened in 1917. It closed in 1962 due to declining rail traffic, and was demolished in 1979, leaving the adjacent freight building for use as car barns for the then-new light-rail Metro Rail system. Thats the structure, designed by Abraham Bush, under renovation.

Street entry to and from the station will be on South Park Avenue and along the Empire State Shore Trail to nearby Canalside.

Return of natural light

Track work allowing for passenger rail, at a cost of $27 million, is now completed. The cost to prepare the first floor will be another $30 million.

The DL&W Station is expected to bring back natural light through what are now bricked-in windows and covered skylight systems, to go with other architectural features on display over a century ago.

The current plan is to open as much as possible and connect with outdoor space, Kempner said.

Platforms are currently under reconstruction as the space is readied to be able to move 1,200 people at once for arena events, with each of the eight rail cars able to hold up to 150 people, followed by another round of cars 10 to 15 minutes later, Kempner said.

A maximum of 2,000 people now take Metro Rail to arena events, NFTA spokeswoman Helen Tederous said.

Art installations are planned inside, including hand-painted tile and glass mosaic birds by artist Joan Linder.

There will be heating elements for the winter and a 6,000-square-foot space for a cafe or other public use.

Two stairs and an elevator will lead to the second floor, as well as a stair tower being built at South Park and Illinois Street.

Public destination

The second floor is what is expected to transform the DL&W into a public destination.

Its at the confluence of the Buffalo River, Niagara River and Lake Erie, and the end of the Erie Canal, Savarino said. Its a good place to start to visit Buffalo, with a facility and location where there is always something to do.

There are challenges  notably the raised platforms on the second floor that the State Historical Preservation Office required to remain as a condition of being eligible for historic tax credits. New Market tax credits are also expected to be used.

They are identified as a historic component of the building so we have to work with them, Savarino said. While it isnt the most efficient use of space, well find a way to make them a unique component.

A truck lift is being installed at the foot of Mississippi Street for suppliers from food trucks to concert needs.

The biggest challenge in getting open, Savarino said, has to do with access and egress.

If we dont have a sufficient amount of fire exits, there are only so many people we can put in there, he said. Thats the limiting factor right now with activation.

Although Savarino Companies went out of business last year, Savarino said he is fully committed to the project through another of his companies, Savarino DL&W Development LLC.

He said theres a need for a music venue between the 400-person capacity Buffalo Iron Works music club the developer owns in the nearby Cobblestone District and the new 6,000-person capacity music pavilion at the Outer Harbor. He and Josh Holtzman, a part owner of Buffalo Iron Works who will be booking and producing the DL&W concerts, traveled to Cherry Street Pier in Philadelphia to see how an old train station terminal was turned into a mixed-use event space that included a farmers market and an outdoor concert venue.

They also traveled to Hong Kong to see another terminal with multiple functions that draws large numbers of people.

Looking east

The opening of DL&W Station also lays the groundwork for expansion into the East Side, Kempner said.

Its not something we have funded yet  we are focusing all our capacity on Amherst right now, Kempner said, referring to plans to bring Metro Rail service between the two University at Buffalo campuses. But it is something we hope to have the opportunity to do in the future.

The rail line could include stops in the Larkin District, at the Central Terminal and in surrounding neighborhoods and to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Kempner said.

Serving the East Side with higher capacity and more frequency would be the key goal, he said.
An area in northern Rome, long associated with controversy due to electromagnetic waves from the Vatican Radio towers there, will undergo a major change. Pope Francis, committed to fighting climate change, ordered on Wednesday the construction of a solar farm in this site to provide power for Vatican City State.

Pope Francis Orders Construction of Solar Farm in Vatican Radio Area

Vatican Radio's controversial area in northern Rome will soon house a field of solar panels. The Associated Press reported that Pope Francis' decision aligns with the Vatican's commitments under UN climate agreements to reduce carbon emissions.

Also, in line with this commitment, Pope Francis appointed a commission to oversee the development of this solar farm in the 430-hectare Santa Maria di Galeria that belongs to the Vatican. The Pope's Motu Proprio emphasized that the new solar farm would power not only the Vatican Radio but the whole Vatican City State.

The Santa Maria di Galeria was inaugurated in 1957 as home to Vatican Radio, which initially broadcast Catholic and Vatican news globally through two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennas crowding the site.

The area has now been earmarked for sustainable energy production. As urbanization encroached on the once-rural site that is 35 kilometers north of the Vatican, local residents raised concerns about health issues, including cases of childhood leukemia.

They attributed these health problems to the electromagnetic waves emitted by the towers. The Vatican consistently denied any direct connection between the towers and the reported health issues.

Read Also : Vatican's AI Expert on a Mission to Ensure Ethical Tech Use

Environmental Initiatives of Pope Francis

Under Pope Francis, who authored a comprehensive encyclical emphasizing the importance of environmental stewardship, the Vatican initiated a program to replace its car fleet with electric vehicles.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy called "Ecological Conversion 2030," which seeks to implement sustainable and carbon-neutral practices across the Vatican City State.

Pope Francis previously issued a pressing revision to his influential 2015 encyclical on environmental issues. In this update, he called upon global leaders to adopt concrete, enforceable targets to mitigate climate change. He cautioned that Earth, as God's creation, was rapidly warming, which may cause irreversible damage.

Before Pope Francis, his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, earned the moniker of the "green pope," largely due to his efforts to promote sustainability within Vatican City. These initiatives included installing solar panels in the main audience hall, marking a significant step towards reducing the Vatican's carbon footprint.

These actions mark a step forward in the Vatican's efforts to teach the Catholics about caring for the planet to stop irreversible damage from climate change.
NASA has chosen SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that will handle the final stages of deorbiting the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of the decade. This significant contract, valued at up to $843 million, covers the creation of the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV).

The Role of the USDV

The USDV will dock with the ISS and execute a series of maneuvers to ensure a controlled reentry over a remote ocean region, likely the South Pacific. Unlike other missions where NASA procures services, the USDV will be owned and operated by NASA.

"Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operation," NASA associate administrator for space operations, Ken Bowersox said in the latest statement.

Related Article : NASA, SpaceX Launch Newest NOAA Weather Satellite Atop Falcon Heavy Rocket

Design and Development Expectations

Details about SpaceX's design for the USDV remain undisclosed. However, it is expected that the spacecraft will incorporate elements from the Dragon spacecraft, which is currently used for cargo and crew transportation, per TechCrunch.

NASA has stressed the importance of vehicle reliability, stating that the USDV must perform flawlessly on its first flight and possess robust redundancy and anomaly recovery capabilities.

Budget and Funding Insights

The contract value aligns with NASA's expectations for the USDV program. Initially estimated to cost just under $1 billion, the program has seen budget requests increase. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson highlighted the importance of securing full funding, suggesting the cost might rise to $1.5 billion. Nelson emphasized the need for the USDV in light of potential geopolitical uncertainties, advocating for its inclusion in future emergency appropriations bills.

Exploring Deorbit Options

NASA released a white paper outlining why a controlled deorbit is the safest and most viable method for decommissioning the ISS. Alternatives, such as disassembling the station or boosting it to a higher orbit, are taken into consideration.

The space agency, however, did not acknowledge handing the station to a commercial operator since it was not seen to be feasible. The reason behind this is that the components come from multiple countries.

In addition, the white paper also mentioned that "deorbiting the space station at the end of its life is the safest and only viable method to decommission this historic symbol of science, technology, and collaboration."

For the next decade which is 2030, de-orbiting is expected to come around this time. However, the procurement for the vehicle might not happen until mid-2030.

Back in June, SpaceX launched two groups of Starlink internet satellites into space. They came from the west and east coast parts of the US.
The US Supreme Court temporarily blocked the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) program to reduce cross-state pollution.



The High Court put the "Good Neighbor Plan" on hold, awaiting lower court proceedings, in response to pleas from Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and business organizations disputing the EPA's power, according to a report from The Verge. Five justices supported the stay in Ohio v. Environmental Protection Agency today, while dissenters rejected it.



In the majority decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch cautioned about the EPA's regulatory approach saying, "If anything, we see one reason for caution after another."



Although the plan's blockage is temporary, the move suggests the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court may favor states challenging the EPA's regulatory activities if the case concludes. Air pollutants are transportable; thus, this approach might hinder national air quality initiatives.



Hayden Hashimoto, representing environmental advocacy groups in the litigation, said that the US Supreme Court's action was "in haste" and completely disregarded "public health benefits for communities that are impacted by smog from highly polluting upwind states."

Smog Pose Serious Risks

Coal combustion, fossil fuel combustion, and automobile exhaust emissions emit hazardous gases that generate secondary pollutants in the atmosphere. These pollutants create smog, which is a major environmental and health concern.



Respiratory disorders rise annually with smog. They also cause cardiovascular illness, neurological abnormalities, fetal development concerns, and cancer. Smog outbreaks, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic, worsen these health effects. Moreover, Long-term air pollution exposure can exacerbate the respiratory and cardiovascular impacts of the coronavirus, increasing health risks.

Smog also brings down road visibility, increasing the risk of accidents and cancellation of flights, per a study published in the National Library of Medicine.

Read Also: Scientists Can Now Break Down 'Forever Chemicals' in Water with New Effective Method



To protect adjacent states from industrial emissions, the EPA's Good Neighbor Plan mandates that 23 states reduce them. The expectation is that meeting new national air quality criteria by reducing nitrogen oxides, a smog component, will save lives and hospital visits annually.

Why Do US States Oppose The Good Neighbor Plan?

Some US states and business organizations oppose the concept due to economic and regulatory constraints, but proponents argue that it is necessary to ensure fair pollution control and compliance with national air quality requirements.



In 2022, the EPA rejected the plans of Texas and 20 other states as insufficient. Texas sued the EPA in February, claiming the verdict weakened states' environmental regulation power, according to The Texas Tribune.



The following month, the EPA amended its smog plan to combat national ozone pollution. The government agency said the "good neighbor" initiative will avoid 1,300 premature deaths by 2026 and drastically cut asthma and other respiratory hospital visits.



Texas sued again over the revised plan. The state is not directly involved in the Supreme Court case, but environmental law professor Victor Flatt from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, noted that the US Supreme Court's decision to temporarily halt the plan could affect lower court legal challenges.
Climate lawsuits against companies on the rise: report



Paris, June 26 (AFP) Jun 26, 2024



Companies worldwide have faced mounting legal pressure to reduce their impact on global warming as activists use litigation to fight climate change, according to a new report Thursday.

Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, 230 "climate-aligned" lawsuits have been launched against corporations and trade associations -- more than two thirds of which were filed since 2020, said the report by the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics.

"Cases against companies have traditionally been focused on the fossil fuel sector but they are now being launched across other sectors, including airlines, the food and beverage industry, e-commerce and financial services," the report said.

The 2021 ruling in the Netherlands against multinational oil giant Shell, which was ordered to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45 percent by 2030, has become a milestone in climate litigation.

Accusations of "climate-washing" or misleading marketing have been the among the drivers for more recent cases against corporations.

Last year, British courts banned adverts by Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad over concerns they misled customers, which came months after a similar decision in Vienna against Austrian Airlines.

Other cases are based on the principle that the "polluter pays" or seek "turning off the taps" to new fossil fuel projects by targeting the flow of financing to extractive industries.

Less than a tenth of the the total 2,666 lawsuits filed to date worldwide were against corporations, said the report using a data from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School.

More often, governments are the defendants.

However in 2023, cases against companies made up of a quarter of the 233 lawsuits filed that year alone, the report said.



- International rulings -



In September, the state of California took the role of plaintiff, suing five of the world's largest oil companies alleging the firms caused billions of dollars in damages and misled the public by minimising the risks from fossil fuels.

While historically, most lawsuits have been filed in the United States, accounting for 1,745 cases, action has been increasingly launched in other jurisdictions.

Portugal saw its first case filed last year over alleged human rights violations for failing to implement climate change policy, as did Panama over a mining project.

"2023 was an important year for international climate change litigation, with major international courts and tribunals being asked to rule and advise on climate change," the report said.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is due to give an advisory opinion this year on a country's duties when "responding to the climate emergency under the framework of international human rights law", following a case brought by Chile and Colombia in January 2023.

The European Court of Human Rights in April made a historic ruling against Switzerland, deeming it was not doing enough to tackle climate change -- a decision that could force governments to adopt more ambitious climate policies.

"Just five percent of climate cases have been brought before international courts, but many of these cases have significant potential to influence domestic proceedings," the report said.

The report's authors anticipate a rise in "post-disaster" cases in the future, pointing to recent action in hurricane-hit Puerto Rico against the reconstruction of fossil fuel infrastructure.

The concept of "ecocide" and efforts to address environmental crimes could be another ground lawsuits, as are converging issues such as plastic pollution and the impact on climate change, the report said.
Norway designates zones for contested deep-sea mining



Oslo, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Norway's government has taken another step toward its controversial plan to open its seabed to deep-sea mining, proposing areas suitable for exploration.

Already Western Europe's largest oil and gas producer, Norway could become one of the first countries to authorise seabed mining, insisting on the importance of not relying on China or authoritarian countries for minerals essential for renewable technology.

"The Ministry of Energy has presented a proposal for the announcement of the first licensing round for seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf for public consultation," the government said in a statement issued Wednesday.

"The proposal sets out the areas where the companies will be able to apply for exploitation licenses, so that exploration and gathering knowledge ... can begin," it said.

The World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Norwegian chapter said in late May it planned to take legal action against Oslo for failing to perform sufficient impact studies.

On April 12, the energy ministry announced it was opening up an area for exploration in the Norwegian Sea and Greenland Sea -- of the size of the UK, according to WWF -- with the aim of awarding the first licences in the first half of 2025.

The blocks proposed Wednesday cover around 38 percent of this area.

Exploration of the zone will make it possible to know "whether there is a basis for sustainable mineral exploitation on the Norwegian shelf," the government said.

If not, deep-sea mining will not be authorised.

Earlier this year, the Norwegian parliament gave the green light to open up parts of Norway's seabed to exploration.

NGOs and scientists have criticised the plan, warning of a lack of knowledge about the environmental impact.

Several countries, including France and the UK, have called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.

Oslo maintains that by allowing the prospecting, it wants to fill in gaps in knowledge to determine whether undersea mining can take place without serious impact on the environment.

In early 2023, the Norwegian Offshore Directorate published a report concluding that "substantial resources are in place on the seabed" including minerals such as copper, zinc and cobalt.

Among other uses, they are crucial for the manufacturing of batteries, wind turbines, computers and mobile phones.

Some 98 percent of rare earth minerals used in the EU are imported from China.
First assessment finds Borneo elephant is endangered



Bangkok, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



The first assessment of the pint-sized Bornean elephant by a global conservation authority concluded Thursday that the animal is endangered, with only an estimated 1,000 left in the wild.

The finding by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), known for its "Red List" of endangered wildlife, is the first time the elephant has been assessed as a distinct subspecies.

"The population has diminished over the past 75 years, initially due to extensive logging of Borneo's forests destroying the majority of the Bornean elephants' habitat," the IUCN said in an update to its Red List on Thursday.

"As the human population has rapidly expanded in (Malaysia's) Sabah, elephants are entering human-dominated landscapes more often in search of food, where they may cause damage to crops and face retribution killing," the group added.

It warned that ongoing habitat destruction, particularly linked to palm oil cultivation, as well as timber plantations and mining, further threatens the species.

And it singled out the planned Pan Borneo Highway as risking the future of the smallest Asian elephant species.

Standing between around eight and 10 feet tall, genetic evidence shows Borneo elephants diverged from their cousins in mainland Asia and Sumatra some 300,000 years ago, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conservation group.

Sometimes called Borneo pygmy elephants, the species has developed proportionally larger ears, longer tails and straighter tusks than other Asian elephants.

The island territory of Borneo is shared between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, though the elephant is thought to roam primarily in Sabah and sometimes Indonesia's East Kalimantan.
June Arctic wildfire emissions third highest in two decades: EU monitor



Paris, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Wildfires ravaging the Arctic Circle, predominately in Russia, have released the third highest level of carbon emissions for the month of June in two decades, the EU's climate monitor said on Thursday.

The fires follow an unusually warm and dry May, conditions that are being exacerbated by human-caused climate change, the European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) said.

A total of 6.8 megatonnes of carbon emissions had been released by June 26 -- the highest for that month following the 16.3 megatonnes recorded in June 2020 and 13.8 megatonnes in 2019, it said.

Russia's Siberian Sakha republic has seen the worst of the flames. It declared a state of emergency on June 11, when the fires first ignited, Copernicus said.

"The Arctic is ground zero for climate change and the increasing Siberian wildfires are a clear warning sign that this essential system is approaching dangerous climate tipping points," said Gail Whiteman, professor at the UK's University of Exeter and founder of the Arctic Basecamp expert group.

"What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay there. Arctic change amplifies risks globally for all of us," she added.

Wildfires emit planet-heating greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide (CO2), destroy natural carbon sinks and reduce air quality.

The smoke emitted by the flames can also settle on ice. That reducing the ice's ability to reflect solar radiation, meaning both it and the land or sea below it absorb more heat.
'Climate neutral' ad claims must be backed up: German court



Frankfurt, Germany, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Companies in Germany can only promote their products as "climate neutral" if they back up the environmental claims with sufficient detail in the advert itself, a top court ruled Thursday.

The ruling was made in a case brought against German confectionery manufacturer Katjes by an association that aims to tackle unfair business practices.

It centred on an advert that appeared in a trade publication for the food industry, which stated that "since 2021, Katjes has been producing all products in a climate-neutral fashion".

It included a picture of a packet of fruit gums with a "climate neutral" logo and the website address of a partner firm that helps companies in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

The ruling found the production of the sweets was not carbon-neutral however -- rather, the confectionery manufacturer supported environmental protection projects to offset emissions through its partner.

Two lower courts had dismissed the case but the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruled in favour of the association, the Centre for Combatting Unfair Competition.

"In the case of advertising that uses an ambiguous environmental term such as 'climate neutral', the specific meaning must be explained in the advertising itself in order to avoid misleading the public," the court said in its decision.

The risks of misleading were "particularly high" in environment-related advertising, it said, adding that labels such as "climate neutral" were important for consumers when making purchasing decisions.

When it came to the Katjes advert, it was vital to explain the claim as directly reducing emissions is considered more important for climate protection than offsetting them, the court found.

Katjes must stop using the misleading advert and reimburse legal costs, the court ruled.

The European Union is already taking steps to crack down on greenwashing when it comes to labelling of products sold in the bloc.

Earlier this month, member states agreed on a draft of new rules laying out that environmental claims will have to be verified using strict criteria. The legislation will now have to be finalised in the European Parliament.
Top US court blocks air pollution measure



Washington, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



The US Supreme Court on Thursday temporarily blocked the implementation of an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) measure aimed at curbing air pollution that drifts across state lines from facilities like power plants.

The "good neighbor" plan would not have taken effect until 2026, but a series of states and companies requested that it be blocked now while litigation against it plays out in a lower court -- a request the Supreme Court granted in a 5-4 decision.

"Enforcement of EPA's rule against the applicants shall be stayed pending the disposition of the applicants' petitions for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit," the Supreme Court ordered.

The EPA says its plan would cut some 70,000 tons of nitrogen oxides pollution in 2026, and would prevent approximately 1,300 premature deaths, avoid more than 2,300 hospital visits and curb tens of thousands of school absence days and lost work days.

"Reducing smog also has economic benefits. Estimated annual net benefits, after taking costs into account, would be $13 billion each year over the period from 2023 to 2042," the EPA says.

But opponents of the measure argue that it is illegal and say it would cost hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars to implement while litigation against the plan is playing out, and asked the court to block it.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote a dissenting opinion that was joined by the court's three liberal members, arguing that the Supreme Court was granting "emergency relief in a fact-intensive and highly technical case without fully engaging with both the relevant law and the voluminous record."

The court's decision to temporarily block the plan is the third time in recent years that it has curbed the EPA's powers, after it dealt a blow to the agency's authority to regulate wetlands in 2023 and greenhouse gases in 2022.
Swedish police investigate deaths at electric car battery plant



Stockholm, June 27 (AFP) Jun 27, 2024



Swedish police will investigate whether the unexplained deaths of three workers at an electric car battery factory are linked, the force said Thursday.

Though the police said they do not suspect foul play, the deaths have cast a shadow over one of Europe's leading electric battery producers, with Japanese car giant Toyota pulling its workers from the plant in response.

Three people at Swedish manufacturer Northvolt's "gigafactory" died in the space of six months, Swedish media reported.

Each died after working at the Northvolt Ett plant in the northern town of Skelleftea. Some 3,500 people work at the plant, Northvolt says on its website.

A 33-year-old man who worked as a cleaner at the factory was found dead in his bed on January 5.

On February 22 a 19-year-old man was found a day after his shift at the factory, having also died in his sleep.

After inital investigations, police concluded the deaths were not linked to each other or to their workplace.

A third employee, aged 59, was found dead at his home on June 5, media said.

Forensic examinations did not establish why any of the three employees had died, police said in a statement Thursday.

Further investigations would take into account the fact "these people worked at the same workplace", it added.

It said the third person "may have been exposed to a substance" and police "will be looking into this more closely".

As a result of the deaths, Toyota -- the world's largest car manufacturer -- suspended the work of its service technicians at the factory, it was cited as saying by specialist magazine Dagens Arbete.

Northvolt said the three deaths in six months were a "tragic coincidence".

It told AFP its internal investigation found that the employees were not exposed to toxic substances and had not suffered any accidents.

Deputy employment minister Paulina Brandberg said it was "very important to get clarity on what happened".

"It's terrible that three people have died after their work," she told Sweden's TT news Agency.

Northvolt is a cornerstone of European attempts to catch up with China and the United States in the production of battery cells, a crucial component of lower-emission cars.

Europe has been racing to produce more electric vehicles as part of its green transition, as the clock ticks down on an EU deadline to phase out the sale of fossil fuel-burning cars by 2035.

nzg/sbk/rlp
News / National

by Staff reporter

War veteran and Retired Brigadier-General Romeo Donald Mutsvunguma, who passed away in Rusape last Wednesday at the age of 67, has been declared a national hero. President Mnangagwa awarded this highest honor in recognition of Mutsvunguma's significant contributions to Zimbabwe both before and after independence.ZANU-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa, delivered the announcement to the Mutsvunguma family at their Rusape home, accompanied by several other officials. Chinamasa conveyed President Mnangagwa's decision, praising Mutsvunguma as an outstanding cadre.Mutsvunguma's younger brother, Charles, expressed the family's gratitude, stating they are humbled and committed to continuing Mutsvunguma's legacy of service to the party.Born on March 4, 1957, in Makoni District, Mutsvunguma joined the liberation struggle in 1975, initially serving at Nyadzonya Camp and receiving military training at Morogoro ZIPRA Camp. He held various key positions throughout the struggle and was instrumental in political reorientation and instruction at ZANLA Headquarters.After independence, Mutsvunguma played a vital role in integrating ZANLA and ZIPRA forces and served in various capacities in the Zimbabwe National Army, including commanding officer roles and as Defence Attache to the United States.
Every time she crossed the Huey P. Long Bridge on U.S. 190, Mary Rogers' grandmother would pray the Rosary.

Then she would immediately make Rogers' grandfather, who usually was at the wheel, pull off at the end of the exit ramp to say a prayer for Jasper C. Brown.

That was Rogers' uncle, her grandmother's son. He died at age 19.

And like her grandparents, Rogers considers the Old Mississippi Bridge, as it's commonly known in Baton Rouge, as her late uncle's gravesite.

That's the quick answer to Adam Foster's inquiry as to whether there is truth to a story he's been told since childhood about a man being buried in the bridge.

"I remember hearing stories about flowers placed by the bridge," Foster wrote. "I know that there are similar stories about bridges in other cities, and some are urban legends. But is the Baton Rouge story true?"
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Mnangagwa has emphasized that the government will not tolerate any form of mischief or disturbances, particularly as Zimbabwe prepares to host the 44th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in August. Speaking at the 377th Ordinary Session of the Zanu-PF Politburo in Harare, he warned that law enforcement agents are ready to address any attempts to disrupt the country's peace and stability.President Mnangagwa accused opposition elements of trying to attract attention and relevance through dissent ahead of the summit. He asserted that any unruly behavior, in collaboration with detractors, would be dealt with firmly by the government, stressing that the law will take its course without bias.In his address, the President also called on war veterans to unite and guard against infiltration. He directed the leadership of the War Veterans League to address internal divisions within the group, which is crucial for both the party and the country. This comes after the Zimbabwe Liberation War Veterans Association postponed its elective congress twice.President Mnangagwa highlighted the importance of maintaining the principles and discipline of the revolutionary movement. He emphasized that Zanu-PF is a constitution-based party with a rich liberation history and that adherence to party rules is crucial. He warned against counter-revolutionary behavior and stressed the importance of unity, peace, and loyalty within the party.He also reaffirmed Zanu-PF's commitment to advancing Pan-African unity, independence, and sustainable development. The President called for continued modernization and industrialization to grow Zimbabwe's economy and create a conducive environment for national development.President Mnangagwa urged Politburo members to provide strong leadership and honest guidance, stressing that the party's interests must come before personal ambitions. He commended the Women's and War Veterans Leagues for their recent meetings and encouraged farmers to prepare for the upcoming 2024/2025 summer cropping season.The Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting is scheduled for today, followed by the National Consultative Assembly indaba tomorrow.
ANZ Banks plan to bulk up in home loans and household deposits by buying Suncorps banking arm has cleared its final key hurdle, after Treasurer Jim Chalmers signed off on the $4.9 billion deal.

In a transaction that was first announced almost two years ago, ANZ is looking to expand its presence in Queensland and gain a larger share in the crucial mortgage market by buying Suncorps banking division.

Finalising the takeover  the biggest banking deal in Australia since Westpac bought St George in 2008  has been long and complex.

After ANZ successfully overturned the competition watchdogs opposition to the takeover through a court challenge earlier this year, Chalmers ticked off on the transaction on Friday morning.
7News YouTube channel  which boasts 1.71 million subscribers  was hacked and used to live-stream an AI-generated Elon Musk cryptocurrency scam on Thursday.

About 60,000 people were watching one live-stream and 45,000 were watching another at various points on Thursday before they were taken down, and then later re-uploaded.

A screengrab from a live video on the 7News YouTube channel showing an AI-generated Elon Musk.

The stream showed an artificial intelligence representation of Musk, the owner and chief executive of Tesla, touting a cryptocurrency scam while standing in front of a Tesla car. Later, two more streams were uploaded showing a Tesla launch event for its Cybertruck in 2023.

Sevens main YouTube channel has been taken down and hyperlinks to the page are broken, with a message displayed saying it is unavailable. The 7News YouTube channel, which was rebranded as a Tesla account, was also subsequently taken down.
In its early days, the company focused on video games, developing components that allowed games consoles and personal computers to render three-dimensional graphics by stacking countless microscopic triangles on top of each other. It went public during the dotcom bubble at a $US625 million valuation. While the company became a key player in the gaming industry, it would be another decade before the seeds of its present success were sown. In 2012, scientists at the University of Toronto, led by the British computer scientist Geoff Hinton, developed an image recognition program that used Nvidias graphics chips, rather than the central processing units that most computers relied on. Hinton would later describe it as the big bang moment for todays AI movement. The program, built on two Nvidia chips bought on Amazon, blew away the competition in an annual machine vision competition and its underlying architecture spawned the deep learning craze. Nvidia became the worlds most valuable company last week. Credit: Bloomberg Nvidias chips being perfect for machine vision was something of a happy accident, but Huang capitalised. While AI was still a minor academic pursuit compared to the lucrative video games business, Huang told managers that Nvidia would become an AI business and threw resources at developing advanced chips that could power synthetic intelligence.

It turned out to be really useful for stuff we didnt know it was going to be useful for, says a former Nvidia executive. But, even then, you could see that [Huang] bought into the idea of a use of the GPU outside of graphics and gaming. He had a vision at that point that it would do something, he probably didnt know what, but he could see there was an opportunity that a lot of us didnt see. Hes building a church, and has been laying it brick by brick for years, says Hsu. One day all of a sudden you see this magnificent church in front of you, but hes been toiling for years to make it perfect. The rewards have now become obvious. Last month Nvidia said that revenues had risen by 262 per cent in the last quarter, to $US26 billion. Profits have climbed more than sevenfold, from $US2 billion to $US15 billion. The waiting list for the companys superpowered chips runs into next year. Huang has spent years nurturing relationships with major customers and suppliers, hand-delivering initial orders. At the same time, he has tied users into a software system that has given the company an unassailable lead, despite rivals seeking a piece of its fortune.

Despite his approachable public persona, within Nvidia he is known as a demanding boss. Huang makes a point of quizzing even junior employees about their work and can dash off hundreds of emails to executives in a day. Hes not the right guy to bullshit, says a former employee. The people who can work in Jensens world have no hiding place for success or failure. The people he struggles with are the people who typically dont respond in the right way towards mistakes. Loading Any weakness, real or imagined, is called out and people can be publicly beaten up, says another former executive. One of Huangs own missteps came in 2020 when he agreed to pay $US40 billion for the British microchip company Arm. After almost two years, regulators kiboshed the deal, a fact Huang still laments. Matching his standards can be exerting. Huang is known to wake as early as 4am (As a CEO, not sleeping is a good choice, he once said). Huang told Wired magazine this year that his exercise regime largely consists of squats while brushing his teeth.

Greatness comes from character. And character isnt formed out of smart people, its formed out of people who suffered, Huang told students at Stanford University earlier this year, adding: I use the phrase pain and suffering inside our company with great glee. Huangs commitment to pain concluded in him getting a tattoo of Nvidias logo when the companys share price hit $US100 in 2014, the pain of which made him cry. He has attributed his resilience to being sent away to boarding school in Kentucky as a nine-year-old, where he was subjected to relentless racist bullying. Most of Nvidias employees today would say that any suffering has been worth it. The companys 3500 per cent stock price rise in the last five years means that even staff with relatively short careers at the company have enough paper wealth to retire. One mid-level employee who worked for the company for 18 years recently left with a $US62 million nest egg. Huang became the worlds 12th richest person last week, with a personal wealth of $US119 billion. Credit: Bloomberg Huang himself is not prone to outrageous displays of wealth, beyond the $US9000 leather jackets  at least by the standard of most tech billionaires. He has spent around $US55 million on property, including the Hawaii retreat, but is said to drive a Tesla to work despite owning a collection of Ferraris.

Some caution may be warranted. Nvidia briefly overtaking Microsoft and Apple in value has been seen as the crest of a new dotcom bubble. The companys shares have since retreated. Its profits, while growing strongly, are less than half of Apples, and are built on runaway spending on AI infrastructure that has yet to yield tangible profits for many of its customers. The companys ascent has drawn parallels with Cisco, the networking equipment company that overtook Microsoft during the dotcom bubble but never recovered. Loading Most of Wall Street believes the only way is up, however. Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, has suggested building an artificial superintelligence that can outsmart humans will cost some $US7 trillion. A substantial portion of that would be likely to end up with Nvidia. Last week some analysts predicted a valuation of $US5 trillion within a year, a level that would see Huangs own net worth overtake Bill Gates and see him competing for the title of worlds richest man. Then it really would be time to party.
After Guzman y Gomez so successfully employed a strategy to feed investors an hors doeuvre (or just a couple of tortilla chips) of shares in its float to keep them hungry for more, the market has turned its attention to Virgin and its perpetually upcoming debut on the stock market.

But dealing with the complexities of floating an airline makes selling shares in a burrito maker look like a walk in the park.

Now the latest talk that Qatar Airways is eager to become a cornerstone shareholder in Virgin brings another complicated twist. But more on that later.

For Virgin, finding the right time to float isnt easy, and nor is finding the right shareholders.

Guzman y Gomezs stunning 36 per cent share price leap on debut would have provided Virgins US owners Bain with a shot of adrenalin. GYG was something of a litmus test for the initial public offering (IPO) market, and demonstrated clearly that investors are thirsty for new floats.
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Eating outTrends Our eight favourite new Sydney restaurants and bars of the year (so far) Our half-year dining report card shows that despite the many challenges facing the hospitality industry, theres plenty to get excited about. Callan Boys June 27, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Editor's note: A Good Food and Sydney Morning Herald investigation revealed Swillhouse group, which owns The Caterpillar Club and Restaurant Hubert, allegedly ousted female staff after they reported sexual assaults and encouraged on-duty sex and drug use. OK. Two things. First, yes, the hospitality industry has seen better days for business. The rising cost of living means consumer spending is down, while the rising cost of running a restaurant, bar or cafe means profit margins are tighter than ever. But this doesnt mean its the end of days for Sydneys food and booze scene. People are still going out. Many restaurants are still pumping. The always-busy Caterpillar Club in the CBD. Jennifer Soo Good luck getting a weekend booking at Surry Hills Bar Copains, say, or any table at Bistecca in the CBD. Spicy Joint in Haymarket heaves. The line for Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North can be intimidating. I was at Restaurant Hubert last Monday, and the dining room was in full swing, three-piece jazz band and all. This is still a dynamic city to eat, drink and party. Well have a full wrap-up of 2024 in December (expect sauce Diane and tomato-leaf martinis to feature), but in the meantime, heres a half-year report on some of the Good Food teams favourite openings of the past six months. Each one has been selected for the wider trend it boosts and builds on. Winter doesnt have to mean locking yourself indoors with spag bol leftovers.

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The lets do one thing really, really well Taste of Canton 139 Broadway, Ultimo, instagram.com/tasteofcanton Professional kitchens specialising in one kind of dish have existed since professional kitchens were invented. Londons jellied eel stalls. Fukuokas tonkotsu ramen shops. The smashburgers at Robs in Rozelle. Sydney has seen more specialty restaurants open in recent years, however, partly because of the lower business costs that may come with offering a condensed menu, but also because migrants keep making the city more vital and diverse. When Lingqi Yang found it hard to track down the same style of cheung fun (rippled, silky steamed rice noodle rolls) she grew up with in Guangzhou, China, she opened Taste of Canton next to a Zetland car wash last year. The cheung fun  made by steaming a rice flour mixture in a wobble-board-sized pan  were so popular that Yang recently set up shop near Broadway, too. Dumplings and (pretty good) congee bulk up the menu, but its all about the single-serve plates of noodle rolls, with your choice of egg, prawn, pork or brisket. See also: Omu, Ultimo; Banh Cuon Kim Thanh, Bankstown; Alfies, CBD.

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The 3.5-metre chefs table faces a line-up of charcoal and wood grills at Firepop. Louie Douvis The hot and smoky one Firepop 137 Enmore Road, Enmore, firepop.com.au If I dont receive a media release every second week about a new restaurant cooking over fire, it certainly feels like it. More often than not, there will also be a quote from the chef, talking about their new menu like theyre the first person to discover steak tastes better grilled with charcoal. Anyway, theres none of that bravado at Firepop, run by eternally gracious couple Raymond Hou and Alina Van. The husband-and-wife team opened their brick-and-mortar store on Enmore Road in March, after barbecuing in their mobile kitchen across markets, breweries and Easter Shows since 2018. Flame-licked David Blackmore wagyu skewers melt like butter; New England lamb whacks you around the nostrils with sesame and cumin dukkah; and bouncy chicken hearts are enhanced with garlic oil. Speaking of David Blackmore, were also expecting more first-rate seafood, vegetable and wagyu grilling from Corey Costelloe  the former Rockpool Bar & Grill executive chef who opened 20 Chapel in Marrickville late last week.

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See also: Firedoor, Surry Hills; Yakitori Yurippi, Crows Nest; Chaco Bar, Potts Point. High-energy rabbit warren Good Luck. Steven Woodburn The good time, all the time, party room Good Luck Restaurant Lounge 11 Bridge Street, Sydney, merivale.com/venues/good-luck

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Say what you will about Merivale and Justin Hemmes, but the bloke sure knows how to throw a party. With Tottis chef Mike Eggert in charge of the kitchen, Good Luck bills itself as capturing the spirit of the 1970s underground scene by way of Brooklyn, Tokyo or Hong Kong. Chief Herald restaurant critic Terry Durack calls it a high-energy rabbit warren with flaming grills, fish tanks, glittering chandeliers and colourful cocktails. Whos for king crab and waffles? Its immensely popular, and shows plenty of people at the top end of town are still looking to spend big, especially if the joint has plenty of personality and opportunities for a blowout. See also: Funda, CBD; Chin Chin, Surry Hills; Mimis, Coogee. Fiors crowded, buzzy dining room. Edwina Pickles The modern suburban Italian Fior

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756 Kingsway, Gymea, fiorrestaurant.com.au Ever met a person who didnt like pasta? Me neither. Small wonder that many operators looking to open an ambitious restaurant in the suburbs (particularly suburbs where $48 main courses are met with raised eyebrows) tend to gravitate towards the safe space of Italian. Brought to the Sutherland Shire by the team behind Surry Hills Jane and Arthur, Fior launched in Gymea in March, and the 120-seat restaurant is finding success with aperitivo snacks (crumbed scallops) approachable pastas (pappardelle with pork sausage ragu) and hefty, family-friendly mains (roast chicken, currants and braised greens). Meanwhile, Bar Infinita has started rocking spaghetti vongole and ironbark-grilled bistecca in Gordon, and Nico is intent on bringing Amalfi sunshine to Cammeray through winter. See also: Braci Osteria and Pizzeria, North Willoughby; Bobbys, Cronulla; Tottis, Bondi. Marron with sweetcorn and ice plant at the relaunched White Horse. Jennifer Soo The pub thats not a pub

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White Horse 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, thewhitehorse.com.au Pubs, traditionally, have been easy to define: anywhere that serves beer and holds a full hotel liquor licence. Done. But over the past couple of years, there has been a string of new venues masquerading as pubs, but are really just small bars with old footy memorabilia, Grifter Pale Ale and recycled yellow tiles. (Nobody does this better than The Magpie in Enmore, and Buds Tavern, Huskisson.) Anyway, technicalities be damned. We say that if it looks like a pub, and feels like a pub, its a pub. This goes the other way, too, however, and although the revamped White Horse holds a pub licence, and theres beer on tap, the reclaimed oak tables, soothing soft-textured walls and woven leather chairs say sit-down bar and restaurant. Then there are chef Jed Gerrards dishes, such as a mille-feuille of finely peeled and rolled beetroot lifted with native thyme oil and pickled muntries, which would not be out of place on some tasting menus around town. See also: The Paddington, Paddington; Bistro George, CBD; The Norfolk Hotel, Redfern. Centro 86 is Sydneys latest tribute to the magarita. Janie Barrett

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The banging bar Centro 86 Basement 86, 88 Pitt Street, Sydney, centro86.com With the exception of sherry-fuelled Vermuteria in Rushcutters Bay, and the Maybe Sammy Groups mezcal-drenched El Primo Sanchez in Paddington, for most of 2023, there werent too many new bars to get excited about. That all changed in December, when the Le Foote and Hubert crew opened Caterpillar Club near Martin Place, and a queue immediately formed for pina coladas, live jazz, neo-soul and funk. Cocktail genius Evan Stroeve launched The Waratah just before Christmas too, treating Darlinghurst to the most original drinks in Sydney, and the Cantina OK! mates amped up their tequila offering in CBD with the arrival of Centro 86 in February. Centros watermelon and sumac margarita is the cocktail you never knew you wanted this winter. See also: Tios Cerveceria, Surry Hills; Double Deuce Lounge, CBD; PS40, CBD.

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Margherita pizza slices ready to go at Self Raised. James Brickwood The quick service star Self Raised Snack Shoppe Shop 4, 8-20 Sarsfield Circuit, Bexley North, selfraised.com.au More Sydneysiders working from home post-pandemic, coupled with the rising costs of running a sit-down restaurant, means theres never been a better time for food on the go. See, the hulking sandwiches at Kostas in Rockdale; takeaway pithiviers at Lode Pies, Surry Hills; deeply flavoured brisket at On a Roll in Crows Nest; Ommi Dons bowls of rice and Taiwanese comfort cooking at Broadway (and a brand-new store in Redfern); and Domo 39s onigiri and Japanese convenience-store riffs near St Peters station. Few places are quite as popular as Self Raised Snack Shoppe in Bexley North, though, opened by the top folk from My Mothers Cousin pizzeria in February. There are focaccia sandwiches the size of a toddlers head. There are prawn rolls and chicken-salt fries. There are pistachio and raspberry doughnuts, savoury scrolls, lamingtons and custard tarts. All this nostalgia-tinged snacking may also mean theres a considerable line.

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See also: Flour, Caringbah South; Happy Alley, Rockdale; Shadow Baking in Darlinghurst Menshos toripaitan ramen, the chicken-based cousin to rich tonkotsu pork broth. Justin McManus The global sensation Mensho Tokyo 2 Temperance Lane, Sydney, mensho.com.au

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Ramens world domination continued with the arrival of Mensho Tokyo, just off George Street, in April. Founded in Japan in 2005, the noodle chain now has stores across China, India, North America and Thailand (not to mention one shop in Melbourne), and the reputation of its signature toripaitan chicken ramen has led to hour-long queues at peak times in Sydney. Its a terrific broth  layered and creamy  and the lobster bisque soup is causing a small social media storm, too. While Mensho is the latest overseas ramen brand to set up in Australia (a growing trend bolstered by Ippudo and Hakata Gensuke), independent broth and noodle operators are also thriving, such as the new Ramen Auru in Crows Nest, which feels like teleporting back to 1980s Fukuoka. See also: Hakata Gensuke, CBD; Gumshara, Haymarket; Ryos Noodles, Crows Nest. Exclusive Coming soon: 16 hot new Sydney restaurants still to open this year

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Parramatta Road on a weekday: boarded-up shops, a bridal store, wafting diesel fumes and deafening traffic noise.

I have known Parramatta Road to always be like this, says Skye Maika, who has run a tattoo store on the road with her husband, Roki, for the past seven years.

The Art of Tattoo owners Skye and Roki Maika like the proposal but have seen how other businesses were destroyed by the ongoing delays of the George Street light rail. Credit: Rhett Wyman

So when she on Thursday heard about a plan to lay down 11 kilometres of light rail track from the inner west, along Parramatta Road to Central Station and on to Green Square, at a cost of billions, she realised it has the potential to finally transform Sydneys most-hated road.

It would come at a cost, she says, citing businesses on George Street in Sydneys CBD that endured years of construction work and were forced to close.
Hed worked with victim survivors and even while living his nightmare he still didnt know it was coercive control. Its really difficult for people to understand, he says. NSW is the first jurisdiction in Australia to criminalise coercive control. Queensland followed, and its law  not yet in force  will be named after Hannah Clarke, who was murdered alongside her three children by her former husband, Rowan Baxter, after being terrorised by him for years. His relentless campaign included refusing to let her wear pink, dictating what she could eat, spying on her through windows, and making false accusations against her on fake social media profiles. Hannahs mother Sue Clarke said he was able to crush her beautiful spirit by controlling her interactions with loved ones, tracking her every movement and telling her no one else would ever love her. For years, she didnt know it was abuse. But he doesnt hit me, Mum, she would say. His grip tightened once she left him. Even their kids were petrified. It was amazing, the power he still had, even though she had broken free, her father, Lloyd, told a coercive control training conference in Sydney on Thursday. Queensland will name its new law after Hannah Clarke who, along with her three children, was murdered by her controlling ex-partner. There was much debate over how to cast the NSW legislation. Lawmakers settled on a law that only applies to adult intimate partners (it does not include the abuse of the elderly or disabled). Prosecutors must prove the offender engaged in the conduct repeatedly, and that the behaviour was abusive (it involved violence, threats, intimidation, coercion or control). Crucially, and controversially, they must prove the offender intended to coerce or control the other person.

Motivation can be really tricky to demonstrate when you are talking about coercive control, says Hayley Boxall, a leading domestic violence researcher from the Australian National University. A lot of the behaviours might not be front-of-brain. They might not be saying Im doing this to control, subjugate, they might think thats whats expected in a family, or have disordered attachment and emotional regulation issues. The offender might have obsessive-compulsive disorder, which involves a desire for order and consistency that may not be intended to control, but may be experienced as abusive. Gambling is another, says Boxall: How do you differentiate between the behaviour underpinned by addiction  controlling the finances due to an addiction to gambling, as opposed to financial abuse? Loading In Scotland, which criminalised controlling behaviour in relationships in 2018, the bar was set lower. Prosecutors need only show the perpetrator was reckless as to whether physical or psychological harm would be caused. In its first year, 246 people were prosecuted under its coercive control legislation, and 84 per cent of those were convicted. Dr Emma Forbes, national lead prosecutor on domestic abuse at Scotlands Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said the countrys coercive control legislation was considered the gold standard, but prosecutors still faced many challenges  the biggest of which was not the difficulty to prove the offence. The barrier that was there before is there now, she said. Women and children are institutionally disbelieved within the justice system. Women still dont feel like they will be believed or heard, so its about engaging them in the process long enough for them to go to trial and be believed.

A review of the NSW law in two years will consider whether the threshold of intent should be lowered to recklessness. In NSW, Boxall is also concerned about how the pervasive, yet subtle, nature of coercive control fits the states court system in which prosecutors must use evidence (which can range from victim and witness testimony to photos of injuries) to prove each incident. Coercive control can be difficult to even articulate, let alone pin down in a court of law. How do you articulate a pattern of abuse that can involve these microaggressions on a day-to-day basis? she says. Another hurdle is the publics lack of understanding of non-physical abuse. Sometimes it takes months or years for a victim to realise what happened. Its a bit like the frog in boiling water, says Sarah. Its a slow, gradual kind of build-up, and then you find yourself immersed in it. For so long I defined [abuse] by physical violence, without recognising all those other things. Long defined in the public consciousness as physical abuse, methods of coercive control are now being recognised as criminal forms of domestic abuse. As the law only comes into force on Monday, courts will only be able to consider abuse that occurs from July onwards. And as proving the offence requires a pattern of behaviour, it will take time for that to accrue. As policy co-ordinator of the Womens Legal Service, Liz Snell is an expert in the prosecution of domestic violence in NSW.

Were not expecting to see many prosecutions early on. Its going to take time, she says. We certainly acknowledge that this may be a difficult offence to prove. Snell expects the first impact to be seen in applications for apprehended domestic violence orders. There may be more ADVOs on the basis of coercive control, we would encourage people to report to police, she says. NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell. Credit: Oscar Colman The police officer in charge of domestic violence, Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell, told the Herald on Wednesday that in the end, this will be very useful for victims and prosecuting authorities. Traditionally, when we speak to victims, we may have not gone down this route of questioning. It may have been something victims did not open up about because they didnt realise it was something the police could investigate. He was not worried about a lack of potential evidence. Police will be able to draw on financial records to prove abuse (to help them along, some abusers use the description line in a bank transfer to attack their victim, with lines such as You will hate my next move or snap out of that mood), text messages to prove intimidation and attempts at isolation, and tracking devices to prove surveillance. They will be able to draw on victim and witness testimonies.

NSW Police have also developed the Empower You phone app, which has a nondescript icon that appears on the home screen but provides a secret portal for victims to make notes, record their abuser and take video and photographs. Loading Still, the nature of coercive control means victims are often terrified of doing anything to trigger their abuser, let alone making notes about their experience or filming the abuse. That has always been the case, says Thurtell. Fear of retribution is something domestic violence victims have been worried about for a long time. The sector is suspending judgment until it sees how the legislation works. The real effectiveness of the law will only become clear when it is tested at trial, and we expect this will be complex and take time, says Karen Bevan, chief executive of Full Stop  an organisation which supports people affected by sexual, domestic or family violence. The implementation of this offence is a critical first step. Nicole Yade from the Women and Girls Emergency Centre hopes resources match the rhetoric. Police and shelters are straining under the enormity of their workloads. I worry that if people realise theyre in an abusive relationship full of coercive control, and they reach out for support and no one is able to support them  do they give up, and say I tried and no-one could help me?

Still, the sector, police and prosecutors want them to work. Ive never seen this level of collaboration, says Michelle England, the acting Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions who has been leading the offices training. Sarah believes the new laws are a step forward and a powerful message that abuse will not be tolerated. But she says victims who do have the courage to prosecute their abusers under an untested law should be staunchly supported. Its terrifying to speak up. Theres shame and judgment not wanting to be seen as weak, she says. Its not my shame, not my weakness, not me who should be judged; its my perpetrators shame. But were not there yet. Names have been changed for legal and personal security reasons. If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
The high-visibility police operation codenamed Operation Whiskey Legion has swept through north Brisbane, resulting in 829 arrests.

The 10-day sweep led to 681 adults and 145 juveniles being charged with a total of 2107 offences including armed robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and wilful damage.

Our operation saturated areas like shopping centres and public events, boosting the policing presence and enhancing community safety, District Superintendent Simon Tayler said in a statement.

We have received positive feedback from the community throughout our operation. One example is a family who recognised police officers who had helped them in a domestic and family violence incident. The son told our officers that his goal was to join the service when he was older.

The operation, which has been deployed across the state, is a deliberate effort by police to respond to crime concerns and be seen to respond to crime concerns.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Matabeleland North, particularly the greater Victoria Falls community, is set for significant development driven by strengthened bilateral relations with China. Recently, Victoria Falls hosted delegations from Shandong Province and Linfen City in Shanxi Province to explore partnerships and investments.The Shandong delegation engaged with local stakeholders, including Provincial Affairs Minister Richard Moyo and government departments, before visiting Hwange for further insights into tourism and industry. Meanwhile, the Linfen delegation participated in the "Impression Linfen" economic, trade, and cultural exchange, resulting in the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding with established Chinese businesses in the region.This cultural exchange, facilitated by Wild Africa Travel, underscores Victoria Falls' strategic positioning in China's business, tourism, mining, and cultural spheres, aligning with Zimbabwe's "open for business" initiative. Since establishing ties in 2017, these exchanges have fostered mutual tourism promotion and investment, interrupted only briefly by the pandemic.The event featured vibrant cultural performances from Victoria Falls and Linfen City, highlighting the role of culture in boosting tourism. Secretary Li Yunfeng of the Linfen Municipal Committee emphasized the exchange's role in enhancing cooperation, friendship, and mutual understanding, in line with President Xi Jinping's directives.Linfen, known for its Yellow River and Hukou Waterfall, continues to lead Shanxi Province economically, reinforcing its appeal as a tourist destination. Acting Victoria Falls mayor Councillor Priscilla Mhlanga affirmed the partnership's significance in promoting unity and growth.The event attracted stakeholders from both public and private sectors, marking a milestone in bilateral relations aimed at mutual development and prosperity.
Its a tale as old as time, or at least as old as theatre history.

In the run of a live show, actors will spill coffee on their shirt, break their heel, or rip their dress. Sometimes minutes before an important scene. Or during it.

Tea time: Beauty and the Beast head of wardrobe Darryl Myott and his deputy Sue Bell with actor Jayde Westaby in a dressing room at Her Majestys Theatre. Credit: Justin McManus

Actors on the musical Beauty and the Beast need not fear because wardrobe masters Darryl Myott and Sue Bell will be there with needle and thread to save the day.

The pair oversee a crack costume team labouring furiously backstage to make magic, as they term it, happen on stage in the colourful Disney-produced show, which is based on the popular animated film.
Students who joined pro-Palestine protests face suspension or expulsion after administrators from several Melbourne universities issued demonstrators notices to attend misconduct hearings.

Melbourne University on Wednesday emailed some students who took part in an occupation of a building on the Parkville campus advising them of the disciplinary action.

Hundreds of students occupied a building at the University of Melbourne protesting against the war in Gaza on May 3. Credit: Eamon Gallagher

In an email seen by The Age, students were told they had breached the universitys code of conduct during protests at the Parkville campus last month. They were also sent individualised CCTV footage of themselves inside the Arts West building as evidence of wrongdoing.

About 20 of the protesters facing disciplinary action were meeting legal representatives on Thursday afternoon to discuss their options, said a source with close ties to the students, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals.
Staff at three major Melbourne hospitals have been told that even simple things  such as turning the lights off when they leave a room  can save money as Alfred Health reviews costs in a desperate bid to cut spending.

Chief executive Andrew Way said in an email to staff that the model budget Alfred Health had received from the Department of Health was significantly less than it had planned and there would be no exemptions to what it considered when determining how to bridge the budget gap.

Alfred Health manages the Caulfield hospital. Credit: Justin McManus

He urged staff to exercise financial discipline and only recruit staff to critical roles, tightly control rosters to minimise overtime, review supply contracts and reduce transport costs.

Even simple things like turning the lights off when we leave a room will have a financial impact, and that one is good for the planet too, Way wrote in the email seen by The Age.
London: Former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard are among a list of prominent Australians to be formally sanctioned by the Kremlin, following their efforts to lobby the federal government to divert frozen Russian assets to the rebuilding of Ukraine.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Russian foreign minister named 27 Australians to whom the country was closed. These included former NSW premier Barry OFarrell and two senior figures within Australias military ranks: Air Vice-Marshal Stephen Chappell and Vice Chief of the Defence Force Robert Chipman.

Former prime ministers Tony Abbott and John Howard have been banned indefinitely from entering Russia. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The statement accused the banned individuals of playing a role in steering Canberras Russophobic policies and being directly involved in anti-Russia agenda. Russias relations with Australia have deteriorated to unprecedented lows since Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

Figures from across a broad spectrum of Australian society were also targeted, including Federal Court judges Michael OBryan and Geoffrey Kennett and three former Australian ambassadors to Kyiv: Robert Tyson, Doug Trappett and Bruce Edwards.
Washington: A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, US space agencies said.

There were no immediate details on what caused the break-up of the RESURS-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite, which was declared dead in 2022.

The International Space Station. Credit: SpaceX

US Space Command, tracking the debris swarm, said there was no immediate threat to other satellites.

The event took place at around 10am Denver-time on Wednesday, Space Command said.
CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 -- Automotive Industry, encompassing PV, LCV, and MHCV, size is projected to grow from 88 million units in 2024 and is projected to hit 104 million units by 2030, at a CAGR of 2.4%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the automotive industry is influenced by various factors such as adoption of electric vehicles, development and manufacturing of long-range batteries along with installation of fast and ultra-fast charging points, introduction of autonomous vehicles, deployment of 5G connectivity and trends related to shared mobility.

Autonomous vehicles are anticipated to witness significant growth.

The introduction of autonomous cars with enhanced safety features and higher level of automation is shifting the trends in the automotive market. Numerous OEMs are introducing Level 2 (L2) and Level 3 (L3) autonomous vehicles, including Nissan (Japan), Honda (Japan), Audi (Germany), BMW (Germany), and Mercedes-Benz (Germany). OEMs such as BMW and Mercedes have received approval for L3 autonomous vehicles in Germany and the US, respectively. BMW has also received approval to test its L3 vehicles in Shanghai, China. We expect L3 vehicle sales to gain pace in 2024 as these OEMs start rolling out their L3 models. In addition to testing the cars on roads several tech giants and OEMs have adopted acquisition strategies to take over smaller companies that operate in the space of developing driverless or autonomous technology. The number of Level 3 (L3) autonomous vehicles is projected to grow at a CAGR of 86.5% between 2023 and 2030. The Level 4 (L4) autonomous vehicle market is expected to experience limited commercial growth, primarily in select markets.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the largest market during the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific region hold the major share in the sales volume of PV and CV combined. The major factor for this is the intensive manufacturing and export of cars in China. The Chinese market is the world's largest market in terms of vehicle sales as well as production. In 2023, China's sales volume for passenger vehicles was over 25 million units, with a share of around 50% globally. China is the most dominant nation in automotive industry with respect to supplying raw materials, manufacturing as well as its sales. China has the most powerful supply chain of EV batteries. Over 50% of the EV batteries are manufactured in China. Moreover, around 75% of the components of EV batteries are manufactured in China. These Chinese manufacturers are looking to expand their services and acquire additional market share around the world. The Asia region has seen growth in automobile production in 2022 and 2023. Continuing this trend, the Asia region will dominate the market during the forecast period.

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Future Of Automotive Industry Dynamics:

Drivers:

Consistent growth in the EV segment over traditional ICE vehicles

Restraints:

Highly dependent on the global economic factors

Opportunities:

Growing adoption of connected vehicles

Challenge:

Short range of EVs and charging time

Key Market Players Future of Automotive Industry:

Prominent players in the Future of Automotive Industry include Toyota Motors Corporation (Japan), Tesla (USA), Volkswagen AG (Germany), Ford (USA), BYD (China), Hyundai Motor Corporation (South Korea).

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Future of Automotive Industry Recent Developments:

In June 2024 , Honda started the of production of its new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in Ohio , US.

, Honda started the of production of its new 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) at the Performance Manufacturing Center (PMC) in , US. In May 2024 , BYD launched the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, an upgraded version of its BEV model platform and Sea Lion 07 EV SUV will be the first model based on this model.

, BYD launched the e-Platform 3.0 Evo, an upgraded version of its BEV model platform and Sea Lion 07 EV SUV will be the first model based on this model. In May 2024 , Exicom, a leading EV charger and power solution provider in India launched a Harmony Gen 1.5 DC fast charger.

Future of Automotive Industry Size - Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market with information on the technologies that are predicted to drive the automotive industry in future.

This report will help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain more insights to position their businesses better and to plan suitable go-to-market strategies.

The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

This report provides insights on:

Analysis of key Trends in 2023 till 2030 (Electrification, Rise of 5G, Connected Cars, Smart Manufacturing etc).

in 2023 till 2030 (Electrification, Rise of 5G, Connected Cars, Smart Manufacturing etc). Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the automotive market.

Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product & service launches in the automotive market. Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets  the report analyses the automotive market across varied regions.

Comprehensive information about lucrative markets  the report analyses the automotive market across varied regions. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about diversification of supply chains, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the automotive market.

Exhaustive information about diversification of supply chains, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the automotive market. Competitive Assessment: Assessment of market shares, growth strategies and service offerings of leading players like across passenger and commercial vehicle segments which are then dirther divided into ICE and electric among others in the automotive market strategies. The report also helps stakeholders understand the pulse of the autonomous vehicle market and provides them information on key market drivers, challenges, and opportunities.

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Connected Car Market - Global Forecast to 2030

Electric Vehicle Market - Global Forecast 2030

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Hundreds of graduates converged at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre in Bulawayo for a two-day job fair organized by the Public Service Commission (PSC). The event aimed to establish a national employment database to fill critical vacancies across government ministries and departments.All 24 government ministries participated, overwhelmed by inquiries from enthusiastic young graduates eager to explore job opportunities in the public sector. PSC Commissioner Professor Carroll Themba Khombe highlighted the fair's dual purpose: rejuvenating an aging civil service with modern skills and promoting equal employment opportunities nationwide.The job fair, part of fulfilling devolution requirements, seeks to decentralize employment opportunities beyond major cities like Harare and Bulawayo. By engaging directly with graduates from various regions, the PSC aims to match skills with ministry vacancies more effectively.Head of the PSC's human capital agency, Mr. Walter Mpandawana, identified critical vacancies in economics, energy conservation, meteorology, education, animal husbandry, engineering, architecture, and real estate. Graduates like Ms. Nokuthula Chakanyuka and Mr. Thamsanqa Ndebele expressed optimism about potential employment opportunities and appreciated the chance to interact directly with government ministries.The event underscores the government's commitment to youth employment and service delivery, offering long-term benefits and job security perceived as superior to those in the private sector or NGOs, according to aspiring civil servant Miss Linda Gumbo.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Mtsheli Sibanda, a prominent businessman from Nkayi, passed away on June 16 at the age of 52 after battling diabetes for many years. He was laid to rest at his rural home in Mtshatshane village in Nkayi on Saturday. Nkayi South legislator Jabulani Hadebe confirmed Sibanda's death, noting that he was widely known as 'Thokoza', which also named his various shops in Nkayi.Sibanda initially worked as a welder in Zimbabwe before relocating to South Africa, where he expanded his business ventures. He played a significant role in the local economy of Nkayi through his entrepreneurial activities.In honor of Sibanda's legacy, Hadebe launched the Thokoza Business Fund aimed at supporting emerging informal businesses in Nkayi. As a gesture, Hadebe contributed R5,000 as seed capital for the fund, highlighting Sibanda's lasting impact on the community.
By David Shepardson and Allison Lampert

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) -U.S. investigators on Thursday sanctioned Boeing for revealing details of a probe into a 737 MAX mid-air blowout and said they would refer its conduct to the Justice Department, prompting the embattled planemaker to issue an apology.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Boeing had "blatantly violated" its rules by providing "non-public investigative information" and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines door-plug emergency during a factory tour attended by dozens of journalists.

The decision sheds new light on strains between the crisis-hit planemaker and government agencies at a time when it is trying to avoid criminal charges being weighed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) ahead of a July 7 deadline.

"As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing," the NTSB said.

The NTSB said Boeing would keep its status as a party to the investigation into the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines emergency but would no longer see information produced during its probe into the accident, which involved the mid-air blowout of a door plug with four missing bolts.

Unlike other parties, Boeing will now not be allowed to ask questions of other participants at a hearing on August 6-7.

"We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSBs role as the source of investigative information," Boeing said in a statement.

The NTSB's criticism revolves around comments made during a media briefing about quality improvements on Tuesday at the 737 factory near Seattle - widely seen as part of an exercise to showcase greater transparency ahead of the Farnborough Airshow.

During the briefing, which was held on Tuesday under an embargo allowing contents to be published on Thursday, an executive said the plug had been opened on the assembly line without the correct paperwork to fix a quality issue with surrounding rivets, and that missing bolts were not replaced.

The team that came in and closed the plug was not responsible for reinstalling the bolts, Elizabeth Lund, Boeing's senior vice president of quality, added.

The NTSB said that by providing investigative information and giving an analysis of information already released, Boeing had contravened its agreement with the agency.

"Boeing offered opinions and analysis on factors it suggested were causal to the accident," it added.

DOJ SCRUTINY

In May, the DOJ said Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement with prosecutors that shielded it from criminal charges over interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration prior to MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

U.S. prosecutors have recommended criminal charges be brought, Reuters reported on Sunday. The DOJ already has a separate criminal probe into the door-plug episode.

Thursday's rare exchange marks the latest sign of strains between Boeing and the NTSB.

In 2018, Boeing was widely criticised for issuing a statement appearing to question the performance of pilots in the first of two fatal crashes that led to a grounding of the MAX. Later investigations emphasised the role of flawed software.

In March this year, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a U.S. Senate hearing Boeing had failed to provide names of employees on its 737 MAX door team for two months, drawing criticism from lawmakers. Boeing then quickly provided the names.

On Thursday, the NTSB said Boeing had portrayed its investigation of the Alaska air incident to media as a search to locate the individual responsible for plug work.

"The NTSB is instead focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability," the agency said.

Asked during Tuesday's briefing who had failed to fill in documentation, Lund said: "There may have been one or more than one employee. What I will say is the 'who' is absolutely in the responsibility of the NTSB. That investigation is still going on and I am going to not comment on that right now".

The role of individuals is a particularly sensitive topic in air safety amid an increasing focus on litigation and, in some countries, a trend towards criminalising air accidents.

Under global rules, agencies carry out civil probes into air accidents for the sole purpose of finding the cause and making recommendations to improve safety in future. Such actions are separate from any judicial probes seeking to attribute blame.

Aviation experts say an 80-year-old international treaty that encourages people to speak freely and focus on causes rather than blame allowed the industry to cut the number of accidents dramatically since the start of the jet age, but depends on curbing any special pleading by the parties involved.

Critics, including some lawyers, say this system does not sufficiently take account of the need of the families of victims for detailed answers.

In 2013, the NTSB barred United Parcel Service and its pilots union from an investigation of a crash in Alabama that killed two UPS pilots.

In 2018, it removed Tesla as a party to an investigation into a fatal crash involving a vehicle's "Autopilot" system. Tesla hit back publicly, saying it had already decided to withdraw and accusing the NTSB of violating its own rules.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, ALlison Lampert, Tim Hepher; Writing by David Shepardson and Tim Hepher, Editing by Jason Neely, Jamie Freed and Jane Merriman)
CALGARY, AB, June 27, 2024 /CNW/ - Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (the "Company" or "ReconAfrica") (TSXV: RECO) (OTCQX: RECAF) (Frankfurt: 0XD) announces an operations update with respect to activity relating to Petroleum Exploration Licence 73 ("PEL 73"), onshore northeast Namibia, and a joint venture update.

ReconAfricia Logo (CNW Group/Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd.)

Brian Reinsborough, President and CEO commented: "We have completed all the camp, rig and equipment moves and are in the process of rigging up in anticipation of a July 7, 2024 spud date for the high impact Naingopo exploration well. Operationally, things remain busy on site with well site construction and mobilization activities being completed in line with our expected scheduling. Additionally, field operations teams are mobilizing ahead of the start of well pad construction activities for Prospect P planned to being in the next month. This prospect is expected to spud immediately after completion of the Naingopo exploration well."

Operations Update

All camp, rig and equipment moves have been completed with all major equipment now on site of the Naingopo exploration well. Third party service contractor teams are either on site or expected to mobilize to the site in the next week ahead of the expected spud date of July 7, 2024. On Prospect P, debushing and road access activities are ongoing with major civil works including well pad construction expected to commence in the next month.

Joint Venture Process Update

The Company continues to progress its farm out joint venture process which we expect to conclude soon.

About ReconAfrica

ReconAfrica is a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the opening of the newly discovered Kavango Sedimentary Basin in the Kalahari Desert of northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana, where the Company holds petroleum licenses comprising ~8 million contiguous acres. In all aspects of its operations ReconAfrica is committed to minimal disturbance of habitat in line with international standards and will implement environmental and social best practices in all of its project areas.

Story continues

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:





Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian, United States and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the timing of the drilling of the Naingopo well, the procurement of all necessary services and equipment, the timing of activities relating to Prosect P, the outcome of the joint venture process as there is no guarantee an agreement will be reached, and the Company's commitment to minimal disturbance of habitat, in line with best international standards and its implementation of environmental and social best practices in all of its project areas. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on ReconAfrica's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's annual information form dated December 4, 2023, available under the Company's profiled at www.sedarplus.ca. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to ReconAfrica. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and ReconAfrica undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

Cision

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SOURCE Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd.

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Watsons Renais gin to launch in US

Renais, the gin brand founded by siblings Alex and Emma Watson, has announced its United States launch. The gin will initially launch in on-trade premises in California in July, before rolling out across 40 states later in 2024.

To manage the rollout, Renais has partnered with US distributor RNDC. The announcement follows the brands appointment of Proof Drinks as its UK distributor.

In celebration of the expansion into the US, Renais has released a campaign video directed and styled by Emma Watson. The video explores the brands origins and winemaking inspiration; Renais is made from byproduct grapes from the Watson family vineyard.

The brand will also release a limited-edition sleeve (pictured) exclusively available in the US, customisable with a set of stickers. The summer-themed sleeve utilises illustrations by Emma, whose botanical-inspired drawings have previously featured on special editions of Renais gin

Alex Watson, CEO of Renais, commented: Our US launch is just the beginning of an exciting journey, a great opportunity for Renais to lead the growth of premium gin in the US market. We couldnt be more thrilled to introduce a distinctive and innovative gin to the US market, one that welcomes everyone into our family, and launching in California with its long-standing heritage in winemaking feels perfect.

Emma added The US has been my second home since I first went to Brown in Rhode Island, so I am thrilled to be bringing Renais abroad and home again!

Renais will launch in 40 US states in 2024. It is currently distributed in the UK, US, Italy, Germany, and Australia.

27 June 2024 - Lucy Schofield
...and then there was no LIGHT, post G-20





By Anil Futane

As part of the beautification of the city, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) installed hundreds of Bollard lights during Civil-20 (C-20) inception meeting held in city under the G-20 Summit hosted by India in the year 2023. After one year since the International event, total 92 Bollard lights that lined up VIP Road from Vanamati to Alankar Square have been stolen. NMC spent a huge amount for beautification of Nagpur during C-20 meeting. NMC got Rs 200 crore from the Central Government for transforming the city. During the period, Nagpur turned into a clean and posh city due to the hard work of the civic body. Every corner, specially West and South-West Nagpur parts were decorated with beautification projects including landscaping, flags, lights etc., to impress the International delegates visiting the city.

People of Nagpur appreciated the efforts of the administration.

However, some miscreants stole flags, earthen pots and saplings during the International meet in the city making headlines for wrong reasons. Repeating the ill-practice, some unidentified miscreants stole as many as 92 Bollard lights out of 139 installed at various places, costing thousands of rupees each. We have received information that about 25 Bollard lights along VIP Road have been stolen, resulting in a loss of around Rs 2.25 lakh. We are going to lodge police complaint against this theft, Rajendra Rathod, Executive Engineer, Electrical Department, NMC told The Hitavada.

Though NMC is claiming only 25 lights were stolen, The Hitavada counted the number and found 92 such lights missing while 57 were still there. If a light costs around Rs 10,000 then NMC has incurred a loss of around Rs 9.20 lakh. NMC installed Bollard lights at VIP Road, Wardha Road, Ajni Square, opposite Sai Mandir, near Airport, Airport Road, near gates of CSIR-NEERI, Civil Lines and other areas ahead of Civil-20 meet hosted by the city. During C-20, citizens clicked selfies near the lights and also chilled out on beautified footpaths with family and friends.
3 JeM terrorists killed in Doda





BHADERWAH/JAMMU :

THREE terrorists, suspected to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit, were killed in a gunfight that lasted for more than six hours in a forest area in J&Ks Doda district on Wednesday, police officials said. A policeman was also injured in the gunfight that broke out in Bajaad village in the Gandoh area around 9:50 am amid an intensified cordon-and-search operation launched by the police, Army and CRPF, following twin terrorist attacks in the hill district on June 11 and 12, the officials added.

Six security personnel were injured when terrorists attacked a joint check post at Chattargalla on June 11, while a policeman was hurt in a gunfight with terrorists at the Kota top in Gandoh the next day. After the twin attacks, the security forces intensified their anti-terrorist operations and announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each on information about four Pakistani terrorists believed to have infiltrated into the district.
ALERT Heavy rainfall for 3 days, monsoon reaches 49 distts





Staff Reporter

After heavy pre-monsoon showers, Bhopal is recording downpour for past five days. Weather scientists said that average rainfall quota for the month of June was fulfilled within four days. Meteorology Department has forecast heavy rainfall for Bhopal for next four days and on June 27, it is expected to rain cats and dog. IMD forecast that this year over 106% rain is expected only in Bhopal while last year rainfall was below average mark. Officials said this year pre-monsoon showers was sufficient to fulfil the average mark. IMD said that strong system is activated for the storm, rain, thunder and lightning in entire State. For next three days till June 29, wind would be blowing for 60 to 70 kmph.

On Wednesday, 14 districts recorded downpour including Dhar, Gwalior, Bhind, Ratlam, Ashok Nagar, Shajapur, Hoshangabad. Monsoon has reached in 49 districts of State. Senior Weather Scientist Arun Sharma informed that strong system of rainfall is active in State due to western disturbance, cyclonic circulation and trough line. For June 27, rainfall alert is released for Bhopal, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashok Nagar, Vidisha, Raisen, Sagar, Damoh, Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla, Katni, Panna, Satna and Maihar. Strom and thunder, lightning alert is raised for Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain and nearby districts.

For June 28, rain alert is released for Jabalpur, Gwalior, Bhopal, Shivpuri, Datia, Satna, Rewa, Panna, Katni, Umaria, Seoni, Balaghat, Dindori and Anupur. Storm is expected in Indore, Ujjain and nearby districts. Maximum temperature in Bhopal was recorded as 36.0 degrees Celsius and minimum 25.4 degrees Celsius. Indore recorded highest temperature 34.2 degrees Celsius and minimum 24.5 degrees Celsius. Gwalior recorded maximum temperature 38.1 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature 26.0 degrees Celsius. Jabalpur recorded maximum temperature 37.2 degrees Celsius and minimum 27.5 degrees Celsius.
Birla elected LS Speaker for 2nd time





NEW DELHI :

NDA nominee Om Birla was elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second consecutive term by voice vote on Wednesday, capping days of intense battle on the issue with the Opposition in a rare move proposing its own candidate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who moved the motion for Birlas election as Speaker, lauded the balance he showed in maintaining decorum of the House during his previous term. Several Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, congratulated Birla too, stressing on impartiality and hoping he would allow them to raise the voice of the people and not apply his restraint orders only to Opposition benches. Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab made the announcement of Birlas election after the Opposition, which had forwarded the name of eight-term Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate, did not press for votes to the motion. This is the fifth time that a Speaker will serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. It is also amongst the few occasions that an election became necessary for a post conventionally decided by consensus. Earlier in the morning, after the election, the Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition Gandhi escorted Birla to the speakers chair. Gandhi also shook hands with Modi before escorting him.

In his address, the first in the 18th Lok Sabha, Modi said Birlas work as a parliamentarian should be an inspiration for new Lok Sabha members. He said Birla presided over a golden era in Lok Sabha history with a number of historic decisions taken during its previous term. Modi lauded the balance shown by him in maintaining the decorum of the House which also involved taking several tough decisions. He expressed gratitude towards Birla for choosing to uphold the values of the House while maintaining traditions. The Prime Minister emphasised that the functioning of the house, conduct and accountability deepen the foundation of democracy in the country. Congratulating Birla, Gandhi said the Opposition wanted the House to function often and well and added that it was very important that cooperation happens with trust.

The Opposition would like to assist you in your work. I am confident you will allow us to speak in the House, he said. Gandhi also pointed out that the Opposition this time represents significantly more voices of the Indian people than last time. Birla, 61, the BJPs MP from Kota, has risen through the ranks of the party. He is a third-term MP from Kota in Rajasthan and been a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly thrice. Treasury and opposition benches run the House together, the strength of Indian democracy is in listening to everyone, and running the House with everyones agreement. I will expect that I run the House with everyones agreement. Even if there is lone member from a party, they should get sufficient time, Birla said.

It will be my expectation that the House runs without obstruction. We are elected by people with hope, which is why I urge there should not be disruptions in the House. There can be criticism, but obstruction is not a tradition of the House, Birla said. I never want to act against any member, but everyone wants the high standard of parliamentary tradition to be maintained. For that I have to make tough decisions at times, the Speaker said.
Bizarre, thoughtless, senseless ... !





Vijay Phanshikar

BY EVERY definition, the suggestion is bizarre, thoughtless, and even senseless ! -- that citys traffic be diverted through the beautiful, serene, and green campus of the prestigious Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology -- as long as the road near the Swami Vivekananda Memorial (now about to be shifted due to design requirement at the over-flow point of the Ambazari Lake) is blocked for remodelling. A celebrated political leader has initiated the idea through a letter to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). If the civic administration fails to respond positively, the leader has promised to move the District Administration in this regard. Thus, the very beautiful campus of VNIT is most likely to get invaded by the unruly city traffic at least for some time -- if the authorities agree to the idea.

The loosefooter shivers within himself with such bizarre, thoughtless and senseless ideas. On the surface, such ideas do sound smart and revolutionary, so to say. In actuality, however, such ideas generally stem from mindsets that are all the time waiting to pounce upon something good -- like the VNIT campus -- and disturb the good ecosystem there. And once the VNIT campus is thrown open for such a traffic diversion -- though for a few months -- the change would become unchangeable again, so to say. Meanwhile, the VNIT campus would lose its serenity and beauty and its atmosphere that fosters academic pursuit so wonderfully. When the traffic would flow through the campus -- if such a permission is at all granted in the first place -- the calmness of the area would be gone for a toss. The common people would never know, but the VNIT campus is a home to more than 200 bird species.

The VNIT management has prepared a catalogue-like book of coloured pictures and well-narrated information on the birds. All that will come under a serious threat once traffic flow is permitted through the VNIT campus. In fact, Nagpur should be proud of two things as regards the VNIT -- one, the prestige the institution has earned over decades; and two, the great care that has gone into making the campus so environment-friendly. Against this background, it is actually non-sensical even to think of allowing a general traffic diversion through the campus -- though for a limited period. The VNIT management is not averse to public connect; it allows common public to come into the campus for morning and evening walks and exercise. But opening up of the campus for a traffic diversion should not be acceptable to the VNIT authorities. No matter the pressure (political or otherwise), the VNIT management must never allow such a bizarre, thoughtless and senseless diversion of the general traffic through its campus.
Critically injured head constable airlifted to AIIMS, Bhopal





Staff Reporter

PM Shri Air Ambulance Service proved a life saver for a head constable posted at Katni who met with a fatal accident and was airlifted to Bhopal for better treatment at AIIMS on Wednesday. Head Constable Lalit Rai posted at 18th Battalion in Special Armed Force (SAF) has been airlifted to Bhopal for better treatment at AIIMS. He was taken to Dumna airport on Wednesday afternoon and shifted to Bhopal through PM Shri Air Ambulance with his son, Aman Rai. PWD Minister Rakesh Singh reached Dumna Airport to ensure smooth arrangements to shift Rai to AIIMS Bhopal through Air Ambulance Service.

On behalf of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the PWD Minister also assured Rais son, Aman to provide all required support for better treatment of his father. Rai, posted as Head Constable in 18th Battalion, SAF, received critical head injuries in a road accident at Jhinjhri, Katni on June 7, 2024. Rai was on his way to Police Line Camp on his Government motorcycle, when a Bolero hit his bike near Police Petrol Pump Jhinjhri. He was admitted to a local hospital in Jabalpur. With no improvement in his condition, the officers concerned decided to airlift him to Bhopal, AIIMS.
Hoping for an impartial Speaker in Om Birla: Opposition





NEW DELHI,

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and DMK leader T R Baalu on Wednesday congratulated Om Birla for being elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second term and hoped he would be impartial towards opposition. Bandyopadhyay said the functioning of the House always depends on the attitude of the treasury benches and the House belongs to the opposition. It is my firm belief and so far s parliamentary democratic practice is concerned, the House belongs to the opposition. This attitude needs to be adopted by the ruling party, he said. He mentioned the suspension of opposition MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha and said it was not desirable.

He also said, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned several bills being passed, many were passed without any debate. DMKs Baalu said that now that Birla is the Speaker, he does not belong to any party anymore. You might have been elected by my BJP friends (but) hereafter there is no politics between you and the powers. You dont have any colour also. You have to treat the opposition and the ruling party in the same manner. Kindly be impartial, he said. Decisions taken by Birla have strengthened democracy: chirag Paswan: Union Minister Chirag Paswan said Wednesday the decisions taken by Kota MP Om Birla as the Speaker of the last Lok Sabha have strengthened democracy.

NDA nominee Birla was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a motion moved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was adopted through voice votes. This will be Birlas second consecutive term in the post. Taking a jibe at the opposition for forcing an election for the crucial parliamentary position, Paswan said that in many opposition party-ruled states, the posts of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly are held by the ruling parties. Paswan, the chief of BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), also came out in defence of Birla as several opposition leaders accused him of being partial towards treasury benches during his last tenure. Decisions taken by the Speaker in the last five years have upheld the dignity of the Constitution and strengthened democracy, Paswan said.
Mr. Om Birla





THAT Mr. Om Birla would get elected as Speaker of the Lok Sabha for a second consecutive term, was a foregone conclusion. The election took place in a smooth and dignified manner -- which Mr. Om Birla deserved fully. In recent decades, it was a rarity that one person got re-elected as Speaker. Yet, Mr. Birla crossed those hurdles and got chosen by the House as its presiding officer. There should be no doubt that he will conduct himself in the most appropriate manner and run the business of the 18th Lok Sabha in perfect tune with the democratic norms. It is only natural that the nation would look up to Mr. Om Birla to take the democratic discourse in the Lok Sabha forward and ensure that the people of India would get an appropriate expression in the House. Mr. Om Birlas tenure as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha was marked by his maturity, his sense of balance and also his sense of fair play. No matter what the Opposition said about his method and manner, Mr. Birla was an impartial person in the chair. Unfortunately, he faced much trouble because of the obstructionist approach of the Opposition -- a situation which even Rajya Sabha also faced.

Those were the days when the presiding officers of both, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, felt exasperated with the manner in which the Opposition was trying to block business proceedings in the two Houses. Despite that, Mr. Om Birla won the respect of all simply because of his firm handling of the tricky situations. In his welcome address, Leader of Opposition Mr. Rahul Gandhi expected the Speaker to ensure that the Opposition got a complete expression to its voice -- which represents a bigger population in the current House. It was obvious that Mr. Rahul Gandhi had his speech focused only on that point -- and demanded a better scope for contrarian voice in Parliament. This is a just expectation and there should be no doubt that Mr. Om Birla would respect the sentiment. Much of the balance in bipartisan dialogue in the Lok Sabha will, however, depend on how the Opposition conducts itself. Right at the beginning, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi stressed that the country expected a responsible Opposition to help promote the cause of democracy. The Opposition will do well to pay attention to this expectation and conduct itself accordingly.

The Government also would do well to offer a greater accommodation to the Opposition in the House. For, in the last Lok Sabha, the business appeared to have been marred to some extent by the rigid attitude of the Government on certain issues. Those possibilities can now be eliminated this time. Even as the 18th Lok Sabha begins its business, Mr. Om Birla will have a lot of burden on his hands -- burden of impartiality and also the burden of ensuring that the democratic discourse is not marred by an obstinate Opposition. Right on the first day of the new Lok Sabha, the Opposition did not conduct itself with a sense of dignity. Even as the Prime Minister was taking oath as a Member of Parliament, the Opposition brandished copies of the Constitution -- as if to remind the Prime Minister of his allegiance to the statute. When he stood to take oath, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, too, held high a copy of the Constitution in his hand. Such dramatisation was fully unwarranted -- since the oath-taking of all was taking place as per the constitutional norm. Such an approach will make Mr. Om Birlas leadership of the House difficult. If the Opposition conducts itself with a greater sense of responsibility, the entire texture of the parliamentary debate would change for the better. Mr. Om Birlas role, therefore, would be pivotal in furthering a healthy dialogue.
Opposition MVA boycotts CMs tea party on Maharashtra monsoon session eve





MUMBAI,

THE Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance on Wednesday boycotted Chief Minister Eknath Shindes tea party on the eve of the State Legislature Monsoon Session, accusing the Government of failing to address issues of the masses including farmers. This announcement was made by the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, who belongs to Congress, and his council counterpart Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT). The customary tea party, held ahead of every legislature session, is scheduled later in the day on Wednesday. During the session, being held in Mumbai from June 27 to July 12, the ruling Mahayuti alliance will present the State Budget in both Houses of the Legislature on June 28.

The interim budget was tabled in February ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition parties have decided to boycott the high-tea invitation in protest against the tripartite Governments excessive indulgence in corrupt practices. They have ignored the plight of farmers and swindled taxpayers money through unnatural cost escalation of various projects, Wadettiwar said. Besides Wadettiwar and his Congress party colleague Balasaheb Thorat, NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad and Danve, leaders of smaller parties put up a united show by attending the presser.

Wadettiwar alleged potential cost escalation in procuring smart electricity meters and buying ambulances. The actual cost of a smart electricity meter is Rs 2,900 per unit, and installation charges are around Rs 350. However, the State Government has planned to buy a meter at a whopping Rs 12,500 per unit, and the contract has been given to Adani, he alleged. The new ambulance procurement tender is another example of a high procurement cost. The cost of buying new ambulances is Rs 3,000 crore, but the State Government has floated a tender worth Rs 10,000 crore, Wadettiwar claimed. He further alleged that the State Government had depleted the deposits of Mumbai civic body by Rs 12,000 crore.
Schools reopen





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

After nearly two-month long summer vacation, all schools in Chhattisgarh reopened for the academic year 2024-25 on Wednesday. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has congratulated all students of the State on the beginning of new academic session, on Wednesday. Chief Minister Sai wrote on his X, Dear children, today all schools of the state are reopening after summer vacation. Heartiest congratulations to all the children and newly- admitted students. Study diligently and make Chhattisgarh proud. We are handing over the new generation of Chhattisgarh to the teachers who will shape the future of our children. Teachers are requested to provide good education to children under their guidance, by enriching them with values.

They should be prepared to take up the responsibility of developing Chhattisgarh and the country at the beginning of the new academic session. On the beginning of the new academic session, I once again extend my hearty congratulations and best wishes to the dear children of the country and state for their bright future. It may be mentioned that earlier the school was to reopen from June 18, but due to the scorching heat, the school reopening was postponed till June 26 as per the orders of Chief Minister Sai.
Two medical students killed in road mishap





Staff Reporter

RAIPUR,

Two medical students died and two others were seriously injured in a ghastly collision of two cars near the Jindal plant turn in the Mandir Hasaud police station area of Raipur on Wednesday morning around six. The deceased have been identified as Rishabh Prasad, 25, a resident of Mathura and Amit Jetha Bhai, 26, a resident of Gujarat. Both were medical students studying at the Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). They were travelling together in one of the cars and succumbed to their injuries at the scene of the accident. Two other individuals who were in other car sustained serious injuries and were immediately rushed to Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital with the help of an ambulance. Their condition remains critical, and they are currently receiving medical treatment.

According to initial reports from the police, the accident was severe, resulting in extensive damage to both vehicles involved. The impact of the collision was so intense that the cars were shattered, and it took considerable effort to extricate the victims from the wreckage. The Mandir Hasaud police have initiated an investigation into the cause of the accident. Preliminary findings suggest that the collision was a head-on crash, but further details are being ascertained. The police have also informed the families of the deceased and injured about the tragic incident. The bodies of Rishabh Prasad and Amit Jetha Bhai have been taken into custody by the police and sent for post-mortem examination.

This procedure is expected to provide more insights into the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The loss of the two young medical students has cast a pall of sorrow over the RIMS community. Friends and classmates are mourning their untimely demise. The police are appealing to any witnesses of the accident to come forward with information that could assist in the investigation. This tragic accident highlights the continuing issue of road safety in the region, prompting calls for better traffic management and stricter enforcement of road safety regulations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Vinay Poonekar murder case: Shooter Hemant Shukla held in Ludhiana





By Dheeraj Fartode

After a pursuit lasting nearly five months, Nagpur Police arrested shooter Hemant Shukla from Ludhiana, Punjab, about 1,400 km away from Nagpur, on charges of murdering photographer Vinay, also known as Bablu Poonekar. On February 23, Shukla, acting on instructions from his lover Sakshi Grover, fired two fatal shots at Vinay Poonekar at his residence. He then fled the scene with Sakshi on her two-wheeler. Since then, Shukla had been on Nagpur Polices most-wanted list. Special teams from the Crime Branch and Sadar police had been searching for him in North India and conducted searches in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and near Nepal border. During the operation, police interrogated dozens of persons related to Shukla. On three occasions, Shukla managed to evade capture by changing his location. However, this time, police received a specific lead from a relative of Shukla residing in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh.

Two of Shuklas relatives were detained and brought to the city. During interrogation, they disclosed the phone number used by Shukla. Using mobile surveillance, police located Shukla, and a team that had been camping in Northern India for nearly 15 days received instructions from Nagpur headquarters. As a result, the police team quickly raided the house where Shukla was staying. After his arrest, Shukla was produced in a Ludhiana court and preparations began for his journey to Nagpur. The police are expected to arrive in the city early Thursday morning. It may be noted that Sakshi and Hemant first met at a gym in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, after she lost her husband four years ago. Sakshis relatives discovered their relationship which led to Hemants dismissal from the gym where he worked as an instructor. Hemant, later, moved to Raipur but remained in touch with Sakshi.
Today we talk to American guitarist, composer, and producer David Torn. He is appearing at the Ottawa Jazz Festival tonight (Thursday, June 27) with Scott Amendola on the Fourth Stage of the National Arts Centre at 9:00 p.m. David has created and contributed to a wide variety of music over and worked with an incredible array of artists. We talk about how he loosely fits into the world of jazz and what has gone into some of his recent recordings with the group Sonar and as a solo artist. He also tells us what to expect (perhaps a bit of the unexpected!) when he joins forces with Scott Amendola at the Jazz Fest tonight. For more information about David Torn: https://davidtornmusic.com/ To purchase some of the music we featured: https://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/music https://davidmtorn.bandcamp.com/album/fall-to-rise-so-fell-to-feel For ticket information for the Ottawa Jazz Festival performance: https://program.ottawajazzfestival.com/item/12439-David-Torn-Scott-Amendola-Duo For more information about the Ottawa Jazz Festival: https://ottawajazzfestival.com/ Get out and see some live music this week. Don't forget that the Ottawa Bluesfest starts next week on July 4th.
Ruling MLAs resolve to meet PM, HM

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IMPHAL, Jun 27: Ministers of the N Biren Government and ruling MLAs have decided to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and seek concrete actions to bring an end to the Manipur crisis.

With Chief Minister N Biren in the chair, the Ministers and the ruling MLAs held a meeting at the Chief Ministers Secretariat and deliberated on the protracted violence.

The Ministers and the MLAs of the ruling parties took a decision to go to Delhi and exert strong pressure on the Central Government to resolve the Manipur crisis.

The meeting also discussed the humiliating defeats suffered by BJP and NPF in the recent Lok Sabha elections, sources said.


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After the chief minister ordered the districts to furnish detailed status reports equipped with a volume of encroached government land, the state-backed statutory bodies, both in Durgapur and Burdwan have expressed helplessness as the authorities were yet to wake up on the serious issue.

Ahead of chief minister Mamata Banerjees Monday coordination meeting with the urban bodies on encroachment issue, the states chief secretary, on 21 June had sent a communication seeking status report by 21 July. The CM, on Monday expressed her absolute displeasure over uncountable complaints on encroachments. She has ordered the initiation of eviction from government land at the earliest.

The Asansol Durgapur Development Authority on Wednesday pleaded innocence about the database on encroached government land. Kabi Dutta, newly-appointed chairman of ADDA, said, We dont have a ready database in hand immediately but well start work on this soon. His organization meanwhile conducted miking in different locations of Durgapur town, including City Centre, last evening to warn the encroachers either to vacate by 30 June or face harsh penal measures. The ADDA had held an eviction drive in August, 2023 but the then chairman Tapas Banerjee had to withdraw the bid after some partial demolitions on encroached land as many heavyweights were found running businesses on government land. Dutta claimed, Now, we wont allow eviction at any cost. What weve gathered, outsiders are running businesses on land, which are priced at Rs 60-70 lakh per cottah.

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The ADDA, a state backed nodal agency, operates on 1,605 square km between Panagarh and Barakar.

The Burdwan Development Authority shouldering development works in and around Burdwan town operates on a meagre 157 square km and has encroachment on 10.67 acres. A Calcutta High Court Division Bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, on 14 September, 2023 allowed the BDA to initiate civil works on the land between Alisha and Bamchsndaipur mouzas. Kakoli Ta, chairperson, BDA, said: No such hindrance has arisen as yet and weve just initiated erecting concrete fencing surrounding the land. Merely seven encroachers identified on the land met BDA officials on Wednesday seeking rehabilitation. The Burdwan Municipality area incidentally has become a safe haven of migrant encroachers.

Besides the jeopardized government land in town areas, the PSUs in Durgapur, since years have been struggling to overcome the encroachment menace. Recently, the Durgapur Steel Plant faced stiff opposition to recover 600 hectares of encroached land in Faridpur village within Durgapur town where the plant has kicked off a Rs 50,000cr upgradation in phases. The entire land is occupied by the emigrants mostly from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and the work has stalled since July, 2023. A Damodar Valley Corporation expansion project also has faced similar fate. The newly-elected MP, Bardhaman Durgapur, Kirti Azad has written to the top PSU officials to arrange rehabilitation first and then look for project expansion.

After the state-owned Durgapur Projects Limited, a power utility, desired to monetize most of its unused land parcels, it faced the harsh reality that nearly 50 per cent of its 3,759 acres of land was lying vacant on paper, but a meagre 154 acres could be leased out to bidders as the encroachers were having settlements on the rest of the premium land. The DPLs bid hasnt shown any effective yield as yet due to the encroachment on government land only.
Dr Sanjib Bhattacharya, an associate professor and deputy director at UGC-MMTTC, University of North Bengal, has been awarded a CRG project worth Rs 40.75 lakh by ANRF-SERB for his research on the electrical properties and electrochemical activities of solid state glassy electrolytes containing sodium.

The Indian governments Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) has initiated a merger with a new initiative, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), to provide a higher level of strategic guidance for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Under this new framework, starting in 2024, SERB will distribute Major Research Project grants to distinguished researchers in various institutions across the country through the Core Research Grant (CRG) scheme. Dr Bhattacharya is among the recipients.

Dr Bhattacharya has been conducting research in the field of experimental condensed matter physics and materials science since 2003. He began his career in this field at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, under the guidance of internationally renowned scientist Prof Aswini Ghosh. Due to the limited availability of lithium on Earth, researchers are now considering sodium ion batteries (NIBs) as an alternative due to their abundance and cost-effective preparation methods. Dr Bhattacharyas latest project focuses on developing a solid form of electrolyte for NIBs using sodium oxide doped glassy systems, which have important properties such as electrochemical stability, sensor applications, and use in electrochemical devices.

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My aim is to develop Na2O doped electrolyte in solid form because of their higher stability and easy accessibility and to explore the nature of hopping/migration of Na+ ions as well as electrochemical stability of such system for making them suitable candidates NIBs, Dr Bhattacharya said.

In the past, Dr Bhattacharya has successfully completed three major research projects funded by SERB and CSIR.

In 2012, he was presented with the INSA Visiting Scientist Award and in 2018, he received the Teacher Award from Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal for his noteworthy contributions to teaching and research. He also earned the Outstanding Paper Award at the State Science & Technology Congress in 2018.
Two newly-elected Trinamul Congress MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Rayat Hossain from Baranagar and Bhagwangola constituencies respectively, on Wednesday staged dharna at the Assembly demanding the Governor C V Ananda Bose to administer their oath-taking ceremony at the House instead of Raj Bhavan.

On the other hand, Mr Bose stuck to his earlier decision to administer the swearing-in ceremony of the two MLAs at Raj Bhavan instead of the Legislative Assembly, making the process more complicated, political observers felt.

Sources at the Governor House said that Mr Bose might leave for Delhi leading the ceremony virtually uncertain even 22 days after the announcement of results of the by-polls in the two Assemblies were out on 4 June.

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Today, Miss Bandyopadhyay and Mr Hossain staged a sit-in carrying placards requesting Mr Bose to come to the Assembly to administer their oaths.

Waiting for the arrival of Hon. Governor for oath, the two newly-elected MLAs requested Mr Bose through the placards.

Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, state parliamentary affairs minister, also joined the two MLAs in their protest.

Biman Bandyopadhyay, Assembly Speaker, told reporters, I would seek opinions of legal experts to solve the crisis. I may also meet the President. The Speaker can administer the oath of a MLA elected through a by-poll for an interim period at the Assembly.

Both Miss Bandyopadhyay and Mr Hossain stick to their earlier stand of taking oath from the Speaker at the Assembly and not from the Governor. But the Governor wanted them to take oath at Raj Bhavan today.

Mr Bose had written a letter to Miss Banerjee on Tuesday citing the verdict of the Supreme Court and high court in connection with the swear-in ceremony of MLAs.
City police launched drives against the tout menace in state-run medical colleges and hospitals amidst the ongoing operations against encroachments on government land across the state.

The anti-rowdy squad of the Kolkata Police (KP) conducted drives against touts at several teaching hospitals like Medical College Hospital (MCH), SSKM Hospital, N R S Medical College Hospital and others on Wednesday.

According to police, two ambulance drivers, who used to fleece money in thousands of rupees from patients and their relatives, were arrested from the MCH, while three others were rounded up during the drive at SSKM Hospital.

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A senior administrative officer, attached to a premier government medical college hospital, requesting anonymity said that touts make a brisk business by fleecing money from patients in most of the state-run teaching hospitals in the city and districts.

The modus operandi of touts are to arrange indoor beds, trolleys, wheel chairs, attendants for patients, mainly who come from rural belts to hospitals in Kolkata and district towns.

Hardly one year ago, Madan Mitra, Trinamul Congress MLA from Kamarhati, had raised his voice against touts menace at the Sagar Dutta Medical College Hospital in his Assembly area alleging that touts demand hefty sums from patient parties for arranging a bed in the critical care unit (CCU) at the hospital.

The officer felt that there might be some illicit nexus between, mainly a section of group D staff and touts in government hospitals.
The CBI conducted raids at Bikash Bhavan in connection with the recruitment case investigation. Sources indicated that a team of CBI officers arrived at Bikash Bhavan on Wednesday afternoon to probe the corruption in primary teachers recruitment. Shortly after the CBI operation began, police from the Northern police station also arrived at Bikash Bhavan and spoke with the CBI officers.

Previously, during the investigation into the primary recruitment corruption, the CBI had sealed a warehouse in Bikash Bhavan. On Wednesday, CBI officers revisited the sealed warehouse. Notably, on 4 January, a CBI investigation team had visited the headquarters of the state education department at Bikash Bhavan in the evening.

According to the central investigative agency, at that time, the investigators had gone to the office of the state education secretary, Manish Jain, on the sixth floor of Bikash Bhavan. He was questioned briefly, and some necessary documents were collected. Additionally, the investigators visited the sealed warehouse used for storing various documents of the education department, which was sealed by the CBI on December 23, 2022.

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The CBI had learned from interrogating the arrested former president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Manik Bhattacharya, that several new pieces of information had come to light. To gather more details related to these findings, the CBI conducted the raid at Bikash Bhavan.

App cab driver arrested:

A female traveller has accused a cab driver of misconduct in the city. She alleges that after boarding the cab at Gariahat around 12.30 am on Monday, there was an altercation when she asked the driver to turn on the AC. The situation escalated when she refused to pay the fare until the AC was turned on, and she eventually left the cab due to inappropriate language and insults from the driver, even after leaving the vehicle. The incident was reported to Jadavpur police station, leading to the arrest of the driver on charges of using abusive language and indecent behaviour towards the woman. He is scheduled to appear in Alipore Court on Wednesday.
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has launched a breakthrough technology in animal health aimed at revolutionising Mastitis detection in dairy cattle.

The innovative technology titled  Lateral Flow Immunoassay Strip and Method for Detection of Mastitis in Bovines, is developed by Prof Siddhartha Panda from the Department of Chemical Engineering and National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE), IIT Kanpur; and Dr Satyendra Kumar, Senior Project Scientist, SCDT at NCFlexE, IITK.

To facilitate its widespread adoption, IIT Kanpur has signed a technology transfer MoU with Prompt Equipments Pvt Ltd, a leading dairy technology company operating across more than 70,000 villages nationwide.

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Bovine mastitis is recognised as a primary cause of economic losses in dairy industries, resulting from reduced milk yield and poor milk quality. This disease entails an inflammatory response in the udder tissue of the mammary gland, triggered by physical trauma or microbial infections.

Hence, a technology has been developed to detect Staphylococcus aureus (a bacterium) which is a key contributor to mastitis, and the associated enterotoxins, using a novel polyclonal antibody and novel designs in the form of a strip test.

Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur , said, IIT Kanpur is dedicated to creating practical technologies that benefit society at large, and I believe that our mastitis detection technology can address critical issues in the agricultural sector, improving the livelihood of farmers and the quality of dairy products. We are delighted to see our technology being adopted by a leading company like Prompt Equipments Pvt Ltd, which will ensure its widespread impact. I congratulate Prof Siddhartha Panda and the team involved in this revolutionary development.
A man sustained head injuries and bruises on the left side of his body after allegedly jumping in front of a Delhi Metro train at the Hauz Khas station on Thursday, afternoon, the police said.

He was rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre and is currently on ventilator support, the police added.

The police received the information about the incident at around 2.56 pm through the station controller. When a police team reached the spot, they found out that the man was shifted to the hospital.

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So far, a metro travel card, a debit card from the Punjab National Bank, and some documents besides a mobile phone have been found on him, and efforts are on to establish his identity.

As per the police, during the course of the inquiry, the CCTV footage was checked and the team found that the injured at about 2.14 pm jumped from platform number 1, Hauz Khas on the railway tracks, as the train was approaching the platform.

The statement of a guard, an eye witness to the incident, has also been recorded, the police added.

It was found that the man had boarded the train from Greater Kailash at 1.59 pm, which was established from the metro card found on him.

The cops say no foul play has been found in the incident, while further inquiry is underway.
Slamming the BJP councilors for protesting in the house, Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi said on Thursday that the motive of the Opposition party was to disrupt the proceedings of the MCD.

BJP members were protesting in the house over the issue of the water crisis during the session.

The mayor said for the last one-and-a-half years, the representatives from the saffron party have hindered the proceedings of the house and never let it function smoothly by raising that issues that do not come under the jurisdiction of the MCD.

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She hit out at the Opposition for not maintaining decorum of the house, claiming that their sole aim is to become a hurdle in the good works done by the Aam Aadmi Party, whether it is the Delhi government or the MCD.

Our agenda for today was to discuss the preparations for Monsoon but no discussion could be completed due to their protest, she regretted while speaking to a news agency.

She, however, was happy that despite the hindrances from the Opposition, the house was able to pass some important agendas.

The Opposition should have participated in the session and voiced their concerns in a healthy atmosphere, Oberoi added.

In the end, the Mayor said the people of Delhi have given the AAP a mandate in the MCD and rejected the BJP. Hence, it is the partys responsibility to work towards addressing their issues.

The Opposition should also work on those aspects which concern the MCD, she added.

Disruptions on various issues in the MCD have been the talking point since the AAP came to power in the civic body, and earlier during the budget session too, the saffron partys members had disrupted the proceedings of the house.
In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Dasari Gopikrishna, a devoted fan of NTR Jr, was tragically shot and killed in the USA. His untimely death has cast a pall over his family and left the entire NTR Jr fan community in mourning. In a remarkable display of solidarity, fans of the beloved actor have come together to offer both emotional and financial support to Gopikrishnas grieving family.

The tragedy struck a chord with NTR Jrs fanbase, known for their passionate support of the Man of Masses. On May 20th, coinciding with the celebrations for NTR Jrs birthday, fan clubs organized special screenings of his blockbuster film, *Aadi*. These events were not just about celebrating their idol but also became a means to contribute to a cause close to their hearts.

The proceeds from these screenings were dedicated to helping Gopikrishnas family, resulting in a significant contribution of 1 lakh rupees. This act of kindness not only provided financial relief but also underscored the strength of community support during times of adversity.

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One fan shared their thoughts on social media, highlighting the collective effort: In times like these, its amazing to see how fans can come together and make a real difference. We wanted to honor Gopi Krishnas memory by supporting his family just as he supported NTR Jr.

We are deeply saddened by the shooting that took the life of Gopi Krishna, a Co-NTR fan. Its heartbreaking to imagine what the family must be going through.

Even though we cannot lessen their grief, we decided to stand by them in a small way.

We donated a total of 1 Lakh https://t.co/nBWrvaknXx pic.twitter.com/4t3WIrPvYn  NTR FANS USA (@NTRFans_USA) June 26, 2024

This sentiment of unity and compassion resonated throughout the fanbase, with many expressing their condolences and sharing memories of Gopikrishna. The hashtag #SupportGopisFamily gained traction, amplifying the story of the fans heartfelt initiative.

In addition to the communitys efforts, news on the professional front for NTR Jr brought a mix of excitement and anticipation. The release date for his much-awaited film, Devara Part 1, has been moved up. Originally slated for an October 10 release, the film will now premiere on September 27, giving fans another reason to rally together in celebration.

NTR Jrs fans have always been known for their fervent dedication, but their recent actions have shown that their admiration extends beyond just the films and the star himself. Theyve demonstrated that their community is built on a foundation of mutual support and empathy, capable of coming together to aid one of their own in times of need.

Through their efforts, the NTR Jr fan community has not only honored the memory of Dasari Gopikrishna but also highlighted the profound impact of collective goodwill.
Kamal Haasan surprised fans last year by announcing his collaboration with renowned filmmaker Mani Ratnam, marking their reunion after 35 years since their hit Nayakan. Titled Thug Life, the film began filming in January this year. According to a report from Pinkvilla, Rohit Saraf, known for Ishq Vishk Rebound, is ready to join the cast of this gangster actioner.

A source close to the production revealed to the publication, Rohit is a big fan of both Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan, and this opportunity means a lot to him. He has already started shooting and plays a crucial role in the story.

Regarding the films progress, it was noted, Thug Life promises numerous surprises and a grand cinematic experience. Filming is currently underway, with Mani Ratnam aiming to wrap up by August 2024. The film is releasing on December 2024.

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The action-packed film features a star-studded cast including Kamal Haasan, Simbu, Trisha Krishnan, Nassar, Joju George, and Rohit Saraf in pivotal roles. While details of the plot remain under wraps, it is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.

Thug Life marks Rohit Sarafs debut in a pan-India project following his lead role in Ishq Vishk Rebound alongside Pashmina Roshan and Jibran Khan. Previously, he appeared in supporting roles in Dear Zindagi with Alia Bhatt and The Sky is Pink with Priyanka Chopra. Apart from Thug Life, Saraf will also feature in Karan Johars Sunny Sanskari Ki Meenakumari.

Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan enjoys the success of Kalki 2898 AD, released on June 27, which has garnered praise from fans and celebrities alike. He is also gearing up for the release of Indian 2. Mani Ratnams latest venture was the two-part film Ponniyin Selvan.
Ratan Khatri, widely known as the Matka King, has once again captured the publics imagination. In light of that, let us quickly look at who he is and what makes him so popular.

Khatris story is one of remarkable transformation and resilience. Born into a Sindhi family in Karachi, Pakistan, he migrated to India as a teenager during the partition of 1947. In India, Khatri carved out a niche for himself in the world of gambling, earning the title of Matka King for revolutionizing the matka gambling system in Mumbai in 1962.

Matka, which started as a form of betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton from the New York Cotton Exchange, evolved under Khatris influence into a large-scale, nationwide gambling network.

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Initially, Khatri worked under Kalyanji Bhagat, another significant figure in the world of matka gambling, known for the Worli Matka. Khatri eventually branched out on his own, establishing Ratan Matka. His network reportedly included celebrities and high-profile dignitaries from around the globe, cementing his status as a legendary figure in the gambling world.

Khatris life wasnt without its challenges. During the Emergency period in India, he was imprisoned and spent 19 months behind bars. Despite these setbacks, he remained a dominant figure in the gambling scene until his retirement in the early 1990s. He passed away in 2020, leaving behind a legacy that continues to intrigue and captivate people.

The mechanics of matka gambling also underwent significant changes over the years. Initially, it involved betting on cotton prices, but by the 1960s, this was replaced with various methods to generate random numbers, including drawing slips from a matka (earthen pot). Khatri was particularly known for his use of playing cards to draw numbers, a practice that became a hallmark of his gambling operations.

Khatris influence on the gambling industry in India was profound, and his life story remains a testament to his ingenuity and resilience.
Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani was admitted to the AIIMS here late on Wednesday night, sources said, adding that the condition of the former Deputy Prime Minister is stable.

The 96-year-old leader has been kept in a private ward under the supervision of doctors of the Urology Department, the sources said.

He served as the Deputy Prime Minister from 2002 to 2004 and was recently conferred the Bharat Ratna, the countrys highest civilian honour, by President Droupadi Murmu. He also served as BJP President three times.

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Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday urged the members of the Upper House of Parliament to contribute in a wholesome system of dialogue, discussion, deliberations and debate all being the essence of democracy.

Welcoming the Members on the commencement of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha, Dhankhar said, Let us all work towards the blossoming of democracy.

This is the first session after the recent general elections for the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections in four states, the Vice President said.

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While exercising their franchise, the people of Bharat, the largest democracy in the world, have expressed their faith in our democratic polity and the values that underpin our Republic. The successful completion of this Festival of Democracy is a matter of great pride and admiration for all of us, Dhankhar said in his opening remarks on the commencement of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman said this House has also got re-constituted partially after its recent biennial elections.

He also congratulated all the 61 newly elected/nominated Members of the House. The members would surely fully exploit their potential and contribute towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people, Dhankhar said.

Meanwhile, six newly-elected MPs from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar also took oath as Members of the Upper House of Parliament.

The Vice President also informed the House about the appointment of Union Minister and BJP MP J P Nadda as the Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also introduced his Council of Ministers in the Rajya Sabha.

Later, the House was adjourned till Friday.

The 264th session of the Rajya Sabha will conclude on July 3.
Bilaspur police on Thursday arrested the son of ex-Congress MLA for allegedly orchestrating the recent firing incident near the district court.

According to the police, Puranjan Thakur was evading arrest and had applied for anticipatory bail in the High Court.

The Court before considering his bail application directed him to surrender, however the police arrested him before he could surrender in the Bilaspur court.

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The firing incident had occurred on June 30, when two motorbike-borne assailants opened fire on an undertrial Saurab Patial who is facing trial for an alleged attack on ex-Congress MLA Bamber Thakur on February 23.

Patial was rushed to the AIIMS, Bilaspur for treatment.

The shooter Sunny Gill hailing from Killa Mohalla in Punjab was arrested the same day by the police, however his accomplice who managed to flee was arrested later.

The police recovered a handmade gun from the accused.

A case under section 307, 120 B and section 25 of the Arms Act was registered by the police and the investigations carried out by the police revealed that Puranjan Thakur had hired them.

While the case led to multiple arrests, however, the fourth accomplice Sandy still remains at large.

Meanwhile, Puranjan Thakurs father Bamber Thakur has alleged that his son was being falsely implicated and had no involvement in the alleged crime.

BJP had cried foul over the firing incident and had blamed Congress government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

The party also staged a protest on June 22 in Bilaspur accusing the state government of sheltering the offenders.
A meeting of leaders of the INDIA bloc was held here on Thursday to chalk out strategy on various issues, including NEET, amid the ongoing session of the Parliament.

The meeting convened by Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge along with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi at his residence here, was attended by party leader K C Venugopal, NCP (SCP) president Sharad Pawar, TMC leader Derek Obrein, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, JMM leader Mahua Maji, among others.

During the meeting, they discussed a wide range of issues concerning the public.

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Informing about the INDIA bloc meeting under the leadership of Kharge, Rahul Gandhi in a social media post wrote, We are all committed to fighting for the issues and rights of the people.

Venugopal, who is the Congress General Secretary in-charge of Organization, in a post on X wrote, Floor leaders of INDIA parties met at INC President Mallikarjun Kharge jis residence to chalk out the strategy for the rest of the Parliament session.

Meanwhile, talking to a news agency, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh said, Several issues were discussed in todays meeting. There was also discussion on the Speaker election (in Lok Sabha) and Presidents address.

Notably, in a post on X, Kharge has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after President Droupadi Murmus address to the joint session of both the Houses.

Overall, Modi ji is making a futile attempt to garner some applause by making the Honourable President read lies, which the people of India have rejected in the 2024 elections, he said.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi along with other leaders of INDIA bloc met Speaker Om Birla in his chamber in Parliament.
The LDF Governments move to grant special remission to the TP Chandrasekharan murder case convicts beset the Kerala Assembly again on Thursday.

The Congress-led Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout in the Assembly for the second time in three days, accusing the government of lying to the House about the well-documented move to grant remissions to convicts in TP Chandrasekharan murder case.

The LDF Government on Thursday made conflicting statements in the Assembly regarding its alleged move to grant special remission to the TP Chandrasekharan murder case convicts.

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On the one hand, the Opposition charge that T P Chandrasekharan murder convicts were sought to be illegally released was termed as baseless while on the other, the government announced the suspension of three prison officials at the Kannur Central Jail who had sought police reports on CPI-M workers undergoing life sentences in the case in a move to grant them special remission.

The Opposition brought back the issue to the Assembly through Opposition leader V D Satheesans Submission. Satheesan accused the government of diluting prison rules and conditions for the remission of sentence to stack the decks in favour of the convicts.

The Opposition leader said the police had asked K K Rema, MLA, and Chandrasekharans wife, about her dispensation to grant clemency for her husbands killers even when the government swore there was no such move.

He said it was not three, as was till now believed, but four convicts involved in T Ps murder that the LDF Government attempted to release. Trouser Manojans name is also included in the Jail Superintendents list, he said. T K Rajeesh, Mohammad Shafi, and Annan Sijith are the names already known.

He said the government set the remission process on fast track in contempt of the Kerala High Courts decision to double the jeopardy of the assassins.

Local Administration Minister MB Rajesh, who replied to the submission in the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said some anomalies had crept into the preparation of the list of prisoners eligible for remission of the sentence as per an amnesty scheme linked to the 75th anniversary of Indias Independence. He said the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, had rectified the irregularities.

Rajesh alleged that the Opposition had come to the House with anti-government placards and banners to create politically advantageous theatre. Enraged Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and mobbed the Speakers dais.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday addressed the first joint session of Parliament after the Lok Sabha election, and said there can be opposition to policies, but obstruction of parliamentary work has to be avoided.

She said the present times are very favourable for India in every way. In the coming years, the decisions taken and policies framed by the Government and Parliament will be keenly watched by the whole world.

It is the responsibility of every Member of Parliament as well as of the Government, to ensure the country gets utmost benefits during this favourable period, she said.

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The President said when Parliament conducts its business smoothly, when healthy deliberations take place here, when far-reaching decisions are taken, then the people repose confidence not only in the Government but also in the entire system.

As the President referred to the governments achievements in various fields, the Opposition raised noises when she spoke of the government getting clear majority in the recent elections, the 1975 Emergency, NEET examination paper leaks and that the Government is continuously working for lasting peace in the North-East.

Mrs Murmu said the Indian Constitution had stood up to every challenge from the time it was framed. Recalling the imposition of Emergency on 25th June, 1975, she said this was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged.

The country emerged victorious as traditions of the republic lie at the core of India, she said. My Government also does not consider the Constitution of India as just a medium of governance; rather we are making efforts to ensure that our Constitution becomes a part of public consciousness, she said.

With this very objective in mind, the Government had started celebrating 26th November as Constitution Day, she said. The Constitution has also fully come into force in that part of India, our Jammu and Kashmir, where the conditions were different due to Article 370, the President said.

She said the whole world is talking about the recent Lok Sabha elections. About 64 crore voters had cast their votes and the Kashmir Valley broke all records of voter turn-out. People elected a stable Government with clear majority, consecutively for the third term. This has happened after six decades, she said.

At a time when the aspirations of people of India are at their highest ever, people have reposed faith in my Government for the third consecutive term. The people of India have full faith that only my Government can fulfil their aspirations, the President said.

We should collectively denounce every attempt to undermine the credibility of our democracy, she said. The President said, We all remember those times when ballot papers were snatched and looted. To ensure the sanctity of the electoral process, it was decided to use EVMs. The EVM has passed every test, from the Supreme Court to the peoples court, in the last few decade.

Mrs Murmu said her governments resolve to Reform, Perform and Transform had made India the fastest growing economy in the world. In the past 10 years, India has risen to become the fifth largest economy from being the 11th ranked economy. From 2021 to 2024, India has grown at an average rate of eight per cent annually.

The President said it is a continuous endeavour of the Government to provide right opportunities to the youth to demonstrate their talent. Whether it is competitive examinations or Government recruitment, there should be no reason for any hindrance. This process requires complete transparency and probity, she said.

Regarding the recent instances of paper leak in some examinations, my Government is committed to a fair investigation and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits. Even earlier, we have witnessed many instances of paper leaks in different States, she said.

The President said, it is important that we rise above party-politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. Parliament has also enacted a strict law against unfair means in examinations. My Government is working towards major reforms in examination related bodies, their functioning and all aspects of the examination process.

Mrs Murmu said the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita incorporating the new criminal justice laws will come into force from the first of July. During the British regime, the emphasis was on punishing subjects. Now justice will get priority over punishment, which also conforms to the spirit of the Constitution. These new laws will speed up the judicial process.

My Government has started granting citizenship to refugees under the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act). It has ensured a dignified life to many families who have suffered due to Partition. I wish a better future for the families who have been granted citizenship under CAA, the President said.
President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday attributed Indias economic growth to the reforms and decisions taken by the Centre in national interest despite several challenges, including the Covid pandemic and global conflicts.

Addressing a joint sitting of both the Houses in Parliament, she said,  The pledge of reform, perform and transform has made India the fastest-growing economy in the world. In 10 years, India rose from the 11th position to become the 5th largest economyDespite a pandemic and conflicts in different parts of the world, India has been able to achieve this growth rate.

Marking the first Presidential address since the formation of the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, President Murmu began her speech by congratulating the newly-elected MPs and expressing gratitude to the Election Commission of India for successfully conducting what she termed as the biggest election in the world.

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This became possible due to the reforms and decisions taken in national interest in the last 10 years. Today, India contributes to 15 per cent of the global growth. My Government is working towards making India the 3rd largest economy in the world, she noted.

In her address, President Murmu highlighted the achievements of the Narendra Modi government over the past decade, emphasizing Indias transition to becoming the fifth-largest economy globally.

Regarding the upcoming Union Budget, President Murmu described it as a pivotal document that would reflect the governments comprehensive policies and forward-looking vision. She hinted at significant economic and social measures expected in the budget, calling them historic steps.

This budget will be an effective document of the governments far-reaching policies and futuristic vision. Along with big economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget, she stated.

On agricultural reforms, President Murmu noted the governments efforts, including the allocation of Rs 3.20 lakh crore under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme and record increases in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Kharif crops. She underscored Indias potential in organic farming and highlighted initiatives like International Millet Day and International Yoga Day, celebrated worldwide under Indias leadership.

My Government has provided Rs 3.20 lakh crore to the farmers of the country under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Since the beginning of the new term of my government, an amount of more than Rs 20,000 crore has been transferred to the farmers. The government has also made a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops. Todays India is changing its agriculture system keeping in mind its current needs. Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world. Indian farmers have the full capacity to meet this demand. Therefore, the government is integrating the supply chain of natural farming and related products she said.

President Murmu also focused on developments in Northeast India, noting a four-fold increase in budget allocations over the past decade. She highlighted the regions strategic importance under the Act East Policy, emphasising efforts to enhance connectivity and promote peace through phased repeals of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

For the development of the northeast, my government has increased the (budget) allocation by over 4 times in the last 10 years. Government is working to make this region a Strategic Gateway under Act East Policy. All kinds of connectivity are being extended to the northeastMy Government is working continuously to bring peace in the northeast. In the last 10 years, several old issues have been resolved, several agreements have been made and phase-wise repealing of AFSPA is underway in areas with unrest after making rapid progress there, the President added.

In the backdrop of the recent faceoff between the government and the opposition over the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by then PM Indira Gandhi, President Murmu called the Emergency biggest attack on Constitution.

Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on 25th June, 1975, was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged.But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India, she said.

Amid chants of NEET from the Opposition benches, President also mentioned the issue of alleged paper leaks in her addressed and assured the government will ensure transparency while conducting the exams.

Following the Presidents address, a motion of thanks will be moved in both Houses of Parliament, which will be discussed by the members.
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday issued orders to appoint retired judge Gangaram Mulchandani as chairman of the State Human Rights Commission and retired IPS officer Ashok Gupta as its member.

The Governor has made two of their appointments for a period of three years from the date of assuming office or till attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

The Governor used the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 22 of the Rajasthan Human Rights Protection Act 1993, (Amendment) Act 2019 as amended by Act Protection 19, 2019).

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A local court in Assam has sentenced six Assam police personnel to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of murder.

The case dates back to October 7, 2013, when Ajit Sonowal was brutally beaten by police officers at Ambikapur market.

Following the assault, Sonowal was taken to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

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On October 9, 2013, Sonowals father filed an FIR at Sadiya police station, where an investigation was initiated. The probe led to the filing of a charge sheet and the commencement of a trial in the Tinsukia District and Sessions Court.

After a thorough examination of evidence, witness testimonies, and arguments presented by government advocate Ashok Chaudhary, the court found the six police personnel guilty of murder and handed them life sentences.
Even as the Union government sought a report about the allegation of married women not being hired by Foxconn at its facility in Sriperumpudur, a key supplier for Apple, officials of the Tamil Nadu government dismissed the claim as not true.

The report about discrimination in hiring practices, particularly the systematic exclusion of married women on the ground that they have family responsibilities and pregnancies at Foxconn has created ripples and the Union Labour Ministry has requested a detailed report from the state government.

It was also alleged that the women workers are not allowed to wear religious symbols and ornaments.

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Citing the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976, the Union Labour Ministry has called for the report from the Tamil Nadu government besides directing the Regional Chief Labour Commissioner to provide a factual report. Section 5 of the Act prohibits discrimination in recruitment of personnel and workforce.

When contacted, officials with the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) at Sriperumpudur, who didnt want to be named, maintained that there is no truth in such allegations. However, they admitted that there is no hostel facility for married women and they have to look for accommodation outside.

We have sent a report to the government on the issue, an official said, adding the labour laws of the Tamil Nadu government too prohibits discrimination by industries in employment, subject to conditions pertaining to the industry. If women are employed, they should be given maternity leave as per norms, he said.

In December 2021, Foxconn was in the news for the wrong reason as there was a mass protest by the women workers at the Foxconn unit over the poor quality of food at the hostel. Hundreds of women blocked the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway as many have taken ill and hospitalised after taking food.

Meanwhile, Foxconn denied the allegations and clarified that 25 per cent of the women workforce at their facility and only 30 per cent of the total workforce is men.

It was also explained that the curb on sporting ornaments is to ensure safety in the production process, which is a standard protocol in many industries. Rumours of discrimination are spread by vested interests, it was pointed out. According to Foxconn, the Sriperumpudur facility is the largest factory in the country providing employment to women with a total workforce of 45,000 workers during peak time.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday praised President Droupadi Murmus address to the joint session of Parliament, calling it filled with commitments to achieving the aspirations of a new India to become a developed and self-reliant nation.

He also greeted the President for her inspiring speech.

CM Yogi wrote on X, Honble President Droupadi Murmus address to the joint session of both houses of Parliament today is full of resolutions to achieve the aspirations of the new India to become developed and self-reliant India. In the last 10 years, under the successful and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NDA government has made a wonderful effort to bring a new dawn in the lives of 140 crore countrymen with the mantra of development and conservation of heritage. Hearty congratulations to the Honorable President for her inspiring address!

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It is noteworthy that President Draupadi Murmu addressed the joint session of Parliament for the first time after the Lok Sabha elections. In her address, the President also congratulated the Election Commission for successfully conducting the general election.

She also spoke on several important issues, including the violence in the Northeast and the Emergency imposed by the then Congress government in 1975.
As MPs complete their oath taking, an overlooked landmark in Indian democracy needs highlighting. For the first time since Independence, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have achieved equal representation with upper castes, each with 26 per cent of the parliamentary seats. This shift is not just a statistical achievement but a profound transformation in the socio-political landscape of India, reflecting deeper changes in the electorates priorities and the political strategies of major parties.

Historically, Indian politics has been dominated by upper-caste representation, a vestige of colonial and precolonial socio-economic hierarchies. The underrepresentation of OBCs and other marginalised communities has perpetuated socio-economic disparities and limited their influence on national policy. The 2024 elections, however, indicate a pivotal change, suggesting that Indias democracy is becoming more inclusive and representative of its diverse population. Both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have contributed to this increase in OBC representation. However, the dynamics within these coalitions differ significantly.

The NDA, while increasing its OBC MPs, still displays a bias towards upper-castes. This reflects the coalitions traditional voter base and its attempts to balance representation with electoral pragmatism. On the other hand, the INDIA alliance, particularly the Congress party, has notably shed its historical upper-caste bias. This shift aligns with a broader strategy to appeal to a more diverse and inclusive voter base, recognising the growing political awareness and aspirations of OBC communities. The parity in representation marks a critical juncture for Indias social justice narrative.

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It underscores the success of affirmative action policies and the socio-political mobilisation of OBCs over the decades. The Mandal Commissions recommendations, advocating reservations in government jobs and educational institutions for OBCs, have gradually empowered these communities, culminating in their enhanced representation today. This development also raises important questions about the future trajectory of Indian politics. With OBCs achieving parity in the Lok Sabha, there is potential for more inclusive policy-making that addresses the unique challenges faced by these communities.

Issues such as education, healthcare, employment, and social welfare, which disproportionately affect OBCs, may receive greater attention and resources. Furthermore, this shift could encourage more OBC leaders to emerge, fostering a new generation of politicians who can bridge the gap between different socio-economic groups. However, the journey towards true equality and representation is far from complete. While OBC representation has improved, other marginalised groups, such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women, still face significant barriers to political participation.

Ensuring their equitable representation remains a critical challenge for Indian democracy. As India continues to grow and change, it is imperative that its democracy evolves to reflect the rich diversity of its people. This moment is not just a milestone but a call to action for further reforms that ensures every citizen has a voice in shaping the nations future. There is a rider, though: marginalised communities joining the political mainstream must not forget their roots and the interests of those they represent
As the world watches the highly anticipated face-off between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Thursday night (early tomorrow in India), this presidential debate promises to be one of the most consequential in decades. This clash is not just a battle of words but a confrontation of two starkly different visions for Americas future, carrying significant global ramifications.

The stakes could not be higher for President Biden. His challenge is to project the vigour and sharpness necessary to counter the narrative pushed by his opponent that his age renders him unfit for another term. Mr Biden must harness the same energy that invigorated his State of the Union address earlier this year, where he displayed a command of the issues and a clear vision for the country. This debate, however, is not a controlled environment like Congress. Its a live, unscripted event against an opponent known for his aggressive style. Mr Bidens ability to remain composed and articulate under such pressure will be critical in reassuring both his base and undecided voters of his capability to lead. For Mr Trump, the challenge is equally daunting.

He has the task of expanding his appeal beyond his loyal base to include moderates and swing voters disillusioned with both candidates. Mr Trumps previous debate performances have been marked by interruptions and personal attacks, which, while galvanising his core supporters, have alienated many potential swing voters. To succeed in this debate, Mr Trump must pivot from his usual rhetoric of division and retribution to present a positive, forward-looking agenda. His legal troubles, which include multiple felony convictions, are both a liability and a weapon.

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Mr Trump needs to navigate these issues skilfully, offering explanations and shifting focus to policy discussions where he believes he has the upper hand. The debates structure, with muted microphones and no live audience, introduces a unique dynamic. This format minimises the potential for chaotic exchanges. Key issues likely to dominate the debate include abortion and immigration. Mr Trumps role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade has had profound implications, triggering a national conversation on reproductive rights. Mr Biden will likely highlight this, aiming to appeal to women voters and those concerned about healthcare rights. On the other hand, Mr Bidens handling of immigration, particularly the situation at the US-Mexico border, remains a significant vulnerability.

Mr Trump is expected to attack Mr Bidens record on this issue, hoping to leverage it to his advantage. In addition, Mr Bidens foreign policy, particularly his stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict, will be scrutinised. This is a delicate issue that requires a balanced approach, given the divergent views within his own party and the international community. As India and the world watch, the outcome of this debate will not only influence the American electorate but also signal the direction of US policy on critical global issues.
North Korea has successfully conducted a missile test aimed at securing multiple warhead capability, state media reported on Thursday, contradicting South Koreas assessment that the test is believed to have ended in failure.

During the test conducted on Wednesday, North Koreas Missile Administration successfully conducted the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea said the test was aimed at securing the MIRV capability, referring to multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle technology, which allows a single ballistic missile to deliver multiple warheads to different targets.

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The announcement contradicts South Koreas assessment that the missile exploded in the air, Yonhap news agency reported.

On Wednesday, South Korea said that the missile was launched from an area in or around Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m. but exploded over the East Sea after flying some 250 km.

However, North Korea said the test used the first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile within a 170-200 kilometre radius.

The separated mobile warheads were guided correctly to three target coordinates, the KCNA said.

The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, it added.

The test was overseen by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Koreas ruling Workers Party of Korea (WPK), and Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the WPK Central Committee, the KCNA said.

The officials emphasised that enhancing the MIRV capability is a very important defence technological task and a top priority of the WPK Central Committee, the KCNA reported, suggesting it might also be a top priority for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Developing MIRV technology was included in North Koreas five-year development plan, which was unveiled during the eighth congress of the WPK in January 2021.

North Korea claimed that the test is part of the administrations normal activities, the KCNA said.

This is the first time North Korea has publicly disclosed that it conducted a missile test to secure multiple warhead capability.

South Korea, the US and Japan condemned North Koreas ballistic missile launch as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The North Atlantic Council decided to appoint outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), NATO said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement said Rutte will assume his duties as NATOs Secretary General on October 1, when Jens Stoltenbergs term expires after 10 years at the helm of the alliance, reports Xinhua news agency.

On June 19, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis officially announced his withdrawal from the race for NATOs Secretary General. Consequently, Rutte has gained the support of all 32 member countries.

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The Netherlands is a founding member of NATO. Mark Rutte (57), whose 14-year term as Dutch Prime Minister is set to end within weeks, will be the fourth Dutchman to head the 75-year-old alliance.

NATOs Secretary General is responsible for coordinating the alliance and is one of NATOs most important officials, alongside the chair of the NATO Military Committee and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Police and the labour ministry raided a battery maker and workforce suppliers on Wednesday as they ratcheted up probes into a deadly fire that killed 23 workers.

On Monday, lithium battery maker Aricell in Hawseong, south of Seoul, was engulfed by a fire that killed as many as 23 employees, mostly foreigners. Eight others were also injured in the fire, Xinhua news agency reported.

Police and the labour ministry are probing what could be the deadliest industrial accident as the casualties had ballooned because of suspected safety violations.

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Meanwhile, the labour ministrys special investigation team said the government issued an order for Aricell to completely suspend the entire operations of its plant.

The three Aricell officials were booked on suspicion of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

They may face punishment if any violation of the law is confirmed through a prompt and thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, based on the results of an autopsy of the victims, the National Forensic Service temporarily concluded that all of them were suffocated by the fumes.

Before the accident, the firefighting authorities had warned Aricell earlier that a fire at the factory could result in casualties.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The mid-Willamette Valley has a new theater company, and it's gearing up for its inaugural show.

The aptly named Mid-Valley Productions will host performances of Hitchin' next month at Linn-Benton Community Colleges Russell Tripp Performance Center. Its an autobiographical musical about a young hippie hitchhiker on his winding way to the West Coast in 1970.

It also represents a culmination of years of hard work and late nights by the musicals co-director and theater company co-founder, Erah McMullen, along with her partner and husband Ander Sandoz.

McMullen, who previously worked at Albany Civic Theater for four-plus years, said shes been a theater kid since preschool, and as an LBCC theater program alum, she was saddened when her alma mater cut theater classes back in 2020.

This was a second home to me, she said.

Her new nonprofit theater company works partly to revitalize LBCC's theatrical scene (after securing a contract at the end of 2023 to use the college's Albany theater for performances) while also offering a new venue for plays and other events for mid-valley residents.

The companys first show, Hitchin, acts as a nod to Sandozs own theatrical past, considering it was the co-directors first lead performance after high school.

The show itself, previewed in part at Albany's Pride celebrations last weekend, is really a story within a story told through Walter, a father perusing an old diary documenting his 1970 hitchhiking journey from Detroit to Seattle, and all the colorful characters he met along the way.

Written in 1997 by Oregon playwright and crabgrass" Astoria-based musician Ned Heavenrich, "Hitchin'" offers a true coming-of-age tale that taps into 1960s countercultural vibes.

Theres something in this show for literally everyone, McMullen said.

Indeed, the show explores friendship and acceptance, love and inclusivity, as well as the rebellious spirit that took hold of many a tie-dye-clad, free-loving activist demonstrating against the nation's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Just because we got the might, doesnt mean we got the right, sings a protester during one of the shows musical numbers.

For Steven Lerner, who plays dual roles as a young 1970 Walter and Walters college-age '90s kid Matt  who at the storys start is preparing to embark on his own roughing-it journey  the show is more of a play set to music than a series of showstoppers, with intimate songs largely serving as introductions to the characters Walt encounters.

Im merely the vessel that these people tell their stories through, Lerner said.

Jackie Weiner plays one such character, a lonely widow named Edna, (Growing old aint so bad; its the time alone thats troublesome) who picks up Walter to reminisce and, later, waltz.

As a teenager and young adult of the 1960s, Weiner well knows the turbulent era the play evokes. In her recollection, there was almost an overnight shift from a societal emphasis on being a good girl who followed the rules in high school and college to tossing bras in the trash to protest the Miss America Pageant.

She admittedly didnt partake.

My parents would have freaked, she said, but as a widow herself, she identifies with Edna.

In fact, Weiner is excited to see the shows author, Heavenrich, come by for a question-and-answer session after a Sunday matinee performance on Sunday, July 7 to learn more about his formative hitchhiking experiences.

I can't wait till the playwright gets here, so I can ask him about the real Edna, she said.

Mid-Valley Productions will run 7:30 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday, July 5 and 6; a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, July 7; and then evening shows again from Thursday through Saturday, July 11 through 13, with a final matinee on Sunday, July 14.

You can purchase tickets and look up showtimes on the Mid-Valley Productions website.
Reliance-owned Jio, India's largest telecom operator, has launched new prepaid and postpaid plans. These plans, which will be effective July 3, also come at prices that are 12 per cent to 25 per cent higher than the existing prices.

For instance, the monthly prepaid plans (28 day validity) costing Rs 155, Rs 209 and Rs 239 will cost Rs 189, Rs 249 and Rs 299 respectively.

The prices of monthly plans that are currently available for Rs 299, Rs 349 and Rs 399 have also been increased by Rs 50 for each plan.

Prices of 2-months, 3-months and annual plans have also been raised.

Prices of postpaid plans, too, have gone up from Rs 299 and Rs 399 per billing cycle to Rs 349 and Rs 449 respectively.

Jio's data add-on packs will also now cost more.

"The introduction of new plans is a step in the direction of furthering industry innovation and driving sustainable growth through investments in 5G and AI technology," said Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm.

Jio has said that JioBharat and JioPhone users will continue to enjoy the existing tariffs.

With Indias only standalone True 5G network, Jio continues to provide superlative 5G experience with truly unlimited 5G data on its leading plans at no additional cost to its users, the company said.

Jio has also launched two new services - JioSafe and JioTranslate.

JioSafe is a quantum-secure communication app for calling, messaging, file transfer and more. It has been priced at Rs 199 per month.

JioTranslate is an AI-powered multi-lingual communication app for translating voice call, voice message, text and image. This will cost Rs 99 per month.

Jio users will get both these applications free for a year, the company said.

In the latest spectrum auction held by the government this week, Jio acquired additional spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in Bihar and West Bengal.

"This new spectrum acquisition will continue to enable us serving aspirations of the new India, in terms of growing traffic demands and superior customer experience, which is no longer limited to only urban markets," Ambani had said on Wednesday.

In their latest report on the sector, analysts at JM Financial Institutional Securities said they continue to expect telcos ARPU (average revenue per user) to grow at 10-12 per cent compounded annually "given the consolidated industry structure, and Jios need for higher ARPU to justify its significant 5G capex and given its potential IPO."
The rate at which an ice cream melts under the scorching sun can hardly keep up with the pace of Indian urbanisation. Urbanisation in India is at its youth; it is headstrong and propelled by the optimism and impulsivity associated with its age. However, unrestrained and undirected urbanisation might affect the mental health of city dwellers and the benefits might reach only a fraction of the population for a short period of time, conveniently forgetting the rest.



The symptoms of it are already visible. Depression, aggression, fear, sadness, personality disorders, and substance abuse are found at increasing levels among the urban population. Around 600 million people or 40 per cent of the country's population will be urban dwellers by 2036 and contribute to 70 per cent of India's GDP, according to Auguste Tano Kouame, World Bank's Country Director for India.

As continuous construction becomes the norm and green spaces dwindle in the concrete jungle, it will take a toll on people's mental health.

Tanvi Gotmare, a 21-year-old Mumbai resident and college student, says, "My neighbourhood was filled with trees once and I could see a green patch stretched over a large area from my window, but in recent years, buildings have taken this space up, resulting in less greenery, less ventilation and more polluted air. With all the construction taking place around you, whether its roads or buildings, the constant noise pollution takes a toll on you. The temperature has also risen to unbearable levels. This often frustrates me and even leads to anger issues sometimes as it can't be helped.

Tanvi's experience shows how our environment affects our mental health. Water shortage and clogged sewage systems make the situation worse. And when more people relocate to cities, the strain grows, creating demand for more real estate and felling of more trees.

Traffic is another major factor that impacts mental health of city dwellers in several ways. The hours lost while commuting elevates stress and anxiety. And because of this, people find no time for relaxation and self-care, which are crucial for mental well-being.

Mugdha Mathur, a Delhi resident and college student, said her parents' long work hours and heavy traffic leave no time for spending quality time with family. Even when they have free time, navigating traffic to reach movie theatres and shopping malls becomes an obstacle, diminishing their enjoyment and discouraging them from going out. Weekends intended for leisure are sometimes lost to hectic work filled with intense competition.

Fast-paced lifestyles, demanding bosses and high work pressure can all contribute to decreased sleep, exercise and relaxation. Tanisha Mendes, a Bengaluru resident studying at the Christ (Deemed to be University), says, "Since I spent most of my life in Goa, I was used to a slow and calm life. But when I came to Bengaluru, everything is quick-paced. This has impacted my mental health in quite a few ways. I tend to be more anxious while I am in this city. I think the fast pace at which things are going on can sometimes be overwhelming. I seem to find everyone always onto something or the other."

Cities are a melting pot of cultures attracting people from various parts of the country but many find it difficult to fit into the community due to cultural differences, food habits, or language barriers. Feelings of isolation and lack of social support are associated with a decline in mental well-being.

Since cities are home to many, it feels like it belongs to none. So people do not feel the urge to protect what is around them, causing a breakdown of civil niceties. This apathy causes people to find comfort in their virtual worlds with thousands of 'friends' and unlimited dopamine hits, leading to a sense of disconnection despite improved mental health awareness through these very screens.

Creating equal opportunities for all and making sure that people from all walks of life have room for growth can narrow the gap between different sections of society. Dr Roy Abraham Kallivayalil, a professor of psychiatry at Pushpagiri Institute of Medical Sciences in Thiruvalla, Kerala, told THE WEEK, "Communities should be inclusive and government policies should include specific measures to take care of migrants, refugees and the poor. Vulnerable sections of the society like the elderly, the children, adolescents and women should be specially looked after."

He also focused on certain social aspects that need to be focused on to improve the mental health of people and said, "Poor education, unemployment and poverty are important social determinants of health and mental health. Hence, there should be opportunities for good education, job opportunities should be equitable, and poverty alleviation measures should be firmly in place."

Organisations and institutions in the city are also responsible for the well-being of its people. Implementing programs that increase mental health and fostering a work culture that values increasing mental well-being is a necessity. Having community events and adopting inclusive policies to accommodate everyone can go a long way in promoting a sense of belonging.

While urban dwellers are more aware and open about mental well-being, Dr Jayanti Sundar Rajan, a counsellor at Infosys Hyderabad, told THE WEEK that people in cities also do have a stigma surrounding conversations of mental health.

Systemic changes are necessary but there are some strategies that individuals can incorporate to improve their mental health. Dr Jayanti says she advocates a four-pronged 'M' approach to improve mental health: Movement, Mastery, Mindfulness, and Meaningful social connections. It involves breaking free from your comfort zone through physical and mental movement, keeping the mind active through mastering new skills, practising mindfulness to stay present, and prioritising real-world interactions to build stronger social connections.

Cities bring economic growth and unfathomable opportunities to people. But its cost to mental health should not be disregarded. Proper implementation of solutions at various levels can help create places that bring prosperity without compromising mental health. With planned urbanisation, we can prevent a crashing burnout.
The BJP has called the reappointment of Sam Pitroda as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, weeks after he resigned from the post following controversial "racist" remarks, "an election gimmick".

The BJP took a swipe at the Congress for the move, in a post on X. "As PM Modi anticipated, the Congress' sacking of Sam Pitroda was merely an election gimmick. He has now been reinstated as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, exposing the hypocrisy of the Congress party and its leaders," the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on X.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also took a jibe at the Congress, reiterating the racist charges against Pitroda. Sharing a post on X, the Union Minister wrote, "Prime Minister Modi ji has already said! Rahul Gandhi Jis adviser who said, South Indians look like Africans, North-Eastern people look Chinese, West Indians are like Arabs & North Indian are whites, is reinstated. We are not surprised as PM @narendramodi ji had predicted."

Pitroda triggered a major controversy during the elections when his remarks on the physical appearance of Indians. During an interview, Pitroda said people of the country have "survived 75 years in a very happy environment where people could live together leaving a few fights here and there". "We could hold together a country as diverse as India -- where people on the East look like Chinese, people on the West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in the South look like Africans. It doesn't matter. We are all brothers and sisters," said Pitroda during the interview.

However, the remarks triggered a row with the BJP calling it a shocking, despicable and disgusting comment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an election rally in Telangana, too slammed Pitroda for "abusing several people of the country on the basis of their skin colour."

Before that, Pitroda's reference to inheritance tax in the United States while discussing the Congress' Lok Sabha poll manifesto gave the ruling BJP a potent handle to accuse the opposition party of eying citizens' assets as part of its "redistribution of wealth" policy.

The Congress, after issuing a statement reappointing Pitroda, said the latter had clarified the context in which the controversial statements were made. "During the recent election campaign, Sam Pitroda had made some statements and comments that were totally unacceptable to the Indian National Congress. By mutual consent, he stepped down as Chairman of the Overseas Indian Congress.

"Subsequently he clarified the context in which statements were made and how they were later distorted by the Modi campaign. The Congress President has reappointed him on the assurance that he will not in future leave room for such controversies to arise," Ramesh said in a post on X.

Pitroda is considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and had been an advisor to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Often seen accompanying Rahul during his foreign visits, Pitroda has also arranged several interactions with Gandhi with students of foreign universities in the UK, the UAE and the US.
The CBI team, investigating the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance test NEET, will interrogate the principal of a school in Jharkhand in connection with the question paper leak on Thursday too. Oasis School principal Dr Ehsanul Haque was the district coordinator of the NEET-UG exam in Hazaribag district.

The 12-member CBI team, which reached Hazaribag on Tuesday evening, took Haque to a Charhi-based guest house in Hazaribag where he and a few other persons were reportedly quizzed till late evening on Wednesday. The CBI team was seen with Haque on Thursday too.



#WATCH | NEET paper row | Hazaribagh, Jharkhand: CBI team takes Ahsanul Haque, the principal of Oasis School with them as part of their investigation. pic.twitter.com/TSFDXm1qQF  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Though the investigation team did not divulge details, Haque denied reports of tampering with question papers and termed the allegations as baseless. A three-member probe team of the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of Bihar Police had earlier visited the school and inquired about the conduct of the test and the mechanism to open digital locks of question paper boxes.



The team also visited the main branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) in the district, as the manager of the bank was reportedly the custodian of the question papers. The bank had reportedly received the question papers sent by a courier service operator in an e-rickshaw, PTI quoted sources as saying.



Meanwhile, a special CBI court in Patna sent two persons accused of leaking NEET-UG question paper to three-day CBI custody. The two alleged 'exam mafias' -- Mukesh Kumar and Chintu -- are facing charges of leaking the question paper for NEET-UG conducted on May 5. A probe conducted by the EOU of the Bihar Police revealed that Chintu received the question paper on his mobile phone.



The CBI will now question the duo to find out how they received the question paper in advance and how many aspirants were made to memorise the answers before the entrance test was held on May 5.



EOU probe has revealed that Chintu is married to the sister of Sanjeev Mukhiya, one of the main accused in the case. The police have recovered 20 ATM cards, 21 blank cheques, and Rs 50,000 cash from Chintu's possession.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday arrested two persons from Patna in connection with the probe into alleged irregularities in conducting NEET-UG examinations.



The central agency arrested Manish Prakash and Ashutosh from Patna, for their alleged involvement in the NEET question paper leak in Bihar. Allegedly, two dozen students got access to the leaked question paper through them.

CBI officials in the know of the development told NDTV that Manish Kumar facilitated the transportation of students in his car and allegedly also arranged an empty school where at least two dozen students were given the leaked paper and they memorised it. Ashutosh allegedly provided accommodation for the students at his residence.

According to officials, the duo were arrested after they were summoned for questioning. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has decided to hand over all NEET-related probe in the state to the CBI.
High drama unfolded at the National Testing Agencys office in Delhi after members of the Congresss student wing stormed the building and demanded its closure over the alleged irregularities in NEET-UG exam.

Raising slogans of "shut down NTA", scores of National Students Union of India (NSUI) members barged inside the testing agency's office in Okhla.

Earlier in the day, the Youth Congress had staged a protest near Parliament over the exam irregularities as President Droupadi Murmu addressed a joint session.

Several IYC members also held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar, raising slogans and carrying placards.

In her address, Murmu had said the government is taking strict measures to prevent question paper leaks in the future. Whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment there should be no reason for any hindrance. This process requires complete transparency and probity, she had said.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

CBI makes first arrests

The Central Bureau of Investigation which is probing the case arrested two persons from Patna on Thursday. According to officials, Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination where they were given leaked papers and answer keys.

The CBI has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.
The opposition is all set to raise the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam in parliament on Friday even as protests continue across the country.

The decision came at a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders held at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges residence on Thursday.

"We will give notices (in Parliament) on the NEET issue tomorrow," DMK MP Tiruchi Siva told news agency ANI.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said several issues were discussed at todays meeting, and all of them would be raised in parliament. He said the INDIA bloc leaders have also decided to participate in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Presidents address from Monday.

The opposition coalition leaders have maintained that if the NEET issue is not taken up for discussion on Friday, they would stage a protest inside the house.

"The opposition will be in attacking mode, Jairam Ramesh was quoted as saying by NDTV. "The mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a personal, political and moral defeat of the prime minister. The opposition will remind him of this every day.

Meanwhile, the protests over the alleged exam irregularities mounted on Thursday with scores of members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, barging into the National Testing Agency office in Delhi.

The protesters, led by NSUI national president Varun Choudhary, locked the office doors and raised slogans of shut down NTA.

"Apparently, the NTA locked the door from inside as students were protesting. Subsequently, the protesters also locked the door from outside with an iron chain and lock," a police officer told PTI.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks in states such as Bihar, besides other irregularities.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the case, arrested two persons from Patna on Thursday. According to officials, Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination where they were given leaked papers and answer keys.

The CBI has registered six FIRs in the NEET paper leak case.
President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. This would be her first address at the 18th Lok Sabha.

The President will also unveil the priorities of the newly-elected government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per the norm which mandates the President address a joint sitting of both Houses in the first session of the Parliament every year.



Murmu, who will reach the Parliament in a procession from the Rashtrapati Bhawan, will receive a grand welcome. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive her along with presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha at the Gaja Dwar of the Parliament building.



She will be escorted to the Lower House chamber with the traditional sceptre 'Sengol' in the lead.



In her speech, Murmu will outline the steps taken by the government the previous year and spell out priorities for the upcoming year. She will provide an overview of the Modi government's policies over the past 10 years, covering achievements in various sectors such as economy, defence, healthcare, education, and social welfare, among others.



After the speech, the ruling party will move a motion of thanks in both Houses of the Parliament which will be debated by members. Prime Minister Modi is likely to reply to the debate on the motion of thanks on July 2-3.



AAP to boycott address

The Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the President's address, said MP Sandeep Pathak. He told reporters on Thursday morning that the party will protest in the Rajya Sabha against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. "The President and the Constitution are supreme and when dictatorship is done in the name of justice, it is important to raise our voices. We did not have a discussion with the remaining parties of the INDIA alliance regarding this but our party will boycott the President's address," Pathak added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday announced a state-of-the-art international airport will be constructed in industrial town Hosur, a district bordering Bengaluru.



Making the announcement under Rule 110 in the state assembly, the chief minister said the government considers the aviation facility important for the economic and social development of Hosur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.

Hosur has been attracting more investments in the electronics and electric vehicle manufacturing sector for the last few years. For its part, the state government was implementing various projects aimed at improving the infrastructure in the rapidly growing city of Hosur. Accordingly, a new master plan for Hosur is nearing completion, he said.

The new international airport will be built over an area of 2,000 acres of land and will have a capacity to handle 30 million passengers a year.

The chief minister also announced a modern library-cum-knowledge centre will be built in Tiruchirappalli and it will be named after late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

With the Bengaluru traffic making travel to the Kempegowda International Airport difficult, the new airport will also cater to travellers from South Bengaluru. EV vehicle giants like Ola, Ather, Simple Energy, and TVS motor company have their manufacturing facilities in Hosur. The industrial town is also home to Tata Electronics, a key supplier of tech giant Apple.

-with inputs from PTI.
Off late there have been talks about Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, two accomplished NASA astronauts, who are currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and awaiting their return to earth. Originally scheduled to depart on June 13, their mission has been indefinitely postponed due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that transported them to the ISS.

The delay is attributed to a series of helium leaks and thruster problems detected on the Starliner. NASA and Boeing engineers are diligently working to resolve these challenges and ensure the safe return of the astronauts. While the mission has faced setbacks, NASA has emphasised that Williams and Wilmore are not 'stranded' and can undock from the ISS and return to Earth whenever necessary.

But only time will tell as to when and how both the astronauts return to Earth. NASA is taking a cautious approach, allowing mission teams ample time to thoroughly review the spacecraft's propulsion system data before authorising the return. This decision reflects the agency's commitment to prioritising the safety and well-being of the astronauts.

The challenges faced by the Starliner are not unprecedented in the history of space exploration. Previous missions, such as the Apollo 13 incident in 1970, have also encountered unexpected obstacles, requiring astronauts and ground crews to demonstrate resilience and ingenuity. The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Gaganyaan mission has also faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the current setbacks, NASA and Boeing remain dedicated to the successful completion of the Starliner's inaugural crewed mission. This mission is a crucial step in the agency's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to establish reliable and cost-effective access to the ISS for American astronauts, remarked Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India, which is into design, fabrication and launch of small satellites, spacecraft and ground systems.

However, there is no denying the fact that Boeings first manned flight of its Starliner spacecraft did not go as planned. Despite claiming they were prepared after years of testing, the spacecraft encountered problems and had to remain docked to the International Space Station (ISS). The issues include helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters in the propulsion system. Consequently, the spacecrafts return to Earth has been postponed indefinitely while the team works on fixing the glitches.

Ensuring the safe return of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore is NASAs main priority. However, the recent technical delays faced by Boeings Starliner spacecraft raise concerns about the future of the programme and the companys involvement in space missions. Boeings prime concern is to prove it can safely transport mission crew and overcome the technical snags afflicting both the spacecraft and the companys commercial aviation division, pointed out space expert Girish Linganna.

After the mission is over, NASA and Boeing will need to go through a thorough certification process in order to use the Starliner spacecraft for regular crew rotation missions. This will involve flying a full crew of four astronauts for extended stays on the ISS. Once certified, the Starliner will join SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft as a transportation system for NASA.

NASA is keen on having two reliable systems for transporting astronauts to the space station, as it provides a backup in case one system encounters any issues. This is all part of a $4.2-billion contract that NASA awarded to Boeing 10 years ago and they are eager to see the Starliner fulfil its role in space exploration. Boeing has faced numerous challenges, including an expensive failed test flight in 2019. Currently, the company is focused on launching the Starliner for regular crewed missions that are vital for Boeing to recover from significant financial losses and begin generating revenue, added Linganna.

As per media reports, Wayne Hale, a former director of NASAs space shuttle program, has observed that Boeing was carefully evaluating the situation and would not risk astronaut safety. Securing post-certification missions is critical for both Boeing and SpaceX, as these missions are essential for their financial recovery and profitability. The success of the Starliner programme is crucial for determining Boeings financial future.

The Starliner spacecraft has encountered multiple challenges related to small helium leaks, which have caused significant delays in its launch and return. Initially, NASA and Boeing attributed the leaks to a faulty seal. But later, they admitted to being unsure about the exact cause. The teams are also investigating the sudden failure of five of the spacecrafts thrusters during its approach to the space station on June 6. This unexpected event compelled NASA to request Boeing to manoeuvre the vehicle backward and reactivate the thrusters to bring them back online.

The situation is more complicated because the helium and thruster issues are in Starliners service module. This part of the spacecraft provides most of its engine power. Before the spacecraft returns to the Earth, the service module is detached and burns up in the atmosphere. Engineers want to figure out the problems while they still have access to the hardware, explained Linganna.

Originally, the Starliner was scheduled to return home on June 18, but NASA moved that date to June 26. However, on June 21, NASA delayed the return once again to some time in July. They have cited the need for more time to address issues with the spacecrafts propulsion system.

NASA has stated that there is no urgency to bring the astronauts back home and that the helium leaks do not pose a risk to their return. Despite some propulsion system problems, four of the five thrusters are now functioning normally out of the 28 on board, providing enough failover options. The spacecraft has the ability to stay docked in space for up to 45 days, giving the crew enough time to troubleshoot the issues. Both NASA and Boeing have held out the assurance that the Starliner will remain in good condition and can be used in case of an emergency on the space station to safely transport the astronauts back to Earth.

Steve Stich, who manages NASAs Commercial Crew Program, has told the media that they were proceeding carefully and adhering to their standard procedures and has said the team was prioritising data-driven decisions when addressing the issues with the small helium system leaks and thruster performance observed during the rendezvous and docking process. Resolution of these problems is crucial for ensuring successful certification, according to officials. According to Stich, the whole team is trying to figure out what is going on with this vehicle for the crewed flight test and planning its return. Later on NASA is planning to review all the tasks that lie ahead once this vehicle returns with the crew.

Boeing and NASA are gathering a lot of data on their systems to prepare for their work. They have already tested the thrusters while the spacecraft was attached to the space station. Now, they are using simulators on the ground to explore different scenarios. This helps them find and fix issues to make sure the spacecraft is safe. Safety is the top priority, especially with the memory of the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, where astronaut Kalpana Chawla and her crew lost their lives when the shuttle broke apart during re-entry.

As the space community closely follows this unfolding saga, it serves as a testament to the perseverance and innovation that define the pursuit of human spaceflight. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's extended stay on the ISS is a testament to their expertise and the resilience of the space program, as they patiently await their safe return to Earth. At the same time it has been reported that Williams and Wilmore are also eager to stay in orbit. Williams last went to space in 2012 and Wilmore in 2015.
On Wednesday, hundreds of troops and armoured vehicles took position outside Bolivias government palace in an attempted coup led by a top general who vowed to "restore democracy." Over 12 million Bolivians watched as one armoured vehicle smashed down the main gate of the presidential palace, allowing soldiers to enter.

But President Luis Arce immediately took control of the situation, ordering the troops to stand down. Arce directly addressed the general commander of the army  Juan Jose Zuniga, who appeared to be leading the rebellion. "I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination."

Soon the soldiers began pulling back, along with a line of military vehicles, ending the rebellion. Gen Zuniga was arrested after the attorney general opened an investigation. Besides Zuniga, former Navy Vice Adm. Juan Arnez Salvador was also taken into custody. Both men were dismissed by President Luis Arce and replaced after the uprising began.

Bolivian President Luis Arce waves a Bolivian flag at the balcony of the Government Palace in La Paz | AFP

Arce also swore in Jos Wilson Sanchez as the military commander, Zuniga's former role. He called for calm and order to be restored. "I order that all personnel mobilized on the streets return to their units," Sanchez said. "We entreat that the blood of our soldiers not be spilt."

As pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets in support of the government, the President gave a televised speech, calling on the public to "organise and mobilise... in favour of democracy". "We cannot allow once again coup attempts to take Bolivian lives," he said.

Gen Zuniga's exact motivations for launching the coup remain unclear though he came openly to the public condemning Bolivia's former president, Evo Morales, during an interview the previous day. Gen Zuniga said he would arrest Mr Morales if he ran for office again next year. Mr Morales was forced out of office in 2019 by military chiefs who said he was trying to manipulate the result of a presidential election, sending him into exile in Mexico.

Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo said the groups goal was to overturn the democratically-elected authority. Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo said everything is now under control. Surrounded by the new military chiefs appointed by Arce, Novillo said that Bolivia lived a "failed coup."

The coup attempt came as Bolivia faced months of tensions and political fights between Arce and Morales, who was his one-time ally. The country also faces an economic crisis.

Though Arce and Morales do not see eye to eye, both are vehemently united against military takeovers of democratically elected governments. Before Morales took power in 2005, Bolivia was one of the most politically volatile nations in the Americas and had brought much-needed stability to the nation.

However, in 2019, Morales tried to bypass the constitution and seek a fourth term. He went on to win the vote, but he was forced to resign and flee the country after violent protests.

While centre-right Jeanine Anez took over as the country's interim leader between 2019-20, she too ended up in jail over a coup charge. The incumbent president, Mr Arce, went on to win a re-run vote in 2020.

Morales react

Morales, head of the ruling MAS socialist party, said that his supporters would mobilize in support of democracy. "We will not allow the armed forces to violate democracy and intimidate people," Morales said.
Earlier this week, Juan Jose Zuniga Macias, a top Army Commander of Bolivia, launched a series of political attacks against former President Evo Morales after the latter declared his intention to challenge incumbent President Luis Arce in 2025. The next thing we know is that Zuniga has been arrested after an attempted coup under his leadership failed in La Paz.



According to media reports, Zuniga declared that he would not permit the Constitution to "be trampled." Who is the military leader who has been arrested after his effort to overthrow the left-leaning Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) government of Bolivia failed? Here are five things to know about Juan Jose Zuniga, who now risks being locked up for two decades as a consequence of his actions.

1. It was in November 2022 that President Luis Arce appointed Juan Jose Zuniga Macias as the General Commander of the Bolivian Army. Interestingly, Bolivia witnessed top military brass undergoing a shuffle but the government let Jose Zuniga keep his position.

2. General Jose Zuniga Macias is a career military officer who had held high ranks including Brigadier General and Chief of the General Staff in the Bolivian Army. However, he was best known for intelligence skills, TIME reported quoting local news sites.

3. Jose Zuniga was close to Bolivia's civil groups, earning the reputation of the peoples General. This was because of his ties with trade unions and social movements, reports said.

READ HERE | Bolivia: How a coup attempt to overthrow President Luis Arce failed

4. However, the Army officer's career was not clean. He was allegedly involved in drug trafficking and even served a week in prison in 2013 for misappropriating about $400,000 while heading an infantry regiment, the TIME report said.

5. Commander Jose Zuniga was accused of creating divisions within the Bolivian Army. His divisional activities were first called out by the country's President Evo Morales in 2022. The officer was the heading Pachajchos, a secret but powerful group within the army, Morales claimed. Pachajchos kept a close eye on the activities of Bolivia's political leadership and coca production, allegations that Zuniga later declined while admitting the existence of the unofficial group within the Army ranks. According to him, Pachajchos existed for intelligence-related duties and it was not just high-ranking officials of the force that were admitted to it.

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Interview/K. Ganesh, serial entrepreneur

K. Ganesh is a serial entrepreneur and partner in GrowthStory.ina venture builder platform that incubates and promotes new ventures and entrepreneurs. He is also promoter and founder director at BigBasket, Portea Medical, BlueStone, HomeLane and other technology companies. He is a former member of the board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, an adjunct professor at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and a visiting faculty at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. An alumni of IIMC and the University of Delhi, he has received the distinguished alumnus award from both institutions. He spoke to THE WEEK about where higher education in the country stands today and what the future could be. Excerpts:

Higher education in India has several challenges.

The quality of education is highly skewed. There is no doubt that top institutions are world-class and can compete with the best universities globally, but they serve only a minuscule portion of the population. Access and admission to top institutes is highly competitive and often requires dedicated test preparation, which only the affluent can afford. Consequently, top-quality education becomes accessible primarily to the well-off, leaving poor students at a disadvantage. However, government initiatives like SWAYAM aim to democratise access to education by offering free courses taught by faculty from top institutions. Students can obtain certificates and transferable credits approved by the UGC for a small fee. IIMB has recently introduced an online BBA programme in digital business and entrepreneurship, allowing students anywhere in the country to graduate without relocating.

What can be done to enhance research and innovation?

Many of the famed universities in the US and Europe are supported by endowments and philanthropic capital. This trend is gaining traction in India as well, for instance the Centre for Brain Research at IISc Bangalore funded by Kris Gopalakrishnan and other philanthropic donors, is an exemplary initiative addressing neurodegenerative diseases.

Where do you see the future of higher education in India?

The higher education sector in India stands at a critical juncture, with the potential to transform the nations socioeconomic landscape. By addressing existing challenges and implementing strategic reforms, India can enhance the quality and attractiveness of its higher education system. Fostering excellence, innovation, and inclusivity will not only prepare Indian youth for global employment but also position India as a hub of world-class education. A collaborative effort involving policymakers, educators, industry leaders and students will be essential to realise the vision of a vibrant and competitive higher education ecosystem.
Agartala, Jun 27 (PTI) Over 80,000 farmers in Tripura who have been affected by natural disasters will be given financial assistance amounting to Rs 23.61 crore, state Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath said.

A total of 58,200 farmers were affected in November last year, while 20,078 farmers were affected in December last year.

In May, another spell of disaster affected 2,134 farmers, he said.

"The Agriculture Department after carrying out an extensive survey, submitted a report before the Revenue Department seeking Rs 14.58 crore to compensate the affected farmers. The Horticulture Department also separately conducted surveys," Nath said.

"The government has sanctioned a total of Rs 23.61 crore, excluding Rs 44.60 lakh to be given under the Fasal Bima Yojana. The compensation will be given to the farmers at a programme in Julaibari on July 4," he added.

The government will pay an assistance of Rs 8,500 per hectare, Nath said.

The farmers will also separately get compensated under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana and that money will be credited within 15 days, he said.
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal on Thursday met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and made various demands, including a special package and allowing higher borrowings for the state.

A detailed memorandum about the state's demands was submitted to Sitharaman.

In the memorandum, he said that Kerala is on the path of fiscal consolidation but is facing a serious financial crunch due to the scarcity in central transfers and borrowing constraints.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Balagopal said it was a courtesy meeting after Sitharaman took charge as the finance minister post elections.

According to him, Kerala has a very good record of fiscal consolidation.

The state has demanded a special package of at least Rs 24,000 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25 to tide over the current liquidity stress by scheduling it over a period of two years from 2024-25.

Another demand is for special assistance for the Vizhinjam International SeaPort Ltd (VISL).

"Apart from direct investment from the Union government, we urgently need a special capital investment support of Rs 5,000 crore to fulfil our obligations in developing the Vizhinjam port region. We also request another Rs 5,000 crore to finance certain other infrastructure projects, such as the 'Tunnel Road link between Calicut and Wayanad'," the memorandum said.

As per the memorandum, the state will lose about Rs 4,710 crore in this and next financial year and this is due to the introduction of a new measure by the central government in retrospective effect to cut the borrowing limits of KIIFB and pension company.

"We have requested several times to reconsider this and stop cutting this amount from the borrowing limit at least for this financial year and the next financial year. Hence, permission may be granted to borrow Rs 4,710 crore each during the current financial year and the next financial year over and above the borrowing ceiling being fixed for these two years," the memorandum said.
BENGALURU, India, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric vehicle manufacturer River, announces new investors. Global trading companies Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Marubeni Ventures Inc., a corporate venture capital of Marubeni Corporation, invest in River's Series B round. The participation of these companies further solidifies River's position as a rising industry leader.



Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Marubeni Corporation, renowned Japanese trading companies have recognized River's unique approach and potential to revolutionize the electric scooter market. This collaboration underscores their commitment to supporting and expanding their footprint in the electric vehicle industry.



River's journey began with the development of its maiden product, the Indie in 2021. Soon after, the company set up a 1.2 lac sq. ft. manufacturing facility with a production capacity of 1 lac units per year. Earlier this year, River marked a significant milestone in its expansion plans starting with its first store in Bengaluru followed by expansion across India. By year end, the brand plans to have a presence in 50+ cities in the country.



Aravind Mani, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of River, stated, "It's a pleasure to welcome Mitsui and Marubeni to our cap table of global investors. This partnership further solidifies River's position in the Indian two-wheeler market and paves a path for our global expansion."



Daishi Mochizuki, General Manager of Personal Mobility Business Dept, Mobility & Industrial Business Div, Mobility Business Unit I of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. additionally stated, "We are highly impressed with River's potential in the Indian two-wheeler market. Their agility and efficiency of the development process from concept to commercialization of the product is commendable. Indie in India is just the beginning, we believe River will become a global brand and are pleased to be a part of their journey."



Rocky Eda, Managing Director of Marubeni Ventures Inc. said, "We are excited to invest in India's fast-growing startup ecosystem through River. River's unique capabilities stand out and make them an ideal partner for us. Through this investment, we are committed to the Indian EV scooter market and look forward to observing the consumer behaviour of the younger generation that will support the explosive growth of the Indian economy."



Since its inception, River has raised $68 Million from esteemed global investors. Apart from Mitsui & Co., Ltd, River is the first Indian investment of all its investors - Japan's Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Marubeni Ventures Inc., Dubai based conglomerate Al-Futtaim Automotive, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, Tel Aviv based Maniv Mobility and San Francisco based Trucks VC.



About River:



River is an electric vehicle (EV) startup based in Bengaluru. With an emphasis on design and technology, River builds products that make a positive impact on the everyday lives of people. Founded in March 2021 by Aravind Mani and Vipin George, River is backed by marquee investors such as Japan-based Yamaha Motor Corporation, Mitsui & Co.,Ltd., Marubeni Ventures Inc., Dubai based Al Futtaim group, Chris Sacca's Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, Maniv Mobility, and Trucks VC.



Website: https://www.rideriver.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rideriver/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rideriver.in/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rideriver

Twitter: https://twitter.com/worldofriver?lang=en



Media Contact:

Srishti Singh, River

srishti@rideriver.com

+91-96111 57696



About Mitsui & Co., Ltd.



Mitsui & Co. is a global trading and investment company with a presence in more than 60 countries and a diverse business portfolio covering a wide range of industries. The company identifies, develops, and grows its businesses in partnership with a global network of trusted partners including world leading companies, combining its geographic and cross-industry strengths to create long-term sustainable value for its stakeholders.



Mitsui has set three key strategic initiatives for its current Medium-term Management Plan: supporting industries to grow and evolve with stable supplies of resources and materials, and providing infrastructure; promoting a global transition to low-carbon and renewable energy; and empowering people to lead healthy lives through the delivery of quality healthcare and access to good nutrition.



For more information, please visit: https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/



About Marubeni Ventures Inc.



Marubeni Ventures was established in 2019 as the corporate venture capital (CVC) of Marubeni Corporation. It aims to create new value for society by investing globally in startup companies with innovative technologies and services that may lead to new businesses for the Marubeni Group in the future.



For more information, please visit: https://www.marubeni-ventures.com/en/ and https://www.marubeni.com/en/



Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2337239/4537175/River_Logo.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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With this strategic partnership, BOULT aims to engage millions of fans and become the ultimate companion for music enthusiasts



The latest products are exclusively available on Amazon, Flipkart, and www.boultaudio.com at a special introductory price of INR 1,299



NEW DELHI, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BOULT, India's Number #1 rated audio brand, proudly unveils an exhilarating partnership with Ford Mustang, one of the most iconic names in automotive history. This partnership marks a significant milestone for BOULT as it merges cutting-edge audio technology with the timeless design ethos of Mustang.



The latest product line, including Torq, Dash, and Derby Black, draws inspiration from the bold and dynamic aesthetic of Ford Mustang. These state-of-the-art earbuds combine Mustang's legendary design heritage with BOULT's renowned audio expertise to deliver an unparalleled listening experience.



Introducing, the latest line of BOULT earbuds, designed to redefine the audio experience with avant-garde features. Enjoy up to 100 hours of uninterrupted playtime, dual device pairing for seamless connectivity (exclusive to Derby and Dash), boult amp app support and Bluetooth 5.4 with Blink & Pair for swift pairing. Lightning Boult fast charging ensures quick recharges, while ZEN Quad Mic ENC technology guarantees crystal-clear voice quality in any environment.



Experience enhanced bass and immersive sound with 13mm drivers powered by BoomX Technology, and ultra-low latency for optimal gaming performance with 45ms ultra-low latency Combat Gaming Mode. Proudly crafted in India these earbuds are IPX5 water-resistant, making them ideal for active lifestyles. Intuitive touch controls and voice assistant integration further enhance usability, ensuring a premium audio experience for all users.



BOULT's partnership with Mustang embodies the perfect synergy of innovation and iconic design, catering to both audio enthusiasts and style-conscious consumers. BOULT and Mustang share the belief that design, technology, and speed are the cornerstones of every product they create, forming the ethos of this partnership.



All three earbuds in our new product lineTorq, Dash, and Derby Blackproudly carry the inherent Mustang design language, embodying the powerful Mustang DNA. This distinct design ethos infuses each earbud with the dynamic and robust qualities synonymous with the Mustang brand, ensuring that users not only experience superior audio performance but also enjoy a product that exudes style, strength, and sophistication. Whether it's the sleek lines, the bold accents, or the attention to detail, these earbuds are a testament to the legendary Mustang heritage, making a statement both in form and function.



Please click here to access the product images.



"We are absolutely thrilled about our collaboration with Mustang to introduce this exclusive product line to the market," expressed Varun Gupta, Co-founder at BOULT."This partnership truly underscores our unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of audio technology, all while paying homage to Mustang's esteemed legacy of excellence. The opportunity to join forces with a company of Mustang's calibre, renowned for its technical expertise and global experience, promises to significantly enhance our capabilities and elevate our offerings to new heights. At BOULT, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to continuously introducing new product categories and pioneering designs that resonate deeply with our consumers."



Price & Availability:



Torq, Dash, and Derby Black are now offered at introductory prices of INR 1,299. These can be purchased on Amazon, Flipkart, and our official website, www.boultaudio.com at MRP of INR 5,999.



About BOULT



BOULT is rated as India's No. 1 audio brand that designs and manufactures innovative hearable and wearable products. The brand's product portfolio includes headphones, speakers, smartwatches, soundbars, and other categories of earphones like wireless, Bluetooth, in-ear, and more. BOULT was founded in June 2017 by two brothers, Varun and Tarun Gupta. BOULT is the 2nd largest audio company in India selling a product every 5 seconds. BOULT is the only consumer electronics brand in the country with its own design studio, where they conceptualize and meticulously design every product to build masterpieces that are best-sellers on every recognized e-commerce platform in the country, including their own website - www.boultaudio.com.



For further inquiries or media-related information, feel free to reach out to us at BOULT - PR@boultaudio.com and boult@prpundit.com.



Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BOULTaudio/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/BOULTOfficial

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/BOULTAudio/



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2449768/MustangKVBOULT.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Mumbai, Jun 27 (PTI) Benchmark indices declined in early trade on Thursday tracking weak trends from Asian markets and foreign fund outflows.

The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 149.41 points to 78,524.84 after hitting a new all-time high of 78,771.64 in early trade. The Nifty dipped 47.45 points to 23,821.35.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, HCL Technologies, Maruti, Bharti Airtel, Tata Consultancy Services and Nestle were the biggest laggards.

UltraTech Cement, JSW Steel, Tata Steel and Reliance Industries were among the gainers.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading lower.

US markets ended in the positive territory on Wednesday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,535.43 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.21 per cent to USD 85.07 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 620.73 points or 0.80 per cent to settle at a new closing peak of 78,674.25 on Wednesday. During the day, it rallied 705.88 points or 0.90 per cent to hit a fresh all-time high of 78,759.40.

The Nifty went up by 147.50 points or 0.62 per cent to settle at a record closing peak of 23,868.80. Intra-day, it surged 168.6 points or 0.71 per cent to hit the fresh lifetime high of 23,889.90.
Lucknow, Jun 27 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh has improved its rank from sixth place in 2017 to become second in the country's economy and topped in providing jobs in the past seven years, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday.

The state has more than 90 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises, and small entrepreneurs have played an important role in advancing the state's economy, Adityanath said addressing a programme on the MSME Day at Lok Bhawan here.

"In 2017, the state was the sixth largest economy but now it is in second place. This is the reason why UP is in the first position today in terms of providing employment," the chief minister said.

He further said that after agriculture, MSME is the biggest sector of employment generation. "As a result of continuous efforts made since 2017, our MSME industry has become the backbone of the development of the state."

The chief minister said that till 2017, there was frustration and disappointment among MSME entrepreneurs and the state was lagging in economy and employment.

"Today entrepreneurs are going to get a loan facility of more than Rs 20,000 crore. We have taken a long leap in branding, marketing and showcasing of MSME units," he added.

The chief minister said that his government has created a better environment for investment in the state.

"The rule of law and security system has been strengthened. These factors are very important for industries, and along with this MSMEs are also necessary for the industrial environment," he said.

A defence corridor is also being built in the state to make the country self-reliant in defence production, he said, adding, "so far we have implemented an investment of Rs 24,000 crore in the defence corridor here".

He also said that like last year, an international trade show will be organised in September.

Last year, 70,000 buyers came to the trade show. This year, the number of buyers will increase further and the state will get better opportunities to market local products, he added.
Chandigarh, Jun 27 (PTI) Farmers can apply from July 1 for increased power load on their agricultural tubewells, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Thursday citing the decision of the state Cabinet.

The move is aimed at supporting the welfare of farmers across the state, he said after chairing a meeting of the state Cabinet.

Farmers who want to increase power loads on their agricultural tubewells can apply on the designated portal from July 1 to July 15, he said.

The Cabinet has also decided that those farmers who have to re-bore their tubewells will be allowed to get electricity supply on the earlier connection without any new conditions being imposed.

Saini said in all there were 19 items on the Cabinet agenda and all have been approved.

Giving details about other decisions, an official statement said the Cabinet has also approved Haryana government's 'Appointment of Contractual Faculty Members in Government Medical, Dental, and Nursing Colleges Policy 2023'.

This policy aims to expand healthcare education as the state is opening new medical colleges, thereby strengthening the state's educational infrastructure.

It addresses the immediate shortage of qualified faculty members in these institutions while ensuring compliance with staffing norms set by central regulatory authorities such as the National Medical Commission (NMC), Dental Council of India (DCI), and Indian Nursing Council (INC).

Additionally, the policy focuses on maintaining appropriate student-to-teacher ratios to ensure quality education. By recruiting skilled professionals on a contractual basis, this initiative seeks to meet both the immediate and long-term healthcare needs of Haryana, the statement said.

The Cabinet also approved the enhancement of the sale limit for non-judicial and court fee stamps by licensed stamp vendors from the existing Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per case. This decision aims to address the long-standing demands of the Stamp Vendors Association and to facilitate the general public, it said.

In another decision, the Cabinet granted approval to transfer land measuring over nine acres for Gurudwara Chilla Sahib at Sirsa and allot this land by way of gift (without any stamp duty/registry fee) keeping in view the historical importance of the Gurdwara.

The Cabinet also accorded ex-post facto approval for providing government jobs to sisters of two martyrs -- Sepoy Satyawan and Captain Kapil Kundu.

Manju Rani, sister of Satyawan, has been provided government employment on the post of clerk in Elementary Education Department against a vacant post and Kajal Kundu, sister of Capt Kapil Kundu, on the post of Assistant Employment Officer (Group-B) in the Employment Department.

The state government has a policy for providing employment on compassionate ground to dependents of armed forces and paramilitary forces martyrs with Haryana domicile.
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) The first budget of the newly-formed NDA government next month will take "many historic steps" as well as accelerate the pace of economic reforms and lay a roadmap for 'far-reaching policies' and 'futuristic vision' of the government to make India the world's third largest economy, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday.

In her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament since the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, she outlined the economic vision of the NDA government as well as highlighted achievements in the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A stable government with clear majority is "a mandate that the work of making India a developed nation continues uninterrupted and India attains its goals", she said.

The new government under Modi is to present a full Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025) next month which is likely to lay down priorities in matters of taxation and policy as well as reform agenda for the near term.

"This budget will be an effective document of the government's far-reaching policies and futuristic vision," she said.

"Along with major economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget," she said without elaborating.

"The pace of reforms will be further accelerated in tune with the aspirations of people of India for rapid development," she said.

With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retaining power for a third consecutive term, analysts are expecting broad policy continuity, with the government continuing to prioritise infrastructure capex, improvements to the business environment, and gradual fiscal consolidation.

The President said the resolve to 'reform, perform and transform' has made India the fastest growing economy in the world and the nation has risen to become the 5th largest economy from being the 11th ranked economy.

From 2021 to 2024, India has grown at an average rate of 8 per cent annually.

"India has achieved this growth amidst the global pandemic and despite ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world. This has been made possible due to reforms and major decisions undertaken in the national interest in the last 10 years," she said, adding India alone is contributing 15 per cent of the global growth.

Now, the government is striving to make India the 3rd largest economy in the world, she said. "Achieving this goal will also strengthen the foundation of a developed India."

"During the phase of unstable governments in the country that lasted several decades, many governments, even if willing, were neither able to bring reforms nor take critical decisions. The people of India have now changed this situation by their decisive mandate.

"Many such reforms have taken place in the last 10 years, which are greatly benefiting the nation today. Even when these reforms were being taken up, they were opposed and attempts were made to spread negativity. But all these reforms have stood the test of time," she said.

Highlighting the reforms, she said to save India's banking sector from collapsing, the government brought banking reforms and made laws like Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code which have made the country's banking sector one of the strongest banking sectors in the world.

"Our public sector banks are robust and profitable today. Profits of public sector banks have crossed Rs 1.4 lakh crore in 2023-24, which is 35 per cent higher than last year. The strength of our banks enables them to expand their credit base and contribute to the economic development of the nation. The NPAs of public sector banks are also continuously decreasing," she said.

While SBI is earning record profits and LIC is stronger than ever, GST collections for the first time ever crossed Rs 2 lakh crore in April.

Giving sneak purview to priorities of the government, Murmu said the government is giving equal importance to all the three pillars of the economy -- manufacturing, services and agriculture.

Production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes and ease of doing business have contributed to increasing investments and employment opportunities on a large scale.

"Along with the traditional sectors, sunrise sectors are also being promoted in mission mode. Be it semiconductor or solar, be it electric vehicles or electronic goods, be it green hydrogen or batteries, be it aircraft carriers or fighter Jets, India is expanding in all these sectors," she said.

The government is also making continuous efforts to reduce the cost of logistics. It is also strengthening the services sector.

Simultaneously, investments in green industries are being increased, leading to an increase in 'green jobs'.

Stating that India is emerging as a leader in every sector from IT to tourism and from health to wellness, she said this this is creating a large number of new opportunities for employment and self-employment.

The President said in the last 10 years, the government has placed great emphasis on every aspect of the rural economy. Agro-based industries, dairy and fishery-based industries are being expanded in villages. Cooperatives have been accorded priority.

"A major problem of small farmers is related to storage. Therefore, my government has commenced work on a scheme to create the world's largest storage capacity in the cooperative sector," she said.

Under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 3,20,000 crore have been disbursed to farmers.

Policies, she said, were focused on making India more self-reliant and increasing farmers' income through increased exports.

The President said the government believes that there should be healthy competition among the states to attract investors from all over the world.

"This is the true spirit of competitive cooperative federalism," she said. "We will continue to move ahead with the belief that the development of the country lies in the development of the states."

Outlining the policy push in the last decade, Murmu said focus on infrastructure development has seen construction of more than 3,80,000 kilometres of village roads under the PM Gram Sadak Yojana while also expanding the network of National Highways and Expressways in the country.

"The pace of construction of National Highways has more than doubled," she said.

While work on the High-Speed Rail Ecosystem between Ahmedabad and Mumbai (popularly known as Bullet Train) is also progressing at a rapid pace, the government has decided to conduct feasibility studies for bullet train corridors in the north, south and east of the country, she said, adding work on inland waterways has started on such a large scale.
Bengaluru, Jun 26 (PTI) The wife of Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who has been arrested in a murder case, on Wednesday urged his fans to stay calm and focus on doing good deeds.

Vijayalakshmi shared a fan art on her Instagram account along with a message in which she called her husband's fans "celebrities" and said that the actor was "touched" by the support he was getting.

"Call for all our celebrities. You all know how much Darshan loves you. It is sad that we are in this situation today and that we have to stay at a distance from him. I have spoken to him in detail about the situation outside and it has touched his heart," Vijayalakshmi said.

Darshan has urged all his celebrities to stay calm and focus on doing good deeds. He is sure that he will be a part of your prayers, she said.

"We have immense faith in the judicial system of our nation and am sure there will be brighter days ahead. I firmly believe that those attempting to harm Darshan through words/action during his absence will be taken care of by Mother Chamundeshwari," she said.

Vijayalakshmi urged the actor's fans to keep supporting him in these hard times, saying, "Your being calm will be our biggest strength. This too shall pass. Truth will Triumph."

A total of 17 people, including Darshan and his friend Pavithra Gowda, are accused in the alleged killing of Renukaswamy.

According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent obscene messages to Gowda, which enraged Darshan, allegedly leading to his murder. His body was found near a stormwater drain next to an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.

Darshan and the other accused are currently in judicial custody.
Dubai, Jun 27 (AP) In the waning moments of Iran's final televised presidential debate, one of the top candidates to replace the late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi invoked the name of the one person who perhaps has done more than anyone to change the trajectory of the Islamic Republic's relationship with the wider world in recent years.

The next president could be "forced to either sell Iran to Trump or spark a dangerous tension in the country if economic problems aren't solved, warned Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and a candidate in Friday's election.

President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from the Iran nuclear deal saw crushing sanctions reimposed and largely cut Tehran out of the world's economy.

That worsened the political climate within Iran, already beset by mass protests over economic problems and women's rights. An escalating series of attacks on land and at sea followed, while Tehran also began enriching uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent war on the militants in the Gaza Strip only added jet fuel to a fire now threatening to burn nearly every corner of the wider Middle East.

Iran's support of an array of militias, including Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels, and its unprecedented direct attack on Israel during the war, has made it a direct belligerent in the conflict.

What happens in both the war and with Iran's future may hinge directly on the US, denounced by the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as the Great Satan in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and still cursed at major events like a speech this week by the 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Despite the vitriol, the US has come up again and again in the campaign. Khamenei warned this week against supporting candidates who think that all ways to progress pass through America," a thinly veiled criticism of the only reformist running in the race, Masoud Pezeshkian, who has fully embraced a return to the 2015 nuclear deal.

Among the six presidential contenders, Trump has repeatedly emerged as a theme. One of them, hard-liner Amir Hossein Qazizadeh Hashemi, a current vice president, contended that if Trump wins the US presidential election we can negotiate with Trump and impose our demands on him.

That wasn't an opinion shared by Shiite cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who warned Iran should take part in talks now with the US before a second possible Trump presidency. However, his campaign also printed a side-by-side poster showing the cleric and Trump in profile, declaring: I am the one who can stand against Trump!

Hard-line candidate Saeed Jalili also mocked his competitors as being scared of Trump, vowing to fight him.

For his part, Trump has brought up Iran while campaigning in recent days. Speaking to the All In" podcast, Trump repeated that he had wanted to make a fair deal with Iran  while also trying to claim Iran's theocratic government that long has called for Israel's destruction would somehow have made a diplomatic recognition deal with Israel like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain did during his presidency.

A child could have made a deal with them  and Biden did nothing, Trump asserted.

Interestingly, President Joe Biden's name hasn't been mentioned during the Iranian election debates. Before Raisi's death in a May helicopter crash, the US under Biden had several rounds of indirect talks with Iranian officials.

While broadly criticising Iran, particularly in the wake of the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the women's rights protests that followed, the Biden administration has opened the door to Iran accessing some frozen assets abroad.

That includes a deal that saw a prisoner swap between the countries in September, less than a month before the Israel-Hamas war began.

Then there's Iran's oil sales. While technically sanctioned, Iran recently reported selling 2.5 million barrels a day  with the lion's share likely going to China, possibly at a discount.

Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who struck the nuclear deal under the relatively moderate President Hassan Rouhani and now supports the reformist candidate Pezeshkian, directly attributed those sales to the Biden administration's policies.

That the crude sales have gone up was not a work by our friends, but when Biden came power they had a policy to loosen the bolt of sanctions," said Zarif, obliquely referring to hard-liners. "Let Trump come and find out what our friends will do.

While wider talks in Vienna with world powers to restart the nuclear deal collapsed, Biden may be trying to replicate a strategy from when he was vice president under Barack Obama  quietly working indirectly with the Iranians toward a deal that later can be brought to the table.

But much of whatever US policy the Biden administration planned for the Middle East  including a possible Saudi security deal that could see Riyadh diplomatically recognize Israel  has been upended by the Israel-Hamas war.

Meanwhile, the real wildcard for Iran comes November 5 when the US holds its presidential election. Biden's re-election likely would see a continuation of the carrot-stick approach wielded so far during his term.

If Trump is re-elected, it could portend more discussions about a deal while also carrying risks. Trump in 2020 launched a drone strike killing Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani while still insisting he wanted a deal with Tehran.

A war between Israel and Lebanon  or the Houthis potentially getting a missile strike on an American warship amid their campaign  also could drastically upend calculations in both Tehran and Washington.

For now though, Iran and the US remain intertwined in tension, much like the nations have for decades. (AP) GRS

GRS
Colombo, Jun 27 (PTI) Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday left on an official visit to Beijing where he will meet Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the island nation's debt restructuring agreement with China.

China is Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender owning 52 per cent of the USD 40 billion external debt when Sri Lanka announced its sovereign default in 2022.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday announced that debt restructuring agreements were finalised with bilateral lenders, including India and China, in Paris, describing the development as a significant milestone that will bolster international trust in the cash-strapped island nation.

The debt restructuring deal entails allowing time till 2043 to repay USD 4.2 billion of Chinese loans  the bulk of which was drawn during the Rajapaksa presidency 2005-15.

On Thursday, Daily Mirror quoted sources to report that 78-year-old patriarch of the Rajapaksa dynasty's visit was on an invitation by Foreign Minister Wang to attend the commemorative events in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

The event would be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leading Communist Party of China (CPC) members.

China will hold the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Friday in Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

On the sidelines of the events, Rajapaksa will hold discussions with Premier Li and Minister Yi on areas of mutual interest and also development projects which will benefit Sri Lanka, the news portal said.

Rajapaksa will also discuss Sri Lanka's debt restructuring agreement and express his gratitude for the assistance given by China and the Exim Bank of China, it said.

Rajapaksa had steered a massive infrastructure drive by building a port and an airport and a southern highway with Chinese commercial loans. Sri Lanka was facing criticism of falling under a Chinese debt trap under Rajapaksa's presidency.

Then, in mid-April of 2022, Sri Lanka declared its first ever sovereign default since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had made external debt restructuring conditional to the USD 2.9 billion bailout package of which the third tranche was released last week.

Rajapaksa, who will return from China on July 1, becoming internationally active once again after a brief lull is also being seen with interest in the light of looming presidential elections to be held in the last quarter of this year.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishnakar had also called on Rajapaksa last week in Colombo.

Rajapaskas Sri Lanka People's Front (SLPP, known locally by its popular Sinhalese name Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna), is in disarray with several breakaways since his younger brother Gotabaya was ousted after the 2022 popular uprising over his inability to tackle the economic crisis.

The party has yet to endorse the candidacy of the incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The decision on naming the partys presidential candidate has been left in the hands of Mahinda Rajapaksa by the SLPP as he undertook the Chinese visit.
Washington, Jun 27 (PTI) The US has said it is looking forward to the results of the Indian inquiry into the allegations that an Indian official was involved in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

Gupta, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14.

"They (Indian officials) have announced that they are conducting an inquiry, and we will look forward to the results of that inquiry," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question on members of the Foreign Senate Foreign Relations Committee writing a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a strong diplomatic response on the Indian government's involvement in an alleged assassination attempt on a US citizen on US soil.

Following the allegations, India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the plot.

Miller said, "We will respond to those members privately as we always do. I won't speak to that here. But as pertains to the other issue, when this issue first arose, we made clear that we had raised it with the government of India and told them that we expected there to be a full investigation."

During a virtual media briefing on Wednesday on his and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's visit to India last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, the US has consistently pressed India for updates on the Indian investigation into the alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Pannun and made it clear that it seeks accountability in the case.

"We have had constructive dialogue with India on this topic and I would say that they have been responsive to our concerns," he said.

"We've made clear that we seek accountability from the Government of India and we have consistently asked for updates on the Indian committee of inquiry's investigations," Campbell said.

"And I would just simply say that we raised this issue directly with the Indian government...at the most senior levels between our two sides," he said.

He was replying to a question on whether the 'murder-for-hire' plot targeting Pannun was raised during meetings that he and Sullivan held with their Indian counterparts.

Responding to another question on the Lok Sabha elections in India, Miller said, "When it comes to the Indian elections, we have been quite clear on behalf of the United States government that we celebrate what was the largest exercise of democracy in the history of the world."

"It was an extraordinary achievement. And then when it comes to the outcome of the election, we obviously take no side. That's a question for the people of India to decide," Miller said.
Colombo, Jun 27 (PTI) Sri Lanka has called for payment of compensation for 17 Sri Lankans killed in action in Russia, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Russia said on Thursday.

The issue was discussed during the visit by a parliamentary delegation led by the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya to Russia that held two days of talks with the Russian authorities, a statement from the Embassy said.

The interactions centred on the 17 Sri Lankans killed in action, payment of compensation for the deceased and the wounded, the plight of the uncontactable Lankans, possibility of voluntary returns, early termination of contracts and regularisation of remuneration, it said.

The two sides agreed to carry on engagements for further resolution of the matter.

Sri Lanka said over 450 complaints of mercenaries departing to both Russia and Ukraine had been recorded.

The government blamed foreign employment agencies for carrying out a racket of people smuggling. A few retired military officers and foreign employment agency personnel are currently remanded for the racket.
Beijing, Jun 27 (PTI) Chinas ruling Communist Party headed by President Xi Jinping on Thursday expelled the former defence minister Gen. Li Shangfu for alleged corruption and launched prosecution proceedings against him, months after he was dramatically sacked from the post.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership on Thursday decided to expel Li, 66, for serious violation of Party discipline and the law, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Li, who headed the People's Liberation Army's all-important Rocket (Missile) Force and was personally picked up for the top defence post by Xi himself, went missing last year, sparking speculation that he was being investigated for corruption and indiscipline.

Li, who also formerly served as a State Councillor, the top post in the party and as a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the overall high command of the PLA headed by Xi, was deprived of his qualification as a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Li is among dozens of top PLA Generals either sacked or punished for corruption since Xi, 71, assumed power in 2012.

The CMC's disciplinary and supervisory agency launched an investigation against Li on August 31, 2023.

According to the investigation results, Li seriously violated political and organisational discipline. He sought improper benefits in personnel arrangements for himself and others, took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others, and accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in return, the Xinhua report said.

He is suspected of the crime of taking bribes. He was also found to have offered money to others to seek undue benefits, constituting the suspected crime of offering bribes. The investigation also found clues of Li's other violations, it said.

As a high-ranking official of the CPC and the military, Li betrayed the Party's original aspiration and its principles, the report said, adding that his actions failed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the CMC while severely contaminating the political environment of the equipment sector in the military and the ethics of relevant industries.

His disciplinary and law violations brought enormous damage to the Party's cause, the development of national defence and the armed forces, and the image of senior officials, it said.

Li is a Chinese aerospace engineer and headed Chinas powerful missile force, officially called Rocket Force as the General of the PLA before he was elevated as minister.

His sacking followed a major shakeup in the PLA Rocket (missile) Force in which its commander, Li Yuchao, and political commissar, Xu Zhongbo, were replaced without any official explanation.

Both their summary dismissals sent shockwaves among the Chinese officialdom besides raising questions over the process of selection of officials for key jobs by Xi.

Li was appointed as Defence Minister even though he was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for the purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles by Chinas Equipment Development Department (EDD) in violation of Washington's sanctions on Moscow.

According to the investigation findings, Li's violations are serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm, the report said.

The Politburo also decided to transfer Li's suspected criminal case to the procuratorial organs of the military for examination and prosecution, it said.

The disciplinary action to expel Li from the Party will be confirmed by the CPC Central Committee when it convenes a plenary session in mid-July.

In an earlier decision, the CMC had expelled Li from military service and deprived him of his rank of general.
Bratislava, Jun 27 (AP) A train travelling from the Czech capital of Prague to the Hungarian capital of Budapest collided with a bus in southern Slovakia on Thursday, leaving at least four people dead and five injured, officials said.

More than 100 people were aboard the Eurocity train when the accident took place shortly after 5 pm (1500 GMT) in the town of Nove Zamky, police and the Slovak railway company ZSSK said. The deaths and injuries were confirmed by Slovakia's rescue service.

Video footage showed that the engine of the train was on fire. The bus was badly damaged in the crash, railway officials said.

Interior Minister Matus Sutai Estok was heading to the scene of the accident, police said.

The major train track linking Slovakia's capital Bratislava with Budapest was closed until further notice.

The more than 100 stranded passengers aboard the stricken train were being transported by buses to the town of Sturovo on the Hungarian border, ZSSK said. (AP)



GSP
Dubai, Jun 26 (AP) A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels early Wednesday targeted a ship in the Gulf of Aden, while a separate drone attack claimed by Iraqi militants allied with the rebels targeted the southern Israeli port city of Eilat, authorities said.

The attacks follow the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower after an eight-month deployment in which the aircraft carrier led the American response to the Houthi assaults. Those attacks have reduced shipping drastically through the route crucial to Asian, Middle East and European markets in a campaign the Houthis say will continue as long as the Israel-Hamas war rages in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis faced allegations that they seized commercial aircraft that brought back pilgrims from the Hajj amid a widening economic dispute between the rebels and Yemen's exiled government.

The ship attack happened off the coast of Aden, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. The captain of a merchant vessel reported a missile impacted the water in close proximity to the vessel, the UKMTO said.

The Joint Maritime Information Centre, which is overseen by the US Navy, later identified the vessel as the Saint Kitts- and Nevis-flagged bulk carrier Lila Lisbon.

The vessel was not hit and all crew on board are safe, the centre said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military said early Wednesday that a drone fell off the coast of Eilat. It said the drone was monitored throughout the incident and it did not cross into Israeli territory.

The Houthis have targeted Eilat before with drones and missiles. However, an Iranian-backed umbrella group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed the attack. That group recently began what it and the Houthis describe as joint operations over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Houthis did not claim the ship attack, but it can take the rebels hours or even days before they acknowledge their assaults. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree on Wednesday night claimed a separate attack on another city in Israel with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, though there was no evidence of an assault there.

The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A US-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war  including those bound for Iran.

Late on Tuesday, Saree claimed an attack Monday on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. Late on Wednesday, the Houthis claimed that they used a new hypersonic ballistic missile in the assault, which targeted a ship farther away than nearly all of the previous assaults they've launched in the Gulf of Aden.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the minister in charge of Hajj for Yemen's exiled government alleged the Houthis seized aircraft from the country's flag carrier, Yemenia, that had brought back pilgrims from the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis detained four planes at Sanaa International Airport and prevented their return to Jeddah airport to transport our country's pilgrims who want to return to Sanaa, minister Mohammed Shabiba wrote on the social platform X, asking pilgrims still in Mecca to remain there.

The Houthis did not acknowledge the seizure. However, at least two Airbus A320s associated with Yemenia appeared to be stuck on the ground in Sanaa without explanation, according to flight-tracking data. A later statement by Yemenia said the Houthis held three Airbus A320s and an Airbus A330 "that has been detained for more than a month. It said the flights were to transfer some 8,400 Hajj pilgrims from Houthi-held areas.

The seizure threatens the safety of air navigation in the country and increases the difficulty of operating flights to and from within the country, Yemenia said in its statement carried by the SABA news agency controlled by Yemen's exiled government.

The Houthis and Yemen's exiled government have been increasingly at odds in recent months over economic issues, even after a long push by a Saudi-led coalition backing the government to end the country's war.

The Houthis have faced issues with having enough currency to support the economy in areas they hold  something signaled by their move to introduce a new coin into the Yemeni currency, the riyal. Yemen's exiled government in Aden and other nations criticized the move, saying the Houthis are turning to counterfeiting.

Aden authorities have demanded all banks move their headquarters there as a means to stop the worst slide ever in the riyal's value and re-exert their control over the economy. Aden also is pushing for other businesses to leave Sanaa.

Meanwhile, the Houthis have taken captive local Yemeni employees of the United Nations, aid groups and the former U.S. Embassy in Sanaa as part of a major crackdown. Following a pattern of their Iranian backers, the Houthis have aired repeated videos of the captives that appear to be taken under duress, alleging they are spies based in some cases on emails praising their work helping Yemenis. (AP) GSP
Jabalpur, Jun 27 (PTI) Five of the 57 animal carcasses found in Tulla Baba Hill in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district are of cows, police said on Thursday.

The carcasses were found on Wednesday, just days after decomposed bodies of 50 animals, mostly bovines, were found in Seoni district.

"Of the 57 carcasses (found on Tulla Baba hill), five are of cows. The case is being probed and action will be taken accordingly," Sub Divisional Officer of Police (Patan) Lokesh Dawar told PTI.

A press release said the carcasses appear to be between one-and-half month to two years old.

Three ribs that appear to have been cut with sharp-edged weapons though it is not clear if they belong to cows, the release said.

There is no evidence that animals were slaughtered illegally near the recovery spot, it added.

These carcasses were recovered after a right-wing organisation alerted police.
Bhopal, Jun 27 (PTI) Nine candidates will fight for the Amarwara (ST) assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, where a bypoll was necessitated after the Congress leader representing the constituency crossed over to the BJP and resigned, an official said on Thursday.



After the last date for withdrawal of nominations on Wednesday, nine candidates remained in the fray for the bye election, which will be held on July 10, the states Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan said.

Seven candidates withdrew from the contest on Wednesday, he said.

The main contest here is between the former Congress MLA-turned-BJP leader Kamlesh Shah and the grand old partys Dheeran Shah Invati, sources said.

In a major setback to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Shah, a three-time party MLA from Amarwara seat under Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency and a confidante of former chief minister Kamal Nath, had resigned on March 29 and joined the ruling BJP soon after.

Shah later resigned from the membership of the state assembly, paving the way for the bypoll on Amarwara seat.

In the November 2023 assembly elections, Shah, on a Congress ticket, had BJPs Monika Manmohan Shah Batti by a margin of 25,086 votes from Amarwara.

After 1972, the BJP won from the Amarwara seat twice in 1990 and 2008, while the Congress won nine times. Tribal outfit Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) bagged this seat once in 2003.

The bypoll will be held on July 10 and votes will be counted on July 13, the official said.
Ranchi, Jun 27 (PTI) The Jharkhand government has blacklisted Damodar Ropeways and Infra Ltd (DRIL), the cable car operator at Trikut Hills in Deoghar district, for five years and slapped a fine of over Rs 9 crore on it, a senior official said on Thursday.



A major cable car accident at Trikut Hills in April 2022 had claimed three lives, while over 60 people were rescued after being stranded mid-air for about 46 hours in joint operations by NDRF, Army, Air Force and administration.



The 766-metre Trikut ropeway is Indias highest vertical ropeway, according to the states tourism department.



An enquiry committee was set up by the Department of Tourism to probe into the reasons behind the accident.



There were allegations of negligence on the part of DRIL leading to the accident. The company, however, denied the charge.



"The Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) board has taken a decision to blacklist DRIL for five years. It has also imposed a penalty of over Rs 9 crore on it," Tourism Secretary Manoj Kumar told PTI.



JTDC managing director has issued a letter to the company to deposit Rs 9.11 crore, failing which a civil damage suit will be filed against DRIL, he said.

DRIL Managing Director Aditya Chamaria the action was "unfortunate" and against natural justice and claimed they were not given a chance of hearing either by the enquiry committee or by the JTDC.



"We are moving the court against that order. The allegations of negligence are totally false. We are running 14 ropeways all over India. ...It (DRIL) holds 30-40 per cent market share of the ropeway industry. Even the enquiry committee mentioned in its report that it is the rarest of the rare category of defect. On the basis of the rarest category of defect, how can you blacklist a firm? It is a harsh decision," Chamaria told PTI.



He claimed that there is no basis for a Rs 9 crore penalty that includes Rs 5 crore repair and maintenance charges.



A government report mentions that on April 10, 2022 the passenger Ropeway at Trikut Hill, Near Deoghar (Jharkhand) stopped while in operation leaving 59 passengers stranded mid-air on the Ropeway.



"Ten passengers were rescued by District administration, local police and National Disaster Response Force personnel on April 10, 2022 and one passenger died," the report said.



It said, "Fourty-six passengers could be safely evacuated while two passengers died in the course of the rescue operation which continued till April 12, 2022." it mentioned.



Meanwhile, the JTDC, in an affidavit before the Jharkhand High Court, has said that it is not expected that DRIL, having experience of operations and management of ropeways, does not have a proper system of checking the prime technical reason for the accident.

The Jharkhand High Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the Deoghar ropeway incident and ordered an inquiry into the matter.



"The inquiry committee report suggests sufficient grounds which lead to the conclusion that the operator has shown negligence, carelessness and unprofessional approach in operation and maintenance of Trikut Ropeway, which include the technical reasons as well as operation and maintenance reasons," the affidavit said.



The JTDC also said that DRIL did not provide training details of the personnel who were engaged in the Trikut ropeway operation.



"It is further stated that Damodar Ropeways & Infra Ltd shall also be debarred/blacklisted for a period of 5 years of participating in any tender/any work of JTDC for its negligence, carelessness and unprofessional approach in the matter, the states tourism development corporation said.
Jammu, Jun 27 (PTI) The administration on Thursday began the process for on-the-spot registration of devotees arriving here for the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Amid tight security arrangements, 1600 pilgrims have arrived at the Bhagwati-Nagar base camp here for their onward journey to Kashmir, officials said. Rush to throng basecamp is going on, they said.

Over 800 Sadhus, including women, have arrived at the traditional Ram Mandir and Geeta Bhawan and are upbeat to pay their obeisance at the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivling.

The 52-day pilgrimage will commence from the twin tracks --the traditional 48 km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14 km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal -- on June 29. The first batch of pilgrims will leave Jammus Bhagwati Nagar base camp and Ram Mandir for the valley on Friday.

While an on-the-spot registration centre has been set up for unregistered pilgrims in the Shalimar area of the city, a special camp for registration of sadhus has been set up at Purani Mandi-based Ram temple complex, officials said.

"On-the-spot registration has been started today for the unregistered pilgrims coming from different parts of the country", Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) and In Charge of Mahajan Hall registration centre, Seema Parihar told PTI.

She said a quota has been fixed for the registration centres in Jammu and so far her centre has registered 358 unregistered pilgrims for the journey out of a total quota of 600 for the day.

She said all facilities for smooth registration have been put in place

Amid chants of 'Bam Bam Bhole and Jai Jai Baba Barfani', the Sadhus and Sadhvis are eagerly waiting for the yatra to commence.

"The registration of sadhus has begun in Jammu today. All arrangements have been put in place for the best possible facilities for the sadhus", another officer said.

As many as 170 sadhus and Sadivis have been registered for the yatra, for their onward journey to Kashmir tomorrow. The enthusiasm among pilgrims and Sadhus arriving here for the pilgrimage was palpable.

On his 7th pilgrimage to the cave shrine, 52-year-old Nirotum Kumar of Uttar Pradesh said "Every year I undertake pilgrims to save the shrine on the first batch. It is my vow to travel in the first batch".

He said that he had registered for Yatra and got the token. "I am happy to get a token for my trip to the abode of Bholenath. I am very happy", he added.

Sunita Devi of Ajmer, who is on her pilgrimage to Amarnath for the fourth time, said that the registration process has improved from manual to online.

"Every year there is improvement in yatra arrangements. This has done away with the process of sitting in long queues in hot weather conditions", she said.

Some sadhus who have arrived here after completing the Char Dham Yatra to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines in Uttarakhand, said that this is an annual feature to undertake yatra in a phased manner and concludes after darshan of Ice-lingum of Lord Shiva at Amarnath.

The shrine houses the naturally formed ice-shiva lingam and over 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid their obeisance at the 3,880 meter high shrine last year.
Pahalgam (JK), Jun 27 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday reviewed the preparations of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra at a high-level meeting conducted here, an official spokesperson said.

The meeting was attended by CEO, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board Mandeep Bhandari, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vidhi Kumar Birdi, and other senior officers from civil administration, police and paramilitary forces, he said.

The Lt Governor discussed the deployment of police and security personnel, doctors and nursing staff, duty officers, relief and rescue teams, and sanitation staff on the yatra routes.

Sinha directed for deputing dedicated officers who will look after the effective functioning of the facilities developed by their respective departments.

"Pilgrims are the brand ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir. Greater synergy between all stakeholder departments, police, security forces and service providers will ensure the best arrangements for the hassle-free pilgrimage," the Lt Governor said.

Sinha was informed that substantial improvements have been made in terms of facilities for a safe and smooth pilgrimage.

The Lt Governor emphasised providing smooth arrangements on the route of yatra, adequate stock of oxygen cylinders and deployment of ambulances and helicopters for any medical emergency.

He also took appraisal of track, lodging, electricity, water, communication, health, fire and emergency services.

Later, the Lt Governor took stock of the facilities for the pilgrims at the Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam.

The annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir will begin on June 29 and end on August 19.
Shimla, Jun 27 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday took exception to the reported remarks by state Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar blaming the Raj Bhavan for the delay in the appointment of a vice chancellor for the agriculture university in Palampur.

Taking strong exception to the reported statement of Kumar that files regarding the appointment of VC of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya at Palampur was pending in Raj Bhavan, the governor asserted that no such file was pending.

Addressing media persons here, the governor said the statements of the agriculture minister have appeared in a section of press, putting the blame for delay on Raj Bhavan. Therefore, he said, deemed it proper to reply through the press and said it is wrong to put the blame on Raj Bhawan as no such file was pending.

"Chander Kumar along with another minister Anirudh Singh had met me and I clearly told them that no such file was pending with me. But still he was blaming me for the delay, prompting me to go to the press."

"I have referred the bill back to the government with comments and it is still pending with the government," he said, and pointed out that the universities across the country are largely financed by the state governments but it did not mean that they can do whatever they want, he said.

The governor said the Palampur agriculture university is also a technical university and the search committee consists of representatives of the ICAR, UGC and the governor. They initiated the selection process according to the old practice but a teacher of the university moved the high court and got the stay, he added.

"I am keen that the vice chancellor (VC) should be appointed at the earliest for the smooth functioning of the university and efforts should be made to expedite the matter and get the stay vacated," he said, adding that he was not only the governor but also the chancellor of the university.

Governor Shukla said the state government wants its say in the appointment of the VC. A bill in this regard was passed in the Vidhan Sabha, seeking say of the government in the appointment of the VC, he said, adding that the government wants that the governor should endorse the name sent by it for appointment of the VC.

The contention of the government was that major funding of the university was being done by it but the universities across the country are funded by the state governments and it did not mean that they can do whatever they want, the governor added.

Shukla said even the Himachal Pradesh University at Shimla was without a regular VC for more than a year and he had asked the government to give the name of its representative. It nominated the chief secretary, who was appointed chairperson of the search committee, but no progress has been made.

"I have written to the chief secretary to speed up the process," Shukla said.

Referring to the law and order situation in the state, the governor said it was not bad but being a small state, even small incidents get attention and as such the government should ensure that there was no breach of law.

Replying to a question, the governor said no minister was present at the International Yoga Day function organised by the Ayush Department on June 21.

"It was a matter of pride that June 21 was declared as Yoga Day by the United Nations on the plea of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 137 countries were observing the Yoga Day", he said.

"Yoga Day was observed in the Raj Bhawan and I attended the function organised by the Ayush Department," he said, and added that it was not a function of any political party, but the leaders across party lines should have participated in it.
Lucknow, Jun 27 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that the rule of law is fundamental to good governance and the state police has excelled in maintaining it.

"The state bears the responsibility for maintaining security, and our police force excels in this duty," Adityanath said while flagging off the upgraded police response vehicles (PRVs) in the second phase of UP-112 from his official residence here.

He said that the demand for modernising the police force to meet contemporary needs had been long-standing.

"The rule of law is fundamental to good governance and ensuring secure and safe environment in the state is very important," the chief minister said.

"At the DG conference, the prime minister outlined a new vision for the directors general of police across the country, emphasising changes in the law and the concept of smart policing. He (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) advocated for being strict yet sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive, techno-savvy and trend-oriented. The Uttar Pradesh Police have endeavoured to implement these principles fully," he said.

During the event, the chief minister also presented an air-conditioned helmet to a policeman. More such helmets will be distributed among the police personnel later.

Adityanath said that this initiative is a part of a campaign to elevate the seven-year process of smart policing to new heights.

"In these seven years, the rule of law has been firmly established in UP. This adherence to the rule of law has made the police a symbol of respect and trust and has ushered in an era of development and employment in the state, opening up new possibilities for investment and business," the chief minister said.

"With the establishment of the rule of law in the state, UP has risen to become the second-largest economy in the country and is now rapidly positioning itself to become the nation's largest economy," he claimed.

Uttar Pradesh has exemplified how the Global Investors Summit and Ground Breaking Ceremony should be conducted, Adityanath said, adding that police officers were recruited through a transparent process, which was free from discrimination.

He added that efforts have been made to reduce the response time of UP-112 and increase the number of PRV-112 vehicles in the state.

Over the past seven years, two-wheelers have also been added enabling PRVs to reach streets and localities to better serve the public, the chief minister said.

"During the COVID-19 lockdown, UP Police's PRV-112 garnered significant attention. People witnessed the dedication of the police force, with two-wheelers accessing areas where four-wheelers couldn't reach," he said.

Adityanath also mentioned that the government has initiated an ambitious three-year programme to add 6,278 new four-wheelers and two-wheelers to the fleet. This year alone, 1,778 vehicles will be integrated into the fleet, he said.

The chief minister also praised the Kanpur traffic police for its efforts to provide air-conditioned helmets.

"These helmets are manufactured by a Hyderabad-based company, with support from Afcons Infrastructure, through their CSR activities, for the Kanpur Metro projec," he said, adding that the introduction of AC helmets will help the traffic police in discharging their duties.
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) A court here has granted bail to a 20-year-old man accused of rape, observing that it was a matter of trial whether he committed the crime or not.

Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Kumar was hearing the bail plea of the man who claimed that he was incarcerated since April 12 after being falsely implicated in the case.

"Accused is a young man of 20 years of age and not involved in any other case. Prosecutrix has not opposed the bail application of the accused. Charge sheet has been filed. Whether the applicant sexually assaulted the prosecutrix or not is a matter of trial," the court said in its order dated June 22.

The court also noted that according to the final report, the prosecutrix did not provide her mobile phone despite being served a notice and her friends did not support her version.

It said according to the medico-legal case, there were no marks of assault or external injuries and the prosecutrix had refused to undergo internal examination.

"In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances, applicant or accused is admitted to bail on furnishing of a personal bond with one sound surety in the sum of Rs 20,000," the court said.

Other bail conditions included the accused not contacting the complainant, not tampering with evidence, not influencing witnesses, furnishing his address and mobile phone number and appearing before the court on each date.

The Subzi Mandi police station had registered a case against the man under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman) in January.
Bengaluru, Jun 27 (PTI) The Crime Investigation Department probing molestation charges against former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Thursday filed a charge sheet in the special court dealing with POCSO cases.

After the Sadashivanagar police here registered a case of molestation in March this year against the BJP stalwart, the Karnataka Director General of Police Alok Mohan had issued an order transferring it to the CID for further investigation.

The case was registered based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who alleged that he molested her daughter during a meeting on February two this year, at his residence in Dollars Colony here.

Yediyurappa has denied the charge, and said "people would teach a lesson to those indulging in conspiracies against me."

The 54-year-old woman, who had leveled the charge against Yediyurappa, died at a private hospital here last month, due to lung cancer.

The CID questioned Yediyurappa for about three hours on June 17 in connection with the case.

The Karnataka High Court had earlier passed orders restraining the CID from arresting Yediyurappa in the case.
Chennai, Jun 27 (PTI) Led by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK MLAs and party workers commenced their hunger strike here on Thursday to seek CBI investigation into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.

Clad in black shirts, the AIADMK legislators, who have been suspended from the ongoing Assembly session for disrupting proceedings, began their fast here by 9 am at the Rajarathinam stadium. The fast is also to condemn 'denial of permission' to raise the issue in the state Assembly, according to the main opposition party.

Palaniswami had said on Wednesday that 'denying a honest debate' over the hooch tragedy, that has reportedly left over 60 dead, and evicting and suspending AIADMK MLAs was against democracy.

The former Chief Minister condemned what he described as 'diversionary politics' of the DMK government rather than taking action over hooch deaths. The hunger strike is likely to end by 5 pm on Thursday.
Hyderabad, Jun 27 (PTI) A police constable was arrested here on Thursday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl.





The victim lodged a complaint at Rajendranagar police station accusing the constable of cheating her on the pretext of love and sexually assaulting her, police said.







Based on the complaint, a case was registered under relevant sections of the POCSO Act against the constable and he was arrested today, they said.


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The Appellate Division Third Department issued a 4-1 ruling this morning on the yeshiva case that challenged portions of the State Education Department regulations. YWN readers will recall that the Albany Supreme Court struck down portions of the regulations that would have allowed the State to close and penalize nonpublic schools that were determined to be less than substantially equivalent.

Todays decision began by rejecting the States argument that the yeshivas did not have standing to challenge the regulations. The court held that

It is undisputed that the petitioner yeshivas will be directly subject to the regulations. The petitioner organizations represent both yeshivas in that position and the parents of yeshiva students who have an obvious interest in the education of their children. Although we recognize that to date no negative substantial equivalency determination has been rendered, we do not find the possibility that such will occur to be unduly speculative . . . Petitioners also provided evidence suggesting that, although in the abstract the curricula at the petitioner yeshivas align with accepted educational standards, the regulations will compel changes to render their curricula substantially equivalent to that available in public education; they assert that this will interfere with the religious instruction at the core of a yeshivas mission.

As it relates to the States authority to close nonpublic schools, the majority held that:

The Education Law does not provide for any direct penalty upon nonpublic schools. However, a declaration that a school does not meet the required standards is simply that; although the loss of status as a substantially equivalent nonpublic school is a serious consequence, it is merely, or no more than, the logical result of such a determination . . . Parents are obligated to comply with this mandate and, as such, the Commissioners declaration that a particular institution fails to meet the statutory standards required to meet that duty is no more, or less, than a necessary advisory to parents.

In the most confounding part of the decision, the majority wrote that:

In this regard, it bears clearly stating that the Commissioners authority to determine the substantial equivalency of nonpublic schools at issue here is limited in application to those nonpublic schools that have lengthy enrollment periods, encompassing a full school day on the majority of school days (see Education Law  3204 [2] [ii] [3]).

What this suggests is that only Felder schools are subject to this ruling and the State Education Commissioners authority. Which yeshivas are Felder schools will now become a hotly contested issue.

In a fiery dissent, Appellate Division Judge Egan wrote that:

To read the Education Law as restricting that parental discretion may well raise constitutional concerns given the liberty of parents and guardians to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control so long as the children receive an appropriate education, noting that the States complaint that the Education Law implicitly forbids parents or similarly situated individuals from employing a mixture of those educational options to fulfill their duty of providing a proper education to children is particularly dubious given that the Commissioners own regulations contemplate that homeschooling may include [i]nstruction . . . at a site other than the primary residence of the parents while the State Education Department advises that students receiving homeschooling may be instructed in a group situation for particular subjects so long as such does not form the majority of their schooling.

It is expected that parents rights groups and homeschooling advocates will weigh in on the side of yeshivas if, as expected, the case is appealed to the New York Court of Appeals.

This is a developing story, and YWN will brings you updates.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE COURT RULING

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
He has run for office, published hundreds of thousands of leaked government documents online, and once lobbied to save his local swimming pool. One of the most polarizing and influential figures of the information age, Julian Assange is now free after five years in a British prison and seven years in self-imposed exile in a London embassy.

Whats next for the WikiLeaks founder remains unclear.

Assange, 52, landed in his homeland of Australia this week after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that put an end to an attempt to extradite him to the United States. That could have resulted in a lengthy prison sentence in the event of conviction.

Julian plans to swim in the ocean every day. He plans to sleep in a real bed. He plans to taste real food, and he plans to enjoy his freedom, his wife, Stella Assange, told reporters Thursday at a news conference that Assange did not attend.

Her husband and the father of her two children would continue to defend human rights and speak out against injustice, she said. He can choose how he does that because he is a free man.

Assange himself has given no clues.

Will he switch off?

All friends and acquaintances of Assange interviewed by The Associated Press this week emphasized that they did not know his future plans and underscored the toll taken by his ordeal  in prison he spent 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, following years in self-exile inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

I just want him to survive this ordeal and be happy. I dont care what Julian does next, said Andrew Wilkie, an Independent Australian lawmaker who met Assange before the hacker launched WikiLeaks  and was one of the first politicians to lobby for Australia to intervene in his case.

But some also found it hard to imagine Assange wouldnt eventually return to the preoccupations that have long captured him.

I suspect though that he doesnt switch off, and its hard to see him just disappearing to a beach shack forever, added Wilkie.

Assange was unable to walk past injustice said Suelette Dreyfus, a lecturer in the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne who has known Assange since he was a teenager, hacking secure networks for the fun of it. Dreyfus, who once lobbied alongside Assange to save a swimming pool in Melbourne, said her friends health had worsened during his years in a British jail.

But I suspect he will not sit on a beach for the rest of his life, she said.

What is next for WikiLeaks?

It is unclear what will happen to WikiLeaks, the site Assange founded in 2006 as a place to post confidential documents exposing corruption and revealing secret government workings behind warfare and spying. That work led him to be celebrated by supporters as a transparency crusader but lambasted by national security hawks who insisted that his conduct put lives at risks and strayed far beyond the bounds of traditional journalism.

The site remains online, although Assange told The Nation in 2023 that it had ceased publishing because of his imprisonment, and because state surveillance and the freezing of WikiLeaks funds had deterred whistleblowers. Assanges plea deal with the U.S. included an agreement to destroy any unpublished U.S. documents.

Will he go back to WikiLeaks and, if he does, will he do it differently? I dont know, said Wilkie, the lawmaker.

Will he receive a pardon?

One matter where Assanges views are known is his hope for a pardon from a current or future U.S. president on the charge he pleaded guilty to as part of his deal.

Media analysts worry the conviction threatened to cast a chilling effect on public interest journalism. Assange has always insisted he is a journalist and the case could lead to the prosecution of other reporters, said Peter Greste, a professor at the University of Queensland and a former foreign correspondent who was jailed in Egypt for his reporting.

Could he run for office?

In the past, Assange had designs on elected office, making an unsuccessful bid for the Australian senate with his WikiLeaks party in 2013, although he has not suggested he will contest an election again.

When you turn a bright light on, the cockroaches scuttle away. Thats what we need to do to Canberra, he told the news program 60 Minutes the same year, when asked why he wanted to enter politics.

But where the government of the day had despised Assange  a mutual feeling, he said  he was met in his homeland on Wednesday with a heros welcome, including from some politicians and a public who had not supported him before.

It reflected a slow reversal of views about the WikiLeaks founder in Australia  but it belied an odd tension, too. In a recent high-profile case, an Australian judge sentenced a former army lawyer to almost six years in prison for leaking classified information that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan. Assanges legal team mentioned the case on Thursday.

Analysts said that case and others, along with the renewed focus on Assange, drew attention to a fraught national culture of information secrecy that has been endorsed even by some of the politicians who celebrated Assanges freedom.

We have some of the most restrictive legislation on access to public information in the world, and we have no constitutional protection for press freedom or freedom of speech, said Greste. I hope that Julian does also get involved in campaigning to support press freedom, and transparency and accountability of information in Australia.

Even when Assange did address the idea of what he may do next  in a 2018 interview for the World Ethical Digital Forum, credited as his last public appearance before he was jailed  he was typically enigmatic.

I dont know, he said. No, I mean I do know. But I dont know what I should answer in response to that question.

(AP)
Top Israeli government and security officials are reviewing a comprehensive plan from four Israeli academics for transforming and rebuilding Gaza after Hamas, which emphasizes the need for a total defeat of the terrorist group and a focus on deradicalization, rehabilitation, and institution-building.

The 28-page document stresses that Israels success depends not only on military and diplomatic efforts but also on its ability to rehabilitate and transform a nation that was led by a murderous ideology and create stable institutions and a culture that accepts Israels existence.

The authors, Netta Barak-Corren, Danny Orbach, Netanel Flamer, and Harel Chorev-Halewa, draw on post-World War II Germany and Japan as successful examples of transformation and Iraq and Afghanistan as unsuccessful cases.

They emphasize that total defeat is a precondition, defined by three parameters: loss of territory, loss of sovereignty, and public trials for Hamas leaders and October 7 perpetrators.

The plan recommends leaving Hamas middle management in place to run Gaza, while removing upper echelons and those with blood on their hands. It also suggests partnering with moderate Arab states and creating a positive horizon for the defeated nation, with independence coming only when concrete goals are met, including education for peace and effective governance.

The authors stress the need for civilian management, dignified treatment of the local population, and a focus on building trust. They also call for overhauling education, religion, and media systems to eradicate jihadist ambitions and create a moderate Arab-Muslim entity.

While the plan is being circulated among Israels government and security establishment, its implementation remains uncertain, with some experts expressing skepticism about the feasibility of such an ambitious transformation.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with US Senator John Fetterman in Jerusalem on Wednesday

Fetterman arrived on his first visit to Israel on Tuesday and met with President Isaac Herzog.

Following the visit, Netanyahus office said the prime minister thanked Fetterman for his visit and his consistent support of Israel. The Prime Minister told the Senator that his standing up to pro-Palestinian demonstrators while waving an Israeli flag, was courageous and heart-warming.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
In a fiery response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans accusations of Western powers backing Israeli plans to attack Lebanon, Israels Foreign Minister Israel Katz labeled Erdogan a war criminal.

Erdogan announced his support for Hezbollah against Israels threats, Katz wrote on social media. Erdogan is a war criminal who slaughters innocent Kurds across the Syrian border and tries to deny Israel its right to self-defense against a terror organization attacking from Lebanon under Irans orders.

Katz concluded his statement with a stern rebuke, saying Be quiet and shame on you!

Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israels military actions in Gaza, particularly following the devastating attack by Hamas on October 7. He has expressed support for the Palestinian terrorist organization, meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul and encouraging Palestinians to unite against Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced significant progress in resolving issues related to American weapons shipments to Israel, following a series of meetings with top US officials in Washington.

In a video statement, Gallant summarized his discussions with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, saying, During the meetings, we made significant progress, obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed on several issues, including the supply of munitions.

Gallant expressed gratitude to the US administration and the American public for their enduring support for the State of Israel.

In his meeting with Sullivan, the two leaders discussed developments in Gaza, efforts to bring Israeli hostages back home, and Israels commitment to ensuring the safe return of communities in the north by changing the security reality in the area. They also addressed the important cooperation between Israel and the US regarding Iranian aggression and its nuclear ambitions.

However, an American official revealed that a shipment of heavy bombs will remain on hold. Additionally, reports suggest the Biden administration told Prime Minister Netanyahu that the bomb shipment wont be fully transferred due to distrust and anger over making the issue public.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A 24-year-old chassidish avreich who lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh Daled was arrested overnight Wednesday for alleged involvement in a serious case of espionage for Iran.

According to the neighbors, a large number of police forces raided his home in the early hours of Thursday morning, arresting him and taking him for an interrogation.

He was brought before the court early Thursday afternoon for an extension of his arrest.

The shocked neighbors told Chareidi media outlets that they are sure there must be some mistake as the suspect is a serious avreich from a known family. One neighbor told Chareidim10 said that the chassid is a computer expert and perhaps unknowingly worked for someone with ties to Iran.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The US Embassy in London published a travel warning, warning US citizens to strongly reconsider traveling to Lebanon.

We remind US citizens to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon, the statement says. The security environment remains complex and can change quickly.

The US Embassy reminds US citizens to review the current Travel Advisory for Lebanon. In particular, we call your attention to the Country Summary which advises that the Lebanese government cannot guarantee the protection of US citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence and armed conflict.

US citizens in Lebanon should not travel to southern Lebanon, the Lebanon-Syria border area, or refugee settlements.

On Wednesday, Germany, the Netherlands, North Macedonia and Russia instructed their citizens to leave Lebanon on commercial flights while still possible. Kuwait and Canada issued similar instructions earlier in the week.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
Hospitals in northern Israel are currently completing the final preparations for a possible war against Hezbollah.

The Health Ministry issued instructions to hospital officials regarding the necessary preparations for two possible scenarios: disconnection from the electrical grid and a desert island scenario in which the hospital is cut off from its access roads, making it difficult for employees, patients, food and medical supplies to reach it. Ynet reported that Health Ministry officials told hospital administrators last week to stockpile blood supplies for six days instead of four.

According to the report, Rambam Hospital, as the largest hospital in the north, would receive a significant number of the injured, chalilah, in the event of a war. Rambam has 900 beds in its underground facilities and can add another 800 beds if necessary. The hospital is also finalizing preparations to accept patients who may be evacuated from nearby smaller facilities.

Ziv Medical Center in Tzfas may be targeted with continuous rocket fire if war breaks out. The director of Ziv had ordered the medical staff to immediately travel to the hospital in the case of a war and prepare to stay for at least 24 hours.

Dr. Masad Barhoud, the director of the Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, which is close to the Lebanese border, told staff: There is no doubt that the probability of war in the north is steadily increasing, and we understand that it could break out without any warning. Our required level of readiness has been high for almost nine months now but it seems we will need to be even more prepared. Availability, accessibility, and immediacythese are principles familiar to all of you for some time, but their importance is now more critical.

Dr. Barhoum said his hospital was preparing for extended operations with reduced or partial manpower and limited access: We have accumulated a large stockpile to be ready to operate if we would be cut off from road access for several days.

The Emek Medical Center in Afula is completing preparations on an underground facility and increasing its number of protected beds from 150 to 300.

The director of Emek, Dr. Maor Maman, said: We prepared a communication system using phones to operate on an emergency network. We will use a newly completed underground area to house our intensive care and dialysis units and for additional beds and we are stocking up on equipment and medication according to Health Ministry guidelines.

He added that the primary challenge would be working under the threat of missile fire. The hospital buildings are spread out over a large area and moving from building to building would be difficult and risky under fire.

 Another significant issue is sufficient manpower, Dr. Maman said. We expect to have a staff shortage due to reserve duty, family members being called to reserve duty, and difficulty reaching the hospitals if roads are blocked or unusable. Hospitals in general, and ours in particular, are working very hard to be prepared for any scenario and will handle any situation.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
There are many reasons for opposing the Czech Sphinx bid for International Distributions Services (IDS), the owner of the Royal Mail.

These include the public interest, fragile knowledge of the would-be buyers Daniel Kretinsky and partners, workforce impact and rewards to fat-cat executives who failed to manage the organisations future.

Of most importance to investors is a headline price of 360p per share, which is not good enough.

Also worth serious scrutiny are financing arrangements. Public-to-private deals are destabilising and opaque, as the Bank of England notes in its just-released Financial Stability Report.

It cautions that widespread use of leverage makes companies in private equity ownership particularly exposed to tighter financing conditions.

Vital service: The Royal Mail is the oldest and most established form of communication in the nation and widely used by HMRC, the NHS and Returning Officers dealing with elections

The consequences have been there for all to see at underperforming grocer Asda as well as Thames Water.

Private equity has been particularly active in the UK and the Bank notes that some 15pc of corporate debt is tied up in such deals. It reports a high degree of concentration in finance, insurance, professional services and communications.

The Royal Mail is the oldest and most established form of communication in the nation and widely used by HMRC, the NHS and returning officers dealing with elections.

The bid for IDS is largely financed by debt. Lenders BNP Paribas, Citibank, Societe Generale and Unicredit are all from overseas  surprising given the asset at stake is British.

It may well be that in the current high-interest climate UK lenders feel they have more than enough exposure to private equity-style deals.

The takeover is to be paid for by a 1.1billion medium-term facility, a bridging loan of a further 750million, another bridging credit of 500million and a multi-currency loan of 500million.

All of this on an IDS balance sheet already weighed down with 2billion or so of debt also to be taken on by the buyers. The substantial premiums and fees to be applied means none of this is cheap money.

It begs the question as to where the investment cash for modernisation, maintaining headcount, keeping a UK HQ and fulfilling the universal service obligation in a shrinking letter post market will come from without substantial price increases.

Clearly, Kretinsky and company think there is cash to be released from real estate sales and development. That doesnt happen very speedily.

It is hugely disappointing that the board, headed by Keith Williams, has failed to extract from Kretinsky and his Slovak investment banking colleagues at J&T more forensic detail on plans given a top heavy debt burden.

They should listen to the Bank of Englands financial stability committee.

It is demanding more detail on valuations and overall levels of leverage in private take-outs. They would reduce vulnerabilities in a sector where risk management among the banks needs to improve.

The proposed new ownership structure for the Royal Mail is hopelessly unstable for a vital public service.

Green gauge

Labours energy tsar Ed Miliband could well take some economics lessons from BP before going all-out to green Britain.

Chief executive Murray Auchincloss is recognising the cost to investors and the future of the company by rushing the carbon-free fences.

He is pausing renewable investments, focusing on acquisitions and new drilling for oil and gas and moving key staff and away from green projects.

BP is paying dearly for predecessor Bernard Looneys carbon-free agenda. Its share price has cratered 12 per cent in five years. Americas biggest beast Exxon, which has doubled down on carbon fuels, is up 50 per cent.

Sharp jab

It has not been a good week for Emma Walmsley as she seeks to reboot GSK.

The NHS chose Pfizers respiratory vaccine for RSV over GSKs pricier and more efficacious jab.

Now the US Centre for Disease Controls has pulled back from recommending the GSK shot for under-60s.

The shares came down with wallop. All this before Delaware court rulings on whether ulcer drug Zantac may have contributed to some forms of cancer.

Trying times.
Haleon has sold its Nicotinell, Habitrol and Thrive brands to Indian pharmaceutical company Dr Reddys Laboratories

Healthcare giant Haleon is offloading the nicotine replacement brands it sells outside the US for 500million.

Indian pharmaceutical company Dr Reddys Laboratories is taking on products including Nicotinell, Habitrol and Thrive, which are sold in 30 markets around the world as lozenges, patches and gum for people who want to quit smoking.

Sensodyne and Panadol maker Haleon, which has dual London and New York listing, said it has agreed the sale as part of ongoing efforts to trim down its consumer health portfolio.

Earlier this year it sold its ChapStick lip balm brand while it offloaded athletes foot treatment Lamisil last year.

Haleon  which was spun off from drug giant GSK in 2022  said its nicotine replacement therapy business outside the US generated net revenues of 217million in 2023.
The discredited former boss of LV who tried to sell the British mutual insurer to a US buy-out firm has been ousted from his latest venture after a similar plan to sell the business was rejected by shareholders.

Mark Hartigan left LV in 2021 with his reputation in tatters after members voted against his scheme to sell the 181-year-old mutual to Bain Capital for 530million.

He was eventually forced to quit  albeit with a 500,000 golden goodbye  after a campaign by the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.

Ousted: Mark Hartigan left LV with his reputation in tatters in 2021 after members voted against his controversial scheme to sell the 181-year-old mutual to Bain Capital

Hartigan, a former Army colonel, resurfaced earlier this year at Berlin-based insurance tech firm Wefox, where he immediately put it up for sale.

Wefox had been valued at 3.6billion two years ago, but fintechs have since fallen out of favour with investors and its value has sunk.

Hartigan warned that the business faced insolvency, and entered into talks with insurance broker Ardonagh, as revealed by The Mail on Sunday, which labelled him shameless.

He stood to bag a 20million bonus if the sale went ahead, sources said.

But the plans upset existing shareholders, and Hartigan was accused of using the same scare tactics as he had at LV to try to spook them into a fire-sale.

And in a dramatic twist, it was reported yesterday that Wefoxs board has rejected the Ardonagh deal, which was said to be worth 465million, and Hartigan will be replaced as chief executive by the end of the year.

The vote to keep LV  formerly known as Liverpool Victoria  from the clutches of Bain was a victory for mutuality.

LV has since recovered, posting a pre-tax profit of 107million in 2023, a big turnaround from the 145million loss the previous year.

David Hyman, who replaced Hartigan as chief executive, has vowed to keep LVs mutual status and protect it from asset-strippers.

Wefox, which declined to comment, is backed by some of the worlds largest tech investors, including the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala.

Ardonagh also declined to comment.
Signs that a takeover by a big US peer is back on track lifted DS Smith to the top of the blue-chip leaderboard.

On what looks set to be a significant day for the British packaging group, American rival International Paper (IP) said it is forging ahead with its proposed acquisition of DS Smith after Brazilian pulp maker Suzano ended its talks to buy the US firm.

A deal between Suzano and IP was understood to have been conditional on the US company abandoning its DS Smith bid.

Suzano said IP had not engaged with it over a bid at the highest price it was willing to pay and therefore talks had been terminated. That removed a potential stumbling block to the takeover of DS Smith.

Takeover: American rival International Paper said it is forging ahead with its proposed acquisition of DS Smith after Brazilian pulp maker Suzano ended its talks to buy the US firm

In April, DS Smith agreed to be bought by IP for 5.8billion after fellow FTSE 100 packaging firm Mondi ducked out of a bid battle.

DS Smith jumped 15.7 per cent, or 57.8p, to 426.2p, and Mondi added 3.6 per cent, or 53p, to 1531p.

The mood on the markets was mixed. The FTSE 100 dipped 0.6 per cent, or 45.65 points, to 8179.68 while the FTSE 250 rose 0.2 per cent, or 33.70 points, to 20,331.80.

Heavyweight mining stocks were hit by negative broker comment. Analysts at Berenberg downgraded ratings for both Anglo American  off 1.5 per cent, or 37.5p, at 2490p  and Rio Tinto, which was 1.7 per cent, or 91p easier, at 5176p.

Burberry was also a big faller  down 2.1 per cent, or 19.3p, to 899.8p  as analysts at Deutsche Bank reduced their sales forecast for the luxury goods, on weaker data from China and the US.

Stock Watch - Harworth Group Harworth Group, the land regenerator that started life as part of UK Coal, jumped 7.5 per cent, or 11p, to 157p after selling off a 48-acre former power station site in Leeds to the US software giant Microsoft for 106million. It is expected to provide Microsoft with a data centre, a battery energy storage facility and an energy-from-waste facility. Harworth thinks the deal will represent at least 4bn of local investment.

Bunzl added 1.1 per cent, or 32p, to 3070p after the distribution and services group upgraded guidance for the year based on improved margin performance in the first half and acquisitions.

Serco rose 4.3 per cent, or 7.4p, to 180.2p after good progress in the first half. The outsourcer now expects underlying operating profit for 2024 of 270million, up from 260million previously.

And Mears Group added 3.5 per cent, or 12.3p, to 368p after the social housing and maintenance service company expects its 2024 performance to be modestly ahead of current market forecasts.

Clothing retailer Quiz plunged 24.6 per cent, or 1.29p, to 3.98p after an 11 per cent fall in revenue between the start of April and end of May, with UK sales continuing to be hit.

Digital marketer Next 15 Group shed 10.5 per cent, or 95p, to 806p after it said spending by tech customers remained soft, although overall trading was resilient.

And Sanderson Design lost 19.5 per cent, or 20p, to 82.5p as it cautioned that the top-end wallpaper and furnishings market had turned down even more since April.

But cloud payment and data protection firm PCI-PAL gained 12.6 per cent, or 7p, at 62.5p, after a confidential settlement with competitor Sycurio to resolve patent litigation.

And Longboat Energy bobbed 7.4 per cent, or 1.5p, higher to 21.75p after publishing a report that it said confirmed the giant scale of the Kertang project, in South East Asia, which it will now focus on, having agreed to sell its Norway business.
Nearly 5billion was wiped off the value of GSK after a top US health agency limited the scope of its blockbuster respiratory vaccine.

In a further setback for the UK pharmaceutical giant, the US public health agency, the CDC, said that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) jabs should not be given to under-60s.

The ruling came just weeks after GSK was given the green light by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the use of its Arexvy vaccine from those aged over 60 to those aged between 50 and 59.

While the FDA is the body that gives the formal licence for vaccines in the US, it is up to the CDC to recommend how they are used, and by whom.

Vaccine blow: GSK shares tumbled as much as 7%  wiping 4.8bn off its value  before closing down 4.6%, or 73.5p, at 1526p

GSK shares tumbled as much as 7 per cent  wiping 4.8billion off its value  before closing down 4.6 per cent, or 73.5p, at 1526p.

RSV causes cold-like symptoms but can be dangerous for the elderly and vulnerable as well as babies.

The jab has the potential to prevent thousands of hospital admissions each year.

But in a shock move, the CDC did not vote on implementing the FDAs age guidance.

According to estimates from Jefferies, the recommendation could slash the number of jabs GSK administers in the US from 93m to 55m.

Peter Verdult at Citi said peak sales would be materially lower than the 3billion a year pencilled in by analysts.

Shares in Moderna and Pfizer, which also make RSV vaccines, fell 1.5 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively yesterday.

GSKs setback comes just days after the FTSE 100 group lost out to Pfizer in a deal that will see the US group provide 4.9m RSV jabs to older adults and pregnant mothers in England and Northern Ireland over the next two years.

GSK said that it was disappointed by the result but remained very confident in its jab.

The success of Arexvy up until recently has been a major boost for chief executive Emma Walmsley as she pushes ahead with her turnaround strategy at the pharma giant.

It has offloaded its consumer healthcare division Haleon as she refocuses on vaccines and infectious diseases.

The shift came after GSK fell behind rival AstraZeneca and Pfizer to create a Covid vaccination during the pandemic.

Arexvy brought in some 1.2billion of sales in 2023  well ahead of the 699million that its rival Pfizer generated from its own shot.
The new boss of BP has watered down the oil giants green energy plans following investor pressure.

In major strategy shift, Murray Auchincloss has put new offshore wind projects on ice as it focuses on oil and gas.

It is a stark change from the policies of disgraced ex-chief executive Bernard Looney, who had pushed for a rapid move away from fossil fuels.

That has weighed on BPs share price and widened the gap with rival Shell  raising speculation it could become a takeover target.

While BP shares have fallen more than 10 per cent in the past five years, Shell is up 10 per cent while Chevron, Exxon Mobil and Total Energies have made even larger gains.

Eco blow: In major strategy shift, BP boss Murray Auchincloss (pictured) has put new offshore wind projects on ice as it focuses on oil and gas

Auchincloss is stamping his authority on BP, having succeeded Looney last year.

He last month unveiled a 1.6billion cost-cutting plan after profits missed expectations in the first quarter of this year.

He will now slow investment in big budget, low-carbon projects that are not expected to generate cash for years.

Some workers on new renewables projects have been moved to schemes already under way, such as offshore wind in Britain and Germany.

And the FTSE 100 firm will prioritise investing in and acquiring new oil and gas assets, eyeing projects in the Gulf of Mexico and in US onshore shale basins where BP already has large operations.

BP will also consider investing in biofuels and some low-carbon businesses that can generate returns in the short term.

It is plotting job cuts in renewables, although no specific targets have been given.

BP has imposed a company-wide hiring freeze, with only a few exceptions including frontline and safety staff.

Auchincloss, 53, took the top job after Looney was forced to resign amid a scandal over undisclosed relationships with colleagues.

BP said: We are going to deliver as a simpler, more focused and higher value company.

'We set out six priorities that underpin this; including: driving greater focus into the business on to activities that create the most value, as well as delivering both the next wave of efficiencies and BPs growth projects.

The actions we are taking are part of delivering this, in service of our aim of growing the value of BP.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said Auchincloss has come under pressure to take radical action with a diminished BP at risk of falling prey to a larger predator.

The motivation for taking the route of a slower energy transition might be to secure a better valuation from the market, more in line with US peers which have not made the same kind of environmental commitments, he said.

In doing so, Auchincloss is following the path forged by his counterpart at Shell, Wael Sawan. These decisions could go down well with investors in the short-term but could store up longer-term problems.
Two years after Indias Department of Telecommunications (DoT) sought views on the need for overhauling laws governing the telecommunications sector (and nearly 75 years after the last relevant legislation of the sector) India has a new, updated Telecom Act. It came into effect on 26 June.

The Telecommunications Act 2023 (the year refers to when it was introduced rather than when it became law), replaces a number of earlier laws, including the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and the Indian Wireless Act 1933.

Its clearly an understatement to say that technology has changed a lot since then. At the very least, many definitions and terms are completely different, but provisions for spectrum allocation and right of way also needed looking at, along with regulations related to ease of doing business and penalties for offences and non-compliance.

Which seems to be what has happened. As Indias Economic Times points out, there is now a simple regulatory framework. The licensing regime has been replaced with an authorisation mechanism. Right of way rules (a big problem a few years ago) have been updated.

Theres a clearly defined framework for spectrum assignment, including efficient spectrum utilisation, and an adjudication mechanism to resolve disputes before they go to law.

There are also provisions to take necessary measures for national security and public safety. In particular the Act confers power on the government to take temporary possession of telecom networks during public emergencies, including natural disasters. In addition there is now a framework for blocking and interception.

Obviously theres a lot more to this legislation: there are 11 chapters and 62 sections in the new Act. But the long wait before its arrival makes it clear that legal frameworks are in danger of being left behind by telecoms in some territories.

Indeed, operator Cameroon Telecoms (Camtel) recently suggested that the countrys parliament needs to reform outdated legislation and provide a robust legal framework for the country's digital economy.

Some legislators clearly agree. Tellingly, Bara Julien, president of the Parliamentary Network for Information and Communication Technologies, is quoted as saying: Our telecoms laws are obsolete as they date back to many years. But the evolution of technology is constant.

It's a point that could be made in many markets with outdated telecommunications laws. How quickly will they respond?
MOSCOW  A new podcast focusing on Christ Church and its role in the rise of Christian nationalism shared concerns from Moscow community members about the churchs growth in the city.

National Public Radio and Boise State Public Radio partnered to create the podcast series Extremely American: Onward Christian Soldiers, hosted by journalists Heath Druzin and James Dawson. The first two episodes were released Wednesday.

The podcast is the result of a yearlong project in which Druzin and Dawson interviewed Moscow community members and Christ Church leaders, including Pastor Doug Wilson.

In it, Wilson reiterated his churchs goal to make Moscow a Christian town, though not through a top-down takeover. He wants the churchs evangelizing efforts to attract more people to move to Moscow and be converted.

The podcast discussed Christ Church members buying property in downtown Moscow and beyond. According to the podcast, nearly 20% of Moscows downtown buildings are owned by Christ Church, its affiliate organizations or known church members.

Christ Church elder Andrew Crapuchettes has bought several downtown properties and broken ground on a 240-acre subdivision in southern Moscow in 2021.

Crapuchettes did not respond to Druzins or Dawsons interview requests for the podcast. But Dawson spoke to Crapuchettes at a Christian Nationalist Conference in 2023. Crapuchettes reportedly told Dawson his opinion that an influx of Christ Church members moving to Moscow could sway local elections.

Ben Merkle, president of New Saint Andrews, the classical Christian college founded in Moscow by Wilson, said he loves to see his graduates shaping the culture by starting churches, starting families in town and creating businesses.

When you do that for a while, it becomes infectious and it spreads and it draws other people to it, he said.

Tyler Antkowiak, Christ Church member and owner of Tapped Taphouse and Kitchen, said he believes Moscow will be taken over by the gospel.

Should anybody be scared of that? I dont think so, he said.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his spouse will officially visit South Korea from June 30 to July 7 per an invitation by his South Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo and his spouse.

Vietnam and South Korea established diplomatic relations on Dec. 12, 1992. They upgraded ties to strategic cooperation partnership in October 2009, then a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022.

South Korea is ranked first in direct investment to Vietnam, second in ODA and tourism partnership, and third in labor and commerce.

The two countries bilateral trade turnover reached $76.1 billion in 2023, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within the first four months of this year, the total export and import turnovers between the two reached $25.5 billion, a 4% increase from the same period last year.

South Korea was the biggest direct investor to Vietnam by April with 9,957 projects, with a total registered capital at over $87 billion.

Vietnam is a foremost priority partner for South Korea when it comes to ODA development. South Korea has given Vietnam over $500 million worth of aid every year recently.

Over 250,000 Vietnamese are currently living in South Korea, with around 150,000 Koreans living in Vietnam.

Around 3.6 million Korean visitors came to Vietnam last year, while 500,000 Vietnamese tourists also came to South Korea. Within the first four months of this year, South Korea is the largest market of tourists coming to Vietnam at 1.6 million visitors, accounting for 25.8% of international visitors coming to Vietnam.
At a recent Security Council briefing on the implementation of Irans nuclear commitments, UN Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo noted the recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which estimated that Iran maintains a total enriched uranium stockpile thirty times the amount allowable under Resolution 2231. The IAEA also reported that Iran has barred several experienced nuclear inspectors; has enriched uranium close to weapons grade level; and has started up new cascades of advanced centrifuges.

U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs Robert Wood said, The IAEA reports from May 27 and June 13 show that Iran is determined to expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible civilian purpose.

Iran should take actions that build international confidence and deescalate tensions, not continue nuclear activities that pose grave proliferation risks. The United States is prepared to use all means necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, he said. We nevertheless remain fully committed to resolving international concerns surrounding Irans nuclear program through diplomacy.

Ambassador Wood pointed out that an inflection point is looming in October 2025, when the Security Council could close consideration of Irans nuclear issue under Resolution 2231:

It is important to recall, though, that when this Council originally adopted Resolution 2231, the objective was to help establish the international communitys confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Irans nuclear program  Irans actions suggest it is not interested in verifiably demonstrating that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.

Ambassador Wood noted that Iran is not only causing concern over its refusal to live up to its nuclear commitments. It continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East, blatantly disregarding this Councils resolutions by providing weapons to its regional proxies  including in Yemen and Lebanon, he said.

The Security Council must be clear and united in condemning this brazen, destabilizing activity, Ambassador Wood declared. When Iran flagrantly defies the Security Council repeatedly without consequence, and ignores the published concerns of the IAEA, it undermines the credibility and authority of this body, which is charged with advancing international peace and security.
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Today (June 26), the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) and Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the governments of Barbados and Kenya, the Eur. . .
One day in mid-February, a dwarf sperm whale became beached on a stretch of sand near Sanya on the southern end of Chinas Hainan Island. Marine conservationists and ordinary residents alike spent 28 hours trying to help her back to the ocean.
This is the 3rd homicide so far in the first full week of Summer.

Remember . . .

Whilst politicos have been touting a drop in violent crime compared to last year's historic numbers, our blog community has noted that Summer typically starts the most deadly time of year in Kansas City proper.

Accordingly, here's the latest report . . .



Homicide 2000 blk of E Linwood



This afternoon at 12:09 PM officers were dispatched to an apartment building in the 2000 block of E. Linwood on a reported shooting.



Upon arrival they were directed to a residence within the apartment building. Inside of an apartment officers located an adult female victim suffering from an apparent gun shot wound. Officers rendered aid and simultaneously ordered EMS. Emergency personnel pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.



This is being investigated as a homicide. Detectives are working diligently to identity all parties involved and any relation they have to the apartment building. They will continue to canvass the building and area to identify any potential witnesses or locate surveillance footage. Crime scene personnel are also working to gather any physical evidence to help give an indication of what led up to the shooting.



If anyone has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.



We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency.



We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

####################

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Police respond to homicide in Key Coalition neighborhood of Kansas City The Kansas City Police Department stated the scene was in the 2000 block of Linwood Avenue.

1 fatally shot Wednesday in 2000 block of E Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating a fatal shooting in the 2000 block of E. Linwood Boulevard.
For late night & early morning denizens of the discourse we take a moment to roundup some of the important crime reporting from around the metro on the topic of more shooting this week, nasty reports of suspects targeting families and victim ID.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

'About time they declared it': Mom of fatal shooting victim laments delay in federal gun violence declaration Rosilyn Temple has spent more than 10 years speaking out against gun violence in Kansas City after her son, Antonio, was killed in 2011.

Kansas City mother, son sentenced after two shootings at Swope Park on Father's Day 2023 A judge sentenced Kippie House and Darryel Pennington to just over 10 years in prison without parole.

Search begins for man who may have information about sexually exploited child A nationwide search has begun for a man who may have information that is vital to the rescue of a sexually exploited child.

Child pornographer sentenced to 16 years in prison without parole A man who admitted to producing child pornography will spend the next 16 years in federal prison without the chance for parole.

Former Overland Park business owner sentenced to prison for COVID fraud The former owner of an Overland Park hotel has been sentenced to prison for using federal funds to purchase a new home in Georgia.

Long-time former Overland Park police officer loses certification A 17-year veteran of the Overland Park Police Department lost her police certification following a review earlier this month by a state agency.

Police seek info on homicide victim found at Bannister and Raytown roads The victim, a black male age 14-17, has an apparent scar above the left eye, a vertical scar in the center of the back of the left hand, and one circular scar on the left hip.

Developing . . .
Sadly, for many, the best thing about Kansas is leaving.

Here's a bit of data the proves the axiom . . .



Although many Kansas graduates move to the Kansas City area, Kansas is not keeping enough workers to meet demand over the next decade. In fact, Kansas will be 34,000 educated workers short of meeting expected demand, according to a September 2023 report published by the Kansas Board of Regents.



To be fair . . .

Maybe two pro-sports teams poached from Missouri might help the situation?!?



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
We've been giving Patrick Tuohey a hard time as of late not only because we know he can take a joke but also because disagree about the financial wisdom of turning away a Super Bowl dynasty.

However . . .

AN EPIC COLUMN CONDEMNS KANSAS & MISSOURI RESTARTING AN ECONOMIC BORDER WAR!!!

Even better . . .

He's the best local pundit to call out Guv Kelly for her irresponsible actions that will negatively impact residents on BOTH SIDES of the state line.

We don't have to agree with Tuohey on everything to realize that this bit of writing is BRILLIANT . . .



Just because Governor Kelly is violating her own executive order does not mean it is in anyone elses benefit to re-arm and ride to the sounds of guns.



The only ones who benefit from such skirmishes are the corporations that pit the two states and their various municipalities against each other. A prime example was Applebees, which crossed State Line Road repeatedly, adding no economic benefit to either side, but racking up sweet taxpayer-funded incentives for itself each time.



All that Kansas did the other day was provide the Chiefs and Royals leverage to play the states against each otherpotentially increasing the costs to taxpayers in both states. Should the Missouri side present a package that is competitive, the teams will very likely go back to Kansas and ask it to increase its offer. This is how negotiations work. Will Kansas, now that it has gotten its developers, municipal leaders, and residents excited by the prospect of hosting the two teams, be able to say no? Or will it sweeten the deal, just a little bit, to meet this once in a lifetime opportunity?

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
New Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Ward 5 Councillor Natalie Hart were officially sworn in as part of an inaugural council session Monday, June 24.

Here are four take-aways from the ceremony and news conference after, including details on a planned request for millions more in funding from the province and MiWay workers demonstrating outside the inauguration.

$86-million ask

Among the priorities Parrish announced at the inauguration was continued pressure on the provincial government to better fund social services in Peel.

She said to raise social service funding in Peel on par to other regions would cost $86 million, phased over three years.

That will eventually lower your regional taxes, and every tax bill in this room, she said.

A May 22 report released by Metamorphosis Network found that the provincial government is shortchanging residents, on average, more than $850 million per year for community and social services like housing and child care compared to other regions.

After her speech, Parrish told reporters she was planning to work with Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown and Caledon Mayor Annette Groves to get more funding from the province.

I think we'll just keep turning the screws till we get what we want, she said.

New city manager?

I choose not to answer that question.

Thats what Parrish said to reporters when asked whether she would use strong-mayor powers to remove Shari Lichterman, Mississaugas city manager and chief administrative officer (CAO).

The city manager/CAO role is essentially the highest-ranking and paid unelected official in a municipality, responsible for overseeing delivery of all services based on council direction. They also aim to provide council with impartial advice on matters before the city.

I am still in the role, said Lichterman in a statement to the Mississauga News Monday night, adding Parrish has not spoken to me about any plans regarding my role.

Prior to strong-mayor powers, all of council would deliberate on and ultimately vote on whether a Mississauga city manager and CAO would be hired or fired.

Under the strong-mayor rules, however, the mayor alone can appoint or fire the city manager and CAO, as well as the commissioners responsible for Mississaugas planning, roads and community services departments.

Lichterman, who has held several senior management roles with the city over nearly a decade, has been Mississaugas city manager since 2023 following the resignation of Paul Mitcham.

Council committee roles announced

The new mayor announced chairs of two of the citys most significant standing committees and appears to have set prominent roles for two of three former mayoral rivals on council.

Parrish announced she would chair the planning and development committee, which deliberates on matters like housing and commercial building proposals the city receives.

She said Ward 2 Councillor Alvin Tedjo would be vice-chair of the committee, if council allows it.

After the ceremony, Tedjo, who placed second in the mayoral byelection, told the Mississauga News he believes Parrish saw that housing was a big priority for me.

The committee has been without a permanent chair since former Ward 11 Councillor George Carlson, who will be Parrishs chief of staff, decided not to run in the 2022 election.

Parrish also announced current Ward 11 Councillor Brad Butt would chair the citys budget committee and nominated Ward 1 Councillor Stephen Dasko as vice-chair.

Dasko also ran in the mayoral byelection, finishing fourth behind Ward 7 Councillor Dipika Damerla.

During her inauguration speech, Parrish said Butt and Dasko were the worst penny-pinchers on council, so your budget will be in good hands.

Under strong-mayor powers, heads of council can appoint committee chairs, whereas previously that would require a majority vote.

She also picked Ward 8 Councillor Matt Mahoney to become the citys first deputy mayor, a role that already exists in Toronto and Brampton.

Parrish has moved a motion to make Mahoney deputy mayor at Wednesday's council meeting.

In an interview with the Mississauga News, Mahoney said the role likely means more work, events and efforts to bring people together on council after a somewhat contentious byelection.

I'm not suggesting that there are any problems on council because there isn't, but you do need to just kind of get over the election and move on, he said.

MiWay union demonstrates outside the inauguration

Dozens of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1572 members, the local union representing MiWay operators and mechanics, demonstrated outside of the Living Arts Centre leading up to the inauguration amid ongoing contract talks with the city.

They are quietly showing their strength and their passion this evening and I respect that, said Parrish, who referred to the MiWay workers as our good friends outside.

She also reiterated her campaign promises of consultation with the union and working toward no closed-door incidents during rush hour.

MiWays closed-door incidents  instances of buses passing stops because they are full and unable to pick up more passengers  more than doubled in 2023 compared to 2019.

Earlier this month, Local 1572 members rejected a citys contract offer and filed for conciliation, a process where a provincially appointed negotiator tries to help an employer and union find an agreement.

If conciliation fails and no deal is struck, MiWay workers could legally strike, something they voted in favour of doing in August 2023.

The contract negotiations come as MiWay ridership is exceeding pre-COVID levels and the local transit authority is hiring drivers and mechanics to boost service hours, the time buses are deployed and picking up passengers.

MiWay service hours declined by 14 per cent from 2019 to 2022.

Jack Jackson, ATU Local 1572 president, said Monday that the city and union are returning to the negotiating table Wednesday and that July 2 is set for conciliation, if needed.

He said hes hoping the city comes to Wednesdays negotiations with a reasonable, finalized proposal offer that we could happily take back to our membership.

If not, we are definitely willing to proceed to ensure that my members are rewarded for what was four incredibly tough years where they put their lives on the line (during the pandemic), he said.

Correction  Aug. 3, 2024: This article has been edited from a previous version that misstated the amount of money Mayor Carolyn Parrish said she was seeking for Peel services.
If you've got a flight planned over the next few days, you should check your ticket  especially if it's on WestJet.

The airline has started cancelling flights in preparation for a potential strike that was supposed to begin Friday.

As of midday Thursday, 25 flights had been cancelled, impacting 3,300 passengers. WestJet said it is making every effort to reaccommodate all impacted guests.

But it was announced late on Thursday that the federal government stepped in with binding arbitration between both sides, averting a strike.

The potential strike is for aircraft maintenance engineers and other technical operations employees with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, who gave notice they plan to go on strike as of June 28 at 7:30 p.m. eastern time.

"(Cancelling flights) ensures the airline can safely park its aircraft in a controlled manner, while enabling proactive communication and preventing the stranding of WestJets guests and crew, the company said on its website.

As we quickly approach the July long weekend, it is especially devastating that the strike notice we have received from (the union) forces us to begin cancelling flights and parking aircraft, for the second time in just over a week. As we are forced to make this painful decision, every one of us at WestJet feels the immense weight of the impact this will have on each of our guests and the communities we serve, counting on us to fulfil their travel plans this weekend, said Diederik Pen, WestJet Airlines president and group chief operating officer, in a press release.

According to the union, since May 1, 2023, WestJet has withheld a four per cent scheduled wage increase from certain general band employees. The union also said certain band employees may see a reduction in pay for being put onto a wage scale following the collective agreement, which goes against a memorandum of agreement that says employees should receive a pay step based on years of continual service.

WestJet now also owns Sunwing Airlines, after a merger was approved in May 2023. It's unclear if any Sunwing flights have been cancelled as a result of the potential strike.

However, WestJet did say it wouldn't wind down Sunwing operations until October.

The WestJet Group will integrate Sunwing Airlines with the same commitment to delivering a reliable guest and employee experience, the company said in a release. The planned activity has no impact on Sunwing Vacations Group and its associated vacations brands.

WestJet is currently offering guests a flexible cancellation or change option for flights and fares on June 27 or 28. For more information, visit guest updates on westjet.com.

Want to check if your flight is impacted?

Visit Westjet.com and check on your flight status, using your flight number.
Leading facilitator of global trade, logistics and industry AD Ports Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saif Powertec Limited to explore cooperation on port projects in Bangladesh.

The MoU was signed on Wednesday by Ahmed Al Mutawa, Regional CEO, AD Ports Group, and Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin, Managing Director of Saif Powertec Ltd., in the presence of senior officials from both parties in Abu Dhabi.

The MoU outlines plans to work together on operational projects and developments in ports across Bangladesh.

The MoU outlines plans to conduct joint activities and work on the development of ports, container depots and logistics facilities in Chattogram, Mongla, and Dhaka. A joint working group will share expertise, studies, and strategies to implement joint activities.

Capt Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO  AD Ports Group, said: This cooperation highlights our ongoing commitment to unlocking fresh opportunities globally. Working alongside Saif Powertec Ltd will provide a greater platform for us to offer our world-class services and experience on various projects in Bangladesh. The signing of this MoU further enhances the groups presence in Bangladesh and South Asia as we continue to grow and develop the close relationships we have built over the years in line with the vision of our wise leadership.

Tarafder Md Ruhul Amin from Saif Powertec Ltd said: Today is another proud day for us as we continue our ongoing partnership with AD Ports Group, which could lead us to work together on big projects in Bangladesh. The MoU is yet another indicator of the strength of the relationship between Saif Powertec Ltd and AD Ports Group and were looking forward to collaborating for many years to come. AD Ports Group brings a wealth of experience and know-how to the table when it comes to our industry, so teaming up with them to continue to grow our operations in Bangladesh makes total sense for us.  TradeArabia News Service
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2024. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing on Wednesday. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos.

Xi asked Chinh to convey his cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and to Vietnamese President To Lam.

Xi said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, ushering bilateral relations into a new stage.

Over the past half a year, the two parties and the two countries have enjoyed close exchanges among high-ranking officials and smooth cooperation in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Noting that the world today is going through changes unseen in a century, Xi said both China and Vietnam have maintained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, demonstrating the strengths of the socialist system.

He said the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance is in line with the modernization needs of the two countries, and is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability and to promoting the development of the global socialist cause.

China is willing to work with Vietnam to maintain solidarity and friendship, consolidate mutual support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that China also stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to march toward modernization and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Xi stressed that China is committed to comprehensively deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization, which will bring new opportunities for the two sides to expand cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, connectivity and digital economy.

He called on the two sides to maintain high-level exchanges, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance connectivity, and promote the high-quality development of practical cooperation between the two countries.

China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam and hopes that Vietnam can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, he said.

He said the two sides should make good use of the friendly exchanges between the two parties, support border provinces in strengthening exchanges, implement livelihood projects on agriculture, education and medical care, and consolidate public support for China-Vietnam friendship through a good use of people-to-people and youth exchange platforms.

The two sides should properly handle maritime issues, speed up joint maritime development and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi added.

Chinh conveyed cordial greetings from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President To Lam to Xi. He said that Vietnam and China, both as socialist countries led by the communist party, have a tradition of good-neighborliness and friendship.

Hailing China's great achievements on all fronts, Chinh said the Vietnamese side thinks highly of China's important role as an engine and ballast for global economic growth, and supports China's development and prosperity and the realization of its Second Centenary Goal as scheduled.

Vietnam supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and opposes the politicization of economic, trade and sci-tech issues, Chinh said.

Vietnam hopes to learn from China's new theories, practices and achievements in party and state governance, and to stick to the path of socialism along with China to achieve common development, he added.

Noting that Vietnam supports China's position on the Taiwan question and firmly adheres to the one-China principle, Chinh said that it is the top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam's foreign policy, which will not be disrupted by external interference, to deepen strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation with China, and build a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

He added that Vietnam will join hands with China to continue enhancing political mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, encouraging youth exchanges, consolidating public support, strengthening multilateral coordination, and properly handling differences, to earnestly promote the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2024. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Editor: GSY
Mexico has a lot of tacos, beaches, and mariachi bands, but Tijuana takes the taco for its energetic atmosphere and lively culture! Positioned as the world's busiest border city, Tijuana is filled with stories that simply do not wait.

If you are just crossing over for a quick visit or settling in for a few days, you will discover that Tijuana offers a range of experiences. Here are the things you should know when visiting Tijuana, Mexico.

Explore the Cultural Hotspots of Tijuana

Tijuana is full of cultural attractions that are a must-see. Take a walk down the lively Avenida Revolucion, the city's social hub. Be sure to visit the Tijuana Cultural Center, which welcomes over a million visitors each year with its exciting exhibits and historical displays.

This center is an educational spot and a key part of the city's cultural life. Whether you love history or art, Tijuana offers an engaging mix of both.

Dive into the Local Cuisine

Eating like a local is essential when in Tijuana. The city is renowned for its authentic Mexican food that will delight your taste buds. From street food vendors serving fresh fish tacos to high-end restaurants in Zona Rio, there is something for everyone.

According to Nomad is Beautiful, Tijuana's food scene is a lively celebration of flavors where even a simple meal feels like a feast. So, do not skip out on the local dishes that offer a true taste of Mexican culinary skills.

Safety First in Tijuana

Safety is a primary concern for many travelers, and Tijuana is no exception. Despite the crowds, the city is as safe as any large city where common sense is your guide.

Watch your belongings, be aware of your surroundings, and you will find that Tijuana welcomes tourists. The main streets and popular tourist spots are well-monitored and considered safe, allowing you to explore freely without excessive worry.

The Underrated Beaches of Tijuana

While Tijuana might not be the first name that comes to mind for beaches, it certainly deserves recognition. Playas de Tijuana is the city's most popular beach, complete with a lively boardwalk and a culturally significant border wall.

The beach offers a mix of relaxation and local culture. Spend a day relaxing by the Pacific and enjoy the sun-drenched shores of Tijuana.

Crossing into Tijuana Made Easy

Entering Tijuana is an experience in itself. The San Ysidro Port of Entry is one of the busiest yet most efficient border crossings. Whether driving, walking, or flying, entering Tijuana is smoother than expected.

GenX Traveler praises the structured chaos that greets travelers, highlighting the various ways one can cross from the United States into this vibrant Mexican city. Have your documents ready and enjoy the unique experience of crossing into another country effortlessly.
AirAsia has once again been recognized as the World's Best Low-Cost Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024, marking the 15th consecutive year the airline has claimed this title.

The ceremony took place in London on June 24, where Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes accepted the award.

AirAsia Expands, Aims to Democratize Travel

Established in 2001, AirAsia is now considered the fourth largest airline in Asia. During the awards, CEO Tony Fernandes expressed pride in the airline's consistent performance, emphasizing the unique achievement of winning for 15 straight years-a record he noted is unmatched by any other airline.

According to The Manila Times, Fernandes highlighted the airline's commitment to its passengers, noting their appreciation and trust as key factors in its success. He reiterated AirAsia's dedication to providing high-quality service at the best cost, aiming to serve millions more throughout the year.

In his speech, Fernandes also outlined plans for expansion, with AirAsia looking to extend its reach to include more destinations in Africa and Europe. He praised the airline's team, which he described as dreamers working together to make affordable air travel accessible to all.

Fernandes shared his enthusiasm for the industry's growth and the opportunities it presents for innovation and improvement.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the aviation industry, draw on feedback from millions of international travelers.

This year's awards considered more than 325 airlines, with AirAsia emerging at the forefront in its category. Fernandes concluded by expressing his excitement for the future, stating that the possibilities for AirAsia are limitless.

Related Article : AirAsia Philippines Proposes Direct Flights to Boracay, Aims to Cut Manila Congestion

AirAsia Philippines Enhances Travel Connectivity

AirAsia Philippines is set to improve travel convenience for its passengers by participating in the Cebu Connect initiative, launched by Aboitiz GMR MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corporation (AGMCAC).

The initiative aims to establish Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) as a top choice for transfer flights, featuring a minimal Connectivity Time of 60 minutes.

Currently, as per the website, AirAsia Philippines offers flights from MCIA to various local destinations, including Manila, Boracay, Davao, and Puerto Princesa. Plans are underway to expand services to international locations such as Kuala Lumpur, Narita, Osaka, Taipei, and Seoul.

Ricky Isla, CEO of AirAsia, praised the Cebu Connect initiative for its role in streamlining airport transfers, which he believes will significantly benefit the region and enhance AirAsia's service quality.

He emphasized that the initiative would help millions of travelers by providing easier access to a broader network of destinations, thus reinforcing AirAsia's position as the World's Best Low-Cost Airline.

Isla also expressed potential future expansions that could include new destinations like Bangkok, Vietnam, Phnom Penh, and more cities in North Asia. He highlighted that these new routes would offer more travel choices and strengthen Cebu's role as a vital international transfer hub in Asia.

Through collaborations like Cebu Connect, AirAsia Philippines is dedicated to enhancing the travel experience by ensuring more accessible and seamless transitions between flights, benefiting both domestic and international travelers.
WestJet, a major airline based in Calgary, is facing a new threat of a strike by its maintenance workers. This comes just a week after a similar strike was avoided at the last minute.

The potential strike could start as early as June 28, putting the travel plans of up to 70,000 passengers each day in jeopardy during the busy long weekend.

WestJet Strike Risks Holiday Travel Chaos

The dispute began again shortly after WestJet and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association agreed to restart negotiations. Despite WestJet presenting a new offer to increase maintenance worker salaries by 22% over four years, the union found the offer inadequate compared to their demands.

According to Flight Global, WestJet's operations have been under pressure due to several labor disputes recently. Just earlier this month, the airline managed to dodge a strike by canceling around 40 flights in advance, aiming to minimize inconvenience to travelers and avoid leaving planes and crew stranded.

Diederik Pen, WestJet's chief operating officer, expressed frustration over the renewed strike threat, noting it as disappointing and unfair to the airline's customers, employees, and the communities that depend on their services.

He criticized the union's timing of the strike notice, suggesting it was meant to target the busy holiday period for maximum impact.

The company had earlier gone through a tough negotiation with regional pilots, who only agreed to a new contract after initially threatening to strike, highlighting ongoing tensions in various sectors of the airline's operations.

As the deadline approaches, WestJet and its travelers face uncertainty, and the potential for significant disruptions looms large.

Related Article : WestJet to Change Passenger to Flight Attendant Ratio to 50 to 1

Westjet Collaborates with Condor Airlines

On June 24, WestJet is making travel to Europe easier for its Canadian customers by introducing direct flights to Frankfurt International Airport, Germany's busiest airport, from five cities across Canada.

This new service is thanks to an expanded agreement with Condor Airlines, building on their 10-year relationship. Travelers from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Halifax can now enjoy the convenience of booking their flights directly through WestJet.

As per Travel Pulse Canada, the improved partnership allows passengers to check their bags through to their final destination and book their entire trip on one ticket, simplifying travel arrangements.

Moreover, travelers will continue to earn WestJet Dollars on these flights, adding value to every trip they take.

The collaboration doesn't just benefit WestJet flyers. Condor's customers will also have better access to Canadian destinations via WestJet's extensive domestic network.

This summer, connections to the United States will also become available for Condor's customers traveling through the Canadian hubs.

John Weatherill of WestJet emphasized the benefits of this partnership, noting it will enhance the travel experience for visitors to and from Canada, providing more options for leisure travel at affordable prices.

Condor's Commercial Director, Jens Boyd, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the timely nature of this partnership as Condor resumes flights to Calgary.

This codeshare agreement is more than just a business expansion; it is a gateway for tourists and travelers exploring attractions across the Atlantic.

With bookings now open through WestJet's website and app, planning a trip from Canada to Frankfurt or beyond just got a lot easier.
A visitor looks at silver jewelry at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

URUMQI, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Businessmen from many parts of the world have gathered in northwest China's Xinjiang, displaying exquisite goods such as French wine, Serbian coffee, Australian chocolate and Ghanaian drums.

The 8th China-Eurasia Expo, held at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, commenced Wednesday in the regional capital of Urumqi.

Themed "New Opportunities of Silk Road, New Vitality for Eurasian Cooperation," the expo will run until Sunday. It has drawn over 1,900 participants from 50 countries, regions and international organizations, showcasing over 6,000 varieties of products.

The expo, which has been successfully held seven times, has become an important channel for economic and trade cooperation between China and Eurasian countries, said Gao Yunlong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, at the opening ceremony.

China and Eurasian countries are highly complementary in economy and have close connections in industrial and supply chains, he said, expressing the hope for the two sides to enhance strategic synergy, deepen cooperation and jointly create a new chapter in Eurasian collaboration.

"This is our first time participating in the China-Eurasia Expo, and we hope to achieve fruitful results here in Xinjiang," said Nebojsa Terzic at the Serbian pavilion. He expressed the belief that the event will further cultivate Chinese consumers' appetite for high-quality Serbian products.

Covering an area of 140,000 square meters, this year's expo encompasses four major exhibition zones including investment cooperation, international exhibitions, special industries and equipment manufacturing.

"We have brought multiple exhibits, including lightweight construction machinery, recyclable construction elevators, and a 5G tower crane simulation cockpit," said Zhang Heng, general manager of the Xinjiang branch of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

Attributing their rapid overseas expansion to the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, Zhang expected more collaboration with overseas clients. "We're already close to finalizing a project in Kazakhstan," Zhang added.

This year's expo has also set up a special pavilion for the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), aiming to showcase its unique features, progress and achievements of three areas in Urumqi, Kashgar and Horgos.

As the first pilot FTZ in China's northwest border areas, Xinjiang FTZ was officially established in November 2023. The FTZ has since embarked on an array of reform initiatives, marking a robust start to its development.

From January to April this year, the total import and export volume of the Xinjiang FTZ reached 38.5 billion yuan (about 5.4 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 27.92 percent of the total import and export volume of Xinjiang.

Frances Wu, an exhibitor from Australia, spoke highly of Xinjiang's geographical advantage of being close to Central Asia. The company hopes to leverage this expo to gain in-depth understanding of the policies of the Xinjiang FTZ, and intends to invest and establish factories in Xinjiang, with the aim of processing high-quality Kazakh camel milk powder.

"Being close to the source of raw materials, if we can establish production facilities in Xinjiang, the market prospects for our products will undoubtedly be very promising," he noted.

Li Xuan, an official at the regional department of commerce, stated that Xinjiang will fully leverage the platform of the China-Eurasia Expo to develop public service products that facilitate exchanges and collaboration among countries in Asia and Europe.

Since 2011, seven sessions of the China-Eurasia Expo have been successfully held, yielding fruitful results. During past expos, more than 12,200 domestic and foreign exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions exhibited, attracting a total of 2.16 million visitors. 

Visitors view an exhibit at the booth of Urumqi at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Visitors walk out of the main venue of the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

A staff member grills lamb kebabs at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

Visitors watch a performance at the booth of Malaysia at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Visitors view an exhibit at the booth of a technology company during the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

Visitors learn about drilling equipment at the booth of China's Dongfang Electric Corporation at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Two buyers communicate with a staff member from the booth of Ghana at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

A visitor views an exhibit at the booth of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Fei)

A visitor interacts with a robot at the booth of Shandong Province at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

People visit the booth of Kyrgyzstan at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

A visitor takes a group photo with staff members of the booth of Malaysia at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

A volunteer learns to play a drum at the booth of Ghana at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lei)

Editor: JYZ
This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

CHENGDU, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Two giant pandas departed from Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday evening, embarking on a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation in the United States.

It marks a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between the two countries, following the agreement signed in February between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Diego Zoo.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The duo are accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians during the journey.

The pair will transit through Hong Kong and are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Thursday.

The CCRCGP has conducted scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, disease control of giant pandas and related public education. 

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Yun Chuan at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Yun Chuan at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Editor: JYZ
By Janice Phelan, June 27, 2024

Hazardous Materials Removal Technician graduates receive their sought-after certifications during a UCM graduation ceremony. Below, left,

graduates of the Sterile Processing Technician program; right: Graduates from the Medical Billing Professional training program.

LEES SUMMIT, MO - Graduates of several University of Central Missouri (UCM) training programs were recognized at a June 6 ceremony at the UCM Lee's Summit at the Missouri Innovation Campus. Through these programs, adult learners earn industry-recognized certifications and are prepared for careers in high-demand fields.

At the ceremony, held at Missouri Innovation Campus in Lees Summit, 40 graduates of UCMs Hazardous Materials Removal Technician, Medical Billing Professional with Remote Worker and Sterile Processing Technician training programs were honored. Of the 40 graduates, 11 were in Hazardous Materials, 15 in Medical Billing and 14 in Sterile Processing.

Thanks to collaborations with community funding partners, qualifying students are eligible for scholarships for these courses as well as several other UCM workforce programs. As part of a program review at the end of the courses, students praised their instructors, the supportive classroom environment and the help they received from the university staff.

I loved my instructor, said Amanda Scott, a student in the Medical Billing Professional program. She helped me in so many ways.

Melanie Zamora, who completed the Sterile Processing Technician course, said she appreciated the UCM program as well as the assistance she received in job placement.

UCM gave me an opportunity to learn something new and succeed towards the end, she said. Dont be afraid to try something new, UCM is there for you.

The three programs operate out of UCMs Center for Workforce and Professional Education, located at the Lees Summit campus. Most courses can be completed in approximately two to three months, depending on how many classes are offered during each week.

To learn more about UCMs workforce training programs, visit this webpage.



Interested adult learners are also invited to discuss their career goals via a one-on-one chat with Clarinda Dir, UCM workforce expert, by registering herE.



Interested adult learners are also invited to discuss their career goals via a one-on-one chat with Clarinda Dir, UCM workforce expert, by registering here.

UCM offers its industry-recognized training programs at campuses in Lees Summit and online, and they will soon be offered in Warrensburg. The universitys training programs are designed with busy adults in mind with in-person courses offered on weekday evenings and weekends.
Over the next few months, it is necessary to prepare a detailed action plan for consideration at the second Peace Summit.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this during a joint press conference with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Brussels before a meeting of the European Council, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Now we need to develop a detailed plan of detailed steps to address all the crises that Putin's war has brought to our land. We have to draw up this plan within months, we don't have much time. We have a lot of wounded, killed both military and civilians. So we do not want this war to last for years. Therefore, we have to prepare this plan and put it on the negotiating table at the second Peace Summit," Zelensky said.

He also stressed that it is important for Ukraine to keep the peace process open.

"If there are any negotiations taking place in the shadows, it is not about us. We want to do it openly. This is very important for us," the President stressed.

Zelensky recalled that 9 countries had already joined the open communique of the first Peace Summit after its completion.

"These are great steps. And I want to discuss with the leaders our next steps in the context of preparing the second Peace Summit. I think it is important not only for Ukraine, but also for Europe and the world," the President said.

As Ukrinform reported, the first Peace Summit was held on 15-16 June in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock. It was attended by more than 100 countries and international organisations. The summit discussed nuclear security, food security and the humanitarian dimension - the exchange of prisoners and the return of abducted Ukrainian children.

Read also: President announces new specifics for peace in July

A communique was signed following the Summit. The document remains open for accession. The results of the Peace Summit will be presented by representatives of the Russian Federation.
This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Reindeer eat grass in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, June 20, 2024. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

An arctic tern flies over waters in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, June 20, 2024. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows a halo around the sun in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Scientists prepare to place equipment in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, June 23, 2024. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 21, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This photo taken on June 20, 2024 shows the scenery of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

A cruise ship docks in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, June 23, 2024. As the world's northernmost permanent settlement, Ny-Alesund has four months of continuous daylight and four months of lasting darkness each year. From late April to late August, the sun never sets, treating visitors to the spectacle of the "midnight sun." (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Editor: JYZ
The Ulan Mod grassland in northern China is a breathtaking landscape that spans 11 million mu (about 733,333 hectares), adorned with lush grasslands and vast forests covering 6 million mu (about 400,000 hectares). Over 120 rivers meander through this verdant tapestry, creating a picturesque scene.

This poetic landscape is situated on the border between China and Mongolia, where the Manchurian township of Horqin Right Front Banner meets Mongolia, forming a unique community. Across the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, where rippling green fields meet expansive forests, stand the devoted guardians of the border.

Photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows a grassland patroller with his horse in Manyutun Manchu Township, Horqin Right Front Banner, north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Wang Ruoxin/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows two dancers in vibrant attire pose gracefully in front of a yurt, a symbol of nomadic life, in Manyutun Manchu Township, Horqin Right Front Banner, north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Wang Ruoxin/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows two wild horses roaming freely across the endless greenery of Manyutun Manchu Township, Horqin Right Front Banner, north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Wang Ruoxin/Guangming Picture)

Photo taken on June 25, 2024 shows rolling hills on the vibrant pastures of the Ulan Mod grassland in Manyutun Manchu Township, Horqin Right Front Banner, north Chinas Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Wang Ruoxin/Guangming Picture)

Editor: WRX
In recent weeks, federal judges in Louisiana and Kentucky have issued significant rulings against the Biden administration's efforts to overhaul Title IX regulations.

These rulings provide early indications of the legal challenges the administration may face as it seeks to expand protections under the Education Amendments of 1972. The rulings suggest potential difficulties ahead for supporters of these expanded protections, though legal experts advise against drawing definitive conclusions from these initial decisions.

Judicial Opposition to Title IX Changes

Two federal judges have temporarily blocked the implementation of the new Title IX regulations in ten states: Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. These injunctions highlight a broader resistance among certain states to the Biden administration's interpretation of Title IX. The new regulations, finalized in April and set to take effect on August 1, aim to broaden protections for LGBTQ+ students and expand definitions of sex-based discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

One judge described the new rule as an "abuse of power," arguing that it disrupts longstanding legal principles and misinterprets the original intent of Title IX. Another judge claimed that the rule "wreaks havoc" on the 52-year-old gender equity law, potentially undermining protections for cisgender women and girls. The injunctions issued so far block all aspects of the new regulations, including provisions for pregnant and parenting students and new guidelines for handling sexual misconduct reports.

READ MORE : Court Battles Intensify As Biden Administration Seeks To Expand Title IX Protection For LGBTQ+ Students

The Broader Legal Context

The ongoing legal battle over the Biden administration's Title IX changes is part of a larger cultural and legal conflict over transgender rights and gender equity. Opponents argue that the expanded protections for LGBTQ+ students contradict the original intent of Title IX and pose risks to cisgender women and girls. They assert that allowing transgender students to use facilities corresponding to their gender identity could compromise privacy and safety.

Supporters of the new regulations counter that these protections are necessary to safeguard the rights of a vulnerable student population increasingly targeted by state-level legislative actions. They argue that the changes align with previous federal court decisions and reflect the evolving understanding of sex-based discrimination. Legal scholars emphasize that the current injunctions are temporary measures meant to preserve the status quo while the courts fully consider the merits of the challenges.

Future Implications and Supreme Court Involvement

The legal fight over the Title IX regulations is expected to be lengthy and could ultimately reach the Supreme Court. Earlier this week, the Biden administration stated it plans to appeal the Louisiana injunction to the Fifth Circuit and the Tennessee injunction to the Sixth Circuit. If these appeals courts uphold the injunctions, the administration may seek a reversal from the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court's recent decision to hear a case concerning state bans on gender-affirming care indicates a possible willingness to engage with issues related to transgender rights and federal regulations. However, whether the Court will take up the Title IX cases remains uncertain and could be influenced by the outcomes of upcoming elections.

At the heart of the Title IX lawsuits is the question of what constitutes sex-based discrimination and who has the authority to define it- the states or the federal government. The Biden administration's rule clarifies that sex-based discrimination includes discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, expanding the scope of harassment definitions under Title IX. Opponents argue that these changes overstep federal authority and infringe on state sovereignty.

As the legal challenges continue, colleges and universities are advised to prepare for compliance with the new regulations while staying attuned to potential reversals by higher courts. The outcome of these legal battles will have significant implications for the future of gender equity and civil rights in educational settings across the United States.
Graduate education has long been revered for its rigorous intellectual challenges and the deep sense of accomplishment it brings. However, as the employment landscape changes, graduate education must also adapt accordingly. Institutions, administrators, faculty, students, and alumni must work collaboratively to navigate these changes.

Here are three critical adjustments by Melissa Cefkin and Tara Schwegler that are necessary for aligning graduate education with the realities of the post-graduate job market.

1. Elevating Visibility of Diverse Career Paths

A Broader Perspective on Job Trajectories

One of the most significant shifts needed in graduate education is enhancing the visibility of diverse career trajectories available to graduates. Currently, many universities sporadically host panels to highlight careers beyond academia. These events, often held at prestigious institutions such as Stanford, Rice, and the University of Chicago, serve an essential function but are insufficient in their current form.

Frequent and Integrated Career Panels

To truly benefit students, these career panels should be more frequent, starting earlier in the academic journey, and deeply integrated into the curriculum. By exposing students to various career options from the beginning, universities can help them make informed decisions throughout their studies. This proactive approach reduces the disillusionment that many students face if they do not secure academic positions and prepares them to be more adaptable and effective in their chosen fields.

Empowering Faculty and Programs

Offering continuous and extensive career guidance also advantages faculty and academic programs. It enables faculty to customize their guidance and curriculum to better suit the varied requirements of their students, thereby enhancing the academic journey and expanding the scope of scholarly endeavors.

2. Equalizing Applied and Academic Career Paths

Creating Equitable Opportunities

The second important change is to elevate applied career paths to the same level as academic ones. This shift may pose challenges but can be accomplished through intentional actions. One approach is to create more roles for hybrid applied-academic faculty and establish mentoring programs, such as the University of Chicago's Alumni-in-Residence program.

Learning from Applied Programs

Institutions can also draw inspiration from successful applied programs. For example, San Jose State University's anthropology department collaborates extensively with Silicon Valley organizations and global enterprises. Projects like the Mosaic Atlas, which partners with nonprofits and local government to map cultural arts, and collaborations with the U.S. Geological Survey, showcase the value of integrating academic work with real-world applications.

Developing Hybrid Roles

By developing roles that blend academic and applied expertise, universities can offer students a balanced perspective. This approach not only enhances the employability of graduates but also enriches academic programs by incorporating practical insights and experiences from various industries.

3. Facilitating Intellectual Exchange Between Academia and Industry

Promoting Bilateral Knowledge Flow

The third change involves creating mechanisms to enable a robust exchange of ideas between academic and non-academic contexts. Currently, the flow of knowledge tends to be unidirectional-from academia to industry-leaving a significant potential for cross-pollination untapped.

Leveraging Industry Insights

Groups such as the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Community (EPIC) maintain vast collections of peer-reviewed papers that examine industry practices. Incorporating this body of work into graduate seminars and inviting industry experts to engage with students can spur new avenues of scientific inquiry. Such interactions can enrich academic discourse with practical insights and innovative approaches from the field.

Encouraging Collaborative Opportunities

Funding bodies and private companies can play a pivotal role by developing grants and opportunities that promote collaboration between academia and industry. These partnerships can foster a dynamic intellectual community where ideas are exchanged freely, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and applications.

The aim of these recommendations is not to dilute the essence of graduate education but to enhance it by expanding its scope and relevance. Graduate programs should maintain their rigorous standards and intellectual rigor while also preparing students for a broader array of professional futures. By embracing these changes, institutions can better equip graduates to navigate the complexities of the modern job market and make significant contributions both within and beyond academia.

Graduate education will continue to attract those driven by curiosity and a passion for learning. By adapting to the evolving job market and fostering stronger connections between academic and applied worlds, we can create a brighter future for graduates, where opportunities are plentiful, and the potential for impact is limitless.
As the academic year progresses, a wave of announcements heralding the appointments of new presidents, provosts, and deans sweeps across campuses.

These leadership roles, now more demanding than ever, require strategic planning and careful execution to ensure a successful tenure. Drawing from over two decades of experience in higher education, Marissa Quinn outlines ten crucial dos and don'ts for incoming academic leaders to navigate their new roles effectively.

1. Don't Do It Alone

Navigating a new leadership role in higher education is a complex endeavor. Institutions invest heavily in search firms and committees to find the right candidates, but once appointed, new leaders often face unfamiliar environments. It's vital to have a trusted transition advisor-someone who understands the institution's unique culture, processes, and potential pitfalls. This advisor can provide invaluable insights and guidance, helping new leaders avoid common mistakes and build strong relationships from day one.

READ MORE : 5 Crucial Roles For University Boards Amid The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

2. Do Capitalize on Day One

The first day in a new role is a prime opportunity to set the tone for your leadership. Use the day to communicate your vision and eagerness. Prepare a strategic communication plan, including an introductory letter or video, an updated website, and a robust social media presence. Engage with both the campus community and external stakeholders like civic leaders and community partners. This proactive approach can build initial goodwill and establish your presence as a forward-thinking leader.

3. Don't Assume Resources Are in Place

New leaders often inherit structures and teams from their predecessors, but these may not always align with their vision or needs. Evaluate the existing resources and identify deficiencies. Determine if you need additional support, such as a chief of staff, communications expert, or data analyst. Building a well-functioning team early on can prevent the need for reactive measures later and ensure you have the right support to implement your initiatives effectively.

4. Do Engage in Continuous Communication

Effective communication is crucial for new leaders. From formal speeches to casual interactions, every opportunity to speak is a chance to reinforce your message and values. Be clear about what attracted you to the role and what your priorities are. Regular, transparent communication helps build trust and ensures that all stakeholders understand your vision and how they can contribute to its success.

5. Don't Be Passive

While new leaders will receive many invitations to engage with various campus and community groups, it's equally important to take the initiative. Reach out proactively to key constituencies, including students, faculty, alumni, and local leaders. These early interactions are opportunities to listen, learn, and build relationships that will support your leadership.

6. Do Immerse Yourself in the Institution's Culture

Understanding and embracing the institution's traditions and rituals can significantly enhance your credibility and connection with the community. Learning the alma mater, attending cultural events, and participating in long-standing traditions show your commitment to the institution's heritage and can help foster a sense of belonging and respect among stakeholders.

7. Don't Overlook Social Media

In today's digital age, social media is a powerful tool for new leaders to connect with their community. Ensure that your social media profiles are up-to-date and actively managed. Use these platforms to share your vision, celebrate successes, and engage with the community. A well-crafted social media strategy can enhance your visibility and accessibility, fostering a more engaged and informed campus community.

8. Do Prioritize Professional Development

Even seasoned leaders need to continue learning. Engage in professional development opportunities, attend industry conferences, and participate in leadership workshops. Staying informed about the latest trends and challenges in higher education not only enhances your skills but also demonstrates a commitment to growth and innovation.

9. Don't Neglect the Power of Collaboration

Building a collaborative environment is essential for effective leadership. Encourage open dialogue and inclusive decision-making processes. Create forums where faculty, staff, and students can share their ideas and concerns. Collaboration fosters innovation, improves morale, and strengthens the overall sense of community within the institution.

10. Do Foster Strong External Relationships

Building relationships beyond the campus is crucial for the success of any higher education leader. Engage with local businesses, civic leaders, and community organizations. These external relationships can provide valuable support, resources, and opportunities for collaboration. Hosting community events and participating in local initiatives can enhance the institution's reputation and foster mutually beneficial partnerships.

Navigating the complexities of a new leadership role in higher education can be daunting. However, by following these dos and don'ts, new leaders can set the stage for a successful and impactful tenure. Strategic planning, effective communication, and a commitment to continuous learning and collaboration are key to thriving in these challenging yet rewarding positions.
(@FahadShabbir)

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar informed the National Assembly on Thursday that the government would bring a resolution in the House to counter the resolution passed by the US House of Representatives on June 25

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar informed the National Assembly on Thursday that the government would bring a resolution in the House to counter the resolution passed by the US House of Representatives on June 25.

Winding up the discussion on a cut motions, he said, The government has taken note of the resolution passed by the US House of Representatives on Pakistan. We will also pass a resolution in response to the USs resolution, and the draft resolution will be shared with the opposition and treasury benches.

He said, We must show our sovereignty and unity. We must show we mean business... I will request all to come together and present a clear resolution in response to the US resolution.

The deputy prime minister also read out a statement earlier issued by the Foreign Office saying, Pakistan has taken note of the passage of House Resolution 901 by the US House of Representatives on June 25. We believe that the timing and context of this particular resolution do not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties and stem from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan. Pakistan, as the worlds second-largest parliamentary democracy and fifth-largest democracy overall, is committed to the values of constitutionalism, human rights, and the rule of law in pursuance of our own national interest.

He said that Pakistan believed in constructive dialogue and engagement based on mutual respect and understanding. Such resolutions, he noted, were neither constructive nor objective.

We hope that the US Congress will play a supportive role in strengthening Pakistan-US ties and focus on avenues of mutual collaboration that benefit both our peoples and countries, he added.

Dar highlighted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government was actively addressing the issue of Palestine, making clear Pakistans stance on the matter.

He said that Pakistan had boldly condemned the situation in Palestine at the OIC, demanded an end to the war, removal of obstacles to humanitarian assistance, a ceasefire based on pre-1967 borders, and that Al-Quds should be the capital of Palestine.

The Palestine issue has also been raised at the G-8 foreign ministers' summit in Turkey and at Heads of State Summit held in Oman.

The deputy prime minister said, Pakistan had dispatched 24,000 metric tons of humanitarian goods to Palestine, with more aid in the pipeline.

Regarding the Kashmir issue, he said that it had been raised at the OIC, and a Contact Group on Kashmir meeting was also held.

He thanked friendly countries for their support on the matter.

He said that due to Pakistan's lobbying efforts, the OIC had appointed a permanent envoy on Islamophobia for the first time.

The deputy prime minister rejected the impression that Pakistan faced isolation at the international level, pointing out that Pakistan had been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council by securing 182 votes out of 187, which showed the confidence of the international community in Pakistan.

Pakistan would use this important forum to highlight important issues including Palestine and Kashmir, he added.

About Pakistan-China relations, he said that China was a best friend of Pakistan, and during the recent visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif revived and upgraded the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Relations with Afghanistan were also on the priority agenda of the government and Pakistan being in contact with Afghanistan and working out dates for a visit to Kabul, he said, adding We want a strong and peaceful Afghanistan.

Pakistan would cooperate with Afghanistan in eradicating polio, he said.

Dar said that the government was pursuing economic diplomacy as a way forward to put the country on a growth trajectory.

He said Pakistan had the potential to come out of the difficult economic situation.

The deputy prime minister said that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) had been established to create a one-window operation for investors.

He said that Pakistan had the potential to overcome its difficult economic situation.

The issue of students in Kyrgyzstan had been resolved amicably, he added.

Welcoming the idea of discussing foreign policy in the House, he said, We are ready to share with the opposition the foreign policy of the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He also supported the idea of giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote, suggesting amendments to the constitution to provide representation for overseas Pakistanis in both houses.

APP/zah-sra
Twenty-one cancer patients crossed from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into Egypt on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a medical source in Egypt's El-Arish city said

Cairo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) Twenty-one cancer patients crossed from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into Egypt on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing, a medical source in Egypt's El-Arish city said.

"They will be transported to the United Arab Emirates for treatment," the source, who requested anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media, told AFP.

It is the first evacuation from Gaza since the Rafah border crossing was closed in early May, when Israeli forces took over the Palestinian side of the terminal.

Negotiations to re-open the Rafah crossing, a key conduit for aid and evacuations, have repeatedly floundered.

Cairo has refused to resume operations through the crossing as long as Israeli forces remain in control of the Palestinian side.

Some aid trucks have been diverted to the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, but humanitarian sources say the daily average of trucks entering the Palestinian territory have been less than 90 a day.

The United Nations says a daily minimum of 500 trucks are needed to meet Gazans' basic needs.

The UN has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the humanitarian crisis in famine-stricken and bombarded Gaza, where the few remaining hospitals are struggling to function as food and other essentials become increasingly difficult to obtain.

At least 37,765 people have been killed in Gaza during more than eight months of war, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The Gaza war started with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Palestinian militants also seized about 250 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 42 the Israeli army says are dead.
(@FahadShabbir)

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) Chinese authorities have allocated nearly $70 million to aid regions affected by recent heavy rains and floods, as the country braces for continued downpours with an orange alert issued by the National Meteorological Center.

According to Xinhua news, the Ministry of Finance and Emergency Management released 496 million Yuan ($69.59 million) to support flood control efforts across Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi.

This follows an earlier release of 346 million yuan to these provinces as preemptive support amidst ongoing severe weather conditions.

On Thursday, China's National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert, the second highest in its four-tier warning system, forecasting torrential rains across Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Xizang until Friday morning, according to China Daily.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue.

The recent deluge has already claimed over 60 lives, with casualties reported from landslides and flooding. Last week, 47 fatalities were recorded in Guangdong, and eight people remain missing following a landslide in Hunan's Douxi village.

In addition, authorities recovered six bodies in Fujian after landslides struck the southeastern province.

Heavy rains have struck southern China since the annual flooding season got an early start, destroying thousands of low-lying houses and damaging roads and crops.
ISTANBUL, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) The Chinese Communist Party (CPC) announced Thursday that it will convene its reform-oriented third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee in Beijing from July 15 to 18.

The upcoming session, chaired by President Xi Jinping and organized by the CPC's Political Bureau, will prioritize discussions on policy direction and comprehensive reforms. The Political Bureau will present its findings to the Central Committee, the CPC's top governing body, during this crucial gathering.

With 205 full members and 171 alternate members, the Central Committee plays a pivotal role in shaping both party and governmental leadership in China. Typically, the CPC holds seven plenary sessions over a five-year term, focusing on various strategic initiatives and policy formulations.

Previous sessions have addressed leadership transitions and personnel matters, while the upcoming third plenum is anticipated to unveil key economic policies alongside other critical issues.
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) France's political future was up in the air on Thursday with the far right surging in polls but other forces fighting to the end three days before a high-stakes parliamentary vote.

Depending on the result, President Emmanuel Macron could be left in a tense "cohabitation" with a prime minister from an opposing party.

Or he could find himself with a parliament unable to produce a stable majority to govern the European Union's second economy and its top military power.

Surveys suggest voters could hand the National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen more than 32 percent support, with a left alliance on up to 30 and Macron's centrists in the dust at around 20 percent.

But even France's seasoned pollsters are struggling to predict a final result. July 7's second-round run-off ballots -- many expected to be three-way fights -- could see voters shift allegiances and new alliances of convenience form.

Higher-than-usual turnout could also transform the vote.

When he called the snap poll after a June 9 European Parliament election drubbing by the RN, Macron had hoped to present voters with a stark choice about whether to hand France to the far right.

But the lightning three-week campaign "wasn't going to turn around the major trends", Brice Teinturier, deputy director of pollster Ipsos, told Le Monde daily.

Around two thirds of eligible voters plan to cast their ballots in the legislative elections, which would be the highest level since 1997.

By Thursday, polling firm Harris Interactive Toluna was predicting the RN was in reach of an absolute majority. But others forecast it would fall short.

- EU 'rebate' -

Le Pen is already envisioning an absolute majority and RN head of government, telling the Telegramme daily that the president's title as commander-in-chief of the armed forces was "honorific, because it's the prime minister who holds the purse strings".

Therefore, "on Ukraine, the president will not be able to send troops", she added, undermining Macron's warning to Moscow that France would keep all options on the table to thwart Russia's invasion of its neighbour.

Macron ally Francois Bayrou said Le Pen's remarks were a "deep challenge to the constitution".

Her 28-year-old candidate for prime minister, Jordan Bardella, has already vowed not to send Kyiv long-range missiles and other weapons that could strike Russian territory, in a reversal of Macron's policy.

Bardella told the Financial Times on Thursday that although the eurosceptic RN does "not intend to go to war with Brussels", he wants a "rebate" of two billion Euros ($2.1 billion) on France's annual contributions to the EU budget.

That is around 10 percent of the total for 2024 cited by the finance ministry.

Bardella also insisted on the RN's pet themes of immigration and Islam.

Himself the son of Italian immigrants, he said a far-right government would end France's centuries-old birthright citizenship law and install a "national preference", putting foreigners at the back of the queue for welfare benefits.

He also vowed a "cultural battle" against islam, making it easier to closes mosques and deport imams suspected of radicalisation, and banning certain veils and so-called "burkini" swimwear.

"The veil is not desirable in French society," he added.

There are 5.4 million Muslim citizens in France's population of 65.2 million, according to Pew Research Centre estimate.

In a nod to the election uncertainty, the RN has also said it will not agree to form a government without an absolute majority -- leaving open the possibility that no political force will be able to keep a prime minister in place.

- Last gasp -

Hoping to defy the odds, current incumbent Gabriel Attal -- named months ago by Macron as France's youngest-ever PM -- will take on Bardella and Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure in a tv debate on Thursday evening.

It marks one of the last opportunities to convince voters since campaigning is officially suspended on Saturday and during voting on Sunday.

Candidates had failed to land any telling blows in a previous broadcast showdown on Tuesday.

Attal on Wednesday hammered what has been his message throughout the lightning three-week campaign.

At a stop in central France, he asked voters to reject an RN that "stigmatises" parts of the population and a left alliance he accused of indulging sectarianism.

Bardella may attempt to clarify some of his plans for voters' wallets, after struggling to explain how he would undo Macron's unpopular increase to the pension age or shape a policy to exempt under-30s from income tax.

He was forced to say on Wednesday that "of course there would be a ceiling" on the income tax exemption, after being challenged on whether star France striker Kylian Mbappe's multi-million salary would go untaxed.
(@FahadShabbir)

Bratislava, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jun, 2024) Five people were killed and five others injured Thursday when a passenger train and bus collided at a railway crossing in southern Slovakia, rescuers said.

The crash occurred just after 5:00 pm (1500 GMT) near the southwestern town of Nove Zamky, the CTK news agency reported.

Railway spokeswoman Vladimira Bahylova told AFP the Eurocity train had been headed from Prague to Budapest.

"Five people suffered injuries incompatible with life," the Slovak rescue service said, updating a previous toll of four dead.

"At least five people were injured," it added on Facebook.

Petra Klimesova, a spokeswoman of the rescue services, said the injured required "immediate medical assistance".

"I am afraid the number of people killed in this accident might grow," she told AFP.

Bahylova said the driver of the train "suffered burns because the locomotive caught on fire".

She said the collision occurred at a railway crossing that was protected by barriers and was equipped with light signals.

Local media published video footage of passengers carrying luggage alongside a train partially in flames, as thick grey smoke rose to the sky.

Passenger Katarina Molnarova, who recorded the video, told AFP that she "felt and heard a crash and a bang" just as the train left the Nove Zamky station.

"After a couple of minutes we were able to get off... We saw that the frontal part of the train was on fire," said the 43-year-old cosmetician from the southern town of Sturovo.

"There was no screaming or panicking... We grabbed our luggage and walked to the road... I saw parts of the bus that had been scattered upon impact."

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok and deputy police chief Rastislav Polakovic were on their way to the scene of the incident, police said on Facebook.
UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) Highlighting the plight of Children living under foreign occupation, Pakistan on Wednesday criticized the United Nations for ignoring the suffering of Kashmiri children in its report on 'Children and Armed Conflict', calling the omission "unjust."

Speaking in the UN Security Council, which met under South Korea's presidency, Ambassador Munir Akram said the situation of children in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir had been unjustly omitted this time, despite their ongoing suffering under foreign occupation.

Generations of Kashmiri children have grown up amidst fear of violence and repression under foreign occupation, the Pakistani envoy told the 15-member Council.

"The reports most glaring and persistent failure and double standard has been its selective omission of certain situations, most importantly, the children of Palestine. It has taken the killing of 14,000 children in the (ongoing) Gaza war for Israel to be included in the report (this year)."

Meanwhile, Ambassador Akram added, "the plight of children in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, previously included in the reports, has been unjustly omitted, despite their ongoing suffering under foreign occupation.

Detailing the plight of children in the occupied territories, where human rights violations are tragically routine, the Pakistan envoy said, adding "We vividly recall the heart-wrenching image of a three-year old Kashmiri boy sitting in shock on his grandfather's lifeless body just murdered by Indian soldier; we remember 18-month-old Hiba, her eyes ruptured by pellet guns fired by security forces inside her home in Kapran village of Kashmir."

He said that none of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and several Special Rapporteurs of the Human Rights Council have, who asked for access to Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir to investigate the reports of massive violations of human rights, was allowed to go there.

"I will like to ask the SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary-General) whether she was able to visit Indian Occupied Kashmir during her visit to India," Ambassador Akram asked.

"The Special Rapporteur should investigate and report on the whereabouts and condition of the 13,000 Kashmiri youth who were widely reported to have been 'picked up' and detained by the occupation forces after 5 August 2019 (when India illegally annexed occupied Kashmir). It was also reported that many of them were tortured to extract 'confessions' and deter them and their families from joining the Kashmiri liberation struggle".

In 2022, he said, Pakistan provided the United Nations a Dossier of 3432 cases of war crimes, including crimes against women and children, committed by senior officers of the Indian occupying forces, with audio and video evidence. "Among these are numerous cases of crimes against Kashmiri children," he added.

The report last year rightly urged India to implement measures, including the prohibition of the use of lethal and non-lethal force on children, ending the use of pellet guns and preventing all forms of ill-treatment of children in detention, and protection of children from sexual offences, he said.

Pakistan, Ambassador Akram added, supported the mandate of the SRSG to deal with situations of children in armed conflict.

However, the Pakistani envoy objected to the references to Pakistan in the Secretary-Generals report, which, he said, are outside of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur.

In this regard, he detailed Pakistan's extensive legal, policy and operational measures to protect children.

Opening the discussion, Victoria Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, presenting the Secretary-Generals annual report on children and armed conflict, said that the information presented today has been obtained in contexts of great hardship and under incredibly difficult circumstances, during a deadly year for United Nations personnel and aid workers.

In the 25 countries and one regional situation covered by her mandate, the UN verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children in 2023  the highest figures in almost 10 years.

Across the globe, children bore the brunt of multiplying and escalating crises, she said, adding that they experienced horrific violence in combat zones, displacement camps, urban areas and their homes and schools.

A staggering 5,301 children were killed and another 6,348 maimed or injured in 2023, marking a shocking 35 per cent rise over previous years, she reported.

The use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, as well as deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, had a bleak impact on children.

Whether armed forces or non-State armed groups, all parties to conflict contributed to this deadly harvest, Ms. Gamba stated.

Palestine's UN Ambassador Riyadh Mansour expressed profound regret that it took a genocidal war against his people to finally add Israel to the list of shame this year.

He highlighted the devastating toll in Gaza, where nearly 16,000 Palestinian children were killed and another 21,000 were missing.

Gaza, once a vibrant place where children set world records in sports, has now been reduced to a graveyard.

Ambassador Mansour condemned the erosion of morality witnessed globally during eight months of conflict, as images flooded social media showing Palestinian children starving, injured with severe burns or no limbs, fighting for their lives.

Where is your humanity?, he asked, calling for collective resolve and responsibility to pressure Israel to stop the madness.

Enforce a ceasefire now, save our and your humanity now, the Palestinian envoy added.

The persistent political appeasement and double standards made Israel believe it was exempt from the rule of law, he said, dismissing the lie about the Israeli army as the most moral army in the world.

There is nothing moral in using attacks against civilians, including children, as a weapon of war, as a tool for political pressure in negotiations, or a catalyst to stay in power, Ambassador Mansour emphasized.

APP/ift
Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) Russia on Thursday condemned an "attempted military coup" in Bolivia and warned against "destructive foreign interference" in the South American country.

Two Bolivian army leaders were arrested on Wednesday after soldiers and tanks took up position in front of government buildings in what President Luis Arce called an attempt to overthrow his government.

Russia on Thursday joined a wave of countries denouncing the army's actions.

"We strongly condemn the attempted military coup," Russia's foreign ministry said.

"We express our full, unwavering support for the government of President Luis Arce," it said, adding that Moscow stood in "solidarity with brotherly Bolivia, our reliable strategic partner".
The UN humanitarian chief voiced alarm Wednesday at the prospect of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza spreading to Lebanon, warning that it was "potentially apocalyptic''

Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2024) The UN humanitarian chief voiced alarm Wednesday at the prospect of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza spreading to Lebanon, warning that it was "potentially apocalyptic".

As the war in Gaza nears its tenth month, Israel's top ally the United States has warned of the risk of a major conflict against the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, following an escalation in cross-border fire.

Israel's military said last week plans for an offensive in Lebanon were "approved and validated", prompting fresh threats from Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian coordinator, told reporters in Geneva that he saw Lebanon as "the flashpoint beyond all flashpoints", pointing to southern Lebanon in particular.

Griffiths said he had been discussing with colleagues in Jerusalem about the prospects of what might happen there.

"We are worried about the potential for further tragedy and deaths," he said.

"It's potentially apocalyptic."

Griffiths, whose term finishes this week, warned that a war involving Lebanon "will draw in Syria... it will draw in others".

And "it will of course have an impact on Gaza; of course it will have an impact on the West Bank.

"It's very alarming," he said.

On Tuesday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said three contractors returning home from the peacekeepers' base in the south Lebanon village of Shamaa "had their vehicle hit by gunfire", reporting "no serious injuries".

- 'Exchanges of fire' -

The UN's peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix condemned the incident, saying there was escalation on the border.

"Certainly we condemn the attacks against those contractors in the same way as we condemn attacks against civilians (and) certainly attacks against our peacekeepers as well," Lacroix said at a briefing at UN headquarters in New York.

"What we've seen over... the last week is, if not a full-fledged sort of escalation, but certainly an increase, a gradual increase, in the intensity of these exchanges of fire."

The bloodiest-ever Gaza war started with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The militants also seized about 250 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 42 are dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,718 people, also mostly civilians, Gaza's health ministry has said.

Since the war began, "Gaza has taught us a new level of tragedy and cruelty", Griffiths said.

"But we are all worried that it may only be the beginning."

He said the UN humanitarian agency OCHA and other aid agencies were preparing for a broader crisis.

"There is a lot of preparedness on the aid side," he said. But the kind of preparedness needed was "political", he stressed.

"The problem is stopping this war from getting worse."
Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan was down sharply last year, according to the United Nations and private sources, but the plants are being grown in most provinces despite a ban imposed by the Taliban. Some areas grow more than others.

According to sources inside Afghanistan and on Taliban-run social media accounts, farmers in about 29 provinces have been growing poppies since spring. The largest amounts are grown in Badakhshan, Helmand, Herat and Nangarhar provinces.

Poppies, which farmers process to make opium, are being grown in the open and hidden behind property walls.

Taliban forces conducted thousands of operations to destroy the plant, as was announced on the X social media platform by the Ministry of Interior Counter Narcotics. It listed 29 provinces where they conducted eradication efforts.

The Taliban Interior Ministry said that in the past six months, its police conducted more than 15,000 poppy eradication operations on more than 3,600 hectares (8,900 acres). It also said thousands of people were arrested for violating the ban.

Abdul Haq Akhundzada, Taliban deputy interior minister for counternarcotics, told VOA there wont be problems with narcotics this year.

In those provinces, in areas where farmers grow hidden poppy, we conducted operations there as well, and we eradicated their hidden poppy, he said.

Not everyone is peacefully accepting the opium ban and eradication. In northeastern Badakhshan province, violent clashes erupted last month between the Taliban and farmers. Two people were killed.

Local Taliban eradication officials reported that in Badakhshan, 35,000 to 40,000 acres were cleared.

Aminullah Taib, deputy Taliban governor in Badakhshan, said they were able to eradicate the fall and spring poppy cultivation in eight districts and will not allow further growth.

Farmers said the eradication was disrespectful of the local culture as the Taliban went to the villages without talking to the elders and informing the villagers about the process.

Abdul Hafiz, a resident of Argo district, where the clash between the farmers and Taliban took place, told VOA the Taliban entered peoples homes and destroyed their poppy crops without a prayer, notice or acknowledgment.

Poppy growth was at its high in 2021, the year the Taliban regained power. Farmers grew as much as possible, fearing the crop would be banned. While the Taliban banned poppy growth in 2022, they allowed the farmers to harvest what they had already planted.

It was a record year. The United Nations estimated that Afghan opium production was 6,800 metric tons (7,500 tons) in 2021 and 6,200 metric tons (6,800 tons) in 2022.

Last year, the Taliban were largely successful in banning the crop. In opium-rich Helmand province, poppy crop cultivation was down by 99.9%.

Yet how successful the ban was considered depends on the source.

The United Nations reported in October that poppy cultivation was down by 95%. Across Afghanistan, the U.N. said, opium cultivation fell from 233,000 hectares (575,755 acres) in 2022 to just 10,800 hectares (26,687 acres) in 2023.

But the imaging company Alcis, in its comprehensive satellite survey, says poppy cultivation was down by 86% to 31,088 hectares (76,200 acres).

William Byrd, a senior researcher at the U.S. Institute of Peace, told VOA that the 9 percentage-point spread between Alcis and the U.N. makes a difference in how much poppy is estimated to have been harvested for 2023.

He said Alcis paints a more complete picture.

Opium poppies distinctive characteristics and the tools developed by Alcis over a number of years facilitate the complete-coverage approach, he said, adding that the U.N. relies on sampling different areas. Alcis analyzes satellite imagery for all agricultural land and poppy fields multiple times during the planting, cultivation and harvesting of opium poppy.

Results for 2024 poppy planting are expected by both organizations in the fall.

The economic situation in Afghanistan is dire as more than 12 million people face acute food insecurity.

The poppy ban takes about $1 billion in income away from the rural economy. So, even faced with the ban, impoverished farmers continue to grow poppies because they have few options for income.

For decades now, poppies and the resulting opium have been the biggest cash crop for farmers. Most practice subsistence farming. They have no extra income or time to buy the seeds of other plants and then wait years for them to mature to be harvested and sold.

Farmers complain that the Taliban government isnt helping them with alternative crops.

Hassebullah, a farmer in Laghman province, told VOA that farmers need support and that they are still waiting for the Taliban governments help.

If a farmer doesnt grow poppy and hashish, said Hassebullah, who, like most rural Afghans, goes by his first name, then as an alternative, the government should provide seeds and fertilizer, some agriculture products and other assistance.

Taliban Deputy Counternarcotics Minister Javed Qaem told VOA that until farmers are provided alternatives, unfortunately, we will be witnessing more clashes in the coming years.
U.S. investigators on Thursday sanctioned Boeing for revealing details of a probe into a 737 MAX mid-air blowout and said they would refer its conduct to the Justice Department, prompting the embattled planemaker to issue an apology.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Boeing had "blatantly violated" its rules by providing "non-public investigative information" and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines ALK.N door-plug emergency during a factory tour attended by dozens of journalists.

The decision sheds new light on strains between the crisis-hit planemaker and government agencies at a time when it is trying to avoid criminal charges being weighed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) ahead of a July 7 deadline.

"As a party to many NTSB investigations over the past decades, few entities know the rules better than Boeing," the NTSB said.

The NTSB said Boeing would keep its status as a party to the investigation into the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines emergency but would no longer see information produced during its probe into the accident, which involved the mid-air blowout of a door plug with four missing bolts.

Unlike other parties, Boeing will now not be allowed to ask questions of other participants at a hearing on August 6-7.

"We deeply regret that some of our comments, intended to make clear our responsibility in the accident and explain the actions we are taking, overstepped the NTSBs role as the source of investigative information," Boeing said in a statement.

The NTSB's criticism revolves around comments made during a media briefing about quality improvements on Tuesday at the 737 factory near Seattle - widely seen as part of an exercise to showcase greater transparency ahead of the Farnborough Airshow.

During the briefing, which was held on Tuesday under an embargo allowing contents to be published on Thursday, an executive said the plug had been opened on the assembly line without the correct paperwork to fix a quality issue with surrounding rivets, and that missing bolts were not replaced.

The team that came in and closed the plug was not responsible for reinstalling the bolts, Elizabeth Lund, Boeing's senior vice president of quality, added.

The NTSB said that by providing investigative information and giving an analysis of information already released, Boeing had contravened its agreement with the agency.

"Boeing offered opinions and analysis on factors it suggested were causal to the accident," it added.

In May, the DOJ said Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement with prosecutors that shielded it from criminal charges over interactions with the Federal Aviation Administration prior to MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

U.S. prosecutors have recommended criminal charges be brought, Reuters reported on Sunday. The DOJ already has a separate criminal probe into the door-plug episode.

Thursday's rare exchange marks the latest sign of strains between Boeing and the NTSB.

In 2018, Boeing was widely criticized for issuing a statement appearing to question the performance of pilots in the first of two fatal crashes that led to a grounding of the MAX. Later investigations emphasized the role of flawed software.

In March this year, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told a U.S. Senate hearing Boeing had failed to provide names of employees on its 737 MAX door team for two months, drawing criticism from lawmakers. Boeing then quickly provided the names.

On Thursday, the NTSB said Boeing had portrayed its investigation of the Alaska air incident to media as a search to locate the individual responsible for plug work.

"The NTSB is instead focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability," the agency said.

Asked during Tuesday's briefing who had failed to fill in documentation, Lund said: "There may have been one or more than one employee. What I will say is the 'who' is absolutely in the responsibility of the NTSB. That investigation is still going on and I am going to not comment on that right now".

The role of individuals is a particularly sensitive topic in air safety amid an increasing focus on litigation and, in some countries, a trend towards criminalizing air accidents.

Under global rules, agencies carry out civil probes into air accidents for the sole purpose of finding the cause and making recommendations to improve safety in future. Such actions are separate from any judicial probes seeking to attribute blame.

Aviation experts say an 80-year-old international treaty that encourages people to speak freely and focus on causes rather than blame allowed the industry to cut the number of accidents dramatically since the start of the jet age, but depends on curbing any special pleading by the parties involved.

Critics, including some lawyers, say this system does not sufficiently take account of the need of the families of victims for detailed answers.

In 2013, the NTSB barred United Parcel ServiceUPS.N and its pilots union from an investigation of a crash in Alabama that killed two UPS pilots.

In 2018, it removed Tesla as a party to an investigation into a fatal crash involving a vehicle's "Autopilot" system. Tesla hit back publicly, saying it had already decided to withdraw and accusing the NTSB of violating its own rules.
While the world has been focused on Russias two-year war in Ukraine, Sunday's attacks in Dagestan, a majority-Muslim republic in Russias North Caucasus region, were just the latest reminder of Moscows long-running conflict with radical Islamists.

Gunmen in Dagestans two largest cities  the regional capital, Makhachkala, and Derbent  targeted a police post, two Orthodox churches and a synagogue, killing 21 people, including an Orthodox priest and 16 police officers. Dozens more were injured.

According to Dagestans regional head, Sergei Melikov, five attackers were killed.

While there has been no direct claim of responsibility for the attack, the South-Central Asian regional branch of the Islamic State jihadist group welcomed the attack as a response to its call for such strikes.

Our recent call did not keep us waiting long, said a statement which appeared on Al-Azaim Media, a Russian-language channel associated with Islamic State in Khorasan Province (also known as IS-K or ISIS-K), as quoted by the Washington Post.

Our brothers from the Caucasus let us know that they are still strong. They showed what they are capable of, the statement said.

IS claimed responsibility for an earlier attack in March on the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow that killed 145 people. Unnamed U.S. officials were quoted as saying ISIS-K recruited the four gunmen who conducted the assault, identified as citizens of Tajikistan.

Last October, just weeks after Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis in neighborhoods adjoining the Gaza Strip, a mob at Dagestans Makhachkala Airport, including people carrying Palestinian flags and shouting Allahu Akbar, tried to find people who had arrived on a flight from Israel to prevent them from entering Dagestan.

The airport incident suggested that Islamist radicalism has not dissipated among separatists in the North Caucasus, including those in Chechnya who fought two wars against Moscow in the mid-1990s and 2000s.

Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the incident on agents of Western special services in Ukraine, who he said were trying to inspire pogroms in Russia in order to weaken it, The Associated Press reported.

While Putin blamed radical Islamists for the Crocus concert hall attack, he also implicated Ukraine and accused the United States of trying to convince its satellites and other countries of the world that there is supposedly no trace of Kyiv in the Moscow terrorist attack."

Experts interviewed by VOAs Russian Service said the Kremlins focus on prosecuting its war against Ukraine means it has taken its eyes off the terrorist threat.

From the point of view of the countrys leadership, the main thing is the war in Ukraine. The rest is secondary, said Alexander Cherkasov, chair of Russian human rights organization Memorial, which was ordered to close by a court in Moscow in December 2021.

Memorial, together with the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, and Ales Bialiatski, director of the Viasna Human Rights Center in Belarus, were awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

The [Russian] security forces who look for saboteurs in [Ukraines] Kherson region and uncover oppositionists in Russia have no time to deal with real terrorists, he said.

That view was echoed by Sergei Lukashevsky, a veteran of Russias human rights movement who for 14 years headed Moscows Sakharov Center, named after Soviet-era dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.

Naturally, the special services now have a main task related to the interests of the regime in the occupied [Ukrainian] territories. Their attention to everything else is on a residual basis, said Lukashevsky, who fled with his family to Germany after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

We see PR work during which the authorities reassure the population. Therefore, all the blame for various terrorist attacks is placed not on international terrorism but on the United States, the West and Ukraine. But this is all pure propaganda. Such measures cannot extinguish the manifestations of radicalism, Lukashevsky told VOA.

He pointed to another factor that has raised the threat of terrorism inside Russia: a flood of illegal weapons from the war in Ukraine.

The number of illegal guns has increased noticeably since the start of the war in Ukraine, Lukashevsky said. So, there is absolutely nothing surprising in the events in Dagestan. They were quite easily predicted.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that armed Islamist radicalism was on the rise in Dagestan, insisting the kind of criminal behavior that we saw yesterday in Dagestan is not supported by society, either in Russia or in Dagestan, the Washington Post reported.

While Putin has not publicly commented on the Dagestan attacks, some officials, including Federation Council head Valentina Matviyenko and Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in parliaments lower house claimed the attacks were planned from abroad.

Abdulhakim Gadzhiev, a Dagestani member of the State Duma, was more concrete, claiming the attacks were connected to the special services of Ukraine and NATO countries.

However, Dmitry Rogozin, a Federation Council senator who is known for his pro-Kremlin and anti-Western views, warned against falling back on that blame game.

I believe that if we attribute every terrorist attack involving national and religious intolerance, hatred and Russophobia to the machinations of Ukraine and NATO, then this pink fog will lead us to big problems, he wrote in post on Telegram. In someone else's eye we see a speck, but in our own, we cannot see a log. It's about time.
The Central African Republic government has rejected calls from the opposition and civic society groups to postpone the countrys first local elections in more than 35 years. Opponents of the polls say funds are not available and security remains fragile at best, but the CAR government and the United Nations assert the October elections will help restore democracy and peace to the troubled state.

The Central African Republics opposition and civil society groups say a day hardly goes by in the country without reports of rebels either killing civilians or abducting people for ransom.

Rebels and armed groups also loot for survival and create chaos in towns and villages across the borders in Cameroon, Sudan, South Sudan, and three other neighboring countries.

Martin Ziguele is the leader of the MLPC party, the Movement for the Liberation of the People of the CAR. He also served as the countrys prime minister from 2001 to 2003.

He said the violence makes it impossible for local elections to be held in October of this year as the CAR government plans.

Ziguele said besides asking the government to bring back peace to the troubled state before any local elections, opposition and civil society want structural reforms so that the CAR has an independent elections management body. He said he is surprised that the CAR wants to organize local elections this year when the political, economic and security situation that prevented elections in 2023 has not improved.

Ziguele spoke Thursday at a press conference in the CAR capital, Bangui, and said elections will be disrupted if the central African states government fails to listen to opposition and civil society.

Ziguele did not say his party or others would disrupt the polls.

Opposition and civil society groups accuse CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera of preparing to rig the local elections in favor of his party, the United Hearts Movement, or MCU. They say by organizing an August 2023 referendum to scrap a two-term limit and extend the presidential mandate from five to seven years, Touadera indicated he wants to consolidate power.

Touadera, who was voted president of CAR in 2016, rejects the accusation and said he is responding civilians' call to lead the country out of sectarian violence.

Maxime Balalou is the government spokesperson.

He said the government of the CAR has taken enough security measures to stop what he calls selfish opposition and civil society groups that want to see the central African nation in chaos by disrupting local elections. Balalou said it is an open secret that opposition and civil society groups calling for a boycott of polls are very unpopular and cannot democratically win local elections.

Balalou spoke Thursday on state TV. He said MINUSCA, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country, is protecting civilians and reducing a humanitarian, human rights and political crisis.

This month, MINUSCA and the United Nations Development Program signed a $1 million agreement to help civilians register and qualify to vote in the October local elections. The CAR says it needs $15 million to organize the elections, a date for which has not yet been made public.

The government says elections, which have not taken place since 1988 because of political instability and armed conflict will restore peace and democracy and reinstitute local governance and accountability.

The C.A.R. has been engulfed in violence and chaos since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. A Christian-dominated militia called the anti-Balaka fought back, and both groups were accused of killing civilians.

The fighting has forced close to a million Central Africans to flee to neighboring countries.
Analysts see Chinas increasingly aggressive attacks on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea as a test of the U.S.-Philippines alliance. What happens next, they say, will depend largely on how Manila and Washington respond.

Dramatic footage released last week by the Philippine military showed Chinese coast guard personnel wielding knives, an ax and other weapons as they intercepted Philippine soldiers who were in rubber boats delivering supplies to a garrison at Second Thomas Shoal.

The June 17 clash was the worst so far in the escalating tension in the disputed waters, with several Philippine soldiers injured, including one who lost a thumb, according to Manila.

But while the Philippines tried to de-escalate the tension with diplomacy, analysts say future such incidents are likely.

China will seek to push the Philippines further, said Don McLain Gill, an international studies lecturer at De La Salle University in Manila.

The main challenge here is to apply considerable cost on China in order for it not to illustrate this sort of behavior and turn it into something regular, like the same way it had regularized water canonning and ramming [of Philippine vessels], he told VOA.

There have been several incidents in the past months in which Chinese coast guard ships blasted Philippine patrol boats with water cannons and performed dangerous maneuvers in attempts to stop resupply missions to Philippine troops stationed at the shoal.

The flash point of the conflict is the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated warship that Manila deliberately ran aground in 1999 to stake its claim to Second Thomas Shoal, a maritime feature in the Spratly Islands that is within the Philippines exclusive economic zone.

China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, including the Spratly chain, based on historical maps that an international tribunal has ruled have no legal basis.

Parallel strand of negotiation

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his first media interview since the incident, acknowledged Thursday that more must be done than to just file diplomatic protests against China.

We have [lodged] more than 100 protests already.  [What usually happens is] we summon the ambassador, we tell him our position, that we dont want what happened, and thats it. But we have to do more than that, so we are. We are doing more than just that, Marcos told reporters Thursday, without elaborating.

But Collin Koh, a fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said there must also be a parallel strand of negotiation and dialogue between China and the United States to de-escalate the tension.

The United States is a treaty ally of the Philippines and is obligated to defend Manila against external armed attack, including in areas in the South China Sea.

Given the high stakes for all three countries, Koh said, China might listen to another superpower.

I think in large part it will depend very greatly on U.S. signaling explicitly to China on things that it should refrain from doing, and it must come with a very explicit threat of repercussions or consequences, Koh told VOA.

If the messaging isnt done clearly, then we are going to see a repetition of what's happening, he added.

Mutual defense treaty

Marcos has ruled out invoking the mutual defense treaty over the latest incident, saying it could not be considered an armed attack.

Marcos had earlier said he wanted a review of the treaty, which was signed in 1951, to respond to the changing security challenges in the region.

The recent escalation might provide urgency for Washington and Manila to expedite the process of defining particular provisions and enhancing consultations, according to Gill of De La Salle University.

One such clarification was provided earlier this year by Marcos, who said the death of a Philippine serviceman in an attack or an aggressive action by another foreign power could trigger the treaty.

This specific requirement, however, might work in Chinas favor.

If you set the bar so high, then it means that you are allowing China to keep doing whatever it is doing just under that threshold, Koh said, although he agreed that it was not yet necessary to activate the treaty.

Nobody died and there were no other serious injuries other than the poor guy who lost his thumb. The question is: Are we going to be lucky in the future like that? Koh asked.
The recent defense pact between Russia and North Korea could present a diplomatic opportunity for the United States and China to work together for stability on the Korean Peninsula, an issue of mutual interest to both countries, some experts say.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Monday that China would be somewhat anxious about enhanced cooperation between Russia and North Korea, adding that Chinese officials have indicated so in some of our interactions, and we can see some tension associated with those things.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters after the Russia-North Korea summit last week in Pyongyang that concern about the new defense agreement between the two countries would be shared by the Peoples Republic of China  Chinas official name.

During their keenly watched summit, Russian President Vladmir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, vowing to challenge the U.S.-led world order.

Under the treaty, the two countries, which share a short border along the lower Tumen River, are now required to provide military assistance using all available means if either of them is attacked by a third country.

High-precision weapons

Putin further raised the stakes in this newly cemented relationship, saying he is not ruling out the possibility of Russia providing high-precision weapons to North Korea.

According to some experts in Washington, Chinas frustration with its two neighbors could make room for a Sino-American effort to dissuade Russia and North Korea from moving forward with their nascent defense pact.

Patrick Cronin, the Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, told VOAs Korean Service earlier this week that there is a way for the U.S. to find some common ground with China on this issue.

He explained that it is in Chinas interest not to see the transfer of Russias advanced, offensive military technologies to North Korea, which could be destabilizing on the Korean Peninsula.

That opens up a common ground for the United States to deal with China to limit any destabilizing transfer of technology to the Korean Peninsula, he said.

Joseph DeTrani, who served as the special envoy for six-party denuclearization talks with North Korea from 2003 to 2006, told VOAs Korean Service on Wednesday that the U.S. and China need to come together on this issue.

DeTrani said North Korea has to be on the list of the issues of mutual concern between the top two powers, as the U.S. pursues dialogue with China on subjects such as artificial intelligence and trade.

Dennis Wilder, who served as senior director for East Asia affairs at the White Houses National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, was more cautious about the possibility of U.S.-China coordination.

Wilder told VOAs Korean Service this week that the current state of U.S.-China relations makes Beijing averse to working with Washington on North Korea.

No, they have no interest in joining with us, considering how they feel we are treating them, Wilder said. I very much doubt that the Chinese would be interested. A far possibility would be that they might want to share information, but that would be the only place.

No ties to call on

Robert Gallucci, who was the chief U.S. negotiator during the 1994 North Korea nuclear crisis, offered a similar view.

We dont have a relationship with Beijing right now that we could call on, he said earlier this week.

Gallucci told VOAs Korean Service that China will not appreciate the possibility of its influence on North Korea being undercut.

Gary Samore, who served as the White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction during the Obama administration, told VOAs Korean Service via email on Wednesday that China might have a limited influence on what is happening between Russia and North Korea, although Washington and Beijing share an interest in keeping things calm on the Korean Peninsula.

I expect that Beijing will discourage any military assistance from Russia to North Korea that could be destabilizing, he said. Whether Putin or Kim Jong Un will respect China's wishes, I can't say.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, told VOAs Korean Service via email earlier this week that in principle, China welcomes Russia to consolidate and develop traditional friendly relations with relevant countries, without referring to North Korea.

Meanwhile, Washington is holding out hope that Beijing can still leverage its historical ties with Pyongyang to drive a solution.

We urge Beijing to use its influence to encourage the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to refrain from destabilizing behavior and return to the negotiating table, a State Department spokesperson told VOAs Korean Service on Wednesday.
U.S. intelligence and security officials are increasing their focus on the countrys southern border, worried the constant flow of migrants has attracted the attention of the Islamic State terror group.

The heightened concern follows the arrests earlier this month of eight men from Tajikistan, all of whom entered the United States via its southern border with Mexico, some making the trip over a year ago.

While the initial background checks came up clean, U.S. law enforcement subsequently turned up information indicating potential ties to the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS.

It's not lost on us that the people who killed over 150 Russians in that theater were from the same part of the world," said Ken Wainstein, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys undersecretary for intelligence and analysis, referring to the March attack on a Moscow concert hall, claimed by the terror groups Afghan affiliate.

Wainstein, testifying Wednesday before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, said concern about the potential for IS to exploit the border has led to daily meetings with the director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), as well as unprecedented cooperation with the FBI.

But he sought to downplay concerns stemming from intelligence suggesting that the IS-linked human smuggling network may have brought more than 400 migrants from Central Asia into the U.S., across the southern border.

There is not information which suggests those particular individuals are terrorist operatives," Wainstein told lawmakers.

Information on the 400 migrants, first reported by NBC News, indicates more than 150 of the migrants have been arrested. But officials told NBC that the whereabouts of more than 50 others are unknown.

The newfound concerns about terror groups like IS actively trying to exploit the southern border seems to indicate a significant shift in the threat landscape.

For years, U.S. counterterrorism officials have maintained there was no evidence that IS or other Sunni terror groups were trying to infiltrate the U.S. along its border with Mexico.

And this past November, NCTC Director Christine Abizaid told lawmakers that while counterterrorism officials absolutely recognize the risk, evidence for such plots was lacking.

We dont have indications that are credible or corroborated, she told members of the House of Representatives at the time.

But U.S. and Turkish sanctions unveiled earlier this month may point to the Islamic State terror groups growing interest in human smuggling.

The sanctions focus on what the U.S. Treasury Department described as a Eurasian human smuggling network that was providing support for IS members in Turkey.

One of the key operatives, Olimkhon Ismailov, is based in Uzbekistan. And Ismailov had high-level help, with Treasury alleging he was given guidance by the leader of IS in the Republic of Georgia, Adam Khamirzaev.

According to the U.S. State Department, Khamirzaev apparently had his sights set on the U.S.

The IS-Georgia emir provided guidance to this network on a range of activities supporting ISIS and was aware of its efforts to facilitate travelers to the United States," the State Department said in a statement.

Multiple U.S. agencies, including DHS, the FBI and the State Department declined to respond to questions about the reach of the Eurasian human smuggling network involved with IS operatives in Turkey and Uzbekistan.

There are also no indications that the sanctioned network is connected to the same IS-linked network that brought the eight men from Tajikistan, or the hundreds of other Central Asian migrants, into the U.S. through the southern border.

As for the eight men from Tajikistan, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday that, They are in removal proceedings as we speak.

And other U.S. officials say they have stepped up security measures.

"We have increased our vigilance at our border," said Jen Daskal, the White House deputy Homeland Security adviser, virtually addressing a counterterrorism conference Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.

We have enhanced our screening and vetting, instituted recurrent vetting of migrants to identify newly uncovered threats and detain those who pose a public safety threat, she said.

But Daskal admitted the threat from IS, and especially its Afghan affiliate, persists.

"Both ISIS and ISIS-Khorasan, or what we call ISIS-K, have demonstrated a capability and intent to conduct external operations, she said.
An attempted military coup rocks Bolivia. The Haitian public reacts to Kenyan peacekeepers as President Rutto relents and does not sign the controversial tax law following deadly protests earlier in the week. Ukraines President Zelenskyy is in Brussels to address the EU Summit and North Korea is sending personnel to help Russia with rebuilding works in Occupied Donetsk. Iran targets journalists abroad and a look at the future of democracy
Former President Donald Trump has not yet announced the identity of his vice presidential running mate, but media reports and hints from the Trump campaign suggest he could do so between now and the Republican nominating convention in late July.

While Trump could certainly make an unexpected decision, most reports suggest he has narrowed his search to about five potential running mates. The top three include two sitting U.S. senators  Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance  and one sitting governor: Doug Burgum of North Dakota.

Also said to be under consideration are Senator Tim Scott and Representative Elise Stefanik.

The potential nominees would bring different backgrounds and strengths to the Republican presidential ticket. Some had been harshly critical of Trump, only to fall in line after the Republican base coalesced behind him as the party's nominee in the 2016 presidential elections.

The choice is an important one for the Trump campaign, said William A. Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"The political imperative is the political version of the Hippocratic oath: Do no harm," Galston told VOA. "Because if you pick someone whose flaws come out quickly after the announcement, you will pay a big political price."

Strategic choices

Other strategic choices  beyond ensuring the nominee will not damage the campaign  have helped guide the choice of vice presidential candidates in the past.

Sometimes the pick is used to "heal a breach" between two factions of the president's party. Galston pointed out that the most serious breach in the Republican Party is between Trump supporters and voters who preferred former Governor Nikki Haley in the Republican primary. Trump appears to not have spoken to her after she dropped out, and healing that rift does not appear to be his priority.

Sometimes nominees will select close ideological partners who echo their policy choices. Or they will choose governing partners  steady, experienced leaders who add an aura of competence to the ticket. And some choose running mates who appeal to a portion of the voting public that the nominee might otherwise struggle to reach.

First-generation American

Of the top three candidates, Rubio is the most well known in Washington. An attorney, he has served in government at the municipal, state and national levels for more than 25 years, the last 13 of them in the Senate. He is vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and served as chair when Republicans controlled the Senate.

At 53, Rubio is married and has four children. He is a Miami native and the son of immigrants who came to the United States from Cuba before that country's communist revolution. He is generally hawkish on matters of national security.

As a candidate in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Rubio was an acerbic critic of Trump, whom he described as a "con artist" and an "embarrassment." He has since become one of the former president's staunchest supporters in Congress.

"Rubio is certainly the best known, and he actually brings more to the table than [Vance and Burgum]," Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told VOA. "How much he brings, we'll have to see, but he's a Spanish speaker. He is Cuban American. And Latinos have been to some degree slipping away from Democrats."

Effective messenger

Vance is the least experienced in politics, having served in the Senate since January 2023 and having held no elective office prior to that. A native of Ohio, he is 39, married and has three children. He enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and served in the Iraq War before earning a bachelor's degree and a law degree.

Vance first gained public notice in 2016 when he published his bestselling book, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis," which analyzed the culture and social pathologies of America's Rust Belt. Vance later became a venture capitalist before running for the Senate in 2022.

Vance was also a harsh critic of Trump in the former president's early years in politics, once describing himself as a "Never Trump" Republican and referring to Trump as "cultural heroin."

Like Rubio, he also became a vocal supporter of Trump after the former president successfully took over the Republican Party.

Galston of Brookings said Vance doesn't bring an obvious electoral benefit to the ticket, as his home state is already very likely to vote for Trump.

However, he said, "Vance would be an effective messenger of the Trump message, although Vance is smart enough that he would commit the occasional mistake of thinking for himself. From time to time there might be some friction, but it wouldn't last."

Quiet competence

Burgum, 67, is a North Dakota native and has served two terms as governor of the state, from late 2016 to the present. He has indicated he will not seek a third. He has three children from his first marriage that ended in 2003. He remarried in 2016.

A wealthy businessman, Burgum has built several successful companies, including an accounting software firm that he sold to Microsoft for more than $1 billion in 2001. He has since been active in many philanthropic endeavors.

Burgum was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 but dropped out of the race in December 2023. Although he was mildly critical of Trump during the campaign, he endorsed the former president early in the election year and went on to be a regular presence on the campaign trail and a media surrogate for him.

"Trump likes him and feels comfortable with him," said Sabato. "He's a business guy, and he's very soft-spoken, has no pizzazz and can't possibly upstage Trump when they're on the stage together."

Other possibilities

While Rubio, Vance and Burgum appear to have the strongest chances right now, Scott and Stefanik are believed to remain under consideration.

Scott, the senator from South Carolina, has been in public office since 1995, when he started his career in local politics. He has been a senator since 2013 and served one term in the House of Representatives before that.

As an African American, Scott might help Trump appeal to Black Americans, a demographic where he has historically underperformed. Trump, however, is already highly favored to win in South Carolina, so choosing Scott would offer him little benefit there.

Stefanik has represented her New York district in the House since 2015 and is chair of the House Republican Conference, a position in the party's leadership. She is an outspoken Trump supporter who came to the former president's attention in part because of her aggressive defense of him when the House of Representatives was considering his first impeachment.

As a woman, Stefanik might help Trump appeal to female voters, with whom the former president has sometimes struggled. As with Scott, however, her selection would be unlikely to affect how her own state votes. New York has not voted for a Republican for president in 40 years, and 61% of its voters backed Joe Biden in 2020, while 38% backed Trump.
Georgias parliament advanced a set of bills on Thursday that would impose sweeping restrictions on LGBTQ+ freedoms and rights, echoing similar laws passed in Russia.

The legislation, introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party, includes bans on promoting same-sex relationships and gender reassignment surgeries. The measures could potentially outlaw LGBTQ+ pride events and public displays of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag.

If enacted, the package would also prohibit non-heterosexual individuals from adopting children and prevent changes to gender markers on official IDs. Public gatherings that support same-sex relationships and the broadcast of intimate scenes involving same-sex couples would also be banned.

The development follows the recent adoption of an anti-nongovernmental organization, foreign influence law, which triggered widespread protests and drew criticism from Western countries.

The package received initial approval with 78 votes from Georgian Dream lawmakers, while opposition parties boycotted the session.

Parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili plans further readings of the bills during the autumn session before the general election on October 26.

He argues the measures are necessary to combat what he terms "LGBT propaganda," which he believes undermines traditional values.

In deeply religious Georgia, where the Orthodox Church wields considerable influence, there is widespread disapproval of same-sex relationships, as reflected in surveys. Same-sex marriage is already prohibited by the country's constitution.

These legislative actions come amid protests against the anti-NGO law and have raised concerns among the European Union and the United States about Georgia's political direction. The EU cautioned that such laws could stall Georgia's efforts to join the EU, criticizing them as contrary to European values.

The Georgian Dream, once aligned with Western ideals after gaining independence from the Soviet Union, has shifted to more conservative positions in recent years. This shift has led to accusations of closer ties with Russia and has raised doubts about Georgia's EU aspirations.

Opposition parties view the bills as an attempt to attract conservative voters before the elections. Giorgi Tabagari, founder of Tbilisi Pride, warned of a bleak future for LGBTQ+ Georgians if the bills become law, describing it as "gloomy."

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Residents of a town north of Nairobi are dealing with a surge in hyena attacks. In the past four months, the wild animals have killed three people, including a 10-year-old boy. The rise in human-wildlife conflict has been blamed primarily on humans encroaching on wildlife habitats. But residents of Juja blame improper disposal of livestock, among other factors. Mohammed Yusuf reports.
Israels military said Thursday one of its soldiers was killed and another seriously wounded during an operation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The operation took place in Jenin where witnesses reported an improvised explosive device detonated.

Israeli forces have carried out regular raids in Jenin and other parts of the West Bank as part of an effort the military says is aimed at disrupting terrorist activity. The raids have continued throughout Israels offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, with Israel reporting it arrested more than 1,700 Hamas members in the West Bank.

The Israeli military also said Thursday it conducted airstrikes in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

US aid

Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant on Wednesday said significant progress has been made in allaying Israels concerns about the flow of U.S. weapons to the Jewish state.

Obstacles were removed, and bottlenecks were addressed, in order to advance a variety of issues, and more specifically the topic of force build-up and munition supply, Gallant said after meeting at the White House with Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser.

Earlier in the week, Gallant had met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The U.S. is Israels chief arms supplier, but in recent weeks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had complained about what he said was the slowed pace of deliveries over several months. White House officials said they were baffled by Netanyahus remarks.

A White House statement said Sullivan reaffirmed President Bidens commitment to ensure that Israel has all it needs to defend itself militarily and confront its Iranian-backed adversaries, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The war in Gaza was triggered by last Octobers Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and led to the capture of about 250 hostages. Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 37,700 Palestinians, mostly civilians, but including thousands of combatants, according to the territory's health ministry.

Red Sea attacks

Maritime security firm Ambrey said Thursday a merchant ship reported being struck by a projectile in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.

Ambrey said there were no reports of damage or casualties from the attack.

There was no immediate claim or responsibility for the attack, but the Yemen-based Houthi militant group has been conducting similar attacks targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The Iran-backed Houthis say their campaign is in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Kenya braced for more protests in the capital, Nairobi, Thursday, despite an announcement by President William Ruto to put on hold an unpopular tax bill that sparked deadly riots.

Witnesses in the capital reported police set up roadblocks on streets leading to the presidential palace.

In an address to the nation Wednesday, Ruto defended the move to raise taxes on basic goods such bread and cooking oil, saying it was necessary to reduce the countrys massive debt of nearly $80 billion. But he admitted the public did not support the finance bill and decided not to sign it.

He spoke one day after more than 20 people were killed during protests against the bill that led to clashes with police.

"I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. It shall subsequently be withdrawn and that shall be our collective position," Ruto said in a statement to lawmakers from the State House on Wednesday.

The bill won approval in Parliament on Tuesday, but lawmakers fled the scene as clashes between police and protesters mounted and hundreds of demonstrators stormed the complex. Parts of the Parliament were set on fire and burned for hours.

Late Tuesday evening, the Kenyan president condemned protesters' storming of the Parliament as treasonous and a threat to national security.

On Wednesday, human rights defenders and good governance organizations gathered at Kenya Human Rights Commission to condemn the violence against the protesters and accused the president of being accountable for what had happened on Tuesday.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Kenyans getting on the streets to voice themselves. This is a constitutional provision as part of the Kenyan constitution 2010," said Grace Wangechi, a human rights and social development expert and the executive director of Independent Medico Legal Unit, an organization created in 1993 to protest against torture in Kenya.

Lorna Dias, a human rights defender and executive coordinator of Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, said, "There's nothing that justifies the use of live bullets on protesters. The destruction of property that happened on the streets was a security failure and this regime should take the blame," Dias said.

Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua, who also addressed the nation from the coastal city of Mombasa, said he sympathizes with the president but blamed the National Intelligence Service chief, Noordin Haji, for Tuesdays violence.

Gachagua said that had the National Intelligence Service "briefed the president that this bill was unpopular with the Kenyan people, there would not have been deaths and  mayhem," he said.

There was no immediate response from the intelligence service.

The deputy president asked the protesters to call off other planned protests tomorrow, saying that when that happens, "we can begin an honest conversation on how to work on our country."
Protesters were back on Nairobis streets Thursday saying they didn't think the olive branch offered by Kenyan President William Ruto  putting on hold an unpopular tax bill  was genuine.

Police fired tear gas canisters to disperse crowds in Nairobis commercial district, where most businesses were closed. The message of protesters to the president was clear: "Ruto must go, Ruto must go."

Demonstrators tell VOA they are not scared to protest even if tear gas is being fired left and right.

"The police is trying to scare us away, people who have come to peacefully protest. On my behalf I am here to peacefully protest. But the president, it's time for him to go, to resign," said Karege.

Another protester said: "We've been thrown teargas all along. We don't have a problem with his excellency, the only thing we are seeking is peace."

For another one, the president shouldn't be overtaxing the population to repay debt when ordinary Kenyans have not benefited from money borrowed by the government.

"We want to hear the measures he has put in place to curb high taxation. High taxation because the government has taken a lot of loans from the IMF and the World Bank and we as Kenyans, we have not seen what the loans have done, it has not benefited us as citizens of Kenya. It has only gone to a few specific individuals, so we are really requesting the president, let those involved in corruption be brought to justice," said Kibsang.

In an address to the nation Wednesday, Kenyan President Ruto said that hes decided not to sign a controversial bill that included a series of tax increases. He spoke one day after more than 20 people were killed during protests against the bill that led to clashes with police.

The president defended the proposed tax increases, saying the money would be used to help farmers and to employ teachers, among other priorities.

He said it was necessary for Kenyans to discuss how to manage the countrys budget and debt, and said he would engage with the young people of the nation.

Earlier Wednesday, Frederick Odhiambo Ojiro, an activist and rapid response officer at human rights group Haki Africa, told VOA that he did not think the president's speech was sincere. He said protesters plan to camp outside the State House.

"We have to move to occupy State House until the president resigns because the president also fell short of castigating the men and women in uniform that he had used to silence the masses," he said. "The president was not genuine in his statement, he was just trying to cover his face. We still have to press, we still have to demand that the atrocities committed by this president, they are accounted for. "

When we spoke to Ojiro, he was in a hospital caring for comrades who were injured in the recent protests.

"Currently we have 116 comrades who are still in the hospital and the more than 200 who were treated the other day at night and released. So today I am waiting for other comrades who have been coordinating the mobilization of the financial support to just support comrades who need financial attention in terms of payment of the bills and other basic amenities," he said.

The protesters were not able to access the State House Thursday because all the roads leading to it were blocked by police.
In an address to the nation on Wednesday, Kenyan President William Ruto said that hes decided not to sign a bill that included a series of tax increases.

He spoke one day after more than 20 people were killed during protests against the bill that led to clashes with police.

"I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill. It shall subsequently be withdrawn and that shall be our collective position," he said.

Ruto made the statement from the State House on Wednesday in the presence of lawmakers and thanked those who voted yes for the bill.

The bill won approval in parliament Tuesday but lawmakers fled the scene as clashes between police and protesters mounted and hundreds of demonstrators stormed the complex. Parts of the parliament were set on fire and burned for hours.

Late Tuesday evening, the Kenyan president condemned protesters' storming of the parliament as treasonous and a threat to national security.

On Wednesday, human rights defenders and good governance organizations gathered at Kenya Human Rights Commission to condemn the violence against the protesters and accused the president of being accountable for what had happened on Tuesday.

Grace Wangechi is a human rights and social development expert and the executive director of Independent Medico Legal Unit, or IMLU, an organization created in 1993 to protest against torture in Kenya.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with Kenyans getting on the streets to voice themselves. This is a constitutional provision as part of the Kenyan constitution 2010," Wengechi said.

Lorna Dias, human rights defender and executive coordinator of Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, said, "There's nothing that justifies the use of live bullets on protesters."

"The destruction of property that happened on the streets was a security failure, and this regime should take the blame," Dias said.

Deputy President of Kenya Rigathi Gachagua, who also addressed the nation after his boss from the coastal city of Mombasa, said he sympathized with the president but blamed the National Intelligence Service head, Noordin Haji, for Tuesdays violence.

Gachagua said that had the National Intelligence Service briefed the president that this bill was unpopular with the Kenyan people, there would not have been deaths and mayhem."

There was no immediate response from the intelligence service.

The deputy president asked the protesters to call off other planned protests tomorrow, saying that when that happens, we can begin an honest conversation on how to work on our country."
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday revived a software engineer's proposed class action claiming Meta Platforms refused to hire him because it preferred to give jobs to foreign workers who are paid lower wages.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling said that a Civil War-era law barring discrimination in contracts based on "alienage" extends to bias against U.S. citizens.

The decision reverses a California federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit by Purushothaman Rajaram, a naturalized U.S. citizen who says Meta passes over American workers for jobs in favor of cheaper visa recipients. Rajaram is seeking to represent a class that includes thousands of workers.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company in court filings has denied wrongdoing and said Rajaram failed to show that Meta intended to discriminate against U.S. workers.

Daniel Low, a lawyer for Rajaram, said that bias against U.S. citizens is a significant problem in the tech industry.

"We expect that this ruling will lead to more lawsuits seeking to end such discrimination," Low said in an email.

The 9th Circuit had never before addressed whether the federal law, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, provides protections from hiring discrimination for U.S. citizens.

The only other appeals court that has considered the issue, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit, said the law does not prohibit bias against U.S. citizens in a 1986 decision. The split created by the 9th Circuit on Thursday raises the chances that the U.S. Supreme Court could take the case if Meta appeals.

Conservative groups have increasingly cited Section 1981, which also bars race discrimination in contracts, in challenging companies' diversity initiatives and the hiring of foreign visa workers.

Thursday's decision could be a major boon to plaintiffs in a growing number of cases alleging bias against U.S. workers, at least in California and the eight other states covered by the 9th Circuit. Unlike Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law banning workplace discrimination, Section 1981 does not cap the damages that plaintiffs can receive if they win lawsuits, and it does not require them to file complaints with government agencies before suing.

Last year, Apple agreed to pay $25 million to settle a U.S. government lawsuit accusing the tech giant of illegally favoring immigrant workers over U.S. citizens and green card holders for certain jobs. The company denied wrongdoing.

And last month, a conservative legal group founded by former Trump administration officials called for a federal investigation into Tyson Foods' alleged practice of disproportionately hiring foreign workers, including minors and people in the U.S. illegally. Tyson called the claims "completely false."
Recent changes in global migration patterns and smuggling routes have created an opening for terror groups like the Islamic State to set their sights on the U.S. southern border.

For years, top U.S. counterterrorism officials have pushed back against critics who sounded alarms about would-be terrorists streaming across the U.S. border with Mexico. But changes within the past year have increased the likelihood of such a reality.

"What we face today is a greater vulnerability to the possibility that terrorist organizations might use that pathway to get individuals into the United States," according to Nick Rasmussen, the counterterrorism coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS.

"The diversity of the migrant population arriving at our borders  this is not in any way, shape or form a problem of the Western Hemisphere," Rasmussen told a conference Thursday in Omaha, Nebraska.

"It's a global migration problem with migrants from literally every corner of the world, including from most conflict zones around the world, showing up and arriving on our shores," he said, describing the convergence of the migration routes with concerns about terror groups like Islamic State "relatively recent."

Concerns about possible infiltration by migrants linked to the Islamic State, also known as IS or ISIS, have spiked in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, The New York Post reported the FBI arrested eight men from Tajikistan who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border partly with the help of an IS-linked network.

And earlier this week, NBC News reported more than 400 immigrants from Central Asia crossed into the U.S., again with help from IS-linked smugglers. Of those, some 150 have been arrested, while another 50 remain at large. The officials did not comment on the status of the remaining 200.

Senior DHS officials say there is no evidence to suggest any of the 400 Central Asian migrants are IS operatives.

But officials have said the eight men from Tajikistan were arrested because of potential ties to IS. All eight are in the middle of removal hearings and face deportation.

U.S. officials have sought to allay concerns.

White House deputy homeland security adviser Jen Daskal told the counterterrorism conference in Omaha on Wednesday that there is now increased vigilance along the U.S. southern border.

"We have enhanced our screening and vetting, instituted recurrent vetting of migrants to identify newly uncovered threats and detain those who pose a public safety threat," Daskal said. "We know that there is a continued risk posed by those inspired by these terrorist organizations, and we are acutely focused on that risk."

Rasmussen, speaking a day later, likewise pushed back against fears of a terrorist free for all.

"Most of the last decade there have been political critics who have said that terrorists are streaming across the southern border, and we could look at that analytically as our intelligence and law enforcement really did, and say, no, that's actually not happening," he said. "I would argue it's not true today, as well."

Rasmussen agreed, though, the newfound focus by groups like IS on exploiting migration to the Western Hemisphere deserves immediate attention.

The convergence of migration patterns and terrorism is "probably highest on my worry and priority list today," he said.
The Center for Investigative Reporting said Thursday it has sued ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its closest business partner, Microsoft, marking a new front in the news industry's fight against unauthorized use of its content on artificial intelligence platforms.

The nonprofit, which produces Mother Jones and Reveal, said that OpenAI used its content without permission and without offering compensation, violating copyrights on the organization's journalism. The lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court, describes OpenAI's business as "built on the exploitation of copyrighted works" and focuses on how AI-generated summaries of articles threaten publishers.

"It's immensely dangerous," Monika Bauerlein, the nonprofit's CEO, told The Associated Press. "Our existence relies on users finding our work valuable and deciding to support it."

Bauerlein said that "when people can no longer develop that relationship with our work, when they no longer encounter Mother Jones or Reveal, then their relationship is with the AI tool."

That, she said, could "cut the entire foundation of our existence as an independent newsroom out from under us" while also threatening the future of other news organizations.

OpenAI and Microsoft didn't immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

The lawsuit is the latest against OpenAI and Microsoft to land at Manhattan's federal court, where the companies are already battling a series of other copyright lawsuits from The New York Times, other media outlets and bestselling authors such as John Grisham, Jodi Picoult and George R.R. Martin. The companies also face a separate case in San Francisco's federal court brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman.

Some news organizations have chosen to collaborate rather than fight with OpenAI by signing deals to get compensated for sharing news content that can be used to train its AI systems. The latest to do so is Time magazine, which announced Thursday that OpenAI will get access to its "extensive archives from the last 101 years."

OpenAI and other major AI developers don't typically disclose their data sources but have argued that taking troves of publicly accessible online text, images and other media to train their AI systems is protected by the "fair use" doctrine of American copyright law.

CIR's lawsuit says a dataset that OpenAI has acknowledged using to build an earlier version of its chatbot technology contained thousands of links to the website of Mother Jones, a 48-year-old print magazine that's been publishing online since 1993. But the text used for AI training was usually missing information about a story's author, title or copyright notice.

Last summer, more than 4,000 writers signed a letter to the CEOs of OpenAI and other tech companies accusing them of exploitative practices in building chatbots.

"It's not a free resource for these AI companies to ingest and make money on," Bauerlein said of news media. "They pay for office space. They pay for electricity. They pay salaries for their workers. Why would the content that they ingest be the only thing that they don't [pay for]?"

The AP is among the news organizations that have made licensing deals over the past year with OpenAI; others include The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post publisher News Corp., The Atlantic, Axel Springer in Germany and Prisa Media in Spain, France's Le Monde newspaper and the London-based Financial Times.

Mother Jones and CIR were both founded in the 1970s and merged earlier this year. Both are based in San Francisco, as is OpenAI.

The lawsuit from CIR, also known for its Reveal podcast and radio show, outlines the expense of producing investigative journalism and warns that losing control of copyrighted content will result in less revenue and even fewer reporters to tell important stories in "today's paltry media landscape."

"With fewer investigative news stories told, the cost to democracy will be enormous," the lawsuit says.
North Korea has successfully conducted an important test aimed at developing missiles carrying multiple warheads, state media KCNA said on Thursday.

The test was carried out on Wednesday using a first-stage engine equipped with a solid-fuel based intermediate and long-range ballistic missile, it said.

The dispatch came a day after South Korea's military said that North Korea launched what appeared to be a hypersonic missile off its east coast, but it exploded in midair.

KCNA said the missile succeeded in separating warheads that were accurately guided to three preset targets.

"The purpose was to secure the capability to destroy individual targets using multiple warheads," it said.

South Korea, the United States and Japan condemned the launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions and a serious threat. They also warned against additional provocations in the wake of last week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years, the two leaders signed a mutual defense pact, which Kim lauded as an alliance, but South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called it "anachronistic."

In another dispatch, North Korea's defense minister Kang Sun Nam condemned Ukraine's attack on Crimea with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151 as an "inexcusable, heinous act against humanity."

The attack highlighted how Washington has served as a "top-class state sponsor of terrorism," he said, adding that any retaliation from Russia would make "the most justifiable defense."

The U.S. State Department said on Monday that Washington provided weapons to Ukraine so it could defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea.
A Pakistani court has let stand the seven-year prison sentences given to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi for what authorities say is the couples illicit marriage.

The decision by a district and sessions court in the capital, Islamabad, Thursday deals a blow to Khans hopes of walking free as this is the only case now keeping the former leader behind bars.

Khan has been in a high security prison near Islamabad since August 5 last year on a long list of charges. His wife has been serving her sentence in the same prison since May after initially being placed under house arrest.

In a post on social media platform X, Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, decried the decision as absolutely ridiculous.

Every single individual responsible for fabricating and carrying this case will go down in the dirtiest, darkest alleys of history, a party said.

In a statement to the media the party said it would challenge the verdict.

Many legal experts have also called the illicit marriage case frivolous.

Case history

Just days before Pakistanis headed to the polls in early February, a court sentenced Khan and his wife to seven years in prison each for a marriage law violation in 2018, on a petition filed by Bibis ex-husband. The court also fined the 71-year-old former prime minister and his wife $1,800 each.

Bibi was accused of not completing the waiting period mandated by Islam, called iddat, after divorcing her previous husband and marrying Khan in 2018.

The former first lady rejected the charges as baseless and politically motivated to malign her husband.

Prison history

Since his removal from power in Aril 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, Khan has faced a long list of charges which he has rejected as an attempt by the country's military to keep him out of the political arena - a charge the powerful institution denies.

Khan's first and brief arrest on May 9 of last year in a land bribery case led to widespread protests and rioting, including attacks by supporters on government and military installations. Khan was granted bail in that case.

Khan was again arrested on August 5 on corruption charges. He was accused of illegally selling state gifts received while in office between August 2018 and April 2022.

Although the three-year prison sentence handed down in that case was suspended weeks later, Khan remained under arrest as proceedings in other cases involving charges such as corruption, rioting, vandalism, and treason continued inside prison walls.

On January 30 of this year, a special lower court established under the Official Secrets Act, sentenced Khan to a decade behind bars for leaking state secrets. The Islamabad High Court overturned that conviction earlier this month.

On January 31, a federal anti-graft court sentenced Khan and Bibi to 14 years in prison on corruption charges, again related to illegally retaining and selling state gifts. The Islamabad High Court suspended that sentence in April.

According to PTI, Khan has been acquitted or granted bail in 18 cases in the last several months.

While the petitions to seek suspension of sentence in the illicit marriage case have been rejected, according to PTI, a hearing on petitions challenging the conviction is scheduled for July 2.
A pair of giant pandas are on their way from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Wednesday.

Officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were on hand in China for a farewell ceremony commemorating the departure of the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

The celebration included cultural performances, video salutations from Chinese and American students and a gift exchange among conservation partners, the zoo said in a statement. After the ceremony, the giant pandas began their trip to Southern California.

"This farewell celebrates their journey and underscores a collaboration between the United States and China on vital conservation efforts," Paul Baribault, the wildlife alliance president, said in a statement. "Our long-standing partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species."

It could be several weeks before the giant pandas will be viewable to the public in San Diego, officials said.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who's nearly 5 years old, has connections to California, the wildlife alliance said previously. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as "a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears."

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.
Geopolitical tensions and growing competition in tech between the United States and China appear to be spilling over into academia despite commitments from the worlds two biggest economies to boost people-to-people exchanges.

The United States remains the top choice for Chinese students seeking to study abroad with nearly 300,000 studying in American colleges and universities during the 2022-2023 school year. But reports of some cases that students and professors are facing extra scrutiny while passing through immigration and the deportation of others are raising concerns.

For Chen Xiaojin, a doctoral student studying semiconductor materials at a university in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, it has been six years since she returned to her hometown of Beijing.



At first, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that kept her from going home. But over the past two years, she has been deterred by accounts of Chinese students majoring in science and engineering being required to reapply for their visas upon returning to China.



She also says she is worried by reports over the past six months of Chinese students being deported, even at nearby Dulles Airport.



"My current research is relatively sensitive, and my boss [adviser] is getting funds from the U.S. Department of Defense, making it even more sensitive, she told VOA. "I am afraid that I won't be able to return after I go back [to China]."

Chen says that if she did return to China, she would have to apply for a new visa.

In a report late last month, Bloomberg said it had found at least 20 Chinese students and scholars with valid visas who were deported at U.S. Customs since November and barred from reentry. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency does not release relevant data.

Immigration attorney Dan Berger represented one Chinese student who was deported late last year. He tells VOA Mandarin that the student studied biological sciences at Yale University and was about to complete her doctorate.

She visited her family in China and got a new visa but was deported by customs at Dulles Airport and barred from reentering the country for five years. Berger said he did not see anything suspicious in the transcript of the conversation between the student and the customs officer.

"We have seen what seems like a pattern over the last six months of Chinese PhD students being turned around. more than I've seen in quite a while," he said.



Matthew Brazil, a fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, said neither country seems willing to explain the situation. However, he believes that in most cases, the United States must have valid reasons for blocking visa holders from entering the country.



In some cases, the students background may not match what is written on the visa application. In other cases, customs agents may also find something that the State Department missed, and once they see it, they are responsible for taking action.



"I wish the Chinese side would be specific about their students who were refused entry, he said. The fact that both sides are mum on details and that the Chinese side is engaged with the usual angry rhetoric means that each has security concerns. And that says to me that there was good reason for the U.S. to stop these particular applicants."

Brazil also sees a connection between the entry denials and export control regulations issued by the United States in October 2022 that restrict China's ability to obtain advanced computing chips, develop and maintain supercomputers, and manufacture advanced semiconductors.



U.S. Customs and Border Protection is one of the law enforcement agencies authorized to investigate violations of export control regulations, he said.

"Beijing's intelligence agencies are known to focus attention on PRC [People's Republic of China] students and scientists headed abroad who study or work on dual-use technologies controlled under the Export Administration Act  compelling Chinese students and scientists to report on what they've learned when they return to China on holiday, he said. This has been true for decades."



Bill Drexel, a fellow for the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said the U.S. government did find some cases where students tried to steal strategic technology for China.



"I think it would both not be surprising that they found some really questionable or incriminating evidence for some students, he said. It would also not be surprising if, in their hunt for really solid evidence, they also may have made some mistakes on other students.



Drexel adds that its just kind of an unfortunate fact of the time that we live in and the tactics that the CCP uses when it comes to these measures."

In a post on X in early May, U.S. ambassador to China Nicholas Burns tried to dispel concerns about visas and entry to the United States for students and scholars. In the post, he said "99.9% of Chinese students holding visas encounter no issues upon entering the United States.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Monday, Burns said it is China that is making it impossible to promote people-to-people ties. Burns told the Journal that students attending events sponsored by the United States in China have been interrogated and intimidated.



He also said that since U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinas leader Xi Jinping held their summit in San Francisco last year, Chinas Ministry of State Security and other agencies had interfered with Chinese citizens participation at some 61 events.

At a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed those accusations, saying that they did not reflect reality" and that went against key understandings reached by both countries presidents in San Francisco.



The United States, under the pretext of 'national security,' unjustifiably harasses, interrogates, and deports Chinese students in the U.S., causing them significant harm and creating a severe chilling effect, Mao said. The image of the United States in the minds of the Chinese people fundamentally depends on the actions of the United States itself.



Drexel said he believes Burns comments about visas and students' willingness to study in the U.S. still ring true.



On balance, it's still the case that American universities are overwhelmingly warm towards Chinese students and want them in large numbers," he said.



However, Berger, the immigration lawyer, is concerned about the chilling effect recent cases involving Chinese students could have.



"In general, we are being more careful about advising Chinese graduate students in STEM fields about traveling and letting them know that there is some small risk, he said.



Even though the risk is small, it does seem to be real at the moment, he said.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
Somalia, an impoverished nation in the horn of Africa, has begun celebrating 65 years of independence, though it comes amid a backdrop of division and a pivotal security transition.

Independence Week is celebrated annually from June 26 to July 1 to honor the 1960 union of British Somaliland and Italian Somalia. It paved the way for a united Somalia with hopes of progress and prosperity, although they remain a dream, according to Sokor Jama, former director of Somalias Defense Ministry.

I believe it is not the time to celebrate, Jama told VOA Somali. You can celebrate your success of gaining an independence only when you have reached your goals. Look where Somalia is at today. .... It is cursed with a division within, insecurity and poverty.

Speaking with VOA, Abdullahi Salamulah, an adviser to the office of Somalias parliament speaker, disagreed.

I defer to Jama on the issue of celebrating the countrys independence, Salamumlah said. I do not see hatred among Somali people. The ordinary people are united, but yes, there are politicians here and there who are divided on issues for their own benefits, and they try to change the public narratives.

Broke away in 1991

Somaliland, a former British protectorate, broke away from Somalia in 1991 and continued its effort to be a separate country but has not been internationally recognized.

The government in Mogadishu, however, wants the countrys northern territory to be part of a single Somali state.

The leaders of Mogadishu and Hargeisa presented dramatically opposing views regarding Somalias unity during Tuesdays celebrations. In a ceremonial event in Mogadishu preceded by songs, poems, folklore dancing and the hoisting of the national flag, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the day stands for unity revival.

I want to repeat again and again that Independence Day is the day of revival, rebirth and reconciliation of the Somali people, he said.

"I congratulate the entire Somali nation on the occasion of June 26, which marks the 64th anniversary of the independence of the northern regions from British colonial rule and the raising of our flag on free Somali soil," Mohamud said.

Regional tensions

Independence Week this year comes amid regional tension between Ethiopia and Somalia over Ethiopias desire to set up a naval base there and a possible offer to recognize Somaliland in exchange.

The move prompted a defiant response from Mogadishu, fearing the deal could further destabilize the Horn of Africa region.

In February, Somalia, which has no control in Somaliland, ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates there and in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.

Senior officials from Somaliland and Puntland, which is engaged in another constitutional dispute with Mogadishu, said the edicts would not apply in their territories.

Somalia said at the time it would defend itself if Ethiopia seals an illegal port deal.

In Tuesdays speech, Mohamud said his government understands Ethiopias desire for access to the sea but opposes the methods it has employed.

The issue is not a fight over Somalia rejecting a sea access for Ethiopia, but our dispute is over the means. If Ethiopia wants to get sea access in Somalia, we welcome it, but it must be similar to how Uganda and South Sudan access Kenyas ports, how Burundi and Rwanda access Tanzania, and how Ethiopia itself has access to Djibouti, Mohamud said.

In Hargeisa, Somaliland President Muse Bihi said authorities in Mogadishu are the biggest challenge for the autonomous regions fight for recognition as an independent state.

Speaking at a ceremony held in Hargeisa Tuesday night, Bihi said Mohamud does not oppose Ethiopian access to the sea but wants Ethiopia to get signoff from Mogadishu.

The Memorandum of Understanding Somaliland "signed with Ethiopia will be turned to a law and will be implemented without seeking permission from Mogadishu, whose real territorial control does not extend beyond Mogadishu, Bihi said.

Security challenges

As African Transition Mission in Somalia, or ATMIS, peacekeepers continue to gradually leave Somalia by the end of 2024, Somalia still faces security challenges, with questions and concerns raised over the countrys readiness to take charge and face al-Shabab, which remains a genuine threat to the country and the region.

Briefing the U.N. Security Council on the Somalia situation, ATMIS head Mohamed El-Amine Souef told ambassadors that al-Shabab remains resilient.

The group still retain[s] the ability to conduct devastating attacks, including employing asymmetric tactics and organizing complex operations on civilians and security targets, he said.

Souef said 2,000 troops will depart Somalia by the end of July, and the remaining 2,000 at the end of September, as part of the transition of security responsibility from ATMIS to the Security Forces.

James Swan, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia, also told the council that the Somalia government was prioritizing security and combating al-Shabab fighters on many fronts.

For its part, al-Shabab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little regard for the loss of civilian life, he said.

Swan also raised his concerns over the tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and he urged both nations to resolve their differences peacefully.
Serbian police on Thursday banned a festival that promotes cultural exchange with Kosovo in a sign of growing nationalism and government pressure on liberal voices in the Balkan country.

A police statement cited security concerns as the reason to ban the "Mirdita, dobar dan" event that was scheduled to start later Thursday in Belgrade with a theater show from Kosovo. The words mean good day in Albanian and Serbian, respectively.

Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence by its former province, which is overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian. The Mirdita, dobar dan festival is organized by youth groups from Serbia and Kosovo seeking to bridge ethnic divisions created by a 1998-99 war and the postwar tensions.

Organizers in Serbia, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights group, said that Serbian police violated the country's constitution and European laws: "It is a basic duty of the state to secure the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the law and to sanction all those who limit or violate those freedoms and citizens' rights."

The group added that police did not allow the bus with participants to enter Belgrade and ordered that it return to Kosovo under police escort.

The police ban came after several dozen right-wing extremists gathered outside the festival venue on Thursday, seeking to prevent the celebration while waving Serbian flags. Police said they wanted to prevent "danger to the security of people and property and to public peace and order on a larger scale."

A statement said that the anti-festival gathering is also banned.

Liberal groups criticized the police decision.

"With the ban on 'Mirdita,' Serbia and its institutions sided with the hooligans and the deepest ethno-nationalist darkness," prominent human rights activist Natasa Kandic said on X. "No longer can a debate about reconciliation or a protest against glorification of war criminals be organized in Serbia. A black hole."

The Movement of Free Citizens party urged the Interior Ministry to revoke the ban also, saying the authorities have sided with the extremists who are opposed to regional reconciliation.

Several government officials have sharply criticized the festival in the past several days, describing it as anti-Serb. While the festival has been held alternatively in Serbia and Kosovo for the past decade, this year's ban in Serbia illustrates a general toughening of the government's stance toward its critics.

Earlier this week, authorities banned a Bosnian actor and author from entering Serbia, saying he was a threat to national security, and deported him back to Sarajevo, Bosnia's capital. In the past months, Serbia's independent and investigative journalists have complained of increased legal pressure and threats.

Serbia is formally seeking entry into the European Union, but the increasingly authoritarian government of populist President Aleksandar Vucic has steadily drifted away from the EU's pro-democracy values while nurturing close ties with Russia and China.
South Korea said Thursday that it would consider sending arms to Ukraine, a major policy change that was suggested after Russia and North Korea rattled the region and beyond by signing a pact to come to each other's defense in the event of war.

The comments from a senior presidential official came hours after North Korea's state media released the details of the agreement, which observers said could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. It comes at a time when Russia faces growing isolation over the war in Ukraine and both countries face escalating standoffs with the West.

According to the text of the deal published by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, if either country gets invaded and is pushed into a state of war, the other must deploy "all means at its disposal without delay" to provide "military and other assistance." But the agreement also says that such actions must be in accordance with the laws of both countries and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes a U.N. member state's right to self-defense.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the pact at a summit Wednesday in Pyongyang. Both described it as a major upgrade of bilateral relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties.

The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement condemning the agreement, calling it a threat to his country's security and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and warned that it would have negative consequences on Seoul's relations with Moscow.

"It's absurd that two parties with a history of launching wars of invasion  the Korean War and the war in Ukraine  are now vowing mutual military cooperation on the premise of a preemptive attack by the international community that will never happen," Yoon's office said.

At the United Nations in New York, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul called it "deplorable" that Russia would act in violation of multiple U.N. sanctions resolutions against North Korea that Moscow voted for.

Yoon's national security adviser, Chang Ho-jin, said that Seoul would reconsider the issue of providing arms to Ukraine to help the country fight off Russia's full-scale invasion.

South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine, while joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow. But it hasn't directly provided arms to Kyiv, citing a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.

Speaking to reporters in Hanoi, where he traveled after Pyongyang, Putin said Thursday that supplying weapons to Ukraine would be "a very big mistake" on South Korea's part. If that happens, Putin said that it would lead to "decisions that are unlikely to please the current leadership of South Korea."

He said that South Korea "shouldn't worry" about the agreement, if Seoul isn't planning any aggression against Pyongyang.

Asked whether Ukrainian strikes on Russian regions with Western-supplied weapons could be considered an act of aggression, Putin said that "it needs to be additionally studied, but it's close to it," and that Moscow isn't ruling out supplying weapons to North Korea in response.

A number of NATO allies, including the United States and Germany, recently authorized Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying to Kyiv. Earlier this month, a Western official and a U.S. senator said that Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia.

Putin has said in response that Moscow "reserves the right" to arm Western adversaries and reiterated that notion on Thursday.

"I said, including in Pyongyang, that in this case we reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world," he said. "Keeping in mind our agreements with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, I'm not ruling that out."

The summit between Kim and Putin came as the U.S. and its allies expressed growing concern over a possible arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for the war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program.

Following their summit, Kim said the two countries had a "fiery friendship," and that the deal was their "strongest-ever treaty," putting the relationship at the level of an alliance. He vowed full support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Putin called it a "breakthrough document," reflecting shared desires to move relations to a higher level.

North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed a treaty in 1961, which experts say necessitated Moscow's military intervention if the North came under attack. The deal was discarded after the collapse of the USSR, replaced by one in 2000 that offered weaker security assurances.

There's ongoing debate on how strong of a security commitment the deal entails. While some analysts see the agreement as a full restoration of the countries' Cold War-era alliance, others say the deal seems more symbolic than substantial.

Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that the text appeared to be carefully worded as to not imply automatic military intervention.

But "the big picture here is that both sides are willing to put down on paper, and show the world, just how widely they intend to expand the scope of their cooperation," he said.

The deal was made as Putin visited North Korea for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, a trip that showcased their personal and geopolitical ties. Kim hugged Putin twice at the airport, their motorcade rolling past giant Russian flags and Putin portraits, before a welcoming ceremony at Pyongyang's main square attended by what appeared to be tens of thousands of spectators.

According to KCNA, the agreement also states that Pyongyang and Moscow must not enter into agreements with third parties, if they infringe on the "core interests" of any of them and mustn't participate in actions that threaten those interests.

KCNA said that the agreement requires the countries to take steps to prepare joint measures for the purpose of strengthening their defense capabilities to prevent war and protect regional and global peace and security. The agency didn't specify what those steps are, or whether they would include combined military training and other cooperation.

The agreement also calls for the countries to actively cooperate in efforts to establish a "just and multipolar new world order," KCNA said, underscoring how the countries are aligning in face of their separate confrontations with the United States.

How the pact affects Russia's relations with South Korea is a key development to watch, said Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and director of the North Korea-focused 38 North website.

"Seoul had already signed onto sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, souring its relations with Moscow. Now with any ambiguity of Russia's partnership with North Korea removed, how will Seoul respond?" she said. "Is there a point where it decides to cut or suspend diplomatic ties with Russia or expel its ambassador? And have we reached it?"

Kim has made Russia his priority in recent months as he pushes a foreign policy aimed at expanding relations with countries confronting Washington, embracing the idea of a "new Cold War" and trying to display a united front in Putin's broader conflicts with the West.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, with the pace of both Kim's weapons tests, and combined military exercises involving the U.S., South Korea and Japan intensifying in a tit-for-tat cycle.

The Koreas also have engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare that involved North Korea dropping tons of trash on South Korea with balloons, and Seoul broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda with its loudspeakers.
Spains leader has pledged to reform the countrys media law next month to stop the spread of fake news, a move criticized by many as a threat to press freedom.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced this month that the new legislation would end the impunity of some pseudo media largely financed by  the extreme right.

In an interview with Spanish paper La Vanguardia, he said the law would consolidate plural, diverse media with accurate information. These are today the ones harmed by digital tabloids that spread hoaxes.

But journalists and media analysts warn the move risks endangering press freedom and limiting the medias role as a public watchdog. Some note that the move by Sanchez and his left-wing coalition government comes in response to critical reporting about the leaders family.

His wife, Begona Gomez, was embroiled in a legal case over alleged corruption and influence peddling. She is scheduled to appear before a judge in Madrid on July 5 as part of a preliminary investigation relating to business activities.

Gomez has not been charged, and Sanchez said she has not committed any offense.

The court probe was opened after a complaint filed by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), an anti-corruption union that has been linked to the far right. The organization has said its complaint is based on media reports.

When the story broke in April, Sanchez described the allegations leveled at Gomez as a harassment and bullying operation against him and his wife by political and media enemies.

He took five days out, saying he needed to consider his future and whether his position was worth all the abuse directed at his family.

When Sanchez returned to office, he called for an end to a culture of mud-slinging and slanderous rumors which, he said, threatened the quality of public life.

In a four-page letter posted on X, he said the Manos Limpias complaint was untrue and based on alleged reporting by news sites whose political bias were overtly right-wing and far-right."

Manos Limpias has said its complaint could be based on incorrect reports. But in a social media post, it said, If they are not true then whoever published them should take responsibility. But if they are not untrue, we understand that the judicial investigation should continue.

Media reform

When Sanchez briefly stepped back, thousands of journalists signed a letter of support, saying an attack by the media and judicial extreme right was an attempt to subvert the popular will expressed at the polls through illicit means.

And in proposing reforms to the media law, Sanchez has said it will be allied to the Media Freedom Act introduced by the European Commission. MFA is designed to prevent political interference in media outlets and ensure transparent and non-discriminatory state advertising.

But critics are wary.

Nacho Cardero, director of El Confidencial  a respected news website that has published a series of reports on Gomez  said Sanchezs proposal to legislate against the media represents a challenge to journalism.

This is a complicated moment in the story of Spain and journalism. It is putting in danger media freedom and the right of the citizens to be well-informed. The government has reacted by attacking the media. Right now, they have not said who the pseudo media is nor what are the lies, he said.

They have said they are going to change the law to distinguish between good and bad media. But they have not said what they are going to do.

Since El Confidencial published its reports on Gomez, the government has cut ties with the news site, Cardero said, meaning they can no longer report the governments side. This, he said, is not good for El Confidencial, the government nor the people.

VOA emailed the Spanish government for a comment but has not received a reply.

Media watchdogs have noted an increase in political polarization and attacks from media in Spain and several other countries. Its a trend that sees leaders respond to critical reporting by accusing the media of political bias.

Alfonso Bauluz, president of the Spanish wing of the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, known as RSF, condemned such attacks.

We also want to appeal to the sanity of political representatives. Straining public debate and encouraging acrimony leads to hatred, something that unfortunately is so present on social networks. And we think that it should not contaminate the press, whose task is to represent and offer all points of view, he said.

The function of informing, criticizing power and denouncing its deviation is inherent to journalism and respect for those who exercise their profession with rigor and professional ethics is an inalienable demand, Bauluz said.

Maria Rey, president of the Madrid Press Association, told VOA that if Spain reformed the existing law, it might mean the creation of an organization to police media.

What makes us uncomfortable is the message that journalists are not sufficiently professional to regulate ourselves. Until now, there has always been responsible media to counterbalance incorrect news, she said.

We are able to regulate ourselves. We are tremendously self-critical about our journalism, Rey said.

Cardero said that although the government wants to legislate, it is unclear if they can.

The current minority government, which is dependent on smaller parties, has made legislating difficult this year. Because of that, it is unclear whether Sanchez would be able to gain enough support needed for reforms.
A new U.N.-backed report says hunger in war-torn Sudan is at unprecedented levels, with more than 25 million people experiencing emergency levels of hunger, 755,000 in catastrophic conditions, and the risk of famine in several regions.

WFPs team in Sudan is working day and night in perilous conditions to deliver lifesaving assistance, yet these numbers confirm that time is fast running out to prevent famine, Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program, said in a statement Thursday. For each person we have reached this year, another eight desperately need help.

McCain said humanitarians urgently need more funding and also for access to be massively expanded so they can scale-up relief operations.

Food security experts gathered the data between April 21 and June 13. Their latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, report says Sudan is facing the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded by the IPC in the country. The IPC was established in 2004.

The experts concluded that more than half of the population  25.6 million people  are projected to experience crisis levels of hunger or worse during the lean season, which runs from now through September.

In 10 of Sudans 18 states, 755,000 people are facing IPC 5  or catastrophe levels. That includes all five states comprising Greater Darfur, South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile, Al Jazirah, and Khartoum states.

The food experts warned that if the conflict escalates further, there is a risk of famine in 14 areas, including Greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, Al Jazirah states and some hotspots in the capital, Khartoum.

The IPC says its latest findings mark a stark and rapid deterioration of the food security situation compared to their last report in December. The report said 17.7 million people were facing acute hunger, including nearly 5 million people in emergency levels of hunger. Now, the IPC says that emergency level has risen to a projected 8.5 million people.

Children are at particular risk.

"Hunger and malnutrition are spreading at alarming rates, and without concerted international action and funding, there is a very real danger the situation will spiral out of all control, Catherine Russell, executive director of the U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF, said in a statement.

There is no time to lose, she said. Any delay in unfettered access to vulnerable populations will be measured in the loss of children's lives."

A power struggle between the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces for the last 14 months has created a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 6 million people have been internally displaced, on top of the nearly 4 million who were displaced before the current conflict. Another 2 million have fled to neighboring countries, including Chad, South Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia.

The WFP says it has reached more than 3 million displaced and vulnerable people in Sudan since January, and it is scaling up to reach 5 million more by the end of this year. The food agency also is working to expand access and open new humanitarian routes, from neighboring countries and across conflict front lines.

Additionally, the Food and Agriculture Organization is working to assist the countrys farmers and pastoralists with seeds, animal vaccinations and other critical supplies to restore domestic food production.

While UNICEF is scaling up nutritional screening, malnutrition therapies and vaccinations, it also is distributing clean drinking water to upwards of 5 million people, as part of a multi-pronged effort to prevent famine and disease.
Two hardline candidates in Irans presidential election withdrew from the race Thursday, one day ahead of the vote, as conservative groups tried to rally behind a single candidate in the special election called after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi announced his withdrawal and urged other candidates to follow suit "to strengthen the revolutionary stance," according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Hashemi, who had been Raisis vice president and the leader of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, also competed in the 2021 election, securing about one million votes but finishing last.

Also withdrawing Thursday was Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, who similarly pulled out of the 2021 election that saw Raisi's victory.

Zakani said his decision was intended to prevent the formation of another administration aligned with former president Hassan Rouhani, indirectly targeting reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian.

Pezeshkian is supported by former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, known for his role in the 2015 nuclear negotiations, representing a reformist stance amid the dominance of hardline candidates.

Last-minute withdrawals are common in Iranian presidential elections, particularly within 24 hours of voting, when campaigns are mandated to stop.

Friday's election follows Raisis death in a helicopter crash last month and is expected to impact the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme leader.

According to a June 22-23 poll by the Iran Students Polling Center, Zakani and Hashemi were projected to secure 1.7% and 2% of the vote, respectively.

With their exits, four presidential candidates remain, prompting Zakani to call on leading hardliners Saeed Jalili and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to unite against moderate contender Pezeshkian.

Khamenei ensures candidates sharing his hardline views dominate the election process, crucial for determining Iran's next supreme leader.

The election takes place amid rising tensions with Israel over Gaza, Western pressure on Tehrans nuclear ambitions, and growing domestic discontent over political, social, and economic issues.

Pezeshkian, a former health minister, garners support from Iran's sidelined reformist faction advocating closer ties with the West.

However, uncertainties persist about his electoral prospects amid calls for boycotts

from dissenters inside and outside Iran.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the European Union summit in Brussels Thursday, where he thanked EU members for a long-term security agreement they were expected to sign and urged delivery of promised packages of military aid.

During a press availability with European Council President Charles Michel, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the promised military aid but added that Ukraines battlefield needs are urgent, especially air defenses.

He also thanked the EU and Group of Seven nations for their pledge to use roughly $50 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraines war effort.

Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy posted a statement on his official X account, saying he expected to sign a total of three security agreements with EU member nations, including one with the EU, as a whole.

For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes, he said.

Referring to Ukraines EU accession talks, which began this week, he added, Each step we take brings us closer to our historic goal of peace and prosperity in our common European home.

Aerial attacks

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Thursday it thwarted nearly all of Russias overnight aerial attacks, with Ukrainian air defenses shooting down five Russian missiles and 23 drones.

The Ukrainian air force said Russian forces fired a total of six missiles at Ukraine, but did not specify the targets of the attacks.

Reports from regional officials showed Russia directed missiles and drones at parts of southern Ukraine.

Vitaliy Kim, governor of the Mykolaiv region, reported on Telegram that Ukrainian air defenses shot down six aerial drones and three cruise missiles. In Kherson, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces shot down two drones.

Air defenses shot down another drone over the Dnipropetrovsk region, the governor there said on Telegram.

Russias defense ministry said its forces downed four Ukrainian aerial drones over the Tver region, northwest of Moscow, as well as two drones over the Moscow region and another over Belgorod.

Ukraine frequently targets Belgorod, which is located along the Russia-Ukraine border, with attacks against areas such as Moscow and Tver occurring more rarely.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Thai banks and registered companies are taking on an expanding and leading role securing weapons to Myanmars military regime even as it grows increasingly isolated amid a brutal civil war claiming thousands of lives, a United Nations report released Wednesday says.

The report, Banking on the Death Trade: How Banks and Governments Enable the Military Junta in Myanmar, says international sanctions have helped to slash the regimes purchase of weapons through the global financial system by a third from the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year, which runs April to March, to some $253 million.

That is a very significant step in the right direction and shows the impact that international action can take, said the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, the reports author.

Andrews attributed much of the drop in trade to Singapore, which investigated its own banks and companies in the wake of a report he wrote last year that named the city-state among Myanmars main pipelines for arms since the militarys 2021 coup.

The new report says Myanmars military purchases through the global financial system from companies registered in Singapore crashed between 2022 and 2023 some 90% as a result, from $110 million to just $10 million last year.

The bad news is that weve seen the opposite happen in Thailand, where there has been a significant increase in both the facilitation of weapons procurement transactions by Thai banks and the export of weapons materials from Thai companies into Myanmar, Andrews told VOA.

According to his report, Myanmars military purchases from companies registered in Thailand over the same period doubled to $120 million, topping all other countries, including China and Russia.

China and Russia saw their companies arms trade with Myanmar through the global financial system fall in 2023, to $80 million and $10 million respectively. Indias trade stayed steady at $15 million.

Myanmars recent military purchases via Thailand, the report says, included items ranging from chemicals to machine tools and radios to spare parts for fighter jets and helicopters, which the junta is widely accused of using to deadly effect on civilian targets.

Myanmars military regime has denied targeting civilians and claims it is taking proportionate action against terrorists.

Andrews report does not claim that the Thai government was directly involved in the arms trades, or that all the military material and goods were made or assembled in, or exported from, Thailand. It also does not capture any arms trade outside of the global financial system, including any deals that may have been settled with hard cash or by barter.

Previous research by Andrews and others showed most weapons shipments to Myanmar since the coup starting out from China and Russia.

Even so, this weeks report highlights the major role international commercial banks continue to play in arming Myanmars military despite the mounting allegations of the juntas war crimes. It names 16 banks in Thailand and six other countries across Asia handling $630 million worth of military-related purchases for the junta over the past two years.

Despite the impact sanctions have had in stemming that trade, Andrews told VOA countries keen on thwarting Myanmars junta can do much more to enforce, coordinate and add to the sanctions, to leave fewer gaps for the junta to exploit.

Countries that have placed sanctions on Myanmar have not all sanctioned the same companies, and some companies vital to the juntas arms trade still have not been sanctioned at all.

Andrews said the junta has reacted to sanctions on two of its key banks for military trades, for example, by redirecting most of that business through another bank still free of sanctions. The junta has also gotten better at disguising its arms purchases.

What is critical now is that the response of the international community, specifically with respect to sanctions, be coordinated, be strategic and be focused, and that the international community work together to enforce these sanctions and eliminate these loopholes, he said.

The reason that is so important is because, given the fact that the junta is on its heels  their response is to escalate attacks on civilians, he said.

Citing research by Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based research group, he said the junta has picked up air strikes fivefold in the past six months alone. The junta has lost significant territory to armed resistance groups across the country over the same period and is now believed to be in control of less than half of Myanmar.

Andrews said the juntas weapons supplies would also be hit hard if Thailand were to follow Singapores lead and crack down on its own companies doing business with Myanmars military and known suppliers.

Unlike Singapore, though, Thailands government has not explicitly come out against trading arms with Myanmar.

Asked for comment, Thailands Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said the government was looking into the report.

Our banking and financial institutions follow banking protocols as any major financial hub. So we will have to first establish the facts before considering any further steps, he said in a statement shared with VOA.

This is a matter of policy which has to be carefully considered, particularly the impact of sanctions on the wider population, he said. Thailand has always taken the position not to support any action that impacts the wider population.

In a separate statement, a group of past and present lawmakers from across Southeast Asia said it was alarmed by Myanmars shift from Singapore to Thailand to source weapons and urged all 10 governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to learn from Singapore.

The bloc agreed to a five-point peace plan for Myanmar in April 2021 but has failed to make any headway besides providing some humanitarian aid.

In the statement, Philippines lawmaker Raoul Manuel said the role of Southeast Asian companies in helping to arm the junta only undermines the blocs peace efforts.

ASEANs efforts to resolve the conflict in Myanmar cannot be taken seriously if ASEAN member states are helping to arm and fund the murderous Myanmar junta, which has already killed thousands of its own people and continues to indiscriminately attack the civilian population, he said.
The United States criticized China in the State Departments 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, describing the country as a repressive regime.

In the report, released Wednesday, the department also cited an international and domestic increase in antisemitism and Islamophobia, which it attributed to the war in Gaza.

At the release of the report, Rashad Hussein, the U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, addressed assembled partners, survivors and civil society representatives.

The report," he said, "also continues to cast light on the ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide the Chinese government is perpetrating against Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.

According to the report  which cites information from religious groups, nongovernmental organizations and international media reports  the Chinese government restricts the activities and freedom of religious followers it believes threatens state or Chinese Communist Party interests. Those found in violation of laws governing religious groups  even members of government-registered groups  are subject to arrest, torture, forced indoctrination in CCP ideology and even death.

Due to a lack of transparency regarding law enforcements persecution of religious followers, estimates of those imprisoned during the year for their religious beliefs ranged from the low thousands to more than 10,000, the report said.

The report says the Church of Almighty God, an unregistered entity that China considers a "cult," reported that 12,463 members were arrested in 2023, and that 20 members died because of the persecution.

In 1999, the U.S. designated China as a Country of Particular Concern for having participated in or tolerated serious violations of religious freedom. In December, it reestablished restrictions on exports to China that could be used for crime detection.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, called the accusations in the report inaccurate and accused the U.S. State Department of trying to interfere in domestic Chinese affairs.

The Chinese government protects citizens freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law. People of all ethnic groups in China are fully entitled to the freedom of religious belief as prescribed by law, he said, adding that China has nearly 200 million religious believers.

We urge relevant parties to stop using the so-called religious issues to meddle in Chinas internal affairs, he said.

In his remarks at the report's release, Hussain addressed the sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia worldwide since Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Beyond Gaza, Israel and the West Bank, the conflict has also fed a global surge in acts of anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism, he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also commented on the rise in hate crimes domestically.

Here in the United States, reports of hate crimes and other instances targeting Muslims and Jews have gone up dramatically, he said.

The State Department does not include the United States in its annual report. Instead, the report details the state of religious freedom in various countries, along with U.S. policies toward those countries that promote religious freedom.

Radio Free Asia, VOA's sister media outlet, contributed to this report.
The head of U.S. Africa Command denied Thursday claims by Zimbabwean government officials that Washington is setting up a military base in neighboring Zambia and wants to move AFRICOM operations there from Germany.

At an online press briefing, General Michael Langley, head of AFRICOM, rejected Zimbabwes claims that the United States is establishing a base in neighboring Zambia.

That's absolutely false, Langley said from an African Chiefs of Defense Conference in Botswana. We have no bases in Zambia. We have no plans to put one there.

He said the U.S.s approach on the continent is African-led and U.S.-enabled.

We have a deep partnership with Zambia, he said. We have increased security cooperation with them. But there is no footprint. There's no posture. There's no base.

Zimbabwean officials declined to comment to VOA about Langleys remarks. But Rutendo Matinyarare, chairperson of the pro-government Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Movement, alleged that Langley held a briefing in Lusaka and that the U.S. was setting up the AFRICOM hub in Zambia.

Matinyarare claimed that several businesspeople who have flown into the country have seen a substantial amount of American military equipment at Zambias airport.

And so, the question is, What are these weapons doing in Zambia? he said.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema denies that his country is being militarized by the U.S. He says Zambias army has exchange programs with a number of countries, including the U.S., which should not be mistaken for the U.S. establishing a base.

Zambia says it has called on two regional bodies  the African Union and the Southern African Development Community  to mediate talks with Zimbabwe. Zambia and Zimbabwe are members of both organizations.

Zambian officials have also said the fallout stems from comments that Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa made during a recent trip to Russia  namely, the accusation that the U.S. has been militarizing Zambia to consolidate power in the region and isolate Zimbabwe.

Western countries imposed travel and financial sanctions on Zimbabwes leadership and affiliated companies in the early 2000s for alleged election rigging and human rights abuses. The U.S. recently removed sanctions on most Zimbabweans, but a few prominent figures  including Mnangagwa  remain on the list.

Meanwhile, Langley told reporters that top regional security challenges throughout Africa were discussed at the just-ended defense conference.

Our African partners want this conference here because they want to own it. But we are AFRICOM, and the U.S. government is here because we have common values, common objectives, that will affect stability, security and prosperity on the continent, he said.

This years conference provided a valuable wealth of information and lessons ahead of talks next year, Langley said.
Vietnam has ramped up its building of islands in the disputed South China Sea to bolster its position in relation to China, say experts, but does not pose any threat to the other main claimant in the area, the Philippines.

Since November last year, Vietnam has accelerated the expansion of its outposts in the Spratly Islands, according to a report published earlier this month by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, or AMTI, at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

According to the report, Vietnam constructed 280 hectares (1 square mile) of land across 10 features it controls in the archipelago in the first half of 2024, compared with a total of 301 hectares (1.2 square miles) in the first 11 months of 2023 and the whole of 2022 combined.

Beijing still controls the three largest outposts in the Spratly chain but, thanks to the recent dredging and landfill work, Hanoi now controls the next four largest. Manilas largest island in the archipelago  Thitu  ranks ninth in size.

Vietnam and the Philippines have been locked in a decadeslong territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea and its islands despite a ruling in 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that dismissed Chinas claim to most of the sea. That claim infringes on the exclusive economic zones of several coastal states.

Boosting presence

Vietnams acceleration of island building took place after Hanoi upgraded ties with Washington to the highest level in September 2023 and agreed to building a community of shared future with Beijing in early December.

Its a good timing for Vietnam to step up dredging, Hoang Viet, a lecturer at University of Law in Ho Chi Minh City who closely monitors the situation in the South China Sea, told VOA over the phone.

Hanoi has learned a lesson from Manilas recent stand-off with Beijing over the Second Thomas Shoal in which Chinese coast guard vessels attempted to block the Philippines resupply missions to its troops on a grounded vessel. Viet said the lack of an expanded outpost there puts Manila at a disadvantage.

It will be more complicated for Beijing to harass a claimant that has a strengthened garrison on a disputed feature, he said, so its imperative that Hanoi speed up dredging in the South China Sea if it wants to safeguard its presence in the area.

He said legal action is not enough for Hanoi or Manila to push their claims if they are not accompanied by an actual military presence, noting that the Permanent Court of Arbitrations 2016 ruling has not helped the Philippines much against Chinese aggression.

Its Chinese aggression that has prompted Vietnam to carry on its own reclamation. Vietnam had seen no need to do that prior to Chinese reclamation and militarization in the South China Sea, he said.

Harrison Pretat, deputy director of AMTI, told VOA in an email that the new reclamation will give Vietnam several more large ports in the Spratly Islands.

This may allow Vietnam to begin operating more coast guard or militia vessels in disputed areas for long periods, without having to make the long return journey to Vietnams coast, he said.

It is also possible that Vietnam could build a second airstrip in the Spratly Islands, enhancing its ability to move personnel and supplies quickly and potentially conduct maritime air patrols, he said.

Viet also cited Vietnams need to build strongholds in the waters to help with search and rescue operations for its fishermen caught in rough weather, as well as to prevent them from engaging in illegal fishing in its neighbors waters.

Not provocative to Manila

Viet said Vietnams dredging is unlikely to stoke tension in the South China Sea given that it is purely for development or defense purposes, not to threaten or attack other claimants.

Beijing has little reason to protest because they reclaimed twice as much land, while Washington and Manila understand Vietnams motive, he said.

Hanoi and Manila have overlapping claims to features in the Spratly chain, but incidents between the two countries have been rare, while bilateral ties were strengthened during President Ferdinand Marcos state visit to Hanoi earlier this year. The two countries agreed to increase coast guard cooperation.

Two days after AMTI released its report, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea, told local press that Vietnam focuses on minding their own affairs and reclaiming maritime features they occupied before the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties.

AMTIs Pretat argued that although Manila is not excited to see Vietnam expanding its outposts, it doesnt see it as a threat to its own maritime activities.

Vietnam has shown no effort to forcefully administrate its claims the way China has, noted Pretat. The Philippines is much more concerned with Chinas behavior at sea and its efforts to restrict the activities of Philippine fishers, coast guard and military.

He stressed that Manila sees Hanoi as a potential partner. Vietnam has been one of the only claimants besides the Philippines to maintain a relatively strong stance against Chinas claims and activities in the South China Sea, he said.

Viet said statements by Vietnams Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pham Thu Hang regarding incidents in the Second Thomas Shoal last Friday carried implicit support for the Philippines.

She also said that Vietnam stays ready to discuss with the Philippines to seek and achieve a solution that is mutually beneficial for both countries regarding overlapping claims to the undersea continental shelf, AP reported.

However, Viet said that despite similar stances on South China Sea issues, as well as shared concern of Chinas assertiveness, Hanois measured and less noisy approach to Beijing makes it hard for them to work with Manila to counter Beijing.

Without the support of ASEAN or other claimants like Indonesia or Malaysia, I think Vietnams appetite for direct and public opposition to Chinas activities currently cant match the Philippines, said Pretat.
A U.N.-led conference of international envoys on Afghanistan is set to begin in Doha, Qatar, on June 30. To get the Taliban to participate, the U.N. decided not to have women and rights activists at the table, angering many. VOA Pakistan Bureau Chief Sarah Zaman reports.
A ship traveling through the Red Sea on Thursday reported being hit in an attack carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, authorities said, the latest in the campaign targeting shipping over the Israel-Hamas war.

The ship issued a radio call off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida saying it had been struck, the private security firm Ambrey first reported. A warship in the area was responding to the attack, Ambrey said.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center later also confirmed the attack.

"The nature of the attack is reported as a waterborne improvised explosive device," the UKMTO said. "The vessel and crew are reported as safe, and the vessel is proceeding to their next port of call."

The UKMTO did not elaborate, but Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree in a prerecorded message released Thursday night said the rebels used a drone boat in the attack on the vessel. He identified the ship as the Seajoy, a Malta-flagged bulk carrier.

The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign, which has killed four sailors. They have seized one vessel and have sunk two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war  including some bound for Iran.

Late on Tuesday, Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the group was responsible for an attack Monday on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed they used a new hypersonic ballistic missile in the assault, which targeted a ship farther away than nearly all of the previous assaults they've launched in the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. military's Central Command also said it destroyed a Houthi radar site. Another attack Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden was suspected to have been carried out by the Houthis, though they have yet to claim it.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the U.N. Security Council again demanded that the Houthi rebels immediately halt all attacks on ships in the region and called for the conflicts disrupting maritime security to be addressed  without naming the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The resolution, which also extends the requirement that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres report monthly on Houthi attacks, was approved Thursday by a vote of 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining.
The US Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Purdue Pharma's $6 billion opioids settlement immunizing the Sackler family, which controlled the drugmaker, from future litigation.

In a 5-4 ruling, the judges agreed with the Justice Department which argued that the Sacklers, who earned tens of billions of dollars flooding the country with highly addictive opioids, should not gain sweeping legal protection in the controversial deal.

The court held that "the bankruptcy code does not authorize this kind of order," with the majority opinion written by Neil Gorsuch and joined by Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Brett Kavanaugh, Chief Justice John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented, in a case where judges defied conservative-liberal fault lines.

"The Sacklers have not agreed to place anything approaching their full assets on the table for opioid victims," wrote Gorsuch.

"Yet they seek a judicial order that would extinguish virtually all claims against them for fraud, willful injury, and even wrongful death, all without the consent of those who have brought and seek to bring such claims."

"If past is prologue," Gorsuch quoted the Justice Department as saying, "there may be a better deal on the horizon."

- Flawed deal better than no deal? -

In a blistering dissent, Kavanaugh said: "Today's decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families."

"The plan was a shining example of the bankruptcy system at work," he continued.

"Not surprisingly, therefore, virtually all of the opioid victims and creditors in this case fervently support approval of Purdue's bankruptcy reorganization plan," Kavanaugh said, with a only a "small group" opposed, including some creditors in Canada.

What's more, he added, Thursday's decision could have ramifications for cases such as those involving abuse claims against the Catholic Church, which relied on similar deals.

The 2022 Purdue agreement, suspended since last August, came after years of negotiations involving officials from all 50 US states.

It set aside $6 billion for victims of the opioid epidemic from the 2019 bankruptcy of Purdue, which made prescription painkillers like OxyContin.

The settlement gave the families of Raymond Sackler and Mortimer Sackler protection from all future civil claims, effectively protecting their other assets from opioid-related lawsuits.

The Justice Department, acting as a bankruptcy watchdog body known as the US Trustee, accused the Sacklers of withdrawing $11 billion from Purdue Pharma over the decade before the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

- Free-wheeling prescriptions -

Arguing the case in December, Deputy Solicitor General Curtis Gannon outlined the Biden administration's objections to the deal.

"It permits the Sacklers to decide how much they're going to contribute," Gannon said. "It grants the Sacklers the functional equivalent of a discharge."

But Purdue Pharma argued rejecting the settlement could lead to years of litigation and leave victims with no compensation at all.

"Today's ruling is heart-crushing," Purdue said in a statement, adding however "the decision does nothing to deter us from the twin goals of using settlement dollars for opioid abatement and turning the company into an engine for good."

Purdue's bankruptcy filing resulted directly from the massive, country-wide litigation against it and other major drugmakers and pharmacy companies for knowingly fomenting the addiction crisis.

Under the March 2022 settlement, the Sacklers were "absolutely, unconditionally, irrevocably, fully, finally, forever and permanently" released from further legal liability.

The opioid epidemic has caused more than 500,000 overdose deaths in the United States over two decades, authorities say.

Purdue and other opioid makers were accused of encouraging free-wheeling prescription of their products through aggressive marketing tactics while hiding how addictive the drugs are.

Facing an avalanche of litigation, in 2021 Purdue pled guilty to three criminal charges over its marketing of OxyContin.

ia/bfm
Last November, Amichay Eliyahu, Minister of Heritage, proposed using tactical atomic bombs to finish off the Arabs of Palestine. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied and sanctioned him. However, it has been clear for several months that the most extreme statements, even when denied, were not made by chance, but to prepare international public opinion for what was to follow.

The border between northern Israel and southern Lebanon is incandescent, as rumors of an imminent invasion by the Israeli army to pulverize the Shiite guerrilla group Hezbollah have not been denied, and multimedia close to Joe Biden makes no secret of the USAs unconditional support for the operation [1].

In Judge Napolitanos interview with retired Colonel Douglas MacGregor (DMG), 77, Pentagon adviser under the Trump administration, and current commentator on military matters, expanded on the feasibility of an Israeli attack on Hezbollah and, at minute 19:03, menacingly urged "not to rule out the possibility of Israel using tactical nuclear weapons (sic) against Hezbollah [2]".

It looks as if several Israeli politicians [3] et rabbins [4] and rabbis [5] , as well as the pugnacious Republican Senator Lindsey Graham [6], who suggested that Israel use its nuclear weapons as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki [7] to regain its "deterrent force [8]", are going to have their nuclear wishes granted.

DMG endorsed the reckless assertion of Bidens "mediator", the Khazarian Amos Hochstein [9], 51, a dual US-Israeli citizen, born in Israel and having served in the Hebrew army, who "warned Lebanese officials that if Hezbollah did not cease its almost daily attacks on the north, Israel could launch a limited attack (re-sic) with US support [10]".

DMG pointed out that the Israeli invasion would coincide with the arrival, from June 23 to 25 (mega-sic!), of the strike group embarked on the US aircraft carrier. He asserted that the United States would support Israel with its satellites, aircraft, missiles, naval force and its entire surveillance and reconnaissance system with data exchange.

He also asserted that Hezbollah would receive similar support from Iran, and that in the event of a US attack on Iran, Russia and China would not abandon the Shiite theocracy.

All this has been well known since we first hypothesized, at the outset of Israels war against Hamas, that what Netanyahu is really after is the destruction of Iran by the USA [11].

DMG believes that the situation in the Middle East is far more dangerous than in Ukraine: soon leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - which would cause the price of a barrel of oil to soar - and internal explosion in Egypt and Turkey, whose populations do not tolerate the genocide in Gaza.

DMG has confirmed that Pakistan - which possesses 170 nuclear bombs [12]- has offered to make its arsenal available to Turkey - two major Sunni regional powers - to rebalance deterrence against Israel.

On the other hand, Western publications underestimate the actual number of Israels clandestine nuclear bombs and, depending on ones leanings, place it between 90 and 400 (mega-sic). In my opinion, the figure of 400 nuclear bombs is more accurate, given that former President James Carter declared long ago that Israel possessed more than 300 (sic) [13].

For its part, Irans diplomatic mission to the United Nations warned Israel of the consequences of an all-out war against the Hezbollah resistance group in Lebanon, and asserted that "Israel would be the big loser [14]".

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah warned that in the event of an Israeli invasion, he would fight without rules or limits, and threatened to target the Greek part of Cyprus militarily if Israel continued to use its airports and bases for military purposes [15].

Every time the two Khazars Antony Blinken (eight visits), Secretary of State, and Amos Hochstein (four visits) come to try to appease both the war in Gaza and the escalating cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel, both delicate situations get worse.
Evils never been shy about pointing out a lot of the patriarchal bullshit the Catholic Church spins, but in How to Dance in Three Easy Steps, it confronts the issue much more head-on. And thats because this week were dealing with witches. As our head witch Isabella points out to David at one point, When two or more men are gathered, its a church; when two or more women are gathered, its a coven, isnt that interesting?

While David might only briefly consider what Isabellas saying here (in Davids defense, hes dealing with A LOT at that moment), surely hell be thinking about what Kristen lays on him in this episode, right? Its Kristen who, not surprisingly, gets pretty blunt about whats going on: Has David noticed how many men theyve assessed over the years versus women? She sure has  16 versus 63. David digs himself into a bit of a hole when he tries to blame it on the fact that women might just be more sensitive  a great thing, he adds!  and therefore more susceptible to manipulation. Kristen has to laugh (or shell cry!) because the number of Q-Anon Dads suggests otherwise. She has a different theory: When women go against their accepted roles, the church labels them as possessed or witches. Evil has something to say, babes, and its not mincing words!

This whole conversation about rampant misogyny kicks off thanks to this weeks case in which the team is asked to assess, you guessed it, a possibly possessed woman named Katherine  a woman whose name Father Dominic still cannot be bothered to remember! Katherine is in prison for murdering her children, which is awful, obviously, but thats not the strangest thing happening here: Shes been dancing in her prison cell for two months straight. You read that right! She only stops once she collapses from exhaustion. Her parents want an exorcism.

But Katherine does eventually stop dancing. When the team begins to interview her, she pauses and she begins speaking like, well, like a demon. She explains she had to kill those kids because they were preventing Katherine from achieving greatness. Katherine then begins to imitate the voices of her children, begging her not to hurt them. Its about as unsettling and horrifying as it sounds, folks! Whether Katherine is suffering from a bipolar schizophrenia condition or she is actually possessed, that woman is getting an exorcism.

It goes very badly! During the exorcism, David, who is working with Father Dominic to use that super-charged remote viewing power to locate kidnapped Ethiopian clerics, is suddenly transported into the body of one of the missing priests. While there, David notices some sort of spire or monument outside the prison window, and as the priest, he leads the rest of the kidnapped clerics in singing The Prayer of St. Francis. When David returns to the exorcism, he sings that song to Katherine  and she goes into cardiac arrest and dies.

While all of this provides some top-notch horror content, all of the Katherine stuff is leading us to one place: back to the demon sigils. When examining her body, the team finds a tattoo on Katherines leg that wasnt there before (also her feet somehow now have gangrene  like, what in the fuck, actually?) and sorry to you, Ben Shakir, but yes, it is a tattoo of a sigil and yes, you do need to pull out the ol sigil map. But its not just any sigil; its a sigil from a house thats supposedly been vanquished. Ben and Kristen are a little horrified to learn what exactly vanquished means here, but David tries to assure them that he wouldnt be down to clown with church murder. And yet 

Well get back to that, I promise.

Their investigation leads them to Katherines old dance troupe. While their tyrant of a choreographer does certainly act like he might be a demon, hes just a red herring. Although he delivers the line Where would we be without evil? and Im taking that as a meta-shout to this series being ripped from our stupid little hands! Evil forever! I mean, Evil forever. You know what I mean!

Instead, the real find is the dance troupe. The clear alpha dancer in the group, Isabella, has a flirty interaction with Kristen, and she winds up inviting her to their performance that evening to see what theyre really about. While this is going on, Ben stumbles upon an ex-dancer from the troupe, Megan. Megan claims that the dance troupe was trying to lead her into Satanism, and when she and Katherine spoke out against it, they put a hex on them. They sent Megan a voodoo doll and told her shed be dancing in hell with Katherine if she spoke out again.

The troupes performance certainly supports some of what Megan is saying. Isabella is now definitely flirting with Kristen  shell only answer questions if Kristen shows her her feet, which she does!  and clearly not a fan of Megan. But Isabella claims it was Megan, a real prude, who got into Katherines head. The troupes performance certainly evokes an air of mystery, especially when a woman in white floats across the stage and whispers in his ear to shed [his] God and know greatness. She is, apparently, a muse. I know it doesnt need to be said at this point, but this show is so wild, guys. Bask in it!

David and Father Dominic are more convinced than ever that the women in the dance troupe are the keepers of the sigil and must be vanquished. Dominic explains this specific sigil belongs to a house of powerful necromancers, but it is a house passed down matrilineally, which is odd because, as we know, misogyny doesnt discriminate between good and evil; its very fun that way. Everyone in the room knows hes talking about witches, but he claims he doesnt want to use that word because its become politicized. Isnt that just so cute? Kristen thinks so, especially since the church has no concern about keeping women from abortion or birth control, [so] why stop now? Kristens disdain for Father Dominic continues to bring joy!

Kristen remains taken with Isabella and the troupe, so when shes invited to their little moonlight forest get-together, she jumps at the chance. The boys wind up walking into this dance party, too, but only because Megan shows up at the rectory with the sigil newly branded on her side, informing them that Isabella and the troupe did it and that the dance party theyre throwing in the woods tonight is exactly what they did the night before Katherines children died. They need to stop it!

All of this means the guys happen upon Kristen really getting her witch on with Isabella. Will they ever talk about this? Please say yes. For now, though, they have other items to handle on their to-do list. As theyre filling in Kristen on what happened to Megan, Ben notices something off with the sigil  its place in a way that looks like Megan mustve done it to herself, and the soot on Megans hand confirms she branded herself. Megan is behind it all. Father Dominic and some very strong-looking men find Megan still at the rectory, and he calls her out for the demon she is. She is the one who killed Katherines children! They drag her out to be, well, vanquished, I guess. Isabella and her witches  and maybe Kristen, can live to witch another day.

Okay, speaking of vanquishing, we should get back to that idea of David never supporting the church if it was into straight-up murder. After an encounter in the confessional with Isabella, David is thrown back into the Ethiopian prison cell, but this time, he is once again inhabiting the General with the triangle tattoo. Davids maybe we should call it superpower (?!) is getting stronger, and just as the General is about to kill the priest, David prays to God for help and then is able to take the Generals machete and turn it on himself. David wakes up from this vision, but Dominic informs him that this is exactly what happened to the General  he suddenly turned his own machete on himself and is dead. Everyone else is safe now. David clearly feels immense guilt, believing he has murdered this guy, but Dominic tells him he has nothing to confess. Apparently murder isnt bad if it prevents a greater sin. I dont know about you, but that feels like a super-slippery slope to me. Even if Father Dominic is onboard with this line of thinking, David definitely isnt. Mike Colter is so good here as David, who, clearly in some real pain, pours out his soul to Dominic. This differing of opinions as to how to use Davids abilities is sure to lead to some real conflict down the road. And if it continues to harm David this way, I know two other people who might also have a problem with it.

Church Bulletin

 Sheryl is still manipulating her granddaughters into spending time with Timothy. While theyre over at her place, however, she spots that little bag Andy gave Laura the night he was supposed to kill her and Sheryl instantly recognizes it from Lelands apartment. When Lynn shares some more details about what happened to Andy, Sheryl puts it all together, realizes Leland was going to have Laura killed, and she is livid. Shes almost in tears! She tears into Lelands apartment, destroys the place, and leaves a nice message for him in her own blood: Youre dead, mother fucker. Leland comes home to find the wreckage  and Sheryl waiting for him in the dark. Evils really adding some layers to the whole hell hath no fury like a woman scorned thing.

 I have no clue what the Kings have in store for Kurt Boggs this season, but it cant be good, right? The Bouchard girls start using his cannibal mom story as a fun little story to tell Timothy and eventually make it an online picture book using AI that they upload to the internet with Kurts name attached. It goes viral. Kurt is elated. Finally his muse  the woman in white  returns and he gets back into his writing. Like I said, cant be good, right?

 Father Dominic hugs David full-out when he delivers a clue that will lead to the Ethiopian clerics rescue. Victor LeConte would never!

 May we all have the confidence of Isabella, who when wanting to get out of a conversation simply says, this conversation is boring and walks away. Im sorry but, witches rule!

 Ever notice how many women get possessed compared to men? Evil sure has and it has some thoughts.
Brave. Photo: Tim & Dee TV

After false reports of her signing with an agent, the Hawk Tuah girl really does have a Hollywood team now. And shes already putting them to work.

Spitting on the rumors

June 26, 2024: If you were excited to read Hawk Tuah: My Wet and Wild Life, you might have to keep waiting. Contrary to reports, Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch has not signed with a Hollywood agent off one viral drunken comment. Welch made online rounds last week for her  animated  answer when asked for a move that makes a man go crazy every time in a video on Nashvilles Lower Broadway. Oh, you gotta give him that hawk tuah! and spit on that thing, Welch said  miming it, too, as if she werent vivid enough.

Welch has been quick to capitalize on her moment, collaborating with her interviewers, Tim and Dee TV, on a line of merch. (Side note: Shouldnt it be hock tuah? Like you hock a loogie? Anyway.) Even so, many were surprised when Page Six reported that Welch had signed with a literary agent at UTA known for working with Cat Marnell and Donald Trump. But TMZ quickly spit on those rumors, reporting that Welchs signing was overblown, and Page Six since corrected their story to simply say agencies are eyeing her. So no, theyre not representing just anybody yet  though TMZ also left the possibility open that someone else could sign Welch in the future. Sorry to everybody who still cant get an agent to read their script.

Howd she manage that?

July 10, 2024: Aaand that was quick. Days after false reports of her signing, Hawk Tuah girl Haliey Welch now does have representation. Welch signed with the Penthouse for management, per the Hollywood Reporter. Isnt God great?! Cant wait for whats ahead, Welch said in a statement. Gotta say, we hadnt pegged her as a woman of God given what she went viral for, but the world continues to be full of surprises! At least shes already putting her new management to work, cashing in on her first appearance. TMZ reported Welch judged a bikini contest at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, on July 7, and got $30,000 for the job. Now thats nothing to spit on.

Correction, July 11: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of the Hawk Tuah girls name. It is Haliey, not Hailey, per her new publicist.
Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images

While appearing in front of a congressional committee to urge lawmakers to enhance child-welfare protections, Paris Hilton opened up about her experience being institutionalized as a teenager. These programs promised healing, growth, and support, but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely, or even look out a window for two years, she testified on Wednesday. I was force-fed medications and sexually abused by the staff. I was violently restrained and dragged down hallways, stripped naked, and thrown into solitary confinement. Hilton said she was ripped from her bed and taken to the first of four facilities at age 16. Hilton has previously alleged that she was emotionally, verbally, and physically abused by staff at Provo Canyon School, a Utah-based boarding school and psychiatric treatment center where she once spent 11 months. (Provo said it did not condone any form of abuse and noted that its ownership had changed in 2000, which was after she left.)

Hilton has been a vocal critic of such facilities, suggesting that they belong to an industry that is more about profit than about the so-called troubled youth they are supposed to help. She told Congress that her parents, Rick and Kathy Hilton, were deceived and manipulated about inhumane treatment she was allegedly subjected to, and expressed concern that foster children and adoptees who dont have people regularly checking in on them are in an even worse predicament. Ultimately, Hilton called for lawmakers to authorize legislation (including the now-expired Title IV-B of the Social Security Act and the proposed Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act) to do more to keep children from being put in these facilities in the first place. Near the end of her testimony, she directly addressed kids who are still in the system. I see you, I believe you, I know what youre going through, and I wont give up on you, she said. You are important, and your future is important, and you deserve every opportunity to be safe and supported.

@cspanofficial Paris Hilton appeared Wednesday before a congressional committee to testify on improving child welfare programs. The treatment these kids have had to endure is criminal, Ms. Hilton, a child welfare advocate, told the House Ways and Means Committee. I am here to be the voice for the children whose voices cant be heard  I will not stop until Americas youth is safe. She spoke directly to those in the system, saying, I see you, I believe you, I know what youre going through, and I wont give up on you. In 2020, Ms. Hilton said she experienced sexual, physical and mental abuse at Provo Canyon School, a youth residential treatment facility that her parents sent her to as a child. She urged Congress to reauthorize Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, a child welfare act that expired in 2021, and said it was important to invest in kinship care, which emphasizes placing kids with family or adults who know them. A lot of these things that are happening to these children are because they dont have the funds, she said. Sometimes their families cant afford to take care of them, and its heartbreaking that because of that reason, theyll be taken away, locked into these facilities and be abused. #parishilton #childwelfare #houseofrepresentatives #congress #cspan  original sound - C-SPAN
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Everett Collection (20th Century Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal)

If there is one thing thats more maligned than an unnecessary sequel, it is an unnecessary prequel! Horror (and DTV action, tbh) is the genre most likely to keep stacking up movie after movie, even after many might declare the well arid and dry. But if you arent a total hater, there are many delights to be found in the prequel bin.

First, though, is a bit of explanation about what you wont find here: namely, Pearl or any of the Fear Street movies. Fear Street is a story told going further back in history with each chapter, so 1978 and 1666 are just the deliberate progression of the narrative and not backfilling details seemingly for the sake of it. In a similar spirit, Pearl is the middle entry in a trilogy that feels like the complete progression of a closed story. All three parts of Ti Wests Mia Goth trilogy also exist in distinct genres, going from slasher (X) to violent period semi-exploitation womens picture (Pearl) to crime thriller (MaXXXine). So, putting high-concept concept character pieces alongside things like the eighth movie in a 70s slasher franchise that just wont die doesnt quite feel fair to the rest of the prequel pack.

With all that in mind! Here are Vultures picks for 12 horror prequels that are either better than you thought, or better than they needed to be, or are just crazy enough to have a blast with on a Friday night.

The First Omen (2024)

Check out the 2020s giving us high-quality origin stories nobody asked for! The Omen is one of those horror classics thats not quite The Exorcist or Psycho, but its still a pillar of the community. Damien is a hall-of-fame creepy kid, and that lady shouting Its all for you! before plummeting to her death is an all time scary movie scene. Gregory Peck is there. Its directed by Richard Donner. Great stuff. Then, as so many great horror movies do, it became an also-ran franchise  but a modest one with just four installments (not including a few halfhearted reboots attempts)  and it was left alone until 2024. Then we got The First Omen, which, on the heels of the nothingness that was Exorcist: The Beginning, felt like it was going to keep clobbering us over the head with more toothless revamped religious frights.

Incorrect! Director Arkasha Stevenson and star Nell Tiger Free came together for a grab-you-by-the-throat prequel that, yes, feels uncannily reminiscent of another movie from the same year, Immaculate, but when good Catholic horror actually comes around, why not double down? First Omen is mean and occasionally ghastly, and its more interested in invoking Zulawskis Possession than it is watering things down to entice a broader audience. Its hard to honor an iconic original while doing your own thing, but First Omen manages it.

Saw X (2023)

The tenth Saw movie really pulled something off. Despite diminishing returns in the franchise from about number seven onward and a big hiatus during the 2010s  which was followed by a lame reboot  Saw X said Jigsaw isnt done yet! And it was right. Weve already covered how prequels are generally superfluous, but its the exciting exception were here to honor. And after so many, many movies that worked to build out John Kramers inconceivably vast empire of sadistic social justice warriors, finally getting to see how the guy turned into a dark angel of vengeance feels so right.

Right now youre thinking Oh, but we already knew John Kramer had cancer and was radicalized by a broken healthcare system. And there, youd only be half right. Kramer was radicalized by bad doctors but not just the ones in America. Turns out there was an entire experimental clinic run by evil Norwegians that really lit the rage fire under Johns ass, and X is the only Saw movie to date that makes him the central protagonist for the entire story. If there is one way to truly make an origin story feel earned, its having a side character thats actually the main character for eight movies over the course of 20 years finally getting his story told in full.

Orphan: First Kill (2023)

This one is it, gang. The entire Mt. Rushmore of horror prequels all rolled into one movie. The prequel is, almost by definition, an extraneous format. You dont need to establish how we got somewhere if we already went there and did all these things. Therefore, the prequel is fluff. Its dessert. Its second dessert, even less necessary than the dessert before it! So its almost always true that for a prequel to justify itself, it has to go crazy. (An exception being The First Purge, which genuinely feels like a meaningful contribution to the Purge-verse.) And no prequel goes crazier than Orphan: First Kill.

Original Orphan was wild enough with that reveal ending, which made the announcement of a prequel feel totally bizarre, cause once you know the twist then what are we even here for? The answer is: Julia Stiles and backward-aged Isabelle Fuhrman, who reprised her role as the titular orphan  which she originated at 10 years old  a decade after the first movie, but her character is even younger. For those keeping score at home, that means Fuhrman at about 20 is playing someone presenting younger than 10.

The conceit alone was bonkers, and the in-camera trickery that the film pulled off to have Fuhrman practically playing a girl believably eight or nine was amazing. No assistive AI here! But even with that in mind, First Kills true revelation is Stiles playing an ice cold socialite (kind of?) grieving the loss of a daughter and just not quite able to be relieved after that daughter is discovered alone on a playground in Russia and returned home, years after her disappearance. Both actresses kick it into full throttle once buried truths are revealed, and Stiles frankly gives the performance of a lifetime off the entirely under-discussed Fuhrman. Shes ferocious, acerbic, bitchy, and hilarious, just like First Kill itself. This movie turns the prequel into an art form that becomes more than entertaining; it becomes essential.

The First Purge (2018)

Full stop: The First Purge rules. The Purge franchise rules, and even though the movies had been steadily building out lore since the first one debuted in 2013, breaking it all open with First Purge was such a satisfying contribution to the canon. An asset of this saga has always been the heart-on-its-sleeve ham-fisted nature of the messaging. These movies turned out to have chilling a prescience about them as to what happens when you let a rampant national gun obsession and the seeds of authoritarianism laced with religious zealotry spread into an unstoppable wildfire, and the American landscape felt like it had finally, officially (unfortunately!) caught up to the franchise with the arrival of President Trump and The First Purge shortly thereafter.

Taking the night of national catharsis back to where it all began  in a predominantly black area of New York  and officially revealing it for the culling of poor, infirm, and non-white people that Purge Night demonstrated itself to be over the first three movies felt like a confirmation of anything that was implied but not yet stated outright in the franchise.The action was a franchise-best. The ensemble was perfectly cast, (Ylan Noel not becoming the next minted Marvel superstar after is a crime!) and the fact that the movie ends on a note of hope makes the rest of the Purge movies feel even darker than they did before, as the bloodshed just keeps going and going till we are purging Forever. If theres a Most Necessary Prequel, its The First Purge.

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

The first Ouija movie was a real snooze, and much like the Annabelle Creation situation (see below), the potential franchise needed a sure-handed director to come in and perform a resurrection if any more juice was going to be squeezed out of the property. Enter a filmmaker who, at the time, had been making excellent small-budget horror like Oculus and Hush, and who was poised to become one of the biggest names in genre  whether it was film or TV. Mike Flanagan turned out a movie that basically erased Ouija from the record, and it was, in classic Flana-fashion, an affecting story of family and loss and the ties that bind us and children giving great performances in horror movies. Because if you cant get Mike Flanagan, get Lulu Wilson. Lulu Wilson could also save your franchise.

Annabelle: Creation (2014)

Perhaps the most rare category of prequels is Franchise Savers. Annabelle was clearly made with franchise designs in mind, since it was already an extended universe movie off of The Conjurings closet of horrors. But Annabelle was also pretty lackluster, and if New Line wanted to keep this gravy train running it needed to do some triage with the follow up. Insert director David F. Sandberg, who was coming off the very successful Lights Out, and see if he can put some juice in your spooky doll movie. Spoiler: He did it! Creation is just a fun, good house of horrors movie with excellent child actors who finally imbue the evil vessel with all the menace she was meant to have. Its not that deep! Creation just works. It piles on the jump scares, and clears the way for Annabelle Comes Home after, which is also better than the original movie. Way to save this one, team.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

FD 5 is true prequel innovation. After three sequels of entertaining lather, rinse, repeat on the original premise of trying and failing to cheat Deaths game, Final 5 starts off like the rest. A terrifying premonition of mass death that catalyzes a group of friends to realize they escaped fate and now have to outrun its swinging scythe, and then they all die anyway in wildly elaborate scenes of freakish happenstance that do things like scare an entire generation away from driving behind log trucks for the rest of their lives. Final Destination 5 follows the formula by satisfying your desire to see people perish in incomprehensible situations, but then in the very final run it unveils itself as the beginning of it all!

Normally, prequels are out there flying their origin story flags to bring back the franchise fans and capitalize on SEO. But not FD 5! This is a secret prequel with a strong ensemble cast that really delivers on the payoff. It even has a tie-in music video where one of its stars, Miles Fisher (a.k.a. the guy who does uncanny Tom Cruise deep fakes), performs his catchy bop New Romance as Zack Morris in Bayside High with the FD 5 main cast on hand and people getting Final Destinationd to death the entire time. Five stars!

Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)

The thing about the Paranormal Activity franchise is it is extremely franchise friendly. Low budget; plays on very routine and visceral fears about being killed in your home; doesnt require any kind of acting on ensemble for marketing. Its a sequel-making dream. And it also has the distinction of the second and third movies both being prequels, but for our purposes here, were going to lobby for Paranormal Activity 3. This is the one that goes back almost 20 years before the events of the first film to give the backstory of our original protagonist, Katie. (The boyfriend in the first Paranormal is unquestionably the films primary antagonist  gaslighting bastard!) Paranormal Activity (2007) touched on a dark presence that has been with Katie since she was a little girl, which seems to have resurfaced in her life now as an adult, so Paranormal 3 shows us how it all began with her imaginary friend. This movie is just straight up terrifying. Great stuff. Found footage at its best.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

With all due respect to Kate Beckinsale  actor, action star, impeccable Instagram presence  Rise of the Lycans is actually the Underworld franchise at its very best. Beckinsale could put on the pleather a dozen times as Selene and it would probably always be worth the time to watch her look cool and shoot guns and flash the fangs, but Rise of the Lycans makes you wish there could have been a parallel franchise put on the shoulders of its star Rhona Mitra, who should have been carrying at least three ongoing blue collar action franchises by now.

Theres also something about this movie, tucked between Underworld: Evolution and Underworld: Endless War, that feels like the series as it was meant to be. Without the flashier Beckinsale out front, theres a more muscular, DTV fantasy vibe to the movie in Lycans, which is really what Underworld is at its core. These movies feel like Michelle Rodriguez. They feel like Kristanna Loken. They feel like  Rhona Mitra, and that is said with the highest praise. And clearly, the proof is in the pudding, with this prequel generating the second highest Rotten Tomatoes score of the franchise at a gleaming 29 percent! Michael Sheens werewolf Lucian also gets the featured placement he deserves, and of course is just going all out for the role. The prequel gods were looking out for us on this one.

Vacancy 2: The First Cut (2008)

Vacancy is one of those under-rated titles where those whove seen it know its a treasure of 2000s horror, but it didnt become a cultural touchpoint the way its kind of spiritual companion from that same year, The Strangers, did. Because you were home, was the ultimate ethos of an era defined by senseless mutilation in horror  encapsulated into a single pithy line  and that was basically the thesis of Vacancy, too. Sorry, gang, but you were just unlucky enough to stop at this terror motel. But even lesser known than Vacancy is the prequel that would follow just one year later, Vacancy: The First Cut.

Is this movie generally unlikable people making poor choices? Its a slasher from the aughts, so yes, but it also features one of the sneakily best final girl turns of the decade. There are notes of Sharni Vinsons iconic Youre Next heroine in Agnes Bruckners lead character, and after seeing her sufficiently terrorized, its a thrill to watch her start uncorking on some villains. In addition to Vinson, Bruckner is giving a little bit of Sophia Bush in The Hitcher for First Cut, and thats basically like saying she should be given a gold medal.

Amityville II: The Possession (1992)

If you simply must make a prequel for reasons of either ruthless capitalism or strange blind passion  but you dont have a good movie to make  then at least go bug-fuck crazy with the time youve got. And ending up with a franchise entry that fans can refer back to as the incest one is a cracking way to go. The Montelli family is just a bunch of ordinary Americans. A mom, a dad, their two little kids, and their oldest daughter with her husb  oh, no. Wait. Sorry. That young man furtively touching the eldest daughter is not her husband! It is, despite all appearances to the contrary, her older brother! But dont gaslight yourself. If you hit play on Amityville II and start worrying that its just you and youre weirdly projecting a sexual relationship onto the two grown Montelli children when they couldnt possibly be involved like that, we assure you they can. And they will. Just give it time!

The Possession is flat out bonkers, which makes it a top prequel, and a very suitable entry in a loooooong-running franchise that only exists to be bananas at this point. There are more than 20 of these movies, including Amityville Dollhouse and Amityville: Its About Time, which is literally about an evil clock. Possession tells the story of the original sin murders committed in the infamous house that will eventually be bought by the Lutz family, but first you have to go through some brother fucking and demonic invasion.

Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990)

We can hear your skepticism coming through on this one, but you are wrong! Psycho IV is actually a worthwhile extension of the overly stretched story of Norman Bates, because it gives him closure while filling out the backstory of an iconic film character whose psychology is so tangled that he actually kind of deserves the chance to tell his own story. Which is exactly what he does! Quite literally! First of all, more movies should be structured around a talk-radio show. Watching CCH Pounder as Talk of the Town host Fran Ambrose  chain smoking on the mic in a blue room  is a kind of cinema gold. (Its also all the proof of concept we need that she should have her own podcast now.) Fran is doing an episode on matricidal killers, and Normal calls in under the pseudonym Ed to give some insight on the crime he feels the episode lacks. This leads to him, while making an anniversary dinner for his wife, explaining in detail why he became a mother killer and what it was like growing up in the Oedipally charged iron grip of Norma Bates.

The dinner prep and talk radio constructs coming together is almost whimsical, and Anthony Perkins is giving genuine pathos as he recounts the traumas that lead him to become a serial killer and mom murderer. Fran genuinely wants him to feel heard, and to stop him from killing again, and it all makes for a dynamic that is  sincerely heartfelt? Not to excuse a guy who has a massive trail of womens bodies behind him, but theres always been a tragedy about Norman, so you really find yourself rooting for him in this talk therapy session that is filled with past murders. Henry Thomas turns out to be perfect as a young Norman stand-in for Perkins, and Olivia Hussey as his mother is simply feasting on the role.

The whole movie would be worth it for her alone, but another, deeper quality to The Beginning is how the film fits within Perkinss life just a few years before his death from AIDS. Is that a heavy burden to throw on Psycho IV when the actor was largely relegated to paycheck roles? Perhaps. But the context of Norman Bates as a formative figure in queer horror making a parallel to the life of the closeted gay actor who played him makes this movie feel more substantial. Norman was a man living under a suffocating veil of secrecy who was so mutated by sexual repression that he became a monster, and the reveal later of Perkinss own queerness has since informed consideration of the role as a coded performance filled with hidden meaning.

The Beginning is the first time we get to see Norman being honest about his true self in full, grappling with the agony of whats locked away deep inside himself and how it has destroyed everyone around him. Perkins was sexually abused by his own mother, reportedly sought psychological treatment to fix his homosexuality, and didnt disclose his AIDS diagnosis until just weeks before his death  which came after a tabloid reported it first. Its somehow satisfying, knowing all this, to watch Norman declare himself publicly and finally purge whats eaten him alive from the inside for so long. Perkins never got to do the same, but the character that defined him in the public eye finally got to burn all the trauma that had trapped him to the ground. Again, is this Psycho IV?! Sure. But horror is funny that way. It can be everything or nothing depending on how you read it, just a good time with a slasher or a metaphor for our deepest, most soul-breaking societal fears. And Psycho IV can be both if you want it to.
Maximum dog weight on flights rises by 2 kg.

There is good news for people who wish to travel with their dogs in Italy as ITA Airways raises its weight limit for pets from 8 kg to 10 kg on domestic flights.

Under the new rules, effective from 20 June, medium-sized dogs weighing up to 10 kg (in addition to a 2 kg carrier) can travel in the cabin.

The move, subject to certain conditions, was authorised by Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC in a derogation of European Union regulations whose weight limit is 8 kg.

Pets must be kept in an "appropriate soft-sided, semi-rigid or rigid carrier" - according to the ITA Airways website - which must be "properly ventilated and kept closed for the duration of the flight so that the pet cannot get out, even partially".

Il compagno di viaggio perfetto non esist

Su tutti i voli nazionali il peso consentito aumenta da 8 a 10 Kg (12 Kg compreso il trasportino). Cosi anche un animale piu grande potra viaggiare in cabina insieme a te

Scopri di piu: https://t.co/7M86kKwioV#ITAAirways pic.twitter.com/jyrbsgPEb6  ITA Airways (@ITAAirways) June 27, 2024

The pet carrier must be within the following dimensions - 24 cm high, 40 cm long and 30 cm wide - and must be well ventilated, waterproof and resistant, allowing the animal "to sit, turn and lie down comfortably".

There is an additional charge of 73 for the new service, with ITA Airways pointing out that for all flights outside Italy the maximum weight for pets remains 8 kg.

Up to five animals of the same species are allowed to travel in the carrier, provided their total maximum weight is not more than 10 kg.

ENAC said it was willing to evaluate any similar requests from other airlines to raise the weight limit of pets in the cabin to 10kg, reports Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper.

Last month Trenitalia announced that dogs can travel with their owners free of charge on Italy's Frecce and Intercity long-distance trains this summer.

The initiative, in place until 15 September, is part of efforts to reduce the phenomenon of people abandoning their pets as they head off on summer holidays.
City to upgrade toilets for Jubilee Year 2025.

Rome has unveiled plans to renovate more than 100 public toilets, many of which are in a poor state or closed, tackling a problem faced by tourists and residents for years.

The capital is undertaking the 3 million renovation project ahead of the Jubilee Year 2025 when millions of extra visitors are set to arrive in the Eternal City.

The city will have to face an extraordinary influx of tourists and pilgrims" - stated Rome's mayor Roberto Gualtieri - "who we will have to assist in their most immediate needs, starting with a widespread, efficient and clean network of public toilets."

Al via la ristrutturazione di oltre 120 bagni pubblici in gestione a Roma Capitale nei punti strategici della citta.



Si interverra per far fronte al flusso straordinario di turisti e pellegrini in arrivo con il prossimo Giubileo.



Info https://t.co/1g0jp0V2IX pic.twitter.com/OgJCrW8MLW  Roma (@Roma) June 24, 2024

There are various sets of public toilets in Rome, including the largely abandoned self-cleaning facilities introduced for Jubilee 2000 and the modern P.Stop variety.

The toilets set for an upgrade however are the ones located in parks and in busy tourist areas including around the Vatican and the Colosseum.

Under the renovation plan, the city will install new sanitary facilities and automated doors, with plans to create an app for tourists to locate the nearest public toilets.

Visitors who wish to spend a penny will be able to pay for the toilet service with coins or by card.
Dining chat: A waiter gave our anniversary bubbly to the table next to us. What should we have done?
Members of a dancing club in County Waterford will be travelling to the UK this weekend to renew ties with their counterparts in Liverpool.

The Sliabh gCua Set Dancing Club in Touraneena, has a big weekend ahead of it when its members go over June 28 to 30 to meet up with their friends in the Irish Centre in Liverpool.

The members will be travelling over to participate in a biennial trip organised between the club and the centre.

However, the forthcoming trip will also mark a welcome return to the initiative as the trips were on hold since the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the club commented: "This weekend, not only will there be a great weekend of Irish song, music and dance, but a great reunion for old friends with many new memories being made."
Readers of this piece will be delighted to learn that we are committed to world peace, ending world famine and draining the River Shannon. The chances of achieving these goals without action by national governments is minuscule.

So when you hear the word commitment or its cousin appraisal being bandied about by government about anything in Waterford, a large dose of cynicism is required.

Minister Mary Butler is committed to delivering a new 50-bed Adult Mental Health Unit at UHW. Sure why not. Its easy to go on WLR and announce something even if it is light years away.

With Fianna Fail on 15% of the votes here, they must be hoping that a great collective amnesia will sweep over this constituency before the next poll.

Ms Butler seems to believe she need provide no explanation or clarification when her announcements fail to materialise.

When promised site huts being in position, recruitment for cardiology being imminent, Sunday opening of the Cath labs to start, construction work to start next month (what month might that be?) on a vital extension to the UHW pathology lab etc., fail to materialise, say nothing. A hub for children to be built at St Otterans is at appraisal (a worse word than commitment) stage on the HSE Capital Plan for 10 years. No problem.

2023 was the year in which zero funding was provided by the HSE for any capital building project at UHW.

A grotesquely irresponsible failure in light of new evidence that stroke facilities (among other specialties) at UHW (1,000 patients per annum in a tiny two-bedroom unit) are completely deficient.

Many UHW projects are at the appraisal stage. But never fear, Ms Butler told Damien Tiernan on June 7, 2023, that she has huge input into the HSE Capital Plan and is constantly working on that plan all year round and that the new Mental Health Unit (no planning, no tender) would commence in 2024.

Has anything started at UHW, have staff been recruited for seven-day cardiology? Her senior minister Stephen Donnelly is a Fianna Fail colleague. He also came here on the puff train with promises. If he stopped Ms Butler working on the Capital Plan and let someone else at it, might we see some construction action at UHW?

Three months ago on March 20, Ms Butler was again on with Damien Tiernan saying she had broken her back working on moving to seven-day week cardiology and that Stephen Donnelly had given her a letter providing for 19.5 staff at UHW for this service. In the meantime, nothing! Maybe Ms Butler is working too hard?

John Cummins and our Taoiseach, Mr Harris, are committed to a new engineering building at SETU. Didnt we give ye a new courthouse, a new fire station, a new flood relief scheme? Why arent ye happy?

Fine Gael is so committed that the engineering building has been on the go since 2009, with a 2.9 million site sitting idle on the Cork Road for 15 years. But hey, who cares about third level education in this region anyway? Is the object of the exercise political satisfaction for Fine Gael in Carlow/ Kilkenny/ Wexford, not regional academic excellence?

Mr Cummins is pursuing the matter and told Damien Tiernan on WLR on April 9 last that the matter was a priority with government and he had been in contact with Paschal Donohoe about the project. Dr Ray Griffin of SETU was interviewed afterwards. In his opinion, Simon Harris as Minister for Further Education had given SETU Waterford nothing (except the glass site), the treatment of WIT/ SETU, which was always a university, had been horrible to watch!

WIT/SETU has planning permission for the proposed new Engineering Building since 2019. That permission expires on December 17, 2024. This (Irish Legal Blog) suggests that permission may be extended under certain conditions.

One extension only is allowed, it must be applied for in the last year of existing permission, the planning authority must be satisfied that the development commenced before the expiry date, that substantial works are completed and that the development would be completed within a short period of time.

None of those conditions have been fulfilled, so its now or never.

Mr Harris told WLR on March 22, 2024, that Waterford had been let down over the engineering building project. Work was to commence in early 2022 and be open in 2025.

I am not going to hide, says Harris, It is long overdue for the people of Waterford. Any stir out on the Cork Road three months later, of this 15-year-old priority project? Still at appraisal stage perhaps?

Marc O Cathasaigh and local Greens were committed to Waterford Airport. We see how that is panning out. The local Greens have been decimated and Eamon Ryan is on the bike home having appraised our little airport for months.

National political leadership believe we are thick down here and vote for people like sheeple. Thats why we currently have no Fine Gael TD. We got sick of the hind teat. If Mr O Cathasaigh loses his seat in the next general election, for so it looks, he might remember that all politics are local.

At the next general election seats will be lost and others not achieved.

Those in the present government group who fail to be elected will quickly highlight negative anti-government comment here and elsewhere. Blame will be spread everywhere except on the political parties who have spent billions over the past five years while investing very little in the physical expansion of SETU or UHW.

The resulting visible, palpable damage to this city has been enormous. This is where the blame lies, in the chronic willingness of our government representatives to accept non-delivery, while idolising Micheal Martin or Simon Harris and prostrating themselves before the great party edifice.

Powerful ministers in the present government have looted the state's capital budget for their own political ends. There is no apolitical delivery.

Those who believe that the development of our North Quays is an adequate return for five years in government reinforce the notion that Waterford, as a regional city, is not entitled to the same level of investment as its peers. That cannot be right.
Alarmed universities say only half the visas of their enrolled international students have been processed with just weeks until semester two, in what some institutions believe is more evidence of the government suppressing foreign arrivals due to a political fight over migration.

The delays, which are mainly being felt by second-tier universities, follow the turmoil before semester one when Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil ordered the department to prioritise visa applications for top providers, a move the sector estimated cost it hundreds of millions of dollars.

The government has introduced legislation, due to come into force in January next year, that will cap foreign student numbers in a bid to halve net overseas migration by next July from 528,000 in 2022-23.

In the year to May, about one in five prospective students had their visa applications refused. Credit: Marija Ercegovac

Professor Sarah Todd, vice president of Griffith Universitys international intake, said it was hard to think its not a deliberate act by the government to delay visa processing for students.
Armoured vehicles rammed the doors of Bolivias government palace on Wednesday (local time) in an apparent coup attempt, but President Luis Arce vowed to stand firm and named a new army commander who ordered troops to stand down.

Soon the soldiers pulled back, along with a line of military vehicles, as hundreds of Arces supporters rushed the square outside the palace, waving Bolivian flags, singing the national anthem and cheering.

Arce, surrounded by ministers, waved at the crowd. Thank you to the Bolivian people, he said. Let democracy live on.

Hours later, the Bolivian general who appeared to be behind the rebellion, Juan Jose Zuniga, was arrested after the attorney general opened an investigation. It wasnt immediately clear what the charges were against him.
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Ireland West Airport Knock has paid tribute to John Dillon following his recent passing.

John, who was one of the original founding board members of Ireland West Airport Knock, held the distinction of being the airport's longest-serving board member and was a passenger on the first flight into Knock. He also held the title of Airport secretary when the facility officially opened in 1986.

The statement said: "All at Ireland West Airport are saddened to learn of the passing of former Board and Trust member, John Dillon.

"John was a respected and renowned businessman in his own right, operating the very successful family travel business in Ballyhaunis, John Dillon & Sons, originally established by his grandfather to accommodate the Irish who were emigrating and seeking tickets for the transatlantic boat which came into port in Galway.

"He was passionate about travel and unwavering in his dedication to progress the Airport during his 24-year tenure. Johns experience and expertise in the travel industry were key to developing the Airports charter business, which saw significant growth from 2002 onwards  the results of which are now enjoyed by the thousands of passengers who use the Airport today.

"In recent years, John with his family continued to travel and use the Airport on many occasions and was clearly proud of what has been achieved over the decades since his endeavours in developing it from the 1980s with Monsignor Horan. He always had a smile, a laugh and a word of advice for staff when passing through."

Paying tribute to John Dillon, Arthur French, Chairman of Ireland West Airport, added: Today is a sad day for the Dillon family, his many friends, neighbours and the wider community as we learned of Johns unexpected passing. On behalf of the Airport, we offer our sincere condolences and prayers to his wife Cait, daughters Sheila, Joanne and Barbara, son Tom and family at this time. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.
COMMUNITY NOTES: BALLINA - WESTERN PEOPLE (JUNE 25 EDITION)

Sixth-class pupils of The Quay National School, Ballina recently presented a cheque for 2,000 to Daisy Lodge, a charity which caters for the needs of children diagnosed with cancer.

The aim of the charity is to empower, connect and strengthen families so that they feel equipped to deal with whatever cancer throws at them.

The Quay National School also donated 300 each to the Laura Lynn Childrens Hospice and Childrens Health Ireland.
Ballina's Quay National School paid tribute to a retiring staff member this month.

Deputy Principal Anne Treacy, who worked at the school for 38 years, received a presentation as she said her goodbyes.

The school said there were "countless tributes to Ms Treacy and the positive impact she had on so many pupils and staff members."
John Dillon, one of the original founding board members of Ireland West Airport Knock, has passed away.

The late Ballyhaunis native, who held the distinction of being the airport's longest-serving board member, was a passenger on the first flight into Knock in 1986 and held the role of secretary when the airport first opened.

He will be missed by his loving wife Cait, daughters Sheila, Joanne and Barbara, and son Tom.

John will repose at Donnellans Funeral Home, Clare Street, Ballyhaunis on Saturday evening from 5pm until 7pm.

The funeral will arrive at St. Patricks Church, Ballyhaunis on Monday morning for Funeral Mass at 11am. Burial afterwards in the local cemetery.

Funeral Mass can be viewed live on Ballyhaunis Parish webcam or listened to on Ballyhaunis Parish Radio.
The Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival, presented by Heartland Film, has announced the selection of Irish short film "Scriofa sna Realtai" (WRITTEN IN THE STARS) as an Official Selection for the 2024 festival. This prestigious recognition means that the film is eligible for the Grand Prize in its respective category, a coveted honour that could lead to Oscar qualification.

The 7th Annual Indy Shorts International Film Festival will take place July 23-28 in Indianapolis, Indiana. As the largest shorts festival in the Midwest, Indy Shorts has established itself as a premier platform for showcasing the best in short filmmaking from around the world.

"Scriofa sna Realtai," produced by Sin E Films, tells the inspiring story of Sean, a 9-year-old neurodivergent boy who is determined to make it to centre stage despite the challenges he faces. With unyielding passion and perseverance, Sean pours his heart and soul into his craft, overcoming obstacles and doubts to secure the lead role in a local play. As he delves into his character, Sean faces new challenges and must confront his self-doubt. Will he be able to overcome his struggles and shine on stage, or will self-doubt creep in and threaten his aspirations? This heartwarming film is a testament to the power of resilience and determination.

Shot on location in Conamara, Co Galway, "Scriofa sna Realtai" features performances from Ruarc O Confhaola, Lochlann O Mearain, Tara Breathnach, and Grace Ridge. Directed by Vincent Gallagher, an IFTA award director, produced by Sinead Ni Loideain, and written by Sean Keeley, with Tomas Mac Donnacha serving as Director of Photography.

The film was commissioned by TG4 as part of the Eurovision Children's Drama Series initiative from the European Broadcasting Union. It will screen on TG4, Cula 4 in the near future.

Maire Ui Choisdealbha, Commissioning Editor of TG4, expressed her pride in the film's achievement: TG4 is immensely proud to see 'Scriofa sna Realtai' receive such esteemed recognition at the 2024 Indy Shorts International Film Festival. This selection underscores the incredible talent and dedication of everyone involved in this project. The story of Sean is a powerful testament to resilience and determination, capturing the essence of what it means to overcome challenges. We are honoured to have been a part of bringing this inspiring tale to life and look forward to sharing it with audiences worldwide.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mainly clear and diminishing winds; areas of frost, and a view of the Northern Lights may be visible..

Tonight

Mainly clear and diminishing winds; areas of frost, and a view of the Northern Lights may be visible.
Weather Alert

Bulletin: ...FROST ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 AM TO 9 AM EDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures as low as 33 degrees will result in frost formation. * WHERE...A portion of central Pennsylvania. * WHEN...From 2 AM to 9 AM EDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants and vegetation from the cold. Potted plants should be brought inside. The frost will occur mainly in valley locations. &&

Info:

Type: Frost Advisory

start_time_local: 2024-10-11T02:00:00-04:00

end_time_local: 2024-10-11T09:00:00-04:00

county_name:

state: PA

headline: Frost Advisory from FRI 2:00 AM EDT until FRI 9:00 AM EDT

county_fips:

category: Met

url:

urgency: Expected

severity: Minor

certainty: Likely

geographicname: Schuylkill County

state_name: Pennsylvania
Kenya protests: Gen Z shows the power of digital activism

Kenyan activism is witnessing a shift from ethnic-based mobilisation to issue-based activism.

Nationwide demonstrations have erupted in Kenya over a controversial tax bill. The Finance Bill 2024, initially presented to parliament in May, has sparked discontent with an increase in an array of taxes and levies for Kenyans.

The mass protests, initially organised in the capital city, Nairobi, have spread across the country. Demonstrations have taken place in almost every city and major town. Digital media and activism expert Job Mwaura shares his insights into how the protests were mobilised on online, and then onto the streets.

How are Kenyans using the digital space in this movement?

This is a powerful moment for digital activism. The protests have seen significant participation from young Kenyans who are using digital media to organise and voice their opposition. A great number of those driving the protests are Generation Z (often referred to as Gen Z)  individuals born roughly between the late 1990s and early 2010s and characterised by digital prowess and social consciousness. They have created this organic, grassroots movement which has used platforms, like social media, to mobilise and coordinate efforts quickly.

Through my work Ive documented how essential digital media has been in political participation in Kenya in the past decade, particularly among the marginalised communities such as the young people and and women.

In the current protests, we are seeing just how innovative activists can be when using digital media. The digital tools and strategies employed today are taking activism to an entirely new level. They showcase a sophistication and reach that wouldve been hard to imagine.

They have deployed a number of old, and new, strategies.

Among the new has been Artifical Intelligence (AI) which has been used to create images, songs and videos that amplify the movements messages and reach a wider audience.

AI was also used to help educate wider audiences on the bill. Developers, for instance, created specialised GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models designed to answer questions on the finance bill.

Platforms, like Tiktok and X are being used to share videos of people explaining the finance bill in various Kenyan dialects.

Hashtags  such as #OccupyParliament and #RejectFinanceBill2024  trended on social media platforms for several days, further highlighting the power of digital activism in mobilising support and maintaining the momentum of the protests.

And then there has been very successful crowdfunding through digital platforms. This has enabled supporters to send money for transportation, allowing more people to join the protests in Nairobis central business district.

Another has been the use of hacking of government websites, disrupting services and drawing attention to their cause.

Personal information, such as the phone numbers of political leaders, were leaked to allow protesters to spam them with SMS and WhatsApp messages. This forced the office of the data protection commissioner to issue a statement warning them to stop.

Activists have also created a website featuring a wall of shame that lists politicians who support the Finance Bill. This helped the protestors increase pressure on parliamentarians to potentially change their stance. Some constituents are taking steps to recall their MPs.

What stands out for you?

That these protests are organic and that young people are playing a pivotal role. They have long felt dejected and neglected by the government. This widespread sense of disenfranchisement among them was a ticking time bomb, and it has finally exploded into fervent activism.

Unlike previous protests, these demonstrations emerged spontaneously from the grassroots. This shift underscores a significant transition in Kenyan politics. We are witnessing a shift from ethnic-based mobilisation to issue-based activism. People arent coming together based on their tribe. They are uniting to fight for specific issues that affect their daily lives, such as economic policies, government accountability and social justice.

This new form of activism reflects a growing political maturity among Kenyans, who are prioritising shared concerns over ethnic divisions. It sets a new precedent for addressing social and political issues in the country.

What has also stood out is how digital activism has driven nationwide physical protests. Young people have moved off their screens and onto the streets, forcing leaders to listen and even make amendments to the finance bill before it was passed. This shows how online efforts can translate into real-world changes. It demonstrates the power and effectiveness of digital activism in shaping political discourse and policy.

Digital activism provides a powerful platform for diverse voices to be heard, catalysing change. Its enabled fast mobilisation of support, bridged gaps between diverse groups, and it has brought attention to pressing issues in real-time.

For many years, digital media activism has been labelled as slacktivism, a term that refers to minimal effort activities like liking, sharing, or commenting online that are perceived as having little real-world impact.

However, these recent events show that political leaders can succumb to online pressure. They demonstrate that even small changes initiated online can lead to substantial outcomes.

Are there any drawbacks in this using the digital space for activism?

Digital media is vulnerable to government censorship and interference.

During recent protests in Kenya, there were suspected signs of the internet being slowed down, resulting in increased buffering, lags in downloading files, and disruptions to services on certain Apps.

Despite these challenges, the impact of digital activism cannot be understated. It has revolutionised how people mobilise, communicate, and advocate for change.

Job Mwaura, Postdoctoral Researcher, Wits Centre for Journalism, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2024. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos. [Xinhua/Yao Dawei]

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh in Beijing on Wednesday. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos.

Xi asked Chinh to convey his cordial greetings to Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, and to Vietnamese President To Lam.

Xi said that during his visit to Vietnam at the end of last year, he and Trong announced the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, ushering bilateral relations into a new stage.

Over the past half a year, the two parties and the two countries have enjoyed close exchanges among high-ranking officials and smooth cooperation in various fields, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Noting that the world today is going through changes unseen in a century, Xi said both China and Vietnam have maintained rapid economic development and long-term social stability, demonstrating the strengths of the socialist system.

He said the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance is in line with the modernization needs of the two countries, and is conducive to maintaining regional peace and stability and to promoting the development of the global socialist cause.

China is willing to work with Vietnam to maintain solidarity and friendship, consolidate mutual support, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said, adding that China also stands ready to join hands with Vietnam to march toward modernization and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Xi stressed that China is committed to comprehensively deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization, which will bring new opportunities for the two sides to expand cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, connectivity and digital economy.

He called on the two sides to maintain high-level exchanges, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance connectivity, and promote the high-quality development of practical cooperation between the two countries.

China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam and hopes that Vietnam can provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, he said.

He said the two sides should make good use of the friendly exchanges between the two parties, support border provinces in strengthening exchanges, implement livelihood projects on agriculture, education and medical care, and consolidate public support for China-Vietnam friendship through a good use of people-to-people and youth exchange platforms.

The two sides should properly handle maritime issues, speed up joint maritime development and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability, Xi added.

Chinh conveyed cordial greetings from General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President To Lam to Xi. He said that Vietnam and China, both as socialist countries led by the communist party, have a tradition of good-neighborliness and friendship.

Hailing China's great achievements on all fronts, Chinh said the Vietnamese side thinks highly of China's important role as an engine and ballast for global economic growth, and supports China's development and prosperity and the realization of its Second Centenary Goal as scheduled.

Vietnam supports China's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and opposes the politicization of economic, trade and sci-tech issues, Chinh said.

Vietnam hopes to learn from China's new theories, practices and achievements in party and state governance, and to stick to the path of socialism along with China to achieve common development, he added.

Noting that Vietnam supports China's position on the Taiwan question and firmly adheres to the one-China principle, Chinh said that it is the top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam's foreign policy, which will not be disrupted by external interference, to deepen strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation with China, and build a Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

He added that Vietnam will join hands with China to continue enhancing political mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, encouraging youth exchanges, consolidating public support, strengthening multilateral coordination, and properly handling differences, to earnestly promote the Vietnam-China community with a shared future that carries strategic significance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2024. Chinh is in China to attend the 2024 Summer Davos. [Xinhua/Zhang Ling]

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Lei Yang
31-year-old man charged with rape, North Wales Police confirm

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Jun 27th, 2024

A 31-year-old man has been charged with rape, North Wales Police have confirmed.

An incident was reported to North Wales Police in the Cefn Mawr area in the early hours of Monday morning (June 24).

Daniel Stevie Evans, of Well Street, Cefn Mawr, was arrested in connection with the incident and has since been charged with rape.

A 28-year-old man from out of the force area, who was also arrested in connection with the incident, has since been released on bail pending further investigation.

Evans was remanded into custody to appear before Mold Magistrates court this morning.

He was further remanded until his next appearance before Mold Crown Court on Friday, July 26th.

Detective Inspector Cefyn Roberts is asking anyone who witnessed the incident to contact police.

Insp Roberts said: We are continuing to appeal to anybody who was in the area of the roundabout near to Tesco in Cefn Mawr around 6am on Monday morning to contact us via the website, or by calling us on 101, using reference number 24000555032.

North Wales Police have also issued the below warning to members of the public

PLEASE NOTE:

This matter is now active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981, and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media. Contempt of Court happens when someone risks unfairly influencing any potential court case. It may stop somebody from getting a fair trial, and can affect a trials outcome. You may be in contempt of court if you speak publicly OR post on social media.

For example, you should not: Say whether you think someone is guilty or innocent

Refer to someones previous convictions

Name someone a judge has allowed to be anonymous, even if you did not know this

Name victims, witnesses or offenders under the age of 18

Name sex crime victims
Education explorers smash fundraising goal in Skye is the Limit challenge

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Jun 27th, 2024

An intrepid team of education explorers have smashed their fundraising target and a huge charity challenge.

Karl Jackson, Assistant Principal for the Institute of Technology at Coleg Cambrias Bersham Road site in Wrexham, and colleague Carl Roberts, Director for Curriculum  Engineering, completed the Skye is the Limit Challenge in aid of Hope House/Ty Gobaith childrens hospices.

In recent years Karl and the team have taken on the Welsh Three Peaks and the Crazy 7 for Stepping Stones North Wales and collected more than 1,000 for Menstrual Health Project (MHP) by completing the Cairngorm 4000s  a three-day hike across 4,000ft+ mountains in Scotlands eastern highlands.

He and lecturer Paul Standring also conquered the four-day Freezing Fingers expedition in bleak, wintry conditions over the Rhinogydd mountain range in Snowdonia.

This time, joined by Carl, they together raised a staggering 1,400.

We did it! Over 53 miles in 33 hours and more than 8,000ft elevation completed, said Karl.

It was a huge challenge but well worth it, through wind and rain and all kinds of terrain, we achieved our goal.

We managed 26 miles in one day, a half-decent nights sleep and then were back at it the next day for another up and down trek, but we got each other through it.

Carl added: Thanks so much to everyone who has donated and supported us on our journey.

We drove for more than 20 hours in a minibus through the night before arriving at Skye and then the walk began! What an adventure, it was tough, but we did it.

The duo also carried 20 kilo bags on their backs  including tents, food, and water  and battled the elements throughout.

Hope House/Ty Gobaith area fundraiser for Wrexham Bethan Young thanked them and said: Wow! What a great effort, we knew they could do it and are so grateful for the fantastic sum they have raised.

Every penny will help us continue in our mission to give families access to professional care and improve quality of life for their children.

Huge thanks to Karl and Carl plus everybody who donated to their challenge.

The organisation provides vital care and support for children with life-threatening conditions and has two hospices and 15 shops across Shropshire, Cheshire, Mid and North Wales helping to raise the 7.5 million needed to fund care for every child in need.

You can still sponsor Karl and the team here: Karl Jackson is fundraising for Hope House & Ty Gobaith (justgiving.com).
Last Sunday the Israeli-based real estate agency, My Home, held a real estate event in Los Angeles at the Adas Torah Synagogue to promote the sale of homes in Israel and the occupied territories.

The event was produced by Gidon Katz, a self-styled expert in marketing Israeli real estate to the global Jewish community. Katz earlier this year held similar events in synagogues in Montreal, Toronto, New Jersey and New York.

Initially, Katz considered canceling this years Israeli real estate events because of the ongoing war in Gaza. Ultimately, however, he decided it really provided a great opportunity. This was actually an ideal time for Americans to invest in Israeli properties, Katz said on local Israeli news channels, citing rising fears of antisemitism, along with the fact that real-estate experts predict that land value in Israel will increase once the war is over.

In early March, Katz held this years first Israel Real Estate Expo at a Montreal synagogue. It was met by hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who showed up to condemn the sale of houses built on settlements illegally expropriated from Palestinians in the West Bank. At his next Expo in Toronto, a man attacked pro-Palestinian protesters with a nail gun.

Opposition to these events was further escalated before a scheduled Teaneck, New Jersey event when a video of a Jewish resident named Rich Siegel denouncing the event went viral. Theres a genocide going on, he said in the video. What this real-estate event is going to do is fan the flames. The Teaneck protests were especially large, drawing both locals and out-of-towners.

Though the Teaneck event took place, mounting opposition caused Katz to cancel his remaining East Coast tour, only to revive it again this week in Los Angeles.

The main Los Angeles sales event was staged at the Adas Torah synagogue located in the predominately Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood that is just south of Beverly Hills.

In response to the advertisements promoting this real estate event, protest fliers shared on social media by the Southern California chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement said, Our Land Is Not For Sale, condemned land theft, and called for people to rally on Sunday.

Protests at Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. [Photo: @HuntedHorse/X]

On Sunday, about 200 pro-Palestinian protesters had assembled in front of the synagogue, when 30 minutes later an equal number of counter-demonstrators arrived and began assaulting the anti-genocide demonstrators.

Despite the presence of local law enforcement at the scene, they initially did little to intervene and stop the violence. This police inaction was similar to their hours-long stand-down as a violent Zionist mob attacked an anti-genocide encampment at UCLA earlier this year.

Abner Hauge, a writer for the web site Left Coast Right Watch, described how the sites reporter, Katre Burns, had called him while still in shock after she and other reporters had been attacked by the Zionist mob.

She recounted the mob attacking her and eight other reporters in front of the Adas Torah synagogue Someone assaulted Burns in front of the police and stole her phone while it was still recording. They threatened to come to her home, to rape and behead her, called her a whore, called other reporters faggots, and beat them. Our long-time reporter Sean Beckner-Carmitchel was punched in the head during a gang assault. As she recounted all this, Burns told me over and over that while all of the violence went on, the police watched and did nothing.

Although assaults continued around the synagogue and the nearby neighborhood for several hours, the only arrest reported was a pro-Israeli counterdemonstrator for carrying a sharp pole. According to CNN, that individual was issued a citation for possessing a prohibited item during a protest and released from custody.

By the next day, the leadership of the Democratic Party led by President Genocide Joe Biden had transformed a police-supported Zionist attack on peaceful demonstrators into an antisemitic attack by pro-Palestinian protesters on a Jewish synagogue.

Im appalled by the scenes outside of Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic, and un-American, Biden said on X. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worshipand engaging in violenceis never acceptable.

Perhaps Biden, who is Catholic and used to going to church on Sunday, is either ignorant or has simply forgotten that the Jewish Sabbath is on Saturday. The service that was being conducted at the Adas Torah synagogue on Sunday involved a conspiracy to violate international law by unlawfully offering to sell land in the occupied territories.

Moreover, neither Biden, other political leaders, nor the corporate media have questioned how synagogues, that have tax-exempt status because they are to be used exclusively for religious purposes, are also now allowed to be used as fronts to sell stolen real estate.

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom followed Bidens lead, stating on X, The violent clashes outside the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles are appalling. There is no excuse for targeting a house of worship. Such antisemitic hatred has no place in California.

Californias senior US Senator Alex Padilla, another Democrat, added on X, I strongly condemn the protestors for targeting the Adas Torah temple and its members this weekend. There is no justification for targeting a house of worship or its community.

Following Bidens statement on Monday, the protest group CodePink blasted Bidens characterization as lies.

It is outrageous that President Biden and certain media outlets have misrepresented this protest as an anti-Semitic attack on worshippers, the group said in a statement, making clear that the protest was against the real estate sale and not related to the synagogue itself.

This rhetoric is reminiscent of the McCarthy-era smears used to discredit and, at times, deport activists for peace & civil rights, it continued. Not only is his narrative false but also dangerousthe protest aimed to address the unethical sale of Palestinian land, not to target any religious group.

Hussam Ayloush, the Los Angeles Executive Director of the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), issued the following reply to the grossly false depiction that was being used to characterize what has occurred on Sunday:

The demonstration in front of the Adas Torah synagogue over the weekend was in response to the blatant violations of both international law and human rights from agencies that seek to make a profit selling brutally stolen Palestinian land as the Israeli government continues its eight-month-long genocidal campaign and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Elected officials and the mainstream media have politicized this incident as religious discrimination as opposed to a human rights issue. We call on political leaders to condemn the organizations involved in the potentially illegal sale of Palestinian land and the counter-protesters who commit violence against anti-genocide protesters with the same fervor used for rightfully condemning antisemitism.

During a news conference outside Los Angeles City Hall on Tuesday, members of several organizations, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and Southern California Students for Justice in Palestine, said unarmed individuals were brutalized by police officers and pro-Israel demonstrators during Sundays protest.

The Zionist attackers followed us and doxxed us with the intent to cause physical harm, targeting those wearing hijabs, pulling them off and throwing eggs at our heads, said a member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, who declined to provide her name to the Los Angeles Times. She added that the counter-protesters threatened to use law enforcement connections to find out our identities and our addresses.

On Tuesday, to better enable law enforcement to identify such demonstrators, the mayor of Los Angeles, Democrat Karen Bass, urged the City Council to consider new rules requiring permits for demonstrations and restricting the wearing of masks during such demonstrations.
Head of Dagestan Republic Sergei Melikov, center, visits the damaged Kele-Numaz synagogue in Derbent on Monday, June 24, 2024. [AP Photo/The Telegram Channel of the head of Dagestan Republic of Russia]

On the evening of June 23, terrorist attacks were carried out in the Russian cities of Makhachkala and Derbent, located in the impoverished North Caucasus republic of Dagestan on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The population of Dagestan is ethnically diverse but predominantly Muslim.

The attackers targeted two Orthodox churches, two synagogues, one of which was set on fire, and a traffic patrol post (one of the units of the traffic police). The attack took place on Orthodox Holy Trinity Day, one of the main holidays of Orthodox Christians.

According to the latest figures, at least 21 people were killed and 26 others injured. Among those killed were 16 policemen and five civilians, including one Orthodox priest. Five suspected terrorists were killed on the spot.

All media reports indicated that the attacks were well organized and the attackers themselves used foreign-made weapons in the attack, including at least one assault rifle.

Notably, among the attackers were the sons and two nephews of Magomed Omarov, a local official from the ruling United Russia party in Dagestan. Before the terrorist attack, Omarov was the head of one of the districts of the Republic of Dagestan and the secretary of the local branch of United Russia. He has now been arrested. He has already been prosecuted for hooliganism, but it is likely that he will also face a case under the article on aiding and abetting terrorism.

One of the nephews of Omarov who perpetrated the attack was, until 2021, the head of the district branch of the parliamentary party Just Russia.

As of this writing, no organization has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Kremlin has only just begun investigating the attack, and has not yet formally charged any state intelligence service or terrorist organization. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on June 25 that the missile attack on the beach in Sevastopol, which killed four people, and the terrorist attacks in Dagestan were likely synchronized.

Everything indicates that the imperialist powers were involved in the attack which serves their war aims and strategy in several respects. It comes on the eve of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., on July 9-11, and as NATO is preparing a direct entry into the war against Russia in Ukraine. At the end of May, the NATO countries approved strikes with weapons supplied by them far into Russian territory. This directly jeopardizes the civilian population in Russia, especially of the Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh and Rostov regions.

The United States and other NATO members have repeatedly claimed that they will not cross certainred lines in order not to turn the conflict in Ukraine into a full-fledged world war, but then each time NATO member states have crossed these very red lines that they had drawn themselves. Even in an article before Bidens decision to authorize U.S. weapons strikes on Russian territory, the New York Times claimed that Biden was unlikely to take such a step, but Biden did just that.

Given all these facts, it is logical to assume that the attack of militants in Dagestan was in the interests of the United States to destabilize the situation in Russia and in particular in the republics of the North Caucasus in order to weaken the Putin regimes position in the war with Ukraine and disperse its forces on the internal front.

Already, the NATO powers have de facto opened up a second front in the war, within Russia itself. In March, a major terrorist at the popular Moscow City Crocus Concert hall took the lives of at least 145 people. As the WSWS and the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists have documented, the attack had the fingerprints of US imperialism and its proxy, the Ukrainian regime, all over it. The WSWS explained the goals pursued by US imperialism with such attacks as follows:

The aim is three-fold: First, to embolden opposition to the Putin regime within the oligarchy and state apparatus; second, to provoke a military response by the Kremlin that can serve as the pretext for a further escalation of the war by NATO; and third, to foster ethnic and religious tensions within Russia that would destabilize the regime and facilitate the carve-up of the entire region by the imperialist powers.

All these three goals are also met by the terrorist attacks in Dagestan. In targeting Orthodox Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, the attackers clearly sought to inflame religious and ethnic tensions. Nor is the location of the attacks a coincidence. Dagestan is one of the most diverse but also most impoverished regions in Russia and has been afflicted by the impact of the decades-long war waged by the Kremlin against separatists in neighboring Chechnya.

In October 2023, Makhachkala airport was the site of anti-Semitic riots that broke out after the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv. At the time, a statement by the YGBL, condemning the riot, noted:

Indeed, one cannot rule out that Western special services were involved in inciting the riots, seeking to undermine stability in Russia itself. The instigation of ethnic and nationalist conflicts and tensions, especially among the countrys large Muslim population, has long been part of the imperialist strategy to carve up Russia. The Financial Times reported that a channel previously associated with Ilya Ponomaryov, a leading figure in the pro-NATO opposition in the Russian oligarchy who has coordinated incursions of Russian territory by Ukrainian neo-fascist militias, had helped incite the riot.

Through such incitement and terrorist attacks, the imperialist powers and their proxies in the oligarchy are seeking to take advantage of and intensify the discord in the Russian elite. The ultimate aim is to weaken and eventually topple Putins regime, putting a puppet regime in its place.

The fact that local officials with ties to the ruling United Russia party as well as one of the main loyal opposition parties, Just Russia, were directly and indirectly involved in the attack, testifes not only to the reactionary character of the ruling class. It also shows that there are violent conflicts within the ranks of the Russian oligarchy. If at the local level there are such extremists and conflicts among officials, what does the situation look like at the highest echelons of power?

The Putin regime has emerged out of the Stalinist destruction of the Soviet Union and the restoration of capitalism as a Bonapartist regime. In order to protect the interests of the oligarchy, it is maneuvering between different factions within the ruling class, between the working class and the oligarchy, and between the national interests of the oligarchy and the interests of imperialism. But both the relentless escalation of the war by imperialism and the growing social tensions within Russia itself increasingly undermine the basis for such maneuvers. In recent weeks, Putin initiated a far-reaching purge of the army, putting much of its leadership under the control of economists loyal to him, as well as the secret FSB special service.

The Putin regime, besieged from all sides, is sitting on a ticking time bomb. The strikes on Sevastopol beach and the terrorist attacks will further exacerbate contradictions among the various factions of the ruling class and among the elites of the national republics. The openly NATO-backed opposition is emboldened by the ever more direct intervention of NATO in the war, and its systematic efforts to destabilize the Putin regime and will, in its turn, intensify the longstanding preparations for a regime change. The ultra-nationalist faction, on the other hand, will become more insistent in demanding that Putin take decisive measures in the war in Ukraine, including and up to the deployment of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, separatist tendencies within republics such as Dagestan and Chechnya will intensify as well.

For the working class, the terrorist attacks in Dagestan and the strikes on Sevastopol beach are a serious warning. Without the independent intervention of the proletariat, Russia will either be dragged into a nuclear war or dismembered by the NATO imperialists into pliant puppet and dictatorial regimes. Workers in all countries must condemn the terrorist attacks and oppose the fomenting of nationalist and religious tensions, a central component of the development of a third world war that threatens humanity with extermination. What is urgently required is the building of a socialist anti-war movement that fights for the independent mobilization of the working class against imperialist war and capitalism.
With the Israeli genocide in Gaza, which the German government fully supports, the repression of opponents of war in Germany has taken on new dimensions. Left-wing cultural centres are being closed, demonstrations banned, and peaceful student protests brutally attacked.

A meeting held by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at Humboldt University to protest against right-wing and militaristic teaching and defend students who criticize it from right-wing attacks.

The latest report by the Verfassungsschutz (Office for the Protection of the Constitution), as Germanys domestic secret service is called, was published on Wednesday, June 19. In it, the intelligence agency continues to drive this campaign forward and lays the foundation for the criminalisation of any voice critical of the governments pro-war policy. At the same time, the secret service is being given more and more powers to take direct action against political opponents.

The Verfassungsschutz has included numerous left-wing organisations in its report. For example, the international BDS campaign, which calls for an economic boycott, the withdrawal of investment capital and the imposition of sanctions against the state of Israel, is listed as a new suspected case of foreign-related extremism. The justification? The group, which speaks out against genocide, supposedly violates the idea of international understanding!

Even the climate group Ende Gelande is categorised for the first time as a suspected case of left-wing extremism.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth and student organisation of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality PartySGP), is directly included in the report as a confirmed left-wing extremist and anti-constitutional organisation, without the intelligence service providing any substantiation for this conclusion. It merely states that the IYSSE is represented in student parliaments at several German universities, and that it shares the ideological and strategic orientation of the SGP.

The IYSSE does indeed participate in student parliaments and its influence is growing. On the day the report was published, it won 7.7 percent of the vote in the elections to the Student Parliament of Berlins Humboldt University, more than the student organisations of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Liberal Democrats (FDP), for example. Thus, the 7.7 percent of student voters who cast a ballot for the IYSSE are summarily declared enemies of the Constitution and left-wing extremists by the Verfassungsschutz.

The actual reason is that the IYSSE has opposed the governments pro-war policy from the start. The IYSSE has been fighting for 10 years against the university being turned into a centre for right-wing and militaristic ideology. It placed the fight against the NATO war in Ukraine, the genocide in Gaza and the violence against critical students at the centre of its election campaign and declared in leaflets and at events that a socialist perspective is necessary to prevent the catastrophe of world war. That is why the IYSSE received the votes of hundreds of students.

This is precisely what the German state wants to ban. Those in power are very aware that their pro-war policy is widely rejected by working people and they are therefore resorting more and more openly to the methods of dictatorship. As early as 2018, the Verfassungsschutz included the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei in its report and defamed it as left-wing extremist because it fights against supposed nationalism, imperialism and militarism. The Federal Interior Ministry later declared that the SGP was extremist because it fought for a democratic, egalitarian and socialist society.

The latest report states that the SGP is anti-constitutional because it is based on Marxist class thinking that is incompatible with the Constitution. It is therefore, according to the Verfassungsschutz, not the glaring social inequality that undermines democracy, but the exposure of these class antagonisms!

After the Administrative Court and the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin agreed with this scandalous argument, the SGP in June 2022 lodged an appeal with the Federal Constitutional Court (Supreme Court). In its statement, the party warned of the development of dictatorship if the Verfassungsschutz were to prevail. Every workers strike, every protest against rearmament and every demonstration against the right wing could be banned as anti-constitutional, we warned.

This process is already well advanced. In recent months, the right to demonstrate has been effectively abolished through countless bans and restrictions, a number of cultural institutions have had their premises and funding withdrawn, and peaceful demonstrators have been brutally attacked by the police. All of this has taken place under the cover of a propaganda campaign against alleged antisemitism that declares any criticism of the German governments genocidal policies to be antisemitic. This campaign is further promoted by the Verfassungsschutz report.

For example, the report describes the breakout of Palestinian fighters from the Gaza open-air prison on 7 October as an unprecedented massacre of Israeli men, women and children, while it glorifies the proven genocide against the Palestinians by the Israeli army as a subsequent Israeli military offensive against terrorist structures. Anyone who does not agree with this mendacious justification of genocide is summarily accused of anti-Israeli and antisemitic agitation. According to the report, this is the connecting element between right-wing and left-wing extremism.

Anyone who declares that the Palestinians [must] oppose the imperialism of Western states, as they have been oppressed and deprived of their historical, political and material rights is declared a left-wing extremist without further ado.

Even though even the Verfassungsschutz has to admit that open antisemitism is largely excluded in left-wing groups, it simply claims that the rejection of Zionism as a Jewish national movement and [...] the state of Israel that emerged from it can be categorised as antisemitic. Thus, 79 years after the dissolution of Hitlers Gestapo, the German secret service declares thousands of Jewish people who spoke out against the Zionist project to be antisemites.

Anyone who questions this approach by the state apparatus is immediately added to the list. It is enough to criticise the dictatorial measures against opponents of the war to be labelled a left-wing extremist by the secret service. For example, anyone who defames lawful state action as repressive or police violence is allegedly concerned with delegitimising the democratic state and its institutions. According to this logic, the resistance fighters in the Third Reich were lawfully condemned by the Nazi courts.

The Verfassungsschutz is particularly alarmed by the growing opposition among young people to the NATO war in Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza. These issues have been regularly misused in an attempt to divert young peoples existing humanitarian commitment into a communist interpretation of resistance to supposed militarism, imperialism, colonialism and capitalism, it declares.

This is unmistakable. In the midst of a brutal genocide for which the German government is partly responsible, the secret service fears that the humanitarian commitment of young peoplei.e., their rejection of the warwill develop into a conscious opposition to Germanys pro-war policy and the ruling class.

In the process, the Verfassungsschutz is being given ever greater powers. Being named in the report is no longer simply a matter of being listed for information purposes but is the basis for the direct repression of those concerned.

In November, the Bundestag (federal parliament) passed a law according to which the Verfassungsschutz can pass on its findings to law enforcement and other authorities if there is a concrete danger to particularly important legally protected interests. These interests include the concept of international understanding and the peaceful coexistence of peoples.

If this concept (!) is jeopardisedof which the Verfassungsschutz accuses every critic of the NATO war or the genocide in Gazathe data is passed on to other state agencies. The law even stipulates that the Verfassungsschutz may, under certain circumstances, pass this data on to non-governmental organisations, such as landlords or schools. The requirement to separate the police from the secret service, which was written into West Germanys post-war constitution in light of the experiences with the Gestapo, has thus been completely annulled.

The Berlin Senate (state legislature), made up of the CDU and SPD, is planning to tie all state funding, for example in the cultural sector, to the institutions adherence to the constitution. Anyone appearing in the Verfassungsschutz report would no longer receive any funding. Members of organisations classified as extremist can already be dismissed from the civil service.

While the Verfassungsschutz, following the Nazis Gesinnungsjustiz [justice based on opinions], acts so brutally against left-wing opponents of warwho are not charged with committing any criminal offences, but only with holding socialist convictionsit extends a protective hand to the criminal and terrorist structures of the right-wing extremists.

Even the Verfassungsschutzs embellished figures indicate a massive increase in bodily harm by right-wing extremists: from 879 in 2022 to 1,016 in 2023, not even taking into account the 149 violent crimes committed by the far-right Reichsburger (Reich Citizens) because they are excluded from right-wing offences by the Verfassungsschutz.

While every opponent of war must reckon with the aforementioned repression, the fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is still only listed as a suspected case, and is therefore not monitored by the secret service. The extensive right-wing terrorist networks within the police, intelligence services and Bundeswehr (Armed Forces), which have been uncovered by journalists in recent years, are not mentioned at all in the entire Verfassungsschutz report. In contrast, the report devotes several pages to left-wing extremist youths who have attacked or outed right-wing extremist terrorists.

The close collaboration between the Verfassungsschutz and the neo-Nazi National Socialist Underground and other right-wing extremist terrorist organisations is well documented. Hans-Georg Maaen, who headed the secret service until 2018 and ensured that the SGP became an object of surveillance, openly advocates far-right and antisemitic positions. The current president, Thomas Haldenwang, worked for years as Maaens deputy and continues to pursue his course unabated.

The alliance of the state apparatus with the extreme right against opponents of war and against the left is an international phenomenon that is directly linked to the aggressive pro-war policy of the NATO powers. The German, American and other NATO governments, together with Israels extreme right-wing Netanyahu regime, are committing genocide in order to assert their geostrategic interests in the region. In Ukraine, the same powers are working together with antisemites and Nazi worshipers such as the Azov Brigade to defeat Russia militarily.

Volodymyr Zelenskys puppet regime is using far-right gangs of thugs to combat the growing rejection of the war among the population. Anti-war activist and socialist Bogdan Syrotjuk, who works with the International Committee of the Fourth International, was locked up in a high-security prison in April of this year on absurd charges of supporting Putin, and has been denied legal assistance.

Now the German government wants to create the same conditions in its own country. This policy is backed not only by the government coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP, but by all the parties in the Bundestag. The CDU has called on the federal government to act in accordance with the report, and the Left Party is also demanding that action must follow, for example, demanding that antisemitism be outlawed. At the state level, both parties are responsible for similar reports.

The courts have also joined the hunt for opponents of war. Since the Berlin Higher Administrative Court agreed with the criminalisation of the SGP, the Federal Constitutional Court has refused to deal with the partys complaint for over two years now. The Verfassungsschutz has thus been given carte blanche to continue taking action against opponents of war.

The SGP will not allow this and will oppose this right-wing conspiracy even more resolutely! The Verfassungsschutz, which is riddled with fascistic networks, must be dissolved and the surveillance and suppression of all left-wing and anti-militarist groups must be ended immediately!

We appeal to all those who want to defend democratic rights and counter the right-wing threat to support the SGPs constitutional complaint. Become active now! Only a broad mobilisation can put a stop to the fundamental attacks on democratic rights and the revival of the Nazis anti-socialist laws and Gesinnungsjustiz. Sign our petition on change.org, register as an active supporter, and spread this article among your friends and acquaintances.
Kenyas President William Ruto announced the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 Wednesday, terrified of the mass opposition sparked after Bloody Tuesday when police gunned down dozens of austerity protestors on the streets of Nairobi.

The Bill, dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), included severe tax hikes on a population already facing soaring food and fuel prices and high unemployment, amid the ruling classes opulence and corruption.

Protests against the Finance Bill have morphed into an insurgency. Demonstrators targeted not only Rutos blood-soaked regime, but the entire 60-year-old post-independence edifice backed by the US and NATO imperialist powers.

Millions protested across the country in 37 of the 47 counties, cutting across tribal divides. Led by youth, they chanted reject and Ruto must go.

The day ended with a massacre.

According to the Police Reforms Working Group, at least 53 deaths were recorded and hundreds injured due to live ammunition. In the Githurai area on the outskirts of Nairobi, 30 were killed when police went on a shooting spree . The other 23 deaths occurred in Nairobi and across the country.

The repression was brutal. To find a comparable crime committed by security forces in a single day, one would have to look back to the 1969 Kisumu massacre, when President Jomo KenyattaKenyas first post-independence leaderordered police to open fire on a crowd during his visit, resulting in dozens of deaths.

Tuesdays slaughter is a warning of the character of the US-funded deployment of Kenyan police in Haiti, the first batch of which landed yesterday in the Caribbean nation tasked with terrorizing the population.

In seventeen hours, Ruto went from threatening anti-protestors with mass violence to making a conciliatory speech and announcing he was withdrawing the bill.

On Tuesday night, he described the protests as treasonous events led by abettors of violence and anarchy, vowing to deploy the whole state apparatus to secure the country and restore normalcy. He announced the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces to support the police in intensifying the repression.

The following day, he said, Following the passage of the bill, the country witnessed widespread expression of dissatisfaction with the bill as passed, regrettably resulting in the loss of life, destruction of property and desecration of constitutional institutions. Sending his condolences to the families of those butchered by his security forces, he said he would decline to assent to the bill.

Ruto would instead engage with young people of our nation to listen to their issues and agree with them on their priority areas of concern. He proposed a multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder engagement in the next two weeks to discuss matters relating to the content of the bill as well as auxiliary issues raised in recent days on the need for austerity measures and strengthening our fight against corruption.

Kenyan President William Ruto gives an address at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Despite some sections of the population viewing this as a victory, Ruto intends to work out the best way to impose IMF austerity in collusion with the opposition Azimio la Umoja coalition and the trade union bureaucracy led by the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU).

Ruto announced that Parliament, Judiciary and county governments had been directed to work with the Treasury to undertake the budget cuts and austerity to ensure We live within our means. As the bourgeois press reported, rejection of the bill would open a Sh200 billion ($1.5 billion) revenue hole, resulting in cuts of the same magnitude in health, education, and social expenses.

Ruto is following the script of the IMF, which warned in January that, despite unrest [that] could re-emerge in connection with protests against higher cost of living, need to raise more taxes and electoral processes, the Kenyan government would have to remain committed to reforms under the programme.

Ruto now depends on the loyalty of the opposition and the trade union bureaucracy.

Francis Atwoli, COTU secretary general for two decades, organised a press conference yesterday urging His Excellency the President to suspend the finance bill, and to appoint a commission of inquiry to examine the demands of Generation Z, Millennial young men, and other Kenyans. I want to tell Kenyans that if the country went down, it would not go down only with Ruto, it would go down with everybody. And as Ive said before, Its better to have a bad government than not to have one. Because anarchy is the worst thing that anybody should experience.

His reaction is another indication that the trade unions function as an industrial police force for the government and big business. They will not oppose Rutos deadly violence and austerity. Rather, Atwoli insisted, Kenya is a hub of economic activities in this region, and we must protect it at all costs. We must support the President and the government to ensure that this country remains peaceful.

The opposition is led by millionaire Raila Odinga and has no fundamental differences with the Ruto governments economic programme. Odingas concern is that the current government is incapable of implementing the required austerity measures in the face of rising opposition.

Odinga, who has been virtually silent for a week since the protests started, reacted to Rutos repression with calls for a fresh start and dialogue with the opposition. He has got his wish.

Kalonzo Musyokathe leader of the Wiper party, which is a part of Odingas coalition, and who regularly acts as Azimio la Umoja spokespersonstated that Its not too late for Ruto to decline the Finance Bill and send it back to Parliament for its withdrawal.

Ruto, Kalonzo, and Odinga have worked for decades within the Kenyan political establishment, occasionally even within the same party and government. They all reside in the affluent neighborhood of Karen in Nairobi, part of what Oxfam reported as the 0.1 percent of the population (8,300 people) which own more wealth than the bottom 99.9 percent (more than 44 million people).

Odinga has dedicated his career to derailing mass movements of workers, youth and sections of the middle class against the Kenyan establishment. In the 1990s, amid mounting opposition to the hated regime of Western-backed Moi regime, Odinga, despite being tortured by Moi in 1982, chose to support him. He merged his then National Development Party with Mois hated KANU party and served as his energy minister.

In 2007, after then-President Mwai Kibaki stole the election from him, Odinga called off mass opposition and entered into government as Second Prime Minister, even though his supporters had been gunned down by security forces. Post-election violence resulted in over 1,200 deaths and displaced half a million people. Ruto, then an ally of Odinga, played a criminal role, whipping up ethnic violence for which he was indicted by the International Criminal Court.

In 2017, following another disputed election involving Uhuru Kenyatta, Odinga again made a deal amid widespread anger. Last year, he intermittently mobilised protests against Rutos Finance Bill 2023 to defuse opposition, ultimately calling them off when they threatened to intersect with strikes by civil servants, doctors, and teachers.

Kalonzo, like Ruto, started his career under Mois police state and was foreign affairs minister (1993-1998), Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (1988-1992) and National Organising Secretary of KANU, the only legal party under Moi, as workers, students and left-wing opponents of the regime were killed and tortured.

Ruto is hoping to deactivate the mass upheaval. Protests, however, are expected on Thursday, as hundreds of thousands of users supported hashtags of #Resign #RejectingFinanceBill2024 #Resignation #RutoMustGo #Roadtostatehouse on Twitter/X.

The Kenyan ruling class is terrified. As the Business Daily noted yesterday, Demonstrations in Kenya have typically been mobilised by political leaders who have been amenable to negotiated settlements and power-sharing agreements [in reference to Odinga], but the young Kenyans taking part in the current protests have no official leader and have been growing increasingly bold in their demands.

Yesterday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua organised a press conference and said Please I beseech you as you father please my sons and daughter make an announcement and call off the protest.

Internationally, as former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed of Pakistan, where similar IMF measures are being implemented, stated yesterday, They dont know that the film running in Kenya could also be repeated in Pakistan. Prepare for it, the nation will make you accountable it will not wait for any leader.
Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

Attend our London election rally on June 30.

Socialist Equality Party candidate Darren Paxton was invited to speak at a general election hustings organised by Inverness and District Trades Union Council, and held in the council chamber of Highland Council.

Paxton is standing in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. Six of seven candidates attended the June 24 event, including Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Drew Hendry, Labour Party candidate Michael Perera and Conservative council group leader, Ruraidh Stewart. The Liberal Democrats sent a stand in.

Apart from a passing reference by Hendry to SNP ceasefire calls, Paxton was the only candidate to even mention the genocide in Gaza, the expansion of the war in the Middle East targeting Iran and Lebanon and NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine.

Paxton noted in his introduction:

Were standing in this election to oppose the genocide in Gaza and the support given to it by our government, which would be continued by a Labour government. The leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, justifies this slaughter, which has claimed the lives of 14,000 Palestinian children already, in the name of Israels right to defend itself... Workers cannot rely on the Labour Party to defend their living conditions or oppose the decent into capitalist barbarism like what we see in Gaza. Workers must build an alternative, a mass and genuinely socialist anti-war movement.

Questions were asked by the organisers about the devolution of employment law and Health and Safety at Work Act. Paxton used his experiences to argue for new workers' organisations:

I am a support worker and I worked through the COVID pandemic and I can tell you that, regardless of what legislation was in place, workers rights were not upheld hereincorrect PPE, people dropping like flies, people I was looking after dropping like flies. This is because the state would rather keep the economy open, make as much profit as possible rather than care a jot about public health or health and safety in the workplace.

A member of the audience asked, Brexit has been a complete disaster... What is your party's policy on rejoining the EU [European Union] and do you agree with that policy?

Labour's candidate called for a better balance in relations with the EU; the SNP and Greens called for Scotland and the UK to rejoin, while the Tories and Reform defended Brexit.

Paxton warned of both British and European militarism.

We oppose both the EU and British nationalism, as seen over Brexit and the militarism which underlies the EU. We are here today to warn of the war in Ukraine turning into a nuclear conflict that could destroy all life on earth. We should be very aware of the EU's role, especially Germany's role in trying to come forward as an imperialist power. Calling it a union is ludicrous. The capitalist powers are inherently antagonistic to each other, its not a union. We fight for a United Socialist States of Europe, and for workers to fight for that independently and in a revolutionary manner, in opposition to all of the bourgeois forces here and in Europe.

An audience member raised the 2010 Equalities Act and single sex spaces. Paxton opposed identity politics, which is directed against a class analysis of society, stating, I don't think the axis of anyone's political understanding should be based on identity or gender, but I do think people should have the right to identify how they please.

Darren Paxton (left) speaking at the hustings in Inverness

Another question from the floor raised the 2022-23 strike wave, claiming that workers had won massive pay increases and asked the candidates how they would support trade unions across the workforce. Paxton opposed this rosy view of the trade unions: I think its important to understand firstly where this strike wave comes fromThere is a global crisis of world capitalism, and happens at the same time as the war crisis, the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine, the Gaza genocide... The issue at the moment is that not only are strikes not organised on a global basis, but even in the same building, in the same union, you have workers coming out on strike at different periods

Workers need to build rank-and-file committees, Paxton said. This is part of our opposition to Scottish nationalism Transnational corporations cannot be challenged on a national basis. They say, If you want better wages here, fine we all go elsewhere and use cheap labour.

I would argue that the trade union leadership have degenerated to the same extent that the Labour Party have Workers must be able to link up on a global basis, they must be able to bring political views into their strikes because ultimately their conditions are being attacked to pay for the war and to mint more billionaires than have ever existed in the history of the planet and create worse social inequality than has ever existed.

So much as I agree these issues are very important, to bring them forward, it has to take global dimensions and the trade unions cannot supply that. These are nationally based organisations and a great number of their leadership are making money while workers conditions continue to plummet.

It is necessary for workers to build rank and file committees, and coordinate their strikes on all four corners of the planet. We do have the means to do that. We absolutely have the means to do that. We have an Amazon warehouse down in Fife. Amazon has warehouses all over the world. When something happens in Amazon it affects workers in Sri Lanka and Fife at exactly the same time. So not only is the economic crisis objectively uniting workers across the planet, but workers can coordinate globally and that is what is necessary.

A final question was posed about overcoming voter apathy. Labour's Perera said the issue was a lack of trust and faith in politics.

Paxton responded, Political parties and tendencies represent economic interests and there isn't a single establishment party that represents young people or the working class. We were speaking about workers coming out on strike. These are young people too. There is an irony to the Labour candidate, the party of the Iraq War, scratching his head about voter apathy.

In this city right here, we have started a branch of the Socialist Equality Party and every single member is between 19 and 25, every single one. We brought forward a revolutionary analysis of the global situation without appealing to capitalist forces. I am 25. Every single day since I was born there has been a war waged under British and US imperialism and nobody is willing to criticise their pay masters.

So that is why, when young people and workers come forward and they do oppose war and the attack on their conditions, they are just spoken back to with the same nonsense representing financial interests that are miles away from them. Workers and young people are not apathetic, they are coming forward. But they are finding a blank wall in the establishment parties. Its time for them to build their own anti-war and socialist party.

Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

Attend our London election rally on June 30.
In remarkable scenes last night, Julian Assange arrived in Australia a free man. Stepping out of the airplane in the national capital, Canberra, the WikiLeaks founder raised his fist before embracing his wife Stella Assange and father John Shipton.

Julian Assange gestures after landing at RAAF air base Fairbairn in Canberra, Australia, Wednesday, June 26 2024 [AP Photo/Rick Rycroft]

At a press conference shortly after, Stella hailed a global support movement for having played a decisive role in securing Assanges release. At the same time, she warned of an escalating assault on press freedoms, expressed in the fourteen-year persecution of her husband.

Earlier in the day, Assange appeared in a US federal court in Saipan, capital of the Northern Mariana Islands in the west Pacific.

The court signed off on a deal under which Assange pled guilty to a single count of violating the American Espionage Act. The arrangement represented a victory for Assange and a backdown by the US state, which since 2019 had been seeking to prosecute the WikiLeaks publisher on 17 Espionage Act charges carrying a maximum 170-year sentence.

Having announced his plea, Assange was asked by the judge if he understood what actions he had taken that resulted in the charge. In a powerful act of defiance against the US persecution, he replied: Working as a journalist, I encouraged my source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information.

Pointing to the body blow against press freedom that the case always represented, Assange added:

I believe the First Amendment protected that activity, but I accept that it was a violation of the Espionage statute. I believe the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction with each other, but I accept that it would be difficult to win such a case given all the circumstances.

The bipartisan assault on the First Amendment, the central protection of free speech and freedom of the press in the US, underscores a turn towards authoritarianism bound up with massive social inequality and an eruption of imperialist war globally.

There was a notable comment from Judge Ramona V. Manglona. In accepting the terms of the plea deal, under which Assange is sentenced to time served during his incarceration in Britains Belmarsh Prison, Manglona stated:

Theres another significant factthe government has indicated there is no personal victim here. That tells me the dissemination of this information did not result in any known physical injury.

For years, the US government justified its pursuit of Assange with bogus claims that WikiLeaks publications placed lives at risk. While previously acknowledging they would not identify any supposed victims, US authorities hinted darkly at dire outcomes stemming from the WikiLeaks releases. The admission before a court of law that no such victims ever existed again exposes the frame-up character of the entire US case against Assange, which was always based on lies.

In a desperate and pathetic attempt to cover this over, the Department of Justice issued a statement immediately after the proceedings stating that even if no one had been harmed, they could have been.

At the Canberra press conference, US lawyer Barry Pollack confirmed that there are no gag provisions under the plea deal, as there can sometimes be in such arrangements.

Pollack declared:

The case against him is over. It is a case that never should have been brought. I hope we never have another case like it. He has sacrificed greatly for all of usfor freedom of the media, for freedom of speech.

Stella Assange said that Assanges release took millions of people, it took people working behind the scenes, people protesting on the streets, for days and weeks and months and years, and we achieved it. It was this that had created the space for negotiations with the US Department of Justice, the eventual plea deal, and the involvement of the Australian authorities under the current Labor government to facilitate it, she said.

Stella Assange speaks at a press conference in Parliament House following WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's arrival back to Australia, in Canberra, June 27, 2024 [AP Photo/Rick Rycroft]

Highlighting the toll that the US pursuit has taken on her husband, Stella stated:

Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here, but you have to understand what he has been through. He needs time, he needs to recuperate and this is a process.

Explaining the factors underlying the US backdown, Stella said: Its important to recognise that Julians release and the breakthrough in negotiations came at a time when there had been a breakthrough in the legal case in the UK. The High Court had agreed to allow Assange to appeal extradition, in hearings that would have occurred on July 9 and 10.

That was the first major legal victory for Assange in years of proceedings for his extradition from Britain to the US. Since the beginning of 2021, US prosecutors, aided by the British judicial authorities, had curated hearings in such a way that the substantive issues in the case had not been the subject of court proceedings.

Stella explained that in his July appeal,

Julian would have been able to raise the First Amendment argument at the High Court. It is in this context that things finally started to move. It revealed how uncomfortable the United States government is in having these arguments aired.

That was because this case is an attack on journalism, its an attack on the publics right to know, and it should never have been brought. Julian should never have spent a day in prison.

In follow-up comments, Stella said that while [today] we celebrate Julians freedom,

[Its] also a day where I hope journalists and editors and publishers everywhere realise the danger of this US case against Julian that has secured a conviction for newsgathering and publishing information in the public interest that was true and that the public deserved to know.

That had established a precedent that can and will be used in the future against the rest of the press.

There was a move towards fewer protections for freedom of the press, not more, she warned. The only good outcome in the case would have been if it had been abandoned by the Biden administration. That not having occurred, all journalists were in as vulnerable a position as Julian has been.

Directly addressing the assembled media, Stella pointedly stated that this had to be resisted through a struggle by all who defend press freedom. Such a mobilisation from journalists and publishers should have happened years ago, she stated. The fact that it did not had resulted in this conviction. Assange would be fully pardoned only if the press unite to push back against this.

Stella and Assanges lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, thanked the Labor government for its role in the ending of the case. Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held a press conference last night, presenting his administration as having played an important part in the outcome.

Albanese, however, confirmed last year that in his limited representations to the US about Assange, he was not asking the Biden administration to drop the prosecution entirely. That helped create the conditions where Assange could only be freed through a guilty plea.

The plea deal was, above all, the result of tactical considerations by the Biden administration. It was fearful of further exposures of the criminality of the prosecution and the prospect of extradition inflaming mass anger and opposition amid a deepening political crisis in the US.

As a WSWS editorial board statement explained yesterday:

Though Assange is free, the global capitalist offensive against democratic rights is only accelerating. For every tactical retreat by imperialism, there is a more brutal counterattack.

In Australia, as in the US, the government is overseeing a venomous crackdown on opposition to the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. Whistleblowers are being prosecuted. David McBride, for instance, was sent to prison last month with the support of the Labor government for having exposed Australian war crimes in Afghanistan, including the murder of civilians.

The WSWS statement noted:

The basic underlying conditions behind the persecution of Assangeglobal war and extreme levels of social inequalitynot only persist, they are intensifying.

That underscores the fact that the struggle for democratic rights must be rooted in the working class and connected with the fight for socialism and against imperialist war.
In the most expensive congressional primary in US history, incumbent New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was defeated by his well-funded Democratic Party opponent, George Latimer, currently the executive of Westchester County. While running as the challenger, the longtime fixture in the Democratic Party establishment was in no sense an underdog, but enjoyed robust support from Zionist lobbying groups and fellow party leaders, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y. speaks during a primary-night watch party Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Yonkers, N.Y. [AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura]

Axios reported that as of June 20, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest Zionist lobbying group in the US, had spent at least $14.5 million on anti-Bowman ads. These ads did not focus on Israel and were paid for through its PAC, United Democracy Project. Democratic Majority for Israel, another Zionist lobby that operates in the Democratic Party, spent another $425,000 on television advertisements boosting Latimer.

Tuesdays race was called by the AP within 30 minutes of the polls closing. As of this writing, 88 percent of the vote has been tallied with Latimer holding a roughly 17-point advantage. Latimer is widely expected to defeat his Republican challenger this November; the last time the New York district elected a Republican was in 1945.

Within the 16th Congressional District, roughly 90 percent of the eligible voters are from Westchester County which includes the wealthy suburbs of Scarsdale and Rye, as well as the more working-class Yonkers and White Plains. The district also includes a sliver of the north Bronx including the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School, the school founded by former principal Bowman.

With a median household income of nearly $100,000, the 16th is one of the wealthiest districts in the country. The urban district is ethnically diverse with over 50 percent identifying as either Black or Hispanic. A large Jewish population also resides in the district; a 2023 study conducted by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation (UJA) estimated that 88,000 Jewish adults live in Westchester County.

In January, CBS News reported that a Jewish group known as Westchester Unites was registering Republican and independent voters as Democrats in the lead-up to the primary in support of Latimer and against antisemitism. In a graphic shared Wednesday, the group boasted that it mobilized 15,508 Jewish voters  to get out and vote in the election. The graphic noted that this was more than the 12,816 votes that currently constitute the difference between Bowman and Latimer.

Bowman is the first member of the pseudo-left Squad to be defeated in a re-election bid. The Squad is a self-declared group of progressives and sometimes democratic socialists that formed in 2018 following the election to Congress of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Bowman, alongside Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, joined the group in 2020, followed by Reps. Greg Casar (Texas), Summer Lee (Pennsylvania) and Delia Ramirez (Texas) in 2022.

Bowman was targeted because he was increasingly seen as a liability by the party elite. Under conditions where genocide is being normalized by the US imperialism and its ruling class, Bowman, a supporter of Israels right to exist, who at various times has been critical of the Netanyahu regime, was deemed insufficiently loyal, while Latimer, who was recruited by AIPAC last year, is reliably pro-Israel.

After polling earlier this year showed Bowman down by double-digits to Latimer, the DSA, Justice Democrats, Working Families Party and other pseudo-left elements attempted to rescue Bowmans campaign. However, as last weekends rally in the Bronx featuring Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders demonstrated, working class support for the left face of the Democratic Party, a party of Wall Street and the CIA, has collapsed.

In his victory speech Tuesday night, Latimer called for unity across the political continuum while condemning extremists on the far right and far left, in the process drawing an equal signs between fascists, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and socialists.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks at his election night party, Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in White Plains, New York. [AP Photo/Jeenah Moon]

We have to look at the arguments of the far right and far left and say, You cannot destroy this country with your rhetoric and your arguments, Latimer told supporters Tuesday night. The 70-year-old Democrat promised to work across the aisle to get things done.

In his concession speech, Bowman blamed his defeat solely on AIPAC, calling it a super-PAC of dark money that spent $20 million to brainwash people into believing something that isnt true.

He vowed to continue to fight to build a multiracial, multi-ethnic democracy that works for everyone, and left open the possibility of running again in another district. Bowman bragged that he and his campaign manager raised $5 million in six months. He added, If we can raise $5 million in 6 months, imagine what we can do in a year, year and a half Im still a damn good candidate.

Bowman was first elected in 2020 after a primary victory against incumbent Democrat Eliot Engel, who like Latimer enjoyed robust support from AIPAC. Bowman could not overcome the outsized spending of Zionist lobbies in this most recent election because he offered nothing but empty racialist demagogy to working class and younger voters.

While the mainstream press is framing Bowmans loss as a setback for the left, the fact is Bowman (along with the DSA, AOC and Sanders) has nothing to do with socialism or genuine left-wing politics. Bowman wasnt and isnt a principled defender of the Palestinian people; he voted to fund the Iron Dome in 2021 and since October 7, he has gone out of his way to denounce Hamas as terrorists even as the Palestinian death toll nears 50,000.

In an interview with WNYC earlier this month, Bowman again stated his support for a two-state solution and said that Hamas as currently constructed as a terrorist organization, cannot be a part of that conversation politically.

Asked to comment on the decision by J Street, a liberal Zionist group, to pull their support of him, a defensive Bowman replied, I dont know if their reason for doing that was because I was anti-Israel, because I am not anti-Israel. I support Israels right to exist.

While recently denouncing Israels military campaign as a genocide, Bowman, like the rest of the Democratic Party, fully supports Genocide Joe Bidens reelection campaign. In the same interview with WNYC, Bowman repeatedly aligned himself with the administrations warmongering agenda. We have been working with President Biden since weve gotten into office, Bowman boasted at one point, adding, We have directly worked with President Biden.

While occasionally criticizing and voting in opposition to Israeli military funding, Bowman, like every Democrat, fully backs the US-NATO war with Russia. Earlier this year, Bowman voted in favor of over $60 billion in military support to Ukraine.

In domestic politics, Bowman, Ocasio-Cortez and 209 other Democrats revealed themselves to be loyal class warriors for big business. Bowman was one of three DSA members to vote in favor of House Joint Resolution 100, which banned railroad workers from striking after they had rejected a pro-company Wall Street-endorsed contract.

While the outsized spending of Zionist groups no doubt played a role in Tuesdays race, Bowmans defeat was the result of his and the DSAs own discredited politics, coupled with his unstinting support for Biden, who is responsible for innumerable war crimes and attacks on the international working class.

Bowmans defeat underscores that there is no electoral solution to the problems facing the working class in New York, or anywhere else. As US imperialism careens towards World War III with Russia, and soon China and Iran, the Democratic Party works with Zionist apologists for genocide and increasingly fascistic Republican colleagues to enact their shared warmongering agenda. This includes the passage of multi-billion-dollar weapons packages coupled with attacks on the living standards and economic position of the working class.

The movement to stop genocide, imperialist war and inequality requires a complete break with the Democratic Party and the building of a mass independent socialist movement led by the working class. This movement must be in opposition to the entire US government, all of its policies and those of its imperialist allies.
Autoworkers, tell us what you think about this weeks court ruling against the UAW bureaucracy and the Department of Labor by filling out the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

Autoworkers across the US are hailing the victory in court this week against the Department of Labor and the United Auto Workers bureaucracy over massive irregularities in the 2022 union elections.

Will Lehman, a socialist autoworker who ran on a platform of abolishing the union bureaucracy, won a ruling in his lawsuit against the arbitrary dismissal of his complaints by a court-appointed monitor overseeing the election and then by the federal government.

Will Lehman with Stellantis Warren Truck workers

In a statement, Lehman said the ruling

 vindicates the fight we have waged to defend the basic democratic rights of over one million rank-and-file members of the UAW. Last year, Bidens Labor Department dismissed my objections to the illegitimate UAW elections without responding to the merits of my arguments about voter suppression, which led to a 9 percent turnout and the fraudulent election of Shawn Fain. This is a devastating blow to the UAW bureaucracy, the Biden administration and the court-appointed Monitor, who collectively oversaw the election and worked to suppress voter turnout.

I believe that Will Lehman and the WSWS are telling the truth, said a worker at Fords Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan. When Fain got elected, they were saying we are all going to walk out together. But when it came time to strike, they only shut down a few parts plants that nobody cares about. If it were not for the World Socialist Web Site, we would never know what is going on.

He continued:

There is so much scamming everywhere in the union. The rank and file needs to understand. We need to get control of the union. That is such a big job. They look after each other in the union [apparatus]. You know they didnt want [Will Lehman] to win. They want everything to remain the way it is.

Felicia was one of two delegates who nominated Will Lehman for UAW president at the UAW convention held in July 2022. She is a social worker in UAW Local 2320 in Chicago, Illinois.

She wrote:

Im ecstatic! Id like a do-over of the election now! Right will always stand. I have always been a supporter of Will Lehman. He does not give up. Hes a fighter, and thats why he is a workers leader. I am proud I stood up at the convention and nominated him. It was my very first convention. I had the opportunity to speak with him on the first day. I was convinced that he was genuine. He spoke about abolishing the UAW apparatus and transferring power to the rank and file. He could have won, if all the garbage hadnt gone on with suppressing the votes, as well as not informing workers about the election. Fain was no competition for Will. I was just a rank-and-file person at the convention. Things were not right there. Those on the platform had no business being on stage. They were all connected to and part of the corruption. I dont believe any of them were working on the shop floor. The monitor and the government are on the side of the UAW apparatus. None of them are concerned about the workers on the shop floor. When I spoke with Will, I felt we were speaking the same language. His message was and still is, to encourage us as workers to speak and fight for the rank and file. The day before I heard about Wills victory, I learned that Julian Assange was being freed! Im so happy! He should never have been jailed for telling the truth.

A Caterpillar worker in Peoria, Illinois, said:

Im glad to hear that they are going to do an investigation. Because with the numbers as low as we had as far as turnout, you would think it wouldve been an automatic investigation done. To me if youre confident that youre the person for the job, why not let the people of the union vote the right way in order to pick the ones they want in leadership? But instead, they try to rig the system.

Lyle Roussey, a retired GM worker who voted for Will Lehman, said:

I was kind of shocked by the judges ruling. He was pretty stern with the Labor Department. We know the UAW didnt use a good list to get everybody a ballot and that the election was a farce. The judge said he wanted an investigation or an explanation. That kind of leaves the UAW an off-ramp. The Biden administration will be hard pressed to explain what the UAW did in the election, but they will come up with some explanation to satisfy the judge. I have no faith the judge will change things. The mailing addresses the UAW used to send the ballots to the membership were way out of date, and they knew that. They knew the ballots werent going to reach the majority of the membership, especially the new hires and the younger people. Thats a tactic they used so Will wouldnt have any more influence. They were frightened over Wills position. He stood all the way through in his candidacy, saying we have to abolish the apparatus of the UAW and the workers have to take control. Thats right. Its obvious that the UAW bureaucracy is strictly in managements favor. That was shown with the bogus stand up strike. If you are going to strike a company and get leverage over them, everybody has to walk. Its not a strike if you only hit a few plants and allow them to keep producing and making profits. They are not going to bend. The UAW started, back in the 1930s in Flint, because they shut the production down. They stopped the profits, and they fought hard. Thats the only way that workers in the US and around the world can make any gains. Everybody has to stop working, worldwide. Its not going to happen with these piddly ass strikes. Thats a farce.

Now theres a new investigation into corruption. Who was elected? The same people who ran the union before. There was no change with Fain. They have a lot of money available, and they are going to try to swindle it. They are living like rich capitalists, with all kinds of money. They got away with a phony election, and they think they can get away with anything. The Department of Labor is not watching them. The UAW monitor is not watching them. So they think they have a blank check. There has to be a new investigation and another election. Biden wont do it. Hes working with Fain. All that stuff about being the first president to go on a picket line was nothing but public relations stuff. They want to prepare us for another world war. But people are sick of war, especially in light of what is happening to the Palestinians in Gaza and what is happening in Ukraine. The younger people are demonstrating and they are serious, not only in the US but worldwide. If we can carry that on to a demonstration against war in general, that would be great.

Bill, a retiree from GMs Pontiac Truck and Bus plant, which closed in 2009, said:

The monitors law firm serves General Motors, the UAW serves the Big Three, and then theres Biden. He is not for the working class, hes not a friend of labor. None of them are. FDR [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] was for the workers, or so he presented himself, but heres what the New Deal was really about. In 1917, there was the Russian Revolution, and there was a lot of support for what those workers did. So it was suggested by the labor leaders to FDR and the ruling class if you dont help us out here, you are going to see a revolution in the US. This was in the midst of sit-down strikes in auto and very militant labor struggles. The UAW tried to make the election look like it was all about the rank and file participating. But it was actually a dog and pony show. Shawn Fain was not elected by the rank and file. It was all smoke and mirrors. Hey, I did get a ballot. But when I called folks to tell them about Will Lehman and then asked: Did you get your ballot? What ballot? they replied. Only 4-5 of us got ballotsand that was out of our large circle of Ford, Chrysler and GM retirees.

A member of the GM Flint Workers Rank-and-File Committee said:

The Will Lehman campaign forced the UAW to face and expose their deceitful actions in the last UAW election, which is just a small representation of the hoaxing they pull on the working class every day. Without the campaign, they would have gotten away with no consequences, although there may not be a re-election, as there should be. By winning in court we are able to provide ample evidence backed by the federal judge that the UAW bureaucracy and Bidens Department of Labor and the monitor are corrupted. This is why it is more important now than ever to form rank-and-file committees to abolish the UAW apparatus before they get away with anything more.
Indian workers continue to speak out in support of the international campaign for the release of Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk, who was imprisoned in late April by the far-right Zelensky regime in Ukraine on bogus charges of treason.

Bogdan Syrotiuk, founder and leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists

Twenty-five-year-old Bogdan, who is a leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik-Leninists (YGBL), a Trotskyist organisation operating in both Ukraine and Russia and other parts of the former USSR, has been falsely accused of aiding the Putin regime. This is despite the obvious fact that Bogdan and the YGBL fight for the unity of Ukrainian and Russian workers against both the Zelensky and Putin bourgeois regimes and in opposition to the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine on socialist policies.

On June 13, the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), as part of its global campaign to free Bogdan, held powerful pickets outside Ukrainian embassies or consulates in a number of major cities throughout the world. The ICFI has also issued an open letter detailing his persecution.

Published below are recent statements by workers in India. We urge workers, youth and all defenders of basic democratic rights to sign the online WSWS petition and support the campaign for Bogdans freedom.

Sumita Shaw, an assistant teacher of social science, at the G.K Memorial School in Sagauli, Bihar:

I strongly condemn the detention of Bogdan Syrotiuk on false charges of treason by the fascist Zelensky regime. Bogdan should be released because all he has done is the sort of work a socialist journalist is supposed to do.

Sumita Shaw

It seems the government of Ukraine just wants to shut down any element of opposition to the real but disguised background of the Ukraine-Russia war. The banning of the World Socialist Web Site in that country is an integrated part of the intensification of this state repression.

I went through the open letter published by the World Socialist Web Sites International Editorial Board calling for the immediate release of Bogdan and I totally agree with it.

Akash Dev, a translator from Kolkata:

Bogdan Syrotiuk is a socialist from Ukraine who opposes both the Putin government as well as the fascistic Zelensky regime. When he raised his voice against the imperialist NATO-instigated Ukraine-Russia war, he based this on a socialist program that calls for the unity of the working class in Ukraine, Russia and throughout the former Soviet Union and internationally. Thus, he advocated for workers in both countries to fight against their respective capitalist governments.

It is totally absurd that the Zelensky regime arrested Bogdan, charging him as a supporter of Putin. The reality is he is an opponent of Putin as well as Zelensky.

The Ukrainian government fears the spreading idea of a socialist perspective and a revolt at home by the working class and youth based on that socialist internationalist perspective.

Nowadays every capitalist government around the world suppresses the voices against them in the name of democracy, which these same capitalist regimes keep crushing every day. They bulldoze peoples voices and their democratic rights at home, and whip up jingoism to falsely claim that the enemy is outside their state borders. The real enemy is at home, however, and that is the oppressive capitalist ruling class.

These governments are the representatives of the big corporations and finance capital. To deceive people, they pretend to be working for the people while crushing working-class opposition to them. They open government treasuries like flood gates to fund killings and genocide, but when the people demand more allocations for health, education and better living standards the same governments tell them there is no money to do so.

Bogdan, as a socialist, well understood the danger of imperialist war and the role of these governments. The Zelensky regime has put Bogdan behind bars to suppress the idea of the unity of the workers and a socialist perspective. When the democratic rights of people were being snatched away by their governments, Bogdan and his colleagues stood up courageously to defend democratic rights, including freedom of expression.

I join with the thousands of other people who are demanding the immediate release of Comrade Bogdan. I also appeal to all youth, students and workers in India, and around the world, to fight against the increasingly developing, and disastrous, third world war.

Shibu, an IT employee from Bangalore:

The arrest of Ukrainian socialist Bogdan Syrotiuk is a clear expression of the hypocrisy of the Ukrainian regime. Imperialist states around the world are whipping up nationalism to defend their interests. There are strong signs that people all over the world are voicing their opposition to the war as anti-war movements gain momentum.

Shibu

We know that the WSWS and the ICFI have been fighting for a long time against the warmongering of the imperialist powers. As far as I know, they are the only organisations which keep warning the international working class and youth of the growing dangers of a third world war while providing guidance on how to stop such a global disaster. They clearly and loudly emphasise the fact that this can only be stopped through the development of a socialist international working-class movement.

Comrade Bogdan, in alignment with this powerful program, called for the class solidarity of Russian and Ukrainian workers. He opposed the reactionary national chauvinistic wars being waged by the ruling elites in both Russia and Ukraine.

Bogdans arrest is a direct challenge to the anti-war movement and a threat to the international working class, and so I strongly condemn his arrest and support all efforts by the WSWS and the ICFI for his freedom.

Seniban, an IT professional from Chennai:

The arrest of this anti-war activist is definitely the Ukrainian fascist regimes vengeance against the growing anti-war sentiments among Ukrainian workers.

I strongly condemn the arrest of Bogdan on bogus charges and his frame-up and demand that he be released from prison unconditionally.

Bogdans struggle is for the class unity of Ukrainian, Russian and international workers against the imperialist-backed war against Russia in Ukraine as well as against both reactionary governments in Kiev and Moscow.

Venkatesan, a day labourer from Chennai:

I am furious about the frame-up charges and arrest of Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk. He spoke the truth, emphasising the fact that workers in Ukraine must oppose the reactionary war being waged by the fascistic Zelensky government against Russia on behalf of leading imperialist plunderers, including the US and Europe.

Venkatesan

As the WSWS has explained, the US-backed Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinians in Gaza and the US-led imperialist war drive against Russia in Ukraine are two fronts of an imperialist war drive which is now heading towards a catastrophic World War III.

As a socialist, Bogdan understood this dangerous trend, raised his voice against it and clearly revealed the bloody interests of US imperialism which inspired the Ukrainian regimes war against Russia. Meanwhile, he opposed the Putin regimes military invasion of Ukraine.

The drive towards a third world war is being generated through the necessity of the imperialist powers to redivide the world among themselves as the global capitalist crisis deepens. Knowing this truth, Bogdan, as a socialist internationalist, fought for the class unity of the working class internationally.

I strongly agree with the WSWS which explains that the release of Comrade Bogdan, the defence of democratic rights and an end to the imperialist war drive can only be achieved through the revolutionary mobilisation of the international working class.

This means that workers in India must forge class solidarity with workers internationally and, as part of that, with the Chinese working class, not only against the Hindu-supremacist and fascistic Modi regime but the entire Indian ruling elite which has rallied solidly behind the US imperialist war drive against China.
Media reports indicate that the city of Chicago is expecting some 50,000 visitors and massive protests at next months Democratic National Convention. While initial announcements by the Chicago police department indicated that peaceful protests would be permitted, the administration of Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson, with the backing of the Biden White House and the Democratic Party as a whole, has announced that peaceful protesters will face arrest.

Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters after winning the mayoral runoff election on April 4, 2023. [AP Photo/Paul Beaty]

The convention, to be held August 19-22, will gather delegates from around the country, its main business traditionally being the naming of the partys nominee for US president on its penultimate day. But because the state of Ohio requires the nominee to be named 90 days before election day, the Democrats nomination will take place virtually in July and the convention itself will reportedly unveil the partys platform.

Days after the shift in the citys policy on peaceful protest was announced, the city Inspector Generals office issued a rebuke to the Johnson administration for refusing to remove from the police force officers with ties to fascist organizations, including the Oath Keepers and the Ku Klux Klan.

Make no mistake, we are ready, Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a media event, appearing alongside Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Some 3,000 officers are receiving specialized training to respond directly to civil unrest and the possibility of riots, Snelling said. Multiple highlight videos showcasing CPD readiness have been aired on local media, with police officials emphasizing the deployment of officers to protect buildings.

The CPD and the Secret Service will be coordinating the efforts of 12 different agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The DEA has announced its involvement with a video, clips of which were shown on local news programs, depicting military-style raids of homes and large buildings. The local FBI command center has been upgraded, reportedly to respond to terror events and establish high-level communication with the rest of federal law enforcement and the Chicago police.

Johnson reneges on peaceful protest pledge

In April, Snelling announced that protesters would be able to exercise their First Amendment rights as long as they are doing it peacefully, without violence, looting or vandalism.

But at a June press conference, Snelling declared the citys policy had changed. He said:

Even if its not an act of violence, and its peaceful but its a violation of the lawblocking roadways, blocking venues, things of that nature, we will declare mass arrests in those situations and make those arrests. First Amendment protection is only there if youre not committing a crime, and you can be acting out peacefully but still breaking the law.



What Snelling is referring to includes blocking the public way, which any significant gathering would be bound to do. In recent months, protests against the US-backed Israeli genocide of Palestinians have drawn upwards of 30,000 in the city. Democratic Party leadersabove all Joe Biden, who will have been formally endorsed by the DNC as its candidate prior to the August conventionhave only become more unpopular since then.

Just one group of protesters, the Poor Peoples Army, has been permitted, and the Democratic Party has made it clear it wishes to prevent its convention from becoming a forum for criticism of its policies.

Snellings announcement recalls the citys response to the infamous 1968 convention in Chicago, when protest permits were denied to anti-war protesters. The few hundred who demonstrated were met infamously with overwhelming force by thousands of police, resulting in more than 800 injuries.



The argument that protests cause disruption and can therefore be suppressed by force is a justification used by every modern dictatorship on the planet. Lately, it has been used by US authorities to justify the brutal suppression of protests against the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. Police have broken up encampments on campuses across the country based on university administrators claims of disruption of university business, including at the School of the Art Institute, the University of Chicago and DePaul University in Chicago.



Numerous organizations have announced plans to protest at the DNC. Yet, all but one have been denied a permit by the city of Chicago, creating a situation where the city threatens to meet the exercise of constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and association with mass arrests.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois and the Coalition to March on DNC have filed federal lawsuits asserting the right to protest near convention locations after their protest permit applications were denied. The Coalition to March on DNC has pledged to march peacefully with or without permission.

US Palestinian Community Network leader Hatem Abudayyeh gave an update on the hearings in the suit on June 25 and emphasized the importance of protesting at the DNC. He said:

We will march with or without permits. Its the only way, the only way we are going to stop the genocide, and the now 40,000 Palestinians killed by the Israelis with our tax dollars and our weapons.

Fascists in the police force

For two months, the administration of Mayor Brandon Johnson has not responded to an 18-page letter from the Inspector Generals office calling for the formation of a task force to investigate and remove the many CPD officers alleged or admitted to being involved in fascist and racist organizations, which the letter identifies as an issue of profound importance and pressing public concern.

The letter, authored by Tobara Richardson, deputy inspector general for public safety, reads in part:

Any ongoing mishandling of the matter puts CPDs public legitimacy at critical risk, and profoundly undermines its effectiveness by damaging the very public trust that the city and the department are endeavoring to foster.

Richardsons letter notes that CPD officers are known to be affiliated with hate groups, including the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters and the Ku Klux Klan.

Based on a six-month investigation conducted by the CPDs Bureau of Internal Affairs, which mainly consisted of interviews with eight CPD officers facing allegations, the department decided in April to clear all eight of allegations of involvement with the Oath Keepers. Most of the officers acknowledged that they had joined, but claimed they had no significant or recent engagement with the group.

On January 6, 2023, Johnson issued a letter demanding that then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot remove officers whose names appeared on the rolls of the Proud Boys, declaring active involvement in domestic terrorist organizations should be grounds for immediate dismissal.

Now that he is in office, Johnson stands alongside Snelling and disregards officers frank admission of their membership in the Oath Keepers, saying:

If there is no evidence that corroborates or substantiates someones involvement as a member of one of these groups, there are very few courses of action that can be taken.

Last year, Sun Times reporters uncovered at least 27 current and former Chicago police officials whose names appeared in leaked rosters for the Oath Keepers, an anti-government group that played a central role in the 2021 US Capitol riot and counts many cops, servicemen and first responders as members. The newspapers investigation revealed that the officers named had professional records that included allegations of excessive force, improper searches and racist statements.

The CPD allowed officer Robert Bakker to remain on the force with a 120-day suspension after VICE uncovered chat logs on which he organized meetings of the Proud Boys.

Since the investigation, the CPD has established a list of groups of which officers may not be members, all 675 of which are reportedly street gangs. None of the fascist and hate groups are listed to which nearly 30 CPD officers have been found to be affiliated, including groups involved in the January 6, 2021 coup attempt.
Sign up to get involved in the July 24 demonstration at wsws.org/july24.

On July 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint session of the US Congress at the invitation of the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties. They have extended this honor to the Israeli Hitler in the midst of a genocidal war that has so far resulted in the deliberate murder of more than 40,000 Palestinian residents of Gaza, of whom more than 60 percent are women and children.

Netanyahu is being welcomed by Congress not only despite his crimes, but because of them. For all his fascistic arrogance, the Israeli prime minister is, in the final analysis, a political agent of US imperialism. His speech will have the character of a progress report, in which Netanyahu will explain to Congress how the genocidal war being waged by his government is advancing the capitalist geopolitical, financial and corporate interests of the American ruling class in the Middle East and throughout the world.

On the same day that Netanyahu is addressing Congress, thousands of opponents of the genocidal warworking people from all sectors of the economy and student youthwill be demonstrating in Washington to express their outrage at Netanyahus presence at the Capitol.

The Socialist Equality Party, International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) and International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) have called for, and urge, the widest participation in the demonstration in Washington D.C. on July 24.

We are calling for this demonstration not to beg Congress to change its policies. Nearly nine months of war have demonstrated that the corporate flacks in Washington are indifferent to appeals to reason, let alone morality. The invitation to Netanyahu should put an end to all illusions in changing the policies of the bipartisan agents of US imperialism. A new political orientation and strategy is necessary.

Therefore, the purpose of the July 24 demonstration is to set into motion a new and powerful mass movement of the working class against the Gaza genocide and the global escalation of imperialist militarism by the US ruling class and its NATO collaborators.

The Gaza genocide is not an isolated atrocity. The brutal assault on the Palestinian people is just one front in a global war instigated by US imperialism that threatens to escalate into a nuclear cataclysm.

There can be no separation of good imperialist wars from bad imperialist wars. The same governments that are supplying Israel with bombs and artillery shells to murder Palestinians are intensifying the proxy war in alliance with Ukraines fascistic regime against Russia. The Biden administration, crossing all its previous red lines, is now sanctioning attacks on Russian territory and declaring that US policy makers will not be deterred by the threat of nuclear war.

And at the same time, the Biden administration is relentlessly intensifying the confrontation with China.

The Gaza genocide and the escalating conflicts against Russia and China are part of a global imperialist rampage, led by the American ruling class. Recognition of this essential fact is the precondition for the development of a powerful mass movement against war, genocide and fascism.

At the July 24 demonstration, the Socialist Equality Party, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees will call for the building of a mass movement against genocide and world war on the basis of the following strategic principles:

First, the struggle against war requires an unconditional and irreversible break with the two corporate parties, Democratic and Republican, and the establishment of the political independence of the working class.

Second, the movement against genocide and against war must be international, uniting workers in every country and on every continent on the basis of their common class interests.

Third, the fight against war must be anti-capitalist and socialist, since there can be no serious struggle against war except in the fight to end the dictatorship of finance capital and the economic system that is the fundamental cause of war.

Join the demonstration in Washington D.C on July 24. Speak to your co-workers and friends and build delegations from your workplaces, schools and neighborhoods.

Distribute this statement on social media and via email as widely as possible.

Stop the Genocide!

Declare War on War!

Sign up to get involved in the July 24 demonstration at wsws.org/July24.
Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

Attend our London election rally on June 30.

All the major UK political parties have launched their election manifestos for education. They prove that educators and the communities they serve must face the fact that the devastating impact of decades long cuts to budgets will continue whoever enters Downing Street after July 4.

Despite feigning concern over the crisis within the school system, Labour has refused to commit any significant new funding. With the Tories facing a wipe-out, party leader Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly declared that There is no magic money tree and no spending your way out of a crisis.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, during a visit to Dover, Kent, where he set out Labours border security strategy. May 10, 2024 [Photo by Keir Starmer/Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Centred on the escalation of the war against Russia in Ukraine, funding for pressing social needs such as education, health, and financial security will be subordinated to the demands for increased military spending.

Starmer, having repeatedly declared his willingness to use nuclear weapons in the face of rising global threats and growing Russian aggression, has insisted, The changed Labour Party that I lead knows that our national security always comes first.

One of the first election policies to be announced by Sunak was the introduction of National Service for young people aged between 18-24. He targeted the 750,000 18 to 24-year-olds currently out of work and disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system to become cannon fodder in a new imperialist carve up of the world and its resources.

Labour did not oppose the scheme in principle, with shadow pensions secretary Liz Kendall complaining only of an unfunded commitment, a headline-grabbing gimmick, it is not a proper plan to deliver it. With Starmer proclaiming Labour as the party of NATO, it will introduce National Service/conscription whenever this is demanded by the ruling class.

Labours pledge to recruit just 6,500 teachers, during the biggest recruitment crisis in education on record, will barely make a dent. It will not provide additional central government funding for this, proposing instead to levy VAT business rates on private schools to raise 1.5 billion. Staunch opposition from the most privileged layers will mean Starmer could swiftly scrap or modify the headline grabbing policy.

Labour has also committed to provide 315 million for breakfast clubs to be met from closing some tax loopholes, but without a plan to recruit any staff. It has made clear it will not remove testing, abolish the widely despised Ofsted schools inspectorate, or fund crumbling buildings after the RAAC concrete crisis demonstrated that hundreds could collapse.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IfS) concluded that Labour had no commitments on school funding. Christine Farquharson, IfS associate director, said of Labours manifesto, We, and schools, are left with no sense of what might happen to budgets.

The IfS said of Labours pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers that it would boost the teacher workforce by just 3 percent, as 13,000 fewer secondary teachers than were required were recruited last year.

A recent poll by Teacher Tapp found 44 percent of heads anticipate running a deficit budget next academic year. School leaders and teachers are acutely conscious that chronic underfunding of education will continue, yet the education unions are still promoting the false notion that a victory for Labour in the general election will redress the catastrophe unfolding in schools.

With dozens of local authorities facing bankruptcy, a collapse in teacher recruitment, an unprecedented level of teacher resignations, a crisis in SEND (special educational needs and disabilities), collapsing school buildings, and a witch hunt against teachers opposing the Gaza genocide, proposing a right-wing Labour government as a means of overcoming the crisis in education is to treat teachers with contempt.

During last years strike wave, Labour denounced strikers and attacked teachers for harming childrens education and insisted they should be back in schools.

Striking teachers at Tapton school in Sheffield, February 1, 2023

But the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) gushed over the prospect of a Starmer victory, hailing a number of positive policy proposals. It advised, Labour will need to commit to making teaching an attractive proposition for graduates once again. That will need to include competitive levels of pay and a manageable workload so that the necessary number of teachers can be both recruited and retained.

The real reason for education unions rallying for a Labour victory is to further integrate themselves into the structures of government. The NAHT stated, 'There are a number of policy ideas that will require close work with the profession if they are to succeed.

Patrick Roache, general secretary of NASUWT (National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers) opposed calls for strike action at their annual conference in April, saying it was necessary to go on the stump for Starmer. Political campaigning to secure a government prepared to fix the damage inflicted on the education service over the last 14 years must now be the priority, as teachers need change from a new government that is committed to delivering a new deal for teachers and education.

The National Education Union (NEU) overturned its strike mandate at its conference held in April, calling on teachers to wait for the STRBs (teachers pay review body) recommendations due in July. This was aimed at dragging out the process until the general electioncalled on May 22with the aim of intensifying their collaboration with Labour in government.

The NEUs own manifesto cites the disastrous state of education and includes a lengthy wish list, but the most it can bring itself to call for is an increase in school funding of slightly above one percent, to what it was under the last year of the last Labour government. In 2010 the UK spent above five percent of GDP on education, which is the average for OECD countries. Today it has fallen to just 3.9 percent. We are calling for the next Government to invest 12.2bn next year to start reversing the impact of Government cuts.

Starmers government will be much further to the right than that of the hated Tony Blair (1997-2007). Blair expanded the Thatcherite nostrums of private enterprise, with his introduction of the privately run/publicly funded Academy system, and widespread use of the Tories private finance initiative.

After six years in office Blair backed the illegal war in Iraq, but his key election slogan in 1997 was education, education, education. Funding for education actually increased between 1997 and 2007 for core per pupil funding by 48 percent in real terms; 35,000 new teachers were recruited, along with a substantial increase in support workers, such as teaching assistantsup by 172,000.

Such is the crisis of capitalism today that Starmers policy is war, war, war.

Many teachers lost their lives at the height of the pandemic, forced to work in unsafe schools, with children sent into classrooms that were death traps. As the Tories were gripped by crisis, burning through four prime ministers in as many years, Labour forged a de facto coalition to prop them up, first under the nominally left Jeremy Corbyn, and then Starmer.

Starmer was the most intransigent in demanding that schools stay open No ifs, no buts. This callous indifference to life during the Covid pandemic will extend to sending young people to fight against their class brothers and sisters for home and country!

Teachers must prepare to take on Labour as it prepares to take office. This requires a break from the trade union bureaucracy whose function, in order to secure their privileged existence, is to block the development of a struggle in defence of educators independent interests.

The Socialist Equality Party is standing Tom Scripps against Starmer in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency and Darren Paxton in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-Shire to break the conspiracy of silence maintained by the capitalist media, the major parties, the trade unions and what passes for the left over the acute dangers facing the working class. We intend to build a socialist alternative.

We call on teachers to build the Socialist Equality Party and fight for a genuinely anti-war movement which unifies the working class and youth internationally.

Build the Educators Rank-and File Committee!

Follow the SEPs campaign at socialism2024.org.uk

Attend our London election rally on June 30.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainian men admitted to Canada as temporary residents following Russias reactionary US-NATO-instigated invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 now face forced repatriation and conscription into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Canadian imperialism, which has long worked with Washington to use Ukraine to threaten and ultimately wage war on Russia, is quietly supporting this criminal policy because their proxy army is losing the war.

For months, videos of conscription squads snatching young men off the streets of Ukraine to be press ganged into military service have circulated on social media. These public kidnappings face growing resistance from workers and their families who oppose the senseless slaughter of their sons, brothers, husbands and fathers in an imperialist bloodbath. Press gangs violently assault Ukrainians who resist.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, June 10, 2023. [AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky]

Faced with opposition at home and the fact that as many as a half-million soldiers have already been slaughtered, Ukraines far-right government headed by Volodymyr Zelensky has now internationalized its forced enlistment campaign. In late April the Ukrainian government began to refuse consular services to Ukrainian military-aged men resident abroad. Those consular services are now available only in Ukraine. Anyone returning to Ukraine to renew their documents risks being sent to the front.

In order to maintain a valid Ukrainian passporta precondition for their maintaining their temporary resident status under Canadian immigration lawUkrainians who fled to Canada must now return to Ukraine and risk being seized and forcibly enlisted in the military. Many will thus be compelled to do the very thing they fled Ukraine to avoid: killing fellow human beings on behalf of the Ukrainian capitalist state and their imperialist sponsors.

Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, justified the new policy in April, saying that a man of conscription age went abroad, showed his state that he does not care about its survival, and then comes and wants to receive services from this state. It does not work this way.

Many male Ukrainian refugees in Canada are now caught in a Catch-22 situation: they can remain in Canada with a lapsed Ukrainian passport, which would invalidate their legal status as temporary residents, or they can return voluntarily to Ukraine and face possible dismemberment or death, but with a freshly-minted Ukrainian ID!

Tellingly, a Russian youth, Trofim Modlyi, who fled conscription by the Russian state in 2022, was granted refugee status by Ottawa with all dispatch. At the time, the government and corporate media made a great public show of the Canadian states supposed generosity in his case.

Ukrainians who fled the conflict and came to Canada, by contrast, have been accorded only temporary status, which unlike refugee status can be revoked at any time.

Canadas temporary resident visa program for Ukraine expired on March 31, timed conveniently for the new conscription drive. Those who arrived after that date are no longer entitled to any financial support. For those already accepted under the temporary visa program and whose Ukrainian passport remains valid, Canadian government settlement support is available until March 31, 2025.

A climate of fear and terror is now spreading in the Ukrainian expatriate community, compounded by economic hardship resulting from the cut off of government supports. The Canadian state has spent about $4 billion on military assistance to Ukraine and more than $10 billion in all financial aid for Kiev since 2022.

The CBC interviewed Dmytro, a 21-year-old Ukrainian resident in Winnipeg, who described the climate of terror prevalent in Ukraine. Watching one of the countless videos of civilians resisting a press gang, Dmytro remarked, We do hear the constant screams of women all around, trying to protect this civilian who they dont know they are seeing their sons, theyre seeing their fathers, theyre seeing their husbands [in] his place, because no one is really safe [from conscription].

Dmytro made the important observation that it is constantly portrayed in media that Russian mobilization is bad, but Ukrainian mobilization is good. Yet there is no difference, currently.

As the World Socialist Web Site has explained, Russias invasion of Ukraine was a reactionary response to imperialist aggression and strategic encirclement. It expresses the interests of the Russian capitalist oligarchy that emerged directly out of the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union. This oligarchy acquired its wealth from the outright theft of the socialized property created by the Soviet working class. Ukraine is similarly ruled by a capitalist oligarchy that arose out of exactly the same process. The dissolution of the Soviet Union left all of its independent capitalist successor states vulnerable to imperialist provocations. Nowhere have those been more active than in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine arises not from the machinations of Vladimir Putin, but out of the irreconcilable contradictions of world capitalism. Canadian and world imperialism have embarked upon a military campaign to re-divide the world and its resources, faced with the long-term decline of American and European capitalism. Ukraine, and far-right Ukrainian nationalism in particular, have been honed into the tip of the spear aimed at Russia. Imperialism has spent tens of billions of dollars to transform Ukraine into a far-right garrison state in the decade since it orchestrated a fascist-led coup to overthrow Ukraines elected, pro-Russian president. It has helped rehabilitate Stepan Bandera and other the World War II Nazi collaborators from both of wings of the fascist Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists as heroes and integrated fascist paramilitaries such as Azov into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Canada, first under Stephen Harpers Conservative government and then Justin Trudeaus union-backed Liberal regime, has assisted this process at every step. It has deployed Canadian Armed Forces personnel to help train and reorganize Ukraines military, including through the integration of fascist forces, while railing against purported Russian war crimes and genocide. In September 2023, the whole Canadian parliamentincluding all the MPs of the union-sponsored New Democratic Party (NDP) gave a standing ovation to the Nazi collaborator Yaroslav Hunka, a 99-year-old veteran of the 14th Grenadier Division of the Waffen-SS, applauding him as a freedom fighter against Russia. This was the outcome of decades of Canadian ruling class support for Ukrainian fascism, as the WSWS has documented in our series, Canadian imperialisms fascist friends.

This support is now taking the form of silent complicity with the vicious Ukrainian press-gang conscription campaign. With Canadian government support for Ukrainian refugees having dried up, so too have even the two-faced, hypocritical statements of the NDP, which in 2022 made some toothless demands for visa-free travel for Ukrainian refugees. With imperialisms war campaign in jeopardy, such empty sentiments have fallen by the wayside. The NDPs February 2024 statement on the second anniversary of the war, authored by its foreign affairs critic, Edmonton MP Heather McPherson, an open apologist for Ukrainian fascist forces, attacked the Trudeau government from the right, demanding a more aggressive imperialist confrontation with Russia.

The campaign of enforced conscription and the support offered to it by Canadian imperialism expose the lie that the war in Ukraine is about defending democracy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has refused to call new elections after his mandate expired in May and heads a regime that is ruling through martial law and savagely suppressing the working class. On June 19, the Ukrainian government banned yet another political opposition party, Nash Krai  Our Land the parties of the political left having been banned since 2022.

Bogdan Syrotiuk

In April, the Ukrainian government arrested Bogdan Syrotiuk, the leader of the Young Guard of Bolshevik Leninists, which is in political solidarity with the International Committee of the Fourth International, on trumped up charges of treason. The Ukrainian state accused the WSWS, for which Syrotiuk writes, of operating as a Russian propaganda and information agency. On June 3, Ukraine banned the World Socialist Web Site. As the political record of the WSWS shows, these accusations are a pack of lies.

Syrotiuk remains in prison, and the Ukrainian state has threatened several prominent Ukrainian lawyers with violence should they decide to defend him in court. Bogdans true crime is his principled opposition to the war on the basis of an internationalist and revolutionary socialist perspective, which calls for the political unification of Ukrainian and Russian workers against all the belligerent governments and ruling classes, including Canadas. This is a message which neither the Ukrainian nor Canadian state wishes workers to hear, and so he has been imprisoned and falsely accused, with the support of American, Canadian and European imperialism.

The WSWS has conducted a vigorous worldwide campaign in Syrotiuks defence, receiving support from leading artists, intellectuals, journalists and workers around the world. On June 13, a global day of action was held with pickets conducted outside Ukrainian embassies and consulates in the USA, Britain, Germany, France, Australia and Canada.

A part of the June 13, 2024 picket outside the Ukrainian consulate demanding Comrade Bogdan Syrotiuk's immediate release

While picketing the Ukrainian consulate in Toronto, World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke with several Ukrainians. These included young mothers with children, the elderly, and several young men. Without exception, they took leaflets in support of the campaign to free Bogdan, reading them with great interest. One young man on his way into the Ukrainian Consulate described President Zelensky as a political criminal.

A delegation from the WSWS entered the consulate to deliver an official letter of protest in support of Bogdan Syrotiuk from the Socialist Equality Party, the Canadian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Ukrainian workers had already taken copies of the WSWS leaflet into the Consulate, where it was being quietly discussed by several people in the long line up.

The warm reception in Canadas Ukrainian refugee community to the campaign of international solidarity with Bogdan Syrotiuk demonstrates the real basis that exists for the unification of Ukrainian and Russian workers in opposition to the bloody imperialist-fuelled slaughter. An international, revolutionary socialist movement of the working class must be urgently built to stop the imperialist bloodbath in Ukraine, and imperialisms rapid descent into global war.
Teacher and staff unions at Brazils federal institutions and universities earlier this week shut down a strike against the government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Workers Party  PT) for better wages, working conditions, and infrastructure. The staff had been on strike since March 11, while the teachers began their strike on April 15. It was the biggest strike against the Lula government since its inauguration at the beginning of last year.

Protest by teachers and staff of federal education in Brasilia on April 17. [Photo: SINASEFE]

From the very beginning, the unions refused to carry out a unified struggle against the Lula government, launching the strikes on different dates and isolating this struggle from other sectors of federal workers, such as environmental staff and employees of the National Social Security Institute, who are also going on strike against the Lula governments austerity policies. During the federal education strike, teachers in numerous state education systems also staged walkouts and strikes against the ongoing attacks on public education.

In this sense, the unions are continuing the traitorous role they played throughout the government of fascistic president Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022). After helping to isolate student struggles against Bolsonaros numerous attacks on universities and helping to channel them into the election of Lula in 2022, they are now covering for the new pro-capitalist PT government in its attacks on education and social services.

Many rank-and-file teachers were determined to continue the strike and refused to accept the dead end of fruitless negotiations with the Lula government that the National Association of Higher Education Teachers (ANDES) subjected the strike movement to. Of the 55 union sections of ANDES, controlled by Morenoite and Pabloite tendencies of the pseudo-left Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL) and the PT itself, 20 of them decided to continue the strike.

The cynical celebrations of the end of the strike by ANDES contrast with its denunciations of the Lula government during the strike. On its website, ANDES wrote that during the strike the Lula government functioned in a disrespectful and contemptuous manner towards the strike movement, as it serves the interests of rentier and financial capital and has in its anti-democratic practices towards the trade union movement, anti-union in essence, one of its fundamental characteristics.

ANDES and SINASEFE, the union for staff and teachers at federal institutes, which offer from high school to postgraduate courses, have accepted the Lula governments downgraded proposal for a wage freeze this year and a total increase of up to 14 percent in 2025 and 2026. Since 2016, real wage losses have amounted to 39 percent for teachers and 53 percent for federal education workers.

These figures contrast with the wage increase of up to 27 percent that the Lula government has offered in this and the next two years to the federal police and federal highway police, who form an essential base for bolsonarismo.

Similarly, in his attempt to reconnect with the Brazilian armed forces, which were behind the January 8 coup attempt led by Bolsonaro and turn the page on the 1964 military coup backed by the US, the Lula governments defense minister, Jose Mucio Monteiro, is working behind the scenes to increase the defense budget to 2 percent of GDP, while Finance Minister Fernando Haddad is studying scraping the constitutional floors for health and education and decoupling pension increases from the increase in the minimum wage to meet the demands of Lulas new fiscal framework and his zero deficit target this year.

To end the strike movement, the Lula government announced on June 10 an investment of 5.5 billion reais (1 billion dollars) in stalled construction projects and the expansion of federal institutions and universities. However, as the daily Folha de S. Paulo reported, these funds had been earmarked since the middle of last year. The only new investment announced was for the precarious university hospitals (250 million reais, or 46 million dollars), whose employees held repeated walkouts this year and a national strike at the beginning of May.

This amount, however, falls far short of reversing the cuts to education that began during the PT government of President Dilma Rousseff (2011-2016) and intensified under the governments of Michel Temer (2016-2018) and Bolsonaro. This year, according to Folha, Brazils federal education and science budgets are barely half what they were in 2014.

In an interview with the Metropoles website earlier this month, the dean of the University of Brasilia, Marcia Abrahao, declared that We [deans] are asking for the budget of the universities in 2024 to be 8.5 billion reais (1.6 billion dollars), but its at 6.1 billion reais (1.1 billion dollars). And in 2023, it was 6.2 billion reais (1.2 billion dollars). So, we havent even reached 2023 yet. She also pointed out that there is a possibility that universities will not have enough money to cover their basic expenses until the end of the year.

The Lula government also used the union bureaucracy in the federation of federal university unions, PROIFES, which brings together only six of the 69 federal university unions and is controlled by the PT, to end the strike. At the end of May, the PROIFES leadership signed an agreement with the Lula government, which was rejected by teachers at five federal universities and then reversed by the federal courts because it did not have union registration.

The PTs attacks on education are not restricted to the federal level. In the Northeastern state of Ceara, where the PT has ruled since 2015 and has implemented pro-corporate programs in basic education hailed by the most significant corporate education think tanks in Brazil, last week teachers at the three state universities ended a strike that began in early April for better salaries and the hiring of more teachers.

Also, at the beginning of April, the PT governor of Ceara, Elmano de Freitas, used the support of the APEOC union controlled by the PT, the Maoist Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB) and the Morenoite Resistencia tendency of the PSOL, to prevent the start of a strike that threatened to get out of the control of the union bureaucracy. Outraged rank-and-file teachers tried to reverse the decision and were beaten up by the union bureaucrats, which then fraudulently accused them of being criminals and fascists.

At the State University of Piaui, another PT-ruled state in the Northeast, teachers, and students held a strike for more than two months at the beginning of the year for better wages and working and teaching conditions. PT Governor Rafael Fonteles cut the wages of the striking teachers and went to court to have the strike declared illegal.

Amid the federal education strike, teachers in numerous Brazilian states staged massive walkouts and strikes against the attacks on public education. In the most significant of these, teachers in the Southern state of Parana, protesting against the proposed privatization of state school management, were brutally repressed by military police in early June. During the strike launched in response, the extreme right-wing governor, Ratinho Jr., allied himself with the bourgeois judiciary to deem the strike illegal and threatened to arrest the union leader if the strike continued.

This powerful movement was also ignored by ANDES and SINASEFE, the latter including teachers and employees of federal basic education. One of its demands during the strike was the repeal of the 2016 pro-corporate high school reform, which is also widely shared by state public school teachers and students who have staged numerous walkouts and strikes since last year.

However, what has been seen since Lula took office is the opposite of what teachers want. Minister of Education Camilo Santana, the former governor of Ceara and an advocate of pro-corporate measures in education, has defended minor changes to the high school reform that in no way alter its pro-corporate essence or lessen the assault on public education in Brazil that it represents.

Last week, when a bill modifying the high school reform was approved by the Brazilian Senate and will now be discussed in the House of Representatives, the unions controlled by the PT and PSOL refused to mobilize the teachers, fearing that this movement would merge with the federal education strike against the Lula government and get out of their control.

In the most significant example in this regard, the state deputy and president of the Sao Paulo teachers union (APEOESP), Teatcher Bebel, hailed on Facebook the important changes to secondary education in the bill passed by the Senate. She said, its not the dream bill, but with a lot of effort, were restoring dignity to Brazilian education.

Considering all the lies put forward by APEOESP that it was fighting to repeal the high school reform and, more recently, the betrayal of the federal education strike against the Lula government, the least that can be said is: what a fraud!

At the beginning of last year, analyzing the formation of the Lula governments Ministry of Education (MEC), the WSWS wrote:

The Lula governments choices in the MEC and the other ministries  express the pro-capitalist character of the PT and its supporters, including the PSOL and the unions, against which teachers, students, and the Brazilian working class must immediately prepare to fight.

A year and a half after Lulas inauguration, these words have been fully vindicated. Teachers in Brazil must break with the illusion promoted by the pseudo-left and the unions that the Lula government can be pressured and form independent rank-and-file committees to unify the struggles nationally and internationally based on a socialist program to ensure free, quality public education from kindergarten to higher education.
Last week, Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed into law a fascistic bill requiring public schools in the state to display in every classroom the Ten Commandments, laws supposedly given by God to Moses, as recorded in the Old Testament portion of the Bible. They remain a central feature of Christian and Jewish religious practices.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry speaks during the start of the special session in the House Chamber, Jan. 15, 2024, in Baton Rouge, La. [AP Photo/Michael Johnson/The Advocate]

This is a flagrant violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibits Congress from enacting any law that would establish a state religion. The First Amendment was applied to all state governments by the 14th Amendment, one of three adopted in the wake of the American Civil War.

The state of Louisiana was only admitted back into the Union, following secession, after its state legislature formally ratified the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, abolishing slavery, incorporating the Bill of Rights for all citizens of every race, and recognizing, at least formally, the right to vote for all citizens.

In an effort to pretend that the new state law recognizes the Biblical laws not as a religious doctrine but as a historical precursor to the Constitution, the Louisiana law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed along with a few paragraphs of text claiming the Commandments were foundational to the establishment of the United States.

Governor Landry stated while signing the bill saying, If you want to respect the rule of law youve got to start from the original law giver, which was Moses. These words hardly disguise the real driving force behind the new law, which is the demand by Christian fundamentalist groups that separation of church and state should be overthrown, and religion made the basis of all public policy.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced within hours of the signing that it will be suing the state government for violation of constitutional protections against the establishment of a particular religion by the United States. Within days, the lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleging that the law is blatantly unconstitutional and substantially interferes with and burdens the constitutional right to religious freedom.

Ex-president Donald Trump, who recently visited New Orleans and was accompanied by Landry at a high-dollar fund-raising party, spoke out in favor of the law on his Truth Social platform: I LOVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Trump continued, THIS MAY BE, IN FACT, THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY.

Trumps love for religion and the Ten Commandments is, of course, dubious and cynical in the extreme. Any reader can easily verify that Trump regularly violates at least eight of the ten commandments on a regular basis, given that he worships himself and engages in theft, covetousness and other supposedly sinful activities.

The 78-year-olds parents are long deceased, having left him an initial fortune of tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars, so he cant be accused of failing to honor thy father and thy mother.

As for prohibition of murder (either the fifth or sixth commandment, depending on the religion), Trump may have obeyed it since leaving the White House, simply for lack of opportunity. But every US president, as commander in chief, violates that commandment constantly.

And Trump himself, in one of his more notorious statements during his 2016 campaign, boasted, I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose voters. Evidently, he had concluded that the Old Testament deity was not on the registration rolls.

The Ten Commandments law is one among many reactionary proposals from the right-wing Governor Landry, who in recent months has also sought to rewrite the state constitution and eviscerate the free speech rights of anti-genocide protesters on college campuses.

A proposed convention to rewrite the state constitution, detailed by Landry in recent statements, would address what he perceives as shortcomings in the existing document.

It will make Louisiana competitive, Landry said during a press conference. This is about giving the Legislature the tools to address the problems we know are coming and the opportunity to make changes the people of state are demanding and waiting for, describing the goal as reorganizing rather than rewriting the state constitution. According to Landry, the document, which was last revised in 1974, is outdated and ill-suited to meet the needs and challenges of the state.

Central to Landrys agenda is a call for greater decentralization of power, affecting how Louisiana residents will receive education, healthcare, and vital social infrastructure for generations to come. These changes will make it easier for local politicians to expand reactionary, anti-democratic policies and consolidate power in a handful of top government officials.

In yet another blatant move towards authoritarianism, a new state bill recently passed into law, House Bill 173, would enforce a 25-foot buffer zone around police operations, making it illegal to view or approach police forces, restricting the ability to expose police violence with potentially drastic consequences for residents right to assembly and protest. This is needed for the protection of officers, said Rep. Bryan Fontenot, author of the bill.

Another proposal would make it illegal for pedestrians to block public streets, which, taken together with the buffer zone law, would essentially outlaw all public protests in the state, with harsh penalties for violators, a blatant violation of basic First Amendment rights.

The Louisiana ACLU released a statement condemning the bill. The twenty-five-foot buffer legislation fundamentally seeks to curtail Louisianians ability to hold police accountable for violence and misconduct. If law enforcement officers were operating in a manner that safeguarded the well-being and constitutional rights of the public, there should be no objection to being observed. Moreover, HB 173 is impractical to enforce consistently and will exacerbate tensions in any situation involving law enforcement. We denounce the passage and signing of this legislation and urge our communities to stay vigilant and safe in response to these developments.

These new laws would also target highway obstruction and make it easier to lump together arrested protesters under the same law, similar to laws prosecuting organized crime. By using Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes, the state can corral residents exercising their rights to protest and charge them in a kangaroo court with minimal defense.

Considering widespread public outcry against the ongoing US-NATO-backed genocide in Gaza, this represents a dangerous precedent for further police-state crackdowns on protests. Under the law, protesters and protest organizers could be rounded up and charged together, facing up to 50 years in prison.

Amidst an increasing political and economic crisis, state governments across the US are putting forward deeper attacks on democratic rights and norms. Similar bills have gone forward in Arizona and Indiana. The ruling class must strike down traditional constitutional rights in order to crack down on anti-war sentiments, as US imperialism plunges forward into one bloody battlefield after another, now with the possible use of nuclear weapons in the US-NATO war in Ukraine against Russia and Washingtons war drive against China.
On Wednesday afternoon, the US Supreme Court temporarily posted a draft order that would dismiss Idahos writ of certiorari challenging a lower court injunction against its prohibition of emergency abortions deemed necessary for the health of the mother, although perhaps not necessary to save her life.

The draft order would dissolve the Supreme Court stay entered on January 5, thus restoring the discretion of emergency medical providers to perform medically necessary abortions in federally-funded hospitals.

The U.S Supreme Court is seen on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib]

Patricia McCabe, the Supreme Courts public information officer, later announced that The courts publications unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the courts website, and that a final opinion in Idaho v. United States will be issued in due course.

The 22-page document, which was downloaded by Bloomberg News and made available, reflects a 6-3 vote that certiorari was improvidently granted, which usually is interpreted to mean that after taking a closer look at the record, a majority of justices determined that further facts should be developed in the lower courts before the Supreme Court decides the case.

The draft order has separate concurring opinions by moderate Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, and by conservative Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Jackson issued a separate opinion, concurring in part and dissenting in part. Extreme right-wing Justice Samuel Alito dissented, joined by fellow ultra-reactionaries Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.

Unlike the deliberately leaked draft opinion by Alito in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that would later become final and overrule the constitutional right to abortion access established by Roe v. Wade in 1973, the temporarily posted document is not properly formatted, and Alitos dissent is obviously incomplete. There is no reason to doubt, however, that with perhaps a few modifications the ruling and text will soon become final.

The case has an unusual history. After the Dobbs decision two years ago, the far-right Idaho state government enacted a prohibition against all abortions not deemed medically necessary to prevent a womans death. Seeking to capitalize on popular support for abortion access, the Biden administration sued Idaho under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which covers hospitals that receive federal funds. An Idaho federal court issued an injunction that would protect those abortions medically necessary to stabilize patients and prevent grave harm short of death, such as the loss of a uterus.

That injunction remained in effect for more than a year, but while under review in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court suddenly granted Idahos emergency petition for certiorari and stayed the injunction, activating the state prohibition and triggering chaos in Idaho emergency rooms. Over the last six months, the states largest emergency care provider has airlifted pregnant women out of state roughly every other week rather than risk providing them medical treatment that may later be deemed unnecessary to prevent their death.

While dismissal of the certiorari petition would revive the lower court injunction and alleviate the immediate crisis in Idaho hospitals, there will be no decision on the merits and therefore no precedent to protect women in other states, such as Texas, which have similar prohibitions.

The Supreme Courts dodge is reminiscent of its June 13 dismissal of the case brought by anti-abortion doctors against the distribution of mifepristone, the abortion inducing medication, because of a technical lack of standing, illustrating the tightrope some Republicans are trying to walk between the overwhelming popular support for abortion access and the anti-abortion fanatics who comprise much of the partys fascistic base.

Justice Jacksons draft concurrence rips the majority for put[ting] off the decision, rhetorically asking how long must pregnant patients wait for an answer?

Jackson wrote:

After today, there will be a few monthsmaybe a few yearsduring which doctors may no longer need to airlift pregnant patients out of Idaho. But having not heard from this Court on the ultimate pre-emption issue, Idahos doctors will still have to decide whether to provide emergency medical care in the midst of highly charged legal circumstances with no guarantee that this fragile detente over the States categorical prohibitions will be maintained. And for as long as we refuse to declare what the law requires, pregnant patients in Idaho, Texas, and elsewhere will be paying the price.

Alito, in a sense, agreed, writing, That question is as ripe for decision as it ever will be. Obviously referring to the popular outrage over Dobbs, he added, Apparently, the court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable.

Also on Wednesday, the Supreme Court formally issued 6-3 decisions in two of its remaining 12 cases, leaving another nine pending. There are three cases involving federal regulatory powers, two raising the control by individual states over internet content, one dealing with the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement, one concerning whether the unhoused can be arrested for sleeping in public, another on whether obstruction charges can be brought against January 6 insurrectionists, and finally Trumps claim to be immune from prosecution for crimes he committed while president.

In Murthy v. Missouri, an opinion by Justice Barrett joined by Roberts, Kavanaugh and the three moderates, the Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs had no standing to challenge the federal governments alleged collaboration with Facebook to censor the posting of COVID-19 misinformation and alleged 2020 election lies, principally the contents of Hunter Bidens laptop.

The plaintiffs included signatories to the infamous Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for murderous herd immunity policies during the first year of the pandemic, Jim Hoft, the founder of the Gateway Pundit conspiracy website, and the states of Louisiana and Missouri.

Describing the dispute as one of the most important free speech cases to reach this Court in years, Alito penned a mammoth 33-page dissent, joined by Thomas and Gorsuch, which blames COVID-19 on a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, and questions the efficacy and safety of vaccines.

While the ruling is being heralded as a major win for the Biden administration and a setback for conspiracy-obsessed serial liars of the ultra-right, the rigid application of the constitutional requirement that a plaintiff must show a cognizable injury before suing against government-instigated internet censorship can be used to derail challenges by socialists and others who use social media to oppose the status quo.

Finally, in Snyder v. United States, the six-justice right-wing majority united to overturn the bribery conviction of James Snyder, a former mayor of Portage, Indiana, who received $13,000 for consulting after steering more than $1 million in city contracts to a local truck dealership.

Kavanaugh wrote that the federal bribery statute, 18 USC  666, does not prohibit gratuities ... that may be given as a token of appreciation after the official act. One does not know whether to laugh or cry given the recent exposure of millions in gratuities doled out to Clarence Thomas.

Jackson dissented, joined by Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. In what could be interpreted as a dig at the Thomas corruption scandal, Jackson wrote that the majoritys distinguishing of gratuities from outright bribes was an absurd and atextual reading of the statute that only todays court could love.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbocks trip to the Middle East highlighted once again the devastating role played by German imperialism in the genocide in Gaza and the escalation of war throughout the region.

Baerbocks shedding of a few crocodile tears over the humanitarian disaster in Gaza cannot hide the fact that the German government fully supports the genocidal actions of the Israeli army. During her appearances in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Greens politician repeatedly expressed her solidarity with Israel and the far-right Netanyahu regime.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivers the keynote address at the Herziliya Forum in Herziliya, Israel, Monday, June 24, 2024. [AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo]

In her speech at the Herzliya conference in Tel Aviv, she explained, The security of the State of Israel is paramount for my country. It is part of our raison detat.

This means standing up for the security of Israel when it is under attack, she continued. It means saying very clearly that Israel has the right to defend itself, like any other country in the world. She added that Hamas wants to destroy Israels security, but also Israels legitimacy.

Cynically, she equated the armed breakout of Hamas and other Palestinian groups from the open-air prison of Gaza with the crimes of the Nazis. The images of 7 October have stayed with me since, she said, as a human and also as the foreign minister of a country that was responsible for the worst crime in history: the Shoah, the state-planned murder of six million Jewswith the aim of extinguishing Judaism in Europe.

In fact, the genocide in Gaza underscores that the ruling class in Germany, eight decades after the Holocaust and the war of annihilation against the Soviet Union, is once again drawing on its genocidal traditions. Since the beginning of the war, it has not only unconditionally supported the Israeli onslaught and criminalised the enormous resistance to it, but has also increased German arms deliveries to Israel more than 10-fold.

Baerbock can repeat the government propaganda as often as she wants, but after more than 40,000 deadmostly women and childrenand the almost complete destruction of the Gaza Strip over the past nine months, there is no doubt that the Israeli army, with the full support of Berlin, is waging a war of extermination against the Palestinians.

Leading Israeli politicians and military figures made no secret of this right from the start. On October 9, 2023, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel was placing Gaza under complete siege. There would be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. He added, We are fighting human animals, and would act accordingly.

Netanyahu himself declared on October 28, 2023: You must remember what Amalek did to you, referring to a Bible passage in the Old Testament that says, Now go and strike Amalek ... spare them not, but slay man and woman, children and infants.

If Baerbock now criticizes some excesses of the Israeli army and warns of a conflagration in the region, this is mainly for one reason: She fears the growing opposition among workers and young people in the region and worldwide against the genocidal Israeli regime and against the even more expansive war plans of the imperialist powers in the region.

She warned:

These images from Gaza are travelling the globe, sparking strong emotionsin the Arab world, but also in the US, in Europe, in my country, everywhere. Disbelief. Sadness. But also anger ... this anger is not helping Israel to meet its security needsto the contrary. It only serves Hamas cynical drive to provoke further escalation.

In reality, it is Israel and the imperialist powers that provoke further escalation. Their war aims go far beyond the expulsion and extermination of the Palestinians.

For Washington, Berlin and Brussels, Israel serves as a bridgehead to militarily enforce their economic and geostrategic interests in the Middle East and worldwide. The mobilization of the Israeli war machine is part of the broader agenda to eliminate Hezbollah in Lebanon and defeat Iran, thereby advancing the war offensive against Russia and China.

Gallant visited the US this week to hold talks about the supply of further US weapons to Israel and the expansion of the war. Earlier this week, the WSWS wrote in a perspective:

US imperialism is pushing towards a region-wide war against Iran on the Middle East front of a rapidly developing third world war. The major powers are locked in a ruthless redivision of the world aimed at securing access to raw materials, markets and geostrategic influence, and outdoing and ultimately subjugating their competitors.

German imperialism does not intend to stand aside in this imperialist redivision of the world, but wants to secure as much of the spoils as possible. This is the significance of Baerbocks trip. In her speech in Tel Aviv, she made it unequivocally clear that she supports the military action against Hezbollah and Iran. Israel has the right to defend itself against the relentless attacks of Hezbollah in the north, she stressed.

And with regard to Iran, Baerbock said she wanted a future in which the ruthless threat that Iran poses to Israels legitimacy is deterred, with the help of Israels international partners.

She went on to say:

We saw how Israels regional neighbours helped to avert Irans aggressive drone and missile attack on 13 April. This was a glimpse at what might be possible in the region in security cooperation one day.

This is another warning. Baerbocks intense diplomacy in the regionin recent months she has also travelled to Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, among other countriesis primarily aimed at stabilizing the hated Arab regimes and strengthening the war front against Hezbollah and Iran, as well as facilitating the deployment of more troops to the region.

After a conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut on Tuesday, she complained on Deutschlandfunk that he had no real access to Hezbollah. That is why the Lebanese army is also being strengthened with UNIFIL, the UN mission on the ground.

At a party congress of the Greens restricted to delegates at the beginning of June, Baerbock even called for an international protection force for the Gaza Strip and the Middle East, among other things.
Summer is officially upon us, South Florida. And while scorching temps and sudden storms threaten to keep us indoors, we can argue there's at least one good reason to brave the elements.

When the area's out-of-town transplants depart, year-round residents trade the heat for less traffic and shorter lines. Best of all, we can finally snag a seat at some of our favorite breakfast spots, happy hour hangouts, and watering holes.

For those living in or traveling through northern Palm Beach County, there's even more spots waiting to become your favorites. The area has recently welcomed a handful of new restaurants. From a Miami favorite all-day breakfast spot to a five-star dive bar and a new concept touting talented chefs, here are three new Jupiter establishments worth a bite or two:

Ara

Lamb dumplings are one of the highlights on the menu at Ara in Jupiter.

Local restaurateur Steven Fondu, who previously served as general manager for Stage Kitchen & Bar, made his debut as restaurant owner with the May opening of Ara.

Located in a stunning standalone building at the corner of Cypress Drive and A1A, Ara offers a decidedly upscale ambiance with its lively u-shaped bar and sleek dining room overlooking an open kitchen.

To execute his vision, Fondu tapped the talents of two former French Laundry chefs. For dinner, executive chef Kayla Casale  also an alum of Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas  delivers a highly-curated menu of globally-inspired dishes with a distinct Mediterranean flare. For dessert, in-house pastry chef Van Nguyen, formerly of Per Se New York, matches Casale's savory experience with a lineup of delicately composed desserts.

The bar also makes for a humming happy hour or late-night toast where manager Griffin Robb offers a bevy of well-crafted libations including a buzzy espresso martini finished with crumbled almond biscotti cookies.

Ara at 1406 Cypress Dr., Jupiter, 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 561-730-5138, arajupiter.com

Hap & Hooch

Hap & Hooch's menu includes the "adult happy meal"  an American Wagyu beef smash burger served with crinkle-cut fries and paired with an old fashioned  for $22 on Thursday.

A casual restaurant with a beach-easy vibe and generous happy hour has opened at Bluffs Square Shoppes in the former Surf Taco space. Owners and longtime industry professionals Cassidy Flannery and Dan Newkirk quietly opened in early April, offering their take on upscale bar food.

Hap & Hooch in Jupiter serves up daily meal specials including a pound of chicken wings and beer for $16 on Wednesdays.

Hailing from southern Wisconsin with a fine dining background, the duo have mastered the five-star dive bar  one they hope will pleasantly surprise even the most discerning diners. Approachable and affordable menu items include a daily happy hour available from 2 to 6 p.m., alongside daily meal specials like a pound of chicken wings and a beer for $16 on Wednesday, or the "adult happy meal"  an American Wagyu beef smash burger served with crinkle-cut fries and paired with an old fashioned  for $22 on Thursday.

Behind the bar, an assortment of high-end cocktails feature top-shelf liquors and fresh-pressed juices gussied up with house-made cordials and elixirs and hand-carved ice cubes. Don't miss the margarita topped with a fresh blast of salt foam, or the pina colada that's filtered and carbonated to create a soda inspired take on the classic libation.

4050 US-1, unit 309, Jupiter, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 561-320-1182, hapandhooch.com

Pura Vida Jupiter

Pura Vida, a Miami-based chain with several locations in Palm Beach County, packs a menu with many options including acai bowls.

A Jupiter location of this Miami-born chain has joined the brand's existing outposts in Wellington, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton.

Founded by Omer and Jennifer Horev in 2012, Pura Vida was created as a neighborhood coffee shop and has since evolved into a South Florida staple for wellness-focused fare.

The store's daily menus offer an array of wholesome dishes that range from all-day breakfast with avocado toasts, egg sandwiches, fresh bagels, and acai bowls to customizable chef-driven salads, wraps, sandwiches, bowls, and a selection of gluten-free and vegan desserts. The store also sells cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and kombucha alongside coffees and teas.

147 Soundings Ave., Jupiter, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, 305-535-4142, puravidamiami.com

Elsewhere in Palm Beach County, check out these new restaurants:

Despite the dreaded off-season slump, there's no stopping the wave of openings across the region, from Penelope in Boca Raton and Gabriella's in Delray Beach to Cafe Med and El Segundo in West Palm Beach.

Ara has opened in Jupiter, featuring globally inspired dishes with a distinct Mediterranean flare.

An espresso martini from Ara in Jupiter.

Pura Vida restaurant recently took over the former BurgerFi space at Harbourside Place in Jupiter.

Pura Vida, a Miami-based chain with several locations in Palm Beach County, packs a menu with many options including acai bowls.

The Bar at Ara restaurant in Jupiter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 3 new restaurants open in Jupiter: Ara, Hap & Hooch, Pura Vida
At 61, ballerina Alessandra Ferri is giving her pointe shoes one last  maybe?  glorious whirl

This image released by the American Ballet Theatre shows Alessandra Ferri during a rehearsal of Wayne McGregor's "Woolf Works" in New York. (Kyle Froman/ American Ballet Theatre via AP)

NEW YORK (AP)  When Alessandra Ferri, one of the most celebrated dramatic ballerinas of this or any time, takes the stage Friday at the Metropolitan Opera House to channel Virginia Woolf, logic dictates it will be her last dance appearance.

Its not merely that shes now 61  albeit dancing exquisitely  and sharing a stage with dancers one-third her age. It's also that shes about to embark on an exciting new chapter as artistic director of the Vienna State Ballet, and plans to devote herself 200% to the task.

But back to that logic thing: It hasnt played much of a role in Ferris rather astounding career.

After all, shes retired before  in 2007, from American Ballet Theater  with fanfare and glittery confetti and countless bouquets. Logic would have dictated she stay retired, but there she was in 2015, creating the Woolf role in Wayne McGregors Woolf Works, which shes reprising this week with ABT. And there she was in 2016 dancing Juliet, her signature role, at ABT for a night, somehow making a lovesick teenager believable at age 53.

So its understandable if Ferri will not, even now, say never again.

Im not going to think about it! the dancer said laughingly (but firmly) in an interview last week, taking a break between rehearsals. I mean, I do THINK this is it, because I know whats coming next. But life, she adds, can be very surprising.

Like that time she ran into choreographer Martha Clarke on the street, six years after retiring, feeling like I was missing what I loved. That led to a dance-theater piece called Cheri at New Yorks Signature Theater, opposite soulful ABT principal Herman Cornejo (who rejoins her onstage this week.)

In the audience one day was choreographer Wayne McGregor, of the Royal Ballet in London, where Ferri began her career. Hed arrived with a major proposal about a new ballet he was mounting. Will you please be my Virginia? he asked.

Theres always a little voice inside me who recognizes when I have to do something, Ferri says. But still, she had to ask McGregor: Wayne, are you really aware of how old I am?

And he said yes, that he needed a dancer who can embody (Woolf's) soul, her essence, Ferri says. So I thought, okay. We can lead each other in this."

In an interview, McGregor expressed wonder at how Ferri, a petite dancer, can project ripples of emotion across a vast opera house in such an effortless way.

Whats amazing about the worlds greatest performers, of which Alessandra is one, is that they bring the audience to them, they don't need to project OUT, McGregor said. Alessandra is tiny, right? But theres this ability, this magnetism, to be able to bring the audience to her.

Both dancer and choreographer also note how rare it is for classical ballet, a world of fluttering swans and dainty princesses, to feature a fully fleshed-out female character of a certain age.

Alessandra is about the age of Virginia Woolf was when she died, McGregor notes (the writer took her own life, walking into a river at age 59.) We're so accustomed to seeing or thinking about dance as a young persons game. Were not used to seeing the power and expressivity of older bodies, inhabiting roles that reflect much more clearly our living in a contemporary world. Ferri can do that, he says, and people respond.

Alessandra is still dancing so beautifully, adds ABT artistic director Susan Jaffe, herself a former ABT principal of the same generation. As well as her incredible dramatic ability  she knows how to make the moment so alive, so electric and so authentic. In a way, the movements become sort of an extended gesture of what she's doing emotionally.

That phenomenon was clear at a recent studio rehearsal. Many young dancers there had never met Ferri in person. As she practiced the death scene, surrounded, lifted and carried by dancers representing waves, all eyes were on Ferris Virginia and the tortured yet determined look in her eyes. At the end of her duet with Cornejo, she lay down in watery death. The room erupted in applause.

Applause also, of course, rang through the opera house on Tuesday at Ferris first of two performances, with ballet regulars keenly aware that this might be the last time they see her in pointe shoes.

Ferri says one of the reasons she loves her role is that she's able to bring her lengthy past with her.

I can be myself, at 60, with a path. she says. A path full of wonderful moments, joyful moments, sad moments, angry moments, frightening moments. I can bring all of that to this role.

The audience sees it clearly. One thing it does not see: the incredible effort that goes into making it all look, well, effortless.

McGregor compares Ferris physical determination to that of elite athletes.

You know how you see incredible athletes all of a sudden able to swim the channel in their 60s? the choreographer asks. It takes so much training. That is Alessandra, the amount of work she has to do to make it so effortless is way, way more than being able to rely on your body when youre young."

This is also, now, why Ferri says she is ready to move on. Life running a ballet company, which she begins in 2025, will not allow for hours at the barre.

I have a lot of energy, she says. But I will need it for the dancers. I really want to be there for them.

Ferri wasnt always ready. She was approached to run a company years ago, when she first retired. It wasnt the right time. This time I was approached, and I went (snaps fingers). I knew back then I wasnt ready to dedicate myself to others 200%. Now I am.

But still, rather like the Rolling Stones, Ferri will not say definitively that its the last time we see her dance. (Except for Juliet  that role is in the past.)

I dont know, because life, as I say, is full of surprises, she says. And sometimes  often  its turned out in a way that I didnt expect, you know? So, who knows?
Baby, which premiered in Cannes Critics Week where it won the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for joint acting lead Ricardo Teodoro, has closed further sales.

Berlin-based sales agency M-Appeal have sold the distribution rights to Ama Films for Greece, Mezipatra z.s for Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Falcon for Indonesia.

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Baby, directed by Brazilian Marcelo Caetano and based on a screenplay by Caetano and Gabriel Domingues, follows 18-year-old Wellington, who finds himself alone and adrift on the streets of Sao Paulo, without any contact from his parents and lacking the resources to rebuild his life. He encounters Ronaldo, a mature man, who teaches him new ways of surviving. Gradually, their relationship turns into a conflicting passion.

Ama Films, whose recent releases include Ryusuke Hamaguchis Evil Does Not Exist (also handled by M-Appeal) and Jessica Hausners Club Zero, plans to release Baby in cinemas at the end of the year.

Falcon, one of Indonesias largest movie studios with its own streaming platform, has added Baby to its recent acquisitions including Cannes 2024 Competition titles The Substance and Emilia Perez.

In Czech Republic and Slovakia, the film will be released by Mezipatra Queer Film Festivals distribution label Queer Kino, where a theatrical release is planned for 2025 following a festival run.

The film has already been sold to North America (Dark Star Pictures), Australia and New Zealand (Palace Films), Taiwan (Swallow Wings Films), and Germany and Austria (Salzgeber). The film has received interest from U.K., Italy, Switzerland and Latin America, and further deals are expected to be announced soon. Vitrine Filmes is releasing the film in Brazil.

Baby, although clearly loved by LGBTQ audiences too, is emotionally universal, which we have seen both in the positive reviews out of Cannes and in the strong interest from crossover arthouse buyers, said Maren Kroymann, managing director of M-Appeal.

Baby is Caetanos second feature following his debut Body Electric, also represented by M-Appeal, which premiered at IFFR in 2017 and went on to screen at 50 festivals including Hong Kong and Guadalajara. Baby is also set to become a festival darling, with continental and territorial premieres to be announced shortly.

Caetano previously worked as an assistant director on Gabriel Mascaros Neon Bull (2016) and was the casting director on Kleber Mendonca Filhos Aquarius (2016) and Bacurau (2019), directed by Filho and Juliano Dornelles.

Baby is a Brazil-France-Netherlands coproduction between Cup Filmes (Brazil), Desbun Filmes (Brazil), Plateau Producoes (Brazil), Still Moving (France), Circe Films (Netherlands) and Kaap Holland (Netherlands).

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Dr. Jen Ashton is saying goodbye to 'Good Morning America' and ABC News after 13 years

Dr. Jennifer "Jen" Ashton is focusing on the launch of her new wellness company. (Charles Sykes / Invision / Associated Press)

Dr. Jennifer "Jen" Ashton is hanging up her stethoscope after 13 years with "Good Morning America" and ABC News.

Dr. Jen, who serves as the network's chief medical correspondent and co-host of "GMA3: What You Need to Know" is leaving TV to focus on her wellness company. The doctor known for breaking down complex information into funny, helpful content was honored on "GMA" Thursday with a montage from her career at the network and heartfelt messages from the ABC crew, medical community and her family.

Read more: Kim Godwin is out as ABC News president

"Some of the biggest moments in our country's history in health we covered, and that was an incredible honor and privilege to lead the No. 1 network in the country from the medical standpoint," she said.

"What really stands out as I look at those 13-plus years is those moments in our country's history where together we helped people at home with insight and perspective and analysis that I think we do better than anyone in network news here at ABC."

Dr. Jen announced in April that she would be leaving ABC to "devote 100% of [her] bandwidth" to Ajenda, a wellness company focused on obesity, gynecology, fitness and nutrition.

"I think there's a massive need now for good women's health information and communication," she told Michael Strahan at the time.

Read more: CNN journalist and host Poppy Harlow exits after 16-year run

The company "is focused on information and content and community and symptom relief, and it launched with the free newsletter, Ajenda, with a Jen  see what I did there?  and I've been having a lot of fun with it."

Dr. Jen also reassured audiences  and her "GMA" co-hosts  that she wasn't gone for good.

"You guys are my family," she said Thursday. "I'll always be just a phone call away."

Sign up for Screen Gab, a free newsletter about the TV and movies everyones talking about from the L.A. Times.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Evan Cabnet will take over as artistic director of Second Stage Theater, one of Broadways major nonprofit theater companies.

Cabnet, currently artistic director of Lincoln Center Theaters LCT3, will join the organization in September 2024 and will launch his first season of programming in fall 2025. He takes over from Carole Rothman, founder of Second Stage Theater, who will continue in her position through August 2024. Interim Artistic Director Bennett Leak will oversee the Companys upcoming season.

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Rothman, who founded the nonprofit theater company in 1979, had previously announced she would be stepping down. The upcoming season includes Leslye Headlands Cult of Love and Donald Margulies play, Lunar Eclipse, which will premiere Off-Broadway and star Reed Birney and Lisa Emery.

Cabnet has served as the artistic director of LCT3, Lincoln Center Theaters initiative to produce new works, since 2016. During his tenure, LCT3 produced 20 productions, including Antoinette Nwandus Pass Over, which later transferred to Broadway, Jackie Sibblies Drurys Marys Seacole and the original musicals In The Green, by Grace McLean, and The Keep Going Songs, by The Bengsons.

I am excited and humbled to bring my passion for developing, nurturing, and championing new work to Second Stage, one of New Yorks most vital and influential homes for contemporary theater, Cabnet said. As my mentor Andre Bishop says, we are living in a golden age of American playwriting, and Second Stages incredible history, and the home Carole Rothman has created for artists, sits firmly at the center of this inspiring and culturally rich moment. I hope to honor her legacy as one of the truly great leaders of the American theater, and am looking forward to helping write the next chapter for such an extraordinary organization.

His appointment comes amidst a broader shake-up of nonprofit leadership on Broadway. Bishop, the producing artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater, is set to step down in the 2024-2025 season. Roundabout Theatre Companys Artistic Director Todd Haimes died in April 2023, with Scott Ellis assuming the role as interim artistic director through the 2025-2026 season.

Manhattan Theatre Club executive producer Barry Grove announced his departure in January 2023 after 48 years with the organization. Chris Jennings, who had previously been the executive director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., succeeded Grove.

Cabnet also takes over as Second Stage gives up its lease on its Off-Broadway Tony Kiser Theater. While Lunar Eclipse will play that theater, its spring Off-Broadway productions will be performed at the Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center.

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Michael Douglas Set As Guest Of Honor Of 50th Deauville Film Festival

Michael Douglas will be guest of honor at the 50th Deauville American Film Festival. It will be the actors fifth trip to the fall festival unfolding in the swanky northern French beach resort. The organisers suggested Douglas has a special connection with the festival as the place where he met now wife Catherine Zeta Jones. Everyone says that the Deauville Festival is special, but few people say like me that it changed their lives, the announcement release quoted him as saying. The actor was last at the festival in 2013 with My Life with Liberace. His late father Kirk Douglas was also an honorary guest at Deauville and was feted with a posthumous retrospective in 2020. Douglas is a regular visitor to France and has previously been honored by Cannes and the Cesar awards. The Deauville Film Festival runs from September 6 to 15.

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Frances Les Arcs Film Festival Sets Iceland Focus

The Les Arcs Film Festival has announced Iceland as the focus country at its 16th edition, running against the backdrop of the French Alps from December 14 to 21. Under the focus, a delegation of Icelandic film and music professionals will attend, while a selection of feature projects will also participate in the Industry Village program. The Les Arcs Film Festival has a long relationship with Iceland, having welcomed many of its films, projects and talents over the last years including as Runar Runarsson (Sparrows, Echo), Grimur Hakonarson (Rams, The County), Baltasar Kormakur (The Deep), Dagur Kari (Virgin Mountain), Gumundur Arnar Gumundsson (Beautiful Beings, Heartstone), Isold Uggadottir (And Breathe Normally), Valdimar Johannsson (Lamb) and Ninna Palmadottir (Solitude). The focus is organized in partnership with the Icelandic Film Centre.

Christos Nikous Fingernails To Close Karlovy Vary

Greek director Christos Nikous unconventional sci-fi romance Fingernails has been announced as the closing film of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Jesse Buckley and Riz Ahmed co-star in the Cate Blanchett-produced feature as employees of the Love Institute, a scientific organization testing whether couples are truly compatible and suitably matched to go the long haul in their relationship. Nikou was previously at Karlovy Vary as a jury member. After being in the jury of Karlovy Vary Film Festival in 2021 and having the chance to present my first feature Apples to the Czech audience, I am so excited and grateful to return to a festival and a city that feel like home. I would like to thank Karel Och and Krystof Mucha for honouring us as the closing film of the festival and giving me the opportunity to share with the audience my English debut Fingernails. Karlovy Vary runs from June 28 to July 6.

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Miss South Carolina week 2024 has arrived! Heres what to know

Its Miss South Carolina week in Columbia with 40 women vying to be the next Miss South Carolina and 34 competing for Miss South Carolinas Teen has 34 competitors.

The teen finals are at 2 p.m. Saturday and Miss SC at 8 p.m. Saturday at Township Auditorium, a departure from previous years when the teen event was held on Friday night.

The new Miss South Carolina will go on to the Miss America contest.

The contestants have spent the week rehearsing and taking part in the preliminary rounds, which go toward selecting the top 15 semi finalists.

Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization will award $260,000 in scholarships, including $60,000 to Miss South Carolina and $12,500 to Miss South Carolinas Teen.

Officials with the organization did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this years event and the changes the pageant has undergone.

Saturday night ends the reign of Miss South Carolina 2023 Jada Samuel, a Greenville resident who was Miss Bridge City. She is a digital marketing strategist and graduate of the University of South Carolina with a broadcast journalism degree.

Miss South Carolina Teen 2023 was Margaret Turner, Miss Lakelands Teen who is from Greenwood.

South Carolina has had two winners in the Miss America contest: Marian McKnight in 1956 and Kimberly Clarice Aiken in 1993. Six South Carolina women have been first runner up.
Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, DJ/producer Malone has made it a mission to lift up artists who represent his Latin American roots by supporting them with his WHYNOTUS label and event series. But the major Afro-house x tech-house force isnt leaving himself out of the equation. With a residency at Miamis legendary Club Space, frequent sets at Hi Ibiza, multiple AfroHouse #1s on Beatport and over 1,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Malones passion and work ethic are paying off.

His track Rhythm Guide  a collaboration with emerging artist Ky William  is a true testament to Malones community-driven ethos.

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Its been an amazing opportunity to be able to collaborate with Ky, who I think is one of the best up-and-coming talents in the industry. We were really able to fuse both of our styles together to make a dope track for the dance floor. Expect more collaborations like this in the future for WHYNOTUS. -Malone

We connected with Malone to talk about what he stands for, how he developed his signature sound, whats on the horizon, and more. Stream Rhythm Guide here and check out his SPIN SETS below. Want more SPIN SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJs/producers pushing the boundaries of electronic music.

Who is Malone and what do you stand for?

Malone is a fighter. Someone that has had to work for every single thing. Someone who stands up for all the up-and-coming artists that were told they werent original enough, but that never quit. And with hard work, dedication and perseverance was able to make a name for himself and realizes that, more importantly, that hes just getting started.

Tell us about your sound  where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?

My sound is groovy. Its Afro, its sexy, and its vibey. Afro/tech thats inspired by growing up in Miami. Listening to a lot of salsa and disco/retro growing up. Anything from The Bee Gees to Hector Lavoe to Frankie Ruiz and many more Hispanic greats. Music that will always be for the dancefloors.

Was there a definitive turning point to your success?

When I started to understand who I was as an artist, the music I wanted to make and play out, and not caring what people thought about me, I became more confident in myself and with the music I was making. My hard work, networking, respect and pushing others forward has given me great return in my success as an artist.

When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?

I think once I was asked to become a resident at Club Space, it really hit me like, Wow, were doing something special here. Starting multiple labels and having so many artists from all over the world send me their music and trusting me to sign their music and put it out is a huge thing for me. It really means a lot that other artists see me in that light and want to share their art and confide in me to support their music.

Where do you want to go next with your music and what can your fans expect from future releases?

Honestly just depends the way Im feeling at the moment. I have a lot of big club groovers coming out this year but just recently I went back to making more melodic Afro beats. Thats the type of music that got me going in the first place a couple years back. I love it all, andI play it all in my sets. Ive never been about a single genre, and dont want to be defined by one.

Where have you not performed yet that you want to perform?

Theres a couple of festivals that Ive always dreamed of playing! EDC Las Vegas has always been a huge goal of mine. Ten years ago, I went to my first EDC and was blown away and promised myself I would play that festival one day. The other festival is Ultra Miami. That has been one of my biggest goals since I first started and cant wait to hopefully play it one day.

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In what ways have you pushed yourself beyond existing self-imposed limitations?

Leaving the label I had started and going out on my own, where I started my new label a year later called WHYNOTUS. It was a major challenge in my career. Im excited to put all this music under my own imprint and be fully in control of everything but also sign music from other artists and throw really dope curated events all around the world.

Whats next for Malone?

Im heading to Europe next week to play with BLOND:ISH in Mykonos, then Ill be in Ibiza playing with The Martinez Brothers at their Hi Ibiza residency, followed by a set at Amnesia Ibiza. After that, Ill be perfoming in Malaga, Atlanta, Peru, Chile and Buenos Aires!

Theres a lot of new music coming down the pipeline for the rest of the year. I have at least ten more releases and collabs that will be released before the end of 2024.

Ill be going back to Ibiza for closings, and going to continue to developWHYNOTUS and showcase activations all over the world.

What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?

I wish for the scene to continue to grow and flourish. I feel like its in such an amazing state right now. Its such a beautiful thing for artists to keep developing, and for fans to continue finding new talent that they love. I hope the music continues to evolve and get better and better. At the end of the day, its all and always has been about the music.

Any last words for the SPIN universe?

I appreciate you guys having me on. I hope you enjoy a piece of my live set from the first ever WHYNOTUS party at Jolene Miami. I hope to see you all around the world on the dance floors vibing and grooving to this beautiful thing we call house music. Much Love!

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.




LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

The Provincetown Business Guild (PBG) hosted the 7th annual Provincetown Pride Festival on May 31-June 2, 2024. This celebration of Americas premier LGBTQ+ destination and the full spectrum of Provincetowns queer community featured a Queer Comedy Showcase, Pride Cruise with Bay State Cruise Company, Feet Over Front Street 5K Pride Run & Walk and Official Pride parties. A new addition to Provincetown Pride this year is Reimagining Queer Africa, a partnership between the PBG and Obodo, a youth-led nonprofit organization based in Lagos, Nigeria, that advocates for the rights of queer Nigerians through art, technology, outreach, and financial support. Obodos programs range from film screenings, book clubs, and queer meet-ups to professional workshops, and the Queer Artist Fund that provides support, resources, and a platform for queer artists to explore and express their narratives.

Global Queer Solidarity is imperative during these times as the hate against LGBTQ+ people rises worldwide, especially in the Global South, said Matthew Blaise, founder and director of Obodo. Currently, countries with historically queer culture are being white-washed and criminalized through the joint efforts of the Global North anti-right movement and African politicians. Hence, a collaboration like this is essential in fostering a stronger global family, advocacy system, joy, and support. Through information sharing, education, and reflection, we step further towards achieving the goal of Queerness without Borders.

Keep scrolling to see what queer joy looks like in Provincetown!

Images Courtesy Julia Cumes Photography; Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Provincetown Business Guild

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography

LGBTQ+ Festival Pride Parade Celebration Provincetown Massachusetts

Julia Cumes Photography
damselfly restingon a pinpoint in the airchanges direction

I like this haiku by Jacqui Thewless. It brings to mind the thick, humid air hanging over a reed-choked drainage ditch in mid-July. And hovering above, a damselfly searching, always searching, for the inattentive katydid or a banded garden spider to pluck from her web.

Mysterious animals, fearsome to some, dragonflies and damselflies are creatures of myth and wonder. Just their names evoke enchantment and romance: Ebony Jewelweed, Blue-fronted Dancer, Azure Bluet, Shadow Darner, Unicorn Clubtail, Dragonhunter, Arrowhead Spiketail, Widow Skimmer, Ruby Meadowhawk, Racket-tailed EmeraldLast I checked, almost 170 species have been observed in Ohio.

Little wonder many birders who thrill to a glimpse of a scarlet tanager or indigo bunting, are starting to train their field glasses on these smaller, but no less brilliant flashes of vibrant life.

Ken Baker and Cocoa

Damselflies are more slender than a dragonfly

Damselflies, as the name might suggest, are generally smaller, more slender, and appear more delicate in flight than their stout-bodied cousins, the dragonflies. At rest, a damselfly folds its wings together at an upward angle above the back, while a dragonfly holds its two pairs of wings out from the body like a fixed-winged aircraft.

Both are predators on other arthropods but they differ in their hunting methods. While the dragonfly swoops in like an F-35 fighter jet to scoop up a flying cicada in a basket made of its six spiny legs, the damselfly typically operates more like an Apache attack helicopter, dropping from above on an unsuspecting firefly or mosquito.

And after crushing the preys head with their powerful mandibles, its just a matter of settling on some nearby cattail for a pleasant dining experience.

Blue Dasher dragonflies take wing at Whitman's Pond in Weymouth, Massachusetts. A common theme in Asian and Native American cultures is the belief dragonflies are messengers between the living and spirit worlds.

Their aquatic larvae, called nymphs or naiads, are no less murderous. Voracious predators on any organism in their pond or stream smaller than themselves, they employ a unique mechanism for capturing prey. Dragonfly and damselfly naiads both possess a toothed labium (essentially a hinged lower lip), that can shoot forward, stab a prey, and bring it back to the mouth.

Dragonflies, damselflies have short livespans

While some nymphs are known to live up to several years before crawling out of the water to transform into the winged stage, most adult dragonflies only live a few weeks, and damselflies seldom more than a few days, before dying of starvation or being preyed upon themselves.

In any case, the adults primary job is to produce the next generation. Males aggressively defend a strip of vegetation along the waters edge against other males. But when a female enters the area, he attempts to grasp her behind the head with special claspers on his tail.

They may fly together in tandem like this for a bit before landing on stem to mate, which entails the female bending her abdomen under herself to pick up a packet of sperm from a pad at the base of the males tail. This wheel or heart mating shape makes for one of the most striking biological images in nature.

After mating, female dragonflies can be seen dipping their tails in the water to deposit their fertilized eggs, in some species while still flying in tandem with the male. Female damselflies typically deposit their eggs into small slits they make on the stems of plants just above or below the water.

Folklore: Messengers between the living and spirit worlds

Theres a rich global folklore centered on these handsome animals. Heres a small taste: A common theme in Asian and Native American cultures is the belief dragonflies are messengers between the living and spirit worlds. In mid-August, large numbers of dragonflies arriving during the Japanese Buddhist festival of Obon are thought to be carrying the spirits of departed relatives, and people build bonfires to guide the spirits home for a visit.

Because of their remarkable transformation from aquatic nymph to iridescent adult, some North American indigenous cultures view dragonflies as symbols of renewal and the immortality, believing them to be deceased souls dreaming of their past lives.

European cultures typically had a less benign view of the insects which were often associated with the Devil and black magic. In England and Colonial America, the snake doctor was viewed as a guardian of snakes who would warn them of danger and even stitch up their wounds.

Staying with the stitching theme, in Sweden and parts of the States, children were told dragonflies would sew closed their eyelids and mouths or sting them (neither of which they can do) if they lied or misbehaved  the source of yet another sobriquet, the Devils darning needle.

But why dragon-fly? After St. George slew the dragon of Silene, as the story goes, Satan turned his horse into a giant flying insect, which became known as the Devils horse or Devils fly. In Romanian, the root word drac refers to the Devil, and an error in translation to English is thought to have changed Devils fly to dragon fly.

Ken Baker is a retired professor of biology and environmental studies. If you have a natural history topic you would like Dr. Baker to consider for an upcoming column, please email your idea to fre-newsdesk@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Baker: Damselflies and dragonflies, similarities and differences
Old North Farm will be hosting an inaugural pie baking contest this Sunday.

Home bakers will have an opportunity to display their talents at a local pie baking contest this Sunday.

Old North Farm, located at 3458 Crowder Ridge Road, Shelby, will host a community pie baking contest for the first time in tandem with its three-year anniversary party. In the spirit of rural traditions, OId North Farm invites the community and all home bakers to partake in the contest which features three categories: fruit pies, custard pies and bakers choice.

The contest is free to enter and features guest baker judges from all over the Carolinas to taste and score the community pies. Guest judges include: Joe Trull, pastry chef and former owner of Grits & Groceries, a famed Southern eatery in Belton, South Carolina; Nancie McDermott, food writer and author of 13 cookbook including Southern Pies and Fruit: A Savor the South Cookbook; Ashley English, the Candler-based author of 11 cookbooks including A Year of Pies; and Adam Duke, owner of Dukes Bread in Charlotte.

The overall winner takes home the glory and a golden whisk.

Entrants to the community pie baking contest receive free entry to the Old North Farm Anniversary Party happening at the same time. Judging for the pie contest is 3 to 5 p.m., and the anniversary party runs 2 to 7 p.m. and features a chef-driven hot dog menu and mini-market.

Old North Farm hosts community-centric gatherings focused on rural traditions and foodways specific to our region,  said Keia Mastrianni, co-owner of Old North Farm and owner of Milk Glass Pie, the certified cottage bakery located on the farm. Its our way of introducing Cleveland County and our rural corner of the world to the greater public while sharing our wide network of food and farm friends with the local community.

Mastriannis husband, Jamie Swofford is a Cleveland County native and former chef who returned home to grow food on family land. Mastrianni is a former food writer turned baker with a heart for connecting folks through food.

We hope to start a new and growing tradition with the community pie baking contest. Of course, all in good fun. said Mastrianni.

Old North Farm is a farm, bakery, gathering place and culinary destination located in rural Cleveland County owned by husband and wife team, Jamie Swofford and Keia Mastrianni. On one acre, Old North Farm grows high-quality ingredients for chefs, breweries, and cocktail craftsmen in the piedmont. Old North Farm hosts culinary events and celebrates the concept of rural revival in all facets of their work from farming to culinary events.

To enter the pie contest:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NPHUz-LHbhK7b_gDNF8MDFLBLR7Eu7GqSWigflFpH3I/edit#responses (entries open until this Friday at midnight)

- Hot Dog Anniversary Tickets (walk-up tickets available)

This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Bakers invited to participate in local pie contest
ST. PETERSBURG  Women storm into Fergs in a blur of sequins, slicing through the crowd of sweaty T-shirts in their rented white dresses. Down the street, at Dirty Laundry, another party sprints to the dance floor like a color-coordinated herd of gazelles at the opening notes of Gasolina. Over at The One Night Stand, others contemplate a mechanical bull ride.

The bachelorette parties have taken over St. Petersburg.

The bride tribes come from Kentucky and Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. They fly in for the beaches, the chartered tiki boats, the picturesque downtown bars with neon signs and silk flower walls. Reporters from the Tampa Bay Times spotted at least 13 bachelorette parties during one recent Friday night in downtown St. Pete. Of the six groups that were interviewed, all but one cited TikTok as an inspiration.

I saw they have such a vibrant nightlife, so many cool restaurants and it was right by the beach. So it was kind of everything I was looking for, said Philadelphia bride-to-be Haleigh George in between cocktails at Dirty Laundry. I saw it on TikTok when I was researching new places to go and (St. Pete) was kind of popping off.

George, 25, spent her weekend checking out downtown bars, soaking up rays at the beach and singing Taylor Swift songs at a private karaoke room at LALA St. Pete. Her bachelorette party bumped against several others along the way.

Its a very popular destination, from what weve seen, she said. This is the beginning of something.

St. Pete bachelorette boom

In a sea of Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas, parties, brides are looking for something unique, explained Lauren Barnhart, who founded the planning service Tampa Bay Bachelorette as a side hustle.

Its like a chiller Miami, said Barnhart, a 29-year-old whose main job is in marketing. (Brides) are kind of finding a hidden gem in Tampa Bay, where its not as hustle and bustle.

Barnhart fills out itineraries. Hunts for beach cabanas and pink party buses. Stocks fridges and festoons Airbnbs with balloons and tinsel. She has four assistants to help her. The business covers the entire Tampa Bay area, though she said most of her customers have their eye on St. Pete.

Ninety-nine percent of the groups that Im working with are from out of state, so they dont really know that St. Pete and Tampa are different cities, she said.

Barnhart was inspired after planning her own bachelorette in Scottsdale, Arizona, 2 years ago. She senses a similar phenomenon forming here.

Youre looking for something where its not ridden with other bachelorette parties quite yet, she said.

Visit St. Pete/Clearwater has been spreading the word to national outlets, said public relations director Jason Latimer. The tourism agency pitched a piece on planning the ultimate guide for a beachy bachelorette party in St. Pete to wedding website The Knot.

Do not sleep on this hidden gem in the Sunshine State, states the article, which was produced in collaboration with state agency Visit Florida. Recommendations ranged from candle-making in the Edge District to boogying at 70s-themed club Good Night John Boy.

Anyone whos out on the weekends, especially around the beaches and downtown, have noticed there are more bachelorette parties, said Brian Lowack, the tourism associations president and CEO. Were going to be looking to capitalize on this. We know folks are traveling for experiences and this is certainly one of them.

Later, he added, I look forward to overtaking Nashville as the bachelorette capital of the world.

A Boston bride named Elizabeth, who didnt want to share her last name, said she chose Florida over New York City for her party.

Theyre really strict about short-term rentals now  theyre kind of becoming illegal. And I wanted a big house that we could rent, she said on her way to Trophy Fish. It makes it fun and affordable for everyone. Savannah was on the list, but I liked St. Petes a lot.

St. Petersburg does have a rule prohibiting rentals fewer than 30 days (or no more than three consecutive times within a 365-day period). But local governments have struggled to rein in short-term rentals.

Elizabeth also contemplated Key West. Then she realized Tampa Bays airports had more options.

They have flights all day, different airlines. People can use different points, she said. Its just easy. I wanted easy.

Something for everyone in St. Pete

Down the street, at Concrete Jungle, two bachelorette parties bopped to pop music by the bar downstairs. Another spilled out the front door in search of the next watering hole.

In the line for the bathroom, St. Petersburg real estate agent Alexa Dennis complimented a bride-to-be on her shoes.

I love bachelorette parties here because it makes me feel that they get to experience a very awesome city, said Dennis, 25. I see them with their white rhinestone cowgirl hats and Im like, slay.

After eight years in the state, shes seen how Florida gets written off really easily.

I love that people are appreciating our city, Dennis said. Theres something for everyone. Whether you like sports, art, museums, nature.

Eric Olson, founder of PedalPub St. Pete, knows which murals bridal parties will want to pose by. He takes the animal lovers to Dog Bar and the country music fans to Rideem Cowboy.

His bar on wheels, powered by partying guests, has roamed St. Pete since 2011. Bachelorette parties have made up a third of the business since 2015.

Out of every 20 tours related to wedding celebrations, one will be a bachelor party, Olson said. Five will be coed wedding parties, and the rest are bachelorettes.

The bach crews tend to skew younger, from late 20s to early 30s. But hes had people in their 90s on the PedalPub. His drivers act as mobile concierges, tailoring recommendations to each group. Locals are fans of the groups, he said, for the most part.

There are places where weve gotten negative reception and thats because when a bunch of screaming bachelorettes go into a gay bar, sometimes people get a little annoyed, Olson said. But other than that, reception has been great. People say, Come on in, good luck to you! Youre getting married!

Brides and bull rides

Past the hot dog stand and a row of mobile smoke shops hawking $30 vapes, downtown St. Petes First Friday party was just getting started.

Over a dozen flappers and dudes in suspenders crowded the corner of Third Street South and Central Avenue, waiting for the guests of honor. They cheered at the arrival of the bride-to-be, who waved with gloved hands. Her fiance smiled in a white tux.

Outside of The One Night Stand, a cluster of women descended upon a brides zipper malfunction. Five other bachelorette parties danced inside, nodding veiled heads to Sweet Home Alabama.

Im from St. Pete, and when I grew up we were called Gods waiting room, said owner Michael Jennings, of Drink St. Pete Group. We were one of the oldest places in America and it was awful. We had no downtown  no nightlife. We had to go to Tampa.

The One Night Stand sometimes gets 20 bachelorette parties in one weekend. Theyre often lured by Mustache, the mechanical bull by the window.

I think thats our third bull, Jennings said. Weve had something like 750,000 rides on that thing.  So this one is Mustache Jr. Jr.

Around midnight, Mustache bucked another cowboy off its back. A steady stream of riders had tested their balance that night, but no bachelorettes yet. Skirts kept some away from the ride.

Then the door to the bar opened. More women in white poured in.

 Times staffers Rebecca Liebson and Aya Diab contributed to this story.
It's almost time for the annual Fourth of July celebration to take over downtown Granville.

The four-day festival, which has been hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Granville since 1964, runs from July 3-6.

Here are the list of activities for 2024:

Fourth of July T-Shirt: Sales have begun, and you can purchase yours at the Granville Farmers Market on Saturday mornings in June at Raccoon Valley Park.

Decorated Home Contest: Decorate your home in the spirit of Independence Day and show your patriotic pride. To enter, email granville4thhomes@gmail.com with your name, address and cellphone number by July 3 at 1 p.m. Judging will take place July 3 at 3 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place and will be presented on July 4 at 7:30 p.m. from the main stage in downtown Granville.

Granvilles Got Talent: Show off your special talent for all of Granville. Register for the show at https://granville4th.com. Walk-ons will be welcomed if time permits. The show will be held from 5-7 p.m. on July 3 on the main stage. This is a non-judged contest with prizes for participants and the audience.

Decorated Bike Contest: Decorate your bike to show off your patriotic spirit. Judging will occur at 10:30 a.m. on July 4 at Thresher Street and West Broadway. Prizes will be awarded for the top three bikes and then participants will ride in the parade.

Fourth of July Parade: Parade starts on West Broadway near Wildwood Park at 10:45 a.m. on July 4. The parade happens rain or shine. This year's grand marshal is Bruce Cramer, who retired last year after 18 years as the first executive director of the Bryn Du Mansion.

Decorated Float Contest: This years parade theme is Stars, Stripes & SPIRIT. Businesses and neighborhoods are encouraged to enter the Annual Mile Long Parade. Prizes are awarded in several categories, including Community Floats, Commercial Floats and Open Float Category. The Grand Prize for the Best Float in the Parade is the Ike Fuller Award.

Patriotic Pet Contest: Your pet can show of their patriotic spirit during this contest on July 4 from 5:30-6 p.m. on the main stage. There will be awards for the top three based on creativity, uniqueness and quality of costume. You can register your pet onsite.

McGuffey Lane performance: The central Ohio band is celebrating 50 years with a free show on the downtown stage at 8 p.m. on July 4, sponsored by Duchess Convenience Stores.

Behind the Velvet Rope Open House at the Bryn Du Mansion: Visitors will have the unique opportunity to explore exclusive areas of the mansion typically closed to the public from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on July 5.

Fireworks: This year's display will be on July 5, sponsored by the Granville Community Foundation. Pre-show music by the Big Badd, sponsored by Hinderer Motor Company, and refreshments in Wildwood Park starting at 6 p.m.

Annual Photography Contest: Photos must be taken in Granville this year. Awards will be given in eight categories: Fireworks, Games/Rides, Granville Celebration, Macro/Floral, Parade/Independence Day, Scenic Granville, Black and White, Reflections. Awards reception and exhibition will be held Sept. 6-8 at Bryn Du Art Center with support from the Granville Arts Commission. Submission deadline is July 31 and full contest information is available at https://granville4th.com.

Information submitted by the Kiwanis Club of Granville.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Here's the Granville 2024 Fourth of July Celebration event schedule
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. If Azerbaijan expresses interest in joining the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), their request will be warmly considered, EDB Board Chairman Nikolai Podguzov told Trend on the sidelines of the bank's annual meeting and business forum in Almaty.

"Azerbaijan is located in our primary operational region. Therefore, if Azerbaijan expresses interest in joining the bank, we would welcome such a proposal. I am confident that a decision will be promptly made," he emphasized.

Podguzov noted that Azerbaijan actively collaborates with both Russia and Kazakhstan, the founding countries of the bank.

"If such a proposal arises, we are prepared to present it to our shareholders. I am optimistic that they will respond positively and make a favorable decision," the chair added.

To note, the EDB 2024 Annual Meeting and Business Forum is taking place in Almaty on June 2728.

The events feature a series of sessions on the topics of Islamic finance, transport, ecology, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank carrying out investment activities in the Eurasian region.

The EDB's authorized capital is $7 billion. The main share in the EDB portfolio is occupied by projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry and mechanical engineering.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Robots directed by middle school students spun and whizzed around the atrium of Del Mar College's Venters Building on Wednesday.

This summer, sixth through eighth graders from schools in and around Corpus Christi gathered at Del Mar College for coding camps, part of efforts to support a local pathway to encourage students to engage with computer science and environmental science early and continue their education at Del Mar College and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

#Code_IT campers and leaders use smartphones and tablets to control robots at Del Mar on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Campers Zhoie Adams, an incoming seventh grader at Banquete Junior High School, Markus Soto, an incoming eighth grader at Cunningham at South Park Middle School, and mentor camper Joseph Flores, an incoming eighth grader at Seale Junior High School in Robstown, tested out codes they'd created for GoPiGo robots.

Soto had the idea attach a marker to the robot in the hopes of directing it to draw a star, while Adams directed the robot to spin and flash a light when it was her turn.

Middle school students program GoPiGo robots during #Code_IT Camp at Del Mar on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

All three students said they enjoy robotics and coding in their free time. Flores was participating in the camp for a third year. He hopes to become a game designer.

Last week, the college hosted a beginner coding camp. This week, 18 students continued for a more in-depth program, including hands-on activities using Python and JavaScript and lessons on artificial intelligence.

"Students that we found were exceptional or had the drive and are motivated from camp one, we migrate them into camp two," Del Mar College computer science assistant professor Korinne Caruso said.

West Oso incoming eight grade student Curtis Ceasa and IWA student Evelyn James work on coding robots during #Code_IT Camp at Del Mar on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Students who participated in previous years can also come back as mentor campers. The camp has proved popular in recent years, Caruso said. Next year's camp already has a waiting list.

The camp is free, funded through a Texas Workforce Commission grant.

"The idea is to give them an opportunity to explore computer science and artificial intelligence through computer programming in block coding," Caruso said.

London incoming seventh grader Tomas Hernandez programs a GoPiGo, or robot, while Zhoie Adams, an incoming seventh grader at Banquete, watches during #Code_IT Camp at Del Mar on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Researchers from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi visited to share recent research in artificial intelligence and environmental science. The university and Del Mar College are both collaborators in AI2ES, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative focused on incorporating artificial intelligence into researching and predicting atmospheric and oceanic phenomena like weather patterns and sea levels.

Students might participate in a camp in middle school and then study at Del Mar College before continuing at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and working in research facilities, Caruso said. Additionally, campers can take what they learned back home to share with their friends and classmates, Caruso said.

Yan Xu, a computer programming professor at Del Mar, assists Incarnate Word Academy student Evelyn James with coding a robot during #Code_IT Camp on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"They can start at Del Mar, learn the fundamentals and then connect with people at A&M-Corpus Christi," Caruso said. "At this young stage, we're trying to teach them that both schools are working together to meet the needs of our community."

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student Maaz Haque was one of the helpers working with campers.

West Oso incoming eight grade student Rafael Porfirio looks up from a tablet while programing a Sphero Bolt, or coding robot, during #Code_IT Camp at Del Mar on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

"It's really nice that these kids are starting so young," Haque said. "They're going to have a really good foundation. I feel like if I had done something like this, I would be way ahead of the curve."

Participants were engaged in eight hours of classroom instruction each week and 70 hours of hands-on activities. At the end of the camp, participants take home Raspberry Pi computer hardware and GoPiGo robots.

West Oso incoming seventh grade student Kane Odom puts a presentation together on what he learned at #Code_IT Camp on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Students came from a variety of schools, including Corpus Christi ISD, Robstown ISD and West Oso ISD, as well as other area charter and private schools.

"I love it," West Oso Junior High School incoming seventh grader Kane Odem said.

Outdoors: Here are seven tips to help beat the Texas heat this summer

Skaters unite to shred up Corpus Christi's new West Guth Skate Park

Texas Rising hosts beach cleanup to celebrate Pride

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Del Mar College camp reaches Coastal Bend students who love coding
NEWPORT  It's not your average picnic when Hollie Mitchell's running the show. It's elegant. It's themed. It's eye-catching. And it's hassle free. No setup. No cleanup.

Just fun. And romance. Or both.

What started out as little more than a hobby inspired by the start of the emergence from COVID-fear social restrictions has turned into an additional career for Mitchell, 31, a Somerset, Massachusetts, resident and an elementary special needs teacher at Brown School in Swansea, Massachusetts.

She owns and operates and takes extreme delight in her Newport Picnic Co. business. A lot of work, far more than some would think, she says, goes into staging a first-class, memory-creating picnic, whether it's for two people or 30, or even more.

Owner Hollie Mitchell said it's very rewarding to set everything up so people can have an ideal day at the park.

Bachelorette parties. Birthdays. Marriage proposals. Mother's Day. An out-of-the-ordinary date night. They can all fall under the Newport Picnic Co.'s wide umbrella. Mitchell and her six staff members can even take the action indoors, if that's a preference or if the weather requires.

Mitchell said it's very rewarding to set everything up so people can have an ideal day at the park.

Newport Picnic Co. supplies blankets, pillows, place mats, chargers, plates, silverware, wine glasses, napkins, LED candles, bottled water, lighting, and more. Mitchell, who learned carpentry from her dad, handmade the 16-inch-high tables, going through five prototypes before settling on just the right design for looks and stability and portability.

Food, she says, is not her area of expertise, so customers supply their own or use one of several vendors that work with Mitchell.

She offers five set picnic themes  Beach Boho, Classic Greenery, Pretty in Pink, Main Squeeze, Tropical Breeze. She will also customize.

At the picnic, Mitchell makes sure the bring her trusty just in case bag of bug spray, sun screen, extra battery charges, a corkscrew and more.

Mitchell says she gets great satisfaction staging the wedding proposal picnics for guys who may need a little help planning."

It all started in the winter of 2021. Like so many others who endured the heights of Covid concerns, Mitchell, a lover of the outdoors, was suffering from cabin fever. The wheels of her mind started turning. What better way, she figured, to enjoy the return to outdoor socialization than with picnics. She did a few setups for friends. She did Mother's Day events. When she set up at Brenton Point Park on Ocean Drive, she got a lot of drive-by looks. People would stop and ask about her little business.

Not long after, she said, it really started to take off.

She estimated that she'll do about 75 picnics this year.

She offers five set picnic themes  Beach Boho, Classic Greenery, Pretty in Pink, Main Squeeze, Tropical Breeze. She will also customize.

Newport has become, she noted, has become a hot spot for bachelorette parties. Mitchell also gets great satisfaction staging the wedding proposal picnics for guys who may need a little help planning. We partner with a photographer.

Newport Picnic Co., Mitchell noted, has a standing permit with the Rhode Island Parks Department. Brenton Point Park and Colt State Park in Bristol are popular spots. AirBNB and hotel properties have also served as picnic sites.

Thus far, Mitchell said, she has not gotten the OK from the Newport or Middletown beaches. That's fine, she said, as sand is not exactly a favored picnic ingredient.

Mitchell's picnic responsibilities come from before, during, and after the event. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work, she said. Parking. Selecting materials. Loading and unloading. Cleaning it up.

A jack of multiple trades, Mitchell (maiden name Tavares) also hosts a podcast about Universal Orlando. She and husband Koby like to visit Universal Orlando two or three times a year. Hollie (Tavares) Mitchell and Koby are both graduates of Bishop Connolly High School.

For more on Newport Picnic Co. visit www.newportpicnicco.com. Or call 508-904-7226 or email newportpicnicco@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newport Picnic Co.: Somerset teacher plans high-style, romantic events
Visit Oslo has created a delightfully sarcastic new ad to promote tourism to Norway's capital. "Is it even a city?" challenges all the overdone nonchalant beats of travel ads, subtly highlighting Oslo's charming appeal with a hilariously ironic tone.

The best adverts break the mould of generic marketing, creating memorable moments by standing out from the crowd. In a sea of sunny, overenthusiastic, cheery soundtracked tourism ads, Visit Oslo's understated campaign is an instant classic, proving that sometimes a dose of humour and a less is more approach is the key to success.

The playful ad begins with the protagonist and Oslo resident Danself admitting "I wouldn't come here, to be honest." While it seems like the ad breaks every possible sin of tourism advertising, we learn through Danself's deadpan narration that Oslo is, in fact, an idyllic place to be. Subtly showcasing its stunning architecture, art and culture, the cosy walkable city shines through the sarcastic narration, unexpectedly showcasing Oslo's easygoing openness and personality.

Naturally, it was a hit with viewers, with one YouTube commenter saying "I think this is the best tourism commercial Ive ever seen." Another chimed in "Please give a promotion to the person who wrote the script" while others shared similar praise, calling it "superb", "genius" and a "marketing lesson from Norway."

For more advertising news, check out the dystopian Apple iPad Pro ad that appalled creatives (and even resulted in an apology from Apple). If you're looking for some ad inspiration, take a look at Samsung's mocking response to the controversy.
Amazon recently announced it has replaced 95 percent of the plastic pillows used for packaging in the U.S. and plans to phase them out entirely by the end of the year. The move comes as more consumers say they are somewhat or very concerned about microplastics and the repercussions they have on human health. In the fashion sector, microplastic pollution stems from petroleum-based fabrics such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. And like Amazon, there is something apparel brands can do to change course for the better.

Amazons announcement preceded the kickoff of Plastic Free July, an initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation whose mission is to work toward a world free of plastic waste. In the fashion sector, that comes down to reducing the use of petroleum-based textiles like polyester. Thats because synthetic textiles like polyester shed tiny microplastic particles, whether during wear or through laundering, adding to the planets microplastic pollution problem.

More from Sourcing Journal

In a recent American Apparel & Footwear Association webinar, Dr. Partik Ichhaporia, vice president of technical services, North America, for Eurofins MTS, a consumer product testing firm, explained the microplastic pollution from textiles is poised to grow significantly by 2030 unless there is a sea change within the fashion industry.

Just the global apparel consumption could increase by as much as 63 percent, so youre not really reducing our use of the textile materials overall, Ichhaporia said. And the proportion of the polyester tends to be increasing as compared to other fibers. We are increasing the consumption and also the proportion of the synthetics, especially polyester, which seems to be the primary microparticle that will be increasing. So, this is a challenge or a problem that we need to be aware of and start addressing.

It seems apparel shoppers would appreciate if the fashion industry took up this issue, as well. Nearly half of all consumers (45 percent) say they are aware of current concerns about clothing microfibers polluting our oceans and waters, according to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor Survey. Of those who are aware, 65 percent know it comes from clothing made from synthetic fibers, especially during washing. A single load of laundry could release 700,000 microplastic fibers, which wind up in waterways, food supplies and drinking water.

This concern about microplastic pollution from synthetic apparel carries over to what consumers want to purchase. The majority of consumers (70 percent) say their awareness of microplastics factors into the clothing they buy, according to Cotton Incorporateds 2022 Laundering & Microplastics Survey. Further, the majority of moms and dads (61 percent) agree they would prefer their children wear clothes that do not create microplastic pollution, according to the Monitor research.

The awareness of microplastics is having an impact on consumer behavior73 percent of consumers say their awareness factors into how they do their laundry. Out of those 73 percent, most consumers (51 percent), say they purchase clothing and textiles made of natural fibers to reduce microplastic pollution from synthetic apparel, according to the 2022 Laundering & Microplastics research.

And when it comes to sustainability, 75 percent of consumers say it is important their apparel be made from materials that can biodegrade, according to Cotton Incorporateds 2022 Apparel Sustainability and Back to Office Study.

[Sustainability means] natural fibers and materials used from the environment. Ones that are easily collected and gathered without harming animals or agriculture, according to a response in Cotton Incorporateds 2023 Global Sustainability Study, U.S.

And thats where the difference between a natural fiber like cotton and a synthetic, petroleum-based textile like polyester stands in sharp relief. Research conducted by North Carolina State University shows that when cotton and polyester were put in wastewater for 32 days, 94 percent of the polyester remained, while just 8 percent of the cotton remained. In fresh water, 100 percent of polyester remained, compared to just 21 percent of cotton.

The situation is the same when apparel was put to degradation tests in soil. After 90 days in a compost, a cotton shirt saw 78 percent decomposition versus 18 percent for a polyester shirt.

But microplastic fibers are not only in water and soil. The particles blow through the air and are found in crops, too. The microplastic fibers have entered the food chain, are in our drinking water and enter our respiratory systems. Research is showing microplastics can cause a variety of human health concerns, including neurotoxicity, dermal irritation and organ inflammation, according to SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance), a global inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

Recent research published by Cotton Incorporated highlights the significant environmental impact of synthetic clothing, which generates 7.4 million tons of plastic pollution annually. This pollution is equivalent to the weight of 820 Eiffel Towers. The study underscores the apparel industrys role in contributing to plastic leakage, with synthetic garments being a major culprit.

The impact of synthetic garments on plastic pollution is staggering, with at least 10 times more leakage than cotton clothing, said Jesse Daystar, Ph.D., vice president and chief sustainability officer at Cotton Incorporated. Designing with natural fibers, like cotton, is one of the key strategies to reduce plastic leakage from the apparel industry.

Fashion designers likely wouldnt want to be seen as playing a part in consumers health issues. But the fact remains that most brands rely heavily on manmade fibers, to the point that most apparel (69 percent) is made partially or entirely of synthetic fibers like polyester, which are derived from crude oil, according to EarthDay.org. The group also points out that the average person buys 60 percent more garments than they did 15 years ago, but keeps them for only half as long before discarding them.

Perhaps this is why more than three-quarters of all consumers (77 percent) say they are interested in clothing that is designed with durability (lasting a long time) in mind, according to Cotton Incorporateds 2023 Circularity Survey. Thats followed by interest in biodegradable clothes that can decompose and return to the earth (65 percent), clothes that can be repaired to extend a garments life (68 percent), and apparel that can be composted into nutrient-rich soil (58 percent).

The Plastic Free Foundation says choosing timeless pieces made from natural fibers is a powerful way to support more sustainability in fashion and reduce microplastics.

And as Lindsay Miles, educator and author, states, Plastic Free July is an opportunity not only to look at our own plastic use and make individual changes, but a chance to be part of something biggerto join with others and belong to a movement leading the way in changing both behavior and policy.

For more details about the plastic leakage assessment of the global apparel industry, please read the topline report.

The Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor Survey is an ongoing research program that measures consumer attitudes and behaviors relating to apparel, shopping, fashion, sustainability, and more.

For more information about the Lifestyle Monitor Survey, please visit https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com
DENVER (KDVR)  Several days of high temperatures are taking their toll on HVAC systems across the Denver metro area, but a few steps can help make sure your home stays cool through the summer.

Plumbline Services told FOX31 that many outdoor units are also clogged with summer dust and debris from trees.

The outdoor unit can be really impacted with dirt and dust. We live in Colorado, so theres a lot of Cottonwood. So those clog up air conditioners, said Plumbline Services technician Patrick Cain.

Tips to make sure your AC keeps running all summer

Homeowners should be aware of signs that an HVAC system may be malfunctioning and overworked and take steps to keep it running smoothly.

Changing your (air) filter monthly is really, really great, Cain said.

A simple cleaning can identify problems that can lead to expensive replacement costs. HVAC checks can run between $50 and $200, depending on the system, and save homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs that may otherwise come from neglect.

Did you know? Denver once had a so-called ugly law

Many HVAC manufacturers will not stand behind their warranty if the unit is not inspected by a licensed contractor, so homeowners should always check the companys registration.

Frequently adjusting the thermostat is not advised because it can cause additional wear and tear on the system.

When we open our windows at night, it actually decreases the efficiency, Cain said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
I had just returned from a two-week luxury cruise to Greenland when the internet erupted in self-righteous fury. Martha Stewart (God help her) used a chunk of iceberg to chill a cocktail during her own Arctic expedition into the fjords aboard Swan Hellenics SH Vega.

Martha the ice caps are melting dont put them in your drink, one Instagram user wrote. The parlor trick (which typically entails using a fragment thats already fallen in the water) is, of course, harmless. In a place where climate change and centuries of rampant overhunting have left an indelible mark on the culture and landscape, there are much more serious problems to worry about than a whiskey on the rocks. As Greenland makes its way onto best destination lists for 2024 and becomes more accessible thanks to new flights and sailings, I cant help but wondershould it?

More from Robb Report

More and more ships are heading north, but their sightings may not be quite as advertised.

At first glance, the largest island on the planet seems like paradise for travelers seeking refuge in the isolation and beauty of nature. According to the World Bank, Greenland boasts the lowest population density of any nation in the world. You could get blissfully lost kayaking through the winding fjords of Scoresby Sund or hiking along valleys filled with neon purple dwarf fireweed. As an animal lover, I carefully selected an itinerary that included East Greenlandhome to Northeast Greenland National Park, the largest park in the world with more square miles than most countriesto maximize my chances of soul-stirring encounters with polar bears, Arctic foxes, and ringed seals.

Admittedly, I fell a bit for the marketing jargon and glossy photos of virginal blue glaciers. The cruise line told me to anticipate teeming wildlife, including great colonies of Atlantic puffin and other seabirds. Reindeer, beluga whales, narwhals, and polar bears were also on the program. We met exactly zero of these creatures. (Stewarts Instagram followers may remember her excitement at spotting a single seagull).

In the end, we were lucky to see a few humpback and fin whales at a distance through binoculars, as we hopefully scanned the horizon and waited for somethinganythingto appear out of the oppressive fog. Greenland may be one of the most stunning places youll ever visit, but its also one of the emptiest.

Theres a reason behind Greenlands lack of wildlife. Overhunting species to the brink of collapse has plagued the island for centuriesso much so that historians now believe the overexploitation of walrus tusks (a source of ivory) led to the once mysterious abandonment of Greenlands Norse colonies in the 15th century.

Humans havent learned much in 600-plus years. Despite the best efforts of international organizations including NAMMCO (North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) and the United Nations Environmental Programme, Greenlands narwhals and belugas are expected to disappear within the decade due to lenient hunting quotas, as well as cruise ship strikes and marine noise pollution. (The irony is not lost on me).

What had been sold to me as an Arctic safari through untouched tundra filled with frolicking muskoxen turned out to be a dystopian horror show. Instead of distanced, eco-friendly polar bear sightings aided by the ancient know-how of Greenlandic Inuit guides, we were offered the opportunity to buy claws and watch hunters skin a freshly killed bear in the village of Aappilattoq.

Icebergs routinely block cruise routes.

While I believe its important to demonstrate cultural sensitivity everywhere you travelmany Greenlandic Inuits have been hunting polar bear, narwhal, and beluga for thousands of years and rely on them for food in harsh Arctic conditionsI also believe in the power of ecotourism to reshape traditions that may prove harmful in a rapidly evolving world. You only have to look to countries like Rwanda to see how a conservation success story like that of mountain gorillas can fuel community infrastructure projects and economic growth.

Responsible action is needed now more than ever. Greenlands ice sheet, which covers 80 percent of the countrys surface and is the second largest body of ice in the world after Antarctica, makes the island particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change. (Greenlands ice loss during the past 30 years equals roughly 36 times the size of New York City). In addition to rising sea levels, scientists have witnessed a cascading effect on the environment, includingyou guessed itan alarming decline of plant and animal life.

During my voyage, the signs of global warming haunted us everywhere we went. Perched in a zodiac, we watched a waterfall pouring off the once-frozen ice sheet from the height of a three-story building. Warming temperatures brought out biggerand hungriermosquitos which, deprived of animal blood, attacked us in furious droves. Another day, we couldnt complete our sailing to Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most isolated settlements on Earth, because the fjord was blocked by chunks of dripping, broken ice. Theres something about hearing the sonic boom of glaciers calving while youre on a cruise eating caviar that makes you question your life choices.

See it while you can? Well, it may already be too late.

It will take a while before Im ready to venture to Greenland again, but if I do, it will not be by ship. Adventure tourists and aurora chasers should consider booking with a small, responsible tour group that travels mostly by land (or kayak), such as Albatross Arctic Circle, Pink Peak Tours, Two Ravens, and Nuuk Water Taxi. Not only will you have more authentic opportunities to interact with locals and immerse yourself in Greenlands native culture, your visit will support the countrys nascent home-grown tourism industry, which can provide new jobs for out-of-work hunters and fishermen and demonstrate the value of protecting an ecosystem thats been under manmade and natural pressure for far too long. Your conscience will be lighter, too; flying in an airplane and staying in a hotel typically emits less than half of a cruises CO2 emissions over the same distance.

Though Greenland is notoriously difficult to navigate on your owntowns and villages arent connected by roads or railway and there is only one passenger ferry, Sarfaq Ittukair travel is about to become a lot easier. The capital, Nuuk, is getting a new international airport with expanded Air Greenland service to Canada this year. Intrepid travelers can camp under the northern lights, paddle to crumbling Norse settlements, and feel the ice crunch under their boots as they hike along the Arctic Circle. This is Greenland at its bestwild.

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Community members may learn some new facts about Minburn when the annual Fourth of July celebration returns.

This year our theme is Discover Minburn and I think were really going to spotlight Minburn in different ways, such as the Amazing Race, the scavenger hunt and all of the traditions weve had throughout the years that were continuing, said organizer Megan Cline. Just to have people look at Minburn through a different lens and look at all of the details that make Minburn special.

The Fourth of July festivities will kick off a day early with free skating and live music.

A free-will donation meal will be served by the Friends of the Minburn Public Library from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3 in Meek Park. The skate shack will be open and kids will be able to skate for free at the outdoor rink in the park. Kick will perform from 7-9 p.m.

Thats a tradition we started a couple years ago and its really nice, it gets everyone in the swing of celebrating, Cline said of the Meet Me in Minburn concert series.

The festivities continue on Thursday, July 4 with rolls at the food shelter in Meek Park, followed by the parade at 9 a.m. The parade line-up will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Heartland Co-op. Cline said no registration is needed and everyone is welcome to participate.

Family games will be played in Rogers Park after the parade, along with a bags tournament at Mudders.

American Legion Osborne Post 99 will host an all-wheels show on Baker Street, with check-in at 10 a.m. Area residents are invited to bring their classic cars, motorcycles and trucks and there is no fee to participate.

The American Legion Auxiliary will serve a noon meal at the Meek Park Food Shelter. Food trucks will also be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Meek Park.

Bingo will be played at 1:30 p.m. at the food stand and Zoo Crew will have ride-along animals available starting at 2 p.m. at the skating rink.

Kids race during Minburn's family games on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Rogers Park.

New this year is an Amazing Race competition at 2 p.m. The race will feature stations around town for teams to complete a task.

Show up at the skate shack with your team ready to have some fun. Make sure there is at least one 18+ adult with your group, Cline said.

Kids and adults can also go on a scavenger hunt to learn facts about Minburn. Scavenger hunt sheets can be picked up and returned at the skate shack.

A puppet show will be held at 3 p.m. on the stage in Meek Park, followed by open skating and a balloon artist.

The evening meal will start at 5 p.m. at the Meek Park Food Shelter, followed by the raffle drawing. Raffle tickets are $1 or 6 for $5, with all proceeds going to Minburns Fourth of July celebration. Tickets are available at the Minburn Public Library, Mudders Bar, Heartland Co-op and Minburn City Hall.

The Minburn American Legion Pie Auction will be held at 7 p.m. Pies can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on July 4 to the legion hall to be included in the evening auction. Proceeds will go to the Minburn American Legion and Cline said the legion then donates money for the fireworks show.

The pie contest is open for adults and kids and cash prizes will be awarded in each category. Each pie baker 17 and under will receive a $10 prize.

We encourage everybody to participate and have fun with it, Cline said of the pie contest and auction.

The Fourth of July festivities will wrap up with a fireworks show at 9 p.m.

Candy is thrown from one of the floats during the Fourth of July parade on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Minburn.

Cline encourages local and area residents to come check out all of the activities on July 3-4.

Theres something for everybody and theres something to eat all day long, she said.

For more information, visit minburn.org or the Minburn Iowa- Annual 4th of July Celebration Facebook group.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Residents are invited to Discover Minburn during annual July 4 celebration
SC has 2 of the best beaches to surf at in the South, Southern Living says. Heres why

Two South Carolina beaches made Southern Livings recently released best places to surf in the South  Folly Beach and Pawleys Island.

The magazine said surfers are drawn to The Washout at Folly Beach. Aptly named, the area was created when a block of homes was leveled by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, allowing wind to create great surfing conditions.

Southern Living called the conditions perfect rolling waves.

Folly is a 12 square mile barrier island with about 2,400 permanent residents just south of Charleston. It bills itself as one of Americas last true beach towns, Funky, laid-back, come-as-you-are kind of beach, the Visit Folly website says.

Of Pawleys Island, Southern living said, This quiet South Carolina beach town is a laid back spot to hit the surf alongside locals without having to battle any crowds. If youre in search of the most consistent waves, stay close to the pier and hope for winds coming from the northeast.

The magazine said larger swells at all Southern beaches occur in the fall.

Summers calmer waves are great for those just starting out, Southern Living said.

The other beaches on the list are Wrightsville Beach, Emerald Isle, Carolina Beach (professional surfer Tony Silvagni has a surf school here) and Cape Hatteras in North Carolina and Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna, Delray Beach, and Melbourne in Florida.
"Talk Back" with Doug Spade and Mike Clement is heard from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays on dougspade.com.

We cant stand trains.

Its bad enough they block the tracks while the engineer kicks back for a couple weeks, reading the collected works of Dostoyevsky. But lately, theyve gotten really sneaky.

Not long ago, we were tooling along at a leisurely 95-miles-per hour when the lights started flashing, and the gates came crashing down.

There it was, lurking behind the shrubbery all set to pounce  the train.

So there we were, slamming on the brakes and shrieking the way Sweet Sue does whenever Salty Sam gets her in his clutches.

Help! Here comes the train! Here comes the train.

We skidded to a stop and waited for slow-walking Jones to come moseying along and save the day. He never showed up.

And neither did the train.

Hours later, when the gates finally went up, we saw it had turned tail and run, and was just a speck in the distance.

Chicken train.

Guess we showed you. Mess with us, and well spank your little red caboose.

Thats when we realized we had a mess of our own to deal with.

Our lifetime receipt collection we carry with us everywhere had gone flying and was strewn all over the van. Putting everything back in order would take at least a year.

Rotten train.

Whats that you say?

Why use paper receipts when they can just go directly to your phone?

You gotta be kidding, right?

Unless you have the supersized V-8 variety, you can only stuff so many receipts into a tin can before you run out of room. Besides, when the only way to carry those old-school phones is draped around your neck, with the open ends dangling downward, what do you think happens to the contents?

Thats right.

They go all over the floor.

No, a receipt in the hand is worth two in the phone any day.

That way, when the barcode reader rings up the purchase for two cents more than the advertised price, we can march right over to the service counter, point out the error, and demand immediate payment of the five dollar bounty were owed for failing to program the register properly.

And you know what?

Food tastes a whole lot better when the store pays you to take it off the shelf.

But in New Jersey, three Democratic state assemblymen are determined to ruin things for everyone, having made it their life mission to ban all paper receipts. No exceptions.

If youre a small business with no way to issue an electronic one, or a shopper with no way to receive it, too bad.

And woe to those needing to make a return and get their money back. Jokes on you, buddy.

Dont you know it takes three million trees annually, so they say, to produce those paper print-outs?

And they come coated with chemicals thatll probably give you cancer, diabetes, or render you sterile, or cause horns to begin protruding out of your forehead.

And it doesnt stop there.

They also want to ban paper deposit and withdrawal slips, business and banking records, coupons, and print advertising like the weekly specials at the grocery store entrances.

And then fine anyone brazen enough to continue using paper anywhere $250 to $500, per occurrence.

Which is why Salty Sams making tracks over there right now, laying rails and ties lickety-split, straight through the middle of the House.

Because that headlight in the distance means you-know-who is on its way.

And one things for sureIt aint bearing orange blossoms.

Talk Back with Doug Spade and Mike Clement is heard every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon Eastern Time at www.localbuzzradio.com, Facebook Live and www.dougspade.com

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Talk Back: Doin the paper receipt locomotion
A home doesnt have to be massive to make a major impact. Tiny spaces create unique challenges for both form and function  so when a small home is built well, its especially impressive. These three homes are prime examples of homeowners who have made the most of the space they have.

Airstream abode

During the week, Larry and Mary Kay Hesen live in downtown Jeffersonville. But on the weekends, the couple takes a 40-minute drive to Guist Creek Marina and Campgrounds in Shelbyville, where they enjoy quiet time along Guist Creek Lake in their fully renovated Airstream travel trailer.

"Michael (Madley of Michael Madley Design) did everything," Mary Kay said. "It was completely gutted, and he built everything from scratch."

Inside the 1973 28-foot Airstream Ambassador of Mary Kay and Larry Hesen. The space now features a new powder room, luxury vinyl flooring, custom cabinetry, and quartz countertops, with a queen bed on one end and a sofa on the other.

The space now features a powder room, luxury vinyl flooring, custom cabinetry, and quartz countertops, with a queen bed on one end and a sofa on the other. The design touches are all Mary Kay's doing and include fun finds she discovered on Etsy as well as unique pieces that have popped up on her Instagram feed. There's an ice cream-shaped mirror in the powder room, fan decals on the front door, and whimsical pillows on the deck, to name a few.

"We just love it here, Mary Kay said. Its enough room for my husband and I and our grandkids  its perfect."

Audubon apartment

When Kentucky natives Ben and Whitney Wilson come back to the Bluegrass State from their Nashville home to visit family or take work sabbaticals, they stay in the lower level of an apartment building they own.

When we bought this building, Whitney recalled, (Ben said he) would love to convert one of the units into a place for us to go and retreat.

The Wilsons enlisted the help of Tara Graves, owner of Bluegrass Build & Design, to design the space.

An art installation in a hallway in Ben and Whitney Wilson's Louisville home. April 6, 2022

Though Graves filled the entire unit with fun and interesting whimsical elements, the home showstopper is, without a doubt, the 24-foot-long hallway. Painted a sultry Sherwin Williams Tsunami with select pieces of gold throughout, the walls are an art installation filled with everything from swan, duck, and owl figurines to iconic Kentucky emblems such as a Fleur de Lis and a Louisville Slugger bat. Every single element was nailed, screwed, or glued by hand.

With so many different pieces used in the hallway, Whitney says she is constantly finding something new that she hadnt noticed before.

The kitchen in Ben and Whitney Wilson's Louisville home. April 6, 2022

Its (also) a reflection of our childhood, like with the old telephone on the wall and things like that, Whitney said. It's really unique in the fact that you could literally just sit here and just talk in the hallway, which is what we've done numerous times  just talk about the different pieces. I think that's probably my absolute favorite (thing about this home).

Amish-made aesthetic

When Victor and Kathleen Fleek moved into their last home, there were a total of nine people living in the house. But as family members started moving out, the Fleeks determined it was time to downsize.

The couple visited Amish Made Cabins in Shepherdsville and learned they could combine two Amish cabins to make one slightly larger home. Kathleen immediately began planning a design that would enable them to utilize their space in the most efficient way possible, especially in the kitchen.

My cabinets are built to my height, she said. Most people (build to) counter height, whereas mine are three inches taller so I can stand (up) straight to do everything.

The porch is filled with white rocking chairs at the home of Victor and Kathleen Fleek in Coxs Creek, Kentucky. The property is 32 acres and has plenty of space to feel secluded. Sept. 24, 2021

In addition to building the cabinets to accommodate Kathleen, every kitchen drawer was constructed with a particular purpose in mind.

Every cabinet (and) every drawer has a function, she said. Its divided; it holds something specifically. I went through all my dishes  I brought pans and everything down (to the cabin production facility), and we measured every one of those cabinets to fit what I wanted it to fit.

White-washed eight-inch tongue and groove pine covers the walls and ceilings throughout the home of Victor and Kathleen Fleek in Coxs Creek, Kentucky. There are also numerous areas that are used to create chalk art and lists for planning and organization. Sept. 24, 2021

As small as the kitchen is, Kathleen still managed to configure everything for entertaining. Although most of the Fleek children have moved into their own homes, this house is where many of the family gatherings take place.

A long, rectangular table holds a few chairs and can be pulled out to reveal additional seating via the storage bench below. When Victor and Kathleen arent hosting guests, they dine together at a small, round table facing a window.

Though they are enjoying their supersized tiny home, they anticipate eventually downsizing yet again.

An overview of the kitchen and dining room area at the home of Victor and Kathleen Fleek in Coxs Creek, Kentucky. The table pulls out to allow for built-in bench seating and the cabinets are all white custom built to match Kathleen's kitchen dishware and cooking items. Sept. 24, 2021

If we end up going smaller, our hope is one of our kids will buy this house, Kathleen said.

On (the) ridge facing this one, Victor added, well build a smaller one.

Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

nuts & bolts: Airstream abode

Owners: Larry and Mary Kay Hesen. Larry works for H.T. Hackney Co. and Mary Kay is retired.

Home: This is a 1-bed, 1-bath, 160-square-foot, Airstream camper built in 1973. It is located at Guist Creek Marina and Campgrounds.

Distinctive elements: Luxury vinyl flooring; custom-made benches; custom cabinetry; custom deck; custom furniture; quartz countertops; shed, pool, and firepit outside.

Applause! Applause! Mike Nykamp, general contractor of Michael Madley Design.

nuts & bolts: Audubon apartment

Owners: Ben and Whitney Wilson, who are investors.

Home: This is a 2-bed, 1-bath, 900-square-foot unit with a private entrance in an apartment building in Audubon. It was built in 1940.

Distinctive elements: Mix of old and new pieces throughout; colorful topiary, fleur de lis emblem, floating address numbers, and faux light beams in entry stairwell; white walls, bold artwork, bold furniture, custom bookshelf with color-coordinated books, brass apple bookends, brushed gold light fixtures with seeded glass, handmade wood detail design elements, and small origami-inspired swan artwork in living room; custom made open shelving, cabinet handles in mix of wood and brushed gold, white lacquer table to match white lacquer custom wood design built into wall, vintage swan bowl, and bourbon bottle soap dispenser in kitchen; mid-century-modern rabbit, glass bourbon decanters, vintage rolling pin, Kentucky Derby drinking glasses and mugs, and vintage tea cups on open shelving; walk-through art installation in hallway with sultry deep teal with gold accents, low vintage yellow lighting, trinkets, frames, swans, ducks, owls, doves, pheasants, squirrels, horses, eagles, 1980s doorbell, clocks, 80s phone, Louisville Slugger bat, KY emblem, fleur de lis, candle holders, old tools, apples, hubcap, wine bottles, and more; hand cut and stained wood wall, old antique locks and knobs, swan napkin holder, vintage decanters, bourbon staves, and antique gold bee detail in custom made bourbon closet; swan brass faucet and glass handles, walk-in shower, vintage-inspired mirror tiles, floor tiles with cream leaf pattern, and lighted, color-changing mirror in the bathroom; and more.

Applause! Applause! Renovation and decorations by Tara Graves, owner of Bluegrass Build & Design.

nuts & bolts: Amish-made aesthetic

Owners: Victor and Kathleen Fleek. Victor is a retired command sergeant major who served in the U.S. Army for 32 years, and Kathleen is a school administrator and teacher at Nelson County Baptist School.

Home: This is a 3-bed, 2-bath, 1,750-square-foot, Amish-built cottage in Coxs Creek that was built in 2019.

Distinctive elements: Designed by homeowners after a visit to Amish Made Cabins in Shepherdsville; kitchen counter three inches taller than standard height; custom cabinetry designed to store specific items; U-shaped cabinet and a counter area designed for easy reconfiguration for entertaining; kitchen pantry built to mimic an old general store; pocket doors and barn doors throughout save space; chalk paint on select doors for notes and artwork; organization and storage built into every area, including storage benches in breakfast nook and family dining area; cubbies and shelving designed to eliminate the need for dressers.

Applause! Applause! Jim and Pam White of Amish Built Cabins in Shepherdsville; Tracy Bentley for the water lines; Jays Plumbing in Shepherdsville; Marty Miller in Munfordville for the foundation; David Humphrey in Bardstown for the septic system; Haydon Materials Gravel in Bardstown; Scott from Kentucky Garage Doors in Elizabethtown; Ryan Wheeler of United Residential Mortgage in Elizabethtown; Lowes in Shepherdsville.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: View inside small homes, tiny spaces in the Louisville area
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. A new head of the Apparatus of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been appointed, Trend reports.

According to the information, this post has been entrusted to Javid Huseynov.

Huseynov has worked for many years in various leadership positions in the judicial-legal sphere. He was head of the Office of the Judicial-Legal Council in 2005-2023, and adviser to the Minister of Justice of Azerbaijan in 2023-2024.

Furthermore, since 2024, he served as head of the department for analysis of judicial practice of the Supreme Court.

Huseynov was awarded various orders and medals by the decrees of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan during his activity.

He was awarded the medal "For Distinction in State Service", the Order "For Service to Motherland" of the 3rd degree, the medal of State Counselor of the 2nd degree, the medal "For Distinction in the Field of Justice", the jubilee medals "100th Anniversary of Justice of Azerbaijan" and "100th Anniversary of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan".

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Why the prime suspect from Madeleine McCanns disappearance might be released from prison

The latest in the case against Christian Brueckner has revealed that the convicted rapist, who is the prime suspect in the German authorities investigation into Madeleine McCanns disappearance, could be released in just a few months.

The 47-year-old German man could be tried after his legal team applied to get an arrest warrant overturned. His lawyer Friedrich Fulscher told Sky News: If it is overturned and he is ultimately acquitted, he would be released in spring next year at the latest.

I am sure this will be granted. I can't imagine it any other way. After the evidence had been taken, not a single accusation had been substantiated in such a way that one can speak of a suspicion of an offence.

An undated handout image supplied shows a police mug shot of Christian Brueckner (Handout)

Brueckner is currently on trial in Germany for three rape cases and two sexual offences in Germany, which all allegedly took place in Portugal between 2000 to 2017, with a pensioner and a child being among the alleged victims. After being charged, a spokesperson from the Braunschweig prosecutor's office said: The accused is the same person against whom charges were brought in connection with the disappearance of the then three-year-old British girl Madeleine Beth McCann.

Kate and Gerry McCann shared a statement (Getty Images)

Specifically, the accused is charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of sexual abuse of children. The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues.

He is currently serving a prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in 2005.

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Authorities confirmed that they had a prime suspect in the case back in 2022, which was welcomed by Kate and Gerry McCann. In a statement, they wrote: We welcome the news that the Portuguese authorities have declared a German man an arguido in relation to the disappearance of our beloved daughter Madeleine. This reflects progress in the investigation, being conducted by the Portuguese, German and British authorities. We are kept informed of developments by the Metropolitan police.

Kate McCann carries one of her twins, Amelie (Getty)

It is important to note the arguido has not yet been charged with any specific crime related to Madeleines disappearance. Even though the possibility may be slim, we have not given up hope that Madeleine is still alive and we will be reunited with her.

Madeleine went missing aged three from her hotel room shared by her younger twin siblings during a family holiday in Praia de Luz, Portugal back in 2007.

Madeleine turned 21 in May 2024, with her parents sharing a tribute to her which read: Happy 21st birthday Madeleine. Still missing, still missed, still looking.
1 in 10 women murdered in Mexico were in Baja California, agency says

SAN DIEGO (Border Report)  Almost 1,100 women have been murdered so far this year in Mexico, with 11 percent of those homicides taking place in the border state of Baja California, according to the National System of Public Security.

The numbers, however, sharply contrast figures provided by the Baja California Attorney Generals Office, which says only 10 murders against women have occurred in the state in 2024.

Baja California Attorney General Maria Elena Andrade Ramirez disputes reports of an increase in random violent acts or domestic violence against women.

Activists body found near junkyard; Group demands better protection for women

We havent seen an increase in aggressive behavior against women, there have been unfortunate incidents where we have found female bodies at crime scenes, but this is often associated with illicit activities or due to the women being involved with partners who had criminal ties, she said.

Andrade Ramirez did admit an increase in the number of women reporting acts of violence.

She said so far this year, police have received almost 3,500 calls from women for domestic violence.

Meritxell Calderon Vargas, who runs a human rights group in Tijuana, says the state and the federal government arent doing enough to discourage violence against women.

I see things getting worse, she said. At least before there was some dialogue with authorities on this issue, but now there are no concrete efforts to show any results.

Gang members to stand trial for murder of missing women

Calderon Vargas also stated there arent enough resources to help and provide support to women who are victims of violent crime.

Its not just about lowering the number of murders against women, but actually trying to lend help, especially when it comes to violence against migrant women and sex workers, cases that are often ignored and not investigated.

Additionally, Calderon Vargas blames a sharp increase in drug addiction among women on inaction by state and local governments.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

Baja California remains one of the states with a growing number of drug use among women  there is also depression, loss of hope and dignified employment opportunities for women, said Calderon Vargas. Theres also a high number of women who are becoming addicted to crystal meth while working at maquiladoras where drug dealing has become a problem.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (WHTM)  Law enforcement at a Pennsylvania airport recently found 100 rounds of ammunition in a passengers luggage.

The Transportation Security Administration says its officers at Philadelphia International Airport found 100 bullets among a travelers carry-on items on Wednesday.

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This happens all too often, said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA Spokesperson, on social media. Please do not try to carry any ammunitionone bullet or 100through a security checkpoint. Ammunition is not permitted to be carried onto a plane.

According to the TSA, travelers should check with their airline if ammunition is allowed in checked bags. Small arms ammunition must be securely packaged in fiber, wood, metal boxes, or other packaging specifically designed to carry small amounts of ammunition.

Airlines may have limitations or fees associated with transporting ammunition and travelers are reminded to check local, state, and international law.

BB guns, cap guns, compressed airguns, firearms, flare guns, gun lighters, gunpowder, gun parts, pellet guns, realistic replicas, rifles, rocket launchers, and starter pistols are not allowed in carry-on bags. Travelers are also recommended to check whether their items can fly in a checked bag.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.
100-degree temperatures are headed to Sacramento area. How long will the heat wave last?

Triple-digit temperatures are expected to bake the Sacramento region next week, just in time for the Fourth of July.

The National Weather Service is predicting high temperatures of 100 degrees to start Monday.

The heat wave could last more than three days, the forecast shows.

Heres what to know:

Whats in the weather forecast for Sacramento?

Sacramento was expected to be sunny with a high temperature near 91 degrees on Thursday with an overnight low around 59 degrees, according to the National Weather Services seven-day forecast.

Friday will have a high near 95 and a low around 61.

Temperatures will steadily increase in the following days, according to the forecast.

Saturday is expected to reach a high near 95, while Sunday will teeter close to the triple-digit mark with a high near 98. Lows will be in the mid 60s.

Triple-digit temperatures are expected to begin on Monday, which will see a high near 104 degrees and an overnight low around 69 degrees.

When will region see hottest day?

The weather service said the hottest days will be Tuesday and Wednesday, when highs are expected to reach around 105 degrees.

The temperature will drop to around 68 degrees Tuesday night.

Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the agency is also predicting triple-digit heat on Thursday, July 4.

The high could reach 102 degrees on Independence Day, Kurth said.

When will the heat wave end?

While the weather service is confident it will be very hot next week, Kurth said, its too early to predict when the heat wave will end.

Just be prepared for some unusually hot weather, he said.

How to survive hot weather

Generally, you should head to air-conditioned spaces when high temperatures hit.

If you dont have a cooling unit at home, you can go to a mall, cooling center or another public space, experts said.

The gold standard  is really getting to an air-conditioned space, Dr. Sheri Belafsky, a UC Davis Health physician, told The Sacramento Bee in 2023. People in urban areas  can be particularly impacted by high heat, or if theyre an apartment dweller, they really dont have very good ventilation.

If you dont have access to a cooling unit or need to stay home, experts recommend taking a cold shower or bath.

You should avoid vigorous physical activity, wear lightweight clothing and drink water.

You should stay away from caffeinated drinks as they can dehydrate your body.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Federal authorities are offering $10 million for help locating a Russian hacker accused of supporting the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by attacking government computers while posing as a common cybercriminal but in fact working with Russian military intelligence.

Amin Timovich Stigal attacked essential, non-military Ukrainian government computer systems before the invasion; published citizen data in an effort to sow doubt in the government; and later went after countries that supported Ukraine, including the U.S., according to a federal indictment filed this week in Maryland, where he targeted a U.S. government agency.

The Chechnya-born hacker ran a malware scheme known as WhisperGate, which is meant to look like a common ransomware attack. Federal prosecutors say WhisperGate is actually a cyberweapon designed to delete the victims data and render target computers inoperable.

Stigal, 22, operated the scheme for the Main Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), an infamous military intelligence agency created under former Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

As alleged, the defendant conspired with Russian military intelligence on the eve of Russias unjust and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a press release. The Justice Department will continue to stand with Ukraine on every front in its fight against Russias war of aggression, including by holding accountable those who support Russias malicious cyber activity.

The Russian operative remains at large. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. He is listed among the FBIs Most Wanted cybercriminals.

The FBI wanted poster for Amin Timovich Stigal, a 22-year-old Russian native of supporting the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by hacking government computer systems.

'putinkrab': Feds launch hunt, offer $10 million reward for Russian ransomware mastermind

Attacks on Ukraine

Stigal and his unnamed GRU co-conspirators targeted some of the most-used Ukrainian government services in the months leading up to the invasion in February 2022.

The attacks hit at least two dozen protected computers, including at the Ukrainian Ministry of International Affairs, Treasury, Judiciary Administration, Agriculture, Ministry of Energy and State Emergency Service, the indictment says.

WhisperGate cyber hits were disguised to look like the work of a common cybercriminal, not statecraft, and were accompanied by messages demanding $10,000 in Bitcoin to recover stolen data.

But the hackers' real goal was to delete the data and render the state computers inoperable.

GRU hackers aimed directly at Ukrainian citizens as well, stealing the data of 13.5 million users of the governments Portal for Digital Services (DIIA), an essential website for accessing government services and IDs, and listing it for sale on the darknet, court filings say.

They displayed messages on the DIIA website weeks ahead of the invasion that read, Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.

Stigal and his co-conspirators hid their connections to the Russian government by using false identities, making false statements and using a network of computers around the world, including the U.S., according to the indictment. They funded their operations using Bitcoin.

Stigal began working with the GRU in December 2020, the indictment says.

More: Multiple people, including a priest, killed in attacks in Russian Republic, officials say

Other attacks

Stigal and his WhisperGate co-conspirators began attacking countries supporting Ukraine following the invasion, including the U.S., according to the indictment.

The group went after the transportation infrastructure of an unnamed Central European country instrumental in delivering aid to Ukraine and a Maryland-based U.S. government agency.

Baltimore FBI agents investigating did not respond to questions about what government agency the group targeted.

Stigal and the hackers probed public-facing agency websites 63 times, according to the agency.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Russian agent posed as common hacker, targeted Ukraine
COLLEGE POINT, Queens (PIX11)  A 12-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Queens Wednesday evening, according to police.

More Local News

A man allegedly walked up to the girl from behind and sexually assaulted her near 23rd Avenue and 130th Street in College Point around 6 p.m., according to police.

Additional information was not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
These 13 states  including Florida and Texas  opted out of a $2.5 billion federal food program that would help feed low-income kids this summer

Millions of kids living in Republican states won't get federal grocery benefits this summer.

Thirteen states opted out of a new federal summer nutritional assistance program.

The non-participating states cited everything from technical issues to a dislike for welfare.

Millions of low-income kids across the US won't have access to federal grocery benefits over the summer because they live in states that opted out of the new program.

Last year, the Department of Agriculture introduced SUN Bucks, a permanent summer electronic benefit transfer program. The program gives eligible families $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer months. SUN Bucks is a $2.5 billion effort to keep kids fed and eating healthy while they're out of school.

The program targets low-income families who may struggle to put three healthy meals on the table each day. Tens of millions of children face increased hunger during the summer months without the certainty of free and reduced-price meals provided by schools. The Department of Agriculture estimated earlier this year that nearly 21 million children would benefit from SUN Bucks this summer.

During the pandemic, the federal government covered the entire cost of the Summer EBT program, but starting this summer, states will be on the hook to split administrative costs 50/50.

Thirteen Republican-led states ultimately opted out of the program this summer, citing myriad reasons, including redundancy, insufficient support, and politics.

Alabama

According to the state's Department of Health, one in four children in Alabama faces food insecurity. Those students won't have access to SUN Bucks this year.

Alabama lawmakers had already finalized the state's annual budget when they became aware of the program, according to local outlet WAFF.g

But the state has since budgeted $10 million to support the program next year, the outlet reported.

Alaska

Alaska cited logistical and technical problems as the cause for rejecting SUN Bucks this year.

The state's Department of Education and Early Development passed on participating in the program this year, telling local outlet Alaska News Source that the agency in charge of processing the benefits is already working through a backlog of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits.

The state will reconsider joining the summer program once the backlog is dealt with, the outlet reported.

Florida

Two million eligible Florida children won't receive SUN Bucks this summer after the state's Department of Children and Families insisted that already-existing programs are sufficiently addressing food insecurity.

A spokesperson with the Florida Department of Children and Families told local outlet WFSU that federal programs "always" come with strings attached.

Georgia

More than half of Georgia public school students qualify for free and reduced lunch, but the state chose not to participate in the federal summer food program this year.

A spokesperson for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp told local outlet 11 Alive that the state already has a summer food program in place.

"Therefore, along with our neighboring states, Georgia opted not to participate in the proposed EBT program and instead remains focused on well-established and effective programs that are tailored to address our state's specific needs by providing necessary nutrition and engagement to families and kids," the spokesperson told the outlet.

More than a million Georgia kids would have been eligible, according to USDA estimates.

Several states cited already existing food programs as reason for not participating in SUN Bucks. NurPhoto

Idaho

Idaho's state senate rejected proposed funding for the SUN Bucks program earlier this year.

Republican Sen. Cindy Carlson suggested approving the program would be "sending the wrong message to parents and kids," according to Idaho Education News.

"I believe that the message we need to be sending is we all need to work for what we get," she said, per the outlet.

Iowa

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds rejected the SUN Bucks program in December, saying in a Health and Human Services press release that the benefit would do "nothing" to encourage nutrition amid the growing childhood obesity epidemic.

"If the Biden Administration and Congress want to make a real commitment to family well-being, they should invest in already existing programs and infrastructure at the state level and give us the flexibility to tailor them to our state's needs," Reynolds said.

About 240,000 Iowa kids would have been eligible for the benefit.

Mississippi

The Mississippi Department of Human Services ultimately declined to participate because the state government didn't have the resources or personnel to support the program, a spokesperson told the Magnolia Tribune.

More than 300,000 kids in Mississippi would have been eligible for the benefit.

Oklahoma

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said SUN Bucks was too new for Oklahoma to participate this year, citing the unvetted nature of the inaugural benefit.

"We gave over $20 million over the last couple of years to different food banks," he told local outlet KJRH. "So, we are satisfied that kids won't be going hungry in the summertime, we just don't know enough about the program; not saying we won't do it next year."

States that chose not to participate this year will have future opportunities to opt in, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Stitt also expressed skepticism about the Biden administration's involvement, the outlet reported.

"Certainly always a concern with certain administrations are pushing certain agenda items on kids," Stitt said.

Several Native American tribes within Oklahoma, however, are participating in SUN Bucks.

South Carolina

Republican Gov. Henry McMaster declined to participate in the Summer EBT program earlier this year, citing the program's pandemic ties and saying South Carolina needed to "get back to doing normal business," according to WCBD.

More than 500,000 kids would have qualified for SUN Bucks in the state.

The Department of Agriculture estimates the program will benefit 21 million kids. Scott Olson

South Dakota

South Dakota said no to SUN Bucks, citing federal strings attached.

Iran Fury, chief of communications for Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, told Chalkbeat that the state has low unemployment and didn't want the administrative burden of facilitating the program.

"Federal money often comes with strings attached, and more of it is often not a good thing," Fury told the outlet.

Fifty-seven thousand South Dakota kids would have been eligible.

Texas

Texas passed on providing the benefits to 3.8 million kids who are eligible for SUN Bucks throughout the state.

According to The Texas Tribune, the state's Health and Human Services Commission made the final call, saying they didn't have enough time to implement the program successfully.

Wyoming

Wyoming officials opted out of SUN Bucks earlier this year, saying existing food assistance programs throughout the state were sufficient.

The state's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Megan Degenfelder, apparently didn't approve of the Biden admin's involvement, according to local outlet WyoFile.

"I will not let the Biden Administration weaponize summer school lunch programs to justify a new welfare program," Degenfelder told the outlet. "Thanks, but no thanks. We will continue to combat childhood hunger the Wyoming way."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Anti-austerity protests in London in June 2015. Credit - Daniel Leal-OlivasPA Wire

Binish Syed Qureshi was in high school when she felt the acute impact of the U.K.s cost-of-living crisis. As a child of Pakistani immigrants, she grew up in the bustling neighborhood of Salford in South Manchester, where her parents took up working-class jobs like taxi driving to support a family of seven. Qureshi recalls a time when they couldnt afford to pay 400 ($505) in fees to enroll her in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a program aimed at helping young people develop leadership skills through volunteering and outdoor activities.

It was one of those instances that made me think school was designed for rich kids, not working-class kids, she says, because my parents had to decide whether to feed my siblings or send me to school activities.

Now on the cusp of 18, Qureshi has just finished her schooling, studying electrical engineering and electronics at a local college. She cant afford to pursue higher education; instead, she works weekend shifts at a fast-food restaurant. Im honestly underpaid, she says, before adding that she feels a bit lost in life.

In just over 10 days, Qureshi will cast her first-ever vote in the U.K.s general election, taking place on July 4. I cant wait to vote, Qureshi says enthusiasticallya stark contrast to many in her generation. A survey conducted by Techne UK for The Independent found that nearly 40% of Gen Zs and millennials have expressed voter apathy and dont plan to vote in this election, believing that neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party has addressed problems faced by young people today.

A growing body of research reveals that in the U.K., this age group has many justified grievances stemming from austerity, a set of policies pursued by Conservative-led governments between 2010 and 2019 that were aimed at reducing public spending through significant cuts to welfare. While Britain has a longstanding history of class inequality, experts say these grievances have loomed ever larger under the last 14 years of Conservative-party rule, resulting in a rise in youth unemployment, job scarcity, and a cost-of-living crisis, particularly for those from lower-income or working class backgrounds.

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundations cost of living tracker, 92% of households with a young person reported going without essentials between 2022 and 2023. Nine in 10 people between the ages of 15 and 24 now count having enough money to cover basic needs as an aspiration in life because of the challenge brought about by the cost-of-living crisis, according to another report by the 2024 British Youth Council Select Committee. And TSB's Money Confidence Barometer survey in December 2022 found that young people are seven times more likely than their grandparents to have taken out new or additional debt in the past 12 months, or expect to do so in the next 12 months.

As a result, young people are coming of age in the shadow of a system which wasnt designed to support independence or a safe transition to adulthood, states a report by the Royal Society of Arts titled Age of Insecurity. This has manifested in a growing mental health crisis, too. In January, The Prince's Trust NatWest Youth Index 2024 found that one in five young people in the U.K. missed school or work in the past year due to their mental health, with over half attributing this to the cost-of-living crisis.

Qureshi, who has lived this firsthand, says she felt particularly emboldened to vote after watching an interview on ITV News, during which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated he had gone without lots of things as a child. All the young people I know have gone from wanting to make a living to barely surviving, she says. Were just trying to get through each day, while Rishi Sunak is crying about how he didnt get Sky TV.

The Age of Insecurity report by the RSA found that 47% of young people in the U.K. are financially precarious today. To investigate the story behind these numbers, the report followed the lives of 12 individuals over the course of a year, concluding that their insecurity was driven by two factors: young people face a young person premium, or a higher cost of living just for being young, and young people are left with increasingly little collective security.

Like Qureshi, many respondents in the RSA report expressed anxiety over their futures. For example, 24-year-old Conor, who lives in London and works on the Civil Service Fast Stream, told the researchers, In 10 years time I dont think Ill be doing anything different for the most part Hopefully, [my] financial situation will improve, though I do have my concern that it could even get worse.

These experiences are not unique, but rather the sum of long-term policies and actions that came after the 2008 global financial crisis, during which the U.K. government bailed out British banks at an estimated cost of 141 billion to prevent a complete collapse. In 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition implemented severe austerity measures by announcing the biggest cuts to state spending since World War II. It included significant cuts to social security, while over 900,000 public sector jobs were lost between 2011 and 2018.

These measures were intended to deliver growth to the economy over the long term, but a study conducted by Oxfam America found that the opposite has happened. Thats because the country was already experiencing rising income inequality since the 1980s, when a shift towards market-based capitalism led to financial liberalization, the erosion of social security, and the deregulation of the labor market.

Together, these events have had far-reaching impacts on young people, creating a system that has undermined their economic security. For example, the Education Maintenance Allowance, which allowed young people to apply for a means-tested allowance of 30 a week, has been cut, while other schemes like Universal Credit and Housing Benefit, which support youth transition out of difficult personal circumstances, now assist significantly fewer people.

Qureshi says she learned to prioritize survival over fun growing up while her parents tried to make ends meet. These sacrifices continued during her college yearsnot least because they occurred during the pandemic. We didnt have teachers because there wasnt enough funding, she says. Instead, she resorted to self-teaching while substitute teachers rotated in and out of the classroom. It just killed my passion for the vocation, she says, and now, I feel lost because I barely know the subject I studied.

During this time, child poverty has also soared to its highest level since before World War II, with infant mortality rising for the first time in two generations and state spending per child falling from 11,300 to 10,000 between 2010 and 2020. Schools have experienced drastic cuts in investments, with more than 230 schools facing disruption in 2023 caused by the crumbling concrete crisis. Extracurricular services have taken a hit, and many children can no longer access art, music, and drama in the classroom. Libraries and youth clubs have shut down in impoverished areas. And a third of all school-aged children in poverty were not granted free school meals, due to stringent means-testing that restricts their access.

Child poverty is acutely concentrated in the north and the Midlands. But these are not patterns that occurred by chance, says Elliot Johnson, a Senior Research Fellow in Public Policy at Northumbria University. It's all the forms of support that children need that are being taken away from those areas where they are needed most, he says.

As a result, children born in Britain after 2010 account for 3.4 million of the 4.3 million children in poverty, part of what former prime minister Gordon Brown has called the austerity generation.

Yet in almost every single year of the past decade, even as their need has been mounting, the governments support for children has been spiraling downwards, each year more difficult than the year before as, with almost surgical precision, Brown recently wrote in The Guardian.

Policymakers in London are often people who are not in poverty, which makes it much more difficult for those particular solutions to be effective, explains Becky Bainbridge, the CEO of the Reclaim Project, a youth organization in Manchester that aims to equip young working-class people with leadership skills.

Johnsons research group, the Common Sense Policy Group, has advocated introducing a universal welfare system. Its an ambitious goal, but Johnson says that even a relatively modest payment to all citizens could reduce poverty, both for children and everyone else, to historically low levels. He adds that policymakers should consider the effects of their policies on future generations: We need to think about bigger reform and have a safety net that works for all.

It's not an optimistic country to be in, he contends, but its possible to turn things around again.

Qureshi, who has been working with her local council to raise these issues, feels passionate about having people like her represented at the highest levels of government. Everyone in power should at least go live with working-class people for a couple of weeks and see the struggle, she says. How are you planning on increasing university fees when you never have to pay for it? How are you making it [even] harder for people to get out of poverty?

These questions become even more significant at a time when Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is widely expected to win the next election by a landslide, has advocated for lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote, he told reporters during a campaign visit to Stafford earlier this month.

Members of the Tory party have been critical of such proposals, while polling by a group called More in Common found that giving 16-year-olds the right to vote was unpopular with the public.

But its for this reason that Qureshi feels excited to cast her vote on July 4. Recently, she attended a program in Parliament called Our Generation. Our Vote, where she met contemporaries from across the country who were advocating for a 16-year-old voting age.

It just sparked hope in my heart knowing that young people were wanting their lives to be better and actively trying to do something about it, she says.

Write to Astha Rajvanshi at astha.rajvanshi@time.com.
CALLAHAN COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A 19-year-old has been indicted in connection to a fatal four-vehicle crash that claimed two lives.

4-vehicle crash kills 2, injures 2 on Hwy 36 in Callahan County

In March 2024, Marianna Elizabeth Pickens-Quiroz from Round Rock and Christopher Scott Vanderslice from Hutto were killed in a crash on Highway 36 in Callahan County.

The crash report indicates that Pickens-Quiroz and Vanderslice were inside a car that was hit by another vehicle attempting to pass a third car at a high rate of speed. All three vehicles collided upon impact, and a fourth vehicle struck some debris.

Reports indicate that 19-year-old Theophilus Heryanto was the driver attempting to pass the third vehicle. He has been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
DENVER (KDVR)  Two people have been taken into custody after the Douglas County SWAT team served a warrant in a Highlands Ranch neighborhood.

Just after 8 a.m. on Thursday, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said there was a heavy law enforcement presence on Timbervale Trail in Highlands Ranch. The area is in the Westridge neighborhood.

Deputies said the investigation was contained to one house.

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The Douglas County Sheriffs Office told FOX31 they were conducting a warrant, and the surrounding community was safe. However, deputies asked everyone to avoid the area until the investigation was finished.

FOX31 had a crew on scene where multiple armed SWAT officers were throwing smoke bombs and attempting to gain entrance into the house.

Just before noon, the sheriffs office told FOX31 that two people were in custody. It is unclear at this time what the warrant was for. At about 12:15 p.m., the agency posted to X that the subject has been taken into custody on an out-of-county warrant and said the shelter-in-place had been lifted.

Residents can resume normal neighborhood activities.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The dissolution of Azerbaijan's Parliament and the calling of the early election are in line with the Constitution, decided the meeting of the Plenum of Azerbaijan's Constitutional Court regarding the Presidents request on the conformity of parliament's dissolution with the Constitution, Trend reports.

The session reviewed the request from the President of Azerbaijan regarding the constitutionality of dissolving the Milli Majlis (Parliament) and calling early parliamentary elections based on Resolution No. 1174-VIQR of the Milli Majlis dated June 21, 2024, "On the Appeal to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Call Early Elections to the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan" in accordance with paragraph 1, part III, article 130 of the Constitution and article 7.1 of the Law "On the Constitutional Court."

The session was opened by the Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Farhad Abdullayev, who announced the composition of the Plenum and introduced the issue under discussion.

Representing the requesting side were Rustam Gasimov, Head of the Legal Policy Sector of the Legislation and Legal Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, and Araz Poladov, Head of the Legislative Development Sector of the same department. Representing the responding side were Farid Gadjiyev, Head of the Apparatus of the Milli Majlis, and expert Nasib Shukurov, Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at Baku State University's Faculty of Law and Doctor of Philosophy in Law.

After the speeches, the Plenum members retired to the deliberation room to decide on the agenda item.

Upon returning, Chairman Farhad Abdullayev announced the Plenum's decision.

The decision states that Resolution No. 1174-VIQR of the Milli Majlis, dated June 21, 2024, "On the Appeal to the President to Call Early Elections to the Milli Majlis," and the subsequent dissolution of the Milli Majlis by the President and the calling of early elections, are in accordance with article 981 of the Constitution.

The decision takes effect immediately, is final, and cannot be annulled, amended, or officially interpreted by any body or person.

With this, the session of the Plenum of the Constitutional Court was declared closed.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Two El Paso women have been sentenced for their roles in the fentanyl poisoning death of a 19-year-old single mother, the United States Attorneys Office Western District of Texas announced Thursday, June 27 in a news release.

According to court documents, Kathy Lee Nicole Bradford, 32, coordinated the sale of M-30 pills to a woman in El Paso in April 2022.

On Bradfords behalf, codefendant Patricia Tafoya, 40, delivered 10 counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl to the purchaser, who consumed some of the pills and, as concluded by the El Paso County Medical Examiners Office, died of acute fentanyl toxicity, according to the news release.

Bradford admitted in March to knowing the pills contained fentanyl, pleading guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance causing death or serious bodily injury, according to the news release. She was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison.

Tafoya pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, according to the news release. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered into a drug treatment program.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
2 firefighters reported missing, believed to be headed to Tennessee

A search is underway for two Georgia firefighters.

Missing People In America posted on Facebook Wednesday afternoon that two firefighters, Chandler Kuhbander and Raegan Anderson, are missing, along with their car.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The two were reported missing on Tuesday and last seen in Midway Georgia.

MPIA said some family members last spoke to Kuhbander at 11:19 a.m. on Tuesday.

Both of their phones are off, but their last known location was Cosby, Tennessee, around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

MPIA labeled this missing alert as urgent attention but did not specify why.

TRENDING STORIES:

MPIA believes they are headed straight for the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area.

The car they are known to be in is a black, low-profile 2017 Ford Focus with Georgia license plates reading GEX655, and a firefighter logo on the plate.

If you have any information, please contact the Hinesville Police Department.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Russian troops fired on the town of Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast with Uragan rocket launchers on June 27, killing two people and injuring two other, Governor Vadym Filashkin said.

Kurakhove is located west of Russian-occupied Donetsk. This sector is one of the hottest spots on the battlefield, with 18 Russian attacks during the day, Ukraine's General Staff said in its latest update. Two fighting are still ongoing.

A woman and a man, both aged 40, were killed in the attack, while two more people were hospitalized with injuries, Filashkin said.

The scale of the damage is being determined, he added.

Settlements in Donetsk Oblast suffer from daily Russian strikes due to their proximity to the front line. Heavy fighting continues in Donetsk Oblast as Russia seeks to occupy the entire region.

Russian attacks on the towns of Toretsk, Selydove and the village of Yasenove in the region on June 27 killed one civilian and injured seven others, Filashkin reported.

Read also: Russia attacks Kharkiv with FAB-500 gliding bomb for first time, injuring 4

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Former Uvalde school police chief charged with 10 counts of 'abandoning and endangering' Robb Elementary survivors

Former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo has been indicted in connection with the investigation into the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, court records show.

Arredondo was charged with 10 counts of abandoning and endangering a child in connection with 10 of the Robb Elementary survivors, according to the indictment.

Arredondo was booked into the Uvalde County jail Thursday night and released from custody after posting bail, according to Sheriff Ruben Nolasco. Arredondo's last known attorney of record, George Hyde, had no comment when contacted by ABC News.

PHOTO: The booking photo for former Uvalde School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo. (Uvalde County Sheriff's Department)

A second person has also been charged, according to ABC Austin affiliate KVUE. KVUE, the San Antonio Express-News and Uvalde Leader News reported that the second person indicted is former Uvalde School District police officer Adrian Gonzales.

Sheriff Nolasco confirmed to ABC News Friday afternoon that Gonzales is currently in custody at the Uvalde County jail.

The charges were first reported by the San Antonio Express News.

PHOTO: In this May 26, 2022, file photo, Uvalde School Police Chief Pete Arredondo, third from left, stands during a news conference outside of the Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. (Dario Lopez-Mills/AP, FILE)

MORE: Uvalde families reach settlement with city ahead of 2-year mark: Can 'begin rebuilding trust'

The indictment alleges that, after hearing shots fired, Arredondo failed to identify the shooting as an active shooter, failed to respond as trained, and instead, called SWAT, thereby delaying the response by law enforcement..

The indictment also alleges that he chose to negotiate with the gunman instead of engaging; failed to timely provide keys and breaching tools; failed to determine if the classroom door was locked; failed to follow the school district's active shooter policy; and failed to develop an immediate action plan.

PHOTO: In this Sept. 6, 2022, file photo, a memorial is shown outside of Robb Elementary School for the 21 lives taken by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, FILE)

Arredondo, in a recorded interview with investigators the day after the shooting, said he did not view himself as the "incident commander," contrary to the active shooter plan he devised. He was subsequently terminated for his actions during the shooting.

Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022.

Ana Rodriguez, the mother of 10-year-old victim Maite Rodriguez, told ABC News Thursday, "The fact that these two people are being held accountable doesnt change anything for me, it doesnt bring her back."

MORE: Uvalde parents outraged after independent report finds police officers didn't violate policy

Rodriguez said the indictments do not equate to "complete justice," saying, "Not everyone who  needs to be held accountable is going to be held accountable."

Javier Cazares, the father of 9-year-old victim Jackie Cazares, said of the charges, "Its something."

"They are going to finally bring someone to justice," he said, adding, "We feel there should be more facing charges."

PHOTO: Felicia Martinez, left, and Evadulia Orta, right, both whose children were among 19 children killed in the massacre at Robb Elementary, embrace after speaking at a special city council meeting, March 7, 2024, in Uvalde, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP, FILE)

The Justice Department released a scathing report earlier this year after it found "critical failures" before, during and after the shooting, and major departures from established active-shooter protocols.

Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell began her criminal investigation into the law enforcement failures shortly after the shooting and convened a grand jury to review evidence against hundreds of officers in January.

Mitchell initially said in May 2023 that she had been "optimistic" that the investigation would be completed by the one-year mark, but added that it was "not surprising" that it was still ongoing "given the magnitude of this investigation."

Anne Marie Espinoza, director of communications and marketing for Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, released a statement Thursday, saying, "As we have done and continue to do, we extend our sincerest sympathies to all who lost loved ones."

"Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this challenging situation," Espinoza said.

ABC News' Ismael Estrada, Jenny Wagnon Courts, Josh Margolin, Emily Shapiro and Mireya Villarreal contributed to this report.

Former Uvalde school police chief charged with 10 counts of 'abandoning and endangering' Robb Elementary survivors originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The 2024 primary tested Trump influence on Utah Republicans. What did it tell us?

Gov. Spencer Cox talks to media after the Associated Press called the GOP primary for governor in his favor at an election night event in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Soon after polls closed on Tuesday, unofficial election night results showed both of Utahs statewide Republican primary races had clear wins: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox won the GOP gubernatorial race, and Rep. John Curtis beat his three Republican competitors in the race to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney.

Though the results arent necessarily surprising  aligning with what local polls signaled would happen, though by narrower margins  they affirmed what historically has been true: Utah, though as red a state as ever, continues to have trouble accepting Trump-style politics.

Coxs competitor, Rep. Phil Lyman  who as of Wednesday evening trailed Cox by nearly 12 percentage points  catered to MAGA Republicans with a MUGA (Make Utah Great Again) campaign. Former President Donald Trump himself endorsed Curtis leading competitor, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, and yet Staggs only got 31% of the vote to Curtis nearly 50%.

What a fascinating primary, Chris Karpowitz, political science professor at Brigham Young University, told Utah News Dispatch on Wednesday, the day after the election.

Two takeaways surfaced, said Karpowitz, who is also a senior scholar at BYUs Center of the Study of Elections and Democracy. It highlighted, he said:

An ongoing and deepening division within the Republican Party  both nationally and in Utah. Continued challenges and liabilities for politicians who firmly align themselves with Trump, especially in Utah.

However, the two races also show that brash, populist-oriented rhetoric does indeed resonate with a significant, meaningful number of Utah voters, Karpowitz said.

Utah continues to be reticent to fully adopt MAGA-style politics, he said. But that doesnt mean there arent voters who do endorse that. And those voters are passionate. They get involved. But theyre not a majority, and theyre not a majority among Republicans.

The fact that both Lyman and Staggs campaigns gained notable traction  and Lymans race with Cox was perhaps closer than some expected  shows Trump-aligned candidates can find a foothold. However, Karpowitz said its hard to say whether this is a growing faction within Utah.

But I think these results show that theres an audience for that style of politics, even in Utah, he said. Its not a majority  yet. But it might be creeping in that direction.

Still, this years primary shows its not a winning argument, he said.

And maybe this is a warning for (Sen.) Mike Lee, too, Karpowitz said, referring to the Utah senator who went from not voting for Trump in 2016, to now one of his most vocal supporters. There really are limits in Utah to fully and completely aligning yourself with Donald Trump.

Trent Staggs speaks during the Utah Senate primary debate for Republican contenders battling to win the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney Monday, June 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (Pool photo by Rick Bowmer/AP)

What makes Utah so different from other states? The answer lies with the history of the state, settled by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints escaping religious persecution. Today, Utah remains home to the highest concentration of members of the church, and its culture continues to place heavy emphasis on religion and morality.

Its a big reason why Utahns have been reluctant to embrace Trumps rhetoric and behavior.

I do think the states history and religious tradition matters here, Karpowitz said. And that has led to a certain style of politics and a certain willingness to try to work for practical solutions that dont involve completely demonizing people on the other side.

Utah, compared to other deeply red states, is red in a different way, he said.

Its going to stay red, he added, at least for the foreseeable future. But there are big tensions within the party and big differences of opinion about the best way to go forward and what the responsibilities of elected officials are. And its simply not sufficient to have the endorsement of Donald Trump.

Another election that calls into question the caucus-convention system

Karpowitz said Lymans and Staggs losses also add to the tally of examples of how disconnected Utah Republican Party delegates are from the rest of the states GOP voters.

Both Lyman and Staggs won overwhelming majority support at convention, and yet they lost with wide margins when the race was opened up to the rest of the states Republican voters. Cox, in the governors race, along with Curtis and other U.S. Senate competitors, qualified for the primary by gathering signatures under Utahs dual path to the ballot.

Karpowitz, along with another BYU professor Jeremy Pope, has conducted research, including an analysis in 2015, that shows caucuses are more likely to attract partisan voters, and in turn theyre more likely to produce more ideologically extreme party nominees.

Its vindication, again, for the notion that the convention is out-of-step with Republican voters in the state, that it caters to a more extreme and different set of voters than primaries do, he said.

Republicans who favor the caucus-convention system  many of them Lyman and Staggs supporters  have long detested the passage of SB54, a 2014 law that allows a dual path to the primary ballot via signature gathering and not just through convention nomination.

Many convention loyalists balk at being deemed extremists or out of touch. Rather, they argue delegates are more informed about politics and are best equipped to make knowledgeable decisions for their neighbors. They also argue the signature gathering path allows candidates with enough money and resources a way to bypass the convention system.

Yes, Cox as an incumbent and Curtis coming from Congress were both well-resourced candidates that also benefited from name recognition, Karpowitz said. But they both also ran campaigns that framed them as candidates based on traditional Utah politics.

Utah Republican Rep. John Curtis poses with his family at a primary election watch party in Provo on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The Associated Press has called the Utah primary race for U.S. Senate for Curtis. (Nathan Beitler for Utah News Dispatch)

Curtis told the Deseret News on Wednesday that hes often stereotyped as a candidate thats either MAGA or moderate  and he doesnt see himself or Utah that way.

I like to define it as normal, Curtis told the publication. I dont think most Utah voters define themselves by conservative or moderate or liberal. But I think they tend to define themselves more by  for lack of better words  Utah values.

Lessons from the gubernatorial race

The Lyman campaign  though it was not successful  demonstrated there is a significant segment of Utahs Republican population that is hungry for change and likely energized by a possible return of Trump to the White House.

Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, who supported Cox at his election night party, told Utah News Dispatch he expected Cox to win. Lymans support, he said, runs narrow but deep while Coxs support is wider and quieter.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Phil Lyman speaks to guests during his primary election night party at a Highland home on June 25, 2024. (Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)

(Lyman supporters) are going to go out and put up signs and call their neighbors and tell their family members to vote for Phil Lyman, Weiler said. I think the Phil Lyman supporters feel like theyre part of an uprising or a cause, but theres just not enough of them to win.

Weilers prediction was right, though the margin is shaping up to be narrower than what he expected  which was no more than 40% for Lyman (As of Wednesday evening, Cox had 55.9% of the vote to Lymans 44%).

County-by-county results show Cox handily beat Lyman along the Wasatch Front, while Lyman gained traction in rural Utah, especially southern Utah and his home San Juan County. Karpowitz noted there were so many Lyman campaign signs scattered throughout neighborhoods that it likely made some wonder, Is he going to do better than we think? And I think thats just a reflection of the fact that Lyman did engender a certain level of enthusiasm and support.

Its not a majority of voters, he said, but those who liked him seemed to like him quite a bit.

Shortly after results posted Tuesday night, Cox and his running mate Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson told supporters the outcome of the race validated their decisions to do the right thing and run a clean, policy-based campaign despite pressures from their opponents and national political norms.

We believe that there is a better way to govern. That the way that our country is trending, the polarization  is not healthy. The destruction of institutions. Destroying trust in our neighbors, Cox said. So Im proud that we rose above the fray, that we did it the right way. We did it without attacking  without negativity. And Im grateful that the people of Utah responded.

Lymans campaign largely employed an attack strategy, accusing Cox in various ways of not being a true conservative, while Cox advocated for a clean race while parading his National Association of Governors Disagree Better campaign, meant to discourage hyperpartisanship, polarization, tribalism and political hate.

However, when reporters asked Cox about attacks from the right of his own party during the campaign season, Cox bristled, and argued theres a different definition that should be used to describe Lyman and his supporters.

I want to be clear. Those attacks dont come from the right. Populism is not the right. Populism is not conservatism, Cox said. This is something different.

Populism is defined as a political approach that seeks to appeal to ordinary people who feel theyre being disregarded by established, elite groups. Its a strategy that Trump has embraced and normalized, and one that Lyman mirrored.

I want to be clear. Those attacks dont come from the right. Populism is not the right. Populism is not conservatism. This is something different

 Utah Gov. Spencer Cox

Gov. Spencer Cox talks to media after the Associated Press called the GOP primary for governor in his favor at an election night event in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)

Karpowitz noted there are populist movements occurring all across the world, and Utah is not immune.

Part of that is a reflection of the economic challenges that we face in a post-COVID world, and part of it is a sense of frustration that elected officials in both parties have overlooked or ignored, you know, the challenges that ordinary people are having, he said.

Trump and his followers have seen an opening to grasp onto that kind of rhetoric  but theyve also taken a tear-it-down approach that can be dangerous for the countrys institutions and democracy, he said.

Like Trump, Lyman  who would not concede Tuesday night  has also embraced rhetoric that sows doubt in elections. In a post on X Wednesday, Lymans campaign criticized the media for calling the race soon after polls closed.

Coxs speech was bizarre. And, on top of that, we have a lot of votes still to count, Lymans campaign posted. Call it dangerous if you want but Im not buying it.

In the final week leading up to the primary, Lyman laid the groundwork for questioning the election itself by accusing the lieutenant governors office of lacking transparency for not releasing all of the signatures Cox and other candidates submitted to qualify for the ballot. For candidate signature gathering petitions, Utah law requires election officials to redact names from signature packets of voters who have chosen to classify their records as private.

Lyman told his supporters Tuesday night that his campaign is suing over Coxs signatures in order to confirm their validity. He also indicated he would try to press to get his name on the general election ballot despite his primary loss because he earned more than 60% of delegate support at convention.

Thats not how it works in Utah. Winners of primary elections or unopposed party nominees advance to the November ballot.

Part of living in a democracy is respecting the decisions of the voters, and of recognizing you lost when you lost.

 Chris Karpowitz, poiltical science professor at Brigham Young University

Karpowitz called Lymans rhetoric around the election worrisome.

I think its a result of Donald Trumps reaction to 2020, and I dont think thats healthy for democracy, he said. Part of living in a democracy is respecting the decisions of the voters, and of recognizing you lost when you lost.

The margin in the Cox-Lyman contest is not close, he said, and so continuing to sow doubt about the outcome of elections is just not healthy for a republic.

Thats just deeply problematic, he said. Certainly every candidate has the right to pursue any significant concerns in a court of law, but at this point at least its not clear that theres any reason to doubt the outcome of the election, and continuing to sow those kinds of doubts just plays into this narrative  where politicians feel they can gain by playing on the concerns and fears of ordinary people.

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The post The 2024 primary tested Trump influence on Utah Republicans. What did it tell us? appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
Update: Sebastian Orozcos mother shared with FOX31 that his wheelchair has been found. She posted on Facebook saying in part, Once again I would like to thank FOX31, Univision and the community for helping my son get his mobility back.

Original story:

DENVER (KDVR)  Sebastian Orozco cherishes his rides with the Denver Cruiser Ride group, which rides bicycles through various neighborhoods.

The 21-year-old used his customized power chair to ride with that group on Thursday rides. But Orozco thought he wouldnt be able to ride this week after his power wheelchair was stolen.

It was taken from his grandfathers porch near West Sixth Avenue and Elati Street near downtown Denver.

Right now, Im kind of worried. I feel kind of sad about not having it. But I just want my legs back, Orozco said.

Mysterious monolith appears in Northern Colorado

Orozco was visiting his grandfathers home, which does not have a ramp. He was not able to move it inside.

The customized chair, valued at $23,000, was taken at some point between Sunday night and Monday morning.

When FOX31 arrived to speak with Orozco, he was leaning on a chair looking out the living room window.

Im just watching in case I see anybody on it. Ill tell my grandpa or my brother to get them off it, Orozco said.

Man in power wheelchair riding with bicyclists on a Denver street

It crushes my heart because of somebodys stupidity

Orozco was born with a condition called arthrogryposis, a condition that prevents him from moving his joints. But that has not stopped Orozco from joining the Denver Cruisier Ride group on their bicycle rides.

The rides provide much-needed camaraderie and are a highlight of his week. He is not sure when he will be able to rejoin the group.

It can take months to build and pay for a new power chair. The stolen one was specifically built for Orozcos body and condition.

He must now rely on his family members for his mobility. FOX31 saw his mother assist him down a set of stairs.

It crushes my heart because of somebodys stupidity, mother Adriana Villegas said, fighting back tears. Hes not able to be out there in the streets like everybody else. Enjoying a walk, being with his friends, being with the family  he cant do that right now.

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The family has been searching for the chair in the neighborhood to no avail. The home at 6th and Elati is extremely busy with both vehicular and foot traffic.

Orozco asked FOX31 to share this plea with people reading this story.

Keep a look out for my wheelchair, and if you guys see it, to let me know. Please. I need my wheelchair, Orozco said.

The Denver Police Department said the theft is an open investigation and is asking anyone who may have information to please call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
A 3-year-old girl died and a man was hurt in a house fire in central Ohio on Wednesday.

The fire was reported on Pierce Avenue in Lancaster around 3 p.m., our news partner at WBNS reported.

>> Man accused of following female, attacking her on bike trail

When medics arrived on the scene, they found a 55-year-old man lying in the front yard. He was transported to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in critical condition.

Firefighters went into the home and found the 3-year-old girl. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Lancaster Assistant Fire Chief Slade Schultz told WBNS.

Two dogs also died in the fire.

Two other children and a 54-year-old woman were able to escape the fire. A 5-year-old boy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

>> 11-month-old boy deprived of nutrition dies; Ohio couple facing charges

Schultz said the fire will have an impact on the whole community.

Incidents like this are very traumatic to the whole community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family thats been affected, Schultz said.

The home didnt have smoke detectors.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.




DENVER (KDVR)  It has been 29 years since Andre Price was shot to death, and his killer has never been found.

Denver police and the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers are offering a reward of up to $30,000 for information that could help solve this decades-old cold case.

On June 16, 1995, Price, 21, was found shot to death outside a home at 2 a.m. in the 5200 block of Crown Boulevard in the Montbello neighborhood.

The area is south of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

FOX31 spoke to the Price family in 2021.

Very traumatizing: Family shares video of violent robbery involving multiple victims

His mother, Suzanne Price said her son was funny and silly and liked to joke around. She said the pain of losing her only son never goes away.

A lot of people dont understand. I cry, I will never see him get married, he will never get to see his granddaughter, his daughter was 3 years old when he was killed. Those are a lot of things he missed out on, Suzanne said.

To this day, Prices case remains unsolved, and Denver police want answers.

Denver hasnt given up, and neither should you, said the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers in a bulletin.

If you have any information on this cold case, you are urged to call the Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a cash reward of up to $30,000.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
MORRIS, Ill.  After more than 47 years, the remains of a young Black woman found near Seneca, Illinois have been positively identified through the use of DNA and forensics.

Authorities on Thursday said the remains are of JoAnn Vickie Smith, an adopted woman from Ohio.

At a press conference, Smiths brother, Ronnie Smith, said family members wondered for years what happened to the 20-year-old who left her Cincinnati home and never returned.

That wasnt something that was normal in our household. No one stayed out at night, not in my mothers home, he said.

At the same time, investigators in 1976 were stumped in identifying the remains found near a cornfield alongside US Highway 6 with a gunshot wound to the head. The case went cold for decades until late in 2017 when officials in the Grundy County Coroners Office reopened the investigation. Smiths body was exhumed from an unmarked grave about a year later.



DNA testing was initially unsuccessful in coming up with a name, but a team of expert genetic genealogists with the DNA Doe Project were able to construct a family tree to narrow the search.

The identification took more than four years.

At some point everyone worked on this case, said Margaret Press, who founded the DNA Doe Project in 2017. She has been at the top of my list of cases I wanted to see identified.



A statement from the DNA Doe Project explained that African-American Jane and John Does are often much more difficult to identify than people of Northern European descent because African-Americans are underrepresented in the public databases.

And as an adopted woman, most people in her birth family didnt know she existed, the organization said. Her name was finally found after the DNA Doe Project team located a branch of her family tree with three sisters, one of whom was her birth mother. Once investigators had a name, they were able to locate her original birth certificate from the Cincinnati Health Department Vital Records and adoption records from Hamilton County (Ohio) Probate Court.

It is an honor for all of us to say her name  Vickie Smith  and to know shes on her way home, DNA Doe Project spokeswoman Pam Lauritzen said.

With one part of the mystery solved, attention now turns to finding who killed her.

Special gratitude and thanks to Deputy Chief Coroner Brandon Johnson and Coroner John Callahan for never  and I repeat  never giving up on our beloved Vickie, and their unwavering dedication to bring her back to us, Ronnie Smith said.

The family has planned a Friday celebration of life service in Cincinnati. A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family with transport and burial of Smiths remains.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
***Learn about swimming safety above.***

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJW)  Authorities are cautioning beachgoers after five people drowned within four days at a popular tourist destination in northwest Florida.

According to the Bay County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to the beach on the west end of Panama City Beach for a distressed swimmer in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday morning.

When first responders arrived, family members were already trying to bring the swimmer, identified as 60-year-old Debbie Szymanski, back to shore.

Szymanski, who had been visiting the area with her family from St. Louis, Missouri, was pronounced dead at the hospital, the sheriffs office said.

Stringray sends local woman to E.R.  twice

The drowning was just the latest in a string of recent tragedies at the beach town, which is a little more than 110 miles from Tallahassee.

Two days earlier, first responders responded to reports of three distressed swimmers in the Gulf behind the Watercress Condominiums on Thomas Drive. After a search by emergency services and the U.S. Coast Guard, all three were found and taken to area hospitals.

The swimmers, who investigators say were young men from Alabama, died in the hospital.

Im praying for their family and ask that you do the same, said Sheriff Tommy Ford on Facebook at the time. It is such a tragedy.

As reported by Fox News and other outlets, a 19-year-old tourist from Oklahoma was killed after getting caught in a rip current off Panama City Beach.

The Bay County Sheriffs Office has posted multiple notices on Facebook, reminding both tourists and locals that single red flags on the beach indicate strong currents in the Gulf.

4 marine life bites in Virginia Beach in a week

Always use caution when swimming in Gulf waters, the post said.

Earlier this month, an 11-year-old boy drowned after he was swept away by strong Lake Erie rip currents at Conneaut Township Park. His body was found after a dayslong search.

If you get caught in a rip current, rescue teams urge swimmers not to panic. Rather, look for the chance to swim parallel to the shore until youre out of the rip currents grip.

Lifeguards say most swimmers tire themselves out while attempting to return to the beach. If possible, the best bet is to swim near a lifeguard station.

Learn more about dangerous rip currents here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The meeting of the Plenum of Azerbaijan's Constitutional Court is considering Presidents request on the conformity of parliament's dissolution with the Constitution, Trend reports.

Besides, the meeting is considering the presidential request on appointing the extraordinary parliamentary election based on decision No. 1174-VIQR of the Azerbaijani parliament dated June 21, 2024, "On the Appeal to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Schedule Extraordinary Election to the Parliament of Azerbaijan" in accordance with paragraph one of Part III of Article 130 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Article 7.1 of the Law "On the Constitutional Court".

The Chairman of the Constitutional Court, Farhad Abdullayev, has opened the meeting, announced the composition of the plenum, and informed about the issue under discussion.

Representatives of the requesting party included Head of the Legal Policy Sector of the Legislative and Legal Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Rustam Gasimov, and Head of the Legislative Development Sector of the same department, Araz Poladov.

The representative of the responding party is Head of the Azerbaijani Parliament Apparatus Farid Hajiyev, and the expert is Associate Professor of the Department of Constitutional Law of the Faculty of Law at Baku State University, Doctor of Philosophy in Law Nasib Shukurov.

Will be updated
Wednesday marked three months since the container ship Dali lost power in the early hours of March 26 and ran into a support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, knocking down the structure. The collapse killed six construction workers, partially blocked Baltimores shipping channel until June and eliminated one of three harbor crossings in the city, slowing vehicular traffic.

New bridge expected by 2028

The Maryland Transportation Authoritys goal is to open the bridge to all lanes of vehicular traffic no later than October 15, 2028, according to a request for proposals (RFP) it released May 31. The deadline for proposals was Monday and teams submitted their pitches to the authority, which owns the bridge. By mid- to late summer, a builder  likely a collection of companies  will be selected.

In the RFP, the authority stated that incentives will be offered for earlier completion.

The specifics of the bridge remain undetermined and will be decided by the transportation authority and the selected builder, but experts have predicted that it will be cable-stayed  a design thats been popular in recent decades. The bridge is expected to last at least 75 years and have four lanes of traffic (two each way) like the old span.

Officials have not yet said whether the new structure would have the same name as the old one.

Biden pledged to pay for it

The bridge is expected to cost roughly $1.7 billion and Democratic President Joe Biden has pledged that the federal government will completely pay for it. Marylands congressional leaders introduced a bill in April that specifies the federal government will pay 100% of the cost, but the bill has yet to pass.

The government would later be able to recoup at least some of the funds from third parties  from insurance or as a result of litigation.

In the immediate aftermath, officials estimated cleanup would cost about $50 million, but the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard spent roughly $160 million clearing the primary shipping channel into Baltimore. Marylands Board of Public Works will next week consider a $50 million contract with the construction company Skanska, which cleared debris outside that channel.

NTSB investigation ongoing

What caused the 984-foot Dali to lose power and run into the bridge remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board, which will likely finish its analysis next year, said Monday that it is looking into an electrical component  about the diameter of a soda can  on the massive ship.

Dali moves south

After the collapse, the Dali spent roughly two months grounded in the shipping channel, tangled with bridge wreckage. It was refloated and moved to the Port of Baltimore by five tugboats last month. This week, it sailed under its own power, going under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis and on to Norfolk, Virginia.

The 100,000-ton vessel, with crunched containers still on its damaged bow, was assisted by four tugboats and two other vessels as it made the 23-hour journey to Virginia, where it will receive extensive repairs.

Some crew depart

Of the original 21 crew members aboard the Dali at the time of the collapse, who are from India and Sri Lanka, 10 were granted permission to return home. The remaining crew will stay in the Baltimore area for the time being.

Four of the crew members, given their familiarity with the vessel, traveled alongside a replacement crew to Virginia, with plans to return to Baltimore later.
50 laptops given away to SF senior citizens in need

(KRON)  On Wednesday morning, 50 refurbished laptops were given to San Francisco senior citizens in need as part of an initiative to increase greater access to the Internet.

SF man who threatened to kill janitor with pipe convicted: DA

In California, its estimated that nearly one in every 10 households lack access to the Internet, an issue known as the digital divide. According to AT&T and Human I-T, the laptops were part of a Connected Learning initiative to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility.

In 2022, AT&T opened the second Connected Learning center statewide inside the Asian Pacific American Community Center (APACC) in San Francisco.

This collaboration with AT&T is a critical link to connectivity for Asian Pacific American families living in Visitation Valley, said Rex Tabora, Executive Director of APACC. Most of our clients are low- to moderate-income immigrant families with limited English proficiency. Providing access will be essential to closing the homework gap and improving educational outcomes for the students and families we serve.

Photo: AT&T

As part of their initiative, AT&T is committing $5 billion to help 25 million people get internet access by 2030. AT&T said they have given out more than 22,000 devices since 2021.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
TechCrunch

Fidelity Investments, one of the world's largest asset managers, has confirmed that over 77,000 customers had personal information compromised during an August data breach, including Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. The Boston, Massachusetts-based investment firm said in a filing with Maines attorney general on Wednesday that an unnamed third party accessed information from its systems between August 17 and August 19 "using two customer accounts that they had recently established. We detected this activity on August 19 and immediately took steps to terminate the access, Fidelity said in a letter sent to those affected, adding that the incident did not involve any access to customers Fidelity accounts.
63-year-old man struck, killed by 18-wheeler on I-77 in Iredell County, troopers say

A 63-year-old Greenville man was struck and killed early Wednesday morning on Interstate 77 in Iredell County, troopers said.

Troopers: Driver dies after crossing into oncoming traffic on SC highway

Calvin Jay May ,who was wearing dark clothes, was on Interstate 77 South near Exit 36 at about 1:15 a.m. when it happened.

Impairment and speed do not appear to have contributed to the collision, troopers said.

The Freightliner driver was not injured.

No charges were filed.

VIDEO: Troopers investigating after 4-ton furnace falls off 18-wheeler in Burke County
FILE - Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Bottom row, from left, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and Justice Elena Kagan. Top row, from left, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. As the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a major case involving former President Donald Trump, 7 in 10 Americans think its justices are more likely to shape the law to fit their own ideology, rather than serving as neutral arbiters of government authority, according to a new poll. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP)  A solid majority of Americans say Supreme Court justices are more likely to be guided by their own ideology rather than serving as neutral arbiters of government authority, a new poll finds, as the high court is poised to rule on major cases involving former President Donald Trump and other divisive issues.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 7 in 10 Americans think the high court's justices are more influenced by ideology, while only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults think the justices are more likely to provide an independent check on other branches of government by being fair and impartial.

The poll reflects the continued erosion of confidence in the Supreme Court, which enjoyed broader trust as recently as a decade ago. It underscores the challenge faced by the nine justices  six appointed by Republican presidents and three by Democrats  of being seen as something other than just another element of Washingtons hyper-partisanship.

The justices are expected to decide soon whether Trump is immune from criminal charges over his efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection defeat, but the poll suggests that many Americans are already uneasy about the justices' ability to rule impartially.

"It's very political. There's no question about that," said Jeff Weddell, a 67-year-old automotive technology sales representative from Macomb County, in presidential swing-state Michigan.

The court's decision-making is so polluted," said Weddell, a political independent who plans to vote for Trump in November. No matter what they say on President Trump's immunity, this will be politically motivated."

Confidence in the Supreme Court remains low. The poll of 1,088 adults found that 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they have hardly any confidence in the people running the Supreme Court, in line with an AP-NORC poll from October. As recently as early 2022, before the high-profile ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion, an AP-NORC poll found that only around one-quarter of Americans lacked confidence in the justices.

And although the Supreme Courts conservative majority has handed down some historic victories for Republican policy priorities over the past few years, rank-and-file Republicans arent giving the justices a ringing endorsement.

It's been two years since the court's ruling on abortion rights. Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett  Trump nominees confirmed by a Republican Senate  were part of the majority that overturned the near-50-year abortion-rights precedent established in Roe v. Wade.

This years term, with a dozen cases still undecided, has already seen some major rulings. Earlier in June, the Supreme Court unanimously preserved access to the pharmaceutical drug mifepristone, a medication used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year. The same week, the court struck down a Trump-era gun restriction, a ban on rapid-fire gun accessories known as bump stocks, a win for gun-rights advocates.

Only about half of Republicans have a great deal or a moderate amount of confidence in the courts handling of important issues, including gun policy, abortion, elections and voting, and presidential power and immunity, according to the new poll.

I dont have a lot of faith in the Supreme Court. And thats unfortunate because thats the final say-so, the final check and balance on our three-branch government, said Matt Rogers, a 37-year-old Republican from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Other Republicans share that mistrust, although the court's current makeup is more conservative than any court in modern history. They are also split on whether the justices are more driven by personal ideology or impartiality, with about half of Republicans saying the justices are more likely to shape the law to fit their own ideology, and another half saying they are likelier to be an independent check on their co-equal branches.

I think they are getting influenced and pressured by a lot of people and a lot of entities on the left, said Rogers, a health and wellness trainer who plans to vote for Trump a third time this year. Let's be honest. It's anything to crucify Trump."

Some Republicans have less confidence in the courts handling of specific issues than others. The poll found, for instance, that about 6 in 10 Republican women have little to no confidence in the courts handling of presidential power and immunity, compared to 45% of Republican men.

Janette Majors, a Republican from Ridgefield, Washington, says its only natural for a justice to reflect the ideology of the president who nominated them.

But episodes outside the Supreme Court chambers have made her less confident in the people running the court.

What you hear about Clarence Thomas, taking trips paid for by rich people, makes me think there are some individuals there that dont sound like I should trust them, Majors said, referring unprompted to reports that Thomas has for years received undisclosed expensive gifts, including travel, from GOP megadonor Harlan Crow.

Democrats and independents are even more skeptical of the court's neutrality, according to the poll.

About 8 in 10 Democrats  and about 7 in 10 independents  say the justices are more likely to shape the law to fit their own ideology. A similar share has little or no confidence at all in the court's handling of abortion, gun policy and presidential power and immunity.

Michigan Democrat Andie Near noticed that the court seemed to become a political tool in 2016, when then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to allow hearings on Democratic President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland.

McConnell quickly allowed hearings after Trump nominated Gorsuch within 10 days of taking office in 2017.

I had thought the court, though maybe skewing left or right, was serving the whole body of the country," the 42-year-old museum registrar from Holland, Michigan, said. That's when it brought to high relief that the Supreme Court is being used to skew the political environment we live in, and it's only gotten worse.

___

The poll of 1,088 adults was conducted June 20-24, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.

___

Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.
ORANGE COVE, Calif (KSEE/KGPE)  Firefighters continue to battle the Bolt, Flash, and Hog Fires that have combined to be the Fresno June Lightning Complex Fire.

750 structures are now threatened, including the Project Survival Cat Haven in Dunlap.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni says the road closures are a focus.

On Highway 180, east of Cove Avenue, that is a hard closure for all personnel except fire personnel and it is due to the dangers in the area with rockslides fires there, Sheriff Zanoni said.

Public Information Officer Seth Brown with Cal Fire says the unpredictable windy conditions, terrain, and extreme heat are making the containment process difficult.

Its very steep and rocky terrain, the firefighters are having to hike in, sometimes, 20-30-40 minutes into where theyre working, so were making the appropriate plans so they can do that safely, Brown said.

Dale Anderson, Founder of the Project Survival Cat Haven says if the flames continue to grow, they will have to start evacuating the exotic cats.

Theres logistics in planning to be able to get them out and it takes us roughly about probably eight or nine hours to get everything done, Anderson said.

However, the power outage on Bear Mountain that occurred early Wednesday morning has made communication difficult.

As of about midnight I got no service anymore so now how do we communicate with people up there so this is why Im down in Orange Cove right now I had to drive down just to find out whats going on and talk to people, Anderson said.

For more fire updates and information visit the fire.ca.gov/incidents website and call 559-356-5041.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
8-year-old dies after being left in a hot car in Charlotte. Her mother has been charged.

A Charlotte woman was arrested and is facing felony charges following the death of her 8-year-old daughter, who died Wednesday after being left in a car while her mother was at work.

Ashlee Stallings, 36, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse by willful act causing serious injury, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said in a press release Thursday.

According to the police, officers were called to assist MEDIC on Wednesday around 6:30 p.m. at the 4100 block of Wilkinson Boulevard. Upon arrival, police found the girl in critical condition from the hot weather. An arrest warrant said temperatures reached 94 degrees that day.

She was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit focused on advocating for keeping kids safe from vehicle-related accidents, tracks hot-car related deaths on its website. Its tracker dates back to 1990.

On average, the organizations website said, 38 kids across the country die each year in hot cars. From 1990 to 2023, there have been a total of 45 hot car deaths in North Carolina. And so far in 2024, the organization has reported four deaths  in South Carolina, Florida, West Virginia, and California.

About 88% of children who died in hot cars are age 3 and under.

Stallings was being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail with bond set at $250,000.
DENVER (KDVR)  Almost 71 million Americans are projected by travel agency AAA to travel over 50 miles for the July 4 holiday, and Denver is among one of the top destinations for domestic travelers this year.

AAAs forecast specifically projects 70.9 million U.S. citizens to take trips over 50 miles from home, outpacing the 2023 projection by 5% and pre-COVID 2019 numbers by 8%. AAA is looking at Saturday, June 29 through Sunday, July 7, marking the first year that the Independence Day holiday travel period includes two weekends.

See the latest traffic conditions in Denver on FOX31

2024 is the year of travel, surpassing 2019s numbers and some records that are nearly two decades old, said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA in a release. The good news is that robust travel figures speak to the strength of the American economy. The bad news is that, with 3.5 million more travelers than last year, there will be more people on roadways, lined up at airport security, and visiting state parks, lakes, major American cities, and more.

Denver is the ninth most popular domestic destination for the holiday this year, according to AAA booking data, with the top 8 destinations located on the contiguous U.S. coasts, plus Alaska and Hawaii.

AAA forecasts 2.8M more travelers by car

Denvers traffic is also expected to be worse during the holiday period, according to AAA, which projected the drive on Interstate 25 from Fort Collins to Denver would be the most congested on Monday, July 8 at about 7:30 a.m. The agency expects the drive to take 56% longer than average.

Those numbers also reflect the AAA projection of a record 60.6 million people who are expected to travel by car during the week, which is an additional 2.8 million than the year before. AAAs rental car partner, Hertz, projects the highest rental demands in Denver, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return, said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, in a AAA release. Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.

The busiest rental car pick-up days are forecasted to be:

Friday, June 28

Saturday, June 29

Wednesday, July 3.

Gas prices could also go up during the week due to hurricane season, should a storm arise, but as of June 26, Colorados average price of gas per gallon was $3.35, roughly 15 cents below the current national average and 40 cents less than Colorados average gas prices during July 4, 2023.

Denver International Airport projects record traffic

Domestic air travel is also expected to break records during the 2024 Independence Day holiday. AA is projecting 5.74 million flyers nationally  up 7% from last year and up 12% from 2019.

Denver International Airport expects record busy traffic around 4th of July

AAA booking data also shows that domestic airfare prices are 2% cheaper compared to last year. The agency anticipates travelers will head to DIA as a way to access other areas of Colorado and the American West.

Meanwhile, DIA is forecasting more than 878,000 passengers will pass through TSA checkpoints from June 28 through July 9, for about 321,000 passengers each day. Thats a 4.7% increase over the same period last year.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Abortion advocates warn of chaos and confusion in the wake of the Supreme Courts Idaho ruling

Abortion advocates tempered excitement over the Supreme Court ruling that allowed hospitals to perform abortions in Idaho and instead warned about chaos and confusion for pregnant families and health care providers.

Idahos harsh ban only allows pregnant people to get the procedure in the case of preventing death, not severe health complications. The government argued the ban should not take precedence over a federal law, which requires hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with emergency medical conditions.

Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in the 6-3 majority decision. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

Abortion advocates echoed the sentiment, underscoring the need for further clarification on the right to an abortion in Idaho and across the country.

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, an OBGYN and the CEO of the nonprofit Power to Decide, issued a statement, claiming the ruling continues the chaos and confusion that has endangered the lives of far too many people living in states where abortion is banned or severely restricted.

Abortion advocates tempered excitement over the Supreme Court ruling that allowed hospitals to perform abortions in Idaho, and instead gave ominous warnings (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

I fear todays decision will not provide the needed clarity to ensure that health care providers across the country feel safe providing the standard of care every pregnant person seeking emergency medical services deserves, she said.

Idaho providers even told the court their patients had to be airlifted out of their home state to access the necessary care under the states strict ban.

Both pregnant people and health providers need clarity right now, said Nancy Northup, the president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights in a statement.

The court delayed the decision on whether states with abortion bans can override the federal law requirement that hospitals must provide abortion care to patients in the throes of life-threatening pregnancy complications, she continued. We are relieved for the moment, but hardly celebrating.

The president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Alexis McGill Johnson called Wednesdays decision unconscionable.

Abortion advocates underscored the need for further clarification on the right to an abortion in Idaho and across the country. (AFP via Getty Images)

The Supreme Court had the opportunity to make clear that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act] law protects pregnant patients access to emergency abortion care in every state, she said. Instead, the court has kicked the can down the road, leaving access to emergency care for pregnant people across the country under threat.

Danielle White, a lawyer for Heartbeat International, similarly remarked that the decision leaves us with more questions than answers.

Idaho is one of 14 states with a total abortion ban. The vague language in these bans have sparked lawsuits in many of these states seeking clarity on when doctors are allowed to act, including in Tennessee.

The lawsuit in Tennessee, brought by seven people who suffered severe pregnancy complications and two doctors, states that providers didnt perform abortions because they fear the penalties imposed by that ban. The panel of judges in that case have not yet ruled.

The consequences of these harsh bans are nothing short of life-altering for some families.

A Tennessee woman, who was denied an abortion under the states ban, told The Independent in May that she lost an ovary, a fallopian tube and her fertility as a result of states law.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who is on a visit to Georgia, has met with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

The one-on-one meeting between the ministers was continued in an expanded format with the participation of delegations from both sides.

During the extended meeting, the parties discussed the current strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia, encompassing politics, security, defense, economy, trade, energy, transport, communications, cultural exchange, humanitarian cooperation, and other areas. They also addressed pressing regional issues and the current situation.

It was underscored that the ongoing high-level political dialogue, frequent visits, diplomatic missions, consular activities, and political consultation mechanisms are pivotal in deepening the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Jeyhun Bayramov expressed optimism that the official visit would provide additional momentum for enhancing both bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

It was highlighted that the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia in economic sectors such as investment, trade, energy, and communications is commendable. Significant regional projects like the BakuTbilisiCeyhan (BTC) pipeline, the Southern Gas Corridor, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway have been successfully implemented through this cooperation. The importance of fully leveraging the potential of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was underscored. Both sides emphasized the need to enhance the activities of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia to strengthen economic integration efforts and expedite joint project implementation.

The meeting also emphasized the mutual coordination of national efforts to combat regional and global security threats, with particular emphasis on cooperation to safeguard critical energy projects.

The importance of continuing efforts in mutual support and solidarity across various multilateral platforms, including the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, OIC, and GUAM, was emphasized.

There was confidence expressed that enhancing joint cooperation in key areas of humanitarian partnership, particularly in education, culture, and sports, will foster a high-level dialogue between the two countries.

The Azerbaijani foreign minister provided comprehensive insights into Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). He highlighted that COP29 presents additional opportunities for strengthening cooperation with Georgia in this domain. Furthermore, detailed discussions were held regarding efforts to implement the Black Sea green energy cable initiative.

Addressing regional peacemaking and constructive efforts in the post-conflict period, Bayramov underscored Azerbaijan's steadfast commitment as the initiator of the peace agenda to foster security and peace in the region.

He noted that despite substantial progress in the peace agreement, Armenia's ongoing territorial claims in its constitution and legislative acts remain a significant obstacle to the peace process.

The meeting also included discussions on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, the ministers made statements at a press conference.

13:45

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who is on a visit to Georgia, has met with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

The meeting of the foreign ministers was followed by an enlarged meeting.

The parties discussed various aspects of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia, including political, economic, energy, transportation, communication, and humanitarian dimensions.

The foreign ministers also shared perspectives on ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation across different regional and international frameworks.

Regional peace and post-conflict reconstruction efforts were also prominently featured on the agenda.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt.

A blanket given to Anne Angus at the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado, one of the only clinics in the country that offers termination after the second trimester. Angus said a former patient makes the blankets, called Bananas for Annie, for others who had to terminate for medical reasons. (Courtesy of Anne Angus)

Editors note:

This is the fifth installment of an occasional States Newsroom series called When and Where: Abortion Access in America, profiling individuals who have needed abortion care in the U.S. before and after Dobbs. The first installment can be found here, the second installment is here, the third is here, and the fourth is here.

Anne Angus has been ready to start growing her family for years now.

She got pregnant on her first try and felt lucky to escape the morning sickness and extreme fatigue that often comes with the first trimester of pregnancy. She quit her job in anticipation of being a full-time mom.

It was so exciting, I was so ready, said Angus, who lives in Montana.

Shed bought a few items off Facebook Marketplace by the time she was close to the halfway point, including a bassinet, some toys, a bouncer  and the teddy bear onesie that she holds onto when she tells the story of her doomed pregnancy.

At her routine 19-week anatomy scan, Angus doctor said something didnt look right with the abdomen. But that could mean any number of things with varying degrees of severity, according to her doctor, and they wouldnt know more until further tests could be completed. And those tests would need to be done by a team of specialists almost 700 miles away, at a childrens hospital in Denver, Colorado. Her appointment was four weeks out from the anatomy scan.

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At the end of a series of tests, she met with a team of doctors at the childrens hospital to discuss the diagnosis and next steps. It was called Eagle-Barrett Syndrome, a rare genetic defect that can cause the partial or complete absence of stomach muscles, urinary tract malformations and abnormalities of the testes.

The little glands running from the kidney to the bladder  his were three times the size of an adults, Angus said. Youre not even supposed to be able to see them at an ultrasound, let alone have them be very obvious.

Theres a 50-50 chance her future pregnancies would have the same mutation, which led her to decide in vitro fertilization was the safer way to get pregnant and be able to test embryos prior to implantation in the uterus. But like abortion, access to IVF treatments is becoming another political argument at the state and federal level, leaving Angus to worry that her remaining option for having a child is also at risk.

Following Dobbs decision, clinic was overrun with patients

Before arriving in Denver, Angus had told her husband that even if the diagnosis was severe, she didnt want to terminate. He understood and supported whatever decision she wanted to make, she said.

But after determining the status of the fetuss condition, the Denver doctors started to discuss dialysis, kidney transplants and a variety of other courses of treatment that would be needed after birth.

All of which sounded to me like they would just be experimenting on my baby, with the experiment being, How long can we keep him alive? Angus said. That did not feel loving and compassionate to me.

While talking it over with her husband, Angus said they discussed a family member who had a terminal illness.

It has been devastating to the family to watch this persons pain increase as they slowly fall apart over the years, she said. We didnt want that for our son.

It was at that time that they made the decision to let him go without the medical interventions and the idea that he might just slowly slip away in a neonatal intensive care unit, she said.

By that time, it was mid-October 2022, four months after the Dobbs decision that allowed states to once again regulate access to abortion and the ensuing legal and legislative chaos. One of the only places in the country where Angus could terminate at her stage of pregnancy was a clinic in Boulder, Colorado. Montana has a gestational age limit of 21 weeks for termination, so she knew she couldnt go back home.

That clinic (in Boulder) was overrun because all of the states that used to have access now didnt have it, or they were being pushed until much later, Angus said. We had a two-week wait from when we made the decision.

A woman standing in a field, holding a onesie for a baby shaped like a teddy bear.

By the time she got to the intake appointment, she was at 26 weeks. There were protesters outside of the clinic, so an escort with an umbrella covered Angus and her husband as they walked inside.

I remember feeling so much anger and rage at them. You have no idea whats going on, she said. You dont care at all about my babys suffering if hes born.

The termination was a few days later. Angus said it was difficult to face the reality of letting go of any shred of hope she had left.

That was probably the most scared Ive ever been. Nobody talks about what its like to get an abortion at the end of your second trimester. What am I supposed to feel? Whats going to happen? Who do I talk to about this? she said.

After the procedure, the doctor told her it was a difficult process because of the amount of water retention in the fetuss body. Angus said she could tell just by looking at him.

I didnt see his whole body just because of how medically fragile he was, but you could just tell that it wouldve been a really ugly death for him earthside, she said.

Insurance didnt cover the costs. With the travel, lodging and the price of the procedure, Angus and her husband spent $10,000 of their savings.

Frustration continues for Angus as IVF becomes new political target

Throughout 2023, Angus had many appointments for egg retrievals, but she said the process has been emotionally and financially draining.

We are extremely lucky that my husband has benefits through his work, but were also at the end of (those benefits), which is why this is our last IVF retrieval cycle, she said.

She has a planned embryo transfer in September, but if its not successful, she worries about future political decisions around IVF limiting her options. There is only one clinic that offers IVF treatment in Montana.

The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that embryos are children and several IVF clinics in the state closed their doors over liability concerns. In the months since, some states have taken steps to ensure access to the treatment, but congressional bills to protect IVF federally have failed to advance, and a politically influential religious sect came out against it for ethical reasons, potentially igniting more ideological battles.

The new political fight over IVF on top of her experience getting an abortion has made Angus fearful about not having explicit protection for the treatment in her state. It has also made her passionate about telling her story, including at the Montana Legislature in early 2023, when legislators did not advance a bill that would have eased some of the remaining restrictions to abortion access in the state.

Although access is still broadly available in Montana, Republicans have tried to change that since the Dobbs decision. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed several anti-abortion bills in 2023, including a 20-week ban, but theyve so far been blocked in the courts. Gianforte continues to use executive authority to try to limit Medicaid funding and who can perform abortions.

Republicans in the legislature have also made it clear they dont support a November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution with a right to abortion access, and at least one candidate endorsed by a national anti-abortion group is running for a congressional seat.

Im so angry that politicians are inserting themselves into an extremely intimate part of my life. I am trying to grow my family in a way that I can and in a way that is loving and sustainable, and they think they know better than me, and I am so insulted by that, she said.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

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The post After an abortion for fetal anomalies, she hoped IVF would build her family. Now thats in doubt. appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Advocates pushing for social media regulations to keep kids safe online blasted the House for cancelling a Thursday markup of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) amid opposition to a separate data privacy bill also slated to be considered.

A House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of 11 bills, including KOSA and the American Privacy Rights Act, was cancelled Thursday shortly before it was scheduled to begin after House Republican leaders strongly resisted the privacy bill.

Child online safety advocates slammed the decision to cancel the markup and said Congress should take action on KOSA separate from other tech bills, including the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA).

To me this is hostage taking, said Josh Golin, executive director of the advocacy group Fairplay for Kids.

[The committee] could have marked up KOSA without APRA, Golin added, noting that Congress has been trying for decades to pass a comprehensive data privacy bill.

Theres no reason why families should have to wait for that in order to have a safer internet, Golin added.

KOSA would create regulations for how social media companies operate for minors and has gained momentum after years of hearings featuring tech company CEOs and whistleblowers about the harms social media has on youth mental health.

The bill would require companies to limit access or allow minors to opt out of certain features, like automatic video playing and algorithmic recommendations, and also legally obligate the platforms to prevent the promotion of content about certain topics, such as suicide, eating disorders and self-harm.

The bill faced opposition from some civil society groups who feared the duty of care standard could be interpreted in a way that could limit teens from accessing information about gender identity, sexuality and reproductive health. The text of the bill has been updated in response to concerns raised, and in February several LGBTQ advocacy groups, including GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign, withdrew their opposition.

Danny Weiss, chief advocacy officer for the advocacy group Common Sense Media, also slammed the House committee for holding KOSA hostage over their failure to pass a data privacy bill and urged Congress to act on the bill without consideration of other legislation.

Congress has once again failed to reach agreement on comprehensive privacy legislation and is holding bipartisan and popular legislation to protect kids online safety and privacy hostage as a result, Weiss said in a statement.

Kids, teens, and their families are paying the price for Congress dereliction of duty to protect them online. As we have said before, the House and the Senate should move ahead immediately with consideration of #KOSA and #COPPA2 regardless of other legislation under consideration. And we stand ready to help the House and the Senate to do just that, Weiss added.

A House version of the bill was introduced in April by Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.). A Senate version of the bill advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee and now has more than 60 co-sponsors, enough to pass even with the filibuster rule in place, including support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Parents and children across America are counting on members of Congress to stand up to the powerful Big Tech platforms and to create a safer online environment, especially for our kids. We dont have time to wait, Castor said in a statement.

I urge the Speaker and Majority Leader to allow the important bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0 and the American Privacy Rights Act to move forward. The Energy and Commerce Committee has been working on landmark legislation for over five years, and it is past time for the bipartisan bills to be allowed to move to the full House rather than be scuttled by eleventh hour, Big Tech lobbying, Castor added.

A spokesperson for House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) declined to comment on why the full markup was cancelled rather than pulling the American Privacy Rights Act. After the markup was cancelled, the chairs statement only addressed the controversial privacy bill.

A spokesperson for Castor said Thursday their office was not aware that the full markup was going to be cancelled and called the decision disappointing. The spokesperson said discussions are ongoing about plans going forward and whether a markup on KOSA will be tied to one on a comprehensive data privacy bill.

Asked about the cancelled markup and plans for KOSA, a spokesperson for Bilirakis said the congressman remains committed to empowering parents and strengthening online protections for kids through passage of KOSA.

Maurine Molak, co-founder of the parent-led advocacy group ParentsSOS, said we are heartbroken that KOSA, which has broad bipartisan support, was canceled at the last minute due to issues with APRA.

Molaks son, David Molak, died by suicide after he faced cyberbullying online. She is one of the parent advocates who formed ParentsSOS to advocate for KOSA.

Our childrens safety should not be sidelined by unrelated legislative hurdles, Maurine Molak added.

Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of the youth-led group Design It For Us, also pushed for quick action on KOSA after Thursdays cancelled markup  especially given the dwindling legislative calendar.

With such limited time left this year, Congress does not have the luxury to keep kicking the can down the road. Its time for our Congressional leaders to step up and make our generations safety online a top priority, Qureshi said in a statement.

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The U.S. immigration system remains broken and in desperate need of comprehensive reform, but the Biden administrations recent action to provide a path to permanent residency, and eventually citizenship, for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens is a great first step according to John Oswald, the owner of an Asheville-based defense contractor.

Oswald offered his assessment during a national online press conference hosted Thursday morning by the American Business Immigration Coalition, American Families United and the group FWD.us.

As NC Newsline reported previously, President Biden announced on June 18 that he would make use of his authority to institute a parole-in-place process for approximately a half-million undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens  a move very similar to action taken by President George W. Bush to benefit spouses of U.S. military personnel.

The deportation protections to those married to a U.S. citizen are a one-time action that will allow noncitizen spouses and their children to apply for a lawful permanent residence  a green card  under certain requirements.

To qualify, a noncitizen must have resided in the U.S. for 10 years as of Monday, June 17, 2024, and be married to a U.S. citizen since that date as well. That spouse who is a noncitizen also cannot be deemed a security threat.

Thursdays press conference featured presentations from an array of directly impacted spouses and business owners who praised the action for, respectively, allowing them and many of their employees to come out of the shadows.

Ashley DeAzevedo, a New Jersey small businesswoman who has been married to Brazilian national for 12 years, described the dilemma she and her husband have faced throughout their marriage. She said that, contrary to a popular belief sometimes promoted in film and television, the marriage did not provide a path for her husband to gain legal status. Instead, the couple learned that he would have to return to Brazil and wait at least 10 years before he would be eligible to apply for legal status in the U.S.

Multiple speakers described DeAzevedos situation as typical of the impossible dilemmas in which hundreds of thousands of families find themselves. Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, said the average spouse benefiting from the new policy has been in the U.S. for 23 years. He called the new policy a tremendous step forward to keep families together.

In describing the benefits that the new policy will provide to his business, Oswald said that his company  Mills Manufacturing, which manufactures parachutes for the U.S. military  is hugely dependent on immigrant workers and regularly struggles to attract qualified employees.

His ideal workforce numbers around 185, but hes presently only able to employ around 150 (roughly two-thirds of whom are non-native-born)  a number that forces him to regularly turn down contracts he would prefer to accept. Oswald said he was hopeful that the change would help enable him to close that gap.

In addition to spouses, the new policy is also expected to affect roughly 50,000 children who are noncitizens and have an immigrant parent married to a U.S. citizen.

For those children to qualify, they have to be 21 or younger, unmarried and the marriage between the parents has to have taken place before the child turned 18.

In addition to the provisions benefiting spouses and children, the Presidents June 18 action also included a new policy to aid DACA recipients. It will allow those recipients who have graduated from an accredited university and have an offer by a U.S. employer for a highly skilled job to quickly qualify for one of the existing temporary work visas, such as an H-1B visa.

Organizers of todays event seemed well-aware of its coincidence with tonights presidential debate in Atlanta. Without issuing any endorsements, all expressed appreciation for the Presidents action and expressed concern about the talk of mass deportation that has been a centerpiece of the former President Donald Trumps campaign.

The post Advocates, businesses praise new Biden policy to aid immigrant spouses appeared first on NC Newsline.
4th Street Barber in St. Petersburg. (photo credit: Mitch Perry)

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Florida is one of the most burdensome states in its occupational licensure laws, which is why supporters of a bill that would have made it easier for applicants with criminal records to apply for a barber or cosmetologist license expressed disappointment after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed that proposal on Wednesday night.

The bipartisan measure (HB 133) sponsored by Miami-Dade Democrat Kevin Chambliss and Seminole County Republican Rachel Plakon, would have reduced the time from five years to three years that the Barbers Board and Board of Cosmetology could use a criminal conviction as grounds to deny licenses.

The measure also would have allowed those boards to recognize educational program credits earned through barber and cosmetology training programs in Florida correctional institutions. (The Florida Department of Corrections Bureau of Education partners with state colleges, technical colleges, and community organizations to provide vocational training in 37 trades to inmates, according to a legislative bill analysis).

The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate during the 2024 legislative session, but that unified support failed to influence the governor.

The bill categorically prohibits the board from considering an applicants criminal history within three years of the application for a license, but there may be good reason for the board to have this information before making a decision regarding a particular applicant, DeSantis wrote in his veto message.

Criminal justice reform advocates argued the governor should have signed the bill.

[Wednesdays] veto of HB 133 means that much-needed occupational licensing reform has come to a standstill in Florida, said Sadaf Knight, CEO of the Florida Policy Institute (FPI), in a written statement.

Right now, people who have completed their sentences face a multitude of barriers to economic stability. Not only would this legislation have paved career pathways for returning citizens  it would also have come with benefits to the state budget. A recent FPI analysis found that common-sense reforms to the occupational licensing process could yield tens of millions in savings as a result of reduced recidivism rates.

Were deeply disappointed with the governors veto of a bill that would have promoted economic opportunity and reduced criminal recidivism, said Mike Greenberg of the Institute of Justice Florida.

One of the strongest indicators for whether someone returning to society will commit crimes again is their ability to obtain stable, meaningful work. This bill would have been a strong step in the right direction toward helping people who have made mistakes in the past set their lives on the right path through honest work.

Second chances

Second-chance employment strengthens public safety, increases successful reentry, and stimulates the economy, Neil Volz of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition said in a text message.

All across the state, we are seeing support grow for these types of common-sense policies. This bipartisan bill would have broken down barriers to employment and helped families and communities throughout the state. We are disappointed by the governors veto but will continue to work with Floridas business community, advocates, families, and the bi-partisan group of legislators who recognize the immense benefit this type of legislation can have for communities throughout Florida.

Orlando Democratic House Rep. Anna Eskamani issued a press release alluding to the fact that in addition to HB 133, DeSantis vetoed two other criminal justice related bills on Wednesday.

The bills  some of which were supported by Republicans and all of which passed the Legislature by overwhelming margins  would have reduced the barriers that formerly incarcerated people face when trying to obtain an education or start a career, Eskamani said.

These ideas drew support from across the ideological spectrum, from the Koch-based Institute for Justice  to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Its incredibly disappointing to see these bipartisan, pro-safety bills get vetoed, especially during a time where they are so desperately needed to move Florida into the future.

Florida is ranked as the fifth most burdensome state in the country for its occupational licensing laws, according to a 2022 report by the Institute for Justice. According to a Florida Policy Institute 2023 report, approximately 379 occupational licensing laws and regulations restrict or ban people with past convictions from accessing certain social and economic opportunities.

The Phoenix reached out to House bill sponsors Chambliss and Plakon for reaction.

I would like to thank all those involved with helping to get HB 133 this far along in the process, said Chambliss in a written statement. I especially want to thank my Co-Prime, Rep. Plakon for her tireless efforts on this Bi-Partisan piece of legislation. While we did not make it to the finish line this year, I am optimistic that we will continue to collaborate with all parties and work on this Bill again next year.

An aide to Rep. Plakon told the Phoenix that she had no comment on DeSantis veto.

The post Advocates disappointed by DeSantis veto of occupational license reform appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed a new agreement with the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority on water storage at Abiquiu Reservoir. The new deal allows water from the Rio Grande system to be stored at the look for the first time and increases its storage capacity from 200,000 acre-feet to 230,000 acre-feet.

Colorado task force prepares for water rescues in New Mexico wildfires

Before that, the reservoir was only able to store water from the San Juan-Chama project. I like to say were not in the water supply business, but we are in the water availability business. And the way we operate our facilities and do our work, we can work with all of our to reduce our drought resilience across the arid west, said Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

The Corps of Engineers said water storage must comply with all state and federal laws including the Rio Grande Compact.

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The promised artificial intelligence revolution requires data. Lots and lots of data. OpenAI and Google have begun using YouTube videos to train their text-based AI models. But what does the YouTube archive actually include?

Our team of digital media researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst collected and analyzed random samples of YouTube videos to learn more about that archive. We published an 85-page paper about that dataset and set up a website called TubeStats for researchers and journalists who need basic information about YouTube.

Now, were taking a closer look at some of our more surprising findings to better understand how these obscure videos might become part of powerful AI systems. Weve found that many YouTube videos are meant for personal use or for small groups of people, and a significant proportion were created by children who appear to be under 13.

Bulk of the YouTube iceberg

Most peoples experience of YouTube is algorithmically curated: Up to 70% of the videos users watch are recommended by the sites algorithms. Recommended videos are typically popular content such as influencer stunts, news clips, explainer videos, travel vlogs and video game reviews, while content that is not recommended languishes in obscurity.

Some YouTube content emulates popular creators or fits into established genres, but much of it is personal: family celebrations, selfies set to music, homework assignments, video game clips without context and kids dancing. The obscure side of YouTube  the vast majority of the estimated 14.8 billion videos created and uploaded to the platform  is poorly understood.

Illuminating this aspect of YouTube  and social media generally  is difficult because big tech companies have become increasingly hostile to researchers.

Weve found that many videos on YouTube were never meant to be shared widely. We documented thousands of short, personal videos that have few views but high engagement  likes and comments  implying a small but highly engaged audience. These were clearly meant for a small audience of friends and family. Such social uses of YouTube contrast with videos that try to maximize their audience, suggesting another way to use YouTube: as a video-centered social network for small groups.

Other videos seem intended for a different kind of small, fixed audience: recorded classes from pandemic-era virtual instruction, school board meetings and work meetings. While not what most people think of as social uses, they likewise imply that their creators have a different expectation about the audience for the videos than creators of the kind of content people see in their recommendations.

Fuel for the AI machine

It was with this broader understanding that we read The New York Times expose on how OpenAI and Google turned to YouTube in a race to find new troves of data to train their large language models. An archive of YouTube transcripts makes an extraordinary dataset for text-based models.

There is also speculation, fueled in part by an evasive answer from OpenAIs chief technology officer Mira Murati, that the videos themselves could be used to train AI text-to-video models such as OpenAIs Sora.

The New York Times story raised concerns about YouTubes terms of service and, of course, the copyright issues that pervade much of the debate about AI. But theres another problem: How could anyone know what an archive of more than 14 billion videos, uploaded by people all over the world, actually contains? Its not entirely clear that Google knows or even could know if it wanted to.

Kids as content creators

We were surprised to find an unsettling number of videos featuring kids or apparently created by them. YouTube requires uploaders to be at least 13 years old, but we frequently saw children who appeared to be much younger than that, typically dancing, singing or playing video games.

In our preliminary research, our coders determined nearly a fifth of random videos with at least one persons face visible likely included someone under 13. We didnt take into account videos that were clearly shot with the consent of a parent or guardian.

Our current sample size of 250 is relatively small  we are working on coding a much larger sample  but the findings thus far are consistent with what weve seen in the past. Were not aiming to scold Google. Age validation on the internet is infamously difficult and fraught, and we have no way of determining whether these videos were uploaded with the consent of a parent or guardian. But we want to underscore what is being ingested by these large companies AI models.

Small reach, big influence

Its tempting to assume OpenAI is using highly produced influencer videos or TV newscasts posted to the platform to train its models, but previous research on large language model training data shows that the most popular content is not always the most influential in training AI models. A virtually unwatched conversation between three friends could have much more linguistic value in training a chatbot language model than a music video with millions of views.

Unfortunately, OpenAI and other AI companies are quite opaque about their training materials: They dont specify what goes in and what doesnt. Most of the time, researchers can infer problems with training data through biases in AI systems output. But when we do get a glimpse at training data, theres often cause for concern. For example, Human Rights Watch released a report on June 10, 2024, that showed that a popular training dataset includes many photos of identifiable kids.

The history of big tech self-regulation is filled with moving goal posts. OpenAI in particular is notorious for asking for forgiveness rather than permission and has faced increasing criticism for putting profit over safety.

Concerns over the use of user-generated content for training AI models typically center on intellectual property, but there are also privacy issues. YouTube is a vast, unwieldy archive, impossible to fully review.

Models trained on a subset of professionally produced videos could conceivably be an AI companys first training corpus. But without strong policies in place, any company that ingests more than the popular tip of the iceberg is likely including content that violates the Federal Trade Commissions Childrens Online Privacy Protection Rule, which prevents companies from collecting data from children under 13 without notice.

With last years executive order on AI and at least one promising proposal on the table for comprehensive privacy legislation, there are signs that legal protections for user data in the U.S. might become more robust.

Have you unwittingly helped train ChatGPT?

The intentions of a YouTube uploader simply arent as consistent or predictable as those of someone publishing a book, writing an article for a magazine or displaying a painting in a gallery. But even if YouTubes algorithm ignores your upload and it never gets more than a couple of views, it may be used to train models like ChatGPT and Gemini.

As far as AI is concerned, your family reunion video may be just as important as those uploaded by influencer giant Mr. Beast or CNN.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Ryan McGrady, UMass Amherst and Ethan Zuckerman, UMass Amherst

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My work - and the work we refer to in this article - is supported by the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Knight Foundation and the National Science Foundation. I am on the board of several nonprofit organizations, including Global Voices, but none are directly connected to politics.

Ryan McGrady does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Ukrainian air defense shot down all of the 23 Shahed-type attack drones and five of the six missiles launched by Russia overnight on June 27, the Air Force reported.

Russia reportedly launched the missiles and drones from various locations overnight, including Russia's Tambov and Kursk oblasts, the Black Sea, and occupied Crimea.

In addition to the drones launched, Russia also launched one Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missile, 4 cruise missiles, and 1 guided Kh-59 missile, the Air Force said.

Throughout the night, the Air Force warned of nationwide missile threats. Sounds of explosions were heard in the city of Kyiv, as well as in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Suspilne reported around 3:30 a.m. local time - although the explosions did not amount to any reported damage or casualties.

Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force were involved in repelling the air attacks.

In recent months, Russian attacks on critical infrastructure have increasingly targeted Ukrainian energy facilities.

Overnight on June 27, Russia's Defense Ministry also claimed that its air defenses had shot down seven Ukrainian-launched drones over Moscow, Tver, and Belgorod oblasts. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky visits front line in Donetsk Oblast alongside newly appointed general





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CARROLL COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Hillsville Fire Department reports a patient was airlifted after an accident on the Sylvatus Highway on Wednesday, June 26.

According to the fire department, crews were dispatched at 5:34 p.m. to the 5700 block of Sylvatus Highway for a motor vehicle accident. Crews arrived and found a vehicle rolled down an embankment over around 50 yards off the roadway, with a person entrapped inside.

Five people hospitalized, two airlifted after vehicle crash in Carroll County

Crews started working to stabilize the vehicle to ensure the safest procedure in removing the driver-side door to free the patient. Personnel with the fire department were able to get the patient out of the vehicle, and they were turned over to Carroll County Fire and Rescue who requested air transport.

The fire department says Virginia State Police is investigating the crash.

(courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department)

(courtesy, Hillsville Fire Department)

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Ala. Mom on the Run After Alleged Starvation Murder of Teen Son with Down Syndrome Is Found Dead

Serena Starkey's 13-year-old son, Aston, died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration, complicated by neglect

Birmingham Police Dept Serena Starkey

An Alabama mother who was accused of murdering her 13-year-old son was found dead after weeks on the run.

On June 7, Birmingham police said it obtained an arrest warrant for Serena Starkey, charging her with murder after her son, Aston, who had Down syndrome, died on March 2.

An autopsy determined that Aston died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration, complicated by neglect, the Birmingham Police Department said, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.

Nearly three weeks after the warrant for her arrest was issued, Starkey was found dead in Texas, Birmingham police said after being notified by local authorities.

Related: Police Say 13-Year-Old Boy with Down Syndrome Was Starved to Death by His Mother Inside Hotel Room

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No foul play is suspected in Starkeys death.

AL.com previously reported that Starkey and her son frequently moved. Aston was born in Florida, but the pair had been living in Birmingham in the year leading up to his death.



If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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A woman scrolling on a smartphone. (Getty)

Some Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation for the 2025 legislative session that would limit childrens access to technology.

At the most recent State Board of Education work session, State Superintendent Eric Mackey brought up potential laws around cell phone restrictions, which board members have expressed support for in the past, as well as potential age restrictions for social media.

Thats not something we as a board can do, he said.

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Michael Sibley, spokesperson for the Alabama State Department of Education, wrote Monday that Mackey did not have much to add except that he is reading up on both issues as much as possible.

No bills on the topics have yet been prefiled for next years session, which begins in February..

Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, who chairs the House Education Policy Committee, said Tuesday that she would support legislation that restricts cell phone use in school.

I dont know how popular it would be, but I think it would be the right thing for education, she said.

Collins said that she doesnt think cell phone use is positive for kids. The representative said she restricted her kids phones when they were younger and her granddaughter doesnt have a phone now. But she said she wasnt sure the Legislature was the right avenue for restricting social media.

I think parents need to be involved in those decisions, she said.

There have been prior efforts to restrict technology in schools. Rep. Leigh Hulsey, R-Helena, sponsored legislation this past year that would have placed limitations on internet use of school-owned devices. The bill did not make it out of the House of Representatives.

Hulsey wrote over text Tuesday that she was not ready to comment.

Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, said Tuesday that he was working on legislation related to social media use.

One of the bills included an education component on how to properly use social media in school. Robbins filed a bill this past session related to social media safety in schools, but he said it was not the same bill as the one he is currently working on.

He said it was similar to a bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March that imposed social media restrictions for people under 16.

Robbins said that he was working on the details with other groups, such as social media responsibility nonprofits and technology groups.

Im still in conversations with stakeholders, so I dont want to say too much, in case some things get removed, or theres some negotiated-out parts of the bill but, in essence, the goal is to make social media safer for children, and possibly (place) a ban on childrens access and use of social media, he said.

He said there are conversations around whether a top down approach to restrictions is the best avenue or whether it should be from districts. He said he thinks Yondr pouches which students seal their phones in for the school day  have some merit. The pouches are magnetically sealed and opened for students at the end of the day.

The potential bills come amid a national conversation around cell phone use in schools. Some states are moving towards banning cell phone use in schools believing that cell phones are a distraction during the school day. Some parents have expressed worry over not having a way to reach their children during the day.

Last month, the Office of the Surgeon General released an advisory on social media and youth mental health, which included guidance about limiting social media for children and creating family tech-free zones. In a commentary published by The New York Times earlier this month, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels on social media that would state that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.



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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. President Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the application of the law on amendments to the laws "On Medicines" and "On Advertising" and the decree on the application of the law "On Medicines," Trend reports.

According to the decree, the Cabinet of Ministers must take necessary measures to improve the decision on approval of the "Rules of Examination of Food Additives with Biological Activity," inform the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and solve other issues arising from the law on amendments to the laws "On Medicines" and "On Advertising."

In paragraph 2.1-2 of the decree on the application of the law "On Medicines," in the second case, the word "third" will be replaced by the word "fourth.".

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Alabama Town Will Hold First Election In 60 Years; Black Mayor Shut Out For 4 Years Can Now Take Office

Alabama Town Will Hold First Election In 60 Years; Black Mayor Shut Out For 4 Years Can Now Take Office | Photo: Pexels

A shocking case of voter disenfranchisement in a small, predominantly Black Alabama town appears to be coming to an end. A settlement has been proposed in a lawsuit filed by the first Black mayor of Newbern, Alabama, who has spent the past four years shut out of his job in a town that denied its Black citizens the right to vote for decades.

'Trying to keep the community together'

In a settlement proposed in U.S. District Court on June 21, Newbern, comprised of about 133 citizens located an hour away from Selma, will reinstate Patrick Braxton as mayor. Braxton won the position in 2020 when he was the only person who filed to run for office, but he was prevented from assuming the post by the towns white town council, who reappointed the previous white mayor instead. The towns citizens, who have not been allowed to vote locally for the past 60 years, will finally be able to cast their ballots in elections in 2025.

Newbern, Alabama  a small town an hour away from Selma  will hold its first legitimate elections in over 60 years after a four-year legal battle The proposed settlement will also reinstate Patrick Braxton, who sued white leadership, as the mayorhttps://t.co/a2DI8QzgSy pic.twitter.com/1sYfq27nPm  philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 25, 2024

Braxton recently told HuffPost, My heart goes out to the town and the people in the town.

He added, Moving forward, my plans are trying to keep the community together and not be divided as he finally takes office.

A Black mayor chosen after decades of disenfranchisement

The Newbern story was brought to light last year in a report by journalist Lee Hedgepeth. It details how, for 60 years, Newberns town council and mayor failed to conduct elections. Instead, the white officials who held these offices reappointed themselves or appointed successors, handing down power without most of the towns residents having any say. That seemed to change in 2020 when Braxton, a civic-minded Newbern resident looking to improve the municipality, filed the required paperwork to run for mayor. Since no one else, including then-Mayor Haywood Stokes III, filed to run, Braxton won the position by default, becoming the first Black mayor in the towns history. He then appointed the towns first Black majority council.

A years-long fight to take office

However, the previous all-white town council chose to overrule and exclude Braxton. They insisted that the council members be elected and then held their own secret election in which they reelected themselves and then reappointed Stokes as mayor. Braxton, meanwhile, was locked out of the town hall and denied access to city funds, essentially denying him the ability to function as mayor. This situation led to Braxton filing a lawsuit against the city, which is now being resolved with the recent settlement.

Assuming that the proposed settlement is accepted by a federal judge and implemented, Newberns egregious case of denying its Black residents the ability to vote and hold office will finally be resolved as the case has served to demonstrate, in a particularly extreme way, the challenges that remain in the South and elsewhere for Black voters and public officials seeking to exercise fundamental civil and political rights.
Alabamas voter records must be disclosed, but digital format not required, court says

A sign saying Vote. An American flag is in the foregoround

Alabama must disclose voter records, but digital format not required, in a case involving Greater Birmingham Ministries and the Alabama Secretary of State. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday ruled that while Alabama must disclose certain voter records upon request, the state is not required to provide them in electronic format.

The ruling involves Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) and the Alabama Secretary of State. In 2021, GBM requested voter registration records to assist previously disenfranchised individuals in restoring their voting rights. When Alabamas Secretary of State denied the request for electronic records, GBM filed a lawsuit in 2022, claiming that the refusal violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

That year, U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson ruled in favor of GBM, requiring former Secretary of State John Merrill to provide at a reasonable fee voter registration records based on the actual costs that defendant Merrill incurs in their production to Greater Birmingham Ministries.

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The appellate court ruled the NVRA requires the public to have access to lists of people who were removed from voter rolls or denied registration because of disqualifying felonies, meaning Alabama must disclose these records upon request.

However, the court reversed the district courts ruling that required records be provided electronically. The appellate court stated that the NVRA requires records to be available for public inspection, but it does not say they must be provided in digital form.

Public inspection as used in the National Voter Registration Act does not include electronic disclosure. Congress has recognized this shortcoming in (Freedom of Information Act) but has not acted for the National Voter Registration Act, wrote U.S Circuit Judge Britt C. Grant in the majority opinion. No amount of purpose-driven inference can expand the meaning of a statute, and we cannot step in to help.

The decision was first reported by Courthouse News.

The appellate court sent the case back to the district court, removing the need to provide records digitally.

Messages seeking comment were left Wednesday with Scott Douglas, executive director of GBM, and with the Alabama Secretary of States office.

U.S. Circuit Judge Nancy G. Abudu partially dissented, arguing that the NVRAs language and purpose require making records available in a way that ensures public access. In this case, she wrote that it means providing them electronically.

Considering the impracticality of the secretarys public inspection policy, the absence of any valid rationale supporting that policy, and the low burden the secretary bears for producing digital records, his persistent refusal to provide records requested pursuant to the NVRA in digital format equates to evading the NVRAs disclosure requirements, Abudu wrote.

The Secretary of States office had initially charged a fee of one cent per name for electronic records and one dollar per page for hard copies. GBM was initially charged $1,591.37, but GBM agreed to pay $429.17, the cost of production. The district court had ruled that only reasonable costs tied to the actual production expenses could be charged, a decision now under reconsideration following the appellate ruling.

Because the act does not require electronic disclosure, it also does not decide what fee, if any, the secretary would be entitled to charge for the electronic records sought here, Grant wrote.

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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON)  Three people were arrested Wednesday in connection to an armed carjacking in Alameda that involved children, the Alameda Police Department said. Police were alerted to the crime at around 2:09 p.m., according to Alameda PD.

Officers responded within minutes to the scene on the 2800 block of Central Avenue. The mother who was carjacked had children with her and was able to get them out of the car as the crime occurred.

Responding officers used tracking technology and by 2:40 p.m. had located the vehicle in Oakland. The Oakland Police Department was contacted and OPD lent air support to follow the vehicle as it got on the freeway and drove toward San Francisco.

Violent San Rafael crime spree ends in 5 arrests

As the vehicle arrived in San Francisco and exited the freeway, it was met by units from the San Francisco Police Department and OPD along with Alameda PD. According to law enforcement, the suspects lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a telephone pole.

The vehicle suffered significant damage, according to Alameda PD.

The suspects, two females and a male, attempted to flee but were taken into custody. A firearm was recovered at the time of the arrests.

The victim arrived on-scene a short while later and was able to positively ID two of the suspects. The vehicle was recovered, and arrests were made within about one hour of police initially being notified.

Anyone who thinks of coming to Alameda to commit these kinds of crimes, just know that we are on high alert, said Alameda Chief of Police Nishant Joshi.

The suspects were arrested were identified as:

Isaiah Howard

Marionna Haley

Sariyah Barker

At least two of the suspects are in custody in Alameda County, Nishant said. The carjacking will be an Alameda County case, but there could be some nexus to San Francisco due to the firearm being seized there, police said.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Almost 200 people have been charged in a nationwide operation probing false health care claims involving approximately $2.75 billion in losses, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

Under its 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, the DOJ filed charges against 193 defendants, including 76 doctors, nurse practitioners and other licensed medical professionals in 32 different federal districts across the country.

The DOJ said in a nationwide law enforcement action, the government seized over $231 million in cash, luxury vehicles, gold, and other assets.

It does not matter if you are a trafficker in a drug cartel or a corporate executive or medical professional employed by a health care company, if you profit from the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, you will be held accountable, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

According to the DOJ, the charges allege that five individuals and a digital technology company participated in a more than $900-million fraud scheme in Arizona in connection with amniotic wound grafts, the unlawful distribution of Adderall pills and other stimulants.

Prosecutors allege two owners of a wound care company accepted more than $330 million as part of a plan to fraudulently bill Medicare for wound grafts. Nurse practitioners were pressured to apply the wound grafts to patients who didnt need them, including some people in hospice who died the day they received that care, The Associated Press reported.

The married owners of the company, Alexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King, were arrested at the Phoenix airport before boarding a flight to London earlier this month. Officials say they knew the charges were coming because information was found in their home about erasing digital footprints, the AP reported.

The DOJ also alleges corporate executives committed a $90 million fraud scheme by distributing adulterated and wrongfully branded HIV medication, more than $146 million in fake addiction treatment schemes, more than $1.1 billion in telemedicine and laboratory fraud, as well as $450 million in other health care fraud and opioid schemes.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said his departments agents were proud to play a part in the multi-agency investigation.

Thought his action, we in federal law enforcement send a clear and strong message  that we will hold accountable those health care providers and prescribers who prey on their patients for profit and disregard the first rule of medical care: do no harm, Mayorkas said in a statement.

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Editor's note: A memorial service for Ann Mathis is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 6 at Hood Memorial AME Zion Church on 2801 Rosehill Road. This story has been corrected from a previous version that misnamed Mathis' home town.

To the community, Ann Mathis was the Bicycle Woman, running a nonprofit for a decade that achieved its stated No. 1 mission of putting smiles on childrens faces by gifting them with free bicycles at Christmastime.

She was the wife of the late Moses Mathis, the Bicycle Man, who started a ministry fixing donated bikes for neighborhood kids in Tiffany Pines, off Rosehill Road. It grew into one of the regions most popular charities; Mathis took over after her husband died in 2013.

To members of Hood Memorial A.M.E. Church, Ann Mathis was a faithful deaconess, involved in numerous church auxiliaries from the choirs to the president of Sunday school.

She was the hardest worker at Hood Memorial, said Dail McLamb, a fellow church member and friend for 30 years.

Ann Mathis stands in the warehouse that holds the Bicycle Man shop, which her late husband, Moses Mathis started.

But what some may not know is Mathis heritage was a driving force, says her son, Tyrone Mixon. She was a descendant of the Geechee community, he said.

She was a country woman, he said.

Mathis grew up in tiny Jacksonboro,, South Carolina.

It's no streetlights, he said.

Jacksonville is part of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, which comprises descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved and brought to North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia to work on plantations that produced cotton, rice and indigo, according to the National Park Service.

Because their enslavement was on isolated coastal plantations, sea and barrier islands, they were able to retain many of their indigenous African traditions, the Park Service website states. These traditions are reflected in their foodways, arts and crafts, and spiritual traditions.

The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Ann Mathis, The Bicycle Woman, who ran a popular nonprofit in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was a decendant of the Gullah Geechee community and raised in Jacksonboro, South Carolina.

Mixon said his mother reflected those traditions strongly when it came to her abiding love for her family  she came from a large one with 11 brothers and sisters  and also her spirituality and church work and the sense of sharing food and community belonging.

Mathis Geechee culture defined her mostly, as far as values and how she saw the world, as well as her church work, said Mixon.

Due to declining health, Mathis had moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia, in January to live with her son. He said her health worsened in recent months and she died last Friday, June 21. She was 78.

Faithful member of Hood Memorial

Mathis spirituality reached full flower as a faithful member of Fayetteville's Hood Memorial on Rosehill Road, and where she was a member for 40 years. She and her husband Moses joined shortly after the couple moved to Fayetteville.

In Mixons telling, the couple met in D.C. and moved here for a slower pace.

Ann Mathis and her husband, Moses Mathis, in their younger days.

Over the years, Ann Mathis served as president of several church auxiliaries, including the Lay Council, the Hood Memorial Mass Choir and the Silver and Gold Ministry, which comprised members older than 50. She was a member of the Singles Ministry, which was called SASS for Single and Still Saved, and which took trips to the beach and to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to see plays. Those trips were a joy to Mathis, who liked to travel. The group also held barbecues and other outings.

McLamb, who is very involved in the life of Hood Memorial, said she first met Mathis at probably a church meeting.

Her first impression?

Ann Mathis, right, with Dail McLamb, who was Mathis' longtime friend and fellow church member at Hood Memorial AME Zion Church in Fayetteville, NC.

She was bossy, McLamb said with a laugh. She kept telling everybody what to do.

McLamb soon realized that Mathis simply liked order.

She liked things to go according to protocol, she says. She was never, ever, ever late.

Ann Mathis, wearing her bonnet, on a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she and fellow church members would go see plays.

If something was starting at 4 o'clock, she was sitting there waiting for the doors to unlock at 3. And if you were riding with her, and you weren't on time, you had a problem. She was very punctual.

They became close friends and even friendly competitors  McLamb said they were neck-and-neck in fundraising for a church scholarship program.

Her adopted granddaughter

Although Mathis would meet any definition of church mother, she was not the kind who was mother to all children.

McLamb said she and other members used to tease Mathis that she did not like children. It was not so, McLamb said, but childrens naturally unpredictable behavior did sometimes clash with Mathis sense of order.

Ann Mathis, right, is shown with Jalisa Edwards and her mother, Gwendolyn Ellis. Mathis is the adopted grandmother of Edwards, who is now 18. Ellis says that when Jalisa was 6, Jalisa picked Mrs. Ann and Ann picked her back.'

But then Mathis met a little girl at the church named Jalisa Edwards. Jalisa had lost one grandmother and the other one did not live in Fayetteville; Jalisa gravitated to Mathis.

She told her, Youre gonna be my grandma. Mathis found the girl irresistible and they formed a lasting bond.

Gwendolyn Ellis, who is Jalisas mom, said her daughter is 18 now but was just 6 and a first-grader at College Lakes Elementary when Mrs. Ann took on the task of her geographical Grandma.

The task developed into (being) her adopted Grandma. Jalisa picked Mrs. Ann and Ann picked her back," Ellis says.

Bike charity: Very strong leadership

Ann Mathis organizational skills, sense of order, community spirit, not to mention dealing with lots and lots of children  all came together when she became head of the Bicycle Man Community Outreach Program in 2013. By then, it had grown into one of the regions most popular charities.

Moses Mathis died in July of that year, and Ann Mathis became head of the charity in keeping with a promise she had made to her husband of 46 years.

Ann Mathis, 76, right, leans against Ken Robinson as he gives her a plaque of appreciation from the Kingz of the South motorcycle club at the final Bicycle Man bike giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. After more than three decades, the Bicycle Man Community Outreach Projects are coming to an end. Dec. 17 will be the last day of operation, said Ann Mathis, 76, whose husband Moses Mathis started the project in 1990.

Like Moses had done since 1990, she presided over a year-round operation, with a team that helped collect and fix up bicycles. She was always on the hunt for more volunteers.

I promised him as long as I'm here, I would keep this going," she told The Fayetteville Observer during a giveaway in 2015. The community has been a huge help in supporting me and keeping this together.

She retired from the charity after the 2023 Christmas season.

In this file photo from 2011, then-Cumberland County Commissioner Charles Evans rides a bike at a benefit to raise money to buy a building for the Bicycle Man nonprofit. The community event was headed up by Moses Mathis, then his wife Ann, after he die. Ann Mathis died Friday, June 21, 2024. Evans called her "very strong" to take over the large charity after her husband. Staff photo by Raul R. Rubiera

Charles Evans, a former City Council member and former Cumberland County commissioner, who was a friend of both Mathises, said he thought Ann Mathis was very strong to step up to run the nonprofit, which over time grew to give away more than 1,000 bikes annually and involved multiple community partners.

She was a caring, loving and compassionate person, Evans said. She did everything she thought needed to be done for her community, to make it a welcoming place for everybody.

One can imagine her Geechee ancestors looking down on the life of Ann Mathis with much pride.

Opinion Editor Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Ann Mathis, Fayetteville's 'Bicycle Woman,' left a lasting legacy
A Boeing whistleblower says he saw holes being drilled incorrectly on 787 planes, adding to the chorus of people speaking up against the company

A Boeing whistleblower says he saw holes being drilled incorrectly on 787 planes, adding to the chorus of people speaking up against the company

Another whistleblower has come forward with complaints of Boeing's safety lapses.

Richard Cuevas said that he saw holes drilled improperly, which could lead to "catastrophe."

The airplane mechanic said he was fired from his job shortly after raising concerns.

Another Boeing whistleblower has come forward, saying that he witnessed 787 Dreamliner planes being built in a manner that could lead to a "catastrophe down the line."

Richard Cuevas was a Strom airplane mechanic who used to work as a contractor for Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. He said that in 2023, he witnessed substandard manufacturing of the 787 planes' forward pressure bulkheads, which help maintain air pressure.

In a complaint filed by his lawyers on Tuesday to the Federal Aviation Administration, Cuevas said Spirit AeroSystems workers were drilling holes into the fasteners of the plane's forward pressure bulkhead, which were bigger than what Boeing had specified.

They did this to "clear excess paint from the holes and speed up a slow process," per the complaint. Cuevas said that the faults could lead to a loss of air pressure in the flight and run the risk of power failure.

However, in March, a few months after he reported his findings to Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, he was fired from his job, the complaint said.

In a statement to BI, Boeing said it had investigated Cuevas' concerns and determined that they were not safety threats.

"A subcontractor's employee previously reported concerns to us that we thoroughly investigated as we take seriously any safety-related matter," the company said. "Engineering analysis determined that the issues raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed."

It added: "We are reviewing the documents released today and will thoroughly investigate any new claim."

Latest in a long list of Boeing whistleblowers

Cuevas is the latest whistleblower to allege that the aircraft manufacturer has been lax with safety and quality control.

A sprawling 204-page report by the Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing's safety and quality practices, released on June 17, cited accounts from numerous other whistleblowers.

These include Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for Boeing, who alleged that the company lost track of hundreds of faulty 737 parts and ordered staff to conceal improperly stored plane parts so that FAA inspectors would not see them.

Merle Meyers, a former Boeing quality manager, said that Boeing's manufacturing team regularly tried to retrieve bad parts from a "reclamation" area even after they were thrown out.

John Barnett, a Boeing manager turned whistleblower, said that safety procedures were ignored in the interest of speed and efficiency in building the planes.

Just days before he was supposed to give a deposition, Barnett was found dead from a"self-inflicted gunshot wound," the Charleston County coroner's office told BI's Matthew Loh. No further details were provided.

Boeing planes have been plagued by technical issues in recent months.

Most prominently, in January, a door plug came off a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000 feet, resulting in a gaping hole in the plane.

It was the second crisis regarding Boeing's Max planes after two Max 8 models crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.

When contacted by BI, Cuevas' lawyer declined to provide further comment on the matter beyond the complaint.

Representatives of Spirit AeroSystems didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside regular working hours.

June 28, 2:31 a.m.  This story has been edited to reflect comments from Cuevas' lawyer.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DENVER (KDVR)  The monolith trend appears to be making a comeback. Another version of the mysterious, mirrored pillar popped up without warning in northern Colorado. Its origins are unknown.

A Reddit user posted in the Fort Collins subreddit over the weekend saying they went to the structure near Bellvue. In the thread, Redditors speculate on the monoliths origin, but the details havent been confirmed.

This is not the first time a mysterious and mirrored monolith has popped up. The phenomenon that started in 2020 reappeared this month.

A somewhat similar structure was found north of the Las Vegas Valley over the weekend of June 15 and 16, according to Nexstars KLAS.

This photo provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows a monolith near Gass Peak, Nev., on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Jutting out of the rocks on a remote mountain peak near Las Vegas, the glimmering rectangular prisms reflective surface imitates the vast desert landscape surrounding the mountain peak where it has been erected. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP)

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took it down a few days later on June 21.

No confirmed connections have been made between the monolith in northern Colorado and the one near Las Vegas.

Back in 2020 several monoliths were found across the world after one appeared at random in a rural part of Utah. They started to pop up without warning in California, New Mexico and around the world, then would disappear just as quickly.

Where the monoliths come from and what they mean hasnt been publicly explained. Their remote locations have made it even harder at times to figure out how they were installed, or how long they were there before anyone noticed.

Vox reports the slabs are 10 to 12 feet tall. Many speculate theyre a reference to the science fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Only one of the monoliths, the one installed in Atascadero, California, in late 2020 has a known backstory. Locals told the Atascadero News they were inspired by the Utah monolith, and director Stanley Kubricks classic movie, so they sought to recreate the phenomenon locally as a form of guerrilla art.

It is worth noting that the structure found in Colorado is rectangular, as opposed to the triangular shape seen in both the Las Vegas monolith and many of the 2020 monoliths.

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Georgia Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, a Stone Mountain Democrat, kicked off a press conference Wednesday at the state Capitol featuring two notable Republicans, former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger and former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who have endorsed President Joe Biden. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder

The big show in Atlanta may be Thursday evening, but the days leading up to the first presidential debate have been filled with a flurry of campaign events that put on display how each side plans to win a state that narrowly backed President Joe Biden in 2020.

On the Democratic side, Republicans took centerstage on the eve of the debate and issued dire warnings about the threat to democracy if former President Donald Trump is put back in the White House.

A press conference held at the state Capitol Wednesday featured former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and former Illinois GOP Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who have both endorsed Biden, and a former police officer, Harry Dunn, who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Former Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who is a Republican, speaks at the Georgia Capitol on the day he endorsed President Joe Biden. Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has also endorsed Biden. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder

Kinzinger started his remarks by observing that he was standing where a top state election official stood in 2020 when he warned a national TV audience that it has all gone too far and that someone was going to get hurt or worse.

Before the fallout of the 2020 election, Kinzinger said he would have never imagined endorsing a Democratic presidential candidate. But he said the stakes are too high and that he would work in whatever role needed to defeat Trump. He endorsed Biden in a video Wednesday.

I want to make sure that Republicans particularly understand you dont have to agree with everything Joe Biden says. You probably dont agree with everything Donald Trump says, and by the way, you probably dont agree with everything your spouse says, but this is about defending the greatest country in the world, Kinzinger said in Atlanta Wednesday.

Trumps campaign held an Atlanta event targeting Black voters  as both campaigns court Black voters, particularly Black men  and welcomed the Republican National Committee co-chair Michael Whatley to Alpharetta as part of the national partys Protect the Vote Tour.

Trump and Biden will face off for 90 minutes starting at 9 p.m. Thursday at CNNs debate in Atlanta. Holding the years first presidential debate in Georgia is significant in itself, said University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock.

I think probably the reason that Biden wanted it in Georgia  and it looks like all the terms of this debate were set by Biden  is because Georgia is still being viewed as a toss-up state, Bullock said. And so Biden is probably figuring that he needs or is trying to encourage support, particularly in the Black community, and by bringing this to Georgia, he recognizes that people are going to give it more attention than if it were in some other state.

Biden won Georgia in 2020 by about 12,000 votes.

Protect the Vote

Whatley said the GOPs strategy for winning back the presidency will be all about turning out Republican-leaning voters who might not otherwise show up and ensuring the integrity of the voting process.

We need to have Republicans, observers, and attorneys in the room anytime a vote is being cast or a vote is being counted. There is simply no substitute for it. I would rather have a police car parked in front of a storefront window than call them after a rockets thrown through. Right? It is absolutely critical for us. Thats what Protect the Vote is all about.

Michael Whatley speaks at a Protect the Vote event in Alpharetta. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

The RNC hopes to recruit 100,000 volunteers to monitor polling places on Election Day to keep an eye out for election fraud. Democrats worry they could instead intimidate voters away from casting ballots.

Trump maintains that the 2020 election was stolen from him despite multiple investigations and lawsuits turning up no evidence of widespread fraud in any state. Bidens Georgia victory was upheld after three counts, including one by hand.

Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon praised the election rule changes passed into the law by the state legislature since 2020, but said volunteers and lawyers are still needed to prevent funny business.

The bills that passed this session were vitally important, but those bills are only as good as the enforcement mechanism, he said. And thats why its so important for us to recruit volunteer attorneys as well as have retained counsel to make sure that the very good laws that have been passed by the General Assembly are observed in this years election.

Its having that kind of coverage, particularly in the counties that were primarily concerned with. Very large, kind of top 20 counties around the state. We want to make sure that weve got our people in place, that theyre monitoring what happens and that were able to respond in real time.

Analysts credited Trumps insistence that he was a victim of election fraud with discouraging Republicans from turning out in the 2020 Senate runoffs, helping Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff become Georgia senators.

Whatley said Trump will contrast his record with Bidens during Thursdays debate and outline his vision for the future.

He suggested Trump will not focus on 2020, which some Republicans say could put off moderate or swing voters.

What were expecting the president to do is tell people what hes going to do for the next four years and how it is going to make America a better place, he said.

Air cover for anti-Trump Republicans

Trump continues to hold a slight lead over Biden in the polls in Georgia. A recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll found that 43% of respondents said they would vote for Trump, 38% for Biden and 9% for independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, who is not officially on the ballot in Georgia yet.

About 8% of Georgians surveyed said they are undecided.

Duncan, who endorsed Biden last month, argued Wednesday that disaffected Republicans will be the ones who decide the election this year. He said the goal is to give air cover to Republicans who do not want to vote for Trump.

Im laser focused on the 10% that are Republicans that cannot stand Donald Trump and see him for what he is, and thats a fraud, Duncan told reporters Wednesday. And theyre having problems voting for Democrats just because history tells us we shouldnt do that, right? We shouldnt cross over.

This isnt about becoming a Democrat. This is about doing the right thing as a Republican and voting for Joe Biden, giving us that four-year reset opportunity to create a GOP 2.0, he said.

About 78,000 Georgians  or about 13% of those who cast a GOP ballot in Georgias March presidential primary  voted for Nikki Haley, who had dropped out of the race by the time election day arrived in Georgia. Haley has said she would vote for Trump, but she has not endorsed the presumed GOP nominee.

Duncan called the decision to endorse Biden an easy one, citing threats he received in the wake of the 2020 election that he argues Trump could have ended with a tweet. To Duncan, it is a matter of choosing a decent man over a criminal.

Trump was convicted of 34 felonies last month in New York and has three other felony prosecutions against him pending, including two related to his efforts to overturn his loss in 2020 that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. One of the cases is pending in Fulton County.

The one-term lieutenant governor became a vocal critic of Trump after the 2020 election. Before presiding over the state Senate, he represented a conservative district in the House. He said Wednesday was his first time returning to the state Capitol since packing up his office.

Duncan said its important for Biden to continue touting the strengths of the economy while acknowledging the economic pains many Americans feel. Concerns about the economy continue to dominate this years election.

Some people wake up today and its the worst economy theyve ever faced. They cant afford rent or houses or groceries. Some are waking up in the greatest economy ever because their houses are worth more and their 401ks are worth more. So being sensitive to talk to both parts of that, Duncan said.

Economics and Black voters

Whatley said people of all races struggling to make ends meet are exactly who the Georgia GOP will be reaching out to in the just over 130 days until the election.

We also are now seeing thousands upon thousands of people who are leaving the Democratic Party from groups that have traditionally not been supported or courted by the Republican Party. Black voters, Hispanic voters, Asian American voters, he said.

And why are we having those conversations with those types of voters? Because they are affected by everything that Joe Biden has unleashed on America, he added. They are families who are feeling the pinch of 25% higher grocery prices and 55% higher gasoline prices.

The AJC poll found that 70% of Black Georgia voters said they plan to vote for Biden in 2024, down from 88% in 2020. Black people make up about a third of eligible voters in Georgia, according to Pew Research, and could help swing the close election.

The Trump campaigns pre-debate blitz included events they hope will help woo Black voters, including stops Wednesday at a Black-owned barbershop in Atlanta for a Black business roundtable and at a Fairburn cigar bar for a discussion on the Black male vote.

Both events were set to feature prominent Black conservatives including Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson.

Democrats held a string of events taking aim at Trumps record as president. An event led by U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff Tuesday compared the two rivals records when it comes to supporting minority-owned small businesses. And on Monday, which was the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, TV host, writer and executive producer Padma Lakshmi and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms blasted Trump for his role in ending the federal right to an abortion.



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Antioch man accused of posting sexually explicit images of a child on social media

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  An Antioch man was arrested Tuesday after reportedly posting sexually explicit images of a child.

CRIME TRACKER | Read the latest crime news from Middle Tennessee

The Special Victims Unit of the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) stated that detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning material posted to a social media account earlier in June.

The account on X, formerly Twitter, was linked to 28-year-old Mathieu Williams. A search warrant was executed on his home and electronic devices were subsequently seized, according to a Wednesday press release.

The MNPD added that during an interview with detectives, Williams admitted that he both produced the images and knew the young girl in the photos.

Mathieu Williams (Source: Metro Nashville Police Department)

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Williams has been charged with three counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and is currently in jail on a $15,000 bond.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Georgia and Azerbaijan support each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said during a briefing in Tbilisi after a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, Trend reports.

According to him, Azerbaijan is not only a neighboring and friendly country for Georgia but also a very good strategic partner.

He noted that the two countries effectively cooperate in energy, transportation, logistics, and other spheres.

The minister stated that Georgia will make every effort to see that a peace accord is signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in reference to the matter of attaining peace in the region.

"Economic projects jointly implemented by Azerbaijan and Georgia are important not only for us but also for Europe," he added.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  On Wednesday, the Austin Police Department provided information related to a fatal crash that occurred Monday between a vehicle and a pedestrian.

MAP: Where have Austins fatal crashes occurred in 2024?

According to APD, the crash occurred in the 9200 block of Cameron Road, and officers responded to the incident around 6 a.m.

APD said the driver of the vehicle left the scene after the crash without stopping or calling 911. The pedestrian, later identified as 42-year-old Corey Green, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, this incident was being investigated as Austins 35th fatal crash of 2024.

Anyone with any information was asked to contact APDs Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  The Austin Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred Wednesday night in the 2300 block of South Pleasant Valley, near the intersection of Willow Hill Drive and S Pleasant Valley Road.

APD said the call came in at 11:30 p.m.

Austin Police said there were three victims when they arrived on scene, one person was pronounced dead on scene, another was pronounced dead at the hospital. The third person suffered non-life threatening injuries.

APD said this was an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public.

There is no suspect in custody at this time, according to APD.

This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.

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By Gloria Dickie

(Reuters) - Wildfires above the Arctic Circle in June have unleashed carbon emissions that are the third highest for the time of year in two decades of monitoring, European scientists said on Thursday.

As climate change raises Arctic temperatures, wildfires have shifted north where they blaze through boreal forest and tundra, releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gases from carbon-rich organic soils.

The latest data from European Union's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) showed some 6.8 megatonnes of carbon have been released this month, only less than in June 2019 and June 2020, which saw roughly double the emissions.

The majority of fires are burning in the Sakha Republic in Russia's Far North. This region experienced extensive wildfires in 2021, with nearly 19 million hectares of forests destroyed. The northeastern Arctic has experienced the largest increase in extreme wildfires over the last two decades.

"Fire emissions in the Arctic have been at fairly typical levels for the last three summers but we have observed the recent fires developing following warmer and drier conditions, similar to the widespread wildfires in 2019 and 2020," Mark Parrington, a CAMS senior scientist, said.

Wildfires tend to reach a peak in the Northern Hemisphere in July and August.

Bordering on the Arctic Ocean in the north, Sakha is prone to extreme weather. The 2021 wildfires' smoke reached the North Pole for the first time in recorded history.

Russia state news agency TASS cited Sakha deputy minister of ecology, nature management and forestry Andrey Konoplev as saying more than 160 wildfires in the Republic had affected nearly 460,000 hectares as of June 24.

(Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; editing by Barbara Lewis)
Area of fire at training ground in Crimea from where Russia launches Shahed drones increases several times  video

The area of the blaze at the training ground on Cape Cauda in temporarily occupied Crimea has increased several times over the past day.

Source: Crimea.Realii, a Radio Liberty project focused on political and social life in Crimea, on Telegram

Details: The comparison of satellite images from 25 and 26 June shows that the territory engulfed by the fire has increased drastically, and the fire reached the buildings on the premises of a military unit.

The positions of coastal and air defence of the Russian army are located on Cape Chauda. Russia also launches loitering munitions of the Shahed/Heran type over the territory of Ukraine.

Background:

A fire broke out at Cape Chauda, occupied Crimea, where the Russian forces military training ground is located. It is the location used by the Russians to launch the Shahed drones on Ukraine.

A satellite image taken on Monday morning (26 June  ed.) clearly shows a fire on Cape Chauda.

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The Administrative Office of the Courts awarded $1 million to the Arkansas' 45 drug courts between February and May. (Getty Images)

Arkansas 45 drug courts received $1 million in opioid settlement funding to support program participants various needs as part of ongoing efforts to address the nations opioid epidemic.

The funding comes from a national $26 billion settlement with three opioid distributors and one manufacturer through which Arkansas will receive $216 million via annual payments over 18 years. The Administrative Office of the Courts awarded varying amounts to each of the states drug courts between February and May.

The million dollars is given to the judges to help individuals that just need a little bit of a break, AOC Director Marty Sullivan said. It could pay for their steel-toed boots so they can go to work. It also helps individuals with treatment.

Arkansas Adult Drug Court program is a voluntary, 14- to 18-month intervention program for people involved in the criminal justice system due to substance use disorder and who have an increased risk of reoffending, according to the state judiciarys website. The program, which began in 1994 in Pulaski County under former Judge Jack Lessenberry, involves frequent court appearances, random drug testing and counseling.

Judges were given a lot of discretion over the $1 million, which must be used to provide restorative services for drug court participants, said Circuit Judge Cristi Beaumont, who oversees drug courts in Washington and Madison counties. This includes the purchase of things like cell phones so participants can call in for drug tests, bikes for transportation or dentures for teeth damaged by methamphetamine, she said.

Thats a huge issue and just helping them with their self-esteem and making it so that they can actually eat, its just tremendous to them, Beaumont said.

After a tornado over Memorial Day weekend, the courts Beaumont oversees purchased work boots for one man who was hit pretty hard by the storm.

The additional funding from the Administrative Office of the Courts was a nice surprise, Beaumont said, because the courts survive on grants.

The state provides the majority of our staff, but most of the paying for people to go to treatment, paying for extra staff that is not covered by the state, we live on grants, she said.

An estimated 2,400 Arkansans are participating in drug courts at any one point in time, AOC staff attorney Nathan McCarroll said.

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Washington County, which Beaumont said is the states largest program with 385 participants, received the largest award, $51,350. Meanwhile, Sharp County, a much smaller program with 10 participants, received the smallest award, $10,222.

Circuit Judge Michelle Huff oversees Sharp County Drug Court, which she said launched last September and was desperately needed. Sharp County had the states third highest drug overdose death rate in 2022, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Even $10,000 for a little small drug court program makes a huge difference, she said.

Huff was ecstatic when she learned her program was receiving money, which she said could be used to pay a participants utility bill or a deposit on housing. Finding a place to live is a challenge in Sharp County where theres a lack of transitional housing.

It is a problem. I mean just finding housing at all, much less affordable housing here is a big problem, Huff said.

Judge Rob Ratton, Marty Sullivan, Judge Michelle Huff

Despite the challenges, Huff said its very rewarding to see the transformational impact of the program on participants who may find personal success by earning their GED or reconnecting with family once theyre sober.

Theres just a whole lot of benefits that come from it, and Im very, very grateful that we have it, very grateful, Huff said.

Likewise, Sullivan is extremely optimistic about the steps Arkansas is taking to address the opioid epidemic, a real-world problem thats not going to go away.

When were in a position to help individuals that really want to get their lives back, this is just good public policy, he said. This is just really helping people get their lives back on track and getting them the treatment, getting them the job training, getting them the support that they need for housing so they can become stable and become productive members of society.

The Administrative Office of the Courts is also combating the opioid epidemic through the distribution of 374 Naloxone rescue kits to district and circuit courts. Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. The kits were supported through a $300,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant.

AOC pursued this initiative after a judge who oversees a criminal court, not a drug court, shared a story about people overdosing outside a courtroom, Sullivan said. A man awaiting sentencing who didnt want his drugs to go to waste, took some and shared the rest with others sitting nearby, he said.

There were literally five guys that overdosed and a bailiff caught them, Sullivan said. They had, fortunately, Naloxone kits  they called 911 and fortunately none of them passed away.

Naloxone access is important, Beaumont said, because more drugs are being laced with fentanyl, increasing the risk of overdose.

Having those in the courtroom, having those in the courthouses, I mean those seconds matter, and so it absolutely is a huge benefit that can help save someones life, she said.

There were about 2,600 overdose deaths statewide between 2017 and 2023, according to Arkansas State Crime Lab statistics.

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NEWPORT, Ark.  The growing impact of artificial intelligence has led a northeast Arkansas university to develop a course for its application.

Arkansas State University-Newport announced Thursday that it will offer an Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Productivity course for its Fall 2024 semester. Officials said the course is intended to equip enrollees with the knowledge and skills to leverage IA technology for enhanced professional and personal productivity.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders forms Arkansas AI working group targeting safety, efficiency

Officials said Mark Hanan, the universitys director of instructional design and distance education, will teach the course and will be offered in both live and online formats.

School representatives said the course reflects the growing need for AI literacy as the technology becomes more integrated with modern life. ASUN Dean for STEM Monica Mobley said the course is in response to the publics need to understand the technology.

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, Mobley said. Employers, educators, and everyday tech users are seeking ways to harness the potential of these platforms. Our course is designed to answer these questions, alleviate concerns, and improve productivity.

News nonprofit sues ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Microsoft for exploitative copyright infringement

Information on enrollment in the class is available at ASUN.edu/GetStarted.

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Army veteran died on stroke of 11 on Armistice Day after falling from Snowdon cliff

William Onion had served for seven years in the Royal Signals with tours in Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands - WALES NEWS SERVICE

A British Army veteran died on the stroke of 11am on Armistice Day when he fell 160 ft from a ridge on Mount Snowdon, an inquest heard.

William Onion, 33, lost his footing while trying to retrieve a drone at the same time as the two minutes silence was being observed.

Onion, a personal trainer who had served for seven years in the Royal Signals with tours in Afghanistan and the Falkland Islands, sustained multiple fatal injuries when he fell on Nov 11 last year.

He had been attempting the Crib Goch trail on the mountain now known as Yr Wyddfa.

Crib Goch, which translates into English as Red Ridge, is an exposed ridgeway near the mountains summit with sheer drops on either side.

A group of five friends who had accompanied him on the hike raised the alarm at 11am after losing sight of him falling down the slope.

Emergency services discovered him soon after and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

No man could be prouder

Kate Robertson, the senior coroner for north west Wales, ruled his death as accidental.

Alastair Onion, his father, said in tribute: He passed at 11am on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, a soldier through and through, a son that no man could have been prouder of.

I have no words to convey how devastated we are. William fell from Snowdon mountain. He was doing what he loved, he was with friends, that much we are thankful for.

He was happy, loved and someone that whomever met him, thought the world of him.

William, we will always miss you.

Sarah Edwards, one of the walkers accompanying Onion, told the inquest he was an experienced hiker and extremely surefooted.

Ms Edwards said she had watched him chase after the drone after it fell down the side of an extremely steep slope on the mountain

A post mortem examination carried out by Dr Brian Rodgers, a Home Office pathologist, found he had suffered multiple fatal injuries.

Dr Rogers, ruling his death as accidental, said in tribute: He was doing something that he loved in an area that he loved.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Law enforcement officials announced that three teens had been arrested in the deadly shooting of a 16-year-old in May.

Doir Jenkins, 18, was arrested on Wednesday, as were two teens only identified as a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials.

The arrests come 46 days after police found Jovan Wright Bullock, 16, shot near Vegas Drive and MLK Boulevard in central Las Vegas on May 11. Bullock was taken to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

At the time, police said a suspect in the shooting was seen fleeing south.

The teens face charges of open murder, robbery, and conspiracy to commit murder. Jenkins and the 17-year-old were booked into the Clark County Detention Center, and the 14-year-old was booked into Clark County Juvenile Hall.

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A Georgia Senate study committee Wednesday set a broad framework for determining how the state should regulate emerging artificial intelligence technology to protect the public without stifling innovation.

(AI) will literally cure cancer, Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, the study committees chairman, said during the panels first meeting. However, it also has the propensity to do great harm.  Its going to impact and change things like never before.

Several legislative committees held hearings on AI last year, and a bill was introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives during this years legislative session to criminalize the use of deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence to impersonate candidates in political ads. House Bill 986 overwhelmingly passed the House but died in the Senate.

On Wednesday, the new Senate study committee agreed on a broad range of policy areas AI will affect that need to be addressed in any legislation Georgia lawmakers come up with, including health care, public safety, education, and transportation.

Overlapping all of those categories is how to regulate AI in a way that ensures the technology is being used ethically and transparently. A House committee planning to begin meeting soon will also take up that issue, said Rep. Brad Thomas, R-Holly Springs, who was the chief sponsor of the deep-fakes bill.

Georgia could be among the first states to adopt regulations for AI. While the European Unions Parliament adopted AI legislation last March, Colorado is the only U.S. state to have done so, Hayley Williams, director of the state Senate Office of Policy and Legislative Analysis, told the Senate panel.

Congress thus far hasnt passed any AI regulations, she said.

Its a very complex universe to deal with and very difficult to regulate, she said. The reality is, the impact is too huge not to regulate.

Williams said the EUs Artificial Intelligence Act, which will take effect in 2026, regulates AI systems based on the risk they pose to the public. AI systems that pose an unacceptable risk are prohibited altogether, while systems considered to pose minimal risk are not regulated at all.

European companies that fail to comply face stiff fines, Williams said. Colorados law does not impose fines for non-compliance, she said.

Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said the study committees goal should be to foster innovation in the development of AI in Georgia with less emphasis on imposing restrictions like the EU model.

But Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, said regulating AI systems to protect the public also must be an important goal.

The primary function of government is to protect its citizens, he said. We should be ensuring we protect citizens from the potential impacts of AI.

Albers said he plans to schedule seven or eight meetings of the study committee this summer and fall before the panel makes recommendations to the full Senate. The next meeting is set for July 17.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who is on a visit to Georgia, has met with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

The one-on-one meeting between the ministers was continued in an expanded format with the participation of delegations from both sides.

During the extended meeting, the parties discussed the current strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia, encompassing politics, security, defense, economy, trade, energy, transport, communications, cultural exchange, humanitarian cooperation, and other areas. They also addressed pressing regional issues and the current situation.

It was underscored that the ongoing high-level political dialogue, frequent visits, diplomatic missions, consular activities, and political consultation mechanisms are pivotal in deepening the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Jeyhun Bayramov expressed optimism that the official visit would provide additional momentum for enhancing both bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia.

It was highlighted that the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia in economic sectors such as investment, trade, energy, and communications is commendable. Significant regional projects like the BakuTbilisiCeyhan (BTC) pipeline, the Southern Gas Corridor, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway have been successfully implemented through this cooperation. The importance of fully leveraging the potential of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was underscored. Both sides emphasized the need to enhance the activities of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Georgia to strengthen economic integration efforts and expedite joint project implementation.

The meeting also emphasized the mutual coordination of national efforts to combat regional and global security threats, with particular emphasis on cooperation to safeguard critical energy projects.

The importance of continuing efforts in mutual support and solidarity across various multilateral platforms, including the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, OIC, and GUAM, was emphasized.

There was confidence expressed that enhancing joint cooperation in key areas of humanitarian partnership, particularly in education, culture, and sports, will foster a high-level dialogue between the two countries.

The Azerbaijani foreign minister provided comprehensive insights into Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29). He highlighted that COP29 presents additional opportunities for strengthening cooperation with Georgia in this domain. Furthermore, detailed discussions were held regarding efforts to implement the Black Sea green energy cable initiative.

Addressing regional peacemaking and constructive efforts in the post-conflict period, Bayramov underscored Azerbaijan's steadfast commitment as the initiator of the peace agenda to foster security and peace in the region.

He noted that despite substantial progress in the peace agreement, Armenia's ongoing territorial claims in its constitution and legislative acts remain a significant obstacle to the peace process.

The meeting also included discussions on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

Following the meeting, the ministers made statements at a press conference.

13:45

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who is on a visit to Georgia, has met with his Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

The meeting of the foreign ministers was followed by an enlarged meeting.

The parties discussed various aspects of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Georgia, including political, economic, energy, transportation, communication, and humanitarian dimensions.

The foreign ministers also shared perspectives on ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing cooperation across different regional and international frameworks.

Regional peace and post-conflict reconstruction efforts were also prominently featured on the agenda.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
ASHEVILLE - The Asheville Regional Airport has more passengers flying in from South Florida, New York and Tampa, according to information presented to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority June 26, with airport staff saying recent passenger data indicates they broke a daily passenger record on June 23.

With the airport on pace to break more annual passenger records, the airport will soon have a fourth Transportation Security Administration lane, airport spokesperson Tina Kinsey said during the meeting.

"They are planning a fourth lane earlier than they had originally planned because of the growth that has occurred here," Kinsey said.

While other airports have seen moderate increases, or even declines, in daily and yearly passenger travel between 2017 and 2022, the Asheville Regional Airport saw a colossal 91% increase in travel, nearly doubling the daily number of passengers traveling through the seven-gate airport that is now the third busiest in the state. The airport reported that 2023 was its busiest year on record, with 2.2 million passengers.

Travelers wait in line to board an Allegiant flight at Asheville Regional Airport as a Delta flight prepares for takeoff, June 7, 2024.

With roughly 56% of the more than 621,000 passengers through April 2024 not living in the area, interest and growth from airlines come with the fact that many locals start their trips at the airport. This allows Asheville Regional to have a high-frequency of both origin and destination passengers  something that is noted for being "unusual and appealing" to airlines.

"That means that it's less risky for them. If they put flights in the market, they know they can fill them," Kinsey said.

Nearly 71% of passengers travel through the airport for leisure, Kinsey said, which solidifies Asheville's draw as a "strong leisure market" that has attracted airlines to establish nonstop routes to 24 new destinations in just 10 years.

Though the growth has been steady, some high-demand markets are still underserved, Kinsey said, as two of Asheville's top 25 daily markets  Los Angeles and San Francisco  do not currently have nonstop service.

The Asheville Airport's Wi-Fi service data indicates that visitors from three areas  South Florida, New York and Tampa  make up over 20% of those visiting Asheville by plane, Kinsey said. In total, Florida residents made up roughly 23% of those who used Wi-Fi at the Asheville Regional Airport, according to data provided by the airport.

Lew Bleiweis, Asheville Regional Airports president and CEO, talks with the media while standing in the new north concourse, currently under construction, June 7, 2024. Also pictured is John Baumeister, AVL Forward's project manager.

The airport recently shared an update on their $400 million expansion project that will allow the airport to build a new terminal and expand from seven to 12 gates. Airport President and CEO Lew Bleiweis said the airport was "on schedule" to be finished with the first phase of the project by next summer. The first phase of the project entails the completion of the new North Concourse where service will transfer from the old terminal to the new concourse.

President and CEO of Explore Asheville Vic Isley noted that for many reporting growing pains at the airport, knowing that there is "relief coming in a better and enhanced experience" will help the Explore Asheville staff to manage expectations for incoming guests.

A new north concourse is under construction at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, June 7, 2024.

Airport breaks daily travel records

Airport staff have made several recent visits to local government representatives, with Bleiweis discussing the steps the airport is taking to address the rapid growth they're experiencing amid their $400 million expansion during the June 25 City Council meeting.

Bleiweis said June 23 was not only the busiest day in TSA history  with over 3 million passengers screened across the country  but that the Asheville Airport had the busiest day in its history.

Asheville Regional Airports new north concourse is under construction in Fletcher.

On June 23, more than 6,000 passengers passed through AVL, "which is the busiest day we've seen in the history of the airport," Bleiweis said, noting that the fourth TSA checkpoint would "hopefully" be established by the middle of July to relieve "some issues with the number of passengers."

Bleiweis also noted that the additional TSA lane would act as a "secondary backup" in case of equipment failure.

Additionally, the airport is "about to contract for design" for a second parking garage at the airport, Bleiweis said, which could ease the frequent passenger complaints regarding parking availability. The airport has previously addressed the problem by opening more shuttle and overflow parking lots. The airport currently uses five shuttles to provide service to lots across the airport's campus.

The Asheville Regional Airport website suggests all passengers arrive at least two hours prior to boarding time.

More: Asheville Airport's new air traffic control tower gets construction boost with $3.5M grant

More: Asheville Airport 'on schedule' to complete new north concourse as record growth continues

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Airport records busiest day,will get 4th TSA lane
Asteroids approaching: One as big as Mount Everest, one closer than the moon

Two asteroids have stargazers' attention this week  one the size of Mount Everest and another that will pass closer than the moon  just days before Asteroid Day.

The massive asteroid, named 415029 (2011 UL21), will pass Earth Thursday. At its closest point, it will be more than 4 million miles away, or 17 times as far from Earth as the moon, according to a European Space Agency news release. At more than 7,500 feet across, it is larger than 99% of near-Earth asteroids.

Two days later, the smaller asteroid will hurtle much closer to Earth, although astronomers say it also has a 0% chance of impact. The asteroid, dubbed 2024 MK, will pass within the moon's orbit of Earth, about 180,000 miles away. It will be observable from clear, dark skies with a small telescope on Saturday, the European Space Agency said.

Astronomers in South Africa spotted 2024 MK just weeks ago. Although it's less than 11% of the size of the asteroid passing by Thursday, it would still cause "considerable damage" if it hit the Earth, the European Space Agency said. An asteroid about its size could wipe out a city, according to the MIT Technology Review.

When the mountain-sized asteroid was discovered in 2011, it was classified as "potentially hazardous." An asteroid its size would have "worldwide effects" if it collided with the Earth, according to NASA.

NASA crashed a spacecraft into the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, successfully altering its orbit by 32 minutes.

More: NASA: Stargazers will see the 'closest thing to a planet parade' Saturday morning

NASA test successfully altered asteroids orbit

The size of the newly discovered 2024 MK is comparable to Dimorphos, an asteroid about 7 million miles from Earth that was the subject of humanity's first-ever successful planetary defense test two years ago. After a 10-month journey, a 1,260-pound NASA spacecraft successfully crashed into Dimorphos, altering its orbit by 32 minutes.

Scientists say that might be all that's needed to divert a deadly asteroid headed towards Earth.

Earlier this year, NASA posed a hypothetical scenario of an asteroid likely to strike Earth in 14 years to a group of government representatives, and found there is still work to do to prepare the world for a potential doomsday situation.

"We're using the capabilities that we have to really try to hopefully retire that hazard, to understand what's out there, and know if anything poses a threat," said Kelly Fast, NASA's acting planetary defense officer.

More: When space junk plummets to Earth and causes damage or injury, who pays?

Asteroids approach before anniversary of largest asteroid impact

The two astronomical fly-bys will come just in time for Asteroid Day on Sunday. The United Nations endorsed June 30 to commemorate the largest asteroid impact in recorded history and raise asteroid awareness.

On that day in 1908, an asteroid tore through Earth's atmosphere and exploded in the sky over Siberia, flattening the forested area underneath with a force 1,000 times greater than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, scientists estimated from photos of the event.

Reindeer herders miles away described witnessing a fireball trailing smoke, then a brilliant flash, and a thunderous boom, according to NASA. Luckily, the asteroid exploded over a sparsely populated area, and few people died, but many reindeer were killed in the blast.

The U.N. adopted a resolution declaring Asteroid Day in 2016. Its co-founders include Queen guitarist Brian May, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, and filmmaker Grigorij Richters.

This year, in honor of Asteroid Day, the Asteroid Foundation will host a two-day event in Luxembourg featuring lectures, space-themed workshops, and family activities on Friday and Saturday.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Asteroids to pass by Earth this week, one closer than the moon
GLENMORE, Wis. (WFRV)  A 20-year-old Maribel woman was airlifted to the hospital after an ATV crash while carrying a three-year-old boy.

According to the Brown County Sheriffs Office, authorities received a report of a single-vehicle ATV crash at around 1:00 p.m. on Cooperstown Road, just east of the intersection with Parkview Road in the town of Glenmore.

Overturned semi-truck causes closure on I-43 ramp from State Highway 60

A preliminary investigation reveals that an ATV driven by a 20-year-old woman from Maribel and carrying a three-year-old boy from Denmark was traveling west on Cooperstown Road when the driver lost control of the vehicle, and it overturned.

Deputies say that the three-year-old boy suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but the 20-year-old woman suffered critical injuries and was transported by Eagle III to a local hospital. Names are currently being withheld pending family notification.

Wisconsin youth prison staff member is declared brain-dead after inmate assault

The Brown County Sheriffs Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources say that speed and/or alcohol do not appear to have been factors in the crash.

No additional details were provided.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
AUSTIN (KXAN)  Restaurants and bars are struggling with the incredibly hot temperatures as they see less foot traffic during the summer months.

It comes at a time when Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics responded to nearly 30 heat-related calls since Monday.

ATCEMS said on its X account Wednesday morning that 28 heat-related incidents happened over the last two days.

Austin EMS responds to nearly 30 heat-related calls over 2-day period

Get people in the door

The heat made some businesses come up with creative ways to attract customers.

Skinnys Off Track Bar added a pool to its back patio to keep people cool.

Skinnys Off Track Bar said this is the first time its incorporated a pool on its patio. (Photo: KXAN)

Skinnys Off Track Bar said this is the first time its incorporated a pool on its patio. (Photo: KXAN)

Skinnys Off Track Bar said this is the first time its incorporated a pool on its patio. (Photo: KXAN)

Skinnys Off Track Bar said this is the first time its incorporated a pool on its patio. (Photo: KXAN)

Got the pool about a month ago. Its done really well, Skinnys Off Track Bar Manager Mark Devito said.

They were able to add the 10-foot pool thanks to a donation from Cowboy Pool. Devito said they also added misting fans after struggling with fewer customers last summer.

Like us and other eastside bars, were very patio reliant. Not a whole lot of people want to hang out outside, Devito said. We made a lot of improvements to try to combat that and get people in the door.

Installing pretty much every day

ATX Misting Solutions said it has seen a steady stream of orders coming in since summer started.

ATX Misting Solutions said its residential installations are popular as well. (Photo: KXAN).

ATX Misting Solutions said its residential installations are popular as well. (Photo: KXAN).

ATX Misting Solutions said its residential installations are popular as well. (Photo: KXAN).

ATX Misting Solutions said its residential installations are popular as well. (Photo: KXAN).

Phones have been ringing rapidly this time of year. Were installing pretty much every day. Sean Doerr, ATX Misting Solutions Owner

Once temperatures get in the 90s, Doerr said business starts picking up. He said theyre typically selling more than 20 fans per day.

A lot of those calls come from restaurants.

Most of the time, theyre really concerned about losing business on their patios because its so hot, Doerr said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Are avocados and mangos funding cartels in Mexico?

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  If you buy mangos or avocados from Mexico, odds are your money has gone to a cartel says Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (R-Texas).

Violence in Mexico stopped the shipment of avocados and mangos from a Mexican state for about a week.

The stoppage highlights the challenges of growing produce in that part of Mexico.

You should be rest assured that it is, Gonzalez said.

Farmers in Michoacan, Mexico have said they have to pay security fees to drug gangs to avoid getting kidnapped or killed.

Youre paying more for your avocados and your mangos and for products that are coming across the border, because theyve got to cover that cost, said Gonzalez.

Gonzalez says the recent challenges with mango and avocado shipments from Michoacan highlight the problem.

Cartels have enriched themselves. Theyve made billions of dollars taxing businesses, he added.

Before avocados and mangos make it to the U.S. officials from the USDA have to inspect the plants.

On Friday, June 14th, the ambassador to Mexico said two USDA inspectors were assaulted and held.

The USDA says it stopped plant inspections for about a week until this past weekend.

The outgoing Mexican president said in a press conference Monday he wished the U.S. consulted with the Mexican government before stopping inspections.

Its not free trade if youre having to pay for security somehow, said Gonzalez. He hopes the new Mexican president will work more closely with the U.S. on security so agriculture can keep moving safely.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
AZ Senate GOP: Man accused of election center theft may have also stolen from Legislature

Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates speaks to the press on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center in Phoenix.

Arizona Senate Republicans say the man accused of stealing a security fob from a county election headquarters last week may have also stolen from a legislative employee days earlier.

Surveillance video footage of the incident was released by the Arizona Senate GOP X account on Wednesday. The post says the video "appears to" show Walter Ringfield, a 27-year-old Phoenix resident who isnt currently registered as a member of a political party in Arizona, taking "personal items" from a Senate employee on June 15.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed that it is investigating the incident, but did not say whether Ringfield is a suspect. The department did not confirm whether Ringfield is the man who appeared in the video, and a spokesperson for the agency did not provide any additional information on Wednesday.

Ringfield also allegedly stole a lanyard with a security fob and a physical key from the Maricopa County election center on June 20. He was working in the center's tabulation room as a temporary employee. Both items were recovered.

Court documents show Ringfield is charged with felony criminal damage and misdemeanor theft in the county incident, and that a search warrant was executed on his home. He is currently in custody and is being held without bail.

The case comes just about a week before early ballots are set to go out to voters for the state primary. In recent years, election operations have been subject to increased scrutiny nationwide amid a polarized political climate and the spread of voting conspiracies.

What does the GOP video show?

Video posted online by the Senate GOP caucus shows a man who appears to be Ringfield on the first floor of the Arizona Senate building in Phoenix, which is open to the public.

The man in the footage appears to be testing the doors of the two hearing rooms, only to find them locked. When a Senate security guard approaches him, he points toward a set of doors, apparently indicating that is his destination.

The next video clip shows the back stairway of the Senate, which is posted as being accessible only to legislators and staff. The man is filmed going up, then down, the stairway, which leads to lawmakers offices, as well as those of staffers. He appears to be holding papers, and he seems to pick up several items and put them in his pockets. The items are not identifiable in the video.

Who makes ballots for Arizona elections? We went behind the scenes

The security guard finds him, again, and walks with him toward the Senate lobby before the tape cuts off.

Kim Quintero, a spokesperson for Arizona Senate Republicans, on Thursday told The Arizona Republic the man in the video "did not work for the Senate."

Quintero said the man claimed to the security guard he was an intern for Sen. Juan Mendez and was making a delivery to the Tempe Democrat. Senate Democrats in a Thursday social media post indicated that claim was not true.

"He did not work for Senator Mendez in any capacity," the caucus said in a post on X. "Senator Mendez has no knowledge of the individual and has no recollection of ever meeting him."

Officials say security protocols worked, but incident still stirs doubts

The fob that was allegedly stolen from the Maricopa County election center works in conjunction with passcodes to use tabulators, machines that tally votes on paper ballots.

The physical key on the same lanyard opens a blue bin beneath the machine that holds ballots following vote tallying.

Officials said Tuesday that the fob wouldn't have allowed Ringfield to independently operate the county's tabulators. They also said that the vote tallying process was not occurring last week.

County officials said they would reprogram and retest election equipment ahead of the upcoming state primary. They stressed that the incident should have no impact on the election, and said it should give voters confidence that the county's security protocols work as intended.

"Hopefully, what it should do, is instill even more confidence in folks out in the community," said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates on Tuesday, noting election officials were aware of the theft within hours and the fob was found quickly.

Some have been less optimistic.

On Wednesday morning, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley released a statement on the incident in conjunction with Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda. He wrote that the incident "raises serious questions about election security in Arizona that must be answered," while Swoboda said the county needed to take immediate steps to "fortify security measures and prevent future incidents."

During the 2024 legislative session, Swoboda worked as an election policy consultant at the Arizona Senate, where Ringfield allegedly stole other items. She's also the executive director of Voter Reference, a group that has been accused of facilitating false election conspiracies.

Who is Walter Ringfield?

Election officials said Monday that Ringfield was hired on June 3 as a temporary ballot tabulation center operator. A background check was required and came back without any criminal convictions, according to an Elections Department spokesperson.

But court documents show Ringfield was previously charged with pocketing more than $1,000 in cash from Fry's Food And Drug last year. The case never went to a conviction. Instead, Ringfield entered a diversion program and prosecution was suspended.

Ringfield was terminated on June 21, county officials said.

A review of voter records shows Ringfield registered as an independent in 2015. Less than a year later, he briefly registered as a Democrat. In recent primary elections, he has requested Democratic ballots. He also appears to have filed a statement of interest with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office in January 2023 to run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat.

An Instagram account that appears to belong to Ringfield includes photos of him with Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Amy Klobuchar. But he also appears to use a Truth Social account that includes links to conservative outlets such as the Epoch Times and Gateway Pundit. Other social media accounts that appear to be Ringfield's were made private or deleted as of Monday afternoon.

Sheriff Russ Skinner said Tuesday that investigators are continuing to actively look into the theft and are combing through digital and physical evidence. He said there isn't "any indication" that the fob was stolen in an effort to influence the election.

"But, we're not ruling it out," Skinner said. "We're going to leave no stone unturned... but at this point, we do not have anything that indicates that."

Reporters Mary Jo Pitzl and Ray Stern contributed to this story.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ Senate GOP: Alleged MCTEC thief may have stolen from Legislature
Back to the negotiating table: US Supreme Court puts $100M of NC opioid funds in limbo

A U.S. Supreme Court decision stripping protections from the billionaire owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma means it may be years before North Carolina sees payouts from the company over its role in the nationwide opioid crisis.

Thursdays ruling, though, will not affect the vast majority of the approximately $1.5 billion North Carolina will collect in the coming years through settlements with more than a dozen other companies implicated in the epidemic.

Lawsuits in multiple states have been pending for years against Purdue and members of the Sackler family, which controlled the company as it deceptively marketed its profitable opioid as less addictive than other painkillers.

Under a settlement and bankruptcy plan announced in 2021, the company and the Sacklers agreed to pay billions to state and local governments nationwide, a figure that included an estimated $100 million for North Carolina.

But the high court blocked that plan Thursday, ruling the agreement was faulty because it could not legally protect Sackler family members from future lawsuits  a provision of the settlement challenged by the trustee overseeing Purdues bankruptcy on behalf of the U.S. government.

At the R3 Recovery Center in Wilkesboro, N.C., Emily Church displays the materials that come in an opioid overdose kit, including two vials of Naloxone and an instruction manual. I can get behind this because Ive seen way too much death, Church says.

Attorney General Josh Stein said in a statement Thursday morning that the high courts ruling means we now have to go back to the negotiating table.

Purdue and the Sacklers must pay so we can save lives and help people live free of addiction, Stein said in the statement. If they wont pay up, Ill see them in court.

Writing for a 5-4 majority that split the conservative and liberal blocs, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch noted that such arrangements generally require debtors seeking legal immunity to declare bankruptcy and place substantially all of their assets on the table.

The Sacklers, Gorsuch wrote, have not done that.

Yet, they seek an order discharging a broad sweep of present and future claims against them, including ones for fraud and willful injury, Gorsuch wrote in his opinion, joined by justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. In all of these ways, the Sacklers seek to pay less than the code ordinarily requires and receive more than it normally permits.

As part of the settlement agreement and the companys bankruptcy terms, the Sacklers had agreed to pay billions into a fund that would eventually flow to states for mitigating the impacts of the opioid epidemic.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein listens to Duke scientist Katie Rosanbalm during a roundtable discussion on the opioid crisis hosted by Duke in 2018 at in Research Triangle Park.

Purdue and its owners made billions off the sale of OxyContin, released in 1995 amid a marketing blitz that depicted the narcotic as a safe and effective way to manage pain. Their efforts, Stein said in Thursdays statement, helped create and fuel an opioid crisis that is still killing North Carolinians  12 people overdose every day on average.

After lawsuits against the company over its role in the opioid epidemic began to mount, however, the Sacklers took steps to protect themselves.

Fearful that the litigation would eventually impact them directly, the Sacklers initiated a milking program, withdrawing from Purdue approximately $11 billion  roughly 75% of the firms total assets  over the next decade, the Supreme Court decision notes.

Stein first filed suit against Purdue in 2018, and the Sacklers separately more than a year later. Since then, the state has joined multi-state actions against other manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and marketing firms involved in the opioid market.

Some of the first payments in those settlements began arriving in the 2021-2022 fiscal year and are scheduled to continue through at least 2038-2039, split between the state and more than 100 North Carolina counties and municipalities.

From 2000 to 2022, more than 36,000 North Carolina residents have died from drug overdoses, including prescription and illicit opioids, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Ballistic analysis of Shannon Park shooting evidence is released by CMPD

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  There is no evidence suggesting any other weapon other than the suspects AR-15 rifle was used against officers in the April assault that left four law enforcement members dead, according to a ballistic analysis of evidence released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on Thursday.

An AR-15 rifle and a 40-caliber handgun had been recovered from the scene on April 29. CMPD vehemently denounced any suggestion that law enforcement friendly fire contributed to the law enforcement members deaths.

The suspect, Terry Hughes, 39, was killed in the shootout at an east Charlotte home on Galway Drive when a U.S. Marshals Task Force first attempted to serve a warrant out of Lincoln County on Hughes for possession of a gun as a felon and fleeing to elude.

Two other women, including a 17-year-old, were found inside of the home and were questioned afterward by authorities. No charges were ever announced against the two.

Final two autopsies released for officers killed in April east Charlotte shooting

Queen City News

CMPD Officer Joshua Eyer, Deputy US Marshal Thomas Weeks, and two members of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, Sam Poloche and William Elliott, were tragically killed in the shootout.

In the wake of the tragedy, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings called it one of the darkest days in the city and the departments history.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Cellebrite is a dream come true for police surveillance. Plug in any cellphone, even a locked one, and get a full report of every file on its hard drive. Cellebrite, along with its main competitor, Grayshift, is one of the few companies offering this service. No wonder the Baltimore Police Department, like 6,900 other law enforcement agencies, bought a subscription.

Where police saw a dream, however, courts saw a constitutional nightmare. In September 2022, the 5th Appellate Judicial Circuit in Maryland ruled that police must stop using "general and overbroad warrants" to scrape the entire content of people's cellphones. After the ruling, Baltimore police announced that they would suspend their use of Cellebrite and work with lawyers "to ensure the current search warrant template is in line with all requirements."

Less than a year after the ruling, Baltimore cops re-upped their Cellebrite subscription, Reason has learned. In response to a Maryland Public Information Act sent through the website MuckRock, the Baltimore Police Department disclosed a $112,940 contract for Cellebrite services from March 2023 to March 2024, and another $6,100 contract from September 2023 to September 2024.

The Baltimore Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The contracts also shed light on how Cellebrite services work. The March 2023 contract includes a license for using the Cellebrite software for an unlimited number of scans over one year and a physical kit for conducting the scans. The September 2023 contract is an additional subscription to the "UFED 4 PC Ultimate" service, which allows police to run the cellphone extraction software on their office computer.

Cellebrite "probably provides the device and then has something on the device that after the subscription expireswill lock the device, so that [police] need to renew the subscription," says William Budington, a senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital civil liberties nonprofit. "So they'll have this specific device that's provided to the law enforcement agency, and then they'll have to get a contract for a certain amount of time."

The device works to bypass the "secure enclave," the hardware that prevents a phone's storage from being read while it is locked. Then the software generates a report, sometimes thousands of pages long, listing all of the information stored on the phone. Police can specify what specific parts of the phone's storage they would like to search, although they are often loath to limit their searches.

"When you have a cellphone and you suspect it's used as an element of a crime, you don't know where those elements are going to be stored," digital forensics expert William Folson told the Baltimore Sun in response to the 2022 court ruling. "Let's say, for example, I send a threatening letter to somebody. I can type that out on my phone, I can send it as an email, or I can type it out on my home computer, set it out on my desk, and take a photograph."

The court ruling also noted that "some perpetrators purposely mislabel electronic files or hide evidence in unusual places" and that broader search warrants may be justified in cases of child pornography or financial crimes, but suggested that courts should apply this exception "rarely" and "consider requiring the inclusion of search protocols to restrict how the searching officers conduct such an analysis."

In the past, police had to send the cellphone or a copy of its data to the Cellebrite headquarters for analysis, according to Budington, which raised serious privacy concerns. A foreign private firmCellebrite is owned by a Japanese company and based in Israelwas given the run of the house on citizens' most sensitive personal information.

And the company is far from transparent about how its system works. In a leaked training video, company representatives told police to keep their use of Cellebrite devices "as hush hush as possible" and avoid letting Cellebrite's techniques "leak in court through disclosure practices, or you know, ultimately in testimony."

Cellebrite's marketing materials emphasize its role in stopping crimes against children. Yet the company's international clientele also has a much darker side. Cellebrite has provided phone scraping services to police states like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Belarus, Bahrain, and Myanmar. Even after Cellebrite claimed to back out of Russia and China, those countries' governments continued to use Cellebrite products.

"Cellebrite has developed a strong compliance framework, and our sales decisions are guided by internal parameters, which consider a potential customer's human rights record and anti-corruption policies," the company told The Intercept in response to the revelations about Chinese police. "Cellebrite remains committed to safeguarding human rights and has developed strict controls ensuring that our technology is used appropriately in legally sanctioned investigations."

Baltimore's most recent contract states that "the Product is an on-premise solution used and operated solely by Buyer without the involvement of Cellebrite" and that "Cellebrite is not engaged in any processing of 'personal data' (as this term is used in Laws governing data privacy and data protection) that flows through the Product." In other words, all of the data is supposed to be processed on the police station's own computer.

"Leakage of data exists," Budington says. "Just because the document says that doesn't mean it's actually doing that, but it does indicate that they have taken some steps in order to make sure that it's all locally processed within law enforcement's walls."

In the end, though, the largest threat to privacy may be the police themselves. "The effort that went into traditional police legwork served as some barrier to police abusing this power" in the past, Budington adds. "Today, this extraction process is routine and used on countless devices for minor offenses for which a suspect is alleged. This level of easy access has grave impacts on our privacy and civil liberties."

The post Baltimore Brings Back Controversial Cellphone Hacking System appeared first on Reason.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Despite Azerbaijan's supplying natural gas to Europe, European banks had not demonstrated readiness to ensure financing, unlike the Asian Development Bank, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev as he received ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa, Trend reports.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the Bank's pivotal role in developing sectors critical for both the country and regional cooperation. The head of state particularly appreciated the Asian Development Bank's steadfast support in projects related to the transportation of Azerbaijani natural gas, contrasting it with financial delays caused by European financial institutions. The Azerbaijani President reiterated in this regard that, as he had mentioned before, despite Azerbaijan's supplying natural gas to Europe, European banks had not demonstrated readiness to ensure financing, unlike the Asian Development Bank.

The President underscored that as Azerbaijan progresses, new objectives and challenges arise in creating strong economic ties with neighboring countries around the Caspian Sea and beyond. The head of state emphasized the importance of charting new pathways to continue successful cooperation with the Asian Development Bank.
FILE - Party debris is seen in the area of a mass shooting incident in the Southern District of Baltimore, July 2, 2023. Two Baltimore Police Department employees could lose their jobs and another 10 face lesser disciplinary actions for their responses to the July 2023 mass shooting at a neighborhood block party. A report released last year found that Baltimore police ignored multiple warning signs and failed to take proactive measures in the hours leading up to a mass shooting. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

BALTIMORE (AP)  Two Baltimore Police Department employees could lose their jobs and another 10 face lesser disciplinary actions for their responses to a July 2023 shooting at a neighborhood block party.

Two people died and 28 others were injured when gunshots tore through a large crowd in the courtyard of south Baltimores Brooklyn Homes public housing complex as the annual Brooklyn Day summertime celebration continued after nightfall. Most of the victims were teenagers and young adults.

Almost a year later, Baltimore police announced Thursday that they plan to discipline 12 department employees.

A report released last year found that Baltimore police ignored multiple warning signs and failed to take proactive measures in the hours leading up to the shooting.

Officer indifference may have compromised the awareness, planning and response to Brooklyn Day prior to the large crowds arriving, department leaders wrote in the report. Members of the community can view such indifference (whether real or perceived) as a form of bias.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, city leaders and residents slammed the police department for its response. The conversations reopened old wounds and called into question ongoing efforts to reform the citys embattled police force, which was thrust into the national spotlight years ago following the 2015 in-custody death of Freddie Gray.

The employees facing discipline include eight sworn officers and four civilian staff members, officials said in a news release Thursday. One officer and one civilian employee face termination. The others face suspension without pay, loss of leave and counseling.

Officials said they violated the following department policies: making false statements, neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and body-camera violations.

The disciplinary actions were recommended by two separate review committees, officials said. One is internal to the department and the other was created under a package of statewide police accountability measures passed in 2021.

The discipline is still pending because it could be appealed, according to department spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge.

From Day One, it was important that we not only do a deep dive into all that happened before, during and after this tragic incident, but also hold those accountable who violated our policies and, most importantly, the publics trust, Police Commissioner Richard Worley said in a statement. Our Department is committed to learning from this incident and rebuilding trust with the communities we serve.

Mike Mancuso, president of the Baltimore police union, accused department leaders of scapegoating the rank and file. He cited a significant manpower shortage that has long plagued the agency, leaving officers stretched thin.

Not one person above the rank of Lieutenant has been held responsible for this debacle. Not a single city leader or BPD Command member, he said in a statement Thursday afternoon. These are the people responsible for staffing the BPD; so, how are they not responsible for this mess?

The report released last year blamed police supervisors for repeatedly failing to take action even after Brooklyn Homes residents reported several hundred partygoers being potentially armed and disorderly during the annual summer block party.

Police also should have known about the event ahead of time and stationed officers there to provide security as they had in years past, but officers were caught off-guard this time around, the report said. That was partly because they failed to properly engage with residents of Brooklyn Homes in the weeks and months prior, according to the report.

The majority-Black community in the southwest corner of Baltimore has long experienced damaging cycles of poverty and neglect. Critics questioned whether the department would have responded differently if the shooting occurred in a more affluent area.

Five teenagers were arrested in connection with the shooting. Four of them have since pleaded guilty to various charges.
"Bankrupt" Giuliani went on Amazon shopping spree for cheap ties, according to court filing

Rudy Giuliani spent a staggering sum on polyester neckties, phone chargers and camera gadgets despite bankruptcy, a court filing late Tuesday night revealed.

The $1,892 in purchases across nearly 30 orders, sent to addresses in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida include a laundry list of clothing, personal goods, and pantry staples, all as Giuliani was mandated to rein in his spending by a bankruptcy court.

The former New York City mayor and Trump adviser fell on hard times after being ordered to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers who he defamed, filing for bankruptcy in December 2021.

But bank and Amazon records filed in court on Tuesday, initially obtained by 404 Media, outline a staggering pattern of spending. Giuliani, limited to a monthly spend of a still-whopping $43,000, spent closer to the tune of $120,000 in just his first month under the agreement, and at least $75,305 in May.

The nearly $2,000 in Amazon purchases represent something greater, critics say: Giulianis near-total refusal to comply in good faith with his bankruptcy.

As legal columnist Jonathan Wolf notes for legal publication Above the Law, Giuliani is abusing the bankruptcy process like any number of rich entitled douchebags before him.

People whose lives Giuliani ruined, who he owes a tremendous amount of money to, might never see a dime, Wolf wrote.

Giuliani, who faces disbarment in multiple jurisdictions, along with a criminal indictment in Arizona, continues to peddle lies about the 2020 election. The same lies that resulted in his bankruptcy after the defamation ruling.
The Leeds offices of JP Morgan and a branch of Barclays in the city have been vandalised by pro-Palestinian activists, who sprayed the entrances to the buildings in red paint overnight.

Members of Palestine Action targeted the banks in the city centre, using modified fire extinguishers to spray the buildings.

Pictures showed the entrance of the Barclays branch covered in bright red paint. Cash machines at the front were also covered in paint, and police tape surrounded the site. The Pinnacle building, which houses the JP Morgan offices, had paint splattered over its entrance.

The group said it had targeted Barclays and JP Morgan over their alleged links to Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence company.

Activists said the company, listed in Tel Aviv and New York, manufactures weapons used to bombard the Gaza Strip. They claimed both banks hold shares in the firm.

The paint-sprayed entrance to The Pinnacle building, where JP Morgan has its Leeds offices - Milo Chandler/Alamy

A Palestine Action spokesman said: Whilst the Gaza genocide rages on, our actions against the Zionist war machine and those who fund it will continue to intensify. There is no more time to waste on begging institutions to end their complicity.

Ultimately, banks reduce Palestinian lives to profit on their accounts. As finance is the only language they understand, we will ensure they calculate the full cost of investing in Israels weapons trade.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire police said: Police received a report at 2.28am on Thursday of an incident of criminal damage at Barclays Bank on Albion Street, Leeds. It was further reported that damage had also been caused to other premises on Albion Street and to The Pinnacle building.

Those involved had reportedly left the scene in a vehicle. A vehicle matching the description given was stopped nearby, and the seven occupants have been arrested. They are currently in custody.

Barclays has been repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action in recent weeks, with protests at around 20 branches. Protesters shattered windows, sprayed paint and stencilled over the facades on buildings in locations from Glasgow to Brighton.

JP Morgan has been targeted in Italy, Portugal, Manchester, Edinburgh and now Leeds, while companies including Starbucks, McDonalds and Google have also been hit.

Palestine Action is understood to be planning a series of demonstrations at events for undergraduates and masters degree holders at the University of Cambridge in the coming days.

Last week, Palestine Action and Youth Front For Palestine claimed responsibility for spraying the University of Cambridge Senate House with red paint.

Barclays and JP Morgan were contacted for comment.

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FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA)  A Barling man pleads guilty on June 27 to one count of threatening a federal official and one count of receipt of child pornography, according to a press release.

Rodney Sheffield mug

Fort Smith police were dispatched to Central Mall on April 26 for a 911 call where the caller said Rodney Dewayne Sheffield, 40, was driving to the mall with the intent to carry out a shooting.

Officers made a traffic stop on Sheffield for driving recklessly near Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith. During the traffic stop, the officer noticed a rifle on the passenger side floorboard of the vehicle.

Fort Smith police: Man arrested on his way to Central Mall to carry out shooting, possessing child porn

The officer separated Sheffield from the rifle and found ammunition on his person.

According to a press release, further investigation showed Sheffield had a pending Social Security disability claim and was upset at the status of the claim.

A witness said Sheffield had gone to the building where the Social Security Administration offices were located and told him Ive had enough, I cant take it anymore. The person said Sheffield told him he was going to shoot the Social Security Administrative Law Judge.

The release says Sheffield said he wanted to do this to teach the government a lesson. The person said he called 911 after speaking to Sheffield.

Police later searched Sheffields phone. They found images and videos of child pornography including children as young as around five years old.

Sheffields sentencing date will be set at a later time. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for threatening a federal official. He faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years of the receipt of the child pornography charge.

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Rahul Gandhi will assume office this week as leader of the opposition in Indias Parliament, the Lok Sabha, filling a post that has lain vacant for the entirety of Prime Minister Narendra Modis decade-long tenure.

As leader of the opposition, Gandhi will get various perks including a government bungalow and an increased salary, according to The Economic Times.

His role is a reflection of his Congress partys resurgence. It secured more than 10% of the Lok Sabha seats in the countrys recent general election, which saw Modi returned to power but in a diminished form, forced to rely on support from allies for a majority.

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Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Gandhi may have ditched his unserious image once and for all

Sources: The Economist, The Times of India, The Economic Times, BBC

Gandhi has long been regarded as unserious, spoilt, and ill-suited to politics, as The Economist put it in 2023  a line used by his opponents ahead of Indias election last month, The Times of India reported. But Gandhis Congress party nearly doubled its seat tally in June, a moment that could be his political coming of age as a credible challenger to Modi, The Economic Times wrote. Alongside the privileges that come with being an opposition leader, Gandhis words will carry more weight and impact, and the BJP will no longer be able to so easily dismiss him, the outlet said. But Gandhis mettle will finally be tested, too, as the one responsible if and when things go wrong, a political commentator told the BBC.

Leading  and keeping together  the opposition may not prove easy

Source: South China Morning Post

For all his gains, theres still a risk of exaggerating Gandhis newfound political capital, an analyst told the South China Morning Post: The BJPs vote share remains almost double that of Congress, so Gandhi still has a fight on his hands in states where his party is in direct confrontation with the BJP. Although Gandhi deserves credit for keeping the opposition alliance together, one member is already urging Congress to ditch some of its more left-leaning partners, and hell have to stay innovative to continue countering the BJP, another added.

A leader of the opposition may be a win for accountability

Sources: BBC, The Times of India, Al Jazeera

Opposition parties have consistently accused Modis government of misusing central agencies, including by deliberately withholding campaign funds, but in his new role, Gandhi can now watch over key government appointments and be privy to the deliberations of various panels, The Times of India noted. But corruption finances Indian politics in a way that is systemic, a journalist argued for the India-based Impact and Policy Research Institute, and members of Gandhis coalition have been mired in corruption allegations of their own related to the electoral bonds scandal, which saw multiple private firms funnel millions of dollars to parties in what activists said were attempts to influence policy, Al Jazeera reported.
A 26-year-old New Bedford gang member who is awaiting trial for stabbing two inmates has been sentenced to state prison after being convicted in a separate 2022 shooting outside the Ash Street Jail, the district attorney said Thursday.

Rayshond Lewis was sentenced by Judge Claudine Cloutier on Thursday to serve eight to 11 years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said.

The state prison sentence will not begin until Lewis completes a five to 10 year state prison term he was sentenced to earlier this month for violating the terms of his probation connected to a violent 2017 home invasion.

After a three-day trial this, a Fall River Superior Court jury convicted Lewis of the recent charges of attempted assault and battery by means of a firearm, carrying an illegal firearm-third offense, carrying a loaded illegal firearm and larceny, Quinn said.

On May 3, 2022, Lewis was a passenger in a vehicle traveling along Court Street to the Ash Street Jail. Other occupants got out of the car to check on a defendant they believe was being held at the jail, Quinn said. Lewis hopped out of the passengers seat and fired at least seven shots at another vehicle that was driving by at the time.

No one was struck or injured during the incident, but bullets struck a nearby house, front porch and parked vehicle.

The larceny conviction was connected to an incident about a week after the shooting where Lewis stole his ex-girlfriends cell phone.

I am extremely pleased that the jury held the defendant accountable for this lawless act of violence which could have killed or injured people in the area. The defendant is a very dangerous individual who has previously been convicted of two prior firearm offenses. In addition, at the time of these offenses, he was on probation for a violent home invasion in which he strangled the victim, Quinn said in a statement.

The court appropriately sentenced him to consecutive prison terms for the firearm charges. The two sentences amount to more than 20 years in prison.

Lewis is awaiting trial for allegedly stabbing two inmates while he was held at the House of Correction, Quinn said.

The citizens of New Bedford will be much safer now that the defendant will be off the street for a long time, Quinn said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a joint statement with Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russian-Belarusian negotiations at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, May 24, 2024. Lukashenko on Thursday, June 26, 2024, reshuffled his top officials in what observers see as part of maneuvering ahead of the 2025 presidential election. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday reshuffled his top officials in what observers saw as part of maneuvering ahead of the 2025 presidential election.

Lukashenko, who has ruled the country of 9.5 million with an iron hand for three decades and declared his intention to seek a seventh term next year, replaced his chief of staff along with the country's foreign minister and several other senior officials.

Lukashenko has unleashed a sweeping crackdown on the opposition in response to massive protests that were triggered by his disputed reelection in the August 2020 presidential election that the opposition and the West have denounced as rigged.

More than 35,000 people have been arrested and thousands have been brutally beaten in custody. Dozens of independent news organizations and rights groups have been shut down and journalists imprisoned. The United States and the European Union have responded to the crackdown with an array of sanctions.

As part of the government changes announced Thursday, Lukashenko named Maksim Ryzhankou as the new foreign minister to replace Sergei Aleinik, who had spent less than two years on the job.

Some saw the appointment as Ryzhankou, 52 as a sign of Lukashenko's hopes to negotiate the softening of Western sanctions.

Pavel Latushk, an opposition leader who fled the country under the authorities' pressure after the 2020 vote, described Ryzhankou as a supporter of talks with Western nations.

"Ryzhankou's task is to try to find instruments and mechanisms to resume a dialogue between Minsk and Western countries, something that Aleinik has failed to accomplish, Latushka said. Lukashenko hopes that the West will have to resume a dialogue with him after his 2025 reelection, and Ryzhankou's mission is to assist that.

Latushka claimed that Ryzhankou, who had previously served as Lukashenko's deputy chief of staff, had recently met with French envoys to discuss ways to resume a dialogue.

At the same time, Lukashenko appointed Belarus' ambassador to Russia, Dmitry Krutoi, as the new presidential chief of staff. Krutoi, 43, is widely seen as a proponent of strong relations with Russia.

Lukashenko has relied on close ties with Russia and provided his country as a staging ground for the war in Ukraine. In 2023, Russia also moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

In the run-up to the 2025 election, Lukashenko is resuming his favorite balancing act between the East and the West, sending signals of loyalty to Moscow but at the same time making the Kremlin nervous about the prospect of normalization of ties with the West, Latushka said.
This beloved waterfront restaurant in North Bay Village will close at the end of the year

The era of Shuckers, the laidback restaurant and bar that has perched on the water in North Bay Village since 1989, is coming to an end.

In collaboration with Continuum Company, Palm Tree Crew, an entertainment company co-founded by Norwegian DJ and music producer Kygo, has announced it will be taking over Shuckers Waterfront Grill & Hotel to open its first waterfront restaurant and hotel.

Located at 1855 79th St. Causeway, Shuckers is famous for its easygoing atmosphere, proximity to the bay  its not unusual to spot a dolphin or two cruising for a snack  and glorious sunset views. Its known for its simple menu of grilled wings and seafood, plus a popular prime rib sandwich.

The restaurant also made news in 2013, when the deck collapsed during a Miami Heat game during the NBA Finals, injuring 33 people.

The new concept for the property includes a 20-boat slip marina with dine and dock services, 118 guest suits and a pool adjoining the hotel and restaurant.

Ignacio Seijo and Andrea liguori enjoy a meal at sunset at Shuckers Waterfront Bar & Grill in 2022. The waterfront restaurant will be closing to make way for a new restaurant concept.

Myles Shear, co-founder of Palm Tree Crew, said that Miami  North Bay Village, in this case  embodies the spirit of the company.

Weve admired Shuckers for a long time as a staple of the Miami hospitality ecosystem, and we feel privileged to partner with Continuum Company to bring this property into its next chapter, he said.

This wasnt the original plan for the propertys renovation. In 2023, the Montreal real estate investment firm Jesta Group got final approval on its $300 million plan to raze Shuckers and the Best Western Hotel and rebuild the neighborhood watering hole, plus add a new condo-hotel tower. But in 2024, Jesta sold the property to Continuum.

At the time of the approval in 2023, Anthony OBrien, Jestas senior managing director, told the Miami Herald that the company planned to find a temporary location for the restaurant in North Bay Village or Miami Beachs North Beach community until the new Shuckers was ready.

A view of the waterfroant and Shuckers in North Bay Village, which will become the Palm Tree Club at the end of 2024.

Now, Palm Tree Crew, which was created in 2020, is looking to create a different, more lively sort of atmosphere, part of what it calls high-vibe hospitality. The brand is known for specializing in highlighting live music.

Michael Diaz, CEO of Palm Tree Crew, said the brands move into the world of hospitality was a progression of its success.

Our vision was to produce unique experiences around the world centered on music and the highest level of hospitality, he said. It has been thrilling to curate a lifestyle platform for our customers through live events and festivals, and weve found our audience craving more.

Nothing will change in the immediate future for Shuckers and its loyal clients. The restaurant will remain open until the end of the year, when Palm Tree Club will take over. The company will make cosmetic improvements but plans to keep the deck and the restaurants casual setting.
Four years ago, the political mood seemed much more caustic. Everyone knew that Certain Catastrophe awaited if the wrong guy got elected and this furor pervaded every corner of our online and real-world existence.

The tone is different today, and its not just a lesson learned about the futility of arguing politics. A majority of Americans have unfavorable views of both major partys presidential candidates and believe our country is in decline. In fact, they are the least liked candidates in Pews polling history, and that disfavor extends to other executive and congressional leaders as well. Sixty percent of Americans say the system is broken and nearly 70% feel that those in charge dont care about them. Political outrage has given way to disappointment and disillusion.

So whats a civically minded person to do?

Latter-day Saint history might hold some answers. In 1831, Joseph Smith revealed that the Saints were to build Zion in Missouri. When they got to Independence, however, they did not find a land flowing with milk and honey. Even Joseph Smith described feeling anxiety regarding the location, Amanda Freebairn writes. The Lord wasnt handing them the Promised Land, He was asking them to build it.

Bridging the gap between reality and expectation is a central part of the Christian story. God didnt send Noah the ark; He commanded him to build it. After being delivered from the Egyptians, the children of Israel traipsed through a vast desert wasteland for 40 years before reaching Canaan.

As with the restored church, the early Christian church grew and evolved gradually over time, threatened in its infancy by persecution and martyrdom. It seems that God loves his people too much to spare them from hard work.

This ethic of building things is vividly fresh in Latter-day Saint memory. We can touch the temples that God asked our ancestors (spiritual or literal) to build and we can walk the trails on which God led them to their own kind of promised land.

That land was not a carefree Eden; it was Deseret, signifying industry. This was a place where Gods favor meant neither ease nor rest, but one in which the Saints blood and tears would nourish the seeds of His eternal purposes.

Gods blessings, then, cannot be understood only as a particular outcome or destination, though such things play their part. As it was for the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi and the biblical children of Israel, the journey itself is where we find some of the most concrete evidence of Gods love and favor.

The everyday work of building people and things endows us with the knowledge and skills to recognize, create and protect whats true and good. Without this divine education, no land would hold any lasting promise, however full of milk and honey.

Scruton understood this. In this writers humble opinion, Roger Scruton was modern conservatisms most under-appreciated intellectual. Scruton wrote a great deal about aesthetics and his political thinking was shaped by his profound appreciation for the beauty of the world around him. His conservatism was not a po-faced grip on the past; he believed that real progress must be anchored by the sentiment that all mature people can readily share: the sentiment that good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created.

Building requires a very different set of skills from tearing things down. Compared with building a house, for example, demolition takes comparatively little time, foresight or skill. On the other hand, constructing a house requires a great deal of knowledge, resources, planning, problem-solving and patience. Modern home building generally requires more of these than any one person possesses.

When it comes to our laws, culture and institutions, the work of building is infinitely more complex. Our commitments to freedom of conscience, human equality, impartial justice or scientific inquiry might seem like self-evident truths plucked from the tree of Reason, but in fact they were nurtured, developed and refined in a piece-meal fashion over many centuries as men and women sought principled solutions for the difficulties of their time. These principles and commitments constitute another kind of temple  if not to God, then at least to the ideals inspired by our understanding of the divine will. But these are temples we cant touch and, often, cant even see because weve never known anything else. For all their ubiquity, they are nevertheless susceptible to destruction. Maybe its authoritarian threats to our civic institutions or the subtler undermining of our social and cultural ones, like family and faith. Often, these destructive impulses are clothed in the language of justice and progress.

Latter-day Saints are not just builders, we are also civically minded as a matter of culture and doctrine. Church leaders have repeatedly counseled us to engage prayerfully (rather than dogmatically) with the candidates and issues of our day, to embrace compromise and to disagree without being disagreeable. Jonathan Rauch, a self-described atheistic Jewish gay man, has praised Latter-day Saints for their civic theology of tolerance and pluralism.

The Latter-day Saint commitment to civility, compromise and civic processes for achieving desired political outcomes are not, as some have argued, the patriotic pieties of an unpopular minority religion. They are another means by which the Saints continue their ethic of building things. As in matters of faith, our political attitudes should be that of builders, committed to a long-term vision focused on creating something of lasting value, rather than merely tearing down what stands in our way.

Unfortunately, our broader political discourse tends to treat compromise, civility and process as capitulations to the enemy or a forfeiture of ones political purity. Really, theyre just part of the unglamorous but practical work of building a bridge from our reality to our ideals (in lieu of simply dictating ones demands).

Perhaps part of our disenchantment with the current selection of candidates stems from our growing realization that tribalistic, zero-sum politics are good for generating lists of nonnegotiables, but little else of lasting value. We cant really force a particular outcome, and trying to do so is just wearing everyone out.

Another way of stating this is that the world we want will not materialize simply by electing the right people or party. In fact, putting all our eggs in the candidate-basket can lead us to view the political process as a means of salvation. Dan Ellsworth and Jeff Bennion wrote about this transfer of our devotion from God to politics, with the attendant expectation that others are the problem and need to change. When our particular program takes on divine significance, those who oppose us are not just wrong, but evil.

None of this means we shouldnt take seriously our responsibility to vote and participate in the democratic process. But such an overly narrow focus becomes toxic when it generates an attitude of anxious engagement in political outcomes, directing our energy away from the small and simple things through which real progress occurs: the everyday work of building up others, our relationships, our institutions and the customs that make our way of life possible.

At the 80th anniversary D-Day commemoration, actor Tom Hanks called this the slow melding of the truth to the actual practical life we end up living, emphasizing core virtues and the good deed that we practice with our neighbor.

If we are not capable of living fulfilling and peaceable private lives, politics will not amend our deeper problems; it will amplify them.

In other words, if youre often disappointed (as I am) in the political options before you, remember that the best things are built, not voted. The candidates and policies we vote on tomorrow are a product of the kind of life we dedicate ourselves to living now.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, during his official visit to Georgia, met with Chairman of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the strategic partnership agenda between Azerbaijan and Georgia, prospects for inter-parliamentary cooperation, and the current regional situation.

It was highlighted that mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy, trade, investment, energy, transportation, communications, humanitarian sciences, and other fields, characterized by strategic partnership, is a source of satisfaction. The significance of ongoing work on the Middle Corridor and collaborative efforts was underscored.

Additionally, the importance of enhancing joint initiatives among Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye within the trilateral framework, at both ministerial and parliamentary levels, was emphasized.

The Azerbaijani minister highlighted the role of parliamentary diplomacy, mutual visits between parliamentary leaders, and extensive cooperation among friendship groups in advancing the multidimensional cooperation agenda between the nations.

He positively assessed the contribution of legislative cooperation to fostering friendly and neighborly relations between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Bayramov provided updates on preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), scheduled to be hosted in Azerbaijan this year, noting new opportunities for expanding cooperation within COP29.

The Georgian delegation was briefed on the current post-conflict situation, extensive reconstruction efforts in liberated Azerbaijani territories, initiatives addressing the mine threat, and ongoing normalization processes between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on various other mutual interest issues.

Minister Bayramov also made an entry in the Book of Honorable Guests at the Parliament.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
TOPEKA (KSNT)  First responders helped a bicyclist recover Thursday morning after a reported hit-and-run crash in west Topeka.

City of Topeka spokeswoman Rosie Nichols told 27 News in a written statement that officers with the Topeka Police Department and firefighters with the Topeka Fire Department were called at 9:30 a.m. on June 27 to the intersection of Southwest Huntoon Street and Southwest Fairlawn Road. The first responders found a bicyclist at the intersection suffering from non-life-threatening injuries who was treated on scene.

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Nichols did not say if any arrests were made in connection to this incident. The investigation into the hit-and-run is ongoing.

If you have any information to share with police regarding this incident, send an email to telltpd@topeka.org or call 785-368-9400. Anonymous tips can also be sent to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online by clicking here.

How bad is the speeding problem in Shawnee County?

For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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Biden Campaign Has Just 3 Words After Trump Seems To Leak Debate Talking Points

A member of Joe Bidens campaign team had a deadpan response after Donald Trump appeared to leak some of his debate talking points on social media.

On Thursday, just hours before Trump was scheduled to debate Biden on CNN, the former president made a post on his Truth Social platform that appeared to show some of what he expects the moderators to ask him about, and his planned responses.

The post featured a note about climate change that was attributed to Andrew Wheeler, Trumps former EPA administrator and a former coal lobbyist. In the note, Wheeler seemed to advise the former president to say carbon dioxide emissions dropped under his administration, to blame Biden for energy cost increases and to trash his move to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords.

Trump truth social post regarding June 27 CNN debate TruthSocial.com

Those remarks are markedly different from Trumps previous comments. In the past, hes falsely claimed climate change is a hoax, but now seems poised to frame lower emissions as a positive.

Ammar Moussa, a member of Bidens rapid response team, had this to say about Trump previewing his debate remarks: Thanks I guess.

Donald Trump is just posting his debate talking points.



Thanks I guess. pic.twitter.com/OfOCTmckIT  Ammar Moussa (@ammarmufasa) June 27, 2024

The Biden-Harris campaign also reposted Trumps Truth Social note, calling the former president desperate.

A desperate Trump posts debate talking points given to him by the coal lobbyist he put in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency pic.twitter.com/LBO9D2WnZo  Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) June 27, 2024

Others also had thoughts.

Clearly a mistake. He thought those were nuclear secrets.  Waldo (@WaldoWilbur) June 27, 2024

Already lying and he aint even hit the damn debate stage yet  MadameVpImpact (@FactsIsFacts46) June 27, 2024

Um, Trump is posting his prepped talking points from a former coal lobbyist just hours before tonights debate. Thanks, Donald? pic.twitter.com/I8FPZpAL60  American Bridge 21st Century (@American_Bridge) June 27, 2024

Trump: I Don't need to prepare. I was born for this debate.



Accidentally posts his #Debates2024 memorized talking points pic.twitter.com/Wbaux34vf8  The Real Slim Skagmacker (@CattardSlim) June 27, 2024

Notice it is in elementary style writing. A dumbed down version.  Sweetiepeas (@sweetiepeas13) June 27, 2024

HuffPost reached out to the Trump campaign for comment, but no one immediately responded.

Related...
Thursdays debate marks President Bidens best chance yet to convince a skeptical electorate that hes up to serving four more years in the White House amid stubbornly low approval ratings and persistent concerns about his age.

It serves as a high-stakes moment for Biden, who is narrowly trailing former President Trump in the polls in several key battleground states. On CNNs debate stage in Atlanta, he must simultaneously make the case that hes the better choice in November while appearing energetic, commanding the issues and avoiding gaffes that could set back his campaign.

Biden and his team appear cognizant of the importance of his match-up with Trump, having spent the seven days leading up to it at Camp David holding strategy sessions and mock debates.

Michael LaRosa, first lady Jill Bidens traveling press secretary during the 2020 campaign, argued that the president will be judged by others on his visual and verbal presentation rather than on substance.

Unfortunately, he will be judged by the press, the pundits, and more importantly the voters, by more superficial standards. His agility, his demeanor, his physical presentation, smoothness of his delivery, quick wit, and ability to counterpunch add up to the bar he will need to clear. All of those factors will be analyzed more than his record or the number of his accomplishments, LaRosa said.

Fitness for office is likely to be a top issue for both candidates. Biden would be 86 at the end of a second term, and Trump would be 82. Both men have had viral moments of confusion or fumbled their words in recent months.

But surveys have shown its Biden who voters are more concerned about. A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted this month found 50 percent of voters said Trump has the mental and cognitive health to serve as president, compared to 35 percent who said the same about Biden.

The president and his team have tried to combat those concerns by pointing to his record of achievements during his first term, arguing Biden has the wisdom and experience to handle the job and using jokes to disarm attacks about the presidents age.

But experts suggested Biden can only do so much to assuage voter concerns in the 90 minutes hell be on stage Thursday.

All he can do is avoid the downside there. Thats the victory, said Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University. If he goes in and hes lively and hes engaged and everything, thats all good, but youre not going to walk away and say that issue is done now.

Biden did receive praise for what were deemed strong performances in both of his State of the Union addresses where he was quick on his feet and able to riff back and forth with Republicans attempting to shout him down.

He also was unusually feisty during remarks at the White House in February after special counsel Robert Hur released his investigation into Bidens handling of special documents that painted the president as elderly and with memory problems. Biden went off on a reporter who asked about Hurs reference to his son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

But a debate, without a script or teleprompter, is different from those moments.

Its really an opportunity to see the candidates in action  not their campaign teams, not their consultants and the people who are spinning certain things, but to see the candidates themselves, engaging, said Kathryn Cramer Brownell, associate professor of history at Purdue University.

Its clear Biden and his close confidants are taking the debate prep seriously. Biden has been stationed at Camp David since last week along with a cast of top advisers, including chief of staff Jeffrey Zients, senior aide Anita Dunn, top campaign official Mike Donilon, former chief of staff Ron Klain and Bidens personal attorney, Bob Bauer, who has played the role of Trump in mock debates.

The members of Team Biden are hoping to use Thursdays debate to highlight what they see as his biggest accomplishments  infrastructure investments, climate issues, international alliances and recent actions on the border  to an audience of millions of viewers.

But Biden must also be prepared to counterpunch against Trump, who has a history of aggressively interrupting opponents and getting under their skin.

Dont underestimate, dont forget how much these two personally dislike each other, former senior Biden aide Kate Bedingfield said Wednesday on CNN. They really do. And so I think the intensity of being on stage together, 8 feet apart, with no audience really just kind of mano a mano, I think is going to add a little bit of X factor.

Republicans indicated one of Trumps top aims during the debate would be trying to press Biden for 90 minutes and make the president prove he has the stamina to keep up.

What Trump wants the viewer to come away with when the debates over is that Biden doesnt have the ability, the agility or the mental acuity to serve another four years, GOP strategist Ford OConnell said.

Bidens challenge of showing that hes mentally fit for the role is reminiscent of then-President Reagan running for reelection in 1984 at 73 years old.

In one of the most memorable lines in presidential debate history, Reagan flipped the script on the Democratic nominee, Walter Mondale, when he said, I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience.

That was an effective way to deflect attention away from a bigger concern about his age that was dominating, but thats just one moment in a broader campaign. If someone was concerned about Reagans age, would they have changed their minds because of that one issue? Its unlikely, Cramer Brownell said. Today, people tuning into the debates will likely have a strong feeling about the candidates, one way or the other.

While Trump is only a few years younger than Biden, his allies have long argued that hes energetic and youthful compared to the president and, ahead of the debate, that Trump can play offense while Biden is on defense.

Theres something liberating about not being the incumbent, a former Trump administration official said. President Biden is the one who has a fresh record to defend of failure and shortcomings all across the board, which are at the forefront of peoples minds.

Meanwhile, Biden allies suggest the presidents preparation this week at Camp David should involve planning for surprises from his political rival.

Is he being prepared to expect the unexpected, and are they assimilating what that looks, sounds and feels like with him? LaRosa said. Thats the only prep President Biden needs.

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Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia, was sitting in his car last month when he received a call from President Biden.

Duncan  a lifelong Republican who has never voted for a Democrat had just formally endorsed Biden. And the president was calling to thank him.

Surefire GOP endorsements are important for Biden as he tries to win over independents and undecided voters to his side ahead of November.

In the coming months, his campaign will lean heavily on its GOP backers, including Duncan and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)  who endorsed the president Wednesday to make the case against former President Trump.

As a proud conservative, I have always put democracy and our Constitution above all else. And its because of my unwavering support for democracy, that today as a proud conservative, Im endorsing Joe Biden for reelection, Kinzinger said in a video put out by the Biden campaign.

Kinzingers endorsement is part of a larger ramp-up of big names expected to become regular faces for Biden in television ads and on the stump ahead of and through the Democratic National Convention.

This election is about the 10 percent who will either sit on the couch or get out and vote, Duncan said in an interview with The Hill. I want to do anything I can do to beat Donald Trump so I can get my Republican Party back. If it takes campaigning for Joe Biden, and doing commercials and speeches, Im ready to take my medicine and get my party back.

Since Nikki Haley dropped out of the GOP primary in March, Biden has tried to win over her supporters, too. The Biden campaign sees Haley voters as potentially critical in states such as Pennsylvania, where the former South Carolina governor won 158,000 votes in the primary.

Its clear that the Biden campaign thinks that moderate, Never Trump Republicans remain an important part of their winning coalition, said Democratic strategist Joel Payne.

Its not clear such endorsements will make a huge difference. Even some Republicans critical of Trump are doubtful.

To his credit, former Congressman Adam Kinzinger stood up against Donald Trump when it counted and has consistently been a voice of reason for the bloc of Republicans that have had it with the former president, said Susan Del Percio, a veteran Republican strategist. Politically, Adam Kinzingers endorsement is nice to have, but it probably does more to help the former congressman stay relevant, than sway votes to Biden.

While Del Percio acknowledged that country over party will motivate some center-right independents as it did in the match-up between Biden and Trump in 2020, she said it has less traction now that Biden has a record as president.

Theyve seen what hes done, and they dont particularly like it, Del Percio said. Theyre not happy with his agenda. The best Biden can hope for now is that they just stay home.

Another Republican strategist who does not support Trump agreed, saying it was a more successful strategy in 2020 when the president didnt have a record and voters were looking for an alternative to Trump.

Now theres been enough distance, and theres quite a bit of amnesia floating around, that I dont think it sticks as effectively unless its someone like Nikki Haley [who] comes out and directly says, Do not support this man. Hes dangerous. But the other stuff is background noise, and I dont think it will do much.

Bidens campaign has gone full throttle to prove otherwise. It recently brought on a Republican outreach director who is focused solely on connecting with independents and moderate Republicans.

The Biden campaign has also spent more than 7 figures, a Biden campaign aide said, communicating directly to swing voters, including two ads targeting Haley voters and anti-Trump Republicans.

Campaign aides also say they are regularly in touch with Republican leaders and organizations that are looking to defeat Trump.

Earlier this month, CNN reported that Anita Dunn, who serves as a senior adviser to Biden, had already met with Cassidy Hutchinson, the former assistant to Trumps chief of staff, who served as a powerful witness to the Jan. 6 committee. Campaign aides have also spent time on Zoom calls with Republicans who served in Congress to ask them to get involved.

In a statement Wednesday, Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said Republicans like Kinzinger represent the countless Americans that Donald Trumps Republican Party have left behind.

Those Americans have a home in President Bidens coalition, and our campaign knows that we need to show up and earn their support, Chavez Rodriguez said. Congressman Kinzingers endorsement doesnt just make our campaign stronger, it will better equip us to win the hearts and minds of the voters committed to fighting for the future of our democracy and stopping Donald Trump.

Duncan said the efforts to lure Republicans over to Bidens side are helping and slowly but surely moving the needle.

When push comes to shove, a majority of those folks think weve gotta do something, he said. I do think as we watch Trump continue to be Trump, and chew on his own words and embarrass the Republican brand, I think that doesnt sit well.

While he said Bidens call to him last month was classy, he says hell go back to voting for the Republican nominee in 2028.

But it feels like the right thing to do, right here, right now, he said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) in the Atlantic Ocean, June 16, 2022. Jason Dunham is operating in the Atlantic Ocean in support of naval operations to maintain maritime stability and security in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and partner interest. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II)

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday.

The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible.

The convictions were enforced under a military law that prohibited certain types of sex from May 1951 to December 2013.

When asked why Biden chose now to pardon the veterans, senior administration officials told reporters on a call Tuesday that Biden is committed to doing everything he can to ensure that the culture of the armed forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation and to maintaining the finest fighting force in the world.

The officials continued that Biden is taking this historic step to ensure that we live up to our sacred obligation to care for all service members, veterans and their families.

Biden said in a statement Wednesday that he is righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves.

Our Nations service members stand on the frontlines of freedom, and risk their lives in order to defend our country, Biden said in the written statement.

Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial, and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades.

Administration officials said guidance will be posted on the Department of Defense website for veterans to apply for proof they are eligible for pardon under the proclamation.

Veterans can then use the certificate of proof to apply to their respective military branch for a discharge upgrade.

Military law and consensual sex

Bidens Wednesday proclamation effectuates the pardons for any veterans, alive or deceased, who were discharged or convicted in military court under Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for consensual sexual relationships.

While the law prohibited forceful sex acts with minors and animals, Article 125 also banned unnatural carnal copulation  defined as oral or anal sex  with another person of the same or opposite sex.

The military code was updated in 2013 to reflect that only forceful, not consensual, sexual acts could be penalized.

Administration officials acknowledged that Article 125 is not the only military law that targeted LGBTQ+ service members.

Senior administration officials told reporters that while the proclamation is narrowly focused on convictions under Article 125, the Department of Justice has been instructed to flag any other clemency applications for veterans penalized for sexual orientation or gender identity under other military statutes.

The U.S. military has a decades-long history of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. The armed forces outright banned gay and lesbian service members during World War II.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton set a Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy, essentially allowing LGBTQ+ members to serve in the military, so long as they didnt make their sexual orientation public.

The policy was repealed under President Barack Obama.

Days after his inauguration, Biden issued an executive order overturning a ban on transgender service members.

Pardon power

The Constitution empowers the president with several ways to forgive crimes against the United States. The president can fully pardon, or lift, punishments without qualification for individuals or groups of people; commute, or reduce, an offenders sentence; or issue a reprieve, basically delaying an offenders sentence.

Clemency applications are processed through the Justice Departments Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Biden issued sweeping pardons in October 2022 and December 2023 for marijuana offenses.

The Justice Department posts clemency statistics for each presidential administration dating back to William McKinley at justice.gov/pardon/clemency-statistics.

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Sailors decorate the mess decks in observance of Pride month aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham in the Atlantic Ocean on June 16, 2022. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Theoplis Stewart II)

WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday.

The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible.

The convictions were enforced under a military law that prohibited certain types of sex from May 1951 to December 2013.

When asked why Biden chose now to pardon the veterans, senior administration officials told reporters on a call Tuesday that Biden is committed to doing everything he can to ensure that the culture of the armed forces reflect the values that make us an exceptional nation and to maintaining the finest fighting force in the world.

The officials continued that Biden is taking this historic step to ensure that we live up to our sacred obligation to care for all service members, veterans and their families.

Biden said in a statement Wednesday that he is righting an historic wrong by using my clemency authority to pardon many former service members who were convicted simply for being themselves.

Our Nations service members stand on the frontlines of freedom, and risk their lives in order to defend our country, Biden said in the written statement.

Despite their courage and great sacrifice, thousands of LGBTQI+ service members were forced out of the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Some of these patriotic Americans were subject to court-martial, and have carried the burden of this great injustice for decades.

Administration officials said guidance will be posted on the Department of Defense website for veterans to apply for proof they are eligible for pardon under the proclamation.

Veterans can then use the certificate of proof to apply to their respective military branch for a discharge upgrade.

Military law and consensual sex

Bidens Wednesday proclamation effectuates the pardons for any veterans, alive or deceased, who were discharged or convicted in military court under Article 125 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for consensual sexual relationships.

While the law prohibited forceful sex acts with minors and animals, Article 125 also banned unnatural carnal copulation  defined as oral or anal sex  with another person of the same or opposite sex.

The military code was updated in 2013 to reflect that only forceful, not consensual, sexual acts could be penalized.

Administration officials acknowledged that Article 125 is not the only military law that targeted LGBTQ+ service members.

Senior administration officials told reporters that while the proclamation is narrowly focused on convictions under Article 125, the Department of Justice has been instructed to flag any other clemency applications for veterans penalized for sexual orientation or gender identity under other military statutes.

The U.S. military has a decades-long history of anti-LGBTQ+ policies. The armed forces outright banned gay and lesbian service members during World War II.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton set a Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy, essentially allowing LGBTQ+ members to serve in the military, so long as they didnt make their sexual orientation public.

The policy was repealed under President Barack Obama.

Days after his inauguration, Biden issued an executive order overturning a ban on transgender service members.

Pardon power

The Constitution empowers the president with several ways to forgive crimes against the United States. The president can fully pardon, or lift, punishments without qualification for individuals or groups of people; commute, or reduce, an offenders sentence; or issue a reprieve, basically delaying an offenders sentence.

Clemency applications are processed through the Justice Departments Office of the Pardon Attorney.

Biden issued sweeping pardons in October 2022 and December 2023 for marijuana offenses.

The Justice Department posts clemency statistics for each presidential administration dating back to William McKinley at justice.gov/pardon/clemency-statistics.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
(COLORADO)  President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to square off in their first televised debate of the 2024 campaign in Atlanta, which will be hosted by CNN. FOX21 News will begin airing coverage of the debate on Thursday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. and the debate will kick off at 7 p.m. local time.

The stakes are high for both men. Trump currently holds a narrow lead over Biden nationally at 45% to 44%, according to a Decision Desk HQ/The Hill aggregate of polls. Biden has been dogged by concerns over his age, as well as the high cost of living and his Administrations handling of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Trump, meanwhile, is grappling with the fallout from his conviction in a New York hush money trial, multiple federal indictments, and scrutiny over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Abortion, the economy, and the Israel-Hamas war are just a few of the issues likely to be discussed at Thursday nights debate.

The 90-minute debate will be the earliest such event in U.S. history. Televised presidential debates between general election candidates have always started in September or early October, going back to the first one between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960.

Southern Colorado voters are invited to attend a bipartisan Presidential Debate Watch Party on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at RoadHouse Cinemas in Colorado Springs.

FOX21News will be in attendance at the watch party and will update this article throughout the evening.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
How do Biden and Trump fare with Texas voters as they prepare for presidential debate?

Former President Donald Trump continues to fare better in Texas than President Joe Biden as the candidates prepare for their first debate of the 2024 presidential cycle.

Trump led with 46% of votes to Bidens 39% in a head to head match up, according to a June poll from the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin. Trumps lead widens to 9 percentage points when independent and third party candidates are added to the ballot.

The poll surveyed 1,200 registered Texas voters between May 31 and June 9 and has a 2.83% margin of error.

The findings are consistent with other polls that have Trump ahead of Biden in the Lone Star State.

The June Texas Politics Project poll found that when voters were asked to pick between Biden, Trump, or someone else for president, 85% of Democrats supported Biden and 87% of Republicans supported Trump.

When independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Green Party candidate Jill Stein, independent Cornel West and Libertarian Chase Oliver were added, Trump had the support of 83% of Republicans and Biden had the support of 77% of Democrats. Kennedy, who did not qualify for Thursdays debate, had the support of 8% of those polled.

Trump won Texas by 5.6 percentage points in 2020.

Trump and Biden will take the debate state at 8 p.m. in Atlanta for CNNs presidential debate. The debate will last 90 minutes and can be watched on CNN, CNN.com and Max.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov is to pay an official visit to Hungary, Trend reports via the ministry.

During the visit, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov is scheduled to meet with the Hungarian military and political chiefs in Budapest and to attend defense industry companies.

The minister's official visit will go through June 29.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
ISHPEMING, Mich. (WJMN)  Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Upper Peninsula has been recognized at the national level.

Their team was recently at the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Conference in Dallas, Texas where they received the 2023 Small Agency of the Year award and 2023 Growth award.

Local 3 spoke with the agency who says they have made many expansions this year within their program.

Its Amazing, said Carli Frailing, Vice President of Programs, BBBS of the Central U.P. Its still pretty shocking and surprising that we won it. Just being a small little rural town in Marquette in the U.P., it feels really nice to be recognized at that level. We worked very hard last year with the expansion and going into new places and growing our team and all that. It feels really good to be recognized at the national level.

The organization says they are always looking to continue serving the community. One way you can help out is by volunteering to be a big brother or big sister.

We always want to serve more youth, and with that we need more volunteers across every county that we serve, said Frailing. Marquette, Alger, Delta, Dickinson and Schoolcraft. We really want to try to make more matches and serve more youth. We want to grow into more schools in the fall. Our ultimate goal is to serve more kids and with that we need more bigs.

To learn more, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJMN - UPMatters.com.
After two hours of protest and emotional testimony Wednesday afternoon, the Assembly Committee on Education approved a bill that would prevent California school boards from passing parental notification policies that require school staff to out trans students to their parents if the student requests to use different pronouns or go by a different name.

Assembly Bill 1955, sponsored by Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego, passed the Senate earlier this month, and received support from education committee chair Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, and the committees other Democratic members. Muratsuchi is a co-sponsor of the bill. The bill will now head back to the Assembly and, if it passes, to Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk.

The committee hearing chamber was nearly full Wednesday afternoon, with hundreds of people from across the state lining up to voice their support or opposition of the bill. More members of the public opposed the bill than supported it, though both sides had more than 60 people in attendance to voice their opinions.

Republican Assemblymen Heath Flora, R-Ripon, and Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, did not support the bill.

Hoover voiced concerns about the bill encouraging parents to be kept in the dark.

How can parents best support their student if they are kept in the dark? he asked Ward.

Ward, a gay member of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, grew increasingly emotional as he sought to explain how personal the coming out process is for gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender individuals. A students choice to come out as transgender at school before they do so at home may be an important part of their process, even if their parents are supportive.

Coming out is a difficult experience, Ward said. I think what we have conflated here is that somehow this is preventing, obstructing, or otherwise making it difficult to have these conversations with a youth and their parent.

Even if its a loving relationship, Ward said, after pausing briefly to hold back tears, a parent is the last person you want to reject you ... When you are jumping ahead an individuals timeline, it can do an incredible amount of harm.

Ward confirmed to the committee that his bill would not prohibit a teacher from sharing this information with a students parents. Rather, it would make it illegal to force them to do so.

The policies have torn apart the fabric of (California) communities, Ward said, and have put teachers in a very awkward space, and have turned school board meetings into an absolute circus, and away from the core mission of having to talk about the bread and butter of fulfilling that districts mission.

Forced outing? School board members say no

LGBTQ advocates and supporters of the bill who oppose parental notification policies refer to them as forced outing policies.

Proponents of the bill say the rhetorical change is unfair.

We are constantly hearing that this an outing policy, Sonja Shaw told The Bee before the hearing, in which she was the lead opposing witness.

Shaw is the president of the Chino Valley Unified School District, which became the first district in California to pass the policy last August. In the year since Chino Valley passed its policy, the district has been embroiled in a legal case with the state Attorney General Rob Bonta. (Bontas wife, Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, a former school board member and sitting member of the education committee, supported the bill Wednesday).

Sonja Shaw, president of Chino Valley Unified School District, at a news conference at the state Capitol on Aug. 14 to oppose a series of education bills in the Legislature that she says would infringe on parental rights and remove local control in school districts. Shaws board ejected state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond from a meeting when he attempted to speak against a policy requiring Chino Valley officials to notify parents if students come out as transgender.

Shaw said that the policies only apply to students who specifically request a name or pronoun change, or request to use facilities that do not align with their biological sex  not if a teacher suspects the student is trans, or hears it from someone else.

Its really bizarre to me that youre saying a child can come out to potentially thousands of their peers and hundreds of staff members, but not their parents, she said. No one is reporting a conversation ... The childs already coming out. And as the school district official, we have a really, really great responsibility to ensure that childs safety and there has to be things put in place to make sure theyre safe, and the other children are safe if this is going to take place in school.

Thirty minutes before the hearing, Republican Assemblyman and right-wing firebrand Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, led an event outside the Capitol with Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) and parents rights activists, including Shaw.

There is a false narrative that there is an agenda to somehow hurt or harm children based on their gender ideology, said Essayli. That cannot be further from the truth. There is also a false argument that this is designed to forcibly out children, thats also not true.

Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, talks Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at the California Capitol about three initiatives proposed for the fall 2024 ballot that would restrict the rights of transgender youth. The initiatives would force schools to notify parents if their child uses a different name or pronouns, block transgender girls from competing in girls sports programs, and block transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical treatment.

Essayli echoed Shaws point: that parents will only be notified if the student requests a formal change.

If the school is going to be involved in changing (a students) gender, then you better damn well believe that the parents are going to be involved as well.

Theres nothing wrong with being trans

But the bills proponents tell a different story  and say parental notification policies serve as a smokescreen for a rising anti-trans movement gaining steam among the Christian right and parents rights groups like Moms for Liberty.

Kristi Hirst, a former Chino Valley teacher and one of Wards witnesses at the Wednesday hearing, cited the surge in phone calls to an LGBTQ crisis hotline managed by the Rainbow Youth Project.

After the Chino Valley school board passed their policy last August, Rainbow Youth Project launched a California-specific hotline for people concerned about the parental notification policies. The hotline received 5,934 phone calls, and around 1,500 of those calls were about Chino Valley specifically, according to the non-profit Executive Director Lance Preston.

A lot of young people call in distress, Preston told The Bee on Wednesday. They have a fear of being outed, a fear of being rejected by families if they are. Some students who attended Gay Straight Alliance meetings grew anxious that the school would tell their parents they attended.

Preston said the hotline also gets calls from parents and teachers unsure what their rights are, and that of the students who called, more than 80% report increased instances of being bullied at school since the parental notification policies were instated. One young person was evicted from their home, and another said they experienced physical violence.

Preston said that it isnt simply the passing of the policies, but the rhetoric used by community members who support them, that can cause harm to trans kids.

Trans kids being called delusional, for example, creates crisis equally, if not more, than the policy itself. School then becomes a place of anxiety rather than a safe place to learn.

In the hearing Wednesday, Assembly Democrats shared this sentiment.

Califiornia State Assembly member Dawn Addis spoke during Atascaderos annual Memorial Day ceremony on May 27, 2024.

First and foremost, theres nothing wrong with being trans, said a visibly emotional Assemblywoman Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, wearing a pair of Pride flag earrings at the close of the bills discussion.

Its not a pathology. I didnt realize sitting up here how emotional it would be to say what Im saying. Were talking about kids and about humans. Theres really nothing wrong with kids being who they are.
This article was originally published in Colorado Newsline.

Michelle Villanuevas 16-year-old son, who has autism, was arrested when he was 11 for what she believes was disability-related behavior with a bully in school. Five years later, her son is just now getting back on track in school, she said.

Villanueva didnt know where to go or who to talk to when her son was arrested, and while he spent only a day in jail, his arrest has slowed his progress in school. Had she been connected to the right resources sooner, the transition back to school could have been smoother for her son, Villanueva said.

Thats what a new state law promises to provide.

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House Bill 24-1216 establishes a bill of rights that schools must follow for K-12 students involved in the juvenile or criminal justice system. The bill outlines different paths those students can follow to get back into school, earn credit for school work they do while in the system, and work toward graduation.

As soon as a student is released from custody, a school under the new law must contact their family within three days to begin conversations on the students return to school, and the student must be reenrolled within 10 business days. Students must also be evaluated for giftedness, and they must receive credit for coursework completed while theyre incarcerated and be set up with a graduation plan.

Over the next year, a working group established by the bill will meet to determine specifics around the new policies and best practices. Schools will need to have the new requirements implemented by August 2025, ahead of the school year.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, a Denver Democrat, who sponsored the bill, said it affirms that justice-engaged students have the same rights as any other K-12 student. It also ensures the various state agencies that keep records on the same students communicate properly and share relevant data.

The state keeps track of kids in so many different ways, but the systems werent talking to each other, Bacon said. They were aware of each other, but they werent connected in a way to provide a continuum of support for kids.

Jose Silva, vice president of equity initiatives at Generation Schools Network, a Denver-based nonprofit that works to improve school environments, said his organization worked directly with a group of justice-engaged students to see what prevented those students from getting back into school and succeeding. They held community forums where students, families and school leaders talked about what they needed, recommendations that eventually led to the bill being introduced this spring.



They believe that these are kids that fall through the cracks, and that it is a better investment in getting them reconnected to school than having them drop out or just recidivating, Bacon said about GSN.

The bill also establishes a hotline that families and justice-engaged students can reach out to for support. Silva said the hotline will be the game changer in the bill, as it will not only help students already involved in the justice system, but it also can prevent other students from getting into trouble. He said people who contact the hotline with concerns or questions will be connected to the proper resources.

Villanuevas son was arrested after he was involved in a physical conflict with another student, she said. Her son is sensitive to touch and isnt always verbal, and his response during the experience, which included repeatedly hitting his head and face on a seat back while handcuffed in a police car, resulted in injuries, she said.

Villanueva said she had to pay bond to get her son out of custody. She checked him into a childrens hospital, where he stayed for nine days. A requirement of his bond was that he had to be in school, and she wasnt sure how to proceed, given his hospital stay. She spoke with a variety of lawyers and advocates throughout the process, as she didnt know who was the right person to talk to. She connected with an educational advocate  as would now be required by the new law. If she hadnt, she isnt sure how long her son would have been out of school.

This bill builds clarity as far as, Hey, if youre engaged, you call this point of contact, and theyre responsible for getting you education, Villanueva said.

Villanueva said that had the policies in the new law been implemented when her son was arrested, she would have had better direction and a roadmap on how to work through the various processes.

In the first year after the policies are implemented, Silva said as many as 22,000 students will receive additional support under the new requirements. He said the bill will have major economic benefits for the state if more of these students are able to graduate, pursue higher education and join the workforce, instead of costing the state money in corrections.

What I hope is that we partner together collectively as a coalition, as a state, and ensure due diligence and do right by these students, many of which ended up justice-engaged due to social situations, epigenetic trauma, and then we just toss them to the wayside, Silva said.

Silva said school district leaders can start to think about how they will implement the new bill of rights for justice-engaged students, but the working group will help them establish essential definitions and standard practices. Each school district will have to designate a staff member to be the primary point of contact for students involved in the criminal justice system within their district.

Valerie Mosley, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Education, said the department is still identifying a facilitator to support the working group, with updates anticipated later this summer. She said the department is working with the courts and the Colorado Department of Human Services to determine who will serve on the working group.

Bacon said kids have to go to school even while in custody, and if their school wont accept the credits they earned while incarcerated, theyre more likely to drop out. She said the bill will lead to school districts not only reenrolling students, but providing the services and support they need to work toward success and avoid recidivism.

It reiterates our values that we have all proclaimed in these systems, but may not really be happening in reality, Bacon said. So we wanted to be sure that were doing what we said were supposed to be doing.

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and X.
Despite assurances from the federal government that bird flu will be eradicated from the nation's dairy cows, some experts worry that the disease is here to stay. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Despite assurances from the federal government that bird flu will be eradicated from the nation's dairy cows, some experts worry the disease is here to stay.

Recently, Eric Deeble, USDA acting senior advisor for H5N1 response, said that the federal government hoped to "eliminate the disease from the dairy herd" without requiring vaccines.

Since the disease was first publicly identified in dairy cattle on March 25, there have been 129 reports of infected herds across 12 states. In the last four weeks, there has been a surge  jumping from 68 confirmed cases on May 28 to nearly twice that many as of June 25. There are no cases in California.

Read more: Despite the spread of bird flu, lawmakers in some states are pushing to legalize raw milk

So far, however, the dairy industry has proved reluctant to work with state and federal governments to allow for widespread testing of herds.

To some epidemiologists, this lack of close herd surveillance is a problem. They worry that the virus is spreading unchecked among dairy cows and other animals, and has taken up permanent residence.

David Topham, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester's Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, said he considers H5N1 to be "endemic in animals in North America"  citing its prevalence in wild bird populations as well as its long staying power in domestic poultry.

No one knows how widespread it is in cattle, Topham said, because testing has largely targeted symptomatic cows and herds. "But I suspect the closer we look, the more we'll find, and I don't know if we're going to cull our entire cattle herds and start over again."

Topham said he understands the industry's reluctance to permit government scientists onto farms "because we're going to want to see everything, and we're going to report everything that we see, and that might be bad for business. ... But until we have all that information, I don't think we will have control."

Federal officials have announced a pilot bulk milk testing program that includes Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas. Farmers in these states can voluntarily enroll to have bulk milk samples tested for the virus. If their samples test negative for three weeks, they will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing  something they are currently unable to do.

So far, only one herd in each state has signed up.

A USDA "strike force" investigated 15 infected Michigan dairy herds as well as eight turkey flocks in early April. It worked with the state of Michigan as well as individual farmers.

The investigation was launched after local researchers identified a "spillover" event that went from infected cattle to a nearby poultry plant. The state  and farmers  wanted to know how it happened.

What the team found suggests the "control" Topham referred to may be elusive.

From surveys and observations, they found that cats and chickens were free to walk around without containment  potentially migrating between nearby dairies and poultry farms. Some of these animals had become infected; several died.

Asked about their practices regarding isolation of newly introduced cattle, three out of 14 farms said they always isolated, another three said they never isolated, and the remainder didn't respond.

Then there was the dumping of unpasteurized, contaminated milk into the open waste lagoons on several of the farms. And the feeding of non-pasteurized milk to calves on three farms. Or the potentially contaminated manure that was stored, composted or applied to nearby fields. In one case, a farmer reported they had sold or given away potentially contaminated manure.

Finally there was the issue of humans: On every farm, there were visitors, carcass removal companies, milk suppliers, veterinarians and employees  many of whom traveled between farms.

For instance, of the 14 dairies that reported information about their employees, three had employees that worked at other dairies, one had employees that worked at a poultry farm, and one had an employee who also worked at a swine farm. At four dairies, some of the employees were reported to have their own livestock at home.

Read more: What you need to know about the bird flu outbreak, concerns about raw milk, and more

As the authors reported, "transmission between farms is likely due to indirect epidemiological links related to normal business operations ... with many of these indirect links shared between premises."

They noted there was no evidence to suggest waterfowl had introduced the virus to the Michigan herds.

Michael Payne, researcher and outreach coordinator at UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, said there was no one to blame for the lack of containment.

He said in the weeks and months before the disease was identified in cattle, researchers from across the nation scrambled to figure out what was happening to dairy cows in Texas that appeared listless and had diminished milk production.

"It's not like people weren't aware or concerned and trying to figure it out," he said. And then once it was identified, and it didn't seem to cause too much illness in cows or transfer to humans quickly, while there was urgency, the system fell into a series of "incremental" solutions  negotiated among dozens of federal and state agencies.

He and Topham agree that no one can say for sure what the virus will do  and where it will go  next.

If it becomes endemic in cattle and is renamed "bovine influenza," vaccines are likely to follow, as well as continuous surveillance and testing of dairy products.

Topham said that the biggest concern among epidemiologists now is how the virus will evolve as it continues to move  largely unabated and undetected  through cattle herds, resident farm animals and people.

There have been three human cases of H5N1 in U.S. dairy workers since March.

One key worry is that the virus may move with a dairy employee onto a small farm and then recombine inside a pig, dog or cat that is harboring another flu virus.

Read more: Experts blast CDC over failure to test sewage for signs of H5N1 bird flu virus

He and Payne agree that officials need to remain alert to signs that the virus is adapting in ways that could hurt humans.

Wastewater is one way to detect the location of the virus.

As of Tuesday, data from the academic research organization WastewaterSCAN show that levels of H5 influenza have been rising in wastewater samples from a facility in Boise, Idaho.

Asked about whether the region's health department was investigating, or if there was any idea where the H5 was coming from, Surabhi Malesha, communicable disease program manager at Central District Health in Idaho, said there was no way to know if the H5 signal was from H5N1 or another influenza subtype.

She said testing for H5 in wastewater had only recently started and therefore "there is no way to compare this data from last year or the year before, and so we don't know what a baseline detection of H5 looks like."

"Maybe we see H5 detections like this on a regular basis, and it is not of public health significance or importance. ... How do we define normalcy when we have nothing to compare the data to?"

She said the findings were "not a public health concern" and her agency and the state "do not need to really investigate into this, because this could be H5N1, or could be any other H5 strains, and it really does not affect the public in general."

Dennis Nash, distinguished professor of epidemiology and executive director of City University of New Yorks Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health, said that given the current situation, the wastewater sample should be considered H5N1 "until proven otherwise. The only other H5 we know about is H5N2. And a man in Mexico City just died from that."

Nash said health officials should be trying to determine the source of the virus found in the wastewater: a nearby dairy herd, a milk processing site or raw milk that was dumped down the drain.

Idaho has reported 27 infected herds, although according to Malesha, none has been reported in the Central District.

"You want to do everything you can to prevent these types of viruses from emerging, because once they do, we don't have a whole lot of control over them," Topham said. "Because when the horse is out of the barn, it's gone. So I think the question is, what do we need to do to keep this in check?"



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bitter former JetBlue employee arrested for calling in fake bomb threat at JFKs TWA Hotel

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 15: An airport shuttle passes the new TWA Hotel at JFK Airport on May 15, 2019 in New York City. The new, 1960's themed hotel built inside the former Trans World Airlines terminal includes high end retail shops, restaurants, and a cocktail bar inside a restored 60-year-old airplane. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

A disgruntled former JetBlue employee was arrested Wednesday for calling in a phony bomb threat and leaving a cellphone with a note that read explosive device inside the TWA Hotel at JFK International Airport, according to law enforcement sources.

Dillon D. Vista  who was canned by the airline during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic  allegedly left the cellphone in the lobby of the iconic hotel, sources said.

Dillon D. Vista, a former JetBlue employee, allegedly left the cellphone and a threatening note inside JFKs TWA Hotel. Instagram/@dillonvista

Moments later, 32-year-old Vista allegedly called the Port Authority Police Departments JFK desk from an airport parking lot around 11 a.m. and told them a cellphone bomb was inside the hotel, where rooms range from $559 to $1,052 per night, according to its website.

A bomb squad unit swooped in and found the threat to be fake, according to sources.

Port Authority cops arrested Vista at Jamaica Station after scouring surveillance footage, which showed him near the hotel and fleeing via the AirTrain.

His arrest came years after getting let go from the airline, sources told The Post.

Send this blank e-mail to help get my job back! he bizarrely wrote on Instagram, showing an email addressed to JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty last year.

Bring Dillon back! he wrote in the subject line.

Cops arrested Vista at Jamaica Station after scouring surveillance footage, which showed him near the hotel and fleeing via the AirTrain. Getty Images

Sources said the airline has a restraining order against Vista after he repeatedly showed up to the office and harassed employees following his firing.

An Instagram post from January 2023 shows the troubled former office worker smiling in front of the airlines Long Island City headquarters.

An Instagram post shows the troubled former officer worker smiling in front of JetBlues Long Island City headquarters. Instagram/@dillonvista

Happy Birthday, @jetblue! he wrote underneath the photo.

His last known address is a Brooklyn homeless shelter, according to sources.

JetBlue did not immediately return a request for comment.
Pennsylvania has the opportunity to embrace local businesses and invest in Erie's economy. It remains to be seen if the Pennsylvania Senate has the guts or the brains to allow it to happen.

Erie is on the move. We're seeing the right mix of investments, incentives, great schools and career pathways. It means more opportunity, so that more people can build outstanding careers and continue to call Erie home.

What would increase that economic growth? Making it easier for people to get to school and work.

We've made quality investments in our roads and bridges, and we're reaping those benefits. Now it's time for public transportation investments  building out a system that allows people to get to work or doctors' appointments, attend school, go to our shopping and retail areas, and easily move around our community.

That means that we need real investments.

Thankfully, Gov. Josh Shapiro and the House Democrats proposed a bold initiative to invest $1.5 billion in Pennsylvania's public transit system over the next five years, including $2.9 million specifically for Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA).

This plan is a transformative opportunity for Erie to enhance its economic development and improve our quality of life.

An Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority bus is shown at the EMTA garage in Erie on Sept. 25, 2018

The investment would come without raising taxes because Harrisburg has a $14 billion surplus that both parties agree should be invested.

Without serious state investment, EMTA is underfunded and under-resourced. Erie residents can't maximize the opportunities for economic success.

Driving around the state as Chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee, I can also attest Erie is not alone in its needs. Our plan to invest $1.5 billion statewide in public transit, however, would significantly enhance EMTA's capabilities, allowing it to expand and improve its services.

How would this investment help Erie residents?

Improving Erie's public transit infrastructure will significantly boost our local economy. A reliable and efficient public transit system is a cornerstone of economic development. Transit capital investments have been shown to provide returns of up to 5-to-1, while every $10 million in operating investments yields $32 million in returned business spending.

Reliable public transit also helps end clogged highways and white-knuckle commutes, making it easier for residents to commute to work and go shopping.

Businesses thrive when employees can reliably get to work and consumers can easily access services and products. By investing in our public transit system, we are investing in our local businesses and our people.

Moreover, this investment will attract new businesses to Erie. Companies looking to expand or relocate often consider the availability and quality of public transportation as a critical factor in their decision-making process. A robust transit system provides a competitive edge. It would also improve Pennsylvania's supply chain: over the past five years, SEPTA alone in southeastern Pennsylvania has paid out over $2 million in contracts within Erie County.

Why is now a critical time for our transit networks?

The expiration of federal pandemic dollars has left Pennsylvania's transit providers with considerable budget gaps.

Without additional funding, transportation providers face catastrophic service cuts, fare hikes and layoffs that will hurt riders, residents and businesses in our community. Already, funding shortfalls are prompting operator shortages and causing trip cancellations, hurting ridership and increasing congestion.

Now is a critical time for our transit systems.

This plan means investing in Erie  helping residents and local businesses. The money invested today, means Erie's economy and job opportunities will grow.

By investing in transit, we will make Erie an even better place to call home.

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro represents Millcreek and Fairview townships in Erie County. The House Majority Policy Committee Chair, he has served on the House Democratic leadership team since 2021.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Rep. Bizzarro - Pa. Senate must invest in public transit for Erie
Patrick Braxton, the first Black mayor of an Alabama town that has not held elections in several decades, has spent the last four years fighting to be recognized. Finally, after an extensive legal battle, he and the town officials who refused to acknowledge him as mayor have reached a settlement, according to federal court documents.

Per the settlement agreement, Braxton will be officially seated as the mayor of Newbern, Alabama, and be able to fully serve in this capacity for the first time in nearly four years, pending approval by Judge Kristi K DuBose of the southern district of Alabama.

The town has also committed to holding regular municipal elections, which will happen openly and transparently, beginning in 2025. Until then, all current town council members will resign. An interim town council, composed of new people and members of the town council Braxton originally appointed, will help guide the town until it has elections.

Morenike Fajana, senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund (LDF), which has been involved with the case since last year, said: Its been a really long battle.

Its been four years that this has been ongoing and there have been different setbacks and challenges. But I feel like [Braxton] is appreciative of the fact that this is happening now and he is proud to have the opportunity to serve the town of Newbern.

Braxton said that he has kept his church and community members informed of daily updates about the court case and is happy to finally give them some good news.

Everybody is pleased and happy, he said. Theyre glad we can put this behind us and start moving forward and working for the town  The children, some of them dont quite understand about everything, and then some of them are old enough to know this is a big deal for the community.

All of the community will hear the news by 30 August, by which time the parties will hold a public town meeting informing Newbern residents of the agreement.

Braxton is excited to finally do what he set out to do nearly half a decade ago: to unify and improve the town.

I think I got a wonderful team, people thats going to work with me and help the community, he said.

Newbern, located about an hour and a half away from Montgomery, captured national attention in 2023 when it became widely known that white officials had refused for three years to allow Braxton, the first Black mayor in Newberns history, to exercise his mayoral duties.

The 133-person town is about 80% Black and 20% white, but the towns leadership, excluding Braxton and his town council, has been majority white for decades. The defendants in the lawsuit, including the previous mayor and council, refused to hold elections.

During discovery for the case and last months hearing about a motion for preliminary injunction, those on the former town council admitted to never holding elections.

They claimed that they didnt know they had to, Fajana said. Instead, their process was when a position became vacant, they would just kind of recruit among their community and the people that they knew. They would just appoint that person and it would happen, basically, in a covert manner. That had been the process for as long as anybody could remember. Anybody who was serving in the past town council said thats how they came to power.

Per the settlement, the defendants specifically deny having engaged in any wrongful practice, or other unlawful conduct, saying instead they reached the compromise to avoid protracted litigation.

Braxton told the Guardian in 2023 that the towns previous mayor had told him that it wasnt possible to have elections in the small town. He decided to run anyway, out of a desire to help his community, which has a significant poverty rate.

For decades, officials in my town have excluded me and other voters from participating in elections and having a say in what happens here, Braxton said in a statement provided by the LDF earlier this year.

In 2020, Braxton became mayor by default when he was the only person to file for office. Following his election and swearing in, he appointed a town council.

Unbeknownst to him, or anyone else in the town, the previous town council and mayor held a secret, special election during which they voted themselves in as town council. Braxton did not attend their parallel town council meetings, not recognizing them as legitimate. The parallel town council removed him from office and reappointed the former mayor to the position. They were aided, the lawsuit alleges, by the towns bank and clerk.

Its really about those facts, its about what happened in 2020 with this alleged parallel election process and then also, which is equally important, the failure of the town to have any sort of municipal election, whether for mayor or town council, for decades dating back to as long as anyone who has been involved in this case can remember, Fajana said.

Now that hes fully recognized as mayor and able to serve in that capacity, Braxton is looking towards the future.

Per the agreement, he will submit a list of potential names for town council to the Alabama governor, currently Kay Ivey, who will fill the positions. If she does not, the probate judge of Hale county will declare a special election on 31 December 2024. All elected officials elected or appointed before the 2025 municipal election, including Braxton, will have their terms end that year, in pursuance with Alabama law.

Once we get my town council in place, he said, I think the town is going to take off and start moving from here.
Blair has raised the alarm over the flaw at the heart of the Starmer project

In 2024, no new dawn is breaking: Labour had an agenda when they won in 1997. Do they have one now? - Peter Marlow/Magnum

When it all starts to go wrong for Keir Starmer, Tony Blair will at least be able to say that he sounded the alarm early. People are elected on the basis that they are changemakers, because theyve articulated a general vision for change, he complained in an interview this week. But what does that really mean, in specific terms?... If you dont do that hard work and really dig deep, what you end up with are just ambitions. They remain ambitions.

He was too polite to say so, but this perfectly sums up the 2024 Labour Party manifesto. Its a blancmange of grand ambitions with almost no discernible agenda. And, as such, a big missed opportunity.

Starmer will perhaps never be more powerful than he is now. This is the time to seek a direct mandate for difficult NHS reform, to supercharge the Academies schools agenda, to ask voter approval for any politically tricky reforms. But instead, Starmer has campaigned like a pull-string doll programmed with cliches and generalisations, and is choosing the safest route to power.

Hell win big next week: not even the Conservatives would bet against that. But it seems that the scale of Labours victory will be out of all proportion to its votes. The party is now slowly losing support and is barely scraping 40 per cent, a two-year low. But the Westminster voting system (and Nigel Farages Tory-slaying handiwork) will mean it is on course to win about 70 per cent of the seats in the Commons.

First-past-the-post is designed to exaggerate upper hands, to deliver decisive results. But a 40:70 ratio would be the biggest skew in the history of the universal franchise.

From the outside, it will look like Britain has lurched to the Left. In fact, the support for the two conservative parties (Reform and the Tories) could add up to about 35 per cent, not far behind Labour. Whats more, Starmers personal satisfaction ratings are lower than any Opposition leader who made it to office. Lower, even, than those of Neil Kinnock in 1992 or Jeremy Corbyn in 2017. The country has certainly turned away from the Tories, but it has not really swung towards Labour.

An audience member in the final television debate summed up the sense of despair, asking Starmer and Rishi Sunak if they are really the best weve got to be the next prime minister of our great country. Its normal for an outgoing PM to poll badly. But what makes this election stand out is the lack of any enthusiasm for the Opposition leader, or the absence of any discernible Opposition agenda.

It has been a festival of political despair. This is the Starmer paradox: power without popularity. Majority without a mandate.

For what, exactly, will Starmer have a specific mandate  other than taxing private schools and eliminating non-doms? Putting plans in a manifesto is as close as you can get to a magic ticket in British government. It can be used as a direct democratic mandate, silencing striking doctors and party rebels. Any manifesto pledge is guaranteed to pass the House of Lords.

Its an incredible opportunity that Starmer simply isnt taking  presumably because he has absolutely no ideas.

He may start to look for them once safely inside in No 10, but that can take years  as history shows. The Thatcher revolution began with the foundation of the Centre for Policy Studies five years before her election. Iain Duncan Smiths welfare reform agenda had been cooking for years in his think tank, the Centre for Social Justice. The Blair school and hospital reforms were devised in office (helped by the Social Market Foundation) but that took most of his first term.

Starmer can coast off the results of Sunaks reforms at first: lower NHS waiting lists and immigration numbers. But avoiding the winter NHS crises, reversing the surge in welfare or remedying Britains scandalous cancer survival rates will require bold, radical and politically difficult plans that simply do not exist right now.

Perhaps Starmer thought that, if he went down this road, it would hurt his majority. That any idea would present a target, which he has been determined not to do.

With a big majority in a country still fairly evenly split between Right and Left, it would make sense for Starmer to go for reforms that would have broad national appeal. Perhaps the kind of NHS or welfare reform that the Tories would have done if they were braver.

Wes Streeting, Jonathan Ashworth and Darren Jones are the partys best reformist hopes. But take them away, and who do we have left?

Blair had to nurture and promote reformers in his own ranks (John Reid, Alan Milburn, Andrew Adonis) before taking on the rest of his party. Starmer shows no interest in this at all.

Streeting was recently in Australia, looking for ideas on how to run a health service better (the world is not short of examples). If he is minded to act on this inspiration, he should lose no time. A huge majority could be used to think the unthinkable on NHS reform. But its hard, almost impossible, to see Streeting winning a Labour Cabinet over to this agenda  even if he were minded to pursue it.

Welfare will be the unexploded bomb under the Starmer government, with numbers now rising in a way that will leave huge bills and a debilitating economic disadvantage. But reversing this will mean the kind of tough-love reform that Labour has spent the past 14 years attacking.

It may take Starmer about nine months to realise that he has no alternative but to start tightening sanctions and doing what the Tories had no stomach to do after the pandemic. But how will he persuade his troops to conduct that about-turn?

Blair made another point in that interview. When youre running for office, he said, you need to be a great persuader. But the moment you get into office, you really have to be the great chief executive. Those two skill sets are completely different. A lot of political leaders fail because theyve failed to make the transition.

And if those leaders have no agenda to execute? Starmer may soon be about to show us how that story ends.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze within the framework of his official visit to Georgia, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said, Trend reports.

At the meeting, an exchange of views took place on political, economic, energy, and transport issues of strategic importance.

It was emphasized that the implementation of large-scale oil and gas pipeline projects, as well as transport and communication projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which are examples of successful cooperation between the two countries, contributes to regional development, peace and stability. The importance of the ongoing work to develop the East-West international transport corridor was noted in terms of increasing the efficiency, competitiveness and transit potential of the transport corridor passing through the territory of both countries. In this regard, satisfaction was expressed that after increasing the capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, the road is operating at full capacity.

Jeyhun Bayramov informed about the activities carried out in connection with Azerbaijan's chairmanship at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), and discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the two countries within the framework of COP29.

The parties also exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

19:52 (GMT +4) Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze within the framework of his official visit to Georgia, Trend reports via the X account of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The parties explored the possibility of expanding collaboration between the nations in various crucial domains such as politics, economics, transportation, energy, and other areas of strategic importance.

They also exchanged views on partnership opportunities under Azerbaijan's chairmanship of COP29.

To note, this November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event emerged in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, with its secretariat in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
From the Boiling Frogs on The Dispatch

With the exception of Lauren Boeberts carpet-bagging, last nights primaries were full of victories for Team Normal, former Trump staffer turned Never Trumper Alyssa Farah Griffin tweeted on Wednesday.

Its true! Even the carpetbaggers 29-point win held a silver lining for normalcy nostalgists.

Candidates endorsed by Donald Trump were rejected in Republican primaries across the map, some by ignominious margins. The man whom he hoped would replace his nemesis, Mitt Romney, in the Senate is headed for a 20-point defeat in Utah. His hand-picked choice for the House district that encompasses Colorado Springs fell short by more than 30.

He almost got a win in South Carolinas 3rd District, where Trump-backed pastor Mark Burns lost a 51-49 squeaker. But Burns had called for teachers who push an LGBTQ+ agenda in schools to be immediately terminated, lied about obtaining a bachelors degree, misrepresented his military service and urged protesters in Washington ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, per Politico.

No wonder he was so competitive in a Republican primary.

As for Boebert, she may have cruised to victory in her new district but she did so with 43.4 percent of the vote. The rest of the electorate split evenly among five challengers, four of whom ended up in double digits. Even in a race in which lowbrow populism prevailed, in other words, nearly 60 percent of Republicans preferred another option.

The best news on a night of good news came from New York, however. And it came from the other party.

Its tragically rare for a fringy populist whos made it to Congress to be ousted in a primary. Gerrymandering has made it hard and the gradual civic degradation of the American people has made it harder. It does happen occasionallyask Steve King or Madison Cawthornbut it takes a lot to get primary voters motivated to dump A Man of the People after hes gained the advantage of incumbency.

King spent nearly 20 years in the House before his confusion about why white supremacy should be thought of as a bad thing finally did him in. Cawthorn was a conspicuously young one-termer buried in scandal who made enemies of the Republican leadership when he chattered in an interview about the cocaine and orgies some of his House colleagues allegedly enjoyed.

We live in an era without shame. And so you need to be very, very embarrassingmore embarrassing than this, evento be too embarrassing for shameless American voters to return you to Congress.

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman is very, very embarrassing.

Bowman is affiliated with the Squad, the nickname given to the vanguard of young, nonwhite progressive populists in the House. The Squad fills a similar niche politically on the left that Tea Party Republicans filled on the right circa 2011. Theyre hard ideologues, they purport to represent the voiceless grassroots of their party, and theyre keen to repopulate the ranks of their House caucus with insurgents who share their beliefs.

Theyre darlings of the activist class and so they frequently embarrass themselves, as activists are wont to do. Usually that embarrassment takes anodyne policy forms, such as enthusiasm for unworkable economic nonsense like the Green New Deal. But from time to time it reveals itself in other, darker ways.

Jamaal Bowman is embarrassing even by Squad standards.

Four years ago he scored one of the biggest progressive primary victories of the populist era when he ousted establishment mainstay Eliot Engel. Four years later, on Tuesday night, he became the first member of the Squad to lose a primaryand not by the skin of his teeth. Hell end up falling short of centrist challenger George Latimer by 16.8 points or so when all the votes are counted in New Yorks 16th District.

Do you have any idea how embarrassing you need to be to get blown out in a primary by a normie in 2024 despite having impeccable populist credentials?

Bowman is the guy who pulled a fire alarm in the Capitol last October, seemingly out of desperation to thwart a House vote on a spending bill. That earned him a censure from his colleagues and a misdemeanor charge. In January it came out that he had published 9/11 conspiracy theories on his blog years ago  in the form of free-verse poetry: 2001/Planes used as missiles/Target: The Twin Towers. Later in the day/Building 7/Also Collaspsed [sic]/Hmm/Multiple explosions/Heard before/And during the collapse/Hmm

He was a middle school principal at the time. Imagine trusting your childs education to someone who sounds like Tucker Carlson on a good day.

Bowmans most embarrassing behavior, and by far the most salient to his primary race, involved his commentary on Israel since October 7. National Review summarized the lowlights:

He has revealed himself to be a staunch friend of Hamas and an opponent of the Israeli states right to exist. Little more than a month after October 7, Bowman appeared with Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to call for a cease-fire now, informing his Jewish constituents who might object that by me calling for a cease-fire with my colleagues and centering humanity, I am uplifting deeply what it actually means to be Jewish. During one pro-Hamas rally, Bowman denied that the terrorist group raped Israeli women, claiming the well-documented atrocities were a lie and propagandaa statement which he ham-handedly apologized for only recently. In an interview with Politico, he lamented that in his district, Theres certain places where the Jews live and concentrateignoring their need to be near synagogues, Kosher supermarkets, and other institutions essential to practicing Judaism.

He had to issue a second apology after sitting for an interview with Norman Finkelstein, who compared the slaughter by Hamas on October 7 to the Jewish uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Later Bowman took to describing Israel as a settler colonial project, progressive jargon designed to delegitimize the nation as a usurpation of Palestinian rights to the land. His hostility to the Jewish state grew so queasy that the advocacy group J Street, which promotes left-of-center solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, withheld its endorsement from him this year.

By the end of the campaign with Latimer, Bowman and his supporters had identified one villain above all others who was determined to see him driven from power:

The people are rising up against AIPAC and their republican billionaires 



We wont let them buy our communities in NY-16 or anywhere!



Join me @AOC and @BernieSanders as we prove that the many will ALWAYS beat the money! https://t.co/xWyzGmzwII pic.twitter.com/qHhsozss5v  Rep. Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (@JamaalBowmanNY) June 23, 2024

Thats not the first time a Squad member has accused the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the nations best-known Jewish-aligned lobbyist group, of buying political support. On Saturday, at a rally attended by progressive royalty like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman went a step further and vowed to show fing AIPAC the motherfing power of the South Bronx in the primary.

That was an embarrassing line when it was uttered and even more embarrassing in hindsight given Tuesdays results. But in fairness to him, AIPAC did not succeed in ending Jamaal Bowmans political career.

It only seems that way because both sides of the lefts Israel divide have reason to pretend that it did.

The grain of truth in the AIPAC sank Bowman narrative is that the group did spend a mind-boggling amount of money on his race.

As of June 20, over little more than a month, AIPAC dropped $14.5 million to promote Latimer. That accounted for more than half of the $24 million total spent on the race to that point, making it the most expensive primary in U.S. history. Post hoc ergo propter hoc: If the spending was extraordinary and a populist incumbent losing is extraordinary, it must be that AIPACs spending caused Bowmans defeat.

It makes sense. But its almost certainly not true.

For starters, Latimers gaudy margin didnt develop recently, as one might expect if AIPACs lavish expenditures in May and June had propelled him to victory. One poll taken all the way back in late March, before AIPACs cash began flowing, gave him a 52-35 lead over Bowman. Another survey conducted in early June found him ahead by the same margin, 48-31. In the end, on Tuesday night, Latimer prevailed by an almost identical margin of 16.8 points.

In three months, the race never moved. Theres a stronger case that AIPAC wasted its money on a contest the challenger had in the bag all along than that Bowman would have been reelected without its involvement.

The hype about AIPAC might also lead you to believe that the group successfully turned the election into a referendum on Israel. The peoples champion, Bowman, strained mightily to make the race about the sort of kitchen-table issues the working class cares about, progressives might tell you. But the dastardly Jewish lobby plowed millions into an effort to distract Democratic voters with a shiny foreign-policy object.

The truth is basically the opposite.

Few of the ads that the group paid for in New York mentioned Israel, the New York Times said of AIPAC in its postmortem of the campaign. Instead those ads emphasized Latimers support for infrastructure spending, a sore spot in the district given that Bowman voted no on the infrastructure bill that passed Congress in 2021. His district is not woke. It is Democratic, one former Bowman adviser told The Atlantic. AIPAC appeared to understand that and focused its political energies accordingly. The congressman, who spent the end of the campaign shrieking about the influence of the Zionist regime we call AIPAC, weirdly did not.

Hes simply not a good retail politician. He disdains the entire concept of retail politics, in fact, sneering in an interview with HuffPost in May that Latimer doesnt do anything. Hes a retail politician. He has coffee with Dem leaders to make them feel good about themselves. One local official complained to the Times that I could see Latimer maybe five times a week. Ive only seen Bowman maybe three or four times since hes been a congressmember.

All you need to know about Bowmans retail skills is that the South Bronx, where he held his rally last weekend and whose motherfing power he vowed to show AIPAC on election night, isnt even in his district.

On top of all that, he was cursed with an unusually strong primary challenger in Latimer. Normally incumbents can count on a fearsome advantage in name recognition, but Latimer has been the top executive in Westchester County since 2018. Before that he spent 25 years representing the area in state and local government. A local leader who first took office in the Reagan era, he had racked up friendships, favors and familiarity through decades of retail politics at the local, state and county levels, overseeing a huge county budget and showing up at senior bingo hours, the Times wrote of him.

Latimer was a very comfortable alternative to a congressman whod made his constituents uncomfortable repeatedly since taking office in 2021. So why did AIPAC feel obliged to spend a cargo-hold of money on him that he didnt need? And why are progressives intent on convincing observers that that was the difference in the race?

The answer is that the two wings of the lefts split over Israel benefit from the false narrative that the group is responsible for Bowmans defeat.

For AIPAC and its supporters, the logic is simple: Pour encourager les autres.

Many progressives in Congress share Bowmans opinions on Israel, of course. AIPAC is eager to raise the political cost to them of doing so. Blowing $14.5 million on a race their preferred candidate was all but certain to win anyway is their way of warning Democratic Hamas apologists to now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational political battle station. The bigger the number, the more firepower anti-Israel Dems have to fear.

The acronym FAFO, which Ill leave you to Google for yourself, leaps to mind.

That message was sent so clearly and emphatically that even some pro-Israel House Democrats were left grumbling to Axios on Wednesday about how heavy-handed it was. The number is gross. I dont like it, one Democrat said of AIPACs spending against Bowman. If anything, that much money could backfire, because then you get people that are like, This is just wrong.

The irony is that AIPAC almost certainly chose to get involved in the race only because Bowman was already en route to a humiliating defeat. When the group had a chance to spend against progressive Rep. Summer Lee in her own primary in Pennsylvania earlier this year, it declined in the belief that shed win anyway and AIPAC would be left looking impotent. Jumping into Bowmans contest to bounce the rubble is tantamount to racing out in front of a pro-Latimer parade thats already in progress and purporting to lead it.

Still, $14.5 million really is a big number. And the group isnt done this summer with targeting progressives: Its already begun spending to defeat Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, another Squad-ster who spent the first weeks of the war accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing. A poll released on Tuesday found her primary challenger, Wesley Bell, surging 14 points since January to take a 1-point lead. AIPAC knocking off Bush on top of Bowmans defeat really might spook some House Democrats into biting their tongues the next time theyre moved to defend Hamas.

Progressives have their own reasons to push the AIPAC sank Bowman lie, meanwhile.

For starters, it fits easily into the standard populist political template of brave truth-tellers facing down a corrupt yet all-but-invincible establishment. (Populists love a martyr, as this newsletter frequently has occasion to note.) Whom would you choose if you had to cast the role of villainous establishmentarian in a left-wing fable about the New York primary? The average joes who voted in Westchester County? Unassuming Democrat George Latimer? Or AIPAC, the beating heart of Zionist influence in American politics bent on providing political cover for Israels genocide?

Treating AIPAC money as the root of Bowmans defeat also conveniently lets progressives go on pretending that their vitriolic contempt for Israel and uncritical solidarity with the Palestinians is popular, mainstream, and certainly not an electoral liability. In a fair political fight Americans would side with them and Hamas, you see; only because the Israel lobby continues to pour oceans of cash into shaping public opinion does the U.S. continue to support the Jewish state.

Bowman himself promoted that storyline in stark terms after Tuesdays defeat.

 This line is Bowmans concession speech on AIPAC 



We should be outraged when a super PAC of dark money can spend 20 million dollars can brainwash people into believing something that isnt true. pic.twitter.com/hfLhytDtwV  Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 26, 2024

The goal here, very obviously, is to delegitimize the idea that Democratic voters might prefer a pro-Israel candidate for rational reasons by implying that something untoward and illicit happened in Bowmans race. Latimer supporters werent persuaded, they were brainwashed. Voters in the district didnt reject the incumbent because they found his antics repulsive, they did it because a rich special interest corrupted democracy with unprecedented spending.

Progressives want hostility to Israel to become left-wing, and ultimately Democratic, orthodoxy. (Theyre well on their way.) Convincing liberals that Zionists played dirty pool somehow in Jamaal Bowmans race suits those purposes. Cori Bush is already in on it, in fact, no doubt hoping that left-wing outrage at his defeat will spur turnout in her own upcoming primary.

And so, in the end, everyone has a cynical and self-interested reason to pretend that AIPAC was the difference on Tuesday  except, strangely, Jamaal Bowman himself.

He does have a reason, to be sureblaming the group conveniently absolves him of being a terrible politicianbut I agree with Jonathan Chaits theory of why the congressman became so obsessed with AIPAC as his primary wore on. Its not that he was resigned to defeat and looking to maximize his appeal to hard-left activist groups after he leaves Congress, as some have suggested. Its that he got sucked so deeply into left-wing argle-bargle about Zionism and settler-colonialism that he either forgot he had an election to win or convinced himself that that argle-bargle would actually win him the election.

Bowman has simply gotten so carried away with the logic of progressive-movement politics that hes lost all sight of the practical opportunities to build an electoral coalition rooted in the liberal side of the intra-Jewish debate, Chait surmised. He could have aligned himself with J Street as a harsh critic of Benjamin Netanyahus government while still endorsing a two-state solution and Israels right of self-defense, but he kissed off mainstream liberals who hold those positions when he sank into denialism about October 7 and demagoguery about Zionist influence. As Chait put it, Liberal Jews who disagree with AIPAC are going to suspect that somebody who treats AIPAC as the greatest force for evil in the world is harboring deeper levels of hostility toward their community. Thus was Latimers win assured.

Bowman blamed the Jewssincerelyand lost his election because of it. Who says good things dont happen anymore in American politics?

Read more at The Dispatch

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When News Channel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams posted the photo of the burning cross on his social media account on Saturday, it went predictably viral. This is a photo of an actual cross burning here in Tennessee, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Monday on @NC5 at 6 PM, Ill have the disturbing results of my continuing investigation into the rise of hate in the Volunteer State!

The post and ensuing report  detailing the activities of self-proclaimed Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, and allegiants to other white supremacist hate groups  is the kind of thing that engenders near-universal condemnation. Its hates lowest hanging fruit, the stuff that is easily dismissed as a relic of an uglier past. Like an echo of K. Dot on a DJ Mustard beat, civilized, progressive Nashvillians proclaim: They not like us.

This sentiment isnt new. In Nashville, it goes back to at least the modern Civil Rights Movement, when racist terrorists hurled dynamite at schools and churches and the homes of Black activists. If youd asked Nashvilles leaders then, deft as they were in their PR spins, they'd have said that those actions were the purview of more violent cities across the deep South.

In moderate Nashville, Black and white residents got along  or at least they behaved as though they did. There was no need for hoses or dogs or homemade explosives when Black folk knew not to desire too much, knew to stay in their proper places.

But this was a lie, of course. The shattered facades of attorney Z. Alexander Loobys home and Hattie Cotton Elementary were the proof.

Hate does not always terrorize people in obvious ways

Meanwhile, when we are conditioned to react only to the extreme  to the hate that is conspicuous in its hoods and crosses that burn in the night  we miss the less prominent inequities that make life far more untenable than the occasional Nazi parade. Im not at all diminishing the effect of this variety of virulent hate; I am, after all, the grandchild of a man born in 1931 in Centreville, Mississippi, who escaped to Kansas City to avoid the terror that yanked grown men from their beds in the middle of the night.

Nashville Community Review Board Executive Director Jill Fitcheard speaks Wednesday about a second whistleblower to come forward with allegations of Metro Nashville Police Department misconduct.

More often, though, the hate that currently terrorizes is in a different form. It looks like failing schools and gentrification. It looks like books bans and all-white boardrooms, even as DEI programs are being dismantled. And in Nashville as elsewhere, it looks like a police department corrupted with racism and bias, allowed to run amok.

A lot of folks in town probably wouldnt call this hate. Theyd call it unfortunate, or sad, or just the way things are. Theyd say that hate is what you get from the far-right, not progressive leaders in a progressive city like Nashville.

Rissi Palmer hosts event, reminds Nashville of the Black women country music left behind

Its why, according to Nashville Scene columnist Betsy Phillips, so many (white liberal) readers responded to her column about the ongoing mess that is the Metro Nashville Police Department  and, critically, its efforts to shirk accountability  with apathy.

I got a lot of feedback [], she wrote, most of it along the lines of, Well, we have to have police, and, So youre saying we dont need laws or rules or 

Those responses are far from surprising. To those who dont live in heavily policed neighborhoods, or who havent had a friend or loved one subsumed by the criminal justice system, the idea of bad cops is just that  an idea. Its theoretical. Nebulous. And historically speaking, its often difficult for many would-be allies to jump head-first into a fight with only theory to guide them.

Black Nashvillians deserve to have their voices heard and needs met

It is entirely possible for MNPD to wreak havoc internally, amongst its own officers, and externally, among Nashville citizens, and still be considered a net positive by many  reform not required.

In theory, this is where Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell jumps in. But as Dr. Sekou Franklin, professor at Middle Tennessee University and long-time Nashville organizer, noted in an essay published by Tennessee Lookout, O'Connell's response was lackluster." OConnell, I believe, understands the police department needs to change," Franklin wrote. "Yet, understanding and doing are two different realities.

Sekou Franklin, an organizer with Oversight Community Now, talks about campaign to encourage state's top recruits to leave Tennessee.

OConnell is clearly in a tough spot. This city has a long record of Democratic mayors who won elections on the backs of votes from Black Nashvillians, but then did little to improve the material conditions of those Black Nashvillians once in office. Its far too early to know whether O'Connell will continue in that tradition or chart his own course, but a crisis of this magnitude is a sure gauge. Ultimately, he will have to decide, like all politicians, whose needs hes willing to fulfill  and whose he's willing to overlook.

In the meantime, Nashvilles Black leaders must continue to apply the necessary pressure in hopes of affecting the change most needed in our communities. And from my vantage point, the plan to block support for OConnells Choose How You Move transit plan, proposed by the Nashville NAACP and Middle Tennessee chapter of the National Action Network, seems like the smartest play.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell speaks to the press after making remarks at the official announcement of his transit referendum proposal launch at the Southeast Nashville Community Center on April, 19, 2024.

For years, as Republicans have maintained a supermajority in the Tennessee state government, white Democrats have touted the power of the individual vote. They're right about this, of course, particularly at the local level. As it stands, the Community Oversight Board that was organized to hold the MNPD accountable was dismantled by legislators acting in the best interest (or, in this case, disinterest) of their constituents.

Rev. James Lawson fought injustice with love and nonviolence. The work is incomplete

So perhaps, while the rest of the city pats itself on the back for decrying Nazi marches and KKK fliers, Black Nashville should remined Mayor O'Connell of the interests of his constituents. And it should use the collective vote to its advantage.

Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country music, sports, race and society. Email her at adwilliams@tennessean.com or follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AndreaWillWrite.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Black Nashville's needs have long been ignored. MNPD crisis is proof
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  The Marion County Sheriffs Office and the Sedgwick County K-9 Cadaver team located a body in Marion County after a rancher found a pickup truck in a pond.

A news release from the Marion County Sheriffs Office said on Monday, June 24, around 5 p.m., a deputy was dispatched to an area east of 240th Street and Kanza Road after a resident had reported a silver Dodge truck partially in a pond.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

The deputy located the vehicle and found that it was registered to James Lightfoot, 38, of Wichita.

During the investigation, authorities learned Lightfoot had been reported missing from the Sedgwick County area.

At 10:55 p.m. on Monday, June 24, a Kansas Highway Patrol aircraft conducted a search of the area but was unsuccessful in finding Lightfoot.

U.S. Marine from Newton deployed overseas twice during the war in Afghanistan

On Wednesday, June 26, at 9 a.m., the MCSO and Sedgwick County K-9 Cadaver Team started searching the area where the vehicle was located. At 10:35 a.m., one of the dogs led the team to a location where a body was located.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation responded, and the body was positively identified as Lightfoot. The investigation has not shown signs of foul play.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
For the first time since the Alaska door plug blowout, Boeing brought reporters into the Boeing 737 MAX factory in Renton, Washington. The tightly controlled tour started with an explanation of what led up to the blowout incident and the changes that have happened since January.

According to the explanation from Boeing officials, the fuselage came to Boeing damaged from the supplier. To fix the fuselage, the door plug needed to come off. Before they could get the plug back on properly, the plane needed to be moved to a new outdoor location. The overnight Move Team put the door plug back on to seal the aircraft from the outdoor elements but didnt install the bolts (thats not their job, and they expected it to be handled by the other team), the Boeing reps on-site said.

The first team never filled out the paperwork when they removed the door, so it became a perfect storm of the overnight team doing its job to protect the plane from rain, but because there was no paperwork, the next team never put the bolts back on because they didnt know they were removed, according to company reps.

"Very transparently, the fact that one employee could not fill out paperwork was shocking to all of us," Elizabeth Lund, chair of Boeing's Quality Operations Council, told reporters.

MORE: America's gun violence problem by the numbers

During the visit to the Boeing facilities, a company rep said the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout incident has changed how the airplane maker operates, how they look at safety, their culture and the way they do business.

For the frontline workers, it has taken an emotional toll on many of them.

"Yeah, its tough here sometimes," Bill Riley, who has worked with Boeing for 16 years in the Quality department, said. "Were human like everyone else obviously  And its our work thats being scrutinized and stuff like that.""That's how our team feels; they obviously feel bruised right now. And our job is to listen, and our job is to take time to heal and double-down and focus on exactly what Bill just walked you through, and thats how well get through this. There's a lot to be proud of, but there's a lot of work to do, Katie Ringgold, vice president and general manager of Boeing's 737 program, said.

There are 10 stations on the assembly line at the factory, and the safety procedures and production practices at each station have changed. Notably, if a single employee says something is wrong, that employee has the power to stop the entire production line.

Boeing has received 30,000 tips, suggestions, and safety concern reports from employees since the incident. Boeing says they review each one and have made necessary changes when warranted. Lund said company executives call the tips and concerns "gifts."

Other changes to workflow include:

Each team is required to stand down for one hour each week to discuss concerns or how they can improve.

Boeing has drastically slowed production. The FAA caps Boeing at 38 planes per month, but Boeing is only producing roughly 20 737s per month until they are confident the factory can handle more.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft grounded at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (PHOTO: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images) (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

MORE: America's gun violence problem by the numbers

The factory visited by ABC has an unusually high number of new employees because so many longtime employees left during the COVID pandemic, Boeing reps explained. Many new and senior employees are being retrained, and all new hires get at least two additional weeks of training than they would have had pre-Jan. 5.

Production manuals are being simplified so instructions are easier to digest and easier for those who speak English as a second language, Boeing reps said.

At Boeing factory, airplane manufacturer touts changes since door plug blowout originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Boeing's head of quality control Elizabeth Lund granted unprecedented access to media in a bid to counter allegations that its safety overhaul lacked detail - Jennifer Buchanan/Pool via Reuters

Boeing is being sued by American regulators for sharing details of an investigation into the mid-air blowout of a 737 Max plane, as an effort to improve transparency backfired on the business.

The company was accused on Thursday of blatantly violating an agreement signed with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), after bringing in journalists to its Seattle factory for the first time since the crisis erupted.

During the tour, executives revealed that the Jan 5 blowout on a 737 Max 9 plane, operated by Alaska Airlines, happened partly because Boeing workers had failed to fill out an important piece of paperwork.

One insider also blamed the relative inexperience of the companys workforce since the pandemic, suggesting they were having to turn baristas into aerospace mechanics in Seattle.

But on Thursday Boeing was publicly criticised by the NTSB for revealing what it claimed was restricted information to the journalists.

The regulator said: During a media briefing Tuesday about quality improvements at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a Boeing executive provided investigative information and gave an analysis of factual information previously released.

Both of these actions are prohibited by the party agreement that Boeing signed when it was offered party status by the NTSB at the start of the investigation.

In the accident after take-off from Portland, Oregon, a door plug flew off a 737 Max while the aircraft was at 16,000 feet and climbing  depressurising the cabin and leaving a hole in the side of the fuselage.

The problem has been blamed on the failure of a team of workers to leave a paper trail when they carried out repairs on the door plug, which had faulty rivets.

The door plug was put back on without new rivets  the job of a different team  and fit snugly. But because no paperwork had been lodged, the lack of new rivets was overlooked as the aircraft carried on down the production line.

For the same reason, Boeing said it had proved near-impossible to discover which team had made the serious mistake.

The NTSB lawsuit is a new blow after Boeing opened its factories to unprecedented scrutiny as it seeks to escape the crisis, inviting in 50 journalists from 13 countries.

In two days of briefings in Seattle, executives detailed how a safety plan presented to regulators last month should eliminate work practices that allowed the plane to be delivered to Alaska Airlines with a defect that had been identified but never fixed.

Boeing also unveiled a training programme intended to address concerns that too many of the mechanics who assemble its jets are lacking in aerospace experience, leading to the litany of shop-floor failings identified by safety inspectors in the wake of the Alaska incident.

Charm offensive

The charm offensive was led by Elizabeth Lund  who was appointed to the newly created post of head of quality control in February  together with Katie Ringgold, who took over as head of the 737 programme and manager of the sprawling Renton factory at the same time.

The company acknowledged it became hugely reliant on raw recruits after the pandemic, as demand for planes surged back and not enough skilled workers were available to make them.

Ms Lund said: The market came back incredibly fast. During this time we were getting people with less experience and in many cases no aerospace experience.

One Boeing insider characterised the situation in Seattle, Americas coffee capital and the home of Starbucks, as having to turn baristas into aerospace mechanics in a few months.

Compounding the situation was the complexity of Boeings procedures, which had been added to over many decades, and build plans that used highly technical terms that were often incomprehensible to the new recruits, many of whom spoke English as a second language.

Employees struggling to do jobs correctly

Ms Lund said: We knew in 2023 that our employees were getting to the floor and struggling to do the jobs correctly.

They were telling us, I need more time to be able to participate in the solution, I need some time to really go and work on that.

She admitted that getting the 737 Max out to airlines after the 2019 groundings and subsequent disruption by Covid had become something close to an obsession, saying: We dont want to disappoint our customers. People are counting on this aeroplane, and we want to get it there. We want to get it to them clean, but we really want to get it.

Classroom training for staff has now been extended, with formal exams added and a full-scale 737 front section installed where staff are able to experience real-life working conditions rather than practise riveting and wiring only on an artificial board.

Thousands of instructional documents are also being cleaned up, Ms Lund said, while AI has been deployed to convert engineer-speak into plain English.

Boeing has also introduced on-the-job training, with every recruit at Renton paired with an experienced mechanic or retired employee brought back to pass on their knowledge.

Boeing boss Dave Calhoun, who was savaged by US senators in a hearing earlier this month, is to stand down by the end of the year after being blamed for failing to deliver on promises to eliminate safety issues.

Chief executive Dave Calhoun was grilled by members of US Congress over Boeing's safety failures - Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg

By throwing open the doors of the Renton site and the nearby Everett wide-body plant, Boeing sought to address accusations that detail is lacking in its safety plan, which has been presented in full to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) but made public only in truncated form.

Among measures detailed by Ms Lund was a shifting of final checks on fuselages from Spirit AeroSystems  responsible for the faulty door panel  to the suppliers factory in Kansas, in an effort to stop defective jets ever entering the Renton assembly line in the first place.

She said that, crucially, there has also been a clampdown on so-called travellers, like the Alaska jet, that are allowed to go through final assembly while waiting for faults to be fixed.

The number of such aircraft in Renton is down by well over 50pc as Boeing runs all three assembly lines there to provide slack in the system, allowing it to halt the progress of suspect jets without impacting overall production.

She said: Our rates dont really require three lines but if a plane needs to sit here the next one can go down the third line. We really didnt have that strategy across the board before.

The changes have resulted in an 80pc reduction in defects in aircraft entering final assembly, she said, with the time taken for them to flow through the system also slashed.

The company has also overhauled component control, with unused items now managed by a barcoding system overseen by specialist parts auditors stationed on the production line.

Boeing has increased its production capacity at its Renton plant so workers can dedicate sufficient time to safety concerns without overall output suffering - Jennifer Buchanan/Pool/AFP

Journalists were able to speak with pre-selected employees on the Renton production line and in the adjoining training centre, though they were asked to limit questions to their specific roles and reserve other topics for management and communications professionals.

Boeing carries out annual media tours of its production facilities, but said the briefing had attracted unprecedented levels of interest in the wake of the near-tragedy on Jan 5.

Ms Lund said: The fact that one employee could not fill out one piece of paperwork and that this condition could result in an accident was shocking to all of us.

Boeing immediately ordered end-of-line inspections of critical systems and took 70,000 employees at 20 manufacturing sites off the job for brainstorming sessions that resulted in 30,000 suggestions for improving safety, which informed the announced changes.

Ms Lund pledged that the plan will ensure safe, high quality aircraft, strengthen Boeings workforce and culture, restore production stability and deliver on customer commitments.

The real test, however, will come when the FAA removes a cap on production and Boeing is able to more than double current monthly build rates, putting the new system under far more stress than it is now.

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After working in Missouri public schools for 29 years, retiring Bolivar Superintendent Richard Asbill was ready for a new challenge. He found one in his adopted hometown.

Asbill has moved back to Cassville, where he spent two-thirds of his career and still owns a farm, to serve as the city administrator.

He retires from Bolivar on Sunday. He will start the Cassville job on Monday.

"Cassville is what I would refer to as everybody's hometown. It's all of the things you want to grow up with, it is all of the things you want to have for your kids. It is the big three, where I want to live, work and play," he said. "You've got Roaring River State Park, you got access to the lakes. You got the parks, you got great neighbors. You have friends. It is a place you want to call home."

Asbill said during the past three years in Bolivar, he developed friendships with the city administrator and members of the city council.

He said learning more about the way a city operates from top officials gave him the confidence to apply for the new job in Cassville. He reached out to Cassville Mayor Bill Shiveley, who had served in the role since 2012.

"I put my name in and visited with the mayor to see if was something maybe where I could be of help," he recalled. "I do not hold the credentials that a lot of city administrators have but I though my background working for taxpayers and being a steward of taxpayer dollars would be beneficial."

Asbill said service is at the heart of both jobs, superintendent and city administrator.

"As city administrator, we want to make sure all of our neighbors are taken care of, that they have services that they pay for. We want to focus on what we can do to keep our maintenance and streets up," he said.

He said retiring city administrator Steve Walensky started key projects and there is a "great team" in place. This fall, sewer and water improvement work is planned,

"Right now, we're recovering from the storm damage that occurred a few weeks ago," he said.

Future projects include the Seventh Street Bridge and a pedestrian bridge, which involves working with the Missouri Department of Transportation. The goal is to improve safety and traffic flow.

"Those are two very important projects that we see on the horizon," he said.

As city administrator, Asbill will oversee the daily activities of the city government, serve as chief liaison to the mayor and city council, and work with departments heads and the police chief.

He will oversee budgeting, economic development activities, project bidding, personnel, and public relations for the city.

Asbill has been meeting with city staff so he can be ready for his official first day said it feels great to be back in the community. He has been running into a lot of familiar faces.

"A lot of the people who work for the city are former students when I was either a teacher or a building-level administrator or a superintendent," he said, noting it's been fun to catch up on people's lives.

"Those are the connections. When you're an educator and you spend enough time in a community, you build those kind of relationships where you get to see them as adults."

Asbill will miss working with kids

Asbill was born in South Carolina and his family moved to southwest Missouri in the 1980s. The 1990 graduate of Pierce City High School attended Crowder College and then Missouri State University.

He has bachelor's, master's and specialist degrees from Missouri State. His doctorate of education is from Southwest Baptist University.

Asbill has been a superintendent for 18 years. He led the Southwest district in Washburn for four years, Cassville for 11 years and Bolivar for three.

He started his career in Cassville as an agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor. He moved into administration after developing an alternative school, which served Cassville and neighboring districts.

Asked what he'll miss about public education, Asbill said the people. "I just love it when our halls are filled with kids and teachers."

He'll also miss the "very tight-knit friendship group" formed with superintendents, especially in southwest Missouri.

"As the old adage goes, it's kind of lonely at the top and there's not a lot of people in the school district that you're able to sit down and go 'Today I had a bad day.' You have to keep that inward but you're able to collaborate and to communicate with other superintendents," Asbill said.

His salary as Bolivar superintendent was $187,636, As city administrator, his pay is $85,000.

More: Bolivar Superintendent Richard Asbill, or 'Sawyer's dad,' announces plans to retire

Asbill said he is looking forward to a greater balance between his work and personal life. "But, as a servant to the people, you are always on call."

Asbill's wife, Kari, a reading teacher, retired this summer. Their son Sawyer has special needs and recently graduated from Bolivar High School. They also have family who live nearby.

"She is going to focus on taking care of (Sawyer) and providing him some opportunities," he said.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Retiring Bolivar superintendent is new Cassville city administrator
Bolivian President Luis Arce speaks during a press conference the day after troops stormed the presidential palace in what he called a coup attempt, in La Paz, Bolivia, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP)  Bolivian President Luis Arce on Thursday angrily called accusations that he was behind an attempted coup against his government lies, saying the general who apparently led it acted on his own and vowing that he would face justice.

Arces comments, his first to the press since Wednesday's failed apparent coup, came after the general involved, Juan Jose Zuniga, alleged without providing evidence that the president had ordered him to carry out the mutiny in a ruse to boost his flagging popularity.

That fueled speculation about what really happened, even after the government announced the arrest of 17 people, most of them military officers. Opposition senators and government critics joined the chorus of doubters, calling the mutiny a self-coup.

Some Bolivians said they believed Zunigas allegations. They are playing with the intelligence of the people, because nobody believes that it was a real coup, said 48-year-old lawyer Evaristo Mamani.

Those claims have been strongly denied by Arce and his government. I am not a politician who is going to win popularity through the blood of the people, he said Thursday.

Meanwhile, Arce's supporters rallied outside the presidential palace on Thursday, giving some political breathing room to the embattled leader as authorities made more arrests in a failed coup that shook the economically troubled country.

Among the 17 people arrested are the army chief, Gen. Zuniga, and former navy Vice Adm. Juan Arnez Salvador, who were taken into custody the day before. All face charges of armed uprising and attacks against government infrastructure, and penalties of 15 years in prison or more, said the country's attorney general, Cesar Siles.

The president claimed that not only military officers were involved in the plan, but people retired from the military and civil society. He did not elaborate.

The South American nation of 12 million watched in shock and bewilderment Wednesday as military forces appeared to turn on Arce, seizing control of the capitals main square with armored vehicles, repeatedly crashing a small tank into the presidential palace and unleashing tear gas on protesters.

Senior Cabinet member Eduardo del Castillo said among the arrested was one civilian, identified as Anibal Aguilar Gomez, who was as a key ideologue of the thwarted coup. He said the alleged conspirators began plotting in May.

Riot police guarded the palace doors and Arce  who has struggled to manage the country's shortages of foreign currency and fuel  emerged on the presidential balcony as his supporters surged into the streets singing the national anthem and cheering as fireworks exploded overhead. No one can take democracy away from us, he roared.

Bolivians responded by chanting, Lucho, you are not alone!"

Analysts say the eruption of public support for Arce, even if fleeting, provides him with a reprieve from the countrys economic quagmire and political turmoil. The president is locked in a deepening rivalry with popular former President Evo Morales, his erstwhile ally who has threatened to challenge Arce in 2025.

The presidents management has been very bad, there are no dollars, there is no petrol, said La Paz-based political analyst Paul Coca. Yesterdays military move is going to help his image a bit, but its no solution.

Soon after Wednesday's military maneuver was underway, it became clear that any attempted takeover had no meaningful political support. The rebellion passed bloodlessly at the end of the business day. In an extraordinary scene, Arce argued strongly with Zuniga and his allies face-to-face in the plaza outside the palace before returning inside to name a new army commander.

What we saw is extremely unusual for coup d'etats in Latin America, and it raises red flags, said Diego von Vacano, an expert in Bolivian politics at Texas A&M University and former informal adviser to President Arce. Arce looked like a victim yesterday and a hero today, defending democracy."

Speaking in Paraguay on Thursday, U.S. deputy secretary of state for management, Rich Verma, condemned Zuniga, saying that democracy remains fragile in our hemisphere.

The short-lived mutiny followed months of mounting tensions between Arce and Morales, Bolivia's first Indigenous president. Morales has staged a dramatic political comeback since mass protests and a deadly crackdown prompted him to resign and flee in 2019  a military-backed ouster that his supporters decry as a coup.

Morales has vowed to run against Arce in 2025, a prospect that has rattled Arce, whose popularity has plunged as the countrys foreign currency reserves dwindle, its natural gas exports plummet and its currency peg to the U.S. dollar collapses.

Morales allies in Congress have made it almost impossible for Arce to govern. The cash crunch has ramped up pressure on Arce to scrap food and fuel subsidies that depleted state finances.

Defense Minister Edmundo Novillo told reporters that Zuniga's coup attempt had its roots in a private meeting Tuesday in which Arce sacked over the army chiefs threats on national TV to arrest Morales if he proceeded to join the 2025 race.

But Zuniga gave officials no indication he was preparing to seize power, Novillo said.

"He admitted that he had committed some excesses, he said of Zuniga. We said goodbye in the most friendly way, with hugs. Zuniga said that he would always be at the side of the president.

Pro-democracy advocates have already expressed doubt that any government-led investigation can be trusted.

Judicial independence is basically zero, the credibility of the judiciary is on the floor," said Juan Pappier, deputy director of the Americas at Human Rights Watch. Not only do we not know today what happened, we probably will never know.

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
A protester stands amid tear gas fired in front of the presidential palace on Plaza Murillo. The Bolivian military has occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors in what appears to be a coup attempt, live images on Bolivian television showed on Wednesday. Radoslaw Czajkowski/dpa

The Bolivian army's general commander, Juan Jose Zuniga, has been arrested following a failed coup attempt, local media reported on Wednesday.

It comes after the Bolivian military occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors, live images on Bolivian television showed.

Zuniga, who is believed to have led the attempt to storm the government palace, has been accused of terrorism and armed insurrection against the security and sovereignty of the state.

The public prosecutor's office had previously issued an arrest warrant and launched investigations into Zuniga and fellow putschists.

Left-wing President Luis Arce dismissed the top general, replacing the entire leadership of the armed forces. The new army chiefs then ordered the withdrawal of troops from around the government palace in central La Paz.

As the putsch unfolded, with a tank ramming the doors of the seat of government, Zuniga addressed the media, saying: "Enough of the impoverishment of our homeland, enough of the humiliation of the military. We have come to express our displeasure."

Speaking to media representatives, he spoke of "attacks on democracy" without elaborating.

The attempt to topple the left-wing government was met with immediate resistance from the country's leadership.

"We denounce the irregular mobilizations by some units of the Bolivian Army," President Luis Arce wrote on X as events were unfolding. "Democracy must be respected."

Former Bolivian president Evo Morales also condemned the military's actions on the Murillo square, calling them a "planned coup d'etat" in a post on X.

History of political turmoil

It appears that the failed coup was triggered by a possible renewed presidential bid by Morales, who became the country's first indigenous president in 2006.

After the Constitutional Court's 2017 decision to declare term limits invalid, Morales ran for a fourth term in the presidential poll in October 2019.

The former coca grower leader declared himself the winner of the election and the opposition accused him of fraud.

Unrest broke out and, under pressure from the military, Morales resigned and spent a year in exile in Mexico and Argentina. His supporters spoke of a coup.

Morales and Arce, his former economy minister, have since fallen out and are currently embroiled in a power struggle for the leadership of their socialist MAS party ahead of elections scheduled for 2025.

In September, Morales announced that he would run for office yet again in 2025, but was barred from doing so by the constitutional court in December, overturning the 2017 decision.

"The president told me that the situation is looking very bad," Zuniga said on television ahead of his arrest. Zuniga claimed that Arce had told him that it was "necessary to prepare something to increase his popularity."

World leaders slam military's actions

South American leaders condemned the military's actions.

Mexico's president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum called the unrest "an attack on democracy," while Chile's left-wing President Gabriel Boric expressed his country's support for "the legitimate government" led by Arce.

In Europe, Spain's left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the country "strongly condemns the military actions in Bolivia."

He added: "We send our support and solidarity to the government of Bolivia and its people and are calling for respect for democracy and the rule of law."

Top EU officials also condemned the failed coup attempt.

"The European Union stands by democracies. We express our strong support for the constitutional order and rule of law in Bolivia," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a post on X.

The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said: "The European Union condemns any attempt to undermine the constitutional order in Bolivia and overthrow democratically elected governments, and expresses its solidarity with the Bolivian government and people."

An elderly woman pushes a fence in the midst of a coup attempt and wants to help barricade the streets around the government palace in support of President Arce. The Bolivian military has occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors in what appears to be a coup attempt, live images on Bolivian television showed on Wednesday. Radoslaw Czajkowski/dpa

Supporters of Bolivian President Arce rally in support of democracy near the government palace during an attempted coup. The Bolivian military has occupied the square in front of the government palace in La Paz with armoured vehicles and tried to breach doors in what appears to be a coup attempt, live images on Bolivian television showed on Wednesday. Radoslaw Czajkowski/dpa
Military personnel surrounded government headquarters in La Paz, Bolivia, during what the nation's President Luis Arce and others denounced as a "coup d'etat" by a general who was dismissed Tuesday evening. Photo by Luis Gandarillas/EPA-EFE

June 26 (UPI) -- Late Wednesday, Bolivian President Luis Arce announced an attempted military coup by a recently dismissed general had failed.

Former Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga attempted the coup during the afternoon after government officials dismissed him from his military position Tuesday evening.

Arce rallied support from civilians and loyal military and overcame the attempted coup, which he confirmed later in the day.

Zuniga and the troops backing him eventually retreated from the area as the coup attempt failed, and Zuniga eventually was arrested.

"We denounce irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army," Arce said earlier in a translated post on X. "Democracy must be respected."

Military personnel enter the government headquarters in La Paz, Bolivia, during what Bolivian President Luis Arce and others say is a military coup in progress that began at about 2:30 p.m. local time Wednesday. Photo by Luis Gandarillas/ EPA-EFE

Members of the Bolivian military had occupied the political plaza in La Paz and used an armored vehicle to ram open the doors of the government palace Wednesday.

At that time, Zuniga stood on the palace's doorstep and said the Bolivian army, navy and air force were mobilized and that he had the support of local police.

Zuniga briefly entered the palace, according to local media.

According to observers, the reported dismissal might have been due to comments Zuniga made about former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who left office in 2019 and was replaced by Arce.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. I was delighted to visit the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) Public Association yesterday and meet with activists actively working to preserve the environment, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Inger Andersen said during the joint briefing in Baku, Trend reports.

Andersen made note of the fact that young people are increasingly taking up leadership roles.

"From toddlers asking their parents to turn off the water, to teenagers protesting against certain rules, to young people entering the labor market, this is where change is happening. Young people have the opportunity to influence these changes because they are the future, not just another generation. That is why those in leadership positions must give way by involving young people in the process. I applaud the minister and his team for organizing COP29 because they have a youth envoy and they have made space for young people by inviting them to the table. That is essential. I was delighted to visit IDEA yesterday and meet with activists actively working to preserve the environment. I saw great enthusiasm and eagerness among young people to contribute here in Azerbaijan," she noted.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
By Brendan O'Boyle

(Reuters) - Bolivian President Luis Arce, a mild-mannered and bespectacled former economy minister, faced down a coup attempt on Wednesday, as the armed forces withdrew after occupying the central square in La Paz and entering the presidential palace.

Arce, 60, won election in 2020 after a period of deep political turmoil. A ballot the year before was marred by allegations of fraud, which sparked widespread protests and the eventual resignation of then-President Evo Morales.

Former allies and colleagues, Arce and Morales have since become political rivals. Both are eyeing a presidential run in an election next year, and each leads a faction of the dominant Movement to Socialism (MAS) political party.

A court ruling against Morales' running again fueled protests this year that blocked the country's main highway and hurt the economy. Shortages of dollars and fuel have also caused damage as the landlocked country's gas output and exports fell.

Arce, a former economist known for keeping a low personal profile, was at one time Morales' protege and crafted the economic plan for Morales' successful 2005 presidential run.

Morales then appointed Arce as economy minister in 2006, and he steered the Andean country's economy for well over a decade. Supporters said he was the architect of Bolivia's growth "miracle" in the 2000s that lifted many in one of South America's poorest nations out of poverty. Commodities including gas, metals and soybeans boomed.

He also angered investors by pushing for the nationalization of sectors including oil and gas.

Towards the end of Morales' nearly 14-year rule, growth slowed and opposition grew to his seeking an unprecedented fourth term.

The voided 2019 election marked a political crisis. It was followed by Morales' resignation, bloody violence and the year-long interim presidency of Jeanine Anez, a right-wing congresswoman who assumed power after Morales left the country.

Arce's election in 2020 appeared to bring political stability. Morales returned from nearly a year in exile when Arce won the presidency.

As president, Arce has struggled to manage a U.S. dollar shortage that has strained the economy and led credit-ratings agencies to downgrade Bolivia's debt to "junk" status.

The general behind Wednesday's coup effort, Juan Jose Zuniga, said the government was "impoverishing" the country.

Arce's government has signed agreements with Russian and Chinese firms to develop Bolivia's huge untapped reserves of lithium, a metal used in batteries for electric vehicles, cell phones and laptops. But lawmakers in the divided legislature have yet to approve any contracts.

(Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)  A 54-year-old Bonduel woman charged with embezzling over $100,000 from a business is headed to jury trial after pleading not guilty on Tuesday.

Deborah L. Petcka was arraigned in the Brown County Courthouse on June 25. Court records show that she entered not guilty pleas. Her present bond will be continued until a jury trial.

Manufacturing company closing, subsequently laying off 39 Wisconsinites

Her final pre-trial is scheduled for September 13, while the two-day jury trial will be on September 18 and 19.

This all results from an alleged embezzlement scheme with her husband, 54-year-old John Petcka, where the couple reportedly stole over $275,000 from a contracting company while John worked there.

Back in December of 2022, authorities were notified of an embezzlement complaint from the owners of a contracting company in Hobart.

An investigation reportedly showed that a total of 404 checks were issued by then-employee John Petcka. These checks were drawn on the company bank account between November 2017 and October 2022.

The checks reportedly totaled $275,650.96. The complaint alleges that all of these checks were unauthorized. The complaint says that Johns wife, Deborah, was listed on QuickBooks for cashing checks. This allegedly indicated that she was cashing checks at Menards.

Authorities spoke with the business owners, who said John was hired as an office manager in 2017. John reportedly did payroll expenses and was later terminated in February of 2023.

The complaint says that John had a signature stamp of the owners signature. The owners told authorities that John was never permitted to buy anything for personal use.

It is alleged that John issued 65 unauthorized checks to himself, totaling $128.813.32. One of the checks was reportedly for $30,000. Additionally, one check was issued to a car dealership for $26,000. This check was reportedly for a truck. The complaint also claims that a check for $5,913 was issued for the purchase of a personal off-road vehicle.

ATV crash in Brown County injuries three-year-old, woman airlifted to hospital

John issued Deborah three unauthorized checks totaling $2,306.10. The complaint says she never worked or contracted for the company.

John is expected to be back in court on August 1 to be arraigned.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Columnist Jay Bookman writes that the claims by Donald Trump that any success President Joe Biden has at the 2024 CNN debate in Atlanta will be due to performance enhanced by pharmaceuticals is a replay of his 2016 campaign attack against Hillary Clinton. Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Back in the Before Times, when things were more normal than we understood and Donald Trump was still a weird novelty act in the world of politics, he made the startling claim that Hillary Clinton was so sickly and weak that the only explanation for her strong performance in the 2016 debates had to be pharmaceutical.

We should take a drug test prior to the debate because I dont know whats going on with her, Trump said. At the beginning of her last debate, she was all pumped up. And at the end  she could barely reach her car.

At the time it seemed extraordinary to just invent such serious charges, based on no evidence whatsoever. But four years later, in the 2020 campaign, Trump resurrected the same lines to use against another opponent, this time Joe Biden. Biden was so weak and sickly and decrepit, Trump argued, that only performance-enhancing drugs could explain his success in debates.

I got a debate coming up with this guy, Trump told his followers. They give him a big fat shot in the ass, and he comes out, and for two hours, hes better than ever before!

Now here we are, in 2024 with an important debate scheduled here in Atlanta, and  well, we are all too familiar with the shtick by now.

He cant walk. Cant find his way off a stage. Cant put two sentences together, Trump said of Biden last month. But with crunch time near, They want to get him good and strong, so a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass!

The only reason Trump loses debates is because the other side cheated.

The only reason he loses in civil court and then loses in criminal court is because the other side cheated.

And the only reason he loses elections is because the other side cheated. Trump may be the only person in America who gets cheated on more in public than his own wife, Melania.

Note the two constants:

The other side cheated.

And Trump loses.

Trumps right about this much: At age 81, Biden is indeed old, and its well past time for a new generation of Americans to take the reins. But Trump, at 78, isnt far behind, and his own tethers to reality were snipped so long ago that few people would notice any additional deterioration. Its certainly nothing that a shot in the ass could cure.

In the alternative world that Trump has created, that his backers agree to believe, were enduring the worst economy in American history, except for the fact that by almost every measure it may be the best economy in American history. Certainly, its the strongest in the world post-COVID.

In that alternative Trump world, crime is soaring, except for the fact that by every measure crime has fallen significantly from its Trump-era highs. In that world, the MAGA mob that invaded the Capitol in an attempt to steal the election was not composed of criminals or insurrectionists, they were innocent tourists, no, they were patriots and warriors deserving of pardons and the gratitude of the country.

Likewise, Trump and his supporters, including Fox News, have invested so heavily in the alternative reality of Biden as a doddering, senile fool that a competent performance by the incumbent in the Atlanta debate might be enough to cost them the election.

And wouldnt that be a welcome kick in the ass.

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Border arrests down more than 40%, DHS says

Border arrests down more than 40%, DHS says

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday announced a significant decrease in illegal border crossing arrests at the southern border with Mexico.

He attributed the decline to President Bidens recent executive order.

Across the entire southern border, Border Patrol encounters have dropped by over 40%, Mayorkas said. We are removing more non-citizens without a legal basis to stay here.

Mayorkas, speaking in Tucson, Arizona, said the executive order from three weeks ago, which suspends asylum processing when daily arrests exceed 2,500, is directly responsible for the decrease.

In three weeks, we have operated over 100 international repatriation flights to more than 20 countries and removed or returned more than 24,000 individuals, he said.

According to Homeland Security, the average daily encounters by Border Patrol over a seven-day period have fallen below 2,400, down more than 40%. This is the lowest number since just before Biden took office. However, it is still above the 1,500 mark needed to resume asylum processing.

Benjamin Prado, from the American Friends Service Committees U.S.-Mexico Border Program, noted that while the executive order might be reducing illegal border crossing arrests, it is causing other issues.

What it has created are open-air detention sites where we provide humanitarian aid. We continue to see migrants from all over the world, Prado said. The policy of shutting down the border creates much more hostile conditions for migrants and fuels a whole economy around human smuggling, worsening conditions at these sites.

Prado added that migrants with legitimate asylum claims cannot apply at ports of entry and must instead use the CBP One app, which he described as difficult and frustrating.

People have to register, take a picture, enter all their biological information, and wait for an appointment that often doesnt come or is very delayed, Prado said.

During his press conference, Mayorkas also called on Congress to come together and agree on legislation to fix what he described as a broken immigration system.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
The Squad could lose a second member. Its not the warning sign you may think.

NEW YORK  Pro-Israel and centrist groups dealt a blow to the left by taking out Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a Democratic primary. And they already have a next target in mind. But it may be difficult for moderate forces to gain wider momentum this year against left-wing Democrats, many of whom are heavily armored against primary challenges.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the countrys leading pro-Israel group, made Bowmans race against moderate Democrat George Latimer the most expensive House primary in history. And now Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), another member of the progressive Squad, could also be ousted when she faces St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell in an Aug. 6 primary.

Bowmans loss is a warning sign for the political left, as pro-Israel groups work to mobilize Jewish voters and allies to unseat critics of Israel and force the party back to the middle. But both Bush and Bowman have been weighed down by serious political weaknesses that set them apart from other progressives  and make them far more vulnerable to groups like AIPAC.

Both Bowman and Cori Bush are pursuing personal agendas that have hurt their communities, Patrick Dorton, spokesperson for AIPAC super PAC United Democracy Project, said in an interview. We saw in New York that people were turned off by Bowmans national agenda; the same thing is happening in St. Louis.

Exploiting the internal Democratic Party divide over Israel and the war in Gaza, AIPAC and allied groups have pledged to oust left-leaning members of the Squad this year, backing moderate candidates who have been more supportive of Israel. Both AIPAC and Democratic Majority for Israel, a separate pro-Israel group, signaled minutes after the race was called that Bowmans loss was a major victory for the Democratic mainstream.

The spending barrage played a big role in ousting Bowman  but he was weakened even before any of his rivals spent a dime against him. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for pulling the fire alarm in a House office building during a government funding vote last year and suggested over a decade ago that 9/11 was a conspiracy. Plus, Latimer is a well-known and popular local figure, a strong foil for an incumbent who faced accusations of not being attuned to local issues.



Bowman unseated 16-term Rep. Eliot Engel in 2020 in a district that includes wealthy suburban communities along the Long Island Sound and urban areas where Black and Latino voters are the majority. Latimers allies believe the district, with its large Jewish population and Bowmans comparatively weak ties to community leaders, made the incumbent unusually susceptible to a challenge.

It can be duplicated in some parts of the country, Amy Paulin, a Democratic state assemblymember and Latimer supporter, said of Tuesdays results. You need the right candidate.

Bush similarly has personal issues that make her politically vulnerable, including a federal investigation shes facing for campaign spending on private security, including payments to her now-husband.

While the outside groups are going after candidates with baggage, theyre skipping other races where their investments might not make much of a difference. In March, Mark Mellman, the chair of the pro-Israel group the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, told POLITICO that DMFI is targeting Bowman and Bush not just because of their stance on Israel, but because they also have other problems, additionally.

Defeating people like Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush sends a message that the Democrats arent an extreme party, Mellman said in an interview Wednesday. Getting rid of these people, stopping more of them coming into the Congress, strengthens the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Notably, both AIPAC and DMFI passed on spending in Rep. Summer Lees (D-Pa.) race, the first member of the Squad to face a primary challenge this year. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) crushed her primary opponent on Tuesday. And most members of the Squad didnt even draw a challenger, including Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)  though there was a recruitment effort  and Greg Casar (D-Texas). Neither group has indicated that theyre jumping into Rep. Ilhan Omars (D-Minn.) primary, where she faces Don Samuels, a former member of the Minneapolis City Council who came close to unseating her in the midterms. Pro-Israel groups mostly sat out Omars 2022 contest, which drew ire from Samuels. When he launched his bid for the rematch last year, he told Jewish Insider that he has not been in touch with AIPAC.

Bush on Wednesday slammed the heavy spending in Bowmans race.

These same extremists are coming to St. Louis, she said in a statement. They are bankrolling a faux-progressive, former Republican campaign operative to buy our deep blue Democratic seat. But let me be clear: St. Louis will not be silenced or sold out.

Bushs allies have sought to tie Bell, a progressive prosecutor, to Republicans. His campaign pushed back: Bush is desperate to talk about anything other than how she has failed the people of Missouris 1st congressional district, adviser Anjan Mukherjee said in a statement. Wesley has a proven progressive track record of bringing people together and delivering results, and that's exactly how he will represent this district in Congress.

AIPAC rarely telegraphs its targets in advance. In April, the group told POLITICO it was monitoring 15 to 20 races on both sides of the aisle, and in addition to Democrats, UDP has spent against Republicans in GOP primaries. But Bowman and Bushs cases were different, as AIPAC backed Latimer and Bell in January and February, respectively  months ahead of the election.



UDP hit the air with its first offense against Bowman in May. In the span of just a little over five weeks, it dropped a whopping $15 million, a staggering sum that was due in part to the expensive New York City media market.

Its beginning its onslaught against Bush even earlier.

UDPs opening ad in the Missouri race came at the end of May, months before the August primary. The group has already booked $2.5 million on ads, according to ad tracker AdImpact, a sum thats only expected to increase. (The St. Louis media market is not as expensive as New York City.)

Like its ads against Bowman and in many other races, UDP rarely talks about Israel or the war in Gaza. The group told POLITICO last month that it runs ads on the issues voters are most focused on, and will run ads on Israel where it makes sense. Its first TV spots in Bushs race highlighted Bells biography and experience. Last week, it hit Bush with the same accusation it had for Bowman: She doesnt support President Joe Biden, pointing to her opposition to the bipartisan infrastructure bill and debt ceiling deal.

Thats a slight that, like Latimer, Bell has echoed. You can't just cheer from the bleachers or grandstand for yourself, he says in his opening ad. Youve gotta be a team player that stands with President Biden and against the dangerous hate-filled agenda of Donald Trump.

Liberal activist organizations are now rushing to bolster Bush.

We need leaders like Cori Bush not just to win in August, but crucially, to win in November, because the Democratic Party needs  more than ever  Black and brown voters, progressive voters and young voters, Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for the Justice Democrats, said in an interview.

Even though there are other factors that contributed to Bowmans overwhelming loss, his ouster could prove to be effective fodder as progressives ramp up their attacks against AIPAC  including calling the group, which isnt necessarily well-known by the broader electorate, out by name.

Bushs opening spot referenced an article saying that AIPAC is spending heavily to beat her, accusing MAGA Republicans of trying to buy this congressional seat. (AIPAC receives donations from both sides of the aisle, but is the biggest source of Republican money flowing into competitive Democratic primaries this year.)

Lets imagine that they succeed in defeating Cori Bush, said Ana Maria Archila, co-director of the New York Working Families Party, that still doesnt accomplish what theyre trying to accomplish, which is to make people abandon the idea of a cease-fire.
Employees at a Koreatown bakery had their lives threatened when an armed robbery suspect pulled a gun on them and demanded cash from the register just before closing time earlier this week.

The terrifying ordeal at Coin de Rue Bakery and Cafe, located in the 100 block of North Western Avenue, happened just before 11 p.m. on June 25.

The cafes security cameras captured the brazen thief as he strolled into the shop dressed in dark clothing with a black ski mask over his face and a camouflage cap on his head.

After stopping at the register, the suspect, described by police as a man in his 30s, pulled a large revolver out of a satchel he was wearing on his chest, pointed it at the three employees and demanded the cash.

Im really scared, Jay Yoo, who manages the bakery, told KTLAs John Fenoglio. He said, Open the register. Give me all the cash. He was pointing [the gun] everywhere. He hit the register with the gun. He was pointing it at our employees.

At one point, footage of the robbery shows the man put the gun down on the counter so he could steal the small amount of cash that was in the register and put it in his satchel. Then, just as casually as hed walked in, he put the gun away and walked out.

The whole incident lasted less than a minute.

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

An armed thief seen robbing the Coin de Rue Cafe and Bakery in Koreatown on June 25, 2024. (viewer photo)

He kind of knew that was our closing time, Yoo told KTLA. I think he was watching before.

The manager says his employees immediately called 911 to report the armed robbery and explained that the suspect was armed and had threatened their lives.

It took like 30 or 40 minutes [for police] to show up, Yoo explained. They showed up, took the report and that was it.

Yoo expressed disappointment with the police response, saying its hard enough running a family business without having to worry whether the police will show up quickly when you need them.

I wish police would hire more people so they can come faster and help people out, he said. Thats all I want.

Currently, the Los Angeles Police Department is only staffed with 9,000 sworn officers, its lowest staffing level in two decades. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the department had 10,000 sworn officers.

Top aide to DA Gascon tells police, Youve pulled over the wrong person

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has called for boosting LAPD ranks by another 500 officers, but its unclear when or if that will happen.

In the meantime, the owners of the Koreatown bakery said the best way the public can support them is by patronizing their business.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks in Sept. 2023 at the UN General Assembly 78th session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. But the idea of legalization is likely to stay in the hands of Brazils legislative process as the countrys current president, a Workers Party member on his second stint in the presidency, has remained largely mum on the issue. Photo by Jason Szenes/UPI

June 26 (UPI) -- Brazil's highest court voted Tuesday to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for personal use after nearly 10 years of deliberating, but more decisions still need to be made.

The 11-person Brazilian Supreme Court, which began its deliberation on cannabis decriminalization in 2015, decriminalized use of the plant for up to 40 grams.

"The position is clear that no user of any drug can be considered a criminal," Justice Dias Toffoli, the sixth judge, said as reported by multiple news outlets.

Tuesday's ruling attempts to make clearer a vague 2006 federal law aimed at reducing the country's high prison population in Brazil, which left open for interpretation what defines drug trafficking versus personal use as it was suggested that most "drug trafficking" arrests in Brazil are people carrying small quantities quite possibly intended only for personal use.

Neighboring Argentina decriminalized personal use in 2009 in a regional trend that included the likes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, while Uruguay fully legalized in 2013. Meanwhile, Brazil still has restrictive medical cannabis use policies.

Then-U.S. President George W. Bush (R) meets in March 2001 with then-Brazillian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso (L) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Cardoso in 2009 joined other ex-president's in the region calling for marijuana decriminalization. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI

But while it still technically remains illegal, it has yet to be determined what constitutes "personal use" in a decision the supreme court judge's could make as early as Wednesday as the Congress works on tightening laws on drugs which have the possibility to conflict with the Supreme Court's Tuesday ruling.

"Let it be clear to the entire population that marijuana consumption continues to be considered illicit because this is the will of the legislature," Supreme Court President Justice Luis Roberto Barros clarified Tuesday, stating his belief that legalization is not within the Supreme Court's purview but should instead be addressed by Brazil's Congress.

Though it had been deliberating for almost a decade, Brazil's highest court voted Tuesday to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for personal use. The court decriminalized use of the plant for up to 40 grams. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI

Drug trafficking crimes make up 28% of Brazil's prison population, representing more people in jail for "trafficking" than for any other crime. After the United States and China, Brazil has the world's third-highest prison population.

"An advance in drug policy in Brazil! This is a public health issue, not safety and incarceration!" Chico Alencar, a Brazilian lawmaker, posted on X Tuesday after the ruling.

It took a local Brazilian judge in 2018 to rule that the parents of a 4-year old child who suffered from cerebral palsy and West Syndrome could grow enough marijuana to produce medicine from the plant to help their child with needed medical treatments.

Judge Antonio Jose Pecego, a criminal court jurist in Uberlandia, the second largest municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, justified the decision at the time by characterizing it as a protection of the rights to life, dignity and health.

However, on Tuesday, the country's Senate president was critical of the supreme court ruling, claiming that the justice's were "overstepping the authority" of the Brazilian Congress.

"I disagree with the Supreme Court's decision," Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco, 47, a Socialist Democratic Party member, told reporters in the country's capital, Brasilia. "There is a logic that, in my opinion, cannot be overturned by a court decision that decriminalizes a certain narcotic substance, encroaching on the legislative authority that belongs to Congress."

The country's former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a Socialist Democratic Party member, in 2009 joined the ex-presidents of Mexico and Colombia calling for marijuana decriminalization for personal use and a change in tactics on the so-called "war on drugs," Cardoso, now 93, saying at the time, "You have to start somewhere."

"There is an appropriate path for this discussion to move forward and that is the legislative process," Pacheco said about the process of establishing the South American nations' drug policy. "It is something that, obviously, arouses broad discussion and it is a subject of preoccupation for Congress."

And the idea of legalization is likely to stay in the hands of Brazil's legislative process as the country's current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a Worker's Party member on his second stint in the presidency, has remained largely mum on the issue.

Previously, Lula da Silva, 78, had said his administration would be "prepared with society and allies and delivered on the date set by the Superior Electoral Court."
Britain's Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak speaks during a live TV debate, hosted by the BBC, in Nottingham, on June 26, 2024. Credit - Phil NobleGetty Images

U.K. Prime MInister Rishi Sunak took the British public by surprise last month when he announced a general election for July 4. Sunak was not under obligation to call an election until December 2024, so calling an election earlier than necessary while the Conservative Party had not been performing well in the polls was especially unexpected.

Now, it appears that some members of the Conservative Party and members of the Prime Ministers security detail attempted to cash out on the surprise election date by placing gambling bets. If investigations reveal that officials did in fact use insider information to gain an advantage in betting markets, these members could be convicted of a criminal offense under section 42 of the Gambling Act. As of now, up to 15 members of the Conservative Party are reportedly being investigated by the Gambling Commission, the government body responsible for regulating gambling in the U.K., for placing bets around the election in possible violation of law.

Currently the Commission is investigating the possibility of offences concerning the date of the election. This is an ongoing investigation, and the Commission cannot provide any further details at this time, a spokesperson for the U.K.s Gambling Commission said in an emailed statement to TIME on June 27. We are not confirming or denying the identity of any individuals involved in this investigation.

TIME has reached out to the Conservative Party for further comment.

May 19: Craig Williams places a bet on the U.K.s election date

Craig Williams, Conservative parliamentary candidate who was at that point also the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, placed a $126 (100) bet with the bookmaker Ladbrokes that the Conservative Party would hold an election in July. This bet is automatically flagged by Ladbrokes due to Williams role in politics, and is subsequently referred to the Gambling Commission. Williams will later admit to his actions.

Former Conservative MP for Cardiff North, Craig Williams, looks on at the Sport Wales National Centre on June 9, 2017 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. Matthew HorwoodGetty Images

May 22: Rishi Sunak announces the date of the U.K.s general election

Prime Minister Sunak announces that the country will hold a general election on July 4, 2024, surprising many pundits.

June 12: The Guardian reveals Williams bet to the public

The Guardian reveals to the public that Williams placed a 5/1 odds bet that the election would be called in July. This means that his $126 (100) bet would have resulted in a payout of $633 (500). Williams admits to placing the bet and apologizes. I clearly made a huge error of judgment thats for sure and I apologize, he is quoted as telling the BBC the following day. Sunak declines to answer as to whether or not Williams had insider knowledge of the election date.

June 14: Gambling Commission Contacts Metropolitan Police about another betting incident

The Gambling Commission contacts the Metropolitan Police, which is responsible for law enforcement in the Greater London area. This time, the investigation revolves around a police officer assigned as a bodyguard to the Prime Minister. The police officer is initially suspended, and later arrested.

June 19: The BBC reveals that Conservative Party's director of campaigning, Tony Lee, is also being investigated by the Gambling Commission

Tony Lee, the director of campaigning for the Conservative Party, who is also married to Conservative MP [Member of Parliament] Laura Saunders, is revealed to be under investigation by the Gambling Commission, per the BBC. He reportedly took a leave of absence from his role the following day. TIME has reached out to Lee for further comment.

June 22: The Sunday Times reveals that the Conservative Partys chief data officer is also under investigation

Nick Mason, the chief data officer of the Conservative Party, is also revealed to be under investigation by the Gambling Commission for placing dozens of bets on the timing of the U.K.s election, The Sunday Times reports. This makes him the fourth member of the Conservative Party to be caught up in the betting scandal.

June 24: Rishi Sunak says he is not aware of any other Conservatives linked to the betting scandal

Sunak confirms that the Conservative Party is carrying out internal inquiries, in addition to the investigations by the Gambling Commission. Sunak tells the BBC that he is not aware of any additional Conservative candidates standing for election that are being investigated by the Gambling Commission. However, the BBC reports that, by its understanding, the inquiries involve more people than those whose names have been shared with the public thus far.

Britain's Prime Minister, Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer attend a live TV debate, hosted by the BBC, in Nottingham, on June 26, 2024. Phil NobleGetty Images

June 25: Conservative Party Withdraws Support for Craig Williams and Laura Saunders. Labour Candidate Kevin Craig suspended for betting against himself

The Conservative Party withdraws support for Williams and Saunders, the first MPs to be linked to the scandal. Another parliamentary candidate, Kevin Craig, who was running for the Labour Party, is also suspended after it is revealed that he placed a bet against himself.

A few weeks ago when I thought I would never win this seat I put a bet on the Tories to win here with the intention of giving any winnings to local charities, Craig wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). While I did not place this bet with any prior knowledge of the outcome, this was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly.

The BBC also reports that up to 15 Conservative Party candidates are being investigated by the Gambling Commission

June 26: Labour Leader Keir Starmer confronts Rishi Sunak about the election betting scandal during a televised debate

On June 26, the night of the second general election debate between Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Sunak, both candidates were asked about their respective party leadership amidst the scandal.

I was furious when I learned about these allegations. Thats why alongside the Gambling Commission we initiated our own internal inquiries into what had happened and as a result of that have suspended two candidates, Sunak said on TV.

Starmer, however, accused the Prime Minister and the Conservative party of having weak ethical norms, referencing Sunaks own violation of Covid lockdown rules, which he paid a fine for. He could have taken action last week or the week before, but he eventually got around to it when he was bullied by other people into doing it, thats not leadership Starmer said. When you get convicted for breaking the Covid rules which you imposed on the rest of the country, you really shouldnt be talking about integrity in politics.

June 26: Met Police confirms it will lead on investigating a small number of cases in relation to the betting scandal

The Metropolitan Police says that it will take the lead on an investigation of a small number of bets related to the general election. So far, it says that seven police officers have been identified as placing bets on the timing of the election. They will be working in coordination with the Gambling Commission, which is expected to take the lead on the majority of investigations related to Section 42 of the Gambling Act of 2005. The Metropolitan Police will take the lead on investigations where additional offenses, such as misconduct in public office, may also apply.

TIME reached out to the Metropolitan Police on June 27 for further comment, and they directed us to their public statement.

We have agreed a joint approach with the Gambling Commission, who are the appropriate authority to investigate the majority of these allegations, Detective Superintendent Katherine Goodwin, who is leading the Met investigation, said in the statement. There will, however, be a small number of cases where a broader criminal investigation by the police is required.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Visa is pulling out all the stops to broaden the horizons and bring more Azerbaijani banks into the fold of Apple Pay and Google Pay, senior director and regional manager of Visa in Azerbaijan Nurlan Hajiyev told Trend in an exclusive interview.

"Tokenization was introduced in Azerbaijan only in 2019. Still, compared to many other nationsincluding those that adopted this technology earlierthe country's tokenized payment penetration is already far greater. We are pleased to report that, as of right now, the most sophisticated and contemporary methodcontactlessis used in every fifth non-cash transaction in Azerbaijan (this includes, for instance, payments done online in e-commerce or using real cards). This is an amazing indicator," Hajiyev said.

Visa's senior director also reminded that 14 Azerbaijani banks are currently certified to work with Apple Pay, while 15 are certified to work with Google Pay.

"Azerbaijan has made a significant leap in this direction in a short time: Apple Pay came to the country in 2021 and Google Pay in 2022. We certainly hope that the number of connected banks in Azerbaijan will continue to grow. We are happy to cooperate with various market players and are open to new partnerships," he emphasized.

According to Hajiyev, shortly, the company is set on rolling out a fresh project in Azerbaijan as a part of the She's Next Empowered by Visa global initiative to lend a hand to women entrepreneurs.

"The initiative hit the ground running in Azerbaijan in 2021 and struck a chord with Azerbaijani women right off the bat. In the same year, the first wave of the program was implemented. Over 1,000 Azerbaijani women attended educational webinars on various topics useful for running a business. In 2022, we expanded the initiative by holding the Visa Elevator Pitch Day contest.

More than 600 female entrepreneurs and women planning to start their businesses applied to participate. The contest finals were very touching, and the emotions were hard to describe: all participants presented well-developed, important, and inspiring projects.

Cash awards were given to two contest winners so that they could grow their enterprises. Soon, we plan to launch the third wave of the She's Next Empowered by Visa initiative in Azerbaijan," Hajiyev said.

The regional manager of Visa in Azerbaijan also discussed further business options offered by the organization.

Today, She's Next digital community platform from Visa is available to women entrepreneurs from the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. This is an excellent platform that unites entrepreneurs and women leaders and provides them with tools for networking, sharing experiences, and expanding their businesses internationally," he added.

According to the senior director and regional manager of Visa, the platform has over 1,000 active users today.

"We have implemented a transport project in the country together with Azerbaijan Railways, the International Bank of Azerbaijan, and the Central Bank: we launched contactless payments on the Absheron Ring Railway, on the Baku-Sumgayit route, which includes 14 stations. At each of them, passengers can pay the fare by payment card, as well as by phone, watch, and payment ring," Visa's regional manager shared.

Hajiyev also emphasized that transportation projects require the combination and integration of various elements of the ecosystem, and Visa is open to cooperation with all market players and is pleased to continue to share experiences and achievements in this area.

According to him, over the past five years, Visa has invested more than $500 million in the development of artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.

"Artificial intelligence nowadays is one of the most promising industries and a global trend. Visa has been working on developing and implementing artificial intelligence for 30 years, being one of the pioneers in this field," the senior director said.

Besides, according to him, one of the main areas of application of artificial intelligence is ensuring the security of the payment ecosystem.

"Visa has deployed 100 different tools that use artificial intelligence to enable safer money movement and prevent fraud before it happens, among which I want to highlight the Visa Advanced Authorization solution. Over the past five years, Visa has invested $10 billion to develop systems to combat fraud and monitor such transactions, including $500 million in artificial intelligence technology. This has enabled us to prevent more than $40 billion worth of fraud in 2023, almost double the amount in 2022," the regional manager added.

Hajiyev pointed out that Visa cooperates not only with banks, fintechs, and financial institutions but also with regulatory authorities and government agencies in Azerbaijan.

We are proud of the successful partnerships that we have been able to form: for example, with the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. As part of the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, Visa will be one of the main partners of our Olympic team, which we are very proud of. We believe that our athletes who will be in Paris this year will be able to hit it out of the park and even raise the bar, proving that Azerbaijan is a force to be reckoned with in the world of sports, he said.

According to Hajiyev, Visa also cooperates with the Education Development Fund under the Ministry of Education and Science of Azerbaijan.

In March, during our Visa Cashless Forum, we announced our partnership for the first time and are actively collaborating in various areas, including social initiatives, said the senior director of Visa.

Additionally, he underscored that the Central Bank of Azerbaijan is one of Visa's most significant partners in the local market.

We have many joint projects and events with the Central Bank. Thanks to our partnership, the Visa Token Service was introduced. Also, with the support of the Central Bank, a transport project on the railways was launched. Together with it, we worked on the implementation of Tap to Phone, a technology that turns an Android smartphone into a POS terminal.

We have recently implemented a program to improve financial literacy among schoolchildren. We also conducted seminars for the Central Bank on various areas, including payment security. Our partnership with the Central Bank is only growing stronger, and we are always happy to support initiatives for the development of digital payments in Azerbaijan, Hajiyev emphasized.

According to him, the Azerbaijani market has taken a giant leap forward in the realm of digital payments.

"I will name just a few figures: over the past two years, the number of cashless transactions on Visa cards in Azerbaijan has increased 3.3 times, and their volume has increased 2.6 times," the senior director said.

Also, he discussed the initiatives that Visa has executed in collaboration with its stakeholders in the country.

"Among the initiatives we have implemented in Azerbaijan recently is the update and relaunch of the Visa Pay City 2.0 platform. This platform offers privileges, discounts, and automated bonuses from over a hundred partners. It is also focused on tokenized transactions, which encourages the use of cashless payments," Hajiyev said.

According to him, Visa also keeps its eyes peeled on the development of travel directions.

"Visa premium cardholders have access to a plethora of services and benefits that might enhance their travel experience. Our collaboration with Sea Breeze, Azerbaijan's biggest resort, will carry on in the summer since it has become an excellent tradition. On resort property, Visa premium cardholders can expect pleasant surprises, discounts, and other perks," Hajiyev emphasized.

Visa's regional manager in Azerbaijan also added that to support small and medium-sized businesses, Visa, together with Kapital Bank, introduced Tap to Phone technology for the first time.

"With this innovation, Android-powered phones with NFC modules may function as point-of-sale terminals, doing away with the necessity to purchase and set up cumbersome cash register hardware. Our number one goal has always been and will always be educating SMEs on the benefits of accepting digital payments," he concluded.

To note, Visa (NYSE: V) is a global leader in the digital payments industry. Visa processes payment transactions between consumers, businesses, and financial and government institutions in more than 200 countries and territories. Visa's mission is to unite the world through an innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payment network to promote consumer well-being and business and economic prosperity.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily struck down Idahos abortion ban in medical emergencies, kicking the decision down once again to a lower court and allowing hospitals to sometimes perform the procedure when a pregnant patients health is at risk.

The decision released Thursday doesnt side with the U.S. Justice Department in its lawsuit against Idaho over its abortion ban. Rather, it reverses a Supreme Court order issued in January that allowed the states abortion ban to take effect in medical emergencies.

The Supreme Court in January had grabbed the case, at the urging of Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador, before lower courts had finished litigating it. Three of the conservative justices called the courts decision to take up the case early a miscalculation in an opinion written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, citing the shifting legal arguments and changes to the abortion law as the case has moved through court.

The 6-3 decision brings the case back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for more litigation after two years. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented. The opinion matches a document that was briefly posted, then removed from the courts website Wednesday morning.

The federal government sued the state over its abortion ban after the law went into effect following the Supreme Courts reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. While Idahos abortion law allows an exception to prevent a pregnant patients death, it bars the procedure as a means of preserving patients health. Doctors and medical associations told the Idaho Statesman and the court that abortion is a recommended stabilizing procedure for several emergency conditions.

The case centers on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, a decadesold federal law that prevents hospitals from turning away patients experiencing medical emergencies. All hospitals that accept Medicare funding must comply with EMTALA.

Idaho represents that its exception is broader than the United States fears, and the United States represents that EMTALAs requirement is narrower than Idaho fears, Barrett wrote.

In a separate opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred in part with the overall ruling but criticized the decision to dismiss the case to a lower court rather than resolving it. The case has already bounced from District Court to appeals courts, with several reversals of pauses on the emergency abortion ban.

Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, Jackson wrote. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

Clash between federal, state law remains unaddressed

The courts decision will have broad impacts outside of Idaho. At least six other states have similar laws, and others are in the process of implementing stricter abortion regulations.

Several doctors have told the Statesman Idahos abortion ban is vague enough to leave them questioning whether they could face prison time and the loss of their medical license if they performed an abortion when a patients health is at risk.

But Labrador said nothing in the law conflicts with hypothetical cases physicians presented in court documents. That assertion was part of the states argument to the Supreme Court justices in April, prompting Barrett to ask, If theres no instance where EMTALA and Idaho law clash, then why are you here?

In the opinion released Thursday, Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor acknowledged what Idaho medical experts said was a substantial increase in emergency transfers to out-of-state hospitals in recent months and said the on-the-ground impact of the courts January order was immediate.

Some justices during oral arguments implied that the decision could also inform other legal cases in which state and federal law clash. The ruling seemingly dodged that issue, leaving it for the lower courts to decide.

In Barretts opinion, which Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts joined, she said the case had become murky and would be better handled by lower courts. The opinion said shifts in both sides arguments rendered the scope of the dispute unclear, at best.

Barretts opinion said it would be imprudent to answer the questions of whether federal law can allow hospitals to perform treatments banned by a state, and whether EMTALA can preempt state law, because it applies to private hospitals. She noted that the debate over private entities emerged for the first time when justices questioned the federal government during oral arguments.

Barrett, Kavanaugh and Roberts said changes to Idaho abortion law since 2022 also complicates the case. The law at the heart of the Supreme Court discussion was altered by the Idaho Legislature to allow abortions in cases of ectopic or molar pregnancies and to make it easier for doctors to defend themselves against criminal charges if they performed an abortion to protect a patient.

Meanwhile, the courts three liberal justices in an opinion authored by Elena Kagan argued the states law plainly conflicts with EMTALA in the rare instances when abortions are needed to protect a womans health.

Jackson, on her own, went further, saying the courts January decision to allow the full Idaho law to take effect led to a monthslong catastrophy that directly violated federal law.

She wrote that the issues of the case are clear, and that failing to issue a final decision will leave women with precarious pregnancies in a frightening quandary. She said the states contention that its law does not conflict with federal law was a convenient rhetorical maneuver, and charged her conservative colleagues with implausibly believing that the arguments have changed the facts on the ground.

It is strange, to say the least, that this court would shirk its duty to resolve a pressing legal issue on the basis of representations that defy medical realities, she wrote.

Alito, one of the most conservative justice on the court, agreed that the court should have ruled on the merits  but for completely different reasons. In the dissent he penned, he said the court took up the case and issued its January order based on Idahos strong likelihood of success. He slammed the decision to hand the case back to the Ninth Circuit and walk back the order.

This about-face is baffling, Alito wrote. Apparently the court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable.

Labrador: Doctors confused by pro-abortion lawyers

The Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare, a group of medical providers who consult on health-related legislation, said the ruling provides physicians some relief from months of uncertainty. The groups co-presidents, Drs. Loren Colson and Caitlin Gustafson, said theyre relieved to again be able to provide emergency care, but emphasized that it shouldnt be in question to begin with.

The physicians said the group will continue to push for policy changes that specifically carve out emergency medical exceptions for abortion in Idaho law.

Health care providers need, and patients deserve, a definitive decision from the courts that allows emergency physicians to do their jobs  providing care to those who end up in their emergency rooms, they said.

The Idaho Medical Association in a statement also emphasized the need to change state laws. Association CEO Susie Keller and Dr. Megan Kasper, a Canyon County OBGYN, said in the statement that restrictive abortion laws continue to create a doctor shortage and maternity care deserts.

Labrador told reporters Thursday that while he was disappointed the court didnt issue a final decision, he appreciated some of the justices recognition that Idahos law is broad. He said physicians have been scared by left-leaning, pro-abortion lawyers who are confusing them.

If a doctor in good faith believes that the womans life is in jeopardy  they can terminate the pregnancy, he said, even if the threat is not imminent. The state of Idaho continues to be the best place to raise a family.

The largest hospital system in Idaho, St. Lukes Health System, said in April that six patients had to be airlifted out of state for pregnancy-related emergencies during the three months the full abortion ban was in effect. Labrador cast doubt on those reports and said that if they did happen, they happened unnecessarily, and noted that since April, he hasnt heard of any new airlifts.

St. Lukes officials confirmed during a news conference Thursday that no additional patients have been airlifted to other states since April. Keller, of the Idaho Medical Association, and Dr. Duncan Harmon, a St. Lukes maternal-fetal medicine specialist, said confusion and concerns persist  especially since doctors face criminal prosecution for performing abortions outside of the states few exceptions.

There is confusion both from patients and providers about which scenarios  or in clinical scenarios, how sick someone needs to be  for us to be legally clear to proceed with appropriate medical care, Harmon said.

Keller said accounts like Harmons are the most accurate portrayal of how Idahos abortion ban impacts patients.

Were sitting in our offices, legislators are sitting in their offices, but Dr. Harmon and his colleagues are the ones who are taking care of patients, Keller said. So all we can do is keep elevating our stories.

This is the reality, Idaho Hospital Association spokesperson Greg Morrison added during the news conference. Whether elected officials choose to believe the reality, we cant force them to do that.

Democrats slam GOP policies that put lives at risk

Democrats on Thursday celebrated the ruling as a temporary win for doctors and pregnant patients facing medical complications, and called for more Democratic representation as they slammed Republicans for enacting policies that jeopardize womens health.

This ruling provides a temporary sliver of relief to patients facing dire medical emergencies and the doctors and nurses who desperately want to treat them without risking a prison sentence, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea said in a statement. It does not change that the Idaho Republican supermajority has completely yielded to the anti-abortion hardliners.

In a news conference at the Idaho Capitol on Thursday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow and House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, both Boise Democrats, criticized the Supreme Court for punting the case and called out Idaho conservatives for creating and defending the strict abortion ban.

We have to ask: Why did our Republican leaders work so hard to make this nightmare a reality? Wintrow said. The deadly peril faced by pregnant women in Idaho in the wake of this ruling was deliberately orchestrated by Idahos Republican politicians who are willing to greatly endanger pregnant women for their own political advantage.

The legislators urged voters to side with Democrats in November to improve the chances of altering Idahos abortion laws.

Rubel compared the GOP-backed ban to tying Idaho women to railroad tracks.

The Supreme Court just temporarily slowed the oncoming train, but the women of Idaho remain tied to the tracks, Rubel said. And our GOP politicians will stop at nothing to keep them there and to speed up the train thats heading toward them.

One former conservative lawmaker told Idaho Reports she was pleased with the Supreme Court decision. Former Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, helped draft some of Idahos abortion restrictions before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Lodge, who is Catholic, told Idaho Reports she experienced heartburn over some of the aspects of those laws now. She experienced difficult pregnancies, she said, and would like to see more medical exceptions to the state ban.

President Joe Biden in a statement said part of Republican elected officials extreme and dangerous agenda to ban abortion nationwide and put womens health and lives at risk.

No woman should be denied care, made to wait until shes near death or forced to flee her home state just to receive the health care she needs, Biden said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in a statement said the Department of Justice is ready to continue litigation and will continue to use every available tool to ensure that women in every state have access to emergency care.

Planned Parenthood, which has challenged some of Idahos abortion laws in its own legal cases, also criticized the decision for simply reinstating what it called the bare minimum in care for pregnant patients.

For now, we can take a collective sigh of relief for pregnant people in Idaho, said Rebecca Gibron, CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Northwest Hawaii, Alaska, Indiana, Kentucky. But the truth is that access to life-saving abortion care in an emergency should never have been in doubt. The fact that this right remains in legal limbo is outrageous and shameful.

Conservative groups expressed disappointment in the ruling. In a statement Wednesday after the opinion first leaked, the Idaho Family Policy Center, which has crafted some of Idahos abortion restriction laws, said it strongly disagreed with the court.

Blaine Conzatti, the groups director, said the organization warned lawmakers years ago that its exception to prevent the death of the mother could be construed as conflicting with EMTALA and would almost certainly be challenged in federal court.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a right-wing Christian legal advocacy group that helped Labradors office in the case, said its confident Idaho law will prevail when litigation continues.
Bremerton's school board selected Dr. James Crawford as its new superintendent on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Edit: James Crawford's year of graduation from Bremerton High School was corrected.

The Bremerton School District board of directors on Wednesday afternoon voted to not extend Superintendent James Crawfords contract, just a year after he started on the job leading the district.

The districts board of directors held a special meeting Wednesday, announced just the afternoon prior, to meet in an executive session and then take a vote on extending Crawford's contract, just four days before the typical deadline to add a year to Crawfords initial three-year contract. The board members began the meeting by recessing into an executive session, which is not open to the public, to review the performance of a public employee, according to the agenda. The five-member board reconvened half an hour later and voted unanimously not to extend Crawfords contract, without discussion.

School superintendent contracts are typically crafted for three-year terms, and are extended year by year each June. The Central Kitsap School District board, for example, is scheduled to vote to extend superintendent Erin Princes contract Wednesday night at its regular meeting. Crawford, unanimously approved by the board for the position in March 2023, has only served one year so far as the districts superintendent, and his contract now lasts until June 30, 2026.

Bremerton school board president Aly Rotter could not comment further on the boards decision. The board will next consider the Bremerton School District superintendent contract by next February, she said at Wednesday afternoon's meeting.

Crawford, a 1998 Bremerton High School graduate, previously served as the interim senior director of high school academics for Portland Public Schools, assistant superintendent for Federal Way Public Schools and as a teacher in the Puyallup and Pullman school districts.

As superintendent, Crawford led an effort to pass a 25-year $150 million bond to fund capital projects at schools across the district last February, in addition to a two-year educational programs and operations levy that also was approved by voters.

On June 12 the school board also held a special meeting, outside of its regular meeting schedule, which consisted of an executive session to meet with legal counsel, according to meeting minutes. The next week, at its regular meeting on June 20, the board voted to approve a letter of engagement with Haggard & Ganson LLP, a law firm specializing in municipal law, investigations and neutral services. The board stated in its meeting agenda that this letter of engagement is necessary to conduct an independent investigation of the conduct of a school district officer on behalf of the Bremerton School District.

Attorney Jeffrey Ganson of Haggard & Ganson wrote in the letter of engagement, my objective is to find the facts and determine if any agency policies have been violated or if there are other grounds for concern.

Rotter could not confirm whether Crawford was the school district officer that would be the subject of the law firms investigation.

Crawford could not be reached for comment.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bremerton school superintendent James Crawford contract not extended
Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shake hands with members of the audience after making a speech at an event at Petyt Hall, while on the general election campaign trail,in London, Monday June 24, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has portrayed himself as thorough and evidence-led throughout his relatively brief political career, but there's always been a nagging question over the keenness of his political antenna.

The general election campaign over the past five weeks has clearly shown that he hasn't got the instinctive touch of some of his predecessors, such as Tony Blair or even Boris Johnson.

Sunak's campaign has seen several missteps since he announced the July 4 election date in the pouring rain in late May, including his suspension of candidates mired in a scandal over betting on the date of the election  a week after Labour Party leader Keir Starmer pressed him to do so.

The biggest blunder  one that prompted him to apologize  was his decision to leave the 80-year D-day commemorations in northern France on June 6 early.

Critics said the decision to skip the international event that closed the commemorations showed disrespect to the veterans and diminished the U.K.s international standing. Other world leaders including President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy were all present. As was Starmer, who is the favorite to replace Sunak as prime minister.

Since then, Sunak hasn't been able to lift the poll ratings for his Conservative Party, which have been depressed over the past few years as a result of the actions of his two immediate predecessors.

First, Johnson was forced to quit after being adjudged to have lied to Parliament over breaches of coronavirus lockdowns at his offices in Downing Street. Then, trust in the Conservatives tanked during the chaotic  and traumatic  49-day leadership of Liz Truss, whose unfunded tax cuts roiled financial markets and sent borrowing costs surging.

Opinion polls suggest the Conservatives are likely to lose power for the first time in 14 years.

The Conservatives badly needed to deliver a boost to Sunaks leader approvals or their leader-focused campaign risks reinforcing weakness rather than building strength, said Rob Ford, a political scientist at the University of Manchester. A clumsy and error-strewn Sunak campaign has, however, entirely failed to shift the dial on leadership approval.

It must be said that Sunak isn't the most experienced campaigner. He's only been a member of parliament since 2015 and he has never been prominent in, let alone at the forefront of, a general election campaign.

Sunak became prime minister in October 2022 when he pitched himself as a stable pair of hands to replace Truss. He has reminded voters that he had warned Conservative Party members about the recklessness of Truss's economic plan when he challenged her to succeed Johnson.

I was right then, when I warned about Liz Truss," he said. "Thats why all of you can trust me now.

On replacing Truss after an uncontested leadership battle, Sunak became Britains first leader of color, the first Hindu to become prime minister  and at 42, the youngest leader for more than 200 years.

Sunak, now 44, had enjoyed a rapid rise to the top within Conservative ranks. He was plucked from seemingly nowhere four years ago to become Treasury chief on the eve of the coronavirus pandemic.

Within weeks, he had to unveil the biggest economic support package any Chancellor of the Exchequer has ever had to outside wartime.

Smooth, confident and at ease with the march of modern technology, he was dubbed Dishy Rishi and quickly became one of the most trusted and popular faces within Johnson's administration during the rigors of the pandemic.

As Treasury chief, Sunak was lauded for rolling out a COVID-19 job retention package that arguably saved millions of jobs. But it came at a cost, bringing the country's tax burden to its highest level since the 1940s.

That's not something he's particularly comfortable with. Sunak is instinctively a low-tax, small-state politician who idolizes former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

In his 20 months as prime minister, Sunak has struggled to keep a lid on bitter divisions within his Conservative Party. One side wants him to be much tougher on immigration and bolder in cutting taxes, while another urged him to move more to the centerground of politics, the space where, historically, British elections are won.

Sunak was born in 1980 in Southampton on Englands south coast to parents of Indian descent who were both born in East Africa. His father was a family doctor and his mother ran a pharmacy, whose accounts hed often help with.

He has described how his parents saved to send him to Winchester College, one of Britains most expensive boarding schools. He then went to Oxford University to study politics, philosophy and economics  the degree of choice for future prime ministers.

He then got an MBA at Stanford University, which proved to be a launchpad for his subsequent career as a hedge fund manager at Goldman Sachs in the U.S. There, he met his wife, Akshata Murty, the daughter of the billionaire founder of Indian tech giant Infosys. They have two daughters.

The couple are the wealthiest inhabitants yet of No. 10 Downing Street, according to the Sunday Times 2024 Rich List, with an estimated fortune of 651 million pounds ($815 million). Theyre even richer than King Charles III, a level of wealth that Labour leader Starmer says makes Sunak out of touch with the everyday realities and struggles of working people.

With his fortune secure, Sunak was elected to Parliament for the safe Tory seat of Richmond in Yorkshire in 2015. In Britains 2016 Brexit referendum, he supported leaving the European Union. When leave unexpectedly won, Sunak enjoyed a meteoric rise that swiftly led him to Downing Street. He's not used to losing.
Broward RV dealership owner arrested, accused of not paying nearly $500K in sales tax

A Broward County RV dealership owner was arrested Wednesday night after being accused of not payingnearly $500,000 in state taxes.

Gigi Stetler, 62, owns RV Sales of Broward in Dania Beach where she collected and failed to pay a minimum of $471,447.35 in sales tax to the Florida Department of Revenue from May 2019 to June 2023, court records show.

RV Sales of Broward is the parent company of Planet RV at 1820 NW 21 St. in Pompano Beach, according to state business records.

Stetler is listed as president, vice president, director, incorporator secretary and registered agent of RV Sales of Broward, records show.

Investigators allege that Stetler was fully aware of taxes owed, and failed to appear in any interviews.

She faces a first-degree felony charge for theft of state fund.

As of Thursday afternoon, Stetler was still booked into the North Broward Bureau detention center and has a $10,000 bond.

Mounting financial woes?

Stetler and her companies are no strangers to court battles, records show. Several filings offer a glimpse into the business finances.

Two days before the criminal case was filed, Stetler and the RV Sales of Broward sued 2051 Griffin Road LLC, from which she was renting a space to do business. The group, the filing states, had plans to remove piers and docks, but when the property was inspected, the City of Dania Beach found violations.

2051 Griffin Road LLC didnt take action until fines related to the violations piled up in upwards of $88,000, leaving Stetler and RV Sales of Broward damaged financially and unable to operate business, according to the lawsuit.

In May, the Stetlers were sued by Leaf Capital Funding LLC, which claimed it hadnt paid back a loan of more than $40,000. A month earlier, customer Daniel Carrazedo sued RV Sales of Broward, alleging Stetler breached a 2023 agreement to purchase his RV for $35,000.

The business, the suit says, later offered him $30,000, which he accepted. But he was never paid the full amount, despite calling for weeks. When he finally heard from the company, they informed him that RV Sales of Broward was filing for bankruptcy.

He then received a payment from RV Fun Club, which is also owned by Stetler and was a stranger to the agreement, court records state. The lawsuit also alleges that Stetlers use of her various companies in transactions like this to defraud customers... is nothing new.

According to the document, a Broward court in 2023 found that Stetler has been employing such schemes for years... and has been sued numerous times for identical conduct, including defrauding and swindling customers.
The Boldt Company received several awards for its construction of the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in south Oklahoma City.[Provided by Boldt Company]

The company that built the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine has received several project awards for its construction.

The shrine, 700 SE 89, was completed in February 2023 and it is the largest Catholic church in Oklahoma. The Catholic Church in Oklahoma had the shrine built to help share the life and legacy of Blessed Stanley Rother with the world.

Over the years, thousands of pilgrims from around the globe are expected to visit the huge shrine church and campus named for Rother, an Oklahoma priest who is on the path to Roman Catholic sainthood. Pope Francis proclaimed Rother a martyr for the faith in 2016. He is the first martyr from the United States and the first U.S.-born priest to be beatified.

The Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine is shown in Oklahoma City. (Credit: SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN)

Boldt is headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, and has 18 offices nationwide. Throughout the shrine project, Boldt engaged more than 30 local trade contractors and employed 100 to 150 workers on-site most days, with 90% of these being local Oklahoma companies. Boldt worked with diverse materials like bricks, stone, glass, tile and copper and installed 17th century, handcrafted liturgical pieces, statues and murals to give the shrine more meaning.

Also, a 55-foot replica of Mexicos Tepeyac Hill took nine months to build and required Boldt to create a unique support system to ensure the landmark will remain in place.

More: Oklahoma's largest Catholic Church ready to honor Oklahoman priest on path to sainthood

Most notably, Boldt overcame challenges to install a 65,000-pound, 34-foot-tall dome on the shrine more than 200 feet in the air. Boldt prefabricated the dome on the ground before lifting it into place to ensure accuracy, as well as safety for their crew.

The result is an intricate, 36,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial building that pays homage to Rother, who was murdered in Guatemala in 1981.

In recognition of the innovation and significance of this project, Boldt was awarded several accolades, including: Associated General Contractors (AGC) Construction Partners Risk 2023 Build America Award; AGC Oklahoma (AGCOK) 2023 Best of the Best Award (institutional category, $20-$50M); AGCOK 2023 Build Oklahoma Award; and Journal Record 2023 Top Projects (commercial category).

Tony Yanda, Boldt's senior director who led the project, said the construction of the shrine was a culmination of dedication, innovation and community.

"This isnt just another church," Yanda, who is Catholic, said in a news release. "It has special meaning because of the purpose it serves here in Oklahoma and for the global community of faith. Its a privilege to receive recognition for building something that means so much to so many people.

The shrine campus includes the Sacred Heart Church at the shrine, a museum and gift shop, plus a replication of Tepeyac Hill and the adjacent basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe.

"A lot of time and extra care were dedicated to this project, including high attention to detail," Yanda said. "In the end, the beauty inside and out were well worth the effort, and were grateful to our skilled team of builders and other partners who helped bring this project to life."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine garners Boldt builders awards
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev speaks to media as he arrives for the second day of a special EU summit. Alexandros Michailidis/EU Council/dpa

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, seen as a supporter of Russia, is not planning to attend the NATO summit planned for July in Washington, his office said on Thursday.

It cited the move as due to the government's Ukraine policy.

Radev is refusing to lead the Bulgarian delegation at the NATO summit due to differences with the Bulgarian government over some of the country's positions at the summit, the presidential office's press office said.

Specifically, this concerns obligations that Bulgaria is taking on in the Ukraine war, the office said.

However, Radev strongly condemned Russia's aggression right from the very first day of the war, the statement said.

Radev's step comes after the Bulgarian government approved Bulgaria's framework positions for the NATO summit, set for July 9 to 11, on Wednesday, in a confidential document which was not initially made public.

Radev, a former general and fighter jet pilot who once led his country's air force, sees no military solution to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and has repeatedly criticized the Bulgarian government's military support for Kiev.

Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and occupied around a fifth of its neighbour's territory, including Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
FILE - Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev speaks after casting his vote at a polling station in Sofia, April 2, 2023. Radev has turned down a government proposal to lead the countrys delegation at NATOs July summit in Washington D.C., his press office said on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, file)

SOFIA. Bulgaria (AP)  Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has turned down a government proposal to lead the countrys delegation to NATOs July summit in Washington, D.C., saying he was not consulted while it worked out the official position of the country and its commitments regarding the war in Ukraine, his press office said Thursday.

The decision comes on the heels of heated debates between pro-Russian and pro-Western parties in Bulgaria about whether Radev, as the commander-in-chief of the military, should represent the country at the NATO summit.

Radev has often been criticized by political opponents for his Kremlin-friendly position in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine, and for his public remarks that sending military aid to Kyiv would extend the conflict. He has referred to those favoring military aid to Ukraine as warmongers.

Delyan Peevski, who leads a liberal pro-Western party and is one of Radevs harshest critics, called the refusal a confirmation that Radevs positions serve foreign, not national interests and are subjected to dependencies and ties in the East, contrary to the Euro-Atlantic values and principles.

Bulgaria, one of Moscows closest allies during the Cold War era, joined NATO in 2004. Although the presidential post is mostly ceremonial, it provides a strong platform to influence public opinion. Large parts of the country's population of about 6.6 million, surveys show, share pro-Russian sympathies based on historical and cultural bonds between the two nations.
Rumen Radev, Bulgaria's pro-Russian president, has declined to lead the Bulgarian mission at the NATO meeting in Washington due to "the position that he must defend regarding assistance to Ukraine".

Source: Radev's press service on Thursday 27 June, writes Bulgarian service Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Radev's office, the proposal for Bulgaria's President to participate in the NATO summit specified that he must "submit framework positions" agreed upon by the government and approve the documents based on them.

Quote: "The head of state does not agree with certain provisions of the framework positions adopted by the Council of Ministers regarding the obligations that our country assumes in connection with the war in Ukraine," the statement said.

The President of Bulgaria and the cabinet have not revealed what these "framework positions" include.

The disagreement over the Bulgarian mission to NATO has lasted several days. Last week, the administration decided to send Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev to the conference together with Rumen Radev.

Glavchev offered on Thursday that Radev would lead the Bulgarian delegation to Washington.

Bulgaria's Constitution states that the country should be represented internationally by the executive branch, which is currently led by Dimitar Glavchev.

The current Bulgarian president has long advocated opinions on the war in Ukraine that are consistent with the Kremlin's position: offering military assistance to Kyiv merely prolongs the conflict, and those who advocate aid to the Ukrainian resistance are proponents of war.

Radev recently criticised NATO for enabling Ukraine to use Western weapons on the Russian Federations territory, claiming that this leads to "escalation" and "nuclear Armageddon".

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Gavin Newsom is not the best candidate from California for president in 2028.

Neither is the sitting vice president, Kamala Harris. Rather, it is somebody who has been quietly visiting places like Pennsylvania and Michigan and West Virginia, and somebody who does not rant about the politics of red states.

My core issue, said Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley, is that there have been too many people left out of the inclusive economy in California and the United States. And if the aspiration of America itself and the modern Democratic Party is to have an America that includes everyone, we have to extend that to an America where everyone is contributing and having dignity in a modern economy.

In many respects, the 47-year-old Khanna is the Anti-Newsom in substance and style.

And as Khanna continues to emerge on both the state and national stage as a thought leader with a provocative new economic message, Newsom is stuck in a tiresome, hyper-partisan narrative that was exemplified by his recent, pre-recorded State of the State speech.

In that speech, Newsom boasted of 63,000 new millionaires in California. Khanna worries about those left behind in the new economy.

Opinion

Newsom, 56, congratulated California for its tourism economy rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Khanna talks about those who can not afford a vacation.

Newsom epitomizes privilege, a politician from a family connected to great wealth who has gotten every break imaginable in his life. Born into a middle-class Philadelphia immigrant family, Khanna (who says he considers the governor a friend) was on a privileged path as well, a Yale Law School graduate who first specialized in intellectual property law. But he chose to represent those economically less fortunate, knocking off a 16-year incumbent and fellow Democrat to gain his congressional seat in 2017  and hasnt looked back.

An example of Newsoms self-anointed status is how he avoids unscripted moments before the press. He has infamously avoided the Sacramento Press Club, for example, for his entire tenure as governor, a record in modern history for political aloofness. Khanna, in contrast, recently sought out a meeting with McClatchys California opinion team, seemingly craving more questions. Thank you for taking the time, he said. Im grateful.

He always seems calm, unflappable, wearing a suit and usually a tie, perfectly knotted. His conservative fashion is in contrast to his politics, that of a self-described progressive, which automatically associates him with the left of the Democratic Party. But Khanna appears to be reinventing the progressive identity on the national stage. He is advancing a new concept of governing through shared economic prosperity in hopes of uniting the country. This message defies a one-word political label.

That means deep structural reform on an economy that isnt working for too many in the working class, he said. That means deep structural reform on issues of race where we need strong voting rights laws. It means were standing up for equality of women, with women having the right tocontrol their own bodies and standing up for the rights of LGBTQ-plus communities (the non-heterosexual spectrum).

Khanna, among other things, would raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations to help underwrite this economic transformation. He wants the federal government to play a bigger role in building affordable and middle-class housing to increase economic security and decrease homelessness. He was against the Congressional symbolic ban on Tik Tok and instead, he supports the passage of an Internet Bill of Rights that protects data privacy and prevents any transfer of data to foreign governments.

Khanna is politely critical of Israels conduct of its military campaign in Gaza. I would have made it clear that (operations) could not include the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals and refugee camps, he said. Newsom has largely avoided the topic, although he once likened Israels spirit to that of California  whatever that means.

Newsom openly despises the red states and its leaders. Khanna wants to win them over. He has a plan to revive the nations steel industry and American manufacturing. Weve got to be candid that the price of gas is still too high, he said. There is an arresting crossover appeal to many of his ideas.

Most confounding of all, from a politician, is how Khanna is okay with dissent, something that seems to unnerve Newsom to his core.

Even if you disagree on an issue, maybe thats a common ground that canunite people, he said. It means treating people with respect and humanizing them, trying to understand where theyre coming from.

Granted, Khanna has not taken nearly the political shrapnel over the years as Newsom. But everyday Americans are increasingly worried about their families place in the countrys future economy. That is a deep mainstream vein that Khanna is trying to tap. Newsom simply doesnt have it in him.

In political terms, four years is a long time from now. But its not too soon to pay attention to Californias Anti-Newsom. Maybe nobody can find a political and economic message to better unite the country. But watch Ro Khanna. He is testing how to crack the code.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) may become an active promoter of Islamic finance in the region, the Deputy Chairman of the EDB Board Ruslan Dalenov said during the session "Islamic finance in Central Asia" at the Eurasian Development Bank business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

"EDB can become an active promoter of Islamic finance in the region, being an international organization with a broad base of clients. EDB may become a kind of regulatory sandbox to develop and implement the necessary regulatory amendments," he emphasized.

According to Dalenov, the EDB on the way to becoming a conduit of Islamic finance will attract new investments, offering new tools for the development of the economies of the region.

He said that an "Islamic window" will be launched at the EDB.

"Islamic window in the Eurasian Development Bank in full format will be launched in 2025. Several pilot projects will be financed. This will make it possible to move to the financing of large investment projects," he added.

To note, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Business Forum, which is taking place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, hosted the first session on "Islamic Finance in Central Asia".

The participants of the session discussed the fundamental principles of project financing in Central Asian states and considered related problems and mechanisms for their solution.

The segment of Islamic finance in the world's banking assets is, according to data for the beginning of 2024, 2 percent, but it is already $ 4 trillion, and it is growing rapidly. Indeed, the average annual growth rate of Islamic assets globally over 2015-2021 amounted to 10.5 percent, compared to 5.8 percent among conventional financial assets.

Islamic banks have now gained a strong foothold in more than 40 countries and are beginning to compete effectively with classical credit institutions.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Traffic is seen on the 5 Freeway leading to and from Sacramento. (Paul Kuroda / For The Times)

License plate information and perhaps even more sensitive material from Sacramento Countys 1.3 million registered vehicles and their drivers were improperly shared by law enforcement departments with out-of-state agencies, according to a grand jury report Wednesday .

Sacramento Countys Grand Jury, a 19-member team serving as a watchdog over city and county agencies, said the county Sheriffs Office and the Sacramento Police Department either were unaware of state privacy protections or flouted them.

The jury released results from a seven-month investigation into the use of stationary and mobile cameras known as automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, across the county.

Foreperson Steve Caruso, who grew up in La Crescenta, said his group estimated that Sacramento law enforcement agencies use about 170 cameras that can each capture up to 1,800 license plates per minute. The Sheriffs Office scanned 1.7 million plates in one week, according to the grand jury report.

Theyre often confused with red-light cameras in intersections, but theyre separate, Caruso said. Theyre also not just in intersections, but all over the place.

Read more: License plate readers and video cameras are coming to Orange to fight crime, officials say

Caruso said, like red-light cameras, the ALPRs take snapshots of license plate information as well as drivers and passengers in a vehicle and mark them with time and date stamps.

Although he couldnt say for certain that police and sheriffs officials were handing over more than just license plate info, Caruso said it was safe to assume they were sharing all info.

The grand jury said any such distribution of information to out-of-state agencies  including the federal government  violates Senate Bill 34, legislation that was signed into law in 2015 .

Read more: Police in Pasadena, Long Beach pledged not to send license plate data to ICE. They shared it anyway

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta issued a pair of bulletins in October informing law enforcement of the responsibility to safeguard this data and ensure its use is consistent with state law.

We subsequently learned that both the Sheriffs Office and Sacramento Police Department have been lax in following state law regarding how ALPR data is shared with other law enforcement entities, Caruso said in a statement.

A Sacramento police spokesperson said the department consulted with the city attorneys office and the attorney generals office and amended its policy to no longer share data with agencies outside of California.

Read more: Melrose Avenue neighborhood group to install license plate readers over crime worries

The spokesperson said the policy was updated on June 13 in an interest to maintain transparency.

But Caruso said the change happened only because of the grand jurys investigation. The department had continued sharing ALPR data with agencies in Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona until recently, he said.

Similarly, the Sheriffs Office did not immediately change its policy when first alerted by the grand jury, Caruso said, but the agency eventually came around.

Former State Sen. Jerry Hill, author of SB 34, said he was concerned about possible misuse of the ALPR database in early 2015.

Curious to see what could be gleaned, Hill and his wife hired a private investigator to pull information from the database regarding Hill's spouse.

The private investigator obtained a photo of her car outside a Sacramento gym. The shot included his wifes license plate number, vehicle make and mark, and the time, latitude and longitude of where she was, according to Hill.

My wife is an ordinary citizen, and the database was used to track her down, said Hill, who is retired. Anybody could abuse the power too easily, and thats the genesis behind SB 34. Its too easy for bad actors to help themselves to data.

The San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit civil liberties watchdog, has pushed back against SB 34 violations.

EFF and the ACLU previously filed California Public Records Act requests against various agencies, including the Los Angeles police and sheriff's departments regarding usage and storage of ALPR data.

In 2019, EFF discovered that both departments collected about 3 million data points per week that are stored for years, with 99% of the car license plates not linked to a crime.

EFF senior investigative researcher Beryl Lipton said she "wasn't surprised" to hear about privacy violations in Sacramento County despite SB 34.

"You can pass a law that is supposed to protect privacy, but we're not going to see any positive outcomes if law enforcement is either unaware of their responsibilities or chooses to act against them," she said.

Lipton said what's particularly dangerous about the sharing of license plate information or other data across state lines is the broad potential usage by outside agencies.

She said that although the identification of stolen vehicles and Amber Alerts was common, other state agencies could potentially track abortions across state lines, hampering reproductive rights.

Lipton was also concerned about potential bad actors who now had access to and ease in searching databases.

"These databases are leaky and easily accessible, and the information is stored for a long time," she said.

In what the grand jury labeled as another threat to data privacy protection, users could access information through the Sheriff's Office database by entering random characters, without knowing specific case numbers. Sheriffs officials acknowledged in an internal audit this was a major flaw in the agencys database.

A sheriffs spokesperson said the department wont have [a] comment on the Grand Jury report until we can look into it further.

The camera system has worked to ferret out lawbreakers, though, with the Sheriffs Office reporting the recovery of 495 stolen vehicles in the first 30 days of the systems installation, according to the grand jurys report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
SACRAMENTO, California  A California Democrat vying to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom may have run afoul of state law by sending thousands of campaign dollars to a company owned by her spouse.

Toni Atkins, the powerful former legislative leader from San Diego, paid $22,500 to the Global Policy Leadership Academy, where her longtime spouse, Jennifer LeSar, is the firms chief executive officer and its sole shareholder, disclosures reviewed by POLITICO show. Atkins described the money as going toward a trip to Vienna, Austria, in 2022.

California law bars officeholders from using campaign funds for personal reasons such as giving to a spouse or domestic partner, experts said. The Global Policy Leadership Academy is part of a portfolio of affordable housing and economic development companies owned by LeSar.

Ann Ravel, former chair for both the Federal Election Commission and Californias Fair Political Practices Commission  the campaign finance watchdog agencies in Washington and Sacramento  told POLITICO the amount of money Atkins sent to the Global Policy Leadership Academy, a for-profit company, is not legal.

Any money given from campaign funds must be reasonably  and directly  related to a political, legislative or governmental purpose, she said. This is not the case with the Global Policy Leadership Academy, Ravel said after reviewing Atkins' payment.

A spokesperson for the Atkins campaign disputed Ravels interpretation and contended the senator did nothing wrong. Evan Westrup, in a statement to POLITICO, said the seminar focused on providing leaders, policymakers and practitioners with insight into proven international models and approaches for confronting the housing and homelessness crises.

LeSar didnt receive any direct compensation from Atkins participation in the Vienna seminar, Westrup said, adding that there was no net financial benefit from the seminar to GPLA or the senators spouse.

The Senator remains committed to avoiding any conflicts  or even the perception of a conflict  and as such, requested a full review of this matter by her attorneys, who concluded that the statute cited  does not apply, Westrup said.

He said that the campaign money Atkins sent to Global Policy Leadership Academy covered seminar expenses for each participant, including transportation, lodging, meals, meeting space and programming costs.



The fact that youre citing information disclosed in public documents about the senators participation in this particular seminar reflects her longstanding and continued commitment not only to transparency, but also to making housing more affordable for Californians, Westrup said.

Westrup said Atkins directed her attorneys to proactively contact the FPPC to relay these facts after POLITICO inquired about the spending. He said Atkins also offered her full and complete cooperation in resolving the matter in the event the FPPC has a different view of the statute.

POLITICO began scrutinizing Atkins campaign spending earlier this year after she leaped into the race to become Californias first woman and LGBTQ+ governor. News outlets have probed potential conflicts between the top lawmaker and her consultant spouse for well over a decade. But the money from Atkins campaign committee to LeSars firm is the first concrete example of an allegedly improper payment, according to Ravels interpretation.

Atkins climbed the political ranks from San Diego City Hall where she served on the council to the most powerful legislative positions in Sacramento  Senate president pro tem and Assembly speaker  positions that not only allowed her to help set the agenda on affordable housing spending but endeared her to many of the states most generous contributors.

The Los Angeles Times, for a story in 2019, traced the uptick in public agencies, developers, nonprofits and other clients of LeSar over the years, based on a review of Atkins economic disclosure forms and other documents. Both Atkins and LeSar have repeatedly pushed back on potential conflicts, with Atkins telling the newspaper that we spend a lot of time trying to make sure in our very busy days that were following the letter of the law.

Atkins, who is leaving office in December, was elected to her final Senate term in 2020. Two years later, she sent the $22,500 in the leftover campaign funds to Global Policy Leadership Academy, LeSars company that records show was incorporated in January 2019.

Ravel said the only acceptable contributions of campaign funds are donations (and behested payments) to charitable, educational, civil, religious or other tax-exempt organizations as long as the contribution is reasonably related to a political, legislative or governmental purpose.

She noted that Atkins payment is much higher than the $200 amount generally accepted as a substantial personal benefit. A situation that gave rise to similar questions involved Attorney General Rob Bonta, prior to his leaving the Legislature in 2021, she said.

Bonta, a Democrat and himself a likely gubernatorial candidate, had made high behested payments to the nonprofit where his wife, now-Assemblymember Mia Bonta, was previously the director. Behested payments are money requested, suggested, solicited or made in cooperation with a public official. While Mia Bonta benefited from some of that money, it was not given for her use but on behalf of the nonprofit, Ravel explained.

Atkins has supported strengthening campaign ethics rules. In 2014, amid a series of scandals at the Capitol, the then-Assemblymember supported a raft of bills including a measure signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown to bar the spouse or domestic partner of an elected official or candidate from receiving campaign funds for services rendered.

The campaign money Atkins sent to LeSars firm was earmarked in the senators May through June 2022 disclosure forms as going to registration for a Social Housing Field Study Trip to Vienna for Atkins and two of her staffers  $7,500 per person.

Housing is a top issue for Californians given its exorbitant cost. Building more places to live has been a vexing challenge for lawmakers and local officials. POLITICO previously reported that social housing in Vienna is not exclusively for low-income people. Well over half of the citys nearly 2 million inhabitants live in subsidized housing, and the city owns about half of the available flats and co-ops.



In addition, Atkins campaign reported paying entities not affiliated with her spouse: the Altour international travel agency and Sato Tours for she and her staff, about $16,000 more for lodging and travel from Los Angeles to Vienna from Sept. 9 to Sept. 22, 2022, according to the same campaign disclosure filing.

Atkins disclosed sending another $9,781 to Steirereck, the fine dining restaurant in the spacious Stadtpark that specializes in fresh Austrian produce and has two Michelin stars. That expense was earmarked for a Sept. 15, 2022, dinner deposit for 80 guests participating on the trip.

In the same year, Atkins disclosed that she and her spouse received more than $100,000 in income from Global Policy Leadership Academy. She identified the fair market value of the company as being between $100,000 and $1 million.

The Global Policy Leadership Academy describes itself as helping prepare professionals and civic leaders to advance solutions to intractable societal challenges through a deep commitment to the development of shared knowledge, best practices, and collaboration.

LeSar was quoted saying that the Global Policy Leadership Academy isnt my first company, and I doubt it will be my last, but its undoubtedly my most scalable and impactful company adding that they seek to connect and build a global practice group for leaders and influencers working on the worlds most intractable crises.

Atkins name does not appear in the companys promotional material, and there is little evidence online of her at the 2022 trip. She does, however, appear for a brief snippet in a GPLA promotional video posted to YouTube that shows Atkins in the background, wearing a face mask, as LeSar speaks to a table of participants in the foreground.

Also in the video is a Los Angeles-based lobbyist who attended the Vienna trip in 2022 and sits on the board of the California Community Foundation, which gave GPLA a $150,000 grant for 2019-2020. Another attendee was Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. He attended as part of an effort to study social housing strategies to help with the citys housing crisis.

The Fresno Bee newspaper reported that registration for the academy, meals, lodging, ground transportation and airfare for three city officials came in at under $29,000. And Dyer reflected fondly on the trip in a recent chat with POLITICO in Sacramento, saying it was a valuable experience for him.

Other groups that authorized expenditures for that years Vienna trip were the Southern California Association of Governments and its San Diego counterpart, known locally as SANDAG.
Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

Beginning July 1, school administrators will no longer be able to suspend students for low-level behavioral issues, also known as willful defiance. Justifications for a willful defiance suspension could include dress code violations, being late to class, talking back to teachers, refusing to turn off their cellphone or anything that is disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying the valid authority of school staff, according to California education code.

SB 274, written by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, bans willful defiance suspensions and expulsions in California high schools through 2029 and extends an existing ban on willful defiance suspensions in California middle schools through the same year. The bans also affect charter schools.

Under the new law, unruly kids could be removed from classrooms without being suspended. Instead of taking them out of school, it would be up to administrators to provide appropriate in-school interventions and support.

Equity was a motivation for crafting this law. Skinners office cited the disproportionate affect of defiance suspensions on students of color, LGBTQ students, students who are homeless or in foster care, and those with disabilities in September news release heralding the bills passage in the Legislature.

Advocates for the bill, which included the American Civil Liberties Union and Sacramentos Black Parallel School Board, argue that suspensions on the basis of willful defiance disproportionately affect Black students, inflicting punitive measures instead of providing the support needed to amend that behavior. Statewide, Black students make up 14% of defiance-only suspensions while representing just 5% of enrollment.

Are certain groups of students in Sacramento disproportionately affected by defiance-only suspensions? And how will Sacramento schools eliminate this type of suspension while striving for orderly classrooms?

Defiance-only suspensions are high in Sacramento

According to state data for the 2022-23 school year, 10.49% of suspensions in Sacramento county schools were categorized as willful defiance, versus just 6.44% of suspensions statewide. Overall suspensions of any type are also higher in Sacramento, 8.9% versus 5.6% statewide.

The trend of these suspensions disproportionately affecting Black students is very apparent in Sacramento: In county school districts, Black students make up 10.3% of the enrollment, but account for 26% of defiance-only suspensions.

Other life circumstances also correspond with higher suspension rates. Unduplicated students, meaning students who are English learners, eligible for free or reduced lunch or are foster youth, are also overrepresented in defiance-only suspensions. Statewide, unduplicated students make up 74% of defiance-only suspensions, but Sacramento students fare a little better, making up just 67% of defiance-only suspensions.

Latino students were slightly overrepresented in county data, making up 33.9% of defiance-only suspensions while representing 32.6% of county enrollment.

Asian and white students were far less likely to be suspended for defiance in Sacramento. Asian students, who make up 17.2% of county enrollment, receive just 3.2% of defiance-only suspensions. White students make up 27% of enrollment and received 23.2% of defiance-only suspensions.

Charter schools are not immune to this phenomenon. Charter schools in Sacramento have a lower overall suspension rate and defiance-only suspension rate, but Black students compose 64.6% of defiance-only suspensions despite representing only 10.2% of enrolled students.

Both charter and public schools in Sacramento had similar rates of defiance-only suspensions among unduplicated students.

How one school district did away with defiance-only suspensions

Natomas Unified School District stands out among Sacramento districts with the lowest defiance-only suspension rate (less than 1%), and that is no accident. The Natomas Unified Board of Trustees passed a resolution in October 2021 to end willful defiance school suspensions as a part of an effort to make systemic changes that would benefit male students of color.

We did that well in advance of any (state) policy because we felt like we really need to emphasize how we can support our students with other means of intervention, Chief Academic Officer Angela Herrera said. She cited the districts partnership with Improve Your Tomorrow, an educational nonprofit that works to uplift young men of color and prevent them from falling victim to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Herrera said that while the change has definitely been positive, it took a lot of district investment to ensure that students receive intervention services and that classrooms dont descend into chaos as a result of repeated disruptions. The district focused on providing staff training on restorative practices and community building skills. Addressing poor behavior in the classroom starts with having a strong personal relationship between a student and a trusted adult, Herrera said.

The goal is preventing disruptive behavior, but in the case that there is significant disruption in the classroom that disturbs the educational environment for other students, the district has set protocol. If a students behavior has risen to that level, school administrators may step in to stage mediating conferences between the student and the teacher to help restore their relationship. Each school site also has a psychologist and a counselor to help get to the root of the students issue.

Providing trauma-informed staff training has been one of the biggest undertakings when getting rid of willful defiance suspensions, and it has not always been smooth sailing, Herrera said.

It takes work and it takes training and commitment, Herrera said. Changing is hard and I dont want to portray it with rosy lenses, but it is worth it.

Administrators from Sacramento City Unified School District say that have taken a similar approach, despite not outright banning willful defiance suspensions. The rate of defiance-only suspensions in the district is 4%, less than half of the county average. Chief Academic Officer Yvonne Wright said that this type of suspension is treated as a last resort instead of an immediate disciplinary action.

This new law shouldnt change much for Sac City Unified as we have worked diligently in recent years to reduce suspensions and identify alternative and restorative forms of discipline, Wright said. SB 274 encourages schools to implement restorative practices, explore root causes, implement supportive strategies and provide counseling services; all of which we have already done.

School districts with the highest rates of defiance-only suspensions

Sacramento school districts varied widely in the rate at which they suspended students for willful defiance. Like Natomas and Sacramento City Unified, other districts with lower rates of defiance-only suspensions include Elk Grove Unified School District (5%), Folsom Cordova Unified School District (5.9%) and River Delta Joint Unified School District (0.32%). Galt Joint Union High School District came in above the state average, but below the county average at 7.3%.

A few districts far exceeded the statewide and county average. Defiance-only suspensions accounted for 14.3% of suspensions overall at Center Joint Unified School District, 13.9% at Robla Elementary School District (despite only having K-8 schools), 13.4% at the Sacramento County Office of Education (which mostly includes charter and alternative schools) and 16.4% at Twin Rivers Unified School District.

San Juan Unified School District far exceeded any other district in the region, with 22.8% of its suspensions being categorized as defiance-only. The districts public high schools had the worst rate of suspensions, but several middle and K-8 schools still showed a significant amount of defiance-only suspensions despite them being banned in K-8 by that time period.

Despite this high rate of defiance-only suspensions at San Juan Unified, a district spokesperson said that administrators are preparing for the implementation of SB 274 come this school year.

Over the last several years, we have been working to reduce the rates of home suspension and exclusionary discipline for all students, while also focusing on our most marginalized students and their disproportionate suspension rates, said Raj Rai, director of communications at San Juan Unified. We have expanded our restorative practices, as well as positive behavioral supports and interventions. We have also hired additional staff, such as mental health therapists, school social workers, school counselors, behaviorists and trauma-informed coordinators to support this work.
(FOX40.COM)  A resident of Tahoe City in Northern California has pleaded guilty to a single count of smuggling amphibians into the United States, according to the U.S. Dept. of Justice.

The DOJ said that the man was part of an international amphibian smuggling ring and admitted that he joined the operation to acquire hard-to-find newts.

Please dont plant these species in California, fish and wildlife officials say

The man had shipped or received at least four packages of amphibians, some of which were to or from people located in Hong Kong or Sweden, and the packages were falsely labeled as toys or ceramic art piece, the DOJ said.

What the packages actually contained were animals such as Eastern Box turtles, spotted turtles, fire belly news, Asian warty newts and newts native to California, the DOJ said.

Some shipments included species prohibited from being brought into the United States because of the harm they could bring to ecosystems and natural resources.

What are nutria? The invasive species affecting Californias waterways

The DOJ said that a search of the mans home found 81 live newts, some of which tested positive for Bd, a fungi with origins in Asia that is spread through the illegal pet trade.

The man is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2024, and as part of his plea agreement, he will pay restitution for the costs of caring for and testing the seized newts, and will participate in a public education campaign about the harms of illegal trafficking, the DOJ said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
A California law that severely restricts oil drilling within close proximity to homes, schools and businesses is set to take effect after an industry group said it would withdraw an expensive challenge to it on the November ballot.

The 2022 law, SB 1137, banned new oil wells and re-drills within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, businesses and other residential areas. The law never took effect once oil industry groups collected enough signatures to launch a ballot measure repeal.

The Thursday announcement by California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) ends a more than $20 million effort by industry groups to convince voters to overturn the law, arguing it encouraged dependence on foreign oil and would lead to higher gas prices and the loss of jobs.

CIPA chairman framed the move as a pivot in strategy, and plans to file a lawsuit asking a judge to block the law instead.

Supporters of the energy shutdown can make unfounded claims in the press and in paid advertisements, but they cant make those claims in court without evidence, said chairman Jonathan Gregory in an announcement. Thats why we are pivoting from the referendum to a legal strategy.

Supporters of the original oil setback law passed two years ago characterized CIPAs withdrawal as a major win and admission of defeat by the oil industry. The industrys decision came after negotiations with a state lawmaker who introduced a bill that would severely penalize oil producers.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also backed an expensive, high-profile campaign to defend SB 1137. He was joined by celebrities such as former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jane Fond, who argued for the need to cut pollution for communities living near active wells.

Newsom, which has made battling the oil industry a key policy position, called the news a major victory that ends harmful drilling in our communities and enforces common-sense pollution controls in a statement Thursday.

Big Oil saw what they were up against  and they folded, again, Newsom said. No parent in their right mind would vote to allow drilling next to daycares and playgrounds. This is a huge win for all Californians, especially the two million living within a half-mile of these operations.

Members of the state Legislature had long been applying pressure to the oil industry to withdraw the challenge. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, introduced a bill that would have fined oil companies $10,000 per day for low-production oil wells operating near homes and schools.

The Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oil field in the United States, is in his district. In an interview, Bryan said he negotiated with CIPA leadership to limit the scope of his bill to just Inglewood if they drop their measure from the ballot.

We introduced this bill to force a conversation, Bryan said. I said I would amend it to impact only one operator. That was good enough for them to decide to drop the referendum.

Bryan said he will continue negotiations with Inglewood Oil Field, which operates at least 400 wells, on the penalty cost for low-producing wells that leave the same environmental impacts.

This was a multi-year effort. The campaign was of course a big component, Jane Fonda too and the unwillingness to touch the original law, he said. But it took a lot of work and conversations, it didnt just happen.

Members of the group opposing the oil industry ballot measure, a Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, celebrated the news Wednesday night as a win for their campaign.

Big Oil spent tens of millions of dollars trying to fool voters, using the profits made at the expense of community health, but it was no match for the groundswell of people power and community support we were able to unite all across California, said director of Communities for a Better Environment Darryl Molina Sarmiento in a statement.

Its not uncommon in California for companies to attempt referendums on laws affecting their industry in hopes that voters wipe laws off the books, or at least create delays for years until the law goes into effect.

Nearly 3 million Californians live within 3,200 feet of a working oil or gas well, largely in Kern and Los Angeles Counties. Medical research indicates that people living near wells are at higher risk for asthma, respiratory illness and some cancers.

The original law was a product years of campaigning by environmental justice advocates, who have highlighted that many of those living near oil facilities are people of color.

Those groups celebrated CIPAs withdrawal of their ballot measure as a vindication of their activism.

This is an incredible victory for the environmental justice communities that began organizing 20 years ago and built this campaign, said Mabel Tsang, political director of the California Environmental Justice Alliance.

We defeated them at their own game, playing by their own rules. So its an incredible moment not only for the people who live with oil drilling within their neighborhoods, but its an incredible indication of whats possible.
The debate over parental notification policies in California schools reached a boiling point Thursday morning as two lawmakers nearly had a physical confrontation on the Assembly floor.

Two Riverside-area assemblymen, Republican Bill Essayli and Democrat Corey Jackson exchanged angry words as the Assembly was preparing to vote on Assembly Bill 1955, which would prevent California school boards from implementing rules forcing school staff to inform a students parents if they request to use a name or pronoun that does not align with their biological sex.

At one point, Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, physically prevented Jackson from moving toward Essayli. The two never actually came close to attacking each another, but the scene demonstrated the extreme tension around the the issue, as LGBTQ lawmakers push back against Republican talking points they feel dehumanize transgender Californians.

Capitol confrontation

Essayli had spent the previous 15 minutes clashing with Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Wood, D-Healdsburg, who leads floor session proceedings. At one point, Essayli referred to Democrats in the chamber as the Chinese Communist Party. His comments against AB 1955 came immediately after Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, shared her personal experience parenting and supporting her transgender son.

Jackson, a member of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, had been confirming a motion Republicans made when he and Essayli began trading words.

I lost it, Jackson said after floor session ended. I didnt know what I was going to do. But my colleagues just helped to reset.

Essayli has exhibited a consistent pattern of publicly disparaging advocacy groups and fellow lawmakers in an attempt to garner attention for conservative causes. On Thursday, he interrupted colleagues testimony and expressed frustration over Wood cutting his microphone and shutting down his comments when they veered away from AB 1955 and toward the issue of forced outing, in general.

Jackson said he found Essayli very disrespectful in a way that goes beyond just having an objection of the bill.

My Republican friends fail to understand that some of these issues, its not about policy, its about somebodys humanity, Jackson said. And issues of humanity, for me, is off limits.

AB 1955, authored by Assemblyman Chris Ward, D-San Diego, a gay member of the LGBTQ Caucus, is a gut-and-amend version of a bill written by Essayli. Essaylis original 2023 bill would have required all school districts to adopt parental notification policies  which Democrats call forced outing policies  but it did not get a hearing in the Democratic-controlled Capitol.

Wards new version of the bill, which bans the policies, passed the Assembly Committee on Education on Wednesday after hours of public testimony.

When asked about the altercation on the Assembly floor, Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, said the stakes are always high here in the state Capitol.

We all feel very emotional and passionate about the work that we do, he said.

When asked whether there will be any consequences as a result of the confrontation, Rivas said he had a brief conversation with Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher of Yuba City. The speaker declined to say what the two discussed.

Democrats rally around bill and its author

After the almost-altercation with Jackson, Democrats called for a break to caucus before returning to the floor and allowing Essayli to finish his comments. His fellow Republicans, including Gallagher and Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin, testified against the bill.

To my friends who are lesbian, gay, queer, I want whats best for you, Patterson said. The debate on this bill is clearly emotional for many of us.

Pattersons children attend school in the Rocklin Unified School District, which passed a parental notification policy last September. His chief of staff, Tiffany Saathoff, is the current RUSD school board president, and supported the policy.

Patterson said he takes issue with Democrats inferring that those who support the policies, like he and Saathoff, are hateful and that the policies are made to appease extremists or individuals who are hateful to other people.

I take a great deal of offense to that, he said. I am not hateful.

He also implied that The Bees coverage of the Rocklin policy contributed to the demonizing of Saathoff and those who back the policies.

Shes constantly framed in a local paper here, and constantly attacked as some kind of hateful person ... Do you believe that Im the type of person who comes from a place of hate or harm? I dont believe you think that.

Several Democrats, many of whom are members of the LGBTQ Caucus, shared emotional testimony in support of the bill.

When I was seven-years-old, my mom told me shed disown me if I were gay, said Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Cupertino, through tears at the podium.

If I was outed, where would I go? What would I have done?

Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, also shared that she did not get to choose when she came out  that someone outed her.

As Ward delivered closing comments, the Democrats present stood behind him, many wiping tears from their eyes, as he explained that the bill is not meant to keep secrets from parents  a concern echoed by Republican assembly members.

He closed in an emotional show of support for trans young people.

Part of what is happening here is stemming from a national issue thrust upon our community to be targeting transgender individuals, a subset of (the LGBTQ) community.

Our caucus thought deeply as this was thrust into California communities since last summer about how to wrestle with some of the issues  and at that time we told trans youth that felt under attack that we had their back. And we meant it. And we are here today to send this bill to the governor.

The Assembly then voted 60-15 to pass the bill, which will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk.
A woman uses an ATM. California students will soon have a new graduation requirement: financial literacy. (Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images)

California students will have to complete a course in pocketbook economics  balancing a checkbook, managing credit cards, avoiding scams  to graduate from high school under a bill that will become law, state lawmakers announced Thursday.

We need to help Californians prepare for their financial futures as early as possible," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "Saving for the future, making investments and spending wisely are lifelong skills that young adults need to learn before they start their careers, not after.

This bill  which has drawn criticism from those concerned about another requirement on crammed academic schedules  orders school districts and charter schools to offer a stand-alone, one-semester course in personal finance. To meet the requirement, the class cannot be combined with any other course beginning in the 2027-28 school year.

Students graduating in 2031 will have to pass the class.

The agreement among state lawmakers avoids a ballot-box verdict by voters. Backers of the new requirement had gathered enough signatures to place the proposal, dubbed the California Personal Finance Initiative, on the November ballot. They will now shut down that effort.

The new requirement and the bill that will make it law "will benefit countless future generations of Californians, said Tim Ranzetta, a wealthy Silicon Valley businessman who bankrolled the signature gathering for the ballot initiative and also supported the legislation.

Thursday was the legal deadline for Ranzetta to withdraw the ballot initiative, which he said he would do if an adequate version of the requirement was guaranteed to become law.

Ranzetta heads a nonprofit, Next Gen Personal Finance, that provides free curriculum and teacher training. He said the materials have reached nearly 100,000 teachers across the country, including more than 6,000 in California.

Although there is broad agreement on the importance of financial literacy, not everyone supports the requirement or the process that brought it about.

Read more: LAUSD approves $18.4-billion budget amid concerns over police, the arts and the future

"There is a philosophical opposition to governance by ballot measure  where billionaires by virtue of their wealth  are exerting a disproportionate impact on determining curriculum in our schools," said Troy Flint, chief information officer for the California School Boards Assn. "We don't believe that's the best system."

He said financial literacy could have been incorporated into the existing one-semester economics requirement.

"Financial literacy instruction could be included within that larger preexisting economics course without further cluttering the class schedule for high school students  and reducing their ability to take an elective course or a course of interest to them, which this new bill will do."

The final version of the bill attempts to speak to this concern, according to a legislative analysis, by allowing students to substitute personal finance in place of the one-semester course in economics.

Former L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner also expressed concern: "What is it that one is going to subtract to create time for financial literacy?"

"It's more important for kids to build a foundation in literacy and math before they get to high school," he said. "If they have that, then there's little mystery in personal finance."

Several students liked the subject matter, but Angelica Gonzalez, who just graduated from Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School, said, "It should just be based on what the student wants, not what the student has to do in order to graduate."

As an elective, "a course in financial literacy is more of a necessity than other electives, such as leadership." Often students value "how easy an elective is rather than what the elective actually has in its course," she said.

Chidubem Okigbo, a student at Narbonne High School, was less concerned about the requirement "crowding out electives ... because the course has potential to be practical and creative. For example, if the course included a lesson on how one could monetize their passion, students would most likely be interested and engaged."

Odalis Lopez, who just graduated from Angelou Community High School, said personal finance is "hardly ever talked about in other required classes/courses, not even in business classes. ... I personally think it should be a one-year course to better prepare students."

The legislation was introduced by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento). Not everyone was fully on board from the outset. McCarty introduced a similar bill last year that was amended to make financial literacy an optional component of economic classes, which could be done already. Ranzetta dropped his support of that bill, and even the watered-down version failed to pass.

The fate of the bill on this round changed with the backing of the governor and leaders of each house.

Financial literacy is a critical tool that pays dividends for a lifetime," said Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire (D-North Coast). "Theres a wealth of data about the benefits of learning these valuable lessons in high school, from improving credit scores and reducing default rates to increasing the likelihood that our future generations will maintain three months of savings for emergencies and have at least one kind of retirement account.

Ensuring our students have the skills and knowledge to thrive is paramount to Californias continued success," said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas).

Separately, California lawmakers recently added an ethnic studies course to the list of mandated classes.

Read more: More parents are delaying their kids vaccines, and its alarming pediatricians

Minimum graduation requirements include three years of English and two of mathematics, including one year of algebra. There also are two years of science, including biological and physical sciences and three of social studies, as well as two years of physical education, one year of visual or performing arts, world language or career technical education.

There are additional requirements if a student wishes to apply to a four-year state college, and selective universities carefully evaluate the rigor of a student's advanced coursework. Individual school districts often have their own added requirements as well.

L.A. high school teacher Colleen Ancrile said her school builds financial literacy into its advisory program, a class similar to the homeroom of old. "Adding a course to all of the other requirements will be a scheduling difficulty. Financial Literacy should be embedded starting in elementary school. Outreach to accounting firms to come in [is] actually a better idea."

"Great idea but difficult to implement," said L.A. parent Beth Owen. "The requirements to graduate are already quite cumbersome and often at the end a student discovers they are missing something and have to scramble. ... Electives are often courses that happen yearly, like band. It doesnt work to have to drop something like that for a semester. Or its leadership or yearbook yearlong commitments that are valuable."

Los Angeles-area parent Irene Luczynski was surprised by how few opportunities there are for her ninth-grade son to take electives: "There's really no room for him to branch out and try something new, and isn't that what electives are supposed to do? ... Perhaps this is trivial, but where's the fun in school?"

Read more: LAUSD approves cellphone ban as Newsom calls for statewide action

However, momentum appears to be building for financial literacy. The number of states that guarantee personal finance education for high school students has grown from eight in 2021 to 26, according to Ranzetta's organization, which tracks the issue.

In an earlier analysis, the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College gave California an F in the topic: "Personal finance is not included in the graduation requirements, either as a stand-alone course or embedded in another course, and schools are not required to offer financial literacy courses."

Researchers gave California some credit because the state education department offers "a robust list of financial literacy resources."

In addition, the state's CalMoneySmart program provides annual grants of up to $200,000 to nonprofit organizations to "provide financial education and financial empowerment programs and services for unbanked and underbanked Californians."

A report by the consulting firm Tyton Partners concluded that the lifetime benefit for California students of taking a one-semester high school personal finance course is $127,000  although such figures are hard to prove and ultimately abstract to the real-world experience of young adults.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Who called Kentucky abortion fund for help in the years before Roe v. Wade was overturned?

A Bans off our bodies pin was worn to an election night watch party in Louisville celebrating defeat of an anti-abortion constitutional amendment in Kentucky on Nov. 8, 2022. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

LOUISVILLE  Between 2014 and 2021, 6,162 people called the Kentucky Health Justice Network Abortion Support Fund to seek financial help to get an abortion.

In a new study published last week, researchers analyzed calls made to the abortion support fund and compared them with the Kentucky Department for Public Healths records of abortions.

And while the available data paints a picture of life in the years before the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, researchers said they think the data is relevant in a post-Dobbs world.

We talk a lot about reproductive autonomy and having the ability to make choices that are best for us and the reproductive context, said Melissa Eggen, one of the researchers and a faculty member at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. And we know that in a post Dobbs world, that restrictive policies dont allow for that agency or autonomy.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, which had guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion, in 2022, a trigger law went into effect in Kentucky that banned abortions. Another law bans abortions after six weeks. Doctors have previously said many people dont know theyre pregnant at the six-week mark.

That same year, Kentucky voters rejected an anti-abortion amendment that would have stated definitely that there is no right to an abortion in Kentuckys Constitution.

Kentucky does not have exceptions for rape or incest, though both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have filed unsuccessful bills to change that in recent years. There is an exception in cases where the life of the pregnant person is at risk.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and others have argued to no avail that the restrictions Kentucky has in place are unconstitutional.

Eggen and her co-researchers found a higher percentage of people who called the abortion fund for help were Black, younger than 30 and further along in their pregnancies than the population in the KDPHs abortion records.

They concluded young, Black Kentuckians were more likely to need financial assistance or emotional support to get an abortion. Medicaid, the federal-state program that pays for health care for lower-income people and those with disabilities, did not cover Kentucky abortions before the procedure was outlawed in most cases.

We also know that those are people who are impacted most negatively by poor outcomes during and after pregnancy, Eggen said.

In 2023, the KDPH found Black women were twice as likely to die around childbirth than their white counterparts. Kentucky is about 87% white, according to the United States Census Bureau. Meanwhile, about 9% of the population is Black and 4% is Hispanic.

For the June 21 study, were looking at a period of time in Kentucky when abortion was getting more restricted, but we didnt have a total ban, said Mikaela Smith, a research scientist with Ohio Policy Evaluation Network at The Ohio State University.

This can serve a little bit as a case study for states that still have abortion available, but are trying to further restrict it. So in that way, we can sayHey, heres what happened with Kentucky.

The study

Researchers sought to assess characteristics of abortion fund callers with their research.

To do so, they analyzed KHJNs administration records showing the age, race and pregnancy gestation of people who called the abortion fund. They then compared those data points with abortion data from the public health department.

They found the fund supported  financially and otherwise  6,162 people during the seven years before Roe V. Wade was overturned. During that time, 28,741 people had abortions in Kentucky.

The people who called for help in getting their abortions were more likely to be at least 14 weeks gestation.

Compared with state data, KHJN supported a higher percentage of young people, people of color, and people at later gestations, the report concluded. These findings support evidence that structurally vulnerable groups are more likely to face barriers to care and that abortion funds provide essential support necessary for reproductive equity.

These findings are not too surprising, Smith said. However, being able to apply it in this specific political context felt really important.

The post Who called Kentucky abortion fund for help in the years before Roe v. Wade was overturned? appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. SABAH.HUB is creating its venture capital fund, the Executive Director of SABAH.HUB Rahim Bayramli said during Baku Investment Day, Trend reports.

"I am pleased to announce that over the past two years, SABAH startups have raised more than $4 million from local and regional investors. In the next two days, as already announced, this amount will increase by at least another $2 million. This is a good start, but only the beginning of our path. I am proud to announce our own $25 million venture capital fund. SABAH Fund will take startup financing to the next level by focusing on investing in companies from the South Caucasus and Central Asia - regions with big ambitions on a global level. We plan to cut our first check during this event in the next 48 hours," he said.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Calling female colleagues guys could be grounds to report someone for discrimination

Calling young colleagues 'kids' could be grounds to report someone for discrimination

Calling female colleagues guys is a microaggression that can be reported to managers, staff at a top City law firm have been warned.

Hogan Lovells is cracking down on perceived discrimination with a new reporting system for so-called microaggressions.

Microaggressions are intentional or unintentional acts or subtle slights that can lead to employees feeling marginalised.

Hogan Lovells is relying upon a list of microaggressions that include saying youre pretty strong for a girl, referring to a mixed-gender group as guys and describing younger colleagues as kids or babies.

Other examples include assuming an older colleague is technologically challenged, using heteronormative language without considering diverse identities and using ableist language without awareness.

The Anglo-American law firm  which is the sixth biggest in the world  has told UK staff that they can now anonymously report any microaggressions to be reviewed internally.

Ensure every voice is heard

Penny Angell, UK managing partner, said the firm wants to ensure that every voice is heard, allowing us to review and act on trends over time.

She said: We know that there can be a reluctance to call out seemingly minor incidents, which may none the less contribute to someone feeling excluded or marginalised in the workplace.

A Hogan Lovells spokesman said lawyers who want to complain will be able to do so using a web app available 24/7.

Anyone reporting a microaggression will fill out a form relating to the identity, what they experienced  such as interruption or stereotyping  and the setting or context, such as if it was in a meeting or one-on-one.

Businesses have for years attempted to raise awareness of microaggressions by putting staff on specialist training courses or encouraging what critics have called woke snitching portals.

This year it emerged that civil servants had been told that rolling their eyes or looking at their mobile phones can be evidence of sexual or racial discrimination, as part of a diversity training which has cost more than 160,000 since 2021.

One group was taught that tiny, often unconscious gestures, facial expressions, postures, words and tone of voice can influence how included (or not included) the people around us feel.

Students at Lamda can use QR codes placed in classrooms to report microaggressions - Paul Painter/Alamy

Students at Britains oldest drama school, Lamda, were also urged in 2022 to report teachers microaggressions using QR codes placed in classrooms which gave them instant access to a microaggression reporting form.

Critics branded the move totalitarian and raised concerns about a potential culture of denunciation.

In 2021, lawyers told the prestigious Russell Group of universities that they risked infringing freedom of expression after The Telegraph found that six websites had been set up for students to denounce their lecturers.

Durham Universitys Report + Support site listed not giving someone eye contact and constantly criticising and never praising as potential offences.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The News

NAIROBI  Protests continued in major cities and towns in Kenya, even after President William Ruto withdrew the unpopular finance bill that triggered the deadly demonstrations.

Some protesters have turned their attention to Rutos resignation, and are calling for the president to step down. Chants of Ruto must go! featured heavily in Thursdays protests.

Military vehicles were seen passing through the streets of Nairobi as protesters marched peacefully alongside them.

The killings of at least 23 demonstrators, and a series of abductions,have fueled negative sentiment against Ruto within the protest movement, which is made up primarily of Gen Z and millennial Kenyans. The Kenya Human Rights Commission has called for an inquiry into the deaths.

Opposition lawmaker Daniel Manduku has called for the reconstitution of the electoral commission, Rutos resignation, and the dissolution of parliament, which would pave the way for fresh elections within 90 days. Ruto came to office in 2022 to serve a five-year term. The opposition coalition Azimio had previously called for Rutos resignation on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, they came to take back their power, Manduku said of protesters who stormed parliament earlier this week. We must call a spade a spade. I want to ask Kenyans not to allow their elected leaders to go back there, even myself included.

Know More

Protesters in Nairobi are divided about whether to march on the State House, the presidential residence, on Thursday. Key figures associated with the protest, including activist Boniface Mwangi and journalist Hanifa Farsafi, advised protesters to avoid breaching the residence, citing safety concerns.

The protests have also prompted a blame game in the highest echelons of the government. In a press conference on Wednesday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accused intelligence chief Noordin Haji and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of failing the President.

It is embarrassing that it had to take protests, deaths, and destruction of properties for the president to realize the extent of the problem. NIS embarrassed the president, he said.

The View From Washington

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Ruto on Thursday. The US relationship with Kenya has been in focus, following President Joe Bidens recent designation of Kenya as a major non-NATO ally. In a statement, Blinkens office said he thanked President Ruto for taking steps to reduce tensions and pledging to engage in dialogue with the protestors and civil society.
Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) at the National Republican Senatorial Committee building on June 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. At left, Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance looks on. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate.

A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month.

So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election.

In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character.

Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part in the scheme.

That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket.

Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity.

Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will be at Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta.

Confidence and a coalition

Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table.

I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said.

I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is.

Good relationships across the spectrum

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda.

The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said.

Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said.

For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk.

We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor.

Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe.

A stint in the military

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst  a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard  said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience.

I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said.

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party.

Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters  (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president.

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required.

I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November.

Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate.

When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders, but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people.

But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said.

A sitting senator

Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks  even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January.

Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate.

I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president.

Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee.

I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table.

When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration.

Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected.

I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said.

Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said.

Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The remaining states  Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin  require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election.

All of Trumps picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors.

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The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on June 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C., as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, left, seen as a possible vice presidential pick, and other Republicans look on. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, was visiting Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans and participate in additional meetings. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate.

A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month.

So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election.

In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character.

Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part in the scheme.

That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket.

Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity.

Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will be at Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta.

Confidence and a coalition

Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table.

I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said.

I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is.

Good relationships across the spectrum

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda.

The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said.

Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said.

For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk.

We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor.

Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe.

A stint in the military

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst  a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard  said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience.

I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said.

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party.

Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters  (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president.

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required.

I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November.

Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate.

When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders, but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people.

But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said.

A sitting senator

Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks  even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January.

Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate.

I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president.

Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee.

I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table.

When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration.

Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected.

I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said.

Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said.

Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The remaining states  Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin  require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election.

All of Trumps picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors.

The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on Washington State Standard.
Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on June 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C., as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, left, seen as a possible vice presidential pick, and other Republicans look on. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, was visiting Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Republicans and participate in additional meetings. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on June 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C., as Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, left, seen as a possible vice presidential pick, and other Republicans look on. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what theyd like to see in Donald Trumps running mate.

A little calmer than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if needed, they told States Newsroom in interviews.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has held off on revealing his pick. But hes dropped tantalizing compliments about a few of the short-list candidates, producing non-stop headlines about the veepstakes in advance of the Republican National Convention next month.

So far, Trump hasnt indicated a clear favorite, leading to incessant speculation about what characteristics hes looking for in his second-in-command this time around, the person who will head up the GOP ticket with him in whats likely to be a close election.

In 2016, Trump selected Indianas Mike Pence, in part to sway evangelical Christians who were skeptical about Trumps moral character.

Trump is seeking a second term in office as a convicted felon found guilty on 34 counts in New York for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election. Hes also facing federal charges for seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election and has cast aside Pence after his former vice president refused to take part in the scheme.

That, however, hasnt diminished the number of GOP lawmakers and former presidential hopefuls jostling to join his ticket.

Trumps list of vice presidential candidates reportedly includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

Republican senators, including some thought to be in the running to be tapped as the veep candidate, met with Trump on June 13 to map campaign strategy and portray unity.

Trump told NBC News on Saturday his pick most likely will be at Thursday nights debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta.

Confidence and a coalition

Several Republican senators interviewed by States Newsroom offered suggestions for what traits might be most helpful for Trump in a vice president during a potential second term.

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said shes hoping to see a vice presidential pick who can bring confidence and a wider GOP coalition to the table.

I think you want somebody who has broad knowledge, not just national, but international, (you want) decisiveness, and somebody whos got leadership that you could actually see taking the reins of the presidency, somebody who has conservative principles on the Republican side and is a proven leader, Capito said.

I would imagine for President Trump, its going to be somebody that brings a broader constituency to him, Capito said, adding and is probably a little calmer than he is.

Good relationships across the spectrum

Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Trump would benefit from somebody who, in the right setting, is providing a lot of good upward feedback, supporting the presidents agenda.

The former and possibly future president would also gain from a pick who is well studied on the issues, and if its a senator, a person with good relationships across the spectrum would help, Tillis said.

Were probably going to have a tight margin, so if you think about maybe somebody who has past relationships with people in the House, good relationships with the Republican conference. I mean, were gonna have some tough votes, Tillis said.

For example, Congress faces a massive tax code fight next year as several provisions in the 2017 Republican tax law are set to expire. Tillis recalled the internal GOP debate in 2017 wasnt a cakewalk.

We had to work to get Republican support, Tillis said. So having somebody that naturally has that chemistry, you know, whether or not youve worked on legislation, or you just have a good relationship going in. If I were in President Trumps position, thatd be a key factor.

Congress will also need to address the debt limit next year, a debate that carries significant economic consequences, both domestically and around the globe.

A stint in the military

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst  a top member of the Armed Services Committee and a retired lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard  said she would love to see somebody that does have foreign relations or military policy experience.

I think that would be key, to have someone thats young and enthusiastic and would be able to fill the role of our next president as well, Ernst said.

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said that Trump might want to pick someone whom voters feel confident can follow him as the leader of the Republican Party.

Im not sure that vice presidential nominees have a lot of impact, influence on how people vote, Moran said. But I would say that this may be a year in which that matters  (given the) age of candidates. And so who might follow is probably of interest to people. And I would say that the best qualification is somebody whod be a great president.

Indiana Sen. Mike Braun, who is likely to become his home states next governor, said Trump needs someone who thinks like him politically, so the two dont differ on policy issues, as well as someone ready to become president if required.

I think someones going to have to be on the same wavelength politically, for sure, Braun said. I think Ive heard him say that he wants somebody ready to step into the role if necessary. I think the loyalty factor is something hes always stressed.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt said that no matter who Trump picks off his short list, Republicans will win back the Oval Office in November.

Every senator on the list is outstanding, Britt said. And Ill be excited about the good things that were going to be able to do with him back in office and us in control of the Senate.

When asked his opinion of Trumps VP short list, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said, I havent seen anybody on the list that I would object to.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy said he wouldnt comment on specific contenders, but added all the names Ive heard mentioned seem to be good people.

But what counts is what President Trump thinks, and I dont have the slightest idea who hes gonna pick, Kennedy said.

A sitting senator

Republican senators who spoke to States Newsroom appeared mostly unfazed by the possibility that a vice presidential pick could be from among their ranks  even if that lowers what could be a very narrow majority in the Senate come January.

Capito said she thinks a Republican majority will likely remain safe even if Trump chooses one of her colleagues as his running mate.

I think the ones hes talking about are from pretty red states, but you know, youre always concerned about that, Capito said. But I think it would be great to have a colleague who was in the Senate with me be our vice president.

Braun said that Trump might want to consider the polling of several key races for the Senate before picking his nominee.

I think that could be a consideration, Braun said. You take that risk off the table.

When asked whether a VP pick from the Senate could weaken or upset a GOP majority, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said, Im sure Trump will take that into consideration.

Tillis said he is not concerned about Trumps VP pick threatening a Republican Senate majority, and he speculated that Trump may even pull from the upper chamber when choosing his Cabinet, should he be elected.

I think the replacement protocol doesnt make it a significant issue, Tillis said.

Grassley echoed Tillis. Are we talking about Ohio, Florida, South Carolina? Thats it. I dont think youd worry about that, he said.

Forty-five states require the governor to appoint someone to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat, and 37 of those states fill the vacancy with the chosen appointment until the next statewide election, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

The remaining states  Kentucky, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin  require vacant Senate seats to be filled by a special election.

All of Trumps picks from the Senate are from states with Republican governors.

The post Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trumps vice presidential pick appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
FILE PHOTO: Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly speaks during a reception honouring the visit of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat in Gatineau, Quebec

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada on Thursday imposed sanctions on seven Israeli settlers it said had taken part in extremist violence in the West Bank, the second time in just over a month Ottawa has taken such a step.

The foreign ministry said it had also imposed punitive measures on five entities, including settler organizations.

"We remain deeply concerned by extremist settler violence in the West Bank and condemn such acts, not only for the significant impact they have on Palestinian lives, but also for the corrosive impact they have on prospects for lasting peace," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement.

Violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was already at a more than 15-year high in 2023 and surged further after Israel's war in the separate enclave of Gaza in response to the Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack on Oct. 7.

Those Canada targeted include Ben-Zion Gopstein, founder and leader of the right-wing group Lehava, which opposes Jewish assimilation with non-Jews.

Also listed are Elisha Yered, who has justified killing Palestinians on religious grounds, and Shalom Zicherman, who the U.S. State Department this year said had assaulted Israeli activists and their vehicles in the West Bank.

Canada's sanctions follow similar measures by allies including the United States and Britain.

The measures prohibit dealings related to the individuals and render them inadmissible to Canada, the foreign ministry said. Ottawa imposed sanctions on four settlers last month.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Rod Nickel)
Local political and business leaders gathered in downtown Wilmington Thursday to hear gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein talk about important issues for not only North Carolinians, but also those in the Cape Fear Region.

For the past two years, North Carolina has been named the top state for business by CNBC, and many have acknowledged Wilmington's contributions to this ranking with its focus on workforce and entrepreneurship.

Not only is Wilmington a hot spot for business, but New Hanover County also has played a pivotal role in the state's previous gubernatorial races with the winning candidate also winning in the county for over 125 years.

Hosted by the Wilmington Business Journal, the Power Breakfast Series gave Robinson and Stein the opportunity to make their case on various issues, including affordable housing, affordable healthcare, public education, the workforce and infrastructure. Both candidates also answered questions from the audience.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson talks to the crowd during the Greater Wilmington Business Journal's Power Breakfast that was held Thursday June 27, 2024 at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. Guests speakers included Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

Education

Both candidates expressed strong passion for the state's public education system, specifically educators.

Robinson's approach to the state's education system aims to take learning back to a more traditional approach and to remove inappropriate materials from the classrooms, including what he considers pornographic material.

"Not fit for the consumption of their six o' clock viewers, but they're somehow fit for the consumption of fifth-graders," Robinson said when referring to television stations blurring the photos in a book that he opposed.

He said the education system should focus more on the tenants of capitalism and how it works as well as teaching financial literacy to students. Robinson stressed that success does not come from just attending a four-year university, but that going into careers in trades are just as successful.

Stein acknowledged that the state has some of the finest educational institutions and that if he is elected, he will support educators. He also shared the same support for those who want to pursue technical education and apprenticeship programs.

Stein and Robinson both said they support raises for teachers.

NC governor's race: 4 things to watch for in general election faceoff

Attorney General Josh Stein addresses the crowd during the Greater Wilmington Business Journal's Power Breakfast that was held Thursday June 27, 2024 at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. Guests speakers included Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

Healthcare

Affordable healthcare for North Carolinians was a major focus for Stein as he addressed his efforts as attorney general to take big pharmaceutical drug companies to court for their role in the opioid crisis. New Hanover County earned nearly $34 million from the settlement to help those struggling with addiction.

Stein also talked about how through bipartisan work, the backlog of rape testing kits has been eliminated throughout the state, further supporting survivors of sexual assault. He also acknowledged current Gov. Roy Cooper's work that expanded Medicaid in December 2023.

Stein said he will continue to focus on tackling the fentanyl crisis and helping local law enforcement agencies to recruit and retain well trained officers.

"Putting people first, that's what government service is supposed to be about," Stein said. "That is what I've done as attorney general and that is what I will do as governor."

He stressed that every North Carolinian deserves to have good healthcare no matter where they live and how much money they earn.

The Greater Wilmington Business Journal's Power Breakfast was held Thursday June 27, 2024 at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. Guests speakers included Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

Affordable housing

As people flock to North Carolina's coast, specifically the Wilmington Metro Area, which ranked top 10 in fastest-growing metro areas in the country, Stein said housing demands have done up but the supply hasn't been there to match those demands.

Robinson said the affordable housing crisis should be handled by lowering taxes and unnecessary regulations for renters and homebuilders without damaging the environment or breaking the rules.

"We've got to do it folks," Robinson said. "We're not getting any less people. In fact, we're getting more people."

More: The Wilmington metro area is among the fastest growing in the country. See where we rank.

Prioritizing the local workforce

Both Robinson and Stein said they support strong workforce development, which is one of the Cape Fear region's strong suits, especially in northern New Hanover County, where industrial parks are popping up.

Robinson, who is one of 10 children and grew up with little, said he got his standard and appreciation for hard work from his mother, who was born in Burgaw. He said she worked hard to provide for him and his siblings after his father died.

He said he spent much of his working career in furniture manufacturing, but he lost two jobs because the jobs were sent to other countries due to the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"One of the most painful experiences of my life was watching those folks who had put decades of work into that company and have the rug pulled out from underneath them," Robinson said.

The Greater Wilmington Business Journal's Power Breakfast was held Thursday June 27, 2024 at the Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. Guests speakers included Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and Attorney General Josh Stein. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

Wilmington area specifics

Stein was asked by an audience member about how he would advocate for a new bridge to replace the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and he said that infrastructure is one of his priorities and that he will continue to try to work with the secretary of transportation to speed the process along.

As attorney general, Stein also has worked to make sure the Cape Fear region has clean drinking water by taking Chemours and DuPont to court after they discharged GenX and other PFAS chemicals from their Fayetteville plant into the Cape Fear River.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Mark Robinson, Josh Stein campaign for NC governor in Wilmington, NC
Judge Aileen Cannons plodding supervision of the Mar-a-Lago documents case is coming under building scrutiny after she dedicated three days to exploring long-shot motions from former President Trump.

Cannon weighed arguments from Trumps team that question the legitimacy of special counsel Jack Smiths appointment and his offices funding, while taking the highly unusual step of inviting outside groups into her Fort Pierce courtroom to weigh in on the matter.

Her lengthy consideration comes after reporting from The New York Times that two of Cannons judicial colleagues urged her to hand off the case  including one who was concerned about the optics after one of Cannons actions was criticized by a higher court.

There is no trial date set in the case; Cannon suspended the start date indefinitely as she argued she must carefully weigh a pile of pretrial motions from Trump that ask her to toss the proceedings.

Attorneys generally avoid open criticism of a judge, but that dynamic has shifted as motions mount in the Trump documents case.

Lawyers have called the delays by Cannon unusual and problematic, though criticism from the left has been sharper. Some have asked whether inexperience, incompetence or even bias could be affecting her handling of the case.

Theres nothing  nothing  about the way she has handled the case that is normal, that is usual, and that makes a degree of sense  except that shes just so inexperienced or second, that shes just not confident, or third, that she is so biased to Trump, Nancy Gertner, a retired federal district court judge appointed by President Clinton, told The Hill.

By not setting a trial date, by not deciding motions, she is simply slow-walking the case, and that is clearly in Trumps interest.

One attorney who previously defended Trump also criticized Cannon and said some of her actions are aiding the former presidents desire for delay.

The decisions arent coming quick enough. Shes asking too many other people to come in and give their opinions, Michael van der Veen, who defended Trump during his second impeachment, said during an appearance on CNN.

While he called her a smart lady, he stressed the need for timely decisions, adding that by failing to do so in this case, its really playing right into the defenses hands.

During three days of hearings this week, Cannon at times chastised prosecutors. But she also was deeply skeptical of a bid by Trumps lawyers to suppress evidence collected during the FBIs search of his Mar-a-Lago home.

Still, this scrutiny of Trumps legal team took place in a context in which Cannon has repeatedly agreed to hear out arguments from the defense that outside observers say many judges would have addressed more quickly.

There will not be a trial in this case until after the election, thus paving the way for a 50 percent  roughly speaking  possibility that the defendant in that case will be in a position to either pardon himself or instruct that the case against him be dropped, Jeff Robbins, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, told The Hill. Robbins formerly worked as deputy chief counsel for the Democratic senators on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.

Every delay pushes this all back, and the Trump team has given her almost limitless opportunities to not act on things or to push things back. And rather than taking the judicial bull by the horns, and firmly establishing schedules, prompt schedules, as the vast, vast majority of other federal judges would do, certainly in a case like this, she has foot-dragged.

Cannons handling of the case has raised eyebrows since even before Trump was indicted, when she appointed a special master to review evidence collected at Mar-a-Lago. She was sternly reversed by a panel of three judges all appointed by Republicans, including two by Trump.

It was that incident that reportedly led Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga, a George W. Bush appointee, to suggest Cannon hand off the case once the charges came before her.

As shes stuck with the case, Cannon has bucked the practice of allowing a magistrate judge to weigh some of the pretrial motions in the case, something often done by district court judges to free their attention. Not doing so also gives her more control over the case.

Shes also scheduled numerous hearings to weigh matters other judges would likely decide based on briefs already filed  something other judges said they would likely decide on the papers. Judges can also rule from the bench after a hearing, but Cannon has thus far declined to do so, instead taking the lengthier route of drafting opinions.

Giving that level of serious consideration to motions unlikely to succeed, Gertner said, could be a sign of bias.

An inexperienced judge would not indulge arguments that have not succeeded anywhere else, she said.

A young and inexperienced judge would typically defer, as she should, to cases where the precedent points overwhelmingly in one direction. You dont stick your neck out to decide new principles or to upend precedent. So given the fact, for example, that there is overwhelming precedent supporting the appointment of Jack Smith, the notion that she is dignifying Trumps arguments by holding hearings is already disturbing.

Shira Scheindlin, also a retired federal district court judge appointed by Clinton, said she does not attribute Cannons handling of the case to bias, but rather a combination of inexperience and lack of self-confidence.

She noted the details of Smiths appointment might be interesting to a former appellate lawyer like Cannon who often enjoys getting in the weeds.

So theres a little hook here thats interesting, and it grabs her attention, and she held the hearing. I dont think thats so terrible, but whats terrible is not getting to the decision more quickly, Scheindlin said.

Cannon has defended her pacing in the case.

I can assure you that in the background, there is a great deal of judicial work going on, she said in a March hearing.

So while it may not appear on the surface that anything is happening, there is a ton of work being done.

Cannon did not rule from the bench following any of the hearings, leaving unclear when she will address them.

During Mondays hearing, Cannon at one point asked detailed questions about the special counsels funding, at times seeming to surprise prosecutors by the extent she sought more granular details.

And at a separate hearing to weigh whether Trumps conditions of pretrial release bar statements he made suggesting the Justice Department gave the green light to assassinate him, Cannon again clashed with prosecutors.

As prosecutor David Harbach tried to list reasons restrictions on Trumps speech were consistent with the First Amendment, he was cut off by Cannon, with the prosecutor at one point exasperatedly noting, Ive got one reason out so far.

Cannon snapped back that she did not appreciate his tone, prompting Harbach to later apologize.

Jonathan Turley, a conservative legal scholar, defended Cannon this week, noting that Cannon did rule against Trump as he asked her to strike the obstruction-related charges in the indictment.

In reality, the loose Cannon spin is utterly disconnected with her actual rulings, Turley wrote in an op-ed in the New York Post.

She has ruled for and against both parties on major issues. That includes rejecting major motions filed by the Trump team and most recently challenging Trump counsel on claims that the special counsel is part of a shadow government.

The limited rulings, however, are just a fraction of those still sitting before Cannon.

Whether the foot dragging is because, as some have speculated, shes quite insecure and inexperienced and doesnt know how to control her docket, or [if] its because some part of her feels as though shes inclined to let this bump along, and if it was helpful to the person who appointed her, thats not such a bad thing  one doesnt know, Robbins said.

One or the other or both are true.

The Associated Press contributed.

Updated at 8:10 a.m. EDT

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed $1 million for an emergency homeless shelter run by Catholic Charities of Acadiana over the organization's work with immigrants.

Gov. Jeff Landry cut $1 million in state funding from the largest homeless shelter in Lafayette because of the help its operator, Catholic Charities of Acadiana, provides to immigrants.

Part of Catholic Charities mission is to support the influx of illegal aliens into our country. Taxpayers should never foot the bill for nonprofits who are contributing to the illegal immigration crisis our nation is facing, Landry said in a written statement Wednesday. I dont believe the majority of our legislators would support this either.

Landry removed the money for the organization after state lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to include it earlier this month. The funding was not intended for the groups immigrant services. It would have helped pay for an emergency homeless shelter serving eight parishes in Acadiana.

Catholic Charities is now scrambling for a new source of support to help keep its shelter open just a few days before its new budget cycle starts July 1. Spokesman Ben Broussard said the cut will have a crippling impact on the largest shelter for homeless people in the Lafayette region.

The facility overwhelmingly serves Louisiana citizens. More than 80% of the people who used it last year came from the Acadiana area, and over 90% were state residents. In total, it housed 410 people last year and has 87 people under its roof currently, Broussard said.

Landry, who is a Catholic and a Lafayette Parish resident, said he wasnt convinced the charity should receive government support.

I look forward to understanding in greater detail why Catholic Charities needs taxpayers dollars and how they would use that money, he said.

Since Landry took office in January, he has made fighting illegal immigration a priority, even though states generally have to concede enforcement to the federal government.

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One of his first acts as governor was to require the state to track and collect data on immigrants. Landry then spent $3 million to send 150 Louisiana National Guard members to Texas to help monitor the Mexico border.

His efforts to hold a local Catholic Charities chapter responsible for the churchs long-held views on immigration is in keeping with national conservatives.

Republicans in Congress threatened to pull federal funding from Catholic Charities last year over the nonprofits aid to immigrants at the Mexico border. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, announced an investigation into a Catholic organization assisting migrant workers in El Paso last winter.

The New York Times reported earlier this month that people who work for Catholic Charities and other religious-based groups that assist immigrants are being harassed and attacked by right-leaning extremists across the country.

Locally, Catholic Charities of Acadiana offers legal services to immigrants, including help with seeking citizenship, protected status and work authorization. The group also works with people who qualify for the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which prevents deportation of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children.

Catholic Charities of Acadiana lists these programs on its website, but its webpage for immigrant programs disappeared from public view for a few hours Wednesday after Landry vetoed the groups shelter funding. When a reporter asked for more information about the services, the page came back online.



Broussard declined to comment on the changes to the website or to provide more information about the groups immigration outreach.



The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, which represents the church and charity organizations statewide, has clashed with Landry on other immigration policies.



The bishops opposed two new laws Landry backed. The first empowers local law enforcement officials to arrest people they suspect of entering the country illegally. The second is a so-called anti-sanctuary city provision, meant to force cities, such as New Orleans, to police immigrants aggressively if they are undocumented.



[Help for] immigrants and refugees has been a core service of the Catholic Church forever, said Tom Costanza, the chief state lobbyist for the Catholic Church in Louisiana.



The governor might have targeted Catholic Charities of Acadiana for a cut, but he didnt remove all the money in the state budget for the organization. The group is still slated to receive $2.7 million in public funding to purchase generators for its buildings, including its shelter facility and soup kitchen that serves free, hot meals to people experiencing hunger.

The post Catholic Charities immigrant aid compelled Landry to cut state money for its homeless shelter appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and consulting company Dar Al Sharia signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of Islamic finance within the framework of the annual meeting and business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

According to information, the document was signed by EDB Chairman of the Board Nikolai Podguzov and from the side of Dar Al Sharia Executive Director Ammar Ahmed.

Following the signing of the agreement, Podguzov noted that earlier this year, the EDB, together with Dar Al Sharia, started practical preparations for the opening of the bank's Islamic Window.

"The company is assisting the bank in customizing the bank's relevant procedures and processes. This agreement will strengthen and expand our partnership. We have agreed on long-term cooperation, continuing to work on the development of Islamic finance banking products, advising on the conversion of the conventional portfolio into an Islamic finance-compliant portfolio, and other aspects of the practical implementation of the Islamic Window," he said.

He stated that this will allow the preparation of unique financial products that meet international standards, increase Islamic investments in the region, and contribute to the sustainable development of the Central Asian region.

To note, the EDB's annual meeting (business forum) is being held in Almaty. The event will last two days (June 2728).

The event will include several sessions on Islamic finance, transportation, the environment, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank engaged in investment activities in Eurasia.

The authorized capital of the EDB is $7 billion. The main share of the EDB's portfolio is occupied by projects with integration effects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and machine building.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
CDC Warns Of Rising Cases Of Dengue In The U.S. Amid Global Surge

Federal health officials are warning that cases of dengue are rising higher than expected this year in the U.S. amid a record number of global cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

As of Monday, there have been more than 9.7 million dengue cases reported in the Americas, which is twice as many reported in all of 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a health advisory issued Tuesday.

In the U.S., there have been 2,241 confirmed cases so far, compared to 3,036 during all of 2023. This years total includes 1,498 cases in Puerto Rico, which declared a public health emergency in March, a month thats historically a low-dengue season.

Aedes aegypti mosquitos, pictured, have been driving many of the current dengue outbreaks, which are typically in tropical and subtropical regions. LUIS ROBAYO via Getty Images

The vast majority of dengue cases in the continental U.S. will occur in travelers who were infected by a mosquito while visiting areas with a risk of dengue. These areas are typically in tropical and subtropical regions, where dengue transmission peaks during the warmer and wetter months, the CDC said.

Dengue cases are likely to increase as global temperatures increase, the CDC said. Higher temperatures can expand the range of the mosquitoes that spread dengue, as well as affect other factors that facilitate virus transmission like faster viral amplification in the mosquito, increased vector survival, and changes in reproduction and biting rates.

Florida has seen the most cases this year, with 197 reported, while New York has seen the second-highest, with 134, according to the CDC.

Countries reporting higher-than-usual number of dengue cases. CDC.gov

Last year, there were 179 locally acquired cases in Florida, according to CDC data. Local transmissions have also previously been seen in Hawaii, Texas, Arizona and California.

The Florida Department of Health last week reported a locally acquired case of dengue in Hillsborough County, which is in Tampa.

The disease can take up to two weeks to develop, with illness generally lasting less than a week. Its symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, rash, muscle and joint pain, and minor bleeding.

A child sick with dengue lies on a bed at a hospital in Honduras on June 11, 2024. Honduras has recorded at least 20 deaths so far this year due to dengue fever and more than 30,000 suspected cases of infection. ORLANDO SIERRA via Getty Images

Severe cases can develop within a few hours of transmission and they will usually require hospitalization. Most severe cases involve hemorrhage, shock, organ failure and death.

Health officials advise the public to use mosquito repellents during and immediately after travel to areas with dengue transmission and to wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved pants and shirts to prevent bites.

Stagnant outdoor water should also be dumped or drained to reduce mosquito egg-laying sites.

Related...
Chances of being struck by lightning are low, but safety knowledge is still important

Lightning in recent days has claimed at least one life, maimed others, and done damage across multiple states.

Strikes killed a New Jersey man who was out trying to warn others of the storm, struck a tree and injured three people in Connecticut, reportedly hurt seven people from a church youth group in Utah, and sparked fires at apartment complexes, multiple homes, and even a church steeple.

We're heading into dangerous lightning season with fatal strikes being most common during summer months. Your chances of being struck by lightning in any given year are about one in 1.22 million, and the number of people who have died from lightning strikes has thankfully decreased in recent years, according to the National Weather Service.

Still, lightning strikes across the country are growing in frequency.

During National Lightning Safety Awareness Week, here's what to know about lightning bolts and how to stay safe.

3 killed by lightning so far this year

At least three people have died after run-ins with lightning bolts this year, putting 2024 on track to meet the annual average in recent years of just over 20.

Patrick Dispoto, 59, was on a beach in Seaside Park, New Jersey, on Sunday when he was struck. Police said he was found unconscious at about 7:38 p.m. and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His girlfriend told authorities he went out to warn others about the dangerous storm after making sure she was safe inside a vehicle.

Earlier this year, a Tallahassee, Florida, man was killed by a lightning bolt so powerful that it blew off the bottoms of his socks. Michael Herbert Smith, 73, and his wife were out for a walk on March 3 when he was struck while they were heading back to their car.

Lightning strikes the ground as an afternoon thunderstorm rolls into Greenacres, Florida, on June 25, 2024.

(His wife) was walking in front and then heard a loud bang and (saw) bright light come from behind her, a police report obtained by the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, said. When she turned around, she observed Michael fall over onto the ground."

Bystanders tried to rescue him, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital later.

When lightning struck in Jackson County, Colorado, on May 25, rancher Mike Morgan, 51, and 34 of his cattle were killed. Morgan was feeding the herd in an open field. His father-in-law and wife who were nearby survived, news outlets reported.

In Sevier County, Utah, seven people from a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints youth group were transported to hospitals after lightning struck the ground during a hike.

Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said about 50 people felt a shock when the strike hit Thursday afternoon. Seven members of the youth group had medical concerns due to electrocution and were transported to hospitals by ambulances, according to the sheriff.

Two of them were seriously injured and carried by a medical helicopter to Primary Childrens Hospital in Lehi. Curtis said none of the injuries are expected to be life-threatening.

Lightning strikes are on the rise, but deaths have been declining

Lightning strike deaths reached a near-record low in 2023, and on the whole have declined in the past decade. Between 2009 and 2018, the U.S. has seen 27 deaths per year on average. The 30-year average between 1989 and 2018 was 43 reported lightning fatalities per year.

Experts attribute the drop in deaths to increased awareness about safety during thunderstorms and a shift of population to more urban areas since the 1940s, when hundreds of people were killed by lightning per year. A lightning safety campaign that began in 2001 has helped, according to John Jensenius, a meteorologist with the National Lightning Safety Council.

"Since then, we've seen a notable drop in the number of lightning fatalities across the U.S., despite an increasing population," he told USA TODAY earlier this year.

Florida leads the nation in lightning strike deaths, with 89 since 2006, according to the National Lightning Safety Council. Most lightning strike victims are men (80%), and about two-thirds of fatalities occurr during outdoor leisure activities. Over 70% of lightning fatalities happen during the summer months of June, July and August, with weekend days seeing deaths more commonly.

Though deaths are down, lightning itself is booming, according to Vaisala Xweather, which tracks lightning: 242 million flashes were recorded in 2023, the most in the last seven years. That's also led to more damage to homes and insurance claims.

How to stay safe during a storm

"When thunder roars, go indoors!"

That's the slogan adopted by lightning safety campaigns over the years and the top tip for staying safe and avoiding a lightning injury or fatality.

Stay indoors during a thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning. Too many people wait too long to head inside after a storm starts, the National Weather Service says.

Check weather conditions and plan ahead. Have a plan for where you will seek shelter if a thunderstorm develops.

While indoors, don't touch electrical outlets or anything plugged into one, plumbing, or corded phones. Stay away from windows and exterior doors.

Wait 30 minutes until after the last lightning bolt or thunderclap to go back outside.

Understand your level of risk: "(T)he threat of lightning increases as a thunderstorm approaches, reaches a peak when the storm is overhead, and then gradually diminishes as the storm moves away," the weather service says.

If you see someone struck by lightning, call 911. Start CPR or use an automated external defibrillator if needed. The person is safe to touch and won't carry an electrical charge.

Contributing: Minnah Arshad, Doyle Rice, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Janet Loehrke, and Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY; Ken Serrano, Asbury Park Press; Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning strikes can kill. Here's how to stay safe in a storm
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Charlotte man has been sentenced to 42 years in prison for sexual exploitation of minors, according to Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Phillip Christopher Weise, 36, was given the maximum sentence possible due to a string of disturbing crimes involving children, which presiding Judge Whitney says will have a life-long impact on the victim.

According to court documents, authorities got a tip in December 2020 that Weise was uploading child pornography to social media. In March 2021, law enforcement searched his home, seizing electronic devices.

Hickory man sentenced to 11 years for extensive inventory of child porn: DOJ

Officials say Weise posed as a minor on multiple social media platforms to befriend children. He then sent them explicit images of other children and coerced the minors to send explicit material. Weise sometimes encouraged the children to involve animals and younger siblings in the videos.

According to authorities, Weise would sometimes threaten to post explicit videos if he did not receive more. He mainly targeted children between 4 and 12 years old.

More than six victims have been identified.

On March 9, 2023, Weise pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography, extortion, and transfer of obscene matter to minors. He is in federal custody, awaiting transfer to a prison.

Upon his release from prison, Weise will be on a lifetime of supervised release and will have to register as a sex offender.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department were involved in the investigation. This case was part of Project Safe Childhood.

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This chef worked for years in Sacramento restaurants. Now hes opening a bistro in the Delta

Matt Brown is getting older. The Delta is calling.

Formerly the chef at midtown Sacramento nightlife hotbeds The Jungle Bird and The Golden Bear as well as Bodega Kitchen & Cocktails in Greenhaven (hes still a silent partner there), Browns next project will be south of the city in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Hes the new chef and owner at Clarksburg restaurant Husicks, soon to be known as Husicks by Forester (his middle name). While past iterations have focused on barbecue, pizza and beer, Brown is reimagining Husicks as a bistro that highlights the Deltas strong wine scene.

A 20-minute drive from the State Capitol, the Deltas flowing waters, shady trees and rows of Chenin Blanc are a somewhat untapped area gem. Emil Gagliardi, who runs Sacramento River Cruise and uses Husicks as his commissary kitchen, recommended Brown buy out the previous owners. One drive south, and he was sold.

Its definitely off my beaten path, but after working at Golden Bear and Jungle Bird  you know, Im in my 40s now. I feel like Ive kind of aged out of that vibe, and this is kind of a perfect fit for me as far as where I feel Im at in life and work right now, Brown said.

The vast majority of Delta tourism happens during the summer, and Brown is building Husicks lunch menu around warm-weather foods such as salads and BBT (bacon, basil, tomato) sandwiches on fresh-baked focaccia. Hell also serve restaurant variations on homey dishes he grew up eating at his family table, including hummus and a Parmesan dip known as salsa di Parmigiano.

Every Sacramentans favorite summer weather phenomenon, the Delta breeze, will cool evening temperatures on the 30- or 40-seat patio (same availability inside, give or take), allowing Brown to roll out heartier items come dinnertime.

Hangar steaks will be served on cutting boards carved by Browns childhood neighbor Joe Ryle, with canals to catch meat juices and sides of bread, pickled vegetables and Cambazola cheese. A crispy lentil dish will include the bresaola and soppressata that dont make it onto charcuterie boards, and Husicks existing pizza oven will still be put to use as well.

The beer taps arent going anywhere either, but Brown wants to tap more into Clarksburg wineries such as Heringer Estates and Silt Wine Co. And whats a Delta wine bar without a few bottles of Bogle Family Vineyards, the United States 13th-largest winery?

Brown gets the keys to Husicks on July 1 and begin transforming it in advance of an August 15 reopening. Itll be open from 11 am.-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday at 36510 Riverview Drive in Clarksburg.

What Im Eating

Drive southeast through Sacramento County past the fruit stands and grazing cattle and youll eventually reach Sloughhouse, a 7,000-person town with one restaurant. The Slough House Kitchen is a literal historical landmark originally constructed in 1850 and popularized as the Sloughhouse Inn throughout the 20th century; its taken on new life under Alisa and Slav Lisagor, a Moldovan-born couple who opened their restaurant in 2022.

A pastry chef by trade, Slav Lisagors specialties include housemade pasta and wedges of flaky, crusty sourdough bread made from a decade-old starter and served with a streak of rosemary-thyme butter. Small table lamps, brick walls, old wooden floors and antique photos make the restaurants inside feel rooted in Sloughhouses history, but a lovely backyard patio deck makes for a peaceful place to slurp Hog Island Oyster Co. bivalves and watch a rural sunset.

The Slough House Kitchens seasonal menus source largely from neighboring Davis Ranch and include a few nods to the Lisagors roots, mostly notably in the fixture burrata with sea buckthorns ($18). Soft, creamy cheese contrasts with small orange berries that hail from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which are pickled in apple cider vinegar made from Apple Hill fruit and have a sweet-tart taste somewhat similar to gooseberries.

A hefty pork schnitzel ($38) was pushed to the plates edge by light mashed potatoes and a trio of sauces: five-hour marinara, fermented chili and mushrooms in white wine. Pounded flat and seasoned with orange juice before being fried in neutral oils, the schnitzel puffed up to a sweet-ish shell almost like an oddly delicious funnel cake.

Poached barramundi ($39) is available grilled or deep-fried. Choose the former to more fully taste the tender fish, cross-hatched and simply presented in a beurre blanc sauce that makes its savory flavors jump out.

The Slough House Kitchen

Address: 12700 Meiss Road, Sloughhouse.

Hours: 4:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

Phone: (279) 209-6409

Website: https://sloughhousekitchen.com/

Drinks: Full bar with an Amador County-focused wine list.

Vegetarian options: A few pastas and appetizers, plus a house salad.

Noise level: Quiet.

Outdoor seating: Lovely deck patio with many seats.

Openings & Closings

 Sette Pasta House opened June 20 at 6851 Douglas Blvd., Suite B in Granite Bays Country Gables shopping center. Owned by Fourk Kitchen chef/owner Paul Jansen its name translates to seven, the number of dishes Sette makes per day: five fresh pastas and two entrees.

 Sweet Haven Bakery opened June 15 at 6100 Birdcage Centre Lane, Suite 124 in Citrus Heights Marketplace at Birdcage shopping center. Owner Haven Claycomb sold vegan and non-vegan cakes, cupcakes and cookies at pop-ups under the name Hayvy Bayky Bake Shop even before graduating from high school in 2022.

 The Paisley Cafe is closing as owners Jason Pierce and Lela Lunsford convert it to solely represent Dirtbag Tea Co., their other business at 9372 Madison Ave., Suite 1 in Orangevale. Pierce and Lunsford bought the cafe a year ago and slowly began introducing items such as breakfast pizzas and PB&J burgers: theyll continue innovating while focusing more on Dirtbags loose-leaf teas.
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM)  It was a bitter-sweet day for deputies in the Chemung County Sheriffs Office as one lieutenant was given a final sendoff Thursday afternoon.

Deputies from the Chemung County Sheriffs Office and officers from the Elmira Police Department saluted the service of now-retired Lieutenant Peter A. Ruhmel.

Arnot Health welcomes upgraded Orthopedics facility in Elmira

Ruhmel started with the sheriffs office in 1999 as a deputy sheriff before rising through the ranks and reaching the rank of Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigation Division.

At 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, a final call came over the radio, commending Ruhmel for his service and congratulating him on his retirement. After the call, a sergeant with the sheriffs office called the standing police to attention, saluting Ruhmel as he walked toward his family.

At the end of the line, Ruhmels family greeted him, and after several hugs, Ruhmel went back and shook hands with every officer and deputy that sent him off.

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Chesapeake Bay Trust grants over $1.3M in funds for projects in Maryland, Virginia, DC, more

WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  The Chesapeake Bay Trust and other environmental agencies announced over $1.3 million in funds for projects in five states and D.C. on Wednesday.

The money will fund 33 different projects in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and D.C.

Pepco gears up for summer storm season, heat

This is part of the ongoing Chesapeake Bay Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Grant Program. The Chesapeake Bay Trust said that the program helps communities working on gray infrastructure projects  like repaving roads or changing intersections  add green elements to these plans.

Officials said that these additions help manage stormwater runoff, reduce energy use and flooding, improve waterway health and more.

A total of 18 organizations in Maryland, three in Virginia, two in D.C. and eight in West Virginia received funds.

The G3 program started in 2011. More than 300 projects have received funding from the project, adding up to more than $17.7 million.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and Prince Georges County Department of the Environment joined the Trust to make the announcement.

You can find a full list of organizations receiving grants online.

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After nearly quadrupling in just three years, Chicagos hate crime levels remain high, city leaders said Thursday.

The number of reported hate crimes has spiked from just 80 in 2020 to 303 last year, aldermen learned during an annual presentation. Meanwhile, the number of reported hate crimes this year is on track once again to end up far above the roughly 60 the city experienced most years before the recent spike.

There is a consensus that in recent years, the number of hate crimes and hate incidents have gone up, Chicago Commission on Human Relations Commissioner Nancy Andrade told aldermen. Many of our family, friends and neighbors feel threatened.

Its hard to determine what underlies the far-reaching and troubling trend, Andrade said. Global crises, heightened political partisanship, white nationalist propaganda and conspiracy theories have played a part, she said.

Now, the Israel-Hamas war is driving a sharp increase in antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes and hate incidents, she said.

There have already been as many antisemitic hate crimes in Chicago in 2024 as there were all of last year, noted the councils lone Jewish member, Ald. Debra Silverstein, 50th. Hate crimes have hit the heavily Jewish West Ridge neighborhood hardest, she added.

Silverstein accused city leaders of turning a blind eye to antisemitism and called on them to take a clear and unequivocal stand to protect the Jewish population of Chicago.

She criticized the responses to several actions pro-Palestinian demonstrators have taken that called for an end to Israels war effort in Gaza, including protests that have blocked highways, student walkouts and the vandalism last week of Grant Parks Buckingham Fountain, which was dyed red.

Silverstein also cited inflammatory social media posts, an apparent nod to Health and Human Relations Committee Chair Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd. Last month, Silverstein accused Rodriguez-Sanchez of antisemitism after a private Facebook post from Rodriguez-Sanchez telling friends she was looking for an anti Zionist pediatrician for her child became public.

Antisemitism is sharply spiking in our city and our nation, Silverstein said. We all respect the right to free speech and free assembly, but what about the rights of Jewish residents to live free of fear?

Black and LGBTQ+ Chicagoans have been the targets of the most reported hate crimes after Jewish Chicagoans over the last two years, the report said. Certain types of hate crimes, like assault and battery, are on track to decline this year.

However, hate crimes involving criminal damage are already almost past 2023 levels, according to the report. A December amendment added targeted graffiti as a hate crime and altered the process for removing such graffiti, a change Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, 48th, said has led to faster cleanups in her ward.

Ald. Timmy Knudsen, 43rd, flagged legislation he is working on to crack down on the distribution of hateful flyers with new $1,000 fines. His proposal is a response to someone leaving antisemitic flyers attached to rat poison on 80 cars in his ward, he said.

The antisemitic litter was apparently left by a white supremacist group, Knudsen said. But police told the aldermen they could not take action because the attackers were staying one hair within the law, he said.

So what this stop hate littering ordinance intends to do is move the law over a hair so that we can create a ticket, he said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDB) signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of Islamic finance in Central Asia within the annual meeting and business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

The document was signed by EDB Chairman of the Board Nikolai Podguzov and IsDB Institute CEO Sami Al-Suwailem.

Following the signing of the memorandum, Podguzov emphasized that the document would strengthen and expand cooperation between the parties.

"The Institute is already assisting in opening an Islamic Window in our bank. We are conducting a joint study on 'The Future of Islamic Finance in Central Asia', the results of which will be presented by the end of the year," he said.

According to him, the parties will also jointly develop Islamic finance in the region, provide technical assistance, make proposals to improve legislation in the region, and hold seminars.

"This will allow us to develop the industry of Islamic finance, meet the needs of the population for unique financial products, attract Islamic investments in the region, and contribute to the sustainable development of the Central Asian region," he added.

To note, the EDB's annual meeting (business forum) is being held in Almaty. The event will last two days (June 2728).

The event will include several sessions on Islamic finance, transportation, the environment, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank engaged in investment activities in Eurasia.

The authorized capital of the EDB is $7 billion. The main share of the EDB's portfolio is occupied by projects with integration effects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and machine building.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Children diagnosed with cancer prepare to leave for Egypt to get medical help after Israel bombed hospitals in Gaza. Through efforts made by the World Health Organization, a group of children sick with cancer are preparing to leave the Gaza Strip to obtain treatment in Egypt through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Some 21 children suffering from cancer have been transferred from Gaza to Egypt, the first time Palestinian patients have left the territory in nearly two months, an Egyptian Red Crescent official in North Sinai said.

The patients were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing under the supervision of the World Health Organization. They will be admitted to Egyptian hospitals for treatment, the official said.

On May 7, Israel took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, in an operation that halted the movement of people and aid deliveries.

Since then, Egypt has repeatedly said it will not coordinate aid transports through Rafah until the Israeli forces withdraw.

In late May, Cairo resumed aid delivery through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, following an agreement between Egypt and the United States.

Children diagnosed with cancer prepare to leave for Egypt to get medical help after Israel bombed hospitals in Gaza. Through efforts made by the World Health Organization, a group of children sick with cancer are preparing to leave the Gaza Strip to obtain treatment in Egypt through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
The latest crime documentary to take the internet by storm stems from the killing of a woman and her friend by a well-known TikTok influencer. As he awaits sentencing on a murder conviction, lets sift through the grisly details the documentary highlighted.



Peacocks TikTok Star Murders, produced by 50 Cent, tracks the relationship of Ali Abulaban and his wife, Ana. The two started their cute couple aesthetic videos on TikTok around 2019 and grew quite popular over the next three years gaining about one million followers. However, behind the scenes, friends say the two often got into explosive arguments stemming from Abulabans emotional and physical abuse, according to the documentary.

Police were eventually called to the couples home in September 2021 for a domestic abuse complaint, per The Los Angeles Times. Following that moment, the report says Ana asked Abulaban to leave their home and he shacked up in a hotel. However, during trial, he admitted to using his daughters iPad to spy on Ana while he was gone.

On October 21, 2021, after overhearing Ana talking to a man, he testified that he returned to the home to find Ana cuddling with Rayburn Barron on the couch. Then, all hell broke loose.

And before I could stop myself, I just f****ng snapped and my gun was in my hand and next thing Im shooting and, and I cant stop, Im just shooting, Abulaban said in trial testimony last month. Im like, Im in the passenger seat of my own body. I cant stop it. And I hear Ana screaming and crying. I dont even remember shooting Ana, I just remember running back to the front door.

The documentary features bone-chilling audio of the incident. About six gunshots ring out slowly in between the horrified screams of Ana and Barron. Following the shots, Abulaban is heard yelling Anas name. Executive Producer Elizabeth Fischer told Variety that as brutal as the audio was, the clip was necessary toward the debate over whether the killings were premeditated or a result of a mental blackout fueled by rage and drugs. His mother testified at trial that she received a call from her son, who confessed to the shooting and sent her a photograph for proof.

I just shot and killed Ana, he said repeatedly in the audio recording of the phone call. She was with another guy at our house. I shot her in the head. Shes here, shes dead. I killed her, mom. Im sorry.

Ultimately, the jury determined he premeditated the murder of both Ana and Barron and found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder. Abulaban faces life in prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced Friday (June 28.)

For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will convene senior officials from July 15 to 18 for a delayed conclave thats expected to set long-term policy on a wide range of economic and political issues.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The 24-member Politburo announced the dates for the third gathering of the Communist Partys Central Committee during Xis current term after wrapping a meeting on Thursday, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The Chinese leader presided over the meeting that discussed a resolution on comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese modernization, which aims to build the nation into a high-level socialist market economy by 2035, the agency reported. Itll be submitted for endorsement by the partys elites at the upcoming session.

The event  known as the third plenum  is one of the most important in Chinas political calendar, often setting the course for economic policy in the long term. It brings together about 400 state leaders, ministers, military chiefs, provincial bosses and top academics at a military hotel in Beijing, usually for about a week.

The Politburo meeting emphasized the partys leadership should be at the center of any reform, and called for the proper handling of relationships between economy and society, government and market, development and security, according to Xinhua.

This gathering comes as Chinas senior policymakers struggle to arrest a deepening property crisis that is rippling through the economy, and grapple with a growing international backlash to its surge of cheap exports that have prompted a tidal wave of tariffs.

The agenda echoes Xis earlier calls for further deepening reform in remarks published in May by party journal Qiushi, or Seeking Truth, in a stage-setting editorial ahead of the plenum. State media has also published a series of sweeping profiles trumpeting the top leaders reform credentials in the run up to the high-profile event.

Decisions to be made at the third plenum will play a critical role in resolving the current problems we face and framing the development targets of the Chinese society in the future, Peng Sen, president of the China Society of Economic Reform and an ex-vice chairman of the National Reform and Development Commission, said at the World Economic Forum in Dalian on Thursday before the Politburo announcement.

The country should firmly press ahead with market-oriented reforms, he said, calling for more favorable policies to be given to support innovative private companies. Land, capital, labor, technology and data should be allocated and priced by market forces as a unified national market is being built, to inject life into the Chinese economy, he added.

Investors will scrutinize the meetings readout for signs of Xis long-term roadmap for Chinas slowing economy among the party speak. The top leader is likely to prioritize developing new productive forces, a slogan referring to high-tech growth drivers  according to hints in recent articles in state media outlets.

China may also be considering a reform of consumption taxes, including broadening the tax base and increasing rates, Goldman economists said note this month, citing a report by the Securities Times.

The ruling party usually holds its third plenum one year after setting its new leadership team, according to a Bloomberg analysis of meeting readouts. Delaying this gathering to 2024 marked the first time the meeting has been held in an off-schedule year in over three decades. Xis last reshuffle came in 2022.

Removals and appointments to the Central Committee are expected during the conclave after the surprise ousting of Chinas defense and foreign ministers last year. A third minister  for agriculture  is set to be removed after a corruption probe was launched against him in May. All of the three sit on the 205-member committee.

A sweeping anti-corruption purge in the military means there could be more changes to the committees over 40 seats that are currently held by Peoples Liberation Army members.

--With assistance from Fran Wang and Lucille Liu.

(Updates with more details about the plenum and comments from government adviser)

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Former Defense Ministers Li Shangfu and his predecessor Wei Fenghe have both been expelled from the Communist Party over corruption allegations. - AP/Reuters

China on Thursday expelled its former Defense Minister Li Shangfu and his predecessor from the ruling Communist Party over corruption allegations, state broadcaster CCTV reported, deepening a sweeping purge within the top ranks of the military.

Li was removed in October last year without explanation after he vanished from public view for two months, amid a series of high-level shakeups that have roiled the worlds largest military.

Lis mysterious disappearance and drastic ouster just months into his job fueled intense speculation, coming after the surprise sacking of two top generals of the PLA Rocket Force, an elite unit overseeing the Chinas nuclear and ballistic missiles, also without explanation.

Thursdays announcement is the first official confirmation from Chinese authorities that graft allegations are behind his dramatic disappearance.

In a sign of the scale of the high-level purges, Lis predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was also expelled from the Communist Party Thursday over alleged corruption, according to CCTV.

Both Li and Wei were former members of the Central Military Commission (CMC)  a powerful body headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping who ultimately commands the armed forces.

Li was placed under the militarys internal investigation over serious violations of party discipline and law on August 31 last year, according to CCTV, two days after he was last seen in public at a security forum in Beijing.

The investigation by the CMCs Commission for Discipline Inspection found Li had allegedly seriously violated political and organization disciplines, resisted investigation, sought personnel benefits for himself and others, and received huge sums of money in bribe as well as bribing others.

As a senior party and military leader, Li Shangfu betrayed his original mission and lost the principles of party spirit, the CCTV report said, adding that his actions betrayed the trust and responsibility placed in him by the top leadership of the party and the military.

His actions also severely tainted the political and industry environment of the military equipment sector, caused significant damage to the partys cause, the development of national defense and the military, and the image of senior leadership, CCTV said.

The nature of his misconduct is extremely serious, the impact is exceedingly harmful, and the consequences are particularly severe.

Wei, Lis predecessor as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, was also accused of serious violations of political and organization disciplines, resisting investigation, taking bribes, as well as collapse of faith and loss of loyalty, according to CCTV.

Both Li and Weis cases have been handed to the military procuratorate for prosecution, CCTV said, adding that the two generals had been stripped of their military ranks.

The allegations laid out in the CCTV reports appear to point to corruption in the procurement and development of Chinas military equipment, with a likely focus on the Rocket Force  which has been a key element in Xis efforts to modernize the PLA and transform it into a world class fighting force.

Before becoming Defense Minister, Li headed the PLAs Equipment Development Department for five years, while Wei was the inaugural commander of the Rocket Force when it was revamped at the end of 2015.

Since last summer, more than a dozen high-level military officers and aerospace executives in the military-industrial complex have been stripped of their public roles.

Xi has made rooting out corruption and disloyalty a hallmark of his rule since coming to power in 2012, and the purges suggest that campaign is far from over within the military.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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Lunar Graphene

Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020.

They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for humankind's plans to make use of local resources once on the lunar surface.

The discovery could also offer new insights into the early geological evolution of the Moon. As the South China Morning Post reports, it may even upend a long-held theory that the Moon was formed after a small planet collided with the Earth and that much of its carbon came from this impact.

"The prevalent giant impact theory has been strongly supported by the notion of [a] carbon-depleted Moon derived from the early analysis of Apollo samples," the team led by researchers from Jilin University wrote in their paper published in the journal National Science Review, as quoted by the SCMP.

However, the findings suggest the existence of a "carbon-capture process on the Moon," leading to the "gradual accumulation of indigenous carbon"  a discovery that "may reinvent the understanding of chemical components... and the history of the Moon."

No Impact

Using a form of non-destructive chemical analysis called "Raman spectroscopy," the team confirmed the discovery of a type of few-layer graphene, which is graphene with anywhere between two and ten layers that can also be manufactured in a lab.

The researchers suggest the material may have formed as a result of solar wind battering the lunar surface and early volcanic eruptions.

The existence of pure "indigenous carbon" could challenge the long-held hypothesis that a small planet, roughly the size of Mars, collided with the Earth to form the Moon about 4.45 billion years ago.

However, the researchers admitted that meteorites may have still led to the formation of graphitic carbon on the Moon, as previous studies have suggested.

"Further in-depth property investigation of natural graphene would provide more information on the geologic evolution of the Moon," the team concluded.

More on the Moon: Chinese Spacecraft Lands on Earth With First Samples in Human History from Far Side of Moon
BEIJING (Reuters) -China has provided more than 2.3 billion yuan ($316.4 million) in funds to help with rescue efforts, emergency supplies and planning as deadly floods and landslides caused by almost two weeks of torrential rain ravage several parts of the country.

Various government departments have allocated 2.344 billion yuan, according to Reuters calculations, to various cities and provinces over the past several days to help with rescue efforts, planning and relocating those affected.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management, issued 496 million yuan - the latest tranche in natural disaster relief funds - for the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangdong, and Guangxi region, CCTV news said.

Last week, President Xi Jinping urged authorities to put in all-out efforts to protect lives as floods and natural disasters increased.

Dozens of people have died from floods or rain-induced landslides during the annual flooding season, with southern China getting hit particularly hard this year.

The persistent torrential rain has forced authorities across municipalities to ramp up emergency plans as swollen rivers threaten the lives of millions.

Heavy rain in cities and areas near the Yangtze River Basin have caused surrounding waterways to reach dangerous levels.

On Thursday, officials in Jiangxi warned that the water levels of some rivers and lakes in the northern part of the province had risen rapidly due to heavy rain and could flood, while moist soil in mountainous areas is saturated, which could cause landslides, according to Xinhua news.

In Changsha, the capital of Hunan, the Xiang and Laodao rivers are expected to hit peak dangerous levels Thursday morning, state media reported.

This Monday, heavy rain in the southern Chinese city, turned roads into rivers and submerged pedestrian underpasses and subway tunnels.

($1 = 7.2666 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Farah Master and Shanghai newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Sandra Maler and Miral Fahmy)
Citizens-only voting constitutional amendment will appear on 2024 ballot in NC

In November, North Carolina voters will be able to decide on a new amendment to the state constitution that would clarify that only citizens are allowed to vote.

Weve got an opportunity to empower the people of North Carolina to amend their own constitution and declare that citizens and only citizens of the state of North Carolina are allowed to vote in our elections, Sen. Brad Overcash, a Gaston Republican, said.

It is already a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections, and state law requires residents to be citizens to register to vote.

Republican lawmakers who sponsored the amendment say it will clear up ambiguity in the constitution and prevent municipal governments from allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections, as has happened in some other states.

Critics say it could fuel anti-immigrant conspiracy theories and that Republicans are using it to drive conservatives to the polls.

I dont want to impugn the motives of my colleagues, Sen. Julie Mayfield, a Buncombe County Democrat, told The News & Observer last week. But ultimately I think these are coming up because its a turnout issue.

The amendment passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

Other constitutional amendments, including ones dealing with voter ID and income tax, passed the Senate but will require further approval from the House before they can be sent to voters.

In order for a constitutional amendment to be sent to voters, it must first be approved by a supermajority of both chambers of the legislature.

Voter ID, income tax constitutional amendments

In addition to the citizen voting proposal, senators passed two more amendments that would largely codify existing law.

One would specify that voter ID is required for all forms of voting, not just in-person. This is already the law in North Carolina. The other would lower the states income tax cap from 7% to 5%. The current individual income tax rate is already below that, at 4.5%.

Those amendments could also sway an ongoing legal challenge in Republicans favor, if approved.

The North Carolina NAACP sued the state over similar constitutional amendments in 2018, arguing that since many lawmakers were found to have been elected in racially gerrymandered districts, they did not have the authority to amend the constitution.

That case still hasnt been resolved, but if voters approve new amendments in 2024, it could become moot.

We will not allow these elected officials to roll back the freedoms that people sacrificed their very lives to gain, Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the NC NAACP said in a statement on Monday. We will continue to pursue every legal challenge to these discriminatory laws and encourage every eligible voter to make their voices heard at the polls this November.

Other changes to election law in the works

Earlier on Thursday, the House approved an amendment to the constitution to repeal the states Jim-Crow era literacy test requirement for voting. The Senate has not taken it up.

On Wednesday night, the Senate passed a sweeping bill that would make the following changes to election law:

Require political ads to include a disclosure if they used generative artificial intelligence in certain circumstances.

Require the use of signature verification technology to check mail-in ballots beginning in 2025.

Require county boards of elections to check death records and felony conviction records prior to certifying an election to determine if ballots need to be removed.

State that once a local governments election methods have been changed by the General Assembly, the local government cannot alter those changes until the next federal census.

That bill has not been taken up by the House.
After delaying a decision earlier this month, the Wichita school board voted Thursday to give the city an option on the former Park Elementary building in Midtown for the construction of its promised homeless services campus.

Essentially, were entering into an agreement with the city that we wont sell the property to anyone else while they do their due diligence on cost and impact to the community and all that, Superintendent Kelly Bielefeld told board members.

The elementary property, which was most recently appraised at $750,000, could be sold to the city for $1 unless state lawmakers decide in the next month and a half that they have a different use for it.

City officials say the 1921 school building at 1025 N. Main could be ready to accommodate an emergency shelter by mid-November and fully equipped with wrap-around services by 2026. Preliminary plans for the facility include a year-round shelter space, a navigation center for connecting people to resources, and 50 supportive housing units in a connected building that would have to be constructed.

We are doing this for the public good, board member Melody McCray-Miller said before the vote.

Only Kathy Bond objected to the option agreement with the city, which was first rolled out at a news conference on June 6.

I am not against finding the help that we need. I am against the $1 amount, Bond said. That just does not sit right with me when we are in such a financial crunch right now.

Park was one of six schools the board voted to close this spring as a cost-saving measure to help plug the districts projected $42 million budget shortfall.

Vice President Diane Albert said charging the city more than the nominal fee required by law would amount to selling taxpayers a building theyve already paid for.

Its a transfer of ownership basically, Albert said. And I think thats a fiscally responsible decision.

The board also voted Thursday to sell the former Field Elementary at 3006 W. St. Louis for $325,000 to River Knox Holdings, LLC, which won a competitive bid on the property and plans to convert it into apartments. Field was closed at the end of the 1995-96 school year.

At a board workshop last week, Chief Financial Officer Susan Willis said most former Wichita schools sold by the district go for between $150,000 and $400,000. In 2021, the McCormick School Museum board bought that property for $1.

Willis said annual costs associated with maintaining empty school buildings range from between $80,000 and $160,000 a year per building.

Park as an empty building has a cost to the district, she said. We talked about this when we closed it, that we were going to have immediate labor savings from movement out of that building but that we would still have to maintain the grounds. We would still mow and weed-eat and trim trees and keep repairs in place. Wed have to have some utilities. Wed have to have cameras. Our staff will still need to monitor all the alarm systems.

City price tag

Supporting materials for the board resolution declaring Park Elementary a surplus property state that it has $11 million in deferred maintenance needs.

Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said some of those costs are specific to operating the building as a school.

Our original estimate is $8 million into the building, but thats without the due diligence that we have to go through. We dont know everything that well be running into. Its a hundred-year-old building, Layton told The Eagle.

He said those unspecified repairs and upgrades would be paid for through a combination of American Rescue Plan Act money and city capital improvement funds. The city has an additional $5.5 million in federal funds that can be used only to construct housing units and non-congregate shelters that provide clients their own bedroom and bathroom.

Layton said he doesnt think the immediate need to find a site for the emergency shelter this winter will force the city to settle on Park as the project site if it proves not to be a good fit.

Were not going to let the need for a winter shelter drive this decision, he said. The councils got to be comfortable that the capital cost is within our budget and that we have commitments for ongoing sustainable funding of operations. Were not going to put this kind of money into a building and then find out that were running a deficit in the city space. This is a community issue and we need community funding.

The Multi-Agency Center would house an undetermined number of public and private employees. Layton said discussion with homeless providers about sustainable funding models for the facility are ongoing. He said the very preliminary operating budget for the homeless services campus is $2 million a year.

As far as the emergency shelter, the city cant return to the building at 21st and Opportunity Drive where it was located last winter.

Were not going back there. We made that commitment to the community, Layton said. The City Council voted to sell that building to Habitat for Humanity for half of its appraised value in April.

Community impact

Charles Cullen, who has lived in Midtown for 35 years, said Thursday that he believes selling the defunct school would do irreparable damage to the neighborhood.

Your vote to give the city Park Elementary School will permanently condemn that neighborhood to decreasing property values and expose the neighborhood to nuisance risks that will greatly reduce its attraction as a place to live, Cullen said. If the city establishes a 24/7 homeless services facility in the middle of what is still largely a residential area, thats just whats going to happen.

Around 30 social service providers are already located in Midtown, including The Lords Diner, which offers a free evening meal to anyone. City officials have pointed to that proximity as a reason why Park may make more sense for the Multi-Agency Center project than the former Riverside Hospital property in West River Plaza, which the city also has an option on.

We pride ourselves in what we do, said Makayla Welch, president of the Historic Midtown Citizens Association. We carry the brunt of what happens for social services for this community, and if you talk to our neighbors, most of them are very proud of that experience, even though it puts pressure on us.

But she asked the board to consider denying the option agreement with the city.

People dont want to move into locations where the neighborhood school isnt a school, its a homeless shelter, Welch said.
The water tower in Sanborn, Iowa, is now the focus of a lawsuit alleging $4 million in damages caused by contaminated water. (Photo courtesy of the City of Sanborn)

A cheese manufacturer is suing the city of Sanborn for water contamination that allegedly infiltrated the plant and caused $4 million in damages.

The Minnesota dairy cooperative Associated Milk Producers Inc., or AMPI, is suing not only the City of Sanborn in federal court, but also the company hired by the city to clean the municipal water tower, Maguire Iron of South Dakota.

AMPI operates an 80-year-old plant in Sanborn where each day, it produces 280,000 pounds of cheese. As part of the production process, the plant consumes 300,000 gallons of water each day.

In late 2021, the city hired Maguire Iron to clean, maintain and sandblast the municipal water tower. In the summer of 2022, the lawsuit claims, the city drained the water tower, allowing Maguire to begin its work inside and around the structure.

AMPI alleges Maguire negligently performed its sandblasting of the towers interior by using jagged shards of a toxic black sandblasting aggregate commonly called black magic. Maguire allegedly used the aggregate to clean the towers interior surfaces without first sealing the intake and outflow pipes that route water in and out of the tower.

That alleged failure to seal the pipes resulted in sandblasting aggregate and other spent cleaning debris entering the citys water system and subsequently infiltrating the Sanborn plant, the lawsuit claims.

When Maguire finished its work, city officials attempted to refill the tower and noticed sandblasting aggregate flowing out of a standpipe valve connected to the tower. City workers then spent several hours attempting to flush the aggregate out of the pipes and then resumed their efforts to refill the tower, the lawsuit alleges.

When that work was completed, the city had the water tested for bacteria. When the test indicated there was no bacteria present, the city allegedly opened the valves from the tower and restored the flow of water to not just the AMPI plant but to other businesses and homes that rely on the tower.

Within days, officials at the plant allegedly discovered large amounts of sandblasting aggregate in its water, its equipment and in the cheese that had recently been processed. The lawsuit claims the amount of contamination was so significant that the aggregate from within the tower had blasted AMPIs filters off, leaving piles of black aggregate forming on the plants floor.

As a result of the incident, AMPI alleges, it had to discard cheese worth nearly $4 million that had been contaminated and was unsafe for consumption.

Mayor: Residents didnt complain of contamination

In its lawsuit, AMPI argues the city negligently performed its role in the maintenance and repair services on the water tower, alleging it failed to hire a third-party inspector to monitor Maguires work on the water tower.

The city should have notified Maguire, or hired a third-party, to ensure the citys water supply was free of dangerous sandblasting aggregate and spent cleaning debris before providing such contaminated water to the citys water users, AMPI alleges.

The city has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. A claim of $4 million in damages equates to $2,803 for each of Sanborns 1,427 residents.

With regard to contaminated water that may have flowed to other city businesses and to residents homes, the citys attorney, Daniel DeKoter, said he has heard of no such concerns.

Thats not something I have ever been told, he said Thursday. And I think something like that would have been brought to my attention as the citys attorney.

Mayor Randy Lyman said Thursday that while the city didnt test residents water for the presence of black aggregate, it did perform other types of testing that indicated the water was safe. Asked why the supply wasnt tested for the presence of the sandblasting aggregate, Lyman said, We had no complaints from residents about any aggregate in the water.

Lyman added that because the cheese plant is first in line to collect water from the tower, and because it is such a heavy user, the plant sucks so hard in drawing water from the tower that any contaminants would have gone directly to the plant rather than to other users.

City Administrator Jim Zeutenhorst did not respond Thursday to a request for comment.

The post City faces lawsuit alleging contaminated water, $4 million in tainted cheese appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The German defence contractor Rheinmetall is pitching a new form of weapon: a standard shipping container concealing 126 separate attack drone silos. If one company is publicly discussing the idea, you can bet others are considering it too. And the implications for maritime warfare could be significant.

Its worth noting at the top that whilst drones are anything but new, they are now unambiguously the direction of travel for militaries around the world. Everyone is investing in uncrewed systems in the air, surface and subsurface domains for tasks ranging from logistics resupply to surveillance to jamming to strike. This isnt necessarily because they are better than the alternatives, but because they are cheaper. With most Nato defence budgets under pressure, this is important.

Having to defend against swarm attacks is also old hat. Nato navies have spent decades in the Gulf learning how to defend against an Iranian fast attack craft swarm which could number in the hundreds. That isnt to say doing so is easy, and each ship has a number above which it needs either assistance or layered defence in place to defeat it, but its not entirely untested ground.

However, whilst drones and swarms are not new, having a containerised way to deploy both is. Defending against this would cause issues, the most obvious of which is that 126 is frequently above the number you could cope with. Modern radars would have no difficulty tracking all of them but many defence systems would quickly run out of missiles and bullets. Some currently under development such as the UKs Dragonfire laser would provide a great way for doing so, but even one of these could only account for so many. Microwave weapons that blast a cone of energy taking out loads in one go might be the best solution and are being explored in the US with vigour. In the meantime, however, there is a real risk that immediate defences could be overloaded.

This means shifting defence forward a layer. For on overt enemy to be in a position to attack you this way, a number of things have to be in place, many of which are detectable. Intelligence agencies these days are good at spotting small things like new aerials being fitted. A warship with a container strapped to the back is going to be noticed, and by the time one is range you are likely to know the threat is and how to adjust.

The bigger problem is the concealed threat. Take the risk of fire from points on shore. A container moving around in Western Yemen might be detectable, but one in a busy port would not. It wouldnt need to engage in much targeting, either, because unlike missiles these systems need not be pinpoint accurate. They could launch in the rough direction and the swarm would self-target on route.

A good attack option would be to launch a swarm that jams your systems whilst providing targeting data back to the firing unit which then follows up with anti-ship missiles. This is how the Black Sea flag ship the Moskva was sunk. Although that was done with just a single drone and two missiles (which a competent ship would have defeated), make that 126 drones and a salvo of ballistic missiles, all with a simultaneous time on top and you have a problem.

A merchant vessel firing at you is perhaps the most interesting scenario. With two ships at sea, range is an issue. These drones will be small and have short legs, meaning the MV needs to know roughly where you are and unless theyre lucky and you happen to be passing, close your position. Merchant vessels tend to operate in a predictable way. If one is loitering out at sea, altering course regularly or manoeuvring to close you, then clues will emerge and your shields will go up.

If they do manage this and launch a drone swarm, they have just given themselves away. This swarm will paint clearly on radar and the point of origin will be immediately obvious. Having said that, sending a couple of missiles back their way whilst tempting, might not be legal. Bloodthirsty types look away now, but international maritime law and the Rules of Engagement that come from it can be restrictive this way. What if they were just surveillance drones? You might think they are not, but can you prove it in the subsequent tribunal when youve just killed a bunch of civilian sailors? If youre at war and the gloves are off, this is less of an issue. If youre not, and this is a surprise attack, then it is not always that simple.

If a handful of drones do get through your defences and hit you, they probably wont sink you but they dont really need to. One drone into, say, a Type 45 destroyers Sampson radar would render that system inoperable and the ship unable to conduct its primary duty. A mission kill lacks the drama of a sinking but in warfighting terms can be just as effective.

If defending against this is hard then we should consider buying them for our own offensive purposes. As ever, fitting one to a ship comes with complications.

A warship is a web of sensors and data, all of which are integrated through the command system. The captain, sitting at the centre of this web, is being fed information via the 30 or so people sitting in the operations room with them who in turn are being fed from 100s of sensors and inputs around the ship and elsewhere. It happens fast and forms the basis of their decision-making. Anything that sits outside this network is going to cause command and control issues. These are surmountable, but not ideal. Its not hard to imagine drones being deployable from something like a Mk 41 Vertical Launch System in due course, at which point, these integration issues go away.

Ships go to great lengths to minimise their radar signature. The last thing you want is a right-angled metal container on the upper deck acting as a radar magnet for enemy ships and their missile seeker heads. You could paint, cover or even make it from radar-absorbent materials but then your cheap solution quickly becomes not-so-cheap.

Another practical consideration is managing munitions on the upper deck in high temperatures, such as those found in The Gulf in the summer. We would go to great lengths to ensure that the temperatures of ammunition stowed in direct sunlight were kept within limits. Best case, the life of the munition is reduced. Worst case, it can cook off causing fires or worse. An aircraft carrier or a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship with one of these stowed inside to be wheeled out when needed would overcome many of these issues. Its also safe to assume that if the aim is for this system to be cheap, the individual drone warheads will not be insensitive; i.e, they would explode rather than burn if struck. In other words, you could have just strapped a bomb to your upper deck.

Defensively, systems like this pose many questions for which intelligence tracking, improved defensive weapons and cast-iron rules of engagement all need to be in sync if you are to avoid being surprised and then overwhelmed. Whilst the drones might not kill you, they could render you mission ineffective which is the same thing. Offensively, they therefore make perfect sense to pursue, noting the caveats above.

In the eternal game of warfare cat and mouse, too many of the basics are still required for this to work for it to be a game changer. But defensively it causes a headache, so the Royal Navy should look closely at how to return the favour. Maybe we should even consider putting one on a merchant vessel of our own. I can immediately hear lawyers sharpening their quills but we do need to get better at operating in our own grey zone. This would be a perfect way to begin.

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. Islamic finance in Russia has great potential, the Russian Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov said during the session "Islamic finance in Central Asia" within the framework of the annual meeting of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

"Islamic finance in Russia has great potential, trillions of rubles in equivalent, we have a huge domestic market for Islamic finance, and we also see the potential for cooperation with other countries," he said.

According to him, in general, Islamic finance has huge potential and is the fastest-growing sector of the market.

"We in Russia realize that traditional finance has its limitations and problems, and we see Islamic finance as a benchmark for how finance should be structured in the future," the deputy minister added.

To note, the EDB Annual Meeting and Business Forum, which is taking place in Almaty, held its first session on "Islamic Finance in Central Asia".

The segment of Islamic finance in the world's banking assets is, according to data for the beginning of 2024, 2 percent, but it is already $4 trillion, and it is growing rapidly. Indeed, the average annual growth rate of Islamic assets globally over 20152021 was 10.5 percent, compared to 5.8 percent among conventional financial assets.

Islamic banks have now gained a strong foothold in more than 40 countries and are beginning to compete effectively with classical credit institutions.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A rescue worker touches the face of a horse as they try to save it at Bento Rodrigues district, witch was covered with mud after a dam owned by Vale SA and BHP Billiton Ltd burst in Mariana

LONDON (Reuters) - Lawyers representing claimants taking legal action over Brazil's worst environmental disaster filed an injunction this week against miners BHP and Vale for "trying to derail" a potential 36 billion-pound ($46 billion) London lawsuit.

More than 720,000 Brazilians, including 46 local governments, are suing BHP and Vale over the 2015 collapse of the Mariana dam, which was owned and operated by their Samarco joint venture.

The dam collapse caused a wave of toxic tailings that killed 19 people, left hundreds homeless, flooded forests and polluted the entire length of the Doce River.

Brazilian Mining Association IBRAM filed a motion in Brazil's Supreme Court on June 11 seeking to stop around 46 municipalities from continuing in the London case on the grounds that doing so represented a threat to Brazil's sovereignty.

BHP and Vale are both members of IBRAM and the claimants allege they asked IBRAM to make the claim at the Supreme Court.

BHP, the world's biggest miner by market value, declined to comment. Vale also declined to comment.

"The duplication of lawsuits, in Brazil and abroad, affects all industries in the mineral sector and companies in other sectors that are being targeted by this type of litigation," IBRAM said in an emailed statement.

"Situations like these create legal uncertainty, harm the business environment and the Brazilian economy," it added.

The 46 municipalities would account for at least 4.47 billion pounds of the London lawsuit, the injunction application shows.

"Whilst removing the municipalities wouldn't stop the case, it's quite a substantial interference with the way that the group claim is structured, but also ... the court in England has already taken jurisdiction over this," Tom Goodhead of law firm Pogust Goodhead, which represents the claimants, said.

"What we're seeking is an order from the English court that they be forced to try to withdraw the claim before the Supreme Court in Brazil," he said.

The London lawsuit is separate from litigation in Brazil, which mostly addresses claims from local governments and not individuals, Goodhead said.

The lawsuit, one of the largest in English legal history, began in 2018. The first trial of key legal issues is due to begin in October.

Vale, BHP and their joint-venture Samarco earlier in June presented Brazilian authorities with a $26.09 billion offer to settle reparations for the dam collapse after Brazil rejected a previous offer.

BHP, which denies liability, has referred to reparation and compensation programmes implemented by the Renova Foundation, a redress scheme established in 2016 by Samarco and its shareholders, which has funded more than $6 billion of rehousing, rehabilitation and indemnification for those affected by the disaster.

Vale has previously said it "reaffirms its commitment to repairing the damage caused by the Fundao dam collapse", under agreements with the Brazilian authorities.

($1 = 0.7901 pounds)

(Reporting by Clara Denina; additional reporting by Sam Tobin and Kirstin Ridley. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Judge Aileen Cannon, who oversees Donald Trumps classified documents case in Florida, has defended her decision to hold additional hearings in the case.

Cannon is seeking more evidence about the language in the FBI search warrant that was used to seize classified documents from Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022, she wrote in a court filing on Thursday. Trumps lawyers have argued the language was vague, and Cannon agreed there were ambiguities in her latest filing.

Trump has been accused of willfully keeping classified documents at his private Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. When the FBI searched his estate, they found boxes of documents stored in a shower, a ballroom and his bedroom. He was indicted a year later on charges related to keeping the documents and thwarting government attempts to get them back. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges.

Cannons ruling comes just hours before the first presidential debate of 2024, where Trumps legal battles are expected to be front and center.

Judge Aileen Cannon, pictured, has faced criticism from Special Counsel Jack Smith and outsiders regarding her handling of the trial (AP)

In her Thursday filing, Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020, also pushed back on special counsel Jack Smith, who vigorously opposes her call for another hearing, according to the filing.

Smith has previously called for Cannon to dismiss bids by Trumps team over concerns that they will cause a substantial delay. Smith has also questioned her legal judgment, at one point saying one of her orders on the case was based on a fundamentally flawed legal premise.

There is a difference between a resource-wasting and delay-producing mini-trial, on the one hand, and an evidentiary hearing geared to adjudicating the contested factual and legal issues on a given pre-trial motion to suppress, Cannon wrote on Thursday.

Smith has pushed for a faster timeline, proposing summer dates to make sure the trial begins before the November election. Trumps team, meanwhile, has said it would be unfair to hold the trial before the election.

The trial was initially due to start on May 20 but Cannon postponed and has not set a future date for proceedings.

The Florida judge has also faced criticism from those outside the courtroom.

Michael van der Veen, an attorney who represented Trump in his second impeachment trial, said Cannon is drawing the trial out this week.

The decisions arent coming quick enough, he told CNN. He said Cannon is playing right into the defenses hands.

Cannon was also privately urged to step aside from the case after she was assigned to it last year, The New York Times revealed last week. Two Florida judges with more experience reportedly told Cannon it would be best if she passed the case on to one of their colleagues.

Stacks of boxes pictured in Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump was indicted last summer on charged related to retaining classified documents and trying to thwart attempts by the US government to get them back (Getty Images)

Cannon is also set to decided on whether Smith was legally assigned to the case after Trumps attorneys argued he was unconstitutionally appointed and is acting without legal authority.

Trump is also preparing for a sentencing hearing after a Manhattan jury unanimously convicted him of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair in the run-up to the 2016 election.

The former president will be sentenced on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention, where he will be named the official GOP presidential nominee.
By Gloria Dickie

LONDON (Reuters) - The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the haj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said on Friday.

Temperatures along the route from June 16 to 18 reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) at times and exceeded 51.8 C at Mecca's Great Mosque.

The heat would have been approximately 2.5 C (4.5 F) cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a weather attribution analysis by ClimaMeter.

ClimaMeter conducts rapid assessments of the role of climate change in particular weather events.

The scientists used satellite observations from the last four decades to compare weather patterns from 1979 to 2001 and 2001 to 2023.

Although dangerous temperatures have long been recorded in the desert region, they said natural variability did not explain the extent of this month's heatwave and that climate change had made it more intense.

The assessment also found that similar past events in Saudi Arabia occurred in May and July, but now June experiences more severe heatwaves.

"The deadly heat during this year's haj is directly linked to fossil fuel burning and has affected the most vulnerable pilgrims," said Davide Faranda, a scientist at France's National Centre for Scientific Research who worked on the ClimaMeter analysis.

Climate change has made heatwaves hotter, more frequent and longer lasting. Previous findings by scientists with the World Weather Attribution group suggest that, on average globally, a heatwave is 1.2 C (2.2 F) hotter than in preindustrial times.

Medical authorities generally do not attribute deaths to heat, but rather to the heat-related coronary or cardiac illnesses exacerbated by high temperatures. Still, experts said it is likely that extreme heat played a role in many of the 1,300 haj deaths.

"The idea that an activity so central to the Muslim faith is now so dangerous needs to be a wake-up call," said Mohamed Adow, director of nonprofit Power Shift Africa. "Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest oil producing nations in the world and they often act to frustrate and delay climate action. They need to realise their actions have consequences."

Saudi Arabia is the world's second-largest oil producer, after the United States, and state oil firm Saudi Aramco is the world's largest corporate greenhouse gas-emitter. It is responsible for more than 4% of the world's historical carbon emissions, according to a database of emissions from carbon majors.

(Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; editing by Barbara Lewis)
The first presidential debate of the 2024 election is hours away, with CNN set to play host at one of its studios in Atlanta.

But as the clock ticks down to 9 p.m., multiple journalism groups are weighing in publicly, asking CNN to expand access to coverage of the event. While the debate will be widely available in real time, the issue in question is about access inside CNNs building and studios in Atlanta.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

The White House Correspondents Association has released a letter from its president, NBC News Kelly ODonnell, asking CNN to allow a print pool reporter in the studio where President Biden and former President Trump will debate. Notably, there is no audience for the debate, limiting who is in the room.

While the WHCA noted that it appreciated CNN making its live feed available to other networks, and allowing for pool photographers in the studio, it added that there was more that could be done.

WHCA has been informed that one print reporter will be permitted to enter the studio during a commercial break to briefly observe the setting. That is not sufficient in our view and diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage, ODonnell wrote in her letter. The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the presidents events and his movements on behalf of the American people.

The pool is there for the what ifs? in a world where the unexpected does happen, ODonnell continued. A pool reporter is present to provide context and insight by direct observation and not through the lens of the television production. A pool reporter is an independent observer whose duties are separate from the production of the debate as a news event. The pool reporter works on behalf of the entire White House press corps.

ODonnells letter followed a similar request from a number of senior editors at The New York Times, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and Bloomberg, which also asked for a print pooler to be present during the debate itself, referencing a tradition of the print pool being present during newsworthy moments.

The print pool, in addition to being allowed into the debate room during a commercial break, will also be held in a room on site near the studio, and not in the press file where most other reporters will be located. That being said, those accommodations are clearly not seen as enough by the WHCA itself.

As proud members of the White House Correspondents Association, we respect the role the organization plays and their support for press freedom and access, a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. CNNs Presidential Debate is being held without an audience in a CNN studio and is closed to press. The feed was made available to Washington Pool Members, Washington Pool subscribers and CNN Affiliates, and is also available to embed via CNNs YouTube channel without charge for digital outlets and is available on CNN.com. Following our traditional approach, CNN is providing access to the debate studio for a tight pool of photographers for the duration of the event and a larger group of photographers during a commercial break. In addition, CNN is providing access to the debate hall for the designated print pool reporter during the first commercial break to allow them to provide a pool report from inside the debate studio.

And the letters about access to the debate studio itself also come as the National Association of Black Journalists sent a note to CNN asking for in-person access for local Black-owned media outlets.

CNN Communications has told NABJ and other Black organizations, via a statement, that more than 800 journalists from around the world will be covering the debate onsite. The company stated that the application for credentials closed on June 7 and it could not accept additional requests after this date due to size and security restraints, the NABJ wrote. No matter the reason the local Black Press was not approved, in regard to guidelines, we are asking CNN to create space to ensure fair and balanced coverage so that all citizens have access to real-time content from the debate.

While The Hollywood Reporter understands that there are Black-owned media outlets covering the debate on site, the issue in this case seems to be the request for credentials after the deadline had passed. Other outlets have also attempted to apply for credentials, with similar luck.

Security constraints are also an issue, with the Secret Service needing to vet all the journalists planning to attend the debate.

Despite the agita from journalism groups, with the credentialing window long closed, and with security costs and production plans set, it seems increasingly likely that the debate will proceed as planned, with the accredited journalists present, and a print pooler limited to the access already promised.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter
CNN Debunks Claim That It Will Deploy a 1- or 2-Minute Delay During Its Debate

A viral post on X claims that CNN will broadcast tonights presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden with an elongated delay. BREAKING: CNN will implement a 1-2 minute delay for tonights presidential debate instead of the standard 7-second delay, potentially allowing time to edit parts of the broadcast, reads the post, which had more than 2.4 million views as of Thursday evening.

The tweet was shared by prominent accounts, including by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, and Donald Trump Jr., though both deleted their tweets.

CNN has said this will start exactly at 9:00 and there will be no delay. The latest conspiracy theory for the Crybaby Party continues though. Its what they do. pic.twitter.com/KvNh2Tkjio  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) June 27, 2024

CNNs communications team quickly denied the claim, stating in a response that the debate would be broadcast live. This is false. The debate will begin live at 9pm ET, it said.

This is false. The debate will begin live at 9pm ET.  CNN Communications (@CNNPR) June 27, 2024

While CNNs statement confirms that a 1-2 minute broadcast delay will not be used, it does not specify whether a shorter delay could be implemented. Networks often broadcast live programming with a standard delaytypically around 7 secondsso that producers can prevent unwanted content such as profanity or nudity from airing. The Dispatch Fact Check reached out to CNN for comment, but has not yet received a response confirming whether the network plans to use such a delay during tonights broadcast.

Update, June 27, 2024: This fact check has been updated to include that a CNN spokesperson has not yet responded to a request for comment.

If you have a claim you would like to see us fact check, please send us an email at factcheck@thedispatch.com. If you would like to suggest a correction to this piece or any other Dispatch article, please email corrections@thedispatch.com.

Read more at The Dispatch

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Stafford Wade stepped into the library on Milwaukee's northwest side this spring  not to check out books, but to check out options.

"Not planning on college? No problem!" advertised a flyer for the the Trades and Tech Fair at the library.

Wisconsin colleges have a well-documented demographics problem. Smaller and smaller graduating high school classes have left colleges scrambling to fill seats, squeezing budgets and making painful cuts.

Grafton High School students throw their caps in the air as their graduation ceremony comes to an end June 2 at Kellner Field.

Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education

New research on marriage trends and household sizes by the Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center on Public Policy reinforces the demographic challenge facing universities, which aren't only competing with each other for students. They're also competing with businesses recruiting students right into the workforce, and families questioning the time and, especially, the cost of a college degree.

"I'm just not interested," Wade, 18, said. "Four more years of school? No, thanks. I want something hands-on."

Wade, who graduated from Menomonee Falls High School this year, isn't sure exactly what he wants to do. He had been open to college when he was younger, but lately, had lost interest and worried about taking on so much debt.

Inside the career fair, Wade was drawn to a pitch by Raul Hernandez of the North Central Carpenters Union: An apprenticeship he could finish in the same time as a college degree. Earn-as-you-learn instead of loans. Annual wages of up to $82,000 upon completion.

The percentage of Wisconsin high school graduates going directly to college is plummeting. In 2022-23, it was less than 52%. Thats down about 10 percentage points from six years ago, according to state Department of Public Instruction data.

It's a trend experts say could threaten Wisconsin's economic competitiveness.

Michael Ramsey, another job fair attendee, graduated from high school last year and took a job at a local movie theater.

"I felt pressured to go to college because thats what everyone does and what you need to suceed in life or whatever," Ramsey, 19, said. "But I just think college isn't for me. The student loan thing  that worries me. I just don't know how it works. And I just think there are better options right now, like the workforce.

The non-college going trend has always existed, and tends to increase when the labor market is strong, said Rachel Burns, a senior policy analyst with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. But Burns thinks there's more to the current dynamic than the robust economy.

"I think it's also just a cultural shift that we're experiencing," she said. "We're recognizing college is not for everyone and you can be successful without college. There are other opportunities for students, and college might not be the best path. I think that used to be sort of stigmatized, and I think that's becoming more accepted."

Special report: Marriage and birth rates, household size, all drop sharply in Milwaukee over 50 years.

The Lubar Center research, looking at changes in the family structure over the last 50 years, found single-person households now outnumber households with at least three people, and marriage and birth rates have declined sharply.

"The future is going to be different, hands down, for education," University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone said. "There's no way around it. We are one of the last sectors that has for a long time, in my opinion, been resistant to change, and whether you talk about organized religion, if you talk about retail, talk about health care, financial services, which of them has not considerably reinvented itself to survive?"

What's driving the enrollment drop at Wisconsin colleges?

Recent higher education headlines in Wisconsin have almost taken on the feel of obituaries: Six public university campuses announced closures. At least three private institutions declared financial emergencies. Hundreds of workers lost their jobs. One private school closed. Another launched a last-ditch fundraising campaign to save itself.

UW-Milwaukee at Washington County student Grace Woods captured the mood by creating a coffin and tombstone sculpture for her spring semester art class. She saw it as a way to protest the campus' closure, which will disrupt her and other students' education plans.

UW-Milwaukee at Washington County student Grace Woods checks on the tombstone art piece she created for her sculpture class as a way to protest the campus' closure. The move means Wood will have to transfer elsewhere to finish her degree. She's planning to enroll at UW-Green Bay.

"We need to mourn," she said. "I wanted to make people talk about what we're losing."

As painful as the past year has been, the future doesn't look much better, at least in purely demographic terms. The number of Wisconsin high school graduates is projected to drop 10% by 2036-37, according to 2020 projections made by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Nationally, the U.S. Census shows the population of 18-year-olds is projected to crater through the 2030s, and unlikely to increase through the next three decades, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

There's inherent uncertainty in projections. But existing data on Wisconsin births reinforces the expected decline. The 60,000 babies born in 2022 marked the lowest number of births in this state since at least 1990.

Adding to the problem is the public's increasing skepticism about the need to go to college. The Pew Research Center, for example, reported last month that about half of U.S. adults say the cost of college is worth it, but only without taking out loans. Another 22% said it's worth it even with loans, while 29% said it wasn't worth it at all.

Data shows college education still is worth it

The situation facing colleges is not entirely doomsday, experts said. Institutions have options to address the increasing number of people putting off or opting out of higher education.

"If we maintain the policy status quo right now, I think it's going to get worse because we're not doing enough to attract new students to make college more affordable (and) to promote the value of higher education," Burns said. "If states and policymakers and leaders are aware of these trends, I think there's still time to turn it around."

Cost is perhaps the most obvious issue. Families used to be able to save enough to send children to college; now, many realize they can't even come close.

Even though the sticker prices online are rarely what students actually pay, financial aid isn't always enough. And the process to figure out the actual cost is confusing. This year, it was even worse with the disastrous rollout of a new FAFSA form.

UW campuses have made strides in reducing some of these barriers. A new direct admissions program sidesteps the traditional admissions process. A tuition promise program makes college more affordable to lower-income students. In-state tuition rates rank among the most affordable in the Midwest.

Other reasons people are holding back from higher education include flexibility, conflicts with work schedules, and the time it takes to get a degree. There's also risk of the worst-case scenario: someone dropping out with sizable debt and no degree to help pay it off.

The national six-year college graduation rate is about 64%, according to federal education data.

Key to restoring public trust in higher education is more transparency and accountability, said Ben Cecil, a senior education policy adviser with Third Way, a national center-left public policy think tank.

"If you have access (to college) but you don't complete, then you may very well be in a worse-off position than if you had never enrolled at all," he said. "What institutions really need to focus on is not just getting students through the door, but getting them across the finish line."

Despite the "Is college worth it?" narrative, a degree does pay off  both for the individual and for the betterment of society. There's extensive national research showing college-degree holders have higher employment and home ownership rates. They live longer and healthier lives. They are more civically engaged and earn more over the course of their lifetimes.

More locally, the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum analyzed expected job openings across the state through 2030. It found nearly two-thirds of the jobs paying at least $50,000 require a college degree and projected demand will continue to grow.

UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone thinks universities need to embrace change, while showing how a degree continues to pay off.

Colleges need to do a better job conveying that message, UWM's Mone said.

"We're future-proofing individuals in a huge way," he said. "That's what college can do."

Other sectors have reinvented themselves. Now, it is education's turn.

The numbers on the computer screen scared Dylan Bendure. They showed cost estimates to attend a few colleges, part of a career planning exercise his class completed a few years ago.

"I remember seeing some big numbers, and I'm like, oh shoot, that does not look fun," Bendure, 19, recalled. "I just thought that's more than I have right now, so I don't really want to go there and pay monthly payments and whatnot."

When Bendure graduated in 2023 from Hilbert High School, about 20 miles east of Appleton, he hadn't submitted a single college application. While he had toyed with the idea of becoming an electrical engineer, Bendure decided to join the workforce instead, just like his parents did.

Sargento employee Dylan Bendure, 19, opted out of college and went straight into the workforce to earn and save money while he decides his future. He is shown recently at the Sargento plant in Hilbert.

Sargento, where Bendure worked part time through high school, was happy to hire him full time. Starting wages at the cheese manufacturer are $25.77 per hour, or about $53,600 annually. Because Bendure works second shift  "I'm not a morning person," he said  he gets paid extra.

Bendure's best friends took a different path and enrolled at UW-Green Bay.

Bendure doesn't feel like he's missing out. If anything, it reinforces he made the right decision. While one of them borrows their parents' car, Bendure bought his own. While they may graduate with debt, Bendure sees himself potentially pursuing higher education through an apprenticeship or Sargento's tuition reimbursement program.

"It just seems like a better option financially," he said.

High schools are taking a more active role in exposing students to career options through youth apprenticeships, job shadows and more.

Mike Trimberger, superintendent of the Random Lake School District about 40 miles north of Milwaukee, said the narrative pushed in schools for decades was simple: Go to college. He started noticing a shift around 2012 after a new state law required every high school graduate to have an academic career plan.

"You're now seeing adults in schools talk to kids differently, and students now making better decisions about what their next step after high school is," Trimberger said.

Students may pursue college later in life, and increasingly through an employer. Universities can play a larger role in upskilling and reskilling workers.

"It's going to be a different kind of student than having a bunch of 18-year-olds in their hallways," Trimberger said.

Mone sees this as a big part of UWM's future. The university will lean further into continuing education credits, certificates, badges and industry partnerships, such as a recently announced aritificial intelligence initiative with Microsoft.

Connecting programs to career pathways is key

If Chad Frey could do it over, he would have avoided college altogether. But he graduated from Franklin High School in 2014, a time when college felt like the only option to be successful.

"If you didn't go to college, you had to figure something else out and you had to get lucky, I guess, is the way they made it seem," said Frey, 28.

Frey enrolled at UW-Waukesha  now called UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha, which will close in spring 2025. He didn't like sitting in a desk all day, felt like he wasn't "wired that way." His breaking point came when he had to take a required gym class credit.

"It just kind of seemed a little bit ridiculous in a way that that was even something that was mandatory for me to be able to get a degree," he recalled. "It just seemed like I was giving them money for no reason and it didn't have anything to do with my actual studies."

Colleges need to prove their relevance to the students they serve by adjusting programming in response to student interests and workforce needs, said Robert Zemsky, a higher education researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

"What we see is an industry that isnt being smart, isnt looking at the curriculum, isnt being student-centered and is wandering all over the place," Zemsky said. "That is just going to keep the closures going because theres no countervailing to the funk."

Universities are trying to make the connections between academic disciplines and careers clearer. UW-Oshkosh, for example, is undergoing a massive restructuring of colleges, schools and departments into "career clusters" that will be more familiar to students and connect them to job pathways.

"We need to be able to better communicate what we do, how we do it, and therefore what the value of that degree is," UW-Oshkosh Provost Ed Martini said.

The message didn't arrive in time for Frey. He dropped out and found his way to a five-year apprenticeship with the steamfitters union. He now earns more than $100,000 annually.

In Frey's free time, he returns to Franklin High School to share his story with students wondering what's next after graduation. He said many find his pitch compelling.

"It's just mind-blowing (to them) to think it's possible to make a good living wage not going to college," he said.

This project is supported by a grant from Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, to make possible journalism on issues of importance to the Milwaukee area. All the work was done under the guidance of Journal Sentinel editors.

Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.comor 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin high school grads going directly to college plummets
DENVER (KDVR)  Coloradans take to the polls every two years to decide their representatives in Congress. While several incumbents were on the ballot this year, the primary election saw wide-open races in three districts previously held by Republicans.

Voters have decided on contenders for the general election on Nov. 5.

District 1

Incumbent Diana DeGette, a Democrat, has represented this district since 1997. She ran unopposed in the primary, as did her Republican challenger, Valdamar Archuleta.

District 1 spans Denver and includes Glendale and Holly Hills.

District 2

Incumbent Joe Neguse, a Democrat, has represented this district since 2018. He ran unopposed, as did his Republican challenger, Marshall Dawson.

District 2 spans Colorados north-central region mountain region and includes Fort Collins, Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette and Erie along with destination mountain communities like Vail and Steamboat Springs.

District 3

Current U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is not running for re-election in this district. Boebert moved to Windsor and launched a bid to represent the heavily Republican 4th Congressional District.

Democrat Adam Frisch, who narrowly lost to Boebert in 2022 by 546 votes, ran unopposed to represent his party in the November election. Republican voters selected Jeff Hurd to face him in the fall.

District 3 spans Colorados Western Slope. Its largest communities include Pueblo, Grand Junction, Pueblo West, Clifton and Montrose, along with destination mountain communities like Aspen and Telluride.

District 4

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck announced last year he would not seek re-election after serving District 4 since 2015. Buck, a Republican, ended up resigning in March, which required a vacancy election to fill the rest of his term.

Republican voters chose U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert as the primary winner. Boebert moved from the Western Slope to campaign for the 4th Congressional District seat as she finishes her term in District 3.

Democratic voters chose Trisha Calvarese as the primary winner. She will face Boebert in the November general election.

District 4 spans Colorados rural Eastern Plains and includes Douglas County and part of Larimer County. Its largest communities are Highlands Ranch, Loveland, Castle Rock, Parker and Windsor.

District 5

U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election. The Republican has served District 5 since 2007.

Consultant and radio host Jeff Crank defeated Colorado GOP chair and hard-line conservative Dave Williams in the primary, according to a call from The Associated Press.

The Associated Press declared River Gassen as the winner in the Democratic race on Wednesday.

District 5 includes the Colorado Springs metropolitan area, including communities like Security-Widefield, Fountain, Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson.

District 6

Incumbent Jason Crow, a Democrat, has served District 6 since 2019. He ran unopposed in the primary, as did his Republican challenger, John Fabbricatore.

District 6 includes Aurora and the suburban Denver communities of Centennial, Littleton, Ken Caryl and Englewood.

District 7

Incumbent Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat, has served District 7 since 2023. She ran unopposed in the primary, as did her Republican challenger, Sergei Matveyuk.

District 7s largest communities include Lakewood, Arvada, Broomfield, Westminster and Dakota Ridge and spans west to Lake and Chaffee counties and Teller and Fremont counties to the south.

District 8

Incumbent Yadira Caraveo, a Democrat, has served District 8 since 2023. She ran unopposed in her partys primary.

Republican voters chose Gabe Evans, a current Colorado House representative, to face her in the November election.

District 8 is Colorados newest congressional district that covers communities like Thornton, Greeley, Westminster, Commerce City and Brighton.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Officers of the Colorado Republican Party, including chair Dave Williams, are displayed on the party's website. (Quentin Young/Colorado Newsline)

Nobody in Colorado lost harder on Tuesday than Dave Williams.

The former state representative, who chairs the Colorado Republican Party, lost his primary election bid by a staggering margin, according to preliminary results. But that only begins to describe what happened.

Other Williams-backed candidates, up and down the ballot across the state, also went down Tuesday. And it wasnt just his campaign to represent the states 5th District in Congress that was at stake. The election was in part a referendum on his divisive leadership style, and it was an indicator of whether he can survive a call from within his party to resign. Within 24 hours after the polls closed, the Republican organizers of an effort to oust Williams submitted a petition and request for a vote on removing him as head of the party.

Williams losses might only have just begun. But his losses could be the partys gain.

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Williams was polarizing from the beginning. He won the party chairmanship in 2023 with a combative MAGA message that castigated those he saw as weak Republicans as much as it attacked fake news and liberals. But he really started offending fellow party members when in January he entered the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn in the 5th District. Thats what prompted Todd Watkins, a former ally and member of the partys State Central Committee, to help lead the formal effort to boot Williams.

Id known since he announced his run for CD5 and refused to step down from the chair that wed have to do this, Watkins said during an interview Wednesday.

Many Republicans were aghast at this and other behavior by the party under Williams, including the way it eliminated a tradition of neutrality in primary races and instead endorsed Williams and other favored candidates, its expenditures on behalf of Williams in his primary race against a fellow Republican, its anti-LGBTQ messaging, and its call for parents to remove their kids from public schools.

Yeah, theres some bad public schools out there, but theres a lot of people in rural Colorado who dont have any choice, said Dave Peters, a Republican who serves the party as the 3rd Congressional District chair.

Peters, who is also chair of the La Plata County Republicans, objected to an official GOP email from Williams earlier this month that said God Hates Pride and featured an image with the words God Hates Flags.

I think a lot of counties, that are trying to get local elected officials, thought, What in the world are you doing? You dont go out there and alienate voters. And that, I think a lot of counties felt it did not help them at all in having to claw back and distance themselves from his statements, Peters said.

In April, Republican political strategist Kelly Maher filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Williams violated campaign finance law by using party resources to promote his candidacy.

Dave Williams has clearly and obviously used (state party funds) as a slush fund for his congressional race, Maher said at the time.

We have to fix this now.

 Todd Watkins, member of the Republican Party's State Central Committe, on Dave Williams' role as chair

Apart from Williams style, he proved terrible at picking winners Tuesday, and getting Republicans elected is kind of his one job. Nevermind that he tried to get himself elected and lost by 30 percentage points. The vast majority of party-endorsed Republicans in contested primary elections lost. Moreover, how can anyone trust that the party will now make a good-faith effort to support Jeff Crank, who beat Williams in the 5th District primary, after the bad blood of the campaign?

I come from decades of military and federal law enforcement, Watkins said. You cannot let this go. Otherwise you set a precedent, and say, Hey, you let Dave get away with it. You have to take action on this.

Newsline contacted Williams with a request for comment but did not receive a reply.

Earlier this month, a press release from Nancy Pallozzi, chair of the Jefferson County Republicans, said that a petition in favor of a special meeting on Williams role as state chairman had attracted the signatures of more than 25% of the GOPs State Central Committee, which comprises more than 400 elected officeholders and local organizers. The petition, along with a formal request for Williams to call a special meeting for the purpose of a vote on the removal of Chairman of the State Republican Party, was delivered to Williams on Wednesday, Watkins said.

Hope Scheppelman, the partys vice chair, responded to the request, telling Watkins that the petition will be forwarded to the State Executive Committee for controversy review and that a meeting had been scheduled for Aug. 31, according to a copy of the message that Watkins shared with Newsline.

Writing back to Scheppelman, Watkins argued that the matter was not a controversy but rather a request for a special meeting to remove the chairman. Party rules required the meeting to be held within 30 days of the call for the meeting, and the call must be made within 10 days of the request  well before Aug. 31.

What if Williams just doesnt call the meeting? If he was sensible, clearly he would. I mean clearly the winds are not blowing in his favor, Watkins said. But parliamentary procedure would permit another member of the committee to call a special meeting, Watkins said. Then the group could dethrone Williams with a 60% vote among the whole committee, which Watkins is confident the group can achieve: I think its comfortably over 60.

He does not want Williams leading the party into Novembers general election.

We have to fix this now, Watkins said. Those of us who feel committed and honest about what our purpose is as a political party, as the Republican Party, we have to make a concerted effort to demonstrate that, no, there are some who are very serious about running a professional and sober and competent party to actually get conservatives elected, and were not here to be inflammatory, incendiary, and we dont think that using the organs of the party to run your campaign is a reliable image. We have to be trustworthy.

Republican state Rep. Matt Soper said the election results Tuesday sent a clear message. Voters in a primary, even those who are not affiliated with a party, tend to be more partisan and have much more of a pulse on where things should go politically. They chose to vote against Williams himself and almost every Williams-backed candidate across the state.

I think this is a pivotal moment, Soper said. It is hopefully a time when the Colorado Republican Party can wake up and say, OK, this new strategy under Dave Williams and this new direction under Dave Williams clearly did not work, and it didnt resonate with the average conservative voter.'

Soper said Republicans have opportunities to make gains in November in the states congressional delegation, at the statehouse and in local offices around the state. But the potential for election wins could be compromised if Williams and his allies in state party offices dig in.

The ability for the Republicans in Colorado to show that we hit bottom and are rebounding is very real, and I dont want to see the rebound disrupted by Dave Williams, Soper said.

On Wednesday morning, the Colorado Republican Party sent out an email to congratulate Republican candidates who won their primaries. It was a perfectly anodyne message that contained none of the spit and venom of some previous party emails.

Together, we can turn Colorado around, it said.

But when it comes to Williams, many Republicans are in no mood for togetherness.

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LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR)  Colorado first responders are on the scene of the devastating wildfires in Ruidoso, New Mexico, and now theyre preparing to change tactics.

Some 45 members of Colorado Task Force 1 deployed on Friday to assist with search and rescue in the areas burned by the South Fork and Salt fires. Since Saturday, the team covered searched 6,000 acres and 937 structures during searches of the burn area as part of a hazmat detection mission.

It can be very grueling. They were working 12, 14, 16 hour days, said Bob Olme, program manager for the task force, known as CO-TF1 for short. We want to do our part so that should we ever need that same help, that we could count on that as well.

A charred car sits among the remains of the Swiss Chalet Hotel

Olme told FOX31 that they did not find anyone in the area they covered, which means residents evacuated and were not trapped in the fire.

The fact that they were able to get good clearance on lots of acreage yesterday and confirmed that, its some closure and some start of the rebuilding for the people that are going back there so that the morale is very high, Olme said. They want to do whatever they can to make it better.

Bookmark this: Active wildfire map for Colorado and the US

Now, with an expected torrential rainstorm on the way, members of CO-TF1 are bracing for swift water rescues. Olme said the team prepared in advance, bringing boats, swift water suits and life jackets.

They dont care if theyre trudging through ash or waiting for flash floods. They just they just want to be there to help, Olme said. Thats why they joined the task force to be part of something bigger than themselves so that they can make a difference in the worst of peoples times.

Weather dependent, Olme said the team plans to demobilize on Friday or Saturday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia overturned two centuries of understanding about the 2nd Amendment with a 2008 ruling establishing an individual right to bear arms. (Associated Press)

For decades, gun control policy in the U.S. has been virtually untouchable  except through efforts to make America's gun culture deadlier, raising the toll of innocent victims.

Two recent developments suggest that the ground may finally be shifting toward rationality.

One is an "advisory" from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy identifying firearm violence as a public health crisis  the boldest statement from a government official calling attention to the horrific consequences of the nation's turn away from common sense gun control.

Originalism tells judges not to consider the practical consequences of their interpretations.

Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer explains why America can't pass workable gun laws

Murthy's report is in the finest tradition of public health policy, akin to the 1964 report by Surgeon General Luther Terry that placed the links between smoking and cancer, bronchitis and coronary disease into the public record.

As Murthy himself observes, that initiative placed the U.S. on a course of tobacco regulation that reduced the prevalence of smoking from 42% of adults in 1964 to 11.5% in 2022.

The other is a June 21 Supreme Court decision finding that laws barring domestic abusers from possessing guns are constitutional. The ruling is an indication  albeit slight  that a majority on the court has concluded that earlier decisions that found almost any state and local restrictions violated the 2nd Amendment were far too indulgent.

Let's take the advisory and ruling in order.

Murthy's advisory is an extraordinary synopsis of the toll of America's fascination with firearms and its failure to regulate gun ownership.

Firearms passed motor vehicles as the leading cause of death of children and adolescents in the U.S. in 2019. (U.S. Surgeon General)

He reports that firearms are now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents, having passed motor vehicles in 2019. In 2022, guns killed more than 48,200 Americans through homicides, suicides and accidents, rising by about 16,000 over the previous 10 years.

Murthy's report notes that guns are used in 55% of all suicide attempts and that their lethality in those cases is unmatched  nearly 90% end in death, higher than any other method.

The report treats mass shootings (defined as those with four or more victims, not counting the shooter) soberly. These account for only about 1% of all firearm deaths, but their impact is far greater due to their "outsized collective trauma on society" and their "strong negative effect on the public's perception of safety." One in three adults "say fear prevents them from going to certain places or events."

Murthy's report puts the lie to the familiar claim by Republicans and gun rights fanatics that the problem, especially when it comes to mass shootings, is mental health, not firearms.

Read more: Column: How right-wing judges in Texas are erasing Americans' rights everywhere

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), for instance, told Fox News anchor Sean Hannity in October, after a gunman killed 18 people in Lewiston, Maine: "Mental health, obviously, as in this case, is a big issue, and we have got to seriously address that as a society and as a government."

Yet Murthy reports that "one's mental health diagnosis or psychological profile alone is not a strong predictor of perpetrating violence of any type.... Importantly, most people with serious mental illness are not violent against others. In fact, people with serious mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of violence."

For all their nattering about the need to address mental health, anyway, Republicans have never lifted a finger to promote any programs to do so.

Now to the Supreme Court.

The rate of firearm deaths of childen and adolescents in the U.S. vastly surpassed the rates in other developed countries. (U.S. Surgeon General)

Rahimi vs. United States, which yielded an 8-1 decision on June 21, is the first gun-rights case to come before the court since a 2022 decision known as Bruen, in which Clarence Thomas, writing for a 6-3 majority, essentially found that all modern efforts to regulate firearms are unconstitutional.

Thomas held, in effect, that the only legitimate basis for judging gun laws is historical  weighing the laws against the language of the 2nd Amendment to determine how the amendment was viewed by its drafters in 1789 and how their approach was dictated by the political and social context of that time.

In Bruen, Thomas ridiculed Justice Stephen Breyer's dissent (with which justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan concurred). Breyer had opened his argument with nine pages of statistics about gun ownership and its consequences for health and safety.

Read more: Column: The pathetic Senate gun deal is better than nothing  barely

"It is hard to see what legitimate purpose can possibly be served" by Breyer's figures, Thomas sneered. "Why, for example, does the dissent think it is relevant to recount the mass shootings that have occurred in recent years?"

In Rahimi, however, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asserted that the consequences of unrestricted gun ownership were highly relevant. To be fair, this was easy. The record made clear that Zackey Rahimi, the gun owner at the center of the case, was one vicious specimen indeed. As Roberts laid out in the opening three pages of his majority opinion, Rahimi had beat up his girlfriend (the mother of his child) and fired in her direction or at a bystander as she fled his grasp.

After she got a restraining order against him, he stalked her, threatened a different woman with a gun, was suspected by police of at least five other shootings, fired at motorists in at least two road-rage incidents and fired his gun indiscriminately at least two other times. Police searched his home and found a pistol and a rifle. He was charged under a Texas law that criminalized possessing a gun while under a retraining order due to domestic violence.

Despite all that, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Rahimi's conviction, citing Bruen.

Roberts' decision in Rahimi is a step toward ratcheting back the Bruen effect, in which almost every gun regulation is suspect. That brings us to the "originalism" principle, which undergirds the court conservatives' distaste for restrictions on gun rights. As expressed by Thomas in his Bruen opinion, originalism holds that interpreting the Constitution must depend on the "public understanding of a legal text in the period after its enactment or ratification."

As the now-retired Breyer put it in a recent essay, "the originalist, instead of looking to the text and asking what the words mean now, may well ask what they would have meant to an ordinary eighteenth-century person" and applies them to the world of today. (Breyer isn't a fan of originalism.)

Scholars such as Stanford historian Jack Rakove argue that interpretations of the 2nd Amendment depend more on originalism than any other provisions of the Constitution. Its impact emerged most notably in the Supreme Court's so-called Heller decision. In that 2008 decision written by Justice Antonin Scalia, a 5-4 majority overturned a Washington, D.C., ordinance largely barring citizens from possessing handguns for self-defense in their own home.

Read more: Column: California's tough gun laws have made the state safer than the rest of the country

Heller overturned more than the D.C. law  it upended more than 200 years of scholarship about the meaning of the 2nd Amendment's preamble, which links "the right of the people to keep and bear arms" to the establishment of "a well-regulated Militia."

As Breyer pointed out, historians and linguists had argued (in a friend-of-the-court brief in the Bruen case) that the phrase "bear arms" overwhelmingly referred to "war, soldiering, or other forms of armed action by a group"  not to an individual right. Heller, however, established an individual right to gun ownership for the first time.

Bruen expanded that right to gun ownership outside the home. The ruling deemed unconstitutional a New York law requiring citizens to have a license to carry firearms in public. America's rising tide of gun violence can fairly be traced to Heller.

Scholars have pointed to numerous problems with originalism. One is that judges are (usually) not historians. They may be utterly at sea when trying to find the apposite historical application to contemporary conditions.

The drafters of the 2nd Amendment, as it happens, were concerned about the public threat of a government's standing army; historians argue that the amendment was designed to prevent the federal government from interfering with the creation of state militias.

Firearms in the 18th century were "not nearly as threatening or lethal as those available today," Rakove writes; people in that era were concerned not with threats from "casual strangers, embittered family members, violent youth gangs, freeway snipers, and careless weapons keepers."

In other words, applying an 18th century mindset to 21st century conditions is a fool's errand. "Originalism" only interferes with judges' responsibility to ponder the real-world impacts of their decision  their option, Rakove says, is to "ransack" the historical record for quotations that can support their preexisting goals.

"Originalism," says Breyer, "tells judges not to consider the practical consequences of their interpretations." Its product is the paralysis of federal, state and local efforts to regulate gun ownership. It's also responsible for the contraction of individual rights being rolled back almost gleefully by the current Supreme Court majority, notably abortion and other women's reproductive healthcare rights, as originalists argue that the concept of privacy on which those other rights are based can't be found in the Constitution.

It's also proper to note that the public during the time the 2nd Amendment was drafted, enacted and ratified is very different from the public affected by its consequences today. In 1791, among other distinctions, enslaved people were not considered citizens and women could not vote. Who set the terms back then under which today's Americans must live?

Rahimi won't solve the mess in gun regulation created by the Heller and Bruen rulings. A multitude of pending cases might strengthen it or undermine it. But at least it's a step back from the abyss.

Murthy's advisory gives a similar impression of being a first step on a path that might lead nowhere. He calls for more research on violence prevention strategies and laws preventing children's access to guns, universal background checks, banning assault weapons and restricting the carrying of loaded firearms in public.

The bottom line, of course, is that America's gun violence crisis can only be solved by fewer guns. There's a long road ahead to reaching that goal.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. An opening ceremony of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Annual Meeting and Business Forum has taken place in Almaty, Trend reports.

During the opening ceremony, Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Finance, Dauren Kenbeil, read an address from the country's Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov.

"The EDB plays an increasingly important role in implementing the large-scale economic development plans of its member states and deepening Eurasian integration. Nearly two-thirds of its projects have an integrative effect, contributing to the expansion of trade and economic ties among the countries in the region. The bank acts as a catalyst for key cross-border projects in energy, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and digitalization.

At the same time, the EDB has become a leader among international development banks in non-sovereign financing. The bank's long-term economic development vision and sector expertise are in high demand both within the EAEU and beyond.

The bank's cooperation with international partners is strengthening, aimed at helping member countries achieve sustainable development goals," Kenbeil said, reading the prime minister's address.

Then, the Chairman of the EDB Management Board, Nikolai Podguzov, delivered a welcoming speech.

According to him, the EDB's strategy envisions investing nearly $11 billion into the economies of its shareholder countries by 2026.

"The challenges facing the region are global. And it is impossible to overcome them without combining efforts," he said.

Podguzov pointed out that no major international development bank can single-handedly build an infrastructure project worth several billion dollars, whether it is a hydroelectric power plant or a transportation hub.

"Collaboration in the capital markets is necessary. Cooperation among international development banks is especially useful where long-term international efforts are needed. In such projects, international banks play an anchor role," he added.

To note, the EDB's Annual Meeting and Business Forum will continue for two days.

The events will feature a series of sessions on the topics of Islamic finance, transport, ecology, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank carrying out investment activities in the Eurasian region.

The authorized capital of the EDB is $7 billion. The main share of the EDB's portfolio is occupied by projects with integration effects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and machine building.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
As the Israel-Hamas war is supposedly entering a new phase of more targeted raids in Gaza, another war is raging along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Since Hamas Oct. 7 assault in southern Israel, the Israeli military and Hezbollah have engaged in deadly clashes in the border area. Israel said it has struck thousands of Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, killing at least 300 Hezbollah fighters.

According to the Israeli military, Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 rockets, drones and missiles into northern Israel, killing Israeli civilians and troops and forcing tens of thousands of Israelis to leave their homes.

The danger in this conflict shouldnt be understated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could conclude at some point that large-scale military action is required to push Hezbollah from its borders. During a June 5 visit to the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, Netanyahu emphasized that security will be restored to the north sooner or later. Plans for a large-scale Israeli operation against Hezbollah have reportedly been approved, which means the only thing standing in the way of another war in Lebanon is a political decision by Netanyahu.

For months, the Israel-Hezbollah tit-for-tat was confined to within 5 or 6 miles of the Blue Line, the United Nations-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon. But the scope of hostilities is getting wider. Its no longer rare for Israeli airstrikes to hit deep into Lebanons interior.

On June 10, Israel conducted its deepest strike in Lebanon yet, hitting a Hezbollah facility in the Baalbek region. Israel killed Hezbollah field commander Taleb Abdallah the next day, which prompted Hezbollah to retaliate with hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. Hezbollah is employing more sophisticated weapons to pierce Israeli air defenses.

Israeli military operations in Lebanon have a long history, with the military taking action in 1978 and 1982 against the Palestine Liberation Organization and in 1993, 1996 and 2006 against Hezbollah. None of those operations was especially successful. Israels 1982 invasion forced PLO leader Yasser Arafat to Tunisia but also resulted in an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon that arguably produced Hezbollah. The 1993 and 1996 air campaigns were at best tactical successes. The 2006 war hit Hezbollah hard and restored deterrence along the border, but the Lebanese group quickly reconstituted its military power courtesy of Iranian assistance.

Its difficult to see another large-scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon succeeding where others failed. Hezbollah is no longer an insurgency with limited reach  its the dominant political faction in Lebanese politics, and its military wing is larger than the official Lebanese army. Hezbollahs arsenal, complete with as many as 200,000 missiles, attack drones, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms and Iranian-supplied precision munitions, would all be used in a war with Israel. Israeli cities and towns far beyond the border region would sustain extensive damage. Hezbollahs missiles can hit all of Israel, and the group has enough of them to confuse Israeli air defense systems.

President Joe Bidens administration clearly understands just how destabilizing a war in Lebanon would be. U.S. officials have reportedly told their Israeli counterparts that a limited war against Hezbollah would likely force Iran, Hezbollahs primary sponsor, to become more involved.

The U.S. has tried to broker a deal that would at least deescalate the situation. Amos Hochstein, Bidens special envoy, engaged in another round of shuttle diplomacy with Israeli and Lebanese officials last week. But his efforts have been unsuccessful thus far. Hezbollah insists no diplomatic arrangement is possible until Israel ends the war in Gaza.

There is an agreement in sight, but both sides need to ditch maximalism to make room for common sense.

Israel wants Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, roughly 20 miles away from the Israel-Lebanon border. Yet its difficult to envision Hezbollah acceding to this demand since this would force the group to vacate its main base of support. However, depending on what Israel offers in return, Hezbollah could conceivably withdraw 6 or 7 miles from the Israeli border. This wont satisfy the hard-liners in Israel, but its better than the current arrangement in which northern Israel is written off as a de facto military zone devoid of civilians.

To make these terms palatable to the Israelis, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon could verify the pullback and the Lebanese army could be redeployed to areas vacated by Hezbollah to ensure the militia doesnt renege.

Israel, of course, wont get this concession for free. While no Israeli prime minister would agree to limit Israels ability to act in self-defense  nor should they  Israel could stop daily incursions into Lebanese airspace or at least limit them to an agreed-upon number. Israeli ground troops would need to withdraw from the small pockets of Lebanese territory they still occupy in contravention of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Assuming all of this succeeds  admittedly a big assumption  Israel and the Lebanese state could then get on with the task of negotiating a permanent border.

In the interim, the Biden administration must get brutally honest with its friends in Israel: Not only would the U.S. not join a war in Lebanon, but it also would oppose it on principle. Israel must be under no illusions that the U.S. would bail it out in the event the Israeli government initiates a large-scale offensive.

A good-enough diplomatic resolution, even if its a placeholder, is preferable to a war that would cause immense suffering in the region, undermine U.S. policy objectives in the Middle East, and draw the U.S. and Iran into a direct conflict neither wishes to fight.

_____

Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

_____
The governor of Louisiana just signed a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools.

There are two problems with this. The first and most obvious is that the Constitution prohibits the government from making laws that mandate an establishment of religion. While the Ten Commandments may be central to the Judeo-Christian tradition, the government has no right to pass laws that discriminate against Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, Sikhs or atheists.

But there is a second problem: Whose Ten Commandments are going to be displayed? The original text does not number the commandments and contains more than 10 imperative statements. Even within the Judeo-Christian tradition, there are disagreements on how to parse them and what they mean.

The standard Jewish version holds that the first commandment is, I am the LORD thy God, while the second commandment is, Thou shall have no other gods before Me. For Christians, I am the Lord thy God is not a commandment but a preamble. So, the first commandment for Christians is not an identification of God but a prohibition of worshiping false gods.

Catholics and some Protestants differ on where to put the prohibition of graven images and how to interpret it.

According to the Exodus version of the commandments, observance of the Sabbath day (or in some versions the Lords Day) is justified because God rested on the seventh day from all the labors associated with creation. But according to the Deuteronomy version, the Sabbath day is supposed to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. In any case, Jews celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday and Christians on Sunday.

There is still confusion on whether the text means Thou shall not kill or Thou shall not commit murder. Though most editions of the Bible have murder, the King James edition has kill.

Adultery in the ancient world involved a man sleeping with a married woman. Nothing in the original text of the Ten Commandments prohibits a married man from sleeping with an unmarried woman, concubine or enslaved person.

While there is a commandment prohibiting false testimony in court, contrary to popular belief, it does not prohibit lying, at least not explicitly. Nor does it prohibit promise breaking. One can argue that both are contained in the spirit of the commandments, but that is a matter of interpretation.

According to some versions, there are two commandments dealing with coveting: one involving your neighbors house and another involving your neighbors wife. Other traditions combine them into one commandment.

Are the Ten Commandments the basis of our moral system? If they are, then it is odd that they say nothing about slavery, rape, torture or other heinous crimes. Jesus reduced the commandments to two primary ones: love of God and love of ones neighbor. But neither of these is mentioned in the original 10.

So which version does the governor of Louisiana want to put up in public schools and how will students be instructed about their meaning?

Your guess is as good as mine. It was disputes like these that led the Framers of the Constitution to decide that when it comes to religious matters, it is best for the government to step aside and let people make up their own minds.

In an age when many people complain about the intrusion of government into peoples private lives, wouldnt it be better to put up the Bill of Rights, whose wording is beyond dispute, rather than the Ten Commandments?

_____

(Kenneth Seeskin is an emeritus professor of philosophy and the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick professor of Jewish civilization at Northwestern University.)

_____
Commissioner Bray on safety during Pride March and 4th of July

Commissioner Bray on safety during Pride March and 4th of July

NEW YORK (PIX11)  New Yorks first female commissioner of homeland security, Jackie Bray, appeared on PIX11 Morning News to address safety concerns over upcoming events.

Despite FBI and state department warnings of threats to pride events by the terrorist group ISIS, Bray said there are no credible threats to New York and shes confident the New York City Pride March while be safe.

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Bray cites close cooperation between the state, feds and the NYPDs counterterrorism units for her confidence. She says she is just as confident about the safety of the Macys 4th of July fireworks.

Two weeks ago, the NYPD busted a Queens man with an arsenal of weapons. It turns the out 29-year-old expressed extremist views on line.

The migrant crisis only adding to concerns after 8 Tajik men with ties to the Islamic state were arrested after seeking asylum this month at the southern border.

New Yorks homeland security commissioner says counterterrorism has gotten more complex. Domestic threats are just as prevalent as foreign threats.

That said, she is confident New Yorkers can celebrate pride and our nations independence safely.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
The Community Blood Center teams up with American Legion Post 55 for MASH Blood Drive

APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV)  The Community Blood Center held its 36th MASH Blood Drive in Appleton on Wednesday.

The CBC teamed up with American Legion Post 55 to collect hundreds of units of blood. Organizers say the summer months are a particularly challenging time for blood collection, but theyre hoping Wednesdays drive will help support supplies.

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We want to make sure there is enough blood in our blood banks to take care of the accidents that can happen during the summer months, said Kimberly Craddock, American Legion Post 55 Member.

The CBC says that every two seconds in the U.S., someone needs a blood donation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
North Korea says it has successfully tested a ballistic missile fitted with a multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) payload  one that contains several warheads, each capable of hitting a different target. Meanwhile, South Korea claims that the test was a failure. Whether successful or not, the emergence of MIRV technologies is another indicator of North Koreas rapidly developing strategic arsenal, which is growing in size and capabilities despite sanctions. The test of the MIRVed missile took place on June 26 in the presence of various North Korean officials and the missile covered a range of 105 to 124 miles, according to the KCNA, the countrys state news agency. The individual warheads were guided precisely to three target coordinates, according to the report. The same source said that the test was of great significance in achieving the goal of advancing missile technology. The launch of the claimed MIRVed North Korean missile, which was apparently based on the first stage of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile. KCNA KCNA The type of missile used is unclear, but reports suggest it was a special test example. Pyongyangs state news agency described the use of a first-stage engine of an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile, with the overall shortened trajectory of the missile test having been dictated as the most efficient way of measuring the performance of the MIRVs while ensuring safety. According to Ankit Panda, the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the test involved a modified Hwasong-16 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) booster to carry out a shortened-range test specifically to validate the release of three independent warheads. Meanwhile, the nosecone of the missile, at least based on the available official imagery, resembles the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Here's what's going on with this test (per KCNA): NK Missile Administration used a modified Hwasong-16 (IRBM) booster to carry out a shortened range test validating independent warhead (3x) release from a MIRV bus. Test also validated successful release of a decoy. Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) June 26, 2024 Interestingly, North Korea says that at least one decoy was also released from the missile, suggesting that some form of penetration aid (or penaid) was also tested, a device that increases the actual warheads chances of reaching the target without detection or interception. The effectiveness of a decoy separated from the missile was also verified by anti-air radar, KCNA claims. The U.S. Air Force video below gives a good general look at how a MIRVed ICBM, loaded with a mixture of warheads and penetration aids, functions. Photos released by KCNA purport to show the separation of individual warheads (as well as a decoy) during the test. An official North Korean photo that claims to show the separation of an individual warhead. KCNA As to the location of the test, this appears to have been a launch site located close to one of Kim Jong Uns mansions east of Pyongyang. Satellite imagery shows scorch marks on the ground at the location consistent with a missile launch. However, there was no mention of the North Korean leader having witnessed the test, as he has done on similar occasions in the past. The obvious candidate for today's failed missile test  a hypersonic missile according to ROK JCS  is the same place as the previous tests of the newer solid-fuel model: the east Pyongyang Kim Jong Un mansion. @planet images taken 5 and 6 hrs later show possible burn scars.. https://t.co/x8yNyARvRn pic.twitter.com/qtsgIkUYKH Colin Zwirko (@ColinZwirko) June 26, 2024 The North Korean state news agency stated: The leaders who observed the important technical test emphasized that improving the ability of individual mobile combat units to destroy individual targets is a very important defense technology task and a matter of top priority for the Partys central leadership, and they called for thorough scientific and technological measures to further improve the effectiveness of deception [decoy] systems. South Korean officials, however, said the test was a failure. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul confirmed that they detected the test on Wednesday morning around 5:30 a.m. local time. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a JCS official later told the press that the test appeared to involve a hypersonic missile that exploded in the air east of Wonsan. The official said the missile had traveled around 155 miles from its launch site in Pyongyang when it failed, sending fragments into the sea. This appears to be the only source that identifies the missile as a hypersonic design. MIRVs descend to the Earth in the aftermath of a U.S. ICBM test. U.S. Department of Defense A JCS spokesperson Lee Seong-joon added that the missile exploded in the early stage of flight and accused the North of trying to deceive and exaggerate with its report. Lee said the JCS had come to its conclusion based on additional information thats not publicly available. The Japanese Ministry of Defense also confirmed it had detected the launch. It described the missile attaining a maximum altitude of around 62 miles before coming down in the Sea of Japan. At this point, it remains very much unclear whether the missile test genuinely ended in failure or not, with a possibility that South Korea misidentified the separating warheads and decoy as the missile itself broke up. Seoul also has a track record of downplaying or challenging North Koreas claims about its military developments. A North Korean media photo that purports to show the separation of a decoy separation during the June 27, 2024, test. KCNA Ankit Panda told NK News that he saw no evidence of catastrophic failure, but also said that the available imagery didnt confirm beyond doubt that North Korea had conducted its first MIRV test. Even if the test didnt end as planned, North Korea will still learn from it, continuing the rapid ballistic missile development path of iterative testing that it has been on since 2016. Regardless, its significant that North Korea has, for the first time, publicly declared a test involving a MIRVed missile. MIRV technology was one of the key strategic capabilities that Kim Jong Un had called for in a five-year military development plan announced in 2021, part of his ambition to build up an invincible military to face off perceived aggression from the United States. A complication of videos providing a general look at how MIRVed ICBMs during test campaigns: Much of these developments  which also include super-heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs)  are focused on improving the overall survivability of North Koreas nuclear forces, which would be key targets in any major confrontation with a hostile power. While a MIRV configuration doesnt make the missile any more survivable on the ground, it greatly complicates matters for enemy defenses, simply by increasing the volume of rapidly incoming threats they have to contend with. For terminal intercept, each MIRV would have to be taken down. Target discrimination and subsequent Interception, including in the midcourse portion of the missiles flight, becomes harder when the missile also carries decoys  as reportedly in yesterdays North Korea test  and other countermeasures. A payload bus from a decommissioned LGM-118A Peacekeeper ICBM on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force with 10 mock re-entry vehicles. Wilson44691 via Wikimedia At the same time, a MIRV-equipped missile can also strike a larger number of targets than one with a single warhead, although its unclear exactly how many warheads North Korea hopes to add and the eventual figuration will be highly dependent on the missile itself. Among the most likely candidates for being loaded with North Korean MIRVs would include the Hwasong-18, its first solid-fuel ICBM design, which was first tested in April 2023. A TV at Yongsan Railway Station in Seoul shows the launch of a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), on December 18, 2023. Photo by KIM Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images SOPA Images More ambitious would be porting the MIRV technology onto SLBMs, especially bearing in mind North Koreas previous problems in this area and the apparent short range of the available missiles at this point. Its noteworthy that the United States is apparently starting to consider a return to deploying ICBMs with multiple nuclear warheads, as you can read about here. While the U.S. Air Forces LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBMs have this capability, they are currently only fielded with one warhead due to arms control agreements with Russia. The services future LGM-35A Sentinel ICBMs are currently also expected to be deployed with a single warhead. Aside from ICBMs and SLBMs, there could also be a compelling argument for North Korea to adapt shorter-ranged, ground-launched ballistic missiles to carry MIRVed payloads. IRBMs. in particular, delivering multiple warheads would have a better chance of overwhelming defenses, especially terminal ones like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that made its first recorded successful operational interception against a Houthi ballistic missile in January 2022. THAAD currently protects Guam, for instance. Adding decoys to shorter-range ballistic missiles could also be beneficial, and these capabilities already exist on other short-range ballistic missile types. Trucks carrying launchers and other equipment needed to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system arrive at the Osan Air Base, South Korea. U.S. Department of Defense A truck carrying parts of U.S. missile launchers and other equipment needed to set up the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system arrive at Osan Air Base, South Korea. Getty Images Aside from developing North Koreas broader strategic ambitions, it may well be no coincidence that yesterdays test took place during a large-scale live-fire exercise by the South Korean military. These are the first of their kind to be carried out so close to the border with the North for several years. Earlier this week, South Korea conducted more live-fire drills, involving multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), marking the 74th anniversary of the start of the Korean War. In the past, military maneuvers in the South  especially those involving U.S. participation  have been met by missile tests and other shows of force in the North. Whatever the truth behind yesterdays test  and whether or not it was successful and to what degree  it should be no surprise to learn that North Korea is advancing its development of MIRV and penetration aid technology. There remain, however, questions about how far this has advanced and to what degree the technological challenges are within the Norths reach. In particular, while it may be technically feasible to have multiple warheads separate from a missile, placing those warheads accurately on different targets is far more complex. After all, its not even clear whether North Korea has totally mastered the ability to accurately place a single warhead on a target after release from a long-range ballistic missile. Indeed, this is one area in which Russian expertise could be enormously beneficial. Russias President Vladimir Putin recently signed a mutual defense pact with North Korea, which is increasingly establishing itself as a key military ally in Moscows war in Ukraine. Russian forces have already received much-needed ammunition including artillery projectiles  reportedly numbered in the millions  as well as short-range ballistic missiles, although these appear to have been used in a mainly evaluation capacity and with mixed results. Wreckage of a North Korean missile during a briefing dedicated to the Russian shelling of Kharkiv by North Korean missiles, in March 2024, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The missile was identified as a North Korean KN-23. Photo by Denys Glushko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Global Images Ukraine In return, there have been fears that Russia may return the favor by providing North Korea with expertise to help with the further development of its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons  as well as other conventional weapons and technologies. On the other hand, there are other signals that North Korea might be more advanced in its MIRV developments than otherwise assumed. In particular, there have been suggestions that previous tests in February and March 2022, and again in October and November of the same year, may have involved some kind of MIRV-related technologies. With that in mind, we might not have to wait long until we see another publicly announced North Korean MIRV test. Ultimately, the plan will very likely be to demonstrate these capabilities on an ICBM using a lofted trajectory. Once this is achieved it will provide a much clearer indication of the countrys potential to deliver multiple warheads from a single missile over very considerable distances, including reaching anywhere in the United States. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

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Some residents have raised concerns about a new English Language Arts curriculum that the Peninsula School District will test in elementary schools this fall.

Out of the 14 members of the public who participated in public comment at the Peninsula School District Board of Directors meeting at Swift Water Elementary School on June 18, seven of them urged the board not to use the Wit & Wisdom curriculum in classrooms. One person spoke in support of it.

Some opposed to the curriculum questioned its effectiveness as a teaching tool, and some flagged the content of the texts used to teach kids how to read as inappropriate to their age group. Nationally, the curriculum has become a topic of controversy as voices on both the right and left of the political spectrum have claimed Wit & Wisdom teaches students particular ideological positions with regard to race, gender and diversity.

Wit & Wisdom is a K-8 English Language Arts curriculum developed by the organization Great Minds and is one of two options the Peninsula School District is considering to adopt at the K-5 level for the 2025-2026 school year.

According to the Great Minds curriculum website, Wit & Wisdom features core texts that are rich with content that piques curiosity, represent grade-level complexity, and showcase diverse perspectives.

What does Wit & Wisdom teach?

Vanessa Burgess, a special education teacher in a nearby district, spoke at the meeting with concerns about the curriculums effectiveness. She said that Wit & Wisdom introduces difficult content too early and leaves students with learning disabilities behind.

Burgess teaches middle school in the South Kitsap School District but emphasized to The News Tribune that she was sharing her personal opinions and not speaking as a representative of her district.

Burgess said in a phone call with The News Tribune that Wit & Wisdom texts have caused some of her middle school students to run out of the classroom screaming because the content was triggering to them. Books such as All Quiet on the Western Front or Fever 1793 include serious and difficult content about death and disease that she has to take time to explain to her students and help them process, she said.

Though Wit & Wisdom is a K-8 curriculum, the district is only piloting it at the K-5 level. The district is updating ELA curricula in elementary, middle and high school classrooms in separate processes and timelines. According to Peninsula School District director of Elementary Teaching & Learning Natalie Boyle, the district is not considering adopting Wit & Wisdom at the middle school level during this adoption cycle.

While she teaches middle school students, Burgess said in her public comment that she expects elementary school teachers will end up spending more time than they think on Wit & Wisdom content.

Besides South Kitsap, school districts in Spokane, Battle Ground, Longview, Port Angeles, Medical Lake, Ridgefield and Bainbridge Island have implemented Wit & Wisdom curriculum in Washington state, according to Nancy Zuckerbrod, a spokesperson for Great Minds.

Cristy Wahala is a member of the group Moms for P.E.A.C.E., which formed in June 2023 to advocate for BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and neurodivergent students in the district and support those targeted by bullying and harassment. Wahala spoke about the benefits of the Wit & Wisdom curriculum at the meeting.

Wahala said that the curriculum helps to create a diverse and inclusive learning environment needed to fight racism and harassment, which she suggested came from ignorance of diverse perspectives.

Ive heard a lot of examples of history thats taught through this program tonight, and theyre all accurate depictions of what has happened in history, Wahala said. So I dont think that thats wrong to teach our students.

The curriculum was criticized by multiple speakers during public comment who said it presents age-inappropriate content to young students.

Sarah Garriott has a child who is homeschooling part-time in the Peninsula School District and has another child who used to attend a Peninsula School District school. Garriott raised concerns about introducing serious topics from U.S. history so early in childrens education, such as in a kindergarten lesson that includes an explanation of the lack of opportunities that the Black entertainer known as Bojangles faced during the Harlem Renaissance because of the color of his skin.

Here is the first time that race relations are introduced to 5 year olds, on day 25 of kindergarten, before they have learned their letter sounds, and they are also introduced to the Great Depression, Garriott said.

Overview sheets of Wit & Wisdom Module 1 for kindergarten students, available on the Great Minds website for families, show that kindergarten classes read articles about the Great Depression and the Harlem Renaissance and watch a video called Bojangles Step Dance alongside other materials while they learn about the five senses.

The Great Minds website says that the curriculum complies with the laws of every state in which we operate and does not teach critical race theory (CRT). The website also says the company chooses books that accurately describe events in American history and explore the American experience from different perspectives.

Moms for Liberty

Garriott is the chair of the Pierce County chapter of Moms for Liberty. She said in a later phone call with The News Tribune that she came to the meeting as a private resident and not as a representative of Moms for Liberty.

Several others who spoke out against Wit & Wisdom at the meeting are also members of Moms for Liberty. Garriott said they did not come as one organized group.

Burgess, the South Kitsap teacher, said she was not affiliated with the group and does not share their views.

Moms for Liberty is a national organization with chapters across the country that describes itself as dedicated to fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government. The group has sought to influence school boards, including those in Pierce County, and its leaders have publicly opposed diversity, equity and inclusion and LGBTQ+ initiatives in public schools, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which labels it an antigovernment organization.

Garriott told The News Tribune that the organization wants schools to be neutral on social topics and to focus on strong academics and learning. She denied that the group is anti-LGBTQ.

In Tennessee, the Williamson County chapter of Moms for Liberty criticized Wit & Wisdom in a letter to the state Commissioner of Education in 2021, stating concerns that the curriculums lessons about racial injustice in U.S. history violate a Tennessee state law prohibiting the use of teaching materials that portray one race or sex as superior to another, the state or country as fundamentally racist or sexist, and other related ideas.

Another advocacy group, Parents Choice Tennessee, sued the Williamson County Board of Education and other officials in 2022 over claims that Wit & Wisdom teaches Critical Race Theory in violation of state law. The Tennessee Court of Appeals partially reversed a lower court ruling against the group in April and the case is ongoing.

Why is the Peninsula School District changing its curriculum?

Peninsula School District Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning Natalie Boyle said the district reviews its curricula every seven to 10 years to ensure the material students use to learn is research-based and up-to-date. In a recent review, the district found that their elementary ELA curriculum established in 2015, Reading Wonders, did not meet district standards.

Wit & Wisdom, paired with another curriculum called Really Great Reading, and Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) were the finalists from a screening process that began earlier this year. Expert reviewers chose them after reviewing various programs for their online accessibility, writing components, ease of use and other factors, according to a meeting summary from the initial review team.

The initial screening process involved using rubrics from educational experts such as The Reading League and the Institute of Education Sciences to score different options on how well a curriculum taught foundational reading skills like phonics and spelling. Those curricula that scored highly moved to a second phase of screening with rubrics that measured additional factors like a curriculums emphasis on knowledge-building and the presence of bias in instructional materials, before moving to a committee of teachers and educational administrators to further narrow the list.

The full rubric reviewers used is available on the curriculum adoption website.

The next step is the classroom pilot. At least three teachers from each elementary school will pilot the selected curricula in their classrooms in the fall and winter of the 2023-24 school year. Boyle said that the number of teachers varies by school because the district aims to include an equal representation of grade levels and schools in the pilot. She said there will be 38 teachers total participating in the pilot. These teachers will inform students families that they are doing so.

The Wit & Wisdom and Really Great Reading pilot will run from early September to early November, according to the curriculum adoption website. The other finalist, Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) will run from mid-November to early February.

Boyle said assessments throughout the year will measure how students perform with the different materials. The district will also factor in parent input and feedback on usability from teachers and students to choose which curriculum to adopt in the 2025-26 school year.

The reason that Wit & Wisdom will be paired with Really Great Reading has to do with how children learn to read, according to Boyle. Scarboroughs Reading Rope is a visual representation of the theory that reading skills fall into two main camps: language comprehension and word recognition. Wit & Wisdom helps students with language comprehension, while Really Great Reading helps students with word recognition, so the district paired them together, as is publicly encouraged by Great Minds.

CKLA is comprehensive and covers both sets of skills, according to Boyle.

Wit & Wisdom has received high ratings from outside organizations including EdReports and the Knowledge Matters Campaign.

Boyle said the district does not yet have an estimate of how much implementing the new curriculum will cost.

Peninsula School District Chief Academic Officer John Yellowlees said in an interview with The News Tribune that the district appreciates parent and family input and that feedback from parents and students will help drive the districts decision as they follow their established process. The curriculum adoption website indicates that input from students and families will be collected at multiple points.

Weve heard from some parents both at board meetings and through other correspondence that are in favor of certain curricula, just as we hear from those that are opposed to it or have concerns about it, so we take all of that into consideration, Yellowlees said.

The Peninsula School Board will vote on the new curriculum in spring 2025 based on the results of the pilot.
Cook Childrens Health Plan has filed two lawsuits against the state to stop the Texas Health and Human Services Commission from removing them as a longstanding Medicaid contractor.

In a news conference on Wednesday, the Fort Worth-based health care system announced the lawsuits as an attempt to halt the $116 billion Medicaid procurement process that removes Cook Childrens and two other hospital-affiliated childrens health plans from Medicaid STAR and Childrens Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP.

The proposed shake-up would remove Cook Childrens Health Plan in the states Tarrant service area, Texas Childrens Health Plan in the Harris region, and Driscoll Health Plan in South Texas in favor of private companies. Together, the three plans operate as managed care organizations that provide Medicaid coverage to Texans in their respective regions.

The three plans, formed two decades ago, serve more than 700,000 families, pregnant women, and children.

If the states health agency's decision stands, it would mean reducing the number of managed care organizations that administer STAR and CHIP, shifting toward national for-profit health companies in most areas of the state.

It will also require the nearly 1.8 million Texans who receive Medicaid coverage from six managed care organizations across the state to shift to new insurers by next year.

The lawsuits were in Travis County. One petition asks for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief against HHSC Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young in hopes of overturning the contract decision. The second lawsuit filed is a temporary restraining order against the states health agency to stop finalizing procurement results.

These actions we take are strong but necessary, said Rick W. Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Childrens Health Care System, in a news release.

Jennifer Ruffcorn, an HHSC spokesperson said the agency doesnt speak on pending litigation but mentioned the contract situation is still pending.

Although the (Request for Proposals) has been posted, responded to, and evaluated, it remains an open procurement until all protests and appeals submitted by respondents have been resolved and contracts have been executed, Ruffcorn said in an email. .

Currently, the procurement process's future lies squarely at Young's discretion. She has no deadline for deciding whether to uphold the agencys decision, cancel it and start over, or officially delay it until lawmakers can respond when they meet next year.

In a news release Wednesday, Karen Love, President of Cook Childrens Health Plan, said that removing the Medicaid contracts from the three hospital affiliates is based on a flawed process that will put Texas families at the mercy of national for-profit insurance companies.

The State got it wrong, and we are asking the courts to make it right, she said.

Texas Medicaid STAR and CHIP programs cover the cost of routine, acute, and emergency medical visits. STAR is primarily for pregnant women, low-income children, and their caretakers. CHIP provides health care to low-income children whose familys income is too high for Medicaid, which has some of the lowest income limits in the country. Their members compose the vast majority of Texans on state Medicaid programs.

Medicaid managed care contracts are routinely the most expensive contracts taxpayers fund.

Texas officials earlier this month rejected attempts by several managed care organizations to cancel the proposal that would drop them from the state Medicaid program.

Representatives for Driscoll Health Plan said Thursday that their organization has appealed this decision to the state, as more than 500 jobs could be eliminated if it is finalized.

Craig Smith, Driscoll Health Plan CEO told The Texas Tribune on Thursday that his organization filed a second appeal last week and is now awaiting a ruling. He said he is also prepared to pursue legal action against the state if the appeal is denied.

Representatives for Superior HealthPlan, a managed care organization that operates similarly to the Driscoll and Cook health plans, expressed on Thursday their disappointment in the decision to deny the protests made by the three hospital plans. The organization is also exercising its right to appeal the current decision made by the states health agency, as they predict it will result in the largest disruption in member care in Texas Medicaid history.

If the procurement is negated, it would be Texas HHS's third failed attempt in six years to award contracts for the Medicaid programs that encompass the vast majority of state health insurances low-income Texas recipients.

Just in: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Elianne Alvarado, 44, fans herself at the Astoria Boulevard subway station stop in Astoria, New York, last week. Climate change is forcing New York and other Northeastern states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey to take extreme heat more seriously. (Shalina Chatlani/Stateline)

NEW YORK  As temperatures soared into the 90s, the heat and humidity hit the concrete in Astoria, Queens, and bounced into the air. People moved along the scorched sidewalk slowly, their clothes drenched with sweat.

Elianne Alvarado, 44, who was raised in New York City and has lived here for most of her life, ascended the steps to the elevated Astoria Boulevard subway station, fanning herself with a sheet of paper. She was looking forward to escaping the heat in an air-conditioned train.

I dont ever remember it being this hot, Alvarado told Stateline. I remember other summers being nice, not that hot. But this week has been crazy.

The heat wave that pummeled New York state and much of the East Coast and Midwest last week and into the weekend broke daily records in several cities. On June 19, Boston (98 degrees); Hartford, Connecticut (97); and Providence, Rhode Island (91), all set new highs for that date. In New York City, temperatures reached the low 90s  not a record, but plenty hot enough to cause misery, especially with humidity and the radiant heat from concrete and asphalt.

The Northeast is not the hottest part of the country, but several states in the region are among those where average temperatures have increased the most over the past two decades. In recent years, climate change has forced states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York to take extreme heat more seriously. In preparing for a hotter future, some of them are copying the policies of states that are used to sizzling temperatures, such as Arizona, Florida and Louisiana.

Public health officials in Connecticut and New York, for example, are partnering with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ensure that their most vulnerable residents  older and lower-income people  are better prepared for extreme heat and other aspects of climate change. And in April, New Jersey published a draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan, recognizing that, while the state remains committed to reducing emissions, New Jersey is past the point of avoiding all climate change impacts and needs to enact measures to adapt.

New Jersey is a northern state, and it is not necessarily the folks that are hardest hit by this phenomenon of extreme heat compared to, for example, the desert Southwest, said Nathaly Agosto Filion, deputy chief climate resilience officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

But for that reason, much of our built environment is maybe not as well designed to withstand the impacts, and much of our population sort of undervalues the extent to which it is a problem for our communities.

New Jerseys draft plan includes 133 action items, but the first priority is helping New Jerseyans cope with the heat. The state aims to do that by beefing up emergency preparedness and response; providing public cooling centers; planting more trees; and adopting workplace safety rules, among many other steps. It also plans a public information campaign to make people  especially vulnerable populations such as older and homeless people  aware of the risks of extreme heat.

Were also talking about outdoor workers, were also talking about athletes, were also talking about folks that are pregnant or breastfeeding  these are all subpopulations that are really important to engage, Agosto Filion said.

Hot box apartments

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States  and those deaths are increasing as average temperatures rise, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 2,302 people died from heat-related causes last year, up from 1,722 in 2022 and 1,602 in 2021.

Those totals are likely an underestimate, because heat waves make death more likely from other causes as well. A New York City analysis in 2022, for example, found an annual average of 360 heat-exacerbated deaths in the city compared with 10 caused directly by heat.

Last week on 31st Street in Astoria, Hassan Johnson was standing outside a bank with a water bottle and a towel, which he used to wipe the multiplying beads of sweat on his forehead. The 48-year-old truck driver blasts his three air conditioners when hes at home, but the one in his truck is broken and its hot as hell as he makes deliveries. Driving in such conditions can be dangerous: In July 2022, paramedics had to cover a New York UPS driver in ice packs and take him to the hospital after he nearly collapsed at the end of his Long Island route.

Hassan Johnson, 48, stands outside a bank in Queens with a water bottle and a towel. Johnson said his truck is hot as hell since the air conditioner stopped working. (Shalina Chatlani/Stateline)

Not far away, Meg Johansson was braving treeless Broadway to get an iced coffee.

Its a bad one, said Johansson, 38, who has lived in the city for 15 years. There have been a few summers where I remember really hot days, but I dont remember one this early that was so prolonged. So its just been like torture trying to leave the house.

Back at the Astoria Boulevard subway station, Alvarado said she was coping by staying hydrated, walking in the shade and taking cold showers. Shes fortunate to have air conditioning in her home, but she said shes nervous about what the future will bring.

You feel like youre burning, she said. Its like we are in a walking sauna.

Ladd Keith, an associate professor of planning at the University of Arizona who focuses on climate change, said cities and states should have different plans to cope with extreme heat, because housing and development differ so dramatically among communities.

You feel like youre burning. Its like we are in a walking sauna.

 Elianne Alvarado, New York City resident

One challenge, Keith explained, is that many homes were designed for climates that have changed dramatically. Many hot box apartments in New York dont have air conditioning because decades ago it was rarely needed. In the Pacific Northwest, many homes have large windows to let in light, but they let in too much heat during the now-warmer summers. Homes designed to rely on air conditioning, like those in Arizona, quickly become miserable if the power goes out.

Keith said that for the most part, the rising temperatures havent been enough to convince most Americans that heat is a serious threat  yet.

Even though the awareness is growing, we really havent had this watershed moment, or what I call a heatshed moment, where weve said, We really need to take this seriously as a climate risk, Keith told Stateline.

Southern experience

But public officials in some states are focused on the threat.

The New York State Department of Health is one of 13 recipients, mostly state and local agencies across the country, of a CDC climate resilience grant. Neil Muscatiello, who heads the departments bureau of environmental health, said the goal is to identify how we think climate change is going to be impacting New Yorkers, particularly vulnerable populations, and then work on adaptations or interventions to help reduce those risks.

The agency, noting that people can fall ill at lower temperatures, recently changed New Yorks heat alert threshold from 100 degrees to 95 degrees. Last week, it was tracking emergency room visits and coordinating with other state and local agencies on getting vulnerable people to cooling centers.

Muscatiello said the department is also learning from other jurisdictions that have dealt with heat for years.

It is a really collaborative process, not only with CDC, but also with other state partners. Were always interested to hear what theyre doing.

Meg Johansson, 38, has lived in New York for 15 years and cant remember it being so hot so early in the summer. (Shalina Chatlani/Stateline)

Southern cities and states have long integrated heat resilience into their public health programs and have lessons to share.

In 2021, Miami-Dade County, Florida, became the first jurisdiction in the world with a chief heat officer. Since then, Phoenix and other cities have followed suit.

One policy change Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dades heat officer, made was to lower the thresholds for heat advisories and warnings. The county now issues advisories when the heat index  what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature  reaches 105 degrees, down from the previous 108 degrees. The new standard for a heat warning is a heat index of 110 degrees, down from 113 degrees. She made the changes because heat-related illness can happen at the lower temperatures.

Gilbert also created an outreach strategy to help homeless people cope with extreme heat, including placing cooling centers in areas where there are many people living on the streets.

We are doing a lot of great services to people who are unsheltered. That doesnt mean we dont miss people. We are doing a lot of messaging to employers with employees doing work, but that doesnt mean we wont miss people, Gilbert said. We know there are gaps. There is definitely more work to be done. Thats what we are focused on.

Like Florida, Louisiana has long experience with extreme heat. But the states public health response still has to evolve with the warming planet, said Michelle Lackovic, who is the project lead for Louisianas Occupational Heat-Related Illness Prevention Program at the Louisiana Department of Health. Last year, she said, the state had more heat-related emergency department visits and fatalities than ever before.

Last summer the Louisiana Department of Health created a public, online dashboard for heat-related illness and daily counts of emergency room visits that it updates weekly during the hot months. The data is also broken down by sex, age, race and geography, so that the public can be aware of who may be most susceptible to the rising temperatures.

The state experienced over three weeks of temperatures above 95 degrees last year, Sundee Winder, an executive director at the health department, told Stateline.

Drought, wildfires, saltwater intrusion, all of those things were a result of that extensive heat last year that was unprecedented for our state, Winder told Stateline. So, we continue to improve our dashboard, make it more user-friendly, and share the times of day that we see [people should] avoid.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

The post Cooler states now forced to grapple with extreme heat fueled by climate change appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Some protesters wore masks during a demonstration outside Adas Torah synagogue in Pico-Robertson on June 23. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)

In the wake of a violent protest at a Los Angeles synagogue over the weekend, city officials said they would examine what sort of rules are on the books, or might be put in place, to govern whether people should be allowed to wear masks during public demonstrations.

It was unclear what such restrictions might look like  Mayor Karen Bass did not offer a specific proposal, saying only that City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto would examine "the idea of people wearing masks at protest[s] and establishing clear lines of demarcation between what is legal and what is not."

And now Los Angeles may never know. Bass tempered expectations of any kind of restrictions during a news conference on Wednesday.

While she didn't entirely squash the idea, saying it's still under consideration, Bass acknowledged that such a law could face legal challenges.

"At this point, we don't think that this will withstand judicial scrutiny," Bass said.

Read more: LAPD, feds look for synagogue protesters as city mulls over mask restrictions, added security

As the mayor's comments illustrate, the question of whether to restrict face coverings, which have been regular sights in L.A. and on college campuses during protests surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza, is a thorny one. Cities are being put in the position of trying to strike a balance between protecting people's right to protest and demonstrate in public  while deterring those who would seek to incite violence.

There are also public health implications in a world still bearing the scars of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There's no clear answer to antimasking laws," because governing bodies must take into consideration the protection of anonymous free speech, said Barry McDonald, a law professor at Pepperdine University who focuses on 1st Amendment law.

However, drafting a city ordinance that bans mask wearing in public is conceivably a possibility, said Eugene Volokh, a 1st Amendment law professor at UCLA.

Read more: What really happened when protesters, counterprotesters and police converged at an L.A. synagogue

Why did this issue come up now?

On Sunday, a demonstration outside the Adas Torah synagogue in the predominantly Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood devolved into violence. Fights broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators  who said they were protesting an event at the synagogue promoting the sale of stolen Palestinian land  and supporters of Israel.

Several people in the crowd were wearing disposable face masks or kaffiyehs that covered their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.

The use of facial coverings at such protests has spurred debate in some circles and at times frustrated law enforcement. When a mob attacked a pro-Palestinian camp at UCLA in May, police had difficulty identifying suspects because many wore masks.

Read more: Mace, green lasers, screeching soundtracks: Inside the UCLA encampment on a night of violence

Are there existing antimasking laws in California?

Historically, at least 18 states and Washington, D.C., adopted antimasking laws to combat the masks and hoods utilized by members of the Ku Klux Klan, McDonald said.

California did previously have a law on its books, enacted in 1923, that made it a misdemeanor for someone to wear a mask to conceal his or her identity in a public place. However, the constitutionality of the law was challenged after it was used to justify the arrest of Iranian nationals protesting the shah of Iran's regime in front of the Iranian Consulate in San Francisco in 1978.

The individuals arrested were students and members of the Iranian Students Assn. who had placed copies of the leaflets they were handing out on their faces to conceal their identities. The California 1st District Court of Appeal later determined the students were peacefully protesting at the time they were arrested and had reason to fear retaliation by the Iranian government against them and their relatives in Iran. The use of the law was found unconstitutional and the law itself was invalidated.

The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule definitively on the constitutionality of antimasking laws, and different courts and jurisdictions have gone different ways depending on how particular statutes were written, McDonald said.

Read more: Masked student protesters could face felony charges under anti-KKK law, Ohio attorney general warns

But general mask bans do exist. South Carolina's law states that no person over the age of 16 shall wear a mask that conceals their identity in public. The law does have exemptions, including holiday costumes, masks that are involved in a person's employment, theater productions and masks used during a civil defense drill, according to the International Center for Not-For-Profit Law.

Some antimask rules also remain on the books in California. Volokh found old ordinances, which he presumes are outdated, in the cities of Oakland, Modesto and Lomita.

Oakland's ordinance states that it is unlawful for a person in the city to appear in public in a mask that conceals the wearer's identity  except during carnivals.

In Modesto, face coverings aren't allowed at demonstrations, rallies, protests and public assemblies. The exception is a covering that's worn due to religious beliefs or as a medical necessity.

Read more: Who were the masked men behind the UCLA camp attack? Online sleuths vow to find out

Lomita's ordinance says a person cannot wear a mask in a public street without a permit from the sheriff.

There are two issues with these ordinances, Volokh said. They're broad and can be challenged in court. Secondly, enforcing them can prove difficult.

How, Volokh said, can a law enforcement officer know just by looking at someone at a demonstration whether they're wearing a mask for religious reasons or because they have a medical condition, especially post-pandemic?

"If the whole point is to say at these protests, 'We want everybody's identity to be known,' any time you have exemptions that makes it much harder to make the law effective,'" he said.

Read more: North Carolina law would enhance penalties on those wearing masks at protests

Can an antimask ordinance violate free speech rights?

There is a narrower antimask law in California that says a person cannot wear a mask or disguise to evade detection or arrest in the commission of a crime.

But, McDonald pointed out, "The government can't presume that just because you wear a mask in a protest that you're intending to commit a crime with it or evade detection."

People who wear a mask while demonstrating or protesting could do so because they want to avoid facial recognition technology, intimidation, harassment, reprisal or being doxxed, he said.

If a mask-wearing protester uses the covering to commit unlawful acts and then attempt to evade police detection or arrest, then they could be prosecuted.

"There's a very strong argument that you have the constitutional right to wear a mask," McDonald said. "As long as you're doing it for legitimate reasons and you're engaging in peaceful protest."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. EDB's strategy envisages investing almost $11 billion in the economies of the shareholder countries by 2026, EDB's Chairman of the Board Nikolai Podguzov said during the opening ceremony of the EDB's annual meeting and business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

"The challenges facing the region are global. It is impossible here without joining efforts," he emphasized.

According to him, no major international development bank can single-handedly build an infrastructure facility worth several billion dollars, whether it is a hydroelectric power plant or some transportation hub.

"Cooperation in the capital market is necessary. The cooperation of international development banks is especially useful where long-term international efforts are needed. In such projects, international banks perform an anchor function," Podguzov added.

To note, the EDB's annual meeting (business forum) is being held in Almaty and will last two days (June 2728).

The event will include several sessions on Islamic finance, transportation, the environment, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank engaged in investment activities in Eurasia.

The authorized capital of the EDB is $7 billion. The main share of the EDB's portfolio is occupied by projects with integration effects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and machine building.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
CHEBOYGAN  The Cheboygan City Council Tuesday night signed off on a $10.2 million budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1.

The $10.2 million covers all city services including police and fire, sewer and water and funds all city departments. The 2023-2024 budget totaled about $12.7 million, according to city manager Dan Sabolsky.

The budget proposal includes wage increases of 3.5 percent for police union members, 3 percent for members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and 3 percent for all other employees.

Sabolsky said capital expenditures for next year include $3 million to finish the sewer/water projects on Bailey, Ball, Cuyler and Huron streets. Most of the funding for those will come from state grants and loans.

The capital spending plan has $871,000 allocated for work on the Children's Trail and fishing piers courtesy of a Spark grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Other capital expenditures include $350,000 for sandblasting the Lincoln Street bridge.

The budget was approved on a 4-3 vote by the council. Adam Bedwin, Hayley Dodd, Mayor Brett Mallory and Diane Mills were in favor of the spending plan while Mary Darling, Ken Kwiatkowski and Diane Raab voted no.

Kwiatkowski said he was "all right" with the budget but remains opposed to a new five-mill property tax levy that council approved late last year. The levy, expected to raise about $550,000 annually for public safety, is the result of a special police and fire district that was created by the council in a vote last December.

Kwiatkowski said the five-mill tax "is a burden for most in this town." The city is expected to start collecting money from the tax at the end of the year.

Raab said she is concerned because "it is an unsustainable budget."

"I want to see more revenue-producing businesses in the city," she said.

Bedwin defended the budget as a financial blueprint that allows the city to maintain services while spending on areas that need improvement like equipment, streets and utility projects.

According to city treasurer Casey Clear, the owner of a home with a taxable value of $100,000 will pay approximately $2,120 in property taxes to cover the budget. The budget also includes a reserve fund of about $1.4 million.

"Our auditors said we should be between $1.3 million and $1.5 million and we are right in the middle of that," Sabolsky said.

The fund also acts as a cash management account for the city to enable flexibility in paying bills and other obligations.

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In other matters, Stephen Lindsay is ending his contract as city attorney. Lindsay did not provide a specific reason for the early termination other than to say "circumstances beyond my control are such that I have no choice but to provide this notice at this time."

Council accepted the contract termination with "extreme regret." Lindsay, whose brother and father also served as city attorney, was praised by Sabolsky.

"He knew the community well. Not only does he help us with legal matters sometimes he provides us with some of the history of how things were done in the past. His level of professionalism is unmatched," he said.

Sabolsky is accepting proposals from those interested in providing legal services to the city.

 Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Cheboygan council endorses $10.2 million spending plan for next year on narrow vote
Voters are closely watching the tight GOP primary race for Utahs 2nd District, which still had not been called as of Thursday afternoon. Rep. Celeste Maloy has maintained a lead over her challenger Colby Jenkins throughout the vote count, but that lead has narrowed to fewer than 1,000 votes as of Thursday evening.

As of Thursday evening, Maloy, the incumbent, was ahead of Jenkins 50.5% to 49.5%. The race has not yet been called since some counties are still processing ballots.

In Salt Lake County, more than 16,000 were being processed Thursday afternoon, Lannie Chapman, the Salt Lake County clerk, told the Deseret News. She said she expected a large ballot drop to happen Thursday evening.

The 2nd District includes the southwestern portion of the state, as well as parts of Salt Lake and Davis counties.

Maloy was more popular according to counts Thursday in at least 10 counties, including Salt Lake, Beaver and Garfield. Jenkins performed well in Juab and Washington County, his and Maloys home turf, receiving more than 57% of the vote there. Tooele County also leaned toward Jenkins.

Maloy optimistic, Jenkins watching results

On election night, Maloy said she was optimistic about the results. It was a year ago yesterday that I won at the special convention in Delta, she said. In the last 12 months plus one day, Ive run in a convention, a primary a general convention and another primary  and thats almost inhuman. So, Im excited that Im still standing, that Im still capable of putting sentences together and that Im still smiling.

In a statement to the Deseret News on Wednesday, Jenkins said, Because the results are still very close and there are several thousand outstanding ballots to be counted, we are looking forward to watching as more updates come in.

He promised additional comments when the final outcome becomes clear.
County HR boss reminds all employees - keep your mouths shut about our business - or else







The county councils promise of open and transparent government is facing another internal challenge as all county employees were recently reminded by the head of human resources to keep their mouths shut about county business. And the employees were warned there would be consequences for noncompliance.

On June 20, Katherine Mead sent an email reminding employees they are not allowed to talk to the press or public about the countys business, instead, all inquiries needed to go through the public information officer. Included in the email was a reminder that failure to comply with this policy could lead to disciplinary action. Mead has been the countys Human Resources Director since March of 2023 and has been with the county since 2013.

The policy she is referencing is known as 3.9 and it reads: All media inquiries regarding the position of Beaufort County as to any issues must be referred to the Public Information Officer. Only the Public Information Officer is authorized to make or approve public statements on behalf of Beaufort County. The policy goes on to detail what steps of approval are needed for an employee, regardless of job title, to comply with the directive.

While this policy is not new it has rarely been enforced until recently as county leaders are coming under increasing criticism from the public and the press for a series of decisions made during private executive sessions away from the publics view. Some of these decisions, including the surprisingly quick vote to hire a new county administrator, the handling of a questionable ADA compliance of the new Daufuskie Ferry vendor and the lack of a written report detailing questionable purchases and spending, paid for with $350,000 taxpayer dollars, that has yet to be shared with the public.

The email from Mead was sent to every employee of the county. County Council did see the email, but Mead clarified that it doesnt apply to the elected officials.

Employees of the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office did not receive the email, spokesperson Master Sgt. Danny Allen confirmed.

Resignation of the IT and Communications administrator

The email reminding employees to not speak openly about the countys business arrived shortly after the departure of another high-ranking member of the county administrations leadership team - specifically the person who oversaw communications.

Assistant administrator of information technology and communications, Patrick Hill, is the latest name added to the list of personnel leaving Beaufort County. In his position, Hill oversaw the operations of the Countys IT department, applications/mapping systems, records management, communications and broadcast services. County Spokesperson Hannah Nichols said Hill resigned to pursue his own IT startups and personal goals.

Following his departure, Beaufort County confirmed that those departments would be split up among other members of Beaufort County administration, Nichols confirmed Friday.

According to Nichols, Dale Butts, the assistant administrator for finance is now overseeing the records management, Freedom of Information Act requests and broadcast services departments. Special Assistant to the Administrator, Hank Amundson will oversee Information Technology, applications and mapping departments. Most notably, the communications and accountability department will report directly to Interim County Administrator John Robinson.

These actions are a necessary function of county administration to ensure critical department operations continue without interruption. These Department Heads are capable professionals whose dedication to Beaufort County will ensure a flawless transition, Nichols said over email.

County Council member David Bartholomew told the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette he was under the impression that without an assistant administrator over those departments, the employees in them could not get paid. As of the publication of this article, the newspapers have not been able to confirm the payroll issue.

Freedom of Information Act requests submitted through the county will often take as much time as the law allows. The county is given 10 business days to confirm the requested records exist. Following the acknowledgment of the existence of qualified documents, the county has 30 business days to fulfill the request. Its not uncommon for the county to use all 30 days, or more before the records are shared.

THE POST-GREENWAY ERA

Hill is the latest in a line of departures from Beaufort County following County Administrator Greenways firing in July of last year.

A series of questionable actions came to light in the wake of the Greenway firing including a mysterious purchase of nearly $36,000 worth of weighted blankets, reportedly from a company owned by then Deputy Administrator Whitney Richlands husband.

It was later discovered that the county was in possession of the blankets, which were all still boxed and on the floor in a county warehouse. Officials had previously denied that the county ever took possession of the order. Richland resigned on an unknown date following the press coverage of the blankets.

Richlands interim replacement and county CFO, Denise Christmas, also resigned leaving the county council with sharp advice on how to put Beaufort County back on the right track.

Unrelated to the blankets, county leaders eventually learned that $800,000 in playground equipment had been purchased and installed in Port Royal before getting the required council approval. The council retroactively approved the playground despite the substantial expense with a vote of 8-2.

Loper was fired from the county but eventually hired on an interim basis by the Town of Rincon, GA.

Most recently, the Capital Improvements Projects Director position opened up when Eric Larson resigned amid a South Carolina Ethics Commission investigation, which alleges he had a subordinate perform measurements and draw plans for a sunroom addition to his home while on the clock, according to the individual who filed the complaint. Through a FOIA request, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette has obtained the permit application for the sunroom addition but there is no mention of county worker involvement on the document. Two of the three pages in the document were completely redacted.

Soon-to-be Administrator Moore will need to fill the following positions:

Hills Assistant Administrator of Information Technology and Communications

The Deputy County Administrator position

The Chief Financial Officer position

The Capital Improvements Projects Director position

Editors note: if anyone, including county employees, want to send a tip to our anonymous newsroom inbox, please email newsroom@islandpacket.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  The Michigan Supreme Court is considering extending its ban on automatic life sentences for 18-year-olds to also include 19- and 20-year-olds.

It would give convicted criminals who thought they would never get out of prison a chance at freedom.

Its just really troubling, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said. I just feel for these families and what theyre going through and how difficult this is for them.

Becker added the ban on automatic life sentences is reopening a wound for victims families.

Any person whos lost a family member, parents whove lost a child, its always there, Becker said. Then youve got to deal with the whole thing again.

Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting also said its unfair to the victims families.

Those are the people that are completely being ignored and lost in this conversation, Getting said.

Juvenile lifers get second, third chance at sentencing

The State Appellate Defender Office, also known as SADO, is representing many 18-year-olds getting resentenced. One of its attorneys, Maya Menlo, said that while she has sympathy for families who lose a loved one, she has encountered families who wish to see the killer change their ways.

Victims are not a monolith, Menlo said. Many victims do feel rehabilitation is possible and do want to see the person who took their loved ones life rehabilitate and rejoin society in a productive way.

Menlo said convicted criminals deserve a second chance and are capable of change.

Many of them have taken the time in prison to better themselves, to connect with their communities in the best way possible, to educate themselves and receive certificates and sometimes degrees, Menlo said.

WHAT RULING WOULD MEAN FOR 1986 MURDER

In July 1986, officers found the body of Nathan Jaramillo in a parking lot outside a bar on S. Division Avenue in Grand Rapids. Police say Jesus Gonzalez, who was 19 at the time, fought with Jaramillo, fired multiple shots and killed him. While Gonzalez claimed self-defense, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

But if the high court bans automatic life sentences for 19- and 20-year-olds, his case would get sent back to a judge, potentially giving Gonzalez  now 57  the opportunity to go free.

Gonzalezs convicted accomplice, Joe Cedillo, was also sentenced to life in prison. Hes likely going to get out.

A booking photo of Jesus Gonzalez.

A booking photo of Joe Cedillo.

Of eight cases involving 18-year-olds eligible for resentencing in Kent County, Cedillo among one of four people who Beckers office wont seek to keep behind bars. Becker said that because the charge was aiding and abetting murder, Cedillo is less culpable, so it would be harder to convince a court to keep him in prison. On top of that, much of the evidence in cases this old is gone.

It makes it almost impossible practically to build a case because were missing files, reports, Becker said.

Download: Beckers memo on resentencing of 18-year-olds

Prosecutors offices have also lost contact information for victims families in the decades since some of the crimes affected by an automatic life sentence ban were committed. Its possible many families arent even aware a convicted killer could get out of prison.

A lot of people dont follow the inner workings of the Supreme Court and what changes there are, Becker said. They go about their daily business and all of a sudden, boom, it hits them.

It never crossed anybodys minds when these cases went through that there would be a possibility something like this could happen, he added.

Judges reluctantly uphold shortened term for baby rapist, killer

THE QUESTION OF CULPABILITY

SADO has continuously cited research showing that young peoples brains dont fully mature until 25. The office argues those defendants are less accountable for their actions, referencing a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court decision stating young people are less likely to fully think through consequences and that their family and home environment must be considered at sentencing.

Hitting them with the hardest punishment available in the state of Michigan is often not a smart idea or serves the goals of sentencing, Menlo said.

In Gettings view, 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds know the consequences of their actions, especially when its as serious as killing someone.

When I was 18, I knew that murder was wrong, Getting said. And I knew the consequence for killing somebody was that I was going to go to prison for the rest of my life.

Crime by juvenile lifers after prison very rare, state says

Becker also believes that no matter your age, you know the difference between right and wrong.

These are the most heinous crimes, Becker said. Sure, juveniles make stupid decisions. At some point in time, weve got to take a stand and say, No, people know not to kill.'

But Menlo argued societys understanding of criminal culpability is changing as we learn more about the brain.

Here were talking about someone whos been convicted of an offense beyond a reasonable doubt, so theres no question theyre responsible at least in the eyes of the jury or the judge, whoever was the finder of fact. The question now is how we respond to that as a community and what kind of sentencing comports with the evolving standards of decency. Its our position that mandatory life without parole does not comport with the evolving standards of decency, she said.

Becker said first-degree murder requires premeditation and deliberation  a case involving serious thought and planning.

Its not kids stealing a car or doing something stupid like that, he said. You cant tell me they dont know the difference of thou shall not kill or maybe kill because their brain hasnt fully developed. Were getting into territory that doesnt make sense to me or many people.

SADO has previously argued that convicts as old as 25 should not receive automatic life sentences either. Menlo didnt rule out making that push next, depending on the high courts decision.

These people, theyre 19 and 20, thats the controversy thats before the Michigan Supreme Court here, but the science supports early 20s as a cutoff for brain development for the purposes of the culpability, retribution punishment, all the things that matter when were thinking about sentencing, Menlo said.

Becker believes thats likely where things are headed.

To say 25-year-olds are somehow kids or juveniles is just mind-boggling, quite frankly, he said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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As COVID-19 ticks up in some places, US health officials recommend a fall vaccination campaign

FILE - Syringes with vaccines are prepared at the L.A. Care and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plans' Community Resource Center where they were offering members and the public free flu and COVID-19 vaccines Oct. 28, 2022, in Lynwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  With fresh COVID-19 cases bubbling up in some parts of the country, health officials are setting course for a fall vaccination campaign.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommended new shots for all Americans this fall.

Officials acknowledged the need for shots is not as dire as it was only a few years ago. Most Americans have some degree of immunity from being infected, from past vaccinations or both. COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last month were at about their lowest point since the pandemic first hit the United States in 2020.

But immunity wanes, new coronavirus variants keep emerging and there are still hundreds of COVID-19-associated deaths and thousands of hospitalizations reported each week.

What's more, health officials have reported upticks this month in COVID-19-associated emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and a pronounced increase in positive test results in the southwestern U.S.

It's not clear whether that's a sign of a coming summer wave  which has happened before  or just a blip, said Lauren Ancel Meyers of the University of Texas, who leads a research team that tracks COVID-19.

We'll have to see what happens in the coming weeks," she said.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration  following the guidance of its own panel of expert advisers  told vaccine manufacturers to target the JN.1 version of the virus. But a week later, the FDA told manufacturers that if they could still switch, a better target might be an offshoot subtype called KP.2.

At a Thursday meeting at the CDC in Atlanta, infectious disease experts unanimously recommended the updated vaccines for Americans age 6 months and older. The CDC director signed off on the recommendation later in the day. The shots are expected to become available in August and September.

Health officials have told Americans to expect a yearly update to COVID-19 vaccines, just like they are recommended to get a new shot each fall to protect against the latest flu strains.

But many Americans aren't heeding the CDC's advice.

As of last month, less than one-quarter of U.S. adults and 14% of children were up to date in their COVID shots. Surveys show shrinking percentages of Americans think COVID-19 is a major health threat to the U.S. population, and indicate that fewer doctors are urging patients to get updated vaccines.

CDC officials on Thursday presented recent survey information in which about 23% of respondents said they would definitely get an updated COVID-19 shot this fall, but 33% said they definitely would not.

Meanwhile, the CDC's Bridge Access Program  which has been paying for shots for uninsured U.S. adults  is expected to shut down in August because of discontinued funding. The program paid for nearly 1.5 million doses from September to last month.

"It is a challenge with this program going away, said the CDCs Shannon Stokley.

About 1.2 million U.S. COVID-associated deaths have been reported since early 2020, according to the CDC. The toll was most intense in the winter of 2020-2021, when weekly deaths surpassed 20,000. About 1 out of every 100 Americans ages 75 and older were hospitalized with COVID in the last four years, CDC officials said Thursday.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
COVID infections are on the rise in Florida. What to know as new variants circulate

Are you feeling sick? Youre not alone.

Could it be COVID? Its increasingly possible as a summer wave of the virus variant has hit Florida. The good news is its a modest wave compared to past trends.

Florida is one of 39 states that is seeing an increase or likely seeing an increase in COVID infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC no longer tracks cases and is relying on ER visits, hospitalizations and wastewater data to gauge the COVID situation. And while nationwide data shows that influenza and RSV levels remain low in the U.S, COVID infections are increasing. South Florida hospitals say theyre seeing more people sick with COVID too, though its not like previous summers.

Were seeing a slight increase in the number of COVID positive patients hospitalized and in the ER but its not dramatic compared to when we had the surges in the past, said Dr. Paula Eckardt, the chief of infectious diseases at Memorial Healthcare System, the public hospital system in southern Broward County.

Heres what to know:

What is the dominant COVID variant?

COVIDs alphabet soup continues to grow. And the most dominant variant in the country is KP.3, which is estimated to make up about 33% of the countrys cases, according to the CDCs most recent estimates. Its followed by KP.2, which makes up about 21% of cases. And scientists are closely watching LB.1, which has accelerated this month and could be on track to overtake its siblings soon.

All three descend from omicron and are offshoots of JN.1, which fueled much of the countrys winter infections. The people most at risk for severe COVID infections continue to be seniors 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised.

There is currently no evidence that KP.3 or LB.1 cause more severe disease, CDC spokesperson David Daigle told CBS News. CDC will continue to track SARS-CoV-2 variants and is working to better understand the potential impact on public health.

Are COVID vaccines still effective?

While COVID vaccines should still provide some protection against the virus, studies show that the existing shots appear to be less effective against the currently circulating variants, according to CNN. But new vaccines are expected to roll out in the fall.

An advisory committee for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is recommending that Pfizer and Moderna update their vaccine formulas for the fall again, similar to how flu shots are updated annually. This time, the FDA wants the new shots to better match JN.1 and its descendants, like KP.2 and KP.3, which are also known as FLiRT variants. (The nickname isnt scientists being funny, rather, its based on the technical names of their mutations, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health).

What is the COVID situation in the country? What about in South Florida?

COVID-related ER visits have risen in the past week in the U.S., with a 25% increase in hospitalizations from May 26 to June 1, the most recent CDC data shows. Recent state health data also shows that more people have begun to test positive for COVID in Florida since late May, including in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Florida is one of 39 states the CDC estimates is seeing an increase or likely seeing an increase in COVID infections, as of June 18, 2024. COVID remains stable or uncertain in 10 states and territories and is not declining anywhere in the country, the CDC says.

Its difficult to say how many people are currently ill with COVID. Remember, COVID testing is no longer the best way to measure the disease spread since test sites are mostly gone and at-home test results dont get reported. COVID hospitalizations remain a key indicator of the COVID situation.

At Jackson Health System, Miami-Dades public hospital system, there was an all-time low number of inpatient cases during April and May. The hospital said it began to see an uptick again in June, though its not enough to affect operations.

Memorial Healthcare System in Broward as also noticed a slight uptick in COVID cases recently. But the hospital is not seeing as many sick people as before, and doctors have a better grasp on how to treat patients too, said Eckardt. Like other hospitals, Memorial is also no longer testing every admitted patient for COVID.

The hospital says it has 91 inpatient COVID cases, about a 38% increase since the end of May, when it had 66 inpatient COVID cases, according to the most recent data.

Tips to stay healthy

The scorching heat is likely encouraging people to stay indoors, which could be helping the virus circulate. People are also traveling for the summer.

As people start making their July Fourth holiday and travel plans, Eckardt said its important to remember four key tips:

 Stay up-to-date with COVID vaccines.

 Wash your hands frequently.

 Consider wearing a mask if youre planning to be in a crowded area, especially if youre immunocompromised.

 If you feel sick, get tested and seek treatment, if needed.
The COVID Summer Wave Is Here and Hospitalizations Are SoaringHow Long It Will Last?

The COVID Summer Wave Is Here and Hospitalizations Are SoaringHow Long It Will Last?

COVID-19 cases are rising over most of the country right now.

Doctors say there are a few reasons why cases are jumping up.

Wearing a mask and staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine can help.

Its weird to think about dealing with COVID-19 during the summer months, but here we are. The U.S. is currently in the middle of a COVID summer wavewith cases showing no signs of slowing down.

Data shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show an uptick in a slew of metrics used to detect COVID-19. Right now, emergency department visits from COVID-19 are up nearly 15% from the previous week and hospitalizations linked to the virus are up 25% compared to data from late May. Deaths from the virus are also up nearly 17% in the most recent week.

Cases are increasing in 39 states and arent going down anywhere in the country, CDC data show. While infectious disease experts arent shocked that this is happening, they agree that there are a few things to keep in mind this summer to stay safe. Heres the deal with the COVID summer wave, plus why its happening now and how long its expected to last.



Why is the COVID summer wave happening now?

There are a few different reasons why COVID-19 cases are surging right now. One is that the virus has changed. The virus has evolved to evade some of the immunity that individuals in the population have, says Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

That includes the so-called FLiRT variantsKP.2, KP.3, and KP.1.1that currently make up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Not only that, population immunity has waned over time, says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. Most people didnt get the booster and the shots are imperfect at preventing infections, he says, noting that the vaccines are still good at lowering the risk of developing severe disease or being hospitalized.

But people are also spending more time indoors in air conditioning because its hot outsideand its easier to get infected indoors, points out William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. I suspect that its congregate indoor activities that are fueling this, he says.

How long will the COVID summer wave last?

Its hard to say for sure how long the COVID summer wave will last, but doctors say we could be dealing with this for a while.

If past summers are a guide, there will be some increase in the summer through August and then it will begin to abate, Dr. Schaffner says. But he expects that cases will increase again as the weather gets colder.

We have a two-humped seasontheres a slight summer increase and then a more prominent one that occurs during the winter, he says. But Dr. Russo expects that things will get worse before they get better. We can assume that were on the upward curve and probably will be for the next four to eight weeks, he says.

How to stay safe during the COVID summer wave

All of the COVID-19 prevention strategies that have been effective in the past still work during the summer wave, Dr. Russo says. That means masking up in crowded indoor settings and trying to avoid people who are sick.

If youre severely immunocompromised, Dr. Adalja recommends talking to your doctor about Pemgarda, a new monoclonal antibody that can help lower the risk youll get sick in the first place.

Another thing you can do is get up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations. We still have a vaccine available, Dr. Schaffner says. You can get it now and again in the fall when its updated.

While youre at it, be on the lookout for symptoms of the virus, including having a fever, cough, fatigue, muscle or body aches, sore throat, and congestion. If you happen to develop them, Dr. Russo recommends testing yourself for COVID-19 (it may be time to stock up on at-home COVID-19 tests). If its positive and youre in a high-risk category for severe infection, contact your doctor about getting on an anti-viral medication (like Paxlovid) to lower the risk youll have a serious illness.

Overall, doctors stress the importance of being aware that COVID-19 is still circulating in the summer. COVID-19 is still out there. It hasnt gone away, Dr. Russo says. You can stock up on the best KN95 and N95 masks, wash your hands, and stay away from crowded indoor activities if youre concerned.

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Yemen's Houthi group claims home-made hypersonic missile attack on ship in Arabian Sea

Xinhua) 09:10, June 27, 2024

The screenshot captured from a video released by Yemen's Houthi group on June 26, 2024 shows that a hypersonic missile is launched from an undisclosed desert area in Yemen. Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week. (Xinhua)

SANAA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week.

The Houthis released a video statement purporting to show the launch of the missile, dubbed "Hadim 2," without disclosing the exact timing of the attack. The video depicts a long, yellow rocket with Roman numerals on its fins, launched from a mobile platform in an unidentified desert location.

The statement described the Hadim 2 as a solid-fuel hypersonic ballistic missile manufactured by Houthi military facilities.

The group said this marked the first public revelation of the missile, used to target the Israeli-related cargo ship MSC Sarach V. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacking the vessel on Tuesday.

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center reported on Monday that the Liberian-flagged MSC Sarah V was targeted by a missile in the Arabian Sea but not struck. No causalty or ship damage was reported.

The Houthis have escalated attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November, using drones and missiles. They justify these actions as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The screenshot captured from a video released by Yemen's Houthi group on June 26, 2024 shows that a hypersonic missile is launched from an undisclosed desert area in Yemen. Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week. (Xinhua)

The screenshot captured from a video released by Yemen's Houthi group on June 26, 2024 shows that a hypersonic missile is launched from an undisclosed desert area in Yemen. Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week. (Xinhua)

The screenshot captured from a video released by Yemen's Houthi group on June 26, 2024 shows that a hypersonic missile is launched from an undisclosed desert area in Yemen. Yemen's Houthi group said on Wednesday they used a domestically developed hypersonic missile in an attack on a cargo ship in the Arabian Sea earlier this week. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Rovshan Rustamov, who is on a visit to Uzbekistan, held a one-on-one and trilateral meeting with Chairman of the country's railroads Zufar Narzullayev and Chairman of Tajik Railways Komil Mirzoali, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Railways CJSC.

According to the information, the meeting broadly discussed close cooperation in the railway sphere, as well as opportunities to increase freight turnover along the directions of Central Asia-Europe-Central Asia and China-Europe-China, and the importance of promoting these opportunities in the world market.

In order to boost freight traffic along the Middle Corridor and bring in new cargo, the chiefs of railroad structures met and reviewed the ongoing projects to offer digital services that are competitive.

The memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation between the parties was signed at the end of the meeting.

Moreover, as part of the visit, the delegation of Azerbaijani Railways took part in a round table organized by local logistics companies.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Fire crews with the Salt Lake City Fire Department were up through the night battling massive flames on Thursday, June 27.

The fire department said crews were on the scene of a three-alarm fire near 3000 West and 900 South just after midnight. The site of the fire was reportedly at Pallet Express, a locally owned company buying and selling wooden pallets.

The Salt Lake City Fire Department said there were a number of explosions at the scene, including a propane tank. Overnight wind also complicated the blaze with the fire department calling the gusts problematic for containment.

The call was quickly escalated to a three-alarm fire and took the combined efforts of 70 firefighters, seven fire engines, and five fire trucks to put out. Due to the scale of the fire, crews were forced to take a defensive position early on, meaning firefighters worked to put out the flames without entering the building.

Photos shared by the Salt Lake City Fire Department show massive flames rising over shipping containers and a large plume of smoke coming out of the fire.

A fire burns at a business near 3000 West and 900 South in Salt Lake City (Courtesy: SLC FIre Department)

A fire burns at a business near 3000 West and 900 South in Salt Lake City (Courtesy: SLC FIre Department)

A fire burns at a business near 3000 West and 900 South in Salt Lake City (Courtesy: SLC FIre Department)

A fire burns at a business near 3000 West and 900 South in Salt Lake City (Courtesy: SLC FIre Department)

Just after 3 a.m., the Salt Lake City Fire Department said crews will remain on the scene throughout the night extinguishing hotspots.

The overnight blaze caused severe damage to the Pallet Express and its surrounding property. The fire also affected three nearby businesses and knocked down power lines in the area.

As crews continue to work the scene, 900 South will remain closed between 2700 West and 3200 West. The public is asked the avoid the area. Officials expect it to remain closed throughout most of the day on Thursday.

It is currently unclear what sparked the flames and an investigation is currently ongoing. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this article as more information becomes available.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Crews are repairing the damages at Hunters Ridge Deerwood Apartments Thursday after a building there caught on fire late Wednesday. The fire forced 33 people living there to evacuate their homes.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Tarps on the roof and the chimney were clearly visible at the Apartment on Baymeadows Road.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department was on the scene putting out the fire Wednesday. The apartment suffered some damage on the roof and the side of the building.

Residents told us they heard a loud boom. Some said it woke them out of their sleep.

It spiked my heart rate. The whole apartment flashed a little, resident Tommy Francescon said.

ORIGINAL STORY: People yelling fire, fire: JFRD confirms 33 people displaced after Southside apartment fire

When I was asleep, I heard a thunder clash. It woke me up before my alarm went off, said resident Lorenzo Davis.

The Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department said no one was hurt, but 33 people did have to evacuate their homes.

JFRD did confirm that lighting may have started the fire, during a storm in the area at the time.

Its unclear at this time if the 33 people are still evacuated from their homes. The Red Cross is assisting those residents.

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Editors Note: The following arrest and incident reports were supplied by the Abilene Police Department. All information below comes from reports made by responding officers, and all suspects are considered not guilty unless determined otherwise in a court of law.

Incidents

2300 block of Bishop Road  Theft of Property

A victim reported his car was stolen.

1600 block of Hwy 351  Theft of Property

A victim reported items worth $108 were reported stolen.

700 block of Medical Drive  Theft of Controlled Substance

Medication was reported stolen from a north Abilene facility. A nurse is accused of signing out medication and not giving it to her patient.

4500 block of S 1st Street  Theft of Firearm

A firearm worth $500 was reported stolen.

2000 block of Lillius Street  Assault

Police reported an assault occurred in north Abilene.

3300 block of S Clack Street  Disorderly Conduct

A suspect is accused of causing a disturbance at a south Abilene business.

600 block of N Jefferson Drive  Assault Pregnant Person

A north Abilene resident her boyfriend punched her and caused her pain.

1600 block of Campus Court  Violation of Bond/Protective Order

A victim reported a suspect violated a protective order.

2400 block of S 25th Street  Assault

An assault was reported in south Abilene.

5400 block of S 7th Street- Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon

A report for aggravated assault deadly weapon was completed in south Abilene.

200 block of Cypress Street  Criminal Trespass

2500 block of B Shirley Road  Harassment

Arrests

Justin Cassell  Theft of Property, Theft of Property

Brandon Sharp  Warrant

Johnny Baker  Warrant

Hayden James  Assault Family Violence

Brittany Rister  Theft of Property

Melvin Jackson  Criminal Trespass

Gerald Bivens  Warrant

Zedekaih Rodriguez  Warrant

Katherine Gomez  Warrant

Amanda Abernathy  Public Intoxication, Resist Arrest Search or Transport

Diontay Ramon  Warrant

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  This week on Crime Stoppers, law enforcement needs your help locating two people with warrants and identifying people in two separate incidentsone where two subjects attempted to break into an elementary school, and one where two subjects attempted to break into a business.

If you have information regarding the cases below, call Crime Stoppers of Mid-Michigan at (517) 483-STOP. You can remain anonymous.

Those who contact Crime Stoppers with information can receive up to a $1,000 award.

Emily Marie Carr

Image courtesy of Lansing law enforcement

Emily Marie Carr, 19, is wanted on a felony warrant for assault with a dangerous weapon out of Lansing, Michigan. She is 55 and 198 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes.

Alontay Juvon Hill

Image courtesy of Jackson law enforcement

Alonyay Juvon Hill, 24, is wanted on a felony warrant for dangerous drugs out of Jackson, Michigan. He is 510 and 165 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes.

Help Identify Suspects in Attempted Break-In

(Lansing Police Department)

(Lansing Police Department)

(Lansing Police Department)

The Lansing Police Department is asking for any information that could identify two individuals who attempted to break into a business on the 2900 block of S Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in the early morning hours of June 12, 2024.

Help Identify Suspects in Attempted Break-In

(Lansing Police Department)

(Lansing Police Department)

(Lansing Police Department)

The Lansing Police Department is asking for any information that could identify two individuals who attempted to break into a school on the 1100 block of E Cesar E. Chavez Ave during the evening of June 12, 2024.

Find information on Crime Stoppers below:

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Large-scale DDoS attacks on Crimean Internet-providers have been ongoing for over a day.

Source: sources of Ukrainska Pravda; Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti with reference to the so-called Ministry of Information of Russia-occupied Crimea

Details: According to Ukrainska Pravdas sources, experts from Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) are behind the attacks.

"Providers are repelling the attacks. Interruptions in the provision of Internet services are possible," Yulia Kilik, Deputy Minister of Domestic Policy and Connection of Russia, reported.

Earlier the Crimean occupying authorities reported DDoS attacks on several Internet providers. There were also such instances in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea.

The profiles of the attacks are constantly changing but "all necessary measures are being taken to repel them".

Sources of Ukrainska Pravda in DIU state that this is an operation of Ukrainian intelligence.

"After the liberation of Crimea, like all other Ukrainian territories, there will be fast and high-quality Internet connection there but for now the occupiers do not need such benefits of civilization. Moreover, all this is being used for military purposes," the source stated.

Background:

Earlier, the Ukrainian IT-army carried out a large-scale attack on the Russian banking system, including the infrastructure of the Russian National Card Payment System (NSPK)  the Mir card operator.

DIU reported that as a result of a DDoS attack its cyber specialists had gained access to the servers of the Ministry of Defence of Russia and obtained a considerable amount of information about Russian military command, orders, reports and decrees.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  A Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Travis County District Attorney Jose Garzas attempt to reverse the pardon of Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder in 2020 for shooting and killing a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020, according to online court records.

Governor Greg Abbott pardoned Perry in May of this year. A jury found Perry guilty of murder in April 2023.

Earlier this month, Garza filed a writ of mandamus asking the Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse what he called the unlawful pardon of Perry.

We will be asking for the courts to intervene in order to restore the sanctity of the rule of law in this great state, Garza said as he made the announcement about filing the writ.

The gist of the District Attorneys Offices stance on the pardon was that the agency believed the governor improperly interfered with the judicial process by pardoning Perry.

According to court action Wednesday, the higher court denied Garzas efforts in this case, meaning the pardon will hold.

Abbott posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this month in response to Garzas move, stating the reversal is not going to happen.

The family of Garrett Foster, the man Perry killed, said earlier this month they will continue to fight the pardon in any way they can.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Czechia has sent first 50,000 shells to Ukraine, minister says

The Czech Republic has delivered the first 50,000 shells to Ukraine as part of the Prague-led initiative, the country's defense minister Jana Cernohova said on June 27, the Czech Press Agency (CTK) reported.

Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.

Ukraine has received the first batch of artillery shells "some time ago," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on June 25. Prague worked on the shipment jointly with Germany, CTK wrote.

According to the defense ministry, 50,000 shells make up the first batch of 180,000 rounds of ammunition financed by Germany.

The Czech Republic allocated almost over 34 million euro ($36 million) for the effort, Fiala said. The money will be used to purchase shells from STV Group, the Czech ammunition producer.

Several countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Canada, and the Netherlands, have since contributed funds to the Czech initiative, which may result in the delivery of 1.5 million rounds to Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said in late March.

More than 1.6 billion euros ($1.7 million) have been allocated for the effort, according to the prime minister.

Pavel launched the initiative against the backdrop of Ukraine losing the key front-line city of Avdiivka in February amid a severe ammunition shortage.

Moscow is still outpacing the West in securing artillery supplies on international markets, the Czech government said, fearing that delayed payments to arms companies could result in millions of munitions being shipped to Moscow rather than Kyiv, the Financial Times reported in late May.

Read also: EU Commissioner: EU will match Russias ammunition production in 2025

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DA: Woman facing murder charge after man found stabbed to death in crashed car on Cape Cod

A woman is facing a murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of a man who was found inside a crashed car on Cape Cod on Wednesday night, authorities said.

Juscelene Guedes, 29, of Centerville, is slated to be arraigned Thursday in Barnstable District Court on charges including murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to the Cape & Islands District Attorneys Office.

Officers responding to a report of a crash in the area of a TD Bank on Falmouth Road in Hyannis just before 7:30 p.m. found a 33-year-old Barnstable man suffering from an apparent stab wound to his chest, the DAs office said.

The victim, whose name hasnt been released, was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators noted that Guedes was a passenger in the victims vehicle. There was no immediate word on what led up to the incident.

Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the DAs office are assisting Barnstable police with an investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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After New York enforced a 'de facto ban' on private rental sites, landlords with empty booking calendars started looking elsewhere to list their properties - Alan Wilson/Alamy Stock Photo

A new holiday black market has emerged in New York City, and it appears to have taken root in the UK and other parts of Europe.

Last September, New York City authorities enforced what was described as a de facto ban on private rental sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Under the new rules, landlords looking to rent out their property on a short-term basis need to register with the mayors office. If approved, they can rent out their property only if they are present for the duration of the stay, with a maximum of two guests allowed.

Thousands of hosts dropped off, almost overnight in New York  from 22,246 listings in August 2023, to just shy of 4,000 in May 2024 (according to AirDNA) - New York Daily News

Thousands of hosts dropped off, almost overnight. In August 2023, there were 22,246 short-term rental listings in New York City. By May 2024 there were just shy of 4,000, according to data analyst AirDNA. Inevitably, many landlords with empty booking calendars started looking for alternative ways to list their properties, often on unregulated platforms like Facebook, Signal or Craigslist.

In the wake of New York Citys stringent regulations on short-term rentals, a black market for Airbnb listings has indeed taken root, says Mary Harris, director of the US Short Term Rental Association (NASTRM). Hosts have been adapting to the crackdown by employing various tactics to continue operating in the shadows.

While the city intended the rules to alleviate housing pressures, the unintended consequence has been the creation of an underground rental market that operates without the transparency and security of regulated platforms.

It is a similar picture in Edinburgh, where new planning permission rules (introduced in September 2023) and licensing requirements (from October 2023) have hit the supply of legitimate listings. Between May 2019 and May 2024, short-term accommodation listings dropped by 44 per cent, according to AirDNA.

It is very disturbing to see evidence of a burgeoning black market in Edinburgh, says Fiona Campbell, chief executive of the Association of Scottish Self-Caterers (ASSC). This undermines the entire purpose of licensing and is yet another example of an own goal by policymakers.

With costs soaring and supply plummeting, it is little wonder that the unscrupulous are seeking to take advantage through circumventing the rules.

You dont need to use the dark web to access this underground movement. One Facebook group advertising accommodation in Edinburgh has 8,700 members. A quick scroll down the page gives a sense of the scale of the supply and demand for short-term accommodation in the city, particularly over its summer festival.

Barcelona has announced plans to ban all short-term private rentals from the city by 2028 - deadlyphoto.com/Alamy Stock Photo

Barcelona could be next. This week, Mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to ban all short-term private rentals from the city by 2028, cancelling licences of the 10,101 apartments that are currently authorised. Locals say that a black market is already in operation in Barcelona, but banning short-term lets will only intensify the demand for illegal ones, as well as for new hotels, effectively removing income from law-abiding locals and handing it to international hotel chains instead.

If planning a trip to New York City, Edinburgh, Barcelona, or any of the other cities that have a trimmed-down Airbnb offering, it might be tempting to dabble in the off-site black market. You may like the idea of sidestepping booking fees, and communicating on one of your usual social media platforms. Hotels are, after all, only getting more expensive, averaging almost $400 (316) per night in New York City in May 2024, up 7.4 per cent on the year before.

But this is a risky route for tourists. Booking through legitimate sites like Airbnb or Vrbo means you have support and cover if your booking doesnt work out as planned, or worse, you fall victim to a scam listing. These sites also vet hosts by verifying IDs and running background checks, where it is allowed by law, minimising the risk of coming into serious danger.

If you engage in the accommodation black market, you might be able to snag a good deal. Indeed, you might be booking with somebody who was an Airbnb Superhost this time last year. But if anything goes wrong, you are on your own. And you could, both figuratively and literally, be left in the dark after handing over your money.

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The Kambarata HPP-1 project requires trans-boundary cooperation, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Nikolay Podguzov told reporters on the sidelines of a business forum in Almaty today, Trend reports.

"The project must be discussed by at least three countries - Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. We have expressed our readiness, together with the World Bank, to allocate funds from the technical assistance fund to update the feasibility study of the Kambarata HPP-1," said Podguzov.

His remarks highlighted the importance of the EDB's suggestion.

"We have presented it to the government of Kyrgyzstan and are actively engaged in dialogue with the World Bank. They are very attentive and, let's say, partner-like in their approach to us on this and other issues. Therefore, I am confident that we will organize this project together with the World Bank. Later, after clarifying the financing volume, we'll participate in the syndicate that will fund the construction of the Kambarata HPP-1.

We are in an absolutely constructive dialogue with the government of Kyrgyzstan. The main thing is that the project should not stall. The process of organizing the feasibility study is ongoing. We have a lot of work to do, especially concerning hydraulic structures, in Kyrgyzstan.

We are actively financing the Kulanak HPP project, and construction work is already underway there. As for Kambarata HPP-1, we are ready to allocate funds and will be pleased to participate jointly in this project," the EDB official added.

To note, the Kambarata HPP-1 on the Naryn river is the largest hydropower project in Kyrgyzstan and is expected to become one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Central Asia. Once completed, the HPP will have a capacity of 1,860 MW and will generate 5.6 billion kWh of electricity per year. The height of the dam is expected to reach 256 meters, and the volume of the reservoir will be more than 5.4 bcm of water.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA)  A Danville man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of having sex with a 10-year-old girl.

Logan Swisher, 22, agreed to a partial plea deal with prosecutors on May 9. He pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, with other counts of the same crime being dropped, and he was sentenced on Wednesday.

The sexual assault happened the night of March 4, 2023, in a vehicle that was parked in Ellsworth Park after-hours. A Sheriffs deputy found the car and, upon investigating, found Swisher climbing over the center console from the back seat into the drivers seat. There was a girl sitting in the front passenger seat, and Swisher did not have a shirt on.

Urbana man acquitted of murder four years after deadly shooting

When the deputy contacted the girls guardian, they learned she was 10 years old. When Swisher spoke with law enforcement, prosecutors said he admitted to having sexual intercourse with her multiple times. A letter from the girl, read aloud during sentencing by the judge, expressed the trauma she suffered due to Swishers acts.

In these situations, children may not fully comprehend the abuse that has been perpetrated on them, said States Attorney Jacqueline Lacy. The long-term effects of predatory sexual assault of a child are immeasurable. My heart goes out to the victim and her family as they work toward healing.

Under the plea agreement he reached with prosecutors, Swisher could have been sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison. He will be required to serve 85% of the sentence he did receive and upon release from prison, he will be on parole for anywhere from three years to life. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.

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Chloe Williamson says she still doesnt know all the details that led a 15-year-old, while fleeing a Johnston residential youth home, to allegedly shove her mother with such force that the resulting injuries would take her life.

But she does know Ellipsis claim that Kathleen Galloway-Menke's death May 14 was an isolated tragedy does not ring true to her.

Until April, Williamson, 25, had worked at the same all-male youth home with her 50-year-old single mother, who had a quarter-centurys experience with kids who have special needs. Williamson said she and her mother both worked directly with, and had previously been threatened by, Jovahn Mathis, a roughly 200-pound, 6-foot teen whose assaultive behavior resulted in multiple police calls to the youth home prior to the May 8 attack.

Kathleen Galloway-Menke

I have dealt with a lot of aggressive kids, but I have never seen this level of violence and strength from a kid, Williamson said.

She said Ellipsis had no security guards and no cameras and that the walkie-talkies its program staff used to communicate during crises didn't always work. She said she believes Mathis needed a more secure environment like the State Training School at Eldora.

Everyone in my building and my cottage knew. We tried telling Ellipsis this was a problem and (the childs placement) wasnt the right fit, but we didnt have the support, she said.

Ellipsis CEO says youth home has worked to improve safety

In a statement to Watchdog, Ellipsis CEO Chris Koepplin said, Given the nature of our work and the youth we work with, they may escalate into a crisis and act out because they are working through trauma, learning to manage and communicate emotions properly, and overcoming backgrounds with which many adults would even struggle to cope.

She said the agency had been working for months with Johnston police, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and others to address safety concerns, including leading an initiative with DHHS to find more funding for security measures for youth services organizations.

She said Ellipsis employees receive crisis intervention and de-escalation training and the facility has been considering options to increase safety and security on the small campus, which is tucked in a largely wooded residential area in Johnston. But she noted in her statement that the private agency does not run a youth detention facility or a jail.

Our youth come to our facility on a court order most often because they dont have a safe environment to stay in and need support, she said. We have a duty to serve.

Koepplin also underscored something that other providers of group foster services in Iowa have said is a concern: Since at least 2017, she said, the DHHS has demanded in the agencys contract that no child referred to the program be rejected or ejected.

That No Reject, No Eject policy meant Ellipsis, one of 17 providers of such care in the state, had no choice but to accept Mathis.

Other states allow youth care programs more discretion in whether they will accept certain youth, but those states' policies also have been controversial because theyve sometimes resulted in youths with behavior problems or mental illness being warehoused in hospitals, hotels and other inappropriate settings, triggering lawsuits.

Neither DHHS Director Kelly Garcia nor Janae Harvey, the agency's family well-being and protection director, responded to requests for interviews. They also failed to answer questions regarding the agency's handling of Galloway-Menke's death, one of the worst tragedies involving a private youth worker in Iowa in recent history.

One of those questions: Whether the "no reject, no eject" policy is still considered prudent and necessary, after Galloway-Menke's death and given the severity of behavior that private youth agencies have been reporting since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the youth worker's two adult daughters mull a possible wrongful death lawsuit, their lawyer, Trever Hook, has been examining the facts surrounding the death.

"It was a matter of time  of when, not if  that something like this was going to happen," Hook said. "Were looking at all sorts of angles to see whats legally viable."

Williamson contends there is much evidence Ellipsis and Iowa's DHHS are ill-equipped to deal with the seriousness of what the staff and students faced there.

There were a lot of scary behaviors, and violent threats made daily, she said. They just werent doing anything about it.

65% spike in police calls in five years at Ellipsis in Johnston

Koepplin said a small number of youth are involved in most of the police calls at Ellipsis north-side residential facility but acknowleged behavior has worsened.

Johnston police reports show students, staff and police officers all have been injured while trying to deal with assaultive behavior.

Calls to police from Ellipsis, 7085 N.W. Beaver Drive, climbed from 314 in 2019 to 519 last year  a 65% spike. Through May 31 this year, police were called 251 times  about 50 times a month.

Incident reports that Watchdog obtained from Johnston police also verify Williamsons claims that assaults were common: 22 were reported this year through the end of May.

According to the police report related to the shove that allegedly caused Galloway-Menkes severe head injury, Mathis was accused of assaulting staff that day while running from the Ellipsis campus. Over an open phone line, police heard lots of screaming.

Hook said Galloway-Menke and a male staffer followed Mathis at a safe distance, as required by Ellipsis' protocols. He said witnesses stated that a supervisor and other workers also went outside but stayed farther back. Finally, the teen turned and sprinted across a street, and shoved Galloway-Menke. Her head hit the concrete, and she died six days later after being taken off life support.

Mathis faces a count of second-degree murder. The Polk County Attorneys Office is still deciding whether to charge him as an adult.

A 15-year-old matching Mathis description in terms of size, weight and race is mentioned in several Johnston police assault reports in the months prior to the attack, including one a week before Galloway-Menke was injured.

In one incident in March during which Williamson was working, the 15-year-old became so agitated after being pinned to the floor, handcuffed and held by his ankles that he threw up. Williamson said the incident severely injured a program director.

In another incident in March during which Williamson was working, it took eight staff members to hold down the student, who had to be taken to a control room."

"That was in my cottage and it was very bad," Williamson said. "They had five male staff on (Mathis) and the cops came."

She said the control room was concrete, and students would be held there for hours without access to an outside restroom. If they needed to go to the bathroom, she said, they were required to go on the floor and clean up their own waste when they left.

Koepplin said if de-escalation techniques do not work to calm youth and they and others are deemed at risk, then youth are moved to control rooms. When asked in an email, she did not address the reported absence of a toilet in those rooms.

Williamson said youth placed at Ellipsis Johnston campus tend to have a honeymoon period where theyre hoping to get released quickly by behaving. As time goes on, they can act out or become violent. She said she and her mother, both youth counselors, tried to be consistent with the kids they worked with because that was important in turning around behavior.

Williamson said Mathis was placed at Ellipsis in January and lived in the cottage where she worked. In March, the teen was transferred to a cottage where her mother worked. She said the teen often would erupt in a rage when told no or denied an MP4 player. The teen used the MP4 player to watch inappropriate videos, she said.

She said Mathis threatened to kill other students and staff repeatedly, and she had to make calls to Johnston police when Mathis behavior, or those of other residents, got out of hand.

She also said Mathis was transitioning from male to female, so it was uncomfortable when the teen was placed in her cottage with a male roommate. At her mother's cottage, she said, all students had their own rooms and bathrooms.

Daughter felt so unsafe at Ellipsis that she quit

Williamson, who started at Ellipsis in August 2023, said she and her mother felt passionate about helping kids. But she said she felt so unsafe working at Ellipsis that she quit in mid-April this year, roughly a month before her mother was killed.

She said she was born with a deformity in her ribs and had a surgery in April 2023 that helped free up her heart and lungs so she could breathe. But that surgery left her with metal in her chest that made her vulnerable if she were attacked.

"The way Ellipsis operates, its heartbreaking," she said. "There needs to be a change. This could have been prevented."

Galloway-Menkes death is the latest in a string of major crises hitting residential facilities serving youth in Iowas child-welfare and juvenile justice systems.

From the alleged inappropriate sexual relationship between a teacher and student that caused firings this year of top administrators at the State Training School at Eldora to the 16 rapes reported over the last six years at Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska, which provides foster care to Iowa youth, homes that market themselves as safe havens for at-risk youth have failed repeatedly to keep their young charges and, sometimes, staff safe.

In a lawsuit filed last year, Disability Rights Iowa and other advocacy organizations accused Iowa of a "longstanding failure" to provide Medicaid-eligible children with legally required and medically necessary mental health and behavioral health services. The lawsuit alleged the state administered "an inadequate, inaccessible and dysfunctional mental health system and said the serious mental health conditions faced by youth described in the suit are considered disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The groups settled the lawsuit later that year, promising changes.

Galloway-Menke died the same month that Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that by July 2025 will overhaul the states disconnected mental health and substance abuse treatment system. But some critics in the Legislature complained the legislation ignored the states decades-long childrens mental health crisis, saying youth in the state desperately need more appropriate care.

Lee Rood is an investigative reporter and editor who created the Reader's Watchdog column in 2012 to find answers and accountability for readers on a range of topics.

Lee Rood's Reader's Watchdog column helps Iowans get answers and accountability from public officials, the justice system, businesses and nonprofits. Reach her at lrood@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8549, on Twitter at @leerood or on Facebook at Facebook.com/readerswatchdog.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Before Ellipsis worker was killed, police calls had spiked 65%
On This Day, June 27: Supreme Court rules census can't ask about citizenship

On June 27, 2019, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government can't include a question about citizenship in the U.S. census. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI

On this date in history:

In 1829, English scientist James Smithson left a will that eventually funded the establishment of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington -- in a country he never visited.

In 1844, Mormon founder Joseph Smith was slain by a mob at a jail in Carthage, Ill.

In 1847, the first telegraph wire links were established between New York City and Boston.

In 1859, Louisville, Ky., schoolteacher Mildred Hill composed a tune for her students and called it "Good Morning To You." Her sister, Patty, who wrote the lyrics, later added a verse that began "Happy Birthday To You."

This view of the space shuttle Atlantis during its move away from Russia's Mir Space Station was photographed by the Mir-19 crew on July 4, 1995. Photo courtesy of NASA

In 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman ordered naval and air forces to help repel the North Korean invasion of South Korea.

UPI File Photo

Official portrait of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall taken in 1976. Marshall, the first African-American to sit on the Supreme Court, announced his resignation on this day in 1991. File Photo courtesy Library of Congress

In 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled private employers could give special preferences to Black people to eliminate "manifest racial imbalance" in traditionally white-only jobs.

In 1991, Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall announced he was retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first African American to sit on the high court.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich leaves the federal court after hearing the verdict in his corruption trial on June 27, 2011, in Chicago. A federal jury found Blagojevich guilty on 17 of 20 charges, including trying to peddle President Obama's vacant Senate seat. File Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/UPI

In 1995, the space shuttle Atlantis was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a historic mission to dock with the Russian space station Mir. Docking occurred two days later.

In 2003, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission opened a long-awaited nationwide registry for people who want to block unwanted telemarketing calls.

On June 27, 2009, a top health official said the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, killed 127 people of the more than 1 million infected in the United States. File Photo by Jeff Roberson/UPI

In 2005, Dennis Rader, the so-called "BTK" (bind, torture, kill) killer, pleaded guilty to 10 slayings in the Wichita, Kan., area. He was sentenced to life in prison.

In 2007, Tony Blair officially stepped down after a decade as British prime minister, submitting his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. Blair was succeeded by Gordon Brown and became Britain's envoy to the Middle East.

File Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI

In 2009, a top health official said the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, killed 127 people of the more than 1 million infected in the United States. About 3,000 were reported hospitalized.

In 2011, a federal court jury in Chicago convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on 17 felony corruption charges that included trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after the 2008 presidential election. Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In 2017, the FARC rebel group officially disarmed in a ceremony with the Colombian government.

In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government can't include a question about citizenship in the U.S. census.

In 2023, producers of Wheel of Fortune announced Ryan Seacrest would succeed Pat Sajak as the host of the long-running game show. Sajak's final episode aired June 7, 2024.

File Photo by James Atoa/UPI
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) was awarded a $25 million federal grant to enhance the infrastructure on the New York Avenue NE corridor.

In a news release on June 27, Mayor Bowser said the funds will go toward the development of the New York Avenue Bridge and Lincoln Connector Trail Project, linking the Fort Lincoln neighborhood to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

This east-west pedestrian and bicycle path across the Anacostia River will not only promote active transportation but will also rehabilitate a bridge that is essential for freight connections.

This is the second major infrastructure project along the New York Avenue NE corridor.

The multi-million-dollar federal grant was awarded through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with the Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant program.

Chesapeake Bay Trust grants over $1.3M in funds for projects in Maryland, Virginia, DC, more

This project is going to help us build a more connected DC and create a safer, better experience for residents and visitors traveling across the Anacostia River, Mayor Bowser stated in the release. Thank you to the Biden-Harris Administration for this critical funding that will transform our citys roadways, bridges, and trails.

According to the District, the New York Avenue Bridge and Lincoln Connector Trail Project will provide active, safe and direct transportation across the Anacostia River through a 1.8-mile path. The route will begin at the intersection of Bladensburg NE and Eastern Avenue NE, and make its way to the New York Avenue Bridge.

It will also feature a new bicycle and pedestrian path parallel to the New York Avenue Bridge.

The bridge was originally built in 1952 and rehabilitated in 1981. Officials said new key enhancements will include:

Adding protective material to prevent erosion;

Repairing concrete supporting piers;

Replacing the bridges steel coating and protective walls;

Repairing and replacing lighting.



This project will provide critical improvements for pedestrian and bicycle safety, as well as ensure the resilience and reliability of the New York Avenue Bridge for years to come, DDOT Acting Director Sharon Kershbaum said, in part. We are committed to building a more connected, safe, and sustainable transportation network for all residents and visitors of Washington, DC.

The District expects the project to be in the design phase through the 2025 fiscal year and construction will begin by the 2026 fiscal year.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now)  Police in D.C. are working to learn what led to a deadly shooting in Southeast Thursday morning.

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) told DC News that around 10:09 a.m., a ShotSpotter detected one round in the 1400 block of Howard Rd., SE.

Its happening every day, every minute: Gun violence impacting DC residents

When officers arrived, they found a man unconscious with a gunshot wound. He died there.

The homicide unit was called to investigate.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The fate of a Dearborn animal shelter remains unclear after a standing-room-only Dearborn City Council meeting Wednesday night that ended in a stalemate over a more than 50% budget increase sought by the nonprofit that runs the operation.

The contentious meeting featured a vocal crowd that clapped, booed and shouted remarks throughout the meeting, with Council President Michael Sareini calling the room to order.

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, which has operated the shelter on behalf of the city since 1997, has asked for a more than 50% annual increase in what the city pays for their services, based on figures provided by the nonprofit to the Free Press. Shelter leadership argues theyre only asking the city to pay the true cost of the city-required four-day hold and care for strays, but the increased cost is a concern for city officials.

Adoptions Manager Jewel Holliday, 24, of Inkster, fits Subaru for a cone after coming back from his neuter appointment with an outside veterinarian to Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit shelter in Dearborn on March 28, 2024.

Cory Keller, the nonprofit's president and CEO, answered questions raised by the council on the proposed new costs followed by a presentation from Mayor Abdullah Hammoud on the city's proposal for a compromise.

"I hope that with the administration and city council and our organization, we can have a more thoughtful conversation and come to some sort of agreement before July 1," Keller said.

The contract is capped at $295,000 a year, Keller said. The nonprofit now seeks $457,000 to meet actual costs with no cap, because the agency doesn't control how many strays come in. The higher rate is related to rising costs in the animal welfare industry and the nonprofit having its own facility, Keller said.

Under the proposed new contract, the nonprofit would receive $282 per cat and $324 per dog, Keller said. The nonprofit presented this rate as non-negotiable, arguing the city should pay the nonprofit's actual costs and that past contracts didn't fairly reflect operating costs.

Community members listen during a June 26 Dearborn City Council special meeting on the fate of the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit shelter ahead of its upcoming contract expiration.

A key point of contention was the cost of sterilizing animals before adoption, as required under Michigan law. The nonprofit covers this cost through the city funding, while many other cities don't, city officials said. This takes the burden off pet owners who may not be able to afford the fee, but places a strain on the city's already limited budget, Sareini and Hammoud said.

We need to decide what's best for our taxpayers and residents of Dearborn, because we want to make sure that we get the best value, Sareini said.

The city would like to continue supporting the nonprofit, but faces budget constraints and financial concerns regarding the increased contract costs, Hammoud said.

Julie Ader, Allen Park, is a school social worker and volunteer with Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit. City Council should support the nonprofit's key role in the city, she said.

"Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit is a wonderful animal shelter that supports the community in many different ways," Ader said. "We not only help with controlling the population of the animals and educating people on how to care for animals, but the programs there involve children."

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit has been contracted by the city since 1996 to run the citys animal shelter and runs under the city police department. The city and the nonprofit have been in talks to negotiate a new contract this spring, with little progress, officials said.

Hammoud presented data comparing Dearborn's contract to five other cities in Wayne County, demonstrating lower costs than for Dearborn. Keller disputed the data, saying it didn't accurately reflect Dearborn's situation.

Though city councilmembers and Hammoud presented offers to compromise, the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit stuck to their price, unwilling to budge. Hammoud proposed a multi-year contract and Sareini suggested a temporary cost compromise followed by negotiations, both of which the nonprofit rejected.

Later, Hammoud and leaders of the nonprofit stepped out of the meeting to negotiate, eventually ending the meeting without coming to a decision.

The lack of an outcome means continued uncertainty for Dearborn's animal welfare services ahead of the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit's upcoming contract expiration. Whether a deal is reached or not, the city is committed to ensuring the vital services continue, Sareini said.

"I hope that we can come to some sort of a conclusion of partnership because I think that the city of Dearborn really needs to understand the value we provide to the community," Keller said.

City leaders and representatives of Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit will continue to negotiate ahead of the upcoming contract expiration on Sunday. The nonprofit plans to consult with its Board of Directors during this interval, Keller said.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn council, Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit in budget fight
Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi is warning that city services may shut down starting next week because a budget has not yet been passed by the City Council, accusing some council members of being unreasonable. But a city councilwoman said Thursday it was Bazzi who is being unreasonable, accusing him of submitting a budget that was not balanced and hiring people not approved by the council.

"Dearborn Heights administration and staff, frustrated by the City Councils repeated rejection of their proposed (balanced) budget proposal, have taken steps to prepare for a close-down of all city services effective July 1," reads a message that pops up on the home page of the city's website when readers visit it. The message, which was also emailed to some journalists, alleges the City Council has reviewed and rejected several budget proposals, including at this week's council meeting.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi works in his office on Oct. 25, 2021. He is warning the city may shut down its services on July 1 due to lack of a budget.

Bazzi said the shutdown could affect the policing of the city and trash pickup.

If we dont have an approved budget approved by June 30, we are, by the Public Act 2 law, not allowed to make expenditures of any type on behalf of the city beginning July 1," said Bazzi, referring to a state law on budgets for municipalities. "This will result in a shut-down of all city services."

Dearborn Heights City Councilwoman Denise Malinowski Maxwell, who challenged Bazzi for mayor in 2021 and lost, said Bazzi is the one responsible for the budget problems.

"If you watch the first budget meeting City Council held, we had to end it because the budget was a mess and the meeting was unproductive," Maxwell told the Free Press. "Every year the budget is due the same time. There is plenty of time to make sure its balanced before it is presented to the council. As a member of City Council I cannot and will not approve a budget that is not balanced."

Maxwell also alleges that Bazzi is hiring people he favors for "new positions he has created, the unauthorized bonuses he has handed out to certain individuals and the unapproved contracts he has given to certain individuals." Maxwell said the council "tried removing these positions because we knew it would be a financial hardship on the city and the mayor has ignored our direction."

Dearborn Heights Council Chairwoman Denise Malinowski Maxwell blames Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi for the city's budget problems.

Dearborn Heights City Council Chair Mo Baydoun, who also often criticizes Bazzi, did not return an email seeking comment.

The standoff is the latest dispute in a city of about 63,000 residents that has seen population growth as immigrants flock to the suburb that borders Dearborn, but faces political divisions.

Some of the dispute is over Police Chief Jerrod Hart, who was appointed in February 2022. In a statement from the city in January, Hart said he faced retaliation as he fought corruption and mismanagement, working with the Department of Justice on improving police operations. Hart accused the Police Department of fixing tickets at the request of City Council members, traffic stop quotas for overtime, excessive use of force, command officers exhibiting sexually inappropriate behavior and failing to process pistol purchase permits, among other accusations.

Hart said in January that as a result of the backlash against him, he took a leave of absence "to address employment-induced health concerns" he said he suffered "due to the continued harassment, retaliation, gaslighting and ghosting of our work and continued employment stability."

In an interview last year with the Dearborn Press and Guide, Hart, formerly the Saline police chief, said some police officers in Dearborn Heights were being negligent, such as abusing sick days and spending time at work getting their cars repaired.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi is shown here working in his office in October 2021.

A 21-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and immigrant from Lebanon, Bazzi was previously an engineer for Ford and Boeing. He was the city's first Muslim and first Arab American to be mayor. In his message Wednesday, Bazzi called his opponents "rogue." Bazzi added that some on City Council have made difficult demands, such as providing them with photocopies of federal W-2 payroll forms of city employees.

"Unless our council decides to approve our 2024-25 budget this week, we are essentially out of business," Bazzi said. "I honestly regret having to take this measure, but when I took this office, I swore to do everything by the book. We have presented multiple proposed budgets, which have been rejected. I will not tolerate these rogue individuals attempts to coerce us into continuing to do business without a budget  which is illegal by state law."

The next City Council meeting is set for 5 p.m. Friday.

Contact Niraj Warikoo:nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi: City services could shut down
A balloon release was held Saturday at Broken Arrow Park, honoring Isaiah Neal, a 17-year-old Lawrence teenager killed by gun violence. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)

LAWRENCE  Natasha Neal, a prominent Kansas activist, is channeling her grief into a renewed fight for justice and systemic change after her 17-year-old son, Isaiah Neal, was killed by gun violence June 13.

Natasha Neal was the activist behind 2020s Occupy Mass  a Black Lives Matter street protest outside the Lawrence Police Department. She has been at the forefront of other demonstrations, including those advocating for the dismissal of cases against Rontarus Washington Jr. and Albert Wilson. She has also been fighting to end gun violence.

On the night of Isaiah Neals death, Natasha Neal was directed by the Lawrence Police to go to University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City, Kansas. After about an hour of driving, she was told by her daughter that Isaiah had been taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital instead. When Natasha Neal arrived, the hospital was on lockdown. When she finally entered her sons hospital room, he had already died.

I dont want what I experienced between the police and the hospital to happen to any other parent, Natasha Neal said. They should never have to go through what I had to go through because of who I was.

Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, air ambulance services and hospitals are in control of where a patient goes, according to Lawrence Police Department spokeswoman Laura McCabe.

The initial plan was, in fact, to transport to KU, and it changed several times as the patients condition changed, McCabe said. These situations are extremely fluid. Its always our officers intention to give family members the most reliable information they have at the time and update as quickly as possible.

The communication problems and the hospitals lockdown prevented Natasha Neal from saying goodbye to her son. She wants to fix such problems for others.

One thing I just want to stress to the hospitals, is that when Black people show up to your hospitals and they are mourning and grieving and showing emotion; there is no reason for a shutdown, Natasha Neal said. There was no reason why that hospital had to be shut down.

Isaiahs death will further fuel his mothers activism. She is already considering initiatives like introducing an Isaiah Law and establishing a foundation in his memory.

Saturday afternoon, Natasha Neal hosted a balloon release for Isaiah Neal at Broken Arrow park in Lawrence. That was the park Isaiah was taken to for emergency services before being sent to Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

A cousin of Isaiah Neal attends the balloon release ceremony Saturday at Broken Arrow Park. Isaiah Neals family members wore shirts showing their relation to Isaiah Neal. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)

Cortland Davis, who works with Natasha in her activism, was there.

This isnt new for us, Davis said. Weve been attending funerals of loved ones since we were teenagers who died in violent ways. I think right now its a time of reflection. What grows out of this?

Natasha Neal used the balloon launch to ask for peace, along with attorney LaRonna Saunders.

Were calling for a ceasefire among the Black and brown communities, Saunders said. Because were the ones predominantly affected by it.

Natasha Neal and Saunders want an end to all drivers of violence. Natasha Neal has seen violence affect youths more than ever before, with youths facing losses back to back to back.

Isaiah Neal had faced so much loss that he was about to begin therapy. Its not uncool to get help, hed told his mom. Isaiah was killed before he could attend his first session.

Rontarus Washington Jr., one of the men Natasha Neal helped free from incarceration, and his son were with Isaiah the night he was killed. The two were as close as brothers. Washington Jr. was next to Isaiah when he was shot.

It just bothered me a lot, Washington said. Ive been taking loss after loss after loss.

The post Death of Lawrence teenager fuels mothers call to end gun violence appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
Former President Trumps attempt to walk a political tightrope on abortion could be tested by Thursdays debate, which offers an opportunity for moderators  and President Biden  to try to pin him down on specifics of his policy.

Trump has tread carefully on the explosive issue, as he and other Republicans try to placate their base without losing moderate Republicans and independents. There have been no explicit campaign promises from Trump about abortion, despite the lobbying by anti-abortion groups.

The former president has settled on abortion as an issue for the states but has avoided talking about more details, including on the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Still, Trump regularly takes credit for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and has criticized blue states that have enacted abortion protections. Hes also assailed red states like Florida and Arizona that he said went too far with their restrictions.

Trump has a history of avoiding taking a direct stance on controversial issues, often leaving himself room to change his position or backtrack when politically expedient.

Strategists expect him to stick to the same playbook during the debate.

I expect Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to really try to press him down and get his stance, but pressing him down is like trying to press Jell-O against a wall, said Michael Starr Hopkins, an alum of Hillary Clinton and former President Obamas presidential campaigns and an opinion writer for The Hill.

Where Trumps top VP contenders stand on abortion

Trump and Biden are set to face off in Atlanta in their first presidential debate this year, which will be hosted by CNN. The event is a unique one of sorts  while itll offer voters their first chance of the cycle to see the two men side-by-side as they debate policy issues and current events, breaking new ground will be challenging because they both have long records as presidents.

The Biden campaign and Democrats have attacked Trump on abortion throughout the election cycle. Trump even caught flak from his former GOP rivals over his stance, though it was not nearly enough to topple him in the Republican contest for the White House.

In April, Trump teased that he would deliver a big announcement about abortion.

But that announcement amounted to a four-minute video posted to his Truth Social platform in which he argued that the issue of abortion should be up to the states while staying away from the issue of federal restrictions around abortion access.

The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state, he said.

During a Time magazine interview in April, Trump said he has pretty strong views on whether women should have access to mifepristone and would be making an announcement probably over the next week.

But that announcement never came.

Anti-abortion activists have been trying to push Trump to be more explicit about his plans and hope that he is clear about his position during the debate.

Pro-life Americans want to hear President Trump unequivocally defend the pro-life principles in the party platform, articulate his administrations pro-life achievements, and outline a clear plan for protecting and supporting families, including all preborn children, in a second term, Lila Rose, the president and founder of Live Action, a social media-driven anti-abortion group, said in a statement to The Hill.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the politically powerful SBA Pro-Life America, said she wants Trump to go on the attack, rather than allow Biden to define his position.

SBA is backing Trump but wont endorse him officially because he wont publicly commit to a 15-week ban.

One of the most powerful moves Trump can make during the debate is to hold Bidens feet to the fire on where he draws the line on abortion, Dannenfelser said in an email to The Hill. Recent polling shows three-quarters of voters would limit abortion by 15 weeks of pregnancy, a point when babies feel pain, at the latest.

Still, Trumps position on abortion is now essentially the official Republican position on abortion, echoed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Jason Cabel Roe, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, said having top Republicans agree that abortion should be a state issue defuses a potential attack claiming Trump wants a national abortion ban.

I think for voters, theyre going to see the Trump standard as the Republican position on this. So you have the potential next president, the current [minority] leader, the current speaker, all saying a federal ban isnt on the table. It doesnt leave a lot for the Democrats to say, Roe said.

Democrats and the Biden campaign have made it clear they are blaming Trump for every effort to limit reproductive rights since his Supreme Court justices voted to overturn Roe v. Wade two years ago.

Donald Trump is the sole person responsible for this nightmare, Biden said in a statement through his campaign, marking the two-year anniversary of the decision overturning Roe. For him, these cruel state bans are a beautiful thing to watch  and theyre just beginning.

Philippe Reines, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton who played Trump during her 2016 debate prep, explained if he was one of the moderators or Biden, he wouldnt allow Trump to retreat to his comfort zone of leave it to the states without pressing further.

For years, the crutch that Republicans used was leave it to the states. I would not let him use that code, because that code means something very different now, Reines said.

Now it has been left to the states, and some of the states are doing some pretty draconian stuff, Reines said.

While his abortion position seems solid, Roe said he thinks Trump is vulnerable on other reproductive rights issues, like contraception and in vitro fertilization.

I do think there has to be some clarity of message on that and not just from Trump, but from all Republican candidates  Ive not seen really an effort to unify the message on that and get people on the same script, Roe said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The six percent GDP growth target is within Kazakhstan's reach, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Board Chairman Nikolai Podguzov said at the bank's Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

"Kazakhstan's economy is growing at a robust pace, exceeding 5 percent, yet President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set even more ambitious goals of over 6 percent. I believe this target is quite feasible, primarily through increased investment rates, a priority for the Eurasian Development Bank," he emphasized.

As per his words, the EDB takes the cake when it comes to dishing out non-sovereign financing, not only in terms of investment volume across the Eurasian region but also in Kazakhstan.

"Even the largest banks invest significantly less in Kazakhstan compared to our financing, which totaled about $1 billion in 2023 across various sectors. We are involved in industrial and infrastructure projects alike. For instance, in metallurgy, we are actively engaged with the Qarmet group. Equally crucial is infrastructure, such as the ongoing reconstruction of the Almaty TPP, initiated this year.

Investing in the infrastructure lowers the cost of future industrial initiatives. Moreover, the viability of industrial projects is directly impacted by our cooperation with the Ministry of Transport on improving regional roadways. We are pleased to be supporting the Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries initiative, which stands out among industrial endeavors as being very notable," said Podguzov.

To note, the EDB 2024 Annual Meeting and Business Forum is taking place in Almaty on June 2728.

The events feature a series of sessions on the topics of Islamic finance, transport, ecology, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank carrying out investment activities in the Eurasian region.

The EDB's authorized capital is $7 billion. The main share in the EDB portfolio is occupied by projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry and mechanical engineering.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Dave McCormick, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, speaks alongside the Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump, at a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center on June 22, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether presidents enjoy total criminal immunity, delaying one of the most consequential legal decisions in U.S. history and likely closing the door on former President Donald Trump facing his federal election interference trial before November.

Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee who is entangled in several criminal cases, already faces a July sentencing for a New York state conviction on 34 felonies for falsifying business records ahead of the 2016 election.

Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in the immunity case on the last day of their term, April 25, and have held the case in their hands since late February.

Opinions are scheduled to be released on Thursday and Friday, but the court does not disclose which ones in advance. Trump is set to debate President Joe Biden on Thursday night at CNN studios in Atlanta, with the campaign for the presidency in full swing.

The question before the court is whether U.S. presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for any official acts taken while in the Oval Office.

Trump pressed the matter to the Supreme Court after a lower court in January denied his claim that he should not face federal charges that allege he schemed to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss by knowingly spreading falsehoods, conspiring to create false slates of electors in several states and egging on supporters who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 2021.

U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith urged the Supreme Court in December to leapfrog the appellate court level and expedite a ruling on presidential immunity. At the time, Trumps trial for the election subversion charges had still been set for March 4. The justices declined Smiths request.

De facto immunity

Critics of the Supreme Court accuse the benchs conservative justices, including three Trump appointees, of purposely delaying the ruling to keep Trump out of the courtroom before Novembers election.

By preventing (a) trial before the election, they have de facto provided him with immunity, regardless of what the substance of the decision may eventually hand down, Michael Podhorzer, president of the Defending Democracy Project, told States Newsroom Wednesday.

The anti-Trump advocacy organization has been closely monitoring the former presidents legal cases.

Podhorzer blamed the justices for not taking up the case in December.

Then they waited as long as they possibly could to now rule on it, and they created this crisis. They are basically putting their thumb on the scale in this election, he said.

Defining official acts

The justices appeared skeptical in April as Trump attorney D. John Sauer argued a broad definition for what constitutes a presidents official acts.

Under his view nearly everything done during a presidential term would count as an official act, including Trumps efforts to interfere with Congress certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

In jaw-dropping moments throughout Trumps appeal, Sauer argued before Supreme Court justices and a lower appellate panel that presidents could order the assassination of a political rival without facing legal accountability  that is, if he or she is not first impeached by the U.S. House and convicted by the Senate.

Trump and supporters of the presidential immunity argument contend that allowing criminal prosecution of former presidents will open a Pandoras box of political targeting by opponents.

They also accuse Smith of political interference for bringing charges against Trump as he eyed a second term. Smith announced the four-count indictment in early August 2023.

Meanwhile opponents of such immunity, including several who served in previous Republican administrations, warn of terrifying possibilities should a president be free from the threat of criminal liability.

Several conservative justices hinted that the case should be returned to the lower courts, where a clear line between official acts and private conduct can be drawn.

That could eat up additional weeks or months, further diminishing any slight possibility that Trumps election interference trial would happen prior to the November election.

Podhorzer said a further delay sets up a showdown between the ordinary function of the criminal justice system, which would have Trump go on trial, (and) the normal operation of our presidential elections in which there would be no encumbrance on Trumps ability to campaign.

All proceedings at the lower court level have been put on hold until the Supreme Court issues its decision.

The post Delayed Supreme Court ruling makes Trump trial on 2020 charges unlikely before election appeared first on Source New Mexico.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 22: Dave McCormick, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Pennsylvania, speaks alongside Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center on June 22, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Earlier today Trump delivered remarks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference in Washington DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether presidents enjoy total criminal immunity, delaying one of the most consequential legal decisions in U.S. history and likely closing the door on former President Donald Trump facing his federal election interference trial before November.

Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee who is entangled in several criminal cases, already faces a July sentencing for a New York state conviction on 34 felonies for falsifying business records ahead of the 2016 election.

Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in the immunity case on the last day of their term, April 25, and have held the case in their hands since late February.

Opinions are scheduled to be released on Thursday and Friday, but the court does not disclose which ones in advance. Trump is set to debate President Joe Biden on Thursday night at CNN studios in Atlanta, with the campaign for the presidency in full swing.

The question before the court is whether U.S. presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for any official acts taken while in the Oval Office.

Trump pressed the matter to the Supreme Court after a lower court in January denied his claim that he should not face federal charges that allege he schemed to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss by knowingly spreading falsehoods, conspiring to create false slates of electors in several states and egging on supporters who violently attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. 2021.

U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith urged the Supreme Court in December to leapfrog the appellate court level and expedite a ruling on presidential immunity. At the time, Trumps trial for the election subversion charges had still been set for March 4. The justices declined Smiths request.

De facto immunity

Critics of the Supreme Court accuse the benchs conservative justices, including three Trump appointees, of purposely delaying the ruling to keep Trump out of the courtroom before Novembers election.

By preventing (a) trial before the election, they have de facto provided him with immunity, regardless of what the substance of the decision may eventually hand down, Michael Podhorzer, president of the Defending Democracy Project, told States Newsroom Wednesday.

The anti-Trump advocacy organization has been closely monitoring the former presidents legal cases.

Podhorzer blamed the justices for not taking up the case in December.

Then they waited as long as they possibly could to now rule on it, and they created this crisis. They are basically putting their thumb on the scale in this election, he said.

Defining official acts

The justices appeared skeptical in April as Trump attorney D. John Sauer argued a broad definition for what constitutes a presidents official acts.

Under his view nearly everything done during a presidential term would count as an official act, including Trumps efforts to interfere with Congress certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

In jaw-dropping moments throughout Trumps appeal, Sauer argued before Supreme Court justices and a lower appellate panel that presidents could order the assassination of a political rival without facing legal accountability  that is, if he or she is not first impeached by the U.S. House and convicted by the Senate.

Trump and supporters of the presidential immunity argument contend that allowing criminal prosecution of former presidents will open a Pandoras box of political targeting by opponents.

They also accuse Smith of political interference for bringing charges against Trump as he eyed a second term. Smith announced the four-count indictment in early August 2023.

Meanwhile opponents of such immunity, including several who served in previous Republican administrations, warn of terrifying possibilities should a president be free from the threat of criminal liability.

Several conservative justices hinted that the case should be returned to the lower courts, where a clear line between official acts and private conduct can be drawn.

That could eat up additional weeks or months, further diminishing any slight possibility that Trumps election interference trial would happen prior to the November election.

Podhorzer said a further delay sets up a showdown between the ordinary function of the criminal justice system, which would have Trump go on trial, (and) the normal operation of our presidential elections in which there would be no encumbrance on Trumps ability to campaign.

All proceedings at the lower court level have been put on hold until the Supreme Court issues its decision.

The post Delayed Supreme Court ruling makes Trump trial on 2020 charges unlikely before election appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is probing 18 oil and gas companies after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) accused the former CEO of firm Pioneer Natural Resources of colluding with foreign oil producers last month.

Whitehouse, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, asked the companies for copies of any communications with the foreign oil powers, known collectively as OPEC, related to oil production or prices.

The senator particularly cited FTCs accusation that Pioneers Scott Sheffield sought to align oil production across the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico with that of OPEC and its allies.

Pioneer was not among the firms he reached out to, but ExxonMobil, with which Pioneer is slated to merge, was.

In view of the findings against Sheffield, I seek to understand whether other oil producers operating in the United States may also have been coordinating with OPEC and OPEC+ representatives, Whitehouse wrote.

Lawyers for Sheffield say he was unjustly smeared by the antitrust agency.

Democrats have repeatedly accused fossil fuel companies of price gouging, which the industry has denied. This latest line of inquiry from Whitehouse comes after he recently accused major oil firms and lobby groups of promoting disinformation about climate change.



Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Tennessee group that advocates for rigorous school testing standards and charter and magnet schools within public school systems is backing Dasha Lundy in her Democratic primary challenge of state Rep. Sam McKenzie.

The group, Tennesseans for Student Success, is backing a collection of candidates across both parties, and has sided with Lundy over McKenzie in part because of McKenzie's opposition to public charter schools.

McKenzie has also opposed vouchers, which allow parents to redirect taxpayer dollars tied to their child's public schools education to apply toward private school tuition.

The issue of vouchers was a flashpoint during the legislative session. Ultimately, Gov. Bill Lee's plan to create a statewide voucher program failed after the state House and Senate could not reconcile big differences between their proposed legislation.

Lundy, a Knox County commissioner, told Knox News she's open to expanding private school vouchers, a key goal of Lee and some top Republican lawmakers.

McKenzie and fellow Democrats this year fought to oppose state-funded private school vouchers. Republican supermajority lawmakers pushed to widely expand the program to all families but didn't get over last-minute hurdles. They have vowed to bring the bills back next year.

Lundy told Knox News in a candidate interview she isn't opposed to vouchers.

"The voucher program, Im still trying to understand it," she said. "I dont want to say hell no to vouchers because people keep calling it a scam. Im really looking at, who is it going to help? How is it going to help the community? Is it something worth looking into?"

One of Lundy's political supporters is solidly in favor of them. Team Kid PAC, the fundraising arm of Tennesseans for Student Success, paid for mailers in support of her candidacy. Tennesseans for Student Success is a nonprofit organization that calls itself a statewide network of teachers, parents, community leaders and volunteers dedicated to supporting Tennessees students.

Lundy told Knox News she did not know about the mailers until she received one at her house. She said she is looking into Team Kid PAC to learn more about the group.

Team Kid PAC paid for campaign literature supporting Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy in the race for Tennessee House District 15.

Team Kid PAC paid for campaign literature supporting Knox County Commissioner Dasha Lundy in the race for Tennessee House District 15.

The Juneteenth mailer doesn't focus on its advocacy on education issues. It instead compares Lundy to Cal Johnson, the late 19th and early 20th centuries Black entrepreneur and community leader. The 15th District includes parts of downtown and East Knoxville.

Tennesseans for Student Success spokesman Sky Arnold said the group focuses on reforms and accountability within the public school system, not vouchers. Still, the group has donated thousands of dollars to pro-voucher lawmakers, including representatives who served on the K-12 committee that gave the voucher bill its first approval.

McKenzie and Republican Rep. Todd Warner were the two dissenting votes from the committee.

"(Tennesseans for Student Success) is a pro-education reform PAC and they seem to be geared toward all education reform with no end in sight, including vouchers," J.C. Bowman, CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee, told Knox News.

GOP state Rep. Elaine Davis of Knoxville, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge are notable recipients of Team Kid PAC donations.

Election laws protect the anonymity of those who donate to PACs, and financial disclosures for individual gifts to candidates aren't available until July 25.

Tennesseans for Student Success also paid for an Instagram ad thanking McKenzie for his support of school choice. McKenzie told Knox News the "voucher lobby" was spreading misinformation about his voting record and reaffirmed his opposition to universal school choice and vouchers.

That advertisement cites McKenzie's support of a bill authorizing opportunity charter schools for at-risk students. He supports public charter schools for at-risk students but not giving public dollars to private schools, he told Knox News.

McKenzie said he was not aware of the advertisement ahead of its posting.

Former Democratic leader says Republicans are 'meddling' in Democratic primary

Matt Shears, former chair of the Knox County Democratic Party, is helping McKenzie's campaign. He told Knox News in a text Lundy hasn't been very involved with the Democratic Party.

"The voucher lobby couldn't find the votes they needed in the GOP caucus," he said. "Dasha Lundy's campaign is a covert Republican-funded pro-voucher/pro-charter operation."

Voucher debate floods Republican primary campaign trail across Tennessee

The voucher debate has become a pivital issue on the campaign trail for Republican primaries.

Around Tennessee, high-ranking Republicans continue a push to build support for a statewide universal school choice program, and stump for pro-voucher allies. Special interest groups are knocking doors in an effort to move the needle among voters and bolster support for pro-voucher candidates.

But a set of challengers seeking to topple pro-voucher incumbents demonstrates that the idea of publicly funded private school vouchers is not universally accepted among Republicans  particularly in rural areas of the state.

The upcoming Republican primary is likely to become a referendum on the issue, as dissatisfaction with incumbent positions on school choice  whether in support or opposition  is among the issues that have driven several challengers to run.

We've got to stand up to them now, said Justin Spurlock, a history teacher and father of two from Burns, who is challenging six-term incumbent Rep. Mary Littleton, a Republican from outside Nashville.

Vivian Jones of the USA TODAY Network-Tennessee contributed to this report

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

CLARIFICATION: This report has been updated to further explain the positions of Tennesseans for Student Success. The group focuses primarily on accountability through school assessments and creating options for charter and magnet schools

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Democratic House candidate Dasha Lundy gets help from pro-charter school group
(Bloomberg) -- A war within Philadelphias storied Democratic political machine threatens to cost President Joe Biden the blowout victory hell need in the city if he hopes to win reelection.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Leaders of Philadelphias Democratic Party have been feuding with progressives and organizers on the partys left, amid disagreements over policy, the requirements of party discipline and the mechanics of engaging voters to get them to the polls.

Its a dispute Biden can ill afford. Public polls and party operatives detect low enthusiasm for the 81-year-old president, concerns about his age and the uneven benefits of his economy, and increasing anger about the administrations support for Israel in the war in Gaza. The presidents struggle to energize critical blocs of young and Black voters comes as his opponent  former President Donald Trump  has set his sights on courting those groups.

For Biden, the battle for Philadelphia  just a short drive from his Delaware home  embodies the same generational and political schism tormenting the Democratic Party nationwide, including in crucial cities like Atlanta, Detroit and Milwaukee.

The president will assuredly win the city, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans roughly 7 to 1. But Biden needs a substantial margin of victory in Philadelphia to counter Trumps advantage in Pennsylvania's conservative rural counties. The former presidents path to reclaiming the White House gets much easier if he can splinter the Democratic vote or do slightly better than 2020, when he won 18% of the city.

Trumps efforts were on display Saturday during a small but enthusiastic rally at Temple University in North Philadelphia, his stump speech tailored for the crowd.

As I used to say about a group that likes me very much, Trump said, repeating a line he has used to appeal to Black voters, what the hell do you have to lose?

Party Infighting

At the center of the fight is 79-year-old Bob Brady, a former congressman who has known Biden for decades and run the Democratic machine since 1986. Hes a throwback to urban political machines of old, both in his gruff, unapologetically transactional style and in his own longevity.

Opposing Brady are a faction of progressives who say the party isnt doing enough to grow its membership among younger voters, and who condemn the old-school machine system as inherently corrupt.

The Democratic machine is the Wizard of Oz  they have no real power, said state Representative Chris Rabb, a Democrat who represents a majority-Black district in Mount Airy, in the northwest of the city.

The organization is archaic, said Rabb, who unseated a party-backed incumbent in a 2016 primary and has sparred with party leaders ever since.

They dont know how to reach the significant subset of the electorate who are new or inconsistent voters, he said.

Party leaders say publicly that the fears are overblown, the polls are off, and that Philly can carry Biden to victory statewide.

Every four years they say this, and every four years Philadelphia turns out, said Lou Agre, a ward leader for the neighborhoods of Roxborough and Manayunk who also serves as president of the Philadelphia Metal Trades Council.

Insurgents in Philadelphia have pressed for new blood in the partys leadership ranks and on the city council, pushing policy leftward on economic and social issues, and challenging what remains of a top-down urban political machine, according to people on both sides. Brady and other party leaders have responded by ousting those deemed disloyal.

Bob Brady and Philadelphia Democratic ward leaders are willing to lose the war to win the battle, said Nate Holt, a veteran campaign operative expelled from his local party committee post earlier this year after supporting a primary challenge to a Democratic incumbent.

Mobilization Efforts

In a brief phone interview, Brady dismissed the notion that the partys internal struggles could affect turnout.

Not at all, he said. In fact, the opposite is true.

Brady conceded that Democrats are concerned by polls suggesting tepid support for the Biden ticket, but said the party is sharing its expertise with the Biden campaign and convening ward leaders and committee members  including at weekly Pizza with the Chairman events  to mobilize support.

Were worried about it, and were doing something about it, Brady said. He estimated that the coordinated efforts will turn out a margin of victory of 490,000 to 500,000 votes in the city for the Biden ticket.

That will take care of the rest of the state, he said. We always do that.

The chairman used a similar line in 2016, telling Politico that Clinton would win the city overwhelmingly and win with enough of a majority to overcome other parts of the state.

That didnt happen. Even just equaling Barack Obamas 2012 results, grassroots organizers like to remind volunteers, Clinton would have carried the state, and with it the 2016 election.

Trump Inroads

Despite Bidens Pennsylvania victory, the 2020 election had another worrying sign for Democrats: Voter turnout dropped in some majority Black Philadelphia precincts that are traditionally Democratic strongholds.

Trumps return to the city for the Temple rally was a pointed geographic jab at the Biden campaigns continued woes among Black voters.

Inside the Liacouras Center on North Broad Street, the signals were mixed. The arena was only partly full, with the upper deck empty and drapes covering some sections of seating, but the crowd was happy and boisterous as it waited for Trump.

The event kicked off with a fist-pumping invocation from Todd Johnson, the Black pastor of the nearby First Immanuel Baptist Church.

Trump lightly tailored his stump speech to his surroundings. He name-checked the liberal Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, a bete noire of conservatives in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs, drawing boos.

Crime is so much up, Trump insisted, contradicting stats that show falling violent crime, including in the city. If you walk down certain streets here, you have a 50-50 chance of never seeing your home again, he added later.

The Biden campaigns primary response to Trumps forays has been a collective eye roll. One high-ranking person on the campaign in Pennsylvania said polls showing Trump making significant gains among Black voters arent borne out by what the campaign is seeing on the ground.

Its no secret that the African American vote is critical to this election, said Kellan White, another Biden senior adviser.

The party needs to do more to persuade voters to turn out this year, said Salaah Muhammad, the state organizing director for the Working Families Party. His group is trying to encourage voters to come out in support of state and local candidates, in the hopes they can drive up turnout even among voters who dont like Biden or his policies on the economy and Gaza.

Its not enough to just say weve got to vote against Trump, he said.

The Biden campaign has touted the opening of offices outside Philadelphias Center City, in Roxborough and the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Brewerytown  nearer to voters the campaign is hoping to lure off the sidelines. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in the city in late May, joining a group of clergy and explicitly appealing to Black voters.

The city should expect to see more campaign visits from prominent Black surrogates, said Ed Rendell, the former Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor.

One person will unite us and wipe away any of those family difficulties weve had, and his initials are D.T., Rendell said.

The Biden campaign hopes its offices can function as community hubs over the summer and fall, White said, helping voters with everyday concerns and not just parachuting in with Hennessy and cigars.

But skeptics like Rabb say thats an old-school approach that wont mean much.

Generally speaking, they sit in front of polling places, and hand out leaflets with their sample ballots, Rabb said, referring to city Democrats. They dont have money. They dont use technology. They dont involve young people. They have no earned trust from communities.

Progressives say the existing ward system prioritizes protecting incumbents, rather than driving voter turnout or engaging new voters to participate in elections.

On a warm day in early June, Tanchanika Austin was standing in the lobby of her apartment building in Brewerytown, a few blocks away from where the Biden campaign had celebrated the opening of its North Philadelphia campaign office weeks earlier.

Austin, 42, plans to vote for Biden, but said she has friends and family who remain apathetic, convinced their participation wont matter. Neither Austin nor two other people in the building lobby had heard about the local office.

Austin said she thought that fear of Trump seeking revenge on his political opponents could motivate voters like her. Im scared, she said in a follow-up conversation. Its like everybody who was not for him, hes going to make them pay for it.

But Austin also mused that Biden could have stepped aside to let Harris run in his stead, and said that the Democrats needed to do more to engage with residents who arent motivated to vote.

Old-School Leadership

Brady became chairman of the citys Democrats in 1986, the middle of a turbulent era that saw the election of its first Black mayor, the ravages of crack cocaine, a furious attempted return to power by the proto-Trumpian former mayor Frank Rizzo, and the notorious police fire-bombing of a Black separatist compound that razed two blocks of row houses in West Philadelphia, a few miles from Bradys own home.

Brady has maintained firm control over the Democratic City Committee and its system of ward leaders and divisions, which political consultants and organizers say continues to function like a version of its old self  an opaque network of patronage and influence overseen by a small circle of insiders.

Since his retirement from Congress in 2018, Brady has also raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees, federal filings show, including about $120,000 a year for Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp.

Brady has taken victory laps in some recent battles where the more centrist party leadership has prevailed over left-leaning challengers, arguing that the party remains the most critical defender of the interests of working people and minority communities.

For those who have written this party off as a relic of the past, a dinosaur no longer relevant to electoral politics in Philadelphia, he wrote after his preferred candidates prevailed in Democratic primaries in May. Let me say this: the dinosaur roared.

Biden has more directly involved the city party than Obama and Clinton, according to campaign officials and the party. White, the senior adviser helping direct Bidens turnout efforts, said the campaign and the city machine are working well together.

I talk to Bob Brady and ward leaders every day; they understand the assignment, White said.

In Roxborough, in the citys 21st Ward, Rebecca Poyourow and her neighbors began an independent effort to canvass their fellow residents and guide them on mail-in balloting in the early months of the pandemic, out of growing concern that the existing party structure wasnt doing enough to increase turnout in the coming presidential race.

Poyourows voter outreach eventually landed her on the wrong side of Agre, the regions ward leader, and she was expelled from her position as a Democratic committee person earlier this year.

In an interview, Poyourow said her group is focused on giving our full effort to mobilize voters.

The city committees not going to save us, she said. We have to save ourselves.

--With assistance from Gregory Korte.

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Politicians and voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (Photo By Karen Pulfer Focht/ Tennessee Lookout)

Tennessees top Democrat in the state House wants the secretary of state to explain why more than 14,000 people received a letter warning them they might not be able to vote in the upcoming election.

House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a Memphis Democrat, wrote to Secretary of State Tre Hargett, asking him to explain how his office identified who should receive the election letters and what the state plans to do with the information.

I am concerned about the necessity and timing of this additional verification measure, Camper said in the letter sent Monday.

The election letters, signed by Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins, were sent out in early June. They warned recipients that when they received their drivers licenses, they might not have been U.S. citizens and therefore are not allowed to vote.

The letter points out that illegal voting is a felony, punishable by two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. It offers U.S. citizens a prepaid mailing option to submit proof of their citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate.

Nashville Democrats Reps. John Ray Clemmons and Jason Powell joined Camper in expressing outrage over the letters. They requested an investigation by the state attorney general into whether Goins letter constituted a voter intimidation tactic.

On its face, this letter is an egregious and unlawful act by a state official targeting a certain population of citizens who are lawful voters, with the clear intent to intimidate them, Clemmons said in a statement.

The Lookout reached out to a spokesperson for the secretary of states office on Tuesday morning and had not received a response to its question by the time of publication.

Goins election letter

unnamed.jpg

Campers letter

Camper-Letter-to-Hargett-1

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.

The post Dems demand answers after Tennessee officials send 14k letters warning against illegal voting appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
PARIS  Denmark plans to bring home its six F-35 Joint Strike Fighters currently being used to train pilots in the U.S. as the delivery schedule for an upgraded version of the aircraft continues to slip.

The six Danish F-35 jets in TR-2 configuration stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona will be repatriated to the Royal Danish Air Forces Skrydstrup air base, the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Theyll join the four stealth fighters already there to bring the countrys operational F-35s to ten, as Denmark prepares to phase out its fleet of F-16 jets.

Lockheed Martin is running out of space to park undelivered F-35 jets amid hardware and software delays linked to the Technology Refresh 3 update, or TR-3, whose full delivery will be delayed into 2025, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in May. Thats disrupting fleet-replacement plans by the likes of Denmark, Belgium and Norway, whose F16s have been flying for more than 40 years, and whose fleets are counted in dozens of aircraft rather than hundreds.

Its very positive that we have now found a solution, so that the delays from the manufacturer affect us as little as possible, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in the statement . F-35 fighter jets are a major investment for Denmark that will be important for our defense and security for many years to come, and its crucial that we follow the phase-in closely.

The TR-3 software, originally planned for summer 2023, continues to be unstable, the GAO reported in May , with the watchdog saying some test pilots had to reboot their entire radar and electronic-warfare systems mid-flight to get them back online. The update includes improved cockpit displays and more on-board computing power, and is supposed to serve as the basis for a further upgrade known as Block 4 that adds new weapon and electronic-warfare capabilities.

Lockheed Martin will initially deliver F-35 jets with a limited version of TR-3 that can only be used for training purposes, Denmark said. The Danish jets in the older TR-2 configuration will be repatriated as aircraft with the TR-3 software and hardware upgrade are delivered to Luke Air Force Base, the Defence Ministry said.

Bringing home the TR-2 jets will allow Denmark to maintain the operational milestones for phasing in of the F-35 and increase the training level of pilots and support personnel at Skrydstrup, while allowing pilot training at Luke AFB to continue, the Defence Ministry said.

The Danish move feeds into fears by other European F-35 customers, present and future, that their carefully calibrated aircraft-delivery and upgrade schedules could be perturbed by the TR-3 saga .

While the Netherlands and Norway already operate fleets of more than 30 F-35 jets and therefore face less urgency than Denmark or a country such as Belgium, which is yet to receive its first F-35, the delays risk pushing back full operational capability.

Defense officials in Norway said they have made their concerns clear to the Pentagons Joint Program Office, which represents the U.S. and international governments involved in the F-35 program. Oslos fear in particular is Lockheed Martin feeding a salad of halfway solutions and different versions into the production pipeline that would grow to be unmanageable.

We dont want interim configurations, said a Norwegian defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The Netherlands anticipated development delays and in late 2022 requested delivery of six aircraft in the TR-2 configuration rather than the upgraded version, saying deliveries could continue through to March, according to an annual government progress report published April 2.

The Dutch were slated to get their first TR-3 configured F-35 in late 2024, and should the software not be available then, the delays will have a limited impact on plans to stand up the third Dutch F-35 squadron in the middle of 2027, according to the report.

Denmark has purchased 27 F-35s, and the remaining aircraft will be delivered in TR-3 configuration towards 2027, the Danish ministry said. The situation isnt expected to affect the donation of F-16s to Ukraine, nor Denmarks obligations to NATO in a crisis situation, according to the Defence Ministry.

The country will stop training Ukrainian F-16 pilots in Denmark after 2024 as Skrydstrup air base switches fully to the F-35, Poulsen was reported as saying at a press conference with his Norwegian counterpart Bjrn Arild Gram on Monday.

The Danish Ministry of Defence didnt immediately respond to questions regarding the timeline for repatriating the six aircraft from the U.S. or the delivery of the remaining 17 F-35s.

Sebastian Sprenger in Cologne, Germany, contributed to this report.
TALLAHASSEE  Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed three criminal justice reform bills this week that passed the Legislature with broad bipartisan support and were aimed at helping convicted felons ease back into society after serving their time.

The bills also had support from organizations as disparate as the NAACP, the Chamber of Commerce and the conservative Institute for Justice.

Vetoing these bills wont make anyone safer, State Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said. And it will make it harder for people who serve their time to search for employment and further feeds into the systemic racism that is clearly evident in our criminal justice system.

DeSantis said he felt the bills either rewarded criminals or made communities less safe.

Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, said the governors veto messages on the bills didnt have a lot of substance. All I saw was political rhetoric, Meade said.

The fact the bills got to the governors desk at all was nothing short of a miracle, he said. When I see something like this arrive on the governors desk that both sides support, it deserves a closer look.

One bill, SB 62, would have ensured that Florida inmates could still qualify for in-state tuition upon release. That would save them $490 per credit hour compared to out-of-state tuition  or close to $15,000 a year for a full-time course load.

The bill passed the House 109-5 and the Senate unanimously.

We should not reward criminal activity by providing inmates with the same benefits as law-abiding citizens, DeSantis said in his veto message issued Tuesday.

Sponsored by two Republicans, House Bill 1241 would have ensured that parolees arent automatically sent back to prison for non-violent parole violations, such as being late for a meeting with a probation officer, Eskamani said.

The bill also would have required courts to modify, rather than revoke, probation if a person meets specific criteria and has fewer than two previous violations of probation resolved by the court. It also limited the jail sentence a court may impose to 90 days for a first low-risk violation and 120 days for a second low-risk violation.

It passed both chambers unanimously and had support of conservative groups, including the Christian Coalition.

In his veto message issued Tuesday, DeSantis said the bill would have given felons an extra and undue chance to stay on probation.

Finally, HB 133  which passed unanimously and was sponsored by a Republican in the House  would have reduced from five to three the number of years that must elapse before a criminal conviction could be used to deny someone a barber or cosmetology license.

It also would have required the licensing boards to recognize education credits earned for barbering and cosmetology classes taken in prison. The Institute for Justice and the Florida Justice Rights Restoration Coalition supported the legislation.

The bill categorically prohibits the board from considering an applicants criminal history within three years of the application for a license, DeSantis said in his veto message Wednesday. Boards may have good reason to check those earlier records, he said.

An analysis by House committee staff, however, said the bill would have allowed a board to consider an applicants criminal history within that three-year period.

The bill also would continue letting boards consider forcible felonies and crimes that require a person to register as a sexual predator within three years of applying for a license.

It is unjust to continue to punish people for the mistakes made in their past and prevent them from earning a living in the future, Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said. This bill could have been vital to someones future livelihood and helped to reduce recidivism.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said his state will not comply with the Surgeon Generals newly issued public health advisory on gun violence, calling the move unconstitutional in a post on the social platform X on Wednesday.

We will not comply, DeSantis wrote. Florida will always reject the Biden Administrations unconstitutional power grabs.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis on Tuesday, citing a consistent rise in firearm-related deaths.

Firearm violence is a public health crisis, Murthy said in his announcement. Our failure to address it is a moral crisis.

DeSantis indicated he would treat the new advisory with the same resistance he directed to pandemic-era measures during the spread of COVID-19.

During COVID, unelected bureaucrats used public health as a pretext to deprive citizens of their rights and I signed legislation to protect Floridians from government overreach, DeSantis wrote on X.

Now, Bidens Surgeon General is attempting to violate the Second Amendment through the public health bureaucracy.

The DeSantis team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the advisory, Murphy calls on the government to implement universal background checks, require secure firearm storage and ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines for civilian use. He also called on lawmakers to create safer conditions in public places related to firearm use and carry.

In April, DeSantis signed a bill into law that now allows Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit. At the time, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed the decision as the opposite of commonsense gun safety.

DeSantis was not alone in criticizing the administration for the advisory. The National Rifle Association (NRA) made a statement shortly after Murthys announcement, similarly arguing that the rule threatened Second Amendment rights.

This is an extension of the Biden Administrations war on law-abiding gun owners, wrote NRA Director Randy Kozuch in a statement on X.

The surgeon generals office did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

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Related video above: DeSantis signs bill banning intentional balloon releases

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday vetoed a bill that wouldve made certain entities not liable for cybersecurity incidents.

DeSantis, in vetoing the HB 473, said the bill is too broad and would lead to Floridians data being less secure.

DeSantis vetoes bill that wouldve banned left-lane driving except to pass

The bill stated that counties, municipalities, political subdivisions, covered entities, or third-party agents that complied with certain requirements would not be held liable for a cybersecurity incident.

If an entity adopted a cybersecurity program aligning with a number of current standards, that entity could not be held liable in the event of a cybersecurity incident.

As passed, the bill could result in Floridians data being less secure as the bill provides across-the-board protections for only substantially complying with standards, DeSantis wrote. This incentivizes doing the minimum when protecting consumer data. While my Administration has prioritized policies to reduce frivolous litigation, the bill before me today may result in a consumer having inadequate recourse if a breach occurs.

LIST: These new Florida laws go into effect July 1

DeSantis encouraged lawmakers to review potential alternatives with the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council to come up with a solution that would provide a level of liability protection while also ensuring critical data and operations against cyberattacks are protected as much as possible  the disruption that comes with the release of potentially sensitive information.

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ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The Central and West Asia region, and Central and West Asia for ADB is Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia and Caucasus, comprising about 350 million people, faces increasing vulnerability to climate change, ADB Country Director for Kazakhstan, Utsav Kumar, said during the session "Water, Energy and Food in Central Asia: Partnerships and Projects for Sustainable Development" within the framework of the business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

"As shared is well known to all here, climate change is expected to have severe impacts in the region. Higher-than-average temperature rises are likely to lead to greater water scarcity, expanded desertification, and more extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and heat stress. Warmer temperatures and more unpredictable weather patterns could disrupt fragile ecosystems.



Changes in the river flows of major river basins like the Amu Darya and Syr Darya will affect water supply in several countries in the region. A water supply gap of 37% is expected to occur by 2050 unless irrigation systems and other critical water infrastructure are upgraded and modernized. This gap could lead to lower agricultural productivity, more food insecurity, worse health outcomesand potential conflicts over scarce resources.



At the same time, over the past 50-60 years, there has been a 30% decrease in glacier surface area as a result of changing climate conditions. The melting of snowcaps combined with intensifying weather events have triggered natural calamities such as floods and landslides that are happening more frequently and severely. By 2070 and onwards, availability of water resources and river discharge is likely to decline due to further melting of glaciers.



These threats place the achievement of development goal of Central and West Asia DMCs at risk. According to WB estimates, the economic impact from droughts and floods in Central and West Asia could reach 1.3% of regional gross domestic product (GDP) per year if no actions are taken against climate change.



Without adaptation actions, there will be a progressive increase in economic losses and a reduction in the ability of communities to move out of poverty. Report by the Global Commission on Adaptation estimated that investing $1.8 trillion globally in climate change adaptation from 2020 to 2030 could produce $7.1 trillion in total net benefits," he said.

To note, the session "Water, Energy and Food in Central Asia: Partnerships and Projects for Sustainable Development" was held within the framework of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Business Forum held in Almaty.

The participants discussed the coordination of development in the water-food-energy nexus, cooperation between multilateral development banks and international organizations, and the most promising projects and approaches in government regulation, the water sector, the power sector, and industry.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Dick Van Dyke dismisses Biden age concerns: Im 98, and Ive got all my marbles

Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke is dismissing concerns about President Bidens age, saying even though hes more than a decade older than the commander in chief, hes still got all [his] marbles.

Im old enough to be his father, the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Poppins star said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast, released Thursday, when asked if criticism of the 81-year-old presidents age was legitimate.

Ive got all my marbles, the 98-year-old Van Dyke said. So Im not worried about it.

A Gallup poll released Thursday found that 59 percent of respondents said they were very concerned with Bidens age, compared to 18 percent for former President Trump, whos 78.

Van Dyke, who supported Sen. Bernie Sanderss (I-Vt.) 2016 and 2020 White House bids, said hes backing Biden ahead of November.

I met Joe Biden. And I said, You know, I used to be as tall as you are. And he said, I used to have hair like you. I liked him right away, Van Dyke said with a laugh.

Van Dyke recalled once meeting Trump at a party in Malibu, Calif., before the New York real estate developer entered politics.

He was in a Hawaiian shirt, open, big belly all nice and tan, a couple of gold chains hanging around his neck and a blonde on his arm  Ill be charitable and say she was 20.

And he looked down at me like, Who are you?' the performer told podcast host Scott Feinberg.

Hes just disturbed, Van Dyke said of Trump.

Asked what he makes of todays world, Van Dyke said, Im very, very worried. No kidding, in every respect.

Whats happening with our weather? No one knows  one hurricane, tornado after another. There seems to be something wrong with people. People, instead of going to the ballot box, are rioting for no reason, and it doesnt make any difference, the Tony and Emmy Award winner said.

Russia is poised along the Ukraine border with nuclear weapons. China has already announced its going to take Taiwan back, he continued.

I think we are on the verge of maybe the end, Van Dyke said. Im that worried about it.

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Did Gavin Newsom, Rob Bonta fail the migrants who were flown to Sacramento from Florida?

Reality Check is a Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions. Have a tip? Email realitycheck@sacbee.com.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta rushed to condemn the Florida officials responsible for transporting 36 Latin American migrants from outside a Texas migrant center to Sacramento under the false promises of housing and jobs.

(Florida Gov.) Ron DeSantis you small, pathetic man. This isnt Marthas Vineyard. Kidnapping charges? Newsom posted on X, formerly Twitter, along with a screenshot of a California penal code section on kidnapping.

Florida, through this program, is demonstrating the worst of who we can be, Bonta told The Sacramento Bee last June.

Similar statements generated headlines for weeks, with both men vowing to launch investigations into the June 2023 incidents that brought the migrants to California. Newsom and Bonta even suggested the state could pursue criminal charges against DeSantis and his state-funded relocation program.

However, more than a year later, neither man has followed through on their statements nor done much to help the migrants since then. In fact, little is known about the status of the investigations.

The attorney generals office said it could not comment on questions regarding the investigations.

The California officials havent publicly mentioned the migrants since last summer, except for when the governor used the incident to further criticize DeSantis during their one-on-one TV debate last November. The attorney general, meanwhile, has declined to sign legal documentation to help the group of migrants apply for visas meant for crime victims who are helping law enforcement.

The governors office did not respond to questions regarding the investigations or his support of the Sacramento migrants to receive these visas.

Newsom and Bontas silence symbolizes the overall response to the Sacramento incident, according to community leaders and volunteers still helping the group. The initial outcry of support from state, county and city governments soon faded, leaving community organizations to shoulder the workload and costs.

The incident started as a crisis response, said Gabby Trejo, executive director for Sacramento Area Congregations Together, the faith-based organization that led support of the migrants. But it quickly de-escalated from a crisis response, even though we were still in a crisis as a community and not solved the pieces of the puzzle.

These individuals have cooperated with the investigation

The morning after the first group of migrants arrived in early June 2023, the governor, First Partner Siebel Newsom and Bonta met with them at South Sacramento Christian Center.

Over coffee and Panera Bread, the migrants shared stories of their journeys from Venezuela to El Paso, Texas, where they were approached by individuals promising free housing and ample work opportunities. Documents later confirmed travel had been administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and a private plane company, Vertol Systems Co.

The episode mirrored previous political tactics used by Republican governors in which they send migrants to Democrat-run cities or states without warning.

In the days that followed, Newsom placed blame on DeSantis and threatened to prosecute him pending an investigation. Legal experts immediately questioned grounds for a criminal kidnapping case.

Bonta went on to file a pair of public records requests  one to the office of DeSantis and one to the Florida Division of Emergency Management  as part of the investigation. He also later posted a letter on X, cosigned by Newsom, sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland urging for a Department of Justice investigation into the relocation program.

At the time, Bonta said possible charges could include false imprisonment, kidnapping or violations of Californias unfair competition laws.

All the public statements appeared to indicate the migrants were victims of a potential crime, said Marcus Tang, an immigration attorney with the nonprofit lawfirm California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

With that in mind, the nonprofit organization, on behalf of dozens of legal service providers, faith groups and community-based organizations, signed a letter last year asking Bonta to provide all 36 migrants with a certification that would make them eligible to apply for a U visa.

Such visas are granted to undocumented immigrants who report serious crimes and cooperate with law enforcement. They open eligibility for public benefits, offer protections from deportation and can eventually lead to permanent lawful status in the United States.

These visas often take years to process. The first step requires certification from the law enforcement agency investigating or prosecuting the crime. In this case, Tang said, that meant the attorney generals office.

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Last summer, Tang said he was cautiously optimistic that the migrants would receive the certifications, even though requests are typically dealt with on a case-by-case review.

We just figured itd be a more efficient use of resources for the Attorney General to do (as a group), instead of having 30 different attorneys use the normal channels, Tang said.

The attorney generals office did not agree, denying the request two weeks after the letter was sent.

In an email response to Tang on June 29, the office said not all 36 migrants were interviewed by law enforcement, and some migrants interviewed did not describe criminal conduct. The office said individual requests were required instead.

If youre going to be tweeting about and holding press conferences about this group of people that were so wronged...the least the administration could do is actually confirm for immigration that these individuals have cooperated with the investigation, Tang said.

The attorney generals offices stance on certifications differs from Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar who oversaw a criminal investigation into migrants flown to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts by the state of Florida.

Less than two months after the September 2022 Marthas Vineyard incident, Salazar issued the certifications declaring the migrants victims of a crime. Some of those migrants have since received bona fide determinations in their U visa petition, a status that provides temporary work permits and protects them from deportation until a visa becomes available. Congress caps the number of available U visas to 10,000 annually.

In Sacramento, volunteers and community organizations are not aware of a single migrant who has received a certification.

In its email statement, the attorney generals office declined to respond to questions about the Sacramento migrants efforts to obtain certifications and said such requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We are not asking for preferential treatment

A new set of lawyers is hoping the attorney generals office changes its mind, given the similarities to the Marthas Vineyard incident.

The migrants here in Sacramento are certainly deserving of victims of crime visas, so we as a community want to help them, said Kishwer Vikaas, a local immigration attorney.

Kishwer Vikaas, with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, discusses the U Visa for victims of criminal activity in Sacramento on June 3 to a group of immigrants that arrived in the city last year.

Vikaas has recently begun volunteering alongside attorney Patrick Gihana to meet with the migrants and again ask Bontas office to provide the certifications. This time, the lawyers will specify their request to the migrants who remain in the region. Roughly two-thirds of the original 36 migrants have left Sacramento.

Earlier this month, Gihana and Vikaas held a meeting with some of the group during which they explained the U visa process and asked for patience.

I can tell by meeting you for the first time here, that its been a year and youre tired, Vikaas told the group of nine migrants in attendance.

Gihana later asked the group if they understood why they qualified for this visa.

We were lied to, immediately answered Jorge Gil Laguna, a 34-year-old Venezuelan.

What happened to this group is not normal, said Gihana. So, he encourages California officials to offer support beyond what they said on TV.

Again, we are not asking for preferential treatment, Gihana said. We are really just trying to make sure that the migrants get something out of being victims.

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A Placer County grand jury report on the escape of a high-profile murder suspect revealed a sheriffs deputy tasked with watching the inmate left the Roseville hospital room 14 times, leaving him unattended for a total of 27 minutes before the man accused of killing a hostage and wounding two others slipped away.

On Thursday, the grand jury released its report on the escape of Eric James Abril, who defeated his restraints, jumped out of his bed and fled the hospital when the deputy wasnt looking. His escape led to a 33-hour manhunt that cost the Sheriffs Office more than $100,000 to capture Abril.

Abril, 36, is accused of killing a hostage and wounding two other people in an April 6, 2023, police standoff at Mahany Park in Roseville. On July 9, Placer County sheriffs officials announced Abril had escaped while receiving treatment at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

The grand jury said inadequate training of Placer Countys Sheriffs Office uniformed staff and the failure of the policies, procedures, and protocols contributed to Abrils escape.

Sheriffs officials on Thursday said the deputy assigned to watch Abril when he escaped continues to work for the Sheriffs Office.

We appreciate the grand jury serving as another set of eyes looking at this situation, sheriffs said Thursday in a written statement sent to The Sacramento Bee. Prior to their reports completion we conducted our own internal investigation and brought in an outside expert to complete an external investigation. We took swift action, implementing changes within weeks. Following our internal and the independent investigation, we began implementing changes, including the recommendations outlined in the grand jury report.

The grand jury says it was told in several interviews the Sheriffs Office provides no formal training for deputies to transport an inmate to a hospital, and it offers no training for deputies to guard and observe a hospitalized inmate.

The grand jury determined during their investigation of the escape, there was willful misconduct and negligence, according to the 14-page report on Abrils escape. The grand jury is not alleging that there was intended willful corrupt misconduct by any individual.

In the April 2023 incident, Police officials have said Abril shot a California Highway Patrol officer at the park before he took two hostages and shot them both during the standoff with law enforcement. James MacEgan of Roseville and his wife, Patricia MacEgan, were taken hostage at the park. James MacEgan, 72, died from his injuries. His wife and the CHP officer were wounded by gunfire.

Abrils case that includes criminal charges in the Mahany Park shooting and his reported escape is still pending in Placer Superior Court. A preliminary hearing for the court to determine whether theres enough evidence for Abril to stand trial remains scheduled to begin July 15.

Eric James Abril, 35, is arraigned on additional charges at Placer Superior Court Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Roseville, after his Sunday hospital escape that resulted in a 33-hour manhunt. Abril was already charged in connection with killing a 72-year-old Roseville man and the wounding of the mans wife and a California Highway Patrol officer at a Roseville park in April.

Why Abril was sent to the hospital

Abril had several seizure-like episodes in the jail during the first 90 days of incarceration after his arrest, according to the grand jury report. On July 6, 2023, Abril was taken to the Roseville hospital for observation for potential seizure activity.

While at the hospital, Abril was guarded in a single-bed hospital room. The inmate accused of murder was wearing a belly chain that was not attached to the bed, the grand jury learned. Abril was required to have at least one hand always handcuffed to the frame of the bed.

The sheriffs deputy assigned to guard Abril when he escaped had been the sole attending deputy in charge of guarding Abril over the course of eight hours, according to the grand jury report. That deputy had stepped out of Abrils hospital room for more than a total of 27 minutes, stepping out 12 times to make phone calls, pace the halls, and chat with nurses and other patients.

When the deputy left the hospital room a 13th time, Abril freed one of his hands, the grand jury said. When the deputy stepped out a 14th time  to use the restroom  Abril made his escape out of the hospital. The Sheriffs Office has said Abril escaped while the deputy took a bathroom break.

A Placer County Sheriffs Department BearCat armored vehicle drives down Greenbrae Road in Rocklin on Sunday, July 9, 2023, after a potential sighting of the Mahany Park murder suspect Eric James Abril, who escaped early in the morning from a Roseville hospital.

The grand jury learned that the deputy  at the time of Abrils 3 a.m. July 9 escape  went into the hospital hallway and left behind his protective vest unattended near Abril. The deputy left behind his vest, which has pockets to carry law enforcement equipment and his radio, magazines with live ammunition for his handgun, impact weapon, an attached bodyworn camera, his badge and a phone.

Abrils escape was captured by a video camera connected to an electroencephalogram (EEG machine) near his hospital bed, Placer County Deputy District Attorney David Tellman wrote in court documents filed in September 2023. Tellman is prosecuting Abril.

The prosecutor said the video shows Abril was able to remove his wrist from the handcuff, before he waited until the sheriffs deputy walked to where there was no line of sight between Abril and the deputy. Abril then sprung out of bed and ran out of his hospital room, fleeing down the hallway to a stairwell that led the inmate outside, Tellman said.

A police SWAT team member searches along Antelope Creek under Highway 65 for murder suspect Eric James Abril on Monday, July 10, 2023, a day after he escaped custody from a Roseville hospital.

Authorities frantically searched for the wanted escapee, searching Abrils mothers home not far from the Mahany Park shooting scene, following up on leads after Abril was spotted in nearby Rocklin and combing through dry grass in large fields as SWAT teams in tactical teams closed off nearby roads and urged residents to stay indoors.

The escaped inmate managed to evade authorities the entire day as the search continued overnight. Other law enforcement agencies from the region assisted the Sheriffs Office in their manhunt. The search ended the following afternoon, when a resident in his back yard spotted Abril in a creek behind 5800 block of Zion Court in Rocklin. He was taken into custody without further incident.

The sheriffs command staff told the grand jury that the direct cost to the Sheriffs Office was over $109,000 for the manhunt to capture Abril, according to the report.

Eric Abril is seen handcuffed Monday following his capture in Rocklin after being on the run for 36 hours. The murder suspect had escaped from custody at Roseville Sutter Medical Center on Sunday morning before being found in Antelope Creek, about 3 miles from the hospital.

Security for Abril was downgraded

When he was initially arrested shortly after the Mahany park shooting, Abril was listed in the highest inmate classification level, which required a higher level of security than usual. This classification level typically requires a two-officer escort for inmate movement inside the jail and for transportation outside the jail.

The grand jury learned that 33 days after Abril was booked at the jail  for reasons within the discretion of the Sheriffs Office  Abrils classification was downgraded to a one-officer escort and transportation security status. The security downgrade was primarily due to the inmate not having had any notable disciplinary issues while incarcerated.

This classification was never meant for use outside the jail, the grand jury said, and strict adherence in security classification has now led to the practice of sheriffs officials applying this internal classification to transporting inmates outside of the jail, including Abrils July visit to the hospital.

During interviews, the grand jury was told inmate security classification is a routine task, and there was no policy for classification because each circumstance and inmate were different, according to the report. The grand jury said the classification decision tree used by sheriffs officials at the time of the escape revealed the seriousness of the criminal charges  as it could relate to an inmates motivation to attempt an escape  did not factor in the decision to transport Abril to the hospital with only one deputy to stand guard and watch the inmate.

Since the Mahany Park incident was exceptionally notorious for its violence, public nature and the rash of media coverage it generated, it was obvious to the public that Abril faced the possibility of being convicted for crimes which could result in several life sentences in prison, according to the grand jury report.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo speaks about the capture of murder suspect Eric James Abril on Monday, July 10, 2023, a day after the suspects escape from custody from a Roseville hospital.

An investigation into the escape led by former Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones produced an 18-page report the Sheriffs Office released in September. Jones report detailed staffing shortages and policy failures that may have contributed to Abrils escape.

In response to Jones report, the Sheriffs Office said in September that it already changed policy so that two or more deputies are assigned to every emergency medical escort and/or hospitalization of an inmate.

The grand jurys report recommended that the Sheriffs Office develop and begin formal training by Jan. 1 for deputies on how to transport and monitor inmates outside of the jail. The training should include hands-on practical training and be provided to the deputy before theyre assigned to transport an inmate out of the jail.

The grand jury also recommended that the Sheriffs Office included factors, such as criminal charges, potential prison sentence and pending out-of-county criminal charges, in determining an inmates security status. And the grand jury recommended that sheriffs command staff approve any reclassification of an inmate charged with an aggravated felonies. The grand jury recommended these policy changes be implemented by Oct. 1.

The Sheriffs Office is legally required to respond to the grand jurys recommendations by Sept. 3.

Preventing escapes is an essential duty of the Sheriffs Office, and its crucial to have safe and common-sense policies, procedures and protocols in place, the grand jury said. Its just as crucial that all deputies be properly trained to transport and monitor inmates outside of the jail, the grand jury said, and that should be a vital part of every deputys training.

The attending deputys failure to maintain visual contact of the inmate, to exercise common sense and to conform to written policy and procedures substantially contributed to the escape of the inmate and represented a significant failure to meet one of the essential duties expected of a deputy sheriff, the grand jury said in its report.
How did over 100 military gravestones end up at a house in Hawaii?

A Palolo resident found over 100 grave markers at her house that seem to be from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl, but nobody seems to know how they got there.

The grave markers memorialize soldiers who served in conflicts such as World War I and the Vietnam War, as well as their spouses and minor children.

Homeowner Yujing Shentus father discovered them while doing yard work in 2019. She said they were flipped over and being used as stepping stones at the time, and that her parents called her down when they saw the names engraved on the other side.

This is definitely not common stepping stone, she remembers her parents telling her.

Grave markers in Shentus yard memorialize people such as Thomas J. Scully, who died at the age of 25 just days before World War II ended in the Pacific; Rear Adm. Fred Wallace Connor, who served in both world wars and died in 1963; Henry Cobb, who was born in 1901 and died at 53; and Georgina Freitas, who died in 1956 at the age of 60.

Nobody knows how or when the grave markers got there. In at least some cases, the ones in Shentus yard appear to be duplicates.

The Department of Veterans Affairs did not oversee the cemetery when these markers were made, Punchbowl spokesperson Gene Maestas said. He added that this is the only instance of misplaced grave markers of which hes aware.

Possible duplicates

Shentu said that they discovered the markers around late April 2019. Within a couple months, she had contacted the cemetery and staff came to her house to retrieve about 56 of the markers. About 60 markers remain, according to Punchbowl cemetery director Jim Horton in an emailed response.

Many of the remaining grave markers are difficult to remove. Theyre visible underneath the propertys concrete driveway and even as part of the houses foundation. Engineers are working to figure out how to most effectively proceed, Horton wrote.

This process has taken longer than expected due to the complexity of the situation and delays caused by Covid but is moving forward, he wrote.

Horton confirmed that the grave markers in Palolo were either meant to be temporary or were replaced by other grave markers at Punchbowl.

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific  often called Punchbowl, after the crater it resides in  opened in 1949 amid a vast need for cemetery space following the end of World War II.

Tens of thousands of people are buried there. Among them are former U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, former Gov. John A. Burns and Norman Keith Collins, the tattoo artist better known as Sailor Jerry who helped popularize nautical designs like ships and sharks from his shop in 1930s Honolulu.

The U.S. Army oversaw Punchbowl until 1973, when Congress created the National Cemetery Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The grave markers at Shentus house appear to be from when the Army was still in charge, Maestas said.

Punchbowl officials arent sure how the grave markers made their way to Palolo. The markers in Palolo seem to be duplicates of markers that are already at Punchbowl.

This could be because of a typo engraved into the stone or because the deceased person received an updated grave marker. If a spouse dies later and is buried with the deceased, the original grave marker will be replaced by one that says both of their names, Maestas said.

These original grave markers are in Shentus yard.

For example, Connors last name is spelled wrong on his grave marker in Palolo. But his name is spelled correctly on a grave marker at Punchbowl, and that updated one includes his wife Geralde Smith, too.

Similarly, Oscar Joseph Peltiers grave marker in Palolo is broken in half. But an intact one that includes his wife Josephine can be found at Punchbowl.

That still doesnt explain how the grave markers ended up in Palolo. Under current policy, grave markers set for disposal are supposed to be crushed beyond recognition, Horton wrote.

He said that the markers Punchbowl retrieved in 2019 were properly disposed, and that corresponding permanent grave markers have been in place for a long time at the cemetery.

The houses previous owner said that she noticed the grave markers after moving there in the mid-1990s but didnt think much of them at the time.

Im a Hawaiian. Im not going to dig up something, Faith Martin said. If its there its there. And I see nothing wrong with it. We didnt see nothing wrong with it. It never bothered us at all.

The houses current owner was more concerned.

Theres a soul in every stone  we need to treat this with respect, Shentu said.

She earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hawaii in 2019, and said that she hopes the grave markers can be a reminder to think about the legacy of war and the importance of peace.

I just feel this is very meaningful, she said.

This story was originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
New discoveries show what life was like for the ultra-wealthy in Ancient Rome after Pompeii excavation

New discoveries show what life was like for the ultra-wealthy in Ancient Rome after Pompeii excavation

In the last few months, Pompeii archaeologists have announced many impressive findings.

The announcements include an unusual fresco of a child and charcoal drawings of gladiators.

The discoveries give insights into daily life prior to the volcanic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago.

Before the Mount Vesuvius eruption buried it in ash and rocks, Pompeii's Region IX was a bustling region full of elegant homes, bakeries, and other shops.

This year, the Pompeii Archaeological Park unveiled several new discoveries from the area, including a stunning blue shrine, children's drawings of gladiators, and incredible fresco paintings.

"The new excavations give us a sense of how much still remains to be found," Caitlin Barrett, co-director of Cornell University's Casa della Regina Carolina (CRC) Project at Pompeii, told Business Insider.

Photos show some of these latest discoveries from Region IX, offering a glimpse into what life was like in Pompeii nearly 2,000 years ago. While much has changed over the millennia, some things, like dinner parties and kids' doodles, still seem familiar.

Region IX holds both the beauty and brutality of Ancient Rome.

Visitors to Pompeii's Insula of the Chaste Lovers can now walk above the archaeological site on a raised pathway. Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty Images

For hundreds of years, volcanic debris preserved Pompeii after the eruption in 79 CE.

Early excavations, starting in the mid-1700s, focused on the city's artwork rather than objects related to daily life, said Barret, a National Geographic Explorer who wasn't involved in the latest research. This meant experts often overlooked those who didn't own these luxury items.

People from a range of social classes lived in Region IX, Barrett said. "There were very wealthy people who could afford houses covered in beautiful wall paintings," she said. "And there were also individuals who led much more difficult lives, like the enslaved people who were compelled to work in a bakery that was sealed with iron bars across the windows."

Several new discoveries come from the area known for its chaste lovers.

One of Pompeii's insulas is named for this fresco of the Chaste Lovers, which was found over 100 years ago. Paolo Manzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Since 1912, archaeologists have known about the House of the Chaste Lovers. It's a two-story building in the area known as Insula 12  insulas are distinct collections of buildings, similar to a modern city block.

This fresco depicts a couple sharing a romantic moment amongst others at a feast. It's such an iconic image that Insula 12 is also called the Insula of the Chaste Lovers.

This insula covers about 28,000 square feet and includes several impressive houses.

The House of the Chaste Lovers recently reopened after a renovation project that began in 2017. Several new findings from the insula are now on display. Visitors can gaze down on them from a newly raised walkway.

Experts found a "chilling" portrait of a hooded child with his pet.

Experts say there are some unusual aspects of this Pompeii fresco, which may depict a deceased child. Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty Images

In early June, Pompeii Archaeological Park experts revealed what they called an "unusual" painting of a young child wearing a hood. He's surrounded by grapes and pomegranates and is accompanied by what appears to be a pet dog.

During this time period, dogs were typically depicted hunting or on guard, but the one in this painting seems more like a playmate, according to a report in the E-Journal Scavi di Pompei.

Pomegranates can be a symbol of death, archaeologist Sophie Hay noted on X, which may indicate the owners of the house wanted to memorialize a deceased child. She called the painting chilling, pointing out the toddler's "haunted gaze."

Thousands of years ago, children made their own gruesome artwork.

These charcoal images may have been made by a child as young as seven nearly 2,000 years ago. Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty Images

Recent excavations can also tell us about how some children played in Ancient Rome.

In the Insula of the Chaste Lovers is the House of the Colonnaded Cenaculum. Thousands of years ago, children used charcoal to depict gladiators and a hunting scene on the courtyard walls of the house.

Psychologists from Federico II University of Naples examined the artwork and estimated that the child, or children, who drew them were around seven years old.

The gladiators in the drawing seem to be in combat, and a pair of hunters with spears are facing off against what looks like two wild boars.

The children may have seen fights in a nearby amphitheater.

Pompeii excavation director Gabriel Zuchtriegel shows a charcoal outline of a hand, which a child probably made. Marco Cantile/LightRocket via Getty Images

In the same courtyard, a younger child of perhaps five made other charcoal drawings, including the outline of a hand. There are also images of boxers mid-fight, according to the researchers.

These weren't necessarily scenes taken from a child's imagination, according to Pompeii's experts.

Children may have watched fights and executions in a nearby amphitheater, "thus coming into contact with an extreme form of spectacularized violence," Gabriel Zuchtriegel, the director of the Archaeological Park, said in a statement.

Wealthy people had rooms decorated to impress guests.

An elegantly decorated dining room, showing paintings of scenes from the Trojan War, was recently found in Pompeii. Italian Culture Ministry via AP, HO

A few streets away from the Chaste Lovers block is Insula 10, which has its own enormous residence.

One impressive home in Insula 10 incorporates many rooms, including an elaborate one for dining and a lavishly decorated shrine.

The Insula 10 residence's dining room has black walls covered in well-preserved frescos and could have held a couple dozen guests, Zuchtriegel told NBC News.

Its size and decor were meant to impress, according to a press release from the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

Most people lived in simpler housing, Barrett said, either in rented apartments or rooms or lofts above shops. "And even within wealthy households, the enslaved inhabitants would have lived in much more difficult conditions, sleeping on small and uncomfortable beds within cramped storerooms," she said.

Guests could discuss the frescoes during dinner.

One of several frescoes in a spacious dining room in a private residence in Pompeii depicts figures from myths and literature. Italian Culture Ministry via AP, HO

The images depicted on the dining room walls include scenes from myths and literature. "The paintings would have given people something to talk about over dinner," Barrett said.

One shows the Trojan prince Paris meeting Helen, then queen of Sparta. It was this fateful pairing that sparked the Trojan War, according to legend.

In between the couple are a servant woman  "who is giving Helen a very dubious look," Barrett said  and a dog facing out from the fresco. "I love that dog breaking the fourth wall," Barrett said. "His dismayed expression tells you everything you need to know about what's going to happen next!"

The frescoes captured images from mythology and literature.

The god Apollo, left, cursed Cassandra, right, so her prophecies about the Trojan War weren't believed, according to Greek myth. Italian Culture Ministry via AP, HO

The black room has another fresco related to Greek mythology. Cassandra sits on the right, despairing that she won't be able to stop the Trojan War. The God Apollo, who looks at her in the painting, cursed her so no one would believe her prophesies.

Archaeologists are working to preserve these and other Pompeii frescoes by treating them with glue and putting up temporary roofs to protect them from the elements, according to the BBC.

While the frescoes are incredible, Barrett said more ordinary objects can be just as important to document.

"The burned figs and dates found in front of a household altar might not be as eye-catching as the frescoes, but they tell us about the daily rituals that connected people to their gods," she said.

A vivid blue shrine showcased the owner's deep pockets.

Archaeologists believe this room, painted an unusual light blue color, may have been used as a shrine by the house's owners. (EV) Parco Pompei/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters

Another part of the residence with the black dining room held a more private space. Yet it seems the owners spared no expense in decorating the room, which may have served as a shrine.

The owners had it painted blue, which would have been very rare and expensive at the time.

"Having a whole room painted in blue would have made a major statement about the wealth of the house owner," Barrett said.

Paints were typically made from natural materials like minerals or plants. The "Egyptian blue" pigment was synthetic and therefore pricier. "So it was not only valuable but also high-tech," she said.

The owners seemed to be updating the room at the time of the volcanic eruption. A pile of oyster shells was found near other building materials, Barrett said. The workers may have been planning to crush them and add them to plaster to make an ivory-white pigment.

A third of Pompeii's archeological site is still unexcavated, so there will be plenty more to learn as the rest is unearthed.

Read the original article on Business Insider
After OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019, members of the Sackler family, which controlled the company, arranged a resolution that included personal protection from civil liability for contributing to opioid-related deaths. That shield was part of a mass settlement that promised myriad litigants a total of $6 billion.

The Supreme Court narrowly rejected that deal today. "The bankruptcy code does not authorize a release and injunction that, as part of a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11, effectively seeks to discharge claims against a nondebtor without the consent of affected claimants," Justice Neil Gorsuch writes for the majority in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, which overturns a contrary 2023 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.

"Today's decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families," Justice Brett Kavanaugh writes in a dissenting opinion joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Elena Kagan. Yet both sides take for granted a highly dubious proposition: that "the opioid crisis" was triggered by OxyContin, a timed-release version of oxycodone that was introduced in 1996.

The Food and Drug Administration initially accepted the notion that OxyContin was less apt to be abused than other opioid pain medications because it was designed to gradually deliver the active ingredient. But that formulation proved easy to defeat by crushing the tablets for snorting or injection. In 2007 and 2020, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to federal charges related to its marketing of OxyContin, and the company faced thousands of lawsuits that blamed it for promoting addiction. It is therefore not hard to see why Purdue is widely portrayed as the central villain in deaths involving prescription opioidsa narrative that both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh uncritically accept.

"Between 1999 and 2019, approximately 247,000 people in the United States died

from prescription-opioid overdoses," Gorsuch writes. "Purdue sits at the center of these events."

Purdue "aggressively marketed" OxyContin and "downplayed or hid its addictive qualities," Kavanaugh says. "OxyContin helped people to manage pain. But the drug's addictive qualities led to its widespread abuse. OxyContin played a central role in the opioid-abuse crisis from which millions of Americans and their families continue to suffer."

Was OxyContin in fact "central" to the upward trend in opioid-related deaths? Estimates from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (now the National Survey on Drug Use and Health) indicate that nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers rose for 11 consecutive years before OxyContin was introduced, and then continued to rise. Even during the period highlighted by Gorsuch, OxyContin never accounted for a very large share of the prescription analgesic market.

Defending itself against all of those lawsuits, Purdue presented Drug Enforcement Administration data indicating that OxyContin accounted for just 3.3 percent of pain pills sold in the United States from 2006 through 2012. After adjusting for potency, ProPublica calculated that the product's "real" share of the market was more like 16 percent.

ProPublica's analysis is questionable, assuming the concern is how many opportunities nonmedical users have to get their hands on prescription opioids. But either way, the vast majority of pain reliever prescriptions involved products other than OxyContin, most commonly hydrocodone pills such as Vicodin and oxycodone pills such as Percocet. Those latter two types of products also figured prominently in the pain relievers consumed by nonmedical users, accounting for 75 percent of the total in 2018, according to the federal government's survey data. OxyContin, by comparison, accounted for 11 percent of nonmedical use that year.

The emphasis on Purdue's marketing of OxyContin implies that doctors and patients accepted the company's false assurances, resulting in unanticipated risks. But contrary to the conventional depiction of bona fide patients who accidentally became addicted to opioids they took for pain, nonmedical OxyContin users typically did not get the drug that way. According to a 2007 American Journal of Psychiatry study of OxyContin users admitted to drug treatment programs, 78 percent "reported that the drug had not been prescribed to them for any medical reason."

Since Gorsuch and Kavanaugh both fault Purdue for contributing to opioid-related deaths by misrepresenting OxyContin as abuse-resistant, it is instructive to consider what happened after the company tried to make good on that promise by reformulating the drug. The new version, introduced in 2010, was much harder to crush for snorting or injection. The idea was to deter nonmedical use, and the hope was that the reformulation would reduce addiction and opioid-related deaths. That is not how things worked out.

The reformulation of OxyContin was instead associated with an increase in deaths involving illicit opioids and, ultimately, an overall increase in fatal drug overdoses. Researchers identified that pattern by looking at the relationship between pre-2010 rates of OxyContin misuse, as measured by surveys, and subsequent overdose trends. They found that death rates rose fastest in states where reformulation would have had the biggest impact.

The root cause of that perverse effect was the substitution that occurred after the old version of OxyContin was retired. Nonmedical users turned to black-market alternatives that were more dangerous because their potency was highly variable and unpredictablea hazard that was compounded by the emergence of illicit fentanyl as a heroin booster and substitute. Nowadays illicit fentanyl accounts for around 90 percent of opioid-related deaths, which have reached record levels in recent years.

Interventions like the reformulation of OxyContin and the broader crackdown on opioid prescriptions not only failed to turn the tide. They contributed to the upward trend that Gorsuch blames on OxyContin. The story that he and Kavanaugh credulously echo turned out to be deadly as well as misleading.

The post Divided Over Purdue Pharma Deal, SCOTUS Unites in Accepting a Dubious OxyContin Narrative appeared first on Reason.com.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes joined Democrats and abortion rights advocates for a press briefing at the Arizona Capitol on April 9, 2024, shortly after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 near-total abortion ban is enforceable. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror

Arizona doctors have the final say when deciding if a woman needs an emergency abortion, Attorney General Kris Mayes concluded in a legal opinion her office released Thursday.

Absent proof of bad faith, nothing in the statute allows the physicians judgment to be second-guessed after the fact, even if other physicians might have come to a different conclusion, Mayes wrote.

The Grand Canyon State is currently under a gestational ban that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, though the law includes exceptions for procedures performed to prevent a patients death or the impairment of a major bodily function. Doctors who violate the laws mandates face a class 6 felony, which may result in a prison sentence of between 4 months and 2 years, and could lead to a revoked medical license.

Concerned about how the threat of criminalization might cause doctors to delay care, a group of Democratic lawmakers requested that Mayes clarify the laws exceptions, to help medical professionals better understand under what circumstances they can legally perform an abortion beyond the 15-week deadline.

On Thursday, Mayes said the ultimate determination for what constitutes a medical emergency lies in the hands of doctors  and they cant be taken to court over an abortion they provided in good faith.

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What does the AG opinion say?

The law states that an emergency abortion can only be provided based on a physicians good faith clinical judgment, which Mayes pointed out has long been accepted as being subjective. A doctors reasoning relies on years of training and experience as well as their interpretation of a specific patients condition. And every situation is unique, Mayes said.

Whether a medical emergency existshinges entirely on the treating physicians good faith clinical judgment that one exists, she wrote.

To arrive at that judgment, a doctor must complete a two-part test. First, the doctor should carry out an assessment of the patient using their clinical training and medical expertise. Then, the doctor must determine, based on an honest review of the information, that a medical emergency exists. And that medical emergency needs to fall under the laws exceptions, which are the prevention of death or the avoidance of a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.

Unlike in other states, where Republican lawmakers have made the doctors judgment contingent on a comparison with the hypothetical judgment of other doctors in similar circumstances  forcing physicians to consider how others in their field might view their decisions  Arizona Republicans left the decision-making up to the actual doctor in the room at that moment, Mayes concluded in her analysis.

That means doctors cant be prosecuted after the fact for abortions they provided past the 15-week mark unless theres evidence that they didnt act in good faith. Simply because other doctors or prosecutors disagree that an abortion was the right decision doesnt allow for legal action against the doctor who provided it. Its enough, Mayes wrote, that the doctor honestly believed that denying their patient an abortion would have caused irreversible harm or led to the patients eventual death to justify the procedure.

It does not matterwhether a prosecutor (or other doctors) might later believe that the physician objectively erred in her conclusion, she wrote. Because the Legislature chose to focus on the treating physicians mental state at the moment of her medical emergency determination, no prosecutor can second-guess a treating physicians clinical judgment that an abortion was warranted, absent proof of bad faith.

And, Mayes added, abortions intended to prevent the death of the pregnant patient dont have an immediacy requirement, meaning that doctors dont need to wait until the patient is at imminent risk of dying before performing an abortion.

The law states that abortions beyond 15 weeks are allowed when women are dealing with pregnancy complications that necessitate the immediate abortion of her pregnancy to avert (the womans) death, but it makes no mention of how near to death a woman must actually be to warrant that abortion. While women in other states with similarly restrictive abortion bans have been denied abortions until they present with life-threatening conditions that require immediate care, like sepsis or hemorrhaging, Arizona doctors dont need to wait that long, Mayes said.

Instead, the determination of when to provide an abortion goes hand-in-hand with the conclusion that a patient is in the midst of a medical emergency.

The medical emergency exception is triggered as soon as the treating physician forms an honest clinical judgment that an abortion is the indicated treatment for a patients condition in order to avert death, Mayes wrote. So, for instance, if the treating physician examined a patient and determined that the patients condition would lead to death within 24 hours, the physician need not wait until hour 23 (or 22, 21, or 20, etc.) to perform an abortionthe physician need not wait at all.

In fact, Mayes said, interpreting the law as requiring doctors to wait until women are at deaths doorstep before providing an abortion would directly conflict with the stated intent in the laws underlying legislation, which purported to protect the health of women.

The laws exception for a medical emergency that threatens to impact a womans major bodily function is even more dependent on a doctors judgment call, according to Mayes. Nor does the law attempt to constrain what kinds of bodily functions must be impacted to necessitate an abortion, she argued.

The text of the law states that a major bodily function includes the immune system, normal cell growth, and the digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine and reproductive functions. But Mayes said that the use of the word includes means the list in the law isnt exhaustive, and that other, unlisted bodily functions may qualify. In the end, she said, lawmakers left doctors in charge of determining when an abortion is needed to ensure a womans normal bodily functions are preserved.

What constitutes a substantial and irreversible impairment, and what degree of risk rises to the level of serious risk, are likewise questions for the treating physician to determine according to her good faith clinical judgment, Mayes wrote.

The attorney general added that the personal choices made by patients in similar cases arent an indication that a doctors advice to undergo an abortion was made in bad faith. For example, if a doctor diagnoses two pregnant patients with cancer and determines that an abortion is warranted under the 15-week laws exceptions, but one of the patients refuses the abortion, that doesnt constitute evidence of a bad faith judgment from the doctor if the other patient opts for an abortion.

Mayes also concluded that ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages dont fall under the states definition of an abortion, and doctors shouldnt hesitate to provide care in those situations because those cases arent ruled by the 15-week law. Reproductive rights advocates and medical professionals across the country have expressed concern that the treatments for miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, which involves the removal of dead fetal tissue or a fetus that has implanted outside the uterus, which can be deadly to the woman, are similar to procedures used in abortions and may result in denied medical care in states with restrictive laws.

Mayes: mental health may be exempted

During a Thursday morning news conference, Mayes touted her opinion as a defense against lawsuits launched by county attorneys and implied the 15-week law might also include some leeway for women with mental health conditions, though her legal opinion was silent on mental health matters.

While the law threatens doctors who violate its mandates with a class 6 felony, Gov. Katie Hobbs issued an executive order last year that centralized all prosecutorial authority for violations of the law in the state attorney generals office. And Mayes has repeatedly vowed never to take any medical professional to court over it. On Thursday, she reiterated that promise, and said her opinion acted as both an assurance for doctors across the state and a warning for county attorneys who may seek to go over her head.

As the top legal officer in this state, let me be perfectly clear: Arizona law does not allow for the prosecution of a treating physician who exercises their clinical judgment in good faith to provide an abortion under the medical emergency exception, full stop, Mayes said. I am making it clear to all county attorneys that the law does not allow you to prosecute medical providers acting in good faith according to their clinical judgment and providing abortion care in medical emergencies.

Shortly after Hobbs issued her executive order, a group of county attorneys threatened to sue her, though no such challenge has yet been filed. And some county attorneys have expressed a willingness to enforce abortion bans.

Maricopa Countys Rachel Mitchell has said her office considers the merit of every case, and that it would do the same with potential abortion law violations. Yavapai Countys Dennis McGrane, meanwhile, advocated for the 1864 near-total abortion law in legal filings that was briefly reinstated by the Arizona Supreme Court earlier this year before being repealed by the legislature.

When pressed about the opinions implications for victims of rape or incest, Mayes said the 15-week law, which includes no exceptions for resulting pregnancies, may actually provide some flexibility for doctors who feel their patients are dealing with co-occurring mental health conditions that could be life-threatening, such as depression or suicidal thoughts. Mayes pointed out that the laws exception for conditions that could lead to substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function includes neurological functions and the brain.

When you actually look at the law, there is a lot of room for doctors, she said. And one has to presume that the legislature deliberately did that.

Doctors and abortion providers lauded the opinion as a much-needed respite amid concerns of criminalization.

Dr. Jill Gibson, an OB-GYN and the chief medical director of Planned Parenthood Arizona, which runs four of the states nine clinics that offer abortions, said that the barriers erected by the 15-week ban are antithetical to the professional commitment to life-saving care that all doctors make. And, she said, politicians have no place attempting to constrain the complex medical decisions physicians confront every day.

The provision of medical care, including abortion care, is individualized to every patient and their specific circumstances. These decisions regarding their care can only be made between a physician and her patient, through a trusted, therapeutic relationship founded on the underlying principle of all medical care  which is to do your absolute best to heal the patient, Gibson said. The draconian parameters created by non medical lawmakers cannot and do not capture the nuance that is required to deliver medical care.

Gibson said Mayes legal opinion would help dispel confusion in the medical community and help doctors feel more secure in their decisions. Prior to the opinion, she said, clarity was sorely needed as doctors sometimes hesitated to provide routine care. Gibson shared that one of her colleagues, shortly after the court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, was unwilling to perform an amniotomy, in which the amniotic sac is artificially ruptured to speed up delivery, despite her patient being in painful preterm labor at 20 weeks with an unviable fetus. Despite the critical need for the procedure, the OB-GYN feared she would be criminalized.

Dr. Dan Schnorr, an emergency room physician, echoed that fear, saying that he and many of his colleagues were uncertain whether their decisions to provide emergency abortions for women who were hemorrhaging or suffering from an infection would later be used against them in court.

Doctors may begin by stabilizing pregnant patients facing infections or excessive bleeding by giving them antibiotics or blood transfusions, Schnorr said, but for many, an abortion is ultimately necessary.

In those cases, some people, some lawyer, could come back and say afterwards, Im not sure that you actually needed to do that, you couldve given more blood, you couldve given more antibiotics, he said. As physicians, were concerned that  were at the bedside with the patient  and then later on somebody, who maybe has some kind of agenda, is going to come and sue us.

Some were skeptical about the long-term protection offered by Mayes legal opinion.

Dr. Misha Pangasa, a Phoenix OB-GYN and member of the Committee to Protect Healthcare, a left-leaning advocacy group that pushes for reproductive rights, said that the only bulletproof solution is enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution. The Arizona Abortion Access Act is expected to go before voters in November and seeks to guarantee access to abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation, with exceptions beyond that point if a doctor deems it necessary to safeguard a patients life, mental or physical health.

Physicians appreciate Attorney General Mayes opinion, but in no way is it a permanent protection for our patients, said Pangasa, in an emailed statement. As other politicians continue to attack reproductive health care, we cannot rely on one opinion to keep our patients safe. We must pass the Arizona Abortion Access Act to ensure state law agrees that doctors are able to care for our patients to the best of our ability, without fear of prosecution, for generations to come.

Chris Love, a spokeswoman for the campaign behind the abortion rights ballot measure, added that, despite Mayes opinion helping provide clarity and safety for some patients, the state remains under a restrictive 15-week law.

We appreciate that the Attorney General feels there may be some emergency protections on a case-by-case basis, but the fact is the opinion of one politician offers no lasting clarity or reliability for Arizona medical professionals or patients, she said in an emailed statement. Only the Arizona Abortion Access Act creates an enduring Constitutional protection ensuring Arizona patients, their families and their medical providers have the right to make our own decisions about pregnancy and abortion. Nothing has changed about the need to pass the Arizona Abortion Access Act in November.

***UPDATE: This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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SMH...A Murder Suspect is 'Mistakenly' Released from Jail, But How Did It Happen?

After capturing the suspect in the murder of a married Ohio father of three, police managed to let their alleged killer slip out of their grip  out of custody, specifically.



Back in September 2023, Cuyahoga County investigators say 39-year-old Derek Driskill was riding in his new Mercedes Benz in the parking lot of a takeout spot near Cleveland when someone rammed their car into the back of it. Police said while the driver of the other vehicle was cooperative with Driskill, the passenger beside them started an argument with Driskill and shot him in the head.

Authorities took in 22-year-old Amarion Sanders as their murder suspect. However, seemingly at random, he was released Monday evening. No, it wasnt intentional but apparently due to a pesky typo, court officials said.

Read more from News 5 Cleveland:

When a worker with the court entered the information about the dismissal into their system, they mistakenly entered Sanders case number. Sanderss case number is CR-23-685908. The other defendants case number is CR-23-685909. The information was then sent to the jails records department. Sanders was released around 6:30 p.m. Monday night, according to jail officials. The courts statement also said, Had the cases been on different dockets, the system would have flagged the error when it was entered. Interim Chief of Corrections Nestor Rivera said the court and the Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office notified them about the error at approximately 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.

After 39 hours of freedom, Sanders was captured again by officers with the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force Wednesday morning and taken back into custody. The Court said in a release following the incident theyd review their procedures with the Sheriffs Department to prevent this from happening again.

Its not fair. There are so many people that are locked up for crimes that maybe they didnt even commit, but when you have someone on videotape doing something, how do they get out mistakenly? said Driskills wife, Andrea Johnson, to News 5 Cleveland.

Sanders is back to facing aggravated murder and felonoious assault charges. His trial begins in August, the report says.

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The Department of Justice filed a brief encouraging the Supreme Court to deny Steve Bannons emergency appeal to avoid prison after he was found guilty of contempt of Congress.

Bannon, formerly a senior adviser to former President Trump, was found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022 after failing to appear before the House Jan. 6 committee and refusing to turn over documents. A federal judge sentenced him to four months of incarceration.

Federal prosecutors said Bannons appeal does not meet the extraordinary standard to merit staying out of prison amidst appeal.

Bannon responded to the subpoena with total noncompliance, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the court. He did not produce any documents and refused to appear for his scheduled deposition.

He cannot make the demanding showing necessary to override the normal requirement that a convicted defendant begin serving his sentence, she wrote.

Bannons emergency filing claims that he should go free as his appeal moves forward, adding that prosecutors attempts to jail him are politically motivated.

The Department of Justice filing comes just hours after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that House GOP leadership will file an amicus brief advocating for the appeal.

The amicus brief will be submitted after Bannon files a petition for rehearing en banc and will be in support of neither party, Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said in a joint statement.

It will withdraw certain arguments made by the House earlier in the litigation about the organization of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol during the prior Congress, the group continued. House Republican Leadership continues to believe Speaker Pelosi abused her authority when organizing the Select Committee.

Republicans have long pushed back on the Jan. 6 select committees subpoenas by arguing it was improperly constituted. So far, those arguments have been unsuccessful in court.

Former Trump adviser Peter Navarro is currently serving a four-month sentence after being found guilty of contempt charges for similarly flouting the Jan. 6 select committees subpoena. He unsuccessfully requested emergency relief from the Supreme Court.

If the court sides against Bannon, he is set to report to prison on July 1.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The investments of residents in Aghdam Industrial Park have amounted to more than 35 million manats to date, Trend reports.

According to the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan, representatives of business structures familiarized themselves with Aghdam Industrial Park within the framework of the event "New Opportunities for Entrepreneurs: Let's Revive Karabakh Together".

Chairman of the Board of the Economic Zones Development Agency (IZIA) Seymur Adigozalov, noted that the park was created to create competitive industrial production in the region and provide a favorable business environment for investors.

Furthermore, it was noted that Aghdam Industrial Park is second in the country after Sumgayit Chemical Industrial Park in terms of the number of residents. The resident status of the industrial park was granted to 25 business entities, and six more companies were registered as non-residents. The total volume of their investments exceeds 216 million manats.

Meanwhile, it is planned to create more than 2,000 workplaces in the industrial park at the expense of these business entities. To date, investments by residents have amounted to more than 35 million manat ($20.5 million), and about 300 permanent workplaces have been created. Various production enterprises will start working in Aghdam Industrial Park soon.

Moreover, information was given that in the liberated territories, there is a preferential mechanism for the use of public utilities, exemption from customs duties and taxes on the import of several materials and raw materials, as well as subsidization of social insurance contributions and other additional benefits.

In the course of familiarization, a video about industrial parks in the exempted territories was demonstrated, and detailed information about such enterprises as Aghdam Industrial Park as BAFCO Invest LLC (production of footwear), Mister Decor LLC (production of wallpaper), and Metkons LLC (production of ventilation, fire-fighting equipment, and metal products) was presented to the participants of the event.

Having familiarized themselves with the business prospects of the park, the newly created modern infrastructure, mechanisms of state support, and activities of the enterprises, the businessmen assessed the investment opportunities.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
LEAVENWORTH, Kan.  Leavenworth City leaders are preparing for potential flooding of the Missouri River this weekend. As the flood warning takes effect, an emergency response plan will be implemented.

Interim Leavenworth City Manager Patrick Kitchens said monitoring the situation is a top priority because river flooding can be unpredictable.

It looks like the river is going to get to about 23.7 feet sometime over the weekend, Kitchens said.

Any time when the City of Leavenworth gets over 22.3 feet, we have an emergency action plan that we implement. Starting with closing of the campground here. Water will get over the banks and interfere. So well get that closed and get the people evacuated out of there.

Raytown teacher fired after video shows her clotheslining student

The citys brush site will be closed this weekend, and 2nd St. in Leavenworth will likely be blocked off due to the flooding.

These things, in our experience, change rather rapidly. Sometimes, if another event takes place, well have to implement some additional measures, Kitchens said.

But in particular, if youre driving through the community near and around Second Street, please dont drive through flooded waters. Dont drown. Turn around.

Kitchens said if additional measures are necessary, they will share that information, along with other flood updates, on the City of Leavenworths website.

Most of it is determined by what happens north of us. So the heavy rains, I think the dams are being released, and those things impact us here downriver, Kitchens explained.

But we live in a community thats very used to it. We have a lot of good data and a good plan, so well implement that.

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The Missouri River at Leavenworth is expected to rise above flood stage early Sunday morning. The flood warning will go into effect late Saturday night and continue through the Independence Day holiday, ending on Friday, July 5th.

Just prep for it is all. They are pretty good about it downtown at the community center getting the sandbags and all of that, said Leavenworth resident John Harding.

They are prepared for it. They have handled a lot of them, so they will handle this one.

City staffers are also able to use drones to prepare for potential floods.

We have the ability now to do drone overflights to verify the information were getting from the National Weather Service, Kitchens said.

We know that at this level, this is what its going to look like, but we can also fly our drones now and verify that information and make sure that were as accurate as we possibly can be.

More information can be found on the National Water Prediction Services website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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'Don't get rid of it': Future of delta-8 in question as lawmakers and hemp industry square off

This story is published as part of the series Highly Legal in partnership with The Examination, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates global health threats, and AL.com, PennLive and USA TODAY. Our team is continuing to report on new cannabis products and we want to hear from you. Share your experience or questions with us here.

Lawmakers are scrambling to rein in the sale of delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products that are flooding parts of the United States where traditional marijuana remains illegal, like Wisconsin.

In May, a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to a draft of a farm bill that would effectively close a loophole that has allowed for the proliferation of hemp products  including many that deliver a powerful high.

But the fate of that legislation is in doubt, and states have been largely left on their own to grapple with an influx of intoxicating vapes, gummies, sodas and other hemp-infused products, even as concerns about quality and overdoses have mounted.

In response, lawmakers in more than two dozen states have considered bills to ban delta-8 or impose age limits and other restrictions. At least six have adopted new laws in 2024 alone. On July 1, Tennessee, which banned delta-8 for those under 21 last year, will require manufacturers and sellers to register for a state license and consent to inspections and Wyoming will ban hemp products with THC or psychoactive substances outright.

In Wisconsin, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he wants to ban delta-8 and similar products and plans to take up the issue in the next legislative session, early next year.

The hemp industry has said it supports more regulation, but it is fighting outright bans, which it claims will decimate an industry worth $28 billion, financially cripple hemp farmers and take away products some consumers have come to depend on for pain relief.

Wisconsin hemp businesses say they have been producing delta-8 and hemp-derived products responsibly for the last four years, and feel the bill would ruin what has become a strong economy in the state.

(Regulation) is something weve been asking for, but dont get rid of it, said Rob Pero, founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and owner of Wisconsin-based cannabis brand Canndigenous.

Rob Pero of Canndigenous and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association is organizing tribal support for the legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin.

Jonathan Miller of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the proposed amendment is equivalent to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The wave of new products stems from the Agricultural Improvement Act, also known as the farm bill, which legalized hemp, a close cousin of marijuana. The bill imposes strict limits on the amount of THC that plants can contain.

In response, manufacturers found ways to greatly increase the potency of delta-8 and other psychoactive compounds that appear naturally, but in very low levels, and released a blizzard of new products.

This market has been created because manufacturers are arguing that they can manipulate these molecules and then claim its hemp, said Eric Leas, assistant professor of public health at the University of California, San Diego who studies tobacco, cannabis, and psychedelic use.

In April, an investigation by The Examination, AL.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA TODAY found that the hemp product industry operates in a regulatory gray zone, with little oversight or quality control, with consumers relying on vague wording on packaging and advice from smoke shop or gas station employees about what products to take, and what dosing is appropriate.

Some of the hemp-derived products for sale at Barge Cannabis in West Bend.

The reporting found a sharp rise in reports to poison control centers involving delta-8 products, in particular. Close to a third involved children under six years old.

Despite uncertainty about how hemp products are regulated, they have become increasingly popular. More than 160 people responded to a call-out from The Examination and publishing partners to share their experience with delta-8 or other hemp products. Some said they used hemp to manage pain, insomnia or arthritis.

I will continue to use the product to help with stress and for a little pleasure, wrote John T. from Four Corners, Colorado. But I will use small amounts... and infrequently.

Lawmakers looking to regulate hemp market at the state level

In April, the FDA told The Examination that its authority to oversee the hemp market is limited, despite repeatedly warning consumers about the dangers of consuming unregulated products. For now, the official regulatory response very much depends on location.

A dozen states have enacted outright bans on the sale of delta-8 and some other hemp products. Seven, including Arizona, have attempted to to regulate delta-8 within their legal marijuana markets. In almost two dozen, there are no clear regulations or bans in place.

In Wisconsin, there isnt even a minimum age for purchases.

In Alabama, lawmakers passed a law in 2023 imposing an age limit of 21 to buy delta-8 products. This followed two failed efforts to ban delta-8 and delta-10  yet another hemp-derived intoxicant.

State Senator Arthur Orr wrote a ban into an amendment in 2021, but then all heck broke loose, he said in an interview with AL.com. Convenience store owners, the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association and people who use the products for pain pushed back and defeated the ban, he said.

In April, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked legislators to consider a ban on delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products. The following month the state senate held a hearing to discuss how best to go about it.

Texas is one of the states where marijuana remains illegal, but sales of delta-8 and other hemp derived products have soared. According to the Texas Tribune, the state is home to more than 7,000 registered consumable hemp retail spots. There wont be any movement, at the earliest, until next years legislative session.

In Florida, a bill to ban the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-derived products was approved by the state senate unanimously. Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill this month. CBS Miami reported that one hemp group spent over $150,000 on legislative lobbying during the first three months of the year, and the governors office was flooded with emails calling for him to veto the bill. In a veto letter,DeSantis called on legislators to reconsider the issue in the next legislative session and focus on quality control, retail sales, labeling, marketing and packaging.

As lawmakers deliberate, hemp manufacturers are producing more, and more powerful, products. They are extracting compounds like HHC, THC-P, and THC-JD that experts say can be found naturally in small quantities or produced synthetically. The FDA has called the newer compounds a big human guinea pig experiment.

THCA products picture inside of Barge Cannabis owned by Darren Brook Thursday, March 28, 2024, in West Bend, Wis. Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Architect of earlier farm bill said she did not predict flood of new products

The authors of the farm bill that led to all the new hemp products say finding creative ways to sell products that get people high was not their intention.

Courtney Moran, an attorney and strategist for two Oregon-based hemp lobbying groups, worked with Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to write the original legislation. In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Moran said she did not know that hemp-derived intoxicants were scientifically possible. She said she first heard of delta-8 in 2020, two years after the passage of the bill.

Could we have foreseen these intoxicating products? I didnt, she said. I did not know about these other isomers and how they could be manufactured in the lab.

The recent amendment to the farm bill was introduced by Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican, who said she wanted to close the loophole that has allowed drug-infused THC products like delta-8 to be sold to teenagers in packaging that looks like candy.

The Miller amendment would outlaw the sale of any hemp derived products containing any quantifiable amount of THC. It would also ban cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced, were synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant.

The amendment was added to the House Committee on Agriculture version of the farm bill, which now goes to the full House for consideration.

Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, who sits on the committee, voted against including the measure "due to the immediate consequences it would have on Wisconsin small businesses and farms," according to spokesperson Ashley Haines, although he ultimately voted in favor of the full bill.

Wisconsin hemp businesses say proposed legislation could crush industry

Business owners in Wisconsin said they support regulation but are opposed to the contested Miller amendment.

Management at Kind Oasis, a CBD and THC shop in Milwaukee, said they have done their best to ensure the safety of their products.

Kind Oasis co-owner John Kashou was suspicious that the bill took aim at the hemp industry, given that Miller is a congresswoman in Illinois, where marijuana is legal. He questioned whether the marijuana industry was trying to compete with hemp-derived THC products, which tend to be cheaper than legal marijuana due to taxes and regulations.

He and co-owner Salem Kashou feel the amendment is unlikely to pass through the full House.

Kind Oasis CBD co-owner Salem Kashou stands before an assortment of Delta-8 products at Kind Oasis CBD on North Farwell Avenue in Milwaukee on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Kind Oasis sells Delta-8 products, a Hemp-derived product that is sold around Wisconsin that produces a similar high that cannabis produces while still being legal.

I think it would destroy the entire industry, take thousands of jobs, and hurt the end users who use these every day, co-owner Salem Kashou said.

Pero, of Canndigenous, said it is time for states to act so that businesses dont go under. He said if there is any silver lining to the amendment, it is that it might finally push state governments to put forward regulations.

People have put their livelihoods on the line and there are businesses in Wisconsin doing their best due diligence to supply transparency with the lack of regulation," Pero said.

He worries that if the amendment passes, hemp products would lose the entourage effect, a belief in the cannabis industry that when multiple cannabinoids bind  like CBD, CBC, THC and more  the result is more medically effective.

This seems like a naive approach," Pero said. "Its like they are saying, Sorry we havent paid attention in a while, while people have been receiving viable medicine for the last four to five years here in Wisconsin, so theres a lot at stake.

Ashley Okwuosa is a reporter at The Examination on the public health beat. She can be reached at ashley@theexamination.org.

Jordyn Noennig is a culture and lifestyle reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at jordyn.noennig@jrn.com.

Zoe Jaeger is an investigative intern with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at zjaeger@gannett.com.

Amy Yurkanin is a senior reporter at Al.com covering health care and womens issues. She can be reached at AYurkanin@al.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hemp industry in Wisconsin fights back against new farm bill, state legislation
There's a debate tonight and everyone is bound to suck: CNN is hosting. It starts at 9 p.m. Eastern. Both current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will grace the stage with their presence. Plan liquor purchases accordingly.

Since 1988, the Commission on Presidential Debates has been the one hosting. Now, for the first time, that won't be so. CNN will host tonight and a second debate held in September will be hosted by ABC News.

A few other things are different beyond the host and the early timing of this first debate. If candidates interrupt each other on stage, the interruptor's mic will cut out automatically. The entire debate will take place without an audience (a concession to the Biden campaign). And technically, since the debates are happening so early, Biden and Trump are merely the presumptive nominees; the formalities will take place at their parties' conventions in August and July.

Will this election come down to the "double haters"? Many have theorized that the fence sitters in this election aren't really looking to be persuadedit's not as if much light will be shed on the economy or immigration, the two issues that matter most to people this cycle, or how to treat the war in Gazabut will merely check the box for the less odious of two horrifying alternatives (or sit the whole thing out).

"I am praying nightly that there comes somebody else and I think we have a lot of time for that youngster to step up, but I am hoping to God that those aren't the only two choices come Election Day," one 64-year-old homemaker from Wisconsin told The Washington Post.

She speaks for many of us, I think. Interestingly but perhaps unsurprisingly, the share of "double haters" has reached a historic high, with roughly 25 percent of voters holding unfavorable views of both candidates. (This compared with 5 percent in 1988; 13 percent in 1992; 9 percent in 1996; 6 percent in 2000; and so on and so forth. Polling was done prior to Trump's felony conviction.)

"That is the highest share expressing negative views of both candidates in surveys conducted at about this point in the election cycle by the Center and other organizations dating back to the 1988 election," notes the Pew Research Center. "And it's nearly twice as high as four years ago, when 13% of Americans expressed unfavorable opinions of both Biden and Trump."

Where are today's illegal immigrants from? Since 2014, more than 4.1 million migrants have crossed illegally into the United States. The Washington Post attempted to discern where specifically those migrants have come from, and whether the second wave of migrantspost-pandemic, circa 2021truly is as global as many people claim.

For a long time, the Northern TriangleGuatemala, Honduras, and El Salvadoraccounted for the majority of illegal migrants, with many of those border crossers fleeing gang violence in their native countries. But then that started to change.

Prior to that, Mexico had been the largest source of new illegal immigrants in the United States. In the late aughts, migration from there declined, but in the last few years there's been an uptick. "The population of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico dropped by 900,000 from 2017 to 2021, to 4.1 million," reports Pew.

In one month aloneSeptember 2023over 38,000 Venezuelans crossed the border. Since Nicolas Maduro came to power, more than 8 million Venezuelans have left their native country. "U.S. authorities have limited ability to deport them because of Washington's contentious relationship with the Maduro government," reports the Post.

Around the same time, crossings by Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans spiked. These groups have been responding to political unrest in their sending countries. Just yesterday morning, for example, a sailboat full of more than 100 Haitians landed in the Florida Keys; it remains to be seen whether they'll be deported or permitted to stay.

From 2014 to 2020, non-Mexican/nonCentral American migrants (called "extra-continentals") made up 19 percent of immigration court cases, per the Post. In the last four years since the pandemic, that number has risen to 53 percent. "As of 2021, the nation's 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants represented about 3% of the total U.S. population," notes Pew.

Immigration will probably come up in tonight's debate, and I have no doubt that both candidates will misrepresent the policies their administrations have pursued and the scale of the issue.

Scenes from New York: I appreciate the social justice veneer used by this Canadian flasher.

QUICK HITS

ICYMI: Here's a long reported piece I wrote on how the Mises Caucus takeover of the Libertarian Party hasn't amounted to much. Read it here.

Lately I've been delighting in Louise Perry's podcast, Maiden Mother Matriarch. Her most recent guest, Colette Colfer, had great insights into the ideology surrounding transgenderism as well as the secularization of Ireland.

A new survey coming from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, which polled high earners (those making over $100,000), found that over one-third of earners were concerned about their household budgets and paying for relevant needs, compared with 28.7 percent a year ago. "More than two thirds of respondents took some kind of action to cope with increased financial stress over the last year, such as cutting back on spending, skipping monthly bills, or taking an additional job," reports Bloomberg. "More than 14% of those earning $150,000 and up said they withdrew money early from their retirement savings." (Survey here.)

A good point:

This is a perfect example to illustrate the difference between "crime," as in crime rates and reported crime, and actually crime, as in people being hurt.

If you think removing cops from schools actually *lessened* the incidents of people being hurt, OK. Believe what you want. https://t.co/AmHimm63iY  Peter Moskos (@PeterMoskos) June 27, 2024

"The population of young children fell across most US cities since the start of the Covid pandemic, according to US Census Bureau data released Thursday," reports Bloomberg. "Most of the notable exceptions were in Florida, better known as a retirement haven. Several metros in the Sunshine State saw the fastest growth in the numbers of children."

A frustrating result:

This is a really disappointing result for basic income. $1000 a month is a lot of money, and the apparent effect on homelessness, relative to the control group, was slim to none. https://t.co/uLvPm1LOdn pic.twitter.com/xmeP2GH7gl  Noah Smith ???????????????????? (@Noahpinion) June 26, 2024

The post Double Haters appeared first on Reason.com.
DOVER  A plan to convert the former McIntosh College site into a large housing development will now include more affordable housing than originally approved by the city two years ago.

The Dover Planning Board unanimously approved a site plan from the property owner on Tuesday, proposing 78 units of the 158-apartment McIntosh Commons project be leased as affordable housing over four new multi-family buildings. In January 2022, the city Planning Board gave the go ahead for the 158-unit site to have 56 apartments be leased as affordable housing, in addition to approving a one-story clubhouse building and 278 parking spaces at the development.

The owner of the former McIntosh College in Dover has been approved to add more affordable housing to the redevelopment of the site. A previous plan was approved by the Dover Planning Board in January 2022, but a revised plan to include more affordable housing was approved on June 25, 2024 by the board.

Baker Properties, a real estate investment, development and management company in Portsmouth, has owned the 23 Cataract Avenue property since 2018. Todd Baker, founder and president of the company, reported this week that his firm is partnering with New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority on a tax credit project to increase the number of affordable units offered at the complex.

The units will be rented out using New Hampshire Housing Finance Authoritys area median income guidelines, which Baker said results in less expensive apartments for tenants compared to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments income limits.

If the affordable units were available today, a one-bedroom apartment at McIntosh Commons would cost $1,476 per month, while a two-bedroom unit would be priced at $1,771 a month and the monthly cost for a three-bedroom unit would be $2,046, according to Baker.

Those units will actually be rented at a lower price than the Dover standard, he told the Planning Board Tuesday night. Theyll meet the New Hampshire Housing standard, which is 60% of the adjusted median income, which is typically a little bit lower, maybe 10% lower, than the (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) fair market rents.

The owner of the former McIntosh College in Dover has been approved to add more affordable housing to the redevelopment of the site. A previous plan was approved by the Dover Planning Board in January 2022, but a revised plan to include more affordable housing was approved on June 25, 2024 by the board.

Baker cited the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments 2024 fair market rents for the Portsmouth-Rochester region. Those rent limits call for one-bedroom units to cost $1,582 a month, $2,003 a month for two-bedroom units and $2,557 per month for three-bedroom units.

So (the McIntosh Commons units would be) 7% lower for the one-bedrooms, 13% lower for the two-bedrooms, 25% lower for the three-bedrooms, he said.

Among the affordable units are 26 one-bedroom apartments, 44 two-bedroom apartments and 8 three-bedroom apartments. All the two- and three-bedroom units have two bathrooms, and each affordable unit also comes with its own washer and dryer units, per plans filed with the city.

The entire project will be conducted in two phases, the first of which would be to build the two buildings composed entirely of affordable apartments. Those two buildings are closest to the Spaulding Turnpike on the site plan.

The project was stalled due to elevated costs of supplies, though the postponement of the groundbreaking led to the collaboration between Baker Properties and the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.

We found out that a lot of our costs had just really skyrocketed at the end of COVID, Baker said. We went back to the drawing board. We started working with New Hampshire Housing on a tax credit project. Thats what were looking at today.

We desperately need these homes in our community, he said of the affordable housing component.

Bakers revised proposal also sought approval on several other changes to the site plan. His proposal states that a playground has been added to the plan, while all roof decks and balconies have been removed from the plan. The original outline for brick siding on the apartment buildings was later deemed to cost almost $1 million across the whole development, so Baker Properties switched to a Hardie panel design.

We tried to keep as many of the important aspects, in my opinion, but we had to cut down on a lot of expenses, Baker said.

The Dover Planning Board additionally approved the other edits to the site plan on Wednesday.

City Council member Fergus Cullen is the bodys representative on the Planning Board.

(Im) really glad to see it, because this project has been one of the ones that the lack of progress (on) has been really frustrating. Im not blaming you. I understand that the economic circumstances have made it really challenging, he said to Baker. But this and a couple other pretty high-profile, high-visibility projects in town not breaking ground has been frustrating, because we need those housing units yesterday. Im really glad to hear that it looks like things are moving forward again.

McIntosh College shuttered in 2009.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Housing at McIntosh College site in Dover offers 78 affordable units
CONCORD  A Dover man charged with threatening to kill three 2024 presidential candidates has died.

Tyler Anderson, 30, had been on trial this week and the case was in the hands of the jury.

On Thursday, prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Anderson, stating the "government has learned that the defendant is deceased. There is no case or controversy. The judge granted the motion and discharged the jury around noon.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to dismiss the case against Tyler Anderson, who was accused of sending threatening text messages to presidential candidates. Anderson was found dead Wednesday.

Anderson was arrested in December on three counts of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. He was accused of threatening to kill 2024 Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy at an event in Portsmouth in a text. He was later found to have sent similar messages to the campaigns of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. He faced up to 15 years in prison and $750,000 in fines in total for the three charges.

The defense argued Anderson believed he was sending the messages to bots, not real people, and that his communication could not be considered a "true threat." Witnesses included FBI agents, campaign staff, and Verizon employees.

On Tuesday, the case went to the jury. After deliberating for several hours, the jury informed the judge they had "reached a unanimous verdict on one count but were unable to reach a consensus on the others." The judge instructed them to come back the next day to continue deliberations.

Those deliberations, however, were canceled Wednesday. The judge notified the jury "that something has come up which requires the court to postpone today's deliberations."

The Concord Police Department was asked to locate Anderson Wednesday night after a missing person report was placed, according to the agencys Deputy Chief John Thomas. Anderson was found in a car in one of the Concord Hospital parking garages just after 8 p.m.

Responding officers who located Anderson in the car saw chemicals scattered around, causing police to retreat and call for the citys fire department and hazmat service.

It appears there was some sort of chemicals in the vehicle, Thomas said Thursday afternoon. I cant tell you what the chemicals were but it was enough that it caused the officers to back away and not approach without the proper breathing apparatus.

The hazmat team arrived to the scene around midnight Thursday, and Anderson was ultimately pronounced deceased, per Thomas. Concord police cleared the scene around 4:30 a.m.

Andersons body was transported to the New Hampshire medical examiners office. It was unclear Thursday when an autopsy could potentially be performed, according to Thomas.

The incident remains under investigation by Concord police. Foul play is not suspected in Andersons death.

Ian Lenahan contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover man charged with threatening presidential candidates found dead
Opposition leader Jameson Timba walks after disembarking a prison truck as he arrives for bail application at the Harare Magistrates' court

By Nyasha Chingono

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean police beat dozens of opposition supporters and arrested several outside a court in the capital Harare on Thursday, after Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party members were denied bail following their arrests two weeks ago.

A Harare magistrate denied bail to the party's interim leader Jameson Timba and 78 activists arrested on June 16 for holding a political gathering which authorities said was unauthorised.

Timba took over as interim leader of the CCC after former leader Nelson Chamisa quit the party in January, alleging it had been hijacked by the ruling ZANU-PF party.

Police anti-riot units guarded the entrance to the court and the arrests were made hours after President Emmerson Mnangagwa said those who were believed to be causing trouble would "be dealt with".

A Reuters reporter saw the arrest of one woman holding a placard demanding the release of the activists, while some were bundled into police trucks and others fled baton-wielding police.

The activists were denied bail on concerns they would cause public disturbances and interfere with witnesses in the state's case, their lawyer Agency Gumbo told reporters outside court after the online bail hearing.

Gumbo said that his team would appeal the decision in the high court.

"We don't believe there are any compelling reasons to deny the accused persons bail."

(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Tannur Anders and Ros Russell)
Driver in deadly 2022 Apple Store crash in Hingham to appear in court

The man accused of crashing his SUV into a Hingham Apple Store in 2022, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others, is due back in court.

Lawyers for Bradley Rein are trying to gather any customer complaints from a Boston Toyota dealership relating to complaints or issues with accelerators.

Rein claims his foot got stuck on the accelerator when he crashed into the Apple Store at the Derby Street Shops in Hingham. The Plymouth County DA says the request is overboard and irrelevant to the case.

In November 2022, a car driven by Rein crashed into the front of a Derby Street store, killing Kevin Bradley Jr. and injuring 19 others. Prosecutors allege Rein accelerated the car at 60 mph before impact with no signs of stepping on the break.

Rein has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including second-degree murder and motor vehicle homicide.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man is in custody after he allegedly took police on a chase up Interstate 55 in Mississippi in a stolen vehicle.

Saturday just before 9 a.m., DeSoto County deputies say they responded to a stolen Toyota 4Runner on I-55.

Teen killed in Mississippi truck crash

According to reports, the vehicle was spotted and the deputies coordinated with a Hernando Police unit to initiate a felony traffic stop.

The driver of the 4Runner refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued.

Hernando Police was primary in the pursuit and the two deputies were secondary. Control of the pursuit was given to the deputies because the vehicle was traveling north on I-55.

Woman allegedly drags employee with car after refusing to pay for service

Reports say deputies used tactical vehicle intervention, executing three TVIs to stop the car.

The driver, Thony Coleman, was taken into custody while in possession of a firearm and narcotics. He was charged with multiple offenses.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Drivers say they ended up with car trouble after Take 5 oil change or other maintenance

Multiple drivers say they took their vehicles to Take 5 Oil Change for routine maintenance and ended up with mechanical issues.

Ben Brown has a 2020 Jeep. He says he took it to Take 5 for an oil change on May 1 and that a few hours later the SUV showed low oil pressure shows up on the dash.

So I pulled over, opened up the oil reservoir, and smoke was coming out of it, Brown said.

He says he called Take 5, which towed his Jeep back to the shop. He says the business gave him a paper, saying a part failed, but not why. Brown says the company promised to make things right, then said it had and that his SUV was ready for pickup.

'Someone finally got my car: Hyundai and Kia thefts still happening

I jump in the Jeep, I drive down the road. Im not a quarter mile away ... check engine light comes on, he said.

Brown says he went back and that the shop agreed to take it to the dealership for repairs. He says the dealer told him the Jeep needed a whole new motor. He blames Take 5.

I feel abused. I mean I have been put through it. The stress and anxiety and frustration, he said.

Action 9 heard similar stories from other drivers. They say they took their vehicles to Take 5 and then had car trouble as well: overheating, smoking, radiator damage, severe knocking, oil leaking, and the list goes on.

One emailed that she needed a whole new engine which would cost $12,000.

As of last check, Take 5 has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, which lists more than 300 complaints in a single year, many like the ones Action 9 received.

Individual drivers arent the only ones who have complained. The City of Jacksonville, Florida, released a report last year that says 45 law enforcement officers there complained about the business, saying it did substandard work on their patrol vehicles that often resulted in additional repairs that cost more money and took officers off the street.

The Twilight Zone: Man says insurance company couldnt find his policy, even with all of his info

The company that owns Take 5 -- Driven Brands -- is actually based in Charlotte. According to Channel 9s news partners at the Business Journal, last year, Take 5s CEO was the highest paid chief executive of all public companies headquartered here at $29 million in total compensation, more than the heads of Bank of America, Duke Energy, and Lowes.

Many of the drivers who contacted Action 9 said Take 5 did offer to pay for repairs, then gave them the runaround.

I own a business. Mistakes happen. When I make a mistake, I pay to make it right. Its that simple, Brown said. It was an honest mistake. I dont think there was any ill intention. Make it right.

The company emailed Action 9s Jason Stoogenke:

Customer satisfaction and quality service are of the utmost importance to Take 5. Our oil changes conform to vehicle manufacturers warranties and help ensure long engine life. Our services are backed by a 30-day or 1,000 mile warranty, subject to customers adhering to warranty conditions. Even in instances where warranties have expired or are voided by a customer, we make every effort to achieve a satisfactory outcome, as our goal is to provide all of our customers with an enjoyable and convenient experience.

Heres what to remember no matter where you take your car:

- If any mechanic damages your car, think of it like any car accident: whoever caused it should foot the bill.

- So ask the shop to pay for the damage.

- If it refuses, you can try using your insurance, depending on your policy.

- If that doesnt work, you can always talk to a lawyer.

VIDEO: I cant drive this: What to do if you buy a car that turns out to be stolen




BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4SIM) under the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and SABAH.HUB Innovation Center have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) within Baku Investment Day (Baku ID 2024), Trend reports.

The memorandum was signed by Fariz Jafarof, Executive Director of 4SIM, and Rahim Bayramli, CEO of SABAH.HUB.

As a component of Azerbaijan's plan to grow its digital economy and foster cooperation in this area, the MoU seeks to strengthen the local startup ecosystem.

According to the memorandum, the parties will collaborate to enhance the innovation ecosystem in Azerbaijan. This includes establishing dual degree programs in artificial intelligence with international and local universities, attracting skilled professionals to the country, and fostering research and training initiatives.

The document also outlines ongoing joint efforts to establish a scientific-industrial cluster within the digital economy framework. Additionally, it involves cooperation with the World Economic Forum's Global Innovators community to adapt and implement similar experiences in Azerbaijan.

To note, Baku is hosting the Baku ID innovation festival, organized with the backing of the SABAH.HUB Innovation Center. This event stands as the premier startup and innovation gathering in Azerbaijan and the wider region.

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Science and Education Minister Emin Amrullayev, along other officials, are joined by over 200 local and foreign investors, more than 100 startups, 5,000 participants, and more than 50 partners at the festival.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Drone-on-drone clashes in Ukraine are like WWI dogfights  and tactics are evolving fast

Drone dogfights in Ukraine have drawn comparison to the aerial battles of WWI.

In just two years, drone operators have become much more sophisticated.

BI reviewed over 40 drone dogfights to see some of the main tactics that have emerged.

The sheer scale of drone use in Ukraine has given rise to an increasing battle for the skies, and the rise of drone-on-drone dogfights.

Thousands of uncrewed aerial vehicles take to the skies over Ukraine, serving a wide range of tasks such as directing artillery fire, surveillance, and acting as loitering munitions.

It's a set of tasks so integral to the fighting that earlier this month Ukraine's military launched the world's first stand-alone branch dedicated solely to drone warfare.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the world had only seen a handful of drone-on-drone incidents.

But now, Russia and Ukraine are "engaged in a 'drone arms race,' investing vast amounts of money, time, and expertise in developing and countering each other's systems," James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, told BI.

Today, drones that once used their explosive payloads on multimillion-dollar armored vehicles are choosing to target other drones instead because of the threat they pose, Mike Monnik, CEO of drone intelligence platform DroneSec, told BI.

BI reviewed more than 40 videos of drone-on-drone skirmishes over Ukraine, collected and annotated by DroneSec, to identify some of the distinct  and often overlapping  tactics that have rapidly developed in this short period.

(BI was unable to independently verify some of the videos, which are often shared by partisan groups.)

Dropping down from above

Video footage from a Russian Mavic drone hovering directly above a Ukrainian one. Vog-25 Russian/Telegram

The cheap and plentiful DJI Mavic drone has limited visibility directly overhead  meaning that a drone hovering above is a distinct threat.

The clip above, posted by a pro-Russian channel in early April, shows a Russian drone smashing directly down onto a Ukrainian DJI Mavic-3 drone, sending it tumbling out of the sky.

In early 2022, "much of this was by chance," Monnik said. He described how a small commercial drone out on reconnaissance might notice an enemy drone in the sky, fly above it, and drop down to clip its rotors.

"At this stage, in many occurrences, both drones would actually be disabled," Monnik said.

By 2024, DroneSec said it was seeing first-person view drones kitted out with proximity or remote detonation capabilities.

Crashing into an expensive drone with your cheap one

The viewfinder of an FPV drone in Ukraine chases and appears to crash into a Russian Orlan-10 drone. Armed Forces of Ukraine

One of the simplest attacks is using an FPV drone to crash into an enemy drone, with or without an explosive attached.

Given that the attacking drone is often a write-off too, the biggest win is when a cheap device takes out something costly.

The above footage, shared on June 1, shows a Russian Orlan-10 drone being pursued by a Ukrainian FPV, with the video then cutting out.

The footage then shows an Orlan on the ground, seemingly destroyed by the encounter.

Orlan drones, which cost between $87,000-$120,000, have proved to be one of the "most critical systems contributing to the lethality" of Russian forces, according to the Royal United Services Institute.

Meanwhile, the most commonly used FPV drones cost just a few thousand dollars.

Dropping explosives on a drone in midair

Another type of attack from above, but this time by releasing an explosive directly onto the drone below, as in this footage of Ukrainian Mavic-3 drones being knocked out by Russian drones from above.

Ukrainian Mavic-3 drones being struck by explosives from above. test

Ukrainian soldiers told BI last year how they began adapting COTS drones to carry munitions that could be dropped from above.

Flinging a net onto an enemy drone

In February 2023, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security said it had received six US-made DroneHunter F700s, an AI-backed drone that can shoot a net over targets in midair.

Footage shared by the CSCIS shows the tech being used to take out Orlan drones and Shaheds, the large loitering munitions used by Russia to pummel Ukrainian infrastructure.

According to Scientific American, DroneHunter F700s have been in use in Ukraine since May 2022.

It appears Russia may have acquired similar tech. In the below video, posted in April by a pro-Russian account, a small drone  identified as Ukrainian  is ensnared in a net fired from above.

A drone drops a net onto a quadcopter drone. The videomaker labeled the quadcopter as Ukrainian. Front line/Telegram

Hassling a drone before it can release its payload

In the footage below, shared in May, a Ukrainian drone strikes an explosive payload carried by a Russian DJI Mavic-3 drone before it can be released, according to DroneSec's analysis.

Ukrainian drone footage shows a Russian drone with an explosive payload hanging from it. @news_novy/Telegram

Skip the drone  take out the pilot

There are plenty of other ways of countering enemy drones, including hitting them at their source, Patton Rogers told BI.

Drones can be sent to look for antenna peeking out of windows  "a tell-tale sign of an enemy drone pilot covertly operating," he said.

"Once identified, single or multiple drones will be sent in to eliminate the human drone pilot," he added.

A drone operator with the Ukrainian Army's 93rd Brigade launches a DJI Mavic 3 drone on February 18, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. John Moore/Getty Images

In the future, drones could take down helicopters

According to Scientific American, the market for counter-drone technology could be worth $12.6 billion by 2030, and given drone warfare developments, it might need to be.

Monnik said DroneSec has already seen multiple attempts to use small, weaponized drones to target helicopters and small aircraft.

Aircraft appear to be fighting back  in April, footage shared by multiple accounts showed what was described as a Ukrainian Yak-52 trainer plane taking on an Orlan. Further reporting from The War Zone suggests this is not a lone phenomenon.

Monnik also predicted that we'll soon see drones equipped with gun-like weapon platforms, and a greater prevalence of drones being deployed in swarm-like formations.

It's tempting to compare the phenomenon to the dogfights of World War I more than a century ago, when pilots targeted each other with front-mounted machine guns or even pistols while flying.

"There is still a visceral real-world connection between both warring parties  perhaps more so than WWI air personnel  as pilots attempt to outwit each other," Patton Rogers said.

The last thing many of the drone pilots will see through their doomed drone's viewfinders is the enemy drone  knowing that somewhere, at the other end, an enemy pilot is watching it all on their own headset, he said.

"Such is the morbid intimacy of modern war," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WEBER COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  Officials said a large fire in Weber County on Wednesday was able to be extinguished with the help of a drone.

The Weber County Sheriffs Office posted on social media and said a large haystack in unincorporated Weber County caught fire on Wednesday.

READ NEXT: One injured after fire ignites off I-15 in Ogden

An image of what officials called a large grass fire in Weber County on June 26, 2024. Multiple agencies responded and a drone helped crews fight the fire. (Courtesy: Weber County Sheriffs Office)

An image of what officials called a large grass fire in Weber County on June 26, 2024. Multiple agencies responded and a drone helped crews fight the fire. (Courtesy: Weber County Sheriffs Office)

An image of what officials called a large grass fire in Weber County on June 26, 2024. Multiple agencies responded and a drone helped crews fight the fire. (Courtesy: Weber County Sheriffs Office)

The fire ultimately destroyed a significant amount of hay and multiple trailers, but no structures were lost, the sheriffs office said.

Numerous agencies responded to assist with the incident, and deputies from the WCSO conducted a drone mission.

The drone helped with video overlook and the drone also used thermal imaging to assist crews with fighting the blaze, the WCSO said.

Our drone team is an asset to the sheriffs office, allied agencies, and the community, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office expressed gratitude to all the personnel who responded to help fight the blaze.

There is no further information at this time.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A July 1 deadline loomed over Idaho library workers.

For months theyve been frantically preparing for the implementation of a new state law that will allow parents to sue them over the material they let children or teens access. Statewide library groups were inundated with questions, in both virtual office hours and emails, as confusion ensued: Do we need an adults-only section? Are teens allowed to volunteer and work with adult books? Should we require anyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult?

Libraries across Idaho are continuing to grapple with those questions as they scramble to find ways to protect themselves from liability that would also keep their buildings accessible. The law allows patrons to sue libraries for damages if they dont move material parents considered harmful to children, which could include books that contain sexual conduct, nudity or homosexual content.

Some parts of the law are unclear, library workers have said, and libraries have taken different approaches on how to comply. Some libraries are being more cautious than others, fearing possible litigation they cant afford.

With few resources and limited budgets, at least one library plans to ban anyone under 18 if theyre unaccompanied by an adult. Another plans to issue different library cards for children and adults. Two will put dummy books in place of the real ones if a material is challenged and moved to a new location.

It really has been a struggle in the library world, Lisa Harral, library director for the Blackfoot Public Library, told the Idaho Statesman.

Idaho library worker says advice is inconsistent

Patrons under the new law can submit a request for a public or school library to relocate material they considered harmful to an adult section. If the library doesnt move the material within 60 days, the requester can then sue the library and claim damages.

Harmful materials include are those that have descriptions or representations of sexual conduct that appeals to the prurient interest of minors as judged by the average person and that are patently offensive to the prevailing standards in the adult community with respect to what is suitable for minors. The definition of harmful materials can also include homosexuality.

Idaho libraries have scrambled to prepare for the implementation of a new state law on July 1 that makes them liable for providing material deemed harmful to children. Books considered harmful can include content on homosexuality.

As libraries prepared for the law to take effect, the Idaho Library Association fielded a slew of questions in emails from library workers, while the Idaho Commission for Libraries held several virtual office hour sessions for librarians to bring questions and discuss changes theyd make to comply. The commission has also encouraged libraries to consult with their legal counsel or risk managers, but across the state, it has been interpreted in different ways.

An attorney over here might say something, but yet an attorney over here says something completely different, Harral said. And so I find that another source of frustration.

According to the law, a person could have standing to sue if, among other factors, the institution failed to take reasonable steps to restrict access by minors to materials harmful to minors. But library workers questioned what this means in practice, especially for smaller libraries that cant easily block off areas. They also raised concerns about the impact on libraries that are part of a consortium, which shares resources, or on digital apps, such as Libby, which lets patrons check out audiobooks or ebooks.

We will do everything that we can to adhere to the law, but theres just these areas where I dont think that our legislators fully understood how libraries work, said Cresta Craner, the library director for the Portneuf District Library in Chubbuck, near Pocatello. We as librarians have been reaching out trying to talk to our legislators and explain this. But I think that there were holes in their knowledge about how libraries operate.

Librarians said they have worked hard to curate collections and provide services that are important to their communities, and hope their libraries remain a positive environment for everyone  as they long have been.

This is a safe place for children to be, Kaylene Christensen, the library director for the North Bingham County District Library, told the Statesman.

Andrea Kitzmiller, 5, and older sister Claire, 7, watch as their mother, Rachel Kitzmiller, uses a computer terminal to search for a book at the Meridian Library in March 2023. Some libraries are restricting childrens access to materials through distinct library cards, adults only sections or parental consent.

Gov. Brad Little, who vetoed a similar bill last year but signed this years bill into law, will monitor the implementation of the law and its outcomes, spokesperson Madison Hardy said in an email to the Statesman. She said Little signed the bill because he shares the Legislatures desire to keep truly inappropriate library materials out of the hands of children.

Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, who sponsored the bill, said during the legislative session that the bill would require policies on challenging books in state law that not all libraries had in place, according to previous Statesman reporting. He has said the law wouldnt ban books or bankrupt libraries; rather, it would simply keep objectionable books out of the hands of children.

Crane told the Statesman on Wednesday that he hasnt received questions over the implementation of the bill. He said libraries must take reasonable steps to restrict access and that the law still provide local control by letting them determine the best ways to comply with the law.

This isnt about going after librarians as employees, Crane said Wednesday. Thats not what this bill is about, but it puts responsibility on the board of trustees to enact a policy and to take a reasonable step to restrict the material if they have it.

Rural libraries acting a bit out of fear for lawsuits

The Donnelly Library, a 1,000-square-foot space that became a central hub for the community when it opened about six years ago, made the choice to transition to an adults-only library  with exceptions. Children and teens will still be allowed in the library if they are with a parent.

Theres just too many unknowns, Library Director Sherry Scheline told the Statesman. This legislation, it makes a library that has no money very frightened. And so we do have to act a bit out of fear.

The librarys board decided the decision was necessary to protect itself, Scheline said. The library will still hold its summer activities, and parents can sign waivers to allow their child to participate. It will also offer accommodations for families who dont sign the forms.

I know that the rural and small libraries are all hoping and praying that the first challenge is with a large library, Scheline said. The small rural ones  were the ones that are like, What do we do?

Other libraries that initially planned to take more drastic measures pulled back after consulting with attorneys. Staffers at the Larsen-Sant Public Library in Preston, on the Utah border, had initially thought to close off their adult section and bar children from accessing it, Library Director Laura Wheatley said. They considered moving a shelf to block off a section of the library and having a dedicated staff member to monitor it.

Instead, the library will have an updated policy for collection development and challenging materials and made some changes to how its DVD and audio collections were ordered. They were previously in alphabetical order, and staff rearranged them to have all of the childrens material together so its easier to sort through for kids.

Wheatley said shes heard a lot of concerns about the bill from patrons.

Most of them felt like the government was saying, Parents arent doing a good enough job that the government needs to take control of that, she told the Statesman.

Two other libraries, Burley and Portneuf, plan to insert dummy books into their collections if they decide to relocate a book after a patrons request. But Burley Library Director Tayce Robinson said in about 24 years, the library has received one challenge to a book.

The Portneuf District Library created an adults only area in its back room, a closed stack only staff members can access that is currently empty, Craner said. The dummy book would act as a placeholder, and a patron who wanted to borrow the item would then have to ask staff to retrieve it.

The Blackfoot Public Library plans to issue new library cards to all of its patrons and create a tiered system. Anyone 17 and younger can have a restricted card  meaning they can only access materials in the childrens section. A parent could also choose to get their child an unrestricted card.

We feel that the extra effort is worth having a parent decide what is best for their child instead of the government deciding what is best, Harral told the Statesman.

Harral said the board is also updating several policies that this law impacts, but it will further complicate the librarys work. She said the librarys 10-member board has in the past listened to any concerns patrons had with materials and took action accordingly. Accommodations were already being made at a local level for parents who wanted restrictions on their childrens library cards.

If a lawsuit is successful, the law allows patrons to sue for $250 in damages at minimum, plus additional damages or relief. For small libraries, a $250 damage claim is a significant amount, Harral said, enough money to run one or two of Blackfoots library programs.

Craner, from the Portneuf library, said shes confident nothing in the librarys collection would qualify as harmful to children. She said with confidence that everything in the librarys collection passes the Miller test, referring to an approach from the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether something is obscene.

Craner said she fears legislators who passed the new law accomplished the opposite of what they intended, and stripped parents of some of their autonomy.

Inadvertently in their quest to keep children safe, what this bill is doing is its taking away that parental right, Craner said. Its now saying, You dont know whats best for your child to read. Your neighbor does, or the person that lives in the next city over does that wrote in a complaint.
DuPage County prosecutors will not bring criminal charges against the Carol Stream police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a west suburban man earlier this year, States Attorney Robert Berlin announced Wednesday.

Isaac Goodlow III, 30, died Feb. 3 after Carol Stream police officers entered his apartment in response to a domestic violence call and shot him. Goodlows family condemned the shooting, questioned official information about their relatives death in the days that followed and later filed a lawsuit against the village and the police officers who were involved in the shooting.

An attorney representing the Goodlow family said they would continue pursuing that case in federal court and that the family fundamentally disagreed with Berlins decision.

Berlin said he had not found that Officer Daniel Pfingston, who shot Goodlow, was justified in his use of force, but that he could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pfingston had not been justified. According to a village statement, Pfingston has not been employed with the Carol Stream Police Department since May 2.

Body-worn camera footage released last March by Carol Stream police showed officers enter a dark apartment and fire two shots before scrambling to administer first-aid to the dying man.

Officers originally responded to Goodlows apartment complex after a woman called them and said he had attacked and injured her sister. The woman whom Goodlow allegedly attacked described a fight with Goodlow, after which she said she would call the police. Goodlow reportedly said in response, If you call the police on me, Im gonna make them kill me.

Berlin said that when officers entered the apartment, Goodlow was hiding behind the bedroom door and stepped quickly out from behind it when Pfingston kicked it open.

Berlin said a frame-by-frame viewing of the body-worn camera footage showed Goodlow moving toward Officer Pfingston in an aggressive manner, at which point Pfingston fired his gun and struck Goodlow.

Pfingston, speaking to investigators, said that It appeared to (him) that Goodlow was either pointing something at (him), throwing something at (him) or reaching for (his) firearm and that he believed Goodlow was ambushing him.

Goodlows family had told reporters that he had been lying in bed, asleep at the time he was shot. One of their attorneys, Andrew M. Stroth, said Pfingstons statement was completely unbelievable.

In less than one second, that officer breached Isaacs door and in less than a second shot and killed Isaac with one shot through his heart, Stroth said.

In a statement, Carol Stream village officials offered their condolences to Goodlows family, adding that its Police Department had set up new training opportunities for officers that focus on communication, tactics, and decision-making.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), 79, said he underwent a successful hip replacement surgery Wednesday and will remain in Illinois as he recovers.

The No. 2 Senate Democrat will return to Washington once he is cleared to travel by his doctor, Durbins office said in a statement.

Today, I had a routine hip replacement surgery in Chicago. Im grateful to the medical staff at RUSH for todays successful procedure, and I look forward to a speedy recovery and climbing the Capitol steps again as soon as possible, Durbin, who has been in office since 1997, said in a statement.

The surgery was performed on his left hip and took place at RUSH Oak Brook Surgery Center in Illinois.

The high-ranking Democrat had a knee replacement surgery in October 2023 at the same hospital. He also underwent an outpatient heart procedure in 2017, and a tumor found in his stomach in 2010 was determined to be noncancerous.

The Senate is not in session this week, and members will return after the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Dutch Olympic Committee insists that Steven van de Velde will represent the Netherlands at next months Paris Games despite being jailed for raping a 12-year-old British girl, explaining that the beach volleyball player has shown self-insight and reflection.

In his first comments since his hugely controversial qualification for Paris was revealed, Van de Velde, told by the judge sentencing him in 2016 that his Olympic prospects were a shattered dream, accepted that he would be subject to fierce scrutiny.

In 2016 and afterwards, several Dutch media paid attention to the story, he said, in a statement released by the Dutch NOC. I understand that in the run-up to the biggest sporting event in the world, this can attract the attention of international media.

Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting three counts of rape against a child he had met on Facebook, but served only 12 months. He was 19 when he flew from Amsterdam to the UK in 2014 to meet the girl, with his defence lawyer stating upon the guilty verdict that his sporting career was over. Since his release in 2017, he has been allowed to rehabilitate his Olympic ambitions, with the Dutch NOC fully supporting his presence in Paris.

Since 2018, Steven van de Velde has been participating in international beach volleyball tournaments again following an intensive, professionally-supervised trajectory, it said. After his release, he sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him  privately and professionally  self-insight and reflection.

It also indicated that Van de Veldes reintegration into Olympic sport satisfied the Dutch volleyball federation, which imposes the conditions by which athletes can resume competing after conviction. He had, it said, met all qualification criteria for the Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee distanced itself from the controversy. The nomination of individual team members, following qualification on the field of play, is the sole responsibility of each respective National Olympic Committee, it said.

In a previous interview in Holland, Van de Velde, now married and a father, said of his crime: I cant reverse it, so will have to bear the consequences. It has been the biggest mistake of my life. But elsewhere he has railed against his portrayal, arguing in 2017: I have been branded as a sex monster, as a paedophile. That I am not, really not.

Van de Velde and his beach volleyball partner Matthew Immers, 23, are medal contenders in Paris after recently defeating Swedish pair David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig, the No 1-ranked pair in the world. An article in Dutch paper De Telegraaf asked: Can Van de Velde, who was convicted long ago in Great Britain for having sex with a 12-year-old girl, participate in the Olympic Games? In the Netherlands, the responsible authorities think so, because the now 29-year-old has served his sentence and qualified for Paris.

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Ahead of the first presidential debate, Donald Trump is taking a leaf out of his Election Day playbook and attempting to preemptively discredit a strong performance by President Joe Biden. The former president and his allies have spent the days leading up to the rematch between the 2020 rivals accusing Biden of everything from doping, to secretly using an earpiece, to the unsportsmanlike use of Mountain Dew.

There is no evidence that Biden receives performance enhancing drugs ahead of major public appearances, but Trumps allies have picked up on the thread regardless.

How much adderall are they going to give him? asked Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) during a Thursday morning appearance on Newsmax. How many vitamins is he gonna be on?

Other Republicans have taken to describing Biden in the way an exasperated parent might describe their child after an unsupervised trip to a 7/11. He could be hopped up on a whole gallon of energy drinks, suggested House Speaker Mike Johnson. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) suggested that Bidens staff would jack him up on Mountain Dew or whatever it is.

MARIA BARTIROMO: They're probably experimenting with getting doses right, giving Biden medicine ahead of the debate. Is that what you think?



REP. ERIC BURLISON: Yeah  whether they're gonna jack him up on Mountain Dew or whatever it is. pic.twitter.com/qrGTmP5O1Z  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2024

The baseless accusation has even made its way into performative legislation. Earlier this month, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) announced that the No Juicing Joe Act, which would require the White House to notify Congress when the president takes a drug that could alter his alertness, judgment or mood.

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), who previously served as Trumps personal physician during his time in the White House, has spent the days ahead of the debate demanding that Biden be subjected to a drug test. Joe Biden was so HOPPED UP ON PEDS at the State of the Union, I could barely recognize him, he wrote Wednesday. Biden needs to be drug tested BEFORE AND AFTER the debate!!

Its worth pointing out that Jackson was dismissed from the white House in 2019 amid allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct and alcohol abuse while on the job. Under Jacksons tenure, the White House pharmacy was also accused of operating as an unregulated pill mill for uppers and downers that were handed out like candy to staff, as Rolling Stone reported in March.

Biden will be on a cocktail of performance enhancers, BUT YOU WILL WIPE THE FLOOR WITH HIM! Looking forward to your BIG WIN on Thursday!! Jackson wrote on Monday in response to praise from Trump for his anti-doping crusade.

Trumps allies arent only relying on baseless doping allegations to preemptively discredit Bidens debate performance.

Hardline Trump supporter and former campaign adviser Roger Stone claimed that Bidens ears need to be checked ahead of the debate for hidden communication devices through which his staff could feed him answers. No ear pieces! Trump should demand that Biden be carefully inspected to ensure that he is not wearing some deeply embedded high-tech earpiece before the beginning of the CNN debate, Stone wrote on X.

Trump and his allies have also been attacking CNN, the debate moderators, and the debates structure as unfairly biased towards Biden. It bears remembering that Trumps campaign agreed to all of the conditions set by CNN.

Theres two [of] us and two of them  its like death, Trump complained of the debate format during his rally in Philadelphia. During the same speech he dubbed co-moderator Jake Tapper as Fake Tapper and mocked the pronunciation of fellow arbitrator Dana Bashs name.

On Monday, CNN host Kasie Hunt booted Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt from an on-air interview after Leavitt repeatedly attacked Tapper. Were going to stop this interview if you keep attacking my colleagues, Hunt warned Leavitt at one point. I would like to talk about Joe Biden, and Donald Trump  who you work for.

In response to the attacks, CNN released a statement defending their anchors, writing that Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are well respected veteran journalists who have covered politics for more than five decades combined. They have extensive experience moderating major political debates, including CNNs Republican Presidential Primary Debate this cycle.

Trump has been at the forefront of all of these attacks. On Monday, the former president demanded that Biden be drug tested ahead of their CNN-hosted encounter on Thursday. DRUG TEST FOR CROOKED JOE BIDEN??? I WOULD, ALSO, IMMEDIATELY AGREE TO ONE!!! Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump made similar claims at a weekend rally in Philadelphia, telling the crowd that a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass  they want to strengthen him up so he comes out, hell come out, okay, I say hell come out all jacked up, right? All jacked up.

Trump on the debates: So, a little before debate time, he gets a shot in the ass. They want to strengthen him up. So he comes out. He'll come out. Okay. I say he'll come out all jacked up, right? pic.twitter.com/5p1tKxmwsX  Acyn (@Acyn) June 22, 2024

In past debates, Trump has often been a chaotic onstage presence, interrupting other candidates and directly sparring with moderators. In an attempt to keep some semblance of order, CNN has instituted a system where the moderators will be able to mute and un-mute candidates microphones to ensure they can only be heard during their designated speaking times.

The new system may not be enough to reign in the former presidents on-stage impulses. Rolling Stone reported this week that Trumps allies, worried that he might be baited into a reckless response from Biden in one of the most consequential debates of the two mens political careers, have cautioned him not to be a raging asshole while youre onstage with Biden.

Well see if he manages to heed their advice.

More from Rolling Stone

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  Firefighters doused a house fire in east Topeka Wednesday which caused thousands of dollars in damage.

The Topeka Fire Department (TFD) received a call about the fire around 9 p.m. on June 26 for an address in the 200 block of SE Davies St. Firefighters arriving at the scene found smoke and flames coming from several windows. A search of the building did not identify any residents.

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Rosie Nichols, City of Topeka spokeswoman, said in a press release the cause of the fire has not been found yet. A total of $30,000 in damage was done to the home which did not contain any working smoke detectors.

Invasive species spread to new waters in Kansas

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The first day of the Annual meeting & Business Forum of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has wrapped up in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

The first day featured sessions on "Islamic Finance in Central Asia," "Water, Energy, and Food in Central Asia: Partnerships and Projects for Sustainable Development," and "The Eurasian Transport Network: Potential, Challenges, and Solutions."

Participants discussed the growth of Islamic finance in Central Asia, global trends in Islamic finance and banking, and the coordination of the "water, energy, and food" nexus. They also explored cooperation between multilateral development banks and international organizations to advance the water and energy sectors in Central Asia, promising projects in these areas, transport projects, and key areas for developing the corridor freight base.

On the first day of the event, the participants sealed the deal and put pen to paper on several agreements. The EDB and the Islamic Development Bank Institute shook hands on a memorandum of understanding to pave the way for the growth of Islamic finance in Central Asia. In addition, the EDB sealed a deal with Dar Al Sharia Consulting Company to join forces in the realm of Islamic finance.

Studies titled "Promoting High Environmental and Social Standards in Central Asia: EDB Experience and Lessons Learned" and "The Eurasian Transport Network" were also presented during the event.

On the flip side, the second day is jam-packed with three additional sessions on the agenda.

To note, the Eurasian Development Bank 2024 Annual Meeting and Business Forum is taking place in Almaty on June 2728.

The event features a series of sessions on the topics of Islamic finance, transport, ecology, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank carrying out investment activities in the Eurasian region.

The EDB's authorized capital is $7 billion. The main share in the EDB portfolio is occupied by projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry and mechanical engineering.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
CHARLOTTE  Eaton County's first recreational marijuana shop has seen strong sales in its first two weeks since opening, according to employees  a boon to local users and, likely, to the city's coffers as well.

Harbor Farmz Provisioning Center, 122 Lansing Road, has seen several thousand customers come through its doors since opening June 10, Assistant General Manager Alyssa Murray said.

"Definitely we've had a, I'd say, positive response from lots of people, from Charlotte, Olivet, Bellevue, they're all coming in," Murray said.

While Lansing and Ingham County had previously embraced recreational marijuana sales and the tax money the once-illegal products brought in, Eaton County until now had remained without a recreational marijuana outlet and the state revenue that means for local communities.

Revenue was collected from 737 licensees among the state's 269 cities, villages and townships that allow marijuana sales during the 2023 fiscal year, the Detroit Free Press reported earlier this year. The $87 million collected was about a 46% increase from the $59.5 million in tax revenue that was collected for the 2022 fiscal year.

General Manager Mitchell Maltz, right, talks with inventory manager Zach Swan at Harbor Farmz Provisioning, the first dispensary in Charlotte, on Monday, June 24, 2024.

Each eligible municipality and county received $59,000 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness within their borders.

Lansing, for instance, has 21 cannabis dispensaries according to the Michigan Cannabis Information Portal. With 24 dispensaries and other microbusinesses, the city received $1.4 million.

Charlotte additionally is charging a $5,000 application fee and $5,000 annual renewal fee for each license issued.

The city is allowing retail, safety facility, transport and processing licenses, but not grow facility, microbusiness, consumption or temporary licenses.

All facilities are limited to three zoning areas  Lansing Road near Interstate 69, Clinton Trail near Meijer, and an area around Lipsey Drive and Packard Highway.

While Harbor Farmz is the first recreational marijuana company to open in Eaton County, others are planning to follow. Hollywood Jacks and High Society Cannabis are expected to locate in Charlotte soon: Both are in varying stages of the application process, according to Charlotte's City Clerk Mary LaRocque.

Charlotte City Council members adopted the recreational cannabis ordinance on Aug. 21, 2023, by a 6-1 vote. At the meeting, 10 members of the public spoke about the proposal, half in favor and half against. The ordinance went into effect in October. It does not place a limit on the number of dispensaries.

Councilman Mike Duweck, who supported the motion to approve the ordinance, said he wasnt sure about introducing recreational marijuana, but after speaking with community leaders across Michigan, he began to see the benefits of the property redevelopment, tax revenue, and job opportunities.

The Harbor Farmz site previously was a veterinary hospital while Hollywood Jacks is looking at a former Mexican restaurant for its future location.

In the end, we found that there was really no reason not to move forward," Duweck said.

Folks who are really in that business they understand how many locations a town should be able to support, so the folks who got in early here I would expect that theyre gonna be in good shape," he said.

Budtender Crystolyn Ruthruff, center, helps a customer at Harbor Farmz Provisioning, the first dispensary in Charlotte, on Monday, June 24, 2024.

Charlotte Councilman Anthony Rodriguez, who cast the opposing vote, said he wasn't confident in the crime statistics, location of the dispensaries, or in his understanding of the industry. Rodriguez said he wouldn't change his vote, but since the opening of Harbor Farmz he has gained a better understanding of the benefits and local appeal.

He added that opposition from community members had lessened since the store opened.

Kathy McCoy, who lives in the city, said she doesn't have a problem with the incoming dispensaries because old properties that would have otherwise been left empty are now repurposed.

"What's the harm?" McCoy said.

Established in 2017, Harbor Farmz opened its first location in Three Rivers in 2022 and, similar to the situation in Charlotte, the company was the first to open a dispensary in that area.

For the Charlotte operation, Harbor Farmz hired local residents. Murray, a 30-year resident of Charlotte, said since Harbor Farmz was the first dispensary to open in Charlotte, making a solid first impression was important.

"It's an experience they're buying into," Murray said of customers.

Floyd Harkness, a customer who uses cannabis for chronic pain, was pleased with the service he received at the new shop.

"They are knowledgeable. I was impressed with their knowledge the other day when I came, so thats what brought me back," he said.

Contact Sarah Moore at SMoore@lsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Eaton County's first pot shop, Harbor Farmz, drawing crowds
A pro-Palestinian protester gets into a car swarmed by pro-Israel protesters near Adas Torah on the 9040 block of West Pico Boulevard on Sunday. (Zoe Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)

One of the ideas that Mayor Karen Bass listed that the city could consider in response to violence Sunday outside Adas Torah synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area was the role of masks at protests.

To be clear, she didnt say that masks at protests ought to be banned. But for many who listened to her address at the Museum of Tolerance Monday, that was the takeaway. A potential mask prohibition became the focus of news and social media discussion.

Read more: Could L.A. enforce antimasking laws for protesters? Experts weigh in

It is appropriate for the mayor to speak decisively against the violence between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters and to take action to prevent any recurrence. Her discussion with other city leaders, police and community members may well produce useful ideas.

But a mask ban is not one of them.

Such a ban would probably violate the 1st Amendment right to expression. But beyond the fact that a court might not permit it, lets examine why it would be a bad idea to adopt a local mask ban.

It is quite true that masks can obscure a protesters identity and make it more difficult for law enforcement authorities to identify a person who moves beyond peaceful protest, engaging in violence or other criminal offenses. Masks make it harder to hold offenders accountable. Indeed, some pro-Palestinian protesters outside the synagogue Sunday had their faces covered, as did some of the pro-Israel counterprotesters who tried to dismantle an encampment on the UCLA campus in April.

Read more: Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action

Yet anonymous protesting, like anonymous commenting, is well within the free speech tradition. Americans are no more obliged to show their faces while stating their opinions than they are required to carry identification papers  or display tattoos or other identifying marks on their bodies  if their actions remain with the law. One might object that hiding behind a face covering makes a less forthright statement than sharing a name and other identifying information, but thats a different issue. People who decline to identify themselves do not give up their right to express themselves.

Besides, there might be compelling reasons for lawful protesters to conceal their identities. If they are foreign nationals, for example, they may fear reprisals, including death, from their governments.

American citizens who speak anonymously or hide their faces might want to avoid police surveillance, and they should be able to do that as long as they don't threaten or inflict immediate harm on others or engage in other forms of law-breaking. As government and private companies track peoples movements through license-plate readers, traffic cameras, cellphone tracking and other technology, Americans who value their privacy and their rights need not simply give in. They need not give up masks, the lowest-tech means of resisting all the high-tech surveillance.

Read more: Editorial: It's OK to keep your mask on even when you don't have to

Masks themselves have become political statements and come within free speech protections. Lets not forget that very recently, wearing masks in public was not merely permitted, but encouraged and often mandated. Refusing to wear one might have theoretically subjected a person to arrest (although that rarely happened). A persons masking decision during the COVID-19 pandemic expressed a belief about government policy, personal rights and respect for medical expertise. In some communities across the nation where mask mandates were resisted, stores posted signs advising shoppers that anyone who entered wearing a mask would be considered a thief, and would be treated as such  even if the law required masks in public.

How would law enforcement authorities distinguish between someone wearing a mask to evade identification and someone wanting not to catch COVID? Authorities in North Carolina will have to figure that out after adopting a protest mask ban with a health exception.

Read more: Editorial: Masks for all at K-12 schools? Great idea

A mask might carry the image of a foreign flag or an American flag (upside down or right-side up), or a symbol of a hate group or a noxious ideology. But the content, no matter how offensive, warrants protection as long as it does not put anyone in reasonable fear of imminent harm.

What about a Ku Klux Klan hood? Is it not a mask that conceals a persons identity and grants impunity to commit illegal acts?

Some localities and states, including Georgia, do ban hoods on the argument that the KKK has long used them to promote "harassment, intimidation and violence against racial and religious minorities." Georgia's Supreme Court ruled that the goal outweighed the rights of Klan members to associate anonymously. Other courts have struck down anti-mask laws.

Los Angeles does not need to ban masks to protect peoples right to assemble, to worship, to protest or to walk down the street. Were interested to hear what other plans city officials come up with. But they can leave the mask ban off the list.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
For those who are so inclined, theres nothing quite so delicious as a successful hack  a clever wriggle around the rules and expectations that constrain mere mortals.

But sometimes the players get played. Their smooth moves cost them a prize they thought they had successfully squirreled away. And bless their hearts, they get so mad when that happens.

Dont they, Carey Baker?

See, Baker  who currently serves as Lake County property appraiser  thought hed found a smart little shortcut around the tiresome business of collecting signatures or cutting a five-figure check to qualify for re-election. By filing as a write-in candidate, his paperwork would be minimal and almost all of the $24,300 hed collected in contributions for the 2024 elections would stay nestled snugly in his campaign account.

It was a trick that worked fine for him in 2020. Bakers name didnt appear on the ballot, but neither did anyone elses, so Baker was re-elected with no fuss. And it would have worked well this year as well, if not for a political upstart. Mark Jordan (who is th the brother of David Jordan, Lake Countys tax collector) dared to file for property appraiser as well. Now Mark Jordans name will appear on the ballot as the lone Republican  heck, the lone anything  running for property appraiser. Baker (who served in the state Legislature before taking over the property appraisers office) will have to hope that voters can remember to write in his name.

Hes . not taking it well. In fact, Baker and his supporters seem to be pitching one of the biggest hissy fits in Lake Countys recent political history. Leading the pack is head of the Lake County GOP, Anthony Sabatini, whos spewing insults and threats at the Jordan brothers as fast as he can think them up. (In some cases, maybe a little bit faster.)

Sabatini has threatened to drum the brothers out of the Lake County GOP. Hes convinced the countys Republican Executive Committee to censure them for their deeply immoral and depraved actions. Hes dragged other officials into the mess, including a statement from state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson (who really should have done a little more investigating before lending his stamp of approval to Sabatinis shenanigans). And of course, theres a lawsuit, filed this week by Baker against Mark Jordan and Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays.

In the suit, Baker cuts past all the inflammatory rhetoric and notes that the deadline to file for these county offices was noon on June 14  and that Mark Jordans paperwork was time-stamped about a half-hour after that cutoff. Its easy to see why Baker feels so aggrieved by this. Because he was aware of the possibility of a fully qualified opponent, Baker hung out in the elections office to make sure his workaround worked  and was prepared to pay the filing fee if necessary. But after noon came and went, Baker left. About half an hour later, Mark Jordan paid the $10,685 fee to qualify. Just like that, Bakers hack came un-hacked.

Heres the critical point: Jordan was in line by noon  along with his brother David. In fact, Baker saw both of them waiting.

Bakers legal claim that Hays should have refused to accept the brothers paperwork runs directly contrary to official state policy. Heres what the Supervisors Handbook on Candidate Qualifying, issued by the Florida Division on Elections, has to say about qualifying deadlines:

If a candidate is standing in line to qualify at noon, but the papers have not been accepted, do I still accept the paperwork after the end of qualifying? Yes. If the candidate is in line prior to the end of qualifying, accept the paperwork. Note in the file that although the documents were time-stamped after the end of qualifying, the candidate was waiting to have the documents processed prior to the close of qualifying.

Because its not uncommon for there to be a last-minute rush of candidates, Hays kept time-stamped records documenting when each person showed up. The Jordans were indisputably in line before the noon deadline.

That blows a hole in the only real challenge to Mark Jordans candidacy. Take that away, and Lake voters are left with a foul cloud of insults from Sabatini, and an oversized sense of entitlement from Baker.

No political office-holder  no matter how popular or effective  should expect a guaranteed cruise to re-election year after year without even having to worry about possible opponents. Nobody should assume that the rules should flex to protect his incumbency. Baker had exactly the same opportunity Mark Jordan did: He could have paid the qualifying fee and left, assured of his place on the ballot. But  even though he knew other potential candidates were still in line when he left the elections office  Baker assumed he had his $170,000 job in the bag for another four years.

He got overconfident. Its just that simple. Attempts to impugn Hays integrity, or drive Mark Jordan away with continuous blasts of scurrilous rhetoric from Sabatini, doesnt change anything  except, perhaps, the trust and respect of Lake County voters, who had been electing Carey Baker to public office for nearly a quarter-century and who may now be wondering how long hes taken their support for granted.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com.

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Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making headlines again and delighting MAGA world by having said Friday on Bill Mahers HBO show that the Manhattan hush money criminal case against Donald Trump shouldnt have been brought, and wouldnt have if his name was not Donald Trump and if he wasnt running for president.

Cuomos sentiments are the same regarding the civil case against Trump for making phony valuations with his holdings to deceive lenders and insurers.

In doing so, Cuomo echoed Trumps own arguments that this is practically a banana republic-style attack against a political opponent, orchestrated by District Attorney Alvin Bragg and state Attorney General Tish James, both elected Democrats.

We agree that such high profile cases must be handled carefully, but we cannot agree with Cuomos assessment. In fact, we think hes got this situation exactly opposite.

There are two semi-related but separate ideas here, and the distinction between them is significant. On the one hand, theres the idea that Trump was being sued and prosecuted specifically because he is Donald J. Trump, and the officials bringing the case (Bragg and James) disagree with him politically and wish to punish him and hinder his presidential campaign. This would be unacceptable and stand in direct contravention to our system of law and government.

It didnt help that candidate James in 2018 made clear her opposition: Im running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president.

We cant pretend that theres ever really been an era when law enforcement was totally disconnected from political preferences and pressures. But the history of our country has been one of people striving and often succeeding through hard-won victories to hew the reality closer to our founding ideals of equality under the law. Risking those principles for short-term political gain is not a gamble ever worth taking, not for those who care about American democracy.

Yet there is the other possibility, that Trump was sued and prosecuted not because of his candidacy, but because there was overwhelming evidence that he committed the offenses of which he was found guilty. He had attracted massive amounts of attention to himself not just via his political career but his affinity for impunity and he needed to be held accountable for the system to still mean anything.

In this scenario, the same would happen if he was not Donald J. Trump, and in fact if he were the Democratic candidate for president.

It might seem somewhat odd to say that in one case, prosecution threatens our system whereas in the other, a failure to prosecute does, when they seem rather similar on the surface. Yet while most people intuitively understand that the former case represents the loss of integrity in a legal and political system, the latter does the same by putting people above the law.

If Trump cannot be prosecuted just because he is a candidate for president, despite the clear evidence that he did the acts of which he was accused, plus many more that are in procedural limbo, then effectively were saying that some of the most powerful people among us cannot be held to the same legal standards and processes as everyone else. That is just as much a marker of a state where the rule of law has failed.

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TechCrunch

Tesla is gearing up to reveal its Robotaxi this Thursday, and everyone wants to know what it will look like, whether Tesla will unveil a commercialization strategy, and what outrageous timelines Elon Musk might announce to bump Teslas stock. Musk had originally planned to reveal the Robotaxi  which he has also referred to as a Cybercab  on August 8. While Musk initially accused Reuters of lying, over the next couple of weeks, Tesla indeed laid off 10% of staff to usher in a next phase of growth, and Musk said Tesla would be going balls to the wall for autonomy.
El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele takes part in the launch of Google El Salvador in San Salvador

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) -El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said on Thursday that the culture ministry would fire 300 employees who he said were promoting agendas "incompatible" with the government's vision.

"Furthermore, we will save public funds in the process," Bukele said on X. "Bitter medicine."

Bukele did not elaborate. But last week he appointed Raul Castillo, a former teacher, as culture minister, saying that he wanted to "promote patriotic and family values."

Ruling party lawmaker Alexia Rivas wrote on X shortly after Bukele's post: "El Salvador is pro-life, pro-traditional family and the 2030 agenda has no place here," an apparent reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda which includes provisions for a range of human rights.

"This is what the people asked for, this is the vision of our president, and this is the path that officials must follow," she said.

El Salvador maintains some of the world's harshest anti-abortion laws, while earlier this month, the culture ministry canceled a play by drag artists after receiving complaints from local conservative and religious groups.

Bukele took office at the start of June for a second term after winning a landslide re-election, pledging to cure the "illnesses" of the Central American country by prescribing "medicine" to fix the economy, following what he described as a cure for the "cancer of the gangs" during his first term.

Bukele garnered massive popularity for transforming security in a country that was once one of the world's most dangerous, but use of mass trials, a mega prison and suspended civil rights have drawn criticism from human rights groups.

A former marketing professional, Bukele has created a powerful communications operation that has allowed him to influence what Salvadorans read, watch and hear about their government like no previous leader in the nation of 6.5 million people in the internet age.

Critics say Bukele's media juggernaut is helping to undermine the country's fragile democratic institutions.

(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Rosalba O'Brien)
On Election Day, remind the public that Tennessee lawmakers were about profits not people

Reflecting on the 2024 Tennessee state legislative session, once again, instead of a convening of popularly elected leaders working to address the needs of their constituents, it unfolded like a bad reality TV show with onlookers choosing sides in the drama of the day.

For the second straight year, the biggest "accomplishment" of the term was a multibillion tax break  and refund  for big corporations.

While Tennesseans struggle with the rising cost of groceries, housing, child care, and every other aspect of life, it is hard to find a single thing legislators did that would improve anyones quality of life.

There were opportunities, like Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, and Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville,s bill to eliminate the tax on groceries paid for by closing tax loopholes on the biggest corporations, but that proposal was ridiculed by people like Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville. The latter of which amended the bill to preserve the corporate tax loopholes, essentially killing it.

Despite setbacks, the school vouchers proposal failed

There was another bill from Oliver and Behn to fund free pre-K for all 4 year-olds paid for by taxing the biggest tech companies for the privilege of selling all the personal data they take from all of us through our devices.

People gather to protest a school voucher bill, corporate tax loopholes and the grocery tax at the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

Once again, the people in power stood with those big tech companies and didnt even entertain a debate. Meanwhile, Google, Facebook, Amazon and X will continue to make billions while parents struggle with the crushing cost of daycare.

One very important win for Tennessee families was the failure of the governors signature legislation on school vouchers.

Despite millions of dollars being poured into Tennessee from out-of-state special interest groups this proposal was met with widespread, bipartisan opposition.

Parents, students, educators, school board members, and local administrators from across Tennessee sent a powerful message back to the legislature: Tennessee tax dollars belong in public schools that serve ALL students.

Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, walks with protesters marching in response to several controversial bills, outside at Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

More than 70 local government bodies like school boards and city councils around the state passed resolutions opposing the bill. Despite that, the governor and leaders of the Republican majority pressed until the last day trying to take money out of our already underfunded schools and give it to private schools.

More: K-12 education bills: What passed, what failed in Tennessee's legislative session

Subhed

If you are sensing a theme, it is that the current leadership in the Tennessee Legislature fights very hard for private entities at the expense of public ones. They were able to come to agreement on an unprecedented $1.9 billion franchise tax cut for businesses that includes refunding three years of taxes they have already paid.

This comes on the heels of a report revealing that 60% of companies filing a return in Tennessee already pay zero in the excise tax on corporate income. That includes companies that report $1 billion in taxable income to the federal government.

Because of Tennessee law, the public isnt allowed to know which companies are paying and which are not, but in a small victory, the refunds in the new tax break will be made public because of pressure generated by concerned citizens and an amendment originally proposed by Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Oak Hill.

State Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, speaks to guests during the Southern Student Organizing Committees 60th Anniversary Reunion at the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, June 14, 2024.

As we look ahead to elections and to the next legislative session, members of Tennessee for All will be organizing in communities making sure people know what happened this year, but more importantly, what didnt happen. We didnt get the big investment in our public schools we know is needed. We surveyed over 750 people this year from almost 40 counties and 72% said they need more school funding, not less. We talked to hundreds of people at grocery stores asking if they would benefit from ending the grocery tax and overwhelmingly they said yes.

We have to build a community of engaged citizens from Memphis to Mountain City that tell our elected leaders they need to focus on creating policy that will create a Tennessee that works for all of us, not just giant corporations and a wealthy few.

Representing Tennessee For All:

Kermit Moore, president, Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute

Vonda McDaniel, president, Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle TN

Christine Fox, secretary - Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope

June Rostan, co-chair, Jobs with Justice of East TN

Dustin Park, Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment

Tennessee for All is a statewide coalition of faith, labor, and community organizations representing hundreds of thousands of people from Memphis to Mountain City. We stand united in a long-term mission to eliminate systemic inequalities, hold corporations accountable, and build a better Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmakers favored profits over people. Remind voters of that
Rep. Julianne Youngs narrow loss in the Republican primary in May was confirmed in a recount. The three-term incumbent, R-Blackfoot, lost by four votes in the District 30 Seat B race.

Challenger Ben Fuhriman earned 3,764 votes to Youngs 3,760, according to a news release from the Idaho Secretary of States office. The results widened Fuhrimans victory from the official election results, which gave him a two-vote victory in the district that covers Butte and Bingham counties. Fuhriman will face Democrat Breane Buckingham in November.

Young requested a recount after the slim margin qualified for a free recount.

The small shift in results following the recount was the third iteration of the elections results, after an error in Butte County on Election Day shifted a 10-vote margin to the two-vote outcome, the Secretary of States Office previously said in a news release. The two-vote margin was the official vote canvass before the recount, which further shifted two votes in Butte County.

Fuhrimans victory was generally viewed as an exception to an election trend that is likely to sweep multiple far-right lawmakers into office, after those candidates appeared to pick up five House seats in battles against more traditional opponents. Fuhrimans platform was more moderate than Youngs. She sponsored a bill this year to limit transgender or nonbinary peoples access to medical treatment, which became law.

Fuhriman noted that his victory was one of the closest in Idaho history in a statement to the Idaho Statesman.

I am excited to serve the people of District 30 in the Idaho House and deeply humbled and honored for their trust and support, he said.

Young told the Statesman by email that she appreciated the professional manner of the recount, which put any questions to rest.

It has been a privilege to successfully implement foundational public policies for the state of Idaho in defense of our families, mental health care access, and private property rights, she said. I wish my opponent the very best in his service and pledge my continued service in other capacities wherever I may stand.

Young added that her father, Dr. Richard Hill, died this month, and his funeral was over the weekend in Blackfoot.

While I will miss serving the good people of my district, I would not trade the weeks I spent in the hospital with my father during election season for anything, she said.

Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a news release that the confirmed outcomes had reaffirmed that Idaho elections are accurate, secure, and transparent.
Insights from The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Atlantic, and Axios

The News

NASA has tapped Elon Musks SpaceX to de-orbit and destroy the International Space Station when it retires in 2030.

The ISS, which has been operational for more than two decades, is a rare point of international collaboration between Europe, Russia, and the US  but it is getting too old to function.

Whatever replaces it will not have the same importance as a geopolitical beacon of hope, as both China and Russia plan to go their own way in space.

SpaceX reportedly reached a valuation of $210 billion, a record for a private company, second only to TikToks owner ByteDance.







SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

SpaceX has a leading role in US space race with China

Sources: Scientific American, The Daily Wire, The Washington Post

SpaceX is critical to NASAs ambitions to get people back on the moon. While Musk predicted in 2021 humans would return to the moon by 2026, the timeline is in flux: NASAs top official has said the US is on schedule to make that date, but there have been delays even as China has raced ahead in landing robots on the moon. SpaceXs recent successful test of its Starship rocket offers some optimism  it will ferry NASA astronauts to the moon from orbit. China has undoubtedly become the main challenger in space to the US, and China has warned its Western rival it will keep taking giant steps, despite efforts to deter it, The Washington Post reported.

SpaceX dominates rocket industry as competitors lag behind

Sources: The Washington Post, The Atlantic

SpaceX has become a dominant behemoth in the space industry, The Washington Post noted. Its growth has been favored by the setbacks of its competitors, especially those experienced by Boeing, The Atlantic wrote. Both companies were contracted by NASA to develop a fleet of commercial crewed spacecraft in 2014, but Boeing hasnt yet managed to complete a crewed mission. The technical delays, and whether Boeing can overcome them, reflect not only the high stakes for the future of the Starliner program, but also the companys future in space, The Washington Post wrote.

Musks companies have a growing role in US geopolitics

Source: Axios

The US government increasingly relies on the commercial sector for space activities, giving private companies and individuals more leverage over geopolitical decisions, experts told Axios. The private sector both meets, and sometimes exceeds, the governments capabilities in the industry, and NASA has largely sidelined its own hardware in favor of that made by SpaceX and other smaller companies. More specifically, SpaceX and Musks role in geopolitics has grown, particularly with the launch of internet satellite network Starlink. It has proven crucial to military operations and intelligence gathering in Ukraine and elsewhere. But SpaceX is also increasingly the only rocket company able to reliably launch American interests into space, whether they are NASA or defense missions.


Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alitos dissent in a Thursday ruling on an Idaho lawsuit over a federal emergency medical treatment law opens the door to more attacks on abortion access as well as Congress own spending power, legal experts say.

In a dissent authored by Alito and joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, the conservative justices argued that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospitals participating in Medicare to stabilize both the woman and her unborn child.

The dissent also focused on another key aspect of how the federal government has enforced its policies nationwide: relying on the Constitution's Spending Clause to justify its authority to attach conditions to federal grants.

In a separate concurrence, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said that lower courts should address the Spending Clause issue. She wrote that the Idaho petitioners "raised a difficult and consequential argument" about whether Congress can "obligate recipients of federal funds to violate state criminal law."

"To me, that's a gathering storm," New York University Law professor Melissa Murray told Salon.

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the Biden administration sent guidance to hospitals nationwide reminding them of their obligation to offer stabilizing care, including medically necessary abortions, under EMTALA.

The Supreme Courts one-line order Thursday allowed Idaho to continue prohibiting abortions except to prevent a pregnant patients death  even though the federal government argued EMTALA preempted Idahos law and requires Medicare-funded hospital care to provide essential emergency care. The court said it had improperly granted its decision to review the Ninth Courts decision agreeing with the U.S. government before the appeal went through the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Meanwhile, in the much more populous Texas, a federal appeals court in January allowed the state to ban emergency life-saving abortions despite EMTALA.

Alitos dissent represented a complete disparagement of concern for womens health, for pregnant patients health," said Maya Manian, professor of law at American University Washington College of Law.

She pointed to a sentence where he put quotations around the phrase the health of a pregnant woman.

She said the quotations made it seem as if health is sort of a phony concern.

Alito defended Idahos law  which only allows abortions to prevent the death of the pregnant patient  by arguing that that law does not require that the risk of death be particularly immediate.

Manian said Alito is arguing that pregnant peoples lives should be left up to the states: It's really striking the emphasis on protecting the unborn child and the deemphasis of the pregnant patients.

Nicole Huberfeld, a Boston University School of Law professor and co-director of the BU Program on Reproductive Justice, said Alito was grasping at straws in the dissent.

Justice Alitos dissent is his own version of EMTALA that has nothing to do with law's actual history or meaning, Huberfeld said.

EMTALA, signed by Reagan in 1986, took aim at the practice of patient dumping  when hospitals dump patients who are Black, who cant pay or are undesirable in some other way, according to Huberfeld.

The idea was, if you take Medicare funding as a hospital and you have an emergency room, then you can't turn people away, no matter who they are, no matter what state you sit in, Huberfeld said. Congress enacted this law because there were so many egregious examples of hospitals dumping patients.

Huberfeld said that hospitals would turn away patients in labor: And either the pregnant person or the fetus died, or both.

Hospitals would say: Well, its a danger to the fetus, thats not necessarily a danger to the pregnant person, Huberfeld said.

She said Congress amended the law to ensure hospitals counted labor as a medical emergency.

It had nothing to do with whether or not an abortion might be necessary to address a medical emergency, Huberfeld said. In fact, it didn't need to be, because at the time, abortion was constitutionally protected.

She said Congress left the decision about what an appropriate treatment would be for a medical emergency to the treating healthcare provider.

And it did so because there's no way Congress could possibly enumerate all of the instances of what would be necessary for any given medical emergency, she said.

EMTALA defines an appropriate transfer to a medical facility as in which the transferring hospital provides the medical treatment within its capacity which minimizes the risks to the individuals health and, in the case of a woman in labor, the health of the unborn child.

The law also allows transfers in certain cases where a physician certifies that the medical benefits reasonably expected from the provision of appropriate medical treatment at another medical facility outweigh the increased risks to the individual and, in the case of labor, to the unborn child.

And it defines an emergency medical condition as one that places the health of the individual (or, with respect to a pregnant woman, the health of the woman or her unborn child) in serious jeopardy.

In the dissent, Alito argues that those definitions mean that EMTALA obligates Medicare-funded hospitals to treat, not abort, an unborn child.

He said the law doesnt mention abortion: Just the opposite is true: EMTALA requires the hospital at every stage to protect an unborn child from harm.

In footnote 3, Alito also cites the little-known Dictionary Act  a part of the federal code that provides definitions for laws.

In 2002, Congress passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which amended the Dictionary Act to define the words person, human being, child, and individual, shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development.

That bill also tweaked the federal code to state that the definition of an individual cant be used to deny any legal status or right applicable to any member of the species homo sapiens at any point prior to being born alive.

The government cited the Dictionary Acts definition of an individual in filings last year, arguing that EMTALA carefully distinguishes between the individual (denoting the pregnant woman) and her unborn child.

Accordingly, in the context of emergency medical conditions arising during a pregnancy, the individual to whom EMTALA creates obligations  and allows to choose whether to proceed with treatment  is the pregnant woman, wrote Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar in a November 2023 filing.

In the footnote of his dissent, Alito pointed to the Dictionary Acts prior to being born alive language.

Thus, the Act itself provides no support for the governments position, Alito wrote.

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Legal experts said Alitos reading of the federal law is incorrect and runs counter to its text, legislative history and context.

They said there's no evidence that EMTALA was enacted or amended to prevent abortions.

The originalism of Congress' intent was that women should not suffer during their pregnancies, that women should be stabilized if they were in a crisis associated with their labor, said Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Georgetown professor of constitutional law and global health policy. And it was enacted at a time in which abortion was lawful as a broad federal matter.

Murray said the idea behind EMTALA was to protect pregnant people who required care for both themselves and a viable fetus.

It wasn't an effort to try and entirely take off the table the idea that stabilizing care might include an abortion in a case of miscarriage or pregnancy that was no longer viable, she said.

Manian said EMTALA also addresses pre-viability  "when there's no chance of saving a fetus in that case, and you're just trying to protect the pregnant patient's health."

Manian and Huberheld also said Alitos dissent and reading of EMTALA is the latest example of his raising the pro-life movements arguments for fetal personhood.

Huberfeld said Alito was using social movement language about the unborn thats detached from the actual history of EMTALA.

He's trying to find ways to articulate why he thinks an unborn child as he puts it, or a baby as he also puts it should be prioritized over the life of the patient, she said.

The anti-abortion rights movement for decades has advocated for fetal personhood and for the Supreme Court to define a fetus as a human being. Alito raised concern about the "unborn child" in oral arguments over the EMTALA case earlier this year.

Murray said the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, had lots of Easter eggs that sort of gesture toward the idea that fetal personhood is on the table and or should be on the table.

Goodwin said Thomas laid seeds in the soil for years in his dissents hoping they would blossom into the Dobbs ruling.

And she said Alitos dissent could have a similar impact down the line.

What these justices have done in these cases, where even if there's not the reach of a substantive decision  has nonetheless been a kind of signaling to parties that might take up the kinds of arguments that they are laying out, Goodwin said. Its likely that there may potentially be some sympathy to the kind of argument or the framework making its way through a legislative system or through a judicial system, where the justices recognize their own arguments and are more amenable to their very own arguments.

Alito and conservative justices have long pushed the idea of fetal personhood  dating back to the Hobby Lobby case that allowed privately-held companies to deny contraception coverage to employees with a religious exemption, according to Goodwin.

Justice Alito, dating back to the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, has been in many ways bleeding into American jurisprudence that which seems to be clearly a part of what is his personal life, because its certainly not deeply rooted in American Constitutionalism, she said.

Goodwin said Alito and other justices have contorted themselves to insert their own private beliefs into jurisprudence.

It's not actually based on the kinds of methodologies that the court has typically aligned itself, or the kind of rule of law practice that has been revered for centuries with the court, Goodwin said. But instead it becomes a kind of chaotic mismatch in order to do what some would argue is outcome determinative jurisprudence.. To look at what the outcome should be based on his ideological or partisan views, and then backfilling the opinions in ways that seem far less credible because of what they ignore.

Goodwin noted that in Dobbs, Alito failed to mention the nations relatively high rates of maternal mortality  instead only mentioning maternal mortality rates at the time of Roe.

Thats an inconvenient fact, so Justice Alito doesnt mention it, she said.

Huberfeld also drew attention to Alitos arguments against how Congress for decades has structured our healthcare laws by using its spending power to attach conditions to the receipt of federal funds.

Alito wrote that such conditions must be ambiguous under Supreme Court precedent.

And in any event, Idaho never consented to any conditions imposed by EMTALA and certainly did not surrender control of the practice of medicine and the regulation of abortions within its territory, he wrote.

Huberfeld said such arguments could have wide-ranging impacts on programs from Medicare, to Medicaid, to the Childrens Health Insurance Program.

There are arguments being made that when Congress uses its spending power to enact a law that states don't necessarily have to pay attention to that, that their laws are not preempted by spending power laws, she said. Justice Barrett's concurrence is open to that argument, and Justice Alitos dissent is open to this argument. So there are six justices who are open to this idea.

Murray said there's a broader skepticism about Congress' authority on the court, which she said has narrowed how Congress can use the Commerce Clause.

"As the Court has sort of narrowed Congress's ability to enact legislation under more traditional vehicles like the Commerce Clause or section five of the 14th Amendment, there's really been an over reliance on the spending plan and conditioning federal grants to the states as a means of affecting certain policy outcomes," Murray said. "Now I think the court is sort of saying, 'Okay, well, how can we limit that too?'"

"I think it'll come up again and in other context, not just abortion," Murray said. "I think that's a broader issue about this sort of power play between the political branches and the court is arrogating authority to itself."

Huberfeld said that Alito, Gorsuch and Thomas dissent invite more litigation for advocates to try to limit Congress spending power.

And that has enormous implications for how most social programs work in the United States, she said.

Legal experts told Salon that the court should have used Thursdays ruling to hold that EMTALA preempts any conflicting state laws.

There are just punts until after the election, Manian said. And we know who's going to benefit by punting on these cases, especially if the court ultimately holds against those challenges seeking to protect the party seeking to protect abortion rights.

Murray pointed out that both Justice Alito and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the court's Thursday decision "was really about political expediency and not wanting to make a decision on this question at a time when it would be politically inconvenient or would make abortion a bigger issue in electoral politics."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The United States seeks to ensure that the export of goods from Central Asia does not go through Russia and China, but through alternative routes, including Azerbaijan, said James OBrien, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, at the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Trend reports.

"This applies to the entire Central Asian region; all of these countries exports to world markets now only go through China and Russia. For a workaround, they need to cooperate with Azerbaijan," he said, commenting on the goals of his upcoming trip to Baku.

"One route goes through Georgia to the Black Sea, but another, potentially larger one, would go through Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkiye. For these reasons, we need a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia," the diplomat explained.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. OBrien will travel to Baku, Azerbaijan, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, June 27-29.

In Baku, Assistant Secretary OBrien will meet with senior Azerbaijani government officials, to highlight progress in the U.S.-Azerbaijan bilateral relationship and U.S. support toward the conclusion of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Ethnic Greek imprisoned in Albania hopes his election to European Parliament will boost rule of law

FILE - Fredis Beleris looks on as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visits to the ethnic Greek minority of Albania, in Himare, Albania, on Dec. 22, 2022. Fredis Beleris, an ethnic Greek politician jailed in Albania for vote-buying, says he hopes his election this month to the European Parliament will help boost the rule of law in Albania. Beleris told The Associated Press in an interview from prison that he would have preferred to serve as mayor of the southern Albania community he was elected to lead last year, before his arrest and conviction. His case has soured relations between Balkan neighbors Greece and Albania. (Dimitris Papamitsos/Greek Prime Minister's Office via AP, File)

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  An Albanian prison cell wouldn't rank high among choice spots to run a successful campaign for election to the European Parliament.

Fredis Beleris, a member of Albania's ethnic Greek minority, had no choice. Last year, he was elected mayor of a town in southern Albania  a candidate to join the European Union  but lost his office and is now serving a two-year sentence for vote-buying in that election.

The case soured relations between the Balkan neighbors and led to the dual Greek-Albanian citizen's election on June 9 to represent EU member Greece in the European Parliament. He ran on the ticket of Greece's governing center-right party.

I know (my election) will help put a spotlight on a major problem Albania faces, which is the rule of law, Beleris told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday from prison.

Here, the judiciary is the long arm of politics, he added. I think these problems must be brought to the fore  lack of respect for the Greek ethnic minoritys rights, such as the right to property ... and to be governed by the people it elects.

Beleris' election isn't unique. An Italian leftwing activist held in pretrial detention in EU member Hungary was released after her election to the European Parliament on an Italian party's ballot.

Members of the legislature enjoy substantial legal immunity from prosecution within the 27-state EU, even over alleged crimes committed before their election. But Albania is not an EU member, and unlike Beleris, the new Italian member of the European Parliament had not been convicted in court.

Athens described Beleris' detention and trial as politically motivated and implied Albania's prospects of joining the EU would suffer. The case is complicated by fractious Balkan politics, minority rights and property disputes on a prime coastal stretch of what's marketed as the Albanian Riviera, the top tourist destination in the country.

Some 10 million tourists visited the small country last year, contributing about a fifth of the economy.

I had no intention of entering politics in Greece, it was because of the need to highlight this huge problem, Beleris said. Anybody who knows me knows for sure that I would prefer to have been mayor.

Beleris, 51, was arrested two days before the May 14, 2023 municipal elections in Himare, on the Albanian Riviera, 220 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of the capital, Tirana. He was charged with offering some 40,000 Albanian leks ($390) to buy eight votes.

He won with a 19-vote lead, backed by the ethnic Greek minority party and others opposing Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's governing Socialists. But he never took office, being detained until his court conviction in March. An appeals court upheld the ruling on Tuesday.

Beleris denies the charges, claiming that Rama targeted him to keep control of Himare, and that judges ignored evidence in his favor. Albanian officials strongly reject his claims, citing the independence of the judiciary.

Judicial corruption has long plagued post-communist Albania. The system recently underwent deep reforms, following EU and U.S. pressure to root out bribery and ensure judges are independent from politics.

In March, Albanian officials arrested Beleris main rival Jorgo Goro, who was appointed acting Himare mayor after the vote-buying case. Goro was charged with allegedly faking documents to obtain local land for an ex-lawmaker planning a tourist resort.

Beleris said he believes that at the heart of his case are huge financial interests as far as tourist development is concerned.

But its also that the Albanian prime minister doesnt want the local (ethnic) Greek population to share in that prosperity, he said. Thats a direct breach of our human and minority rights.

Relations between Greece and Albania have been at times uneasy, largely over minority rights and the sizeable Albanian migrant community in Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has strongly backed Beleris, giving him a place on his New Democracy party's ticket. Beleris won some 235,000 votes, coming fourth among the seven MEPs the party elected.

Mitsotakis' move came as ND was struggling to staunch a leak of votes from its traditional conservative base towards small far-right parties. Greece is also at loggerheads with another small Balkan neighbor and EU hopeful, North Macedonia, and has suggested that country's efforts to join the bloc could also suffer in consequence.

So far, the EU Commission has treated the Beleris matter as a bilateral dispute. EU membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia started in 2022 and are expected to last for years.

I think Albania must join the European Union sooner or later, but  with the rules and the rule of law that befit a European country, Beleris said.

Beleris' sentence ends in mid-October. Barring an early release, he won't join the other 704 lawmakers in the Strasbourg-based parliament for its first session on July 16.

He could, however, attend by videoconference  he's already held such meetings with Greek MEPs  following permission from the prison authorities.

___

Associated Press writer Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, contributed to this report.
EU allocates 1.9bn of financial support to Ukraine

Ukraine has received a 1.9 billion tranche of financial support from the European Union under the Ukraine Facility programme.

Source: Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Shmyhal noted that the EU's total budget of support for Ukraine has already reached almost 8 billion since the beginning of this year.

"Huge thanks to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and [her whole] team for unwavering support," he tweeted.

Background: On 6 June, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) ratified an agreement with the European Union on the Ukraine Facility Plan, which sets out reform commitments for the period until 2027.

The European Commission recently ordered that the Ukraine Facility Audit Board be established, a body to oversee EU funding allocated under the facility to prevent fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest and irregularities.

On 20 March, the European Commission transferred to Ukraine the first tranche of 4.5 billion under the Ukraine Facility.

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EU leaders to seal final deal on package of top jobs at summit

President of the European Council Charles Michel (C) chairs EU leaders meeting. EU leaders are set to agree on a package deal to divide up the European Union's top jobs at a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Alexandros Michailidis/EU COUNCIL/dpa

EU leaders are set to agree on a package deal to divide up the European Union's top jobs at a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

The pre-packaged pact, informally agreed among EU leaders, and confirmed by dpa, would see current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nominated for a second term.

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa should be the next European Council president and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is to be the EU's new foreign policy chief.

The agreement on the top jobs was negotiated among the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group and the liberal Renew Europe group.

The EU's top jobs are shared out after European Parliament elections in an intricate process that is meant to account for the results of the vote, according to the EU treaties.

In practice, the path to power is more complicated, and national and European politics take over, with EU leaders haggling over their preferences to fill the bloc's most important policy positions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pushed hard for her far-right party's results in the European elections to be recognized and has harshly criticized the process to divide up the jobs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hit out at the deal. In a post on X, the conservative prime minister said "EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals."

The three names were the front runners for the roles over a week ago in Brussels - the last time EU leaders tried to reach a deal amongst themselves - but they did not reach the finish line.

After her nomination by EU leaders, von der Leyen needs to be elected to the commission by a majority in the European Parliament in the coming weeks.

The EU legislature must also approve Kallas for the role of EU foreign policy chief. Costa does not require parliamentary approval to assume his role as European Council president.

EU leaders are also set to debate the Israel-Hamas war, financing the defence industry, economic competitiveness, as well as adopt a strategic agenda for the next five years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected in Brussels to sign a security agreement with the EU and to brief EU leaders on the situation on the front line in Ukraine.
EU leaders to seal final deal on package of top jobs at summit

President of the European Council Charles Michel (C) chairs EU leaders meeting. EU leaders are set to agree on a package deal to divide up the European Union's top jobs at a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Alexandros Michailidis/EU COUNCIL/dpa

EU leaders are set to agree on a package deal to divide up the European Union's top jobs at a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

The pre-packaged pact, informally agreed among EU leaders, and confirmed by dpa, would see current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nominated for a second term.

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa should be the next European Council president and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is to be the EU's new foreign policy chief.

The agreement on the top jobs was negotiated among the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group and the liberal Renew Europe group.

The EU's top jobs are shared out after European Parliament elections in an intricate process that is meant to account for the results of the vote, according to the EU treaties.

In practice, the path to power is more complicated, and national and European politics take over, with EU leaders haggling over their preferences to fill the bloc's most important policy positions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pushed hard for her far-right party's results in the European elections to be recognized and has harshly criticized the process to divide up the jobs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hit out at the deal. In a post on X, the conservative prime minister said "EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals."

The three names were the front runners for the roles over a week ago in Brussels - the last time EU leaders tried to reach a deal amongst themselves - but they did not reach the finish line.
The leaders of the European Union pose for a group photo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the first day of the two-day EU summit in Brussels on the first day of the two-day EU summit in Brussels. The two-day EU summit began in Brussels on 27 June, where EU leaders will address a number of political and economic issues, including the war in Ukraine, and are expected to approve the names of candidates for the top posts in EU institutions. Jaroslav Novak/TASR/dpa

EU leaders are set to agree on a package deal to divide up the European Union's top jobs at a two-day summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

The pre-packaged pact, informally agreed among EU leaders, and confirmed by dpa, would see current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nominated for a second term.

Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa should be the next European Council president and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is the leaders' pick to be the EU's new foreign policy chief.

The agreement on the top jobs was negotiated among the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group and the liberal Renew Europe group.

The EU's top jobs are shared out after European Parliament elections in an intricate process that is meant to account for the results of the vote, according to the EU treaties.

In practice, the path to power is more complicated, and national and European politics take over, with EU leaders haggling over their preferences to fill the bloc's most important policy positions.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pushed hard for one of the top jobs to be given to a member of the soft-eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which includes her Brothers of Italy (FdI) party and came third in the European Parliament elections.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also hit out at the deal. In a post on X, the conservative leader said "EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals."

Arriving at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Orban told journalists that the deal is "shameful" and that there should have been a deal between the top three performers from the elections.

The EPP and the S&D respectively came first and second in the elections, but Renew came fourth, behind the ECR.

"It's not based on the merit of the election. If it would be based on the merit of election, that would be EPP, socialist, and ECR, which is the number three," Orban said.

Unlike Meloni's FdI, Orban's Fidesz party is not affiliated to any political group in the European Parliament.

While Fidesz enjoys friendly relations with some ECR parties - such as Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS) - other ECR members, such as Belgium's New Flemish Alliance, have refused to countenance admitting Fidesz into the group.

But Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte insisted Meloni had not been excluded.

"She is not left out. The only problem is that once every five years the members of the European Council are mainly party politicians. The other five years we are really heads of government and/or presidents. We represent our entire country here. But once every five years it is a party political process."

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his support for the pact on Thursday.

"Our intention is that the political platform that has supported Mrs von der Leyen in the past should continue to do so in the future," said Scholz, referring to an agreement between the EPP, S&D and Renew.

Von der Leyen is a member of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is affiliated to the EPP and is the principal domestic opponent of Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD), a member of the S&D group.

The three names were the front runners for the roles over a week ago in Brussels - the last time EU leaders tried to reach a deal amongst themselves - but they did not reach the finish line.

After her nomination by EU leaders, von der Leyen needs to be elected to the commission by a majority in the European Parliament in the coming weeks.

The EU legislature must also approve Kallas for the role of EU foreign policy chief. Costa does not require parliamentary approval to assume his role as European Council president.

EU leaders are also set to debate the Israel-Hamas war, financing the defence industry, economic competitiveness, as well as adopt a strategic agenda for the next five years.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security agreement in Brussels with the EU on Thursday and briefed EU leaders on the situation on the front line in Ukraine.
Insights from Politico, Euractiv, and Carnegie Europe

The News

The EU is expected to reimpose tariffs on Ukrainian sugar and egg imports on Friday, as widespread farmer protests have caused tensions between the bloc and Kyiv.

The reintroduction of tariffs underlines just how difficult Ukraines accession negotiations will be with the EU. Ukraine is one of the worlds largest agricultural suppliers, and would receive huge farm subsidies under current EU policies  potentially a key sticking point in accession talks that started this week.

The EU dropped had all tariffs on Ukrainian food in June 2022, following Russias full-scale invasion; then, the move sparked widespread discontent among farmers in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia who warned they could not compete with the sudden influx of cheap Ukrainian products.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Hundreds of billions of Euros at play over agricultural policy

Sources: Euractiv, Politico, Reuters

The EUs agricultural policy is the blocs largest budget item, worth more than 55 billion per year. As Ukraine has a quarter of the farmland in Europe, it would become the single biggest recipient of agricultural funding if it joins the bloc. Some lawmakers have called for the unions agricultural policy to be reworked to stop it getting in the way of EU accession, although one EU parliamentarian said there was currently no vision for how to solve the problem. One Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv could be willing to forego the agrarian subsidies if necessary, although Ukraines official line is that the rules should be the same for everyone.

Pro-Russian forces have sought to hijack farmer protests

Sources: Politico , Euractiv, The New York Times, NBC News

Pro-Russian forces have been quick to amplify Europes farmer protests, seeking to undermine Western support for Ukraine, a guest professor at Sciences Po Paris argued in Politico. Russian social media accounts have shared fake videos of farmers leaving manure outside the Ukrainian embassy in Paris, while a protest in Prague was hijacked by pro-Russian activists. While neither incident has been linked directly to the Kremlin, Western intelligence officials have long warned that Russia often tries to exacerbate existing controversies in the West to stoke trouble. In 2020, Moscow tried to promote racial animosity in the US in the run-up to the election, and it is currently trying to aggravate tensions over the war in Gaza, NBC News reported.

EU officials float major reforms to prepare for a bigger bloc

Sources: Balkan Insight, Mujtaba Rahman, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

As accession talks start with Ukraine and Moldova  and momentum grows for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans  European officials are considering plans to reform the bloc in fundamental ways. Many capitals, including Berlin are pushing to limit the number of policy areas that depend on unanimity, which has allowed Hungary to repeatedly veto policies that all other member states support, Eurasia Groups Mujtaba Rahman wrote on X. Every accession to the EU adds more potential veto players, a group of French and German experts and former officials noted in a discussion paper. Even so, it is not realistic for turkeys to vote for Christmas, one EU analyst said, arguing that Hungary would likely seek concessions in exchange for reforms that would limit its influence.
Air forces from Germany, France, and Spain are embarking on an unprecedented exercise that will take a variety of combat aircraft to the Asia-Pacific region in a multi-legged journey that will see them work together and with other air arms. With much attention consumed by the strategic implications of the war in Ukraine, Pacific Skies 24 reiterates that the pivot to Asia, driven above all by Chinas increasingly assertive military stance, also applies to Europes NATO allies, at least to a degree. Tomorrow, assets taking part in Pacific Skies 24 are scheduled to begin leaving Europe, heading first over the Atlantic to the United States, for participation in Exercise Arctic Defender in Alaska. Exercise Arctic Defender 2024 will run from July 8 through July 17, 2024 in Alaska. Participants include 8 German and 4 Spanish Eurofighters, 12 German Tornado's, 6 French Rafales, 4 German and 4 French-Spanish A400Ms and three A330s. Afterwards they will go to Japan pic.twitter.com/TVWublW5Sp Coronet_deployments (@CoronetEast) November 28, 2023 The main aircraft contingent for Pacific Skies 24 comprises eight German Eurofighters, four Spanish Eurofighters, four French Rafale fighters, 12 German Tornado strike aircraft, nine A400M transports (four German, three French, two Spanish), one Spanish A330 transport, and four German H145M helicopters. All these will be supported by around 1,800 military personnel from those three countries. Providing aerial refueling support will be four A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) from the Germany-based portion of the Multinational MRTT Unit (MMU) in Cologne and three more A330 MRTTs from France. For the German Luftwaffe, this is the last opportunity to expose the Tornado to an international exercise. The swing-wing jets have already arrived in Alaska to take part in low-level training before joining Arctic Defender in early July. This will be primarily an air-to-air combat exercise, including live-firing, with undisclosed U.S. military fifth-generation fighters taking part alongside the three European air forces. Time is running out now for the German Tornados, which will be replaced by F-35As in the nuclear strike role and by specially equipped Eurofighters in the electronic warfare role. A line-up of Luftwaffe Tornados at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. Bundeswehr/Sherifa Kastner A Luftwaffe Tornado involved in the low-level training in Alaska as part of Pacific Skies 24. Bundeswehr/Sherifa Kastner After Arctic Defender, the Pacific Skies 24 deployment will continue westward over the Pacific to Japan, to take part in another exercise, Nippon Skies. These maneuvers will see German Eurofighters train for the first time in Japanese airspace. Next, the German contingent will split, with some assets heading to Hawaii, for the next edition of the RIMPAC exercise, in which the German Navy is also involved. The rest of the German deployment will leave Japan for Australia, to engage in the storied Pitch Black exercise, alongside the French and Spanish Air Forces. The large-scale Pitch Black maneuvers are set to involve as many as 20 different types of aircraft from 20 countries. A Royal Australian Air Force EA-18G and a Luftwaffe Eurofighter during the Pitch Black 2022 exercise over Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin, on September 5, 2022. Bundeswehr/Christian Timmig Christian Timmig Finally, Pacific Skies 24 participants will head to India for the first-ever Tarang Shakti 1 exercise, billed as the Indian answer to Red Flag. Also taking part will be the Indian Air Force and the U.K. Royal Air Force. A key facet of the exercise will be the first chance for Spanish fighter pilots to conduct dissimilar air combat training with Russian-designed Su-30 Flanker fighters. By the time the Pacific Skies 24 deployment arrives back in Europe, slated for August 15, they will have covered around 36,000 miles and have had the chance to train in icy, desert, and tropical environments. Among the other countries in which stopovers are scheduled are Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates, among others. A simplified diagram showing the major flight routes and destinations for the Pacific Skies 24 deployment. Bundeswehr/Luftwaffe Separate from Pacific Skies 24 will be another French contingent, gathered for Griffith Strike, under which three Rafales, three A400Ms, and three A330 MRTTs will travel to Australia, via the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. They will be accompanied by a U.K. Royal Air Force detachment. The air forces of Germany, France, and Spain are all currently engaged in modernization efforts, driven at least in part by hikes in defense budgets that have been secured to make their militaries better able to respond to the changing security environment in Europe. This has been largely driven, of course, by Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While Pacific Skies 24 shifts the emphasis from Europe to other operating areas, in the Asia-Pacific region, officials have noted that a Russian shadowing of some kind is expected during the transit between Alaska and Japan. Here, the aircraft will pass over the Pacific Ocean, close to Russian airspace. It is envisaged that Russian aircraft will approach and intercept us, said Lt. Gen. Francisco Gonzalez-Espresati, the chief of Spanish Air Combat Command. Were pretty sure they will, but were not worried about it. With all three air forces bringing A400Ms and Germany and Spain both operating Eurofighters, the aim is to share maintenance requirements across these fleets as much as is possible, to reduce the logistical footprint. The German and Spanish contingents will leave together from Cologne, further increasing synergies between them. A Spanish Air Force Eurofighter wearing the Pacific Skies 24 insignia on its tail fin. Airbus Stressing the need to practice the rapid movement of aircraft and personnel, as much as possible of the required spares and other logistics supplies will be carried onboard the aircraft taking part, instead of being pre-positioned. For the French contingent, all the necessary materiel will be taken by its A400Ms and A330 MRTTs. Another interesting aspect of the deployment is the use of a specially equipped French Air and Space Force A330 MRTT, outfitted as a communications relay platform. This will maintain contact with the French Pacific Skies 24 headquarters on the ground in Lyon, France, via satellite link. The expansion of the tanker-transports mission set is something that France has been working on for some time and parallels similar efforts involving the U.S. Air Forces KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The French component also includes a single A400M that will provide search-and-rescue support for the duration of the deployment, responding to any emergencies should they arise. This also reflects the expanding mission portfolio for the turboprop transport, a process that has taken a considerable time. A French Air and Space Force A400M over the Pacific. French Air and Space Force By the end of Pacific Skies 24, the objective is for the three European air forces to have sharpened their skills but, more importantly, to enhance their cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific region. By participating in Pacific Skies 24, we as Europeans are showing presence in a part of the world that is of great importance to all of us, said Luftwaffe Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz. Eurofighters from the Luftwaffe refueling from an A330 MRTT of the Multinational MRTT Fleet for the Rapid Pacific 2022 exercise. Bundeswehr/Christian Timmig Christian Timmig By demonstrating their air power and commitment to the region, Pacific Skies 24 reinforces the fact that Germany, France, and Spain also have an eye on the strategic picture in the Asia-Pacific region, where the U.S. military and local allies are increasingly adapting their postures and their tactics to face a potential future conflict involving China. For NATO air forces in Europe, many of which have been hollowed out following post-Cold War defense cuts, and which are only starting to reverse those trends, on a piecemeal basis, a large-scale commitment to a potential future war in the Asia-Pacific theater is questionable. However, its significant, even if only in terms of signaling, that the German, French, and Spanish Air Forces are all being mobilized now to not only improve their interoperability with Asia-Pacific allies but also to demonstrate Europes strategic ability to deploy a range of aviation assets over significant distances to respond to geopolitical contingencies. Update, June 27: The German Air Force, or Luftwaffe has announced the arrival in Goose Bay in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, of eight German Eurofighters, four Spanish Eurofighters, one German C-130J transport, four A330 MRTTs from the MMU, and two A330 MRTTs from France. The aircraft completed the transatlantic trip in around six hours, with several aerial refuelings. An earlier tweet from the MMU revealed that the unit provided A330 MRTTs from both its main bases: Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Cologne in Germany. Gelandet! Nach uber 6 Stunden Flug und einigen Betankungen in der Luft, sind unsere, die Flieger und die der @A330_MMU (8 EF DEU, 4 EF ESP, 1 C130J DEU, 4 MMU A330 und 2 FRA A330) in Goose Bay sicher gelandet. #PacificSkies24 @EjercitoAire @Armee_de_lair pic.twitter.com/1BO4mwmTrq Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) June 27, 2024 Kick-off for #PacificSkies24 4 #A330MRTT strong and fully prepared to ferry DEU fighters over the ocean. A double take-off in Eindhoven & 2 A330MRTT from our FOB+ in Cologne. 1st destination Goosebay #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/jm83Wf9MOE Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (@A330_MMU) June 27, 2024 Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

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German members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Daniel Freund and Damian Bezelager, sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel, demanding to suspend Hungary's presidency of the EU Council.

The letter was reportedly signed by 20,000 signatures of EU citizens and published on June 27 on Freund's account on X.

The Belgian presidency in the Council of the EU terminates at the end of June. The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU begins on July 1 and will last for half a year.

"It would be extremely harmful for the reputation of our Union if the current Hungarian government would represent us Europeans in any capacity, just after the European elections," the letter said.

The MEPs recalled how Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban compared the EU to a dictatorship and emphasized Hungary's close relations with Russia, which continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The high level of corruption, as well as undermining the rule of law and media freedom in Hungary, are also mentioned in the letter.

"Hungary, in its current state, would never pass the accession criteria to join the EU. Its criminal leadership should, therefore, not be allowed to represent the Union."

Hungary has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU, as well as sanctions on Russia, since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Orban earlier presented a seven-point program that should become a guideline for Hungary as the EU Council President. The program does not prioritize assistance for Ukraine.

Hungary also does not plan to convene EU-Ukraine summits in the next six months but wants to hold a summit in the Western Balkans instead.

Read also: 12 EU countries urge Belgium to speed up Ukraine and Moldova EU accession talks

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has undertaken a series of joint efforts to support the Caspian littoral countries, said Inger Andersen, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), during a joint briefing in Baku, Trend reports.

"We are hosting the Convention Secretariat, established by five countries that are committed to working together in the Caspian Sea. It is clear that more information, exchange, and joint efforts between the countries are needed," Andersen said.

She noted that the issue of activities in the Caspian Sea was one of the topics discussed at today's meetings.

"What efforts can we make to ensure a long-term and sustainable future for this beautiful body of water? This means that we will have to pay attention to climate change, changing rainfall patterns, and also discuss mining. These are some of the discussions that have taken place today, and we look forward to continuing these talks at COP29," Andersen added.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Everything we know about Tory election betting scandal  and who is being investigated

Rishi Sunaks election campaign has been dealt a major blow in the run up to July 4 as his party becomes embroiled in a controversial betting scandal.

An ongoing investigation by the Gambling Commission has now led to two Conservative party candidates seeing support withdrawn by the party. At least three more party figures and seven police officers are being investigated, alongside one Labour candidate.

Cabinet minister Alister Jack recently came under fire for joking about placing three bets on the timing of the election. After some pressure, he later admitted he was telling the truth, but that the bets were placed before May. The minister for Scotland has denied being under investigation.

For the latest political updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independents live coverage

The following day, Tory MP Sir Phillip Davies came under fire when it was reported he had placed a slightly different bet: 8,000 that he would lose his seat of Shipley. He is defending a 6,242 majority in the West Yorkshire seat. Sir Phillip has denied doing anything illegal, and it is not believed he is under investigation.

First uncovered two weeks ago, the scandal began when it was revealed now-suspended Conservative candidate Craig Williams placed a bet of 100 on the election taking place in July, just 3 days before Sunak announced the date in May.

Several people with ties to the Conservatives have subsequently been placed under investigation for allegedly placing similar bets on when the general election would take place.

Responding to the discovery, Mr Williams said: I put a flutter on the general election some weeks ago. This has resulted in some routine inquiries and I confirm I will fully cooperate with these.

Tory betting scandal: Tony Lee, Chris Williams, Alister Jack, Rishi Sunak, Laura Saunders, Russell George (Getty/PA/Supplied)

I dont want it to be a distraction from the campaign, I should have thought how it looks.

He was suspended nearly two weeks later alongside fellow Tory candidate Laura Saunders. The move drew criticism from many opposition and Conservative MPs alike, who said the prime minister was too slow too act.

Speaking to The Independent, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer slammed the prime minister for his handling of the scandal: If they had been my candidates, theyd have been straight out of the door and their feet wouldnt have touched the floor

But to wait a week, to make excuses like that, is inexcusable.

Amongst the six Metropolitan police officers being investigated, one has been arrested  a member of Mr Sunaks close protection team. The Met has also denied being the source of names under investigation leaked to press, calling the speculation a poor distraction technique.

The Gambling Commission has now expanded its investigation to look at hundreds of suspicious bets in the run up to the general election.

These investigations are ongoing  one of them is a criminal investigation thats being conducted by the police, the prime minister told the BBC Question Time Leaders Special general election debate.

What I can tell you is if anyone is found to have broken the rules, not only should they face the full consequences of the law, I will make sure that they are booted out of the Conservative Party.

Who is involved in the betting scandal?

Craig Williams

Craig Williams, the PMs closest parliamentary aide, was the first person caught up in the scandal. He admitted placing a bet on the election prior to Mr Sunaks announcement after he was approached by a journalist.

The 39-year-old Tory candidate for Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr placed a 100 bet with 5-1 odds at Ladbrokes, meaning he would have won 500, but his name was raised as potentially a politically exposed person, so the wager was not registered.

Former MP Craig Williams (UK Parliament)

That sparked the Gambling Commission writing to firms demanding the details of all bets made on a July election after 1 May, which it is now combing through. It is now believed to have widened its search beyond MPs and candidates to their friends and relatives as well.

Bookmakers are particularly cautious over novelty betting markets such as the general election.

According to The Guardian, which first reported the story, Mr Williams placed his bet via an online account that would have required him to provide personal details, including his date of birth and debit card. The bookmaker also knows the location of the bet.

Ladbrokes declined to comment on the incident but the Gambling Commission issued a statement confirming that it was investigating.

Mr Williams apologised after admiting that he had placed a wager on the bet, but refused to comment further while the GC carried out its probe.

I clearly made a huge error of judgment, thats for sure, and I apologise, he told. I will not be expanding on my statement because its an independent process.

Laura Saunders

Laura Saunders was the second person to be named in the affair.

Tory candidate for Bristol North West, Ms Saunders is also under investigation by the Gambling Commission over claims she may have had inside knowledge about the prime ministers decision to call a snap poll for 4 July. She has worked for the party since 2015.

Laura Saunders and Tony Lee pictured together (Supplied)

According to the BBC, which first named Ms Saunders as the candidate under investigation, she worked most recently at the partys international division at Conservative Campaign Headquarters, which works with other centre-right parties around the world.

Tony Lee

Tony Lee, husband of Ms Saunders, has also been implicated in the scandal. He is the Conservative Partys director of campaigning, having worked on former West Midlands mayor Andy Streets successful 2021 campaign.

Mr Lee stepped back from his position on June 19 following reports that he was also under investigation by the Gambling Commission alongside his wife.

Nick Mason

Nick Mason became the Tory chief data officer after unsuccessfully running for the party for Jarrow in Tyneside in the 2015. He was named by The Sunday Times as the fourth person to be investigated by the Gambling Commission.

Mr Mason is alleged to have placed dozens of bets over an unknown period, with winnings which would total thousands of pounds. He has also taken a leave of absence from his position. A spokeperson for Mr Mason has declined to comment but denies wrong doing.

Russell George

Russell George is a Tory member of Welsh parliament, representing the same constituency as Mr Williams. It was revealed by The Guardian on June 25 that he was under investigation by the gambling watchdog.

Welsh Conservatives leader Andrew RT Davies said: Russell George has informed me that he has received a letter from the Gambling Commission regarding bets on the timing of the general election.

Russell George has stepped back from the Welsh Conservative shadow cabinet while these investigations are ongoing.

He says that all other Conservative members of the Senedd have denied placing any bets.

Kevin Craig

Bringing the scandal to the Labour party, now-suspended candidate Kevin Craig was also confirmed to be under investigation by the gambling watchdog on June 25

Running in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Mr Craig had bet on himself to lose the seat on July 4. The seat was won by the Conservatives with a majority of just over 20,000 in 2019.

Former Labour candidate Kevin Craig (YouTube)

Releasing a statement on social media, Mr Craig said he had made a stupid error, adding that he intended to give his winnings to charity.

This was a huge mistake, for which I apologise unreservedly, he said.

I have so much respect for how Keir Starmer has changed the Labour Party and I have been fighting so hard to win this seat and change the country alongside him.

However, it is right that the party upholds the highest standards for its Parliamentary candidates - just as the public expects the highest standards from any party hoping to serve in government.

Alister Jack

Conservative cabinet minister Alister Jack admitted to placing three bets on the date of the general election on June 25, saying he had made 2,100 from one of them. He later claimed his comments were a joke.

The minister for Scotland then backtracked, admitting that he had placed several bets before May. In April, Mr Jack says he placed a successful bet that the election would fall between July and September, after losing two similar bets made in March.

Scotland minister Alister Jack (Michal Wachucik/PA) (PA Wire)

Mr Jack has denied wrongdoing in a statement: I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called.

I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

Sir Phillip Davies

Sir Phillip Davies has been the Conservative MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire since 2005 and is married to cabinet minister Esther McVey. He is currently the most rebellious serving Tory MP, having voted against the government over 250 times.

On June 26, Sir Phillip was accused of placing an 8,000 bet to lose the seat he has held for nearly 20 years. He denies any wrongdoing.

I hope to win. Im busting a gut to win. I expect to lose. In the 2005 election, I busted a gut to win. I expected to lose, the MP told The Sun.

I had a bet on myself to lose in the 2005 election, and my bet went down the pan.

Its nobodys business apart from mine, Sir Phillip said, adding that he had not done anything illegal. It is not believed that he is under investigation by the Gambling Commission.

A police officer in Rishi Sunaks close protection team

A police officer in Mr Sunaks close protection team was arrested and suspended over alleged bets about the timing of the general election.

The police constable from the Mets Royalty and Specialist Protection Command was arrested on 17 June on suspicion of misconduct in public office after the betting watchdog contacted the force last Friday.

The officer was taken into custody and bailed pending further enquiries, with the case being referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, according to the Met. The force has confirmed is serving on restricted duties.

Six more police officers

On June 25, the Met confirmed that they had been informed of five more police officers placed under investigation by the Gambling Commission, raising the number to six on June 27.

In a statement, the London police force said: The officers are based on the Royalty and Specialist Command, the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and the Central West Basic Command Unit. None of them work in a close protection role.

Decisions on whether they will be subject to any restrictions will be taken in due course.

What are the rules for MPs and others on betting with inside knowledge?

Using confidential information to gain an unfair advantage when betting may constitute a criminal offence. Gamblers are not allowed to use inside information to place a bet or to instruct someone else to do so on their behalf.

They are also not allowed to pass inside information on to someone else which they use for betting.

Additionally, the MPs code of conduct bars members from causing significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the house. An MP placing a bet with inside knowledge is likely to cross this threshold.
Ex-Honduran leader Juan Orlando Hernandez gets 45 years in U.S. prison for drug offenses

A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez (pictured in 2021 at the United Nations) to serve 45 years in prison and pay an $8 million fine for enabling cocaine trafficking from South America to the United States. File Photo by Eduardo Munoz/UPI

June 26 (UPI) -- Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez must serve 45 years in a U.S. federal prison and pay an $8 million fine for drug trafficking offenses.

Southern New York District Court Judge Keven Castel on Wednesday sentenced Hernandez, 55, after a jury in March found him guilty of three drug trafficking felonies following a three-week trial.

Hernandez denied his guilt during the sentencing hearing and claimed he was "wrongly and unjustly accused."

Castel called Hernandez a "two-faced politician" who was "hungry for power" and protected certain drug traffickers.

Those traffickers allegedly include Juan "El Chapo" Guzman, who is a notorious Mexican drug lord serving a life sentence in a U.S. supermax federal prison.

Castel in May filed a motion to retry his case due to a law enforcement officer incorrectly saying cocaine trafficking increased in Honduras while Hernandez was president.

Castel said the incorrect information was immaterial to Hernadez's trial or conviction.

"Hernandez's conviction was based on the testimony ... of numerous witnesses whose testimony was corroborated in part by phone records and a recovered drug ledger," Castel wrote in his rejection of the retrial motion.

Hernandez served two terms as the president of Honduras from 2014 to 2022 and ran as a candidate who said he would ensure law and order while addressing drug crimes within the nation.

The United States government provided Honduras with $50 million in assistance to fight narcotics trafficking, plus millions more for military assistance and security while Hernandez was its president.

Federal prosecutors sought Hernandez's extradition in 2022 after learning he was involved with drug traffickers as early as 2004 and enabled them to smuggle about 500 tons of cocaine from Columbia and Venezuela and which was destined for the United States.

Several previously convicted drug traffickers testified against Hernandez, who called them "professional liars" when he testified in his own defense.

Hernandez's brother Juan Antonio Hernandez was a former congressman in Honduras and in 2021 was convicted of separate drug charges in the same federal court in Manhattan.
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.

In the hours after Boyd Householder died Tuesday, former students who attended his Circle of Hope boarding school in southwest Missouri had one lingering question.

Would a judge and jury ever hear what they say went on inside the unlicensed school he and his wife, Stephanie, operated for 14 years in rural Cedar County? The brutal restraints, excessive workouts in extreme temperatures, psychological and sexual abuse and food and water used as punishment.

His death at age 75 comes four months before the Householders were scheduled for trial on 99 felony counts of child abuse and neglect, including statutory rape, sodomy and physical abuse. The Missouri Attorney Generals Office charged the couple in March 2021 and then-AG Eric Schmitt described the abuse that students suffered as extensive and horrific.

The charges against Boyd Householder allege that he slammed girls heads or bodies against walls, slapped or struck them with his hands, a belt or other objects, shoved one girls face into horse manure and poured hot sauce down a girls throat. Former students said Stephanie allowed the abuse to happen and even participated at times.

There needs to be an urgency with Stephanies case, said Sophia Ellis, a former Circle of Hope student who attended a news conference in downtown Kansas City Wednesday. There is no reason for it to have been pushed back so many times. Justice needs to be served to her and what shes done.

It was unclear Wednesday whether Stephanie Householder, 59, would still go to trial in late October. The Star sent several questions to the AGs Office asking how Boyd Householders death would impact the criminal case against the couple and whether victims were contacted.

This is an ongoing criminal matter, so I am going to decline to comment at this time, said Madeline Sieren, spokesperson for the Attorney Generals Office, in an email Wednesday.

Adam Woody, the Householders attorney, did not answer a question about what would happen with the case against Stephanie. Boyd Householder, he said, died after going into cardiac arrest.

He passed away maintaining his innocence against any criminal conduct, Woody said in a text message to The Star Tuesday night, and is in a better place.

He did not face justice in our world

Former students said they wanted Householder, a former Marine they were made to call Brother House, to face a jury and be held accountable. They said theyve now lost that chance.

I think all I can really say is that even though he did not face justice in our world, I feel as though he will face it in the next, said Ellis, 21, who was at Circle of Hope for 3  years. I believe in life after death, so it was definitely a mix of emotions for me, just because I spent so much time there.

Stephanie Householder is charged with 21 felonies, including 11 counts of abuse or neglect of a child and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Ashlyn Dixon, 18, attended the Cedar County school from 2019 to when it shut down in August 2020. And she said she believes Stephanie Householder should be held accountable for the abuse she and others said went on there.

They were really in it together, Dixon said.

Authorities began investigating Circle of Hope in early 2020 after a short video surfaced on social media showing Boyd Householder ordering students to go after Dixon if they thought she was threatening them. The video went viral on TikTok, getting millions of views.

The Householders estranged daughter, Amanda, posted the video, which was sent to her by a friend of the family who had secretly recorded it on a visit to Cedar County.

Several former students said they thought the Householders should have been kept in jail before trial and not allowed to be at home. Both were on monitoring devices for a period of time but they later asked the court to remove them.

The Householders said theyd had no violations since being released from jail on July 23, 2021, and that the GPS monitors were not in furtherance of the safety of the community or of the alleged crime victims and were too costly.

They are paying nearly $700/month for the monitors, an unnecessary expense that has now exceeded its necessity, their motions said. Boyd Householder further said that his health is slowly failing and he is now on two tanks of oxygen per day. The judge granted Boyd Householders request to remove the monitor, but not his wifes.

They were literally attacking multiple young little girls every single day, like in so many horrendous ways that you could not even imagine, and they just get their freedom, Dixon said. That shouldnt be allowed.

After the news conference, organizers planned to deliver a letter to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys Kansas City office demanding that he take a stand against abuse inside the states unlicensed boarding schools. They called on Bailey to ask prosecutors in counties with such boarding schools to investigate and determine if any abuse exists.

He can and should and must take the lead on this because otherwise, there will just be this constant drip, drip, drip of allegations and reports and prosecutions and lawsuits, said David Clohessy, former national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. And in the meantime, the attorney general is essentially sacrificing countless children to devastated lives. Its just absolutely irresponsible and inexcusable.

New Agape lawsuit filed

Rebecca Randles, a Kansas City attorney who has filed more than 15 Circle of Hope lawsuits, was at Wednesdays news conference, where Dixon and Ellis and others wrote names of alleged boarding school abusers on the sidewalk.

The attorney also announced a new lawsuit filed Wednesday against Agape Boarding School, another unlicensed facility in Cedar County that faces dozens of abuse lawsuits and where Boyd Householder first worked when coming to Missouri. That new suit alleges that an Arizona boy  who goes by MB2  was abused and/or neglected by five former staff leaders at the school.

The latest one, unfortunately, is like all of the others in the sense that this is a child who is very young still, Randles said, who was assaulted, thrown around, beaten, denied water, denied food, required to exercise in the heat with no water available to him, not provided food when he was hungry.

One of the alleged victims whom Randles has represented from Circle of Hope is the Householders daughter, Amanda. She was instrumental in pushing for an investigation into alleged abuse at Circle of Hope and sued her parents for forced labor, beating her for their own sexual gratification and making her punish other students at the unlicensed boarding school near Humansville.

She said she had a wide range of emotions surrounding her fathers death, including frustration that the trial had been through so many delays.

The little girl inside me hurts that I didnt get to say goodbye to the version of my dad she longed for, Amanda Householder told The Star on Wednesday. She was even more heartbroken, she said, for those of us who were sexually, emotionally and physically violated by him for years and years.

I hope his passing brings some solace to the hundreds of vulnerable children who suffered even more pain at his hands. But Im also angry because I feel the state of Missouri drug their feet on letting us survivors see our abusers face while getting held accountable.

Now, she said, Abuse victims are denied justice and their day in court. Its tragic that none of us who were so severely hurt by his crimes will be able to expose the full extent of his crimes in court.
Ex-police chief once accused of torturing his officers rejoins force in Tijuana

SAN DIEGO (Border Report)  Former Tijuana police Chief Julian Leyzaola Perez, who was accused of torturing police officers and is said to have survived eight assassination attempts, is back.

Tijuanas incoming mayor, Ismael Burgueno Ruiz, announced this week he was appointing Leyzaola Perez as the citys next director of public safety.

A controversial figure, Leyzaola Perez is a former military officer known for his efforts to crack down on drug cartels and police corruption.

He was appointed Tijuanas chief of police in 2008 and tried to dismantle corruption within the police department, enlisting the help of the military.

DEA: Cartels now growing coca in Mexico

During his tenure as head of Tijuanas Police Department, he told reporters that he once rejected an $80,000-a-week offer from the drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Loera to help him control drug trafficking in Tijuana.

Four years later, he took on a similar post in Juarez, another Mexican border town mired in drug violence.

Ex-Tijuana police chief gunned down during visit to city

Immediately after taking office, he received death threats from cartels who promised to kill a police officer every day until he quit the post.

Shortly after, he was shot once in the neck and two times in the back outside a money exchange house. The wounds left him paralyzed from the waist down.

After recovering, Leyzaola Perez was indicted for personally torturing suspected drug dealers and his own police officers who he believed were working for cartels, though charges were eventually dropped.

Six years ago, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Tijuana.

In recent years, hed worked as a security adviser in Baja California.

Chihuahua strengthens ties with US federal agencies

Baja Californias attorney general told reporters on Wednesday there are no pending charges against Leyzaola Perez.

Nothing that would prevent him legally from taking the job, she said.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

He is expected to officially take on the job in October when the new mayoral administration is sworn in.

TuviTv made a documentary about Leyzaola Perez calling it Mexicos Bravest Man, that describes how he survived eight attempts on his life.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Ex-Rep. Mondaire Jones may have lost Working Families Party line to unknown candidate who used to be a Republican

Ex-Rep. Mondaire Jones appears to have lost a battle for a liberal third-party line on Tuesday  in a blow to the suburban Democrats comeback bid.

Jones appears to have lost the primary to run under the Working Families Party banner, an often crucial second ballot line that could spell the difference between victory and defeat for Democratic Party candidates in New Yorks purple districts.

Ex-Rep. Mondaire Jones appears to have lost a battle for a liberal third-party line on Tuesday. Getty Images

Jones was trailing unknown Anthony Frascone, who party officials claimed was put up to the race by Republican incumbent Rep. Mike Lawlers camp in a bid to split the vote on the left.

The GOP are a sad excuse for a political party if they can only win by stealing a ballot line, fumed WFP spokesman Ravi Mangla.

The 17th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley takes in all of Rockland and Putnam counties, part of northern Westchester and Dutchess counties.

Frascone led Jones 185 votes to 153 votes in the WFP primary, according to unofficial tallies.

The WFP said Frascone, who resides in Congers in Rockland County, never came in for an endorsement interview and has no contact history with the party leaders.

Frascone has been a registered WFP member for a number of years.

But he also has a history of voting with the Independence and the Republican parties before joining the left-leaning WFP and he even ran for local office as an Independence Party member in 2011, Politico reported.

The 17th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley takes in all of Rockland and Putnam counties, part of northern Westchester and Dutchess counties. EPA

The WFP said Frascone, who resides in Congers in Rockland County, never came in for an endorsement interview. Eugene Gologursky

Frascone did not return a phone call for comment.

In the last presidential race in 2020, 13,000 people voted on the WFP line for Jones.

Jones had no immediate comment.

Lawlers camp scoffed at claims that he and the GOP were behind the candidate who appeared to have defeated Jones in the primary.

It sounds like Mondaire Jones is trying to point the finger at anyone other than himself for his primary loss last night. From the GOP to Jewish voters in Ramapo to progressive activists in district, no one is safe from his efforts to save face after an embarrassing loss, said Lawler campaign spokesman Chris Russell.

Lawlers camp scoffed at claims that he and the GOP were behind the candidate who appeared to have defeated Jones in the primary. AP

I hope this temper tantrum isnt a preview of how hell react in November  if he cant accept the results of an election now and concede, then how can anyone expect him to concede gracefully in November? Russell quipped.

Rockland County Republican Party chairman Lawrence Garvey said he knows Frascone, but had nothing to do with him running against Jones in the WFP primary.

For the Working Families Party to say the election was stolen by a member of their own party is the height of arrogance, Garvey said.

Jones had a falling out with WFP leaders after he endorsed challenger George Latimer over the WFP-backed incumbent Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a Democratic primary in the neighboring 16th House District.

That district stretches through much of Westchester to Co-Op City in The Bronx. Latimer toppled Bowman in a landslide Tuesday night.

Jones had a falling out with WFP leaders after he endorsed challenger George Latimer. Tania Savayan/The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

In 2022 after redistricting, Jones decided to abandon the Hudson Valley and instead run in the 10th Congressional District, covering downtown Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn. Dan Goldman won the primary.

Jones now has moved back into the 17th CD, a move critics that saw critics blasting him as a carpetbagger.

Mondaire Jones doesnt know who he is, where he lives or what he stands for, Garvey, the Rockland GOP leader, quipped.

Meanwhile, a similar situation happened in the Conservative Party primary in the 42nd state Senate district in the Hudson Valley.

Democratic Sen. James Skoufis, who is running for election to a fourth term, faces a rematch against Republican Dorey Houle, who he defeated narrowly by 1,400 votes in 2022.



The Conservative Party leadership in Orange County had cross-endorsed Houle, who ran on the partys ballot line in 2022.

Jones now has moved back into the 17th CD, a move critics that saw critics blasting him as a carpetbagger. AP

But Tim Mitts, a tax preparer who was convicted of filing fraudulent returns in Kentucky in 2008, won the primary.

Mitts in February changed his party registration from Repubilcan to Conservative.

Running on a second Conservative Party ballot line is often the difference between Republicans winning or losing in purple districts.
(Bloomberg) -- Felix Sater, the Moscow-born deal maker who was once part of Donald Trumps inner circle, lost a civil trial in which he was accused of helping a wealthy Kazakh man launder millions of dollars through US real estate including condos at the Trump SoHo tower.

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A federal jury in Manhattan issued the verdict Wednesday in favor of the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, and one of the countrys biggest lenders, BTA Bank, awarding more than $32 million in damages, including interest, according to the lawyer for the plaintiffs, Matthew L. Schwartz of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

The loss in court is a setback for Sater, a controversial real estate operative who once had offices at Trump Tower. I reject the verdict and will be appealing, Sater said in a telephone interview. The verdict has yet to be posted on the court docket.

We are privileged to have been able to present this evidence to a US jury, and are thrilled with the verdict in favor of our clients, including the jurys imposition of punitive damages for the deliberate and particularly morally culpable conduct of Felix Sater, said Schwartz, Boies Schillers chairman-elect and managing partner.

Global Recovery Effort

Almaty and BTA claimed that Sater helped Ilyas Khrapunov launder a portion of the roughly $6 billion allegedly looted from the bank by his father-in-law, former BTA Chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov, in the years before the financial crisis. The case is part of a global effort by BTA to recover the money, which was allegedly siphoned from the bank through a web of shell companies and bogus loans.

Almaty alleges some of the laundered money was stolen from the city by Khrapunovs father, when he was mayor, through corrupt sales of municipal land.

Sater, who as late as 2011 was handing out business cards identifying himself as a Senior Advisor to Donald Trump, denied the allegations. But he testified that he lied when he helped Khrapunov conceal his role in lucrative deals to dodge a worldwide freezing order that tied up his familys assets. Sater allegedly made millions in the process.

I wasnt legally obliged to tell the seller, the buyer of anything, to tell anyone of dirty laundry of a deal I was working on, Sater testified on June 18 during a nearly three-week trial. They had a due diligence department. If they found it, they found it. If they didnt find it, they didnt find it.

The investments at the center of the case included several units at Trump SoHo, an Ohio mall and private equity deals.

Trump Adviser

Trump, 78, isnt a defendant and isnt accused of wrongdoing in the case, but the trial put fresh attention on Trumps dealings as he campaigns to return to the White House, including his ties with Russia before the 2016 election. Sater, who advised Trump on real estate investments and at one point led his failed effort to build a Moscow skyscraper, was one of many witnesses interviewed in Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe into Trumps 2016 campaign.

Sater met Khrapunov in Trump Tower to discuss laundering the allegedly stolen money and personally arranged meetings between the wealthy Kazakh and Trump to discuss possible investments, BTA and Almaty said in the complaint. But the bank and the city went to great lengths in court documents to distance Trump from the allegations.

There is no suggestion that either Ilyas or Sater disclosed to Mr. Trump the illicit origin of the stolen funds, or that Mr. Trump engaged in any impropriety whatsoever in connection with Ilyas Khrapunov, according to the lawsuit.

Stabbed Rival Broker

Sater, who worked at Bear Stearns and other Wall Street firms in the 1980s, served time in prison for stabbing a rival commodities broker in the face with a broken margarita glass in a bar fight in Midtown Manhattan in 1991, which led to lasting nerve damage for the victim.

He later pleaded guilty to racketeering for taking part in stock swindles that defrauded investors of more than $40 million. To stay out of prison, Sater worked as an informant to US prosecutors investigating the mobs role on Wall Street. BTA says Sater turned to real estate after he was banned from selling securities in 1999.

Wednesdays verdict is the latest legal twist for one of the more colorful people in Trumps orbit. BuzzFeed News in 2018 reported that Sater spent more than two decades as an intelligence asset for the US government.

Khrapunov has denied wrongdoing. He previously said that he managed his own familys investments legally and denied that his Swiss company was a front for his father-in-law or that he had laundered any ill-gotten gains. Ablyazov has also consistently denied wrongdoing.

The case is City of Almaty v. Sater, 19-cv-02645, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

(Updates with BuzzFeed report and case caption in fourth section.)

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Archaeologists have unearthed more than 30 ancient Egyptian tombs that cover an entire hill in Aswan, an ancient city on the Nile. The burials date to the Greco-Roman period and reveal clues about those who once lived in this vibrant trading port.

The finds include the mummies of what are likely families buried together; coffins; cartonnage, or a paper-mache material created from recycled papyri or fabric; amphorae, or clay vessels, decorated with vine-leaf designs; and artifacts such as offering tables.

"It was a rich place, an important place," said Patrizia Piacentini , an Egyptologist and archaeologist at the University of Milan who leads a joint Egyptian-Italian mission at the site. "All the people who intended to make trade between Northern Africa and subtropical Africa, this was the place [for them] and it was a place for all the history of ancient Egypt ," she said.

Archaeologists learned about the burial site in 2015, following a slew of illegal excavations . The government asked local archaeologists to survey the area, and soon thereafter excavators discovered tombs dating to the late Greek and Roman periods (roughly 332 B.C. to A.D. 395).

The former Egyptian minister of antiquities, Khaled el-Enany, then reached out to Piacentini, who began surveying the site with a large team of Egyptian and Italian archaeologists in 2019. The researchers found terraces of ancient tombs stratified into multiple levels on the hill near the modern Mausoleum of Aga Khan III.

Related: See gorgeous ancient Egyptian 'mummy portraits' from nearly 2 millennia ago

During the excavation, the archaeologists found ancient oil lamps that were possibly left behind by mourners.

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Egyptian artifacts

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Egyptian artifacts

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Egyptian artifacts

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Artifacts retrieved by the joint Egyptian-Italian archaeological mission from the tombs in Aswan

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Egyptian tomb in Aswan

"We can imagine how spectacular it was when, for example, during the [mourners'] feast, all these tombs were illuminated," Piacentini told Live Science. "I think that was something absolutely spectacular." These tomb structures were built into the rock at a vertical height of at least 10 levels and were unlike any other tombs found in Egypt from the period, which were usually about two to three levels high, she said.

The tombs were used for around 900 years between the sixth century B.C. and the second or third century A.D., Piacentini said. This period covers a wide spread of history, including Persian rule ( 525 to 404 B.C. ), the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty ushered in by Alexander the Great 's general Ptolemy I Soter, and finally Roman rule, when Egypt became a province in the empire. The elites of the day occupied the tombs at the top of the hill, followed by the middle-class people in the lower strata, Piacentini said.

Three archaeologists observing an Aswan mummy laid on the ground

Analyses revealed that 30% to 40% of the mummies in the newly discovered tombs belong to children as young as 2 years old and newborns, according to a translated statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

"We found many families, in fact, mother, father, and children," Piacentini said. "Probably there was some infection that killed the family or one died after another."

The team also found two mummies that they initially thought belonged to a mother and son, but careful analyses later revealed that the duo were brothers buried together with their parents.

Aswan mummies found in a tomb that seems to have been used for a family burial.

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To find out more about how the individuals died, the team partnered with doctors at the University Hospital in Aswan to perform analyses such as X-rays, CT (computed tomography) scans and DNA analysis, which showed that anemia and infectious diseases were the most common causes of death at the time, even in the most affluent individuals, Piacentini said.

By looking at the mummies' backbones, the doctors confirmed that some had tuberculosis, which may have wiped out an entire family. The team is conducting biological analyses to understand more about the diseases that infected people at the time.

The discovery has been "exceptional" and "very promising with many, many new aspects we are trying to understand." Piacentini said.

Archaeologists surveying the necropolis area on the hillside of Aswan.

The team hopes to continue its mission to uncover the history of the diverse populations that occupied the city. They have now mapped out at least 300 tombs in the necropolis area covering about 215,000 square feet (20,000 square meters) and "there may be much more than that," Piacentini said.
By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican lawmaker who leads the House Armed Services Committee has written to the Biden administration formally demanding it shut down its aid pier off the coast Gaza, calling the operation ineffective, risky and a waste of money.

The offshore floating pier, announced by Biden in March as a response to the threat of famine in the Gaza Strip, was constructed off the coast of the enclave by the U.S. military as a way to bring in food and other aid supplies.

The U.S. military has been authorized to operate it until the end of July, but a U.S. Agency for International Development official said this week that the administration could seek to extend it for at least another month.

"I urge the Administration to immediately cease this failed operation before further catastrophe occurs and consider alternative means of land and air-based humanitarian aid delivery," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers wrote in a letter seen by Reuters.

The letter, sent to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has not been previously reported.

Rogers has long opposed the pier and has called in the past for it to be dismantled, but he had not previously expressed that view in a formal written letter to the administration.

His armed services committee is the Pentagon's top oversight body in the House of Representatives, and formal requests from its chairman traditionally require a response from Pentagon officials.

Aid first began arriving via the U.S.-built pier on May 17 into Gaza, where nearly all the 2.3 million residents have been displaced by Israel's campaign against the militant group Hamas.

But rough seas have damaged the pier, forcing repairs, and poor weather has limited the number of days the pier has been operational. Most of the supplies that have reached the shore have yet to be distributed by UN aid agencies which say their operations have been limited by insecurity.

"As of June 19, JLOTS had only been operational about 10 days and had only moved 3,415 metric tons onto the beach in Gaza," Rogers wrote, using the U.S. military's acronym for the pier system, known as Joint Logistics Over the Shore.

According to U.S. military data, as of Tuesday, 8,332 pallets had been delivered via the pier. But around 84% of them have been sitting on Gaza's coast in a marshalling area waiting to be picked up by the United Nations for distribution.

The World Food Programme paused deliveries earlier this month over security concerns.

Reuters was given rare access to the U.S. military-run pier off Gaza on Tuesday and saw aid pallets being moved from a vessel onto the 1,200-foot (370 m)-long pier as it bobbed around with the incoming waves. The pallets were then taken by trucks to the coast.

The operation is complex, involving about 1,000 U.S. military personnel. The Pentagon estimates the first 90 days of operation will cost about $230 million.

Rogers also noted that three U.S. servicemembers suffered non-combat injuries while deployed on the operation.

"I urge the Administration to immediately cease this failed operation before further catastrophe occurs and consider alternative means of land and air-based humanitarian aid delivery," Rogers wrote.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is ready to actively cooperate with innovators to achieve its goals in the field of decarbonization and the rollout of artificial intelligence, the company's president, Rovshan Najaf, said during Baku Investment Day (BakuID24) today, Trend reports.

Najaf emphasized the importance of innovation and its role in the development of the enterprise.

"SOCAR is actively striving to become not only an oil and gas company but also an energy company that includes renewable energy sources. The company continues to produce oil and gas to ensure the energy security of Azerbaijan and its partners, but it does so with sustainable development in mind," he said.

According to him, to achieve sustainability, SOCAR is implementing decarbonization and CO2 emission reductions in all its processes, starting with investment and procurement decisions.

"The company has announced its goals  to achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and to minimize methane emissions by 2035. The realization of these ambitious plans is impossible without the application of new technologies and innovations, which can be provided by startups and researchers," he added.

SOCAR is involved in the exploration, production, processing, and transportation of oil, gas, and gas condensate. It also markets oil and petrochemical products domestically and internationally and supplies natural gas to industrial enterprises and the population of Azerbaijan and Europe.

The company operates in Turkiye, Georgia, Romania, Switzerland, Germany, and Ukraine and conducts

trading activities primarily in Switzerland, Singapore, and Nigeria.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
EXCLUSIVE: VA Senate candidate says he was 'blown up' in combat. His record doesnt show that.

WASHINGTON  The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, a decorated Navy veteran, has made repeated references to becoming disabled after he was blown up in combat, and has stressed that he has scars from his military service while Democratic incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine got rich from the safety of Capitol Hill.

Yet the Navy service record for Hung Cao, who won the GOP primary in June, does not show a Purple Heart award, the commendation given to troops who have suffered wounds from direct or indirect result of enemy action that required medical attention. Nor does his record indicate that he received the Navys Combat Action Ribbon, which requires that a sailor "must have rendered satisfactory performance under enemy fire while actively participating in ground or surface combat engagement. USA TODAY obtained Cao's record from the Navy.

Cao, 52, through his campaign, declined to answer specific questions about his military service. He has not claimed to have been awarded a Purple Heart or the Navy's Combat Action Ribbon. His record shows that he was awarded a Bronze Star and that he deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. The Bronze Star is awarded to sailors who distinguish themselves by "heroic or meritorious achievement or service."

The Navy designated him a "special operations explosive ordnance disposal/dive officer." He retired as a captain in 2021.

Capt. Hung Cao is a retired Navy Captain with twenty-five years of honorable service to his country. His service is a matter of public record under his DD 214, as with any retired member of our armed forces," his campaign said in a statement Wednesday, referring to his military personnel form.

In a statement, a Navy spokesperson said there was not a narrative description in the record of why Cao was awarded the Bronze Star. Asked why there was neither a Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon, spokesperson Ferry Gene Baylon said the Navy cannot discuss criteria or reasons "someone would or would not have a certain award."

Hung Cao, Republican candidate from Virginia, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, appears in an undated handout photo provided October 11, 2022.

Cao has been more expansive about his service during campaign appearances. When he ran an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2022, Cao told an audience that combat wounds had fully disabled him.

"I'm 100% disabled, you know, because just from being blown up in combat many times and everything else, you know, knee, shoulders," Cao said on April 22, 2022. I've got more surgeries than you could possibly imagine.

In his campaign against Kaine, Cao has continued to stress his military service on radio shows, podcast episodes and in television news segments. Cao has said that hes been shot at, blown up, and has scars from his time in the military. He often refers to combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia as the origin of those combat wounds.

On a June 21 episode of the podcast Talk of Delmarva with Jake Smith, Cao said he "was getting shot at and blown up in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia."

Again, on a June 21 episode of the podcast The Schilling Show, Cao said, "Are you telling me your air-conditioned office where the worst thing that can happen for you is having a paper cut is the same as me getting, you know, blown up and shot at in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia?"

Four retired Navy and Army officers who reviewed Caos service record said it was unusual for a sailor severely wounded in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan not to have received a Purple Heart or the Navys Combat Action Ribbon.

Cao, in a Facebook post, criticized USA TODAY for asking about his service record and listed questions posed to him by reporters. USA TODAY reporters called, texted and emailed his campaign manager Tuesday and Wednesday seeking comment on Cao's military record.

The campaign has not addressed the questions directly, issuing only the short statement.

"I want to give you all a window into what it's like being a combat veteran who had the gall to run for public office against a career politician," Cao posted. "Any veteran will read this with the same disgust. Imagine being asked to provide documentation of the dates and times Al Qaeda shot at you. Imagine being asked, if you're a disabled veteran, why don't you have a Purple Heart?"

The contest between Cao and Kaine is one of several across the U.S. that will determine which party controls the closely divided Senate.

Cao, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, won the primary decisively. He garnered over 60% of the vote in the field of five candidates, which included retired Army Ranger Eddie Garcia, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Chuck Smith, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Va. Senate candidate's record doesn't back up claims on combat wounds
A young kinkajou was rescued in Washington state after it was found abandoned at a rest stop in Yakima, a city about 150 miles from Seattle.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police officers rescued the wild animal from a rest area in Yakima Sunday after they received a request for assistance, the department said in an email to USA TODAY on Thursday.

Officers then transported the animal to the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, where veterinary staff assessed its condition. The zoo said it would temporarily hold the animal and provide medical assistance as necessary until a more permanent home is found.

More: Manta Ray submarine drone seemingly spotted on Google Maps at California naval base

A young kinkajou, found abandoned at a rest stop in Yakima, was rescued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police. He will live temporarily at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.

Animal quarantined upon arrival at zoo

Point Defiance Zoo, in a post on social media, said the rainforest mammal was immediately quarantined upon arrival at the zoo's animal hospital when he arrived and will "undergo a comprehensive wellness exam with our veterinary team this week."

The zoo said the animal's rescue highlights "the dangers of the illegal pet trade."

"While kinkajous are not endangered, they are hunted for fur, meat, and the exotic pet trade, threatening their wild population," Point Defiance Zoo said in their post.

Point Defiance told USA TODAY Thursday that the facility's Head Veterinarian Dr. Karen Wolf believes the kinkajou to be an adult, adding that it is "definitely not a juvenile, nor does it appear geriatric."

The zoo said the kinkajou is in "fair health overall," but is "very thin, weighing only 2.5 pounds."

"He has a good appetite, and we are feeding him a full and healthy diet," the zoo said, adding that they are awaiting results of diagnostic testing to get a complete assessment of his health.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Wildlife Confiscations Network was also contacted in the process of the rescue. Point Defiance Zoo said that the association is working with them to find a permanent home for the animal.

What are kinkajous?

Kinkajous are a tropical rainforest mammal closely related to raccoons, olingos and coatis, as per Smithsonian Magazine. They are often confused with primates given their prehensile tails, Point Defiance Zoo says, but are actually small nocturnal carnivores. They can be found in tropical rainforests from southern Mexico through Brazil.

"Despite their cuteness, kinkajous do not make good pets," Point Defiance Zoo said.

It is not immediately clear how the animal got to the rest stop. The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Police, in their statement highlighted the dangers of releasing or abandoning exotic pets in the wild, explaining that such animals can not only be a danger to people and the area's native wildlife, but are also not equipped to survive in the wild.

"Exotic animals in need of a new home should be taken to a permitted animal sanctuary as they are equipped to give the animal the space and care it needs in captivity," the department said.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kinkajou rescued from rest stop in Yakima quarantined at Tacoma zoo
Experts warn that 755,000 people at risk of famine in the coming months in war-torn Sudan

FILE - Sudanese Children suffering from malnutrition are treated at an MSF clinic in Metche Camp, Chad, near the Sudanese border, on April 6, 2024. Families in Sudans embattled western region of Darfur finally received an emergency scale-up of food aid and nutrition supplies that are much needed to help avert looming famine, the U.N. food agency said Thursday June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Patricia Simon, File)

CAIRO (AP)  International experts portrayed a grim picture for war-torn Sudan in a report Thursday warning that 755,000 people are facing famine in the coming months, amid relentless clashes between rival generals.

The fighting has created a hunger catastrophe at a scale not seen since the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s, senior United Nations officials said.

The latest findings come from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, an initiative set up in 2004 during the famine in Somalia that now includes more than a dozen U.N. agencies, aid groups, governments and other bodies.

The report said that 8.5 million people are facing extreme food shortages after 14 months of conflict in Sudan and that hunger has spread to the capital Khartoum and Jazira province, once Sudan's breadbasket.

It is truly heartbreaking to see food scarcity and deprivation on the rise, said John Makoni, a national director for World Vision, one of the largest aid groups working in Sudan. We have a looming catastrophic situation that is quickly approaching."

The northeastern African country descended into chaos in April last year. That's when simmering tensions between the countrys military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.

The devastating conflict has killed more than 14,000 people and wounded 33,000 others, according to the United Nations, but rights activists say the toll could be much higher.

The conflict created the worlds largest displacement crisis with more than 11 million people forced to flee their homes. Human rights experts working for the United Nations said that both warring sides used food and starvation as a war weapon.

The report on hunger said people facing the highest level of starvation in the coming months are in 10 provinces, including Khartoum; the Darfur and Kordofan regions; and the provinces of Blue Nile and Jazira. The number was zero in June 2023 and it surged to 755,000 over the past year, it said.

The conflict has not only triggered mass displacement and disruption of supply routes, market systems and agricultural production, it has also severely limited access to essential humanitarian assistance, exacerbating an already dire situation, the report said.

Another 8.5 million people are classified in the second worst level of starvation, or Phase 4, meaning that the risk of hunger-related death is rapidly increasing, the IPC report said. Those people are facing extreme food shortages, acute malnutrition and excessively high disease levels, it added.

Overall, 25.6 million people, more than half of the countrys 47 million population, face crisis or worse conditions between June and September. It warned about a risk of famine in 14 areas if the conflict escalates further, including through increased mobilization of local militias.

The situation is especially critical for populations trapped in areas affected by direct conflict and/or insecurity and lack of protection, the report said. It referred to Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum and Jazira where fighting raged for months.

The current crisis  unlike the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s  impacts the whole country, and threatens to destabilize the entire horn of Africa region, said Cindy McCain, head of the World Food Program.

"We urgently need a massive expansion of humanitarian access and funding so we can scale-up our relief operations, and halt Sudans slide into a humanitarian catastrophe," she said.

The conflict has wrecked the country and created a crisis that will impact its future for generations. At least 17 million children are out of school, since over 90% of the country's schools are closed because of the war. About 4 million children under 5 suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 of those projected to be at imminent risk of dying, said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

The consequences of the violence, of the displacement of the, you know, lack of food, the lack of security is just devastating for women and children in Sudan, Russell said in an interview after her trip to Sudan earlier this week. She said UNICEF needs $840 million to continue its operations and help Sudans children. The U.N.'s $4.1 billion humanitarian appeal for this year was only 16% funded as of June.

Its important for the international community to realize that we have to get more resources to Sudan, she said. But we also need to push the parties, hopefully, to peace. Thats really, at the end of the day. what we need here."

The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including rape, gang rape and ethnic-motivated attacks, which rights groups say amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. In recent months, the fighting has expanded to new areas, including agricultural centers such as Jazira province, which the RSF seized last year.

Tjada DOyen McKenna, chief executive of nongovernmental organization Mercy Corps, said that the expansion of fighting has devastated food production, and caused severe malnutrition among children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, the chronically ill and older people.

Sudan has become one of the worlds largest and most ignored man-made tragedies, McKenna said. This crisis demands urgent diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.

QU Dongyu, director-general of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, said the IPC report revealed a deepening and rapid deterioration of the food security situation in Sudan with millions of peoples lives at risk.
Explosions have occurred during a Russian missile attack in the city of Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

Source: Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Details: Russian forces were simultaneously attacking from the sea with Kalibr cruise missiles and Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles that are typically launched from MiG-31K aircraft.

In addition, a Shahed drone attack continues.

Update: Around 04:00, explosions were heard again during an air-raid in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

At 05:06, explosions occurred for the third time in the night in Khmelnytskyi Oblast.

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In June 2022, the Supreme Court clarified the constitutional test for gun control laws, saying they must be "consistent with this Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." To illustrate the public safety implications of that ruling, Bloomberg Law reported last year that the decision had "forced the Justice Department to abandon a firearms charge against an Iranian American drug user with suspected ties to foreign terrorism."

As reporters Ben Penn and Seamus Hughes told it, "The firearm charge against Ali Hemani, 26, appears to have served the same purpose as when it's often brought against suspects in terrorism, organized crime, and other complex casesto keep him in jail while building a more complex investigation." But thanks to the Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the constitutionality of that charge, which under 18 USC 922(g)(3) applies to any "unlawful user" of a "controlled substance" who receives or possesses a firearm, was open to question.

As a result of that uncertainty, Penn and Hughes reported, federal prosecutors had agreed to drop the gun charge against Hemani, despite evidence that he "might be plotting a financial crime with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the US labels a terrorist organization." The implication of the story, which ran under the headline "Gun Law in Peril as DOJ Allows Freeing National Security Suspect," was clear: Bruen had become an obstacle to the federal government's fight against terrorism.

That spin was highly misleading. The FBI, which twice searched the Lewiston, Texas, home that Hemani shared with his parents, had not turned up any evidence to substantiate a link between him and terrorism. Its investigation was based on a combination of unjustified assumptions, misunderstandings, and guilt by association. Far from showing that Bruen has endangered national security, the case illustrates how gun laws like Section 922(g)(3) can be deployed against people who are presumed dangerous but pose no real threat to public safety.

Although Hemani has yet to face any terrorism-related charges, he was kept in jail for seven months pending his trial on the firearm charge. That trial never happened because the charge was ultimately dropped. But when federal prosecutors realized their gun case was vulnerable to a constitutional challenge, they engineered Hemani's arrest on a state drug charge. A pretrial evidentiary hearing in that case is scheduled for October 15. Although the case involves less than a gram of cocaine, it could send Hemani to prison for two years.

A Dangerous Combination

Hemani, who currently works as a project manager at an insurance company, was born in the United States and has lived here his whole life. His mother and father were born in Pakistan. The federal investigation that ensnared Hemani began with Muzzamil Zaidi, a U.S. citizen who was arrested in 2020 for allegedly transferring funds to Iran in violation of U.S. economic sanctions imposed in 2019.

Those sweeping sanctions inadvertently penalized Shia Muslims who pay a religious obligation known as khums, which is similar to Christian tithing and funds charitable works worldwide. At the time, Zaidi was gathering khums donations from Shia Muslims in Texas, including money from Hemani's mother, Sameena.

Zaidi was accused of failing to apply for the government license that would have allowed him to make the money transfers. But according to Mohammed Ali Naquvi, co-founder of the American Muslim Bar Association (AMBA), such licenses are rarely granted, which imposes severe challenges on Shia Muslims who want to pay khums.

The Hemanis practice Shia Islam, the official religion of Iran, but they say their connection to the regime ends there. According to Sameena, their only ties to Iran are familial and spiritual. "Iran hosts Shia shrines, so we visit," she says. "My parents and oldest son also live there. We donate khums because it's part of our religion to help those in need."

In August 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Hemanis' home, looking for evidence to confirm their suspicion that Sameena had violated the sanctions against Iran by giving money to Zaidi. Naz Ahmad, who has advised the Hemanis as a staff attorney at Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR), says the agents seized some electronics and hard drives. But the raid did not result in charges against Sameena or any other members of her family.

The FBI searched the house again in August 2022, after the Hemanis visited Iran to see relatives. According to Ahmad, that search was based on the FBI's allegation that Ali Hemani had committed perjury by providing false statements during an interview at John F. Kennedy International Airport when the family returned to the United States. This time, the FBI agents found a Glock 19 pistol that belonged to Ali, along with less than a gram of cocaine and about two ounces of marijuana.

Under Section 922(g)(3), the conjunction of drug and firearm possession is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A federal indictment filed on February 8, 2023, charged Hemani with that crime, and he was arrested two days later. In a seven-page motion filed under seal on February 16, prosecutors sought pretrial detention.

"This is a unique criminal firearm case," Brit Featherston, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, said in the brief, which I obtained from a source who asked to remain anonymous. "Unlike most defendants indicted on firearm charges, this defendant not only abuses drugs and possesses a firearm, he also has strong links and frequent travel to countries that do not have diplomatic relations with the United States"i.e., "the Islamic Republic of Iran" and "the Republic of Iraq."

Since the United States does have diplomatic relations with Iraq, that last claim was only half right. Featherston added that Hemani "has family members living in Iran and Pakistan" and claimed that "his mother (with whom he lives) wishes her son to be a martyr." Featherston said there was ample reason to think "this defendant is a flight risk and a danger to the community," especially because "drugs, firearms, and martyrdom are a dangerous combination."

Criminalizing Religious Expression

The reference to martyrdom was based on a Facebook post that Sameena Hemani had shared on July 12, 2021, one week before Eid Al Adha, a three-day Muslim holiday commemorating the prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for Godan event recognized by Judaism and Christianity as well as Islam. According to the version of the story in the Koran, the son whom Abraham bound on an altar was Ishmael (Ismail) rather than Isaac. If "Muslims would sacrifice their own sons like Ismail while following the Sunnah [practice] of Ibrahami," said the author of the post that Sameena shared, "then Allah would have given them the blessing of leadership of religion and the world."

Featherston averred that Ali Hemani "has connections to a cause that supports violent attacks on the United States government and, clearly, his mother wishes for him to be a martyr, a sacrifice for the cause." By taking a metaphorical expression literally, that interpretation misconstrued a religious aspiration to imitate Abraham's complete obedience.

"We've been complaining about the FBI's lack of cultural awareness for years, and this is just further evidence that they've learned nothing from their witch hunt of Muslims," says Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. "They're criminalizing religious expression."

The FBI has a long history of scrutinizing social media posts by Muslim Americans, even as it insists as a matter of policy that posts by far-right extremists are protected by the First Amendment. "The U.S. justice system is operating under two different legal standards, depending on your race and religion," Naquvi says.

In a brief opposing Hemani's pretrial detention, federal public defender Brian O'Shea argued that the government's use of the Facebook post was "akin to claiming that someone speaking about the sacrifice of Christ, during Lent, is calling for literal Christian martyrdom." Despite two raids and years of surveillance, O'Shea said, the government had been forced to rely on "a common Facebook comment without context."

Investigators had failed to provide "even a scintilla of evidence that Mr. Hemani harbors any violent beliefs or intentions," O'Shea wrote, and had "shown no evidence that he has ever plotted, planned, attempted, or committed any violent act." During cross-examination at Hemani's pretrial detention hearing on March 6, 2023, Jason Hollingshead, a Denton, Texas, police detective assigned to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, appeared to confirm that point, saying he had not seen any evidence that Hemani "ever agreed to do anything in the name of extremism or terrorism against this country." Hollingshead also said he had no knowledge of Hemani's "political views" or whether he had "ill feelings towards the United States."

Hollingshead nevertheless implied that Hemani was potentially dangerous because of the views his mother had expressed during a February 2020 visit to Iran. He averred that the family made that trip to attend the funeral of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, a division of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who was killed by a U.S. drone strike that January. In reality, the tickets had been purchased in 2019, before Soleimani's assassination.

Hollingshead described comments that Sameena Hemani made in an interview with "Iranian news media" during that trip. "She's visiting the mausoleum of General Qasem Soleimani because she had been saddened by Soleimani's martyrdom," he said. "She wants to pray that her son also becomes a martyr like Soleimani. She says the blood of a martyr is never in vain and the fruits of it soon become evident. She compares Iran with the United States and says Iran is an excellent country and she would live there if it were up to her because Iran is governed by Islamic rule, which is divine. In contrast, America is governed by arrogance. When the interviewer asked her what she prayed for at Soleimani's shrine, she said she prayed that her two sons become like Soleimani."

Soleimani, who played an important role in Iran's fight against the Sunni terrorist group ISIS (a.k.a. Daesh) in Iraq, is widely admired among Shias. "Most Shias without a doubt consider him a hero, including myself," says one activist who prefers not to be quoted by name. "He was elevated to hero status after ISIS. It was Shias who were in the line of fire; it wasn't the Americans. When Soleimani entered the fight, the Americans even collaborated with him briefly. He's widely credited with destroying ISIS, and that means saving Shia lives."

Falling Under That Influence

Hollingshead said he was concerned that Ali Hemani, if released, would be "living under the influence of his mother day in and day out in the home with her" and "falling under that influence," given that "her greatest desire is for him, along with her other son, to become a martyr, someone engaged in the death of innocent lives." But during cross-examination, Hollingshed conceded he had no evidence that Hemani "shares her ideology."

Sadaf Doost, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, says federal prosecutors relied on "Islamophobic tropes" to support an implausible narrative about Hemani. The allegations against him, she says, are "reminiscent of what this nation saw in the aftermath of 9/11: the unlawful use of national origin, ethnicity, and religion to justify the denial of equal protection of the law and the erosion of some of our most fundamental rights."

Remarkably, the prosecution argued that Hemani's clean record was itself a red flag. "The defendant's sparse criminal history makes him a perfect fit for the criminal activity that his mother advocates in her shared Facebook post," Featherston said in his brief supporting Hemani's pretrial detention. "Indeed, the ideology his mother publicly supports needs individuals who can fit into the community and go unnoticed by law enforcement."

The government deployed the same line of reasoning against a different minority during World War II. "I can't help thinking about the very similar 1942 argument," University of Pennsylvania law professor Kermit Roosevelt says. According to that rationale, "the fact that no Japanese Americans had committed acts of sabotage meant that they were waiting for the right time to all act together."

Hemani's case also fits a pattern of arresting people on national security grounds but charging them with lesser, unrelated charges. "They did this all the time post 9/11," Roosevelt says. In litigation over detention of terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, he recalls, "the government would say, 'If you could see the secret evidence we have, you'd know how dangerous this guy is.' And then when I got to see the evidence, it was nothing."

Federal prosecutors claimed Hemani, a self-described secular Muslim, had been influenced by his mother's allegedly militant ideology, despite the absence of any actual terrorism charges against him or her. Hemani's current attorney, David Boyer, condemns the government's allegations as "outrageous fearmongering."

Despite the lack of solid evidence to support those allegations, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson granted the government's motion for pretrial detention on March 21, 2023. While "the First Amendment protects the right to express one's frustration and anger towards the United States Government," she said, Hemani's actions "make clear" that he is "a serious flight risk" and that he is apt to "obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice."

Johnson said Hemani "has been in communication with affiliates of the IRGC since at least 2019, and these individuals appear to have directed him to take action against the United States' financial systems." According to Boyer, "The only evidence the government presented to support this claim was Detective Hollingshead's testimony at the hearing. The allegation was very vague. To my knowledge, the government did not present any evidence on who these individuals supposedly were or how Mr. Hemani was being 'directed' by them."

Johnson added that Hemani and his family "have used counter-surveillance tactics to evade law enforcement surveillance both in domestic and international travel." She said it was "especially troubling" that "on his return trip from Iran in July 2022, Defendant wiped the communication data from his cellphone and attempted to 'scramble' his travel itinerary to evade surveillance."

Although the FBI claimed Hemani "scrambled" his itinerary, his lawyers said he changed his connecting flight due to COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by Qatar's government. The FBI also falsely asserted that Hemani returned to the U.S. on July 24 and stayed overnight in New York. He actually returned on July 25 and headed back to Dallas the same day.

Ahmad adds that behavior the government views as suspicious can be seen as a natural response to unjustified surveillance. "These are communities that have had their privacy invaded in many different ways, including at the border," she says. "Many people do factory settings on their phone or use travel phones as a way to push back against that. It's not that you have something to hide; you just want to maintain your privacy. So unfortunately, it's become very common, and it's something that a lot of people do now because they just don't want to be put on the spot and hav[e] their privacy invaded or hav[e] their phone seized."

He Lost Seven Months of His Life

Hemani remained in custody at the Fannin County Jail for seven months, until U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant ordered his release on August 30. At that point, Johnson had recommended the dismissal of the gun charge, and the government had agreed that "the dismissal of the indictment is appropriate."

Johnson's recommendation relied on Bruen and United States v. Rahimi, a March 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. The latter decision, which the Supreme Court recently overturned, involved 18 USC 922(g)(8), which prohibits gun possession by anyone subject to a domestic violence restraining order, even when the order does not include a finding that the individual is dangerous. That provision, the 5th Circuit held, was unconstitutional under the test established by Bruen. Based on the appeals court's reasoning, Johnson concluded, the same was probably true of Section 922(g)(3).

The 5th Circuit added support to that conclusion a few weeks before Hemani's release. In Daniels v. United States, the appeals court overturned a marijuana user's conviction for illegal gun possession, deeming his prosecution inconsistent with the Second Amendment. In light of Daniels, federal prosecutors agreed to drop the gun charge against Hemani.

Mazzant officially dismissed the indictment on February 1, 2024. But he noted that "the government believes that Daniels was wrongly decided" and "reserved the right to file a notice of appeal in the case to preserve" that argument. The government filed that appeal at the end of February.

In the meantime, however, the FBI had referred Hemani's case to the Denton County District Attorney's Office for prosecution of his illegal drug possession. On October 13, 2023, a Denton County grand jury indicted Hemani on one count of possessing less than a gram of cocaine, a felony punishable by six months to two years in prison.

In an email, a spokesperson for the district attorney's office confirmed that the FBI directly recommended the prosecution, saying it is "not the norm" to receive cases from the agency. Underscoring that point, CLEAR's Ahmad says the FBI plans to present testimony at a June 29 hearing on Hemani's motion to suppress the evidence against him in the drug case. In response to my questions, the FBI referred me to Featherston's office, which said it was unable to comment due to "unresolved issues associated with this case."

Ahmad says the FBI's involvement smacks of a vendetta. "They're allocating all these resources to what amounts to a minor drug offense," she notes. The determination to lock Hemani up, she adds, is consistent with the way the gun case was handled. "In a normal circumstance involving a first-time offense, where the individual holds down a job, Hemani would have been a really strong candidate for release," she says. "But because of this [national security] framing, he was denied his freedom. He lost seven months of his life."

Critics argue that Hemani's treatment reflects a pattern of government harassment targeting Shia Muslims. "We see what looks like minor prosecutions, and you might think that's not a big deal," Roosevelt says. "But they're the surface ripples of this massive apparatus driven by prejudice and incompetence that's making us less safe and less free."

In the last decade, Naquvi says, his organization, AMBA, has documented denials of visas for more than 50 Shia scholars, including some who were previously allowed to visit the U.S. The rejections likely are due to the fact that it's common for Shia scholars to visit Iran, which often attracts government scrutiny. "Government surveillance and racial and religious profilingincrease mistrust between our communities and law enforcement," Naquvi says, and have "overwhelmingly been shown to be ineffective at identifying potential criminal activity."

Prejudice and Hysteria

The harms stemming from such practices extend beyond Muslim-American communities. Today's far-right attacks on liberal values were partly seeded by 9/11 policies and rhetoric that justified dragnet surveillance of Muslim communities. That period played an important role in laying the groundwork for today's assaults on ideas and institutions that do not align with white Christian values.

The Center for Constitutional Rights says Hemani's case underscores that broader danger. "The prosecution's proffered evidence opposing Mr. Hemani's motion [for release] is of the sort with which we are distressingly all too familiar, where religion and national origin are cast as proxies for danger and risk," the organization said in a March 7, 2023, letter to Johnson that was also signed by Muslim Advocates. "We urge the Court to reject the misuse of Mr. Hemani's faith and identity as it considers his motion, and to strongly caution the government against further arguments premised on profiling. Ratification of the government's arguments by this Court would not only impermissibly deny this young man his liberty, it would dangerously give such private and base stereotypes the force of law and signal to Muslim Americansand all Americansthat Muslim identity is a legitimate basis to deny Muslims equal protection of the law."

If the government thinks you're dangerous, Roosevelt notes, it can usually find something to pin on you. "Overcriminalization and selective enforcement mean that what really determines your freedom is not so much whether you try to follow the law as whether the government feels the need to prosecute you," he says, "and that's often determined by prejudice and hysteria."

The post He Faced a Terrorism Probe, Went to Jail on a Gun Charge, and Now Is Charged With Drug Possession appeared first on Reason.com.
News Organizations Claimed Biden and Trump Are Oldest US Presidential Candidates Ever. Here's What We Found

Claim:

Joe Biden and Donald Trump are the two oldest U.S. presidential candidates ever.

Rating:

Rating: Mostly True

Context:

As of this writing, Biden and Trump have all but officially secured presidential nominations from their respective political parties. When that happens at party conventions in the coming weeks, they will indeed be the two oldest presidential nominees representing a major political party. There have been older third-party and independent candidates, as well as older candidates who sought but did not receive a major-party nomination.

In a post made on June 26, 2024, the official Reuters X account claimed that U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were the two oldest candidates ever to run for U.S. president.

The two oldest candidates ever to run for US president will meet for a televised debate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied in national opinion polls with less than five months until the Nov. 5 election. What to watch for: https://t.co/fDw7RIEPT4 pic.twitter.com/lxxfPVCg9R  Reuters (@Reuters) June 27, 2024

The same claim was also made in a March 11, 2024, op-ed debate published on CNN's website on May 5, 2024, as well as in a Facebook post from the official account of U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

The truth is a little more complicated. It is correct to say that, when Biden and Trump officially secure their parties' nomination for president in 2024 (that will happen at party conventions), they will be the two oldest presidential nominees representing a major political party. But there have been older third-party and independent candidates. There have also been older presidential hopefuls who sought but did not receive a major party's nomination. For this reason, we have rated the claim as "Mostly True."

Then-President Ronald Reagan, born Feb. 6, 1911, became the oldest major-party candidate to be nominated when he ran for reelection in 1984. He was 73 years old.

In 2020, Biden, who was born Nov. 20, 1942, and was 77 years old at the time, took over Reagan's spot for oldest major-party presidential candidate, as The Associated Press reported. Trump, then 74 (he was born June 14, 1946), was knocked to second place.

In other words, when Election Day rolls around, Biden will be 81 years old and Trump will be 78.

That said, there have been older candidates who ran for president as third-party nominees or independents, as well as older candidates who sought but failed to secure nominations from major parties. One such figure was Harold Stassen, a "perennial candidate" who unsuccessfully campaigned for the Republican Party nomination nine times between 1948 and 1992, when he was 85 years old. Another example is fringe politician Lyndon LaRouche, who campaigned for the final time in 2004, at the age of 82.

As The Hill reported in February 2024, the phenomenon of advanced age in major-party presidential candidates emerged fairly recently in American history:

Since 1976, the two parties have combined to nominate nine presential candidates who are 60 years or older, five of whom were 70 or older. In the period before 1976, the oldest nominee in American history, William Henry Harrison, was 67 when the election took place (and he died after a month in office). From 1880-1976, there were only four candidates over 60: Benjamin Harrison, Franklin D. Roosevelt (for his third and fourth term), Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.

In sum, it is correct to say that, when the GOP and Democratic parties officially nominate Trump and Biden for president, respectively, they will be the two oldest presidential candidates nominated by a major political party. However, they are not the two oldest candidates to ever declare a presidential campaign. For this reason, we rate the claim as "Mostly True."

Sources:

"Biden vs. Trump: General Election Battle Is Now Set." AP News, 9 Apr. 2020, https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-joe-biden-3e88a683e458f762818d66c9bae6ce1d.

Debate: How Old Is Too Old to Be President? https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/02/opinions/matter-of-debate-age-limit-presidents/index.html. Accessed 27 June 2024.

"Donald J. Trump." WHHA (En-US), https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/donald-j-trump. Accessed 27 June 2024.

"Harold Edward Stassen." University Archives and Records Center, https://archives.upenn.edu/exhibits/penn-people/biography/harold-edward-stassen/. Accessed 27 June 2024.

"Joseph R. Biden Jr." WHHA (En-US), https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/joseph-r-biden-jr. Accessed 27 June 2024.

McGregor, Jena. "Analysis | Clinton and Trump Are the Oldest Candidates Ever. No One Seems to Care." Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2021. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/07/14/clinton-and-trump-are-the-oldest-candidates-ever-no-one-seems-to-care/.

Severo, Richard. "Lyndon LaRouche, Cult Figure Who Ran for President 8 Times, Dies at 96." The New York Times, 13 Feb. 2019. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/13/obituaries/lyndon-larouche-dead.html.

Spivak, Joshua. "Actually, Americans Like Older Presidential Candidates." The Hill, 28 Feb. 2024. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4495390-actually-americans-like-older-presidential-candidates/. Accessed 27 June 2024.

Updates:

June 28, 2024: This article was corrected to report that before Biden did, Reagan attained the title "oldest major-party candidate to win nomination" when he ran for reelection in 1984 at the age of 73.
Crews are installing playground equipment for the upper area of Harbin Park as part of a four-phase update of the 230-acre park. The playground will be divided into two areas with equipment for 2-to 5-year olds and a separate area for 6- to -12-year-olds.

FAIRFIELD  Construction of a splash pad in the upper area at Fairfields Harbin Park has been delayed but city leaders believe it can still be completed before the end of summer.

Construction of the adjoining playground area and parking is progressing. It is the third phase of a four-phase project to update Harbin Park  the Hunter Road parks first major renovation in over 30 years. Design work on new play equipment for the 230-acre parks lower level  phase four  has just begun.

Plans for the splash pad were initially submitted to the Ohio Department of Health for approval in January, said Ben Mann, director of public works. Until they are approved work on the splash pad cant begin.

When complete, the play area will sit on synthetic turf like the surface at Village Green Park. It also has an L-shaped shelter with a utility room for the splash pad, a shade structure, and restrooms.

The sticking point has been a particular feature  slide  that our provider thinks is acceptable but the health department doesnt, Mann said. Weve been going back and forth.

A whale feature has been selected and will be swapped out for the slide to move the project forward, said Mandi Brock, Fairfields parks and recreation director.

Once that new plan has been submitted to the board of health and the permit obtained, it will take 6-8 weeks to build the splash pad, Brock said.

The whale is one of 19 features in the 68-foot by 86-foot splash pad area, each with a water line, Brock said.Adjacent to the splash pad is a 70-foot by 200-foot playground area divided into two sections  equipment for youngsters from 2 to 5 years old leading to the splash pad, and a second area for 6-12-year olds.

That area has three major climbing/tower pieces plus several other features including swings, spinning chairs and chimes. Some pieces are identical to those in the recently completed upgrade at Village Green Park.

Crews are installing playground equipment for the upper area of Harbin Park as part of a four-phase update of the 230-acre park. The playground construction is underway. Work on a splashpad was held up for a permit issue and may not be complete until the end of August.

People are going to be excited when they see it completed, Mann said. Its a bigger attraction  not only because of the splash pad but because its a much bigger area.

The play area will sit on synthetic turf like the surface at Village Green Park. It also has an L-shaped shelter with a utility room for the splash pad, a shade structure, and restrooms.

Mann said the plan is to open the playground area and splash pad together, but that might change. The earliest the splash pad would be ready is late August.

The playground equipment supplier is Landscape Structures Inc., with its water feature division, Aquatix, completing the splash pad.

The cost of the project is $4.1 million.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Harbin Park's splash pad plans need state approval so work can start
'We have faith in our federal partners': Graceland fraud case takes another turn

The bizarre fraud case investigating an attempt to sell Elvis Presley's historic Graceland mansion is being kicked up the chain to federal law enforcement.

The investigation is taking a turn more than a month after a judge blocked a foreclosure sale of the property, Amy Lannom Wilhite, communications director for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, told CNN Wednesday.

The Tennessee Attorney Generals Office looked into the Graceland matter, and it quickly became apparent that this was a matter best suited for federal law enforcement," Lannom Wilhite said. "We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately."

Actor Riley Keough, who inherited the estate from her mother, the late Lisa Marie Presley, sued an investment and lending company in May after it announced an auction of Graceland.

Read more: Riley Keough fights off foreclosure and auction of her grandfather Elvis' Graceland

In her lawsuit, Keough said Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC alleged that Presley had obtained a $3.8-million loan and "gave a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security." Keough denied that Lisa Marie, who died last January at 54, had any involvement with Naussany Investments.

Keough asked a Tennessee judge to block the sale and declare Naussany Investments' deed of trust fraudulent. She also expressed doubt that Naussany Investments was a "real entity."

Hours after Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction blocking the sale on May 22, a purported representative for Naussany Investments submitted a statement that said the company would drop its claims on Graceland, the Associated Press reported.

Days later, a self-proclaimed identity thief based in Nigeria sent an email to the New York Times claiming responsibility for the ordeal. The correspondence, which was sent in reply to questions about the case, came from an email address related to Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC that is listed in court documents.

We figure out how to steal, the thief wrote to the New York Times. Thats what we do.

Read more: 'I had fun': Alleged scammer takes credit for Graceland foreclosure upheaval

The thief said they belonged to a criminal network that targets the dead and elderly, particularly those from Florida and California, according to the outlet.

But there may yet be another twist to the story. NBC News reported two weeks ago that the so-called Nigerian scammer might be a Missouri grandmother with a criminal history of fraud.

The outlet identified the woman as Lisa Holden, though she may have gone by other names in the past. Holden, the outlet reported, had used the last name Naussany to leave negative reviews for businesses.

NBC interviewed people who knew Holden, including Rasheed Jeremy Carballo. Carballo said Holden had confided in him details about the foreclosure scheme and that, after being interviewed by NBC News, he told the FBI everything he knew.

Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
NEW YORK (PIX11)  Wednesday night, Carole Trottere was among the family members of overdose victims who attended a Family Summit on fentanyl hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division.

It is a lifelong sentence, said Trottere of Long Island.

Her son, Alex Sutton, died of a drug overdose in 2018.

More Local News

Those in attendance at the event at John Jay College of Criminal Justice heard the latest efforts being made by the DEA, the U.S. Attorneys Office and the NYPD to stop the flow of the synthetic drug into the United States. The DEA said there are more than 100,000 fatal overdoses a year, most linked to fentanyl.

I think its encouraging for us to hear there is a little bit of headway being made against drugs; I mean, we are in a war right now, Trottere told PIX11 News.

It starts in China and India, precursor chemicals, diverted into Mexico and then synthesized into powder and pills that makes its way into the United States, and it comes into the United States in any way, shape or form, in any way possible. Cars, human beings, in parcels, mail parcels, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New York, Frank Tarentino told PIX11.

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Tarentino said while they are going after the big cartels in Mexico, theyve also had success prosecuting low-level dealers in New York after a fatal overdose. He says the investigation begins as soon as the person dies.

The evidence we would be looking for is possibly a phone, some kind of digital device that might lead us into a direction of who might be communicating with this person that was poisoned. Maybe some drug paraphernalia or a particular type of drug that might give us a signature that would allow us to identity the type of drug and also where that drug came from, Tarentino said.

Allison Van Cott-McEntee also attended the Family Summit at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her younger brother Steven died seven years ago of an overdose. She now runs a podcast, The Play it Forward Project, to encourage Recovery and Prevention.

Its been very, very heartbreaking for my family and I hope it doesnt happen to other families, Van Cott-McEntee told PIX11 News.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Family awarded $1.5m after customs agents kept US citizens, aged nine and 14, imprisoned

Family awarded $1.5m after customs agents kept US citizens, aged nine and 14, imprisoned

A family has been awarded $1.5 million after their two children, who are US citizens, were falsely imprisoned at the US-Mexico border.

US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel awarded $250,000 to the childrens mother, $175,000 to the boy and $1.1m to the girl in his ruling in the civil lawsuit on Friday.

Julia, who was nine years old at the time, and her brother Oscar, 14, were arrested on March 18, 2019, as they made their regular crossing into the US from their home in Tijuana, Mexico to attend school.

Both children, whose last names were withheld in court documents, were born in the US and are US citizens. Their mother, Thelma Medina Navarro, is a Mexican citizen with a temporary US border-crossing card, according to court documents.

As they attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro point of entry, near San Diego, with a pair of family friends, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents stopped Julia, believing she didnt match the photo on her passport.

Thelma Medina Navarro reunites with her children Julia and Oscar, who were mistakenly arrested at the US-Mexico border in 2019 on suspicion of smuggling, despite being US citizens (NBC San Diego screengrab)

From there, she was taken into a room and interrogated by a single Customs and Border Patrol officer, breaking policy requiring an additional witness for the interview of a minor, according to the court.

In the interrogation room, Julia was coerced into giving a false confession that she was her cousin, prompting officials to believe she and Oscar were potentially involved in smuggling and using false identities.

The United States does not offer a coherent explanation as to why Julia would falsely confess that she was her cousin, Judge Curiel wrote on Friday, during the ruling. Since the confession was not recorded, witnessed or even recounted in any written detail, it will never be known why a 9-year-old U.S. citizen falsely confessed to being someone she is not.

After subsequent rounds of interviews, the children were then separated and detained in cells at the border crossings Admissibility Enforcement Unit, where Oscar was held for 14 hours and Julia was detained for 34 hours.

The children were finally released by the Border Patrol after pressure from the Mexican consulate and the childrens mother, Thelma Medina Navarro, had given media interviews about what had happened.

The incident left Julia with insomnia and nightmares, and she needed counseling after being released, according to court documents.

I hope that no one ever has this again, Julia told NBC San Diego following the ruling on Friday.
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The Sackler family, who once owned Purdue Pharma, wanted protections from civil lawsuits in a opioid settlement plan (REUTERS)

The Supreme Court rejected a multi-billion dollar bankruptcy plan that protects the Sackler family  the former owners of the pharmaceutical giant Purdue Pharma which is responsible for marketing and selling the opioid OxyContin  from civil lawsuits.

The Sackler family reached a nationwide $6 billion settlement through Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy for victims of the opioid crisis. That settlement, though, called for the Sacklers not to face future lawsuits.

In a 5-4 decision, justices said bankruptcy code does not permit a type of Chapter 11 reorganization plan that protects those who do not declare bankruptcy themselves.

Once more, the Sacklers seek greater relief than a bankruptcy discharge normally affords, for they hope to extinguish even claims for wrongful death and fraud, and they seek to do so without putting anything close to all their assets on the table, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic church used similar bankruptcy reorganization plans to protect individuals from civil lawsuits.

This means the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan, which initially had a $6 billion settlement for victims of OxyContin, will have to be sent back  something Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed to in his dissent as an unfortunate result for victims waiting for compensation.

Campaigners and family members of those who have died of opioids gather outside the US Supreme Court, Washington, DC, in December (EPA)

For years, victims of the drug have been unable to receive compensation due to a legal back-and-forth the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma were engaged with.

Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families, Justice Kavanaugh wrote, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan.

He said the deviation from the long-established authority of bankruptcy courts results in opioid victims being deprived of the substantial monetary recovery that they long fought for and finally secured after years of litigation.

In 2019, Purdue Pharma filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy while facing a wall of lawsuits over OxyContin.

At the same time, the Sacklers withdrew $11 billion from Purdue Pharma and transferred it overseas with more than 40 percent of that going toward the companys taxes. The family also began removing themselves from the company board  distancing themselves.

In its proposed plan for reorganization, Purdue Pharma agreed to pay $1.2 billion in administrative expenses and payments to opioid victims. About 138,000 plaintiffs could receive anywhere between $3,500 and $48,000 over the next 10 years.

A campaigner holds a pill container whilst outside the US Supreme Court, Washington, DC, USA, 04 December 2023. The US Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a bankruptcy case against Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin (EPA)

In addition, the Sackler family agreed to contribute $6 billion to the plan, but would be free from opioid-related claims.

The government intervened, claiming the type of protections the Sacklers obtained in their plan were not warranted because the family was not in financial distress. They claimed the plan imposed on victims right to due process.

During oral arguments, Curtis Gannon, the deputy solicitor general, suggested the Supreme Court should ask Congress to narrow the scope of the protections to prevent these types of bankruptcy protections from continuing.

An attorney for Purdue Pharma argued that without the protections victims would not get the amount theyre owed because of the overwhelming number of lawsuits the Sackler family would be subject to. He highlighted that victims voted in favor of the plan  however, less than 20 percent of eligible people participated.

Millions of people in the U.S. have been impacted by the opioid epidemic.

Between 1999 and 2021, over 280,000 people died of overdoses involving prescription opioids, according to the CDC. In 2021 alone, the number of deaths involving prescription opioids was five times the number it was in 1999.

The Sackler families said in a statement that they, remain hopeful about reaching a resolution that provides substantial resources to help combat a complex public health crisis. The unfortunate reality is that the alternative is costly and chaotic legal proceedings in courtrooms across the country.

While we are confident that we would prevail in any future litigation given the profound misrepresentations about our families and the opioid crisis, we continue to believe that a swift negotiated agreement to provide billions of dollars for people and communities in need is the best way forward, the statement continued.

Harrington v Purdue Pharma is a bankruptcy case with implications for victims of the opioid crisis who wanted to sue the Sackler family for their part in falsely advertising Oxycontin.
The family of U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and their attorney will hold a news conference about 11 a.m. Thursday to announce a settlement with Baylor Scott & White related to the former North Texas congresswomans death.

The family said in a news release that they have reached a resolution of all matters in their case against the hospital system, which they accused of medical negligence in Johnsons care.

Details of the settlement are expected to be released at the press conference at the Dallas office of attorney Les Weisbrod.

Johnson died on Dec. 31 at age 89. Her family has said that they believe Johnsons treatment at a Baylor Scott & White rehabilitation hospital while she recovered from a September back surgery contributed to her death.

Johnsons surgical scar became infected at the rehab facility, her son has said. She was moved to a skilled nursing facility on Oct. 18 before returning to her home for hospice care on Dec. 18.

Johnson was the first Black member of Congress from Dallas and the first registered nurse to serve in Congress. She retired in January 2023.

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The family of a toddler who died from a fentanyl overdose is suing the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

While under the custody of his mother and grandfather, Justin Bulley, 17 months old, died on Feb. 18 at a Lancaster home after ingesting fentanyl found in the home.

The boys father, Montise Bulley, was trying to gain custody of Justin at the time of his death.

Montise has filed a lawsuit against the DCFS for $65 million, alleging that Justin fell unconscious and died while his mother, grandfather and a DCFS social worker were present at the home.

The lawsuit claims social workers were aware of previous drug and DUI-related arrests involving the boys mother, Jessica Darthard, and his grandfather, Jessie Darthard.

Despite their history, Montise said Justin and his three young siblings were placed under their mother and grandfathers care.

Justin Bulley, 17 months old, died on Feb. 18, 2024 in Lancaster after ingesting fentanyl. (Bulley Family)

Justin Bulley is seen with his father, Montise Bulley, in a family photo. (Bulley Family)

The Lancaster home where 17-month-old Justin Bulley was found dead after ingesting fentanyl on Feb. 18, 2024. (Don Luis Meza)

The Lancaster home where 17-month-old Justin Bulley was found dead after ingesting fentanyl on Feb. 18, 2024. (Don Luis Meza)

Montise Bulley and his attorney Brian Claypool held a press conference announcing a $65 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on June 26, 2024. (KTLA)

Montise Bulley is seen at a press conference announcing a $65 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on June 26, 2024. (KTLA)

The Lancaster home where 17-month-old Justin Bulley was found dead after ingesting fentanyl on Feb. 18, 2024. (Don Luis Meza)

The Lancaster home where 17-month-old Justin Bulley was found dead after ingesting fentanyl on Feb. 18, 2024. (Don Luis Meza)

Montise Bulley is seen at a press conference announcing a $65 million wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on June 26, 2024. (KTLA)

Justin Bulley, 17 months old, died on Feb. 18, 2024 in Lancaster after ingesting fentanyl. (Bulley Family)

How in the world could this happen? said Brian Claypool, the attorney representing the boys father. Theres one answer. We have a pathetic L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services in Lancaster. Its absolutely horrific what happens at that agency in Lancaster.

Claypool and Justins family held a press conference Wednesday announcing the lawsuit and sharing more details surrounding the toddlers death.

Dating back to 2006, the mother had a first strike in California for shooting a gun into an occupied dwelling, Claypool said. That crime, in and of itself, should have deprived this woman from caring for children.

According to Claypool, there were other serious instances that shouldve disqualified Jessica from having access to her children.

On April 10, 2023, Jessicas boyfriend died of an overdose and all four of her children had witnessed the death, the suit claims.

She had previously been arrested for driving under the influence and crashing her car into a big rig while her children were reportedly inside the car and baby Justin wasnt in a car seat.

The search of Jessica Darthard showed multiple alcohol-related arrests and cruelty to a child in 2023, according to court documents. [Jessica] was a known user and abuser of substances. Each of her four children were all born with illegal drugs in their system. DCFS was also aware that Jessicas father was a known drug dealer in the Antelope Valley.

On the night of Justins death, the suit claims the DCFS social worker assigned to supervise the family was visiting the boys home and even brought along her own three children. Justins mother and grandfather were allegedly drinking and using fentanyl while the children were present, Claypool said.

It was only a matter of time before at least one child died at the hands of this mother, Claypool said. There were six other kids in the home when Justin died. There could been another six children dead in this home.

Adding to the allegations, Claypool said the social worker was actually a close friend of Jessicas.

When the social worker realized Justin had ingested the drugs and was in trouble, instead of saving the child, the social worker fled the home with her kids, the suit said.

The woman appointed by the county is at the scene of the death! Claypool said. And what does she do? She doesnt step in and try to save these kids. She doesnt pull these kids out of that house. What does she do? Shes a coward  she runs. When the paramedics show up at the house, she does a 360. Runs out of the house with her kids.

The social worker was later detained by law enforcement and after testing her three children, they were all found with fentanyl in their system, the suit claims.

The level of fentanyl that was in Justins body was staggering, Claypool said of the boys autopsy report. He had 25 nanograms of fentanyl in the blood surrounding his heart. It takes only one to kill a child. He had 25 in his blood.

The $65 million wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Justin, his father and his young siblings who reportedly suffered years of abuse and neglect.

I was devastated, said Montise, the boys father. I didnt understand. I got that phone call. Who gets a phone call like that? I didnt know what to do. I was in shock. Hopefully, they can change the system. I dont know all the right answers, but I would like a full investigation.

The mom and her father are doing drugs, alcohol and a DCFS visitation supervisor is there, Claypool said. This person is supposed to protect children and shes at the home while the mother of these young kids and her father are engaging in drug activity. There were red flags in this case that warranted the removal of Justin and his three siblings. They shouldve all been out of the moms house years ago. DCFS employees ignored reports that [Justin] and his siblings were constantly in the presence of alcohol and drugs and placed with a mother and grandfather who were both substance abusers.

KTLA reached out to the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services for a comment and a spokesperson said they do not comment on pending litigation.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Family of missing Chicago woman in Bahamas pleads for help finding her

CHICAGO  Family members of a missing Chicago woman say they are on their way to the Bahamas to help find her after she went missing June 19 during a yoga retreat on Paradise Island.

Taylor Casey, 41, of Chicago, was last seen at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat. Two days later, the Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a missing person poster on June 21 to alert the public to her disappearance, the family said in a statement posted on social media.

We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, Colette Seymore, Taylors mother, said in the statement. We love Taylor and want her home.

Her family said Casey has been practicing yoga for 15 years and went to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat to fulfill a long-term goal of deepening her practice. Eager to return to Chicago, the woman her family described as vibrant and loving looked forward to sharing her experience with others, the family said.

I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return, her mother said in the statement. Taylor would never disappear like this.

According to CNN, authorities at a news conference Wednesday said they found Caseys cellphone in the water, but its unclear the distance it was from the yoga retreat.

We have conducted extensive investigation into the matter, Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said, according to CNN. Our priority is to find Taylor and to find Taylor in good health.

They described Taylor as a light-skinned Black woman, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. They said she wears her hair natural, often covered by a do-rag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Royal Bahamas Police Force or the Bahamas Crime Stoppers.

In January, the U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 travel advisory for U.S. citizens traveling to the Bahamas to exercise increased caution due to crime.

____
A Massachusetts man has been arrested and charged with fatally shooting a teen, who who he allegedly abused within a relationship, just hours before she was set to attend her middle school graduation nearly two weeks ago.

Trevor Bady, 21, of Tewksbury, is accused of killing Ahliana Dickey, 15, inside her home in Lowell, police said, according to a news release from the Middlesex County District Attorneys Office.

CBS News reported that Bady was arraigned in Lowell District Court on June 18 and was held without bail on multiple charges, including murder, armed home invasion and possession of a firearm.

Police discovered that Dickey had been in an abusive relationship with Bady, during which he allegedly assaulted her and made threats against her safety. She was set to attend her eighth-grade graduation on June 14, but her family members grew concerned and went looking for her when she did not appear.

The news release states that Dickeys grandmother went to her first-floor apartment around 6:10 p.m. on June 14 and called Lowell Police, saying she had been found. When officers arrived, they discovered Dickeys body on the bedroom floor with gunshot wounds.

In the early morning of June 14, a neighbor called the police to report a man and woman had been fighting outside across the street. The caller recalled hearing the woman screaming, Get off me, get away from me, I dont want to be with you anymore, the news release states. The caller also reported hearing gunshots.

When police arrived, they could not locate the couple. However, video footage recovered from the area identified the woman as Dickey, who was seen yelling for help shortly before midnight. According to the news release, the man was also specified as Bady, who reportedly left the teens home after midnight.

The following day, police confirmed that Bady had taken an Uber to and from Dickeys home. He was later taken into custody without incident.

No new info from authorities at this hour regarding the murder of 15-yr-old Ahliana Dickey, of Lowell. Here are photos of her, one from 5th grade, and the other with her dad at her 15th birthday party. Her stepmom said yesterday, "I will remember her beautiful smile the most." pic.twitter.com/bHwiASMsCP  Aaron Curtis (@aselahcurtis) June 17, 2024

Trevor Bady, 21, is behind bars in Massachusetts, accused of killing 15-year-old Ahliana Dickey. The two had reportedly been in an abusive relationship and Dickey wanted out. Law&Crimes Jesse Weber @jessecordweber analyzes the tragic case. pic.twitter.com/W80zsBGbQc  Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) June 24, 2024

People reported that Dickeys parents created a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $15,000, to help raise money for funeral costs and other expenses.

They wrote in the GoFundMe description:

Unfortunately we have faced the worst fear in our lives. One of our children was brutally taken from us our beautiful daughter Ahliana Dickey. Only 15 years old, a beautiful young lady who has the most beautiful soul. I cant believe we have to stomach this and bring our minds to write something like this. Our family is hurting during this horrible tragedy. No parent should have to burry their kid. Definitely not to a monster, coward who took an innocent life. We are reaching out for any help, anything at all means a lot! Even just one dollar from anyone and if not please share our baby girls tragedy and get JUSTICE for our daughter!! Ahliana deserves JUSTICE!! And we appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts!!!! We thank you in advance, prayers for our family please for strength!! And that this monster this coward is found immediately. Ahliana needs JUSTICE and we need to be her voice!! Please anything helps our family.
As a Southern-raised Black male, reared in the Pentecostal church, I have weathered many storms of racism, sexism and homophobia.

They include: Observing laity telling other adults that they had to remain in abusive marriages, to telling women how they had to dress to be accepted in the Lord's church, to seeing the effects of white men burning crosses in a white couples yard and attempting to burn the Black church that they attended  all driven by hate and camouflaged with trinkets of Christian rhetoric.

What kind of God are we serving, I would ask?

Apostle Derrick Montgomery

The distasteful actions from Mark Robinson and Christian Nationalism in North Carolina towards the LGBTQIA community is deeply appalling. I want to bring to light that this Jesus we preach and teach about is still very much outside of most temples and the hearts of many Christian Nationalists, especially Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor.

More: We saw the long-term effects of violence in Northern Ireland: The U.S. can avoid the abyss

The Jesus I serve

The Jesus that I, as a gay man serve, is the Jesus that sat with the woman at the well, told her about her troubles and provided her instruction as to liberate her from her inward warfare. The Jesus that I serve is the Jesus who was constantly found amongst the rejected offering hope and safety.

A Christian cross and Pride flag.

This Jesus I serve is the Jesus who paid the price to liberate me from the law of the letter and freed me from the confines of the flesh. He employed me to serve him with my whole heart and to identify those who claim him via the heart and not the flesh. He taught me not to judge a man because of who they love, but that they love. And that they love with an unconditional love that flows beyond materialism, sexism, racism, genderism, classism and any other -ism.

More: Myron B. Pitts: LGBTQ, filth, Black people owe for slavery among NC Lt. Gov. attacks

Mark Robinson, and Christian Nationalists alike, desire to not only eliminate my community's liberties, but to also demote women to only a role of having babies as in the enslaved days, with no ability to choose who they sleep with and what condition they are willing to raise a child in.

Black voters: Do not be blind sided

Mark Robinson and his counterparts weigh in on the issues of the Black community, projecting that they care. But the entire time they are eliminating better healthcare, better school systems and safer communities within moderate and low income living areas. Instead of participating in these malicious efforts, Robinson could be in our Black communities sharing his action steps to addressing the long history of police brutality in North Carolina  a history dating as far back as the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement.

Robinson could be addressing the lack of mental health programs and institutions that could serve our severely mentally ill citizens, whose condition results in them being on the streets, with no police intervention training or systems to address mental health. However, Mark Robinson chooses to enter our churches and pulpits and talk about LGBTQIA issues. This is NOT a man concerned about the people of North Carolina.

More: They were coming up to us. Fayetteville police and faith team hope to reduce gun violence

To my Black voters in North Carolina, do not be blinded to the smoke screen that LGBTQIA rights being restricted is Mark Robinson's real game plan. We are no threat to society. We are tax-paying citizens who work, travel, have families and dreams that in no way impact your safety.

We are leaving your churches and creating our own safe spaces. We respect you and your belief and in no way seek to tell you what to preach and teach in your church or how to live in your homes that you work so diligently to have. What is impacting your safety and OURS are low-paying jobs, unrestricted rental hikes, inefficient healthcare, fewer resources and qualified teachers in our public schools.

Make no mistake  Mark Robinson is a fraud!

Apostle Derrick Montgomery lives in Fayetteville.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville minister: Robinson wrong on LGBTQIA, Black communities
CHICAGO  The FBI on Thursday offered a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a man charged last month in the 2021 shooting death of a 19-year-old military service member on the citys Northwest Side.

Joseph Troubles Matos is wanted in connection with the slaying of Chrys Carvajal. The National Guard member, just days away from his 20th birthday, is said to have been walking to his car after a July 4th weekend party when shots rang out from another passing vehicle. Carvajal was found on a sidewalk near the corner of North Lockwood Avenue and West Palmer Street and later died at Illinois Masonic Hospital.



Prosecutors allege Matos and another man, Gary Roberson, killed Carvajal to maintain and increase their positions in a Milwaukee Kings street gang. Authorities last month arrested Roberson and issued an arrest warrant for Matos. Both men face federal racketeering charges. Roberson has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Every life is important, no matter who it is. In this particular case its particularly heinous. This young man was serving his country. He loved and was beloved by his family, and he really was just starting his life in service of all of us. And I think we can all work together to see that justice is brought in for this young man, FBI Special Agent Siobhan Johnson told WGN.

2021: Family of National Guardsman fatally shot over Fourth of July weekend seeks justice

The FBI describes Matos as a White/Hispanic man who stands 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds. He has several tattoos: M-Town Kings on the right side of his neck; 1300 on the left side of his neck; Move in Silence on his right hand; Trust no one on his left hand; Most Wanted on his belly; Heavensent, Hellbound on his forearms; and Jesus Christopher Matos on his chest.

Joseph Troubles Matos

These images provided by the FBI Chicago office show Joseph Troubles Matos body tattoos.

Authorities believe Matos may still be in the Chicago area and said he should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate. In Chicago, the FBI can be reached at 312-421-6700. Tips may also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
FDA approves new COPD drug developed by firm in Raleigh. First new treatment in a decade

A new COPD drug, developed by Verona Pharma, was approved by the FDA Wednesday. The drug, ensifentrine, is the first new type of maintenance treatment for COPD in over a decade.

In clinical trials, ensifentrine provided a compelling benefit to risk, said David Zaccardelli, president and CEO of Verona Pharma, which is based in London but has its US headquarters in Raleigh. I think itd be the fundamental reason ensifentrine gets prescribed across the treatment spectrum.

Verona Pharma will market ensifentrine under the brand name Ohtuvayre.

What is COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) makes it harder for your lungs to function, leading to shortness of breath and chronic cough. COPD affects more than 16 million adults in the United States, and is the sixth leading cause of death. There is no cure for COPD, but symptoms can be managed to some extent with medications and lifestyle changes.

Ohtuvayre has two primary functions. First, it is a bronchodilator, opening airways in the lungs to make breathing easier. Second, it is anti-inflammatory, reducing COPD exacerbations or flare-ups, a sudden worsening of symptoms.

Typically, anti-inflammatory action comes from inhaled corticosteroids, which can increase risk for pneumonia.

Ohtuvayre is the first inhaled therapy that achieves the same goal without the same risk.

Current treatments for COPD include one anti-inflammatory medication and two long-acting medications that are also bronchodilators. These treatments are often taken in combination, depending on the severity of the patients COPD and which treatments work for them.

Many, many, many patients come into my office saying that the currently available therapies are not enough, said Dr. MeiLan Han, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at the University of Michigan and spokesperson for the American Lung Association. Han previously consulted for Verona Pharma but was not involved in the clinical trial.

First new treatment in a decade

There havent been any new advancements in COPD maintenance therapies for more than a decade, leaving the patients who still feel symptoms eager for new options. Much of the current work revolves around combining therapies into single products.

Ohtuvayre was found to improve lung function and quality of life for patients. While the clinical trials did not include many patients who experience frequent flare-ups, the drug was found to reduce flare-ups in its participants by 40%.

The clinical trial did not include patients who are on dual therapy with two bronchodilators or triple therapy with two bronchodilators and an anti-inflammatory medication, the treatment standard for patients with severe COPD and frequent flare-ups.

At least from what I see in my practice, very few [patients], if any, are going to be just on one bronchodilator, said Dr. Christopher Mosher, a pulmonologist at Duke University whose research centers around rehabilitation and novel COPD treatments.

The clinical trial primarily included patients who were either on one bronchodilator or none.

Han acknowledged that many patients in the trial were not on all of the standard medications that we would typically use, but said she would probably try prescribing Ohtuvayre to patients on maximal therapy and ones who cant tolerate current therapies.

Several clinicians told The News & Observer that its not yet clear how this drug will improve patient care in the real world, particularly for those experiencing the worst symptoms.

Zaccardelli said the high benefit-to-risk ratio is likely due to the minimal risk. Based on two years of data, he said, the drugs safety aligned closely with that of a placebo -- it had few if any side effects.

Dr. David Mannino, co-founder and chief medical officer of the COPD Foundation, agreed that there didnt seem to be any major safety signals, noting that once you get down to a broader population, something may emerge.

The safety of this drug will let doctors try ensifentrine on patients and see how it affects symptoms without having to worry about the medical risks.

What will the new drug cost?

Christopher Martin, chief commercialization officer of Verona Pharma, said the company considers pricing within the context of COPD costs to the health care system. Theres about $50 billion in direct and indirect costs associated with COPD, he said, and each exacerbation costs the health care system around $25,000 to $30,000 a year.

The company said Thursday that the drug would be priced at $2,950 per month to wholesalers. and will be available to the public in July.

Martin said ensifentrine will likely be reimbursed under Medicare Part B instead of Part D because it is delivered by a nebulizer, a device that delivers mists of medicine over the course of minutes. Martin said other nebulizer therapies typically have out-of-pocket costs close to $10 under Medicare Part B, and they expect the same for Ohtuvayre.

For patients not covered by Medicare or Medicaid, Martin said the company is taking steps to ensure that when a patient is prescribed Ohtuvayre, we believe that they have a very good likelihood to get it. These steps include providing copay assistance and presenting the data to show insurers that the drug will address the needs of COPD patients and the high costs incurred by COPD.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijan's "Tamiz Shahar" ("Clean City") OJSC targets making maximum use of waste to benefit the environment, the Head of the Board of OJSC Etibar Abbasov told reporters, Trend reports.

He made the remark on the sidelines of the International Forum "Green World Solidarity: Waste to Value for a Sustainable Future" in Baku today.

"The forum will contribute to the preparation for COP29 and allow for the discussion of important issues related to sustainable development goals," Abbasov said.

According to him, the OJSC is actively engaged in waste management, oversees the Balakhani Waste-to-Energy Plant, and through its activities (i.e., waste incineration), produces clean electricity (which feeds into the general power grid).

"Today's event demonstrates how much importance is placed on this direction in Azerbaijan," Abbasov pointed out.

He mentioned that in addition to generating electricity from waste, the OJSC sorts part of the waste and uses it as raw material.

"The OJSC believes that its activities will contribute to the agenda of the upcoming COP29. Azerbaijan will host COP29 with dignity; we have this confidence," Abbasov added.

To note, this November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. The COPthe Conference of the Partiesis the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

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Coyote hunting at Wind Cave National Park. (Photo courtesy U.S. National Park Service, dated 7/16/2010)

A federal lawsuit over whether wolf and coyote traps should be limited because they also ensnare endangered grizzlies will go to trial, possibly the first week of December.

At a hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Judge Donald Molloy said he would not grant either party summary judgment. He directed the lawyers to propose trial dates.

Molloy also told the lawyers that it would be helpful for them to discuss coyote traps.

In November 2023, the judge temporarily limited Montanas wolf trapping season in response to a request for a preliminary injunction from conservation groups.

The judge agreed that wolf and coyote traps injure grizzlies, and that any capture is an illegal take under the Endangered Species Act.

However, the judge did not stop coyote trapping in his earlier order. He said coyote trapping is regulated differently, and the groups hadnt tied their arguments closely enough to coyote trapping regulations.

Previously, the judge limited the wolf trapping season this year from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15, when bears are mostly in their dens. The order covered more than half of the state from the western border, or Regions 1-5.

The wolf trapping season had been roughly after Thanksgiving through March 15.

In April, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the timeframe the judge set but said the lower court order should apply only to areas where bears are known to live.

In September 2023, the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizens Task Force and WildEarth Guardians had sued the state of Montana as well as Fish and Wildlife Commission Chairwoman Lesley Robinson and Gov. Greg Gianforte.

The conservation groups alleged an expanded trapping season and doubling the number of wolves that could be trapped increased the potential harm already facing endangered grizzly bears.

They also argued Montana officials are violating the law by permitting activities that are reasonably certain to result in the accidental killing or a taking of a threatened species.

(To take is defined as to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, according to the ESA.)

The state argued Montanas trapping regulations minimize the capture of grizzly bears, and a floating start date for trapping based on real-world conditions helps avoid the accidental trapping of bears. They also said the plaintiffs exaggerate harms to grizzlies.

Other parties have intervened in the case. The Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Wool Growers Association, and Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Trappers Association and Outdoor Heritage Foundation also are participating.

Wednesday, lawyer Lawson Fite, representing the Montana Stockgrowers Association, told the court he believes the conservation groups still havent connected their allegations of harm to grizzlies with the coyote trapping regulations at issue  as the judge earlier found.

Fite, with Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt of Portland, Oregon, also said the record has scant evidence of injuries to grizzly bears from coyote trapping. He said just three incidents have been recorded in the last decade.

However, Fite also said an appropriately set trap is not a threat to a grizzly bear.

But Molloy had questions: What is a properly set trap, and who determines if its properly set?

As an aside, the judge said regulations exist about shooting grizzly bears too, but bears seem to end up getting shot anyway.

Coyotes arent part of the updated wolf trapping rules the Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted in its 2023 Wolf and Furbearer Trapping and Hunting Regulations.

However, Fite said state statute governs coyote trapping. He said the law provides criminal penalties for violators who illegally trap and snare coyote.

He also noted the law says traps cant unduly endanger livestock, but Molloy had another question.

What about bears?

Fite said the traps wont unduly endanger grizzly bears either. By comparison, he said adult sheep can break free from traps.

He argued bears that have been caught have been released, and records indicate onsite releases show a lack of injury to them.

Molloy also asked the lawyers about an incidental take allowance. Agencies that want to take actions that might buck the Endangered Species Act need to check in with federal officers for approval of unintended harms or kills.

Isnt that sort of the resolution of the whole darn thing? Molloy said.

The plaintiffs also had alleged an incidental take statement is required under the Endangered Species Act. In those statements, federal authorities specify impacts and mitigations on threatened species, but the state hasnt applied for one.

Gary Leistico, representing the Montana Trappers Association, also argued coyote traps werent a problem. For one thing, he said, theyre much smaller than wolf traps.

Its not reasonably likely that a grizzly bear is going to be trapped in a coyote trap, said Leistico, of Leistico & Esch of Clear Lake, Minnesota.

But it has, in fact, happened, said Tim Bechtold, representing the conservation groups.

The complaint said since 2010, the state of Montana reported three grizzlies captured in traps set for wolves and four in traps set for coyotes. The state also has found severed grizzly bear toes in a trap.

There are instances of take resulting from a coyote trap, said Bechtold, of the Bechtold Law Firm in Missoula.

In his preliminary injunction, the judge agreed that widespread coyote trapping likely presents a significant risk of grizzly bear take in violation of the Endangered Species Act, as the conservation groups argued.

The order also noted coyotes are predatory animals under Montana law, which means they can be trapped without a license all year.

After their arguments, Molloy said lawyers had raised some significant issues, although he still believes an incidental take allowance from federal authorities would solve the problem.

The post Federal judge in Montana quizzes lawyers on coyote trapping and grizzly bears appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Tlingit Tribal members march down Front Street in downtown Juneau on June 8, 2024, during Celebration 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

A federal judge in Anchorage has ruled that the Department of the Interior may take land into trust on behalf of Alaska Native tribes, a decision that could allow tribes to create Indian country, which had been mostly eliminated here by the 53-year-old Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

In a 39-page summary judgment order, Judge Sharon Gleason ruled mostly but not entirely against the state of Alaska, which sued the Interior Department in 2023 to challenge a legal memo stating that the department believes it has the power to take land into trust on behalf of the states 228 federally recognized tribes.

At issue in Wednesdays case was the Biden Interior Departments decision to accept a trust application from the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, which sought to protect a 787-square-foot parcel of land in downtown Juneau.

Gleason said that while the Interior Department does have the power to place land into trust, the process used for the Tlingit and Haida request was flawed and should be redone.

Putting land into trust would put it under Tribal law and shield it from sale or taxation by city and state officials, effectively locking its authority in place. Tlingit and Haida has worked for decades to place portions of Juneaus historic Indian Village into trust.

The U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., previously ruled in favor of Alaska tribes right to put land into trust, but that ruling was later vacated by an appeals court, and Interior Department rules have fluctuated based on the party controlling the White House.

The Democratic Obama and Biden administrations have supported Alaska tribes efforts to put land under tribal control, while the Republican Bush and Trump administrations opposed them.

I think the main takeaway for the Tribe is that for the second time now, a federal judge has held that the (Interior) Secretary retains authority to take land into trust in Alaska. The state has now fought that multiple times and lost, said Whitney Leonard, an attorney who represented Tlingit and Haida in court.

Attorneys representing the Interior Department declined to comment on the decision.

Most Alaska Native land in Alaska is owned by Native corporations, which fall under state and federal law. Alaska Native tribes, which are sovereign governments and can exert authority over Indian country, have relatively little land under their control.

From the Tribes perspective, Leonard said, being able to take control of its land and control how those lands are going to be designated and used in perpetuity is really important to the Tribe. Thats why the Tribe has made a concerted effort over decades to walk through this process and have land taken into trust.

Attorneys representing the state of Alaska had argued that while the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act did not explicitly forbid the Department of the Interior from putting land into trust on behalf of tribes, Congress actions implied that it intended to do so.

In legal arguments, the state has expressed its worry that allowing land into trust could balkanize Alaska into a variety of disparate jurisdictions.

We filed this litigation because of the patchwork it would create with enclaves of reservations scattered through the state, said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor in an emailed statement Wednesday. The judges decision today ensures that for the time being, that is not happening. The agencys decision was vacated, and the agency will have to address some pretty major hurdles in order to grant an application in the future. What the decision did not do was provide the clarity and finality that the State was ultimately seeking.

Attorneys representing the federal government and Tlingit and Haida argued that the actual language of federal law  which does not forbid taking land into trust  should carry the day.

To support its argument, state attorneys suggested that the issue is a major question, a designation under federal case law that says Congress must explicitly grant an agency a power if it involves a decision of extreme economic and political significance.

Gleason ruled against that idea, saying in part that the issue will not affect millions of Americans or implicate billions of dollars.

She went on to say that while the state suggested the court should still find that (land into trust) was impliedly repealed, the court declines to do so.

In oral argument this spring, Gleason expressed skepticism about the rules used by the federal government to decide who may put land into trust here.

The state of Alaska had argued that the federal governments determination in the Tlingit and Haida case would allow any person of indigenous descent in Alaska, no matter the percentage of Indian blood, to put land into trust. In the Lower 48, someone must be one-half or more Native in order to put land into trust.

Gleason agreed with the states argument, saying that the Department of the Interior must declare that a tribe meets one of three definitions under federal law before placing land into trust.

She also finds problematic the Interior Departments statement that it was putting Tlingit and Haida land into trust as part of the restoration of Indian lands.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act specifically ended aboriginal title in Alaska, Gleason said. While the Department of Interior may put tribal land into trust, she said, it cannot justify that decision by saying that it is restoring land to a tribe.

That determination is somewhat academic. It doesnt prevent the department from putting historic tribal land into trust; the federal government simply cant use that historic use as justification for doing so.

It isnt yet clear whether Wednesdays decision will be appealed. All sides said they are still processing Gleasons order.

On the one hand, the Court definitely struggled with the language in ANCSA that eliminated the reservation-system and seemed to indicate that reservations are not permitted in Alaska. On the other hand, the Court still held that lands can be taken in trust. Because this decision ultimately seems to raise more questions than answers, we will need some time to thoroughly evaluate it before determining next steps, Taylor said by email.

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In a June 27 ruling, a federal judge struck down the approval for Indiana's Healthy Indiana Plan  which could unravel the whole program. (Photo from IN.gov)

A program providing hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers health insurance could be in jeopardy after a Washington D.C. judge on Thursday vacated a federal approval for the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP).

Chief Judge James E. Boasberg, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, found fault with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2020 approval of various aspects of HIP 2.0  including POWER Accounts and the lack of retroactive coverage.

Former Gov. Mitch Daniels first introduced the consumer-driven, cost-sharing approach in 2007 when the state expanded Medicaid to moderate income workers. Gov. Mike Pence developed the program even further.

The full extent of the ruling was unclear Thursday night and a spokesperson with the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) said the agency was reviewing the ruling.

POWER Accounts, a sort of premium for Medicaid enrollees above a certain income threshold, have been paused since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020 but were set to restart for HIPs 762,276 beneficiaries on July 1.

Earlier this month, FSSA said in a statement that state law requires the agency to charge for a POWER Account contribution, a claim it repeated in the legal battle. Striking the POWER Accounts could therefore unravel the whole HIP program, the state argued.

Boasberg disagreed.

Because Plaintiffs  like all members of the expansion population  derive their eligibility for Medicaid through Indianas state plan  they would remain Medicaid eligible even if the Secretarys 2020 approval is vacated, unless and until the State takes additional action to terminate their coverage, he wrote.

Risks to coverage

HIP offers a two-tiered plan to all non-disabled adults in Indiana with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL). It restricts coverage, however, in several ways, including by charging monthly income-based premiums and offering no retroactive coverage.

The judge pointed to data showing that premiums have threatened coverage for thousands of Hoosiers.

Story continues below.

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For example, between February 2015 and November 2016, almost 10,000 individuals with incomes above 100% the FPL were disenrolled from HIP Plus for nonpayment of their premiums, and another almost 4,000 were disenrolled from HIP Basic for the same reason, according to data from various evaluations of HIP 2.0 cited by Boasberg.

During that same period, an additional nearly 48,000 Hoosiers were found eligible for HIP 2.0 but never enrolled because they did not make their first premium payment, Boasberg said.

In other words, nearly 60,000 Hoosiers  a whopping 29% of all Hoosiers subject to premiums  were disenrolled from or never enrolled in HIP 2.0 because of non-payment, he wrote. And over half of all beneficiaries, or 324,840 Indiana residents, who were required to pay premiums missed at least one payment in 201516.

Loss of coverage continued between 2017 and 2018 when 26,037 HIP Plus enrollees were disenrolled for failure to pay, according to Boasbergs citations.

Case background

Three Hoosier plaintiffs utilizing HIP sued HHS over its approval of POWER Accounts and work requirements as well as state rules barring retroactive coverage and blocking payments for non-emergency medical transport. The judge ruled in favor of those three plaintiffs  though work requirements under HIP had previously been struck by the Biden Administration.

An example of retroactive coverage in action could be someone with no health insurance seeking emergency care and later learning they qualify for HIP. Once approved for the government insurance program, HIP will go back and cover health expenses for a set number of months and potentially pay for that emergency visit. Such a provision is allowed under Indianas other Medicaid health plans and for pregnant women using HIP.

The state also pays for non-emergency medical transport, such as a doctors visit, for other health care programs but not for those enrolled in HIP.

Plaintiffs, represented by the Indiana Justice Project, noted that even HHS seemed uncertain about the benefit of POWER Account premiums in a December 2023 letter giving the state final approval.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ultimately allowed the state to pursue the cost-sharing tool over its own objections in order not to derail the unwinding process.

Boasberg also questioned this decision, noting that POWER Accounts hadnt been used since 2020 and reversing the approval wouldnt be disruptive.

The judge seemed to suggest the state of Indiana could continue the program but without the premiums.

It is far from clear why retaining the status quo  (namely) declining to charge beneficiaries premiums and impose associated penalties  would result in beneficiaries being inadvertently disenrolled.

The post Federal ruling against Healthy Indiana Plan potentially jeopardizes program appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
A panel of federal regulators on Thursday authorized the construction of a major natural gas export project  moving the contentious CP2 terminal one step closer to final approval.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Louisiana terminal, which could export large amounts of U.S.-produced gas.

Two commissioners, one Democrat and one Republican, supported the project, while another Democrat opposed it.

The CP2 terminal is not yet fully authorized; though FERCs approval clears a major hurdle for the project, it still needs permission from the Department of Energy to ship natural gas abroad to countries that dont have a free trade agreement with the U.S. The vast majority of U.S. gas exports, more than 80 percent, go to non-free-trade-agreement countries.

FERC is an independent and bipartisan panel of energy regulators, and while its decisions can be political, this move is not as tied to the Biden administration as the forthcoming Energy Department decision would be.

The Democrat who opposed the CP2 project, Allison Clements, said that the commission has not adequately addressed the projects environmental and socioeconomic impacts.

However, FERC Chairman Willie Phillips, the Democrat who supported the terminal said commission staff confirmed with Venture Global, the company behind the project, that its emissions would be in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards.

The Biden administration, which has temporarily stopped approving some natural gas export projects, now faces a controversial choice.

Mahyar Sorour, director of Beyond Fossil Fuels policy at the Sierra Club, said that the projects approval would both perpetuate the climate crisis and be hugely detrimental for the communities who are already overburdened with air pollution.

Gas exports have come under significant scrutiny from climate advocates and the progressive left in general. These opponents argue that in shipping natural gas abroad, the U.S. is spreading the use of the planet-warming fuel and exacerbating climate change.

Sorour added, in a conversation before the FERC approval, that the Biden administration ought not to approve the project.

We believe  taking into consideration the economic, the climate and the environmental justice costs of CP2, that they would come to the same determination that we have, which is that they shouldnt get DOE approval, she said.

Supporters of the project and others like it argue, however, that sending more U.S. gas abroad will reduce foreign dependence on other countries including Russia for natural gas.

They also argue that increasing the global gas supply could reduce reliance on even dirtier fuels like coal.

Venture Global applauds the Commission and FERC staff for their independent and thorough review and approval of CP2 LNG, said Mike Sabel, the companys CEO, in a written statement.

We look forward to a swift non-[free trade agreement] approval from the U.S. Department of Energy for this project that is critical to both global and national security, Sabel said.

The Biden administration announced in January that it would pause new approvals of terminals that would ship gas to countries with which the U.S. doesnt have a free trade agreement. The pause comes as the Energy Department reconsiders its approval criteria for these infrastructure projects. It does not affect existing gas exports.

Updated at 1:23 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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FBI agents found 13 gold bars during their June 2022 search of the Englewood Cliffs home of Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine. (Courtesy of U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York)

Sen. Bob Menendezs wife unloaded gold bars and coins worth almost $250,000 just weeks before FBI agents searched their Englewood Cliffs home in June 2022, telling her jeweler she needed money to pay bills, the jeweler testified Wednesday.

Jeweler Vasken Khorozian told jurors Nadine Menendez visited his Edgewater jewelry store three times between March and May of 2022 to sell four one-kilogram bars, worth about $60,000 each, and four 24-carat American Eagle coins worth $7,200. The first time, she told him she had a financial situation, but she didnt explain her subsequent visits, he testified.

I dont question customers, Khorozian said.

At the time, word had gotten out about the FBIs ongoing corruption investigation, the senator revealed the gold bars on asset disclosure forms the Senate requires, and the couple was house hunting for multimillion-dollar mansions in Englewood Cliffs, Alpine, and Saddle River, previous testimony showed.

But prosecutors arent able to prove the bars were bribes from the couples co-defendants, businessman Wael Hana and real estate developer Fred Daibes, because Khorozian didnt document the serial numbers on the gold Nadine Menendez brought him. Investigators have linked some of the 13 other gold bars they seized from the Menendezes home in June 2022 to Daibes and Hana through their serial numbers.

Khorozian said he didnt bother recording the serial numbers because he trusted Nadine Menendez and knew she was close with Daibes and Hana, who he considered close friends.

If I know what I know now, I would do things differently, Khorozian said.

Wednesdays gold bar testimony riveted jurors, who had spent the morning listening to a tedious back-and-forth with an FBI specialist about the dates on more than $486,000 in cash agents seized from the senators home. Some of the bills are stamped with dates from the 1990s and 1980s, which defense attorneys say shows they were stockpiled over decades by a senator distrustful of banks. Prosecutors say the stash was full of newer bills, including many that entered circulation starting in 2018, when the alleged bribery scheme began.

Khorozian told jurors he sold the gold Nadine Menendez brought him to a jeweler in Manhattans diamond district on 47th Street. Both men took a commission, which totaled almost $1,000 per one-kilogram bar. But she didnt care about the loss, nor did she seem interested in the fluctuating price of gold, Khorozian said.

You need money you sell. You dont need, shut up and sit, he said.

Nadine Menendez told him the gold bars came from her family, he told jurors. Prosecutors have said it came from Daibes and Hana. Daibes wanted Menendez to use his political power to squash his federal bank fraud case and help him land a lucrative investment from a member of Qatars royal family, while Hana wanted the senators influence to retain a monopoly on halal beef exports to Egypt and intervene in a state insurance fraud prosecution and related probe threatening his friends, prosecutors have said.

Under cross-examination by Menendez attorney Adam Fee, Khorozian told jurors the senator never visited his jewelry center nor bought or sold anything to him. He also testified, under cross-examination by Hanas attorney Ricardo Solano Jr., that Hana was a big-spender and regular customer at his store and known to give gold and jewelry as gifts to his family, friends, and coworkers. In one sale alone in June 2021, Hana spent $40,810 on 22 one-ounce gold bars, documents show.

Accusations of meddling

Jurors also heard from Vikas Khanna, the first assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey.

Federal prosecutors in New York have said the senator intervened in the New Jersey offices case against Daibes, who was indicted in 2018 for bank fraud. When Menendezs friend Philip Sellinger, who became U.S. attorney in New Jersey in December 2021, was recused from Daibes case because of a conflict of interest, Menendez called Khanna in January 2022. This was shortly after Sellinger named Khanna as his first assistant and the Department of Justice put Khanna in charge of Daibes case, Khanna testified.

The call started with small talk about Khannas brother, whos a congressman from California, and Menendez congratulated Khanna on his new position, Khanna told jurors.

Then the senator complimented two defense attorneys, Khanna said.

I know youre going to be working cases with some really great lawyers, Menendez told him, referencing Lawrence Lustberg and Michael Critchley, Khanna said.

Lustberg represented Daibes in his bank fraud case and now represents Hana. Critchley represented Elvis Parra, a trucking company owner whose insurance fraud case prosecutors say Hana and his friend Jose Uribe had schemed to get dismissed.

The testimony backed up prosecutors claims that Menendez tried to intervene in ongoing criminal matters. But under cross-examination by Daibes attorney Cesar de Castro, Khanna admitted Menendez did not mention Daibes or his criminal case or ask him to intervene.

Menendez attorney Avi Weitzman further undermined Khannas testimony when he showed Khanna had a closer relationship with Menendez than he initially let on under prosecutor Lara Pomerantzs questioning. Khanna initially said hed only ever talked to the senator two or three times on brief calls. Khanna later conceded he co-hosted a virtual fundraiser for the senator early in the pandemic, along with his wife and two other Menendez supporters, that raised about $60,000.

I did not do that personally, Khanna said.

He also acknowledged that his brother, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, is close to Menendez.

Prosecutors are expected to wrap up their case Thursday, almost seven weeks after the trial started, with testimony from several witnesses including two more FBI agents. Defense attorneys have said their case could take a week or two to present, and then the case will go to jurors. The case is several weeks behind schedule; Judge Sidney H. Stein dismissed one juror Wednesday because she was to leave Thursday on a nonrefundable cruise with her family.

Nadine Menendez was also indicted, but Stein agreed to postpone her trial until at least August because of a recent breast cancer diagnosis requiring medical treatment.

The post As feds closed in, Sen. Menendezs wife cashed out, jeweler tells jury in bribery trial appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Richard Monocchio (left), principal deputy assistant secretary of HUD, presents a symbolic check to Metropolitan Council Chair Charles Zelle (right) to pay for technical assistance for cities changing zoning laws to allow more housing on June 27, 2024. Photo by Madison McVan/Minnesota Reformer.

An ambitious plan to change Minnesota zoning rules to allow more housing construction statewide failed last legislative session despite a broad, bipartisan coalition of support.

That coalition now has a new member: the federal government.

A top U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official visited St. Paul on Thursday to highlight a $4 million grant to the Metropolitan Council to provide technical assistance for cities rewriting local zoning ordinances. The effort aims to legalize the construction of more types of housing in less-dense areas of the Twin Cities, with the goal of easing a housing shortage.

The grant is a drop in the bucket for the Met Council, which has a $1.42 billion operating budget, but it represents an important shift in the federal governments approach to housing, aligning the Biden administration with housing advocates in Minnesota who made a strong push for statewide zoning changes in the most recent legislative session.

Zoning rules have long been used by cities to keep out low-income renters  which has in effect often meant people of color  by preventing the construction of apartment buildings, townhomes, duplexes and other affordable, dense types of housing.

But the U.S. is facing a massive housing shortage after the 2008 financial crisis stalled new building. The shortage has jacked up housing prices; building dense housing is the quickest way to add more units to the countrys supply.

Minnesota builders involved in the push for zoning reform say they often encounter mountains of red tape, contentious public hearings and unnecessary aesthetic requirements imposed by city governments when trying to construct apartments. Stringent zoning rules mean developers frequently have to ask for exceptions, or variances, often resulting in canceled projects, smaller-than-planned buildings and increased costs, which are passed on to residents, they say.

Richard Monocchio, principal deputy assistant secretary of HUD and a longtime Chicago-area housing official, said the grant is the first time the federal government has put money towards zoning reform.

If you cant get a building permit, you cant build, Monocchio said Thursday at a press conference at the Met Council chamber in St. Paul.

The grant is part of HUDs Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing program, or PRO Housing program, which was funded by Congress in 2023. Its intended to provide technical assistance  like analyzing an areas capacity for denser housing  for cities adopting zoning reforms.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn, chair of the Senate Housing Subcommittee, advocated for the PRO Housing program in Congress and praised the Met Council grant on Wednesday.

The Met Council applied for the maximum grant amount of $10 million; Met Council Chair Charles Zelle said the council would apply for more money when HUD releases a second round of funding later this year.

This is about pathways to removing obstacles  and we have obstacles to remove, Zelle said.

In the 2024 legislative session, DFL leaders rejected a series of bipartisan proposals that would have required all municipalities to allow more types of housing on all lots and streamlined apartment construction along transit corridors and in commercial areas. City leaders successfully lobbied against the bills, citing infrastructure concerns and a loss of local control.

Some metro cities, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington and Richfield, have passed various zoning reforms aimed at constructing more dense housing. But other cities are holdouts  and the grant money is an incentive to get them on board.

The post Feds join push for zoning reform appeared first on Minnesota Reformer.
ORMOND BEACH  For sea turtles stricken by disease and poor health from the cold winter waters, being released back into the ocean is essentially a second chance at life.

Eight such sea turtles received that chance Wednesday morning in Ormond Beach, when they returned with a team from The Florida Aquarium to the Volusia County coast, where they were first found stranded.

Its also one of the most memorable days in the lives of those who have cared for the turtles, from the day they arrive for rehabilitation until theyre released.

Rare sight: Endangered Kemp's ridley turtle seen nesting in Ponce Inlet

Its a feeling you cant really describe, said Ashley Riese, director of the aquariums sea turtle conservation program. From how sickly those animals were when they first came in to the way that they look now and knowing that all of the time you invested in these animals  thats a feeling you cant even describe.

A Florida Aquarium team member holds one of eight green sea turtles to be released back into the Atlantic Ocean, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at the Standish Drive beach access ramp in Ormond Beach.

From The Florida Aquarium back to the ocean

Riese and a team of volunteers arrived at the Standish Beach Access on Ocean Shore Boulevard around 11:20 a.m., where several locals were waiting to watch the turtles swim away into the ocean.

All eight green sea turtles  Mel, Pepper, Calico, Tula, Pompano, Phyll, Mo and Mac  were brought from the aquariums rehabilitation facility in Apollo Beach, Hillsborough County near Tampa.

The Florida Aquarium is a nonprofit organization based in Tampa actively engaged in stewardship of the natural environment as a conservation-based attraction with mission programs that include conservation, research, education and outreach, according to its website.

According to a press release from the aquarium, the turtles were stranded off the Volusia County coast in March and had been exposed to prolonged cold air and water temperatures.

Florida Aquarium team members carry four green turtles to release back into the Atlantic Ocean, Wednesday June 26, 2024 at the Standish Drive beach access ramp in Ormond Beach.

They all suffered from low body temps and had to overcome medical conditions such as skin infections, pneumonia and other bacterial infections, the press release added.

The University of Floridas Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital and the Marine Science Center performed the eight turtles initial triage treatment along with 22 additional green sea turtles.

The reptiles were later transferred to the aquariums Apollo Beach facility for long-term supportive care, including antibiotics, and to fully recover, according to the aquarium.

Marineland: Green sea turtles released in Marineland after rehabilitation at UF's Whitney Laboratory

In winter season, when temperatures out here get cool enough, the turtle's body temperature actually drops low enough to where they can become susceptible to other issues  and were talking hundreds of turtles, Riese said. They need two to four months, sometimes six months to a year of rehabilitation in order to get to this point of releasing them.

The aquariums higher capacity to accommodate more animals frees up space at the local hospitals, such as the Whitney Lab Sea Turtle Hospital and the Marine Science Center, where turtles receive an initial triage care, Riese added.

A Florida Aquarium team member releases one of eight green turtles back into the Atlantic Ocean, Wednesday June 26, 2024 at the Standish Drive beach access ramp in Ormond Beach.

Turtles' recovery process is 'like a resurrection'

Once the turtles arrive at the Aquarium for long-term treatment, several people, including volunteers, participate in their recovery process.

Rachel Lucas, an aquarium volunteer for three years, said she was struck by how transformative the recovery process was for the animals.

When they first come in, they are very quiet and you can tell they dont want to move a lot, because they just dont have the energy for it, Lucas said. And over time as we start giving fluids, medications, food and all the things that they need, they start getting stronger, and you see all their personalities come up.

This is the first batch of turtles Lucas has seen from start to finish, calling todays release a rewarding experience.

Its almost like a resurrection of sorts, because theyre very weak, dehydrated and you just get to see their bodies come alive, she added. Its just such an honor to be able to do that.

Florida Aquarium team members holds two of eight, green turtles, to be released back into the Atlantic Ocean, Wednesday June 26, 2024 at the Standish Drive beach access ramp in Ormond Beach.

Colleen Moonen, another volunteer with the aquarium for two years, said it is emotional to see the aquariums work rehabilitating the turtles being completed.

Just to see them shoot off felt like victory, Moonen said. A lot of people were involved (in the rehabilitation care), a lot of support, hours and people who stepped up to volunteer.

Bringing awareness to sea turtles and their struggles during the winters cold water temperatures is also an important part of their work.

MSC's 'Turtle Day': Marine Science Center's 'Turtle Day' treats guests to family fun, environmental education

Thats how we get here, Lucas said. Colleen and I have gotten to this place where we want to give back, because we have seen things like this growing up. And being educated from a young age is so important to truly care why we are doing this.

Moonen added: I think people can connect when they see a small, vulnerable creature. It makes it real  the whole environmental effort and what is going on.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida Aquarium team releases 8 green sea turtles in Ormond Beach
Fifth tourist in four days dies at Florida beach said to be deadliest for rip currents in US

A fifth beachgoer has drowned in just four days during sweltering heat at a popular vacation spot in Florida. A 29-year-old man died Sunday in a rip current at Panama City Beach. Further details on either weren't immediately available.

Sixty-year-old Debbie Szymanski, on vacation from St. Louis, Missouri, was also killed Sunday in a deadly rip current at Hollywood Beach.

Her death comes after three men on vacation from Alabama were swept to their deaths within minutes of entering the water at Panama City Beach on Friday despite a single red flag warning of the danger. Harold Denzel Hunter, 25, Jemonda Ray, 24, and Marius Richardson, 24, went for a quick swim after they checked into their rental on the beach, according to the sheriff's office.

"The acts of courage by first responders were amazing," Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said in a statement. "Many of our rescue swimmers with the Sheriff's Office, Bay County Emergency Services and Panama City Beach went into the dark and dangerous waters for over two hours to attempt to rescue and search for the young men."

The men were pulled from the water, but all three died at local hospitals.

The first of the five recent victims at Panama City Beach, 19-year-old Ryker Milton, died last Thursday evening when he went out for a swim and got caught in a current, local ABC affiliate station KOCO News reported.

Also last Thursday, a couple froma Pennsylvania died in a rip current on Florida's East Coast while on vacation with their six children, bringing the total number of rip current deaths in Florida this week to eight. Brian Warter, 51 and Erica Wishart, 48, drowned in front of their six children when they were caught in a riptide north of West Palm Beach.

Local officials are warning people to stay out of the gulf waters if red flags are posted.

"PLEASE STAY OUT OF THE WATER," Ford posted on Facebook Sunday. "The water can appear calm, but underneath currents are treacherous today. It's just too dangerous right now to swim."

The five victims in Panama City Beach were all swimming when red flags were posted on beaches.

Double red flags indicate "extremely dangerous conditions" and no one should be swimming. Single red flags indicated "high hazard conditions with high surf and/or currents."

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Houk said low tide cycles and high astronomical tides are two instances when rip currents can be the strongest. "The low tide part in a high astronomically tide cycle is a prime time for rip current risks to be dangerous," he explaind. "It's not the only time, but when all the common factors line up and these two factors are in place, the likelihood of strong rip currents is higher."

Rip currents account for nearly 80% of all lifeguard rescues, according to the United States Lifesaving Association. Rip currents are channels of water that can pull swimmers away from shore and farther out into the ocean. More than 100 people a year are killed by rip currents, according to the United States Lifesaving Association.

The currents can be extremely narrow, between 10 and 20 feet wide, but larger rip currents can be more than 10 times that width, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). They can also pull people out to sea at speeds higher than 5 miles per hour, which is faster than Olympic swimmers.

Rip currents can occur at any time of the year, even on sunny days, where the hazards that stir up rip currents are well offshore. Beachgoers should pay attention to posted beach flags, which will warn of ocean hazards year-round.

Beach warning flag - AP Photo A warning flag flies from a lifeguard's vehicle as he patrols the beach during a break in the rain and wind storms in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2015. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

If trapped in the grip of a powerful rip current, swimmers should not panic and try to swim back toward shore. The force of a rip current can exhaust even the best swimmers. It is best to swim parallel to shore until free of a rip current's influence.

"You cannot fight that volume of water going out," Kottlowski said. "It's impossible. People who get caught panic, but it is best to stay calm and let the water calm down, and you'll be fine."

After swimming parallel to the coast for about 50 to 100 yards, a trapped swimmer should begin swimming on an angle, away from the rip current and toward the shore.

If swimming parallel to the shore does not work, The United States Lifesaving Association recommends calmly treading water and waiting out the current until it's possible to swim safely back to shore.

If it's impossible to reach the shoreline, a trapped swimmer should draw as much attention as possible to alert a lifeguard or onlooker who can get assistance.

Kottlowski also stressed the importance of being aware of potential dangers by checking NOAA forecasts for any warnings and alerts as well as with local officials before venturing into the surf.

"You should never go in by yourself," he said. "Each beach is different."
TechCrunch

Three Amazon executives in charge of developing new technologies for checking out of physical stores  including Just Walk Out, Dash Carts, and Amazon One  are leaving or have left the division, TechCrunch has learned. In addition, a former high-ranking advertising executive at Amazon, Colleen Aubrey, was recently put in charge of Just Walk Out, one many responsibilities in her newly assigned role as senior VP of AWS solutions. Dilip Kumar, the co-creator of Amazon's cashier-free Just Walk Out technology, who previously led the division, left the Just Walk Out team in the spring.
Final two autopsies released for officers killed in April east Charlotte shooting

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The final two autopsies, released on Wednesday, for the four law enforcement officers killed on April 29th on Galway Drive in east Charlotte, seem to reveal the shooter fired on officers from above at an angle.

Autopsies for Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks, Jr. and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer were released nearly two months after the shooting in the Shannon Park neighborhood.

April 29th was one of the deadliest days for law enforcement in the country.

We have determined that there was only one shooter who fired at officers, said CMPD Deputy Chief Tonya Arrington at a news conference on May 31st. No officers were shot or shot at by other officers.

The autopsy for Weeks, Jr. reveals he was killed by a bullet that hit his upper chest and traveled down, cutting his lung, and leaving his body.

The autopsy for Eyer shows the bullet that killed him hit him in the back of his chest and went through his stomach.

Autopsies for Investigators William Alden Elliott and Samuel Poloche were released on May 14.

The U.S. Marshals task force was there to arrest a felon, Terry Hughes, Jr., that day.

Investigators say Hughes, Jr. fired at officers using an AR-15 rifle from the second-floor windows for more than 17 minutes from the front and back sides of the house.

We need more. Ive got four officers down, four officers down, said one officer on radio traffic.

Officers took cover and returned fire.

Police say other officers were shot by Hughes, Jr. as they tried to rescue the fallen.

Queen City News

Shannon Park Shooting

At 17 minutes, investigators say Hughes, Jr. jumped from a second-floor window into the front yard, where he died, but the shooting continued.

Guy in the front yard is down but theres still somebody shooting, said an officer on the radio traffic.

Police say thats because an officer saw something move in the second-floor window and officers chose to tactically shoot up, not at one another, for two minutes in what they call suppressive fire.

It was intentional gunfire in an upward trajectory at the two windows where they were taking fire, said Arrington on May 31.

CMPD has body-worn camera video from April 29th, but the U.S. Marshals task force does not.

Deputy marshals in other parts of the country already have the cameras.

Queen City News asked Wednesday and found out that the rollout in the Carolinas is expected to start in the next few weeks.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. On June 27, the first day of the International Forum "Green World Solidarity: Waste to Value for Sustainable Future" concluded in Baku, Trend reports.

The two-day forum is being organized with the support of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan and Tamiz Shahar JSC.

The forum features participants from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, UN representatives, and delegates from various international organizations and countries.

Faig Mutallimov, Head of the Environmental Policy Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, emphasized the forum's significance for learning from international experience.

"It's crucial for us to exchange ideas with around 300 participants and study international practices. Azerbaijan has prioritized 'green' development as a key national goal, aiming for a transition to a 'green' economy. We believe these two days will offer ample opportunity for extensive discussions on this topic," he said.

Mutallimov mentioned that the "Zero Waste - Baku" initiative is expected to be adopted at the end of the forum on June 28.

"In today's world, waste is not just discarded items. Instead, waste recycling enterprises are widely used to create new products, turning waste into a valuable economic resource. Baku is taking various measures in this direction, but we also believe its important to hold similar events in other regions. We are confident these two days will be filled with fruitful discussions. As a result, we will gain important insights, and the world will witness Azerbaijan's positive experience," Mutallimov added.

Etibar Abbasov, Chairman of Tamiz Shahar JSC, highlighted the company's goal to maximize waste utilization for environmental benefit.

"Today's forum will contribute to the preparation for COP29 and allow us to discuss crucial issues related to sustainable development goals," Abbasov said.

He noted that Tamiz Shahar JSC is actively engaged in waste management, overseeing the Balakhani Waste-to-Energy Plant, and producing clean electricity through waste incineration, which is fed into the general power grid.

"Today's event, titled 'Solidarity for a Green World: From Waste to Value for a Sustainable Future,' underscores the importance Azerbaijan places on this area," Abbasov noted.

Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, and COP29 President, Mukhtar Babayev, spoke on the importance of waste recycling.

He stressed that enhancing waste recycling methods and incorporating innovations in this process ensure efficient resource use and reduce the demand for raw materials.

Addressing plastic waste pollution, the minister identified it as one of the most serious environmental issues.

"I want to highlight UNEP's leading role in addressing plastic waste. UNEP is working to strengthen cooperation among countries, supporting the development of global initiatives and programs to combat plastic waste," Babayev emphasized.

He noted that Azerbaijan is paying special attention to this issue. He reminded that since 2019, the import, production, and sale of polyethylene bags thinner than 15 microns, as well as single-use plastics, have been banned. Polyethylene bags 15-50 microns thick are available to customers at markets for a fee.

He also addressed the issue of medical waste.

"Medical waste can pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, we must apply modern methods and technologies for the collection, sorting, transportation, and disposal of medical waste," the minister said.

He mentioned that the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources is conducting extensive educational campaigns to inform residents of Baku and other regions, promote waste sorting, and collect batteries, glass, plastic, and other recyclables for processing.

UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva noted that the UN is developing a new concept for solid waste management, and the recommendations will be included in new state strategies.

Andreeva reminded that Azerbaijan cooperates with UNEP and UNIDO on waste management.

"People worldwide must radically change their behavior regarding waste. Not only governments and public institutions but also private organizations and households must understand their responsibility for keeping the planet clean," Andreeva emphasized.

She believes that a significant reduction in waste can be achieved through more efficient resource use. Additionally, the latest technologies enable waste recycling.

The forum will continue tomorrow.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  San Diego Fire-Rescue crews knocked down a fire at a house in San Diegos Palm City neighborhood that broke out Wednesday afternoon.

The fire broke out around 3:15 p.m. in the 2200 block of Conifer Avenue, according to SDFD.

SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky was over the scene just before 4 p.m. Smoke was billowing from the house as crews sprayed water on the multi-level home, while white fire extinguisher residue could be seen covering prats of the home.

No injuries were reported, but the occupant said several cats were inside. At one point, a firefighter could be seen trying to rescue a black cat that was stuck on the roof of the home.

Crews from Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach fire departments assisted in the firefight. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Three bodies were pulled from the Rio Grande at the border of El Paso and Sunland Park, New Mexico, authorities said.

The El Paso Fire Department, Sunland Park Fire Department and U.S. Border Patrol officers responded before 7 p.m. Tuesday. June 25 to a report of several bodies in the Rio Grande near McNutt and Anapra roads, fire officials said.

A Sunland Park Fire Department water rescue crew member helps recover three bodies Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from the Rio Grande near the border of El Paso and Sunland Park, New Mexico.

Authorities were able to pull three bodies out of the water. An "exhaustive search" was conducted for a possible fourth body, but the body was not found, officials said.

The scene was then turned over to law enforcement, officials said. No further information has been released.

More bodies recovered near border in past few days

Tuesday's body recovery is the third incident in the past three days involving bodies being found near the U.S.-Mexico border in the El Paso and Sunland Park areas.

More: Man dies in ATV accident in El Paso County; Bodies found in border desert, canal

Authorities have not said if the bodies recovered are migrants illegally attempting to cross into the U.S. However, it is not uncommon for authorities to have to rescue or recover the bodies of migrants who attempted to cross dangerous, fast-moving canal water or the scorching heat in desert areas.

El Paso Fire Department responded about 1 p.m. June 23 to a report of a body spotted in the water in a canal in the 9900 block of Pan American Drive near the Roberto Bustamante Wastewater Treatment Plant, officials said.

The El Paso Fire Department Water Rescue Team was able to pull the body out of the canal.

More: Bodies of migrants found near US-Mexico border amid heat wave in El Paso region

The same day, U.S. Border Patrol found a body before midnight south of Tierra Madre Court in the desert near the U.S.-Mexico border west of Sunland Park, officials said.

No further information has been released on those two incidents.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: 3 bodies recovered in Rio Grande near El Paso-Sunland Park border
Firefighters battled a blaze at a former Kansas Citys mayors home Wednesday evening in South Kansas City.

Property records show the home in the 1000 block of Greenway Terrace belonged to the late former Mayor Richard L. Berkley, who served as mayor from 1979 to 1991.

No injuries were reported in the fire.

Crews responded around 6:40 p.m. to a house fire in the 1000 block of Greenway Terrace, where they reported heavy fire and smoke from the garage of a two-story home, according to Michael Hopkins, a spokesman for the Kansas City Fire Department.

The homes occupants were able to evacuate on their own, and crews brought the fire under control. Red Cross services were ordered for two adults, and the fire department ordered a dangerous buildings call.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire department.

Berkley was the citys longest serving mayor. He died in November 2023.
SELMA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  Firefighters rescued a kitten from a bedroom wall at a home in Selma on Tuesday night, the Selma Fire Department announced.

Firefighters were called to assist a resident who was hearing a cat meowing somewhere in their home on Tuesday night.

Fire officials say upon arrival they utilized a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) and were able to locate a small kitten trapped inside one of the bedroom walls.

Tools were used to cut a small hole around the kitten and safely remove it.

Firefighters say the homeowners were unaware of who the kitten may belong to, but they were willing to take care of it until animal control was able to respond.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The land scorched by a wind-driven brush fire near Del Mar Heights earlier this week briefly reignited on Thursday, sending a plume of smoke into the air.

The fire was reported around 1:30 p.m. in the nature reserve adjacent to the 2600 block of Boca Raton Street. A total of 50 personnel were called to the scene, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue, including aerial crews.

Insurance could return to these high risk areas in San Diego under new CA policy

The body of the fire was halted just before 2 p.m. at three-quarters of an acre by crews, SDFD said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. At least one water drop was conducted to support firefighters on the ground.

SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky was over the scene around 2 p.m., where fire crews could be seen putting out a small hot spot near the ridge that saw flames rip through earlier in the week.

According to SDFD, crews are anticipated to remain on scene for at least another hour for mop-up.

A helicopter conducting a water drop over a hot spot near Del Mar Heights on Jun 27, 2024. (SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky)

Firefighter sprays water at a hot spot near Del Mar Heights on Jun 27, 2024. (SkyFOX/KUSI in the Sky)

No evacuations or street closures were issued, nor were homes considered threatened  unlike Tuesdays fire. No injuries were reported. What caused the fire to reignite has not been identified.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Firefighters in Connecticut are seeking millions from 3M, DuPont and other companies for being exposed to toxic levels of "forever chemicals" in firefighting gear.

The firefighters say they have "experienced subclinical cellular changes in their bodies, which put them at increased risk of developing adverse health conditions, including but not limited to various cancers" due to the presence of PFAS chemicals in their protective wear, according to a federal class-action lawsuit filed this week.

Maplewood-based 3M said in a statement the company will "address PFAS litigation by defending itself in court or through negotiated resolutions, all as appropriate."

"As the science and technology of PFAS, societal and regulatory expectations, and our expectations of ourselves have evolved, so has how we manage PFAS," 3M said.

The lawsuit, brought by several firefighter unions and individual firefighters, names nearly two dozen chemical companies and manufacturers such as Honeywell and Gore as defendants. The suit seeks more than $5 million for violations of the Connecticut Product Liability Act.

"Defendants knew the equipment, materials and chemicals to be unsafe but represented the opposite," the suit states, and companies failed to warn about "specific, substantial risks to human health, profiting immensely."

3M struck a $12.5 billion settlement with water suppliers last year, though analysts have predicted 3M may have billions more to pay out in other PFAS cases, especially personal liability suits.

3M and other companies also face thousands of claims over firefighting foams that contained high levels of PFAS that reportedly caused cancer.

The company pioneered the use of PFAS in products such as Scotchgard and medical devices. The strong chemical bonds that make them useful for waterproofing and heat resistance  ideal for firefighting gear  also mean they don't break down in the environment and can accumulate in human bloodstreams. Studies have linked certain PFAS chemicals to various negative health outcomes.

3M plans to end the manufacture and sale of PFAS by the end of next year.
Fireworks go on sale in Sedgwick County Thursday, what to know

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  Fireworks go on sale on Thursday, June 27, in Sedgwick County.

In the county, each city determines its own rules when it comes to when fireworks can be discharged and what kinds are allowed. Therefore, the Sedgwick County Government is recommending that you buy fireworks where you plan to discharge them.

In Wichita, fireworks are being sold until Friday, July 5. You can discharge them in the city from 10 a.m. until midnight during the time they are being sold. Aerial fireworks can only be discharged from July 3-5. Violators can be fined.

For a list of fireworks sales and discharge dates and times in the county, click here. If you do not see your city, you can reach out to them directly.

Non-emergency phone line

Beginning on Sunday, June 30, residents can report nuisances, like fireworks, parties and excess noise, by calling the Sedgwick County Emergency Communications non-emergency phone line at 316-290-1011. That phone line will be available from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. every day through Saturday, July 6.

This line is designed to take calls that do not involve a threat to life or property

and allows 9-1-1 dispatchers to focus on actual emergencies, Sedgwick County says.

You can still call or text 911 for emergencies.

Best fireworks shows in Kansas 2024

Safety tips regarding fireworks

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal and Safe Kids Kansas shared safety tips when it comes to fireworks and celebrating the Fourth of July. You can read about them in KDHE, State Fire Marshal give tips to safely celebrate July 4.

The City of Wichita has more firework safety tips on its website, which include:

Never allow young children to handle fireworks

Older children should use fireworks only under close adult supervision

Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol

Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear

Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands

Never light them indoors

Only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material

Never point or throw fireworks at another person

Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting

Never ignite devices in a container

Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks

Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding

Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that dont go off or in case of fire

According to the City of Wichita  Government, more than 69% of fireworks injuries are burns. For tips on what to do if you or someone you know does get burnt, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions  Wichita

Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Jose Ocadiz answered questions regarding fireworks in a Facebook live Tuesday. You can watch it here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Two candidates drop out of Iran presidential election, due to take place Friday amid voter apathy

In this photo released by the Iranian state-run TV, IRIB, presidential candidate for June 28 election Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Vice President of late Ebrahim Raisi, attends a debate of the candidates at the TV studio in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (Morteza Fakhri Nezhad/IRIB via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Two candidates in Iran's presidential election withdrew from the race as the country on Thursday prepared for the upcoming vote, an effort by hard-liners to coalesce around a unity candidate in the polls to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi.

Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, dropped his candidacy and urged other candidates to do the same so that the front of the revolution will be strengthened, the state-run IRNA news agency reported late Wednesday night.

Ghazizadeh Hashemi served as one of Raisis vice presidents and as the head of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs. He ran in the 2021 presidential election and received some 1 million votes, coming in last place.

On Thursday, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani also withdrew, as he did previously in the 2021 election in which Raisi was voted into office.

Zakani said he withdrew to block the formation of a third administration of former President Hassan Rouhani, a reference to reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian.

Pezeshkian is running with the support of former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who under Rouhani negotiated and eventually struck the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The deal later collapsed and Iran has since stepped up enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

Such withdrawals are common in the final hours of an Iranian presidential election  particularly in the last 24 hours before the vote is held, when campaigns enter a mandatory quiet period without rallies.

Voters go to the polls on Friday.

The two withdrawals leave four other candidates still in the race, which analysts broadly see as a three-way contest.

Two hard-liners, former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, are fighting over the same bloc, experts say. Then there's Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon who has sought to associate himself with Rouhani and other reformist figures like former President Mohammad Khatami and those who led the 2009 Green Movement protest.

There had been some speculation that either Jalili or Qalibaf could withdraw in order to strengthen hard-liners' hands in the election. But Qalibaf repeatedly signaled he would remain in the race, while Jalili late Thursday did the same.

Now that I have seen your enthusiasm, I am more determined than ever to shoulder the responsibility, he wrote in a message posted to the social platform X. Now is not the time to delay. There is no time to hesitate.

With both of them remaining in the race, that raises the possibility of a runoff election as a candidate must get 50% of the vote to take the presidency.

Irans theocracy under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has maintained its stance of not approving women or anyone urging radical change to the countrys government for the ballot. However, Khamenei in recent days has called for a maximum turnout in the vote, while also issuing a veiling warning to Pezeshkian and his allies about relying on the United States.

Widespread public apathy has descended in the Iranian capital over the election, coming after a May helicopter crash that killed Raisi.

After the promise nearly a decade ago of Tehrans nuclear deal opening up Iran to the rest of the world, Iranians broadly face crushing economic conditions and a far more uncertain Middle East that already has seen the Islamic Republic directly attack Israel for the first time. Iran also now enriches uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels and has enough of it to produce several nuclear weapons if it choses.

The limited options in the election, as well as widespread discontent over Iran's ongoing crackdown on women over the mandatory headscarf, has some saying they won't vote.

I did not watch any of the debates since I have no plan to vote, said Fatemeh Jazayeri, a 27-year-old unemployed woman with a masters degree. I voted for Rouhani seven years ago, but he failed to deliver his promises for a better economy. Any promise by any candidates will remain on paper only.

Worshippers in Tehran at Friday prayers in recent weeks, typically more conservative than others in the city, appeared more willing to vote.

Mahmoud Seyedi, a 46-year-old shopkeeper, said he and his wife, alongside two young daughters, will vote,

My wife and I have decided to vote for Qalibaf since he knows how to solve problems of the country because of years of experience, but my daughters are thinking about Jalili, too, he said. By the way, voting is a duty for us.

Parivash Emami, 49, who was also at prayers, said she hoped Qalibaf could help Iran overcome its problems.

Qalibaf knows details of problems, the rest are either critics or promise to solve problems without offering any program, Emami said.

___

Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) aims to do its utmost to ensure the success of COP29, said Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, during a joint briefing in Baku, Trend reports.

"Azerbaijan is actively addressing the triple planetary crisis, evident in recent months through heatwaves, floods, and climate-induced disasters. Scientific evidence underscores our critical and existential situation. Azerbaijan's proactive preparations for COP29 are crucial in this context. We deeply appreciate their leadership and eagerly anticipate a successful COP29 in Baku, a city of great beauty. UNEP is fully committed to supporting this event, collaborating with over 80 countries to facilitate their negotiation readiness. Our goal is to ensure equitable and feasible funding agreements at COP29," she stated.

She emphasized that Azerbaijan's hosting of COP29 underscores its pivotal role in global environmental and urban issues.

"This represents a unique opportunity that the UN system proudly supports. There is a global demand for meaningful action from governments, businesses, and civil society. I am confident that COP29 will catalyze the necessary changes for the world's urgent needs, and Azerbaijan is steadfast in its efforts to achieve this success," she concluded.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
VIRGINIA BEACH  Before heading to Atlanta for Thursday nights presidential debate, first lady Jill Biden made a stop in Hampton Roads to thank supporters and hype her husband.

A giddy crowd eager to see her gathered inside a Democratic campaign office on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Newtown Road. Soon the room filled with supporters and media standing elbow-to-elbow, many fanning themselves with campaign flyers as the air-conditioner struggled to keep up.

Meanwhile, supporters of former President Donald Trump stood near the road holding posters, some with messages critical of President Joe Biden.

The first lady, 73, arrived shortly after 2 p.m. wearing a lilac-colored suit and holding a folded sheet of yellow legal pad paper with handwritten notes.

So Im on my way to Atlanta; youve probably heard about the debate, said Biden said, smiling as she walked around the room. You all know that theres two visions for America, and youll see them tonight when youre watching the debate.

Trump and the president are scheduled to face off in their first debate of the 2024 election season at 9 p.m.

Trump is also planning a stop in Hampton Roads, hosting a campaign rally Friday in the historic Greenbrier Farms in Chesapeake. The Trump event will begin at 3 p.m., with Gov. Glenn Youngkin expected to attend.

The back-to-back appearances underscore the focus the Biden and Trump campaigns have on Virginia. Democrats have won four consecutive presidential elections in the commonwealth, which is shaping up to be a key battleground in November, according to recent polls that have shown the two nearly even.

But those attending Thursdays event have faith Virginia will remain blue.

The former president can come down here tomorrow, and he can have his rally, but I dont think its going to be reflective in November, said Del. Michael Feggans. The president will be victorious this fall.

Sandra Brandt, chair of the 2nd Congressional District for the Democratic Committee, arrived at the campaign office early Thursday to help create posters in support of the Biden/Harris campaign. The first lady planned to take those posters with her to Atlanta, according to a spokesperson.

Brandt, 78, was excited to see Jill Biden up close.

Shes kind of an idol for women because shes a working woman in the White House, and she works hard for the rest of us across the country, said Brandt.

Edna Forrest, 72, a retired Norfolk Public Schools custodian who now works as a cafeteria monitor was also jazzed up about the opportunity to meet the first lady. Biden stuck around for photographs with attendees after speaking.

I love her, said Forrest. Shes all about the teachers.

Biden is a community college educator in Virginia and gave a shout out to other teachers in the room.

She also touched on several topics, including her familys military connections and her husbands work to improve health care. She also mentioned the impact the election could have for the U.S. Supreme Court.

The next president will be able to probably put two people on the Supreme Court, she said. We got to fight hard.

Biden encouraged the attendees to closely listen to the debate.

In the end it really comes down to who has the wisdom and who has the experience and who has the ability to really lead this country in the right direction, she said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com
Panda express: First pair to enter the United States in 21 years arrive in California

San Diegos newest giant pandas landed in California on Thursday, according to Chinese state media  marking the first time Beijing has granted new panda loans to the United States in two decades.

The two pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, left the Bifengxia base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province on Wednesday night, taking a chartered flight to their new home, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

After a short stopover in Hong Kong, they arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday morning, and will soon head to San Diego, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

The rare loan was finalized in February, just months after Chinese leader Xi Jinping suggested sending pandas to the San Diego Zoo as envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

Xin Bao, a female born in July 2020, is a gentle and well-behaved panda, while Yun Chuan, a male born in July 2019, is smart and lively, CCTV reported.

They were given a celebratory farewell at the Chinese base, attended by American and Chinese dignitaries, including performances and a gift exchange, according to a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

To ensure their health and safety on the journey, their team prepared meals of fresh bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruits, vegetables and a specially-made cornbread known as wotou, CCTV reported.

A screengrab from a video shows people bidding farewell to pandas Xin Bao and Yun Chuan in Ya'an City, China, on June 26, 2024. - CCTV

Five breeders and veterinary experts from both countries were also on the flight, with the Chinese experts staying on for three months after the pair arrive to help them adapt to the new living environment, according to CCTV.

The pandas wont be viewable to the public for several more weeks while they acclimate  and once veterinary teams confirm theyre ready to meet their excited American fans, the zoo will share their debut date, it said.

China loans pandas to more than 20 countries under a program often referred to as panda diplomacy. Its panda loans with Washington stretch back to 1972  though the number of loans have decreased in recent years as US-China relations have worsened.

The San Diego Zoo, one of the worlds most renowned, was the first American institution to carry out cooperative research on giant pandas with China. Since 1994, it has worked with the Sichuan conservation center to study the species behavior, genetics, artificial breeding, nutrition and disease prevention.

Fewer than 2,000 giant pandas remain in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund, which lists the species as vulnerable.

But the zoo has had no pandas for the past few years  it returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after its loan agreement ended.

Yun Chuans mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao, according to a press release issued by San Diego Zoo in April.

Grandmother Bai Yun was born in China in 1991, and arrived at the San Diego Zoo in 1996. She returned to China in 2019 at the age of 27, according to Chinese state media.

The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, also sent its three pandas back to China last November  marking the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo. The end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas.

Chinese leader Xi hinted at this newest loan last November, after extensive talks with President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco.

We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples, he said at the time.

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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are traveling to Atlanta Thursday for the earliest presidential debate in history. Its a critical moment in the campaign, a sitting and a former president facing off hoping to win the office each has held.

Both sides say many voters havent tuned in yet to the campaign but that changes tonight when polls show about 70% of Americans are expected to watch the debate, making this the biggest night of the campaign so far.

Oh, Ill be watching with popcorn, said Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas.).

Trump supporters, including Texas Congressman Troy Nehls, are excited to hear about his second potential term in the White House.

Hes the greatest thing since sliced bread, said Nehls.

Fellow Texas Congressman Chip Roy says Trump should focus on the border, Middle East and the economy.

President Trump knows what he wants to do and what he wants to deliver, and Im not sure President Biden does, said Roy.

Supporters of President Biden, including Texas Congressman Marc Veasey, are confident in their candidate.

Hes gonna do great, said Veasey.

Veasey says voters should trust another four years of President Bidens policies.

That can help steer us to an even brighter future than we already have right now, he added.

Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark wants President Biden to focus on reproductive rights, especially since the debate comes just after the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the federal right to an abortion.

Twenty-seven million American women now live under health care bans, said Clark.

After the debate President Biden is off to North Carolina to campaign Friday, while Trump will rally with Governor Glenn Youngkin in Virginia.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
For the first time, young people in Denver city court will get public defenders

DENVER (KDVR)  Public defenders ensure that anyone facing charges in the U.S. can get legal representation. But in Colorados municipal courts, children who want to defend their cases must hire a private lawyer  or even represent themselves.

That changes in Denver on July 1. A new city ordinance will provide free public defenders for young people in the municipal court system, making Denver the first in the state to do so.

By providing holistic representation, we are dedicated to working closely with our clients, their families, schools, and local youth organizations to once and for all break the school to prison pipeline and allow for powerful self-autonomy, Colette Tvedt, chief municipal public defender, said in a release announcing the change.

Cases before municipal court could be something like a ticket for fighting, trespassing or allegations from school  low-level cases that do not reach a level to be prosecuted by the state.

Did you know? Denver once had a so-called ugly law

Historically, the defenders office said any young person facing a charge in municipal court would meet with the prosecutor and a diversion officer to discuss how to resolve the case, whether through a plea deal, diversion or a trial. But neither could give the youth legal advice nor could the judge.

If a young person wanted to challenge their case, and take it to trial, they either had to represent themselves or their parents would need to hire private counsel, the release reads.

Denver council changes public defense law for youth

Part of the reason young people in Denver municipal court were not afforded legal counsel before is they did not face jail or removal from their homes because of the case, according to the defenders office, which argues that any involvement in the criminal legal system can have lasting effects, nonetheless.

The harm any court contact or law enforcement contact a young person has can ripple into the rest of their lives, especially the way they see themselves. The goal here is to remind them that they have a voice, they have a say, and they matter, the release reads.

Where to park when waiting to pick someone up at Denver International Airport

Denver City Council passed the bill 12-0 in December, with at-large Council Member Sarah Parady absent. Paul Kashmann and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez sponsored the bill.

The Office of the Municipal Public Defender has said it expects an extra 50 cases each month once the change goes into effect. The office will also offer a youth peer support specialist to help navigate the process.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Five killed after train and bus collide in Slovakia

The front of the train can be seen on fire as passengers exit carriages, many with their luggage

Five people were killed and five injured when a passenger train and bus collided at a railway crossing in southern Slovakia, rescuers said.

The crash occurred just after 5pm local time on Thursday near the south-western town of Nove Zamky, the CTK news agency reported.

The wrecked bus at the railway crossing in Slovakia - Robert Novak/Reuters

Railway spokesman Vladimira Bahylova told AFP the Eurocity train had been headed from Prague to Budapest and that the train driver suffered burns because the locomotive caught on fire.

She said the collision occurred at a railway crossing that was protected by barriers and was equipped with light signals.

Petra Klimesova, a spokesman of the rescue services, said the injured required immediate medical assistance.

I am afraid the number of people killed in this accident might grow, she told AFP.

Local media published video footage of passengers getting off the carriages and carrying luggage alongside the train with the engine at the front in flames, as thick grey smoke rose to the sky.

The train was carrying about 100 passengers, euronews.com reported.

Emergency services staff raced to the scene of the crash - Robert Novak/Reuters

The train driver, a Czech national, escaped with light burns, Czech Railways said, while the other four injured were railway passengers, Sky News said.

Passenger Katarina Molnarova, who recorded the video, told AFP that she felt and heard a crash and a bang just as the train left the Nove Zamky station.

After a couple of minutes we were able to get off... We saw that the front part of the train was on fire, said the 43-year-old cosmetician from the southern town of Sturovo.

Emergency services at the scene in the town of Nove Zamky - Henrich Misovic/TASR via AP

There was no screaming or panicking... We grabbed our luggage and walked to the road... I saw parts of the bus that had been scattered upon impact.

Matus Sutaj Estok, the interior minister, and Rastislav Polakovic, the deputy police chief, were on their way to the scene, police said on Facebook.

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A flag with connections to the Jan. 6 insurrection that was at the center of a controversy involving the U.S. Supreme Court was flown outside a beach home owned by North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newbys wife.

The flag, called the Appeal to Heaven or Pine Tree flag, has its roots in the Revolutionary War but has become notable in recent years for its presence among rioters at the Jan. 6 insurrection and its connections to the Christian conservative movement.

It was also flown outside a home owned by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, prompting calls for him to recuse himself from cases involving former President Donald Trump. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of North Carolina has also flown the flag outside his office building in downtown Raleigh, The News & Observer reported.

Newby, a Republican who won his election in 2020 by 401 votes, told the N&O in a statement that he was given the flag as a gift before Jan. 6, 2021 and flies it during national holidays such as Memorial Day.

Until recently, we had no idea of the association of the An Appeal to Heaven flag with anything other than its actual history  a history that reminds us to pray for our nation, he said. At no point did we intend the display of the flag to be a political statement, only a statement of our faith.

Chief Justice Paul Newby listens during oral arguments at the Supreme Court of North Carolina in Raleigh in 2022.

Charles Geyh, a law professor at Indiana University who specializes in judicial ethics, said the act of flying the flag likely doesnt rise to the level of breaking the judicial code of conduct  but could endanger the perception of the judiciary as an impartial body.

The good judge is someone who recognizes that they need to act at all times in a manner that promotes their impartiality, Geyh said. ... That is undermined by essentially running their ideological perspective up a flagpole.

Photos obtained by The N&O show the flag flying outside a beach home owned by Newbys wife, Macon Newby, in Carteret County on May 23, 2024  the day after the New York Times published its story on Alito flying the flag. That was the Thursday before Memorial Day.

The Appeal to Heaven flag flying outside a Carteret County beach home owned by Macon Newby, the wife of North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, on May 23, 2024.

A tipster who wished to remain anonymous shared the photos with The N&O. Using metadata and property records, The N&O was able to authenticate the date and location of the photos as well as the ownership of the home.

Property records for the home, which is in Pine Knoll Shores, indicate that it is owned by an LLC called MTN RE. That LLC is owned by Newbys wife, Macon Newby, who is also listed as owning a property in Pine Knoll Shores in statements of economic interest filed by the chief justice.

When Robinson flew the flag, his spokesperson said it was in celebration of Halifax Resolves Day, which honors the date that the Fourth Provincial Congress noted its intent to become independent from Britain. That holiday is held on April 12 every year. The flag flew at Newbys home over a month later.

Chief Justice Paul Newby enters the courtroom before oral arguments at the North Carolina Supreme Court in Raleigh on May 9, 2022.

Judicial ethics

Judges in North Carolina are required to follow the Code of Judicial Conduct, which sets ethical standards for their behavior.

The code gives judges, who are all elected in partisan races, some leeway as it relates to political speech. Judges are allowed to speak at political party gatherings, donate money to political parties and endorse political candidates if the judge is also a candidate.

While flying a provocative flag that was carried by insurrectionists on Jan. 6 may not be a direct violation of the canons of judicial ethics, it certainly raises questions of judgment, said Rep. Marcia Morey, a Democrat and former judge.

A section of the Code of Judicial Conduct explicitly states that the spouse or other family member of a judge or a candidate is permitted to engage in political activity.

Geyh said that even if it was Newbys wife who flew the flag, he still bears some responsibility for its implications.

A good judge should be worried and concerned about the perception they create when something like this is done in their household, where they are every bit as responsible for what goes up the flagpole as their partner, he said. I think a good judge would do their best to make that a community decision.

Discipline decisions, investigations

The Judicial Standards Commission, a group of judges and citizens, investigates ethics complaints against judges. The investigation process is largely confidential and complaints are only made public if the Supreme Court orders public discipline against the judge being investigated.

Six of the 14 judges on the commission are appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. The rest are appointed primarily by the legislature, with the governor also getting two appointments.

ProPublica recently reported that the North Carolina Supreme Court refused to discipline two Republican judges who admitted to breaking the code of conduct. The Judicial Standards Commission had recommended public reprimands of the two judges, one of whom got into a courtroom argument with a defendant that led to a police officer shooting and killing the defendant, ProPublica reported, citing unnamed sources. But the court declined to do so.

Another high-profile case involving the commission was made public last year when Justice Anita Earls, one of only two Democrats on the high court, sued the Judicial Standards Commission over its investigation into comments she made about bias in the courts system.

Earls became the subject of an investigation after she spoke with a legal publication about the lack of diversity among Supreme Court clerks and the elimination of the states implicit bias training.

She was informed her comments may have violated part of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which requires judges to behave in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.

Earls later withdrew her lawsuit after the commission dropped its investigation into her comments.

Newby removes judges

Newby, who oversees the state courts system in his role as chief justice, has removed two judges from leadership positions this year without explanation.

In January, Newby stripped Judge Donna Stroud of her title as chief judge of the Court of Appeals. Stroud, who is also a Republican, had drawn ire from some members of her party for supporting a non-Republican to become clerk of the Court of Appeals, The N&O previously reported.

A photograph of Newby appeared in a campaign ad for Strouds Republican primary opponent in 2022.

In May, Newby replaced Mecklenburg Countys top district court judge, Elizabeth Trosch, without any explanation.

There wont be a comment on this from the Judicial Branch, a spokesperson for the AOC told The Charlotte Observer in May.

Trosch, a Democrat, led the Mecklenburg district court through the pandemic and the rollout of eCourts. She was replaced by another Democrat.

Under the Dome

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Floridas $116.5 billion budget includes millions for FAMU, FSU, TCC. Heres what they got

A $116.5 billion budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis for 2024-2025 includes seven-figure portions for Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College.

The state budget was signed June 12 after the Florida Legislature approved it in March at the end of the 2024 Legislative Session, and among the allocations for the schools are new funds for capital projects during the next fiscal year beginning July 1.

While FSU received nearly $83 million in new funds, FAMU boasts securing more than $50 million in legislative allocations as a whole  an amount that includes $15 million in recurring performance-based funding.

In TCCs allocations from the annual budget, about $41 million will go toward program funds.

Related news: Budget boosters: Here's what Tallahassee and the Big Bend got and what got vetoed

One of the projects that hit the jackpot in this years budget was FSUs Dittmer Chemistry Lab Building, which received $55.4 million for the university to renovate and redesign its research space.

The chemistry lab building was built in 1967, and the legislative appropriation it received will fully fund the project, according to the university.

When taking a look at the states universities as a whole, DeSantis has committed $4.1 billion in state operating funding to the State University System (SUS) through this years budget.

In addition, the state appropriated $100 million in recurring preeminence funding and another $100 million for SUS recruitment and retention, which will be distributed among the institutions by the Board of Governors.

Despite the multiple big bucks that make up this fiscal years state budget, the $116.5 million amount is less than the previous fiscal year  reflecting a reduction in overall state spending.

Florida State University

The Westcott Building at Florida State University

FSU will receive $20 million in recurring operational enhancement funds, which will be invested in hiring research faculty and student success efforts.

The university will also get $55 million in non-recurring operational enhancement funds for capital renewal, investments in information technology infrastructure and start-up costs for FSU Health  an initiative that aims to build a health care ecosystem in North Florida.

This funding is vital as we grow our research enterprise, retain and recruit outstanding faculty, students and staff, and invest in key initiatives that will benefit our students, our state and our nation, FSU President Richard McCullough said in a prepared statement.

FSU President Richard McCullough.

Besides allocations for the Dittmer Chemistry Lab building, the other projects that will receive new funds from the state budget are:

FSUs maintenance complex (relocation): $10 million

Veterans Legacy Complex (construction): $7.5 million

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Building C (planning and construction): $5 million

Center for Energy Independence: $3 million

New College of Nursing facility (design and planning): $2 million

Here are other allocations that will go toward FSU from the budget:

Grants and aids: $622,764,018

National High Magnetic Field Laboratory: $25 million

Kellogg Research Building Remodeling: $19.2 million

Florida Institute for Child Welfare: $10 million

Institute for Governance and Civics: $8 million

Veterans Legacy Complex: $7.5 million

Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases: $5 million

Nursing Education Programs: $2.6 million

College of Medicines Autism Institute: $1.48 million

Multidisciplinary Educational Services Centers: $1.45 million

Wakulla Springs Research: $750,000

FSU Behavioral Health: $525,000

Student Veteran Center: $500,000

Florida Center for Reading Research: $250,000

Boys and Girls State Housing: $200,000

Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University's campus.

With the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering being a joint college between the two universities, a $5 million fund will go toward the planning and construction of its Building C.

The engineering school will also receive general revenue funding of $21.2 million.

We thank the governor, legislature, Board of Governors, FAMU Board of Trustees and all our stakeholders for ensuring that FAMU gets the funding we need to enhance our student success initiatives, FAMU President Larry Robinson said.

FAMU and the rest of the State University System are on an upward trajectory, but our work is far from complete. However, this funding will make a significant difference to our efforts.

FAMU President Larry Robinson.

FAMUs legislative allocations from this years budget include:

Grants and aids: $121,975,003

Boldly Striking for Academic Excellence Operational Enhancement: $11 million

Campus Security (PECO funding): $5 million

Chemical & Biological Research Center (PECO funding): $5 million

School of Business and Industry South: $1.8 million

FAMU Developmental Research School (DRS) Live Healthy Initiative: $500,000

Division of Research: $9.3 million

Crestview Education Center (recurring): $1.5 million

Nursing Education Programs: $1.1 million

Following this years legislative session, FAMUs Board of Trustees are looking ahead after recently approving a legislative budget request of $55.5 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Tallahassee Community College

Tallahassee Community College's campus.

Although TCC received funding from the state budget, its top two legislative priorities this year were not funding-related.

TCC's name change to Tallahassee State College was one of those priorities.

The college's rebranding efforts were announced last August, and in March, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation to make the name change from TCC to TSC official in state law.

TCCs other top legislative priority was being added to the Florida Education Finance Program as a special district in order to provide funding for its relatively new sponsored charter school, Tallahassee Collegiate Academy.

The STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) charter school opened its doors in August of last year with students in grades 9-11 from Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla counties. TCA students have the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and an associate in science degree by the time they graduate.

We are grateful for all the support we received to get both of those items, TCCs Vice President for Communications and Chief of Staff Candice Grause told the Tallahassee Democrat in an email.

Here are the items included in the 2024-2025 state budget for TCC:

Florida College System Program Fund: $41.3 million

2+2 Student Success Incentive Fund: $834,876

Nursing Education Programs: $678,930

Work Florida Student Success Incentive Fund: $176,526

TCC Adults with Disabilities Program: $25,000

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Floridas $116.5 billion budget includes millions for FAMU, FSU, TCC
A physician has asked the Florida attorney general to investigate Lee Healths failure to provide the public with an accounting of assets and liabilities.

Dr. Raymond Kordonowy sent his request to Ashley Moodys office three business days after leaders of the public hospital system with a $3 billion operating budget voted to become a private nonprofit system.

The elected boards decision June 13 culminates months of deliberations on how to remain competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Deep-pocketed for-profit hospitals are free to build anywhere in Florida since a regulation was dropped in 2019 and private equity firms are investing in outpatient based specialty services.

Kordonowy has gone back and forth with the attorney general's office and was told recently it is not within their jurisdiction.

He nonetheless is asking the state's top attorney to follow the privatization effort as it moves forward. It still needs approval from Lee County leaders.

More: Lee Health leaders vote to become private hospital. Will patients see much difference?

As a public system with a large charity care patient base, Lee Health leaders say the decision to convert opens up new business opportunities.

It also will eliminate having to operate under the states Sunshine Law of open meetings and records which enables competitors to access financials and strategic plans.

As a public system, Lee Health is a safety net provider caring for all patients regardless of ability to pay yet it has no tax levy to help offset the expense. The drafted documents for the conversion says the charity care mission will be maintained as a private nonprofit entity.

More: Citizen petition calls for audit of Lee Health assets. What you need to know

The next step is forging an agreement with the Lee County Commission which must be done by late October. The current Lee Health board plans to remain in charge of the new nonprofit entity on an interim basis and an oversight board would be established.

What is the doctor asking of the state attorney?

Kordonowy, an internist in private practice and watchdog over the conversion talks, asked the attorney general to review an amendment to the public systems enabling act which the Florida Legislature approved in 2023.

The amendment allowed Lee Health to explore converting from a public system to a private nonprofit entity and detailed all the steps that must be followed.

Lee Health doctors, nurses and other staff have been hard at work fighting the coronavirus for our community. These are images of them at Lee Memorial Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center, HealthPark Medical Center, Cape Coral Hospital and other Lee Health outpatient facilities, showing their commitment to confronting this pandemic.

Specifically he points to language that says Lee Health must provide a full accounting of assets and liabilities in the agreement between the hospital system and the county for the conversion to proceed.

I am asking the State Attorney to review the act and to inform Lee Health and the county commissioners that they have a legislated duty to provide the public with a full accounting of all assets, liabilities as well as the plan for how transferring to a non-public, private nonprofit entity will be handled, he wrote in his initial request to Moodys office.

I further request your office follow this process to assure the prescribed legislation is properly followed, he said.

Kordonowy said the attorney general's office responded by referring him to Lee Health's financial statements.

"I rebutted that is not a stated list of companies held under Lee Health's structure which I believe the public needs to know," he said in an email.

Scenes from a commemoration to remember the first COVID-19 death and honor Lee Health front line personnal in Lee County on Friday, March 5, 2021. The event was held at Gulf Coast Medical Center.

Kordonowy says the residents of Lee own the assets of Lee Health and they need to know what they are giving away to a new nonprofit entity and what the cost implications are.

At the boards June 13th meeting ahead of the vote to go private, Kordonowy was addressing the board on the issue of assets and Lee Healths requirements. He ran out of the allotted five minutes given to public speakers before he finished and was cut off.

He has been circulating a petition that has 117 signatures since of residents since mid-June wanting a full disclosure of Lee Healths assets by item and business relationships by contract.

He included the petition details in his correspondence to the state attorney generals office.

The petition states, in part, that it is possible that the public would be better served by diminishing Lee Healths current assets and allow for a sale of assets to other market participants.

This petition is seeking signatures to show the board and the Lee county commission the level of public interest in gaining this information, according to the petition. Further, the signatures represent an interest in an honest assessment of how taking an alternative path as suggested would benefit and or potentially harm the public.

Kordonowy said recently that Moody's office had not had time yet to review his request. In addition, Lee Health had not been made aware he had contacted the state attorney generals office.

When asked to respond to Kordonowys request to the state attorney general, Lee Health spokeswoman Mary Briggs said in an email:

The enabling act clearly outlines what Lee Health needs to do during the conversion evaluation process, and we're fully compliant with these legal requirements. This includes providing a description of our assets and liabilities in the finalized mission agreement.

Briggs said more details all of Lee Healths assets and liabilities are available at the website. According to its financial statement for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2023, the hospital system had $3.7 billion in assets and $1.4 billion in liabilities.

Was this discussed earlier?

The issue of having a full accounting of assets was raised at a Lee Health meeting in February by board member Therese Everly. It was at that meeting when consultants Kaufman Hall presented its detailed assessment of the pros and cons of a conversion, and recommended the board continue exploring it.

The response given to Everlys request was that such an audit is only required when a sale is being considered, which is not the case.

Everly ultimately was the only board member who voted against going forward with the conversion. She cited numerous concerns that includes the loss of sovereign immunity protection against large medical malpractice claims and spending $5.3 million more to compensate for the malpractice change which may not go far enough.

Another issue for Everly is an estimated short-term loss of $60 million in special payments as a public safety net hospital and unknowns with changes required to 35 charitable clinics. Everly also cited unknowns at this juncture of refinancing $770 million in debt that will be necessary.

A 10-year projection starting in 2025 shows Lee Healths net patient revenue at $34.5 billion if it stays as a public hospital. It would jump to $35.5 billion with the conversion to a private nonprofit. That would be a gain of $1 billion over the 10-year forecast, according to projections by Ben Spence, Lee Healths chief financial officer.

Why go private?

With a $3 billion annual operating budget, Lee Health is one of the largest public systems in the United States and Florida. It has a large charity care and Medicaid patient base as a safety net system.

Last year it provided $179 million in community benefits to residents, which includes charity care, after foregone taxes of nearly $94 million.

With 1,865 beds at four acute care hospitals, one million patients are seen annually with 85,000 admissions and 276,000 emergency room visits, while outpatient visits are about 2.6 million a year.

Lee Health is also the largest employer in Lee with 15,000 employees.

Switching to a private nonprofit system will allow Lee Health to provide services outside of the county and forge partnerships with other medical groups, with teaching hospitals, and to pursue specialty care ventures currently not allowed by its enabling legislation with the state.

The system faces headwinds of competition from for-profit hospitals and private equity firms investing in health care services.

Notable competition is from HCA Healthcare, which is building a hospital in Fort Myers and will soon have two freestanding emergency rooms in the county.

HCA sold its Lee County hospitals to Lee Health in 2006 but the state Legislatures elimination in 2019 of the certificate-of-need license rule for new hospitals is a game changer.

The Kaufman Hall consultants reported that 65 new hospitals were built in the state from 2020 to 2022 after the Legislature eliminated a certificate-of-need law that require a market justification.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Physician wants state probe on Lee Health; seeks audit
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  One mans plans were soiled after he was busted stealing 15 loads of dirt, worth around $3,000, according to an arrest report.

On Monday morning, Lee County deputies responded to 856 Anaconda Avenue in Lehigh Acres after a victim told officials that 15 truckloads worth of dirt were missing.

VIDEO: Woman scales apartment building to avoid arrest

The arrest report said Dimitri Alexander Alvarado, 33, ordered one of his machine operators to remove the dirt from the property.

The victim, who is a field operations supervisor for Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, said that upon arrival, one of his employees noticed 8-10 trucks at the location, appearing ready for dirt to be loaded onto them.

However, the supervisor said there was no authorization, as it takes 2-3 months to obtain a contract, and that he didnt recognize the men trying to move the dirt, the report said.

Home sellers are slashing prices in these Florida cities, according to Realtor.com

According to deputies, each load of dirt cost $200, totaling around $3,000.

Alvarado was arrested and charged with grand theft (over $750, but less than $5,000). He was taken to the Lee County Jail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
On May 1, a six-week abortion ban became the law in Florida under a State Supreme Court ruling that underscores just how out of touch the states extremist, conservative jurists and politicians are from their constituents. The implementation of this shocking and dangerous ban closely coincides with the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, a ruling that not only overturned the constitutional right to an abortion but reversed nearly 50 years of precedent.

Polls consistently show that three quarters of Florida voters oppose this measure. Like most Americans across the country, they believe that decisions about pregnancy and parenting should be made by women and their families, not by public officials and judges.

Governor DeSantis signed the near-total ban into law last April, in the dark of night, with little fanfare. And the court ruling that upholds it has received shockingly little press coverage.

More on abortion: Don't mess with Florida's constitution unless serious issues are involved, like abortion

A group of roughly 40 activists gathered outside the Tallahassee City Hall building to protest a bill to ban abortions after six weeks.

But dont let yourself be weighed down by despair. Floridians have a chance to stand up for our rights and vote to overturn this measure Nov. 5. Florida Womens Freedom Coalition, a non-partisan coalition of Democrats, Republicans and Independents, has made remarkable progress in the fight to reinstate the right to abortion via a constitutional amendment on November ballots.

A member of Floridians Protecting Freedoms statewide campaign of allied organizations working together to limit government interference with abortion, Florida Womens Freedom Coalition helped gather over 1.4 million petitions backing the amendment and raised $16 million dollars in just seven months.

The amendment is simple. It allows abortion before fetal viability or when necessary to protect a womans health. The determination will be made by women and their families in consultation with a healthcare provider.

Our view: Abortion is on the Florida ballot this election. Protect womens right to choose.

Our polling shows that more than 70% of Florida voters approve of the ballot language. In fact, over 210,000 of the 1.4 million signatures submitted were from Republicans and 280,000 were from Independents.

Support for the amendment cuts across every demographic line, and its even backed by 57% of Trump voters.

Why? Because abortion access is not a partisan issue. Its a fundamental issue of womens health and freedom.

Still, serious challenges remain. Florida state law requires that a 60% majority of voters affirm this constitutional amendment in November. Thats a high bar.

And if this isnt a big enough hurdle, the conservative-controlled state legislature is threatening to add additional barriers to hinder the referendums progress. They promise to stop at nothing to defeat the will of the majority.

But we are matching their resolve every step of the way.

Our efforts, however, are not unique. We are part of a robust national movement to protect reproductive freedoms.

In 2022, ballot measures protecting abortion access were approved by wide majorities in California, Michigan, and Vermont. And in Kansas, a red state, voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate abortion rights.

In 2023, abortion has continued to be a pivotal issue in elections from Virginia to Kentucky.

On November 7th, voters in Republican-controlled Ohio showed up to protect the right to choose in a decisive victory.

Floridas referendum will be the countrys most decisive, with decisions about pregnancy at stake for some 80,000 women each year, most of them our own residents, others from neighboring states that have already curtailed abortion rights in the wake of the Dobbs decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, which reversed Roe v. Wade.

Recent studies show that women in states without abortion services are being forced to become mothers against their will. Birthrates and unwanted pregnancies are rising, and the aspirations of women to take advantage of expanding education and job opportunities are diminishing.

So, lets not get angry, as the old saying goes, lets get even.

Go to floridawomensfreedomcoalition.com to join our campaign.

Former U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala

Raise your voice and mobilize in your community.

Because wherever you are in this great nation, you have the power to be a champion for reproductive rights, and for women and families who want to control their own destinies.

Dr. Donna E. Shalala, former Congresswoman and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, serves as The New Schools Interim President in New York City, and previously served as President of the University of Miami. She's a resident of Coral Gables.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Take back your abortion rights by voting for Florida amendment
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijan will become the global host of World Environment Day in 2026, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) Inger Andersen said during a joint briefing in Baku, Trend reports.

"First of all, I would like to share great news: Azerbaijan will become the global host of World Environment Day in 2026. This is an important event that Azerbaijan has approached with initiative. The whole world will turn its eyes to Azerbaijan to host this significant event on June 5, 2026. This is a great initiative and we are very pleased about it.

Besides, we are very pleased to participate in several joint activities, as you may have noticed. We are also working with Azerbaijan on electric mobility, supporting its efforts on climate issues, and focusing on climate and weather response systems and adaptation financing. We have also begun discussing support for protected areas under the Global Environment Facility. My recent visit to Shirvan National Park was just one example of the excellent work we are doing to conserve its biodiversity," she noted.

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What Floridians need to know about the new laws going into effect July 1

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a spate of new laws that are scheduled to take effect on Monday.

There is a measure that creates littering fines for kids and adults who release balloons into the sky, and another that prohibits local governments from setting rules meant to protect outside workers from the risks of extreme heat. A new bill now allows Florida residents to legally kill bears if they feel the animal posed an immediate threat to their lives.

Here are some of the most notable state laws that take effect immediately:

Changes to child labor laws: A new law will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work additional hours on Sundays and holidays. Teens who are homeschooled or attend virtual school will be the most impacted, as the new law exempts them from all regulations restricting when teenagers can work.

No protections for outdoor workers: Despite record-high temperatures across Florida, a new law now prohibits city and county governments from setting standards to protect workers from the increasing risks of extreme heat. The new law will effectively kill an effort in Miami-Dade County to require employers to provide water, rest and shade to outdoor workers on hot days. The state currently has no standards for such protections.

Watch out, bears: Floridians can now shoot and kill bears in self-defense or to protect their pet. A person would avoid civil or criminal penalties for using lethal force against a bear as long as they did not intentionally or recklessly place themselves in a dangerous situation. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would need to be notified within 24 hours after the incident, and the commission would be in charge of disposing of the bear.

No more releases of balloons: Children across Florida who are 7 years and older wont be able to send their Christmas and New Years Eve wishes to the heavens by releasing balloons into the sky. Under a new law, those who intentionally release balloons inflated with a gas lighter than air will be committing littering and will face a $150 fine. Children 6 years and younger are exempt from this regulation along with people working on behalf of a government agency releasing balloons for scientific purposes, hot air balloons recovered after launching and balloons released indoors. The bill received almost unanimous support and is part of an effort to curb pollution.

Police oversight panels defanged: A new law will now limit civilian oversight panels in more than 20 Florida counties and cities from looking into citizen complaints against the behavior of law enforcement officers. Some boards, which make recommendations about discipline, were created by voters, others by government officials following policing controversies.

New penalties for car racing: A year after street racers closed roads and highways in Miami-Dade, a new law is increasing the fines for participating in car racing across Florida. Fines now range between $500 to $7,500 depending on how many times a person has committed the same offense. The law also increases the penalties from misdemeanors to felonies contingent upon how many times a person has committed the same offense, allows for the revocation of a drivers license for four years and lets law enforcement seize any vehicle used in drag racing, street takeovers, stunt driving, competitions, contests, tests or exhibitions.

Driving without a license: A new bill modifies the criminal penalties for driving without a valid drivers license. Under the new law, upon a first conviction, a person faces a misdemeanor of the second degree. A second conviction leads to a misdemeanor of the first degree and a third or subsequent conviction is punishable with a misdemeanor of the first degree and a minimum of 10 days in jail.

Disclosing AI in political ads: Political candidates will now need to disclose if they use artificial intelligence in printed and electronic advertisements to voters. Failure to do so would result in a first-degree misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to a year in jail.

HIV prevention in pharmacies: Florida is among the states with the highest number of new HIV cases in the country. As of Monday, pharmacists can prescribe and dispense medicine that can prevent an HIV infection after exposure if taken within 72 hours.

New rules for medical debt collections: Patients in Florida will soon get clearer information up front on their care costs and whether their copay is more expensive than paying out of pocket. They will also be able to more easily dispute those charges under the new law.

Free swimming lessons: Florida will now have a new program that will offer swimming lessons at no cost to families with a household income of less than $45,180 a year and who have at least one child who is four years of age or younger, according to a new law creating the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program. Florida is the state with the highest rates of child drowning deaths. In 2023, 97 kids drowned, according to data from the Department of Children and Families.

Alternative education: Students who withdrew from high school prior to graduation can now enroll in a new program, the Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education (GATE), to earn career education credentials while also completing a standard high school diploma. The new law also establishes opportunities for scholarships to attend.

Religious chaplains an option for schools: Florida school districts can now authorize religious chaplains to serve as counselors for students whose parents approve. The new law has fueled heated debates over the separation of church and state.

Classical education for educators: Florida education officials now have the green light to set rules for prospective educators who want to earn a classical education teacher certificate. In recent years, DeSantis and Republican lawmakers have put an emphasis on the classical education model, largely followed by private Christian schools and charter schools. The curriculum focused on Western traditions and values.

Anti-woke teacher training program: Teacher training courses will now be prohibited from including courses of identity politics and theories based on the idea that systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege are inherent in the institutions of the United States and were created to maintain social, political and economic inequities. It is a continuation of DeSantis push to eliminate what he has characterized as liberal orthodoxy in the states education system, and embed the governors anti-wokeness ethos into the way the state grants certificates to educators.

Mothers get a pass on jury duty: Starting Monday, women can be excused from jury duty if they have given birth within 6 months of the reporting date on a summons.

Safe haven for surrendered babies: Florida law allows parents who are unwilling or unable to care for their newborn infants to safely surrender their babies at a hospital, fire station or an emergency medical service station. The new law going into effect Monday will increase the age an infant may be surrendered from 7 days old to 30 days old. Parents are granted immunity from criminal prosecution under the safe haven law unless there is suspected child abuse or neglect.

Florida lets the wine flow: A new law will allow wine to be sold in larger containers, including 9-, 12- and 15-liter glass bottles. Previously, state law prevented the sale of wine containers that held more than one gallon  or about 3.79 liters.

More transparency on violent offenders: County courts and clerks will now offer website links and a searchable database to identity adults who are subject to restraining orders due to repeat violence, sexual violence, dating violate, stalking or because a minor needed to be protected from domestic violence.

Shielding the identities of school guardians: Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in 2018, Florida created a program that allows some school staff members and classroom teachers to be armed to try to protect students from active shooters. Starting Monday, any information that would be able to identify those who have been certified to participate in the program will no longer be a public record.

Restrictions on identification cards: A new law prohibits a county or a municipality from accepting as identification any card or document that is issued by any person, entity, or organization that knowingly issues identification cards or documents to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States. In the past, several counties partnered with local organizations to offer a community identification card to enable residents to provide a form of identification to law enforcement, schools, organizations, and social service agencies.
Swedish furniture giant Ikea decided in May to make plans to reopen its store in Kyiv, Forbes Ukraine reported on June 27, citing two managers of shopping centers and two commercial real estate consultants.

Ikea opened its first store in Kyiv's Blockbuster Mall on Feb. 1, 2021. Like other multinational brands, Ikea closed its store when Russia launched its full-scale invasion just over a year later.

The company's "main priority for the resumption of store operations in Kyiv is the safety of our employees and customers," the Ingka Group, which is part of the Ikea group, told Forbes Ukraine in a comment.

Blockbuster Mall "refused to comment due to a non-disclosure agreement," Forbes Ukraine said.

"The return and success of H&M was an important signal for the head office of Ikea, and they also closely followed the recovery of Inditex," one of Forbes Ukraine's sources told the outlet.

H&M reopened in November 2023, while Inditex, a Spanish-owned multinational company that owns Zara and other brands, reopened some of their stores in Kyiv on April 3.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry had confirmed in March that the company would gradually resume operations in Ukraine.

Ikea suspended business in Russia in March 2022 and fully exited the country in 2023.

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WKRN)  The former chief of the Chattanooga Police Department faces various felony and misdemeanor charges following a weeks-long investigation.

At the request of District Attorney General Pro Tem D. Michael Dunavant, who was appointed by the court upon the recusal of 11th Judicial District Attorney General Coty Wamp, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said its agents started investigating the residency of Celeste Murphy in April.

During the investigation, authorities said they determined Murphy knowingly entered false information on several government documents related to establishing residency in Chattanooga, though swearing to their truth in signing the documents.

Attempted Chattanooga shooter dead from self-inflicted gunshot after plan failed: Police report

According to the TBI, the Hamilton County Grand Jury returned a 17-count indictment on Tuesday, June 25, charging the 56-year-old with one count of illegal voter registration, one count of false entries on official registration or election documents, three counts of false entries in governmental records, three counts of forgery, three counts of perjury, and six counts of official misconduct.

News 2s sister station, WTVC, reported Murphy resigned on Wednesday, June 26 amid the TBI investigation.

Then, on Thursday, June 27, officials said Murphy surrendered at the Hamilton County Jail, where she was booked and released after posting an aggregate $19,000 bond.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct and not evidence, the TBI said in a Thursday morning statement. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Former deputy head of President's Office searched by Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Bureau  photos

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the former deputy head of the President's Office, was searched on 27 June in connection with leaks from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

Source: a correspondent of Ukrainska Pravda on the scene; UP source in the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office

Details: According to a journalist from Ukrainska Pravda, Kyrylo Tymoshenko was in a car surrounded by NABU detectives.

Photo: Mykhailo Tkach, Ukrainska Pravda

Photo: Mykhailo Tkach, Ukrainska Pravda

Photo: Mykhailo Tkach, Ukrainska Pravda

Updated: Tymoshenko later confirmed that he had been searched and stated that law enforcement authorities had no complaints against him.

Quote: "I confirm that I was searched in connection with a matter in which I had no involvement.

I've done whatever the law enforcement officers asked of me, and I have no complaints."

Mykhailo Tkach revealed more about the search location in a live broadcast by UP.Zhyttia.

Background:

On 20 June, Ukrainska Pravda published an investigation providing evidence that NABU had obtained a search warrant for the home of Oleksii Chernyshov, Naftogaz chairman and former Infrastructure Minister. However, detectives did not conduct the search at the request of NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

Following this publication, NABU decided to search for those who had shared the information with journalists.

Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach noted that instead of launching an internal investigation and finding out what illegal instructions the bureau's director had given, NABU under Kryvonos decided to search for those who told journalists that he had saved Chernyshov from being searched.

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Yurii Sodol. Photo: Command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, the former Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as the head of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group, is responsible for preparing the defence before the repeat Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024.

Source: a Ukrainska Pravda article, The first change in Syrskyis team: Why Sodol was dismissed and what to expect from Hnatov

Details: Ukrainska Pravda has obtained access to a letter that Bohdan Krotevych, Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade of the National Guard, sent to the State Investigation Bureau of Ukraine (SBI) and has published its key points.

In the letter, Krotevych says Sodol did not spend a single hour in the now occupied city of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast and gave orders that ran counter to the deployment points of the Azov regiment and the 36th Marine Brigade. Specifically, Krotevych said Sodol had ordered the 36th Brigade to break through to the Azovstal steelworks and ordered Azov to break into the Illich Iron & Steel Works, even though at the time, Azov was closer to Azovstal and the marines to the Illich plant.

Krotevych also states that Azov did not receive "a single extra cartridge prior to the defence of Mariupol", and that fortifications in the city had not been built due to problems with Sodols communications with the local authorities.

Moreover, he says, during the encirclement of Mariupol there was absolutely no interaction with units that were not part of the Mariupol garrison, meaning that various units were at risk of suffering friendly fire.

Quote from the article: "The Lieutenant General commands the troops inadequately, and his decisions have led to the deaths of thousands of soldiers from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and other units of the Defence Forces.

As the Commander of the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group, Sodol is responsible for the preparation of the defence before the repeat Russian offensive on Kharkiv Oblast."

Details: In his letter to the SBI, Krotevych also stated that after being appointed Commander of the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group, Sodol started giving "unclear orders" to the 12th Brigade of the National Guard about deployment on lowlands and advancing a few metres in a short period of time without sufficient ammunition.

However, a senior Defence Forces official told Ukrainska Pravda that Sodol was supported as Joint Forces Commander by both Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and the General Staff as a whole. Another Ukrainska Pravda source in the Marines added that Sodol even enjoyed Zelenskyys favour, despite having supported his political opponent Petro Poroshenko.

Quote from a source in the General Staff: "He worked like this [trying to fulfil all the tasks set by the top command at any cost  ed.] to receive and justify this support."

Background:

On 24 June President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov.

Bohdan Krotevych, the Chief of Staff of the Azov Brigade of the National Guard, filed a request with Ukraines State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) calling for an investigation into Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, due to heavy personnel losses.

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Former Nevada lawmaker arrested on suspicion of DUI after Las Vegas police car chase

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Former Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks was taken into police custody on suspicion of DUI after a car chase involving Las Vegas Metropolitan police.

Police say Brooks vehicle was parked partially on the center median around 11:24 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and St. Louis Avenue north of the Las Vegas Strip. A pursuit eventually began, police said, and officers used a low-lethal shotgun and [] a K9 to apprehend Brooks. The pursuit ended two miles away at Las Vegas Boulevard and Bonanza Road. The intersection remained closed for nearly four hours.

Brooks, 52, was taken into custody and booked into the Clark County Detention Center. Charges faced by Brooks include two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a protected person, resisting with a weapon, evading, and driving under the influence.

Brooks, who is familiar with law enforcement because of numerous arrests, was expelled from the Nevada Legislature in 2013 for threatening to kill Marilyn Kirkpatrick, who was also serving in the legislature as the Speaker. At the time, Brooks was a second-term Democrat representing North Las Vegas.

Former Nevada Assemblyman Steven Brooks was arrested in 2021 after a family fight. (Photo credit: LVMPD)

On the same day of his expulsion, he was arrested by California authorities for a high-speed chase near Barstow, California. This began a series of arrests involving Brooks.

According to court documents, he has been arrested seven times starting in 2013:

June 27, 2024 arrest on charges of DUI, assault on a protected person (2 charges), disobeying an officer/endangering other people/property, resisting arrest with the use of a deadly weapon (not a firearm).

May 2024 arrest on charges of misdemeanor trespassing and intimidating a public officer. This is a current case in the system.

2021 arrest for possession of a gun by a prohibited person. The district attorney didnt pursue the case.

2019 arrest for disorderly conduct, assault on a protected person, and 2 counts of intimidating a public official. The case was dismissed on condition he stay out of trouble.

2013 arrest for domestic battery, assault on a protected person, giving false statements to police, and resisting an officer. Brooks accepted a plea deal for a lesser charge and was sentenced to 12 to 26 months along with mental counseling.

2013 arrest in Barstow, California after a high-speed chase and assaulting a police dog. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

2013 arrest in Carson City for threatening another Nevada lawmaker. He reached a plea deal and did mental health counseling.

Brooks was being held at Clark County Detention Center Thursday morning. He is scheduled to have an initial appearance on the charges in Las Vegas Justice Court on Friday, June 28.

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Former Olathe educator charged with child sex crime

OLATHE, Kan.  A former Olathe School District educator is behind bars and facing two felonies, including aggravated indecent liberties with a child less than 16 years old.

Jason Barrett, 42, worked two separate stints as a special education paraprofessional, first between 2003 and 2005, then again between August of 2009 and May of 2023 according to an email from the school district.

Two under investigation after toddler, infant found in extreme heat

The DAs office charged Barrett on Wednesday with the child sex crime and furnishing alcohol to a minor from an alleged incident in September of 2023 involving the same victim, according to a criminal complaint.

The Johnson County District Attorneys Office tells FOX4 there are concerns this alleged incident wasnt isolated, and theres been a significant rise in cases involving teachers or educators having inappropriate contact with minors over the last five years.

Unfortunately weve had a run of members of education having inappropriate relationships with minors, Howe said.

These are the types of cases that energize us, because many of these times these are trouble youth that are being victimized, or kids are too young to understand whats going on. We have a special duty to protect those who cant protect themselves.

Raytown teacher fired after video shows her clotheslining student

As the investigation continues in this case, there are indications there are more victims, and if you have information youre urged to call Olathe police at (913) 971-7500.

Barrett is held in the Johnson County Jail on a $250,00 bond. Online court records show hes due in court Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  A man formerly of Overland Park, Kan. was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for fraudulently receiving more than $800,000 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES).

According to court documents, Mirza Michael Reazuddin, 66, received these funds for a business that was no longer in operation. Reazuddin, currently of Lawrenceville, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to one year and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Reazuddin to pay $804,100 in restitution to the Small Business Administration and to forfeit $804,100 to the government, which represents the proceeds he obtained from the fraud and his residential property in Lawrenceville.

Reazuddin pleaded guilty on February 5, 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.

Reazuddin was a partner in the hotel operation Grandview Hotel, LLC. The operation was created in 2013 and ceased operations in 2018. Another company then took over operations of the hotel until it ultimately closed in 2021.

Two under investigation after toddler, infant found in extreme heat

According to court documents, on June 25, 2020, Reazuddin applied for and received a PPP loan for $384,100 on behalf of Grandview Hotel, which had ceased operations. Reazuddin made false statements on the application and submitted fraudulent documents to support the application. Reazuddin used approximately $300,000 of this loan to purchase his Lawrenceville home.

On January 26, 2021, Reazuddin applied for and received a second PPP loan for $420,000 on behalf of Grandview Hotel. Reazuddin, again, made false statements and provided fraudulent documents to receive the loan.

The CARES Act was put into place to provide emergency funds due to the economic impact brought on by COVID-19. The Paycheck Protection Program, PPP, authorized the Small Business Administration to provide forgivable loans to businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments and utility payments. Under the PPP, both the principal and interest on those loans were eligible for forgiveness.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Bulgaria will have a 20 percent shareholding in a joint venture for the implementation of the Green Energy Corridor project 'Azerbaijan-Georgia-Black Sea-Europe' (Black Sea Energy), Azerbaijani Ambassador to Bulgaria Huseyn Huseynov wrote on his X page, Trend reports.

According to him, Bulgaria's Council of Ministers approved the country's participation in the above venture.

He pointed out that Bulgaria can play an important role in the project through its developed electricity transmission system, interconnections with neighboring countries, the developed electricity market, the possibility of investments in renewable energy sources, and the growing demand for green energy.

The ambassador noted that the Black Sea Energy plan is built on a strategic collaboration between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary to transmit green energy via the Black Sea underwater cable.

Huseynov added that the project aims to strengthen regional EnergySecurity and connectivity, diversify supply, utilize the potential for energy production from renewable sources in the Caspian region, and increase the share of energy from renewable energy in the national energy mix.

To note, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary signed an agreement in Bucharest on a strategic partnership for the construction of the Black Sea Energy submarine cable with a capacity of one GW and a length of 1,195 kilometers on December 17, 2022.

The cable is intended to deliver green electricity from Azerbaijan (produced at future offshore wind farms) through Georgia and the Black Sea to Romania, and then further transported to Hungary and the rest of Europe. The European Commission plans to allocate 2.3 billion euro for the project.

In May 2024, energy operators from Azerbaijan, Romania, Georgia, and Hungary signed a memorandum to create a joint venture for the implementation of the Black Sea Energy project.

The headquarters of the joint venture will be located in Bucharest.

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Former Pfizer HQ in NYC will be turned into apartments; but will they be affordable?

Former Pfizer HQ in NYC will be turned into apartments; but will they be affordable?

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN (PIX11)  It will be the largest project of its kind in New York history when its finished, and preliminary work is already underway on converting the former Pfizer world headquarters into residential apartments. Its part of a larger trend thats seen by urban planners, housing advocates, and elected officials as a way to help increase the supply of housing in an intensely tight market, but its also drawing some criticism for not helping to provide the volume of affordable housing that the city needs.

The process to make office-to-residential conversions is well underway. At the former Pfizer headquarters building, on 42nd Street and Second Avenue, work crews were clearing out furniture on Wednesday morning to help make way for demolition crews. Theyre set this summer to start the gut renovation of the two buildings that made up the headquarters.

More Local News

Its going to be the biggest conversion from office to residential in the history of New York, said Mark Levine, the Manhattan borough president, who announced the conversion on his X account on Tuesday.

1,500 apartments, he continued, in an interview on Wednesday. Its going to really change Midtown.

Its what happened in Lower Manhattan, he said, which used to totally shut at 5 p.m., and now its a vibrant 24-7 community.

List: NYC affordable housing lotteries with rent under $1,000

In Lower Manhattan, in the Financial District, to be precise, there are two neighboring buildings that are part of the office building-to-residential building trend.

One address, 160 Water St. is being converted now, while 180 Water St. has been converted.

Its funny you mention that. I didnt even know it, said Tizzy Beck, a resident of 180 Water St. It doesnt feel like it. The ceilings are really, really high, it feels really airy. The design is obviously quite pleasant.

Carlo Proietti is one of her neighbors in the building. Weve lived in New York in many areas, he said, and this is our favorite place. Me and my wife, we love the building. Great.

Residents of the converted building give it glowing reviews. Still, theres one thing that some of them said is on their minds in addition: their rent.

It reflects exactly where we live, said Ronald Rodriguez, another resident of 180 Water St.. When asked what his rent was, he said, Its about 4K.

Thats about $4,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, which is market rate, in the Financial District, where Rodriguez lives.

New state tax and zoning rules are adding incentives for property owners and developers to carry out conversions that would ensure that a proportion of the new developments would be below market rate.

That proportion, according to Michelle de la Uz, the executive director of the affordable housing development and advocacy group Fifth Avenue Committee, In most cases, its 25% of the units being affordable, she said in an interview.

She also said that what shed like to see among the 1,500 new apartments at the former Pfizer headquarters is at least 300 or more would be affordable to families, at a range of incomes.

Its already confirmed by the developer that the former Pfizer headquarters will not have affordable units.

However, Levine said hes gotten preliminary commitments from developers of future conversions  particularly older buildings that are farthest from transportation hubs  that they want to benefit from tax and zoning rules that incentivize including affordable units in conversion developments.

The issue of affordable converted apartments will be on the agenda at the next New York City Planning Commission meeting, according to de la Uz. Its scheduled for July 10, and the hearing will be open for public comment.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
"RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" contestants arrive on the red carpet at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

June 27 (UPI) -- Six former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants announced Thursday the launch of the first political action committee led by drag performers.

Drag PAC is a response to rising hate, violence and legislation targeting LGBTQ people, the PAC's founders said in a launch video.

Founding members include Jinkx Monsoon, BenDeLaCreme, Peppermint and Monet X Change.

"We're in the middle of something historic," Monet X Change, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars Season 4, said in the video. "This is the most important election cycle for queer people's rights and freedoms in our lifetime."

Drag PAC's mission is to promote voter registration and engagement for the 2024 election year, according to the PAC's website.

Specifically, the PAC will work to mobilize Gen Z voters and Drag Race fans to show up at the polls in November, Drag PAC organizer Dylan Bulkeley-Krane told The Hill.

"Have you seen how invigorated Drag Race fans are?" Bulkeley-Krane asked. "That is our community, and it needs to be harnessed and driven in the right direction so that queer people across the country don't have to live in fear."

The PAC plans to utilize the drag queens' large social media followings and a series of lighthearted videos to inspire young LGBTQ to vote.

The group has not yet officially endorsed any political candidates. Bulkeley-Krane said "we're taking our time with that."

More than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills were filed in state legislatures this year, and 39 of them were signed into law, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

In Congress, Republicans are championing bills that would block transgender student athletes from competing in division that align with their gender identity and lift protections on transgender students implemented by the Biden administration.

"A lot of this political rhetoric does have real life effects and consequences on people of multiple marginalized identities," said Peppermint, who placed second in Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

"Each time people who are attacking the queer community come back to the table it's sharper and stronger and more impactful, and it hurts more each time," Peppermint said.

A group of drag performers met with House lawmakers earlier this week to promote the Equality Act, a bill that would make sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes, as well as the Transgender Bill of Rights, which would strengthen civil protections for transgender and nonbinary people.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  Yet another civil lawsuit filed Wednesday against a Missouri Christian boarding school by a former student accuses staffers of forced child labor, physical abuse and tactics aimed at hiding mistreatment from authorities.

The lawsuit, filed in Missouris Western U.S. District Court, alleges fraud and negligence by five former employees of the now-closed Agape Boarding School.

More than a dozen other former students have settled lawsuits alleging they were abused at the southwest Missouri school.

When it shut down in 2023, it was the fourth and last unlicensed Christian boarding school to close in Cedar County since September 2020. The schools former director, Bryan Clemensen, said the school, whose enrollment had tumbled, closed because it did not have the funding to continue.

Several people affiliated with those schools are facing criminal charges.

Advocates for victims of abuse at Missouri boarding schools in May and again on Wednesday urged the states attorney general to launch an investigation, work with local prosecutors and take other steps aimed at stemming the tide of abuse.

An attorney general spokesperson did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Wednesday. But previously, Attorney General Andrew Baileys spokesperson, Madeline Sieren, has said that the attorney generals office does not have jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases, except when appointed as special prosecutor by the governor or a court.

The latest lawsuit claims that Agape ran a school akin to a concentration camp or torture colony cloaked in the guise of religion.

Lawyers for three of the named defendants did not immediately return AP requests for comment. Attorneys were not immediately listed in online court records for the remaining two defendants.

The former student who is suing is now 20 years old and is identified in court filings only as John Doe.

Punishments given by staffers at Agape included forcing children to work out until they vomited and stay still in painful positions for hours at a time, the lawsuit states.

There was a restraint room below the cafeteria. Students were often taken there and restrained; they could be heard screaming, according to the lawsuit. This went on for hours.

Doe claims in his lawsuit that the staffers limited students phone use and their letters to home in an attempt to conceal conditions at the school from their parents and actively concealed from the Childrens Division abuses that were occurring.

Doe, who first went to Agape at age 15, said staff also brainwashed him and others to make it easier to commit abuse.

The lawsuit claimed workers prevented the children from receiving letters or care packages sent to them by their parents causing the children to believe they had been abandoned thereby emotionally coercing them into silence in order to conceal their abuses.

Doe asked the judge for a jury trial and money from the defendants.

Other former Agape students came forward with abuse allegations in 2020. One former student said he was raped at Agape and called seizure boy because of his epilepsy. Others said they suffered permanent injuries from being disciplined or forced to work long hours of manual labor.

In 2021, Agapes longtime doctor, David Smock, was charged with child sex crimes and five employees were charged with low-level abuse counts.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
FILE - Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School, June 9, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas, created to honor the victims killed in the school shooting. The former Uvalde schools police chief and another former officer have been indicted over their role in the slow police response to the 2022 massacre in a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead, according to multiple reports Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  The former Uvalde schools police chief was indicted over his role in the slow police response to the 2022 massacre at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the local sheriff said Thursday.

Pete Arredondo was indicted by a grand jury on 10 counts of felony child endangerment/abandonment and briefly booked into the county jail before he was released on bond, Uvalde Sheriff Ruben Nolasco told The Associated Press in a text message Thursday night.

The Uvalde Leader-News and the San Antonio Express-News reported that former school officer Adrian Gonzales also was indicted on multiple similar charges. The Uvalde Leader-News reported that District Attorney Christina Mitchell confirmed the indictment.

Mitchell did not return phone and email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment. Several family members of victims of the shooting did not respond to phone messages seeking comment.

The indictments make Arredondo, who was the on-site commander during the attack, and Gonzales the first officers to face criminal charges in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. A scathing report by Texas lawmakers that examined the police response described Gonzales as one of the first officers to enter the building after the shooting began.

The indictments were kept under seal until the men were in custody. It was unclear when Arredondos indictment would be publicly released.

Over two years ago, an 18-year-old gunman opened fire in a fourth grade classroom, where he remained for more than 70 minutes before officers confronted and killed him. In total, 376 law enforcement officers massed at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, some waiting in the hallway outside the classroom, even as the gunman could be heard firing an AR-15-style rifle inside.

Today is another day in an impossibly painful journey," state Rep. Joe Moody, who helped the state lawmakers investigation, posted on the social platform X. The hurt for them will never subside. Today, I pray that there is justice and some sense of closure for them in this process rather than prolonged suffering.

The office of a former attorney for Arredondo said they did not know whether the former chief has new representation. The AP could not immediately find a phone number to reach Gonzales.

Arredondo lost his job three months after the shooting. Several officers involved were eventually fired, and separate investigations by the Department of Justice and state lawmakers faulted law enforcement with botching their response to the massacre.

Whether any officers would face criminal charges over their actions in Uvalde has been a question hanging over the city of 15,000 since the Texas Rangers completed their investigation and turned their findings over to prosecutors.

Mitchells office has also come under scrutiny. Uvalde city officials filed a lawsuit in 2022 that accused prosecutors of not being transparent and withholding records related to the shooting. Media outlets, including the AP, also sued Uvalde officials for withholding records requested under public information laws.

But body camera footage, investigations by journalists and damning government reports have laid bare how over the course of over an hour, a mass of officers went in and out of the school with weapons drawn but did not go inside the classroom where the shooting was taking place. The hundreds of officers at the scene included state police, Uvalde police, school officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents.

In their July 2022 report, Texas lawmakers faulted law enforcement at every level with failing to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety. The Justice Department released its own report in January that detailed cascading failures by police in waiting far too long to confront the gunman, acting with no urgency in establishing a command post and communicating inaccurate information to grieving families.

Uvalde remains divided between residents who say they want to move past the tragedy and others who still want answers and accountability. During the first mayoral race since the shooting, locals voted in a man who had served as mayor more than a decade ago over a mother who led calls for tougher gun laws after her daughter was killed in the attack.

Robb Elementary School is now permanently closed. The city broke ground on a new school in October 2023.

___

Read APs full coverage of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
Former Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo and a former officer have been indicted on charges of child endangerment in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune

A Uvalde County grand jury has indicted former school district police Chief Pete Arredondo and another former district officer on charges of child endangerment, the first criminal charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, the San Antonio Express-News first reported.

Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales face felony charges of abandoning or endangering a child, the newspaper reported.

The charges come more than two years after the May 24, 2022 shooting, in which a lone gunman killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers.

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell convened a grand jury in January to investigate law enforcements delayed response and to determine whether to bring criminal charges against any of the nearly 400 federal, state and local officers involved in the response. Law enforcement officers waited 77 minutes to confront the gunman, who was ultimately shot and killed by Border Patrol officers.

The botched law enforcement response has been widely criticized, including in a January U.S. Justice Department report. That report documented failures in leadership, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland noted that lives could have been saved had law enforcement acted sooner.

In the months following the shooting, about a dozen officers were fired, suspended or retired. Arredondo was fired about three months after the shooting. He was listed as incident commander on the school districts active shooter response plan.

On Thursday, the district attorney briefed some families of victims about the indictment, said Jesse Rizo, whose niece Jacklyn Cazares was among the children killed in the shooting. Rizo said he was hopeful that the indicted officers would be prosecuted.

Im really hoping this is just the beginning of indictments that may be coming down, Rizo said. There are a lot of officers that need to be held accountable.

Lalo Castillo, a local activist who said he learned of the indictments about an hour after they occurred, said he had expected state officials to face criminal charges, too.

Especially the state troopers because they were the first ones there, Castillo said, referring to officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety

The DAs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Efforts to reach Arredondo and Gonzales were unsuccessful.

It is not clear whether any other officers will face criminal charges. Grand jury proceedings in Texas are secret, so witness testimony is not open to the public. Twelve grand jurors have been hearing evidence presented by the district attorneys office.

DPS Director Steve McCraw is among those who have testified before the grand jury. McCraw previously blamed local officers for the bungled response. In 2022, he testified before the Texas Senate and said it wasnt feasible for his officers to assume command, even though Arredondo was not acting quickly. In total, 91 of the responding officers were from DPS.

Police officers have legal protections that make it difficult to successfully bring criminal charges against them. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that officers dont have a constitutional duty to protect, even if they are trained to do so. Legal experts have said prosecutors may have a difficult burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that officers were under a legal duty to act and in failing to do so, caused harm.

The grand jury investigation is one of at least six official probes launched after the shooting. Those investigations have largely left family members of the victims frustrated. They, along with community activists, have continued to push for increased transparency and accountability.

Most recently, the city of Uvalde released an independent review that cleared all local officers of wrongdoing, frustrating parents of the children killed in the massacre and at least some local government officials.

Private investigator Jesse Prado, who conducted that review, identified lapses in leadership but also commended some officers and said they acted in good faith. Prado also blamed the district attorney for not cooperating with his investigation. Mitchell is in possession of a state police report but has yet to make that report public.

Days after Prados review became public, Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, who was on vacation when the school shooting occurred, announced his resignation. On the day of the shooting, Rodriguez spoke with acting chief Lt. Mariano Pargas and asked him to set up a command post, according to the city-commissioned review. Pargas did not set up a post. He stepped down from the Uvalde Police Department in November 2022.

Rizo, whose niece died in the shooting, said he is hopeful that Pargas also faces criminal charges.

Hes just as guilty as Arredondo, Rizo said.

In the absence of concrete action by elected officials, some families have filed civil lawsuits. Relatives of 17 of the children killed and two who were injured sued DPS in May, the day before the second anniversary of the shooting. The families also reached a $2 million settlement with the city of Uvalde, and the city committed to providing enhanced training for current and future law enforcement officers.

Relatives also filed a separate lawsuit against Daniel Defense, the company that manufactured the shooters gun, as well as California-based companies Meta and Activision.

Just in: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming; U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 57 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Sen. Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City. (2020 Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)

A few weeks ago, former Virginia Senate GOP leader Tommy Norment contacted a pair of Charles City County election officials with an unusual request.

As an attorney, Norment is representing a Republican member of the Charles City Electoral Board, Maria Anne Kinney, whose feud with other election officials in the county has led to her facing a misdemeanor assault charge. That charge, set to be heard in court next month, arose from an alleged shoving incident at the countys election office on June 11.

With tensions rising just before the June 18 primary, Norment said it might be best for the two election officials, Registrar DeNay Harris and her deputy Lisa Cosby, to steer clear of Kinney on election day in the small county east of Richmond.

Though all three women had jobs to do overseeing primary voting, Norment specifically asked Harris and Cosby not to go to the polling place where Kinney would be.

If you insist on stopping at her precinct in spite of my respectful request, please do NOT approach her or speak to her in any manner whatsoever, Norment wrote in the June 14 email. I have asked Mrs. Kinney to call my cell phone if you do come to her assigned precinct. If need be I will dispatch a sheriffs deputy to the precinct to [ensure] there is not interaction initiated on your behalf. We do not need to escalate this situation.

If Harris and Cosby had any questions or concerns, Norment added, they should contact an attorney of your choosing.

Harris, Charles Citys top election official, didnt take it as a respectful request.

I dont believe you can tell me not to attend the polling place when it is my job, Harris wrote, adding that she felt Norment had no business contacting Cosby at all because Cosby is the alleged victim in the pending assault case.

The sharply worded email exchange between a local election official and an ex-senator whose final term in office expired at the end of 2023 was recently shared with the State Board of Elections. Before the assault accusation emerged, the board was already trying to decide whether Kinneys conduct should lead to her being removed from her role overseeing elections in Charles City.

The emails were included in a trove of material about the conflict in Charles City published as part of the agenda for next Tuesdays state elections board meeting. At that meeting, the board will certify the primary results and potentially make a decision on what to do about Kinney.

The controversy involves a variety of allegations against Kinney, mostly centered on claims shes refused to carry out the duties of an electoral board member and has been unable to act in a nonpartisan manner. Kinney, who joined the board in January, has disputed most of those accusations, saying her attempts to get situated as a new member have been stymied by open hostility from her colleagues.

The state board first heard details of the Charles City matter on May 28, but deferred a decision on whether Kinney should be removed so that it could gather more evidence. The state board cant remove Kinney from the county board on its own, but can initiate legal proceedings to have a judge consider removing her.

Even with Charles City on notice that the state was watching, things didnt cool down in the countys election office.

The assault charge was leveled after a June 11 meeting at the election office focused on pre-processing of absentee ballots. Harris told state officials Kinney arrived with another Republican representative who wanted to observe the process. Amid a dispute over whether the process was or wasnt open to the public, Kinney pushed past Cosby, according to multiple witness accounts sent to state election officials.

Cosby reported the alleged push to law enforcement the next day. An incident report from the county sheriffs office said Cosby related that Kinney pushed into the left side of Cosbys body forcing her way back into the room.

The feud spilling over into the court system appeared to be what got Norment involved and preceded his email to Harris and Cosby.

The records show Norment replied to Harris less than 10 minutes after she fired back at him. He said he respected her position and was merely trying to avoid any further interactions that might exacerbate the situation.

I will not contact you again as I think you have overreacted, Norment wrote.

Harris didnt let it go.

I appreciate your concern for me, but I am not the one who is overreacting, she wrote. I responded to an email from a very seasoned Attorney who contacted me and the victim, which is very intimidating when we are already scared and have issues with what happened. So I apologize if you believe my response to your demand was what seemed to be overreacting

Norment then said he didnt mean to irritate Harris, offered an apology if he offended her and predicted the primary would go smoothly if everyone is civil and just does their job.

In her final response, Harris said Norment had bullied her and Cosby and said she agreed no communication is best at this point. Norment said he had no intention of bullying, adding if you felt that way, I apologize.

Harris declined to comment further. Norment didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

Though personal beefs arent all that unusual in local government, the situation in Charles City has raised a novel problem: What happens if two people in charge of carrying out critical election business cant coexist in the same room?

In a subsequent email, Norment informed Harris that Kinney wouldnt be attending the countys post-primary canvass on June 20 because a judge had approved a preliminary protective order instructing Kinney to have no contact with Cosby. Norment said that meant the two parties cant be within 100 feet of each other.

I do not even want the opportunity for a technical violation, he wrote.

The post Former Va. Senate GOP leader clashes with election official over assault case appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
A fossil of the inner ear of a six-year-old Neanderthal child that showed signs of Down syndrome seems to indicate that the ancient, now-extinct species were compassionate caregivers, according to a new study in the publication Science Advances.

Archeologists in eastern Spain unearthed the fossil in 1989, which showed the complete inner ear anatomy of the Neanderthal child who scientists nick-named Tina. The abnormalities in Tina's ear are known only in people with Down syndrome, making the fossil the earliest-known evidence of the genetic condition.

Scientists say that, to survive for six years, Tina would have required care from the community around her.

"The pathology which this individual suffered resulted in highly disabling symptoms, including, at the very least, complete deafness, severe vertigo attacks and an inability to maintain balance," paleoanthropologist Mercedes Conde-Valverde, who was the lead author of the study, told the Reuters news agency. "Given these symptoms, it is highly unlikely that the mother alone could have provided all the necessary care while also attending to her own needs. Therefore, for Tina to have survived for at least six years, the group must have continuously assisted the mother, either by relieving her in the care of the child, helping with her daily tasks, or both."

Neanderthals, or homo neanderthalensis, were a more robustly built species than homo sapiens, our human ancestors, and had a very pronounced brow. Research has shown that they were intelligent, hunting in groups and creating art, and they may have had language skills.

They lived between 430,000 and 40,000 years ago, and went extinct soon after homo sapiens spread into their territory.

The precise age of the fossil of Tina's ear has not been determined.

Scientists still debate what the reasons were for Neanderthals to apparently have cared for sick members of their group like Tina.

"There are authors who believe that caregiving took place in a context of reciprocal selfishness between individuals able to reciprocate the favor, while other authors argue that assistance to sick or injured individuals among Neanderthals went beyond reciprocal selfishness and was produced by a genuine feeling of compassion," the study said.

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Allison Adams, right, will succeed Ben Chandler as CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. (Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky)

After nearly a decade at the helm of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Ben Chandler is set to retire at the end of 2024.

The foundation announced his plan Thursday and said its current chief operating officer, Allison Adams, will take his place. She will serve as president and CEO starting Jan. 1.

Chandler became CEO of the foundation in 2016 after serving as state attorney general and representing Kentuckys 6th U.S. Congressional District from 2004 to 2013.

As attorney general from 1995 to 2003, he won a $45 million settlement to compensate the public for charitable assets that were lost in the Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield merger. The money from the settlement was used to start the foundation.

Chandler is from Versailles, in Woodford County, where his family publishes The Woodford Sun.

It has been an incredible experience to lead the Foundation that I helped make possible during my time as an elected official, Chandler said in a statement. We have achieved things that many deemed impossible. While I am so proud of what we have accomplished these last eight years, I know there is still much to be done. I have the utmost confidence and trust in the organizations future with Allison at helm.

Reducing tobacco use has been a priority for Chandler. He and the foundation advocated for increasing the state tax on cigarettes, which the legislature did in 2018, and for a tobacco-free school campus bill in 2019 that resulted in more school districts adopting tobacco-free campus policies.

Chandler led the foundations response to the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting vaccine confidence through statewide campaigns, event, and research, according to a release from the foundation.

Marianne Smith Edge, chair of the board of directors, said, The board is grateful to Ben and all that he has done for the foundation over the last eight years. His vision to lead the organization into policy advocacy has resulted in many wins for the health of Kentuckians.

The new CEO

Adams joined the foundation in September 2020 and served as its vice president for public policy before being named COO in January 2023, according to the foundation.

Before her time at the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Adams, who is from Maysville, directed the Buffalo Trace District Health Department. Shes also worked as a registered nurse and for the Kentucky Health Department Association.

I am so honored and thrilled to have been chosen to take the reins of such a dedicated and respected organization, Adams said in a statement. It has been a privilege to work with Ben these past four years to address the unmet health needs of Kentuckians. Our state still faces many health challenges, and I will not waiver in my commitment to creating a Commonwealth where every single person has what they need to live a healthy life.

The post Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky announces leadership succession appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Four people injured and house destroyed in Russian attack on Kharkiv

Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, has said that four people were injured in a Russian attack on 27 June.

Source: Syniehubov on Telegram

Quote: "The number of casualties has increased to four. Two more people suffered acute stress reactions."

Details: Earlier, Syniehubov reported that two people were injured  a man received an explosive injury with damage to his lower limbs, and a woman had an acute stress reaction.

Background:

On the afternoon of 27 June, Russian forces carried out an attack on the city of Kharkiv, hitting houses and damaging student dorms of a local higher education institution. The blast wave also damaged the windows in two of the higher education institutions academic buildings.

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This Fourth of July expected to be the busiest ever with nearly 71M travelers

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4)  Nearly 71 million people are expected to travel over the Fourth of July holiday, potentially setting an all-time record in the United States. Here in Utah, the Salt Lake City area is already seeing a boost in car rentals.

AAA is projecting that 70.9 million people will travel between June 29 and July 7, a nine-day period that covers the next two weekends. Typically, Fourth of July travel only covers one weekend.

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With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day, said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel, in a news release.

We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019, she added.

More than 60 million travelers are expected to take to the roads, driving at least 50 miles to their holiday destination. This would break the record set in 2019, when 55.3 million traveled by car for their Independence Day festivities.

Salt Lake City is displaying some of the highest car rental demand ahead of the holiday, according to the rental company Hertz. Other metros seeing high rental demand include Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Fueling the bump in road travel is low gas prices. According to the website GasBuddy, the average price of gas in Salt Lake City is around $3.49 a gallon, down roughly 50 cents from last summer. Similar trends are being seen across the country.

According to transportation data provider INRIX, the busiest travel times for drivers will likely be on Wednesday, July 3, and Sunday, July 7. On the Fourth of July itself, the busiest hours are expected to be between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal, said Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX, in a statement. Travelers should monitor 511 services, local news stations, and traffic apps for up-to-the-minute road conditions.

A record number of travelers are also expected to fly over the holiday. AAA estimates that 5.7 million people will take to the skies, an increase of 12% over 2019. Travelers should expect airports to be packed and arrive early to catch their flights, AAA advises.



However, the Salt Lake City International Airport is not expecting record travel over the Fourth of July holiday, airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer told ABC4.com. She noted that this time of year is not typically one of our busier travel periods.



Outside of driving and flying, 4.6 million people are also anticipated to travel by other means across the country, such as by train, bus, or cruise. AAA noted that cruising, which is popular in Alaska this time of year, has rebounded remarkably since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Azerbaijan and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have a broad agenda for discussions, covering topics from reducing methane emissions to developing agro-photovoltaic systems and transitioning to low-waste and zero-waste electric transport in Azerbaijan, said Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Inger Andersen, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy.

She made the statement during a meeting with Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov in Baku.

Notwithstanding its oil and gas industry, the UNEP representative praised Azerbaijan for its proactive participation in green energy projects. With its involvement in the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) and its hosting of COP29 in November, Azerbaijan is clearly important to the fight against climate change.

At the meeting held at the Ministry of Energy, the main topic of discussion revolved around projects that aim to facilitate Azerbaijan's shift towards renewable energy sources. These projects involve supporting the development of green energy corridors and interconnectors that connect renewable energy producers and consumers in various regions, contributing to the global energy transition.

Additionally, plans were discussed for organizing World Environment Day in Baku in 2026.

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France is set for its most consequential election in decades. Heres what you need to know

Frances snap parliamentary election is one of the most momentous in decades, for both the country and the rest of Europe. Within two weeks, France could have a hard-left or hard-right government  or descend into political deadlock if no bloc wins a majority, leaving Paris hamstrung as problems mount at home and abroad.

The election will take place over two rounds on June 30 and July 7. How will it work, who are the key players and what is at stake?

How did we get here?

Minutes after it was announced that his Renaissance party had been trounced in the European Parliament elections, President Emmanuel Macron called a snap national election  becoming the first president to do so since 1997. Renaissance had come a distant second, with less than half the votes won by the far-right National Rally (RN), the party of Marine Le Pen  and only marginally ahead of the left-wing coalition in third.

Macron is not afraid of bold decisions. The first time he ran for elected office, under a party he had created only the year before, he became president. But even by his standards, this is a huge risk.

If his bet pays off, hell go down as a brilliant strategist, Kevin Arceneaux, a political scientist at Sciences Po university in Paris, told CNN. If not, I think he will go down in history as somebody who essentially exploded the traditional party system in France, and took a grenade to the institutions of the Fifth Republic.

Why did Macron call an election?

Macrons decision took even his closest allies by surprise. Frances next elections were not scheduled until 2027. Politicians rarely call an election when their party trails in the polls and there is no need to do so.

Analysts have parsed his potential motives. Although Macron was elected to a second presidential term in 2022, his party failed to win an outright parliamentary majority. To pass controversial bills like his pension reform, Macron has increasingly had to bypass parliament and resort to presidential decree, to the outrage of opposition parties and much of the public.

One theory about why Macron called an election now is that France might soon have been forced to the polls anyway. Every time Macron passes a law by presidential decree, under Article 49.3 of the French constitution, the parliament can hold a vote of confidence in his government. With more spending bills slated for later this year, Macrons government may not have survived another of these. Perhaps he judged it is better to jump than be pushed.

Another theory is that Macron is gambling that he can defeat extremist parties by exposing them to government. With Le Pen seeming increasingly likely to succeed him as president in 2027  when Macron will be unable to stand for a third term  this election may force her party to take up responsibility beforehand. Out of office, both the hard left and hard right have been able to rail against his policies and make outlandish promises of their own. Once in office, they will run into constraints and may find themselves unable to deliver on their promises  or simply risk being proved incompetent. Relinquishing some power now may give Macrons platform a better chance of retaining it in 2027.

Macron and other leaders watch as a parachutist lands at the G7 summit in Italy, June 13, 2024. - Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

How does the election work?

Frances National Assembly has 577 seats, one for each of its electoral districts. For an absolute majority a party needs 289. In the outgoing government, Macrons alliance had only 250 seats, and so needed support from other parties to pass laws.

If a candidate wins a majority of votes in the first ballot on a 25% turnout, they win the seat. But most elections go to a second round the following Sunday. Only those who won more than 12.5% of the votes of registered voters are allowed to stand in the second round, meaning it is often fought between two candidates, but sometimes three or four. At this stage, some candidates may drop out to give allies a better chance of victory.

What are the roles of the parliament and president?

The National Assembly is responsible for passing domestic laws  from pensions and taxation to immigration and education  while the president determines the countrys foreign, Europe and defense policy.

When the president and majority in parliament belong to the same party, things run well. When they dont, the government can grind to a halt. With Macrons party trailing in the polls and three years left on his presidential term, he may have to appoint a prime minister from an opposition party  in an arrangement known as cohabitation. Nonetheless, Macron has pledged to see out the remainder of his presidential term.

Other government ministers are appointed by the president on the prime ministers advice. While Macron would in theory be free to nominate whomever he pleases, in practice he would be compelled to nominate ministers that reflect the will of the majority of the National Assembly.

France's National Assembly sits in the Palais Bourbon in Paris. - Laure Boyer/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Who are the key players?

In January, Gabriel Attal  Macrons protege  became the youngest prime minister in French history, at the age of 34. Just seven months later, his record could be broken by Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old leader of the RN.

Bardella was handpicked by Le Pen to head the party in 2022, ending a 50-year-rule by the Le Pen family and continuing to detoxify the party from its antisemitic and jackbooted past. Bardella grew up as an only child in social housing in Seine-Saint-Denis, a working-class suburb in Paris. He joined the RN when he was 16 and briefly attended the prestigious Sorbonne university, before dropping out to climb the party ranks. If appointed, he will become Europes youngest prime minister in more than two centuries.

Bardellas campaign was bolstered after Eric Ciotti, leader of the mainstream conservative party, the Republicans, said they would enter coalition with the RN. His announcement drew fury from his blindsided party, which has attempted to oust him  so far unsuccessfully. Ciottis endorsement may represent the death knell of Frances cordon sanitaire  the principle by which mainstream parties refuse to cooperate with the radical extremes.

Eric Ciotti, left, shocked his party by announcing an alliance with Jordan Bardella's RN, June 20, 2024. - Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

On the left, four days after Macron called the election, a cluster of parties banded together to form the New Popular Front  a coalition meant to resurrect the original Popular Front that blocked fascists from gaining power in 1936. The capacious  and potentially fractious  alliance comprises three-time presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party; the Socialists; the Communists; the Ecologists; and Place Publique, headed by the popular member of the European Parliament (MEP) Raphael Glucksmann.

It is not clear who the bloc would nominate as prime minister, nor how lasting the coalition might prove to be. But it could deliver a blow to Macrons Renaissance. Rather than several left-wing candidates appearing on the ballot, fragmenting the left-wing vote, there will now only be one in most constituencies, making it easier for the candidate to progress to the second round.

France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon speaks to a rally in Montpellier, June 23, 2024. - Sylvain Thomas/AFP/Getty Images

What problems might an incoming government face?

Since Macron called the election, the financial markets have taken fright  first at the prospect of an extremist government, then at the economic policies of the left and right. Earlier this month, the risk premium investors demand to hold French government debt reached its highest since 2022.

France is running one of the highest deficits in the Eurozone and now risks falling foul of the European Commissions new fiscal rules, which had been suspended to help countries recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and energy crisis. French government spending could soon be brutally constrained by Brussels, despite the lavish promises of the RN and New Popular Front.

The debate on the left and the right is not about fiscal consolidation, its about the degree of fiscal expansion they want to implement, Mujtaba Rahman, the managing director for Europe at political risk consultancy the Eurasia Group, told CNN. No one is talking about austerity.

Although Bardella has recently tempered some of the RNs spending plans, Rahman warned there could be a major confrontation between Brussels and an incoming French government.

While these spending constraints might prevent an incoming far-right government from making good on its electoral promises, this may harm rather than help Macron.

Its not clear that if theres chaos, it necessarily arrests the momentum of the far right. It may also hurt Macron. The electorate may conclude that ultimately the far right wasnt able to implement their program because Macron was a constraint  and that the way to get over the chaos is to ultimately give the far right a majority in 2027, said Rahman.

I think everyones going to end up with blood on their hands  not just the far right, but probably Macron as well.

Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella address a crowd of RN supporters in Paris, June 9, 2024. - Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

What might the outcome be?

The two-round voting system makes predictions difficult. If the RN reaches the second round in lots of constituencies, people may vote tactically to keep the party out. But their lead in the polls suggests they are on track to improve significantly on the 88 seats they had in the outgoing parliament  even if they fall short of an absolute majority.

The most likely scenario is a hung parliament, with a relative majority for the RN. But Bardella has said his party will only form a government if it wins an absolute majority. Macron might then have to search for a prime minister on the hard left, or somewhere else entirely. France might have to opt for a technocratic government  but these tend to fan the flames of populism rather than extinguish them.

Whatever the composition of the next Assembly, Frances next three years are likely to be marked by instability, as parties try to keep their hands clean ahead of the key presidential - and potentially parliamentary - elections in 2027.

One possibility is that in anticipation of those elections, all the parties in the parliament will see reasons to block each other, said Arceneaux. If we arrive in that situation, were just going to have a paralyzed government thats unable to do anything.

This will likely raise constitutional questions, as domestic and foreign policy questions clash. Bardella has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine  an idea floated by Macron  and said he would not allow Kyiv to use French military equipment to strike targets inside Russia. In that situation, whose will would prevail  Bardellas or Macrons?

This is a perfect example of what we dont know, said Arceneaux. Macron could say, As President of France, foreign affairs are my responsibility so Im not going to enforce that. But then you have a problem, right? You have a constitutional crisis.

CNNs Saskya Vandoorne, Joseph Ataman, Xiaofei Xu and Pierre Bairin contributed reporting.

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Bardella speaks after the polls closed during the European Parliament elections, in Paris

By Dominique Vidalon and Bertrand Boucey

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is confident her party will win an absolute majority in parliament, form a government and impose limits on what President Emmanuel Macron can do to support Ukraine, she said days before voting starts.

Macron will remain president after a snap legislative election on June 30 and July 7, which he called after Le Pen's National Rally (RN) trounced his centrist Together alliance in European elections, but may have to share power with his foes.

"On the choice of prime minister, the president has understood he doesn't have much of a choice, as Jordan Bardella will have a mandate from the French people," Le Pen told regional newspaper Le Telegramme de Brest, referring to her party's pick for the job of head of government.

Opinion polls consistently suggest the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN has a comfortable lead in terms of share of the popular vote, with a left-wing coalition in second place and Macron's centrists in third.

However, the big unknown is whether the RN can win an absolute majority of 289 seats or more in the National Assembly. The latest poll, published on Wednesday by Ifop, projected it and its allies would get 220 to 260 seats.

"How arrogant of Marine Le Pen to consider that the RN has already won the election," Deputy Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the TV channel TF1 on Thursday.

Macron's term runs until 2027 and he cannot be forced out. France has had three periods of "cohabitation", when the president and government were from opposite political camps, in its post-war history.

Le Pen predicted Macron would find this uncomfortable, even hinting that she thought he may throw in the towel early.

"I don't know what his reaction will be. Given his arrogance, will he put up with it for long?" she said in the interview published on Le Telegramme's website late on Wednesday.

Macron has repeatedly said he would remain president until 2027, whatever the outcome of the election.

'WE'RE REASONABLE PEOPLE'

In broad terms, the French constitution gives the president wide latitude on foreign policy and defence when there is cohabitation, while the prime minister and government take the lead on domestic affairs including economic policy.

But Le Pen appeared to suggest Bardella, as prime minister, would be able to restrict Macron's margin for manoeuvre.

"For the president, being head of the military is an honorific title as it's the prime minister who holds the purse strings," she said.

"Jordan doesn't intend to pick a fight with him (Macron), but he's made the red lines clear. On Ukraine, the president will not be able to send troops."

Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who has accused the RN of repeatedly changing its stance on Ukraine to the point of contradicting itself, hit back.

"The constitution is not honorific," he said in a post on X, going on to quote a 1962 address by then president Charles de Gaulle on the head of state's extensive powers.

Macron caused a diplomatic uproar in February when he said Western nations should not rule out sending troops to Ukraine to help it in its war against Russian invaders. The United States and key European allies subsequently said they had no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine.

Once considered too toxic to gain power due to its virulent anti-immigrant stance that critics say stokes racism, as well as a past history of antisemitic comments, the RN has been thoroughly rebranded by Le Pen and Bardella in recent years.

The duo have repositioned it as a champion of the working class and promote policies such as reducing the retirement age, although they have been rowing back some of their costlier proposals to allay concerns about their economic competence.

"People should stop thinking the world is going to come to an end (if we win power). We're reasonable people," said Le Pen.

The party remains strongly anti-immigrant. Its policies include reducing or cancelling welfare and healthcare access for immigrants and taking away the automatic right of children born in France to foreign-born parents to be French citizens.

Le Pen has increasingly presented immigration not just as a cultural threat to what she considers authentic French values but also as an economic burden the nation cannot afford.

"Immigration is the elephant in the room. We don't know how much it costs," she told Le Telegramme as part of remarks on how a RN government would handle France's strained public finances.

(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will be offering free dental care at its annual back-to-school event in Las Vegas this July.

The 10th annual Smarts & Smiles Back to School Dental Care Fair, hosted by the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House in collaboration with Nevada Health Centers and Speedway Childrens Charities, is set to take place from July 8 to 12.

The event offers essential services including dental care, school supplies, and clothing to students. Operating hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day at the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House, located at 2323 Potosi St. near Sahara Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.

Dental services will be available for individuals aged 21 and under at no cost, regardless of insurance status. Each child receiving dental treatment will also receive a backpack filled with school supplies for the upcoming semester.

Vision screenings will also be offered on specific days and times for both children and adults.

To participate, appointments are necessary and can be scheduled by calling (800) 787-2568.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The French-American Foundation has named its annual Young Leaders list, recognizing more than 40 young American and French professionals for their demonstrated leadership and their passion for forging bonds in a globalized world.

The 2024 cohorts join a network that boasts nearly 600 alumni, including former President Clinton, former and current secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson.

First started in 1981, the Young Leaders program brings together French and American professionals to discuss issues of common concern and develop a corps of citizen diplomats who cut through official channels to exchange ideas and create lasting, global ties, according to Caroline Naralasetty, president of the foundation.

A U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, James G. Lowenstein co-founded The French-American Foundation in 1976 in an attempt to repair what he perceived as antagonistic relations between the United States and France.

While relations between the two countries are strong today, Naralasetty said in a written statement that the connection still serves an essential diplomatic purpose.

We develop a corps of citizen diplomats who cut through official channels to exchange ideas and create lasting, global ties, she wrote.

I doubt if I could fully explain how useful and stimulating I found the discussions and informal conversation, Hilary Clinton said of the program. The specific topics were timely, but, even more important to me, were the various perspectives the participants brought to them.

During last years program, fellows visited Strasbourg, France, and participated in conversations about populism and antidemocratic movements, conflict in the Middle East, terrorism threats in Europe, and the European Parliament.

This years list features professionals from numerous backgrounds in the media, military, medicine, and more, including the CEO of National Public Radio and a global head of Amazon Web Services.

Our Young Leaders tell us time and again that what they value most about the program is the opportunity to engage with peers outside of their immediate professional field, Naralasetty said.

The program provides a forum for participants from a wide range of backgrounds to discuss issues of common concern, reflect on questions of leadership, and forge relationships, all in the name of fostering global understanding.

This year, the 2023 and 2024 fellows will travel to Miami in October and to France later in the program.

It is this idea of the power of personal relationships to effect change over time that distinguishes the program, Naralasetty wrote. After their two years in the program, Young Leaders become part of an active, global community of alumni who leverage the network to develop professionally and maintain ties across the Atlantic.

The 2024 U.S. Young Leaders are:

Alexandre Chenesseau, managing director, CMD Global Partners LLC

Vivek Chilukuri, senior fellow and director, Technology and National Security Program, Center for a New American Security

Michael Greenwald, global head, financial innovation and executive relations, Amazon Web Services

Lindsey Laveaux, senior trial attorney, New York County defender services

Katherine Maher, president and CEO of National Public Radio

Christian Osmena, vice president, enterprise planning, Arizona State University

Stephanie Oueda-Cruz, global vice president, diversity, equity and inclusion, Tiffany & Co.

Mallery-Jade Jadzia Pierce, European data protection officer, Microsoft

Vincent Pons, professor, Harvard Business School

Joseph Romeo, partner  private equity, Apollo Global Management

Anshuman Sahoo, vice president, head of climate strategy, Capital One

Anne Vigier, director, global product activation, emerging experiences & community, YouTube

The 2024 French Young Leaders are:

Johanna Brousse, deputy prosecutor, head of cybercrime unit, Paris prosecutors office

Marguerite Cazeneuve, deputy director, the French Public Health Insurance

Pierre-Olivier Chotard, general secretary of the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring, deputy assistant director in charge of corporate financing, Treasury Department  Ministry of Finance

Isis Jaraud-Darnault, diplomat, political coordinator  Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations

Jamil Jiva, managing director, Linedata Asset Management

Francois Miguet, senior reporter, Le Point

Yoann Mulot, lieutenant-colonel, French army

Arielle Schwab, deputy managing director, Havas Paris and cross-cultural activist

Franck Verdonk, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in medicine (Sorbonne Universite), specialized in anesthesiology and intensive care (assistance publique  Hopitaux de Paris) and co-founder (SurgeCare)

Cyrielle Villepelet, managing director, Tethys Invest

Ariane Komorn, co-founder and CEO, La Solive

Thomas Moatti, director, Lazard Freres, Sovereign Advisory Group

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
What do French nationals living in Italy think about their home country's politics?

What do French nationals living in Italy think about their home country's politics?

Italians believe French President Emmanuel Macron did the right thing in calling for snap elections as a result of the EU vote, a poll in Italy has found.

Only a relatively small minority  some 20%  said they were concerned by the rise of Frances extreme right to some form of power, according to a poll carried out by SWG and published by Italian news channel TG La7.

However, when Euronews spoke to a selection of Italians on the streets of Rome, a slightly different picture emerged.

Some people expressed their concerns about Europes shift to the right, citing France as a specific example.

Among all the different takes on the issue, there was one common theme  namely, what is seen as the inextricable link between what has happened in France and the success of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

When we asked an expert about the impact of the Meloni effect or, as they call it here, the Melonizzazione on French politics, the answer was clear.

Right-wing parties could follow Melonis example. Antonio Villafranca, Vice President for Research at the ISPI Institute, told Euronews, Despite remaining a right-wing party, her party is not Eurosceptical.

But can Meloni set an example for other right-wing political forces wanting to become more moderate, including Marine Le Pens National Rally (RN) party?

Meloni and Le Pen have previously disagreed on several issues, with Meloni proclaiming herself pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO".

In theory, this would make it difficult to find common ground with members of the wider ID political group Le Pens RN belongs to.

When it comes to Macron, though, I think its clear that the French presidents weakening is seen positively by the Italian government, Villafranca explained.

Tensions between Macron and Meloni were clear at the G7 summit that took place in Puglia earlier in June, clashing particularly over abortion rights in the bloc.

What do French nationals in Italy make of it?

French nationals living in Italy have seen their country change from abroad - but Meloni's influence on Italy appears to have had an increasingly positive impact on the outlook of their home country.

Julien, who has been living in Rome for eight years, is concerned about what could happen in France, but he is reassured by the fact that some of Melonis initial, somewhat controversial, promises have simply never been fulfilled.

She has continued to work well with European institutions, he told Euronews, so even if National Rally rises to power in France, I hope it will be balanced when dealing with some of its most extreme proposals.

Younger generations living abroad sometimes say they feel more impacted.

Macrons decision to call for snap elections has made some consider returning to France and engaging in politics more than ever before.

Sarah Hannah, who works at the French Cultural Institute in Rome, told us she is impressed by how closely Italy is following the elections.

I was so surprised because I think in France we talk less about Italian politics compared to how much people here talk about French politics, she explained.

Above all, we found that many people feel that political stability is a relatively new phenomenon in Italy.

For once, Italians are not the ones who have to worry about snap elections.

Thats perhaps why many eyes here are set firmly on France, keen to find out whats going to happen after the upcoming elections  both in the country and wider Europe.
PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Thursday accused his main challenger for the top job, Jordan Bardella, of tolerating racist speech in the ranks of his far-right camp amid a heated last television debate before the start of parliamentary elections.

The debate between Attal, National Rally (RN) party chief Bardella and socialist leader Olivier Faure was the last direct confrontation of three radically opposed views on France's future before ballots open for the first voting round on Sunday.

"You can't build peace and unity when you present ... more than a hundred candidates who have been accused of making racist remarks", Attal told Bardella, reading out press reports of the politicians using racial slurs.

"Each and every one of us must always be uncompromising with hate speech, because if we are not uncompromising, we end up legitimising it," he said.

Bardella, whose party is leading in opinion polls and could emerge the dominant political power in the country for the first time, rebuffed the accusations, shouting "This is false!" at his adversary.

"I don't like this way of associating a pseudo-climate of hatred with the National Rally electorate", Bardella said later in the debate.

Reports of assaults motivated by race, homophobia and political allegiance in the run-up to the election has added to France's already tense social climate less then a month before Paris hosts the world for the Olympics.

In an unexpected move earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament and called the election after his centrist alliance was crushed in European elections. The outcome will be known after a second round of voting on July 7.

Seeking to present his leftwing alliance, the New Popular Front, as an alternative to those opposing Macron's pro-business agenda without shifting to the right, Faure called for a change of wealth distribution.

Citing recent protest movements over cost-of-living issues like the "yellow vests" and farmers, as well as anger over a recent raise of the retirement age, Faure said:

"It is possible to reject the idea that there are people who through all the crises manage to get richer and richer, while others ... struggle to make ends meet."

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
After Fresno police chiefs resignation, some Latinos say he deserves a second chance

In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

News of an investigation into an inappropriate relationship by Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama with a non-city employee, followed by the chiefs resignation on Tuesday has left Latino leaders wondering if the citys first Latino police chief was treated fairly.

Although not condoning what turned out to be a two-year affair with the wife of a police officer under his leadership, people who spoke to Vida en el Valle had a range of opinions and feelings:

 Support for the police chief despite the allegations, citing his positive impact on the community.

 Concern about double standards when it comes to city leaders.

 Concern that Latino leaders face added scrutiny when making mistakes.

 Balderrama deserves a second chance.

Balderrama, 47, resigned Tuesday morning, the same day a five-month investigation was completed. City Manager Georgeanne White said the investigation did not find that Balderrama broke any rules. But she and Mayor Jerry Dyer said Balderrama made a poor decision to get involved with the wife of one of his police officers.

Double standards?

Juan Arambula, who served three terms in the state Assembly, said he doesnt know the facts regarding the allegations. He pointed out there have been incidents in the past where Fresno police officers have engaged in different activities that resulted in investigations.

Arambula said Balderrama has done a good job during his tenure.

I would be sad if he were not here, because I think he is making us safer. Hes making us a better community, said Arambula, who spoke prior to Balderramas resignation. I hope that he stays. I think he deserves a second chance.

Venancio Gaona, a longtime community advocate, said the police chiefs indiscretions were disappointing to some people. He said that in the past, other city leaders, including the current mayor, have been embroiled in controversy over the years with no consequences.

And I think that, depending on who you are, sometimes ethnically, they seem to be more attentive to details than with other people, said Gaona.

Like Gaona, Gloria Hernandez wants to see the results of the investigation before jumping to conclusions.

I dont like to judge people, said Hernandez, a longtime critic of Fresno police. We need to listen to what the city or whoever is going to report on it. You want to wait and find out what the outcome is.

Disappointment among Latinos

Armando Valdez, the director of the Community Center for the Arts and Technology, said the situation with Balderrama is very disappointing.

We never had too many Latinos in high positions. And unfortunately, those that have reached the top have somehow fallen down, he said.

As a person who encourages young people to become something special in their lives, Valdez said he always uses leaders like Balderrama as role models for youth to continue looking as high as they can go.

And when we see situations like the chief of police, doing that type of thing, other folks in other high positions, falling down like that, its very disappointing, Valdez said. You know, and it kind of hurts.

Valdez said he was very proud to see Balderrama as a leader, especially because hes a Latino with roots from the same Mexican state as Valdez parents.

Its kind of heartbreaking, said Valdez.

Radio Bilingue founder/executive director Hugo Morales said the allegation about Balderrama is very unfortunate.

I feel sad for everybody concerned. I dont know the particulars, but its really sad, Morales said. As a Latino, I feel that we Latinos who are in a position of influence are under a microscope.

When an incident like this, which does merit attention, involves a Latino you know, its just very difficult, Morales said. Its sad to see that for everybody involved, everybody impacted. Its sad.
When he stepped in front of Fresno City Hall on a crisp January morning in 2021 to take over as Fresnos first police chief of Latino ethnicity, Paco Balderrama appeared to come straight out of a Hollywood casting call.

Engaging. Check!

Fluent in English and Spanish. Check!

Glowing recommendations. Check! (After all, he was called a rock star in the Latino community of Oklahoma City where he served as deputy police chief, and was the police spokesperson).

Opinion

Until his appointment to lead Fresnos police force, Fresno had remained the only city among Californias five largest that had not had a Latino in that capacity.

Balderrama, the 23rd police chief in Fresno history, was embraced by the entire community, especially a Latino community that has felt marginalized.

All of a sudden, Balderrama diversified the police force, saw crime rates drop under his watch, and beefed up staffing by about 300 sworn officers.

At an April 2023 reception honoring him and hosted by Fresno City Councilmembers Annalisa Perea and Tyler Maxwell, Balderrama credited the drop in crime to smart policing and a council willing to make sure cops had the needed resources.

Everything takes money, to put a helicopter in the air, to put police officers on the streets, to work the overtime, said Balderrama at the reception.

Maxwell praised the police chief, saying Balderrama was the kind of police chief that any big city would be proud to call their chief.

The difference is we have him and they dont, said Maxwell.

Now, no city has Balderrama.

What went wrong?

The background of Juan Francisco Paco Balderrama mirrors that of many Fresno residents of Mexican descent.

Balderrama  whose twin brother works in the Oklahoma City Police Department  was born in El Paso, Texas to a single mother, Vivi, who worked as a housekeeper. Paco was 16 when the family moved to Oklahoma City.

Balderrama, who is married with three children, notified Mayor Jerry Dyer in February that he had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a woman who did not work with the city. That woman turned out to be the wife of Fresno officer Jordan Wamhoff, who is also a Madera County supervisor.

The results of an investigation found that Balderrama did not abuse his power to stop the promotion of Wamhoff so that he could continue a two-year affair with the officers wife. However, City Manager Georgeanne White, in a press conference, said Balderramas actions cannot be justified or defended.

Balderrama turned in his resignation, effective July 25, on Tuesday morning, and in effect ended his 3 year tenure in Fresno.

He could have continued to build a solid reputation as an effective crimefighter and as a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

With such a base, Balderrama could have become a solid contender for police chiefs of much larger cities. (Arturo Venegas Jr. was a Fresno deputy chief when he was passed over for chief in the early 1990s, then went on to a stellar career as police chief in Sacramento, and even became a finalist to lead the Los Angeles police force in the late 1990s).

Or, he could have easily transitioned from police chief to viable candidate for political office. Mayor, assemblymember, state senator, you name it. He would have made a formidable candidate.

The self-inflicted wound has quashed such talk.

Instead, Balderrama must now repair the damage he has done to his family name he spoke about when he accepted the Fresno police chief job.

My last name is not my last name, he said in December 2020. Its one that I borrowed from my mom. My job is to keep that name untarnished and give it honor.

Juan Esparza Loera is editor of Vida en el Valle.

The Paco Balderrama scandal needs to end. The Fresno police chief should resign | Opinion
FT: Ukraine, US, Israel in talks to send up to 8 Patriot systems to Kyiv

The U.S., Israel and Ukraine are in negotiations on providing Ukraine with up to eight Patriot air defense systems, the Financial Times (FT) reported on June 27, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the talks.

The outlines of the deal, which is not yet finalized, have been discussed between ministers and senior officials of the three nations, FT's sources said. It may include Patriot systems being sent from Israel to the U.S. and then to Ukraine.

The reports came days after Washington announced it had reprioritized near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries, particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles, to go to Ukraine instead.

Kyiv has been calling on its partners to provide additional air defenses as Russia intensifies its strikes against Ukrainian population centers and infrastructure. Ukraine operates at least three Patriot systems provided by the U.S., the Netherlands, and Germany, with Berlin and Bucharest recently pledging to deliver two more systems.

"Ukraine continues to work with various countries around the world on obtaining additional Patriot systems," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the FT, without confirming the talks.

The transfer of eight other systems could significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities, potentially protecting the country's largest cities while also being used to cover key hotspots on the battlefield.

Israel announced in April that it would start decommissioning eight Patriot batteries that are over 30 years old to replace them with more modern systems. However, the batteries used in the Israel-Hamas war have not yet been deactivated due to fears of escalation, the FT wrote.

Israel has largely avoided taking sides in Russia's war against Ukraine, and has not provided any meaningful military aid to Ukraine. It has a long-standing relationship with Russia, complicated by the significant Russian diaspora in Israel.

Kyiv voiced support for Israel after it came under a deadly attack by the Hamas militant organization in October 2023, while Hamas reportedly used Russia- and Iran-made arms in the war.

Read also: Netherlands to supply Patriot system to Ukraine together with another country

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Just four years after the concept of the Erie County Community College won state approval, the school has grown enrollment, added programs and recently held a graduation for more than 80 students, up from 27 at its first such ceremony.

And as the first community college established in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years, the school also has won some notoriety. Consider that the last two graduation speakers were Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and First Lady Jill Biden.

First Lady Jill Biden hands a graduate a diploma during the Erie County Community College commencement ceremony in Millcreek Township on June 1.

Now, the school has launched the Erie County Community College Foundation, which has a goal of providing financially for the school's future.

The school, which offered free tuition to Erie County residents through the end of the most recent school year, will bring in some new income as it begins collecting tuition, which ranges from $160 per credit for Erie County residents to $490 per credit for non-Pennsylvania residents.

An expanded mission

Establishing a foundation is seen as a way for Erie's community college to expand its mission, said Ron DiNicola, a co-founder of Empower Erie, a nonprofit organization that helped win approval of the community college.

No specific fundraising goal has been announced.

DiNicola, who now serves as chairman of the newly formed foundation, said the hope is that the foundation will be able to provide resources to ensure that students have the support, tools and technology they need.

While the college initially offered free tuition for local students, there will also be a growing need for financial assistance, he added.

A big moment

Getting to this point marks a big moment, said Chris Gray, founding president of the college.

Providing this level of support for our students allows us to live out another piece of our mission," he said in a statement. "This is a wonderful opportunity for those who believe in what we are doing to support us in continuing to make college affordable for students with financial challenges."

DiNicola said he's hopeful that donors will come forward.

More: Erie Insurance pledges $1 million for Erie High. How it will help students

More: Erie County Community College graduates discuss having Jill Biden as commencement speaker

"I am cautiously optimistic," he said. "When we were fighting to (authorize) the college, we had a lot of friends in the community, including industry, come out in support of the college. There will be people who understand that things are going well. Let's give them the help they need to make it stronger."

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Community College forms organization to enhance finances
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. COP29 will bring Azerbaijan to the forefront of the climate agenda and strengthen the country's leading role in addressing pressing global issues related to climate change, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa said at an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Azerbaijan and ADB, Trend reports via the nation's Ministry of Finance.

He commended Azerbaijan's preparations for COP29.

The ADB president also highlighted that the partnership between Azerbaijan and the Bank aims to support an inclusive, green, and prosperous Azerbaijan. He reiterated the bank's commitment to continue collaborating with Azerbaijan towards achieving these objectives.

This November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 7080,000 foreign guests.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP - the Conference of the Parties - is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP started in March 1995 in Germany's Berlin, with its secretariat in Bonn.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Funeral services announced for 9-year-old boy found dead near Lake Sherwood

TOPEKA (KSNT)  Funeral services have been announced for a 9-year-old boy found dead near Lake Sherwood last week.

Zerick Ozunas funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, June 27 at Western Hills Church, located at 29th and Auburn, according to his public obituary. His family is asking for memorial contributions to the Topeka Zoo.

Ozuna was found dead in a home with neck and chest wounds on Thursday, June 20, the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office said. His mother was taken into custody and later died at a Kansas City hospital. She announced one day earlier that she was closing her business.

Police identify central Topeka shooting victim

Ozuna had just finished third grade at Farley Elementary School.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla (WRKG)  The Escambia County Fire Rescue announced on Facebook the schedule for those mourning firefighter James Clay Brown Jr.

The visitation service is set for Thursday, June 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. at True Worship Assembly of God, 13297 SR-87.

The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 28, at the same location.

Burial will follow at Full Gospel Community Church, 9851 Travis Road, Brewton.

Escambia County Fire Rescue member James Clay Brown Jr.

(Photo courtesy of Escambia County Fire Rescue)



Brown died in an off-duty motor vehicle accident on Saturday, June 22. The department announced the passing of one of its members Saturday morning but didnt reveal Browns identity until Wednesday afternoon.

Banner plane in Orange Beach pulls ad for OnlyFans account; mayor and beachgoers furious

He graduated from Jay High School in Pensacola in 2015 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy.

After serving four years in the Navy, he returned to Northwest Florida, where he enrolled in the Fire Academy.

Crewe of Columbus chooses new venue for 2025 Mardi Gras ball

Brown was stationed at the Pace Fire Rescue District, the Holly-Navarre District-Station #41, and finally, the Escambia County Fire Rescue Stations #1 and #7.

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This story is published as part of the series Highly Legal in partnership with The Examination, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates global health threats, and AL.com, PennLive and USA TODAY. Our team is continuing to report on new cannabis products and we want to hear from you. Share your experience or questions with us here.

Lawmakers are scrambling to rein in the sale of delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products that are flooding parts of the United States where traditional marijuana remains illegal.

In May, a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to a draft of a farm bill that would effectively close a loophole that has allowed for the proliferation of hemp products  including many that deliver a powerful high.

But the fate of that legislation is in doubt, and states have been largely left on their own to grapple with an influx of intoxicating vapes, gummies, sodas and other hemp-infused products, even as concerns about quality and overdoses have mounted.

In response, lawmakers in more than two dozen states have considered bills to ban delta-8 or impose age limits and other restrictions. At least six have adopted new laws in 2024 alone. On July 1, Tennessee, which banned delta-8 for those under 21 last year, will require manufacturers and sellers to register for a state license and consent to inspections and Wyoming will ban hemp products with THC or psychoactive substances outright.

The hemp industry has said it supports more regulation, but it is fighting outright bans, which it claims will decimate an industry worth $28 billion, financially cripple hemp farmers and take away products some consumers have come to depend on for pain relief.

Rob Pero of Canndigenous and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association is organizing tribal support for the legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin.

Jonathan Miller of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the proposed amendment is equivalent to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The wave of new products stems from the Agricultural Improvement Act, also known as the farm bill, which legalized hemp, a close cousin of marijuana. The bill imposes strict limits on the amount of THC that plants can contain.

In response, manufacturers found ways to greatly increase the potency of delta-8 and other psychoactive compounds that appear naturally, but in very low levels, and released a blizzard of new products.

This market has been created because manufacturers are arguing that they can manipulate these molecules and then claim its hemp, said Eric Leas, assistant professor of public health at the University of California, San Diego who studies tobacco, cannabis, and psychedelic use.

In April, an investigation by The Examination, AL.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and USA TODAY found that the hemp product industry operates in a regulatory gray zone, with little oversight or quality control, with consumers relying on vague wording on packaging and advice from smoke shop or gas station employees about what products to take, and what dosing is appropriate.

Some of the hemp-derived products for sale at Barge Cannabis in West Bend, Wisconsin

The reporting found a sharp rise in reports to poison control centers involving delta-8 products, in particular. Close to a third involved children under six years old.

Despite uncertainty about how hemp products are regulated, they have become increasingly popular. More than 160 people responded to a call-out from The Examination and publishing partners to share their experience with delta-8 or other hemp products. Some said they used hemp to manage pain, insomnia or arthritis.

I will continue to use the product to help with stress and for a little pleasure, wrote John T. from Four Corners, Colorado. But I will use small amounts... and infrequently.

Lawmakers looking to regulate hemp market at the state level

In April, the FDA told The Examination that its authority to oversee the hemp market is limited, despite repeatedly warning consumers about the dangers of consuming unregulated products. For now, the official regulatory response very much depends on location.

A dozen states have enacted outright bans on the sale of delta-8 and some other hemp products. Seven, including Arizona, have attempted to to regulate delta-8 within their legal marijuana markets. In almost two dozen, there are no clear regulations or bans in place.

In Wisconsin, there isnt even a minimum age for purchases.

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he wants to ban delta-8 and similar products and plans to take up the issue in the next legislative session, early next year.

In Alabama, lawmakers passed a law in 2023 imposing an age limit of 21 to buy delta-8 products. This followed two failed efforts to ban delta-8 and delta-10  yet another hemp-derived intoxicant.

State Senator Arthur Orr wrote a ban into an amendment in 2021, but then all heck broke loose, he said in an interview with AL.com. Convenience store owners, the Alabama Cannabis Industry Association and people who use the products for pain pushed back and defeated the ban, he said.

In April, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked legislators to consider a ban on delta-8 and other intoxicating hemp products. The following month the state senate held a hearing to discuss how best to go about it.

Texas is one of the states where marijuana remains illegal, but sales of delta-8 and other hemp derived products have soared. According to the Texas Tribune, the state is home to more than 7,000 registered consumable hemp retail spots. There wont be any movement, at the earliest, until next years legislative session.

In Florida, a bill to ban the sale of delta-8 and other hemp-derived products was approved by the state senate unanimously. Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed the bill this month. CBS Miami reported that one hemp group spent over $150,000 on legislative lobbying during the first three months of the year, and the governors office was flooded with emails calling for him to veto the bill. In a veto letter, DeSantis called on legislators to reconsider the issue in the next legislative session and focus on quality control, retail sales, labeling, marketing and packaging.

As lawmakers deliberate, hemp manufacturers are producing more, and more powerful, products. They are extracting compounds like HHC, THC-P, and THC-JD that experts say can be found naturally in small quantities or produced synthetically. The FDA has called the newer compounds a big human guinea pig experiment.

THCA products picture inside of Barge Cannabis owned by Darren Brook Thursday, March 28, 2024, in West Bend, Wis. Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Architect of earlier farm bill said she did not predict flood of new products

The authors of the farm bill that led to all the new hemp products say finding creative ways to sell products that get people high was not their intention.

Courtney Moran, an attorney and strategist for two Oregon-based hemp lobbying groups, worked with Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to write the original legislation. In an interview with the Journal Sentinel, Moran said she did not know that hemp-derived intoxicants were scientifically possible. She said she first heard of delta-8 in 2020, two years after the passage of the bill.

Could we have foreseen these intoxicating products? I didnt, she said. I did not know about these other isomers and how they could be manufactured in the lab.

The recent amendment to the farm bill was introduced by Illinois Rep. Mary Miller, a Republican, who said she wanted to close the loophole that has allowed drug-infused THC products like delta-8 to be sold to teenagers in packaging that looks like candy.

The Miller amendment would outlaw the sale of any hemp derived products containing any quantifiable amount of THC. It would also ban cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced, were synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant.

In interviews, business owners in Wisconsin said they support regulation but are opposed to the contested Miller amendment. Rob Pero, owner of Canndigenous, a Wisconsin-based cannabis brand, and founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association has said it would end 90 to 95% of Wisconsins hemp-based industry.

(Regulation) is something weve been asking for, but dont get rid of it, he said.

Salem Kashou, co-owner of Kind Oasis, a CBD and THC shop in Milwaukee, also worries about damage to the industry.

Kind Oasis CBD co-owner Salem Kashou stands before an assortment of Delta-8 products at Kind Oasis CBD on North Farwell Avenue in Milwaukee on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Kind Oasis sells Delta-8 products, a Hemp-derived product that is sold around Wisconsin that produces a similar high that cannabis produces while still being legal.

I think it would destroy the entire industry, take thousands of jobs, and hurt the end users who use these every day, co-owner Salem Kashou said.

Pero, of Canndigenous, said it is time for states to act so that businesses dont go under. He said if there is any silver lining to the amendment, it is that it might finally push state governments to put forward regulations.

Ashley Okwuosa is a reporter at The Examination on the public health beat. She can be reached at ashley@theexamination.org. Jordyn Noennig is a culture and lifestyle reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at jordyn.noennig@jrn.com. Zoe Jaeger is an investigative intern with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at zjaeger@gannett.com. Amy Yurkanin is a senior reporter at Al.com covering health care and womens issues. She can be reached at AYurkanin@al.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hemp industry fights farm bill, state legislation on delta-8
Gabby Petito, 22, was murdered on a cross-country trip with her fiance Brian Laundrie in 2021

Photo by FBI Denver/ZUMA Press Wire Service/Shutterstock Gabby Petito

Gabby Petitos stepfather is working towards bringing domestic violence training programs to firefighters and EMS workers to help those first responders recognize the crime.

Jim Schmidt, 42, a fire and rescue administrator in Hillsborough County, Fla. who focuses on domestic violence awareness training for first responders for the Gabby Petito Foundation, said its overwhelming how many people are affected by the crime.

It really made us come to the realization they need a lot of help out there, and if we can just help one or two along the way, it goes a long way," he told PEOPLE last month. To have someone listen to them and try to help. It really matters a lot. It mattered for us, and we're just driven by what we do so we're not going to stop. We can't get everybody all the time, but we do our best to get the word out there and direct people to services that can really help them.

Jim, along with Gabby's mother Nichole Schmidt and Gabbys father Joe Petito and Joe's wife Tara, created the Gabby Petito Foundation shortly after the death of the 22-year-old budding YouTube blogger, who disappeared on a cross-country journey with her fiance Brian Laundrie in the summer of 2021.

Her body was later discovered near a campground in Wyoming. Laundrie, who died by suicide, was found in a nature preserve near his familys home in North Port, Fla., on Oct. 20, along with a backpack containing what the FBI described as a notebook claiming responsibility for Gabbys strangulation death.

Related: Gabby Petitos Parents Want Teens to Look Out for These Dating Red Flags to Prevent Domestic Violence (Exclusive)

Diana King Nichole and Jim Schmidt, Joseph and Tara Petito

The foundation focuses on raising awareness about domestic violence while also creating tougher laws and policies governing how police respond to reports of intimate partner abuse and missing persons.

Jim, who worked as a firefighter for 25 years in Long Island, says he sees the need for mandated domestic violence training for firefighters and paramedics across the country.

Find Gabby/Facebook Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie

Related: Gabby Petitos Parents Want to Change the Way Domestic Violence Is Treated in the U.S.: 'Laws Are Changing' (Exclusive)

Sometimes you're really busy, and sometimes you get a little callous and jaded sometimes, he says. And you walk into a domestic violence incident. And if that victim at that moment is kind of being difficult or seems to be difficult or not really answering your questions, a lot of times it's easy to get frustrated. But it's important for them to understand why they are like that, why they're afraid to speak out. Maybe they've reached out before and they weren't getting any help, and now here you are walking in, asking questions in what may seem like a judgmental way, they're not going to open up to you. So, recognizing that you kind of have to change and pivot from your normal walking in, and being more trauma-informed and understanding. Giving them training will help them realize, 'This is why they're behaving the way they are. This is how you can connect with them.'"

He adds: "Maybe they'll go, they'll get transported if they need it, maybe they won't, but maybe for the first time, they really feel like somebody's there listening and helping them. And if you know where to send them for help, having them get connected with their local domestic violence organizations, maybe that's the catalyst that it takes for them to start their path to safety.

The Petito & Schmidt Families Gabby Petito

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The foundation has also championed the National Domestic Violence Hotline  to which they donated $100,000 in 2022 to help build the groups capacity.

People are paying more attention to these issues, especially domestic violence, says Nichole, who along with Joe, Jim and Tara spoke on a panel at CrimeCon 2024 Nashville last month. We get emails all the time from people saying, Gabby saved my life. She gave me the power to get out of my abusive relationship. Survivors are coming out and telling their stories. Laws are changing and were going to keep fighting.

We have to prevent this from happening to other people, she says. It keeps us strong. Gabby works through us. We have to move forward and change the world together.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.



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Read the original article on People.
It's going into your gas tank but out of his pocket to help a family in deep distress.

The longtime owner of a gas station in Oakland County is donating 25 cents from every gallon of fuel he sells to the family of the Oakland County deputy killed in the line of duty last weekend.

Eddie Osman, owner of Wixom Marathon for three decades, said: Its the least I can do for this family, for the tremendous sacrifice they made. Osman's fundraiser for gas-station customers began Wednesday and will end at the close of business on Thursday, after which he hopes to have raised $25,000 for the family of the late Deputy Bradley Reckling. Wixom Marathon is at 29330 South Wixom Road, just south of the I-96 freeway.

Eddie Osman

Osman, 52, of Dearborn, said he came to the U.S. in 1989 at age 17 from Lebanon and has two sons, both attending Wayne State University. He said he and his wife shed tears when they heard of Reckling's violent death on Saturday night in Detroit. Reckling died after the youths he was pursuing in a stolen SUV stopped the vehicle on Detroits east side, leaped out and shot him repeatedly at close range -- a killing that Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has called "an ambush."

What we know: Fatal shooting of Oakland County Sheriff Deputy Bradley Reckling

More: $5K reward offered as Detroit police seek tips on fatal shooting of Oakland County deputy

Reckling, a nine-year veteran, was participating with other officers in a lengthy chase that began earlier in the day when a Chevrolet Equinox was stolen at Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights. Two youths were in custody Wednesday and a third was being sought in the incident. The fundraiser at Osman's gas station is being promoted on the Oakland County Sheriff's website and Facebook site, with the words: "Fill Up and Help Out the Reckling Family." It's also being pitched on WYCD "Detroit's Country Radio" (99.5 FM).

Besides wanting to help the family, Osman said he felt a need to show support "to all our men and women in blue right now because all of us, when something's wrong, the first thing we do is call 911. These officers are on a mission to keep law and order, and we need to show we appreciate them."

He said that his donation and others "won't bring this father back, but at least his children should know how much he was respected and appreciated." Others can donate by sending a check to Mission Oakland, 1200 North Telegraph Road, Building 38E, Pontiac, MI 48341, after writing Deputy Reckling on the memo line of the check. (Make checks payable to Mission Oakland, which will send 100% of funds raised to the bereaved family, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has said.)

Visitation for Deputy Reckling's mourners is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday at The Apostolic Church, 3655 North Squirrel Road in Auburn Hills. The funeral begins at 3 p.m.

Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: At Marathon station outside Detroit, patrons helping officer's family
Ranting comedian Alex Pearlman; A.B. Burns-Tucker, an influencer who talks politics in African-American Vernacular English; Harry Sisson, a 21-year-old Biden stan.

These are some of the online names one leading digital journalist predicted Gen Z Americans will listen to about the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, in Georgia Thursday night.

V Spehar, a digital journalist who created for Under The Desk News, which has garnered more than 3 million followers on TikTok with short-form recaps, said creators like Pearlman, Burns-Tucker, Sisson and other influencers would likely provide a bevy of live reacts and recaps.

It's just all these different types of people who, you know, make that community feel seen, and then they trust them, Spehar told The Daily Beast.

When Biden and Trump are in full flow on the debate stage, Gen Z wont exactly be huddled around their screens like its a Netflix premiere.

The rematch is more like a rerun, and young people just arent into it. The share of the TV audience made up of young people fell during the 2020 debate and polling this month found that nearly half of Gen Z thinks neither of the 2024 candidates, who are older than many of their grandparents, understands their needs.

Voters under 28 dont want to watch the same old moderators grill the same tired candidates parked behind the same stuffy podiums.

Spehar said: It is hard to get people interested in tuning into something that they think is going to be a waste of their time. Trust in the media and trust in politics is at an all-time low, so getting someone to tune into a standard media event about politics is going to be very difficult.

Link Lauren, a political commentator in his mid-20s who describes himself as an independent thinker with views more conservative by todays standards, also emphasized the importance of making the debate grabby for younger audiences.

People want to be entertained by the debates, Lauren said. I think attention is the hottest commodity in politics right now. Attention and truth.

Lauren, who helped craft independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s TikTok presence before leaving the campaign, added that he hasnt heard peers talk much about the debate. Hes planning a debate live stream as well as a full recap on TikTok before bringing a Gen Z perspective to more traditional media Friday morning.

Increasingly, creators like Spehar and Lauren are shaping Gen Zs politics. A new study by a Google subsidiary found that for news, Gen Z is increasingly turning to influencers and the wisdom of the crowd. Members are prone to scroll straight to comments sections, seeking their information pre-processed, in a feel-good fashion.

Who can blame them? Its not like politicians have made them feel very good.

Antonio Arellano, vice president of communications at Next Gen America, the largest U.S. youth voter organization, said as much during a phone interview from the South Lawn of the White House.

The reality is that nobody's really enthusiastic or excited about the top of the ticket, Arellano said. They want to hear about proposals about the issues that matter to them.

Recent polls show that the issue that matters most to Gen Z is the economy. With prices at a record high, many young people worry theyll never own a home. And they hear too little empathy and too few satisfactory solutions from candidates who want their votes.

Something that I'm finding just being out here in the field with young people, is there is a shift in because they don't feel seen and heard, Spehar said. They are no longer reporting on or reacting to what content is being put out by politicians, and instead are creating content at politicians.

In a recent survey, Americans said they were more likely to view clips from the debate than to watch it live. Thats likely even more true of Gen Z.

Young people are 1,000 percent invested, and recognize that the outcome of this election will impact them directly, Arellano said.

Now, whether they'll be tuning in to the live broadcast debate is a different question. We recognize that Gen Z is a digital generation that has been prioritizing consuming their information online, and so what I think will happen is Gen Z will definitely consume the recaps of the highlights from tomorrow's night's debate online.

During the first debate in 2020, young people made up the smallest share of the TV audience. Gen Z watches way less TV than other adults and does not shell out for all the channels as their parents did. (As Spehar put it, Cable? In this economy?!)

Instead, theyll be seeing clips on YouTube, X, and podcasts, and even using the C-SPAN livestream, which Spehar said is often clipped on TikTok.

1242112972 X, formerly known as Twitter, is also a key platform for reaching young viewers. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Ultimately, even if Gen Z isnt really looking forward to the debate, content from it could be what finally snaps them into political reality.

We've been talking about this hypothetical rematch for so long, and this debate makes it real, said Arellano. This debate lets people know, unfortunately, whether you agree with it or not, these are your two choices.

Lauren agreed: I think it will bring a lot of eyeballs to this election cycle, especially from people who've said, I'm not interested, I'm sick of it, I'm tired of this, this feels like a do-over of 2020.

I think there will be people who tune in, whether they like it or not. People will see clips on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok. They'll see it on the morning shows. They'll hear it in the car on the way to work the next morning. It'll be inescapable.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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FILE - The Nathan Deal Judicial Center, home of Georgia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, is seen May, 1, 2024, in Atlanta. On Tuesday, June 25, court ruled that Michelle Wierson, who was suffering from a psychotic break caused by mental illness when she caused a car crash that caused the death of a young boy, can use an insanity defense at trial. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback, File)

ATLANTA (AP)  A Georgia appeals court has ruled a woman who was suffering from a psychotic break stemming from mental illness when she caused a fatal car crash can use an insanity defense at trial.

Michelle Wierson was speeding through the streets in DeKalb County in her Volkswagen Tiguan in September 2018 when she hit a Toyota Corolla stopped at a traffic light, forcing it into the intersection, where it collided with another car. Miles Jenness, a 5-year-old passenger in that car, sustained a traumatic brain injury and a severed spine and died from his injuries.

That Wierson caused the wreck was not in dispute, but defense lawyers and prosecutors disagreed on what arguments should be allowed at trial.

Wierson's attorneys argued that her mental state at the time of the crash absolves her of criminal liability, and she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges including vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Prosecutors argued she should not be able to use the insanity defense but argued if it was allowed, they should be allowed to to introduce evidence they say shows that she was not taking all of her medication.

A three-judge panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals on Tuesday sided with Wierson, ruling she can use the insanity defense and that the state cannot introduce evidence of alleged medication noncompliance.

Robert Rubin, an attorney for Wierson, said he is pleased with the ruling and looks forward to trying to work with prosecutors towards a resolution of the case. But he said the ruling also has broader implications.

This decision is important to those suffering from mental illness and their families, he wrote in an email. It recognizes that the Georgia legislature intends for the insanity defense to be available to anyone suffering from a serious mental illness at the time of the act regardless of why they are legally insane.

The DeKalb County district attorney's office, which is prosecuting the case, said it disagrees with the analysis and opinion, and prosecutors Thursday asked the Georgia Supreme Court to review the ruling. A spokesperson said the office will continue fighting for justice for Miles and his family.

Wierson, an Atlanta-area psychologist with a years-long history of bipolar disorder, believed at the time of the crash that her daughter was in great danger of being killed at school and that God was guiding her as she sped to save her child, her lawyers have said. They have said the horrible tragedy of Miles Jenness' death continues to haunt her but that there was no intent or moral culpability because she was suffering a psychotic break at the time.

There are two tests for insanity under Georgia law, both having to do with the persons mental state at the time of the alleged crime. The first says a person shall not be found guilty of a crime if they did not have mental capacity to distinguish between right and wrong related to the act. The second says a person shall not be found guilty of a crime if the person acted because of a delusional compulsion that overmastered their will.

Two experts  one hired by the defense, and one engaged by the court  found Wierson met both of those criteria.

Prosecutors had argued that whether she could distinguish right from wrong was not relevant, that for a traffic offense all that matters is that she was driving in a way that violated the law and caused the boy's death.

The Court of Appeals noted an earlier Georgia Supreme Court ruling that says traffic offenses are not offenses with no criminal intent element, that determining guilt does not require the specific intent required for other crimes but that a defendant is required "to have voluntarily committed the act" prohibited by law.

The appeals court opinion says that, along with the language of the insanity defense law that says the person shall not be found guilty of a crime if they meet the required criteria, led the judges to conclude that the defense of insanity may be asserted in strict liability traffic offense cases.

Prosecutors had argued that if Wierson was to be allowed to use the insanity defense, they should be allowed to introduce evidence they say shows she had intentionally stopped taking her medication, making her psychotic break a reasonable and foreseeable consequence of her own actions.

Wierson had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2005 and had been using several medications, including lithium, according to court filings. Prosecutors wanted to introduce a note on a medical charge that a family member had said she hadn't taken her medication for a time leading up to the crash and that hospital tests right afterwards showed at least one of her medications was not detectable in her blood.

Wierson's lawyers, who dispute the assertion that she wasn't taking her medication, argue the insanity defense does not include an exception for medication noncompliance, and the appeals court judges agreed.

To conclude that a defendant may still be found guilty of a crime if her mental incapacity or delusional compulsion can be attributed to medication noncompliance would be to write an exception into the statutes, which this Court is not authorized to do, the ruling says.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp paid a visit and spoke with reporters on the red carpet at the CNN media center Thursday afternoon. He said he didnt vote for former President Donald Trump in the Georgia primary earlier this year. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both arrived in Atlanta for the highly anticipated first presidential debate of the 2024 election.

Biden was greeted by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Stacey Abrams, Jason Carter and other prominent Georgia Democrats who stood on the tarmac at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta. He shook hands and briefly chatted with each person but did not respond to questions shouted at him by the press pool about how he was feeling ahead of the debate.

The president stopped to chat with dozens of supporters who gathered outside of Truist Plaza in downtown Atlanta and chanted four more years and lets go, Joe.

Trump landed a couple hours later at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, where he was welcomed by supporters on the tarmac.

Over at Georgia Techs McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, where hundreds of reporters are gathered for the debate and aftermath, surrogates and notable figures have started showing up to have their say about the state of the presidential race and tonights debate.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp paid a visit and spoke with reporters on the red carpet.

Kemp said hes rooting for Trump in tonights big event, but he also revealed he did not vote for him in the primary.

I didnt vote against him, either. I just didnt vote for anybody, he said. But the primary was over when it got here. But you know, at this point, Im not looking in the rearview mirror. Thats what Ive been urging the former president to not do is to look in the rearview mirror and focus on the past.

Kemp and Trump have been on-again-off-again allies, which has been mostly off since Kemp refused to go along with the Trump campaigns push to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Ive said all along, I was going to support our nominee. I am doing that. We had a lot of great candidates that ran, but hes at the top of our ticket and he wants to win Georgia, and I want to win Georgia too.

Kemp demurred when asked whether his support might include appearing at a rally alongside Trump.

Well, Im hoping that Trump does so good tonight that hes not even going to have to come to Georgia, were doing so good here, he said with a laugh. So, well see. I wouldnt be able to speak to that until we know what their plans are.

The post Georgia elected officials on hand for preliminary events ahead of Biden-Trump debate appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp revealed Wednesday that he didnt vote for former President Donald Trump in the states GOP primary in March.

I didnt vote for anybody. I voted, but I didnt vote for anybody, Kemp told CNNs Kaitlan Collins on The Source the day before the historic presidential debate in his home state.I mean, the race was already over when the primary got here, he continued, later adding, I always try to go vote and, you know, play a part in it, but look at that point, it didnt really matter.

Despite not voting for Trump in the primary, Kemp has maintained that hell support the ticket in November when Trump is set to face the presumptive Democratic nominee President Joe Biden.

He was the presumptive nominee before the primary ever got here. I mean, I didnt support anybody in the race, Kemp told Collins of Trump. I was thinking about it but, you know, just because a lot of circumstances and the way things played out, didnt end up doing that, but said all along for the most part that I would support the ticket, and thats what Ive always done and thats what Im doing this November.

Kemp had previously told reporters in March that he would support the GOPs nominee in the general election, though he did not specify at the time whether he voted for Trump in the Republican primary.

The governors comments came on the eve of the first presidential debate, hosted by CNN, between Trump and Biden. He urged the former president, with whom he has a contentious past, to focus on the future  and not risk swing voters support  when he takes the podium in Atlanta.

Trump has a great opportunity to really be forward thinking. Not look in the rearview mirror, not focused on the past, but stay focused on the future contrast, Kemp said.

In the 2020 election, Trump lost the state of Georgia to Biden by over 11,000 votes. Biden became the first Democrat to win Georgia since former President Bill Clinton in 1992.

Kemp has clashed with the former president after he refused to call a special legislative session to help Trump as he sought overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump was so furious with Kemp, he pledged to end his political career and backed a primary challenger in the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary. The move failed spectacularly and Kemp beat David Perdue by over 50 points.

While he said he hasnt spoken with Trump directly and said theres been no outreach from his campaign, Kemp suggested he could overlook the pairs contentious history to advance Republican causes.

Well see how the race plays out and what they might ask for or need. But, I mean, like right now Im focused on turning the ticket out so we win. I mean, regardless of, you know, our history together, I have a vested interest in Georgia remaining in Republican hands, Kemp said.

Asked whether he was concerned that Trump would again try to overturn the election, Kemp said he is very confident democracy would hold.

I dont worry about the institutions of democracy too much  they held up under a lot of pressure, he said. Democracy has been bent and challenged in this republic in the past and it will be in the future. But Im very confident that it will hold.

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Photo: The Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) gladly offers its support to Azerbaijan for the prioritization of green energy and the creation of climate-resilient infrastructure, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said at an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Azerbaijan and the Bank, Trend reports via the Ministry of Finance.

The ADB president emphasized that Azerbaijan is focusing on innovative initiatives such as sustainable urban transport, e-mobility, digitalization of railroads, metro system improvement, desalination of seawater, and ensuring safe water supply.

An event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijan's partnership with ADB took place today. At the event, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Azerbaijan's representative on the ADB Board of Governors, highlighted ADB's role as a strong and reliable development partner over the years. He emphasized that ADB's cooperation has yielded numerous successful outcomes, actively supporting economic reforms and financing infrastructure projects aligned with Azerbaijan's government priorities.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A Jesus cross on a pole stands in front of Erfurt Cathedral. The construction work for the Catholic Day in Erfurt city center is in full swing. German Catholicism is in crisis as hundreds of thousands formally leave the institution each year, threatening to turn it into a "minority Church," an expert said on 27 June. Heiko Rebsch/dpa

German Catholicism is in crisis as hundreds of thousands formally leave the institution each year, threatening to turn it into a "minority Church," an expert said on Thursday.

The number may have reduced last year compared to the previous year, but the trend is stark: In 2022, the number of people leaving was more than half a million, a dramatic negative record; In 2023, the figure was 402,694, the German Bishops' Conference announced in the city of Bonn on Thursday.

A total of 20.3 million people in Germany now belong to the Catholic Church. The number could fall below the 20-million mark for the first time in 2024.

For Church law expert Thomas Schuller one thing is certain: "The implosion of the Catholic Church into a minority church is irreversible."

Studies also confirm this. In 2019, a study by the University of Freiburg predicted that the number of Church members - Catholic and Protestant - would fall by half to just under 23 million by 2060.

"The figures are an indicator of reality," said Georg Batzing, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference and bishop of Limburg.

"The figures are alarming. They show that the Church is in a comprehensive crisis," he said.

However, resignation, fear or withdrawal are the wrong responses, he stressed: "As a church, we have a mission to proclaim the good news of a loving, creative and liberating God, to live it and pass it on."

Reforms are also unavoidable, he said, but the following applies: "Reforms alone will not solve the Church crisis, but the crisis will worsen without reforms. And that is why changes are necessary."

The reasons for people leaving the Church vary, but the abuse scandal that has engulfed it are a major one, and avoidance of the government-levied tax on church members is another.

The main Protestant Church is faring no better: Around 380,000 members left it in 2023, the umbrella organization for the official German Protestant Church (EKD) announced last month. That was a similar number to the previous year. A total of 18.5 million people still belong to one of the 20 regional churches.

A church membership survey conducted by the EKD in 2023 revealed that 56% of the total German population now describe themselves as unreservedly non-religious.

Bishop Batzing concludes: "The majority of the population is hardly approachable in terms of religion."
Delegates walk in front of the party logo at the AfD federal party conference in Magdeburg. Carsten Koall/dpa

Investigators have searched several more properties in connection with money-laundering and bribery investigations into German far-right politician Petr Bystron, including in the Czech Republic, dpa has learned.

Bystron, a lawmaker with the anti-immigration Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), is due to enter the European Parliament after running as the party's second-placed candidate in this month's EU elections, behind disgraced Maximilian Krah.

The Munich Prosecutor General's Office confirmed only that further searches had been conducted in relation to a case of money laundering and bribery, "to secure further evidence," without naming any individuals.

The searches had been conducted on the premises of the suspect and witnesses. Earlier on Thursday, the German parliament voted to grant the necessary permission for what is the third major search operation in the case.

In May, Bavarian investigators had searched Bystron's parliamentary office in the lower house, the Bundestag.

The lawmaker, whose constituency is in the Bavarian capital Munich, is suspected of receiving money in connection with the pro-Russian Voice of Europe online news outlet to act in parliament in Russia's interest. The Bundestag lifted Bystron's immunity before the searches in May.

Bystron has always denied the allegations and described the proceedings as politically motivated.

Referring to Thursday's searches, the AfD politician said: "In a total of 12 house searches in Germany, nothing incriminating has been found because the accusations have no basis. This will remain the case after the further searches."

The presumption of innocence applies until the legal proceedings are wrapped up.

Once Bystron enters the European Parliament, his new mandate will give him immunity again, bringing the investigations to a halt. The legal inquiry can only resume if the EU legislature lifts his immunity.
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's influential vaccine advisory panel said on Thursday all infants in the country should receive AstraZeneca and Sanofi's antibody therapy to protect them against the common respiratory infection RSV.

The recommendation regardless of risk factors is another boost for the product, which has seen strong U.S. demand well above supplies during the first winter there.

The panel of independent experts known as STIKO is widely followed by family doctors in Germany, Europe's largest pharmaceutical market.

A study by U.S. public health agency CDC showed in March that Beyfortus, part of a category known as passive immunisation, was 90% effective in protecting infants from RSV related hospitalizations.

The therapy won approval in Europe to protect infants in November 2022 and in the United States in July 2023.

STIKO added it would need more data before it could issue a view on Pfizer's rival RSV vaccine Abrysvo, which is given to pregnant women to protect their babies.

The use of Beyfortus in the elderly would also require further assessment, it said.

(Reporting by Patricia Weiss; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
BERLIN  Germanys parliament has authorized money for the purchase of thousands of missiles and the development of a supersonic naval cruise missile, according to a Defence Ministry news release.

Germany will join forces with Norway in developing the supersonic Tyrfing missile. A key parliamentary committee released the funds Wednesday for Berlins first foray into developing modern naval missiles. Currently, most of the countrys naval missile arsenal is French- or American-made.

Although Norway and its state-owned arms manufacturer Kongsberg will take a leading role, the German government expects to contribute about 650 million (U.S. $695 million) to the project between now and 2033.

A new missile for Norway and Germany will be known as 3SM Tyrfing and is scheduled to be ready in 2035. (Kongsberg)

The contract, which is to conclude by August, will see Diehl Defence and MBDA perform work on the German side.

At least initially, Germanys half will be funded from Chancellor Olaf Scholzs special fund for the military. That money was put together in the immediate aftermath of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In later years, the money is to come out of the regular defense budget.

Kongsberg describes the Tyrfing as a new super missile that will succeed the Naval Strike Missile developed in the early 2000s. The 3SM  an abbreviation for Super Sonic Strike Missile  should be ready in 2035, the company said in a news release late last year.

In addition to Norway and Germany, Kongsberg hopes the missile will have export potential to other European armed forces.

Weapons purchase

The German budgetary committee also approved the purchase of up to 3,266 Brimstone 3 rockets for delivery by 2033 under a contract expected to be passed by the parliament next month.

Initially, the country will receive 274 missiles and the requisite equipment, purchased from MBDA Germany for about 376 million. An additional 29 Brimstones will be used for operational testing and 75 further for training and telemetry.

The rockets are destined for the countrys Eurofighter fleet, which forms the fighting backbone of its Air Force. Berlin first announced its intention to procure the air-to-ground missile in 2017.

The British Royal Air Force has used the Brimstone family of missiles for nearly two decades, including in war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. A contingent of German Eurofighters is also deployed in the Baltics, where they serve to strengthen NATOs posture at its flank with Russia.

Aside from entirely new purchases, the parliamentary budget committee also approved the procurement of 506 Stinger man-portable air defense systems worth about 395 million as a replacement for 500 of the ground-to-air, shoulder-launched missiles that were sent to Ukraine.

Germany has taken a leading role in supporting Kyivs armament, sending more military support than any other country except the United States. According to the Germany-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the government has sent 10.2 billion in military aid to Ukraine as of the end of April 2024.
Friedrich Merz (C), Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Federal chairman and CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, gestures during the debate on the "European Council and NATO summit" in the 177th session of the Bundestag. Hannes P Albert/dpa

Germany's armed forces are to continue their deployments in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and off the coast of Lebanon as part of international missions, lawmakers agreed on Thursday.

The Bundestag, as Germany's parliament is known, extended the mandate for the EU mission Eufor Althea, the NATO mission KFOR and the UN mission UNIFIL in the eastern Mediterranean by a large majority.

The KFOR mission in Kosovo will continue to have up to 400 German soldiers who are there to protect peace and public order in Kosovo, which has seen renewed tensions with Serbia recently. At 25 years, it is the longest continual overseas mission for Germany's Bundeswehr.

In Eufor Althea, up to 50 German soldiers are to help ensure compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war in 1995. The Balkan state is still considered a potential centre of conflict, however.

The Bundeswehr can also continue to support the international UNIFIL mission, which has been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, by contributing up to 300 soldiers.

A German navy frigate is patrolling in the Mediterranean Sea to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia. This serves to stabilize a "key state" in the Middle East, said the Social Democrat parliamentary group's foreign policy spokesman, Nils Schmid.
Germany will contribute to the modernisation of Mykolaiv Oblasts energy infrastructure, particularly by subsidising the procurement of new sources of power and heat generation.

Source: Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration on Facebook

Details: Vitalii Kim, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, met with Martin Jager, Germany's Ambassador to Ukraine. During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation in funding the purchase of additional sources of energy and heat generation, as well as preliminary agreements struck with German partners at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin.

"Germany remains a reliable partner for Ukraine. We are ready to promote the introduction of new technologies in the field of energy generation and support innovative projects," Jager said.

Kim said cooperation with German partners would enable not only the modernisation of Mykolaiv Oblasts infrastructure but also its resilience to future obstacles. "The introduction of additional sources of energy generation, such as cogeneration plants, will ensure greater reliability of our power system," he concluded.

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By Sabine Siebold

BERLIN (Reuters) - More Ukrainian army recruits could receive basic training in Germany from next year if Kyiv moves some further military education back to Ukraine, an EU commander told Reuters, as the requirement for troops grows amid the ongoing war with Russia.

"We have received more training requests as Ukraine continues to mobilise, in particular for basic training which is mainly being done by Britain," Lieutenant-General Andreas Marlow, head of the EU's special training command near Berlin, said in an interview on Thursday.

This would likely affect collective training - involving entire companies or battalions - so far carried out in Germany and which follows basic training, he said.

Ukraine has been under pressure to call up more troops as the 27-month-old war grinds on and fewer volunteers sign up.

Kiev aims to handle more of the training itself to simplify logistics and allow troops to be available on the battlefield at shorter notice, he said. Spain conducts some training for Ukrainian troops, as does Poland.

Marlow's Special Training Command (STC) is part of a European Union military mission set up in 2022 to train some 60,000 Ukrainian troops in various skills by mid-November 2024 to help Kyiv combat Russia's invasion.

In Germany, instructors from 14 nations have been teaching troops to operate tanks or air defence systems such as Patriot and IRIS-T, while snipers, engineers, paramedics and drone operators learn their trades and IT experts are taught how to fend off hackers.

INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED

Marlow said he did not expect such specialist training to shift to Ukraine as it required weapons and certain infrastructure, such as simulators, to be in place.

Kyiv hoped to move collective training back home partly because teaching operational doctrine was more easily done by Ukrainians, and to speed up deployment of fresh troops, he said.

"Kyiv would have ready-to-use troops far more quickly available than if they attend training in Germany or Spain," he said.

There was less need during emergencies to rush out soldiers who completed basic training, where recruits learn how to handle an assault rifle or administer first aid, Marlow said, "because they are not yet fully ready for action anyway."

Basic training in Germany normally takes three months, but has been condensed for Ukrainians to six weeks because of the war.

Kyiv's bid to move training back to Ukraine could spur discussions among NATO allies, such as France and Lithuania, to send military trainers there.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Evacuated Ukrainian war refugees arrive at the airport. The leaders of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have signed a joint letter calling for the European Union to provide more funding for Ukrainian refugees on their respective territories. Bernd Thissen/dpa

The leaders of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have signed a joint letter calling for the European Union to provide more funding for Ukrainian refugees on their respective territories.

"The refugees actually reside predominantly and in large numbers in just a few member states," the letter says.

"Our countries' capacities are strained: more than 50% of Ukrainian refugees who have entered the European Union live in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic."

The letter calls on the EU to help the three countries share the burden of supporting large numbers of displaced people who were forced to flee Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala write that they need more money from the EU budget. Under EU rules, any proposal for new funding would have to come from the European Commission.

"We would be grateful if the European Commission could take appropriate steps to this end, thus making a further contribution towards our joint endeavour to tackle these challenges, as well as towards European solidarity," the leaders write.

"We kindly ask you to put forward a proposal on this in the near future which can be implemented in a timely manner."

At the same time, Scholz, Tusk and Fiala also use their letter "to expressly thank the European Commission for its efforts so far," such as extending measures to ease residency rules for Ukrainians in the EU.
Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, attends a session of the Bundestag. The 178th session of the 20th German Bundestag will include the planned hospital reform and votes on the Bundeswehr deployments in Kosovo (KFOR), Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) and off the coast of Lebanon (UNIFIL). Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Germany's armed forces are to continue their deployment in Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of an international mission, lawmakers agreed on Thursday.

The Bundestag, as Germany's parliament is known, extended the mandate for the EU mission Eufor Althea by a large majority.

Up to 50 German soldiers are to ensure compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war in 1995. The Balkan state is still considered a potential centre of conflict, however.

Later, the Bundestag is to extend two further Bundeswehr missions abroad, in Kosovo and in Lebanon.

The NATO mission KFOR in Kosovo is continue to have up to 400 German soldiers who are there to protect peace and public order in Kosovo, which has seen renewed tensions with Serbia recently.

Lawmakers are also set to agree on keeping 300 soldiers as part of UN mission UNIFIL, to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon.

Jens Spahn, Member of the German Bundestag, speaks in the Bundestag. The 178th session of the 20th German Bundestag will include the planned hospital reform and votes on the Bundeswehr deployments in Kosovo (KFOR), Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) and off the coast of Lebanon (UNIFIL). Hannes P. Albert/dpa

Serap Gueler (R) and Volker Ullrich (C), members of the German Bundestag, take part in a session of the Bundestag. The 178th session of the 20th German Bundestag will include the planned hospital reform and votes on the Bundeswehr deployments in Kosovo (KFOR), Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) and off the coast of Lebanon (UNIFIL). Hannes P. Albert/dpa
Friedrich Merz (C), Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Federal chairman and CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, gestures during the debate on the "European Council and NATO summit" in the 177th session of the Bundestag. Hannes P Albert/dpa

Germany's armed forces are to continue their deployments in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of international missions, lawmakers agreed on Thursday.

The Bundestag, as Germany's parliament is known, extended the mandate for the EU mission Eufor Althea and for the NATO mission KFOR by a large majority.

Up to 50 German soldiers are to ensure compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war in 1995. The Balkan state is still considered a potential centre of conflict, however.

The NATO mission KFOR in Kosovo will continue to have up to 400 German soldiers who are there to protect peace and public order in Kosovo, which has seen renewed tensions with Serbia recently.

Later, the Bundestag is to extend a further Bundeswehr mission abroad, in Lebanon.

Lawmakers are set to agree to keep up to 300 soldiers as part of UN mission UNIFIL, to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon.

Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, attends a session of the Bundestag. The 178th session of the 20th German Bundestag will include the planned hospital reform and votes on the Bundeswehr deployments in Kosovo (KFOR), Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR Althea) and off the coast of Lebanon (UNIFIL). Hannes P. Albert/dpa
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will continue to support Azerbaijan in achieving a 30 percent share of renewable energy, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said at an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Azerbaijan and the Bank, Trend reports via the Ministry of Finance.

Asakawa emphasized that ADB is fully committed to supporting the climate agenda for the Asia-Pacific region and aims to provide $100 billion in climate finance by 2030.

"I am pleased to witness the government of Azerbaijan's strong efforts to achieve a 30 percent share of renewable energy by 2030. This is an ambitious and commendable goal, and ADB will continue to assist Azerbaijan in reaching it," he added.

During his visit to Azerbaijan on June 26, the ADB president visited the Garadagh district of Baku and Shamakhi. In Garadagh, he toured a 230 MW solar power plant co-financed by ADB with a $21.4 million loan. This project marks ADB's first renewable energy initiative in Azerbaijan and represents a significant investment in the country's private sector aimed at long-term international development.

An event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Azerbaijan's partnership with ADB took place today. At the event, Finance Minister Samir Sharifov, Azerbaijan's representative on the ADB Board of Governors, highlighted ADB's role as a strong and reliable development partner over the years. He emphasized that ADB's cooperation has yielded numerous successful outcomes, actively supporting economic reforms and financing infrastructure projects aligned with Azerbaijan's government priorities.

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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday called for a fairer distribution of Ukrainian refugees in Europe, stressing how countries contributing less to the effort should receive help from the EU.

"If the other countries participate less in the reception of refugees, it means that Europe will provide these countries with special financial support for the financing of livelihoods, vocational training, language courses and all the things that play a role," said Scholz at an EU Council summit in Brussels.

He said that Germany, Czech, Poland and a few other countries have borne the brunt of taking in people fleeing from Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion.

He added that he had made this clear to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen together with his Polish and Czech counterparts.

According to the German statistics office, 276,000 people arrived in Germany from Ukraine last year.

Data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) showed that almost 6 million people have left Ukraine for Europe since February 2022, with some 1.1 million of them in Germany as of June 1.

(Reporting by Paolo Laudani, Miranda Murray and Alexander Ratz, Editing by Madeline Chambers)
Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip

Aftermath of an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) -Israel stormed a neighbourhood in Gaza City on Thursday, ordering Palestinians to move south as tanks rolled in and bombing the southern city of Rafah in what it says are the final stages of an operation against Hamas militants there.

Residents of the Shejaia neighbourhood in Gaza City said they were surprised by the sound of tanks approaching and firing in the early afternoon, with drones also attacking after overnight bombing of the city, which Israel had combed early in the war.

"It sounded as if the war is restarting, a series of bombings that destroyed several houses in our area and shook the buildings," Mohammad Jamal, 25, a resident of Gaza City, told Reuters via a chat app.

Later on Thursday, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said the Israeli military strikes had killed at least seven people in Shejaia so far. More casualties are feared to be under the rubble where rescue teams cannot reach, it said.

Footage obtained by Reuters showed women, men and children carrying bags and food as they ran in the streets after the raid began. Some men carried injured children, some bleeding, in their arms as they fled.

"This is the (Israeli) occupation targeting us, as you can see. You can see the children, the targeting of children here," said a man carrying a bleeding boy in his arms.

An Israeli military spokesperson said they had no comment on reports of casualties in Shejaia.

The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it had detonated a pre-planted explosive device against an Israeli tank east of the district.

Israel accuses the militants of hiding among civilians and says it warns displaced people to get out of the way of its operations against the fighters.

"For your safety, you must evacuate immediately south on Salah al-Din Street to the humanitarian zone," army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted on social media platform X in a call to residents and displaced people in Shejaia.

Residents and Hamas media said the tanks had moved in before the post and that people from the eastern suburb were running westward under fire as Israel had blocked the road south.

Just before midnight, an Israeli airstrike struck the headquarters of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service in Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing three members, the rescue service said. It said the new deaths raised to 74 the number of staff killed by Israeli fire since Oct. 7.

In Rafah, where tanks have advanced in several neighbourhoods since May 7, medics said four Palestinians were killed by tank shells that landed in the western area of the city, where the Israeli army deepened its incursion in recent days. There has been no Israeli immediate comment on the two incidents.

More than eight months into Israel's war on Gaza triggered by the Hamas-led cross-border attack on Oct. 7, aid officials say the enclave remains at high risk of famine, with almost half a million people facing "catastrophic" food insecurity.

"We are being starved in Gaza City, and are being hunted by tanks and planes with no hope that this war is ever ending," Jamal said.

ANOTHER CHILD DIES OF MALNUTRITION

The death of another girl in Kamal Adwan Hospital late on Wednesday raised the number of children who have died of malnutrition and dehydration to at least 31, a Gaza health official said, adding that the war made recording such cases difficult.

Israel denies accusations it has created the famine conditions, blaming aid agencies for distribution problems and accusing Hamas of diverting aid, allegations the militants deny.

In southern Gaza, drone footage on social media, which Reuters could not immediately authenticate, showed dozens of houses destroyed in parts of Rafah, with the Swedeya village on the western side of the city wiped out.

There was no immediate Israeli military comment on the military action.

International mediation backed by the U.S. has failed to yield a ceasefire agreement although talks are continuing amid intense Western pressure for Gaza to receive more aid.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that he had discussed his proposals for governance of post-war Gaza that would include local Palestinians, regional partners and the U.S. but that it would be "a long and complex process".

Senior U.S. officials told Gallant, who was visiting Washington, that the U.S. would maintain a pause on a shipment of heavy munitions for Israel while the issue is under review. The shipment was paused in early May over concerns the weapons could cause more Palestinian deaths in Gaza.

Hamas says any deal must end the war and bring full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

When Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel last October, they killed around 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

The Israeli offensive in retaliation has so far killed 37,765 people, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday, and has left the tiny, heavily built-up Gaza Strip in ruins.

The Gaza health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, but officials say most of those killed have been civilians. Israel has lost 314 soldiers in Gaza and says at least a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters.

(Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Rod Nickel)
FILE PHOTO: Handout photograph of a woman and baby at the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur

By Aidan Lewis and Nafisa Eltahir

CAIRO (Reuters) -There is a realistic chance of famine in 14 areas across Sudan if the war that began in April last year escalates, a global monitor said on Thursday, in a sharply worsening hunger crisis that the World Food Programme called the world's largest.

The areas listed by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) as at risk of famine are those that have seen the heaviest fighting: the capital Khartoum, the regions of Darfur and Kordofan, and El Gezira state.

It said the findings marked a "stark and rapid deterioration of the food-security situation" in Sudan since December, and the worst levels of hunger observed in the country since the IPC was formed 20 years ago.

According to the assessment, the number of people experiencing a hunger crisis rose by 45% to 25.6 million, or more than half the population, in the lean season lasting to September, when less harvested food is available.

Some 8.5 million people - nearly a fifth of the population - face food shortages that could result in acute malnutrition and death or require emergency coping strategies. As previously reported by Reuters, some 756,000 people are projected to be in "catastrophe", the most severe level of extreme hunger, up from zero in December.

"This disaster is man-made and was preventable," Mohammed Qazilbash, Sudan country director for humanitarian group Plan International, said in a statement.

"Our time to act was six months ago  it is unconscionable that there are now more than 8 million people on the brink of famine."

War between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted more than 14 months ago in the capital, and quickly spread to other parts of the country.

It has triggered ethnically-driven violence in the western region of Darfur, caused the world's biggest internal displacement crisis and split control of the country between the rival camps.

A hunger crisis, which the WFP said on Thursday was the worst in the world, has already pushed some Sudanese to eat leaves and soil. A Reuters report last week included analysis of satellite imagery that showed cemeteries expanding fast as starvation and disease spread.

MILITIA RISK

The IPC is a collaboration that includes U.N. agencies, national governments and aid groups, and is the main global system for measuring the severity of food crises.

Its most extreme warning is Phase 5, which has two levels, catastrophe and famine.

Famine can be declared if at least 20% of the population in an area suffers catastrophic food shortages, with at least 30% of children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.

Since the IPC's creation, famines have only been declared twice - in parts of Somalia in 2011 and in parts of South Sudan in 2017.

In Sudan, the IPC said famine could occur with reasonable probability under a worst-case scenario that includes the escalation of fighting and the involvement of local militias.

Fighting has recently been heavy in several parts of the country. This week, the RSF staged an incursion into Sennar state and took over another state capital.

FOREIGN BACKERS 'COMPLICIT'

The 14 areas that the IPC said were at risk of famine include Tuti Island on the Nile and the working-class Mayo district of Khartoum; Madani, the trade hub capital of Gezira; and the besieged city of al-Fashir in North Darfur.

It also includes displacement and refugee camps around Nyala, capital of South Darfur, and in West Darfur and South Kordofan. Most of the areas have been controlled or attacked by the RSF.

On Wednesday, U.N. experts accused both rival factions of using food as a weapon of war by blocking, looting and exploiting humanitarian assistance. Both sides have denied impeding aid.

"Foreign governments providing financial and military support to both parties in this conflict are complicit in starvation, crimes against humanity and war crimes," the U.N. experts said in a statement.

They also called on the United Nations and international donors to rethink their approach and boost support for local humanitarian networks and volunteers "risking their health and lives and working across battle lines".

(Reporting by Aidan Lewis and Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Barbara Lewis, Ros Russell and Rod Nickel)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The growing use and potential impact of artificial intelligence has led Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to form a working group to study its potential impact on the Natural State.

Sanders announced Wednesday the AI working group will offer recommendations to her office for the safe use of the technology within state government.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sets cybersecurity summit in Little Rock

Called the AI & Analytics Center of Excellence, it will be a subcommittee of the Data and Transparency Panel. The states chief data officer, Robert McGough, will chair the group.

Officials said the group would study and assess AI and review pilot projects to encourage further insight into it, including its potential risks, and develop best practices for safe implementation. Unemployment insurance fraud and recidivism reduction are two cases identified by officials as initial AI use cases.

McDonalds is ending its test run of AI-powered drive-thrus with IBM

The governor said the group is being formed to meet a new technology head-on.

AI is already transforming the face of business in America, and Arkansas state government cant get caught flat-footed, Sanders explained. As we work to find efficiencies within state government, AI can play a role, with appropriate guardrails, in improving our level of service to Arkansans while keeping costs low.

The governor added that AI misuse must be prevented, and the working group would build a knowledge base on safe use to avoid such problems.

Technology crushing human creativity? Apples new iPad ad has struck a nerve online

The group is scheduled to exist for one year, and an initial report covering pilot and proof-of-concept projects, efficiencies, cost savings, safety and economic development is due to the governor by Dec. 15.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A Grandville man who investigators say admitted that he had child pornography now faces federal charges.

Thomas Hungerford, 54, was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of distribution of child pornography, the U.S. Attorneys Office says.

Federal prosecutors allege that Hungerford recorded explicit video of a minor in August 2023.

Court documents say that he allegedly sent child pornography to another suspect; and told that suspect that he looked into minors windows and recorded videos and that he broke into a minors home and stole her things. The documents say Hungerford admitted that he had child porn, that he took photos of children in public places and that he broke into multiple familys homes to steal items from their children.

Man banned from Grandville schools amid child porn investigation

He also said he went into a girls locker room and stole things, investigators said  though Grandville Public School said last month that it did not have any evidence he actually made it into the high school locker room.

The defendants alleged actions are especially troubling, which range from outright privacy violations to predatory behavior, Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Hungerford was arrested May 24 and has been in jail since then, federal prosecutors say. Grandville Public Schools has issued a no-trespassing order against him.

He is expected to go before a federal judge Thursday for arraignment. If convicted of the exploitation charge, he faces up to 30 years in prison; the distribution charges carry up to 20 years each.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD)  Project and community leaders gathered in downtown Rockford Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new hotel.

Hotel Rose is expected to open in the summer of 2025 at 12 S. Main Street near Bridge Street in Rockford. The years-in-the-making hotel will span an entire block, with 54 rooms, a fine-dining restaurant, a breakfast and lunch restaurant and three retail spaces.

The retail spots are all leased already, John Wheeler, the CEO of Wheeler Development Group, told News 8 after the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday. He added that its unusual for a project to be full so early on.

What Rose Hotel project means for downtown Rockford

(Theres) that much enthusiasm about the city of Rockford and about Hotel Rose, he said.

Project and community leaders gather for the Hotel Rose groundbreaking ceremony. (June 27, 2024)

Project and community leaders gather for the Hotel Rose groundbreaking ceremony. (June 27, 2024)

Project and community leaders gather for the Hotel Rose groundbreaking ceremony. (June 27, 2024)

Rockford City Manager Thad Beard said the hotel is a game changer. The city expects the $14 million investment will only bring more investment into the city and its downtown area.

Its been a long time coming. We started in 2008 and theres been a lot of delays, issues and perseverance and now were excited to reap rewards and actually have this come to fruition. We think its going to be a great thing and its just exciting to see it actually come to reality, he said. Many people thought it wasnt going to happen. And now theyre excited to see it actually did happen.

Hotel Rose is expected to create 50 full-time jobs when it opens. The project is partially funded by a $3.2 million Michigan Community Revitalization Program loan from the Michigan Economic Development Organization.

Project leaders expect the hotel with draw more tourists to the area and envision it offering a spot for family members of residents to stay.

A rendering of Hotel Rose. (Courtesy Wheeler Development Group)

Planned downtown Rockford hotel secures state funding

We wanted to be part of the fabric and the core of the community, Wheeler said. Its a very walkable community.We want people that live (here) to walk in, have a drink.

He said the team put a lot of work into designing the boutique hotel.

We were able to create an interior design that is timeless  beautiful furniture, artwork, he said. When you see it, itll speak for itself. We hired the best to help us.

Construction will take over a parking lot, and some have had concerns about the impact it will have on the downtowns parking. But Beard said the city has been very thoughtful in addressing those as a whole.

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As a whole, everyone is very excited and anxious to see whats going to happen, he said. Its just a great day to celebrate.

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The New Generation of African American Philanthropists, a Charlotte-based group that helps local nonprofits, is starting a multiyear fundraising push Saturday aimed at establishing a resource hub for philanthropies focusing on the Black community.

With a goal of raising $12 million in the next three years, the campaign kicks off with The Cookout, a culinary event featuring prominent Black chefs from across the country. The event is on the outskirts of Charlotte, according to the group. Attendance starts with a minimum $500 charitable contribution; more details can be found here.

Proceeds go towards founding The New Trust  Built with and for Black Communities. That trust aims to address historical inequities in philanthropic funding by providing infrastructure, resources and expertise to Black-founded or -led organizations in Charlotte.

The New Trust is going to enable NGAAP to offer nonprofits and other organizations a host of new options, Valaida Fullwood, a founding member of the group, told The Charlotte Observer. Fullwood said the trust will use data to identify areas of need, help organizations network and grow New Generation staffing.

Founded in 2006, New Generation has become one of the largest and longest-running Black philanthropic organizations in the United States. Its more than 70 members pool resources for grant-making and connect people with opportunities in philanthropy. Some organizations it has supported include Johnson C. Smith University, the Metrolina Native American Association and the United Way.

Since 2008, the group has contributed over $1.6 million to Charlotte through volunteerism, grants and community outreach.

Fullwood said the new trust will not only address issues exposed during the pandemic, but also serve as a centerpiece for its 20th-anniversary celebration in 2026.

We recognized, especially during the racial reckoning during the pandemic, the importance of philanthropy aimed at solving problems that particularly hurt underrepresented communities like food access, homelessness and access to education, she said.

The New Generation of African American Philanthropists is starting a new trust to help Black philanthropic organizations in Charlotte.

Charitable giving in Charlotte and the US

Nationally, philanthropic donations are declining. In 2022, Americans gave $499.33 billion to charity, according to the National Philanthropic Trust, a 3.4% decrease from 2021.

However, Charlotte remains a generous city, with residents donating around $45 million last year, ranking it No. 7 on the list of most charitable cities in the country, according to Fidelity Charitable, the charitable arm of Fidelity Investments.

In addition to the new trust, a traveling exhibit inspired by Fullwoods book about Black philanthropy is coming back to Charlotte in preparation for the New Generation anniversary.

Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited is a photo and multimedia exhibit showcasing stories of generosity among Americans of African descent. It has traveled to 35 cities across the country and will open in the Charlotte History Museum in September 2025.

Fullwood said she hopes the exhibit inspires people to give to the new trust, and that the trust can be a model for other philanthropies across the country.

If this trust is successful, Charlotte is going to be more prosperous, Fullwood said. We want to share our knowledge with other organizations so they can find new ways to empower Black communities across the country.
Attendees carry Israeli flags at a rally organized by Michigan for Israel. | Kyle Davidson

A group of around 25 people gathered on the steps of the Michigan Capitol on Thursday in a show of support for Israel amid the nations ongoing campaign in Gaza.

Tamara Poberesky described Michigan for Israel, which sponsored the event, as a group of immigrants from the former Soviet Union who organized in support of Israel, later telling the Advance that the group also had local supporters, both Jewish and non-Jewish.

Speakers voiced concerns of rising antisemitism with the U.S., and spoke out against demonstrations in U.S. cities and on college campuses.

The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-hate organization which supports Israel, reported it had seen a 361% increase in antisemitic incidents between the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel and and Jan. 7, 2024. These incidents included physical assaults, vandalism, verbal or written harassment and rallies that included antisemitic rhetoric, expressions of support for terrorism against Israel or opposition to zionism, the belief in self-determination and statehood for Jewish people in Israel.

However, pro-Palestinian organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace have pushed back against groups defining anti-Zionism as antisemitic, arguing that criticizing the Zionist movement and Israeli policies is no different from criticizing any other ideology or the policies of any other nation state.

Since the Oct. 7 surprise attack from Hamas killed 1,189 people in Israel, who were mostly civilians, more than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza in retaliation by Israel, with at least 86,429 people injured, according to Gazas Hamas-run health ministry.

At the event, Victor Fey of West Bloomfield encouraged Jewish people to unite against hatred and protect their safety within legal confines.

We can debate whether Israel is overly nationalistic, overly conservative, overly militaristic, or overly religious. But one thing is not for debate: When Jews are united, we can withstand virtually everything, Fey said.

He encouraged attendees to vote for politicians and parties who have taken action to support Jewish people, with all other issues becoming secondary or tertiary.

Other speakers criticized the Biden administration for providing aid to Gaza, attempting to negotiate with Hamas for the release of hostages and argued the Biden administration was dragging its feet on providing weapons to Israel.

We are urging you to call your district representatives and ask for immediate actions to stop negotiations with Hamas, to cut humanitarian aid and utilities to Gaza, and to provide consistent and sufficient military aid to Israel in joint effort to destroy a common enemy and bring peace to the whole region and the whole world, Poberesky said.

The Biden administration has previously challenged claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it had withheld weapons and ammunition, with the administration noting only one shipment of bombs had been withheld, according to a report from BBC.

According to a report from Axios, the shipment, which was paused by the administration over concerns of Israels invasion of Rafah, remains paused as of Wednesday.

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The post Group rallies to support Israel, opposes negotiations with Hamas appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Last September, at his graduation from Northwestern University, Michael Broadway reconnected with his mother, Elizabeth, for the first time in two decades. Due to her ailing health, she couldnt visit him. As an incarcerated man, he didnt have the option to travel to her, either.

For those two decades, Broadway was held inside Stateville Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison outside Chicago. It was there where he died last Wednesday, June 19, shortly after experiencing trouble breathing.

Broadway, who was asthmatic, died a month before his 52nd birthday.

Those incarcerated with Broadway and members of the nonprofit prison policy organization Parole Illinois allege that his death was the result of inhumane conditions at the facility: extreme heat, lack of ventilation, and inadequate access to health care.

Broadways attorney, Terah Tollner, said correctional officers went about their business for far too long. The facilitys medical staff, she said, was slow to reach Broadway because they, too, were struggling to handle the heat in the cell unit. Abdul Malik Muhammad, a man also held inside Stateville with Broadway, wrote to WTTW, a local news outlet, that at the time of Broadways death, windows throughout the facility were nailed shut with plywood due to structural damage.

Because the prison did not have a functioning stretcher, Broadways attorney says, close friends had to help carry him out of his cell in a bedsheet.

The Illinois Department of Corrections confirmed Broadways death in a statement to Capital B, but declined to comment further because of an ongoing investigation. For decades, however, these kinds of allegations have plagued the facility, which is set to close later this year.

Recently, a state review of the facility categorized the prison as nearly inoperable due to significant infrastructure problems, including leaks and poor ventilation. The review prompted Illinois advocates to file a legal petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this year to take emergency action against the prison to address failing infrastructure related to cooling and drinking water.

As very few states have institutionalized precaution tactics for people inside prisons and jails, Broadways life exemplifies how climate change, public health, and incarceration intersect. In times of extreme weather, there is no uniform policy guiding these facilities. It leaves those in charge of the facilities to come up with their own emergency response plans. Often, that means no precautions are taken, and when they are, theyre often patchwork attempts with few resources.

Its a practice that David Pellow, director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has called an amplified case of environmental racism because incarcerated folks are completely powerless.

In particular, incarcerated people are at a disadvantage in surviving these weather events, whether heat or hurricanes, because theyre not in control of their ability to withstand or mitigate their impacts. For example, air conditioning, regarded as the most effective individual tool to combat heat, is largely absent from prisons; 44 states lack universal air conditioning in their prisons.

Over the past two decades, nearly 13,000 people have perished behind bars during Americas summer months. However, many of these deaths are not typically attributed to heat, the product of poor death-counting practices that have led to an undercount of heat-related deaths for decades.

Still, deaths have only become more commonplace as heat waves have spread across the country in record numbers over the past several years, disproportionately harming Black people on both sides of the bars.

The week of Broadways death, temperatures reached 97 degrees outside Stateville; An analysis by a nonprofit science group, Climate Central, found that climate change made the heat spell at least two times more likely.

Michael Broadway (right) was one of 16 people to earn a bachelors degree from a top-10 U.S. university while incarcerated. (Courtesy of Northwestern University)

Routinely, prisons and jails are placed in communities that struggle the most with heat due to concrete and a lack of green space. On average, communities where these facilities are located experience a weeks worth more of extreme heat days than communities where prisons arent located.

A lot of these folks are coming from already environmentally toxic neighborhoods and then are being trapped in new environmentally toxic [facilities], Pellow explained to Capital B. Most people, he said, embrace and shrug off this disenfranchisement and environmental violence because of negative feelings toward incarcerated people.

Read More: Across the Midwest, Counties Are Building New Jails on Toxic Land

The issue has especially taken root in Texas, where more than a dozen incarcerated people die from heat-related illnesses every year. The situation there has been so dire that the United Nations Convention Against Torture has censured the states penal system.

However, the crisis is felt nationwide, even in the historically cooler Northeast region where the Prison Policy Initiative found that deaths increase by around 21% from two-day heat waves. Its also felt long after the heatwaves end; a 2023 study found prison suicide rates increase after heatwaves.

The death of Broadway, who battled prostate cancer, also illuminates how being incarcerated can intensify poor health. Studies show that incarceration places people at a higher risk for developing cancer, and these underlying health conditions make surviving extreme temperatures even more difficult.

Devastating and preventable

In 2006, Broadway was convicted of shooting and killing a man in Roseland, the South Side of Chicago community where he grew up. Over the past decade, roughly 120 people have been shot in the neighborhood every year.

But 17 years later, through a prison education program, Broadway was part of the first cohort of incarcerated students nationwide to earn a degree from a top-10-ranked U.S. university. There, he took courses like sociology and philosophy, which gave him the terms and definitions to describe his life experiences, he said.

The course that had the biggest impact on him was a sociology class taught by Mary Pattillo, one of the nations leading sociologists on race and inequality. The class showed him how to connect the dots between a lack of investment in his communities after deindustrialization. It caused food deserts, underfunded schools, and healthcare decline, Broadway wrote after completing the course. The loss of jobs [that caused] home foreclosures, a rise in crime and drug use, which led to my community being over-policed and having its citizens harassed.

Broadway poises for his graduation photos in 2023. (Courtesy of Northwestern University)

Chloe Hilles, a Northwestern graduate who took a class with Broadway, wrote to Capital B on X, formerly Twitter. I had the privilege of taking a philosophy course with Michael in college. It was an honor to learn with and from him  hes a true philosopher, she said. Its well known [that] Stateville has extreme temperature problems (heat and cold). This loss is devastating and preventable.

Marlon Millner, the director of Northern Illinois Universitys Center for Black Studies, also wrote to Capital B. The most meaningful work hes done was teaching Broadway and his classmates, he said.

Broadway hoped to create a nonprofit organization focused on youth empowerment if given the chance of parole.

I have no words for this, [its] otherworldly, Broadway said after receiving his degree last year. Coming from where I came from, the things that Ive been through, and to be here is indescribable.

A GoFundMe has been set up by Broadways partner, Shawn Hardy Hatchett, to support his family in the aftermath of his passing.

The post The Growing Crisis of Heatwave Deaths in Americas Prisons appeared first on Capital B News.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 27. The volume of oil and gas condensate production in Kazakhstan amounted to 37.382 million tons from January through May 2024, Trend reports, citing the country's Bureau of National Statistics.

Thus, production volume decreased by 1.7 percent compared to the same period in 2023 (38.016 million tons).

At the same time, the volume of oil production amounted to 32.055 million tons, which is 2.3 percent less than in the first five months of 2023 (32.805 million tons).

In addition, the production of gas condensate compared to the same period in 2023 increased by 2.2 percent and amounted to 5.327 million tons. From January through May 2023, 5.21 million tons were produced.

Furthermore, Kazakhstan produced 90 million tons of oil in 2023, which is 6.9 percent higher than in 2022. Oil exports also increased and amounted to 70.5 million tons, which is 9.6 percent more than the previous year. Moreover, Kazakhstan plans to increase oil production in 2024 to 90.3 million tons.

In 2023, gas production in Kazakhstan amounted to 59.063 billion cubic meters, including large fields such as Tengiz (16.009 billion cubic meters), Karachaganak (22.385 billion cubic meters), Kashagan (11.856 billion cubic meters), and others (8.813 billion cubic meters). Kazakhstan is projected to produce 60.456 billion cubic meters of raw natural gas in 2024.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Discussions on the future of the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) port of entry continued on Wednesday, June 26, at the Hilos de Plata Senior Center in South-Central El Paso.

The General Services Administration (GSA) officials, whos at the front of the BOTA modernization project, said this would be the last community meeting before they finalize their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which aims to identify and analyze the potential effects of any course of action theyll end up taking.

Officials told the public attending the meeting that in the EIS, they will prioritize analyzing the effects on Traffic and Air Quality, which have been residents main concerns.

GSA presented the community with the final options to be considered:

No action

Viable Action Alternative 1A- multi-level modernization (high/low booths) primarily within existing port boundaries with minor land acquisition immediately adjacent to the port and additional land acquisition to the east (13 acres). No El Paso County land to be acquired.

Viable Action Alternative 4- multi-level modernization within the existing port boundaries with minor land acquisition immediately adjacent to the port and elimination of commercial cargo operations. No El Paso County or TxDOT DPS land to be acquired.

None of the remaining options are new, as they were all introduced in prior meetings.

At one point, there were six options being considered, GSA officials said, and it was the communitys feedback that made the elimination of three of the six options possible.

Continue providing comments, it helps us. As Ive said before, we are listening, said Daniel Partida, senior project manager with the GSA. Its up to the community to speak out and provide their feedback. Thats what were here for.

None of the remaining options would require expansion into residential or private properties, a huge win for residents, but their main objective is still in the balance.

Community leaders and residents of the areas near the port of entry have long been fighting to push for the removal of commercial traffic from the port of entry due to the unhealthy impact of emissions from semi-trucks sitting idly for hours at the bridge.

Theres a disconnect between those that are planning for a community and the community that is affected by those plans, said Cemelli Aztlan, a community organizer for the Familias Unidas del Chamizal advocate group.

We are a very vulnerable community that has been exploited and polluted upon for a long time. Were in the 99th percentile when we talk about cancer toxins, diesel pollution, she said.

Aztlan said it has taken a strong push from residents and the involvement of other federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for the GSA to begin considering the challenges nearby residents have faced.

When we began this process, there wasnt an option to get the trucks out, which ironically, thats what the money was for, to eliminate or reduce emissions. And so the fact that that wasnt a consideration until we stepped in, I think shows that they really werent considering the public health crisis that were experiencing, said Aztlan.

Commissioner for Precinct 2, David Stout, has been one of several community leaders who have been vocal in their support of residents affected by the areas.

Stout said hes grateful the GSA has taken the communitys feedback, which was evident when they dropped the El Paso County Coliseum property from the BOTA expansion plans.

He also said that stakeholders in Mexico have been very receptive to the idea of pushing commercial traffic to the Tornillo Port of Entry.

I think this community deserves to see this modernization project remove the trucks from the bridge so that theyre not subject to more contamination, more pollution and more illness, because thats what it causes, said Stout.

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The Supreme Court recently decided United States v. Rahimi, June 21, 2024 (herein Rahimi).

This case has fine-tuned the precedent of New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. Inc. v. Bruen, 2022 (herein Bruen), which took a decidedly originalist approach to the Second Amendments right to bear arms. Bruen was confused regarding a legislators ability to regulate the possession and use of guns.

Bruen had required that any legislative regulation be similar to those that existed in 1791, the year the Second Amendment was ratified, a democratic process.

The issue was how close to those early legislative limits did current limits have to come.

Rahimi concluded that current legislative limits on the Second Amendment right have to be at least analogous, but not necessarily twins, of historic legislation. Early legislation did not allow, for example, a person to possess a gun who was found by a court to be a risk to harm another person. A similar limitation was upheld in Rahimi.

The problem is that the Second Amendment is written in absolute terms with no textual limitation. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in Rahimi: Despite its unqualified text, the Second Amendment is not absolute. It codified a pre-existing right, and pre-existing limits on that right are part and parcel of it.

Chief Justice John Roberts stated: Taken together (the historical laws) confirm what common sense suggests: When an individual poses a clear threat of physical violence to another, the threatening individual may be disarmed. He noted that the statute is by no means identical to those founding era regimes, but it does not need to be.

Roberts wrote the opinion for the Court, with only Justice Clarence Thomas, the author of Bruen, dissenting in this 8-1 decision.

Rahimi was abusive to his girlfriend, C.M.

A bystander observed the altercation. Rahimi retrieved a gun from under the passengers seat of his car and fired his weapon, although it was not clear what the target was.

C.M. went to court to get a restraining order. She got the order but Rahimi disobeyed it. He also threatened others with a gun. Roberts gave much factual detail here.

The federal statute involved forbidding the possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence restraining order. Rahimi argued that the statute violated the Second Amendment on its face, meaning there was no set of facts under which the statute would be constitutional.

In light of Bruen, the Court of Appeals reversed Rahimis conviction and held that the statute did not fit within our tradition of firearm regulation. The Supreme Court here reversed the Court of Appeals and, thus, in effect, upheld the statute and the conviction.

Roberts stated that the new law need not be a twin of an early one, but be relevantly similar to laws that our tradition is understood to permit.

It must be analogous enough to pass constitutional muster. (Roberts citing Bruen). Just as the Second Amendment applies to modern weapons and is not limited to muskets and sabers, regulations can be more than ones found in 1791.

The outcome here is common sense, as Roberts states.

Roberts concludes that the prior gun cases of Heller, McDonald, and Bruen did not undertake an exhaustive historical analysis, rather we conclude only this: An individual found by a court to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another may be temporarily disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment.

Therefore, we can expect future cases to further fine-tune this difficult area. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson states  legislatures are hobbled without a clear, workable test for assessing the constitutionality of their proposal.

Courts, which are currently at sea, need a solid anchor for grounding their constitutional pronouncement. The public, too, deserves clarity.

Are we still adrift under the Second Amendment law?

Although more precision is desirable, Devid French observes that the Rahimi holding would include red-flag laws or extreme-risk protective orders.

Research has demonstrated that mass shooters tend to broadcast violent intentions before they act. French said. (The New York Times, June 23, 2024).

The national interest prevails over individual rights. Relevantly, the Surgeon General has just declared gun violence to be a public health crisis.

 James Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached at jpfister@emich.edu

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Gun Control After Rahimi
A gun range may feel like a world away from a doctor's office, but some medical professionals in Wisconsin are training at one to save lives by learning about firearms.

"I felt like I had a real deficit in talking about firearms with patients," said Dr. James Bigham, a primary care doctor and clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Bigham runs a class for medical students and staff about the basics of firearms at Max Creek Gun Range, alongside shop and gun owner Steve D'Orazio.

"That's part of being a responsible gun owner is knowing right from wrong," D'Orazio said.

During routine visits, Bigham asks patients about how they store their weapons at home.

"People may feel it's too personal, but as a physician, I absolutely think I have the space to say, 'We gotta be doing everything we can to protect our children, our communities,'" Bigham said.

When asked about criticism over whether physicians should have a role on the topic, Bigham said, "I think this is our lane. As a primary care doctor, if I'm willing to counsel you on alcohol consumption, tobacco use, how you're driving your car, I gotta be talking about firearms as well."

D'Orazio said he doesn't believe it's a Second Amendment issue.

"We have the right to bear arms. I sell guns. That's the last thing I want to do is take away my guns. It's not about taking away, it's about safety and that's it," D'Orazio said.

Nearly 500 people a year die from accidental shootings, according to the National Safety Council. Suicides by guns are at an all-time high for adults, and suicide rates for children have risen dramatically, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Access to unlocked firearms in homes makes suicide nearly four times more likely, according to the Violence Prevention Research Group.

There are about 30 million children across the country living in homes with guns, the CDC says. Children as young as 3 years old may be strong enough to pull the trigger of a handgun, according to Safe Kids Worldwide.

That's part of why pediatricians at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia say asking parents about safe gun storage is as important as asking about bike helmets and pool safety.

2023 had the highest number of unintentional shootings by children on record, with the victims most often being a sibling or friend of the shooter, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

Dr. Dorothy Novick is also teaching soon-to-be doctors on how to broach the triggering topic.

"All of the injury prevention, safety counseling that we offer, we now wrap firearms right into that conversation to really make it normal," Novick said.

The children's hospital provides gun locks to families to make their homes safer. Since they started five years ago, they say they've handed out close to 3,000 locks. Gun safes are the best method for locking up firearms, and the hospital plans to soon begin offering them to patients as well.

The hospital was motivated to implement the program following a surge of gun purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Philadelphia alone, gun permit applications rose 600% in 2021, according to city records.

"This is really a conversation about safety. This is not a question about politics or ideology. And in fact, people from all across the ideological spectrum all agree that firearm safety is really a fundamental tenet of responsible firearm ownership," Novick said.

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Half the water flowing from US rivers is at risk of pollution due to lax federal regulation: Study

About 55 percent of the water emanating from U.S. rivers is vulnerable to pollution, due to their lack of protections under the Clean Water Act, a new study has found.

The Supreme Court last year ruled that ephemeral streams  those that fill up and flow only after weather events  do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, the authors noted.

Yet these fleeting entities furnish about 55 percent of the water that empties out of regional river systems across the country, according to the study, published Thursday in Science.

Within that national figure, the study also identified a stark regional divide: Rivers west of the Mississippi River are far more influenced by ephemeral resources than those on the other side.

For example, about 94 percent of the water pouring out of river systems in Nevadas Black Rock Desert and in Californias Humboldt County come from temporary stream sources, per the study.

The irony is that the federal Clean Water Act was adopted precisely because state and local governments were thought to be doing a poor job of protecting the nations waterways, co-author Doug Kysar, a professor at Yale Law School, said in a statement.

States dont necessarily have incentives to adopt costly water protections when the benefits will be felt by ecosystems out of state, Kysar added.

Nonetheless, the Supreme Court in May 2023 determined the only entities protected are those relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water. These bodies, per the decision, form geographical features that are described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes.

In response, the Environmental Protection Agency then narrowed the scope of its Waters of the United States rule  determining that wetlands would only be protected if they have a clearer connection to permanent waterways.

Regardless of the recent downgrades in federal oversight of waterways, Kysar emphasized that contamination is a transboundary concern that affects interstate commerce.

The new study, he noted, demonstrates just how far downstream from an ephemeral waterway the ultimate impacts of pollution can be felt. He therefore stressed the importance of regulating temporary streams even if they dont meet historic definitions of navigable waters.

To back up this perspective, the scientists developed a model to quantify ephemeral stream contributions to more than 20.7 million permanent water bodies in the contiguous U.S.

They found that temporary waters flow less frequently in the U.S. West  about four to 46 days each year  compared to the East Coast, where they flow 173 days on average annually.

Yet despite their relatively infrequent occurrence in the U.S. West, ephemeral streams in this region are responsible for as much as 79 percent of downstream river flow. Their Eastern counterparts, on the other hand, are responsible for only about 50 percent on average, according to the study.

While ephemeral streams are fleeting by nature, a big rain event can mean that all of a sudden youre pushing the stuff thats been accumulating in those rivers downstream, lead author Craig Brinkerhoff, a recent PhD recipient from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In theory, pollution in those ephemeral streams will ultimately influence water many kilometers away that is, at least nominally, still regulated by the Clean Water Act, he added.

Although the ephemeral stream flow might have greater impacts on U.S. West rivers, Brinkerhoff noted that even humid East Coast areas with copious groundwater supplies are affected by these fleeting resources.

Colin Gleason, a University of Massachusetts Amherst professor of civil and environmental engineering, looked to his own watershed, the Connecticut River, as an example.

He stressed that while the Connecticut River has rules governing which pollutants can be released into the waterway, dumping that occurs in dry gullies uphill can end up in the rivers main stem.

On a day in which every stream in the Connecticut River is flowing with its average annual condition, 59 percent of the water entering Long Island Sound was sourced from these ephemeral streams, Gleason said.

Around the country, the researchers found that ephemeral connectivity is a substantial pathway for the transport of both water and pollutants  one that has the potential to influence the quality of this quintessential resource.

Our study provides more concrete evidence that all of these things are connected, Brinkerhoff added. We cant regulate water bodies ad hoc.

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An image of China's Chang'e 6 lander on the moon's far side, snapped by the mission's minirover. | Credit: CNSA

China's Chang'e 6 mission has successfully delivered to Earth the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon. But what became of the lander that collected the lunar material?

Chang'e 6 launched on May 3. The mission consisted of four spacecraft  an orbiter, lander, ascent vehicle and reentry capsule. The lander touched down in Apollo crater on June 1, with the main task of scooping and drilling for unique samples from the lunar far side and loading them into the ascender to be blasted into lunar orbit.

The samples eventually reached Earth on June 25, touching down as planned in grasslands in Inner Mongolia.

The Chang'e 6 lander, meanwhile, remains on the moon . It carried other payloads, including a panoramic imager and a tiny rover. Insights about the lander's fate came recently from the French space agency CNES, which contributed a radon-outgassing-detection payload called DORN to the mission.

Related: China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft finds long-sought particles on far side of the moon

"As planned, DORN was switched off shortly before Chang'e 6 lifted off from the lunar surface, when the ground platform became inactive," a CNES press attache stated in an email.

The blastoff of the ascender likely caused extensive damage to the lander, though the latter managed to capture footage of the event. Accordingly, all activities  including the autonomous deployment of the rover and imaging of the lander  were wrapped up before liftoff. This included another European instrument that recorded previously undetected charged particles on the moon's surface.

If any activities were conducted after the ascender's liftoff, these would have ceased by nightfall over Apollo crater. Unlike the still-operational Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4 landers on the lunar near and far sides, respectively, Chang'e 6's lander did not carry the radioisotope heaters needed for long-term activities on the moon, which requires surviving the deep cold of the long lunar night. Nighttime in Apollo crater began on June 11, and the sun rose again over the site on June 26.

Meanwhile, the ascender, which carried the samples from the moon to the waiting Chang'e 6 spacecraft in lunar orbit, is now also out of action. Though China's space authorities have not commented on the fate of the ascender, the rocket was likely responsibly deorbited into the moon after it docked with the orbiter and transferred the samples.

Radio amateur Scott Tilley tracked signals from the ascender, with their absence suggesting it had been instructed to impact the moon.

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China appears to have enacted the sample protocol with its Chang'e 5 mission, which returned samples from the moon's near side to Earth in late 2020.

With all other aspects wrapped up, the reentry capsule and the samples within it were transported to Beijing on Wednesday (June 26). The samples will soon be transferred to specially developed facilities for storage, analysis and distribution for research.

Meanwhile, the Queqiao 2 lunar relay satellite, which helped facilitate the far side sample mission, will continue orbiting with its science payloads. It will support the ongoing Chang'e 4 mission and the upcoming Chang'e 7 mission, which will target the lunar south pole around 2026.
How hard will MO fight to keep Chiefs, Royals? Next year is critical, governor says

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday signaled that he does not have immediate plans to call lawmakers into a special session this year to respond to Kansas attempt to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals across state lines.

But Parson, a Republican who terms out of office after this year, told reporters that the next year will be critical to keeping the teams in Missouri.

Not that I know of, Parson said when asked whether he was considering a special session. But, again, were gonna be having some conversations here in the very near future with a lot of people in the Kansas City regionI think everybody understands that weve got to put something together to compete.

The Republican governor, a staunch Chiefs fan with a tattoo honoring the team, made his comments in his Capitol office in front of both Lombardi trophies from the Chiefs recent Super Bowl victories. The trophies were in Jefferson City on Thursday as part of a celebration at the Missouri Capitol.

But the teams future in the state loomed over the day of celebration. Kansas lawmakers this month passed an aggressive plan to potentially poach the Chiefs and Royals with more than a billion dollars in bonds. Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill this week.

Missouri lawmakers, who ended their annual session last month, have not rushed to respond to Kansas directly. However, at least one top lawmaker told The Star that lawmakers could consider holding a special session after the August primary elections.

Parson on Thursday signaled that a special session is not likely to come soon. But he also stressed a sense of urgency to come up with a plan to respond to Kansas.

Probably the next year is critical  so, I think, how you put a plan together and how you may finance that plan, he said. But the reality of it is, you cant just let month after month go by not doing anything while your competitor over there is doing something all the time.

The Republican governor said his office has been talking with representatives from both teams. He acknowledged that the state would have to spend some money to keep them but did not offer specifics (including whether the state should offer a bonding plan similar to Kansas).

I think by the end of this year, were going to have something in place to be able to say where were going and to hopefully be able to say what I believe the state should do, he said.

Kansas push to attract the teams comes after Jackson County voters in April rejected a stadium tax in April that would have effectively guaranteed the teams would stay in Missouri after their 25-year leases expire in January 2031.

The Kansas plan, critics say, has potentially reignited a years-old economic border war between the two states. But Parson on Thursday rejected that argument, echoing attempts by both states to contain the conflict to the future of the teams.

I dont really think of it as the border war, he said. All Im telling you is were going to do everything we can to make sure they stay.
Two Harvard University task forces aimed at tackling antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias released preliminary recommendations Wednesday, finding discrimination faced by both Muslim and Jewish students.

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim and Anti-Arab Bias and the Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism both found Jewish and Muslim members of the Harvard community saying they have gone through a state of uncertainty, abandonment, threat, and isolation, and a pervasive climate of intolerance and faced shunning, harassment, and intimidation.

People of color from other groups and identities  often Black and South Asian students  shared experiences of racism and hatred because they were allies, or because they were misidentified as Arab, Muslim, or Palestinian, the task force on anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias preliminary recommendations read.

Muslim women who wear hijab and pro-Palestinian students wearing keffiyehs spoke about facing verbal harassment, being called terrorists, and even being spat upon, the recommendations continued.

On the other hand, the recommendations by the task force on antisemitism said that Israeli students have faced dire conditions.

They have frequently been subject to derision and social exclusion, the recommendations read. Discrimination, bullying, or harassment based on an individuals Israeli nationality is a gross violation of University policy and, beginning immediately, must be both publicly condemned and subject to substantive disciplinary action.

Tensions between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel factions on American college campuses erupted amid the current war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Pro-Palestinian protestors on campuses faced accusations of antisemitism, which they pushed back on.

The work ahead of us will require concerted effort. As both task forces work towards final recommendations, their preliminary recommendations offer a path forward, Harvards interim president, Alan Gerber, said in a message Wednesday. We will commence detailed review and implementation of the shorter-term recommendations over the summer.

Updated on June 27 at 9:40 a.m. EDT

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo: Official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 27. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has directed to integrate "green economy" indicators into regional development plans, Trend reports.

According to the official website of the PM, Bektenov made this announcement during a meeting of the Council on Transition to a Green Economy in the government.

"The Prime Minister instructed regional administrations, in collaboration with relevant central government bodies, to include measures aimed at achieving "green economy" indicators in the draft plan. Subsequently, these target indicators should be integrated into regional development plans," the statement reads.

Bektenov emphasized that the new Presidential Decree on updating the Concept for Transition to a Green Economy sets current target indicators for reducing air pollution, increasing the manufacturing of organic products, and implementing water-saving technologies. The transition to a green economy must be accelerated at all levels.

He also noted that the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, together with the Chamber of Commerce of Kazakhstan and relevant industry associations and organizations, should address the issue of co-financing activities for the development of industry guides planned for 2025-2027.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that significant attention is being paid to balanced territorial development as part of the transition to a green economy.
HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN)  One person was arrested on multiple charges after a SWAT situation in Wimberley on Thursday morning, according to the Hays County Sheriffs Office.

Around 3 a.m., the Hays County SWAT Team conducted a warrant service in the 4000 block of Ledgerock Road, HCSO said in a news release.

The SWAT team apprehended Raymond Banda, 52. The apprehension was carefully planned while ensuring the safety of everyone involved, the release said.

Raymond Banda, 52 | Courtesy Hays County Sheriffs Office

Banda was taken into custody without incident and was booked into the Hays County Jail on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, terroristic threat family member/household and motion to revoke probation (Brown County), according to HCSO.

If anyone has any other information regarding this incident, they can contact the Hays County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-324-TIPS (8477), submit a tip on the Hays County Crime Stoppers website or email SO-PIO@co.hays.tx.us.

The case remained under investigation Thursday, and HCSO said more charges may follow.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
South Carolina State University was allocated $8 million by the state to fund STEM research and help develop the Savannah River National Laboratory, which provides students with hands-on experience.

This investment underscores the states commitment to preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow, ensuring they have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving STEM world, Dr. Frederick Evans, SC States provost and VP for academic affairs, said in a press release. Expanding access to STEM education empowers our youth to innovate, create, and drive our states future economic success.

SC State noted the significance of the recently allocated funds  they will help position the institution on a new level when it comes to research initiatives and the marketability of its graduates in STEM fields. Its also the only institution in South Carolina and the nations only HBCU to offer a bachelors degree in nuclear engineering.

The state allocated an initial $40 million toward the Research Partnerships and Workforce Training Programs, which encompasses SC State, the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. SC State will receive $8 million and was promised additional funding as objectives are met. The institution outlined a five-year plan, during which the initial grant will offer support for the first two years, while additional funding would be allocated later on. SC State is hoping to reach Research II status, which would allow the university to apply for more federal and corporate funding for research-driven initiatives.

The $8 Million allocation is a huge blessing to the university and the STEM-T College, SC State dean Dr. Stanley Ihekweazu said in the same press release mentioned earlier. Through this appropriation, we hope to be able to do a number of things including but not limited to hiring research scientists to conduct research especially as we quicken our steps into R2 status, offering scholarships to students, and acquiring needed equipment.

The funding will go toward supporting the employment of 12 new research faculty in environmental engineering, biology, chemistry and radiochemistry, health physics, nuclear engineering, as well as cybersecurity and networking. It will also help develop three STEM centers on campus and establish two pre-college institutes  one for young students and one for teachers. The recent allocation will fund scholarships and internships for undergraduate students, as well as develop lab facilities.
Fireworks have been an American tradition since the first Independence Day. But theyre not exactly harmless fun. Trips to emergency departments for fireworks-related injuries have risen every year since 2007, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Fireworks can affect long-term health too, since they release contaminants that can affect air quality and, as a result, human health.

Heres what to know about the health risks of fireworksand what you can do to protect yourself.

They could trigger respiratory issues

Fireworks lead to a spike in particulate matter, which is the same type of air pollution caused by wildfire smoke. Plus, the brilliant colors splashed across the night sky are created by an array of potentially toxic metals, says Terry Gordon, a professor in the department of environmental medicine at NYU Langone Health. Theres lots of different metals they use for the colors that you shouldn't be breathing, he says.

Researchers have long known that fine particles are linked to short- and long-term health concerns like respiratory and heart disease, low birth weight, neurological diseases, and even early death. Little research, however, has focused on risks specifically related to fireworks, which means scientists can only hypothesize about how they might affect health. Just by pure logic, because of the high concentrations of these particles and the metals, they should have adverse health effects, Gordon says. But were not keeping track of that. Anecdotally, he adds, youve probably heard of someone coughing or developing a sore throat after a fireworks display. But more research is needed to determine how much of a role factors like proximity and duration of exposure play in risk.

Read More: How to Cool Your Body Down Fast

In general, people with preexisting conditions like asthma and heart disease, as well as children and the elderly, should take precautions around fireworks. There are a variety of protective steps you can take, says Jun Wu, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of California, Irvines program in public health. (Wu has researched fireworks-related spikes in particulate matter.) If fireworks are being set off in your vicinity, close your windows and doors, she suggests. What level of exposure you get depends on your activity levelsfor instance, whether youre outdoorsand, if youre indoors, how leaky your house is, Wu says. If you have to go outside, wearing a [N95] mask would be good.

Fireworks increase the risk of injuries

According to the CPSC, there were 11 fireworks-related deaths in the U.S. in 2022, plus an estimated 10,200 injuries. The majority (65%) involved men, and most of them occurred around the Fourth of July holiday. Fireworks can be deadly when mishandled, the agency stresses, but theres also another threat: In 2022, 43% of tested fireworks contained illegal components like fuses that dont comply with the law. That can increase the likelihood of something going awry.

Every year, Dr. Joshua Feinstein, an emergency room physician at Memorial Hermann in Houston, treats patients who have been rushed to the hospital because of at-home fireworks mishaps. Many didnt time things right and were standing too close to the explosion; alcohol is often involved, which means people might not be exercising common sense, and their movement could be impaired. Often, kids simply dont understand the blast radius and get too close, Feinstein says. Sometimes you have fireworks that dont seem to go offtheyre termed a dudbut the problem is, they're not really a dud, he adds. Theyre just taking too long, so people approach them. Then, boomthey go off. Among the most common injuries are serious burns, facial trauma, hand fractures and lacerations that can lead to finger loss, and leg injuries.

Read More: The Dirty Secret of Alternative Plastics

Feinstein cautions against setting off fireworks at home. But if youre determined to do so, make sure you have a bucket of water nearby for emergencies; pour it on duds that dont ignite. Set up in a clear area from anything that could be flammable, and only light one at a time. Afterward, soak used fireworks in water for a few hours before disposing of them.

And keep in mind that, while they might seem innocuous, sparklers are also dangerous. They burn at about 2,000Fhot enough to melt some metalsand can quickly ignite clothing. You gotta be very careful, Feinstein says. People view them as being safer because they're not exploding, but that ignores serious risks, especially among kids. If someone is jumping around holding a sparkler, for example, they could accidentally whack someone else with it; even once the sparkler is spent, the rod will be hot and can lead to burns.

They can cause temporary hearing loss

The booming explosions that accompany fireworks displays can damage your earsand the closer you are to them, the higher the risk. As the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association points out, you could develop noise-induced hearing loss, which is preventable but irreversible. Even a single loud blast that lasts for less than a second can cause permanent damage.

Fortunately, theres an easy solution: Wear earplugs or headphones that muffle the blasts. Theres no reason to be ashamed, Feinstein says. Its very reasonable to wear [protection]. Plus, as he points out, earplugs wont dampen your enjoyment of the display. You can feel the explosion, and you can still hear it, he says. Its not like youre not hearing it, and it will save your hearing in the long run.

You might hurt your eyes

Eye injuries account for 16% of fireworks-related incidents each year, according to the CPSC. If youre setting them off at home and are too close, everything that can go wrong with an eye can go wrong when a firework explodes, says Dr. David Sola-Del Valle, an ophthalmologist at OSF HealthCare in Urbana, Ill. You can get a retinal detachment. You can get a corneal abrasion or corneal burn. You can get a ruptured eyeball, which we call an open-globe injury, where the firework goes in the eye and you need immediate surgery.

Many of these injuries can lead to permanent vision loss. One of the worst accidents Sola-Del Valle can recall involved a patient who had already lost one eye to glaucomaand, after a fireworks mishap, lost the other. It can be incredibly life-changing, he says. You have to be vigilant.

Read More: How to Have a Truly Restful Vacation

So whats the best way to ensure your eyes remain intact? For starters, always view fireworks from at least 500 feet away, Sola-Del Valle advises. If youre setting them off, wear eye protection like safety glasses or goggles, even if you consider yourself an expert. If something does go wrong, call 911, and instruct the injured person not to rub their eye, rinse it with water, or apply pressure. If something gets stuck in your eye, don't get it out, Sola-Del Valle adds. You can end up harming the eye more than the injury itself. Its also important not to take any potential blood thinners, including aspirin or ibuprofen. He says hes seen patients quickly swallow some to help their painbut the meds caused even more bleeding inside the eye.

In general, Sola-Del Valle stresses, its best to leave the fireworks to the professionals, and to keep a safe distance if youre merely a bystander. That can help ensure you enjoy the displayinstead of blowing up your healthy life.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
The Cole County Courthouse in Jefferson City (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)

Attorneys representing transgender minors and health care providers squabbled with the Missouri Attorney Generals Office Wednesday over thousands of documents both sides say are being wrongfully withheld.

At its core, the case seeks to determine whether the states ban on gender-affirming care for minors is lawful. The lawsuit was filed by the families of three transgender minors, Southampton Healthcare, two of Southamptons providers and two national advocacy organizations, saying the ban could have extremely serious, negative health consequences for transgender youth.

The attorney general filed a counterclaim alleging Southampton Healthcare, which provides gender-affirming care, did not fully disclose risks when treating transgender youth.

A trial is scheduled for late September, and attorneys are in the process of deposing witnesses. The deadline to send responsive documents to the other party passed, but both plaintiffs and defendants were unhappy with how much the other side has willingly turned over.

Wright County Circuit Court Judge Craig Carter, who is stepping into Cole County Circuit Court for this case, said it would take time to rule on each exception the parties found to requests for discovery.

Jim Lawrence, an attorney for the plaintiffs, argued that the state has withheld documents citing exceptions not backed by state law.

Lawrence told the judge the parties would be here until next week if he were to explain every document he is requesting. He displayed a powerpoint with a chart of the objections from the attorney generals office and the corresponding evidentiary requests.

Peter Donahue, assistant attorney general for special litigation, said the state went through a burdensome process of reviewing 100,000 documents that matched search terms in investigatory requests and spent $25,000 taking the time to narrow the lot to what is relevant and not deemed protected  which ended up being 2.6% of those files.

If the state reviewed 100,000 (documents) and only 2,600 are relevant That is an impossible fact to digest, Lawrence said. That doesnt pass the smell test.

Included in the states objections were documents protected by gubernatorial privilege, Lawrence said. This impacted almost half of the requests for production issued to the office of Gov. Mike Parson.

Gubernatorial privilege, Lawrence argued, doesnt exist. He said there isnt legal precedent in Missouri for it.

The idea of an executive privilege was discussed during the attorney generals investigation of former Gov. Eric Greitens, with many dismissing the excuse as illegitimate.

They are asking you to be the first court in the state of Missouri to declare gubernatorial privilege, Lawrence told the judge.

Donahue said he hadnt seen the privilege successfully invoked in Missouri, but it was widely recognized across the nation.

We are just talking about communications between the governor and his close circle, Donahue said. This is not a unique concept in the gubernatorial process.

Carter asked what types of documents have been withheld from discovery under gubernatorial privilege. Lawrence listed off a handful of examples, including policies and procedures related to enforcement of the act.

Even if (gubernatorial privilege) does exist, it wouldnt apply to all that, he said.

Let us know what you think...

Donahue said the objection was an add-on privilege for some of the documents, where another exception would have already protected the information from disclosure.

Lawrence tossed an arm up at the admission, then folding his arms and furrowing his brow.

His argument really goes to why we are here today, he said. If you are asserting a privilege and withholding information based upon a privilege, you have to put that.

It is written in the privilege log, Donahue said. A privilege log is a file that describes the documents withheld and the privileges asserted to protect them.

Lawrence also took issue with claims of attorney-client privilege that protected Jamie Reed, a witness in the case and whistleblower following her work at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Childrens Hospital. Reeds affidavit alleging quick medicalization of transgender minors launched the attorney generals investigation of gender-affirming care and was a main talking point when lawmakers discussed a ban for minors.

The attorney general isnt Reeds lawyer, Lawrence said, so his office shouldnt argue attorney-client privilege for documents related to her.

Plaintiffs subpoenaed Reed separately and received a letter she sent to the attorney general. That letter should have also been sent by the attorney generals office responsive to the investigative requests, but plaintiffs didnt get it, Lawrence said.

Other exceptions include external communications allegedly withheld as work product and many documents sealed under investigative privilege.

Lawrence said they did not receive the responses the public gave to a tip line the attorney general opened to report complaints about gender-affirming care, but that information was compiled for outside sources. Indeed, St. Louis Public Radio requested the responses in a Sunshine Request and received the compilation a year later.

Donahue also argued Southampton was withholding documents. He said he received informational pamphlets from Southampton but wanted medical records of four or five patients that received gender-affirming care as minors.

The judge questioned why he needed these particular documents.

These documents are relevant to our counterclaim that plaintiffs have been inaccurate about the types of harm that can come from these treatments, Donahue said.

He argued gender-affirming care providers werent always truthful  a claim patients have disputed when their care is questioned.

It essentially amounts to snake-oil salesmanship, if true, he said.

He wanted to get access to records showing what doctors have discussed with patients and letters of support from mental-health professionals, which he said sometimes have irregularities.

Complaints from the attorney generals office about these letters have led to the investigations of 57 health professionals, putting their licenses at risk. As of early May, 16 cases were open in the probe by the Department of Professional Registration.

Jason Orr, another attorney representing plaintiffs, said the state may ask Southamptons physicians questions but cant ask for patients private records.

Southampton does not have the ability to waive their doctor-patient privilege, and in fact, they are required to exercise it on their behalf, he said.

There are currently four cases open between healthcare providers and the attorney general where providers are fighting requests to hand over medical records.

Southamptons patients are not the plaintiffs in the case at hand, Orr said.

Plaintiffs PFLAG and GLMA, two advocacy organizations, have not been complying with requests for documents, Donahue argued.

He said he hasnt received anything from the two organizations, despite the deadline already passing.

Orr said the request led to 20,000 documents that attorneys are working in good faith to narrow down and deliver. He hoped for it to be ready by the end of the week, complaining that the request was sent one month before the deadline.

This was an issue that was created in part by defendants timing, he said.

At the start of the hearing Wednesday, Solicitor General Josh Divine mentioned a federal case that may change their proceedings.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case on Tennessees ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

There are additional claims in the case before Carter, Orr said.

Carter said to keep him updated if the case will be affected.

Were going to keep marching on until we hear something different, he said.

Half of U.S. states have a restriction on gender-affirming care for minors, with litigation blocking some states bans.

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The post Hearing over Missouris ban on gender-affirming care focuses on withheld documents appeared first on Missouri Independent.
My heart is broken: Family gives tearful testimony at sentencing in 2022 homicide

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET)  An uncomfortably quiet home. A daughter who will never meet her father. A void at family gatherings.

The death of 27-year-old Andrew John Camacho, shot during a confrontation in 2022, continues to make itself felt in many ways, family said Wednesday.

His mother said Camachos room remains untouched. It still smells like him. Reminders like that prove difficult to bear.

My heart is broken, she told a Superior Court judge Wednesday.

Camachos mother and two sisters  all of of whom struggled through tears as they addressed the court, pausing at times to collect themselves  asked Judge Eric Bradshaw to reject the plea deal reached with Camachos killer. They argued the slaying deserves a life term behind bars.

Bradshaw followed the terms of the plea bargain and sentenced Victor Rivera to 21 years in prison.

Rivera, 37, last month pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. A charge of first-degree murder was dismissed.

Valerie Moriel, Camachos eldest sister, said she spoke to him two hours before he was killed. She tried to call him later from work and got no answer.

Five days passed before his death was confirmed, Moriel said.

Camachos daughter was born two months later. The child, now 1, knows her father only through photos, Moriel said.

Losing my brother has left me nothing but sadness, she told the court.

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Witness statements, surveillance video and the recovery of handgun parts in a van driven by Rivera led to his arrest two days after the Nov. 1, 2022, shooting, according to court documents.

The owner of a Ford Mustang seen on surveillance video at the time of the shooting told police Rivera, driving a GMC Yukon, accused him of popping his tires.

The Mustang owner said he didnt know what Rivera was talking about. Another man  Camacho  approached while they talked.

He and Rivera began arguing, the Mustang owner told police, and Rivera said, Youre the (expletive) I was looking for, and You want to do this?

Soon after, Rivera fired multiple shots, the man told detectives.

Detectives arrested Rivera after stopping him in a white work van. He gave them a false name, the documents say, and police seized a handgun barrel and firing pin from his right pocket.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17.
LINCOLN  Jim Martel found the Purple Heart medal as he was cleaning out a house he'd bought in Pawtucket, and he knew he had to get it back to the family.

Sifting through the contents of the house on Crane Street last year, it was clear to Martel that his hands were touching generations of memories.

Martel didn't know it at the time, but the previous occupant was a man who had grown up in the house, leaving only when it was time to move into a nursing home at more than 100 years old.

Throwing away most everything that had been left behind, Martel held onto a pair of gold rings and the Purple Heart, which is awarded to U.S. service members who have been wounded or killed in war.

Because Martel and the seller closed their ends of the sale on different days, Martel never met the seller. He wondered how he'd get the rings and the medal back where they belonged.

Last Friday, David Arone, right, a nephew of Joseph J. Costa, World War II medic and posthumous Purple Heart recipient, met Jim Martel at his shop, Martel Plumbing and Heating in Lincoln, where Martel returned the Purple Heart he found in a house he bought on Crane Street in Pawtucket.

More: For Museum of World War II founder, this D-Day anniversary might be the most important ever

Martel held onto the Purple Heart for a few months before deciding to post photographs of it on Facebook with the following message: "I found this Purple Heart in a property I purchased on Crane St in Pawtucket RI. The name is Joseph Costa. If anyone knows a relative I would love to get it to them."

Post draws strong response on Facebook

That's when the Internet sleuths went to work. The message was shared 8,400 times. Of the more than 200 comments on the post, many gave advice on possible connections and where Martel should look. The search was complicated because Costa is a popular name in Rhode Island and apparently many Costas have served their country.

Martel's listing the street name in his post, and posting photographs of the medal, which included the recipient's middle initial  Joseph J. Costa  were important clues.

In the box with the Purple Heart, Jim Martel also found a box of slides taken by Joseph J. Costa while he was stationed at Manila Bay, in the Philippines (pictured), as a medic.

One Facebook user found a 2008 obituary for the recipient's 90-year-old brother. Another, Mike Halloran of Saunderstown, was able to uncover an announcement of James R. Costa's death during World War II published in The Providence Journal six decades ago.

Halloran also found and posted a March photograph of Costa's brother, John, from the Valley Breeze newspaper as he celebrated his 102nd birthday at the Grandview Center nursing home in Cumberland. John Costa had moved into the nursing home from the longtime family home on Crane Street in Pawtucket.

More: She missed him until the day she died: RI woman never forgot first love, who died in WWII

David Arone, left, talks with Jim Martel in Martel's shop last Friday. Martel found a pair of rings and a Purple Heart in a house he'd bought in Pawtucket and was determined to return them to their rightful owners.

Martel's Facebook post was brought to the attention of James J. Costa's grandnephew, Douglas Arone, who told his father, David Arone. David Arone's mother was the sister of James and John Costa. Arone serves as trustee for John Costa, who never married or had children.

"I'm 87 years old. I don't go on Facebook much," David Arone said.

Last Friday, Arone met Martel at his shop, Martel Plumbing and Heating in Lincoln, where Martel returned the Purple Heart.

"It's nice to have it back with the family," Martel said.

"I was surprised when it turned up," Arone said.

The Purple Heart awarded posthumously to Joseph J. Costa, who was a medic when he was killed in the Pacific in 1943.

His brother's death in World War II hit hard

Halloran, who went to school with Martel, said, "I was happy to play a small role in reuniting the Purple Heart and appreciate Johns service and the ultimate sacrifice paid by his brother Joseph."

Joseph J. Costa was a medic when he was killed in the Pacific in 1943. John Costa and another brother, Frank, also served during World War II. John Costa is the last survivor of seven siblings. David Arone and another nephew, Daniel Moitozo, take turns visiting with him daily.

David Arone brought the medal to show John Costa and let him know it had been found. His brother's death, when they were both in their early 20s, hit John Costa hard.

"He was always talking about Joe and what happened to him," David Arone said. "It stayed with him."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Lost Medal, Found Legacy: A RI homeowner returned a lost Purple Heart
Police clash with protesters in Kenya as the military patrols the streets

Kenya army soldiers patrol around Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, June 27, 2024. Heavy security was deployed Thursday in Kenya's capital Nairobi ahead of planned protests against a controversial finance bill, despite the president's decision not to sign it after the plans sparked deadly chaos in the capital Tuesday and saw protesters storming and burning part of the parliament building. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Police in Kenyas capital hurled tear gas Thursday to break up anti-tax protesters who continued to gather despite President William Rutos repudiation of unpopular tax legislation that prompted deadly unrest earlier in the week.

The finance legislation has drawn fierce resistance from a Kenyan public reeling from higher costs of living, especially from younger protesters, who stormed parliament on Tuesday and drew police fire in chaos that left several people dead  reportedly as many as 22.

Protesters who continued gather Thursday said they still dont trust Ruto despite him sending the finance bill back to parliament with a vow to make budget cuts to replace the proposed new taxes and fees on a range of items and services, from egg imports to bank transfers.

Thursday's protests were at a smaller scale than Tuesday's, and every attempt by demonstrators to congregate was met by pushback from the police. The military also has been patrolling the city, despite a Wednesday court order that suspended their deployment to support police during the protests.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday urged the young protesters to call off any planned protests and give dialogue a chance.

The leaderless movement began online with young people demanding that legislators reject the proposed tax hikes. It later morphed into calls for the president's resignation after the bill was passed. On Tuesday, thousands of protesters stormed Kenya's parliament, burning parts of the building and sending lawmakers fleeing. Police opened fire and at least 22 people were reportedly killed.

Activists were divided about the agenda of Thursday's protests. One protester, Boniface Mwangi, urged others to peacefully march to parliament road where protesters were killed to pay their respects. Invasion of the State House isnt a solution," he wrote on X.

But Francis Gaitho, one of the many activists mobilizing the protests online, insisted that young people should march to the presidential residence, or State House.

Activists and others warned that the stakes were higher than in past protests, because Ruto vowed on Tuesday to quash unrest at whatever cost."

Analyst Javas Bigambo told The Associated Press that the discontent is partly because Kenyans don't trust the president to implement the austerity measures he announced on Wednesday.

Kenyans still have a problem with the economy and wastage in government," he said.

Bigambo said Rutos U-turn should be a lesson on humility as his initial reaction to this week's wave of protests on Tuesday was not stately and full of emotions, further agitating the protesters. He said the government should win back the populace by opening dialogue channels and ensuring a consultative budgeting process.

Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula on Thursday referred the president's memorandum on the finance bill to the finance committee, which is expected to report back to the house in the next sitting. Parliament is on recess until July 23.

Businesspeople in Nairobi were standing guard outside their shops on Thursday to prevent looting and vandalism, which took place during Tuesday's protests. Major roads leading to key government buildings, including parliament, have been blocked.

Outside Nairobi, protests have been reported in Mombasa, Kisumu, Migori and other major towns.

The International Monetary Fund, which had agreed with the Kenyan government on reforms that were to be implemented with the new tax plan, said on Wednesday that it was concerned about the tragic events in the country.

The IMF is closely monitoring the situation in Kenya. Our main goal in supporting Kenya is to help it overcome the difficult economic challenges it faces and improve its economic prospects and the well-being of its people, read a statement.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday spoke with Ruto, thanking him for taking steps to reduce tensions.

The secretary underscored the importance of security forces demonstrating restraint and refraining from violence and encouraged prompt investigations into allegations of human rights abuses, a statement read.

Ruto has been embraced by Washington as a welcome, stable partner in Africa, while frustration grows elsewhere on the continent with the U.S. and other Western powers.

In May, Ruto went to Washington in the first state visit by an African leader in 16 years. On Tuesday, as the protests erupted, the U.S. designated Kenya as its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic act but one highlighting their security partnership. Also Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an initiative that brought thanks from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Here's what to expect if you're riding the bus during the Republican National Convention

Bus riders can expect delays and should factor in extra time to travel during the Republican National Convention. Officials are expecting tens of thousands of visitors to Wisconsin and thousands of police officers in the city during the week of July 15-18.

Here's what to know if you're planning on taking the bus during the convention.

What part of downtown Milwaukee is restricted to the general public?

The U.S. Secret Service on released a map of the security zones for the Republican National Convention during a meeting on Friday, June 21, 2024, in downtown Milwaukee. The convention will be centered at Fiserv Forum, UWM Panther Arena and the Baird Center on July 15-18.

The "hard zone," or the area that is controlled by the Secret Service with credentials required to enter, will encompass Fiserv Forum, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Baird Center, the main spaces where the convention will take place.

The irregularly shaped area, also referred to as the "pedestrian restricted perimeter" stretches from West McKinley Avenue on the north to just past West Wisconsin Avenue to the south. The area encompasses Pere Marquette Park on the east side and stretches past North Lovell Street on the west.

Restrictions for this area will begin at 6 p.m. on July 14.

RELATED: Fenced-in perimeter, demonstration areas for RNC announced. What to know.

Will MCTS bus routes be impacted by the restrictions in downtown Milwaukee?

MCTS is encouraging riders to stay up to date on detours by checking the Umo App, or visiting RideMCTS.com/Alerts, and following MCTS social media accounts at @RideMCTS.

Detours could start as soon as July 11 and run through the convention and the day after it ends. MCTS is serving existing bus stops located outside the security perimeter.

Five temporary stops will be added in each direction on Milwaukee Street.

Service is expected to return to normal when the fencing and street closures end on July 19. Here's a map of which routes will be affected by the convention.

Milwaukee County Transit System will add five temporary stops in each direction on Milwaukee Street during the RNC.

Fourteen MCTS routes will be most impacted by the RNC:

How will MCTS's Transit Plus vans be affected by the RNC?

MCTS's Transit Plus vans will be able to enter the Vehicle Screening Perimeter for scheduled drop-offs only. Those planning to ride paratransit should download the My Transit Manager app on their phone to track trips in real-time.

Visitors can request ADA visitor status by calling 414-343-1701 at least one day prior to arrival. Paratransit riders will be subject to the same security screening as others.

How to use the Umo App:

As you're boarding an MCTS bus, you can scan your QR code in your app wallet on the WisGo validator on your left as you enter the bus. You'll hear a chime and see a green light if your app is accepted, and a buzz and red light if the app isn't accepting the payment.

Remember that MCTS is now charging for riders to board the CONNECT 1 BRT line. Unlike for the other routes, riders must prepay and validate their fare at the bus shelters before boarding the bus.

Download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Create an account on the Umo app to register your phone.

After you scan, you can board any MCTS bus with a free transfer for up to 90 minutes. If you board again after 90 minutes, you'll be charged again for a second fare. Fares are capped at $4 per day, $19.50 per week and $72 per month.

For more information:

MCTS riders can stay up to date on detours and changes by checking the Umo App and on RideMCTS.com/Alerts. You can also follow MCTS social media accounts at @RideMCTS.

You can visit of call MCTS offices during normal business hours during the RNC:

MCTS Administrative Office: 1942 N. 17th Street in Milwaukee; 414-937-3218

Customer Service Call Center: 414-937-3218

Kinnickinnic Station : 1710 S. Kinnickinnic Ave #1716 in Milwaukee

Fond du Lac Station: 3343 W. Fond du Lac Ave #3201 in Milwaukee

Tristan Hernandez and Alison Dirr contributed to this report.

RELATED From the museum to Jazz in the Park, here's what will be closed in Milwaukee during the RNC

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MCTS bus riders should expect route changes during Milwaukee's RNC
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 27. Exports of oil products from Kyrgyzstan to Saudi Arabia increased significantly from January through April 2024, Trend reports.

According to the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, 1,583 tons of oil products were shipped to Saudi Arabia from January through April 2024, which is 21 times higher than in the same period last year (75 tons).

The supplies also saw a significant increase in value, going from $84,800 to $1.7 million.

During the reporting period, Kyrgyzstan exported petroleum products totaling 67,781 tons, with a value of $43.2 million. The export value climbed by 52.4 percent to $28.3 million from January to April 2023, while the export volume increased by 74.3 percent to 38.884 tons over the same time in 2023.

To note, the trade turnover of Kyrgyzstan for the reporting period amounted to $5.1 billion and increased by 27.7 percent compared to JanuaryApril 2023.

Meanwhile, in the period from January through April 2023, export shipments reached a total of $760.6 million, showing a significant increase of 19.7 percent. Import earnings saw a significant 29.2 percent year-over-year increase, reaching a total of $4.4 billion.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Hickory man sentenced to 11 years for extensive inventory of child porn: DOJ

HICKORY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Chad Joseph Caesar, 39 of Hickory was sentenced to 132 months in prison, plus a lifetime of supervised release for receipt of child pornography.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing in February 2023, the Hickory Police Department was notified that Caesars computer had been flagged by his employer for a security violation.

Hickory Police initiated the investigation, which led to executing a search warrant for Caesars residence.

Law enforcement seized Caesars electronic devices. Following being analyzed forensically, it was revealed that his devices contained an extensive inventory of child pornography. More than 50,000 images and videos were found depicting sexual abuse of children and bestiality.

Court records show that Caears collection included images and videos of over 250 victims who have previously been identified by name.

Many of those identified victims submitted victim impact statements for the Courts consideration at sentencing.

Commenting on those statements, Judge Bell noted, When you read their letters they are forever abused They live in fear for the rest of their lives.

On December 6, 2023, Caesar pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography.

Caesar remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

Both Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina and the Hickory Police Department joined together in investigating this case.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Heres how high Texas ranks in the FBIs 2023 report of active shootings in the U.S.

Texas had the second-highest amount of active shootings in America last year, a decrease in its ranking from 2022, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigations 2023 recently-released report on active shooter incidents.

The report, released this month, found a 5% decrease in U.S. shootings last year, down to 48 from 50 in 2022. Active shooters in those situations killed 105 people and wounded 139 others.

The FBI defines an active shooter as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.

Among the four Texas shootings listed for 2023, there were a total of 25 casualties. Eight people died and seven more were injured in the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets that May  a shooting the FBI identified as one of the top five-deadliest that year.

Twenty-six states reported incidents in 2023. California was the state with the highest number of shootings as classified by the FBI, at eight. Maine only had one active shooting, but that shooting had the highest number of casualties, where 18 people were killed and 13 others were injured.

The FBIs report does not include shooting incidents involving self-defense, gang violence, drug-related violence, residential or domestic disputes or hostages. The report also does not apply to shootings that were the result of another criminal act, or crossfire as a byproduct of another ongoing criminal act. If a shooter only harmed themselves, it was not considered for the report.

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The most recent numbers were an improvement for Texas. In 2022, the state had the most active shootings in the nation, according to the FBI. There were six shootings in Texas that year. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde  where 21 people were killed and 38 others were wounded  was the deadliest shooting in Texas history, and the second-deadliest in the U.S. in 2022.

2023 FBI active shootings data for U.S.

Washington state also had four active shootings last year. Those shootings resulted in 12 casualties. Two of those shootings happened at Puget Sound, and the others happened at a Circle K and the Gorge Amphitheater Campground.

Georgia and Pennsylvania tied at No. 3, both having three active shootings in 2023. The shootings in Georgia resulted in 14 casualties; Pennsylvanias shootings had 12.

The FBI found that most active shooting incidents (28) happened in open spaces like urban spaces, green spaces or parks, but commerce spaces  defined as businesses that are open or closed to pedestrians, or malls  had the most casualties, with 131 casualties in 14 shootings.

The rest of the shootings mentioned in the FBIs report took place in schools, residencies or health care facilities.

The FBI also found that most active shootings took place between noon and midnight. Thirty-two shootings were recorded in those afternoon and evening hours, while only 16 occurred between midnight and noon.

Finally, 15 of the 48 shootings qualify as mass killings, defined by the FBI as three or more killings in a single incident. Thats a 15% increase from 2022, according to the FBI.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)  Another hot one today! Little less hot Thursday as rain chances will be more scattered with localized heavy rain possible at times.

Rain chances will be spotty/scattered through the weekend with possible a touch lower rain chances next week, which could lead to more Heat Advisories or Excessive Heat Warnings.

In the tropics

National Hurricane Center is now highlighting two areas to watch over the next 7 days.

Its the second disturbance in the East-Central Atlantic that is gaining a lot of attention from global forecast model guidance, so we will discuss that area more thoroughly.

First: Invest 94L in the Caribbean remains unorganized. Low, 20% chance of tropical formation in the Western Caribbean & Southern Gulf through the weekend into early next week. Rainy conditions in Cancun/Cozumel & Belize this weekend.

Second: NHC is now giving a medium, 40% chance of development over the next 7 days in the central Atlantic. Expect these percentages to increase as model support continues to highlight increased odds of formation. While rare in this region of the Atlantic in late June/early July, with record warm water temperatures, there is credence to this potential.

Interests in the Leeward Islands/Lesser Antilles should closely monitor the development of this disturbance as impacts could arrive by early next week.

Saharan dust may slow development. However, environmental conditions appear quite conductive for development into a tropical storm other than the dust.

Long-range projections are highly uncertain, steering looks to move this system generally westward through the next 5 days. However, in terms of strength, model solutions range from this system going *poof* to this being a hurricane in the Caribbean in ~7 days.

Just something to casually keep an eye on for now. Remember, this system is 10+ days from EVER being anywhere close to the United States. We have a lot of time to watch this system. Dont get tropics fatigue in June.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
Hijab crackdown: Iran presidential candidates are ducking the issue. What does that mean for women?

LONDON  Nearly two years after Iran crushed a wave of women's rights protests, the hijab  the head cover that all women are required to wear in public by 45-year-old morality laws  has become so toxic that conservatives aligned with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appear to be dodging the issue.

As a moderate candidate gains ground ahead of Friday's presidential election, conservative politicians in the Islamic Republic are trying to distance themselves from lightning-rod laws forcing women to cover themselves.

The abrupt change shows how the political ground may be shifting following the surprise death last month of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Faced with a snap election campaign for his successor, some establishment candidates appear to be dodging an issue that's central to Iranian life.

"Even the conservative candidates are arguing against it, distancing themselves not only from the manner in which the protests were suppressed but from the law itself," said Trita Parsi, vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "Even among conservative voters, there is not majority support for imposing the hijab on others," he added.

"The consensus is that it should be a choice."

At least 500 Iranians killed in protests over hijab laws

At least 500 Iranians were killed in 2022 in fearless youth demonstrations after a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, died violently in police custody following a hijab-related arrest.

More: Iran president 'has blood on his hands': Ebrahim Raisi and Iran's prison massacres

Now, amid a new wave of headscarf arrests, candidates hand-picked by the clerical establishment are running the other way.

"No candidate wanted to affiliate themselves with the renewed hijab crackdown," said Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of London-based Amwaj Media. "That isn't to say they are opposed to hijab legislation. Rather it indicates how enforcement of the Islamic headscarf, amid campaign season, is a political liability."

"For a state that calls itself Islamic, this is quite striking."

Raisi's fatal helicopter crash and no "Plan B"

Friday's election wasn't part of Khamenei's plan.

Not long ago, conservative hardliners confidently ruled Iran, from the supreme leader on down. The passionate "Woman, Life and Freedom" protests of 2022 had been crushed, and President Raisi, a former prosecutor implicated in mass executions, appeared on track to replace 85-year-old Khamenei.

Then, last month, Raisi was killed when his helicopter smashed into a remote wooded mountainside. The constitution called for a speedy presidential vote.

Iran's police forces walk on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

"The conservatives had everything in place," Parsi said. "Raisi was on a pathway to replace Khamenei. All the pieces were in place  except they had powerfully alienated Iranian society."

No female candidates

Not anyone can run for president in Iran.

Women are out. So are non-Muslims. And non-Shia Muslims. Would-be candidates have to pass muster with the Guardian Council, a body of jurists appointed by Khameni. This year, six made the cut, five of them firm conservatives or hardliners.

More: 'Woman, life, liberty': Iran rights activist Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Peace Prize

The outlier is Massoud Pezeshkian, a former health minister who was disqualified in 2021. Pezeshkian has criticized enforcement of the headscarf laws without forcefully challenging Khamenei. He is "surging in most of the polls," Parsi said.

After Masha Amini was killed in 2022, Pezeshkian posted his dismay on social media: "In the Islamic Republic, it is unacceptable to arrest a girl for wearing a hijab and then hand over her body to her family...May God have mercy on us and our children..."

Pezeshkian said earlier this month that the new hijab crackdown "is leading us to darkness," IranWire reported.

Why did the clerics allow Pezeshkian to run this year after his earlier disqualification? "Its not clear if thats a course correction, or if they didnt have time for a Plan B" after Raisis shocking death, Parsi said.

Now, with the conservative vote split among three candidates  two hardliners, Vice President Ghazizadeh Hashemi and Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani, pulled out on the eve of the vote, seeking to consolidate conservative support  Pezeshkian stands a decent chance of reaching the runoff if enough reform-minded voters turn out.

Iran vote is 'meaningless,' some say

That's a big if.

Voters who talked with USA TODAY were mostly disillusioned with elections. Their concerns were dominated by an economy suffering from punishing U.S. sanctions. Fearing retribution, all the women interviewed agreed to speak only if their last names weren't used.

Shakiba, 26, a Tehran-based content creator, said candidates were trying to blame each other for the hijab laws and promising changes. She wasn't buying it.

"Some of them are very persuasive speakers," Shakiba said. "But I know my vote won't matter. Whatever happens, they will continue to enforce anti-women, Islamic laws."

Iranian presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian attends an election debate at a television studio in Tehran, Iran June 25, 2024. Morteza Fakhri Nezhad/IRIB/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Mina, a 30-year-old architect from Tehran, scoffed at the idea of the hijab as an important election issue.

"The real problem is the regime itself," she told USA TODAY. "Voting in Iran isn't just about casting a ballot. It's about the legitimacy of the entire system. This regime kills people and eliminates its opponents to ensure its survival and interests. Even if the hijab were made optional we would still be dealing with a bigger system that doesn't respect human rights."

Seyyed Mohammad Marandi, an Iranian-American political analyst at the University of Tehran, disputed the idea that the hijab law and woman's rights were an important campaign issue.

Iranian women walk on a street amid the implementation of the new hijab surveillance in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

"That's a silly take," Marandi, who previously served as an advisor to Iran's government on nuclear negotiations, said in a text message. "According to the polls, for over 90%, it's the economy."

But gender was on the minds of many.

Skipping the election

Eli, 39, a computer engineer, said that "as a woman from this society" she was skipping the election "for a clear reason."

The election, she said, is "meaningless."

Most candidates have written off younger voters as too disillusioned to participate.

In an intense discussion between Pezeshkian and a group of Gen Z Iranians aired on state television, one young man summed up the despair of his peers.

"Even if you become president for four or eight years, this country cannot be fixed," the student told Pezeshkian, Amwaj Media reported. The youth of Iran no longer say we do not want this person as president or that official in that position; they say we do not want this establishment at all."

Disaster, and an opportunity for Massoud Pezeshkian

Still, some analysts say Raisi's death created an unexpected opening.

Pezeshkian appears to be avoiding a clash with Khameni to forestall interference in the election, Parsi said. If he makes the second round, voters who sat on their hands in the first round might come out to push him over the top.

"Pezeshkian has pushed back against the very aggressive enforcement of the hijab laws," said Elise Auerbach, an Iran expert at Amnesty International.

And, while Iran's security agencies answer directly to the supreme leader, "if a president knows how to wield power, he can exert influence," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Presidential candidates in Iran dodging controversial hijab laws
It's been a surreal start to summer for Norris Hill, the Knoxville businessman who sold the majority of his Honeybee Coffee company to a charismatic self-proclaimed entrepreneur, only to find months later the man had driven away nearly the entire staff and singlehandedly tanked the store's reputation in a matter of weeks.

As a community of loyal customers and other business owners rally around Hill to help him save a beloved Knoxville brand from ruin, he is speaking out about Aaron Hensley, the man he says is behind the meltdown.

"I am writing to acknowledge and address the extent of my knowledge about the current state of affairs with Honeybee Coffee. Simply stated: I am appalled by the actions of Aaron Hensley," Hill said in a statement shared with Knox News. "I started Honeybee Coffee in 2017 and have taken much pride in it becoming a safe place of inclusion, kindness and respect for ALL people.

"The recent events, solely led by Hensley, are absolutely unacceptable, and I regret that those actions have been beyond my control. I am actively working to do everything I can to right the wrongs."

Hill had no previous business dealings with Hensley before the entrepreneur, CEO of business coaching company Rise USA, said he could pump capital into the business to help it thrive while driving down debt and growing the brand. Hensley took control of the company after signing a letter of intent for 80% stake in February, Hill said.

After sending out a series of strangely worded promotional text messages and emails beginning June 14 that offered $200 gift cards for just $100, Hensley wrote a Facebook post announcing two Honeybee locations would close for what he told Knox News were renovations to allow the shops to add a full restaurant menu.

Former Honeybee staff members say the two locations closed because so many baristas and managers walked out and that there was no one left to staff these stores. Honeybee stores in South Knoxville and Sevierville have stayed open with a handful of mostly recent hires.

On June 27, the South Knoxville location seemed to be operating as normal, except a single staff member was running the coffee bar instead of two. Hill paced outside the store on the phone with friends and lawyers trying to contain a spiraling situation.

"The support that the Honeybee Coffee I knew has received from the community has been overwhelming, and I am grateful," Hill said in the statement. "Knoxville is such a beautiful place to live and I cannot thank our customers and former employees enough for your support. I am working to gather all the facts in my quest to find solutions as I attempt to do all I can undo Hensleys wrongs and return Honeybee Coffee to the establishment it once was."

Hensley told Hill in a June 25 text that he wanted to "bow out" from the company, though he did not provide specifics about his exit.

Honeybee staff go unpaid as new owner fades from view

Hensley has not paid any employee he hired, including for many hours of overtime, and maintains control of the company's accounts, Hill said. The rogue owner has not been in contact with his staff or with Hill.

While Hensley agreed to an interview with Knox News on June 25, his phone number was disconnected a day later. The Honeybee Facebook page also was taken down, along with several other social media pages for Hensley's companies, including Rise USA.

Hensley removed the option for baristas to get tips from customers, telling Knox News that paying employees a $500 weekly salary  while also raising prices for coffee and other items  would improve the brand.

Norris Hill, founder of Honeybee Coffee, is working to "right the wrongs" of the business's new owner, who ran off staff and drove away loyal customers. Hill, pictured here, is working with attorneys to evaluate his options.

Hensley told staff they would work anywhere from 20 to 60 hours a week under the salary model, said Chad Kinder, a barista who quit in June after working at Honeybee for more than a year. In a job offer to one prospective hire, Hensley said the employee could earn 1% of gross store sales if it met revenue goals he set himself.

"People were quitting and they weren't hiring anybody and so the staff was dwindling and the hours were changing. The rest of us that were still there had to work more," Kinder told Knox News. "(Hensley) made it so that he was the only person that can hire."

Knox News visuals editor Jennifer Dedman and husband Steve Dedman, who served as head brewer when beer was added to the operation in 2021, are no longer involved with the company.

After a torrent of negative stories about Hensley were posted to Facebook and Reddit  some by anonymous posters who said they were former employees  one community organization took action.

SoKno Pride, which will host its annual LGBTQ pride event in South Knoxville June 29, announced in a Facebook post June 24 it would pull all vendors and events from Honeybee's Sevier Avenue store "in solidarity with our community." The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The coffee shop has hosted a disco afterparty for the pride event for several years.

"I am unsure of the next steps, and I am working with an attorney to determine what authority I even have to fix things, but I will do everything I can," Hill said about the company changes. "Again, thank you to our community for your support of Honeybee Coffee."

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Honeybee coffee shop founder speaks out on Knoxville brand's meltdown
Rep. George Cleveland wants election integrity groups to help with voter roll maintenance (Photo: NCGA video stream).

In the waning days of the legislative session, Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow) urged his colleagues on Thursday to greenlight legislation that would require the State Board of Elections to establish a new system for investigating and correcting data provided by election integrity organizations to assist in maintenance of the states voter registration lists.

Cleveland told members of the House Rules Committee that the state board was reluctant to rely on groups that could be discriminatory, but House Bill 1071 would require it to examine data brought forth by election integrity organizations and provide quarterly reports to the General Assembly organized by county on corrections made to the voter rolls.

How is a voter integrity group defined? asked Rep. Ashton Wheeler Clemmons.

Actually, its two or three people who have years of experience in data collection and data usage. Theres two that are prominent here in North Carolina, Cleveland responded.

Cleveland said it was important to involve them in the process because of the angst amongst the individual voters who dont trust how true our voter records are.

I think we do want to make voter records accurate, it makes me nervous to have any person being able to say they are a voter integrity group and getting involved at that level, said Clemmons.

So my question is can you name a group? asked Rep. Allison Dahle.

I can name two, said Cleveland. I dont know what the gentlemans real name is. Its Totes Legit. He has consistently over the past several years sent voter list problems to the state board. And theres a Ms. Snow out in Morganton.

I didnt hear the names, Dahle asked him to repeat himself.

Totes Legit. Thats what he calls himself. I dont know what the gentlemans name is.

In Georgia, anonymous claims of voter fraud from someone going by the name Totes Legit were dismissed last October. Its unclear if that is the same person Cleveland was referencing.

The second person Cleveland mentioned, Carol Snow of the NC Audit Force filed a complaint with the elections board claiming inadequate maintenance of the computerized registered voter list put the state out of compliance with the 2002 federal voting law.

Snow presented examples of what appeared to be duplicate voter registrations. In one example, a son with the same name as his father was mistakenly checked in as his father. The father and son both received ballots and each voted once.

As NC Newline reported in April, the Board of Elections rejected Snows complaint about duplicate voter registrations, but stressed the need for cleaner rolls.

Rep. Allison Dahle

Clevelands bill does not specify which election integrity organizations the state must use or if they will be granted access to confidential personal identifying information.

Patrick Gannon, spokesman for the state Board of Elections, said in an email that the State Board staff is concerned that this bill could run afoul of federal law, which requires voter list maintenance efforts to be conducted in a uniform and nondiscriminatory way.

HB 1071 appears to require the State Board to remove voters from the rolls based on lists supplied by any third party that claims to be an election integrity organization, wrote Gannon. Additionally, there is no definition for what sort of private organization qualifies as an election integrity organization. It would be difficult for the State Board to determine whether any such private organization is gathering lists of voters to remove in a uniform and nondiscriminatory way.

The Board of Elections also notes the new bill provides no new funding to expand its voter list maintenance program.

Agency staff have explained that the agency wants to improve its list maintenance activities consistent with the law, but the agency lacks the resources to do so. Other critical agency programs also face budget challenges, including the increasing costs of maintaining aging IT infrastructure, hiring permanent elections security professionals, and the need to provide further field support for struggling county boards of elections, Gannon explained.

Rep. Pricey Harrison said the State Board of Elections is underfunded by $4.6 million annually, and this bill does nothing but add duties without additional support.

Rep. Abe Jones suggested the only reason this bill exists is because someone lost in the last presidential election and is now floating this toxic idea.

Nevertheless, House Bill 1071 was fast-tracked through the Rules Committee and three subsequent floor votes (66-45) and now heads to the Senate.

The post House advances bill requiring State Board of Elections to work with election integrity groups appeared first on NC Newsline.
Republicans are still working to buffer the impact of President Joe Bidens performance in Thursdays debate, expanding the conspiracy that the executive leader is relying on mind-altering drugs in case he hits hard against Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles took the inane idea a step further, touting his recently introduced bill dubbed No Juicing Joe Act, which his office said would require the White House to inform Congress any time Biden takes a drug that could alter his alertness, judgment or mood.

No Juicing Joe would require him to divulge, to report to the American people, every time he takes a mind-altering stimulant like we know hes gonna have to do before this debate, Ogles told Newsmaxs Joe Pinion Wednesday. Theyre gonna have him juiced up and jacked up on some sort of cocktail so he can be lucid and take on or at least try to debate Donald Trump.



Republicans have aggressively pushed the idea in recent weeks, attempting to frame Biden as the weaker, more feeble-minded option of the two. But that goes against myriad reports of Trumps cognitive decline, dozens of examples of the former president nonsensically rambling at rallies, and a Pentagon report that Trumps White House medical unit operated like a pill mill, indiscriminately doling out large prescriptions of modafinil, Adderall, fentanyl, morphine, and ketamine to staffers, with insiders claiming it was awash in speed.

Presidential prescriptions arent exactly unusual: John F. Kennedy, Jr. used his White House doctors to fight off back pain, and Richard Nixon relied on his doctors to treat bad moods. But no previous administrations have matched the level of debauchery of Trumps, when in-office pharmacists unquestioningly handed out highly addictive substances to staffers who needed pick-me-ups or energy boostsno doctors exam, referral, or prescription required.



In another attempt to superficially broaden the conspiracys credibility, Trump pressed the teetotaler president to take a drug test prior to the debate. But it wasnt the first time that Trump has baselessly accused his opponents of drugging up before their debates. In 2016, Trump levied similar accusations against Hillary Clinton, and in 2020 he called on Biden to take a drug test after he told a North Carolina rally crowd that Biden gets a big fat shot in the ass, a claim that he revived this week.
Photo: The Cabinet of the Ministers of Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 27. Over 40 agreements have been signed between government bodies and business communities of China and Kyrgyzstan during the China-Eurasia Expo international exhibition, Trend reports.

According to the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, the agreements cover sectors such as energy, engineering, logistics, trade turnover, mining, and cooperation amounting to $1.5 billion.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Bakyt Torobaev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, emphasized that Kyrgyzstan will continue to work on creating favorable conditions for entrepreneurs contributing to the economies of both countries.

During the forum, participants held B2B meetings within their respective industries and considered proposals and investment projects.

The 8th international China-Eurasia Expo is taking place from June 26 through 30, 2024, in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday forwarded a resolution to hold President Bidens ghostwriter in contempt of Congress, its second such effort to censure those connected with the probe into the presidents handling of classified records.

The resolution to hold Mark Zwonitzer in contempt will now go to the full House for consideration, with Democrats accusing Republicans of abusing their power by going after a private citizen.

Zwonitzer, who helped pen Bidens memoir, was roped into special counsel Robert Hurs investigation as he reviewed whether the president shared any musings on classified materials referenced in his personal notebooks while working with the ghostwriter.

Republicans have asked Zwonitzer to turn over his notes as well as recordings of his conversations with Biden, but the ghostwriter demurred, noting through his attorney that the Justice Department is in possession of all his materials.

Zwonitzer has also said many of their conversations were personal in nature, questioning whether the committee has a valid legislative purpose in seeking them and asking them to resolve the issue with the executive branch.

I am not surprised that the majority has taken this ridiculous fight with the executive branch to a private citizen. They are bullies, Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) said at the outset of the hearing.

Mr. Zwonitzer is not in a position to determine what materials he can share with this committee, especially when the executive branch has asserted significant interest in this material. Going after a private citizen, who is now caught between two branches of government, is not only legally bankrupt, but also an unjustified abuse of power.

Republicans targeting of Zwonitzer comes after they voted earlier this month to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress after he failed to turn over audio recordings of Hurs conversation with Biden, for which they already have the transcript.

House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) gave multiple rationales for seeking Zwonitzers tapes, suggesting both that they would provide insight into what Biden shared with his ghostwriter and whether Hur erred in failing to bring charges against both men.

Zwonitzer initially deleted the audio recordings of his Biden interview, but they were recovered by law enforcement.

But Jordan also said they would help the public weigh Hurs comments about Bidens memory.

Put simply, they are the best evidence of the presidents mental state, Jordan said.

The White House took the unusual step of penning a letter to Jordan on the matter, accusing him of working to harass and intimidate a private citizen and calling it an obvious example of the very weaponization of government for political purposes that you claim to decry.

Zwonitzers position as a private citizen was a running theme throughout the hearing for Democrats.

As they say, in The Godfather, this is the profession that weve chosen. Weve chosen to be in the public light, but this guys a ghostwriter. By profession, he sought to stay out of the limelight, said Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.).

And here we are. Going to hit him with a contempt.

Such resolutions when approved by the House serve as a referral to the Department of Justice, which must then determine whether charges are warranted.

The Justice Department swiftly rejected calls to prosecute Garland, noting that Biden asserted executive privilege over the tapes and that administrations of both parties have declined to bring charges in cases where the protection has been claimed.

The department has otherwise declined to comment on Zwonitzer.

Hur declined to prosecute Zwonitzer in connection with his investigation, writing that the evidence falls short of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Zwonitzer intended to impede an investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The House of Representatives voted Thursday to bar the State Department from using funds from the international affairs budget to cite any number of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza.

The House voted 269144 to add an amendment mandating the change to an appropriations bill for the State Department. The amendment was co-sponsored by representatives across party lines, although the votes in favor were overwhelmingly Republican. The appropriations bill still needs to pass the Senate, and it is unclear how it will fare in the second chamber. But if it passes, then the Orwellian move will effectively make the denial of Palestinian deaths U.S. policy.

Representative Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, tore into her colleagues for putting forward the measure.

Since 1948, Mr. Speaker, there has been a coordinated effort, especially in this chamber, to dehumanize Palestinians and erase Palestinians from existence, Tlaib told the chamber prior to the vote. My colleagues want to prohibit our own U.S. officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll.

Tlaib went on to read the latest casualty figures of Palestinian deaths from Israels brutal war in Gaza into the congressional record: 37,718 killed, including more than 15,000 children, with more than 86,377 injured.

Six children, Mr. Speaker, six are killed in Gaza every single hour. But Palestinians are not just numbers. Behind these numbers are real peoplemothers, fathers, sons, daughters who have had their lives stolen from them and their families torn apart, and we should not be trying to hide it, Tlaib said.

There is so much anti-Palestinian racism in this chamber that my colleagues dont even want to acknowledge that Palestinians exist at all. Not when theyre alive, and now, not even when theyre dead. Its absolutely disgusting. This is genocide denial.

Its disgusting that my colleagues would support legislation to prohibit U.S. officials from even citing the Palestinian death toll.



They want to erase the Palestinians who are living, and now they are trying to erase the Palestinians who are dead. This is genocide denial. pic.twitter.com/ZY3x0BIlQ0  Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 27, 2024

It appears that many in Congress, their financial backers, and maybe even President Joe Biden want to hide whats going on in Gaza. Some lawmakers have said that they supported a ban on TikTok because it was a major source of advocacy for Palestine, while others want to ship college students protesting for Gazans to Gaza itself. The House voted to censure Tlaib in November, even though many in Congress have used inflammatory, violent, and racist rhetoric in supporting Israels attacks on Palestinians.

Their goal seems to be for Israel to continue the war indefinitely with U.S. support, which only perpetuates the human rights crisis in Gaza. Perhaps these politicians dont want a peaceful end to the conflict. After all, they refuse to say no to Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though he is accused of war crimes, and they refuse to end weapons shipments to Israel to force an immediate cease-fire.
Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee are lambasting appropriators who want to buy additional F-35 fighter jets in fiscal 2025 above the Pentagons budget request.

The Houses FY25 defense spending bill would procure 76 new F-35s, eight more than the 68 requested by the Defense Department. This puts the spending bill at odds with the Houses FY25 National Defense Authorization Act, passed 217-199 earlier this month, which would cut F-35 procurement down to 58 aircraft.

At a projected total lifecycle cost of over $2 trillion dollars, the F-35 is the largest program in DoD history despite routinely not meeting cost, schedule, and performance metrics, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the committee, said in a Wednesday statement with Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the tactical air and land forces panel.

This is unacceptable program execution and Congress should not reward this behavior by buying additional aircraft above the Presidents budget request, the statement read.

Smith and Norcross highlighted that the Defense Department stopped accepting F-35 deliveries from manufacturer Lockheed Martin last year until the enterprise could successfully deliver, test, and field the next version of the Operational Flight Program  a benchmark it has not yet met nearly a year later.

The two Democrats and Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., introduced a bipartisan amendment that would have cut F-35 procurement in the spending bill and bring it in sync with the 58 F-35s authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act.

But the House Rules Committee, which oversees amendment votes, opted not to put Smiths proposed F-35 reduction on the floor for a vote. The new House Appropriations Committee chairman, Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., previously chaired the Rules Committee.

Smiths proposed reduction of 18 fighter jets from the spending bill would have amounted to a roughly $2 billion procurement cut for the Air Force and Navy.

The Smith amendment would have shifted funds in the form of $526 million to the Air Force to help address F-35 performance issues with development, production and testing.

It is the duty of Congress to support the long-term viability of the F-35 program and ensure the vast sums of taxpayer money footing the bill are spent where they can ensure program success, said Smith and Norcross. A simple short-term reduction in acquisition rates would enable us to mitigate the known systemic problems, correct course and get the F-35 program and workers up and running at full speed.

Lockheed Martin has faced intense bipartisan scrutiny from the Armed Services Committee for repeated F-35 delays, most recently with the Technology Refresh 3 upgrades. The TR-3 hardware and software upgrades would provide F-35s with better displays, computer memory and processing power.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., attempted to amend the NDAA with a provision that would have authorized the defense secretary to seize intellectual property from Lockheed Martin and open it up to competition, taking aim at the F-35s software problems.

Moulton sought a vote on the amendment when the Armed Services Committee marked up the legislation in May but had to withdraw it after a Congressional Budget Office cost determination. But multiple committee members, including several Republicans, said they would support Moultons efforts to seize intellectual property from Lockheed Martin in the years ahead should F-35 issues persist.

Smith urged caution on Moultons efforts, despite his shared frustrations with Lockheeds execution of the F-35 program.

In law, we would possibly have to compensate them for that, which would be really, really, really expensive, Smith said.

Despite efforts from Smith and his fellow Armed Services Committee members to cut F-35 procurement next year, appropriators will have the final word on how many of the aircraft to buy in the defense spending bill.

Further compounding the uncertainty, the Senate version of the FY25 NDAA would procure 68 F-35s  the same number requested by the Pentagon. It remains unclear how many F-35s Senate appropriators seek to procure, as they have yet to release their FY25 defense spending bill.
House Republicans on Wednesday approved a measure that would prohibit money for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from funding the salary of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the latest example of GOP lawmakers targeting the embattled Cabinet head.

The House cleared an amendment  led by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)  to the DHS appropriations bill for fiscal 2025 that would prevent funding allocated in the legislation from being used to pay Mayorkass salary.

The DHS appropriations bill, to be sure, has no chance of becoming law in its current form  including with the Mayorkas amendment  amid opposition from Senate Democrats and the White House. Republicans have nonetheless sought to include their priorities in the legislation to put themselves on stronger footing for government funding negotiations with the Senate down the road.

The push to slash Mayorkass salary comes after the House voted to impeach the DHS secretary in February, making him the first Cabinet official to be penalized since the 1870s. The Senate then dismissed the pair of articles in April.

The vote on Biggss Mayorkas amendment was largely along party lines, 193-173, with 72 lawmakers not voting. Just one Republican  Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon  voted no.

Alejandro Mayorkaswho was impeached earlier this yeardoesnt deserve a single penny from American taxpayers, Biggs wrote on the social platform X following the vote.

While Biggss amendment was successful, a similar measure led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) faced defeat Wednesday afternoon.

The House voted down Greenes amendment that called for decreasing Mayorkass salary to $1. The measure utilizes the Holman rule, which allows lawmakers to reduce the salaries of specific federal employees in appropriations bills.

The chamber rejected Greenes measure in a largely party-line 200-208-1 vote. Republican Reps. Larry Bucshon (Ind.), Zach Nunn (Iowa) and Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.) joined Democrats in voting no, in addition to Gonzalez-Colon and Amata Coleman Radewagen, a delegate from American Samoa. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) voted present.

Greene called out the GOP opponents in a post on X following the vote.

My amendment would have effectively FIRED Secretary Mayorkas by reducing his salary to $1. These Republicans voted to KILL the amendment and keep paying Mayorkas AFTER we impeached him, she wrote. @RepMariaSalazar from Florida apparently thinks Mayorkas is doing a great job. @ZachNunn from Iowa thinks Mayorkas should get paid for the invasion at the Southern border. And retiring @RepLarryBucshon from Indiana wants Mayorkas to keep his job.

House Republicans have sought to use the Holman Rule to reduce the salaries of several Biden administration officials they oppose. Greene, for example, introduced an amendment for the fiscal 2025 Department of Defense appropriations bill that would decrease Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins salary to $1. House Republicans approved a similar amendment in one of their appropriations bills last year, but it was not enacted.

House Republicans reinstated the Holman rule as part of their rules package last January after Democrats got rid of the regulation in 2019 when they held the majority in the House.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Houthi rebels say they've fired a new 'homemade hypersonic missile,' posting footage of its launch at a civilian ship

Houthi rebels say they've fired a locally made hypersonic missile as they target ships in the Red Sea.

Dubbed the "Hatem-2," the Houthis said the missile is a solid-fuel warhead fired at a Liberian-flagged ship.

The Houthis aren't known to have advanced arms manufacturing, and the missile resembles Iranian designs.

Yemen's Houthi rebel group said on Wednesday that it targeted a Liberian-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea with a "homemade hypersonic missile," saying it unveiled the weapon for the first time.

"It is a homemade hypersonic missile that possesses advanced technology, is accurate in hitting, and reaches long ranges," wrote Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sare'e in a post on X.

Sare'e said the missile was launched at the MSC Sarah V, a Greek-managed civilian vessel that he alleged was linked to Israel. He did not say if the ship was hit.

Tracking data shows that the vessel was bound for Abu Dhabi and entered the Persian Gulf on Wednesday evening, indicating that it is still functional.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by the British Royal Navy, reported that a ship was attacked on Monday but that its crew is safe after an explosion near its hull. A map showing the attack's location indicates it is one of the longest-range assaults launched by the Houthis so far.

Markus Schiller, director of ST Analytics, a Munich-based consulting firm that researches missiles and space technology, told Business Insider that the missile was likely designed in Iran.

"Definitely something from the Iranian Fattah family of missiles, which date back to the 1990s and were continuously advanced since then," Schiller said. Tehran has recently touted the latest versions of its Fattah missiles as hypersonic.

Houthis posted footage of the missile

Houthi-linked channels posted footage of the purported launch, calling the missile the "Hatem-2" or "Hadim-2."

The video's text claims it is a solid-fuel missile with an intelligent control system and that multiple generations of the missile exist with various effective ranges.

       (2) -          (MSC SARAH V)     pic.twitter.com/PP6Mzun19K     (@MMY1444) June 26, 2024

Business Insider could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage. In some of the clips, parts of the frame are blurred.

Sare'e said in a statement that the missile was developed by the Yemeni Military Industrialization Corporation.

The Houthis are not known to have the capability to manufacture advanced arms, bringing into question whether the "Hatem-2" was truly "homemade."

However, the group has been found to repeatedly be receiving weapons from Iran, a contravention of a United Nations arms embargo.

Indeed, the missile shown in the Houthis' Wednesday video appears to resemble the Fattah-1, which Tehran says can travel at an effective speed of up to Mach 13, or 13 times the speed of sound.

A truck carries an Iranian 'Fattah' hypersonic ballistic missile during the annual military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the devastating 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, in Tehran on September 22, 2023. AFP via Getty Images

Is the 'Hatem-2' really a homemade hypersonic missile?

Missiles that travel at Mach 5 or faster are generally considered hypersonic, and their speeds can make it difficult for defense systems to intercept. The term is sometimes used loosely to describe hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles  warheads that can maneuver unpredictably in the sky at hypersonic speeds  that are at the forefront of military development for major powers like the US and China.

Given the footage published by the Houthis, it is unlikely that the "Hatem-2" possesses that kind of advanced capability.

"Hypersonic in this case is clearly a buzzword, trying to create hype," said Schiller.

The newly announced munition is likely similar to the Fattah anti-ship missiles already fired by the Houthis several times, Schiller said.

"From what I know, Western-based anti-missile systems did quite well against those," he added.

The announcement by the Houthis comes just weeks after it said it launched another advanced missile, dubbed the "Palestine," on June 8. Like with the "Hatem-2," this missile was claimed by the rebels to be locally made but also resembled Iranian warhead designs.

Screen grab from Houthi-released footage that appears to show a new Palestine missile. X

These launches happened about three months after the Houthis were reported in March by Russian state media to have a hypersonic missile that could reach speeds of up to Mach 8.

The rebel group has been attacking dozens of ships, primarily in the Red Sea, which it says is a response to Israel's recent bombardment and occupation of Gaza. The Houthis claim to be attacking ships linked to Israel, but it is often unclear how the targeted vessels might be related to Tel Aviv.

Naval assets stationed in the region by the US and its allies have so far taken down almost all missiles and drones fired out of Yemen.

Notably, Yemen's latest launch occurred as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the region on Saturday after defending the area for about eight months. It is due to be replaced by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.

With the Roosevelt strike group  the third group since October 2023 to be stationed in the Middle East  departing South Korea on Wednesday, the Red Sea region has been without a US aircraft carrier for at least several days.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By David Kirton

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Packed into a small room, a drone, bipedal robot, supermarket checkout and other devices showcase a vision of China's software future - one where an operating system developed by national champion Huawei has replaced Windows and Android.

The collection is at the Harmony Ecosystem Innovation Centre in the southern city of Shenzhen, a local government-owned entity that encourages authorities, companies and hardware makers to develop software using OpenHarmony, an open-source version of the operating system Huawei launched five years ago after U.S. sanctions cut off support for Google's Android.

While Huawei's recent strong-selling smartphone launches have been closely watched for signs of advances in China's chip supply chain, the company has also quietly built up expertise in sectors crucial to Beijing's vision of technology self-sufficiency from operating systems to in-vehicle software.

President Xi Jinping last year told the Communist Party's elite politburo that China must wage a difficult battle to localise operating systems and other technology "as soon as possible" as the U.S. cracks down on exports of advanced chips and other components.

OpenHarmony is now being widely promoted within China as a "national operating system" amid concerns that other major companies could be severed from the Microsoft Windows and Android products upon which many systems rely.

"This strategic move will likely erode the market share of Western operating systems like Android and Windows in China, as local products gain traction," said Sunny Cheung, an associate fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a U.S. defence policy group.

In the first quarter of 2024, Huawei's HarmonyOS, the company's in-house version of the operating system, surpassed Apple's iOS to become the second best-selling mobile operating system in China behind Android, research firm Counterpoint said. It has not been launched on smartphones outside China.

Huawei no longer controls OpenHarmony, having gifted its source code to a non-profit called the OpenAtom Foundation in 2020 and 2021, according to an internal memo and other releases.

But both the innovation centre and government documents often refer to OpenHarmony and HarmonyOS interchangeably as part of a broader Harmony ecosystem. The growth of HarmonyOS, expected to be rolled out in a PC version this year or next, will spur adoption of OpenHarmony, analysts said.

"Harmony has created a powerful foundational operating system for the future of China's devices," said Richard Yu, the chairman of Huawei's consumer business group, at the opening of a developer conference last week.

Huawei did not respond to a request for further comment.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Huawei first unveiled Harmony in August 2019, three months after Washington placed it under trade restrictions over alleged security concerns. Huawei denies its equipment poses a risk.

Since then, China has stepped up its self-sufficiency efforts, cutting itself off from the main code sharing hub Github and championing a local version, Gitee.

China banned the use of Windows on government computers in 2014 and they now use mostly Linux-based operating systems.

Microsoft earns only about 1.5% of its revenue from China, its president said this month.

Originally built on an open source Android system, this year Huawei launched its first "pure" version of HarmonyOS that no longer supports Android-based apps, in a move that further bifurcates China's app ecosystem from the rest of the world.

A report from the Jamestown Foundation last month said OpenHarmony's owner OpenAtom appeared to be coordinating efforts among Chinese firms to develop a viable alternative to U.S. technologies, including for defence applications such as satellites.

Beijing-based OpenAtom did not respond to a request for comment.

OPEN SOURCE

OpenHarmony was the fastest-growing open-source operating system for smart devices last year, with more than 70 organisations contributing to it and more than 460 hardware and software products built across finance, education, aerospace and industry, Huawei said in its 2023 annual report.

The aim of making it open source is to replicate Android's success in removing licensing costs for users and to give companies a customisable springboard for their own products, said Charlie Cheng, deputy manager of the Harmony Ecosystem Innovation Centre, when Reuters visited.

"Harmony will definitely grow into a mainstream operating system, and will give the world a new choice of operating system besides iOS and Android," he said. "China is learning from the West."

Google, Apple and Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment.

The Harmony ecosystem has seen strong support from Huawei's home city of Shenzhen, a city historically used as a trial site for policies later adopted across China.

Along with a Harmony centre that opened in the southwestern city of Chengdu, 10 more are expected in a further 10 cities, according to a Shenzhen centre presentation.

Key OpenHarmony developers include Shenzhen Kaihong Digital, headed by Wang Chenglu, a former Huawei employee known as Harmony's "godfather", and Chinasoft. Both have worked on infrastructure software, at Tianjin Port and for mines in China's top coal-producing province Shaanxi.

While OpenHarmony is largely confined to China, Brussels-based open-source group the Eclipse Foundation said it was using it to develop a system called Oniro for use in mobile phones and internet-of-things devices.

China's previous efforts to build major open-source projects have struggled to gain traction among developers, but Huawei's growing smartphone market share and extra work to develop a broader ecosystem gives Harmony an advantage, analysts said.

More than 900 million devices, including smartphones, watches and car systems are running on HarmonyOS, while 2.4 million developers were coding in the ecosystem, Huawei's Yu said this month.

"OpenHarmony will need more time and iterations so that these developers will be more confident to work with OpenHarmony," said Emma Xu, an analyst with research firm Canalys. "But the reputation, behaviour and confidence that HarmonyOS has achieved will definitely bring a positive effect."

(Reporting by David Kirton; Editing by Jamie Freed)
When he looks at the 1950s picture of his fathers new real estate business on an unpaved Ocean Drive, Alex Buzz MacWilliam III is reminded of how far Vero Beach has come.

And how the great brand it has become is jeopardized by a lack of investment.

As city officials spend so much time and money on work and studies of their wastewater and stormwater facilities, downtown master plan, the Twin Pairs, redeveloping the Three Corners and renovating their long-neglected marina, theyve lacked attention to the kind of basic details that made the city attractive to tourists, newcomers and old-timers.

Residents have complained about declining maintenance of city parks and downtown and oceanside streets. In some cases, private groups have volunteered to plant flowers, pressure-clean sidewalks and otherwise beautify certain areas.

MacWilliam, who grew up a few blocks from Humiston Park and has worked across the street for four decades, fondly remembers it as a place to play ball, rent canvas rafts to ride the waves, snorkel and learn to surf.

Beach, boardwalk, sand, suntan lotion and a pizza

A Vero Beach lifeguard sits eastward of the Humiston Park boardwalk Feb. 23, 2020, shortly after an Indian River County restored sand, from inland mines, to beaches in the city limits and north toward Indian River Shores. Much of the sand was washed away nine months later, undermining the boardwalk.

Is there hope? : Happy with Vero Beach City Council for not replacing Humiston Beach boardwalk?

Fixes here? Benches gone, fountain next as Vero Beach tries to remedy 'transient' issues downtown?

Focus on downtown: 2023 episode of Vero Beach Twin Pairs traffic folly over; what can we learn from it?

What we are losing: Condo creep continues near water in Vero Beach

He knows just how much the park  and a boardwalk built in the 1930s as an attraction  means to the city.

Humiston Park is probably Vero Beachs most prominent park, MacWilliam said, a thought echoed by several people I spoke with this past week. Its in the heart of the citys beach business district.

As such, its been the place where visitors to nearby stores or hotels go to stroll and enjoy the outdoors, basking on the boardwalks benches or the parks picnic tables.

Its where people get their first impressions of the city before heading to places like MacWilliams office to consider investing here.

For decades, visitors also have headed to nearby pizza joints.

Like Pattrics or, later, Crustys, which sat at the southern end of the boardwalk for decades until their wooden building was demolished. Since then, Ninos, which David Decker bought earlier this year, has been the place to go at Humiston Plaza.

Maintaining a Vero Beach destination attraction

Press Journal, Nov. 11, 1982: Pattric's Pizza at Humiston Plaza fared better than the dune after an unusual November storm.

(Humiston) needs to be a destination, said Decker, a Realtor who worked at Ninos for 16 years and has been going to the area since his father played music at Pattrics in the early 1980s.

Like others, including Tom Corr, who owns the big building across Ocean Drive, Decker thinks the park looks awful.

Its been especially bad since 2022, when Hurricane Nicole undermined the boardwalk, leading to its demolition. And for nearly six months, part of the playground has been closed, waiting for replacement parts expected in any day, according to Jim O'Connell, the city's recreation director.

Unlike many others I spoke with, Decker doesnt think replacing the boardwalk is essential. But just a $709,000 sidewalk, as Vero Beach City Council proposed June 11, probably doesnt cut it, either.

That day, the council spent only 30 minutes at a 9:30 a.m. weekday meeting before voting for that least-expensive alternative.

When word got out the council would not replace the boardwalk, at a cost of $1.5 million to $2 million, there was significant pushback.

So much so that on Tuesday, Councilman Taylor Dingle proposed asking City Manager Monte Falls to seek assistance from Indian River County. Falls said hed already reached out to John Titkanich, county administrator.

Indian River County support likely?

Humiston Beach is seen on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Vero Beach. Vero Beach City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday, to not replace the cement boardwalk at Humiston Park which was damaged during Hurricane Nicole in 2022. Instead, to save about $800,000, the city would demolish whats left of the boardwalk and build a sidewalk on the west side of the dune.

Getting financial assistance from the county makes sense. Florida statutes permit counties to use revenue from tourist taxes charged on overnight stays for beach park facilities.

County commissioners Laura Moss, who as Vero Beach mayor in 2018 tried unsuccessfully to get the county to fund lifeguard facilities at the park, and Joe Earman, who grew up going to the park, told me theyd like the county to help. After all, the boardwalk has been a tourist attraction for nearly a century.

Earman, the commissions liaison to its Beach and Shore Preservation Advisory Committee, said he discussed rebuilding a boardwalk with the countys coastal engineers. Setting it back a bit east of the dune and elevating it, so folks can see the beach and enjoy the sea breeze, would be appropriate.

As the city and county start preparing their budgets, no funding decision is imminent. Thus, the city ought to delay plans to build a sidewalk until other boardwalk funding options are reviewed.

Corr, who helped a nonprofit buy the parks playground equipment in 2015, said hes willing to step up again. If a private fundraising effort to help restore the boardwalk begins, the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce likely could help, according to its chairman, Bob McCabe, a former city councilman.

Were not in favor of what they did at all, he said. I think its very shortsighted.

Buck Vocelle, a chamber board member, whose grandfather helped to form Indian River County in 1925, was more outspoken.

I think its a shame  were spending so much money on everything else, he said of the councils decision to eliminate the boardwalk. Its part of the fabric of what makes Vero Beach Vero Beach.

While change and progress are essential, preserving the fabric of Vero Beach  the things that attracted us to it  is critical.

Losing the boardwalk would be one more city amenity and landmark gone.

Vero Beach not growing, Indian River County is

The Press Journal on Sept. 3, 1972, reported that the fishing pier on North State Road A1A in Vero Beach -- open to the public in the early 1950s -- has been closed to the public and open only to guests of the motel at the site. 'When and if the pier will be open again to the public is not known,' a caption said. In the 1980s, the Sea Quay condominiums, which owns the pier, were built on the site.

Like the now-private fishing pier at the Sea Quay condominiums north of Jaycee Park. Press Journal archives show the city proposed building a public fishing pier as a Works Progress Administration project in the 1930s.

By 1956, the city had acquired 2.5 acres and leased it for 99 years to Clark Rice, who in 1953 built and operated the 500-foot public pier, the only one between Juno and Daytona beaches, according to Press Journal files.

By 1964, the City Council had sold the property. In 1976, Press Journal fishing columnist Bob Miller, citing the rapidly disappearing public oceanfront for anglers, hoped the city would re-acquire and repair the pier.

Like Humiston and every other city park, the pier was used by tourists and residents of the entire county. Vocelle, fondly remembers fishing at the pier as a child.

While the citys population has been about 17,000 for more than 30 years, the countys has nearly doubled to more than 170,000 during that time. Many of those residents use Vero Beach amenities.

It's only fair they join tourists in helping pay for the privilege.

Whats the best way to do that? Add that critical question to the discussions the city and county must have.

LAURENCE REISMAN

While the city hopes to expand its tax base with the Three Corners and downtown development, Lord only knows when and if those projects will come to fruition.

Until then, our community must find a way to keep Vero Beach from falling apart, one bench, picnic table, sidewalk, park pavilion or boardwalk at a time.

Otherwise, before you know it, what we loved about our charming little city will be gone.

This column reflects the opinion of Laurence Reisman. Contact him via email at larry.reisman@tcpalm.com, phone at 772-978-2223, Facebook.com/larryreisman or Twitter @LaurenceReisman.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Can Vero Beach, Indian River County unite to preserve things we enjoy?
Hundreds of Milwaukee kids are getting paid to explore careers and do community service. Here's how

Kids come up to greet Mayor Cavalier Johnson in the middle of City Hall, before Camp Rise introductions begin.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of students who participate in Camp Rise gathered at Milwaukee's City Hall to receive a warm welcoming from Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

The free six-week camp, which Johnson started in May 2022, provides students from Milwaukee Public Schools with safe spaces to explore career interests, learn new life skills and partake in community service.

"I want you guys to be exposed to things that are off your block," said Johnson.

Sixth grader Lyric Collins and fifth grader Ava McKenzie both mentioned it was their first time attending Camp Rise as they gave Johnson's opening introduction.

For other children it was their first time being inside City Hall.

"We are so grateful towards Mayor Johnson for supporting Camp Rise and helping kids like us to grow up and experience new opportunities," said McKenzie.

The camp began when Johnson saw a news story that described how every hand went up in a classroom after a set of young men were asked if they have stolen a car before or knew somebody who did.

"We cannot have another summer where we don't engage with young people in Milwaukee," Johnson said of his motivation at the time.

This prompted Johnson to work closely with Employ Milwaukee, Milwaukee Public Schools and Gov. Tony Evers. From there Johnson was able to form the camp in a short time.

The camp was initially for boys, but it has been opened up to girls as well. In 2023, approximately 50 girls had joined the camp, according to Camp Rise 2023 program report.

After introduction speeches, Camp Rise staff and students formed groups to go explore the different parts of City Hall.

They visited the Department of Employee Relations, Department of Public Works, The Common Council and other city departments.

Each week, the children receive a stipend upon completion for their participation in the camp.

Although the camp is still in its infancy, Johnson told the group he hopes to leave a legacy behind when he eventually leaves office.

"I want to make sure you guys get the same sort of opportunities that I did when I was growing up," said Johnson.

For more information about the camp and to fill out an interest form for 2025, go to employmilwaukee.org/Camp-RISE.htm.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 2024 Camp Rise participants begin summer with Mayor Cavalier Johnson
Hungary wanted Ukraine to change electoral system to let Hungarians into its Parliament

Hungary tried to impose a demand about a guaranteed representation of national minorities in the Ukrainian Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine) onto Ukraine.

Source: article by European Pravda about 11 demands concerning the rights of the Hungarian minority, made by Viktor Orbans government

Details: This demand became one of the most problematic ones in the list and got rejected.

At first Orbans government wanted to impose the current Hungarian system, within which the representatives of several national minorities have representation in the Parliament, guaranteed by law, onto Ukraine.

However, this idea turned out to be politically unacceptable, since it requires changing a protected article of the Ukrainian Constitution which is impossible without an all-Ukrainian referendum.

Since martial law is in place in Ukraine, this idea is impossible. Due to this Hungary has already hinted about possible concessions in this issue.

Nevertheless, Hungary does not plan on giving up its idea to force Ukraine to cancel a legal demand for all chosen officials to speak the national language and make speeches at the council meetings in it.

In practical terms it means that even a Ukrainian Hungarian who does not speak Ukrainian can be chosen as a member of a regional council or even the Ukrainian Parliament.

At the end of January, during a visit to Uzhhorod, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto handed the Ukrainian side a list of 11 demands intended to guarantee the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for Ukraines European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the head of Ukraines delegation in negotiations on Ukraines accession to the European Union, said that Ukraine was prepared to fulfil Hungarys 11 demands regarding the rights of national minorities in Ukraine.

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Hurt in a car crash? If you get hit by the police, Ohio state law says the hurt is on you

Tami Huff poses with paperwork from the physical and financial aftermath of her Feb. 10 collision with a Perry Township police cruiser that was going to join other law enforcement in pursuing a fleeing motorist. Photo taken March, 26, 2024.

MASSILLON  Tami Huff was driving to the drugstore earlier this year when a Perry Township police car involved in a pursuit pulled out from a gas station and smashed into her brand-new 2023 Nissan Rogue, totaling her vehicle.

Getting hit by the cruiser cost her more than pain and suffering from neck and back injuries, headaches and the post-traumatic stress disorder that kicks in when she approaches an intersection. It's left her to bear thousands of dollars in expenses due to a state law involving sovereign immunity. She and her insurance company have to pay all her costs resulting from the accident, not the township government whose officer caused the crash.

She's had to absorb the cost of a new car deposit, an insurance deductible and medical expenses. She expects that her total cost from the crash will be close to $5,000.

Huff, 64, of Massillon does not blame the officer who hit her. She understands that he was doing his duty. But she is frustrated by the fact that she and her insurance company are forced to carry the total cost of damages and injuries she incurred as a result of the crash he caused.

"I have no recourse for anything because of what they call sovereign immunity," Huff said. "This is a very bad law."

What is sovereign immunity?

Sovereign immunity is one of several different types of interrelated immunities that protect governments and their employees from legal liability. Some types protect prosecutors, judges and legislators from being sued. Qualified immunity shields police officers from liability in many cases.

"Ordinarily a government, in particular state government, is going to be protected by sovereign immunity," said Mark Brown, a law professor at Capital University in Columbus, who is providing legal representation to the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity, which is trying to change the state law. "You can only sue them if they allow you to. If you want to sue Ohio, you've got to go to the Court of Claims."

Courts can also act to allow public entities to be sued, such as when the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed former Ohio State University students to sue the institution over sexual abuse committed by the late Richard Strauss, a team doctor.

Federal, state and local govermental officials have qualified immunity that makes it hard to sue them for violations of the U.S. Constitution, said Brown, whose book, Section 1983 Litigation, focuses on constitutional and federal suits against states, municipalities and their officials.

"States have, for their own part, tended to adopt that for their own constitutional use," he said.

Governmental immunity predates the written laws of the state. It came to the New World as common law that American settlers brought from England, where monarchs enjoyed the right to be free from prosecution by their subjects.

"The king can do no wrong. That was the proposition," Brown said.

He said that only a very small number of people are able to win a case against the government for issues such as police brutality, due to the protection of qualified immunity.

"I've always been critical of qualified immunity," Brown said.

So is Joanna C. Schwartz, a law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles. She has written extensively on the subject of qualified immunity, including a book, "Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable."

How does qualified immunity work?

"Qualified immunity shields officers from liability  even if they have violated the Constitution  if a plaintiff cannot find a prior court decision holding nearly identical facts to be unconstitutional," Schwartz wrote in an email. "It is equally  if not more  difficult to prove liability against a city, so if a plaintiff loses on qualified immunity they likely end up without remedy.

"A common defense of qualified immunity is that it is necessary to protect officers bank accounts. But officers are almost always indemnified  meaning the city pays settlements against them  even when they are denied qualified immunity," she wrote.

It's unclear how many people are impacted each year by governmental immunities or how much money is involved, as the Ohio Insurance Institute, the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity and others said they don't have any such statistics.

"We simply dont know," Schwartz wrote. "To answer we would need not only to know the cases dismissed in whole or part because of immunities, but also to know how much those cases should have settled for, and to know how many cases were never brought."

Effort underway to end governmental immunities

The Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity is trying to put an issue on the Nov. 5 general election ballot that aims to eliminate various immunities for the government and government workers, including qualified, sovereign, prosecutorial, and statutory immunities in civil cases.

The proposed constitutional amendment, if approved, would allow people to sue over claims that police or government workers violated their constitutional rights.

"We just want just compensation for people when their rights are violated," coalition spokesman Kyle Pierce said. "If you have no restitution for when government violates your rights, if there's nothing, if there's no consequences when government violates our rights, if there's nothing to protect our rights from being violated, do we actually have those rights?"

The coalition faces a July 3 deadline to file its petitions to get the question on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Passage of the issue wouldn't help Huff, because the accident that affected her is history. But she worries about how other people would fare if they had the same experience.

"I count my blessings that I'm in a position that I was able to come up with the money for a second downpayment on my car that I shouldn't have to make," Huff said. "What if it was someone who was barely making it, had minimal coverage on their car, had no way of coming up with the downpayment to replace their car? Someone else, who, if they didn't have the ability to get a car, their lives could be ruined."

Tami Huff talks about the physical and financial aftermath of her Feb. 10 collision with a Perry Township police cruiser that was going to join other law enforcement in pursuing a fleeing motorist. Photo taken March, 26, 2024.

Immunity protects governments from liability

Her opinion is the opposite of Perry Township's position.

"The Township's immunity, as a political subdivision, is entrusted by Ohio law," township Administrator Joyce E. Fetzer-Martin wrote in an email to the Canton Repository. "It has long been recognized that such immunity is, in part, to protect the resources of local communities. The Township's carrier will determine whether immunity is applicable in this matter. Ohio law, as part of the immunity rules, also limits recoveries when certain losses are covered by insurance."

She sent the newspaper an excerpt from state law that says, in part, "the protections afforded to political subdivisions and employees of political subdivisions by this act are urgently needed in order to ensure the continued orderly operation of local governments to provide public peace, health, and safety services to their residents."

The immunity afforded to political subdivisions specifically covers police operating motor vehicles on emergency calls, provided there was no "willful or wanton misconduct."

What happened in Perry Township crash?

On Feb. 10, Huff was westbound on state Route 172 and approaching the intersection at 27th Street when the Perry Township cruiser pulled from the driveway of the BP gas station into the front of the driver's side of her Rogue shortly before 9 p.m.

The impact destroyed her car's braking ability.

"A few inches to the right, how he hit me, and I might not even be here to talk to you today. That's how hard he hit me," Huff said. "It was pretty scary. It's one thing when you're in an accident. The sound of metal on metal is terrible. But when you look out and you think, 'Oh my gosh, I just got hit by a police cruiser. What the heck?' It's a whole different experience.

"I didn't know he existed until he hit me. He didn't have his lights on. He didn't have his siren on  nothing," she said.

Huff had to drive onto the curb to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of her. The Rogue stopped on the sidewalk.

Tami Huff flips through bills resulting from her Feb. 10 collision with a Perry Township police cruiser that was going to join other law enforcement in pursuing a fleeing motorist. Photo taken March, 26, 2024.

Crash victim disappointed by police department public statement

In addition to her economic damages and physical injuries, Huff is also disappointed in the public position taken by the Perry Township Police Department about the collision in which she was injured. Police Chief Bryan Taylor posted a press release on the next day that said a cruiser was damaged, but there were no reported injuries to members of the public or officers.

Official statement: Police chase through parts of Stark County leaves Perry Township cruiser damaged

"My car was killed. I was injured," she said. "Neck and back injuries. ... I didn't need it, and now I'm seeing a chiropractor for my neck and my back."

She didn't go to the hospital on the Saturday night when the crash occurred. But by the following Monday evening, the pain sent her to the emergency room.

"I was really starting to bruise, and have some pain. I either strained or sprained pretty much everything on my left-hand side where he hit me and also had a cracked rib," Huff said.

The crash report prepared by the Ohio State Highway Patrol said she was suspected of having serious injury. The 24-year-old township police officer who was driving the 2018 Ford Explorer was not injured, according to the report. The report indicates the officer was cited.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Why an Ohio woman is stuck with bills after being hit by police car
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 27. Kyrgyzstan's Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, and the leadership of the Chinese Zhicun Lithium Industry Group Company discussed the implementation of lithium exploration, mining, and processing projects in Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

According to the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Japarov met with representatives of the Chinese company during a working visit to Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The company specializes in the production of lithium batteries and lithium carbonate.

Japarov also held talks with the head of China Railway Intermodal Logistics Company to discuss the construction of the new Bedel checkpoint, which will open on the state border between Kyrgyzstan and China.

Moreover, during a meeting with the leadership of China's Kashgar Economic Development Zone, discussions focused on the Two Countries - Two Parks project, including the construction of a machinery plant in Kyrgyzstan. The company also plans to produce bamboo paper.

Japarov noted that this is a good investment project for the Naryn region, fully supported by the Cabinet of Ministers. The total investment amount is $130 million. The project implementation document was signed during the China-Eurasia Expo international exhibition, and construction will commence in August of this year.

Japarov also met with representatives of Shaanxi Automobile Group Company to discuss the development of the automotive industry, which is of mutual interest to both parties.

Akylbek Japarov has participated at the 8th international China-Eurasia Expo, which is taking place from June 26 through 30, 2024, in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
Four decades after Daralyn Johnson was killed in Nampa, a jury convicted an Idaho man of raping, beating and drowning the 9-year-old girl.

Following a six-week trial, a 12-person jury found 66-year-old David Dalrymple guilty of first-degree murder and rape in Daralyns death, according to the Canyon County Prosecutors Office. Hell be sentenced at 9 a.m. Sept. 6 at the Canyon County Courthouse.

Dalrymple  who spent two decades behind bars for several violent crimes  could be sentenced to life in prison.

Daralyn was reported missing on Feb. 24, 1982, after she didnt make it to the now-closed Lincoln Elementary School in Nampa. After a multiday search, her body was found 18 miles away in a drainage ditch near the Snake River.

The evidence that you are going to hear in this courtroom will establish that this defendant snatched her off of that street, Canyon County Deputy Prosecutor Theodore Lagerwall told jurors in his opening statement. He took her off that street and he robbed her of her joy, of her innocence, of a childhood  and he took her life.

When law enforcement announced Dalrymple as a suspect in the 1982 killing, he was already incarcerated for the 2004 kidnapping of a woman and her child, whom he sexually abused for several years, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Dalrymple was convicted of three felonies and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, with the option for a life sentence.

Charles Fain was initially charged and subsequently convicted of the crimes in November 1983. A few months later he was sentenced to death, and remained on death row for nearly two decades. He came within four days of being executed in 1991 before U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor stayed the capital punishment, the Statesman previously reported.

Fain was exonerated and released from prison in 2001, two years after he filed a motion to conduct DNA testing on pubic hairs that were found during the girls autopsy. It wasnt until 2021 that Fain was declared innocent by the state of Idaho.

Dalrymples attorney, Jesse James, attempted to shift the blame back to Fain during his opening statement in Dalrymples trial, alleging that Fain had a similar car to one that was spotted with a little girl inside of it.

Investigators used the hair collected from the crime scene and genetic genealogy to locate the Dalrymple family, connecting Dalrymple to the killings and publicly identifying him as a suspect in 2020. He was officially charged with several crimes in 2022.

It has been a long journey  42 years  for Daralyn Johnsons killer to finally be facing justice, Lagerwall said during the trial.
Idaho hospitals are once again required to provide abortions in a medical emergency despite the states near-total ban on the procedure, following a Supreme Court decision Thursday that punted the case to lower courts for further consideration.

A majority of justices said the court erred when it decided in January to take the case, sidestepping the merits of the arguments, which focused on the conflict between Idahos near total abortion ban and federal protections for patients in crisis.

The decision  which the court inadvertently published and quickly deleted on Wednesday  is the Supreme Courts first to focus on an individual states abortion ban since the fall of Roe v. Wade two years ago. The Biden administration had sued Idaho for violating the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, known as EMTALA, which requires hospitals that take Medicare to provide stabilizing treatment when theres an imminent threat to a patients life or health.

During oral arguments this spring, multiple justices said they were concerned by reports from Idaho of a surge in patients being airlifted to neighboring states while experiencing pregnancy complications because doctors feared treating them would draw criminal charges. But a 5-4 majority ultimately decided that they intervened in a still evolving case prematurely and should allow the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hash out the arguments first.

Four justices dissented, arguing that the court should have resolved the case now. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch indicated they would have ruled for Idaho, with Alito scolding his colleagues for having simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question.

Alito rejected the Biden administrations argument that EMTALA requires hospitals to provide emergency abortions when that is the stabilizing care a patient needs, saying the Reagan-era law doesnt mention abortion but does require doctors to protect an unborn child from harm.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who read some of her opinion from the bench Thursday morning, also argued that punting the case is "problematic" and the court should have resolved it  in favor of the Biden administration. As she spoke, Justice Clarence Thomas rolled his eyes and closed them, placing his hand on the side of his face. The other justices appeared to listen attentively.

Storm clouds loom ahead, Jackson argued. Three Justices suggest, at least in this context, that States have free rein to nullify federal law.

No justice made any comment on, or allusion to, the premature release of the opinion on the courts website Wednesday.

In kicking the case to lower courts, as the Supreme Court also did with the other major abortion case of this term, the justices avoided issuing major rulings that could have upended the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. But they left the door open to revisiting both emergency abortion access and abortion pill regulation as early as next year.

And while leaving a lower court ruling in place will restore the right to an emergency abortion in Idaho, the court is also leaving untouched a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in January that EMTALA does not require doctors in Texas to offer abortions when a patients life or health is in jeopardy.

While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires, Jackson warned.

Medical experts agreed that while the ruling may give doctors some confidence to provide abortions when theres a clear threat to a patients life or health, the uncertainty in states with abortion bans is likely to continue.

Boise-based obstetrician and gynecologist Emily Corrigan, a plaintiff in a separate lawsuit seeking to expand Idahos narrow exceptions for abortions in medical emergencies, told POLITICO that she and her colleagues not only feel trapped between conflicting state and federal laws, but also between their ethical and medical training and the fear of prosecution under the states ban.

Corrigan said there have been times when she knew she could reduce the risk to the life and health of a patient by performing an abortion, but then you have to sit there and think, Are they going to come after me for this?

The 9th Circuit is expected to consider the merits of the case, including the Biden administrations interpretation of what EMTALA requires, its power to enforce it in states with abortion bans and whether the narrow life of the mother exception to Idahos abortion ban adequate protects patients in crisis.

The Biden administration will continue to argue that anyone in America who  needs to go to an emergency room, should be able to go to an emergency room  whether the care that a medical professional says you need to stabilize your health or to save your life is an abortion or not, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said at an event Wednesday in Boise, Idaho.

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador told reporters after the decision that he will continue to assert that there is no conflict between EMTALA and the state's abortion ban, which Thursday's decision left "almost entirely intact."

As long as doctors have a "good faith belief" that a patient's "life could be in jeopardy, even if it's not immediate, that they can perform the abortion," he said. The statute is not to blame for patients being denied care and flown out of state while actively miscarrying, he said. Rather it's the fault of "a pro-abortion agenda that is trying to confuse doctors and make them scared."

Medical groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists disagree, saying the threat of severe criminal penalties and state laws that use vague, non-medical language to describe when they can perform and emergency abortion are creating a chilling effect.

In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs decision, the Biden administration told hospitals theyre required to provide abortions in emergency circumstances. More recently, the administration released materials to train doctors about their obligations under EMTALA and created a portal for pregnant patients to report violations. The administration has publicized a handful of times when it investigated hospitals for noncompliance, including one in 2023 that turned away a patient whose water broke at 18 weeks of pregnancy, putting her at imminent risk of infection and hemorrhage.

Both Biden and Becerra have referenced such stories to argue that Dobbs has had harmful ripple effects beyond abortion.

When Roe v. Wade was struck down, it impacted more than just abortion care. It impacted access to care  period, said Becerra.

Samantha Latson contributed reporting.
Idaho State Board of Education to consider extension in U of I-Phoenix negotiations

sign marks the location of the University of Phoenix Chicago Campus

A sign marks the location of the University of Phoenix Chicago Campus on July 30, 2015, in Schaumburg, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on June 26, 2024.

The University of Idaho and the University of Phoenix want more time to talk about a deal.

And the State Board of Education will meet Friday morning to discuss an extension  which could immediately net the U of I $5 million.

If the State Board signs on, the parties would have until June 10, 2025, to reach a deal that would move the for-profit online giant under the U of Is ownership. The State Board first endorsed the $685 million purchase in May 2023. The deal has been mired in political and legal limbo for months. However, the U of I and Phoenix have continued to negotiate past an initial, nonbinding May 31 deadline.

The extension will allow the (U of I) time to incorporate feedback from legislators and other Idaho stakeholders into the transaction and make amendments based on the feedback, State Board staff said in a memo released late Wednesday afternoon. There is no commitment to a closing at this time.

The extension has been in the works for some time. Idaho Education News reported first on many of the basics in a May 28 article.

The State Board memo spells out the details:

Phoenix and its owner, Apollo Global Management, would have a chance to negotiate with other would-be sellers, or pursue an initial public offering.

The U of I would immediately receive $5 million for agreeing to an extension.

The U of I could also receive additional breakup fees if the purchase falls through. If the June 2025 deadline comes and goes without a sale, the U of I would receive another $5 million. If Apollo finds another buyer or pursues an IPO, the breakup fees would total $15 million.

The fees to the U of I are designed to offset the universitys consulting and legal bills. As EdNews has previously reported, the U of I has spent some $11 million on due diligence as it has reviewed a Phoenix purchase; the bulk of those fees went to U of I President C. Scott Greens former employer, Hogan Lovells, an international law firm.

In their memo, State Board staffers say the U of I remains bullish on a Phoenix purchase. The U of I says its Phoenix business model remains intact and is growing stronger. The U of I has maintained it could net $10 million or more in annual revenues from Phoenix operations.

The U of I also maintains that it can navigate some turbulent political waters  even after the state Senate voted down a bill in March designed to salvage the purchase.

The parties  are committed to continue working collaboratively with legislators, through the 2025 legislative session if needed, to arrive at transaction acceptable to all.

The board is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Check Idaho Education News on Friday for coverage of the meeting. And click here for in-depth, exclusive Phoenix coverage from Idaho EdNews.

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Impact of Gaza aid pier to be investigated by Pentagon watchdog

A Pentagon watchdog announced on Thursday it would investigate the effectiveness of the Gaza pier mission in delivering humanitarian aid.

The Pentagons Office of the Inspector General will coordinate with the U.S. Agency for International Developments watchdog on two independent investigations, according to a statement from the Office of the Inspector General.

The agreements between the [Pentagon] and USAID establish roles and responsibilities that help enable U.S. humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza through the maritime corridor, Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch said in the statement. Given this, the [Pentagon Inspector General] and USAID [Inspector General] are working together to address the challenges associated with this mission.

The Gaza pier mission uses a lesser-known military capability called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, that generally involves sailors and soldiers.

First anchored off the coast on May 16, the pier has delivered 15 million pounds of humanitarian aid to Gaza as of June 25, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.

But the humanitarian mission has not been without problems.

On May 25, the pier broke apart after heavy winds and high seas pummeled it only a week after it became operational. It took until June 8 for the pier to be operational again.

Three U.S. service members have also sustained non-combat related injuries during the mission, with one in critical condition requiring a medical evacuation to an Israeli hospital.

The soldier was later sent to an Army hospital in Texas.
Indianapolis is the US city with the highest birth rate, study finds, which could have an impact on its future

According to a new study, Indianapolis has the highest birth rate out of 37 of the US's largest cities. Davel5957/Getty Images

Indianapolis has the highest birth rate among major US cities, per SmartAsset analysis.

It used US Census data from 2021-2022 to compare birth rates in 37 large cities.

Immigration and a population's age composition could play a role, a demography expert told BI.

Indianapolis is the US city with the highest birth rate, according to a new analysis by the financial technology company SmartAsset.

SmartAsset analyzed the most recently available US Census data for 37 of the largest US cities to determine where birth rates and family sizes are the highest and lowest.

It looked at the number of women aged 15 to 50 who had a baby in the 12 months between 2021 and 2022, comparing this with the total number of women in that age bracket.

Indianapolis topped the list, with Seattle ranked lowest.

The data suggested that 6.5% of Indianapolis women aged 15 to 50 had a child in 2022, leading to 14,482 births. In Seattle, it was just 2.6%.

The study also found that birth rates in major cities were lower than the national average.

Birth rates are a crucial indicator of population growth.

"What's happening in the US is we have more people dying than birth in some of these metropolitan areas," Emilio A. Parrado, the director of the University of Pennsylvania's Population Studies Center, told BI.

Parrado emphasized that high birth rates in Indianapolis could have significant policy and urban planning implications.

These include preventing school closures, increasing demand for childcare, and "producing children that are going to maintain Indianapolis if they don't leave," he said.

Parrado said there was insufficient data in the analysis to directly attribute the higher birth rates to a particular cause, but factors such as domestic and international migration, as well as a high proportion of women of prime childbearing age, likely contribute.

Parrado also told BI that the study's limitation in not controlling for age makes it challenging to distinguish between the fertility rate and the population's age composition, and that a more precise measure would be the total fertility rate, which estimates the number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime.

According to the most recent Indiana natality report, from 2017, Marion County, which includes Indianapolis, had a total fertility rate of 1.933, higher than the overall US rate of 1.62.

Many demographers and governments are concerned about declining fertility rates in the US and elsewhere.

Dudley L. Poston Jr., an emeritus professor of sociology at Texas A&M University, told BI that various factors influence fertility levels, including ethnicity, education, poverty status, employment outside the home, and whether women live in urban or rural areas.

Various countries around the world are experimenting with solutions to try to address low birth rates, including everything from unusual economic incentives to changing immigration policies.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 27. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a law authorizing the exploration and development of uranium and thorium deposits in the territory of the country, Trend reports.

Particularly, the law on subsoil was amended, and the law on prohibition of activities related to the geological study of subsoil for the search, exploration, and development of uranium and thorium deposits in Kyrgyzstan was recognized as invalid.

Furthermore, it is noted that the law was adopted to strike a balance between protecting the environment, making the most of valuable resources for the country, and boosting the economy of Kyrgyzstan.

To note, since 2019, the country has had a moratorium on uranium development, which was introduced after protests against the development of the uranium deposit Tash-Bulak in the Issyk-Kul region.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
A former INDOT employee was fired and fined for sending sexually explicit images on a state phone during work hours. (Photo from INDOT)

A June investigative report from the Indiana Office of Inspector General (OIG) detailed an inquiry into the actions of a former employee of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) who used a state phone to send a sexually explicit image.

Zachary Rutherford, a former maintenance operations supervisor 3 for (INDOT), was fired on November 16, 2023 and later that month OIG received a complaint alleging that Rutherford had solicited a woman to meet him in his state vehicle for sex at a work site.

Prior to the OIG complaint, an INDOT Investigation Manager conducted a brief examination of the state phone Rutherford used, finding sexually explicit images to and from that phone.

Further scrutiny revealed that Rutherford had contacted four different women during work hours in the month of October, spending a cumulative six hours and 14 minutes of state time sexting or otherwise communicating about non-work topics. OIG calculated that the state loss during that time was $226.28.

The ethics ruling concluded that Rutherford had committed ghost employment, or done other work during state time, and misused state property. On March 21, 2024, Rutherford entered into a settlement agreement with OIG admitting to the violations and agreeing to pay a fine.

The $250 fine combined with the $226.28 of lost time total an agreed payment of $476.28 from Rutherford to the state.

The post INDOT employee fired, fined for using state phone to sext appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Rudy Giuliani is dropping coin on polyester ties and pizza, bankruptcy records show.

Unfortunately for his creditors, he's spending more money than in previous months.

Some of the financial disclosures that Giuliani prepared himself don't add up.

Now we know what it looks like when Rudy Giuliani tightens his belt.

The former New York City mayor disclosed excruciating details of his financial life with a series of bankruptcy court filings this week, detailing a month of his income and spending.

Unfortunately for Giuliani's creditors looking to satisfy his $153 million in debt, he spent more in May  the month covered in the disclosures  than in previous months.

The most eye-popping expenses include pricy restaurant bills while he evaded being served a criminal indictment for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Arizona. They also include quite a few Amazon purchases, including cheap ties and "deep bronze" tanning lotion.

Giuliani earned $61,717 in income in May and spent about $33,000. The spending is thousands of dollars higher than in previous months, which creditors have already complained is irresponsibly excessive.

For the first time, Giuliani disclosed the financial details of Giuliani Communications, the company he owns that produces his video livestreams on social media.

It, too, is operating in the red  especially since his radio show was canceled last month.

In response to questions about her work for Giuliani Communications, Maria Ryan, the company's president, discussed theories about coronavirus vaccines and said she was "very disappointed" in Business Insider.

Giuliani has an Amazon habit

Giuliani's largest expense is the $12,000 monthly maintenance fee for his New York City co-op, which Giuliani is trying to sell. The 80-year-old with no dependents also seems to spend hundreds of dollars each month on groceries.

Several of the exhibits included in Tuesday's cache of filings detail Giuliani's spending on Amazon. To compile them, Giuliani appeared to take photos of his laptop showing each Amazon order and then added them to a black-and-white PDF before submitting them to court.

To provide the Amazon records, Rudy Giuliani appears to have taken photos of his laptop. US Bankruptcy Court

They show expenses you would expect from a social media vlogger, including a tripod and USB cables.

They also include personal items, including coffee (Giuliani appears to be fond of illy), socks, and a lot of neckties.

On May 7, Giuliani spent $22.98 on a 6-pack of "Men's Necktie Classic Silk Tie Woven Jacquard Neck Ties," which comprised a filibuster-proof majority of the nine ties he ordered from Amazon that month.

"The ties aren't silk, but I expected that to be a lie, so it was kind of baked in to the price," one Amazon reviewer wrote.

Photos on the Amazon listing do not show a fabric composition tag. A tag in a photo for another tie from the same brand on eBay says it's made from 100% polyester. Listings for other ties from the same brand on AliExpress and Shein show they are made from 100% polyester.

That comes to a very good deal of less than $4 per tie. But it's not clear why Giuliani, who has worked at the highest levels of politics and law  he was a personal attorney to Donald Trump during his presidency and served as the US Attorney in Manhattan  needed new ties.

Giuliani ordered a lot of ties. US Bankruptcy Court

Giuliani also spent about $13 on a 6-ounce bottle of "Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Moisturizer + Bronzer, Self Tanner, Deep Bronze, for Natural-Looking Tan."

Hopefully, he was satisfied. Giuliani has had problems with cosmetics in the past.

Giuliani ordered a "deep bronze" tanning lotion. US Bankruptcy Court

Giuliani's financial statements also show multiple Amazon purchases in the $3-10 range, appearing to show he purchased movies or TV episodes for streaming. The documents filed to court don't disclose what he watched.

While Giuliani was evading service for a criminal indictment from Arizona on election interference charges  he was eventually served on May 17 and posted a $10,000 bond  he racked up pricey restaurant bills in Palm Beach, where he owns a condominium apartment. For dinner on May 9, he dropped $167 at a restaurant called Bricktop's. The next day, $113 for a meal at City Pizza. And the day after that, another $119 at the Italian joint Bice.

Mysteriously, Giuliani  who, again, has no dependents  appears to have two different bills each marked as a "Telephone expense." His AT&T bill is $228, and he pays Verizon $256 per month.

Some numbers don't add up

Much to the consternation of creditors, retirement funds such as Individual Retirement Accounts are generally protected from bankruptcy proceedings. But creditors accuse Giuliani of using money from it irresponsibly.

For the first time, Giuliani disclosed that his IRA at Citi  which forms the bulk of his net worth  had a balance of about $2.5 million in 2022.

But the numbers in a table he provided in a Tuesday filing showing its disbursements don't seem to add up.

According to the filing, Giuliani withdrew $1.8 million from the account between 2022 and 2023.

That should have left him with a balance of about $700,000 at the start of 2024, when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But Citi bank documents filed to court show a balance of over $1 million.

Rudy Giuliani outside a federal courthouse in Washington, DC, during the defamation trial against him from Wandrea Moss and Ruby Freeman. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

It's not clear what caused the discrepancy. Neither Giuliani's spokesperson nor his bankruptcy lawyers immediately responded to a request for comment.

In previous filings, lawyers for Giuliani said he withdrew heavily from his retirement account over the past several years to build up Giuliani Communications, the company that produces his video blogs, where he discusses politics.

Giuliani's vlogging company is operating in the red

Balance of Nature, a vitamin supplements company, was Giuliani Communications' biggest sponsor in May, paying the company $11,500.

Giuliani Communications also made $1,200 from MyPillow, the bedding company owned by Mike Lindell, another election conspiracy theorist who has been the subject of numerous defamation lawsuits.

Newsmax, which hosts one of Giuliani's shows, paid $8,300 that month. And he made another $2,200 from X, formerly known as Twitter, where he livestreams.

Giuliani's biggest payment came from WABC, the New York radio station owned by Republican billionaire and grocery store mogul John Catsimatidis, which paid him $15,000 per month.

That income is now gone. The station dropped Giuliani in that month after he continued to push false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

On a monthly basis, Giuliani Communications spends more money than it makes  even before the WABC cancellation.

Giuliani pays himself $45,000 each month, exceeding the company's combined income (Giuliani Communications had about $200,000 left on its balance sheet in May).

He also pays $10,000 per month to Maria Ryan, Giuliani's reported girlfriend who also serves as the company's president and recently brokered a deal with a coffee company to sell "Rudy's Coffee."

In an email to Business Insider responding to a question about her salary, Ryan, who previously worked in healthcare administration, said she took a reduced salary to work for Giuliani and said "there are people who still do not know the truth about the origins of Covid 19."

"I took a large pay cut to join Giuliani Communications," she wrote. "I did it because as an American  I saw the censorship during the pandemic."

"I am very disappointed in you. There are no real journalists left," she added later in her email. "You are attacking me why? Because I am President of Giuliani communications."

"Please leave me alone. I am a grandmother of five and they are traumatized by you," she continued.

Rudy Giuliani. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The filings come at a perilous time for Giuliani. The federal bankruptcy judge overseeing his case is considering whether to appoint a bankruptcy trustee, who would be able to control his financial life without encumbrance.

Nearly all of Giuliani's debt comes from a $148 million jury judgment against him in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers, who he falsely claimed manipulated ballots.

The bankruptcy process has halted them from enforcing the judgment and seizing his assets outright. Giuliani's lawyers have asked the bankruptcy judge to hit the pause button on the Chapter 11 process while he pursues appeals in the defamation litigation.

"Unbelievably, Mr. Giuliani continues to spend state, party, and judicial resources in pursuit of an appeal that would be fully briefed by now had he himself not chosen to seek chapter 11 reorganization instead," lawyers for the Georgia workers, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss, wrote in a letter filed to court Wednesday. "This is one more demonstration among many that Mr. Giuliani cannot be trusted to manage his own bankruptcy."

Giuliani's lawyers have said he's struggling to pay for an accountant to put together the monthly bankruptcy reports, which has led to hiccups in past filings.

Earlier filings were compiled by Joseph Ricci, an accountant whose firm was paid $4,000 by Giuliani Communications in May. Ricci has since declined to work on the banruptcy, Giuliani's lawyers have said.

The most recent reports name Giuliani himself as the party "responsible" for compiling them.

One of Giuliani's monthly expenses includes Merry Maids, a home cleaning service. Giuliani paid $195, which is pretty good for a 2,200-square-foot 3-bedroom apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Confusingly, Giuliani was billed twice for the service on the same day, on May 3, which shows why it's always a good idea to double-check your bills.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Leonard Leo, best known as the architect of the Supreme Courts conservative supermajority, is fueling an assault on efforts to preserve the environment and the planet. His dark money network has also been funding campaigns to dismantle the Endangered Species Act (ESA)  50 years after it was established to protect plant and animal species at risk of extinction.

Since its passing, the ESA has been credited for saving 99 percent of its listed wildlife including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, grizzly bears, humpback whales, and numerous other species crucial to the U.S. and global ecosystem.

Despite the ESAs success rate, Leos primary dark money hubs  the Concord Fund and the 85 Fund  funneled more than $2 million between 2020 to 2022 toward multiple climate denial groups that have targeted the ESA, arguing the protective act places unfair burdens on businesses, particularly in the logging, mining, and fossil fuel industries.

Of these groups, Americans for Limited Government (ALG), received $1.8 million from the Concord Fund. ALG has published countless articles slamming the scientific evidence educating the public on the causes of climate change.

In 2018, ALG sent a letter to Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), advocating for nine pieces of legislation that would gut the ESA. The bills were framed as an attempt to modernize the federal act, and the letter claimed the ESA had been weaponized by radicals to shut down mines that are critical for national security minerals, and to halt energy exploration. The group argued the ESA has made America dependent on foreign nations for energy and critical minerals, putting the nation in danger and citizens out of work.

Among the legislative proposals were The Less Imprecision in Species Treatment Act (LIST Act), which would make it easier to delist a species from the ESA, and the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act, which would undermine the ESAs methodical science by deeming state, tribal, or county data best available science regardless of its quality.

Two days after the letter was sent, Gosar echoed ALGs words in a press release. He praised the package of smart, targeted, thoughtful modernization amendments to the ESA, and called on lawmakers to consider the longstanding and fixable failures of the ESA to conserve species and balance interests appropriately.

While seven of the nine proposed bills failed in earlier congresses, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) reintroduced the LIST Act in January, 2023, and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) reintroduced the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act later that month.

Tony Carrk, Executive Director of investigative Accountable.US, a progressive nonprofit research group, says that his team has observed Leo and his network attempt to take over the courts, but also expand his reach in this far right, extreme conservative agenda that is intended to put more power in the hands of big corporations.

I think this is just this whole philosophy that puts profit about everything else, and that seems to be driving anything that has to do with regulating the oil and gas industry  from protecting our public lands, from protecting the endangered species, Carrk continues. It furthers this extreme agenda that puts profit over everything else.

In 2022, Leos 85 Fund donated $150,000 to the Heritage Foundation  the conservative Washington think tank that is leading Project 2025, which is meant to function as Republicans policy road map if they win back the White House this year.

The Project 2025 agenda calls for meaningful reform of the Endangered Species Act, and for the administration to rescind Bidens ESA rules in favor of those pushed by the Trump administration. The agenda says Congress should take action to restore its original purpose and end its use to seize private property, prevent economic development, and interfere with the rights of states over their wildlife populations.

Barring such action, the Project 2025 plan includes calls for the next administration to delist the grizzly bear in parts of the Northwest; delist the gray wolf in most of the country; and end protections for the greater sage-grouse, a bird whose habitat is threatened by oil and gas development.

Leos 85 Fund also gave $200,000 in 2022 to the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a right-wing outfit that touts itself as nonpartisan while slamming ESA regulations seen as an impediment to fossil fuel companies.

In 2023, the group published a nearly 50-page report to mark the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, calling it one of the nations most well-known and far-reaching environmental laws. Throughout the document, PERC lamented that the legislation does little to reward states or landowners who recover species or restore habitat and argued that by imposing regulatory burdens wherever rare species or their habitats are found, it turns species into liabilities.

PERC is a member of the the State Policy Network (SPN), a national organization that watchdog group Energy and Policy Institute has said is at the center of a 50-state network of think tank affiliates that is at the forefront of disinformation campaigns against wind and solar power, and is funded by right-wing donors and fossil fuel interests.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, PERC insisted that it emphatically wants to see more endangered species fully recover and thrive while ensuring that our nations landmark conservation law effectively achieves its own goals and said that an incentive-based approach has been embraced by respected conservation leaders and members of both parties.

When discussing legislative opposition to the ESA, Robert Dewey, Defenders of Wildlifes vice president of government relations, emphasizes how the law was grounded in science, not politics. At its core, the Endangered Species Act not only protects plants and animals, but it also protects people, he explains. We need the parts of ecosystems to remain intact if theyre going to serve the ecological functions that people depend on  air quality, water quality, food production.

When Congress established [the ESA] in 1973, it recognized the perils of politicizing decisions about species by having Congress do that, Dewey continues. In its wisdom at the time, Congress decided to have a law that was guided by science and gave agencies the discretion to make these decisions, because theres always going to be local opposition or concern. You just need to weigh that against what is essential for the saving from extinction of a particular species.

This article was updated on June 27, 6:30 p.m. E.T. to include a statement from the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC).

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A view of the Rocky Mountain Regional Medical Center on April 3, 2018. (Capt. Ryan Hignight U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District)

Two inspector general reports released this week found that an Aurora hospital for veterans delayed cardiac surgeries for almost a year and created an unsafe work environment for its staff.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General released a report detailing how leadership failures at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora led to a culture of fear among staff and undermined safety. Another report discussed how intensive care unit changes led to significant delays in veterans ability to schedule heart surgeries.

The OIG conducted two separate investigations into how actions from facility leadership affected ICU staffing, patient care, and training for residents. While it found a variety of issues with staffing and ICU changes, the investigation determined that no patients were harmed.

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The VAs Eastern Colorado Health Care System provides services for 100,000 veterans at the Aurora medical center and more than a dozen other locations in the state. U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Centennial Democrat and Army veteran who represents Aurora, has expressed his concerns to VA leadership over claims of inadequte care and staffing issues at the hospital. Crow told Newsline he is very troubled by the findings of the report.

Were glad that the OIG took this seriously and did a very robust investigation, and theres a lot of work to do to make sure that these things are fixed, Crow told Newsline. Im going to be pushing VA senior leadership in Washington very hard in the months ahead to make sure that remediation is done and that veterans get the care that they deserve.

Crow said the issues at the hospital have led to veterans waiting longer than they should for primary care and specialty care appointments.

In a medical context, time is really important, so making sure that we can speed up the process of getting appointments and getting the follow-ups that the veterans deserve is extremely important here, Crow said.

In June 2022, the hospital notified VA leadership that it could not conduct cardiac surgeries due to critical staffing shortages in the ICU and operating rooms. When surgeries resumed in July, staffing was still a concern, with former hospital leadership covering overnight shifts when needed.

I'm going to be pushing VA senior leadership in Washington very hard in the months ahead to make sure that remediation is done and that veterans get the care that they deserve.

 U.S. Rep. Jason Crow

Newly appointed hospital leadership paused surgeries again in September, without notifying the VA, and didnt resume until October 2023. During this pause, the report found all former cardiac surgery staff either resigned or were terminated. The hospital resumed surgery by working with contract staff from the University of Colorado without approval from the VA.

The OIG found that resuming (cardiac) surgical services after an extended pause met criteria for a major augmentation of clinical services and thus required the approval of the Under Secretary for Health or designee, the report said. Further, the OIG found that the absence of a detailed, interdisciplinary evaluation and plan to be very concerning given that the last CT surgery was conducted nearly one year prior.

Changes in ICU operations and staffing therefore led to a lack of supervision for ICU residents and an ineffective teaching environment, according to the report. The investigation did not find evidence that the changes to ICU operations led to patient harm, though they did lead to significant delays in patients ability to schedule cardiac procedures.

Toxic work culture

The report on hospital leadership and work culture found that high staff turnover came as people from a variety of services across the hospital felt psychologically unsafe, deeply disrespected, and dismissed, and feared that speaking up or offering a difference of opinion would result in reprisal. In particular, senior leadership didnt take staff input into consideration and had demeaning communication styles.

While leadership reported improvements in culture, that contradicted accounts staff members shared with the OIG during the same period. The OIG found extended vacancies for several essential mid-level leadership positions at the hospital. All of the recently departed staff the OIG contacted during its investigation reported a lack of trust in senior leadership as a reason to leave their roles.

The reports included a combined 13 recommendations related to oversight from VA leadership, better planning, hiring practices, as well as staff and management training and culture. The VA agreed to all of the OIG recommendations.

Rocky Mountain Regional Network Director Sunaina Kumar-Giebel said the VA takes allegations of improper patient care seriously.

VA is committed to maintaining excellent patient care and prioritizing a culture of safety, Kumar-Giebel said in a statement. These investigations will help ensure Veterans, employees, and stakeholders have full confidence in the quality and integrity of the leaders and care delivery provided.

Crow said the toxic work culture and dysfunctional leadership affected every aspect of the hospital. While the hospital has gone through several interim directors throughout the OIG investigation, enacting permanent leadership as quickly as possible will help improve the hospital environment, he said.

It was very clear that the prior leadership did not take staff concern seriously, that there wasnt a culture that encouraged a free flow of information, reports on incidents and areas for improvement, and of course, that impacted everything at the hospital, Crow said. So what needs to happen is the VA needs to make sure that they get senior and permanent leadership.

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Insurance could return to these high risk areas in San Diego under new CA policy

Editors Note: This story has been updated to correct the name of the states Department of Insurance Commissioner. We apologize for the error.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  California is looking at ways to intervene in the burgeoning insurance crisis gripping homeowners in neighborhoods with high wildfire risk.

Earlier this month, the California Department of Insurance released new details about a plan that is part of a yearlong effort to overhaul Californias insurance code in hopes of bolstering coverage of communities impacted by the recent exodus of private home insurers from the state.

California Department of Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has billed the multi-pronged plan, which was first announced last fall, as the most significant insurance reform in three decades.

Heres the local impact of State Farm dropping homeowners insurance

The latest initiative would span dozens of high-risk zip codes across California, including 19 in San Diego County, who have been left with just the states FAIR Plan  or another last-ditch, bare-bones policy with hefty premiums  to cover their home.

The adjustment addresses what Lara described as a shortcoming in the states insurance code that allows insurers significant leeway to write their own policies  something he says has contributed to companies pulling out of areas they deem too risky.

Under the new regulations, large insurance companies would be required to write new policies that would allow a minimum of 85% of residents in wildfire distressed areas, which were identified based on concentrations of the states FAIR plan, to move back to their coverage.

Smaller companies, new entrants and commercial insurance companies would need to increase insurance coverage by 5% in these areas, according to the policy.

Much of San Diegos inland and desert areas would be impacted by this change, state officials say. A map of all areas in the state impacted by this change can be found below.

Map showing concentration of FAIR Plan policies and wildfire risk. (California Department of Insurance)

In turn, insurance companies will be able to begin utilizing computerized catastrophe models to calculate its rates based on potential future risks, as they do in other states. Californias policies have historically been shaped by wildfire records within 20 year periods.

Drone near Del Mar Heights brush fire slowed firefighting efforts: SDFD

Insurance companies using these models would also be required to take into account how a policyholder might be mitigating wildfire risk at their property, state officials said.

Lara said utilizing this technology would help stabilize insurance in the state and make it more affordable  a sentiment echoed by insurers. However, critics argue catastrophe modeling can still contribute to unnecessary rate hikes, evidenced by hurricane-prone Floridas exorbitantly high insurance prices.

According to state officials, all of the measures included in the latest policy, like the ability to use catastrophe models, would be subject to oversight by existing mechanisms.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
RILEY COUNTY (KSNT)  Wildlife experts are monitoring the advance of two invasive species in northeast Kansas and urging locals to help stop them from spreading further.

Commissioners with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) recently met in Hays on June 20 to discuss several regulation changes, including the addition of two waterbodies to the Kansas Aquatic Invasive Species Designated Waters list. These include Willow Lake and the portion of the Kansas River in Riley County.

27 News reached out to Christ Steffen, aquatic invasive species coordinator with the KDWP, to learn the reason for these changes. He said the spread of zebra mussels and white perch prompted the regulation updates.

Steffen said Willow Lake was added to the list as land separating it from nearby Tuttle Creek River Pond has eroded to the point where both waterbodies are now often connected. Zebra mussels present in the pond now have access to Willow Lake.

Biologists remove 61,000 pounds of invasive carp from Kansas River

The addition of the Riley County portion of the Kansas River to the list was done for the benefit of record keeping as it was left off the list inadvertently in the past. Both zebra mussels and white perch are found in this section of the river.

The invasive species in these waterbodies (zebra mussels and white perch) are not able to move to other nearby waters on their own, Steffen said in a written statement. The danger is in humans unintentionally or intentionally moving these species to other waters.

Steffen said people can help stop the spread of these invasive species to new areas by following a few simple steps. These include:

Clean anything that comes in contact with the water.

Drain water on location.

Dry everything before going to a new lake, reservoir or river.

What does it take to go noodling for catfish in Kansas?

The current list of Kansas Aquatic Invasive Species Designated Waters, created in 2020, names numerous waterbodies that are now home to invasive species like Asian carp, zebra mussels and white perch. You can learn more about which waterbodies are on this list by clicking here.

For more Kansas Outdoors, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Weston Elementary School. (Photo courtesy Candice Corey)

A recent investigation found a Wisconsin school failed to comply with several seclusion and restraint policies, including ensuring sufficient training, properly documenting seclusion and restraint incidents, debriefing after incidents, notifying the students parent and removing a lock on the door of the seclusion room.

The investigation, conducted by Daniel Unertl, an attorney with Attoles Law, looked into the treatment in the fall of 2023 of a first-grade student at Weston Elementary School  a small school of about 140 in rural Cazenovia, Wisconsin. It was initiated by the school board after Candice Corey, the students mother, issued a complaint that her son was the victim of physical harm perpetrated by staff members and the district failed to properly document and communicate the instances of seclusion and restraint.

Corey said her son, whose name is being withheld for privacy reasons, has been traumatized by the experiences.

His whole demeanor is different, Corey told the Wisconsin Examiner. He used to want to go across town to his friends house. He doesnt do that anymore. He used to take the dogs to the park or take the dogs for a walk. He doesnt do that anymore. Of her sons change in personality, she said, They dimmed a light that they didnt need to.

Seclusion  the forced confinement of a student in a room or area  and physical restraint  restraining a students body movements  are practices used in schools to respond to student behavior. State laws in Wisconsin require that the practices are only used when students present a clear, present, and imminent risk to the physical safety of themselves or others and when it is the least restrictive intervention possible. The law lays out other requirements if the practices are being used.

The practices are disproportionately used with elementary school students who have disabilities and have been highly criticized in the last few decades due to the physical and mental effects on children. Wisconsin adopted its laws regulating the practices in 2010 and 2019 to help limit their use and mitigate the potential harm. Advocates against the use of the practices say problems remain when it comes to ensuring schools comply with the law.

Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, an attorney representing Corey and a long-time disability rights advocate, said the investigations findings and recommendations are notable. He said that often when schools conduct such investigations, they hire the same law firms that usually represent their schools, which is a conflict of interest. This happened in Coreys case as well, but the investigator found several of the concerns and recommended discipline for the superintendent and the special education director.

I have yet to see that for a so-called independent investigation conducted by a school districts attorney in all my time, Spitzer-Resnick said. And I think its a wake up call, hopefully, to other school districts to get serious when they do investigations of abuse by staff and school.

Spitzer-Resnick said he also appreciates that the school didnt go into defense and denial mode as many school districts do when there are accusations about seclusion and restraint. He added that the report helped ensure this.

Insufficient training

Coreys son, who is autistic and deals with ADHD, had a relatively positive start to the 2023-24 school year, according to witnesses interviewed in the investigation. He had been attending Weston Elementary School since the 2020-2021 school year as a 4-year-old kindergarten student and then completed two years of kindergarten before entering the first grade.

In mid-October of 2023, however, his behavioral problems started to increase and as a result, he started receiving instruction mostly in a dedicated special education room. After this, staff began using seclusion and restraint more often to respond to his behavior.

Wisconsin state law lays out several requirements for when seclusion and restraint are used, including requirements that secluded students must be supervised; must have access to a bathroom, drinking water, necessary medication and scheduled meals; must be in a room that cant be locked and is free of objects or fixtures that could injure them and may only be secluded for as long as necessary to resolve the risk. In the case of restraint, some of the policies in the statute include that the degree of force and duration should not exceed what is reasonable and necessary to resolve the risk and it should not constitute corporal punishment. It also includes requirements for steps the school must take after a seclusion or restraint occurs. Several of those requirements were not complied with in this case, according to the report.

Coreys complaint alleged that her son was the victim of physical harm. Her son did come home with a scratch from three nails on his forearm caused by a paraprofessional, though the investigation found that it was an accident. He also had bruises consistent with being grabbed inappropriately.

The investigation did not reveal evidence of corporal punishment. However, it did find several other deficiencies and failures.

Training was one of the first issue areas.

State law requires at least one staff member in each school where restraint might be used to be trained, and that only trained staff members are supposed to conduct any seclusions unless there is an emergency and a trained individual isnt available. The Department of Public Instruction advises that schools should have multiple people trained within a school as its helpful in a situation where restraint is used to have more than one trained person available to ensure safety for students and staff alike.

Before December 2023, Molly Kasten, the director of curriculum, instruction and special education for the district, was the only staff member with up-to-date training. She was also in charge of ensuring staff were trained. Multiple staff members who regularly interacted with the student, including two paraprofessionals, did not have up-to-date training, including when they engaged in the use of seclusion and restraint.

The investigation noted that, given prior experiences with the student, it wasnt unforeseeable that there was the potential for seclusion and restraints, and Kasten, as the administrator in charge of seclusion and restraint training, should have anticipated this need and ensured an adequate number of staff received proper training.

Staff had, as a result, also received little to no training in how to fill out the reports  another area where failings were apparent.

Incomplete documentation, lack of notification

The investigator reviewed a total of 14 seclusion and restraint reports the district had on file. Three of the incidents happened on Nov. 8, 2023. Three other incidents occurred on Nov. 13, 2023. One happened on each of the following dates: Nov. 16, Nov. 17, Nov. 20, Nov. 21. Dec. 12 and three others on Dec. 14.

Only one of the 14 was properly documented.

In sum, nearly all the reports examined by this reviewer were inadequate, the investigation states. The reports in some cases are so deficient that it is virtually impossible for a third party reviewer to ascertain whether the report was filled out for a restraint or a seclusion. Despite numerous witnesses indicating that restraint did in fact occur, not a single report explicitly indicates the use of restraint.

When the incidents were occurring, the seclusion room was also out of compliance as a lock remained on the door. It wasnt removed until after the investigation.

In addition, at least one incident was not documented at all during the students second year of kindergarten in 2022-23. Instances of the principal dragging him down the hallway, technically a restraint, were also not documented.

The school may have failed to report the instance in kindergarten to the Department of Public Instruction as zero instances of seclusion and restraint were reported in the 2022-23 seclusion and restraint report.

On at least two occasions, Superintendent Gary Syftestad dragged the student down the hallway at the school. He claimed the student saw it as fun as did other staff members who witnessed the dragging. In the second instance of this happening, Syftestad dragged him by the ankle.

The investigation admonished Syftestad for his actions.

Regardless of a students perception of this type of incident, dragging a student down the hall, be it by a hand or by the foot, is incredibly inappropriate and unprofessional conduct from any staff member, much less from the superintendent, the investigation stated. As the Districts educational leader, Syftestad is held to the highest possible standard.  He is supposed to be the trusted leader who students can come to with any questions or concerns, and witnessing the superintendent drag one of your classmates down the hall of the school would negatively impact students ability to view Syftestad as a trusted adult. Further, it stated that the dragging would model negative behaviors that staff members should not be emulating and may cause staff to lose any trust or respect that the staff have in Syftestad.

The investigation also said that those who witnessed the dragging, including the principal, should have objected to any instance of Syftestad dragging a child, no matter the context, and doing so demonstrates a significant lapse in judgement.

The investigation called the failures concerning given the clear guidance in state statute and school board policy and the serious nature of seclusion and restraint.

In addition to official documentation and reporting, within three days of an incident, parents are supposed to receive written reports from the school. Corey received inadequate notification, according to the investigation.

Corey was only provided with the reports when she requested them. The reports arrived late and incomplete, the report stated.

Corey said she wasnt made aware of the complete extent of her sons situation until December when she started asking questions. Those questions were prompted after her son came home with scratches on his forearm and she heard from some that he was being dragged down the hallway by the superintendent.

[My son] had been telling me these things, but I didnt  I didnt believe it, Corey said. I would get a random call every now and then. Just Oh, he had a rough day. But I was never informed they were putting him in a seclusion room or physically restraining him until December.

In December, she pulled him out of the school.

School responds, students education in flux

Spitzer-Resnick said he suspects the Weston school district is not the only school district in the state with training, documentation and reporting issues. He noted that he had concerns when the laws were being created about staff being trained to prevent incidents and appropriately document them and whether there would be funding to support that. He said this case also brings up the question of whether schools are accurately reporting  an ongoing concern of his.

School districts in Wisconsin have been required to report data to the Department of Public Instruction each year since the 2020-21 school year and many show up as having zero instances of seclusion and restraint.

When we see school districts with low numbers of seclusion and restraint, can we safely assume that that means theyre really not doing it very much, if at all? And the sad answer is no, Spitzer-Resnick said. We cant, because there isnt good auditing at DPIs level.

Spitzer-Resnick said he recognizes that DPI doesnt have the resources to audit every school district in Wisconsin, but said even auditing 10 or 20 would send a message to other districts about ensuring they are reporting incidents and complying with state policy. There is nothing in statute guiding DPI on what to do with the data it receives from schools, and currently, DPI focuses most of its attention to the issue on reaching out to districts that report high numbers of seclusions and restraints.

The investigation recommended several actions for the district, including training for several staff members and disciplinary action for Syftestad and Kasten. In a letter attached to the investigation report, the school board president Carrie Heiking detailed the actions that the school will be taking.

Those actions include reviewing and making necessary corrections to the schools 2022-23 seclusion and restraint report, training and certifying essential staff in seclusion and restraint practices, bringing in an outside consultant to ensure the seclusion room is in compliance, developing a professional development training plan for all staff, training employees who may be involved in a seclusion and restraint situation in documentation and notification requirements, maintaining a training log, developing a best practice protocol for debriefing incidents and reviewing mandatory staff training requirements.

Heiking wrote that the board also reviewed the recommendations for staff discipline and would be taking significant actions, though the specific actions werent disclosed for confidentiality reasons.

On behalf of the Board of Education, we hope that this message gives you the sense of closure we believe you deserve, Heiking wrote in the letter attached to the report.

The Examiner contacted Heiking to ask about the investigation and the districts ongoing response. In an email, Heiking said the district does not comment on matters where the privacy of our students or staff members are concerned and protected by law.

Heiking also referred the Examiner to administrative reports related to seclusion and restraint, which are presented to the board during open meetings.

A June report provided to the school board by Kasten about training noted that the goal is to have all staff trained in nonviolent crisis intervention, and that at one point the district had trained 85% of staff.

At this point, special education staff, administration and some paraprofessionals are correctly certified and trained, the report stated.

Meanwhile, Syftestad, who has worked in education for 30 years, is retiring and the school board is in the process of hiring a new superintendent. He said in a statement to the board that the time has come for me to focus on my health and my family.

Heiking said the board wishes him well in his retirement and is very appreciative of his dedication and leadership over the last several years.

Spitzer-Resnick emphasized that the seclusion and restraint has heavily affected the students education, and his family is still working to make up for that harm. The student has started attending a school outside of Madison  about an hour and a half drive away from his home.

There [was] no education happening for much of the school year for the student in his former school, Spitzer-Resnick said.

And were still in a place after this, granted, this very small school district basically said, OK, you know, I guess we have to send him somewhere else because We dont know what to do, he continued, paraphrasing the schools reaction.

Corey, for now, remains reluctant to send her son back to the district even with the proposed actions from the district.

The changes would be great if theyre actually going to follow through and do well, but I will not let him return up there until theres a staff change, Corey said. This went on for almost three months of you restraining a special needs child down the hallway to throw him in a room by himself. Nobody thought they should probably report that to me.

She added that she appreciates her tight-knit rural community and hopes her son can go back to school there one day.

But at the same time, is this wound ever going to heal? Corey said. Even when we drive by there, he doesnt  he doesnt look at the school. He doesnt talk about the school. If we see somebody from the school out in public, he runs.

The post Investigation finds Wisconsin school failed to comply with seclusion and restraint policies appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
SMITHS STATION, Ala. (WRBL)  A deadly hit-and-run crash Wednesday night has left a Smiths Station man dead and authorities searching for the driver involved.

Lee County Coroner Daniel Sexton confirms to WRBL Joseph D. Stewart, 42, was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:45 PM after his motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck. The crash occurred in the 5000 block of Lee Road 248 (Summerville Road).

Investigators say the driver of the pickup truck left the scene before law enforcement arrived and is currently being sought by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the truck to come forward. The State Bureau of Investigation Crime Hotline is a confidential line where a person can report criminal activity at 1.800.392.8011.

WRBL News 3 anticipates additional information to be released by ALEA on Thursday morning. We hope to provide a better description of the truck involved in this deadly hit-and-run crash.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
The rainbow flag of the gay pride movement and the flag of the United States. (Photo by Getty Images)

A Scott County man is suing his former employer for allegedly firing him after he wore Christian-themed T-shirts to work in response to the companys endorsement of Pride Month.

Cosby Corey Cunningham is suing Eaton Corp., a global power management company with a Davenport office, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, alleging violations of his civil rights.

Cunningham, a self-described born-again, church-going Christian, was hired by Eaton in 2019 as a quality manager with responsibilities for product development related to military and aerospace activity.

According to his lawsuit, Eaton initiated a Pride Month ceremony on June 2, 2023, by raising a pride flag in front of its main building and encouraging employees to wear specific colors in support of the effort. Management also sent out emails to the staff offering pride-themed T-shirts for workers to purchase, the lawsuit claims.

That same day, Cunningham alleges, he began wearing T-shirts at work that displayed or referred to Bible verses. According to the lawsuit, he did this to express his sincerely held religious belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible.

One shirt read, Pride goes before destruction, an arrogant spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18. Another shirt read, Taking back the rainbow. Genesis 9:13. A third read, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6.

Over the next eight weeks, Eaton managers allegedly held a series of meetings with Cunningham to express their concern that his actions were perceived by others as inflammatory and that they might violate company policy.

According to the lawsuit, management refused Cunninghams requests for a religious accommodation to wear the T-shirts, threatened him with dismissal, and sent him home on at least two occasions for refusing to stop wearing the shirts.

On Aug. 23, 2023, the company fired Cunningham, the lawsuit alleges.

In his lawsuit, Cunningham states that he believes homosexual conduct is sinful and that he has been called upon to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Doing so, he claims, requires him to share with others even those biblical teachings that are offensive to those who dont share such beliefs.

In his lawsuit, Cunningham is represented by an attorney for the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative organization that says it works to promote religious freedom and parental rights. The Southern Poverty Law Center has characterized the Pacific Justice Institute as an anti-LGBT hate group whose founder has compared legalized gay marriage to Hitler and the Nazis ascent in Germany.

The Eaton Corp. has yet to file a response to the lawsuit, and the companys media representatives did not return messages Thursday seeking comment.

The post Iowan sues after being fired for wearing Bible-verse shirts during Pride Month appeared first on Iowa Capital Dispatch.
By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) -A low-key moderate and a protege of Iran's supreme leader are neck-and-neck in the vote count in snap presidential elections marked by voter apathy over economic hardships and social restrictions.

More than 14 million votes have been counted so far from Friday's vote, of which the sole moderate candidate Massoud Pezeshkian had won over 5.9 million votes and his hardline challenger former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili over 5.5 million, provisional results by the interior ministry showed.

Some insiders said the turnout was around 40%, lower than expected by Iran's clerical rulers, while witnesses told Reuters that polling stations in Tehran and some other cities were not crowded.

Iran's Tasnim news agency said a run-off election was "very likely" to pick the next president following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.

If no candidate wins at least 50% plus one vote from all ballots cast, including blank votes, a run-off between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the result is declared.

The election coincides with escalating regional tension due to the war between Israel and Iranian allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as increased Western pressure on Iran over its fast-advancing nuclear programme.

While the election is unlikely to bring a major shift in the Islamic Republic's policies, its outcome could influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's 85-year-old supreme leader, in power since 1989.

The clerical establishment sought a high turnout to offset a legitimacy crisis fuelled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedom.

The next president is not expected to usher in any major policy shift on Iran's nuclear programme or support for militia groups across the Middle East, since Khamenei calls all the shots on top state matters.

However, the president runs the government day-to-day and can influence the tone of Iran's foreign and domestic policy.

Pezeshkian's views offer a contrast to those of Jalili, advocating detente with the West, economic reform, social liberalisation and political pluralism.

A staunch anti-Westerner, Jalili's win would signal the possibility of an even more antagonistic turn in the Islamic Republic's foreign and domestic policy, analysts said.

LIMITED CHOICES

The election was a contest among a tightly controlled group of three hardline candidates and one low-profile moderate loyal to the supreme leader. A hardline watchdog body approved only six from an initial pool of 80 and two hardline candidates subsequently dropped out.

"Based on unconfirmed reports, the election is very likely heading to a second round ... Jalili and Pezeshkian will compete in a run-off election," Tasnim reported.

Critics of the clerical establishment say that low turnouts in recent years show the system's legitimacy has eroded. Turnout was 48% in the 2021 presidential election and a record low of 41% of people voted in a parliamentary election in March.

All candidates have vowed to revive the flagging economy, beset by mismanagement, state corruption and sanctions re-imposed since 2018, after the U.S. ditched Tehran's nuclear pact.

"I think Jalili is the only candidate who raised the issue of justice, fighting corruption and giving value to the poor. ... Most importantly, he does not link Iran's foreign policy to the nuclear deal," said Farzan, a 45-year-old artist in the city of Karaj.

DIVIDED VOTERS

Pezeshkian, faithful to Iran's theocratic rule, is backed by the reformist faction that has largely been sidelined in Iran in recent years.

"We will respect the hijab law, but there should never be any intrusive or inhumane behaviour toward women," Pezeshkian said after casting his vote.

He was referring to the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, in 2022 while in morality police custody for allegedly violating the mandatory Islamic dress code.

The unrest sparked by Amini's death spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to Iran's clerical rulers in years.

Pezeshkian attempted to revive the enthusiasm of reform-minded voters who have largely stayed away from the polls for the last four years as a mostly youthful population chafes at political and social curbs. He could also benefit from his rivals' failure to consolidate the hardline vote.

In the past few weeks, Iranians have made wide use of the hashtag #ElectionCircus on X, with some activists at home and abroad calling for a boycott, saying a high turnout would only serve to legitimise the Islamic Republic.

(Additional reporting by Elwely ElwellyWriting by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Peter Graff, Clarence Fernandez, Alex Richardson, Kevin Liffey, Leslie Adler, Diane Craft and Himani Sarkar)
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, June 27. Members of Kyrgyzstan's Parliament have approved a draft law on the creation of the National Investment Fund in three readings, Trend reports.

At the parliamentary session, lawmakers endorsed the bills "On the National Investment Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic" and amendments to the laws "On the Privatization of State Property in the Kyrgyz Republic," "On Joint Stock Companies," and "On Strategic Objects of the Kyrgyz Republic."

According to Daniyar Amangeldiev, the Minister of Economy and Commerce, the law establishing the fund is designed to enhance the efficiency of management and ensure sustainable growth in the value of enterprises with state participation. Additionally, it aims to attract investments by enabling these enterprises to enter local and international capital markets.

The existing laws were given a makeover to bring them in line with the "National Investment Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic" bill and make way for the smooth-sailing establishment of the National Investment Fund of the Kyrgyz Republic OJSC.

The sole shareholder of the fund is the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan. The shares of the fund are state property.
If, as the polls indicate, Labour will form our new government next week, it is likely that one of its first challenges will be how to respond to the eruption of full-scale hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

With so much of the worlds attention focused on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, it is understandable that the escalating tensions on Israels northern border  where Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists have significantly increased their attacks  have not received the attention they deserve.

In any other context, Hezbollahs almost daily strikes on northern Israel, which have seen an estimated 100,000 Israeli civilians flee their homes, would constitute a clear-cut casus belli. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have already been responding to this provocation, routinely attacking locations occupied by Hezbollah and their Iranian backers in both Lebanon and Syria, where the terrorist movement has established an elaborate network of bases.

This has not prevented Hezbollah from significantly increasing its attacks in recent weeks, a development many in the region blame on Iran. Indeed, having failed abysmally in its first attempt to launch a direct missile assault against Israel in April, Tehran is now looking to open a new front against the Israelis.

As one of Hamass principal backers, Israels systematic destruction of the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, culminating in the latest defeat of the Rafah brigade in the south of the enclave, is nothing short of a humiliation for the ayatollahs. The hundreds of millions of dollars they have invested in constructing Hamass terrorist network have achieved almost nothing.

This might explain why Iran is encouraging Hezbollah, the other major terror organisation it funds and supports in the region, to intensify its attacks against Israel, with regular arms shipments from Tehran to Beirut helping to sustain the Hezbollah offensive.

Apart from killing 10 Israeli civilians and 15 IDF personnel, the Hezbollah missile strikes recently caused a massive bush fire in northern Galilee, with more than 3,500 acres of land being destroyed.

With the bulk of the IDFs focus having been on the war in Gaza and destroying Hamas, Israels ability to launch an all-out offensive against Hezbollah has been limited. This is despite Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahus recent declaration that we can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that. Now, with Netanyahu announcing at the weekend that the intense phase of the fighting against Hamas in Gaza is drawing to a close, the prospect of the Israeli military turning its attention towards the north is deepening.

Netanyahus determination to expand Israels military offensive to include Hezbollah and its Iranian backers dates back to the October 7 attacks, and the realisation that they could not have taken place without Tehrans support. As senior Israeli security officials commented at the time, while Hamas was the initial focus of their response, they would address Iran and its proxies later on at a time of their own choosing.

And, judging by Netanyahus latest comments, that time is rapidly approaching, with the Israeli premier confirming that the IDF would in future face north. His comments followed a meeting of Israels defence chiefs to discuss the Hezbollah threat, with Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant saying afterwards that the generals had been told to be fully prepared for all possibilities.

Western weakness is no doubt a key factor in Irans calculation that now would be a good time to escalate hostilities on Israels northern border. German chancellor Olaf Scholz has been weakened by the rise of the hard-Right in recent elections, while French president Emmanuel Macron is facing similar challenges in Frances bitter election campaign. Britain remains consumed by its own electoral dynamic, while US president Joe Bidens failure to implement his ceasefire plan in Gaza has seriously diminished his stature in the Middle East.

If Iran, then, does decide this is a good moment to test Israels mettle, then a new Labour government must be ready to give Israel its unequivocal backing, and not indulge in the constant dithering and prevarication that has characterised Sir Keir Starmers response to the Gaza crisis to date.

Starmers flip-flopping on the Gaza issue is a luxury he can afford as an opposition leader, but not sustainable for an occupant of Downing Street. While, following the October 7 attacks, he defended Israels right to defend itself, since then he has supported calls for a ceasefire, a move that is widely seen in Israel as tantamount to rewarding Hamas for carrying out the worst terrorist attack in its history.

On Israel, Starmer must also address the anger that many British Jews feel about being regularly targeted by Left-wing, pro-Palestinian activists, many of whom are closely associated with the Corbynista wing of the Labour movement. If a full-scale war erupts between Israel and Hezbollah, a new Labour government must acknowledge that, whatever its supporters might think, Israel is not a foe, but a valued ally.

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Last Tuesday, Israels military approved a plan to invade Lebanon to fight its dominant militia, Hezbollah. Hezbollahs leader issued his strongest threats against Israel in years the following day. And the U.S., Israels most powerful ally, hasindicated that it will not block an Israeli offensive.

Thats just the past week. Over the nine months prior, more than 150,000 people on either side of the Israeli-Lebanese border have fled their homes as alternating rounds of Hezbollah rockets and Israeli airstrikes have steadily expanded. The attacks have extended beyond the two sides border combat facilities, killing nearly 100 Lebanese civilians and 10 Israeli civilians, rendering southern Lebanon uninhabitable and striking journalists, the U.S.-backed Lebanese military and even Lebanons capital of Beirut.

Yet the U.S. and Israel argue they can still avoid a new Middle East war in Lebanon, a conflict that would be catastrophic and worsen regional instability already exacerbated by the Gaza conflict.

In public remarks at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant projected hope for U.S.-led attempts at a deal between Israel and Hezbollah that prevents all-out fighting. Negotiations can prevent terrible consequences, Austin said, while Gallant spoke of working closely together to achieve an agreement that convinces his country and its Lebanese foe to cease hostilities.

The underlying issue is whether Hezbollah maintains its huge presence in southern Lebanon, spitting distance from northern Israel  which violates a United Nations resolution and which Israel sees as an intolerable threat following the Oct. 7 attack that Hezbollahs ally Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, launched across its border with Gaza, killing nearly 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. After Israel initiated its retaliatory campaign into Gaza, Hezbollah began barrages into Israeli territory it cast as in solidarity with Hamas, and Palestinians broadly, as the U.S.-backed Israeli campaign has spurred mass devastation, tens of thousands of civilian deaths and mass hunger and disease. Israel, in turn, presents its strikes within Lebanon as defensive, calling harm to civilians unintentional.

The U.S. and Israeli governments claim their current approach bolsters diplomacy because it is linked to a timeline: If conditions in the Gaza Strip ease, Hezbollah may halt its assault and compromise, some U.S. and Israeli officials believe. Israel says it will conclude its large-scale offensive in Gaza within weeks, and on Tuesday, Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi linked that possible shift to chances of a bargain for Lebanon.

But for now, the danger of an Israel-Hezbollah war is higher than it has ever been, Biden administration officials and national security experts say  and many insiders are skeptical that President Joe Biden can ultimately avert it.

The core of the concern is the defining theme of Bidens Middle East policy since Oct. 7: the U.S.s overwhelming support for Israel.

As Israels chief military and diplomatic backer, the U.S. has the most influence of any outside party over its decisions, and is widely perceived as implicated in them. At the same time, its Israel that analysts and officials see as more likely to initiate a full-scale war, because Hezbollah has indicated through its statements and relatively measured attacks that it wants to keep the fighting limited.

Such a conflict could rapidly escalate, and if the two sides start pummeling each other and causing huge damage, the U.S. and Hezbollahs chief supporter, Iran, will face major pressure to get involved. Tehran and Washington already oppose each others regional presence, and in Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces and Iran-backed fighters are in close proximity, raising the human stakes of heightened tensions. A top pro-Iran militia in Iraq recently indicated that should Hezbollah face attacks, it would target U.S. interests.

U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq and Syria as part of anti-Islamic State operations could face attacks if Israel goes to war with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. via Associated Press

But while Biden may not want the war, his tendencies make it hard to imagine him doing much to prevent it as escalation continues. Since Oct. 7, Biden has repeatedlysuggested there will be consequences for Israeli moves and then shown those threats to be hollow. That may have sent a worrying signal to Israels decision-makers. Speaking with HuffPost, a State Department official and a Pentagon official working on Middle East issues both compared the U.S.s opposition to a Lebanon war to the presidents warnings to Israel not to invade the Gazan city of Rafah  which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu largely ignored, forcing a million Palestinians to flee and torpedoing the humanitarian aid infrastructure in the war zone.

We have let Israel face zero consequences for crossing all of our red lines in Gaza so they are emboldened and know they will face no consequences for going into Lebanon, despite us saying, Dont go there, argued the Defense Department official.

If Israel assumes it has full-tilt American support, it could deem it is best to try to weaken Hezbollah now, while many local civilians are out of the central part of the prospective war zone.

Biden is pushing to not engage [in a war] but our saying We will support Israel I dont believe is helping, another State Department official told HuffPost.

Meanwhile, Israels fight with Hamas is unlikely to conclude for months or even years, given that the Palestinian faction has retained notable strength, capabilities and support. Should Israel open a so-called northern front with Lebanon, it could seek even greater help from Washington.

Israel does not have the military capacity to be doing both Hamas and Hezbollah conflicts. I worry that means us sending more resources or in the case of full-out war, intervening for the Israelis, the second State Department official said.

HuffPost granted anonymity to sources who were not authorized to speak on the record.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council argued the administration sees calm along the Israel-Lebanon border as a top priority that must be of the utmost importance for both Lebanon and Israel.

We continue to work toward a diplomatic resolution that would allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens to safely return to their homes and live in peace and security, the spokesperson wrote in an email. We also continue efforts to secure a deal that would lead to a durable end to the war in Gaza. As President Biden said in his remarks recently, a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza will accelerate the possibility of progress, including lasting security and calm along Israels northern border with Lebanon. That deal is now with Hamas and the decision is in Hamass hands.

The State Department and the Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. officials have for months worried Israel is stockpiling American weaponry that Biden rushed to deliver after Oct. 7 for an invasion of Lebanon, HuffPost has previously revealed.

During this weeks visit by Gallant, the Israeli minister on Wednesday met with lawmakers and requested more and faster approvals of arms that Capitol Hill has a role in approving, a senior congressional aide told HuffPost. It is hard to view the munitions requests as for anything other than a large-scale bombing campaign of Lebanon, since they have decreased the tempo of air strikes in Gaza, the aide added.

After this story published, Axios reported that Biden has decided to send Israel a batch of 1,700 bombs from the sole shipment of weapons he suspended over what he had previously described as indiscriminate bombing in Gaza. Israel specifically sought those bombs in case of war with Hezbollah, according to the news outlet.

Some in the administration worry the Israelis are trying to manipulate the U.S. side into providing risky military equipment by playing on multiple American fears. Since Oct. 7, Israel has increased pressure on the occupied West Bank, the region seen as the heart of a future Palestinian state  the creation of which the U.S. supports as a regional goal  and the home of the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority, which American officials see as key to Israeli-Palestinian peace, including in Gaza. The regions economy has plummeted as Israel has barred 150,000 of its workers from their jobs inside Israel, withheld tax revenues it normally transfers to pay local officials salaries and threatened a financial channel that allows the West Bank to trade with the global economy.

Some Biden aides fear a tacit quid pro quo  that the Israelis expect additional arms to help in a Lebanese offensive in exchange for keeping the West Bank afloat  according to the Pentagon official and another U.S. official.

Separately, Gallant has tapped bipartisan American hostility toward Iran, by claiming to legislators that Tehran and Hezbollah may launch a war any moment to destroy Israel, the congressional aide said  while also saying Israel continues to support negotiations with Hezbollah.

Broadly, the Biden administration is currently doubling down on arming Israel. The White House this month recently pushed Democratic lawmakers to permit one of the biggest weapons sales to Israel in years and is considering resuming even the remaining bombs that it had halted over concern for civilians, according to The Washington Post. And Israeli and U.S. officials on Wednesday said the two nations have addressed bottlenecks in arms supplies, with an American official telling reporters at a press briefing Washington prioritizes whatever Israel identified as its needs and noting that huge amounts of U.S. weapons continue to currently flow to the country.

We have let Israel face zero consequences for crossing all of our red lines in Gaza so they are emboldened.Pentagon official working on Middle East policy

Much of the Biden teams posture reflects its widely criticized bear hug strategy since the Hamas-led attack upended regional affairs  an approach that keeps the Israeli government and the U.S. tightly aligned, and rarely involves challenging its unhelpful impulses.

Its more critical than ever for the U.S. to lean hard on Israel to realize the mistake a larger campaign would be for their own people, for Lebanon, and for the region. They have tried it multiple times before and it doesnt yield the results they think it will, the senior congressional aide said, referring to deadly previous Israeli incursions in 2006 and in the 1980s. Their experienced national security folks know this but the political leadership ignores it and in fact seeks a broader war.

While Biden and Netanyahu have become publicly critical of each other, the administration should understand that Israels desire for a campaign in Lebanon extends beyond him to many others in Israeli politics, like former general Benny Gantz, whose thinking the U.S. should be seeking to influence, the aide argued.

Thats a product of the overall hawkish shift in Israeli politics and the belief among some Israelis that, in the words of the mayor of a border town hit by Hezbollah, the choice is between war now or war later given the growing power of the Lebanese group and its antipathy towards Israel. Attempts by the U.S. and other states wary of Iran to rein in Hezbollah, including by strengthening other powerful forces in Lebanon, have faltered as the country has suffered a years-long economic collapse and political deadlock.

Officials interviewed by HuffPost do not assess war is imminently about to break out, and quiet diplomacy on several tracks, including possible messages between the U.S. and Iran, could still bear fruit. Yet observers note that the longer the tit-for-tat attacks go on and the atmosphere remains extremely tense, the greater the chances are of a miscalculation or shock incident that sparks full-on strife.

The U.S. government has for months been quietly preparing plans for a noncombatant evacuation operation, or NEO, from Lebanon, funneling U.S. citizens and a select group of other civilians to nearby Cyprus, according to the Pentagon official and one of the State Department officials. Canada, Germany, Kuwait and other nations have recently advised their citizens to leave Lebanon, while the U.S. on Thursday reiterated its advice for Americans to reconsider traveling there. The NEO plan is currently on hold, according to the Defense Department official.

The fears over Lebanon have exacerbated internal and external disdain for Bidens Middle East policy, centered on his failure to end the war in Gaza  the root of heightened agitation around the region  and the sense he has disregarded national security expertise, including lessons from past U.S. presidencies.

The Pentagon official spoke of the consistent fact that brown lives dont matter to this administration, no matter where those brown people live, reflecting how frustration among some Biden administration personnel continues to be driven by both strategic reasons and the impression that the president has different levels of concern for different communities.

In recent internal discussions, some U.S. officials have been openly frustrated with colleagues at the White Houses National Security Council, who they feel are only now suggesting information and discussions that were needed weeks or months ago  when risks might have been mitigated, the State Department official told HuffPost.

Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think tank who recently spent time in Lebanon, drew a link between the stalled process of establishing a cease-fire in Gaza and the situation in Lebanon.

Though the U.S. is the only mediator that can provide guarantees that would enable truces between Israel and its foes in both contexts, for instance by addressing Hamas demand for a permanent halt to the Gaza war, theres a lot of skepticism about the ability of the U.S. to deliver Netayahu to a deal, particularly as we are in the midst of this ongoing presidential campaign, Slim said.

Biden is unwilling to put his foot down like previous American presidents have done at different times with Israeli prime ministers, she told HuffPost. The president has enough leverage. So far I dont think he has opted to use the leverage that will bring Netanyahu to end this.
Yaround, south Lebanon, where buildings have been destroyed by Israeli bombardments tageting Hezbollah - Getty/AFP

A large-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could break out in a matter of weeks if Gaza truce talks fail to produce a ceasefire, US intelligence suggests.

The IDF and Hezbollah are both rushing to build up their stockpiles of weapons, two US officials who had been briefed on the intelligence told Politico.

The officials said they were not confident that fraught ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas would bear fruit in the near future, raising the risk of a wider conflict with Hezbollah.

Fears of a wider regional war have been growing in recent weeks as Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have traded fire with increasing frequency, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee from both sides of the border.

Israel has killed at least 481 people in Lebanon since the Hamas attacks of Oct 7, including 94 civilians, reported AFP. On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have died, according to Israel.

Hezbollah has vowed to continue its volley of rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosive drones unless Israel ends the war in Gaza.

Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister has warned that the military is capable of taking Lebanon back to the Stone Age.

Israel has been carrying out air strikes on southern Lebanon - Rabih Daher/AFP

However, he insisted that the Israeli government preferred to find a diplomatic solution to ongoing hostilities between its forces and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group.

We dont want to get into a war because its not good for Israel. We have the ability to take Lebanon back to the Stone Age, but we dont want to do it, Mr Gallant told reporters during a visit to Washington this week to meet senior US leaders.

His threat was the latest in a series of statements from senior public figures about Israels waning patience over Hezbollah attacks.

We can plunge Lebanon completely into the dark and take apart Hezbollahs power in days, Benny Gantz, a former Israeli war cabinet member, said on Tuesday during a conference in Herzliya.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs leader, warned Israel of the consequences of escalation, declaring in a televised address from Beirut earlier this month that no place in [Israel] is safe from our rockets.

The United States has stepped up its efforts to curtail the border clashes and avert a wider crisis.

But a US-backed ceasefire deal for the Gaza Strip remains elusive, with Hamas, the terror group, still demanding a guarantee from Israel that it will withdraw its troops and immediately end the war.

In his first Israeli media interview since the start of the war, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said on Sunday the intense phase of fighting Hamas in Gaza was nearly over, which would free more forces to reposition themselves to defend the north.

Yoav Gallant, Israel's defence minister, is on an official visit to the US - Celal Gunes/Anadolu

But he stressed that this doesnt mean the war is about to end in Gaza and said Israel would continue to try to remove Hamas from power. He insisted that Israel was capable of fighting on several fronts.

As political leaders struggle to find a diplomatic resolution to the tensions, aid chiefs have warned a deeper conflict would have a dire impact on civilians.

The spillage of the Israeli war in Gaza to Lebanon could be potentially apocalyptic, said Martin Griffiths, the UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator.

This week, Germany and the Netherlands joined several other countries in urging their citizens based in Lebanon to leave while they still could.

Tensions in the border areas with Israel are heightened and could escalate further at any time, the German foreign office said, shortly after Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, visited Israel and Beirut.

The Dutch foreign ministry also warned that Lebanon was unsafe and the situation remains very unpredictable.

The UKs foreign office advice, last updated on April 26, advises against all travel to Lebanon and encourages citizens living there to leave while commercial options remain available.

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People protest on a day of strike and resistance, outside Israeli PM Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem

People protest on a day of strike and resistance, outside Israeli PM Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Anti-government protesters gathered in Jerusalem on Thursday and converged on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's home, lighting a bonfire on the street outside and calling for his resignation.

"We've been abandoned - Elections now!" read one sign that rose above the crowd. Demonstrators yelled through megaphones, waved flags and banged on snare drums while police officers stood at barricades.

Such demonstrations have grown more frequent as the war against Hamas in Gaza rages on and fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens to escalate, but they have not reached the fever pitch of a year ago when Netanyahu's government tried to overhaul Israel's justice system.

Many in the crowd, which appeared to number in the thousands, also chanted their support for reaching a deal to free some 120 Israeli hostages being held by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza.

As the sun began to set, protesters blocked traffic and lit a large bonfire on the central Jerusalem street. But there were no reports of major scuffles and police did not use a water cannon to control the crowd, as they have during more rowdy demonstrations.

The protest movement has yet to change the political landscape, and Netanyahu still controls a stable majority in parliament.

(Reporting by Dedi Hayoun, Sinan Abu Mayzer and Ari Rabinovitch, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Insights from The New Arab, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and Dissent Magazine

The News

Israeli anti-government groups blocked a major highway in central Israel on Thursday as part of a day of demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus administration, calling for an immediate hostage deal and early elections.

Protests will target the residences of Netanyahu and other lawmakers in his Likud party, Haaretz reported.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Netanyahus woes at home and abroad

Sources: The Washington Post, The New Arab, Al Jazeera

Netanyahu is now at war on many fronts, both at home and abroad, a columnist noted in The Washington Post. They could be linked: His earlier criticism of US President Joe Biden for supposedly withholding weapons from Israel may have been designed to strengthen his political stature as an opponent of foreign meddling domestically, a Middle East scholar told The New Arab, as well as shift the blame somewhere else, another added. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallants ongoing US visit may be an attempt to undermine Netanyahu a month before his own visit to Washington, opening up the space for him to take on the premier upon returning home, Al Jazeeras Middle East editor wrote.

Israelis may be starting to challenge the status quo

Sources: Dissent Magazine, Haaretz, The Guardian

That most Israelis still dont see destroying Gaza and bringing the hostages home as mutually exclusive betrays a disconcerting disconnect, a history professor at the University of Haifa told Dissent Magazine. While Israeli protesters demands since October have typically focused on the release of hostages rather than a ceasefire, an explicitly anti-war and anti-occupation bloc may be emerging as liberals begin connecting the dots between the military campaign in Gaza, the far-right, and the settler movement, a columnist wrote in The Guardian. Its not enough to call for a change in government, a columnist argued in Haaretz: Israelis must also confront the system of suppression and corruption  which includes occupation and securitization  that brought the country to this point.






A combination picture of satellite images showing damage caused between October 2023 and June 2024 in the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab near the Israeli border

By Ahmed Elimam, Laila Bassam and Tom Perry

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Satellite images showing much of the Lebanese village of Aita al-Shaab in ruins after months of Israeli air strikes offer a glimpse of the scale of damage in one of Hezbollah's main bastions in south Lebanon.

The images from private satellite operator Planet Labs PBC, taken on June 5 and analysed by Reuters, show at least 64 destroyed sites in Aita al-Shaab. Several of the sites contain more than one building.

Located in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah enjoys strong backing from many Shi'ite Muslims, Aita al-Shaab was a frontline in 2006 when its fighters successfully repelled Israeli attacks during the full-scale, 34-day war.

While the current fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed Shi'ite Islamist movement is still relatively contained, it marks their worst confrontation in 18 years, with widespread damage to buildings and farmland in south Lebanon and northern Israel.

The sides have been trading fire since the Gaza war erupted in October. The hostilities have largely depopulated the border zone on both sides, with tens of thousands of people fleeing their homes.

The destruction in Aita al-Shaab is comparable to the damage done in 2006, a dozen people familiar with the damage said, at a time when escalation has prompted growing concern of another all out war between the heavily-armed adversaries.

Reuters does not have satellite images from 2006 to compare the two periods.

Israel says fire from Lebanon has killed 18 soldiers and 10 civilians. Israeli attacks have killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters and 87 civilians, according to Reuters tallies.

At least 10 of Hezbollah's dead came from Aita al-Shaab, and dozens more from the surrounding area, according to Hezbollah death notices reviewed by Reuters. Six civilians have been killed in the village, a security source said.

The village, just 1 km (0.6 miles) from the border, is among the most heavily bombarded by Israel, Hashem Haidar, the head of the government's regional development agency the Council for South Lebanon told Reuters.

"There is a lot of destruction in the village centre, not just the buildings they hit and destroyed, but those around them" which are beyond repair, said Aita al-Shaab mayor Mohamed Srour.

Most of the village's 13,500 residents fled in October, when Israel began striking buildings and woodland nearby, he added.

The bombing campaign has made a swath of the border area in Lebanon "unfit for living," Haidar said.

The Israeli military has said it has hit Hezbollah targets in the Aita al-Shaab area during the conflict.

In response to Reuters questions, Israeli military spokesperson Nir Dinar said Israel was acting in self-defence.

Hezbollah had made the area "unliveable" by hiding in civilian buildings and launching unprovoked attacks that made "ghost towns" of Israeli villages, Dinar said.

"Israel is striking military targets, the fact that they're hiding inside civilian infrastructures is Hezbollah's decision," Dinar said.

The military did not give further details of the nature of its targets in the village. It said Hezbollah was escalating attacks, firing over 4,800 rockets into northern Israel, "killing civilians and displacing tens of thousands."

Hezbollah's media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hezbollah has said that displacing so many Israelis has been an accomplishment of its campaign.

'CONTINUING THREAT'

The current conflict began a day after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, when Hezbollah opened fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally. Hezbollah has said it will stop when the Israeli assault on Gaza ends.

Aita al-Shaab is perched on a hilltop looking into Israel and is one of many Shi'ite villages experts say are Hezbollah's first line of defence against Israel.

The 2006 war started when Hezbollah fighters infiltrated Israel from an area near Aita al-Shaab, capturing two Israeli soldiers.

A source familiar with Hezbollah's operations said the village had played a strategic role in 2006 and would do so again in any new war. The source did not give more details of the group's activities there.

Hezbollah fighters held out in the village for the entire 2006 war. An Israeli-government appointed inquiry found that Israeli forces failed to capture it as ordered, despite encircling the village and dealing a serious blow to Hezbollah. Anti-tank missiles were still being fired from the village five days before the war ended, it said.

Seth G. Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said the area was militarily important in several ways, allowing Hezbollah to fire its shorter-range rockets into Israel.

"If there was a ground incursion, these would be frontline locations for Hezbollah to defend, or to try to attrite" Israeli forces, he said.

Hezbollah, far stronger than in 2006, has announced attacks on targets directly across the border from Aita al-Shaab during the current hostilities, including in the Israeli village of Shtula 1.9 km (1.18 miles) away and nearby areas.

Satellite images of Shtula and nearby Israeli villages taken on June 5 do not show visible damage to buildings. Israel's Defence Ministry said 60 homes in Shutla had been damaged including 11 severely damaged, according to a May report by newspaper Calcalist. The ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for data.

Throughout northern Israel, around 2,000 buildings have been damaged, the country's tax authority said. Across the border, some 2,700 homes have been completely destroyed and 22,000 more damaged, significantly below the 2006 conflict, the Council for South Lebanon said, though these numbers were preliminary.

Fires sparked by the fighting have affected hundreds of hectares of farmland and forest either side of the border, authorities said.

HEAVY ORDNANCE

Andreas Krieg of King's College in London said the structural damage in Aita al-Shaab was in keeping with wide-impact-area ordnance dropped by fighter jets or drones. Images of strikes indicated bombs of up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg) had been dropped, he said.

Hezbollah, which frequently announces its own strikes, has occasionally used the short-range Burkan, with a warhead of up to 500 kgs (1,100 pounds). Many of the attacks it has announced have used weapons with far smaller warheads, such as guided anti-tank rockets that typically carry warheads of less than 10 kg.

"Hezbollah does have much ... heavier warheads on their ballistic missiles that have not been used yet," Krieg said.

Israel's military and Hezbollah did not respond to questions about ordnance.

Hezbollah's goal, Krieg said, was to drive out Israeli civilians.

"For that, Hezbollah doesn't need to cause massive structural damage to civilian areas or civilian buildings."

(Reporting by Ahmed Eliman in Dubai and Laila Bassam and Tom Perry in Beirut; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell, James Mackenzie and Emily Rose in Jerusalem; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Former President Donald Trump greets U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance during a rally at Wright Bros. Aero Inc. at Dayton International Airport on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022, in Vandalia, Ohio.

In March, Sen. J.D. Vance tweeted, "I have a long memory. If youre fighting Trump and his endorsed political candidates today, dont ask for my help in a year with your projects."

I have a long memory, too, Senator.

I remember, in 2016, Vance offering sharp criticism of Trump during his press tour for Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir that, as one Appalachian critic bluntly put it, primarily argues "poor people suffer because they dont know any better."

I remember an August 2016 interview with Vance on Kentucky radio host Matt Jones podcast, where Vance told Jones, "I agree with you on Trump because I dont think hes the person. I dont think he actually cares about folks."

I remember Vances appearance on ABCs Powerhouse Roundtable, where he dismissed then-candidate Trump as someone who "doesnt offer many solutions."

I even remember Vance telling NPR hed consider voting Democrat before voting for Trump, joking, "I think theres a chance, if I feel like Trump has a really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton."

Sharp-tongued critic becomes docile Trump mouthpiece

These days, however, Vance is singing a much different tune. In the span of two election cycles, Vance has gone from a sharp-tongued critic to a docile Trump mouthpiece. And as a result, the once self-described "Never Trump guy" is now on the short list of candidates to be Trump's vice presidential running mate.

Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has been active on national talk shows as a Donald Trump defender.

Vance abandoned his past principles to become Ohio's senator in Congress and appears eager to make another deal with the devil to be Trump's VP pick.

"J.D. Vance is  first, last, and always  an opportunist," said Dr. David Niven, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati School of Public and International affairs. "He thought that Trump would be an electoral disaster in 2016, so he denounced him and positioned himself for a place leading the new Republican Party that would emerge after Trump. When that turned out not to happen, he simply pretended to believe something else."

More: From 'Hillbilly Elegy' to the White House? How JD Vance landed on Trump's VP shortlist

Vance attributes his change of heart on Trump to the former president's "policies," but it seems more likely his about-face was influenced by a thirst for political power than genuine admiration for the ex-president. Trumps endorsement helped lift Vance to the Republican nomination for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, which he went on to win in November 2022.

Vance is hardly the first or only elected Republican to bend to Trump for political gain. Critics of the ex-president haven't fared well in a Republican Party that functions more like a mob of Trump sycophants than a legitimate right-wing think tank.

Is Vance really the best VP choice for Trump?

But would Vance be the ideal running mate for Trump? Trump has said he doesnt plan to make a choice until near the GOP convention in July, and Vance has downplayed the speculation while saying he would give serious consideration to a VP offer.

"The strength of J.D. Vance's running mate resume is his willingness to endure any level of self-abasement that Trump demands," Niven said.

While presidential candidates traditionally seek out running mates who offer complementary attributes the candidate lacks, Trump seems only interested in finding someone who shows what Niven called "total, unquestioning deference." By that standard, Vance seems more than qualified.

Through tinted glass of a Suburban, former President Donald Trump waves to supporters at Wheels Up Private Jet Center ahead of a fundraiser in Indian Hill later in the day, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, Ky.

More: Donald Trump lunches with JD Vance and wealthy Cincinnati donors

When Trump told voters Vance was "kissing my a--" during his Senate bid, Vance neither protested nor stood up from himself. In fact, he worked even harder to win Trump's approval. Vance has been a busy Trump surrogate on national talk shows and even joined Trump's entourage in the New York courtroom for the former president's hush money trial. Vance has vigorously defended Trump even after his conviction on 34 felony counts while bashing the justice system.

Vance's flip-flopping record on Trump makes him look spineless, but spinelessness is one of the most attractive attributes Vance brings to the Trump campaign.

"That is exactly what Trump is looking for in a running mate  a weak-willed order taker," Niven said.

It's unfortunate that such a promising author has now relegated himself to a political career of masquerading loyalty to candidate known for chewing up and spitting out his inner circle, but I can't feel too bad.

That's what happens when you make a deal with the devil. You should remember that, Senator.

Meredith Perkins is an intern on the Opinion team at the Enquirer and currently attends Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, studying English and diplomacy. She is a native of Independence, Ky.

Meredith Perkins, newsroom intern on the editorial page team, pictured, Monday, June 3, 2024, at The Cincinnati Enquirer newsroom in Downtown Cincinnati.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: J.D. Vance, former Trump critic, now wants to be Trump VP?
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R) said Wednesday hed be disappointed if former President Donald Trump doesnt tap him as his running mate in the coming days.

Im human, right? Vance said on Fox News when asked how hed feel if someone else is chosen. So when you know this thing is a possibility, if it doesnt happen, there is certainly going to be a little bit of disappointment.

Trump has teased he is close to a vice president announcement, telling NBC News last week he had someone in my mind, but nobody knew who just yet. A decision could come as soon as this week, or closer to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month.

Sen. J.D. Vance speaks at a press conference across the street from the Manhattan criminal court, on May 13, 2024, in New York. AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah

Vance has been a top contender for the job alongside other Republican Trump surrogates, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.). The New York Times notes many of them have been invited to Atlanta on Thursday for Trumps debate against President Joe Biden.

Theyll ask me if they ask me, and if they dont thats fine, Vance added Wednesday.

During the Fox News interview, Vances wife, Usha Vance, said the pair were open to whatever outcome takes place, but added she wasnt raring to change anything about our lives right now.

Vance was elected to Congress two years ago in an easy victory. Axios notes that he has been on the campaign trail helping Trump raise money ahead of the November election. Earlier this month, he hosted the former president in Ohio at an event that brought in more than $5.5 million for his reelection bid.

Related...
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is ready to participate in the financing of the Rogun HPP project, the chairman of the EDB Board Nikolay Podguzov said, answering reporters' questions on the sidelines of a business forum in Almaty, Trend reports.

"Our desire and readiness to participate in the financing of this project remain. We have submitted an official desire and agreement to participate in the international syndicate, which is now being organized under the auspices of the Islamic Development Bank," Podguzov said.

According to him, the bank is waiting for a response from the organizers, the Ministry of Finance of Tajikistan, on further actions.

"However, we are ready to allocate resources for this. We have given our proposals. Naturally, as we are discussing here, we will not be able to undertake such a huge project alone, but in community with other international financial institutions, we are ready to do it," Podguzov added.

To note, the EDB's annual meeting (business forum) is being held in Almaty. The event will last two days (June 2728).

The event will include several sessions on Islamic finance, transportation, the environment, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank engaged in investment activities in Eurasia.

The authorized capital of the EDB is $7 billion. The main share of the EDB's portfolio is occupied by projects with integration effects in the areas of transportation infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and machine building.

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Jackson Dings Court For Punting On Abortion Case When Idaho Is So Clearly Wrong

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote alone in a major abortion ruling (officially) released Thursday, cutting through her colleagues posturing on why they needed to send the case back down to the lower courts.

The case, centered on whether Idahos draconian abortion ban supersedes federal emergency room standards, she wrote, is an easy one  and one that the Court should decide now to avoid further suffering and confusion on the ground.

This months-long catastrophe was completely unnecessary, she wrote of the Courts preemptive intervention, allowing Idahos ban to reign for months. More to the point, it directly violated federal law, which in our system of government is supreme.

She pointed out that a similar conflict is bubbling up in other states, most notably Texas, in the face of the Courts prolonged inaction.

The Court decided, per curiam, that it should not have taken up the case early in the first place. Many experts came to that conclusion at the time, noting the ominous unusualness of the Courts decision to insert itself before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ever got a chance to hear the case. The Court also lifted the lower courts injunction on Idahos ban, creating conditions so grim in the states emergency rooms that pregnant patients had to be airlifted to neighboring states where they could be treated.

The decision is far from a win for abortion rights; it mostly just reroutes the case back through normal order. Some have speculated that it was a calculated move meant to avoid issuing a high-profile anti-abortion decision until after the election (though the Supreme Court almost certainly would not have had time to issue a final decision before then if it had butted out months ago, and let the case proceed normally through the appellate system).

A draft copy of the opinion appeared in some form on the Supreme Courts website Wednesday, and was obtained by Bloomberg News.

Justice Elena Kagan wrote in concurrence, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor and by Jackson in part. Justice Samuel Alito, unsurprisingly, wrote a dissent, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas in full and by Justice Neil Gorsuch in part.

Alito employed a particularly tortured reading of the statute to find that the text of The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) is silent on abortion (its silent on all specific medical techniques needed to stabilize patients) and that requiring mandatory abortions could lead to a slippery slope where the government could also mandate, say, assisted suicides or eugenic abortions.

Empathy for the women left to suffer, as ever in abortion cases, eludes him.

Idaho has always permitted abortions that are necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant woman, but it has not allowed abortions for other non-life-threatening medical conditions, he wrote. This balance reflects Idahos judgment about a difficult and important moral question. By requiring Idaho hospitals to strike a different balance, the preliminary injunction thwarts the will of the people of Idaho as expressed in law by their elected representatives.

While Kagan highlighted the legal simplicity of the case, Jackson most clearly cut through the fog.

During oral arguments, some of the conservatives, namely Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, got palpably frustrated with Idahos lawyer whenever he pushed back on the hypothesis they were trying so hard to prove: that there is actually no gap between EMTALAs mandate that federally funded emergency rooms must stabilize patients in crisis, and Idahos lone ban exception for saving the life of the woman.

As the liberal justices said at the time, and Jackson underscored in her solo opinion, that obviously isnt true. EMTALA springs to life to prevent hospitals from letting patients deteriorate, not just from letting them die. And while Idahos lawyer tried his best to muddy those waters, Jackson lambasted her colleagues for being so easily suckered.

Some of my colleagues appear to view this convenient rhetorical maneuver as a material change that (also conveniently) reduces the conflict between state and federal law to the point that a ruling from this Court is no longer warranted, she wrote. But it is both legally and factually implausible to say that Idahos current litigating position actually mitigates the conflict between that States law and EMTALA.

She pointed out that various serious medical conditions  preterm premature rupture of membranes, preeclampsia  will present differently in different people, making it impossible for doctors to guess the extent of the risk of death to the patient.

So it is strange, to say the least, that this Court would shirk its duty to resolve a pressing legal issue on the basis of representations that defy medical realities, she wrote.

She added that even if you take Idahos constantly shifting position as ironclad  that many more medical emergencies than imminent death quietly qualify for the exception  the Idaho Supreme Court hasnt signed on to that reading of the abortion ban, and neither have the prosecutors who are incentivized to enforce it.

Jackson also made plain that this decision should not be taken as a defeat for Idaho, or a win for the women temporarily and precariously allowed access to its emergency care.

She seemed to be channeling Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of Roe, who wrote in a decision preceding Planned Parenthood v. Casey (which nearly everyone expected to overturn Roe): For today, the women of this Nation still retain the liberty to control their destinies. But the signs are evident and very ominous, and a chill wind blows.

Storm clouds loom ahead, Jackson echoed.

Three justices, Alito, Gorsuch and Thomas, assert that States have free rein to nullify federal law. Three more, she wrote, refuse to disavow that position, only murmuring that petitioners have raised a weighty argument.

So, as of today, the Court has not adopted Idahos farfetched theories  but it has not rejected them either, she wrote.

So, to be clear: Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho, she added. It is delay.

Read the ruling here:

This embedded content is not available in your region.
New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman lost a primary election Tuesday after unprecedented spending against him by powerful forces that insist Israel does no wrong. The powerful pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC had already devoted more than $14 million to defeating Bowman, in retaliation for his outspoken support of a ceasefire to the war in Gaza and human rights for all  including Palestinian  people.

Since last fall, most Democratic voters  especially young people  have recoiled at the ongoing slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza. But despite the magnitude of the horrors inflicted on civilians, the vast bulk of the U.S. media and political establishment has remained on automatic pro-Israel pilot, while often tarring strong opponents of the mass murder as antisemitic.

Although usually eager to defend Democratic incumbents facing strong primary challenges, this time the partys leadership offered winks and nods to Bowmans AIPAC-funded opponent, George Latimer. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries went through only perfunctory motions of supporting Bowman. Another fellow Democrat, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, was in the groove when she declared on Sunday: I am not weighing in on primaries intentionally. But what I'm very focused on is number one, I stand strongly with Israel. Hillary Clinton endorsed Latimer, saying the country "needs strong, principled Democrats in Congress more than ever."

The meaning of such declarations is rote complicity with nonstop U.S. military aid to Israel as it maintains a siege of Gaza that has already lasted more than 260 days. During that time, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights said last week, more than 120,000 people in Gaza, overwhelmingly women and children, have been killed or injured  as a result of the intensive Israeli offensives.

When this week began, Save the Children reported that up to 21,000 children are estimated to be missing in the chaos of the war in Gaza, many trapped beneath rubble, detained, buried in unmarked graves, or lost from their families. While voters were casting ballots on Tuesday, the Washington Post summarized a new assessment from experts reporting to the United Nations: The threat of famine in the Gaza Strip has been revived after Israels military operation in the southern city of Rafah disrupted aid deliveries, leaving more than 500,000 Palestinians on the brink of starvation.

Israels warfare  fully enabled by the U.S. government  is continuing to cause those systematic atrocities.

All available evidence indicates that U.S. officials hold Israel to a lower standard than just about any other country, Responsible Statecraft reporter Connor Echols pointed out last month. The evidence is ample.

The rock-bottom standards applied to the Israeli government are in sync with what the U.S. media and political establishment routinely apply to the United States government. The same basic mass-messaging patterns that confer absolution on whatever the U.S. military does (as described in my book War Made Invisible) are operative in making excuses for what the Israeli military does.

The militaries of the two nations are enmeshed. Not only does the U.S. send huge amounts of weapons and ammunition to Israel. The countries are also constantly exchanging intelligence as well as data on evaluating the efficacy of weaponry and warfare tactics. They share, and create, the same enemies in the Middle East. And the two nations execute highly deceptive maneuvers from the same propaganda playbooks.

In short, while their command structures are separate and they can sometimes be at odds over tactics and proprieties, the Israeli military largely operates as an extension of the U.S. armed forces.

Meanwhile, in the United States, dominant mentalities  constantly reinforced by mass media and mainstream politics  run along parallel ruts of Zionism and militarism that are mutually reinforcing and increasingly intersecting. Along the way, toxins draw strength from the poisons that Martin Luther King Jr. denounced as the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.

All the denials notwithstanding, a bedrock of unwavering support for Israel as it continues the mass killing of Palestinian civilians is the base assumption  conscious or not  that Palestinian lives are far less valuable than Jewish Israeli lives. Or American lives.

The merger of American and Israeli militarism is now more comprehensive than ever. Both are driven by extreme nationalism, war profiteering, and ethnocentric bigotry. Nonviolent unyielding resistance is not futile. It is essential.
Antisemitism is widely understood as a form of racism, a product of sweeping negative generalizations about Jews.

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism defines it as discrimination, prejudice, hostility or violence against Jews as Jews (or Jewish institutions as Jewish). That definition is recommended by hundreds of Holocaust Studies, Jewish Studies and Middle East Studies professors throughout the world, including North Carolina scholars like me.

Geoffrey Claussen

For fervent defenders of the State of Israel such a definition is not good enough. Theyve found their preferred framework in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances definition of antisemitism, which encourages labeling strong critiques of Israel as antisemitic.

North Carolinas SHALOM ACT  passed by the Senate this week and sent to Gov. Roy Cooper for his signature  adopts the IHRA framework. Cooper must veto this bill.

The SHALOM Act enshrines a controversial definition of antisemitism into state law.

The IHRA framework is an effective tool for stifling criticism of Israel because its list of examples of antisemitism includes items such as denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor and drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. These examples are routinely used to label those who accuse Israel of apartheid or genocide as antisemitic  and silence them.

Those supporting this bill claim they are supporting Jews in North Carolina. But Jews in North Carolina, like Jews elsewhere in the country, are sharply divided over how to define antisemitism. While Israel-focused groups affiliated with the Jewish Federations of North America have backed the SHALOM Act, more liberal Jewish organizations such as Carolina Jews for Justice have strongly opposed it.

The bill is grounded in a misguided generalization about Jews, assuming that support for Israel is inherent to being Jewish. But harsh criticism of Israel is widespread among Jews.

A 2021 Jewish Electorate Institute survey found that a quarter of American Jews believe that Israel is an apartheid state, while only 31% of Jews believe such a claim to be antisemitic. The SHALOM Act would have the perverse effect of encouraging state officials to label significant portions of our Jewish community as antisemitic, and such labeling will have limited support from our community.

The primary sponsor of the SHALOM Act, House Speaker Tim Moore, has claimed that he is seeking to protect Jewish college students. But as should be clear to anyone who has observed college campuses this year, many Jewish students are harsh critics of Israel. The 2021 survey found that 38% of Jews under 40 view Israel as an apartheid state, and such views appear even more common among todays students.

Under Moores legislation, many of my Jewish students would readily be labeled antisemitic by the state of North Carolina. They typically see their critiques of Israel as expressions of their Jewish identities. It is unacceptable for the state of North Carolina to decide their expressions of Jewishness are out of bounds.

Strikingly, many advocates of the SHALOM Act oppose Palestinian self-determination, but do not believe they are therefore guilty of anti-Palestinian racism.

Why embrace a different standard when defining antisemitism? Better public policy would use the same sorts of standards to define racism and prejudice against Jews that are used to define racism and prejudice against other groups.

Those of us who teach about these issues on college campuses are dedicated to supporting all students, including our Jewish, Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian students, by confronting those who show racism and prejudice towards them. Were also dedicated to defending them when they are accused of antisemitism merely because of their political views.

If Cooper wishes to support our diverse students, and the diversity of Jews in North Carolina, he must veto this bill.

Geoffrey Claussen is a Professor of Jewish Studies and Religious Studies at Elon University.
Hours before the first Biden-Trump presidential debate on Thursday, House Republicans tried reviving an old 2020 debate conspiracy theory in hopes of helping out Donald Trump.

The theory, elevated by House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, is based on a statement published in October 2020, signed by 51 former intelligence community leaders casting concern over the release of emails purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden. Republicans claimed the statement was a coordinated hit against President Trump.

October 22, 2020.



First presidential debate.



President Biden promotes the letter written by 51 former intel officials decrying Hunter Biden's laptop.



Turns out, it was all a coordinated hit against President Trump.



WATCH FOR YOURSELF  pic.twitter.com/JbJtm7Gahg  House Judiciary GOP  (@JudiciaryGOP) June 27, 2024

The House Judiciary GOP also claimed the 51 former intel officials coordinated with the Biden campaign to publish a statement to discredit @NYPost reporting about Hunter Bidens laptop and the Biden familys influence peddling. That alleged influence peddling stems from yet another conservative conspiracy concocted by an FBI informant with ties to Russian intelligence who was charged with lying to Congress for claiming Hunter and Joe Biden were paid $5 million apiece to place Hunter Biden on the board of a Ukrainian energy company to protect the company from investigation.

The letter at the base of the conspiracy theory was published on October 19, 2020and it didnt confirm or deny the authenticity of the Hunter Biden emails. It only noted that the distribution of them appeared deeply suspicious and contained all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation. To that end, the letter stated:

We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails, provided to the New York Post by President Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvementjust that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case. If we are right, this is Russia trying to influence how Americans vote in this election, and we believe strongly that Americans need to be aware of this.

But since its release, Republicans have insisted the letter was crafted by the CIA at the behest of Bidenpointing to the fact that he brought up the statement in one of the 2020 presidential debates against Trump. (At the time, most experts agreed that Trump lost both presidential debates handily.)

In reality, the statement was written by officials acting in their individual capacity (which is why they all signed it under their names!). Yet some of those who signed had active contracts with the CIA, a point of disdain in the intelligence community as it poses a conflict of interest and throws the CIA into the political muck. Thats really only a boon for conservatives, who have enjoyed years of insisting Trump was cheated out of a second term by the CIA and FBI.

Republicans have tried to add a new twist to the old conspiracy theory by pointing to a recounting from former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell, who in April 2023 testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Morrell detailed receiving a call from Anthony Blinken, who at the time was an adviser on Bidens campaign, about the New York Post story on Hunter Bidens emails.

[Blinken] asked me if I thought that the Russians may have been involved in any way in the emergence of these emails, Morell said in his testimony, noting that he hadnt seen the New York Post story prior to Blinkens call about it. Asked what the intent of the letter was, Morell responded, One intent was to share our concern with the American people that the Russians were playing on this issue. And, two, it was to help Vice President Biden. Asked why he wanted to help Biden, Morell responded, Because I wanted him to win the election.

Conservatives have incessantly confused the Hunter Biden situation, claimingas with the Fox News segment cited in the video published by the House Judiciary GOP accountthat the concern expressed by the 51 signatories about Russian interference in the distribution of Bidens emails was not about the distribution. Instead, conservatives argue, the intelligence community, Biden campaign, and Democrats all colluded to claim Hunter Bidens laptop was fake in its entirety. Thats simply not what the letter says.

As Raw Storys Daniel Hampton notes, the timing of the released testimony is suspicious, seemingly intended to give Trump a reheated talking point to throw at Biden during Thursdays debate. It also appears to be its own attempt at election meddling, a way for Republicans to get back at the spies who lied for releasing their letter that was issued three days before the last presidential debate of 2020. In any case, meddling sure is a funny way to condemn meddling. Join The New Republics live debate watch party at 9 p.m. E.T. here to see if it comes up.
Mr. President, your son, Hunter Biden, has been convicted of felonies in connection with his purchase of a gun and lying about his drug use. He now faces another trial for tax evasion. What makes him different from your opponent, who has also suffered a criminal conviction?

Tonights debate on CNN, the first of the general election, is bound to include such a question about the presidents adult son and his troubles with the law. As Joe Bidens campaign has laid out, and as weve previously outlined, the presidents major debate strategy should be focused on bringing attention to Donald Trumps criminality. The former presidents supporters are obviously hoping that Hunter Bidens recent criminal conviction will distract from the verdict against Trump. Here is the best way to avoid the obvious pitfalls surrounding the other Biden while turning his sons troubles into an opportunity to reinforce his commitment to the rule of law.

I am a dad as well as being the president. I love my son. Before he worked so hard to turn his life around, he made serious mistakes. He is suffering the consequences. Thats what the rule of law is all about. I stand by it, I trust the jurys first verdict, and I will not criticize it. We must accept the law when it does its work, even if we might wish, as a parent, that the jurys decision was different.

My opponent is different. He is the first former president ever tried or convicted of crimes. 34 times he was found guilty of lying in business records to cover up a crime against democracy.

He paid hush money to interfere with the 2016 election and keep the truth about the scandal from you, the voters, and interfere with the 2016 election, as he tried to do after the 2020 election. His coverup could well have changed many Americans votes. The jury said that no person is above the law, even a former president.

So he attacks the jury. He attacks the judge. He attacks the witnesses. He undermines our justice system and the rule of law which keep us safe. No one is above the law. Anyone who tries to be above the law is unfit for office.

Hes running to save himself from three other indictments in three other jurisdictions. Two involve his role leading up to January 6. If hes elected, hell have his attorney general toss his federal indictments faster than Buddy Bakers souped up Dodge Charger in the Daytona 500.

I am different from my opponent in another way, too. I will not pardon my son.I will not commute any sentence he may get. The law is the law. The American people elected me to follow the law, not to favor my family, even when my heart aches.

My opponent has already pardoned his son-in-laws father, Charles Kushner, convicted of tax evasion and witness tampering. But it gets worse. He has promised to pardon the violent invaders of our sacred Capitol on January 6. Violence is never ok. Attacking the seat of our government is never ok.

Violence is on the ballot. Any vote for my opponent or any third party candidate is a vote to approve January 6. Staying home and not voting is a vote for violence. I believe in you, and I ask for your vote because I know you believe in a peaceful America, too.

One other difficult topic for Biden is certain to come up tonight.

Mr. President, your policy on Israel has divided Americans who support our Middle East ally and those who call your supplying arms being used to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza genocide. How do you win back the support you have lost?

Biden should respond: Voters are smart. They are looking for a president who keeps America safe, keeps our troops out of harms way whenever possible, who supports our friends, presses them to defend themselves according to the values in which Americans believe. Thats why I have pressured Israel to get humanitarian aid into Gaza and last month paused a shipment of bombs that I feared could be used where civilians would be at too great a risk.

I have been on the world stage through many crises. Leaders across the globe who believe in America respect me. I dont cater to dictators like Putin or Kim Jung Un, as my opponent does.

"The Middle East has always been the region where the differences are the toughest to bridge. We are seeing that now."

My policy is guided by five principles. First, Israel was brutally attacked on October 7 and has the right to defend itself. Second, we must contain the war to avoid a regional conflagration that could easily consume the entire world. Third, Americas fighting men and women must be kept out of it. Fourth, the two-state solution is the only way out of the cycle of war. Last, we must maintain our leverage with our ally to support the first four principles and to keep Israel from doing more things that harm innocent people and Israel itself.

None of this is easy. To my progressive friends and to the young people rightly shocked by the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza: I abhor those deaths, each and every one of them. I know the pain that every parent who loses a child suffers.

Because we agree that children and innocents have not been protected in this war, know this: If my opponent were in charge, with his opposition to a two-state solution and his Israel-right-or-wrong policy, this crisis and innocent Palestinian people would be far, far worse off. I cannot share the confidential communications I have had with Israels leadership, but you have seen, even in public, that we do not always agree.

Friends can be critical of one another. The support we have given Israel in arms has been used and at times abused, but it gives us the ability to be heard when we speak our truth about humanity in the midst of war.

We have kept the conflict from spreading, especially last month, when Iran sent hundreds of missiles and drones to attack Israel. We were on the brink of regional war. Our technology and jets helped our ally of 76 years protect its civilians, which gave us leverage to help ensure that Israel responded in strong but limited ways. Iran stood down. A dangerous situation was defused.

I am proud that our policies helped save the world from a near-catastrophe.

Bill Burns, a seasoned diplomat and head of the CIA, along with Secretary of State Blinken, have been in shuttle diplomacy to get my ceasefire proposal in place. In support of a ceasefire and the return of hostages, just last weekend, Israelis in Tel Aviv staged a massive demonstration. That gives us faith that peace will return.

The choice in this election is clear. I am experienced in the complexities of world crises and the fine line a Commander-in-Chief must walk to keep America safe and avoid the worst. Unlike my opponent, I do not act out of spite, impulse and bluster. I need your vote to keep us on the track to a two-state solution that is best for Israel as well as Gaza, and for keeping America out of war.
Members of the National Guard run from a fake incendiary device in a simulated scenario during joint training exercises on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at the Emmet County Fairgrounds in Petoskey.

PETOSKEY  Anyone driving past the Emmet County Fairgrounds on Tuesday or Wednesday probably saw military vehicles and dozens of Michigan National Guard members.

Their presence, along with many other local and state security and law enforcement agencies, were in town conducting joint training exercises. Training simulations were taking place in Emmet, Cheboygan and Mackinac counties during the two days.

Along with the National Guard and county entities, Michigan State Police, United States Coast Guard, the Petoskey Department of Public Safety, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, local fire departments and EMS and more were involved in the exercises.

Emmet County Emergency Management Coordinator Matthew Blythe talks with participants during joint training exercises on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Petoskey. Exercises took place in Emmet, Cheboygan and Mackinac counties. In Emmet County, a fake protest was staged at the fairgrounds and protection measures were also practiced at the water treatment plant.

Each county activated their emergency operations center (EOC) for the training.

We are really using the exercise to train and work through the process of opening the EOC and getting the resource requests out, figuring out how we need to operate for both our primary and our secondary people who are in the emergency operation center, said Emmet County Emergency Management Coordinator Matthew Blythe.

Participants in the EOC monitored the training via drone and discussed ways they would communicate with the community, such as looping in the public schools or North Central Michigan College in an emergency situation where they needed to open shelters.

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Participants from multiple law enforcement and military agencies monitor drone surveillance from the Emmet County Fairgrounds during joint training exercises on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Petoskey.

Blythe noted the importance of practicing the coordination between so many departments before an actual emergency.

We see way too many times the response because of an incident, he said. So, on a blue sky day like this the ability to coordinate with everybody, get them in the seats talking about whats happening within the community and within the first response community, specifically, so were all talking on the same page, we all understand what needs to happen. It is a significant piece of planning preparedness, and thats one of the reasons were operating with the Guard, Cost Guard and all the other agencies today.

In Emmet County, training took place at the fairgrounds and at the water treatment plant by Magnus Park in Petoskey.

At the water treatment plant, the training exercise was focused on critical infrastructure protection.

More: National Guard, law enforcement stage joint training in Petoskey

Members of the National Guard form a protective circle in a simulated scenario during joint training exercises on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Petoskey.

In the fairgrounds scenario, the National Guard was responding to a mock protest, staged with volunteers, that turns violent. The volunteers pelted the National Guard with projectiles  little plastic balls like those found in ball pits  and pushed against their riot shields, planted incendiary devices and created medical emergency situations for the National Guard to respond to.

Volunteer Michele Cole said she was in a play with Blythe and was invited to take part in the training exercise as an actor.

"Protestors" and the National Guard clash in a simulated scenario during joint training exercises on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 in Petoskey.

It was very fun to yell, she said. Its kind of like therapy to just get to yell at people about nothing.

Cole added that seeing the coordination between the different agencies was wonderful.

I think its wonderful that they coordinate, because thats a very difficult thing to do across departmental lines, she said. "Im very grateful for their service.

 Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Joint training exercises take place in Northern Michigan
JOPLIN, Mo.  Joplin has ranked #24 in a June list by Seniorly of the 25 most affordable cities for assisted living, with an average monthly rent of $3,061, but this may come as a double edge sword.

Three other Missouri cities made the top 25 list including Marble Hill at No. 6 ($2,389), Cape Girardeau at No. 8 ($2,676) and Sedalia at No. 11 ($2,796).

Five additional Missouri cities made the top 100 most affordable cities for assisted living: Farmington at No. 32 ($3,142), Lebanon at No. 37 ($3,179), Columbia at No. 39 ($3,195), Saint Joseph at No. 85 ($3,476) and Springfield at No. 85 ($3,476).

For comparison, according to a Genworth 2023 Cost of Care survey, the national average monthly cost for assisted living is $5,350.

(Image courtesy: Seniorly.com)

These amounts focus on rent costs, but facilities will often increase prices depending on the level of care required for each patient and the style of room requested. If a senior requires help with multiple activities of daily life (ADLs), like getting to the bathroom or bathing, this could raise costs thousands of dollars.

In a recent article by the National Council on Aging, Cara Payne, a certified life care manager and founder of Aging Care Matters in Wake Forest, North Carolina, discussed how these rates can quickly increase.

A community may start with a base rate of $2,500 for just the room with meals included, Payne said. But after an assessment by the nurse, the person is deemed to need medication management, which adds money to the base fee. Or the person is incontinent and needs assistance in the bathroom, which again adds money.

Despite high costs, the need for this service is not going away, with someone who is turning 65 this year having an almost 70% chance to need some kind of long-term care services and support like those offered in an assisted living home according to the Administration for Community Living.

The demand for assisted living housing continues to increase with more then 603,000 senior housing units occupied during the first quarter of 2024. An increase of 34,400 units from prior to the pandemic in the beginning of 2020, according to the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC). As occupancy reaches its pre-pandemic peak, NIC also reports less than 30,000 new units under construction, the lowest amount in nearly 10 years.

Despite Missouris assisted living affordability, the state received poor grades in the staff to occupied beds ratio and staff turnover rates. Seniorly conducted another study in April of this year looking at the best and worst states from senior care staffing in 2024, Missouri ranked second to last above Oklahoma.

Missouris ranking can be partly attributed to a staff turnover rate of 61.4%. Tied with New Mexico, this is the highest turnover rate of the 51 states. A study published in PubMed found that higher staff turnover rates are consistently associated with a lower quality of care. This is reflected by an AARP study that found Missouri ranked #48 in nursing home quality.

Keeping staff is not the only problem Missouri assisted living facilities are facing. According to the same Seniorly study, Missouri, along with New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois and Oklahoma have a health care provider to resident ratio of 1.4. The top states boasted numbers ranging from 2.7 to 2.1. A higher number means that facilities are able to provide more attention to the individual residents.

While these issues highlight challenges with staffing, assisted living as a whole faces additional challenges due to regulations varying on a state to state basis leading to a lack of nationally standardized procedures and inspections. Currently, Missouri has 20 nursing homes that have not had a health inspection in the last two years according to data released in June by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Of these 20 locations, six were cited for abuse or neglect at a harm level, one of which was in Nevada, Mo.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A southwest Missouri man accused of storming the Capitol carrying a flag associated with the anti-government Three Percenters movement was found guilty Thursday of two misdemeanor counts but not guilty on one felony and two other misdemeanor counts.

Joseph Kerry Hicks, 50, of Willard, was convicted of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb, however, found that the government was unable to prove that Hicks tried to obstruct officers during a civil disorder, the sole felony charge. She said video evidence did not show beyond a reasonable doubt that Hicks physically intervened with officers.

I dont know that if there had been a visible line of officers at the entrance, he still would have tried to push in, Cobb said.

She also said the government failed to prove that Hicks knew the U.S. Secret Service would be in the Capitol protecting former Vice President Mike Pence  a necessary element in determining whether he was guilty of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds or disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

The split verdict came after a bench trial June 3-4 before Cobb in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Hicks sentencing is scheduled for September 27.

Hicks is one of 37 Capitol riot defendants from Missouri and the 32nd to be convicted. Of those, 26 have been sentenced.

First charged on Aug. 21, 2023, Hicks was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 15. Court documents show that he turned down multiple offers for a plea deal, opting instead for a jury trial, then deciding on a bench trial before a judge.

After the Capitol attack, Hicks had been labeled BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #92 by the FBI on its website seeking information about Jan. 6 suspects.

The FBI tracked Hicks down after a search warrant served on Google showed that a cellphone with a number associated with his Gmail account was in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Two FBI agents interviewed Hicks at his job in Springfield on June 14, 2021, the affidavit said. During the interview, Hicks admitted going into the building, calling it an error in judgment, the affidavit said.

Hicks told the agents he was let into the building by people at the door and that he did not assault any law enforcement officers or damage property.

U.S. Capitol surveillance footage showed Hicks entering the Rotunda of the Capitol about 2:41 p.m. on Jan. 6, the affidavit said, minutes after those doors had been breached.

Hicks was seen on the video walking around the Rotunda for several minutes, it said, unfurling and waving a flag and talking to and fist-bumping other rioters. About 2:46 p.m., he exited the south side of the Rotunda and entered Statuary Hall, where he remained for less than a minute before heading back to the Rotunda, the affidavit said.

Hicks also was seen on video obtained from another defendant carrying what looked like a black flag on a white flagpole.

The flag appears to depict a skull with a stars-and-stripes pattern, the affidavit said. The flag states in white lettering at the bottom, We Are Everywhere. As depicted in other images of Hicks from January 6, 2021, the flag also appears to contain the word III% in one of the eye sockets of the skull.

The III% symbol is associated with the Three Percenters movement, which postures itself as citizens standing against a tyrannical government, the affidavit said.

At this time, the FBI has not identified Hicks as having ties to any Three Percenter group, it said.

Joseph Kerry Hicks, of Willard, is charged with a felony and several misdemeanors in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The Capitol security footage showed Hicks walking around the Rotunda with his flag for several minutes, the affidavit said. About 2:49 p.m., it said, Hicks left the Rotunda, then returned about a minute later, appearing to film the scene with his phone.

Security footage showed Hicks work his way toward the exit at about 2:54 p.m. But two minutes later, it said, he turned around and went back. He exited the Capitol around 2:58 p.m., but tried to re-enter about 3:29 p.m. as officers struggled to keep rioters out, the document said.

Hicks is observed trying to re-enter the Capitol through the crowd, adding his body weight to other protestors in order to prevent the officers from expelling the rioters, the affidavit said.

Hicks appears to push for several seconds, until the officers successfully overcome and expel the rioters in the entrance. As the right half of the door is closed, Hicks  now on his own  then appears to back into the officers at the entrance, pushing against the officers with his back for less than two seconds. Hicks then retreats away from the Capitol and disappears from view.

Hicks was the fourth Missouri Capitol riot defendant to request a bench trial, in which a judge hears and decides a case without a jury.

Lloyd Cruz, of Polo, was found guilty of two misdemeanors and sentenced in May 2023 to 45 days incarceration followed by one year of supervised release. Isaac Yoder, of Nevada, was found guilty of four misdemeanors and sentenced in August 2023 to 12 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Prison records show he is in a halfway house in Kansas City and scheduled for release on July 4.

And Matthew Loganbill was found guilty in November of one felony and four misdemeanors. His sentencing is on hold, awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision expected soon that could wipe out the felony charge  obstruction of an official proceeding  in his case.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, June 27. Turkmenistan's entrepreneurs are poised to export their agricultural products to the UAE, Trend reports.

This was stated by the Chairman of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, Nokerguly Atagulyev, at the Turkmen-Emirati Business Forum in Ashgabat city.

"We are ready to export environmentally friendly agricultural and food products produced by the country's private sector to the UAE market," he said.

Atagulyev noted that the geography of the export markets of Turkmen entrepreneurs is expanding every year and now includes about 50 countries in the world.

At the same time, the Chairman stressed that the share of the non-governmental sector in the gross domestic product of Turkmenistan has reached more than 70 percent (excluding the fuel and energy sector), adding that new enterprises in the agricultural and food industries created by entrepreneurs in recent years have allowed the country to significantly reduce imports of meat and dairy products, vegetables and fruits, soft drinks, and juices.

Meanwhile, in recent years, the agricultural and food sectors of Turkmenistan have been developing significantly due to government reforms aimed at modernizing agricultural technologies, improving the irrigation system, and expanding the area of irrigated land, which allows for increased production of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and other crops.

Private enterprises and farmers, actively implementing innovative methods and cooperating with international partners, play a key role in this process, which contributes not only to meeting domestic needs but also to expanding the country's export potential.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday swept aside former President Donald Trumps claims that FBI officials misled the court to obtain permission to search his Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into mishandling of national security secrets.

However, the judge coupled that ruling with a decision that is likely to further drag out the already protracted proceedings in the criminal case charging Trump with hoarding classified documents at his Florida home and obstructing the federal probe into the matter.

In an 11-page ruling, Cannon said Trumps contention that the FBI misrepresented facts to a federal magistrate judge in order to secure the search warrant were largely meritless.

On the campaign trail and on social media, Trump has repeatedly referred to the August 2022 search as illegal. And at a hearing before Cannon in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Tuesday, Trumps lawyers argued the FBI omitted key information from its search warrant application that might have affected the outcome.

But the Trump-appointed judge concluded that none of that information would have made a difference.

[N]one of the omitted information  even if added to the affidavit in support of the warrant  would have defeated a finding of probable cause to search Trumps home, Cannon wrote.

Cannons ruling continues her pattern of siding with special counsel Jack Smith on fundamental questions about the case against Trump while sharply critiquing prosecutors nonetheless and leaving open the prospect that she will later back some of Trumps myriad efforts to dismiss the case.

Despite rejecting Trumps claims about the facts in the search warrant, Cannon agreed to schedule an evidentiary hearing on two of Trumps other efforts to toss key pieces of prosecutors case.

In one of them, Trump is asking Cannon to reverse a decision by the federal judge in Washington, D.C., who oversaw the initial grand jury proceedings in the case. Last year, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell permitted prosecutors to obtain evidence and testimony from Trumps attorney Evan Corcoran that has become a crucial part of the case. Howell ruled that Corcorans information was not protected by attorney-client privilege because it likely constituted evidence of a crime. Cannon said it was her obligation to revisit Howells determination on that issue.

Cannon also said Trump can call witnesses and introduce other evidence to try to establish that the search warrant issued by a federal magistrate judge in Florida didnt describe clearly enough what the FBI was permitted to seize.

Prosecutors had expressed concern that holding an evidentiary hearing on these issues would result in a mini-trial that would subject key trial witnesses to cross-examination before the case goes to a jury.

There is a difference between a resource-wasting and delay-producing mini-trial, on the one hand, Cannon wrote, and an evidentiary hearing geared to adjudicating the contested factual and legal issues.

Holding an evidentiary hearing, which Cannon said she plans to schedule shortly, will also take time. The case against Trump was set to go to trial on May 20, but both sides said some delay was needed. Cannon scuttled the May trial date but has not set another. It seems highly doubtful on the current pace that the classified-documents case will be ready to go before a jury before the November election.

Trumps calendar is also beginning to get thick with political and legal obligations as the 2024 election draws near. He will be in New York on July 11 for sentencing following his conviction on state charges that he falsified business records to conceal a politically explosive affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. The following week, he will take the stage at the Republican National Convention to accept the partys presidential nomination.
The trial date for Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the University of Idaho student homicides, is set. But where the trial may be held is still undecided.

Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District in Latah County at a hearing Thursday scheduled Kohbergers murder trial for June next year and planned for a three-month long trial. That timeline would carry the trial through most of August 2025.

As I look through all of this, theres going to be a lot of motions, a lot of hearings, a lot of work, Judge told the court Thursday. And I tried to balance this out, and I do think its a pretty fair balance and I hope realistic.

After the hearing, Judge issued his written order for the trial to begin on June 2, 2025, and run through Aug. 29, 2025. The filing lists a slew of other motion and hearing deadlines leading up to the closely watched case.

Judge said he expected it to take two weeks to seat a jury and eight weeks for the trial.

Kohberger, 29, faces four first-degree murder charges in the stabbing deaths of the U of I students in November 2022. The victims were seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20.

Sentencing, if Kohberger is convicted, could take up to two weeks, Judge said, including arguments for and against execution. Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Kohberger.

Prosecutors and Kohbergers public defense team offered no objection to Judges proposed timeline. The scheduled date met the prosecutions prior request for a trial over the summer to avoid conflicts with the local high school and the academic calendar for the U of I in Moscow, where the four victims attended college.

Anne Taylor, Kohbergers lead public defender, called the trial schedule reasonable, but noted she had yet to present evidence over her push to move the trial out of Latah County over concerns of local juror bias against her client. The prosecution opposes moving the trial elsewhere in the state, and a hearing over the issue is scheduled for Aug. 29.

If that motion is granted, the court anticipates that the trial dates will not change, although the location of the trial would, Judge said in his written order.

The hearing Thursday, which Kohberger attended wearing a navy blue suit and tie, lasted less than 15 minutes. Seated next to Taylor, he stood up at its conclusion, was directed by a bailiff, and shuffled out of sight of the courts live webstream wearing shackles around his ankles.

Kohberger now jailed 18 months, and counting

At the time of the homicides, Kohberger was a graduate student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington. He was arrested about seven weeks after the homicides in December 2022 while visiting his parents in eastern Pennsylvania during winter break from school.

From left, Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were killed in a November 2022 attack at an off-campus house on King Road in Moscow near the University of Idaho.

Kohberger has remained in the Latah County Jail beneath the courthouse  now at 18 months and counting  since arriving to Idaho in early January 2023 to answer to the charges. The costs of the case to taxpayers over that time have already surpassed $3.6 million, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.

Kohberger was arraigned in May 2023 and stood silent when asked for his plea to the charges, which also includes one felony burglary count. Judge entered a plea of not guilty on Kohbergers behalf and set a trial date of October 2023. Until Thursday, that initial date was indefinitely postponed after Kohberger later waived his right to a speedy trial within six months of his arraignment.

Were about 13 months from the arraignment, and I think at this point  this is my opinion  that were getting the point of diminishing returns, Judge said Thursday. He then proposed June 2025 for the high-profile murder trial.

The parents of Kaylee Goncalves have been some of the biggest proponents of scheduling a trial date, and also criticized the perceived slow pace of the legal process to this point. In a statement to the Statesman on Thursday through their attorney, the Goncalveses said they hoped that the trial remained in Latah County to help avoid any further delays.

It was a good day today. We were able to get a trial date set and things appear to be moving forward, the Goncalves family said. We moved a little closer to justice today for Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan. Thank you again for all your support and prayers. It means a lot to our family!

If Kohberger is convicted, the jury would have to reach a unanimous decision to sentence him to death, per Idaho law.
Bryan Kohberger, 28, has been held without bail in Latah County Jail while he awaits trial for the murder of four University of Idaho students in 2022. File Photo via Monroe County Correctional Facility

June 27 (UPI) -- A judge on Thursday set June 2, 2025, for the trial of Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in 2022.

Latah County District Judge John Judge gave the tentative date, to which prosecutors and Kohberger's attorney Anne Taylor, agreed.

Judge said he expects the trial could take about three months, including sentencing should Kohberger be convicted.

Judge also is expected to decide in August whether to move the case out of Latah County, for which the defense argued.

Whether the venue changes, the trial date should remain the same, Judge said.

Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary for allegedly breaking into an off-campus apartment in November 2022 and fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, as well as Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin.

Kohberger, who was pursuing a doctorate in criminology at nearby Washington State University, was arrested weeks after the murders.

Judge in May 2023 issued a plea of not guilty on his behalf. He faces the death penalty if convicted.

Goncalves's parents have begged for a trial date to be set while the prosecution and the defense have sparred over potential dates earlier this year.

"We got to get this case over," her father Steve Goncalves said. "Let's do it. Let's stop playing these delay tactics, let's just get it done."

An initial trial date was set for October, but the proceedings were delayed after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial and the defense sought to have the initial grand jury indictment thrown out.

The judge denied the request, ruling "Kohberger has failed to successfully challenge the indictment on grounds of juror bias, lack of sufficient admissible evidence, or prosecutorial misconduct."

Prosecutors in January said they were ready to go to trial this summer, but the defense said it still had more digital evidence and potential witnesses to gather.

Taylor, in an April filing, said she plans to bring forth cellphone tower data to prove Kohberger was nowhere near the crime scene when the murders occurred.

She argued Kohberger often took drives alone late at night to go hiking and see the stars, and that data from his phone will prove he was about 10 miles away from the house on the night of the murders.

Kohberger has been held in Latah County Jail without bail. Prosecutors have not determined a motive for the killings.
FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally, June 22, 2024, at Temple University in Philadelphia. The federal judge presiding over Trump's classified documents prosecution is hearing arguments Monday, June 24, on whether to bar him from public comments that prosecutors say could endanger the lives of FBI agents working on the case. Special counsel Jack Smith's team says the restrictions are necessary in light of Trump's false comments that the FBI agents who searched his Mar-a-Lago estate for classified documents were out to kill him and his family. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case of former President Donald Trump granted his request Thursday for a hearing on whether prosecutors had been permitted to improperly breach attorney-client privilege when they obtained crucial evidence from one of his ex-lawyers.

The order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ensures further delays in a criminal case that has already been snarled by significant postponements, resulting in the indefinite cancelation of trial date that had been set for May 20 in Fort Pierce, Florida. It means that Cannon will revisit a different judge's order from last year that permitted prosecutors to get testimony and other evidence from a Trump attorney that wound up being repeatedly cited in the indictment of the former president.

Trump faces dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing the FBIs efforts to recover them. He has pleaded not guilty.

Defense lawyers are ordinarily shielded from being forced to testify about their confidential conversations with their client but can be compelled to do so if prosecutors can show that their legal services were used in furtherance of a crime  a doctrine known as the crime-fraud exception.

The then-chief federal judge in the District of Columbia, Beryl Howell, agreed last year with special counsel Jack Smiths team that the exception applied and ordered grand jury testimony from a Trump attorney, M. Evan Corcoran, who represented the former president when the FBI on Aug. 8, 2022, searched Mar-a-Lago for classified documents and seized boxes of classified records.

She also directed Corcoran to turn over audio recordings he made that documented his impressions of conversations he had had with Trump about returning the documents. Those conversations form the basis of key portions of the indictment, including one quote in which Trump proposed not cooperating with the FBI and Justice Department as they sought the return of classified documents that he took with him to Mar-a-Lago after he left the White House.

Wouldnt it be better if we just told them we dont have anything here?" Corcoran quoted him as saying.

In her order Thursday, Cannon said there was nothing unduly prejudicial or legally erroneous about Defendant Trumps fact-development request, even as she sought to deflect the Smith team's concerns that the hearing could be a mini-trial.

There is a difference between a resource-wasting and delay-producing mini-trial, on the one hand, and an evidentiary hearing geared to adjudicating the contested factual and legal issues on a given pre-trial motion to suppress, on the other, she said.

Cannon said it was the obligation of this Court to make factual findings afresh on the crime-fraud issue.

The judge also denied a request for a hearing on a separate Trump team claim that the Justice Department had submitted false or misleading information in an application to search Mar-a-Lago. They argued, for instance, that the application should have noted that a senior FBI official proposed seeking the consent of Trump's lawyers for a search rather than obtaining a court-authorized search warrant.

But Cannon sided with Smith team in finding that neither that nor any other of the alleged omissions raised by the defense had any bearing on whether or not prosecutors had sufficient probable cause to search the property. She had signaled that position during a hearing earlier this week.

Even accepting those statements by the high-level FBI official, the Motion offers an insufficient basis to believe that inclusion in the affidavit of that officials perspective (or of the dissenting views of other FBI agents as referenced generally in his testimony) would have altered the evidentiary calculus in support of probable cause for the alleged offenses, Cannon wrote.
At last, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is a free man. Why was he ever locked up in the first place?

Before the Justice Department dropped its request for Assange to be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial, he had to plead guilty to violating the Espionage Act. That cleared the way for Assange to walk out of the maximum-security prison in London where he was being held. But it also sets a legal precedent that threatens free speech and journalism worldwide. Assange isn't a spy. He's a publisher, guilty of embarrassing the U.S. government.

"Really anybody who is concerned about press freedom should be deeply concerned about the prosecution of Julian Assange," says Trevor Timm, co-founder of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. "Maybe [some] journalists don't like Julian Assange, or they have criticized one or many of his actions over the years. That's all well and good, but what really matters are the acts the Justice Department is trying to criminalize here."

WikiLeaks first grabbed public attention with the 2010 release of a video titled "Collateral Murder." It showed footage from a 2007 attack by soldiers in a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, who gunned down more than a dozen people in Baghdad who weren't engaged in active combat, including two Reuters reporters.

The video generated international press and controversy. Assange said his intention was to expose "the 'another day at the office' [attitude of the soldiers], how routine it was."

The release of the Iraq War logs that followed was the largest military leak in history, revealing that more than 15,000 civilian deaths hadn't been publicly reported. And it exposed that the U.S. military had ignored reports of torture, rape, and murder by Iraqi authorities and soldiers.

For years, Assange's critics have attacked him for supposedly meddling in the 2016 election by publishing internal Democratic National Committee emails. They've accused him of sexual assault in Sweden. And he's been vilified for hosting a show on Russian state television.

But none of that is why the Justice Department prosecuted him. They prosecuted him because he published the details of U.S. military misadventures in the Middle East for the world to see. And that's not a crime.

Timm says that a journalist like Bob Woodward, who's made a career publishing government secrets, would be endangered by such a precedent, pointing to Woodward's 2011 book Obama's Wars as an example. "[That book] is page after page of highly classified informationbasically the most sensitive information that you could possibly imagine at a far higher classification level than anything WikiLeaks published."

Even the Watergate stories that Woodward published for The Washington Post with Carl Bernstein might be illegal if the Assange standard were applied, argues Timm, because Woodward and Bernstein sought out secret information from grand jurors during their reporting.

"Richard Nixon may never have had to resign," says Timm. "And [Woodward and Bernstein] quite possibly could have gone to jail."

Assange's confinement destroyed his mental and physical health. He was subjected to "psychological torture," according to the United Nations special rapporteur. That cruelty was the price of exposing information that the U.S. government wanted to keep secret. In 2018, Assange's doctors asked that he be hospitalized based on his deteriorating health, and officials denied that request.

"His physical state has obviously deteriorated over that time," Assange's wife Stella Assange told Reason in an interview late last year. "He spends a lot of time in his cell, but he is able to receive visits. So once or twice a week I can go and see him on weekends. I can bring the kids, and that obviously helps him a lotAnd that obviously keeps him sane and helps us both feel like we're not so separated and apart."

Assange says his guiding principle has been to grant regular citizens access to the information powerful governments, corporations, and media gatekeepers wanted to keep hidden.

"Someone's right to speak and someone's right to know create a right to communicate," Assange told Democracy Now journalist Amy Goodman at the Frontline Club in July 2011. "That is the grounding structure for all that we treasure about civilized life."

That's Julian Assange's legacy. He showed how hard, even futile, it is to conceal highly sought information in the digital age.

One person, heading a tiny organization, exposed the secrets of the world's most powerful superstate. The American security state may have won an unsettling legal victory in exchange for Assange's freedom, but it's powerless to restrain the anarchic, cypherpunk future of digital information sharing that he unleashed.

Music Credits : Train by AlexUnderTheSky, Murder Drone by Boomopera, Documentary Atmospheric Ambient Soundscape by SierraAudio, Minimal Emotional Documentary by Orchestralis

Photo Credits: Ray Tang/ZUMA Press/Newscom; Tolga Akmen/ZUMA Press/Newscom.

The post Julian Assange's Freedom Came at a Steep Price appeared first on Reason.com.
PORTSMOUTH  The trial for a Portsmouth teen accused of taking part in the 2022 murder and robbery of another teen ended Thursday with the jury unable to reach a verdict on the murder charges he faced.

The Portsmouth Circuit Court jury acquitted Tristan Mook Johnson Jr. of three theft and weapons charges, but said it couldnt agree on a decision on the two murder counts after nearly three hours of deliberations.

Johnson  who was 16 when 17-year-old Jesse Hogg was fatally shot just a few days before Christmas  initially was charged with aggravated murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence, but prosecutors reduced the top charge to first-degree murder after resting their case. That left the jury with the choice of first- or second-degree murder.

Hoggs family left the courtroom quietly Thursday. They declined to comment.

The shooting happened on the afternoon of Dec. 21, 2022, in front of a home on Sykes Avenue. An autopsy would later show the Manor High School senior had been struck 10 times.

One man who witnessed the shooting, and another who saw the suspects fleeing, provided a description to police. Detectives also obtained video surveillance footage showing four people fleeing after the shots were fired.

Two of the suspects  Pharondus Rondo Clemon II, then 17, and his girlfriend Analwah Minnie Jones, then 18  were located shortly afterwards. Johnson and a 13-year-old boy were arrested later.

Court records show that Clemon, Jones and Johnson all gave statements to police, but didnt indicate whether the 13-year-old talked to them.

Clemon told detectives they had arranged to meet Hogg that day to buy marijuana. As they drove to the meeting place in a stolen Kia Forte sedan, there was a discussion about stealing Hoggs gun, the records state.

Johnson told detectives that after they arrived, Clemon whispered to him to, take it, take it, meaning the gun Hogg had on his hip. Johnson said that when he reached for the pistol, Hogg grabbed it and Johnson fell to the ground. Clemon and one of the other suspects then shot Hogg multiple times, the records said, before reaching down and taking Hoggs gun.

The group attempted to flee in the Kia, but were unable to start it and fled on foot. As they were running away, the man who witnessed the slaying approached and told them he was calling police.

Jones told police that Clemon stuffed Hoggs gun and the other two pistols in Johnsons backpack and hid it in the backyard of a house on Griffin Street, where police later recovered the weapons.

Clemon and Jones are scheduled to go to trial later this year. The 13-year-old, who was too young to be tried as an adult under Virginia law, has already pleaded guilty in juvenile court.

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
The third day of verdict watch in the Karen Read murder trial ended without jurors being able to reach a decision.

The jurors will return to Norfolk Superior Court Friday for a 4th day of deliberations on Friday.

Excuse me? This is funny, Ms. Read?: Judge, defense get into heated argument over verdict slip

Read, 44, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend John OKeefe with her car and leaving him for dead in the snow in Canton in January 2022, but the defense has made a case that she is being framed.

Jurors are deciding whether Read is guilty or not guilty of second-degree murder, which in Massachusetts is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole. Read also faces lesser charges of manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, punishable by five to 20 years, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, punishable by up to 10 years.

LIVE UPDATES:

3:30 p.m.

Judge informs the court the jury would like to go home. Verdict deliberation will continue for a fourth day Friday.

2 p.m.

Court is back from lunch.

1 p.m.

The jury breaks for lunch until 2 p.m.

12:20 p.m.

Hundreds of Karen Read supporters are gathered outside Norfolk Superior Court waiting on edge for the jurys decision.

#NOW: Another day of deliberation  another day of waiting outside court for the Karen Read crowd.



Could today be the day a verdict is finally reached in the high-profile murder trial?



Hundreds outside waiting on edge for the jurys decision in Dedham. @boston25 @TedDanielnews pic.twitter.com/Ul7Yts3bmc  Daniel Coates (@danielcoates_25) June 27, 2024

10 a.m.

Defense, prosecution can leave the building at 10 a.m. as they await a verdict.

The defense team just walked out of the courtroom. They have a church hall across the street to wait.

9:20 a.m.

Lawyers are told to alert the court if they are leaving the building.

9 a.m.

Karen Read appears briefly in courtroom as Judge Beverly Cannone convenes court shortly after 9 a.m. for a third day of jury deliberations.

Karen Read in court this morning before the jury got sent out to deliberate for a 3rd day. #KarenRead #Boston25 pic.twitter.com/EvKgdJdUnJ  Adam Liberatore (@bostonTVguy) June 27, 2024

8:50 a.m.

Karen Read and her team enters Norfolk Superior Court from the other side of the building today.

Karen Read and her team enters Norfolk Superior Court from the other side of the building today. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/SCXHF6k9iX  Ryan Breslin (@ryanjbreslin) June 27, 2024

PREVIOUS STORY:

Jury deliberations began Tuesday afternoon following closing arguments. The 12 jurors must reach a unanimous decision on the verdict and the panel has been told not to give in to the others  just to wrap things up.

Jurors asked one question Wednesday, to review a report from the Massachusetts State Police search for evidence outside of 34 Fairview Road where the taillight and other evidence was found.

Judge Beverly Cannone told them, They have all the evidence they need and they didnt get any new documents.

Outside of the court, defense attorney Alan Jackson reminded that the report was never produced by the prosecution so there was none to give to the jury.

Karen Read speaks with her lawyer as the jury deliberates in her murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read awaits the juries verdict in her murder case at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP)

Alan Jackson, From left, Liza Little, defendant Karen Read and David Yanetti wait for a question from the jury as the jury deliberates in Read's murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Judge Beverly Cannone looks over the verdict slip the jurors have to fill out when they reach a verdict in Karen Read's murder trail, Wednesday June 26, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. The defense has asked for some modifications. Read is charged with second-degree murder in the January 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Police Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, departs Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Defense attorneys in Karen Read murder trial argue with judge over jury verdict slip

Karen Read, center, departs Norfolk Superior, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. Jury deliberations began in the trial Tuesday afternoon. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. The jury began deliberations in the trial Tuesday. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Carol Kelly, of Canton, Mass., below right, waves a pink and white American flag in support of Karen Read while Gail White, of Canton, left, holds a sign, a block from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Lisa Hoffman, of Mansfield, Mass., right, displays a sign in support of Karen Read that features a likeness of a Massachusetts license plate, while seated a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, center left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Supporters of Karen Read display signs and a banner a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Supporters of Karen Read listen to proceedings from Read's trial from a laptop computer while gathered a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Laura McGillis, of Attleboro, Mass., a supporter of Karen Read, waves to passing cars a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Eva Jenkins, of Bourne, Mass., left, a supporter of Karen Read, waves to passing cars as other supporters place a banner, right, a block away from Norfolk Superior Court, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Karen Read, center right, arrives at Norfolk Superior Court with her father William Read, center left, Tuesday, June 25, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Karen Read is on trial, accused of killing her boyfriend Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, in 2022. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Some witnesses are in the courtroom on Tuesday include Brian Albert, Colin Albert, and Jennifer McCabe.

Karen Read listens to family members, after the jury is dismissed at the end of the evidence phase of her murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

After the defense's last witness, Judge Beverly J. Cannone speaks to the jury during the murder trial for Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read

Retired forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Sheridan (not shown) is questioned by defense attorney Elizabeth Little during the murder trial for Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court, in Dedham, Mass., Monday, June 24, 2024. (Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center, stands amid her lawyers during a break in proceedings during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, and her defense lawyers Alan Jackson, left, and David Yannetti, right, listen as the prosecution questions their witness Dr. Marie Russell, during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, listens as the prosecutor questions Dr. Marie Russell, during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, reacts to testimony from Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a medical examiner for the state's medical examiner's office during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, reacts to testimony from Dr. Irini Scordi-Bello, a medical examiner for the state's medical examiner's office during Read's trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, listens to testimony during her murder trial in Norfolk Superior Court, Friday, June 21, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds, Pool)

Karen Read, center, sits in court with her legal team during her trial at Norfolk County Superior Court, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (David McGlynn/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Defendant Karen Read listens to her lawyer Alan Jackson question witness Massachusetts State trooper Michael Proctor during her, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is facing charges, including second degree murder, in the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read reacts to he attorney Alan Jackson as he cross examines state trooper Michael Proctor during her trial, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is facing charges, including second degree murder, in the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read and attorney David Yannetti listen during her trial, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court in Dedham, Mass. Read is facing charges, including second degree murder, in the 2022 death of her boyfriend Boston Officer John OKeefe. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)

Karen Read, center right, is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Karen Read is seated Monday, June 10, 2024, in Norfolk Super Court, in Dedham, Mass., during her trial on charges in connection with the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police Officer John O'Keefe. (Kayla Bartkowski/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)

Defendant Karen Read sits at the defense table during her trial, Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)

Defendant Karen Read sits at the defense table during her trial, Thursday, June 6, 2024, at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass. Read, 44, is accused of running into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her SUV in the middle of a nor'easter and leaving him for dead after a night of heavy drinking. (David McGlynn/New York Post via AP, Pool)

Earlier in the day, Jackson went back and forth with the judge over one of the three verdict slips provided to the jury. He argued the slip should have a not guilty line to check for the lesser charges Read could face under the offense of manslaughter.

Thats their decision to make, said Judge Cannone.

How do they make it if they dont have an option to check a box that says not guilty? replied Jackson.

The judge went on to say, This verdict slip as submitted to the jury is exactly how it always is in Massachusetts.

I dont really care how it always is in Massachusetts. I care about whether or not its appropriate, said Jackson.

About two hours later there was a change made to the verdict slip.

The judge said, I do appreciate the concern about the confusion this might cause the jury.

Outside of court, Alan Jackson commented, In 30 years, Ive never seen a verdict slip like what was presented this morning before it was changed.

RELATED:

Karen Reads jurors weigh evidence in a murder trial that challenged police integrity

Guilty or innocent? A look back at how we got here as Karen Read murder trial nears final stage

How long will it take for jurors to reach a verdict in the Karen Read murder trial?

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Justice Alito says allowing abortions in medical emergencies is bizarre as he fights for rights of unborn child

Justice Samuel Alito emphatically dissented from the Supreme Courts decision to allow hospitals in Idaho to perform emergency abortions  claiming doctors must protect an unborn child under a federal law.

In a 6-3 decision on Thursday, justices declined to issue a firm ruling on whether states can force patients with life-threatening pregnancies to get to the brink of death before they can get an abortion

The ruling means that emergency abortions can continue  but the decision leaves the door open for plaintiffs to bring similar challenges.

Alito, joined by justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, called the decision baffling, claiming the federal law that gives emergency rooms funding doesnt permit abortions  it does the opposite in demanding hospitals protect the health and treat a pregnant person as well as the unborn child.

It goes without saying that aborting an unborn child does not protect it from jeopardy, Justice Alito wrote.

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24 in Washington, DC. A recent Supreme Court ruling paves the way for emergency abortions (Getty Images)

Alito, who authored Dobbs v. Jackson decision - the case that overturned Roe v. Wade abortion protections- criticized the other justices for permitting the decision believing the state law did not conflict with federal mandates under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.

He argued if hospitals find a pregnant person in an emergency medical situation, they must also consider the health of the unborn child at equal weight until the life of the mother is in jeopardy under federal law. Alito raised concerns that a person could request an abortion in situations where their health, but not necessarily life, is at risk.

Apparently, the Court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable, he wrote.

Alito has criticized the newest decision, two years after he authored the decision to overturn nationwide abortion protections (REUTERS)

The case comes out of Idaho, which enacted a strict abortion ban in 2022 that imposes criminal penalties on doctors who perform abortions but includes a narrow and vague exception to protect the life of a pregnant person.

That exception says a physician must use good faith medical judgment to determine whether an abortion is necessary to prevent a person from death. However, it fails to clarify what good faith means  leaving many doctors and hospitals susceptible to criminal penalties.

The Biden administration intervened, saying the Idaho law conflicted with federal law which requires emergency room doctors to use medical intervention necessary to stabilize a patient. However, the law does not explicitly mandate which medical treatments, like abortions, are necessary.

During oral arguments in April, the Idaho Solicitor General argued that allowing federal law to override state law would result in other state laws, like informed consent laws, being overridden. He argued that there was no gap between state laws and federal regulations, saying the state can provide abortions on a case-by-case basis so long as a physician had medical certainty that a pregnant person would die without an abortion.

Reproductive rights activists outside of the Supreme Court at justices debate a near-total ban on abortion in Idaho (AFP via Getty Images)

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative appointed to the bench by Donald Trump, said she was kind of shocked to hear the attorney for the state confirm that ambiguity.

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar pushed back on the Idaho attorneys claims, reminding justices that about once every other week the state is forced to wait for a pregnant persons condition to deteriorate to the point they can transfer them out of state or provide an abortion.

In her partially concurring opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson called the months-long debate completely unnecessary and a catastrophe. She disagreed with the courts decision not to make a firm decision.

To be clear: Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is a delay. While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

Protesters gather near the Supreme Court in July to mark the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs decision that saw abortion protection overturned nationwide (Bel Trew/The Independent)

The decision arrives amid several high-profile incidents where pregnant women have detailed physically and emotionally traumatizing medical situations where they were denied abortions due to state laws but faced sepsis, severe bleeding, pain and more.

Without constitutional protections affirmed by Roe v Wade, several anti-abortion states have exploited a lack of clarity in the good faith clause to impose sweeping restrictions on emergency abortion care that have risked the lives of pregnant patients.

We are constantly in the heat of the moment, trying to decide what is the legal choice. We all know what the standard of care is, we know what the patient needs, according to Dr. Jessica Kroll, president of the Idaho chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, speaking to reporters this month.

It criminalizes physicians and has driven physicians out of the state, she said. Everyone is practicing confused, afraid, and its hurting patients  If we start piecemealing who we take care of, despite what we believe, we cannot take care of people. Our job is to take care of patients, not be moral police in the emergency room.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson slammed her Supreme Court colleagues for punting a decision about Idahos strict abortion ban Thursday, saying in a charged dissent that the court has failed pregnant women in the state.

Forcefully reading her dissent from the bench, Jackson said the ruling was not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho, even though doctors will be allowed to provide emergency abortions as the case is litigated in lower courts.

Not doing anything is problematic, Jackson said from the bench, noting the court had the opportunity to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it.

The case centered on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires federally funded hospitals to provide stabilizing care to emergency room patients no matter their ability to pay.

Abortion is the standard of care to stabilize many pregnancy-related conditions, and hospitals have long provided the procedure when necessary.

The court ruled 6-3 to dismiss the case as improvidently granted, which means Idaho hospitals that receive federal funding must allow emergency abortions to take place even though state laws ban almost all abortions.

Jackson said Idahos abortion ban clearly conflicts with federal law, and the court did nothing to resolve that tension.

Idahos law must yield, she said from the bench, pausing briefly between each word for emphasis.

Jackson pointed out that the U.S. is essentially hamstrung in its ability to enforce federal law while the court dawdles, and that states across the country continue to enact legislation that nullifies EMTALA, most notably in Texas.

How long must pregnant patients wait for an answer? Jackson wrote, noting the federal government has already asked the court to hear the Texas case.

Will this Court just have a do-over, rehearing and rehashing the same arguments we are considering now, just at a comparatively more convenient point in time? Or maybe we will keep punting on this issue altogether, allowing chaos to reign wherever lower courts enable States to flagrantly undercut federal law, facilitating the suffering of people in need of urgent medical treatment.

The ruling marks a minor, temporary victory for the Biden administration, which has struggled to protect access to abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago. But dismissing the appeal from Idaho wont resolve the legal questions and will merely send the case back to the appeals court instead of rushing it through to the highest level.

Lauren Irwin contributed.

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A decision from the Supreme Courts conservative majority to severely rein in the ability of federal agencies to go after lawbreakers amounts to a power grab that strips authority away from Congress, according to liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Congress had no reason to anticipate the chaos todays majority would unleash after all these years, she wrote in her dissent in a ruling that diminishes the Securities and Exchange Commissions power to enforce laws against securities fraud.

Thursdays decision is another blow to federal agencies from the conservative majority, which decided that agency-led authorities violate offenders right to a trial by jury.

Beyond the majoritys legal errors, its ruling reveals a far more fundamental problem: This Courts repeated failure to appreciate that its decisions can threaten the separation of powers, Sotomayor wrote in her lengthy dissent, which she also read aloud from the bench.

Here, that threat comes from the Courts mistaken conclusion that Congress cannot assign a certain public-rights matter for initial adjudication to the Executive because it must come only to the Judiciary, she wrote.

Make no mistake, she added. Todays decision is a power grab.

Critics have long warned against a tide of legal threats from right-wing legal groups and business interests challenging enforcement powers from federal agencies, with litigation making their way to the Supreme Courts sympathetic conservative majority.

Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait in 2022. On June 27, the courts conservative majority ruled against federal agencies abilities to hold in-house enforcement actions against rulebreakers. (AP)

The courts conservatives telegraphed their ruling during Novembers oral arguments in the case of Securities and Exchange Commission v Jarkesy, which asks whether agency-led tribunals violate the Seventh Amendments right to a jury trial.

The majoritys decision written by Chief Justice John Roberts threatens to derail how any regulatory agency  including the Federal Communications Commission and agencies protecting labor rights  will be able to enforce their authorities.

Congress would have to spend an unrealistic tens of billions of dollars to boost capacity and personnel for those agencies to be able to handle jury trials.

The majority today upends longstanding precedent and the established practice of its coequal partners in our tripartite system of Government, Sotomayor wrote. Because the Court fails to act as a neutral umpire when it rewrites established rules in the manner it does today, I respectfully dissent.

The case involved a challenge from hedge fund manager George Jarkesy, whose firm was ordered to pay a $300,000 penalty for misstatements and other violations in his communications with investors. The firm was also ordered to return nearly $685,000 for illicit gains.

His challenge  backed by Elon Musk and Mark Cuban, among others  landed at the conservative-dominated Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has operated as a pipeline for right wing-backed legal challenges that reach the nations highest court.
A Kansas City mother and son were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for their role in two non-fatal shootings in Swope Park on Fathers Day 2023.

Kippie R. House, 54, and Darryel L. Pennington, 32, each pleaded guilty to felony possession of a firearm. As part of a plea agreement, House also admitted to federal prosecutors that she and Pennington had been involved in the shootings.

Pennington was sentenced on June 17 to 10 years in prison, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, and House was given same sentence plus one month on June 20. Neither are eligible for parole.

The mother and son were prosecuted in Missouri Western District Court as co-defendants. The shootings stemmed from a confrontation with the family of Houses ex-boyfriend, according to a Wednesday news release from Moores office.

The shootings took place in full view of multiple people in the crowded park and were also captured on video. Several families got together for Fathers Day on the afternoon of June 18, 2023, with people gathered in lawn chairs, picnic pavilions and bounce houses, according to Moores office.

House entered the park first, alone, with a handgun and confronted a female relative of her ex-boyfriend, according to Moores office and court documents. After a physical confrontation, she began shooting at the woman.

The woman ran and got her own gun from a parked car, leading to a gunfight in the parking lot, according to Moores office and court documents.

House returned to the park an hour later with Pennington and they engaged in a drive-by shooting with the family of Houses ex-boyfriend, according to Moores office. Pennington was shooting a handgun from the passenger seat, and was shot in the leg when at least two people fired back at the car, court documents show.

House brought Pennington to Research Hospital, where the mother and son were met by a Kansas City police officer. The case against House and Pennington was investigated by the Kansas City Police Department; officers noted multiple bullet holes in Houses car as they spoke with her in the parking lot of the hospital.

Previous charges against House in Kansas and Missouri include theft and receiving stolen property, according to court records. At least one of the handguns involved in the shooting had previously been reported stolen, according to Moores office.

Previous charges against Pennington in both states include unlawful use of a weapon, as well as felony drug possession, drug trafficking and driving while intoxicated, court records show.
Kansas Department of Insurance gives $2.5M to Sedgwick County firefighters

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  The Kansas Department of Insurance has made its annual distribution to the Firefighter Relief Association, and over $2.5 million is going to Sedgwick County firefighters.

A news release from the KDOI said the funds are generated by a 2% tax paid by insurance companies on fire and lightning insurance premiums written in Kansas.

Associations primarily use their distributed funds for insurance premiums and safety enhancements, the release reads. The relief funds may pay for the health, accident, disability, and life insurance premiums of local firefighters. Safety enhancements such as new firetrucks, fire station building improvements, and firefighting gear can be purchased via relief funds loaned to local governing entities.

U.S. Marine from Newton deployed overseas twice during the war in Afghanistan

There are eight FRAs in Sedgwick County that received funding:

Cheney  $18,943.08

Clearwater  $15,870.99

Colwich  $23,400.01

Derby  $119,717.63

Mount Hope  $5,865.35

Sedgwick County  $470,406.25

Valley Center  $33,666.08

Wichita  $1,826,273.63

In total, the KDOI disbursed a total of over $18.9 million to 553 FRAs, the news release said.

In 2023, Sedgwick County received over $2.2 million, and in total, KDOI dispersed nearly $16.9 million.

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TOPEKA (KSNT)  The Kansas Insurance Department announced nearly $19 million will be going to local Firefighter Relief Associations (FRA). Of those, Shawnee County will receive nearly $1 million.

On Thursday, June 27 Kansas Insurance Department (KID) Public Affairs Manager Kyle Strathman announced the money would be distributed to 553 different FRAs across the state. The funds come from a 2% tax that is paid by insurance companies on fire and lightning premiums.

Firefighters work to keep us safe, and the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act acknowledges those efforts by providing additional protections for firefighters and their loved ones, said Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. The Act not only gives first responders needed safety nets, but it also allows local communities to provide their citizens with improved firefighting equipment and resources.

Strathman said the funds can be used to pay for health, accident, disability and life insurance premiums of local firefighters. Associations can also use relief funds to purchase new firetrucks, make fire station improvements and purchase firefighter gear.

Invasive species claim new territory in Kansas waters

Shawnee County is set to receive $960,178 which will be distributed to eight local FRAs.

Firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and the Kansas Firefighters Relief Act acknowledges that by providing additional protections for firefighters and their loved ones, Schmidt said. The Act not only gives first responders needed safety nets, but it also allows local communities to provide their citizens with improved firefighting equipment and resources.

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Janet Stanek was sworn in Monday as the secretary of the Kansas Department of health and Environment. She has held the position in an interim role since November. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  The Medicaid program in Kansas will be amended July 1 to enable coverage of doula services useful in guiding and supporting women before giving birth and during postpartum months.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Medicaid beneficiaries would have access to these non-physician providers within the KanCare program. Doulas would offer physical, emotional and informational support to women and newborns.

Doulas play a vital role in the health and well-being of mothers and their babies, and this coverage will ensure more families in Kansas can benefit from their services, said Janet Stanek, the KDHE secretary.

KDHE said Medicaid beneficiaries in Kansas would be in line to receive personalized care from doulas specializing in prenatal, labor, delivery and postpartum issues. This initiative was part of a broader effort in Kansas that previously led to expansion of access to Medicaid for up to 12 months after a pregnancy.

Oklahoma and nearly a dozen other states previously tapped into Medicaid for doula care.

The State Academy of Public Health Policy reported doulas could partially address maternal mortality rates in the United States and the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities associated with birth outcomes.

Current evidence suggests that pregnant people who receive doula care are more likely to have a healthy birth outcome and a positive birth experience, the Academy of Public Health Policy says. States are increasingly seeking federal authorization to provide doula services as an optional benefit under their state Medicaid programs.

In Kansas, 5.2% of every 1,000 children born died before their first birthday in 2021. In 2017, the states infant mortality rate was 6.3 deaths per 1,000 live births.

One in 13, or 7.8%, of babies born in Kansas during 2022 had low birthweights and one in 10 babies, or 10.5%, were born before reaching full term.

Christine Osterlund, KDHE deputy secretary for Medicaid, told state legislators the agency was striving to improve statistics relative to at-risk mothers by pivoting to doulas. She said the agency would seek other avenues for improving maternal health through collaborations with managed-care companies coordinating Medicaid.

Were asking our MCO partnerrs to look more (at) value-added benefits for our maternal moms and babies, Osterlund said. We know we have a deficit around postpartum screenings.

The post Kansas Medicaid program adding coverage of doula services for women, newborns appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 27. According to preliminary data, Uzbekistan's enterprises manufactured industrial products worth 292 trillion soums ($23 billion) from January through May 2024, Trend reports.

The data from Uzbekistans Statistics Agency shows that this figure is 26.3 percent higher year-on-year (231.2 trillion soums, or $18.2 billion in JanuaryMay 2023).

In the structure of production, the largest specific weight falls on the enterprises of the manufacturing industry, the output of which amounted to 239.7 trillion soums ($18.9 billion). The mining and quarrying industry ranks second with a production volume worth 25.9 trillion soums ($2 billion) during this period. Uzbekistans electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply production reached 24.7 trillion soums ($1.9 billion), while water supply, sewerage, waste collection, and utilization totaled 1.7 trillion soums ($134.4 million).

Among the countrys regions, the city of Tashkent accounts for the largest volume in the total volume of industrial production: 56.2 trillion soums ($4.4 billion). The Navoi region accounted for 51.3 trillion soums ($4 billion), and the Tashkent region accounted for 45.3 trillion soums ($3.5 billion) from January through May 2024.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's enterprises manufactured industrial products worth 227.8 trillion soums ($17.8 billion) from January through April 2024. This figure is 27.2 percent higher year-on-year (179 trillion soums, or $14 billion in JanuaryApril 2023).

In the structure of production, the largest specific weight falls on the enterprises of the manufacturing industry, the output of which amounted to 184 trillion soums ($14.4 billion).

Among the countrys regions, the city of Tashkent accounts for the largest volume in the total volume of industrial production: 42.7 trillion soums ($3.34 billion).
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  A dairy farm in Kansas will soon start voluntary testing for bird flu in their dairy herd.

Kansas is among four states that are part of the new Kansas Department of Agriculture program. H5N1, known as the bird flu, was found in milk samples from two Kansas dairy farms back in March. But since then, there hasnt been another positive case in the state.

The KDA says one dairy farm so far has chosen to participate in the voluntary testing and more are interested. There is a national requirement by the United States Department of Agriculture that says any lactating dairy cow has to have a negative test for bird flu within seven days of moving across state lines.

Kansas also requires a veterinarian to make sure the animals dont show symptoms before moving within the state. But to become a monitored herd, a dairy farm must start by testing their bulk milk weekly.

Previously: Raw milk restrictions easing across nation amid bird flu fears

After three weeks of that bulk milk testing, if they are confirmed negative, then they become a monitored herd status, and then at that point in time, they can forego the individual testing and do just the bulk milk testing on a weekly basis as a continued surveillance, said Dr. Justin Smith, the animal health commissioner for the KDA.

Dr. Smith adds that veterinarians and the KDA still dont know exactly how the exposure happens, but they say the herds that do have it have multiple ways they could have gotten it. This includes picking it up during transport, from humans or while in contact with other animals.

Theres obviously some level of cow-to-cow transmission, whether that be direct nose-to-nose spread or whether were spreading it as far as the movements that might occur, Dr. Smith said.

So far, farms in Nebraska, Texas, and New Mexico are also participating in the voluntary testing. Kansas has not had a positive case since March.

Dairy farms that do participate and have clean milk tests wont have to do individual testing on animals before moving the herd within the state or across state lines.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Multiple crews with the Kansas City Fire Department are on the scene of a large house fire Wednesday night.

The fire was reported just after 6:40 p.m. in the area of Greenway Terrace and Ward Parkway.

Public records show the house where the fire took place is the home of the late Kansas City Mayor Richard Berkley.

When KCFD crews arrived on scene they reported heavy fire and smoke from the garage of the two-story home. Everyone inside the home was able to escape and no injuries have been reported at this time.

See the latest forecast, maps and radar for Kansas City

KCFD says the fire is under control and Red Cross has been ordered for two adults and dangerous buildings have been ordered.

Additional crews have also been ordered for relief due to the heat.

The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation at this time.

Richard Berkley served as mayor from 1979 to 1991, longer than any other mayor in Kansas City history. He was one of only five mayors to be elected to a third term.

He also sat on Kansas City Council for 10 years, and he was a young executive for his familys Tension Corporation before entering politics.

Berkley is known for his expansion of Bartle Hall, bringing 911 services to Kansas City residents and creating the Kansas City Jazz Commission, among other things.

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Berkley Riverfront Park and the surrounding area are named in his honor. He died last November at the age of 92.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The Keller Auditorium is one of the citys premier performance venues. But its more than a century old, outdated in several respects and it would not survive a major earthquake.

The City of Portland owns the building and Metro manages it as part of the Portland5 Centers for the Arts. Currently, there are three proposals city leaders are weighing to either renovate or replace the Keller Auditorium.

Renovating it would close the current facility and take about 19 months. The other proposal would be to build a new venue while the Keller continues to operate.

Portland residents are able to share their thoughts through an online survey until July 7.

This KOIN 6 News special looks at all three proposals to clarify the differences and shed light on each as city leaders may announce their decision later in July.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE KELLER

The venue opened as a public auditorium on July 4, 1917 and was used as a community space, a museum and even a hospital during the Spanish Flu epidemic. In 1962, the Keller Auditoriums roof, windows and light fixtures were damaged during the infamous Columbus Day Storm. Then in the late 60s, the space was renovated from a multi-purpose venue into a theater and was renamed the Civic Auditorium. It became the Keller Auditorium in 2000 after Richard Keller donated $1.5 million for renovation. Today, the Keller Auditorium is the largest auditorium in the state of Oregon. Along with Portlands other centers for the arts, it generates more than $60 million in regional spending every year.

Keep in mind, the Keller is an auditorium, not a performing arts center. A performing arts center has multiple spaces to do a variety of things at one time. The Keller is not able to do that.

METROS POINT OF VIEW

Metro has done much of the research for the cost of either renovating or replacing the Keller.

Keller Auditorium is like Portland 5s warhorse, said Robyn Williams, the Executive Director for the Portland5 Center for the Arts. It generates almost 50% of our total earned revenues. The money is used to subsidize all the non-profit users of our theater, so its very critical.

Robyn Williams, the Executive Director for the Portland 5 Center for the Arts, June 2024 (KOIN)

The Metro study found closing the Keller for a nearly 2-year renovation would mean 336 jobs lost, $100 million in lost output, $42.3 million in lost labor income and missing out on $5.1 million in state and local revenues.

Williams said those numbers definitely tilt her decision toward building a new facility while the current Keller would keep operating.

We have a responsibility to support our local arts users and we cant do it with a partial or full closure, she said. Closing at all is not an option.

A Metro cost analysis shows renovating the current venue would cost $290 million, while building a new venue in the Lloyd District would cost $429 million. A new venue at PSU would cost $447 million.

Greg Phillips of Creative Stage Arts Development, which focuses on arts organizations, said there are soft costs on top of the hard costs such as construction. The soft costs include architects, designers, theater designers, permitting and planning.

Building a new venue also fits in with their vision for bringing back Portlands central city.

Greg Phillips of Creative Stage Arts Development, June 2024 (KOIN)

It ensures our arts model remains robust. Building new gives us a lot of opportunities to expand, Williams said. Because the Keller is an auditorium. It is not a performing arts center. . It gives us more opportunities to provide more content to people and then maybe do something else really fabulous with the Keller.

As leaders make a decision, Phillips  who is also a former executive director of Portlands Center Stage  said they will feel influence from everywhere. There is now a very public outreach program where were doing surveys and focus groups and let everybody know that this is a critical moment, this is a big decision, an important one for the future of Portland.

He also said each site has advantages.

I believe each one of them will become something wonderful, regardless of which one gets a performing arts center, Phillips said.

PLAN 1: REMODEL CURRENT VENUE

The Halprin Landscape Conservancy is spearheading the effort to renovate the Keller Auditorium at its current location, on SW 3rd between Clay and Market, directly across from Keller Fountain.

A rendering of the Keller Auditoriums proposed renovations from the Northwest facade and proposed Third Avenue plaza (Credit: Halprin Landscape Conservancy)

A rendering of the proposed Keller Auditorium renovation from the buildings Southwest facade (Credit: Halprin Landscape Conservancy)

Another rendering of the Keller Auditoriums proposed renovations from the Northwest facade and proposed Third Avenue plaza (Credit: Halprin Landscape Conservancy)

A rendering of the ground foyer bar of the proposed Keller Auditorium renovation

A rendering of the featured stairs in the Keller Auditorium renovation plan

A rendering of the reimagined first balcony for the Keller Auditorium renovation plan

An exhibit photo of plans to expand and improve the footprint of the Keller Auditorium for the renovation pitch

A rendering of the second balcony of the reimagined Keller Auditorium for the renovation plan

A rendering of the Keller Fountain being used for visual arts outside of the Keller Auditorium.

They say Kellers historical significance should not be undercounted. Its more beneficial to the city to keep Keller where it is despite an interruption of performances.

Scott Andrews with Melvin Mark Companies is also a co-chair of the Halprin Landscape Conservancy. He said they estimate a renovation cost of $267 million if they begin in 2027.

Renovation will provide a 21st Century auditorium, new seating, new lighting, better acoustics, better loading, 20% additional square footage to the building where there will be restaurants, better backstage facilities, bars, restrooms. For the investment, we think its the best thing for the city to do.

Andrews also said the Keller Auditorium is a very important asset to the neighborhood. And there are hundreds of hotel rooms, bars, restaurants within walking distance, not to mention over 3000 parking spaces adjacent. Its a great location. Its a part of the downtown arts and culture district and its an important element to the health and wellbeing of downtown.

Scott Andrews with Melvin Mark Companies is also a co-chair of the Halprin Landscape Conservancy, June 2024 (KOIN)

Unions are concerned about the job losses during the lengthy construction period. But Andrews said the damages caused by the downtime to both organizations who use the Keller and the unions can be mitigated. And were working with them to do that.

He suggested one way would be to add $25 million to the cost estimate  which would raise the total renovation cost but still be considerably less money than the other proposals on the table.

Andrews is aware that there arent any other venues in the city that could bring in Broadway shows during the construction period. But we have no concern that the audience wont come back once the Keller is renovated.

PLAN 2: PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

Portland State University wants to build a new performing arts center on land it already owns on campus. Their $385 million proposal would include a 3000-seat auditorium, a hotel with restaurants, a conference center and an outdoor plaza.

Street view of PSU's proposed Portland Arts + Culture Center designed by Bora Architects

Lobby view of PSU's proposed Portland Arts + Culture Center designed by Bora Architects

Interior theater view of PSU's proposed Portland Arts + Culture Center designed by Bora Architects

Side building view of PSU's proposed Portland Arts + Culture Center designed by Bora Architects

The Number 1 reason why (to build a new facility) is that the show can go on, said PSU Foundation President Sarah Schwarz. A new space being built in a new location allows the Keller to keep on moving through performances, hiring the folks in the arts ecosystem  which still hasnt fully recovered from the pandemic  while a new, bigger, better, modernized ready-for-the-next-100 years arts center can happen at the PSU site.

Sarah Schwarz, president of the PSU Foundation, June 2024 (KOIN)

Jason Franklin, a PSU vice president of planning, construction and real estate, said they are looking to create an arts complex that will be a downtown Portland destination.

But the money would come from different sources.

The overall cost is $385 million for the 3000-seat venue to replace the Keller, Franklin said. The remaining program  the hotel, the PSU 1200-seat auditorium  that would be paid for by different sources. Hotel would be private investment. The 1200-seat auditorium would be money we would bring from the state legislature for that academic space.

Jason Franklin, a vice president of planning, construction and real estate at PSU, June 2024 (KOIN)

Schwarz added this is a moment for big philanthropy in Portland.

Weve been doing a lot of research and in conversation with other national leaders weve learned that these are opportunities for the entire community to uplevel. One person recently said to me, Great cities are built by philanthropy, and we see this as a wonderful opportunity for all of Portland to come together to create a world-class destination.

The proposed PSU facility is planned for SW 1st and Lincoln, a little farther away from the central downtown area. Franklin said concerns it wouldnt revitalize the city are unfounded.

A map showing the location of the proposed new Keller Auditorium on the PSU campus, June 2024 (KOIN)

We think its a great opportunity to revitalize not only the south end of downtown but also reactivate the Keller site itself, he said. We really see it as kind of a 3-in-1 opportunity for revitalization downtown.

PLAN 3: THE LLOYD DISTRICT

The Urban Renaissance Group, the owners of the Lloyd Center, is behind the effort to build a new performing arts venue in the Lloyd District. Their proposal would anchor a nearly 30-acre redevelopment of the Lloyd Center Mall site.

A rendering of the proposed new Keller Auditorium at the Lloyd Center in Northeast Portland, June 2024 (Urban Renaissance Group)

That development would include housing, open spaces, retail, restaurants and offices in addition to the newly built theater. They emphasize the growth in North and Northeast Portland  including the $450 million in federal funding that will go to capping a portion of I-5.

It would be the only P5 theater on Portlands east side.

KOIN 6 News invited the Urban Renaissance Group to take part in this discussion, but they declined.

DECISION

The online survey remains available through July 7.

Portland City Council will consider all three plans and is expected to announce a decision later in the month.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Kentucky begins accepting applications for medical marijuana dispensaries on Monday, nearly two years after Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order permitting possession of medical marijuana. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

June 27 (UPI) -- Kentucky is opening applications for medical marijuana licenses in the state Monday, with businesses being able to open by July 1, 2025.

The state plans to issue 48 dispensary licenses, which require owners to pay a $15,000 annual renewal fee, and the facilities will be required to be at least 1,000 feet away from a school or daycare.

There are four types of licenses issued:

A cultivator, who is responsible for planting, raising, harvesting, trimming and curing raw plant material; a processor, who turns raw plant material into a usable produce; a safety compliance facility, which oversees testing for contamination and purity of the raw plant; and a dispensary, which will sell the finished marijuana to medical card holders.

The state requires a lot of legwork and detailed information from someone applying for a license, including a federal tax identification number, detailed contact information and proof that the owner plans to lease or buy the property where they intend to establish a dispensary.

Applicants also have to submit a financial plan, proof that they have the money to back it up, and a site plan that shows how it complies with security requirements, including the installation of alarm systems, security cameras and surveillance lighting.

"There is a lot of compliance that people have to keep track of," said John Payne, partner of Amendment 2 Consultants, a cannabis consulting firm. "People should give it a hard look before they jump in, but if they want to do it, I think they should jump in with both feet."

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued an executive order in 2022 which allowed Kentuckians that need medical marijuana to have and use eight or fewer ounces of medical marijuana if it's legally purchased in another state.

Supporters of Beshear's action have said the use of medical marijuana has helped their family members by stopping frequent seizures.

While the process will be long and costly, it is a day many, like Kentucky resident Julie Cantwell, have waited for. She said her son suffered roughly 200 epileptic seizures a day until he had access to medical cannabis.

"He was just blanking in and out all day long, and he has now been, he's 24 years old now, but he's been using medical cannabis now for many years, and he's six years seizure-free," Cantwell told local media.

Cantwell said she was forced to travel to states like Michigan that legalized marijuana and then drive through Indiana or Ohio with the product to bring it home.

"It's definitely worth it to have him around and to see his quality of life so much better," said Cantwell. "It's a relief for them to not be considered criminals and to be able to access this medicine legally."

To qualify for a medical marijuana card, people must have a medical diagnosis that meets state standards. Those include any form of cancer, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea and PTSD, among other conditions.
Two college students from Ohio were arrested in Bourbon County recently after they scammed an elderly woman for hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the Bourbon County Sheriffs Office and court documents.

The scam was reported to the sheriffs office on June 4. According to the sheriffs office, the woman told officials she had been contacted by email and phone by people portraying IRS agents and representatives from her financial organization claiming her account had been hacked.

The woman went to the bank and withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars, lying about home remodeling plans, according to court documents. The scammers convinced the woman to deposit $262,435.36 at a bitcoin location, according to the sheriffs office and court documents.

Additionally the scammers convinced the woman to wire more money to New York to purchase gold bars, valued at $247,756.21, according to the sheriffs office and court documents.

The scammers convinced the woman to send the gold bars to her home in Bourbon County, where the scammers would make arrangements to pick them up, according to the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office contacted the FBI due to the nature of the scam. The sheriffs office said authorities listened to multiple phone conversations from the scammers laying out the details of the scheme.

When the scammers had confirmation of the packages arrival, they made plans to take the gold bars at the womans home. The sheriffs office said they and the FBI intercepted two individuals, 26-year-old Mayurkumar Patel and 29-year-old Akshay Priyadarshi, and took them into custody.

Patel and Priyadarshi are college students from Beaver Creek, Ohio, in the United States on a school visa, according to the sheriffs office. They are originally from India.

Patel and Priyadarshi admitted to committing the same scam previously, stealing $35,000 in cash from a woman in Ohio, according to court documents. The Bourbon County woman was in the middle of a second transaction when she contacted the sheriffs office.

Both were charged with conspiracy to commit theft by deception over $10,000 and are being held at the Bourbon County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond, according to the sheriffs office.

The FBI told the sheriffs office this scam has been happening across the country, including other parts of Kentucky and Los Angeles, according to court documents. The sheriffs office encouraged people suspicious of scams to contact them for confirmation.

The Bourbon County Sheriffs Office will not call and say you have a warrant for your arrest along with the IRS or the FBI, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. If you must send money to receive a prize or cash, its a scam. Time is on your side, so please if not sure hang up and contact your law enforcement or your bank and check yourself if uncertain.

Recently, the Kentucky Court of Justice urged people to be aware of scams involving fake arrest warrants that are increasing in sophistication, including phone numbers and forged signatures.

According to a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, the fraudulent warrants are demanding payment to avoid arrest. Some include the Kentucky Court of Justice seal, a case number and a list of charges such as failure to appear and missed jury duty.

Scammers may even fake a phone number on caller ID so that the call appears to be from a court facility or another government agency, the release said. A valid arrest warrant would not be served by phone, text or email.
Protesters chant slogans during the demonstration. Kenyan law enforcement fired teargas and live ammunition into the largely peaceful crowd, with unconfirmed reports of several dead on social media. Protesters called for members of Kenya's Parliament to reject the proposed legislation, which would increase taxes across the country's economy. Katie G. Nelson/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Despite the promised withdrawal of Kenya's controversial tax bill, protests continued against the government of President William Ruto on Thursday, with gunfire reported in Nairobi.

The situation was tense in the capital, where demonstrators announced a march to State House, Ruto's official residence.

Access roads were cordoned off over a wide area and numerous police officers and military personnel were stationed throughout the city.

Streets around Parliament, which was stormed by demonstrators on Tuesday, were also blocked off.

The first demonstrators gathered at midday in the centre of Nairobi, where many shops were barricaded. Television footage showed the police using tear gas against the crowds and shots were also heard.

Demonstrations also reportedly took place in other Kenyan cities.

In the third-largest city Kisumu, in western Kenya, several hundred people marched to the presidential lodge, another of Ruto's official residences. There they gathered for a peaceful sit-in protest, the Nation newspaper reported.

In Mombasa, according to one demonstrator, violent criminals mingled with the protesters and attempted to loot shops. "They have nothing to do with us," she told the KTN television station.

Violent scenes ensued in the past week as thousands joined the outcry against the taxation bill, which was aimed at helping alleviate Kenya's deep public debt.

But protesters say the measure would impose unaffordable tax rises on ordinary citizens and businesses already weighed down by the high cost of living.

Ruto on Wednesday said in Nairobi that he would not sign the bill into law after clashes resulted in a number of deaths.

Thousands of Kenyans gather outside Kenya's Parliament during the demonstration. Kenyan law enforcement fired teargas and live ammunition into the largely peaceful crowd, with unconfirmed reports of several dead on social media. Protesters called for members of Kenya's Parliament to reject the proposed legislation, which would increase taxes across the country's economy. Katie G. Nelson/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Protesters chant slogans during the demonstration. Kenyan law enforcement fired teargas and live ammunition into the largely peaceful crowd, with unconfirmed reports of several dead on social media. Protesters called for members of Kenya's Parliament to reject the proposed legislation, which would increase taxes across the country's economy. Katie G. Nelson/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Johannesburg  Protesters took to the streets again in Kenya Thursday morning, two days after human rights groups said more than 20 people were killed as demonstrators clashed with security forces. The protests on Thursday did not draw the same huge numbers as Tuesday's chaos, which prompted the country's president to back down and say on Wednesday that he would not sign a controversial finance bill, with major tax hikes, that has caused the unrest.

A heavy police and military presence kept protesters fairly quiet for most of Thursday morning.

The streets outside of the buildings of Kenyan Parliament in Nairobi, parts of which were torched by protesters who stormed the compound on Tuesday, were quiet as the largely young protesters shifted their focus to the State House, the official residence of President William Ruto.

Kenyan anti riot police detain a young man during a planned demonstration called after nationwide protests against a controversial, now-withdrawn tax bill left over 20 people dead, in downtown Nairobi, June 27, 2024. / Credit: SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty

Police started lobbing tear gas cannisters in downtown Nairobi to disperse crowds again Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of the security forces using live ammunition again, which human rights groups said had killed at least 22 people and left some 300 wounded on Tuesday.

Still, organizers took to social media to urge those on the streets not to approach the heavily guarded State House.

"March to Honor those who lost their lives," protest organizer Nasra Nanda said in a social media post. "March to honor the Constitution. March to demand accountability But please as you do so, avoid statehouse. Please."

The organizers appeared to take a more cautious tone on Thursday, pleading with protesters for a more peaceful day, clearly fearing further bloodshed after Tuesday's violence.

Street cleaners tend to property damaged amid anti-government protests in the Central Business District of Nairobi, Kenya, June 26, 2024. / Credit: Kang-Chun Cheng/Bloomberg via Getty

In a video shared on social media, Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of American civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., also issued an appeal for peaceful protest.

"Kenyans and security forces, the world is watching," said King, who was in Kenya as the chaos unfolded earlier in the week. "Rise not in anger but in a harmonious call for justice. Dad said at the center of non-violence stands the principle of love."

Ruto introduced the finance bill in parliament in May, saying it was needed to draw an additional $2.3 billion in national revenue as the country faces a soaring debt bill. Interest payments on that debt currently eat up more than 25% of the national revenue.

Critics of the proposals immediately called foul, saying consumers were already struggling with the high cost of living and that the new bill, with higher taxes on basic food supplies such as cooking oil and bread, as well as cars, was unacceptable. A public outcry saw the government alter the bill even before it was voted on by lawmakers on Tuesday, dropping the proposed tax hikes on essential goods and adding taxes on imported items and internet usage.

The revised bill was approved by parliament on Tuesday amid the chaotic protests, but the day after, Ruto, citing the huge public anger, said he would not sign it. He sent it back to the lawmakers for changes and called for a public dialogue on how to resolve Kenya's national economic woes.

President of Kenya William Ruto addresses journalists during a press conference at the State House in Nairobi, June 26, 2024. / Credit: SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty

Ruto was elected on a campaign of economic empowerment and boosting the standard of living in a country plagued by high unemployment, huge debt and lingering costs from the COVID pandemic.

It was mainly younger Kenyans, in their 20s and 30s, who pushed back and mobilized on social media to take to the streets, and young people were largely the casualties in Tuesday's violence.

Many voiced their outrage online that had Ruto only backed down after blood was spilled.

In public remarks right after the Tuesday protests, Ruto blamed "treasonous" individuals for the violence, but he took a more measured tone on Wednesday afternoon when he announced that he was conceding and would not sign the bill.

Not long after Ruto introduced the controversial finance bill he travelled to Washington and was the first African president to be hosted at the White House by President Biden, who designated Kenya a Major Non-NATO ally the following day. Kenya is the first African country to hold that distinction.

During Ruto's visit, the Biden administration also pledged a shipment of helicopters and armored vehicles for Kenya's military, as well as plans to upgrade the Manda Bay airfield in the north of the country.

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Protesters chant slogans during the demonstration. Kenyan law enforcement fired teargas and live ammunition into the largely peaceful crowd, with unconfirmed reports of several dead on social media. Protesters called for members of Kenya's Parliament to reject the proposed legislation, which would increase taxes across the country's economy. Katie G. Nelson/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

A court in Kenya on Thursday approved a decision to send in the army as police backup, as protests continue against a controversial tax bill that the government has promised to withdraw.

While armoured military vehicles could be seen in the city, the court ruled in the evening that the deployment authorized by parliament was lawful in view of the outbreak of violence during the protests, which the police have not managed to bring under control.

The court rejected an appeal by a lawyers' association.

On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators stormed parliament and set part of the building on fire.

However, Judge Lawrence Mugambi also warned of a "dangerous trend" that could lead to the militarization of the country. He also said deploying the military could intimidate the population.

"This can potentially muzzle the civilian population from protesting to what it believes are unfair taxation policies imposed by government and also put a wedge between [the] military and civilian population," he said.

He therefore demanded precise information from the government within two days about the scope and duration of the operation.

The atmosphere was tense in Nairobi on Thursday.

Demonstrators were planning to march to State House, the official residence of President William Ruto, but were unable to do so as police cordoned off access roads. Police officers and military personnel were stationed throughout the city.

The streets around parliament were also blocked off.

The first demonstrators gathered at midday in the centre of Nairobi, where many shops were barricaded. Television footage showed the police using tear gas against the crowds and shots were heard.

Demonstrations also reportedly took place in other Kenyan cities.

In the third-largest city Kisumu, in western Kenya, several hundred people marched to the presidential lodge, another of Ruto's official residences. There they gathered for a peaceful sit-in protest, the Nation newspaper reported.

In Mombasa, according to one demonstrator, violent criminals mingled with the protesters and attempted to loot shops. "They have nothing to do with us," the protester told the KTN television station.

Violent scenes have occurred in the past week as thousands joined the outcry against the taxation bill, which had been aimed at helping alleviate Kenya's deep public debt.

Protesters say the measure would impose unaffordable tax rises on ordinary citizens and businesses already weighed down by the high cost of living.

Ruto on Wednesday said in Nairobi that he would not sign the bill into law after clashes resulted in a number of deaths.

Protesters chant slogans during the demonstration. Kenyan law enforcement fired teargas and live ammunition into the largely peaceful crowd, with unconfirmed reports of several dead on social media. Protesters called for members of Kenya's Parliament to reject the proposed legislation, which would increase taxes across the country's economy. Katie G. Nelson/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

A police officer passes near a body of a demonstrator on a sidewalk near the Parliament building, during a demonstration against proposed tax hikes in Kenya. Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
EMERY COUNTY, Utah (ABC4)  A Michigan man was arrested last Thursday in central Utah for alleged kidnapping after the victim left a note in a gas station restroom, according to the probable cause statement.

Richard Lyneal Phillips, 38, is facing one count of kidnapping, a second-degree felony, and several misdemeanor charges including violation of a protective order and giving false personal information to a peace officer.

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On June 20, Utah Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a possible kidnapping by someone who had found a note in a gas station restroom. According to documents, the note had a phone number and a message from the victim saying she was being held against her will.

Police tracked a phone to Green River in Emery County and located Phillips and the female victim. Documents say Phillips provided an incorrect name and had a marijuana cigarette in the center console.

There was a brief stand-off where a deputy pointed a taser at the suspect before he was handcuffed and detained. Documents say the victim appeared very emotional and scared at this time.

The State Bureau of Investigation interviewed both Phillips and the female victim. She allegedly told them she had been held against her will and was physically assaulted several times. Authorities noted in their report that she had marks on her body to corroborate the assault claims.

Investigators confirmed that the victim had an active protective order against Phillips. They also said they found several warrants in Ohio linked to Phillips for robbery, drug possession, strangulation, and assault. Documents say there was also a warrant out of Michigan for strangulation and possession of drugs.

The victim allegedly told police Phillips approached her in Michigan and demanded she drive him to Colorado.

She said she knew he was running from law enforcement and was forced to drive him to several states, where she attempted to contact police at the hotels they stayed at. According to the probable cause, the victim said Phillips would flee with all her belongings in the vehicle and return after the police left. After these attempts, she left the note in the bathroom which led the police to find them.

Documents say she told investigators she had contacted authorities 32 times since November due to Phillips showing up at her home and assaulting her and her children. She said police were only able to locate him two times.

Phillips was booked in the Emery County jail.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 27. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and Oman have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation, Trend reports.

The signing took place during the Uzbek-Oman business forum held in Oman.

The memorandum is aimed at expanding and deepening trade and economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Oman, promoting business ties between entrepreneurs of the two countries, as well as creating favorable conditions for investment in the economies of Uzbekistan and Oman.

In addition, the cooperation agreement signed between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan and Omans Orabi International LLC provides for the free allocation of 100 square meters of land in the new Trade Center in the city of Muscat, as well as an opportunity for the import and distribution of products manufactured in Uzbekistan and their export to third countries.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistans Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov is on a working visit to Oman.

During the visit, the minister plans to hold a number of bilateral negotiations and participate in the Uzbekistan-Oman business forum.
'Kind of bunk': A closer look at the controversial case against a top L.A. D.A. official

One legal expert called it kind of bunk. Another said it simply raises more questions than it answers.

But two months after state prosecutors announced 11 felony charges against a top advisor to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon, a newly unsealed court record offers a window into the controversial case.

The basis for the allegations against Gascon advisor Diana Teran had remained opaque since California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced them in April.

State prosecutors have said only that Teran improperly accessed confidential police records while working as the L.A. County Sheriffs Departments constitutional policing advisor in 2018, then improperly used data from those records when she joined the district attorneys office three years later.

It's been unclear whose files shed allegedly used or how, but after weeks of legal wrangling, an attorney for the Los Angeles Public Press convinced a judge to unseal the affidavit used to justify the arrest warrant.

Read more: Felony charges against Gascon's top advisor spark confusion, criticism in L.A. D.A.'s office

The 15-page document, unsealed late Tuesday, shows the core allegations are focused on Terans efforts to include more deputies names in district attorney's databases used to track problem officers, much as her attorney had previously speculated.

But the document also shows that records of disciplinary against at least two of the 11 deputies were already public when she flagged them for inclusion. This week, The Times found the records were easily located through a Google search.

The identities of the nine other deputies were still redacted in the public version of the affidavit  though Terans lawyer said he was 99% confident their records were already public as well.

I cant believe a case would be filed on this type of evidence, James Spertus told The Times. I understated before how bad this case was.

On Wednesday, several legal experts who reviewed the affidavit raised questions about the case.

It strikes me as weve lost the forest for the trees from a broader criminal justice point of view, said Hanni Fakhoury, a San Francisco attorney with a background in computer crimes. Its not like shes putting people on the database who shouldnt be there.

In an emailed statement, Bontas office declined to comment, citing the need to protect the integrity of a pending case.

One law enforcement source familiar with the matter  who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record  said the state is considering dropping two of the charges against Teran, and late Wednesday, Spertus confirmed that was his expectation as well.

With months to go before the general election  in which Gascon is facing a serious challenger  some have taken the Teran prosecution as a political betrayal, because Bonta endorsed Gascon four years ago. But its unclear what, if any, impact the controversy will have on the race.

The district attorney's office and the Sheriffs Department did not immediately offer comment.

The 15-page affidavit signed by Special Agent Tony Baca of the state Department of Justice traces the investigation into Teran back to a traffic stop involving a different district attorney's official three years ago.

The affidavit doesnt identify that official, but the details line up with the December 2021 arrest of Gascons chief of staff, Joseph Iniguez.

As The Times previously reported , Azusa police pulled over Iniguezs fiance after he allegedly made an illegal U-turn into a McDonalds drive-through. Police said Iniguez tried to interfere with the stop, and arrested him on suspicion of public intoxication.

The police union later alleged that Iniguez threatened to have the arresting officers name added to the district attorneys so-called Brady List, which contains officers with problematic disciplinary histories. The name is a reference to a landmark 1963 U.S. Supreme Court decision that requires prosecutors to turn over any evidence favorable to a defendant  including evidence of police misconduct.

Given the potential conflict of interest, the case against Iniguez was turned over to the California Department of Justice. But state prosecutors never pursued charges, and Iniguez eventually sued the Azusa Police Department in a case that was settled last year .

According to Bacas affidavit, the states investigation somehow led officials to Teran, who had responsibility for the district attorney's Brady database. The Department of Justice has not offered further explanation.

Read more: High-ranking L.A. prosecutor booked on felony charges, released on $50,000 bond

Spertus said previously he believed the investigation into his client was sparked by a complaint from former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who said in 2019 he alerted the FBI and the state Department of Justice about a massive data breach involving Teran. At the time, neither agency agreed to take on the case.

When Teran worked at the Sheriffs Department under Villanuevas predecessor, part of her usual duties included accessing confidential deputy records and internal affairs investigations. According to Bacas affidavit, the departments secret tracking software logged all of her searches starting in 2018.

When she joined the district attorneys office in 2021, Teran allegedly began suggesting the names of deputies who should be added to the Brady list  a practice two prosecutors told Baca was not usual. Then in April 2021, the affidavit says, Teran sent a list of 33 names to another prosecutor for possible inclusion in the databases.

The affidavit says that several of those names were deputies whose files shed accessed while working at the Sheriffs Department, and that she would not have identified so many of these deputy sheriffs otherwise. The affidavit also alleges that some of the documents Teran sent along with the names appeared to have been "scanned, copied, or taken directly from the LASD data files.

The 11 charges, Baca wrote, reflected the 11 of those 33 deputies whose names did not appear in either public records request responses or media articles.

Susan Seager, the attorney who fought for the records release, questioned that reasoning.

This is a ridiculously narrow and inaccurate way of determining whether their disciplinary files are confidential, she wrote in an emailed statement.

Read more: When prosecutor is defendant: L.A. D.A. George Gascon's legal battles with his own staff

Seager went on to call it stunning that Bonta would describe the 11 deputies records as confidential, pointing out that two names  Liza Gonzalez and Thomas Negron  were not redacted in the released affidavit.

Bontas office doesnt explain why it unsealed those two names, Seager wrote, but perhaps thats because there are two California court of appeal decisions dated 2014 and 2015 that discuss in great detail the disciplinary files of deputies Gonzalez and Negron and how they were fired for dishonesty in in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Other legal experts who reviewed the affidavit were similarly critical.

I think it raises more questions than it answers  partly because there are still redactions, said police oversight expert Michael Gennaco, adding it was interesting that the investigator who authored the affidavit didnt appear to have done a case of this nature before.

Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance, panned the absurdity of the case.

A prosecutor earnestly trying to do her job and track important information should be applauded not punished, she said in an emailed statement.

Fakhoury, the attorney with a background in computer crimes, pointed out that state prosecutors dont appear to be claiming that any of the information Teran flagged for inclusion in the Brady database was incorrect or didnt belong there.

It also appears to me that theres no allegation that she didnt have computer access to the records at least when she was employed by the Sheriffs Department, he said. So the unauthorized access is that she took the information she was allowed to have and used it after she left the Sheriffs Department.

Fakhoury said federal prosecutors have tried to argue the theory that unauthorized access would include cases akin to Terans, in which someone accessed data for a permitted purpose and later used it for a different purpose. But the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected that theory, he said, and Californias Supreme Court has not weighed in on how broadly the state statute should be interpreted.

Its an odd case, he said. I think its kind of bunk, frankly.

Read more: George Gascon survived the primary. Can Nathan Hochman unseat him as D.A.?

Legally, he said, it might not matter whether the records were already public though that could raise larger questions about the decision to prosecute Teran.

He wondered whether it might have a chilling effect on other prosecutors focused on police accountability: Is this what we really want this kind of statute and this kind of investigation to go after?

Times staff writers James Queally and Richard Winton contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The King County Council had another debate about the ongoing controversy of either shutting down the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center or keeping it open as teen crime continues to rise throughout the area.

This time Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed keeping the facility open for good and dropping the conversation of shutting it down.

If you closed it, then immediately we would have a big number of juvenile violent criminals out on the streets, Councilmember Dunn said.

Dunn also believes the alternate plans the county continues to explore arent feasible and that the facility has the services young offenders need to get better.

And they might be in these respite houses, but they will be pushed out into the neighborhoods in and around King County. Not even in Seattle without monitoring, without corrections officers, without access to treatment facilities. And so, it is just not an attainable situation, Councilmember Dunn said.

During Wednesdays Law and Justice Committee meeting, the public was allowed to comment on Councilmember Dunns proposal.

While some supported his idea, the majority of the people who tuned in through Zoom were against it.

The proposed motion before the council is a step in the wrong in the wrong direction, Rhea Yo with Legal Counsel for Youth and Children said.

During the public comment period, many shared their thoughts on how the county could spend money elsewhere when addressing youth crime rather than focusing on incarceration.

Incarceration causes harm and it solves nothing. It creates all of these barriers on education, housing and employment, one woman said.

After public comment and discussion, the council decided to table the proposal for next month and potentially vote on the matter.

KIRO 7 reached out to King County Executive Dow Constantine for comment on the issue, but he was not able to provide one at this time.
A 12-year-old who loved Harry Potter and old music: What we know about Jocelyn Nungaray and the men accused in her death

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was walking to a convenience store in Houston when she disappeared, police say; she was found dead in a creek earlier this month.

Two undocumented men from Venezuela are accused of killing the girl and both are facing charges of capital murder in her death, according to the Houston Police Department. Both are being held on a $10 million bond this week, court records show.

As Jocelyns family laid her to rest Thursday, remembering her as a kind, good-hearted child who was her mothers best friend, Mayor John Whitmire called for justice, reminding attendees that children are not supposed to be taken off the streets of Houston.

This is also the latest case to bring immigration to the forefront as a critical issue this election year, as the two men were in the country illegally, according to the US Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Heres what we know so far about the cases around Jocelyns death:

Who was Jocelyn?

Born on December 27, 2011, Jocelyns family called her a loyal, compassionate and caring friend who supported those around her, her obituary says. Her kindness and zest for life are among the things her family wants people to remember her for.

At her celebration of life service, Jocelyns sister Gabby remembered how the two of them would laugh, play, cry and get on each others nerves. She described her older sister as smart and having a good heart.

Jossy also gave me courage to be myself and speak up for myself and for that I will always be grateful to you. I love you, Jossy, Gabby said.

Jocelyn loved animals and wanted them all to have homes, not understanding why some were strays. Green was her favorite color.

Jocelyn enjoyed fantasy, whether it was the magic of Harry Potter, vampire-film classic Twilight or the upside down of TVs Stranger Things, her obituary reads. She even had a crush on Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard.

She is survived by her mother, Alexis, brother, and sister Gabby, as well as her grandparents and numerous family members.

What happened to Jocelyn?

Surveillance footage of the area obtained by detectives showed the suspects at a restaurant together the evening of June 16, Lt. Stephen Hope of the Houston Police Department said at a news conference after their arrests.

The men left on foot and were later seen meeting and talking with Jocelyn, Hope said, before all three walked to a convenience store.

A few minutes later, Hope said, they went to a bridge. Prosecutors allege the men killed Jocelyn and threw her body in the bayou.

Jocelyns body was found along West Rankin Road in a shallow creek in north Houston early in the morning of June 17, authorities have said.

The 12-year-old was strangled to death, according to the medical examiner, the Associated Press reported.

Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, have been charged with capital murder in Jocelyn Nungarays death. - City of Houston

What we know about the accused men

Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were arrested June 20, three days after Jocelyns strangled body was found in the creek, according to the Houston Police Department.

Both men are from Venezuela and entered the US illegally, a spokesperson for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement told CNN. Where and when they entered the country is unclear, the spokesperson said, but each had been apprehended near El Paso by US Border Patrol  Martinez-Rangel on March 14 and Pena Ramos on May 28  and released with a notice to appear in court in the future.

An attorney for Pena Ramos declined to comment. An attorney for Martinez-Rangel did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Where are the suspects now?

Both men are under immigration holds by federal authorities, according to the AP, which means they could not leave custody even if they could post bond.

Alexis Nungaray, center, is embraced after speaking about her daughter Jocelyn during a news conference after Franklin Pena, one of the two men accused of killing the 12-year-old girl, appeared in court on Monday in Houston. - Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

Family and community reaction

After her daughters body was found, Alexis Nungaray cried as she realized the heartbreaking news she would have to share with her family.

Im, like, angry that they took advantage of her. She was so young. She was 12. You took my baby away, you took her away, the mother told CNN affiliate KHOU on June 19. Now, I get to let her little brother know his older sister is never coming home.

At a news conference on June 24, Nungaray shared her frustration that her daughters life was taken from her.

She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she was going to go very far. And, you know, these monsters took that opportunity from her, she said.

Laying her to rest

During Thursdays celebration of life service, one of Jocelyns favorite songs, Coney Island Baby, flowed through the crowded room as a slideshow of her life played. The song is from the 1960s and way before her time, but it fit Jocelyns eclectic music tastes.

Stories emerged about Jocelyn and her sister making slime together and watching sunsets, reminding the room of a life lost too soon.

Jocelyn's family held a celebration of life service on Thursday. - KPRC

Her great-aunt broke down in tears, but she stirred some laughs when she talked about Jossys love for books.

Jossy loved to read. Anytime we were at Walmart or any store, that girl would try to beeline for the book section all day, every day, she said.

A reception is being hosted at Gallery Furniture on North Freeway in Houston after the celebration of life to support the family, according to a Facebook post from the store owner. Jim McIngvale, known as Mattress Mack, is well known for his charitable work, like turning his stores into shelters to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey and other severe weather events.

CNNs Rosa Flores, Dakin Andone, Sara Weisfeldt and Colin Jeffery contributed to this report.

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Bolivian police apprehend Juan Jose Zuniga, former general commander of the army, in La Paz on June 26, 2024. Credit - Juan KaritaAP

His rebellion may have lasted just a few hours, but he could face as much as 20 years in prison as a result.

Bolivias army general Juan Jose Zuniga, who was reportedly sacked earlier in the week, tried to take over the government of the South American country of 12.5 million by leading troops and tanks to storm the presidential palace and central plaza in capital La Paz on Wednesday afternoon.

We are going to recover this homeland, Zuniga announced amid the putsch, which was quickly quashed as President Luis Arce called upon the public and new military leadership to stand up for democracy and force the insurrectionists to stand down.

To the Bolivian people and the entire international community, our country today is facing an attempted coup detat, Arce said in a broadcast to the nation.

A dramatic scene aired on Bolivian television showing Arce confronting Zuniga in a hallway of the palace: I am your captain, and I order you to withdraw your soldiers, and I will not allow this insubordination, the President said.

After the soldiers taking part in the uprising retreated, hundreds of supporters of Arce swarmed the plaza outside the palace in celebration. Zuniga was seen being arrested by police.

Supporters of President Luis Arce wave flags and sing the national anthem at Plaza Murillo after rebel soldiers dispersed on June 26, 2024. Marcelo Perez del CarpioBloomberg/Getty Images

Heres what to know about Zuniga, his apparent motivations, and what will happen to him now after his failed coup.

Who is Bolivias coup attempt leader Zuniga?

Juan Jose Zuniga Macias, a career military officer with a controversial past, was appointed general commander of the Bolivian Army by President Arce in November 2022 and was retained in his position this January when other commanders were shuffled by Arce.

But while Zuniga had previously held high ranks including brigadier general and chief of the general staff, he was most renowned for his military intelligence skills, according to Bolivian news site Urgente.bo. According to Bolivian paper el Deber, Zuniga also cultivated a reputation as the peoples general by forming close ties with social movements and unions such as mine workers.

But Zuniga has also faced accusations of wrongdoing long before his coup attempt.

Zuniga sits inside an armored vehicle at Plaza Murillo in La Paz on June 26, 2024. Juan KaritaAP

An official military report in 2013 said Zuniga, then head of an infantry regiment, embezzled 2.7 million bolivianos (about $400,000) from public funds intended for pensions, school vouchers, and military travel expenses. He and seven others linked to the scheme were jailed for seven days, according to the report, which also alleged that Zuniga was involved in drug trafficking and had threatened the reports author, a non-commissioned officer.

In 2022, Zuniga was accused by leftist former President Evo Morales of leading an unofficial secret but powerful group within the army, called the Pachajchos, that monitors coca production leaders and political opponents, including Morales. Morales alleged the group to have a black plan to eliminate him. Zuniga has admitted the existence of the group, though he has not admitted to Morales accusations about its workings, saying only that it is tasked with intelligence-related duties and that non-commissioned officers and low-ranking soldiers are also part of it.

Why did Zuniga launch a coup?

Earlier this week, Zuniga launched a series of political attacks against Moraleswhose alliance with Arce has splintered in recent months, leaving Bolivias government in paralysis and their shared political party, the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), split across factions. Morales, who resigned the presidency in 2019 amid protests against his efforts to seek a fourth term, has announced his intention to challenge Arce in 2025 despite the countrys Constitutional Court disqualifying his candidacy.

In televised statements on Monday, Zuniga said that Morales can no longer be President of this country, and that he would be willing to arrest Morales if he tried, adding that he would not allow the Constitution to be trampled, to disobey the mandate of the people.

Morales on Tuesday called for Zunigas comments to be disavowed, saying our democracy is increasingly in danger. Responding to the controversy he created, Zuniga told el Deber: I am a soldier of honor who is willing to offer his life for the defense and unity of the homeland. Our homeland, once again, has fallen under the threat of internal and external enemies who seek division, destabilization and hatred between Bolivians, to take over natural resources for the benefit of petty interests and power groups that respond to caudillismo. Urgente.bo reported that Arce removed Zuniga from his command on Tuesday night. (Defense minister Edmundo Novillo confirmed Zunigas Tuesday dismissal after the failed coup on Wednesday.)

As he led the uprising on Wednesday, Zuniga told reporters, according to the Associated Press: We are listening to the cry of the people because for many years an elite has taken control of the country, and politicians are destroying the country: look at what situation we are in, what crisis they have left us in.

The three chiefs of the armed forces have come to express our dismay, Zuniga announced as he entered the palace, saying that new cabinet ministers would be sworn in to restore democracy.

In the end, the only new appointments made were new heads of the army, navy, and air force, including Zunigas replacement Jose Wilson Sanchez, who ordered the soldiers in the plaza to return to their barracks. (In addition to Zuniga, Navy Vice Admiral Juan Arnez Salvador was also reportedly arrested.)

What happens to Zuniga next?

When it was apparent that his putsch was going to fail, Zuniga claimed to reporters before his arrest that Arce himself had ordered the storming of the presidential palace in an attempt to stage political theater amid his tensions with Morales: The President told me: The situation is very screwed up, very critical. It is necessary to prepare something to raise my popularity. He said Arce instructed him to bring out the tanks.

After Zuniga was taken into custody, Ivan Lima, Bolivias justice minister, said on X in response to Zunigas claims that Zuniga lies and seeks to justify himself in a decision that is his.

DEMOCRACIA FRENTE A UN SOLDADO TRAIDOR.



1. Se ha iniciado una accion penal por los delitos previstos por los articulos 121, 127 y 128 del Codigo Penal, vamos a buscar la condena de Juan Jose Zuniga a la pena maxima de privacion de libertad posible para estos delitos que es de  Ivan Lima Magne  (@ivanlimamagne) June 27, 2024

Lima also said that prosecutors will pursue criminal action against Zunigafor allegedly engaging in armed uprising against the security and sovereignty of the state, seducing troops to commit rebellion or sedition, and attacking the President and other state dignitariesand that they will seek the maximum sentence of 15 to 20 years imprisonment.

Zunigas failed coup attempt has been condemned by international governments, especially in Latin America, as well as Bolivian leaders across the spectrum, from Arce and Morales to even their right-wing opponents like former President Jeanine Anez, who said in a post on X that the MAS should only be ousted through the vote in 2025.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Thursdays Top Stories

Thursdays Five Facts

[1] VIDEO: APD officer charged with driving drunk in patrol vehicle  New video shows the moments a uniformed Albuquerque Police Department officer was arrested, and accused of drinking and driving. According to New Mexico State Police, in early June, Sergeant Toby Lafave clocked an APD unit speeding on I-25. APD Officer Jordan Hernandez was driving the car. Lapel video shows Officer Hernandez telling Sergeant Lafave that he was running late to his midnight shift. But Sergeant Lafave suspected something more is going on telling Hernandez he could smell booze on his breath. Hernandez is being charged with aggravated DWI, speeding, and failure to maintain his lane.

[2] South Fork Fire burns 17,569 acres near Ruidoso  Fire crews near Ruidoso are making progress. Currently, the South Fork Fire is 64% contained, while the Salt Fire is 55% contained. Crews started surveying the area Wednesday as they make plans to repair the lines they dug previously to contain the flames. The village said more acres are now open for residents to return, but some exclusion zones.

[3] More rain expected across New Mexico  Isolated morning showers with a few thunderstorms in southern and eastern areas of New Mexico, as well as parts of Southwest Colorado, are accompanied by uniform temperatures mostly starting off in the 60s and 70s. Dew-point temperatures are also uniform, starting off in the 50s and 60s, indicating plenty of low-level moisture beneath the cloud cover.

[4] City of Albuquerque files lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai  The City of Albuquerque is joining a growing list of cities across the United States that are two major car manufacturers. In the newly filed lawsuit against KIA and Hyundai, the city claims the car makers left out crucial anti-theft technology in order to cut costs.

[5] Hundreds of APS middle school students will be showing off their creations, designed to improve the watershed. About 400 middle school students are participating in a STEAM program this summer. This year, the students explored ways to address the problems affecting the watershed and developed prototypes in one of seven pathways. The students will unveil the prototypes at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex in Louisiana.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
A roll of police tape is left on the windshield of Los Angeles County sheriff's vehicle. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

A Los Angeles County deputy who died in April from methamphetamine use had high levels of the drug in his body when he was found unresponsive inside a sheriffs station bathroom after working a double shift, according to a death report released late Wednesday.

On the evening of April 27, the report shows, a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department detective called the county medical examiner to report an apparent natural death after Deputy Jonathan Stewart was found dead in a bathroom stall with white powder and drug paraphernalia.

Read more: South L.A. deputy died from 'effects of methamphetamine,' medical examiner finds

Last week, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner determined the 41-year-olds death was due to effects of methamphetamine and deemed it accidental instead of natural.

Now, the 13-page death investigation released this week by the medical examiner offers a fuller picture of what happened.

On April 26, Stewart started working around 9 p.m. He was last seen alive the following day just before noon, when surveillance cameras at the South L.A. sheriffs station recorded him moving a car in the parking lot.

He was scheduled to finish his 16-hour double shift at 1 p.m. When his wife didnt hear from him by 4 p.m. she called the station desk, according to the report.

Deputies searched the building and found Stewart unresponsive inside a locked one-person bathroom. He was lying on the floor, according to the report, and there was a glass bulbous pipe and a white powdery substance inside a small plastic baggie found at the scene. There were no clear signs of trauma, but the report said he had blood near his nose and mouth.

Deputies called 911, and just before 4:30 p.m., paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Sheriffs officials released a statement at the time offering little information about the death other than to say it was unexpected and the department was deeply saddened. The governor released a statement saying that Stewart had died following a medical emergency and that flags at the state Capitol would be flown at half-staff in his honor.

A few days later, an investigator with the medical examiners office called Stewarts wife, who said he had not recently been sick and did not have a history of drug abuse. She also said hed lost about 20 pounds in the last three months after he quit drinking soda. Elsewhere the report noted that hed typically consumed six Monster energy drinks or 12 cans of soda per day and had a history of high blood pressure.

Recently, the decedent was very stressed and working double overtime, an investigator wrote.

Toxicology testing found methamphetamine and amphetamine  a closely related chemical that can be created when the body breaks down methamphetamine  in his bloodstream.

After reviewing the death report, Dr. Ryan Marino, a medical toxicologist and associate professor of emergency medicine at Case Western Reserve University, told The Times that Stewart had a fairly high level of the drug in his blood, beyond what would be considered a standard dose even for recreational use.

Read more: Boba Fett, blue fish, and fettuccine: How L.A. fentanyl sales boomed on Craigslist

But without a more detailed autopsy, Marino said it wasnt clear whether Stewarts death was directly due to acute toxicity  which is colloquially known as an overdose  or whether the meth was more indirectly involved, perhaps triggering heart issues or aggravating another underlying factor.

This week, the Sheriffs Department said in an emailed statement that the investigation of the death is still ongoing.

The department is deeply saddened by Deputy Stewarts death and continues to grieve and offer support to his family, friends, and colleagues, the statement said.

An online obituary described him as a dedicated officer and devoted family man.

Known for his kindness, selflessness, and supportiveness, Jonathan's impact on his family and friends was profound, the obituary said . He will be missed deeply and remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
It is not yet peak season for the booming trade in Channel migrant crossings, yet already this is a bumper year. So far this week, seven small boats have made their way to the south coast, dumping hundreds more illegal migrants on our shores. Last week, 882 passengers made it to the UK in a single day  each and every one of them carrying a huge price tag for the British taxpayer.

God knows who all these people are and what their real business is in our country. After all, many deliberately arrive with no documents, jettisoning passports and other identification before they clamber into the rubber dinghies. Some may indeed be real refugees who deserve sanctuary. One day, maybe they will even make a positive contribution to our society  though there is little evidence to suggest that most are high-skilled in anything other than the enterprise it takes to cross continents and deal with criminal gangs.

One thing is increasingly apparent however: under a Labour government, the minute Channel migrants set foot on the Kent shingle, they will be here to stay. For as he has demonstrated time and again during this election campaign, Sir Keir Starmers only plan to stop the boats is as realistic as standing in a raging storm with a fishing net trying to catch the wind and the rain. It is doomed to fail.

Challenged as to how he will stop the boats, the Leader of the Opposition only ever has one answer  and it is an approach that has already demonstrably failed. In a robotic manner that would be comical were it not so serious, he talks of smashing the vile criminal gangs behind the trade. The problem is that identifying and eliminating every single one of the players in what has become a highly sophisticated global trade  and preventing them ever being able to operate again  would literally take forever.

As Rishi Sunak points out, the Home Office is already trying very hard to dismantle the gangs, with some degree of success. Last year, enforcement agencies caught and convicted 141 people smugglers, 80 for piloting small boats. Has that stopped the vile trade? Of course not. For as long as there is demand, there will be a supply.

Starmer likens the challenge to tackling terrorism, hoping to impress voters with his record as a former director of public prosecutions. In reality, the illegal drugs trade, which continues to flourish despite the best efforts of all the enforcement agencies in the world, offers a better comparison.

Like the migrant crossings, it is driven by a huge number of ordinary people who want the product, can scrape together the cash to pay and are prepared to take the very small risk of getting caught or hurt. Nothing Starmer can do will change any of this  which is why the Prime Minister is right that the only way forward is to create a deterrent. That means making something like Rwanda work  or (much better) safely turning back the boats. Until that happens, crossings will continue. The question is what Starmer will do with those who come.

Six times during the latest BBC election debate, the Labour leader refused to say. Looking blank-faced, the best he could offer was that any new arrivals would be processed. Under pressure, he made vague noises about returning those found not to have a valid asylum case. As Sunak rightly pointed out, since many claim to be from Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, that means negotiating with the ayatollahs, the Taliban and the tyrant who used chemical weapons to gas his own people: President Bashar al-Assad.

Starmers deputy, Angela Rayner, has shed rather more light on the matter, revealing that Labour is hatching a disturbing plan to distribute asylum seekers more evenly across the country. It sounds very much as if every council will be forced to accept quotas, and to build the additional housing required. It remains to be seen how this will go down in places like Devon, Cornwall and Oxfordshire, among all the affluent supporters of parties like the Greens that support open borders. How will they react when their pretty villages are despoiled by cheap new housing for young men who dont speak English?

If the polls are to be believed, voters will very soon see this lunacy for what it is. The pretence that any of it will work simply cannot be sustained. Swept into power on a tidal wave of frustration with all the problems unlimited immigration brings, a Starmer premiership will begin to sink the minute it begins.

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LAKEWOOD, N.J. (PIX11)  The hush over a neighborhood matches the shock of those who live here after learning the news of a mother accused of killing her two children inside a home.

Naomi Elkins, 27, made her first appearance in front of a judge after being charged with the murder of her two children, who were just 1 and 3 years old. The pre-hearing rights advisement was virtual and mostly procedural, and Elkins mainly remained silent, answering only with a yeah twice when asked a question by the judge.

More Local News

Neighbors on Shenandoah Drive, who did not wish to speak on camera, told PIX11 News they felt shocked and that tragedies like this dont happen here.

Police were called to the home just before 5 p.m. Tuesday for a report of two children in cardiac arrest. First responders tried to save the children, but both were pronounced dead at the scene. The Ocean County Prosecutors Office said in a press release it was determined the two kids were drowned; one of them was also stabbed.

Lakewood Police referred us to the Prosecutors Office, which has not offered further comment.

Elkins is due back in court on Monday, July 1.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
A nonprofit organization dedicated to land conservation has acquired two parcels of land in Middle Georgia that will support efforts to establish the Ocmulgee Mounds as Georgias first national park.

The Branson Tracts occupy 931 acres in Bibb and Twiggs counties. The Open Space Institute has acquired the properties from conservation-minded landowner Martha Bond Branson with plans to transfer them to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as additions to the 8,600-acre Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

The tracts are located a short distance from traditional Muscogee (Creek) Nation lands and Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

More than half a million people live in close proximity to the Bond Swamp, which will allow easy public access to an outdoor recreation opportunity.

The benefits of protected land should be for everyone, said Maria Whitehead, the Open Space Institutes senior vice president of land in the Southeast. The protection of the Branson Tracts ... is a meaningful conservation accomplishment and the next step in creating the national park and preserve.

Georgias two U.S. senators, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and U.S. Reps. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, and Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, introduced legislation into Congress last month to create a national park and preserve at the Ocmulgee Mounds.

The area is the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and has been inhabited continuously by humans for more than 12,000 years. The Muskogean people built mounds there during the Mississippian Period, which began around 900 AD, for meeting, living, burial, and agricultural purposes.

The Branson properties were saved with help from the Knobloch Family Foundation, the Green South Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation.
One of Americas most important and influential landscape artists was a free Black man in the 1800s who spent decades creating in Detroit and even died here. Yet many still dont know his name.

Robert S. Duncanson was widely considered the best landscape painter in the West in the years surrounding the Civil War. Born in Fayette, New York in 1821, he was brought with his family to Monroe in 1928. Ten years later, he and a partner began a painting business; Duncanson would spend the rest of his career as an artist.

Artist Robert S. Duncanson was photographed by William Notman in Montreal, QC, in 1864.

Modest beginnings

Unlike most Black people in America at the time, Duncanson  the son of a freed Virginia slave  was never enslaved. In 1840, at 19, he moved to Cincinnati. At the southern border of free Ohio, just across the river from slave-owning Kentucky, the city was considered a place where the Southern way of life existed on liberated ground and was a major stop on the Underground Railroad, with the Ohio River crossing viewed by many slaves as the last obstacle on the path to freedom.

Abolitionist author Harriet Beecher Stowe, a Cincinnati resident, witnessed many horrific examples of slave families being separated and sold on the Ohio River, which fueled her tremendously successful 1852 anti-slavery novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." In one scene, runaway slave Eliza traverses the perilously icy river to escape to freedom.

"Uncle Tom and Little Eva" by Robert S. Duncanson

In 1853, Duncanson was commissioned to provide illustrations for a reprint of the book. His Uncle Tom and Little Eva from that venture is just one piece by the artist on display at the Detroit Institute of the Arts (DIA), where an entire gallery is dedicated to his work.

Cincinnati's position at freedom's finish line made it one of the countrys largest Black communities; its overall population nearly tripled between 1840 and 1850, bringing with it even more freed Black people.

Duncanson moved there for its reputation in the arts world 19th century Cincinnati was known as the Athens of the West  and it was there that the untrained artist began to study his trade. He fell in with well-to-do abolitionists who supported his endeavors and would eventually fund him on European tours where he studied the Old Masters and wandered the continents abundant countrysides, producing new and evolved work.

Presidential recognition

The vista in Landscape with Rainbow, inspired by the undulating terrain of Cincinnati, was selected in 2021 by Dr. Jill Biden to hang in the Capital rotunda in Washington, D.C., during President Joe Bidens inauguration ceremony.

Borrowed from the nearby Smithsonian American Art Museum, the pastoral work, in oil on canvas, depicts a young couple and their dog wading through a shallow, sun-dappled stream amid verdant meadows dotted with hearty trees and cattle gently grazing as they head home for the evening. In the distance, rolling hillsides surround a lake under an open, late afternoon blue sky. The man points to a small, stone cottage at the edge of the painting, where a rainbow beams down upon it. The young lovers, too, are headed home.

Then-Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, said during the ceremony, (The painting) is sort of this classic America as a paradise painting that a lot of painters were doing then. But for him, a Black artist, painting this painting thats so much like an American utopia on the verge of a war that we would fight over slavery, makes all of that, I think, even more interesting. While he faced lots of challenges, (he) was optimistic, even in 1859, about America.

The president and first lady were not expected to speak after Blunts presentation, but Jill Biden gestured toward the painting and called out through her mask, I like the rainbow!

The rainbow is always a good sign, Blunt replied before the applauding crowd.

The Cincinnati Art Museum is one of the worlds leading research institutions on Duncansons work. Julie Aronson, curator of American paintings, sculpture and drawings for the museum, said, As a painter in the fashion of the Hudson River School, Duncanson often used nature allegorically. The rainbow that Dr. Biden admired as a symbol of the promise for the future surely took on special meaning for the artist, especially as an African American in the era around the Civil War. It is a tribute to Duncansons artistry that his paintings still speak to us so powerfully today.

In the Los Angeles Times, art critic Christopher Knight said at the time of inauguration:

Duncansons rainbow precedes the brutal devastation of the Civil War that erupted the next year. Landscape With Rainbow is a cautionary image, painted as the seams of American union were being pulled apart. But it carries with it an unmistakable ray of hope: Rainbows typically appear after a storm has passed, not before.

The painting is also likely indebted to the widely known Black spiritual, Mary Dont You Weep, which dates from before the Civil War. In the biblical story of Mary of Bethany, which relates her plea to Jesus to raise her brother Lazarus from the dead, the song includes a famous chorus invoking Gods covenant to Noah after the Great Flood.

God gave Noah the rainbow sign; no more water, the fire next time.

As the war raged on, Duncanson became the most celebrated Black painter of his time by creating works of gentle beauty that quietly demanded justice and change.

Ties to Detroit

Duncanson, who had family in Michigan, was active in Detroit as early as 1846, and opened a studio in the city in 1849. He continued to travel between Detroit and Cincinnati for much of his life, and suffered a seizure while installing an exhibition in Detroit in fall 1872. Historians have suggested the cause may have been severe lead poisoning from years of working with lead-based paints. After his collapse, he exhibited symptoms of schizophrenia and dementia, strengthening the lead poisoning theory.

The artist was remanded to Michigan State Retreat, the states first private mental institution; Dearborn High School now occupies the property. His final months likely found him surrounded by alcoholics, Civil War veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, and other patients, before his death in December 1872, at age 51. He is buried in Monroe's Woodland Cemetery, where his resting place was the subject of headlines in 2019, when funds were raised to finally mark his grave with a formal headstone.

More: Pioneering black artist Robert S. Duncanson will finally get tombstone

More: After 147 years, DIA to unveil tombstone for pioneering artist Robert S. Duncanson

DIA director Salvador Salort-Pons said, "Michiganders have a deep connection to this selection of Robert Duncansons painting by Dr. Biden. Until late 2019 when the Detroit Fine Arts Breakfast Club raised funds to purchase and install a gravestone, DuncansoDun was buried in an unmarked grave in Monroe, Mich., where his family had roots as carpenters. The DIA proudly owns six works by the artist, mostly acquired through donations to the DIA in the 20th century. These works are among the highlights of our collection of African American art overseen by the Center for African American Art, the first curatorial department dedicated to this area of study at an encyclopedic art museum.

Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Artist Robert S. Duncanson spent decades in Detroit
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Over $200,000 in payments for home remodels were allegedly stolen from Las Vegas homeowners by a contractor whose license was suspended in January.

Gabriel Adame, a home contractor, was arrested Wednesday inside the offices of the Nevada State Contractors Board following a disciplinary hearing regarding repayment to homeowners.

Four months earlier Adame and his legal counsel accepted a series of charges against him regarding multiple homeowners complaints, some exceeding $35,000 worth of uncompleted home remodeling work.

Judge Noah Addison presided during the February hearing and heard multiple complaints from homeowners, some who appeared to be still frustrated by alleged damages.

Is there anything else youd like to tell me? Judge Addison asked.

No, Emily Moon, a homeowner and alleged victim, said. I dont think I want those words on record.

Terry Wike, Director of Investigations for the Nevada State Contractors Board, spoke exclusively with 8 News Now ahead of a press conference revealing new details from the investigation.

The investigation took more than a year, he said. [We] have recently filed five charges against Gabriel Adame for his acts in taking money from homeowners and not completing work.

More than five victims have come forward with complaints according to Wike who said their investigation has found Adame Handyman Services, which did business as Adame Construction, is facing charges relating to over $200,000 worth of damages.

Las Vegas contractor Gabriel Adame is taken into custody following a disciplinary hearing by the Nevada State Contractors Board on June 26, 2024. (KLAS)

Theres a variety of levels of uncompleted work, Wike said. He would take a down payment, and he would not complete the work.

Wike said homeowners should know about the dangers they face and the protections they have under the law regarding contracts.

You cant take a down payment in excess of $1,000 or 10% of the value of the contract, whichever is less, he said. We were often seeing down payments of 50% of the price of the project.

Homeowners were also advised not to take the first bid for their home projects and at least get three bids before making a final decision.

Make sure all your contracts are in writing, and they include scheduled payments, Wike said. Thats so the payments dont get ahead of the work.

Homeowners seeking to file a complaint are able to receive up to $40,000 from the Nevada State Contractor Boards Relief Fund.

8 News Now went to the former offices of Adame Construction in North Las Vegas where the current business owner said they were aware of the complaints from the previous tenant of the office complex.

Vicki Ruebel, owner of Orchid Owl Quilts, told 8 News Now her shop has received letters of complaint regarding Adame for several months.

The quilt shop opened in the former location of Adame Construction in July 2023 and Ruebel said she wants people to know they can come in for quilt fabric, but she has nothing to do with Adame or his businesses.

Wike and the Nevada State Contractors Board plan to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Thursday to further show what their investigation has found.

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Las Vegas family says their livelihood is at stake thanks to camera-spray-painting thief

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A northwest Las Vegas family whose livelihood has been threatened by a thief is hoping to identify the person who spray-painted their security cameras and stole their trailer.

Within three minutes, the thief was able to steal the familys trailer while they slept just feet away inside their home on June 10 in Centennial Hills near the intersection of Centennial Parkway and Fort Apache Road.

Everything about this area seemed to be very safe, and that is why we felt very unsettled knowing this could happen to us, explained one of the victims.

Surveillance video shows the person who the family said took their trailer before spraypainting over the lens. (KLAS)

Surveillance video shows the person who the family said took their trailer before spraypainting over the lens. (KLAS)

They realized the trailer was gone when all that remained were tire marks in the driveway. The culprit was caught on video spraypainting the security cameras, with limited success.

You are still able to see what he is wearing, one of the victims said.

The trailer was empty, they said. However, the family relies on it for their livelihood, and insurance hasnt been helpful. The family said the trailer is easily identifiable, with a large gash on the passenger side.

The trailer is easily identifiable, as shown in this photo, with a large gash on the passenger side. (KLAS)

A police report has been filed, they said, and if anyone can identify the man in the security camera images, they are asked to contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. LVMPDs non-emergency phone number is 702-828-3111 or via 3-1-1.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A Las Vegas man is accused of racing in excess of 120 mph before a rollover crash left his brother dead on Monday morning, according to police.

Kashmir Newell, 36, was arrested on June 24, and faces reckless driving resulting in death and substantial bodily harm charges, according to an arrest report.

Man dies in crash after Dodge, Maserati race on Las Vegas street early Monday, police say

It happened during the early morning hours on Monday, along Jones Boulevard just north of Sahara Avenue.

The wreckage of a Dodge Challenger that crashed during a street race on Jones Boulevard just north of Sahara Avenue. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Before the crash, Kashmir Newell, Ayanna McLean, Phalon Young, and Stacie Young were together at a local lounge on Jones Boulevard. Newell and Young were later identified by police as half-brothers.

The four people later left the lounge in two separate cars. Newell the driver of the Maserati and his passenger McLean in one car and Young and his wife in the Dodge Challenger.

Both vehicles were traveling north on South Jones Boulevard at a high rate of speed with the Dodge in the right lane and the Maserati in the center lane. The Dodge was slightly ahead of the Maserati. As the Dodge crossed the intersection at Sahara Avenue, the suspension compressed causing the undercarriage of the Dodge to scrape the roadway, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan police arrest report.

The wreckage of a Dodge Challenger that crashed during a street race on Jones Boulevard just north of Sahara Avenue. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

In the report, police stated that Phalon Young, the driver of the Dodge then lost control of the car and struck a curb, left the roadway to the right, and onto the sidewalk. It then rotated in a clockwise direction causing the driver side to strike a light pole removing it from its base.

The Dodge continued northbound off the roadway rotating. It then hit two fixed signs on a nearby property and overturned multiple times. The Dodge then hit a brick wall on the property, continuing to overturn, and came to a rest on the drivers side in a lot on the east side of the roadway, according to the police report.

A light pole cut down by a car that crashed during a street race on Jones Boulevard north of Sahara Avenue. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Police said that when Youngs Dodge began to lose control, the Maserati crossed the intersection and slowed down. The suspension of the Maserati compressed causing the undercarriage to scrape the roadway. Newell then brought the Maserati to a controlled stop to check on Young, according to the report.

A witness who had been driving in the left lane before the crash told police he saw two cars pass him, one after another northbound on Jones Boulevard at what he estimated to be 100 to 120 mph. He also told police he believed the vehicles were racing, according to the report.

The witness went on to tell police that when he approached Sahara Avenue could see a cloud of dust in the air north of the intersection. As he got closer he saw that one of the vehicles had crashed causing major damage to the vehicle and the other one was stopped in the roadway. He also stated the vehicles were the same ones that passed him at a high rate of speed, according to the report.

Video surveillance also captured the two vehicles traveling northbound on Jones Boulevard at a high rate of speed. The video also captured the Dodge losing control after going through the intersection, the report stated.

The wreckage of a Dodge Challenger that crashed during a street race on Jones Boulevard just north of Sahara Avenue. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Phalon Young had to be extricated from the Dodge and taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Stacie Young was taken to the hospital with injuries. Phalon was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A preliminary review of the Crash Data Recorder Report (CDR) from the Dodge indicated that the vehicle was traveling in excess of 120 mph five seconds before the crash and in excess of 120 mph at the event, according to the police report.

Police also stated that they believed Newell was also traveling at a speed more than 120 mph in a posted 45 mph zone while participating in a speed contest with Young when the crash occurred, according to the report.

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A Palestinian woman says goodbye to her sick son before leaving the Gaza Strip to get treatment abroad through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, June 27, 2024. 21 patients in the Gaza Strip evacuated the war-torn enclave in an initiative led by the World Health Organization for the children to receive life-saving treatment elsewhere. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Families bid a tearful goodbye to over a dozen critically ill children who left Gaza for treatment abroad on Thursday. Its the first medical evacuation since the territorys sole travel crossing shut down in early May after Israeli forces captured it, Palestinian officials say.

Kamela Abukweik burst into tears after her son got on the bus heading to the crossing with her mother. Neither she nor her husband were cleared to leave.

He has tumors spread all over his body and we dont know what the reason is. And he constantly has a fever, she said. I still dont know where he is going.

Israeli authorities say 68 people  19 sick and injured children plus their companions  have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt. It was not clear where they would receive treatment.

The nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gazas health sector and forced most of its hospitals to shut down. Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the head of Gazas hospitals, said over 25,000 patients require treatment abroad, including some 980 children with cancer, a quarter of whom need urgent and immediate evacuation.

International criticism is growing over Israels campaign against Hamas as Palestinians face severe and widespread hunger. The eight-month war has largely cut off the flow of food, medicine and basic goods to Gaza, and people there are now totally dependent on aid. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza  a charge Israel strongly denies.

Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people  mostly civilians  and abducted about 250.

Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 37,600 people in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.

Currently:

 Gunfire, lawlessness and gang-like looters are preventing aid distribution in Gaza, an official says.

 A Palestinian was shot, beaten and tied to an Israeli army jeep. The army says he posed no threat.

 The U.S. military shows reporters the pier project in Gaza as it takes another stab at aid delivery.

 Ship attacked in Red Sea in latest maritime assault likely carried out by Yemens Houthi rebels.

 Man who police say urged Zionists to get off NYC subway train faces criminal charge.

 Follow APs coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

Heres the latest:

Thousands of Israelis demonstrate for cease-fire and hostage release deal

JERUSALEM  Thousands of people demonstrated in central Jerusalem late Thursday, calling on the Israeli government to agree to a cease-fire deal with Hamas that would free dozens of hostages held by the militant group.

The crowd marched through central Jerusalem and gathered near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus residence. Many blew horns, held posters of captive hostages and chanted anti-Netanyahu slogans and called on him to to resign.

Police accused protesters of disturbing the peace and moved to break up the gathering after a group ignited a large fire on a central street.

The country has grown increasingly divided as the war in Gaza has dragged on and cease-fire efforts have faltered, with tens of thousands of people joining months of anti-government protests across the country.

Blinken says Israel appears to be speeding up humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza but hasn't fully implemented commitments

WASHINGTON  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel appears to be acting on requests for speed up humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza but that its commitments need to be fully implemented to secure the safe delivery of assistance to civilians in dire need.

Blinken said Thursday that he had raised the matter with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a meeting in Washington earlier this week and told him of the urgent challenges that need to be addressed to keep aid flowing into areas in desperate need of food, water, medicine and other basic necessities.

Over the past week or so, weve been working to address urgent challenges that are making it difficult to deliver the necessary humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza who so desperately need it, particularly when it comes to the security of deliveries and those delivering the assistance, Blinken said before meeting with the U.N.s coordinator for Gaza aid, Sigrid Kaag, at the State Department.

I raised these concerns clearly and directly with Israels Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, who was here just a few days ago, and I think weve seen over the last couple of days some progress in Israel committing to address some of these, Blinken said. Its good and important that Israel is addressing these very concrete needs, but they have to be implemented as quickly as possible. There is no time to lose.

Kaag said it was critical that aid not only be delivered to Gaza but also distributed to people in need. Theres an absence of almost anything anyone could possibly imagine, she said. So its our task indeed, not only to get the aid to Gaza, but also to have the ability to distribute it safety and securely.

Israeli military says it bombed targets in Lebanon after militants fired 35 rockets

JERUSALEM  The Israeli military says it has struck more targets in Lebanon after militants fired 35 rockets into northern Israel.

The barrage came in response to an earlier Israeli strike that killed a Hezbollah militant. Israel says most of the rockets were intercepted and there were no injuries from the rocket fire.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after the war in Gaza began in October. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly every day since then, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border. Hezbollah says it will only stop the attacks if there is a truce in Gaza.

The fighting has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown war.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah and other militants, but also over 80 civilians and non-combatants. In northern Israel, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed by strikes launched from Lebanon.

US-built pier in Gaza will be removed again due to weather, US officials say

WASHINGTON  The U.S.-built military pier off the coast of the Gaza Strip could be pulled up again as soon as Friday due to expected rough sea conditions, two U.S. officials said.

The pier will be pulled as the U.S. is looking at alternative ways to get aid into Gaza, including potentially using an existing Israeli pier in nearby Ashdod as an alternative route, one of the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military planning.

This would be the third time weather has disrupted pier operations. The floating pier was anchored back on Gazas shoreline on June 19 after heavy seas and high winds led the military to disconnect it from the beach. In May, similar conditions forced a two-week pause in operations after the pier broke apart and four U.S. Army vessels ran aground, injuring three service members, one critically.

The Pentagon has said previously it was likely going to have to be shut down the pier by the end of the summer due to weather conditions.

While the pier has been effective in getting millions of pounds of food into Gaza, much of that aid is still piling up in a secure holding yard just onshore instead of making it through to areas where its needed most. The U.N. has halted distribution from the pier pending the release of the results of a security review.

The pier cannot supply Palestinians with anywhere near the level of aid they need, the head of the World Health Organizations Eastern Mediterranean region said Monday. Aid groups have regularly criticized the plan to deliver aid to Gaza by sea as ineffective and a distraction that has taken pressure off Israel to open land border crossings that can deliver aid in larger numbers.

___

Associated Press writer Tara Copp contributed.

Canada sanctions four Israelis accused of extremist settler violence in West Bank

OTTAWA, Ontario  Canadas foreign minister is imposing sanctions on four Israelis she accuses of extremist settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says she was in the region recently and heard from Palestinian families who have been forced to leave their homes and farming lands as a direct result of violence and threats by extremist settlers.

The sanctions announced Thursday apply to four men who Canada's government accuses of violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank.

All four were listed by the U.S. and U.K. earlier this year.

They include David Chai Chasdai, whom the U.S. State Department has accused of leading a rampage in which multiple vehicles and buildings were set on fire and one civilian was killed.

Yinon Levi has regularly led settlers to assault Palestinian and Bedouin civilians, Washington says, setting their fields on fire and threatening more violence if they dont leave.

Moshe Sharvit repeatedly harassed, threatened, and attacked Palestinian civilians and Israeli human rights defenders, according to the State Department, including making 100 Palestinians flee after ordering them to leave.

Zvi Bar Yosef was accused by Washington of repeated violence against Palestinians and blocking access to their lands.

Joly says Canada is sending a clear message that acts of extremist settler violence are unacceptable and that perpetrators of such violence will face consequences.

Some 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli military rule for over a half-century. Around 500,000 Israelis reside in hundreds of settlements and outposts, which are segregated and tightly guarded communities.

The army says it tries to protect all residents, but critics say that soldiers often turn a blind eye to settler violence.

Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox men protest military enlistment ruling by Israel's high court

JERUSALEM -- Several hundred ultra-Orthodox men on Thursday blocked a major highway in central Israel for two hours to protest a Supreme Court decision ordering young religious men to enlist for military service.

Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel. But politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties have won exemptions for their followers to skip military service and instead study in religious seminaries.

This long-standing arrangement has bred widespread resentment among the broader public  a sentiment that has grown stronger during the eight-month war against Hamas. Over 600 soldiers have been killed in fighting, and tens of thousands of reservists have been activated, harming their careers, businesses and family lives.

The Supreme Court this week said the system of exemptions amounts to unequal treatment of different segments of the population and ordered the army to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men.

Ultra-Orthodox parties and their followers oppose any change in the system. The parties are key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition and could potentially force new elections if they decide to leave the government in protest.

Israel says 68 sick and injured children plus companions leave Gaza in first medical evacuation since May

JERUSALEM  Israeli authorities say 68 sick and injured children and their companions have been allowed out of the Gaza Strip and into Egypt in the fist medical evacuation since May, when the territorys sole travel crossing was shut down.

COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said Thursday that the evacuation was carried out in coordination with officials from the United States, Egypt and the international community.

The children and their companions left the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the patients were to travel to Egypt and further abroad for medical treatment.

The nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gazas health sector and forced most of its hospitals to shut down. Health officials say thousands of people need medical treatment abroad, including hundreds of urgent cases.

UN Security Council resolution again demands Yemen's Houthi rebels halt attacks on shipping

UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. Security Council is again demanding that Yemens Houthi rebels halt all attacks on ships in the region and is calling for the conflicts disrupting maritime security to be addressed  without naming the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza.

The resolution, which also extends the requirement that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres report monthly on Houthi attacks, was approved Thursday by a vote of 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining.

It condemns the Houthis ongoing attacks, which the rebels say are aimed at pressuring Israel to end the war in Gaza, and emphasizes the need to address its root causes  including the conflicts contributing to regional tensions and the disruption to maritime security in order to ensure a prompt, efficient and effective response.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have targeted more than 60 vessels mainly in the Red Sea by firing missiles and drones. Their campaign has killed four sailors, seized one vessel and sank two since November.

A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The U.N. resolution urges caution and restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the broader region. It also encourages all parties to pursue diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation.

The resolution is a follow-up to one adopted Jan. 10 that condemned and demanded an immediate halt to Houthi attacks. The earlier resolution's requirement for the secretary-general to report monthly to the council on the attacks expires on July 1.

Speaking on behalf of the United States and Japan who sponsored Wednesdays resolution, U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters after the vote that the measure underscores the importance of the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all states in the Red Sea and demands the Houthis immediately halt their attacks.

These attacks threaten international peace and security with negative implications for global commerce and flows of humanitarian assistance, he said.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said Moscow supports the safety of navigation in the waters adjacent to Yemen including the Red Sea, but she accused the West of using the January resolution to justify its attacks on the Houthis and said the new resolution included similar provisions.

She stressed that the January resolution cannot legitimize either the aggressive actions of the U.S. so-called coalition and that of their satellites in the Red Sea, or their missile strikes and bombardments targeting the territories of sovereign countries.

We urge all participants in the coalition to immediately halt illegal attacks and to transition to political and diplomatic means to reduce tensions in the waters adjacent to Yemen, Evstigneeva said.

Israel says it killed Hezbollah member involved in drone attacks

BEIRUT  Israels military says it has killed a Hezbollah member who was involved in firing explosive drones into Israel.

The military posted a video of Thursdays drone strike that killed the Hezbollah member while riding a motorcycle in the village of Sohmor in the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Hezbollah earlier said one of its members, Ali Ahmad Alaeddine, was killed adding that his funeral will be held on Friday in Yohmor.

The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing almost daily exchanges of fire since the Israel-Hamas war began in early October. Hezbollah says it will only stop fighting when Israels ends its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah and other militants, but also over 80 civilians and non-combatants. In northern Israel, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed by strikes launched from Lebanon.

21 critically ill children are set to leave Gaza for medical treatment abroad

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip  Twenty-one critically ill children were set to exit Gaza on Thursday in the first medical evacuation since the territorys sole travel crossing was shut down in early May, Palestinian officials said.

The nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war has devastated Gazas health sector and forced most of its hospitals to shut down.

Family members bid a tearful goodbye to the children as they and their escorts left the Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis bound for the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing with Israel. It was not clear where they would receive treatment. The Israeli military body that coordinates civilian affairs in Gaza did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a press conference at Nasser Hospital on Thursday, Dr. Mohammed Zaqout, the head of Gazas hospitals, said the evacuation of the 21 children was being done in coordination with the World Heath Organization and three American charities.

Zaqout said over 25,000 patients in Gaza require treatment abroad, including some 980 children with cancer, a quarter of whom need urgent and immediate evacuation.

He said the cases included in Thursdays evacuation are a drop in the ocean and that the complicated route through Kerem Shalom and into Egypt cannot serve as an alternative to the Rafah crossing.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the only one available for people to travel in or out, shut down after Israeli forces captured it during their operation in the city early last month. Egypt has refused to reopen its side of the crossing until the Gaza side is returned to Palestinian control.

Six of the children were transferred to the Nasser Hospital from Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City earlier this week. Five have malignant cases of cancer and one suffers from metabolic syndrome. That evacuation was organized by the World Health Organization, which could not immediately be reached for comment.

Residents flee Gaza City neighborhoods amid heavy bombing

JERUSALEM  The Israeli military has ordered new evacuations from the Gaza City neighborhoods that were heavily bombed and largely emptied early in the war. The latest orders apply to Shijaiyah and other neighborhoods where residents reported heavy bombing on Thursday.

First responders with Gazas Civil Defense, which is part of the Hamas-run government, said airstrikes hit five homes, killing at least three people and wounding another six. It said rescuers were still digging through the rubble for survivors.

Gaza City was heavily bombed in the opening weeks of the war, which began with Hamas surprise Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Israel ordered the evacuation of all of northern Gaza, including the territorys largest city, later that month. Hundreds of thousands of people have remained in the north, even as Israeli troops have surrounded and largely isolated it.

Shijaiyah residents in a messaging group shared video showing large numbers of people fleeing the neighborhood on foot with their belongings in their arms. They said several families were isolated by the fighting.

There was no immediate word from Gazas Health Ministry, which tracks casualties from the conflict.

Ship attacked in Red Sea in latest maritime assault likely carried out by Yemens Houthi rebels

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  A ship traveling through the Red Sea on Thursday reported being hit in an attack likely carried out by Yemens Houthi rebels, a private security firm said, the latest in the campaign targeting shipping over the Israel-Hamas war.

The ship issued a radio call off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, saying it had been struck, the private security firm Ambrey said. A warship in the area was responding to the attack, Ambrey added.

It wasnt clear if anyone was hurt or if the ship was damaged in the assault on the vessel. Neither the British nor U.S. militaries immediately reported the attack.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack. However, it can take hours or even days for them to acknowledge their assaults.

Israeli soldier killed and 16 wounded during West Bank raid

TEL AVIV, Israel  The Israeli military says a soldier was killed and 16 others were wounded during a military operation in the West Bank overnight. It said Thursday that an explosive device detonated in the area of the northern city of Jenin, which has seen frequent raids and gunbattles with militants in recent years.

There were no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties. Israel says it has arrested over 4,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since Hamas Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza, including around 1,750 suspected of being Hamas members.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 550 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war. Most have been killed during Israeli raids and violent protests, although the dead also include innocent bystanders and Palestinians killed in attacks by Jewish settlers. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state.

Israeli military releases photos it says prove slain charity worker was a militant

JERUSALEM  The Israeli military has released photos that it says show a staffer with the aid group Doctors Without Borders wearing military fatigues at a gathering of Gaza militants.

The military says that Fadi al-Wadiya, who was killed in an airstrike earlier this week, was a significant operative in the Islamic Jihad group and was involved in its rocket program.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, did not respond to a request for comment on the photos, which were released late Wednesday. The aid group said earlier that it had no indication he was a militant.

The photos released by the military appear to show al-Wadiya wearing military fatigues in meetings with Islamic Jihad militants, but they could not be independently authenticated.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman who shared the photos on the social media platform X, said that al-Wadiya tried to leave Gaza for military training in Iran when he joined MSF in 2018, without providing evidence.

Al-Wadiya exploited his position in a humanitarian organization to further terrorist operations, Shoshani said.

Doctors Without Borders said al-Wadiya, a medic and physiotherapist, worked for the group between 2018 and 2022, before resuming work with the charity during the war. It said he was killed while riding his bicycle to work on Tuesday.

The group said he was the sixth of its employees to be killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, calling their deaths unacceptable.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, asked about the competing claims on Wednesday, said the United States was not immediately able to resolve them.

The armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups are highly secretive, and fighters rarely identify themselves publicly for fear of being targeted in Israeli strikes.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The news of the mother of a missing girl now being considered a suspect in her daughters disappearance is getting a reaction from those in the law enforcement community.

Queen City News spoke with Walter Bowers, a lawyer and former law enforcement officer, and Michael Tabman, a former FBI Special Agent In Charge, about the case involving Madalina Cojocari.

Madalina Cojocari

Diana Cojocari

The girls mother, Diana Cojocari, was officially called a suspect in Madalinas disappearance Monday afternoon.

There are certainly times where individuals are considered suspects and they dont really want anyone to be aware so that they dont show their hand, said Bowers, who added the designation of Diana Cojocari as a suspect is an important one.

It also brings pressure, not on the mom, but others, because they may have more details, he added.

Diana Cojocari previously pled guilty to failing to file a report on the disappearance of a child.

Madalina Cojocari went missing around Thanksgiving 2022. Her mother and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, were both charged with failure to report the disappearance.

Queen City News

Finding Madalina

Diana Cojocari was sentenced to time served after spending 17 months at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. Palmiter was found guilty by a jury and given a suspended sentence.

Palmiter has since filed for divorce from Diana Cojocari, citing their separation date as the day both were arrested for the failure to report charge. Palmiter is not been named as a suspect in Madalinas disappearance.

Tabman noted the specifics of the case and the designation may not mean any immediate action on the disappearance case.

When I was a police officerthere was a serial rape case, said Tabman. We had a suspect for over a year before we arrested him, because we just didnt have the evidence. (We) didnt have the probable cause, until we did.

Last week, Queen City News reported on the states evidence in the Palmiter case, which has new relevance with the designation of Diana Cojocari as a suspect.

In an interrogation done the day Madalina was finally reported missing, Cornelius Police asked Palmiter if he thought that his wife hid her child, and if so, what the reasoning would be.

That, I dont know, Palmiter said to police. I havent been able to figure that out. Ive talked to them multiple times. Im not a threat to either one of them, but I feel like an outsider right now.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Domestic workers in Rhode Island will now be paid the states minimum wage under a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Daniel McKee.

Traditionally, domestic workers havent been given that protection as the Rhode Island minimum wage has increased because under state law, they werent considered employees.

The new law eliminates that exception, specifically removing a provision that classifies any individual employed in domestic service or in or about a private home as not an employee for the purposes of Rhode Islands minimum wage laws.

The new law goes into effect immediately.

Before the new law, domestic workers in Rhode Island had only been guaranteed the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

The minimum wage in Rhode Island is currently $14 per hour. It is set to increase to $15 per hour on Jan. 1

Theres no reason some workers shouldnt have minimum wage protections just because they work in households, said Senator Dawn Euer, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill extends a very basic protection to some of our most essential workers while removing one of the most puzzling statutes in Rhode Island law.

Rep. Leonela Felix, said domestic workers nationwide are disproportionately women, people of color ,and immigrants.

Domestic workers are employees just like workers in any other industry in Rhode Island, she said. Now is the time to end this discriminatory exemption.

A 2022 report by the Economic Policy Institute, found that in the United States the vast majority of domestic workers  more than 90 percent  are women; just over half are Black, Hispanic, or Asian American and Pacific Islander women; and they tend to be older than other workers.

Other states have taken similar steps.

In Massachusetts, domestic workers have the same rights as other workers to minimum wage, overtime, and other wage and hour protections.

There are also special rules for domestic workers relating to recordkeeping, rest time, charges for food and lodging, the information they must have about their jobs and rights, and conditions for live-in domestic workers.

In New York, domestic workers have the right to overtime pay at time-and-a-half after 40 hours of work in a week, or 44 hours for workers who live in their employers home. Workers also have the right to a day of rest every seven days, or overtime pay if they agree to work on that day.

And in Hawaii, domestic workers are guaranteed at least the state minimum wage and overtime pay after 40 hours of work in a week. Workers are also protected from discrimination on the job.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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The new state law meant to smooth the way for the release of the transcripts of the 2006 Jeffrey Epstein grand jury proceedings takes effect on Monday, July 1.

The Palm Beach Post, which sued in 2019 to make public what happened during the secret proceedings, has filed a new motion for Circuit Judge Luis Delgado to consider its argument under the new law. The grand jury indicted Epstein on only one count of solicitation of prostitution  what a "john" might face for soliciting an adult sex worker.

Nothing is likely to happen before Monday, July 8, when a hearing is scheduled for Delgado to listen to The Post's arguments. The judge would then issue an order  either at the end of the hearing or later. The Post plans to make the transcripts available to the public as soon as possible after they are released.

Names of Jeffrey Epstein victims likely to be redacted

Another part of Delgado's job is to redact names of victims and others who might need to be protected. It's a part of the law that hasn't changed. So it might take even more time after the order for him to do that. The Post has always supported redactions.

The grand jury indicted Epstein after then-State Attorney Barry Krischer torpedoed the case that his office presented in secret, sources told The Post in its 2019 investigation "Jeffrey Epstein: The First Failure."

Palm Beach Post investigation: The first failure

Only one victim testified and the prosecutor who presented the case, an assistant state attorney who was the head of the child sex crimes unit, Lanna Belohlavek, undermined her own witness by trotting out the girl's MySpace pages. The social-media excerpts had been supplied to prosecutors by Epstein's lawyers.

Taking the matter to the grand jury was an unusual move for a state attorney. Krischer was always free to file charges against Epstein himself. It was the first ever sex crimes case that went before a grand jury in Palm Beach County history.

Grand jury proceedings are secret for a couple of reasons. One is shielding a target's identity if they don't end up being charged. The secrecy also allows witnesses to speak more freely.

Jeffrey Epstein case: Here are the main players in the early case and where they are now

Prosecutors, however, have been accused of using the secrecy to provide political cover in controversial cases such as police shootings.

Current law allows the veil of grand-jury secrecy to be lifted only when a judge decides that it's needed to check whether a witness' testimony in court matches what they said before the grand jury and to determine whether the witness has committed perjury.

The other reason is when it furthers justice. That's the part of the law that The Post has used in its arguments to help the public and the victims understand whether there was a miscarriage of justice.

More: Jeffrey Epstein 2006 grand jury transcripts already released. Why you can't see them now

Change in law meant to apply only to Epstein case

The change in the law, an addition to it, is meant to apply only to the Epstein case, according to the bill's sponsors, Florida Sen. Tina Polsky and Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Democrat and a Republican, respectively, both of Boca Raton.

The amendment requires that the subject of the proceeding is dead, that the case involved sex crimes against minors, that the state attorney is notified before the release and that the material already has been released under a judge's order.

The Epstein transcripts, it turns out, were released in October 2020 when Ghislaine Maxwell's prosecutors sought them in building their sex trafficking of minors case against Maxwell. It's unknown whether the material was used in the Maxwell case because they haven't been released.

Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years. She is serving her time in a Tallahassee prison.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center can help. Reach their helpline at 561-833-7273, or toll-free at 866-891-7273.

Holly Baltz is the investigations editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jeffrey Epstein grand jury records law takes effect July 1
A NJ Transit train arrives at the Hamilton train station. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor)

NJ Transit is one step closer to a dedicated funding source after lawmakers advanced a new surtax on the states most profitable businesses Wednesday.

The 2.5% surtax  called the corporate transit fee  would apply to businesses with more than $10 million in profit. It would affect roughly 600 businesses, is expected to generate about $1 billion in its first year, and would sunset after five years.

Supporters say the new tax is needed as a revenue source for NJ Transit, which faces a $766.8 million budget hole next year. But it has angered the business community, which says it would make New Jersey less friendly for businesses.

Today we sit here ready to make New Jersey stand out as an outlier in corporate business tax, not just the largest in the nation, but the largest by far, said Michele Siekerka of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.

Sen. Paul Sarlo, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, said hes glad the bill sunsets the tax after five years, but he would have preferred removing a section that makes it retroactive to January 2024.

At the end of the day, I just thought the retroactive pay shouldnt have been included, but it was very important to get to that total revenue to support transit, Sarlo (D-Bergen) told reporters.

Gov. Phil Murphy proposed the tax in the budget plan he proposed to the Legislature in February. It came after Murphy declined to extend a similar surcharge that expired last year on companies with profits that exceed $1 million.

The bill passed in both chambers budget committees Wednesday before both advanced a $56.6 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The Senate committee passed the surtax bill 9-4 and the Assembly committee passed it 8-5, with Republicans opposing the surtax measure in both chambers.

Mayors and local officials have urged the Legislature to support the surtax, which is expected to get votes in the Legislature Friday. Last week, NJ Transit was plagued with service delays and suspensions largely blamed on overhead wire issues. The agencys riders will see fare hikes of up to 15% starting next week.

Peter Chen, senior policy analyst at progressive think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective, suggested the Legislature consider the states residents before the businesses that call New Jersey home.

We need to think carefully about who it is that we should be serving here and this bill does exactly what state government should be doing  holding accountable the big corporations that are soaking up enormous amount of economic growth and saying, Its time to pay your fair share, said Chen.

Business groups suggested its unfair to make 600 companies foot the bill for NJ Transits fiscal woes. Hilary Chebra of the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce noted that the southern half of the state is a transit desert, so companies would be paying more to fund something their workers cant access. It would also impact workers in some of the poorest regions of the state, she added.

Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cape May) said the bill has good intentions but is the equivalent of taxation without representation.

The people in South Jersey have paid for years of transit to not exist or have any real meaningful existence in South Jersey, Testa said.

Chen said thats all the more reason to dedicate a new funding source to NJ Transit. The agencys leadership has said it would face a death spiral of deep service cuts if it does not get more revenue.

Believe me, transit is not going to get any better in South Jersey if we face a transit death spiral, Chen said.

Another bill lawmakers advanced Wednesday would green light a $100 million plan for the states Economic Development Authority to purchase NJ Transit property that would then be developed for residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects. NJ Transit would share in some of the proceeds.

The post Lawmakers advance new business surtax aimed at funding NJ Transit appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
(WJW)  Thousands of lawn chairs are being recalled after multiple people were hurt or had a finger amputated because of them.

The Cinmar Frontgate Resort Collection Newport Aluminum and Teak Chaises have a backrest that can unexpectedly descend with force.

Coffee recall due to potentially fatal food poisoning: FDA

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Cinmar has received three reports of incidents in which peoples fingers were entrapped between the adjustable backrest and the chair frame.

Courtesy: CPSC

Courtesy: CPSC

Two people had partial finger amputation injuries. One person had their finger crushed and required surgery.

The recall involves all Cinmar Frontgate Resort Collection Newport Aluminum Chaises. They were sold in sets of two in five different colors.

FRONTGATE is printed in black lettering on a silver badge at the back of the chair.

About 70,000 chairs are affected in the recall.

Ice cream brands sold at Walmart, Giant Eagle recalled

The chairs are not being pulled. People who have purchased them are asked to immediately stop using them.

Cinmar will distribute free repair kits for people who submit a photo to the company.

The chairs were sold in Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Texas and online from February 2014 to December 2023 in Frontgate stores for between $600 and $1,400.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 27. Uzbekistan may join the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) by the end of 2024, EDB's Chairman of the Board Nikolai Podguzov told reporters at the bank's Annual Meeting and Business Forum, Trend reports.

I can say that now, having already received Uzbekistan's application to join the bank, approximately Uzbekistan's participation in the bank will be 10 percent. We hope that this year all legal issues related to accession will be finalized, he said.

Nikolai Podguzov noted that this diversification will affect proportionally the change in shares of participants and shareholders in the bank.

To note, the EDB 2024 Annual Meeting and Business Forum is taking place in Almaty on June 2728.

The events feature a series of sessions on the topics of Islamic finance, transport, ecology, energy, and digital technologies.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank carrying out investment activities in the Eurasian region.

The EDB's authorized capital is $7 billion. The main share in the EDB portfolio is occupied by projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, industry, and mechanical engineering.
Sebastien Soule clutches RN flyers as he heads into the town to talk to constituents - Bruno FERT

An ex-policeman involved in a police corruption scandal that inspired a cult film is running in the southern Riviera town of Toulon for Marine Le Pens National Rally in next Sundays legislative elections.

Run since 2022 by a Right-wing MP backed by president Emmanuel Macrons party, Toulon is the only constituency out of eight in the Var region that has not yet been run by the RN.

Many residents of the town, whose naval port  Europes largest  often shelters Frances lone nuclear aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, say they still remember the catastrophic six-year period when Toulon was mismanaged by the Front National, the RNs predecessor, and are loath to return to such dark days.

However, the anti-immigration and Eurosceptic party has the wind in its sails after trouncing Mr Macrons party in European elections and is on course to obtain the largest number of seats in snap parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7.

Residents in the naval port town  Europe's largest  say they still remember the 'catastrophic' FN years - Bruno FERT

Ms Le Pens party has placed its hopes of clinching the Vars last pro-Macron bastion on Sebastien Soule, 46, a former officer in the anti-criminal brigade, BAC, who operated for decades in Marseilles crime-infested Quartiers Nord suburbs, notorious for drug war murders.

Mr Soule was among a group of police officers accused of extorting drugs and cash from the criminal underworld and stashing some of it in the ceiling of their police station in a 2012 corruption scandal.

His story inspired the hit 2020 film Bac Nord (The Stronghold), which detailed the gritty reality of policing a violent banlieue and his arrest by the polices internal affairs body for bending the law in the pursuit of justice.

He spent two and a half months behind bars and was finally acquitted in 2021. He said his ordeal had forged his desire to get involved in hands-on politics to counter politicians who offer punchlines but change nothing on the ground.

Mr Soule says he believes RN has the keys to crack down on crime - Bruno FERT

Crime has become a primary concern for voters after riots last year and a spate of killings in recent months. A hard-hitting report by the French senate on drug trafficking released last month warned that France was submerged by drug dealing and that Mr Macrons response was inadequate.

Mr Soule says he believes RN has the keys to crack down on crime.

Weve reached a state where French society lacks security. There is a lot of crime. We need to restore order. Thats the top priority if the economy and everything else is to function properly, he told The Telegraph from his headquarters in downtown Toulon.

People think the film is over the top. I can tell you if anything it doesnt go far enough. They think that such crime and violence stops in Marseille but there are no frontiers anymore.

The RN recently got into a row with the head of the national gendarmerie over a poster showing an officer with the headline Im a gendarme, I vote Bardella.

Former navy officer Yannick Chenevard says he doesn't believe Toulon will 'succumb to the sirens of the far-Right this year' - Bruno FERT

The chief complained the poster violated the forces neutrality. Polls suggest that many police officers vote for Ms Le Pen.

But Mr Soule is an unknown in Toulon and is up against a formidable incumbent: Yannick Chenevard, 64, a former navy officer who oversaw the countrys naval spending plans and sat on its top intelligence committee.

Toulon in 2022 did not succumb to the sirens of the far-Right and Toulon will not succumb to the sirens of the far-Right this year, he confidently predicted.

Mr Chenevard was long deputy to Hugo Falco, the towns popular Right-wing mayor who took over from the Front National in 2001 and ran it with an iron fist for 20 years.

This city was managed from 1995 to 2001 by the extreme Right and it was a disaster. So much so that the following municipal election, the Front National didnt even make it past the first round, he told The Telegraph.

Perfume stall owner Mohammed Hagg questioned why the RN 'parachuted the policeman here? He isn't squeaky clean' - Bruno FERT

It took us 12 years to turn this city around. They left it in a pitiful state steeped 200 million in debt and an explosion in municipal staff, which he said amounted to jobs for cronies.

Im afraid the same thing will happen at national level; after a few weeks of euphoria, things arent going to work out for the RN and it will end in a hangover like the one Nigel Farage had after Brexit.

Here in France, the RN will likely take power. And when their plan doesnt work, theyre going to look for someone to blame: judges, the constitution which they will demand to change.

The other thing that worries me is that the very people who voted the most for the RN are the ones who are going to suffer the most due to populist promises, such as retirement at 60, which they know deep down is unaffordable.

So Im concerned for Toulon, which weve rehabilitated, but also concerned for France.

Gallery owner Marc Negral, 71, said the FN 'was a catastrophe for this town, above all for a man of culture like me' - Bruno FERT

However, there is a chink in his clean-hands narrative as the former mayor he deputised, Mr Falco, 77, was in May convicted of abuse of funds in what has become known as the fridge affair. He was found guilty of making use of the town halls facilities to pay for free meals at the taxpayers expense while his wife used its laundry services. He is appealing the verdict, which bars him from elected office.

At the Cours Lafayette market in central Toulon, residents were well aware of the legislative stakes.

Ill be voting Soule, said Marie, 75, a former university canteen worker. I love France and will vote for the candidate who will defend it the most in terms of insecurity and immigration because, for the past 40 years, its got worse and worse.

Pizza vendor Angele Selline said she'll be voting for Chenevard because 'he knows his town' - Bruno FERT

Patrick, 70, said: Ill be voting for RN. Macron promised the earth. He understood that crime and immigration were out of control but didnt do the necessary. Give RN the controls and well see.

But many said they are loathed to give RN the keys to the constituency.

The FN was a catastrophe for this town, above all for a man of culture like me, said Marc Negral, 71, who runs the Humilite art gallery. All they wanted were Provencal folk dances.

Mohammed Haggi, 38, who mans a perfume stall with his two brothers at the market, said: We know and like Chenevard. Why did they parachute the policeman here? He isnt squeaky clean.

Perhaps there are issues in sensitive neighbourhoods but this isnt Marseille! For me, its a publicity stunt for old voters who, lets face it, are in the majority on the Cote dAzur and are obsessed with law and order.

They watch the TV all day and are brainwashed by rolling news channels like CNews that talk endlessly about insecurity and immigration.

Erick Fraysse, 68, an insurance courtier thinks 'this time, Toulon could fall' - Bruno FERT

Angele Selline, 74, a pizza vendor, sang ex-mayor Falcos praises. He did loads of things for this town - built universities, hospitals, the Halles covered market - and was brought down by a fridge. Its ridiculous. Ill be voting for Chenevard. He knows his town. Ive never heard of the other guy.

But others thought the tide could turn given the RNs dynamic and the Falco verdict.

Falco was the rampart against RN. His conviction has thrown everything up in the air. Now RN scents an opportunity to wrest this final town in the region, said Erick Fraysse, 68, an insurance courtier.

This time, Toulon could fall.

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As president Emmanuel Macron is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, something Marine Le Pen says is an 'honorary title' - AFP/Ludovic Marin

Marine Le Pen has promised to overrule Emmanuel Macron on sending troops to Ukraine should her National Rally (RN) party form a government after the upcoming elections.

She claims the French presidents role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces is an honorary title and that her choice of future prime minister will supersede his defence and foreign policies.

In particular, Ms Le Pen views direct intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war  something Mr Macron has frequently raised  as a non-starter.

In a forthright interview in Thursdays Le Telegramme, Ms Le Pen said: Chief of the armed forces, for the president, is an honorary title since it is the prime minister who holds the purse strings.

Jordan Bardella, Ms Le Pens prodigy, is the the National Rally (NR) choice to become prime minister if the party gets an absolute majority in parliamentary elections that start this weekend.

Ms Le Pen says: Jordan has no intention of picking a fight with [Mr Macron], but he has set red lines. On Ukraine, the president will not be able to send troops.

Marine Le Pen insists her likely prime minister will be the one to decide whether soldiers are sent to Ukraine, not Emmanuel Macron - FRAT

Such words provide an insight into the tensions that will arise with cohabitation  a lame duck French president having to select a prime minister from a parliament dominated by opposition MPs.

I think we will have an absolute majority, says Ms Le Pen, pointing to opinion polls that put the NR on up to 36 per cent of the popular vote, compared to Mr Macrons presidential coalition on just under 20 per cent.

Discussing the workings of the French Republic, Ms Le Pen says: The constitution is pretty clear on everything.

On the choice of prime minister, the president understands that he had little choice  Jordan Bardella draws his legitimacy directly from the French.

Furthermore, since Emmanuel Macron is not running for office, his situation will not be very comfortable. I wont predict anything, because I dont know what his reaction will be. Given his pride, will he put up with it for long?

Last month, Mr Macron said the possibility of sending soldiers to Ukraine would arise if Russian forces looked like they were well on the way to victory.

Im not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out, the president said.

He added: I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine.

Mr Macron, seen here with Volodymyr Zelensky, has refused to rule out sending French troops to Ukraine if it looks as though Russia is getting the upper hand - AP/Yoan Valat

Ms Le Pen remains the de facto leader of the RN, but wants to leave the job of prime minister to Mr Bardella, while focusing on replacing Mr Macron in 2027 to become president herself.

Despite such ambitions, Ms Le Pens latest pronouncements appear to have misinterpreted the constitution of the Fifth Republic.

In fact, article 15 clearly states: The President of the Republic shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He shall preside over the higher national defence councils and committees.

Ms Le Pens claim about the president of France only being an honorary commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces was dismissed as provably untrue by Mr Macrons Armed Forces minister.

Sebastien Lecornu said: The Constitution is not honorary.

He quoted a speech by Gen Charles de Gaulle, who became President after the Fifth Republic was created in 1958.

Gen de Gaulle said: In the essential areas of foreign policy and national security, he [the President] is required to take direct action, since under the Constitution, he negotiates and concludes treaties, since he is the head of the Armed Forces, since he presides over defence.

President of France is one of the most powerful executive positions on earth, and it also comes with full control of the countrys nuclear arsenal.

It also allows an incumbent to bypass parliament completely, so as to rule by presidential decree.

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At least 7 stars in our galaxy have the potential to harbor advanced alien technology, researchers find

Researchers found seven stars in our galaxy that might host alien megastructures called Dyson spheres.

But these stars' strange behavior could also be explained by other phenomena, like clouds of dust.

They'll need much more evidence to confirm that Dyson spheres truly surround these stars.

In the search for intelligent alien life, finding a Dyson sphere would be like hitting the jackpot.

Theoretically, super-advanced alien societies could build these giant, ultra-high-tech megastructures around their host stars to harness solar energy.

Scientists have yet to find proof that Dyson spheres exist. But if they are real, we should be able to spot them, and researchers have been hunting for decades ever since physicist Freeman Dyson first theorized the idea in 1960.

Now, research published in the peer-reviewed journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has identified seven stars in our galaxy that exhibit some unusual behavior, which the team can't easily explain with natural phenomenon.

What exactly is a Dyson sphere?

Dyson spheres are a hypothetical, super-advanced form of alien technology that may surround seven stars in our galaxy. Love Employee/Getty Images

Despite what the name suggests, a Dyson sphere isn't necessarily one solid sphere that encases a star, although the most advanced ones could be.

Most likely, "these are satellites with very broad surfaces floating around the star," Suman Majumdar, study co-author and associate professor of astronomy, astrophysics, and space engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, told Business Insider.

This design would grant an intelligent society access to an unlimited energy source, allowing their population and industry to grow exponentially, according to Dyson's original theory.

In 1960, physicist Freeman Dyson theorized that highly advanced aliens could build massive structures around stars to harness their solar energy. Love Employee/Getty Images

The design also means there would be gaps between the satellites where some of the star's radiation could sneak through. And the rest of the light, the satellites would absorb and re-radiate back into space as pulses of infrared radiation known as infrared excess emissions, or IEEs, which could be a way of detecting a distant Dyson sphere from Earth.

For their study, Majumdar and colleagues analyzed more than 5 million stars throughout the Milky Way that exhibit IEEs. But Dyson spheres aren't the only possible explanation.

A protoplanetary disk surrounding a young star emits infrared excess emissions just like a Dyson sphere would. Pitris/Getty Images

"There's a lot of reasons that stars might have extra infrared emission. Typically, it's because they're extremely young, and they have a protoplanetary disk," which is a disk of rotating gas and dust around a new star that radiates infrared light, Jason Wright, study co-author and professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, told BI.

There are other natural explanations for IEEs, too. That's why the research team had to rule out so many stars from their original list of 5 million Dyson sphere candidates, eventually leaving them with seven that exhibit IEEs they can't easily explain and that could, potentially, host these alien megastructures.

However, future research will need to rule out all other possible explanations first.

Hunting for Dyson spheres

The European Space Agency's Gaia satellite is mapping billions of stars throughout the universe. Now, researchers are using its data to hunt for Dyson spheres. ESA/ATG medialab

To identify these seven strong Dyson sphere candidates, the researchers used a computer system to sift through a mountain of data collected by Gaia. This European Space Agency satellite is creating a three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars in our galaxy and beyond.

Data from this highly comprehensive survey allowed the research team to select a pool of millions of stars that exhibit IEEs and gradually weed out all the ones that could be explained by natural phenomena.

"It took more than a year to go through this," Majumdar said.

Without Gaia and the massive amount of data it collects, this study wouldn't have been possible.

Gaia's view of the universe. This image contains data from 1.7 billion stars. ESA/Gaia/DPAC

"I'm really excited for this big data era, like all the big surveys that are coming out  all the things we can learn from this data by looking at it in different ways," Tabetha Boyajian, an associate professor of astrophysics at Louisiana State University who did not work on this study, told BI.

Next, the researchers will look closer at these seven strong Dyson sphere candidates using spectroscopic analysis, Majumdar said. This technique can reveal new information about the radiation these stars emit, and help the researchers rule out other possible explanations for their IEEs.

"It would take a lot of rigor to be able to say confidently that this is not something that nature is doing, it's something that an advanced civilization is doing," Boyajian said.

In the meantime, Gaia continues its survey, populating the database with even more stars for Dyson sphere hunters like Majumdar and Wright, so their search is far from over. In fact, it might just be getting started.

"The same analysis can be actually done on the newer candidates that are populating the catalog," Majumdar said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Kaitlyn A. Robinson, 27, of Leavenworth, was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Wednesday for one count of aggravated burglary. Robinson was also ordered to pay restitution of $6,838.45.

Robinson pled no contest to the charge on May 17, 2024.

According to court documents, Robinson was arrested on Feb. 14, 2023, after police responded to a report from her neighbor. Documents say that Robinson broke into her neighbors apartment, struck her in the head with a hammer and tried to choke her using a hair dryer cord.

Raytown teacher fired after video shows her clotheslining student

The victim said she heard a mechanical sound coming from her front door. When she opened the door, Robison came into her apartment without permission, struck her with a hammer and tried to use a hair dryer cord to choke her.

Responding officers surrounded the building, and discovered a drill was likely responsible for the mechanical sound heard by the victim. Robinson was later found inside the victims apartment along with several cell phones in a pot of boiling water.

We know the defendant has serious mental health issues. We wish she had been better able to manage those issues because this terrible incident could have been avoided, Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said.

The victim suffered great physical and emotional harm in this crime, and that shouldnt be forgotten.

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PERRY COUNTY, Ky. (WKRN)  A young Middle Tennessee man is facing charges related to the brief disappearance of a teenage girl from Eastern Kentucky this week.

According to the Perry County Sheriffs Office, a minor was reported missing from the Delphia community of Kentucky around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25 by her father and sole guardian.

Over the course of the investigation, deputies said they discovered a male with long hair was seen operating a gray Jeep Renegade with Tennessee plates near where the 14-year-old girl went missing.

Heartbreaking: Teen killed in Clarksville leaves behind newborn baby

Then, on Wednesday, June 26, officials said the same vehicle  operated by 18-year-old Thomas Charles Lange of Lebanon, Tennessee  was spotted returning the girl to the same area where she disappeared. When told by witnesses that law enforcement would arrive at the location soon, Lange reportedly sped away from Barkcamp Branch Road and kept driving towards Tennessee until he was stopped by authorities in Bell County.

During a recorded interview, the minor said she met Lange online and they made a plan for him to pick her up and take her away from her fathers home, according to the sheriffs office. The girl added that Lange drove her to his grandmothers home in Tennessee.

Officials said Lange deprived the parents of the custody of the minor child, and kept the juvenile from lawful custody of the juveniles father for over 24 hours before returning the juvenile to the general area of where he unlawfully took control of the juvenile.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

According to authorities, Lange was charged with kidnapping and custodial interference in connection with the minors temporary disappearance.

I would like to thank my detective and deputies that worked relentlessly on this case until its conclusion, Perry County Joe Engle said in a statement posted Wednesday night on Facebook. I also would like to thank the father , community, and family members for relaying pertinent information and gathering information and sharing it with us to help solve this case. They played a very important role in this.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Legal experts weigh in on whether Oklahoma religious charter school case is headed to Supreme Court

The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of state Attorney General Gentner Drummond in a lawsuit involving what would be the nation's first religious charter school.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a state-funded Catholic charter school in a case testing the wall of separation between church and state.

In a majority decision, the court blocked the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School and ordered the state to rescind its contract with the school. Six justices agreed; two dissented all or in part.

The case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has expanded the allowed uses of taxpayer dollars to religious schools.

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The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa proposed St. Isidore, named after the patron saint of the internet, as an avenue to make free Catholic education accessible across the state. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the school in 2023, drawing a legal challenge from the state attorney general's office.

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board met Monday for the last time; starting July 1, the newly created Statewide Charter School Board will oversee all online charter schools and some traditional charter schools. Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said the courts ruling shouldnt require a board vote.

We read the opinion as declaring the contract to be null and void because its unconstitutional, Bacharach said. We expect the board and other officers of this state to follow the orders of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

The courts decision prevents St. Isidore from receiving state funding on July 1.

Attorneys representing the school are likely to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Four justices have to agree to hear it for the case to be taken up.

Law professors from across the country said theres a good chance the court will consider the case.

Several said the court might first wait to see if other states resolve similar cases. If a dispute emerges among state courts over federal law, the Supreme Court is more likely to accept the petition.

If you have only one state, they tend to let it lie, Willamette University Professor of Law Steven Green said.

University of South Carolina Professor of Law Derek W. Black said because the case is centered around the much larger question of whether a charter school is truly a public school, it ventures into state law.

I dont think its an attractive case (to the U.S. Supreme Court), Black said.

Black cited a similar case the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up: Peltier v. Charter Day School, in which a North Carolina charter school argued that it wasnt a public school and could therefore treat students differently on the basis of sex at its own discretion.

In a lot of ways, the Oklahoma case is a perfect mirror of the legal issues, Black said.

Are charter schools public or private?

St. Isidore applied to become a charter school, a type of school that is publicly funded but privately run. Whether charter schools are public or private is one of the major arguments in the case.

St. Isidores attorneys argued that charter schools are actually private schools and that denying access to government funding violates the First Amendments free exercise clause. To bolster that, they pointed to a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision in which a Missouri day care was denied a public grant for its playground because its operated by a church.

Green said that case, Trinity Lutheran, along with a decision in a Montana case over private school tax credits, show the Supreme Courts willingness to crack the door for taxpayer funding to religious groups.

This was a real 180 from what has been traditionally understood about the separation of church and state, Green said.

Attorneys for St. Isidore and the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board argued similarities in two Oklahoma cases: a 1946 case about an orphanage for Native American children and a 2016 case over the states Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program for students with disabilities. But the court noted differences.

The orphanage was operated by a religious entity, but the children were not required to attend church services and were free to choose how they worship. In the Lindsey Nicole Henry case, the funding was spent on religious instruction, but was given first to parents as a scholarship, not directly to the schools.

With St. Isidore, the state would be directly funding a religious school and encouraging students to attend it, the justices wrote. And St. Isidore is more than a religious entity unaffiliated with the state, like with the orphanage and the schools that accept Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarships. St. Isidore, as a public charter school, is a governmental entity and state actor, they found.

Political ramifications

The St. Isidore decision could accelerate efforts by the Republican supermajority at the Oklahoma Legislature to change the composition of the state Supreme Court.

Both dissenting justices are Gov. Kevin Stitts appointees: Dana Kuehn and Vice Chief Justice Dustin Rowe (Stitt also appointed Chief Justice John Kane, who recused.)

Andrew Spiropoulos, a professor of law at Oklahoma City University, said thats likely to fuel a push by conservatives to reform how Supreme Court justices are selected in Oklahoma.

Theyre going to use this as one more reason why we need to change the way we do things in Oklahoma, he said.

Some Republicans and business groups have tried for years to get rid of the Judicial Nomination Commission, formed after the Supreme Court corruption scandal in the 1960s. The commission, made up of attorneys and laypersons, vets nominees for judicial positions and forwards three nominees to the governor for the final decision on judicial vacancies.

Among the proposed legislation this year was a bill putting age limits on appellate and district court judges. Another proposal, in the form of a state question, would have made state appellate judges directly appointed by the governor, with confirmation by the Senate and House. Neither of those efforts were successful in this years legislative session.

Contributing: Oklahoma Watch reporters Paul Monies and Ruby Topalian

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is Oklahoma religious charter school case headed to SCOTUS?
The legal odyssey for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its owners is complex. Here's what to know

FILE - Jen Trejo holds a photo of her son Christopher as she is comforted outside the Supreme Court where signs in the shape of grave headstones, with information on people who died from using OxyContin, line a security fence, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Washington. The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024, rejected a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids but also would have provided billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have been cast as prime villains in the U.S. opioid epidemic.

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a deal for the company to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids through bankruptcy court. The deal was to be financed largely through the company being converted to a public benefits corporation, with profits being used to fight the opioid crisis, and the owners kicking in up to $6 billion for the same purpose.

But in a 5-4 ruling, the court rejected the plan because it would have extended protection from civil lawsuits to company owners who didn't seek bankruptcy protection themselves  and not all the parties agreed to that.

Here's a look at the family, the Stamford, Connecticut-based company the overdose crisis:

The opioid crisis deepened after OxyContin hit the market and has grown more complex

Deaths from opioids started rising in the years after the powerful prescription painkiller debuted in 1996.

The drug was marketed to doctors as having a low risk of addiction.

Deaths linked to prescription opioids, including OxyContin, which came in high dosages and in its original formulation was easily crushed to make it even stronger, rose rapidly until 2011  when more controls were put on prescriptions and there were more crackdowns on illegal sales  and have fluctuated since then. When those leveled off, deaths from heroin started to skyrocket. And as heroin fatalities dropped in the late 2010s, there were a growing number of deaths linked to fentanyl and other potent, illicit, lab-produced opioids.

The number of U.S. overdose deaths from all drugs dropped last year for just the second time in three decades, according to provisional data.

Still, overdose deaths remain near a record high. The 2023 total is projected to be above 107,000, with about three-quarters of those involving opioids.

About twice as many people in the U.S. are now dying each year from opioid overdoses as from car crashes.

Purdue's owners pushed for more sales

Three physician brothers  Arthur, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler  bought the drug company known as Purdue Frederick in 1952. Arthur, the oldest, was a pioneer of marketing drugs, including Valium, to doctors. His descendants sold their share of the company after his death in 1987, years before OxyContin hit the market.

The other brothers and their heirs continued to hold seats on the company's board until the last of them resigned in 2019, ahead of efforts to settle the thousands of lawsuits the company was facing claiming the company was deceiving doctors and the public about the risks of OxyContin. They are still the owners, though they have not received profits in years.

Documents made public as part of lawsuits showed that family members pushed for more sales of OxyContin, which ultimately made them billions.

At the time of the drug's 1996 launch, Richard Sackler, a son of Raymond who was then a Purdue executive and later became president and board chair, told the companys sales force at a meeting that there would be a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition.

Five years later, as it was apparent that the drug was being misused in some cases, he said in an email that Purdue would have to hammer on the abusers in every way possible, calling them the culprits and the problem.

The crisis pulled the family into an unwanted spotlight

The Sacklers have been ranked as one of the country's wealthiest families and have largely kept a low profile. One exception: They contributed millions to cultural and educational institutions and got their names on places including galleries in New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre in Paris and a school at Tufts University. Many of those places have removed the Sackler name over the last five years.

At a hearing in 2021, Richard Sackler said that he, the family and the company bore no responsibility for the opioid crisis. In the same hearing, a cousin, Mortimer D.A. Sackler, expressed some sympathy, saying, Were sorry if a medicine that we put out that was intended to relieve pain caused pain.

The next year Richard and two other family members appeared remotely for an unusual court hearing in which a woman who lost a son to overdose called them scum of the earth.

Amid the lawsuits, the family and company made deals

Beset by the lawsuits, Purdue and its owners took a series of major steps.

By early 2019, the Sackler family members left the board. And by the end of the same year, the company filed for bankruptcy as part of a move to negotiate a settlement of all those suits.

The deal they eventually reached called for family members to contribute up to $6 billion over time  representing around half the family's collective fortune  to fight the crisis, with at least $750 million of that going to individual victims in payments ranging from about $3,500 to $48,000.

The Sacklers would also give up ownership of Purdue, and the company would become known as Knoa Pharma, a business structured for its profits to battle the epidemic.

In exchange, family members would be protected from civil lawsuits.

In 2020 the company pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective program to prevent drugs from being diverted to the black market, providing misleading information to the DEA and paying doctors in a speakers program to encourage them to write more prescriptions. The plea was part of a deal with the federal government to settle criminal and civil cases that included $8.3 billion in penalties and forfeitures. But it was to pay only a small fraction  $225 million  so long as it executed the settlement through bankruptcy court.

Purdue is part of a broader set of lawsuits and settlements

OxyContin is the best known prescription opioid, but Purdue is hardly alone in producing the drugs and facing lawsuits.

Including Purdue's proposed settlement, there has been more than $50 billion worth of opioid settlements with state, local and Native American tribal governments. The money is intended to be used to combat the crisis.

The companies involved have included drugmakers such as Johnson & Johnson and Teva; distributors including McKesson, Amerisource Bergen and Cardinal Health; and pharmacy chains including Walgreen Co., CVS Health and Walmart.

More recently there have been claims against pharmacy benefit managers such as Express Scripts and Optum Rx. Those companies have denied wrongdoing, and the cases have not yet gone to trial.
Letters to the Editor: Oil and gas divestment will do nothing to slow climate change

To the editor: Having state pension funds divest from fossil fuel companies accomplishes nothing other than inhibiting choices for investment managers. ("Shame on California lawmakers for killing fossil fuel divestment bill again," editorial, June 21)

If these stocks are sold, there are numerous other investors willing to purchase these companies. This will have no impact on the emissions emitted by this industry.

You cite the investment risk of these companies. However, there are numerous stocks that are at least as risky  that is why you diversify. Just because oil and gas are declining industries does not necessarily imply these will be bad investments, as that news is already reflected in their stock price.

The state could do something to reduce emissions, and that would be to implement congestion tolls. That would significantly reduce the demand for gasoline, since fuel is wasted by cars stuck in traffic. People would have more of an incentive to seek alternatives rather than driving alone. The money raised could be used to reduce the sales tax, which would benefit everyone.

Allen Wisniewski, Redondo Beach

..

To the editor: Thank you for your editorial on Senate Bill 252, the proposed California legislation to divest from fossil fuels in our pension funds.

I am one of the many retired educators who made phone calls and wrote emails urging my state representatives as well as all the members of the Assembly's Committee on Public Employment and Retirement to pass this important legislation. I was extremely disappointed in Chairwoman Tina McKinnor's (D-Hawthorne) "poison pill" action that forced the author, Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), to pull the bill.

McKinnor's proposed amendments were a slap in the face to the efforts that Gonzalez and SB 252 coalition members have put into the divestment effort. They would slow down the divestment process and allow fossil fuel companies to evade accountability and continue to pollute low-income communities of color and worsen the climate crisis.

As extreme heat, wildfires, drought and flooding continue to plague the state, we need to act urgently. Because we honestly care about the future for our children and grandchildren, we are not giving up this effort. We are more determined than ever to fight for divestment from oil and gas in our pensions.

Marilyn Green, Malibu

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A new level of theft: Several cars broken into while parked at Zilker Park

AUSTIN (KXAN)  Some people who were trying to enjoy a day in Zilker Park on Wednesday morning left with a horrible surprise.

Several cars in the parking lot by Barton Springs Pool were broken into. Vehicles could be seen with windows smashed in, and broken glass was all over the ground.

Photo shows damage after several cars were broken into at Zilker Park near Barton Springs Pool. (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)

Photo shows damage after several cars were broken into at Zilker Park near Barton Springs Pool. (KXAN Photo/Todd Bailey)

The alleged thieves who broke into those vehicles made off with some stolen credit cards. One resident, Wyatt Rodgers, KXAN spoke to said he used to work as a lifeguard at the pool at Barton Springs Pool and said hes never seen car break-ins escalate this much before.

Ive never come to the parking lot and seen three windshields and the confidence that someone would have to have to just keep breaking into cars. I mean, thats a new level of theft in the Barton Springs community that I have never seen, Rodgers said.

KXAN was told there were even more cars broken into in another area of the parking lot. We also reached out to the Austin Police Department for more information and will update this article once that information is received.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Armenia is ready to finalize the peace treaty with Azerbaijan and sign it in the coming months, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said today at a joint press conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn, Trend reports.

He noted that Armenia is committed to the peace agenda and ready to normalize relations with Azerbaijan.

According to Mirzoyan, Armenia is prepared to continue the demarcation process based on the Alma-Ata Declaration signed in 1991.

"I sincerely believe that we have an opportunity to close the chapter on conflict in the South Caucasus and establish peace in our region. This peace will benefit all the people and countries in the region," Mirzoyan said.

To note, on June 26, Armenia received a new package of proposals on the draft peace agreement from Azerbaijan.

On June 4, Ani Badalyan Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, announced that Armenia responded to Azerbaijan's latest proposals on the draft peace agreement by submitting a revised 9th edition.

On April 8, Yerevan replied to the 8th revision of Baku's proposals on the peace treaty.

Earlier, on January 4, 2024, Armenia initially sent its version of the peace treaty text to Azerbaijan. In February, Armenia received additional proposals on the peace treaty from Azerbaijan.

The negotiations on the peace treaty text are conducted directly between the countries.

Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
Advocates are calling for President Biden and former President Trump to answer for their LGBTQ records and policy proposals at Thursday evenings debate.

The debate, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, is the first to take place during LGBTQ Pride month, which is recognized each year in June. A second debate is scheduled for Sep. 10, hosted by ABC.

This will be an enormous slight to our community if LGBTQ questions are not asked during this debate, said Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of the LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD. Our community is deeply affected by where these candidates stand.

In a letter on Tuesday, Ellis pressed moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper to ask Trump and Biden about their past statements and policies and their plans to advance the rights of LGBTQ people if they are elected in November.

The safety and freedom of LGBTQ people depends on your engagement with the candidates and ability to inform voters about their records and proposals, Ellis wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Hill.

Moderators of last years Republican primary debates, in which Trump did not participate, largely steered clear of LGBTQ issues despite Republicans seizing on transgender rights on the campaign trail. A question pitched to candidates by moderator Megyn Kelly during the fourth and final GOP presidential debate in December asked whether parents should support gender-affirming surgeries for minors, which guidelines set by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, a nonprofit professional association focused on transgender health care, do not recommend.

Ellis said shed like to see both Trump and Biden asked Thursday about marriage equality, rising anti-LGBTQ hate and extremism, gender-affirming health care and the Equality Act  federal legislation that would make sexual orientation and gender identity protected classes.

LGBTQ voters turned out in droves in 2020, representing up to 8 percent of the overall electorate and playing a key role in Bidens victory over Trump that year, according to a Washington Post analysis of election surveys.

LGBTQ voters surveyed by GLAAD in March said they are highly motivated to vote in Novembers elections, with 83 percent indicating they are definitely voting. When asked about their level of motivation to participate in this years elections on a zero-to-10-point scale, 88 percent of LGBTQ voters rated themselves between seven and 10.

We are poised to be the decisive voting bloc in the 2024 election, which is what we were in the 2020 election, Ellis said. So, we have to be a part of this conversation.

I certainly hope that the moderators bring up the LGBTQ community and LGBTQ issues, because there is a stark contrast between the two candidates, said Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to elect more LGBTQ people to public office.

Trump has promised to enact at least a dozen policies targeting members of the LGBTQ community if he is reelected, including a nationwide ban on transgender student-athletes competing in accordance with their gender identity and a federal law that recognizes only two genders. The former president has also vowed to punish doctors who administer gender-affirming care to minors, roll back new LGBTQ student protections instituted by the Biden administration and cut federal funding for schools that accommodate transgender students.

Trump at a campaign event last year pledged to restore his ban on transgender people serving in the military, a policy that was reversed by Biden in 2021.

Biden, who frequently touts his administration as the most pro-LGBTQ in history, expanded federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and condemned violence and threats made against the community. In 2022, Biden signed legislation safeguarding marriage equality.

The president has fallen short on some promises made to LGBTQ voters, however, including a pledge to safeguard access to gender-affirming health care as more Republican-led states move to ban treatment for minors.

I hope we see a substantive conversation on the records of these two men for the fight for a more equal society, Brandon Wolf, press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign, which has endorsed Biden in the race, said of Thursdays debate. Because, make no mistake, equality is a winning issue.

A vast majority of people in this country support an America that treats people with dignity and respect; they support an America that prevents people from experiencing discrimination and harm simply because of who they are, said Wolf. That is where the American people largely are, and I hope we get an opportunity on that stage to see the contrast between these two candidates.

Even if Trump and Biden are asked about LGBTQ issues Thursday evening, it remains to be seen whether their answers will move the needle. Presidential debates are typically held much later in the cycle, and voters might not be paying attention yet.

Ive been on a November ballot 11 times, said Parker, a former mayor of Houston. Nobody pays attention until after Labor Day  unless you have a reason to be scared or excited. I think theres plenty of reason to be scared.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA)  Researchers at the University of Illinois said LGBTQ+ farmers are more susceptible to mental health struggles than the wider farming community.

Around 23,000 LGBTQ+ people are said to be involved in farming in the U.S. The UIUC research team included Courtney Cuthbertson, Dane Rivas-Koehl, Anisa Codamon, Alyssa Billington and Matthew Rivas-Koehl. They reached out to many of those farmers and asked questions about sexual and gender identity, stress, anxiety, depression, resilient coping, suicide risk and their agricultural commodities.

Out of 148 responses from 36 states  with a greater representation of Illinoisans, Californians, Texans, and New Yorkers in organic production  72% of respondents were experiencing symptoms of mild to severe depression, 70% showed mild to severe anxiety, and 52% suggested suicidal intent. That is two to three times more likely than the general population.

Carle Health receives designation from LGBTQ group

Men in the LGBTQ+ community experienced more anxiety, depression, and suicide risk than those who did not identify as men. Compared to other types of farming, gay respondents in field crops and beef production were the most likely to have depression symptoms. Although, beef producers were the least likely to have a formal diagnosis.

The U of I research team said all of this is also true for the the farming community at large. Courtney Cuthbertson, assistant professor and Illinois Extension specialist in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, hypothesizes that some of this could be related to masculine norms in agriculture and the intense nature of agricultural work.

But for LGBTQ+ folks in particular, there may be concern about whether someones identity would be validated or whether they would be greeted with the proper pronouns and addressed in a respectful way, Cuthbertson said in an interview with ACES News. They may not have supervisors or managers who are willing to let them take a break to go to therapy. They may also not have health benefits that would include mental health coverage.

IL program helping disadvantaged farmers fills need for produce at one Central IL food bank

However, suicide risk was found to be higher in samples of LGBTQ+ people who were not farmers. This could suggest a protective effect for those who are involved in farming, Cuthbertson said. But the researchers added that either way, the LGBTQ+ community should be supported and the root causes behind their mental health struggles must be unearthed.

Its almost therapeutic: Meet the Shelbyville family honoring their late son with farming

To start, the research team advises farmers to use more inclusive language, train in cultural competency, and offer resources to everyone.

Here are some of those resources, as provided by the researchers:

The study is now published in the Journal of Agromedicine.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Light rail between OKC and Will Rogers Airport may be on the ballot. See the route map

The Heartland Flyer prepares to leave the Santa Fe Station in downtown Oklahoma City in February 2024. The station could host regional transit lines if approved by voters.

A light rail connection between downtown Oklahoma City and Will Rogers World Airport is set to be included on a regional transit ballot likely to go to voters in early 2025.

The Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma on Wednesday unanimously approved the west Oklahoma City and airport connections, which will be a part of a network that will also include service to Tinker Air Force Base and a commuter rail linking Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman.

Liz Scanlon, a consultant with Kimley-Horn, suggested the light rail connection for the airport based on extensive studies and discussions with stakeholders and potential riders.

We're not just talking about commuter traffic, Scanlon said. We're looking at helping visitors, people who work at the airport, people traveling to the airport. There is a major opportunity to connect with the world through Will Rogers.

RTA_corridor_westmap2

At the same time, planners have held discussions with officials at the FAA who are eager to see the route also connect to the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, the citys second-largest employer.

Bus vs. light rail: The pros, cons, and the cost

Bus rapid transit is recommended for the route traveling to Oklahoma City along NW 10 and Reno Avenue with likely termination at a future park-and-ride at SW 15 and the Kilpatrick Turnpike. Bus rapid transit also was previously chosen for the east route to Tinker Air Force Base.

The cost difference between the bus rapid transit and light rail options is significant. Mixed traffic bus rapid transit, which consists of more shared lane miles than fixed guideway lanes, costs $8 million a mile. A bus rapid transit route with at least 50% using dedicated lanes is estimated to cost $51 million a mile.

Light rail in fully dedicated tracks with cantilever overhead lines, is estimated at $125 million per mile.

We heard very loudly and clearly the enthusiasm about the economic development potential of light rail transit on the airport corridor," Scanlon said. Stakeholders see the northwest rapid (started earlier this year) as a success and see similar potential for the west route.

More: Could national Amtrak route include stop in Oklahoma City?

RTA_east_corridor2

The regional transit authority on Wednesday also chose to use double-decker train cars for the commuter rail that will serve Edmond, Oklahoma City and Norman along the BNSF railway. The train cars were chosen over single level cars due to BNSF car length restrictions, capacity and the number of crews needed to operate the service.

The light rail connection to the airport would follow a relatively simple path along Reno Avenue from downtown and then along Meridian Avenue to the airport. The exact termination spot at the airport will be determined later but will be targeted to go as close as possible to the terminal.

The map, very likely the one that will go to voters next year, extends 35 miles north and south between Edmond and Norman, 14.6 miles in west Oklahoma City, 11 miles to Tinker Air Force Base and 9.8 miles to Will Rogers World Airport.

Regional transit commission Chairman Brad Henry said the routes proposed to be established with bus rapid transit are being designed to allow upgrades to light rail should the demand be shown with future ridership and development potential.

Were trying to be good stewards of taxpayers dollars, as well, Henry said.

RTA_corridor_nsew_map

Voters will ultimately decide whether to fund project

The next steps include the city councils of Edmond, Norman and Oklahoma City agreeing to set an election date. The likely sales tax ballot will require a majority vote among the totality of residents in the three cities.

Barbara Peck, who represents west Oklahoma Citys third ward, told the regional transit commissioners she shares their excitement for the potential of not just improved public transportation but potential economic development.

Were the fastest-growing part of the city, Peck said. I think at almost every council meeting, much to the dismay of some, we approve zoning for 200 to 300 rooftops. And we have people who need to get around the city other than by car. That is a change from the past in the area where I live. Were very excited about this.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Light rail between OKC, Will Rogers may head to voters in 2025
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11)  Jersey City on Thursday announced the launch of its affordable housing lottery portal, which gives low- and medium-income residents access to different affordable apartment buildings.

More Local News

Here are all the lotteries that are open for people to apply to:

Common on Pine

Affordable housing lottery opens at Common on Pine. (Credit: City of Jersey City)

Located at 327 Communipaw Ave., there is one unit available in this lottery. It expires on July 17. For more information on applying, click here.

475 Communipaw

Affordable housing lottery opens at 475 Communipaw (Credit: City of Jersey City)

With four units up for grabs in the lottery, 475 Communipaw will expire on July 17. Click here for more information.

Lafayette House

Affordable housing lottery opens at 328 Pacific Ave. (Credit: City of Jersey City)

The Lafayette Houses are at 328 Pacific Ave. There are currently only two units available in the lottery: a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom. This lottery expires on July 17. For more information, click here.

161 Van Wagenen

Affordable housing lottery opens at 161 Van Wagenen (Credit: City of Jersey City)

This building on Van Wagenen Avenue has three studios, 14 one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment available to win in the lottery. The deadline to apply is July 17. For more information, click here.

For more information on Jersey Citys affordable housing lottery, click here.

Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
List of threatened species grows by 1,000, but conservation efforts bring hope for some animals

FILE - An Iberian lynx is visible in Donana National Park, in Aznalcazar, Spain on Sept. 28, 2018. Over 1,000 new species have been added to the International Union for Conservation of Natures red list as invasive species, climate change and human activities such as illicit trade and infrastructure development threaten certain animal and plant species with extinction. However, in a significant conservation success, the population of the Iberian lynx recovered from the brink of extinction. (AP Photo/Antonio Pizarro, File)

Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction  1,000 more than last year  according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature released its latest Red List of Threatened Species on Thursday. Now in its 60th year, the list sounds the alarm about animals and plants at risk of extinction, but it also highlights conservation success stories such as the Iberian lynx.

The list now includes 163,040 species, an increase of about 6,000 from last year. Copiapoa cacti, native to Chiles Atacama coastal desert, the Bornean elephant and the Gran Canaria giant lizard are among the threatened species, IUCN revealed.

Social media trend among extinction drivers

Copiapoa cacti have long been coveted as decorative plants, driving an illegal trade that has been amplified by social media where enthusiasts and traders showcase and sell the cacti.

A staggering 82% of the species is now at risk of extinction, a significant jump from 55% in 2013, the report said.

IUCN said that the decline is due to the surge in demand for the Chilean cacti in Europe and Asia as ornamental species. The smugglers and poachers facilitating the trade, the organization said, have gained increased accessibility to the plants habitat due to roads and housing expansion in the Atacama area.

It is easy to distinguish if copiapoa cacti have been poached or grown in a greenhouse, said Pablo Guerrero, a member of the IUCN's group on the plants. Poached copiapoa have a grey tone and are coated in a dusty-looking bloom that protects the plants in one of the driest deserts on Earth, whereas cultivated plants appear greener.

The 2024 update also highlights the Asian elephant in Borneo as an endangered species. It is estimated that only about 1,000 Bornean elephants remain in the wild, according to IUCN analysis.

The population has decreased over the past 75 years primarily due to extensive logging of Borneos forests, destroying much of the elephants habitat. Conflicts with humans, habitat loss due to agriculture and timber plantations, mining and infrastructure development, poaching, exposure to agrochemicals, and vehicle collisions also threaten the species, the IUCN said.

The list also revealed the staggering decline of endemic reptiles  the giant lizard and skink  on the Canary Islands and Ibiza due to predation by the invasive snakes.

One species' 'greatest recovery'

In a contrasting tale, conservation efforts have revived the Iberian lynx from the brink of extinction, with the population increasing from 62 mature individuals in 2001 to 648 in 2022 and more than 2,000 now.

Once considered one of the most endangered wild cat species in the world, their population declined by 87% and the number of breeding females dropped by more than 90% between 1985 and 2001, according to Canada-based International Society for Endangered Cats.

The species was revived by restoring the Iberian lynxs natural Mediterranean scrub and forest habitat as well as increasing the abundance of its primary prey, the European rabbit. Conservation efforts have also involved increasing the lynxs genetic diversity by relocating them to new areas and breeding them in controlled environments.

Since 2010, more than 400 Iberian lynx have been reintroduced to parts of Portugal and Spain, IUCN said.

It is the greatest recovery of a cat species ever achieved through conservation, said Francisco Javier Salcedo Ortiz, who led the conservation action for the Iberian lynx.

But with threats remaining, mainly from fluctuations of their prey's population, poaching and road kills, Salcedo Ortiz said there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that Iberian lynx populations survive."

___

The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Lithuania to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to support Ukraine

Lithuania has decided to allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP to support Ukraine's security and defence sector.

Source: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Nauseda said this was the decision of the country's State Defence Council at its meeting on Wednesday.

Quote: "Lithuania will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine until victory. We will always support freedom."

Today at the State Defense Council meeting, we agreed to allocate at least 0.25% of GDP for security& defense support to #Ukraine.



Lithuania will continue to stand firmly with  until victory. We will always support freedom.#SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/NNZh3oh9C3  Gitanas Nauseda (@GitanasNauseda) June 26, 2024

Background:

The day before, it was reported that Lithuania had allocated an additional 136 million for defence, which means the country's defence budget would now amount to more than 3% of its GDP.

Lithuania is already one of the countries that spend the most on defence in NATO relative to the size of its economy.

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that more than 20 allies would reach or even exceed the 2% of GDP target this year.

Polish President Andrzej Duda wants to promote the idea of raising the target to 3% of GDP.

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President Biden and Donald Trump tangled over the economy, COVID-19 and abortion in the first 20 minutes of Thursday nights debate, and then it got personal, with insults over who is the worst president and who is a criminal. And then, their golf games.

When it was done, political experts expressed grave concerns over Bidens performance, from his demeanor to how he opened himself up to attacks from Trump. Democrats responded with panic.

The stakes were high for both men. Trump holds a narrow lead over Biden nationally at 45 percent to 44 percent, according to a Decision Desk HQ/The Hill aggregate of polls.

Biden debate performance is nightmare for Democrats

5 memorable moments from the heated Biden-Trump debate

Following along for The Hills live updates below.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The 2024 National Spanish Spelling Bee was held in El Paso on Wednesday, June 26, and Thursday, June 27, and hosted by Education Service Center Region 19 (ESC19) for the third consecutive year.

The National Spanish Spelling Bee was held at the scenic Starlight Event Center located at 6650 Continental Drive.

Numerous contestants from around the U.S. attended the competition this week, some being from the El Paso region.

Ferran Martinez Caloca at the National Spanish Spelling Bee competition on Thursday, June 27.

Ferran Martinez Caloca, 11, is from El Paso and goes to Mesita Elementary. Hes currently in the 5th grade and says the competition can be difficult at times.

You get nervous and when you see the words that they give others sometimes you doubt about it but its about luck too. It depends if you get a hard one or easy one, Ferran said.

Natalia Acosta with her family at the National Spanish Spelling Bee competition on Thursday, June 27.

Natalia Acosta, 13, is from Las Cruces and goes to Mesa Middle School. Shes currently in the 7th grade and says the competition is cool but it can also be nerve-wracking.

Its very cool but you do get nervous a lot, but this is my third year so its been very nice, Natalia said.

Natalia was declared co-champion in last years National Spanish Spelling Bee and won an $800 dollar prize.

A total of 30 contestants competed at the National Spanish Spelling Bee and a winner will be announced at around 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Activities are planned for military service members and their families as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) in collaboration with the United Service Organizations (USO) kick off Military Appreciation Day on Friday, July 12.

This inaugural event is anticipated to provide a day where service members and their families can experience all the Museum has to offer free of charge.

Were very excited to collaborate with the USO on this endeavor, said OKCMOA President and CEO Michael Anderson, PhD. Our military service members and their families are an important part of our community, and its an honor to share the Museum with them in this way.

The scheduled programming will be as follows:

Painting Classes

10:30 am-12 pm and 2-3:30 pm | Exclusive to military service members and their adult guests

Participate in a painting class led by an OKCMOA teaching artist. Limited to 20 registrants per session. Questions? Email usooklahoma@uso.org

Card-Making Station

11 am-4 pm | Open to the public

As part of our commitment to fostering a sense of community, visitors to the Museum will have the meaningful opportunity to create thank you for your service cards. These heartfelt messages will be sent to our brave service members who are deployed overseas, allowing our visitors to directly contribute to their well-being and show their support.

Drop-In Gallery Tours

11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm | Exclusive to military service members and their families

Participate in a guided tour of OKCMOAs world-famous Chihuly glass collection. Offered at the top of the hour at 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm. No registration required.

Oath of Service Ceremony

12 pm | Open to the public

In coordination with the USO, Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS), and Recruiting Command, OKCMOA will host an Oath of Service ceremony in front of the Museum at Carolyn Hill Park. Immediately following the ceremony, new recruits and their families will be invited to stay for an informal lunch in the Museum.

Military Kids Art Exhibition

On View July 12-14 | Open to the public

OKCMOA invites all participants in the annual USO Craft Camp to visit the Museum to see their art on display. OKCMOA is pleased to host a punch and cookies reception for the artists and their families. (Reception time to be announced.)

For more information, please visit okcmoa.com or contact OKCMOAs Head of Education Bryon Chambers at bchambers@okcmoa.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27. Armenia is ready to settle relations with Turkiye, establish diplomatic relations, and open borders, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said today at a joint press conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna in Tallinn, Trend reports.

He noted that, as a result of dialogue with the Turkish side, clear agreements have been reached outlining steps toward a comprehensive settlement.

The minister also addressed the issue of opening borders between Armenia and Turkiye for citizens of third countries, as well as for citizens of Armenia and Turkiye holding diplomatic passports.

"We consistently reaffirm our commitment to this. I believe the time has come to implement these agreements," Mirzoyan said.

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Locals in Barcelona, one of Europe's most tourist-packed cities, are increasingly protesting the impacts of overtourism. Emilio Rappold/dpa

The sun glistens over the La Concha Bay and the harbour. From there, it's just a stone's throw to the old town with its alleyways filled with pubs and churches and a main square. There, numbers above the balconies reveal that boxes were once rented out for bullfights.

There's no question that the scenery and food in the coastal Spanish city of San Sebastian are tempting - and a feast for tour operators, who fuel the influx of visitors.

But the tourists, locals across the country complain, have made living here hard, as many a landlord no longer rents to long-term residents, preferring to cash out on more lucrative short-term rentals via Airbnb and other such platforms.

Now the locals are fighting back.

Flyers slapped on old town houses in Pamplona are calling for protest meetings: "A neighbourhood lives here. How to prevent tourist flats in your building."

"Don't take a photo of me, I'm not your postcard"

At a demonstration in Granada in mid-June, the focus was on the World Heritage neighbourhood of Albayzin. Under the slogan "Our neighbourhood is not a theme park," the citizens' platform "Habitable Albayzin" opposed property speculation and the mass influx and called on politicians to limit tourist accommodations. Posters read "Residents threatened with extinction" and "Don't take a photo of me, I'm not your postcard."

As pointed as some of the battle cries are, some official initiatives seem half-hearted, as those responsible are well aware of the profit tourism generates. Here are five examples of how Spain's cities are trying to get a grip on overtourism.

San Sebastian: Divide groups, ban megaphones

A limit of 25 participants per group now applies to guided city tours in San Sebastian in order to channel the influx. Organizers who take crowds of visitors around are forced to split the groups and hire more than one licensed guide. The additional costs are likely to make the trips more expensive.

The use of earphones is mandatory, since megaphones are prohibited. In addition, every guide must have a completed visit form with them. Offenders will be fined up to 1,500 ($1,603).

Info: www.sansebastianholidays.com

Valencia: Cruise crackdown \- "The floating cities are bad"

Group limits also apply in this eastern Spanish city on the Mediterranean, although according to the official guide association, the measure is not yet law and violations have not yet been punished. The rules call for a maximum of 25 people on a city tour, 20 for a visit to the historic centre. Guides are supposed to coordinate their routes better with each other so they do not meet at the same meeting points, such as at the market hall.

Mega cruise ships are a particular thorn in the side of locals. According to Valencia Mayor Maria Jose Catala, their arrivals are to be severely restricted from 2026.

"The floating cities are bad," says Catala. They do not correspond to the tourism model that the city is relying on. However, there is no talk of banning the behemoths completely. And no concrete figures on the curtailment of cruise tourism have yet been provided.

Info: www.visitvalencia.com

Barcelona: early warnings, tickets online

The capital of Catalonia in the north-east, is also suffering from the influx of cruise tourism. Last year, 3.6 million passengers stopped over, sometimes for just a few hours.

"We are reaching the limit. It is obvious that the city cannot cope with annual increases of 8%" said Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni recently. In future, he is in favour of limiting the number of cruise ships and - "if necessary" - closing one or two cruise terminals.

In June the city launched a campaign aimed at tourists: "Barcelona, our home. And yours." The campaign appeals for respect toward local residents. It cost 400,000 and runs through the end of August

The Catalan digital newspaper El Nacional.cat reports that there will soon be a kind of warning system. Tourists will not even be able to visit certain zones and attractions if they are already overcrowded. These include Park Guell, where tickets will only be available online, and La Boqueria market. Screens in cruise terminals show whether tickets for the Sagrada Familia are still available.

Info: www.barcelonaturisme.com

Toledo: unloved short-term visitors, proposed tourist tax

The old town, the alleyways, the historical traces of the Moors and Jews, the museum of the painter El Greco - the metropolis south of Madrid is in a class of its own.

But it's groaning under the crowds. On average, Toledo is overrun by 50 tourist buses a day - most crowded with day trippers who do not stay overnight, shop or eat in the city's restaurants.

"Unfortunately, in many cases they leave nothing behind for the city," says Mayor Carlos Velazquez Romo. To "compensate for this burden," a tourist tax as a daily fee is currently under discussion. So far there are no details about how high the tax might be or how it can be implemented.

Info: turismotoledo.es/en

Santiago de Compostela: No consensus

"Tourist go home" has been painted on a wall near the city park. However, this message goes as unheeded as a sign, in several languages, near the cathedral. That notice - in Galician, Spanish and English - tells readers about locals' rights to a good night's sleep. But the poster is inconspicuous and too much text makes it difficult to read.

According to city guide Francisco Esteban Palomo, discussions about overtourism in Santiago de Compostela have been started, but so far there is no consensus on possible measures.

"What sense would it make, as in San Sebastian, to split a group of 50 into two groups of 25?" he wonders. "That wouldn't be any fewer."

In addition, the merchants would complain if he had to go around certain alleyways with his groups so as not to block anything.

In an interview with the regional newspaper La Voz de Galicia, Tommi Alvarellos, chairman of the regional guide association of Galicia, spoke out in favour of a tourist tax for day trippers.

Although it is unclear who is praying and for what - the tourist influx has at least filled the churches. At the midday pilgrim mass in the cathedral, a would-be worshipper needs to show up at least an hour in advance to grab a seat.

Crowded streets like here in Barcelona have long been part of everyday life for city holidaymakers. However, the residents of many metropolises would be happy to see less interest from tourists. Andrea Warnecke/dpa

Barcelona's Park Guell wants to control the flow of crowds by selling tickets only online. Emilio Rappold/dpa

The Barcelona landmark of La Sagrada Familia Basilica is set to get an early warning system to prevent massive queues. Matthias Balk/dpa

Mallorca is one of many places in Spain to have witnesses large protests against overtourism. Clara Margais/dpa
Long Island community comes together to help family of boy with rare cancer

Long Island community comes together to help family of boy with rare cancer

MANORVILLE, N.Y. (PIX11)  A Long Island community is rallying behind a family whose 12-year-old son is battling a rare form of bone cancer.

SUNation Energy partnered with the Marty Lyons Foundation to donate 53 solar panels to the Manorville home of 12-year-old Bentley Kelley to ease the burden of rising energy costs during his home care.

Watch the video player for more on this story.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Citing a rise in violent, high-profile episodes on buses and trains throughout Los Angeles, the Metro Board will hear proposals to create an in-house police force on Thursday.

The Metros interest in dedicated officers patrolling its vehicles comes as safety measures have come under scrutiny in recent months.

Let me begin by being absolutely unequivocally clear: the spike in violent crime on Metro that we have recently seen against operators and riders has been absolutely unacceptable, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said last month.

The Board of Directors will hear four different proposals Thursday with the intent of selecting one. If passed, it would take about five years for the agency to fully implement the new police department, according to KTLAs Annie Rose Ramos.

If [Metro passes a proposal], its an acknowledgment that the status quo will no longer work because what were seeing now, those violent incidents  that general feeling of fear not only expressed on behalf of passengers, but on behalf of board officials, Ramos said.

A man was killed in a shooting at a Metro train station in Baldwin Hills on June 21, 2024. (KTLA)

In April, Metro Board Member Kathryn Barger said she wouldnt ride Metro alone anymore due to her fears of violent acts.

Several people have lost their lives in Metro-related instances of violence this year.

Just on Tuesday, a person was fatally stabbed after stepping off of a Metro bus in South L.A. In April, 67-year-old Mirna Soza Arauz was stabbed to death in the throat on a Metro train in Studio City. Her accused killer is facing murder charges.

Metros current system consists of contracting three different law enforcement agencies  Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department and the Long Beach Police Department  to keep its vehicles safe, but the lack of a centralized unit has led to lapses in public safety.

Majority of Metro riders in favor of keeping budget mostly unchanged

Those law enforcement contracts cost about $194 million per year. The potential costs of the proposals being heard on Thursday range from $155 million to $214 million.

The Southern California Rapid Transit District, which merged into Metro in 1993, operated its own police force between 1978 and 1997. Several major transit agencies throughout the U.S. currently operate police departments, like the Bay Areas BART, Massachusetts MBTA and Washington DCs WMATA.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The report recommends that states and health plans expand their behavioral health networks by raising reimbursement rates  as they do for medical/surgical providers. (Getty Images)

LOUISVILLE  Kentuckys largest city is expanding a program that directs certain mental health 911 calls away from police.

Louisvilles two-year-old Crisis Call Diversion Program will begin operating 24/7 as of July 1, the mayors office announced Thursday. Thats an expansion from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

This deflection program works by triaging 911 calls to discover if the caller is having a mental health crisis and operates in all Louisville Metro Police Department divisions. MetroSafe workers, who answer 911, ask questions of callers like are you experiencing a mental health crisis?

If a person has a weapon, needs medical attention or is threatening a person or themselves, they arent eligible for deflection-only response from a crisis triage worker (CTW). Sometimes, police and mobile crisis workers may respond together.

Since its 2022 launch, Louisville says its program deflected around 4,000 calls with 1,500 of those this year.

Seven Counties Services, a community mental health center, is partnering with the city on this expansion. Seven Counties will have 46 employees to work on deflection as of July 1. That includes 13 crisis triage workers and 27 mobile crisis responders, the mayors office said.

By further expanding our deflection program to operate around the clock, were ensuring even more people across our city will be able to benefit from these services, as well as giving our police officers more hours available to focus on violent crime, Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement. We know these additional service hours will make a difference and will help build on our progress to make Louisville a safer, stronger and healthier city for all our people.

LMPD Deputy Chief Steven Healey says the program has helped our officers focus more on crime-related incidents and better allocate our resources, which in turn, assists our residents and visitors.

Sometimes Healey said, a call simply does not warrant a police response.

We are honored to continue providing compassionate, equitable, and intentional care to individuals in times of crisis, Nicole Wiseman, deflection unit manager at Seven Counties Services, said in a statement. This expansion of hours will help build a more resilient community for all.

Need mental health care in Kentucky? If you are in immediate crisis, text or call 988.

To look for a mental health therapist near you, visit: Psychology Today and search by ZIP Code.

Check out the Kentucky Psychological Foundations Behavioral Health Roadmap.

Find a support group through Kentuckys chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The post Louisville expanding an emergency mental health response service appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is pictured during an interview. Lukashenko has reassigned key positions within the country's government and presidential administration with a view to boosting efficiency, the BELTA state-run news agency reported on 27 June. -/Belrusian Presidency/dpa

Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has reassigned key positions within the country's government and presidential administration with a view to boosting efficiency, the BELTA state-run news agency reported on Thursday.

"Efficiency must be increased unbelievably if we want to survive this crazy fight," BELTA quoted Lukashenko as saying.

He warned the new head of the presidential administration, former ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoi, that "ministers should run about and get things done."

Lukashenko said that the reshuffle was aimed at reducing bureaucracy.

The new foreign minister is Maxim Ryzhenkov. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to be shaken up so that it gets its act together," Lukashenko said. Anybody who didn't want to work should be dismissed, he added.

Ryzhenkov, who effectively had headed the presidential administration, replaces Sergei Aleinik, who is moving to parliament.

Aleinik had only been in office since the end of 2022, after his predecessor, the internationally respected foreign minister Vladimir Makei, died unexpectedly.

In addition to the top of the presidential office, the position of deputy head of the presidential administration is being filled with Natalya Petkevich, whom Lukashenko praised as being assertive.

In government, Lukashenko appointed Yuri Shuleiko as deputy prime minister, Aleksandr Yefimov as industry minister and Anatoly Linevich as minister for agriculture, an important sector in Belarus.

Belarus is Russia's closest ally in the conflict with Ukraine and the West. The country is economically dependent on Moscow for its raw materials.

Like Russia, Belarus is also subject to Western sanctions due to human rights violations and support for Moscow's war against Ukraine.
Milwaukee has accomplished something rare: winning bids to host a major party convention during two presidential elections in a row. In 2020, they were supposed to host the Democratic National Convention, but the outbreak of COVID-19 scotched the event. Now, in 2024, Milwaukee residents are worried that the Republican National Convention, set to take place from July 15 to 18, will also be a disappointment, according to The Recombobulation Arena, a Milwaukee-based online publication.

Cities typically clamor for the privilege of hosting a party's convention, anticipating that the incoming crowd of politicos and journalists will have a positive economic impact. One Milwaukee-based business owner earlier posited that the RNC could infuse $200 million into the city's economy, a claim later touted by Republican National Committee officials as well. Now, less than a month before the RNC, business owners and officials say they are not seeing the economic promise in reality.

We were sold a storyline of how this is going to go, and basically it didn't go anything at all like the storyline that we were sold, Gary Witt, president and CEO of the Pabst Theater Group, told The Recombobulation Arena.

Iconic Milwaukee venues like the Pabst Theater and Riverside Theater in downtown, as well as the Vivarium and The Fitzgerald in the city's East Side, will likely remain empty during the convention, according to Witt. He added that Pabst Theater Group heard the same dismal prospects from "everyone else in town." The blame, he said, lies entirely with the RNC for overpromising and underdelivering.

Theres no one taking responsibility to try to make it any better. Theyre now backing away from it and trying to say, we never promised you anything,' he continued, characterizing RNC planning as "underwhelming" and "a failure."

As hopes for an RNC boon dwindle, some businesses and venues are pivoting to other events. The Rave, cutting its losses, will now host a concert featuring the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, with venue co-owner Leslie West telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel theres been silence on booking for the RNC.

Restaurants also have to contend with the prospect of losing business as the convention puts much of the city off limits to regular customers seeking to avoid RNC attendees, who appear to be uninterested in booking private events. Lupi & Iris, a finalist for best new U.S. restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2023, closed its books for reservations for the week of the convention, but changed course once they realized no surge in business was forthcoming.

"There are not as many inquiries as hoped, and in general terms, there is not a lot of excitement around the convention," a spokesperson from Lupi & Iris told The Recombobulation Arena. "Im sad for Milwaukee. We really wanted this. We really wanted to shine. We were really excited to host these events.

Gregory Leon, a James Beard finalist, chef and owner of Amilinda in downtown Milwaukee, expressed similar concerns. "I have a feeling this is going to be a business killer, he said, adding that, like Witt, he was told that the reservations would come flooding in.

Witt posited that the impending nomination of Donald Trump might have been a factor in causing their woes.

"The RNC is having a difficult time, I think, getting funding for a lot of their events, because once their candidate was announced  and this isnt me saying this as my political choice  he is known for being divisive, and thats created a difficulty in them raising money, he said. And last time I checked, conventions are built by other peoples money, so if people arent willing to give money, then they're going to have a hard time hosting events in town.
(Bloomberg) -- France and Germany are used to getting their way on the EU stage. But when the blocs two biggest economies turned up at Thursdays crucial European Union summit distracted by their own domestic troubles, they found it harder to throw their weight around.

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Other member states reacted furiously when President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz attempted to force through a last-minute rewrite of their long-term policy priorities, according to people inside the room who asked not to be named when discussing confidential negotiations. Almost all of France and Germanys amendments were rejected.

Its rare that a proposal by the two biggest member states draws such a strong reaction, according to one EU diplomat. But both their leaders arrived at the summit weakened by their crushing defeats in this months European elections.

The bust-up came during discussion of the EUs so called strategic agenda, which lays out the principles for how the EU will respond to its biggest challenges, like immigration, climate and the war in Russia. Macron and Scholz demanded changes to the wording on sensitive subjects like defense.

But it was less the substance of the tweaks that angered fellow leaders as the last-minute manner in which they were demanded, according to numerous diplomats, given the document had already been strenuously negotiated by all sides earlier in the week. In the end, they agreed to only minor adjustments.

There was no mood to break up the whole text, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said afterward. An official from Berlin said the pair were just trying to bring clarity to a difficult process.

Exhausted Ministers

The French president followed up his dire EU result by calling a parliamentary election at home. The idea was to revive his political fortunes with a rousing campaign, but polls suggest hes heading for another crushing reversal that could hand power to Marine Le Pens far right.

The erratic behavior from the blocs two biggest powers is a worrying sign for EU leaders as they try to deal with a growing list of challenges, from Russias aggression in Ukraine, to trade tensions with the US and China and lackluster economic growth. Scholz hinted after the summit that hed discussed the situation in France with Macron, without offering any details.

Of course, everyone is talking about it, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said of the forthcoming French vote, as he arrived at Thursdays summit.

French ministers looked exhausted during meetings in Brussels this week, according to one EU diplomat, staying for an hour and then rushing out to work on the campaign.

One diplomat said they were concerned about the effect that successive defeats for Macron would have at future summits, when he will almost certainly be further weakened. A person close to Macrons team said that the mood among French officials was grim.

In a sign of his increasingly desperate efforts to lock things down before the French vote, Macron announced that he plans to reappoint his compatriot Thierry Breton to one of the EUs most senior roles when he spoke to reporters after the meeting.

He has the experience and the quality, Macron said, as he attacked the arrogance of his opponents for drawing up plans for cabinet appointments before the French have cast their ballots.

If Le Pens National Rally wins an absolute majority in the parliamentary elections whose first round is on Sunday, the euroskeptic party would get to pick a prime minister and could weigh in on key European appointments. Breton, 69, currently holds the post of Internal Markets Commissioner.

--With assistance from Donato Paolo Mancini, Alberto Nardelli, Ania Nussbaum, Jorge Valero, Natalia Drozdiak, Andrea Palasciano, Olivia Fletcher, Sanne Wass, Kevin Whitelaw, Max Ramsay, Michael Nienaber and Milda Seputyte.

(Updates with details of negotiations in 4th and 5th paragraphs.)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 27.Yemen's Ansar Allah Houthis used a hypersonic missile for the first time to attack the MSC Sarah V in the Arabian Sea, Trend reports.

This statement was made by the military representative of the rebels Yahya Sariya, Trend reports.

"Yemen's armed forces reveal for the first time the characteristics of the missile that hit the Israeli ship MSC Sarah V in the Arabian Sea. This is a locally produced hypersonic missile that is equipped with advanced technologies and is capable of hitting targets with maximum accuracy," Sariya wrote on his Telegram channel.
These days, when you hear about students and generative AI, chances are that youre getting a taste of the debate over the adoption of tools like ChatGPT. Are they a help? (Yay! Great for research! Fast!) Or are they a harm? (Boo! Misinfo! Cheating!). But some startups are taking the arrival of generative AI in the school environment as a positive, and as a foregone conclusion. And they are building products to meet what they believe will be a certain market opportunity.

Now one of them has raised some money to fill out that ambition.

MagicSchool AI, which is building generative AI tools for educational environments, has closed a Series A round of $15 million led by Bain Capital Ventures. Denver-based MagicSchool got its start with tools for educators, and founder and CEO Adeel Khan said in an interview that it now has more than 2 million teachers plus more than 3,000 schools and districts using its products using its products to plan lessons, write tests, and produce other learning materials.

More recently, its started to build out tools for students, too, provisioned by way of their schools. MagicSchool will be using the funds to continue building more along both of those tracks, as well as to work on signing on more customers, hiring talent, and more.

This latest round also includes backing from some very notable investors. They include Adobe Ventures (whose parent Adobe has been going very heavy on AI on its platform) and Common Sense Media (the specialist in age-based tech reviews that has been wading into generative AI with an AI guidelines partnership with OpenAI and ratings of chatbots). Individuals in the round include Replit founder Amjad Masad, Clever co-founders Tyler Bosmeny and Rafael Garcia, and OutSchool co-founder Amir Nathoo. (Some of these were also seed investors in the company: it had previously raised some $2.4 million.)

Khan did not disclose MagicSchools valuation in this round, but the investors believe that backing application bets like this one is the natural next step in AI startups after the hundreds of millions that have been plowed into infrastructure companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Mistral.

There is an AI moment for education, a big opportunity to build an assistant for both teachers and students, said Christina Melas-Kyriazi, partner at Bain Capital Ventures, in an interview. They have an opportunity here to help teachers with lesson planning and other work that takes them away from their students.

From teacher to AI preacher

MagicSchool, despite its name, did not materialize out of thin air.

Khan got his start as an educator, working initially for Teach for America when he first left university. (And his interest in public service and the role education plays may have started even before that: At Virginia Tech, he was student body president at the time of the Virginia Tech shooting so sadly had a front-row seat to the ravages of gun violence.)

As a teacher, he showed early signs of tapping both entrepreneurial and leadership interests when he moved out to Denver with an idea of starting a school of his own.

Working first in different administrative roles at local schools, eventually he founded his own, a charter high school called DSST: Conservatory Green High School, which went on to see its first cohort of graduates get 100% acceptance into four-year colleges.

While taking a career break from that frenzy of activity, Khan came up with the idea of MagicSchool.

It was around November of 2022 when ChatGPT was dominating the headlines and generative AI came into the ether for the majority of the country, he recalled. As I was thinking about what I would do next, I started tinkering with it, and immediately it occurred to me how much utility there was for educators in this new technology.

He workshopped early versions of using generative AI to build tools for teachers, visiting the schools where he had taught and taking his former colleagues through the possibilities. But it wasn't clicking.

The interface was clunky for them and it just wasn't sticky, he said. Khans demos to them inspired the desired "wow," but left to their own devices, the teachers would use it once and never again.

They would tell me, I spent so much time trying to prompt it and get it to do what I wanted to do, that it ended up not saving me time, but costing me time.

His solution was to come up with more specific customizations.

Behind the scenes, we were just doing some really sophisticated prompting, and also making sure that the outputs were what an educator would expect, he said.

Some of the examples of what teachers are creating with MagicSchool include lesson plans, quizzes and tests, course materials, and recasts of prepared materials for more and less challenging levels of learning. MagicSchool continues to tinker with all of this. Khan said that it works a lot with OpenAIs APIs, but also Anthropic and others. Behind he scenes, he said, the company does AB tests to determine what works best in which scenario.

Still, convincing teachers (who were not paying to use the product) and then schools (which do pay) to sign on to MagicSchool was not exactly straightforward.

I couldn't get a meeting with any school or district when we started the product, including the one that I worked at; there was so much fear about it all, he said. All it took was a negative headline about the use of AI in schools  about how AI is going to take over the world and robots to end any conversation.

That gradually started to change as society and industry adopted AI more broadly and more advanced models rolled out. Saving time was the most obvious reason for using it, he said, but they also found that it was good for brainstorming ideas and even offering a supplement to what they could teach themselves.

I think educators didn't quite know or expect what AI could do for them and the audience, he said.

On top of that, he has a second argument for why bringing more AI into the classroom makes sense: Its going to be a part of how everything is done, so its the job of a school to make sure its students are ready for that.

AI is smart but it's not "human smart"

That said, there are limitations in how AI can be used in any scenario, including the classroom.

AI has a very different type of intelligence than human intelligence. Humans have evolved emergent intelligence that is, somehow, the product of millions years of pruning through natural selection. It is very holistic. It is very flexible, cognitively, said Mutlu Cukurova, a professor of education and AI at University College, London, where there is a years-long research lab looking into the different permutations of AI and learning. (One very realistic conclusion from a recent paper: There needs to be a hybrid approach encompassing both AI and humans.)

AI has designed intelligence, not emergent intelligence. That means its designed for a very specific goal, or a set of goals. AIs are brilliant at this particular goal, and indicate significant signs of intelligence, but it's a different type of intelligence.

This might be particularly relevant to students and how they will learn in an AI world, or teachers who might not be experienced enough to know when the AI version of a learning material like a quiz is not good enough.

Cukurova said automating certain tasks can be a valuable use case, but "where it becomes problematic is when teachers  do not have enough experience before learning how to do these kinds of things on their own.

Khan said that MagicSchool is aiming to be mindful of this in particular regarding students. He said that schools control what facilities to give students on the platform, and its clear when they have used MagicSchool for an assignment.

All of this sounds great in theory, but ultimately the cracks might only be revealed in stress tests.

For example, will a cash-strapped school district look to rely on more input from AI systems over class time with teachers? Or how will schools be able to identify when students are using AI tools outside the classroom in ways that havent been approved by their teachers?

That will take a different kind of AI education, Cukurova says. This is an important piece of the puzzle: How do we educate and train to use AI effectively and ethically?

Updated to correct the number of current users.
With Thursday nights presidential debate looming, a key issue that affects women will be hot button topics as President Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off in the first debate of the current election cycle  reproductive rights.

Unlike debates past, Biden and Trump are kicking things off early in the election year. Debates of this kind usually dont begin until September or October in an election year. Weve also seen both of the one-time term presidents in office already so there is no more room for empty promises. Biden and Trumps policies have largely divided America so the stakes couldnt be higher.

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Jonae Wartel, whos leading Bidens reelection in Georgia, noted to Katie Couric Media that the candidates differing policies will evident in tonights debate, and could define how voters swing.

We havent had an opportunity to see them go head to head on key issues that American voters are most concerned about, such as the economy, reproductive freedom, climate, and the cost of healthcare so that contrast is on full display in a debate setting, Wartel says.

There are many of us who have watched a Biden v.s. Trump race once before and feel disheartened to see history repeating itself, potentially with more egregious consequences than before. But, for young people who came of age during Bidens term, like the teens SheKnows talked to in 2020 about the presidential debate, their vote feels more important than ever.

While there is no topic that voters should overlook, from rising childcare costs to immigration and US foreign policy, people who identify as women and anyone with female reproductive organs, will be looking for clarity on what will happen to reproductive healthcare in the next presidential term.

For decades, Trump has managed to evade maintaining a coherent stance on abortion rights, swaying between pro-choice and pro-life views.

In 2016, Trump fulfilled his election promise by nominating three of the five conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overrule Roe v. Wade in 2022, during Bidens first term.

Since Roe was overturned, at least 14 states have ceased nearly all abortion services and seven others have restricted access to abortion care. This has forced patients, in large numbers, to travel across state lines to access crucial care. That doesnt even begin to cover the dangerous increase in doxxing those seeking abortion care or the ongoing fight to deny emergency abortion care to people with life-threatening pregnancies.

Trumps stance has been vague, at best. In an April interview with Time magazine, he promised he would share his policy on the abortion medication mifepristone probably over the next week. Were still waiting.

In early June, Trump told a right-wing Christian group that has called for abortion to be prosecuted as homicide that it would make a comeback like just about no other group if he is re-elected. The previous month, he told a Pittsburgh news station that he was open to restrictions on birth control before later backtracking in a post shared on Truth Social. In April, he said he believed individual states should decide their abortion laws.

My view is, now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, Trump said in a video shared on Truth Social.

Biden, meanwhile, has been consistently supportive of abortion access throughout his political career and has called on Congress to codify protections available under Roe.

In January, he made it clear that reproductive healthcare would be a central topic in this years election in a statement criticizing Republicans who continue to push for a national ban and devastating new restrictions. Biden warned: Because of Republican elected officials, womens health and lives are at risk.

In an interview with POLITICO, Biden campaign co-chair and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer argued: We cannot afford to have someone in the White House who is going to rip these rights away that weve been fighting so hard to protect.

Weve got one candidate who has vowed to use every tool to protect a womans right to make her own decisions. And we have another who is thrilled that it was his appointees that shifted the court and ripped this right away from American women, she noted.

Just this week, Vice President Kamala Harris restated the Biden administrations commitment to improving reproductive healthcare, abortion access and contraception access. Every person of whatever gender should understand that, if such a fundamental freedom such as the right to make decisions about your own body can be taken, be aware of what other freedoms may be at stake, Harris said.

Yet still, Democrats have, at times, made some questionable choices in response to the attack on womens rights. Biden may be called to answer questions about what actionable plan he will put in place to protect our already waning reproductive rights as womens rights in general continue to deplete in a divided America.

Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History.



Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton

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Supporters of paid family and medical leave policy rallied on the steps of the Maine State House in June 2023. One month later the policy became law. (Courtesy of Maine Women's Lobby)

Policy is rarely a panacea, said Destie Hohman Sprague, executive director of the Maine Womens Lobby.

But paid family and medical leave may come as close as it gets for anyone who juggles family life and work.

As Hohman Sprague pointed out, theres almost no demographic that does not need to deal with maintaining your income while dealing with a person or family crisis. For that reason, creating a statewide paid family and medical leave is a cost-effective solution for those universal social and economic challenges.

Maine was the 13th state to adopt paid family and medical leave legislation when it was passed and included in the state budget last July.

The key components of the policy are laid out in statute, but earlier this year, the Department of Labor drafted rules that refine the details and help map out implementation of the program. They clarify definitions, exemptions and other parameters about how and when the program applies.

Mainers have until July 8 to share their feedback on the draft rules with the Department of Labor through mail or an online form.

On June 10, the department hosted an in-person meeting during which roughly a dozen people spoke.

Luke Monahan, the paid family and medical leave director for the Department of Labor, said he couldnt comment on specific themes that have come up in public comment, but people are definitely engaging.

Seeking feedback from a broad swath of people

Monahan said the comment period was open for a protracted period of time because the department wants to hear from a broad swath of people and different interest groups and employers and employees alike.

While Hohman Sprague and others close to the development of the program applaud the draft rules, pointing out nuanced areas for improvement, the Maine business community has expressed concerns over how this will affect employers in the state.

Hohman Sprague, who serves on the Maine Paid Leave Coalition and worked with lawmakers to get the legislation passed, said she commended the department for drafting thorough and intentional rules in a short period of time.

James Myall, another coalition member and analyst for the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said the rules are generally good and erred on the side of making it fair for the employees wherever they can.

After the close of public comments, Monahan said the department will determine if there are any necessary revisions and if there needs to be a second public comment period. Though he couldnt provide a timeline of when a final version would be ready, Monahan said the department is committed to finalizing the rules as quickly as possible. The program has a target deadline of May 2026 for benefits to be available.

We really do recognize that this program is some of the largest legislation thats been passed in Maine in recent years  maybe decades  in the fact that it really affects or applies to over 600,000 Maine employees and probably over 60,000 Maine employers, Monahan said.

Who is eligible?

Paid family and medical leave allows eligible public and private sector workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for reasons such as illness, to care for a loved one or the birth of a new child.

Per statute, workers need to earn at least six times the state average weekly wage in the 12 months before their benefits begin. As of July 1, Maines average weekly wage is $1,144.

Those parameters should cover most employees in the state, Myall said. But he pointed out that the draft rules excluded two groups who werent named in the law: College students who earn wages as part of the federal Work-Study Program and people who earn wages while incarcerated.

Myall said he wasnt quite sure why those groups were excluded, but said the coalition is inclined to include as many people as possible in the program.

How is it paid for?

Eligible employees will contribute to a public fund that will help cover the cost of the benefit. Statute says contributions can be up to 1% of a workers wages, and is split between the employer and employee depending on the size of the company.

Once the benefit is up and running, the exact contribution amount will be reevaluated each year, but for calendar years 2025 to 2027, the contribution rate will be 1%, which will be shared between the employer and employee. However, for companies with fewer than 15 employees, the employer does not pay their portion but workers will still pay 0.5% and collect benefits.

Although the department is starting at the maximum contribution, Myall said it is likely the state will lower it in the future. However, he said he suspects the state is erring on the side of overfilling the bucket to begin with and giving people a break later, rather than starting too low and then realizing that they need to increase the rate.

Myall also said the rules dont fully resolve the question around employers who may fluctuate above and below that 15-employee threshold. Under the rules, the number of employees will be counted on October 1 of each year. This may simplify the administrative work, but Myall said hes concerned this could distort seasonal businesses like ski resorts or amusement parks.

Concern from Maine business community

Employers will be responsible for sending contributions to the state on employees behalf. Those payments will begin in January 2025 to allow time for the funds to accumulate to cover administrative costs and benefit payouts once they become available in May 2026.

This timeline has drawn pushback from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and others in the business community.

The law allows for a business to opt-out of the state paid leave program if it provides an equivalent private plan. However, the draft rules state that businesses need to begin contributions next January, even if they intend to use a private plan.

Instead, the chamber and other business groups would like to see the opt-out window line up with the contribution start date so that businesses can declare their intent to find an equivalent private plan without having to pay into the state fund.

The state hasnt yet approved equivalent private plans, Hohman Sprague said, so until that happens, she sees it as fair and appropriate for businesses to contribute universally.

Myall said there isnt significant concern that too many employers will opt out of the states program. But problems could arise if employers granted exemptions dont end up getting a private plan or getting one that doesnt meet the standards, he said.

Defining family

Because paid family and medical leave is not just about taking care of oneself, Maines policymakers need to determine who qualifies as family. Though there are legal definitions for certain familial relationships, they often fail to capture the reality of who someones family is.

The statute lists specific family relationships including child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling and spouse, including iterations of step, foster or adoptive.

But the statute also includes a broad category for people that are like family. It defines this as having a significant personal bond with someone regardless of biological or legal relationship.

While the draft rules maintain an expansive definition, theres an additional caveat that a person can only have one of those like family relationships per year.

Hohman Sprague appreciates that the department chose to include a broad definition of family, but she said the coalition is concerned about limiting the number of people per year. Many people have close relationships that fall outside of the traditional bonds of family, but Hohman Sprague said this is particularly true for marginalized communities such as the LGBTQ community that may be more reliant on chosen family  or those without a legal relationship.

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The post Maine Dept. of Labor says public is definitely engaging in paid leave rulemaking appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
A highly anticipated piece of Californias plan to entice home insurers back into the state received support from representatives of major companies during a public hearing Wednesday.

Insurers will commit to writing more policies in areas with high wildfire risks as part of a proposed agreement. In return, they will be allowed to use computer models to project future losses when asking the Department of Insurance to increase their rates.

Large companies have restricted or dropped business in recent years, blaming catastrophic wildfires, high costs to rebuild homes and state regulations for their pullback. That has sent the states insurance market into turmoil.

Karen Collins, a vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said Wednesday that the group supports the intent of the plan. Seren Taylor a lobbyist for the Personal Insurance Federation of California said the overall framework of the agreement seems reasonable.

The deal is part of a series of proposed changes to state law promoted by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara as a way to stabilize Californias tumultuous market.

Homeowners have seen a rapid decrease in coverage options and a growing number are having to rely on the California FAIR Plan, a state-created private insurer of last resort.

As part of the new proposal, the department released ZIP codes and counties where insurers would be expected to write more polices. It factored in wildfire risks, the percentage of homes that are on the FAIR plan, the average cost of insurance and the per capita income level in each of the districts, when coming up with the lists.

Still, some communities feel left out.

There is some concern that not all the areas that are in crisis are covered, said Jolena Voorhis, a lobbyist for the League of California Cities.

Insurance companies are not allowed to use computer models when asking to change their rates for policies in the state. They must anticipate claims by looking at the past 20 years, a mandate trade groups argue is obsolete. California is the only state that forces companies to do so.

Under the agreement, companies will be allowed to use those models if they say they will cover a certain number of homes in high risk areas or increase the number of policies they have in those areas by 5%.

Michael Delong, a research and advocacy associate with the Consumer Federation of America, called the 5% threshold a loophole. He said it should be eliminated, adding the proposal had too many ways for insurers to argue or evade their way out of serving Californians.

Carmen Balber, executive director for Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy organization, said allowing companies two years to increase their coverage in the areas is another loophole. She said the plan should specifically outline how the department will enforce the commitments companies make.

The proposed rule is still under review and is expected to be finalized by the department before the end of the year.
Man accused of indecent assault on a child sought by Boston Police

Authorities are searching for a suspect accused of indecent assault and battery on a child in early June.

Boston Police say the alleged crime occurred at 7 a.m. on June 6 near Wainwright Street and Centre Street in Dorchester.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned, possibly early 30s male with a medium build, short brown hair, and a mustache. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, and blue jeans, and carrying a backpack and a plastic shopping bag.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone who recognizes the man in the photo is asked to call Sexual Assault Unit detectives at (617) 343-4400.

No further information was immediately available.

BPD Community Alert: Detectives Assigned to the Sexual Assault Unit (SAU) Seek the Publics Help to Identify The Following Individual in Relation to an Indecent Assault & Battery on a Child https://t.co/rFR1xsvq2V pic.twitter.com/rYYUJGrwv9  Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) June 27, 2024

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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CENTREVILLE  St. Joseph County District Court Judge David Pattison bound over Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz, 24, to circuit court Wednesday to stand trial for the March 20 rape of two grade school sisters in their home.

Three weeks after the first half day of preliminary examination testimony, St. Joseph County prosecutor David Marvin presented the final pieces of evidence needed to convince the judge there was enough evidence, without an actual in-court identification, that Hernandez-Ruiz should stand trial.

Sheriff Sgt. Paulino Hernandez testifies about tracking Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Both the 6-year-old and the 8-year-old took the stand to try to tell what happened in the early morning hours of March 20 when a man came into their mother's bedroom where they slept.

Neither could pick out Hernandez-Ruiz in court as the attacker.

Defense attorney Ross Truckey objected to the bind-over due to the lack of identification of his client as the attacker.

Pattison said, "Identity is really the issue here that gives me the most difficulty and was absolutely critical."

The judge felt the evidence showed Hernandez-Ruiz was the attacker due to "this confluence of coincidences or circumstantial evidence." That included:

The girls' mother worked at the same Indiana factory as Hernandez-Ruiz.

Hernandez-Ruiz saw the mother with the little girls at a Sturgis store in the weeks before the attack.

Hernandez-Ruiz reached out to the mother at work and asked her for help with his insurance, getting her phone number and coming to their home in the Sweetwater trailer park east of Sturgis on U.S. 12.

Sturgis Police recorded the Jeep used by Hernandez on a Flock license plate reader headed east on U.S. 12 that morning at 2:49 a.m., seven miles from the trailer park east of Sturgis.

A neighbor's security video showed only a red Jeep driving down the entrance street into Sweet Lake Park toward the victim's home at 2:56 a.m.

A Michigan State Police Cyber Crime expert used cellphone data to show Hernandez-Ruiz's phone traveled from his home east to the area of the trailer park between 2:45 a.m. and 2:56 a.m. when the signal stopped for 21 minutes. The phone signal returned at 3:17 a.m. and drove back to Hernandez-Ruiz's home address area at 3:25 a.m.

On March 22, Hernandez-Ruiz told his ex-girlfriend, who purchased the Jeep for him, that he planned to move to Ft. Wayne to join his brother.

After Hernandez-Ruiz learned that St. Joseph County Sheriff Sgt. Paulino Hernandez was looking for him, he changed his long-time cell number.

The mother testified through an interpreter when she returned home that morning, she looked up on Facebook the three or possibly four men who had come to their home. She showed the daughters the Facebook pictures. She said only the youngest saw his face and identified Hernandez-Ruiz as the attacker.

However Pattison could not consider the testimony because it was hearsay.

MSP Cyber Crime expert Heather Wyatt testifies about tracking the cell phone of Miguel Hernandez-Ruiz the night of the crimes while Judge Robert Pattison listens intently.

Sgt. Hernandez collected DNA at the crime scene.

Marvin said the Michigan State Police testing lab has yet to complete the analysis, but he hoped the test would be ready in the next six weeks to confirm the attacker's identity.

Plea bargain?

Forced to trial, Marvin said he might need to consider a plea bargain. "Nobody wants to see a plea deal. But there are the consequences, putting the 6-year-old and an 8-year-old on the stand again."

During the closed preliminary exam on June 5, "one of them was braver than the other. One couldn't even speak. She froze. So, I have to weigh that. Is it worth it?" Marvin asked.

Marvin was concerned about presenting enough evidence at the preliminary exam. If Hernandez-Ruiz was released, "as an undocumented, he would flee. We'd never see him again."

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Hernandez-Ruiz faces one count of home invasion first degree and two counts of criminal sexual conduct first degree with the victim under the age of 13. The CSC charges are life felonies.

 Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Man accused of sexually assaulting two girls bound to circuit court
Man arrested for flipping off a trooper gets $175,000 after First Amendment lawsuit

A Vermont man who sued, saying his First Amendment rights were violated when he was arrested for giving the middle finger at a state trooper, reached a $1750,000 settlement.

Gregory Bombard ended the lawsuit against the state of Vermont and the Vermont State Police trooper on Wednesday, giving $100,000 to Bombard and $75,000 in legal fees, according to the ACLU and Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which represented Bombard.

Vermont State Police trooper Jay Riggen stopped Bombard in February 2018 because he believed the driver had extended and displayed his left middle finger over his steering wheel and understood to be a negative gesture directed at him, according to the 2021 complaint.

Bombard denied making the gesture and was free to go, the officer told him. But when the driver pulled away, he uttered something along the lines of a**hole and f*** you, and flipped his middle finger. Bombard was pulled over again and arrested for disorderly conduct.

He was held in jail for over an hour, where he was fingerprinted and had a mugshot taken.

Bombard sued for unconstitutional and retaliatory seizures, claiming violations of the First and Fourth Amendments.

Gregory Bombard settled a lawsuit with the Vermont State Police after he was arrested for disorderly conduct for flipping off a state trooper (American Civil Liberties Union/Vt. State Police via AP)

The defendants did not admit any guilt, according to the settlement agreement.

Bombard said he hoped his suit would bring more change to the police departments policies.

With this settlement, I hope the Vermont State Police will train its troopers to avoid silencing criticism or making baseless car stops, he said in a statement. And at least now I can pay my criminal attorney for defending me from the bogus charges and take my 88-year-old mother out for a nice dinner.

The result of the case is bittersweet, Hillary Rich, a staff attorney with the ACLU of Vermont, said in a statement.

While our client is pleased with this outcome, this incident should never have happened in the first place. Police need to respect everyones First Amendment rightseven for things they consider offensive or insulting, Rich said.

The Vermont State Police toldThe Independent that Riggen retired from the department on May 31, but offered no comment on the settlement.
A series of podcasts

To Maximilian Busser, founder of MB&F, watchmaking is art, but most of all, its a mindset, a journey. The history of watchmaking is filled with adventurers - dreamers, engineers, artists who will each in their own way contribute to a better world. The watchmaking journey is first and foremost about very special individuals. Some are rebels and mavericks and most have a little touch of madness

Over the years, MB&F has united around the brand a collectors circle called The Tribe, who are each in their own way adventurers. In this podcast, youll discover their amazing lives, what drives their creativity and what feeds their passion for watchmaking. Welcome to Tales from the Tribe, the MB&Fs Podcast.

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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Busser. Production : Lacme Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.

EPISODE 1 - Learn how to smell the roses with Wen Hsieh

This first episode of our series features Wen Hsieh. He was, until recently, a managing partner at Kleiner Perkins, one of the world's most prominent venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, he's an expert at fostering tech innovations through startups, and he just started his own Hardtech VC firm Matter Venture Partners. Maximilian Busser says that meeting him is one of the high points of his last couple of years, because as successful as Wen is as an entrepreneurial venture capitalist, he still cultivates a little touch of madness in everything he does. In this episode, well talk about Wens childhood in the Amazon jungle living like a native Indian kid, Googles historic first fundraise, the power of imagination in his daily life, his willingness to find work life balance as a busy venture capitalist, and finally the dream he wishes to achieve in the year to come.

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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Busser. Production : Lacme Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.

Tales From the Tribe - Learn how to smell the roses with Wen Hsieh  MB&F

EPISODE 2 - The power of regrets with Todd Searle

This second episode of our series features Todd Searle. Todd defines himself as a dreamer, which is the best way to talk about him. He is so passionate about artisanal watchmaking that he left everything behind to live fully in his passion, becoming one of the main directors of watchmaking documentaries in the world. Fierce protector of the spirit of entrepreneurship, he is the author of 32 Regrets : A Guide to Reclaiming Creativity, where he talks about entrepreneurs who have successfully turned their lifes passion into self sustaining ventures, including Maximilian Busser.

In this episode, Todd talks about failure as a major key to success, his love at first sight for artisanal watches, his passion for the history of Swiss watchmaking and most of all, about creativity as a major driver in his life.

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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Busser. Production : Lacme Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.

EPISODE 3 - Reinventing Human Body with Bill Doyle

This third episode of our series features Bill Doyle. Bill was early fascinated by the stories of engineers. He studied physics, material science and engineering, and developed while being a grad student in MIT the first practical electroluminescent lamps that were later integrated into watchmaking processes. Besides his passion for independent watchmaking and exotic materials such as zirconia, niobium or tungsten, he dedicated his career to healthcare.

In this episode, Bill shares his fascination for the human body, his work on a completely new approach to treating cancer based on electric fields and his vision of the future of healthcare, but also his bond to watchmaking as an intersectional space between science, engineering and art.

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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Busser. Production : Lacme Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.

EPISODE 4 - Helping for good with Nirdhar Khazanie

This fourth episode of our series features Nirdhar Khazanie. Better known as Ninu, hes a Senior Product Manager, working on Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp security and data privacy at Meta. No less! But first and foremost hes a true watch lover, driven by the desire to help others. Ninu is both an incredibly determined gentleman, founder of a non-profit organization who took part in building machine learning models that affect billions of people, and a family man who loves cooking and sharing good meals.

In this episode, Nirdhar shares his vision of helping people as a driving force for the tech industry, his advice on how to set and achieve one's goals, his fondness for watchess unique fingerprint and above all, his love for surprises.

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Tales From The Tribe is an MB&F creation, hosted by Maximilian Busser. Production : Lacme Studios & Converge - Author : Hugo Baiardi - Direction : Josh Vardey - Mix : Ben Auriel - Original Soundtrack : Pablo Altar- Graphics : Maxime Schertenleib.
Man charged in fatal shooting after leaving DFW Airport was using drugs, report says

The 18-year-old man who, while on a layover at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, is accused of fatally shooting a Fort Worth man outside of a warehouse on May 30 was seen acting strangely at the Chattanooga Airport before he flew into DFW, according to airport police.

Decan Medeiros, of Kettle Falls, Washington, was arrested in the killing of 36-year-old Lee Douglas, who was gunned down outside the Refresco Beverages plant at 15200 Trinity Blvd. in far east Fort Worth as he was walking to his car while on a break from work.

A Fort Worth police arrest warrant affidavit says Medeiros tried to enter the building before he began shooting. Medeiros also fired at two of Douglas co-workers and an employee at a nearby warehouse, none of whom were injured, authorities said.

Mederios has been in custody since he was first arrested near the shooting scene on four counts of aggravated assault in the shooting. A murder charge was added after Douglas died in the hospital on June 11.

Upon his arrest, police said they found two boxes of ammunition in a bag Medeiros was carrying at the time of the shooting. The bullets in the bag matched the type used in the shooting.

His father, Ricky Medeiros, told the Star-Telegram he was completely perplexed by his sons arrest.

I think its weird as hell, to be honest, said Ricky Medeiros. The kid is gonna randomly get off a [expletive] plane, find a gun and then go execute somebody?

Ricky and another family member of Medeiros, Rachel Benjamin, told DFW Airport police that while Decan had never been medically diagnosed, he suffered from depression.

Benjamin contacted DFW Airport on June 2, stating she had not heard from Medeiros. She said he had flown to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to work with his father due to his acting up at home, the report from DFW police says.

He was using drugs such as marijuana, acid, and hallucinogens before his trip, Benjamin told police.

She last spoke to Medeiros on May 29, the day he was supposed to return home and fly into Spokane, Washington.

An American Airlines employee confirmed to police that Medeiros boarded his flight from Chattanooga to DFW, but never boarded his connecting flight to Spokane.

Medeiros left Tennessee angry at his father, according to the report. After his father told him he could stay with him to work or go back to his home in Washington, Medeiros chose to go back, the report says.

The 18-year-old had been acting weird and made concerning Facebook posts, including one that read, its hard, according to his father. Ricky Medeiros insisted his son was not suicidal.

The suspect could have left DFW Airport because of his behavior, his father told police.

Chattanooga Airport police had approached Medieros on May 28 after receiving a suspicious persons call regarding a man who was running around shirtless and was startling women, according to the report. The officers reported his behavior to be off, as he was excessively sweating and incoherent when spoken to, the report says.

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Officers at the Chattanooga airport had to contact Medeiros father to book another flight for him after he missed his first flight to DFW on May 29.

His father told the Star-Telegram that Medeiros is not a killer, but the family of Douglas, who was Black, is asking Fort Worth police to investigate the shooting as a hate crime. The family believes race was a factor.

We definitely want to get down to the bottom of it, Douglas sister Aushalay Meadows told the Star-Telegram in an interview. I wanna know what the motive is. Like I just dont understand how you just walk up to somebody and shoot them.

Medeiros remains in custody at the Lon Evans Corrections Center, part of the Tarrant County jail system, with bail set at $615,000.
Man charged with sexual crimes against three children

Man charged with sexual crimes against three children

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)  A man has been arrested after police say he was involved in three separate cases of child sexual abuse.

According to the Scranton Police Special Victims Unit, officers arrested 26-year-old Marquis Richardson from New Jersey after three different investigations took place over six years.

Police say Richardson was a suspect in two previous sexual assaults of a child in 2018. Then, in May, Richardson became a suspect in a similar investigation involving two other children.

Arrest made after man allegedly poses as officer, steals cars

Richardson has been charged with the following;

Rape of a child

Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse

Sexual assault

Statutory sexual assault

Aggravated incident assault

Corruption of minors

Indecent exposure

Suspect child abuse or neglect? Call Childline: 1-800-932-0313.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com.
A man is in critical condition after police responded to a shooting at 5600 Cagle Dr. Thursday morning on June 27.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

At around 10:30 a.m., Jacksonville Sheriffs officers found a man shot in the head.

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Jacksonville Fire and Rescue took the victim to the hospital where JSO said he is in critical condition.

Homicide unit detectives discovered that two people were involved in a fight over property. During the argument, the victim pulled out a handgun and was then shot in the head. It is unclear with what gun he was shot with.

JSO said in a briefing at the scene that several people have been detained and are being questioned.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office by phone at 904-630-0500, by email at jsocrimetips@jaxsheriff.org, or via CrimeStoppers at 866-845-TIPS.

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Man dies after he was found shot outside Kansas City, Kansas residence Wednesday evening

One person died after a shooting Wednesday in Kansas City, Kansas.

Officers responded to a shooting Wednesday evening in the 4900 block of Steele Road, where they found a man who had been shot outside a residence, according to Nancy Chartrand, a spokesperson for the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other adults were taken to a hospital with injuries not related to gunfire that were serious but not life threatening.

The killing was the 13th homicide in Kansas City, Kansas, this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. There had been 12 homicides at this time last year.

Police ask anyone with information to contact the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. Tips are anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
Man fatally shoots ex and her mom a week after she filed for divorce, Arizona cops say

A 60-year-old man broke into his estranged wifes apartment and fatally shot her and her mother, Arizona deputies said.

Authorities responded to a home after 3 a.m. June 25 in Sun City, the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office said in a probable cause statement.

Neighbors went to investigate noises coming from the apartment above them, deputies said in the report.

They saw the front door had been left open, and a man in dark clothing wearing gloves and holding a gun stepped outside, deputies said.

Officers said he held the neighbors at gunpoint, had them lie on the ground as he took their phone and told them he would shoot them.

At one point, however, the neighbors ran back into their home and called 911, deputies said.

Woman and mom found shot

Once deputies got to the apartment, they heard a woman yelling for help inside, authorities said in the probable cause statement.

They discovered the mans wife alive, but she had been shot multiple times, deputies said, and her mother was dead.

Medical responders attempted to perform life-saving measures on the wife, deputies said.

But as she was dying, deputies said she told authorities that her ex-husband, Robert McGrath, had shot her.

She gave deputies his address and a description of his vehicle.

Deputies also noticed at the scene that the front door of the apartment had been damaged and a large brick was inside the doorway, court documents said.

The woman had filed for divorce June 17, and deputies said she had reported McGrath to police weeks before the shooting, saying he had threatened to kill her.

Deputies arrested McGrath at his home in El Mirage.

He was charged on multiple counts:

Two counts of first-degree murder

Two counts aggravated assault with a deadly weapon

Two counts of kidnapping, apprehension of injury

One count of armed robbery

One count of first-degree burglary

Sun City is about a 15-mile drive northwest from Phoenix.

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Girlfriend and her son charged in mans death, TN cops say. His roommate is missing too

Man goes to ex-girlfriends work, orders food and then shoots her dead, AZ officials say

Man accused of killing three family members said they were intruders, Texas cops say
Man who killed 5 in North Las Vegas took ex-girlfriend hostage after mass shooting, police say

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The man who shot and killed five people and injured a teenager in a series of shootings Monday night took his ex-girlfriend hostage after the shootings, police said Thursday.

Eric Adams, 47, shot six people and kidnapped another in two apartments at the Craig Ranch Villas shortly after 10 p.m. on Monday, June 24 near Craig Ranch Park and Commerce Street, police said.

On Tuesday, Adams died by suicide as police closed in on him.

Adams was visiting his ex-girlfriend in a ground-floor apartment at the Craig Ranch Villas when the two got into a domestic-related argument, according to the North Las Vegas Police Department.

The woman had filed a protection order against Adams in March, police confirmed to 8 News Now. The order was scheduled to expire in July.

During the argument, Adams armed himself with a gun and shot two other women in the apartment, identified as the ex-girlfriends 24-year-old daughter and her friend, who was 22.

Police said an upstairs neighbor, a 20-year-old man, overheard the argument and went downstairs to see if he could help. For unknown reasons, Adams shot and killed the man inside the downstairs apartment, before going upstairs to the mans apartment and fatally shooting the mans 59-year-old grandmother and 40-year-old mother.

He also shot and injured the mans 13-year-old sister, who remained in the hospital as of Wednesday.

There were two other teenagers out of sight in the upstairs apartment that Adams did not see, who were unharmed.

Adams then took his ex-girlfriend hostage and drove away from the scene. In the early hours of Tuesday, June 25, she was able to escape unharmed and approached a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer who was on an unrelated traffic stop.

When NLVPD officers responded to the apartment complex, they first found the victims in the upstairs apartment. Shortly after, with the new information from the ex-girlfriend, detectives located the additional three victims in the ground-floor apartment.

On Wednesday, the Clark County Coroners Office identified Kayla Harris, 24, as one of the bottom-floor victims.

Thursday afternoon, they identified three more victims as Amy Damian, 40; Damiana Moreno, 59; and Jennette Faria-Webster, 22. Both Damian and Moreno were shot in the upstairs apartment.

The fifth victim had not yet been officially identified as of Thursday afternoon.

Adams completed domestic violence counseling earlier this month and threatened to kill a woman last year, the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Wednesday.

Court records show Adams has a history of domestic violence convictions, including one 2023 case where a judge ordered him to attend classes for a year, pay a fine and complete community service.

Tuesday morning, police said Adams was believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. They advised anyone who saw him to not approach. Metro police said they received information that Adams was at a business on the 1500 block of Lake Mead Boulevard.

North Las Vegas police said when officers responded to the area, they found Adams armed with a firearm before he jumped into the backyard of a residence on Dwayne Stedman Avenue near MLK Boulevard and Balzar Avenue.

Officers gave verbal commands for Adams to drop his weapon, but he ignored the commands and died by suicide, police said.

The surviving victims and their families are being assisted by the North Las Vegas Police Department, victim advocates and detectives, to help them through this difficult time, police said.

Anyone who may have information about this crime is urged to contact the North Las Vegas Police Department by phone at 702-633-9111. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555, or online at crimestoppersofnv.com.

For a list of local and state resources for domestic violence and abuse victims, visit this link.

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DENVER (KDVR)  A 39-year-old man was sentenced Monday to two 12-year sentences, scheduled to be served concurrently, for a charge of trafficking for sexual servitude and another charge of retaliation against the victim in the trafficking case.

Roman Bear Rivera was arrested on Oct. 19, 2023, by the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office as part of a national FBI effort called Operation Cross Country. The operation targeted sex trafficking operations to locate victims and arrest individuals perpetrating the abuse across the U.S.

Kayaker missing at Larimer County reservoir, search ongoing

According to the First Judicial District Attorneys Office, Rivera pleaded guilty in May as part of a global disposition to the top charge of human trafficking for sexual servitude and a count of retaliation against a witness or victim. He originally faced charges of human trafficking for sexual servitude and pimping.

Because Rivera pleaded guilty under an agreement, he faced a maximum of 8-12 years in prison.

In February, Rivera made bond and was released from custody. Officers say this is when Rivera located the victim and assaulted her at a motel. He was then arrested and charged with retaliation against a witness, third-degree assault and violation of a protection order.

Law enforcement said Rivera made numerous attempts to contact the victim in his case while in jail custody, picking up additional protection order violations in the process.

Lakewood arrest part of nationwide FBI operation

Investigators with the Lakewood Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office began investigating Rivera after finding an ad for sex in exchange for money after July 2023.

Investigators connected with an adult female victim of Rivera to provide her with resources. Hours after investigators met with the victim, an undercover investigator was contacted by Rivera.

What happens to drugs confiscated by law enforcement in Colorado?

According to police, Rivera was not aware of the investigators true identity and texted several times, demanding contact with his victim and threatening investigators. Investigators say the messages demonstrated Riveras manipulation and control of the victim.

The deputies also reported that Rivera later told investigators that since the victim had not come home, they would need to pay for the hours that the victim could not work. Rivera also allegedly said the victim had sent pictures of the investigators to him for insurance purposes, and threatened extortion.

Later, in a phone call between investigators and Rivera, Rivera allegedly alluded to controlling other sex trafficking victims, and said the victim who was working with investigators was supposed to be on the clock.

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This summer, DOXA, a brand well known for its pioneering dive watches, is unveiling a new iteration of the SUB 600T, now paired with matching NATO straps

This latest update to the line marries the vintage appeal of the iconic 80s model with a sporty, cool-casual vibe, perfect for both divers and style aficionados alike. Available in DOXA's seven emblematic colorways, this new offering promises a vibrant tribute to the brands past whilst striking a chord with contemporary trends.

A Brief History of the SUB 600T

During the 1980s, under the ownership of Aubry Freres, DOXA first introduced the SUB 600T. At the time, it marked both an evolutionary and revolutionary milestone within the diving community. Renowned for its unmistakable design, including the brilliant orange dial, the SUB 600T was instantly recognizable as a DOXA diver. This model laid the groundwork for what many enthusiasts affectionately refer to as a parallel SUB universea realm where functionality meets form in seamless harmony.

SUB 600T with NATO strap  DOXA

A Modern Tribute

Fast forward over forty years, and DOXA has not merely revisited this chapter of its rich heritage; it has reimagined it. The modern SUB 600T still boasts the robust design elements of its predecessors and is carved from a solid block of 316L stainless steel and topped with a sapphire crystal. The 40mm case, prominent dial, and the strategically placed crown at 4 o'clock continue to characterize the distinctive silhouette of the iconic SUB 600T.

However, the newly introduced feature for this family is the tone-on-tone NATO straps that are both in tune with modern styles as well as a nod to their military origins. Known for their durability and comfort, NATO straps have evolved from their utilitarian roots to become a staple in the world of luxury watches. The watches will come fitted with quick-release spring bars for easy swaps, making them as functional as they are fashionable.

SUB 600T with NATO strap  DOXA

Practical and Elegant

The term "NATO strap" originates from the NATO Stocking Number (NSN) for a design based on military-grade specifications. Initially introduced by the British Ministry of Defence in 1973, these straps were built to withstand rigorous use. Today, they have transcended their military heritage to become a versatile and easy choice among watch enthusiasts, blending reliability with aesthetic flexibility.

Due to their construction from weaved nylon threads, NATO straps are both lightweight and incredibly durable. They were ideal for combat diving as the straps were able to withstand the trails of the military life and ensured that the watch was always securely fastened to the divers wrist. This was an era that predated wrist-mounted dive computers and a divers watch was a lifesaving tool.

Technical Excellence Meets Style

The SUB 600T is not just about looks; it is a serious tool watch. With a unidirectional rotating bezel and a depth rating of 60 ATM (600 meters), it is engineered for professional divers but has always appealed to horological enthusiasts for either collecting or diving; and ideally a mixture of both! The watch features a three-hand display and a date function, in line with the DOXA dive watch formula of the past. All critical dive indications, including the unique shark tooth markers, are coated with Super-LumiNova, ensuring optimal readability under low light conditions.

SUB 600T with NATO strap  DOXA

Easy Summer Living

With the launch of the SUB 600T on NATO straps, DOXA is tapping into the summer spirit, offering a perfect blend of performance and style. This watch is not just an instrument for divers; it's a statement piece for anyone who values the legacy of a timeless design combined with the practicality of contemporary features.

Not only are NATO straps easy to swap but maintaining them is very easy to do. The straps can be easily rinsed in fresh water to remove any salt residue when used in the ocean. Likewise, if the strap is showing signs of use, a gentle wash on soap and like scrubbing with a brush will bring it back to like new!

As the DOXA community celebrates this hotly anticipated release, the SUB 600T in steel with a tone-on-tone NATO strap stands out as a testament to the brand's commitment to honoring its history whilst evolving with the times. Its a celebration of enduring design and modern functionalitya true icon, reborn for today's watch lovers!
SALEM, Ore. (KOIN)  A man and teen were arrested Tuesday after an armed robbery at a Salem convenience store the previous day, police said.

Twenty-three-year-old Barry Johnson was booked into the Marion County Jail on first-degree robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle charges. The 16-year-old boy was lodged in the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center after his arrest.

Washingtons new bias incident hotline will launch in three counties

Officers responded to the US Market in the 2900 block of 12th ST SE around 10 p.m. Monday after receiving a report on an armed robbery, authorities said.

Two individuals were caught on camera robbing a store, according to Salem police. (Salem PD).

Employees reported they were robbed at gunpoint by two young men who demanded cash and merchandise. The duo then fled the scene in a car, police said. Using surveillance video of the incident, officers identified the involved vehicle and suspects.

The two individuals were arrested on Tuesday after the Salem Police SWAT team served a search warrant at an apartment in the 1200 block of Peace ST SE. During the search, authorities seized two semi-automatic rifles, ammunition, and some of the merchandise stolen in the robbery.

Additionally, police determined the car used in the crime was a stolen vehicle.

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A 40-year-old Davenport man was in custody Thursday after police allege he used a knife to threaten a victim in a Davenport hotel, court records show.

Kyle Floyd, whose address also is listed as Silvis in court records, faces a Class B felony charge of first-degree robbery, according to arrest affidavits.

Kyle Floyd (Scott County Jail)

About 12:04 a.m. Monday, Davenport Police were dispatched to the I-80 Inn & Suites, 7222 Northwest Boulevard, for a report of a robbery, affidavits say.

In affidavits, police allege Floyd armed himself with a knife pulled from a sheath on his person and presented it in an aggressive and threatening manner toward a victim while telling the victim to get out of a hotel room.

This placed the victim in fear of immediate serious injury, affidavits say.

Police allege in affidavits that Floyd also told the victim to leave their belongings in the room while the victim was trying to acquire personal property, further proving (Floyds) intent to deprive the victim.

Floyd, police say, left the scene in his gray 2011 Toyota Camry while in possession of the victims wallet containing cash, drivers license and debit/credit cards, according to affidavits.

Floyd, who was arrested on a warrant, was being held on $25,000 bond in Scott County Jail. He is set for a preliminary hearing July 5 in Scott County Court.

In Iowa, a Class B felony carries a punishment of up to 25 years incarceration.

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Managers of Ukrainian furniture firm suspected of supplying products to Russia worth millions of euros

Ukrainian law enforcement officers have served six senior managers of a Kharkiv-based company with a notice of suspicion of aiding the aggressor state of Russia.

Source: press service of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO)

Details: The investigation revealed that the managers and owners of a leading Ukrainian furniture company in the city of Kharkiv transferred manufacturing equipment to a Russian firm they headed, using companies they controlled in Turkiye and Poland.

The PGO noted that they had arranged dozens of large deliveries of their products to the territory of Russia in 2022-2023.

The number of contracts they have concluded to supply products through proxy firms to Russia has amounted to millions of euros since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"The products transported to Russia with the assistance of the suspects were sold to Russian state-owned firms  Rosagrolising JSC [Joint-Stock Company], Rostelecom PJSC [Private Joint-Stock Company], Sberbank PJSC, MTS PJSC, Moscow Credit Bank PJSC, Tinkoff JSC, K-Technologies JSC, which are subject to sanctions. Furthermore, the sales revenue amounted to tens of millions of Russian roubles," the PGO said.

It was also established that the Russian company headed by the suspects made payments to Russia's Federal Tax Service in 2022-2023, totalling RUB 140 million (roughly US$1.5 million).

The press service added that searches were conducted at the suspects' production facilities and homes. Documents, computer equipment, and phones have been seized.

The issue of choosing a pre-trial restriction in the form of remand in custody is currently being considered.

Background: The court found guilty and sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison Dmytro Sviatash, a former Ukrainian lawmaker, for calling for changes to the borders of Ukraine, legalisation of property and fraud worth UAH 2.2 billion (roughly US$54.2 million).

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Marcos Says Philippines Must Go Beyond Protest After China Clash

(Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his country needs to do more than just filing diplomatic protests against China, following the latest confrontation in the South China Sea.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Philippines has summoned the Chinese envoy in Manila many times and has filed over 100 protests and demarches to object to Chinese actions in the disputed waters, Marcos said Thursday. We have to do more than just that, he said, without elaborating.

The nations Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Wednesday said his agency has sent a diplomatic note to China on the June 17 encounter between Chinese and Philippine vessels that led to a Filipino sailor losing a finger.

Marcos said the incident was not an armed attack that may trigger a defense treaty with the US.

Although there were no arms involved, nonetheless, it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by the Chinese forces, Marcos said.

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The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Wednesday to preserve Marilyn Monroes Brentwood home, where the star lived and died, as a Historic-Cultural Monument, saving it from demolition.

The vote ends a nearly year-long saga and effort to save the home from destruction.

Last summer, the citys Department of Building and Safety issued a demolition permit for the home.

The city council then unanimously approved Councilwoman Traci Parks emergency motion to block demolition and begin the process of designating the house as a historic building, CNN previously reported. Park represents the district where the house is located.

This weeks preservation vote was the final step in the process for designation, the citys planning department told CNN.

The homes owners sued the city over the matter in May, claiming abuse of power. A motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the city councils vote to preserve the home was denied by a judge earlier this month, but the case remains ongoing and should be set for trial later this fall, according to Peter C. Sheridan of Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP, an attorney representing the owners.

During a speech in front of the council before the vote Wednesday, Park urged her colleagues to preserve the LA landmark. She referred to the home, like Monroe, as iconic.

There is likely no woman in history or culture who captures the imagination of the public the way Marilyn Monroe did. Even all these years later, her story still resonates and inspires many of us today, she said. To lose this piece of history, the only home Marilyn Monroe ever owned, would be a devastating blow for historic preservation, and for a city where less than 3% of historic designations are associated with womens heritage.

An aerial view of the house where actress Marilyn Monroe died is seen on July 26, 2002 in Brentwood, California. - Mel Bouzad/Getty Images

Park said that she did not take the matter lightly and that she has been in communication with nearby residents about their concerns over traffic and safety.

She introduced another motion Wednesday to evaluate tour bus restrictions on the street and surrounding areas, she said.

My team and I have worked closely with the property owners to assess potentially moving the home to a place where the public might actually be able to visit and spend time, she said. I remain hopeful and committed to work with the property owners to see if this can be done in the future, but today, lets preserve this essential piece of LAs history and culture.

Sheridan said in a statement that neither Park nor her staff have worked closely with the owners, throughout this process or anytime else, to relocate the house to allow for public access.

In fact, the opposite is true, he continued, adding that Ms. Park has ignored the fact that her constituents  civic and homeowners groups in the community  are adamantly against the designation of the home. Ms. Park has also ignored that the City granted dozens of permits to over 14 different prior owners to change the home through numerous remodels, resulting in there being nothing left reflecting Ms. Monroes brief time there 60 years ago.

With the ongoing lawsuit, the homeowners are hoping that the court declares the entire process to save the home from demolition illegal, and directs the city to withdraw its designation, Sheridan said.

The Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historic places in the city, called Wednesdays vote a success.

This designation is proof that community advocacy WORKS, the organization said in an Instagram post, thanking Park for her efforts.

The Brentwood bungalow was built in 1929 and is valued at about $8 million, according to property records. Monroe lived there for just months before she died in 1962 at the age of 36, Park said. The pop culture icon died at the home after overdosing on barbiturates.

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UPDATED with statement from property owners: Some like it not  torn down.

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to designate Marilyn Monroes former Westside home as a historic cultural monument, thwarting the current owners attempt to demolish it. The move comes five months after L.A.s Cultural Heritage Commission blocked the demolition efforts over the houses cultural significance.

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Councilwoman Traci Park  who represents the citys 11th District  said before Wednesdays vote: We have an opportunity to do something today that should have been done 60 years ago.  There is likely no woman in history or culture who captures the imagination of the public the way Marilyn Monroe did. Even all these years later, her story still resonates and inspires many of us today.

The home at 12305 West Fifth Helena Drive is where the revered actress was found dead at 36 in August 1962.

Back in September, Park moved to save the house by designating it as a historic cultural monument. She said it would be a devastating blow for historic preservation and for a city where less than 3% of historic designations are associated with womens heritage.

Two weeks ago, the council had put off its vote after Park requested an extension to address concerns from the homes owners and from area residents, who have expressed concerns about privacy and safety with the designation.

Park noted that she has balanced those concerns as the designation moved through the Historic Cultural Commission and the councils Planning and Land Use Management Committee. She introduced a motion during Wednesdays meeting to evaluate tour bus restrictions on West Fifth Helena Drive and surrounding streets.

On May 6, attorneys for real estate heiress Brinah Milstein and her husband, former Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? exec producer Roy Bank, filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant in which they said the city was violating the law by trying to give the home historical recognition. The pair bought the residence in July 2023 for $8.35 million and had obtained a demolition permit from the city  which later was revoked.

Chalfant issued a tentative ruling in favor of the city, calling the Milstein-Bank motion an ill-disguised motion to win so that they can demolish the home and eliminate the historic cultural monument issue.

An attorney for property owners said in a statement to Deadline. Council Member Traci Park, in bringing a motion to designate the former home of Marilyn Monroe as a Historic Cultural Monument, said she has worked closely with the owners throughout this process to relocate this house to allow for public access.  In fact, the opposite is true, Peter C. Sheridan said. The owners have made countless attempts to work with Ms. Park and her staff to find a solution that would work for everyone, only to be met with non-responsiveness by Ms. Park and her staff.  The designation today was yet another step in an admittedly biased, unconstitutional and rigged process, as set forth in the owners lawsuit.





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One week after she began serving home detention, former Baltimore States Attorney Marilyn Mosby is seeking permission to travel for a paid speaking gig in New Orleans that will help advance her consulting company, her lawyer wrote in a new court filing.

The federal probation office opposes the request because its policies prohibit travel during the first two months of a defendants supervised release, according to the filing.

Mosby, 44, is serving one year on home detention and two additional years of probation, her sentence after being convicted of perjury and mortgage fraud. Separate federal juries found Mosby guilty of the charges, agreeing with prosecutors that she lied to withdraw money from her city retirement account early and then submitted a false gift letter when she bought the second of two Florida vacation properties with the money.

Mosby began her electronic monitoring on June 20, after a brief delay because of the death of her grandmother in Massachusetts.

Now, Mosby wants to travel to New Orleans for a paid contract position at the Essence Festival of Culture. Her lawyer, Federal Public Defender James Wyda, wrote that the opportunity may help connect her with other speaking engagements.

This event is crucial to advancing Ms. Mosbys consulting company, Mahogany Elite Enterprises, LLC, Wyda wrote. Through this company, Ms. Mosby will be offering her services to speak on issues of race, justice, and equality impacting black women. Her background and expertise as a former States Attorney in Baltimore make her an ideal speaker to address these issues confronting black women.

Black Star Network offered Mosby a position as a legal contributor covering the Essence Community Impact Hub program at the festival on July 6 and 7, Wyda wrote. The program will include a live podcast on the empowerment of Black women and other discussions about civil rights activism and economic empowerment, he wrote.

Mosby will receive a fee and a stipend from the Global Black Economic Forum for travel and lodging expenses, according to the motion.

While on home detention, Mosby is restricted to her residence except for work, education, religious services, medical treatment, child care or other activities approved by her probation officer. Wyda said the speaking engagement is an employment opportunity that Mosby should not have to miss.

In particular, the Essence Festival (one of the largest and most influential African-American festivals in the country) will give her a platform to share her experience and insights with a broader audience, which in turn will likely lead to more paid speaking engagements for her business, Wyda wrote.

Mosby launched multiple Mahogany Elite businesses while she still was the citys top prosecutor. The revelation that she had started the businesses during her term sparked intense scrutiny, and one of the companies, Mahogany Elite Travel, ultimately came to be part of her trial on perjury charges in November.

Prosecutors charged that Mosby falsely claimed to have suffered an adverse financial consequence related to the coronavirus pandemic in order to withdraw about $80,000 from her city retirement account early under the CARES Act, emergency legislation passed to ease the economic damage of the health crisis.

Mosbys defense team argued that she qualified for the withdrawals because the travel company she planned to launch in 2020 had to be scrapped during the pandemic. The government countered that the business had no customers, income or records and effectively did not exist. Jurors found Mosby guilty of lying on the withdrawal forms.

At Mosbys second trial, prosecutors alleged she made a series of false statements when she used the retirement withdrawals to purchase two Florida vacation properties: an eight-bedroom house near Disney World and a condo on the Gulf Coast.

Jurors acquitted Mosby of one count of mortgage fraud, related to the house near Disney, but found her guilty of the second count. The jury indicated that it found Mosby submitted a false gift letter claiming her then-husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, would provide $5,000 to help her close on the condo.

U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby spared Mosby prison time at her sentencing last month, overruling a request from prosecutors and federal sentencing guidelines that called for a short prison term.

Mosby is also appealing her convictions to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Marjorie Taylor Greene made a startling comment on the House floor Wednesday when arguing that a person who abuses her position in government to meddle in democratic elections should be nowhere near public office.

The Georgia congresswomanwho voted to overturn Joe Bidens 2020 presidential election win and has boosted Donald Trumps baseless claims of voter fraudmade the remark during a tirade against USAID Administrator Samantha Power.

Is MTG's Book Such a Flop She Hasn't Made a Dime From It?

Samantha Power is a globalist left-wing activist who uses government positions to force the regimes views on the American people and the rest of the world, Greene said while introducing an amendment to reduce Powers salary to $1.

She went on to attack Power over USAIDs diversity programs, complaining that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion advisers had been installed throughout the agency on her watch while DEI scorecards are being used to track staff compliance with the administrations DEI directives.

These blatantly political scorecards demand ideological conformity and should have no place in the government workplace or elsewhere, Greene said. As well as making her apparently unironic jibe about election meddling, the MAGA lawmaker claimed: Instead of fulfilling her role as an administrator, Samantha Power is focused on imposing a left-wing agenda throughout the entire U.S. government and its proxies around the world.

Several social media users were apparently surprised by Greenes call to keep election meddlers away from public office, variously accusing her of hypocrisy and demonstrating that irony is dead.

The conspiracy theory-peddling Republican was among the first Trump-supporting lawmakers to confirm her belief that the 2020 election was stolen through voter fraud.

Shes since continued to defend Trumps actions around the election, saying in March that there was nothing wrong with what the former president said when he called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find the number of votes he needed to win the state.

She also spoke at a town hall in April about her regret about the failure to stop Biden becoming president in early 2021. If I had it my way, we would have been successful in our objection on January 6th and he wouldnt even be president, Greene said.

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Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) became increasingly irate on Tuesday when an Australian news anchors questions turned to former President Donald Trump and whether she would accept the result of the 2024 election if President Joe Biden wins.

Conspiracy theory-peddler Greene was ostensibly on the Australian Broadcasting Corporations 7.30 show to talk about her delight at Wikileaks founder Julian Assanges release and return to Australia.

But she got testy whenever anchor Sarah Ferguson tried to turn the topic to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

Marjorie Taylor Greene throws a tantrum on Australian TV when asked if shed accept the results of the election if Biden wins and asks if the interviewer is 'getting marching orders from the Democrat party.' pic.twitter.com/qedd5gnNjh  MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 27, 2024

Greene tried to goad Ferguson by asking if she was a serious interviewer and claiming she couldnt be taken seriously.

Ferguson kept pressing, though, and toward the end of their exchange asked: If it doesnt go your way, if Biden wins, will you accept the result?

Greene fired back: Again, what does this have to do with Julian Assange? Seriously, thats what were supposed to be talking about. What network is that? What is this? ABC in Australia? Is she getting her marching orders from the Democrat Party? I mean, like, is this what you decided to come up with today?

Ferguson noted that Greene, once rumored to be a potential running mate for Trump, is a prominent figure in U.S. politics and the American presidential election is on the minds not just of Americans, but of the whole world, explaining her line of questioning as a natural point of curiosity.

But I understand that weve reached the end of the questions that you want to answer, she told Greene. Thank you for talking to us about Julian Assange and for joining the program.

Greene removed her mic and the interview ended.

On Thursday, Greene wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that shes always wanted to go to Australia and is sure the Australian people are wonderful just like the American people.

She added, The Australian press however, [sic] clearly mindless robots muttering the same stupid talking points from their government masters. Just like ours.

Watch the full interview here:

Earlier this week, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitts interview with CNNs Kasie Hunt was similarly cut short (albeit much, much sooner) after Leavitt refused to stop attacking Hunts colleagues Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the moderators of the first Trump-Biden debate that the network is hosting in Atlanta on Thursday.

You come on my show. You respect my colleagues. Period, Hunt wrote on X afterward. I dont care what side of the aisle you stand on, as my track record clearly shows.

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Jaquet Drozs Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal epitomises the high-end brands new direction

For those keeping an eye on Swatch Groups stable of brands recently, they couldnt have helped notice the times have been a-changin' at Jaquet Droz. Inspired by the work of 18th century watchmaker Pierre Jaquet-Droz, the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based outfit has undergone a startling transformation over the past two years under the impressive stewardship of CEO Alain Delamuraz.

When the former vice president of Blancpain arrived at the helm of Jaquet Droz in 2022, he made the radical decision to shed the maisons mid-high-end image and output. Instead, he implemented a fresh approach which sees the watchmaker now create ultra-high-end unique pieces  centred around artistic crafts, automota and a high degree of customisation. These are made in tiny volumes and now sold directly to the most discerning end customers around the globe.

Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal  Jaquet Droz

Bold and Disruptive

Oven-fired enamelling, engraving, micro-sculpture, miniature painting and quail eggshell mosaic are just a few of the metiers dart the brand specialises in. And these techniques are commonly used to riff on themes of varying cultural interest whether it be the Rolling Stones, Chinese dragons or the skull and crossbones insignia.

While the brand still channels the DNA established by Pierre Jaquet-Droz  notably his figure-of-eight Grande Seconde dial design for his 1784 pocket watch  the tendency now is to be bold, disruptive and decidedly contemporary.

"Were opening up to new clients who dont necessarily want daddys watch, yet who still admire traditional expertise and artistic crafts, says Delamuraz who is presiding over a company that, in terms of quality, craftsmanship and rarity, has fast become Swatch Groups jewel in the crown.

Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal  Jaquet Droz

Fiery Flashes of Blue and Green

A fine example of the type of timepiece that Delamurazs reboot has engendered is Jaquet Drozs Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal. This one-of-a-kind watch blends mechanical flair and artistic savoir-faire in equal measure to create something thoroughly spectacular.

The first thing you notice about this unique piece is its dial crafted from transparent opal that exhibits fiery flashes of blue and green in an ethereal play of colour that recalls the Northern Lights.

Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal  Jaquet Droz

Its difficult to state how delicate an operation it is to produce a one-piece opal dial base like this, not least because the slice used to make the dial ends up at just 0.7mm thin! After cutting out the outline and circular openings, the lapidary polishes the opal  usually by lightly pressing the slice against a turntable covered with felt and white cerium oxide solution  and this starts to reveal the transparency of the opal and the spectacular play of colours.

The Tourbillon Skelets layout draws on Jaquet Drozs Grande Seconde design, but with the indications inversed so that the large seconds are placed towards 12 oclock while the overlapping hour-minute subdial is positioned towards 6 oclock.

The opal forms the perfect backdrop to these subdials whose figure-eight frame has been crafted in transparent sapphire onto which the minute and seconds tracks are printed in white. The brands signature screws with star-shaped slots are then used to fix this sapphire structure so it sits above the opal, while 18K white gold hands and indexes complete the ensemble.

Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal  Jaquet Droz

Mechanical Majesty

The beauty of this piece is that the opals transparency and the circular cut-outs allow for neat views of the in-group Swiss-made automatic Calibre JD26255Q. Here, its spider-like skeletonised bridges have been treated with an anthracite tone ensuring their silhouette discreetly reveals itself through the opal.

Apart from its architecture, the movement stands out for its technical attributes too, including a titanium-caged flying tourbillon that directly drives the seconds, hairspring and pallet fork horns in silicon, and eight-day power reserve that comes from a single mainspring barrel. Whats more the 18K white gold oscillating weight  which can be personalised with a custom engraving  is in the form of a D so that it doesnt obscure views of the movement through the display back.

Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal  Jaquet Droz

Clear as Crystal

As you may have guessed, transparency is a key theme across the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal, and that trope is embodied by the choice of material used to make the 42mm case: sapphire crystal. Indeed, the caseband, caseback and bezel are all made from this see-through material and the glassy effect is enhanced by the fact that no screws are used to attach them together. The result? Light freely floods into the watch from the front, back and sides. Sublime doesn't do it justice.

Finally, to match the visual airiness of this one-off watch, Jaquet Droz has paired it with a white rubber strap with stainless steel and plasma ceramic folding clasp.

Given Jaquet Drozs new approach  where eye-catching customisation reigns  the Tourbillon Skelet Sapphire Opal is not just a spectacular unique piece ready to grace a new owners wrist; it can equally fuel collectors imaginations and show them the mouthwatering possibilities that the brand is now offering. So, how will you have your Jaquet Droz?

To find out more, please visit the Jaquet Droz website.
Cities are always evolving. Like the people who call them home, they experience highs and lows, moments of celebration and disappointment. Their economic fortunes rise and fall depending on factors both within and beyond their control. The constant is change. The challenge is to adapt.

That is certainly true for Wisconsins population center  Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. In the last 50 years, the states largest city and county underwent enormous change. To begin with, they shed thousands of residents. An estimated 916,000 people lived in Milwaukee County in 2023, roughly 125,000 fewer than 50 years ago. The population decline was driven by the city, which lost more than a fifth of its residents during the same period.

In 1976 the Parkview Housing Development offered attractive new homes in Milwaukee.

Some of the changes are easy to see. We are a far more diverse area today than we were a half century ago. The citys once-modest skyline now features several prominent high-rises. But one of the most significant changes that occurred is less obvious to the eye. We are talking about the evolution of a key social institution: the family.

The family in America changed significantly in the last half century. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that only about a quarter of Americans now see marriage and parenthood as key to a fulfilling life. People are marrying later, with fewer people marrying at all. Birth rates are falling.

Each of those trends is playing out in Milwaukee, but on steroids.

As part of the Milwaukee Area Project, our continuing series of reports examining life in metropolitan Milwaukee, we examined data from the last 50 years with our focus on the family. Here is some of what we found:

The percentage of people in Milwaukee County who have never married skyrocketed in the last 50 years. While marriage rates declined nationally, they fell more sharply here. This is true among younger, middle-aged, and older adults.

The decline in the marriage rate here outpaced the national trend for Black, white, and Latino adults in nearly every age bracket.

Average household size in the city of Milwaukee decreased dramatically in the last 50 years. Single-person households now outnumber households with at least three people.

In 2020, unmarried parents were more common than married ones in the city of Milwaukee. In 1970, the opposite was true. About 80% of households with kids included married parents.

Birth rates declined sharply. The first three years of the 2020s set successive records for the lowest number of births in the city.

These changes have important implications for school districts, new housing construction, and efforts to grow the citys population to 1 million residents.

In 1970, Milwaukee County was just completing a surge in population growth. Neighborhoods in the city and its suburbs were filled with children. 130,000 students attended Milwaukee Public Schools alone, most of them living in homes with parents who were married.

Today, that is no longer the case. Take marriage rates, for example. To get the best detailed comparison, we examined microdata from the 1980 decennial census and from the 2017-21 American Community survey (reliable comparable microdata is unavailable in 1970). We found that the percentage of people who had never married grew sharply in Milwaukee County, far more than it did for the nation. That was true for all major racial and ethnic groups.

We looked at never-married rates for people ages 45 to 54. In 1980, 9% of Black Americans had never married. By 2020, the number had climbed to 31%. But in Milwaukee County, the increase was even more dramatic. In 1980, 7% of Black Milwaukee County residents ages 45 to 54 had never married. In 2020, that number was 47%.

In 1980, 5% of white Americans ages 45 to 54 had never married. By 2020, that number was 12%. But in Milwaukee County the never-married rate for whites 45 to 54 grew from 7% to 23%, or double the national average.

The same trend held true for Latinos in Milwaukee County. In 1980, the national never-married rate for 45- to 54-year-old Latinos was 7%. It grew to 16% by 2020. In Milwaukee County, the non-married rate grew from 6% to 26%.

Knowing that marriage rates have declined does not necessarily tell you anything about living situations. An unmarried person may still be living with others, whether it be a romantic partner, family, or roommates. Many people raise kids without a spouse.

In 1970, 130,000 students attended Milwaukee Public Schools alone. Today, the number is less than 70,000.

What we do know is that the average household size is shrinking  particularly in the city of Milwaukee. In 1970, 48% of Milwaukee city households included at least three members, while 30% had two, and 22% had one.

By 2020, the share of households with at least three members had fallen from 48% to 34%. There were 113,000 households with at least three members in 1970, just 81,000 in 2020.

In contrast, one-person households grew by 62%, from 53,000 in 1970 to 86,000 in 2020. They now constitute 36% of all households in the city. In other words, single-person households outnumber households with at least three people.

Other data comparisons further illustrate the stunning degree of change in the city in the last 50 years. In 1970, 62% of households included a married couple. Now, 26% do. In 1970, 40% of households included children. Today, 26% have kids living in the home. And 50 years ago, married couples raising kids outnumbered unmarried parent households by nearly five to one. In 2020, unmarried parents are far more common than married ones. More than 60% of households with kids are headed by a single parent or unmarried couple.

There are serious implications for schools, housing

We will leave it to others to analyze what these changes mean for the health and financial well-being of families and households in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. But one thing is certain. Families are having fewer kids. The number of babies born to Milwaukee mothers fell sharply during most of the 1990s, recovered somewhat in the early 2000s, and then plummeted again after the Great Recession of 2006. For example, there were 11,500 births in the city of Milwaukee in 2006 and 9,200 in 2019. There were fewer than 8,000 in Milwaukee last year, according to preliminary vital statistics records. The first three years of the 2020s set successive records for the fewest numbers of births in the city.

That has serious implications for school enrollment. Birth counts are a good predictor of subsequent first grade enrollment. But Milwaukee also experiences negative domestic migration among young families. More move away from the city than to it. If current trends continue, our analysis suggests that first grade enrollment will likely be about 6,400 five years from now. That is a decline of 20% from last years first grade enrollment of nearly 8,000. Again, those numbers are for school enrollment in all sectors  MPS, charter and voucher. Each will be fighting for a piece of a shrinking pie.

More: A college degree is worth the investment. But Wisconsin high school grads increasingly seek other options.

Washington High School of Information Technology student Jilani Nefertiti, foreground, waits to walk the stage during the graduation ceremony on May 23, 2024, at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Changes in household size will have a dramatic impact on school enrollments.

The changing household size in Milwaukee is also creating new housing market challenges and opportunities. During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, nearly two-thirds of new housing units were multifamily apartments. But detached single-family homes, duplexes and condominiums still made up a meaningful market share.

In the last 15 years, the market shifted hard to multifamily construction. Through the first four years of the 2020s, nine out of 10 new units have come in multifamily developments. Its easy to understand why, given the changing household size in Milwaukee. But all that new apartment construction still hasnt been enough to meet demand. Remember our finding that there are now 86,000 single-person households in Milwaukee? That compares to an available supply of roughly 52,000 studio or one-bedroom apartments.

The shrinking household size also raises a question: who will live in all those homes that were built for families decades ago?

And, if youre a family in Milwaukee looking for a new, detached single-family home, youre essentially out of luck. Property records show that only 99 were built in the city from 2020 to 2023. New condominium construction also has halted.

More: In the competition for Milwaukee's neighborhoods, out-of-state landlords remain a concern

Only 99 new, detached single-family homes were built in Milwaukee between 2020 and 2023.

Finally, what do these trends, especially our declining birthrate, mean for the citys efforts to grow its population to 1 million residents? It certainly doesnt make reaching that goal any easier. As weve written, in Milwaukees case, growth might come from a combination of increased domestic migration and larger immigrant populations, who often have higher birth rates.

Still, without thoughtful policy adaptation, falling birth rates and shrinking household sizes could feed a negative cycle, making Milwaukee less appealing to families.

Falling birth rates complicate the finances of school systems that rely (partially) on per-pupil funding but maintain buildings that historically served larger student bodies. And the growth of one-person households understandably drives developers to mostly build small units. Larger, old houses are plentiful, but for those who prefer modern construction, options are slim. Because families are no longer the default kind of household, city policymakers, developers, and school officials will have to consider new ways of meeting their needs. While families now make up a minority of households, they are no less critical to the citys future health.

Milwaukees marriage and birth rates might be falling faster than the national average, but those trends are happening across the country and in virtually every wealthy nation. The status quo from 50 years ago will not return. The challenge for the next generation of local policymakers is to adapt  to foster communities that provide a high quality of life for singles, young and old alike, while also attracting and retaining families.

(Data Note: Census tables and microdata were retrieved from the IPUMS NHGIS and IPUMS USA programs at the University of Minnesota.)

Mike Gousha, left, is a senior advisor in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School. John D. Johnson is a research fellow at the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education.

Mike Gousha is a senior advisor in law and public policy at Marquette University Law School. John D. Johnson is a research fellow at the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee families have changed dramatically in 50 years. What's next?
People wave goodbye to Utahs statue of Martha Hughes Cannon as it heads to the U.S. Capitol at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The statue's original installation date of July 24 at Statuary Hall has been delayed, with no new date decided on. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Martha Hughes Cannon will have to wait a little longer for her statue to be installed in Statuary Hall.

The installation for the Martha Hughes Cannon statue originally was scheduled for July 24, but has been bumped because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be addressing a joint meeting of Congress on that day. A joint meeting is different than a joint session, according to the U.S. Senate, a parliamentary difference that has evolved over time. A joint session is more formal and occurs upon the adoption of a concurrent resolution; a joint meeting, such as will occur with Netanyahu, occurs when each legislative body adopts a unanimous consent agreement to recess to meet with the other legislative body and no legislative work is done.

The 7-foot-6-inch statue of Martha left the Utah Capitol on June 5. It arrived in Washington on June 14, thanks to CR England. Martha is being stored by the company that partnered with Better Days, a group dedicated to elevating womens voices, both contemporary and historical, for the installation. They have also been storing the base Martha will stand on. They are going continue to look after Martha and the base while we wait (to) work with Speaker (Mike) Johnsons office to select another installation date, said Erin Wynn, the executive director of the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee. Johnsons office told the Deseret News that while a new date for the installation has not been chosen, one will be picked as soon as possible.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said: It was the right call not to try to install Martha on the same day that Prime Minister Netanyahu is speaking to a joint (meeting) of Congress. Were grateful for the support and help from the speaker of the House on finding a new date. Weve waited four years to get this done. We can wait a few more months so we can get it right.

Surely, it wont be as long as the first statue of the mothers of the suffrage movement  they spent 75 years in a broom closet.

Six months after the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified, and on Susan B. Anthonys 101st birthday (Feb. 15, 1921), more than 70 womens organizations gathered with members of Congress to watch the unveiling of a tribute to the Founding Mothers of the suffrage movement: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Lucretia Mott  as well as a rough-hewn fourth pillar of marble, meant to represent the women who would continue fighting for womens rights. Carved by artist Adelaide Johnson at the request of the National Womans Party, this statue, named The Woman Movement, came with the following gilt inscription: Woman first denied a soul, then called mindless, now arisen, declaring herself an entity to be reckoned.

Literally the next day, Congress ordered that the statue be moved to the basement, into the Capitol crypt that was used to store mops and brooms. The blasphemous inscription was scraped off on orders from Congress. Congress refused to approve bills that would have let the suffragists out of the locked cellar in 1928, in 1932 and in 1950. The crypt was renovated and opened to the public in 1963. Visitors could see the statue  renamed generically to The Portrait Monument  but they couldnt see the name of the sculptor, or the names of the women the monument portrayed.

It took until 1997 for the statue to reemerge from the basement. When Speaker Newt Gingrich rejected a petition to spend $75,000 to move it (out of his $23 million budget to use for Capitol maintenance and acquisitions), supporters raised the funds themselves from donors around the country. When the statue was moved into the Rotunda, where it remains today, it was the first one depicting real women, rather than an allegorical one.

When fellow suffragist Martha Hughes Cannon takes up her spot in the Capitols Visitor Center, she will be one of 14 women out of the 100 statues that now make up Statuary Hall.
This mass bleaching event is the worst on record. Now scientists are hoping for hurricanes

Unprecedented ocean heat has triggered the worlds worst mass coral bleaching event on record  a coral massacre so severe, reef experts are looking to one of natures most dangerous and destructive forces to provide relief: hurricanes.

Since January 2023, 72% of the planets reef areas have experienced heat stress capable of bleaching, surpassing 65.7% during the last global bleaching event in 2014 to 2017, according to latest data from NOAA shared with CNN.

Coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean have been hit hardest, said Derek Manzello, coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Coral Reef Watch. A well-timed tropical storm or hurricane can bring much-needed thermal relief to heat-stressed corals, he told CNN.

The bleaching is being driven by record-breaking ocean heat fueled by planet-warming pollution and boosted by a super El Nino, a natural climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific.

Coral sheds its algae, which provides both its color and its food, when the water gets too hot for too long. This is called bleaching. If the water doesnt cool down quickly enough, coral can starve and die.

The same ocean heat suffocating these corals is also one factor behind the threat of an unusually active hurricane season, which could provide a form of salvation for the reefs in the form of cooler water, coral experts say.

Hurricanes act like enormous ocean heat vacuums, feasting on warm water and moist air to strengthen. As they do, the storms help cool the ocean along their path, not only by consuming ocean heat, but also by churning up pockets of cold water from deeper in the ocean up to the surface.

The area of ocean cooled by a hurricane can extend more than 400 miles from the storms center, according to Manzello. This means that storms can be a good thing for heat-stressed corals that are not within the direct damage swath, he said.

A hurricane, a storm or even just a week of cloudiness and rain can give these ecosystems a much-needed break when theyre under a really long period of stress, said Dana Wusinich-Mendez, Atlantic and Caribbean team lead for NOAAs Coral Reef Conservation Program. There hasnt been much of a break since things heated up last July, so well take every break we can get.

The oceans are so hot right now, some scientists worry hurricanes may not be as effective, said Marilyn Brandt, professor at the University of the Virgin Islands Center for Marine and Environmental Studies.

We know that stressful temperatures extend very, very deep, Brandt, who co-authored a 2005 study with Manzello about how hurricanes can benefit bleached corals, told CNN. So even a really massive storm may not have the cooling potential that it would have in the past because the temperatures have just gotten so hot and so deep.

Category 1 and 2 hurricanes used to be enough to cool the water down to alleviate coral bleaching. Now it might take a stronger storm to bring the same level of respite, Brandt said. Relief is also fleeting, only lasting a week or so, she added. A full recovery from bleaching can take years, a timeframe that experts say is becoming more unpredictable as oceans warm.

Hurricanes are also a double-edged sword. Their powerful waves can break fragile corals apart, overturn entire colonies and significantly harm  if not kill  them. And they worsen the coral health by exposing them to a soup of contaminated water made up of fertilizer, sewage and other harmful substances that run off from flooded land, Brandt said. This runoff leaves coral open for infection and bleaching and slows down recovery.

Bottom line is that there will probably be more negative impacts of cyclones overlapping with bleaching than positive impacts, Camille Mellin, a researcher at the University of Adelaide said, noting the cooling effects of cyclones are also likely limited to local scales.

Tropical cyclones might not even be around to help in a limited capacity if planet-warming pollution isnt drastically reduced, a study released Thursday and led by Mellin found. Corals could bleach in spring, before hurricane season starts, by 2080, the study found.

The planets coral reefs are facing death by a thousand cuts, said Brandt. But she believes theres a chance of survival  even if that means grasping at straws like hurricanes.

At this point, its becoming so difficult for the corals to recover from these back-to-back bleaching events that at the end of the day, anything that cools down the water is probably going to help, Brandt said. So even though the corals are getting beaten up by the storms, it actually is helpful to cool the water down.

Correction: A previous version of this story misrepresented the global coral bleaching record. It has been updated.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. (Photo by Jennifer Smith)

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday dismissed two challenges to the description of a ballot question eliminating the 10th-grade MCAS as a high school graduation requirement.

The challenges, one from supporters and one from opponents of the question, took issue with the title and one-sentence statements summarizing what yes and no votes would mean. Both challenges claimed the information provided was misleading because not enough details were provided.

Supporters of the ballot question, which is backed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, objected because the materials failed to note that the high-stakes test would be replaced by a requirement that students complete coursework required by their school district.

The opponents objected because the materials failed to point out that the question would have the effect of eliminating any type of uniform statewide assessment as a graduation requirement.

The court ruling, written by Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian, did not dispute the claims of the two sides but said they did not rise to the level of being misleading or false. These are not distinct regulatory features of the petition, the decision said in reference what had been omitted. The title and one-sentence statements do not need to describe every feature of the petition.

The decision also noted that a petition and summary will also appear on the ballot containing the details and context the supporters and opponents of the ballot question were concerned about.

A footnote in the decision criticized the attorney general and secretary of state for not publishing the ballot materials earlier. The court urged the two officials to print the materials in January so any legal challenges can be handled at a more orderly pace, and not, as here, at the proverbial eleventh hour.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The post Mass. high court dismisses challenges to MCAS ballot question info appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
By Nate Raymond and Daniel Wiessner

BOSTON (Reuters) -Uber Technologies and Lyft on Thursday agreed to adopt a $32.50 hourly minimum pay standard for Massachusetts drivers and pay $175 million to settle a lawsuit by the state's attorney general alleging they improperly treated drivers as independent contractors who can legally receive lower compensation than employees.

The companies also agreed to give drivers paid sick leave, accident insurance, and healthcare stipends and to stop funding or supporting a ballot initiative that would have asked voters in November to cement app-based drivers' status as contractors, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said.

Uber and Lyft in separate statements said the agreement reflected the desire of most drivers to work on their own terms while receiving many of the key benefits that are legally guaranteed to employees.

"In taking this opportunity, we've resolved historical liabilities by constructing a new operating model that balances both flexibility and benefits," said Tony West, Uber's chief legal officer.

The agreement requires Uber to pay $148 million and Lyft to pay $27 million to the state. At least $140 million will be paid out to drivers, according to a court filing.

Campbell, a Democrat, made the announcement hours after Massachusetts' top court cleared the way for voters to decide whether to approve the industry-backed ballot measure, along with a dueling labor-backed proposal to allow drivers to unionize that will continue to move forward.

It was also the eve of closing arguments in a non-jury trial in a lawsuit filed in 2020 by Campbell's predecessor, now-Governor Maura Healey, over the status of drivers whose services have helped fuel the U.S. gig worker economy.

Campbell had been asking a judge to conclude that the state's 55,000 Uber drivers and 35,000 Lyft drivers are employees under state law and therefore entitled to benefits such as a minimum wage, overtime and earned sick time.

Studies have shown that using contractors can cost companies as much as 30% less than employees.

"For years, these companies have underpaid their drivers and denied them basic benefits," Cambpell said in a statement. "Today's agreement holds Uber and Lyft accountable."

The settlement provides for greater benefits and pay for Uber and Lyft drivers than provided under a similar settlement in November with New York state and under legislation signed into law in May in Minnesota.

Uber and Lyft in defending themselves at trial had argued that Campbell's office misunderstood their business models and that they could be forced to cut or end service in Massachusetts if their drivers were deemed employees.

They along with DoorDash and Instacart had financially supported Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, the ballot measure committee behind the proposal to ask voters to deem app-based drivers as contractors.

The proposal had also called for providing drivers benefits similar to those in the settlement. After its announcement, Conor Yunits, a spokesperson for the industry-backed campaign, said the group will no longer be moving forward with the initiative.

The industry through a $200 million campaign had previously in 2020 convinced California voters to pass a measure similar to the one backed by the companies in Massachusetts, solidifying drivers as independent contractors with some benefits. Litigation challenging that measure is ongoing.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Franklin Paul, Nick Zieminski and David Gregorio)
McDonald's trialed the McPlant in California and Texas. It failed because people don't want a meat-free burger from the Golden Arches.

McDonald's trialed the McPlant in California and Texas. It failed because people don't want a meat-free burger from the Golden Arches.

You won't see the McPlant on US McDonald's menus anytime soon.

Trials in Dallas and San Francisco failed because there wasn't enough demand, its US president said.

The nonmeaty burger was tested in 2022 at hundreds of restaurants in California and Texas.

The McPlant is unlikely to return to McDonald's menus in the US anytime soon.

Trials of the product in Dallas and San Francisco failed because there simply wasn't enough demand for nonmeaty burgers among American diners, Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald's US, said Wednesday at The Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum.

The tests in the two cities were "not successful," Erlinger said, per Bloomberg.

"I don't think the US consumer is coming to McDonald's looking for the McPlant or other plant-based proteins," he said, per the Journal.

Tests of the burger in the US started in late 2021 and were expanded to hundreds of restaurants in California and Texas in early 2022. The McPlant patty, developed with Beyond Meat, was made from pea and rice proteins.

It was served with mayonnaise and American cheese and cooked on the same grills as meat products, meaning it wasn't vegan.

McDonald's developed the McPlant patty with Beyond Meat. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

McDonald's rolled out the McPlant in other countries with greater success. In the UK, where the McPlant is certified as vegan and served with vegan cheese and sandwich sauce, it has been on menus since November 2021. The nonvegan version is available in countries including Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal.

It seems unlikely that the McPlant will be making a return to US menus. McDonald's is instead investing more in chicken, which is now more popular among its customers than beef, partly because it's cheaper, Erlinger said, per Bloomberg.

Beyond Meat, a leading producer of plant-based meat alternatives for burger patties, chicken, and sausages, has posted slumping sales in recent years after booming at the start of the pandemic.

Don't expect to see salads on the menu again

The McPlant isn't the only thing gone from the McDonald's menu. When it streamlined its operations at the start of the pandemic, McDonald's removed salads from its US restaurants  and more than four years later, they're yet to reappear.

There wasn't enough demand, and McDonald's doesn't plan on bringing them back to US menus nationally, Erlinger said Wednesday, per the Journal.

People wanting a healthy meal tend to turn to dedicated salad chains like Sweetgreen, Chopt, and Cava. Business Insider visited Cava's first Chicago restaurant three weeks after it opened and witnessed an hourlong line for its salad and grain bowls at 8 p.m. on a Friday.

"If people really want salads from McDonald's, we will gladly relaunch salads," Erlinger said at the Global Food Forum, per Bloomberg. "But what our experience has proven is that's not what the consumer's looking for."

Read the original article on Business Insider
MCPHERSON, Kan. (KSNW)  McPherson College has received funding to help improve health in rural communities.

Senator Jerry Moran announced Thursday that the college is receiving $2.1 million in new, congressionally directed funding to create an educational center in Kansas for Rural & Community Health Science. The funding will go towards creating a new health science program where students focus on clinical, administrative, behavioral, or community health.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and McPherson College President Michael Schneider at the funding announcement on June 27, 2024. (Courtesy: McPherson College)

It marks the first time the school has received federal funds from congressionally directed spending.

McPherson College is leading the way in training health care providers specifically to serve rural communities, said Sen. Moran. These federal resources will equip McPherson College with the tools to train even more students in clinical, behavioral, and public health professions. This is an investment in the college, the students, and rural Kansas.

By securing $2.1 million in federal funding, we are poised to strengthen rural health throughout Kansas, said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. This program will enable us to place many more graduates into rural communities, meeting the growing demand for healthcare professionals. Senator Morans support of this program will be felt across Kansas for years.

The funding will be used to update portions of the schools science hall, including laboratory and technology enhancements. A portion will also be used for professional development.

For more about McPherson College, click here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
CPD arrests wanted fugitive and add drug charges against him during a warrant roundup

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)  The Columbus Police Department said a man who was a wanted fugitive was arrested on Wednesday after conducting a warrant round-up.

CPD initiated the round-up and checked several locations for individuals with violent crime-related warrants.

Authorities were able to find and detain William Turam who was wanted for the following offenses:

Aggravated assault

Burglary

Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime

After his arrest, law enforcement added the charges listed below:

VGCSA Schedule II Cocaine

VGCSA Schedule I Heroin

Possession of drug-related objects

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL.
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toast during a reception at the Mongnangwan Reception House in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. Credit - Vladimir SmirnovAFP/Getty Images

Vladimir Putins recent trip to North Korea was a remarkable event for many reasons. It was his first visit there in 24 years, the pageantry was especially lavish even by Russian and North Korean standards, and Kim Jong Un and Putin seized the moment with a new mutual defense pact that echoed the Cold War era. But the upshot is a decidedly mixed bag.

On one hand, we shouldnt read too much into the rendezvous. Putin was perhaps keen to show he still has friends days after representatives of more than 90 countries, many of them deep-pocketed, gathered in Switzerland to forge a Ukraine peace plan. That summit came on the heels of new Western commitments, including by the U.S., to provide Kyiv with better weapons and more money. Putins turning to the hermit Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, by contrast, was not the most impressive optics.

In addition, the mutual defense pact that Kim and Putin announcedan alliance, according to Kim, but not Putinisnt worth all that much. Both Russia and North Korea have nuclear weapons. Its the nukes, not their new diplomatic partnership, that provide their best deterrent against attack.

Theres also the fact that China cant be happy with this budding friendship. Beijing doesnt need Putin emboldening Kim to act more aggressively, further destabilizing a region China would prefer to keep quiet. Threats from North Korea drive South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. closer together, creating problems for Beijing in East Asia.

On the other hand, top-level RussiaNorth Korea cooperation should concern Western governments. North Korea, like Russia, is a dangerous nuclear-armed country with sophisticated cybercapabilities. If Kim is listening to foreign friends, America and Europe would prefer he turn to Chinas Xi Jinping, who wants more stability in the global order, than to Putin, who benefits from chaos.

Nor is the tightening Moscow-Pyongyang axis good for Ukraine and its Western backers, because North Korea has weapons that Russia badly needs and incentives to share them. Days before Putins trip, South Koreas Defense Minister said Seoul had detected 10,000 shipping containers sent from North Korea to Russia that could carry nearly 5 million artillery shells.

Openly showcasing their ties underscores Putins confidence. The Russian leader knows that when so many countries, including the U.S., are holding critical elections, the threat of energy and food crises will compel the West to limit sanctions. Creating an economic emergency for resource-rich Russia would trigger supply shocks and price surges that no one can affordand Western nuclear plants still need Russian uranium to operate.

Now take a second look at that Swiss-sponsored peace conference. Putin knows Ukraine has (still limited) backing from the U.S. and Europe. But China didnt attend the event. India, the Saudis, and the United Arab Emirates sent lower-level delegations. The West may be firmly with Volodymyr Zelensky, but much of the Global South wants a cease-fire and a Ukrainian-Russian compromise that ends threats to food and fuel supplies that risk a punishing global recession.

For these reasons, Putin believes he can wait to make a peace deal. Maybe for a long timeespecially if Donald Trump wins the White House come November, and a friendlier far-right government takes power in France in the coming weeks. Such a scenario could undermine the Wests support for Ukraine and force Zelensky, or his successor, to the bargaining table.

Materiel from North Korea can make Putins waiting easier. For the West, thats the worst news of all.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA)  Leaders of Parkland Community College and its Professional Support Staff Association are working with additional help at the bargaining table.

The current 3-year collective bargaining agreement for the support staff is set to expire on June 30, but both sides have not been able to come to an agreement on a contract.

Parkland College holds veteran resource fair

The college confirmed the use of mediation with WCIA and shared the following statement on negotiations:

Parkland College continues to bargain in good faith with the Parkland College Professional Support Staff Association. With the support of mediation, we look forward to reaching an agreement that values our employees contributions while ensuring fiscal responsibility to our students and taxpayers.

We reached out to leaders of the Parkland College Professional Support Staff Association, but have not heard back yet.

This is a developing story.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
The Los Angeles police, who are investigating the death of Matthew Perry, an American actor in the Friends series, accuse Brooke Mueller, the ex-wife of the controversial actor Charlie Sheen, of involvement in the star's death. She was questioned several times but never arrested.

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According to In Touch, in May, police arrived at her home with a search warrant, but the suspect was not found there. Subsequently, law enforcement officers were able to contact the woman for a statement and interrogated her several times before seizing her phone and laptop as possible material evidence. The star claims that she had nothing to do with Matthew's death.

"She has hired lawyers and met with law enforcement officers several times after they came to her home with a search warrant. She is not talking much about the situation. It's hard to say or know for sure what her role is [in Matthew's death], but she insists she had nothing to do with it," the insider told the source.

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At the moment, the woman has not been formally charged. However, the suspect is emotionally distressed, and the investigation could "knock her out of her shell, whether she is involved or not." Earlier, law enforcement officials noted that they could charge several people with involvement in Perry's death.

It is known that the woman had various problems with drug abuse and was hospitalized several times. Brooke Mueller and Matthew Perry met in a rehabilitation center while undergoing drug treatment. "They struck up an unexpected friendship," an anonymous source said.

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In 2022, Perry claimed to have spent $9 million on his struggle and completed 15 rehabilitation courses. He was treated with ketamine, which is often used to improve the state of health in case of depression and anxiety.

At the time of his death, Matthew Perry's blood contained an amount of the psychoactive substance within the limits of general anesthesia during surgery. However, it was a mystery to law enforcement how he got ketamine if he had been struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction for years.

Perry passed away on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54. His death was ruled an accident. An autopsy report obtained by journalists in December showed that the actor died from acute exposure to ketamine, with other factors including drowning, coronary heart disease, and buprenorphine.

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Last December, the Los Angeles County coroner closed the investigation into Matthew's death. In May 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department reported that after the medical examiner released his report, the city's law enforcement officers began investigating the circumstances of the celebrity's death from an overdose.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Police told WFTV Tonight that they were called to the complex off New Haven Road for a welfare check on one of the residents. When they knocked at the door, he shot at them through the front door.

After a period of time, there would be a round go off, and eventually, the suspect came out and was firing and engaged our officers who then shot the suspect, said Melbourne Police Chief David Gillespie.

Police said as the two officers started taking cover, two additional officers arrived at the scene for backup, and William Banks started shooting more rounds from his window.

Read: Police identify man who shot at them at Melbourne apartment complex

Its really crazy because I only live two blocks away from here, so this is, like, insane to see very, you know crazy, said a Melbourne Resident.

Chief Gillespie said officers tried to negotiate with Banks via phone.

When he came out of the apartment unit with a gun, Gillespie said officers from at least two different agencies were forced to shoot Banks on this third-floor breezeway.

Read: Police arrest Central Florida man accused of killing Leesburg store owner

Police said officers attempted to render medical aid to Banks, but he died from his injuries.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation, which is standard protocol when dealing with an officer-involved shooting.

Gillespie said no officers were hurt in the shooting.

Read: Former onePULSE executive director outlines failures in memo months before dissolution

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
(Bloomberg) -- Two members from the youth wing of Giorgia Melonis party have resigned from their posts after they were caught on camera making remarks that officials judged to be racist and antisemitic.

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Italian media including newswire Ansa reported Thursday that two activists from the National Youth had stepped down from their positions. Their remarks were recorded as part of an investigation published by Fanpage, a news website.

Giovanni Donzelli, the head of the party apparatus, said late Wednesday there is no space in the organization for racist, extremist or antisemitic individuals. He said the remarks were incompatible with the movements values.

A lawmaker for the party, Tommaso Foti, told Parliament that those who make mistakes in Brothers of Italy pay, Ansa reported.

Since taking office in late 2022, Meloni has sought to distance herself from her partys roots in Italys post-fascist movement and softened some of her most conservative views, sensitive to the risks of being portrayed as an extremist.

A separate report by Fanpage showed other members of the Brothers of Italys youth movement raising their arms in a salute commonly used during Italys Fascist era.

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This could end very badly.

Thats the sentiment I pick up from discussions with parents, educators and policymakers frustrated with efforts by the N.C. House to slow-walk expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship program, the the states hallmark school choice program.

Provisions to expand it are included in the House budget bill being negotiated this week with leaders from both chambers. What started out as a great legislative victory for school choice has slowly turned into a mere illusion for many parents, families and school leaders.

Robert Luebke

Last Septembers budget bill included a provision to make all North Carolinians eligible for Opportunity Scholarships. Lawmakers were celebrated for responding to the plea from parents for educational options. They were also warned last fall about the expected spike in applications and the need to make additional money available to meet increased demand.

In March, 72,000 new applicants crashed the website of the state organization that administers the program. Responding to this demand, the Senate voted in May to appropriate $248 million for additional Opportunity Scholarships and approximately $25 million to eliminate the backlog for ESA+ Scholarships, which help meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Many hoped the House would do the same. That didnt happen. Instead, the House included Opportunity Scholarship expansion as part of the budget bill. The slowdown has made a train wreck of fall plans for families and schools. Families dont know if they have funds for school tuition. Schools dont know how many new teachers to hire. All that is certain now is the uncertainty.

The latest reports suggest a budget bill wont be finalized until this fall  if at all  which means the only hope for children on the Opportunity Scholarship waitlist looks to be immediate action by the legislature.

Lawmakers have twice dragged their feet on expanding Opportunity Scholarship funding. Now, the House has chosen to make it a bargaining chip in budget negotiations.

Speaker Tim Moore and other House leaders have been vocal in their support of Opportunity Scholarship expansion. House and Senate totals for expansion are nearly identical. If the two legislative bodies are in essential agreement about funding expansion, why not just pass a separate, standalone bill and end the frustration of thousands of families and school leaders?

Voters arent ignorant. They know how politics works and how goodies are needed to get various lawmakers on board. But the educational opportunities of thousands of children are an unacceptable bargaining chip. This years totals for special appropriations are about half of last years $1.2 billion, but still too high.

Parental choice in education has been a winning issue for conservatives across North Carolina. According to a January Carolina Journal poll, the Opportunity Scholarship, Education Savings Accounts and charter schools have support levels of 64%, 73% and 66%, respectively. The expansion of charter, private and home school enrollments all attest to that.

To their credit, conservative and Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate have expanded parental choice policies. At a time when voters are viewing Republicans more favorably on education than Democrats, Republicans seem committed to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Earlier this week, a gentleman who runs a private school called my office to express his frustration with lawmakers over Opportunity Scholarship expansion. He left a message and before he hung up, he said, We cant get anybody up there to care.

Lawmakers dont grasp the magnitude and intensity of the frustration out there.

Tying expansion to the budget process will alienate voters, many of whom are politically engaged and frustrated by lawmakers inability to follow through on a promise or solve a problem their inaction created.

Reneging on a promise is never wise  especially four months before an election.

Robert Luebke is the Director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas Metropolitan police released the identity of an officer who shot a burglary suspect on Tuesday.

He is identified as Officer Miguel Rodriguez, 31, and has been employed with Metro since 2017. He is assigned to the Northwest Area Command.

Metro police shoot knife-wielding burglary suspect in northwest Las Vegas valley

The shooting happened on June 25 on Valley Drive near Rancho Drive and Lake Mead Boulevard after police responded to a call about an intruder with a knife. According to Metro, the suspect got into a physical fight with a person while ignoring police commands to drop the knife. Officer Rodriguez shot the suspect. No information on the suspects condition was released by Metro.

Rodriguez is currently on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a review of the incident.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Price gouging and scammers attempting to take advantage of the victims of the South Fork Fire and Salt Fire near Ruidoso, New Mexico will not be tolerated, authorities said.

"This community has come together and really reached out neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend, and lent each other a hand in probably the most difficult circumstance you can imagine to get themselves in a position where they're going to start rebuilding," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said. "We know that's going to be a really long and complicated task. It's in moments like this, in moments of crisis, you see the best in people. You see what they're made of. You see what kind of character and compassion they have for one another.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez speaks at news conference Wednesday, June 26, 2024, about his office investigating any allegations of businesses committing price gouging and other fraudulent activities against the victims of the wildfires in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

"Unfortunately, in moments like this, sometimes it brings out the worst in people. People who engage in unfair practices, price gouging, hotel rates that have been unjustifiably raised, putting a strain on people who are at their wit's end, retailers, people selling gas, individuals who might think this is an opportunity to take advantage of a community in need won't be tolerated."

The Attorney General's Office will expand its resources to investigate allegations of price gouging and other fraudulent activities to allow law enforcement and other agencies to continue to work on emergency and recovery issues.

"I have indicated to local law enforcement and leaders here is that we want them to remain focused on recovery and emergency operations," Torrez said. "We want the public to understand that if they have experienced what they think is an unfair practice where someone is taking advantage of them, that they are to send that information and those complaints to the (New Mexico) Department of Justice. Our attorneys and investigators will take all necessary legal action to make sure that those people who engage in that kind of activity are held responsible for it."

Reports of hotels increasing prices

There have been no reports of price gouging or fraudulent activities other than at hotels, authorities said. Authorities are investigating hotels near the wildfires and all the way north to Albuquerque for increasing their prices, Torrez said.

"The Department of Justice is going to be repositioning a lot of its consumer protection and law enforcement resources to focus on reports that we already received from Roswell, Alamogordo and surrounding communities," Torrez said. "But frankly, we've had reports of price increases at hotels as far away as Albuquerque."

More: Containment grows on South Fork Fire, Salt Fire near Ruidoso, New Mexico: live updates

Torrez said he was unable to discuss any details of ongoing investigations into hotels that have increased their prices for a room.

"I can tell you that the first reports to reach our office were directly related to a substantial increase in the nightly hotel rates in the Roswell area and that will be the first place that we will be initiating an active civil investigation," Torrez said. "At this point, I don't think there's a sufficient evidentiary basis to initiate a criminal investigation, but, by week's end, there will be."

Any hotels or other businesses accused of price gouging will have to justify their increase in prices as part of the Attorney General Office's investigations.

"We have broad authority to investigate any unconscionable business activity, any activity where it looks like someone is using their market power to take advantage of people," Torrez said. "That includes issuing what are called civil investigative demands. We can actually demand information from businesses about what their rates were a month ago and what their rates were last week and today. We will ask for a justification for any increases in those types of practices that have been engaged in."

More: Here is how Ruidoso fire survivors can get FEMA aid, avoid scammers

As areas of New Mexico remain a tourist destination and crowds expected to gather for the upcoming annual Roswell UFO Festival, the attorney general's office will consider historical records on what hotels have charged consumers as part of its investigations.

"One of the things that we're able to do is we look back at historic economic patterns," Torrez said. "So the example of using peak tourist events and things like that, that naturally draw a recurring level of activity, there is always going to be in a tourist destination some variability in the prices that people get charged. That is something that is normal and not something that will be subject to an investigation."

GoFundme, crowd sourcing donations could be investigated

The Department of Justice will investigate any reports of GoFundMe or other crowd sourcing donation accounts if they believe the accounts are being created by scammers attempting to steal money by pretending to be victims of the wildfires.

"If someone who is hurting and in need in this community and is working with family members and community members and puts up a legitimate GoFundMe page, by all means they should do that," Torrez said. "They should use modern technology and all the tools that they have at their disposal to try and get the resources they need to put their lives back together.

"If somebody is engaged in putting up a fraudulent GoFundMe page, that's not going to be a civil response from our office. That's a criminal violation. That's fraud. You're not going to get a letter from the Attorney General's Office. You're going to meet some of our special agents and they'll show up and put you in handcuffs."

How to report price gouging, fraudulent activities

Any suspicions of price gouging and other fraudulent activities can be reported to the Attorney General's Office by:

Online: nmdoj.gov/get-help and complete the online complaint form.

Phone: 505-490-4060, option 3.

Important information to include when reporting fraudulent activities:

Name and location of the business involved.

Description of the suspected price gouging or fraudulent activity.

Date and time of the incident.

Any supporting documentation, such as receipts, advertisements, or photos.

We rely on the publics cooperation to help us safeguard our community," Torrez said. "Together, we can combat unethical practices and protect the rights of consumers.

Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: New Mexico wildfires victims urged to report price gouging, scams
Incoming Claudia Sheinbaum smiles during a press conference where she presented members of her Cabinet in Mexico City, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexicos incoming President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday announced five additional members of her future cabinet, presenting a group of scientists and former colleagues including Luz Elena Gonzalez, an expert in sustainable development, as the next secretary of energy.

Sheinbaum highlighted Gonzalezs experience in renewable energy and in handling finances, an area that will prove useful in the department's relationship with state-run companies like oil giant Pemex and the Federal Electricity Commission. Previous to her appointment, Gonzalez was in charge of Mexico Citys finances.

Sheinbaum also appointed Raquel Buenrostro as secretary of public administration. Buenrostro, who served for more than two decades in government tax, treasury and economic agencies, was described by the future president as an incorruptible woman with 28 years of experience in public administration.

David Kershenobich, a renowned researcher, will be the next secretary of health. Jesus Antonio Esteva Medina, secretary of infrastructure of Mexico City, will be in charge of the department of communications and transportation.

Edna Elena Vega Rangel, who also previously worked for the Mexico City government, will head the secretary of agrarian, territorial, and urban development.

The day after the June 2 election, Sheinbaum confirmed that Finance Minister Rogelio Ramirez de la O had accepted to continue in his role, in an effort to calm investors after the country faced a sudden meltdown in the stock and currency markets.

The question remains who will be in charge of Security, a department tasked with the great responsibility of securing the nation in the face of increasing violence that plagues the country. Among the possible picks for the job is Omar Garcia Harfuch, the former chief of Mexico City's police who was present at Sheinbaums meeting with the White House envoy, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, two weeks ago.

Last week Sheinbaum announced her first Cabinet picks, presenting an even gender distribution, as well as a heavy presence from academia and her prior administration as Mexico Citys mayor.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
The facts were not in dispute: The oldest standing building at Miami International Airport, a 1929 hangar built by visionary Pan American Airways founder Juan Trippe, played a singular role in aviation history. Its all that survives of Miamis original airport, the very ground zero where Trippe launched and developed international air travel.

And, for more than a year, an ardent group of historians, preservationists, former Pan Am pilots and flight attendants and devotees of Trippes storied airline had pressed an uphill campaign -- to save MIAs Hangar 5 as a protected landmark for conversion into a museum dedicated to Pan Ams and Miamis foundational place in global aviation history.

But that wasnt enough for a narrow majority of Miami-Dade Countys historic preservation board, which on Wednesday brought the Friends of Hangar 5s dream crashing down to earth.

By a 3-2 vote, the board turned down a petition to begin a process of historic designation for the hangar, stunning what had been an animated, standing-room only crowd of supporters into silence. Two board members were absent for the hearing, held in a meeting room at Miami-Dades Main Library downtown.

Attendees at a Miami-Dade County historic preservation board meeting raise their hands to indicate support for the designation of a 1929 Pan American Airways hangar at Miami International Airport, the last standing building from the citys original airport, as a historic landmark. The hearing took place at the Miami-Dade Main Library downtown.

The decision leaves Hangar 5s future in doubt. MIA administrators have earmarked the hangar, which sits at the rear of the airport off Northwest 36th Street and is leased out to a charter airline, for future replacement by a modern maintenance facility, though there are no immediate plans in place.

Bitterly disappointed supporters of designation said they may still push to save the hangar, either through a long-shot appeal of the preservation boards decision to the Miami-Dade Commission, or by seeking commissioners individual support for the museum idea.

Its disgraceful that the county historic preservation board should vote against designating one of our most historic sites, said Deborah Stander, a campaign organizer and daughter of a former Pan Am vice president.

Conflicting agency interests

Stander and other supporters said they believe the cards had been stacked against them by the unusual circumstances surrounding the designation of the hangar, including awkward and potentially conflicting roles for county departments.

The airport, whose administrators opposed designation, is owned and run by the county. At the same time, the countys preservation chief, Sarah Cody, concluded in an extensive report on the hangar that it qualifies for historic designation for its role in the development of MIA and Pan American. Meeting one of the criteria for designation is legally sufficient for approval.

Armando Martinez, former vice president for flight operations at Miami Air International, showed off the interior of a 1929 hangar built by legendary Pan American Airways founder Juan Trippe at Miami International Airport in 2023. Martinez is part of a group asking Miami-Dade County to designate the hangar, the oldest standing structure at the airport, as a historic landmark.

Cody nonetheless recommended that the board, made up of volunteers appointed by county commissioners and acting independently as a quasi-judicial body, reject historic designation. Among her reasons were that the hangar may have structural or other deficiencies, although officials from the airline leasing it say thats not the case. Cody also said the hangar is relatively inaccessible to the public because it sits within the airports secure operational side.

She also said here are better venues for showcasing history the history of the airline and aviation in Miami. Among those, Cody said in her report, are Miami City Hall and a clutch of restored hangars in Coconut Groves Dinner Key that once made up Pan Ams 1930s seaplane base. She also cited an ongoing project for restoration of Pan Ams long-vacant Miami headquarters, a historically designated building flanking Hangar 5 at MIA, for use as a private, luxury air terminal.

An aerial view circa 1968 of the north side of Miami International Airport along Northwest 36th Street shows the Pan American Regional Headquarters building, at right center, with a hangar from 1929 sitting at a diagonal just above it.

In a somewhat unusual move, the boards chair, Jared Beck, not only told the audience he opposed the designation at the outset of the public hearing, but he also asked MIA officials in the audience to speak at the hearing, although they had not asked to do so.

The county aviation departments deputy director, Basil Binns II, told the board that MIA officials appreciate the historic nature of the building but added that the airports needs for expansion have exploded and should take precedence.

But longtime preservationists and neighborhood activist Elvis Cruz called the county hypocritical for its stance, noting that the board routinely approves historic designation for buildings and properties over the objections of their owners.

Preservationists plan

Instead, preservationists said, the county should integrate the hangar and their proposed museum into the restoration project for the HQ building, known as the Taj Mahal for its original sumptuousness. They noted that none of the other Pan Am buildings house or have space for museum exhibits. And some argued that sparing the relatively modest hangar should not have a significant impact on airport expansion.

Former Pan Am pilot Stuart Archer wears his old uniform while asking the Miami-Dade County historic preservation board, meeting at the Miami-Dade Main Library, to designate a 1929 hangar built by airline founder Juan Trippe, the last standing original building at Miami International Airport, as a historic landmark.

Miami historian Seth Bramson pledged to donate his extensive collection of Miami transportation and aviation artifacts and memorabilia to the proposed museum.

The thought of tearing down this building is criminal, Bramson told board members.

Former Pan Am pilot Stuart Archer, wearing his old uniform, pleaded with the board to save the hangar, noting that the move would be timely because organizations of former Pan Am employees are planning a centennial celebration for the airline, which ceased operations in 1991, in three years.

We were pioneers, Archer said. Its time for Miami to step up for Pan Am.

Two preservation board members, Bob Ross and Scott Janowitz, urged designation. Janowitz expressed surprise that the hangar was not already recognized as a historic landmark.

An undated photo shows a 1920s Pan American Airways hangar, at left, one of the original buildings at what is now Miami International Airport.

This is a very big historical place for Miami, he said.

I fail to see how this structure meets the criteria for designation, Beck said in response.

After Ross motion for designation failed, Beck asked if anyone wanted to make a fresh motion to accept recommendations from Cody instructing that MIA install a historic marker in place of the hangar and offer to donate the structure to anyone willing to take it -- conditions MIA officials had already agreed to. No one responded to Becks question.
Michelle Obama was not happy with the Biden family over the way they treated her good friend Kathleen Buhle following her divorce from Hunter Biden, according to a report.

Two sources familiar with the relationship between the former first lady and the incumbent presidents family told Axios that Michelle has privately spoken about her frustrations at the manner in which the Biden clan mostly exiled Buhle when her marriage to Hunter ended. Its partly why Michelle hasnt been campaigning for Joe Biden in his current election rematch against Donald Trump, one of the sources claimed.

Hunter Bidens D.C. Law License Suspended After Gun Conviction

The report claims that Michelle Obama was even hesitant about campaigning for Biden four years ago in his first round with Trump, and that despite continuing outward displays of warmth between the Obamas and the Bidens, the families relationship changed in 2015.

Thats the year that Bidens son Beau died of cancer, an event which marked the beginning of a deeply painful period for the then-vice presidents family. Its also the year when Biden was considering taking another shot at the presidency for himselfa move that he says Barack Obama did not encourage.

Earlier this month, Buhle testified at Hunters federal gun trial that shed found a crack pipe at their Washington, D.C. home the month after Beaus funeral, but hadnt considered separating from her then-husband until after the infidelity. Hunter Biden and Buhle divorced two years later, in 2017.

In September of that year, Barack Obama went to a Delaware fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation. At the time, Hunter Biden was dating Beaus widow, Hallie Biden, following his divorce from Buhle. After the fundraiserwhich reportedly featured much of the Biden familyBarack Obama described the familys dynamics as weird shit, a source familiar with his words told Axios.

Michelle Obama, likewise, privately told others that she thought Buhle had been wronged, according to the outlet. The former first lady had become close with Buhle during the Obama administration and they remain friends to this day. A spokesperson for Michelle Obama told Axios in a statement that she supports Bidens re-election and she is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true.

Michelle did get involved in Bidens White House bid in 2020 despite her purported initial reluctance, supporting his race in social media posts and delivering a speech at the Democratic National Convention. She may yet also take a more active role in helping Biden ahead of the election in November, according to Axios, which reports that Michelles top aide and Bidens senior adviser Anita Dunn have recently discussed how she could become more involved with his campaign.

Her disinclination so far this year to get involved to the same extent as her husbandwhos spoken at Biden fundraisers and starred alongside him in campaign videosis also partly explained by her dislike of partisan politics, Axios reports, claiming that her attention has been mostly centered on her nonpartisan voter registration organization When We All Vote.

The Biden and Obama families are like family to each other, and whomever made these claims about that relationship isnt familiar with it, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told The Daily Beast in a statement. The former president and first lady have been two of the strongest supporters of President Bidens leadership and agenda.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Michelle Obama not campaigning for Biden over treatment of her friend

The relationship between the Bidens and the Obamas, seen here in 2008, is understood to have shifted in 2015 - EMMANUEL DUNAND

Michelle Obama has resisted campaigning for Joe Biden in part because of how the family treated Hunter Bidens ex-wife, according to reports.

While Barack Obama has been helping boost Bidens 2024 campaign by co-hosting glitzy fundraisers and appearing in promotional videos, the former first lady has been notably absent from the trail.

She is also understood to have refrained from posting about Mr Bidens campaign other than to repost his announcement declaring he was running.

Privately, Mrs Obama, 60, has voiced concern over how the Bidens treated her close friend Kathleen Buhle following her separation from Hunter, two sources told Axios.

Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and Michelle Obama at a Voices Against Violence event - Voices Against Violence

According to Hunters 2021 memoir, the pair grew close during the Obama administration and worked out together at the gym and often had evening cocktails at the White House.

In her 2022 book, The Light We Carry, Mrs Obama wrote about going on regular morning walks by the river with her friend Kathleen.

The Bidens reportedly privately blamed Ms Buhle for some of the details of the pairs divorce, with Hunters addiction and use of prostitutes becoming public.

In a previous report, Axios claimed Ms Buhles friends were frustrated that the Bidens seemed more concerned about the details of Hunters behaviour being leaked than the actions themselves.

The Bidens reportedly privately blamed Kathleen Buhle for some of the details of the pair's divorce, with Hunter's addiction and use of prostitutes becoming public - Matt Rourke

Her friends were also reportedly angered after her daughter Naomi Biden was photographed with Jill Biden for a Vogue cover shoot for her wedding at the White House and Ms Buhle was not included.

Earlier this month, Ms Buhle told the court she discovered his drug use when she found a crack cocaine pipe in an ashtray on a porch at their home in Washington in 2015.

She described routinely searching his car for drugs before any of their three daughters drove the vehicle, so they wouldnt drive with drugs in it.

Along with her concerns over Ms Buhles treatment, Mrs Obama is also said to be reluctant to support Mr Biden during his re-election campaign due to her dislike of partisan politics.

At a recent fundraiser in Hollywood which raised $30,000 for the Biden campaign, Mr Obama said his wife had drilled into their daughters that they would be crazy to go into politics.

Then-first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden visit Sesame Street as part of the White House's "Joining Forces" initiative to support military families in 2011 - Richard Termine/Sesame Workshop via Reuters

The relationship between the Bidens and the Obamas is understood to have shifted in 2015 when the Bidens grappled with the death of Beau Biden and Mr Obama discouraged Mr Biden from running for president.

Mr Obama reportedly described the Biden family dynamics as weird s--- after he attended a Delaware fundraiser for the Beau Biden Foundation in 2017 when Hunter was dating his brothers widow, Hallie Biden, a source told Axios.

Sources also told the US website Mrs Obama was initially hesitant about campaigning for Biden when he was announced as the Democratic nominee in 2020.

They just need to get over it

She delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention and posted on social media supporting the Biden campaign. She also became involved through her nonpartisan voter registration organisation, When We All Vote.

A former Obama administration White House staffer said the Obamas had been far too selective in where and when and how often they will engage with supporting the Biden campaign.

I know for a fact that that was the preference of his office and the former first ladys office, they told The Telegraph.

I think there is also an issue with the Biden campaign, but they just need to get over it and they need to get them out there.

With more than four months left until the election, Mrs Obama could still play a part in Mr Bidens re-election bid.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden applaud during a rally for their husbands on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2008 - Mark Stehle/AP

One of Mrs Obamas top aides and White House senior adviser Anita Dunn recently met to discuss how she could become more involved with Mr Bidens campaign, Axios reported.

Crystal Carson, Mrs Obamas communications director, said: Mrs Obama has already said she supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaign.

She is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true. On Monday, Dr Biden graciously joined the family to celebrate the life of Mrs Marian Robinson, Mrs Obamas mother.

Not campaigning for anyone at the moment

A White House source said Mrs Obama has been clear that campaigning in any context is not her favourite [thing to do] after eight years in the White House.

They noted Mrs Obama is not campaigning for anyone at the moment and there have been talks about potential ways she could become involved in the future.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden appear at an election rally in 2008 - Kamil Krzaczynski/Reuters

Eric Schultz, senior advisor to Mr Obama, said: Given the stakes of this election, president Obama will do all he can to support Mr Bidens campaign.

In fact, he looks forward to helping Democrats up and down the ballot make the case to voters this fall. Our strategy will be based on driving impact, especially where and when his voice can help move the needle.

A source said fundraising content and events signed by or featuring Mr Obama had generated $65 million for the Biden campaign.

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Prince Harry lost his mother, Princess Diana, in a car accident in Paris at the age of 12, and it was a heavy loss for him at such a young age. Over time, he was able to come to terms with it, and now he has shared his experience with a warrior's widow in Azerbaijan, which brought him to tears.

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Nikki Scott, founder of the charity organization Scotty's Little Soldiers, told Prince Harry how she told her 5-year-old son Kai about his father's death in the war in Afghanistan in 2009. According to the Daily Express, the Duke of Sussex supported the woman and shared his own story.

During a certain part of the conversation, Prince Harry could hardly hold back his tears. It was noticeable on his face that he began to blink his eyes more often and bite his lips. Later, he put his hands together and held them close to his face to hide his emotions.

"It was the worst. How do you say that to a five-year-old? I picked him up, sat him down on the bed, and asked him, 'Kai, do you remember where your dad was? "Yes, in Afghanistan," and I said: "Something really bad happened, and the bad guys hurt my dad, and he died," the woman shared her memories. Later, Nikki Scott recalled how Prince Harry lost his mother because for children there is no difference whether a loved one died in a war or in a car accident.

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Then the Duke shared a piece of advice to help you get over the loss of a loved one.

"You convince yourself that the person you lost wants you to grieve as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed. But once you realize that if I talk about it and celebrate their life, it actually makes it easier, as opposed to 'I'm just not going to talk about it and that's the best way to cope' when it's not. If you suppress it for too long, you can't suppress it forever, it's not sustainable, and it will eat you up inside," the prince said.

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Former First Lady Michelle Obama has not been vocal about her support for President Joe Bidens reelection in recent months and sources close to her say it stems from "frustration" over the Biden family's treatment of Hunter Biden's ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, sources told Axios.

Buhle and Hunter Biden announced they were separating in July 2015 amid reports over the latter's drug addiction and apparent infidelity. That same year, Biden's son Beau died of cancer and Hunter began dating his widow, Hallie. Biden and Buhle, who share three children, finalized their divorce in 2017. This is the time the dynamics between the Obamas and Bidens changed.

A spokesperson for Michele Obama, Crystal Carson, assured Axios that she supports Bidens re-election  despite her widely known distaste for partisan politics  and said she is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true.

Throughout this year, former President Barack Obama has willingly been expressing his support on social media and at fundraisers.

In the fall of 2017, Barack Obama attended a fundraiser in Wilmington, Delaware for the Beau Biden Foundation where Hunter was seen hand-in-hand with his brothers widow  whom he allegedly cheated on Buhle with. Michelle did not attend alongside her husband and the former president privately described the Biden family dynamics at the fundraiser as weird shit, according to a person aware of his comments.

Meanwhile, the former first ladys relationship with the outcast Buhle only blossomed since their early beginnings during the Obama administration. Michelle mentioned Buhle in her 2022 book, The Light We Carry, where she wrote: My friend Kathleen and I keep regular morning dates to walk by the river.

Michelle might still rise to the occasion with five months left on the campaign trail. Top White House aide Anita Dunn and Michelle Obamas top aide, Melissa Winter, reportedly shared a lunch recently to discuss specific ways the Biden campaign can involve the former first lady.
Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency is moving to ban a diluting agent used in vape pens that could be harmful to consumers.

Starting Oct. 1, the cannabis oil used in vape pens will have to be tested for MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil before those products make it to store shelves, according to a Thursday news release announcing the new requirement.

"From a public health and safety standpoint, the potential for adverse effects with MCT oil underscores the importance of safety guidelines for product development," Brian Hanna, executive director of the CRA, said in the release.

The new requirement comes a few months after the CEO of a cannabis testing company with a lab in Michigan raised concerns with the Detroit Free Press about the presence of potentially harmful substances, like MCT oil (which is derived from coconut oil), in cannabis products.

Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs lab tech Taylor Liechty extracts cannabinoids from a syrup of a broken-down THC edible gummy to be tested further at the lab located in Jackson on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Josh Swider, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab, which has facilities in Jackson and also in San Diego, said in March that more than 30% of marijuana vape pens and edibles his lab recently tested contained MCT oil; a synthetically converted cannabis oil; or pesticides, some of which are not allowed by the state.

In an interview following the news of the new testing requirement, Swider said he's "happy to see regulators taking action and putting the priority (of) public safety over anything else."

This move follows actions taken by other states, like Colorado. The state banned MCT oil in marijuana products intended for inhalation following the outbreak of vaping-related lung illnesses in 2019.

That same year, just before sales of recreational marijuana began in Michigan, the state mandated a temporary halt to the sale of marijuana vapes because of the vaping-related illnesses and deaths associated with vitamin E acetate, which had been used to dilute THC to make it easier to fill illicit market vape cartridges.

While MCT oil is a food-safe ingredient, similar to vitamin E acetate, scientists say inhaling these substances can lead to inflammation of the lungs, which can turn into illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Robin Schneider, executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association, said in the news release that several of the association's retail members have already been proactively pulling products off their shelves and testing their inventory to ensure products from the brands they sell don't contain MCT oil.

"Moving forward, this testing will take place before the retailers purchase inventory from producers, easing the burden on retailers and ensuring that the products they sell are safe," she said.

More on what this CEO found in products: Michigan cannabis lab CEO says hidden substances could taint vape pens, edibles

The action taken by the CRA does not address another concern raised by Swider: the synthetically converted cannabis oil, which is CBD oil converted into THC oil using a process that's similar to how a pharmaceutical drug would be made, he said.

In a response to a question about whether conversion oil is allowed in Michigan in April, David Harns, a spokesperson for the CRA, said in an email: "We intend to make it clear in the new rule set that CBD to THC conversion is prohibited in Michigan." The prohibition on conversion was included in the proposed changes to the marijuana rules the state put out nearly a year ago.

More on cannabis product recalls: Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency recalls Flavor Galaxy's infused pre-rolled joints

Harns recently said he's hopeful that the formal public hearing process for the new rule set will start this summer or early fall.

A state testing lab that is scheduled to open by the end of the year will help to find more of the "unknowns" in cannabis products.

"I applaud them for doing that and funding this kind of thing because in all reality, the stuff we don't know sometimes can hurt us a lot more than the stuff we do know," Swider said.

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan to ban potentially harmful dilutant found in THC vape pens
Susan J. Demas

The Democratic-led Michigan House on Wednesday passed an increase to the maximum eligibility for unemployment benefits from 20 weeks to 26 weeks.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer temporarily reinstated the 26 week maximum through an executive order in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the economic hardship the state faced.

House Bill 5827 would permanently reverse the 2011 change to the Michigan Employment Security Act made under the Republican-led Michigan Legislature and GOP Gov. Rick Snyder that reduced unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 weeks.

That move was opposed by Democrats at the time. Now that Democrats control the Legislature and the governors office, the policy is one step closer to being reversed.

The bill would bring back benefits that needed to be available in the first place, bill sponsor state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) told reporters after the 56-54 vote along partisan lines.

When you look at 20 weeks, thats really not a long time; 26 weeks definitely is something that is necessary to happen, Whitsett said.

Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton praised the legislation as common-sense and said it brings Michigan in line with 39 other states that provide up to 26 weeks of benefits.

We know that people dont stay on unemployment by choiceat the height of the pandemic when the maximum duration of benefits was temporarily extended to 26 weeks, the average claimant used only 14 of those weeks, said Stanton, who leads the economic justice think tank. Michiganders often get back into the workforce as soon as possiblebut whats possible has to do a lot with geography and timing.

Ahead of the vote, Republican lawmakers expressed their disapproval of increasing the amount of time a person can be on unemployment. Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford) offered an amendment, which failed, to tie the unemployment benefits expansion to his bill, HB 5859, which would limit the states unemployment agencys ability to reassign employees out of the investigations division and change other rules without legislative approval.

The states unemployment agency came under fire during the COVID-19 pandemic for permitting fraudulent unemployment benefits to be doled out as the agency dealt with an influx of claims. In a news release Wednesday from Harris, he said as employment rates improve, now is not the time to incentivize people to stay out of work longer.

The broken unemployment agency let billions of dollars slip out the door to fraudsters and faulty claims, Harris said in the release. The agency needs to get its house in order, and adding more weeks of unemployment benefits will just allow criminals to rake in even more from fraud.

If the increase to 26 weeks becomes law, it would become effective at the start of 2025.

The change would increase payments dispensed by an unknown amount from the states unemployment insurance trust fund, which currently has $2.67 billion, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency.

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The post Michigan House approves increasing unemployment benefits to 26 weeks appeared first on Michigan Advance.
A former middle school principal in St. Louis who hired a friend to kill a teacher who was pregnant with his child was ordered to serve two consecutive life sentences in federal prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Tuesday.

Cornelius Green, 42, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire in the 2016 deaths of 30-year-old Jocelyn Peters, who was 31 weeks pregnant, and the fetus, named Micah Leigh.

In his plea agreement, Green acknowledged he hired a childhood friend, Phillip Cutler of Oklahoma, to kill Peters, a teacher at Mann Elementary School in St. Louis who was in a romantic relationship with Green. Before her death, Peters believed that Green was divorcing his wife and was unaware that he was also in relationships with several other women, prosecutors said.

According to a sentencing memorandum, Peters was determined to keep the baby after she had previously had a pregnancy loss and then terminated a second pregnancy at Greens urging.

A photo posted on Facebook of Jocelyn Peters. Facebook

During this time, Green was researching ways to hide abortion pills in oatmeal, according to the memorandum. Prosecutors said when that plan failed, he called Cutler, who was financially down on his luck and needed money, to plot the killings.

According to prosecutors, Green, a principal at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School in St. Louis, took money from a school dance teams fundraiser to pay Cutler for his hitman services. Detectives found evidence that the two planned the killing over a series of phone calls and that Green sent Cutler a package that contained $2,500 in cash.

He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child, Nicole Conaway, who was principal of Mann Elementary when Peters was a teacher, said in prosecutors news release.

As part of the plot to kill Peters, Green traveled to Chicago to establish an alibi and left Cutler with the keys to his car and to Peters apartment, according to his indictment.

Peters was making a list of guests for her baby shower when she was killed, the sentencing memorandum said.

Cutler drove Greens car to Peters apartment on March 24, 2016, and entered the home using the key, according to the indictment. Inside, Cutler found Peters in bed and fatally shot her, using a potato to suppress the sound of the gunshot.

Green traveled back to St. Louis and called 911 to report her death, pretending to have no knowledge about what happened and lying to police, according to the sentencing memorandum.

He lied repeatedly to police while trying to mask his involvement in the horrendous crime by getting Cutler and others to conceal evidence, prosecutors said in the memorandum. He attempted to evade detection of his crime at every turn throughout the investigation.

In the sentencing memorandum from his defense, Greens attorney said he accepted responsibility for his actions and hoped to use his background to educate other prisoners while he spent his life behind bars.

Cutler was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire in March. He was also given two life sentences.

Speaking at Greens sentencing, Lacey Peters, the victims mother, called the crime senseless, local NBC affiliate KSDK reported.

Im not able to go visit Jocelyn, Lacey Peters said. Im not able to hug my granddaughter. Life is not enough.

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Shooting down small and low-speed Russian attack drones is not easy for combat aviation, but Ukrainian pilots are well trained and have been practising to effectively fight Shahed UAVs.

Source: press service of the Air Command Zakhid (West)

Details: In particular, the pilots shared the story of their comrade in arms from the 204th Sevastopol Tactical Aviation Brigade who shot down two Shahed drones in one combat mission.

"I had a feeling of confidence. I took off from one of the operational airfields. I said "hello" to the aircraft before the flight, as if telling it telepathically that we had to shoot down a Shahed," says pilot Pavlo.

After he had destroyed one attack drone, he received a task to destroy another target.

"I then turned to my plane in my thoughts again: 'We have to do this, you and me  shoot down the second one," Pavlo chuckles. "And we did it. The night was sleepless but productive for me, and it ended in a peaceful morning for the Ukrainians who were targeted by these two enemy drones."

Quote: "Shooting down small and low-speed attack drones is not as easy as it seems. You have to carefully calculate everything: the speed of the aircraft, your manoeuvres in the sky. But we are well prepared, we have practised a lot and are still practising to effectively fight Shahed attack drones. Of course, you feel happy about being able to destroy the target. But it only lasts for a few seconds, and then you focus on the next flight mission again."

Details: The pilot adds that combat crews of the radio engineering units help them detect their targets, and personnel of the aircraft guidance points help the pilots approach them. This is the coherent work of a large team.

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A millennial added foldable pieces to her 312-square-foot studio. It now transforms into 4 different rooms. Take a look.

A millennial added foldable pieces to her 312-square-foot studio. It now transforms into 4 different rooms. Take a look.

Helen Zhou bought a tiny London studio for $416,000 to be closer to her family.

A year after moving in, she had the 312-square-foot studio redone to fit her lifestyle and needs.

She can now unfold a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and an office out of one small space.

Step aside, Barbie, there's a new dreamhouse in town.

No, it isn't bubblegum pink  rather, a bold shade of green  but it is tiny, sustainably built, and personalized for its owner, Helen Zhou.

Zhou, a 33-year-old software engineer, told Business Insider she bought the East London studio in 2020 for 328,000, or around $416,000, to be closer to her sister, brother-in-law, and twin nieces, who had just moved to the area.

Navigating London's real-estate market on a tight budget isn't for the faint-hearted. When Zhou did, the next hurdle became figuring out whether she had enough left in the bank to turn the 312-square-foot studio into a space that could accommodate her work-from-home lifestyle, dinner parties, and overnight guests.

Over a year after she bought the studio, Zhou came across Sara L'Esperance and Michael Putman, founders of the architectural design firm SUPRBLK. They helped her create a home tailored to her needs  and for under 25,000, or around $31,709, no less.

Take a look inside Zhou's house, which she called her "Green Dream."

When Zhou moved in, the studio was essentially one big room.

Zhou was sleeping on a mattress on the floor to maximize space prior to the renovation. Helen Zhou

Although the studio was relatively modern and got good light, Zhou wasn't exactly in love with it when she first moved in.

Zhou said the previous owners had set up the apartment "in a way where the whole thing was just a bedroom."

But when she came across L'Esperance and Putman, reading an article about a "visually stunning" home they'd bought and redesigned using "clever ways to utilize the space," Zhou realized her home had the potential to be something more.

Inspired, she contacted the couple to see if they would transform her 312-square-foot studio  which also has an 86-square-foot balcony  within her tight budget.

L'Esperance and Putman wanted to get a sense of Zhou's personality and lifestyle before making major design decisions.

Helen Zhou likes to call the studio her "Green Dream." Nicholas Worley

L'Esperance and Putman had relocated to Canada when Zhou got in touch, but taking on a renovation from afar wasn't an issue. It was the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they were doing most of their work from home, L'Esperance told BI.

But before taking Zhou's project on, the architects had her fill out their standard client questionnaire to learn about herself and her lifestyle.

Zhou was very "thorough" with her responses, L'Esperance recalled.

"We got a sense of what she liked doing, where she works, and what are important things to her," she said. Sustainability was a factor, as was having a home that she could work in but also switch off, relax, and entertain guests whenever she was off the clock.

While it always seemed feasible, the architects were a little wary as they'd never renovated a home that tiny, L'Esperance said. "So it was like, 'Can we do this? Can we get her everything that she's asking for and in such a small space?'"

The renovated space is deceptively simple, housing four rooms  a bedroom, living room, dining room, and office  in one.

Zhou's home has three main configurations, depending on what she wants to use it for. Here it is in what she calls "work mode." Nicholas Worley

The redesign Putman and L'Esperance managed to pull off in Zhou's studio focuses on the living area since her budget stretched too thin to also redo the kitchen and bathroom.

"The bathroom and kitchen, whilst maybe not 100% to Helen's taste, were quite neutral and new," L'Esperance said.

Using smart design tricks, they managed to completely transform the living space so that it now has multiple configurations.

In other words, the layout can shift depending on what Zhou is using it for.

Zhou said there's the "work mode" layout, where a desk can be pulled from a column stacked with shelves to the left of the front door.

"It's quite light, so you can do that quite easily," she added. "It feels like you're putting away work, which is really great."

Folding the desk back up transforms the apartment into a more relaxed "lounge mode."

Finally, there's the "dinner party mode," for which Zhou pulls the sofa out 90 degrees and pulls out a hidden table. When completely folded out, the table can seat up to five people.

The architects and Zhou considered different designs before the final iteration, which L'Esperance likens to a "transformer robot."

The studio, pictured here in dinner party mode with the mattress removed from the bed platform, is like a "transformer," architect Sara L'Esperance said. Nicholas Worley

L'Esperance and Putman showed Zhou an array of design concepts before narrowing it down to two similar but different arrangements.

One was slightly more complex and would have cost more, while the other was "a little more minimal, a little less built, and it was going to be quite a lot cheaper." Given her budget, Zhou ultimately went for the latter as she said she "always liked minimal living anyway."

The fact that Zhou had already lived in the apartment for over the year ended up working heavily in their favor, L'Esperance said.

"I actually think it's a mistake to renovate a place before living in it a bit," she said, noting that it takes time to get a feel for a home and what you want to change within it.

"It's nice to buy a place and do it up right away, but I think people find that then they don't get it quite right," L'Esperance said.

To maximize storage, nearly every aspect of the apartment has multiple hidden uses.

Hidden compartments and foldable elements allow Zhou and her partner to have plenty of storage in the studio, pictured here in work mode. Nicholas Worley

"Previously, Helen essentially had a rack with her clothes kind of right at the door and then sort of boxes," L'Esperance said. "That's why the design solution was that everything had to serve more than one function."

A sofa couldn't just be a sofa, she added, "it had to do two or three things because otherwise, it wasn't working hard enough."

With that in mind, she and Putman designed the studio to be chock-full of secret storage spaces. There are drawers and cabinets discreetly accessible by the front door, storage boxes beneath the sofa, and shelves above the bed.

The bed, which is behind the sofa and raised on a small platform, also conceals a large storage space beneath it, where Zhou said she keeps things like "Christmas lights" that she doesn't use every day. Later, she added curtains for an extra bit of privacy and light control.

Storage, L'Esperance joked, is the "sexiest component" of a home.

"It's important to be able to have spaces that you can shut the door, and your mess can kind of live behind," she said.

Not only is there enough storage for Zhou, but there's also plenty of space for her partner, who moved in after the renovation was complete.

It took only two months to finish the project, in part because Zhou was pretty hands-on.

Work was completed on the studio in 2023. Helen Zhou, Nicholas Worley

The architects and Zhou employed a joiner  basically, a woodworking expert  to build the living space's nifty multi-use components out of Valchromat, a substance made from recycled pinewood and mill waste.

The new living space took two months to install, but most of the elements were built off-site, so Zhou only had to vacate the premises for one week.

Because they were in Canada, L'Esperance said she and Putman relied on Zhou to be their eyes on the ground.

"Helen was really, really hands-on, which was amazing," L'Esperance added. "It was more than a kind of client, architect relationship. It became like Helen was almost managing the project."

Zhou, who is into arts and crafts, also took the lead in giving her new home its distinct paint job.

A crisp line separates the green renovation from the rest of the studio, pictured here in work mode. Nicholas Worley

The architects proposed painting the living space green early in the design process, something L'Esperance was "quite nervous" about doing as she worried Zhou wouldn't be a fan of the "bold" color.

But there was a method to the madness, L'Esperance said. Since the apartment faces south, it gets lots of sunlight, which means a moodier color like green can minimize glare. The color is also reminiscent of "nature," which is "important" to Zhou, L'Esperance said.

Zhou heard them out. After receiving the paint samples, she tested how it interacted with different liquids and food products because she knew it would be used on surfaces people would eventually eat and drink  and spill  on.

"She had put turmeric on it and spilled wine on it, and oil  it was so amazing," L'Esperance said.

Post-testing, it was up to Zhou to paint the entire space. Luckily, she has a penchant for arts and crafts, so was up for the task  with guidance from L'Esperance.

Some have nicknamed Zhou's tiny home the "Green Machine," but it'll always be the "Green Dream" to her.

Zhou doesn't have plans to leave her studio, pictured here in dinner party mode, anytime soon. Nicholas Worley

Zhou didn't grow up playing with Barbies or owning a Barbie Dreamhouse. She was more of a Lego fan, a slight foreshadowing of the studio she'd eventually call home.

Like Lego bricks, aspects of her studio can easily be taken apart, stuck together, and shifted around to create multiple layouts.

It's no wonder her home was dubbed the "Green Machine" during the 2024 Don't Move, Improve! architectural competition, which recognizes London's most innovative home redesigns.

But to Zhou, it'll always be her "Green Dream," a living space suited for her needs that she has no intention of ever giving up. Well, unless her nieces leave East London.

"The only massive thing that could happen that would sway me is if my nieces moved away," she said. "I love them!"

Correction: June 27, 2024  An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Helen Zhou's last name and age. It is Zhou, not Zhao and she is 33, not 32.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Minnesota has contested court races on the ballot this fall. But don't expect battles like Wisconsin's.

For the first time in years, Minnesotans will have more than one choice for judge in multiple races on the ballot this fall.

Nine races for judgeships out of 103 total have more than one candidate registered to run, including two contested seats on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Last election cycle, only one judge in the entire state faced a challenger on the ballot.

Even with a handful of contested races this fall, it's unlikely any will rise to the high-profile judicial battles seen next door in Wisconsin, where a 2023 race that flipped the state's high court from a conservative to a liberal majority attracted more than $50 million in spending.

Several factors keep the tone tamped down in judge races in Minnesota, including institutional norms, a historically weak bench of challengers and a lack of high-profile cases before the state's highest court that have spurred opposition, said Herbert Kritzer, professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota Law School.

"Groups have not felt that they have a need to get involved in Minnesota Supreme Court elections, and that's because Minnesota has not had to make any controversial decisions on abortion, and there's not been significant tort reform legislation challenged before the court," said Kritzer, who has studied judicial retention across the country. "There's also no death penalty in Minnesota; that becomes a very hot topic in many other states."

In Minnesota, judges run for six-year terms to the bench in nonpartisan elections, but it's rare in the state for someone to win an open election for a judgeship. Most judges retire partway through their term and allow the governor to appoint their replacement. Once appointed, the judge must run in the next general election more than one year after their appointment.

Incumbent judges are noted on the ballot, but political affiliations are not. While candidates can seek political party endorsements, a judicial code of conduct in the state discourages many political activities, and discourages candidates from discussing their views on issues or how they might rule on a case. Many candidates in Minnesota stick to that code.

That's very different from Wisconsin, said Kritzer, where candidates run in open elections more often than Minnesota and are often strongly associated with a political party. In the 2023 race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, candidates gave their views on the 2020 election results and abortion.

Timing could also be a factor. Minnesota's judicial contests line up with the state's regular election calendar, meaning they're on the ballot with other high-profile races in November. Wisconsin's judicial races are in the spring, giving each contest more attention.

In other states, business groups frustrated by Supreme Court decisions on regulations have often been behind efforts to recruit and back strong candidates for judicial races, but that hasn't happened in Minnesota, said Kritzer.

There is a challenger to Minnesota Supreme Court Associate Justice Karl Procaccini, who served as Gov. Tim Walz's general counsel during his first term in office and taught at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. Walz appointed Procaccini to the court last August, putting him on the ballot in November.

"There was some speculation that someone would put up a challenger because he was so involved in pandemic decisions," said Kritzer.

Procaccini is facing Matthew Hanson, a Prior Lake attorney who has worked in trusts, estates and commercial litigation. Hanson was the lone challenger to any judge in 2022, and that's part of why he's running again.

"Democracy requires a choice, and when you can't vote for someone else, why even vote?" he said. "I wanted to bring more attention generally to judicial elections."

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson is also facing a challenge, from Stephen Emery, an attorney who has run for other state offices. There's one contested Court of Appeals race and six contests for district judges that have more than one candidate, including a five-way race in the Sixth Judicial District.

Kritzer expects there to be more emphasis on them as U.S. Supreme Court rulings kick more issues back to the states.

"State supreme courts are now more or less the last word on abortion and on legislative redistricting," he said. "I expect there to be more of a focus on them, particularly if those kinds of issues are coming before the court."

What questions do you have?
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) warned President Joe Biden not to engage in former President Donald Trumps buffoonery before marking how the two compare with each other ahead of their CNN-moderated debate on Thursday.

We know these debates are not real life. Ive been governor long enough, I served under both, with President Trump and President Biden, Walz told CNNs Brianna Keilar on Wednesday.

And with President Trump, it was always fighting with my neighbors to get ventilators during COVID and telling my citizens to drink bleach. With Joe Biden, its about real solutions, he said.

The governor took aim at the Trump administrations response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed over 400,000 people during his term in the White House, as well as his dangerous false claim that household cleaning products could be a remedy for the virus.

Gov. Tim Walz: "I've been governor long enough. I've served under both President Trump and President Biden. With President Trump, it was always fighting with my neighbors to get ventilators during covid & telling my citizens to drink bleach. With Biden it's about real solutions." pic.twitter.com/duWZPwDzTm  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2024

Keilar later referred to reports that Biden is preparing for a disciplined version of Trump.

I will say disciplined and Trump, those are not, I think, two words that we normally associate with one another, said Keilar, who asked the governor whether people will see such a version of the former president in the debate.

Walz declared that Trump doesnt prepare for anything, pointing to the former president not listening to briefs and governors amid the pandemic.

I got off the phone this morning with Joe Biden, whos concerned about the Rapidan Dam in Mankato and the flooding were seeing. Thats a big difference, said the governor, who has previously noted that the contrast between the two candidates couldnt be greater.

The governor went on to predict that Trumps going to have a hard time because of his record as president.

Hes an entertainer. Now he can talk about his felonies. I just expect him to not be able, for 90 minutes, not to talk about himself in the way that he normally does, which is, you know, untruths and hyperbole, Walz said.

Walz on Trump and the debate. "Of course he's not preparing. He doesn't prepare for anything ... he's an entertainer. Now he can talk about his felonies." pic.twitter.com/BQhue4s6vB  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 26, 2024

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Soldiers of the German Armed Forces walk along a street in a residential area, past a fire department vehicle during the search operation for Arian a missing six-year-old child in northern Lower Saxony. A body found in the German state of Lower Saxony was on 27 June confirmed as that of Arian's, police said.There were no indications of foul play, investigators said. They did not reveal the cause of death to protect the family. Moritz Frankenberg/dpa

A child's body found in the German state of Lower Saxony was on Thursday confirmed as that of a 6-year-old boy missing since April, police said on Thursday.

There were no indications of foul play, investigators said. They did not reveal the cause of death to protect the family.

The boy called Arian, who was living with autism, disappeared from his home on April 22.

Authorities assumed he left the house on his own and launched a major search involving 1,200 people, dogs, horses, helicopters, drones, wildlife cameras, an aircraft, boats and diving equipment.

On Monday, a farmer found a child's body while mowing in the municipality of Estorf, about 80 kilometres west of Hamburg.

The location was only a few kilometres away from Arian's home. The area had been scoured several times by emergency services during the initial search, a police spokeswoman said.

Around a week after the boy's disappearance, the police and regional government authorities decided to call off the search.

A team of five investigators continued to look into the case, which despite hundreds of tip-offs from the public failed to produce any firm leads. In mid-May, the police again searched for the boy without success.
Poor childhood, suffering, and violence from her brothers  Oprah Winfrey's childhood was difficult and painful. But despite all that, she grew up to become a famous actress, presenter, and one of the most famous philanthropists.

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The first black woman billionaire, Oprah has become a historical figure who has influenced the lives of many around the world. Winfrey says that the main goal of her charity work is "to lead, educate, inspire and empower women and children around the world," which she has accomplished by donating millions of dollars to worthy organizations. OBOZ.UA tells about Oprah Winfrey's charity.

The fact that the girl's childhood was quite difficult is especially significant in Oprah's life. She grew up in rural Mississippi, USA. At first, she was raised by her grandparents in extreme poverty and strictness. Then she was taken in by her mother, but life did not get any easier as her cousins began to show sexual interest in her. Having survived violence and abuse in her childhood, she eventually grew into a strong personality. This experience has directly influenced Winfrey's fight against global poverty and inspired women to empower themselves.

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Because of her personal history of abuse  and to help others who have been abused  Winfrey began campaigning for a national database of child abusers in 1991. Then US President Bill Clinton signed the so-called "Oprah's Bill" into law in December 1993  a central part of the National Child Protection Act that created a national registry of child abuse convictions.

Over the years, Ms. Winfrey has donated millions of dollars of her own money to a variety of interests and charities. A significant portion of her donations has gone through three main charities: "Oprah's Angel Network, which has been widely publicized on her show; her foundation, the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation; and the Oprah Winfrey Operating Fund, which exclusively supports her Leadership Academy in South Africa.

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Oprah's Angel Network

Oprah has always said that education is the door to freedom and a chance for a better future. Through her private philanthropy, she has awarded hundreds of grants to organizations that support the education and empowerment of women, children, and families in the United States and around the world. Among her various philanthropic contributions, she has donated millions of dollars to provide better education for students who have the ability but not the means. The "Oprah Winfrey Scholarship Program" was created to provide scholarships to students who intend to use their education to benefit their communities in the United States and beyond.

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Once, during an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997, the host encouraged viewers to use their lives to make a difference in the lives of others. This was the beginning of the Oprah's Angels Network, a public charity organization. Together, they have raised more than $80 million, and these donations have been used to fund charitable projects and grants around the world.

Oprah's Angel Network has helped establish 60 schools in 13 countries, establish scholarships, support women's shelters, and build youth centers and homes, changing the future for people around the world. By 2010, the organization had raised a whopping $80 million, which went to various causes, such as helping women's shelters, before the organization stopped accepting donations and eventually disbanded.

"Through this foundation, Oprah Winfrey has used her ability to convene and highlight issues close to her heart and put it into action. She has harnessed the power of her personality, celebrity, and achievements to solve problems that affect millions," said Caroline Underwood, CEO of Philanthropy.

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Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation

This fund was established to provide funds exclusively for the operation of the Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Oprah Winfrey founded this school in January 2007. Its main goal is to provide school education in this region. The academy accepts students who have experienced poverty in childhood and faced traumatic life experiences.

Education is central to Winfrey's fight against global poverty. This academy has modern equipment and facilities that contribute to an excellent learning environment and even maintains a 600-seat theater. The vast majority of girls who have graduated from this academy have gone on to top foreign universities such as Oxford and Stanford Medical School. The ongoing impact of this initiative on poverty alleviation in South Africa is particularly significant given that the country's college attendance rate is 20%.

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Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation

She founded her parent organization, the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, in 2010. The main goal is to participate in the fight against poverty and to support organizations that pursue humanitarian goals. Oprah personally added $36 million to this charity and stated that education is the key to equalizing economic conditions and providing opportunities for everyone.

The foundation does not accept applications for donations or grants. Instead, Oprah Winfrey selects charities and makes special donations through her private foundation, providing millions of dollars in grants to nonprofits. In terms of impact, the organization has donated $400 million, contributed to the education of 72,000 people, and served 75 million meals.

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Other charitable and special projects of Oprah Winfrey

It is thanks to these foundations that Oprah was able to extend her charitable hand around the world. Oprah Winfrey's charities support a variety of organizations, mostly focused on African Americans and the poor. Here are some other charities she has contributed to and supports through her foundations.

"O Ambassadors"

This organization operated as part of a school program that aimed to encourage children to give and act on behalf of their peers in underdeveloped countries.

U.S. Dream Academy

The American Dream Academy is a national after-school program aimed at working with children who have a parent in prison. The goal is to break the cycle of incarceration. In 2006, Oprah donated almost a million dollars, and according to financial reports, she is one of the academy's biggest supporters.

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Personal volunteering and grant-making

In addition, Winfrey is actively engaged in personal fundraising, including auctioning off part of her car collection to raise funds. In March 2020, Oprah donated $12 million to help vulnerable people and communities most affected by COVID-19. Her contributions have helped cities and states where Oprah has lived, including Mississippi, Nashville, Chicago, and Milwaukee.

Also, as a passionate advocate for girls and women, Oprah has donated to the Time's Up campaign, which aims to create a society free of gender discrimination. Another enterprise that Oprah supports is N Street Village, a non-profit organization that provides housing and services to homeless and low-income women.

Winfrey's motto "Intention and service" reflects her commitment to charitable efforts  she actively works to improve the living conditions of the world's most vulnerable populations.

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By focusing on philanthropy, volunteering, and making a difference in the world, Oprah Winfrey has demonstrated how one person can change the world. Directing a significant portion of her income to charitable initiatives, she is an example that many can follow.

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Missing yogis family travels to Bahamas to search for her as her phone is found floating in the water

Missing yogis family travels to Bahamas to search for her as her phone is found floating in the water

The cell phone of a Chicago woman who vanished while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas has been found, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen on June 19 on Paradise Island, a small resort off the shore of New Providence in the Bahamas. When Casey failed to show up for class at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on June 20, the staff reported her missing to Bahamian police.

On June 26, Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings revealed Caseys cell phone had been found in the ocean, according to local news outlet The Nassau Guardian.

Skippings said Caseys belongings were still at the ashram and that investigators have questioned the staff. She was unable to say if police suspect foul play in the matter.

The update came shortly after Caseys family met with police on Wednesday after traveling to the island nation to assist with the search.

Taylor Casey, 41, disappeared on June 20 after traveling from her home in Chicago to the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas. Now, her family has traveled to the Bahamas to help in the search (Find Taylor Casey/Facebook)

Caseys mother, Colette Seymore, told CBS News she heard from her daughter last Tuesday.

That was the last time, she said. Taylor sent me pictures of Taylor in the Atlantic Ocean and said, I miss you mom. Look, Im at the beach.

Casey has been a yoga practitioner for the last 15 years, and attended the resort retreat with the intent of deepening her practice, her mother said. After Casey was reported missing, staff alerted her family and the US Embassy in the Bahamas.

We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, Seymore wrote on a Facebook page focused on the search for Casey. We love Taylor and want her home.

The family is pleading with the public to help find Casey and to share any information they may have with the Bahamas police. They have created a Find Taylor Casey Facebook page and Instagram account to help spread the word.

Casey has been a yoga practitioner for the last 15 years, and attended the resort retreat with the intent of deepening her practice, her mother said (Find Taylor Casey/Facebook)

"Taylor would never disappear like this," Seymore wrote.

Seymore believes her daughter would never have run away from an event she was excited to join. That is why she believes now that her daughter may be in danger and plan to resume searching on Thursday.

I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return," Seymore said.

Caseys family described her as a light-skinned Black woman, approximately 5-feet 10-inches tall and 145 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

A Level 2 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department in January remained in effect, advising travelers to exercise increased caution in The Bahamas due to crime.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says he plans to veto hundreds of earmarked spending items

Gov. Mike Parson discusses his plans for the coming fiscal year's budget Thursday following groundbreaking for a new multiagency state laboratory in Jefferson City. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)

Hundreds of earmarked items in the $51.7 billion budget passed by lawmakers this year will be vetoed, Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday, just days before the new fiscal year begins.

Speaking with reporters after groundbreaking for a new multi-agency state laboratory, Parson had two criticisms for the budget plan  it goes overboard on earmarks and shortchanges essential state services.

Parson said the administrations budget staff had identified more than 600 earmarked items throughout the 16 appropriation bills for the fiscal year that begins Monday.

Were going to veto a lot of the earmarks, especially some of them that maybe were not even ready to be done, that just people put different things in there, Parson said. Theres gonna be a lot of the those making it across the finish line, but not everybodys gonna get what they want.

The Independent analyzed the budget and found more than 400 earmarked items  with 284 new this year  totaling $2.1 billion in spending.

Parson called those earmarks a lot of overspending. The state services that are not fully funded will require a large infusion of additional cash, he said, but lawmakers wont have to return this fall to pass a supplemental budget.

Youll see one of the largest supplementals at the beginning of next year that youve seen, Parson told reporters.

The state is sitting on a large surplus, but Parson said it is not as large as the fund balances in the treasury would make it appear. The budget passed by lawmakers spends $15.3 billion in general revenue  including $700 million on earmarked items identified by The Independent.

When they were finished with the budget in May, legislative leaders claimed two achievements  a total $1 billion less than Parson requested in January and ongoing general revenue spending that was less than ongoing revenues.

In legislative language, that means that spending above the expected $13.1 billion in general revenue would be one-time expenses met by tapping the surplus.

When the total after his vetoes is added to the amount of the supplemental budget needed to maintain services, he said, that will no longer be true.

That was more of a political gesture than it was anything, Parson said.

The House Budget Committee chairman, state Rep. Cody Smith of Carthage, and the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, state Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield, are both running for statewide office.

Even with spending from the surplus, Parson said, the state will have about $1.5 billion in extra cash at the end of the coming fiscal year.

Im gonna make sure, Parson said, that theres enough finances available for the next administration.

The post Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says he plans to veto hundreds of earmarked spending items appeared first on Missouri Independent.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)  Officers with the Mobile Police Department said they are investigating a robbery at a bank that happened early Wednesday morning.

Mobile man accused of choking, assaulting woman: MPD

Officers were called to the Regions Bank at 4100 Government Boulevard for a report of a robbery, according to an MPD news release.

INCIDENT LOCATION:

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Officers found that a woman had allegedly been making a business deposit at around 2:15 a.m. when a man armed with a gun approached her.

The release said the man demanded money from the victim before leaving the area.

Police said this is an ongoing investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon has made controversial statements about Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: Dodon in an interview with Russian media outlet Nastoyashcheye Vremya (Current Time); European Pravda

Details: Initially, Dodon could not directly answer a question about who sent troops to Ukraine, saying that "all sides are to blame for what happened in Ukraine".

Answering a question about the status of Crimea as well as Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Dodon said "the results of peace talks will make it clear where the war will stop."

"Some say these oblasts are part of Russia. Some say they are part of Ukraine. So let's wait and see what happens as a result of the talks and the end of the conflict in Ukraine," Dodon stated.

In addition, when asked about the events in the city of Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, where Russian occupying forces killed many civilians, Dodon said that he had seen "different positions regarding Bucha".

"Some say it was staged. I won't say now whether it was staged or not. The first thing I say is that it was horrible," Dodon noted.

Background: In April, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon stated that he wanted to restore Moldova's strategic partnership with Russia, which is allegedly what the majority of Moldovan citizens desired.

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Mongolia holds an election Friday. Its people see the government as benefiting the wealthy

A woman walks carrying an umbrella as it rains on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Thursday, June 27, 2024. A parliamentary election will be held in Mongolia on Friday, June 28, 2024 for the first time since the body was expanded to 126 seats, adding some uncertainty to a system that has been monopolized by two political parties and plagued by corruption. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP)  A parliamentary election will be held in Mongolia on Friday for the first time since the body was expanded to 126 seats, adding some uncertainty to a system that has been monopolized by two political parties and plagued by corruption.

The election in a relatively new democracy  the country was a single-party communist state until 1990  comes at a time when many Mongolians have soured on the government, which they see as benefiting business interests and the wealthy.

We have democracy only in appearance, said Gantamur Dash, who earns money taking photos of tourists at the central square in Ulaanbaatar, the capital. Only a few are living luxurious lives and the rest of the population is poor.

Mongolia is a sparsely populated country of 3.4 million people in East Asia squeezed between China and Russia. The government has sought to maintain ties with its much larger neighbors while also building new ones with the United States and its democratic allies  a delicate task since the two sides are increasingly at odds.

The political system is serving the interests of a few instead of the general population, said Sumati Luvsandendev, the director of the Sant Maral polling organization, adding that the United States faces the same problem.

Still, he said, most people want to stick with democracy. Communism doesnt work for Mongolia, he said. It is a collective system and we are ... individualists.

The ruling Mongolian Peoples Party is favored to win the vote, though the overwhelming majority it holds in the current parliament could be reduced.

The parliament approved a constitutional change last year that added 50 seats and created two ways of electing members: 78 are chosen from 13 multimember constituencies and 48 are allocated to political parties depending on the percentage of the vote they get in the election.

The new system may give more political parties a chance to win seats in parliament, though they will have to reach a minimum percentage to do so.

Baljinnyam Nemekhjargal, a bank manager, favored having a strong ruling party in the previous election in 2020, but he said he no longer thinks so.

I think the reforms were right, he said. We dont need a supermajority. The opposition should be strong too.

Sukhbaatar Enkhjargal, the head of a tech group that does election monitoring, isn't convinced the changes will help and worries that they will create new problems. They will give more power to the party leaders, as lawmakers chosen by the party vote will be loyal to their party, not to the voters from a particular constituency.

At the beginning of the democratic period, weve been quite successful, he said. Weve been, like, Oasis of Democracy from central Asia, etcetera. But now we really going back.

Discontent with the government has been fueled by corruption. Large protests broke out in 2022 demanding that officials be held accountable for the alleged theft of 385,000 tons of coal from stockpiles on the border with China, a major buyer of Mongolian coal.

Mongolian democracy has proven to be resilient over the years but ... continued support ... in the form of democratic solidarity and increased economic engagement will remain vital to Mongolias Oasis of Democracy, the International Republican Institute, an American group that promotes democracy worldwide, said this week in an online post on Fridays election.

The two largest parties, the ruling Mongolian Peoples Party and the Democratic Party, have included younger candidates in their mix in a bid to woo potential young voters and reshape their party images to counter public cynicism toward the government.

Younger voters make up a large part of the voting-age population, but historically they have not turned out in large numbers. If they do, that could benefit the HUN Party, which has emerged as a potential third force in Mongolian politics.

___

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.
Bloomington residents continue dealing with the aftermath of a strong storm that blew down hundreds of trees and power lines Tuesday afternoon.

Here are some updates and new information provided from state and local agencies on the frontline of clean-up and recovery efforts.

Outages: Power coming back on in Monroe County

Duke Energy workers address powerlines after a strong thunderstorm knocked out power to most of Monroe County residences.

As of 1 p.m. Thursday, about 16,000 Monroe County residents were still experiencing power outages.

The Monroe County Sheriffs Department reports all downed powerlines have been neutralized, although residents should always avoid contact with downed lines.

Emergency food distribution, SNAP benefits, water

Hoosier Hills Food Bank is hosting a free emergency food distribution Friday, June 28 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the food bank, 2333 W. Industrial Park Drive. Perishable and non-perishable goods will be available. Organizers ask that people do not come early; arriving later in the day is preferred. There is a limit of two households per vehicle. Delivery is not available Anyone who wants to make a donation to help cover the costs of the emergency food program can go to: hhfoodbank.org or send a contribution to the nonprofit at P.O. Box 697, Bloomington, 47402.

Residents who receive SNAP benefits may be eligible replace lost food by contacting the Monroe County Division of Family Resources, located at 1531 S. Curry Pike, Suite 300, or call 800-403-0864 or go to this website: fssabenefits.in.gov/bp/.

Bottled water distribution will Thursday and Friday at Sherwood Oaks Church, 2700 E. Rogers Road. Residents in need can drive in and pick up a maximum of two cases of water. Hours are 3-8 p.m. Thursday and 2-8 p.m. Friday.

NWS confirms straight-line winds caused damage

A tree that fell on a car in a parking lot on Country Club Drive on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, after a supercell storm passed through Bloomington the previous night.

The National Weather Service confirmed it was 65-to-75-mph straight line winds that damaged homes and property in Monroe, Owen, Vigo and Clay counties. All four counties have declared, or plan to declare, local disasters due to the storm. Residents of those counties with storm damage should report it by calling 211 or going to this website: https://in211.org.

Damage reports hit 100 as of Thursday

Emergency management officials received no reports of significant injuries sustained from the storm. More than 100 property damage reports from Monroe County had been collected by Indiana 211 as of Thursday afternoon. Most reports involve trees onto homes, some with significant damage. Only a handful of residents reported their homes were uninhabitable.

Bloomington and Monroe County to offer tree debris removal

A man cleans up debris along Seventh Street in front of the Sigma Chi fraternity on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, after a supercell storm passed through Bloomington the previous night.

Property owners with storm-damaged trees and debris are asked to cut and and stack it near the edge of their property for free pickup. Monroe County and City of Bloomington officials are working on plans to remove the debris using city and county workers and vehicles and may hire private contractors to help. Crews will not remove home-damage debris, construction debris or damaged home goods. Stacked vegetative debris must not impede traffic on the public roadway

Cooling stations open in fire stations

Due to sustained heat, public safety personnel are overseeing cooling centers to temporarily support people impacted by the storm. Cooling stations have been established at eight fire stations in Bloomington, Ellettsville and Unionville.

Salvation Army emergency shelter closed

The local Salvation Army reported just two residents stayed at the emergency overnight shelter established at the location on Rogers Street and it has been closed. Residents with housing needs should contact Vinal Lee with the Salvation Army at 765-227-6909. This assistance is only available to residents with homes impacted by the storm.

Help the animals at Bloomington shelter

The citys animal shelter remained without electric power Thursday afternoon, which means staff cant run the washers and dryers. Bloomington Animal Care and Control issued a plea. We urgently need bedding for our animals, as we have no way to operate our laundry machines without power, a Facebook post reads. We could really use towels, blankets, comforters, dog beds, etc. Donations can dropped off at 3410 S. Walnut St. We are so grateful for any support.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington, Monroe County storm recovery debris removal, emergency food
What really happened when protesters, counterprotesters and police converged at an L.A. synagogue

Four days after a violent protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue sparked national condemnation, more perspectives have emerged about the events that unfolded, including criticism from both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel supporters about police tactics used during the demonstration.

A physician based in L.A., who requested anonymity because he fears reprisals, worked as a medic during Sunday's protest outside the Adas Torah synagogue in the predominantly Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood. During the hours-long melee, in which violent clashes broke out between pro-Palestinian supporters and pro-Israel counterprotesters, he said he treated at least 11 people, whose injuries ranged from chest pain and shortness of breath from inhaling pepper spray to a fractured arm.

"This was probably the scariest protest I've been to," he said. "It was very apparent that our police weren't there to protect us and that any acts of violence that occurred in front of them wouldn't be met with consequences."

Read more: Column: Biden's debate gamble went spectacularly wrong. Now Democrats are in panic mode

Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi previously confirmed that a "mobile field force" tried to disperse the crowd after protesters "attempted to block the entrance of the synagogue." On Thursday, the LAPD said a synopsis provided to the department at the conclusion of major incidents did not include any references to use of force, and officials referred questions regarding allegations that officers didn't intervene in the violence to a department news release about the protest, which didn't address those topics.

A pro-Israel counterprotester who was carrying a spiked pole was arrested, cited and released, and there were two other reports of battery, according to the LAPD. Authorities said a pro-Palestinian protester also used a chemical irritant against at least two officers, which Choi said the department is investigating.

At a public security briefing Wednesday, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Cmdr. Steve Lurie denied that police were told to do nothing. Lurie said no officials gave an order to "stand down and slow or stop any action" during Sunday's protest.

Read more: Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action

Sunday's violence prompted politicians and Jewish community groups to condemn the protest as an act of antisemitism. The demonstration was denounced by national and state elected officials, including President Biden, Vice President Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic and un-American, Biden said in a statement. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship  and engaging in violence  is never acceptable.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland announced Thursday that federal investigators would look into Sunday's protest.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California, which is in Los Angeles, the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, main Justice and the FBI have been  and, as we speak, are  collecting evidence on that matter, Garland said during a news conference on healthcare in Washington.

Read more: Biden resists allies calls to exit race after debate performance: I know Im not a young man

Garland vowed to crack down on antisemitism, his voice trembling as he recalled having relatives who escaped the Holocaust and some who did not."

Pro-Palestinian supporters, however, said the protest was not spurred by antisemitism but by a real estate event at the synagogue advertised as providing information on "housing projects in all the best Anglo neighborhoods in Israel."

The ad that ran in Friday's Jewish Journal did not specify the location of the real estate.

According to an archive of the website for My Home in Israel, one of the companies listed on the advertisement, homes were listed for $435,000 to $4.1 million in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the West Bank territories of Efrat and Ariel. Much of the international community  including the U.S. and the U.N.  says settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, which Israel disputes.

The physician, a Los Angeles native, said he volunteered to work as a medic after seeing the protest flier on the Instagram account of the Southern California chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

He said he arrived at the synagogue to find protesters gathered near the entrance. Within 20 minutes, he said, LAPD officers had formed two lines  one on the east side of the block and another on the west, cutting off access to where protesters had parked their cars, effectively "sandwiching" the pro-Palestinian supporters between counterprotesters and police.

"That's when I began to realize how dangerous the situation was," he said.

The officers started pushing and using batons to try to get the crowd to disperse, he said. People on both sides of the demonstration were using pepper spray, he noted.

Some tried to hold the line against police, but the medic said he stayed away from the front. Still, he said, an officer lunged and hit him with a baton in his left rib.

"I yelled that I was a medic, but I got a blank face in response," he said. "There was no regret, no apology, no advice or any guidelines." The medic said he was not wearing clothing that indicated he was a doctor, but he was carrying a bag with first-aid supplies.

He said he treated at least 11 protesters during the violence that ensued, including seven who had been pepper-sprayed. One woman was sprayed three times in the face as she chanted through a megaphone, he said. He said he treated another person who complained of chest pain and shortness of breath after inhaling pepper spray. Another person's right arm was fractured after being struck by a police baton, he said.

Three people came to him with bruising, he said: One was hit on the cheekbone by a counterprotester, another was punched in the chin and the third was struck in the right forearm. One protester was pushed to the ground and beaten on his back with wooden sticks, he said.

"There were a lot of people struggling to stay safe," the medic said. "I was not only treating acute injuries but talking to the organizers and reminding them that it was no longer a productive and safe action and an escape plan needed to be initiated."

Read more: Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down 101 Freeway in downtown L.A.

The medic said he and 80 to 100 protesters tried to leave around 1:30 or 2 p.m., but because they were blocked by the police line, they had to use side streets through the neighborhood.

As they tried to make their exit, the medic said, a group of Israel supporters confronted them, sometimes getting into violent skirmishes. He recalled one person from the pro-Israel side shouting, "We have the bullets, you have the blood."

He said the altercations continued for more than an hour, and he was finally able to get back to his car, parked about a block from the synagogue.

Another pro-Palestinian supporter, who also requested anonymity because of fear of reprisals, told The Times that his group was trying to leave the protest and was chased by pro-Israel supporters. He said the counterprotesters pushed, slapped and punched them and yelled at them to move faster.

Read more: Inside a Gaza hospital: A Los Angeles doctor's story

Pro-Israel supporters also criticized police for not intervening.

Talia Regev, 43, who said she came to the protest "to make sure things wouldn't get out of hand," was speaking to police when she watched her friend Naftoli Sherman fall to the ground, she said.

Sherman, 25, told a Times reporter that he was punched in the left eye by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. As he fell, some tried to pull away the man who had punched him while others tried to pile on top of them. When he got up, he said, the left side of his face was bleeding, and his nose was broken. He asked police to call an ambulance or let him through the line, he said, but they refused to move and told him to use side streets.

He ultimately walked around the police line and went to a nearby hospital, where his nose was reset, he said.

Regev said she stood between combatants Sunday in an effort to break up fights. She said she saw someone pick up a chair and talked them out of using it. Multiple protesters thanked her for trying to keep the peace, she said.

But police should have done more, she added. She said she begged officers to intervene and stop the fighting but was told they couldn't do anything without permission from their sergeant.

I appreciate that [police] were there," Regev said, "but they didnt help."

Others who were in Pico-Robertson on Sunday faulted protesters for blocking the temple.

Sam Yebri, who watched the situation outside the synagogue Sunday, told The Times the following day that he arrived at Adas Torah around 1 p.m. and saw protesters wearing masks and green headbands chanting, Intifada, the Arabic word for a rebellion.

Theres a reason why these protesters chose Pico-Robertson for their actions: They knew they would be striking at the heart of Jewish America, Yebri said.

Rabbi Yossi Eilfort said protesters arrived in waves that overwhelmed LAPD officers on the scene.

They came with weapons in order to escalate and create violence, he said. They have the right to protest. We have the right to hold an event that was in our community.

Others criticized the police response.

Read more: LAPD, feds look for synagogue protesters as city mulls over mask restrictions, added security

Daniela Rieber, who owns Kosher Pizza Station on the corner of South Crest Drive and Pico Boulevard, said she watched the fighting unfold from her restaurant window.

Rieber said two young boys on bikes were stuck because police wouldn't allow them beyond the barrier. She said she told the boys to wait inside her restaurant. But when the violence continued, she had two of her employees walk them home  a route that required walking around the police barrier.

"I think there's a lot that needs to be reassessed by the community, with the LAPD and the council members, because this was not OK," she said.

Yetzirah Cohen, 24, lives in the Pico-Roberston community and said she has tried to show up to most protests in the L.A. area in support of Israel. She said what set this demonstration apart was that when the fights broke out, "we realized we were in it alone."

When the fights began, Cohen said, police didn't move.

"It's shameful that we had to stand up for ourselves," she said.

Videographer Sean Beckner-Carmitchel said he was hit in the back of the head by pro-Israel protesters while he covered the event. Several men followed him on Pico Boulevard shortly before 4:30 p.m. In his video, someone off-camera can be heard telling the men that Beckner-Carmitchel was a member of the media.

It was nothing other than egging on violence, he said. There were no political statements being made.

L.A. City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion during Tuesday's meeting to find more resources for security at places of worship.

Lurie, the LAPD commander, said those outside the synagogue showed "anger, vitriol and violence." A police liaison to the city's Jewish community, Lurie said local officials should consider whether blocking access to a place of worship during a protest should be viewed as an act of hate that could be prosecuted.

It feels to me like were moving into an area where that specific action could be considered a hate crime, Lurie said, so were going to look into what might be filing criteria for that.

Hussam Ayloush, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations office in L.A., countered that the synagogue was chosen not because it was a Jewish temple but because it was hosting a real estate event selling land in the West Bank.

Ayloush said in a statement that the demonstration was a response to "the blatant violations of both international law and human rights from agencies that seek to make a profit selling brutally stolen Palestinian land as the Israeli government continues its eight-month-long genocidal campaign and ethnic cleansing in Gaza."

The medic echoed this sentiment, calling it "deliberately misleading" to label the protest as antisemitic.

"This action occurred because of a real estate event selling Palestinian land and building illegal settlements," he said. "We have Jewish protesters who were involved in this protest, and it's important that we keep protecting our Jewish brothers and sisters. Antisemitism is very real, and it's important to keep each other accountable."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Nearly half of prisoners who commit serious crimes after release classed low risk

Jordan McSweeney, who murdered Zara Aleena in 2022, was classified as 'medium risk' despite 28 convictions - Pixel8000

Nearly half the criminals who committed murders, rapes and other violent offences after their release from prison were wrongly categorised as lower risk by probation officers, official figures show.

The mistaken assessments by the probation service after the criminals left jail meant that they were placed under a lower level of supervision, allowing them to go on to commit serious further offences (SFOs).

SFOs are defined as murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnap, arson or other violent or sexual offences committed by a convicted criminal while under supervision by the probation service.

The disclosure comes after high-profile cases in which three offenders on probation murdered nine people, including three children, with inspectors blaming failings by the probation service.

One was Jordan McSweeney, the killer of 35-year-old law graduate Zara Aleena who was recorded as being of medium risk to the public by a newly-qualified probation officer, rather than high risk, even though he had 28 previous convictions for 69 offences.

Zara Aleena was killed by McSweeney in east London

On Wednesday an inquest ruled that failures across multiple agencies including the probation service contributed to the death of Ms Aleena, who was murdered as she walked home from a night out in east London.

Martin Jones, chief inspector of probation, said the tragedy could have been avoided if McSweeney had been categorised as high risk, which would have meant a quicker recall to prison before the murder.

He said: More questions should have been asked, more could have been done, and the recall process could have taken place much earlier

If that decision had been made a little bit earlier, perhaps he could have been brought back into custody and this dreadful tragedy could have been avoided.

Jerome Jacques killed four members of the same family

It is estimated that a very concerning 44 per cent of assessments by probation officers of the risk of harm posed by criminals leaving prison are inaccurate or incomplete, according to Mr Joness inspectorate.

The new research shows that 48 per cent of serious further offences committed by prisoners released since 2010 came after they were assessed to be low or medium risk. This amounted to 1,750 offences.

It also revealed that more than 1,650 high or very high risk offenders committed further offences, suggesting the probation service was  in many cases  correct in its assessment of risk, but still unable to stop those identified going on to reoffend.

The report highlighted concerns about workload, vacancy levels, and staff retention. It found that information-sharing between prisons and probation was inconsistent, contributing to an incomplete picture of a person on probations risk of serious harm.

Terri Harris with her children Lacey and John Paul. All three were killed, along with their friend Connie Gent, by Damien Bendall - PA

An independent report into probation caseloads, workloads, and staffing levels published in March 2021 found that under half (46 per cent) of probation officers felt they had a manageable workload.

Nearly 2,300 staff left the probation service in the past year, more than triple the number that left in 2018.

Mental ill health has also increased among probation officers. Sixty per cent of all sick days last year were for poor mental health, compared with 41.8 per cent in 2018.

Two other high-profile cases have raised concerns over risk assessments. Sleepover killer Damien Bendall was monitored by an inexperienced, unqualified probation officer trained online before he murdered his pregnant partner and three children.

Damien Bendall, who murdered three children and his ex-partner - PA

An inspection report found probation officers missed multiple chances to prevent the 33-year-old from killing Terri Harris, his partner, her two children and a friend of theirs who was sleeping over. They died at their house in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, last September three months after Bendall received a suspended sentence for arson.

Serious probation failings were also revealed after Joshua Jacques, 29, killed Samantha Drummonds, his girlfriend, and her family with a knife in Bermondsey, south London, on April 25 2022 while intoxicated with cannabis.

Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary said: Under the Conservatives reoffending rates have fallen from 31 per cent to 25 per cent since 2010 and an extra 155 million per year is being invested in the probation service to recruit more staff and intensify supervision of criminals.

We are also harnessing the latest technology to tag a record number of individuals, monitoring offenders movements and enforcing tough unpaid work orders to drive down reoffending and repay criminals debt to society.

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Ukrainian TV host Volodymyr Ostapchuk denied accusations by Our Atlantic band leader Viktor Baida that he allegedly received a deferment from military service after calling a friend in the Verkhovna Rada. The artist said that he had indeed passed the military medical commission on June 19 with the musician, but only to register.

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According to the star, he needs to update his data at his place of residence, which takes a lot of time because of the queues. Ostapchuk wrote about this on his Instagram.

The host had seen Viktor Baida's post, so he decided to clarify the situation when it became publicized in the media.

"He asked how we were different. The only difference was that I didn't update my data, but registered. Due to the fact that I once left to live in Canada, I was deregistered," the artist wrote.

He stated that on May 18, he received a summons from the Shevchenko TCC to update his data, but he was redirected to his place of residence in the Podil district. The presenter allegedly could not get there for a month because of the queues.

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"Later, I called the police to ask what to do, because the deadline for registering was approaching. They said that I had to go to Shevchenkivskyi to record that I had done everything, and then there would be time to go to Podilskyi," Ostapchuk added.

According to the host, he went to the Shevchenkivskyi district on June 19. The showman did not explain why the police were with him at the clinic.

"I am registered in the Podil district, so now I have been redirected to the Podil TCC, and I am going through the whole procedure again, which takes time. All information is available. Anyone who wants to can check it," Ostapchuk concluded.

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Ostapchuk did not comment on the accusations of "nepotism", the agreement with an influential friend in the Verkhovna Rada, and the postponement.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
HENDERSONVILLE - Weekend service, more frequent stops and faster trips to Asheville Regional Airport and Blue Ridge Mall are some of the proposed improvements suggested for Apple Country Public Transit, as heard by City Council at its June 26 meeting.

Henderson Countys Transit Feasibility Study is nearing completion, and recommended changes to Apple Countrys bus routes are being shared with municipalities before the county Board of Commissioners votes on whether to adopt the improvements.

Commissioners chose steering committee members in February 2023 for the study, which looked at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the transit system, gathered input from the public about usage and needed improvements, and determined ways the system could be more effective and efficient.

Hendersonville City Hall on June 25, 2024. Council members heard proposals suggested for Apple Country Public Transit at the June 26 City Council meeting.

Adding Saturday and Sunday service, offering more frequent stops, providing direct service to the airport and its connecting Asheville buses, longer hours of service and expanding the fleet while moving to gas-powered vehicles are among the recommendations included in the studys eight-year plan.

Public input indicated that its very important to expand coverage and increase reliability, Henderson County Senior Planner Janna Bianculli told Hendersonville City Council members June 26.

For riders, the most important improvement was to provide Saturday and Sunday services. Apple Country Transit currently offers bus service on three routes throughout the county from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Planned improvement phases

The transit plan is broken into four two-year phases of improvements across all routes. Saturday service would be added in the first phase on Routes 1 and 2, the most used routes. An additional vehicle would begin taking riders to the mall with fewer stops in downtown Hendersonville for a faster trip.

Route 3s weekday schedule would consist of a 90-minute loop instead of hourly service, a change that was recently implemented due to construction on I-26 and U.S. Route 25.

Also in this phase, a new Route 4 would be offered to provide service on Sundays, also running a 20-minute loop in downtown Hendersonville on weekdays and Saturdays.

In phase 2, officials recommend changing Route 1 to running every hour on weekdays and Saturdays and hourly on Sundays. Route 2 would begin hourly service on Sundays, and the new Route 4 would begin running every 20 minutes on Sundays.

More: Crystal Cauley honored by City Council; funeral set, cause of death revealed

Meanwhile, Route 3 would become an express route to the airport and its connecting ART (Asheville Rides Transit) buses, running two one-hour loops during morning and afternoon peak hours on weekdays. This would be a fast trip to the airport, Bianculli said, as the bus could take I-26 instead of Asheville Highway and its frequent stops. Many residents take Apple Countrys buses to the airport to get on ART buses to Asheville, she added.

Phase 3 would include extending hours, with Route 1 running until 7:30 p.m. weekdays and weekends and offering half-hour service daily, and Routes 2 and 4 also extending until 7:30 p.m. weekdays and weekends.

In phase 4, the goal would be improved frequency, with Route 2 running every half hour on weekdays and hourly on weekends, and Route 4 running every 10 minutes on weekdays and weekends.

If all recommendations are implemented, seven buses will eventually be needed during peak hours. Apple Country has six buses for its three routes, and Bianculli said all six are needed due to the unreliability of the fleet, which runs on compressed natural gas.

I would like to diversify the fleet so that its not just one singular fuel type, Bianculli said, after Councilman Jeff Miller asked if they were looking to change the fuel source. We had a bus recently get totaled and so that bus replacement will be gas, so that will be our first gas bus that weve had in probably 15, 20 years  so that will be a nice change to see if what we think is true is true, which is that theyre more reliable, its easier to get parts, easier to fix. The current CNG buses have to be fixed in an EPA-certified facility, and sometimes we have to send them to Greenville, South Carolina.

More: Hendersonville City Council makes choice for Roundtree's replacement

She added that theyd like to have cleaner vehicles as well, and would probably start with hybrid additions instead of fully electric vehicles.

Apple Country Transit is run by WNCSource and is funded by local, state and federal dollars. The Federal Transit Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation would fund the plans improvements since the service would be expanding, Bianculli said.

Buses have a useful life of five years, Bianculli said, and Apple Country sticks fairly close to that. The last set of buses ran for eight years, and although the current buses are set to be replaced after five years, they will be kept in service longer if they are still running well.

Councilwoman Melinda Lowrance said that if they could get more residents to use the system, it would cut the countys carbon footprint. She asked how Apple Country would promote ridership to the younger generation and seniors.

One initiative in the works is to offer free ridership to BRCC students and staff starting July 1, Bianculli said. The new Route 4 is also a way to increase ridership, she added, by offering more frequent service.

Thats what weve heard from folks. Nobody wants to ride a bus that only comes every hour, because thats not very convenient, she said. People ride transit in bigger cities because its very convenient...because theyll get picked up in 5 or 10 minutes, and its not difficult to plan that outSo one of the recommendations in the study is to go completely fare-free, so someone doesn't have to try to figure out the fare system, and another recommendation is increasing the frequency overall.

Bianculli said the city could promote ridership by installing sidewalks, because transit shelters can only be put where there are sidewalks.

The routes

All of Apple Countrys routes have stops in Hendersonville and its ETJ, and city stops account for 70 of the 115 total stops in the county.

Route 1, which travels 14.8 miles and is mostly local to Hendersonville, is the most used and cheapest to operate due to having the most riders and a shorter route, Bianculli said. Route 2 covers 15.3 miles in the city, its ETJ and some of the county and performs pretty well in revenue per mile.

Route 3, at 27.6 miles, is the least used and has half the ridership of Route 1, the study found, and therefore has the highest operating expenses per passenger trip. It doesnt do super great, and a lot of recommendations came out of what to do with Route 3, because its our biggest issue, Bianculli said.

Paratransit, or door-to-door transit via vans, is also offered for residents within a certain radius of the routes who physically or cognitively cant use the bus system, which is federally required, she added. Most of these trips occur in Hendersonville, accounting for 64 percent of these types of rides, or 1,856 pickups in fiscal year 2023.

Ridership began dropping in 2017 and continued during COVID, but has recently started to increase, rising from 50,000 users in 2022 to 70,000 in 2023.

We are seeing a good tick up, and I think we will continue to see that when we have our final 2024 numbers, Bianculli said.

Highlights from the Transit Feasibility Study executive summary released in February 2024:

One transportation-disadvantaged group that exists in higher proportion within Henderson County is senior-aged citizens who may have a stronger dependency on transit services. High concentrations of the elderly population live around Route 1, along the I-26 corridor in eastern Henderson County, and in the towns of Fletcher and Flat Rock.

Other transportation-disadvantaged groups such as minorities, impoverished individuals and households without vehicles are not found at a high rate in Henderson County above the state average. However, the densest populations of the latter two can be found along the I-26 corridor, and the former in Southeast Hendersonville, demonstrating the importance of reliable transit service in these areas.

The densest cores for employment in Henderson County are in proximity to the major thoroughfares of I-26 and U.S. 64. Henderson County brings a near equal number of workers into the county - 19,473 - as residents who stay in the county to work - 19,957. The plurality of these workers commuting into Hendersonville travel from neighboring Buncombe County.

One of the more integral plans for the areas development is the countys 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The feasibility study seeks to facilitate goals identified in the plan such as promotion of healthy living, public safety and access to education.

Expanding service to outlying places was identified as a transportation need by different stakeholders through public engagement.

More information about the plan can be found at hendersoncounty2045.com/transit-study or at hendersonville-nc.municodemeetings.com in the June 26 City Council meeting agenda. The council meeting can be viewed at youtube.com/channel/UCT4upsJqDADQjBsBBUd19TA/live.

More: SRO scare: County drops proposal to end payment for officers

More: Henderson County FY25 budget approved, extra $2.5M for county public schools

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Hendersonville Apple Country Transit proposals include more stops
RANDOLPH Twelve families became homeowners Thursday as Morris Habitat for Humanity celebrated the completion of the biggest affordable housing project in its four-decade history.

More than 30 volunteers, local officials and new residents attended the opening of the 12 condominium development in the township, known as The Crossings at Bennett Avenue.

The project, built at the former E.A. Porter industrial site, took 15 years to build. Phase I finished in June 2023 with the completion of an additional 25 condos.

Morris Habitat turned 'dilapidated' site into housing

Habitat for Humanity construction volunteers stand outside of their project.

Morris Habitat CEO Liz DeCoursey directed much of her praise Thursday to two people: her predecessor, Blair Schleicher Wilson, and former Randolph township manager John Lovell.

"They had a vision to transform what was a dilapidated commercial-industrial building on an overgrown site [into] a place where families and individuals can put down roots and call Randolph home," DeCoursey said.

The site's transformation began when Randolph donated the property to Morris Habitat. The township also contributed over $1.5 million for the project.

"This is a great example of affordable housing done right in this state," Deputy Mayor Joe Hathaway said. To the new owners, he added: "Please immerse yourself into our community, dive right in."

How new residents were chosen

It was not a simple process for the 12 families to become homeowners. Habitat's program involves a "hand up, not a handout," DeCoursey said. Each family had to meet requirements to be eligible and complete 200 to 400 hours of "sweat equity" in which they helped volunteers build their own condos.

"All of our families go through a rigorous process," Loretta Rivers, the group's director of family services, said at the ceremony. "We do it just like the bank: a pre-qualification, educational training, credit repair review, an eight-hour counseling program, and they get an affordable mortgage."

More: How Route 15 businesses are coping with highway shut down: 'It's like a ghost town'

Morris Habitat helps families with down payment assistance, and each family's mortgage is kept below 30% of their income.

"I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on the site for helping us," said Leslie Mosquera, one of the new homeowners. "And to my lovely new neighbors as well who have been very welcoming."

Funding for the project came from sponsors, donations and government grants. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11) secured a federal grant of $3 million. While Sherrill was unable to attend Thursday's event, her deputy director, Kellie Doucette, was in attendance.

26,000 hours of volunteer work

"All levels of government have worked together here in over 26,000 hours of volunteer work," Doucette said. "What was most important to the congresswoman was that we were meeting community needs and maximizing the federal funding that we brought back to New Jersey through these projects."

Habitat's construction volunteers, called "the faithful," worked together with site supervisor Jason DeVito for three years to bring their vision to life. The oldest volunteer was 93 years old.

Two families pose with elected officials and sponsors outside of new home.

"Go out of your way to say thank you to donors and volunteers," said state Senator Anthony M. Bucco, a Morris County Republican. "This is a fine example of how government, at all levels, can work together on a bipartisan basis to take what once was an industrial contaminated site and turn it into a beautiful community."

The new residents will have access to a picnic area, play area and a bike path to local businesses on South Salem Street. Habitat also built a community room for residents to use at their disposal. Many of the selected families originate from South and Central America, but were born and raised in the U.S. Among the new community are 12 children, nine of whom will attend Randolph public schools.

"Congratulations, you've earned today." Hathaway told the families.

Email: NFlanagan@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Morris Habitat for Humanity helps Randolph NJ families
Two men who pleaded guilty this year in a case that involved the trafficking of 1,000 fentanyl-laced pills from Louisiana to Bay St. Louis are headed to prison after a sentencing in federal court this week.

Kolby Zu Sims, 21, of Bay St. Louis will spend more than 4 years in federal prison. Santana Phillipe Elzy, 23, of Covington will spend 7 years in prison. Both pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.

Each faced charges related to the trafficking counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl  a synthetic opioid far stronger than morphine that has led to thousands of overdose deaths across the country.

The group was arrested in August 2023 after the Hancock County Sheriffs Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration heard a complaint of drug trafficking at the Motel 6 in Bay St. Louis. Agents watched the Mississippi Coast motel and saw a red Toyota Camry arrive to pick up two people suspected of selling drugs, court records show.

Agents followed the car across the Mississippi-Louisiana state line. They determined that the Bay St. Louis residents drove to a Walmart in Louisiana to buy the laced pills from Elzy, who agents believed to be the dealer.

Agents tailed the car back to Mississippi and conducted a traffic stop.

Sims, who was inside the Camry, helped pay for 1,000 fentanyl-laced pills the group planned to bring to Mississippi and sell, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Mississippi said.

He pleaded guilty in March to interstate travel in furtherance of drug trafficking. Elzy pleaded that same month to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Three other Bay St. Louis residents were inside the Camry, according to court records. Emma Stoute was sentenced in March to nearly 5 years in prison. Christopher Fricke will spend 5 years in prison and Dakari Sykes has not yet been sentenced, according to court records.
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will do practically anything to avoid saying shed accept the 2024 election results no matter the outcomeeven going so far as to throw a temper tantrum live on air.

During an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday, Greene refused to answer whether she would support the outcome of the presidential election if it swung in favor of Joe Biden, and then proceeded to get testy with the interviewer, accusing the Australian host of being a sellout to the U.S. Democratic Party when she attempted to switch the topic.

If it doesnt go your way, if Biden wins, will you accept the results? asked 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson.

Again, what does this have to do with Julian Assange? Greene asked. Seriously, really?

But Greene wouldnt let her answer, instead chattering as Ferguson attempted to explain its the next natural question about truth.

What network is this? What is this, ABC Australia? Is she getting her marching orders from the Democrat Party? Is this what she decided to come up with today? Greene said, looking off-camera.

Youre a prominent figure in U.S. politics. The first debate is tomorrow. The result of the election is on the minds of not just Americans but the whole world, so its a natural point of curiosity, Ferguson continued. But I understand weve reached the end of the questions that you want to answer, thank you for talking to us about Julian Assange and for joining the program.

Marjorie Taylor Greene throws a tantrum on Australian TV when asked if shed accept the results of the election if Biden wins and asks if the interviewer is 'getting marching orders from the Democrat party.' pic.twitter.com/qedd5gnNjh  MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) June 27, 2024

In April, Greene lamented that the Capitol rioters were unsuccessful in stopping the certification of the presidential election results on January 6, and claimed that if she had it [her] way, Biden wouldnt even be president.
Progressive Democrats undeniably suffered their most significant defeat of the 2024 election cycle Tuesday when Rep. Jamaal Bowman lost his New York 16th Congressional District's Democratic primary. What it means for the movement he belongs to, however, is less clear.

Bowman's defeat at the hands of Westchester County Executive George Latimer laid bare the nasty divisions among Democrats over support for Israel. Pro-Israel outside groups dumped nearly $15 million -- an unprecedented amount of cash -- into the race, fueling an avalanche of ads that knocked Bowman and promoted Latimer's own liberal bona fides on issues like abortion.

The strategy, led by groups allied with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Democratic Majority for Israel, worked. They netted their most significant win yet in the party's internal battles over Israel, and a new playbook was born for how to challenge other progressive lawmakers -- including Rep. Cori Bush, who is facing a well-funded primary challenger in her St. Louis district this August.

However, operatives estimated that Bowman was particularly low-hanging fruit for his critics. He offered pro-Israel groups ammunition by denying that Hamas committed rape during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel (he later apologized), reports later surfaced that he had spread 9/11 conspiracy theories, and he drew controversy for pulling a fire alarm in the U.S. Capitol, vulnerabilities his compatriots lack.

"I think that this was a referendum on both his persona, his comportment, but also on his legislative record and his messaging," said Jon Reinish, a New York Democratic strategist who worked with groups opposed to Bowman.

"I think that this is absolutely replicable," Reinish said. "But you also can't deny the fact that he was, in his own way, a unique case who inflicted a lot on himself here."

MORE: NY16 Democratic primary: Jamaal Bowman defeated in most expensive House primary on record, in blow for progressives

Bowman, who first won his seat in 2020 by unseating a 16-term incumbent accused of losing touch with his district, entered office vowing a shakeup in Washington. Along the way, he ruffled feathers.

Bowman engaged in shouting matches in Capitol hallways. He voted against Democrats' infrastructure bill, a cornerstone of President Joe Biden's agenda. And last year, he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building in what he called an accident but what was believed by some to be an attempt at delaying a vote -- an action that earned him a censure and misdemeanor charge.

Opposition to Bowman spiked when video went viral of him saying that stories of sexual violence that took place on Oct. 7 were false "propaganda," which compiled on ceaseless criticisms of Israel and its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Resurfaced blog posts also revealed a past in trafficking 9/11 conspiracies.

All of that culminated in a 10-figure investment by outside groups opposed to Bowman and helped usher Latimer -- a local politician with longstanding support -- into the primary.

"[V]oters want members of Congress who are going to bring people together to get things done, not people who are divisive. And there is no question that Jamaal Bowman emerged as an extraordinarily divisive figure, not only on Israel issues, but on other issues as well," said DMFI President Mark Mellman.

The push against Bowman is just the latest salvo in what is anticipated to be a concerted outside effort to defeat lawmakers who advocate for less support for Israel, with Bush widely anticipated to be the next target.

Like Bowman, Bush is a junior House member and staunch progressive. Where Bowman faced legal headwinds over the fire alarm, Bush is facing a Justice Department probe over her use of campaign funds. House Democratic leaders haven't signaled that they'll campaign with Bush, just like they didn't with Bowman. And, like Latimer, primary opponent Wesley Bell Bell holds local office as the prosecuting attorney for St. Louis County.

Seemingly chomping at the bit, DMFI Wednesday touted the results of an internal poll showing Bush virtually tied with Bell.

"You put those two things together, and if you don't take them as a warning sign, you're not a very capable politician," Mellman said, referencing Bowman's loss and DMFI's survey. "Cori Bush has the same kind of vituperative, anti-Israel rhetoric, the same kind of anti-Israel votes, the same kind of divisive approach to politics on this issue and on broader Democratic issues."

Liberals, meanwhile, predicted Bowman's loss will serve as proof of concept for groups looking to boot progressives.

"They want to make sure that progressives don't continue to grow power, speak out on Gaza, challenge the party line with Biden, and they wanted to get a head on a stick, and they did. And so, I think the warning sign is there. Will this make them double down? I think so," added Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese.

Still, it's possible that Bowman was uniquely vulnerable.

Bowman's district is significantly more fertile ground for attacks than Bush's; it boasts a hefty Jewish population and is plurality white. Bush's district is more urban and about 45% Black, according to Census data.

Bowman also had some presence as a former middle school principal, but Bush rose to local prominence as an activist who played a role in the Ferguson protests after 2014 after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

Moreover, Latimer could prove to be what New York Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf called a "uniquely good candidate."

PHOTO: Westchester County Executive George Latimer speaks to supporters after winning his race against Democratic incumbent Representative Jamaal Bowman in the 16th Congressional District of New York's Democratic primary. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

And, operatives agreed, Bowman's initial rape denialism sets him apart from other lawmakers who are critical of Israel's government and operations in Gaza.

"Much of what occurred to Bowman was political suicide," said Sheinkopf. "The rape denialism invigorated the anti-Bowmans and set the stage for the value of the kind of expenditure that was done here."

Mellman also conceded that without Bowman's particular weaknesses, "it would have been a much closer campaign."

Moving forward, progressives suggested that candidates can still talk about the war in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands dead, without alienating voters.

"I think she can talk about it. I think Jamaal's rhetoric got rather intense and turned some people off in the last two months. Loaded terms, like 'Zionist' and 'settler colonial,' and the conspiracies, I think there's better rhetoric you can use around the issue to get your point across without being so provocative," said one New York progressive operative.

Already, pro-Israel outside groups don't have a perfect record. Rep. Summer Lee, a Pittsburgh-based progressive, handily fended off a well-financed primary challenger in April, though AIPAC and DMFI largely stayed out of that race.

MORE: US military delivers supplies to Gaza via pier, but there's no one to distribute them

And while progressives took Bowman's loss as a warning sign, it also could serve as a wakeup call.

"People suggest 'this is a mortal blow to the anti-Israel progressives within the Democratic Party.' That does not appear to be the case. People are underselling the Working Families Party, the Democratic Socialists of America and the Justice Democrats. They're going to redouble their efforts and organize," Sheinkopf said.

Justice Democrats, one of the nation's leading progressive groups, is already gearing up for Bush's race, pushing the Democratic establishment to join it. And other progressives are pushing her to take an aggressive stance against an anticipated flood of funding for Bell.

"Cori Bush's race is up next," said spokesperson Usamah Andrabi. "The Democratic Party should put all of its resources behind folks like Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush because they are going to be who leads them to a victory in November."

"The most important thing for her to do in this moment is to inoculate, and that means to really speak to voters about what is going to come down the pike. 'You're going to get inundated with mail and TV advertising that says that I am not fighting for you. I am not fighting for this district, and it's going to be lies.' I think that's the first thing I would take away. We've seen their playbook now unfold," Geevarghese added.

Bush, for her part, appears ready for a fight.

"These same extremists are coming to St. Louis," Bush said of anti-Bowman outside groups after Tuesday's race. "We will continue to fight for the future St. Louis deserves and show that organized people beats organized money. Because St. Louis is not for sale."

How much is Jamaal Bowman's loss a warning for progressives? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
(FOX40.COM)  Three people have been arrested in connection to a June 6 shooting that left a 45-year-old man dead in a San Joaquin County hospital, according to the Stockton Police Department.

The shooting occurred in the 1000 block of W Chapter Way and when officers arrived on the scene they found a man with at least one gunshot wound and transported him to an area hospital.

Teens body recovered from American River near Rancho Cordova

After homicide detectives took over the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for 50-year-old Herbert Comauex, 39-year-old Karlotta Rasberry and a 17-year-old male juvenile in connection to the homicide.

Comauex was arrested around 11 p.m. on June 11 as officers were investigating an incident in the area of Union and Main Streets.

The following day, during an unrelated call in the 600 block of E Anderson Street, officers arrested Rasberry.

Almost two weeks officers with the Antioch Police Department arrested the teenager while on a call for service.

Comauex and Rasberry were booked into the San Joaquin County Jail while the teen was booked in a juvenile detention facility.

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Sheriff's Department to deploy more deputies to Lancaster after shootings leave 4 dead in less than 24 hours

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will deploy more deputies to Lancaster after a series of gang-related shootings that left four people dead and several injured over a 24-hour period, authorities said Friday.

Gunfire rippled across the city Tuesday and escalated Wednesday just before 6 p.m., when seven people were shot in what the Sheriff's Department described in a news release as a gang-related attack.

Deputies arrived in the 800 block of East Avenue J-12 and found two wounded men, who were taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, officials said.

Shortly after, authorities received reports that five other gunshot victims had arrived together at another hospital.

The five were listed in stable condition, officials said.

The attack was a retaliation gang shooting carried out by people from outside the city who were armed with "assault weapons," Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said.

"It was a bloodbath," he said. "They were shooting into homes. It was a war zone."

On the previous night, deputies responded to shootings across the city.

A man was shot near Avenue J-8 and 30th Street West around 7:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital. About an hour later, a man was hit a few blocks away in the 45600 block of Sierra Highway. Deputies found the man with multiple wounds lying on the ground in a parking lot, according to authorities. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

About 45 minutes later, around 9:20 p.m., deputies responded to a third shooting, in the 400 block of East Avenue L. The victim, described as a teenage boy, was struck multiple times by two men while he was standing at a gas pump at a Chevron station. The suspects drove away in a white sport vehicle, according to authorities. The teen was taken to a hospital and died, according to the Sheriff's Department.

It's unclear whether the shootings are linked.

The attacks "are concerning and threaten the safety of our community," the Sheriff's Department said in a statement. The agency said the Lancaster station will roll out more visible patrols and personnel to areas where the shootings occurred.

"The station will be engaging community members at various city events to discuss safety concerns and share ongoing efforts to improve public safety," the statement said. "Additionally, we will be moving department specialized teams to target areas in Lancaster to enhance security."

Homicide investigators believe that at least three of the shootings are gang-related.

Lancaster, with a population of roughly 188,000, contracts with the Sheriff's Department for services. Parris said the county does not provide enough resources for his city. He said the sheriff's station in Lancaster is understaffed and was unable to adequately respond to the recent homicides.

The department did not specifically respond to Parris' comments.

In a statement, the department said it is "meeting" its "contractual obligations." A spokesperson said Sheriff Robert Luna is in contact with the mayor's office.

A few weeks earlier, on June 7, a man was shot in the 44000 block of Gingham Avenue around 2:30 a.m., according to the Sheriff's Department. The man was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office identified the man as Erick Monterroso Mcclaughlin, 19, of Lancaster.

The shooting remains under investigation. His family set up a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses.

Anyone with information about the Lancaster shootings is encouraged to call the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made with Crime Stoppers by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or at lacrimestoppers.org.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A murder suspect claims she was framed by her dead boyfriends police colleagues. Her adoring fans agree

Karen Read has received celebrity-like status as her army of fans fundraise and support her case that she was framed - STEVEN SENNE/AP

At around 6am on Jan 29 2022, the lifeless body of John OKeefe, a police officer, lay blanketed in snow outside a detached house in a small suburban town 15 miles south-west of Boston.

Around six hours earlier Karen Read, his girlfriend, had dropped him to an after party with his colleagues in her black Lexus SUV following a night of bar-hopping.

Prosecutors allege that later in the night she returned and intentionally reversed over her boyfriend of two years who she had been fighting with over text, leaving him for dead outside the home of Brian Albert, a retired police officer.

Ms Read, 44, who is currently on trial at Norfolk Superior Courthouse for second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a collision, insists she is innocent and being set up by the police, a view that is shared by her legions of supporters who flock to the courthouse to support her each day.

Ms Reads lawyers have argued OKeefe, 46, was beaten to death by someone inside the house and bitten by the homeowners German Shepherd before being thrown outside and left to die. They claim they then conspired to pin the death on Ms Read, a convenient outsider.

Now, after two months and 74 witnesses, the jury has retired to decide whether Ms Read is guilty.

There is no case against me after eight weeks, its smoke and mirrors, and its going through my private life and trying to contrive a motive that was never there, Ms Read told reporters outside the court on Tuesday.

John O'Keefe was found dead outside the home of a retired police officer on Jan 29 2022 - BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

What happened that night and who killed OKeefe has torn the sleepy town of just 24,000 apart and spawned a vast network of amateur sleuths convinced Ms Read, a former university professor, is the victim of a sophisticated cover-up involving the police and the district attorneys office.

The prosecution has argued Ms Read struck her boyfriend while performing a three-point turn, causing catastrophic head injuries and leaving him for dead.

Prosecution argues that Karen Read intentionally hit John O'Keefe with her car - GREG DERR/THE PATRIOT LEDGER

Points of contention included a broken tail light on Ms Reads car, witness claims that Ms Read said I hit him after his body was found, and whether OKeefes injuries are consistent with being run over.

Ms Reads defence is that the entire prosecution case is based on lies by officers sticking together to protect themselves.

Her lawyers say the pieces of tail light and the hair were planted during the hours before the crime scene was secured. They suggested OKeefe might have been beaten up by a federal agent he was with that night, who had flirted with Ms Read over texts, and that the men panicked before trying to cover up the crime.

Since the trial began in April, a sea of people adorned in pink Free Karen Read T-shirts have descended on the town of Dedham, Massachusetts, where she is on trial, to protest her innocence.

Each day, armed with placards, flags and pom-poms, they fuel themselves with freshly grilled hotdogs and set up camp outside the judges 200-foot buffer zone from the court.

On her way into court, Ms Read has been continually met with the adulation usually reserved for Hollywood movie stars.

The cause celebre has fired up supporters across the world, with one British couple spending 3,000 to travel from Manchester to attend the trial in person.

After making the more than 3,000-mile journey, across the Atlantic, Tom Murphy and Jill Boothman met Ms Read outside court.

Mothers have turned up with their home-schooled children to educate them about the justice system, while others have attended with their pet budgies and dogs dressed in pink outfits.

Those who have protested Ms Reads innocence outside court include Liz Erk, who said she felt compelled to get involved after reading about the case.

I felt like Karen Read could be me, the 47-year-old single parent told The Telegraph.

Its easy to brush something off and say thats crazy, this doesnt happen, Ms Erk added.

You dont want to believe that it happens, but I think once people begin to look at the details that its really hard to ignore.

As well as showing up in person, Ms Reads supporters have pored over court documents and evidence, sharing their findings with 45,000 others in a dedicated Facebook group.

The defence has argued Ms Read was framed by the well-connected Albert family and Michael Proctor, the lead investigator and Massachusetts state trooper, who is a family friend.

On the stand, Mr Proctor was confronted with a series of texts in which he described Ms Read as a wack job and joked about not finding nude photographs of her while going through her phone.

In one text to his sister, Mr Proctor said that he wished Ms Read would kill herself.

Alan Jackson, Ms Reads lawyer said in court earlier this month: You werent so much as objectively investigating her as objectifying her in those moments.

Mr Proctor denied he was looking for nude images and apologised for the language used in the messages.

Ms Reads army of sleuths has raised over $340,000 (268,000) selling everything from bumbags to candles to help fund her legal team led by Mr Jackson, who represented Kevin Spacey when he was cleared on sexual assault charges in 2019.

Karen Read's army of supporters has raised over $340,000 for her defence through activities such as making and selling wax melts branded with the movement's message

Campaigners have organised a billboard professing Ms Reads innocence with a QR code to donate cash.

Aidan Kearney, a blogger who goes by the moniker Turtle Boy, has posted hundreds of videos speculating about the case.

Mr Kearney, who filmed himself confronting witnesses, was arrested in October and indicted on more than 15 felony charges involving witness intimidation and conspiracy.

Last year, he organised a rolling rally, in which hundreds of supporters went to the address where OKeefe was found, to the last bar they had been at and to the homes of different witnesses.

Nick Rocco, a 29-year-old hairdresser, first heard about Ms Reads case in April 2023 through one of Mr Kearneys videos.

Now, he says he and his wife Jenna Rocco are key players in the movement.

Conspiracy or truth

He founded the Justice For Officer John OKeefe & Karen Read Facebook page and has raised close to $200,000 by organising giveaways, Halloween parties and selling bracelets.

Its absolutely insane. The movement just keeps getting bigger and bigger, he told The Telegraph.

As well as manning the online page and fundraising, the father of three goes to court every Monday and Tuesday  his days off  to support Ms Read.

He said she is very appreciative of the support.

I didnt know her before this at all, I had no idea who she was, and then it came to a point where, like, you know, she trusted me, she saw what I was doing for her, he added.

He is not a true crime person, he said. I just felt bad for this woman. I felt bad. I wanted to help her.

Responding to claims he is promoting a conspiracy theory, he said: Put it this way, weve seen many conspiracies and I dont want to be political, but weve seen many conspiracies that have come true.

Jon Silveira is the only one of the nine administrators on the Facebook page who knew Ms Read before her arrest.

The pair grew up together, and she and OKeefe had visited him in Florida three months before her partners death.

Mr Silviera, 44, who works offshore on an oil tanker, has been supporting Ms Read in court throughout the trial.

The movement is massive, he said, with people taking time off work just to stand outside in the rain to protest.

When you pull up in the morning, seeing everybody dressed in pink with the signs, its really refreshing, its really motivating, he said.

Before OKeefes death, Canton was like any small town, quiet and family-oriented, Mr Rocco said.

Now it is very much divided. You have the Karen Read is guilty and then you have the Karen Read is innocent, he said.

With the 12-strong jury now deciding Ms Reads fate, whatever the outcome, its going to be a rocky ride yet for that once peaceful town.

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NASA: Stargazers will see the 'closest thing to a planet parade' Saturday morning

Astronomers and stargazers around the U.S. could get a peek at a planetary parade this weekend, NASA says.

On Saturday, before sunrise, people will get to see Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn, align in the sky, Preston Dyches, a public engagement specialist for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, previously told USA TODAY. Dyches has a background in astronomy and hosts NASA's "What's Up," a monthly video series that describes what's happening in the night sky.

Scientists probe a space mystery: Why do people age faster during space travel?

Were you disappointed by a previous parade? This one is different.

On June 3, folks were promised a dazzling parade, but both Dyches and Andrew Fazekas, the communications manager for Astronomers Without Borders, agreed it wouldn't be the best time to actually enjoy it and advised people to be patient and wait until later in the month.

For starters, June 3 fell on a Monday, and rising before the sun on the first workday of the week may not be on every 9-to-5ers to-do list. And early in the month, the sun's light would've washed out the planets that would have aligned closest to it. said Dyches.

But this week's parade is on a Saturday morning, with Uranus, Mercury and Jupiter high enough in the sky that the sun won't outshine them.

People may also be able to view the parade on Friday, according to Fazekas, but the moon's position will be different on both days. And the "closest thing to a planet parade" is on Saturday, stated Dyches.

What is a planetary parade?

Basically, it's when the planets form a straight line and look like they're marching across the night sky and form a space parade.

It's also known as a large planetary alignment, states Delaware Online, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

What will you be able to see?

According to a program called SkySafari Pro, you will be able to see the following during the planetary parade on June 29:

Jupiter, which will be closest to the horizon.

Uranus.

Mars.

The moon.

Neptune.

Saturn.

Where will you be able to see the planetary parade?

People will need to do the following to get a view of the planetary parade, according to Fazekas:

Get up early, before sunrise.

Find a spot with a clear view that faces the east or southeastern sky.

Have your binoculars or telescope ready to view planets that aren't visible to the naked eye.

What equipment do you need to view a planetary parade?

You will still need binoculars and telescopes to see some of the planets, said Fazekas.

"Neptune is a planet that you need strong binoculars or a small telescope to be able to see," said Fazekas. "And it's not easy to find either."

Folks who go out to stargaze on June 28, will be able to see Neptune right next to the moon. On June 29, it will be farther away from the moon, and be above it instead.

Apps, like Skyview on the Apple app store, can turn people's phones into a tool that helps them identify celestial bodies in the night sky.

Excitement from solar eclipse, northern lights creating planet parade hype

While the stars aligning might be an interesting sight for backyard astronomers, Fazekas advises people shouldn't expect something spectacular, like the solar eclipse or the northern lights.

When the planetary parade on June 3 was announced, Fazekas was worried the people's expectations were set too high by those two very viral celestial events

"What worries me is that we set people up for disappointment," said Fazekas "And then they won't want to do it again."

Fazekas has never seen so many people interested in sky-watching, and he doesn't want the excitement to end.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A 2024 planet parade could appear this weekend. Here's how to watch
The Swedish furniture giant IKEA has decided to return to Ukraine. Preparations are underway at the company's only outlet in Kyiv. However, IKEA has not yet disclosed the date of the resumption of operations.

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The decision to return to Ukraine was made by the company's central office in May, according to Forbes sources. OBOZ.UA has already asked IKEA to comment on the plans.

It is noted that the position of IKEA, which did not want to return to Ukraine until the end of hostilities, wasinfluenced by the opening of stores of the Inditex conglomerate, including Zara and Bershka, as well as the return of the H&M chain.

Technical work, according to media reports, has already begun. This includes preparations for the IKEA store in Kyiv to open - sources say that they are removing signs from the facade for repairs.

"Technical preparations are underway. The start date is not yet known," one of the sources said.

Earlier, the company's headquarters hinted at a return to Ukraine, but did not disclose details. "IKEA remains highly interested in the Ukrainian market. We are still doing our best to assess the impact of the current situation on our possible activities. As soon as all the necessary aspects are in place, IKEA will be able to offer its assortment to as many people in Ukraine as possible again," the statement said.

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IKEA did not enter the Ukrainian market for a long time due to problems with land allocation, but on February 1, 2021, it opened its first store in Kyiv in a new format, inside a shopping mall. This only Ukrainian store of the company is located in the Blockbuster Mall in Kyiv.

The Swedish company's products were in demand, and IKEA planned to expand and open new stores, but in 2022, due to a full-scale invasion, it was forced to leave the Ukrainian market. In June 2022, the company also announced its complete withdrawal from Russia.

In 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine was working on the return of well-known global brands to Ukraine, including IKEA. The Swedish company was even addressed with a separate appeal.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, one of the world's largest distribution groups in the fashion industry, Spanish Inditex, has returned to Ukraine. On April 3, stores of a number of brands opened, including Zara, Bershka, Zara Home, Oysho, Stradivarius, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti.

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Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@fresnobee.com.

As Fresno city leaders, police and the public come to terms with the resignation of police Chief Paco Balderrama, City Manager Georgeanne White is setting the course for a nationwide search to find his replacement.

Its a process that, prior to this month, few expected to be necessary  at least not this soon. Balderrama, who was sworn in as the citys first Latino chief in January 2021, had previously said he expected to serve in Fresno for at least 10 years.

Under Fresnos city charter and strong-mayor system of government, the city manager in the mayors administration has the authority to hire the police chief. On Wednesday, White told The Fresno Bee that the city will hire a consultant to aid in the search, but that the rest of the process is yet to be set.

Im not at that point yet to be able to make a statement on what that process will be, she said. Were going to sit and have a discussion once the dust settles.

Balderramas downfall came after a five-month investigation by the city into an alleged affair he was having with the wife of Jordan Wamhoff, a subordinate officer, former high-ranking police union official and currently a Madera County supervisor.

Deputy Chief Mindy Casto is serving as interim chief as Balderamma, 47, finishes out his tenure on July 25.

White said that the decision to have a nationwide search does not exclude internal candidates. There have already been rumblings from some observers that the potential field may include Casto or Mark Salazar, another deputy chief within the department who unsuccessfully ran for Fresno County sheriff in 2022.

White said she and her administrative team were tied up in preparations for a City Council meeting this week, but added that she expects to meet with Mayor Jerry Dyer and the administrative team at City Hall as early as Friday and into next week to think about what the right process will be.

Ive never been involved in a police chief search, but I have been involved in searches for other department directors, she said. Hiring a search firm could cost between $10,000 and $40,000, based on what weve paid for past searches.

Generally, high-level recruitments like this can take four to five months, she added.

Some critics have already called for a greater degree of community involvement in the selection of a new police chief. We encourage the mayor and the city to convene a citizens advisory committee to help select the next chief, Sandra Celedon, president/CEO of the advocacy group Fresno Building Healthy Communities, said in a statement issued Tuesday. We need to get this right.

The mayor and the city made a major mistake three-plus years ago when they hired Balderrama, Celedon added.

How its been done before

Balderrama, who was the deputy police chief in Oklahoma City before he came to Fresno, was the first chief to be hired from outside of the department in almost 30 years. His selection was the result of a national search launched by then-Mayor Lee Brand and then-City Manager Wilma Quan in 2020.

It was the second effort at a nationwide search since the retirement of Jerry Dyer after 18 years as chief and 40 years with the police department.

In the first search attempt in 2019, after conducting months of community outreach and winnowing the candidates to five finalists, Brand and Quan announced they chose Deputy Chief Andy Hall, a 40-year FPD veteran who did not apply for the top position, to be the next chief.

But under terms of the citys Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) that allows older employees to continue working while diverting pension payments to a supplemental retirement fund, Hall had to retire by early 2021. The same policy also had prompted Dyers retirement. Halls retirement coincided with Balderramas hiring.

The 2019 process included hiring a search firm to vet candidates. Brand launched a screening program that promised community engagement on a scale and magnitude never before seen in the Central Valley. It included online surveys in English, Spanish and Hmong asking residents what issues and challenges a new chief should understand and address. The surveys also asked what qualities residents wanted to see in the next chief. Community meetings were also held throughout the city to collect community input in the process.

Halls hiring led to complaints and protests that the communitys opinions were ignored. It also sparked a proposal by City Councilmember Nelson Esparza to allow the City Council to weigh in on who should lead the police and fire departments by wielding authority to approve compensation contracts.

Esparza and Brand ultimately reached a compromise that would allow three council members to participate in panels to interview finalists in the next search for a police chief.

The search that culminated in Balderramas hiring began in July 2020, with Dyer  who by that time was mayor-elect  working with Brand. While Brand had previously resolved to hire the next chief before he left office at the start of 2021, Dyer also expressed interest in choosing the successor for his old job. The collaboration, Dyer said, would allow Brand to honor his commitment while also providing a sense of security for candidates that they have the confidence of the next mayor.

A national search was once again conducted. After another array of community input, the process yielded three finalists: Balderrama, a prospect from Texas, and an unnamed candidate from within the Fresno Police Department. Balderramas hiring was announced in December 2020.

What will Fresno want in a new chief?

The search efforts that led to the hirings of Hall in 2019 and Balderrama in 2021 included community meetings and other outreach efforts.

White told The Bee that its too early to offer details on how much community engagement will be involved in the upcoming search. Likewise, still to be determined are what kinds of specific attributes shell be looking for in candidates.

But she said she will be relying very heavily on Dyer in the process.

Im so fortunate to have a mayor who served as police chief for 18 years  to help me structure this so that were getting the right person, White said.

We definitely want someone whos experienced, someone whos worked in a big city with similar challenges that we have (in Fresno), someone whos worked in a diverse city, White said.

My philosophy on hiring department heads always focuses on qualifications for the job of the most qualified candidates, she added. We always want to do our best to have people in leadership positions be reflective of our community.

Earlier this week, City Councilmember Mike Karbassi told The Bee that while the choice is in the hands of the city manager, he would favor someone internal that has a reputation over the years that we can trust and is respected among the rank and file.

I think someone who is familiar to us is very important, given the circumstances that led up to Balderramas resignation, Karbassi added.

Its a sentiment that White said she understands.

I think were at a point of heightened emotion right now given the events of late, she said. Comfort is always there with a known commodity.  Sometimes unknown can be scary.

Having said that, Im going to do what I always do, which is figure out the process and follow the process; I always think that good process leads to good decision-making, White added. I think over the next few months, as we go through a process and as the department gets more settled, then we can consider what each candidate brings to the table.
NATO member states are currently discussing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's idea for a 40 billion-a-year funding plan for Ukraine, although some allies remain sceptical.

Source: Bloombergs sources familiar with the discussions, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The agency wrote that several NATO member states are unwilling to commit to specific multi-year spending on military assistance to Ukraine, which would provide more predictability in the long term.

The sources said that countries are now divided on how to make these commitments work for future years.

Some allies are wary of formalising commitments with a specific number and simply want to pledge to continue to provide support at the same level, the sources said.

Meanwhile, others hesitate to reveal exact figures for their contributions, fearing that it could reveal the true extent of their assistance to Ukraine.

Although many details remain to be agreed, including accounting, the allies may be able to reach a deal if the 40 billion in aid to Ukraine is deducted from NATO's existing commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence, the sources said.

However, this could lead to a reduction in the allies' own defence spending, especially if finance ministries do not agree to raise the overall level of spending.

In addition, NATO allies are still agreeing on the wording for a leaders' statement at the summit in July that will describe Ukraine's progress towards joining the alliance.

While an invitation is unlikely this year, the US and Germany are opposed to calling Ukraine's path to NATO membership "irreversible" and instead want to present the entire package as a "bridge to membership," the sources said.

In addition, the sources report that the allies are discussing the establishment of a special representative in Kyiv to oversee the international coordination of arms supplies and training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces under the auspices of NATO.

Background:

The media reported earlier that Stoltenberg abandoned plans to create a five-year military aid fund for Ukraine after facing opposition from the Allies.

At that time, the NATO Secretary General presented a new proposal, according to which Allies would commit to spending at least 40 billion a year on lethal and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine.

However, this plan was not agreed upon during a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. Stoltenberg said that the allies would continue to coordinate their position on this issue before the summit in Washington.

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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance in which the 32 member nations agree to support and defend each other against outside attacks. Key to the success of NATO in a potential conflict is interoperability. To that end, the militaries of NATO members agree on standards for everything from communications to logistics so that they can fight alongside each other. Because of this commonality, a British soldier can call in an airstrike from a French fighter plane and receive a spare magazine of ammunition from a German soldier. Leading up to, and especially since, the full-scale invasion by Russia, Ukraine has taken steps towards NATO interoperability. NATO military requirements Standardized magazines and ammunition are a big advantage for NATO (U.S. Army) Having a military that conforms to NATO standards is a requirement for member states. Ukraines military is moving away from its Soviet-era doctrine and equipment, and instead adopting those of NATO. Military advisers from NATO nations train Ukrainian troops and Ukraine is purchasing and receiving NATO military equipment including tanks, planes and small arms. However, Ukraine took a huge step toward NATO standardization when it signed a deal to have the CZ BREN 2 rifle assembled domestically and supplied to its armed forces. A Czech soldier with a CZ BREN 2 during a NATO exercise (U.S. Army) CZ BREN 2 On February 23, 2024, Ceska zbrojovka, a subsidiary of the Colt CZ Group, signed an Agreement of Intent with Ukroboronprom, Ukrainian Defense Industry, to assemble the Czech rifles in Ukraine. CZ BREN 2s in Ukraine (International Legion of Ukraine) We are honored to support Ukraines efforts to adopt NATO standard equipment and increase the capability of its defense industry, Ceska zbrojovka CEO Jan Zajic said in a statement. This first step towards a full-scale transfer of technology project for the CZ BREN 2 rifle is a direct consequence of its successful deployment on the battlefield in Ukraine by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. CZ BREN 2 rifles have been supplied to Ukraine and used extensively since the Russian invasion. CZ BREN 2s with the Bolivar Battalion in Ukraine (Armed Forces of Ukraine) The technology transfer from NATO member states marks a pivotal moment for our company, driven by successful international cooperation and ongoing defense reforms, Ukroboronprom CEO Herman Smetanin said in a statement. This initiative is a crucial step towards establishing an Arsenal of the Free World within Ukraine. Ukrainian manufacturer RPC Fort previously signed an agreement with Israeli Weapon Industries to produce the IWI Tavor rifle under license. Unlike the Tavor, the CZ BREN 2 has been adopted by the Czech Army and Hungarian Defense Forces, both NATO, as a standard-issue rifle. Czech soldiers with CZ 805 BREN rifles (U.S. Army) Gertrud Zach Under the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia was the only Warsaw Pact member whose military did not adopt a Soviet AK-47/AKM-based rifle. Instead, they developed the Sa Vz. 58 rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm to conform to Warsaw Pact standards. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the breakup of Czechoslovakia, Czechia became one of the first three former Warsaw Members to join NATO. With this the Czech Army needed to retrofit its old rifles to accept NATO magazines and ammo or procure a new rifle. Opting for the latter solution, the CZ 805 BREN was adopted in 2014 with deliveries of the updated CZ BREN 2 beginning two years later. The CZ BREN 2 can be chambered in 7.62x39mm as seen in the hands of the French GIGN (Domenjod via Wikimedia Commons) The CZ BREN 2 is a short-stroke gas piston assault rifle. Its modular design allows the weapons caliber to be changed by swapping out the barrel, gas tube, breech block, magazine well, and magazine. Like other NATO rifles, the BREN 2 accepts all NATO-standard 5.56mm magazines and rounds. Not only did the CZ BREN 2 pass NATO AC/225 testing, the rifle is famously tough. James Reeves of TFB TV fired a .300 Blackout round through a 5.56 CZ BREN 2 and the rifles barrel remained intact and unobstructed despite firing a mismatched bullet. Different variants of the CZ BREN 2 have been seen in Ukraine (Reddit.com/r/Bren2) In addition to adopting the CZ BREN 2 for domestic production and supply, Ukraine is bringing in NATO ammo production. Czech ammunition manufacturer Sellier & Bellot will assist Ukraine with standing up domestic production of NATO-specification ammo. Although Ukraine has received a wide array on NATO rifles, the domestic production of a NATO rifle and ammunition to go with it represents a major step towards Ukraines future admission to the alliance.

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PITTSBURG, Kan.  Many people are aware of ticks and mosquitoes but may not know how harmful they can be.

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted by both. They include west Nile virus and Lyme disease.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has received more than 200 reports of illnesses caused by ticks and mosquitoes over the past month.

Preventative steps include wearing long sleeves and long pants, with socks and closed-toe shoes while doing things like hiking and hunting.

Whenever it comes to infectious disease, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And so, we want to encourage people to maintain their active lifestyle and to continue going out and enjoying the environment, but to be wary and be precautious of these diseases, said Dr. Julie Stewart, the medial director of infectious diseases at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.

Doctor Stewart suggests people do a full body check after a day of hiking or being out in tall grass areas. If a tick is found use tweezers to pull it straight up.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com.
NC ballot access denied for West, RFK Jr. parties. But the decision may not be final.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections Democratic majority denied certification to three political parties on Wednesday, all of which sought to place independent presidential candidates on the ballot in November.

Unless it is later reversed, the boards decision means that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West will not appear on North Carolinas ballot as presidential candidates with their new parties, called We The People and Justice for All, respectively.

The boards chair, Alan Hirsch, said the decision is not final, though a looming candidate filing deadline could complicate matters.

The board also denied certification to the right-wing Constitution Party, which aims to run candidates up and down the ballot, including anti-abortion activist Randall Terry for president.

Concerns about improper addresses, misleading petition-gatherers and voters who asked their signatures to be removed prompted Democrats on the board to deny certification, they said. However, members stressed that they were voting no for now until more investigation could be done.

The boards two Republicans supported certifying the parties.

I must say Im disappointed with how we have handled this issue, Republican member Stacy Four Eggers said. Because it just appears to me that this is yielding to political pressure from respective parties and political action groups to keep other candidates and other parties who are not our parties off the ballot.

The vote comes after weeks of pressure from Democrats and a group tied to former President Joe Biden that is seeking to keep independent presidential challengers off the ballot across the country.

The group, Clear Choice Action, sent a lengthy letter to the state board earlier this month alleging that it had found thousands of deficiencies in JFAs petition sheets. Clear Choice also contacted signers of Kennedys and Wests petitions to question them about their decision.

Their letter also referenced reporting from NBC News, which found that one Republican activist collecting signatures for Justice for All told attendees at a Trump rally in North Carolina that having the left-wing West on the ballot helps take away votes from Joe Biden.

The North Carolina Democratic Party also submitted challenges of Kennedys and Wests parties to the state board.

The State Board of Elections majority have shown yet again there is no action too outrageous or too radical they wont make to protect Joe Biden and Democrats, NCGOP Communications Director Matt Mercer said in a statement.

Hirsch said the board will further investigate concerns about the parties petition process and take a second vote next month  after the July 1 deadline in law for new candidates to file for office.

He said that if the board does end up approving the new parties, he believes it could waive the deadline.

Presuming that we eventually approve this party, I feel 100% confident that we should vote to place these people on the ballot anyway once theyre approved  regardless of the date, Hirsch said. And if somebody wants to sue us about it, they can do that. But I cant imagine anybody would.

The boards lawyer said he does not believe the July 1 deadline applies to presidential candidates.

Litigation could also challenge the boards decision, as happened in 2022 when the board initially denied certification to the Green Party. In that case, the board later reversed its decision and a judges order allowed the Greens to place their candidates on the ballot.

Why did board members vote against certification?

Members cited specific concerns about each partys petition process, though most dealt with issues surrounding the petitioners obligation to communicate the purpose and intent of their party to voters.

With Justice For All, board members cited the NBC reporting involving a Republican activist saying the party would help Trump win.

I really cant help what other people do, Italo Medelius, North Carolina co-chair of Justice for All, said. Ive never in my life said that  or anybody at JFA has ever said  that what we are doing is to help Republicans win.

With We The People, board members took issue with wording in the scripts petition-gatherers used, one of which referred to Kennedy as an independent.

Somebody thats an independent  theyre not affiliated with any party, Democratic board member Siobhan Millen said. We have a whole different process in this state for getting on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate, and that requires 85,000 signatures. So I would suggest that its at least a question as to whether Mr. Kennedy belongs in that pot.

The signature requirement for new parties to be certified in North Carolina is 13,865.

Ceara Foley, who represented We The People at the boards meeting, said it was her interpretation that independent meant independent from the corporate duopoly.

Members also noted a letter from the Elias Group, a major law firm with ties to Democratic politicians, which sent affidavits from 26 voters who said they wished to remove their signatures from the We The People partys petition.

There is no process in law for a petition-signer to remove their signature.

As for the Constitution Party, board members took issue with the fact that petition sheets showed an outdated address for the partys chair, Al Pisano. He said hed attempted to get clarification on that issue from the board for nearly three years but never got an answer back.

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Gov. Cooper in Concord as federal childcare funding is set to expire

Gov. Cooper in Concord as federal childcare funding is set to expire

CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Governor Roy Cooper is set to visit a Concord preschool Thursday and address what he has labeled an urgent need for childcare financial support as federal pandemic-era funding is set to expire next week.

The governor was in Charlotte two weeks ago and addressed the issue.

NC House seeks higher worker pay, childcare, and voucher money in budget bill

Child care centers like The Early Learning Center Preschool teach children important building blocks and help prepare them for their future. A lack of access to childcare is preventing parents from entering the workforce, meanwhile, Republican legislators plan to spend $625 million on taxpayer-funded private school vouchers. We must address the upcoming funding cliff and invest in early childhood education and child care.

The governor will visit Families First Cabarrus County at 12 p.m. Thursday.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
The North Carolina House on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment that, if ratified, would remove the Jim-Crow era literacy test for voting from the state constitution.

I think that everybody in this body believes that the reasons why this was implemented back in the past is not representative of the state of North Carolina now that we all know and love, Rep. Terry Brown, a Mecklenburg Democrat and the bills sponsor, said.

The requirement has been inoperable since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, but has remained in the constitution as a relic of the states racist history.

Lawmakers in the House passed the amendment unanimously.

Voters must approve constitutional amendments at the ballot box before theyre enacted. Before that can happen, a supermajority of the Senate will have to approve the Houses proposal.

Legislative leaders are considering a variety of other constitutional amendments, including some that would weaken the governors appointment power, cement existing voter rules and lower the states maximum income tax.
A nearly century-old Western North Carolina inn and spa that hosted the cast and crew of the 1987 Hollywood classic Dirty Dancing film and President Franklin D. Roosevelt has sold for at least $10 million, the broker on the sale said Wednesday.

The 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a landmark property and tourist attraction that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, broker George Carter told The Charlotte Observer.

While the movie was partly made in the Lake Lure area, no filming took place at the inn.

Each September, the town of Lake Lure hosts a dance festival that supports the late Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayzes charitable foundation.

The Swayze Suite at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa is named for the late actor Patrick Swayze, who stayed at the inn with the rest of the cast and crew of the 1987 Hollywood classic Dirty Dancing, which filmed in the area.

President Calvin Coolidge and authors Emily Post and F. Scott Fitzgerald also stayed at the inn, 25 miles south of Asheville in Rutherford County, according to Carters announcement of the sale.

The Fitzgerald Suite at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa is named for author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who stayed at the inn.

Carter told the Observer the sale was in the eight digits, meaning at least $10 million, although he declined to release the specific figure.

The sale more than doubled the previous $4 million record of a commercial property sold in the Lake Lure area, he said.

The Jennifer Grey Suite at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa is named for the actress who starred as Frances Baby Houseman in the 1987 Hollywood classic Dirty Dancing.

72-room hotel, multiple restaurants

1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa is located in the Hickory Nut Gorge that also encompasses Chimney Rock State Park.

This overlook cabin is available for bookings at the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa.

The sale included the 72-room hotel; the propertys iconic Arcade Commerce Building; historic Keeter home and acreage; lrongate salon and spa; multiple restaurants; and offices and public spaces, Carter said.

The hotel includes several Dirty Dancing-themed rooms, such as Babys Bungalow, Johnnys Cabin and the Swayze Suite.

Owners lovingly restored the inn

After 20 years preserving and revitalizing the inn, owners George and Hope Wittmer were simply ready to take a step back from the helm and watch their project continue to thrive and grow under new ownership, Carter said.

They sold to Ridgeline Acquisitions LLC, owner of boutique hotels in North Carolina and north Georgia mountain towns.

The Wittmers are long-time collectors of antiques, decorative arts and historic memorabilia, and the hotel is full of rare finds from around the world, including statutory, paintings, carvings and historic objects, Carter said.

In a statement, George Wittmer said he and his wife were glad to have welcomed so many visitors and locals to share in the magic of Lake Lure.

Weve seen welcomed growth and transformation of this mountain community, and we are excited to embark on our next set of local ventures, he said.

Wittmer, owner of Lake Lure Properties LLC, said he and his wife are grateful to the staff at the inn, many of whom have been with them all 20 years.

They have made this Town Center project possible and have contributed enormously over the years to the improvement of Lake Lure, our adopted hometown, he said. We are confident that the Lake Lure Inn and Town Center will continue to thrive.

Keaton Nickelsen, partner at Ridgeline Acquisitions LLC, said Ridgeline is thrilled to be able to honor the rich history of the hotel and the legacy of George and Hope Wittmer.

We are very excited to be a part of the next chapter of this beautiful and unique property and join the Lake Lure community, Nickelsen said in a statement.
In this Sept. 19, 2023 file photo, Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore talk to reporters about the state budget.

On what was expected to be the final day of legislative business this week, state lawmakers passed provisions extending funding for child care centers and authorizing previously passed teacher raises to go into effect.

After budget talks between the House and Senate broke down, Republican leaders in both chambers agreed to pass standalone bills that allocate $67.5 million in funding for child care centers through the end of the year, and formally authorize pay raises for teachers and other school employees.

Those raises, for the fiscal year that starts on Monday, were passed in last years two-year budget, but needed additional language to actually take effect. The House approved both bills near-unanimously on Wednesday. The Senate approved both bills Thursday afternoon, sending them to Gov. Roy Cooper.

Child care funding has been one of the biggest issues this session, with advocates visiting the General Assembly multiple times over the past few months to call on lawmakers to extend funds provided during COVID-19 that allowed centers to pay employees, cover rent and mortgage costs, and subsidize child care costs for some families.

On Wednesday, police arrested protesters calling for funding for child care at the legislature, after the group chanted outside the Senate and House chambers.

Without additional funding, many of these centers were expected to shut down or raise tuition at the end of June. The funding under the bill passed Thursday should extend stabilization grant funding through the end of the year.

As for teacher pay, last years GOP-passed state budget included raises based on experience ranging from 3.6% to 10.8% across two years.

In order for the raises to be paid out, however, lawmakers needed to enact legislation to authorize the money, as previously reported by The News & Observer.

Lawmakers were expected to take action on these issues through a budget adjustment bill, which is supposed to pass by the end of June but rarely does so. But negotiations on a budget bill broke down between the House and Senate and it seemed possible that the chambers would go home and leave these issues hanging.

But on Wednesday, the House took an alternative route and revived a couple of Senate bills  originally on unrelated issues  that hadnt seen any movement in the House since early April. A budget compromise is not expected.

House Speaker Tim Moore said on Thursday that what the House is proposing should take care of the backlog. That number wasnt pulled out of thin air. My understanding is that was a number that was provided by the states health and human services.

DHHS has some additional funds  some additional federal funds  that have not been purposed that they can also use to put in at this point. And we certainly want the agencies to use federal funds first because a lot of those funds revert back if not used, Moore said.

The N&O reached out to DHHS to get more clarity on any additional federal funding. The agency replied by breaking down the funds allotted in the legislatures bill and said it appreciated the General Assembly recognizing that access to quality and affordable child care is critical to the growth and development of North Carolinas children and our economic prosperity.

This funding will provide some immediate relief with the looming child care funding cliff in just a few days. However, more funding will be needed to fully support child care and the early education system across North Carolina, including additional funding for Child Care Stabilization grants and funding for subsidy and NC Pre-K. Without further investments there will likely be more child care closures in the future, said Kelly Haight Connor, DHHS spokesperson.

Other education priorities and arrests

Another key piece of legislation the GOP sought to pass in the budget adjustment bill was additional funding for private school vouchers. The House and Senate budget adjustment proposals included millions to clear a backlog for vouchers under the Opportunity Scholarship program. The chambers have not passed separate legislation to fund the voucher program.

On this, Moore said that members in the House want to make sure that if were talking about education, that were doing so comprehensively. That were also addressing the traditional schools as well.

On police arresting protesters, Moore said theres a right way and a wrong way to go about advocating for your position.

My understanding was they were creating a disturbance, he said. I didnt see it ... so I dont know what happened.

NC General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock told reporters Wednesday that protesters were arrested after they did not quiet down following a noise complaint.

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Buying a house in the countryside of Tuscany, Italy, is one of the dream goals of many people, but real estate in this region is notoriously expensive. However, if you do not hesitate, a new offer will help you achieve your goal.

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The regional government of Tuscany has announced that it will pay people up to 30 thousand euros (over 1.3 million hryvnias) for moving to mountain towns whose population is declining. This was reported by EuroNews.

Across Italy, villages are facing a demographic crisis. As residents move to cities in search of career opportunities, small communities are left with abandoned houses and stagnant economies. Recently, representatives of local councils have come up with a solution: to increase the number of residents, they plan to organize a real estate sale for just 1 euro.

In Tuscany, the authorities have decided to pay people to live in difficult communities. Under a new scheme called "Residence in the Mountains 2024," applicants will receive from 10 thousand to 30 thousand euros to buy a house.

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However, it must be a mountain town in a region with a population of less than 5,000 residents. In addition, the financial contribution may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of purchasing and renovating the property.

The Tuscan mountains are "areas of unique beauty with villages suffering from depopulation," said Stefania Saccardi, regional vice president of Tuscany, "so the decision to live in one of these municipalities is a challenge and an opportunity, especially for young people, as well as a chance for a new life.

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The caveat is that there are strict conditions for those eligible to apply for the grant. Candidates must be Italian citizens or citizens of another European Union country or non-EU countries, but have a residence permit for at least 10 years. They must also be registered as residents of an Italian city, but not reside in a mountain community (according to the category of the Italian National Institute of Statistics). Applications can be submitted using the online form on the website of the Tuscany region until 13:00 on July 27, CET.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about how a Russian woman complained to propagandists about "discrimination" in the Netherlands and mentioned proud Ukrainians: "I'm afraid to speak Russian on the street".

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!

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NC legislature passes laws on masks, protests, and campaign money over the governors objections

The North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

The Republican-dominated legislature passed three new laws that Gov. Roy Cooper does not want, with the Senate voting Thursday to tear holes in campaign finance rules, allow billboard owners to cut more trees along roadsides, and have more 16- and 17-year-olds to face trial in adult court.

The Senate voted along party lines to override the Democratic governors vetoes. The House took its override votes on Wednesday.

The campaign finance law changes rules to allow wealthy donors to anonymously funnel money into candidate campaign accounts. That same law includes new rules on wearing masks in public.

The surprise addition of new campaign finance changes to a bill on masks prompted Democrats in the Senate to walk out of the chamber earlier this month.

The rules for wearing masks to prevent the spread of disease are tighter. Masks worn for health reasons must be medical or surgical grade. The law creates tougher penalties for people convicted of crimes while wearing masks. And, it increases penalties for obstructing traffic during a protest.

Protesters sitting or lying down on roads and highways were a familiar form of protest over the war in Gaza and over George Floyds murder in 2020.

The law raises constitutional concerns, threatens North Carolinians right to protest and allows police officers to stop anyone wearing a mask to ask them to remove it, Reighlah Collins, policy counsel for the ACLU of North Carolina, said in a statement.

The bill is designed to apply heightened penalties to protestors and increases the sentence for any offense committed while wearing a mask, contributing to our mass incarceration crisis. We will continue to push back against government and police overreach and support North Carolinians rights to protest safely, the statement continued.

Its a mistake to allow more 16- and 17-year-olds to be tried in adult court, said Samantha Salkin, an ACLU of North Carolina policy analyst.

Prosecuting children as adults causes significant harm to already vulnerable young people and does nothing to address the underlying issues that lead to youth crime, Salkin said in a statement.

Juvenile courts provide greater protections for minors and create more opportunities for rehabilitation compared to adult courts.

The General Assembly set aside money for programs to reduce recidivism and youth criminal activity when they passed Raise the Age in 2019  we should be funding those programs, not pulling back on protections for youth.

The bill to allow more tree cutting along highways to make room for billboards drew strong opposition from environmental advocacy groups.

At the time of Coopers veto, acting N.C. Sierra Club director Erin Carey said, Billboard blight has no place in North Carolina, a state justifiably famous for its scenic beauty. Redbuds and other trees that were threatened by this ill-conceived bill support carbon sequestration, pollinator propagation, and wildlife habitat.

The post NC legislature passes laws on masks, protests, and campaign money over the governors objections appeared first on NC Newsline.
Despite their wide political differences, the two candidates competing to run North Carolinas labor department agree on this:

Too many construction workers are dying on the job.

Once every 10 days, on average, a construction worker in North Carolina dies at work, a recent Charlotte Observer investigation found. Construction workers here die on the job at a significantly higher rate than those nationally, the reporting revealed, and many of those deaths are preventable.

Democrat Braxton Winston and Republican Luke Farley say theyd both work to change that if elected labor commissioner.

When a construction worker is being killed on the job site every 10 days, thats a need for urgent action, said Winston, 41, a former three-term Charlotte City Council member who is a stagehand and grip by trade.

My first and foremost point is that you need an adequately staffed department, he added.

Farley, 39, is a Wake County lawyer who regularly represents construction companies that have been cited by the state labor department for workplace safety citations. Hes been on job sites where workers have been killed, he said.

Ive seen legs amputated, arms crushed, said Farley, who has served on public boards but has never held an elected political position. So I know how high the stakes are When you see these things up close, they affect you deeply. I dont think the fact that I have been involved in this industry will prevent me from doing the job that needs to be done here.

Here is some of what each candidate had to say about key issues raised by The Observers investigation.

Whats needed to make job sites safer?

Although the race for labor commissioner tends to be low-profile, both candidates know the stakes for North Carolina are high on Nov. 5.

The workplace fatality rate for construction workers in North Carolina  11.5 deaths per 100,000 employees in 2022  was about 20% higher than that for construction workers nationally, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.

Among those who lost their lives last year: five construction workers who died in Charlotte in high-profile cases linked to a scaffolding collapse and a historic fire.

Perched atop the roof of townhomes under construction near Charlottes University City neighborhood, a worker reaches for a load of trusses from a crane. The worker is not tethered to the roof, so there is nothing to stop him from falling.

To improve safety, Farley would have the department focus on training workers and consulting with employers on a voluntary basis, in addition to penalizing companies that dont follow workplace safety rules.

The very first thing  and this will be a big focus of my time as labor commissioner  is making sure that businesses understand the labor department is not their enemy, that were here to help them do the right thing and create safe work environments, Farley said.

We issue citations, and fines and penalties. But thats only part of what we do, he added, noting: I would much rather help somebody figure out how to do something right than punish them on the back end when theyve done something wrong, and somebody has already been injured.

Winston said the labor department needs to be better staffed so that it can conduct more inspections.

The number of workplace safety inspections at North Carolina construction sites decreased by more than half since 2013. This happened during a decade when the death toll rose and when construction employment here has grown by nearly 50%, federal data shows.

Staff shortages have made it difficult for the state to conduct as many inspections as it did in years past, labor officials say. Only about 80 of the departments safety compliance officer positions are currently filled.

You need an adequately staffed department, Winston said. ...When you have 400,000 businesses, 20,000 elevators, millions of workers, I question whether we have an adequately staffed department to do the job at hand.

Inspectors should be paid more to help reduce the high staff vacancy rate, he said. The starting salary for safety inspectors is $58,000  lower than what many could make in the private sector, department officials say.

Farley said he, too, would work to fill vacancies, and that he would examine whether inspector salaries are competitive.

How can NC curb deaths among Latino workers?

Latino workers are at a much higher risk of dying on North Carolina construction sites than white and Black workers, The Charlotte Observer investigation revealed. Thats also the case for Latino workers overall in North Carolina, according to a 2022 study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.

State workplace safety officers who inspect job sites arent always able to communicate with non-English speakers. Of the roughly 80 compliance officers who currently work for the states Occupational Safety and Health division, nine are fluent in Spanish.

The labor department needs more Spanish-speaking inspectors, Winston said.

We need to make sure that we are communicating with workers in an effective way, and I mean speaking their language, especially in the construction trade, he said.

Iris Bonilla, left and Osman Reyes, right, kneel at a memorial for their son, Jose Canaca and two other men who died when a scaffolding collapsed on a construction site they were working at in early January 2023. The men fell 70 feet when the scaffolding collapsed. Family and friends gathered on Friday, February 3, 2023 at Marshall Park for a candle light vigil in memory of the three men.

Said Farley: We need to be sure that the consultative services, and the education and technical assistance that are going to be such a big part of my administration, are offered to Latinos in a language they can understand. It doesnt do any good to train people in a language they dont understand.

What distinguishes the two candidates?

Farley is endorsed by former labor commissioner Cherie Berry, a conservative Republican who ran the labor department from 2000 to 2020. Berry was admired by some for partnering with businesses and increasing the labor commissioners profile, largely by putting her photo on elevator inspection certificates. She was criticized by others for being overly lenient with the businesses her department was responsible for regulating.

Farley has also been endorsed by current labor commissioner Josh Dobson, a Republican who isnt seeking reelection.

Farley surprised some political observers by defeating N.C. Rep. John Hardister in the primary. Following that election, the NC Chamber said it believes it could work well with Farley.

A self-described reluctant regulator, Mr. Farley is a sharp contrast to his opponent, the chamber said on its website. Our vision for North Carolina includes maintaining our competitive position as a right-to-work state and Mr. Farley shares that vision.

Farley said he would bring a common sense approach to regulation.

I think it is totally possible to protect the workers and their jobs at the same time, that you can enforce our regulations in a fair and even handed way, in a way that keeps our workers safe without bankrupting businesses in the process, he said. And thats the approach I want to take. My opponent is an activist. Were different in that respect.

A sign detailing safety gear that all construction workers should wear on site is in clear view at a Charlotte construction site.

Winston, who previously served as Charlottes mayor pro tem, rose to prominence in Charlotte during the 2016 protests over the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. He has been endorsed by the NC State AFL-CIO and the North Carolina Association of Educators, among others. He didnt face a primary opponent.

He is a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union. Unlike Farley, he said he embraces unions, partly because he believes they make workplaces safer.

When he considers what it will take to protect workers, Winston says he often thinks about a line, uttered by Charlton Heston in the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments.

Blood makes poor mortar.

On North Carolina job sites, he said, workplace deaths and injuries destroy families, impede progress and damage employee morale.

The choice is a worker like you, or your bosss lawyer, to be the lead advocate for workers, he said of this falls election. The choice could not be more clear.
Building on a portion of the Bridge View development in Cedar Point, N.C., has been halted after the discovery of what archaeologists say could be a significant historical site. A bill in the N.C. General Assembly would allow developers to disturb archaeological sites in coastal areas.

The North Carolina Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to strike changes requiring state archaeologists to tell potential buyers if land they want to buy contains artifacts from legislation tweaking a number of state environmental rules.

Initially, the archaeological provision in House Bill 385 would have allowed developers in designated areas of environmental concern to incidentally disturb archaeological sites, drawing the ire of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Native American tribes.

Much of the public attention around the bill quickly shifted to a development in Carteret Countys Cedar Point that had long been seeking a Coastal Area Management Act permit from the N.C. Division of Coastal Management. The Office of State Archaeology is one of the agencies consulted as part of that permitting process and, after thousands of artifacts were found on the site, has pushed for it to be conserved in a conservation area or excavated.

Since originally being proposed in early June, the focus of the provision had shifted. Instead of allowing developers to push forward with development, it tried to prevent the purchase of land like the area in Cedar Point where artifacts could stymie building.

The bill said developers and land buyers in areas of environmental concern could ask DNCRs archaeologists whether there is reason to believe a site contains archaeological resources as part of the due diligence process. The updated provision also would have required state archaeologists to seek funding to purchase land in areas of environmental concern that they know contain artifacts.

Were just doing away with that. We need some more time to work with that, bring some more stakeholders online and make sure thats an adequate bill and a very good bill going forward. Well do that in the long session, Sen. Norm Sanderson, a Pamlico County Republican, said while introducing the amendment.

The amendment to strike the language passed unanimously, with all 47 senators who were present voting for it.

State cultural resources officials previously said the updated proposal was an improvement over the original but that they found troublesome a section saying they couldnt limit development for three years after saying they didnt know of any archaeological resources on a site.

During a Senate Rules meeting Wednesday, Sanderson had already hinted that the effort could be delayed until the long session next year. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, he said, already has a practice of providing information to property owners and potential buyers about archaeological resources on the property.

As the bill wended through the committee process, Sanderson had also referenced concerns that disclosing archaeological sites to potential buyers could lead to artifacts being looted. There was a chance, Sanderson said in the Rules Committee, that the legislature would require the location of artifacts to be subject to a nondisclosure agreement between DNCR and developers, potentially including civil penalties.

Archaeological findings in Bridge View

At the Bridge View development in Cedar Point, state archaeologists initially suspected there might be artifacts based on a pair of 1970s discoveries in the area, as well as large archaeological sites that were found as part of other nearby developments.

Then, an archaeologist hired by a developer conducted test surveys at the site and found more than 2,000 artifacts, including 11 human burial sites. State archaeologists suspect that based on the pattern, there are likely additional burial sites spread across the parcel of land.

Chris Southerly, North Carolinas state archaeologist, previously told The News & Observer that artifacts at the site date from about 1000 B.C. to 1600 A.D., indicating it was the site of human settlements for thousands of years.

This is a long-term habitation site. This is a village where people lived for generations, Southerly previously told The N&O.

Sen. Michael Lazzara has taken steps in recent days to try to distance the Cedar Point development from the proposed law.

The owners of Cedar Point Developers LLC, which is building Bridge View, live in Lazzaras Onslow County district, and several have donated to his campaign in recent years. The development was the site of a protest by Native American groups that ended chaotically Sunday, with videos showing a man carrying a firearm and yelling as he confronted protesters and the Carteret County Sheriffs Office reporting that a resident of the community had been stabbed in the arm with a small pocket knife.

It needs to be made clear and very clear that neither the previous language nor this language does absolutely anything for the developer in question that has been written about. It doesnt affect them at all, Lazzara said in the Senate Judiciary committee Tuesday.

That is a shift from Lazzaras earlier public remarks, where he answered questions in committee about the Cedar Point development and was quick to note that its builders had spent more than $500,000 on archaeological work.

Now, the Carteret County development is back where it was before the legislative effort, with the Coastal Area Management Act permit unapproved and DNCR still seeking solutions that protect the archaeological resources. The 21-acre site remains largely undisturbed.

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and Green South Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. If you would like to help support local journalism, please consider signing up for a digital subscription, which you can do here.
OREM, Utah (ABC4)  A series of power outage woes continue across Utah as nearly 10,000 Rocky Mountain Power customers lost power on Thursday morning, June 27.

Rocky Mountain Power posted on Twitter/X just after 11 a.m. saying it was aware of the power outage that was affecting 9,400 customers in the American Fork area. According to the power companys outage map, the most recent outage is affecting mainly those around Vineyard, just west of Orem.

About 9,400 Rocky Mountain Power customers experience a power outage on Thursday, June 27 (Courtesy: Rocky Mountain Power)

According to the outage map, the cause of the large-scale loss of power was a substation problem. Additional information was not immediately provided. Crews have been alerted to the outage and are working to fix the issue. Power is expected to be restored to the area by 4 p.m.

ABC4 has reached out to Rocky Mountain Power to learn more.

This is the latest power outage in a series of outages this month. On June 14, more than 13,500 households lost power across Utah, stretching from Weber County to Washington County near the Arizona border. That outage was reportedly caused by issues with a capacitor at a Rocky Mountain substation at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon.

Rocky Mountain Power also reported over 2,900 lost power in Ogden on Tuesday, June 25 due to an emergency de-energization. This outage was followed by more than 3,000 people losing power in Tooele on Thursday, June 27. The Tooele outage has since been mostly restored with a few lingering outages.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Nina Paredes, school bus driver, walks in a picket line outside the Eugene School District 4J main office, with a sign that reads "work shouldn't hurt" on June 5.

Dozens of school staff picketed in front of Eugene School District 4J at its last school board meeting, demanding more involvement with student plans.

The Oregon School Employees Association Chapter 1, which represents more than 1,100 classified workers in 4J, is negotiating with the district seeking easier access to meetings and discussions for students with Individualized Education Plans, 504 plans and other specialized needs plans. The group says 4J is not abiding by a new Oregon state law passed last year, Senate Bill 756.

Classified staff are any employees who work for schools but are not licensed like most classroom teachers. Classified staff range from custodial staff to front office workers to groundskeepers to nutrition services to educational assistants and more.

OSEA Chapter 1 President Lisa Jenkins-Easton said this law largely impacts educational assistants but also affects many types of classified employees like bus drivers, secretaries and nutrition service workers.

"It directly impacts their safety and ability to support the students that they work with," Jenkins-Easton said. "If they don't know what a student's goals are academically and socially ... students have triggers that if you don't know what they are, and they react, it can be harmful."

Jenkins-Easton said an IEP team usually consists of parents, the licensed teacher, a case manager and sometimes other specialists for speech and language or physical or occupational therapy. She said having the EA who works closely with the student or the bus driver who takes them to and from school daily should be a part of that conversation, too.

"Our bus drivers and bus aides who transfer our students, especially our medically fragile students who may be in a wheelchair and have medical protocols ... they have to be trained well," Jenkins-Easton said. "They didn't go to school to become medical professionals. They chose a career of transporting kids to school, so feeling medically responsible for students' needs is daunting."

Before the most recent 4J school board meeting on June 5, classified staff and supporters gathered outside the 4J main office, and then several spoke during the board's public comment period. They highlighted their essential jobs and the roles they play in keeping the educational system functioning.

Lisa Jenkins-Easton, President of Oregon School Employees Association in Eugene, addresses the Eugene School District 4J school board during a June 5 meeting, asking for more access for classified employees to specialized plans for students they work with.

"Our schools wouldn't run without classified staff," Jenkins-Easton said. "We make things happen. It's often behind the scenes, and it's often quiet, but there's absolute agreement with our licensed colleagues that they couldn't do their jobs without us."

Why are classified employees seeking change?

Sierra Squires has been an EA at 4J for three years, first at the Cohesive Learning Center, then in Life Skills at Cesar E. Chavez Elementary, she primarily works with students with specialized needs, which she called "extensive support needs."

Students with extensive support needs usually have one or two EAs that work with them all day, year-round, Squires said.

"In these classrooms, it's very rare that the lead teacher has enough time to spend a more than 20-minute chunk of the day with any one given student," Squires said. "A full significant needs classroom is 12/13 kids at the elementary school level. With the type of need that we have, there's no way one person can address all of those things."

Squires said she spends the majority of her day with one third-grader, who she says has made "leaps and bounds" this past year.

Squires said she's grateful for her lead teacher, who makes ample room for collaboration with EAs. Squires calls parents daily to keep them up-to-date on their students' progress. While she has a great experience in her classroom, she knows many colleagues who don't have the same experience.

She stressed the importance of incorporating EAs and other classified employees in the development and review of these specialized plans.

Tina Williams, educational assistant of 28 years, and her fifth-grade student Mason, who she has been working with since he was in kindergarten, lead a picket line outside the Eugene School District 4J administrative office on June 5.

"We have a lot of students with really specific health needs," Squires said. "When those are not communicated in a timely manner to every adult that is working with our students, they're at significant risk. We have students with seizure protocols. We have students with severe and fast-acting anaphylaxis. We have students with feeding protocols because they have issues with their swallowing and the digestive tract."

In bringing those classified employees into the conversation, it allows parents to build more trust with all the different adults who work with their child on a regular basis, according to Squires. She added that EA's involvement can also help take some strain off the licensed teachers in the classrooms.

In addition to access to those specialized meetings, OSEA is also seeking additional training for classified employees, as required by the law.

"Many people are getting injured on the job," Jenkins-Easton said. "They've also expressed that if they were more trained, and got to be part of the meetings with the parents and understand the students' needs, that they can be more effective in their jobs."

Tina Williams, educational assistant of 28 years, and her fifth-grade student Mason, who she has been working with since he was in kindergarten, addresses the Eugene School District 4J school board during a June 5 meeting, asking for more access for classified employees to specialized plans for students.

Squires echoed this sentiment.

"The biggest implications of this law is that there needs to be comprehensive, and quickly implemented trainings for EAs, not only new hires, but those who are already on the job," Squires said. "One of the biggest pieces we've heard, on why EAs can't go to meetings is that we don't have the type of professional training to do so.

"It's up to the district to provide that training, and allow people to have access to this information."

What does SB 756 entail?

Signed by Gov. Tina Kotek in June 2023, the new law went into effect in September.

SB 756 was meant to expand access to plans and training for school district employees who are assigned to work with students with specialized needs. The bill also requires that those employees have access to records related to students they work with and be consulted when a student's education plan is reviewed or revised.

The bill mentions access to: IEP, 504 plan, behavior intervention plan, medical support protocols "or any other documentation related to the school district employees responsibilities to assist with the students educational, behavioral, medical, health or disability-related support needs."

In contrast to the law expanding access for classified employees, Jenkins-Easton said 4J made the access more difficult in recent months.

"Prior to the law, IEP teams at the building level could invite the EAs and our EAs could ask to go and it was never a big deal," Jenkins-Easton said. "When the law changed, they set up this very strict process where a district-level administrator has to approve a classified employee to attend."

Jenkins-Easton said classified employees like EA's would often volunteer their time to attend those meetings, as they may be held outside an EA's working hours.

According to Jenkins-Easton, sometimes parents would request EAs to join those meetings and buildings sometimes would ask the staff to "trade" hours by working less during the day to make up for long meetings, or sometimes wouldn't offer any solution at all. Jenkins-Easton said even trading hours was difficult, as EAs have so much to do in a day, it could be hard to find time to take off early. She said they ultimately did it anyway because they care.

"Across the board, educational assistants don't have time just for their normal workday, much less this additional duty which would be so helpful for their (work)," Jenkins-Easton said.

While she said some schools have better collaboration with classified staff than others, there's no consistency across the district.

However, 4J maintains that the process has not changed.

4J stated, "the process for a classified staff member to attend IEP/504/specialized plan meetings has not changed since the passage of SB 756."

Negotiations progress

OSEA and 4J have been engaged in negotiations since March.

4J stated via email that it has "thoroughly reviewed the provisions of SB 756 and consulted with legal counsel to ensure full compliance with the new state law."

"We remain confident that our practices adhere to all legal requirements and are committed to maintaining the highest standards in serving our students and community," 4J stated. "Partnerships between teachers, educational assistants, case managers, school administrators and special education professionals are critical components in the implementation of students specialized plans. There are a variety of pathways that staff working to support students are consulted on the development and/or revision of these specialized plans."

"While the 4J School District has made minor attempts to abide by some aspects of the new law, they are refusing to fully implement the law, such as the fundamental core concept of inviting classified workers to attend meetings where changes to a students IEP and behavioral support plan are discussed," stated OSEA in a press release. "The districts refusal to implement the law puts students and staff at risk."

Jenkins-Easton said at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, there was communication sent out, asking schools not to invite EAs to these meetings.

Members of Oregon School Employees Association classified union in Eugene, held an informational picket and rally, urging Eugene School District 4J to follow the law created by SB 756 on June 5.

Both 4J and OSEA confirmed that there had been some progress during the most recent bargaining session held on June 10. The next session is expected to be held in mid-July.

Jenkins-Easton mentioned OSEA is also seeking differential pay for staff that work in special education, to incentivize qualified professionals. As it stands, Jenkins-Easton said there is no difference in pay for an EA who works in a traditional first grade classroom vs. a SPED classroom.

In addition to demands relating to SB 756, OSEA is working to address overtime concerns for bus drivers as well.

"We value the contributions of our classified staff and are committed to maintaining a constructive partnership with OSEA," stated 4J via email. "Our shared goal is to provide the best possible care and educational experience for our students and their families."

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene 4J staff battles school board over new Oregon law
The South Portico is illuminated in Pride colors in honor of the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act Tuesday, December 13, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House. | Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel celebrated Pride month and the ninth anniversary of the Obergefell v. Hodges decision at the White House Wednesday.

The Democratic AG has a history of defending the LGBTQ+ community in Michigan. Prior to Obergefell, she was the lead attorney in a Michigan case rolled into the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

In the nine years since the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, we have been hard at work and Im happy to join First Lady Jill Biden and many others this year in DC to reaffirm the promise of Obergefell nearly a decade since its passage, Nessel said in a release.

Nessel also helped form a collaborative of attorneys to investigate capital crimes committed against LGBTQ+ people in the state and argued for a reinterpretation of Michigans equal rights law to protect people from discrimination based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.

In the release, Nessel acknowledged the potential threat to same-sex marriage from the U.S. Supreme Court. A concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and made abortion illegal again in many states, questioned other decisions based on the right to privacy, including Obergefell.

However, there is not a day that goes by in which I take this victory for granted, Nessel said in a release. These rights hinge on a Supreme Court which has shown interest in reconsidering Obergefell, akin to their ruling which overturned Roe just two years ago.

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The post Nessel celebrates anniversary of federal same-sex marriage legalization at the White House appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Net migration to Germany more than halved last year, says stats office

(Reuters) - Net migration to Germany more than halved in 2023 compared with the year before, which marked a record high, due to fewer people coming from Ukraine, the statistics office said on Thursday.

The office said 663,000 more migrants arrived in Germany than left last year. In 2022, Germany saw the highest migration surplus since the time series began in 1950, standing at 1.46 million, mainly due to a large number of refugees from Ukraine.

In a longer-term comparison, net immigration in 2023 "remained at a high level" despite the significant decline, said the office. It was only exceeded in 2022, 2015 and 1992.

Last year, the number of people coming from Ukraine declined by 75% to 276,000 people, while arrivals from Turkey, a country with a history of migration to Germany dating to the 1960s, more than doubled year-on-year to 126,000 people, it added.

Data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) show that almost 6 million people left Ukraine for another European country after Russia started its invasion in February 2022.

(Reporting by Paolo Laudani and Rene Wagner; Editing by Miranda Murray)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his feud with President Biden over the war in Gaza, accusing him of holding back arms transfers in a highly public dispute, which analysts say is meant to pressure and potentially even embarrass the White House ahead of the U.S. elections.

The weeklong clash began when Netanyahu released a video claiming he had spoken to Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a visit to Israel about how it was inconceivable the U.S. was holding back arms.

The accusation was quickly denied by Blinken and other officials in the Biden administration who criticized Netanyahu for sparking conflict.

But the Israeli leader has only doubled down on his claims amid speculation that Netanyahu prefers to see a return of former President Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential candidate who is set to debate Biden on Thursday.

Laura Blumenfeld, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University and a former senior policy adviser on the State Departments Israeli-Palestinian negotiating team, said it was clear Netanyahu was looking to swipe at Biden.

When you have one friend in the world, you dont pick a fight with that friend, unless theres a better friend coming along, she said. Part of this is about Netanyahu anticipating a Trump presidency and working with the Republicans in Congress to kind of box Biden in and embarrass him during the national presidential campaign.

Former Israeli leader Ehud Olmert wrote a biting op-ed on Wednesday calling Netanyahus public criticism of the U.S. an irresponsible provocation that risked shattering the complex relationship between the countries.

His displays of braggadocio and arrogance on television, in which he berates the president of the United States and his actions, are a master performance of irresponsibility, losing ones cool and contempt for Israels most basic needs, and a calculated attempt to sabotage Bidens reelection campaign, Olmert said.

Trump had a close relationship with Netanyahu during office as his administration moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and officially recognized the historic city as the capital of Israel. His administration also established the Abraham Accords, which saw several Arab nations normalize ties with Israel.

Netanyahu and Trump had a falling out when the Israeli leader recognized Bidens election victory in 2020, but that could be repaired, said Ehud Yaari, an Israel-based Lafer international fellow of The Washington Institute.

[Netanyahu] believes it can be reconstituted, this special relationship, he said, as the feeling grows in Israel that Trump may come again.

Netanyahus spat with the White House contrasts with his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who is in Washington this week to meet with top officials, including Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Gallant is a member of Netanyahus far-right Likud party, but he has disagreed with the prime minister before, including on what he said was Netanyahus lack of a concrete post-war Gaza plan.

Blumenfeld said theres a clear difference in vision between Gallant and Netanyahu, with the defense minister looking to work closely with the Biden administration as an ally.

Netanyahu is thinking he can get the same results, but through conflict, she said, adding that Israel relies on U.S. weapons and the panic is palpable from Netanyahu over Biden potentially holding back support. If you watch that [initial] video, he looks like a teenager whose charging cord to his cell phone has been taken away.

Looming over the dispute is Bidens dissatisfaction with the war in Gaza and his concerns about a full-blown conflict with Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group in Lebanon that has been trading fire with Israel over the border in support of the Palestinian people.

The Gaza conflict has created a deep rift between Democrats and Netanyahu. After nearly nine months of war, more than 37,000 Palestinians have died, leading to protests in the U.S. and abroad and calls in Washington to minimize civilian suffering.

Netanyahu has also failed to heed U.S. calls to lay out a clear path to end the war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,100 people. Hamas also took some 250 hostages, about 120 who remain in Gaza.

This week, Netanyahu pledged a lower-intensity conflict would continue in Gaza once the last of the main fighting ends in Rafah, and he wants to retain indefinite security control over the coastal strip. The U.S. has said a permanent Israeli presence in Gaza is unacceptable, and suggested the Palestinian Authority should oversee the strip after the war.

The tensions between the U.S. and Israel reached a previous high point in March, when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for new elections in Israel in one of the most vocal challenges to Netanyahu from a high-ranking official in Washington.

Over time, Biden has also ramped up his criticism of Netanyahu, including in a June interview when said there was every reason to conclude that the Israeli leader was continuing the war in Gaza for his political survival.

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), who returned from a bipartisan delegation to Israel earlier this month, said it was not clear why Netanyahu has chosen to spar with Biden publicly, but said both countries were tackling the issues.

A good deal of progress has been made over the last several months and weeks, and even more so the last couple of days, he said. There is an emerging alignment in terms of what has to happen moving forward.

Although Biden is holding up some 3,500 high-payload bombs over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza, U.S. officials are adamant that no other weapons are deliberately being paused.

But Netanyahu has leaned into the fight and said he is willing to suffer personal attacks if weapons transfers go through.

In an interview with Israeli Channel 14 on Sunday, he claimed there has been a slowdown since around four months ago, when Biden began expressing concerns about an operation in Rafah, which at the time hosted more than a million sheltering Palestinians.

I thought the only way to get out of this jam was to give it public expression, Netanyahu said of his public criticism. I didnt do it lightly. 

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller again rejected the accusations at a Monday briefing, saying support for Israel remains ironclad and that nothing has changed.

I dont understand what that comment meant at all, in the same way that I didnt understand the comments that we discussed last week when we heard them make similar claims, Miller said, reiterating they have only paused the heavy bombs.

Obviously, they were making intense requests at the beginning of the conflict, and we were fulfilling those requests. They continue to make requests and we continue to fulfill those requests, he added.

The holdup on weapons may be a symptom of a bureaucratic delay rather than a specific policy, analysts say.

After Oct. 7, the U.S. accelerated arms transfers to Israel to quickly defend the nation after the surprise attack. But now, months later, those weapons may have been looped back into the regular process instead of under an expedited order.

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, said at a Monday conference in Israel that weapons shipments are continuing, though perhaps not at the speed of Oct. 8 when things were at an extraordinary pace of response, which he added was not sustainable in the long run.

Were at a different point now in the war, in the process, but were not in a different point in terms of U.S. support for Israel, Lew said.

Although the U.S. may not be deliberately slowing down transfers, the bureaucratic delays may be beneficial as Washington seeks to prevent a potential war with Hezbollah, said Yaari of The Washington Institute.

It happens because of objective reasons, but it may also fall in line with the American desire to convince Israel not to go for a full-scale, devastating war in Lebanon, he said.

A U.S. special envoy is in the region trying to de-escalate a wider Lebanon conflict at the same time as Israeli officials continue to publicly warn of all-out war. Netanyahu said this week that once the war in Gaza wraps up, his forces will be clear to move north to Lebanon.

But the Biden-Netanyahu rift also comes amid domestic turmoil in Israel, with protesters demanding that officials accept a cease-fire deal and return the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Netanyahus wartime Cabinet fell apart last week after centrist opposition leader Benny Gantz quit over the direction of the war, or lack thereof. Gantz has called for elections and accused Netanyahu of continuing the war for his political survival.

Russell Berman, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and a Middle East expert, said there are multiple dimensions to the clash between Biden and Netanyahu, including domestic concerns in Israel.

There probably has been some genuine slow walking of shipments, or at least a reluctance on the part of the White House to speed up a normally bureaucratic process, Berman said.

But its also to Netanyahus political advantage to be seen as standing up to the White House, especially amid criticism over the Oct. 7 attacks, Berman added.

The liberal perspective in the United States is that Netanyahu is too strong on security, he said, and I think the criticism of him in Israel is that hes maybe not strong enough on security.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The sprint to the finish line for the Global Mall Project in Antioch is still underway.

The next step in the redevelopment of the former Hickory Hollow Mall  now called the Global Mall at the Crossings  is tearing down the current malls interior.

Organizers for the project said that along with the Global Mall, theyre working on a transportation hub with WeGo Public Transit. That plan includes creating an express bus from Antioch to downtown Nashville.

New Global Mall site in Antioch pushes for public feedback

Organizers acknowledged that residents in the Antioch area want action on the promised improvements to Bell Road. Project officials have said that nine mobility improvement recommendations are in place to improve the area around Bell Road.

Now that the mall project is past its beginning stages, the Tennessee Department of Public Transportation (TDOT) can properly address issues in the area.

I know everyone wants Bell road to get fixed, but it has to make sense. A part of that is having activity on this site, said Metro Councilwoman Joy Styles. That really helps for TDOT to say Theres a need for us to get involved and really address Bell Road because this is no longer a dormant site.

To transform the mall site and study area into a lively mixed-use walkable center and regional destination that enriches quality of life, expands economic opportunities and life pack and celebrates diversity shared community for Antioch, Nashville and the greater region. New vision statement for the project

The plan would keep the library, community center, community college, KIPP school and Ford Ice Center. Cultural museums, art galleries, and a theater would be added to the site.

Todays conversation involved the next steps in transforming the site into a mixed-use walkable center and regional destination. Those new developments include rezoning Metro-owned properties that still align with the vision of the project.

In addition to the planned document, Metro determined that one of the best next steps we can do is to rezone the Metro-owned properties with a specific plan that aligns the rezoning and vision set up in the policy document, said Katie Kemezis, project manager for the global study.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

The next public comment meeting is Thursday, July 11 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. That meeting will be at the Southeast Library, located at 5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway. The updated proposal will be headed to the planning commission on July 25.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
While the U.S. Supreme Court overturned former Portage Mayor James Snyders conviction on a felony bribery charge Wednesday, his conviction on defrauding the IRS stands, as does the possibility that he could turn to the city of Portage and ask for reimbursement for his legal fees in the bribery case since the charge involved his duties as mayor.

As city officials weigh what that request might entail, one of Snyders attorneys hopes to get his conviction for defrauding the IRS through his personal business dismissed as well.

With a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled in its decision that the $13,000 payment Snyder received after providing the owners of Great Lakes Peterbilt with a $1 million contract for new garbage trucks was a gratuity and not a bribe.

The 18-page opinion, written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, ruled that the bribery statute commonly known as 666, which is its number in the federal criminal code, applies only to quid pro quo agreements and does not include gratuities, meaning rewards given to elected officials after the fact.

Snyder, a Republican who was first elected mayor in 2011 and reelected in 2015, a term cut short by his federal conviction in February 2019, has said he couldnt comment on the courts decision.

Snyder received a sentence of 21 months in prison for the bribery and IRS convictions and a year on supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly.

Procedurally, said Indianapolis attorney Jackie Bennett Jr., Snyder will need to be re-sentenced since the more serious of the two charges has been overturned. Snyder remained free during his appeal.

The tax charge was much less serious than the bribery charge and we do not believe he should have jail exposure if the tax charge is not dismissed, Bennett said.

Bennett represented Snyder during his two trials in U.S. District Court in Hammond. He stepped back as Snyders lead attorney when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago picked up the case and court-appointed attorney Andrea Gambino started representing him.

Still, Bennett said he has remained involved in the case informally since the end of Snyders second trial in district court.

He doubts whether the tax count will survive a court challenge since Snyder paid the money back before he was even charged, and expects Snyder to file to have that charge dismissed.

The judges sentence was really based on the bribery count, Bennett said, adding if the tax case is dismissed as well, Snyder will be free to go on his way as he deserves.

As far as the legal fees, Portage Mayor Austin Bonta and City Councilman Collin Czilli, D-5th, said Snyder has yet to ask the city for reimbursement, and at this point, they have no idea of the extent of the former mayors legal expenses or what he might ask for from the city.

Under Indiana Code, the fiscal body, the city council in this case, shall reimburse the officer or employee for reasonable and customarily charged expenses, as determined by the fiscal body of the unit or municipal corporation, incurred in the officers or employees defense against those charges, if all charges have been dismissed or the officer or employee has been found not guilty of all charges.

Around eight years ago, Snyder attempted to recoup $93,000 in legal fees from the citys Utility Services Board but by the time he and the board worked out the details, Czilli said, hed been indicted in the federal court cases and the request was a moot point.

No one on the city council side would have any knowledge about the breadth of Snyders legal fees, said Czilli, whos been on the council for almost nine years.

Whether the cost is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, or millions of dollars, anything would be a financial hit and there is absolutely no certainty that we are required to pay anything, Czilli said.

Since the felony conviction on the IRS count stands, Czilli said he would argue that Snyder isnt eligible for any reimbursement from the city.

This process is going to take time. Its not a clear-cut You have to pay the bill,' he said, adding the council would do its due diligence.

He also doesnt know where the money, regardless of the amount, would come from, since the citys total budget is around $66 million, and 25% of that is consumed by salaries and benefits, though the city is doing OK financially.

Its not like our budget has millions just sitting there, unappropriated, and I dont know which funds we could use, he said.

Since Snyder already tried once to get the city to pay his legal expenses, Czilli said, I fully expect him to do it again.

Officials can request reimbursement under state statute, Bonta said, but the fiscal body has the ability to determine reasonable legal fees.

At this point, city officials dont know if a request is going to be made or what a reasonable sum might be, he added.

Meanwhile, Lake and Porter County officials are taking a look at their ordinances to assess whats needed to prevent large cash gratuities to officeholders and employees.

Porter County Commissioner Laura Blaney, D-South, said she will propose a gratuities ordinance for the county at the boards July 16 meeting.

She gleaned from the Supreme Courts ruling that any restrictions on gratuities had to be in place at the local level.

Getting large sums of money as gratuities for actions we take in office doesnt smell right to me, said Blaney, who is researching the issue.

County officials have to figure out where to draw the line.

At Christmastime, vendors send us cheese and poinsettias, so we need to figure out what is OK, but large sums of money? No, she said.

Lake County has a conflict of interest ordinance that states that county employees cannot use their position to obtain gifts or favors from vendors, excluding gifts less than $100 or a group dinner or social activity planned by a vendor.

Under the ordinance, it may be a conflict of interest for employees to engage in outside consulting work while employed for a county department. Any consulting work should be reported in writing and approved by the Board of Commissioners.

The ordinance also addresses bribes by stating: It is illegal to accept a bribe (money, goods, an item of value, property, privilege or promise which is offered or given with a corrupt intent to influence an action, vote or opinion) in return for influencing the awarding of a contract purchase of goods or services, or to influence performance of County services.

Lake County Commissioners President Michael Repay said any county ordinance only applies to county employees and those elected or appointed to a position.

A county ordinance only goes so far, Repay said, so with the recent Supreme Court ruling the issue would be best addressed by the state legislature.

Its nice, but it seems superficial to do something, Repay said.

Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Repay said elected officials have to be mindful of their actions and interactions with others.

They found it lawful, but I dont know if that means its necessarily right. We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard, Repay said.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com
As of 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, 48 combat engagements have already taken place in Ukraine. The enemy tried to advance on nine frontlines.

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At night and in the morning on Thursday, there were five air strikes (11 drones) and 614 attacks on the positions of our defenders. The enemy also used 38 kamikaze drones. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a new summary on the 855th day of the large-scale Russian invasion.

June 26 recap

Over the past day, 148 combat engagements were recorded. The enemy launched one missile attack (using one rocket), 51 air strikes (74 UAVs), and over 3,000 attacks (including 127 from multiple rocket launchers) against the positions of our troops and populated areas.

The Ukrainian Air Force, missile troops and artillery struck three occupants' control points, one air defense facility, two ammunition depots, and 15 areas where Russian Armed Forces personnel were concentrated.

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In total, the invaders' losses over the past day amounted to 1,260 people, three tanks, nine armored combat vehicles, 42 artillery systems, five air defense systems, 24 air defense UAVs, 61 vehicles, and 11 units of special equipment.

Situation (as of 10:30 a.m.) June 27

At night, the Russians launched another massive air strike. The defense forces destroyed all 23 Shahed attack UAVs and five of the enemy's six missiles.

A total of 48 combat engagements took place in the frontline. In the Kharkiv sector, an enemy assault on the city of Vovchansk continued. The situation is under control.

Over the previous day, enemy losses in the Kharkiv sector amounted to 150 servicemen, three artillery systems, an air defense system, and six vehicles. One tank, one artillery system, two air defense systems, and two vehicles were also damaged.

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In the Kupiansk sector, there were four firefights in the areas of Stepova Novoselivka, Pishchane, Stelmakhivka, and Andriivka. Two aggressor's assault actions (as of 10:30 a.m.) were still ongoing.

In the Lyman sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled two attacks in the vicinity of Kopanok and Nevske.

Four attacks took place in the Siverskyi sector. Three of them, near Spirne and Rozdolivka, were unsuccessful. One firefight (near Rozdolivka) was still ongoing.

In the Kramatorsk sector, Russia has not abandoned its intentions to break through in the area of Chasovyi Yar. Two assault operations continued.

The situation in the Toretsk sector is tense. The aggressor is active in the areas of Toretsk, Pivnichne, and Zalizne. An attack near Druzhba was repelled by our defenders.

The situation in the Pokrovsk sector is tense. The occupants have already attacked here 13 times. Nine of them were successfully repelled, and the fighting continued.

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On Wednesday, the enemy lost 245 servicemen and two artillery systems in this sector. One tank was damaged.

Eight firefights took place in the Kurakhove sector, in the areas of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, and Paraskoviivka.

Vremivsk direction. The enemy attacked near Kostyantynivka.

In the Orikhivsk sector, the occupants stormed the area of Mala Tokmachka without success.

In other areas, the invaders have not yet conducted active operations. "Thanks to the flexibility of our defense system and the coordination of the units' actions, Ukrainian soldiers are confidently holding their positions and destroying the occupiers," the General Staff assured.

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As reported by OBOZ.UA, Dmytro Kozhubenko, an officer of the planning section of the Rubizh brigade of the National Guard, said that about a month ago, the Russian military tried to storm our positions in a Zhiguli. The car had no doors so that the enemy infantry could quickly disembark, but this trick did not bring success to the enemy.

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Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
I recently made a significant donation to Reform UK because I believe it offers the bold change this country needs. Britain has welcomed millions of immigrants of all races and religions. We would do well to ask why so many wish to make it their home.

The answer is British values. These are the values of equality under the law, the presumption of innocence, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, love of family and country. These values have been exported across the world, and they gave birth to the United States, Canada and others. These values, in a historical context, are a miracle worth protecting.

Millions gave their lives in the world wars to do so, including hundreds of thousands of Muslims. Yet today, I see too few people willing to offer a wholehearted defence of them. I am hugely grateful for the opportunity that Britain has afforded my family. My parents arrived here forty years ago with little more than a medical degree. Since then, between them, they have given half a century of service to the NHS. My mother, at the age of sixty-eight, still works night shifts as a nurse out of love for her profession.

Mum and dad worked hard to give me a great education. I started a company, created hundreds of jobs and paid millions in taxes. However, when my parents emigrated here in the 1980s, annual net migration to Britain was circa 50,000. This meant public services were not overstretched and new arrivals could assimilate comfortably. Last year that number was over 600,000.

We have lost control of our borders and have no coherent immigration policy. This is impacting all British people, regardless of race or religion. We must talk about this challenge without fear of being called names. Just as ignoring credit card bills leads not to a forgiven debt but to a visit from bailiffs, failure to confront challenges in a timely fashion will lead this country to a dark place.

Prices of goods and quality of services are driven by supply and demand. How can we have a serious conversation about fixing our housing crisis and fraying public services without considering both sides of that equation? There are real consequences to this. An entire generation of Britons are being robbed of a fair opportunity. A significant proportion of young adults still live at home with their parents due to the lack of affordable housing. We must increase supply, but first we must halt the exploding demand.

Unlike most who assail Farage, I am a Muslim of subcontinental descent. I know what Islamophobia and racism look like. I know the man personally. Having started and scaled a successful company, hired hundreds of brilliant people, Im a reasonably good judge of character. My sincere view is that Nigel loves his country and wants whats best for all Britons, regardless of race or religion.

By definition, it cannot be diversity that unites us as a country. Only a commitment to shared British values can afford us a coherent and peaceful society. We are at a crossroads. We can only master this moment with courageous and bold leadership. I see that in Nigel Farage. Thats why I have joined Reform UK.

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Anthony Borges, who was a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 when he was severely wounded by a rampaging gunman, has been given the rights to his attackers name as part of a stunning civil settlement, according to his lawyer.

The result of the negotiated settlement will mean that Borges has the final say over where, when, and how Nikolas Cruz speaks publicly about the Parkland shooting, including to authors, journalists, and documentarians, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported on Thursday.

He signed over any rights to his name, Borges lawyer, Alex Arreaza, told the newspaper. The idea now is to shut him out. He will not be the one who decides when or how the story gets told.

It was Arreaza who coaxed Cruz, now 25 and serving 34 consecutive life sentences in a Florida prison, into handing over his rights to his name. He also convinced the gunman to agree to donate his brain for medical research after his death.

What turns a person into Nikolas Cruz? Arreaza asked. Was it something that we can learn by studying his brain?

Borges was not present at the Zoom meeting where the lawyer and Cruz hashed out the settlement. But his father, Royer Borges, was, and told the Sun Sentinel that he felt after what he took from my son, whatever he owns in this world, we should take it from him.

Borges, now 21, testified against Cruz at his sentencing trial in 2022, at one point lifting up his shirt to show the court his gunshot wounds. He was in the courtroom to hear Cruzs apology to his victims. He told reporters later that he had accepted it, but that the gunmans fate was not up to him.

He made a decision to shoot the school, Borges said. I am not God to make the decision to kill him or not. Thats not my decision. My decision is to be a better person and to change the world for every kid. I dont want this to happen to anybody again. It hurts. It hurts. It really hurts. So, I am just going to keep going. That's it.

Borges was 15 when Cruz shot him five times in the abdomen, lungs, and legs on Feb. 14, 2018 as he tried to shield his classmates. Hailed as a hero, Borges underwent more than a dozen operations and spent two months in a hospital, narrowly avoiding becoming the 18th victim of the massacre.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz. POOL

He and his family have said that his physical and psychological injuries will require a lifetime of treatment, something that spurred their decision to split from the families of the 17 victims and dozens of others who were wounded in the massacre, who were suing the Broward County School District as a group.

The plaintiffs reached a $26 million settlement with the district in Oct. 2021. It was not announced at the time how the money would be divided, but the families of the 14 students and three staff killed were expected to get the bulk of it, equally split.

A few days later, Arreaza announced that Borges had reached a settlement in his own lawsuit against the district. The Sun Sentinel reported at the time that he would get $1.25 million, a sum Arreaza said was far larger than he would have received had he not pursued his own separate complaint.

In a recent interview with the Sun Sentinel, Borges said he had no interest in leveraging Cruzs name for his own gain, now that he has it. Im not with that mentality, he said.

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Nineteen independent hospitals across Minnesota are banding together as the newly-named Headwaters Network to maintain local control of health care at a time many rural U.S. providers are folding into large conglomerates or closing.

Leaders announced the network Thursday as a way to pursue cost-saving opportunities not available to individual rural hospital and clinic providers. The network hired Cibolo Health to manage its efforts, hoping the company can replicate its success with a group of North Dakota hospitals named the Rough Rider network.

"Our independence is strengthened by our interdependence. The more we can work together, the better we can care for our communities," said Ken Westman, chairman of the Headwaters board and chief executive of one of its founding hospitals, Riverwood Healthcare in Aitkin, Minn.

The collaboration was born out of a support group of chief executives during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. The hospitals are scattered from Roseau and Grand Marais in the north to Winona and Blue Earth in the south. Sixteen have critical access designations that qualify the nation's smallest hospitals for boosted federal payments to stay afloat. Ten lost money on hospital and clinic operations in 2022, the most recent year for which state data is available.

Headwaters members could save money by buying bulk medical supplies and pharmaceuticals together, or by sharing virtual access to specialists in mental health or other areas that they can't afford or recruit on their own, said Nathan White, Cibolo's president. A main goal is to pool their performance data so they are large enough to pursue value-based contracts with insurers by which they make more money if their patients stay healthy and avoid preventable diseases.

Providers with only 1,000 patients in an insurance network are too small for such programs, partly because their results can be badly distorted when one patient gets sick, White said. "When you come together as a group, now you ... might have 20,000 or 30,000 [patients]. That opens up for the first time the opportunity for rural hospitals to meaningfully participate in value-based care."

Minnesota has maintained a broad network of rural hospitals longer than most states, though Mayo Clinic's hospital in Springfield closed in 2020 and about a quarter of them are considered financially distressed. Several have been forced to make cuts this year, including the loss of maternity services at hospitals in Fosston and New Prague and the conversion of the Mahnomen Health Center into a rural emergency facility with no inpatient beds.

Westman said decisions like that will still be made locally, based on whether hospitals are doing enough of a procedure to afford it and keep their doctors and nurses proficient.

The hospitals will depend on one another, though, because their rewards from value-based contracts will be based on their collective ability to keep patients healthy.

Network leaders will set targets for the providers to reach, such as getting a high percentage of patients into their outpatient clinics for annual checkups, White said. Such visits give doctors opportunities to counsel patients on unhealthy habits, check their medications, and schedule them for recommended screenings.
The New Mexico Legislature on June 26, 2024 in Santa Fe. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM)

More details are emerging about the changes to state law being proposed by New Mexicos governor for a special legislative session planned in July.

Two high-ranking members of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams staff discussed five legislative proposals with a panel of lawmakers from the House of Representative and the Senate on Wednesday afternoon.

What the governor is looking to do with the bills Im going to discuss, first, is to really take some small, necessary steps to really help those people who are either an extreme danger to themselves, or an extreme danger to others, the governors general counsel Holly Agajanian said.

Sen. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) said the governors previously proposed overhaul of assisted outpatient treatment is no longer part of her agenda in July. What will be heard then will be a pared down version, Agajanian said. That bigger rewrite would have expanded the list of people who could petition the courts for a civil commitment.

The governor hears what youre saying. Its too much to do in a special session, she told him. I think what were going to do instead is just focus on the people that are more marginal at this juncture.

Agajanian and Benjamin Baker, the governors senior public safety advisor, presented the discussion drafts to the legislative Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee.

The final proposals could significantly change between now and when the special session begins on July 18 in Santa Fe.

The assisted outpatient treatment proposal that the committee heard on Wednesday would require judges in some circumstances to advise a local district attorney in New Mexico to consider starting the process of involuntary commitment in a locked mental health facility.

Under the nine-page draft shared with the committee, the court could confine someone for up to a week whenever they determine that person is not competent to participate in their own legal defense, they arent dangerous, and the judge dismisses the criminal case.

The draft also proposes that if any of the criminal charges are a serious violent offense, or involve a gun, or if the defendant has been found incompetent to stand trial at least twice in the past year, a judge could put that person into a locked mental health facility for up to a week.

Agajanian said the draft bill is trying to solve the problem of cases getting dismissed due to defendants being incompetent to stand trial.

You have certain people who cycle through, and through, and through, who are very likely either going to get worse and harm themselves in one way or another, or harm someone else, she said.

The proposed changes to the state law are meant to allow for the assessment of those people to see whether or not they do need to be committed for separate mental health treatment, she said.

Because obviously there is something going on, and the crimes theyre committing arent violent enough or dangerous enough to keep them in a facility until they can establish competency, Agajanian said.

Another related proposal would change the legal definitions of harm to self and harm to others in the state law that governs commitment in a locked mental health facility.

Sen. Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque) said she read the proposed definitions and thought, Boy, this would apply to half the legislators I know.

This is really, really broad language, she said. Its going to sweep up so many people who I dont think it would be appropriate for them to get swept up in this.

Duhigg asked about the meaning of the term extreme destruction of property used in the draft, and pointed out it doesnt specify property of others.

Agajanian said thats a great distinction that we could certainly add.

Historically, this language is meant to pull in people like arsonists, Agajanian said. You could set your own house on fire. Narrowing it to the destruction of property of another might fix one problem and cause another, but Im certainly open to conversation about that.

Winter Torres, CEO and founder of the New Mexico Eviction Prevention and Diversion Program, attended most of Wednesdays hearing in person and gave public comment at the end of the day.

I dont think this session is about public safety, I think its about criminalizing homelessness, Torres said. That is the primary target of the majority of the bills that are introduced.

There hasnt been community interaction or public consultation about that, Torres said.

We know the answer to folks who churn: its permanent supportive housing, she said. We know what the evidence is: we know criminalizing doesnt work.

Instead, state officials should be using Medicaid funding to pay for housing, she said.

Housing is a primary social determinant of health, and locking folks up is not a treatment modality, she said.

Peter Cubra, a retired attorney who helped dismantle the state-run institutions that held people with developmental disabilities in New Mexico, also gave public comment via Zoom. He asked the committee to please slow this down.

What I heard today, in terms of changing the entire civil commitment statute, is more controversial and more impactful than things we have spent literally eight sessions trying to sort out with respect to forced treatment, Cubra said. It really would disserve every person with a disability in New Mexico for you to act, under these circumstances, so swiftly.

In addition to harming people with disabilities who arent eagerly seeking treatment, if lawmakers were to enact the administrations proposal, there are hundreds of people begging for treatment who would not have access to the beds that theyre begging to get into.

Instead, we would be holding people against their will in a form of involuntary treatment which is almost never effective, Cubra said. Please slow this down and let the regular session address these issues.

The post NM governor shares draft proposal for forced mental health treatment appeared first on Source New Mexico.
'There was no guide': Randy Avent reflects on 10 years of leading Florida Poly in Lakeland

Randy K. Avent, the first president of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, is preparing to retire after 10 years of leading the state's youngest university.

LAKELAND  As Randy K. Avent packed up items from the office he has occupied for nearly a decade, one piece of memorabilia still sat on a cabinet along a tall row of windows: a small, plastic bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

The label had been covered with white paper bearing the message: For those days when iced tea just isnt enough 

Avent, who will retire July 6 after a decade as president of Florida Polytechnic University, is known as a devotee of iced tea. The bottle, a gag gift from a staff member, recognized the pressures associated with presiding over a state university from its first semester of classes.

Though Avent received the present eight years ago, the black plastic seal on the bottle remained unbroken. Avent admitted to enduring some harrowing moments while cultivating Floridas youngest state university, but he never grew frazzled enough to hit the bottle.

How does the current version of Florida Poly compare to what he thought it would be after 10 years?

I had no expectation, said Avent, 65. I mean, there's not too many people that's done this. And so, there was no guide or anything else. And I think that we have a lot to be really proud of here. It has been an uphill battle many times.

Avent, whose mild twang signals his Carolina origins, spent 24 years on the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the nations preeminent engineering school, and then two years as an administrator at North Carolina State before emerging from a national search to become the inaugural president of Florida Poly in 2014.

Lakeland had long hosted classes of the University of South Florida, and leaders of the Tampa school decided to build a standalone campus to the east. Conceived as USF Poly, the school veered toward independence through the political maneuvering of Florida Senate President J.D. Alexander, a Republican from Lake Wales.

Alexander, deploying his power and influence, passed legislation creating Florida Poly as an autonomous university, the states 12th, and one specializing in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs. Avent arrived after that dramatic formation, which left USF leaders angry and many others displeased. (The campus is now named for Alexander.)

I told someone, I think maybe even at a board meeting, that, really, when I came here, a lot of people within the system kind of thought it was a joke and that it really didn't belong and they didn't need it, Avent said.

He added: And I think we've taken that joke, and now we're nationally ranked in a lot of different polls. We have the second highest SAT scores in the state. Our students are getting higher starting salaries than any other of the universities. So, we're doing well on a lot of fronts.

Facing early pressures

Sitting in his spacious office on the second floor of the universitys signature structure, the Innovation, Science and Technology Building, Avent reflected with general contentment on his decade at the school. Hired only three months before classes began in August 2014, Avent came to Lakeland as his wife, Terri, remained in Raleigh, North Carolina, with their youngest son, then a senior in high school.

Florida Poly began with 554 students. Avent said the board of trustees directed him to build toward a student population of 5,000, but no one provided a blueprint. Preoccupied with running the nascent school during the week, he spent his weekends developing a model for expanding the university.

Seeking to reach 5,000 students in a decade, Avent did the calculations and determined that he couldnt possibly secure the state funding and build the needed student housing in time to meet that goal. He went to the chair of State University Systems Board of Governors, Mori Hosseini, recommending the slow model of 5,000 students in 20 years.

Randy K. Avent, the inaugural president of Florida Polytechnic University, recalled the pressures he faced to hire faculty, earn accreditation and increase the student population.

And he looked at me and he says, Randy, I've been looking for someone to tell me how this university is going to flow in, Avent recalled. And he says, You will have no more problems from me.

Even the 20-year model was extraordinarily aggressive, Avent said. After a decade, the university has about 1,600 students, including those in graduate programs. The school is now building a third student dormitory in the expectation of rapid future growth.

Avent describes Florida Polys first years as something of a frenetic scramble. The school faced a legislative mandate to reach 1,300 students in 2 years.

We grew extraordinarily fast, and we hired faculty like crazy  anybody who showed up at the door, really, he said. And we had no clue. I mean, how many history teachers do you need? How many English teachers do you need?  So, it was kind of a random, shotgun approach, really.

'Sinking or swimming': Polk County cultural groups feel the pain of DeSantis' veto

It was also a challenge to lure professors to a startup university.

The other thing is, remember, there was a big cloud of controversy over the university when it started, he said. It was not getting a lot of good press, to say the least. So, what strong faculty member wants to come, if all they're reading is this negative stuff about the university and everything else.

In the early years, university leaders would regularly find themselves short of instructors at the start of each semester.

I remember because I got a little bit of PTSD, is up until the point where Terry Parker came as the provost (in 2016), at the beginning of every semester, we would have 10 classes that had no teacher, Avent said.

The quality of instruction has steadily improved, Avent said, and some of Florida Polys engineering faculty are internationally known subject experts.

Racing for accreditation

The Legislature mandated that Florida Poly achieve accreditation within 2 years. Leaders of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges initially approved the universitys schedule, Avent said, but then some of its leaders determined that its rules forbade accreditation in less than three years.

He had to appear before the states Board of Governors and explain that Florida Poly would not meet the deadline, in the process getting grilled a lot at the meeting. After Avent returned from the meeting, his then-assistant presented him with the individually labeled Jack Daniels bottle.

In the end, Florida Poly missed its deadline for accreditation by one day, as SACSCOC dated it for Jan. 1, 2017.

Randy K. Avent will retire July 6 after 10 years as president of Florida Polytechnic University. Avent said he is proud of creating a culture of success at the state's youngest public university.

Avent endured another trying period in 2020, when Florida Rep. Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, introduced a bill in mid-session that would have folded Florida Poly under control of the University of Florida. Avent lobbied legislators against the measure, and the bill stalled. Though Republican leaders suggested that the proposal be considered again the next year, it seems that any support for the idea has faded.

How stressful was that battle?

Pretty stressful, Avent said. I spent a lot of time in Tallahassee during that period, and, yeah, it was a difficult time. But we had a lot of good, strong support from the right people. And so, Im real thankful for that.

Having met the student population mandate in the third year, Avent said he and other Poly leaders then concentrated on the quality of the faculty and the incoming enrollees. He recalled the guidance of Terry Parker, now the schools provost and executive vice president, who came to Florida Poly from Colorado School of Mines, a highly regarded engineering school.

Parker said the Colorado school reached a turning point when the average SAT scores of incoming students began to exceed 1,300. Florida Polys incoming freshman class in 2023 carried an average SAT score of 1,323, ranking behind only the University of Florida among state public schools. Avent hopes the average will exceed 1,400 before long.

While state leaders emphasize that Florida Poly must continue to expand, Avent noted that two of the nations elite engineering schools  MIT and Cal Tech  each has fewer than 5,000 undergraduate students.

You don't have to be big to have a big impact, but, by God, I'll tell you what, if you're going to be small, you better have really good students, Avent said. And you better have really good faculty. Because otherwise, you're not going to have much of an impact.

Analyzing Poly's numbers

Some critics of Florida Poly point to its apparently low graduation rates. U.S. News & World Report has listed the schools four-year graduation rate at 31% and its six-year rate at 47%, last among state schools in both categories. Avent said those statistics are outdated, listing the current figures at 41.2% and 53%.

Avent suggested that it's misleading to compare rates for a STEM-oriented school to those for institutions offering a wide range of programs. He said students who begin as intended engineering majors at larger schools often change majors after encountering a calculus class, perhaps to business, but that is not an option at Florida Poly.

Engineering schools lose many students after their freshman years, but Florida Poly is focused on improving student retention, which he said is now at 75%  compared with an average of 85% for more established peers.

Florida Polys 2023 accountability plan, approved by the Board of Governors, lists four areas of attention under the heading Graduation Improvement Plan Update": excellence and improvement in the freshman year; student culture, supporting the whole student; enhanced degree-plan advising and tracking; and tailored support and services for Pell (Grant) students.

Following his retirement as president of Florida Polytechnic, Randy K. Avent will head to Spain, where he will spend four months at the University of Barcelona on a Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Award.

University sources suggest that the turnover rate among faculty has been high. Of the current approximately 75 full-time faculty, only 19 worked at Florida Poly before 2018. And only five of the original 22 professors remain on staff.

Florida Poly does not offer tenure for professors, and many universities do, Floridas largest state schools. Instead, the university offers three-year appointments for instructors, after which a committee decides whether an assistant professor gets another three-year term.

At the six-year mark, instructors face another assessment that yields an up or out promotion. Avent recalled that about half of the instructors in the most recent group of assessments received promotions. While no national rates of tenure approval seem to exist, anecdotal descriptions suggest it is above 80%.

Avent cited another reason for higher turnover among the Florida Poly faculty.

The other thing is that a lot of faculty use this as a stepping stone, he said. This is almost like a postdoc to many faculty. You come in, and then you use this as a stepping stone, and so we have a faculty member that leaves and goes to a bigger position at another university.

Avent and Florida Polys leadership have sometimes clashed with a faculty union that formed in 2016. The union filed an unfair labor practice claim after the school fired three of the four faculty members on its bargaining team,

Artificial intelligence: Polk County Sheriff's Office creates new lab with Florida Poly

Florida Poly in 2020 settled a federal lawsuit filed by a professor who had been told her contract would not be renewed. The school agreed to pay Christina Drake $250,000 in exchange for her resignation. Also in 2020, a state commission ruled that Florida Poly wrongly disciplined an assistant professor, Melissa Morris, and ordered the discipline rescinded.

Union leaders have said that faculty surveys indicated low morale and complaints about a perceived lack of job stability.

Seeking to lure industry

Since his hiring, Avent has advocated for the creation of a high-tech industrial zone in the undeveloped areas surrounding the Florida Poly campus. He is familiar with the concept, having come from N.C. State, which supports Research Triangle Park, along with two other universities.

Despite land-use agreements with Polk County, Lakeland and Auburndale, the proposed Central Florida Innovation District has not yet emerged. The Florida Department of Transportation did create a 475-acre testing facility, SunTrax, not far from campus, and Florida Poly signed an agreement in 2022 with International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., a Fortune 500 company, to occupy a nearly 30,000-square-foot research facility on campus scheduled to open early next year.

Avent said that companies look for universities with strong graduate programs in choosing to locate near campuses, and Florida Poly is still developing its graduate programs. He cited another obstacle: The university does not own the land surrounding campus, which is controlled by Williams Acquisitions Holding Company.

I'm happy to say that we have a wonderful working relationship with the Williams Company, that owns all the property around us, Avent said. Its a wonderful company that's very innovative, that understands the vision, so we continue discussions with them, and I'm hopeful there.

Randy K. Avent cited the average SAT score of 1,323 for incoming students at Florida Polytechnic University as a sign of its academic stature.

Asked about his chief accomplishments at Florida Poly, Avent talked about creating the right culture and bringing the right people to the institution.

I learned many years ago, when I was at MITs Lincoln Laboratory, that if you get the right people and put them in the right place, give them what they need and then get out of their way, you could do really big things, he said. We started from scratch  I mean, literally from scratch, with one employee, Ava Parker. And in a little over 10 years time, we were able to turn it into the number one public college in the South.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Florida Poly first among public colleges in the Southeast and in the top 20 nationally for public engineering programs without doctorates.

Avent is scheduled to depart in August for Spain, where he will spend four months at the University of Barcelona on a Fulbright-Schuman Innovation Award. That award is presented annually to one American scholar to support research on policy and technology.

Florida Poly previously announced that Avent would return to the school as a professor after a one-year sabbatical. Avent said he will consult with his successor, G. Devin Stephenson, on how long he might remain at the school.

When Avent does fully retire, he said he will have plenty of hobbies to pursue, among them wood-working, iron-working and restoring old motorcycles. Two of Avents dirt bikes were on display in his office: a 1971 Penton 125 Six Days with green and yellow trim and a 1973 Husqvarna 450WR with red and silver trim. Avent began riding off-road motorcycles in his youth, and he credits Florida Poly students with luring him back into riding and racing with the Florida Trail Riders.

Though he enjoys speed on his bikes, Avent said he looks forward to having a slower mental metabolism as he departs his role at Florida Poly.

I was telling someone earlier in the day that being a president, I think Ive become ADD, because there's just so much that comes at you so fast, that it's hard to really focus and concentrate on anything, he said. I've gotten to the point where its hard for me to read a book because I can't sit still.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Randy Avent reflects on 10 years of leading Florida Poly in Lakeland
A charred car and the remains of the Swiss Chalet Hotel are pictured after being destroyed by the South Fork Fire in the mountain village of Ruidoso, N.M., Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

No human remains have been found after search and rescue crews combed through 1,300 damaged and destroyed structures in a New Mexico mountain community hit hard by a pair of wildfires.

Authorities made the announcement Wednesday evening during a public meeting, easing the concerns of many who had been working to whittle down a list of people who were unaccounted for in the wake of evacuations that came with little warning.

The teams  with the help of specially trained dogs  spent the last few days going property to property, coming up with nothing but debris in areas where whole neighborhoods were reduced to ash and charred vehicles lined driveways or were buried under twisted metal carports.

Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford also confirmed that there were now zero names left on the list of those who had been unaccounted for following the evacuations. Early on, authorities confirmed two fire-related deaths.

The mayor and other officials talked about work being done to ensure the drinking water system and electrical services can be restored at homes that were spared. Utility officials said miles of lines will have to be replaced and there are estimates that more than 1,300 power poles need to be replaced.

It's going to be a long effort and this is just the beginning, Crawford told the audience, promising that officials were working to help businesses reopen so that Ruidoso's economic engine could start humming again.

The community has about 8,000 permanent residents but that population can easily triple in the summer when tourists are looking to escape to the Sacramento Mountains or visit the Ruidoso Downs Race Track to watch the horses run.

The track, its owners and members of the horse racing industry have created a special fund aimed at raising money to help with recovery efforts throughout the community, while donations have been pouring in from around New Mexico.

Firefighters reported Wednesday evening that the threat from flames was all but quenched with the help of rain over recent days. Fire managers were using drones to identify any remaining heat within the interior of the fires.

Brad Johnson, a member of the incident command team overseeing firefighting efforts, described it as a mission to seek and destroy all of those hot spots.

Forecasters said storms that have popped up so far have not tracked directly over vulnerable areas. Still, they warned that if the showers expected over the next two days cross impacted areas, flash flooding will become a serious concern.

The New Mexico fires are among others burning in the western U.S., and the latest maps from the National Interagency Fire Center show above normal chances for significant wildland fire potential across a large swath of New Mexico, throughout Hawaii and in parts of other western states heading into July and through August.
Law enforcement is continuing to search for the 12-year-old Hall County girl who disappeared more than four weeks ago.

The Hall County Sheriffs Office said Thursday marked the fourth week of the investigation into the disappearance of 12-year-old Maria Gomez-Perez who was last seen at her Gainesville home on May 29.

Unfortunately, the department says they have no leads on her location.

Last week, the department increased the reward for her safe return to $50,000. The department said it has received even more tips on her potential location since upping her awards.

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The department said it has followed leads in South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Illinois and Maryland, but still they have not gotten any closer to finding her.

Again, the Hall County Sheriffs Office remains committed to bringing Maria home safe. We understand the community is frustrated at the lack of answers in Marias case. That said, our investigators are not giving up hope, and we ask our community to remain hopeful with us. We continue to seek key information that will lead us to Maria, the department said in a statement.

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Gomez-Perez is five feet, three inches tall, and weighs between 100 to 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and long black hair. The HCSO reminds citizens that Gomez-Perezs appearance may have changed in the last three weeks.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911, or the Hall County Sheriffs Office at 770-503-3232 or via email. Tipsters may call Hall County 911 or Central Communications at 770-536-8812 and can remain anonymous.

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Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton while state Department of Public Safety Secretary Bob Perry looks on. (Courtesy of the Governor's Office)

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton while state Department of Public Safety Secretary Bob Perry looks on. (Courtesy of the Governor's Office)

After ordering National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border three times, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is defending her decision to avoid sending troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota, saying it would be extremely expensive and that the Guard should only be used for a very crisis situation.

Meanwhile, her spokesman left open the possibility that the Guard may still be utilized.

The South Dakota Democratic Party is urging Noem to deploy the Guard to help with relief efforts after the past weeks record rainfall and flooding.

While the governors decisions to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have been intended as a political statement, it is imperative that our states resources are directed toward addressing the immediate and pressing needs of our residents, the party said Thursday in a news release.

Since 2021 and through May of this year, Noem spent a total of $2.7 million from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund on three National Guard deployments she ordered to help Texas secure its border with Mexico (two additional border deployments were federally ordered and funded). The cost of one of Noems deployments was partially offset by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson.

On Sunday, before floodwaters overwhelmed part of the McCook Lake area in southeast South Dakota that night, Noem said it was unlikely the National Guard would be used.

At this point in time, that has not been requested, and we dont believe its necessary, she said Sunday. We have private contractors and the community that is better prepared and believe they can do the work quickly. And so they stand ready, and we have a plan to activate if necessary, but we dont believe at this time that thats going to be required.

Then, during a Tuesday press conference in Yankton, where she said a couple dozen homes were destroyed at McCook Lake, she defended her decision to avoid using the Guard. She said counties would have to request and pay for it.

Thats usually, typically a very crisis situation, and the National Guard is extremely expensive, she said.

She did not mention that she provided South Dakotas troops to Texas for free and used South Dakotas own Emergency and Disaster Fund  the same fund used for flood responses  to cover the costs.

Gov. Kristi Noem answers a question about the National Guard during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton where she discussed flood response efforts.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, took to social media on Wednesday to criticize the governor.

Gov Kristi Noem sent troops to Texas and billed us, South Dakota taxpayers, he shared on X (formerly Twitter). BUT Noem said its too expensive to use our guard to help our taxpayers fight the flood. Explain this hypocrisy???

Gov Kristi Noem sent troops to Texas and billed us, South Dakota taxpayers. BUT Noem said its too expensive to use our guard to help our taxpayers fight the flood. Explain this hypocrisy???#NoemVisitSD?  Lee Schoenbeck (@LeeSchoenbeck) June 27, 2024

Noems spokesperson, Ian Fury, did not respond directly to a South Dakota Searchlight request for comment, but sent an email to numerous South Dakota media outlets defending Noems actions and comments. He mentioned the one known death resulting from the floods  an 87-year-old man who accidentally backed his vehicle over a washed-out road section near Harrisburg.

While, tragically, we did see one loss of life, we know that the cooperation between the county emergency managers, first responders, volunteers, and the state departments saved countless homes and lives. The media has chosen to ignore this work and have falsely reported that the National Guard were not deployed due to costs, Fury wrote. This is not true.

Its unclear what media outlets Fury was referencing.

In order for National Guard troops to be deployed, a request is [made] to the governor from the local government, and after discussion, no request was ever made, he wrote. The Guard may still be utilized to help in this disaster if a time comes when a community requests a defined mission that can be best accomplished by our soldiers.

Fury added there are limitations on what National Guard soldiers can do.

They legally cannot enter peoples homes or clear or repair private property, he wrote.

Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was destroyed, and she and others are attempting to recover belongings and start the cleanup.

There is a 100% need for the National Guard here, Speichinger said Thursday. How are we going to get all of that done in a short amount of time?

Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home on June 27, 2024 after the flood. (Courtesy Photo)

Noem has deployed troops previously for in-state natural disasters, including in 2022 to help Native American reservations recover from blizzards and to help areas including her hometown of Castlewood recover from severe storms and a tornado.

In 2014, Noems predecessor, Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, deployed National Guard troops in advance to help with flood preparations in some of the same areas that are now suffering flood damage, including McCook Lake.

To cover those kinds of costs, state lawmakers annually backfill the states Emergency and Disaster Fund with money. During last winters annual legislative session, the funding legislation initially included $2.8 million. Lawmakers increased that amount to $4.3 million in anticipation of Noems latest deployment of Guard troops to Texas this year.

The legislation designates the funding for costs related to any emergency or disaster and references a separate state laws definitions of those terms. The definitions include language defining such events as those occurring in any part of the state, which has led some lawmakers to question the legality of using the fund for troop deployments to Texas.

Noem has defended the costs as a response to what she calls a warzone at the border.

Report flood damage

The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management encourages flood victims to visit the state website at sd.gov to report their damages.

The office is collecting damage data from residents and businesses. The information provided will be used to seek a presidential disaster declaration.

It is important to fill out the form completely and accurately, the office said. Users will need to provide their property address, contact information and an estimate of the building value, along with other basic damage information.

Photographs showing the damage are crucial and should be included in the form submission, according to the office. The deadline for submitting damage data is July 12, 2024. Completing the form does not guarantee that assistance will become available.

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The post Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton while state Department of Public Safety Secretary Bob Perry looks on. (Courtesy of the South Dakota Governors Office)

After ordering National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border three times, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is defending her decision to avoid sending troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota, saying that it would be extremely expensive and that the Guard should only be used for a very crisis situation.

Meanwhile, her spokesman left open the possibility that the Guard may still be utilized.

The South Dakota Democratic Party is urging Noem to deploy the Guard to help with relief efforts after the past weeks record rainfall and flooding.

While the governors decisions to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have been intended as a political statement, it is imperative that our states resources are directed toward addressing the immediate and pressing needs of our residents, the party said Thursday in a news release.

Since 2021 and through this May, Noem spent a total of $2.7 million from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund on three National Guard deployments she ordered to help Texas secure its border with Mexico (two additional border deployments were federally ordered and funded). The cost of one of Noems deployments was partially offset by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson.

We dont believe its necessary

On Sunday, before floodwaters overwhelmed part of the McCook Lake area in southeast South Dakota that night, Noem said it was unlikely the National Guard would be used.

At this point in time, that has not been requested, and we dont believe its necessary, she said Sunday. We have private contractors and the community that is better prepared and believe they can do the work quickly. And so they stand ready, and we have a plan to activate if necessary, but we dont believe at this time that thats going to be required.

Then, during a Tuesday press conference in Yankton, where she said a couple dozen homes were destroyed at McCook Lake, she defended her decision to avoid using the Guard. She said counties would have to request and pay for it.

Thats usually, typically a very crisis situation, and the National Guard is extremely expensive, she said.

She did not mention that she provided South Dakotas troops to Texas for free and used South Dakotas own Emergency and Disaster Fund  the same fund used for flood responses  to cover the costs.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, took to social media on Wednesday to criticize the governor.

Gov Kristi Noem sent troops to Texas and billed us, South Dakota taxpayers, he shared on X (formerly Twitter). BUT Noem said its too expensive to use our guard to help our taxpayers fight the flood. Explain this hypocrisy???

Noems spokesperson, Ian Fury, did not respond directly to a South Dakota Searchlight request for comment but sent an email to numerous South Dakota media outlets defending Noems actions and comments. He mentioned the one known death resulting from the floods  an 87-year-old man who accidentally backed his vehicle over a washed-out road section near Harrisburg.

While, tragically, we did see one loss of life, we know that the cooperation between the county emergency managers, first responders, volunteers, and the state departments saved countless homes and lives. The media has chosen to ignore this work and have falsely reported that the National Guard were not deployed due to costs, Fury wrote. This is not true.

Its unclear what media outlets Fury was referencing.

In order for National Guard troops to be deployed, a request is [made] to the governor from the local government, and after discussion, no request was ever made, he wrote. The Guard may still be utilized to help in this disaster if a time comes when a community requests a defined mission that can be best accomplished by our soldiers.

Fury added there are limitations on what National Guard soldiers can do.

They legally cannot enter peoples homes or clear or repair private property, he wrote.

There is a 100% need

Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was destroyed, and she and others are attempting to recover belongings and start the cleanup.

There is a 100% need for the National Guard here, Speichinger said Thursday. How are we going to get all of that done in a short amount of time?

Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home on June 27, 2024, after the flood. (Courtesy of Morgan Speichinger)

Noem has deployed troops previously for in-state natural disasters, including in 2022 to help Native American reservations recover from blizzards and to help areas including her hometown of Castlewood recover from severe storms and a tornado.

In 2014, Noems predecessor, Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, deployed National Guard troops in advance to help with flood preparations in some of the same areas that are now suffering flood damage, including McCook Lake.

To cover those kinds of costs, state lawmakers annually backfill the states Emergency and Disaster Fund with money. During last winters annual legislative session, the funding legislation initially included $2.8 million. Lawmakers increased that amount to $4.3 million in anticipation of Noems latest deployment of Guard troops to Texas this year.

The legislation designates the funding for costs related to any emergency or disaster and references a separate state laws definitions of those terms. The definitions include language defining such events as those occurring in any part of the state, which has led some lawmakers to question the legality of using the fund for troop deployments to Texas.

Noem has defended the costs as a response to what she calls a warzone at the border.

This article first appeared in the South Dakota Searchlight, a sister site of the Nebraska Examiner in the States Newsroom network.

The post Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton while state Department of Public Safety Secretary Bob Perry looks on. (Courtesy of the South Dakota Governors Office)

After ordering National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border three times, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is defending her decision to avoid sending troops to flood-ravaged areas in South Dakota, saying it would be extremely expensive and that the Guard should only be used for a very crisis situation.

Meanwhile, her spokesman left open the possibility that the Guard may still be utilized.

The South Dakota Democratic Party is urging Noem to deploy the Guard to help with relief efforts after the past weeks record rainfall and flooding.

While the governors decisions to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border may have been intended as a political statement, it is imperative that our states resources are directed toward addressing the immediate and pressing needs of our residents, the party said Thursday in a news release.

Since 2021 and through May of this year, Noem spent a total of $2.7 million from the states Emergency and Disaster Fund on three National Guard deployments she ordered to help Texas secure its border with Mexico (two additional border deployments were federally ordered and funded). The cost of one of Noems deployments was partially offset by a $1 million donation from Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson.

On Sunday, before floodwaters overwhelmed part of the McCook Lake area in southeast South Dakota that night, Noem said it was unlikely the National Guard would be used.

At this point in time, that has not been requested, and we dont believe its necessary, she said Sunday. We have private contractors and the community that is better prepared and believe they can do the work quickly. And so they stand ready, and we have a plan to activate if necessary, but we dont believe at this time that thats going to be required.

Then, during a Tuesday press conference in Yankton, where she said a couple dozen homes were destroyed at McCook Lake, she defended her decision to avoid using the Guard. She said counties would have to request and pay for it.

Thats usually, typically a very crisis situation, and the National Guard is extremely expensive, she said.

She did not mention that she provided South Dakotas troops to Texas for free and used South Dakotas own Emergency and Disaster Fund  the same fund used for flood responses  to cover the costs.

Gov. Kristi Noem answers a question about the National Guard during a June 25, 2024, press conference in Yankton where she discussed flood response efforts.

State Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, took to social media on Wednesday to criticize the governor.

Gov Kristi Noem sent troops to Texas and billed us, South Dakota taxpayers, he shared on X (formerly Twitter). BUT Noem said its too expensive to use our guard to help our taxpayers fight the flood. Explain this hypocrisy???

Noems spokesperson, Ian Fury, did not respond directly to a South Dakota Searchlight request for comment, but sent an email to numerous South Dakota media outlets defending Noems actions and comments. He mentioned the one known death resulting from the floods  an 87-year-old man who accidentally backed his vehicle over a washed-out road section near Harrisburg.

While, tragically, we did see one loss of life, we know that the cooperation between the county emergency managers, first responders, volunteers, and the state departments saved countless homes and lives. The media has chosen to ignore this work and have falsely reported that the National Guard were not deployed due to costs, Fury wrote. This is not true.

Its unclear what media outlets Fury was referencing.

In order for National Guard troops to be deployed, a request is (made) to the governor from the local government, and after discussion, no request was ever made, he wrote. The Guard may still be utilized to help in this disaster if a time comes when a community requests a defined mission that can be best accomplished by our soldiers.

Fury added there are limitations on what National Guard soldiers can do.

They legally cannot enter peoples homes or clear or repair private property, he wrote.

Morgan Speichingers McCook Lake home was destroyed, and she and others are attempting to recover belongings and start the cleanup.

There is a 100% need for the National Guard here, Speichinger said Thursday. How are we going to get all of that done in a short amount of time?

Noem has deployed troops previously for in-state natural disasters, including in 2022 to help Native American reservations recover from blizzards and to help areas including her hometown of Castlewood recover from severe storms and a tornado.



In 2014, Noems predecessor, Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, deployed National Guard troops in advance to help with flood preparations in some of the same areas that are now suffering flood damage, including McCook Lake.

To cover those kinds of costs, state lawmakers annually backfill the states Emergency and Disaster Fund with money. During last winters annual legislative session, the funding legislation initially included $2.8 million. Lawmakers increased that amount to $4.3 million in anticipation of Noems latest deployment of Guard troops to Texas this year.

The legislation designates the funding for costs related to any emergency or disaster and references a separate state laws definitions of those terms. The definitions include language defining such events as those occurring in any part of the state, which has led some lawmakers to question the legality of using the fund for troop deployments to Texas.

Noem has defended the costs as a response to what she calls a warzone at the border.

This story was produced by the South Dakota Searchlight which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

The post Noem, who sent Guard troops to Texas, resists using them for her own states flooding appeared first on Daily Montanan.
On the night of June 27, the Russian occupiers attacked Ukraine with Shahed-type kamikaze drones, launching them from the south. Then they launched Kalibr cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

ADVERTISIMENT

Air alert lasted all night in most regions, and according to the Ukrainian Air Force, air defense was operating in the regions. In the morning, 23 drones and five missiles were reported destroyed.

The first "Shaheds" were heading through the Kherson region towards Mykolaiv/Kryvyi Rih district.

As of 23:00 on Wednesday, UAVs were moving in Mykolaiv region and in the Black Sea towards southern Odesa region.

At 23:40, several groups of UAVs in Mykolaiv region were moving northwest. A UAV was also spotted flying through Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district heading for Odesa district.

ADVERTISIMENT

The UAV's course as of 00:30:

- from Odesa region in the direction of Vinnytsia region;

- from Mykolaiv region in the direction of Odesa and Kirovohrad regions;

- in the Kryvyi Rih district of Dnipropetrovs'k region in the east.

As of 02:15, the alert was announced in most regions. In addition to the "Shaheds" moving to the west of Ukraine, the occupiers launched "Kalibr" cruise missiles.

At 02:50, the Air Force reported the takeoff of a MiG-31K fighter jet that launched hypersonic Kinzhal missiles .

The high-speed targets were moving through Zhytomyr region in a southwestern direction. Explosions were heard in Kyiv and Khmelnytsky regions.

ADVERTISIMENT

Later, a missile threat was announced from the north - a missile was heading through Sumy region towards Poltava region. Residents of Myrhorod and Poltava were urged to take cover.

Meanwhile, one group of Shaheds was moving toward Starokostiantyniv, and another in the south of Vinnytsia region was heading west. Drones were also spotted flying northwest in the Cherkasy region.

At 04:34, the Air Force announced a missile threat in Odesa region.

ADVERTISIMENT

The air alert due to the threat of attack UAVs for regions other than Odesa was canceled at 05:15. There were reports of explosions in Khmelnytsky region.

Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk reported the destruction of 28 out of 29 targets in the morning - all but the Kh-47 M2 Kinzhal air-to-air missile. In particular, the defenders of the sky shot down four Kalibr cruise missiles, one Kh-59/Kh-69 air-to-air missile and 23 Shaheds.

On the afternoon of June 26, Russian troops attacked the town of Dergachi, Kharkiv district, with anti-aircraft missiles. Nine people, including three children, were injured in the attack on the private sector.

ADVERTISIMENT

As reported by OBOZ.UA, since the beginning of the year, the Russians have launched more than 2 thousand "Shaheds" at Ukraine . However, the defenders of the skies over Ukraine are constantly improving their skills to counter this threat: air defense soldiers shoot down 86% of enemy kamikaze drones.

Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Words painted on a wall in the Bartlett Police Department have led to a complaint. Now, a letter has been sent to the police chief, demanding a Bible verse be taken down.

Posts on social media from the Bartlett Police Department welcome two new employees, but the words behind them are causing a complaint.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a nonprofit working as a state and church watchdog, based in Wisconsin, sent a letter to Chief of Police Jeff Cox, requesting the department paint over the bible verse.

The verse is Matthew 5:9 which reads, Blessed are the peacemakers. They shall be called the children of God.

 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.

 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.

This statement seems to imply that God gives them their power, not the government, not the people, said Hirsh Joshi, Attorney for the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Joshi says that Bible verse is unconstitutional.

The separation between church and state, thats exactly what we are arguing here. By having the bible on their walls the BPD disrespects the separation between church and state, said Joshi.

They complained about this after seeing some of the posts and ads with employees in front of that quote.

When asked what comes next, Joshi replied, We hope the BPD will respect our nations constitution, but from there we will have to see.

We have reached out to the City, the mayor, and the Barlett Police Department to find out what their next steps are. BPD said they have no comment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
North Carolina lawmakers say yes to restoring automatic erasure of some criminal charges

North Carolina lawmakers voted to restore automatic expunctions of some state criminal charges after overcoming previous reservations among Republican House members.

Top GOP lawmakers appointed to negotiate an agreement between the House and Senate released a compromise bill on Wednesday. It allows court clerks to keep expunged records as confidential files to be shared only with former defendants, their attorneys, prosecutors and others.

That bill was quickly approved by both the Senate and House. It will be sent to Gov. Roy Cooper for his signature.

Sen. Danny Britt, who helped negotiate the compromise, told lawmakers that it was essentially the same bill that the Senate passed unanimously last year. That bill would have implemented fixes to the expunction process that the General Assembly had twice paused.

Literally thousands of North Carolinians will genuinely benefit from housing, jobs, and so much more by your vote today, said Democratic Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed, who thanked Britt and other Republicans for getting the Senates original proposal back.

Starting Dec. 1, 2021, a law Republicans and Democrats passed in June 2020 required the state court system to automatically erase records of dismissed or acquitted criminal cases.

But while the law was meant to help improve outcomes of those unsuccessfully charged, the immediate destruction of records that started in 2021 created problems for both them and for law enforcement. Legislators paused its implementation twice as a result.

The road to expunctions

Automatic expunctions went into effect in North Carolina under the Second Chance Act, a major criminal justice reform bill that lawmakers unanimously passed in 2020.

They are needed, criminal justice reform advocates say, to automatically erase thousands of criminal charges after acquittals and dismissals.

Those who are most in need of expunctions, criminal justice reform advocates argue, dont have the time or resources to petition courts to get charges erased on their own, even though it could improve their job and housing prospects.

Expunctions can change peoples lives, said Lindsay Bass-Patel, a Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law attorney and policy analyst, wrote in an opinion column for The Charlotte Observer.

But after files were immediately destroyed, sheriffs, prosecutors and defendants found they had no public record to prove the cases were dismissed.

North Carolina went from processing merely 16,400 expunctions in 2020-21 to 421,925 the next year, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

In response to a number of issues, legislators paused the process twice starting in August 2022 as a committee of North Carolina criminal justice leaders explored solutions.

In March 2023, a bill outlining solutions and the process to resume the expunction process appeared to be moving forward. North Carolina senators unanimously passed fixes based on recommendations by a 16-member committee that included representatives from the Conference of District Attorneys, the Second Chance Alliance, and the State Bureau of Investigation.

On May 22 this year, the bill advanced to a North Carolina House of Representatives House Judiciary 2 Committee, where it was gutted.

At the hearing, Rep. Sarah Stevens, the Republican chair for the committee, proposed changes that repealed the automatic expunctions. Stevens outlined initial problems stemming from court records not being retained when cases were being automatically expunged. Stevens successfully pushed through the committee a bill that repeals the automatic expunction process.

Stevens said the amended bill has a provision that allows people seeking expunctions to file a petition that the court must rule on in 90 days.

Rep. Joe John, a Raleigh Democrat, and others pointed out before a June 5 House vote that the initial Second Chance Act had overwhelming support by the House and the Senate, and Stevens never gave the proposed fixes a chance.

What Representative Stevens, with all due respect, is asking us to do, is . throw out the promises of the Second Chance Act with this bill, John said.

The House passed it 59-45, mostly split down party lines on June 5, 2024.

Six days later, the Senate didnt support the bill repealing the automatic expunctions in a 1 to 45 vote. The conflict between the House and the Senate bill sent the conversation to the five-person committee that includes Stevens and Britt, one of the primary sponsors of the Second Chance Act.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)  A North Courtland police officer was arrested Wednesday on domestic violence charges, according to authorities.

According to Lawrence County Jail Records, Mark Anthony Whalen was arrested by the Moulton Police Department at around 9:31 a.m. Wednesday.

Boaz police officer arrested after being accused of domestic violence

A spokesperson for the Moulton Police Department told News 19 that Whalen is charged with third-degree domestic violence  harassment.

North Courtland Police Chief Spencer Butler confirmed that Whalen worked part-time for the department, but after his arrest was brought to their attention, he was placed on leave without pay pending the outcome of his arrest.

Franklin County Jail records show Whalen was booked into that facility at 10:30 a.m.

Sgt. Kyle Palmer with the Franklin County Sheriffs Office confirmed that Whalen was being held for Lawrence County but could not confirm his original charge.

The Moulton Police spokesperson said what led to Whalens arrest is still under investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
Power restoration in North Jersey expected to be 'all day' effort after storm

An overnight storm wreaked havoc across North Jersey as residents woke up Thursday to downed trees, power outages and road closures.

Several trees crashed into houses throughout the region, including in Hawthorne on Warburton Avenue and Park Ridge on Park Avenue.

Check back for updates on the storm damage in North Jersey.

A house on Warburton Ave in Hawthorne shows damage the morning after a heavy thunderstorm rolled though North Jersey Wednesday evening. Photo taken on Thursday June 27, 2024.

Power outages in North Jersey

Jersey Central Power & Light Communications spokesperson Chris Hoeing reported that the company's crew has been working tirelessly in the field. "Our crew has been pulling 16-hour shifts to restore power outages to our customers," Hoeing said.

As of 3:30 p.m., about 25,000 customers remain without power in North Jersey for JCP&L. "Hundreds and thousands of power outages have been restored since last night," Hoeing added. "It will be an all day restoration."

Morris County still had over 9,000 people without power and Sussex had over 4,000.

Morris County OEM Director Jeffrey Paul reported a busy night for the county's 911 center during a severe thunderstorm.

"We are making progress but we still have a way to go," Paul said. The county remains in cleanup mode as efforts continue.

In a Facebook post, the Sparta Police Department said, due to the high temperatures and many people still without power, the Sparta Go 2 Center will be open to anyone who needs a place to cool down or recharge their phones. The Sparta Police Department Lobby is open 24 hours for this purpose.

PSE&G reported under 1,000 customers without power in each of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.

High winds in NJ

National Weather Service Meteorologist Robert Deal confirmed that the storm watch has expired. "We are expecting the skies to gradually clear up with highs in the 80s," Deal said.

The highest wind speeds recorded during the storm were 50 mph in Stewartsville and 48 mph in Vernon, according to Bob Ziff of North Jersey Observers.

Residents are encouraged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel until the storm damage is fully assessed and cleared.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ thunderstorm leaves damage through region Thursday
North Korea says it tested a new multiwarhead missile. South Korea says it's covering up a failure

This photo provided by the North Korean government, shows what it says the separation and guidance control test of individual mobile warheads at an undisclosed place in North Korea Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea said Thursday it had successfully tested a multiwarhead missile in the first known launch of a developmental weapon coveted by leader Kim Jong Un to overwhelm U.S. and South Korean missile defenses. South Korea quickly dismissed the claim as deception to cover up a failed launch.

North Koreas state media said the launch Wednesday tested the separation and guidance control of individual mobile warheads to ensure the capability of the Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles. It said the separated warheads were guided correctly to the three coordinate targets and a decoy that separated from the missile was verified by radar.

If confirmed, it would be North Koreas first public launch event related to the development of a multiwarhead missile, though at a preliminary stage.

South Koreas military said later Thursday that a joint analysis by South Korean and U.S. authorities assessed that the North Korean missile launch failed.

Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon told reporters that the separation of warheads in MIRV tests happens in descending stages but the North Korean missile exploded in the initial stage of its flight. He said North Korean photos of the launch showed a weapon similar to a liquid-fuel Hwasong-17 ICBM that the country test-fired in March 2023.

The South Korean militarys earlier assessment Wednesday was that a suspected solid-fueled hypersonic missile was launched and exploded off the Norths east coast, scattering fragments in the water. It said it detected more smoke than normal launches, suggesting a possible combustion issue caused by an engine fault.

A multiwarhead missile was among the high-tech weapons systems Kim cited on his wish list during a ruling party meeting in early 2021, along with spy satellites, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons and submarine-launched nuclear missiles. North Korea has since performed a series of tests to develop such weapons systems.

I had been anticipating a MIRV test for some time now, as this was one of the last remaining items on Kim Jong Uns modernization wish list from the 8th Party Congress back in January 2021, said Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Panda said Wednesdays test appeared to be an initial evaluation of some of the key subsystems to develop a workable MIRV. He expect successive tests of the technology to follow, leading up to a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on a lofted trajectory. Panda said it appeared that South Korea misinterpreted the nature of this test initially.

Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Koreas Science and Technology Policy Institute, said North Korea appeared to have begun testing individual technological elements of multiwarhead missiles. He said more tests are expected to perfect the separation and guidance control and other facets of multiwarhead missile technology.

Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Seouls Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the North Korean test hasnt yet proved it has sufficient MIRV controlling technologies needed for ICBMs. He said North Korea didnt release enough information to verify its MIRVs made successful atmospheric reentries and hit designated targets.

Panda said the the presence of a decoy in the North Korean test is significant. But South Koreas military said it couldnt immediately confirm whether North Korea has the technology to build such a decoy.

North Korea has made no secret of its intention to stress and overcome U.S. homeland missile defenses, Panda said. Decoys will assist in that endeavor and will likely be incorporated onto their single-warhead missiles as well.

The North Korean test, its first weapons display in a month, came as the country protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for an inaugural joint training with South Korea and Japan. North Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Kang Il on Monday called the carriers deployment reckless and threatened unspecified responses.

South Korea's military said the multidomain South Korea-U.S.-Japan training began on Thursday for a three-day run. It said the Freedom Edge exercise will mobilize destroyers, fighter jets and helicopters from the three countries as well as the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The training will involve missile defense, anti-submarine and maritime interdiction drills.

In recent weeks, North Korea has also floated numerous trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea in what it has described as a tit-for-tat response to South Korean activists sending political leaflets via their own balloons. In response, South Korea on June 9 briefly conducted propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at border areas for the first time in years. South Korea Thursday said itll turn on loudspeakers again if North Korea keeps sending trash balloons.

Worries about North Korea also deepened last week when Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a deal requiring each country to provide aid to the other if it is attacked and vowed to boost other cooperation. Analysts say the accord represents the strongest connection between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.

Lee, the expert, said how soon North Korea can complete the development of a multiwarhead weapon depends on whether and how much technology support Russian provides to North Korea. South Koreas military said a Russian assistance to the North Korean MIRV program hasnt been confirmed.
North Korea will send military construction and engineering forces to participate in "reconstruction works" in occupied Donetsk Oblast as early as July 2024.

Source: South Korean TV network TV Chosun; Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: TV Chosun reported on 21 June, citing a South Korean government official, that South Korea anticipates North Korea will deploy a large-scale engineering force to occupied Donetsk Oblast as early as July 2024 to assist in rebuilding infrastructure in the occupied city of Donetsk.

According to the report, the North Korean military operates 10 engineering brigades and TV Chosun estimated that deploying three or four of these brigades to occupied parts of Ukraine could earn North Korea up to US$115 million annually in unspecified foreign currency from Russia.

ISW pointed out that Russia seems to be fostering a coalition of friendly states with historically close ties to the Soviet Union, such as North Korea and Vietnam, to support the basis of an alternative world order.

While ISW has not seen any reports suggesting that North Korean military personnel intend to engage in combat operations in Ukraine, it did note that North Korean engineering support could allow Russian combat forces to focus on frontline operations and help expand military infrastructure and defensive fortifications in occupied parts of Ukraine.

Background:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the agreement between Russia and the DPRK demonstrated the growing coherence between authoritarian states and underlined the importance of democracies speaking with one voice.

The Biden administration said that Putin's meeting with Kim Jong Un demonstrated Moscow's desire to build a coalition with North Korea, Iran, Syria and, to some extent, China.

The agreement signed by Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday, 19 June obliges each side to provide immediate military assistance to the other in the event of armed aggression against one of them.

The Pentagon believes that the North Korean troops in Ukraine will become cannon fodder.

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Russian soldiers fire the 152-mm howitzer 'Msta-B' in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on June 25 - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

North Korea will send a large number of engineering and construction troops to help rebuild Russian-occupied cities in eastern Ukraine, according to reports.

The soldiers will arrive as early as June and take part in reconstruction works largely in the heavily bombed Donetsk region, TV Chosun reported, citing a South Korean government official.

The report stated that the North Korean army has 10 engineering brigades, three out of four of which will be sent to Ukraine in exchange for an annual payment of $115 million (92 million) from Russia.

The goal is to rebuild a city destroyed by fighting, said the unnamed official, without specifying further on the location.

There is currently no indication the soldiers would have combat roles.

Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder warned on Tuesday that North Korean troops would become cannon fodder if they joined Moscows forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

It follows Vladimir Putins rare state visit to Pyongyang last week to sign a new military pact with his growing ally, Kim Jong-un as the two states position themselves at the centre of an anti-West axis.

North Korea is already a major weapons supplier to Moscow which is facing depleted weapons stocks and a defence industry hampered by Western sanctions.

03:36 PM BST

Todays live coverage has ended. Heres a roundup of the days events:

EU leaders signed fresh batch of long-term security pacts with Ukraine

Russia claimed to have hit Ukrainian airfields set to host Western aircraft

North Korea to send engineering troops to eastern Ukraine

Russia jails man for 12 years for sending Ukraine targets to hit

Ukraine faces onslaught of 100 glide bombs in one day

Well be back soon with more updates and analysis from the conflict.

03:34 PM BST

Watch: Russias explosive bombardment of eastern Ukrainian city

Ukraines military has released footage showing the ongoing Russian aerial bombardment of the crumbling eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar.

Russian forces are now on the outskirts of the strategic hilltop city in the Donetsk region.

03:26 PM BST

Russian missiles strike Ukraine airfields that would host Western aircraft, Kremlin claims

Russia claims to have carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian airfields which it said were designated to host Western military aircraft.

Russia used sea-based long-range precision weapons, the Kinzhal hypersonic missile and drones in the attack, its defence ministry said.

All designated targets were hit, the ministry added, without naming the list of targets.

The strikes are likely part of an attempt by Moscow to dismantle Kyivs infrastructure as its air force prepares to receive its first batch of F-16s sent by Western allies.

Military sources have suggested the long-awaited aircraft could be in the hands of Ukraines fighter pilots as soon as the end of June or July.

It follows footage from June 2022 that appeared to show Russias Black Sea Fleet firing Kalibr cruise missiles at airfields, including Vasilkov near Kyiv, a major air base likely to be assigned to host F-16s.

03:19 PM BST

Russia incapable of making big breakthroughs in Ukraine, says Nato chief

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg has said Russian forces were not capable of making a big breakthroughs on the battlefield in Ukraine, and that Kyiv was inflicting heavy losses with its deep strikes.

They tried again to launch an offensive this spring and summer - but so far only marginal gains, Stoltenberg said on Thursday, in reference to Moscows faltering assault in the Kharkiv region.

And we dont have any other indications or reason to believe that Russia has the capabilities, the strength to make big breakthroughs.

The head of the Western military alliance said that Russia would nevertheless most likely continue to push on the front lines and carry out airstrikes.

But what we have seen is that the Ukrainians have been able to hold the line, he said.

02:38 PM BST

Kharkiv offensive shows pressure on Moscow not enough, says Zelensky

The Russian offensive in Ukraines northeast showed the existing level of international pressure on Moscow is not sufficient, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Thursday.

Kyiv claimed its forces have stabilised the situation after Moscow launched a brutal assault on a new front in the Kharkiv region in May.

It proves that the existing pressure on Russia for the war is not enough, Zelensky told EU leaders.

The union today signed an agreement that guarantees its commitment to helping Ukraine in areas of security and defence for years to come.

01:49 PM BST

EU leaders sign long-term security pacts with Ukraine

EU leaders on Thursday signed another batch of security agreements with Ukraine, aimed at supporting the country in defending itself against Russia.

The documents were signed at the EU summit in Brussels by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy, who hailed it an important step to advance peace and prosperity across the continent.

For the first time, this agreement will enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes, he said on X.

Ukraine has signed 17 similar bilateral security agreements, including with the UK, US, France, Germany, Britain and Japan.

Zelensky also warned his allies to make good on their pledges to provide military equipment to his war-ravaged country.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky grins with EU leaders at the European Council in Brussels - Shutterstock

01:03 PM BST

Sri Lanka calls on Russia to discharge its citizens from army

Sri Lanka has asked Russia to allow its former soldiers fighting for Vladimir Putins forces in Ukraine to return home voluntarily, the government said on Thursday.

An official delegation from Colombo held two days of talks in Moscow this week where it called for compensation for 17 Sri Lankans killed in fighting.

At least 2,000 Sri Lankan veterans are reportedly enlisted, mainly on the Russian side of the war.

After Sri Lankas economy crashed in 2022 and citizens looked for work whenever they could, ex-soldiers were lured back into combat by Russias salaries of up to $3,000 a month and the promise of Russian citizenship.

Now, the veterans - some of whom swapped their life savings for what they thought would be lucrative, non-combat jobs - are desperate to return home. Their families have been pressing local authorities to help bring them back.

People protest near the Russian embassy in Colombo on June 4, seeking the release of Sri Lanka's ex-soldiers fighting for Russia - AFP

12:44 PM BST

Le Pen vows to block Macron from sending troops to Ukraine

Marine Le Pen has promised to overrule Emmanuel Macron on sending troops to Ukraine should her National Rally (RN) party form a government after the upcoming elections, writes Peter Allen.

She claims the French presidents role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces is an honorary title and that her choice of future prime minister will supersede his defence and foreign policies.

In particular, Ms Le Pen views direct intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war  something Mr Macron has frequently raised  as a non-starter.

Read more here.

President Emmanuel Macron is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, something Marine Le Pen says is an 'honorary title' - AFP

12:26 PM BST

Pictured: Zelensky arrives at EU summit in Brussels

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel speak with the media as they arrive for an EU summit in Brussels - AP

Zelensky pictured ahead of talks with Ukraine's staunchest supporters in the face of the Russian invasion - Reuters

12:06 PM BST

Russia jails man for 12 years for sending Ukraine targets to hit

A Russian court in occupied Crimea has sentenced a man to 12 years in prison for allegedly filming Russian military sites in order to help Ukraines armed forces.

Since sending troops into Ukraine, Moscow has targeted hundreds of its own citizens that it says have aided or supported Kyiv throughout the 28-month-long conflict.

Crimeas supreme court said it had found a man born in 1991, a resident of the Saky district, guilty of high treason for taking videos of an air defence system with the goal of assisting Ukraines armed forces, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reports.

Russia opened a record number of treason cases in 2023 after tightening laws and increasing punishments amid its faltering offensive on Ukraine.

Ukraine has heavily targeted Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, in a bid to drive Moscows forces out of the highly strategic peninsula.

11:14 AM BST

Russia bombards Ukraine with 100 glide bombs in one day

Moscows forces launched nearly 100 deadly glide bombs and dozens of drones at Ukraine in the past day, Kyiv said.

Its military reported that over 96 glide bombs, two missiles, 4000 shells and 44 kamikaze drones were fired across the border.

Glide bombs are an air-dropped munition launched from a distance rather than above the target and can pack a payload up to 1.5 tonnes.

Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia dropped more than 2,400 glide bombs on Ukraine since the beginning of June, with 700 of them hitting the Kharkiv region.

It comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) slapped Russias top military chiefs with arrest warrants over their attacks on civilian targets.

Russias former defence minister Sergei Shoigu and leading general Valery Gerasimov are accused of orchestrating a campaign of long-range bombardments against Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the winter of 2022.

Ukrainian policemen work at the site of a glide bomb attack on a school in Kharkiv on June 23 - Shutterstock

10:52 AM BST

Russia sent 10,000 recently naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine

Moscow has sent 10,000 recently naturalised citizens to fight in Ukraine to plug the gaps in Moscows manpower shortage, a senior Russian law enforcement official revealed.

Male migrants who receive Russian citizenship are required by law to register with the military and can be called up to serve.

[Weve] caught more than 30,000 of those who received citizenship but were unwilling to register with the military, said Alexander Bastrykin, who heads Russias Investigative Committee.

Approximately 10,000 of them have been sent to the area of the special military operation, he said at a law forum in St Petersburg, referring to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Bastrykin called the forced military registration and deployment a trick that led migrants to slowly begin leaving Russia.

He suggested the new citizens had not been sent to Ukraine on combat missions but to dig trenches and build fortifications.

Russian soldiers pose for photo in a shelter at their position in an undisclosed location in Ukraine - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

10:15 AM BST

Kremlin considering downgrading diplomatic relations with West

The Kremlin said Russia is mulling over a possible downgrading of diplomatic relations with the West due to the hostile approach of the US and its allies to Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today that the move is standard practice for countries in the face of unfriendly or hostile manifestations.

He added: Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis.

Mr Peskov said that no decision has yet been made on the matter but Russia was considering its options.

10:07 AM BST

North Korea to send engineering troops to eastern Ukraine

South Korean media reports that Pyongyang is preparing to send a large number of engineering and construction troops to Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine as early as July.

TV Chosun, citing a South Korean official, said the soldiers would take part in reconstruction works largely in the heavily bombed Donetsk region.

The report stated that the North Korean army has 10 engineering brigades, three out of four of which could be sent to Ukraine in exchange for an annual payment of $115 million (92 million) from Russia.

There is currently no indication the soldiers would have combat roles.

It comes after Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Pyongyangs troops would become cannon fodder if they joined Moscows forces on the battlefield in Ukraine.

09:45 AM BST

Ukrainian fighter pilot describes moment he shot down two Shahed drones

A Ukrainian MiG-29 pilot has shared the moment he shot down two Iranian-supplied Shahed drones in one combat mission.

I had a feeling of confidence... I said hello to the aircraft before the flight, as if telling it telepathically that we had to shoot down a Shahed, said Pavlo, an experienced pilot from the 204th Sevastopol Tactical Aviation Brigade.

I then turned to my plane in my thoughts again: We have to do this, you and me  shoot down the second one.

And we did it. The night was sleepless but productive for me, and it ended in a peaceful morning for the Ukrainians who were targeted by these two enemy drones.

Earlier this week, Ukraines air force commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk claimed Kyiv had downed roughly 1,953 Shahed drones out of 2,277 launched by Russia this year alone. Air defences destroyed about 86%, he said.

A Ukrainian fighter jet pilot fires missiles at Russian military positions in Ukraine in undated footage - Newsflash

09:25 AM BST

Russian missile cruiser conducts drills in Mediterranean

The Russian navy missile cruiser Varyag has carried out drills in the Mediterranean Sea, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

The drills focused on repelling a mass sea drone attack, the navy command said, and also involved simulated engagements with an enemy vessel and a submarine.

The presence of the 611-ft warship close to the EUs borders comes weeks after a Russian naval frigate and submarine led missile drills in the Atlantic Ocean on route to Cuba.

Such moves are tracked closely by the US which surfaced its USS Tennessee ballistic submarine in the Norwegian Sea in a rare show of force on Tuesday.

Russian missile cruiser Varyag on patrol in eastern Mediterranean in 2016 - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service

08:52 AM BST

Russian pranksters target David Cameron in hoax call

Russian pranksters have released footage of the foreign secretary being tricked into believing he was talking with the former Ukrainian president.

The video call, released on Wednesday, shows Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton discussing Labour, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine with someone purporting to be Petro Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019.

The hoax was carried out by a Russian duo who use the aliases Vovan and Lexus. In the past, they have denied Western accusations that they have links to Russias intelligence services.

The prankster pair are well-known inside Russia having duped a string of Western politicians over the years, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Britains former defence minister Ben Wallace in 2022.

Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron visiting Axbridge, Somerset, while on the General Election campaign trail - PA

08:27 AM BST

Poland and Baltic states demand 700km defensive border against Russia and Belarus

Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called on the EU to build a defensive line along the blocs border with Russia and Belarus to protect nations from Moscows military and hybrid threats.

The leaders of the four countries that share borders with Russia and its greatest ally will said the project will need the financial support of all member states.

The cost of such an ambitious 700km defensive infrastructure system is estimated to be around 2.1 billion.

European investment in defence and its financing will be one of the main topics of discussion among EU leaders at the summit in Brussels, as Russias war against Ukraine drags into its third year and Moscow steps up hybrid operations against the West.

08:12 AM BST

Zelensky to sign new security pact with EU nations

The EU is expected to sign a security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today, pledging to keep delivering weapons, military training and other aid to Kyiv for years to come.

The agreement will lay out the unions commitment to help Ukraine in nine key areas of security and defence policy - including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining, according to drafts.

In the event of future aggression, the document said the EU and Ukraine intend to consult within 24 hours on Kyivs needs and swiftly determine next steps in line with the commitments.

The document is part of a broader effort by Ukraines partners to provide assurances that they will stand by Kyiv for the long haul, with no end in sight to the war and no immediate prospect of Ukraine joining the EU or Nato.

07:52 AM BST

Hello and welcome to our live coverage

Were bringing you the latest updates from the Ukraine war.

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A woman working as a clerk for inmate visits at the Yuba County Jail was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of smuggling drugs into the detention facility.

The 33-year-old Marysville woman is suspected of facilitating the distribution of illegal drugs into the county jail, the Yuba County Sheriffs Office announced in a news release. She was arrested Wednesday afternoon after investigators questioned her at the Sheriffs Office.

Sheriff Wendell Anderson said theres no place in his agency for this type of behavior, and those who violate our policies, the law and the publics trust will be rooted out and dealt with accordingly.

I am angry and saddened to learn of these events, Anderson said in the news release. This will have a major impact on our staff and community. In addition, the men and women who work in our jail and those in our care were put into harms way due to the actions of a few individuals.

Her arrest stems from allegations that surfaced earlier this week and led to the investigation. Sheriffs officials did not indicate what type of drugs were allegedly smuggled into the jail.

The Sheriffs Office civilian employee has worked at the jail in Marysville since January 2022, and she was assigned as the visiting clerk, according to the Sheriffs Office. She was booked at the jail on a charge of bringing narcotics into a correctional facility.

Sheriffs officials said its unclear at this time what motivated her to facilitate drug smuggling into the jail and how many people may have been involved. The investigation continues, and sheriffs officials said its possible there could be additional arrests.

I am confident the investigators will find all responsible parties, and they will be held accountable for their actions, the sheriff said in the news release. We work hard to earn and keep the trust of our community and those we serve. Incidents like these often tarnish and damage that relationship.
From the Techne on The Dispatch

Welcome back to Techne! This week I have been watching Flour Power from Twin Cities PBS. I fully recommend this documentary on wheat farming in the Midwest, the flour milling industry, and the expansion of the industry.

Notes and Quotes

The Haphazard Road to Rural Broadband

Picture via Getty Images.

I recently got a message asking me what I thought about this Washington Times article by Susan Ferrechio on the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in November 2021, Congress set aside $42.45 billion to fund BEAD, whose goal was to help close the broadband gap.

But Ferrechios article summarized what has been slowly bubbling up: that the rollout of the program has been mired in administrative wranglings. As she wrote,

Residents in rural America are eager to access high-speed internet under a $42.5 billion federal modernization program, but not a single home or business has been connected to new broadband networks nearly three years after President Biden signed the funding into law, and no project will break ground until sometime next year. Lawmakers and internet companies blame the slow rollout on burdensome requirements for obtaining the funds, including climate change mandates, preferences for hiring union workers and the requirement that eligible companies prioritize the employment of justice-impacted people with criminal records to install broadband equipment. The Commerce Department, which is distributing the funds under the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, is also attempting to regulate consumer rates, lawmakers say. This puts them at odds with internet providers and congressional Republicans, who say the law prohibits such regulation.

The article covers a lot, and while much of its criticism is warranted, there is a much bigger context here that needs to be explained.

Back in the first half of 2022, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)the agency within the Department of Commerce administering BEADbegan reaching out to organizations to tell them about the program and what it could offer. Most of its presentations, like this one given to the Illinois Association of County Board Members, included an estimated timeline which put the implementation phase in 2026 and beyond.

The NTIA always assumed BEAD would take six years to implement. That in itself should be a scandal (six years to produce a Covid investment!).

The deeper story, however, is that a 2017 white paper essentially determined the shape of BEAD. In a way, the story is indicative of the haphazard way in which laws get adopted and then amended through the administrative process.

Broadband buildout and BEAD.

The remote nature of rural America makes it difficult for traditional internet service providers (ISPs) to reach certain communities. For simplicitys sake, we can think of broadband deployment as mapping onto the two common financial expenditures: cap-ex and op-ex. A network must first be built and only then can service start. So the expenses on the front end are capital expenditures (cap-ex). Networks in the operation stage will need to maintain their networks through operational expenditures (op-ex). Thus, for a broadband system to be economically viable, subscriber revenues have to cover both costs.

What is unique about broadband service is that cap-ex and op-ex can vary greatly depending on a bunch of factors (such as the network technology, the infrastructure already in the area, the terrain, the footprint of the network, and the regulatory regime, among others). Costs shape service, and costs can balloon quickly. When Google Fiber was deployed in Kansas City back in 2013, it cost roughly $1,000 to get each home connected. In contrast, a project to modernize a rural Wisconsin telephone system with enhanced broadband in 2017 cost nearly $8,000 per household. The hardest-to-reach homes can often cost upward of $100,000 to connect. On top of this, these regions often cannot support internet service even if the initial costs are completely defrayed because subscriber revenues dont cover operation costs.

BEAD was meant to solve this problem once and for all by funding projects (again, to the tune of $42.45 billion), but it was executed in exactly the opposite way it should have been.

Congress set aside a big pot of money, based on an estimate that was generated in 2014 for a 2017 white paper. Then it tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to produce updated maps where the service was lacking and assigned the NTIA the role of program administrator. In other words, Congress allocated funds to close the broadband gap, even though the size and extent of that gap was a mystery.

While there are a lot of great people working at NTIA, I was never a big fan of this division of labor. Because NTIA is under the Department of Commerce, it was sure to produce a program with all of the problems that Ferrechio laid out in her Washington Times piece. Instead, Congress could have put the FCC in charge of BEAD, which would have partially insulated the program since the FCC is an independent agency outside of the executive branch. The FCC also has a long history of administering broadband deployment projects through the Universal Service Administrative Company, which would have served them well in oversight of BEAD. Still, it is likely that the FCC would also push buy American provisions, labor reporting requirements, and a preference for fiber.

Putting BEAD under the FCC would have also meant a different funding structure. The way that BEAD runs now, state governments as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are considered Eligible Entities and may apply for funding. While I can understand the argument for states running the show, this process could have been flattened with monies going directly to projects, including to the ones proposed by Eligible Entities, instead of having Eligible Entities driving the show. It would be a better version of the Community Connect Grant Program or the Rural Utility Service, both of which were at the Department of Agriculture. But BEAD is very much the product of Covid, the political process, and that 2017 whitepaper.

In the waning days of the Obama administration, the chief of the FCCs Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, Paul de Sa, calculated that it would take $40 billion to close the broadband infrastructure gap. It was that number that anchored negotiations when BEAD was being discussed in Congress. According to de Sa, that number was rooted in the assumption that approximately 14% of the ~160m U.S. residential and small-and-medium business locations lack access to capable fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) and/or cable service. Moreover, that whitepaper assumed that, the primary goal of federal actions with respect to digital infrastructure should be to increase and accelerate profitable, incremental, private-sector investment to achieve at least 98% nationwide deployment of future-proofed, fixed broadband networks.

The last 2 percent of households have always been the most stubborn because subscriber revenues wont be sufficient to pay for yearly operational costs. In the world of finance, these projects will be cash flow negative on an operational basis, meaning they lose money in their operation. In other words, de Sa had made the strong case that a federal program should be targeted to offset those locations that could be viable if the initial costs were defrayed. But the program was never meant to sustain broadband services that werent at least cash flow positive.

Implementing BEAD.

As expected, BEAD was reinterpreted as it passed through the NTIA funding process.

The law originally intended for the selection criteria to be technologically neutral, meaning that as long as the service reached certain technical capabilities then a service area would be considered served. But the NTIAs official funding announcement, the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), is structured as to give preference to fiber-based broadband services over other technologies.

Michelle P. Connolly, who served two separate terms as chief economist for the FCC, explains the problem:

This selection criteria gives fiber priority above all other technologies despite the fact that for many rural areas this is not the ideal technology to guarantee access to all households and businesses. There are other technologies such as fixed wireless and low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites currently capable of providing high speed, low latency service. These can likely be deployed more quickly and with lower cost, especially in rural areas with difficult geographic terrain.

She continues, offering a better alternative:

In evaluating project proposals, states should instead target the performance of a broadband service, not its technology type. To improve comparability between proposals, states should predefine both geographic areas for subgrantees to bid upon, as well as, speed, latency, reliability, and build out requirements. But any technology able to meet those requirements should be considered on an equal footing and chosen based on both cost and speed of deployment.

But this isnt all that happened with the NOFO. The NOFO also applied buy American provisions, detailed reporting requirements when a non-unionized workforce is used, gave preference to justice-impacted people, and called on every state to offer rules of their own. Doug Dawson, a longtime expert in broadband deployment and author of The POTs and PANs blog, calls this regulating by grant, since State Broadband Offices are creating grant rules that go far beyond adhering to NTIA guidelines. They are insisting on grant rules which are intended to achieve social policies. But there is so much more, which has been documented by the Senate Commerce Committee, the Government Accounting Office, Randy May of the Free State Foundation, and Eric Fruits and Kristian Stout of the International Center for Law and Economics, among others.

To put it simply enough, the entire stack is riddled with issues. The programs goals are poorly defined. BEADs structure is likely not suitable for the problem. Power is distributed among agencies. And then there are the NOFOs implementation problems that Ferrechio detailed in her piece.

However, all of this should be expected because it is the package you get with modern federal administration. I mean, it is not like the NTIA has ever been bashful about how long this would all take. But that timeline was always way too long.

Until we chat again,

 Will

AI Roundup

A large-scale survey experiment reveals that, while large language models (LLMs) can generate persuasive political messages, their effectiveness plateaus beyond a certain model size. The study suggests that further increasing model size is unlikely to significantly enhance the persuasiveness of static LLM-generated messages.

A machine learning model successfully identified Parkinsons disease in 79 percent of cases up to seven years before clinical onset.

A draft paper explores algorithm aversionthe idea that people prefer human judgment over algorithmic decision-making, despite evidence that algorithms often outperform humans in accuracywhile also taking a look at its counterpart, algorithm appreciation.

Sens. Todd Young and Brian Schatz introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at educating the public about AIs risks and benefits. The bill tasks the Commerce Department with launching a campaign that includes guidelines for identifying AI-generated deepfakes based on recommendations from Sen. Chuck Schumers AI working group.

OpenAI gives the government early access to new AI models while simultaneously advocating for increased regulation of AI systems.

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz found a way to eliminate matrix multiplication, the most computationally intensive aspect of running large language models. They were able to run a billion-parameter language model using only 13 watts of power (about what it takes to power a light bulb).

Read more at The Dispatch

The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called on the European Union to build a defense line along the border with Russia and Belarus. In this way, they want to protect the EU from military threats and other harmful actions by the aggressor country.

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To implement this plan, financial support from all EU members is needed. This was reported by Reuters.

In a letter to the EU President, the leaders of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia said that this project is designed to protect a bloc of 27 countries with a population of 450 million people. They also emphasize that the creation of a defense infrastructure system along the EU's external border with Russia and Belarus will meet the acute and urgent need to protect the EU from military and hybrid threats. In addition, the letter states that the planning and construction of the defense line on the EU's eastern border should be carried out in coordination with NATO and its military requirements.

The scale and cost of this joint project requires targeted action by the EU to support it politically and financially. Some EU diplomats have estimated the cost of building such a defense line on the ground along the EU's 700-kilometer border with Russia and Belarus at about 2.5 billion euros.

ADVERTISIMENT

It is worth noting that European investment in defense and its financing will be one of the main topics of discussion for EU leaders at the EU leaders' summit in Belgium, as Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for three years and Moscow is intensifying hybrid operations against the West.

It is noteworthy that the call for joint funding for a ground-based defense line on the EU's eastern border complements an earlier initiative by Greece and Poland to create an EU air defense system similar to Israel's Iron Dome, which would coordinate the now separate air defense systems of the EU countries.

The total length of the state border of Poland and the Baltic states with Russia and Belarus is about 2083 km.

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As a reminder, Poland has started building fortifications on the border with Belarus. According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, this decision was made due to pressure from the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko.

Earlier it was reported that farmers in Poland joined the fight against illegal migrants from Belarus. To do this, they pour pig manure along the state border.

By the way, Poland, which needs trade restrictions against Ukraine, has tripled its exports to Belarus after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine - to a record level.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
'This is not a time for applause': Advocates on both sides of abortion issue slam SCOTUS ruling

Despite the U.S. Supreme Court issuing a decision allowing emergency abortions in Idaho, many pro-abortion groups criticized Thursday's ruling and said it was far from a win for abortion rights.

"This is not a time for applause for the way that the court has functioned," Fatima Goss Graves, the CEO of the National Women's Law Center, said in a briefing with reporters. "This is a crisis of the court's making."

"We definitely deserve better from our court," Goss Graves said.

The decision was the first time the court weighed in on abortion since it overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, ending federal protections for abortion rights. Since then, at least 14 states have ceased nearly all abortions and seven other states have imposed restrictions on care.

While the ruling will allow abortions to resume in cases of medical emergencies, abortion rights advocates criticized the court opinion, saying the ruling did not address the merits of the case and failed to find that patients are entitled to emergency abortion care to protect their health and lives.

"While the opinion temporarily restores the ability of doctors in Idaho to provide emergency abortions required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), by dismissing Idaho's appeal without resolving the core issues in the case, SCOTUS will only continue to put pregnant patients at unnecessary risk," the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.

MORE: 1 in 5 patients travel to other states for abortion care, according to new data

Advocates also argued that the decision is "the bare minimum" and the court should have been more clear in ruling that EMTALA protects abortion in emergency situations across all states.

"The fact that this case was before the Court and remains open to further litigation tells us everything we need to know about the anti-abortion movement: They would rather let pregnant people suffer life-threatening health consequences than allow them to receive stabilizing abortion care," Destiny Lopez, the acting co-CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, said in a statement.

"This outcome does not remedy the harm that the Court's anti-abortion justices inflicted with the Dobbs decision two years ago," Lopez said.

PHOTO: Protesters at Planned Parenthood's Bans Off Our Bodies rally gather outside of the Idaho Statehouse in Boise, May 14, 2022. (Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/TNS via Getty Images)

MORE: What are the potential risks to fertility and reproductive care post-Roe v. Wade?

Of the states restricting abortion, at least seven do not have clear exceptions for emergency care.

"The courts caused a months-long catastrophe that was completely unnecessary," President of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson told reporters.

"They had the opportunity to bring clarity to the chaos they caused ... but they missed the mark," McGill Johnson said.

MORE: Maps: See how abortion access has shifted in 2 years since Roe was overturned

The case now returns to the Ninth Circuit where it will be further litigated.

"The Court could have upheld this basic right, but they refused to. Instead, the conservative majority kicked the case back to a lower court, punting so that they didn't need to weigh in before an election where attacks on abortion access are already top of mind for voters," Reproductive Freedom for All, a pro-abortion group, said in a statement Thursday.

The Center for Reproductive Rights told reporters that the Thursday decision does not impact access to abortion in the 20 other states with restrictions or bans in effect -- and a case over EMTALA could be back before the court next session.

PHOTO: A view of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., June 17, 2024. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters, FILE)

Texas sued the U.S. government over EMTALA guidance, and the Fifth Circuit court successfully blocked the guidance.

Advocates issued warnings that echoed reactions to the court's decision striking down an abortion pill ruling this month.

"Several justices provided a roadmap for just how they would strip pregnant people of this basic right when this case comes back to the Court," Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement.

MORE: Where do legal challenges to abortion bans stand 2 years after Roe v. Wade was overturned?

Anti-abortion group Americans United for Life, meanwhile, called the ruling "highly fractured."

"The Court recognized based on representations by the Biden administration that Idaho may continue to enforce its pro-life law, and the rights of pro-life doctors and nurses will be respected in all circumstances as federal law requires. The case will develop further in the lower courts and the Supreme Court seems ready, willing, and able to review the case again once an appropriate factual record based upon the Biden administration's actual position is developed," said Steven Aden, chief legal officer and general counsel.

Another anti-abortion group called the decision "a setback."

"Today's Supreme Court decision is a setback, but our fight for babies and moms continues," National Right to Life said in a statement. "With its sound 'life of the mother' provision that allows pregnant women to receive emergency care, Idaho's pro-life law is consistent with EMTALA which requires hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment to both mothers and unborn children. Under Attorney General Raul Labrador's leadership, we are confident Idaho will eventually prevail on the merits of this case."

'This is not a time for applause': Advocates on both sides of abortion issue slam SCOTUS ruling originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
On 27 June, there were 119 combat clashes at the front line. Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove remained the hottest sections of the front throughout the day.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook; information as of 20:26 on 27 June

Quote: "The situation in the areas of hostilities is challenging but is under our defenders control.

During the day, the enemy launched six missile strikes on Ukrainian territory (a total of eight missiles), 43 airstrikes (56 guided aerial bombs dropped), and 458 kamikaze drones. They also fired 2,863 times on our troops' positions and settlements using a variety of weapons.

On the Kharkiv front, three enemy assaults in the vicinity of Vovchansk, Lyptsi and Sotnytskyi Kozachok were unsuccessful.

On the Kupiansk front, there were ten combat clashes. The Russians attacked the villages of Stepova Novoselivka, northeast of Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Stelmakhivka and Andriivka. All the attacks were repulsed."

Details: On the Lyman front, the Russians made eight attempts to break through the defence.

On the Siversk front, the Defence Forces effectively repulsed six attacks near Spirne, Rozdolivka and Vyimka.

On the Kramatorsk front, the Russians attempted six times to drive Ukraines Defence Forces from their positions at Chasiv Yar.

Throughout the day, the Russians were active on the Toretsk front. In total, they made 26 attempts to storm Ukrainian positions. According to preliminary reports, the Russian forces lost 70 personnel, five vehicles and an artillery system. Two vehicles and an artillery system were damaged.

On the Pokrovsk front, there were 27 attacks, one of which is still ongoing. According to the information available, the Russians lost over 300 men on this front.

On the Kurakhove front, Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 18 times during the day. Two clashes are still ongoing. Ukrainian defenders have the situation under control. The Russians are thought to have lost some 50 soldiers in this area. They also lost four tanks and nine armoured combat vehicles. Five other tanks were damaged.

On the Vremivka front, the Russians pushed into the area of Konstantynivka. Two attacks were repulsed, and one is still ongoing.

On the Orikhiv front, a Russian attempt to attack Ukrainian defenders near Mala Tokmachka failed.

On the Prydniprovske front, ten attacks were successfully repelled. No positions were lost. The situation is under the control of Ukraines Defence Forces.

Since the start of the day, units of Ukraines Air Force and Rocket Forces and Artillery have struck five clusters of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as an anti-aircraft missile system, a radar station, and three ammunition depots.

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Number of wounded in Donetsk Oblast has increased as result of Russian attack  photos

On the morning of 27 June, Russian troops attacked Toretsk, Selydove and Yasenove in Donetsk Oblast, killing one person and injuring ten others.

Source: Vadym Filashkin, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "Toretsk came under fire again; one person was reported killed there. Early in the morning, the Russians dropped a bomb on Selydove  six people were wounded, including two teenagers; seven high-rise buildings, five houses, three administrative buildings and four cars were damaged."

Aftermath of Russian attack.

Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Details: Yasenove, a village of Pokrovsk hromada, also came under Russian fire; a person was wounded, and a facility was damaged. Filashkin urged people to evacuate [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories].

Aftermath of Russian attack.

Photo: Donetsk Oblast Military Administration

Update: Later, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, reported that three more people were injured in Hirnyk and New-York as a result of a morning Russian attack.

Quote: "We have received information about a wounded man in Hirnyk of the Kurakhove hromada and two women wounded in New-York of Toretsk hromada." [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories  ed.]

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FINANCIAL DISTRICT, Manhattan (PIX11)  Police are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated an NYPD detective while assaulting a man inside a Manhattan subway station on Sunday, according to officials.

More Local News

The man was wearing an NYPD Detective badge on a chain, trying to stop commuters from using the R train inside the Whitehall Street-South Ferry subway station around 6:30 p.m., according to police.

The man identifying as a police officer tried to stop a 46-year-old man. Police said when the victim walked away, the suspect sprayed pepper spray at the back of the mans head. The suspect got away on a northbound R train.

Police are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated an NYPD detective while assaulting a man inside a Manhattan subway station on Sunday, according to officials. (NYPD)

Police are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated an NYPD detective while assaulting a man inside a Manhattan subway station on Sunday, according to officials. (NYPD)

Police are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated an NYPD detective while assaulting a man inside a Manhattan subway station on Sunday, according to officials. (NYPD)

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.

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Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama met for private secret meals to discuss strategy as the highly contested 2024 election approaches.

The political pair have been having meetings, between just the two of them, as concerns over Donald Trumps potential victory in November have creeped into reality, New York Magazine reported.

The former presidents anxiety about the election is real, a friend of Obamas told the outlet. The source clarified his nerves are related to the general divisions of the country, not to his former vice president or Biden re-election campaign specifically.

Biden and Obama have long appeared to be a united front, but behind the scenes, the former president was not convinced that Bidens 2020 run was the right move, the magazine wrote.

However, he came around, becoming a key surrogate for the Biden team. Obama convinced some of his former advisers-turned-Biden campaign staffers to quintuple their digital budget, organized a troop of tech moguls to help with Bidens online operations, and even persuaded director Steven Spielberg to help produce Bidens convention programming, New York Magazine reported.

When Biden decided to run for re-election, his team initially did not want to rely on his former boss as much  but that tune changed when the threat of a second Trump term reemerged as a real possibility.

Former president Barack Obama and President Joe Biden have reportedly been holding private meetings to discuss strategy ahead of the heated 2024 election. (AFP via Getty Images)

In a December 2023, lunch at the White House, first reported by theWashington Post, Obama became animated when discussing Trumps potential return.

At the meeting, the ex-president also underscored the need for Bidens top political advisers to relocate from the White House to crucial spots, such as his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, and battleground states, according to the magazine.

The 44th president has made his support for Biden known in recent months, often appearing in recent campaign events promoting Biden.

Just this month, Obama  alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts  headlined a glitzy Biden fundraiser in Los Angeles, raising $30 million  breaking his own record for the amount of cash raised by a Democratic candidate. The LA fundraiser eclipsed his previous record in March, when Obama and fellow former Democratic president Bill Clinton teamed up for a re-election fundraiser in New York. The former president has also promoted Biden in a number of video ads.

Perhaps Obamas influence is helping Bidens poll numbers. The president took the lead over Trump for the first time in a Fox News poll since October. Biden is polling at 50 percent compared to Trumps 48 percent.

The news of the secret strategy meetings comes as Biden and Trump plan to go head-to-head in the first debate of the 2024 general election on Thursday evening.
Officers placed on administrative leave after Johnson City shooting

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL)  Two officers are on administrative leave after a shooting on W. Chestnut Street in Johnson City Friday.

On Friday shortly after 10:30 p.m., officers with the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) responded to a domestic assault call in the 100 block of West Chestnut Street off South Roan Street, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) stated in a release.

Upon arrival, a man reportedly came outside of the house carrying a shotgun. A report from the scene stated the man fired his weapon during an altercation.

PREVIOUS: TBI investigating officer involved shooting in Johnson City

The officers returned fire and hit the man, according to the TBI.

As of Wednesday, the man remained hospitalized, the TBI confirmed to News Channel 11.

Two JCPD officers were placed on administrative leave per company policy, a spokesperson for the department said.

The shooting remains under investigation.

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The News

For the first time in Prime Minister Narendra Modis tenure, India has an official opposition leader.

The post had lain vacant because no party won enough seats in parliament to take it up  until the opposition surged in this years election, dealing a blow to Modi and raising the profile of his chief rival, Rahul Gandhi.

While Modi still holds power, Gandhis new position gives him access to key meetings and documents, a voice in official government business, and legitimacy, analysts said.

It also sets up a dynamic where politics in India will be all about Modi versus Rahul, The Economic Times wrote. It also bolsters Indias democratic credentials, a Bangalore-based political scientist said: We were missing that in the last two terms.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE)  Village of Ruidoso officials confirmed Thursday evening that all residents listed as missing have been accounted for. During Thursdays community meeting, a FEMA official stated they did not find any human remains after searching around 1,300 damaged structures.

South Fork Fire burns 17,569 acres near Ruidoso, evacuations lifted

According to Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), the secondary search for missing people started on Saturday, June 22 at 4 p.m. The team of 157 searched a total of 1,300 damaged structures. They also used 20 K-9s trained to find human remains.

The South Fork Fire started on June 17 and has burned 17,596 acres. As of June 27, its 69% contained. The Salt Fire, south of Ruidoso, also started on June 17. As of June 27, that fire has burned 7,939 acres and is 66% contained.

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Nightclubs are one place where scopolamine has been slipped in people's drinks. MAN

Its not an urban legend: there really is a drug that is sometimes slipped into a womans drink in order to sexually abuse her. In fact, there have also been instances of elderly people intoxicated with it in full daylight and robbed of their savings.

Spains emergency rooms are increasingly familiar with this type of case, and with the name that is associated with it: burundanga.

Burundanga is the popular name for scopolamine, a drug that is used in medicine to treat nausea and motion sickness, among other conditions. But its side effects include drowsiness, a loss of inhibition and memory lapses.

A rapist who was arrested in Madrid in 2012 was passing himself off as a shaman and giving his victims scopolamine

It is cheap and easy to purchase online, and can be slipped into someones food or drink while the victim is not looking. It can even be blown into their faces. The targets will not remember a thing afterwards. It is known as chemical submission.

It is a well-known practice in Colombia and other Latin American countries, where burundanga is used in robberies and express kidnappings.

But in Spain, its existence is still poorly acknowledged by authorities, mostly because the drug is quickly eliminated by the victims body, leaving little or no trace behind.

The picture that emerges is one where doctors are treating scopolamine intoxications far more frequently than official data would suggest, given that few cases ever make it to a courthouse.

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Theres been the odd case in the past, but in Spain its incidence rate is practically zero, said one high-placed official with the judicial police.

Yet the day-to-day experience at hospital emergency rooms is quite a different story.

We get two to three cases a month, and thats in this hospital alone, so imagine if all the 35 hospitals in the Madrid region and all the ones in the rest of Spain were sensitive to the situation and acted correctly [to identify cases], says Andres Santiago, head of legal medicine at Hospital Clinico San Carlos. This center has been a pioneer in raising awareness about scopolamine intoxications.

The problem is that if medics are unaware of the issue, they will not correctly identify cases coming into the ERs. Yet experts estimate that 20 to 30% of sexual assaults may be caused by chemical submission.

Barcelonas Hospital Clinic confirms this figure. The problem lies in certifying it; you reach the conclusion based more on the victims stories than on what you can scientifically prove, which unfortunately is little, says Dr Manel Santina.

More cases will emerge Time is proving us right; with suspicion indicators and well-trained personnel in emergency rooms, it is possible for cases to emerge, says Andres Santiago, of San Carlos Hospital. The key lies in creating awareness among health personnel, judges and prosecutors. The goal is for people to go to the hospital or to report cases if they feel suspicious symptoms. In two to three years, this is going to be a generalized thing; the problem is going to be known and accepted. A lack of official data is making it difficult to raise awareness. Cases typically emerge in specialized publications and symposiums. One study of 306 sexual assaults in Madrid between 2010 and 2012 found that a third, or 107, might be cases of chemical submission. Only the most extreme cases of chemical submission make headlines. Two youths who died at a party in Getafe in 2011 had taken burundanga. A rapist who was arrested in Madrid in 2012 was passing himself off as a shaman and giving his victims scopolamine. Sometimes the victims are underage: the pedophile from Ciudad Lineal, who was arrested in 2014, lured his young victims with candy that was laced with lorazepam, a drug with sedative effects. This week marks the opening of the trial against two men from Granada who are charged with sexually assaulting a woman in 2013 after slipping scopolamine in her drink. The 40-year-old victim, who is married and a mother of three, went out for a business dinner and returned home the next day in an evident state of confusion, as though she was returning from an orgy, in her husbands words. She said she had two drinks at a nightclub, and that the suspects bought her the last one. All three later had sexual relations. The men say that she consented to it. The blood, urine and hair samples did not turn up any substances, but the prosecutor holds that the womans story is credible and compatible with a case of chemical submission.

There have been recorded cases of chemical submission since 2003, when this hospital and Santiago de Compostela University conducted parallel studies on scopolamine following a string of robberies. The Clinic, which is a national reference in the treatment of sexual assault, introduced a special protocol in 2008 to help medical workers identify cases of scopolamine intoxication. In February 2015, Madrid hospitals adopted a similar working document.

In Madrid, San Carlos Hospital has just published a Guide for the Detection of Chemical Submission for its emergency room personnel.

The guide underscores medical experts concern at how this reality is being underestimated, and opens with the following statement: Spain, together with neighboring countries, is experiencing a rise in the number of intoxications aimed at sexually assaulting or robbing [the victim]. Governments, administrations, institutions, scientific societies and professionals are becoming aware of the need to assess the situation and propose early detection action.

The document adds that it is a relatively frequent situation, but one which is difficult to diagnose.

Suspected cases rarely end up in police complaints backed by evidence because scopolamine disappears from the bloodstream in two to six hours. It remains present in urine for around 12 hours, although it is possible to detect it up to a week later.

What this means is that victims often face skepticism by the people around them. And in rape cases, there is the added problem that there is no genital abrasion because the drug inhibits resistance. As for elderly people, their symptoms of disorientation and memory loss are often attributed to senility or a stroke.

Whats more, chemical submission is also underplayed in Spanish legislation. Contrary to United Nations recommendations, and in contrast with some European countries, Spains penal code does not consider the use of scopolamine an aggravating circumstance, and it is included in the category of sexual abuse without violence or intimidation.

Last year, some Madrid hospitals, including the one in Henares, reported surprising cases of elderly people who were disoriented and had been robbed, yet had no recollection of recent events. Medical experts consulted by this newspaper said they suspect the intoxication may have occurred through the skin, by picking up scopolamine-treated leaflets handed out on the street. Moisturizing lotions may be another way to administer the drug to their targets.

Skin intoxication, however, is a controversial issue that not all experts believe in. It is difficult to prove, but we have had our doubts in several cases, and it can happen because those substances are easily absorbed, says Helen Dolengevich, a psychiatrist at Henares Hospital and coordinator of the 2015 book New psychoactive drugs.

But Maria Antonia Martinez, of the National Toxicology Institutes Drugs Service, says that scopolamine intoxication through the skin is practically in the realm of science fiction.

English version by Susana Urra.
Republicans in Ohios state House passed a bill Wednesday banning transgender students from using bathrooms and locker rooms in K-12 schools and colleges that correspond with their gender identity.

The measure was added at the last minute as an amendment to a Senate bill focusing on the states college credit program. The state Legislature went on its summer recess shortly after the bills passage, and the Senate still needs to agree to the changes made by the House.

Superintendents and school boards need clarity on this issue, state Rep. Adam Bird (R) said during the debate. We should not be sitting on the sideline waiting for the federal executive branch to make decisions. We should not be sitting on the sideline waiting for the judicial branch to make decisions when it comes to this issue.

Historically, the state Legislature does not reconvene until after November in an election year, when members of the Legislature are up for election, meaning it is unclear when or if the bill will become law.

State Democrats slammed the bills passage, with House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D) posting on the social platform X, We have school districts that cant afford bus services for students and teachers for classrooms, but here we are after nearly 12 hours of session focusing on bathrooms.

I didnt anticipate we would be using the power of the state to bully transgender children and individuals today, state Rep. Beth Liston (D) wrote on X. As far as protecting girls and women, I will tell you as a woman, I do not want nor need your protection.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio also weighed in on X, calling the bill a state-sponsored attack against LGBTQ communities during Pride Month, vowing to keep fighting against the bill.

The state House was considering a similar bill during this session, with a House panel approving the legislation, but that bill never came to the floor for a vote.

Earlier this year, the state Legislature overrode Republican Gov. Mark DeWines veto of a bill that would ban gender-affirming health care for minors and prevent transgender women and girls from competing in female school sports. According to The Columbus Dispatch, a DeWine spokesperson declined to weigh in on whether or not he would sign the current transgender bathroom bill.

Passing transgender bathroom bills has become increasingly commonplace in Republican-controlled states. According to the Movement Access Project, 12 states currently have bans similar to the one Ohio passed on Wednesday.

Transgender bathroom bans have been subject to a flurry of court activity in recent years.

In Ohio, a federal judge ruled in favor of a restroom policy that accommodates transgender students last year.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving an Indiana transgender bathroom law earlier this year, maintaining a lower court ruling that allowed a transgender middle school boy to use the boys restroom.

President Biden also issued a federal rule to prohibit discrimination against students based on their gender identity, but a judge blocked it from taking effect earlier this month.

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(Getty Images)

The Ohio House passed a bill late Wednesday night amid its last session before going on summer break that would ban transgender students from using the bathroom and locker rooms that match up with their gender identity.

House Bill 183 was added to Senate Bill 104 as an amendment on the House floor Wednesday night, then S.B. 104 passed as amended with a 60-31 vote. All House Democrats who were present voted against the bill. Republicans Jamie Callender and Gayle Manning also voted against the bill.

State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, introduced Senate Bill 104, which revises the College Credit Plus Program.

The bill heads back to the Senate to concur, but the lawmakers are now on summer break.

What is in H.B. 183?

State Reps. Beth Lear, R-Galena, and Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, introduced H.B. 183, which would make Ohio K-12 schools and colleges mandate that students can only use the bathroom or locker room that aligns with their gender assigned at birth.

Boys and girls should not be in locker rooms together, Lear said. They should not be in bathrooms together and they should not be sharing overnight accommodations.

Bird said school superintendents from around the state came to him saying they need this bill.

Superintendents and school boards, they need clarity on this issue, Bird said. We want to protect women and girls from assault, from intimidation.

The bill would not prohibit a school from having single-occupancy facilities and it would not apply to someone helping a person with a disability or a child younger than 10 years old being assisted by a parent, guardian, or family member.

The American Medical Association officially opposes policies preventing transgender individuals from accessing basic human services and public facilities consistent with gender identity.

Thirty percent of LGBTQ+ students said they were prevented from using the bathroom that aligned with their gender, and 26% were stopped from using the locker room that aligned with their gender, according to Ohios 2021 state snapshot by GLSEN, which examines the school experiences of LGBTQ middle and high school students.

When looking specifically at transgender and nonbinary students, 42% were prevented from using the bathroom that aligned with their gender and 36% couldnt use the locker room that aligned with their gender, according to the Ohio GLSEN report.

More than 100 people testified against the bill in the House Higher Education Committee.

Debate on the House floor

There was about 30 minutes of debate over the bathroom ban amendment before it was voted favorably out of the House.

Democrats opposing the bill said it is an attack on Ohios most marginalized students.

I didnt anticipate that we would be using the power of the state to bully transgender children and individuals today, State Rep. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, said. I will reiterate my concern that we continue to focus on childrens genitals rather than their education. As far as protecting girls and women, I will tell you as a woman, I do not want nor need your protection.

State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio, D-Gahanna, said she testified against this bill back when she was the president of the Gahanna-Jefferson School Board, before she was sworn in as a legislator.

Most egregiously, this bill needlessly targets some of our most marginalized students, she said. And worse than that, it targets a basic human function for which every single one of us deserves privacy. This is not what any of the children need.

House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, shared her frustration with Republican lawmakers for spending time on the bathroom bill when there are other pressing issues in schools such as the teacher shortage or busing issues.

Here we are, again, I think focusing on the wrong things, she said. Theres so many things that need to be done in our school districts and for schools and for our students. But this body continues, over and over again, to focus on the small group of children and target and bully children.  This is what were spending our time and energy on. Im sorry, but dont tell me your school districts are coming to you begging for this. Baloney.

Russo has three school-aged children.

No one has talked to me about this, she said. This is a made up problem.

Republicans argued the bill makes sense.

State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, said the bathroom bill amendment is probably the most straightforward piece of legislation lawmakers will vote on for the next few years.

This is easy, she said. This is simple. This should not be complicated.

Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter.

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The post Ohio House passes transgender bathroom and locker room ban for K-12 schools and colleges appeared first on Ohio Capital Journal.
A tear rolls down the face of Jamie Polk on May 11 after she was named Oklahoma City Public Schools' next superintendent.

Incoming Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Jamie Polk has opted to keep less than half of the members of the district's superintendent's Cabinet built by the outgoing superintendent, Sean McDaniel.

The structure and composition of the Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendents Cabinet will dramatically change under incoming Superintendent Jamie Polk, with only six people (including Polk) currently in outgoing Superintendent Sean McDaniels leadership group maintaining a spot in the districts inner circle.

Among those out are Deputy Superintendent Jason Brown, Assistant Superintendent Gena Koster and Chief Technology Officer Peter Liesenfeld, whose resignations  for personal reasons  were accepted by the district Board of Education on Monday night. Others leaving the boards Cabinet are Kartina McDaniel, the executive director of equity; Melani Mouse, the assistant superintendent for secondary schools; and Chief Financial Officer Shannon Meeks.

Only three Cabinet members will return in the same position they hold today  Scott Randall, the chief operations officer; Hayley Jones, the interim general counsel; and Courtney Scott, the executive director of communications. Brad Herzer, currently the assistant superintendent for human resources, safety and security, now will serve as assistant superintendent of talent management, while Alisha Suffield, now the executive director of leadership development, will be the assistant superintendent of student achievement and accountability.

More: New OKCPS superintendent takes helm at a critical time for Oklahoma education

Polk also is adding three people to her Cabinet for a total of eight, four less than McDaniel now has. With about 33,000 students, the Oklahoma City district is the second-largest in Oklahoma.

Polk, the districts current assistant superintendent for elementary schools, wont officially become superintendent until July 1. But she said in a statement she has been afforded the space to begin the transition as the next superintendent for OKCPS. Please know that everything I do will be anchored in our districts vision: By providing equitable access to a world-class education, every Oklahoma City Public Schools student will graduate ready to fulfill their unique purpose in a healthy, vibrant community.

As I evaluated our organizational structure, I proposed a recommendation to our Board of Education to reorganize to better align our teams with our district's vision and goals. I believe we do our best work together and when the right people are in the right seats.

Of the returning members of the Cabinet, Randall likely is the most well-known figure, one who speaks at most district board meetings and has been the point person on projects included in the $955 million bond proposal approved by voters in 2022. Randall served as the districts CFO from 2002 to 2015 before moving into the COO role.

There are five new roles on the Cabinet, including those of Suffield and Herzer. The other new roles will be held by newcomers  Verna Martin, the senior executive director of secondary and academics; Jason Galloway, the senior executive director of support and accountability; and Laura McGee, the senior executive director of elementary and leadership.

The district board approved Polks proposed changes on Monday.

While change can bring on improvement, as well as challenges, when we work together to do what is best for our students, we can create an educational environment where every student graduates ready to fulfill their unique purpose in a healthy, vibrant community, Polk said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Incoming OKCPS superintendent makes major staff changes
Oklahoma to execute Richard Rojem Jr. for murder of ex-stepdaughter. What to know.

Richard Rojem Jr. is set to be executed by lethal injection in Oklahoma on Thursday for the rape and murder of his 7-year-old former stepdaughter. If it goes forward, the execution will be the nation's second in as many days.

Rojem, 66, was convicted in 1985 of raping and stabbing 7-year-old Layla Dawn Cummings to death. Her brutalized body was left in a field and found by a farmer; she was still wearing her mom's nightgown.

"Everything she might have been was stolen from her one horrific night, Layla's mother, Mindy Cummings, told the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board this month. She never got to be more than the precious 7-year-old that she was. And so she remains in our hearts  forever 7.

Richard Rojem Jr. executed: Oklahoma executes Richard Rojem Jr. in ex-stepdaughter's murder

Rojem has always maintained his innocence, telling the board on June 17: I did not kidnap Layla. I did not rape Layla. And I did not murder Layla."

The board rejected his clemency request. His execution will be the state's second of the year and the nation's ninth.

Here's what we know ahead of the execution.

Richard Rojem on Oct. 2, 2003. He was convicted in 1985 of murdering, raping and kidnapping 7-year-old Layla Cummings.

What is Richard Rojem convicted of?

Layla was abducted from an apartment in Elk City, Oklahoma, where she lived with her mother and 9-year-old brother, on July 6, 1984, Oklahoma state court documents say. The children's mother and Rojem's ex-wife, Mindy Cummings, had left them alone to work a late shift at a local fast-food restaurant.

The child's body was found the next morning in a field 15 miles from her home by a farm in Burns Flat. the appellate court records say.

Rojem and Mindy Cummings had only been divorced for two months before Layla's murder. The two met while Rojem was serving time in a Michigan prison for the rape of two teenage girls; Cummings was the sister of Rojem's cellmate, according to court records.

The then-26-year-old Rojem knew Cummings' work schedule and that the lock to her apartment door was broken, according to the court filings.

Rojem was found guilty on May 31, 1985 and sentenced to death.

Layla Cummings

Has Richard Rojem appealed?

Rojem appealed his death sentence multiple times until he exhausted his attempts in 2017, Oklahoma court records show. He did win two appeals as his initial and second death sentences were thrown out in 2001 and 2006 due to problems with the jury in both instances.

A jury sentenced him to death again in 2007, and he did not win anymore appeals afterward.

Rojem's final attempt to remain on death row for the rest of his life was on June 17 during a clemency hearing. During the hearing, Rojem maintained that he did not murder Layla and he apologized for his past, which included the rape of two teenage girls.

"I wasnt a good human being for the first part of my life, and I dont deny that, a handcuffed Rojem said during the hearing. But I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied Rojem clemency.

When will Richard Rojem be executed?

Rojem is scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. CT at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, 90 miles south of Tulsa.

Oklahoma executions are scheduled 90 days apart due to the "emotional and mental trauma on correctional staff," Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a May news release. The execution interval was previously 60 days, he added.

The Oklahoma State Penitentiary where Richard Rojem is set to be executed is seen in McAlester, Oklahoma September 30, 2015.

How will Richard Rojem be executed?

Rojem will be executed with a three-drug lethal injection containing midazolam, vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride, according to Oklahoma execution protocols.

Midazolam is a sedative that is normally administered to help patients feel relaxed before surgery, vecuronium bromide is peripherally used as part of general anesthesia and potassium chloride is a medication for low blood potassium. The combination of the drugs the prison is using is fatal.

Richard Rojem on Feb. 11, 2023. He was convicted in 1985 of murdering, raping and kidnapping 7-year-old Layla Cummings.

Who will witness the execution?

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office told USA TODAY that the "witness list is confidential for security reasons."

While unclear who will be in the execution room, the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester does provide a place to view for people 18 or older who are immediate family of any deceased victim of the defendant, according to state statutes.

Rojem's attorney, Jack Fisher, told USA TODAY that he would be attending his client's execution on Thursday.

Among the select members of the news media who will witness the execution is reporter Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The execution table is shown in this image from a video released by the Oklahoma Corrections Department.

What will be Richard Rojem's final meal?

According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Rojem's final meal will consist of:

A small Little Caesers pizza  double cheese/double pepperoni

Eight salt packets

Eight crushed red pepper packets.

Vernors Ginger Ale, bottled.

Four ounces of vanilla ice cream cups

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma to execute Richard Rojem Jr., nation's 2nd execution in 2 days
Oklahomas chief school official has notified all state schools to immediately incorporate the Bible into classroom curriculum, drawing immediate outrage and threats of lawsuits in a state that was recently reprimanded for trying to use taxpayer dollars to create a Catholic school.

Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum in grades 5 through 12, according to the notice from Republican school superintendent Ryan Walters.

The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments, the notice reads.

In a press conference on Thursday, Walters said that every school will have a Bible in the classroom, and that every teacher will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom.

The Bible will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nations founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution, according to the memo.

Adherence to this mandate is compulsory and immediate and strict compliance is expected, it reads.

Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization, Walters wrote on X. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history.

Oklahoma school superintendent Ryan Walters is mandating all schools teach the Bible in grades 5-12. (AP)

Thursdays directive comes two days after the states highest court rejected what was set to become the first-ever publicly funded religious charter school.

Last year, a state school board approved the creation of a taxpayer-supported online Catholic school, triggering a high-profile legal battle to decide whether public funds can be used to create religious schools.

Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history. pic.twitter.com/iZKhv9tKoc  Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) June 27, 2024

Oklahomas Supreme Court called it an unconstitutional slippery slope infringement of the First Amendments protections against the governments endorsement of a religion.

The framers intent is clear, the courts majority wrote. The State is prohibited from using public money for the use, benefit or support of a sect or system of religion.

Americans United for Separation of Church, which sued the state to block the schools contract, has threatened to sue again over the states Bible requirement.

Public schools are not Sunday schools, the groups CEO Rachel Laser said in a statement shared with The Independent.

Walter has repeatedly made clear that he is incapable of distinguishing the difference and is unfit for office, Laser added. His latest scheme  to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools curriculum  is a transparent, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students.

Laser warned that the states latest gambit is textbook Christian nationalism and part of a wave of right-wing threats to public education, according to Laster.

The group has also joined a federal lawsuit in Louisiana to block the state from requiring the Ten Commandments in every public classroom.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  The Oklahoma State Department of Education is mandating public school teachers use the Bible in classrooms, effective immediately.

Public school superintendents were sent a memo on Thursday announcing the new rule.

The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone, said State Superintendent Ryan Walters. Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.

The memo directs schools to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum. The superintendent said the directive is in alignment with curriculum rules approved in May 2019 and all districts must comply.

The new policy takes effect right away and adherence to this mandate is compulsory, the memo states.

According to the Oklahoma Attorney General Oklahoma, law already allowed Bibles in the classroom and enabled teachers to use them in instruction.

Critics were already calling the move unconstitutional following Walters announcement Thursday.

Public schools are not Sunday schools. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has repeatedly made clear that he is incapable of distinguishing the difference and is unfit for office. His latest scheme  to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools curriculum  is a transparent, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students, said Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

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A separate move to bring religion into Oklahoma classrooms was deemed unconstitutional this week, when the states supreme court stopped public funding of religious charter schools.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court determined the Statewide Virtual Charter School Boards 3-2 vote last year to approve an application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from making any law respecting an establishment of religion. The ruling also says both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law, were violated.

Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school, Justice James Winchester, an appointee of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, wrote in the courts majority opinion. As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian.

The state superintendents announcement also comes a week after Louisiana became the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom.

The legislation requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in large, easily readable font in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities.

Opponents questioned the laws constitutionality and vowed to challenge it in court. Proponents said the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the language of the law, the Ten Commandments are foundational documents of our state and national government.

The posters, which will be paired with a four-paragraph context statement describing how the Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries, must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025.

Under the law, state funds will not be used to implement the mandate. The posters would be paid for through donations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks with news reporters after an Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting April 25, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahomas top education official on Thursday ordered all public schools in the state to incorporate the Bible into their curriculum as a historical text.

State Superintendent Ryan Walters said he wants the Bible kept and taught in every Oklahoma classroom, particularly how it is referenced in Americas history and founding documents.

Were going to be looking at the Mayflower Compact (and) other of those foundational documents to point to and say, listen, heres conceptually what the founders believed, Walters said while speaking with news reporters on Thursday.

State academic standards for social studies already require schools to teach students about the impact of religion on U.S. society and government.

The academic standards are a lengthy list of topics Oklahoma public schools must teach. Local school districts are allowed the freedom to decide their own curriculum, or how they teach the standards.

Walters announcement drew quick opposition from Democratic lawmakers and groups advocating for separation of church and state.

The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the order would further marginalize religious minorities in public schools and violate religious freedom. The Muslim civil rights organization has advocated against adding specific religious teachings to the classroom.

Although we and the American Muslim community recognize the important historical and religious significance of the Bible, forcing teachers to use it and only it in their curriculum is inappropriate and unconstitutional, said Adam Soltani, director of the Oklahoma chapter. We adamantly oppose any requirements that religion be forcefully taught or required as a part of lesson plans in public schools, in Oklahoma, or anywhere else in the country.

State Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said the matter could end up in court, costing the state taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, she said it fails to provide solutions to the real problems facing our schools, like the teacher shortage and falling below the regional average in public education funding.

Oklahoma already has been grappling with the role of religion in public schools. The state Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a publicly funded Catholic charter school that was weeks away from opening in the state. The Court found the concept of a religious, state-funded school is unconstitutional and a violation of state law.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond led the legal challenge against opening the Catholic charter school, called St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. But when reached for comment Thursday, his office did not raise alarm bells over Walters order on Bible teaching.

Oklahoma law already explicitly allows Bibles in the classroom and enables teachers to use them in instruction, the AGs spokesperson, Phil Bacharach, said.

Walters has been a vocal supporter of St. Isidore. He called the Courts ruling on the Catholic charter school one of the worst of its decisions and said the concept of separation of church and state is a myth.

Oklahoma Catholic leaders indicated they intend to appeal the ruling. A meeting agenda for the schools Board of Directors states St. Isidore will delay opening to students at least until the 2025-2026 school year, as it seeks review by the United States Supreme Court.

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The post Oklahoma schools ordered to use Bible in history teaching appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
Oklahoma state superintendent announces all schools must incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in curriculums

All Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in their curriculums, effective immediately, the states chief education officer announced in a memorandum Thursday.

At a State Board of Education meeting, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said the Bible is one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country.

Its crystal clear to us that in the Oklahoma academic standards under Title 70 on multiple occasions, the Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system, Walters said.

Every classroom in the state from grades 5 through 12 must have a Bible and all teachers must teach from the Bible in the classroom, Walters said.

The Oklahoma memorandum follows a law in Louisiana passed June 19, that requires all public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. A group of Louisiana parents and civil rights organizations are suing the state over the new law, contending the legislation violates both US Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment.

Oklahomas directive is in alignment with the educational standards approved on or about May 2019, with which all districts must comply, according to a news release.

The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone, Walters said in the release. Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.

Interfaith Alliance, a national organization that seeks to protect religious freedoms, told CNN in a statement Thursday: This is blatant religious coercion that should have absolutely no place in public schools  in Oklahoma or any other state.

True religious freedom means ensuring that no one religious group is allowed to impose their viewpoint on all Americans. The vast majority of people of faith in this country reject these dangerous, intimidating efforts to force a Christian nationalist agenda into our schools, our courts and our government, the statement said.

The new memo comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked an effort to establish the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country. The court on Tuesday ordered the state to rescind its contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in a 6-2 decision with one recusal.

Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school, wrote Justice James R. Winchester for the court. As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian. However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic faith as part of its school curriculum while sponsored by the State.

Walters called the ruling one of the worst decisions the state Supreme Court has made and pledged to fight back.

What the court did was rule against the parents of Oklahoma who have demanded more choices for their kids. We have a great opportunity to make sure that parents have the most options of any parents in the country here in Oklahoma, by giving them the ability to go to a public school, charter schools, private schools, this would have been the most unique charter school in the country, Walters said.

So I want you all to know, we will continue to fight back against this, we want to continue to provide an opportunity for parents to send their kids to high-quality schools.

The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the decision, saying, Charter schools are public schools that must be secular and serve all students. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which plans to discriminate against students, families, and staff and indoctrinate students into one religion, cannot operate as a public charter school.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Oklahomas far-right Superintendent Ryan Walters has issued a directive commanding the states classrooms to keep a copy of the Bible and teach that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for Western civilization.

In a memorandum issued to Oklahoma schools on Thursday, Walters announced: Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels.

The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone, Walters wrote. Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.

In a Thursday press conference, Walters added that every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible in the classroom, and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom.

Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history. pic.twitter.com/iZKhv9tKoc  Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) June 27, 2024

The directive comes just days after Louisianas Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed into law a bill requiring every classroom in the state to display a copy of the Biblical Ten Commandments. The law has already been challenged in court by an interfaith coalition of Louisiana families who argue that the legislation the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

A similar legal debate was recently ruled on by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which determined earlier this week that the use of public funds to establish religious charter schools violated both the states constitution and the federal Constitutions Establishment Clause.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahomas Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the state from sponsoring any religion at all, Oklahomas Republican Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in praise of the ruling.

Walters disagreed. The superintendent  who has made a name for himself championing dubiously legal anti-woke policies throughout Oklahomas education system  wrote that the Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong.

The words separation of church and state do not appear in our Constitution, and it is outrageous that the Oklahoma Supreme Court misunderstood key cases involving the First Amendment and sanctioned discrimination against Christians based solely on their faith, he added.

Its my firm belief that once again, the Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong. The words separation of church and state do not appear in our Constitution, and it is outrageous that the Oklahoma Supreme Court misunderstood key cases involving the First Amendment and sanctioned  Superintendent Ryan Walters (@RyanWaltersSupt) June 25, 2024

Its not the first time Walters actions as superintendent have landed on the desk of the state Supreme Court. In February, Edmond Public Schools petitioned the court to intervene in response to a threat from the Oklahoma Department of Education ordering them to remove two books  Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner and Jeannette Wallss memoir The Glass Castle.  from its high school libraries on the grounds that they were pornographic or face a downgrading of their accreditation.

The court ruled in the districts favor earlier this month, writing in its decision that the state Board of Education is attempting to exercise unauthorized quasi-judicial authority in enforcement proceedings before the board.

Walters status as a semi-rogue actor using his office to boost his political profile and feed culture-war grievances has been inevitably met with legal challenges and frustration from Oklahoma parents has even drawn the attention of the legislature  and the states governor.

Earlier this month, the state legislature passed new rules curtailing Walters and the state Department of Educations ability to spend taxpayer dollars on self-promoting public relations material. The bill was promptly vetoed by Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, who instead issued a statewide executive order severely curtailing Oklahoma officials ability to spend taxpayer dollars on contracting public relations firms. Walters had previously been investigated by fellow Republicans in the state legislature regarding allegations that he had hired and paid his former campaign adviser, Matt Langston, more than $100,000 in state funds without an official employment contract.

With his latest directive, Walters is once again likely headed for a battle with the Oklahoma Supreme Court, state lawmakers, schools, and parents. But Walters string of losses within his own state is a price hes willing to pay in exchange for the adoration of national Republican figures like former President Donald Trump, who earlier this week lavished praise of the superintendent.

Great job by Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters on FoxNews last night. Strong, decisive, and knows his stuff. I LOVE OKLAHOMA!, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Walters promoted the shoutout from the former president multiple times on his social media, writing in one post that under his tenure Oklahoma is leading the country in reforming education!



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Republicans have been screaming from rooftops in recent weeks about how much they support in vitro fertilization and its availability nationwide, but one GOP congressman is threatening to blow up their strategy.

Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) this week pushed an amendment to a defense appropriations bill that would have banned funding for IVF, which he has called morally wrong, for defense personnel. He also put up anti-IVF posters outside his congressional office.

My heart aches for folks who arent able to conceive children naturally, Rosendale told HuffPost. The problem is that this procedure produces somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.3 million eggs a year, of which about 800,000 of them are fertilized and only somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 are being implanted and utilized. They come to fruition as children  full-grown birth children.

Matt Rosendale digging in on anti-IVF stance with posters outside of his office pic.twitter.com/1sYXWmp5Mw  Liz Elkind (@liz_elkind) June 27, 2024

Allowing federal funding for IVF, Rosendale claimed, amounts to promoting an industry that literally kills more children than Planned Parenthood each year.

Rather than allow a vote on Rosendales measure to put themselves on the record as supporters of IVF, Republicans omitted it from the list of defense bill amendments that will receive floor votes.

Republican leaders have said they dont think Congress needs to act on IVF, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) pointed to Rosendales comments as evidence that the GOP is trying to do away with it.

Watch what they do, not what they say, Schumer said. IVF is very much under threat. Democrats will not stop fighting to protect IVF access.

In vitro fertilization became a massive political issue this year after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos are children, jeopardizing the states IVF industry, alarming prospective parents and prompting former President Donald Trump to promise he would strongly support the availability of IVF. The Alabama ruling followed from the Supreme Courts 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the precedent that made abortion a federal right.

Republicans have struggled to coalesce behind a coherent position on the matter given their fierce opposition to abortion and belief in fetal personhood. While most in the GOP support IVF, many of their arguments against abortion, which include a stance that life begins when an egg is fertilized, would logically call for also eliminating or curtailing IVF services, which usually entails the destruction or disposal of unused fertilized eggs.

Earlier this month, Senate Republicans blocked legislation in the Senate that would have guaranteed access to IVF services across the country, calling it unnecessary and a political show vote. Democrats brought the bill to the floor to highlight the contrast between the two parties on reproductive rights ahead of the November elections.

Theres not a problem. Theres no restrictions on IVF, nor should there be, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said, explaining the GOPs position on the matter.

Instead, all 49 Senate Republicans signed a statement vowing to strongly support continued nationwide access to in vitro fertilization. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also sought to pass a bill that would revoke Medicaid funding to any state that enacts an outright ban on access to IVF. (Democrats blocked that measure, calling it insufficient.)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the partys campaign arm, sent out a memo to its candidates instructing them to publicly defend IVF treatments, in yet another example of the way Republicans have been playing defense on an issue that is broadly popular with voters. The NRSC is chaired by Sen. Steve Daines, the other Republican elected to represent Montana in Washington, alongside Rosendale.

Asked Thursday about his fellow Montanans public opposition to IVF, a Daines spokesperson told HuffPost the senator supports IVF access.

Rosendale, a conservative hard-liner, briefly ran for Senate in Montana before dropping out of the race after pressure from GOP leaders who feared that a contested primary would harm their effort to oust the states incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

The congressman announced in March he would not run for reelection in the House, citing false and defamatory rumors, an apparent reference to an unproven allegation by former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) that he got a staffer pregnant. A spokesperson for Rosendale at the time called the allegation 100% false and defamatory.

Asked about Republican support for IVF, Rosendale said hes trying to teach his colleagues about the procedure.

Many people are just becoming aware of the total number of embryos that are being created and what happens to ones that are implanted, Rosendale said. And so this is a very, very important educational process that were going through to make sure people are aware that essentially, theres roughly 700,000 children that are being destroyed each year.

Rosendale may be in the minority on the issue in the House, but he isnt the only conservative targeting IVF. Earlier this month, the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., voted to condemn the use of in vitro fertilization.
The vice-president of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, enthusiastically announced the diplomatic news on June 21: her government has established diplomatic relations with the People of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, that is to say, with the Taliban who took over control of Kabul in August 2021, after international troops led by the United States left the country, leaving behind scenes of desperation and terror as the fundamentalist group took back control of the land.

The government led by Daniel Ortega and his wife thus makes Nicaragua the only Western country that recognizes the Taliban regime. We have, comrades, the presentation of letters of credence already scheduled for our comrade Michael Campbell, who has received from comrade Habaitullah Akhundzada, prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the appreciated appointment as non-resident ambassador of our Nicaragua, concurrent from Beijing, in the Peoples Republic of China, Murillo said.

Campbell would be, so far, the second ambassador appointed to Afghanistan by any country in the world and recognizing the de facto authorities. To date, only China has appointed an ambassador to Kabul. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Nicaragua a positive step and hopes that bilateral relations will continue to expand in areas of mutual interest, the Taliban said in a statement. The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in China to maintain close relations with the Nicaraguan embassy in Beijing, they noted.

The majority of diplomatic missions left Afghanistan in 2021 while a few others have maintained practical relations with the Taliban, such as Turkey. These practical relationships are maintained by charges daffaires, a position that does not require diplomatic approval, which, at the same time, does not imply recognition. The Taliban regime is not recognized by the United Nations, which rejects the Taliban, among other things, for their draconian and fundamentalist policy against women.

Ambassador in Pyongyang

In December 2023, the Ortega and Murillo Administration opened a diplomatic mission in Pyongyang, North Korea, one of the most self-contained and criticized regimes in the world. These diplomatic maneuvers of the Sandinista government are part of a strategy of international alignment with totalitarian, fundamentalist, authoritarian and dictatorial regimes, such as mainland China, Iran, Belarus and Russia, to try to alleviate the international isolation that Managua is experiencing due to the serious violations of human rights attributed to the presidential couple.

International experts consulted by EL PAIS agree that this shift towards those countries, which all have the United States as their common enemy, aims to circumvent the international pressure that Washington is leading against the Ortega and Murillo regime and its continuous crimes against humanity, as denounced and documented by a United Nations Group of Experts.

Afghanistan is a theocratic state. The United States has determined that the Taliban are Specially Designated Global Terrorists by executive order 13324, explains Arturo MacFields, a former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS). Just as they do with Cuba, Russia and China are using the Nicaragua regime as an instrument of geopolitical provocation against the United States. It is a dangerous game with serious consequences.

Despite the sanctions, the United States remains Nicaraguas main trading partner. And the diplomatic relations that Managua has opened up with these regimes, especially with China, are not economically significant compared with its trade with Washington. In that sense, the most notable thing is a free trade agreement signed with China in December 2023 but which, according to official figures, does not compare with the one signed with the United States. In the first half of 2023, Nicaragua made exports to China worth $6.7 million. In the same period of time, its exports to the United States reached almost $1 billion.

McFields assures that the Chinese have seized strategic resources in Afghanistan such as lithium, copper, oil and critical infrastructure. By opening the doors wide to the Taliban regime, Nicaragua is scaring away investors, dividing Central America, generating chaos, uncertainty and poverty, said the former Sandinista ambassador.

Typical, but unfortunate

The person in charge of Latin American affairs at the U.S. Department of State, Brian Nichols, described the decision to open diplomatic relations with the Taliban as typical, but regrettable. What can one say? he asked himself in Asuncion, Paraguay, where he was participating at the OAS General Assembly.

Nicaraguan critics and opponents insist that these diplomatic moves by the Ortega-Murillo family expose the country to more international sanctions due to the various implications, especially the flow of irregular migration that, since 2021, has found in Managua airport a springboard to reach the U.S. Washington reported two weeks ago that eight terrorists from Tajikistan were captured in the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The men are suspected of having connections to the terrorist group ISIS.

It is a real threat to the United States (...) Nicaragua has received in the last 12 months more than 1,000 flights with migrants from Libya, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and a dozen countries with totalitarian or terrorist regimes. Afghanistan could even receive visa-free status, McFields warned.

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Theres been a lot of chatter about how two very old men will be sufficiently jacked-up before Thursdays presidential debate. But as an expert on debateshaving successfully advised candidates including Scott Walker (in his recall election), Carly Fiorina (in her Senate race), and multiple British politicians on debate tricks and tacticsId like to suggest a different form of debate prep.

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden should get a legitimately funny professional comedian in the room with them, and do it now.

While much debate prep focuses on ensuring a candidate can fluently discuss his or her policyand a little bit on delivering zingers that take down the other guythe moments that tend to stick in viewers memories for days, weeks, months, and years after a debate are the ones where someone made a great point by being, well, funny.

Michael Ian Black: We Know the Debate Is Total Bullshit, but Well Watch Anyway

Anyone who watched 1984s Ronald Reagan/Walter Mondale debate will remember Reagans rather funny line about not exploiting his opponents youth and inexperience for political purposes. That was great, not just because it countered a major knock on Reagan (his age), but because it made people laugh.

When people laugh along with a candidate, they tend to associate that experience with whatever or whoever provoked the emotion. Its a positive thing.

Candidates, often being the major league dorks that they are, dont always realize this. Their advisers, also being major league dorks, policy wonks, or ideologues, also often fail to realize it. And if they do get it, they worry about whether a candidates joke might be perceived as inappropriate or not befitting a future [insert prospective job title for the politician in question].

If, God forbid, the candidate accidentally makes a funny, the advisers shut it down, preferring the candidate sticks to talking points gleaned from a think tanks policy white paper that they find fascinating.

But the rest of America does not.

This was an issue for Marco Rubio in 2016. Ive spoken with Rubio advisers and big donors who honestly think that his set to repeat moment in the 2016 New Hampshire debate was better and more dignified for him than when he got into the back-and-forth about Donald Trumps hands, as well as his ability to do yoga in other contexts, during the same cycle.

These people are wrong. Not only were those some of the only moments where Rubio got on the radar of a broad spectrum of voters the way a media-savvy, cant take your eyes off of him Donald Trump has been doing since approximately age threethey actually made Rubio seem more normal and likable to people who dont wear cashmere two-pieces with pearls to high dollar fundraisers. But those regular folks do, in fact, voteespecially if they feel someone interesting enough is on the ballot.

Trump also largely gets the utility of humor andironically for a guy who has an ego approximately the size of Jupiterhas leaned into self-deprecation over the course of his career.

The old clip of him motorboating Rudy Giuliani in drag is legitimately funny. Trump letting Jimmy Fallon mess up his hair was hilarious (also, extraordinarily useful for putting to bed notions that he just had to be wearing a wig). Trumps 2016 Al Smith dinner joke, Im told Hillary went to confession before tonights event, but the priest was having a hard time, when he asked about her sins, and she said she couldnt remember 39 times, unsurprisingly pissed off Clinton fans. But it was actually funny.

Trumps Debate Prep Is Whining and Making Stuff Up

Democrats recently went nuts over Trump citing the late, great Hannibal Lecter, and reciting the Im having an old friend for dinner line. But a lot of people hear that line from the film and both wince and laugh at the same timebecause phrases that have double meanings often do make us laugh.

The trouble with Trump is that as hes become less accepted by Hollywood, the medialets say writ large the cool kids in Americahe has developed a much bigger chip on his shoulder, and now inclines more towards mean than funny.

Meanor perhaps rather tough, too, has its place in politicsespecially when youre trying to deliver a knockout blow to an opponent in a debate.

For this exact reason, while working as a communications consultant for former Texas Gov. Rick Perrys 2012 presidential campaign, I once told senior staff that they should scupper all debate prep, and just put Perry on the phone with Rudy Giuliani and write down and memorize every mean, harsh thing Rudy could say about Mitt Romney. Then, I advised, Perry should repeat it all in the next debate. (Unfortunately, this advice was generally treated as a joke by fellow advisers, which it most definitely was not.)

It really is important that, wherever possible, you get in good digs at your opponent, ideally knocking them off balance and forcing them into errors they didnt believe they could possibly make.

But humor still works bettereven when it turns out that the thing you were joking about was no laughing matter.

Supreme Court to MAGA: Your Social Media Conspiracy Dreams Are Bunk

Speaking of Romney, just ask him. Setting aside that he spent the whole of 2012 as the dorkier of the two candidates who legitimately did struggle to get laughs, Im pretty sure neither he, nor we, nor Barack Obama, will now ever forget Obamas line about Romneys position on Russia, when he said the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back. Great zinger.

Everyone laughed at the time, even those of us who absolutely agreed with Romney and disagreed with Obama. Of course, now its also memorable because even if Romney wasnt funny, he was absolutely right.

But, ideally, to win a debate, a candidate should be both.

With all the double-hater voters out there, it would be smart of Trump and Biden to ensure they are seen as at least one of these thingsand for most Americans, funny is probably less of a stretch goal than correct.

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Editors Note: Michael Brown is the global director of counter-narcotics technology at Rigaku Analytical Devices. His career as a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spanned more than 32 years and saw him involved in the interdiction of multi-ton amounts of marijuana in the United States and overseas. Most recently he was the DEA Headquarters staff coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

The Biden administration is moving toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, which will foreseeably embolden Mexican cartels and Chinese legal growing operations to generate millions in profit while creating greater strains on law enforcement and increasing health-related risks, from severe depression to impairing psychosis.

Michael Brown - Courtesy Christy Bell

The Justice Department moved forward last month with the rulemaking process to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug, which includes substances with high potential for abuse such as heroin, to a Schedule III drug, which is defined as having moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence and includes substances such as testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.

If it is approved, marijuana will still be regulated, but the rules would not be as strict as they are now. Currently, medical marijuana is legal in 38 US states, and recreational use is legal in 24 states. These state laws have led to the growth of a $30 billion industry.

The federal reclassification of marijuana would most likely be popular among many people who support the open use of marijuana, especially young people.

However, popularity doesnt mean the product is safe: The Department of Health and Human Services recommended the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassification, but there are inescapable health risks associated with regular marijuana use including a higher risk of stroke and heart attacks; negative impacts on attention, memory and learning in young people; an increased risk of developing schizophrenia; and harm to fetal brain development.

The number of daily marijuana users is now higher than the number of people who consume alcohol daily. While alcohol can also be abused (as regulations on sale and consumption reflect), there is increasing evidence from serious long-term effects of high-potency THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis plant) marijuana use such as cardiac and lung problems.

Health concerns, especially among the African American population, are reason enough to object to the reclassification of marijuana as a Schedule III drug. Unfortunately, many people are choosing the grandiosity effect of smoking weed over the established health risks.

A big business opportunity for cartels

Proponents of open domestic marijuana markets say that allowing the growth and sale of marijuana and associated products in the United States promises to raise more taxes and impair Mexican cartels that have been smuggling the drug into America for years. In fiscal year 2023, marijuana outpaced all other types of drugs seized by US Customs and Border Protection.

Instead of being hamstrung by a new marijuana rule, however, the cartels will adapt their business strategy to take advantage of the rule and use it to make more money, which they will in turn use to fund the spread of deadly narcotics such as fentanyl.

Based on my 32 years of experience dealing with narcotics domestically and internationally, it is clear to me that the cartels will simply continue to adapt and evolve around new federal regulations, ensuring that their profit margins continue to increase.

The cartels already have numerous illegal marijuana-growing operations on the West Coast of the US that are undercutting the legal cannabis market and have been doing so for a while. As cannabis becomes more in demand, the illicit market would also increase to meet what I believe will be a cannabis gold rush.

Based on historical actions of the cartels, it can be anticipated that they will establish front companies and invest in legal marijuana farming in states where it is legal to grow and sell marijuana, such as California and Maine, while simultaneously increasing their illegal production.

Marijuana sales are mostly cash-based, but rescheduling the drug will open the door to numerous legal and illegal cryptocurrency accounts and provide federal banking access to the new millions in profits being generated. This will enable the cartels to launder millions in untraceable cash, making it harder to regulate the industry. The cartels are already capitalizing on the crypto market to launder the proceeds of their fentanyl sales; they would most likely reinvest legal profits from marijuana sales back into their cocaine, heroin and fentanyl operations.

These profits will enable cartels to procure from countries such as China more precursor chemicals needed to make synthetic drugs, which will be exported to Mexican cartels clandestine laboratories to be turned into fentanyl or methamphetamine before being smuggled into America.

The production, smuggling and sale of dangerous and more profitable narcotics into America is an expensive but lucrative business. Costs incurred in this addiction supply chain include paying for and transporting the precursor chemicals, producing the narcotics, hiring smugglers to transport the contraband into America, potentially bribing officials on both sides of the border, distributing drugs inside the US and fueling inner-city violence as drug markets expand. They also must pay protection teams to look after their product and the cash profits.

Reclassifying marijuana means that instead of risking losing vast amounts of product or cash to law enforcement operations, cartels would have greater opportunities to openly transfer money in and out of the country as law enforcement operations will increasingly be redirected to other issues seen as more pressing.

Moreover, profits from marijuana sales will be used to support the supply chains for other cartel businesses, including human trafficking and sex trafficking. It will also give them safe operational bases within the country because their growing facilities will be viewed as legitimate businesses and thus attract less attention from officials. This also reduces some of their supply chain costs  its a winning strategy for the cartels.

In this photo illustration, dried cannabis flowers are displayed on April 30, 2024, in San Anselmo, California. - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

International and local investments

The Mexican cartels would not be the only beneficiaries of cannabis trading under the proposed DEA reclassification.

Chinese companies  potentially backed by their government  are already heavily invested in cannabis production in America, controlling most of the illegal marijuana farms. A less-restricted market will allow them to expand rapidly throughout the country. Additionally, from what Ive seen, the number of smaller cash-based businesses run by Chinese nationals in the US could potentially provide an additional money laundering route for any organizations illegal production.

A license to produce marijuana can be very expensive, favoring organizations with the resources to start large cannabis facilities. If marijuana is reclassified and fees to legally operate remain high, more smaller growers will likely appear and operate illegally, especially indoor farms, which will add to the amount of illegal cannabis and related products available.

Chinese-owned cannabis farms in the US have been found to be staffed by undocumented Chinese immigrants. This is a form of human trafficking that results in indentured labor at slave wages, with the migrants too afraid to complain or seek help from authorities. And naturally, with human trafficking comes sex trafficking and drug abuse, further exacerbating problems for at-risk workers and law enforcement in the surrounding communities.

The impact on law enforcement

From a law enforcement perspective, while the number of people being arrested for personal possession of marijuana has been declining over the years, the pressure on law enforcement is likely to increase if marijuana is reclassified.

Cannabis plantations are likely to spread beyond the historic marijuana-growing region in California called the Emerald Triangle (Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties). The spread of growing operations to new or underdeveloped areas will make it a national law enforcement issue to find unlawful growers and distributors who supply unregulated products.

Police departments will also face the risks to officers associated with addressing the increase in human trafficking and, of course, the dangers of challenging drug dealers, users and distributors. Marijuana may not be as dangerous to the user as fentanyl, but the cartels will remain brutal and violent in their quest for profit.

These enforcement concerns intersect with the documented health effects of marijuana use. Officers will likely be called on to respond to a growing number of domestic mental health calls due to cannabis-induced psychosis, particularly as consumers demand higher-potency products. (And given that 1 in 5 people fatally shot by police suffer from mental illness, these calls could possibly result in more fatal shootings, especially among communities of color.) Those predisposed to psychoses and schizophrenia may succumb to uncontrolled hallucinations and irrational behaviors as a result of using marijuana with a high percentage of THC.

American citizens will also feel the impact of more marijuana flooding the market on the streets and highways of their hometowns. We already see about 37 fatalities per day due to drunk driving. Imagine how this number of needless deaths will increase when more people are impaired by marijuana and cant concentrate or react in time, or if they hallucinate while behind the wheel.

Opening the market to the production and sale of marijuana in all its forms will result in an ever-expanding usage problem for society. Those who dont smoke may try it because it is supposedly safe and readily available, those who partake irregularly may become regular users and this supposedly harmless, feel-good substance will spread like wildfire, especially in the poorest communities that can least afford the drug itself or afford the consequences.

Components of marijuana, such as CBD (cannabidiol) and THC, have medical uses, such as pain relief, preventing seizures and more  when professionally manufactured and used under medical supervision. It is not, however, safe for general, regular consumption, especially if there are relaxed regulations allowing for legal sale of stronger products.

We all aspire to live in a progressive society where peace and safety prevail. However, this can only be achieved by safeguarding the vulnerable and less educated from the destructive operations of cartels who prioritize profits over ethics. Despite the allure of tax revenues or how well a reclassification of marijuana may score in a poll, those making the rules must not allow unrestricted and unopposed cartel activities that aim to harm the fabric of our society.

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Jill Filipovic is the author of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness.

Thursdays presidential debate will pit the two oldest-ever candidates for president against each other. Despite being nearly the same age, Donald Trump has tried to paint Joe Biden as elderly and doddering, and voters also seem to worry more about Bidens age than Trumps. And though Trumps angry grandpa persona makes for entertaining television, it doesnt necessarily instill confidence.

Ever since FDR hid his wheelchair from the public, presidents and presidential candidates have understood that TV is a visual medium, and aesthetics matter. But perhaps no two presidential candidates have gone to such lengths to broadcast youth and vitality to the American public, even as they enter their ninth decades.

Candidates Who Are Actually Funny Usually Win Debates

Part of this is simple vanity. But its also our social, cultural, and political reality. Male politicians are lucky in many wayslike how they can be outwardly slovenly and still taken seriously, while also being allowed to age in public and see their gravitas grow.

While men get several extra decades that arent generally afforded to women, this election suggests that even their time comes, too. There comes a time when distinguished elder statesman declines simply into old man.

Which is why both Biden and Trump are raging against their own mortality.

President Joe Biden Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Biden, to his credit, doesnt exactly project youth, but he does look damn good for 81. His suits fit well, and though he moves and talks a little slower than he used to, hes trim and in good physical shape. He hasnt dyed his hair a ridiculous color, even if his veneers are a bit ridiculously white. His facial work, perhaps Botox, seems to be doing a lot of work, but even at his age he appears far less injected than your average Fox News anchor. Could he ease up on the facial freeze? Probablybut then wed never hear the end of Bidens wrinkle analysis. And judging from his clothes alone, the man knows the power of a timeless look (if only he could wear his signature aviator sunglasses to the debate).

Trump is hanging onto his youth a little differently, with carroty spray tans, white under-eyes, and a notoriously bizarre and gravity-defying swirl of a thinning canary coif. He is not a man who appears physically well, and it should not surprise anyone who looks at him that he has subsisted on fast food and well-done steaks. Despite being spectacularly rich and famously vain, no one has ever accused him of being stylish, or even of wearing clothes that fit properly. Im not an esthetician, but I suspect there isnt enough Botox in the world to relax Trumps long-cultivated scowl lines. If Biden is trying to preserve, Trump is trying to project an imagealthough what, exactly, is said by his sour-lemon expression and ombre-orange cranial color scheme is unclear.

The men approach aging with differences in actions, too. Biden has long positioned himselfby all accounts honestlyas a family man, and now hes the patriarch of a sprawling clan. His persona hinges on him being a loyal husband, a loving father (even when his children behave badly), and a doting grandfather. He captures a particular kind of good-guy masculinity: The strong provider who is never too tough to give his kids a hug.

Joe Bidens Aging Is Treated Much More Harshly Than Ronald Reagans Was

Trump, on the other hand, isnt anyones genteel fantasy grandpa; he more resembles many of our actual Fox News Grandpas. His family has been folded into his political rise, but theres little evidence of paternal warmth; one has a hard time imagining Trump bouncing a grandchild on his knee, or even remembering each of their names.

In the same way he largely left parenting up to his three wives, he seems to also have rejected the role of grandfathera coldness that would hurt many politicians but instead cements the view that Trump is young enough for the White House, while Biden is not. That Trump is married to a woman nearly a quarter-century his junior, has a teenage child with her and is essentially never seen with his grandchildren only reinforces this image, while its distastefulness is broadly overlooked by supporters who are happy to forgive Trump of anything and liberal opponents who are hesitant to criticize less-than-traditional family situations and romantic decisions.

The scrutiny over Bidens age and the relative lack of scrutiny over Trumps is less about how either of these men is working with what theyve got, how distinguished and professional either of them looks, the steps theyre taking to appear younger, their actual abilities, or even their numerical ages; the scrutiny is more about vibes.

Former President Donald Trump Samuel Corum/Getty Images

And that is where Trump has a real advantage, because a great many Americans seem to read unhinged rage-frothing as youthful vigorand, more dangerously, put perceived vigor ahead of clear competence.

There is something unseemly about picking apart candidates looks. Female politicians, after all, have been subjected to endless criticism of their bodies, their clothes, their hair, their weight, their wrinkles, their suspected cosmetic procedures, and on and on. Putting men under the same microscope feels less like equality than watching men gain ground in a race to the bottom.

But its also true that appearance matters for public figures, whether we want it to or not, and it especially matters when voters have the candidates ages near the top of their concerns.

Trumps Debate Prep Is Whining and Making Stuff Up

It's easy to write this off as ageism, and indeed, judging a persons fitness for a job on the basis of how old they look (or how old they try not to look) is straight-up discrimination.

But there is plentiful evidence that cognition and energy really do decline with age. Appearance is not a good metric of cognitive health. But the way a person appears, moves, and speaks gives a generalized impression of their sharpness. Wishing it werent true doesnt make it so. And wondering about the wisdom of putting an octogenarian in office is a valid concern. American voters really do deserve better than two elderly men vying for the most important role in the world.

Unfortunately, though, these are the elderly men weve got, and no matter who wins, he will be into his 80s when he leaves office (assuming the next president lives that long). And tonight, both will be hoping they look good enough that the audience doesnt start doing that math.

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Juan Diego student Elizabeth Cruz gets emotional during public comment during a House Education Committee hearing about HB215 at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. The bill would create the Utah Fits All Scholarships, which would link a teacher salary increase to a school choice program. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Children learn differently, so Tooele mom Maria Ruiz pays attention to individual needs  she sends her son and daughter to separate private schools in Draper. The arrangement works well, but money for tuition is tight.

Her husband recently suffered a stroke and cannot work, and her income as a restaurant manager is modest. Over the years, she has cleaned houses, sold baked goods and taken a second restaurant job to close the gap. But the family still struggles to pay bills.

Relief came in May 2024, when both her children received Utah Fits All Scholarships. State lawmakers approved the education savings account, or ESA, program in January 2023, and the inaugural payouts will start during the 2024-25 school year.

Recipients will receive up to $8,000 annually to offset K-12 costs like tuition, books, tutoring, transportation and extracurriculars. The idea is to level the playing field, ending an educational monopoly that traps thousands of Utah families in a one-size-fits-all system.

When I first heard about the program, I was so excited, Ruiz said.

Many Utah families felt the same way. The state received 27,270 requests for 10,000 slots, forcing program managers to turn away nearly two-thirds of applicants.

The high demand should send a message to Utah public schools. Parents know their children best, and many families want additional educational options. Some parents like Ruiz are even willing to work extra hours to give their children an escape.

She tried to fit her family into the mold when her son reached fourth grade. Hoping to save money on tuition, she switched him from private school to the public elementary school in her neighborhood. She did what she could to support him as an active parent, but he struggled.

Class sizes were too big for one-on-one attention, teachers did not seem to care about getting to know her family and her son experienced bullying. Soon, she saw his social skills suffer, so she ended the public school experiment after one year and returned to private education.

The Utah Fits All Scholarships will help her children stay where they are thriving. If teachers unions put children first, they would be happy for Ruiz and leave her family alone. Instead, a member of the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Education Association, the states largest teachers union, filed a lawsuit on May 29 to end the ESA program.

These industry insiders like having control over a $7.7 billion dollar system. They want a captive audience. All Ruiz wants is choice.

Its heartbreaking that the teachers union is trying to take the program away from us, Ruiz says.

Rather than watch from the sidelines, she and another parent filed a motion on June 4 to intervene as defendants in the lawsuit and fight for the Utah Fits All Scholarships. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, represents them through Partnership for Educational Choice, a joint project with EdChoice.

The case concerns ESAs, an increasingly popular tool in the school choice movement. Besides Utah, 12 states already operate ESAs. Some of these states limit access to students with special needs or students from lower-income households. Other states, including Arizona, Florida and Utah, allow universal access.

Teachers unions dislike the flexibility for parents that ESAs create. They worry that public funds might go to support private schools, which they consider illegal. What they misunderstand or ignore is that parents, not the government, make decisions with ESAs. The funds in an ESA are spent by parents on the educational option they choose.

The Institute for Justice has successfully defended ESAs in state after state, most recently in North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. These programs are constitutional and regularly upheld by state supreme courts. They are also empowering for families.

All Utah students deserve the opportunity for a quality education, says Thomas Fisher, EdChoice vice president and litigation director. Utah was right to prioritize student needs over a state monopoly.

Ruiz was desperate for help, and state lawmakers stepped up. Now the courts must do the same.

Arif Panju is a managing attorney and Daryl James is a writer at the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia.
A new Supreme Court opinion stands to reopen wounds for families whose loved ones have been affected by the opioid drug crisis and who disagree on what justice should look like.

The court Thursday threw out a high-profile pharmaceutical settlement worth billions of dollars over a technical question on bankruptcy law. Despite the technicalities, the outcome of the 5-4 decision is deeply personal for the thousands of families of drug overdose victims.

The upended settlement with the Sackler family, which made its fortune selling the drug that fueled an epidemic, will have sweeping implications for states that intended to use settlement money for drug treatment programs. The family had agreed to pay $6 billion to opioid epidemic victims in exchange for being shielded from future civil lawsuits.

Challenging a practice used before in major bankruptcies related to harms caused by asbestos and silicone breast implants, the Justice Department stepped in to question if the Sacklers could be shielded from future lawsuits.

The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen in Washington, U.S., May 20, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

She lost her son and wants Purdue to pay

Lynn Wencus' son, Jeff, died at 33 after years of opioid addiction.

Wencus told USA TODAY last fall, before the Court issued its opinion, that she thought the settlement would do more good than harm for victims like her son.

"Do I want to see them rot in hell? Absolutely," said Wencus, 70 years old at the time and living in Massachusetts. "But if we can get this money and put it into treatment the right way, then we are saving lives."

Like other supporters of the deal, Wencus was not sure if a better agreement could be reached. The vast majority of known opioid victims and their families backed the settlement.

Edward Neiger, a lawyer who represents 60,000 victims of the opioid crisis, including Wencus, called it "a victim's plan" and said the appeal was "not hurting the Sacklers  it's helping them."

More: Supreme Court throws out multi-billion dollar settlement with Purdue over opioid crisis

This mom doesn't want the Sackler family to 'walk away' unscathed

Ellen Isaacs shares a story eerily similar to that of Wencus  her son, Ryan, went through years of addiction, struggling to find treatment and died at the age of 33.

But Isaacs did not share in Wencus' support for the Sacklers settlement.

"It's absolutely absurd that they think they're just going to be able to walk away with their wealth intact," Isaacs, then 58, told USA TODAY last year.

Opponents, like Isaacs, had questioned the scope of support for the deal and raised the issue of future victims. For instance, under the agreement, a teenager who lost their parents to opioids would have been barred from bringing a claim when she reached adulthood.

More: In McKinsey opioid settlement, company will pay $23M to schools for role pushing OxyContin

Some commend the decision

Ed Bisch, who lost his son Eddie to an overdose in 2001 and has been at the forefront of a fight to hold the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma accountable, said the decision brought relief, but not total joy.

A pharmacist holds OxyContin pills made by Purdue Pharma at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S., May 9, 2019.

My son is dead, and everyone who fought against (the bankruptcy), our friends and relatives are not here, Bisch, who lives in Westampton, N.J., said. But I called this bankruptcy a scam as soon as I read that the Sacklers were looking for immunity from financial accountability.

Asked about families whod hoped money from opioid settlements might be used by states to combat the opioid epidemic, Bisch admitted that he and his fellow activists debated and agreed to disagree.

But, he added, If we thought for one second that this deal would have turned the tide of the epidemic, we would have reluctantly made the deal with the devil. We dont believe this would have turned the tide at all.

Now, Bisch said, hes hoping the Justice Department will take up a criminal case against the Sacklers and others who he said are responsible for the opioid epidemic.

More: OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma admits role in opioid epidemic, pleads guilty to federal charges

A shared sense of betrayal

Decision-makers in the heart-wrenching debate weighed in on the ramifications.

"Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in dissent for Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority opinion that also included Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Sackler family said in a statement they "remain hopeful about reaching a resolution that provides substantial resources to help combat a complex public health crisis."

"The unfortunate reality is that the alternative is costly and chaotic legal proceedings in courtrooms across the country," the family wrote. "While we are confident that we would prevail in any future litigation given the profound misrepresentations about our families and the opioid crisis, we continue to believe that a swift negotiated agreement to provide billions of dollars for people and communities in need is the best way forward."

Still, Wencus and Isaacs have found common ground outside the court case.

Both believe the government isn't doing enough to combat addiction. Isaacs said officials should mobilize to distribute the overdose reversal drug Narcan, and Wencus said she believes the country must embrace safe-injection sites where people who are addictedcan use drugs in a controlled setting and more easily access treatment.

And both said they are fighting to honor the memory of their sons.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY; Bart Jansen, USA TODAY; Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY; and John Fritze.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court blocks opioid settlement, shaking divided families
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the first day of a two-day EU summit in Brussels. A two-day EU summit began in Brussels on Tuesday, where EU leaders will address a range of political and economic issues, including the war in Ukraine, and are expected to approve the names of candidates for top posts in EU institutions. Jaroslav Novak/TASR/dpa

The three-group coalition backing Ursula von der Leyen's second term doesn't reflect the results of the European Parliament elections, Hungarian Prime Minister told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.

The coalition consists of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and the centrist Renew.

The EPP and the S&D respectively came first and second in the elections, but Renew came fourth, behind the conservative and mildly-eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

"It's not based on the merit of the election. If it would be based on the merit of election, that would be EPP, socialist, and ECR, which is the number three," Orban said. "But instead of ECR, it's Renew, which a clear evidence that this is a party-based deal. Shameful."

Orban's party in Hungary, Fidesz, is not affiliated to any political group in the European Parliament.

While Fidesz enjoys friendly relations with some ECR parties - such as Poland's Law and Justice Party - other ECR members, such as Belgium's New Flemish Alliance, have refused to countenance admitting Fidesz into the group.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives on the first day of a two-day EU summit in Brussels. A two-day EU summit began in Brussels on Tuesday, where EU leaders will address a range of political and economic issues, including the war in Ukraine, and are expected to approve the names of candidates for top posts in EU institutions. Jaroslav Novak/TASR/dpa
Orban and Zelenskyy have charged conversation on sidelines of EU summit after shaking hands  video

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has approached President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU summit. The two leaders shook hands and then had a charged conversation.

Source: footage of the broadcast from Brussels, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Judging by the broadcast from the meeting room where the EU leaders and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was invited to their meeting, were present, Viktor Orban himself approached the president of Ukraine and shook hands with him. This happened after Ukraine signed security agreements with the EU, as well as with Lithuania and Estonia.

The video does not catch the leaders topic of conversation, but it is clear that Orban and Zelenskyy's talk was quite emotionally charged. In a few days, on 1 July, Hungary will begin its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union.

#Orban approached #Zelenskyy in #Brussels for a brief talk



This is the case where you hear no words but the gestures and mimics are enough to make the video exciting to watch. pic.twitter.com/mKhhCGAuL1  UATV English (@UATV_en) June 27, 2024

Background:

Earlier, a senior EU foreign policy official told European Pravda that he believes the greatest success of the bilateral agreement between Ukraine and the EU is that it was agreed and signed despite Hungary's position.

On Thursday, European Pravda published a list of 11 demands regarding minorities that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban put forward in exchange for his agreement to support the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

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The residents of Bnei Brak, a city considered the capital of Israels ultra-Orthodox community, have no plans to don the military uniform despite the war that is rocking their country. They will continue wearing their black pants, white long-sleeved shirts, white fringes (tzitzit) hanging from the waist, kippah, and, despite the heat that prevails these days, their long black coats and hats.

We are soldiers of the Torah, says Daniel, 63, while he helps a young man who has walked into his store, which sells traditional Jewish clothing and religious objects. The Supreme Courts ruling on Tuesday ending the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews (13% out of a total Israeli population of 10 million) from serving in the army does not seem to bother the people of Bnei Brak in the least. The city is home to around 185,000 residents, of whom the vast majority are Haredi (ultra-Orthodox).

In front of the display window of Daniels establishment, on the central Rabbi Akiva Street, pedestrians walk by in clothing that leaves no room for doubt. The business owner points at them: Walk anywhere and you will see them. I think it would be an understatement if I told you that 85% of us here are ultra-Orthodox. The majority of those who are not religious are from some other place.

Not far from that spot, at mid-morning on Wednesday, hundreds of men of very different ages rocked back and forth while reading religious texts in one of the classrooms of Slabodka Yeshiva, one of the schools for the study of the Torah that dot the streets of Bnei Brak. I dont feel any special obligation, says Yehiel Nadel, a 20-year-old student who is doubtful that being a soldier and being a Haredi can be compatible. This young man does not feel personally affected by the call made by Defense authorities, who are trying to attract young religious people to special units in which they would not live with women, would enjoy special food and have more time to pray. It is necessary for them to understand our culture and its origin, he says.

Spiritual battle

Of course we have to have an army, but we also have to address the spiritual root of things. And my role is on the spiritual level, that which has protected the Jewish people for thousands of years, when we did not have an army, says Nadel. We feel that our role lies in the spiritual battle.

We do not feel represented by that court, which has deepened the rift in Israeli society, says Phineas Cohen, 28, another student at Slabodka Yeshiva. What would happen if the Supreme Court in Spain forced Catholics to be Protestants? It would be seen as an attack on religious feelings, he says, alluding to the reporters nationality.

Students at Slabodka Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, on Wednesday. Luis de Vega

So far, about 1,800 ultra-Orthodox Jews have been joining the ranks voluntarily per year, but the war in Gaza, whose end is not in sight anytime soon, is a heavy burden for the army, which has called up more than 300,000 reservists since October. After the Supreme Courts ruling, Israel hopes that some 3,000 more can be added to that quota of 1,800 ultra-Orthodox soldiers next year, although no one can really picture the authorities dragging Haredim into combat.

There will be many demonstrations, strikes and transfers to prison if the army tries to recruit the ultra-Orthodox by force, says Shilo Freid, a journalist for the newspaper Yediot Aharonot, who does not think it should be complicated to achieve the goal of 3,000 more soldiers in the coming months. Nor does he see the likelihood of ultra-Orthodox parties that support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ending their support for the government coalition. The Supreme Court ruling does not open the door to recruiting a decisive number of people, but it is being viewed as a way of ending a privilege enjoyed by those who have been dedicating themselves to the sacred scriptures since Israel was born as a State 76 years ago.

Avi Kosman, a rabbi who arrived in Israel four decades ago from the United States, does not want to talk about politics, but he does describe two worlds that openly collide, the one that studies the Torah and the Bible, and the secular one. He doesnt like to prophesy, but it is clear to him that yeshiva students are not going to go to the army, he says during a conversation surrounded by students in one of the classrooms. When he is reminded of how unpopular it is with many soldiers and their families that Haredi Jews do not serve in the army, Kosman acknowledges that this is a good approach and that they are 100% right. In any case, he affirms that he is not going to change his mind and also believes that the plan to integrate the ultra-Orthodox into the Armed Forces is not realistic.

Bnei Brak, located in the Tel Aviv metropolitan belt, has the highest population density in Israel, with more than 26,000 inhabitants per square kilometer (compared to the national average of 387). At the same time, it suffers from a high poverty rate and the highest unemployment rate (6.2% compared to the 4.1% national average). Spirituality and the fact that an important number of the most influential rabbis have been trained in the citys schools works to attract people to this place, explains Daniel, the business owner. There are those who need a physical battlefront. Others like us need the spiritual battlefront, he explains.

A street in Bnei Brak, this Wednesday. Luis de Vega

Moshe Marciano, 48, arrived in Bnei Brak from Casablanca (Morocco) as a teenager. He holds that it is the sacred scriptures that attract so many people to Israel. Look, says this student of Slobodka Yeshiva student while pointing his finger at various other students: This one is from Germany; that one from Yemen; that one from the United States; Im from Morocco Next to him, Nahum Meir, 65, knows that he is not going to be called up due to his age, but he sadly describes his take on things: The court has cut off the branch from which Israel was born, the Torah. Around here, every conversation leads back to that book.

There is another element that helps to understand the unique environment in Bnei Brak despite the war that has shaken the country since October 7. For several hours, this EL PAIS reporter did not come across a single soldier, something almost impossible in any other city in Israel. In Bnei Brak, the soldiers of the Torah impose their own law.

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In ordering new murder trial, judge alleges Fayette Co. prosecutor misconduct  again

An assistant Fayette County Commonwealths Attorney participated in prosecutorial misconduct and manifest injustice throughout a February murder trial, according to the presiding judge.

In a Wednesday order issued by Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman, she wrote prosecutors participated in burden-shifting during closing arguments, inserted their personal opinion, violated the Golden Rule and presented false testimony.

All these reasons, Goodman wrote in her 31-page ruling, caused her to grant a new trial for 51-year-old James Harvey Hendron.

Due to their sheer number, these errors amounted to flagrant prosecutorial misconduct, resulting in manifest injustice, Goodman wrote. ...The errors in this case were so pervasive  and the conduct of the Assistant Commonwealths Attorney so inappropriate  the court is compelled to grant the defendant a new trial.

In February, a jury convicted Hendron of murdering his 23-year-old son, Austin Hendron. At that time, the jury recommended Hendron serve a life sentence in prison for the killing.

This is the second time in the past six months Goodman has accused prosecutors of misconduct in her court. In the first instance, Goodman used the allegation to dismiss a murder indictment.

Hendrons attorney, Heather McGregor, filed a motion for her client to receive a new trial on the grounds that the commonwealth provided insufficient evidence, misleading testimony and improper arguments in prosecutors closings.

The commonwealth disagreed in its response.

Hendron was set to receive his sentencing at a June 6 hearing, but instead Goodman ordered a new trial, prompting outcry in the courtroom that led to the gallery being cleared and the judge threatening to jail the prosecutor for contempt.

The prosecutors office had previously moved  twice  to have Goodman recuse herself from the case. Both times, Goodman denied the motion.

What the allegations mean

Goodman said in her ruling the prosecutors participated in burden-shifting.

Throughout the adjudication process, the burden relies entirely on prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the accused is guilty.

Comments made during closing statements by Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Kathryn Schafer led the defense and judge to assert these claims. Goodman claims Schafer did not attempt to disprove the self-defense theories made by McGregor.

In one comment referenced by Goodman in her order, she recalled Schafers closing statement: So Im asking you all to find the Defendant guilty of murder. Not the lessers. Not the self-defense. You cant believe beyond a reasonable doubt that this defendant thought that was appropriate to use on his child.

The commonwealth contended the statements were not improper, and did not rise to the level of manifest injustice.

Goodman disagreed, and said this offense alone was enough to grant a new trial.

Fayette County District Court Judge Julie Muth Goodman

The judge also alleged Schafer violated the golden rule, which states a prosecutor cannot urge jurors to place themselves or members of their families or friends in the place of a person who has been offended, if either they or a member of their family was similarly situated.

Most egregious of the charges against prosecutors in Goodmans ruling was the allegation that Schafer elicited false and material testimony, knowing the testimony was false.

...The commonwealth knew, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that its own witnesses were lying under oath, and made no attempt to correct their testimony, Goodman wrote.

Commonwealths Attorney Kimberly Baird said Thursday she has not had not yet read Goodmans motion, but was aware of the disparaging remarks.

I have not had the opportunity to read the judges entire opinion, but I am aware of the disparaging remarks she has included regarding our office and the manner in which we prosecuted this case, Baird told the Herald-Leader. I will review the opinion in full and determine how best to proceed.

Previous ruling alleges misconduct

This is the most recent instance of the commonwealth and Goodmans court locking horns regarding the methods used in trying cases.

Since December, the commonwealth and Goodman have had a consistent back and forth after Goodman tossed a man murder indictment and claimed the prosecution had participated in prosecutorial misconduct.

In December 2023, Goodman dismissed the case against Cornell Denmark Thomas II, 37, who was accused of causing the car crash near Leestown Road that killed 50-year-old Tammy Botkin of Lexington.

Goodman cited evidence was not presented over a two year period which spoke to Thomas acting wantonly or intentionally in the crime. Her original ruling in the Thomas case alleged a pattern of misconduct and systemic racial bias by prosecutors.

The commonwealth also asked for an appeal on this decision. On June 18, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced in a press release that he believed Goodman had overstepped her authority and was supporting the appeal.

The appeal is pending.
Over 1,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded on average each day in May in Ukraine, NYT reports

More than 1,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded on average each day in May in Ukraine, the New York Times (NYT) reported on June 27, citing NATO and Western military officials.

"May was a particularly deadly month for the Russian army in Ukraine," the article read.

Russia continues to recruit 25,000 to 30,000 new soldiers a month, according to U.S. officials. This amount is enough to replenish troops as many as are exiting the battlefield and allows the Russian army to continue to carry out human wave-style attacks.

"It is a style of warfare that Russian soldiers have likened to being put into a meat grinder, with commanding officers seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are sending infantry soldiers to die," the NYT said.

This approach helped Russia capture the key cities of Avdiivka and Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast earlier. But this spring, such tactics have not succeeded in taking much land near the city of Kharkiv, the outlet said.

Russian forces achieved a crucial objective set by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian army created a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for the Ukrainians to strike deep into Russia, the NYT reported, citing American officials.

Ukraine eventually halted the Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

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"They (Russian forces) tried, and they failed. They made very small gains, and they are paying a very high price," Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, told the NYT.

While the Russian troops were carrying out the offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in May, they were losing an average of 1,200 personnel a day, according to the British military intelligence.

"Russia's use of infantry in wave attacks reflects one of its advantages in the war: its population is much larger than Ukraine's, giving it a bigger pool of potential recruits," the article read.

"But the casualties have forced Russia to ship new recruits to Ukraine relatively quickly, meaning that the soldiers sent to the front are poorly trained."

Russia has lost almost 540,000 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukraine's General Staff. This number includes both killed and injured.

Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 56,858 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Since Mediazona's last update at the end of May, the names of 2,677 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify this data.

Read also: We took out so many of them: Ukraine stabilizes Kharkiv front after brutal Russian offensive

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
OZARK, Ala (WDHN)  The Ozark-Dale County Library will close its doors for an undetermined amount of time beginning Thursday, July 18.

According to the Ozark Dale County Library, this closure is so staff can review the librarys nearly 8,000-book collection of childrens and teen books and remove any that go against the pending code and policy changes by the Alabama Public Library Services Board of Trustees.

The soon-to-be-approved policy changes, which were recommended by Governor Kay Ivey in House Bil 145, include:

a. The physical location & relocation of sexually explicit or other material inappropriate for children.

b. Advance approval of materials recommended, displayed, or otherwise actively promoted to children or youth.

c. Exercising discretion in the location of sexually explicit material or other material deemed by the public library board

to be inappropriate for children or youth does not constitute a denial of service on the basis of age. Taking age into account with recommending, displaying, or otherwise actively promoting library materials does not constitute a denial of service on the basis of age.

d. Any expenditure of public funds to the American Library Association must be approved by the governing board of the public library or public library system in an open, public meeting following advance notice.

Staff says they must comply with the changes to receive state aid, which totals approximately $45,000.

You can read the full policy changes below:

Pending-Administrative-Code-Changes-Info-SheetDownload

The Ozark Dale County Librarys Board of Trustees plans to approve the policy changes during their July 17 meeting.

During the closure, all library-sponsored programs are canceled except Chow and Scuttlebutt.

This is not the first time the Ozark-Dale County Library has dealt with controversy.

In the fall of 2023, the library was at risk of losing funding from the city of Ozark when Mayor Mark Blankenship said he wanted all LGBTQ books removed from shelves in the childrens and young adult section or suffer the consequences.

RELATED: Ozark-Dale County Library board strengthens policy after month long controversial book battle

At the time, LGBTQ books comprised less than 5% of the young adult section, which is 80 books out of more than 1,600.

Similar issues have arisen at other Alabama libraries, and supporters have said its important for young adults to see and read about all kinds of people and to create a safe space for everybody.

Many libraries in Alabama have come under fire from the government over books containing age-appropriate and sexual content.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
The vast majority of incumbent state lawmakers in contested primaries will advance past Tuesdays primary election, but at least two appear headed for defeat and a handful of others are in races that are still too close to call.

In the biggest upset of the night, incumbent Rep. Jeffrey Stenquist, R-Draper, was trounced by challenger Cal Roberts, a member of the Draper City Council, in the Republican primary for Utah's state House District 46.

Stenquist is the chairman of the Legislature's House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee and serves on the board of the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, which oversees the redevelopment of the site of the old Utah State Prison in Draper. A member of the Legislature since 2019, Stenquist has only 28% of the vote, as of Wednesday afternoon, compared to 72% for Roberts.

Roberts and Stenquist both qualified for the primary election by collecting signatures, but Roberts got nearly 90% of the delegate vote at the Salt Lake County GOP nominating convention on April 13. Roberts, a Brigham Young University alum and former private equity professional, is running unopposed in the general election.

A longtime Democratic lawmaker also appears to be on the outs, after public defender Grant Miller posted nearly 50% of the vote in a three-person race for the party nomination for state House District 24. Miller beat out Rep. Joel Briscoe, a teacher, and Ramon Barthelemy, a physics professor at the University of Utah.

Briscoe has represented Salt Lake City since he was appointed in 2010.

Two incumbent lawmakers are also locked in tight races against challengers. Rep. Christine Watkins, R-Price, leads challenger Thomas Hansen by 105 votes in the Republican primary for state House District 67, and Sen. Don Ipson, R-St. George, leads Chad Bennion 52.47% to 47.53% in the Senate District 29 race.

Who advanced in other races?

Several candidates advanced in other races this cycle, either challenging incumbent members of the opposing party or seeking to replace an outgoing incumbent who is stepping down or seeking higher office.

In the closest race of the day, Fred Cox leads Dave Parke by only 47 votes in the GOP primary for House District 30 with about 70% of the vote counted. The winner of that race will face Jake Fitisemanu, the winner of the Democratic convention, in the November general election.

Rep. Judy Weeks Rohner, R-West Valley City, currently represents District 30, though she did not file for reelection.

Scott Cuthbertson also holds a narrow lead over Amber Shill in the GOP primary for Senate District 15. Cuthbertson currently has 40.27%, followed by Shill (37.79%) and Steve Aste (21.93%). The winner will face incumbent Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights.

David Atkin leads Taylor Bunot in the House District 21 GOP primary, where the winner will advance to face incumbent Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City.

After Rep. Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, announced he would challenge Gov. Spencer Cox this year, Hoang Nguyen won the Democratic primary to fill his District 23 seat. Nguyen will face Republican Scott Romney in November.

Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, is another incumbent who is not seeking reelection in the 42nd District. Clint Okerlund currently has a narrow lead over Chad Westover in the Republican primary to replace Spendlove, trailed by Michael Marker. Travis Smith is the Democratic nominee for Spendlove's seat.

Tracy Miller leads Rich Cunningham by about 400 votes in the Republican primary in District 45. Rep. Susan Pulsipher, R-South Jordan, is not running for reelection, and the winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Sara Cimmers.

Lisa Shepherd is running ahead of Travis Hoban in the GOP race for House District 61, which is currently held by Rep. Marsha Judkins, R-Provo. Judkins is not seeking reelection, and the Republican winner will be unopposed in November.

The race to replace Rep. Phil Lyman, R-Blanding, in House District 69 is also still too close to call, with Logan Monson narrowly leading Lynn Jackson by fewer than 100 votes on the Republican side. The winner will face Democrat Davina Smith.

Lyman left his seat to run for governor, and was defeated by Cox in the Republican primary on Tuesday night.
Palestinians say several killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza City

A Palestinian child pictured around the damaged buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Al-Sabra neighborhood, Central of Gaza City. Hadi Daoud/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Seven people have been killed in Israeli army attacks on targets in Gaza City, the Hamas-controlled civil defence forces said on Thursday.

Dozens more Palestinians had been injured in the bombardment of the Shejaiya neighbourhood, it added. Palestinian media reported heavy attacks on the area.

The information could not be independently verified.

The Israeli army said it was unable to confirm the information, when asked for comment.

Earlier, the army had called on residents of several neighbourhoods in Gaza City to leave, in what is usually a sign of imminent new Israeli military operations in the area.

All residents and displaced persons were urged to immediately leave the districts of Shejaiya, al-Turkuman and Tuffah and move to an area designated as a "humanitarian zone" in the south of the coastal region, according to a call published in Arabic by an Israeli military spokesman on Thursday.

According to the health authority controlled by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, at least 37,765 people have been killed and another 86,429 injured in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war. The figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified.

The war was triggered by the October 7 massacre in Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed by Hamas terrorists and other groups.

A Palestinian child inspects the damage of buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Al-Sabra neighborhood, Central of Gaza City. Hadi Daoud/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Palestinian people inspect the damage of buildings after Israeli airstrikes in Al-Sabra neighborhood, Central of Gaza City. Hadi Daoud/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed the step that Palm Springs city staff said conforms to the city's general plan.

"Forever Marilyn" is one step closer to planting her feet in the middle of Museum Way after a decision by the Palm Springs Planning Commission on Wednesday.

The 4-0 vote sets the stage for the city to allow the 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe to permanently remain in its place despite years of pushback. It represents a win for PS Resorts, a hotel industry group which owns the statue and has advocated for its placement, while providing a setback for the Committee to Relocate Marilyn, a group of residents who have sued the city in an attempt to force the statue to be moved.

Without making any comments, commissioners voted to recommend the city council vacate the portion of Museum Way on which "Forever Marilyn" stands.

In a memo to the commission, the Engineering Services Department said the permanent vacation of Museum Way fell in line with the city's general plan.

The Forever Marilyn statue looks from the distance as VillageFest patrons explore different vendors in downtown Palm Springs, Calif., Thursday, May 9, 2024.

Members of the Board of Directors for PS Resorts did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

The vote is the latest in a series of actions the city has taken to ensure the statue can legally stay in place. In December, the council voted 4-1 in favor of amending the Downtown Palm Springs Specific Plan in regards to Museum Way, opening the door to keeping the "Forever Marilyn" statue in its current location permanently.

The action was in part an attempt to counteract one of the arguments in the lawsuit against the city, which claimed Palm Springs could not close a public street without holding a public hearing. The city initially sidestepped this requirement by saying the street closure was temporary. However, a 4th District Court of Appeal ruling in 2023 stated that while cities can close roads for as long as a few weeks, a multi-year closure was not allowed.

The lawsuit is still moving through the court system, but a vote by city council could nullify the need for any further developments.

"Because CReMas current lawsuit is based on the theory that the Citys temporary vacation of this street was not permitted under the California Vehicle Code, this permanent vacation under the California Streets and Highways Code would render the substance of their current lawsuit moot," City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger wrote in an email to The Desert Sun.

Still, lawyers representing CReMa sent the planning commission a letter prior to the meeting arguing the statue does not, in fact, conform to the city's general plan, and an environmental review is necessary before the statue can be legally placed.

"The official street vacation process is what should have been done back in 2021 prior to the statue being installed," said Trina Turk, a Palm Springs business owner who helped found CReMA. "Its sort of like theyre going backwards to do what they should have done several years ago."

She said deficiencies in the application to the planning commission provided grounds for future legal action, adding she would have to consult with her attorneys if the city moved forward with the street vacation process. A GoFundMe page hosted by he group has raised $112,930.

"All we want is the statue to be moved off museum way," she added. "We recognize that its a valid tourist attraction, but being architectural preservationists, we believe that the placement in front of the museum is inappropriate and also illegal."

The matter will next be taken up by the city council at a future meeting.

This story includes previous reporting by Desert Sun journalist Paul Albani-Burgio.

Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 'Forever Marilyn' gets closer to permanently staying on Museum Way
Parents accused of treating adopted kids 'worse than prisoners of war.' What to know

A 2018 photo of Charles and Matthew Edmonson's home on Madison Park Drive in Batavia Township, where prosecutors say the couple abused their five adopted children.

A couple is accused of treating their five adopted children worse than prisoners of war at their Batavia Township home, prosecutors said.

Matthew and Charles Edmonson are each facing several felony child endangering charges in Clermont County Common Pleas Court after being indicted Tuesday.

Heres what to know about the charges, how the abuse was uncovered and where the couple's court cases stand now.

Sexual assault investigation uncovers evidence of further abuse, officials say

The children, who were all biologically related but adopted by the Edmonsons, were first brought to the married couple as foster children, prosecutors said.

Authorities first became aware of the Edmonsons after a sexual assault was reported to the Clermont County Sheriffs Office in August 2022.

Investigators interviewed the juvenile victim, another of the Edmonsons adopted children, witnesses and collected cellphones and video surveillance, the sheriffs office said in a news release.

More: Miami Township man accused of targeting moms with young kids could get 900 years in prison

Officials said the Edmonsons refused to cooperate with the investigation and didnt consent to deputies accessing the electronics and surveillance footage, leading detectives to worry about the well-being of the couples other adopted children.

Charles Edmonson, 63, was indicted on sexual battery charges in October 2023. In court filings, prosecutors said he had numerous sexual encounters with his adopted son between January 2020 and August 2022.

Court records show he was convicted in March of two gross sexual imposition counts and sentenced to three years in prison.

Adoptive fathers cellphone holds evidence of abuse

The remaining five children were removed from the couples home in February as part of a joint investigation between the sheriffs office and Clermont County Childrens Protective Services.

After collaborating with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, detectives unlocked data from Charles Edmonsons cellphone and uncovered videos showing the children being abused and neglected, the sheriffs office said.

"The videos of these undernourished and naked children huddled up in a locked room in the basement, on the stone-cold basement floor like a pile of puppies trying to stay together to keep warm, are nothing short of gut-wrenching," Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said in a statement.

Prosecutors also said the children had been in and out of the hospital for various reasons, including bruising, bleach burns and possible internal bleeding  symptoms that were all explained away by their adoptive parents.

What happens next?

Court records show the childrens adoptive mother, 49-year-old Matthew Edmonson, was arraigned Wednesday and is currently being held at the Clermont County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

Shes expected to appear in court again on July 10 for a pretrial hearing before Judge Richard Ferenc.

A prosecutor's office spokesperson told The Enquirer on Thursday that it remains unclear when Charles Edmonson will make his first court appearance.

Hes incarcerated at the Noble Correctional Institution, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections records show.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Clermont County parents accused of abusing 5 adopted children
The analysis of a fossil the size of a thumb found in the Spanish city of Valencia in the 1980s has made it possible to identify the first case of Down syndrome among Neanderthals, our evolutionary first cousins, who disappeared about 40,000 years ago for unknown reasons. The remains were that of a six-year-old boy. According to the scientists who identified and analyzed the remains, this finding demonstrates that the Neanderthals also took care of the weakest members of their community without expecting anything in return, an altruism that was thought to be exclusive to our species, Homo sapiens.

One of the features that differentiate Homo sapiens from Neanderthals is the petrosal, a dense cranial bone located behind the ears. Subtle differences in the architecture of this bone are related to changes in the auditory system. When the petrosal bone of a child individual was found years ago in Cova Negra, a Neanderthal site near the Spanish town of Xativa, it was thought that to belong to another of the Neanderthal children that had already been located in this cave.

The remains were analyzed by Ignacio Martinez and Mercedes Conde-Valverde, experts in the auditory differences of sapiens and Neanderthals, who used computerized axial tomography to analyze the fossil. The surprise was immediate: the bone had marks of congenital malformations that are normally associated with Down syndrome.

Its not known if the child from Cova Negra was a boy or girl, but researchers do know that the injuries to their inner ear probably left them deaf and with hardly any balance. According to the researchers, who published their findings in Science Advances, it is impossible for the child to have survived without the care not only of their mother, but also other members of their family.

It has been debated for decades whether any other human species is capable of the kind of altruism thats seen in caring for the weak or sick without expecting anything in return. There are hardly any known cases. But in 2016 researchers published the case of a chimpanzee born with Down syndrome. The offspring survived almost two years thanks to the care of its mother and older sister. When the latter died, the mother could not take care of her sick daughter and she passed away.

In our own species, the oldest cases of Down syndrome date back some 5,000 years, according to a study published in February based on DNA analysis. None of the children identified survived more than 16 months, although several of the children found in the Iberian Peninsula were buried with honors.

Fragment of the petrosal bone found in Cova Negra (Valencia). S. A.

The Cova Negra child is the first case of Down syndrome among Neanderthals. Although the bone has not been dated yet, the site where it was found dates back between 270,000 and 146,000 years ago. These were Neanderthals, the native human species of Europe, who lived in small clans and led a nomadic life in search of game. Despite the harshness of this existence, the Cova Negra child survived to the age of six. A gap of time later, in 1929, the life expectancy of children with this condition was only nine years, the authors of the study point out. Today, thanks to medical advances, as well as better social protections for this community, people with Down syndrome have a life expectancy of around 60 years in developed countries, the researchers add.

This discovery is a bombshell, says Juan Luis Arsuaga, co-director of the Atapuerca archaeological site and co-author of the study. It shows that trisomy [the cause of Down syndrome, characterized by three copies of chromosome 21] existed at any time. But above all, it invites us to think about this child, who was cared for by an entire family and who survived for years. It is clear that this type of altruism is not exclusive to our species, he says. Neanderthals greatly appreciated their children, and we know this precisely because many childrens remains have been found in Cova Negra that we think received burials.

Archaeologist and midwife Patxuka de Miguel, one of the authors of the study on the first cases of Down syndrome among sapiens, describes the new research as excellent. I dont know if the group that lived in Cova Negra was aware of the importance of each person who was born in the group, but I believe that in all societies in which survival is based on this collaboration, no one was superfluous. In the case of the Neanderthal population, it is increasingly assumed that they had knowledge about the use of resources for some pathologies, a symbolic world of their own and took care of people with sequelae of serious pathologies who survived for a long time after their suffering, she says.

Edgard Camaros, archaeologist at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, believes that this is an exceptional find. It opens a whole window to the archeology of caregiving; something very interesting to understand our evolution. It is true that this is a single case, and the diagnosis is based solely on a scan. I understand that it would also require genetic studies, especially to find that mutation on chromosome 21, which is what would confirm Down syndrome, he details.

Miguel Botella, a doctor and paleopathologist from the University of Granada in Spain, highlights: Although the complexity of their behaviors was already known, this is a new approach of interest because it is a child. However, the ascription of the ear pathology to a possible Down syndrome should be treated with extreme caution, as it is by no means exclusive to Down syndrome, he adds.

Chris Stringer, paleoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, points out: Although the severity [of this condition] may vary greatly in affected individuals today, the degree of pathological alteration suggests that this child was severely disabled and would have required considerable social support from others until the time of his death, he explains. This study adds another element to our view of the humanity of Neanderthals, capable of deep and lasting care for their own, he concludes.

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Police are investigating a couple who left their two young children unattended in extreme heat at Smithville Lake in Clay County on Monday afternoon. One was found inside a car.

According to the Clay County Sheriffs Office, two phone calls were received around 4 p.m., reporting a vehicle that had pulled off on West Highway Bridge at Smithville Lake near a boat ramp and what looked like a man assaulting someone, possibly a woman, or standing over a child.

Sarah Boyd, spokesperson for Clay County Sheriffs Office, said they arent sure what those individuals saw, but knew that police needed to investigate. Upon arrival, deputies found the vehicle with the front two doors open, and a two-year old boy strapped in a car seat. No adults were in sight.

The two-year old was red and sweating profusely and deputies quickly took the toddler out of the car and brought him into one of their air conditioned cars, Boyd said.

According to the Clay County, Missouri, sheriffs Facebook page, deputies reported their in-car thermometers said the temperature was 100 to 102 degrees at the scene.

After the toddler was safely in air conditioning, other deputies arrived and followed a trail to the lake, searching the area for the parents or whoever the toddler was with.

Deputies found a man and woman, passed out on a blanket with a baby in between them, laying on the ground by the lake. The baby, less than a year old, was pale and lethargic. The man and woman appeared intoxicated, Boyd told The Star. Large amounts of alcohol was found in their possession.

Deputies took the baby to an air conditioned car, and asked the man and woman if they knew where there toddler was. The suspects responded that the toddler was with them. Police told them that they had left their toddler strapped inside the car.

Both children were take to a hospital and are now in the custody of the Missouri Childrens Division. The woman was taken to a hospital for vomiting and dehydration, and the man was booked into the Clay County Detention Center, according to Boyd.

Neither suspect has been charged yet, Boyd told The Star. Charges are pending lab results, but the case has been turned over the the prosecutors office.

Boyd told The Star this is the first report so far this summer of children left in heat in Clay County.
Paris Hilton, lived-experience advocate and CEO, testifies during a House Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Strengthening Child Welfare and Protecting America's Children on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Washington. | Mariam Zuhaib

At a congressional hearing this week, Paris Hilton brought star power to the difficult issue of child welfare reform when she addressed the House Ways and Means Committee hearing Wednesday.

This was Hiltons third visit to the Capitol, she was there in 2022 and 2023 as well. Her mission has remained the same: advocate for the children in youth treatment facilities. She testified to a packed chamber.

Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, said the committee found a way to get people to be interested in a policy-heavy Ways and Means Committee hearing: invite Paris Hilton. Tax, trade and welfare never had such a big audience.

During her testimony before Congress, Hilton spoke about her allegations of troubling experiences in youth residential treatment facilities, including in Utah.

Hilton alleges mistreatment at youth facilities

When I was 16 years old, I was ripped from my bed in the middle of the night and transported across state lines to the first of four youth residential treatment facilities, Hilton said, according to her written testimony. These programs promised healing, growth, and support, but instead did not allow me to speak, move freely, or even look out of a window for two years.

She said her parents were unaware of the treatment she endured, adding, You can only imagine the experience for youth who dont have anyone checking in on them.

When your child is born, your heart is full of all the hopes and dreams you have for them, Hilton said, adding verbal and physical abuse isnt what is envisioned for young people in these situations. She is a mother to a 7-month-old daughter, London, and an 18-month-old son, Phoenix.

Hilton spent time at four facilities, but has previously focused in on her alleged troubling experiences at Provo Canyon School. In 2020, she led a protest pushing for the closure of this school, which remains open after it was acquired by a different company in 2000.

Hilton also spoke at the Utah Capitol in favor of a bill bolstering regulations for these facilities in 2021 and ultimately championed industry reform in the state.

At the Capitol Wednesday, Hilton, an author and reality TV star, supported the reauthorization of Title IV-B. Established as a part of the 1935 Social Security law, this program funds child welfare programs.

For children who do end up in foster care, we cannot allow them to grow up in cold facilities that act like kid prisons, said Hilton. I will not stop until Americas youth are safe.

So far, her advocacy has helped pass at least nine state laws to increase protection for children, and she said she supports the federal bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act that aims to reform youth residential programs.

I recently went to Jamaica to support and find appropriate placements for American adopted youth who had been raped, waterboarded, held in solitary confinement in a facility internationally. Their parents had adopted them when they were young, promised them a better life, and then shipped them off to an international facility to be warehoused there until they turned 18. Progress isnt an option anymore, its a life or death responsibility, she said.

Moore: Child welfare work crucial

Moore acknowledged a hearing on Title IV-B isnt the most headline-capturing work but its crucial. Its reauthorization will continue funding state courts and the timely management of cases.

Moore mentioned the bipartisan Court Improvement Program Enhancement Act he introduced to modernize the court system and incorporate technology for remote hearings.

Moore said he had met Rob Geen, a bipartisan policy center fellow and a chair on the board of trustees for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, in his senior year of high school. My life was never the same after that. So thank you for working on such an important thing, the Utah congressman said.

Moore asked Geen to elaborate on why the Title IV-B reauthorization is critical, and how technological advancements can improve outcomes for children in foster care.

Congress sees the court improvement program is underfunded and ignored, and is willing to change that, Geen responded. Its a relatively small amount of money but it is a critical resource to improve the quality of the hearings that take place every single day, he said.

Geen noted that strenuous conditions, because of the coronavirus pandemic, forced court systems nationwide to adapt.

Court organizations have looked at those remote hearings and have suggested there are some very, very good positives coming out of it, he said. But its not a universal positive  you still need to hold those hearings in a quality fashion.

Moore turned to Hilton and expressed appreciation her for her advocacy work not only in Utah but on the federal level. He and Hilton have met on a few instances, and he said it was great seeing her again.

He asked her to draw from personal experience and interactions with those who have been through the foster care system, and suggest ways the federal and state government can effectively collaborate with community organizations to improve outcomes for children and families in the system.

Thank you, so good to see you again as well, said Hilton, before launching into her answer. I think its important for people to work together and figure out ways where they can make the biggest difference. She added transparency between various agencies is key.

Paris Hilton, center, testifies during a House Committee on Ways and Means hearing on Strengthening Child Welfare and Protecting America's Children on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Washington. | Mariam Zuhaib

Moore directed one of his questions to Tori Hope Petersen, the author of Fostered, which details her own experiences in the foster care system. Petersen said she was separated from her younger sister within months of entering the system and lived in 12 different homes until she aged out. She noted her final foster family took her to church, where she was encouraged to share her story and hone her leadership skills.

As I look back on my experience, I see the crucial role my community, nonprofits, and church played in bringing me to where I am today, she said. I believe I wouldnt be where I am without them. She noted all these efforts are supported by the Title IV-B reauthorization.

Moore, who said he found Petersens testimony really touching, also asked her about the role federal, state and local agencies, including religious organizations, should have in helping foster youth.

Petersen responded that a small percentage of children in the system are like her and have parents, but no possibility of going home.

I endured years and years of abuse and years of trying unification in which it didnt work, she added. I was labeled un-adoptable, and I just believe that no child should be labeled that.

Petersen concluded, Every child is adoptable, and its why its so crucial that communities, churches and organizations come together so that children can be in families.
Parkland school shooter signs away rights to his name. Now, just one survivor owns it

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  Anthony Borges now owns Nikolas Cruzs name, according to his lawyer.

As part of a negotiated civil settlement between the gunman and the teenager who survived multiple gunshot wounds at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Cruz cannot so much as grant an interview without the written consent of a young man he tried to murder on Feb. 14, 2018.

No streaming specials. No newsmagazine exposes or sensational true crime documentaries. No interviews at all unless Borges says its okay.

And Borges wont say its okay. Not for a long time, at least.

He signed over any rights to his name, said Borges lawyer, Alex Arreaza. The idea now is to shut him out. He will not be the one who decides when or how the story gets told.

Borges, now 21, remains every bit the soft-spoken, peace-seeking young man who testified against Cruz at his 2022 sentencing trial and in 2023 against former Deputy Scot Peterson, who was accused (and acquitted) of failing to protect children by not confronting the shooter. In an interview Wednesday Borges expressed no interest in leveraging the gunmans name for his own benefit.

He also expressed no desire for revenge. Im not with that mentality, he said.

Cruz murdered 17 people at the Parkland high school and physically wounded 17 more on Feb. 14, 2018. The psychological toll was even greater, and lawsuits were filed by more than 50 plaintiffs representing victims, their families and physically uninjured survivors against the Broward Sheriffs Office, the Broward School District, Cruz and several individuals who were in a position to reduce harm that day but did not.

As negotiations continued with multiple defendants, a schism developed between Borges and the other plaintiffs, who felt survivors should get less financial compensation than the families of those who lost their lives. Borges, who was shot in the lungs, abdomen and legs, will require a lifetime of medical and psychological treatment.

In 2021, a few days after the bulk of the families settled with the school district, Borges announced his own settlement for significantly more than he would have received had he remained with the group, Arreaza said.

None of the other families appear to have made an effort to settle with Cruz himself. Arreaza arranged a Zoom meeting with the shooter earlier this month and talked him into giving Borges the rights to his name.

Borges did not attend the meeting, but his father, Royer Borges, 46, did.

I have mixed feelings when I see his face, he said. I dont feel rage. I remind myself that you have to know and understand his story. But I also thought, after what he took from my son, whatever he owns in this world, we should take it from him.

The agreement means Cruz cannot enter into any agreement with documentary film producers or book authors without Borges permission. According to Arreaza, it extends to all interviews with news organizations as well, and hes willing to fight it in court if necessary. But the real objective, Arreaza said, was to take power and control from Cruz, not legitimate news operations.

The idea is to keep him from being able to inflict further torture on his victims from jail, he said.

Arreaza said Wednesday that he got Cruz to make a second concession. When he dies, he will donate his brain to science so it can be studied, the lawyer said. What turns a person into Nikolas Cruz? Was it something that we can learn by studying his brain?

Cruz, who is serving 34 consecutive life sentences, is somewhere in the Florida State Prison system. For his protection, his exact location is not being disclosed by the state under a rarely used exemption in the Florida public records law.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.  While Missouri Governor Mike Parson was extending an emergency declaration on Wednesday to make sure riverfront communities could get help during and after potential flooding, Parkville leaders were trying to gauge exactly how much water theyre going to get.

The Missouri River was running at about 21 feet Wednesday but National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts say it could reach 27 feet or higher in the next few days.

That 27-foot mark is right at that [point where,] a few inches either way honestly makes a huge difference in what happens to [English Landing] Park, said Parkville Mayor Dean Katerndahl.

Two under investigation after toddler, infant found in extreme heat

Thats why hes planning for the worst, and hoping for the best, before a weekend where a 5K race on Saturday will likely be able to happen without any problems, but rising water levels will close the park on Sunday, canceling roughly 30 reservations for ballfields and park shelters.

We would rather inconvenience a bunch of people and not let them come than risk one person getting hurt because their child walked off into the flood water, said Parkville Police Captain and Emergency Manager Jon Jordan.

You can see the current is moving along really good, its going to be going faster as the water comes up then when it comes down its going to go really fast, so we have to keep people safe.

Capt. Jordan has seen the river rise every five to six years in Parkville since 1991, including the 35-foot crest in 2019.

It reached the railroad tracks, said Capt. Jordan.

You and I here, it would be taller than us right here.

Kansas City police asking for help to stop dangerous street racing, sideshows

The anticipated 27-foot crest in the next few days is closer to what Parkville has to handle every few years without flood protection. Mayor Katerndahl says that would be really expensive to build and it isnt likely to be covered by federal funds anytime soon.

It would be an almost impossible project plus that would cut the whole park off from the river which is part of the point of the parks, said Katerndahl.

So, for now, residents like Roger Grove are enjoying the last views of the high rushing water and the tree trunks it carries before English Landing Park closes Sunday.

We saw the river super full like this is now where you couldnt see the bank, said Grove.

I thought thats why it came down here today because by now it would be like that here.

Parkville says the July 4th fireworks should still be fine for Thursday, but the viewing locations for the public might change based on how much clean-up work has to happen in the park.

Anyone with reservations in English Landing Park is asked to call Parkville City Hall in case they have to cancel reservations into next week.

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(WHTM)  The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is launching a summer initiative to help Pennsylvania students complete their student aid application forms.

After a 10-month push by all 10 universities within PASSHE to support outreach for Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Commonwealth University of PA, Millersville University, Shippensburg University, and Slippery Rock University are launching a regional summer initiative to help students receive financial aid and afford higher education.

The Educational Credit Management Corporation partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to administer a $357,602 award to PASSHE to support FAFSA outreach this summer.

On FAFSA forms, students provide information to determine their eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant, a PA State Grant, scholarships, institutional awards, work-study employment programs, federal student loans, and other financial aid packages.

Its not too late. Students still have time to complete the FAFSA, receive financial aid, and enroll at a PASSHE university for the fall semester, said PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein. PASSHE is proud to offer the lowest cost four-year college education in Pennsylvania, and we want every student to know you can still apply for financial aid and go to college. Our universities are here to help you submit the FAFSA and start or continue college.

According to the National College Attainment Network, the FAFSA completion rate has decreased nearly 12% in Pennsylvania for the high school class of 2024 compared to last year. Pennsylvanias rate decline mirrors the national decrease as of June 14.

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Patagonia to lay off as many as 90 employees if they won't relocate

Ventura-based Patagonia has told around 90 remote workers that if they want to keep their jobs, theyll have to move to one of seven metropolitan areas, none of which are in California.

The employees are customer service representatives who are scattered around the country and take customer calls, emails and chat messages from home or wherever else theyd like to work.

"I think a lot of people are still trying to absorb the fact that it's happening," said a Patagonia customer service worker who asked not to be named because they plan to be laid off and didn't want to endanger the severance package the company has promised.

Patagonia spokesperson Corley Kenna said managers have already had one-on-one conversations with everyone, and a few people have said they want to relocate.

Most of the 90 or so employees have chosen to be laid off rather than relocate, the customer service worker said. The affected workers represent a little more than a third of Patagonias customer service staff.

On Tuesday morning, the affected workers had their customers service calls shut down and were told to join a video conference town hall meeting with management.

"For the half an hour between when they turned the phones off and when they had the meeting, it was super anxious," the customer service employee said. "Nobody knew what was going to happen. They never do anything like this, an unscheduled meeting."

During the meeting, the employees were told that the outdoor apparel company wants them to move to one of seven hub cities: Reno, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Austin, Chicago, Pittsburgh or Atlanta, according to an email sent to the employees after the meeting ended.

They were given two options: live within 60 miles of one of the hub cities, and in the same state; or accept a layoff and severance package. They have until Friday to decide.

During the meeting, everyone listened in disbelief, according to the customer service employee who spoke with The Star. Having just three days to decide whether to move to Reno, Pittsburgh or any of the other cities was particularly upsetting, the employee said.

"Its a huge decision to make if you're going to uproot your life and go to another city, and you're supposed to decide that in two or three days?" the employee said.

Patagonia is offering $4,000 for moving costs and five extra paid days off for people who decide to relocate. Those who choose not to move will get either 13 weeks of pay as severance or two weeks of pay for each year with the company, whichever is more, along with compensation for a years worth of medical insurance, bonuses they would have earned and other benefits.

People who stay with the company will have until Sept. 30 to relocate. The last day of work for those who choose not to move will be July 3.

Patagonia expects to come out of the change with fewer customer service workers. CX has been running 200-300% overstaffed for much of the year, the email to employees said, and we simply cant continue to operate at this level given the broader business realities.

"CX is short for customer experience, Patagonias name for its customer service department.

For the better part of a year weve been overstaffed, Kenna said. Thats just not sustainable from a business perspective.

Kenna added that Patagonia is not overstaffed in other departments and is not planning other layoffs. The company has about 3,000 employees worldwide, she said.

Patagonia began to phase in the hub model for customer service last year, by focusing its hiring in the seven hub cities. The plan was to bring the department more in line with the rest of the company, where in-person work has been the rule except for early in the pandemic.

At the Ventura corporate headquarters, employees are usually expected in the office three days a week, Kenna said.

What we learned, with all of these employees being fully remote, is that our culture and some of the things that we really hold dear in our culture were suffering, because people werent together, she said.

Until 2020, all customer service representatives worked in a call center in Reno, where Patagonia also has a warehouse and distribution center. In the new hub model, people who choose to move to Reno can work at the call center or at home. In the other cities, the employees will continue to work remotely and will report occasionally to Patagonia retail stores for in-person training and meetings.

The hub model allows us to create consistent opportunities for in-person connection, an important element of Patagonias culture that has been missing from CX since the pandemic, Patagonias memo states.

Kenna said customer service representatives will be expected to show up in person, at a local Patagonia store, about once a month.

In all of those cities we have a store presence, and in some we have more than one, and the idea is that by creating a higher concentration of Patagonia employees, CX reps who were sort of out on their own before will have a place to go in and participate in community events, film screenings, yoga, group runs, everything we offer at our locations, Kenna said. Were Patagonia, so we love to encourage people to get outside together and engage with the community.

Patagonia chose the seven hub cities based on a variety of factors, she said, including cost of living, geographic diversity, and a strong Patagonia retail presence. She said no one will be paid less if they relocate from an area with a high cost of living to a place thats more affordable.

Patagonia customer service workers start at $20 an hour, Kenna said.

Thats more than the California minimum wage of $16 per hour, but its nearly triple the minimum in most of the states with the new hub cities. Six of the seven cities are in states where the only minimum wage is the federal standard of $7.25 an hour. Chicago is the exception; the Illinois minimum wage is $14 an hour.

And all six states where Patagonia is moving its customer service workers  Nevada, Utah, Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Pennsylvania  have private-sector hourly wages that are below the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Thats not a factor at all, Kenna said. We dont pay anyone the minimum wage, anywhere. We always pay well above that.

Tony Biasotti is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tbiasotti@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Patagonia to lay off as many as 90 employees if they won't relocate
Daily use of the internet generates the same feeling of well-being as taking a walk in the park. So say Andrew Przybylski, a professor at the University of Oxford, and Matti Vuorre, from the University of Tilburg, after discovering that people with internet access were 8% more satisfied with their lives than those who did not have access to the internet. The differences in happiness between people who go for a walk and those who dont are of a magnitude similar to what we see at this very high level between people who go online and people who dont, says Vuorre. However, women between 15 and 24 years old who used the internet were less happy, according to a recent macro study published in the journal Nature.

It is the first sample to address internet access and well-being on a large scale: it analyzed internet access data for 2,414,294 people from 168 countries. There are studies on that, but most have been small-scale in developed Western countries, usually English-speaking. This is a fairly new look, says Matti Vuorre. Researchers took data from the Gallup GWP World Poll carried out by the analysis company Gallup, between 2006 and 2021. Respondents were asked if they had internet access at home, if they had internet access on their mobile phone and if they had used the internet in the last seven days, from a mobile phone, computer or other device.

For the study, the authors took into account eight indicators to assess well-being: life satisfaction, the degree of negative and positive experiences, social relationships, physical well-being, comfort in the place of residence and employee motivation. We first queried the extent to which well-being varied as a function of internet connectivity. Then, we examined these associations robustness in a multiverse of 33,792 analysis specifications, wrote the authors. Of these, 84.9% resulted in positive and statistically significant associations between internet connectivity and well-being. These results indicate that internet access and use predict well-being positively and independently from a set of plausible alternatives. The multiverse system repeatedly fitted a similar model to potentially different subgroups of the data using potentially different predictors, outcomes, and covariates in order to rule out that the associations between internet use and well-being were being caused by something else.

Cyberbullying and social media

The authors note that even though 84.9% of the associations were significantly positive, and only 0.4% were negative, we did, however, observe a notable group of negative associations between internet use and community well-being. These negative associations were specific to young (1524-year-old) womens reports of community well-being.

Although not an identified causal relation, this finding is concordant with previous reports of increased cyberbullying and more negative associations between social media use and depressive symptoms, adds the study, which calls for further analysis. For Andrea Vizcaino Cuenca, a psychologist and CEO of the Spanish medical center Policlinica Maio who was not involved in the study, the problem lies in social media: They encourage social comparison, especially among young women. Viewing carefully selected and edited images of others can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Constant exposure to unrealistic beauty standards for women contributes to lower emotional well-being and a negative perception of the environment.

To measure community well-being, respondents were asked if the city in which they lived was a perfect place or if in the last 12 months they had done something to improve the area in which they lived. Girls who used the internet confessed to being less happy with the place where they lived, according to the study. Przybylski says it could be because people who dont feel welcome in their community spend more time online.

Cyberbullying is a serious problem that disproportionately affects young women, says Vizcaino: in Spain, 3% of 15-year-old girls claim to have suffered bullying at school at least two or three times a month, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Its effects can be devastating for mental health, such as increased levels of anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. They can directly contribute to a negative perception of community well-being, as experiences of bullying can cause victims to feel isolated and disconnected from their community, adds Vizcaino. One in six adolescents suffers from cyberbullying, representing an increase from 13% to 16% among girls and 12% to 15% among boys since 2023, according to the WHO. The study calls for future research to look at whether low community well-being drives engagement with the internet or vice versa.

From internet to cinema

Although the debate between technology and well-being continues, it now seems unthinkable to live without the internet. Not everything is harmful in cyberspace and that is what the study tries to explain. Rebeca Cordero, a professor of applied sociology at the European University of Madrid, reflects on this: We have to escape from that negative vision that the internet is something bad or harmful. A well-used tool can generate well-being. Digital disconnection can even decrease life satisfaction, as explained in another study in November of last year. Social media offers powerful social rewards, and restricting it can reduce positive emotions.

Despite this, experts such as the health psychologist Jose Antonio Tamayo do not agree with the findings of the study. Tamayo underscores that the GWP Global Survey is not a psychometrically validated instrument, and that the questions are based on a definition of well-being unique to GWP. Additionally, respondents responses present risks of recall bias, social desirability or conformity, he explains. When we talk about well-being it is a personal perception, what we do is study perceptions. I may have the feeling that what I am exposed to generates my well-being, but in reality it does not. Tamayo also does not rule out that other factors intervene between internet use and well-being, such as income level. The study does take economic differences into account, even though data and model selection were limited.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD)  A juvenile died and two others were injured in a rollover crash on Grand Rapids southeast side Wednesday afternoon, police say.

It happened just before 4 p.m. near the intersection of Fisk Street SE and Dallas Avenue SE, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department. Three juveniles were in the car when it rolled over.

One person was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene, police say.

The two others were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, GRPD confirmed. None of the victims were identified by police.

GRPD said speed was a factor in the crash, but it is still under investigation.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Anyone with information or video captured by surveillance cameras leading up to the crash should contact Officer Thompson with the Traffic Unit at 616.456.3320 or athompson@grcity.us or Officer Bingel at 616.456.3414 or abingel@grcity.us.

You can also provide a tip through Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.

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Two agency watchdogs announced Thursday they would open reviews into the U.S. militarys humanitarian pier in the Gaza Strip, as scrutiny mounts over the failure of aid to reach Palestinians in the territory.

The Department of Defenses inspector general said it was opening coordinated, independent oversight projects with its counterpart at the U.S. Agency for International Development to assess their agencies roles in delivering and distributing aid to the Gaza Strip.

USAIDs internal watchdog will focus on the distribution side and evaluate how food aid has reached the agencys key partner in the region, the United Nations World Food Programme. The Pentagons watchdog, meanwhile, will evaluate how effectively the military has facilitated the delivery of food aid.

The DoD OIG and USAID OIG are working together to address the challenges associated with this mission, Robert Storch, the Pentagons inspector general, said in a news release. Through our collaboration, we will leverage the unique expertise, resources, and capabilities of our teams to optimize our oversight in this important area.

The oversight efforts come as international observers continue to warn that the Gaza Strip is at risk of experiencing famine and that aid groups are struggling to meet the needs of Palestinians living in the territory.

Multiple checkpoints along the Gazan border have shuttered in the wake of Israels war against Hamas. Israeli officials have also stepped up searches of trucks at open border crossings, seeking to minimize the entry of weapons into the territory. But additional Israeli checks have slowed the entry of trucks into the territory from Israel, Jordan and Egypt carrying basic necessities, including food and medicine.

The U.S. sought to mollify domestic critics of Washingtons support for Israels war effort, first by distributing humanitarian aid via airdrops and later by installing a humanitarian pier that would be anchored to the coast of Gaza. But the maritime corridor has struggled, as rough seas have damaged the pier and aid deliveries wait for distribution on the shore due to security concerns.

Congressional Republicans have leaped on the piers troubles and blasted the endeavor as a wasteful project intended to shore up the administrations poor poll numbers.
As Department Defense looks to find the right mix of bespoke and openly available technologies to support 5G adoption and FutureG initiatives, officials put an emphasis on open architecture Thursday.

At the TechNet Cyber conference presented by the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International in Baltimore, leaders from the Pentagon discussed capabilities for public, private and hybrid networks. Officials acknowledged theres a natural appetite for the most exclusive, secure networks in the national security space. And sometimes there is no wireless network infrastructure available in remote warfighting locations far from population centers.

So as the services determine appetite for private networks that offer more control over information sharing, the DoD is guiding them to use open radio access networks, or ORAN, said Juan Ramirez, the director of the 5G Cross-Functional Team at DoD.

I think what industry wants to hear is theres actually going to be requirements that come out that ... necessitate an open RAN architecture, he said at the conference. So youll start to see those come out in the next couple of years, pending budgets.

New 5G challenge to incentivize open architecture solutions

Certainly, private networks arent the only way to go. In fact, sometimes thats not the best solution, said Lt. Col. Benjamin Pimentel, who leads the Camp Pendleton 5G experiment for Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations.

Think about when we deploy in a theater, he said. A lot of countries that we go to or locations that we go to already have roads and bridges, and itd be silly to then go and build my own private roads and my own private bridges separate and apart from that to get where I need to go. If those roads and bridges meet my transportation requirement, and theyre not going to fall under the weight of a seven ton, were going to drive over it.

But, somewhere like the first island chain, for example, may not have adequate coverage to put up sensors for long-range precision fires. In cases like those, he said, it would make more sense for units to bring private capabilities.

Given Chinas rising aggression and U.S. efforts to deter it in the Taiwan Strait, what Pimentel described is the type of environment where current threats seem to colocate.

Winning the 5G arms race requires full funding from Congress

Regardless, to ensure there is connectivity wherever the need is, Ramirez said the department is looking at ORANs, which allow multiple vendors to operate as one network and provide more flexibility to scale.

ORAN is something the DoD has been pushing aggressively to explore as it simultaneously journeys toward more standard 5G adoption on military installations and smart bases.

Ramirez said the department is hopeful it will get additional support from Congress via future defense spending bills that will backup forthcoming requirements with dollars.

The Pentagons 2024 budget requested $143 billion in research, developing and testing of emerging technologies including 5G, but also artificial intelligence. Much of the spending in recent years has been for prototyping, and though the Office of the Secretary of Defense has the lions share, Ramirez said his office is offering direction to the services for them to budget for 5G.

We think that pursuing ideas like [ORAN] advanced by the ORAN Alliance all the way to fully open-source code ... provides the feature velocity the DoD needs and the ability to innovate quickly, said Pimentel.
The Pentagon and USAID Inspectors General have launched coordinated reviews of the US humanitarian mission to Gaza where the militarys temporary pier has faced repeated challenges, including breaking apart and the distribution of aid being paused by the UN due to security concerns on the ground.

The Defense Department IG will look specifically at the effectiveness of DoDs efforts to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza through the maritime corridor, a press release on Thursday, announcing the effort, said. The USAID IG will look at the agencys plans and controls over the distribution of aid from the pier, and particularly the handoff of aid from the pier to the World Food Programme.

The pier  called the Joint Logistics Over The Shore, or JLOTS  was first established on the Gaza coast in May. It has had to be re-anchored twice: once after it broke apart in heavy seas, a week after it was anchored for the first time, and again when it was disconnected intentionally in anticipation of more heavy seas.

The review comes as some congressional Republicans have railed against the troubled pier as a waste of taxpayer dollars that defies all logic.

On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Rogers, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to senior administration officials in which he said the operation has been riddled with setbacks, sidelined more often than operational, and can only be classified as a gross waste of taxpayer dollars. Earlier this month, Sen. Roger Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee was even more blunt. This needs to end immediately, he said in a statement.

WFP has had their distribution of aid from the pier paused for more than two weeks as they assess the security situation on the ground. CNN reported this week that there are more than 6,000 pallets of aid that have been delivered across the pier to the shore, awaiting distribution.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has only grown more dire as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. A report this week from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that the situation in Gaza remains catastrophic and that there is a high and sustained risk of famine.

The last few months have demonstrated that food and humanitarian access and malnutrition prevalence can change very quickly, the risk of epidemics is increasing and eight months of extreme pressure on the lives of the population make them much more vulnerable to collapse into famine, the report said.

US officials have said repeatedly that the pier is a temporary measure to get more aid to the desperate population of Gaza, and is not meant to replace land crossings which are critical to flow aid in.

The agreements between the DoD and USAID establish roles and responsibilities that help enable U.S. humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza through the maritime corridor, DoD Inspector General Robert P. Storch said in Thursdays release. Given this, the DoD OIG and USAID OIG are working together to address the challenges associated with this mission. Through our collaboration, we will leverage the unique expertise, resources, and capabilities of our teams to optimize our oversight in this important area.

USAID Inspector General Paul K. Martin said in the release that Congress and the American people can rely on USAID OIG to conduct independent and aggressive oversight of USAID-funded humanitarian assistance programming in Gaza.

This initial review, in coordination with DoD OIG, will provide timely insight and transparency over the delivery of assistance via the maritime corridor, he said.

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The Defense Departments watchdog has launched an oversight review of the militarys efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza through a maritime corridor, which relies on a pier that has struggled to stay operational because of poor weather.

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Pentagon initiated the review along with the OIG for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), saying they would review key aspects of the humanitarian aid mission and the effectiveness of the U.S. militarys humanitarian aid efforts.

The review will be conducted in phases, with the first examining the Pentagons responsibilities and management of the project and the second looking at implementation.

Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement he was working closely with the USAID OIG to address the challenges associated with this mission.

Through our collaboration, we will leverage the unique expertise, resources, and capabilities of our teams to optimize our oversight in this important area, Storch said.

The pier was first set up in late May, but for the first month after it came online, it was operational for about 10 days, with rough seas and high winds tearing off the causeway and forcing a repair and in another incident bad weather pushed the military to remove it for safety earlier this month.

When it has been operational, the $230 million pier has been a crucial corridor, along with land crossings, to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, where Palestinians are struggling to access basic necessities amid Israels war with Hamas.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters this week the U.S. has moved 13.6 million pounds of assistance through the pier.

The pier works by shipping aid over from the island nation of Cyprus and to a floating dock a few miles offshore from Gaza. U.S. military boats then transport the goods to the pier and help get it to the shore with the assistance of the United Nations and relief groups, without American boots touching the ground.

Along with the military, USAID also plays a crucial role in the effort through coordinating the humanitarian assistance with the U.N. and other groups.

The USAID watchdog will also take a phased approach to the oversight review and will look at the handover of the militarys aid to the U.N. and humanitarian aid workers.

This initial review, in coordination with DoD OIG, will provide timely insight and transparency over the delivery of assistance via the maritime corridor, said USAID Inspector General Paul Martin in a statement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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More than 1,500 Russian targets worth billions of dollars have been destroyed over the past two years thanks to imagery from a crowd-funded satellite, Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said on Wednesday. The spy agency said that 38% of the nearly 4,200 images collected by a satellite provided for Ukrainian use in August 2022 by the California-based ICEYE company were used to strike Russian targets during that period. The satellite has taken images over both Ukraine and Russia. The entire array of data obtained thanks to ICEYE was used for direct preparation of fire damage to the enemy, according to GUR. This is billions of dollars in losses for Russia, and the price of its aggression will grow! While The War Zone could not independently verify that claim, a former U.S. official last year confirmed to us that Ukraine was putting the ICEYE satellite to good use on the battlefield.        ICEYE           @CharityPrytula      . https://t.co/4zS5dgcvkO pic.twitter.com/8NyYpLVCme Defence intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) June 26, 2024 The satellite and more than an additional two dozen others Ukraine has access to has enabled its forces to observe and strike a wide range of targets it would otherwise not have been able to see. During the period of use of the peoples satellite and access to the ICEYE satellite constellation, our specialists took a total of 4,173 pictures of enemy objects, said GUR. That includes 370 airfields, 238 air defense and radio technical intelligence positions, 153 oil depots and fuel warehouses, 147 missile, aviation weapons and ammunition warehouses and 17 naval bases. The ICEYE satellite has captured points Russian permanent deployment locations, as well as training grounds, military towns, and mobilization deployment centers, the spy agency said. You can see an image of Russian troops and vehicles at a training facility in Luhansk Oblast taken by the satellite below. A satellite image of Russian vehicles and other equipment in Luhansk oblast. GUR The following image shows an advanced Russian Nebo-M radar system as well as electronic and signals intelligence and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment in Russias Belgorod Oblast. The ICEYE satellite picked up images of Russian radar systems. GUR The satellite also took images over Russias Rostov Oblast. You can see camouflaged Russian vehicles there. Ukraine used the ICEYE satellite to take images over Russia. GUR ICEYE agreed to transfer full capabilities of one of its [Synthetic Aperture Radar] SAR satellites already in orbit for the Government of Ukraines use over the region, the company said in its media release at the time. The SAR satellite will be operated by ICEYE. In addition, ICEYE will provide access to its constellation of SAR satellites, allowing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to receive radar satellite imagery on critical locations with a high revisit frequency. Unlike optical satellites that rely on natural light conditions, SAR systems can capture images despite cloud cover, smoke, or dust that might block the view visually, and also do so at night. Metal objects in particular stand out in the imagery created by the active radar sensor, which can defeats camouflage efforts. The company says it owns the worlds largest synthetic aperture radar satellite constellation and employs more than 700 people in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain. A rendering of an ICEYE satellite constellation in space. ICEYE Aside from the intelligence that the U.S. and NATO allies provide Ukraine, its own ability to observe enemy activities from above are relegated to the tactical level with drones and on a wider but still limited scope via commercial satellite imagery. So, having constant and independent access to eyes in space is a major boon for the war torn country. Reconnaissance from Earths orbit allows receiving data both on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in other places on the planet where the military forces and means of terrorist Russia are located, GUR stated. This allows tracking the dynamics of Russias personnel movements, revealing its military intentions with the aim of disrupting them, according to GUR. The satellite allows you to monitor the objects of the aggressors military-industrial complex and its logistics network, which includes the illegal bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea. The Kerch Bridge has already been attacked twice and is an ongoing target of Ukraine. Its not a question of will we strike or wont we strike, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone last September. Were doing that regularly so we will finish it. Its just an issue of time. You can see a view of that bridge as viewed from the SAR satellite below. The Kerch Bridge as seen from space. GUR The huge advantage of the ICEYE space vehicle is its ability to clearly see a cluster of even carefully camouflaged enemy mechanized units with its equipment, GUR added. What do you think happens to them later? A fundraising effort for the satellite began in June 2022 by the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation and blogger Ihor Lachenkov. One satellite fully operates for the needs of our defense, nearly two dozen more are involved when necessary, then-Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the time. A rendering of an ICEYE satellite. Ukraine MoD Ukraine first reported its use of the satellite and how it helped them on Sept. 29, 2022. Combat teams of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been receiving a stream of data from ICEYE satellites for some time now, Reznikov said. The shots are directly deciphered and processed by the military intelligence specialists of the Ministry of Defense who have undergone relevant training. Reznikov could not reveal too many specifics, but said in the first two days of the satellite operation, more than 60 units of combat equipment were discovered that the enemy was trying to disguise in the forest lanes and other obstacles. It was discovered because ICEYE satellites collect information using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology. This technique would be very difficult or impossible to notice by the means of optical satellites. Those coordinates were promptly transferred to inflict a fiery effect in Kherson and Donetsk oblasts, he added. In fact, only in these two days, the enemy has lost armor equipment for more than the entire satellite project costs. Given the success Ukraine says it has had with the ICEYE satellite and associated constellation, it is very likely is Russia is watching them closely, though any moves to counter it has not been disclosed. Russia has a growing array of anti-satellite capabilities, including relatively exotic on-orbit platforms. As we reported last month, Russia has already launched some kind of clandestine testbed in space as part of its development of a nuclear-armed on-orbit anti-satellite weapon, which serves as a reminder of just how serious Moscow takes the need for expanded counter-space capabilities. While having control over one SAR satellite and access to dozens is far from matching the space capabilities enjoyed by Russia, this arrangement has clearly helped Ukraine, adding another layer of organic surveillance to the ubiquitous drones that patrol the much-lower skies over the battlefield. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

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Not-So-Reliable Sources

New reporting from Forbes reveals that Perplexity, the buzzy and heavily-funded AI search tool mired in plagiarism and secretive web-scraping allegations, is citing low-quality AI-generated spam from sketchy blogs and ill-informed LinkedIn posts.

Forbes' reporting is largely based on a Perplexity deep dive conducted by GPTZero, a startup specializing in detecting AI-generated content. In a blog published earlier this month, GPTZero CEO Edward Tian noted that he'd noticed an "increased number of sources linked by Perplexity that are AI-generated themselves." When Tian then examined Perplexity's AI regurgitation of that information, he realized that, in some cases, Perplexity even appeared to be spitting up outdated and incorrect information from these AI-generated sources.

In other words, it's an AI-driven misinformation loop, in which AI errors and fabrications find their way into Perplexity's AI-spun answers. And for an already-embattled startup that claims to "revolutionize the way you discover information" by offering "precise knowledge" through "up-to-date" information from "reliable sources," it's a terrible look.

"Perplexity is only as good as its sources," Tian told Forbes. "If the sources are AI hallucinations, then the output is too."

Bad Sourcery

Take, for example, Perplexity's response to the prompt "Cultural festivals in Kyoto, Japan." In response, Perplexity cobbled together a coherent-looking list of cultural attractions in the Japanese city. But it only cited one source: an obscure blog post published to LinkedIn in November 2023 that strongly appears to be AI-generated itself  a far cry from the "news outlets, academic papers, and established blogs" that Perplexity claims it uses to drum up its answers.

But this blog is one of Perplexity's lesser worries. In another concerning instance, Forbes and Tian discovered that Perplexity, in response to a prompt asking for "some alternatives to penicillin for treating bacterial infections," cited a likely AI-generated blog from a medical clinic claiming to belong to the Penn Medicine network. This blog post contained conflicting  read: unreliable  medical information about how different medicines might react with each other, which, per Forbes, was reflected in Perplexity's responses.

If you're wary of AI detection tools, that's completely fair. But the Perplexity-scooped sources that Tian and Forbes cited as poor AI-spun information do bear telltale signs of AI generation, and it's worth noting that Forbes corroborated GPTZero's findings through a second AI detection tool, DetectGPT, as well.

Perplexity Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko told Forbes that the AI search company has developed its "own internal algorithms to detect if content is AI-generated," but that "these systems are not perfect and need to be continually refined, especially as AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated."

Sure. But when you're overtly promising users that your product comprises only high-quality information from authoritative sources to deliver "accessible, conversational, and verifiable" answers, whether your algorithms are truly able to source good information from bad really, really matters.

"Perplexity," reads the company's FAQ, "is your definitive source for information."

More on Perplexity: Asked to Summarize a Webpage, Perplexity Instead Invented a Story About a Girl Who Follows a Trail of Glowing Mushrooms in a Magical Forest
Republicans are still hung up on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles somehow being a factor in the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment, where toxic chemicals were released into the town of East Palestine, Ohio.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg appeared before the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure Thursday to discuss the committees 2025 fiscal budget and oversight of the department, but the conversation quickly went off on a tangent about the derailment.

Norfolk Southern, in their annual shareholders report, said that they were going to focus on DEI initiatives over anything else, and thats what led to that accident, Representative Mike Collins said to Buttigieg, who quickly responded in the negative.

Ive never seen a single shred of data or evidence associating what happenedand somehow trying to blame that on women and minorities, that really is not consistent with what the [National Transportation Safety Board] found, Buttigieg said, referring to an NTSB report on the disaster released earlier this week, with Collins trying to speak over him the whole time.

Collins: Norfolk Southern, in their annual shareholder report, said they were going to focus on DEI thats what led to that accident



Buttigieg: I have never seen a single shred of data or evidence Blaming women and minorities, that is not consistent with what the NTSB found. pic.twitter.com/Fzg3KBvi6L  Acyn (@Acyn) June 27, 2024

Collins has blamed the recent rise in freight train derailments on DEI for more than a year now instead of actual factors, such as deregulation, railroad companies lobbying politicians for weaker laws that made the rails less safe, or the poor working conditions imposed on rail workers. He seems to have given weight to nonsensical conspiracy theories instead of the obvious reality: Corporations are putting profits over safety.

Its no surprise that Collins would blame DEI, as its conservatives favorite bugbear these days, becoming a useful euphemism for racism and bigotry. Republicans in Congress introduced a bill to ban DEI from all government offices and contracting earlier this month, and blaming DEI was among the many conspiracies thrown around after the Baltimore bridge collapse in March. Last year, DEI was blamed for the Hawaii wildfires, and Ron DeSantis has practically used most of his time as governor of Florida to launch a statewide crusade against DEI.

Whos to say Donald Trump wont try to sneak in DEI in Thursday nights presidential debate? After all, he and his supporters have already announced plans to fight the made-up problem of anti-white racism if the convicted felon returns to the White House.
Advocates to enshrine a minimum level of paid sick leave for Nebraska workers in state law celebrate the announcement they gathered more than 138,000 signatures in hopes to qualify for the November ballot Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Lincoln. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  The 250,000 Nebraskans who work at least 30 hours a week but dont have paid sick leave from their employers will likely get the chance to help secure the benefit at the ballot box.

Organizers of Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans announced Thursday that they were turning in 138,000 voter signatures aimed at putting a minimum level of sick leave into state law.

Jo Giles of Womens Fund of Omaha, one of many groups helping with the petition drive, said they are confident the push has the 90,000 valid voter signatures required to reach the general election ballot.

How the change would work

The ballot initiative would require businesses with 20 or fewer employees to fund a minimum of five paid sick days a year for full-time employees. Bigger businesses would be required to fund seven days.

Full- and part-time employees would earn an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, organizers said. They could use it to handle personal and family illnesses.

Its a process of earning that time and then being able to use it when you need it, Giles said.

If approved, those changes would take effect in October 2025. Other state ballot initiatives are in the final stretch of gathering signatures, which are due at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Who would be impacted

Supporters say the changes would help people in every industry, particularly those in factory, agricultural and service jobs, including manufacturing, restaurants, farm work and retail.

Rosa Pinto of the Heartland Workers Center, which advocates for worker rights and civic leadership, said no Nebraskan should have to choose between work and family or health.

She shared stories from a worker with diabetes who felt ill but couldnt leave work for fear of being fired for missing work and others who had to leave their sick children home alone because of work.

We deserve to fully recover before having to go back to work, she said. We deserve to take care of our loved ones without the pressure of suffering retaliation when we go back.

Norberto Cazares Sanchez, a farm worker from near North Bend, said he drove two hours to attend the signature celebration in the basement of the Cornhusker Marriott in downtown Lincoln.

He said when you work 12 or 13 hours in the field, rest is sometimes hard to come by. He said as a single father, the flexibility would be helpful.

I only have one kid of my own, but  my heart goes to everybody that has two or three, Cazares Sanchez said.

Some businesses back change

Amelia Rosser, who owns Sheelytown Market, a small business in Omaha that sells plants and local artwork, said she is proud to support the effort to require paid sick leave.

She said she already offers sick time to her employees, as part of showing them that they and their families matter. She said some business owners wont do that unless required.

That is our responsibility to make sure that theres a bare minimum requirement for everybody, and then to be able to go above and beyond that, Rosser said.

Sue Martin of the state AFL-CIO union said too many employees feel pressured to keep working when sick. She said the change would help Nebraska businesses hire and retain workers.

Giles said it was frustrating to have to spend so much time and money on a workers rights issue the public supports but that the Legislature has failed to address.

Were glad that there are so many Nebraskans that rallied around this issue, that its a common sense issue, she said. Everyones faced a need to take paid sick time off.

Lawmakers could reverse any change

State lawmakers who have resisted requiring a minimum level of sick leave would have the option of changing a voter-approved law.

Becky Gould of Nebraska Appleseed said she hopes the Legislature would respect the will of the voters. Most observers expect the measure to pass if it reaches the ballot.

The group raised more than $424,000 to support the effort and still listed $310,000 in cash on hand at the end of May. Much of that backing came from nonprofit organizations.

No group has filed to raise funds to oppose the measure.



Alex Reuss, executive vice president of legislation and policy at the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce, said most Nebraska businesses already offer paid personal time or sick leave to compete for talent.



She said, Thats why we prefer a federal approach that incentivizes even more businesses to offer paid leave, rather than a patchwork of state laws with inconsistent mandates that make it harder for them to care for their most valuable assets: Their employees.

The post Petition signatures turned in for Nebraska paid sick leave ballot measure appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Philippines must do more than protest China's actions in South China Sea, Marcos says

By Neil Jerome Morales and Mikhail Flores

MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines needs to do more than protest China's "illegal action" against its navy during a routine resupply mission in the South China Sea last week, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Thursday, without elaborating.

A Philippine sailor was injured on June 17 after what the Southeast Asian nation's military called "intentional-high speed ramming" by the Chinese Coast Guard, an assertion China has disputed, saying the actions were lawful.

"We have filed over a hundred protests, we have already made a similar number of demarche," Marcos told reporters in Manila.

"We have to do more than just that," he said, without providing details.

No shots were fired in the incident, so the Chinese action could not be considered an armed attack, Marcos added, calling it a "deliberate action" to stop the resupply of Philippine troops stationed at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the remarks.

The United States, which has condemned China's actions, reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines in a telephone call between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday.

The countries' national security advisers also spoke Wednesday about China's "dangerous and escalatory actions" around the shoal, the White House said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted the U.S.-Philippines mutual defense pact extends to "armed attacks on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft - to include those of its Coast Guard - anywhere in the South China Sea," the White House said in a statement Thursday.

The South China Sea, vital to global trade, has become a major flashpoint in the testy relationship between China and the United States.

The United States is bound by a seven-decade-old mutual defence treaty to defend the Philippines against an armed attack on its aircraft, or public vessels, in the busy waterway.

"It needs to be emphasised that the Ren'ai Reef issue is not the United States' business," Wu Qian, a spokesperson of the Chinese defence ministry, told a press briefing, using China's name for the Second Thomas Shoal.

"It is extremely dangerous and irresponsible for the United States to instigate and support the Philippines' infringement and provocation," Wu added, dismissing its treaty with the United States as a useless threat.

The Philippines has not asked the United States for support in resupplying its troops, its Washington ambassador said on Wednesday, adding that the United States was providing only "visuals" to aid his nation.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said the Philippines had sought a meeting early next month with Chinese officials to ease tensions, not resolve territorial claims.

Romualdez said that if the Philippines could not resupply its troops, that would amount to "killing" its soldiers through starvation and thirst.

"I don't think China wants to have a major conflict," he said. "And definitely we do not want to have one. And so, that's a good starting point."

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

An international tribunal dismissed China's expansive claims in 2016, a ruling that Beijing rejects.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Neil Jerome Morales; Additional reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Clarence Fernandez and Bernadette Baum)
An essential personal accessory, a helpful assistant in our daily lives and a status symbol, the mobile phone has been, since the emergence of the iPhone in 2007, a product with a prominence that is difficult to match in other aspects of human life. But perhaps that phase as we know it is over. There are symptoms of fatigue and, along with them, alternatives that suggest an unavoidable decline. Screen addiction is a growing stigma for which the smartphone bears almost all the blame. Almost a third of users are at high risk of suffering from a serious addiction, according to a study published last year in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. The mobile phone has gone from being seen as an object of desire to becoming a harmful device. Digital disconnection is recommended as a synonym of better mental health.

There is also a fact: fewer phones are being sold. People are still buying smartphones, Im not saying that suddenly no one uses mobile phones, but the numbers are going down, stresses Amy Webb, CEO of the Future Today Institute, an advisory firm that helps companies detect technological trends. This consultancy decreed in 2017 that the beginning of the end of the smartphone had begun, as sales had stagnated (we all already have a mobile phone, this market is not going to grow anymore). Although the figures have never returned to the previous days of bonanza, if we think about the next decade, instead of using just a phone there will be many different devices. And these devices will replace the smartphone. This has already started to happen. The era of the human who is permanently crouched over a rectangle, the days of faces illuminated by the blue light of a screen, the times of two thumbs moving at the speed of light on a protective plastic are on their way out.

The new Apple Vision Pro. Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

In 2022 there was a sharp drop in units shipped globally: 11.3% less than in the previous year. In the last quarter of the year, when Christmas was supposed to multiply consumption, the decline was even more pronounced, 18.3%. You would have to go back a decade to find such low figures. And the trend persisted last year, with falls of 3.2% or 4%, according to different analysts.

Smartphone manufacturers are looking for other sources of income. The case of Apple is the most representative, because more than half of its turnover depends on iPhone sales, which in the first quarter of 2024 was 10% lower than last year. But the company has made efforts to fish in other waters. It has developed an entire ecosystem of applications that work by subscription, such as Apple Music, News or Fitness. It even produces and distributes its own series through Apple TV to attract users to its universe.

But the mobile phone, understood not only as a device but as a multipurpose knife that has revolutionized the way we communicate, will remain. Several gadgets could be the alternatives to the uses that we have given it. The AI Pin, for example, is a small square electronic medal that hangs on clothing. It receives voice commands: ask it for the weather forecast, if there is a restaurant in the area, or any question you would ask Google. It responds by audio thanks to artificial intelligence. It also projects, if we want, a screen of green phosphorescence on the users hand that allows small texts to be read.

Rabbit R1 plays with a similar concept. It is a device halfway between retro and sophisticated that also receives voice queries (and also has a small screen). The Rabbit R1 does exactly the same thing as an advanced voice assistant, says Alexander Manu, a professor at the Faculty of Design at OCAD University in Toronto, who has studied technological trends for decades. I can ask it to book me a flight and a hotel. In fact, by using it I have gone back 25 years, when I called my travel agent to book me a ticket to a destination.

The list of gadgets that seem born from an Isaac Asimov novel goes on and on. Apples latest major launch, for example, are the Vision Pro glasses, which allow users to see their surroundings through the images captured by its high-resolution cameras. They combine this visual perception with the playback of videos and other content. It is as if the user were in a giant, private cinema with a window to the world.

According to their creators, none of these products are intended as an alternative to mobile phones, but it is inevitable to think that they are going in that direction. Devices such as Lucyd smart glasses follow along the same lines, and are the first, according to their creators, to integrate ChatGPT: they understand requests in natural language. But they are not the only ones. Meta launched its own, in collaboration with Ray-Ban, and mobile manufacturers TCL and Oppo have presented their own smart glasses.

This is not the first time that electronic glasses have been tested. Google Glass emerged in 2013 and that name still resonates in the Google offices as a resounding commercial failure. But at that time we were talking about a little toy. Now we are talking about a trend.

For Manu, the abundance of alternatives that dare to challenge the mobile phone is a symptom of the latters growing weakness. People are now very critical of the AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, but if we stop to think about it, people were also very critical of the iPhone when it came out. They made fun of it and said that Apple was going to fail.

You have to keep in mind that this is a transition, says Webb. We will go from one device to many. If I think back to 1998, I had a laptop, a portable DVD player, my MP3 player and my MiniDisc. And later all these devices became one, which was the smartphone. With artificial intelligence we are going towards a constellation of many devices. I dont know if the ones that are there now will stay. We will see many others. There will be a lot of experimentation. Webbs idea is that each person will have an arsenal of gadgets, and that artificial intelligence will connect them all. It will be this technology that delivers the death blow to the mobile phone as we know it.

Is the mobile phone starting to die? Miguel Pang Ly

In the end, a smartphone is a toolbox. It is full of applications, such as Google, WhatsApp, Gmail, Netflix or Spotify. And we use that box to carry all the tools and use them anywhere. We have created many applications. And, over time, we have realized that in the end what we want is not the application itself but the benefit it brings us. And artificial intelligence will be what generates those beneficial results that we want, says Manu. For the professor, this toolbox is now unnecessary. A ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence service will allow you to use the headphones to call or make a query using your voice alone. The role of the smartphone is reduced.

As technology laboratories go, voice communication between people and machines is going to be much more effective than it has been so far with Siri or Alexa. The preferred way to communicate with machines is by talking, just like with people. And what fosters artificial intelligence like the one that exists on the market today is only the beginning. We are getting closer to starting a fluid conversation with an artificial intelligence, in the style of Robert Downey Jr.  that is, Tony Stark  in Iron Man, when he is capable of joking even with Jarvis (his digital assistant). Or Jarvis cinematic generational precedent: the supercomputer Hal 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which had ethical and almost philosophical discussions with its astronaut on duty.

Sonia Villanueva, a consultant specializing in user experience and a professor at the International University of La Rioja, Spain, describes the changes that all this will bring about in our relationship with technology: We are in a moment of explosion of artificial intelligence. When it evolves, it will materialize into a true personal assistant. And with this, sooner rather than later, we will have a voice relationship, that is, a conversational relationship. The transformation promises to be an earthquake. It is much easier to speak than to write, Villanueva insists.

Such a change will also have an impact on the economy. According to forecasts, artificial intelligence will generate a business of $1.3 trillion in 2030, compared to $150.2 billion last year. It stands to reason that it will be everywhere and on every possible device. Among them, in the so-called wearables: smart watches, bracelets, headphones and even rings. Nowadays, a cellphone involves seeing, reading and using your hands, Villanueva adds. Well probably be able to do more things with a voice interface. Its not that the screen as an interface is going to disappear, but we are going to interact more by voice. This is a revolution, she says.

The theory of the end of the mobile phone has a powerful enemy: a very visual culture. Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are based on videos and images that are compulsively consumed on a screen. That is one powerful reason for not considering the cellphone dead yet. Even wearable devices require larger screens to view the data they collect. The reason you need your cellphone is because its a bigger window to see information, Webb admits. But with some devices, like headphones or glasses, you dont need a phone. Thats why I think cellphone use will shrink. We are going to be less dependent on it over time.

Screening of the Humane AI Pin, a personal assistant that receives voice commands.

Villanueva is also among those who believes that mobile phones will decrease in number but will not disappear. It all depends on what we need to do. We must distinguish between microtasks, which are activated with simple voice commands, for example: How much does this cost? or Open Netflix, and other uses, such as reading, complex work tasks, viewing a graph or writing an e-mail. This second group of tasks needs visual support, says this user experience specialist. Thats why I say that mobile phones are not going to be eliminated in any way. But maybe we will not be glued to the phone all the time for so many things.

Then again, new technologies could bring another way to introduce the visual element without the need for a mobile phone. Manu throws a question out there: What would happen if any surface could become a screen? You need this surface to be electronic, of course. But now there are technologies to do it, such as graphene, which is extremely thin and resistant. Like in Minority Report, where Tom Cruise explored representations of data on glass walls.

There is still a lot of uncertainty ahead. But perhaps the era of the Homo smartphonus that we have become, with our heads down to look at the screens and our fingers flying to write on them, is coming to an end. Perhaps evolution will take a turn and we will go back to standing upright, communicating by voice with our devices. And talking to yourself on the street will seem quite natural.

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***Watch previous coverage above.***

CLEVELAND (WJW)  Authorities are asking for the publics help in identifying more suspects in a shooting at Edgewater Park that sent one person to the hospital over the weekend.

Officers were called to Edgewater Park at about 9 p.m. on Saturday for reports of shots fired. Police found one person, an 18-year-old, who had been shot. They were transported to the hospital and later released.

Local man fatally shoots his son: Police

On Thursday, Cleveland Metroparks police confirmed that about 16 people pulled out firearms and several of them fired shots during the incident.

Investigators have now released photos of three suspects in the shooting.

Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Police

Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Police

Courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks Police

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of individuals involved. You can reach Crime Stoppers by calling 216-252-7463.

The Cleveland Metroparks Summer Concert at Edgewater Park has been canceled for Thursday night out of an abundance of caution, park officials announced on Facebook.

We are working to identify the suspects involved in this incident and utilizing all law enforcement resources available, said Cleveland Metroparks Police Chief Kelly Stillman. This type of criminal behavior will not be tolerated anywhere within Cleveland Metroparks and we are working in close coordination with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute all suspects to the full extent of the law.

Canton 11-month-old dead, parents charged with abuse

One suspect, a 17-year-old whose identity hasnt been released, was arrested on site. They face several charges, including felony assault, discharging a firearm in a prohibited place and carrying a concealed weapon.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Cleveland Metroparks released the following statement:

The safety of Cleveland Metroparks guests and staff is a top priority. Guests will see a heightened presence by Cleveland Metroparks Police at Edgewater Park. Additionally, the Cuyahoga County Sherriffs Department and City of Cleveland Police Department will provide law enforcement support as necessary.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A pair of tufted puffins are likely nesting near Yaquina Head for the first time since the late 90s and birders are gathering in Lincoln County to witness the homecoming.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Visitor Services Manager Dawn Harris told KOIN 6 News that two tufted puffins have been spotted in the area all-month long, indicating that the birds are likely nesting in the surrounding headlands.

Its not unusual to see a puffin or two fly by Yaquina Head during the summertime nesting season, Harris said. That happens occasionally each summer. Whats unusual is that tufted puffins have been seen every day for almost a month.

Birders are eager to see a rare pair of puffins nesting at Yaquina Head. (Photo by Roy Lowe)

Tufted puffins are in the middle of hatching season on the Oregon Coast and the Yaquina Head pair were seen carrying fish in their beaks. This means the puffins likely have a nest of hatchlings nearby, Harris said. While the exact location of the nest is unknown, the sightings are frequently occurring near the Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

Washington Cascades hit with hundreds of lightning strikes; 12 new fires started

Right at the viewpoint behind the lighthouse is an outstanding area to watch seabirds in general, Harris said. Thats where everyones been seeing the puffins from too.

Although tufted puffins once nested in the area, the birds have virtually disappeared from Lincoln County in the last 25 years. In the 1980s as many as 5,000 tufted puffins nested on the Oregon Coast. Today there are thought to be no more than 600. Harris said that the cause of the decline is unknown, but that there are likely multiple environmental factors affecting the species.

Overall the tufted puffin population is greatly reduced on the Oregon Coast compared to what it was, she said. We dont know the exact reason. There are likely multiple reasons involving habitat on nesting islands, predators like rats, which are non-native, and native predators like mink and racoons that can get on the islands.

PHOTOS: Revamped Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort to reopen in July

The burrowing birds also face challenges hunting declining fish populations caused by climate change and building nests as invasive plants are replacing the native bunch grasses that hold the coastal rocks together.

While the puffins are nesting in a frequently visited section of the Oregon Coast, Harris said that Yaquina Head is a protected habitat. The Bureau of Land Management protects the headlands and the USFS protects the offshore rocks and islands.

Tufted Puffins are more commonly found on the Oregon Coast at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach and at Coquille Point in Bandon. However, visitors are encouraged to visit Yaquina Head to see the lone pair of puffins reclaiming the habitat.

Bird watcher or not, everyone wants to see a tufted puffin, Harris said. Theyre what we call charismatic megafauna. Its really special to see puffins nesting in Lincoln County. People are definitely excited.

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Rocklin Unified School District Board Member Michelle Sutherland draws a graphic representation of where she said the Boards priorities should be focused during a meeting Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. The area of most importance, she said, does not include passing a policy that would violate state law by mandating schools to out transgender students to their parents.

Yet another state agency ruled against a Northern California school districts policy that forces teachers and school staff to out transgender students to their parents.

The California Public Employment Relations Board ruled Monday that Rocklin Unified School Districts implementation of its forced outing policy constitutes unfair labor practice because it asks school staff members to violate external law. PERB has ordered the district to rescind its policy and to notify its employees of this change within 10 business days.

But Rocklin Unified is not backing down and seeks to protect its policy, which requires school staff to inform a students parents if they request to go by a name or set of pronouns that is not aligned with their biological sex. The district is planning to appeal the decision, according to spokesman Sundeep Dosanjh.

Parental notification policies in schools are an increasing point of controversy in the state and nationwide. People in favor of a parental notification policy assert that parents have the right to stay informed of their childrens lives at school while opponents say that this policy is dangerous to trans and nonbinary students whose families are not supportive of their identities.

The largely GOP-approved Rocklin Unified Board of Trustees voted to institute the policy in September and the Rocklin Teachers Professional Association filed the unfair practice charge with PERB shortly after.

The teachers union contended that the district was in violation of the Educational Employment Relations Act because union members were denied the opportunity to bargain over the effects of the policy before the board voted to approve it. PERB concurred, but also resolved that because the board policy violated state law, it constitutes a nonnegotiable subject of bargaining and therefore forcing the union to enact this policy was illegal.

The California Department of Education previously found that the policy violates state Education Code Sections 200 and 220, which ban discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that is contained in the definition of hate crimes ... including immigration status in any educational institution that receives state funding or accepts students on financial aid.

Rocklin Unified faces pushback from multiple angles

Rocklin teachers union president Travis Mougeotte said that while he expected the districts decision to fight PERBs ruling, he was disappointed to see it.

My first reaction is no surprise, my professional reaction is just again to question why our board would decide to go down that path and continue to waste resources  time and money included  on something that has been decided in multiple courts on multiple levels, he said. Why continue the ridiculousness of it?

The district is also facing a lawsuit from the states Education Departmentrequiring that Rocklin Unified revoke the policy and opted to enter into a agreement with conservative legal group Liberty Justice Center to represent them in the case pro-bono. The Liberty Justice Center champions right-wing causes and is currently representing Chino Valley Unified School District in a similar lawsuit surrounding a parental notification policy.

The school district is also likely to see new state legislation that explicitly prohibits school boards from instituting a parental notification policy. Following a heated confrontation between lawmakers, Assembly Bill 1955 passed the Assembly and will now head to Gov. Gavin Newsoms desk, who is likely to sign the bill.

So far, it does not appear that Rocklin Unified teachers have been enforcing the forced outing policy. The unions official guidance to teachers since it went into effect has been to follow state law over board policy, but this contradiction from district leaders has caused a lot of angst for teachers, Mougeotte said.

There have been no specific incidents where people have felt in jeopardy or conflict with anything, but there have been a lot of questions and frustrations, like how could we have any policy that asks us to violate state law? he said.

Jenavieve Hatch contributed to this story.
Plane goes off runway after landing at Newark airport: FAA

NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11)  A private jet went off the runway after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, resulting in flight delays Thursday, officials said.

A wing of the plane was damaged during the incident after landing at the Newark airport around 1:50 p.m., according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

More Local News

A pilot and a passenger were on the plane, officials said. No injuries were reported.

The runway was temporarily closed while the plane was removed.

Flight arrivals and departures at Newark Liberty International Airport may be delayed during the investigation, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The FAA is slowing the flow of aircraft into Newark Liberty International Airport because an Embraer business jet went off the runway after landing, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. This resulted in a temporary runway closure which reduced the airports arrival capacity.

As of 3 p.m., flights to Newark Liberty International Airport were experiencing delays averaging 95 minutes, and flights leaving from Newark were experiencing delays averaging 15 minutes, according to the FAA.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
Poland, Baltic states call on EU to build defense line along border with Russia, Belarus

Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania called on the European Union to build a line of defense along the bloc's border with Russia and Belarus to protect the EU from military threats and other harmful actions from Moscow.

The leaders of the four countries, which each share a border with either Russia or Belarus, drafted a letter to the EU President detailing the scale and cost of the project. EU countries would be required to commit political and financial support.

"The creation of a system of defense infrastructure along the external border of the EU with Russia and Belarus will meet the acute and urgent need to protect the EU from military and hybrid threats," the letter reads.

Western intelligence officials have reportedly warned about increasing Russian sabotage operations across Europe.

The letter also suggests that the defense line could be constructed in coordination with NATO and its military requirements.

Some EU officials estimate the cost of building this defense line along the EU's 700-kilometer border with Russia and Belarus to be around 2.5 billion euros ($2.67 billion).

U.S. and allied intelligence officials have observed an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe, which appear to be part of Russia's strategy to undermine support for Ukraine.

Read also: Estonian PM Kallas: Russia is conducting shadow war on West

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(Bloomberg) -- Leaders from Poland and the Baltic states implored the European Union to step up support for an initiative to bolster defenses on the blocs eastern frontier.

Most Read from Bloomberg

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Charles Michel sent Wednesday, the four leaders cited the intensification of military and hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus.

Extraordinary measures need to be employed as the EUs external border must be protected and defended with military and civilian means, the leaders  Prime Ministers Donald Tusk of Poland, Kaja Kallas of Estonia and Evika Silina of Latvia, and Latvian President Gitanas Nauseda  wrote.

The blocs participation in two projects, known as Shield East and Baltic Defense Line, will help expand defenses as well as open a path to apply European technology, innovation and expertise, the letter argued. The leaders pushed for the issue to be added to the agenda of a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels Thursday and Friday.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in May outlined a 10 billion zloty ($2.55 billion) investment in strengthening its borders with Russia and Belarus.

The Baltic nations are building a defensive line along the border with Russia and Belarus that includes anti-tank barriers, trenches and fortifications. Lithuania announced Thursday it would invest 4 million euros ($4.3 million) into such fortifications by the end of the year.

In order to protect and defend Europe, we need this defense infrastructure  that needs political decisions and funding too, Kallas, who is touted to be selected as the EUs top foreign policy chief, said in Brussels Thursday.

--With assistance from Milda Seputyte.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Poland has announced the creation of special units within the Border Guard, responsible for border security.

Source: Polish news agency PAP citing Czesaw Mroczek, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Mroczek noted that migrants attempts to breach the border from Belarusian territory is currently the biggest threat for Poland.

"We will create special border units for border security. We should have done this long ago," Mroczek stated.

He added that a comprehensive package of measures on this issue will be presented soon.

"We are facing a situation that threatens national security, namely illegal migration at the BelarusPoland border. We have quickly identified vulnerabilities and will fix them soon," Mroczek said.

Background: Polish Foreign Minister Radosaw Sikorski reported that Poland has considered complete closure of the border with Belarus.

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Poland, Czechia, Germany ask EU to help cover expenses for hosting refugees from Ukraine, Bloomberg reports

Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic asked the European Union for financial assistance to cover expenses for hosting Ukrainian refugees, Bloomberg reported on June 27.

The leaders of three states sent a joint letter, obtained by Bloomberg, with their request for funding to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Around 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees reside in the EU under temporary protection status, of which almost 1 million took shelter in Poland.

According to a report from the UNHCR and Deloitte, from March 2024, Ukrainians accounted for between 0.7% and 1.1% of Polish GDP in 2023.

Germany has taken in more than 1 million refugees from Ukraine since February 2022. Berlin has spent more than 20 billion euros ($21.4 billion) on accommodation and integration of those war refugees, according to Bloomberg.

The Czech Republic officially hosts 340,000 Ukrainian refugees, who in the first quarter paid almost twice as much in taxes as they received in welfare benefits, according to Czech Labor Ministry data.

These three countries have taken in the lion's share of fleeing Ukrainian refugees since the all-out war started, the article read.

"More than 50% of Ukrainian refugees who have entered the European Union live in Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

The uneven challenges for Member States within the EU are also evident in relation to the respective size of the population," the leaders of the states wrote in the letter, seen by Bloomberg.

The countries said that the situation is not "compatible" with the common objective of sharing the burden of taking in refugees from Ukraine and "the consequences for national budgets," Bloomberg wrote.

"An additional and  in relation to actual expenses  substantial financial support from the existing funds of the current Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 is needed for those member states particularly affected in order to adequately reflect the expenses of taking in, housing and providing for refugees from Ukraine," the leaders added.

Speaking to the reports ahead of the EU leaders summit in Brussels, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the question of each member state's contribution to taking in Ukrainian refugees "is not clearly distributed," Bloomberg reported.

The EU should compensate those three nations for things like living costs, vocational training, and language courses, Scholz added. He also noted that this topic will be discussed in Brussels.

Scholz's comments in Brussels come after his June 24 statement about the decreasing popularity of Germany's Social Democratic Party (SPD), headed by him, which is reportedly connected to some voters' opposition to the party's support for Ukraine.

The effect is most directly felt in some states in Germany's east, where SPD is only polling at 7% ahead of upcoming local elections scheduled for September.

Read also: Polish attitudes toward Ukrainian refugees deteriorating, survey shows

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State-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia has been granted a license by the Polish Railway Transport Authority, allowing it to enter the European railway freight transportation market, the company announced on June 27.

Ukraine's airspace has been closed since February 2022 due to Russia's full-scale invasion, giving rail transport a crucial role in transporting goods and passengers in and out of the country.

Ukrzaliznytsia transported over 2 million passengers to Europe last year and reported a record amount of freight in November 2023, when it transported 14 million metric tons of cargo.

"Obtaining a license is another step on the way to creating a full-fledged international railway operator that will be able to offer its customers a single cross-border transport service," said Yevhen Liashchenko, chairman of the board of Ukrzaliznytsia.

Ukrzaliznytsia plans to "concentrate on increasing the volume of transportation through the Ukrainian-Polish border crossings at the first stage of its work as a carrier," which will have the name Ukrainian Railways Cargo Poland.

"Polish and Ukrainian shippers will receive a door-to-door transportation service from one operator, without the need to conclude a number of contracts with different companies," Ukrzaliznytsia said.

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Rail transportation at the Ukrainian-Polish border gained even greater importance after the start of regular border blockades by Polish farmers and truckers at the end of 2023.

The blockades often put road transport at a standstill, leaving cars and trucks waiting in lines stretching kilometers.

Ukrainian Railways Cargo Poland will start full-fledged comprehensive transportation services in 2025, according to Ukrzaliznytsia.

The company also "plans to operate rolling stock for track widths of both 1,435 mm and 1,520 mm,which will allow it to work efficiently at all border crossings with Poland."

Due to its Soviet past, Ukraine's railways have broad-gauge tracks, as is the standard in Russia. Ukraine is now constructing more lengths of narrow, European-gauge tracks to provide better rail connectivity with Europe.

Read also: Zelensky arrives in Brussels to sign EU-Ukraine security agreement

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After a month-long manhunt, the man accused of killing a Leesburg store owner was arrested on Wednesday, police said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Orlando Violent Crime Task Force arrested Alex Lopez in the Kissimmee area.

Read: Scattered thunderstorms roll through Central Florida

Lopez is accused of robbing and killing 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh, who was working the register at the M&M Food Mart on May 30.

Shihadeh was on Facetime with his wife when he was murdered.

Read: Police identify man who shot at them at Melbourne apartment complex

Police obtained a warrant for the 25-year-old Wildwood man on June 3 for the following charges:

murder, armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and use or possessing a firearm during a felony

Read: 2 people injured in plane crash near DeLand

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NEW YORK (PIX11)  Police are searching for multiple suspects in connection to three incidents that happened across New York City in May and June.

A firearm was displayed in each of the incidents, according to the NYPD.

More Local News

The first robbery happened around 1:08 p.m. on Monday, May 13, in Manhattan. Two unidentified suspects on a black motorcycle stole an orange motorcycle valued at approximately $16,000, according to the NYPD.

The motorcycle was parked on East 91st Street. Police say the suspects were last seen traveling westbound on 91st Street.

The second robbery happened at around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, May 31, near West 185th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue. Police say two individuals on a black motorcycle approached a 53-year-old man on a black motorcycle and displayed a gun.

They forcibly stole a necklace valued at approximately $6,000 and fled southbound on Saint Nicholas Avenue, police said.

Teen killed, child injured in hit-and-run near Queens school: police

The third incident happened at around 12:24 p.m. on Sunday, June 23 in the Bronx. Police say three individuals approached a 40-year-old man on motorcycles, displayed a gun, and demanded the mans necklace.

Police say the man was able to run away and no items were taken. The suspects were last seen traveling southbound on Macombs Road.

Police have released the following surveillance images of the suspects.

Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.

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POLICE: Madison man arrested in Mississippi, accused of traveling to meet child for sex act

MADISON, Ala. (WHNT)  A Madison man was arrested and charged with traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, according to police.

At the beginning of June, the Madison Police Department began an investigation into a man who had allegedly been contacting a minor. They had received the tip from the Decatur Police Department.

HAVE YOU SEEN HIM? Huntsville police looking for man last seen in April

Following an investigation, Madison Police got a warrant for 24-year-old Treyveon Putman of Madison, and he was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Mississippi on June 20.

Putman was extradited to Madison and booked into the Madison County Jail on June 26.

He is charged with second-degree statutory rape, second-degree sodomy with a girl  strong arm and traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act. He is currently being held on a total of $25,000 bond.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
In police departments across the region, more police officers are sporting beards or religious garb such as hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes.

It was not always that way.

In a lawsuit 25 years ago, two Muslim officers sued the Newark Police Department after they faced disciplinary charges over beards that they wore for religious reasons. They argued in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals that a policy requiring officers to be clean shaven, allowing only for medical exceptions, violated their religious freedoms.

Justice Samuel Alitos opinion, filed March 3, 1999, stated the police department did not give substantial justification for refusing to provide similar treatment for officers who are required to wear beards for religious reasons. Alito, now a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, concluded that the policy violated their First Amendment rights.

Shakoor Mustafa, a muslim, was one of two officers who sued the Newark Police Department successfully 25 years ago for the right to wear a beard for religious reasons.

Shakoor Mustafa, one of the two Muslim officers who sued the department, recalled that the courtroom erupted in cries of Allahu-Akbar, meaning God is greatest, when the decision was announced.

Everyone was ecstatic, said Mustafa, a devout Muslim who continues to wear a beard. We came out of courtroom, and I had tears in my eyes.

It's significant to recognize people's religious rights, Mustafa added. This is what the whole case was about. It was about the religious rights and the freedom of people  me just trying to gain my right as a citizen who was a police officer.

In recent years, New Jersey law enforcement agencies have faced a growing number of requests for religious exceptions to uniform and grooming policies as the population, and its police, have grown more diverse. While federal and state laws protect employees seeking religious accommodations, some conflicts have arisen over such requests.

Legal protections for religious rights

Under New Jersey anti-discrimination law, an employer may be required to permit employees to wear attire or maintain facial hair required by their religious beliefs "as long as it does not impose an undue hardship on the employers business."

Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 also requires that employers make exceptions to their rules or preferences to allow employees to follow religious dress and grooming practices.

Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at the Beckett Fund, a nonprofit legal institute focused on religious freedom, said the law was clear: if you make beard exceptions for medical reasons, you have to make them for religious reasons too.

Beckett represented Shakoor and fellow officer, the late Faruq Abdul-Aziz, 25 years ago, but most cases since then have involved the military and not police departments, Windham said.

We had Navy, Army and Marine cases involving service members wanting to wear beards while serving their country, Windham said. Those cases have been successful.

The law has strong protections for police officers to be able to follow their faith, Windham added.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police Policy Center also recommends in its guidance that departments make exceptions for religious reasons and for medical reasons. The medical exemption typically involves Black officers affected with pseudofolliculitis barbae, a skin condition that makes shaving painful.

Calls for a state directive

Lt. Kamil Warriach, president of the New Jersey-based Muslim American Law Enforcement Association, said that while officers have had requests for beards or religious head dress granted, it has not always been easy. Some officers and academy cadets have faced delays or pushback, he said.

People have gotten slack for it, he said. They dont want to push the issue because people take it personally and executives may retaliate against you."

In Perth Amboy, a traffic officer sued the police department in March alleging religious discrimination. Among the reasons, he said he faced unreasonable obstacles when he requested to grow a beard, which he said was part of his faith tradition as a Coptic Orthodox Christian. His request was not approved for about a year despite obtaining a letter from a priest and verbal pleas to command staff, while two other officers got approval for similar requests within a week, the lawsuit stated.

In Jersey City, an officer sued in 2021 over alleged harassment and retaliation linked to a religious exemption to the dress code. He got an exemption to wear a beard, but a supervisor reprimanded him for a beard that was deemed too manicured.

In at least two cases in New Jersey, Warraich said women were given a hard time when they asked to wear a hijab in training or on the job as police officers. He called for the state to issue guidance or a directive for police department on religious exceptions to dress codes.

Its a problem because its left up to the discretion of the people in charge, Warraich said. A solution is a directive which would just tell anyone that any religious article, like a yarmulke or a turban for a Sikh male or a head covering for a Muslim or Sikh female, any religious item, should be allowed.

Dan Prochilo, a spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, said that "policies governing law enforcement officers appearance, including rules surrounding facial hair and attire worn while on duty, are within the purview of individual departments and law enforcement executives."

Some departments are clarifying their policies to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse police force. For instance, Newark announced in 2021 that, per official policy, it would allow women in the police force the option to wear hijab.

The New York Police Department relaxed its facial hair rules in 2020, two years after a settlement was made in a class-action lawsuit filed by a Muslim cop over the no-beard policy. They initially allowed beards for all officers, but in May, the NYPD reversed that policy, once again banning beards except for religious or medical exemptions.

In the NYPD case and the Newark case 25 years ago, police officials said beards had posed a safely risk with the wearing of safety equipment such as a gas masks or N95 masks. Attorneys argued that exceptions already exits for medical reasons and for undercover officers.

Asked about safety concerns, Warraich said police officers did not carry masks and it was rare to wear them, or "almost non-existent."

A state policy would signal that diversity is welcome

Police agencies would benefit from a state policy clarifying rules on beards and religious garb because it would signal to diverse groups that they are welcome in the ranks. In the police academy, a written directive would help because some lack confidence to ask for waivers at the start of their training, Warrraich said.

I talk to a lot of young people and, believe it or not, its a big deal to them, Warraich said. They dont want to cut off their beard in the policy academy.

Serein Tamimi accepts her certificate during Bergen County Police Academy graduation at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack June 13, 2019. Tamimi was sworn in as the first Palestinian American woman and hijab-wearing police officer in Paterson this week.

Mustafa reflected on his case 25 years ago. He said he felt naked when he shaved the beard that he wore in accordance with his Muslim faith entering the police academy. He grew it back later when he went undercover busting drug deals in Newark.

He had worn it for years on the job when, suddenly, the chief of police decided to enforce a 1971 order banning beards. He believed it was an act of retaliation by the mayor. He had previously served on the mayor's security team and said they had a disagreement.

Mustafa knows that the 1999 ruling in Fraternal Order of Police v. City of Newark has been cited in other cases and was covered by many media outlets. For him, the goal of his lawsuit was not to best the police department, but to be true to his faith.

After he won his case, an Orthodox Jewish man from New York City sought him out for guidance in a religious discrimination case against the NYPD. A Christian woman also cited his case when she argued she should not be compelled to work on Sundays.

Im not interested in being a crusader, Mustafa said, but I will always help anyone I can. Its the nature of being a servant of God. I will come anywhere to stand with people, to stand with this issue.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Police officers with religious garb, beards find protections in law
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) released more information about the officer-involved shooting that happened around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 9.

Significant Event Briefing videos are created after a significant event which policy states is:

Any officer-involved shooting where CSPD personnel fired a weapon in the performance of their duties, not including non-injury unintentional discharges or shootings of animals

Any use of force event that requires the response of the Deadly Force Investigation Team

Any other police encounter deemed appropriate by the Chief of Police

According to CSPD, on June 9 at around 12:45 a.m. three officers with the Downtown Area Response Team were on foot patrol in front of a business at 18 South Nevada Avenue between Colorado and Pikes Peak Avenues. Officers heard a disturbance north of their location and as they began moving toward the noise, they saw a woman fall to the ground after appearing to have been assaulted.

Security camera video released by CSPD, showed the suspect, later identified as AlMorion Germany allegedly aiming a gun at a woman and then striking her across the head with the gun.

CSPD said one of the officers pulled their taser and identified himself as a police officer. While he was moving towards the disturbance, a man stepped in front of the officer and chased Germany, but then stopped and raised his hands, the officer moved around the man and saw Germany allegedly aiming a handgun toward the man and the officer.

The officer shouted GUN!, and ordered Germany to drop the gun, then drew his department-issued handgun. CSPD said the suspect turned and ran north on S. Nevada Ave. Germany then turned onto Pikes Peak Ave. towards a parking garage known for heavy foot traffic at that time of night.

As the officer turned onto Pikes Peak Ave. he dropped his taser and fired three rounds from his gun at Germany, hitting him twice. Germany continued running across Pikes Peak Ave. before complying with officer commands to get on the ground.

Officers rendered medical aid to Germany until paramedics arrived. Germany was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

As per Colorado law, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office (EPSO) was called to investigate the shooting and once its investigation is complete, it will send the findings to the Fourth Judicial District Attorneys Office for a determination on whether the officers use of force complied with Colorado law.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Officers are seeking the publics help in identifying suspects from an assault in east Charlotte earlier this month.

According to Charlotte Crime Stoppers, there was an assault June 16 in the 5300 block of Independence Boulevard. Video shows multiple people driving in a parking lot; two are on ATVs and the others on dirt bikes.

People can leave an anonymous tip about the incident with Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Police want to identify man after school bus indecent exposure

EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR)  The Edmond Police Department is asking for help identifying a man regarding an indecent exposure involving a school bus.

According to Edmond PD, the man was driving a black Nissan Titan truck.

LOCAL NEWS: Enid man arrested following investigation in computer crimes

Edmond Police want to identify man in reference to indecent exposure.

Edmond Police want to identify man in reference to indecent exposure.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Gwartney at 405-359-4491/

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Everything lately in the United States is historic and unprecedented. It is the sign of the times, which is dominated by worn-out adjectives. But, in this case, there is some truth to it. The CNN debate that will pit Joe Biden and Donald Trump against each other on Thursday in Atlanta is the first between two very old rivals (81 and 78, respectively) whose mental fitness is in question; the first between two former presidents; and the first to be held so soon, a little over four months before the November elections, when both candidates are not yet official candidates (this will be announced at the party conventions in July and August).

Traditionally, debates are held a few weeks before the election, but this time they have pushed forward the calendar at Bidens request, because voting by mail in advance has never been so important. The second debate will take place on September 10. The president is hoping that an early debate will serve to dispel doubts about his fitness for office, which many have questioned, and to remind voters of Trumps true personality. If everything goes as Biden hopes, the debate could play a crucial role in his re-election campaign. If not, he will still have months to do damage control.

The history of presidential debates in the United States is also the history of television in the country. The first debate that marked an era was also the first that was not exclusively broadcast via radio. It was also the first of a series of debates that are universally accepted to have determined the outcome of the election. This was the 1960 debate that helped John Kennedy sell himself as a promising young leader to American voters, watching the debate from their living rooms.

In front of him was Richard Nixon, Republican candidate and two-time vice president. But Nixons failure to understand the language of the new medium (as well as his choice of suit color and refusal to wear makeup) worked against him in the first of the four debates. He learned his lesson, but it was too late: the contrast between their styles tipped the scales for the Democrats.

Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, at an election debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 28, 1980. THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL L (Reuters)

There were no more debates until 1976, when once again the showdown between the two candidates was decisive. On one side was Republican president Gerald Ford, given the thankless task of rebuilding a countrys broken trust after Nixons resignation two years earlier, amid the Watergate scandal. On the other was Jimmy Carter, who was able to embarrass his opponent when he made him say there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. The gaffe cost Ford dearly among voters in the swing states of the Midwest, where there is a high percentage of Poles and Czechs.

Carter vs Reagan

Four years later, Carter was this time the victim of his opponent: the old (and mediocre) actor Ronald Reagan offered one of his best performances in his debate with the president, who was running for re-election. Reagans TV-friendly face was enough to reassure voters, especially women, who were suspicious of his hawkish profile. The candidate spoke about his family to convince viewers otherwise: I have seen four wars in my lifetime, he said. Im a father of sons; I have a grandson. I dont ever want to see another generation of young Americans bleed their lives into sandy beachheads in the Pacific, or rice paddies and jungles in Asia, or the muddy, bloody battlefields of Europe.

George W. Bush debates Al Gore (right) in the third and final debate for the 2000 election. Jeff Mitchell US (Reuters)

After these first three presidential debates, candidates, advisors and voters took note and none of the debates that followed were so decisive. But they did have their moments. In the 1984 debate, Reagans joke about Walter Mondales young age made even his opponent laugh. In 1988, the public was shocked by Michael Dukakis emotionless response to whether he would continue to oppose the death penalty if his wife was raped and murdered. In 1992, George Bush Sr. looked at the clock throughout the debate and lost his train of thought. And the 2000 debate was marked by Al Gores loud sighs of impatience. He would end up losing the election to George Bush Jr. by just a handful of votes.

Democratic supporters and strategists  who will be anxiously watching the 90-minute Biden-Trump debate on Thursday  are desperately hoping that Biden will once again prevail over Trump, as he did so in the 2020 debate, when he even managed to stop the Republicans angry interruptions: Will you shut up, man?

On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton, the only person who has debated both Trump and Biden  in 2016, against Trump, who promised that he would imprison her if he won the election White House, and eight years earlier, against Biden, in the Democratic primaries  published an opinion piece in The New York Times, in which she shared her advice on what to look out for.

Clinton gave three pieces of advice: pay attention to how the candidates talk about people, not just policies (especially on the crucial issue of abortion); try to see through the bluster (especially when it comes to exaggerated remarks about the economy); and think about what is really at stake in this election, which she said described as a choice between chaos and competence. She pointed out that Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts, and argued that Biden is a wise and decent man.

Republican candidate Donald Trump (left), and Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, at the end of the first of the 2016 debate. BRIAN SNYDER (REUTERS)

Clinton also called on voters not to put theater before politics: Were picking a president, not the best actor. Although that plea, given U.S. culture and the history of presidential debates  which follows rules more fitting of a street fight than of the noble art of rhetoric  seems too big of an ask.

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Nobody can be unmoved or ignore the dreadful casualties and damage in Gaza, in the operation to free hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. What is perhaps not so obvious, is the effect on routine medical treatment on the Strip, which has also virtually ground to a halt.

One of the most desperate stories, among so many, is that of baby Sadeel Hamdan who urgently needs a liver transplant. We have a donor but need to get her out of Gaza for this operation. We at Medics Under Fire are calling on all political parties to help us. We rescued 500 children at the height of the Syrian conflict and have always tried to hold leaders to account to International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, which  in this case of Gaza  seems to have been ignored.

We must get this sick baby out of Gaza as soon as possible. Among the friction of the election, we appeal to the current Prime Minister and Keir Starmer  the likely next one  to use all their powers of diplomacy and tenacity to persuade the Israelis and Hamas to allow the baby out. We are in communications with ministers and politicians, but the danger is this will be lost in the election noise.

We could do something marvellous for this desperately ill baby if it were not for the current frenetic politics. This is not just Israel blocking this but also Hamas. If they agreed to the ceasefire this would all be over.

This is the case of a nine-month-old baby, Sadeel Hamdan, who has biliary atresia and is in fulminant liver failure. She is in desperate need of an urgent liver transplant. Both she and her father have been security cleared for medical evacuation since March 9 but due to processing delays  and the closure of the Rafah border by Israel on May 7  she has not yet been medically evacuated. Sadeels father is the identified donor match to give part of his liver to his daughter.

Organ transplants cannot happen due to the destruction of healthcare systems in this current conflict. She is sponsored by UK-based Children Not Numbers (CNN), a relatively new organisation run by two accomplished lawyers who have already moved more than 150 children out of Gaza since the war started. However, since May 7 this work has stopped  Israel and Hamas are not permitting anymore evacuations.

A narrow window of opportunity

Bile is produced from the liver and helps absorption of fats from the bowel. It also contains byproducts from breakdown of various chemicals and needs to be excreted. Bile is released from the liver and makes its way to the bowel through ducts. Children born with biliary atresia do not have bile ducts and the bile cannot be excreted and builds up in the blood. This causes jaundice and liver cirrhosis. When the levels reach a critical level, most children will die in the first year of life. The treatment of this condition requires a procedure which takes up a loop of bowel to the liver. It is very successful and allows children with this condition to have a normal life.

We now know that Al Aqsa Hospital, in Deir Al-Balah, is dealing with a mass casualty situation following the Nuseirat Refugee camp attack. As reports show, the hospital is full of patients and is drawing heavily on the small number of healthcare workers there. Sadeel has been stabilised by her dedicated medical team over the last six months of her short life, with remote input from NHS doctors. However, we know that the Gaza team is overstretched.

We are connected with the medical director of UK Med in Gaza to see if there is any scope for their assistance and accepting baby Sadeel in order to medically stabilise and prepare for a potential medical evacuation.

At a time of such tragedy in Gaza, and the UKs current stance on not accepting any wounded or sick patients from Gaza, we wonder whether a demonstration of humanitarianism is now due. We have a narrow window of opportunity to help this child. If we can get her out of Gaza we can get her the urgent medical treatment she needs to save her life.

Political leaders in this country need to pause and think how they can make a difference now and not just wait until July 5. Cross party support at this time might be just enough to get this very sick girl the medical attention she so desperately needs, unavailable in her country but available here. Do not stand on the sidelines because Gaza and Israel are too controversial and may affect your political campaigning; just do the right thing and help.

Medics Under Fire: Dr Saleyha Ahsan, Professor David Nott, Ellie Nott and Hamish de Bretton-Gordon

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security

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Pope Francis may have surprised many by inviting comedians to the Vatican, but the value of humor has deep roots in Catholic tradition

When Pope Francis addressed a group of top international comedians on June 14, 2024, he called them artists and stressed the value of their talents.

To many Catholics, this meeting came as a surprise. Traditionally, the themes of detachment, sacrifice, humility and repentance appear far more frequently in religious writing and preaching than the spiritual benefits of a good laugh.

But as a specialist in medieval Christian history, I am aware that, since antiquity, many theologians, preachers, monastics and other Christians have embraced the role of humor as a valuable part of Christian spirituality. Some have even become popularly known as the patron saints of comedians or laughter.

Comedy is natural

Many Catholic saints have considered laughter to be an integral part of nature itself. For example, the 12th-century German nun St. Hildegard of Bingen, a mystic poet and musician, wrote in a poem on the power of God:

I am the rain coming from the dew

That causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life.

In the 13th century, St. Francis of Assisi called himself the Jongleur de Dieu  troubador or jester of God  because of his ministry. He probably used a French reference because his mother came from France and spoke French at home. Francis and his followers wandered from town to town, singing Gods praises and preaching joyfully in the streets. People laughed when he preached to birds in trees, and he once had to politely ask a large flock to stop chirping first.

The 16th-century nun and mystic St. Teresa of Avila wrote in a poem, alluding to the voice of Jesus Christ as love:

Love once said to me,

I know a song, would you like to hear it?

And laughter came from every brick in the street

And from every pore in the sky.

Humor and play are an important part of human nature. They provide opportunities for relaxation and relief and offer a way to cope with the challenges of human life.

In the 13th century, Dominican scholastic theologian St. Thomas Aquinas composed a lengthy summary of theology that became one of the most important resources in the Catholic tradition: the Summa Theologica. In it, he argued that humor and other kinds of joyful recreation offer the mind and soul the same kind of rest that the body needs.

Aquinas cautioned, however, that these kinds of words or activities must not become hurtful or indecent.

Comedy can heal

The shared experience of laughing can break down barriers across cultures and bring people together.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits in the 16th century, is said to have danced a jig to raise the spirits of a despondent man on retreat; he also praised a Jesuit novice for his healthy laughter.

St. Ignatius is distinguished by his heart-shaped face and the Latin motto of the Society for Jesus, Ad maiorem dei gloriam, or for the greater glory of God. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Purchase, Assunta Sommella Peluso, Ignazio Peluso, Ada Peluso and Romano I. Peluso Gift, 2010

In the same century, St. Philip Neri, who has been called the patron saint of humor and joy, was reputed to be a mystic and visionary. To put others at ease, he engaged in pranks and jokes, once attending a gathering with half of his beard shaved off.

Some famous Catholic saints even faced death with a smile, such as the second-century deacon St. Lawrence, one of the patron saints of comedians. The legend goes that as he was executed by being roasted alive on a gridiron over a hot fire, he joked with his executioners, saying, Turn me over  Im done on this side! This legend has carried over into the official story of his life.

The Carmelite nun St. Therese of Lisieux also lived a life marked by humor in the 19th century. Even as she lay dying from tuberculosis at the age of 24, she is said to have joked with the other nuns and her doctor. Supposedly, when a priest was called to give her the last rites, he refused because she looked too healthy. She replied that she would try to look sicker the next time he was called.

Popes and humor

Francis is far from the only pope to stress the value of humor in Catholic and Christian life. Pope St. John XXIII, who in 1961 summoned the Second Vatican Council, calling all Catholic bishops worldwide to a series of formal meetings at the Vatican to update Catholicism, was known for his humor. Famously, when asked once how many people worked at the Vatican, he replied, About half of them.

The next pope, St. Paul VI  elected in 1963  was an accomplished administrator known for his wit. One of his papal documents was on the importance of Christian joy. Now on the path to sainthood as blessed, John Paul I, who reigned for only a month in 1978, was known as the smiling pope because of his cheerfulness.

Pope St. John Paul II, the first non-Italian elected pope in almost 500 years, was only 58 years old when elected in 1978, and he was well-known for his sense of humor.

The German cardinal who succeeded him in 2005, Pope Benedict XVI, also valued the role of humor in a balanced Christian life: Humor is in fact essential in the mirth of creation.

And before this 2024 audience with comedians, Francis discussed the topic of humor more fully in his 2018 apostolic exhortation. In this important document, addressed to the whole Catholic Church, the Pope stated that holiness is within the reach of every believer and is achieved through a joyful life. Humor has a section of its own within the exhortation.

In the audience with comedians on June 14, Francis, who took the name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the troubadour of God, has very publicly affirmed that for Catholics, humor is an important part of a faithful life.

The meeting even concluded with one of the popes favorite prayers, for good humor, attributed to St. Thomas More, the chancellor of England under King Henry VIII  fitting, given Mores legendary sense of humor. Executed for treason in 1535, More is said to have asked the constable of the Tower of London to help him up the steps of the scaffold, with one of his last jokes: For my coming down, I can shift for myself.

The prayer asks God for, among other things, a good sense of humor  to share with others.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross

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Joanne M. Pierce does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Popularity of public charters in Montana is high, cost is high too

Photo illustration by Getty Images.

More public charter schools are opening in Montana than expected, and theyll cost the state more money too  an estimated $2.8 million, or three times more than budgeted, for the year.

In legislative meetings last week, lawmakers praised the new schools, but they also said their popularity calls for some sideboards around approvals for new schools in the future.

Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, commended the Montana Board of Public Education, which reviewed an unexpected number of applications for new public charter schools this year and approved 19.

Of those, 17 are slated to open this coming school year. A rough initial estimate from the Governors Office of the total cost to the state and local jurisdictions is $7 million.

It was a tough project, and we have some really exciting programs, but we dont have an unlimited amount of money, Bedey said at an interim budget committee meeting on education. So we are going to have to think our way through this going into the future.

McCall Flynn, executive director of the Board of Public Education, agreed the topic warrants more conversation. She said the board is already advertising that its taking a second round of applications for public charter schools.

In 2023, the Montana Legislature approved a couple of bills to give students more educational options. One, House Bill 562, is pending in court; a judge found that legislation is likely unconstitutional because it may usurp the authority of the Board of Public Education.

But the legislature also approved House Bill 549, which allows charter schools to open within the public education system.

This year, Board of Public Education was expecting applications for five or so charter schools, but it received 26. It approved 19, including in Billings, Kalispell, Frenchtown, Corvallis and Helena.

At the budget committee meeting, Chairperson Bedey reminded people those charter schools arent brick and mortar structures, but programs within school districts.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the cost to the state is estimated to be $1.9 million more than the initially projected $816,000 for three programs.

However, Paul Taylor, with the Office of Public Instruction, said a precedent didnt exist before, and projections should become more predictable with a base year established.

At the same time, schools need to hit a minimum enrollment for funding, the Governors Office said in an email. Other factors include whether the schools are elementary, middle or high school, and the total students enrolled.

At the committee meeting, Sen. Dan Salomon, R-Ronan, said it will be important to streamline the application process for the Board of Public Education so it can more easily make decisions about new proposals.

I expect well see a bill to do some of those things, Salomon said.

Bedey agreed. He said hes excited about the high interest in the charters and work of the Board of Public Education.

However, Bedey said he doesnt believe the state can sustain 18 or 20 new schools each year, and he suggested refining the process and setting prioritization metrics to help guide the Board of Public Education with future applications.

Theyll have to say no to some folks, he said.

The post Popularity of public charters in Montana is high, cost is high too appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Porter Airlines adds nonstop flights from Tampa International Airport to 3 cities in Canada

Porter Airlines adds nonstop flights from Tampa International Airport to 3 cities in Canada

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  Getting to three cities in Canada from Tampa will get a little easier this winter season. Porter Airlines announced its expanding its nonstop service to and from Tampa International Airport.

The airline will take passengers from Tampa to Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax.

The flight to Toronto was seasonal last year, but starting Oct. 27, the airline will offer daily service. A second daily flight will begin on Dec. 13.

Ottawa and Halifax are both new routes being added to Tampa International Airports lineup.

The flight to Ottawa, Canadas capital, will fly up to four times per week starting on Nov. 22. On Dec. 5, travelers can choose between three weekly flights between Tampa and Halifax.

Tampa airport officials said the airline will fly each route with its growing fleet of new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which offers 132 economy seats in a two-by-two configuration, meaning no middle seats. Porter flights also include free wifi and free beer and wine.

To learn more about the flights, visit FlyPorter.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  In the race to become Portlands 54th mayor, local firefighters and police officers have endorsed Rene Gonzalez while Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has endorsed Carmen Rubio.

Gonzalez currently serves as the city commissioner of public safety. On Tuesday, his campaign revealed that the Portland Fire Fighters Association and the Portland Police Association have backed his bid for mayor.

Washingtons new bias incident hotline will launch in three counties

In a statement, PFFA President Isaac McLennan said the union was endorsing Gonzalez because the city needs a leader who prioritizes public safety. PPA President Aaron Schmautz echoed this, saying Gonzalez is best suited to lead us forward.

As a city, we deeply value a woven public safety model connected to community and accessible to all, Schmautz said. We have seen positive momentum towards pragmatic solutions that are moving our city forward. It is critical that we continue to foster new ideas and courageous leadership.

The two unions also endorsed Gonzalez in his 2022 campaign for Portland City Council, in which he replaced incumbent public safety commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.

Westview football coach accused of slapping students at camp resigns

But on Wednesday, competitor Rubio  who oversees Prosper Portland and the city bureaus for housing, development services and planning and sustainability  revealed that Gov. Kotek is behind her campaign.

According to the Oregon leaders statement, Rubio boasts a track record of getting results.

Shes focused on what matters  cleaning up the city, getting people into shelter and affordable housing, and bringing back the city we all love, Kotek said. We can count on her to deliver the kind of change Portland urgently needs.

Multnomah County halts purchase of tents, tarps as debate rages over homeless services

Both Rubio and Gonzalez are running against fellow City Commissioner Mingus Mapps in the running to replace current Mayor Ted Wheeler.

Other candidates who have filed a notice of intent to run are activist and stripper Liv Osthus, REAP Youth Essentials Coordinator Durrell Kinsey Bey, Shelter Portland founder Keith Wilson and Marshall Runkel  former chief of staff for previous Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY)  A Portsmouth man was sentenced to seven years in prison on gun charges on Thursday.

41-year-old Ryan Duggan was arrested in a Motel 6 parking lot in Portsmouth for outstanding warrants on April 24, 2023, according to court documents.

Duggan was working on a red moped in the parking lot when he was arrested, which was later determined to be stolen as well as a motorcycle in the vicinity.

Law enforcement had observed Duggan in and around two BMW vehicles and the stolen motorcycle, and law enforcement K-9 alerted on both BMW vehicles.

Searches into the BMW vehicles and Duggans room at the Motel 6 revealed a 9mm handgun with no serial number, ammunition and suspected narcotics. The handgun was equipped with a machinegun conversion device enabling the handgun to operate as a fully automatic firearm.

One of the BMW vehicles displayed a North Carolina rear license plate that was not associated with it. Detectives searched the vehicle and recovered ammunition, a loaded magazine, a pill bottle containing suspected narcotics, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .223 rifle, a .726 rifle and a 9mm pistol with a collapsible stock. The suspected narcotics were later determined to be 13 pills of gabapentin, .5328 grams of methamphetamine and 10.9 grams of fentanyl.

Duggan has nine previous felony convictions.

Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C (WBTW)  Multicolored purple, blue, and pink-like jellyfish creatures have washed up on multiple shorelines in Horry County recently.

Portuguese man-of-wars, similar to sea nettle jellyfish, have meters-long, venomous tentacles that shoot out and sting in defense when contacted.

The creatures are siphonophores, an animal that is made up of lots of tiny individual organisms to help it function. Residents and tourists in both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have shared photos of the animals on the shore while walking on the beach on Facebook.

North Myrtle Beach resident Melissa Green said she spotted her first one of the summer southbound by 10th Avenue in North Myrtle Beach after recognizing them from years prior. She said she was walking her dog Millie, like she normally does, when she was stopped abruptly by the jelly-like creature.

You know. my dog, neither of us stepped on it, because I was barefoot, and she was just walking free, Green said. And, you know, it had its like, little tentacles that were there. So, yeah, that was when we saw it.

Green said she will be more cautious while walking on the beach to avoid any other close encounters.

Ripleys Aquarium curator Becca Thomas said that if someone encounters a man-of-war, they should admire from afar. Not only stay safe, but to also respect the animals home.

She said if you are stung by the animal to put hot water and vinegar on it to denature the venom, though she said it will still sting for a while  similar to being stung by a jellyfish.

So, the tentacles have a really serious venomous punch, Thomas said. So, if you get in contact with them, its just an automatic response from the jellyfish. It releases a spine basically that shoots you and will sting you.

* * *

Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  Straight line winds wreaked havoc along Britton Road in Northeast Oklahoma City Tuesday night.

Its bad Its a mess. It looks like a tornado hit, said Olimar Garcia, who works along Britton.

LOCAL NEWS: Storms leave damage across Oklahoma City metro

Our Four Warn Storm Team estimates wind speeds were at least 80 miles per hour.

The Oklahoma City Fire Department says between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters responded to more than 150 incidents, including two dozen calls for downed power lines.

A lot of damage around the city, said Garcia. Its dangerous.

One of the hardest hit buildings was Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management and Consulting.

Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management and Consulting storm damage. Image KFOR.

Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management and Consulting storm damage. Image KFOR.

Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management and Consulting storm damage. Image KFOR.

Off camera, employees confirmed to KFOR theyll be working from home for the foreseeable future.

I think its crazy. Its like its just unbelievable. Its really unbelievable, said Karen Warmbier.

LOCAL NEWS: Severe storm caused damage and left many in the dark

The destructive winds also hit the nearby Cedar Lake Plaza, where Warmbiers husband works.

His boss called and told everybody to stay home, said Warmbier. The building is just not conducive to working right now. So everybody stay home. But, he needed to get his computer so he could work a little bit at home.

Property owners told us off camera there is significant water and roof damage. They plan to assess when employees can return to the office building next week.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
CHICAGO  Messages of support of healing Wednesday night on the citys Southwest Side after a local restaurant owner was injured in a brawl over the weekend.

Hes always giving to people for someone to just show this lack of respect for someones well-being is disconcerting at best, said Mount Greenwood resident Sarah Peterson about bar owner Nick Barraco ahead of a prayer vigil.

The 61-year-old restaurant owner, beloved by his patrons and neighbors, was injured during an altercation outside his restaurant early Sunday morning.

Barraco suffered a head injury after allegedly being punched and falling to the pavement.

4 charged after attack on restaurant employees in Mount Greenwood

He spent three days in the ICU.

Ald. Matt OShea told WGN News that Barraco has a long road to recovery.

He came home to be with his family today, he said. They wanted him home (in a) more comfortable setting.

Four 20-year-old men from the western suburbs were charged on Tuesday, with aggravated battery. Prosecutors say the suspects were asked to leave the bar around 2 a.m. Sunday after allegedly acting drunk and unruly and urinating on the bathroom floor.

When the altercation inside spilled outside the business Barraco and an off-duty police officer were among the four victims hurt.

I think the judge made some pretty interesting statements that theres more to this story than what the alleged victims claim, said defense attorney Damon Cheronis, who is representing John Powers. We presented a video today that showed it was in our position the bouncers who were the aggressors.

Added attorney Mike Leonard, who is representing Frank Paris: It shows hes sort of hunted down the street hes attacked punched in the face the early reports are just entirely off base with what the evidence shows on that video.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

One of the offenders was also charged with using a fake ID. A judge granted pre-trial release for all four men involved, however.

Twenty years olds in bars? Theres 10,000 20-year-olds that will be in bars across the city, but they were there that night looking to start trouble when they were asked to leave, OShea said. Instead of leaving peacefully, they did what they did and thats why were all here tonight.

The prayer service lasted about 45 minutes.

All four males charged in the alleged assault are due back in court on July 1.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Pres. Biden, former Pres. Trump arrive in Atlanta ahead of CNN presidential debate

President Joe Biden, first lady Dr. Jill Biden and former President Donald Trump have all arrived in Atlanta ahead of Thursday nights presidential debate.

Both the president and first lady flew into Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb County. Former Pres. Trump arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Coverage of the CNN Presidential Debate begins LIVE on Channel 2 at 8 p.m.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

President Biden arrived shortly after 3 p.m. He made a stop in downtown Atlanta to visit with supporters before moving on to the CNN Studios for the presidential debate.

The first lady flew into the Peach State separately, arriving around 4:30 p.m.

Former Pres. Trump arrived at the Atlanta airport just before 5:30 p.m.

All of their arrivals are having major impacts on traffic across metro Atlanta.

RELATED STORIES:

The president and former president will face off on Thursday night in the first presidential debate of the political season on Thursday night.

The debate itself starts at 9 p.m. and will be simulcast live on Channel 2, WSBTV.com and all of WSB-TVs streaming apps.

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KYODO NEWS - Jun 28, 2024 - 04:45 | All, World, Japan

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bid farewell to King Charles and Queen Camilla on Thursday, marking the end of the three-day official portion of their weeklong visit to Britain.

The emperor visited Windsor Castle in a London suburb later in the day and laid flowers on the tombs of Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip.

"The queen extended the most generous hospitality to me. I paid a visit as a token of my heartfelt appreciation," the emperor told reporters at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens after the trip to the castle.

Queen Elizabeth had close relations with the Japanese imperial family for decades, and invited him to Buckingham Palace in the 1980s when he was studying at Oxford University as the grandson of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

The visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to Britain was initially planned for 2020, but canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The queen died in 2022.

The imperial couple, who arrived in the country last Saturday and will stay through Friday, began their state visit on Tuesday, marking the first such visit since then Emperor Akihito's in 1998.

On the opening day, the couple traveled to the Horse Guards Parade, where the king and the emperor inspected a guard of honor, and the royal party then traveled up the Mall ceremonial route in horse-drawn carriages to Buckingham Palace.

That evening, the emperor and empress attended a state banquet at the palace hosted by the king and queen, where both reigning monarchs gave speeches.

On Wednesday, the emperor visited the Francis Crick Institute, Britain's flagship biomedical research center, and the Royal College of Music before attending a banquet at Guildhall hosted by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation.

With the official program over, the imperial couple will on Friday visit Oxford University, where they separately studied before marriage, before heading home later in the day.

The state visit to Britain marked the Japanese couple's second goodwill trip overseas since Emperor Naruhito ascended the throne in May 2019, following an official trip to Indonesia in June 2023.

Related coverage:

British king welcomes Japan's imperial couple at start of state visit

Japan emperor thanks visiting Luxembourg crown prince for quake aid
President Biden, First Lady host post-debate rally in Raleigh Friday with special guests

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN)  President and First Lady Jill Biden are in Raleigh on Friday to host a campaign rally.

This visit follows the first presidential debate for this election between President Biden and former President Trump in Atlanta on Thursday. The debate was aired on CNN as well as on CBS 17.

NC supporters of Trump, Biden react after 90-minute presidential debate

The campaign in Raleigh will also feature special guests including Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur Fat Joe and multi-platinum artist E-40.

The President and First Lady landed at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport early Friday morning.

CBS 17 was there to see local leaders greet them as they got off the plane.

President and First Lady land in Raleigh early Friday (Ethan Duvall/CBS 17)

President and First Lady land in Raleigh early Friday (Ethan Duvall/CBS 17)

President and First Lady land in Raleigh early Friday (Ethan Duvall/CBS 17)

President and First Lady land in Raleigh early Friday (Ethan Duvall/CBS 17)

On Thursday, the Jim Graham Building at the state fairgrounds was already set up for the rally.

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said shell be there.

First off, its always an honor when the president says, Im coming to Raleigh, Baldwin said. It puts us on the map, it gives us national attention.

Will these visits help Biden with the electoral map?

Former President Donald Trump won North Carolina by 1.3% in 2020, a smaller victory than in 2016. Polls show Trump with a bigger lead than that now, something staff at more than a dozen field offices across the state are trying to change.

This is the presidents third visit to Raleigh in five months.

In March, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited Raleigh to campaign a push for more affordable healthcare in the state.

PREVIOUS | President Biden, Vice President Harris give remarks in Raleigh about healthcare

In January, Biden spoke about investments in internet access.

Until the 2024 election results come in, dont expect this to be the presidents last time in our area.

As the campaign heats up, Im sure were going to see a lot more, Baldwin said.

Heavy traffic and delays are expected Friday afternoon due to the campaign. Raleigh police said that drivers should expect traffic delays around the NC State Fairgrounds.

Police also said drivers should seek alternate routes through impacted areas.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CBS17.com.
Pritzker signs bill creating new Department of Early Childhood as advocates eagerly anticipate improvements to the system

Angela Farwig, a longtime advocate for early childhood education at Illinois Action for Children, believes the creation of the new Department of Early Childhood  signed into law Tuesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker  will finally transform a system that has been historically undersupported.

The new agency represents a major step forward in the states mission to streamline childhood services into one place, making it easier for families and providers to access critical services and programs across the state.

I think our early childhood system has been underfunded for a very long time, built on as resources came available, said Farwig, vice president of public policy, advocacy and research for Illinois Action for Children. Combining early childhood services into one agency allows families a go-to resource for support and services for their children in their formative years, she said.

We really think that this can drive more understanding of the potential of these first couple of years (in a childs life), she said.

Previously, most early childhood services for children under 6 were split among three state agencies  the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services.

Some of the programs moving from the new agency will envelop formerly divergent services into one entity, including programs that pay for child care costs so parents can work or attend school, Preschool for All, which makes preschool accessible for all 3- and 4-year-olds in the state, special education programming for children before they enter elementary school, and day care licensing, among others.

Pritzker also named Irma Martinez Snopek, a former State Board of Education officer, as acting secretary for the new agency.

State legislators set aside $14 million to create the new agency when they passed a $53.1 billion budget earlier in June. At Tuesdays bill signing, Pritzker said whether the new agency will require additional funding once established is unclear.

I know there are people who want to complain about creating a new agency and will that end up costing the taxpayers, Pritzker told reporters. I think theres real efficiency in taking programs that are disparately located in different departments and bringing them all together, he said.

If the two-year developmental phase goes as smoothly as advocates hope, the new state agency will become operational in July 2026.

According to Farwig, the agency will give families and early childhood service providers a single entity to seek and offer resources. Versus, Oh, Ive got this issue with licensing that is over at the Department of Child & Family Services,' Farwig said. Instead of providers and families bouncing around between agencies to access resources and support.

However, there are still areas where the states plans to boost early childhood programs fall short, including an insufficient investment in the early childhood education workforce, according to Neoma Nagahawatte, who works with Farwig as the assistant director of advocacy at Illinois Action for Children and leads the We, the Village coalition.

Nagahawatte is particularly concerned about a scholarship program established in 2021 with federal COVID-19-relief dollars to address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators.

Nagahawatte said early childhood education advocates in Illinois requested $60 million in this years budget to fund the scholarships, but the state only allocated $5 million.

This cut will impact Illinois ability to meet child care needs across the state, which perpetuates our current child care crisis, Nagahawatte said.

She anticipates the shortage of funds leading to one setback after another, including fewer scholarship applications for associates and bachelors degrees in early education and deep cuts in the quality of services and supports available to students pursuing degrees in early childhood education.

Were expecting to see that play itself out in the pipeline of early childhood educators going into the field, which inevitably contributes to the child care desert, Nagahawatte said.

Illinois Action for Children, which serves nearly 150,000 children and families annually by providing access to early childhood care and education opportunities, will monitor the impact of what she called significantly reduced funding going forward. This information will inform how they advocate in the next legislative session.

Kimberly Bianchini, a child care provider and owner of Advance Preschool in Hoffman Estates, said the agencys real-world, practical implications could be immense for resolving issues efficiently.

Bianchini said the needs at her preschool are often dire, and there is little supplemental support to navigate programs that help parents find funding and resources to send their children to day care or preschool. The new agency, she said, will simplify access for providers like her who are servicing the highest-risk children.

Right now, I have one person whose entire job is to support parents because we have so many cases and the paperwork is so difficult, Bianchini said.

As a general resource, the state launched a website for the Department of Early Childhood where parents and providers can toggle through FAQs, resources and stay up to date on the agencys evolution.

Acting Secretary Snopeks term is temporary, Pritzkers press secretary, Alex Gough, explained in an email to the Tribune. Snopeks temporary designation is used when theres a leadership transition, ongoing search or, in this case, a new agency and search for a leader.

The appointment letter states that Snopeks term expires Aug. 23. Her annual salary is $214,000.

In 2023, Pritzker, who made early childhood education a focal point of his second term, implemented the multiyear Smart Start initiative to improve access to preschool and increase funding for child care providers.

The 2025 budget also includes $45 million for the second year of a three-year pilot program to fill teacher vacancies, an increase of $10 million to $711 million for grant funding for college students, and an additional $75 million in grant funding for preschool enrollment.

Chicago Tribunes Olivia Olander contributed.
BRUCETON MILLS, WV (WVNS)  Progress continues to be made on the first stargazing cabins in the Mountain State.

The stargazing cabins will be located at Coopers Rock State Forest and are estimated to open in fall 2024. Reservations for the cabins will begin to be accepted on August 1, 2024. Governor Justice visited Coopers Rock State Forest on Monday, June 24, 2024 to check on the progress on the cabins.

West Virginia hiking trails that are bearable when its really hot

This is another exciting day for West Virginia with the addition of these incredible cabins. Coopers Rock State Forest is a gem within our state park system, and as we continue to draw visitors from around the world, its important that we maintain and enhance its amazing condition and reputation. This stunning park is among our most frequently visited, and the projects were working on here will further put this forest on the map. Governor Jim Justice

The stargazing cabins are part of more than $200 million in improvements made to the West Virginia parks system under the leadership of Governor Justice.

Photo Courtesy: Governor Justice

Photo Courtesy: Governor Justice

Photo Courtesy: Governor Justice

Photo Courtesy: Governor Justice

There will be five A-frame stargazing cabins that will be found by the main ridge between Raven Rock and the main overlook, and there are plans to add seven more cabins in spring 2025.

The cabins will be set up to give guests a chance for unique stargazing opportunities using the telescopes in the cabins to look at some of the darkest skies on the East Coast.

New Bike Repair Station announced by the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

Its amazing to see these improvements coming to fruition at Coopers Rock State Forest. Gov. Justice has brought the West Virginia State Parks system to much higher levels with his vision and guidance. Im looking forward to all of the new and returning visitors who will come to stay in the newly constructed cabins and at the campground once theyre ready. Brett McMillion | Division of Natural Resources Director

Investments were made at 36 parks, nine forests and three rail trails throughout the Mountain State. Cacapon Resort State Parks new lodge, creating two new state parks, new recreational facilities, hundreds of new campsites built or upgraded, systemwide infrastructure upgrades, and renovations at every lodge and cabin in the system will be included in the projects.

Since the investments were made, revenue grew significantly and visitation increased, which will allow for reinvestment in public lands in West Virginia.

Gov. Justice announces West Virginia Waterfall Trail surpasses 75,000 check-ins, three new additions for the summer season

We continue to see folks interested in unique lodging, and Im thrilled to see our states first stargazing cabins nearing completion. The more than $200 million in improvements at our state parks system are paying dividends. A visit to any of our parks will show the incredible quality of our facilities and the popularity of our public lands. Our state parks system is a true gem, and we are forever grateful to the Governor for his continued commitment to ensuring our facilities the very best. Chelsea Ruby | West Virginia Tourism Secretary of Tourism

More than $15 million in investments were made at Coopers Rock State Forest. Some of the improvements include the stargazing cabins, major water and wastewater treatment improvements, a new laundry and firewood facility, and a modern 25-site RV campground.

The contracts in the investments were awarded to companies and firms in West Virginia. The first five stargazing cabins and new campground to Wolfes Excavating in Clarksburg, the next seven cabins will be built by Zetti Contracting LLC in Morgantown, ZMM did the architectural work, and CEC completed the engineering.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Since Supreme Court justices appointed by Donald Trump helped overturn Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen states have passed total bans on abortion  and twice that number have imposed other limits on reproductive freedom, according to the the Guttmacher Institute. The nine states left with no restrictions have seen an influx of patients crossing state lines for medical care: some 171,000 people in 2023.

If Trump wins in November, there could be nowhere for them to go, at least in the United States. That would mean more women dying: Research suggests maternal mortality would jump 24% if Republicans pass and Trump signs into law a national abortion ban. More children would die too: After Texas imposed its abortion ban, infant deaths increased by nearly 13%, according to a recent study.

Salon spoke with Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, about the stakes in November and how much worse things could get if Democrats do not retain control of the White House.

What is at stake if Donald Trump wins the 2024 election versus Joe Biden, specifically for abortion rights and reproductive health rights?

Donald Trump and other abortion opponents, the team he has around him, never planned to stop at overturning Roe v. Wade and their assault on reproductive rights is only just beginning.

They're trying to unilaterally leverage every tool and every government agency to radically change our country and eliminate abortion access nationwide, oftentimes with no input or approval from Congress.

So what Trump can do on his own and the folks who are building out his administration, they have named on day one their agenda includes restricting medication abortion, attempting to enforce outdated patriarchal the Comstock Act from 1873 and defund Planned Parenthood and reinstate the global global gap world. These are all things that Trump would do on day one, and that's just beginning.

What do you think the media is missing? Is there something that we don't really see coming, that maybe the Republican Party has planned, that we'll see come into play if Trump wins?

As Project 2025 makes clear, they are obsessed with controlling our bodies and interfering with personal medical decisions. And I think banning abortion is such a key part ... Abortion is mentioned 199 times throughout the whole document.

This is one of their top priorities. I think what's really important is that they won't stop at laws they can pass through Congress. They won't stop at much. Everything's on the table, and they're going to use every tool at their disposal to ensure that abortion access is not available.

Currently, one in three women do not have access to reproductive freedom because they live in states with bans. There's no state in the nation where they have done anything less than a six-week ban, if not a total ban. When they are able to enact policy, they do the most extreme version. And we should expect that at the federal level as well. That is the way they are governing.

Earlier this year, Trump seemed to take a more moderate stance, saying that he wasn't going to support a federal ban on abortions, but he was really excited about the statewide bans. Where do you think he really stands?

The anti-abortion movement's ultimate goal is to ban abortion by any means necessary, and Trump's statements about letting states decide, all you have to do is look at the way states are deciding. Anti-abortion politicians ban abortion before you know you're pregnant, and they don't want you to show up in an emergency room to get care if you're a pregnant person and having a miscarriage.

They want to take over the courts to end that kind of medical care for pregnant people. They're trying to shut down Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers via federal courts in Texas. And so for Trump to say, "Let the states decide," what he is saying is he would like to have a national abortion ban.

The other day I read something like 58% of Republicans are actually in favor of legal access to abortions. I wanted to kind of run that by you and see if you had any thoughts on what the numbers really look like.

Generally, across the nation, eight in 10 Americans agree that decisions about abortion should be left between a patient and the provider. Abortion access crosses party lines, it crosses age and gender lines. We see this in poll after poll after poll.

But when you ask the question about who should be making these very important decisions, about the shape and size and ability to have a family, people do not believe that politicians are ever more qualified than a physician and their patients.

How are the red-state bans impacting blue states?

The impact really can't be understated when you get rid of healthcare access to half the country and say that the remaining half has to accommodate. This has been a devastation to reproductive freedom in this country and that is kind of unquantifiable at this moment. People are trying to put data around this, but it is a moving target and as new laws come on the books, as more people need access to care, we're getting more data and learning more.

The fundamental issue here is that you have a choice for president, and on one hand, you have Joe Biden, who is committed and asked Congress to deliver him a law to protect access in all 50 states to ensure that it does not matter where you live, that you can have access to full reproductive freedom and not have to fear the fact that you are pregnant and worry about the healthcare you're going to receive.

On the other hand, you have Donald Trump and his folks who work in his administration, willfully misinterpreting a law from the 1800s that will and could try to ban abortion in every state. It's two polar opposites. If Trump wins, abortion access in this country will continue to be devastated, and it is so essential that Joe Biden returns to office.

If Biden were to win this year, what would you hope are the first few things he can kind of put in place to help kind of build back what we've lost in the last two years with Roe v. Wade being overturned?

Joe Biden has never wavered in his support of reproductive freedom. And as we look forward, one of the most key pieces is the Supreme Court. It is entirely possible that a few of them will retire and no longer serve other terms. What is really critical is that Joe Biden is able to nominate replacements for those justices which would then change the face of the court, and would potentially help us get back to a place where abortion access is protected, but that's the Supreme Court level. Also nominating justices to federal courts is really essential, and he's done tons of that already.

When I think about the Biden administration, and what they're going to do next, a lot relies on our ability to hold the Senate and flip the House. If we have both of those chambers that are dedicated to reproductive freedom, and we have the Biden administration in charge, theres the possibility of passing a piece of legislation that protects access.

Yes, that seems like the ultimate trifecta.

We need a trifecta to be able to accomplish that big goal.

This interview has been edited for clarity.
Prosecutors will say in secret whether they used controversial spying tool against neo-Nazi accused in Baltimore power grid plot

Federal prosecutors said they are willing to disclose whether they used a controversial surveillance program to foil a Florida neo-Nazi leaders alleged plot to attack Baltimores power grid last year, but will only do so in secret, during a classified meeting with the judge handling the case.

Government lawyers refused Thursday to disclose publicly whether they used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to build the case against the accused plotter, Brandon C. Russell, but agreed to a private meeting with Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar where they will provide more information.

Russells defense team remains skeptical. After Thursdays hearing, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who recently joined the case said the government has a history of using a narrow interpretation of the law to avoid disclosing uses of FISA in prosecutions.

Russell, 28, is accused of plotting with a Catonsville woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to destroy multiple electrical substations in the Baltimore region. The pair allegedly hoped to cause a cascading failure of the power grid by targeting energy facilities in Norrisville, Perry Hall, Reisterstown and other areas around Baltimore.

Clendaniel, 36, pleaded guilty in May in exchange for a recommended sentence of 18 years in prison.

Russells case has become increasingly shrouded in secrecy. Bredar ruled Thursday that three undercover witnesses will be able to testify at Russells trial using light disguise, such as altered facial hair or hairstyles, and will be able to use pseudonyms to protect their identities.

The government calls Russell a racially and ethnically motivated violent extremist. He is accused of offering instructions to Clendaniel and an undercover FBI informant online and tasking the pair with carrying out the energy station attacks, according to the indictment.

Russell communicated over an encrypted messaging app in chat groups known as the Terrorgram Collective, an ideological hub for people who share white-supremacist and accelerationist views that call for the intensification of racial conflict and societal collapse, according to the governments court filings.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Gavin said in court that the undercover witnesses against Russell would be at risk of being doxxed, or having their personal information exposed online, if they testified under their true names.

Russells attorney, Ian J. Goldstein, responded that the witnesses are not good Samaritans, but paid informants.

We need to know who these witnesses are so we can conduct our own investigation, Goldstein said.

Bredar appeared at first to be favoring the defenses argument, but reversed course and granted prosecutors requests for secrecy after closing the courtroom to the public for a confidential discussion.

Russells defense team will not know the true identities of the secret witnesses and the public will have to leave the courtroom during their testimony at Russells trial, though audio of the testimony will be played in another room for the public to hear.

It creates a huge impediment to investigating and creating a defense, Goldstein said after the hearing.

The defense also has demanded to know whether the government used FISA to collect evidence as part of the case. The spying tool allows the government to collect intelligence on non-Americans outside the United States but is controversial because it also captures data from Americans.

The government is supposed to provide notice to criminal defendants if it plans to use information obtained through or derived from FISA surveillance.

The defense made an unusual argument, noting that the FBI publicly revealed earlier this year that it used data collected under FISA to prevent a potentially imminent terrorist attack against critical infrastructure in the United States.

The FBI told Politico in February that the ability to search the Section 702 database without a court order showed that a person located inside the U.S. was in regular contact with an unspecified foreign terrorist group, had acquired the means to conduct an attack and had already identified specific targets in the U.S.

The FBI also said it thwarted the plot about 30 days after discovering it.

Russells case is the only one that his lawyers have been able to locate that matches the details the FBI disclosed, the defense wrote in court papers, setting off alarms that the government may have used data gleaned under FISA against Russell but failed to notify him.

The government has not clarified whether the FBI was, in fact, referencing Russells case in those public remarks.

Bredar noted in court that the defenses argument is based on speculation that the remarks were about the Baltimore power-grid case, but he asked whether the government would be willing to say whether FISA was used.

The answer is, as I understand, classified, Gavin replied.

After checking with attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justices National Security Division, Gavin clarified that she would be able to share the answer with Bredar in a classified setting. The defense will not be part of that discussion.

The meeting will take place in the next three weeks, Bredar said.

The FISA aspect of the case recently led three attorneys from the ACLU to join Russells defense team.

Ashley Gorski, a senior staff attorney with the ACLUs National Security Project, said in a statement that the group joined Russells defense for the limited purpose of challenging the governments secretive warrantless surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. For the ACLU, this is about government abuse of power.

Russells case, Gorski said, is a rare and important opportunity to challenge the governments practice of conducting warrantless backdoor searches of its Section 702 databases to locate the communications of Americans.

The ACLU has argued for years that the surveillance is unconstitutional and disproportionately used against people of color and Muslims. The recently reauthorized spying authority also could be abused by a future administration against political opponents, protest movements, and civil society organizations, as well as racial and religious minorities, abortion providers, and LGBTQ people, Gorski said in the statement.

In court, Gorski warned that prosecutors have been known to use a narrow interpretation of the law to avoid revealing the use of FISA, unilaterally deciding that the evidence they plan to use is too far removed from information gleaned through the spying program to require disclosure.

The government has not notified any criminal defendants of surveillance under Section 702 of FISA since 2018, Gorski said, despite its widespread use of the surveillance tool.

Russell, who appeared in court Thursday in a maroon prison jumpsuit, is set to face trial in November.

He was sentenced in 2018 to five years in federal prison for possessing chemicals used to create explosives. Law enforcement found the materials while they were investigating the murder of two of Russells roommates in Florida in 2017.

Russell told investigators that he started his own local violent extremist group with Nazi beliefs called the Atomwaffen. His three roommates were members of Atomwaffen until one murdered the other two in 2017 for bullying him after he converted to Islam, according to an FBI affidavit. Russell was not home when the murders took place.

_____
A confined animal feeding operation at a dairy in southeast Minnesota. (Alex Baumhardt / Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon farmers hoping to operate industrial animal operations would need to meet stricter water use, manure management and location restrictions under rules being proposed by the state.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture is asking the public to weigh in on the new rules for confined animal feeding operations, or CAFOS, by July 22 before they are expected to be finalized later this summer. Environmentalists and residents in parts of the state concerned with pollution and the public health risks of large confined animal operations advocated for the increased regulations. Some farmers and industry groups, including the Northwest Chicken Council, the Oregon Cattlemens Association and the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, have expressed concerns that the rules will make the work untenable.

One of the proposed rules would require CAFOs using 12,000 or more gallons of water per day to secure a water permit that details that waters source. Previously, such operations have been allowed to use groundwater for animals without reporting use and without needing to secure water rights. Existing large animal operations would need to submit their water plans when they renew their CAFO permits.

Submit a comment

Email rulemaking@oda.oregon.gov with the subject line: SB 85 Rules by July 22 at 5 p.m.

Attend a virtual public hearing:

Join a Microsoft Teams meeting here July 15 at 1 p.m.

Meeting ID: 292 595 496 328

Passcode: zpffWj

Join by phone:

+1 503-446-4951,,961954697#

There are nearly 500 CAFOs in Oregon. Most  more than 360  are small and medium-sized operations, according to the Department of Agriculture. For dairy cows, a large operation begins when a farm has 700 or more confined cows. For broiler chickens, depending on the type of manure management system thats used, it would be 30,000 to 125,000 or more chickens.

Under the new rules, the state would also require operations meet new standards for alerting neighbors before being built, and local governments would have greater power to regulate where operations can be located and what kinds of buffer zones might be needed. Large CAFOs would also need a new permit for spreading manure in groundwater areas deemed sensitive by the state Department of Environmental Quality.

The new rules were mandated under Senate Bill 85, which was signed into law in August 2023, and will be enforced by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The rules follow decades of nitrate contamination in a critical northeast Oregon groundwater aquifer due in part to high concentrations of animal manure; concerns over a now-shuddered 30,000 cow dairy farm in northeast Oregon, Lost Valley Farms, that faced nearly $200,000 in penalties from the state over manure management violations; and as a response to a growing concern around the Santiam River southeast of Salem, where several large confined chicken operations have been proposed in the last few years.

The post Public asked to comment on potential new rules for Oregons industrial animal farms appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
The public is being warned of traffic disruptions as federal investigators conduct a large search for evidence in a Massachusetts beach town on Thursday, an official said.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said an evidence response team is conducting the search in the area of Route 88 in Westport in connection with an ongoing, multi-jurisdictional investigation.

We are searching for specific evidence and there is no threat to public safety, the spokesperson said in a statement. We recognize the traffic disruptions this may cause, and we are working as expeditiously as possible. We appreciate the publics patience as we conduct this important law enforcement activity.

Massachusetts State Police troopers assigned to the Bristol District Attorneys Office and the Westport Police Department are assisting the FBI with the search.

Westport is known for Horseneck Beach State Reservation, one of the most popular beaches in Massachusetts.

There were no additional details immediately available.

Boston 25 News is working to gather more information.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 10:37 | All, Japan, World

Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed Wednesday to reinforce supply chains for critical minerals such as those used in semiconductors and electric cars to balance China's increased influence in the global economy.

During a meeting involving industry ministers from the three countries in Washington, the trio said they also agreed to deepen cooperation on artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, including those associated with export controls, research and developing international standards.

"Our shared intent is to leverage this trilateral mechanism to promote the development of critical and emerging technologies and strengthen the security and resiliency of our economies," Japanese industry minister Ken Saito and his U.S. and South Korean counterparts, Gina Raimondo and Ahn Duk Geun, said in a joint statement.

Without naming China, they said the three countries must work closely "to identify potential supply chain vulnerabilities for strategic goods that have resulted from a wide range of non-market policies and practices."

They said Japan, the United States and South Korea are concerned with "the weaponization of economic dependencies on certain supply sources for strategic goods."

As its geopolitical rivalries intensify, especially with the United States, China last year introduced strict export controls on gallium and germanium, metals crucial for producing semiconductors, on what it said were "national security" grounds.

Saito, Raimondo and Ahn said the three countries intend to hold a similar ministerial meeting annually in the future.

The inaugural meeting took place as part of efforts to broaden the scope of collaboration among Washington, Tokyo and Seoul beyond the realm of traditional security.

The policy direction was confirmed when U.S. President Joe Biden hosted a three-way summit in August last year with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Following the first trilateral meeting of its kind on Wednesday, Saito told a press conference that it is a "very important step" for like-minded countries such as South Korea, which has a complimentary industrial relationship with Japan, to make concerted efforts to build resilient supply chains.

Ahead of their discussions, Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission's executive vice president for competition policy, joined them virtually and held a four-way meeting, according to Saito.

Saito also met bilaterally with Ahn and Raimondo, and attended an event involving the three countries' biggest business bodies at which the organizations signed an agreement to step up private-sector collaboration.

Citing the increasing uncertainty in global affairs, as seen in situations like Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Saito, when he was with Ahn, said cooperation between Japan and South Korea is becoming "more and more important for the development and stability of the region."

Ahn said the neighbors should "deliver results" in the fields of hydrogen and other new energy sources, critical minerals and trade.

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ISLETA PUEBLO, N.M. (KRQE)  The Pueblo of Isleta is working to protect a historic site from the threat of erosion. The site dates back several hundred years and holds key cultural resources, like broken pottery that provides insight into life in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

Pottery Mound, of course, is an ancestral site  a pueblo. It was there quite a long time. Its in the Rio Puerco River area, and it was inhabited by pueblo people. And it was kind of like a trading center, Pueblo of Isleta Governor Max Zuni told KRQE. The history is that it was falling down from the cliffs, because of the Rio Puerco River, and so they abandoned it.

The site was home to peoples living along the Rio Grande from around 1350 A.D. to the 1500s. Studies of pottery from the site revealed a wide range of pottery shards (often spelled as sherd in archaeology reports), living structures, as well as fragments of Spanish metal, according to a report published by the University of New Mexico (UNM).

New Mexico ranked as No. 1 state for pedestrian deaths in 2023

After researchers unearthed and studied parts of the site, UNM gave ownership of the land back to the Pueblo of Isleta in 2012. By then, erosion from the waters of the Rio Puerco, a tributary of the Rio Grande, threatened the site. That problem continues today, and the Pueblo of Isleta is partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study the risk of erosion.

Today is a really important event with Isleta Pueblo because it represents a significant transition in our Tribal Partnership Program that expands the types of work that we can do, Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), said in a press release.

U.S. Forest Service looking to train young firefighters

The plan is to eventually come up with a way to protect the site from erosion in order to prevent key artifacts and cultural objects from being washed away. The federal government will fund the first $200,000 of the study, then the Pueblo of Isleta and the federal government will split the cost after that.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.
PULASKI COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) Pulaski County announced Brandon Hamblin as the first career Fire Chief to oversee the recently established Pulaski County Fire Department.

Chief Hamblin has served in the Town of Pulaski with the fire department in various capacities since 2005, including positions as a Firefighter, Fire Lieutenant, EMT, Training Officer, and Captain. He previously served the County as the Deputy Emergency Services Coordinator and as a Wildland Firefighter for the Virginia Department of Forestry.

As the chief, he will operate not only as the head of the new fire department but will also provide oversight for all fire and rescue activities conducted by the six volunteer fire departments in the area. Chief Hamblin says he hopes to bring unity to these departments to help provide further service to the community.

I am honored to have been selected for this position and to serve my community in a

different but perhaps more impactful and universal way, stated Chief Brandon Hamblin,. My vision is consistent with the Countys vision, and that is to not have two separate departments, one paid and one volunteer, but to have one unified department where career staff support volunteers and volunteers support the paid staff, all with the purpose of responding to the fire rescue needs of the citizens of Pulaski County.

SW Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke releases seven ducks back into wild

As a part of a multifaceted plan to provide the volunteer fire departments in the County with greater support and resources. The county budget gave funding to hire the first Fire Chief for Pulaski County, along with two additional full-time firefighters to help existing staff needed to establish a fully functioning department. This will help provide coverage during days and times of the week when the community experiences challenges with higher response demand.

Pulaski County is excited to welcome Chief Hamblin into this position and to work with

him and our talented career and volunteer firefighters to continue to develop and support

stronger fire-rescue response capabilities, stated Jonathan D. Sweet, County

Administrator. This position will be vitally important to oversee our newly established

paid department and to ensure we provide proper training and resources to our volunteer

system in order to sustainably deliver the safest and best fire-rescue response to our

citizens.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
After pushing for it, Bruce Antone wants Black history museum panel to go away

State Rep. Bruce Antone. Credit: Florida House

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Last year, Rep. Bruce Antone, a Democrat from Orange County, was one of the forces behind creating a task force to advise about what the states proposed Black history museum should look like. Now, he doesnt want the group to submit any recommendations.

The nine members  Antone wasnt appointed to be one of them  of the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force are supposed to meet for the last time Friday morning to put the final details on a report outlining the planning, construction, operation, and administration of the proposed museum. The group must send that report to Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislative leaders before July 1  Monday.

In a scathing 23-page letter addressed to the task force, Antone wrote that, since the group didnt accomplish its tasks, it shouldnt make any recommendations. The law Antone sponsored requires the task force to outline where the museum would be, what artifacts it would acquire, how it would be marketed, and how it would raise its own revenue.

The Democratic lawmaker wrote in a press release Thursday that the Florida Museum of Black History Task Force should quietly end and disband tomorrow.

Antones complaints about the process

From the start, Antone has had his heart set on Eatonville, which lies a few miles north of Orlando. But after a hotly contested 5-4 vote during the May 21 meeting, the task force voted to recommend a plot of undeveloped land a few miles outside of downtown St. Augustine as the location for the museum.

Antone insists that his disapproval of the task forces work isnt solely that the group didnt pick Eatonville, one of the first self-governing, all-Black municipalities in the country.

They could have designed a museum and I could have lived, you know, Antone told Florida Phoenix in a phone interview Actually, I did give them a complete design, they just chose not to use it. I gave a whole bunch of recommendations and a document. I had actually designed the museum for Eatonville.

After he visited the proposed plot in North Florida, Antone said the area is too isolated. His letter accuses task force members of choosing St. Augustine because of personal preferences without considering how the countys pitch compared to the others.

St. Augustine is an hour from Jacksonville, an hour from Gainesville, an hour from Daytona, two hours from Orlando. I drove up to the museum site in St Augustine, Antone said. I mean, its on the westernmost edge of St Augustine. It is rural land. Theres nothing out there. Theres no public transportation out there right now. It is not a good location to be putting what I believe was supposed to be Floridas world-class black history museum.

Still, St. Johns County carries historical significance. It was the site of Floridas first Black settlement in 1738 when the Spanish still colonized the region, and Martin Luther King Jr. once led protests against segregation in St. Augustine.

Delayed meeting

Its unlikely the group will listen to Antones request on the eve of the final meeting. Aside from sponsoring the legislation to establish the task force, he holds no power over the panel.

The group has little time to approve the report because the Florida Division of Historical Resources moved the meeting one week back, from last Friday, with scant notice to the public and the task force members.

Geraldine Thompson

Friday morning, task force chair Democratic Sen. Geraldine Thompson of Orange County plans to recommend that all work on the museum stop until the completion of a feasibility study for the top three locations the group chose: St. Johns, Eatonville, and Opa-Locka in Miami-Dade.

I think were shooting in the dark without a feasibility study, and that is going to be something Im going to stress during our meeting tomorrow, she said. The feasibility study should have been done before we started our work, rather than after.

Feasibility studies are detailed analyses that predict the success of a project and any problems that may arise.

But Antone also criticized that move, saying it would cause additional delays.

So, its probably after the legislative session in 2026 before the results of the feasibility study come back, he said. A lot can change in two years. I can leave the Legislature, and so there is no real advocate anymore.

Appropriations request

Regardless of Fridays outcome, Antone plans to request $30 million during the next legislative session to build the museum in Eatonville. He pointed out that lawmakers did the same for a Holocaust museum, which got $5 million in the 2024-25 fiscal year budget. Antones plan depends on whether Floridians reelect him to the House this year.

Thompson seems to be on board with that idea.

If he makes an appropriations request, Id be supportive of that. However, I think the feasibility study is still necessary because, if it goes to Eatonville, what are the plans for marketing and governance? All of that would be covered in a feasibility study, so I dont know why theres an objection to a feasibility study.

In a Republican supermajority state, Antone would need bipartisan support to secure that money.

Task force member Tony Lee, who works with the State University System of Florida, declined to comment. Other members didnt respond to the Phoenixs requests for comment.

The post After pushing for it, Bruce Antone wants Black history museum panel to go away appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
Put a price on it: Ex-Trump spiritual adviser reportedly asked sexual abuse accuser how much itd take to buy silence

Put a price on it: Ex-Trump spiritual adviser reportedly asked sexual abuse accuser how much itd take to buy silence

Texas pastor Robert Morris, who founded Gateway Church and once served as an evangelical adviser to Donald Trump, allegedly tried to buy the silence of the woman he is accused of sexually abusing when she was a child.

Put a price on it, Morris demanded Cindy Clemishire tell him in a September 2005 phone call, according to a transcript obtained by NBC News.

Clemishire, now 52, reportedly responded that it was not a small number, eventually telling Morris it would take $2 million to keep her silent about the alleged abuse she endeared.

Morris ended the phone call a moment later.

The Independent has not seen or reviewed the transcript obtained by NBC News. The reported transcript is just the latest in the scandal engulfing Morris, 62.

Robert Morris, a Texas pastor who founded Gateway Church, allegedly asked the woman accusing him of abuse how much it would take to buy her silence (Alex Brandon/AP)

Earlier this month, Clemishire publicly accused Morris of molesting her and sexually abusing her beginning in 1982 when she was 12 years old. Last week, Morris resigned from Gateway Churchs board of elders after admitting to engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in the 1980s.

The phone conversation in which Clemishire asks for money is consistent with emails, also obtained by NBC News, where Clemishire reprimanded Morris for destroying her life and requested restitution for the pain and damage he caused her.

Twenty-three years after you began destroying my life, I am still dealing with the pain and damage you caused, Clemishire wrote to Morris on September 20, 2005. I want some type of restitution. Pray about it and call me.

Two days later, Morris called Clemishire to assure her he had left the ministry - which he would return to have two years - and sought counseling after Clemishires father and other church leaders confronted him.

But Clemishire believed Morris should have been dealt a harsher punishment for what he did, saying it was not fair that he had little repercussions.

I just know I want to see you pay something, she told him over the phone, according to the transcript.

Cindy Clemishire gives an interview detailing the years of sexual abuse she says she suffered as a child at the hands of Morris (screengrab/WFAA)

The Texas pastor told Clemishire it would be wrong for him to pay her in exchange for her silence. He reiterated that point in a follow-up email weeks later when he warned Clemishire she could be prosecuted if he paid her.

Clemishire told the news outlet she never received the $2 million.

The transcript was reportedly provided to NBC News by an unidentified former Gateway IT department member. The employee said he discovered the transcript document on Morris computer more than 10 years ago while transferring files to a new laptop.

That document remained on a shared server since its creation in October 2007  two years after the phone call.

The Independent has reached out to Morris for comment.

If you are a child and you need help because something has happened to you, you can call the NSPCC free of charge on 0800 1111. You can also call the NSPCC if you are an adult and you are worried about a child, on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adults on 0808 801 0331
How Putin handed America the keys to the worlds energy market

It did not take long for Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine to reshape the worlds energy markets, as countries long reliant on Russian gas sought to sever ties as soon as possible.

Yet, while willing to give up apparent control of Europes energy market, what the Russian president didnt foresee was to whom he was giving up the keys.

According to a new report, Americas energy industry has emerged as the main beneficiary of the war in Ukraine, as the countrys gas suppliers have filled the void left by Russia.

Underpinning the United States resurgence as a global energy hub is a growing demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG), which both Britain and Europe have turned to since cutting themselves off from the Kremlin.

This shift in demand has allowed US energy companies to steal a march on the likes of Gazprom, as they have ramped up LNG exports to be shipped to countries around the world.

The International Gas Unions (IGU) latest annual report reveals the scale of growth as the global trade for LNG exceeded 400m tonnes for the first time in 2023.

Of this, the US contributed 85m tonnes, making it the worlds largest exporter after increasing its global supplies by 50pc since 2021.

More than two years have passed since the war broke out in Ukraine, with Europe continuing to depend significantly on LNG imports to replace reduced Russian pipeline gas flow, the report says.

Last year was a year of reopening and recovery of the world but the conflict in Ukraine still forced Europe  that built enough LNG infrastructure  and other LNG consumers to diversify from the Russian pipeline gas.

The US has well played the role of filling the gap that Russia left and become the worlds largest LNG exporter.

The UK alone spent 7bn buying LNG from the US last year, representing a 33-fold increase since 2018.

This means that Britain, along with much of Western Europe, is now reliant on the US for much of its energy security.

While that may seem more secure than the Wests previous reliance on Putin, experts are warning that this could create problems of its own.

This came to the fore earlier this year after President Joe Biden temporarily paused approvals for new LNG gas terminals, raising questions over how quickly US suppliers could ramp up production to meet growing demand.

However, analysts expect this policy to be reversed should Donald Trump triumph in the November election.

As a fuel growing rapidly in production, LNG is created by cooling natural gas to below -161C to turn it into a liquid. Unlike pipeline gas, which is restricted by geography, it can then be shipped around the world to any country with an import terminal.

Breaking Russias stranglehold on the West

Over the last two decades those properties have helped to transform energy markets by unleashing LNG across the world, helping to break Russias stranglehold on the West.

While the US dominates the LNG market, figures show that Britain last year also bought fuel from Qatar, Peru, Angola, Egypt and Trinidad.

It meant that 25pc of Britains total gas supplies were made up of LNG in 2023, with America by far the largest supplier.

Put another way, the UK secured around 17pc of its gas from the US as LNG, with another 37pc imported as piped gas from Norway.

Overall, it means the UK will this year be more reliant on foreign energy supplies than it has ever been.

That, said the report, is a pattern repeated across Europe  with LNG imports now supplying almost half of the Continents gas  and placing it in direct competition with Asia for future supplies.

Europe is now an LNG importing heavyweight, maintaining the second-largest importing region spot at 121m tonnes of LNG [last year], said the report.

With LNG supplying almost half of Europes gas, the competition between Asian and European markets remains a key market dynamic.

Gas industry insiders see the flexibility of LNG and its ability to break regional pipeline-based monopolies as a massive benefit.

Li Yalan, president of the IGU, said: The LNG industry has demonstrated incredible agility and innovation through some of the toughest tests over recent years.

This is an industry that continues to play a pivotal role in navigating through an energy crisis that has not yet been fully resolved and an energy transition that has been challenged.

LNG is a tool that will be critical to providing greater resiliency for rapidly changing energy systems around the world, and it will have an essential role in mitigating the inherent risk of uncertainty through that process.

However, it is worth noting that the 21bn Britain spent importing LNG last year is money all being shipped overseas, supporting jobs and suppliers elsewhere rather than in the UK.

It costs the country the equivalent of 750 per household to import LNG. And given the dwindling output from the North Sea, that bill can only increase if we stay hooked on gas.

That, says the Labour Party, will undermine the whole economy  which is why Ed Miliband, Labours shadow energy secretary, has pledged to break the link with gas and move the nation towards low-carbon energies.

He argues that breaking that reliance will bring other benefits, particularly in energy security.

The case for clean energy is now also a case for energy independence, energy security and lower bills, Miliband said last week. That was graphically and tragically demonstrated by the invasion of Ukraine, where we were in the grip of Vladimir Putin.

However, industry experts warn that Milibands plans, which include banning new oil and gas licenses in UK waters, may make the nation even more reliant on LNG and other imports.

Thats because 180 of the UKs 284 oil and gas fields are expected to cease production in the next five years, and with no one new ones to replace them, domestic production will dwindle by 2030.

LNG is largely expected to fill that void.

Experts describe how the industry is already preparing for a boom in demand by spending billions of pounds on new LNG terminals and fleets of ships to ferry fuel around the world.

Those ships are already some of the worlds largest vessels, with some capable of carrying enough gas to supply the entire UK for almost a full day.

The IGU report said many more of those vessels were under construction.

The global LNG shipping order book had a staggering 359 newbuild vessels under construction at the end of February 2024, equivalent to over 51pc of the current active fleet.

This illustrates shipowners expectations that LNG trade will continue to grow in line with scheduled increases in liquefaction capacity, particularly from the US. An expected 77 carriers will be delivered in 2024.

Americas LNG production to triple by 2050

As for where that gas comes from, much of it will be American.

The US Energy Information Administration predicts Americas LNG production alone will triple by 2050  no matter what the environmental groups say.

America is now even supplying the Middle East, as Sempra, a US energy firm, recently struck an agreement with Saudi Arabias Aramco to supply 5m tonnes of LNG a year.

The size of the expansion expected in global LNG trade is evidenced by the fact that 700m tonnes are to be delivered by 2030, up from 401m tonnes today.

This potential massive increase is an emphatic demonstration that the world still needs more LNG, said the IGU.

This will be music to the ears of Americas LNG producers, which stand ready to ramp up exports as Russia drifts further into the geopolitical abyss.

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Any day now, Donald Trump is hinting hes going to announce his running mate in the 2024 presidential election. He told reporters last weekend that hes made his decision and that this person will be in attendance at Thursdays presidential debate. The televised debate will be the first between Trump and President Joe Biden in the 2024 election cycle.

Heres a quick and dirty overview of the people on Trumps short list for vice president, and what each could bring to his ticket.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is loaded. Steven Ferdman via Getty Images

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Burgum is rich. The two-term governor is worth at least $100 million. He made lots of money after selling a software company to Microsoft in 2001 for more than $1 billion.

Hes also the least familiar name on Trumps shortlist. You may not even remember that Burgum ran against Trump in the GOP primaryfor president this year. His campaign went nowhere despite his throwing more than $12 million of his own money into it. As a candidate, Burgum said hed never want to do business with Trump because youre judged by the company you keep.

Nevertheless, hes since thrown his support behind Trump and has gone on TV to make nonsensical claims about Biden being a dictator. Burgum was also one of several Republicans who made the trek to New York City last month just to be seen on camera looking mad, standing outside of the courthouse hosting Trumps criminal trial.

If Trump chooses Burgum, hell get a vice presidential pick who is extremely wealthy and relatively uncontroversial. The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board on Wednesday urged Trump to pick Burgum, citing his business experience. But this ticket, with two rich older white men on it, would do little to broaden Trumps appeal in diverse communities. Burgum is 67; Trump is 78.

My goodness have you changed, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). via Associated Press

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.)

Stefanik is the only woman on Trumps short list. She is currently the chair of the House Republican Conference and is perhaps best known for dramatically transforming herself from a relative moderate into a diehard Trump loyalist.

For years, the New York congresswoman operated as more of a centrist and an institutionalist. Before being elected in 2014, she worked in the White House under President George W. Bush. She was an aide to former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). She used to take issue with Trumps extremism, once describing him as a whack job.

But after Trump became president, she changed. Stefanik aggressively defended him during his impeachment hearings in 2019, a calculated move that drew national attention and earned praise from Trump. She joined far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in introducing resolutions to undo both of Trumps impeachments. She fueled his dangerous lie about the 2020 election being stolen from him. She was one of the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the election hours after the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

If Trump picks Stefanik, a Harvard College alum, she could potentially help him win over suburban women and college-educated voters who went for Biden in 2020. Shed also bring youth to the ticket as Trump and Biden face scrutiny over their advanced ages. At 39, Stefanik is exactly half of Trumps age. Vice President Kamala Harris is 59.

But Stefanik may not appeal to female voters, given her strong opposition to abortion rights, a top issue in voters minds ahead of November  and a driving factor in voters overwhelmingly turning out at the polls for Democrats ever since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. Theres also the problem that Trump may not trust her.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) is best known for his popular 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." via Associated Press

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio)

Vance is best known for his popular 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, about growing up in poverty with his Kentucky family that relocated to Ohio. Hes only been in the Senate for a couple of years  he was elected in 2022  but hes been aggressively vying to be Trumps VP pick.

Before coming to the Senate, Vance openly condemned Trump. He described himself as a Never Trump guy, and said he considered supporting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 because Trump was noxious and reprehensible. At one point, Vance wondered if Trump was Americas Hitler.

But like Stefanik, the Ohio Republican refashioned himself into a staunch defender of Trump once he became president. Vance has said he regrets his criticism of Trump and is regularly on TV supporting Trumps agenda, particularly on foreign policy.

If Trump taps Vance, hed bring a millennial to the ticket (Vance is 39), which could help him appeal to younger voters. Hed also have a running mate who could connect his story of growing up poor in rural Ohio to working-class voters in key swing states. Of course, Trump would have to get over Vances previously harsh criticisms of him, and this week The Wall Street Journal panned Vance as a political opportunist.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) used to call Trump a "con artist." Tom Williams via Getty Images

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

Rubio, 53, has name recognition as a two-term senator and a former presidential candidate in 2016. He is currently the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Rubio and Trump assailed each other in the 2016 presidential primary in an increasingly childish tit-for-tat. Trump constantly referred to Marco as Little Marco and made fun of him for drinking lots of water during speeches. Rubio called Trump a con artist and suggested he had a small penis.

If Trump taps Rubio, he could broaden his appeal among Latino voters, as Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and fluent in Spanish. Hed also get someone who is nationally known and has an established legislative record.

But Trump could run into legal problems if he picks Rubio, as the Constitution says two candidates from the same state cant run for president and vice president. Trump changed his legal residency from New York to Florida in 2019. (Rubio has said hed be willing to move to another state.)

Curiously, Rubio doesnt seem interested in fawning over Trump like his other potential running mates. Hes been largely absent amid the flurry of GOP contenders going on TV to rave about Trump, and this week, Rubio infuriated some Fox News hosts by turning down last-minute interview requests as the network effectively runs a final casting call for Trump.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who'd really like to be the vice presidential running mate for a convicted felon who brags about groping women, says he identifies as a Christian "above all other things." via Associated Press

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

Scott, 58, is the Senates lone Black Republican senator. Like Burgum, he was also previously a presidential contender in the GOP primary.

The South Carolina senator criticized Trump during the primary for not supporting a federal abortion ban, but he largely avoided attacking him directly.

After bowing out of the race, Scott made it clear early on that he was sticking with Trump. When it came down to endorsing former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the last Republican challenger to stay in the primary, versus Trump, he went with Trump.

If Trump picks Scott, it could help him make inroads with Black voters and energize conservative Christians. Scott, a preachers son, regularly talks about his faith and how he identifies as a Christian above all other things.

Scott has been aggressively courting Trump in a pitch to be his running mate, between lots of TV hits to praise the GOP presidential hopeful and launching a $14 million outreach campaign aimed at minority voters.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who'd really like to be Trump's running mate, once wrote on social media, "Trump wont run. Thank God!" Tom Williams via Getty Images

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)

Donalds is the lone Black member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Hes only been in Congress for two terms, but hes considered a rising star among far-right Republicans, who repeatedly put his name forward to be House speaker during the GOPs ugly fight to fill the seat last year.

Before Trump was president, Donalds criticized him on social media. In one 2011 post, he wrote, Trump wont run. Thank God! In another, he called out Trump for his bogus claims about former President Barack Obama not being American.

But these days, Donalds, 45, has been all over television defending Trump. He called on the Supreme Court to step in after Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Hes accused Biden of leaving the U.S.-Mexico border wide open.

If Trump taps Donalds, it could help broaden his appeal among Black voters and younger voters. But, like Rubio, Donalds would have to potentially move out of Florida to be Trumps running mate, per the Constitution. And hes generated some of his own controversies, including his claim that Black families were more together during Jim Crow.

Ben Carson, Trump's former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is hoping his loyalty to Trump could earn him a promotion to be his vice presidential pick. via Associated Press

Former Housing Secretary Ben Carson

Like Rubio, Carson is already a known entity. He was a neurosurgeon before entering politics, when he ran for president against Trump in 2016. But there seems to be no bad blood: He went on to serve as Trumps secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2017 to 2021 and clearly has earned his trust.

At 72, Carson wouldnt exactly help Trump energize young voters. But if Trump picks him as his running mate, it could help him make inroads with Black voters.

A problem with Carson is his tendency to make strange and controversial claims. And for many, his legacy as HUD secretary is defined by his efforts to hollow out the agency, deny LGBTQ+ people access to shelters and to weaken the Fair Housing Act.
A coalition of racial justice and civil rights nonprofit advocacy organizations are formally joining the fight to prevent a ban on TikTok.

The Asian American Federation, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Calos Coalition and Hispanic Heritage Foundation are among the 13 groups arguing that TikTok serves as an essential platform for communities of color and other marginalized groups.

"TikTok is a modern-day digital town square that empowers diverse communities, often neglected by traditional media outlets, to share their underrepresented voices with people across America and the world," lawyers from the firm Cooley LLP wrote in a court filing expected to be filed Thursday on behalf of the coalition.

PHOTO: In this photo illustration, the TikTok app is displayed on an iPhone screen on April 24, 2024 in Miami. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images, FILE)

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law as part of a larger spending package, could potentially make the app unavailable in the U.S. TikTok and its parent company ByteDance filed a lawsuit against the law, which is now formally supported by the civil rights nonprofits.

Supporters of company's lawsuit argue the legislation threatens the First Amendment rights of 170 million U.S. users and would effectively ban the app. The groups argue the legislation is unconstitutional and they also expressed "grave concerns about anti-Asian animus undergirding the TikTok Ban."

MORE: Congress seems poised to pass potential TikTok ban in US. How would it work?

"The TikTok Ban imposes an unprecedented prior restraint on free speech, silencing countless voices, while also discriminating on content and viewpoint," the Cooley lawyers wrote.

Congressional leaders and President Biden have argued that restricting the app is necessary due to security concerns with the Chinese government.

ByteDance refuted those allegations in its lawsuit, arguing there has been no tangible evidence that the app poses any security risk.

Racial justice, civil rights groups join to fight potential TikTok ban originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  The chairman of the powerful House Foreign Relations Committee said hes received signals from Israels leaders, the war in Gaza could wrap up in a matter of weeks.

House Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas.) said he met with Israels Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday. During that meeting, McCaul said Gallant told him Israel would move to the reconstruction and peace process after its military operation in Rafah.

The Minister of Defense said about two weeks, they could complete Rafah, and maybe start the reconstruction, McCaul said. We all want this over. I said that to the Israelis.

Rafah is the southernmost part of the Gaza strip. Its home to more than a million people who fled other parts of Gaza. The Biden administration delayed delivering certain heavy bombs over concerns about Israels killing of civilians in Gaza.

The U.N.s highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Israel to halt its military operations in Rafah over charges of genocide.

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas.), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal from Israel and said he hadnt seen evidence Israel was committing war crimes.

Based on what Ive heard from Secretary Lloyd Austin, what Ive heard from other military generals that have come and briefed us, they havent seen anything that would rise to the level of any sort of a war crime, Veasey said.

Stabilizing Gaza is very important right now, said McCaul. We have to get past the military objective and move forward to the reconstruction and the peace process.

Late last month, Biden announced Israel and Hamas had a road map to a ceasefire deal that would release hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told an Israeli TV station on Sunday he wouldnt agree to a permanent ceasefire until Israel eliminated Hamas.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a controversial settlement that would have sent billions of dollars to treatment programs and victims of the nations opioid epidemic but that also shielded the Sackler family from future lawsuits despite the fact that it made its fortune selling prescription opioids.

Read the full ruling below:

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More than 100 new laws go into effect July 1. (MIa Hilkowitz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

From reading skills to happy hour, all or parts of nearly 150 laws will take effect July 1 in Indiana. Other key topics include wetlands, higher education oversight and more.

Senate Enrolled Acts 1 and 6 address one of the most heavily debated topics of the 2024 legislative session: reading skills and proficiency among Indiana youth. Many legislators promised to tackle the issue after the IREAD results revealed nearly one in five Indiana third graders struggle to read, which Education Secretary Katie Jenner labeled a crisis.

SEA 1  authored by Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger  requires schools to hold back third graders who fail the state reading proficiency exam. The law provides exemptions for English language learners, students who have individualized education plans or excel in the math portion of the states assessment.

The law also requires schools to start administering proficiency testing in second grade and offer additional tutoring, resources and summer courses to students at risk of failing the IREAD exam.

A companion law, SEA 6, also requires the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to identify students in fourth through eighth grade who are not reading proficiently. The IDOE will also need to develop guidelines for schools to support these students.

However, some policy makers expressed concern about the law  specifically the policy requiring schools to hold back students  arguing it could negatively affect students social and emotional development.

Happy Hour

HEA 1086 is bringing happy hour drink sales back to Indiana, reversing a nearly 40-year ban on selling drinks at reduced prices during certain hours.

The state legislature passed this ban in 1985 to try to reduce drunk driving.

Starting July 1, bars and restaurants can sell drinks at a reduced price for up to four hours a day and 15 hours a week. However, the law prohibits them from selling reduced drinks between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.

Holcomb signed the bill into law at a local watering hole, praising lawmakers in the warm, crowded pub.

But this is really about the consumer and the small business person who is grinding it out every single day, Holcomb said.

July 1, happy days are here again, he quipped from behind the bar, amid clapping.

Legislative oversight of higher education and faculty tenure

Another controversial law from this past session set to take effect July 1 is SEA 202, which increases the legislatures oversight of public colleges and universities.

The new law requires university boards of trustees to create policies that would prohibit faculty members from receiving tenure or promotions if they are deemed unlikely to foster a culture of free inquiry, free expression, and intellectual diversity within the institutions or unlikely to expose students to different political and ideological frameworks. However, it

does not specify what constitutes these cultures or frameworks. The law also requires boards of trustees to review its tenured professors every five years to see if they meet these requirements.

Proponents of the bill argue the law will increase intellectual diversity among the states higher education institutions. Sen. Spencer Deery, R-West Lafayette, who authored the law, said during a February education committee meeting the legislature needs to address the increasing number of students who just dont feel like higher ed is a place for them.

The following laws will also go into effect on July 1:

HEA 1426, authored by former Rep. Rita Fleming, D-Jeffersonville, requires Medicaid to cover the cost of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) stocked in hospitals. It also requires providers to ensure patients with Medicaid are offered LARC options after childbirth. Notably, the legislation was amended while in committee to exclude intrauterine devices (IUDs).

SEA 185 prohibits K-12 students from using wireless communication devices  including cell phones, tablets, computers and gaming devices  during instructional time. Under the new law, students can only use their phones if permitted by a teacher for educational purposes, in the case of an emergency or if a device is included in a students individualized education program. Schools will also be required to publish wireless communication device policies on their websites.

SEA 146 allows individuals older than 18 but less than 21-years-old to ring up the sale of and serve alcoholic beverages while employed at restaurants or hotels. The law also outlines civil penalties for employers who fail to register the number of minors working at their establishment.

I also believe it will improve the quality of education they receive, because we all benefit  no matter your political beliefs  from being challenged and exposed to new scholarly ideas, Deery said.

However, the law has faced high levels of scrutiny and opposition from faculty, administrators and students statewide. Indiana University President Pamela Whitten criticized the then-bill in February, and the IU-Bloomington and Purdue University-West Lafayette chapters of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) have opposed the legislation.

IU Bloomington-AAUP President Bob Eno said in a statement to the Indiana Capital Chronicle that while the organization has not taken any additional action since SEA 202 was signed into law, its executive committee will track how IU handles the mandated processes.

Since the impact on faculty will be especially great, our focus over the coming months will be on ensuring that the Trustees and administration follow through on the pledge to work closely with faculty in devising those procedures, Eno said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana sued Purdue University on behalf of two professors from the institutions Fort Wayne campus in May to challenge the law. The professors and ACLU argue SEA 202 violates their first amendment rights.

Wetland protections

HEA 1383, authored by Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Brazil, reduces protections for some of the states wetlands by reclassifying many Class III wetlands  the most protected group  as Class II. This was the first bill Gov. Holcomb signed during the 2024 legislative session.

The laws passage comes two years after Holcomb signed another law that rolled back protections for the states smaller wetlands and a year after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling removed federal protections for most of Indianas wetlands.

Sponsors of the law described it as a compromise between protecting wetlands and keeping the costs of buying a home and operating a business or farm low. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) supported the bill after meeting with representatives from the Indiana Builders Association (IBA) last year.

However, the law garnered criticism and pushback from environmental groups, who argue the reclassification further contributes to wetland loss in the state and poses significant flooding, water supply and ecosystem concerns.

Sam Carpenter, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC), said the process to approve the law was rushed, and that environmental groups didnt have an opportunity to express their concerns with the authors of the bill and developers. And while some developers and the IDEM might describe the law as a compromise, Carpenter doesnt agree.

[The IBA] had meetings with IDEM over the summer, leading up to the legislative session. They, in their public testimony and committee hearings on the bill, raised the threat of completely removing all wetland protection, as had been done in North Carolina recently, Carpenter said. When they describe it as a compromise, what they are saying is well at least were not losing wetlands protection programs altogether.

Susie McGovern, a water science and sustainability specialist for HEC, said Indiana has some of the worst water quality in the country.

These wetlands are essential for boosting water quality, she said. I think were only going to see further reductions in water quality unless we start, you know, protecting our wetlands.

Both Carpenter and McGovern noted few wetlands in Indiana are protected following the rollback of protections since 2021.

Weve lost so much protection, Carpenter said. So little of our wetlands are protected and this is going to take another chunk of that away.

The post Reading skills, wetland, higher education laws going into effect July 1 appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 22:09 | All, Japan, World

Japan's top government spokesman on Thursday called for international cooperation to secure the return of victims of North Korea's past abductions during an online symposium of the United Nations.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also pledged that Japan will keep making efforts to realize a summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, aiming to resolve the long-standing abduction issue.

"We will continue to call for North Korea to make decisions together with us from a broader perspective, overcoming every obstacle, for the peace and stability of the region and international community," Hayashi said in his speech at the symposium.

Hayashi, who doubles as minister in charge of the abduction issue with North Korea, added, "We must waste no time and boldly change the current situation."

His remarks came months after North Korea rejected any contact or negotiations with Japan, claiming that the abduction issue has been already settled. Tokyo has no diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.

Earlier this month, however, a South Korean newspaper reported Japan and North Korea held a secret meeting in Mongolia in mid-May, citing multiple sources, while Hayashi has declined to comment on the news due to "the nature of the matter."

On Thursday, relatives of the abducted Japanese nationals, including those of iconic abductee Megumi Yokota, participated in the event. Yokota was kidnapped on her way home from school in 1977 at age 13.

Among 17 nationals Japan officially lists as having been abducted by North Korea, five have been returned. Tokyo also suspects Pyongyang's involvement in many other disappearances.

The symposium, which Japan cohosted with the United States, South Korea, Australia and the European Union, has been held online since 2021 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had previously taken place at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

Related coverage:

Japan, North Korea held secret meeting in mid-May: S. Korea newspaper

Japan PM mulls Mongolia trip to ask support for North Korea talks

FOCUS: Trump's return unlikely to advance Japan-North Korea abduction issue
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 16: A train conductor stands next to an Amtrak train at New York's Pennsylvania Station on February 16, 2018 in New York City. Amtrak gave a media tour on Friday to show the progress made on the train service's ongoing infrastructure renewal work at Penn Station, one of the nation's busiest. The work includes the complete reconstruction of Tracks 15 and 18 as well as a switching location. Construction, which began January 5 and is scheduled to end May 28, comes after Amtrak's 'summer of hell' repairs in July and August. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

NJ Transit and Amtrak officials say they are trying to discover the cause of recent service meltdowns that left frustrated commuters stranded along the northeast corridor, sometimes for hours.

Last weeks problems resulted in delays and canceled trains on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and led New Jerseys House delegation to seek a federal investigation into the chaos. Executives with the two rail agencies met with Gov. Phil Murphy in Newark on Thursday and said theyll collaborate to improve service for riders.

Tony Coscia, chair of Amtraks board of directors, conceded that he knows commuters dont care about what needs to be fixed  they just want reliable service. Recent service has been bad, and Amtrak and NJ Transit need to make it better, he said.

It is not a commuters concern as to whether were coordinating our activities correctly, whether or not were spending the time or resources  they just want to get home. They just want to get to work, he said. Thats all they really care about, and its our job to deliver that to them.

Coscia was joined in Newark by NJ Transit CEO Kevin Corbett.

Murphy, who was first elected governor in 2017, blamed his predecessors for not investing enough in commuter rail. He said his administration inherited a wreck and part of that wreck was a dysfunctional relationship between Amtrak and NJ Transit.

The relationship between Amtrak and NJ Transit, before we got here, was not what it needed to be, Murphy said, adding that its now a constructive, cooperative one.

The two rail agencies share use of Amtrak-owned tracks along the northeast corridor.

Officials announced Thursday they plan to conduct more frequent inspections of the tracks, overhead wires, and other electric equipment along the 170 miles of tracks between Trenton and New York City. Theyll look into service adjustments and expanding overnight repair windows to minimize disruptions to customers. And outside industry experts will be conducting reviews, including looking into the cause of the chronic delays and other issues impacting reliability.

New Jerseys House delegation this week blasted Amtrak for its avoidable errors in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat, also wrote to Buttigieg asking him to address the infrastructure needs that will help prevent future service disruptions. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11), meanwhile, urged NJ Transit officials Thursday to pause and reevaluate fare hikes set to take effect July 1.

Murphy wouldnt comment on whether its possible for transit officials to put the brakes on the increases, but called them a multi-pronged approach to solve the fiscal challenges.

The revenue from the fare hikes is expected to cover the budget hole NJ Transit would have seen for the fiscal year that begins July 1. But next year, even with the added revenue from fare hikes, NJ Transit faces a fiscal cliff of $766.8 million, which lawmakers hope to address by passing a tax on the states most profitable businesses and dedicating that money to the agency.

The post Recent commuter experience for New Jerseyans unacceptable, Amtrak exec concedes appeared first on New Jersey Monitor.
Record-breaking number of cargoes has been exported during operation of Ukrainian sea corridor

Over the 10 months of operation of the Ukrainian sea corridor, facilitated by the Joint Defence Forces of Ukraine, 55 million tonnes of cargo have been exported.

Source: press service of the Ministry of Restoration of the Ukraine

Details: In total, 1,954 vessels were loaded and 55 million tonnes of cargo were transported.

With that, 37.4 million tonnes of agricultural products were exported to 45 countries of the world.

The constant increase of the scale of transportations is a sign of the efficiency of the Ukrainian sea corridor which Ukraine opened 10 months ago on its own, solely through the efforts of the Joint Defence Forces.

"Despite constant attacks on port infrastructure, Ukraine remains a top exporter of agricultural products and a guarantor of world trade security," the ministry adds.

At the moment 68 vessels, which are exporting almost 2 million tonnes of cargo, are waiting to enter the Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi ports.

Background:

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office of Ukraine finished the investigation and renewed the notices of suspicion in the case regarding the appropriation of property of the Odesa International Airport valued at 118 million hryvnias (about US$2.9 million) and with income of over 2.5 million hryvnias (about US$61,000).

After Russia left the Black Sea Grain Initiative last summer, 1,300 vessels used a temporary sea route created by Ukraine and its international partners.

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ATLANTA  Red Roof Inn has settled a landmark sex trafficking case mid-trial, resolving allegations by 11 women that they were exploited for years at hotels in Smyrna and Buckhead.

The national hotel chain isnt disclosing the settlement terms and continues to deny claims that it participated in and benefited from pervasive sex trafficking at its locations on North Druid Hills Road in Buckhead and Corporate Plaza in Smyrna.

Red Roof will continue to work with industry partners in the fight to eradicate sex trafficking and the exploitation of victims, the company said in a statement provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The case was the first of its kind to reach trial, after similar cases in Georgia and other states settled before a jury was selected. Red Roof settled Tuesday night after the plaintiffs had finished presenting their evidence and the judge had rejected its request for a ruling in its favor.

Pat McDonough, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said its the first time that sex trafficking survivors got to publicly present all their evidence against a national hotel brand. He said his clients, who were trafficked between 2009 and 2018, are happy with the settlement, having each had a chance to tell their story in open court.

They all had their voices heard, McDonough told the AJC. Theyre pleased this is behind them. This is quite courageous on their part to do it.

McDonough said the plaintiffs were able to show that Red Roof knew sex trafficking was happening on its properties and allowed it to continue. He said the plaintiffs hope their case will bring about change in the hospitality industry nationwide. Two of the plaintiffs were minors when they were trafficked and others were in their late teens and early twenties, he said.

One of (Red Roofs) corporate employees said he saw minor sex trafficking and the vice president told them to move those people to the back (of the hotel) so they could keep taking money from them while they made money from other guests that were complaining about it, McDonough said. It went all the way to the top. Thats all in the public record now.

Red Roof said it condemns sex trafficking in all forms.

A former front desk worker at the Buckhead location testified early in the trial that 40% to 50% of the hotels clientele was sex traffickers and their victims. One of the plaintiffs testified that Red Roof staff never asked if she needed help, though it was obvious that she and others were being trafficked. She said Red Roof hotels were preferred by traffickers, who seemed to be more comfortable there than at other hotels.

A verdict would have been instructive for sex trafficking cases against hotels nationwide, Emma Hetherington, director of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic at the University of Georgia School of Law told the AJC.

If (Red Roof) can be held liable, then that sends a major message to hotels that society will not tolerate their participation in these ventures and that they need to end it, she said.

Hetherington said the case was significant as it targeted a hotel chain as opposed to franchisees. She said hotel giants around the country have typically hidden behind franchisees in sex trafficking cases, claiming the franchisees are the ones who have knowingly benefited from trafficking ventures on their properties.

Red Roof made it clear while fighting the case that it shouldnt be held liable as the plaintiffs were at least equally as responsible for what happened to them, Hetherington said. She said a 2018 report based on a survey of sex trafficking survivors showed that about 60% of them said their trafficking occurred at hotels.

It makes sense that it often happens in hotels, she said. Hotels in many ways have pretty significant power to help prevent and end it.

Buckhead clinician Anique Whitmore, who has interviewed more than 1,500 sex trafficking victims, testified during the trial that sex trafficking moved from the streets into hotels with online solicitation. She said its a myth that trafficking is hidden.

Its as clear as day as homelessness, she testified. You will see the malnourished body (of a victim), the scantily-clad way in which theyre dressed, the lack of eye contact, the inability to have their own voice and speak without permission. You see men looking at their watches, waiting to go up to the hotel room. You see men adjusting their belt and their zipper. You see women opening the door half dressed. You see pimps in their cars receiving money. You see and smell drugs in the environment. You see intoxicated, high women and men. You see weaponry.

____
Workers secure a blue tarp on a house in Selma, Ala., in January 2023, after a tornado passed through the area. Disasters driven by climate change have wreaked havoc on insurance companies and homeowners. To address the problem, Alabama pioneered a solution thats taking hold in other states: paying for residents to upgrade their roofs. (Stew Milne | The Associated Press)

When Hurricane Sally struck coastal Alabama in 2020, many residents saw the roofs torn from their homes or damaged by the high winds.

But not Matt Fetner.

Every house around had blue tarps on it, except for mine, said the resident of Orange Beach, a small city on the Gulf Coast.

Just a few years before, Fetner had upgraded his roof with materials designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The new roof met a standard known as Fortified by using specialized nails and shingles, stronger edges and a sealed roof deck.

Fetners roof was paid for by the state of Alabama, which has spent millions of dollars in recent years to help thousands of residents strengthen their homes. The state has invested that money in hopes of staving off a home insurance crisis, as property insurers have pulled out of some regions of the country or dramatically raised premiums in the wake of escalating disasters driven by climate change.

The idea is simple: Homeowners with stronger roofs pay less for their insurance premiums. And over time, as thousands of homes become more resilient, insurance companies will have to pay out less for claims, making Alabama a more attractive place to do business.

A lot of these insurance companies were not going into coastal areas, simply from a risk standpoint, said Travis Taylor, acting director of the Strengthen Alabama Homes program, which is overseen by the state Department of Insurance. But now as people have gotten Fortified roofs, the insurance companies are hounding them.

Other states have taken notice. In recent years, lawmakers in at least five other states have established similar programs to pay for Fortified roofs. While those efforts are still in their early stages, leaders say they hope to replicate Alabamas success.

Alabamas grant program has helped more than 7,000 residents upgrade their roofs. Meanwhile, as participating roofers and contractors have gotten familiar with the standard, theyve begun offering it as a part of their regular business. Of the 60,000 certified Fortified homes nationwide, 50,000 are in Alabama.

Every year, the interest keeps growing, said Brent Sellers, a contractor with Alliance Roofing, which operates in Alabama and Mississippi. [Grant] program or not, people want Fortified roofs.

Fortified roofs meet a standard developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, an industry nonprofit that serves as a leader in safety research. Some local governments have adopted building codes based on that standard, and Alabamas program uses the institutes qualification.

While state leaders say theyre still collecting data on insurance premiums, some industry leaders say the program is clearly working.

There is sufficient resilience now in Alabama that the insurance market is far healthier than the insurance market in neighboring states, said Michael Newman, general counsel with the institute.

Serious about resiliency

Since Alabama issued its first grant in 2016, the state has doled out more than $70 million to cover roof projects on almost 7,100 homes. Residents are entitled to up to $10,000 per project, issued on a first-come, first-served basis. State officials award the funding directly to contractors who bid on the work.

The larger success story, state leaders say, is that more than 40,000 homeowners have installed a Fortified roof without state funding. The change has come as Alabamas coastal counties have updated their building codes to require such roofs on new construction.

The builders in Alabama, once they learn how to do the Fortified thing, they really like it, said Lars Powell, executive director of the Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research at the University of Alabama. The Fortified construction movement will be remembered as a very important thing that allowed people to continue to live on the coast without being super-wealthy.

Powells research has found that Fortified homes sell for 7% more on average, and owners are far more likely to secure insurance coverage from major carriers. Alabama also mandates that insurers provide discounts of 20% to 60% on wind coverage for Fortified homes, depending on the level of the upgrades.

Meanwhile, other states have seen insurance companies leave the market, drop high-risk customers or raise premiums drastically. Experts note climate change is causing more frequent and severe disasters, forcing insurers to adjust as they pay out more and more for claims.

Louisianas insurance market has been particularly hard hit, following devastating hurricane seasons in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the state launched the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, modeled on Alabamas, that also offers $10,000 grants.

This program is part of our pitch to insurance companies that Louisiana is serious about resiliency, said John Ford, deputy commissioner of the public affairs division of the Louisiana Department of Insurance.

The legislature set aside $30 million last year in the programs first round of funding, and lawmakers put in another $15 million this year. In total, state officials say that should cover about 4,500 roofs. The agency has issued 900 grants so far.

This year, Louisiana lawmakers passed a measure that will task state regulators with calculating the insurance discounts that Fortified homeowners should receive.

Inland areas join the effort

While hurricanes on the coast have gotten more attention, Midwestern states have been hit with severe hailstorms, windstorms and tornadoes that have driven up insurance costs. Minnesota lawmakers established a home resilience grant program last year to deal with the crisis.

Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage, said Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner for the Insurance Division of Minnesotas Commerce Department. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts.

Agency officials are still setting up the program, which has not yet issued grants. Regulators expect the funding for the initial round of grants to be included in next years state budget. But insurance companies have already begun planning to offer discounts to residents who upgrade their roofs.

Prevention is a lot cheaper than actually paying for storm damage. The hope is that we can prevent the need for insurance payouts.

 Julia Dreier, deputy commissioner for the Insurance Division of Minnesotas Commerce Department

In Oklahoma, a state that already ranks among the most expensive for home insurance, more than 100 tornadoes have touched down this year. Earlier this year, lawmakers enacted a grant program for Fortified homes similar to the ones other states have adopted.

We are hoping to see a lot of the same great results that Alabama has seen  not only homeowners seeing premium discounts, but over time lower claim exposure [for insurers], said Ashley Scott, government and community affairs director with the Oklahoma Insurance Department.

Once its up and running, state leaders expect the program to offer about $10 million a year in grants. The agency expects to start issuing funds next year.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Kentucky and South Carolina have established similar programs, also administered by state insurance regulators. And Mississippi set aside $5 million for a program to help residents shore up their homes, including roof upgrades.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, which created the Fortified standard, expects to see a boom in resilient roof construction as more states promote such upgrades.

We cant do a lot in the short term about rising risk from severe weather, said Newman, the groups general counsel. But this particular home can be made more durable, can be made more resilient.

Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on Facebook and X.

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BELLEVILLE, Ill.  Another cycle of presidential debates begins Thursday, bringing renewed attention to the platform that once launched local guest Ken Bone into viral fame.

Ken Bone, a longtime resident of Belleville, Illinois, attended the Oct. 9, 2016 presidential debate in-person at Washington University in St. Louis. He arrived to the event an undecided voter and left it as an Internet sensation.

Bone, employed in the coal industry at the time, had the opportunity to ask the following question to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump: What steps will your energy policy take to meet our energy needs while at the same time remaining environmentally friendly and minimizing job loss for fossil power plant workers?

People were quick to react to Bones appearance and actions on social media. His red sweater, his Midwestern appeal and his decision to use a disposable camera for a photo afterwards led to widespread attention and a variety of memes, most notably on social media platform X, then known as Twitter.

Massive Alton, Illinois sinkhole swallows light pole

Bone went from single-digit followers to tens of thousands on X just days after people learned of him from the debate, according to Today.com.

Bone told CNN the next day after the debate, I am not sure why they care about what I have to say but Im glad theyre engaged in the political process. Bone added that he left the debate more undecided than ever, even though he attended it slightly favoring Trump.

Bone told CNN that Clintons composure in her answers led him to reconsider, and he later said via social media that he voted for Clinton in 2016.

Less than a week after the election, Bone hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything chat that came with some backlash. People traced his Reddit username to controversial posts about the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and a celebrity nude photo leak, according to CBS.

Bone has made cameos on various TV programs and at various political events since the 2016 debate, though he has maintained a lower profile in recent years.

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In October 2020, nearly four years after the debate, Bone was the subject of an online documentary from the New Yorker about his quick rise to fame. He noted of his experience around the debate and beyond, Once you realize that your time is over, you have this thought in your head your whole life. Is this really all there is to life? Getting up, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, watching reruns, going to sleep? Im going to do that again forever,

From time to time, Bone still speaks on political matters through his X account. Its unclear if he plans to attend any presidential debates or any similar events ahead of this years general election.

FOX 2s efforts to reach Bone for comment ahead of this storys publication were unsuccessful.

Thursdays presidential debate will be held at CNNs studios in Atlanta without a live audience. Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump are expected to discuss a variety of topics. The debate is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. CT with CNN carrying the broadcast.

NOTE: Video is from FOX 2s coverage of Ken Bone ahead of a 2020 presidential debate.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
With much of Delaware mourning the Tuesday night death of the 2024 Delabear  a black bear that roamed around Newark and beyond this week  state legislators have issued their own tribute of sorts.

On Thursday, the Delaware House of Representatives passed by voice vote a resolution that "mourns the loss of Delabear and encourages all drivers to be vigilant while driving to keep an eye out for wildlife."

The resolution noted that the first sighting in recent years of a black bear in Delaware occurred in 2016, with bears continuing to be spotted "up and down the state in the last several years, including in Trolley Square and Milford."

"This bear was affectionately named Delabear similar to previous black bears seen in New Castle," the resolution said. "This bear quickly won the hearts and minds of Delawareans and was eagerly tracked on social media."

The resolution went on to say the bear was "tragically" hit by a car around 11 p.m. Tuesday and that the House "mourns the loss of this majestic creature."

TRAGEDY STRIKES: Delabear struck and killed by motorist on Route 1

But the resolution also stressed that it's "imperative" for lawmakers to "protect drivers and wildlife on our roadways as much as possible," and create a "harmonious coexistence" between people and wildlife.

Delabear's whereabouts

This year's Delabear was first spotted on Julie Lane in Newark on Saturday. One resident who saw the bear was a 5-year-old girl sitting in the living room of her Barksdale Estates home.

The child thought she saw a man on the back deck, but it turned out to be the bear.

There were also social media reports of the bear being spotted in the Ogletown development of Scottfield on Oakfield Drive on Monday.

READ: Where's the bear? Residents report new spotting in Bear

Early Tuesday, Raintree Village neighbors spent a couple of hours watching the bear eat Paula Hutchinson's birdseed and then roam Belal Bma's backyard before going back into Hutchinson's yard. Delabear then scaled a 7-foot fence and vanished from the Bear community.

There were reports the bear had been seen near Route 40 and Route 7 a little while after it left Raintree Village.

Starting June 12, reports of a black bear were made in Maryland and northern New Castle County. A black bear was struck and killed by a car on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.

It wasn't spotted again until it was hit Tuesday night on Route 1 near School Bell Road, according to Delaware State Police.

In the wake of the bear's death, Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control wildlife biologists are examining the animal. They'll try to determine where it came from, its age, gender and other information that might be helpful in tracking other transient black bears that venture into Delaware from surrounding states that have resident black bear populations.

Delaware has no native black bear population.

Reporter Esteban Parra contributed to this report.

Got a story tip or idea? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delabear honored by Delaware lawmakers after fatal crash killed animal
Remy Mas son, Jayson Scott, along with another man, were arraigned on Tuesday (June 25) for the fatal shooting of Darius Guillebeaux back in June 2021. Scott  whos appeared on reality TV with his famed mother  has now been charged with first and second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and four counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

According to prosecutors, Scott is believed to have been hired to murder Guillebeaux, 47, who suffered a fatal gun shot wound. Hes also been accused of firing at the victim for a second time, as his accomplice allegedly let off two shots, as well.

If convicted, the 23-year-old could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

We are charging the defendants with a cold-blooded killing on a public street, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated. Deadly gun violence has no place in our neighborhoods and we will remain steadfast in getting illegal guns and those who use them off the streets of Queens.

22-year-old, Richard Swygert  who allegedly assisted Scott and was already incarcerated for a separate murder in the same year  was also charged with second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and four counts of criminal possession with a weapon. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years behind bars, aside from separate cases that he has pending.

Unable to say much due to legal reasons, Remy Ma maintained her sons innocence and stated to TMZ, We stand by Jaysons innocence and pray that the NYPD will conduct a complete and thorough investigation to reveal the truth. This is undoubtedly a difficult time for my family and me. While we sincerely appreciate the love and support we have received from all of you, we kindly ask for privacy as our legal team works to prove Jaysons innocence.

As his mother, I want to address this situation personally but have been strongly advised by his legal counsel not to say anything  as most people in similar situations are informed by their attorneys due to it being an active case, she added.

Scott appeared on a 2017 episode of Love & Hip Hop: New York, where they had an emotional moment ahead of the Conceited rapper walking down the aisle to marry her longtime love and rapper, Papoose.

In the episode, Rem apologized to her then-teenaged son for being away from him as she dealt with her own incarceration.

More from VIBE.com
Press Release

June 26, 2024 In sickness and health: A couple's battle with illness takes a turn towards healing through the help of Bong Go and the Malasakit Center With her husband Jonaldo having gone through serious heart ailment three times, Pia Daway, 65, of Novaliches, Quezon City never thought their situation could get any worse. Jonaldo's first two surgeries happened 10 years apart. In 2022, his condition necessitated yet another urgent medical intervention. Her voice was a mixture of worry and relief, Pia recalled the ordeals of heart disease that plagued her husband, "Noong una po na siya ay operahan, bypass (surgery). After 10 years, naulit po siya. Ang procedure na po na ginawa ay angioplasty." As if life's challenges were not enough, Pia herself was not spared. "Ako, nagkasakit po ako ng cancer, dalawang cancer," she shared, her resilience evident in her calm demeanor. The dual diagnosis of cancer came at a time when their financial resources were already stretched thin by Jonaldo's medical needs. It was during one of their most desperate moments that a friend working at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City introduced them to the Malasakit Center. "Ngayon, 'yung kaibigan kasi namin, nandun sa Heart Center. 'Sige, Tita,' sabi niya sa akin, 'Tutulungan ka namin... nandiyan po ang Malasakit Center," she recounted. The Malasakit Center, an initiative started by Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, is designed to reduce hospital bills to the lowest possible amount by pooling together resources from various medical assistance programs of key government agencies. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Centers program. As of now, 165 Malasakit Centers are operational nationwide, poised to assist with patients' medical expenses. The Department of Health reports that the Malasakit Center program has already provided aid to more or less ten million Filipinos. For Pia and Jonaldo, the center provided a vital renewal of hope and possibility. "Yung asawa ko, magkano po 'yung kanyang maintenance... talaga hong ang mamahal," Pia explained, detailing the high cost of Jonaldo's medical maintenance. With the help of the Malasakit Center, the Daways were able to navigate through these financial burdens and focus on recovery through the medical assistance provided by agencies conveniently available under one roof. Gratitude filled Pia's voice as she spoke of Go. "Pag kayo ay nangangailangan, lalo na sa sakit, ay, takbo kayo kay Malasakit Center. Kuya Bong Go! Sa iyo, nakita namin ang pagmamahal mo sa bayan," she exclaimed, her words a sincere endorsement of the senator's service. Her message is clear and heartfelt: "Good luck! God bless! And thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you very much! My family, the Daways, thank you very much! We love you!" In response, Go's humility shines through as he redirected the appreciation back to the people he serves: "Wag po kayong magpasalamat sa amin. Kami po ang dapat magpasalamat sa inyo dahil binigyan niyo po kami ng pagkakataon na makapag-serbisyo po sa inyo lahat. Maraming salamat po sa inyo lahat!" Jonaldo and Pia Daway's story, marked by adversity, resilience, love, and the transformative support of the Malasakit Center, underscores the profound difference of compassionate service can make in the lives of ordinary Filipinos. Go, known as Mr. Malasakit for his compassionate service to Filipinos, stated, "Patuloy kaming magseserbisyo sa inyo dahil bisyo ko ang magserbisyo, at ako ay naniniwala na ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo 'yan sa Panginoon, serbisyo 'yan kay Allah."
KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 15:33 | All, Japan

Digital Minister Taro Kono has informed a heavyweight of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that he intends to run in its presidential race in September, aiming to become Japan's next prime minister, a source close to the matter said Thursday.

Kono, known as an outspoken lawmaker, conveyed his intention to LDP Vice President Taro Aso, a former prime minister who heads an intraparty group that the minister belongs to, during a dinner meeting on Wednesday, the source said.

Speaking to reporters about the matter on Thursday, Kono, a reform-minded maverick and social media-savvy member within the conservative LDP, said, "Who? Which Mr. Kono?" He added, "I have never disclosed what I discussed over dinner. That's an interesting novel."

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, 66, has indicated his willingness to be reelected as the LDP's president. If Kono, 61, runs, it would be a rare case of a minister challenging an incumbent head of the Cabinet in the ruling party's presidential election.

As the approval ratings for Kishida's Cabinet have plummeted to their lowest levels since its launch in October 2021, due largely to his handling of a slush funds scandal, calls within the LDP for him not to seek reelection have been growing.

Kono, a ninth-term House of Representatives lawmaker, has held key posts such as foreign minister. In the 2021 LDP presidential race, Kono, backed by then Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga who had decided not to run again, lost to Kishida in the second-round runoff.
Resident says apartment complex has not fixed A/C despite extreme temperatures

A resident at a west Charlotte apartment complex says he has been suffering in the heat after his air conditioning stopped working properly.

Quinten, who did not want to reveal his last name, has called Scarlet Point home for two years.

But he said that for the last several weeks, it hasnt felt like one.

I was just sitting here, and Im just like, Why am I so hot? Why is it getting hot? Quinton said.

Quinton explained that his thermostat has been reaching nearly 80 degrees.

Its uncomfortable; its frustrating, he elaborated. I put in a maintenance request, and I still havent gotten my maintenance request fulfilled.

He showed Channel 9s Almiya White the several maintenance requests he had submitted in the month of June alone.

ALSO READ: How to cool off your vehicle without wasting gas

The amenities that they say come with the apartment, and if those amenities come with the apartment when they dont work, I feel like those are your responsibilities to take care of them, he said.

Action 9s Jason Stoogenke encourages tenants to reach out to code enforcement regarding air conditioning complaints.

Quentin said he would be taking that advice.

The temperatures are rising, he elaborated. I just recently had to go purchase two fans just because its been so hot and humid in here.

If management is slow to fix your A/C, Action 9 also recommends you ask your insurance company to place you in a hotel.

You can also see if the apartment complex will let you out of your lease. If all else fails, you should speak with legal aid.

VIDEO: How to cool off your vehicle without wasting gas
Have an idea to help enhance the impression of Dayton for the 2025 NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session? U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) has put out the call for you to submit your idea for a logo design to fulfill that goal.

>> EXCLUSIVE: NATO bringing Parliamentary Assembly to Dayton in 2025

The congressman is encouraging Miami Valley residents and businesses to submit their ideas for the NATO PA session, which Dayton will host in May 2025.

For the vast majority of NATO Parliamentarians coming to Dayton and the Midwest, their first impression will be from the logo we choose to brand the entire four-day event, Turner said in a prepared statement Wednesday.

As News Center 7 reported exclusively on May 29, Turner confirmed that Dayton had been selected as the host of the spring session. Turner, as head of the U.S. delegation to the Assembly, worked for more than two years to secure the honor of hosting in Dayton in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords. He, Gov. Mike DeWine and local elected officials on June 3 made the public announcement about the session.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly was created in 1955 to serve as a link between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the parliaments of the now 32 NATO nations, with the most recent additions being Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024).

The United States has not hosted a session since the annual session in Orlando, Florida, in fall 2003.

The Dayton meeting will be the first time the United States has ever hosted a Spring Session of the Assembly.

As this will take a community-wide effort to successfully host the NATO PA Spring Session in Dayton next year, it makes perfect sense to tap into the local, diverse talent we have in the Miami Valley for key elements throughout the planning process. I look forward to seeing the creativity and ingenuity of our residents in representing our community.

Turners office sent examples of prior logos to media on Wednesday. The logo for the 2024 session in Montreal is featured with this report.

Here are the ground rules for each submission:

* It is due by Aug. 9

* You wont be paid (your participation is entirely voluntary)

* Any text needs to be in English and French. Minimum text is recommended. Note: Dayton is the same in English and French.

* Mention of the year is preferable. Use of the NATO PA monogram is sufficient, rather than adding the words NATO PA/AP-OTAN to the design.

* The finalized logo must be available either as an eps, jpg or png.

* Prior to selection, the chosen designer will be required to complete a release form for the use of the logo on all materials associated with Dayton 2025.

* Send it to nato2025@dacc.org (dont forget to include your name and contact information)








Some residents are concerned about traffic ahead of first presidential debate in Atlanta on Thursday

All eyes are on Atlanta as the world prepares to watch the first presidential debate Thursday night.

This has been really cool to see around campus, said Georgia Tech student Steven Elias.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

CNN crews have redecorated areas and buildings along Techwood Drive at CNNs Techwood Studios, slowing down traffic and stopping folks in their tracks.

There are a lot of police out right now, said student Michael Wesig. This morning I counted nine and now I see a lot more.

Traffic is only expected to get worse on Thursday.

Road closures and delays will likely have a major impact on the metro commute. GDOT is alerting drivers to avoid I-75 and use I-285 as an alternate route.

Im worried about my drive home, said Elias.

Even some Georgia Tech students who have the luxury of walking to class are wondering how this may impact their day.

TRENDING STORIES:

Another student told Channel 2s Elizabeth Rawlins that it might affect some of the professors and staff who have to drive in.

Since this is as close to the excitement and pomp and circumstance that anyone is going to get, Wednesday is the day to come out and see it in person because Thursday will be the day to watch it from home.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)  Residents took to the streets of Buffalo on Wednesday to voice their concerns about gun violence throughout the city. Community members are saying that too many innocent lives have been lost and something needs to change.

Tara and Taru Woods organized a Stop the Violence rally to bring awareness to gun violence happening in their neighborhood. The rally took place just five days after three-year-old Ramone Carter was shot and killed on Domedion Avenue.

Local anti-violence groups say too many teens have access to illegal guns

Tara and Taru are both parents. They say the shooting hit close to home.

We have teenagers, so to know that these weapons are in the hands of children that havent even lived their lives and then they took the life of a child, a baby who hadnt even had a chance to go to school yet, hasnt experienced any part of life really outside of being home with their mom, Tara said.

To lose a three-year-old, to lose anyone, but, to lose a beautiful baby that hasnt even had the chance to live? Its just tragic, Taru said.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane said there are no possible consequences in the states criminal justice system for the parents of the two teens who were indicted.

Taru said as a father, its quite difficult to control what another person can do in a split second.

Its just so hard because you can only install so much into a person, he said. Once they leave out your doors, its free will.

Thats where groups like Most Valuable Parents of Buffalo come in to help. Its an organization that advocates for safer neighborhoods and helps parents who have lost children to gun violence.

Shakenya Griffin, Carters mother, is an active member of MVP. At the rally, another volunteer in the group described the killing of Carter as a double-edged sword.

Mother of 3-year-old boy who was killed pleads with community to stop the violence

Either way it goes, its not a win-win, its a lose-lose for both sides, said Marlon Keith, a member of MVP. Somebodys child is going to prison. Somebodys child is already dead, so theres no winner in this.

Keith said MVP is always looking for more volunteers. He plans to get the youth involved in other activities to keep them safe and off the streets.

According to Michael Keane, the 16-year-old is being charged as an adult and faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison. The 14-year-old faces a different sentence due to his age, which is a maximum of 15 years to life in prison.

The two teens are scheduled to return for a pre-trial conference July 24. Both are being held without bail in the custody of the Erie County Youth Services Center.

Latest Local News

Trina Catterson joined the News 4 team in 2024. She previously worked at WETM-TV in Elmira, a sister station of WIVB. See more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
Former NYPD Chief of Internal Affairs Joseph Reznick harkened back to his days on patrol  pulling his gun on and grabbing two teens trespassing in his backyard in Queens this week  police sources said.

Reznick, 72, held the suspects  15 and 17  until officers from the 105th Precinct arrived. The teens were charged with trespassing and drug possession  Oxycodone pills  police said.

The incident happened just before 8 p.m. Wednesday at his Bellerose home.

Sources said Reznick spotted the two suspects climbing a fence into his backyard, where he drew his gun on them and dialed 911, sources said.

Reznick did not return a request for comment.

Reznick was forced out of the NYPD in January 2022 shortly after Eric Adams became mayor.

As Reznick in 2014 neared his 63rd birthday, the mandatory retirement age for cops, then-Commissioner Bill Bratton gave Reznick a civilian title, deputy commissioner, allowing him to stay on as head of Internal Affairs.

He joined the NYPD in 1973 and was in charge of the detective squad in the 34th Precinct in 1991, when the body of a naked 4-year-old girl dubbed Baby Hope was found in a cooler in woods along the Henry Hudson Parkway in Inwood.

The case gnawed at him and other investigators for years.

In 2013, Baby Hope was identified as Angelica Castillo, and a cousin, Conrado Juarez, was arrested, authorities accusing him of molesting and suffocating the child. Juarez died of cancer in 2018 while behind bars and awaiting trial.
RFK Jr. didnt qualify for the first presidential debate. So where does he stand?

RFK Jr. didnt qualify for the first presidential debate. So where does he stand?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has arranged his own counterprogramming to the first presidential debate after his low polling numbers kept him off the CNN stage with former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

The longshot independent candidate wont take part in the Thursday evening debate after failing to reach the required polling thresholds and not being on enough state ballots. Recent fundraising reports also reveal that the campaign is floundering in the money game.

Just a couple hours before Trump and Biden face off on Thursday night, Kennedy is set to appear on Dr. Phil Primetime on Merit Street Media in what the TV personality has called an uncensored one-on-one interview.

In a clip shared on X, Kennedy says, I wouldnt be running if I didnt think I could win.

He added: The one group I dont do well with which is baby boomers, they think Im genuinely a lunatic.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, also pushed back against the widespread perception that hes an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist.

One of the big defamations about me is that Im anti-vaccine which is what people have said about me for 20 years. Ive always said Im not anti-vaccine. When I try to talk about this, I get gaslit, I get marginalized, I get vilified, he told McGraw.

In an NPR interview on Tuesday, Kennedy campaign manager and his daughter-in-law Amaryllis Fox Kennedy insisted that there would still be a three-way-debate.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the Libertarian National Convention on May 24 (Getty Images)

I think that the American people want leaders who believe in their ability to make up their own mind, and one way or another, there will be a three-way debate on Thursday, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy told NPR.

The campaign announced later on Tuesday that Kennedy will answer the same debate questions in a livestream on X and therealdebate.com.

Over 70 percent of Americans want a different choice than Presidents Biden or Trump, Kennedy said in a video posted on X. Theyre tired of voting for the lesser of two evils.

Im going to be on that debate stage with or without their permission, he added.

They tried to take away your independent choice for president and I'm not going to let them.



Watch the presidential debate as it is supposed to be and decide for yourself.



Streaming right here on X and https://t.co/cNn8VVwFIl pic.twitter.com/kYD1eMeLqH  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 25, 2024

CNN required candidates to reach at least 15 percent in four polls from a number of specified pollsters and appear on enough state ballots to be able to win 270 electoral votes and the White House.

Kennedy didnt reach either requirement, but the campaign still filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, claiming that a debate without the independent candidate would be unlawful.

CNN has stated that Kennedy reached 15 percent in three qualifying polls  but his average support is far below that . In FiveThirtyEights polling average, he stands at just 9.4 percent.

His campaign states on its site that he was officially on the ballot in 10 states by the June 20 deadline for a total of 174 electoral votes, far below whats required.

The campaign had submitted sufficient signatures (usually double the required number, but sometimes triple) in 13 other states that total 136 more electoral votes, they claimed.

The Kennedy campaign has raised more than $46 million, which includes $10 million from running mate Nicole Shanahan, and it has spent more than $40 million, according to NPR.

Earlier this month, Shanahan garnered attention for her curious answer to the question of what would make her a good president.

I think that I have a very sophisticated view on foreign affairs due to my previous work in intellectual property law, she told Fox 11. I understand how global commerce works. I understand how we build batteries around the world.

She added: I understand the importance of semiconductors. I understand that big foreign policy decisions are made specifically around semiconductors, and I also am multicultural.

My background is one in which Ive spent most of my spiritual life studying world religions, and I think its really important right now for us to understand and respect each others religious alignment and understand the depths and the nuances of it.

Appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Tuesday, Kennedy slammed CNN and called Trump the greatest debater in modern American history.

He claimed that neither of the debate moderators, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, would ask tough questions because they supported the pandemic policies of both Trump and Biden.

On some of the biggest, most monumental decisions during their presidency, like the lockdown of the American public, the CNN announcers were cheerleaders for those lockdowns, he claimed.

That shifted $4.3 trillian in wealth to this new oligarchy of billionaires, that destroyed the middle class in this country, that shut down 3.3 million businesses with no due process  our churches made us wear masks, he added.

I would predict that Trump will win because  he could win a prize for the greatest debater in modern American history, probably since Lincoln-Douglas, the independent candidate said in reference to the debates between President Abraham Lincoln and Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas.

Kennedy went on to say that Trump is extremely entertaining to watch. He has an ability to make up facts and then believe them absolutely  and to sell them to the crowd.

I dont think its possible for President Biden to beat him in that debate, he said.
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

ONE-MAN, REAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

While Joe Biden and Donald Trump debate in Atlanta, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will host a one-man debate in Los Angeles.

Calling it The Real Debate, the event will be streamed on X and TheRealDebate.com in front of a live studio audience beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific Time, according to a press release from his campaign. Kennedy will answer the same questions that Biden and Trump are asked.

The American people want leaders who trust them to make up their own minds, Kennedy said in a statement. Instead, our last two presidents are restricting voters from choosing anyone other than themselves. Presidents Biden and Trump have sucked trillions of dollars from the pockets of working people and Americans deserve to hear from the one candidate who can hold them to account.

Biden and Trump will debate on CNN beginning at the same hour Thursday. CNN excluded Kennedy, finding he did not meet its criteria to appear on stage, including a polling threshold and failure to appear on a sufficient number of state ballots.

Kennedys campaign has argued that this is unjust, that he met CNNs published criteria and that neither Biden nor Trump are on any ballots since the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention havent occurred. The candidates are to be formally nominated at the conventions this summer.

MEETING WITH THE DALAI LAMA

Via David Lightman...

Rep. Ami Bera was part of a bipartisan congressional delegation that met last week with the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala, India.

Bera, a Sacramento Democrat, is the top Democrat on the Houses Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.

Also in the delegation was Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco. The members of Congress reaffirmed what a Bera press release called unwavering support for the Tibetan people. They urged Beijing to negotiate without preconditions a way to provide lasting autonomy to the Tibetan people.

Bera, an Indian American, told the meeting that When I look around at this audience, I see my brothers and sisters, my spiritual brothers and sisters. We share ancestry spiritually.

So, know, brothers and sisters, that you have one of your own brothers in the United States Congress fighting for your rights, for your freedom, and for your future. Were in this together, he said.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibet.

SUPREME COURT RULES ON SOCIAL MEDIA ASKS

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a case contending the Biden administration violated the First Amendment by urging social media companies to remove potentially problematic posts.

In doing so, the Supreme Court handed the Biden administration an election-year victory on Wednesday.

The 6-3 decision allows the federal government to continue communicating with companies such as Meta and X to challenge posts that might conflict with the platforms content-moderation policies. It struck down a lower court ruling that said otherwise.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, authoring the opinion for the majority, wrote that the group which brought the legal challenge lacked standing to sue. She wrote the group failed to argue that social media companies removal of certain content resulted from federal pressure.

The case targeted Biden administration efforts to curb the spread of false information about COVID-19 vaccines and foreign interference in elections. The decision to dismiss the case comes as experts have warned about misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

The court has a 6-3 conservative majority but the ruling did not break on ideological lines. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch  three of the courts conservatives  dissented.

The other Supreme Court decision released Wednesday narrows the scope of public corruption law in vacating a conviction of a former Indiana mayor. It landed 6-3 on ideological lines.

The Supreme Court will release more decisions beginning at 7 a.m. Pacific Time Thursday and Friday. Typically the court drops three to five rulings on days when it is scheduled to release them. With a dozen cases from this term unresolved, the court could schedule more days to release opinions next week.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has yet to release decisions in cases that Californians are watching closely, including one on homeless encampments and another on prosecution over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Brilliant move by Biden. Bringing in the one person in America who makes him look popular by comparison. - Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, on X talking about California Gov. Gavin Newsom being one of the surrogates for the Biden campaign at the presidential debate in Atlanta tonight.

Best of The Bee:

Gavin Newsom heading to Atlanta to boost Joe Biden in presidential debate with Donald Trump, via Gillian Brassil





Biden-Trump debate: Here are five questions for California voters to consider, via David Lightman





Is California Gov. Gavin Newsom a national Democratic star? Why his State of the State speech could help, via David Lightman

California to spend millions on reparations programs. Do Black advocates think its enough? via Mathew Miranda

Controversial Capitol annex project would be exempt from environmental law under new bill, via Nicole Nixon
KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 19:04 | All, World, Japan

Japan, the United States and South Korea on Thursday began a new joint military exercise in the East China Sea spanning aerial, naval and cyber domains, apparently to boost their readiness against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

The three-day "Freedom Edge" drills involve the helicopter carrier Ise and the Aegis destroyer Atago from Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the U.S. nuclear-powered carrier Theodore Roosevelt, according to a trilateral statement released by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

South Korean destroyers, as well as aircraft from the three nations, are also joining in the exercise, the statement said.

The drills -- which started on the high seas south of South Korea's Jeju Island, according to a South Korean military source -- express "the will" of Tokyo, Washington and Seoul "to promote trilateral interoperability and protect freedom for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula," the statement said.

The exercise will focus on "cooperative ballistic missile defense, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interdiction, and defensive cyber training," it added.

The launch of the annual multi-domain trilateral exercise was agreed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his U.S. and South Korean counterparts, Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol, when they held a summit at Camp David near Washington in August last year.

It comes as North Korea has repeatedly conducted ballistic missile tests amid lingering fears over its seventh nuclear test, and first since 2017.

The United States and its two East Asian allies are also concerned about China's increasing military activities, especially near Taiwan, a self-ruled island Beijing sees as a breakaway province to be reunified eventually with the mainland.

Related coverage:

Japan, U.S., South Korea to boost supply chains for industrial minerals

North Korea fires ballistic missile which apparently exploded over sea

Chinese, Philippine ships collide near disputed shoal in South China Sea
A rabble-rousing man of letters with a penchant for self-mythology and a deep love of animals, whose music and writing was admired by everyone from Bob Dylan to Bill Clinton, musician, author and erstwhile political candidate Kinky Friedman died Thursday. He was 79.

Born Nov. 1, 1944, Friedman came to the music worlds attention in the early and mid-1970s with his band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys' absurdist satirical songs, written in a folksy cowboy style, with shocking titles like Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed and The Ballad of Charles Whitman.

The Austin High School and University of Texas alumnus was signed to Vanguard Records in the early 1970s after an introduction to the label by Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, who met Friedman through George Frayne (aka Commander Cody) in California. Vanguard released Friedman's first album, "Sold American," featuring the songs "Ride 'em Jewboy" and "High on Jesus," in 1973.

The outlandish Friedman opened a show for Bensons Western swing band in Berkeley, Calif., that year, taking the stage in that hotbed of feminism wearing red, white and blue cowboy chaps, smoking a cigar, a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and a guitar in the other, and played, Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in Bed.

The women in the audience went ballistic, Benson recalled, with some storming the stage and calling the performer a pig. The show would be indicative of the kind of provocation that would define Friedmans musical career.

That was his life, Benson said. "But he was a master. His songs were incredible. He was a great writer, and his books were fascinating."

Kinky Friedman received support from his friend Willie Nelson during his independent run for Texas governor in 2006.

After being an influential part of the Cosmic Cowboy scene of 1970s Austin, and touring with Bob Dylan on the Rolling Thunder Revue in 1976, Friedman integrated into the 1980s music scene in Manhattan. He performed at the Texas-themed Lone Star Cafe, where the extended Kinky universe grew to incorporate creative misfits such as Larry Ratso Sloman of High Times magazine.

Kinky fit right in there. But in reality, he was a Texas Hill Country Kid, Benson said.

Friedman's outrageous life of performance was tempered by a tenderness. He was committed to the plight of animals. In 1998, he founded Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in the Hill Country  where he was raised  a never-kill sanctuary for stray and abused animals.

From left, Mike Judge, Turk Pipkin, Texas Gov. Ann Richards and Ray Benson join Kinky Friedman at a Grammy Awards event in Austin.

Friedman, whose lyrics and performances led to slapped knees, dropped jaws, shaken fists and rolled eyes, turned to novel writing after a decade in the music business. He penned hard-boiled crime novels in the style of Raymond Chandler, in which his eponymous character usually played the lead role.

Texas Monthly editor-in-chief Evan Smith tapped Friedman to write a back-page column, titled "The Last Roundup," for the magazine in 2001.

The cover of the magazine is traditionally its front door, its way in, Smith told the American-Statesman. And I wanted people to have a second door to the magazine. The thing about him is he kind of flew by his own set of coordinates. He was an incredibly complicated person: very talented and unapologetically inappropriate. All good media at the appropriate time and in the appropriate ways push boundaries, and I thought that he would push boundaries and he would actually expand our audience to include his audience, or at least give us the opportunity to win over people who had not read the magazine before.

"Undeniably that happened," Smith continued. "I think he also ran some people off. His sense of humor was not everybody elses sense of humor. It was absolutely mine. I loved what he did, on balance."

In addition to his columns and 18 detective novels, Friedman also penned books packed with real-life tales from his own life, including the 2017 memoir Everything's Bigger in Texas, which featured outsized recounts of partying with the likes of Jack Nicholson and John Belushi.

He was a champion self-mythologizer," Smith said of the man who appeared on the cover of Texas Monthly three times, twice in drag. "There was a certain amount of bullshit in everything he said, and you had to factor that into every interaction you had with him. He was an original.

Friedman's tender side can be seen in his tear-jerking 2001 column titled "The Navigator," about his late father, who won the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal during World War II.

Friedmans column was put on hold for the musician-scribe-provocateur's 2006 run as an independent for Texas governor in 2006 with the slogan, Why the hell not?

He came in fourth with 12.45% of the vote in a crowded field that included Republican incumbent  and winner  Rick Perry. (He also ran unsuccessfully in the 2010 and 2014 Democratic primaries for Texas agriculture commissioner with a pro-hemp and marijuana platform.)

His plan in the 2006 governor's race was to collect support from a swath of Texas voters who had grown disillusioned with the two major parties, but Friedman was realistic about his chances in Texas.

"Part of the charm of my quixotic campaign is that it may be taken as a joke by some, an article of faith by others," he wrote. "To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the other guy's got the experience  that's why I'm running."

Statesman writer John Moritz contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Richard 'Kinky' Friedman, Texas musician, humorist, author has died
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA)  People who see emergency vehicles at Richland Community College on Friday shouldnt be alarmed, the college said.

It will be part of a planned emergency response drill. The college will be hosting a radiological response demonstration for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency for the Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS). The scenario: an emergency at a nuclear power station.

Beware pop-up, email scams involving Bitcoin: Decatur Police

The drill will include law enforcement and personnel from both fire departments and the Macon County Emergency Management Agency. It will start at 9:30 a.m. in the area outside Bistro Five Thirty Seven, a portion of the parking lot, the Shilling Community Education Center Auditorium, Green Room and Salons.

There will be no students on campus, as Richland Community College is closed on Fridays during the summer.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Ride-share driver succumbs to wounds after apparent robbery gone wrong, cops say

A ride-share driver shot in the head during an apparent attempted robbery in Brooklyn has died, police said Wednesday.

Naveed Afzal, 52, was answering a call for a ride outside an apartment building on Lincoln Place near Underhill Ave. in Crown Heights around 10 p.m. last Thursday, the Daily News previously reported.

When he arrived, two men got into his back seat and a struggle ensued, ending with one of the men shooting Afzal in the face, police said.

The men took off on foot, leaving the critically injured man bleeding in the vehicle.

Medics rushed the victim to New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he died Sunday, police said.

Investigators believe the men tried to rob Afzal, who still had a cell phone and cash on him after the shooting, according to a police source. The men left behind a .380-handgun as they fled, the source said.

The victim, a Pakistani immigrant, had four children  three daughters and one son. The son is the youngest at 15, and the oldest daughter is 23, his roommates previously told the News.

He was working to bring his family to the U.S., where he believed his children would receive better educations, his roommates told The News on Friday.

Cops are still searching for the gunmen, who were described as between 18 and 25 years old and were wearing black hooded sweatshirts during the crime.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
A protracted push by rightwing activists to recall Wisconsins Republican assembly speaker failed for a second time after the bipartisan commission overseeing elections in the state voted to toss their petition, finding they failed to submit a sufficient number of signatures.

The effort to trigger a recall election for Robin Vos illustrates a growing chasm between the Wisconsin Republican party establishment, which has been led by the powerful assembly speaker for more than a decade, and the partys Maga base.

It is an especially delicate matter for the bipartisan elections commission, which has been the focus of conspiracy theories floated by allies of Donald Trump including the group attempting to recall Vos.

Related: Supreme court declines to take up case alleging voter discrimination in Georgia

After reviewing the signatures gathered for the recall petition  and challenges to the signatures  commission staff found earlier this week that the recall campaign had garnered, by the narrow margin of 16 signatures, sufficient support to bring about a recall.

But during the meeting on Thursday, which at times became heated, Voss legal team asserted that more than 100 additional signatures should be struck, given that they had been gathered outside the allotted time frame, after the petitioners filing date was extended due to a federal holiday.

Democratic commissioner Mark Thomsen pushed back fiercely against Voss argument, arguing that if the commission were to throw out the recall petition on what he called a technicality, they would deny the petitioners their right to recall.

The effect is it would be giving the most powerful person in the assembly a free pass from the constitutional right of the 6,000-plus people that have asked to recall, said Thomsen.

Thomsen repeatedly emphasized the importance of impartiality and the perception of impartiality on the commission.

Let us have the courage to say that this [effort] is valid, said Thomsen.

Republican commissioner Don Millis, who motioned to dismiss the petition, acknowledged that while it certainly is a close call, the 188 signatures gathered over Memorial Day weekend should be tossed.

Carrie Riepl, a Democratic commissioner, joined Republicans in a 4-2 vote to reject the recall petition.

The first time activists filed for a recall election, the effort fell dramatically short of the required number of signatures  some of which were not gathered from Voss assembly district at all.
The Riviera Beach Police Department, like the city it serves, is undergoing a physical transformation.

First, voters approved a referendum in March that authorized the city to raise as much as $35 million for a new headquarters that would replace its leaky, mold-infested facility that was part of the city's administrative complex at 600 W. Blue Heron Boulevard. Now, with appropriations help from U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the department is planning to acquire a new, $750,000 mobile command center.

"The support from Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick is invaluable," Chief Michael Coleman said. "This crucial enhancement will improve the department's response capabilities, providing a more robust and effective approach to managing crises and large-scale events."

Cherfilus-McCormick, whose congressional district includes Riviera Beach, got the funding through a community project request that was included in legislation that passed in March.

Michael Coleman

In a statement announcing the funding assistance, the city said the mobile command center "is designed to serve as a fully equipped, on-the-go operations hub, enabling the police department to maintain seamless communication and operational efficiency during critical incidents. It will be instrumental in coordinating efforts during natural disasters, large public gatherings, and other situations requiring rapid and organized response."

The department expects to have the command center up and running in 12 to 18 months, a department spokeswoman said.

In mid-May, Coleman was among the current and former city officials who took a ceremonial, sledgehammer swing at the facade of the old police headquarters building, symbolizing its imminent demolition.

RIVIERA NEWS: State Commission on Ethics dismisses complaint against Riviera Beach Councilman Douglas Lawson

CORE Construction Services of Florida has been selected to build the new headquarters, which is expected to be completed no later than 30 months after CORE gets official authorization to proceed with construction.

The new police headquarters and new mobile command center are part of a broader infrastructure renewal in Riviera Beach, where at least $553 million in projects are on the drawing board or in the approval process.

RIVIERA NEWS: Riviera's population districts are unbalanced - and it doesn't look like it will be fixed soon

Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com. Help support our work; subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Riviera Beach police to get new command center to help in emergencies
As speculation swirls around who former President Donald Trump will choose as his running mate, one of the potential VP picks will be at the debate in Atlanta tonight while several others are set to attend an RNC watch party for major donors.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will be at the debate, according to NewsNation. Meanwhile, the watch party hosted by former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler and her husband, businessman Jeff Sprecher, will be attended by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senators Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, and JD Vance, in addition to Representatives Elise Stefanik, Byron Donalds, and Wesley Hunt, according to an invitation shared by The Daily Caller.

The chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Michael Whatley, as well as RNC co-chair  and Trumps daughter-in-law  Lara Trump, will also attend the watch party.

The invitation states that the event is open to those who have contributed $100,000 to the Trump 47 Committee working to elect the former president to a second term. At the watch party, an additional $25,000 will get you preferred  dinner seating with VIP surrogates while $10,000 simply gets you a dinner seat.

Trump may appear at the watch party to give potential post-debate remarks, the invitation states, possibly depending on how the debate pans out for the former president.

Scott was included in early discussions of who might be chosen as Trumps VP but has recently fallen off the radar. Trump has said that he has chosen who his running mate will be and some reporting suggests he could reveal his choice ahead of tonights debate. However, he could also stick to the original timeline and share the news at the start of the Republican National Convention next month.

JD Vance, Doug Burgum, and Marco Rubio are all possible contenders to be Trumps running mate (Getty)

Privately, Trump has narrowed his search to three contenders  Vance, Burgum, and Rubio, according to The New York Times. But he has also urged his advisors to keep up speculation about other possible candidates. Trump has also continued to ask for opinions on Carson and Scott.

Fox News announced this week that it would broadcast interviews with several contenders and their partners. Vances interview was shown on Wednesday, while Scott is scheduled to appear on Thursday, and Burgums interview is set to be shown on Monday. The interviews were initially planned to be shown later but the speculation regarding when an announcement might come prompted them to be moved up. The change in scheduling may have lost Rubio a chance to appear, The Times noted.

An advisor to a VP contender told the paper, Every single piece of information I have is coming from reporters  its maddening.

This is torturous. But Trump is clearly enjoying himself, another added.

Trump advisor Brian Hughes said in a statement to The Independent on Tuesday, As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes.

He added: But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump.

Graham initially blasted Trump during the 2016 campaign but soon came around and ultimately became one of his closest allies. The South Carolina senator said he was done with Trump after the 2021 Capitol riot  but soon rescinded on that opinion.

Stefanik, the chair of the House Republican Conference, has gone from a moderate New York Republican to full-on MAGA blowhard during Trumps time as leader of the Republican Party. She is one of few women who have been part of speculations regarding who might be Trumps VP but appears to have dropped out of serious consideration a few weeks ago. The same goes for South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, whos believed to have lost her chance when she revealed in a book that she shot and killed her misbehaving dog.

During the CNN debate, viewers in a number of media markets will see an ad outlining Bidens history of racially insensitive statements, Hunt said in a statement.

Hunt, a Black Republican from Texas and West Point graduate, said in a statement that Bidens career is littered with racially insensitive comments, discriminatory policies, and self-lauded partnerships with segregationists.

He added: And until she was chosen to be his running mate in 2020, Kamala Harris agreed.

The ad buy comes as the Trump campaign tries desperately to close the gap with Black voters.

Funded by Hunts Hellfire PAC, the ad will appear on CNN and Fox News in areas surrounding Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Charlotte, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh  all cities in key states with large Black populations.
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) The City of Roanokes Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced $225,000 of operating funding to the Roanoke Workforce Housing Development Fund to increase the availability of affordable housing in the city.

The Roanoke Workforce Development Fund was established in Dec. 2023 with an initial $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds and provides low-interest loans to housing developers. Loans are provided to developers if they agree to make housing affordable to families earning no more than 60 percent of the areas median income and if they remain affordable for 20 years.

RELATED STORY: Workforce Housing Development fund to help create new, affordable housing in Roanoke

We believe that housing for everyone is a crucial component of economic development, EDA

Chair Braxton Naff said. A community cannot attract companies and workers if there is

insufficient housing stock available.

A 2021 study by Virginia Techs Institute for Policy and Governance, and the Virginia Center for Housing Research showed Roanoke lacked 4,500 housing units. It also showed that over half of the citys renters are cost-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

For more information on the City of Roanoke Workforce Housing Development Fund, visit the citys website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv.
From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: A resurrection in New Mexico

Shannon Brewer, executive director of the Las Cruces Women's Health Organization, poses with a painting of the "Pink House," the former location of the clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, on May 10, 2024. Brewer managed the Jackson clinic before its lawsuit against the state resulted in the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Brewer calls the painting one of her favorite pieces of art. (Corrie Boudreaux for Alabama Reflector)

From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond

Diane Derzis Lifetime in Abortion Care

Monday was the 2nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which ended federal abortion rights protections in the United States. This is the final part of a four-part profile of Diane Derzis, the owner of the clinic at the center of the decision, and her lifetime in abortion care.

Part 1: Diane Derzis went from working at an abortion clinic in Birmingham in the 1970s to running Summit Medical Center in the 1980s and 90s. She quickly became acquainted with the need  and the threats.

Part 2: Diane Derzis bought an abortion clinic in Birmingham and came face-to-face with violence.

Part 3: She had an opportunity to buy an abortion clinic in Mississippi, and took it. And that clinic, Jackson Womens Health Organization, was at the center of a lawsuit that ended abortion rights protections in the United States.

Part 4: How Derzis navigated the post-Dobbs landscape, and found a new home for the Jackson clinic.

Diane Derzis bought a clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2010. It was the states only abortion provider.

Shed been doing this work for decades. First in Birmingham, then around the country. Shed navigated many crises in her career  protesters, threats, even the awful aftermath of a clinic bombing.

But now, in late June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upended federal abortion rights with a ruling on a case bearing her Mississippi clinics name: Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

After the ruling came down, Derzis drove from her home in Birmingham to her clinic in Jackson. Within hours of the decision, she was speaking at a news conference there.

Mississippi, like many other states in the South, was moving swiftly to outlaw abortion.

It was absolutely depressing because we knew that the most vulnerable of women were being left behind, she said. And I think thats why Jackson was so important to us, is that these were the most vulnerable women.

Besides Mississippi, 12 other states had trigger laws that would outlaw abortion once the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, according to the research and policy organization the Guttmacher Institute: Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Alabamas near-total abortion ban, passed in 2019 but blocked by a federal judge before the Dobbs decision, went into effect shortly after Roe fell. Other states would go on to pass abortion restrictions of some kind or another.

Derzis was troubled by the job losses that were going to happen after the Jackson clinic closed.

But she also felt motivated. She wanted to fight even harder for abortion care in the United States. And she was excited about a project shed been working on.

Around the time the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs, Derzis and Shannon Brewer, Jackson Womens Health Organizations administrator, had started hunting for a new home for the clinic.

New Mexico was the only state Derzis considered. For one, abortion access was safe there.

The thought of being in a state that actually valued what you did was a new concept, Derzis said with a chuckle.

But there were other reasons, too. Derzis felt New Mexico was tranquil. She owned residential property there. Ever since she was younger, she had wanted to have a clinic in the state  Santa Fe, specifically.

New Mexico was also relatively close to Texas and the South, where abortion access would quickly disappear after Dobbs. That proximity was important to Derzis. Her focus for the relocated clinic would be out-of-state patients.

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The hunt was on. Santa Fe got eliminated. It wasnt close enough to El Paso, Texas. Derzis also visited Hobbs, near the states border with Texas. It had a cute downtown. The buildings were quite affordable, she remembered. But there were Trump signs everywhere. So many that Derzis joked that the former president had them manufactured there. She said it wouldnt be safe to operate a clinic there.

There was also Las Cruces. The second-largest city in New Mexico emerged as the winner.

Derzis and her business partners bought a two-story, 5,500 square-foot building the following month. A former dentists office, it was much bigger than what they needed. Unused for years, it still had dental equipment inside.

But it was available. The location was perfect. And it checked every other box. Good neighborhood. Pharmacy right beside it. Medical buildings nearby. Easily accessible by car via the interstate.

Las Cruces already had one abortion clinic. And Planned Parenthood was in the process of opening a clinic there, too. None of this fazed Derzis. New Mexicans werent necessarily the patients she was trying to reach.

As for whether it made financial sense to have an abortion clinic in a city or town that already had at least one, Derzis said that used to be something she had to think about. But when Dobbs took effect, abortion effectively ended in Texas, which had two dozen clinics operating in the state at that time, according to the Texas Tribune.

Those patients had to go somewhere, Derzis said. So we knew they would be going to the closest state, which was New Mexico or, perhaps, Illinois.

Brewer got Las Cruces Womens Health Organization up and running while managing the clinic in Jackson. She split time living in Las Cruces and Jackson during this time. Hopscotching between the two took at least around 16 hours  or nearly 1,100-miles  each way if going by car.

Brewer had never started a clinic up from scratch before. But she had help. Her sister had come out to assist. And locals in Las Cruces asked what she needed. Folks would show up wanting to volunteer with setup.

After the leak of the Supreme Courts decision, Brewer and her sister would wake up around 6 a.m. They would work on getting the clinic in Las Cruces set up until 8 or 9 p.m. Over and over, day in, day out. Theyd hang pictures. Clean. Order things. Set up rooms.

A woman posing in a room.

The hardest part was trying to figure out how to let patients know about the Las Cruces clinic. To address that, Brewer strategically picked journalists shed do interviews with. She had particular audiences in mind, especially Texas.

If theyre wanting to interview us, then this is taking up a lot of my time that Im taking away from Jackson and Las Cruces, Brewer said. So it has to be beneficial for me, for the patients, for everybody if Im going to do that.

Hiring for Las Cruces Womens Health Organization began shortly after the Dobbs ruling. Employees at the Jackson clinic were offered the opportunity to go to Las Cruces. Derzis and Brewer offered to cover relocation expenses and a place to stay. But only Brewer and her sister made the move. Most of the women at the clinic in Mississippi, Derzis said, had their roots and families there.

This is small-town South, you know? Derzis said. Thats where your home is.

In a nearby parking lot in the scorching heat on a Tuesday in July that year, anti-abortion activists held a rally across the street from the yet-to-be-opened clinic in Las Cruces. For about an hour and a half person after person came to the microphone to speak  11 in all. The event was livestreamed.

Some in the crowd sat. Others stood. There were signs. BABY LIVES MATTER read one in big, capital letters. My favorite Right is LIFE read another. At least two people held large wooden crosses.

Twenty-nine eighteen Hillrise will be free of abortions one day soon because, with God, all things are possible, said David Bereit, the founder of a religious anti-abortion organization called 40 Days For Life, after briefly turning away from the crowd and looking in the direction of the clinic behind him.

Brewer wasnt in town. But she was kept in the loop. Her sister and a friend texted her pictures and videos.

Toward the end of the rally, Mark Cavaliere stepped to the lectern. He was with the Southwest Coalition for Life, another religious anti-abortion group.

It seems like every few days, we hear about a new abortion corporation coming into New Mexico, Cavaliere said. Were going from five abortion businesses in the state of New Mexico to tripling that number, possibly quadrupling that number. And its, its just been overwhelming.

His prediction wouldnt come to pass. According to the University of California San Franciscos Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), which has a database of abortion clinics, there were six abortion facilities in New Mexico in 2021. The website abortionfinder.org listed 11 facilities providing in-person services in the state as of Wednesday.

Still, he announced that day that Southwest Coalition for Life had leased a nearby building. There, it would spin up a pregnancy center to counter Las Cruces Womens Health Organization. Also known as a crisis pregnancy center, it would be a facility that tries to dissuade those who are pregnant from having an abortion.

So, before theyve even opened, Cavaliere said, referring to Derzis abortion clinic, were setting the stage.

Two and a half weeks after the rally, Las Cruces Womens Health Organization opened on Aug. 5, 2022. Guiding Star Southwest, a crisis pregnancy center, operates nearby.

Derzis visited the clinic about a month later. It was beautiful. It had warmth. It gave a sense that patients were going to be taken care of. Walls inside were painted fuchsia, yellows, oranges, blues, greens. Derzis cried that day.

It was just like one big ol beautiful testament to women, you know? Derzis said. That women have the ability, and only women have that ability, to make this decision.

  

A woman standing on stairs.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, women have had to navigate hurdles in order to attempt to get an abortion. That includes abortions because of medical emergencies for the mother or baby.

It brings out such rage in me, Derzis said. The only way I can fix that is to build clinics.

Derzis opened two more abortion clinics, one in Bristol, Virginia, and one in Chicago, both with Brewers help.

It was time to take a break after Chicago. Derzis was 69-years-old. But she wasnt eyeing retirement.

She wanted to reassess opening more abortion clinics. At that point, her portfolio consisted of five. In addition to her three newest clinics  Las Cruces, Bristol and Chicago  there were her two older ones that were still up and running from before Roes demise: One in Richmond, Virginia, and one in Columbus, Georgia. She said she still hopes to open a clinic in Maryland.

Derzis expanded her small core team of staff to handle the brunt of day-to-day operations across the clinics. That has helped her recharge.

Nowadays, Derzis is less active with her clinics. But shes a sounding board when it comes to important decisions.

Its definitely been a step back, she said. Im not planning on dying anytime soon, but, you know, theyre a great deal younger than I am, and theyre the future.

Derzis just turned 70 and is just south of 50 years of working in abortion care. How much longer was she going to stay in the abortion-access movement?

Until Im dead. Seriously, the Abortion Queen said without hesitation. Or until shes unable, she added moments later.

Why?

Because theres no way I would give up now when its at a crisis point.

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The post From Roe to Dobbs and Beyond: A resurrection in New Mexico appeared first on Alabama Reflector.
Outside of AI, few startups have drawn venture investments like climate tech. And like AI, companies in the sector need large infusions of cash, sometimes well beyond what a typical venture investor might offer, to reach a size where they'll be able to make a mark.

A new deal involving Rondo Energy, which makes thermal energy batteries, suggests a new way forward: philanthropic grants.

Climate tech startups like Rondo, especially those that are building hardware, face a particular challenge when trying to move beyond the prototype or pilot phase and start selling finished products to customers. Some have called it the commercial valley of death, others say its the first-of-a-kind problem.

It's very difficult to raise funds at that stage because investors dont have a blueprint to help them balance risk and reward.

Venture investors hesitate to commit at that stage because a lot of the technical risk has already been sorted, meaning returns wont be as high. On the other side, infrastructure investors, who would normally underwrite projects of that scale, arent forthcoming because first-of-a-kind plants are considered too risky. The quandary is so widespread and pressing has become a constant topic of conversation among climate tech investors -- almost to the point of obsession. (To wit: Exantia has made first-of-a-kind themed merch.)

The folks at Bill Gatess Breakthrough Energy arent immune, either. In addition to its venture arm, the organization also has a growth-stage platform, Catalyst, which helps promising venture-funded companies cross the valley of death. This week, it announced a deal that could serve as a template for others.

Along with the European Investment Bank, Catalyst announced on Wednesday that it would provide 75 million in project finance to install three of Rondos thermal batteries, which can store searing heat for up to 18 hours. One goal of the financing is to prove that the startups product can replace fossil fuels in a range of industries. But its the nature of the transaction that may ultimately have a broader impact.

While the European Investment Banks portion of the financing is a loan, Catalysts is a grant. Now, grants arent atypical in climate tech, but theyre usually made earlier when the core science or technology has yet to be proven. Here, Catalyst is hoping to use its grant to help Rondo tackle a later-stage concern: customer adoption.

This is a commercial-scale application and deployment. There are no tests here. Its just the fact that has never been done before, Mario Fernandez, head of Breakthrough Energy's Catalyst, told TechCrunch.

The three customers involved in the deal, a chemical plant, a combined heat and power plant, and a food and beverage factory, were willing to bear the risk of adding a new technology to their operations, but they werent necessarily interested in paying for the privilege to do so. Infrastructure investors didnt want to front them the money, either -- at least not yet.

The infrastructure world is a world where there is a very long list of checkboxes that you have to check in order to make these investments, Fernandez said. Part of our mission is to see how those checkboxes are checked in a way that makes them comfortable enough to be able to participate.

Catalysts hope here is that Rondos three installations will prove to infrastructure investors that projects like these are sound investments and the risks surrounding them are sufficiently characterized. Ideally, the new projects wont just unlock financing for future Rondo installations, but provide a roadmap for other investors and startups working with similar technologies.

Clearly, we dont have the money to de-risk every single technology pathway, Fernandez said. Our job is much bigger than just funding individual projects, but rather, how do we push the whole ecosystem forward.
A picture of Congressman Matt Rosendale's office in Washington, D.C.

In a video posted Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Republican from Montana, said that taxpayers fund more child deaths than Planned Parenthood.

The message is part of a series of social media posts and press releases that demonstrate the lame-duck, far-right politicians hard-line on the subject of in vitro fertilization. It also represents a break with the GOP (and the Democrats) on the controversial subject.

Taxpayers shouldnt be forced to fund more child deaths than Planned Parenthood Its time for Congress to stop funding IVF and end this immoral practice! I urge @RulesReps to allow my amendment to move forward. pic.twitter.com/1qVawEb7DP  Matt Rosendale (@RepRosendale) June 25, 2024

The rationale for the statement concludes with an amendment that he is championing which would defund the Department of Defenses IVF program, essentially cutting off that option for any active member of the U.S. Armed Forces. But the debate also demonstrates the difficulty of discussing reproductive freedom within the Republican Party in Congress.

Rosendale said that he believes that life begins at conception, a view shared by many members of his party. And Rosendale has also said that if someone believes that life begins at conception, the embryos created as part of the IVF process that are later discarded or are not successful represent a child death.

That is a view that seems extreme for both the Republican Party and extreme for the Montana Congressional delegation.

According to a recent poll, 60% of Montanans favor some form of reproductive rights, including abortion and IVF.

Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican leading the national effort for the GOP to flip the U.S. Senate back to Republican control, has been trying to spread the message that his party may oppose abortion, but it supports IVF, which helps with fertility and starting families.

Sen. Daines fully supports IVF, said a Daines spokesperson on Thursday.

Montanas other U.S. House member, Rep. Ryan Zinke, also a Republican, broke with Rosendale on the issue, too. Zinke is also a former Navy Seal commander.

In a X (formerly Twitter) post made in March, Zinke said, IVF makes the miracle of parenthood possible for so many families, I unequivocally support continued access to the treatment.

IVF makes the miracle of parenthood possible for so many families, I unequivocally support continued access to the treatment.  Rep Ryan Zinke (@RepRyanZinke) March 8, 2024

His office confirmed that his position since that post has not wavered.

While the other Montana Republicans responded with their support, they were silent on their positions about whether they believe that life begins at conception, and how that fits into their support of IVF.

Meanwhile, Montanas lone Democrat in the delegation, has said that nothing should come between a woman and her doctor, and expressed support for IVF and for military members to access it through the Department of Defense.

Veterans and servicemembers who risked their lives fighting for our country deserve quality health care options when it comes to trying to start or grow their families, said Tester. I will always fight to protect Montanans freedom to make their own health care decisions, which is why Im fighting to pass this legislation that will protect veterans and servicemembers access to IVF and other critical family-building treatments. Montanans of all stripes dont want the federal government telling them what health care they can and cannot access, and Ill take on anyone looking to limit or strip away our veterans and troops personal freedoms.

Its difficult to gauge the public support for the Rosendales measure overall, but it appears that the amendment that Rosendale has championed will go nowhere, as Congressional Republicans line up to affirm their support of the procedure. A smattering of support for the idea that IVF is equal to abortion has gained some traction in places, namely in Alabama where a personhood afforded embryos protection as people. The law has since been changed, but the opposition to IVF on moral grounds continues.

Although Rosendales position on IVF appears to be out of line with most members of Congress, his views align with some conservative churches and his own faith tradition, Roman Catholicism.

A treatise explaining the Roman Catholic Churchs position on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states the Catholic Church is unequivocally opposed to IVF for several different reasons, including that it is not done through the marital act, and also raises questions about the embryos themselves.

Invariably several embryos are brought into existence; only those which show the greatest promise of growing to term are implanted in the womb. The others are simply discarded or used for experiments. This is a terrible offense against human life. While a little baby may ultimately be born because of this procedure, other lives are usually snuffed out in the process, said John Haas in a position paper explaining the churchs view, Begotten not Made: A Catholic View of Reproductive Technology.

Meanwhile, both political parties have been trading barbs and plans to protect the procedure, both at the Department of Defense, and outside the military.

Earlier in June, Senate Democrats attempted to bolster reproductive rights and IVF in a bill that saw several GOP Senators support the measure. Ultimately, the Democrats were rebuffed when Senate Republicans halted the measure because 60 votes were needed in order to pass the legislation. Republicans said they supported IVF, but the Democrats bill went too far.

A day earlier Sens. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, failed to pass a measure that would have blocked Medicaid funding from going to any state that bans IVF, but that also failed because Democrats objected to it saying the bill wouldnt have stopped states from classifying frozen embryos as children.

The post Rosendale takes aim at IVF and the military appeared first on Daily Montanan.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 20:22 | All, Japan

A former animal seller in Japan was arrested Thursday on suspicion of suffocating to death three no-longer fertile dogs that he kept for breeding purposes, police said Thursday.

Yukio Watabe, 81, is alleged to have violated the law on animal welfare by using plastic bags to seal in and asphyxiate three dogs in cages at the rearing facility on his property in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, between around May 6 and 12.

Watabe said that "keeping alive dogs that can't procreate costs money, so I killed with the intention of taking responsibility," according to the police. But he also suggested he did not kill two of the three dogs.

Watabe has raised more than 170 dogs like Toy Poodles and Pomeranians, with many sold at pet auctions, the police said. His sales for 2022 to 2023 totaled around 36 million yen ($224,000).

Police had received a report that dogs that could no longer reproduce were being lethally suffocated at the facility. They found dog carcasses when they searched the suspect's house on May 12.

His business has been subject to administrative guidance three times since 2022 on grounds including poor hygiene, the Saitama prefectural government said.
ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN)  Starting July 1 the City of Round Rocks on-demand transit ride system will expand to its entire city limits after a successful pilot program in 2023. Despite the expansion, some residents are concerned they may still be left out.

According to the City of Round Rock, the service area for its Round Rock Rides Program will extend the on-demand ride-sharing program to the rest of the city.

Previously, the program only served a portion of town to test how often it would be used before possibly expanding to the rest of the city.

The ride program is facilitated through a mobile app, website or phone call at 325-312-2124 by the Austin-based company zTrip. It allows passengers to book their ride and be picked up by the driver at a drop-off/pick-up location.

Karen Choate has lived near AW Grimes Boulevard for decades. The 66-year-old is legally blind and has mobility issues, because of this she utilizes the areas public transportation system.

Her home is surrounded by Round Rocks city limit but the land it sits on is Williamson County. To use the ride system, Choate walks to the nearest pickup location within the city.

That nearest spot is a convenience store more than a mile away.

Choate said shes waiting to see if this new expansion will bring a stop closer to her home especially as the summer heat continues.

I dont want to use the fact that Im legally blind and have a bone-on-bone knee as a factor, but Im also 66 years old. Come on give a senior citizen a break. You dont need to make somebody walk that far when theres no shade, Choate said.

According to a spokesperson from the City of Round Rock, there will be a stop closer to Choates home.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Rowan County road is open for the first time since January closure

FAITH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A Rowan County road opened Wednesday for the first time since January.

According to Rowan County Emergency Services officials, St. Paul Church Road south of Salisbury is now open after two bridges were replaced between Glover Road and Yates Road. The project began Jan. 22.

Procession held for off-duty Rowan Co. firefighters killed in ATV wreck

The road is also fully open between Old Concord and Faith Rd.

The project over Crane Creek was completed sooner than anticipated. It was initially expected to be closed until the end of July.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Rubin: Troubles are abloom for the cherry industry, but it's not necessarily the pits

With the National Cherry Festival starting Saturday, this is no time for the executive director of the celebration and the reigning cherry queen to be pessimistic about the Michigan cherry industry.

Concerned, yes. Even from her generation, said director Kat Paye, 42, she doesn't know anyone who decided to buy 120 acres of land, plant cherry trees, wait five years for them to produce, and then hope for a high enough price per pound to not lose money.

But pessimistic? When 500,000 or so people are expected to ramble through Traverse City before the festival ends July 6, the concerts are so lively that Jefferson Starship is just Bret Michaels' opening act, and someone will sell you an entire slice of cherry pie mixed with ice cream and put through a flurry machine?

There's foreign competition to deal with, low yields, climate change, and all the standard headaches that come with having Mother Nature as a business partner. It's a tough way to make a living.

Still, said Cherry Queen Carmen Beemer, "We will remain enthusiastic and excited ambassadors for the cherry industry and cherry crop and our entire state, all the way until the last remaining cherry tree."

Beemer, 22, is not your everyday agricultural queen, assuming there is such a thing. She graduated from Michigan State two months ago with a degree in horticultural science and a minor in crop and soil science.

Cherry Queen Carmen Beemer, riding in last years Elk Rapids Harbor Days parade, graduated from Michigan State this spring with a degree in horticultural science.

Also, that notion of a last remaining cherry tree is both hypothetical and exaggerated. Depending on who's doing the counting and how good the year was, Michigan produces 65% to 74% of America's tart cherries, plus a smattering of sweets  a tidy portion of the state's $104.7 billion agriculture industry.

It's important, clearly, to have cherry production continue to blossom, and the harvest should start any day. So this seemed like the right moment to check in, not that Paye puts limits on her rooting.

"We're fired up about cherries year-round," she said. Cherry mustard, cherry salsa, cherry barbecue sauce, dried cherries  "We can go on for days."

Troubles take root

The Free Press' John Carlisle wrote a wrenching story last August about a cherry grower in Grand Traverse County who gave up. Too many hours on a tractor, too many unfairly subsidized imports, too many people wanting too many big new houses on suddenly coveted farmland.

"There are layers of challenges," Paye conceded, most leading back to money and uncertainty. Tops on the list  and be advised that while sweet cherries are picked, tarts are shaken from their trees  is that "you don't know what price you're getting for your cherries until after you shake and take them to the processor."

Kat Paye, executive director of the National Cherry Festival, with son Andrew, 4  probably the festivals youngest volunteer.

Then there's the increasingly erratic climate, which brings not only crop damage, but instability in growing seasons. If cherries in one area blossom later than usual, they're in competition with cherries that are ready on schedule elsewhere.

Meantime, everyone is competing with cherry products from places like Turkey, where government subsidies keep prices artificially low enough that in 2019, the Department of Commerce instituted a whopping tariff on dried cherries and cherry juice.

The U.S. International Trade Commission reversed most of that decision, and while there's still an assessment on juice, Beemer said, importers quickly figured out they could route it through other countries and duck the penalty.

On the plus side of the ledger, Beemer said, "I'm hearing that prices will be better than last year."

On the harsh reality side, "it still might not be profitable."

It's a good thing, she said, that so many farmers consider what they do a lifestyle, or even a calling: "They're not going down without a fight."

National Cherry Festival 2024 schedule: When to see air show, Goo Goo Dolls, more

New ways to compete

Beemer did not grow up on a farm. But south of Grand Rapids in Middleville, population 4,396, everyone was agriculture-adjacent.

"Whether I was scooping ice cream or scooping poop," she said, "I did it all."

In her first post-college job, she's working for a small agricultural startup, servicing the west side of Michigan. On a cherry-related promotional trip to Chicago, Paye said, Beemer mostly wanted to look at shrubbery.

As a duo, they said the keys to weathering the current storms  or future droughts, because whatever the worst might be, farmers always have to deal with it  are patience and diversification.

"A lot of them have learned you can't just grow cherries," Paye said.

DON'T MISS THIS: All that remains of 1987 World's Largest Cherry Pie can be seen in Traverse City

Some have added additional crops like pears, peaches or apples, even if they've had to remove some cherry trees to do it. Others have invested in processing machinery so they can operate at both ends of the food chain.

"While one industry might be getting the shorter end of the stick," said Beemer, who will crown her successor July 5, "the other might be keeping them above water."

Government grants are available, she pointed out, and hope is free. Crop yields and prices are habitually cyclical, so better days should be coming.

Meantime, outstate Michigan's largest summer festival is sprouting. One of those cherry pie flurries won't make up for a bad year, but it'll make for a good day.

Reach Neal Rubin at NARubin@freepress.com.

To subscribe to the Free Press at discount rates, click here.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cherry Festival celebrates fruit, industry while growers persevere
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  The South Fork and Salt Fires are experiencing limited fire activity Thursday morning, June 27, due to scattered storms and crews working to extinguish hot spots, the New Mexico Forestry Division said.

The Forestry Division says the South Fork Fire is estimated at 17,569 acres with 69 percent containment. The Salt Fire is estimated at 7,939 acres with 66 percent containment.

The Village of Ruidoso provided an update Wednesday evening, June 26, stating that all missing residents have been accounted for and that the number of fatalities still stands at two.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez held a press conference Wednesday morning, responding to the recent concerns of potential price gouging within Lincoln County, aiding those affected by the wildfires.

Torrez said price gouging by hotels, contractors, and retailers will be met with legal action and anyone engaged in fraud will be criminally prosecuted.

Torrez also said that anyone who takes advantage of our people during a crisis like this should expect to face the full force of the New Mexico Department of Justice.

Torrez also asks for the community to report any suspicious behavior to the New Mexico Department of Justice.

To report any suspicious or criminal activity, click here and click Submit a complaint.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to return, which could bring the risk of flash floods and debris flow, according to the Forestry Division.

Crews continue to mop up and begin to repair actions taken by firefighters to prevent the South Fork and Salt fires from growing. Cooperators and utility providers are working to address service needs for communities. As a reminder, conditions are dynamic and will remain that way through the duration of the incident. Maintain awareness and reduce your speed while traveling through the area, the Forestry Division said.

The Forestry Division says an interactive property map is now available for the Village of Ruidoso to assist residents in identifying areas that are accessible.

To access that map, click here: Village of Ruidoso interactive property map.

The New Mexico Forestry Division is also asking residents and visitors to celebrate the Fourth of July without fireworks.

The Forestry Division says the Mescalero Apache Reservation, Lincoln National Forest, and municipal areas have areas that have not received significant rainfall, and fireworks could start new fires.

The City of Alamogordo has also canceled its annual fireworks extravaganza.

The City says The City, county, and partner agencies are working tirelessly to battle the Salt and

South Fork fires. Helping our neighboring communities is our priority. As such, the City does not

want to divert resources from the relief effort or cause additional strain on the first responders,

many of whom are also using their personal days to assist.

No evacuations are currently in place. However, there will be some areas that are considered no entry/exclusion zones that will not be accessible to residents because they are considered crime scenes, according to the Village of Ruidosos Facebook page.

The FBIs Albuquerque Field Office announced this past weekend that its offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for starting the fires.

A South Fork Fire Emergency Closure Order was issued last week for national forest lands within the Smokey Bear Ranger District. The identified areas, roads, and trails are closed to the public.

A temporary flight restriction is also in place over the fire area. This prohibits any and all drone use by the public.

Tribal members who have been displaced outside of the Mescalero Apache Reservation can contact the Tribes Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help them get back to the reservation.

Those who are stranded out of town at other evacuation sites can call the EOC at (575) 464-9214 for more details.

For those seeking reunification with friends and loved ones, call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.

Residents returning who need food, water, personal hygiene items, or toiletries can click here: www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire.

For the latest on road closures, click here and scroll to the Evacuations section: https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/south-fork-fire.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Academics have highlighted a rural identity in politics. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Most observers link identity politics with Democrats, as underrepresented groups have used their common fate as a vehicle for political action since the movement politics of the 1960s & 70s.

The political science literature has highlighted another key identity emerging in politics in recent years: rural identity. We have always had a rural/urban divide; think of Hamiltons view of the virtue of burgeoning cities versus Jeffersons ideal of an agrarian republic. But recent work by Katherine Cramer as well as Nicholas Jacobs and Daniel Shea highlights how a growing common identity, even across varied and far-flung rural America, adds to our political cultural divide.

Jacobs and Shea pinpoint the 1980s as when this identity began to crystallize. In different regions, cost pressures on family farms and ranches, suburban sprawl, or water inaccessibility squeezed rural communities economically, which coincided with terrible depictions of country life in popular culture. Just as national news outlets emerged through cable and the internet, regional papers closed, and divisive national narratives enveloped local political context. Separate localized identities merged into a national common rural identity.

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Simultaneously, globalization shuttered small manufacturers central to communities economies, so younger generations moved to bigger cities, and social issues and addiction grew. For Cramer, a key component of this rural identity is a resentment from the perception of being overlooked by government. It has furthered party polarization as rural Americans increasingly vote Republican and see the world opposite from group identities associated with Democrats and vice versa.

One could argue that rural America is more Republican because of demographics and cultural conservatism. Rural America is whiter, older, and more religious, but in multiple surveys, Jacobs and Shea control for these factors and find that rural identity independently adds to Republican support. Moreover, on issues of race, LGBTQ+, and immigration, rural Republican whites are typically only slightly more conservative than their suburban and urban Republican counterparts and their news consumption patterns are not distinctive either.

Donald Trump did not create this identity; Cramers study tied rural resentment in Wisconsin to the rise of Gov. Scott Walker years earlier. True, Trumps rhetoric supercharged the resentment angle of this identity  2016 and 2020 were all about identities colliding across parties  but politically energized rural identity already existed  Sarah Palins meteoric rise evidenced that.

What does this mean? Overlapping group and party identity means people use identity-based filters to view politics and see their group as winning or losing relative to other groups. As Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler argue, groups contending worldviews mean others arent just wrong on policies; the other side causes problems that policies need to solve. Democrats threaten the American way of life for Republicans and, to Democrats, Republicans keep America from changing to reach its promise.

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With identities colliding in 2024, things seem grim. The way forward is to separate identities from resentment by reframing the actual problems driving it. Like now in rural areas, in the Detroit area of my youth, economic dislocation, population decline, and drug addiction were vivid crises, but were typically categorized as racial issues. Ironically this meant the issues became identity-based rather than universal and helped to drive the very wedge between rural and urban Democrats that has left few Democrats representing rural America anymore. Both parties do not have to try to empathize across lines if they do not try to even compete for regions of America. From leaders, people with common identities see their fortunes pitted against others, which furthers polarization.

What this rural identity research indicates is that the actual underlying issues that drain the quality of life from communities are affecting everyone  in big cities and small towns  and we have avoided the heavy policy lift on inequality, immigration, and addiction, all while politicians avoiding these issues trigger other citizens based on less salient, and sometimes even bogus, culture war issues that inflame identities and polarization.

Despite the heat of this election year, there have been wins. The bipartisan infrastructure bill has substantial benefits for both rural and urban America. The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act and common views on Chinese tariffs by both presidential contenders recognizes that offshoring broke communities and hurt industrial America in rural and urban areas. Even if free-traders might disagree, globalization outstripped the publics patience.

This literature leaves the reader to question: why are we letting people divide us on beer brands and symbolic distractions when genuinely common economic and social issues remain insufficiently addressed?

The post Rural identity emerging as key factor in politics appeared first on Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Russian authorities are being accused of systemically depriving Russian political prisoners and government critics of contact with families in order to ensure cooperation and "impose additional suffering on them and their families," an Amnesty International report released on June 26 charged.

"For a detainee facing investigation and trial, the denial of contact with the outside world is an effective reprisal used by the authorities to gain confession or a guilty plea," the report, which compiled interview from 13 prisoners family members and friends, lawyers, and human rights defenders, read.

According to the report, Russian authorities use a number of tactics, including legal loopholes and fabricated pretexts, to isolate political prisoners from contact with loved ones.

The isolationist tactics include naming family members as witnesses in the case which bars them from contact, transferring prisoners to alternative penal colonies on the eve of family visits, and arbitrarily placing prisoners in disciplinary cells which prohibits them from visits and phone calls, among others.

Amnesty International noted that in circumstances where political prisoners are able to communicate with family through written letters, correspondence is often withheld for weeks or months at a time.

Despite legislation currently in place for regular contact with detainees, administrative discretion is wide-reaching and notably arbitrary.

"Not only is Russian law far from compliance with (international) standards, it also enables authorities to continue harassing and persecuting their opponents behind bars," the report notes. "Moreover, practice in Russia today is such that it often does not conform with the countrys own legislation."

Russian authorities forced Amnesty International's departure from the country shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. As such, political prisoners could not be interviewed for the report.

In one of Russia's most prominent cases, prior to his death in a penal colony, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny lost contact with his team and family members for almost three weeks prior to being located in Russia's far northern Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District.

Lawyers for Navalny sent 618 requests for his location prior to finding him.

Read also: Trial for jailed US journalist Gershkovich begins in Russia

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Russia attacks Kharkiv with FAB-500 gliding bomb for first time, injuring 4

Russian troops attacked the city of Kharkiv on June 26 with a FAB-500 bomb equipped with a gliding kit for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale war, said Oleksandr Filchakov, head of the regional prosecutor's office.

At least four people were injured and two more suffered from shock, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Moscow's troops launched the bomb on the Kyivskyi district of Kharkiv from above the village of Maysky in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, Filchakov said.

The FAB-500 is a Soviet-designed 500-kilogram (1,100 lb) general purpose air-dropped bomb with a high-explosive warhead.

These cheap and plentiful bombs are equipped with gliding kits, improving their precision, but more importantly, allowing them to be dropped from much further away, outside the reach of Ukrainian front-line air defense systems.

Russian forces have used glide bombs at an increasing intensity in attacks on border and front-line settlements, including in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts.

The strike on Kharkiv damaged houses, a higher education institution and the State Emergency Service premise, according to the prosecutors.

Moscow has intensified attacks against Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, as well as Kharkiv Oblast, with the use of missiles, glide bombs, and drones, destroying energy infrastructure and killing civilians.

A Russian attack on a residential building and an enterprise in Kharkiv on June 22 killed three people and injured over 50, according to the local authorities.

Read also: Glide bombs help Russia gain land in Ukraine. What makes them so effective?

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By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia is considering a possible downgrading of relations with the West due to the deeper involvement of the United States and its allies in the Ukraine war, but no decision had yet been taken, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

A downgrading of relations - or even breaking them off - would illustrate the gravity of the confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine after an escalation in tensions over the war in recent months.

Even during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when the Cold War is thought to have come closest to nuclear war, Russia did not sever relations with the United States, though Moscow did break off ties with Israel over the 1967 Middle East war.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Izvestia newspaper that ambassadors fulfilled a difficult but important job that allowed a channel of communication to operate in troubled times.

But Ryabkov also said that a possible downgrading of ties with the West was being studied.

When asked about the possibility of such a move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that given the West's current approach to Russia it was one of several options that was being considered, though no decision had yet been made.

"The issue of lowering the level of diplomatic relations is a standard practice for states that face unfriendly or hostile manifestations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Due to the growing involvement of the West in the conflict over Ukraine, the Russian Federation cannot but consider various options for responding to such hostile Western intervention in the Ukrainian crisis."

President Vladimir Putin, who ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022, presents the war as part of a wider struggle with the U.S., which he says ignored Moscow's interests after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and then plotted to split Russia apart and seize its natural resources.

The West and Ukraine have cast the war as an imperial-style land-grab. Western leaders, who deny they want to destroy Russia, say that if Putin wins the war then autocracies across the world will be emboldened.

With Russia gaining the upper hand in the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two, the Ukraine crisis has escalated in recent months.

After the United States allowed Ukraine to strike Russia with some U.S. weapons, the Kremlin sent signals that it viewed this as a serious escalation.

Putin has ordered drills to practise deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, suggested Russia could station conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its allies, and sealed a mutual defence pact with North Korea.

The United States and its European allies still have embassies in Russia, and Russia has embassies in Washington and European capitals, though diplomats from both sides say they are experiencing the most hostile conditions in decades.

"Moscow has given up on repairing relations with the West," said Geoffrey Roberts, a historian of Josef Stalin and Soviet international relations at University College Cork.

"It would signal that Putin thinks he can usher in a Brave New Multipolar World, whilst at the same time keeping the West at arm's length," he said. "But maybe its a just a gesture, a protest, a sign of frustration with the West and/or a sop to Russian hardliners who want to escalate the war in Ukraine."

(Reporting by FaulconbridgeEditing by Andrew Osborn and Andrew Heavens)
Ukrainian soldier. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Russian forces have lost 1,260 soldiers killed and wounded over the past 24 hours, which has brought Russian army losses in the war to 539,320 military personnel.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 27 June 2024 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 539,320 (+1,260) military personnel;

8,042 (+3) tanks;

15,459 (+9) armoured combat vehicles;

14,363 (+42) artillery systems;

1,108 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems;

868 (+5) air defence systems;

359 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft;

326 (+0) helicopters;

11,459 (+24) strategic and tactical UAVs;

2,324 (+0) cruise missiles;

28 (+0) ships and boats;

1 (+0) submarines;

19,468 (+61) vehicles and tankers;

2,420 (+11) special vehicles and other equipment.

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Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join military fighting in Ukraine, official says

Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join the military fighting in Ukraine, said Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin at a press conference on June 27.

The individuals are reportedly in Ukraine to "dig trenches and build fortifications," Bastrykin said, implying they might not be directly involved in combat operations.

The 10,000 individuals are out of 30,000 new citizens authorities have reportedly "caught" who shirked their obligation to register for military service, he added.

In October 2023, Bastrykin suggested that individuals who recently received Russian passports but declined to serve in the military could have their citizenship revoked.

Military service is mandatory in Russia for all men aged 18-27, although Russia has vastly widened the scope of who it seeks to see in the military after huge losses suffered in its war against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 31 to conscript 150,000 citizens as part of the regularly occurring spring conscription campaign, but conscripts are not officially allowed to be sent to fight abroad.

Read also: New Defense Minister Belousov to put Russias economy on war footing

Russia has sought to replenish its military ranks through other means, including the recruitment of migrants and new Russian citizens, likely hoping to avoid changing the rules on conscript deployment or a repeat of the unpopular mobilization drive in the fall of 2022.

Migrant workers have also been sent to occupied parts of Ukraine ostensibly for construction work. However, after they arrive, reports allege that their passports are confiscated, and they are pressured to go fight.

Russia has also attempted to recruit foreigners directly from countries in the surrounding region, such as Kazakhstan or Armenia.

Read also: Media: More than 10,000 Russian soldiers prosecuted for refusing to fight in Ukraine

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By Mako Tomita, KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 13:53 | All, Feature, Japan

As a child who suffered from a debilitating common form of muscular dystrophy, Takahiro Yoshizawa felt like he had been abandoned by those around him.

The heritable disease, known as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, or FSHD for short, causes weakness in upper body skeletal muscles and progressively decreased mobility.

But it was doctors telling him that he should simply accept his fate that fueled his desire to fight the genetic disorder, which he has lived with since its onset in elementary school.

Now an assistant professor at Shinshu University's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, Yoshizawa, 41, is working toward the development of a new drug therapy he believes could suppress FSHD's symptoms after he discovered a new compound last year.

"My ultimate goal is to deliver a drug to patients," said Yoshizawa, whose finding of a compound that reduces the toxicity of the disease-causing protein DUX4 came after almost a year of tireless trial and error.

It was in third grade when Yoshizawa began to exhibit symptoms from his facial muscle weaknesses, including uncontrollable gaping of his mouth, leading to his FSHD diagnosis. By junior high school he could no longer do sit-ups, nor could he raise his arms above his head.

He faced the stark reality of being told by doctors that there was "no cure" for FSHD. "I felt as if I had been left behind by everyone," he said.

In particular, he recalls a time when a doctor gave him some advice he found particularly unhelpful.

"The doctor said, 'There are people who accept their disability as part of their individual character and enjoy their lives. You also need to do your best.' I thought to myself, 'There is no way I can do that,'" Yoshizawa said.

Instead, he used the bitter experience as a springboard to determine a way forward through medical research.

"Since no doctors could cure me, I decided to do something myself," said Yoshizawa. He went on to study at Hokuriku University's faculty of pharmaceutical sciences before attending graduate school at Shinshu University, where he became an assistant professor in 2013.

After six years of working to secure funding and other resources, Yoshizawa began full-scale research in 2019. He screened 671 low-molecular-weight chemical compounds and spent around a year observing their cellular reactions.

One of the compounds was found to reduce the toxicity of DUX4, suggesting it had potential as a FSHD therapeutic.

According to the FSHD society, the advantage of most small molecule drugs is that they can be administered orally and "pass through the digestive tract into the bloodstream to reach and penetrate cells."

Mice with FSHD were imported from the United States and administered the compound, which alleviated their symptoms. Yoshizawa said he was so overjoyed that it made him question the validity of the results. But, he said, "We found hope."

He filed for a patent in March 2023. From November of the same year to March 2024, Yoshizawa carried out a crowdfunding campaign to secure research funds, raising over 5.3 million yen ($35,000), more than double his goal.

Along his journey, he has received messages from fellow FSHD sufferers in Japan and their families, who have high hopes that they will be able to control the progression of the disease if the research continues to advance.

For Yoshizawa, the disease has now extended to the lower half of his body, making it difficult for him to lift heavy objects and increasingly difficult to walk. Although he is often troubled by his condition, Yoshizawa said, "I will do my best to overcome this painful illness."

If he can determine a biological disease mechanism, referred to as a "target," for the candidate compound to alter the mechanism of FSHD, Yoshizawa said he will be closer than ever to developing a new drug treatment.

"I think there are sufferers who feel angry and impatient because they cannot easily access information on the progress of therapeutic drug development," he said. "It is important to get the message out that there are people like myself conducting this kind of research."

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Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast killed one civilian and injured seven others on the morning of June 27, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported on Telegram.

Civilian casualties were reported in Toretsk, Selydove, and the village of Yasenove, Filashkin said.

"Early in the morning, Russians dropped an aerial bomb on Selydove," injuring six people, including two teenagers, Filashkin said.

Selydove is located 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the front line in Pokrovsk district. The attack damaged seven high-rise buildings, five houses, three administrative buildings, and four cars.

Filashkin reported that another civilian was injured in Yasenove, a village in Pokrovsk district.

One person was also killed in Toretsk, a city located less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the front line.

The day before, another Russian attack on Toretsk killed one person and injured seven others.

Ukraine's Armed Forces said on June 18 that Russian attacks near Toretsk were increasing after a "long lull" in fighting in the area.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky visits front line in Donetsk Oblast alongside newly appointed general

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Russian attacks against Ukraine killed two civilians and injured 31 others over the past day, regional authorities said on June 27.

Civilian casualties were reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts.

Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that Russian attacks on the region killed one person and injured 16 more, including two girls aged 12 and 15.

The two children were injured, along with three adults, when they were attacked by a Russian drone, Prokudin said.

Across the region, an industrial site, a high-rise building, 15 houses, a gas pipeline, and the warehouse of a humanitarian aid organization were damaged by the Russian military over the course of the day.

In Kharkiv Oblast, a man was injured in the village of Male Vesele, which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Russian border, as the result of a guided bomb attack, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

Later in the afternoon, five people were hospitalized after Russian forces attacked Derhachi, a town located around 5 kilometers (3 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv and around 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border.

Read also: PACE adopts 3 resolutions on Ukraine, including on Russias cultural genocide

The attack damaged 65 houses, as well as commercial buildings, a shopping center, and cars, Syniehubov said.

In Donetsk Oblast, a Russian attack on Toretsk killed one person, injured seven other civilians, and damaged six homes, the Donetsk Regional Military Administration reported.

An attack on the nearby village of Niu-York also injured one civilian, the administration said.

Ukraine's Armed Forces said on June 18 that Russian attacks near Toretsk were increasing after a "long lull" in fighting in the area.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported that Nikopol came under attack more than 20 times over the past day.

Russian forces used drones and artillery to attack the city and surrounding communities, injuring an 18-year-old girl.

"She is in satisfactory condition and will be treated on an outpatient basis," Lysak said.

Overnight, a Russian drone was downed over Kryvyi Rih district, and Nikopol was attacked again, damaging educational buildings, five high-rise buildings, and two cars. According to Lysak, there were no reports of injuries.

Russia launched 23 Shahed-type attack drones and five missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force reported. Ukrainian air defense downed all 23 drones and five of the missiles.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky visits front line in Donetsk Oblast alongside newly appointed general

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed on June 27 that Tver Oblast came under drone attack overnight, hours after Russian Telegram channels claimed a major chemical research plant in the region had been targeted.

Images and videos shared by local residents on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show a large explosion, purportedly in the area of the Redkinsky Experimental Plant.

The Redkinsky plant is located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Moscow, and over 500 kilometers (315 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The Redkinsky plant is an experimental facility that produces chemicals primarily for the aviation and space industries, such as chemicals that make up fuel.

According to its website, the plant is "one of the largest chemical production facilities in Tver Oblast," with 700 employees, and "has an advantageous geographical location close to the railway and Moscow-St. Petersburg highway."

"The plant has been focused on conducting experimental work in the field of chemical industry since the early 1950s," the plant website says.

Tver Oblast Governor Igor Rudenya claimed that a drone was downed over Konakovsky district in Tver Oblast, the same area in which the Redkinsky plant is located.

The situation in Konakovsky district is "under control," Rudenya claimed, adding that there were no casualties and emergency services were at the scene.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the attack was thwarted, and four drones were downed over Tver Oblast, two were downed over Moscow Oblast, and one drone was downed over Belgorod Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.

Read also: Satellite image shows fire at ammunition depot in Russias Voronezh region

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that Russian forces are not capable of "big breakthroughs" on the battlefield in Ukraine, whereas Kyiv is inflicting significant damage on Russia with strikes deep into its territory.

Source: Stoltenberg in an interview with AFP, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "And we don't have any other indications or reasons to believe that Russia has the capabilities, the strength to make big breakthroughs."

Details: Stoltenberg noted that Russia had launched another offensive in Ukraine during the spring and summer, "but so far [with] only marginal gains".

The NATO Secretary General, however, warned that Russia is likely to "continue to push along the front lines" and launch airstrikes in Ukraine.

"But what we have seen is that the Ukrainians have been able to hold the line. They have been able to continue to inflict heavy losses on the Russian invaders, both along the front line, but also by deep strikes," Stoltenberg said.

Background:

In May, Russia is known to have launched a new offensive in the northern Kharkiv Oblast and increased pressure in Ukraine's east, taking advantage of delays in the supply of Western weapons to the Ukrainian defence forces.

The West noted that Russian forces had made some progress in Donetsk Oblast, particularly in the area of the important town of Chasiv Yar. However, the authorisation from the US and other Western countries for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory had slowed the Russian advance in Kharkiv Oblast.

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The number of combat engagements between Ukrainian and Russian forces along the entire war zone increased to 104 on 27 June, with the hottest spots being the Toretsk and Pokrovsk fronts, accounting for almost half of all Russian assaults.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 19:00 on 27 June

Quote: "The Kharkiv front. The aggressor attempted to attack three times there today. Fighting continues in the area of Vovchansk.

On the Kupiansk front, Ukrainian defenders have repelled 10 assaults by [Russian] occupation forces since the beginning of the day. A battle near [the village of] Synkivka is underway. The outskirts of [the settlement of] Petropavlivka came under an airstrike.

On the Kramatorsk front, the enemy increased pressure near [the town of] Chasiv Yar. Two combat engagements are in progress. The enemy launched a total of five attacks there today."

Details: Ukraine's General Staff noted that the number of Russian attacks on the Toretsk front increased to 25. Ukraine's defence forces repelled 22 offensive attempts by Russian troops, and three attacks are still in progress. The Russians used aircraft and targeted the city of Toretsk with guided aerial bombs.

On the Pokrovsk front, the Russians have attacked Ukrainian defensive lines 23 times since the beginning of the day. Seven assault operations are underway.

The Russians attempted an assault on the Prydniprovske front. This is the seventh attempt over the course of the day, and six have been repelled.

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Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev arrived in New York on June 26 to participate in a U.N. summit of police chiefs (UNCOPS-2024), said ministry spokesperson Irina Volk.

The U.S. announced sanctions against Kolokoltsev and other top Russian officials on Feb. 25, 2022, the day after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Despite being sanctioned, Kolokoltsev does not appear on the U.S. Treasury's list of individuals barred from entering the U.S.

According to a U.N. press release, UNCOPS-2024, which runs from June 26 to 27, aims "to engage on strengthening international peace, security, and development for all through the unifying power and enabling role of national and U.N. policing."

Volk also said that Kolokoltsev held bilateral meetings, including with the U.N.'s Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

Volk said that Kolokoltsev had spoken with Lacroix about the reported Ukrainian strike earlier in June on Sevastopol, occupied Crimea, and called for a U.N. assessment.

Russia's Defense Ministry has claimed that Ukraine used U.S.-supplied weapons in the attack, which allegedly killed four people and injured 151. The reports could not be independently verified.

Kolokoltsev also reportedly discussed the rise in "Russophobic sentiments" around the world with Lacroix.

Russia's Interior Ministry is "open to cooperation on the entire range of peacekeeping issues," Volk concluded.

Read also: US backs ICC investigation into Shoigu, Gerasimov, State Department says

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Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian official heading the Russian occupation of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said on June 27 that it is "time to burn everything Ukrainian down to the root" so that "there is no trace left."

Rogozin's comments were the latest in a long series of genocidal comments directed at Ukraine made by Russian officials and propagandists, a trend that has only increased since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The genocidal intent of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine has manifested in war crimes and indiscriminate violence directed at Ukrainian civilians, but also in the denial and distortion of history, attempts to erase Ukrainian culture, and the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.

Rogozin, who serves as the "senator" of occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, also referenced the need to destroy Ukrainian literature and history in his comments. He previously was the CEO of the state-run space corporation Roscosmos, a deputy prime minister, and the ambassador to NATO.

There can be "no truce" with Ukrainians, Rogozin said, because "any truce, let alone reconciliation, is certain death for our children and grandchildren."

The previous day, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted three resolutions related to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. One of the resolutions recognized the genocidal intent in destroying Ukraine's cultural heritage and identity.

The resolution condemned the systematic Russian policy of "Russification" in the occupied territories of Ukraine which started since its first invasion in 2014, including the denial of the Ukrainian language and history.

Russia's full-scale war has resulted in damage to 1,987 cultural facilities as of late April, according to Ukraine's Culture Ministry.

Several top Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov, have been issued arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their roles in alleged crimes committed against Ukraine.

Read also: Who are the 5 Russian propagandists accused of hate crimes against Ukraine?

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By Joey Roulette

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A defunct Russian satellite has broken up into more than 100 pieces of debris in orbit, forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to take shelter for about an hour and adding to the mass of space junk already in orbit, U.S. space agencies said.

There were no immediate details on what caused the break-up of the RESURS-P1 Russian Earth observation satellite, which Russia declared dead in 2022.

U.S. Space Command, tracking the debris swarm, said there was no immediate threat to other satellites.

The event took place at around 10 a.m. Mountain Time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday, Space Command said. It occurred in an orbit near the space station, prompting U.S. astronauts on board to shelter in their spacecraft for roughly an hour, NASA's Space Station office said.

Russian space agency Roscosmos, which operated the satellite, did not respond to a request for comment or publicly acknowledge the event on its social media channels.

U.S. Space Command, which has a global network of space-tracking radars, said the satellite immediately created "over 100 pieces of trackable debris."

By Thursday afternoon, radars from U.S. space-tracking firm LeoLabs had detected at least 180 pieces, the company said.

Large debris-generating events in orbit are rare but of increasing concern as space becomes crowded with satellite networks vital to everyday life on Earth, from broadband internet and communications to basic navigation services, as well as satellites no longer in use.

The satellite's breakup was at an altitude of roughly 355 km (220 miles) in low-Earth orbit, a popular region where thousands of small to large satellites operate, including SpaceX's vast Starlink network and China's that houses three of its astronauts.

"Due to the low orbit of this debris cloud, we estimate itll be weeks to months before the hazard has passed," LeoLabs said in a statement to Reuters.

The some 25,000 pieces of debris bigger than four inches (10 cm) in space caused by satellite explosions or collisions, have raised concerns about the prospect of a Kessler effect - a phenomenon in which satellite collisions with debris can create a cascading field of more hazardous junk and exponentially increase crash risks.

Russia sparked strong criticism from the U.S. and other Western countries in 2021 when it struck one of its defunct satellites in orbit with a ground-based anti-satellite (ASAT) missile launched from its Plesetsk rocket site. The blast, testing a weapon system ahead of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, created thousands of pieces of orbital debris.

In the roughly 88-minute window of RESURS-P1's initial break-up, the Plesetsk site was one of many locations on Earth it passed over, but there was no immediate indication from airspace or maritime alerts that Russia had launched a missile to strike the satellite, space-tracker and Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell said.

"I find it hard to believe they would use such a big satellite as an ASAT target," McDowell said. "But, with the Russians these days, who knows."

He and other analysts speculated the break-up more likely could have been caused by a problem with the satellite, such as leftover fuel onboard causing an explosion.

WHAT HAPPENS TO OLD SATELLITES

Dead satellites either remain in orbit until they descend into Earth's atmosphere for a fiery demise years later, or in widely preferred - but less common - circumstances they fly to a "graveyard orbit" some 36,000 km (22,400 miles) from Earth to lower the risk of crashing into active satellites.

Roscosmos decommissioned RESURS-P1 over onboard equipment failures in 2021, announcing the decision the following year. The satellite has since appeared to be lowering its altitude through layers of other active satellites for an eventual atmospheric reentry.

The six U.S. astronauts currently on the space station were alerted by NASA mission control in Houston around 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday (0100 GMT on Thursday) to execute "safe haven" procedures, where each crew member rushes into the spacecraft they arrived in, in case an emergency departure is required.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams boarded their Starliner spacecraft, the Boeing-built capsule that has been docked since June 6 in its first crewed test mission on the station.

Three of the other U.S. astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut went into SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule that flew them to the station in March, while the sixth U.S. astronaut joined the two remaining cosmonauts in their Russian Soyuz capsule that ferried them there in September last year.

The astronauts emerged from their spacecraft roughly an hour later and resumed their normal work on the station, NASA said.

The prospect of satellite collisions and space warfare have added urgency to calls from space advocates and lawyers to have countries establish an international mechanism of managing space traffic, which does not currently exist.

(Editing by Andrew Heavens, Frances Kerry and Sandra Maler)
Russian troops opened fire on the settlement of Kozatske in the Kherson district on the evening of 27 June, injuring one person.

Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration on Telegram

Quote: "A resident of the village of Kozatske, who came under Russian attack this evening, asked for medical assistance at hospital.

A 57-year-old man sustained a blast injury and a traumatic amputation of a finger on his hand. The man is currently being provided with treatment."

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Russians strike Kharkiv with FAB-500 unguided bombs for first time ever

Russian forces targeted the city of Kharkiv with two FAB-500 bombs for the first time ever on 27 June.

Source: Oleksandr Filchakov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office

Details: The prosecutor's office reported that Russian forces had launched FAB-500 bombs on Kharkiv at around 16:00 on 27 June.

The Russians attacked Kharkiv's Kyivskyi district. Three houses, the premises of a higher education institution and the department of Ukraines State Emergency Service in the district have been damaged. Four civilians have been injured.

In a comment to Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne, Filchakov said that this bomb is twice as powerful as the KAB-250 guided aerial bombs and FAB-250 unguided aerial bombs that the Russians had used earlier in Kharkiv.

Background: On 27 June, Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, reported that four people had been injured in a Russian attack on the city.

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KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 21:34 | World, All

Pakistan's special representative for Afghanistan has stressed the significance of the first participation by Afghanistan's Taliban administration in an upcoming United Nations-hosted meeting about the country's engagement with the international community, amid the hard-line Islamists' continuing denial of women's rights.

Asif Durrani told Kyodo News on Wednesday that the Taliban's attendance at the third such meeting on Afghanistan in Doha on Sunday and Monday will be "a positive step" toward progress in dealing with Afghanistan's critical issues such as human rights abuse and presence of terrorist groups.

But he noted the meeting is "not expected to lead to a breakthrough as it is part of a process" of fostering dialogue between the Taliban and other countries as well as addressing humanitarian assistance, human rights and security in Afghanistan.

The Taliban interim government has not been recognized by the international community as a legitimate government because it deprives women and minorities of human rights.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, they have banned secondary and higher education for girls and prohibited female employees of national and international organizations operating in Afghanistan from working. They have also forcibly evicted ethnic and religious minorities from their homes in different parts of the country.

The United Nations held the first meeting focused on Afghanistan in May 2023, under the initiative of Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The world body invited Taliban rulers to the second meeting in February this year but they refused to attend over the participation by Afghan citizens' organizations and women's groups.

Durrani confirmed that representatives from Afghanistan's civil society would not be part of the plenary session of the upcoming meeting.

The Pakistani envoy said the agenda for the third meeting is limited to discussions on Afghanistan's private-sector development and counter-narcotics measures. The country has long been a major player in international narcotics trafficking and is also facing a rising addiction problem.

During the meeting, Pakistan will raise issues including ongoing threats from terrorist groups based in Afghanistan that have carried out suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan and the repatriation of Afghan refugees, Durrani said.

The Taliban is expected to send a delegation led by Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman of the administration, to the meeting, according to the Taliban's Foreign Ministry.

Related coverage:

Japan refuses to grant visa to ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee now author

Taliban releases Kyodo News Afghan reporter after 8-day detainment

Japan accepts record-high 303 refugees in 2023
Sacramento community center to host mental health resource fair for Black men. What to expect

June is Mens Mental Health Awareness Month, and one of Sacramentos oldest historically Black neighborhoods is celebrating that this weekend.

Oak Park will host an Its OK Brotha Black Mens Mental Health an Resource Fair on Saturday at the Oak Park Community Center, 3425 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Admission is free, and guests can attend panel discussions, research presentations and more between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The event is organized by The Sacramento Observer, the citys only Black newspaper, as well as sponsorships from the city of Sacramento and the University of Southern Californias Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

According to Wilma Whitfield, the general manager for the Observer, the event is based on a six-to-seven week series written by staff writer Genoa Barrow, called Head Space.

In this series, Barrow talked with several different Black men about their experiences and perspectives on mental health within their community, as well as garnered research through her partnership with the USC Center for Health Journalism.

So this mental health event is going to be the culmination of all her research, writing and interviews, where we will share the data with our audience, Whitfield said.

Whitfield says she hopes for a turnout of at least 100 people.

Mental health is not a fun topic, she said, but especially for Black men who have the added challenge of navigating this world through a racial lens.

According to a report from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Suicide is the third leading cause of death among African Americans ages 15 to 24.

The report writes that African American men are four times more likely to die by suicide than African American women are.

While the subject matter may be tough, organizers hope attendees can learn more about solutions as well as connect with others on their experiences.
Sacramento police ask public to help find 64-year-old man who has been missing for 17 days

Police on Wednesday afternoon asked the public to help find a missing 64-year-old man who was last seen more than two weeks ago in Sacramento.

Sangdon Kim, the person reported missing, was last seen June 9 leaving the 3200 block of Portage Way, just east of the East Commerce Way in the Natomas Creek neighborhood, the Sacramento Police Department announced in social media posts.

Police described the missing man as standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 120 pounds with white hair and brown eyes.

Officers asked anyone who sees Kim or who has seen Kim to call the Police Department at 916-808-5471.
(FOX40.COM)  The Sacramento Police Department said it arrested a 22-year-old man on Thursday who is accused of killing a man in Oak Park nearly three weeks ago.

On June 2, just before 7 p.m., Sacramento police officers were called to 33rd Street on reports of a shooting.

Dangerous man arrested in Roseville after search

When officers arrived, they said a 53-year-old man was found with a life-threatening gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital.

Medical staff at the hospital later said that the man died from his injuries.

On June 20, police said, Floyd Smith was arrested after homicide detectives learned of his involvement in the shooting with the assistance of the agencys SWAT team and Sacramento County Sheriffs Office.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A huge plume of dust drifting across the Atlantic from the coast of Africa is heading for Florida.

This can mean gorgeous sunsets or hazy skies for us on land, plus the added benefit of tamping down tropical development.

What is Saharan dust?

The Saharan Air Layer, commonly referred to as Saharan dust, results from ripples in the atmosphere that loft large amounts of sand and dust from the vast African desert into the air, according to NOAA. The blanket of dry air and strong winds travels thousands of miles across the Atlantic, creating a less favorable environment for tropical cyclones to form.

Thats good news for us as the projected very active hurricane season gets underway.

Saharan dust is common this time of year. The plumes typically begin in mid-June and run through mid-August, peaking somewhere in the middle. According to NOAA, the plumes of dust seem to rapidly subside after mid-August, which is also when we begin to see an uptick in tropical activity.

What does it mean for hurricane season?

The dust plume blocks sunlight from reaching the ocean below, which is already reaching record-high temperatures.

It blocks sunlight because of how thick it is when its traveling 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, WFLA meteorologist Amanda Holly said. If the plumes can stay as thick as they are right now, it literally blocks the sunlight and prevents the sunshine from warming up those waters more.

Additionally, the dry air also robs potential systems of the moisture they need to develop.

This limits the environments potential for those tropical systems to come together and organize, Holly said.

Will we see Saharan dust sunsets?

Thin layers of Saharan dust interact with sunlight to create breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. However, thicker plumes can partially block out the light.

If the dust can stay on the thinner side  which I think it will, especially as it starts to enter Friday into Saturday night and then possibly gets a little bit thicker, Holly said. If it can stay thin, it gives us some really pretty sunrises and sunsets where we get these nice pinks and reds in the sky.

Thicker plumes of dust can lead to hazy skies or even a layer of dust as it falls to the surface.

Watch Tracking the Tropics on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.

Be prepared with the 2024 Hurricane Guide and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
The parking lot of The Home Depot is seen in this file photo.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has fined home improvement retailer Home Depot U.S.A. $25,973 for multiple hazardous waste violations at its southeast Salem warehouse and distribution center.

DEQ inspected the facility, at 4999 Depot Court SE, on Nov. 14, 2022, and reviewed company records on Feb. 27, 2023.

Inspectors found that the company had accumulated about 534 containers of unknown wastes at the facility.

They also found a 50-gallon container of pesticide, which Oregon classifies as a hazardous waste, staged for disposal in a nonhazardous waste disposal lane.

The company had offered the container of pesticide for disposal on a manifest that did not include the correct code for hazardous waste disposal, inspectors found.

Improper storage and management of hazardous waste threatens human health and the environment, DEQ wrote in its penalty letter.

Home Depot officials declined to comment.

Oregon DEQ issues 12 fines in May

The fine was among 12 DEQ levied in May, totaling $357,009.

Recipients can appeal their fines by requesting a hearing within 20 days of receiving their penalty letter. DEQ sometimes reduces or eliminates fines after appeals.

Recipients also may be able to resolve part of their penalty by completing or sponsoring an environmental improvement project instead of paying a fine.

Here are the other citations:

Da Yang Seafood, Astoria, $150,000: For discharging wastewater from its seafood processing facility without a permit 33 times between July 2021 and September 2023. The company has appealed the penalty.

Rice Hill Owners Association, Yoncalla, $51,407: For more than 2,700 violations of its permit to operate a sewage treatment system, including discharging wastewater containing pollutants in excess of permit limits and failing to conduct required wastewater monitoring. The association has appealed the penalty.

Oregon Treehouse Partners, Cloverdale, $43,588: For water quality violations at the Two Capes Lookout Campground construction site, including failing to implement erosion and sediment control plans, discharging sediment from construction activities and failing to keep construction wastes out of public waters. The company has appealed the penalty.

Port of Astoria, $28,800: For failing to ensure that stormwater discharges from Pier 2 were not contaminated by seafood processing activities, failing to maintain stormwater catch basins and for polluting the Columbia River. The port has appealed the penalty.

Astoria Pacific Seafoods, Astoria, $22,800: For exceeding effluent limits in its wastewater discharge permit, submitting a late dilution study, failing to meet minimum dilution ratios required by the permit and for discharging untreated wastewater from an unauthorized discharge point. The company has appealed the penalty.

Alsea Quarries 1, Alsea, $7,727: For failing to conduct required stormwater monitoring at Alsea Rock Quarry. The company has appealed the penalty.

Valmont Industries, Tualatin, $7,434: For failing to monitor stormwater discharges as required by its permit.

S-C Paving Company, Tillamook, $6,405: For engaging in mining and quarrying activities that could discharge to waters of the state without a permit and for placing wastes in a location likely to pollute waters of the state.

Pembina Midstream (U.S.), Houston, $7,200: For failing to submit greenhouse gas emissions data report for eight reporting years. Pembina is a fuel supplier that imports and sells propane in Oregon.

City of Portland, $4,400: For failing to submit a complete greenhouse gas emissions data report for 2022 to DEQ. The city has since submitted the information.

City of Gervais, $1,275: For exceeding the effluent limits of a permit that allows it to discharge treated sewage to the Pudding River.

Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem Home Depot fined for hazardous waste violations
The summer is usually a quiet time for tech news but Samsung is about to shake things up a bit. The next Samsung Unpacked event is set for tomorrow, July 10. It will take place in Paris at 3PM local time, which is 9AM ET. If you want to tune in live, all the details for how to watch Samsung Unpacked are right here.

The company released its Galaxy S24 devices earlier this year after its first Unpacked of 2024, so its highly unlikely that well see new versions of the traditional smartphone format here (perhaps save for Olympics-branded models given Samsung's sponsorship of that event). However, theres a decent chance that Samsung will show off its latest set of foldables. Rumors are suggesting that its ready to reveal a new smartwatch too. And then theres the small matter of the smart ring that Samsung has been teasing this year.

What we expect from Samsung Unpacked July 2024

Samsung Galaxy Ring

Samsungs smart ring is its most intriguing upcoming device. Its a brand-new product category for the company, though Samsung has been preparing for it by refining its health and wellness tech in its other devices over the last few years.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring is slated to arrive in or around August, according to the company itself, so it would be more of a surprise if the device didnt appear at Unpacked. After first teasing the wearable during Januarys Unpacked, Samsung revealed more details about it in February. The Galaxy Ring will be available in three colors  platinum silver, gold and ceramic black  and multiple sizes.

The ring will measure heart rate, movement and breathing to help track your sleep. Its expected to support fertility tracking too. The Galaxy Ring will also be able to pair with a Galaxy Watch, so if you wear both, youre likely to get more accurate health data.

Samsung unveils the Galaxy Ring as a way to 'simplify everyday wellness' (Samsung)

Naturally, the Galaxy Ring will be compatible with Galaxy phones but Samsung is aiming to make it work with other Android handsets. As of February, iOS compatibility was to be determined, so perhaps rival device Oura will remain the go-to choice for many iPhone users. For what it's worth, some of the company's smartwatches are compatible with certain iPhones and non-Samsung Android phones.

Samsung has yet to reveal the exact release date and pricing for the Galaxy Ring. However, that information is almost certainly going to be announced at Unpacked.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6

Its probably the right time for Samsung to roll out new foldables as we move into the back half of the year and (dont say it out loud because summer has just started in the northern hemisphere) the holiday shopping season. We may very well see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and and Galaxy Z Flip 6 at Unpacked.

The updates are expected to be relatively minor. Rumors suggest the Z Flip 6 will get a modest battery capacity increase to 4,000 mAh, an option to increase the RAM to 12GB and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Camera upgrades also seem likely, with Samsung said to be bringing the same 50MP camera seen in the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S24 to the Z Flip 6.

As for the flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, that's expected to have the same size screen and thickness as last year's model. The cover screen may adopt Corning Gorilla Armor for improved durability along with anti-reflective tech.

It doesn't seem that the cameras will be upgraded, while there may only be a very small increase to battery capacity. It's a safe bet that there will be a chipset upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, though.

Meanwhile, one leak has suggested that both devices are getting a $100 increase compared with last year's models. We'll need to wait until Unpacked to find out for sure whether that's the case.

There has also been some chatter around a more premium Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, as well as slim versions of both foldable formats. However, these may arrive alongside the Galaxy S25 lineup in early 2025. If they appear at the July Unpacked event, it's likely to be a tease at most.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Watch Ultra

Galaxy Watch 7 listings popped up early on some online stores, so we'll probably see that wearable show up at Unpacked too. It's expected to have a 3nm chipset that could improve power efficiency and performance. The health sensors are likely to get an upgrade too.

This being 2024, there will naturally be some AI-powered features. A listing detailed AI-powered sleep, exercise and communications features, including a smart reply function for the latter.

That's not all, though, as there are indications that a Galaxy Watch Ultra is on the way too. A number of leaked images suggest it'll be chunkier than standard Galaxy Watch models. The device is expected to have a rectangular design with a round watch face. Most intriguingly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra could have a digital crown-style dial and button combination on the side instead of a rotating bezel for navigation.

Rumors peg the price at $700, which would be far more expensive than other Galaxy Watch devices. Here's hoping Samsung has packed enough features in there to make it worthwhile.

Official Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra & Galaxy Ring Charger renders



Literally, almost all things about the Samsung Unpacked have been leaked as always pic.twitter.com/EXFZOnWRV1  Tim Tom 0 (@Tim_tom_0) June 16, 2024

Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

It's been a couple of years since the last Galaxy Buds models (not counting last year's FE variant), so those are due for an upgrade. It's likely that we'll see both Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro at Unpacked on July 10.

The two models will be available in silver and white colorways and have an IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, along with SmartThings Find support, according to Android Headlines.

As with the Buds 2 Pro, it's expected that the Buds 3 Pro will have a two-way speaker designed to deliver richer audio, while the regular Buds 3 will have a one-way speaker. The higher-end model is also said to offer adaptive noise control, blade lights and ambient sound. Buds 3 Pro are also expected to deliver longer battery life than the more budget-friendly model, though both are believed to have active noise cancellation.

There's one other big anticipated change as word on the street indicates Samsung is set to mimic Apple's AirPods by adopting a stem design. Whether you're a fan of that format or not, there's one clear advantage of the stem: it places the microphone a little closer to your mouth, which should improve call quality. For what it's worth, when Samsung revealed the Galaxy Buds Live in 2020, it said those lacked an "awkward stem."

Galaxy Reserve pre-order deals

Like it's been doing in recent years, Samsung has already made it possible to reserve "one of the next generation of Galaxy devices on Samsung.com." That'll make you eligible for "instant Samsung Credit" of $50 and "up to $1,500 in savings when they pre-order." Of course, this doesn't tell us much about what to officially expect from the company, but it's a sign there'll be at least something to reserve, right?

This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) Paul Daniel Zipper, 54, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and tampering with a corpse after a contested sentencing hearing concluded on June 25.

The charges stem from a series of violent incidents on May 25, 2022, when San Angelo police responded to Shannon Medical Center for a gunshot victim. Detectives linked Zipper to the shooting of Otis Bryan and the murder of Shawn Clark.

RELATED: Timeline of the investigation of Shawn Clarks death

According to a press release from the Tom Green County District Attorneys Office, Bryan spoke with law enforcement on May 26, once he was out of surgery. He indicated that Zipper was the one who shot him and Clark.

Bryans girlfriend told law enforcement that Zipper had threatened her by pointing a gun at her. After the shooting Zipper said he would not leave any witnesses if he did not retrieve surveillance cameras from the house, court records report.

Evidence recovered from the crime scene during a search warrant indicated the body had been moved, with blood smears leading out of the garage where the shooting took place. Two shell casings were also found at the scene along with a live round.

Clarks wife had reported him missing on the afternoon of May 25, however, his body was discovered by ranch hands on June 8, 2022. A firearm was also located two feet away from Clarks body.

RELATED: Body found in Irion County

On May 25, 2022, Zipper engaged in a high-speed chase with the Irion County Sheriffs Office, reaching speeds of over 90 mph near the Irion-Tom Green County line. Court records report that law enforcement eventually lost him during the chase.

Zipper was arrested on May 26, 2022, following a high-speed chase. He initially denied involvement, claiming Clark had borrowed his vehicle.

District Judge Ben Woodward sentenced Zipper to the maximum penalties agreed upon in his plea deal: 50 years for murder, 20 years for aggravated assault and tampering with a corpse, and 10 years for evading arrest, all to run concurrently.

We hope this verdict brings a sense of justice and peace to Shawn Clarks family, said the district attorneys office.

They thanked the San Angelo Police Department, the Irion County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Texas Parks and Wildlife for their assistance in the investigation.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com.
Sanborn secures another win over the state, this time an extension to sell his casino

Former state Sen. Andy Sanborn and his wife, state Rep. Laurie Sanborn, in 2019, at their casino in Concord. (Courtesy of Geoff Forester | Concord Monitor)

The state has granted former state Sen. Andy Sanborns request for at least a three-week extension to sell the casino it ordered shuttered in December following allegations he misused nearly $844,000 in federal pandemic aid to enrich himself, $181,250 of it on three race cars.

The initial June 27 deadline is now July 18 but could be much longer.

Sanborns attorney, Zachary Hafer of Boston-based Cooley LLP, said Wednesday evening that he has asked the state, which is requiring Sanborn to sell, to push the deadline out to September to give Sanborn time to finalize a pending sale.

He declined to provide any details about the buyer or sale. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission and the Attorney Generals Office declined to answer questions about the deadline extension.

Meanwhile, a new state law raises questions about whether Sanborns casino still holds its most valuable asset: access to one of the states limited and coveted licenses for historic horse racing.

In May alone, historic horse racing, played on what looks like slot machines, earned casinos more than three times what table games like poker and blackjack did, $10.7 million vs. $3.4 million, according to a Lottery Commision revenue report.

And, the Attorney Generals Office has declined to comment on the criminal investigation it announced 10 months ago into Sanborn and his wife, state Rep. Laurie Sanborn. Also unclear is whether the United States Attorneys Office for New Hampshire is investigating Sanborn for possible federal criminal charges.

Attorney General John Formella said in August that he had referred the case to federal prosecutors. Jessica Kuron, a spokesperson for that office, declined to comment Wednesday, saying in an email it does not confirm nor deny allegations into any matter.

In the 10 months since Formella referred the case to the United States Attorneys Office it has charged or obtained convictions for pandemic aid fraud of at least seven people, many of whom pleaded guilty.

Ten months later, no criminal charges

Sanborns legal problems with the Attorney Generals Office and the Lottery Commission became public in late August, when the two agencies moved to revoke Sanborns gaming licenses indefinitely, citing their findings that Sanborn had misled federal authorities in obtaining an $844,000 pandemic loan and then misused the money.

Sanborn, they said, had intentionally omitted the name Concord Casino in his application for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, which was not available to gambling businesses. The agencies alleged that in addition to buying two Porsches and a Ferrari, Sanborn paid himself $183,500 in rent for his casino in Concord and the attached restaurant, The Draft.

An indefinite license revocation could have been devastating to Sanborn, who has been trying to significantly expand his casino in Concord, because he would have lost his ability to offer historic horse racing, the real moneymaker.

Sanborn and his attorneys have been successful in fighting the states efforts to close him down.

Late last year, they won three significant concessions from the Lottery Commission.

It gave him eight additional weeks to prepare his defense. It agreed to hand over the case to a Department of Safety hearing officer who was unfamiliar with the complicated history and gaming regulations. And, in perhaps the biggest concession, agreed to take on the heavier burden of proving Sanborns guilt rather than requiring him to prove his innocence.

He won again in December, when the Department of Safety rejected the states request to revoke Sanborns license and instead suspended it for six months to give Sanborn time to sell the casino or have a sale pending.

In his nine-page ruling, hearing officer Michael King said the state had provided sufficient evidence that the Sanborns had misrepresented the nature of their gaming business on their loan application and misspent the money. But, he said giving Sanborn the chance to sell his business rather than revoking his license was an appropriate penalty.

King has since retired and was recently replaced. In his request to extend the deadline, Hafer argued that an extension would give the new hearing officer time to get up to speed and Sanborn time to finalize a sale.

All parties agree that a sale of Win Win Win is in the public interest and we look forward to finalizing a sale, Hafer said in an email.

A sale may have become significantly more challenging in May, however, when Gov. Chris Sununu signed legislation that could be read to make Sanborns casino no longer eligible for the historic horse racing license a new buyer would want.

New law could pose problems for Sanborn

Senate Bill 472s intent was to continue the states moratorium on new historic horse racing licenses to avoid oversaturating the market. It limits licenses to the existing 14 casinos that have that license or are eligible for it, and approximately a half-dozen that had submitted applications ahead of the bills deadline.

The bills prime sponsor, Sen. Tim Lang, a Sanbornton Republican, told the Bulletin he did not intend to eliminate Sanborns eligibility for a historic horse racing license and doesnt believe the legislation signed by Sununu on May 20 does that.

But the language in the new law, which took effect the day Sununu signed the bill, is less clear and raises questions.

Under the prior moratorium, Sanborns casino qualified for a historic horse racing license because he held a gaming license as of May 1, 2020. Langs bill changed that date to May 20, 2024  at which time Sanborns casino did not hold an active gaming license.

Hafer said in an email Wednesday evening that Sanborn remains eligible because while his license is not active, it hasnt been revoked. It is suspended.

Under a straightforward application of (Kings December) order, the plain text of SB 472, background principles of New Hampshire law, overwhelming legislative history, and common sense, Win Win Win was licensed as of SB 472s effective date, remains licensed today, and remains eligible for an HHR license, he wrote. Suspending the operability of a license does not eliminate the license itself.

The New Hampshire Lottery referred questions about Sanborns eligibility under Langs bill to the Attorney Generals Office. Michael Garrity, the spokesperson for that office, told the Bulletin in May, The Lottery does not consider (Sanborns casino) to be a licensed facility.

He would not comment on whether the state views a suspended license as Hafer does.
Past and present U.S. law enforcement leaders have started a nonprofit to shape federal policy on public safety issues and toughen gun laws. Helping lead the group is a former local police chief from a turbulent period in Central Floridas past.

Police Leaders for Community Safety launched two weeks ago with an advisory board of over 50 mostly retired former police chiefs, commissioners and sheriffs who served in cities ranging from Miami to Seattle. The group intends to play a direct role in electoral politics: Leaders said that later this year it will endorse congressional candidates who support policies such as universal background checks and red-flag laws.

The vice chairman of its board of directors is Rick Myers, who spent almost a year as interim chief of the Sanford Police Department. He was hired to lead in the aftermath of the killing of Trayvon Martin  from May 2012 to April 2013. The outrage over the incident and subsequent acquittal of shooter George Zimmerman contributed to the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The nonprofits members describe the group as the first of its kind where current and former law enforcement leaders can publicly advocate policy at the national level.

Once were retired and were not representing our agencies, our communities, and we no longer work for city managers or mayors, its far easier to speak truth to power, if you will, without fear of repercussion, said Myers, a retiree who served as police chief in several cities.

Police groups have traditionally walked a careful line on gun issues. While many officers tend to be politically conservative, law enforcement leaders often worry about laws and practices they believe allow criminals to acquire heavy firepower and threaten police. But those leaders often have been reluctant to translate those concerns into political action.

The police leaders group says it can change that dynamic.

In addition to combating gun violence, the group seeks to raise the standards of the law enforcement profession through policies such as creation of a national registry of officers discharged for misconduct.

Its members were motivated to start the group due to a lack of law enforcement voices in Washington, D.C. and perceived inactions by Congress. According to a report from the Congressional Research Office dated June 7, there are three former sheriffs and four former police officers in the 118th Congress  all are members of the House of Representatives.

Myers says the group supports Americans rights to defend themselves, but believes it can be done without certain types of weapons which he describes as being meant for mass killing. So it supports tighter regulations of assault-style weapons and large ammunition clips.

It also strongly supports background-check policies which can keep guns out of the wrong hands, and red-flag laws which create a process to take away guns from dangerous individuals. But it hasnt decided for sure how best to interact with Congress on its issues  which races it will seek to intervene in, and whether it will lobby lawmakers directly.

Congress isnt even talking about this right now, he said, and so our goal is to get the attention of Congress, have them look at it from a bipartisan approach, and [determine] what are some workable solutions so that we can reverse this scary increasing trend of mass shootings in this country.

In his criticism of Congress, Myers cited the U.S. Senates failed attempt Tuesday to advance legislation that would lead to a new ban on bump stocks after the Supreme Court on June 14 overturned a Trump-era ban on the item, which allows guns to fire far more rapidly.

But sure enough, at least one senator objected, and that kicked the bill out, Myers said. Now theyre going to have to go through committee and have a roll call and delay it, and in the meantime, how many people are going to, with ill intent, run out and load up on bump stocks and start mowing people down.

Luis Valdes, a former police officer who serves as a spokesperson for Gun Owners of America, blasted the new organization, saying it has no respect for Americans 2nd Amendment rights.

Law enforcement officers swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States the moment they start, but this grandstanding from these former cops only confirms they have no respect for Americans inherent right to self-defense with the weapon of their choosing, he said. Theres plenty of good, honorable police out there who respect our rights as citizens, but these folks are not among them.

But Myers disagrees, as does Dan Oates, who was chief in Aurora, Colorado, during the 2012 shooting at a movie theater which killed 12 and injured 70 in that town. The retiree now lives in Oviedo.

The entire country was horrified, Oates said. Now, of course, weve had so many of these events since, but they were still extremely rare back in 2012 so the torment and destruction that a community has visited upon it when someone does this is just awful.

Central Florida had its own mass shooting tragedy with the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando which left 49 dead. The 8th anniversary of the shooting was earlier in June.

Myers believes the emotional trauma caused by these events leads people to greater participation in the political process, which is key, as always, in driving change on gun issues.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 27, 2024 - 22:52 | All, World, Japan

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako traveled to Britain for a three-day official state visit through Thursday. The following are questions and answers about their visit as state guests, and the relationship between Japan's imperial family and the British royal family.

Q: What is a state guest?

A: A state guest is a foreign dignitary who receives the highest level of hospitality during an official visit to another country. The honor is usually reserved for reigning monarchs, presidents and other heads of state, and includes elaborate ceremonies, banquets, and other events.

Q: Has a Japanese emperor ever visited Britain as a state guest before?

A: Emperor Hirohito was the first Japanese emperor to visit Britain as a state guest in 1971, followed by Emperor Akihito in May 1998 during his reign. Emperor Naruhito is the third generation to make an official visit to Britain.

Q: Is there a deep connection between the Japanese imperial and British royal families?

A: The connection between the two families dates back to 1869, when Prince Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria, visited Japan and met Emperor Meiji.

Numerous mutual visits have been conducted between members of both families since then, including a visit to Japan by then Prince Charles and his then wife the late Princess Diana in 1986.

While it is customary for the emperor not to attend funerals, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended Queen Elizabeth's state funeral in September 2022 in consideration of the emperor's close ties with her.

"The Queen always warmly watched over relations between our two countries and cared deeply about the relationship between the British royal family and the imperial family," the emperor has said.

Q: Does the imperial family have any other connections to Britain?

A: Both the emperor and empress separately studied at Oxford University before their marriage. Their only child, Princess Aiko, also attended Eton College for a summer school program when she was in high school. Many other members of the imperial family have also studied in Britain.

Q: Does Empress Masako always accompany Emperor Naruhito on his overseas trips?

A: After marrying Emperor Naruhito, then crown prince, in 1993, the empress accompanied him on visits to the Middle East and other regions. However, she did not join him on his visit to Britain in 2001 as she was pregnant with their daughter Princess Aiko.

In 2004, the Imperial Household Agency announced the empress was suffering from an adjustment disorder, and she shunned notable public appearances for roughly a decade. In 2013 she visited the Netherlands to attend the coronation of Dutch King Willem-Alexander, making her first official overseas trip in 11 years.

In recent years, as her condition has gradually improved, she has engaged in various official duties, including a visit to Tonga in 2015 and to Britain in 2022 for Queen Elizabeth's funeral.

The state visit to Britain is the imperial couple's second goodwill overseas trip since Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne in 2019, following an official trip to Indonesia in June 2023.

Related coverage:

Japanese imperial couple bids farewell to British king, queen

British king welcomes Japan's imperial couple at start of state visit
(KRON)  The Santa Rosa Police Department is asking for the publics help in finding a woman wanted for attempted murder. Nacomee Paula Perez, 44, of Santa Rosa, is suspected of stabbing a female acquaintance early Thursday morning.

Perez is described as Native American, 5 foot 3 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Photo: Santa Rosa PD

Santa Rosa PD officers were dispatched to a local hospital at around 4:10 a.m. Thursday on a report of a woman being treated for multiple stab wounds. The victim, described as a 34-year-old Graton resident, had sustained at least 5 stab wounds to her upper torso, according to police.

Alameda carjacking that involved children leads to 3 arrests

The SRPD Violent Crimes Investigative Team took charge of the investigation. Detectives believe Perez stabbed the victim multiple times during an argument at a location in the 2600 block of McBride Lane in Santa Rosa. Friends of the victim transported her to the hospital following the stabbing.

The victim is currently hospitalized in stable condition and expected to survive, according to police. The Sonoma County Alliance Community Engagement and Safety Rewards Fund is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to Perezs arrest.

Perez, according to police, should be considered armed and dangerous. Police strongly advise not attempting to approach or detain her. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Santa Rosa PD. There is an active warrant for her arrest.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
I sat in the front and back of economy for a round-trip long-haul flight. I'm still partial to the back.

I sat in the front and back of economy for a round-trip long-haul flight. I'm still partial to the back.

On a recent round-trip long-haul flight, I sat in the front and back of Lufthansa's economy cabin.

Each seat had perks. People at the front had food options, but the back had a galley for stretching.

I'm still partial to the back, but I understand why people prefer the front.

It's a hot take, but I love the back of a plane  especially on a long-haul flight.

But after a handful of long-haul flights tucked away in the rear of economy, I decided to see whether my preference remained strong.

On a recent long-haul round-trip Lufthansa flight between Denver and Germany, I decided to compare the two areas of economy. For my outbound flight, I sat in row 42, the third-to-last economy row. For my return trip, I was seated in row 11, the first economy row.

Each seat had its perks, but I'm sticking with the back of the plane.

The author's vegetarian meal on the long-haul flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

When it comes to food service, the front wins

A few hours into my return flight to Denver, flight attendants came around with carts full of meals. Each passenger was asked a simple question: chicken or pasta?

This wasn't the case when I was seated in the back. When flight attendants reached the second-to-last row of economy, they had run out of options. Each passenger was handed a tray of beef and mashed potatoes.

This wasn't the first time that's happened to me while seated in the back. Last year, a similar situation occurred on a flight to Tokyo.

If I were a picky eater, this reason alone could sway me to opt for a front-row seat. Instead, I typically request a vegetarian meal for long-haul flights, so my meal is already picked before I board the plane.

The author avoids sitting near the bathroom at all costs on long-haul flights. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

My main focus  regardless of whether it's the front or back  is to avoid the bathrooms

When I'm cramped in a tight space, the last thing I want to worry about is a bathroom smell wafting around me for more than 10 hours.

So my No. 1 priority when picking a long-haul seat is sitting far from the bathrooms. On many larger aircraft, the economy bathrooms are stationed in the middle of the cabin.

For my 10-hour flight to Germany, I was in the back of economy, and there wasn't a bathroom directly behind me. Instead, a galley was just a few feet away, ideal for a quick stretch break.

I also didn't have a bathroom nearby for my return flight at the front. If I opt for the front on a future flight, I'll double-check that the premium-economy cabin has no bathrooms in the back.

An economy seat on a long-haul Lufthansa flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

A few days before each flight, open seats remained in the back of the plane

I've been lucky enough to have one or two long-haul flights without a middle-seat passenger. I've celebrated every bit of extra room and tried hard to recreate that luck.

I'm convinced your best chance of having an empty seat is if you're in the back of a cabin. Since most people avoid the rear, those seats are chosen last, or hopefully not chosen at all.

A few days before each flight, I checked the seat map and noticed my theory was correct. The majority of the empty seats remaining were toward the back of economy.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case when I boarded the plane. Both flights were fully booked, meaning I would've been sitting next to someone no matter where I was on the plane.

Business Insider's author was one of the first to disembark after the 10-hour flight. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

On one flight, sitting in the rear helped me disembark faster

One of the main arguments for sitting in the front of economy is that you get off the plane faster.

While that's been the case on most of my long-haul flights, it wasn't when we landed at the Munich airport. Instead, flight attendants informed the passengers that we'd use both the front and back doors for disembarking. Since I was seated in the back, I was off the plane in no time.

However, had I been sitting in the back on my return flight, I would've been one of the last people off the plane. This would have also meant a much longer line when I reached customs.

A passenger in the back of the plane put her bag in the overhead bin. Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Ultimately, no economy seat on a long-haul flight is ideal, but I'm sticking with the back

No matter the seat, a 10-hour flight isn't fun. I've learned to be patient and celebrate small wins, like getting a window seat or having an empty seat nearby.

Ultimately, everyone has their preferences. Mine just happens to be at the back of the plane, where I have a galley for stretching and a better chance at an empty seat.

Read the original article on Business Insider
After a savage defeat in the Pacific, this American sub got redemption

On Aug. 7, 1942, U.S. Marines landed on the Solomon island of Guadalcanal, the first major American offensive since the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II.

That assault, which quickly secured the airfield that Japanese forces were constructing there, took them completely by surprise. But within days Japanese troops were gathering all the local resources they could at and around Rabaul, striking back in what would ultimately amount to a six-month campaign marked by one dramatic surprise after another.

The next reversal of fortune occurred on the night of Aug. 9, when Vice Adm. Gunichi Mikawa, commander of the Eighth Fleet aboard his flagship, heavy cruiser Chokai, directed a small armada to slip down the island chain the Allies called The Slot. There, off Savo Island, Mikawas ships caught the Allied naval forces astonishingly off guard.

The nighttime attack resulted in a heavy blow for the Allies, with the sinking of U.S. heavy cruisers Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes and the Australian heavy cruiser Canberra. A piece of the heavy cruiser Chicagos bow was torn away by an enemy torpedo, and on Aug. 9 the USS Ralph Talbot suffered heavy damage.

The attack cost the Americans 1,023 dead and 709 wounded, while the Australians suffered 84 killed and 109 wounded. The Japanese, meanwhile, suffered 111 dead and wounded.

Satisfied with the havoc he had wrought, Adm. Mikawa retired northwest, leaving it to history to ponder whether or not he, like Vice Adm. Chuichi at Pearl Harbor, might have achieved a more decisive victory if hed taken the risk of remaining a bit longer to dish out further punishment. Instead, he led most of his ships back to Rabaul.

Unknown to the Japanese, however, one remaining hazard awaited them: a small, obsolescent submarine the U.S. Navy designated S-44.

Crewmembers manning the submarine's 4/50 deck gun, January 1943. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

Obsolete Yet Effective

With its keel laid in 1921 and commissioned on Feb. 16, 1925, S-44 weighed in at 850 long tons surfaced, with a surfaced speed of 14.5 knots and 11 knots submerged. It normally carried 42 officers and men, a 4-inch deck gun and four torpedo tubes for a total of 12 unreliable Mark 10 21-inch tin fish.

Elderly though they were, these Sugar Boats, as they were dubbed, were still serving around the world when Pearl Harbor was attacked. In the following months, a newer generation of subs were dispatched to replace them, one by one, while those crews waiting their turn did their best to make due with what they had in the increasingly obsolete boats.

Despite this, S-44, skippered by Lt. Cmdr. John R. Dinty Moore, experienced some rare success in the early days of the war  sinking the repair ship Shoei Maru in May 1942, and, in consequence, indirectly causing the loss of the IJN minelayer, Okinoshima. The following month the Sugar Boat sank the converted gunboat Keijo Maru.

By August, the veteran crew found itself on its third wartime patrol.

The S-44 was plagued by a faulty engine and frequent oil leaks, but nevertheless its crew kept it going with ingenuity and seamanship.

A crewmember of the S-44 points to its patrol victories, 1942. (Naval History and Heritage Command)

The S-44 Has its Moment

In the early hours of August 10, the S-44 was patrolling around Kavieng Harbor, an important staging base for the Japanese Navy, when Moore spotted two cruisers silhouetted by the sun, followed by two more.

This was Rear Admr. Aritomo Goto's victorious Cruiser Division Six, whose heavy cruisers had contributed to the destruction during the Savo scrap the night prior.

For roughly five minutes Dinty Moore maneuvered to get into a good position as the range closed. By 0808 hours the trailing warship was 900 yards away.

Moore emptied all four torpedo tubes.

We were close enough to see [them] on the bridge using their glasses, Moore later said, but the phenomenal success theyd just enjoyed probably rendered the lookouts less attentive than they should have been.

Thirty-five seconds after its release, the first torpedo hit just starboard of Kakos No. 1 turret. Two others followed suit.

Evidently all her boilers blew up, Moore reported. You could hear hideous noises that sounded like steam hissing through water. These noises were more terrifying to the crew than the actual depth charges that followed.

All of Kakos portholes had been left open. Five minutes after being hit the cruiser rolled over to starboard and sank 130 feet off Simbari Island.

Although it had emerged from the Savo battle unscathed, 68 of Kakos crew died on its homeward voyage. Its sister ships, meanwhile, rescued 649 survivors, including Captain Yuju Takahashi.

As S-44 submerged and discretely withdrew, its crew celebrated a signal victory. Besides depriving the enemy of what would otherwise have been a clean sweep, the undersized Sugar Boat had sunk the heaviest Japanese warship thus far in the war. There would be scores more, a remarkable percentage of which would fall victim to American submarines.

Sadly, S-44 would not be around to see it.

After a fourth patrol in September, S-44 returned to the U.S. for an overhaul and then embarked on a fifth patrol into the North Pacific, between Attu and the Kuril Islands.

On the night of Oct. 7, 1943, S-44 was surfaced and closing in on what Lt. Cmdr. Frances Elwood Brown identified as a Japanese freighter, only to find himself dueling head-on with Ishigaki, an anti-submarine vessel whose three 4.7-inch guns quickly overwhelmed S-44s deck gun.

With their battered boat unable to dive, some crewmen produced a white pillowcase in token of surrender, but the Japanese either didnt see it or didnt care. Only eight survivors were rescued by the Japanese, and only two men, Ernest A. Duva and William F. Whitemar, were liberated from the Ashio Copper Mines to give testimony of gallant S-44s last moments.
Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, center, huddles with Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston, left, and Rep. Weston Newton, R-Bluffton, right, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, to discuss a compromise over changes to how the Legislature elects judges in South Carolina. (Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)

COLUMBIA  The South Carolina Legislature reached a final-hour compromise on changes to how it picks judges in the state, giving the governor some input but still holding tight to legislative control.

The unanimous votes Wednesday in the House and Senate followed several hours of side-room negotiations while most legislators were in chambers passing a state budget or listening to farewell speeches from incumbents who arent returning next year.

The deal tweaks the judicial selection process but stops short of comprehensive changes some reform advocates wanted.

Many, including the attorney general and solicitors of both parties, say the system gives the Legislature too much power over judges, particularly lawyer-legislators who appear before the judges they put on the bench.

Rather than barring them, the compromise actually allows for the possibility of more lawyer-legislators on the panel. But it adds rules ensuring judges arent screened by the same legislators term after term.

South Carolina is among two states where the Legislature elects most judges.

The process involves the Judicial Merit Selection Commission screening applicants and forwarding the names of three candidates deemed qualified to the entire Legislature for a vote. Of the panels 10 current members, six are legislators who are also lawyers. The other four are lawyers appointed by legislators.

The deal adds two people to the panel, making it 12. Eight of them could be legislators.

The governor would, for the first time, get appointments. He will appoint four lawyers who have been practicing for at least a decade, the same years of service required to run for a judgeship.

The House and Senate would each get four appointments: Four made by the House speaker, two by the Senate president and two by the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman.

It does not bar legislators who are lawyers from serving on the panel but does term-limit them.

Legislators can stay on for four years  two consecutive two-year terms  but then must come off the panel for a term before returning, meaning judges wont be screened for election and re-election by the same members.

Aside from the current chairman and vice chairman, any member that has been on the panel for more than four years isnt eligible for re-appointment right away. That means all but three of the current panelists will have to vacate their seats for at least two years.

The legislation also requires a commissioner to resign if they have an immediate family member or in-law seeking a judgeship. And anyone seeking a spot on the screening panel cant have made a campaign donation to the legislative leader appointing them.

Finally, it doubles the number of qualified judicial candidates that can be forwarded to the General Assembly for a vote. The maximum would be six instead of three.

The compromise did not address House-proposed changes to the appointment and authority of magistrates.

Our Senate colleagues were not interested in magistrate reform, said Rep. Weston Newton, R-Bluffton. And we did not want to miss the opportunity to have meaningful reform in the way we elect and select judges in the state over that issue.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey acknowledged senators did not want to change how magistrates are selected.

The county-level judges  most of whom arent attorneys  are technically appointed by the governor. But theyre actually chosen by their local senators, who control when and if theyre replaced. The House plays no role in magistrate selections.

Massey, R-Edgefield, said its possible that senators would agree to changing that system at some point  an idea he personally supports.

There are some senators who are very protective of that, said Massey, an attorney. It suits me to give it up completely. Theyre a pain in my butt. But that is something that will be talked about in the future. Especially if we continue to have problems in that area, there will be more conversations.

SC Daily Gazett Editor Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.

The post SC Legislatures reaches compromise tweaking how it selects judges appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
SC man said his 84-year-old relative stabbed him, but hes the one in jail, cops say

A Midlands man who told law enforcement officers he was stabbed by his 84-year-old aunt is the one who was locked up on multiple charges stemming from the violent incident, the Kershaw County Sheriffs Office said.

Kirim Deshown Gaskins, a 27-year-old Camden resident, was charged with first-degree assault and battery, as well as kidnapping, the sheriffs office said Wednesday night in a news release.

Although there was initially a manhunt for his elderly relative, she was not charged with any crimes, according to the sheriffs office.

The attack happened at about 5:30 a.m. on June 19 in the 2200 block of Baron Dekalb Road, according to the release. Thats in the Camden area of Kershaw County, between U.S. 601 and Lake Wateree.

Gaskins told deputies that he was stabbed by the woman, who he said has dementia and ran away from the scene, the sheriffs office said.

While Gaskins was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, a search for the 84-year-old was launched, according to the release. The search included deputies, police dogs, a drone, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division helicopter was called to help, according to the sheriffs office.

When law enforcement officers found the woman, she told a completely different story, the sheriffs office said. The woman said Gaskins attacked her and she was forced to defend herself with a knife, according to the release.

She was injured and also was taken to another area hospital, where she was treated and released on June 20, the sheriffs office said.

Gaskins was released from the hospital Wednesday and arrested by officers with the Columbia Police Department, who took him to the Kershaw County Detention Center, according to the release.

Bond was set at $50,000 on the combined charges, but Gaskins remains behind bars, jail records show.

Incidents do not always occur the way they are originally reported to us, Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan said in the release. This incident is a great example. I am proud of our KCSO investigators for following the facts and completing a thorough investigation to ensure justice was properly served.
The National Weather services confirmed that an EF-0 tornado touched down in the in Ixora Park neighborhood in Melbourne.

10:30 p.m. Update:

MWSMelbourne said the tornado was on the ground for approximately three minutes.

Other areas of Melbourne reported damage from heavy winds.

6/27 10:30 PM | The preliminary damage survey has been released regarding a brief tornado touchdown this evening in Melbourne. #FLwxhttps://t.co/j2devvdDuy pic.twitter.com/MD4dkJmTme  NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) June 28, 2024

Original Story:

Expect scattered afternoon storms each day this week as the summer pattern rolls on.

Conditions will be hot and humid, with temperatures in the low to middle 90s.

Certified meteorologist Brian Shields is in Severe Weather Center 9, tracking storms moving into the metro now.

Watch his updated forecast on Channel 9 Eyewitness News, beginning at 4 p.m.

Read: Several Florida sites raided during military investigation

Things are beginning to heat up in the tropics.

Meanwhile in the tropics, activity continues to bubble up.

Shields said an area in the Western Caribbean will stay south and slide toward Belize and Mexico.

He said some development is possible, but it poses no threat to Florida.

Read: Teigan Martin, former University of South Florida tight end, dies in auto crash

Things are beginning to heat up in the tropics.

The other area in the Atlantic will develop and move toward the Caribbean as a tropical storm, Shields said. As far as long term prospects go, its too early to tell. But it needs to be watched. There is a chance it could develop further into a hurricane in the Caribbean.

He said activity is busy for this time of year, saying that the current weather pattern is more similar to that of August than late June.

Read: Fourth of July fireworks displays in Central Florida for 2024

Shields will have more updates on the tropics live on Channel 9.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Things are beginning to heat up in the tropics.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, pictured ahead of their bilateral meeting on the occasion of the Ukraine conference. Scholz on Thur27 June reaffirmed his support for von der Leyen to be nominated for a second term at the helm of the European Commission Annegret Hilse/Reuters/Pool/dpa

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday reaffirmed his support for Ursula von der Leyen to be nominated for a second term at the helm of the European Commission.

"Our intention is that the political platform that has supported Mrs von der Leyen in the past should continue to do so in the future," said Scholz, referring to an agreement between the centre-right European People's Party, the centre-left Socialists and Democrats - of which his own Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is a member - and the centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament.

Von der Leyen is a member of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is affiliated to the EPP and is the principal domestic opponent of Scholz's SPD.

"We are now discussing this with our good friends in Europe," Scholz said, expressing hope that the European Parliament would support the EU leaders' nominee.
Scholz wants more money from EU for Ukrainian refugees in Germany

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, has stated the EU must allocate more funds for such countries as Germany which accept a large number of Ukrainian refugees.

Source: Scholz at the EU Summit in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda with reference to Politico

Details: Scholz reported that he had written a joint letter with his Polish and Czech counterparts, Donald Tusk and Petr Fiala, to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in which he provided the details of this demand.

These three countries have accepted the highest amount of Ukrainian refugees, "which is why, together with my colleagues, I believe that it is now time to make a decision  that Europe provides these countries with special financial support to finance social care [for the refugees], vocational training, language courses and all the other things that play a role," Scholz said.

The discussion around Ukrainian refugees in Germany have intensified over the past few months: some politicians from the far-right opposition claim that Berlin must reduce social aid for Ukrainians who still havent found a job in Germany.

Specifically, Alexander Dobrindt, the Chairman of the Bavarian opposition Christian Social Union (CSU) party in the German Bundestag, has called for the expulsion of unemployed Ukrainian refugees from Germany. His proposition was criticised by the parties of the federal coalition and Oleksii Makeiev, Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany.

The official reports say that out of over a million Ukrainians in Germany 800,000 are of working age, and about a quarter of them are employed.

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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A school bus crashed into a Florida home after a vehicle slammed into the bus around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, according to NBC affiliate WESH.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a vehicle was approaching the intersection at Southwest 31st Avenue Road and Marian Oaks Trail in Marion County and failed to stop at a stop sign.

Dog tethered to pole in pouring rain rescued, man charged with animal cruelty: deputies

Thats when the vehicle struck the right side of the bus, sending it crashing into a home.

I hear a big boom, the homeowner said. Thats when the front of the bus got wedged into their bedroom window.

The school bus was reportedly on its way to pick up students attending summer school. Officials said no students were on board the bus when the crash occurred.

FHP said minor injuries were reported.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
HELSINKI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Finland is falling behind on meeting its 2035 carbon neutrality goal and must take more action, particularly in the land use sector, an annual government report showed on Thursday.

The report submitted to the parliament said that additional reduction required to attain the 2035 neutrality would amount to half of Finland's current total emissions, or 19 million metric tons (Mt) of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Meanwhile, the country needs a reduction of 1.3 million Mt CO2 to reach the 60 percent cutback by 2030 as laid out in its Climate Act.

The government report said the net carbon sink of Finnish forests has shrunk considerably in the last few years, posing major challenges to the country's climate goals.

Forests and soil are the most significant carbon sinks in the land use sector. According to current estimates, Finland will fall far behind the EU obligations for the land use sector for 2021-2025, the report said. The country will need to purchase credits from other EU member states to cover the deficit, it added.

"Finland must find a sustainable level of forest utilization," Minister for Climate and Environment Kai Mykkanen said at a press briefing about the government's climate statement. "Forest industries should find added value and growth without increasing forest utilization volumes."

Mykkanen noted that the Finnish government is yet to make decisions to reduce forest utilization, adding that it would not be "politically easy" to take certain measures, such as closing down up to three pulp plants in eastern Finland which are essential for local welfare.

Last year, Finland's greenhouse gas emissions declined by 11 percent compared to 2022. The report attributes this positive trend to the decreased use of coal and peat, alongside the increased share of nuclear and wind power in energy production. 
The science behind splashdown  an aerospace engineer explains how NASA and SpaceX get spacecraft safely back on Earth

For about 15 minutes on July 21, 1961, American astronaut Gus Grissom felt at the top of the world  and indeed he was.

Grissom crewed the Liberty Bell 7 mission, a ballistic test flight that launched him through the atmosphere from a rocket. During the test, he sat inside a small capsule and reached a peak of over 100 miles up before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

A Navy ship, the USS Randolph, watched the successful end of the mission from a safe distance. Everything had gone according to plan, the controllers at Cape Canaveral were exultant, and Grissom knew he had just entered a VIP club as the second American astronaut in history.

Grissom remained inside his capsule and swayed on the gentle ocean waves. While he waited for a helicopter to take him onto the USS Randolphs dry deck, he finished recording some flight data. But then, things took an unexpected turn.

An incorrect command in the capsules explosives system caused the hatch to pop out, which let water flow into the tiny space. Grissom had also forgotten to close a valve in his spacesuit, so water began to seep into his suit as he fought to stay afloat.

After a dramatic escape from the capsule, he struggled to keep his head above the surface while giving signals to the helicopter pilot that something had gone wrong. The helicopter managed to save him at the last instant.

Grissoms near-death escape remains one of the most dramatic splashdowns in history. But splashing down into water remains one of the most common ways astronauts return to Earth. I am a professor of aerospace engineering who studies the mechanisms involved in these phenomena. Fortunately, most splashdowns are not quite that nerve-racking, at least on paper.

Navy personnel retrieve the crew from the Apollo 11 return capsule after splashdown on July 24, 1969. AP Photo/Barry Sweet

Splashdown explained

Before it can perform a safe landing, a spacecraft returning to Earth needs to slow down. While it is careening back to Earth, a spacecraft has a lot of kinetic energy. Friction with the atmosphere introduces drag, which slows down the spacecraft. The friction converts the spacecrafts kinetic energy to thermal energy, or heat.

All this heat radiates out into the surrounding air, which gets really, really hot. Since reentry velocities can be several times the speed of sound, the force of the air pushing back against the vehicle turns the vehicles surroundings into a scorching flow thats about 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit (1,500 degrees Celsius). In the case of SpaceXs massive Starship rocket, this temperature even reaches 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit (nearly 1,700 degrees Celsius).

Unfortunately, no matter how quickly this transfer happens, theres still not enough time during reentry for the vehicle to slow down to a safe enough velocity not to crash. So, the engineers resort to other methods that can slow down a spacecraft during splashdown.

Parachutes are the first option. NASA typically uses designs with bright colors, such as orange, which make them easy to spot. Theyre also huge, with diameters of over 100 feet, and each reentry vehicle usually uses more than one for the best stability.

The first parachutes deployed, called drag parachutes, eject when the vehicles velocity falls below about 2,300 feet per second (700 meters per second).

Even then, the rocket cant crash against a hard surface. It needs to land somewhere that will cushion the impact. Researchers figured out early on that water makes an excellent shock absorber. Thus, splashdown was born.

Why water?

Water has a relatively low viscosity  that is, it deforms fast under stress  and it has a density much lower than hard rock. These two qualities make it ideal for landing spacecraft. But the other main reason water works so well is because it covers 70% of the planets surface, so the chances of hitting it are high when youre falling from space.

The science behind splashdown is complex, as a long history proves.

In 1961, the U.S. conducted the first crewed splashdowns in history. These used Mercury reentry capsules.

These capsules had a roughly conical shape and fell with the base toward the water. The astronaut inside sat facing upward. The base absorbed most of the heat, so researchers designed a heat shield that boiled away as the capsule shot through the atmosphere.

As the capsule slowed and the friction reduced, the air got cooler, which made it able to absorb the excess heat on the vehicle, thereby cooling it down as well. At a sufficiently low speed, the parachutes would deploy.

Splashdown occurs at a velocity of about 80 feet per second (24 meters per second). Its not exactly a smooth impact, but thats slow enough for the capsule to thwack into the ocean and absorb shock from the impact without damaging its structure, its payload or any astronauts inside.

Following the Challenger loss in 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after liftoff, engineers started focusing their vehicle designs on whats called the crashworthiness phenomena  or the degree of damage a craft takes after it hits a surface.

Now, all vehicles need to prove that they can offer a chance of survival on water after returning from space. Researchers build complex models, then test them with laboratory experiments to prove that the structure is sturdy enough to meet this requirement.

Onto the future

Between 2021 and June 2024, seven of SpaceXs Dragon capsules performed flawless splashdowns on their return from the International Space Station.

On June 6, the most powerful rocket to date, SpaceXs Starship, made a phenomenal vertical splashdown into the Indian Ocean. Its rocket boosters kept firing while approaching the surface, creating an extraordinary cloud of hissing steam surrounding the nozzles.

SpaceX has been using splashdowns to recover the Dragon capsules after launch, with no significant damage to their critical parts, so that it can recycle them for future missions. Unlocking this reusability will allow private companies to save millions of dollars in infrastructure and reduce mission costs.

Splashdown continues to be the most common spacecraft reentry tactic, and with more space agencies and private companies shooting for the stars, were likely to see plenty more take place in the future.

This article has been updated to correct that SpaceX has been recovering their Dragon capsules during splashdown.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Marcos Fernandez Tous, University of North Dakota

Read more:



Marcos Fernandez Tous does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Scientists and the military join forces to restore hundreds of acres of tropical Hawaiian forest: 'It's a true win-win'

Tropical forests in the Hawaiian islands have long been under siege by non-indigenous biological invaders. However, teams of scientists, researchers, and even the military are now seeing the fruits of a yearslong collaborative conservation effort.

As detailed in a recent report from the U.S. Army, the success of their work across 1,300 acres of tropical environment training areas and facilities in the far-flung state has been visible and rewarding.

The project began in 2011 and involved scientists from the USDA Forest Service, Stanford University, and the University of Hawai'i working alongside the local National Guard. This became known as the Hawai'i Army National Guard Natural Resources Conservation Program and earned a Secretary of the Army Environmental Command Award in 2017.

Invasive species can easily disrupt the delicate balance of an ecosystem by outcompeting native plants and animals for resources. They can also have an economic impact, costing time and money on mitigation work.

Strawberry guava, introduced to the area in 1825, encroached on native 'ohi'a trees, transpiring 53% more water into the air rather than feeding aquifers and cooling forests during dry spells, according to NAISMA. On the flip side, without vegetation management, non-native grasses and shrubs have grown freely in the tropical climate. This has led to increased fire risk year-round during droughts and spawned a series of deadly wildfires in recent years, most notably in 2023 on the island of Maui.

"The innovative techniques and the dedicated staff of the HIARNG Environmental office have saved the department money and preserved Hawaii's installations," said Karl Motoyama, the environmental program manager, per another Army report.

According to Craig Blaisdell, the HIARNG natural resources supervisor, "Our NRC program has implemented a multi-faceted approach that has focused on hybrid habitat creation over the past two years."

This includes a blend of "native endemic, indigenous, and Polynesian introduced species that will achieve carbon sequestration goals," he continued.

With the native 'ohi'a trees succumbing to disease, the NRC has been replacing them with more sustainable species and growing seedlings in nurseries for outplanting. One year in, it has documented 90% survival rates, per the report.

Feral pigs have also been a growing problem on the islands, forcing the team to fence off 475 acres of forest restoration parcels to protect them.

The Hawaiian hawk was only recently delisted from being an endangered species in 2021, but the NRC's work also helps to protect its habitat.

Treating natural forests with respect can pay off in big ways. It helps to reduce global temperatures, absorb planet-warming gases, and provide life-giving oxygen in return. In a similarly laudable task, after finding their childhood land devastated by deforestation, a Brazilian couple launched a 20-year effort to plant trees and regrow the subtropical paradise they remembered. Luckily, the plan worked, and both trees and wildlife have begun to return.

Conservation efforts, even in the name of military training, have cascading effects that benefit everyone. Brig. Gen. Stephen Logan, HIARNG commander, agrees.

"By eradicating invasive plants and establishing resilient hybrid forests, we're protecting the native ecosystem and preserving our training area. It's a true win-win that adds value to our overall readiness," he said.

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Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) became the second contender for former President Donald Trumps running mate to make his case to FOX & Friends, telling the network on Thursday that he desperately wants whatever job can help him succeed in his mission from God to Americans.

Anyone who's chosen to be the vice president, it is such an honor, Scott told FOX & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt alongside his fiancee, Mindy Noce. This is a kid growing up in poverty right here in Charleston having an opportunity to continue to influence this country.

Scott, who is on Trumps shortlist for vice president but does not appear to be among the top three reported contenders, said Trump was right to call him a better surrogate for the former president than he was a candidate for the Republican nomination.

I desperately want to fulfill the mission the good lord has given me, Scott said, and whatever the position is that helps me get that done, on behalf of the American people, I want to do that every single day.

Scott was less keen to explicitly address the race for Trumps running mate than Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), who appeared for his own FOX & Friends interview Wednesday. The sit-downs are part of a three-part series that also includes North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who will talk with another co-host on Monday.

In recent weeks, the South Carolina senator has sought to make his relationship with voters of color and wealthy donors a key part of his vice presidential appeal. A Scott-aligned PAC is spending $14.3 million to target Black voters in battleground states, while Scott last week held a Juneteenth summit featuring a range of high-profile billionaires and has consistently campaigned for Trump since dropping out of the Republican primary.

In the FOX interview, Scott previewed how he could help Trump appeal to Black voters as the vice presidential nominee, invoking his own background and urging the former president to discuss the successes of his 2017 tax cuts on the debate stage.

Donald Trump has done more for progress from a racial perspective economically than any president in my lifetime, Scott said, repeating a claim that the tax cuts lowered a single moms taxes by 70 percent and alleging that the Democrats are responsible for poverty.

Scott also responded to his past criticism of Trumps response to the Charlottesville, Va., rally, which he once said compromised Trumps moral authority. In the days following the clashes with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and Ku Klux Klansmen, which left one person dead, Trump said there were very fine people on both sides.

After his criticism, Scott noted that Trump invited him to the White House, which sparked the crafting of a provision in the same 2017 tax law to create opportunity zones for investments in low-income areas.

While he said he doesnt know whether Trump has decided on his running mate, Scott said the prospect of being the first Black Republican on a presidential ticket was exciting, no matter the outcome as a representation of his view that the country has achieved racial progress, particularly in the South.

The interview also represented one of Scotts first public appearances alongside Noce, an interior designer with whom he became engaged in January. Scott and Noce have planned an early August wedding.

As second lady, Noce indicated that her platform could center on service, citing her fathers background as a Navy pilot and her brothers attendance at military college.

Navy wives don't get the credit they deserve, Noce said. It's truly amazing.

Trump continues to focus on Vance, Burgum, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his search narrows. But he is still asking for opinions about Scott and has allowed his campaign to fuel rumors about who he will pick and when The New York Times reported Thursday. Scott will attend Thursdays debate as a guest of Trumps, according to The Washington Examiner.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  A new Supreme Court ruling allows doctors in Idaho to perform emergency abortions, despite the states strict regulations.

The case centered on a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA. It requires federally funded hospitals to provide stabilizing care to emergency room patients.

When Idaho restricted abortions, the Biden administration sued, arguing that violated EMTALA.

On Thursday, the justices dismissed the case in a 6-3 ruling, allowing a lower court ruling permitting emergency abortions to stand.

Dr. Michele Goodwin is a professor at Georgetown Law.

For now, theres a reprieve for those doctors, who should take some legal comfort in this case, Goodwin said.

Goodwin says its important to note that the justices didnt decide this case based on the arguments.

This is a ruling that is technical, its not one that is based on the substance, Goodwin said.

That dismissal of the case means a lot of legal questions at the heart of the abortion debate are left unanswered.

In the backdrop of whats become a very strong anti-abortion movement, it doesnt mean this is over, Goodwin said.

The issue will continue to play out in lower courts, and could even come before the Supreme Court again.

This decision, perhaps, just holds off some other strategy that might come from a state like Idaho or a state like Texas, Goodwin said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland says the Justice Department stands by their decision to challenge Idahos law, and vowed to continue the fight for abortion access.

The Justice Department will continue to use every available tool to ensure that women in every state have access to that care, Garland said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
The Supreme Court today ruled that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may not impose civil penalties for fraud without filing suit in federal court. Because "the SEC's antifraud provisions replicate common law fraud," Chief Justice John Roberts writes for the majority in SEC v. Jarkesy, alleged violators are entitled to a jury trial under the Seventh Amendment.

"Jury trials were the norm for most of the country's history, but since the 1970s scores of federal agencies have claimed the power to impose fines through in-house administrative courts, where judge and prosecutor are employed by the same agency," said Institute for Justice senior attorney Rob Johnson. "Today, the Court made clear that post-1970s adventure is a historical anomaly without any grounding in the Constitution. And while the Court's decision addressed just one federal agency, the principles that it relied on sweep beyond the SEC."

The decision rejects a perverse system in which the SEC, instead of seeking adjudication by an Article III court, can investigate, charge, prosecute, and penalize people for violating securities laws, with only limited judicial review after the fact. In this case, the SEC accused investment adviser George Jarkesy Jr. and his firm, Patriot28, of misrepresenting his investment strategies, "lying about the identity of the funds' auditor and prime broker," and "inflating the funds' claimed value" to boost his management fees. After an in-house process in which the agency confirmed its own allegations, it imposed civil penalties totaling $300,000. Although the SEC had the option of suing Jarkesy for securities violations in federal court, it chose to handle the matter internally.

Roberts notes the implications of that approach. When the SEC files a lawsuit, "a jury finds the facts," "a life-tenured, salary-protected Article III judge presides," and "the litigation is governed by the Federal Rules of Evidence and the ordinary rules of discovery." But when "the SEC adjudicates the matter in-house, there are no juries." Instead the SEC, following its own rules, "presides and finds facts while its Division of Enforcement prosecutes the case."

Such proceedings are overseen by a commissioner or, as in this case, an SEC-employed administrative law judge. Either way, Roberts notes, the full commission can review the resulting "findings and conclusions," but "it is not obligated to do so." And while independent judicial review is available "once the proceedings have concluded," it is "deferential": The court "must treat the agency's factual findings as 'conclusive' if sufficiently supported by the record, even when they rest on evidence that could not have been admitted in federal court."

Although that approach was authorized by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, Jarkesy argued that it violated the Seventh Amendment, which says "the right of trial by jury shall be preserved" in "suits at common law" where "the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars." Six justices agreed.

"This case poses a straightforward question: whether the Seventh Amendment entitles a defendant to a jury trial when the SEC seeks civil penalties against him for securities fraud," Roberts writes. "The threshold issue is whether this action implicates the Seventh Amendment. It does. The SEC's antifraud provisions replicate common law fraud, and it is well established that common law claims must be heard by a jury."

That outcome, Roberts says, is dictated by the Court's 1987 decision in Tull v. United States and its 1989 decision in Granfinanciera, S. A. v. Nordberg. In Tull, the Court held that the Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury trial to determine liability when the government seeks civil penalties and injunctive relief under the Clean Water Act. In Granfinanciera, the Court upheld that right in a case where a bankruptcy trustee sued to recover money from an allegedly improper transfer.

Under those decisions, statutory claims that are "legal in nature" implicate the Seventh Amendment. A civil penalty falls into that category when "the cause of action resembles common law causes of action" and " the remedy is the sort that was traditionally obtained in a court of law." In this case, Roberts says, "the remedy is all but dispositive."

For Jankesy's alleged fraud, Roberts notes, the SEC "seeks civil penalties, a form of monetary relief." Such relief is "legal in nature" when "it is designed to punish or deter the wrongdoer" rather than "solely to 'restore the status quo.'" SEC penalties are based on factors such as "culpability, deterrence, and recidivism," which "are legal rather than equitable." They are "a type of remedy at common law that could only be enforced in courts of law."

That conclusion, Roberts says, is confirmed by "the close relationship between federal securities fraud and common law fraud." Both "target the same basic conduct: misrepresenting or concealing material facts." By using "fraud" and "other common law terms of art," Congress "incorporated prohibitions from common law fraud into federal securities law."

The SEC argued that the Seventh Amendment did not apply in this case because the agency was seeking to vindicate "public rights"an argument endorsed by the three dissenting justices: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. But Roberts says that exception "does not apply here because the present action does not fall within any of the distinctive areas involving governmental prerogatives," such as revenue collection, immigration control, tariffs, "relations with Indian tribes," and the granting of public benefits, where "the Court has concluded that a matter may be resolved outside of an Article III court, without a jury."

In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, highlights two other issues raised by this case: the powers of federal courts under Article III and the right to due process under the Fifth Amendment. "The SEC's in-house civil-penalty scheme violates Article III," Gorsuch says, by withdrawing a matter traditionally handled by common-law courts "from judicial cognizance" and "handing it over to the Executive Branch for an in-house trial." And in cases like this, he says, due process "means the regular course of trial proceedings with their usual protections" rather than "the use of ad hoc adjudication procedures before the same agency responsible for prosecuting the law, subject only to hands-off judicial review."

The allegations against Jarkesy, Gorsuch emphasizes, "should not obscure what is at

stake in his case or others like it." He concedes that "people like Mr. Jarkesy may be unpopular" and "perhaps even rightly so," given that "the acts he allegedly committed may warrant serious sanctions." But "while incursions on old rights may begin in cases against the unpopular," he says, "they rarely end there."

The SEC, Gorsuch notes, wants to "penalize citizens without a jury, without an independent judge, and under procedures foreign to our courts." That approach, he says, violates constitutional constraints that "ensure even the least popular among us has an independent judge and a jury of his peers resolve his case under procedures designed to ensure a fair trial in a fair forum."

The post SCOTUS Rules SEC's In-House Handling of Securities Fraud Cases Violates the Right to Trial by Jury appeared first on Reason.com.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene on behalf of Texas women in need of emergency abortions Thursday, temporarily restoring federal protections for the procedure when a woman's health is at risk in Idaho but dodging a ruling that would have affected a similar Texas case.

In the first decision on state abortion laws since Roe v. Wade, the court on Thursday declined to rule on the merits of a clash between Idaho's near-total ban on abortion and a 38-year-old federal law that requires hospitals to provide stabilizing care to emergency room patients.

The justices dismissed the Idaho case as "improvidently granted" in a 6-3 split, returning the case to federal courts in the state.

While a merits ruling would have directly impacted a major Texas case about the same law, Thursday's decision, also known as a "dig," keeps federal emergency abortion protections on ice in the state until the next Supreme Court term  or the next presidency.

Both cases center the Biden administration's guidance saying the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires hospitals to terminate pregnancies when a patient's life or health is at risk, preempting state abortion bans with more narrow exceptions. The law at issue, EMTALA, was enacted in 1986 largely to prevent hospitals from turning away uninsured and indigent patients  particularly women in labor.

More: Texas hospitals not required to provide emergency abortions, federal appeals court rules

Thursday's mea culpa from the Supreme Court reinstates a lower federal court's order that paused Idaho's near-total abortion ban and compelled hospitals to terminate pregnancies when doing so would save a woman from death or a severe health outcome.

But it also leaves in place a January order from the largely conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that reached an opposite conclusion, keeping Texas' ban on all but lifesaving abortions in place and suspending federal guidance in the state of 30 million people. That decision granted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's request that courts block the guidance entirely  including the requirement that hospitals perform lifesaving abortions  in July 2022.

"It's a temporary reprieve for pregnant people in Idaho. It's not a win for abortion rights," said University of Texas law professor Elizabeth Sepper, who specializes in health law.

Nancy Thompson with Mothers Against Greg Abbott rallies for abortion rights at the Texas State Capitol in May 2022. (Credit: Jay Janner/American-Statesman/File)

Though the Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to review the Texas EMTALA decision, the impending end of this term means the justices cannot do so until after the new term begins in October, Sepper said, if they review it at all.

"It could just be that the Supreme Court is hoping that they never have to consider the question of EMTALA's primacy over state abortion laws because what they're hoping is for a second Trump administration that comes in and reinterprets EMTALA," Sepper said.

The decision marks the second time this term that the justices have dodged weighing in on the substance of a major abortion case, leading some critics to argue that conservative jurists are hoping to avoid the land-mine issue in the run-up to the November presidential election.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled that groups seeking to strip away federal approval for abortion and miscarriage medication mifepristone did not have standing to bring the lawsuit, throwing out their case.

More: Texas abortion laws are preventing women from accessing crucial miscarriage care

In dismissing the case and throwing out their block on federal guidance, the justices are saying that "they made a mistake in taking the case at this juncture but they can't really support," Sepper said. However, it doesn't preclude them from needing to address the merits of the issue next term, should the guidance still be in effect. The Department of Justice has asked the court to take up its appeal of the 5th Circuit's decision in the Texas case.

An identical but non-final version of the opinion was leaked Wednesday morning after it was "inadvertently" posted to the Supreme Court website, a court spokesperson told the American-Statesman, and published by Bloomberg News. The breach was the second time a leak had occurred in an abortion-related case in less than two years, following Politico's publication of a draft of the decision to overturn the federal right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.

The case highlights the way that delays and even self-admitted mistakes from the judicial branch can significantly impact lives on the ground.

Idaho's largest emergency services provider was forced to airlift pregnant women out of the state roughly every other week, as compared to just once last year, while federal guidance was suspended, Justice Elena Kagan noted in a concurring opinion.

"The fact that women have been airlifted out of Idaho in situations where EMTALA would require care for the last five months, that entirely is the fault of the U.S. Supreme Court at this point," Sepper said.

And while hospitals can now provide that care to Idaho women because of an emergency injunction from a trial court, a final ruling after trial could leave them without the protections they currently have.

Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, condemned the ruling in a press release Thursday morning.

"Doctors have a duty to treat the patients in front of them, especially in emergency situations," Dantas said in a Thursday morning press release. "While the decision today was a momentary victory for immediate access, we must continue to combat legislative and political interference in the practice of medicine and work to restore the sanctity of the patient-clinician relationship. We urge the courts to affirm the availability of stabilizing emergency abortion care in every single state."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: U.S. Supreme Court dodges emergency abortion case with ties to Texas
In January, a year and half after the Supreme Courts Republican appointees gave states free reign to restrict abortion  even if that meant forcing women to carry dangerous, ill-fated pregnancies to term  the court doubled-down on that decision, stepping in to ensure Idaho could continue denying abortions to patients whose pregnancies put their health at risk.

The consequences of that choice were immediately apparent: Doctors were forced to airlift pregnant patients from Idaho to Washington to receive treatment that they themselves could have provided, but were legally barred from offering. Between January and April alone, a half dozen patients were medevacked out of the state for emergency abortions. (In the year prior, a single patient had been airlifted out of Idaho for medical attention.)

The Supreme Court didnt have to intervene; it could have let a lower court ruling, which temporarily halted enforcement of Idahos criminal ban when it came to medical emergencies, stand while the case worked its way through the court system.

On Thursday, a majority of justices admitted they shouldnt have stepped in. As Justice Elena Kagan, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, wrote: Idahos arguments about EMTALA do not justify, and have never justified, either emergency relief or our early consideration of this dispute.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with Justices Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts, said the hearing was improvidently granted, and, upon further consideration, they were now convinced that these cases are no longer appropriate for early resolution.

The embarrassing reversal  which was accidentally disclosed a day early when it was inadvertently and briefly uploaded to the Supreme Courts website  plainly indicated a growing rift at the court: the three liberal justices, who see this case as a very simple one; three conservative justices  Barrett, Kavanaugh and Roberts  who appear suddenly conflicted about their role putting womens health in jeopardy; and the ultra-conservative faction  Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch  who simply dont care.

Indeed, Alito even suggested in his dissent that his colleagues cant handle the emotional questions presented by the emergency abortion case.

EMTALA is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, an 80s-era federal law that says hospitals cannot turn away any patient with an emergency medical condition, and instead must provide them stabilizing treatment. At the heart of this case is a dispute between Idaho, which wants to ban abortions  womens health be damned  and the Biden administration, who sued arguing the states ban violated the federal mandate to provide stabilizing care.

Idahos Republican attorney general, Raul Labrador, argued: The federal government cannot use EMTALA to override in the emergency room state laws about abortion any more than it can use it to override state law on organ transplants or marijuana use. (Labrador hired the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a far-right Christian nonprofit, to assist his office with the EMTALA case. ADF, which is designated as an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, helped draft the Mississippi abortion ban at the center of the Supreme Courts 2022 Dobbs case; justices used Dobbs as a vehicle to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate federal protections for abortion rights.)

Today, the court declined to weigh in on that fight and the question at the heart of the case: whether should states be allowed to risk pregnant patients health, their reproductive organs and their future fertility, or if they ought to be required to, at the bare minimum, administer treatment in a emergency medical.

Todays decision  like the one in January  will have an immediate effect, preventing Idaho, as Kagan wrote, from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harms to a womans health.

But its also a punt. The court is putting the more critical question off for a later date, as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said plainly in a separate concurrence. Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

Jackson takes a shot at Barrett et al, writing that their rationale that the hearing was improvidently granted should be reserved for cases in which circumstances were not fully apprehended at the time, rather than turned into a tool for the court to use to avoid issues that it does not wish to decide.

The court, she says, is making a grave mistake by not deciding the case on its merits. We cannot simply wind back the clock to how things were before the court injected itself into this matter It is too little, too late for the court to take a mulligan and just tell the lower courts to carry on as if none of this has happened.

On this point at least, the courts ultra-conservatives agreed. This about-face is baffling, Alito wrote, joined by Thomas and, in part, Gorsuch. Nothing legally relevant has occurred since January 5. Alito has a theory about what changed, which appears to double as a sexist knock on Barrett: Apparently, the court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable, he writes. (Emphasis ours.)

The trio maintained that EMTALA does not require hospitals to perform abortions in violation of Idahos ban, adding that regardless of whether a hospital chooses to treat or transfer a pregnant woman, it must strive to protect her unborn child from harm.

Brown, for her part, remains alarmed by the mushy centers unwillingness to choose a side in this fight. [H]ow long must pregnant patients wait for an answer?  Until these very cases return to us in a few years? Will this court just have a do-over, rehearing and rehashing the same arguments we are considering now, just at a comparatively more convenient point in time? Or maybe we will keep punting on this issue altogether, allowing chaos to reign wherever the lower courts enable states to flagrantly undercut federal law, facilitating the suffering of people in need of urgent medical treatment.

In Idaho, meanwhile, much of the damage is already done, says state Rep. Lauren Necochea (D). The lower court order that gave us some protections was in place when 22 percent of our OB-GYNs fled the state, and 55 percent of our maternal and fetal medicine specialists left, and our labor and delivery wards started closing, Necochea says.

Even as todays decision protects, for now, Idaho womens right to emergency medical care, its impact will be limited by the simple fact that medical providers have already left the state. Those doctors and nurses who remain, she adds, will still be operating under a Republican attorney general who took this appeal to the Supreme Court, who wanted to be able to enforce the law against them in medical emergencies. And that is still a scary place to be.

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Search for Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas expands: Police

The search has expanded for a Chicago woman who went missing while on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas last week, police said.

Taylor Casey, 41, was last seen on June 19 in Paradise Island at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat, which reported her missing the following day when she didn't show up for morning classes, the organization and police said.

MORE: Family of Chicago woman missing in the Bahamas to help with search: 'We want Taylor home'

The search for Casey -- which has involved drones, canines and divers -- has extended beyond the immediate area of the retreat to other parts of the island, Royal Bahamas Police Force Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings told reporters Wednesday afternoon. Investigators are also checking surveillance cameras, she said.

"Let me say that our priority is to find Taylor ... in good health," Skippings said during the briefing.

Skippings said it is too early in the investigation to say if any foul play is suspected.

PHOTO: The Royal Bahamas Police Force released this undated photo of Taylor Casey. (Royal Bahamas Police Force)

Casey's cellphone was found "in waters," Skippings confirmed to reporters on Wednesday, though she did not specify where it was found due to the ongoing investigation.

Police also have Casey's journal, Skippings confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.

Asked if police have any specific leads amid the ongoing search, Skippings told ABC News they are "still investigating."

MORE: American woman goes missing while attending yoga retreat in the Bahamas

Casey was attending a yoga certification retreat when she went missing, the yoga retreat said. Skippings was unable to say when Casey arrived in the Bahamas for the retreat, though said it was taking place over four to five weeks.

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat told ABC News it is cooperating with authorities on the investigation.

"The Ashram is asking anyone with information on Ms. Casey to contact the local police," the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas said in a statement on Tuesday.

Casey's family has traveled to the Bahamas amid the investigation and met with police on Wednesday, Skippings said.

Her mother, Colette Seymore, said it is unlike Casey to disappear like this and she is concerned for her safety.

"Taylor always calls me, keeps in touch. Taylor sent me beautiful pictures from the Bahamas, Taylor in the ocean," Seymore told ABC News. "We want Taylor home. We need Taylor in our lives. We miss Taylor."

PHOTO: The Royal Bahamas Police Force released this undated photo of Taylor Casey. (Royal Bahamas Police Force)

A State Department spokesperson told ABC News that they are aware of reports of a U.S. citizen missing in the Bahamas.

"When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we share information with families however we can," the spokesperson said. "The Department of State has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide assistance to U.S. citizens in need and to their families."

The spokesperson said the State Department had no further comment due to privacy concerns.

ABC News' Anselm Gibbs contributed to this report.

Search for Chicago woman who went missing in the Bahamas expands: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Search continues for Chicago woman who went missing in The Bahamas; phone reportedly located in water

NASSAU, Bahamas  The phone of a Chicago woman who went missing while on a yoga retreat in The Bahamas was located in the water on Tuesday, as her family has traveled to The Bahamas to work with authorities there to find her.

The search continues for Taylor Casey, 41, last seen on the evening of Wednesday, June 19, at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, which is about five miles from Nassau, the capital city of The Bahamas.

READ MORE: Taylor would never disappear like this: Chicago woman goes missing in The Bahamas during yoga retreat

The Royal Bahamas Police Force issued a Missing Persons Alert for Casey on Friday, June 21, two days after she was last seen. Chrislyn Skippings, Chief Superintendent of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, told WGN News on Thursday that theres no information as of yet to indicate any crime has been committed.

Skippings also said police have met with Caseys family and are doing everything they can to find her, including drone searches, as well as utilizing K-9 units, divers and marine units, and more. Skippings said law enforcement is working closely with the U.S. Embassy to communicate any and all updates on the investigation.

Latia Duncombe, Director General for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, issued a brief comment on the matter to WGN News.

Our hearts are with the family of the person that is missing, and Im sure that authorities are doing everything in their power to bring some resolve, Duncombe said.

Authorities held a press conference in The Bahamas on Wednesday of this week, the first since Caseys disappearance.

Phone located

Caseys niece, Traysia Conard, told NewsNation Live on Wednesday that she last saw her aunts phone ping in the water.

According to NewsNation, Conard was the only family member who had Caseys location on the iPhone app Find My Phone. When she heard Casey was missing, Conard checked the app and saw it was in the water, where Caseys phone was located Tuesday morning of this week, NewsNation reported.

WESTERN SUBURBS: Prosecutors decline to charge officers in deadly shooting of Isaac Goodlow

According to Conard, Casey has been doing yoga for about 15 years and has taken numerous trips to yoga retreats before.

She was actually in The Bahamas in February, Conard said. She takes trips all the time.  This was nothing out of the ordinary.

Conard said her aunt had gone on this retreat to The Bahamas in order to deepen her yoga education and was in a yoga teachers training program.

Conard said that on Tuesday, June 18, a day before her aunt disappeared, Casey had sent the family pictures of herself on the beach and told them she was enjoying herself.

In a statement, the yoga retreat said it advised the U.S. Embassy and notified Caseys family about her disappearance on Thursday, June 20, after she failed to attend morning classes.

Caseys family says its not like her to go silent, so they knew right away something was wrong when the yoga retreat informed them that she didnt show up for class.

My grandma actually texted her Wednesday (June 19), and no response, but we didnt think anything of it, Conard said. Thursday (June 20), we got a call from the yoga retreat saying that Taylor hadnt been seen.

Colette Seymore, Caseys mother, said in a statement she believes her daughter is in danger.

We are deeply concerned for Taylors safety and well-being, Seymore said. We love Taylor and want her home.

Travel advisory

The U.S. State Department issued a Level 2 Travel Advisory for The Bahamas in late January, government officials warning about water hazards and crime in certain parts of the country, including the area where Casey had traveled to.

The advisory, in part, says: The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands. In Nassau, practice increased vigilance in the Over the Hill area (south of Shirley Street), where gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily affecting the local population.

Violent crime, such as burglaries, armed robberies and sexual assaults, occur in both tourist and non-tourist areas. Be vigilant when staying at short-term vacation rental properties where private security companies do not have a presence.

In a statement shared with NewsNation, the State Department said its aware of Caseys disappearance and that there is no higher priority than the welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

In its statement this week, the yoga retreat said, in part: The Ashram is asking anyone with information on Ms. Casey to contact the local police. In the interim, (we are) collaborating with the authorities on their investigation.

Police in The Bahamas, meanwhile, are asking anyone who may have information on Caseys whereabouts to come forward. They can contact the Royal Bahamas Police Forces Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991/2 or Crime Stoppers at 328-8477.

A Find Taylor Casey  Community Support page has also been set up on Facebook.

If you see her, we just ask that you reach out on the tips page, on the Facebook page, Conard said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
(COLORADO SPRINGS)  The community around Rampart High School may see increased police presence on Thursday, June 27.

As a part of an ongoing partnership with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD), officers will be using Rampart High School on June 27 for a planned drill.

Due to the event, there will be increased police activity around the school until approximately 4 p.m. on June 27. District 20 and CSPD ask that individuals not call the police regarding the activity at Rampart High School to report the additional presence.

This is a drill, said Communication Specialist Caitlin Ford. People shouldnt be concerned or call 911 regarding the activity.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
TEHRAN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Iranian presidential candidate Alireza Zakani on Thursday pulled out of the country's presidential race, becoming the second nominee to announce his withdrawal ahead of the election scheduled for Friday.

Zakani, 58, the incumbent mayor of the Iranian capital Tehran, announced his pullout on social media X, and asked fellow principlist candidates, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Saeed Jalili, to unite in order to prevent the ascent of a reform-leaning candidate.

"We must consolidate our efforts to address the rightful aspirations of revolutionary factions, thereby preventing the formation of another Rouhani administration."

The announcement came one day after another principlist candidate Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, pulled out from the race. Hashemi is current serving as the vice president.

Hashemi said his decision aims to "preserve the unity of the forces of the revolution," and strengthen the principlist front.

Two other presidential candidates are Masoud Pezeshkian and Mostafa Pourmohammadi. Pezeshkian, 70, was Iran's health minister during 2001-2005 and Pourmohammadi, 64, used to serve as Iran's interior minister and justice minister.

Iran's 14th presidential election, initially set for 2025, was rescheduled following Raisi's unexpected death in a helicopter crash in the country's mountainous northwestern region on May 19. 
Tim Scott is on Trumps VP short list. What happens if he leaves the Senate?

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at the Grappone Convention Center on Jan. 19, 2024 in Concord, New Hampshire. (File/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is reportedly on Donald Trumps short list of candidates to join his ticket, raising the question of who would replace South Carolinas junior senator  and how.

Scott has been considered a potential running mate for Trump since he dropped out in November, when the GOP presidential field was still crowded. But speculation really ramped up after Scotts on-stage endorsement of Trump two months later. Scotts been such an enthusiastic supporter, Trump has said the senators a better campaigner for him than Scott was for himself.

He did well (in the primary), but he wasnt as forceful as he is, because he doesnt want to talk about himself. So interesting, Trump said at a rally in North Charleston in February.

Speculation may end Thursday night.

Trump has teased that he most likely would announce his pick for vice president during his televised debate with President Joe Biden in Atlanta.

If Trump chooses Scott, and their ticket wins in November, South Carolinas next U.S. senator would take office the same way Scott did in 2013.

By state law, the governor replaces any U.S. senator who leaves office before the term ends. The interim appointment lasts through the next general election, considered a special election for the Senate seat, according to the state Elections Commission.

In December 2012, then-Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Scott to replace U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of Greenville, who resigned two years into his six-year term to lead the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

Scott had just won re-election to the coastal 1st Congressional District. But instead of starting a second term in the U.S. House, the former Charleston County Council chairman was sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2013, becoming the Souths first Black Republican senator since Reconstruction.

Keeping the seat required going through the regular election process in 2014. Scott won the GOP primary that June by an 80-percentage-point landslide, then beat his Democratic challenger by 24 points that November to fulfill the rest of DeMints term.

Scott then trounced his competition in 2016 to win his first full term. He had another easy win in 2022 for a Senate race hes said was his last.

If Scott leaves the U.S. Senate after November  similarly two years into a six-year term  Gov. Henry McMaster would appoint his replacement.

South Carolina is one of 37 states that uses a gubernatorial appointment to fill Senate vacancies until a general election. Of those, 10 require the governor to appoint an interim of the same political party as the departing senator, according to the Congressional Research Service.

South Carolina does not mandate that parties match. However, its a given that McMaster, a former state Republican Party chairman, would appoint a Republican.

In this hypothetical scenario, should McMasters appointee want to stay in the Senate, the interim would face a potential primary and general election in 2026 to serve out the remainder of Scotts term through 2028.

McMaster had no comment on whether he had any candidates in mind to replace Scott.

It would be premature at this point to make plans, McMaster spokesman Brandon Charochak said Wednesday.

A spokesperson for Scott declined to comment.

It is possible for governors to take a Senate seat for themselves when a vacancy occurs. But voters generally dont look kindly on that.

Its happened only once in South Carolina.

In April 1965, then-Gov. Donald Russell resigned following the death of U.S. Sen. Olin Johnston, allowing Russells lieutenant governor to ascend to governor and appoint him to the empty Senate seat.

But Russell didnt stay in the Senate long.

He was ousted from the seat by Fritz Hollings in the 1966 Democratic primary. Hollings not only fulfilled the rest of Johnstons term but remained South Carolinas senator for 38 years, making him the eighth longest-serving U.S. senator in history as of his death in 2019. (When Hollings retired in 2004, voters elected DeMint to replace him.)

The post Tim Scott is on Trumps VP short list. What happens if he leaves the Senate? appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
Senate Democrats are questioning the move by former President Trump and his allies to put President Bidens debate expectations near the floor ahead of the pairs first meeting of this campaign Thursday in Atlanta.

Democrats are surprised that Republicans seem to be repeating the same move that backfired ahead of the first debate in 2020 between the two, when Trumps constant interruptions colored the event.

Thats left Democrats hopeful theyll see a repeat of the State of the Union, when Biden delivered a fiery address after months of talk about the presidents mental acuity.

They talked down Biden before it, then he does fine  and fine looks fantastic after youve talked the guy down. And I think theyre doing the same thing now, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said. My gut tells me hes probably going to do fine, and because theyve been spending all this time talking him down and creating fake videos about him that make him look confused, and hell do fine and I think that that will work to his advantage.

They should be lowering expectations for Trump rather than lowering expectations for Biden, he continued. I cant exactly figure out why theyre doing that, but itll probably work to Bidens advantage.

Trump months ago said Biden was the the WORST debater I have ever faced, and last week in Wisconsin called him weak, failed and incompetent. Over the weekend, Trump suggested Biden was at Camp David sleeping  because they want to get him good and strong.

Many Republicans had been echoing those talking points, some even pushing claims the president would need to take drugs to physically and mentally persevere through the 90-minute debate.

But in recent days, Trumps campaign advisers and top allies have sought to recast expectations.

Senior Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller told reporters Biden has been doing this successfully for 50 years.

We know that Joe Biden  after taking an entire week off, hes going to be ready for this, Miller said. I dont know if its quite going to be at the level of Steve Rogers walking in and turning into Captain America, but his team is going to have him ready just as they have in 2008, 2012, 2024.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), a top contender to become Trumps running mate, also pointed to Bidens myriad runs for higher office and lengthy career in office.

This guy has got the ability, he said Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, Democrats agree with that assessment.

Theyre trying to make it seem like the president doesnt have command of the job, when those of us who are working with him [know] he definitely does. I think thats going to show Thursday night, Kaine said. Hes done this a lot.

Some Senate Democrats are also pointing to another Trump talking point leading up to the CNN-hosted event: that the event is unfair and that Trump is not only facing off with Biden but also the moderators.

A Trump spokesperson argued this week that Trump is facing a three-to-one fight.

They want to claim this is a rigged debate against Donald Trump, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who helped Biden with vice presidential debate prep in 2012 against then-Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). So obviously they have some concerns.

Most Democrats have a simple ask of Biden when he faces Trump once again: draw the sharpest contrast possible.

President Biden will remind the American people why [Trumps] not qualified to be president and were going to hear that contrast with the incredible work that President Biden has been doing, said Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.). Its going to be crystal clear.

They also believe the timing is important. Thursdays will be the earliest televised presidential debate in history, meaning many voters will be turning their attention to the race for the first time.

For them, its a moment to raise the stakes.

The main goal I want to see for President Biden is drawing that very strong contrast between what hes done for America, what he offers America and what Donald Trump has done to bring this country backwards and what to expect from another Trump presidency, Van Hollen said.

[Trumps] telling us every day, but its important that it be revealed clearly that Donald Trump is a revenge candidate, doesnt have a positive agenda but wants to overthrow our democracy and drive our country backwards, he added.

Others were more curt in their assessment.

A contrast to the major MAGA loon who will be on stage with him, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said about what he wants to see in the debate, adding that he hopes Biden shows a little spunk.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Senate symbolically lets the sunshine in as FOIA reform bills advance to the House

Sen. Sam Singh tries to close the shutters in the Senate chamber after members symbolically opened them to let the sun shine in after long-delayed FOIA reforms passed the chamber on June 26, 2024 | Kyle Davidson

During a lengthy Wednesday session, members of the Michigan Senate voted to advance an effort to expand the states Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), with members symbolically opening shutters to let the sun shine a light on government.

One of the legislations lead sponsors, state Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield), hailed its passage as a new chapter of openness in our state.

However, senators did have some trouble closing the wooden shutters afterward, temporarily delaying action on the floor.

Senate Bills 669 and 670, introduced by Moss and Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), respectively, would expand FOIA to include the governors office and the Legislature, both of which are exempt under the current law. Members voted 36-2 in support of the bill, which will advance to the House for further action, with Sens. Jon Bumstead (R-North Muskegon) and Jonathan Lindsey (R-Allen) offering the only votes against the bills.

Under Senate Bill 670, the House speaker and Senate majority leader would be responsible for designating a FOIA coordinator in each of their chambers to process public records requests. While speaking on the package, Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) raised concerns that there could be a new coordinator every two years in the House, should control of the chamber change.

He also said this process could lead to partisan approval or denial of requests, or individual members being singled out by having requests for information about them approved while others are denied.

Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) proposed an amendment to make selecting a FOIA coordinator a bipartisan process, but the amendment was shot down along party lines.

While urging a no vote on Nesbitts amendment, Moss stressed that selecting a coordinator is a nonpartisan personnel decision, and matches the process for selecting the Senate Business Office director.

I agree that partisanship has no place [in] responding to FOIA requests and hopefully we can work to ensure that as we develop chamber rules in future sessions necessary to implement the expansion of FOIA to the Senate, Moss said.

McBroom later told reporters that he supported Nesbitts amendment not out of concern for what the position would be in its current form, but for what it could become in the future.

While Nesbitt noted he still had concerns with some aspects of the bills, he encouraged members of the Senate to vote yes on the policies.

Moss and McBroom have long pushed for reform to the states FOIA law, putting forth the latest efforts in November in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Both senators recounted their introduction to the issue while serving in the House, when they were able to successfully move legislation out of the chamber to the Senate in 2015. However the Senate never acted on the effort until now.

Michigan was previously ranked dead last in the U.S. for government integrity. In a 2015 report from the Center for Public Integrity, Michigan failed in 10 out of 13 categories including public access to information, executive accountability, and legislative accountability.

While the bipartisan package would open opportunities for journalists and members of the public to better hold officials accountable, the bills contain exemptions for multiple state agencies, including the House and Senate Fiscal Agencies and the Legislative Service Bureau.

Exemptions for the office of the governor and lieutenant governor include:

Appointments to departments, state agencies, commissions, councils or to fill a vacancy on a court. The exemption no longer applies after an individual has been appointed to one of these positions save for information including their applications and letters of recommendation or references

Decisions to remove or suspend a public official or judge, which no longer applies after that individual has been removed or suspended

Decisions to grant or deny a reprieve, pardon or commutation

Budget recommendations or reductions in expenditures

Messages or recommendations to the legislature

Information related to the executive residence

Documents subject to executive privilege

Documents that could impact the security of the governor or lieutenant governor

The governors and lieutenant governors office and the Legislature are also exempt from disclosing any records of communications between themselves an a constituent who is not a registered lobbyist, alongside a number of other exemptions, including:

Their personal phone numbers

Information on an internal investigation

Records or information tied to a civil action for which either entity is a party, with the exemption expiring when the claim has been adjudicated or settled

Records created, prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by either entity for less than 30 days

Records created, prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by either entity prior to the bills taking effect

Records created or prepared by the governor, the lieutenant governor, an employee of the executive office of the governor or lieutenant governor, a legislator or an employee of a state legislative public body, that relate to advice, opinions or recommendations about public policy or district work

The Legislature also receives similar exemptions to the governors office for individuals appointed to a position by the House speaker or the Senate majority leader, which no longer apply after theyve been appointed save for information related to the process of selecting them for the position.

The Legislature is also exempt from providing records from the office of sergeant at arms, which provides security for the chamber, and materials that would otherwise be exempt from disclosure under state law.

Runestad opposed the exemptions on decisions to suspend a public official, recommendations on reducing expenditures. He also argued the exemption on records retained for less than 30 days should be shortened to seven days.

I think theres a lot of issues that are very nuanced compared to what you deal with at other government levels, McBroom said, pointing to constitutional speech and debate protections, the governors ability to review personnel, issues with elected officials and appointments and protecting constituent communications.

Theres a lot of things that had to be nuanced to this, so it wasnt just, Heres FOIA; just do it, McBroom said.

With the legislation out of the Senate, the goal is to keep it moving, Moss said.

I think theres a lot of enthusiasm in the House to take this up and were very hopeful to work with our House partners to keep this process rolling, Moss said.

However, with the Legislature wrapping up work early Thursday morning on the next budget, lawmakers are not expected to come back to take up much legislation this summer.

During an interview with the Advance in May, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer showed support for increased transparency efforts, but said she was uncertain when those efforts would move forward.

While campaigning for her first term, Whitmer said she would expand FOIA to the governor and the lieutenant governor if the Legislature did not act on the issue. Whitmer has yet to extend FOIA to her office since she was sworn in on Jan. 1, 2019.

The post Senate symbolically lets the sunshine in as FOIA reform bills advance to the House appeared first on Michigan Advance.
Sewer district project expected to cause traffic delays in Elk Grove. Heres where and when

Sacramento Area Sewer Districts Harvest Water project will install a transmission pipeline that will soon cause traffic delays on major roadways in Elk Grove.

The Harvest Water development is located roughly between Interstate 5 and Highway 99, south of the Elk Grove and north of Twin Cities Road and the Cosumnes River Preserve.

According to the Sacramento Area Sewer District website, the Harvest Water conveyance system will be constructed through six different projects. The project website said itll feature a new pumping station, a series of pipeline packages and service connection improvements to control delivery of water to the agricultural customers.

The Sacramento Area Sewer District will install a transmission pipeline along Franklin Boulevard from Sims Road to Whitelock Parkway. The pipeline will continue along Willard Parkway from Whitelock Parkway to Matina Drive to support the project.

Construction will affect traffic on the citys west side. Drivers should use alternate routes or plan for delays along the following roads as a part of the Harvest Water pipeline project.

 Traffic on Franklin Boulevard will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting in July.

Work on Franklin Boulevard between Bilby and Hood Franklin roads began this week. One lane of traffic will be open while traffic conductors direct vehicles.

 Lambert Road between Bruceville Road and Franklin Boulevard will be closed beginning July 3.

The planned detour route for westbound drivers is Bruceville Road north to Point Pleasant Road and west to Franklin Boulevard. The eastbound detour is using Franklin Boulevard north to Point Pleasant Road east to Bruceville Road.

 Twin Cities Road between Bruceville Road and Franklin Boulevard will remain closed through mid-July. Motorists traveling westbound should use the detour route to Bruceville Road north to Lambert Road, west to Franklin Boulevard. Eastbound travelers should use Franklin Boulevard north to Lambert Road east to Bruceville Road.

Trucks will be rerouted to alternate paths such as Bilby and Point Pleasant roads to avoid clearance issues at Lambert Road.

 Local traffic between Lambert Road and Bruceville Road will have access east of the railroad, and Kestrel Lake Road remains closed. This is not a through road, so no detour is in place.

The planned detour route from Kestrel Lake Road is heading west on Lambert Road to River Road, north to Hood Franklin, or using River Road heading south to Twin Cities Road. Drivers coming from Point Pleasant Road should head north on Point Pleasant and east to Franklin Boulevard.

According to the Sacramento Area Sewer District, the timing of the road closures is subject to change.

Harvest Water promotes natural groundwater recovery, boosts sustainable agriculture and strengthens existing local habitats in south Sacramento County, the Sacramento Area Sewer District said on its website.

Once contractor selection began in late 2023, the next step was to begin construction this year, which is set to continue into 2026.
(KRON)  Yohan Murillo-Medina, a drug dealer based out of San Franciscos Tenderloin neighborhood, was sentenced to 32 months in prison on Wednesday, U.S. District Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey announced. The 22-year-old San Francisco resident pleaded guilty to his charges in February.

SF man who threatened to kill janitor with pipe convicted: DA

On the morning of Jan. 30, Murillo-Medina was sporting a backpack near the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Hyde Street. Upon noticing police nearby, prosecutors said Murillo-Medina started running away.

The DAs office said the foot chase ensued for several blocks until Murillo-Medina stopped and was soon after detained. Police recovered his backpack and jacket, which, according to the DAs office, had the following:

1,749.9 grams of fentanyl

20.7 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine

26.7 grams of alprazolam (benzodiazepine) pills

132.1 grams of marijuana

Later, the 22-year-old admitted to running because he thought the officers were going to arrest him for possessing and trying to distribute the controlled substances in the backpack and jacket, the DAs office said.

On April 11, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Murillo-Medina, charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Another count was charged for fentanyl. The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to both counts.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
She had to watch over her back: Mom concerned for daughters safety after another teen dies at state behavioral site

She had to watch over her back: Mom concerned for daughters safety after another teen dies at state behavioral site

WFLA, Fla. (WFLA) A mother tells 8 On Your Side a behavioral treatment center in Tampa has done more harm than good for her troubled teen.



Her daughter was placed at Lake Academy, the same state- owned facility where another teenage girl died under mysterious circumstances in May.

The mother had hoped that her daughter would be watched over, cared for, and receive the help she needed at Lake Academy, but said that never happened.

A judge ordered her daughter, Sarah to be placed at Lake Academy in November. Sarah is not her real name. 8 On Your Side is using it to protect her privacy.

When we asked Sarahs mother about her daughters experience at the Academy, she said her daughter always wanted to come home.

She didnt want to be there. A lot of times, she had to watch over her back.

Criminal investigation launched after teen dies in state facility

Still, Sarahs mom had hoped her daughters time at Lake Academy could help her.



Sometimes [Sarah] would tell me she wouldnt get therapy because there wasnt enough staff, her mother said.



She said Sarah would often call and say shes afraid to sleep at night. She told her mom she was grabbed and inappropriately touched by another girl. At one point, Sarah told her mom what no parent ever wants to hear, that she was suicidal.



I was so afraid to answer the phone from that area because I didnt know if that was that call, she said.

In February, she drove the six hours to Tampa to visit her daughter at the Academy.



She had cuts on her arms and legs that nobody knew about until I showed them in front of the therapist, she said. She had a pencil bag full of objects and I asked how is this possible? How is she getting this stuff? They couldnt give me an answer.



As months passed, Sarah continued to harm herself and her mothers concerns continued to grow.

How did teen die in state custody? Family says they still dont have answers

Last week, the Department of Juvenile Justice said it terminated Truecore Behavioral Solutionss $31.5 million contract for Lake Academy after another girl, Zykiria Bell, died in their care.

TrueCore still runs four other behavioral treatment facilities in Hillsborough County and more sites in Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Orlando, and Miami. TrueCores staff is responsible for watching over and providing services to children and teenagers who have been in trouble with the law. Each facility is separated by gender and has a different focusmental health, substance abuse treatment or helping children who have committed a sex offense.

TrueCore has not responded News Channel 8s numerous requests for information.



Sarahs mom said her daughter knew Zykiria.

She was the room next door to her, she said.



On May 29, the DJJ said Zykiria died at Lake Academy, but did not tell her family nor 8 On Your Side how the 17-year-old died.



We were getting help for her Zykiria, said Elita Bludsaw, Zykirias aunt. That was supposed to be happening. It didnt happen, shes not coming home to us.

$100M gone: Govoni stole from people with special needs trusts, Moody says

The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office has since launched a criminal investigation and the Department of Children and Families is also looking into Zykirias death. Days after she died, the state shut down the Academy and moved Sarah and the other girls to different facilities.



To this day no one from Lake Academy, no one from DJJ has told me my daughter has moved, she said.



Sarah was the one that told her mom shes now at a site in Okaloosa County in the Florida Panhandle. Sarahs mom said she does not believe her daughter is safe. She is now in contact with a juvenile probation officer to try to get Sarah out of state custody.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
Is she a murderer or was she framed? Everything to know today about the Karen Read trial

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP)  Jurors in the Karen Read trial were scheduled to meet for a fourth day Friday to decide whose story they believe: that of prosecutors who say she drunkenly and angrily slammed into her Boston police officer boyfriend with her Lexus SUV and left him to die, or defense attorneys who claim one or more colleagues killed John OKeefe and framed Read to cover it up.

The Massachusetts jury of six men and six women is deliberating behind closed doors in Norfolk County Superior Court, while a sidewalk jury of true crime bloggers and pink-shirted Read supporters gathers outside. The unofficial adjudicators, many of them waving Stars and Stripes, have been present every day since the trial began nearly two months ago.

Whos who?

Read, 44, had worked as an equity analyst and was an adjunct lecturer in finance at her alma mater, Bentley University. OKeefe, 46, was a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. Jurors are deliberating events that unfolded at the Canton home of another Boston Police officer, Brian Albert, after a night of bar-hopping in January 2022. A federal agent, Brian Higgins, also was among those at the gathering inside.

The charges

Read has been charged with second-degree murder, which in Massachusetts is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole. She also faces lesser charges of manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence, punishable by five to 20 years, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, punishable by up to 10 years.

Karen Reads jurors weigh evidence in a murder trial that challenged police integrity

Tense exchange

Judge Beverly Cannone rebuked Read for apparently smirking during an exchange with her lawyers. Excuse me, this is funny, Ms. Read? All right, were done, the judge snapped Wednesday.

It happened as defense lawyer Alan Jackson complained that a verdict form, or slip, was unfair because the offenses included under manslaughter didnt include not-guilty options.

Cannone said the verdict form is how Massachusetts always does it.

I dont really care how it always is in Massachusetts. I care about whether its appropriate, Jackson replied, adding that he would bring it up in an appeal if Read is convicted.

In the end, the judge changed the form to read not guilty of the offense charged or any lesser included offense.

The evidence

Pieces of Reads broken taillight were found at the scene and a single hair from OKeefe was found on the rear bumper of Reads SUV. Prosecutors say that Read repeatedly said, I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God, I hit him to first responders and others. Prosecutors replayed angry voicemails Read left for OKeefe, painting a picture of a failing relationship. They also questioned her behavior, saying she never cried after OKeefes body was found.

Reads defense

Read contends that the prosecutions case is based on lies from officers who are trying to protect themselves. Her lawyers say the pieces of taillight and the hair were planted at the crime scene, which was left unsecured. They also suggested OKeefe might have been beaten up by Higgins, who had flirted with Read through texts, and that the men panicked before trying to cover up the crime.

Sloppy detective work

Regardless of whether Read is found guilty, the case has revealed questionable techniques and actions on the part of law enforcement officers, including Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was a lead investigator despite having personal relationships with several of the people involved.

Proctor called Read a wack job, in texts, joked to supervisors about not finding nude photos of Read on her phone, and texted his sister that he wished Read would kill herself. He said that was a figure of speech and that his emotions had gotten the better of him.

The defense pointed to conflicts of interest and sloppy policing: The crime scene was left unsecured for hours; the house wasnt searched; blood-stained snow was scooped up with red plastic drinking cups; and a leaf blower was used to clear snow.

The defense also claims that a prosecution witness conducted an incriminating internet search hours before OKeefes body was discovered and then deleted it, and that others linked with the case have destroyed phones and manipulated videos.

Growing attention

The case might have seemed open-and-shut, but as more evidence emerged, interest picked up among true crime fans and others with suspicions about the motives and actions of law enforcement. For more than a year, dozens of Read supporters have gathered outside the courthouse, calling for the charges to be dropped.

As jurors deliberate, members of this self-proclaimed sidewalk jury  wearing pink and waving American flags to symbolize what they call a fight for truth and justice  intently watch their phones for word of a verdict. Some take it further, including a man who dresses as the trial judge and a woman who wears plastic cups as earrings in a dig at what the defense called sloppy evidence-gathering. Their mood has been jubilant, encouraged by passing motorists who honk their horns.

Many were drawn to the case by Aidan Timothy Kearney, aka Turtleboy, whose website has relentlessly questioned the prosecution. He and other supporters have also been accused of harassing witnesses: Kearney was charged with witness intimidation and conspiracy, which he denies.

The protesters have been ordered to remain 200 feet (60 meters) from the courthouse to prevent them from influencing jurors. Yet as many as 100 people continue to gather there. At one point on Wednesday, some said a verdict had come, prompting a mad dash toward the courthouse.

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Things to know about the Karen Read murder case, which could go to a retrial

Karen Read, right, smiles as defense attorney David Yannetti, left, speaks to reporters in front of Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, July 1, 2024, in Dedham, Mass. A judge declared a mistrial Monday after jurors deadlocked in the case of Read, who was accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend by striking him with her SUV and leaving him in a snowstorm. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP)  Prosecutors in Massachusetts say they plan to retry Karen Read for the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend. Shes accused of striking him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. The judge declared a mistrial after jurors said they couldn't agree.

Karen Read was facing second degree murder and two other charges for allegedly striking John OKeefe with her SUV and then leaving the scene as she dropped him off at a fellow officer's house after a night of drinking.

Both sides will be in court July 22 to consider next steps. Plenty of questions remain unanswered. A federal investigation of how law enforcement handled O'Keefe's death continues, and Read's defense claims four jurors have indicated that the jury found her not guilty on several charges.

Double jeopardy claim

The defense this week filed a motion to dismiss the charges of second degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Defense lawyers say they're aware of four jurors who said the jury had unanimously concluded that Read was not guilty on those charges, and they couldn't agree only on the remaining manslaughter charge.

Partial verdicts are possible in Massachusetts, but the defense motion said Judge Beverly Cannone abruptly declared the mistrial in open court without first questioning jurors about where they stood on each charge, or giving the prosecution and defense a chance to raise questions.

If the court requires more information before invoking double jeopardy, Read's team said the judge should hold a post-verdict inquiry to confirm that the jurors unanimously found her not-guilty on the two counts.

And if Cannone does agree to hold such a hearing, there's a real chance prosecutors could be barred from retrying Read for murder and leaving a deadly accident scene, if it's shown the jury did unanimously agree to acquit, according to Daniel Medwed, a law professor at Northeastern University who is not involved in the case.

Legally inappropriate

Prosecutors asked the court Friday to deny the defense request, describing the defense motion as an unsubstantiated but sensational post-trial claim, based on hearsay, conjecture and legally inappropriate reliance as to the substance of jury deliberations.

Contrary to the defendants claims, throughout the jury deliberations the defendant was given a full opportunity to be heard, the jurys communications to the court explicitly indicated an impasse on all charges, and the court carefully considered alternatives before declaring a mistrial, prosecutors wrote.

The jury did not reach any verdicts partial or otherwise, prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors also argued the defense was given a chance to respond and, after one note from the jury indicating it was deadlocked, told the court that there had been sufficient time and advocated for the mistrial declaration. Prosecutors wanted deliberations to continue, which they did before a mistrial was declared the following day.

What's a judge to do?

Some Massachusetts trial court veterans defended the judge's response to the deliberations.

Brad Bailey, a former state and federal prosecutor and longtime criminal defense lawyer, said Cannone declared a mistrial on all the charges because that is what she heard from the jury: Jurors repeatedly said they were deadlocked but never indicated they had reached a decision on any of the charges.

Juries are routinely instructed that any communication with the judge should not reveal what actually is going inside the jury room in terms of the nature and substance of their deliberation," but it's not unusual for jurors to declare themselves deadlocked "on all counts, or to announce decisions on only some counts, Bailey said.

Michael Coyne, the dean at the Massachusetts School of Law, said he found it curious that jurors never indicated they had reached a verdict on some of the counts  if indeed they had. That is the unusual part  If in fact they had reached consensus on some, why didn't they report it to the court?"

Since the jurors left the verdict forms blank, Coyne expects prosecutors to make the case that they didn't reach consensus on anything," he said.

Juror secrecy, for now

The jurors' identities have not been released yet, and none are believed to have spoken with the media. A week after declaring the mistrial, Cannone ordered a 10-day hold on naming them publicly, citing a risk of immediate and irreparable injury should the list be made available to the public at this time. She noted that people surrounding the case had been charged with intimidation. The ruling aims to protect the jurors privacy if they want to remain anonymous, but doesnt prevent them from volunteering to speak publicly.

The order could be extended out of concern for potential violence to those jurors if their names and other identifying information was disclosed, Coyne observed, but he predicted that pressure to release their names will grow.

We all wanted to know the names before to see if anyone would speak, the dean said. Now it's even more pressing because the defendant is saying the jurors reached a verdict on counts one and three. We ought to know what they are actually saying about that.

Investigating the investigator

The lead investigator, State Trooper Michael Proctor, was relieved of duty after the trial revealed he'd sent vulgar texts to colleagues and family, calling Read a whack job and telling his sister he wished Read would kill herself. He said that was a figure of speech and that his emotions had gotten the better of him.

The defense also suggested he should've stepped aside from the investigation because he had personal relationships with several of the people involved in the case. Read's lawyers also questioned the sloppiness of the police work: The crime scene was left unsecured for hours; the house, owned by Boston Police Detective Brian Alpert, wasnt searched; bloodstained snow was scooped up with red plastic drinking cups; and a leaf blower was used to clear snow.

Proctor was relieved of his duties after the trial but was still being paid until Monday, when a state police hearing board changed that suspension to without pay, effective immediately. Meanwhile an internal affairs investigation could result in charges against him, and there's a federal probe into state law enforcement's handling of the case. The U.S. Attorney's office said it neither confirms nor denies investigations.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A ship traveling through the Red Sea on Thursday reported being hit in an attack carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, authorities said, the latest in the campaign targeting shipping over the Israel-Hamas war.

The ship issued a radio call off the coast of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida saying it had been struck, the private security firm Ambrey first reported. A warship in the area was responding to the attack, Ambrey said.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center later also confirmed the attack.

The nature of the attack is reported as a waterborne improvised explosive device, the UKMTO said. The vessel and crew are reported as safe and the vessel is proceeding to their next port of call.

The UKMTO did not elaborate, but Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree in a prerecorded message released Thursday night said the rebels used a drone boat in the attack on the vessel. He identified the ship as the Seajoy, a Malta-flagged bulk carrier.

The rebels have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They seized one vessel and sank two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

The Houthis maintain that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war  including some bound for Iran.

Late on Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group was responsible for an attack Monday on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-managed container ship MSC Sarah V. On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed they used a new hypersonic ballistic missile in the assault, which targeted a ship farther away than nearly all of the previous assaults theyve launched in the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. militarys Central Command also said it destroyed a Houthi radar site. Another attack Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden was suspected to have been carried out by the Houthis, though they have yet to claim it.

Meanwhile on Thursday, the U.N. Security Council again demanded that the Houthi rebels immediately halt all attacks on ships in the region and called for the conflicts disrupting maritime security to be addressed  without naming the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The resolution, which also extends the requirement that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres report monthly on Houthi attacks, was approved Thursday by a vote of 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining.

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- In the dead of night along China's southwestern border, a high-stakes car chase unfolded. Police officer Feng Yan (pseudonym) eagerly pursued two vehicles suspected of carrying a significant drug shipment.

The silence was shattered by two loud bangs -- a crash, then a gunshot. In the following chaos, Feng and her colleagues subdued the fleeing traffickers, uncovering over 50 kilograms of heroin.

This encounter is just one chapter in Feng's 12-year career combating drug trafficking in Yunnan Province, which borders the notorious opium-producing Golden Triangle. Her dedication has led to investigations into over 90 drug-related cases, 130 arrests, and the seizure of more than 200 kilograms of narcotics.

The job demands more than just bravery. Most days, Feng dons heavy body armor and a weighty helmet, crawling under vehicles and sifting through discarded garbage in search of evidence. "Every gram of drugs we seize represents one less gram that can harm society," Feng said.

On China's eastern coast, Feng's counterparts are using high-tech methods such as drones to effectively stop the illegal cultivation of opium poppy.

Zhang Hanping, a police officer from Zhejiang Province's Huzhou City with over 10 years of anti-drug experience, and her colleagues have been combing through mountains, rooftops and open-air plantations. "We walk an average of 10 kilometers daily in the mountains, searching for illegal cultivation sites," Zhang explained.

To date, Huzhou police have conducted 78 drone patrols over 489 square kilometers, uncovering 13 illegal opium poppy plantations.

China has intensified its war on drug-related crimes as the world grapples with a rampant drug problem.

Official data shows that between 2013 and 2023, the country cracked 1.11 million cases, arrested around 1.35 million suspects, and seized some 678 tonnes of drugs. By the end of 2023, the number of drug users in China had declined for the sixth consecutive year to 896,000, 20.3 percent lower than the previous year.

China's frontline in its anti-drug fight extends beyond the law enforcement endeavors of individuals like Feng and Zhang. This challenge also focuses on consolidating the achievements made in drug control through improved rehabilitation services.

The Dongpo district rehabilitation center in Meizhou City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, exemplifies this approach.

When Wang Xiaohu (pseudonym) arrived, he was initially uncooperative. Staff members engaged him in earnest conversations, encouraging him to open up and work through his struggles.

"Our main goal is to provide education and rehabilitation services to patients, helping them make a swift return to society," said Li Qingjun, the center's director. The facility offers technical training in electrical work, welding, and cleaning skills.

Wang, now 43 years old, started his own hardware business after receiving welding training at the center.

Since its establishment 12 years ago, the center has offered comprehensive rehabilitation services and support to drug users with illnesses on over 1,600 occasions.

Nationwide, such programs have shown success. In 2023, the number of individuals who had abstained from drugs for three years without relapse reached 4.08 million, a 7.6 percent increase from the previous year.

"It was the assistance of the rehabilitation center that enabled me to overcome my addiction and regain my confidence," Wang reflected. 
Shootout with police leads to car chase, arrest of man in Tillamook County

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  A traffic stop turned into a shooting and became a police chase before one man was arrested in Tillamook County early Wednesday evening.

Just before 6:30 p.m., officials say Tillamook County Sheriffs deputies, police officers and Oregon State troopers tried to stop a pickup in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer on North Main in Tillamook.

A man in the pickup then fired a pistol at police several times. Deputies and officers fired back before the man fled in his car, prompting police to chase the car for five miles along Highway 101, officials say.

Driver dead, 3 passengers hurt in attack on I-5

TCSO deputies deployed spike strips on the suspects car, damaging its tires. The car then pulled into a driveway before the suspect  identified as 37-year-old Joey De La Rosa Rodriguez  was taken into custody.

Authorities say Rodriguez was then taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm. Once he was released, he was booked in the Tillamook County Jail on attempting to elude law enforcement and felony warrants issued in both Clackamas and Yamhill Counties.

The Oregon State Police are currently investigating the shooting.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Phoebe Helms is a 2024 graduate from the Ohio State University with degrees in journalism and political science. The New Albany High School alumna is pursuing her master's of Public Policy at the University of Virginia.

Twenty-four people have been shot in mass shootings in Columbus since May  the month my friends and I graduated from Ohio State University.

Less than an hour before shots rang out in the Short North Arts District Sunday, we stood in the 1100 block of North High Street where 10 people  eight men and two boys between the ages of 16 and 27  would be shot.

Since graduation, my friends and I have been celebrating and enjoying our last few weeks together. The blocks of the city buzz with energy, and the nightlife becomes especially popular in the warmer summer months.

We decided to spend Saturday evening at Standard Hall, one of the most popular bars in the area.

After a few hours, we decided to leave the area and go home. About 45 minutes after leaving, the shooting occurred at 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

Nowhere feels safe

June 23, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Broken glass is seen on the sidewalk from a window that was shot out after a mass shooting in the Short North district of Columbus early Sunday morning. Ten people were injured and all are expected to survive their injuries. The shooting happened in the 1100 block of North High Street around 2:30 a.m.

It is incredibly chilling to realize that you were moments away from being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gun violence now seems to permeate every corner of society.

Born in 2002, Ive grown up in a generation defined by gun violence. The students at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, Oxford High  all were my peers.

Fear was instilled in Gen Z at an early age, with little to no action taken by the government.

What to know about Short North shooting: Short North mass shooting driver surrenders to Columbus police

The fear of becoming a mass shooting victim reaches beyond school walls though; concerts, clubs, movie theaters, grocery stores, have all been targets in recent years and anyone can be a target.

Columbus has become a city at the center of the gun violence conversation, especially post-COVID. Between 2020-2023, 41 percent of people living in Columbus live a five-minute walk from a deadly shooting, a 13 percent increase since pre-pandemic times, according to a New York Times analysis.

Conversations on Columbus violence: 5 shot and killed in Columbus last weekend. What New York Times says about city sadly true.

Safety does not feel like a priority

Last Sundays incident isnt even the first close-call Ive had, and Im sure many students and young professionals in Columbus feel the same way.

For the college-age and post-grad population in the city, safety doesnt feel like a priority of the city or Ohio State.

I began studying at Ohio State in August of 2020 in the midst of COVID. Ohio State student Chase Meola was shot and killed on Oct. 11 of that year outside a fraternity house party.

Starting in 2020, I became a part of the New York Times 41 percent.

Students felt deeply unsafe after Meolas death.

The idea that a student could be killed so close to the university, with little protection as the area was declared 'off-campus' was disturbing. The incident defined that academic year.

Off-campus shootings also contributed to a feeling of deep vulnerability. Stories of people being shot or robbed just blocks away from the Union circulated frequently within the student body. Gun-related incidents were known to occur at the Waffle House, United Dairy Farmers, McDonalds, Buckeye Donuts - all of which posed an overarching threat for the students living in the midst of the chaos.

More: There have been 12 mass shootings in Columbus since 2023. Here's what we know.

Students cannot even feel completely secure grocery shopping, as Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso was shot at the Kroger south of campus.

It feels as though theres no escape from the violence and it is exhausting.

We grew up afraid to go to school

The New York Times recently ranked Columbus as the number four best city for college graduates to live in. However, the city has to take drastic steps in order to make the demographic feel safe.

My friends and I have grown up in a world where we were afraid to go to school. We live in a world where it is dangerous to go to the grocery store. We cannot go downtown to enjoy a night with friends without keeping our heads on a swivel.

When we leave our homes to attend class, work in the city or have fun, we should not have to worry about whether or not we will make it home.

Phoebe Helms is a 2024 graduate from the Ohio State University with degrees in journalism and political science. The New Albany High School alumna is currently pursuing her masters of public policy at the University of Virginia.

We deserve to go to school and learn, to go out and experience our community, to have joy inour everyday lives without fearing a bullet.

For the young people in Columbus, the city has to do more.

The problem hasnt been solved by a curfew or an increased police presence.

What police are saying about shootings: Short North shooting: Columbus Police says police presence wasn't the issue

However, this is not just a Columbus issue. These incidents are occurring daily across the country. But Ohios relaxed gun laws leave all its citizens more at risk. My generation has been plagued by this new kind of fear and violence.

More death and injuries are inevitable without someone taking the initiative to act against it

Phoebe Helms is a 2024 graduate from the Ohio State University with degrees in journalism and political science. The New Albany High School alumna is pursuing her masters of public policy at the University of Virginia.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Short North shooting new reason for Ohio State, Columbus to do more
Remember the Short North shooting in November

Remember in November.

Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Attorney Zach Klein said the (most) recent shooting in the Short North was Outrageous, it's unacceptable and it must be stop.

Columbus Asst. Police Chief LaShanna Potts (left), Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Short North Alliance director Betsy Pandora talk about the mass shooting Sunday morning that injured 10 people. They spoke from the second floor patio of the Graduate Hotel, 750 N. High St.

Columbus has seen violent crime and gun violence, which is making national news, since Ginther took office in 2016.

What a disgrace.

A measly $100,000 bail for the driver who fled the Short North crime scene at over 100 miles per hour. He gets a break because he turned himself in.

Please. Who was the judge that allowed such low bail? Why bother with bail at all? Arrest and release.

Judges, and others, are deliberately making the jobs of our fine Columbus Police officers more difficult.

Remember in November.

Short North businesses and other areas being terrorized by criminals using unregistered/stolen guns; remember those judges, attorneys and elected officials who allow criminals back on the street. Arrest and release. Look at past interviews and the history of those like Klein, and other Democrats, who have allowed the city to be taken over by criminals.

They are not doing the city any favors allowing the increase in crime  the crime they created  to continue.

Remember in November.

Carmen Sauer, Columbus

CCS needs to change their mindset. Think of the students.

Jun 25, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; School consolidation task force chairman Jim Negron speaks to reporters following Columbus City Schools board meeting in which school closures and consolidation were recommended.

As the parent of a Columbus City Schools graduate and grandparent of a current CCS elementary student, Ive seen several rounds of school closures come and go.

While I applaud the school board for pausing their vote on the current recommendations, I still am not sure that they are asking the right question.

Rather than asking which schools should close, they need to reframe their mindset to How can we keep schools open, so that they best serve their students and the community?

I understand that it may not be possible to keep every school, but minimizing disruptions for students and maximizing resources should be their top and, really, only goal.

As many parents and community members have pointed out, closing schools is directly linked to declines in student population. We must reverse this trend now.

Sharon Hamersley, Columbus

Ohio is burning

I read the Dispatch editorial June 23 and was saddened by what it talked about.

The listing of some of the bills currently being considered in the Ohio Legislature is disheartening. There is House Bill 245 aimed at the LGBQT community, House Bill 556 and House Bill 622, aimed at libraries and librarians, and Senate Bill 83 which attempts to restrict pedagogy in Ohio institutions of higher education.

Meanwhile, while our band of Nero's at the Statehouse are fiddling with these culture war issues, Ohio is burning.

Last week, Ohio was rated as one of the worst states, according to a study conducted by "U.S. News & World Report." Ohio was ranked No. 36. This study included 71 metrics across eight categories: crime and corrections, economy, education, fiscal stability, health care, infrastructure, natural environment and opportunity.

Our legislators should start focusing on what is really important to Ohio and Ohioans. They need to stop focusing on fabricated issues that do nothing to advance our state and its residents.

Mark Corna, Powell

Council members should visit McNaughten neighborhoods

I would like to invite the city council members to visit our McNaughten neighborhoods. Seven members gave their okay for a large new apartment complex to be built, despite public outcry.

The optimal times for the members to visit would be from 6:30 to 9 a.m. when young children are waiting for the school bus on McNaughten. Please then return at 3:30 p.m., when Olde Orchard Elementary dismisses.

You can see many cars on the side of the road (there's no berm here) and its almost impossible to turn left onto McNaughten or Olde Orchard Drive.

Or maybe visit anytime during the day, to see cars attempt to turn left into the eye center, or emergency vehicles attempting to rush down McNaughten to a 911 call. Then, visualize 296-plus cars on this road.

More: Council approves new apartment complex over concerns of Far East Side residents

How this can be beneficial for increased housing?

Even the panhandlers on the corner of Broad and McNaughten know to stand 20 feet away from that intersection, where there have been numerous accidents.

Come visit us. Wed love to talk to you and show you how unsafe it is now and how things will get worse, thanks to you.

Peg Traver Baer, Columbus

One respects the rule of law; one doesn't.

President Joe Biden respects the rule of law. Former President Donald Trump doesnt.

Hunter Biden has been convicted of falsely failing to disclose his drug addiction when purchasing a handgun. President Biden doesnt say the trial was rigged. He doesnt ask for any special treatment. On the contrary, he has said that he will accept the outcome of the trial and wont pardon his son.

Complete respect for the rule of law.

On the other hand, Trump has been convicted of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels because disclosure would likely have cost him the 2016 election. Trump reacted to his conviction by calling the trial rigged.

A change of venue claim was denied on appeal in accordance with standard legal principles. The recusal request denial was supported by the state ethics advisory committee. The 12-person jury of ordinary citizens unanimously concluded that Trump violated all the 34 felony counts.

There was no abuse of prosecutorial discretion because the unlawful hush money payment was of national significance.

Bottom line: The trial was fair.

Trump cant man-up, so he disrespects the rule of law and expects special treatment.

If elected again, he would likely continue this disrespect, a danger to all of us. Lets not let that happen.

Mark Hennessey, Pepper Pike

Ohio cities need to plant more

Re letter to the editor "Columbus on a melting iceberg," June 23: Letter writer Glen Tuomaala is right. Columbus, and much of Ohio, is not doing enough to prepare for the weather coming our way.

Instead of planting shade providing cooling trees in every available swath of land, the state continues to mow roadsides and clear cut every carbon absorbing plant and shrub along the highways.

These mowers reduce our air quality with emissions and add heat to our atmosphere. Greenery creates shade, holds in moisture and reduces heat.

Other urban areas are finding heat relief by adding shells and white matter to their asphalt and roofing materials to reflect sunlight. Why aren't we?

Any state or government property that can support more trees, like the large swath of dead grass adjacent to the municipal court building at Rich and High Streets should be forested with drought resistant trees and underground watering systems.

Flash flooding will eventually become the norm. What are we doing to proactively capture and save that water? People will migrate away from the equator as our world warms. We should be planning for population shifts.

Ohio needs forward thinking leadership that cares about all off its inhabitants and not just the almighty dollar.

Michelle Hughes, Columbus

No need for debate, give me Michelle Obama

Why I will vote for Michelle Obama.

She's smart: Princeton undergrad, Harvard law.

Young: 60

Experienced: Eight years as the first lady

Those eight years in the Obama White House will have provided scores of valuable contacts and experience maneuvering through the workings of government. She will be able to accomplish great things in her eight-year tenure.

Jeffrey Greek, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Short North shooting shows crime out of control under Andrew Ginther
ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4)  The St. George Police Department is investigating a shooting between two cars on a major city roadway that led to a multi-state chase and three people taken into custody.

The police department said one of its officers watched as two cars were driving on Bluff Street around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26. The officer reported hearing multiple popping sounds before one of the cars swerved off to the shoulder of the roadway.

The driver of the car that swerved told the officer someone in the other car had shot at him but fortunately, no one was injured.

When officers found the suspect car, it allegedly fled down southbound I-15.

Daily flights from St. George to Los Angeles coming this year

Several officers pursued the vehicle through Arizona and into Nevada, the St. George Police Department said in a statement. Mesquite PD was advised and spiked the vehicles tires, stopping the vehicle.

St. George Police Department said three suspects  two adult men and a 17-year-old juvenile  were taken into custody. The two adults are currently awaiting extradition to Utah while the teen was released to his parents after being referred to Juvenile Court. Police have not released the identities of the suspects.

Detectives say evidence supporting a shooting was collected but an investigation is currently ongoing. The St. George Police Department is asking anyone who may have additional information about the incident to call the police as soon as possible. Potential victims or witnesses can call 435-627-4300 and reference incident 24P016976.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Palestinians say goodbye to patients before they are transferred for treatment abroad

Palestinians say goodbye to patients before they are transferred for treatment abroad

By Mohammad Salem

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Little Fayez Abu Kwaik clung to his mother before he left for cancer treatment outside Gaza without her, his arms around her neck and his face pressed into her as the tears ran down her cheeks.

Fayez, aged 5, was in a group of children who have been cleared to leave the enclave for medical reasons. His parents said Israel had not accepted their travel request so Fayez would go with his grandmother, whose application was approved.

Travel out of Gaza has always been difficult, subject to intensive security checks by both Israeli and Egyptian authorities.

When the war began on Oct. 7, it became far harder. Since Israeli forces took control of the main Rafah border crossing into Egypt in the latest stage of their military campaign, travel has been almost impossible.

For parents with sick or injured children, their maladies worsened by nearly nine months of intense Israeli bombardment of Gaza that has pushed nearly all people from their homes and left the health system in tatters, the situation is catastrophic.

The branch of the Israeli defence ministry responsible for liaising with Gaza on civil affairs, COGAT, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"Lumps in his body have spread and we dont know what the reason is," said his mother, Kamela Abu Kwaik.

"I am heartbroken. He has been unwell when he was with me, and he is unable to get treatment. How I am going to leave him when he is only five years old," she added.

The family do not know exactly where Fayez will be treated but they believe his best chance is joining the convoy of two buses and four ambulances to Egypt, via Israel, along with about 20 other children and accompanying adults.

INJURIES

In one ambulance a boy lay on a stretcher, his legs missing from above the knee. A father stood holding his two little daughters, one of them bandaged across the head after suffering burns during Israeli bombardment, he said.

The conflict began when Hamas fighters raided Israeli communities on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and abducting around 250 others according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military response has involved an all-out ground and air campaign in Gaza, levelling swathes of the tiny enclave and killing at least 37,700 people and injuring 86,400 others according to Palestinian health authorities.

"Look at him. He is bursting from all the crying. What have they done to deserve this? He is five years old," Fayez's mother said.

"He says to me 'I love you - don't leave me'. What should I do? It's not in my control. Do you think I want to leave him?" she said, her voice breaking as he was carried to the bus.

Mohammed Zaqout, director of Gaza hospitals who had helped arrange the convoy, said there were more than 25,000 cases of illness and injury in the enclave that required treatment which could no longer be provided there.

Those cases included 250 children who required urgent treatment for life threatening problems, he said.

As the bus pulled away, a small child could be seen through a window, crying inconsolably.

(Reporting by Mohammed Salem, additional reporting by Ari Rabinovitch, Writing by Angus McDowall, Editing by William Maclean)
A man accused of murdering three Manatee County women before being killed in a shootout with Florida deputies had a history of domestic violence and mental health issues, according to court records.

Detectives with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office are still investigating why 28-year-old Javontee Brice allegedly shot and killed his mother, 48-year-old Titinysha Scott; his cousin, Sacouya Starquez Jonquila Brice; and his ex-girlfriends partner, Chanel Carter, 31, in three separate shootings on Monday.

But court records show Brice was previously arrested for domestic abuse and had a risk protection order filed against him that restricted his access to firearms. Law enforcement officials believe Brice shot himself with a gun in at least two different instances and Bradenton police described him as a significant danger.

Brice faced a domestic battery by strangulation charge in September after Bradenton police said he struck a woman in the face and placed her in a chokehold while she was in the passenger seat of his car. Court records show these charges were later dropped.

Brice also faced charges of battery and resisting an officer without violence in August 2022 after police said he got into a fight in the parking lot of Palmetto Trace Apartments and was not cooperative. Brice pleaded no contest to the charges and was placed on 12 months probation, according to court records.

Sheriff Rick Wells said during a Tuesday morning news conference that the sheriffs office is aware of Brices court records and referenced the domestic strangulation charge that was dismissed. He added that there is still much more that the agency needs to learn about Brices mindset leading up to Mondays shootings.

Homicide suspect had mental health issues, records say

As far as his mental state of being, Im not really sure what kind of issues he may have dealt with in the past, you know, well still be investigating all of that, Wells said.

Wells also said those same Palmetto Trace Apartments were Brices first stop on a killing spree throughout Palmetto and Bradenton Monday night.

Brice went to the apartments, where his sister and ex-girlfriend were, intending to kill his ex-girlfriend, but Wells said his sister was able to talk him out of it.

Three women are dead after deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office say 28-year-old Javontee Brice shot and killed them before deputies in North Florida shot him dead during a shootout. Deputies were dispatched to a shooting in the 900 block of 26th Street Court East in Palmetto where they say a 29-year-old woman had been shot while sitting inside a parked SUV Monday night.

According to Wells, Brice then went to a Motel 6 where he shot his mother three times, killing her, before later killing his cousin at a cookout in Palmetto and his ex-girlfriends new partner at a house in Bradenton.

Deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office in North Florida killed Brice in a shootout near the Georgia state line early Tuesday morning after Wells said Brice exited his vehicle and opened fire on them.

A significant danger, Bradenton police said

But court records show the Bradenton Police Department previously flagged Brice as posing a significant danger of causing personal injury to himself or others by having a firearm or any ammunition in his custody or control.

The agency filed a risk protection order against Brice in August 2021 after investigators said he shot himself, but records show the order expired in 2023.

The order came after officers said Brice posted a cryptic message on Facebook that said I love my babies and that a lot of people dont know what Ive been through. The post also asked his family to look after his kids and raise them, while saying it was a fun run and sharing the password to his phone.

Three women are dead after deputies with the Manatee County Sheriffs Office say 28-year-old Javontee Brice shot and killed them before deputies in North Florida shot him dead during a shootout. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother at Motel 6 near Interstate 75 Monday night.

Brice also made a string of similarly bizarre social media posts Monday as he appeared to post updates as he murdered his loved ones, according to the sheriffs office. By Tuesday morning, those posts had racked up thousands of likes, comments and shares.

About 10 minutes after he made those Facebook posts in 2021, police said they found Brice with a gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen that they believed was self-inflicted. Officers say Brice had to be restrained and taken to HCA Florida Blake Hospital for treatment.

Triple homicide shooter made gun threats, records say

When questioned by police, officers say Brice told them he had gone to his mothers residence in Bradenton Village, but his mother did not answer the door or let him in when he knocked.

Brice said he then returned to his vehicle and retrieved his revolver, a Rossi .38 Special, because he has younger siblings, but detectives said it was 3 a.m. at the time.

Sheriff Wells said at a press conference that the gun used in Mondays killings was a .38 revolver.

Brice told police that while getting in the car and trying to put the gun away, he shot himself accidentally, according to court documents, but investigators say the injury location indicated that the firearm would have had to be held straight and not fired accidentally.

Brices sister told police she also learned that Brice sent text messages to his kids mothers asking them to take care of his children if something happened to him that night. Brice told his sister that he knew he was going to get shot that night but would not elaborate how, according to court records.

Detectives said she told them Brice just wants to be with his granddad and best friend, who both previously died.

Javontee Brice, the man accused of murdering three Manatee County women before being killed in a shootout with Florida deputies, had a history of domestic violence and mental health issues, according to court records. Deputies say Brice shot and killed his mother at Motel 6 near Interstate 75 Monday night.

Detectives said they learned from Brices sister that he had been at a party the night of the incident where he had been drinking and that he often gets emotional while he is under the influence of alcohol.

Following his treatment at the hospital, Brice was placed under a Baker Act and taken to Suncoast Behavioral Center. A judge later approved a risk protection order barring his access to firearms. That order expired in August, according to court records.

Brices sister told detectives a similar incident happened years ago in Georgia. In 2018, Brice shot himself but claimed someone else did it, according to court records.

Sheriff Wells said Brice was on his way to Georgia Tuesday morning intending to kill a fourth person, possibly an ex-girlfriend. Instead, Wells said Brice encountered deputies with Hamilton County near the state line who fatally shot him after he opened fire.

An investigation into the triple homicide case is ongoing.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)  The Michigan House of Representatives passed six bills that codify several current Board of State Canvassers and Bureau of Elections practices and clarify the petition process in Michigan on Wednesday.

Lawmakers claim that these bills will combat ballot petition fraud and strengthen the states electoral system pending the upcoming election season.

House Bill 5571, sponsored by Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou (D-75), allows the Board of State Canvassers to use statistically random sampling when reviewing a petition for a ballot proposal. This also allows the board to disqualify fraudulent signatures and disqualify candidates who do not comply with any investigation into fraudulent signatures.

This package will strengthen Michigans electoral process. Recent attempts to use fraudulent signatures for petitions demonstrate the need to pass lasting legislation that will protect Michigan voters, Tsernoglou said. Active civic participation is a sign of a strong democracy and thus we must encourage the involvement of all Michiganders in the legislative process, while also protecting the validity of petitions that may one day appear on the ballot.

House Bill 5574, sponsored by Rep. Joey Andrews (D-38) requires that the Secretary of State provides copies of the language that will appear on the ballot to city and township clerks in addition to county clerks and post monthly updates on the status of each petition.

Petitions encourage civic participation and allow voters to make their voices heard. Because of their significance, we must do everything in our power to ensure voters have enough time to learn what they will be voting on, Andrews said. This bill package helps secure the petition process, which in turn helps secure the electoral process. We will continue to work to ensure the voices of Michiganders are accurately represented.

House Bill 5573, sponsored by Rep. Jason Morgan (D-8) allows the Board of State Canvassers to use statistically random sampling to determine the validity of signatures on a petition for a constitutional amendment. It also requires the Secretary of State to post the 100-word statement of purpose required for a ballot proposal on the Department of States website instead of in newspapers published in Michigan.

House Bill 5576, sponsored by Rep Jaime Churches (D-27), allows the Board of State Canvassers to use statistically random sampling to determine whether or not petitions that are seeking to create new political parties have enough valid signatures.

This package will help secure elections across the state. Fraudulent petition signatures threaten the sanctity of our elections, and these bills address this concern and target the problem at its core, Churches said. We must continue to take election security very seriously and as a Legislature, we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the electoral process accurately represents the voices of Michigan voters. These bills will substantially reduce the number of staff hours needed to evaluate petitions whilst maintaining the highest levels of security and integrity.

House Bill 5575, sponsored by Rep, Jasper Martus (D-69), eliminates the requirement that more than 15% of signatures on a petition for ballot proposal must not be from only one congressional district after the Supreme Court struck the requirement down as unconstitutional. Additionally, petitions to initiate legislation must be filed with the Secretary of State at least 10 days before the beginning of a legislative session.

House Bill 5572, sponsored by Rep. Donovan McKinney (D-14), allows the Board of State Canvassers to use statistically random sampling regarding nomination petitions and allow them to disqualify fraudulent signatures.

This package is one of the many ways we can ensure the integrity of our elections, including the ability to randomly sample signatures for validation and sufficiency during the petition process, McKinney said. Its important that we continue to make sure that if an irregularity is found, the process for the Board of State Canvassers is timely and followed to the letter.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News.
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

SLIDELL, La. (WGNO)  A second Slidell high school teacher accused of sexual misconduct with a student was arrested on Wednesday, June 26, following the continued investigation into another teacher.

According to the Slidell Police Department, 35-year-old Alexa Wingerter has been the subject of an investigation that began in early March and surrounded allegations that she had inappropriate relationships with male students at Slidell High School and was allegedly sending inappropriate pictures and messages via cell phone and social media. Wingerter was arrested in late April.

Kentucky man pleads guilty to making hate crime threats toward Harvey school

Since then, SPD officers said they executed search warrants and allegedly found evidence that a second Slidell High School teacher, identified by the SPD as 31-year-old Shelby Cavignac, was also having inappropriate relationships with students.

Slidell police say that the additional evidence also supported that Wingerter had inappropriate relations with additional students, who were not immediately identified during the initial investigation.

Former Orleans Parish Communication District director pleads not guilty in 2023 crash case

Cavignac was arrested on a warrant for prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student, and three new warrants were issued for Wingerter, which include two counts of prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Both Wingerter and Cavignac have been arrested and were booked into the Slidell City Jail.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

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FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives to a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, on Feb. 1, 2024. Slovakias Parliament has approved a package of measures meant to boost security for leading politicians and others following an assassination attempt on populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP)  Slovakias Parliament approved a package of legislation Thursday meant to boost security for leading politicians and others following an assassination attempt on populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The measures, which were approved by the coalition government on June 12, are set to take effect July 15 after expected approval by President Peter Pellegrini, Ficos close ally.

The package was criticized by the opposition and rights group Amnesty International among others as an attempt to limit peoples right to gather.

Under the legislation, authorities will have the right to ban protest rallies in front of politicians homes and residential areas. Demonstrations also wouldnt be allowed near the seats of government and president.

The Interior Ministry would identify and prepare long-term residences for the prime minister, president and parliamentary speaker who will be obliged to use them.

Protection also would be provided for the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament, the prosecutor general and the chief judge at the Constitutional Court.

Prime ministers and parliamentary speakers who served at least two terms would receive a regular payment after their terms expire. The benefit is currently provided only for former presidents.

Fico, who took office last year after campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-U.S. platform, has been recovering after being shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters on May 15 in the town of Handlova. The assailant was arrested.
Slovakia's new president meets Zelenskyy for first time, has "productive good-neighbourly debate"

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who assumed office in mid-June, had his first meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the European Union Summit in Brussels.

Source: Pellegrini on Twitter (X), as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to Slovakia's President, he and Zelenskyy had a "productive good-neighbourly debate," during which they addressed the recent joint meeting of Ukraine and Slovakia's governments and "discussed his plans for a full-fledged visit to Ukraine".

"I assured my Ukrainian counterpart that Slovakia wishes for a soon and just peace for Ukraine," Pellegrini added.

I meet in #Brussels with the President of #Ukraine Volodymyr @ZelenskyyUa. We had a productive good-neighbourly debate. We reflected on the recent joint meeting of our countries governments and discussed my plans for a full-fledged visit to Ukraine.



I assured my Ukrainian pic.twitter.com/IAGcwoQPWg  Peter Pellegrini (@PellegriniP_) June 27, 2024

Pellegrini earlier stated that he could meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington.

The day before, Slovakia's new president said that his country was participating in the Czech proposal to purchase shells for Ukraine, with the purchased ammunition being modernised by Slovak manufacturers.

It should be mentioned that after taking office, the administration of Robert Fico stated that Slovakia would not provide military support to Ukraine and supported a diplomatic resolution to the conflict. At the same time, the Fico government has not halted the commercial sale of weaponry to Kyiv and officially supports the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.



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KATHMANDU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepal-China border trade more than doubled during the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, according to the latest data released by Nepal's Department of Customs.

Following the reopening of Rasuwagadhi-Kerung and Tatopani-Zhangmu border points for two-way trade in late 2022 and May 2023, respectively, bilateral border trade rose to 94.25 billion Nepali rupees (709 million U.S. dollars) in the first 11 months of 2023-24 ending in mid-July, up from 40 billion rupees (300 million dollars) during the same period in 2022-23.

Nepal's exports to China stood at 1.63 billion rupees (12.3 million dollars), while its imports from China were worth 92.62 billion rupees (696 million dollars) during the period, showed the customs figures.

"The reopening of border points has a clear impact on the surge in bilateral trade through the land routes, as the movement of goods and people was eased," said Ram Prasad Pathak, chief customs officer at Rasuwa Customs Office.

Nepal-China trade through Rasuwagadhi-Kerung was valued at 57 billion rupees (429 million dollars) during the period, up from 28.26 billion rupees (212 million dollars) in 2022-23.

"The biggest contributor to bilateral trade was electric vehicles imported by Nepal through this border point," Pathak told Xinhua.

Nepal's total imports from China stood at 272.81 billion rupees (2.05 billion dollars) during the first 11 months of 2023-24, while the exports were worth 2.4 billion rupees (18 million dollars), according to Nepal's customs data. 
Finally, waves have rights, too. At least in a small municipality in Espirito Santo, Brazil, according to a post published by SurferToday, and a corroborating LinkedIn post by a fervent former environmental lawyer from Brazil.

Based upon the UN legal modality recognized by the United Nations and promoted locally by a handful of advocacy groups, Linhares, a municipality in the state of Espirito Santo, a few hundred miles north of Rio de Janeiro, just became the worlds first administration to recognize and protect the rights of wavesor the seas in which they break, anyhow.

Related: The Mission To Protect Mexico's Pointbreaks Is On, And You Can Help

The proposal was spurred by a November 2015 dam failure and subsequent spillage of wastewater from a Vale and BHP Billiton iron-ore mine upstream in Mariana, Minas Geraisan all-too-familiar story out of Brazilwhich inundated a town, killing 17 and injuring dozens more. The Linhares coastline was devastated as well as a smattering of hollow, freight-training peaks in Regencia along the Doce Rivers moutha tragedy in its own right (not to diminish the former).

Nearly 400 miles downstream, toxic mud was seen billowing out of the Doce River Mouth and into the South Atlantic 17 days later, choking out and wreaking havoc on anything in its path and effectively shutting down the surf break. Surfers and ecologists got together and decided something had to be done, following in the footsteps of the Save the Waves Coalitions World Surfing Reserves initiative and rallying to get a bill proposed in 2018.

Farm flooded by water from the Doce River, due to the collapse of the Fundao dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais. Pampolin via Getty Images

While the subject of inanimate personhood (see: corporations) dates at least back to the Roman Republic and the early Catholic Church, pushes for the same rights for animals, and to some extent the environment, have been more novel and slow-going, and this right here is a good case in point.

Some five years later, in 2023, municipality Councilor Antonio Cesar signed and submitted the bill under his mandate, which includes Comprehensive protection that acknowledges the ocean as a living being subject to intrinsic rights to existence, regeneration, and restoration, as former environmental lawyer Mauro Figueiredo summarized and celebrated on LinkedIn last week.

Related: After Devastating Floods, Surfers are on the Frontlines in Southern Brazil

The specifics of the protections involve protecting the ecosystem from human interference, safeguarding culturally, environmentally, and touristically significant areas linked to the waves, integration of traditional knowledge and conservation practices, and a whole mess of other broad, sweeping conditions that dont necessarily seem enforceable.

This might be a small winwell jump for joy when entire nations breaks get these rightsit is no doubt a feat. Hats off to Linhares.
A small shrub used to make IndyCar racing tires could help save rainforests and make deserts greener

Bridgestone is growing desert shrubs called guayule in Arizona as an alternative source of rubber.

Guayule could be a sustainable domestic source of rubber, helping reduce deforestation.

This article is part of "The Future of Supply-Chain Management," a series on companies' manufacturing and distribution strategies.

If you've watched IndyCar racing over the past couple of years, you may have seen some of the cars using green tires with a difficult-to-pronounce name.

The name is guayule, pronounced why-OO-lee. It's a small desert shrub native to the southwestern US and Mexico that Bridgestone uses to make the rubber in the sidewalls of its green Firestone-branded racing tires.

Nick Eulau, the executive director for guayule and end-of-life tire recycling at Bridgestone, said the company's ambitions for guayule go beyond the race track.

Bridgestone is trying to develop a sustainable domestic source of natural rubber that could help stem reliance on supplies from tropical forests while bolstering biodiversity and agriculture in arid climates.

Guayule has been a source of natural rubber for a century. Firestone, which was acquired by the Japanese tire giant in 1988, has been working with the shrub since World War II.

Scott Dixon taking the checkered flag in Long Beach using Bridgestone's Firestone guayule tires. MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images/Getty Images

But Bridgestone's interest in the desert shrub ramped up in the early 2010s, when it launched its guayule research initiative and broke ground on a Biorubber Process Research Center in Mesa, Arizona. That facility was followed by a 281-acre guayule farm in nearby Eloy.

Where does rubber come from?

More than 330 million car and commercial truck tires were sold in the US in 2023, according to the US Tire Manufacturers Association.

The trade group estimates natural rubber accounts for about one-fifth of the materials in a passenger tire and one-third of the materials in a commercial truck tire. The rest of the tire is composed of synthetic rubber, steel, and fillers such as silica and carbon black.

Nearly all that natural rubber comes from the Hevea brasiliensis, or rubber tree, found in forests and plantations primarily in Southeast Asia, with some in West Africa as well.

Tappers harvesting rubber sap at a plantation in Indonesia. NurPhoto/Getty Images

At these plantations, about 220 rubber trees are planted per acre. They're ready for harvest in six or seven years.

"The actual harvest method is a tree-by-tree manual process where workers use a special tool to cut grooves into the tree's bark, and the liquid latex flows out, like when you tap a maple tree for syrup," Eulau told Business Insider.

Each tree can produce as much as 330 pounds of rubber during its 20- to 30-year lifetime, after which the trees are cut down for wood and a fresh crop is replanted.

Why guayule?

A reliance on the rubber tree as the primary source of natural rubber could threaten both tropical forest ecosystems and the long-term stability of the global rubber supply chain.

The trees that are the backbone of the natural-rubber supply chain are susceptible to disease. While the trees are native to the Amazon, leaf blight helped kill off large-scale rubber production in the region nearly a century ago.

A worker at a plantation in Indonesia harvesting rubber. SOPA Images/Getty Images

In addition, environmentalists have accused the rubber industry of contributing to large-scale deforestation in Southeast Asia. A 2023 study published in the journal Nature by researchers from Europe, the UK, and China found that more than 4 million hectares, or nearly 10 million acres, of rainforest had been lost to rubber production in Southeast Asia since 1993.

The mass cultivation of guayule may help support biodiversity and protect topsoil from the ravages of a harsh desert climate.

While many plants can't survive the dry heat of the Sonoran Desert, where Bridgestone's Eloy farm is located, it's guayule's natural environment.

Eulau said the plants on Bridgestone's farm require irrigation but use far less water than other crops prevalent in the region.

Long rows of 20-inch-tall guayule plants take about two years to reach maturity. Bridgestone.

A farmer in Arizona told Popular Science in 2022 that corn required nearly twice as much water during a four-month growing season as guayule did in a year.

Eulau told BI that guayule cultivation "enables continued agriculture in regions where the amount of crop you produce is not really governed by the acreage of land available but instead by the water available."

The shrubs also help protect the topsoil. "If you can use a little water to keep guayule growing on your land," Eulau said, "it reduces dust pollution and helps keep the biological material in the soil, which promotes soil health and its long-term prospects for agriculture."

At harvest, the farm relies on industrial machinery to bear the brunt of the load.

"When you harvest, you cut off the top, a few inches from the ground. We take everything except the rootstock, which the plant will regenerate from," Eulau said. "Everything is done with large tractors and industrial machinery, so it's far less labor intensive."

Guayule harvesting in Arizona. Bridgestone.

The harvested plants are sent to Bridgestone's processing center in Mesa, where rubber, resin, and other biomasses are extracted.

In addition to Arizona, Bridgestone has growing trials in Texas, New Mexico, and Argentina to evaluate the potential for commercial guayule cultivation in those areas.

What's the holdup?

Though Bridgestone is working to make its guayule more drought-resistant and able to generate better yields, its rubber is ready for commercial use.

"We have shown that we can do it," Eulau said. "We can produce a guayule rubber that's perfectly useful for the tires on your minivan."

But commercial guayule farming is still in its nascency.

Scaling guayule farming for a supply chain would require more refineries and production facilities. Bridgestone would also want to refine crop genetics and set best cultivation practices for farmers.

Even when the guayule is ready for the big time, don't expect it to replace rubber trees. Bridgestone sees guayule as a supplemental source of rubber rather than the successor to the rubber tree.

"Both supply chains will continue to exist in parallel, at least for a relatively long period of time," Eulau said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Smith County awards Texans on Mission for helping 100 homes in storm damage clean up

SMITH COUNTY, Texas (KETK)  Smith County officials awarded Texans on Mission Disaster Relief Team volunteers on Thursday for their help in cleaning up homes after severe weather left a wake of damages in late May and early June.

Texas nonprofit continues cleanup efforts in Van Zandt County

The disaster relief team, historically known as Texas Baptist Men, worked in Smith County for the past three weeks after receiving more than 140 work orders of people requesting help to clear downed trees.

Incident Commander Jim Lawton said several teams have helped complete 100 of those work orders and will continue to help as many as possible before they leave Smith County on Saturday.

Courtesy of Smith County

County Judge Neal Franklin and Emergency Management Coordinator Brandon Moore presented the group with the Smith County Community Hero Award.

East Texas firework stands open ahead of Fourth of July

We appreciate you and the driving force behind your hard work helping the citizens of Smith County, Franklin said.

Chainsaw teams from Tyler and Athens were assisted by volunteers form Katy and Pittsburg and others from Louisiana and Arkansas. Team members who dont live in the area have reportedly stayed at the First Baptist Church in Whitehouse.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.
MURRAY, Utah (ABC4)  An employee of a smoke and vape shop in Murray was arrested Tuesday for allegedly selling THC to undercover officers on multiple occasions, according to arrest documents obtained by ABC4.com.

Sandeep Mandadapu, 24, was arrested on five charges, including two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, which are both third-degree felony charges; two counts of money laundering, both second-degree felony charges; and one count of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor.

READ NEXT: Utah woman nicknamed Giggles sentenced for theft of Amazon truck, packages

According to the affidavit of probable cause, undercover officers were conducting an investigation on the smoke shop in Murray for the past several weeks.

Mandadapu was an employee at that shop, and on June 19, undercover agents purchased a product from him. Documents said Mandadapu sold them THC wax, which had a THC content of about 60%, according to tests performed by the Utah Department of Agriculture.

During this controlled buy the sworn undercover Agent observed Mandadapu take the imprest funds and place it into the register, arrest documents said.

LEARN MORE: A breakdown of Utahs marijuana laws: What is legal?

On June 25, officers were granted a warrant for the smoke shop.

That same day, undercover agents made another purchase from Mandadapu, and Mandadapu put the money into the till again. After the second purchase, agents entered the shop to serve the warrant and place Mandadapu under arrest.

In an interview with officers, Mandadapu told them he receives a cut of the proceeds made from selling the marijuana products, which would often come out to about $100 to $150 per day.

While searching the business, agents recovered the money from the register and seized a large amount of THC and marijuana products, documents said.

Mandadapu was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday afternoon.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Researchers at the Southern Nevada Public Health Laboratory test mosquitoes for virus. (Photo courtesy of Southern Nevada Health District)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed two cases of West Nile virus for this season, amid a major increase in mosquito activity.

One patient, a male over the age of 60, was diagnosed with a milder form of the illness that often presents with symptoms similar to the common flu, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Health officials report the patient has recovered.

The second patient, a male over the age of 70, developed a more serious form of the illness, a neuroinvasive form that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord leading to paralysis or a coma. However, health officials confirmed the 70-year-old patient has also recovered.

Those first confirmed cases come after health officials in Clark County reported the highest level of mosquito activity in the agencys 20-year history of monitoring this month.

Last year, local health officials confirmed two cases of locally transmitted West Nile virus for the entire mosquito season, which typically lasts from June to October. But health officials warn the large increase in mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus this season could lead to many more cases compared to last year.

There is precedent in Nevada for a spike in locally-transmitted West Nile virus. In 2019, the health district confirmed 43 cases of the illness in patients after mosquitoes tested positive for the virus across 43 zip codes.

As of June 21, about 7,500 mosquitoes from 30 zip codes tested positive for West Nile virus. Mosquitoes in another five zip codes tested positive for the virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis, a vector borne virus that can result in flu-like symptoms or, in more severe cases, a neuroinvasive form of the disease that can cause paralysis or a coma.

Public health officials are encouraging everyone to take steps to protect themselves. Clark County does not have an established mosquito control program to oversee the treatment and elimination of mosquito breeding, but the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses can be reduced by eliminating standing water around homes, and installing protective screens on doors, windows, and doggy doors.

Mosquito abatement programs in the U.S. have proven effective at reducing mosquito populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that the only way to reduce mosquitoes and the dangers they pose is a comprehensive hands-on approach, including monitoring, targeted pesticide use, and systemic interventions by local governments.

The post SNHD confirms first cases of West Nile virus amid severe mosquito season appeared first on Nevada Current.
Socorro Police: 3 men arrested for 2023 shooting, 2 others arrested in unrelated charges

Socorro Police: 3 men arrested for 2023 shooting, 2 others arrested in unrelated charges

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM)  Socorro Police Department have arrested five men on Tuesday, June 25. Three of the men being in connection to the 2023 shooting that happened at Jardin De Flores Park.

Cesar Caldera, 19

Adrian Alejandro Rosales, 20

Kevin Munoz Rueda, 20

Jesus Daniel Lara, 19

Alejandro Fuentes-Lara, 20

In collaboration with the United States Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Socorro Police said they have arrested the following men in connection to the shooting:

Cesar Caldera, 19-years-old Charged with four counts of Aggravated Assault (Mass Shooting), bond set at $600,000

Adrian Alejandro Rosales, 20-years-old Charged with four counts of Aggravated Assault (Mass Shooting), bond set at $600,000

Kevin Munoz, 20-years-old Charged with four counts of Aggravated Assault (Mass Shooting), bond set at $600,000



According to Socorro Police, the shooting took place on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 at Jardin De Flores Park in the City of Socorro, located at 253 Flor Margarita Blvd.

Socorro Police: 4 men injured after shooting at park

Socorro Police said four individuals were hurt as a result of the shooting.

Afterward, the incident led to a retaliatory shooting in El Paso where two people died, according to Socorro Police.

Socorro Police say they have also arrested two other men with unrelated charges on June 25:

Jesus Daniel Lara, 19-years-old Charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 (>=4G<400G), bond set at $35,000

Alejandro Fuentes-Lara, 20-years-old Charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 2 (>=4G<400G), bond set at $35,000



This investigation took some time, and unfortunately, in incidents like this, those involved are often reluctant to cooperate with the police. Despite these obstacles, our detectives were able to identify and arrest those responsible for the shooting, said Chief of Police Robert Rojas.

Socorro Police say the apprehension operation was made in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, including the El Paso Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit, El Paso Police Department Gang Unit and the agencies assigned to the West Texas Anti-Gang Center.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) has carried out a cyberattack on several facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea on June 27, a source in the agency confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.

HUR has reportedly carried out several cyberattacks in recent months.

The agency attacked Russia's largest Internet providers operating in the peninsula a day earlier.

The attacks targeted the servers of propaganda media, telecom operators, and the system for registering and controlling traffic on the illegally-built Kerch (Crimean) Bridge, according to the source.

The work of local accounting systems was reportedly obstructed, while cash registers in Kerch and Sevastopol retail outlets were also disabled. The mass phishing attacks on local Internet users are continuing, the source added.

The mass DDoS attack affected the website of the Russian propaganda media Kerch FM and the servers of the mobile operator Miranda Media, which provides communication channels for the Sevastopol authority's call center.

The traffic registration and control system were also attacked, resulting in a long queue of cars trying to cross the Kerch bridge.

"Within an hour, the traffic jam increased sixfold, and in the morning, there were about 300 cars in the queue," the source said.

Read also: Ukrainian hackers claim responsibility for cyberattack on Russian banks, payment system

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The News

JOHANNESBURG  Talks between South Africas two biggest parties about forming a coalition cabinet were plunged into jeopardy after disagreements between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance over ministerial roles, according to people involved in the negotiations.

Leaders of the DA, the countrys second biggest party, have been angered by leaks of confidential letters and what they say is deal-breaking conduct by their ANC counterparts.

The ANC was forced to form a coalition government after failing to secure a simple majority in South Africas election last month. The center-right DA won the second largest share of the vote in the election and the two parties, traditionally foes, agreed to form a coalition with smaller parties. That enabled ANC leader President Cyril Ramaphosa to become the leader of Africas biggest economy for five more years.

But, following disagreements over ministerial roles and high profile leaks about the negotiations, DA Chair Helen Zille on Thursday told the partys leaders to prepare to walk away from the landmark deal struck with the ANC this month.

If we cannot get meaningful portfolios that make it possible for us to fulfill our commitment to our country, then wed rather remain five more years in opposition until we become the biggest party and then we can determine the frame, she said in a meeting on Thursday, a DA official familiar with the internal discussion told Semafor Africa.

Sams view

The talks are on a knife edge amid increasing animosity between the DA and the ANC.

Theres a lot at stake for both parties, and it wouldnt be easy for the DA to walk away. Its leaders have to consider how their exit from the deal with the ANC and other smaller parties would affect financial markets.

Investors have reacted positively since the announcement of the deal, with stocks and the South African currency appreciating.

Signs of discord between the parties could spook the financial markets.

The ANC can still form a minority government with the 40% it won in the May 29 elections. It may also stick with the confederation of small parties to buttress its position in parliament.

The biggest fear in the markets is the emergence of an alliance between the ANC and populist parties like Economic Freedom Fighters and uMkhonto weSizwe parties, which were excluded from coalition talks until early this week.

The DA and the ANC could come back to the negotiating table. After all, this is South Africa, a country that perpetually teeters on the brink of disaster and almost always finds a way to pull itself back  until the next dramatic event.

Know More

The DA initially said it wants 11 ministers and for its leader John Steenhuisen to be Ramaphosas deputy president.

Two letters leaked this week  from Zille to ANC secretary Fikile Mbalula, and his response  provided a glimpse into the tensions that have caused talks to stall.

Zille insisted power had to be shared in proportion to each partys vote proportion in the May 29 poll. Her party claimed 22% to the ANCs 40%.

Senior ANC officials told Semafor Africa their party rejected that request and Ramaphosa had instead asked the DA to provide six names to be considered for inclusion in the cabinet, which is expected to be made up of 28 people, the sources said.

The View From The ANC

Ramaphosa, in correspondence addressed to DA leader John Steenhuisen seen by Semafor Africa, labeled a letter from Zille as condescending. In that letter, Zille had laid out her partys demands, which included a call for eight of her partys members to be made cabinet ministers.

I believe the DA has jeopardized the foundation of setting up a government of national unity by moving the goalposts in your letter of 24 June 2024 to me. I am truly taken aback by how you now want two more portfolios to bring the DAs portfolios to eight, Ramaphosa wrote in the leaked letter, dated June 25.

Room for Disagreement

Zille told Semafor Africa that the DA has not formally decided to walk away from the partnership with the ANC. The ball is in their court. They must decide if they want to give us meaningful positions,  she said.
South Korea imposes new sanctions against vessels and companies from Russia and North Korea

The Republic of Korea has imposed sanctions on four Russian vessels and eight North Korean vessels for engaging in illegal arms and fuel trafficking and other activities that violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Source: South Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea

Details: The sanctions also apply to five organisations, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Missile Agency, which is responsible for the latest missile launch on Wednesday, which Seoul claims was a failed test.

The ministry said the move was a response to the military pact signed between Kim Jong Un and Kremlin leader Putin during their meeting in Pyongyang on 19 June.

"This pact calls for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other 'with all means' at their disposal and 'without delay' if either of the two countries is invaded or enters a state of war," the news agency stressed.

The four Russian vessels were involved in the supply of oil to North Korea through ship-to-ship transfers, which is a critical resource for the development of North Korea's nuclear and missile weapons.

Such activities violate UN Security Council sanctions, in particular Resolution No. 2397, adopted in December 2017.

The ministry said the sanctions also targeted eight DPRK citizens involved in the development and management of missiles at the DPRK Missile Agency.

Other organisations include the Russian company M Leasing LLC, which is responsible for the arms trade between Moscow and Pyongyang, and Euromarket, a Georgia-based company that sold Russian oil to North Korea.

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Press Release

June 27, 2024 Bong Go inspires graduates at DMMMSU-MLUC in San Fernando City, La Union; urges them to pursue their dreams for the betterment of the country "Unahin mo ang pagseserbisyo sa kapwa at hinding hindi ka magkakamali!" These were the words that echoed through the halls of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University-Mid La Union Campus (DMMMSU-MLUC) in San Fernando City, La Union on the morning of Tuesday, June 25. The resounding advice came from a legislator all too familiar with the challenges of guiding the youth towards a better future. The Guest of Honor and speaker, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, is no stranger to the struggles of guiding the younger generation nor to the pride that every parent in attendance felt. "Alam kong mahirap ang buhay estudyante. Pinagdaanan din namin 'yan. Pero alam n'yo, magulang din ako. Kaya alam ko rin kung gaano ang sakripisyo na pinagdadaanan ng mga magulang ninyo. Gutom, utang -- lahat 'yan, tini-tiyaga ng magulang ninyo para lamang matiyak na meron kayong pang-matrikula at pang-baon sa araw-araw," Go empathized. In light of these sacrifices, Go made a heartfelt request to the graduates, "Kaya ito naman sana ang hiling ko sa inyong mga mag-aaral: mamaya bago umuwi, kung pwede, yakapin o halikan ninyo ang mga magulang n'yo." Speaking to a crowd of over 700 attendees, including graduates, university officials, and guests, Go emphasized the importance of service and gratitude -- the greatest nugget of wisdom he learned from his mentor former President Rodrigo Duterte. "Basta gawin mo lang ang tama. Do what is right. Lagi mong isaalang-alang ang kapwa mo, lalo na ang mga mahihirap na nangangailangan ng pagmamalasakit. Huwag ninyo ako pasalamatan... Ako po ang dapat na magpasalamat sa inyo. Dahil binigyan ninyo po ako ng pagkakataong maka-serbisyo sa inyo. Ginagawa ko lamang po ang trabaho na mandato ninyo sa akin," he stated. He used this guiding principle to motivate the graduates, suggesting that one of them might one day become a senator or even to a higher office. Go reminded the graduates that life's bigger challenges are coming but these should never dampen the spirit to pursue their dreams. Through Go's initiatives, significant developments relevant to the university came to fruition. He co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11978, which established the South La Union Campus-College of Medicine at DMMMSU. Moreover, Go was also instrumental in securing PhP281 million in the 2022 General Appropriations Act for this new college, demonstrating his commitment to enhancing healthcare education and accessibility in La Union. Highlighting his other educational initiatives, Go then discussed several significant pieces of legislation aimed at supporting students and academic institutions. He noted that during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, RA 10931, known as the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, was legislated. This law has significantly helped impoverished students by providing free education at local colleges, universities, and state-operated technical vocational institutions. Building on the achievements of RA 10931, Go has co-authored and co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1360, which aims to broaden the scope and coverage of the Tertiary Education Subsidy. The senator also addressed the financial challenges students face, citing his co-authorship of RA 11984, or the "No Permit, No Exam" Prohibition Act, which prohibits educational institutions from denying students the right to take exams due to unpaid fees. Moreover, he is advocating for a moratorium on student loan payments during disasters through his filed SBN 1864, emphasizing his proactive stance on student welfare. Go is also promoting the mental health of students and educators with Senate Bill Nos. 379 and 1786, which he also pushed for. The bills aim to nurture an educational environment that supports both learning and personal growth. During the ceremony, Go, accompanied by his Malasakit Team, also personally handed out tokens of appreciation to students, faculty, and staff, celebrating their collective efforts and achievements. As the ceremony concluded, Go's message of hope, resilience, and community service resonated with the new graduates. Go emphasized the fundamental role of education in societal change. "I firmly believe that access to quality education is a fundamental driver of change. It removes barriers and evens the playing field, which is why I am dedicated to ensuring our educational system is accessible, affordable, and equitable for all," he declared. "Bilang inyong Senador, gagawin ko po ang lahat ng aking makakaya para tumulong sa ating mga mag-aaral, mga guro, at lalo na ang mga kababayan natin na walang matakbuhan kundi ang gobyerno," he affirmed. Highlighting the theme of 'malasakit,' or deep-seated care and concern, Go urged everyone to embrace this value: "Palagi ko nga pong sinasabi, There is a time for everything. At naniniwala po ako na ngayon ang panahon para mag-malasakit tayo sa isa't isa." Finally, he reminded the graduates of the fleeting nature of life and the enduring impact of altruistic actions. "Huwag nating kalimutan na minsan lang tayo dadaan sa mundong ito. Kung ano ang kabutihan o tulong na pwede nating gawin sa ating kapwa ay gawin na natin ngayon, dahil hindi na tayo babalik sa mundong ito," he advised. "Sana'y patuloy kayong maging inspirasyon sa inyong mga pamilya, sa inyong komunidad, at sa ating bayan. Tandaan ninyo, ang serbisyo sa tao ay serbisyo sa Diyos. Maraming salamat, congratulations, at mabuhay tayong lahat!" concluded the senator. On the same day, Go made a visit to the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City. He also led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Super Health Center in the city. Additionally, he extended aid to indigent residents in the town of San Juan.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Belarusian defense ministry, the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has dispatched a contingent to participate in a military parade on July 3, China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

The contingent is currently receiving training in the Belarusian capital of Minsk in preparation for the parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus.

China and Belarus have established an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership. The Guard of Honor of the PLA dispatched contingents to take part in military parades in Belarus in 2018 and 2019. 
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand  Nine years after development of South Koreas KF-21 Boramae began, the government has signed a deal with Korea Aerospace Industries for the production of 20 fighter jets.

The order comes as KAI reports the fighters development is currently 80% complete.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration awarded KAI the 1.96 trillion won contract (U.S. $1.41 billion) for the Block 1 batch, the company announced June 25. The platforms are considered 4.5-generation aircraft.

The first aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2026, and the final from this series by Aug. 31, 2027, according to KAI.

Despite many challenges and difficulties, the KF-21 system development project was able to reach mass production stably, thanks to the solid cooperation of related organizations, KAI President Kang Goo-young said in a news release.

Jinseok Song, who works on the firms KF-X program management team, named after the initial title for the KF-21, told Defense News last year that the company would manufacture 40 KF-21 Block I and 80 Block II aircraft. However, DAPA has initially ordered 20, per recommendations from the government-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.

The government may order another 20 next year, after further verification of the aircrafts performance.

Song said production for Block II, slated for development from 2026 to 2028, will add air-to-ground capabilities and an expanded performance envelope. About 2,200 test sorties are to be flown by 2026.

KAI has been preparing for this production contract by readying a supply chain of 600 domestic companies, building production facilities and acquiring tools. KAI aims to achieve a localization rate of 65%, noting that just as the localization rate gradually improved with delivery of the T-50 [jet] and Surion [helicopter], its expected the domestic production rate will increase as the aviation industry ecosystem is strengthened with mass production of the KF-21.

The KF-21 will replace South Koreas F-4 and F-5 fighters, with the former having retired this month.

Additional agreements

DAPA also recently signed a contract with Hanwha Systems for 20 active electronically scanned array radars for 110 billion won.

And on June 25, Hanwha Aerospace announced it inked a 556 billion won contract to produce 40 General Electric F414-GE-400 engines plus spares for the first score of KF-21s.

The first engine is expected to be ready by the end of 2025 and will be produced at a new factory in Changwon. With the capacity to manufacture 300 engines annually, Hanwha Aerospace broke ground for this new $30 million facility in April.

Hanwha Aerospace has reportedly manufactured more than 10,000 aircraft engines over the past 45 years, 82% of which were produced under license.

This contract serves as a stepping stone for Hanwha Aerospaces plans to develop next-generation engine technologies, the company said.

The firm added that it is actively pursuing research and development in sixth-generation engine technology.

Similarly, looking beyond the KF-21, KAI said it will further develop sixth-generation manned and unmanned system technology.
Ceremony to mark the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in Daegu

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. spy chief Avril Haines will be in South Korea and meet President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula and a recent pact between Moscow and Pyongyang pledging closer military ties, a news report said on Thursday.

Haines will meet Yoon and discuss the deepening Russia-North Korea ties and Pyongyang's provocative moves, the Joongang Ilbo daily reported, citing an unnamed national security official.

The meeting will be unofficial and there is no plan to make their discussions public, the official was quoted as saying.

Yoon's office said it cannot confirm the report.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) declined to comment.

Nuclear-armed North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully tested a missile that can deploy multiple warheads striking different targets under a goal set by its leader Kim Jong Un to perfect a range of strategic and tactical weapons.

On his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, Russian President and Kim signed a mutual defence pact, alarming officials in Seoul and Washington amid allegations that Pyongyang has been supplying arms to Russia to fight Ukraine.

Moscow and Pyongyang deny such arms transactions.

Following the signing of the military pact by Kim and Putin, South Korea said it would review the possibility of supplying arms directly to Ukraine, reversing a position it had maintained despite pressure from Washington and the West.

South Korea has emerged as a major arms exporter, aiming to become the world's fourth-largest supplier of weapons.

(Reporting by Jack Kim and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
Spacewalk suits are decades old. NASA just canceled plans for new ones due

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The iconic puffy white suits that astronauts have donned for decades as they step outside the International Space Station are rapidly aging  but NASA is now without concrete plans to replace them.

The space agency announced Wednesday that its abandoning contracts worth more than $100 million with Collins Aerospace  a division of RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, and a longtime NASA partner  to develop next-generation spacesuits.

Collins and the space agency mutually agreed to end the deal, which had committed the company to deliver the spacesuits by 2026, according to NASA.

This action was agreed upon after Collins recognized its development timeline would not support the space stations schedule and NASAs mission objectives, NASA said in a blog post.

Collins did not immediately reply to a request for comment Thursday morning.

Astronauts currently wear spacesuits  called Extravehicular Activity, or EVA, suits  designed more than 40 years ago when conducting spacewalks.

Collins Aerospaces Next-Gen spacesuit, intended for use at the International Space Station, is seen during the design process. NASA and Collins agreed to end the development deal, according to the space agency. - Trent Sugg/Collins Aerospace/PR Newswire

Earlier this week, NASA abandoned plans to remove a faulty electronics box outside the space station because an EVA suit worn by astronaut Tracy Dyson sprang a leak. The issue affected the spacesuits cooling unit, which keeps astronauts at a comfortable temperature as they work.

Its not yet clear how or whether NASA will renew or replace plans to develop a new generation of EVA suits for the space station.

One other company, Houston-based Axiom Space, has a NASA contract worth up to nearly $230 million to develop new spacesuits under the same program that Collins had operated. But Axioms outfits are designed to be worn on the moon.

NASA did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether Axioms suits may be repurposed for use on the space station.

SpaceX, another key NASA partner that provides astronaut transportation to and from the International Space Station, is also developing an EVA suit of its own.

But those plans focus on providing protection for four astronauts on a mission dubbed Polaris Dawn, an all-private endeavor bankrolled by finance billionaire Jared Isaacman that could take off as soon as this summer. Polaris Dawn could mark the first spacewalk conducted by a private company and a citizen astronaut.

SpaceX unveiled the designs for its EVA suits in May.

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment about whether NASA has reviewed those spacesuit designs or considered them for use at the International Space Station. The Elon Musk-led company does not typically respond to inquiries from news organizations.

NASA plans to retire the space station sometime within the next several years. In a separate news release detailing plans to destroy the space station when it retires, the federal agency noted that it is committed to continuing space station operations through 2030. But Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has only guaranteed its participation through at least 2028.

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As Spain gets its latest VC fund, Southern Europe appears to be on a roll

While startup valuations have plummeted since the bull run of 2021-2022, a factor that's hit the European startup ecosystem particularly hard, theres one region of Europe where the correction has slightly worked in its favor: the South.

Evidence for this was apparent during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, as time and time again your TechCrunch reporter bumped into Northern European VCs scouting startups on the "Iberian peninsula" (Spain and Portugal). These young companies bring a killer combination that VCs love: significantly lower operating costs and far less punchy valuations.

Further evidence of this "Southern trend" arrives with news that a new venture capital fund, Plus Partners, is being launched by Enrique Linares, one of the co-founders of breakout European unicorn letgo, and Oriol Juncosa, a veteran of the Barcelona VC scene. While Plus Partners hasnt released a figure for the launch of their new fund, the rumor Im hearing is it will be in the $30 million-$50 million range.

Looking at the fund's co-founders, Linares led letgo, a used goods marketplace, to become the first Spanish startup to achieve unicorn status, attracting investment from Accel, Insight Partners and Prosus, among others. Prior to letgo, he co-founded Captalis, a fintech company with a significant presence in LatAm.

Juncosa started his VC career at Nauta Capital in Barcelona and went on to co-found the early-stage VC firm Encomenda Smart Capital. He then become CFO of Carto, a data visualization SaaS company based in the U.S. and Spain, which has raised more than $100 million. As an investor/shareholder hes invested in more than 75 startups -- such as Carto, Cobee (which exited to Pluxee), Holded and Housfy, among others.

So whats the Plus Partners thesis? It will concentrate on "health and nutrition," "finance and property" and "future of work and productivity," per Juncosa. The fund will focus on pre-seed and seed-stage startups in Southern Europe with a significant percentage of them coming from Spain.

Juncosa told me the fund is backed by founders and former C-Level execs drawn from companies including Carto, Luzia, Kantox, Red Points and Typeform, among others.

He said he thinks Spain and Portugal sorely need more professionally run VC funds because too many early-stage investors, especially non-professional angels and family offices, tend to do more harm than good in the nascent tech scene there, because they either blow up valuations excessively or enter rounds on punitive terms to the founders.

The big news in Spain for me is that we have role models. Also the tech community in Spain and Portugal is extremely open, everybody's happy to support everybody, he told TechCrunch over a call.

Which country does the new fund think is "hotter" in terms of startups? I would say, overall, we have three great entrepreneurial cities in Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon. If you went back 10 years, Barcelona was the biggest tech city. But Lisbon and Madrid have played catch-up very well. Now, entrepreneurs have a choice of where they want to set up their company.

Linares reiterated that Southern Europe is now packed with entrepreneurs who are role models for new startup founders, emphasizing: We have a lot of talent and founders can internationalize very successful startups from here.

Barcelona and Madrid are on a par with each other as ecosystems, but Valencia is growing," he added. "There is a summit in October that is called Valencia Digital Summit. We were speakers last a year and it was fantastic. I was very surprised. It was my first time there."

The fund will also look at startups coming out of Italy, completing its "Southern Europe" thesis.

We'll have a significant share of our investments in Spain, but, within [Southern Europe], Italy is greatly overlooked. Rome and Milan are catching up. We're very excited about it, said Linares.

Plus Partners arrives at a time when VCs are dialing up their attention on Southern Europe.

Yellow, a new VC firm created by Oscar Pierre, Sacha Michaud (the founders of Glovo) and Adam Lasri (a former investor for VC giant Atomico), recently put their bets on the region, with a 30 million fund raised in less than five months.

Furthermore, Spanish VC Kfund raised $75 million to fund tech projects earlier this year.

According to a Dealroom report on the Spanish tech ecosystem, the combined enterprise value of Spanish startups surpassed 100 billion in 2023. It also found venture investment into Spanish startups held up last year, with 2.2 billion raised across some 850 funding rounds.

The annual State of European Tech report for 2023 found Spains ecosystem to be in fourth place overall and had the highest number of startup fundings last year.

Lastly, the European Investment Banks venture capital arm also backed a new fund in Spain this year which aims to invest 1 billion ($1.1 billion) in growth-stage tech startups.
House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to defend Steve Bannon from an impending prison term by filing a brief in support of the former Trump adviser via the House of Representatives.

Were working on filing an amicus brief, Johnson said on Fox News after a House vote allowed the chamber to take such an action. The January 6th committee was, we think, wrongfully constituted. We think the work was tainted.

Bannons refusal to answer to a Congressional subpoena from the Select Committee on the January 6th attack landed him a 4-month sentence in prison, despite numerous failed appeals. But the House vote to disavow the previous chambers finding that Bannon violated its orders may boost his chances of staying free.

Johnson has worked to align himself more closely with the former president after far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes failed ouster attempt and has previously vowed to pull levers to help Donald Trump through his legal trouble.

The former president tasked the speaker with finding ways to overturn his criminal conviction earlier this month, Politico reported, as Johnson publicly bragged of him singing his praises.

Trump, still facing numerous cases at state and federal levels after his May conviction in New York for falsifying records to hide hush money payments, is attacking the judicial process from just about any angle possible.

The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its verdict on a presidential immunity case, itself an effort to slow legal proceedings against the former president.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  JUNE 15: State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, speaks during the Ohio Senate session, June 15, 2023, at the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)

The Republican lawmaker behind a massive higher education bill is not interested in meeting with House Speaker Jason Stephens about his bill, saying theres no purpose in wasting that time.

Senate Bill 83 has seen no movement since it passed in the House Higher Education Committee a couple weeks before Christmas. The House had their final session before adjourning for summer break on Wednesday, but the bill was not on the agenda nor was it brought to the floor as an amendment.

I was disappointed that (SB 83) was not included (in the House agenda), Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said during a press conference Wednesday.

He said he heard from a credible third party that Stephens wants to meet with Cirino over the summer to discuss the bill, but Cirino said he is not interested. He did not say who this person was, but did clarify that it was not a lawmaker.

I just dont think it would be productive quite frankly, Cirino said. I value my time and the time of my staff and we have other things to work on. And I think were just going to let this sit and ruminate for a little bit and take it up at the right time again.  I would be negotiating with myself because we have already made a number of concessions in the last 12 months to get support in the House.

S.B. 83 has already gone through nearly a dozen revisions.

Cirino said he already had an hour-long meeting with Stephens back in December to go over the details of the bill and has sent Stephens 13 text messages related to S.B. 83 between December and April, but never received a response.

I have not received word that there were some particular issues in the bill that the speaker was unhappy with, nothing came to me at all, Cirino said. Absolutely zero input. Ohio needs higher education reform and the time to display leadership in the House on this bill has come and gone.

Whats in S.B. 83?

S.B. 83 was introduced last spring and it quickly passed in the Senate about two months after being introduced last year.

It would ban mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training unless it is required to comply with state and federal law, professional licensure requirements or receiving accreditation or grants.

A retrenchment provision would prevent unions from negotiating on tenure and universities could fire tenured professors for a broad list of reasons including reduction in student population. However, faculty with 30-35 years of tenure would be protected.

S.B. 83 defines controversial beliefs or policy as any belief or policy that is the subject of political controversy, including issues such as climate policies, electoral politics, foreign policy, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, immigration policy, marriage, or abortion.

The bill would allow students to reach their own conclusions about all controversial beliefs or policies and shall not seek to indoctrinate any social, political or religious point of view.

Cirino acknowledged his bill would likely pass if the provisions related to bargaining were removed, but he said thats a critical piece of the bill.

Thats like saying if you take the heart out of the patient, the patient will be fine, he said. It becomes a much less important bill.

What happens next with S.B. 83?

Cirino said he wants to wait for a more favorable environment in the House  such as having Senate President Matt Huffman become the next Speaker of the House  before bringing S.B. 83 back up for discussion.

Cirino said he has heard there are enough House votes to pass his bill. If S.B. 83 is not passed through lame duck at the end of the General Assembly, Cirino said he would re-introduce the bill next year.

If it comes up in lame duck, it will likely be the bill as it is today, he said. If it starts fresh in the new (General Assembly), then all bets are off, and the bill will look different than it does today.

An anti-striking provision was taken out of S.B. 83, but Cirino said hes thinking about potentially putting it back in the bill if he were to re-introduce it next year.

Im working on strategies and options that we have for it if we have to go into the next General Assembly, Cirino said.

Gov. Mike DeWine recently said he would sign S.B. 83 if it underwent some more revisions, but didnt elaborate on what changes he wanted to see.

When asked about this, Cirino said he has had a conversation with DeWine in addition to conversations with DeWines staff about some of their concerns with the bill  particularly regarding the length of university board of trustee terms. An amendment to S.B. 83 last year would reduce trustee terms from nine years down to four if the bill passed.

I think that comment was made without realizing that the changes that they had requested late last year had already been incorporated into the bill, Cirino said. The word I got from the governors office is that they are satisfied with the bill as it is today.

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St. Louis man guilty of killing friend in argument over catalytic converters

ST. LOUIS  Jurors returned a guilty verdict against a St. Louis man who killed his friend in 2022 during an argument over catalytic converters.

Cleveland V. Washington Jr., 21, was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Deionta McCurry, 23.

The shooting happened on the evening of Aug. 21, 2022, in the 3600 block of Montana Street, located in the citys Dutchtown neighborhood.

Renowned STL chef leaving Missouri over political climate

Prosecutors said Washington and McCurry were arguing over the best way to sell stolen catalytic converters when Washington took out a gun and shot McCurry.

While awaiting trial, prosecutors said Washington was among a group of incarcerated individuals charged with taking a 73-year-old guard hostage at the St. Louis City Justice Center in August 2023.

After delivering the guilty verdict, the jury recommended Washington serve 30 years in prison for the murder and 15 years for armed criminal action, with the sentences running consecutively.

Washington will be sentenced on August 16.

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Michael Henry Johnston (L) and Paul John Rowlands pose for a photo in their car in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, May 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

LHASA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- This summer, a classic red Jaguar convertible and two British adventurers in it, captured the hearts of social media users as they found themselves broken down on National Highway 318 in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Michael Henry Johnston from Liverpool and Paul John Rowlands from Manchester secured temporary driver's licenses through the Zhongyou International travel agency, setting off on their journey to Xizang via the Yunnan-Xizang route.

"The G318 offered breathtaking vistas, and the highway was in surprisingly good condition, although some steep, unpaved sections seemed a bit too challenging for our vintage wheels," said Johnston.

Johnston, who retired in March at the age of 61, completed this Xizang odyssey in his treasured classic car before returning to his hometown.

"This wasn't my first visit to the regional capital of Lhasa. I was there 10 years ago on a brief business trip, but I had only one day and didn't even make it to the Potala Palace," he recalled.

"I planned this trip for years, and we had a full 27 days in China this time," said Johnston. The car, a spectacle in itself, drew attention everywhere it went, from Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province to Lhasa in Xizang, while also passing through places like Pu'er, Dali, and Nyingchi.

Short videos of their trip quickly became a trending topic on several social media platforms. "I'm passionate about driving. My car is a 57-year-old beauty, once displayed in a museum, which is a car model produced between 1961 and 1974. I've owned it for 13 years, and it took me five years to restore it to its former glory," Johnston shared.

After clearing customs, obtaining a temporary license, and exchanging it for a Chinese driver's license, Johnston relished his drive along the G318. "With policy relaxations, international travel has become more convenient," said Liang Bin, head of the travel agency.

During this year's Dragon Boat Festival holiday from June 8 to 10, Xizang received over 1.1 million domestic and international tourists, marking a 14.2 percent increase year on year.

Regional tourism revenue surged by 15.6 percent during this period, amounting to 992 million yuan (about 139.2 million U.S. dollars), according to the regional culture and tourism department.

The Lhasa-Xigaze Railway in the region transported some 21,000 passengers between the two cities during the period, up 13.8 percent year on year, said local railway authorities.

The two foreign visitors drove their vintage car to several locations well known to many in China, including Xigaze for a glimpse of Mount Qomolangma, Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, and Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"People waved and greeted us warmly upon seeing us," said Rowlands, aged 60, who is Johnston's former colleague. This was his first visit to the region. "We visited ancient monasteries and palaces and experienced the real life of the locals."

"I told all my friends that everything there amazed me, from the grandeur of the mountains to Xizang's remarkable development," Rowlands added. "I had thought Lhasa was just a historic town, but it's clearly a modern metropolis, teeming with vibrant life." 

Michael Henry Johnston (L) and Paul John Rowlands pose for a photo with their car in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, May 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  An investigation is underway after a stabbing suspect was shot and killed by an officer from the Metro Nashville Police Department early Thursday morning.

Officers were called to the Bellevue West complex on Ridgelake Parkway at approximately 4:10 a.m. on Thursday, June 27.

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Metro police reported a 27-year-old man had been stabbed by his 25-year-old brother. The 25-year-old was then shot and killed by at least one officer during a confrontation.

According to a Metro police spokesperson, the victim called 911 and said his brother had held a knife to his neck and then cut him before he ran from the apartment unit. In the 911 call released by the department, the victim said his brother was having a manic episode, adding that he took away ether or something hes, like, huffing.

Officers arrived and found the victim down a hill on the roadway before they started searching for his younger brother. The department spokesperson said the suspect rushed down the steps of the apartment complex from a breezeway and approached the officers.

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Two officers were armed with electric shock devices and another officer had his firearm ready as the 25-year-old came at them very quickly with a knife in hand, a very large knife, according to the spokesperson.

One of the officers then fired his weapon and killed the younger brother, identified by authorities as Max Van Sickle. Metro police said officers gave Van Sickle warnings and waited until he was within just a few feet of them before they shot him.

The older brother was reportedly taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening wounds, but he has since been released and is speaking with investigators.

 Read todays top stories on wkrn.com

Metro police said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Davidson County District Attorneys Office are conducting the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, adding that the three officers involved in the incident are on administrative assignment while the investigation advances.

Body camera footage from the shooting was released Thursday afternoon. Metro police said it will perform an administrative review of the tactics and interaction seen in the video to make sure they meet the departments high standards for officers.

No additional information was immediately released.

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 Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee.

This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available.

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Stabenow says GOP farm bill is not balanced and wont pass through the US Senate

Photo by Gregory Conniff for Wisconsin Examiner

The U.S. House Agriculture Committees version of the farm bill will not get support from U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing), who chairs the Senate committee responsible for handling the appropriations bill.

Stabenow told the Michigan Advance after an event in Lansing Wednesday morning that this farm bill process has been the most frustrating of her career.

Ive actually been involved in six farm bills and led on three of them, and this has been the most frustrating time, said Stabenow, who chairs the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and is retiring this term. Because its so much more partisan than usual and particularly around food assistance.

The farm bill is a $1.5 trillion federal legislation package that creates policy and appropriates funding to food, agriculture and conservation programs. The bill expires every five years, and the most recently passed legislation was set to expire in September 2023. The 2018 farm bill received an extension through the end of September 2024, putting pressure on lawmakers to finish a deal before the November election.

The framework from GOP senators reflected the GOP-led House panels version, which passed with votes from every Republican and four Democrats on the committee. Stabenow said the version is just not balanced.

The politics of food has gotten, very, very, very partisan and very, very disheartening to me, Stabenow said. Because traditionally, weve been able to come together around those issues.

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, told the Advance after a May 31 event in Traverse City that she doesnt believe that GOP cuts to food assistance will make it into the final bill.

This was the thing that was so hard about last week, is that the farm bill draft in the House had a bunch of bills that I care about and I voted against it. Because they just slashed food assistance  they slashed SNAP, so food stamps, all kinds of agricultural programs for our farmers markets, school lunch programs, you name it, Slotkin said. So I couldnt vote for it. I think that it will not pass muster; those kinds of things will not make it into law  most importantly because we have Debbie Stabenow as the chairwoman of the Senate Ag Committee and shes absolutely not going to stand for that.

Slotkin is running for the open U.S. Senate seat and will face actor Hill Harper in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary. On the GOP side, former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, former U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, physician Sherry ODonnell and businessman Sandy Pensler are running.

The farm bill has 12 areas, or titles, that need to be passed together, including commodity programs, conservation and nutrition. Stabenow said eight of the twelve titles have been agreed upon, but there are sticking points in other areas.

Slotkin said in Traverse City that she was focused on promoting positive and sustainable farming.

I always want to be able to have America feed itself by itself, but you can incentivize healthier farming practices, better environmentally sound practices by incentivizing farmers to do the right things, instead of trying to just punish them when they do the wrong things, she said.

She noted that Michigan has a lot of small and medium farmers and she said crop insurance does not work well for them. Instead, she wants to see the safety net expanded for farmers.

Slotkin also said that the U.S. has to invest more into scientific crop research and conservation efforts for land and water.

The House version of the bill removed some money that would go to farmers to fund conservation projects in agriculture. The version also changed the formula for calculating food benefits programs.

Stabenow said these cuts helped fund farm subsidy programs, primarily for larger southern farms and that GOP lawmakers have doubled down on those priorities.

The House of Representatives wants to take money out of the nutrition title to fund big farm subsidies that weve never done before, and Im not going to let that happen, Stabenow said.

Stabenow said she thinks the outlined commodity programs that benefit larger industries primarily help bigger farms in southern states, which many GOP lawmakers represent.

Were kind of locked in this big southern farms fight vs. funding something that is fair nationally, Stabenow said.

Slotkin also was critical last month of the draft farm bill for including big increases in subsidies for the commodity groups.

So big corn growers, big wheat growers, just folks we dont really have here [in Michigan]. And I think even the fiscal conservative Republicans arent going to like that, Slotkin said.

But she said there was one big area of bipartisan agreement in the process.

I dont think we should be able to sell our farmland to countries of concern, including China, Slotkin said. I think that there are real implications, national security implications, if suddenly theyre buying farmland right outside Traverse City Airport, outside of military bases  huge amounts of land that then we dont have access to.

Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Susan J. Demas for questions: info@michiganadvance.com. Follow Michigan Advance on Facebook and X.

The post Stabenow says GOP farm bill is not balanced and wont pass through the US Senate appeared first on Wisconsin Examiner.
Stafford County woman charged after argument at hotel escalates to shots fired

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now)  The Stafford County Sheriffs Office (SCSO) said a woman is facing several charges after an argument escalated and shots were fired on June 23.

Just before 12:30 a.m., deputies responded to the Suburban Extended Stay, located at 3097 Richmond Highway, for a weapon offense. The Sheriffs Office said several callers said they heard gunshots.

Maryland man charged in connection to 2022 DC homicide investigation

Once at the scene, deputies found ammunition on the ground. The victim told authorities that he and his ex-romantic partner, 40-year-old Ikeyia Reed, of Stafford, got into an argument when she allegedly pulled out a gun and started chasing him while firing rounds.

The Sheriffs Office said Reed then got into a vehicle and allegedly hit the man before driving away.

SCSO confirmed the man was not shot, but received minor injuries.

As deputies searched the area, they located Reeds vehicle on Paris Lane. The Sheriffs Office confirmed that a gun was found inside the car, and Reed allegedly showed several signs of intoxication.

She was charged with the following:

Reckless handling of a firearm

Brandishing a firearm

Assault

Assault and battery

Driving under the influence

Driving while suspended

Vandalism of jail property

Reed was being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

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Starliner still hasn't returned to Earth. The repeated delays may be the next big headache for Boeing.

Starliner still hasn't returned to Earth. The repeated delays may be the next big headache for Boeing.

Two NASA astronauts are still in space after Boeing's Starliner spacecraft faced delays.

The spacecraft's plight adds to the pressure on Boeing.

The company faces questions over safety after a door plug on one of its planes blew out in midair.

When Boeing announced in 2015 that its $4.2 billion spacecraft would be named Starliner, NASA officials hailed the manufacturer's innovation as a "great victory" that heralded the start of a new age of space exploration.

Nearly a decade later, that new era is off to a rocky start.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni William are still in space after the Starliner spacecraft, which was designed to ferry NASA personnel to and from the International Space Station, was hit by a series of issues on its maiden crewed voyage.

The aviation giant's first commercial spaceship experienced malfunctioning thrusters and several helium leaks as it docked with the ISS.

The two astronauts aboard Starliner were planned to be at the space station for a little over a week, but Boeing and NASA have delayed their return to Earth to sometime in July.

The FT reported on Wednesday that Boeing said Starliner was performing well and the astronauts were not stranded. "It is a test flight," the company said. "The mission is still going and it is going well."

It echoes similar previous comments by both Boeing and NASA that Starliner is safe and operating effectively.

Officials have stressed that the latest delay is simply to allow ground teams to assess the five helium leaks and thruster issues the craft has experienced.

Still, Starliner's teething issues add to the multitude of woes facing outgoing Boeing CEO David Calhoun.

The airplane maker has been in a state of crisis since the door plug on a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane flown by Alaska Airlines blew out in midair earlier this year.

Since then, a series of whistleblowers have come forward with allegations about Boeing's approach to safety, with one describing a "schedule over safety" culture in which employees were pressured to "overlook" concerns.

The company previously told BI that those allegations were not representative of the work it has done to "ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft."

Boeing is facing federal investigations into the door blowout incident and a Southwest Airlines flight, which experienced a potentially dangerous "Dutch roll" movement while in the air.

The company could also soon be hit by criminal charges after the Department of Justice accused it of violating a settlement agreement over two 737 Max 8 crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.

It's no wonder that Boeing is reportedly struggling to recruit Calhoun's successor.

The company has faced furious criticism from lawmakers and airlines, with the CEO of Boeing's biggest customer, United, describing the Alaska Airlines incident as "the straw that broke the camel's back."

At a Senate hearing last week, the company was accused of "cutting corners" on safety. Sen. Richard Blumenthal described it as a "moment of reckoning" for the company.

Understandably, repeated Starliner delays are a setback that Boeing does not need. When it launched earlier this month, the spacecraft was already years late and $1.5 billion over budget. Boeing is also lagging behind rival SpaceX, which has been transporting astronauts to the ISS since 2020.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk never misses an opportunity to trash-talk a rival, and Boeing's plight is no exception.

The billionaire has frequently criticized Boeing on X, posting that the company had too many "non-technical managers" and calling out Calhoun's lack of an engineering background.

NASA and Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

North Carolina Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved an amended version of House Bill 942, also known as the Shalom Act, that would establish a definition of antisemitism in state law. The vote was 47-2.

Lawmakers removed a provision in the bill that would have appropriated $10,000 from the General Fund to the Department of Administration for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Soon after the Senate vote, the House approved the Senate committee substitute (105-3), thereby sending the bill to the governors desk.

If the bill becomes law, North Carolina would, by reference, make the Working Definition of Antisemitism Adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) on May 26, 2016 the states official definition of antisemitism.

Under the definition, several types of criticism directed against Israel, such as claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor, would meet the definition.

The bill received its first committee hearing in the Senate on Wednesday and was advanced to the Senate Rules Committee before moving to the floor for a vote.

I firmly believe that its the responsibility of the General Assembly to protect our citizens from hate and from bigotry, said Sen. Bobby Hanig, R-Currituck during a committee meeting. The Shalom Act does just that, while in no way diminishes or infringes on any rights protected by the North Carolina or the United States constitutions.

House Speaker Tim Moore, one of the bills chief sponsors, said at a committee meeting that the measure is a response to a rise in hate speech and attacks on Jewish people.

We have seen firsthand the violence, the intimidation, the threats that are happening against the Jewish individuals in this state and this country. Some of those have become very violent. Some of those have been more  not physical violence  but more of an intimidation.

Critics say the bill is an attack on free speech and conflates criticism of Israel and the actions of its government with antisemitism.

Some of what the definition targets isnt antisemitism, said Reighlah Collins with the ACLU of North Carolina at a committee hearing earlier on Wednesday afternoon. Rather, she said, its political speech.

The right to engage in political speech is one of the most important First Amendment protections even if we dont agree with it, and for this reason, the IHRA definition cannot serve as a yardstick for determining what is hate speech or religious discrimination and what is not.

While the bill provides for no particular enforcement mechanism, it specifies that the definition will be used as a guide for training, education, recognizing, and combating antisemitic hate crimes or discrimination and for tracking and reporting antisemitic incidents.

Moore said last month the bill does not create any new criminal penalties related to antisemitism, as state laws against ethnic intimidation already exist. But it provides a clear definition of antisemitism for prosecutors and law enforcement. A prosecutor would look at that and look at the statutes that are already in place and make a determination if that conduct rose to that level.

Collins said shes worried that the bill will stifle constitutionally protected political speech.

Whether this bill directly criminalizes or not, a definition of antisemitism that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism enshrined into law chills constitutionally protected political speech.

Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed of Mecklenburg County expressed support for the bill but said it doesnt go far enough to protect other minority groups.

My concern is this bill offers only lip service, and fails to provide real real protections for our Jewish brothers and sisters, as well as others group other groups subjected to hate crimes and bigotry, said Mohammed.

Mohammed proposed an amendment to the bill that would have expanded the scope and severity of penalties for hate crimes, created a hate crime database, and required training for law enforcement and prosecutors on identifying and prosecuting hate crimes. Republican members, however, moved successfully to table the proposal so that, technically, no vote was taken on the amendment itself.

Four House members voted against the bill last month. Democratic Rep. Marcia Morey voted against the bill, citing constitutional issues. Moreys fellow Democrats, Representatives Pricey Harrison, Nasif Majeed and Renee Price also voted against it. Majeed (D-Mecklenburg) said hes been working on an anti-hate crime bill for six years, yet House leadership has failed to act on more comprehensive protections for other faiths and other groups that experience hate.

The post State lawmakers approve bill enshrining controversial antisemitism definition in state law appeared first on NC Newsline.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A merit-based program that is part of an overhaul of the Arkansas education system is offering some teachers thousands of dollars in bonuses, though some are calling it an unfair system.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday that 3,000 teachers will receive $1.500 to $10,000 bonuses through the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program, a component of the Arkansas LEARNS Act passed in March 2023.

Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said this comes out to be the top 10% performing teachers in Arkansas.

Teachers set for $10 million in bonuses through Arkansas LEARNS program

The governors office said that to qualify for the bonuses, teachers must demonstrate outstanding growth in student performance, serve as mentors to aspiring teachers who participate in year-long residencies and/or teach in a subject or region with a critical teacher shortage.

According to the Arkansas Department of Education, bonus recipients were identified using data from the Statewide Information System, the Educator Effectiveness System, the Arkansas Educator Licensure System and student state assessment data.

Even with all of those pieces of data, some critics are saying the information being used to determine the bonuses is not enough.

Gwen Faulkenberry is one of the educators calling the program far too simple, saying bonuses being based on student performance is unfair because every teacher is given a different classroom of students who might struggle more than the next for reasons like poverty, learning challenges or stressors at home.

Judge denies part of Arkansas LEARNS lawsuit, partially sides with plaintiffs

Faulkenberry said she also fears the program creates a stressful and potentially competitive environment among teachers in a field where theyre already struggling to recruit and maintain.

Once again, we have this thing rolled out like, Oh its just this great huge innovation and its really going to improve everything, and the nuance is missing, the respect for the profession is missing, she said.

Oliva contends the program is meant to motivate teachers and believes people will see the benefits of it from teachers in years to come.

Now that weve gone through a rule-making process and established criteria, its clear and people now know, Hey, if I do lead teacher designation or if I come up and start mentoring aspiring teachers, Im going to be eligible for some extra additional dollars,' he said.

Theres also the argument among those against this program that if the state had laid out a salary schedule that paid teachers more based on their years of working in education, there would not be a need for this merit program.

Arkansas Department of Education report details students using Education Freedom Accounts to attend private schools

Last year, the state raised the starting teacher salary to $50,000 a year, which means in some instances, depending on the district, longtime teachers are making the same as first-year teachers.

We did raises for everyone. Every teacher in the state of Arkansas has at least a $2,000 raise, Oliva said. That raise was larger than any step that the state had provided before. Districts are working on salary schedules that work best for them.

Educators reflect on first year of Arkansas LEARNS Act

Additional information on the bonus program, including a map showing bonus distribution, may be found at LEARNS.ADE.Arkansas.gov.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
McALESTER, Okla. (KFOR)  The state of Oklahoma executed Richard Rojem at 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Richard Rojem, Jr.

According to the Oklahoma Attorney Generals Office, Rojem was convicted and sentenced to death for the July 1984 kidnapping, rape and murder of his 7-year-old former stepdaughter, Layla Dawn Cummings, in Washita County. Her body was later found along the road in Burns Flat.

LOCAL NEWS: Pardon and parole board denies clemency for convicted child killer

On Monday, June 17, 2024, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for Rojem after hearing from both sides whether to spare his life or not.

She never had a sweet 16 party, graduated from high school, got to marry her true love, or had children of her own, said Angela Marsee, the Washita County District Attorney.

Cummings was remembered 40 years later as state prosecutors and family addressed the board.

Rojems attorneys argued evidence from a cup found near the Cummings front door all those years ago is not enough to link him to the murder.

Everyone ignored the poor quality of the cup, it was a fuzzy, blurry print with, I would say, a third of the area, black, either black or white, out where you cant see anything, said Paul McCausland, an attorney for Rojem.

The state revealed other evidence they said points to Rojem being the right suspect, including tire tracks in a field and a condom discovered next to the 7-year-olds body.

It is no coincidence that three parts of one of these condoms were found at the crime scene, and the other including the used condom with Rojems DNA were found on the top of his trashcan, said Jennifer Crabb, the assistant Attorney General.

LOCAL NEWS: AG Drummond seeks denial of clemency for Richard Rojem Jr.

Rojem appeared by video to address the board.

I dont deny that I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind. I did not kidnap Layla, I did not rape Layla, and I did not murder Layla, said Rojem.

Rojems attorneys fought until the end, but that wasnt enough and the board unanimously reached a decision to deny clemency.

I am pleased the Pardon and Parole Board denied clemency for the monster who savagely raped and murdered an innocent child and caused unimaginable suffering for her family. Justice for Layla will be served when he is executed on June 27. Attorney General Gentner Drummond

Rojem was executed on June 27 at 10:16 a.m.

A.G. Drummond also released a statement Thursday morning shortly after the execution.

Justice for Layla Cummings was finally served this morning with the execution of the monster responsible for her rape and murder. Laylas family has endured unimaginable suffering for almost 40 years. My prayer is that todays action brings a sense of comfort to those who loved her. Attorney General Gentner Drummond

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP) responded Thursday as well.

No state has the right to carry out the death penalty. The death penalty is immoral because the intentional killing of human beings by their government is immoral. The death penalty is unjust because it is irreversible. And, the death penalty is ineffective because it does not deter crime. There is no data that shows fewer people commit crimes out of fear of capital punishment. There are more effective, fiscally prudent means, such as life without parole. Oklahoma is not any safer because the state serially carries out judicial homicide. Dr. Elizabeth Overman, OK-CADP Vice-Chair

Rojem was the states second execution of 2024 following the execution of Michael Smith on April 4.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
From steam engines to eagles: A look at the history of Radnor Lake State Natural Area

Nestled just eight miles south of the hustle and bustle of Broadway lies a haven of tranquility within Nashville  Radnor Lake State Natural Area.

This 1,400-acre preserve boasts a rich history that intertwines with Nashville's own growth.

In 1914, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) needed a reliable water source for their steam locomotives and livestock pens, so they dammed Otter Creek to create the 85-acre lake seen today. By 1923, thanks to the efforts of the Tennessee Ornithological Society, the L&N had declared the area a wildlife sanctuary, acknowledging its importance for birds and other wildlife.

But in 1962, the property was slated for development. This sparked outrage from Nashville residents who cherished the area's natural beauty. Their fight to preserve the land coincided with the creation of the State Natural Areas Preservation Act in 1971. Public pressure mounted, and finally, in 1973, the state purchased the land, officially establishing Radnor Lake as Tennessee's first State Natural Area.

A walker crosses the bridge at Radnor Lake early in the morning March 19, 2012.

The "Save Radnor Lake" campaign not only protected the land but also cemented the importance of environmental conservation in Tennessee. Park ranger Brendon Jarratt said the park now hosts over 2 million visitors annually.

Weve seen a lot more people coming out after Covid, Jarratt said. The parking lots fill up right away on the weekends.

Today, Radnor Lake State Natural Area is a haven for over 200 species of birds.

Birding is definitely the main attraction for visitors, Jarratt said. Well see blue herons every year, and usually a couple green heron nests will show up as well.

Jarratt said a few years ago, Radnor Lake also became home to a pair of American bald eagles. Their nest can be seen from multiple spots along the trail that circles the lake.

A mature eagle that has made Radnor Lake its temporary home is flying around the lake Oct. 7, 2014.

The park's convenient location makes it a perfect escape for Nashville residents seeking a nature fix, whether for a lunch break or a day with the family.

We keep the park open every day of the week, Jarratt said, from 6 a.m. to 20 minutes after sunset.

Visitors can explore over six miles of scenic trails that wind through hardwood forests and meadows, offering stunning views of the lake. The diverse terrain provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, making it a great spot for birdwatching, hiking, or simply enjoying nature.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Radnor Lake photos: Explore the Nashville gem and nature preserve
Stella Assange, wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, flanked by members of the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group, urged journalists covering a press briefing in Canberra to lodge FOI requests with the U.S. government to get to the truth about her husband's case. Photo by Lukas Coch/EPA-EFE

June 27 (UPI) -- Julian Assange's wife, Stella Assange, urged the international journalism community Thursday to use Freedom of Information requests to obtain details from the U.S. government surrounding Assange's espionage prosecution as his plea deal prohibits him from doing so himself.

Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra hosted by the Bring Julian Assange Home Parliamentary Group, Stella Assange directly appealed to press present to continue digging to get to the bottom of the way the United States dealt with her husband's case.

Responding to a question about whether Julian Assange would be telling his story and whether any book deals were in the works, Stella Assange questioned the restrictions placed on Assange by the terms of the plea agreement under which the case was brought to a close.

"Julian isn't allowed to request freedom of information, make information requests to the U.S. government. But you can and I encourage you to. Why would they want him not to do that? So please do," she said.

She suggested this week's breakthrough that saw Julian Assange a free man after being sentenced to time served -- 62 months in London's Belmarsh Prison -- was because he had in May been granted permission by the High Court to appeal his extradition to the United States on grounds that, as an Australian, it was unclear whether he would be able to rely on a First Amendment defense.

"If Julian pleaded guilty in federal court in Saipan, it's because he was pleading guilty to committing journalism," Stella Assange said.

"This case criminalizes journalism -- journalistic activity, standard journalistic activity of news gathering, and publishing. And so this is the reality of this prosecution. The case should never have been brought."

She batted away questions about what Julian Assange would do if he had access to classified documents again in the future or whether there would be a WikiLeaks 2.0 "soliciting information from Russian hackers and other international figures," a reference to the leaking in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election of tens of thousands of emails stolen from the accounts of the Democratic National Committee and Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton's campaign manager John Podesta.

Stella Assange insisted her husband was the most principled man she knew and that he would always "defend human rights and speak out against injustice" and that now that he was free, he could choose how he did that.

The Assange team also revealed more details of the plea bargain Julian Assange signed with the U.S. Justice Department confirming that it required him to destroy any information still in his possession that was U.S.-related that was unpublished, or in possession of WikiLeaks affiliates.

His U.S. Counsel Barry Pollack said Julian Assange had complied with the order and issued an instruction to the editor of WikiLeaks to destroy any leftover material that had not been published.

However, he pushed back on comments by U.S. State Department spokesman Mathew Miller claiming Julian Assange's leaks, unredacted, of classified State Department cables and military files had "put the lives of our partners, our allies, and our diplomats at risk, especially those who work in dangerous places like Afghanistan and Iraq."

Miller said those put in danger included opposition leaders and human rights activists around the world.

Pollack said the U.S. federal judge who heard the case in Saipan on Wednesday had stated in court that there was no evidence anyone had come to any harm as a result of Julian Assange's actions.

Julian Assange's team also confirmed they planned to shift the emphasis of their campaign to trying to secure a presidential pardon with Pollack saying that he expected public and political pressure would again gather steam and while it would likely "take some time" he hoped "this or a future president would have the wisdom the pardon him."
TOPEKA (KSNT)  Throughout early Wednesday morning, severe storms swept through northeast Kansas, causing severe damage to backyards and homes.

Residents by Lake Sherwood in southwest Topeka saw multiple uplifted trees, fallen limbs and flipped boats. Larre Betsworth, whose backyard now houses a large toppled tree thats been a landmark at Lake Sherwood for over 50 years, says hes lucky his house didnt catch any damage.

I got woken up at about 3:15 a.m. to the house shaking and a terrible noise, like a freight train was coming down the road, Betsworth said. Throughout the neighborhood we got boats flipped over, weve got a lift over here as you can see thats been flipped up, but theres trees down everywhere.

27 News also spoke with Randy Hoffman, from Topeka, who said his entire backyard was shaken up from the storm.

This is the worst damage weve seen from storms since weve lived here, Hoffman said. Me and my wife we took it [the trampoline] apart and manhandled it back where it goes. Then I got my chain saw out and was cleaning up where the tree fell over.

City officials told 27 News there will be no pickup services for tree limbs throughout Topeka.

For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News.
Next to a tranquil lake and serene greenery, a pair of swans have found a dream home to settle down and start a family. Join them in Xilin Gol League in north China's Inner Mongolia and watch their newborns discover their perfect new habitat.
HOLDEN BEACH, North Carolina (WJW)  A northeast Ohio woman is recovering after she took a hit from a stingray while vacationing in the Carolinas.

Tieryn Cotterman, 44, of Jackson Township said she was boogie boarding with family at Holden Beach, North Carolina when she was stung on Sunday, June 16. Cotterman said she was about waist deep when she felt a sharp stab to her foot.

5 people drown in 4 days at popular beach town

I stepped down and felt something fluttering and I tried to move my foot quickly but before I stepped up it got me, said Cotterman. I have been swimming in the ocean since I was little and I knew immediately that something stung or bit me because it hurt so bad.

After a trip to the local emergency room, it was determined to be a wound from a stingray.

Pictures show how swollen her foot became.





According to Poison Control, every year about 1,500  2,000 stingray injuries are reported in the U.S.

1,318 lbs sea turtle surfaces: Tracker

Stingrays are known for their sharp, whip-like tail with a venomous spine. Poison Control reports the venom causes intense pain, but the main risk of a stingray injury is the puncture wound.

Cotterman said she was given a tetanus shot and a weeks worth of antibiotics. But, more than a week later, she had returned home and so did the swelling to her foot. She again went to an emergency room and was given more antibiotics and advice to continue monitoring the injury for signs and symptoms of an infection.

The emergency room provider said this is why wearing water shoes is recommended when in the ocean, said Cotterman.

Ohio could get a state fish  what would it be?

In 2006, television personality and animal activist Steve Irwin, known as The Crocodile Hunter, was killed by a stingray after he was pierced in his chest. While death is rare, Poison Control states uncommon effects of the venom can include headaches, nausea and vomiting, fainting, low blood pressure, arrhythmias of the heart, and even seizures.

Experts suggest to help avoid a nasty encounter with a stingray try to shuffle your feet through the sand, rather than lifting your feet or walking normally.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
Students can learn more about being a part of WVU Tech this summer

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  WVU Tech is hosting Summer Visit Days.

They are inviting potential students to visit the campus.

Those who attend can learn more about being a WVU Tech student.

The summer visits are themed around the idea of carnivals with carnival themed food.

WVU Tech Campus Complete Streets Improvement project nets $10.4 million in DOT funds

Jordan Smith, Senior Admissions Counselor for WVU Tech, explained these visits are similar to a bigger event coming in the fall.

Think of summer visits as more of miniature open house. We have what we call Discover Day every fall. Dates are to be determined for that right now, usually in October. The summer visit day is a smaller scale of that, Smith said to 59News.

The Summer Visit Days are on Friday, July 12 and Friday, August 2.

They start at 10 a.m. and last until 12:30 p.m.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
The remains of the ancient Kyrenia ship that sank off the coast of Cyprus are seen in a museum, in Cyprus

The remains of the ancient Kyrenia ship that sank off the coast of Cyprus are seen in a museum, in Cyprus

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When scientists in the 1960s excavated the wreck of an ancient Greek merchant ship off the northern coast of Cyprus, what they found was an amazing time capsule from a pivotal period in the Mediterranean world following the death of Alexander the Great.

But determining the date of the Kyrenia shipwreck with any sort of precision has proven difficult, and some previous scientific dating yielded conclusions that conflicted with the archeological evidence. Researchers have now calculated this timeline with new precision using improved techniques that they said can be applied to date other ancient shipwrecks as well.

By analyzing organic material from the wreck, including the vessel's wooden timbers, almonds from its cargo, and a gaming piece called an astragalus made from animal bone and used like dice, they concluded that the ship went down around 280 BC. That is a bit later than prior scientific dating estimates but a better match for the archeological evidence.

Sturt Manning, a Cornell University professor of classical archaeology, called the Kyrenia vessel an "iconic ship from the early Hellenistic period, central to the history of ancient maritime technology."

The ship, about 46 feet (14 meters) long, was built of wood with lead sheathing, with one mast bearing a square sail, and likely carrying a crew of four. It sank about a mile (1.6 km) off the coast. Aboard were nearly 400 amphoras - large two-handled pottery storage jars - some filled with almonds and others apparently with wine, along with heavy millstones as ballast.

"Likely it was going to or from Cyprus, and the cargo - amphora types - suggest it was trading in the Aegean and east Mediterranean area. The main cargo comprised amphora of a type associated with the island of Rhodes in the southeast Aegean," said Manning, lead author of the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Using various lines of evidence, the researchers determined that the ship had been constructed between about 345-313 BC and sank between about 286-272 BC.

The death in 323 BC of Alexander, who had conquered wide swathes of the Mediterranean region and beyond, led to regional scrambles for power. Cyprus became a contested area pitting successors of Alexander ruling in the Aegean region versus those in Egypt, with the latter winning control of the island.

The Kyrenia ship's remains are displayed at a museum in Cyprus.

"Ancient shipwrecks hold several unique sources of information for archaeologists to reconstruct the human past. In underwater sites like where the Kyrenia was buried, archaeological materials decay much more slowly. As a result, organic materials like wood, seeds or rope can be much better preserved than on land," said University of Georgia anthropology professor and study co-author Brita Lorentzen.

The discovery of a deepwater shipwreck off the coast of Israel, dating to roughly 1300 BC, was announced just last week.

"Ships were a critical source of transportation in the ancient world, which allowed people to move from one place to another, create social networks, and exchange trade goods and ideas. A shipwreck's contents can tell us specifically which items were being traded or exchanged, where and how people were moving around by sea, which groups of people were in contact with one another, and how they were impacted by these early social and economic networks," Lorentzen said.

This ship's timbers were embalmed decades ago using the chemical compound polyethylene glycol (PEG) to preserve the wood on land. This complicated the use of radiocarbon dating, a technique for determining an object's age based on the decay over time of a radioactive form of carbon.

"Adding PEG prevents ship timbers from drying out, shrinking and turning to dust out of the water. But it also contains petroleum, with lots of carbon from long-dead organic remains," Lorentzen said.

The researchers devised improved methods to remove PEG so radiocarbon dating could be used for the timbers. They also used radiocarbon dating on the almonds and astragalus.

Analysis of annual growth rings in trees also helps govern the dating of ancient wooden artifacts. The researchers found a discrepancy in a scientific standard used in analyzing wood from this time period to convert radiocarbon measurements into calendar dates for the northern hemisphere, and updated it.

"The work here is relevant to ancient shipwrecks generally," Manning said.

(Reporting by Will Dunham, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Id be hard pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once. But that is the case as I sit here today.

The above could easily have been said by any of our nations top counterterrorism or law enforcement officials in the summer of 2001  dubbed the Summer of Threat  when intelligence reporting on possible terrorist attacks spiked to unprecedented levels. But it wasnt.

The quote is from FBI Director Chris Wrays recent congressional testimony, and it establishes the summer of 2024 as dauntingly similar to threat levels of 2001, but with a critical difference.

Twenty years ago this July, when the 9/11 Commission Report was published, it was fair to characterize the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,977 people as a failure of policy, management, capability, and  above all  a failure of imagination. If the next terrorist attack on U.S. soil emanates from an illegal border infiltration, it certainly will not be a failure of imagination.

We are former 9/11 Commission staff members who lived the effects of those attacks  both of us lost friends and acquaintances, and one is a severely burned survivor of the attack on the Pentagon. The reality of just how far our nations border security mindset and stance has wandered in recent years cuts us to our core.

Only the north tower of the WTC stands, shortly after the south tower collapsed on the morning of September 11th. Seen from Exchange Place in Jersey City.

In the months leading up to 9/11, only a relatively small number of watchdogs in the classified and compartmentalized world of our governments counterterrorism network knew that the system was blinking red over the threat from Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Today, a far more informed public knows that it is blinking red again.

Customs and Border Patrol statistics show that our homeland is now exposed to shockingly grave risks that would have been categorically unacceptable in the painful early years after 9/11.

Consider the following: Since 2021, more than 300 people on the governments terrorist watchlist have been encountered entering the United States. That represents more than a 2,000% increase from the prior three years. And there is no way of knowing how many potential terrorists were not encountered. At the same time, however, this administration and Congress have been dithering with the immigration issue, treating it as grist for the partisan mill, and placing politics above border security and genuine reform.

The entire world  including terrorists and nation-state adversaries who desire to do us harm  knows that our borders are glaringly and tantalizingly vulnerable. In just the past month weve seen numerous foreigners arrested across the country, who illegally crossed our border and have alleged ties with the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.

We really should be worried about America's borders

In this Summer of Threat 2024, we find ourselves in an unnerving situation where our borders are woefully unsecured while our counterterrorism watchdogs are barking, loudly and publicly.

Perhaps the loudest public Watchdog bark has come from retired former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell, who has urged the Biden Administration and Congress to act boldly and urgently  including the use of national emergency authorities  to secure the southern border so that terrorists do not exploit this overwhelmed channel to enter the country.

Recognizing that some terrorists may already have crossed, Morell further recommends that U.S. intelligence agencies review all previously collected information related to terrorism for leads and ask their international partners to detain and interview  within their legal authority  individuals with ties to terrorism.

Finally, Morell agues that public awareness of the urgency of the threat must be raised, urging the congressional intelligence committees to hold public hearings and insist to hear the candid threat assessments of the directors of National Intelligence, the CIA, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center.

John Farmer, director of Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

We agree with Morells recommendations, and the administration and Congress should undertake them immediately. But national security officials must go further, and fully alert state and local law enforcement and the general public to the urgency of the moment. The failure to do so prior to 9/11 enabled the hijackers to move freely around the country, and even to encounter local law enforcement, who had no reason to believe that our counterterrorism system was on the highest alert.

In July 2001, for instance, a South Hackensack, New Jersey, police officer on routine patrol checked the California license plate of a rental car parked at a cheap motel where drug trafficking was common. The renter was Nawaf al Hazmi, and he was staying in room 506 of the motel with a man named Khalid al-Mihdhar. Two months later, both would hijack American Airlines Flight 77, the plane that attacked the Pentagon. For co-author Kevin Shaeffer, then a Navy Lieutenant at the Pentagon, and his friends and colleagues there, this was so much more than a missed opportunity. But the local police had no reason to know that Hazmi was a person of interest because the CIA failed to timely communicate his known arrival in the United States to the FBI, which in turn could have notified state and local law enforcement.

Chance encounter at Ground Zero on 9/11 helps retired NYPD cop to finally get medical help

The similarities to 2001 are far too eerie

We simply cannot ignore the similarities between the summer months leading up to 9/11, and what we know publicly today about the clear, present and growing threats emanating from our borders.

Our government must move swiftly, with unique purpose, to secure our borders, and dedicate all resources necessary to educate the public and law enforcement at all levels to detect and disrupt those who are likely in our midst today, and who plot to do us great harm. If we fall short, it will be a tragic and deadly example of an all-too-familiar theme: a bipartisan failure to govern in a nonpartisan manner.

The watch-dogs bark! ... Hark, hark!

Shakespeares "The Tempest," 1610-1611

John J. Farmer Jr. is a visiting professor at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and director of the Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience at Rutgers University, was Attorney General of New Jersey on Sept. 11 and served as Senior Counsel to the 9/11 Commission. Prior to serving on the 9/11 Commission staff, Kevin Shaeffer was a U.S. Navy Lieutenant. He was severely burned at the Pentagon on Sept. 11. Following the 9/11 Commission, he has served in critical roles working on our nations highest priority national security mission areas, including against top al-Qaeda leadership.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: America is under terror threat levels similar to 9/11. Pay attention
The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that will allow emergency abortion access in Idaho, for now, despite the state's near-total ban on the procedure.

The court dismissed the case without considering the core issues, instead sending it back to the lower courts for further proceedings.

The move reinstates a federal district court's ruling that a federal law requiring emergency rooms to provide stabilizing care to all patients preempts Idaho's abortion ban when a woman's health is at risk.

MORE: Supreme Court poised to deliver major rulings on presidential immunity, abortion access

Idaho's Defense of Life Act, enacted in 2022 after the fall of Roe v. Wade, prohibits nearly all abortions with exceptions only in reported cases of rape, incest or to prevent the death of the mother.

The Biden administration argued before the court the law is in conflict with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, which requires hospitals receiving Medicare funds to provide necessary stabilizing treatment."

But, Justice Elena Kagan argued, Idaho allows abortions only when necessary to prevent a pregnant womans death.

"By their terms, the two laws differ," she wrote. "What falls in the gap between them are cases in which continuing a pregnancy does not put a womans life in danger, but still places her at risk of grave health consequences, including loss of fertility. In that situation, federal law requires a hospital to offer an abortion, whereas Idaho law prohibits that emergency care."

PHOTO: The Supreme Court, June 26, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Justice Samuel Alito criticized the court for dismissing the case, arguing the government's preemption argument is "plainly unsound."

"Apparently, the Court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. That is regrettable, " Alito wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.

MORE: 2 years after Roe v. Wade, physicians still struggle to provide essential care

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador said despite the court's ruling, the state will still be able "enforce its law to save lives in the vast majority of circumstances" while litigation continues.

"I remain committed to protect unborn life and ensure women in Idaho receive necessary medical care, and I will continue my outreach to doctors and hospitals across Idaho to ensure that they understand what our law requires," Labrador said in a statement. "We look forward to ending this administrations relentless overreach into Idahoans right to protect and defend life.

The case marked the first time the high court has ruled in a case regarding state-level abortion restrictions passed after its conservative majority struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022. Since then, 21 states have successfully enacted restrictions or bans on abortion and 14 of those states have total bans with few exceptions.

President Joe Biden said that while the ruling will ensure emergency abortion access in Idaho for now, it is part of a dangerous trend of restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers over the past two years.

"No woman should be denied care, made to wait until shes near death, or forced to flee her home state just to receive the health care she needs," Biden said. "This should never happen in America."

Supreme Court allows emergency abortion access in Idaho for now originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that hospitals in Idaho that receive federal funds are allowed to temporarily provide emergency abortions when a patient faces serious health risks, even though a state law currently bans the procedure.

The highly-anticipated decision, however, largely sidesteps the issues at the heart of the case. The Justices declined to rule on whether Idaho's near-total abortion ban conflicts with federal mandates requiring hospitals to provide emergency care, choosing instead to dismiss the case by a 6 to 3 vote on procedural grounds.

The Justices wrote in the majority opinion that the case was improvidently granted and that the Supreme Court should not have stepped in so quickly, effectively reinstating a lower court ruling that permits doctors in Idaho to perform abortions in emergency situations without fear of prosecution or penalty under state law.

The court could take up the issue in a later case, but for now clears the way for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortions.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that she would not have dismissed the case, and that the issue should have been resolved by the Supreme Court. Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, she wrote. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

The ruling signifies a partial victory for the Biden Administration in its protracted effort to safeguard abortion access. The case marked the second abortion-related challenge to come before the Justices this term, following the Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization in 2022 that overturned the Constitutional right to an abortion and left abortion policy to the states. (Earlier in June, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge that would have curtailed access to the abortion pill mifepristone.)

Anti-abortion demonstrators gather in front of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Anna Rose LaydenGetty Images

At the heart of the Idaho case was a clash between the states stringent abortion restrictions and the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which mandates hospitals to stabilize patients facing life-threatening conditions regardless of their ability to pay. Idaho contended that EMTALA's language requires equal treatment for both the pregnant patient and the "unborn child," arguing that its near-total abortion ban does not conflict with federal legislation.

The decision, however, was not entirely a surprise. It came one day after Bloomberg reported that a draft opinion was inadvertently posted on the courts website in a rare breach of protocol.

The legal battle in Idaho is part of a broader wave of challenges following the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, when a so-called trigger law automatically came into effect in Idaho prohibiting all abortions except in cases where it is deemed necessary to prevent the mother's death. In legal filings, Idaho has noted that the term "abortion" is absent from the EMTALA statute enacted by Congress in 1986, arguing that abortion care was not intended as one of the required stabilizing treatments under the law. The statute does, however, include the phrase "unborn child," which the state contends necessitates consideration of the fetus's well-being when addressing medical emergencies.

Conservative justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch wrote in the dissent that the court had prematurely dismissed the case without fully addressing the conflict between federal and state laws. Alito criticized the majority's decision as avoiding a critical legal issue ripe for resolution, asserting that EMTALA does not mandate abortions and citing congressional intent to protect unborn children under federal law.

"Here, no one who has any respect for statutory language can plausibly say that the government's interpretation is unambiguously correct," he wrote.

The Biden Administration sued Idaho over its abortion ban in 2022, resulting in a temporary injunction preventing its enforcement in emergency care situations, but the case has raised questions about the ongoing struggle between federal and state authority in shaping reproductive healthcare policy.

Fourteen states have already banned abortion since the fall of Roe v. Wade, and while each of these bans include some kind of exception for the mothers life, patients, doctors, and lawyers have run into challenges interpreting the statutes language. As a result, some women seeking abortions have been turned away from hospitals in life-threatening situations.

Several Idaho-based medical providers wrote in amicus briefs that the states abortion law does not match up with common medical judgment, forcing doctors to violate their oath and delay medical care until their patients condition deteriorates to the point that an abortion is necessary to save their lives. Some OB-GYNs have decided to leave Idaho over fear of being prosecuted for treating patients, according to the briefs.

Write to Nik Popli at nik.popli@time.com.
The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy deal that wouldve contributed billions of dollars to pay victims and combat the opioid epidemic in exchange for immunizing the wealthy Sackler family from civil lawsuits.

In a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, the high court ruled federal law does not permit the Sacklers, who previously controlled Purdue Pharma but did not themselves file for bankruptcy, to be released from liability for contributing up to $6 billion to the settlement.

The Bankruptcy Code only allows immunity for third parties like the Sacklers if all creditors sign off, the high court ruled, siding with the Biden administration and a relatively small group who objected.

The decision claws back a key tactic that corporations like the Catholic Church have used to resolve mass injury claims through bankruptcy.

Describe the relief the Sacklers seek how you will, nothing in the bankruptcy code contemplates (much less authorizes) it, Gorsuch wrote.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan dissented and wouldve allowed Purdue Pharmas settlement to move forward.

In this case, as in many past mass-tort bankruptcies, the non-debtor releases were appropriate and therefore authorized by the bankruptcy code, Kavanaugh wrote.

The non-debtor releases were needed to ensure meaningful victim and creditor recovery in the face of multiple collective-action problems.

It effectively undoes the years-in-the-making settlement that wouldve had Purdue Pharma transform into a public-benefit company dedicated to opioid abatement, with the multi-billion contribution from the Sacklers funding those efforts and compensating victims.

The Supreme Court had put the deal on hold as they considered the case.

About 95 percent of creditors voted to approve Purdue Pharmas settlement and immunize the Sacklers, but the Supreme Court sided with the objections lodged by a relatively small group, who were backed by the U.S. Trustee, the Justice Departments bankruptcy watchdog.

The U.S. Trustee estimated the now-defunct deal wouldve provided opioid victims between $3,500 and $48,000.

The future for Purdue Pharmas bankruptcy case remains hazy, with the parties having sparred over whether there another viable path exists for victims to receive payment.

Purdue Pharma, now under new ownership, called the ruling heart-crushing, but said it will reach back out to creditors to pursue a new resolution.

Critically, the ruling is limited to the narrow legal issue regarding the scope of the third-party releases conferred by the Plan, the company said in a statement. The decision does nothing to deter us from the twin goals of using settlement dollars for opioid abatement and turning the company into an engine for good.

The U.S. Trustees objections to the settlement were joined by a group of Canadian municipalities and an individual victim who found her son dead on the bathroom floor after an overdose. Some of them alleged that Sackler family members had taken assets offshore, portraying the deal as providing special protection for billionaires.

Updated at 12:50 p.m.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
By Xinhua writers Jiang Tingting, Zhang Tuo and Hao Wangle

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Officials and industry insiders in the European Union (EU) called for dialogue with China, after China's Ministry of Commerce launched an anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the bloc.

The year-long probe was initiated on June 17 at the request of the China Animal Agriculture Association.

EU is China's largest source of pork imports, exporting 3.3 billion U.S. dollars worth of pork and related products to China last year.

EU officials and pork producers have voiced their worries about China's possible anti-dumping duties on the bloc's pork exports, saying such measures could deal "a heavy blow" to the sector.

Ksenija Simovic, senior policy adviser for trade at Copa-Cogeca, Europe's largest farmer lobby, said "The European Commission should ensure that our sector does not bear the burden for disputes involving other sectors."

CHINESE PRODUCERS HURT

In its petition submitted to the Ministry of Commerce, the Chinese association said the prices of EU pork exports showed a significant downward trend from 2020 to 2023, falling 8 percent during the period.

The continuous price decline has forced domestic pork producers to slash their prices by 20-50 percent, which has undermined the interests of the domestic industry, it said.

Pork is the main source of animal protein for Chinese people, accounting for nearly 60 percent of residents' meat consumption.

As the world's largest producer and consumer of pork, China has been expanding imports from the EU, which accounted for 54 percent of the country's total pork imports from 2020 to 2023.

According to the EU's 2023-2027 mid-term budget, the bloc pays 194 billion euros in agricultural subsidies directly to its member states, averaging 38.8 billion euros per year. Of the total, 82 percent could possibly go to high-emission livestock industries, including pig raising and related sectors, said the petition.

"The large amount of subsidies provided by the EU and its related member states has seriously distorted the market environment of fair competition," said a source from the association.

EU SUPPLIERS' WORRIES

Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas told reporters in Madrid that he hopes and expects that "there will be room for understanding, for negotiation, and to avoid the imposition of tariffs on agricultural and food products."

Spain is the biggest EU pork supplier to China, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark and France. Spain exported 560,488 tonnes of pork products worth 1.2 billion euros to China in 2023, representing 20.3 percent of its total pork exports by volume and 13.7 percent by value, according to Interporc, Spain's pork producers' association.

The anti-dumping measures could impact Europe badly because a large portion of the bloc's pork exports to China are pig ears, noses, feet and offal that are rarely consumed by Europeans.

"It is not easy for the bloc to find an alternative market in a short time," said Zhao Yongsheng, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics.

As many pork producers in the EU rely heavily on export markets, losing the vast Chinese market would result in "significant losses for EU pork traders," said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

CALLS FOR DIALOGUE

The European Commission has proposed to levy provisional additional tariffs of up to 38.1 percent on China-made EVs starting from early July, after initiating an anti-subsidy investigation last year.

"The commission initiated the investigation on its own. But such an ex officio initiation without having received a complaint is more likely to be politically inclined," said Sun Lei, a lawyer and senior partner with Dentons, a law firm.

Industry specialists said that the strong export of China's NEVs is well underpinned by its industrial chain, which has built up its strength under full market competition, not state subsidies.

If the EU could impose additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars citing the excuse of unsubstantiated subsidies, it would be justifiable for China to levy taxes on the EU's heavily-subsidized agricultural sector, they said.

Amid strong opposition from China and some EU member economies, the bloc has agreed to start talks with China on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

During a meeting with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on Saturday, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China is willing to consider the reasonable concerns of both parties to avoid the escalation of trade frictions in a rational and professional manner.

Mauro Portela Lorenzo, trade officer from the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Shanghai, told Xinhua that all Spanish manufacturers involved are keen to collaborate and proactively provide all necessary information in seek of a favorable investigation outcome.

He said he hopes "there will be a positive solution to this investigation."

Zhao believed that the door for trade negotiations between the two parties is open. "China, which has the initiative in terms of market access, technology, industrial chains, and logistics, is willing to accommodate the interests of both sides during negotiations," he said.

Bassas Romeu Gerard, chairman of Salomei, a Spanish manufacturer of sausages, said he hoped China and the EU can lower tariffs to boost bilateral trade.

The company set up a subsidiary in the city of Xuanwei, southwest China's Yunnan Province, in late 2023, and uses pork from both China and abroad as raw material.

"Dialogue and consultations are definitely the right way to solve disputes and avoid a vicious spiral of trade friction escalations," he said. Enditem

(Wu Meng and Zhou Rui contributed to the story)
Supreme Court declines to say whether Idaho abortion ruling issued in error will be final

Supreme Court declines to say whether Idaho abortion ruling issued in error will be final

The Supreme Court has declined to say whether an opinion inadvertently posted and then quickly removed from its website on Wednesday in a high-profile Idaho abortion case represents its final decision.

The opinion in Moyle v. United States, No. 23-726, and Idaho v. United States, No. 23-727, has not been released, Patricia McCabe, the public information officer for the Supreme Court, said in a statement.

The Courts Publications Unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the Courts website. The Courts opinion in these cases will be issued in due course.

The opinion related to consolidated appeaks in Moyle v US and US v Idaho, which concerned the ability of doctors to provide abortions in the case of medical emergencies.

The accidental opinion, by a 6-to-3 majority, found the appeal shouldnt have been taken up in the first place, effectively reinstating a lower court ruling allowing hospitals in Idaho to provide abortions in medical emergencies.

A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

The justices did not offer a wider ruling on Idahos 2022 abortion ban, which criminalizes the procedure except in the case of a vaguely worded exception for doctors providing abortions to protect the life of a pregnant person.

Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch were in the dissent.

Abortion advocates said even if the draft opinion represents the high courts final verdict, its not an overall victory for reproductive rights.

The abortion bans that are putting peoples lives on the line in the first place will continue to remain on the books, Reproductive Freedom for All CEO Mini Timmaraju told CNN.

The issue remains a live one in US courts.

In Texas, a challenge to the states strict abortion ban, seeking to expand the scope of medical exemptions, has been working its way through trial and appelate courts.

The Idaho decision incident is the latest in a troubled season for the Supreme Court.

In 2022, Politico obtained a draft version of the courts eventual decision to overturn Roe v Wades constitutional guarantees of a right to an abortion, an unprecedented leak from an institution that prides itself on norms of confidentiality.

The court has also been dogged in recent years with allegations that the justices, in particular Clarence Thomas, have accepted innappropriate, high-priced gifts and favors from political activists.
On Thursday, The Supreme Court ruled that doctors are allowed to provide emergency abortions to stabilize a patients health and life, meaning Idahos near-total abortion ban does not take precedence over a federal law known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA.)

The 6-3 opinion included three dissenting Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, while three of the court's conservatives  Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett  sided with the three liberals  Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The appeal from Idaho was dismissed as "improvidently granted" without considering the core issues in the case, returning it to the lower courts for further litigation.

"Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay," Justice Brown Jackson wrote in her opinion. "While this Court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires."

This decision is unconscionable," Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement. "For nearly six months, as a direct result of the U.S. Supreme Courts actions, Idahoans have been denied access to emergency abortion care. While access to emergency abortion care has been restored in Idaho for now, the court had the opportunity today to make clear that the federal EMTALA law protects pregnant patients access to emergency abortion care in every state. Instead, the court has kicked the can down the road, leaving access to emergency care for pregnant people across the country under threat.

The ruling isn't entirely surprising given that the opinion was briefly posted on the court's website on Wednesday, June 26 before being taken down.

This is the second major abortion-related case that the U.S. Supreme Court heard this year, after unanimously voting to reject a challenge to mifepristone access, a common, safe and effective abortion drug.

Shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated EMTALA took priority over state laws. Under EMTALA, hospitals and emergency rooms were required to provide emergency abortions even where there were strict abortions laws  like Idaho and Texas. The Biden Administration even sued Idaho, claiming that the state's near-total ban was in direct conflict with the federal EMTALA law. But the state claimed that there wasnt a conflict because technically it has a life-saving exception. Then in January, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas ruled that emergency rooms aren't required to perform health-saving abortions under EMTALA, which is when the case moved to the Supreme Court.

As Salon previously reported, justices appeared to be split on whether or not Idahos near-total abortion ban overrides EMTALA or not during the hearing, which took place on April 24, 2024.

Notably, EMTALA first came to light as a response to hospitals turning away uninsured pregnant people in active labor. Congress passed the law in 1986 and specifically included provisions mandating federally funded hospitals to accept a patient in active labor even if she doesnt have insurance. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law. The purpose of EMTALA was to establish a nationwide baseline of emergency care that everyone is entitled to, regardless of where they live or their medical condition. Congress even included a preemption clause that said if any state law conflicts with EMTALAs requirements, EMTALA overrides the state law.

Through EMTALA, Congress protected the ultimate power of every pregnant person to decide what's best for themselves, their health and their pregnancies, including if that means ending the pregnancy, Carrie Flaxman, a senior advisor at Democracy Forward, said at a press conference after the oral arguments in April. And so the notion that the same language that was used to expand EMTALAs protections for pregnant people somehow now carves them out of the laws full protections defies logic.

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes.

Legal experts have repeatedly told Salon that if the Supreme Court ruled that EMTALA doesnt cover life and health-saving abortions, it would essentially make pregnant women second-class citizens in Americas emergency rooms.

This case could radically change how emergency medical care is practiced in this country and could make pregnant people second-class citizens in America's emergency rooms, Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, told Salon. What I think we are looking at here is the fact that overturning Roe v. Wade was just the beginning, and these extremist politicians are using every tool at their disposal in their campaign to ban abortion nationwide.

The precedent could have a dangerous ripple effect.

Practitioners are going to be afraid to practice, they're going to be afraid to treat people, they're going to be working under terrible conditions of wondering if they're going to get fined, Azaleea Carlea, legal director at Legal Momentum, told Salon. If they're going to go to jail, if they're going to have to wait for someone to be dying before they can help them.
The Supreme Court expects to miss its normal deadline of handing down its final opinions by the end of June.

The courts website was updated to reflect the justices expect to hand down opinions on Monday, July 1, though it remains unclear if additional days will be scheduled beyond that.

Thursdays update made official what already became apparent earlier in the morning.

By tradition, Chief Justice John Roberts on the penultimate opinion day announces the next one will be the final day.

But Roberts made no such announcement Thursday, suggesting that Fridays scheduled opinion release would not be the final day and the courts work would instead spill over into next week.

The court generally tries to meet its self-imposed deadline of handing down all opinions by the end of June, only missing it in recent memory when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted normal operations.

But there is no requirement that the Supreme Court adhere to its normal deadline, save for the justices desires to maintain their summer plans. Justice Neil Gorsuch, for example, is scheduled to travel to Portugal to teach a two-week course for George Mason University in the second half of July.

The justices still appear on track to finish their work soon, perhaps as soon as Monday before the court closes for the Independence Day holiday Thursday.



The court has yet to hand down decisions in eight argued cases, including a high-profile battle over former President Trumps immunity claims, a case that could claw back federal agencies power and two cases related to social media.

Updated 11:46 a.m.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
The Supreme Court is going into overtime

With several high-profile cases left and the end of June quickly approaching, the Supreme Court will miss its traditional June 30 decision deadline.

The court has at least six rulings left to issue and only one business day remaining in June. So far this month, it hasnt released more than five in a single day.

Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog confirmed Thursday that the court did not make its typical Tomorrow is the last decision day announcement while releasing its rulings on Idahos abortion ban and three other cases.

That means the court will be back in session at least one day next week. Around 9:30 a.m. MDT on Thursday, the Supreme Courts website was updated to mark Monday, July 1, as a decision day. (The justices will also release one or more opinions on Friday, June 28.)

To be clear, the justices arent legally obligated to wrap up their term by July 1. Theyve released opinions in July before, including in 2020 after COVID-19 disrupted their spring oral argument schedule.

Although the court was able to wrap up its last round of oral arguments in April this year, it heard several of its most high-profile cases in its final week of arguments, including former President Donald Trumps presidential immunity claim.

That means it was short on time to process what was said during oral arguments for those cases and to pass drafts of the majority opinions and dissents back and forth between justices. (The courts decision-making process is collaborative.)

Remaining Supreme Court cases

Heading into its Friday decision day, the Supreme Court has eight cases left to decide, although it may only need to issue six rulings, since four of the cases were grouped into two consolidated pairs.

Here are the remaining Supreme Court cases:

Relentless v. Department of Commerce

Consolidated with : Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo

Key question: Should the Chevron doctrine, which instructs courts to defer to federal agencies interpretation of broad or vague policies put in place by Congress, remain in place?

Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

Key question: Whats the statute of limitations on challenging a policy put in place by a federal agency?

Moody v. Netchoice

Consolidated with : Netchoice v. Paxton

Key question: Can states regulate social media sites content moderation policies to try to protect free speech?

Fischer v. United States

Key question: Did prosecutors improperly charge Jan. 6 protesters with obstructing or impeding official proceedings?

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson

Key question: Do bans on public sleeping turn homelessness into a crime?

Trump v. United States

Key question: Whats the scope of presidential immunity?

The Supreme Court will next release opinions on its website at 8 a.m. MDT on Friday.
The Supreme Court issued four more opinions on Thursday but did not include the highly anticipated decision regarding former President Donald Trumps claims of immunity from criminal prosecution ahead of Thursday nights presidential debate between Trump and President Biden.

Heres a roundup of all the decisions it did drop on June 27, including a major ruling on abortion.

 Abortion in health emergencies

Case: Moyle v. United States

How the justices ruled and what it means: The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration in a 6-3 decision when it dismissed an appeal from Idaho, sidestepping the question of whether the Biden administration's interpretation of federal law conflicts with Idaho's abortion ban. The ruling means emergency room doctors can now perform emergency abortions in Idaho, despite the state's near-total ban on abortion. The case will now continue to play out in lower courts. And with key questions unanswered, the issue could end up before the Supreme Court again.

Some background: Following the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision in 2022, the Biden administration argued that, under federal law, doctors must be allowed to provide emergency abortions for cases in which a woman is facing serious health risks.

Idaho officials challenged the Biden administrations decision, saying the federal law conflicts with its state law that bans abortions. Idaho is one of 14 states with a complete abortion ban in place, with very limited exceptions, which include when necessary to prevent the death of a pregnant woman. Otherwise, anyone who performs the procedure can face criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison, and health care professionals risk losing their medical license.

Notable opinion quote: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson concurred in part, and dissented in part with the decision. Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, she wrote. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires.

 Environmental protections on hold

Case: Ohio v. EPA

How the justices ruled and what it means: The Biden administration suffered another blow to its ambitious environmental plan from the Supreme Court on Thursday. The justices 5-4 ruling temporarily stops the Biden administrations Clean Air Acts good neighbor provision, which aims to reduce air pollution from factories and power plants in Western and Midwestern states that drifts downwind across state lines. The rule is on hold while legal challenges play out.

Some background: Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, energy companies and other industry groups challenged the Environmental Protection Agencys rule, saying it was expensive and not effective. Meanwhile, the EPA contends that the pollutants have a link to asthma, lung disease and premature death. In a landmark 2022 decision, the Supreme Court has also limited the EPAs authority to combat climate change and water pollution.

 Rejection of opioid settlement

Case: Harrington v. Purdue Pharma

How the justices ruled: The Supreme Court blocked a $6 billion nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded the wealthy company owners from civil lawsuits over the opioid epidemic, in exchange for billions of dollars to help address the crisis. In a 5-4 vote, the justices blocked the agreement arranged between state and local governments and opioid-addicted victims.

What it means: In 2019, Purdue Pharma declared bankruptcy, but the Sackler family, who owns Purdue Pharma, has not declared bankruptcy themselves. The ruling means the Sacklers cant receive immunity from being held liable in opioid-related lawsuits. The case also sets a framework for similar agreements that protect a third party from being held legally responsible.

Notable opinion quote: Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion, Nothing in present law authorizes the Sackler discharge.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the four who dissented, wrote, Opioid victims and other future victims of mass torts will suffer greatly in the wake of todays unfortunate and destabilizing decision.

 Limiting power of federal agencies

Case: Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy

How the justices ruled and what it means: In a 6-3 decision, the justices put new limits on the power of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to combat securities fraud by ruling that the federal agencys use of in-house courts violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court said that people accused of fraud by the SEC have the right to a jury trial in federal court.

Some background: The SEC was established during the Great Depression to ensure the financial markets stay fair and that investors are protected. George Jarkesy, a hedge fund manager, brought the challenge after the SEC claimed he violated securities laws and wasnt truthful about two hedge funds he was overseeing. After an in-house SEC proceeding, Jarkesy had to pay a hefty penalty and was barred from certain industry roles. He argued that the case should have been heard in a federal court rather than in an SEC court.

Elon Musk and Mark Cuban have backed Jarkesy.

What the justices said: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that a defendant facing an SEC fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator. Rather than recognize that right, the dissent would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in the hands of the Executive Branch.

Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who dissented with the two other liberal justices, was concerned about repealing the power of federal agencies and wrote, The constitutionality of hundreds of statutes may now be in peril, and dozens of agencies could be stripped of their power to enforce laws enacted by Congress.
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Securities and Exchange Commission cant rely on in-house courts to resolve certain enforcement disputes, a decision that could deliver a blow to a critical power of corporate watchdogs across the federal government.

In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the justices backed a challenge to the constitutionality of the SECs internal tribunals  a resounding win for conservatives who have argued for years that regulators wield too much authority with too little oversight.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who penned the majority opinion, wrote that the SECs reliance on in-house courts and judges violates the Constitutions guarantee of a jury trial when the agency is seeking civil penalties for fraud. The court did not take up other issues raised in the case about whether Congress erred in allowing the SEC to choose where to bring cases and if the agencys in-house judges are too insulated from removal.

A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator, Roberts wrote.

Conservative critics of the so-called administrative state have had a mixed record with the high court this term. Most notably, the justices recently dealt the movement a surprise and major loss by upholding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus funding mechanism, which avoids the regular congressional appropriations process. The court will also rule in the coming days on cases that could overturn a crucial, decades-old precedent giving agencies broad latitude when interpreting the law.

But the case decided Thursday, Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, hits at an obscure though important issue that has been at the forefront of those attacks for more than a decade.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissenting opinion and read large portions of it from the bench, which is typically a sign of more profound disagreement.

Sotomayor called the majoritys ruling earthshattering and said claims that the decision is limited to the SEC were incredible and should fool no one.

The constitutionality of hundreds of statutes may now be in peril, and dozens of agencies could be stripped of their power to enforce laws enacted by Congress, Sotomayor warned in her opinion, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Sotomayor pointed to worker safety programs run by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as in particular jeopardy.

Litigants seeking further dismantling of the administrative state have reason to rejoice in their win today, but those of us who cherish the rule of law have nothing to celebrate, she declared in one line she recited in the courtroom.

In a concurring opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch criticized Sotomayors reading of the court's precedents, calling it like a picky child at the dinner table. Gorsuch was joined in concurring by Justice Clarence Thomas.

The SEC's in-house courts, historically used to adjudicate a broad slate of securities law violations, have become the subject of a decadelong attack by legal activists, the business lobby and billionaires like Mark Cuban and Elon Musk. Critics say the courts are riddled with biased judges and constitutional issues, accusations the agency has rejected.

Supporters of the administrative law judge system say it routes disputes to adjudicators who typically have deep expertise in the subject matter. They also note that anyone dissatisfied with the outcome of those proceedings can seek review at the end of that process from the traditional federal courts.

Attorneys representing the SEC had argued that the right to a jury trial doesn't apply to the types of cases usually brought in the agency's courts, which have dealt with financial malfeasance or fraud. But the court ruled in the opinion that the SECs antifraud provisions replicate common law fraud and that it is well established that those cases must be heard by a jury.

During oral arguments in November, Roberts questioned the SECs claims, saying its curious that  unlike most constitutional rights  you have that right until the government decides that you shouldnt.

The Supreme Court has previously found issues with the structure of the SECs internal tribunals and how judges overseeing the courts are appointed, prompting the agency to sharply scale them back and to funnel nearly all contentious cases through the federal judiciary instead of its own courts. The SEC still brings a number of other matters, such as industry bars and suspensions, through its own courts, which are not expected to be affected by Thursdays ruling.

The Court hardly leaves the SEC without ample powers and recourse, Gorsuch wrote in his concurring opinion. The agency is free to pursue all of its charges against Mr. Jarkesy. And it is free to pursue them exactly as it had always done until 2010: In a court, before a judge, and with a jury.

Jarkesys reach, however, could extend well beyond Wall Streets top cop.

In advance of the high courts decision, consumer and labor groups warned that a broad ruling by the justices could rope in the in-house courts of other agencies like the Federal Trade Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.

Legal challenges to the administrative law judges at both agencies are pending with those involved closely watching the high courts action in the SEC-focused dispute. Sidelining the in-house courts at those agencies wouldnt cripple them entirely, but current and former officials said it would complicate and slow enforcement efforts.

The Supreme Courts ruling could have a more profound effect on other agencies than the SEC itself, said Jay Dubow, a former SEC attorney and current partner at Troutman Pepper, before the decision.

Following the ruling, SEC Enforcement Director Gurbir Grewal said the agency was reviewing the decision but that it "will continue to protect investors and enforce the federal securities laws, including by filing actions in federal court."

"Indeed, during the last several years, the SEC has successfully enforced the federal securities laws in federal court, obtaining favorable jury verdicts and dispositive motion rulings in highly contested matters with industry-wide implications," Grewal said.

The Supreme Court case stems from a securities-law enforcement action the SEC brought in 2013 against hedge-fund manager George Jarkesy, whos also a conservative TV and radio commentator. He unsuccessfully sued to block the proceedings and was later fined for defrauding investors.

Eventually, Jarkesy challenged the SECs actions, and, in 2022, a New Orleans-based appellate court found that the SEC had violated his right to a jury trial. The judges also ruled that Congress wrongly allowed the SEC to determine what cases go to its courts versus the federal courts and that the judges overseeing the SECs courts were too insulated from removal by the president.

The justices, however, only opted to weigh in on the jury-trial issue in their opinion as many expected following oral arguments.

Critics of the SECs in-house courts cheered the justices ruling Thursday. In a statement, Karen Cook, an attorney for Jarkesy, said the court had restored the balance of powers vital to our republic, safeguarding the rights of the people above an overreaching government.

But Public Citizen President Robert Weissman warned that the ruling stands to undermine the SECs enforcement efforts as well as the work of other federal agencies, some of which may even need to seek out new authority from Congress to enforce the law.

Although this case involves the SEC, many other federal agencies bring enforcement actions based on statutory standards that closely resemble fraud or other common law claims, Mayer Brown Partner Andrew Pincus said. The Supreme Courts decision indicates that all of those actions will now have to be tried before an independent federal judge and a jury  eliminating the home court advantage that has benefited many agencies for decades.
The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at SEC headquarters in Washington. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

The Supreme Court on Thursday made it harder for the Securities and Exchange Commission to penalize fund managers accused of defrauding investors.

In a 6-3 decision, the justices said those accused of stock frauds are entitled to a jury trial in a federal court, not an administrative hearing before a judge appointed by the SEC.

The court said the 7th Amendment and its right to a jury trial is not limited to private lawsuits, but extends to suits brought by the government seeking fines or penalties for violating the law.

"A defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator," said Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the court. "Rather than recognize that right, the dissent would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge, and jury in the hands of the executive branch. That is the very opposite of the separation of powers that the Constitution demands."

Dissenting, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the ruling will make it much harder to enforce regulatory laws.

Congress has "enacted more than 200 statutes authorizing dozens of agencies to impose civil penalties for violations of statutory obligations. Congress had no reason to anticipate the chaos todays majority would unleash after all these years," she said. Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed.

The decision is consistent with the conservative court's determination to rein in the so-called "administrative state."

Congress created the SEC in 1934 in response to the stock market crash with a mission to root out schemes and frauds that cheated investors.

In recent years, conservatives have criticized the SEC as an agency with unchecked power. They say it can enact rules as a legislature does, investigate potential violations as a prosecutor, and at times serve as judge and jury to impose large fines on those who violate its rules.

The case of SEC vs. Jarkesy focused on the agency's unusual power to seek large fines and penalties through in-house administrative hearings.

In 2007, George Jarkesy launched a hedge fund in Houston that managed about $24 million for 120 investors. It lost money after the Wall Street sell-off in 2008.

The SEC later said he had misled investors by telling them a prominent accounting firm was serving as an auditor and an investment bank was serving as a broker. The agency also said he inflated the value of shares to inflate his management fees.

The SEC brought an administrative claim against Jarkesy and his Patriot28 fund, and after more than six years of review, he was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $300,000 and to "disgorge" $685,000 in illicit gains.

On appeal, his attorney said Jarkesy was "put to trial before a captive agency judge sitting unconstitutionally with no right to a jury." The SEC "almost always wins in its own courts," he said.

Congress has steadily expanded the types of cases eligible for administrative hearings. The SEC increased its use of the administrative process after losing a series of jury trials in insider-trading cases, including a 2013 verdict favoring Mark Cuban, then an owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A big ruling Wednesday from the Supreme Court. Following a 6-3 decision, the conservative majority overturned an ex-mayors bribery conviction and narrowed the scope of public corruption law.

Former Portage, Indiana Mayor James Snyder and his family celebrated a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on federal bribery law.

The decision could have major implications for Chicago corruption prosecutions, including the case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Pritzker signs legislation to enhance early childhood programs

The bribery statute at issue is 666. The High Court was asked whether the law criminalizes a gratuity, a reward given for an official act that has already happened.

Snyder was convicted for corrupt solicitation, after he accepted $13,000 from a trucking company he helped secure city contracts. His attorney said there was no quid pro quo since he did not approach the company for money until after the contracts were awarded.

Former federal prosecutor Pat Brady offered his opinion about the ruling.

I think the court was concerned that innocent acts may be turned into criminal acts, and thats why they rolled it back and this is consistent with what the courts been doing over the last 10 or 20 years, kind of rolling some of these white collar federal prosecutor tools back, Brady said.

The ruling could change the next phase of the high-profile ComEd Four case in which four people were convicted in an alleged scheme to bribe Madigan.

MORE FROM WGNS TAHMAN BRADLEY: Former Ald. Ed Burke handed 2 year sentence during Monday hearing

WGN political analyst Paul Lisnek weighed in.

With regards to the provisions that involve 666 against the ComEd Four, thats something the judge has to look out and either say, Im not going to consider those charges anymore  or those guilty verdicts here. It could lead to the prosecution to ask for a retrial or something along those lines, Lisnek said.

Lisnek thinks Michael Madigans case will still proceed despite his pending trial for bribery and racketeering.

With regard to Mike Madigan, there are 23 counts against him, five of them have to do with Section 666, Lisnek said. If the prosecutors want to have an easy day of it, theyll drop those 5 counts.

Read more: Latest Chicago news headlines

WGN News reached out to a spokeswoman for Mike Madigan and his attorneys but she declined to comment.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a hotly contested deal that shielded members of the billionaire Sackler family from civil lawsuits related to the opioid epidemic.

The decision, in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, clouds the future of a settlement that committed billions of dollars to victims of the opioid epidemic, but it opens up the possibility that the Sacklers, who own Purdue while it remains in bankruptcy limbo, would face a deeper reckoning. And it may spell broader changes for other major settlements that insulate individuals behind acts of corporate wrongdoing.

The justices split along unusual lines. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, joined by Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Clarence Thomas, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Samuel Alito. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the dissent, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

The Sacklers have not filed for bankruptcy, nor have they placed virtually all their assets on the table for distribution to creditors, Gorsuch wrote for the majority. Yet, they seek an order discharging a broad sweep of present and future claims against them, including ones for fraud and willful injury. In all of these ways, the Sacklers seek to pay less than the code ordinarily requires and receive more than it normally permits.

The decision reopens a deal that emerged from more than five years of legal wrangling that pitted immediate compensation for the effects of the opioid crisis against greater personal consequences for the Sackler family.

In 2019, facing a tidal wave of lawsuits over its role in driving the opioid crisis, Purdue Pharma  but not its owners, the Sackler family  filed for bankruptcy protection, placing all litigation on hold. Over the next several years, a deal emerged in a New York bankruptcy court to dissolve Purdue Pharma and remake it into a nonprofit whose proceeds would pay communities across the country to address the opioid epidemic. The Sackler family would also contribute up to $6 billion over several years to pay many victims of the crisis.

In return, the settlement would end all litigation against Purdue, one of the typical protections of bankruptcy. But the terms also shielded the Sacklers from any lawsuits, despite members of the family never filing for personal bankruptcy protection.

The deal sparked widespread outrage. Purdue Pharma and its trademark painkiller, OxyContin, helped trigger the opioid addiction epidemic that has killed more than half a million people in the United States while transforming its founding family into billionaires. Although the deal did not shield the Sacklers from criminal charges, none have been filed, making it unlikely the Sacklers would face a public reckoning as long as the settlement held.

Amid the public backlash, the U.S. Trustee, an arm of the U.S. Justice Department charged with oversight of bankruptcy cases, challenged the courts authority to stretch the benefits of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to third parties.

The bankruptcy court did not have the authority to deprive victims of the opioid crisis of their right to sue the Sackler family, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement in late 2021.

Grace Bisch hold a picture of stepson Eddie Bisch, who died of an overdose, as she protests on Dec. 4, 2023, outside the U.S. Supreme Court. The court heard oral arguments that day regarding a nationwide settlement with Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of OxyContin. The settlement aims to protect the Sackler family, which owns the company, from civil lawsuits. Michael A. McCoy/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

The case reached the Supreme Court in December, when the justices seemed deeply divided between compensating victims as quickly as possible and holding the Sacklers responsible. The questioning did not break along clean ideological lines, although Roberts and Kavanaugh, both known to be sympathetic to corporate interests, were concerned about how the case would affect others in which individual actors are shielded by corporate settlements.

In its Thursday opinion, the majority wrote that its ruling was a narrow one that did not stand in the way of past settlements or similar deals in the future if victims agreed to give up their right to sue.

In oral arguments, the party facing off against the government was not the Sackler family but lawyers for a large class of creditors, such as state and local governments and victims of the opioid crisis and their families, who had voted by a large majority to accept the latest settlement. About 2,600 creditors rejected the deal, including some grieving families seeking their day in court.

Its overwhelming, the support for this deal, and among people who have no love for the Sacklers, among people who think that the Sacklers are pretty much the worst people on earth, Kagan said.

Kavanaugh echoed those concerns in his dissent on Thursday, writing, Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families.

Along with Kavanaugh and Barrett, Kagan grilled government lawyer Curtis Gannon about the material consequences of a court decision that would allow litigation against the Sacklers at the risk of delaying or jeopardizing payments to victims of the epidemic.

The Purdue deal is one of the only opioid settlements that sets aside some money for individuals, such as the families of loved ones who died of overdoses and children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Other companies accused of supercharging the crisis  such as pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson and McKesson, and retail chain Walmart  have agreed to pay more than $50 billion in settlements, but most will go to states, tribes and local governments struggling to offer addiction prevention and treatment.

Kavanaugh questioned how much more money could be realistically extracted from the Sacklers.

In response, Gannon pointed out that the Sacklers had increased their settlement offer once before.

The earliest version of the settlement deal, approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain in September 2021, kept the vast share of the Sacklers personal wealth intact. In the decade prior to Purdues bankruptcy filing, the Sackler family had drained the company of more than $11 billion in assets, paying some in taxes and parking the rest offshore. As part of that initial settlement, the Sacklers agreed to contribute $4.5 billion to opioid treatment and addiction prevention.

But after the Justice Department and eight states challenged that settlement, a federal judge rejected the deal. The Sacklers then raised their contribution during the appeals process to their current settlement offer of $6 billion.

A lawyer for the creditors, Gregory Garre, argued there isnt another, better deal to be had.

[That] was the best that was available here for the victims, he told the justices in December, saying the $6 billion equaled 97% of what was left of the $11 billion after taxes. Allowing individual litigation against the Sacklers, he added, could ultimately drain the pool of money available for the rest of the victims.

Still, Kagan, and Justices Jackson and Gorsuch appeared leery of allowing the Sacklers to evade accountability altogether. Because the family members did not declare bankruptcy, the court never scrutinized their personal assets. A 2021 investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform estimated the familys net worth at more than $10 billion.

Jackson framed the liability shield as an extraordinary concession the Sacklers extracted by holding Purdue profits hostage.

They actually took the assets from the company, which started the set of circumstances in which the company now doesnt have enough money to pay the creditors, she said.

In a more technical discussion, the justices also probed whether the bankruptcy court overstepped its congressional authority to approve measures that are appropriate for upholding the core settlement.

Kavanaugh, Barrett and Roberts seemed wary of eliminating third-party liability shields. The Purdue deal, they said, was comparable to countless past bankruptcy cases that insulated company officers from further liability.

Barrett questioned what scrapping this deal would mean for ongoing and future cases bringing sexual abuse claims against the Roman Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America. In response, Gannon said Congress may have to spell out how to treat third-party liability in those cases.

Youd agree that the term appropriate doesnt mean anything goes, right? Gorsuch asked Garre.

Related...
The Supreme Court rejected an attack on emergency abortion care in Idaho in a Thursday morning ruling.

While the decision is a sigh of relief for many abortion rights advocates, many people  including some Supreme Court justices  are cautioning against calling it a win.

The ruling was per curiam, meaning it was unsigned. Six justices  Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts  wrote concurring opinions. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch wrote dissents. The court reinstated a lower court ruling that allowed hospital emergency rooms in Idaho to perform emergency abortions to save the life and health of a pregnant person.

The decision is in line with the draft opinion that was accidentally published to the courts website on Wednesday morning, setting off a flurry of activity and confusion for media and advocates on both sides of the issue. The opinion was removed from the site shortly after it was published.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned in the ruling that storm clouds loom ahead.

Despite the clarity of the legal issue and the dire need for an answer from this Court, today six Justices refuse to recognize the rights that EMTALA protects, Jackson wrote. The majority opts, instead, to dismiss these cases. But storm clouds loom ahead. Three Justices suggest, at least in this context, that States have free rein to nullify federal law.

While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position.Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson

The core of this case looked at whether that language conflicted with a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. EMTALA requires hospitals that participate in Medicare  the majority of hospitals in the country  to offer abortion care if its necessary to stabilize the health of a pregnant patient while theyre experiencing a medical emergency.

This decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho but instead it is delay, Jackson wrote.

While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires, Jackson wrote. This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it. And for as long as we refuse to declare what the law requires, pregnant patients in Idaho, Texas, and elsewhere will be paying the price.

Alito agreed with Jackson in his dissent, suggesting that the decision to dismiss this case without resolving it on its merits is baffling. But he believes that the high court should have ruled in favor of Idaho, using the anti-abortion terminology unborn child throughout his dissent.

The Court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents, Alito wrote. That is regrettable.

The opinion is similar to the courts recent ruling on the abortion pill mifepristone. While it does not roll back access to emergency abortion care, it does not go as far as to protect that care. It simply prolongs the arguments in the case by kicking it back to lower courts.

Slates senior courts writer Mark Joseph Stern wrote in his breakdown of yesterdays leaked ruling that this decision reads as a politically motivated punt.

This outcome reeks of a cynical compromise, secured by the more tactical conservative justices, to push this explosive issue past this falls election, he wrote.

The Republican Partys position  that states may force patients to the brink of death before allowing them to terminate a failing pregnancy  is politically toxic. A Supreme Court decision allowing states to impose such a draconian policy could hurt Republicans, and Donald Trump specifically, in November, Joseph Stern added. The three less-extreme conservative justices may have therefore figured out a way to punt the case. Yet they also gave us good reason to believe that when it comes back around next year, they will side with the red states that wish to enforce their abortion bans against patients in extreme medical distress.

This outcome reeks of a cynical compromise, secured by the more tactical conservative justices, to push this explosive issue past this falls election.Mark Joseph Stern, Slate

The decision could have had immediate and severe consequences for abortion access had the court ruled in favor of Idaho, one of nearly 20 states that has banned abortion since the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade in 2022. But the ruling still leaves the door open for anti-abortion advocates in Idaho and other states that have near-total abortion bans with narrow exceptions, like Texas and South Dakota, to pursue banning medically necessary abortion care in emergency situations.

There have been dozens of reports of pregnant women across the country  in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and elsewhere  who were denied emergency abortion care because they werent close enough to death. Since Idaho passed its near-total abortion ban, pregnant women have been helicoptered out of the state to get lifesaving care.

The oral arguments, heard in April, attracted hundreds of protesters on either side of the abortion debate. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was the only conservative justice who expressed concern about how Idahos abortion ban may impact pregnant people. The rest of the conservative judges were focused on other aspects of the case, such as the spending power of the federal government.

A senior adviser to President Joe Biden said in a statement released shortly after the ruling that womens health, lives, and freedoms remain in peril because of former president and current GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Vice President Kamala Harris added in a later statement that more restrictions on reproductive health are coming if Trump wins the election this fall.

A second Trump term would make matters even worse. Trumps team is planning to ban abortion nationwide through executive action, which would impact women in all 50 states, the vice president said.

President Biden and I fundamentally believe that every American has the right to make decisions about their own reproductive health care and not have the government tell them what to do. Ultimately, one thing is certain: The only way to stop Trumps relentless attacks on Americans fundamental freedoms is at the ballot box this November.

Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called the ruling unconscionable in a Thursday morning statement.

For nearly six months, as a direct result of the U.S. Supreme Courts actions, Idahoans have been denied access to emergency abortion care, she wrote. While access to emergency abortion care has been restored in Idaho for now, the court had the opportunity today to make clear that the federal EMTALA law protects pregnant patients access to emergency abortion care in every state. Instead, the court has kicked the can down the road, leaving access to emergency care for pregnant people across the country under threat.

The case, a consolidation of Idaho v. United States and Moyle v. United States, hinged on the exemptions to Idahos near-total abortion ban, which first went into effect in August 2022. Specifically, the case focused on one of the Idaho bans three narrowly defined exceptions: when an abortion is necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman.

Federal law states that physicians are legally required to offer abortion in that scenario, but Idahos law is so narrow that it only allows physicians to perform an abortion when death is imminent. Those added delays could cause complications that leave them with long-term health conditions, such as a uterine hemorrhage that requires a hysterectomy, or kidney failure that requires lifelong dialysis. And if doctors have to wait until patients are already dying to provide abortion care, they may not be able to save those patients lives in the first place.

The Department of Justice sued Idaho when the abortion ban first went into effect in 2022 because, the department argued, the state law is in direct conflict with EMTALA. Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, federal law by default overrides state law. But the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, which repealed Roe v. Wade, left regulation of abortion to the states.

Related...
BERLIN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Germany saw a migration surplus of 663,000 in 2023, more than halving the record 1.46 million in 2022, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday.

Although immigration to Germany from other European countries declined overall, people from Europe still contributed the largest group of new arrivals, followed by people from Asia and Africa.

In a longer-term comparison, the surplus in 2023 "remained at a high level," which, excluding the 2022 peak, was only exceeded in 2015 and 1992, Destatis said. The decline was mainly attributed to the significant drop in Ukrainian immigrants, which fell by 75 percent year-on-year.

In addition, Germany is facing a low birth rate and a rising aging population. Around 693,000 children were born last year, the lowest level in 10 years, according to Destatis.

A study published by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development last week projected the number of people of retirement age, 67 and older, is set to rise by 13.6 percent by 2045.

In response, the German government has amended legislation to support the influx of qualified workers from abroad. On Thursday, a modernized citizenship law came into force that allows foreign nationals to naturalize more quickly while keeping their former citizenship. 
A group of doctors join abortion rights supporters at a rally outside the Supreme Court on April 24 in Washington. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

The Supreme Court retreated Thursday from ruling on Idaho's near total ban on abortions, leaving in place a judge's order that for now allows doctors to perform abortions when necessary in medical emergencies.

The justices in an unsigned order said they had "improvidently granted" Idaho's appeal in its dispute with the Biden administration over emergency care.

A draft of the order was inadvertently posted on the court's website on Wednesday.

Justices were sharply divided when they heard the Idaho case in April. Justice Amy Coney Barrett accused the state's attorney of giving shifting answers on whether certain emergencies could justify an abortion.

The justices were unable to agree on a majority ruling.

On Thursday, the justices split four ways in explaining their views. Barrett, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, said the court made a "miscalculation" by intervening too soon. She said both sides have continued to change their positions on what the state and federal laws require when it comes to emergency abortions.

Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor said the court was right to step back and allow emergency abortions to resume. They noted that because of the strict ban, women have been airlifted out of Idaho to have abortions in other states.

Dissenting, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the Biden administration would say hospitals "must perform abortions on request when the 'health' of a pregnant woman is serious jeopardy." That cannot be right, he said, because the law refers to protecting an "unborn child." Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch agreed.

Dissenting alone, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the court should have ruled for the administration and held hospitals must provide emergency abortions if needed to stabilize a patient. "Today's decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay," she wrote.

In January, the court issued an order that allowed Idaho to temporarily enforce its law. That too was set aside on Thursday.

Idaho's abortion ban is among the nation's strictest. It permits abortions only when "necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman." It makes no exception for emergencies or medical conditions which could endanger a patient's health.

The Biden administration sued Idaho in 2022, arguing that the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act requires hospitals to provide "necessary stabilizing treatment" to patients who arrived there. And in rare cases, U.S. health officials said, doctors may be required to perform abortion if a woman is suffering from a severe infection or uncontrolled bleeding.

Idaho's state attorneys and state legislators sharply disagreed. They said the federal law has nothing to do with abortions.

But a federal judge in Idaho ruled for the administration and handed down a narrow order that permits abortions in certain medical emergencies. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to lift that order while it weighed the state's appeal.

Read more: Supreme Court sounds wary of Idaho's ban on emergency abortions for women whose health is in danger

The case of Moyle vs. United States posed a clash between the federal law that requires hospitals to provide emergency care and the states authority to regulate doctors and the practice of medicine.

Arguing for the administration, Solicitor Gen. Elizabeth Prelogar said pregnant women "can suffer dangerous conditions that require immediate medical treatment to prevent death or serious injury, including organ failure or loss of fertility. And in some tragic cases, the required stabilizing care  the only treatment that can save the womans life or prevent grave harm to her health  involves terminating the pregnancy."

She said Idaho was among only six states that make no exceptions for protecting the health of a pregnant patient.

After Idaho's law took effect, doctors reported that six women who needed an abortion because of medical complications were transported to hospitals outside the state.

Doctors in Idaho contended that the state's law endangers patients, and they spoke out against it during the court battle.

In medical emergencies, delay puts the patients life and health at risk. But the lack of clarity in the law is creating fear in our physicians, Dr. Jim Souza, chief physician executive for St. Lukes Health System in Boise, said in an earlier interview.

He said doctors in emergency rooms often see pregnant women whose water has broken, or who have a severe infection or are bleeding badly. An abortion may be called for in such a situation, but doctors know they could be subject to criminal prosecution if they act too soon, he said.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision before the end of the month in a case where tech industry groups, under NetChoice, challenged a Texas law that limits social media platforms from censoring users based on their viewpoints, highlighting significant First Amendment concerns.

The lawsuit, filed by NetChoice, arose after Governor Greg Abbott enacted a law that aims to prevent large social media platforms from censoring users based on their viewpoints, known as HB 20. NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) sued in federal court, arguing that requiring platforms to host objectionable content violates their First Amendment right to control speech on their private platforms.

Bob Corn-Revere  Chief Counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression  said that constitutional protections should be extended to social media platforms.

Social media has become the modern town square, thats all the more reason why the government shouldnt have control over it, Corn-Revere said. The more powerful medium, maybe, thats all the more reason why the government shouldnt be in control of how that medium can exist.

Attorney General Ken Paxton is responsible for enforcing the Texas law that NetChoice and the CCIA are challenging. He argues HB 20 is vital in ensuring that conservative voices are not discriminantly silenced by social media companies, which he believes should be neutral towards users based on their viewpoints.

The Texas law came in response to concerns that some social media companies were discriminating against conservative viewpoints, especially in light of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol which resulted in social media companies Facebook and Twitter suspending former president Donald Trumps accounts citing that it glorified violence.

David Donmeyer  the campaign director for Better Tech for Tomorrow  said that HB 20 is a transparency law. It requires social media companies to publish their moderation policies and adjudicate complaints of illegal content within 48 hours. The coalition of platforms suing over the law have called those requirements burdensome and unrealistic. Donmeyer refuted that concern.

When big tech companies have nearly a trillion dollars in total assets, and some of the best lawyers and attorneys in the world that are developing those rules internally to make sure its compliant with state policy, federal policy, they can hit publish and make that transparent to users as far as Im concerned, Donmeyer said.

Between December 2021 and September 2022, the U.S. District Court representing West Texas and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued conflicting rulings: the district court sided with NetChoice, while the Court of Appeals reversed this decision and ruled in favor of Paxton.

Consequently, NetChoice and CCIA filed an emergency application to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2022, intending to block the enforcement of HB 20. The Supreme Courts agreement to hear the case set the stage for a major conversation on the tricky balance between free speech rights and the regulation of social media platforms.

Moody v. NetChoice, LLC, a Florida case, was heard alongside NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton for oral arguments in February. Like the Texas case, NetChoice challenged a Florida law restricting social media platforms from removing or prioritizing content based on users political viewpoints.

During oral arguments, the Supreme Court appeared skeptical of the laws suggesting that they violate the First Amendment because they infringe on the rights of social media companies to make decisions about the content that appears on their platforms.

The courts session is set to end Friday, but with 6-7 cases awaiting an opinion, the Supreme Court has not confirmed that June 28 will be the final day decisions are released.

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The family behind one of the most addictive substances in the world, peddled to patients by their own doctors who downplayed their harmful effects, is not shielded from liability for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Sackler familys bankruptcy settlement, which would have sent billions of dollars to victims of the opioid epidemic, is not valid. The settlement would have shielded the Sackler family from personal liability, and the courts ruling on Thursday means they are not immune from any fault related to their company, Purdue Pharma, and its responsibility for opioid addiction brought on by the aggressive pushing of OxyContin.

The Sacklers seek greater relief than a bankruptcy discharge normally affords, for they hope to extinguish even claims for wrongful death and fraud, and they seek to do so without putting anything close to all their assets on the table, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the opinion for the 5-4 decision. Describe the relief the Sacklers seek how you will, nothing in the bankruptcy code contemplates (much less authorizes) it.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who joined Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Chief Justice John Roberts in their votes against the decision, wrote the dissent.

As a result, opioid victims are now deprived of the substantial monetary recovery that they long fought for and finally secured after years of litigation, the dissent read. The courts decision will lead to too much harm for too many people for Congress to sit by idly without at least carefully studying the issue, wrote Kavanaugh, imploring Congress to fix the chaos that will now ensue thanks due to the courts decision.

Purdues now-rejected Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection was filed in September 2019 after scores of state, local, and Native American tribal governments, as well as over 60,000 individuals, sued Purdue seeking damages for the manufacture and sale of OxyContin. The highly addictive painkiller has directly resulted in the death of over 225,000 people between 1999 and 2022, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and has contributed significantly to the nearly 650,000 total opioid deaths in the same time frame.

Although Purdue and the Sacklers claimed to be unaware of how addictive OxyContin was, a 2006 Department of Justice report listed the series of combative techniques Purdue employed to keep selling OxyContin, even when the company and family learned of people crushing and snorting the pills for its narcotic effects as early as the year it was released. The report found Purdue spent millions on marketing, giving away free samples, and offering bonuses to sales representatives to get doctors to prescribe OxyContin to their patients.

The company paid for fancy dinners and trips for the doctors; targeted physicians who werent pain specialists by inviting them to medical conferences and pain management seminars; and promoted OxyContin in patient advocacy groups. Purdue distributed misleading materials and information to convince doctors and patients the painkiller was safe to use for even the slightest pain and promoted higher dosages. Purdue also filed false reports with the Drug Enforcement Administration in an attempt to cover up how much it knew about OxyContin and other addictive opioids.

Following the four-year Justice Department investigation, the company pleaded guilty to a felony count of misbranding OxyContin in 2007 and paid over $600 million in fines and other costs. Prosecutors recommended felony charges for three top Purdue executives, but DOJ officials under the George W. Bush Administration squashed the notion. The family has remained virtually untouched since then.

The three original Sackler brothers, all physicians, bought Purdue in 1952 and developed OxyContin in 1996. Six Sackler members sat on the companys board, including Chairman Richard Sackler, who oversaw the companys aggressive marketing strategy.

The court ruled the Sackler family is not released from personal liability.

As part of the bankruptcy settlement with over 2,000 governments as well as 60,000 individuals, the Sacklers agreed to contribute $6 billion of their funds to combat opioid addiction, $750 million of which will go directly to compensating victims. Purdue will restructure itself as a public benefit corporation that will use its profits to fight the opioid crisis.

The company originally agreed to pay $4.5 billion in the settlement when it filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York. Although Purdue itself filed for bankruptcy  which restructured its operations and reduced its liabilities  the Sackler family used a third-party release to shield themselves from personal accountability. Although it originally approved the plan and granted non-consensual third-party releases of the Sackler family, SDNY then reversed the approval, ruling bankruptcy courts were not authorized to grant such non-consensual third-party releases, causing Purdue to up its settlement to $6 billion. The case went before the Supreme Court, when arguments were heard on December 4, 2023. As a result of Thursdays ruling, individual tort litigants are able to seek damages from the Sacklers.

Nearly 95 percent of the settlements claimants approved of the $6 billion figure, and may receive anywhere between $3,500 and $48,000 through the agreement.

Its overwhelming, the support for this deal, and among people who have no love for the Sacklers, among people who think that the Sacklers are pretty much the worst people on Earth, Justice Elena Kagan said during oral arguments in December. Theyve negotiated a deal which they think is the best that they can get.

Ronald Mann, a Columbia Law School Professor who specializes in bankruptcy litigation, pointed to the overwhelming support the settlement has amongst claimants for why the court ruled the way it did.

Its very difficult to overturn this plan because to overturn this plan is really to take $6 billion out of the hands of people that are really, really badly injured, Mann told Rolling Stone. Its money that they will most likely never get if they do get it. Lawyers will make huge amounts of money recovering this so it may just be a windfall for lawyers to litigate for years.

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Protesters outside the Supreme Court building on the second anniversary of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration on Thursday when it ruled that emergency room doctors can now perform emergency abortions in Idaho, despite the state's near-total ban on abortion.

The 6-3 decision comes after a version of the opinion was briefly posted to the Supreme Court's website by mistake on Wednesday. It was obtained by Bloomberg Law before it was removed. This is the second time within two years that an abortion-related opinion has leaked.

Following the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision in 2022, the Biden administration argued that, under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, doctors must be allowed to provide emergency abortions in cases where a woman is facing serious health risks.

Idaho officials challenged the Biden administrations decision, saying the federal law conflicts with its state law that bans abortions.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed an appeal from Idaho. The justices ruled that the court should not have gotten involved so quickly, and did not answer the question of whether the Biden administration's interpretation of federal law conflicts with Idaho's state abortion ban.

The case will now continue to play out in lower courts. And with key questions unanswered, the issue could end up before the Supreme Court again.

Read the Supreme Court ruling here:

This embedded content is not available in your region.

 What the justices said

The majority opinion included the high courts three liberal-leaning justices  Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson  as well as Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

Kagan acknowledged in her concurring opinion that Idahos largest emergency services provider has had to airlift women out of state roughly every other week due to the states abortion ban. The justices' decision, she wrote, will prevent Idaho from enforcing its abortion ban when the termination of a pregnancy is needed to prevent serious harms to a womans health.

Jackson concurred in part, and dissented in part with the decision. Todays decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. It is delay, she wrote. While this court dawdles and the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position, as their doctors are kept in the dark about what the law requires. This Court had a chance to bring clarity and certainty to this tragic situation, and we have squandered it," she added.

Meanwhile, Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissented.

In his dissent, Alito focused on language in the EMTALA that refers to protecting the unborn child."

Far from requiring hospitals to perform abortions, EMTALAs text unambiguously demands that Medicare-funded hospitals protect the health of both a pregnant woman and her unborn child, Alito wrote. He also wrote that EMTALA obligates Medicare-funded hospitals to treat, not abort, an unborn child.

 What the ruling means

While the Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration by dismissing the appeal, it is not considered a win. The question of whether the Biden administrations interpretation of the federal law conflicts with Idahos state abortion ban law was never answered by the justices and remains unresolved. Its likely the issue will appear again at some point before the high court because the underlying lawsuit will be allowed to continue at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the Associated Press.

For now, emergency room doctors in Idaho can perform emergency abortions in Medicare-funded hospitals to protect the life of the mother.

 What Idahos abortion law says

Idaho is one of 14 states with a complete abortion ban in place, with very limited exceptions, which includes when necessary to prevent the death of a pregnant woman. Otherwise, anyone who performs the procedure can face criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison, and healthcare professionals risk losing their medical license.
AUSTIN (Nexstar)  A pending decision by the Supreme Court regarding laws regulating camping on public property may impact efforts by cities nationwide to regulate public camping.

The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, originates from three public-camping ordinances passed by the City of Grants Pass in Oregon, which the city said aims to protect public health and safety by addressing the growing issue of encampments.

The central question presented to the court is whether the potential civil and criminal penalties imposed by the ordinances are prohibited by the Eighth Amendment as cruel and unusual punishment.

Under the ordinances, public sleeping and camping prohibitions are enforced through civil citations instead of criminal fines or jail terms. If an individual is cited twice, they may be subject to an exclusion order barring them from a city park for 30 days  the violation of which may result in criminal trespass charges.

During oral arguments, justices considered the complex issues presented by the case including whether homelessness should be considered as conduct, which may be prosecuted, or as a status, like drug addiction, which may not be punished under the courts Eighth Amendment precedent.

Attorney Theane D. Evangelis, representing the City of Grants Pass, explained to the court the difficulties faced by cities attempting to regulate these issues stating, The Eighth Amendment does not tell courts who is involuntarily homeless, what shelter is adequate, or what time, place, and manner regulations are allowed.

The City of Austins Camping Ban

Voters in the City of Austin passed Proposition B in May 2021, which reinstated Austins public camping ban, imposing penalties on individuals camping near downtown and The University of Texas. It also applies to camping in public areas not designated by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

This ban followed a bill passed by the Texas House in early May 2021 and was made effective September 2021, which enacted a camping ban statewide and would also punish local governments that do not enforce the ban.

The latest data from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) said there are 5,020 people in Austin likely experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

In April, the city announced that it hired a consultant to offer recommendations on improving public education about the actions of its homeless strategy office.

The courts session is set to end Friday, but with several cases still awaiting an opinion, the Supreme Court has not confirmed that June 28 will be the final day decisions are released.

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The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to halt the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Good Neighbor Rule, which regulates interstate air pollution, in a ruling Thursday, the latest move by the conservative-dominated court against the environmental agencys regulatory authority.

In the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch granted a request from Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia to temporarily block the rule while litigation against it proceeds through lower courts. Gorsuch, whose mother, Anne, was EPA administrator under President Reagan, wrote that we see one reason for caution after another in allowing the rule to proceed.

He pointed to the fact that at oral argument, even the government refused to say with certainty that EPA would have reached the same conclusions regardless of which States were included in the [Federal Implementation Plan]. The rule would have affected 11 of 23 states, with the remainder already tied up in separate litigation.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the courts three liberals in opposing the stay, writing in a dissent that a stay enjoins the enforcement of a major Environmental Protection Agency rule based on an underdeveloped theory that is unlikely to succeed on the merits.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan told The Hill he was disappointed by the ruling and that the agency is confident in its defense of the rule in the lower court. He added that the ruling comes at the worst possible time as summer weather leads to increased ozone pollution and asthma attacks.

We believe that states should take responsibility and not pollute neighboring states, he said. Pollution doesnt respect borders.

In February, the court heard a lawsuit brought by the three states and industry groups against the rule, which imposed limits on upwind states production of downwind pollution. Under the federal Clean Air Act, states have the authority to craft their own interstate pollution plans, but the EPA also has the authority to override those plans it deems insufficient.

The courts conservatives signaled skepticism about the Biden administrations case in the February oral arguments, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh noting that, at the time of the arguments, lower courts had already blocked the rule in more than half of the 23 states to which it applied.

The courts liberals, meanwhile, questioned the state of Ohios argument that it had not been given enough time to comply, noting the states had until 2026 to comply. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the plaintiffs were seeking a high court decision before lower courts had ruled, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested they were rush[ing] to us on an incomplete record.

This case is about basic fairness  its not fair to force people in downwind states to breathe unhealthy air simply because polluters in upwind states refuse to install and operate basic air pollution controls, Sierra Club senior attorney Zachary Fabish said in a February statement. Congress directed EPA to ensure that states are being good neighbors, and thats what the Good Neighbor Plan does. The Supreme Court must not interfere with the implementation of a life-saving and cost-effective plan to reduce air pollution at the behest of polluting industries and states.

The Sierra Club blasted the ruling in a statement on Thursday.

Contrary to what some of the Justices seem to believe, human lives are infinitely more important than corporate compliance costs with basic, decade-old air pollution standards, Sierra Club Chief Energy Officer Holly Bender said. Our most vulnerable are at risk from this dangerous pollution crossing from one state to another, and that the Court is turning away from an approach to protecting air quality it itself had blessed just ten years ago should concern us all.

 Updated at 1:27 p.m.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a mass settlement related to the nation's opioid crisis that would have paid an estimated $10 billion to victims, hospitals, states and others, and shielded the Sackler family from further liability.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled that a bankruptcy judge does not have broad power to arrange a mass settlement of thousands of claims that includes protections for people who are not bankrupt.

The justices were split in an unusual way. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch spoke for the majority, while Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Brett M. Kavanaugh dissented.

"Our only proper task is to interpret and apply the law as we find it; and nothing in present law authorizes the Sackler discharge," Gorsuch said.

"We hold only that the bankruptcy code does not authorize a release and injunction that, as part of a plan of reorganization under Chapter 11, effectively seeks to discharge claims against a nondebtor without the consent of affected claimants," Gorsuch continued.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel A. Alito Jr. , Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed.

"Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families," Kavanaugh said in dissent. "The courts decision rewrites the text of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and restricts the long-established authority of bankruptcy courts to fashion fair and equitable relief for mass-tort victims. As a result, opioid victims are now deprived of the substantial monetary recovery that they long fought for and finally secured after years of litigation."

Gorsuch and Kavanaugh are both conservatives, but they often disagree. Gorsuch often seems determined to follow the law as he sees it regardless of the consequences, while Kavanaugh is more likely to focus on the practical impact of the court's ruling.

The Sacklers, owners of the Purdue Pharma company, had denied wrongdoing but agreed to contribute $6 billion to the settlement fund if they would be protected from future lawsuits.

The case has been closely followed not just because of the opioid settlement but also because of the use of bankruptcy laws to settle other mass lawsuits involving the Boy Scouts of America and some Catholic dioceses.

Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in 2019 facing thousands of lawsuits alleging its marketing of OxyContin as a nonaddictive pain relief pill had triggered an opioid epidemic that led to more than a half-million deaths since the mid-1990s. In the decade prior to the bankruptcy, the company had distributed about $11 billion to members of the Sackler family and their offshore accounts.

Their lawyers maintained that more than half of this amount was paid in taxes.

But the scale of the damage and the liability for OxyContin was extraordinary. A bankruptcy court later put a hold on new lawsuits, while the pending claims against Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers were estimated to seek in total more than $40 trillion.

A coalition of creditors, including victims, hospitals, local and state governments and tribal nations, negotiated a settlement that was expected to pay out about $10 billion. Most of the funding  about $6 billion  came from the Sacklers.

In 2021, a bankruptcy judge approved the settlement and described it as the "only reasonably conceivable" way to fairly resolve the mass of lawsuits. Without the money from the Sacklers, he said the company would be liquidated, leaving most of the creditors with nothing.

While more than 95% of the creditors said they approved the deal, including all 50 states, the Biden administration's bankruptcy trustee opposed it. He did so because the settlement shielded the Sacklers from any further or future liability.

In Harrington vs. Purdue Pharma, the trustee argued that the Sacklers were not bankrupt and therefore, cannot take advantage of the shield provided by a bankruptcy settlement.

Last year, the Supreme Court put the settlement on hold to consider that argument.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)  Democrats on Capitol Hill are praising the U.S. Surgeon Generals advisory calling gun violence a public health crisis.

A huge win. A major landmark announcement, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) said.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) says warnings from the countrys top doctor can shift public opinion.

They fundamentally change the nations perspective on issues, like smoking, HIV and AIDS and drunk driving, Lee said.

House Democrats are trying to turn that into action by forcing a vote on a red-flag bill and sidestepping the typical process.

New strategy to move this legislation along. Commonsense legislation that saves lives, Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) said.

McBaths bill aims to remove guns from those deemed a danger to themselves or others.

Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) says Republicans should sign on.

Simple way for them to show their constituents, the Congress, the country that they in fact care about saving lives, said Neguse.

Gun advocates say the surgeon generals report isnt a real step forward and Democrats bills wont solve gun violence.

This is more of a PR stunt than it is any serious attempt at public policy, said Amy Swearer with the Heritage Foundation.

Swearer says measures like red flag laws raise Second Amendment and due process concerns. She says lawmakers should focus instead on expanding mental health access and enforcing existing laws with tougher penalties.

When you start demonizing that firearm, you are removing yourself from any opportunity to really start solving the underlying issues, Swearer said.

For Democrats to bring the bill to the floor, a majority of the House would need to sign a petition to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), an unlikely move in the GOP-controlled House.

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An early analysis of a sample collected from the asteroid Bennu suggests that the space rock had an unexpectedly water-rich past  and it may have even splintered off from an ancient ocean world.

The NASA OSIRIS-REx mission scooped up the 4.3-ounce (121.6-gram) pristine sample from the near-Earth asteroid in 2020 and returned it to Earth last September.

Since then, scientists have been analyzing the asteroids rocks and dust to see what secrets they may contain about the asteroids composition and whether it could have delivered the elements for life to Earth. Asteroids also intrigue scientists because they are the leftover remnants from the formation of the solar system.

An initial review of some of the sample, shared in October, suggested that the asteroid contained a large amount of carbon.

During a new analysis of the sample, the team discovered that Bennus dust is rich in carbon, nitrogen and organic compounds, all of which helped form the solar system. These ingredients are also essential to life as we understand it and could help scientists better understand how Earth-like planets evolve.

A study detailing the findings appeared Wednesday in the journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.

OSIRIS-REx gave us exactly what we hoped: a large pristine asteroid sample rich in nitrogen and carbon from a formerly wet world, said study coauthor Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in a statement.

The elements for life

The biggest surprise was finding magnesium-sodium phosphate within the sample, which remote sensing didnt initially detect when OSIRIS-REx, or the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security  Regolith Explorer mission, was orbiting Bennu.

Magnesium-sodium phosphate is a compound that can be dissolved in water and serves as a component of biochemistry for life.

A microscope image shows a dark particle from Bennu, about a millimeter long, with a crust of bright phosphate. - Lauretta & Connolly et al. (2024)/Meteoritics & Planetary Science

Its possible that the asteroid may have broken away from a tiny, primitive ocean world that no longer exists in our solar system, the researchers said.

The asteroids sample largely consists of clay minerals, including serpentine, which makes the sample remarkably similar to rocks found at midocean ridges on Earth. These ridges are where material from the mantle, the layer beneath Earths surface crust, encounters water.

A similar phosphate was found in a sample from the asteroid Ryugu collected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agencys Hayabusa2 mission and returned to Earth in December 2020. But the compound from the Bennu sample is purer and has larger grains.

The presence and state of phosphates, along with other elements and compounds on Bennu, suggest a watery past for the asteroid, said co-lead study author Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx and regents professor at the University of Arizona, Tucson, in a statement. Bennu potentially could have once been part of a wetter world. Although, this hypothesis requires further investigation.

Cosmic time capsules

The rocks collected from Bennu represent a time capsule from the early days of the solar system dating back more than 4.5 billion years.

Rocks and dust were collected from asteroid Bennu and returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission. - Erika Blumenfeld/Joseph Aebersold/NASA

The sample we returned is the largest reservoir of unaltered asteroid material on Earth right now, Lauretta said.

Astronomers believe that space rocks such as asteroids and comets may have served as ancient messengers in our solar system.

This means asteroids such as this may have played a key role in delivering water and the building blocks of life to Earth, said study coauthor Nick Timms, OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis team member and associate professor in Curtin Universitys School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, in a statement.

If these smaller rocky bodies were carrying water, minerals and other elements and crashed into Earth as it was forming billions of years ago, they could have helped set the stage for life to begin on our planet.

These findings underscore the importance of collecting and studying material from asteroids like Bennu  especially low-density material that would typically burn up upon entering Earths atmosphere, Lauretta said. This material holds the key to unraveling the intricate processes of solar system formation and the prebiotic chemistry that could have contributed to life emerging on Earth.

The wealth of material collected from the asteroid means that more labs around the world will receive their own pieces of the sample to study.

The Bennu samples are tantalizingly beautiful extraterrestrial rocks, said co-lead study author Harold Connolly Jr., OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist and chair of the department of geology at Rowan Universitys School of Earth & Envrionment in Glassboro, New Jersey, in a statement. Each week, analysis by the OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team provides new and sometimes surprising findings that are helping place important constraints on the origin and evolution of Earth-like planets.

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Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses a meeting held by China and Vietnam to discuss strategic transport infrastructure development and cooperation in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China and Vietnam held a meeting to discuss strategic transport infrastructure development and cooperation on Thursday in Beijing.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said in an address that China is willing to work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached between the two parties' top leaders.

China is ready to speed up the connectivity of transport infrastructure, promote bilateral economic and trade exchanges, and build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Zhang said.

Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh said at the meeting that Vietnam is willing to promote bilateral economic ties through transport connectivity, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and boost the two countries' development for the benefit of the two peoples. 
Suspect accused of killing dog during drive-by shooting in Abilene

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A suspect accused of killing a dog during a drive-by shooting at an Abilene home has been arrested.

Michael Townley was taken into custody Tuesday for Deadly Conduct in connection to the allegations.

Court documents state a suspect, later identified as Townley, fired at least two shots at the home of his ex-girlfriend in Abilene while he was traveling to Louisiana.

A two-year-old Chiweenie, who was inside the home, was struck by one of the bullets and killed.

Witnesses reported seeing the suspect with a uHaul trailer, which the documents state matched the description of the trailer Townley had rented to move to Louisiana.

The documents also claim Townley had a 9mm handgun in his possession when he was arrested in a different state, and the casings from this gun match the casings found at the scene of the shooting.

Townley now remains held in the Taylor County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

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FILE - Bryan Kohberger, right, is escorted into a courtroom for a hearing in Latah County District Court, Sept. 13, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. Attorneys for Kohberger, the man charged with stabbing four University of Idaho students to death, are expected to ask a judge to move the trial away from the rural college town where the slayings occurred. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File)

It could be another year or more before a man accused in the 2022 stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students goes to trial.

A judge and attorneys discussed Thursday starting Bryan Kohbergers trial sometime in June 2025, nearly three years after the killings shocked the small university town.

Idaho Judge John Judge said he wants to set aside two weeks for jury selection, two months for the trial and two weeks at the end for sentencing and other matters if Kohberger is convicted.

I think already were about 13 months from the arraignment, and I think at this point ... were getting to a point of diminishing returns, Judge said after he sent a proposed schedule to attorneys last Friday.

Lawyers for both sides generally agreed with the schedule.

A motion to move the trial from Moscow, Idaho  the small college town where students were killed  was tabled until August. Kohbergers attorneys fear publicity would prevent a fair trial in Latah County.

Kohberger, a former criminal justice student at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, faces four counts of murder in the deaths of Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves.

They were killed sometime in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022, in a rental house not too far from the University of Idaho campus.

Police arrested Kohberger six weeks later at his parents home in Pennsylvania, where he was spending winter break.

Investigators said they linked Kohberger to the crime using DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene, surveillance videos and cellphone data.

Kohbergers defense lawyers have said in court documents that he was out driving alone the night of the killings, something he did often. They also intend to call a witness in cellphone and cell tower data to show that the night of the deaths, he did not travel east of the main road connecting Pullman and Moscow.

Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted.

___

Thiessen reported from Anchorage, Alaska.
Suspect sought in fatal shooting of man in Los Angeles Co. neighborhood

Homicide detectives are searching for whoever shot and killed a man in Los Angeles County Wednesday night.

The incident was reported shortly before 11 p.m. in the 800 block of North Rose Avenue in the City of Compton.

Arriving deputies found a male victim at the scene suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

Detectives respond to a fatal shooting in Compton

The victim, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department stated in a news release.

Video showed caution tape blocking off the neighborhood street lined with parked cars as detectives investigated the crime scene.

No information regarding the suspect, or suspects, has been released.

The motive for the shooting was also unknown.

Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call the Sheriffs Department at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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BAIRD, Texas (KTAB/KRBC)  A suspected drunk driver has been indicted for manslaughter in connection to the death of three Baird teens.

Ashlie Haynes, 36, of Clyde, was indicted by a Callahan County Jail this week on three counts of Intoxication Manslaughter and two counts of Aggravated Assault.

All charges were issued for the crash the claimed the lives of Layni Potter, 18, Madi Buchanan, 18, and Ryan Bilby, 16, on West 3rd Street and Peyton Road in Baird May 5.

Documents: Suspected drunk driver reached speeds of 100+mph before crash with Baird teens

Investigators say five teens, including the deceased, were in a car that was stopped at a stop sign on Peyton Road when they failed to yield to the right of way and pulled out in front of Haynes, who was driving south into the intersection.Where our friends took their last breaths: Bereaved community gathers at crash site-turned candlelight vigil for 3 Baird teens killed by drunk driver

Mother of Baird teen speaks out following fatal drunk driving accident

Three of the teens were ejected upon impact. The driver and one of the passengers survived after receiving treatment at the hosptial.

3 Baird teens killed in Sunday morning crash

Haynes was treated at the scene for minor injures. She was then arrested for Driving While Intoxicated when a breath analysis indicated her blood alcohol level was over the legal limit.

Court documents show Hayne was also speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour just seconds before impact.

Haynes currently remains held on jail on bonds totaling $400,000.

No further information is available at this time.

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)- Along Nicolet Drive in Green Bay sites Joliet Park, a stretch of the bay of Green Bay that has point of access fishing for any shoreline anglers. Pulling into the parking lot, the first observations are the steep drop offs to the access points below and along the upland path sits many invasive species, including buckthorn, phragmites, honey suckle and garlic mustard.

The Lower Bay of Green Bay and the Fox River have been labeled an area of concern by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, for issues including contaminated sediment, poor water quality and degraded wildlife habitat.

Twelve sites across the bay and river have been identified as needed for restoration, and Joliet Park is one of them. These projects are funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which was launched in 2010 to accelerate the restoration of habitats along the Great Lakes.

Mandy Mellinger is an area of concern (AOC) project manager for the Wisconsin DNR who will over see the Joliet Park restoration. She explains the goals of this project.

One thing we want to see addressed with this project is vegetation management, management of invasive species, planting of native species and also for the upland habitat area, shoreline erosion is a big issue. so we are hoping to to some shoreline stabilization, shoreline protection. says Mellinger.

Like a few of the other projects, the specifics of what to add and where are still being ironed out, but the plan for now is to begin implementation in the summer of 2025. This part of the project will take five years, and then will be placed in a monitoring phase.

A walleye reef was added to this site in the late 1990s, but Wisconsin DNR officials have found that in low water stages, the walleye are unable to access the reef. This project seeks to help the walleye population as well as many other including smallmouth bass, osprey, bald eagles and mussels.

Due to the erosion, getting to the access points for fishing is quite challenging, as the erosion has has resulted in steep drop off points and uneasy steps. As part of this project, Mellinger says this is to be addressed.

Hoping to improve accessibilities, so hoping for a more actual path to the water instead of the public having to navigate their way down. we are hoping for an ADA ramp as well from the parking lot to the water.

Mellinger says they hope to address the concerns about the parking lot as well, as it contains many pot holes that make getting in and out of the park challenging. The city of Green Bay is excited to see this park be rejuvenated, says city of Green Bay parks planner Kaurie Mihm.

It hasnt gotten a lot of attention over the last maybe decade or so as far as us being able to come in and maintain the space and so a lot of invasive have moved in, says Mihm. So this project is giving us an opportunity to revitalize and bring back the habitat and animals and even folks to this spot who maybe werent using it before.

Mihm says work has begun clearing out some of the invasive species along the upland trail by the Green Bay Conservation Corps.

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SUV crashes into person on trailer in Clovis, 1 in hospital

CLOVIS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  One person is in the hospital after they were inside a trailer in Clovis that was hit by an SUV, according to police.

Officers say the person in the trailer was working, loading materials into the trailer when the SUV hit the trailer.

The Palm and The Pine is leaving Hwy 99: Whats next for the historic landmark?

The worker who was loading materials was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno and the driver remained at the scene.

According to the Clovis Police Department, the driver of the SUV that hit the trailer is being evaluated to establish if their driving was impaired.

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BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke released seven ducks back into the wild at the Virginia Tech Duck Pond on Wednesday, June 26.

The orphaned ducks arrived as duckings at the wildlife center and are now older and able to fend for themselves.

SW Virginia Wildlife Center treats 10th Bald Eagle over the past year

Officials with the wildlife center gathered at the duck pond in Blacksburg and celebrated the release in honor of the Give Local NRV Campaign. The campaign is a 24-hour virtual giving day where local non-profits ask people for their support, and the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke says they hope to raise $15,000 to help continue their mission.

Were a non-profit. We receive no state or federal funding, so all the money received comes from community events like this giving day or grants, said Executive Director of the SW Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke Chester Leonard. We use this money for everything from buying food, and formula, to maintaining enclosures.

(courtesy, Michael Doti/WFXR News)

(courtesy, Michael Doti/WFXR News)

(courtesy, Michael Doti/WFXR News)

(courtesy, Michael Doti/WFXR News)

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Organizers of the annual South by Southwest festival (SXSW) have cut ties with the Army and weapons makers.

The decision, announced Wednesday, comes after more than 100 acts dropped out of the music and cultural event in Austin, Texas, earlier this year due to sponsorship deals with such organizations.

After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model, SXSW said in a statement on its website. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025.

In March, at least five music labels and 105 bands and individual musicians chose to forgo the nine-day festival in Austin in protest of U.S. support for Israels war in Gaza.

The boycotts stemmed from a campaign led by the Austin for Palestine Coalition (AFPC), which asked artists to apply pressure on SXSW over the participation of defense entities, which also included military defense firm RTX, also known as Raytheon, and its subsidiary Collins Aerospace. Both make weapons and equipment used by the Israeli military.

The boycotts quickly drew the attention of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who told the departing artists: Bye. Dont come back.

SXSW organizers at the time said they did not agree with Abbotts stance, but defended the Armys sponsorship role in the festival. They noted that the defense industry has historically been a proving ground for many of the systems we rely on today, and the Armys sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world.

Israel in October launched an air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas militant group, which controls the territory, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage.

More than 37,000 people have since been killed in the area and more than 86,000 have been injured in the conflict, according to Gazas health ministry.

The United States, Israels biggest military backer, provides some $4 billion to Israel in defense assistance annually. The Pentagon has also sent additional weapons to the country to be used in the now eight-month conflict, such as American-made aircraft and bombs.

Festival organizers at the time acknowledged the conflict but did not take sides.

We have and will continue to support human rights for all, they wrote. The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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After sponsorship ties to weapons manufacturers and the U.S. Army caused a stir at this year's edition of South by Southwest, the festival has announced that it has cut ties with those parties months after they were the source of boycotts.

The festival addressed the issue in a straightforward, brief message on its website: "After careful consideration, we are revising our sponsorship model. As a result, the US Army, and companies who engage in weapons manufacturing, will not be sponsors of SXSW 2025."

It is currently unclear how much weapons manufacturers like Raytheon, now known as RTX Corp., and the U.S. Army contributed in SXSW sponsorship money. The decision, however, is an indication that this year's protests from attendees and boycotts from eventually more than 80 artists and speakers were meaningful in the eyes of the festival.

Washington, D.C., band Ekko Astral performs at the Anti-SXSW Fest outside Austin City Hall on March 14. The protest show featured several bands that boycotted South by Southwest in opposition to the U.S. Army being a SXSW sponsor.

Artist-led boycotts headlined SXSW in 2024

During SXSW 2024, a group of artists who were scheduled to perform during the music portion of the festival took center stage after they expressed their intent to boycott the festival in solidarity with Palestinians. The group also said they would not perform in the official lineup to protest the festival's inclusion of defense industry contractors and a U.S. Army sponsorship.

The artists who participated in the boycott included Squirrel Flower (the stage name of Ella Williams), Shalom, Mamalarky, TC Superstar and Eliza McLamb. Ella Williams appeared to spearhead the boycotts after an Instagram post in which she announced that she would back out of South by Southwest.

In that Instagram post, Williams wrote: "I have decided to pull out of my official SXSW showcases in protest of SXSWs ties to the defense industry and in support of the Palestinian people. There are many ways SXSW is harmful to working musicians, but I am pulling out specifically because of the fact that SXSW is platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival."

Additionally, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, McLamb explained why she made the decision to no longer participate in the official festival: "I will never put my name on or perform my labor for an event in service of the US war machine, and especially not now as they continue to fuel the ongoing violence against Palestinians. Blood money has no place in music."

Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: After 2024 protests, SXSW rejects ties to weapons makers and US Army
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday criticized the United States for incessantly fabricating lies to discredit other countries, voicing firm opposition from the Chinese side.

Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a query regarding a media report about clandestine campaigns launched by the United States to denigrate China's COVID-19 vaccines and aid across the developing world.

Wu said this is not the first lie made up by the U.S. side about China, nor will it be the last. From "China military threat" to "cyber attacks from China," the U.S. side has fabricated too many lies to mislead the public.

"The international community is increasingly aware of the true nature of the U.S. side as a source of lies," said the spokesperson.

Wu urged the United States to behave in a manner befitting its status as a big power and stop trumping up lies for its selfish interests. 
As the maternal grandmother of Winona Thigpen, the 10-month-old girl recently profiled in an article by The News Tribunes Shea Johnson about child abuse allegations at Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital, I am concerned about continued ethical issues occurring at the local healthcare facility.

My daughter Annie, Winonas mother, met Abram Thigpen in high school while they were working in a movie theater. Theyve been married for six years and recently moved back to Gig Harbor from Alaska after Abrams exemplary service in the U.S. Coast Guard.

They were eagerly looking forward to raising their new baby girl. Kind and caring, they meticulously and excitedly prepared a beautiful and safe home for Winona. They asked for masks to be worn around her if anyone was not fully vaccinated. All four grandparents were at the hospital for Winonas birth on Aug. 29, 2023.

Annie and Abram brought Winona to an appointment with Mary Bridge pediatricians on Oct. 3, seeking care for a severe cold. The doctor suggested a visit to Mary Bridge Hospital for more tests, and Winonas parents had them done immediately. Emergency Department records show Winona was initially diagnosed with a small bruise noted to right side of forehead and slight petechiae (teeny blood spots) under the eyes.

As The News Tribune reported, Mary Bridge staff erroneously diagnosed a skull fracture, a serious injury, along with identifying other minor issues  like the petechiae, a single broken blood vessel in one eye and pink irritation marks on the arm, which came from a piped garment I purchased for Winona just days before.

Annie and Abram were interrogated by hospital staff. Later, a Mary Bridge employee called both Child Protective Services and the Pierce County Sheriffs Department to report the incorrectly diagnosed skull fracture and the other minor injuries, suggesting they were evidence of a possible assault.

A neurosurgeon argued that there was no fracture, but some hospital staff disagreed.

I spoke with Annie at length the first night. She was devastated about the supposed fracture, but initially unconcerned about an investigation, certain they had nothing to hide and adamant that they would never hurt Winona.

They were told Child Protective Services was considering an out-of-home placement, even though there was no skull fracture and the forehead bruise was gone. Words can not describe the shaking terror and despair I saw on Annie and Abrams faces when I walked into their room that day.

Ultimately, Annie and Abram were vindicated. The state sought temporary legal custody of Winona, but after they agreed to a private parenting assessment, the case was dropped. This family was put through so much, for nothing.

I ask the community, Mary Bridge staff and donors to demand an investigation and transparency. No one should be terrified to bring their child for medical treatment.

Pick up a flier from us when we are picketing. Hold back judgment of accused parents, as I can assure you that many have similar experiences.

I have more concerns about ethical actions by hospital staff that I will address with appropriate authorities. We will be seeking change in laws to provide consequences for ethical violations by persons involved in investigations.

We thank the supporters of Annie, Abram and Winona. You uplifted them through this horrific time.

Kathy Elkins is the grandmother of Winona Thigpen and a math teacher.
By Ben Blanchard and Jeanny Kao

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan's government raised its travel warning for China on Thursday, telling its citizens not to go unless absolutely necessary, following a threat from Beijing last week to execute those deemed "diehard" Taiwan independence supporters.

Liang Wen-chieh, spokesperson for Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters the raised travel warning also applied to the Chinese-run cities of Hong Kong and Macau.

China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of President Lai Ching-te, whom it views as a "separatist", and staged two days of war games after he took office last month.

Last week, announcing new legal guidelines, China threatened to execute Taiwan independence separatists in extreme cases, a further ramping up of tensions that drew condemnation from Lai and his government, as well as the United States.

Liang, making the announcement at a regular news conference in Taipei, said those guidelines represented a serious threat to the safety of Taiwanese visiting China, in addition to other measures China has been taking to strengthen its national security laws.

"If it is not necessary to go, then don't," he said, adding this did not amount to a ban on visiting and was about protecting Taiwan's people and reminding them of the risk rather than being a "countermeasure".

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, asked about concerns that the guidelines could cause fear for Taiwan's people and not help improve relations, the office said they were only aimed at a very small number of independence "diehards' evil words and actions".

China has vowed to go after people it views as Taiwan separatists wherever they may be, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan and it is not clear how China could seek to enforce any judgments outside its borders.

As to whether China could seek to extradite Taiwanese overseas who it accused of separatism, Liang said separatism was a political crime and in this particular case one specific to China, and that developed countries would not cooperate with such a request.

"We can't rule out certain countries would cooperate," he added, without naming any countries.

President Lai has repeatedly offered talks with China but been rebuffed. He rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Jeanny Kao;Editing by Christina Fincher and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Reps. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) introduced a resolution Wednesday condemning an anti-LGBTQ law in Uganda, according to Takanos office.

It is difficult to overstate the gross inhumanity of Ugandas Anti-Homosexuality Act, Takano said in a Thursday press release. Instead of focusing on rooting out corruption or ending extrajudicial killings, the Ugandan Parliament, President, and Constitutional Court have chosen to mark LGBTQ+ Ugandans as less than human.

Ugandas president signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act about a year ago, taking aim at those who have gay sex by threatening them with prison time.

This shameful Act is the latest development in an alarming trend of human rights abuses and corruption in Uganda. The dangers posed by this democratic backsliding are a threat to everyone residing in Uganda, including U.S. government personnel, the staff of our implementing partners, tourists, members of the business community, and others, President Biden wrote after lawmakers passed the law.

Beatty said in the press release that the Anti-Homosexuality Act is one of the harshest anti-LGBTQI+ laws the world has seen, referring to it as draconian.

This resolution shows that members of the United States Congress stand with LGBTQI+ Ugandans and demands immediate repeal of this unjust law so that all Ugandans can lead safe, healthy lives free from fear, Beatty said.

Back in December, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an expansion of the previous visa restriction policy aimed at those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic process in Uganda, to officials or others thought to be behind or complicit in, policies or actions aimed at repressing members of marginalized or vulnerable populations.

These groups include, but are not limited to, environmental activists, human rights defenders, journalists, LGBTQI+ persons, and civil society organizers, Blinken said in a statement. The immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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More than 80 people braved the sweltering heat to witness the 11 a.m. June 19, Juneteenth, ceremony at McPherson Cemetery honoring Peter Pointz, an escaped slave from the Civil War era, who spent the remaining years of his life in Clyde.

The chief purpose of the ceremony was to remember Pointz and to mark his final resting place so that his courage, bravery and life will not be forgotten, said Gene Smith, curator of the Clyde Museum. According to history, Pointz was a beloved man affectionately known as Uncle Peter, who died in 1898.

Jeanette Liebold Ricker

Several people traveled to Clyde for the unveiling of Pointz's new tombstone made possible by donations to the Clyde Heritage League. Debrah Lee, Maumee, felt she had to attend after seeing news of the celebration on TV earlier that morning.

"It was a beautiful service," she said, noting that her great-grandfather had worked on a plantation in Georgia. She had traveled to see the plantation a few years ago. "I heard the stories and was curious to see it," she said, noting that history cannot be erased.

The newly installed headstone for Peter Pointz, who died more than 100 years ago.

Pointz came to Clyde over 100 years ago

Smith gave a brief history of the escaped slaves who had lived in Clyde, noting that Ohio 101 was a route used by the Underground Railroad. After reading Pointz's autobiography. Smith felt it important that people should learn about him. Regina Vincent Williams, former president of the Fremont NAACP Unit 3217, spoke, ending with a poem she had written entitled "Before I be a Slave, I'll be Buried in my Grave," which she emphasized by tapping on an African drum.

"It's important to remember these people," said Tamara Miller, Fremont, who attended with friends Sue Albrechta and Kathy Smith. Two members of the 5th USCT (United States Colored Troop) attended in their wool uniforms. One was Frederick Smith, Youngstown, OH. The other soldier was from Sheffield.

The new tombstone was unveiled at the conclusion of the ceremony. The front bears a drawing of a trail along a fence, with footprints representing the travels of Pointz along the Underground Railroad. The back bears the following statement: "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage."

Other speakers were Justin LaBenne, Clyde City Manager, and Doug McCauley, Clyde Mayor. The grave of Pointz is located in Section 2 of McPherson Cemetery on the Emma Anderson Loop. His grave is off the most western drive, beside a water spigot. The headstone was donated by Dave Frederick of Frederick Monument in Fremont. The engraving was done by donations to the Heritage League. The base was donated by the City of Clyde.

Gene Smith, curator of Clyde Museum, after the unveiling of the headstone of Peter Pointz at McPherson Cemetery.

Gosnell to be honored as Pastor Emeritus

Retired pastor, Gerhardt "Gerry" Gosnell, who served St. Paul Lutheran Church for 17 years will be made Pastor Emeritus in a special Unity Service held at 10 a a.m. Sunday, June 30. The title Pastor Emeritus represents the thanksgiving of a congregation for the love, care and ministry of a pastor who made a difference in the life of the parish. The honorary title bears no responsibility," explained Rev. Dr. Tim Hubert, interim pastor at St. Paul Lutheran church.

Gosnell retired Aug. 12, 2013, but he and wife, Barb, continue to live in Clyde. Barb also continues to serve as organist there. "Clyde is a nice community, I'm glad we're here," he said. He still assists with occasional pastoral duties only when called upon.

During the service, his years of ministry will be remembered, his pastoral acts, classes taught and sacrifices made to lead the congregation. For a time, he was interim pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Vickery and continues to conduct services there once a month as requested.

Gosnell began serving St. Paul on March 1, 1996, coming from a rural Marion parish which he had served for 22 years. He is undecided with his feelings about the title, Pastor Emeritus, stating this is the third time attempts were made by this congregation to bestow the title, which he always turned down, lest there be confusion about the honorary title. He stressed that he only does pastoral duties upon the request of the current pastor, who may be unable to do so because of a conflict in scheduling.

A potluck dinner will be held in the parish hall following the service. An informal reception will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the parish hall, which will be a great opportunity for fellowship and storytelling. All whose lives he has touched during his ministry are invited to attend both the service and open house. This will be the only service held this weekend, giving worshipers at both the 5 pm. Saturday and8 a.m. Sunday services to worship together at one single service honoring Pastor Gosnell.

Jeanette Liebold Ricker writes about Clyde and Green Springs. Contact her at 419-547-8177 or by email at jeanette.ricker@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Talk About Clyde: After 100 years, former slave receives recognition
Two years ago, Wisconsin voted Democratic for governor and Republican for U.S. Senate.

It was the first time since the 1990s that the state had a split outcome for high office, with each party winning a major election (for governor, senator or president) on the same ballot.

Could it happen again in 2024?

In a new Wisconsin poll by Marquette Law School, the presidential race is a virtual tossup between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump, while in the Senate race, Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin leads GOP challenger Eric Hovde by 5 points.

Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education

That means theres is a 5-point gap in this poll between these two races, the kind of gap that makes a split outcome totally plausible in a state as competitive as Wisconsin.

Put another way, Baldwin is performing a net 5 points better in her Senate race than fellow Democrat Biden is at the top of the ticket.

That gap raises another question: How far ahead of Biden does Baldwin have to run to keep her seat in the event of a Trump presidential victory in Wisconsin?

This is not just a Baldwin question. Polls suggest that in several key states this year, the Democratic Senate candidate is running ahead of Biden, who has been dogged by low approval ratings and high negatives.

Lets take a closer look in Wisconsin at the relationship between the Senate and presidential races, based on the latest Marquette poll of 871 registered voters, conducted June 12-20.

To make the comparison between these two races as clean as possible, I am using the same version of the horse race question with each contest. Im using registered voters, not likely voters (since its too early to get a good measure of who is likely to vote).

I am including leaners in the results  voters who are undecided but express a preference when pushed to do so (thats why there are virtually no undecided voters in the numbers cited below). And I am using a version of the presidential horse race question that doesnt include third-party candidates, in order to make an apples-to-apples comparison with the Senate contest.

In the Senate race, Baldwin leads Hovde 52% to 47%.

In the presidential race, Biden and Trump are tied at 50%.

In partisan terms, Baldwin is outperforming Biden in two ways. She is doing considerably better with independent voters than Biden is. And she is getting more crossover support from the other party. Baldwin is winning 12% of Republicans and Republican leaners against Hovde, while Biden is winning 7% of the GOP vote against Trump.

The vast majority of voters are supporting the same party in both races in this survey, which is exactly what you would expect. But about 10% of voters are splitting their tickets between the two races, and Baldwin is benefiting a little bit more from this than Hovde.

In the new poll, Hovde is winning 8% of Biden voters, while Baldwin is winning 13% of Trump voters, according to Marquette pollster Charles Franklin.

Should we be surprised that Baldwin is out-performing Biden right now?

Not at all. Her popularity ratings are much better than Bidens. In this survey, 45% of voters view Baldwin favorably and 44% view her unfavorably. By contrast, 40% of voters view Biden favorably and 58% view him unfavorably.

Baldwin also has a strong election history, winning her Senate races by almost 6 points in 2012 and almost 11 in 2018.

In that 2018 race, her margin was roughly 10 points better than that of fellow Democrat Tony Evers, who won his race for governor that year against incumbent Republican Scott Walker by a single point.

In both her races, Baldwin has proven to be far more competitive in the states Republican-leaning rural areas than other major candidates in her party, helping her to overperform baseline Democratic numbers in much of Wisconsins west, north and center.

Her opponent, meanwhile, is still unknown to a lot of voters, and more disliked than liked by those who have an opinion. In the new survey, 23% of registered voters view Hovde favorably, 32% view him unfavorably and more than 40% dont know him well enough to say.

For these and other reasons, its natural to expect the Senate race in Wisconsin to have a more Democratic tilt than the presidential race at this point.

But how large a difference between these two races is plausible come November?

Here is the modern history of Wisconsin elections that featured two major races on the same ballot (either a Senate and presidential race, or a Senate and gubernatorial race), with the winning margin for each contest and the gap between those margins:

2022: Democrats by 3.4 for governor and Republicans by 1 for Senate. Gap: 4.4 points

2018: Democrats by 1.1 for governor and 10.8 for Senate. Gap: 9.7 points.

2016: Republicans by 0.8 for president and 3.4 for Senate. Gap: 2.6 points

2012: Democrats by 6.9 for president and 5.6 for Senate. Gap: 1.3 points

2010: Republicans by 5.8 for governor and 4.8 for Senate. Gap: 1 point

2006: Democrats by 7.4 for governor and 37.8 for Senate. Gap: 30.4 points

2004: Democrats by 0.4 for president and 11.2 for Senate. Gap: 10.8 points

2000: Democrats by 0.2 for president and 24.5 for Senate. Gap 24.3 points.

1998: Republicans by 21 points for governor and Democrats by 2.2 for Senate. Gap 23.2 points.

1994: Republicans by 36.4 for governor and Democrats by 17.6 points for Senate. Gap of 54 points.

As you can see from the numbers above, 2022 was the first split outcome between major races since 1998. There was also a split outcome in 1994. But the last time it happened in a presidential year in Wisconsin  in other words, the last time the party that carried the state for president lost the Senate race on the same ballot  was 1968, 56 years ago.

You can also see from these numbers that the relationship between top races on the same ballot has varied a lot over time. Before 2010, big contests on the same ballot frequently differed by huge amounts. Thats because ticket-splitting by individual voters was much more common. In 1994, GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson and Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl both won their races in landslides. Almost 40% of voters split their tickets.

But as the state polarized along party lines, ticket-splitting plunged to 6% or 7% in 2010 and 2012, and the top races on the ballot those years produced almost identical results.

More recently, though, ticket-splitting has bounced back a little, and weve seen bigger splits between top races in the same election cycle.

The most striking case is 2018, where Baldwin ran far ahead of fellow Democrat Evers. The nearly 10-point gap between those two races is a contemporary outlier, and probably not repeatable in a presidential year when voters are especially polarized.

But a gap of two or three or four points between Wisconsins two big races would not be strange or shocking.

And even a gap of one or two points could produce a split outcome, since the yearlong polling and the closeness of the last two presidential contests in this state suggest there will be very little separation between Trump and Biden here.

The current state of play  a 50/50 presidential race, and a small-to-modest lead for Democrats in the Senate race  suggests that two or three things must happen for Republicans to pick up Baldwins Senate seat.

First, Trump has to win Wisconsin.

Then either Hovde has to perform as well as Trump, or Trump has to carry this 50/50 state by a bigger margin than we saw in either 2016 or 2020, and create coattails big enough to bring Hovde along.

The modern history of Wisconsin is that the same party typically sweeps the big statewide election contests on the same ballot, and that could certainly happen again this November.

But you only have to look back two years to find an exception to that pattern.

Craig Gilbert provides Wisconsin political analysis as a fellow with Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Prior to the fellowship, Gilbert reported on politics for 35 years at the Journal Sentinel, the last 25 in its Washington Bureau. His column continues that independent reporting tradition and goes through the established Journal Sentinel editing process.



Follow him on Twitter: @Wisvoter.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin posts stronger polling than Joe Biden in Wisconsin
A bipartisan data privacy bill is splitting House Republicans and pitting the chair of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee against House GOP leadership.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) are spearheading the American Privacy Rights Act, a long-awaited bill that would create federal comprehensive data privacy regulations.

The legislation would be a major career accomplishment for McMorris Rodgers, who is retiring from Congress at the end of the year. But top GOP leaders have made their opposition to the bill in its current form known to GOP members, raising doubts about it ever coming for a vote.

There have been a lot of concerns expressed about different parts of the bill for months now, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told The Hill.

The Energy and Commerce Committee was scheduled to consider the American Privacy Rights Act at a Thursday markup that was abruptly cancelled after the publication of this article.



While both McMorris Rodgers and House leaders indicated Wednesday the markup could proceed, visible signs of conflict were apparent leading up to the cancelled hearing.

McMorris Rodgers and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) were spotted in what appeared to be a tense conversation off the House floor Wednesday.

Im committed to working with leadership and hoping to continue to take steps to move it forward, McMorris Rodgers had earlier told The Hill.

It is urgent for Congress to act on behalf of our children and on behalf of our nation to protect people online, she added.



Johnson said that while the objective of the bill is important, the details have given people concerns.

I told her Im committed to working with her to try to find a solution to those concerns, and its going to take a little bit more work, Johnson said. If they do the markup, thats not the end of it. Well address the marked up version and go back to back to further discussion and bring in the interest groups and the people who have concerns about it and see if we can alleviate this concern.

Scalise added that he hopes the issues with the bill are resolved in committee.

The American Privacy Rights Act would establish data privacy rules, seeking to create one federal law rather than the patchwork emerging of state rules and to bring the U.S. in line with other countries that have pushed ahead with data privacy regulation. The bill would give people more control over their data, including adding requirements that would let users opt out of targeted advertising and data transfers.

A key bipartisan balance the bill sought was between allowing for preemption of state laws, which Republicans had been pushing for, while allowing consumers to seek financial damages through court, which Democrats had sought.

But that ability to take legal action  known as a private right of action  is a main point of opposition for leadership.

The private right of action is a big concern  the fact that you can unleash trial lawyers on every small business in America, Scalise said. We saw the abuses under the patent troll issue we had for years, small businesses getting attacked by trial lawyers over things that they never did wrong, and yet they had to spend thousands of dollars each to make it go away.

Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), an Energy and Commerce Committee member and lower-ranking member of leadership as chair of the Republican Policy Committee, also said fear of excessive lawsuits is driving GOP opposition to the bill.

Its one of those things where maybe theres a lot of unintended consequences that could result, said Palmer, who added that he was still assessing the bill. But the intent is right in trying to protect people, particularly children, in their privacy.

The version of the bill the committee will debate Thursday has been updated since it advanced out of a subcommittee meeting last month. Some of those changes have sparked other criticism of the legislation, in addition to concerns raised by Republican leadership.

Dozens of civil society organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign, sent a letter to the committee chairs Tuesday urging them to postpone the markup and reverse an update that removed key civil rights protections and algorithmic auditing provisions. The groups underscored the need for the protections, given the lack of artificial intelligence (AI) regulations.

The deletion of these provisions is an immensely significant and unacceptable change to the bill and its scope. They should not have been removed. Even worse, they were removed without prior stakeholder consultation and without studying the impact to the bills ability to address data-driven discrimination in housing, employment, credit, education, health care, insurance, and other economic opportunities, the groups wrote.

Failing to include sufficient safeguards means Congress will leave all people in America unprotected from harmful AI technology.

The Center for Democracy and Technology, which has funding from large tech companies, was among signatories of the letter. The CDT also raised concerns about the current text of the bill including an exclusion for on-device data from the bills regulations.

Eric Null, co-director of the CDTs Privacy & Data Project, said the exemption is far too broad and seems to be a giant loophole in the bill.

Business and advertising groups are also pushing back on the legislation, adding to the many hurdles McMorris Rodgers and Cantwell face to get a privacy bill passed before the end of the session in a contentious election year.

The bill has support, however, from the Heritage Foundation, a highly influential conservative think tank. Kara Frederick, director of Heritages Tech Policy Center, said in a statement last week that unrestricted collection of data is at the root of nearly every challenge we face as conservatives and has given rise to a host of threats that undermine our fundamental rights and values.

The legislation on track for debate Thursday kept in place provisions on state preemption, which may trigger backlash from members of the California delegation, who have raised concerns about federal laws preempting the regulations put in place by the state. The updated version of the text, though, does include an exemption regarding laws about minors.

The bill would put in place an exemption that any state law that provides greater protection to children or teens will not be prohibited, setting a floor rather than a ceiling for state-level protections for minors.

Kids online safety has emerged as a rare point of bipartisan agreement in Congress. During Thursdays meeting, the committee will also mark up the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill that would regulate how tech platforms operate for minors online.

A Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act has more than 60 co-sponsors but has yet to get a vote in the Senate.

Updated at 10:59 a.m. ET. Mychael Schnell contributed.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Mohamad Hassan, a 17-year-old Palestinian American, was found dead last night after drowning in Lake Michigan off of Bender Park in Oak Creek, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Hassan, who lived in Oak Creek, was swimming with his family at Bender Park Beach when a riptide current swept him and two other teenagers, including his brother, under the water. Hassan's brother, Abdulrahman, was hospitalized in critical condition but is awake and able to communicate today, according to Othman Atta, director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

Mohamad Hassan is survived by his parents, three brother and three sisters.

A third teen was not injured.

All three teenagers were swimming about 30 yards out from the shore in "somewhat shallow" water, according to the Medical Examiner's report. The sheriff's office said the call came in shortly before 8:30 p.m. from the park located at 4503 E. Ryan Road, and the Oak Creek Fire Department said the rescue effort was impacted by "high waves and challenging water conditions." Hassan was pronounced dead shortly after 10 p.m.

He is survived by his parents, Musaitif Hassan and Jumanah Hamed; his brothers, Najeh, Abdulrahman and Yusuf; and his three sisters, according to an announcement from the Islamic Society on Thursday. The family is originally from Betein, a city in the occupied West Bank.

The Islamic Society will host a Janazah, a Muslim funeral, today after its 1:15 p.m. prayer service at 4707 S. 13th Street. The funeral will be followed by a burial at Arlington Cemetery, located at 4141 S. 27th Street, and a condolence gathering tonight after evening prayer at 8:30 p.m.

Lake Michigan was under a moderate swim risk last night, according to the National Weather Service. Waves hovered around two feet high in the afternoon and reached three feet during the evening. As of June 19, there have been 10 drownings in Lake Michigan this year, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Palestinian American teenager dead after drowning in Lake Michigan
A 16-year-old inmate at a juvenile correctional facility in Wisconsin faces homicide and murder charges after a staff member he is accused of attacking died, court records show.

The incident occurred Monday night at Lincoln Hills School in Irma, a juvenile correctional facility operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC).

The staff member -- identified as 49-year-old Corey Proulx -- suffered critical injuries while attempting to detain a juvenile inmate after the teen allegedly attacked another staff member at the school, according to DOC.

MORE: Mother of missing girl Madalina Cojocari named suspect in disappearance for 1st time

Proulx, a youth counselor at Lincoln Hills School, died Tuesday from his injuries, DOC said.

The teen was charged Wednesday with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder-battery and two counts of battery in connection with the incident, according to a criminal complaint. During a court appearance on Wednesday, a judge ruled that the suspect -- Javarius Hurd -- will be charged as an adult.

PHOTO: Javarius Hurd appears in court in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, July 26, 2024. (WAOW)

Hurd's bond was set at $100,000 and he was ordered to have no contact with Lincoln Hills School staff or the victims' family members.

He faces up to 58 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

ABC News has reached out to the teen's attorney for comment.

The teen allegedly told investigators that he had "built-up aggression" toward the initial victim because he believed the female staff member was "abusing their power and treating him unfairly" and planned to attack her, according to the complaint. He allegedly said he asked another juvenile for a cup of soap that he threw at her, according to the complaint.

He is accused of then "repeatedly punching" the unidentified staff member in her face and upper body before fleeing into a courtyard, according to the complaint.

When Proulx followed to detain the teen, Hurd allegedly struck him "multiple times unprovoked" and punched him in the face twice with "full force," according to the complaint.

MORE: Man indicted in siblings' double murder from 1990 after he's linked via DNA

Proulx went limp and fell to the ground, striking his head on the pavement, according to the complaint. Surveillance footage captured the incident, the complaint stated.

Proulx was airlifted via medical helicopter to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said. He was declared brain-dead Tuesday afternoon by the Lincoln County coroner, according to the criminal complaint.

The female staff member was treated for her injuries at a hospital and has since been released, according to the complaint.

No other juvenile inmates were involved in the incident, DOC said.

PHOTO: A staff member at Lincoln Hills School in Irma, Wisconsin, died following an altercation, authorities said. (WAOW)

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers ordered that U.S. and state flags fly at half-staff through sunset Thursday in honor of Proulx.

"By all accounts, Corey was a dedicated public servant who led with kindness and compassion in his commitment toward helping and supporting the youth he worked with," Evers said in a statement.

DOC Secretary Jared Hoy said Proulx was a "dedicated professional, colleague, and friend."

"A career in corrections, with its dual mission to protect the public and guide individuals toward rehabilitation, can be demanding and requires so many sacrifices for our staff and our families, and Corey made the ultimate sacrifice," Hoy said in a statement. "Our DOC family is mourning Corey's loss, and we are keeping all of his family members and friends in our thoughts."

Proulx was remembered by his fiancee and daughter as an "amazing partner, father, son and human being," DOC said.

Lincoln Hills School Superintendent Klint Trevino said Proulx was a "dedicated and compassionate member of our team, always striving to make a positive impact on the lives of the young individuals we serve."

State Rep. Michael Schraa, chair of the Assembly's corrections committee, said in response to Proulx's death that he plans to conduct an informational hearing on conditions in the DOC.

"This is a prime example of why staff need the appropriate tools to keep themselves and other incarcerated individuals safe," he said in a statement Wednesday.

Teen inmate charged in death of juvenile prison staff member originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A UN Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict is held at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 26, 2024. The UN Security Council on Wednesday heard a personal testimony from a former child soldier, shedding light on the brutal reality of war in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday heard a personal testimony from a former child soldier, shedding light on the brutal reality of war in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Speaking anonymously and through an interpreter, the 16-year-old recounted harrowing experiences of abduction and forced conscription into an armed group.

The child urged the council to enhance protection and security in conflict areas to ensure that children are safeguarded from the horrors of war.

"I was born into a country already plagued by armed conflicts," the child began. "I was forced to join an armed group while walking to school."

Two months ago, the child said, armed attacks on nearby villages targeted children for abduction, forcing them into armed groups or holding them for ransom. Schools and hospitals, the child said, are frequently attacked and repurposed as military bases.

Describing personal ordeals, the child spoke of being kidnapped and forced into an armed group, enduring beatings, looting, and the constant threat of death.

"We cried and begged to return home, but they wouldn't listen. They whipped us and kept us in the bush, heavily guarded, with orders to kill anyone attempting to escape," the child recalled.

Girls, the child added, were taken as "wives" by soldiers, while survival depended on meager rations of dry cassava. After three years, the child managed to escape and found support through the Congolese Government's child demobilization program. Now back in school, the child advocates for children's rights through the children's parliament.

"I urge the UN Security Council to provide assistance to children affected by conflict," the child said. "This will help protect them, ensure access to education and healthcare, and shield them from violence."

The testimony was part of the Security Council's open debate on children and armed conflict, which reviewed the UN secretary-general's annual report. The report revealed extreme levels of violence against children, with unprecedented numbers of killings and maimings in 2023.

Virginia Gamba, special representative of the secretary-general on children and armed conflict, reported 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children in 26 conflict zones in 2023, marking the highest annual number in nearly a decade. The most affected regions included the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the DRC, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan.

Violations detailed in the report encompass abduction, killing, maiming, recruitment, attacks on schools or hospitals, sexual violence, and denial of humanitarian access. Gamba emphasized the necessity of cooperation, solidarity, and political will to end these violations, calling for respect for international law as a fundamental prerequisite for protecting children.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaking as deputy chair of The Elders, and Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director of the UN Children's Fund, also addressed the council.

Ban stressed the need for accountability for crimes against children, while Chaiban called for sustained diplomacy and peace efforts to protect children and end conflicts.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, urged the international community to effectively eliminate armed conflicts to ensure children are kept away from the ravages of war.

"The Security Council must remain committed to politically resolving hotspot issues, invest in diplomatic mediation efforts, and actively promote ceasefire and violence cessation in areas such as Gaza, Sudan, the DRC, and Ukraine," he said.

Fu stated that actions harming children "must be severely punished." 

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (C) briefs a Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 26, 2024. The UN Security Council on Wednesday heard a personal testimony from a former child soldier, shedding light on the brutal reality of war in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

Virginia Gamba (Front), special representative of the secretary-general on children and armed conflict, briefs a UN Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 26, 2024. The UN Security Council on Wednesday heard a personal testimony from a former child soldier, shedding light on the brutal reality of war in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
Tennessee State University named Ronald A. Johnson as its interim president while it starts over on its search for a new leader.

Johnson, who most recently served as the interim president at Kentucky State University, will take on his new post July 1. He previously served as president of Clark Atlanta University. Both schools are historically Black universities, like TSU. As the TSU Board of Trustees considered its appointment, it consulted The Registry, a firm that helps place leaders in interim roles. Johnson was one of six candidates the firm identified.

Outgoing TSU President Glenda Glover has served in the role since 2013 and is set to retire. The university's board announced Johnson's appointment during a special called virtual meeting on Wednesday evening. The meeting was not announced until Wednesday morning.

The move comes after the board, which held its first-ever meeting on April 26, took over after state lawmakers abruptly ousted the previous board after it narrowed a previous presidential search to three finalists. The new board decided to scrap the search and start over  and to appoint an interim.

Ronald A. Johnson

"Fellow trustees and I look forward to collaborating with Dr. Johnson," TSU board chair Dakasha Winton said in a news release from the university Wednesday night. "His proven leadership in strategically addressing complex issues, while developing innovative paths forward will further lead the university during this transition. I know working with our students, staff, alumni and fellow board members, this next chapter will cement TSU's legacy of excellence."

Johnson brings nearly 20 years of experience to TSU and is a respected and well-known leader in higher education, according to the release.

He co-founded the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute at Clark Atlanta University and serves on its advisory board. He also received the Frederick S. Humphries Leadership Award from the institute.

Previously, Johnson taught at Texas Southern University, Florida A&M University, Howard University and Northeastern University. Johnson also served on the the Presidents Advisory Board of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and chaired the Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the United States. He holds a bachelor's in economics and master's in business administration in finance from Adelphi University, then went on to earn a master's in finance and Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

TSU president Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover waves to spectators during the Tennessee State University homecoming parade Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

Glover, who attended Clark Atlanta for business school, praised Johnson as an "excellent leader" and said she looks forward to seeing him lead at TSU.

"I will provide Dr. Johnson with any necessary support as he takes the helm of our great institution to continue the legacy of excellence that is the hallmark of Tennessee State University," she said in the release.

Johnson will serve in the interim role for a year while a new search for a permanent TSU president unfolds.

The first step of a new search

The previous board was about to announce a new president when lawmakers voted to vacate it after years of financial scrutiny and a forensic audit. The audit revealed no wrongdoing on the university's part but did point to issues with scholarships being offered without adequate housing available for students.

TSU maintained that it was cooperative with the audits as it worked to address concerns. TSU leaders, students and advocates have also pointed to $2.1 billion in state underfunding revealed by U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Education findings released last year. They have repeatedly said criticism from state leaders over a lack of infrastructure at TSU is unfair in light of the shortfall in state funding.

TSU leaders pleaded with lawmakers for more time before the measure to oust the old board ultimately passed.

The finalists in the previous board's search were Charles Gibbs, the now-former CEO of the national 100 Black Men of America, William E. Hudson, the vice president of student affairs at Florida A&M University, and Michael Torrence, the president of Motlow State Community College in Tennessee. It's not clear if the three will reapply.

Previously: Tennessee State University board scraps presidential search, starts new quest for leader

During its regularly scheduled meeting on June 7, the new board set forth a plan for the next year, which included naming an interim president by July 1. Here are the other items included in the plan:

Continue the contract with Academic Search, a national search firm hired for a previous presidential search.

Establish a new presidential search committee, which will encompass a variety of voices, including faculty.

Appoint a new president by July 1, 2025.

The board's next regularly scheduled meeting is set for Sept. 19. More information on the board and the presidential search can be found at TNstate.edu/board.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee State University taps Ronald A. Johnson as interim president
Under fire for accusations of stolen valor, U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls is doubling down on defending his military record by blaming the establishment forces seeking to discredit him.

Nehls, R-Richmond, has been under intense scrutiny over his display of a combat service badge that the Army revoked and removed from his service record last year.

Congressman accuses Army of political attacks over combat badge

Nehls, who represents a large swath of suburbs southwest of Houston, released what he called a final written comment on the controversy Tuesday afternoon. Nehls did not dispute that his Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) had been revoked by the Army, but offered no explanation for why he continued to wear it until as recently as this month.

The congressman instead accused his critics of using the military to undermine him for his hardline conservative views. Nehls is a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus.

Unfortunately for me, as an America First Patriot and an outspoken member of Congress, there are no lengths to which the establishment wont go to discredit me, including my CIB, which I was awarded over 14 years ago, Nehls said in his Tuesday statement. Nothing more needs to be said.

On Wednesday, Nehls had apparently stopped wearing the badge.

The Combat Infantryman Badge, or CIB. (Public domain)

Because you guys are vultures, he told reporters, according to NOTUS, a nonprofit newsroom. I know what Ive done, and I certainly dont have to justify myself to you guys. You were probably in middle school when I was over there. So I dont have to justify myself to you in any form or fashion. But I know the truth. And now that I dont wear that, what are you going to talk to me about?

Nehls served in the Army from 1988 to 2008, first with the Wisconsin National Guard and then in the Army Reserve. During his two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Nehls served in the civil affairs branch, the Army confirmed to the Washington outlet NOTUS. The Combat Infantryman Badge was apparently incorrectly awarded for his tour in Afghanistan in 2008.

Only infantrymen or Special Forces soldiers who engaged in active combat are eligible for the Combat Infantryman Badge.

In his Tuesday statement, Nehls appeared incredulous over the Armys move to rescind his badge, even as he acknowledged that it occurred. Nehls previously argued in a letter to the Armys human resources command that the division he had been a part of was indeed a combat unit.

In 2023, 14 years after my retirement, suddenly, the Department of the Army rescinded my CIB. According to my correspondence I received from the Department of the Army, 142,596 CIBs have been awarded over the past 20 years. Of these, only 47 CIBs have been rescinded. So, let me get this straight, the Department of the Army says that the 101st Airborne Division has been 99.968% correct in awarding the CIB over the past two decades? he said.

The issue was brought to light in May after a CBS News investigation showed discrepancies between the congressmans own representations of his military career and his records held by the Pentagon. Reviews of Nehls career conducted by the Army found two separate discrepancies.

In addition to the revoked Combat Infantryman Badge the Army also told CBS that Nehls records indicate he received only one Bronze Star medal, despite his claiming to have been awarded two. Nehls posted two certificates and two forms on social media earlier this month.

Bronze Stars are awarded to any individual based on any heroic achievement in a combat setting, whether they were serving in a combat or civilian role.

Some of Nehls House Republican colleagues have since criticized him for his continued display of the badge, with fellow Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston, a former Army officer, telling a NOTUS reporter: Thats ridiculous. Thats stolen valor.

Before being elected in 2020, Nehls was the sheriff of Fort Bend County. He is separately facing a probe by a House ethics panel into potential campaign finance violations.

U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls defends military record amid badge scandal was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Learn more at texastribune.org.

Military Times has edited the original headline.

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'I'm sorry': Texas executes Ramiro Gonzales on birthday of 18-year-old he raped and killed

A Texas man was executed Wednesday for the murder of an 18-year-old woman who was raped, fatally shot and dumped in a field. He used his dying words to apologize to the young woman's family.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was executed by lethal injection at 6:50 p.m. CT, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He became the second inmate put to death in the state this year and the eighth in the nation.

Gonzales was convicted of the rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend, who was just getting her start in life, working full-time at a resort and eagerly waiting to hear back about a nursing school application.

"I cant put into words the pain I have caused yall, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back," Gonzales said just before his final breaths, according to a transcript provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Bridget's mother, Patricia Townsend, told USA TODAY that she would be among the witnesses to the execution and that it would be a "joyful occasion" for her family: He doesn't deserve mercy."

Here's what to know about the execution, the case and the victim.

Ramiro Gonzales, 41, was executed by the State of Texas on Wednesday in connection with murder of a young woman in January 2001.

Ramiro Gonzales apologizes to family, tells warden 'I'm ready'

The last words Ramiro Gonzales ever spoke were directed to the Townsend family, apologizing for the pain he caused them, according to a transcript provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Gonzales told the Townsends that he used the time he was given on Earth working to take responsibility for his actions in an attempt to "give it all back" and that he loved the Townsends.

"I never stopped praying for all of you. I never stopped praying that you would forgive me and that one day I would have this opportunity to apologize. I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me," Gonzales said. "To all your family, Im sorry."

He also thanked his family and friends for the support they have given him over the years.

He ended his last words with: "God bless you all. Warden, Im ready.

The death chamber and the steel bars of the viewing room seen at the Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville on Sept. 29, 2010, where 41-year-old Ramiro Gonzales is set to be executed on Wednesday.

The man put to death was a different person'

Texas executed Gonzales for a crime he committed as an 18-year-old, Gonzales lawyers told USA TODAY after his death.

The man put to death for those acts was a different person," they said. Gonzales floundered as an abused and neglected child and teenager, never knowing the tools, support, or guidance that many take for granted. He made some poor choices and sought escape through drugs as a result of those circumstance, they said.

And he caused irrevocable harms. He took the life of Bridget Townsend, and he attacked" another woman," they said. "We grieve for these women and their families. So did he."

The Ramiro who left the world was a a deeply spiritual, generous, patient, and intentional person, full of remorse, someone whose driving force was love.

Ramiro knew he took something from this world he could never give back. He lived with that shame every day, and it shaped the person he worked so hard to become, according to the statement. If this countrys legal system was intended to encourage rehabilitation, he would be an exemplar. Ramiro grew. Ramiro changed. May we all strive to do the same."

Bridget Townsend murdered, remains abandoned

Bridget Townsend was spending the night at her boyfriend Joe Leal's house the night Ramiro Gonzales came knocking. Leal dealt drugs and Gonzales went to his house to steal cocaine, finding Bridget there alone.

After Gonzales came in and stole some cash, Bridget started to call Leal. That's when Gonzales overpowered her, tied her up and drove her to his grandfather's ranch, where he raped and shot her before dumping her body in a field, according to court records.

When Leal arrived home later that night, Bridget's truck, purse and keys were their usual spots but he couldn't find her anywhere and called police.

For nearly two years, no one but Gonzales knew what happened to Bridget. One day while he was serving a life sentence for the rape and kidnapping of another woman, Gonzales decided to confess to killing Bridget, leading authorities to her remains in a field in Bandera, a small town 40 miles northwest of San Antonio.

A portrait of Bridget Townsend, a young woman from Texas who was brutally killed in January 2001.

Bridget's mom rejects apology, excuses

Patricia Townsend told USA TODAY that Gonzales' childhood "should not have anything to do with it."

"I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood," she said on Saturday, four days ahead of the execution. "He made his choice."

Gonzales has reached out to Bridget's family over the years to convey his profound remorse," apologies that her family has rejected.

She was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people," Townsend said. "She didnt deserve what she got.

She said she found some comfort when she learned that Gonzales was set to leave the world the same day Bridget came into it.

When they told me June 26, I started crying, crying and crying," she said. "Thats her birthday."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ramiro Gonzales executed on birthday of Texas teen he raped and killed
Texas executed Ramiro Gonzales on Wednesday despite a stunning reversal from a psychiatrist who helped send him to death row 17 years ago.

Gonzales, 41, was killed by lethal injection at 6:50 p.m. Central timeas punishment for kidnapping, raping and murdering Bridget Townsend when they were both 18. At the time, Gonzales was struggling with drug addiction. He killed Townsend, his drug dealers girlfriend, while trying to steal drugs. He had turned 18 two months before the killing, making him barely old enough to be legally eligible to be sentenced to death.

In his final words, Gonzales apologized to the Townsend family. Im sorry I cant articulate, I cant put into words the pain I have caused yall, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back. I lived the rest of this life for you guys to the best of my ability for restitution, restoration, taking responsibility ... Im sorry.

The Ramiro who the state of Texas killed tonight was not the Ramiro who committed these crimes twenty years ago, Gonzales lawyers, Thea Posel and Raoul Schonemann said in a statement. The Ramiro who left this world was, by all accounts, a deeply spiritual, generous, patient, and intentional person, full of remorse, someone whose driving force was love. He sought to spread and embody love in all aspects of his life, even in the deprivation and physical isolation of death row where he lived for the past 18 years.

Ramiro knew he took something from this world he could never give back, Gonzales lawyers said. He lived with that shame every day, and it shaped the person he worked so hard to become. If this countrys legal system was intended to encourage rehabilitation, he would be an exemplar.

Patricia Townsend, the mother of Bridget Townsend, previously told USA Today that Gonzales execution would be a joyful occasion for her family, noting that it took place on her daughters birthday. Bridget Townsend was a beautiful person who loved life and loved people, she said. Every time she was with somebody she hadnt seen in a while, she had to hug em.

Texas is the only state that requires jurors to determine that the defendant is likely to commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat to society in order to impose a death sentence. During Gonzales 2006 trial, psychiatrist Edward Gripon testified that Gonzales derived pleasure from acts of sexual violence and was unlikely to stop or be rehabilitated.

Fifteen years later, Gripon reevaluated Gonzales and reversed his assessment, citing his prior reliance on a debunked statistic and witness testimony that has since been recanted. It was the first time the psychiatrist had issued a report changing his opinion in a death penalty case, Gripon told The Marshall Project in 2022.

Ramiro Gonzales was sentenced to death after a psychiatrist predicted he would pose a future danger. The psychiatrist later reversed his assessment. Texas Defender Service/Elisabetta Diorio

Like most people on death row, Gonzales experienced abuse and neglect as a child. His mother, who was 17 when he was born, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and turned Gonzales over to her parents, according to a petition for clemency, which the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected earlier this month. The first time Gonzales met his father was when he was 19 and they were both locked up in the county jail.

Starting at the age of 6, Gonzales was repeatedly sexually abused, including by a cousin. One of the few family members Gonzales felt close to, his aunt Loretta, was killed in a car accident when he was 15. He turned to cocaine and methamphetamine to cope with the grief, and dropped out of school, stealing and forging checks to pay for drugs.

Two months after his 18th birthday, Gonzales decided to rob his drug dealers home. When Townsend, who was alone inside, tried to call her boyfriend, Gonzales assaulted and killed her. After he was arrested for sexually assaulting a different woman, Gonzales confessed to killing Townsend.

He doesnt deserve mercy, Patricia Townsend told USA Today. And his childhood should not have anything to do with it. I know a lot of people that had a hard childhood ... He made his choice.

Gonzales was previously scheduled to be executed in 2022. Shortly before his execution date, Gripon provided Gonzales appellate lawyers with his reevaluation report, in which he acknowledged errors in his trial testimony.

In 2006, Gripon had testified that recidivism rates among people who commit sex offenses are as high as 80%. In his second report, he described how that number was later traced back to a 1986 Psychology Today article and found to be baseless.

Gripon also initially relied on written statements from Gonzales cellmate, Frederick Ozuna, that described Gonzales confessing to returning to the crime scene several times to have sex with the body. In a sworn declaration, Ozuna later recanted those statements, stating that an officer threatened him with a harsher sentence if he didnt cooperate against Gonzales.

With the passage of time and significant maturity [Gonzales] is now a significantly different person both mentally and emotionally, Gripon wrote in his 2022 report. At the current time, considering all of the evidence provided to me, my evaluation of Mr. Gonzales, and his current mental status, it is my opinion, to a reasonable psychiatric probability, that he does not pose a threat of future danger to society in regard to any predictable future acts of criminal violence.

Two days before Gonzales 2022 execution date, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay and instructed the trial court to consider Gonzales claim that his death sentence resulted from false expert testimony. Without conducting a hearing or reviewing additional evidence, the court signed verbatim the states findings of fact and conclusions of law and denied relief. (This is not unusual: a 2018 report published in the Harvard Law Review found that judges adopted prosecutors findings in their entirety in 96% of the 191 cases the authors reviewed in Harris County, Texas.)

During Gonzales 18 years on death row, He has earnestly devoted himself to self-improvement, contemplation, and prayer, and has grown into a mature, peaceful, kind, loving, and deeply religious adult, his lawyers wrote in a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that Gonzales was ineligible for execution because there was no risk or probability of him posing a threat to society. He acknowledges his responsibility for his crimes and has sought to atone for them and to seek redemption through his actions.

Gonzales earned the equivalent of a bachelors degree from a Bible college and was one of the first peer coordinators when Texas death row introduced faith-based pods. In that role, Gonzales offered spiritual guidance to others facing execution.

The Supreme Court declined to intervene to halt Gonzales execution. Gonzales was the eighth person executed in the U.S. this year. On Thursday, Oklahoma plans to execute Richard Norman Rojem Jr.

In an interview with The Marshall Project days before his death, Gonzales addressed the tension between rehabilitating people only to execute them.

I think ultimately the state is afraid to acknowledge the fact that we can be rehabilitated and be a contribution to society from prison  because it goes against how they prosecuted us, how they labeled us in court as menaces to society, Gonzales said. I wish theyd be honest and say: We screwed up. People can be rehabilitated. But its hard to admit your mistakes, especially when politics are involved.

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Bowing to pressure from conservatives, the superintendent of a Texas school district agreed earlier this month to remove 676 books from its libraries, including seminal texts on the Holocaust and antisemitism, according to a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

That superintendent, Carol Perez, is now facing her own removal by a board of trustees that recently voted to initiate a separation process on the grounds that her 10-year contract is illegal, clearly violating a Texas law that limits such contracts to five years.

Though the censorship has not been cited as a cause for removal, the decision by the trustees came just weeks after she provoked backlash by immediately surrendering to a demand from right-wing activists to purge "very sexually explicit" and "filthy and evil" books, rather than asking them to go through a formal challenge process first.

The activists, led by a local pastor and outspoken Israel advocate Luis Cabrera, had been pushing the Mission Consolidated Independent School District in south Texas to remove books about gender, sexuality and race; two groups that he is an active member of  Citizens Defending Freedom and Remnant Alliance  also wants to rid libraries of books about the Holocaust.

The campaign against books that offend right-wing sensibilities is one being carried out across the United States, with its most notable successes occurring in GOP-controlled states such as Florida and Texas, where school officials have banned a graphic adaptation of Anne Frank's diary, or Tennessee, where a district removed "Maus," a graphic novel about the Holocaust, from the middle school curriculum. In Iowa, school districts quietly disposed of a slew of Holocaust-themed books and films after lobbying by activists.

In emails that were copied to Gabrera and other local right-wing leaders, activist Martha Garza-Johnson presented Perez with the list of 676 offending books, which included Anne Frank's diary, "Maus," "The Fixer," "Kasher in the Rye" and other works about the Holocaust and the Jewish experience. If their demands were not met, Garza-Johnson continued, she and other activists would crash public school board meetings and read graphic passages from the books out loud.

We are here to work with you, she wrote. We are advocating for our children because we want to protect them from these extremely vulgar and offensive books that have no business in our schools.

We will certainly check to see if we have those books to remove them, Perez responded. Thank you!

Mission CISD's deputy superintendent then followed up to assure them that she would begin working with Library Services to track the books on the system and have them removed from the libraries.

Although the right-wing activists, with backing from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, have targeted other schools in the region with the same threats, Mission CISD is the only school district to have acceded to their version of demands. It's unknown whether the district followed through on removing the books.
Downtown Petersburg. (2019 photo by Julia Rendleman)

On the mid-April day when the Virginia General Assembly was voting on whether to give the city of Petersburg permission to pursue a casino, Sen. Lashrecse Aird sent a text message to a top city official saying she needed a document sooner rather than later.

City Manager March Altman texted Aird on the morning of April 17 to tell her hed send a signed letter of intent saying the city was picking Ballys as its private-sector casino partner. A week later  after Petersburg got what it wanted from the legislature  city officials declared the Ballys letter meant nothing, canceled the competitive bidding process they had been following and picked a competing casino developer, Baltimore-based Cordish Companies.

But on the day of the General Assembly vote, according to communications records The Virginia Mercury obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, the letter was treated as important for whatever the legislature was about to do.

Altman told Aird he probably wouldnt be able to get her the letter until noon/early afternoon due to a busy meeting schedule.

I understand but we gavel in at noon so I really need no later than, Aird replied.

Eight minutes before noon, Altman told Aird the letter was in her email inbox.

I understand from Jameson that youre upset, Aird replied, referring to her Chief of Staff Jameson Babb. I apologize for cutting our time short.

The Ballys letter transmitted from the city to its state senator that day has sparked dueling allegations of impropriety. Petersburg officials have said they were facing pressure to pick a casino partner in accordance with political demands coming from the General Assembly, which seemed to prefer certain groups over others. Several state legislators have portrayed the letter as an act of deception by a city government that concealed its true intentions and repeatedly shrouded its casino ambitions in secrecy.

Despite the controversy over how Petersburg won permission to host a casino, the city is pressing ahead with its plan to put the issue on the ballot this fall for city residents to give the idea an up-or-down vote.

The text messages, which appear to be an incomplete record due to the citys scattershot approach to complying with FOIA, dont definitively prove one story to be true. Instead, they arguably lend credence to both narratives.

He is OK with the letter

A day before his exchange with Aird, Altman sent a text to Petersburg spokesman Joanne Williams saying he had issues with the letter but was directed to sign it.

Altman didnt respond to an email asking who exactly directed him to sign the document. However, the text exchanges strongly suggest the Petersburg City Council told him to sign it as part of a closed-door meeting that took place that same day.

Prior to the April 16 council meeting, Altman texted Williams to ask if Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham had a copy of the letter.

Yes and he is sending to Council members and making phone calls to line up votes. He is OK with the letter, Williams said.

That cuts against the Petersburg City Councils claims in an official resolution that the letter was never formally authorized by City Council and was only signed in response to a demand that the city sign it or risk losing the General Assembly vote.

In an interview this week, Aird said the letter was essentially the citys idea.

They wanted to know how they could provide an indicator to the General Assembly about what their intentions were, she said. I still stand on the fact that, at the end of the day, the city came to me and said they wanted me to have something in hand in case questions came up prior to the vote.

Though the text records show Aird urging Altman to speed up the process of giving her the letter, they dont show that she told him or anyone else to select Ballys.

Aird said she kept the Ballys letter in a folder in case she needed it on the day of the vote, but she acknowledged that labor groups were also made aware of its existence. A PAC tied to a hospitality union with a strong interest in the Petersburg casino project spent more than $800,000 last year helping Aird get elected to Petersburgs Senate seat. That union, Unite Here, had a labor deal in place with Ballys and several other companies that vied for Petersburgs casino project, but not with Cordish.

Unite Here had sent a letter to House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, highlighting the fact that the union had labor deals in place with Ballys and Rush Street Gaming, the company that operates the Rivers Casino in Portsmouth and was bidding for a second Virginia casino in Petersburg.

The union sent the letter to Scott and Lucas on April 14, a few days before Petersburg officials signed off on the idea of signaling to the General Assembly that they were picking one of the companies that had a deal with Unite Here.

Wont make a difference

The text messages indicate Petersburg officials saw Scott and Lucas as key decision-makers that could determine the casinos fate.

After Williams sent Altman a local news article on April 11 about prospective casino developers preparing to make public pitches at an upcoming town hall meeting, Altman texted back: Wont make a difference.

Thats correct, Williams replied. I still think Lucas will tell LA it must be Rush.

The LA appears to be a shorthand reference to Aird.

As the Petersburg casino bill made its way through the legislature early this year, it hit a snag in the House of Delegates. A clause was added to the legislation requiring the bill to be reapproved a second time. That was widely seen at the Capitol as a way to give the legislature more leverage over the process by stalling the casino and requiring final go-ahead from the state later this year or next year.

On April 17, the General Assembly was voting on a recommendation from Gov. Glenn Youngkin to remove that clause and free Petersburg to ask its voters to approve a casino this fall.

As voting got underway, Aird sent Altman a photo of the Senate voting board showing the Petersburg casino bill had passed the chamber 32-8.

Now Dons world, Altman replied as the two awaited the vote in the House, which approved the bill 80-19.

No text messages from the mayor

The Mercury requested email and text communications related to the casino project or the legislation enabling it involving Altman, Williams and Parham. The timeframe of the request was April 11 through April 18.

In response to the FOIA request, city officials only provided text messages from Altmans phone, some of which showed text exchanges between him and Williams.

Asked why texts werent provided for all three officials identified in the FOIA request, city officials relayed that the mayor said he had no text messages related to the casino from that week. Documents show a city official texted the mayor to ask if he had any text messages responsive to the Mercurys FOIA request, indicating he deals with at least some public business via text.

For the citys FOIA response to be accurate, the mayor would have neither sent nor received any text messages related to the casino during an 8-day period when the city held its casino town hall, had a closed council meeting on its casino plans and won the General Assemblys permission to proceed with the biggest economic development project in the citys history.

When asked by other city officials to provide emails responsive to the Mercurys FOIA request, Parham sent back numerous documents that were outside the date range specified. For example, the mayor provided records related to a different FOIA request made by the Petersburg Progress-Index on May 14.

Other city officials noticed that some of the records the mayor was sending didnt align with the parameters he was given.

Please ensure that this is what was requested, Tangi Hill, executive assistant to the city manager and clerk for the City Council, wrote to city FOIA officer Shaunta Beasley. It appears to be outside of the dates requested.

Records show the citys FOIA officer asked the city manager, city spokeswoman and mayor to send over emails and text messages they felt were relevant to the Mercurys request. City officials didnt answer questions about what steps they took to verify that the responses were accurate and complete.

Many emails the city provided were completely redacted under a FOIA exemption for attorney-client privilege.

Williams, the city spokeswoman, initially said she had no casino text messages that werent already provided in the exchanges pulled from Altmans phone. However, in those records Williams mentions a separate text she received from Babb, Airds chief of staff, which shows she had at least one casino-related text message that wasnt provided.

After being asked several times to explain the discrepancy, on Wednesday evening city officials provided some additional text exchanges between Williams and Babb, nearly a month after the Mercury first sent the FOIA request. Those messages werent particularly revealing, showing brief remarks between the two when the casino bill passed.

The text messages also show discussions about who should be identified as the source of the Ballys letter, which came from Airds office, as it was being circulated among city officials.

Jameson asked that I take ownership of writing the letter, Williams wrote to Altman on April 16. Thats fine with me. I did proof and make suggestions.

When the Mercury asked for a copy of the Ballys letter two days later on April 18, Williams offered the city manager her thoughts on how it could be kept under wraps even though a top city official had signed it and sent it to a state senator before a key public vote.

Not answering the VA Mercury inquiry, she wrote to Altman. We have no completely executed document. At the most, we would not have to produce any documents, if there was a completed document, for 5 days under FOIA.

The post Text messages reveal behind-the-scenes details of Petersburg casino process appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
Thailand is now the Myanmar juntas favored banking destination as military attacks ramp up, UN expert says

International banks are playing a significant role in the Myanmar military juntas ability to carry out its systematic and deadly assault on its people, a new United Nations-backed report has found.

Thai banks have now become the main source through which the Myanmar military is buying weapons and military supplies  including parts for helicopter gunships  used to support its three-year civil war that has devastated the country and killed more than 5,000 civilians, Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Myanmar, said in a new report Wednesday.

Since seizing power in a coup in February 2021, the military has been fighting a deepening war against ethnic armed groups and peoples resistance forces across Myanmar. In recent months it has faced significant losses of territory and troops.

As it contends with widespread public opposition and an economic crisis that has sparked soaring levels of poverty, the junta has increased airstrikes and attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, displacing more than 3 million people.

Andrews said the junta has increased its deadly aerial attacks against civilian targets by fivefold in the past six months, fueling the humanitarian crisis as it seeks to scare civilians into ceasing resistance to the military.

Theyre able to do that by procuring weapons from abroad, and thats made possible by the services they receive from these banks, Andrews told CNN.

The militarys brutal campaign of violence has prompted Western nations to impose wide-ranging sanctions on military leaders, family and cronies, state-owned companies, banks, and jet fuel suppliers.

The report, Banking on the Death Trade: How Banks and Governments Enable the Military Junta in Myanmar, found that 16 banks in seven countries have processed transactions linked to the militarys procurement in the past year.

Weapons, dual-use technologies, manufacturing equipment, and raw materials secured by the junta from abroad reached $253 million between April 2023 and March 2024, the report said.

By relying on financial institutions that are willing to do business with Myanmar state-owned banks under its control, the junta has ready access to the financial services it needs to carry out systematic human rights violations, including aerial attacks on civilians, Andrews wrote in the report.

However, the volume of weapons and military supplies purchased by the junta through foreign banks has decreased by a third from 2023, with exports from Singapore dropping dramatically, according to the report.

The good news is that the junta is increasingly isolated, the report said. The bad news is that the junta is circumventing sanctions and other measures by exploiting gaps in sanctions regimes, shifting financial institutions, and taking advantage of the failure of Member States to fully coordinate and enforce actions.

International banks, Andrews said, need to know there is a high likelihood that transactions involving Myanmars state-owned entities could be used to buy the weapons or weapons-grade materials fueling the juntas war-chest.

If you want to be sure that isnt happening, then dont conduct business with Myanmars state-owned banks, he said.

Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) patrol on a vehicle, next to an area destroyed by a Myanmar military airstrike in Myawaddy, a Thailand-Myanmar border town in Myanmar, April 15, 2024. - Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters

The Thai connection

Singapore-based entities were Myanmars third largest source of weapons and military materials. But following a government investigation, the flow of weapons materials to Myanmar from Singapore-registered companies dropped by nearly 90% compared to the previous year.

In 2022, Singapore-based banks facilitated more than 70% of the juntas purchases passing through the banking system. By 2023, that had dropped to under 20%, the report found.

Looking for other financial institutions, the junta found neighboring Thailand.

Between 2022 and 2023, exports of weapons and related materials from Thai-based entities more than doubled, from $60 million to nearly $130 million last year.

Many SAC (junta) purchases previously made from Singapore-based entities, including parts for Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters used to conduct airstrikes on civilian targets, are now being sourced from Thailand, the report said.

Siam Commercial Bank is among the Thai banks that have played a crucial role in the shift, the report found. In 2022, the bank facilitated just over $5 million in transactions relating to the military; by 2023 that figure ballooned to more than $100 million, according to the report.

In a statement, SCB said it provides international transaction services between Thailand and Myanmar with the primary objective of supporting Thai and international businesses in paying for consumer products and services to Myanmar.

SCBs statement said the bank complies with all relevant anti-money laundering laws, and an internal investigation determined its transactions with Myanmar are not connected to the arms trade.

SCB reaffirms its commitment to adhering to relevant anti-money laundering and related regulations, the statement added.

A spokesperson for Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs told CNN, we have seen the report and are looking into it.

Many countries have been named and certainly these are countries where the majority of financial transactions in the region would pass through, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Our banking and financial institutions follow banking protocols as any major financial hub. So we will have to first establish the facts before considering any further steps.

Andrews told CNN he welcomed the Thai governments decision to look into the facts.

I am hopeful that (the investigation) is going to lead to positive changes in Thailand, much as it did in Singapore, he said.

In his report, Andrews said it was critical that financial institutions take their human rights obligations seriously and not facilitate the juntas deadly transactions.

In addition, sanctioning the networks supplying jet fuel to the junta and the militarys go-to bank Myanma Economic Bank, could play a decisive role in helping to turn the tide in Myanmar and saving untold numbers of lives, the report said.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership on Thursday decided to expel former defense minister Li Shangfu for serious violation of Party discipline and the law.

Li, who also formerly served as a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a state councilor, was deprived of his qualification as a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The CMC's disciplinary and supervisory agency launched an investigation against Li on Aug. 31, 2023.

According to the investigation results, Li seriously violated political and organizational discipline. He sought improper benefits in personnel arrangements for himself and others, took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others, and accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in return. He is suspected of the crime of taking bribes.

He was also found to have offered money to others to seek undue benefits, constituting the suspected crime of offering bribes.

The investigation also found clues of Li's other violations.

As a high-ranking official of the Party and the military, Li betrayed the Party's original aspiration and its principles. His actions failed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the CMC, and severely contaminated the political environment of the equipment sector in the military and the ethics of relevant industries.

His disciplinary and law violations brought enormous damage to the Party's cause, the development of national defense and the armed forces, as well as the image of senior officials.

Li's violations are extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm, according to the investigation findings.

The Political Bureau also decided to transfer Li's suspected criminal case to procuratorial organs of the military for examination and prosecution.

The disciplinary action to expel Li from the Party will be confirmed by the CPC Central Committee when it convenes a plenary session in mid-July.

An earlier decision made by the CMC had expelled Li from the military service and deprived him of his rank of general. 
The Center for Investigative Reporting, the nations oldest nonprofit newsroom that produces Mother Jones and Reveal sued OpenAI and Microsoft in federal court on Thursday for allegedly using its content to train AI models without consent or compensation. This is the latest in a long line of lawsuits filed by publishers and creators accusing generative AI companies of violating copyright.

OpenAI and Microsoft started vacuuming up our stories to make their product more powerful, but they never asked for permission or offered compensation, unlike other organizations that license our material, said Monika Bauerlein, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, in a statement. This free rider behavior is not only unfair, it is a violation of copyright. The work of journalists, at CIR and everywhere, is valuable, and OpenAI and Microsoft know it. Bauerlein said that OpenAI and Microsoft treat the work of nonprofit and independent publishers as free raw material for their products," and added that such moves by generative AI companies hurt the publics access to truthful information in a disappearing news landscape.

OpenAI and Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment by Engadget.

The CIRs lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattans federal court, accuses OpenAI and Microsoft, which owns nearly half of the company, of violating the Copyright Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act multiple times.

News organizations find themselves at an inflection point with generative AI. While the CIR is joining publishers like The New York Times, New York Daily News, The Intercept, AlterNet and Chicago Tribune in suing OpenAI, others publishers have chosen to strike licensing deals with the company. These deals will allow OpenAI to train its models on archives and ongoing content published by these publishers and cite information from them in responses offered by ChatGPT.

On the same day as the CIR sued OpenAI, for instance, TIME magazine announced a deal with the company that would grant it access to 101 years of archives. Last month, OpenAI signed a $250 million multi-year deal with News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal, to train its models on more than a dozen brands owned by the publisher. The Financial Times, Axel Springer (the owner of Politico and Business Insider), The Associated Press and Dotdash Meredith have also signed deals with OpenAI.
Stealing a car might be one of the few things that may be easier to do in real life than in the movies.

One tech-savvy thief used their phone to steal a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 and Rolls-Royce Cullinan earlier this month, according to WSVN 7 News Miami. All the culprit had to do was change the delivery address for both vehicles.

More from Robb Report

Of course, it wasnt quite that simple. The thief first hacked into the drivers portal for Dealers Choice Auto Transport Service of West Palm Beach, the company that was delivering luxury vehicle. Then, armed with all the relevant information for the Maybach, they contacted the driver posing as the cars owner and changed the delivery locations.

2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II

The thief then changed the Maybach GLSs drop-off location from Hollywood, Fla., to Miami. That rerouted the Cullinan from Limited Spec Automotive, a dealership located in the city, to a random parking lot. And in both cases, they were able to make off with the vehicles.

Stealing the car doesnt seem to have been enough for the thief, though. They also saw fit to mock the Dealers Choice Auto Transport Service and owner of the Cullinan in the days since the thefts. When the delivery driver texted that the thief that they had stolen from the wrong guy, they replied, Thats what the guy with the Cullinan said as well, later adding: Thanks for the free Maybach dawg.

The thief wasnt done, either. They sent another text that read Bro, car already in Dubai, or Europe you guess. This was followed by a photo showing a torn-up area of the floorboard where the vehicles GPS system is located.

One thing that must be said for the thief is that they have good taste. The GLS is Mercedes most luxurious SUV, along with one of its most powerful thanks to a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that makes 550 hp. It starts at $174,350. The Cullinan, meanwhile, may be the most decadent SUV out there. It has a twin-turbocharged V-12 that produces up to 592 hp and starts at $374,000. The total value of the two vehicles comes in at well over $500,000.

Local authorities are currently investigating both thefts. Theres also a $20,000 reward out for each car, but it wouldnt be that much of a shock if both are long gone.

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The Kennedy campaign bus has made appearances in Raleigh this year, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr. remains blocked from the state's presidential ballot for now. (Photo: Clayton Henkel)

The state Board of Elections refused along party lines to recognize as political parties the groups trying to put Robert Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West on the November presidential ballot.

Democrats on the board rejected petitions from Justice for All, which is trying to put West on the ballot, and from Kennedys We the People party.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

They also rejected the Constitution Party.

The boards three Democrats want state and county elections administrators to investigate the petitions. Board Chairman Alan Hirsch said the investigations would be quick. Republicans said no investigations are necessary.

I think were going off the rails here, said Kevin Lewis, a Republican board member.

Potential new parties need signatures of at least 13,865 registered voters to qualify for consideration. Information on the state Board of Elections website shows that each group cleared the bar for verified signatures on their petitions.

State Democrats and a Democrat-aligned super PAC called Clear Choice Action are objecting to having the state recognize Justice for All and We the People as political parties. Polls have shown that third-party candidates weaken support for President Joe Biden.

Board members on Wednesday questioned the Constitution Party chairman about having his former home address rather than his current address on the forms as required.

Democrats on the board wanted to know whether Justice for All actually wanted to start a political party or whether the intent was to get West on the ballot to help sink Bidens chances.

The board watched a video submitted with the Clear Choice Action protest letter. The video posted to social media by a Washington Post reporter shows pro-Donald Trump activist Scott Presler gathering signatures for West at a planned Trump rally in Wilmington. In the video, Presler juggled papers on a clipboard as he made his pitch.

This helps take away votes from Joseph Biden, Presler said.

Were helping the Trump team, just trying to get him on there, said an unidentified woman standing beside Presler.

NBC reported that three volunteers authorized to drop off and pick up signatures for Justice for All in North Carolina work for or used to work for a Republican marketing firm out of Colorado.

Justice for All North Carolina co-chairman Italo Medelius fielded questions about signature gathering and how much control the group had over volunteers.

Justice for All met the petition requirements in state law, he stressed.

It was, as the Clear Choice Action complaint said, it was a mess, Medelius said. I will completely say that. But its a mess that were proud of. We did this as volunteers. We do have the systems in place to meet the law and the statutory requirements of the law.

Questions about We the People centered on what those who signed the petition were told about its purpose and whether We the People is a real political party or simply a vehicle to drive Kennedys name onto the ballot without his having to gather more than 83,000 signatures as required of independent presidential candidates.

Recalling she was the sole vote against the decision last year to certify No Labels as a political party, board member Siobhan Millen said political operatives shouldnt be allowed to game the system.

No Labels fought for ballot access as it tried to find a presidential candidate to run this year under its banner. That recruitment effort collapsed. Former Republican North Carolina Governor and No Labels co-chair Pat McCrory quit the group in March.



If this board continues to rubber stamp thinly-veiled so-called parties, national operatives are going to continue to come in and try to manipulate our system, Millen said. Allowing unaffiliated candidates to follow the more lenient new party rules by creating faux parties is turning a blind eye to partisan mischief, potentially. And we need to look at that. And its time to put a stop to it.

The post Third party presidential candidates blocked from NC ballot, at least temporarily appeared first on NC Newsline.
UPDATE: According to Rocky Mountain Powers outage map, power has been restored to the majority of Tooele customers, with a few lingering outages remaining in the area.

TOOELE, Utah (ABC4)  More than 3,000 people in Tooele lost power early Thursday morning, according to Rocky Mountain Power.

The power company said it was aware of the outage and crews have been dispatched to investigate the cause and make necessary repairs. Rocky Mountain Power estimated power to the area will be restored by 11:00 a.m.

The power outage in Tooele comes less than a week after more than 13,000 households across the Wasatch Front lost power. That outage stretched as far north as Weber County and as far south as Washington County near the Arizona border, however, the majority of the outages were in central and northern Utah.

Crews battle massive 3-alarm Salt Lake City fire, roads shut down

The large-scale outage was due to an issue with a capacitor at the Rocky Mountain substation near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. Crews were able to quickly repair the capacitor and restore power to the Beehive State.

Another power outage affected over 2,900 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Ogden on Tuesday, June 25. Rocky Mountain Power said that the outage was caused by an emergency de-energization.

How to stay cool during a power outage

Power outages can happen at any time and can be dangerous, especially in the summertime heat.

To stay cool without power, officials recommend staying hydrated and drinking a lot of water. If your home is without water during a power outage, be sure to keep a stock of bottled water. Its also important to refrain from physical exertion, if possible, and avoid the sun.

You can also stay cool by soaking t-shirts or other clothing with cool water and frequently spraying your skin with water.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
A deadly multivehicle crash was reported shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday on the southbound side of the 5 Freeway near Camp Pendleton. Traffic remained at a standstill for hours. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press)

Three people were killed Thursday morning in a fiery chain-reaction vehicle crash on the 5 Freeway near Camp Pendleton in San Diego County.

The crash was reported shortly after 3 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway near Las Pulgas Road, north of Oceanside, according to the California Highway Patrol's online incident log. A Jeep Wrangler veered off the highway for unknown reasons, struck a guardrail and became disabled, according to CHP Officer Hunter Gerber.

Previous news reports identified the Jeep as a military vehicle, but Gerber said it was not affiliated with the military.

While the vehicle was disabled, a Mercedes-Benz van crashed and overturned. Four motorcyclists crashed into the van and a fire began, Gerber said.

Three of the motorcyclists died at the scene, Gerber said.

The driver and passenger of the Jeep Wrangler were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, and the driver and passenger of the van were hospitalized with moderate injuries. A motorcyclist was transported to a hospital with major non-life-threatening injuries, Gerber said.

A SigAlert was issued around 4 a.m. and traffic remained completely stopped at 10 a.m. Two of the four lanes were reopened by late morning.

The crash remains under investigation, Gerber said.

Traffic began backing up at 6:30 a.m. just past the Orange County line, according to a Times reporter caught in the traffic. Emergency vehicles, including CHP cruisers and Camp Pendletons Fire Department, sped down the southbound median lane to get through traffic. After several hours stalled in traffic, some drivers made illegal U-turns on the freeway and crossed over the median to get onto the northbound side of the freeway. Others remained in their vehicles with their doors cracked open as the heat rose in the morning gridlock.

At one point, a woman got out of her GMC Yukon and handed out chips to people stuck in traffic, drawing weary thank-yous from drivers and passengers.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A federal judge sentenced a 42-year-old Thurston County man to 30 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to threatening a Black federal employee at the Social Security Office in Olympia.

Steven L. Veres accepted a plea agreement on April 2. Judge Benjamin H. Settle delivered the sentence Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.

As part of a plea agreement, Steven L. Veres admitted to threatening the employee and using a racial slur against them during a Feb. 12, 2023, office visit. Court records show Veres sought a social security card during the visit and grew frustrated when the employee told him that he lacked the documentation to obtain one.

Veres reportedly threatened to assault and kill the employee while calling him a racial slur, according to court records.

This was not the first time Veres directed threatening and hateful comments at a Black person, U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman alleged in a news release.

This defendant not only used racial slurs in this case, but investigators also discovered his use of racial slurs in social media messages back in 2020 when he was threatening to find and assault or kill a different Black victim, Gorman said. Such conduct is a window into his hate-filled mindset that leads to this prison sentence today.

In the separate 2020 incident, Veres allegedly told friends and acquaintances via Facebook messages that he was searching for a Black man he believed stole his friends car, according to court records.

Prosecutors allege Veres repeatedly called the man a racial slur, threatened to kill him with a handgun and offered hundreds of dollars to whoever tracked the man down. The man Veres targeted in the messages reportedly told law enforcement that he did not know Veres or that Veres was threatening him.

Veres involvement in the criminal legal system dates back to his youth, according to court records. He has been convicted of taking a motor vehicle, possessing stolen property and vehicles, forgery, harassment, malicious mischief, methamphetamine possession with intent to distribute and identity theft.

In addition to prison time, Judge Settle sentenced Veres to three years of supervised release. The plea agreement also includes the dismissal of a pending charge of eluding law enforcement in Grays Harbor County as well as federal charges related to the threats he made in 2020.

Your criminal history shows a disrespect for the law, Settle said to Veres during the sentencing hearing.

In a memorandum to the court, prosecutors said Veres has a poor record on supervision. He has reportedly made himself unavailable for supervision on five occasions and had been returned to custody seven times during his first stint on supervised release in the mid-2000.

Hes also made himself unavailable for supervision on 17 occasions and was returned to custody 19 times during another supervised release period from 2007 to the present, according to the memorandum.

However, there may be reason to believe this time may be different. In a separate memorandum to the court, public defenders Heather Carroll and Elizabeth Sher said Veres has begun medication-assisted treatment (MAT) while in federal incarceration.

Veres reportedly used methamphetamine and fentanyl daily at the time of the Feb. 12, 2023, incident. The new plea agreement should help Veres receive needed substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, the memorandum says.

The proposed resolution will allow Mr. Veres to focus on his underlying SUD needs instead of engaging in prolonged litigation in multiple jurisdictions, the memorandum says. Mr. Veres has never participated in substance use disorder treatment in the past.

Veres recognizes how helpful MAT has been and wants to continue his treatment for the sake of his future with his family, according to the memorandum.

His immediate family has been very upset with him due to the current case, and this in and of itself is a wake-up call, the memorandum says. And he wants to focus on his relationship with his young daughter. He recognizes that to do this, he needs to be sober and out of jail.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Dreher and Elyne Vaught prosecuted this case in coordination with the Criminal Section of the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division, according to Gormans news release.

The Federal Protective Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that protects federal facilities and employees, investigated the case.
A 28-year-old Thurston County man has been sentenced to four years in prison after a jury found him guilty of crimes stemming from the killing of a young dog named Rocky.

Zachary Dickinson attended his sentencing hearing in Thurston County Superior Court on June 21. Deputies arrested him in October 2023 on suspicion of first-degree animal cruelty and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Judge Allyson Zipp delivered the sentence about two months after a jury convicted Dickinson of the crimes and found he killed Rocky with an egregious lack of remorse, according to court records. Dickinson has reportedly maintained his innocence throughout the court process and intends to appeal the verdict.

As prosecutors, it is our duty to seek justice, especially in cases involving the cruel and senseless infliction of suffering on any living being, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim said in a news release. This conviction sends a clear message that conduct involving such cruelty toward animals will not be tolerated in our community.

Rocky, a young Rottweiler and Golden Retriever mix, died after being stabbed three times, shot in the back of the neck and dumped into the Nisqually River on Oct. 16. The incident began at a home on Conine Avenue Southeast in the Nisqually Valley. Deputies recovered the dead dog from the riverbank and arrested Dickinson two days later, The Olympian previously reported.

Zachary Dickinsons crime shocks the conscience, Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Rudy Breteler and Randy Trick said in a sentencing memorandum.

This was a deliberate, premeditated, prolonged, and gory attack committed with a degree of brutality and disregard for life that raises considerable concerns about the defendants future capacity and propensity for violence.

What happened on Oct. 16?

Two teenagers testified during the trial that Dickinson called out for Rocky and another dog to eat. Shortly afterwards, Rocky appeared at the kitchen glass door covered in blood and desperately pawing at the door, according to court records.

Both teens told the jury that Dickinson appeared behind Rocky holding a knife. They also testified that Dickinson made statements that implied he wanted to kill Rocky because he believed the dog had been chewing on a deer carcass hanging in the back yard.

The teens had been eating at the kitchen table when the incident occurred and fled the house in distress, according to court records.

One of the teens said they heard Dickinson say he was going to retrieve a gun and the other teen said they heard a gunshot as they made their escape. One of them called 911 to report the incident.

A deputy who responded to the scene testified that they encountered a hostile environment at the home, and only the teens welcomed their presence, according to court records.

Deputies reportedly found Rocky after following a trail of blood to the riverbank. Due to hazardous terrain, court records say a Sheriffs Office dive team used specialized rescue equipment to recover the dead dog.

A veterinarian later examined Rockys body. The necropsy revealed Rocky had been stabbed and shot but the veterinarian determined the wounds did not immediately kill the dog, according to court records.

He was then dumped down a riverbank into the river and attempted to crawl out, indicating he was alive when he went into the water and for some time afterwards, suffering immensely, the veterinarian reportedly said.

What arguments were made prior to sentencing?

Prosecutors alleged Dickinson unlawfully possessed a firearm because he must have used one to shoot Rocky. Dickinson cannot legally possess a firearm due to a previous felony conviction. Court records indicate Dickinson was convicted of third-degree rape of a child in 2019 and sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.

Prosecutors also said Dickinson displayed an egregious lack of remorse with respect to the animal cruelty charge. The jury agreed, but the memorandum says Dickinson has continued to describe himself as innocent and wrongfully convicted.

Post-conviction, Mr. Dickinson has also avowed an unwillingness to comply with any alternatives to incarceration that the Court might consider imposing, prosecutors said.

As evidence of this, prosecutors pointed to an April 23 phone call in which he said to a friend, If you think Im doing DOC after this [expletive], youre high as [expletive]. Im not doing it.

The State proposes that Mr. Dickinson should be taken at his word on this, prosecutors said. The only appropriate sentence is one that will see Mr. Dickinson physically confined away from society for such a length of time that there may be a genuine hope he may change his perspective before he is released.

In a separate sentencing memorandum, Mathew Kellegrew, Dickinsons defense attorney, said that Dickinson should not be punished for exercising his right to a trial and maintaining his innocence.

Again, while Mr. Dickinson maintains his innocence and disagrees with the verdict of the jury, he respects the jury trial process and intends to appeal, Kellegrew said.

Two alibi witnesses testified that Dickinson could not have been responsible because they had personal knowledge of his whereabouts at the time of the incident, Kellegrew said.

Furthermore, Kellegrew said cell phone records corroborated the version of events presented by the alibi witnesses.

Dickinson has followed release terms and court ordered requirements in the past, Kellegrew said. Dickinson also assisted law enforcement in an investigation into a day care center where he said he suffered sexual abuse at a young age, he said.

Why 48 months in prison?

Deputy prosecuting attorneys Breteler and Trick asked Judge Zipp to sentence Dickinson to 70 months in prison while Kellegrew requested a total of 44 months. Zipp ultimately decided on a sentence of 48 months.

Notably, the Washington state legislature classified first-degree animal cruelty as a level three offense during the 2024 legislative session. That change means the crime now carries a maximum standard range sentence of five years in prison, depending on the defendants number of previous felony convictions, according to the Prosecuting Attorneys Office news release.

Previously, the crime was an unranked offense in most cases. That meant the standard range for the crime was a year or less, regardless of the defendants criminal history, the release says.

The change in state law did not apply to Dickinsons case, however the court was allowed to impose the 48-month sentence because the jury found the crime was committed with an aggravating circumstance, in this case an egregious lack of remorse.
Senator Tim Scott made a wild comment suggesting that his being in contention for Donald Trumps vice presidential pick demonstrates that were living in a post-racism utopia.

During an interview with Ainsley Earhardt on Fox & Friends that aired Thursday, the South Carolina Republican was asked how being on the short list for Trumps running mate made him feel.

I think its exciting, no matter the outcome, Scott gushed. Its the evolution of the Southern heart that we see on display, and we Southerners get so little credit for the progress weve made.

The whole notion of judging a person on the content of their character, not the color of their skin has happened, Scott continued. Its not going to happen. Its not around the corner. Its in the rearview mirror. We are living Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s dream.

Tim Scott on Fox & Friends basically says racism is over in America: "We are living Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's dream." pic.twitter.com/W4psvsjpab  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 27, 2024

Since dropping out of the race, Scott has been desperately shilling to join Trumps ticket as his vice president, and he has repeatedly contradicted his own policy positions so he can breathlessly repeat the former presidents campaign talking points.



Unfortunately for Scott, Trump is exactly the kind of racist he imagines American society has moved past.

Trump uses his Black friends to claim he isnt racist, and while his campaign bragged about receiving endorsements from dozens in a group called Black Americans for Trump, the team failed to mention that a few of them were on the Trump familys payroll. Recently, Trump has railed against so-called anti-white racism and claimed that Black voters will like him more because of his indictments and his mug shot, comparing his legal battles to the systemic discrimination experienced by Black people in the U.S. As recently as Wednesday, Trump literally phoned it in on a roundtable event with Black business leaders in Atlanta.

Meanwhile, recent polling found that Black voters in Michigan and Pennsylvania feel Trump should receive jail time at his sentencing in July. A study conducted in April by the Pew Research Center found that a vast majority of Black voters still identify as or lean Democratic, and 77 percent said theyd back President Joe Biden, despite Trumps claims that Black voters are abandoning the incumbent.

During the interview, Scott also revealed that the former president had come to him in 2017 after his infamous remark on the deadly Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump angered many by claiming that there were very fine people on both sides, despite the fact that one side was entirely neo-Nazis, including one man who drove a car into a crowd.

At the time, Scott had criticized Trump, saying his moral authority had been compromised.

He wanted me to share with him my perspective, Scott told Earhardt. He listened, and after we finished talking, he said, Help me help those I have offended.

Looks like thats going really well.
BAGHDAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Iraq discussed on Thursday cooperation between the two sides after the end of the U.S.-led coalition mission in Iraq.

Al-Sudani received in his office Lucas Schreurs, who recently assumed command of the NATO mission in Iraq, as they discussed the security situation in the region as well as the NATO mission's cooperation with Iraqi security institutions in the fields of advisory, training, and intelligence coordination, according to a statement from al-Sudani's media office.

Al-Sudani stressed during the meeting the importance of developing bilateral cooperation with the NATO mission, following the end of the international coalition's mission in Iraq.

Iraq and the United States agreed in January to form a joint Higher Military Commission to end the international coalition's mission in Iraq, and the commission has held several meetings to work out a plan to withdraw the foreign troops from the country, according to Iraqi authorities. 
Tim Scott says Trump asked for help after Charlottesville remarks

Sen Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said in a new interview he first became close with President Trump shortly after white supremacists marched through Charlottesville, Va., in a rally that turned fatal, when Trump angered many with comments that there were very fine people on both sides.

He wanted me to share with him my perspective, Scott recalled during an interview aired Thursday with Ainsley Earhardt on Fox & Friends. He listened, and after we finished talking, he said, Help me help those I have offended.

The Charlottesville incident made our relationship what it is today, he added.

During Trumps first year in office, a group of white supremacists held a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Violent clashes erupted in during the march between neo-Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan and counterprotesters. A white supremacist rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, injuring 35 and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer in what was ruled a hate crime.

The neo-Nazis and members of the KKK were marching in protest of a decision by the city to take down Confederate monuments in the wake of the 2015 shooting at a Black church in South Carolina, where a white supremacist killed 9 people.

Trump came under heavy criticism after holding a press conference in the wake of the violence where he said blame fell on many sides and that there were very fine people on both sides of the clash.

In the days after Trumps comments, Scott also criticized Trump, saying in a Vice News interview, What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised.

Scott added that he would not defend the indefensible.

After Scotts comments, he was invited to speak with Trump at the White House.

After that meeting in 2017, Scott told reporters the meeting was productive and toned down his criticism of Trump.

I think my comments about the compromise of moral authority was based on Americas reaction. I think the restoration of moral authority will be based on Americas reaction. It will take time, he said at the time.

After that meeting, Trump and Scott also worked on passing opportunity zones as part of Trumps 2017 tax cuts. During his interview with Fox, he credited that original meeting for its passage. Opportunity zones created incentives for businesses to invest in low-income areas.

Thats how opportunity zones was born, he said during the interview with Fox.

Scott spoke with Fox News this week as part of a series of interviews with potential vice presidential candidates for Trump. The channel have also interviewed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R).

When Earhardt asked Scott if he knew whether Trump had made his decision for a running mate, he said, Yeah.

He then added, Donald Trump can only speak for Donald Trump. Ive learned one thing without any question: He listens, and he decides. I dont know what his decision is.

Scott said that the job would be an honor.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The elusive marbled murrelets numbers are in decline. (Courtesy of Kim Nelson and Dan Cushing/Oregon State University)

The elusive marbled murrelets numbers are in decline. (Courtesy of Kim Nelson and Dan Cushing/Oregon State University)

A federal appeals court has sided with environmental groups over logging private land that was once part of the Elliott State Forest.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday affirmed a 2022 district court ruling that logging mature and old-growth trees on the 355-acre parcel would violate the Endangered Species Act because logging would harm the marbled murrelet.

This opinion means timber companies can no longer pursue plans to log the sites large, old trees that these seabirds need for nesting.

Environmental groups called the decision a major victory for protecting vulnerable species in privately owned forests.

Its the first time a private timber operator has been held to account under the Federal Endangered Species Act, Nick Cady, Cascadia Wildlands legal director, said.

While marbled murrelets spend most of their time diving for fish at sea, females venture inland once a year to nest in mature and old-growth trees. They seek out thick branches that are covered in moss so as to protect the single egg they lay.

Decades of commercial logging has decimated marbled murrelets critical habitat, prompting the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list them as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Theyve been the center of several lawsuits since, particularly around the Elliott State Forest.

This lawsuit focuses on a parcel once owned by the state of Oregon. Its one of several tracts the state tried to auction off in 2014 until the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that selling these public lands to private buyers would be illegal. The state instead pivoted to turning the Elliott State Forest into a research forest, plans that are still underway.

Some tracts still went to private buyers, including Scott Timber, a subsidiary of RLC Industries. The same company owns Roseburg Forest Products. Scott Timber planned to clearcut 49 acres on this parcel, which Cascadia Wildlands and other groups argued would harm marbled murrelets.

The company didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

This story was originally published by Oregon Public Broadcasting, an Oregon Capital Chronicle news partner.

The post Timber companies cant log former Elliott State Forest parcel, appeals court affirms appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
What time is the 2024 presidential debate? How to watch CNN-hosted event with Joe Biden and Donald Trump

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will go head to head tonight for the first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle.

Hosted by CNN, the debate will be 90 minutes and introduce some new rules to the format. Both candidates have accepted the networks invitation and agreed to accept the rules and format of the debate, according to CNN.

Wondering what time to tune in? Here's when to fire up your televisions, as well as other key information about the debate and elections.

When is time is the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

The first presidential debate will take place at 9 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. CT at CNN's studios in Georgia.

Where can I watch the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump?

If you have cable, you can watch the live debate on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol and CNN Max.

Fox News announced previously it would present extensive live coverage of the CNN presidential debate across all its platforms, including the FOX News Democracy 2024: CNN Presidential Debate from 9 p.m. through 11 p.m. EST.

ABC News also said it would be showing Battle for the White House and ABC News Presentation of the CNN Presidential Debate on ABC New Live.

How to watch the presidential debate without cable?

For those without a cable subscription, the debate will be streaming on CNN.com. ABC said it will be streaming it on Hulu on Thursday from 7 p.m. to midnight.

A live stream of the CNN Presidential Debate will be also available on USA TODAY via YouTube.

Who are the moderators for the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden?

CNNs Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the first presidential debate for 2024, according to CNN's pressroom.

Are there any rules to CNN's presidential debate?

According to the network, the new rules for the 90-minute debate will include no studio audience, no interaction from campaign staff, no use of notes and no interrupting.

Microphones will also be muted except for that candidate's allotted time to speak. The moderators will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion, according to the network.

In a first, both campaigns have agreed to the new rules.

Who's running for president 2024?

President Joe Biden (left) is running for reelection against former president Donald Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Along with Biden and Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as an Independent and Chase Oliver is running under the Libertarian Party.

Kennedy and Oliver will not be participating in the debate.

When is the next presidential debate?

The second debate is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10 and will be hosted by ABC. As of June 2024, the details about the location and moderators for the ABC-hosted debate have yet to be announced.

When will official candidates be announced for 2024 presidential race?

While Trump and Biden are the presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees for president, the official nomination isn't expected to come until each party's conventions this summer.

According to the Tennessean, the Democrats will make an official presidential nomination either at a virtual roll call ahead of the Democratic National Convention or at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. Republicans will make an official presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July.

Florida's Primary Elections are on August 20. There are several key dates to know, and they're coming up fast.

July 6: This is the deadline for stateside and overseas military, and out-of-country civilians, to request a vote-by-mail ballot.

July 11-18: Deadline for county clerks to mail out domestic ballots.

July 22 : This is the last day to register to vote, or for voters to change their party before voting in the primary election. You must choose a party to be permitted to vote in that party's primary election.

Aug. 8: Final deadline for vote-by-mail requests.

Aug. 10-17: Early voting opens statewide. Optional earlier dates may be offered on a county-by-county basis.

Aug. 20: Primary Election Day. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in whatever time zone you live in. Any voters still in line at 7 p.m. will be permitted to cast a ballot however long it takes.

When is the General Election in November?

The General Election is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Contributing: Kinsey Crowley and Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY and C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY Network-Florida

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Presidential debate time tonight, streaming and election info
Elon Musk's politics may seem to be all over the place, but he's demonstrated a consistent pattern.

As far as political donations are concerned, he's been splitting his bets since the early 2000s.

While he's kept donating to both parties, Musk has also more openly embraced the GOP.

Elon Musk has completed his political evolution. Now, he's deploying a piece of his business empire to implore others to follow him.

Though Musk may appear these days like your typical right-wing billionaire, that hasn't always been the case.

The Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI CEO's rightward lean is actually the culmination of an evolution that's been playing out over decades.

As one of the richest and most powerful people in the world, Musk's stances carry great weight. His power will be on full display Monday night when he welcomes former President Donald Trump onto X for a live interview on X. Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022. Since then, his rebranding of the platform has showcased his own changes from being an Obama voter to endorsing Trump's 2024 run.

Before encouraging others to "take the red pill," Musk cut checks for Democrats ranging from Eric Garcetti (then just a Los Angeles City councilor) to John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. Like others in business, Musk curried favor by balancing his support between both parties, as his donation history shows on Open Secrets, a nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics.

Musk would occasionally weigh into politics when it could affect his businesses. But ever since Trump left the White House, the billionaire has increasingly inserted himself into debates over hot-button topics, waged a largely one-way feud with President Joe Biden, and cozied up to Trump.

Here's how Musk got here.

The early years: From apartheid-era South Africa to Tesla takeover

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, stands beside a rocket in Los Angeles in 2004. Paul Harris/Getty Images

Musk, 53, has said very little publicly about apartheid, the system of racial segregation that became the defining issue of his childhood in the Republic of South Africa.

His father, Errol  who inherited wealth from half of an emerald mine he used to own  was elected to Pretoria City Council in 1972, running under the anti-apartheid Progressive Party. The apartheid system was a major motivation behind the younger Musk's decision to leave South Africa for Canada in 1989, according to Ashlee Vance's 2015 biography of the billionaire.

Growing up in the primarily white suburbs outside of Johannesburg, Musk was also surrounded by censorship and disinformation about the government's treatment of Black people, The New York Times reported in May. His mandatory government service was what first exposed him to the reality of the situation, according to the Times, who spoke with a high school classmate of Musk's about the insulated experience.

"People, at some point, realize that they've been fed a whole lot of crap," Andrew Panzera, who was in Musk's German class, told the Times. "At some point you go, 'Jeepers, we really were indoctrinated to a large extent.'"

Musk's political coming of age during the pre-social media era remains much of a mystery. But then his profile rose with the sale of his company X.com, a competitor to PayPal co-founded by Musk, and his subsequent takeover of Tesla as owner after joining founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning with a $6.5 million investment in 2004.

Musk's politics pre-Trump

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, who have met multiple times over the years. Musk said in 2024 that Trump calls him "out of the blue." AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Musk has long argued for small government and advocated for laissez-faire economic policy, calling the US government the "ultimate corporation" at a CEO summit in December 2020. In terms of donations, he's been in a relative holding pattern from his early years in Silicon Valley up to the present, donating moderate sums of money to politicians from both parties.

"I get involved in politics as little as possible," Musk said at a 2015 Vanity Fair event, adding that, "There's some amount I have to get involved in," due to his business interests.

He donated $2,000 each to former President George W. Bush and his 2004 Democratic challenger, former Secretary of State John Kerry. Musk also donated to California Democrats up and down the ballot, but still gave the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) $25,000 ahead of the 2006 midterms.

Another example of Musk hedging his donations came in the buildup to the 2008 presidential primaries, where he contributed to both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in their contentious race.

Musk didn't donate to either Clinton or Trump during the 2016 cycle.

The billionaire also started out as a heavy Trump skeptic, saying in October 2015 that it would be "embarrassing" if Trump won the GOP nomination, much less the presidency.

"I don't really have strong feelings except that hopefully Trump doesn't get the nomination of the Republican party, because I think that's, yeah  that wouldn't be good," Musk said at the Vanity Fair event. "I think at most he would get the Republican nomination, but I think that would still be a bit embarrassing."

But more recently, Musk has taken a different approach to the Trump-dominated GOP. His latest donations have all been to Republican candidates and causes, with Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware being the last Democrat to receive any Musk donations back in 2020.

Musk's politics during Trump's term

The Twitter logo seen displayed on a smartphone with Elon Musk's account in the background. Getty Images

Starting in 2017, Musk's donations began to skew Republican, with the billionaire spending nearly seven times more on GOP campaigns than Democratic ones. He also accepted positions on two of Trump's White House councils and tweeted his support of Rex Tillerson's nomination as Secretary of State.

While Musk previously said he supported Hillary Clinton's campaign promises on the environment and climate change, he defended his decision to attend Trump's business council meetings so he could raise the issue along with the January 2017 travel ban affecting Muslim-majority countries. He then stepped down from the councils in June 2017, citing Trump's decision to leave the Paris Climate Accord.

"Climate change is real," Musk tweeted. "Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world."

Musk largely stopped mentioning Trump from that point until much later in his presidency, when Trump attended a SpaceX launch for NASA in May 2020.

Musk during Biden's presidency

Elon Musk at the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity on June 19, 2024. Marc Piasecki/Getty Images

In the last few years, Musk's flirtations with the Trump-led GOP have been ramping up.

In mid-2022, Musk said he voted for a Republican candidate for the first time in a Texas special election, adding that he expected to see a "massive red wave" in the year's midterms. Musk's Texas voter registration does not show party affiliation, but he's argued on X that the Democratic Party has drifted further from the center than the GOP.

Musk tweeted in June 2022 that he was leaning toward supporting Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president. DeSantis, who has since dropped out of the race, joked that he welcomed support from "African Americans," referencing Musk being South African.

Musk also said in July 2022 that Trump shouldn't run for president again and instead just "sail into the sunset."

But the billionaire has since changed his tune.

After taking control of Twitter, now X, at the end of 2022, Musk reinstated Trump's account on the platform. Musk called Trump's expulsion from the platform following the January 6 riots a "morally bad decision" and "foolish to the extreme."

Though Musk has not outright endorsed Trump for president, he appears to be getting close. Musk has repeatedly criticized Biden, calling the president a "damp sock puppet" last year and hosting an "anti-Biden brain trust" meeting with Republican billionaires this April.

Musk also recently had breakfast with Trump, along with Nelson Peltz, where the trio griped about voter fraud and Biden's performance.

And, after Trump's felony conviction in May, Musk went to bat for the MAGA leader.

"Indeed, great damage was done today to the public's faith in the American legal system," Musk wrote in a post on X.

"If a former President can be criminally convicted over such a trivial matter  motivated by politics, rather than justice  then anyone is at risk of a similar fate," Musk added, echoing Trump's own narrative that the conviction was an act of political persecution.

Trump has even been reportedly chatting up Musk about an advisory role in his cabinet if he wins this November, though the Tesla CEO publicly denied such conversations. And that's not the extent of the pair's burgeoning chumminess  Musk said earlier this summer that the former president sometimes calls him on the phone out of the blue.

While Musk has been more bullish lately about support for the GOP, his history of donations and past comments show that he has tended to position himself wherever he thinks power and influence are heading.

Musk endorsed Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt

Musk endorsed Donald Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt. Omar Marques/Getty Images

Musk offered his "full endorsement" of Trump after the former president was shot during a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The Tesla CEO and other big names in tech connected with the defiant image of a wounded Trump thrusting his fist in the air while Secret Service officers rushed him off stage.

Before the endorsement, Musk had been more cagey about his plans. He hadn't said much about the 2024 election after DeSantis' primary campaign flopped. In March, Musk had said he wasn't donating money to either major presidential candidate. At the time, it looked like Biden and Trump were headed to an all but certain rematch.

Musk's ambivalence didn't last long. According to The Wall Street Journal, in April, the billionaire began working with Texas real estate mogul Richard Weekley on setting up a pro-Trump super PAC. The Tesla CEO's support did not become public until July.

"It's not meant to be sort of a hyperpartisan PAC," Musk recently told the controversial Canadian professor Jordan Peterson. "The intent is to promote the principles that made America great in the first place."

The Journal reported that Musk would give the super PAC roughly around $45 million, though Musk later said his support would be far less. According to its latest financial disclosures, the outside group has raised just shy of $9 million.

Musk said he wants to work with Trump in the White House

Musk initially downplayed speculation in May that he could accept a cabinet or advisory role in Trump's White House, but he has since pulled a U-turn.

After Trump said he "certainly would" consider offering Musk a White House cabinet position or an advisory role, the SpaceX CEO responded on X with an AI-generated photo of himself standing behind a podium inscribed with the phrase "Department of Government Efficiency."

"I am willing to serve," Musk wrote on X in August.

On Monday, The Washington Post reported that Trump is considering Musk and other business executives for White House roles that involve auditing federal programs.

Musk responded to the report in an X post, writing, "I can't wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go."

He made a third reference to a potential White House role on Thursday after Trump mentioned him in a campaign speech.

"The Department of Government Efficiency will be epic," he wrote.

Musk made a fourth reference a day later. He shared another AI-generated photo of himself wearing a leather jacket, gold chain necklace, and sunglasses while sitting behind a gold plaque with the acronym "D.O.G.E.," a dual reference to his proposed department of government efficiency and dogecoin, an open-source cryptocurrency he has promoted.

The details of Musk's potential role remain unclear, but government oversight sources are already warning of extraordinary conflicts of interest, according to Politico. Musk's various companies have reaped the benefits of government contracts. In June of 2023, Musk's Starlink, which is wholly owned by SpaceX, secured a Defense Department contract to continue providing satellite coverage to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

"This is like red lights blaring, all kinds of conflicts of interest," Danielle Brian, the president of the Project on Government Oversight, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, told Politico.

Musk rallied for Trump in Butler, where Trump was nearly assassinated

Elon Musk embraces former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds.

Elon Musk embraces former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show fairgrounds. This is the first time that Trump has returned to Butler since he was injured during an attempted assassination on July 13.Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

On October 5, Trump returned to Butler for a rally at the scene where he was nearly assassinated in July. The guest list included family members of other victims of the shooting, along with Musk, who wore a black MAGA hat.

"As you can see, I'm not just MAGA," Musk said. "I'm dark MAGA."

He lauded Trump's strength after surviving the assassination attempt. He said President Joe Biden "couldn't climb a flight of stairs" while Trump "was fist pumping after getting shot." Trump sustained an injury to his ear in the July shooting.

"So who do you want representing America?" Musk asked an enthusiastic crowd.

Musk went on to say that voter turnout would be critical or "this will be the last election." He claimed "the other side" plans to remove freedom of speech along with the right to bear arms and "take away your right to vote, effectively."

"President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution," Musk said. "He must win to preserve democracy in America."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Just like many other cities, major issues in Titusville include striking a balance between development and preserving the environment, as well as how to address aging infrastructure.

But Titusville residents and others who follow developments within the city also have raised issues more focused on the city's government itself  including City Manager Scott Larese, his perceived control over the elected City Council, his salary and his stellar performance reviews.

"I see the city manager running the show, and I see the City Council following along," said Michael Myjak, vice chair of the Titusville Environmental Commission and chair of Speak Up Titusville.

Titusville City Manager Scott Larese has an annual salary to $220,605. That's up more than 57% from the $140,000 annual salary Larese was hired at in 2014.

Kevin Jeffrey, president of the Brevard County Republican Assembly and host of the political- and community-focused Brevard News podcast, contends that "the city manager is running the city. The council is supposed to be keeping him in check, and they don't."

Elizabeth Baker  a Titusville resident and volunteer for Fight for Zero, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works for environmental health issues  said she believes Larese also "does not communicate with the people" of Titusville.

Larese did not respond to three phone messages left at City Hall and an email to his city email address from FLORIDA TODAY, seeking comment for this story.

Titusville has a council-manager form of government, which means that the Council is tasked with setting policy, and the city manager is tasked with implementing that policy. Council member Sarah Stoeckel said that she, for one, understands that the city manager works at the behest of the City Council and is hired by the Council. Stoeckel said, if the Council is not happy with how the manager is implementing policy, the manager can be removed from office with a majority vote of the five-member Council.

"We are his boss," Stoeckel said. "He is not our boss."

Titusville Vice Mayor Joe Robinson said he is not influenced by the city manager in his votes as a Council member.

"My decisions are my own," Robinson said.

Pay increases 57% in decade

Titusville residents have varied issues: Titusville city officials face conflicts with residents, with one saying 'the fight is on'

6 candidates for commission seat: Term limits lead to lively races for Brevard County Commission as politicians scramble

Some residents of Titusville  Brevard County's third-most-populous city  also have issues with the pay raises the City Council granted to Larese, bringing his salary to $220,605. That's up more than 57% from the $140,000 annual salary Larese was hired at in 2014. Larese received pay increases totaling $24,645 in the last year alone, including a cost-of-living increase given to all city employees.

That puts Larese's salary for being the city manager of a city of about 50,000 residents close to the city manager's salary in Brevard's two most-populous cities, which have significantly more residents. The city manager of Melbourne (population of about 88,000) makes $241,500 a year, while the city manager of Palm Bay (population of about 133,000) makes $229,307.

In his latest annual performance review, Larese also received perfect "exceeds expectations" ratings in all 30 categories from three of the five City Council members  Mayor Dan Diesel, Robinson and Herman Cole. Some residents question how Larese can get perfect scores in everything.

Robinson said he sees nothing wrong with giving Larese a perfect score of 150 out of 150.

"I think it's fair for the job he does," Robinson said. "Nobody is perfect. There is no perfect person. But there is perfect performance."

Stoeckel's rating of Larese was the lowest of the five Council members, but still relatively high, at 143 out of a possible 150 points. Among her comments in the review, Stoeckel said that, "as Titusville continues to grow, it is imperative that community education and transparency remains at the forefront of how the city moves forward."

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

Titusville City Council member Sarah Stoeckel emphasizes that City Manager Scott Larese works at the behest of the City Council. She says: "We are his boss. He is not our boss."

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Titusville city manager's pay rose 57% since he was hired in 2014
The 2024 debates have new rules that could make or break a candidate's future.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are taking the stage in Atlanta tonight for the first 2024 presidential debate.

The first debate in U.S. history between a sitting president and former president is expected to be a defining moment for Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, both of whom have drawn criticism over their advanced age and opposing views on immigration, abortion, the war in Gaza and more.

The approach has changed significantly since their last face-off in 2020. Both candidates have accepted new rules and a fresh format for this debate, which will not include a studio audience and requires that one persons microphone be muted when the other is speaking.

 When, where and how to watch



The first debate was hosted by CNN at the cable networks studios in Atlanta and ran with only two commercial breaks.

Yahoo.com will also feature coverage and analysis in real-time from our editorial team.

You can also watch the debate live on CNN, Fox News, NBC, NBC News NOW or ABC, all of which will include full coverage as well as pre- and post-debate analysis. If you dont have a cable subscription, you can also livestream the debate on CNN.com, CNBC.com, Max and Hulu.

 Whos moderating the debate?

CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash speak to the audience hosting a GOP presidential primary debate between then presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley in January 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, co-hosts of CNNs Sunday morning show State of the Union, will serve as moderators.

Tapper hosts CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper and has prior debate experience. He previously moderated the first GOP presidential debate in 2015 as well as the last Democratic debate in 2020 between Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. His latest series, The United States of Scandal, highlights the most prolific political scandals of the 20th century and was picked up for a second season in May.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and author of several books, Tapper previously worked as a senior White House correspondent for ABC News, according to his biography on CNN.

Bash, a graduate of George Washington University, anchors CNNs Inside Politics with Dana Bash and has regularly served as moderator for numerous political town halls and debates  including six presidential primary debates in 2016 and two in 2020.

Author of the forthcoming book Americas Deadliest Election, which chronicles the 1872 presidential election, Bash launched her digital CNN series Badass Women of Washington in 2017 and premiered her latest interview series, Being, in 2021.

More:

 What are the debate rules?

Trump and Biden during the second and final presidential debate in 2020. (Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images)

This weeks debate will see major shifts from prior telecasts, which Biden and Trump have both agreed to. They include:

No live audience, which means there will be no applause or boos that could derail the conversation.

Muted microphones when its not their turn to speak.

No prewritten notes are allowed.

The only props theyre permitted to have at the lectern are a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.

They will stand behind their lecterns the entire time, limiting their mobility  with Biden on the right and Trump on the left.

There will be no opening statements from either candidate.

Trump will get the final word during closing statements, as determined recently by a coin flip.

More:

 Will other presidential candidates appear as well?

No. In order to qualify for Thursdays debate, a candidate had to appear on a certain number of state ballots that would make the candidate eligible to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency. The candidate also had to reach at least 15% of votes in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters, according to CNN.

Only Biden and Trump met those qualifications. Independent and third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein failed to hit those benchmarks.

More:

 How might Tapper and Bash approach the debate?

Moderators Tapper and Bash are expected to be strict enforcers of the rules and will use all available tools to enforce timing and ensure civilized discussion, according to CNN.

That comes four years after Tapper and Bash criticized Trumps repeated interruptions at his first presidential debate with Biden in 2020, moderated by Chris Wallace for ABC. At the time, Bash used a profanity on the air to describe the debate, while Tapper called it a hot mess and the worst debate I have ever seen.

"That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck, says @JakeTapper about the first presidential debate between Pres. Trump and Joe Biden. Well talk about who won the debate, who lost the debate ... One thing for sure, the American people lost. #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/wjMnUmt2WS  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) September 30, 2020

Both moderators experienced the brunt of Trumps rhetoric at a rally in Philadelphia last week, when the former president called Tapper fake Tapper before mocking the pronunciation of Bashs first name, according to The Hill.

For their part, Tapper and Bash are known to routinely fact-check Trumps statements from their respective CNN anchor chairs while also remarking on his character. In 2020, Bash criticized Trumps treatment of female reporters, while Tapper called Trumps administration a nightmare following Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Theyve also gone after President Bidens judgment, including on foreign affairs. In 2021, Tapper criticized the president for dismissing a probe that outlined the U.S. failures in its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, while Bash questioned Bidens failure to hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable for his alleged role in the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

 Are there other debates planned?

Yes. The second presidential debate is set for Sept. 10 and will be hosted by ABC News, with the networks own David Muir and Linsey Davis serving as moderators.

Its still unclear whether the second debate will have an audience, but ABC did confirm that it will be held during primetime.

Trump has stated he wants to have more than two debates, but no dates for a third have been set as of June 23.

Cover thumbnail photo: Morry Gash, Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images.
An upcoming drag show in Perry was canceled after the venue received gun threats and hate from community members, according to a police report.

Main St. Bar planned to host a disco karaoke event with six drag performers Sunday, June 30, but felt too big of a security risk to move forward, according to their Facebook.

The bar owner told the Perry Police Department Monday that her neighbor approached her that day and said he wouldnt be surprised if someone didnt show up with a 45 and shoot some of these people, that he may even be one of them, a police report obtained by The Telegraph said.

The owner said her neighbor was very vocal about his feelings and wanted to discuss the event and how it was not a good look for the city, the police report said.

The neighbor also told her a church and others would raise money to cancel any contract or anything like that to cancel said event, the report said.

The owner initially contacted Perry police Monday morning about various social media posts that posed concern about the event, then updated the department on the conversation she had with her neighbor that afternoon, according to the report.

The owner told police she did not want to press charges or have anyone arrested, but reported the incidents in case something happens if she still has the event, according to the police report.

The owners home and business were put on the police watch list this weekend.

One of the performers, who goes by Sade, told The Telegraph these threats were scare tactics, but the LGBTQ+ community will not disappear.

Its not going to effect the amount of queerness, she said. Its not going to have anything to do with the amount of queer people you have in the area or anything.

Sade, who usually performs in Atlanta, recalled an incident when anti-LGBTQ+ protesters and law enforcement were at Macon Pride 2024.

The Pride fest still went on just fine, Sade said. People always try to throw in the whole thing about how drag is inappropriate or inherently sexual, but there were kids everywhere having a good time ... they didnt seem confused about anything.

While the event was canceled, the bar will remain open for live music events over the weekend.

We would like to thank everyone that did show their support and love for us and this event, the Facebook post said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Press Release

June 27, 2024 Agencies told to coordinate labor market information system, invest more on enterprise-based training - EDCOM 2 The Second Congressional Committee on Education (EDCOM 2) emphasized the need for a harmonized labor market information system (LMIS) to address job-skills mismatch. "The labor force and the market demand is very dynamic. In fact, it changes very rapidly with the onset of technology and new skills. In our country we have free tuition fees for both tertiary education and skills production", says the Second Congressional Commission on Education Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian. "If we produce skills that will not be needed by the market today and in the future, then we are wasting government resources. It is imperative to have this mechanism to address the mismatch, and also be able to forecast what the market needs in the next few years", Gatchalian continued. A labor market information system provides essential data and insights about labor market outcomes that inform a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, employers, job seekers, and educational institutions. EDCOM 2 together with the Department of Education (DepEd), Committee on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), discussed existing labor market information systems and processes currently being utilized by the industry and education agencies. The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) also presented its study which recommended inputs to the Skills Anticipation and Prioritization of Skills Requirements (SAPSR) Framework of TESDA, and also provided insights on how agencies should move forward in harmonizing LMIS. Fragmented implementation of LMIs According to PIDS, while the country has good data sources relevant to initiatives on skills needs anticipation and several LMIs are in place, improvements must be made to ensure a relevant and sustainable framework on skills anticipation and prioritization of skills requirements. EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Win Gatchalian pointed out the lack of coordination among the different agencies conducting different job market analyses. "We have the DOLE market profile, TESDA's LMI, PhilJob Net and PEIS, and the Philippine Skills Framework Initiative of DTI. There is no intersection between these information systems and implementing agencies. We are working in silos here," says the Senator. The Commission likewise articulated the need for a coordinated approach to implement the existing LMIs, and the involvement of the private sector and the academe in the LMI ecosystem. The hearing also touched on the need to address skills mismatch, which has far-reaching consequences and contributes to lower wages, reduced job satisfaction, decreased productivity, and heightened turnover rates across industries. "In the Philippines, skills mismatch has been a persistent issue since the 1970s when the higher education system produced more college graduates than the economy could absorb," says Dr. Connie Bayudan-Dacuycuy, principal investigator of the PIDS research The recommendations of the study banks on the idea that the SAPSR is part of a system that involves the engagement of various players, and puts forward areas of collaboration to make LMIs and the SAPSR successful altogether. "The recommendations focus on the following areas: partnerships and institutional arrangements, skills taxonomy and skills-occupation mapping, use of PSOC (highly disaggregated if possible) in data collection and other skills and labor market initiatives (e.g., PhilJobNet, PESO-Information System, Philippine Skills Framework Initiative), training to harness emerging data sources and conduct qualitative and quantitative methods, dissemination initiatives, and support," the report stated. Revitalized, turbo charged enterprise-based training PIDS also presented its findings on the assessment of enterprise-based training (EBT) modality in the Philippines. Among the striking findings of the study include gaps in terms of definition, scope, and measure of EBT and the limited capacity of the implementers. Senator Gatchalian stressed out that even after decades of EBT implementation, the problem remains the same. "For me, it is unacceptable that even TESDA employees do not understand this. If your own employees don't understand it, don't expect that the companies will understand this. It's their own responsibility to get to know the programs of TESDA. Employees of TESDA should also have the initiative to learn because this is a core program of TESDA," says the Senator. He further urged TESDA to come up with an action plan that will address these gaps, and improve the knowledge of TESDA employees on EBT. "To address the seemingly lack of awareness within the TESDA, we conduct regular calibration with those handling the program or the EBT focals so that we can help them out in being aware of the recent issuances relative to the implementation of the program. There have been movements also within those handling the programs, hence we need to do regular meetings with them to keep them aware and updated," shared TESDA Partnerships and Linkages Office OIC Executive Director Floramel Songsong. The Commission also debated about strategies to effectively and efficiently implement EBT programs, including allocating funds to industry associations that can facilitate or take charge of these trainings, instead of the government. "TVET training is very industry specific, it is the industry that knows. We don't like to second guess what should be done by the industry. Why don't we just have a policy that can allocate some of the training funds for this industry based training. The principle of funding and letting the very strong industry association do the training is a very important one," recommended PIDS President Dr. Aniceto Orbeta. Dr. Orbeta further pointed out the seemingly unstable financing for TVET training that impacts how funds are managed effectively. "How much do we need to be training people to be cutting edge in terms of what we need as an economy? Dapat consistent yun. And we should try to determine paano yung management ng training funds na yun. Government has reasons for investing in training. We have a lot of money, we just have to shift it a little bit towards using more capable industry associations other than the government providing the training itself," he added. While the budget allocated to TVET has grown overtime since free higher education started, the Commission raised that a shift in paradigm is needed, investing more of government money in EBT as it increases employability and productivity. "We all agree that EBT is more productive. I think budget wise we can study to really deliberately allocate a big chunk of the budget to EBT so that TESDA will be compelled to use that money. I'm more bullish with EBT, because they are trained and eventually they will be employed. They are trained by private sectors in skills that are actually needed," says Senator Gatchalian. EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Sen Gatchalian strongly expressed investing more in EBT as evidence has shown how EBT drives employment and provides better pay. "The Commission, the Advisory Council, the Congress- we want a turbo charged EBT, a revitalized, turbo charged EBT. Not the government delivered, but private sector EBT," adds Gatchalian.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday denounced Japan's recent move to expand its continental shelf in contravention of relevant amendments proposed by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (UNCLCS).

According to media reports, the Japanese government decided at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to issue relevant decrees to expand the continental shelf of the Ogasawara Plateau, which is located on the east side of the Father Island in the Ogasawara Islands, by 120,000 square kilometers.

In response to a related query at a daily press briefing, spokesperson Mao Ning said China noticed that the UNCLCS in 2012 proposed revisions to Japan's submission concerning the outer continental shelf of Ogasawara. Instead of making revisions as proposed by the Commission, Japan has unilaterally expanded its relevant claims.

"What Japan has done contravenes the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the international practice," Mao said.

Mao emphasized that the limits of the outer continental shelf established by the coastal states on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission are definitive and binding, otherwise they should not be recognized by the international community.

China believes that any party to the Convention submitting information regarding the outer continental shelf should strictly abide by the principle of the common heritage of mankind established in the Convention, and must not erode the international seabed area or harm the interests of the international community as a whole, she added. 
Tough luck: The Supreme Court just took a new bite out of Bidens agencies powers

The Supreme Courts newest rebuke of the Securities and Exchange Commission is threatening to unleash chaos throughout the federal government, creating uncertainty about the limits on agencies power to punish law-breakers.

The 6-3 ruling held that the Constitution's 7th Amendment guarantee to a trial by jury applies when the SEC seeks civil penalties for securities fraud. But legal experts said it raises questions about a wide range of agencies ability to impose fines for violations of a host of laws and rules, including those protecting consumers, workers and the environment.

Agencies that suddenly face new potential challenges to their decades-old enforcement powers include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Labor Department and the National Labor Relations Board, lawyers and former agency officials told POLITICO.

The decision could threaten EPA's enforcement program as we know it, said Kevin Minoli, a former acting general counsel at the agency. He said it raises questions about whether everyone facing a government penalty has the right to request a jury trial  and how many defendants will choose to invoke that right.

Most EPA enforcement actions are handled through an administrative process, not litigation, Minoli noted in an email. The agency does not have the resources to take every environmental violation to court, and neither does the Justice Department, said Minoli, now an attorney at Alston & Bird.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters on Thursday that he was still digesting the news and that agencies across the federal government would have to figure out its impact.

We believe that our agency is designed with a specific mission to protect individuals, provide transparency, allow opportunities for people to appeal and have their day and say, and so we want to retain our authorities to do that in the best way we can to protect every community across the country, Regan said.

For the SEC, the subject of Thursdays decision in SEC v. Jarkesy, the courts ruling is unlikely to spur a major upheaval. The Wall Street regulator has already significantly pulled back on the use of its own in-house courts. Still, SEC Enforcement Director Gurbir Grewal said in a statement that the agency was reviewing the decision.

The SEC will continue to protect investors and enforce the federal securities laws, including by filing actions in federal court, Grewal said.

But other watchdogs have been put on notice, lawyers say. For financial regulators pursuing fraud charges, for instance, its going to be awfully hard to avoid Jarkesy, said Andrew Pincus, a partner at Mayer Brown.

Its really a sea change in how regulators have thought about this area of administrative adjudication, Pincus said.

The National Labor Relations Board and Department of Labor also make extensive use of their so-called administrative law judges and are facing ongoing litigation of their own, though some legal experts said the pair may not be as affected by Thursdays ruling as other federal agencies.

In the NLRBs case it doesnt have the authority to impose fines for labor law infractions, setting it apart from the SEC in Jarkesy. The Labor Departments enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act was upheld by the Supreme Court in Atlas Roofing, a 1977 decision that the court drew contrasts to throughout Thursdays opinions.

This should have no impact on our major labor and employment law enforcement schemes, Sharon Block, a Harvard Law School professor whos worked at both agencies, told POLITICO.

Thursdays decision split along ideological lines, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing that a defendant facing a fraud suit has the right to be tried by a jury of his peers before a neutral adjudicator.

Roberts argued his ruling is relatively narrow  but in her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the results will be earthshattering and a massive sea change.

The constitutionality of hundreds of statutes may now be in peril, and dozens of agencies could be stripped of their power to enforce laws enacted by Congress, she wrote.

Some agencies, including EPA, at least have the ability to pursue civil penalties in federal court, Sotomayor noted. But others such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission operate under laws that require that civil penalties be pursued in agency enforcement proceedings.

"For those and countless other agencies, all the majority can say is tough luck; get a new statute from Congress," she wrote.

Enforcement experts quickly pointed to a litany of questions created by the Supreme Courts ruling.

The Jarkesy opinion creates a great deal of uncertainty for EPAs administrative enforcement docket, Susan Bodine, EPAs enforcement chief during the Trump administration, wrote in an email.

The Supreme Court already ruled in 1987s Tull v. United States that the Clean Water Acts penalty structure is similar to the type of common law for which the Constitution promises a trial by jury. The Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act have similar structures.

The agency and ultimately courts will have to decide if the regulatory regime being enforced is more akin to common law or whether it is wholly new and thus not the kind of law for which the Constitution guarantees a jury trial, like the OSH Act, Bodine said.

Bodine said the ruling creates several more open questions.

One is whether a defendant could choose to undergo administrative enforcement proceedings instead of a judicial case. She also wondered whether it matters if the appeal of an EPA administrative decision is made to a district court, where the defendant could have a trial by jury, or to an appellate court, where that is not an option. While the majority opinion did not make those points clear, Bodine said a concurring opinion from Justice Neil Gorsuch indicates the answer to both questions is no.

Jarkesy could also mean big changes at the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, a five-member body that oversees administrative law judges who hear disputes over mine safety enforcement actions.

The mine commissions judges could probably still reinstate miners who were terminated for whistleblower activities or order companies to issue back pay because those are different from the sort of enforcement identified in the Supreme Court's opinion, former Chair Arthur Traynor told POLITICO.

But the bulk of the commissions docket consists of fights over assessed penalties for safety violations, which often involve highly technical issues. The ruling may mean the judges there will have to empanel juries instead of settling cases themselves, argued Traynor, who left the commission in 2022 and is now an attorney at Mooney Green.

"This will obviously greatly increase the time and expense involved with adjudication of contested citations," he wrote in an email.

The mine commission and its current chair, Mary Lu Jordan, did not reply to questions about the Supreme Court rulings impact on its operations.

The decision could also shake up proceedings at FERC, though legal experts are still weighing how it will affect the agencys ability to assess civil penalties under the Federal Power Act and the Natural Gas Act.

FERC Chair Willie Phillips said he had not yet seen the ruling as of Thursday morning, given it was released during the agencys monthly open meeting.

I know for a fact that the lawyers that we have here at the commission  the best regulatory lawyers in government  are taking a careful look at it, Phillips told reporters following the meeting.

Ari Peskoe, a FERC expert and director of Harvards Electricity Law Initiative, said in an email the most likely immediate effect will be to shift market manipulation cases under the Natural Gas Act to federal district courts, while FERC administrative law judges will still be able to hear utility and pipeline rate cases.

The Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division declined to comment on the enforcement effects of the Supreme Courts ruling.

James Bikales, Declan Harty , Catherine Morehouse and Nick Niedzwiadek contributed to this report.
The 2024 Tour de France is a truly unique race beginning in Florence and ending  for the first time in its 121-year history  outside Paris.

This years Tour will wrap up without the usual procession to the Champs-Elysees, where security resources will be focused on the Paris Olympics starting five days later. Instead, organisers have opted to end the race with an individual time-trial in Nice, adding the possibility of the yellow jersey changing hands on a dramatic final day.

A map of the 2024 Tour de France route from Florence to Nice (letour)

Before that, riders face a typically gruelling challenge, with a hilly start in Italy before crossing to France where a perilous gravel stage awaits in Troyes. Week two leads the peloton south to the Pryenees and the monstrous Col du Tourmalet, before a series of days in the Alps including a particularly brutal stage 19 with a summit finish in Isola.

It all concludes in Nice on Sunday 21 July, where the race winner will be crowned.

Stage 1: Florence to Rimini (hilly, 206km) | Saturday 29 June

Stage 1 map (Letour)

The opening stage of the 2024 Tour de France will be a beautiful ride, starting with the Grand Depart on the banks of the Arno river in the centre of Florence before heading through Tuscany to the finish line on Italys east coast, on the beachfront of Rimini. The route also takes in San Marino, the Tours 13th country. But it will be tough on what is the most hilly first stage in the races history with 3,600m of climbing to conquer. It could be a day for Tadej Pogacar to immediately make his mark, or for an outstanding classics rider like Mathieu van der Poel to target, while young puncheurs like Irelands Ben Healy and Belgiums Maxim Van Gils could be outside bets.

Stage 1 profile (letour)

Stage 2: Cesenatico to Bologna, (hilly, 199km) | Sunday 30 June

Stage 2 map (Letour)

The second day throws up a more gentle ride, though it still contains six categorised climbs to test the legs. The purest sprinters will get left behind but the small ascents are unlikely to put off the more hardy fast men, like Wout van Aert, who will like the look of the fast finish in Bologna.

Stage 2 profile (Letour)

Stage 3: Plaisance to Turin (flat, 231km) | Monday 1 July

stage 3 map (Letour)

The long third stage will be the first opportunity for a bunch sprint to the finish line. Expect Alpecin-Deceuninck to try and control the final kilometres in an effort to position Jasper Philipsen for the win, but there is a stacked list of sprinters ready to challenge him including Arnaud de Lie, Dylan Groenewegen, Sam Bennett, Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish, chasing a record 35th stage win to finally eclipse the great Eddy Merckx.

stage 3 profile (Letour)

Stage 4: Pinerolo to Valloire (mountainous, 140km) | Tuesday 2 July

Stage 4 map (Letour)

A tough fourth stage takes the riders into France via a couple of testing category-two climbs and to the foot of the Col du Galibier  the first hors categorie ascent of the race. The gradient averages only 5.3% but at 23km long, it is a draining slog of a climb to the top and the strongest climbers will come to the fore. Expect some attacks among the big hitters like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard as we get our first real sense of the battle for overall victory.

Stage 3 profile (Letour)

Stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas (flat, 177km) | Wednesday 3 July

(Letour)

The second sprint finish of this years Tour contains some small hills but nothing that should disrupt the power riders from reaching the finish near the front, where they will expect to battle for victory.

Stage 5 profile (Letour)

Stage 6: Macon to Dijon (flat, 163km) | Thursday 4 July

Stage 6 map (Letour)

An even flatter day looks ripe for a bunch sprint on the streets of Dijon. One small categorised climb early in the stage precedes an intermediate sprint which might be targeted by those hunting the green jersey, and a breakaway will almost certainly then take to the front of the race. But it is likely to be caught by the sprinters teams before the finish as the pelotons power riders fight for the stage win.

Stage 6 profile (Letour)

Stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, (ITT, 25km) | Friday 5 July

Stage 7 map (Letour)

The first individual time-trial of this years Tour de France sweeps through thick forest before opening out into the picturesque vineyards of Burgundy. The only climb is the short Cote de Curtil-Vergy (1.6km at 6.1%), followed by a descent into Gevrey-Chambertin, and here Remco Evenepoel  the reigning time-trial world champion  will plan to take some time from his general classification rivals who are less adept against the clock.

Stage 7 profile (Letour)

Stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises (flat, 176km) | Saturday 6 July

Stage 8 map (Letour)

It may be officially listed as a flat day, but stage eight contains five categorised climbs and plenty more undulation, along with an uphill drag to the finish which should be enough to shake out some of the pure sprinters from contention. This could be a bunch sprint, a day for the breakaway or even a bold solo attack if the situation presents itself for an opportunist near the front of the race.

Stage 8 profile (Letour)

Stage 9: Troyes to Troyes (hilly, 199km) | Sunday 7 July

Stage 9 map (Letour)

The Tour de France takes on the gravel roads of the Champagne region to see out the first week, and the white dusty terrain could take down a few unfortunate victims. The 14 sections of gravel span 32km in all, and they are similar to the roads of the iconic Italian race, Strade-Bianche. The past winners of Strade-Bianche  Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar  will fancy their chances here.

Stage 9 profile (Letour)

Rest day: Orleans | Monday 8 July

Stage 10: Orleans to Saint-Amand-Montrond (flat, 187km) | Tuesday 9 July

Stage 10 map (Letour)

The Tour heads down to the centre of France, where on paper it is a nice-looking day for the sprinters, but they will need to stay alert to winds which could split the pack along this twisting route south to Saint-Amand-Montrond in the Loire Valley. A short, sharp climb 8km from the finish could be the launchpad for a brave attack, though the muscle men of the peloton will hope to fight it out against each other at the finish in Saint-Amand-Montrond.

Stage 10 profile (Letour)

Stage 11: Evaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran, (mountainous, 211km) | Wednesday 10 July

Stage 11 map (Letour)

Six categorised climbs pepper a hard up-and-down day through the Massif Central. The third-from-last ascent is the toughest, the Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol (5.4km at 8.1%), with a painfully steep final 2km to conquer, and strong climbing legs will be needed to win the stage. A good day for a breakaway to escape and potentially stay away to the end.

Stage 11 profile (letour)

Stage 12: Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, (flat, 204km) | Thursday 11 July

Stage 12 map (Letour)

The flat categorisation disguises the numerous small hills dotted through this picturesque route to Villeneuve which will drain legs if the pace is high. Expect a determined breakaway to make it difficult for those teams hoping to set up a bunch sprint at the finish  twice before, the day has been won by a rider in the breakaway here.

Stage 12 profile (Letour)

Stage 13: Agen to Pau, (flat, 165km) | Friday 12 July

Stage 13 map (Letour)

Pau is a staple of the Tour de France over the years, acting as the gateway to the Pyrenees mountains. The hilly finish to the stage might slow down some of the pure sprinters but they will be determined to reel in a breakaway  especially if they failed to do so a day earlier, and with so much hard climbing to come.

Stage 13 profile (Letour)

Stage 14: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla dAdet, (mountainous, 152km) | Saturday 13 July

Stage 14 map (Letour)

The iconic Col du Tourmalet stands in the middle of this mountain stage, with the road peaking at 2,115m above sea level. The 19km climb averages 7.4% gradient and once its conquered, two more big climbs await including a summit finish at Pla dAdet. The GC contenders will surely trade blows on this brutal day.

Stage 14 profile (Letour)

Stage 15: Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille (mountainous, 198km) | Sunday 14 July

Stage 15 map (Letour)

A nice relaxing weekend in the Pyrenees is rounded off with five climbs over a 200km route, all rated category one or harder. Expect fireworks among the yellow jersey contenders as they race to the finish atop Plateau de Beille.

Stage 15 profile (Letour)

Rest day: Gruissan | Monday 15 July

Stage 16: Gruissan to Nimes (flat, 189km) | Tuesday 16 July

Stage 16 map (Letour)

This is the final chance for the sprinters to bag a stage before the road kicks up into the mountains once more. Those in contention for the win will need to keep their composure as roundabouts punctuate the long final strip into the line in Nimes.

Stage 16 profile (Letour)

Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy (mountainous, 178km) | Wednesday 17 July

Stage 17 map (Letour)

The peloton reaches the Alps for a day that will be draining as the road tilts from the start. There are bonus seconds to be collected at the top of the category-one Col du Noyer, before a fast descent to a small summit finish which caps a tough second half to this stage.

Stage 17 profile (Letour)

Stage 18: Gap to Barcelonnette (hilly, 180km) | Thursday 18 July

Stage 18 map (Letour)

A breakaway will certainly have a go at escaping up the road to clinch this stage, and they should be able to make it stick. The five official climbs are all category-three ascents which might mean some of the well-rounded sprinters, like Wout van Aert, can clamber over them and be a threat at the finish.

Stage 18 profile (Letour)

Stage 19: Embrun to Isola 2000 (mountainous, 145km) | Friday 19 July

Stage 19 map (Letour)

Perhaps the most eye-catching stage when the 2014 route was unveiled was this one: three monstrous Alpine climbs, back to back, with a summit finish at Isola. The middle climb of the trio is the giant Cime de la Bonette (22.9km at 6.9%), the highest road in France at 2,802m. If the fight for the yellow jersey is still alive at this point in the race, this will be a thrilling stage for the story to unfold.

Stage 19 profile (Letour)

Stage 20: Nice to Col de la Couillole (mountainous, 133km) | Saturday 20 July

Stage 20 map (Letour)

It may be a little shorter at only 133km, but this is another brutally tough mountain stage featuring four climbs and another summit finish, atop the Col de la Couillole, and it is another day when the yellow jersey could be won or lost.

Stage 20 profile (Letour)

Stage 21: Monaco to Nice (ITT, 34km) | Sunday 21 July

Stage 21 map (Letour)

The race will finish without the usual procession through Paris and instead see the riders contest an individual time-trial from Monaco to Nice that could decide the outcome of the Tour. The last time-trial finale saw Greg Lemond pinch the yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysees, beating Laurent Fignon by eight seconds. This route is longer than the stage-seven time-trial, and a little more hilly too, so there is potential for some significant time gaps.

Stage 21 profile (Letour)
Texas' highest criminal court rejected Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza's request to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott's pardon of Daniel Perry, who was convicted last year for killing a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed Garza's writ of mandamus on Wednesday, nearly three weeks after Garza announced his office would be filing the challenge. The nine elected judges, all of whom are Republican, did not offer an explanation as to why it was denied.

Garza's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has rejected Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza's request to overturn Gov. Greg Abbott's pardon of Daniel Perry, pictured during his murder trial in March 2023. Perry was convicted last year for killing a Black Lives Matter protester in 2020.

Holly Taylor, director of public integrity and complex crimes for the district attorney's office, previously said the writ was filed on the grounds that Abbott, in pardoning Perry, had "exceeded his authority and violated the separation of powers doctrine," a principle established by the U.S. Constitution under which the three branches of government are kept separate.

Perry was convicted by a Travis County jury last year. Less than 24 hours after his conviction, Abbott said he would pardon Perry if a recommendation came to him after conservative pundits urged him to do so. Abbott pardoned Perry on April 16.

Nearly a month ago, 14 Democratic state attorneys general called on the Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to conduct a federal probe into Perry's case in light of Abbott's pardon.

Investigations editor Tony Plohetski contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Travis County DA's request to overturn Daniel Perry pardon denied
I am incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support we received throughout the course of this campaign. My family, our campaign team and volunteers that put in countless hours, all those who donated their hard-earned money toward the cause, the delegates that served so faithfully and gave us an unprecedented win at the convention, and of course the amazing coalition of national conservatives who have endorsed my candidacy to include Senators Rand Paul, Tommy Tuberville and President Trump. Thank you for taking a chance on a small-town mayor and his goal to take on the establishment.

Unfortunately the outcome of this election didnt go the way we had hoped. It is concerning to me the outsized influence money plays in politics generally, and what we witnessed here in Utah with this election. We were outspent by well over $10 million, with an additional $2 million spent attacking me directly with all manner of falsehoods and dishonesty. We need to reform this system.

My family and I are uncertain what God has in store for us next, but trust in Him. I pray that our nation will return to its founding principles once again, and that the next Senator from Utah will represent me, my family, community and state with honor
Trial once again delayed for former Dothan beauty queen charged in Bahamas murder-for-hire plot

DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN)  The trial of a Georgia mom and former Houston County resident accused of plotting with her boyfriend to kill her estranged husband while vacationing in the Bahamas has been pushed a second time, sources say.

Lindsay Shiver was set to go to trial on Monday, July 1, in the Bahamian capital of Nassau on a murder-for-hire charge. However, WDHN has learned from NewsNation that one of Shivers attorneys confirmed her trial has been pushed, and unconfirmed reports show that her new trial date has been set for October 2024.

Shiver was initially set to stand trial in early March.

It is currently unknown why Shivers trial has been delayed for a second time.

Shiver was arrested in August 2023 after Bahamian authorities accused her of plotting to have Robert Shiver killed by her lover, Terrance Bethel, and his friend, Faron Newbold. All three were arrested at the same time and later released on bond.

Bahamas Court News reported law enforcement discovered the murder plot while investigating a break-in at Grabbers Bar and Grill on Guana. They claim officers came across the messages on WhatsApp while searching the phone of one of the break-in suspects.

Bahamian authorities claim Shiver had sent photos of her husband to Newbold Jr., along with the message Kill him.

If convicted, Shiver, Bethel, and Newbold Jr. could face 30 and 60 years behind bars.

Shiver, whose maiden name is Shirly, was named Miss Houston County in 2005, according to Houston County Pagent Inc. She also placed second in the National Peanut Festival pageant.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.
Jamie Azure, chair of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, speaks at a conference between North Dakota tribal leaders and state government on June 25, 2024. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

Leaders of tribal nations highlighted efforts to bolster their communities and strengthen their sovereignty at an annual summit this week.

Frank Jamerson, vice chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said the tribe has made progress building relationships with other government agencies.

Were now able to take those steps forward so we can start showing the United States government that we as Native Americans can start taking care of ourselves, Jamerson said.

Frank Jamerson, vice chair of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, listens to a presentation during a summit between state and tribal leaders on June 26, 2024. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

During the event, which took place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bismarck Event Center, the five tribes that share geography with North Dakota were invited to provide updates on projects and programs and to speak to accomplishments and challenges in their communities.

Standing Rock, for instance, will soon start construction on several new greenhouses. The goal of the program is to help the tribe produce more of its own food.

Standing Rock is planning a new records building, as well. The facility will store the tribes historical documents, Jamerson said.

It will be like a teaching tool for our younger generation  that they can see the history, said Jamerson, who spoke at the conference on behalf of Chair Janet Alkire.

The vice chair also highlighted a successful housing program for employees of the Prairie Knights Casino and a program that provides free meals for elders.

Spirit Lake Nation Chair Lonna Jackson-Street said her tribe is working to administer more public programs without assistance from the federal government.

We believe that tribal government is the best-situated to provide for public welfare and law and order on the reservation, Jackson-Street said at the conference.

Spirit Lake leaders are considering assuming responsibility for law enforcement services currently provided through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Jackson-Street said.

Lonna Jackson-Street, chair of the Spirit Lake Nation, speaks during a summit between state and tribal leaders on June 25, 2024. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

The tribe has already signed an agreement with the bureau to employ three of its own law enforcement officers. She said the agreement allows the tribe to bypass the agencys background check process, which in the past has significantly lengthened the hiring process.

She noted that the tribe already manages programs formerly administered by the Indian Health Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa recently opened a food distribution center and this fall will welcome a new addiction treatment center, Chair Jamie Azure said.

Turtle Mountain also is adding new recreational facilities, he added.

A new water park recently opened on the reservation, and a trampoline park is slated to open within the next few weeks.

We started hearing that the kids wanted a safe haven to go to  somewhere fun in the community that was safe, where they felt safe, Azure said.

Azure said the tribe has formed a drug task force to combat drug trafficking.

The task force and state are working together to stop the drugs from coming into our communities, he said.

Mark Fox, chair of the MHA Nation, delivers an address during a conference between state and tribal leaders on June 26, 2024. (Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor)

MHA Nation Chair Mark Fox shared a long list of new developments on the Fort Berthold Reservation, including public schools, medical facilities, government buildings and community centers. Like Standing Rock, the MHA Nation is also planning to build a greenhouse.

Fox also noted that the 4 Bears Casino has taken a significant revenue hit due to the explosion of electronic pull tabs in North Dakota.

In order to help its tourism industry bounce back, the MHA Nation is also planning updates to the 4 Bears Casino, as well as to build a new casino near White Shield, Fox said.

Our strategy is not to retreat, Fox said. Our strategy, given our resources and everything else we do, is to reinvest.

In the future, the MHA Nation hopes to open a regenerative treatment center for diabetes and other illnesses.

Fox said the MHA Nation is also investing its wealth outside the reservation. It has purchased land for development in Las Vegas, for example.

Real estate development makes money, Fox said.

Leadership from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe was unable to attend the conference.

Many tribal leaders also took the opportunity to bid farewell to Gov. Doug Burgum, who started the conference six years ago. Burgum is not seeking reelection to the office of governor. His term ends in December.

During the conference, Burgum urged a continued focus on state-tribal relations.

My first challenge for all of you is to say, Hey, this is just the beginning.  Were keeping this thing going, were moving forward,  Burgum said. One of the advantages we have as a state is that were nimble, weve got all these abundant resources, and we can tackle even the biggest challenges.

The post Tribes underscore how economic development, social programs are helping members appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
Its that time of the year again in Sacramento when temperatures become dangerous. This weekend, temperatures are forecasted for the high 90s in Sacramento County. Temperatures are only expected to rise, reaching triple digits next week and Fourth of July weekend.

Nationwide, heat-related deaths are increasing. In 2023, more than 2,000 people died due to heat related incidents according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This toll sets a record for the highest death count nationwide in 45 years.

With temperatures increasing each year, causing dangerous weather conditions, Sacramento County experts share information on cooling centers.

When are cooling centers activated? How do I find one?

Sacramento County offers cooling centers to help residents without air conditioning manage with extreme heat. Cooling centers are climate-controlled spaces where residents can stay during extreme weather conditions.

Cooling centers are temporary designations, meaning specific locations are open only when temperatures are over 100 degrees for two or more consecutive days, or when its in the high 90s and overnight temperatures dont cool down below 70, said Janna Haynes, the public information manager for Sacramento County.

To find the nearest cooling center, residents can look online at 211 Sacramento. These areas are classified as severe weather spaces. 211s map also include daytime respite centers, community centers, and public libraries that offer air conditioning.

And if you struggle with transportation, you can catch a free ride with Sacramento Regional Transit to get to a center. Sacramento Regional Transit offers free rides to anyone going to a cooling center. Haynes, said these rides are provided on bus and lightrail routes. Riders have to show a flyer (which can be found here) or clarify theyre going to a specific cooling center when a bus or lightrail operator asks to see their ticket.

Tips on staying cool

Ahead of this weekend, expert also shared practical tips on how to stay cool. During these hot days, they recommend staying inside as much as possible. But for those who are unable, they advise planning your day around the weatherto only go outside during the early mornings or late at night when temperatures arent at their peak.

In Sacramento, there been a slight uptick in heat related emergency room visits said Olivia Kasirye, the public health officer for Sacramento County. Young children, the elderly and those with chronic conditions are deemed at risk, but heat stroke can affect anyone.

Kasirye said, in Sacramento, its been mostly young adults ending up in the emergency room due to heat-related incidents. Usually its because they know they are in a lower risk group for heat stroke and spend time outside doing strenuous activities, she said.

Its important for all of us to take care, Kasirye said. Apart from avoiding the hottest parts of the day, (we) also make sure that we are keeping hydrated and drinking lots of water.

For those who have to be outside on days with intense heat, Kasirye advised to wear loose fitting and light colored clothes. She recommended staying in the shade as much as possible and taking frequent water breaks.

If youre at risk of heat stroke, youll begin to feel the following symptoms: headache, confusion, dizziness, a rapid pulse, nausea and vomiting and a body temperature of over 104 degrees. Kasirye said another warning sign is when your body stops sweating altogether.

If they get to the point where theyre not sweating anymore, those are dangerous signs that somebody really needs to move from where theyre at to a cooler area and get hydration, Kasirye said In some situations, people can pass out.

Its also important to look out for one another, Kasirye said.

If somebody is looking like theyre getting dizzy, make sure that they are able to take the break and take the water that they need to. Kasirye said.
President Bidens pitch for unity among traditional allies is expected to contrast with former President Trumps tough talk and transactional foreign policy during Thursdays debate. And while Ukraine and Israel may not be the top priorities for U.S. voters according to polls, what the two candidates say could matter in a tight election race, especially as Trump seeks to make the case for change and Biden argues the Republican would harm U.S. interests. Both Trump and Biden are seeking to appeal to undecided and independent voters in swing states, and the debate is a pivotal moment for each to do so. A Pew Research Center poll in February found majorities of Americans see both wars as important to them: 59 percent say Ukraines war with Russia is important, while 65 percent say so of the Israel-Hamas war, noted Jacob Poushter, associate director of research at Pew. The conflict in Gaza has hung over Biden and raised questions about whether it will hurt him with turnout of the Democratic base, particularly in swing states such as Michigan. Biden will be challenged to win back Democratic and liberal voters who are critical that he has not done enough for Palestinians, even as Trump holds a record of denigrating and sidelining the Palestinians during his term in office. Biden has to bring back that coalition of young voters, people of color, and for him to spell out why he is doing the things hes doing with regard to Israel in particular, said Dina Smeltz, vice president of public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Smeltz said independent and undecided voters tend to hold a negative view of U.S. engagement abroad  something that could play to Trumps favor. More say that the cost of the U.S. role in the world is greater than the benefit, she said, citing an analysis of the polling. Trumps America first slogan is likely appealing to this group. Trumps supporters also say the former presidents philosophy and blunt message that American involvement comes at a price pushes U.S. allies to take more responsibility for their own security and defense. Read the full report at TheHill.com.
Trump-Biden debate will be rehearsed soundbites and zingers. Can we fix that? | Opinion

The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle, set for tonight in Atlanta, is must-see TV. The political world will be watching to see if Joe Biden will make a mistake that leads his detractors to argue he doesnt have what it takes to serve as president  and if Donald Trump can explain why a convicted felon should be president.

In other words, expectations are not terribly high for this Biden-Trump clash.

Debates between candidates are not what they once were. Some are wondering if they matter at all. There are a lot of reasons for this, but we should not give up on this proud American tradition that once held great importance in our campaign process.

John F. Kennedy (L) is shown in jovial handshake pose with his Republican opponent, Richard M. Nixon, on Oct. 7, 1960, after their televised debate in Washington

When debates went wrong

One of the most famous presidential debates was in 1960, when John F. Kennedy squared off against Richard Nixon in the first-ever televised debate in U.S. history.

Aside from its historic nature, and the other three debates that year, 1960 represents both a high and a low in point in debates. The benefit of TV taking candidates directly into the homes of voters cannot be overstated.

However, this is the moment when image became everything in politics, debates included. Indeed, someone who listened to the radio broadcast of the Kennedy-Nixon debate was more likely to say Nixon won, but someone who watched on TV was more likely to give the win to Kennedy. This, arguably, set us on the path to where we are today.

Who to blame for modern debates?

Candidate debates today are often nothing more than battles of soundbites, focus grouped and rehearsed during debate prep. In addition to getting in a good zinger during the debate, candidates hope those one-liners will be the focus of coverage in the days that follow. These days, the post-debate spin room and next-day news show appearances may be just as important as the debate, as candidate surrogates either continue the candidates messaging or clean up a mistake made during the debate.

So, the media and candidates certainly shoulder some blame for the lack of substantive debates today. However, another group shares in this blame for the paucity and quality of debates today:  the public.

In short, we let this happen.

We allow candidates to get on stage and avoid answering questions about their vision, to avoid confronting criticism about their records or proposals.

We simply dont demand that candidates commit to this form of campaigning. We also dont ask that the journalists moderating debates create a format that provides quality information to voters. Instead, when debates do take place, they are a series of rehearsed answers that fit neatly into 15 - , 30 - or 60-second windows of time.

As a result, candidate debates today are not what they could  or should  be.

We can fix it

But that doesnt mean they are lost forever. Voters deserve regular, high-quality, informative, civil and respectful discussions between those seeking to be our leaders.

It wont be easy, but the public can (and needs to) start expecting more from candidates.

We dont have to settle for a series of soundbites.

Heres how we can dive deeper into the issues voters care about:

Longer response windows, beyond the minute or so customarily allotted

More ground rules about attacking an opponent  candidates should be able to communicate their vision without going on the attack

Use debates to give voters a reason to support a candidate, not simply oppose the other candidate

Support the Michigan Debate Task Force

Without debates, the candidates are free to control the narrative through paid advertising  TV ads, digital ads, mail or pre-planned social media posts. We can, and should, expect more from those who want to be our leaders.

I am fortunate to be part of an effort to bring more and higher-quality debates to our state. The Michigan Debate Task Force will host three debates during the general election phase of the campaign for Michigans open US Senate seat, between the two candidates who emerge from party primaries to appear on the general election ballot, along with a few additional criteria. (Editors note: The Detroit Free Press has endorsed the task force and its debate proposals.)

We will soon launch a website with a portal through which anyone in Michigan can submit a question, or suggest an issue they would like to hear the candidates discuss. The task force trusts the public will get behind our efforts, and let the candidates know that we expect them to participate in all three debates, and give voters a chance to hear from them in an unproduced and unfiltered forum.

We can fix this

Tonights presidential debate is likely to produce fireworks fitting for the Fourth of July.

Unfortunately, this is likely to be for the wrong reasons. But, we shouldnt turn our collective back on candidate debates.

The opportunities provided by the debate format are too important to jettison.

David Dulio

David Dulio is a political science professor at Oakland University and executive director of the university's Center for Civic Engagement. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it in print or online.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump-Biden debate is leaving voters cold. We can fix that | Opinion
KAMPALA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's population has reached 45,935,046, an increase of 11.3 million people since the last census in 2014, according to the preliminary results of the latest national census released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) on Thursday.

The country has 10.8 million households, up from 7.2 million in 2014. 50.5 percent of the population is aged between 0 and 17, while 22.7 percent is youth aged between 18 and 30, said Chris Mukiza, UBOS executive director, during the launching ceremony in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Kampala remains the most populous city, with a daily population of 627,340 visitors and 1,875,834 residents, according to the UBOS.

"I was thinking the population is at about 48 or 49 million people, but I was surprised that it is below 46 million people," said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who officiated the launch.

The UBOS said it would further undertake a post-enumeration survey to check the quality of the data and carry out data analysis before releasing the final results in September. 
Donald Trump may be happy that the gag order in his hush-money case has been partially lifted as he awaits sentencing, but it could backfire on him, one legal expert says.

Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor, said Tuesday night that the gag order change may and probably will come back to bite the former president and convicted felon. It could even lead to prison time.

Judge Juan Merchan altered the gag order Tuesday, allowing Trump to talk about the witnesses and jurors in the case. Trump is still barred from speaking about the prosecutors, court staff, and their families, though.

During the latest episode of his YouTube series Justice Matters, Kirschner said that the orders changes are in accordance with the law, but he noted that there is a legitimate fear for the safety of the witnesses and jurors now that Trump can speak freely about them. Still, he believes that there could be a silver lining.

How many of you think Donald Trump will begin posting and saying things about the witnesses that are harassing and intimidating and threatening and perhaps even violence-inducing? Kirschner asked. In the likely event that Trump does this, it could result in a harsher sentence.

Even before the gag order was lifted, Trump attempted to skirt it in different ways. He had his political allies act as surrogates to criticize the people he couldnt, even editing their words at times. Some politicians, such as Representatives Bob Good and Lauren Boebert, even admitted that they traveled to Trumps Manhattan trial for this reason. Trump also criticized one of the prosecutors in the case without mentioning his name. And there are the 10 documented violations of the gag order, which Merchan has already punished Trump for to the tune of $10,000 in fines.

Trump was found guilty of 34 felony counts in May for allegedly falsifying business records with the intent to further an underlying crime in the first degree for paying off adult film actress Stormy Daniels to cover up their affair before the 2016 election. The crime carries a sentence of up to four months in prison, and sentencing is scheduled for July 11, only four days before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Merchan already has some alleged gag-order violations to consider before Trumps sentencing hearing. The question is whether Trump will add to them between Thursdays debate and July 11.
Republicans are mounting legal challenges against voter roll maintenance practices in various states across the country  public actions that do little but perpetuate lies about the accuracy of voter rolls as Republicans and election deniers set themselves up to cry voter fraud if things dont go their way in November.

Earlier this month, the right-wing legal group, United Sovereign Americans, filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania, challenging the states voter registration rolls. The lawsuit alleges that the state had voting system errors in the 2022 election and that there were a number of errors in the voting registration rolls during that same election, which they claim violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Just last week, a federal judge dismissed a similar case filed by the Republican National Committee in Nevada, which alleged inconsistencies with the states voter rolls in violation of the NVRA. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to file the lawsuit.

Arizona Republicans filed a lawsuit this month against their secretary of state, challenging the states voter roll maintenance practices. And the RNC filed a similar lawsuit in Michigan in March of this year, again arguing that in violation of the NVRA, the state is not maintaining accurate voter rolls.

The ultimate goal of these lawsuits is to lay the foundation for later claims that the election results cant be trusted because the voter registration rolls cant be trusted, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center Jonathan Diaz told TPM. And its all about creating this atmosphere of doubt and uncertainty.

These lawsuits, which appear to merely bring attention to a problem that does not exist, are a tool to help election deniers sow distrust in a safe and secure system ahead of the 2024 election, experts told TPM. And the allegations about voter roll maintenance practices are similar to the false claims about the safety and validity of mail-in ballots in 2020  myths similarly deployed as election denial fodder four years ago.

There was no factual predicate for claiming that mail in ballots were a source of fraud, just as there is none here either. But whether or not there is a factual basis for these claims is not the point for those seeking to sow seeds of chaos and doubt in the election system.

If it werent for these lawsuits, itd be something else and it probably will be something else, Justin Levitt, a professor of law at Loyola Law School, told TPM. The filing of litigation and continuing developments in that litigation is a relatively useful way to show action even if its walking on a treadmill.

Republicans have been signaling for years now that voter rolls were going to become fertile ground for election conspiracy theories ahead of 2024, so its no surprise that just months before November, they are mounting more and more of these lawsuits.

Following the 2020 election, false narratives about voter rolls became a particularly mobilizing area of fixation as Republicans began circulating rumors and misinformation about the bipartisan voter roll maintenance program known as ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center. Since 2022, nine Republican-led states, motivated by conspiracy theories that originated with the right-wing website Gateway Pundit, opted to leave ERIC. Prior to this point, more than half of U.S. states  red and blue alike  participated in the program.

The very same Republicans alleging issues with voter rolls are the ones who supported leaving a program that effectively keeps voter rolls up to date and as accurate as possible. The behavior of some of the people complaining now about the voter rolls is inconsistent with the behavior of people who actually care about the voter rolls, Levitt added.

There are federal laws and state laws in place that both protect voters from being erroneously removed from voter rolls and mandate that election officials maintain accurate voter rolls. These recent GOP-led lawsuits, however, argue, without evidence, that states are ignoring both federal and state protocol and are allowing ineligible voters to remain on the rolls. In doing so, Republicans are laying the foundation for a second wave of election denial in 2024.

Its all coming from a larger narrative that the election system is not working, Caren Short, director of legal and research for the nonpartisan nonprofit League of Women Voters, told TPM.

And even though many of these lawsuits have been dismissed, the fact that they were filed in the first place and got any amount of attention just means that Republicans were still successful in spreading a false narrative about the voter rolls and more broadly, the integrity of the election.

That is probably a win for those groups to sow distrust in our election system, even if the court case is dismissed because its completely baseless or they have no standing, its accomplishing a narrative for election deniers, Short said.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at a campaign rally, Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Temple University in Philadelphia. Trump says he knows who he will choose for his vice president, and his pick will be present for the debate. | Chris Szagola

As Election Day approaches, former President Donald Trump is in the final stages of choosing his running mate. His potential vice presidential aspirants have been teased by his team and could be announced at any time.

The New York Times reported that the former president has shown primary interest in Sens. J.D. Vance of Ohio and Marco Rubio of Florida, along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, but he continues to weigh other options with his advisers.

This combination photo shows the shortlist of vice presidential contenders former President Donald Trump has selected as he prepares to announce his pick in the days before, or perhaps at, next month's Republican National Convention. Pictured from left are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Ben Carson, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. | Associated Press

Republican strategists have noted that there are transparent advantages for Trump to announce his vice president pick during the highly anticipated debate with President Joe Biden, scheduled for Thursday night in Atlanta. According to ABC News, the three leading competitors for VP will be attending the debate and participating in various campaign events.

A Trump campaign fundraising email teased the idea by saying, Do you want to see my Vice President at the debate? They could be there, but youll never know until I make the OFFICIAL VP ANNOUNCEMENT!

The debate will be a chance for his potential picks to prove themselves, as they have been tasked with ... defending his performance in front of a throng of cable news cameras and political reporters, per The New York Times.

Although timing is not yet final, sources cautioned that the awaited announcement could occur anytime from now until shortly before the Republican convention in mid-July, per NBC News.

NBC News also reported that Trump said he knows who he will choose, and his VP will be present for the debate, making one of the three in attendance highly likely to be his running mate.

As President Trump has said himself, the top criteria in selecting a vice president is a strong leader who will make a great president for eight years after his next four-year term concludes, Trump campaign senior adviser Brian Hughes said in a statement. But anyone telling you they know who or when President Trump will choose his VP is lying unless that person is named Donald J. Trump, per The Hill.
Conservative members of the Supreme Court are seen during a photo session at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Friday, Oct. 7, 2022. Top row, from left are: Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Bottom row, from left are: Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, and Associate Justice Samuel Alito. | J. Scott Applewhite

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued two 5-4 decisions, and the makeup of the minority in each case served as a reminder of how unpredictable the justices can be.

In a case about the Environmental Protection Agencys plan to reduce ozone pollution, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote a dissent joined by the courts three more-liberal justices. She argued that the majority was wrong to temporarily block the plan from taking effect, since, in her view, the states challenging the EPAs actions are unlikely to succeed in the long run.

And in a case about Purdue Pharmas settlement with families affected by the opioid epidemic, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a dissent joined by two liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts. He said that by disrupting the current settlement agreement, the majority was causing unnecessary harm.

Todays decision is wrong on the law and devastating for more than 100,000 opioid victims and their families, Kavanaugh said.

Trumps Supreme Court appointments

With their dissents, Barrett and Kavanaugh called to mind past debates about whether former President Donald Trumps Supreme Court picks have turned out to be less conservative than they were expected to be.

Justice Neil Gorsuch is typically at the center of these debates, since he had the most memorable defection from the Supreme Courts conservative camp in recent years, as the Deseret News previously reported.

In 2020, he joined with Roberts and the four liberal justices then on the court to rule that prohibitions on sex discrimination protect gay and transgender workers. Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion.

That ruling was back in the news this week when the Supreme Court agreed to wade into the debate over transgender rights again by hearing a case about gender-related health care for minors.

But Gorsuch has also stuck by his fellow conservative justices plenty of times since his appointment to the court, as he did in the Supreme Court rulings released Thursday morning.

Gorsuch authored the Purdue Pharma and EPA rulings that Barrett and Kavanaugh dissented to, and he joined part of Justice Samuel Alitos scathing dissent in the Idaho abortion case, as the Deseret News previously reported.

The same is true for Barrett and Kavanaugh. They regularly side with their fellow conservative justices, albeit not as often as Trumps supporters may have expected them to.

Supreme Court and the 2024 election

When the Supreme Court comes up during election season, its often talked about as if the mix of conservative and liberal justices will tell you all you need to know to perfectly predict future rulings.

In reality, every justice has some surprises up his or her sleeve, including the three justices in the current courts more liberal wing.

For example, President Joe Bidens lone appointment to the court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, ruled with Gorsuch and three other conservatives on Thursday in the Purdue Pharma case.

If she had joined with her two fellow liberals and Roberts instead on Kavanaughs dissent, it could have become the majority opinion.
Tucker Carlson, whose Putin-friendly commentary stretches back years, was at it again during a recent exchange in Australia with a reporter who asked if he felt any shame about his stances and having been dubbed a useful idiot for the Russian president.

Carlson is in the country on a whirlwind speaking tour, joined by some of Australias most controversial identities; including Clive Palmer, a mining billionaire-turned-politician who is now on his third attempt to build a replica of the ill-fated ocean liner, Titanic.

In a video clip that Carlson posted on X Wednesday afternoon, Sydney Morning Herald political correspondent Paul Sakkal began to ask his question about the Russian president, but only got seven words in before Carlson started up his usual antics.

Meet the Australian media. pic.twitter.com/IyiEqihPkb  Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 26, 2024

Youve preempted my question on President Putin, Sakkal said, prompting Carlson to immediately feign outrage while repeating the name.

Hes so bad! Carlson exclaimed sarcastically, laughing it up. Did he make you take the COVID shot?

When Sakkal informed the conspiracy theorist that the vaccines saved millions of lives, Carlson refused to believe it.

Oh, yeah. Safe and effective. This is why everyone loves the media! he mocked with a high-pitched cackle. Its like a time capsule. Its like youre the last Japanese soldier on Okinawa thinking the wars still going on. No, it didnt save millions of lives.

A frustrated Sakkal interjected: Can I get the full [question] without interruption? Once Carlson finally allowed Sakkal to continue, he went ahead.

Im interested in your position on Putin. The many people in this crowd who would adore a conservative prime minister in this country like John Howard, Tony Abbott, mainstream right-wingers like Boris Johnson, Australian Liberalssome of their MPs are in the crowdare vehemently anti-Putin, he began.

They believe hes a reprehensible figure who doesnt believe in the values of conservatism, such as the rule of law and democracy, which gives us the freedoms that we have in our country. Im interested: Do you feel any level of shame or regret that you were termed a useful idiot? he asked, eliciting a laugh from Carlson.

Kremlin TV Drops New Tucker Carlson Show

Sakkal then mentioned the fallout from Carlsons interview with Putin in February.

Vladimir Putin himself said in his Russian media that he was surprised at how weak your questions were, and he also said that you were wrong when you said that no other journalists had asked to interview him, and he said, thats not true.

Carlson, calling Sakkals question an absurd soliloquy, accused him of taking Putins word for things after having previously considering the Russian president to be a psychopathic liar.

Carlson then took issue with Sakkals characterization of Boris Johnson.

First, Im stuck on the idea that Boris Johnson is a right-winger. Do you know Boris Johnson? I do. Boris Johnson is a criminal buffoon who, like so many who claim to love Ukraine, is single handedly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men in this war that Ukraine cannot win, he said.

And I would just refer you to Wikipedia. How many more people does Russia have than Ukraine? Do you know? 100 million. And in a land where thats a relevant number, it is not possible for Ukraine to beat Russia. The best they can do is go for peace. Thats been known, including by [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky, who wanted that since the early days of this conflict, he continued. And Boris Johnson, on orders from the Biden administration, shut downand this is not a disputed fact, this is a fact admitted by everybody nowshut down the peace negotiations almost two years ago, and Ukraine has been completely destroyed.

That claim about Johnson, however, is disputed, with The Guardian calling attention to one study in Foreign Affairs that describes a sequence of events that is not as clear-cut as Carlson depicted it.

Putins Brain Declares Victory After Tucker Carlson Interview

Carlson continued: And now Zelensky has passed a law allowing foreign corporations to own land there. So you tell me what Ukraine is going to look like in 30 years, when all of it is owned by Blackrock and multinational corporations, and its population is not Ukrainian? Okay?

Carlson concluded by saying he does feel shamenot about anything he has said, but about Western governments involvement in trying to prevent a Russian takeover of Ukraine.

The tragedy of whats happened in Ukraine orchestrated by the Western powers, including your governmentand driven by my governmentI feel shame about it and I hope you do toois really one of the great crimes of my lifetime. So the idea that somehow if youre against that, youre for Putinwell of course thats absurd, he insisted.

During a 2019 episode of Tucker Carlson Tonight, the namesake host said he was rooting for Russia in its conflict against Ukraine. Carlson claimed later that he was just kidding.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Chancellor Allison Garrett and Chairman Jack Sherry sit during a meeting of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in Oklahoma City on June 27, 2024.(Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY  Of the 14 colleges and universities that requested increases in tuition, the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education fully approved 11 proposals for the 2024-25 school year.

Presidents of Oklahomas public colleges and universities presented their proposals for hikes in tuition and fees on Wednesday to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The regents voted to approve or deny each request on Thursday.

The average tuition increase was 1.6% for Oklahoma residents attending public institutions for higher education. The highest request came from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College with a request for a 5.5% increase, or $9 per credit hour, which was approved.

These students and their parents and their families have to pay these bills and stack debt on their family, Regent Dustin Hilliary said. So we take these tuition increases seriously.

The regents rejected proposals from Eastern Central University and Rogers State University. Langston Universitys proposal was partially rejected, with the 3% tuition increase approved but not the 3% increase in fees.

Regents Courtney Warmington and Hilliary were outspoken about voting against proposals from universities that received direct appropriations from the state legislature, including Rogers State University and Langston University.

Institutions that go around this body and go to the legislature for direct appropriations for projects  didnt do well today, Hilliary said.

The University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University also received direct appropriations from the legislature. Oklahoma State University did not request any changes in tuition and fees and OU was approved for a 3% tuition increase.

The regents approved requests from:

The University of Oklahoma for a 3% increase, or $9.72 per credit hour,

The University of Central Oklahoma for a 3.5% increase, or $9.85 per credit hour,

Northeastern State University for a 4% increase, ot $9.90 per credit hour,

Southeastern Oklahoma State University for a 4.6% increase, or $11 per credit hour,

Southwestern Oklahoma State University for a 2.2% increase, or $5.81 per credit hour,

Cameron University for a 2.8% increase, or $6.50 per credit hour,

Oklahoma Panhandle State University for a 2.5% increase, or $7 per credit hour,

Carl Albert State College for a 3.5% increase, or $5 per credit hour,

Connors State College for a 3.2% increase, or $5 per credit hour,

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for a 5.5% increase, or $9 per credit hour,

Western Oklahoma State University for a 3.3% increase, or $5 per credit hour, and

Langston University for a 2% increase in tuition, or $4.52 per credit hour.

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The post Tuition hikes approved at 12 Oklahoma public universities appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
Duane "Keffe D" Davis appears in court in Las Vegas in February. - Credit: Bizuayehu Tesfaye-Pool/Getty Images

The self-described Crips street legend charged with the 1996 murder of hip-hop superstar Tupac Shakur was denied release to house arrest on Wednesday after a judge reviewed banking records and remained concerned that the six-figure down payment being used to secure his $750,000 bond was tied to a deal to tell his story.

The court has determined that Mr. Davis failed to make a prima facie showing the bond was obtained through legal sources, the Wednesday ruling from Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny reads. The (bank) records provided are insufficient to make the requisite showing that the $112,500 bail premium was paid by a legitimate source. The judge found that the records included two unexplained deposits for $50,000 each.

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Duane Keffe D Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the case and was hoping to be released to house arrest with strict electronic monitoring. He appeared before Judge Kierny in Las Vegas on Tuesday and testified in person about the six-figure, non-refundable deposit for his bond. He said the money was coming directly from music manager Cash Wack100 Jones in a legitimate transaction. He claimed he previously lied when he told his wife during a recorded jail visit two weeks ago that Jones was a front for someone with a movie company.

The source of the bond premium is important because Judge Kierny has said it cant come from a transaction wherein Davis is being compensated for his account of the drive-by shooting that led to Shakurs death. Im left with more questions than answers, Judge Kierny said after the hour-long hearing Tuesday morning. I dont find the defense has met their burden to show that the bail is not connected to Mr. Davis ultimately talking about Mr. Shakurs murder. She said a final ruling on the proposed bail source would come after she reviewed bank records submitted by Jones.

Davis testified Tuesday that he was desperate to get out of jail with house arrest and electronic monitoring because his health is at risk and he need to prepare for his upcoming trial, currently scheduled for early November. He cited his prior colon cancer diagnosis and suggested his prognosis has deteriorated since his arrest last year.

Ive got cancer, and Im in here eating all processed food, Davis told the court Tuesday. They dont sell no fruit, its just terrible. Fake potatoes, fake milk, fake everything. It aint good for an ex-cancer patient. And now I got it again. He said that after a scan at a Nevada hospital in May, he was referred to a cancer specialist for follow-up care. He said the cancer doctor ordered follow-up testing, and hes still waiting for that.

He said his health woes caused him to lie to his wife when she expressed concern about Jones being the source of the down payment on his bail. I would say anything to save my life.

According to prosecutors, Jones only agreed to cough up the $112,500 under a deal that will somehow exploit the story of Tupacs death. To make their case, they played a jail call between Jones and Davis during the hearing. My thing is, fuck the movie shit, takes too long. We get to that later. Lets do the series, you know what Im saying? Jones was heard telling Davis, suggesting they could finish 10 episodes before the end of Davis trial. Lets start with you as a youth, you know, your teenage years. Show, you know, the rise. He said the project could touch on Davis knowledge of everyone from his late nephew Orlando Baby Lane Anderson, the suspected shooter in Shakurs death, to Sean Diddy Combs, Christopher Notorious B.I.G. Wallace, and Death Row Records founder Suge Knight. We got at least 30 [to] 40 episodes, Jones says on the call. The recording played for the court ended with Jones asking Davis to sign something.

Jones appeared by zoom for the hearing and testified that he was offering the $112,500 with no guarantee of a business relationship with Davis, only the hope they might work together after trial. Do you have anything in writing that states that you will derive any benefit from Keffe Ds release and his story?, Davis defense lawyer Carl Arnold asked Jones. No, I dont, Jones replied.

Prosecutors said the testimony from Jones and Davis amounted to fraud. They pointed to the June 14 jail visit between Davis and his wife, playing a portion of the recording for the court. Cash [Jones] aint got no damn money to get me out, Davis is heard telling his wife over the recorded line. [Its] the Jewish man that own the fucking movie company. Cash aint got no fucking money to own no fucking movie company. They just using him as a front, so it wont look like they did it, you know what Im saying?

In his direct testimony to the court, Davis claimed that he lied to his wife because he thought he needed her to sign something related to his bond, and she didnt trust Jones. I was just telling her [that] to throw her the fuck off, get her off my back, Davis testified. I said [Jones] had no money like that just so she could sign the fucking bond and leave as is.

Davis, 61, was living with his wife and son in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson when he was arrested last September. According to his indictment, he orchestrated Shakurs murder and provided the .40-caliber Glock that also wounded Knight during the shooting just off the famed Vegas strip.

In a 2019 memoir, Davis wrote about his rise through the ranks of the South Side Crips and acknowledged the existence of a 2009 federal agreement that he signed as part of an interstate drug case in Los Angeles. The proffer agreement, which helped him in his narcotics case, allowed him to speak about his alleged role in Shakurs shooting without the threat his statements could be used against him. Prosecutors say his subsequent statements about the shooting and his immunity agreement are fair game and highly incriminating.

Davis lawyer, Carl Arnold, has said his client gave the media interviews to make money, so theyre not reliable for the purposes of a criminal case. He himself is giving different stories, Arnold told the Associated Press after a hearing in April. The lawyer said prosecutors lack proof Davis was even in Las Vegas at the time of Shakurs shooting.

This article was updated on June 26, 2023, at 9:54 p.m. to include a ruling from Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny.

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The future of Los Angeles Unified School Districts heavily hyped $6 million artificial intelligence chatbot was uncertain after the tech firm the district hired to build the tool shed most of its employees and its founder left her job.

Boston-based AllHere Education, founded in 2016 by Harvard grad and former teacher Joanna Smith-Griffin, figured heavily in LAUSDs March 20 launch of Ed, an AI-powered online tool for students and parents designed to supplement classroom instruction and help families navigate.

But on June 14, AllHere furloughed the majority of its employees due to its current financial position, according to a statement posted on its website. A statement from LAUSD sent to The 74 said AllHere now is up for sale.

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But even before the surprise announcement, AllHere was already having trouble fulfilling its contract with LAUSD, according to one former high-ranking company executive.

The company was unable to push back against the districts timeline, he said, and couldnt produce a proper product.

An LAUSD spokesperson said the district is aware of Smith-Griffins departure and that several educational technology companies are interested in acquiring AllHere.

The educational technology field is a dynamic space where acquisitions are not uncommon, the spokesperson said via email. We will ensure that whichever entity acquires AllHere will continue to provide this first-of-its-kind resource to our students and families.

Smith-Griffin and AllHere did not respond to requests for comment. The former CEO has taken down her LinkedIn profile. Portions of the AllHere website have also disappeared, including the companys About Us page.

James Wiley, a vice president at the education market research firm ListEdTech, said turmoil at AllHere could be a red flag for LAUSDs AI program if the district hasnt taken steps to protect itself from changes at the company.

It could be a problem, said Wiley. It depends on how much of the program the district has been able to bring in-house, as opposed to leaving with the vendor.

Wiley also expressed surprise that LAUSD contracted with a relatively small and untested firm such as AllHere for its Ed rollout, as opposed to enlisting a major AI company for the job, or a larger ed tech firm.

You have bigger players out there who could have done this thing, said Wiley.

Outside of Los Angeles, the company has offered districts a text messaging system that allows schools to inform families about weather events and other announcements.

According to GovSpend, which tracks government contracts with companies, AllHere has already been paid more than $2 million by LAUSD. The company has had much smaller contracts with other districts, according to GovSpend, including a $49,390 payment from Brownsville Independent School District in Texas and a similar-sized payment from Broward County Public Schools in Florida.

But AllHeres star had been ascendant.

With backing from the Harvard Innovation Lab, Smith-Griffin raised more than $12 million to start the new company. AllHere in April was named one of the worlds top ed tech companies by TIME.

The LAUSD school board last June approved a competitively bid $6.2 million contract for AllHere to plan, design and develop the districts new AI tool, Ed. The deal began with a two-year agreement ending in July 2025, with options for three subsequent one-year renewals.

Smith-Griffin appeared with LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho in April to discuss the project, which was described by the districts leader as a game-changer for LAUSD that represented the first time a school district systematically leveraged AI.

The former AllHere executive, who was recently laid off, said in an interview that the companys work with LAUSD was far more involved than that of its other customer school districts.

The small company was being asked to create a far more sophisticated tool than its prior text messaging system and bit off more than it could chew in its contract with the nations second-largest district.

At the same time, he said, AllHere employees operated more as consultants than as a company building its own product and were unable to to say no or to slow things down with the district.

So I think because of that, they were unable or unwilling to build a proper product, he said.

LA parents and students, we want to hear from you. Tell us about your experience using AllHeres Ed:

With reporting and contributions from Mark Keierleber and Greg Toppo
A passenger aircraft of China Southern Airlines receives water salute after landing at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary on June 27, 2024. A new direct air route linking Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, with Budapest in Hungary, was launched on Thursday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The first scheduled passenger flight between Chinese city Guangzhou and the Hungarian capital Budapest, operated by China Southern Airlines, landed at Ferenc Liszt International Airport on Thursday.

As a part of the Hungarian government's "Eastern Opening" policy and China's Belt and Road Initiative, the two countries continue to deepen their bilateral ties with Hungary now having more direct flights to China than any other country in Eastern Europe, according to Boglarka Illes, state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

"We are very pleased that our bilateral relations, our economic and trade relations are also steadily developing," Illes said after the Boeing 787-9 aircraft landed carrying over 200 passengers.

Francois Berisot, CEO of Budapest Airport, said that the new China Southern Airlines flight would create new opportunities for both business and leisure travelers. "Guangzhou has always played a prominent role in international commerce and is still one of China's most important economic hubs attracting businesspeople and investors from all over the world," Berisot said.

Described as a "milestone" in developing China-Hungary relations, the flight's launch is expected to boost bilateral cooperation in business, trade, and investment, according to China Southern Airlines' Executive Vice President Qu GuangJi and China's Ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao.

China Southern Airlines will operate a 12-hour flight between Guangzhou and Budapest four times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

A passenger aircraft of China Southern Airlines arrives at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary on June 27, 2024. A new direct air route linking Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, with Budapest in Hungary, was launched on Thursday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

A passenger aircraft of China Southern Airlines arrives at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary on June 27, 2024. A new direct air route linking Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, with Budapest in Hungary, was launched on Thursday. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
Kaci Cink, an analyst with the nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute, discusses findings of the latest KHI report on health insurance rates among Kansas residents. The uninsured rates have fallen in Kansas, but the disparity between Hispanic and white residents in Kansas remained large. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kaci Cink, an analyst with the nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute, discusses findings of the latest KHI report on health insurance rates among Kansas residents. The uninsured rates have fallen in Kansas, but the disparity between Hispanic and white residents in Kansas remained large. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA  Complex cultural, language, economic and legal issues left 20% of Hispanic Kansans without health insurance  more than three times the rate of white residents of the state  despite gradual decline across the population in the percentage of uninsured.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit Kansas Health Institutes annual review of health insurance coverage among Kansans, relying on the most recent data, showed 20.1% of Hispanics lacked private or public coverage in 2022. That was above the 12.7% rate of uninsured among Black people in Kansas, as well as the 6.2% for White people in the state. Three in 10 Hispanics were without health insurance in Kansas, but 52% of the 248,000 uninsured Kansans were white.

Hispanics are more likely to be uninsured, said Kaci Cink, an analyst with Kansas Health Institute. The disparities are a little bit smaller than they used to be, but they definitely still remain.

The overall portion of medically uninsured in Kansas during 2022 stood at 8.6%, which ranked 13th highest in the United States and was greater than the 6.3% average among states that expanded eligibility for Medicaid. The collective uninsured rate for the United States was 8%.

Since introduction of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, the level of people in the United States without health insurance has declined. One decade ago, uninsured percentages by race and ethnic group in Kansas were: Hispanic, 25.9%; Black, 15.7%; multiple races, 10.6%; and white, 7.9%.

During a forum Thursday sponsored by Kansas Health Institute, factors contributing to coverage gaps, especially regarding the Hispanic community in Kansas, was considered by a four-person panel.

Ton Miras Neira, community health worker project manager at University of Kansas Medical Center, said immigrants from universal health care countries like Spain, such as himself, were initially baffled by U.S. health insurance terminology. He said the language barrier for non-English speakers elevated the challenge. The process of establishing and maintaining a legal presence in the United States fueled anxiety, he said.

Clients that are full citizens, they are like, Oh, Im not getting insurance because I might be deported,  Neira said. Many of the Latinos that Im working with, even when they go to the hospital or they enroll in insurance, they improvise a name that is not theirs, just in case.

Geovannie Gone, executive director of the Immunize Kansas Coalition, said Kansans should realize 50% to 67% of residents in four southwest Kansas counties were majority Hispanic or Latino. Many held moderate-wage jobs in the regions feedlots, dairies and meatpacking plants, she said.

Its not that they dont want insurance, Gone said. Families cannot afford the high insurance premiums offered by the employers. The kids might qualify for KanCare (Medicaid), you know, but what happens to the mom? I will almost bet you shes going to go uninsured.

Culture has an influence on the uninsured rate in Kansas and other states, Gone said, because Hispanic immigrants retained traditions of caring for themselves before turning to a health professional. There is heavy reliance on herbal medicines, she said.

Still, she said, it would be a mistake to define Latinos with broad brush strokes.

When we talk about Latinos, we usually tend to generalize and say all Latinos. But that is not a correct assumption, Gone said. Not all Latinos are the same. We have Latinos from Guatemala. We have Latinos from Brazil. We have Latinos from Nicaragua, from El Salvador, from Honduras. All of them view health care a little bit differently.

She said health care workers ought to look for opportunities to reeducate members of Latino and Hispanic communities in culturally sensitive ways.

If not, she said, the system would continue to fail people who had yet to grasped the value of acquiring insurance for health care expenses.

Christina Pacheco, assistant professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said newcomers to the United States tended to be more healthy than the average U.S. resident. That could be a factor in decisions not to secure insurance, she said.

Folks are doing that cost-benefit analysis for themselves, Pacheco said. And, they may also not intend to stay in the United States indefinitely and see insurance as an unnecessary long-term commitment.

Justin Gust, vice president of community engagement with El Centro, said the application process of enrolling in ACA marketplace health plans could be daunting to people with literacy challenges and lacking English language skills. He said a persons immigration status, whether in the country illegally or fearful of being deported for other reasons, was a powerful incentive to avoid participation in the health insurance system.

The post Twenty percent of Kansas Hispanics lack health insurance  three times rate of white residents appeared first on Kansas Reflector.
(KRON)  Two 19-year-olds were charged with in connection to committing an armed robbery at a liquor store in San Franciscos Mission District on June 21, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced on Thursday.

SF drug dealer arrested with over 1,700 grams of fentanyl: DA

According to court records, at about 9:30 p.m., San Francisco residents Favian Gonzales-Vancorner and Ana Reyes entered a liquor store on the 1200 block of Valencia Street. The pair of 19-year-olds allegedly tried buying alcohol but were unable to provide ID to the store clerk.

After leaving, Gonzales-Vancorner returned to the store and took several packs of mixed drinks without paying. When the clerk tried stopping him, prosecutors said Gonzales-Vancorner allegedly reached into a pocket and partially pulled out a semi-automatic firearm and told the clerk to let him out.

Fearing for his life, prosecutors said the store clerk allowed the 19-year-old to leave without paying.

On Sunday, San Francisco Police Department officers arrested Gonzales-Vancorner and Reyes after recognizing the defendants in a car. SFPD served a search warrant at Gonzales Vancorners home and seized an assault rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition and other firearm-related items.

During the arrest, officers also seized a loaded ghost gun (semi-automatic pistol) from Reyess purse.

My office will continue to do everything we can to support our neighborhoods and small businesses who are under siege from brazen thieves who feel as if they have the right to take what they want with impunity. They are mistaken. They will be identified, arrested and prosecuted, Jenkins said.

Gonzales-Vancorners charges include:

Second-degree robbery

Possession of a deadly weapon, specifically a short-barreled rifle or shotgun

Possession of an assault weapon

Possession of a large-capacity magazine

As for the pair, they are charged with possession of a concealed firearm not registered to themselves inside of a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm not registered to themselves. The criminal complaint also alleges that Reyes committed these crimes while on bail and released on her own recognizance, prosecutors said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.
Two arrested by Florida police in connection to Lee County homicide, third suspect sought

LEE COUNTY, Va. (WJHL)  Two people were taken into custody in connection to the homicide of Jerry Lee Wheet, whose remains were discovered on a Lee County ATV trail in April.

According to a release from the Virginia State Police, two people were taken into custody this week by officials in Florida, and state police are looking for a third suspect.

The Suwannee County Florida Sheriffs Office took Amos Lee Leebo Hall, 39, of Rose Hill, Va., into custody on Wednesday on one felony charge of 1st Degree Murder and one felony charge of Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Murder.

VSP: One dead following crash on Interstate 81 in Washington County

The Suwanee County Sheriffs Office arrested Christopher N. Holeman, 33, of White Springs, Fla., on Monday for Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Murder.

The VSP is searching for Virginia Redden, 41, of Ewing, Va., after obtaining a felony arrest warrant for Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Murder.

Hall and Holeman are awaiting extradition to Virginia.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on Reddens location is asked to call VSP at 1-540-444-7788 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.

The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Wytheville Field Office, the Suwannee County, Fla. Sheriffs Office, Columbia County, Fla. Sheriffs Office and the Lee County, Va. Sheriffs Office assisted in the arrests.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather.
Two charged with manslaughter following crash that killed Moore woman

Charges have been filed against two men accused of a high-speed race that killed a Moore woman.

In the aftermath of a deadly car crash in Moore last month, two men facing first-degree manslaughter charges allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol before the crash.

Marissa Byrd, 26, of Moore, died June 8 after a five-car collision on southbound Interstate 35 near SW 19.

Isaiah Lancaster, 22, and Devon Davis, 25, were charged with felony manslaughter charges in Cleveland County District Court.

Initial reports from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stated that Lancaster was driving a 2020 Ford Mustang, Davis a 2023 Dodge Charger.

Witnesses said the Mustang began traveling at a high rate of speed along the inside shoulder of the freeway before striking a barrier wall, losing control and causing the collision, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper.

According to the affidavit, a witness said the two cars were racing when the Mustang began to pass on the inside shoulder.

Byrd, who was driving a 2019 Nissan Altima, was pronounced dead from her injuries at Norman Regional Hospital.

Lancaster and Davis were taken to OU Medical Center with minor injuries.

The OHP trooper wrote in the affidavit that the men consented to providing a blood sample. "Lancaster and Davis both admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the collision," the trooper wrote.

Both men were release on bond from the Cleveland County jail with orders to wear a GPS monitor and not drive, online court records show. Their next scheduled court date is July 23.

More: Moore woman dies after five-car collision; street racing possibly to blame

An online obituary describes Byrd as a precious soul known for her beauty and her vibrant, creative personality. She enjoyed traveling and creating art.

Marissas influence reached far beyond her family and career, the obituary reads. Her genuine kindness, warmth, and generosity deeply impacted everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Deaths related to high-speed crashes have increased in Oklahoma

Her death came amid a rise in speed-related fatalities on Oklahoma roads in recent years.

From 2017 to 2019, there were 372 speed-related deaths, or an average of 124 per year, according to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. In 2020, there were 185. In 2021, that number rose to 206.

Online videos of street racing have proliferated in recent years. Some show dangerous maneuvers on city streets. Others show highway shutdowns because of illegal racing.

In 2021, Oklahoma City police arrested nearly 70 people on trespassing complaints after drivers were reportedly hot-rodding in a Hobby Lobby parking lot in southwest Oklahoma City.

Police viewing the scene from a helicopter said about 100 cars were in the parking lot.

In 2023, more than 100 people were arrested after a street race gathering near a warehouse in the 8700 block of S Pole Road. During that incident, more than 50 vehicles were impounded and several weapons were recovered, including five handguns and an AR-15-style gun. Police recovered one stolen car.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Two charged in high-speed crash that killed Moore Oklahoma woman
DUBAI (Reuters) - Two hardline candidates dropped out of Iran's presidential election on Thursday, a day ahead of the landmark vote, and called for unity among forces supporting the country's Islamic revolution, state media reported.

Iranian's tightly controlled election on Friday follows Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash last month, with the outcome expected to influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top decision-maker in the clerically-ruled state.

Tehran's mayor Alireza Zakani and head of the Martyrs' Foundation Amirhossein Ghazizadeh-Hashemi exited the race, state media said. They were expected to win just 1.7% and 2% of votes respectively according to a 22-23 June poll carried out by the Iran Students Polling Centre.

Their departure leaves four presidential candidates and Zakani urged the two most prominent hardline ones to join forces to prevent moderate Masoud Pezeshkian from winning.

"I call upon Saeed Jalili and Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf to unite and not leave the demands of the revolutionary forces unanswered," Zakani wrote on X, referring to the former nuclear negotiator and his hardline rival, parliament speaker and former head of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.

Khamenei, now 85, has ensured candidates sharing his hardline views dominate the presidential contest. Iran's president is traditionally closely involved in the process of choosing the supreme leader.

The elections are taking place at a sensitive time. Tensions with Israel are escalating over the Gaza conflict, the West is pressuring Tehran to scale back its nuclear plans, and domestic dissent is growing over political, social, and economic crises.

Pezeshkian, a former health minister, has the endorsement of Iran's politically-sidelined reformist camp that advocates detente with the West, but his chances are unclear, with dissidents in and outside Iran calling for an election boycott.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
By Brad Brooks and Jasper Ward

(Reuters) -A grand jury in Uvalde, Texas, indicted former school district police chief Pedro Arredondo over the police response to the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 19 students and two teachers, authorities said on Thursday.

The Uvalde County Sheriff's office said Arredondo was in custody and was being booked on 10 counts of child endangerment.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers have been criticized for failures in the response to the shooting on May 24, 2022. Officers left the 18-year-old gunman alone inside a classroom with children for more than an hour while weighing how to confront him. By the time officers stormed in, the school had become the scene of one of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history.

Another law enforcement officer, Adrian Gonzales, was also indicted by the grand jury, according to local media reports. The sheriff's department on Thursday said Gonzales had not yet been booked, and said they could provide no details on his situation.

The charges against Arredondo, who goes by the first name "Pete," and Gonzales are the first criminal complaints lodged against any responding officers.

The Uvalde County district attorney, Christina Mitchell, did not immediately return requests for comment.

Mitchell confirmed to the Uvalde Leader-News newspaper that both Arredondo and Gonzales were indicted. She told the paper that more details would be provided once Gonzales is booked, which she said would take place on Friday.

Federal and state investigations into the school shooting condemned the responding officers' inaction.

In May, the families of the victims filed lawsuits against Meta, Activision Blizzard and its parent Microsoft, along with gunmaker Daniel Defense, for what they claim was collusion in marketing weapons to young people.

In an advisory earlier this week declaring gun violence in the country a public health crisis, the U.S. surgeon general noted it has been the leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the country since 2020. He also noted that the firearm mortality rate among youths in the U.S. is 11 times higher than in France, 36 times higher than in Germany and 121 times higher than in Japan.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Brad Brooks; editing by Donna Bryson, Eric Beech and Leslie Adler)
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on North Dakota Monitor.
LA PAZ, June 26 (Xinhua) -- General Juan Jose Zuniga was arrested on Wednesday, just hours after his failed coup against President Luis Arce, according to local authorities.

The arrest was made in the city of La Paz in an operation coordinated and presided over by Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera.

At a press conference, Jose Luis Tarquino, the head of communication of the Attorney General's Office (FGE), announced the beginning of a criminal investigation of Zuniga and others involved in the attempted coup.

"Given the latest events that occurred in the city of La Paz, the Attorney General ordered the initiation of all legal actions that correspond to the criminal investigation against Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga and all other participants in the events," Tarquino said.

In addition, an immigration alert was issued against Zuniga to prevent his possible escape from the country, he said.

The Prosecutor's Office for the Department of La Paz immediately formed a commission of prosecutors to thoroughly investigate the attempted coup.

Amid the tension and uncertainty, Arce and his cabinet reaffirmed their firm stance against any attempts at destabilization, and pledged to maintain peace and order in the country. 
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien / States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Source New Mexico.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Maine Morning Star.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida (at lectern) and Barbara Lee of California (at left) at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien | States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm, and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79 percent of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20 percent more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado, and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut, and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on New Hampshire Bulletin.
Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Oklahoma Voice.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien | States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on West Virginia Watch.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence, just after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference Wednesday to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Potential buyers try out guns which are displayed on an exhibitors table during the Nations Gun Show on Nov. 18, 2016 at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Potential buyers try out guns which are displayed on an exhibitors table during the Nations Gun Show on Nov. 18, 2016 at Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Neguse, the assistant Democratic leader, echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youths are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

Renewed sense of urgency

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, at lectern, and Barbara Lee of California, at left, at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, called on Congress to pass gun reform legislation. The surgeon general earlier in the week declared gun violence a public health emergency. (Photo by Lia Chien/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  Democratic U.S. House members pushed for legislative action to address gun violence Wednesday, the day after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared the issue a public health crisis.

Murthy released a 40-page advisory Tuesday. It called gun violence the leading cause of death for children and adolescents, causing just over 4,600 deaths in 2022. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2022, an increase of 16,000 from 2010, according to the report.

The report counted mass shootings, suicides by firearm and firearm injuries. According to the advisory, 79% of U.S. adults experience stress from the possibility of a mass shooting and youth are over 20% more likely to use antidepressants following exposure to fatal school shootings.

The advisory came after a weekend of mass shootings in Alabama, Ohio, and Arkansas.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat from Florida, hosted a press conference to applaud the surgeon general and urged his House colleagues to pursue more gun reforms.

This declaration is a significant step forward in the fight to protect our communities and our children because its a holistic thing, he said. It looks at ending gun violence in many different ways.

Frost, the youngest member of Congress and former March for Our Lives national organizing director, listed ideas to address gun violence in the advisory.

That list included regulations to keep guns out of the wrong hands through measures such as universal background checks.

The government could also support community violence intervention, such as programs in high-risk communities designed to deter gun violence and help those affected.

Finally, and one of the most important, said Frost, is creating a society where people dont feel the need to use guns to solve their problems in the first place.

Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, urged her congressional colleagues to use the renewed sense of urgency created by the report to require universal background checks and safe storage of firearms.

Just basics, she said.

Frost and Lee were joined by Dr. Joseph Sakran, an anti-gun activist and trauma surgeon and associate director of emergency general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a city plagued by gun violence.

He called the advisory a historic step that will empower policymakers and push them to develop programs and policies that will impact not just cities but the entire country.

He also referenced upcoming elections that he said would determine what gun reform measures could pass.

Red flag bill

In a separate press conference Wednesday, Democratic Reps. Mike Thompson and Salud Carbajal of California, Lucy McBath of Georgia, Joe Neguse of Colorado and Robin Kelly of Illinois announced they would file a measure to force a floor vote on a bill McBath introduced.

The bill would allow federal courts to issue risk protection orders. It would allow police or family members to ask a court for a temporary order, preventing people at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms.

According to Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group, 21 states have adopted similar laws. Research has shown they reduce firearm suicides and stop mass shootings, according to studies in Indiana, Connecticut and California.

In 2022, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Community Safety Act. The legislation provided funding and support for states with red flag laws to ensure they are constitutionally implemented, according to the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank.

Thompson, the chair of the House Democrats Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, said McBaths bill would help complement the 2022 law.

Congresswoman McBaths bill will ensure that the work that we did in that legislation and the money that were able to secure can be better spent across all 50 states and save lives, he said.

Thompson said a discharge petition, a procedural tool to force a floor vote, is the only way to bring the bill to the House floor because House Republican leadership opposes gun control legislation.

Republican opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has not been in favor of gun control legislation and told Fox News last year he doesnt see gun laws as being effective.

McBath told reporters Wednesday she hopes rank-and-file Republicans buck their party leaders on the bill. She said that in private conversations, many Republicans have agreed with her that Congress should pass gun reform.

I think theyre just afraid to stand on the other side of their Republican colleagues, McBath said. But I think deep down they know that they have constituents that are dying unnecessarily.

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse echoed McBaths concerns over Republican inaction and urged Republican colleagues to support McBaths bill.

Talk is cheap, Neguse said. Theres an opportunity for so-called moderate Republicans in the House Republican Conference to prove that they support these red flag laws. They can do so by simply walking onto the floor and signing the discharge petition.

Frost, in the opposite press conference, also shared his Democratic colleagues belief that Republicans will help pass gun reform laws. He referred to the surgeon generals advisory, and urged listeners to use the statistics to support their cause.

If we focus on the science and the data of this, I think there are some hearts and minds we can change on the Republican side to actually get things like universal background checks passed, he said.

The post U.S. House Democrats push for federal gun reform following surgeon general advisory appeared first on Kentucky Lantern.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Republicans in the House are attempting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt of Congress over the audio and video records of Bidens interview with special counsel Robert Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. House Republican Conference will file a lawsuit against the Department of Justice next week as it attempts to gain access to the audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hurs interview with President Joe Biden.

House Speaker Mike Johnson made the announcement Wednesday during a press conference after being asked about Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Lunas plans to hold an inherent contempt vote Friday for Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Luna and others aligned with her hope that vote could lead Garland to turn over the tapes, despite Biden exerting executive privilege.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said during the press conference that House Republicans are united in getting access to the tapes to confirm whats on the written transcript.

In the meantime, there are a lot of different ideas and discussions that people are brainstorming on how might we acquire access to those tapes. We are looking at all avenues, Johnson said. Ive talked to Anna Paulina Luna and other colleagues about various ideas, but I dont think anythings been settled on as of yet.

Johnson said House Republicans plan to be as aggressive as we can and use every tool in our arsenal to make sure the audio tapes are released because we have an obligation in the Constitution to do it.

Vote on Friday

Luna and several of her colleagues held a press conference a couple of hours earlier to advocate for the inherent contempt vote of Garland, a rarely used process which could potentially lead to his detainment and a trial held in the House of Representatives.

That vote will be held Friday morning, she said.

This is something that would enable the speaker of the House to order the sergeant at arms to take into custody the attorney general if he fails to comply with our request, Luna said, later adding that she would hope Garland would turn himself in if the vote is successful.

The inherent contempt process would likely be faster than waiting for House Republicans lawsuit to work its way through the judicial system, she said.

Under the inherent contempt power of the House, the recalcitrant witness may be arrested and brought to trial before the bar of the House, with

the offender facing possible incarceration, according to The House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House.

The detailed 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians as well as the current parliamentarian, notes that during the trial of the witness in the House, questions may be put to the witness by the Speakeror by a committee.

In one instance, the matter was investigated by a committee, the respondent was then brought to the bar of the House, and a resolution was reported to the House for its vote, it continues.

Hurs report on Biden classified documents probe

Hur released the 388-page special counsels report in February, concluding that Biden willfully retained classified information following his term as vice president, though he declined to prosecute the sitting president.

Hur wrote in the report that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.

Biden and many of his allies vehemently rejected Hurs characterizations of the president and his memory, while Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a potentially more detailed accounting of the interview.

The characterizations of Bidens memory have become part of the running Republican narrative that he isnt suited to remain in the Oval Office as president for another four years.

The interview tapes could either reinforce or refute that narrative, though GOP lawmakers are adamant that Biden and Garland blocking their release means they could be damaging to his reelection bid.

The House voted 216-207 earlier this month to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for not turning over audio tapes of the Hur-Biden interview after the Oversight and Judiciary committees issued a subpoena.

Garland released a written statement afterward that it was deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon.

Todays vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Departments need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees, Garland wrote. I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.

Biden, Democrats presumptive nominee for president, will debate former President Donald Trump, Republicans presumptive nominee for president, on Thursday night in Atlanta, Georgia.

The two are expected to hold a second debate in September, well before voters head to the polls in November.

The post U.S. House GOP to file suit over Biden audio tapes, as inherent contempt vote looms appeared first on SC Daily Gazette.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events worldwide, leading to significant repercussions for both human society and ecosystems.

WORLDWIDE HEATWAVES

Let's first take a look at the occurrence of extreme heat events on a global scale. With scorching heatwaves and rampant wildfires, many regions around the world have recently been hit by sweltering temperatures, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people due to heat-related factors.

In Asia, India has experienced its longest-lasting heatwave on record this year. According to local meteorological authorities, since May 14, the capital city of New Delhi has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius continuously for 38 days. In states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, temperatures have reached around 50 degrees Celsius. The Indian Ministry of Health reports a total of 110 heat-related deaths and over 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke from March 1 to June 18.

In the Gaza Strip, the ongoing high temperatures have intensified the plight of displaced Palestinians and led to a severe public health crisis.

Richard Peacock, an official responsible for overseeing health affairs in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank of the Jordan River, stated on June 21 that due to intensifying heat, the problems of water source pollution, food spoilage, and mosquito breeding have become more severe in the region. As a result, the number of diarrhea cases has increased 25 times compared to previous years.

Several European countries have also been hit by high temperatures. According to local media reports, Rome, the capital of Italy, and eight other cities such as Perugia issued red alerts for high temperatures on June 21, with temperatures in some cities expected to surpass 40 degrees Celsius. Relevant authorities have warned that the heat can have a significant impact on human health, particularly posing a risk to the elderly, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses.

In North America, the prolonged heatwave has resulted in wildfires at multiple locations across the western United States. Currently, nearly 20 large wildfires are burning in states such as New Mexico, California, Arizona, Colorado, and Washington. According to statistics, on June 20, approximately 100 million people in the United States were under high-temperature warnings and alerts.

EXCESSIVE RAINFALL

In addition to extreme heatwaves, there also have been changes in international and regional precipitation patterns, resulting in frequent heavy rainfall and floods, causing severe damage and loss of life. According to data from the United Nations Environment Programme, the frequency of global flooding has more than doubled in the past forty years.

Bangladesh has been experiencing heavy rainfall for days in a row this June, leading to a rise in the water levels of rivers. As a result, large areas of land in the northeast region have been submerged by floods, causing extensive damage to residential buildings, crops, and roads. According to data released by the local government in Sylhet district, at least 136 towns and villages have been affected by the floods, leaving over a million people affected.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Bangladesh said in a statement that the floods in the northeastern part of the country have affected 772,000 children, more than 810 public schools in the Sylhet region have been submerged, and nearly 500 schools are being used as temporary shelters.

In recent days, several countries in Latin America have also experienced heavy rainfall, leading to floods and landslides, and causing significant loss of life and property damage. Experts have pointed out that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, and the resulting natural disasters may have ripple effects.

EXTREME COLD WEATHER

Moreover, there is also a noticeable increase in global blizzards and extreme cold weather. According to data from the World Meteorological Organization, the rate of winter temperature increase in the Arctic region is more than twice the global average. This has led to a continuous reduction in Arctic sea ice, further exacerbating the deterioration of global climate warming. At the same time, blizzards and extreme cold weather have brought severe cold and heavy snowfall to regions such as North America, Europe, and Asia, causing significant impacts on transportation, power supply, and agricultural output.

GLOBAL WARMING, HUMAN ACTIVITIES BLAMED

So, why are global extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe? Scientists widely believe that global warming is one of the main contributing factors. According to the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global temperatures have already risen by about one degree Celsius, and even if the goals of the Paris Agreement are achieved, global temperatures may still rise by more than two degrees Celsius. This global warming has led to instability in the climate system, making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.

Additionally, human activities are exacerbating the occurrence of global extreme weather events. Large-scale industrialization and excessive consumption of natural resources have resulted in the emission of large amounts of greenhouse gases, further intensifying the greenhouse effect on Earth. According to data from the International Energy Agency, global carbon dioxide emissions have continued to rise over the past decade, contributing to the occurrence of global warming and extreme weather events.

IMMEDIATE ACTIONS URGED

The weather and climate agency of the UN called for immediate actions to address climate change, pointing to the findings of a report which predicts a high likelihood of global temperatures surpassing a critical warming threshold. There is an 80-percent chance that annual average global temperatures will exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius warming mark in at least one of the next five years, according to the Global Annual to Decadal Update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It is 86 percent likely that at least one year by 2028 will set a new temperature record, smashing the records set in 2023, the report added.

In the face of the challenges posed by global extreme weather events, international cooperation is needed. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is key, and countries must enhance their endeavors in promoting sustainable development and the adoption of clean energy sources.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a video address marking World Environment Day on June 5 warned of "a climate hell."

"It's climate crunch time," he said, emphasizing that "the need for action is unprecedented but so is the opportunity -- not just to deliver on climate, but on economic prosperity and sustainable development."

"We are way off track to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. "We must urgently do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions, or we will face increasingly high economic costs, millions of lives affected by extreme weather, and extensive damage to the environment and biodiversity." 
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Republicans in the House are attempting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt of Congress over the audio and video records of Bidens interview with special counsel Robert Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. House Republican Conference will file a lawsuit against the Department of Justice next week as it attempts to gain access to the audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hurs interview with President Joe Biden.

House Speaker Mike Johnson made the announcement Wednesday during a press conference after being asked about Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Lunas plans to hold an inherent contempt vote Friday for Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Luna and others aligned with her hope that vote could lead Garland to turn over the tapes, despite Biden exerting executive privilege.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said during the press conference that House Republicans are united in getting access to the tapes to confirm whats on the written transcript.

In the meantime, there are a lot of different ideas and discussions that people are brainstorming on how might we acquire access to those tapes. We are looking at all avenues, Johnson said. Ive talked to Anna Paulina Luna and other colleagues about various ideas, but I dont think anythings been settled on as of yet.

Johnson said House Republicans plan to be as aggressive as we can and use every tool in our arsenal to make sure the audio tapes are released because we have an obligation in the Constitution to do it.

Vote on Friday

Luna and several of her colleagues held a press conference a couple of hours earlier to advocate for the inherent contempt vote of Garland, a rarely used process which could potentially lead to his detainment and a trial held in the House of Representatives.

That vote will be held Friday morning, she said.

This is something that would enable the speaker of the House to order the sergeant at arms to take into custody the attorney general if he fails to comply with our request, Luna said, later adding that she would hope Garland would turn himself in if the vote is successful.

The inherent contempt process would likely be faster than waiting for House Republicans lawsuit to work its way through the judicial system, she said.

Under the inherent contempt power of the House, the recalcitrant witness may be arrested and brought to trial before the bar of the House, with

the offender facing possible incarceration, according to The House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House.

The detailed 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians as well as the current parliamentarian, notes that during the trial of the witness in the House, questions may be put to the witness by the Speakeror by a committee.

In one instance, the matter was investigated by a committee, the respondent was then brought to the bar of the House, and a resolution was reported to the House for its vote, it continues.

Hurs report on Biden classified documents probe

Hur released the 388-page special counsels report in February, concluding that Biden willfully retained classified information following his term as vice president, though he declined to prosecute the sitting president.

Hur wrote in the report that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.

Biden and many of his allies vehemently rejected Hurs characterizations of the president and his memory, while Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a potentially more detailed accounting of the interview.

The characterizations of Bidens memory have become part of the running Republican narrative that he isnt suited to remain in the Oval Office as president for another four years.

The interview tapes could either reinforce or refute that narrative, though GOP lawmakers are adamant that Biden and Garland blocking their release means they could be damaging to his reelection bid.

The House voted 216-207 earlier this month to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for not turning over audio tapes of the Hur-Biden interview after the Oversight and Judiciary committees issued a subpoena.

Garland released a written statement afterward that it was deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon.

Todays vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Departments need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees, Garland wrote. I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.

Biden, Democrats presumptive nominee for president, will debate former President Donald Trump, Republicans presumptive nominee for president, on Thursday night in Atlanta, Georgia.

The two are expected to hold a second debate in September, well before voters head to the polls in November.

The post U.S. House GOP to file suit over Biden audio tapes, as inherent contempt vote looms appeared first on Utah News Dispatch.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 26: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republicans in the House are attempting to hold Attorney General Derrick Garland in contempt of Congress after he advised that President Biden assert Executive Privilege over the audio and video records of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The U.S. House Republican Conference will file a lawsuit against the Department of Justice next week as it attempts to gain access to the audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hurs interview with President Joe Biden.

House Speaker Mike Johnson made the announcement Wednesday during a press conference after being asked about Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Lunas plans to hold an inherent contempt vote Friday for Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Luna and others aligned with her hope that vote could lead Garland to turn over the tapes, despite Biden exerting executive privilege.

Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said during the press conference that House Republicans are united in getting access to the tapes to confirm whats on the written transcript.

In the meantime, there are a lot of different ideas and discussions that people are brainstorming on how might we acquire access to those tapes. We are looking at all avenues, Johnson said. Ive talked to Anna Paulina Luna and other colleagues about various ideas, but I dont think anythings been settled on as of yet.

Johnson said House Republicans plan to be as aggressive as we can and use every tool in our arsenal to make sure the audio tapes are released because we have an obligation in the Constitution to do it.

Vote on Friday

Luna and several of her colleagues held a press conference a couple of hours earlier to advocate for the inherent contempt vote of Garland, a rarely used process which could potentially lead to his detainment and a trial held in the House of Representatives.

That vote will be held Friday morning, she said.

This is something that would enable the speaker of the House to order the sergeant at arms to take into custody the attorney general if he fails to comply with our request, Luna said, later adding that she would hope Garland would turn himself in if the vote is successful.

The inherent contempt process would likely be faster than waiting for House Republicans lawsuit to work its way through the judicial system, she said.

Under the inherent contempt power of the House, the recalcitrant witness may be arrested and brought to trial before the bar of the House, with

the offender facing possible incarceration, according to The House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House.

The detailed 1,073-page document, written by two former House parliamentarians as well as the current parliamentarian, notes that during the trial of the witness in the House, questions may be put to the witness by the Speakeror by a committee.

In one instance, the matter was investigated by a committee, the respondent was then brought to the bar of the House, and a resolution was reported to the House for its vote, it continues.

Hurs report on Biden classified documents probe

Hur released the 388-page special counsels report in February, concluding that Biden willfully retained classified information following his term as vice president, though he declined to prosecute the sitting president.

Hur wrote in the report that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.

Biden and many of his allies vehemently rejected Hurs characterizations of the president and his memory, while Republicans have sought to gain access to the audio tapes for a potentially more detailed accounting of the interview.

The characterizations of Bidens memory have become part of the running Republican narrative that he isnt suited to remain in the Oval Office as president for another four years.

The interview tapes could either reinforce or refute that narrative, though GOP lawmakers are adamant that Biden and Garland blocking their release means they could be damaging to his reelection bid.

The House voted 216-207 earlier this month to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for not turning over audio tapes of the Hur-Biden interview after the Oversight and Judiciary committees issued a subpoena.

Garland released a written statement afterward that it was deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon.

Todays vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Departments need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees, Garland wrote. I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.

Biden, Democrats presumptive nominee for president, will debate former President Donald Trump, Republicans presumptive nominee for president, on Thursday night in Atlanta, Georgia.

The two are expected to hold a second debate in September, well before voters head to the polls in November.

The post U.S. House GOP to file suit over Biden audio tapes, as inherent contempt vote looms appeared first on Michigan Advance.
U.S. Marine from Newton deployed overseas twice during the war in Afghanistan

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW)  He joined the U.S. Marine Corps eight years after he graduated from high school. He was deployed over the Pacific and later over the Atlantic. He was a machine gunner and an IED detection dog handler.

Like so many other young kids, Anthony Barber loved playing with his GI Joes. The difference between Barber and most kids is he grew up and became a GI Joe. But not right away.

I was always a fan of action movies, like Rambo and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, anything like that. I always looked up to them, said Barber. They were cool and pretty tough and always did the right thing. And I loved GI Joes as a kid.

Barber, whose family moved to Newton in 1995, graduated from Newton High School in 2001. Then, he found a job.

After high school, I worked at the Wichita Greyhound Park from 2002 to when it closed in 07, he said.

It wasnt until 2008 that he began thinking about a career in the military. He started talking to recruiters about which branch he wanted to join.

At the age of 27, Barber decided he wanted to be a U.S. Marine.

I wanted to have the toughest challenge that I read about and to see if I can push myself because being a little bit older, I knew it wasnt gonna be as easy as the 18, 19, and 20-year-olds. But I figured, if I was fit enough and I had enough heart, I could do it, he said.

Barber was tested from the start. He was sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego for three long months of training.

It was tough. I will be completely honest. I never wanted to quit, but I can see why people did because it was physically, mentally, and emotionally tough, said Barber. They break you down and build you back up.

After completing basic in San Diego, Barber had two months of Infantry Training Battalion at Camp Pendleton, California, where he was being prepared to be an infantryman.

I was learning the machine gun weapon systems. The SAW is what they call it: squad automatic weapon because they knew I was a little bit bigger guy than some of them, and I would have a heavier weapon. So, they made sure I knew the nomenclature, the ins and outs, how it runs, he said. Afterwards, I went to my unit in the summer of 2010. Im sent to Fox Company, First Marine Division, Second Battalion, Fifth Marine Regiment.

Early in 2011, I was deployed to Okinawa, Japan, where the whole battalion meets, and then we get on a ship called the USS Germantown and sail to Thailand, where we trained with the Thailand Marines, Barber recalled.

At night, the U.S. Marines boarded boats and raided the beaches of Thailand in what is called Marine Raider Training.

In 2011, Barber returned to the States and eventually ended up at K2 Solutions in North Carolina for K9 training.

He was going to be a dog handler. Barber trained an IED detection dog, a yellow lab named Taffy, for four months.

Together, they were sent to Afghanistan.

And as soon as the rest of the battalion got there and the company got there, we started doing patrols and going to work. Finding IEDs in towns, caches of weapons, caches of drugs, such as heroin and opium. She found a bomb on the bridge. A bomb in a wall, he said.

Barber explained Taffy had a $40,000 bounty on her head. She was that good. Barber worked with Taffy for almost 1.5 years.

Of course, Taffy didnt talk, but Barbers buddies sure did.

Oh yeah, I heard them all the time. All the old man jokes. The Archie Ball Henderson. Hes the oldest Marine in the Marine Corps ever known. So, yep, got a lot of wrinkle jokes, gray hair jokes. Hows my back doing? Are you gonna make it, old man?' he said with a laugh.

After serving nine months in Afghanistan, Barber came back to the states. He was discharged on Nov. 30, 2013.

After I got out, I worked for El Dorado Correctional Facility, and I liked it because it had the same kind of structure. But I only worked there for just a couple of years, and then I wanted to do something different. It wasnt what I thought it was going to be, he said.

Barber has found his spot at the Newton City-County Airport.

Now, I work for the City of Newton. Ive got an amazing job of this small, amazing crew. I work for the Aviation Division at the Newton airport, he said with a smile. I fuel planes. I do maintenance on hangers. I do landscaping with mowing and weed eating. Any odd jobs they have. Anything that comes up, me and my small crew, we take care of it.

Barber says what hes most proud of is being a dog handler because it was something that came naturally to him, and he says he was great at it. He and Taffy formed a great team. Its been 12 years since he said goodbye to Taffy, and he misses her dearly.

If you want to nominate a veteran for our Veteran Salute, email KSN reporter Jason Lamb at jason.lamb@ksn.com.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Tokyo  Japan's government is calling for stricter oversight of U.S. troops stationed in the country after a soldier was charged over the alleged sexual assault of a Japanese teenager in Okinawa. Prosecutors in the southern island region charged the U.S. soldier in March, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Tuesday.



Local media said the 25-year-old man had been accused of assault, adding that he knew the girl was under 16, the age of consent in Japan.



The government expressed "regret" to U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel over the incident and called for stronger oversight of behavior by military personnel, Hayashi said.



Okinawa accounts for just 0.6% of Japan's land mass but hosts about 70% of all the U.S. military bases and facilities in the country.

The U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is seen from Kakazutakadai Park in Ginowan, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, August 23, 2022. / Credit: PHILIP FONG/AFP/Getty

A litany of base-related woes has long grieved Okinawans, from pollution and noise to helicopter crashes and COVID-19 outbreaks, leading to complaints that they bear the brunt of hosting troops.

The 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. soldiers in Okinawa prompted widespread calls for a rethink of a 1960 pact that outlined the legal status of Japan-based U.S. military personnel.



Okinawa governor Denny Tamaki voiced his "strong indignation" at the latest case.



"That something like this was done to a minor not only causes great fear to local residents living side-by-side with U.S. bases but tramples on the dignity of women," he told reporters. "The excessive burden of hosting military bases is an everyday matter for us, and is intolerable."

Participants speak against the construction of U.S. military bases in Okinawa, in southern Japan, as they take part in a rally for peace on Constitution Day in Tokyo, May 3, 2024. / Credit: RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/Getty

Anti-base sentiment in Okinawa has been displayed in particular over a plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

While the central government wants to move the base to a less populated part of Okinawa's main island, many locals would prefer it be transferred elsewhere in the country. A nationwide poll by broadcaster NHK in 2022 found 80% of Japanese consider the current disproportionate distribution of U.S. forces "wrong" or "somewhat wrong."

The latest point of test for U.S.-Japanese ties comes at a crucial time, with concern over nuclear-armed North Korea's ongoing weapons tests rising along with tension between Washington and China over Beijing's increasingly assertive stance on Taiwan's status and its territorial disputes with other nations.

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US Supreme Court faults SEC's use of in-house judges in latest curbs on agency powers

FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C.

FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C.

By Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional the Securities and Exchange Commission's in-house enforcement of laws protecting investors against securities fraud, dealing a blow on Thursday to the agency's powers in a ruling that could reverberate through other federal regulators.

The decision, a setback for President Joe Biden's administration, upheld a lower court's ruling siding with a Texas-based hedge fund manager who contested the legality of the SEC's actions against him after the agency determined he had committed securities fraud.

The 6-3 decision was authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, with the court's conservative justices in the majority and the liberal justices dissenting. The court ruled that agency proceedings seeking penalties for fraud that are handled by SEC itself instead of in federal court violate the U.S. Constitution's Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial.

"The SEC's anti-fraud provisions replicate common law fraud, and it is well established that common law claims must be heard by a jury," Roberts wrote.

It was the latest decision curbing the authority of U.S. agencies powered by the Supreme Court's conservatives, who have indicated skepticism toward expansive federal regulatory power.

Thursday's ruling opens the door to challenges to other federal agencies in-house enforcement schemes, as the liberal justices expressed doubt that the decision can be limited only to fraud actions pursued by the SEC.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the three liberals, called the decision "a massive sea change," adding that "the constitutionality of hundreds of statutes may now be in peril, and dozens of agencies could be stripped of their power to enforce laws enacted by Congress."

The SEC said it is reviewing the ruling's impact on its administrative proceedings, noting that during the past several years it has prevailed in federal court cases that had "industry-wide implications."

"The SEC will continue to protect investors and enforce the federal securities laws," SEC enforcement division chief Gurbir Grewal said.

The case involved hedge fund manager George Jarkesy, who the SEC fined and barred from the industry after determining he had committed securities fraud. He responded with a lawsuit challenging the legality of the SEC's system.

Jarkesy was supported in the case by numerous conservative and business groups, which long have complained about the regulatory reach of the federal "administrative state" in areas such as energy, the environment, climate policy, workplace safety and financial regulation.

Biden's administration appealed a 2022 decision against the SEC by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The SEC, which enforces various U.S. laws that protect investors, in recent years has faced a series of legal attacks. The Supreme Court in 2018 faulted the way the SEC selected its in-house judges. In 2023 rulings in cases involving the SEC and Federal Trade Commission, the court made it easier for targets of agency actions to mount challenges in federal court.

SEC critics have said it has an unfair advantage litigating cases before its home-turf judges rather than before a jury in federal court.

As a practical matter, SEC cases going forward will not look that different, according to David Fredrickson, a former SEC official.

"Because of the uncertainty, it has been bringing fraud actions for penalties in district court," Fredrickson said.

However, because enforcement actions at many other agencies resemble fraud or other common law claims, Thursday's decision "indicates that all of those actions will now have to be tried before an independent federal judge and a jury," said attorney Andrew Pincus, who has argued cases before the Supreme Court.

'POWER GRAB'

The justices in their written opinions on Thursday clashed over what the ruling means for the separation of powers delineated in the U.S. Constitution between the federal government's co-equal judicial, executive and legislative branches.

Sotomayor criticized the ruling as elevating the judiciary and the Supreme Court over the other branches, calling it a "power grab."

"Judicial aggrandizement is as pernicious to the separation of powers as any aggrandizing action from either of the political branches," Sotomayor wrote.

The view outlined by the liberal justices, Roberts wrote, "would permit Congress to concentrate the roles of prosecutor, judge and jury in the hands of the executive branch."

The SEC pursued 270 new in-house proceedings in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, compared to 231 in federal court.

Since the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling, most SEC administrative proceedings are now handled by the commission itself, with very few - as of March, just two - proceeding before administrative law judges.

The SEC in 2011 began investigating Jarkesy, who founded two hedge funds with his Houston-based investment advisory firm, Patriot28 LLC. The funds had about 120 investors and roughly $24 million in assets under management.

An SEC administrative judge found that Jarkesy and his firm unlawfully misrepresented the identity of the auditor of the funds and value of the holdings. The SEC ordered them to pay a $300,000 civil penalty and Patriot28 to disgorge nearly $685,000 in ill-gotten gains. The 5th Court threw out the SEC's decision.

In a statement, Jarkesy voiced gratitude for Thursday's ruling, decrying "a decade of gross misconduct and blatantly unconstitutional political attacks from the SEC and their in-house court."

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Additional reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Will Dunham)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday paused a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan to reduce the amount of smog that drifts across state borders from industrial facilities like power plants.

The 5-4 opinion is the latest in a conflict over the federal agencys good neighbor rule, announced in March 2023, which requires Texas and 22 other states to cut emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that contribute to ozone pollution in neighboring states.

Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, along with the steel industry and other groups, challenged the federal rule in a 2023 lawsuit calling it costly and ineffective. The court ruled Thursday that the federal government did not give an explanation for how the plan would work with fewer participating states, since the rule is on hold in Texas and 11 other states.

Ground-level ozone, a component of smog, can irritate and inflame the lungs. It can make it difficult for some people to breathe, triggering respiratory problems like asthma attacks or aggravating chronic bronchitis, according to the EPA.

Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA sets air quality standards, which requires states to submit plans detailing how they will comply with federal air rules called the State Implementation Plan.

One of those requirements is the good neighbor rule, which addresses the fact that air pollution can drift over wide areas and cross state lines  which means pollution migrating from so-called upwind states like Texas, with its massive petrochemical industry, could push neighboring states out of compliance with federal air standards.

If the EPA decides that an upwind states plan to control such pollution isnt adequate, the agency will write its own plan for that state.

In 2022, Texas, along with 20 other states, turned in plans that the EPA rejected as inadequate. Texas sued the EPA over that ruling in February. An email from the Texas attorney generals office at the time said that the rule that would undercut states authority and efforts to properly regulate their own environment.

The following month, the EPA revised its smog plan, which aims to provide a national solution to the ozone pollution problem. The federal agency said that the good neighbor plan will prevent approximately 1,300 premature deaths nationally and reduce hospital and emergency room visits for thousands of people with asthma and other respiratory problems by 2026.

But Texas sued again, challenging the revised plan.

While Texas is not actively involved in the Supreme Court case, Victor Flatt, an environmental law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, said the Supreme Courts decision to pause the plan will influence legal challenges like Texas as they proceed in lower courts.

The hope of some of the plaintiffs is that there will be a different administration in the future that will eventually repeal [the rule] or not let it go into effect, he said.

But Flatt said that will not work, because the Clean Air Act requires states to meet specific air quality standards for six air pollutants, including ozone.

In Texas, ozone season runs from March to November. Hot, sunny days make smog worse because sunlight and high temperatures accelerate reactions between volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides to form ozone.

As average temperatures increase in Texas, driven by climate change, it has made those conditions even more common. Cities like Houston and Dallas have experienced an increase in ozone action days, which are days when ozone levels are unhealthy for children, pregnant women, older adults and people with preexisting respiratory conditions.

Environmental lawyers and advocates say the Supreme Courts ruling means the industry will not be obligated to comply with the federal rule until the pause is lifted.

[The court] is second guessing EPA policies and showing that this six-justice supermajority is really interested in being a deregulatory force in reducing the ability of regulatory agencies, said Sambhav Sankar, a senior vice president for programs for the nonprofit Earthjustice.

Others are worried smog will contribute to more respiratory problems if no pollution reductions are in place.

The pollution problem doesnt disappear regardless of the stay, said Megan Herzog, an attorney for Donahue, Goldberg & Herzog representing the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.

With the pause, the upwind states are temporarily off the hook for their pollution traveling across state borders, but the downwinds are going to have to do more, Herzog added. And that means people are going to have more asthma and respiratory problems.

Disclosure: Environmental Defense Fund has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  The end of an era at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

On Wednesday, the university said farewell to its longtime chancellor.

UAPB student shares experience of surviving Russian invasion of Ukraine

Laurance B. Alexander has been UAPBs leader for over a decade.

The school held a farewell celebration on Wednesday to show appreciation for his achievements over the years.

Alexander, who has been at UAPB since 2013, is leaving to be the new chancellor at the University of Michigan in Flint.

He says he is proud of the universitys success and is leaving its future in good hands.

Its bittersweet leaving here but it is a great time because we have great leaders in place who can carry on, Alexander said.

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff names Andrea Stewart interim chancellor

The university has named Andrea Stewart as its interim chancellor, effective July 1.

Stewart, who is currently provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at UAPB, will lead the national search for Alexanders permanent replacement.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK.
In recent months, Russia has terrorized Ukraines front-line troops and nearby cities with glide bombs. They are large, free-fall bombs with pop-out wings and satellite navigation, which operate similarly to weapons equipped with the United States precision-guided, aerial Joint Direct Attack Munition.

Currently, Ukraine has few counters to glide bomb strikes.

As Ukraine gains new Western arms and technologies, it can better address the threat. But the West will also need to show more flexibility in the conditions it sets for Ukraines use of advanced weaponry.

Glide bombs are cheap. Russia is firing hundreds a week at Ukrainian targets at and behind the front lines. These bombs are small and difficult to spot on radar. They do not use propulsion or emit a detectable heat signature. Russian aircraft launch glide bombs dozens of miles behind the front lines, in relative sanctuary.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that 3,000 glide bombs hit targets in March. More Patriot air defenses were needed, he said, to stop the bombs from wreaking destruction on infrastructure. The U.S. is sending more Patriots, but interceptors are expensive. The cost-exchange ratio is unfavorable.

The most practical counter to glide bombs is to destroy the launching aircraft  on the ground or in the air. This can be done by employing a mix of tactical missiles, air-to-air capabilities and electronic warfare.

Ukraine is skillfully using tactical missiles and drones against ground targets. In May, long-range (as in 186 miles) U.S.-produced Army Tactical Missile Systems destroyed three advanced combat aircraft in Crimea.

In June, Ukraine fired at least 70 of its own drones against a faraway Russian airfield, possibly destroying three aircraft configured to launch glide bombs.

Under recently relaxed U.S. policy, Ukraine can fire Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, at forces in Russia that are attacking or about to attack Ukraine. But Ukrainians say this applies only to targets 60 or so miles inside Russia. The U.S. may be wise to permit ATACMS to strike distant airfields.

If even longer ranges are needed, the U.S. might provide air-launched, ground-attack Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles. The Finnish and Polish air forces rely on these low-observable arms.

Incoming Western equipment could offer a second way to neutralize glide bombs. Ukraine may soon acquire European F-16 fighters and two Swedish airborne early warning and control, or AEW&C, aircraft.

Pairing them would create a new capability, especially if the U.S. provided long-range (or 20-plus-mile) Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles. They could strike many aircraft before bombs were launched. Radar-guided AMRAAMs have a range longer than glide bombs.

Saab AEW&C aircraft will be a force multiplier. They can identify targets out to some 250 nautical miles and detect airborne and ground-based radars. This is essential to track and destroy distant aircraft and air defenses.

Although Ukraines F-16s will be older, they will have many modern electronics. This may include Link 16, a NATO-standard system to exchange tactical data. Flying over Ukraine at a safe distance, the AEW&C aircraft could vector F-16s to targets. Some proficient Swedish air battle managers may be needed until Ukrainians are fully trained.

Over time, the U.S. might also assist Ukraine to build a more substantial air force. Some retired F-16s and U.S. Navy E-2 Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft stored in Arizona could be refurbished for Ukraine.

Electronic warfare offers a third way to defeat glide bombs, by confusing their GLONASS or GPS satellite navigation systems. Electronic warfare works better against some systems than others. To protect critical infrastructure, Ukraine would need powerful jammers to block satellite signals over a wide expanse.

A glide bomb may rely on a backup inertial guidance system should satellite navigation fail, but this is less accurate for precision targeting. Errors increase the farther the bomb flies without satellite guidance.

In warfare, silver bullets are rare. Fighting often requires multiple capabilities and innovative or flexible use. More of both will be needed to enable Ukraine to defeat the glide bomb threat. Long-range tactical missiles, F-16s and AEW&C aircraft, plus advanced electronic warfare tools  and more flexible U.S. policies for their use  could give Ukraine a potent force.

John Hoehn is an associate policy researcher at the think tank Rand. He was previously a military analyst with the Congressional Research Service. William Courtney is an adjunct senior fellow at Rand. He previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan, Georgia and the U.S.-Soviet Commission.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen have signed a security agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.

Source: correspondent of European Pravda in Brussels

Details: The agreement was signed in the European Council building ahead of a council meeting.

The document, entitled Joint Security Commitments between the European Union and Ukraine, differs significantly from bilateral security agreements between Ukraine and NATO member states. For example, the present agreement does not mention Ukraines future membership in the Alliance or the EUs support for it, as the EU includes states (such as Austria, Ireland) that are not NATO members, and Hungary, which generally refrains from supporting Ukraine.

The EU member states have unanimously agreed to sign the security agreement with Ukraine.

"This agreements greatest achievement is that it was agreed on and signed at all, despite Hungarys position," a high-ranking EU official told European Pravda.

Ukrainian sources underscore the importance of a provision that stipulates that Ukraine will continue receiving funds via the European Peace Facility (EPF).

"The Ukraine Assistance Fund recently created as part of the EPF will contribute an additional 5 billion in 2024 to ensure further military assistance and training, and further comparable annual increases may be provided until 2027, based on Ukraines needs and subject to the political guidance of the Council," the agreement reads.

Hungary publicly opposes the Ukraine fund and could have blocked the relevant provision in the text of the agreement  but did not.

Background:

On 24 June, EU countries approved the first tranche of military aid to Ukraine totalling up to 1.4 billion, sourced from frozen Russian assets.

EU officials have repeatedly criticised Hungary for blocking aid to Ukraine.

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BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China and France have worked together to build an international biodiversity research network, the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced on Thursday.

The research network was founded by research teams at CAS and the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and is dedicated to jointly responding to global concerns such as biodiversity loss, animal disease epidemics and ecosystem dysfunction.

Zhu Chaodong, the research network's executive director, said that in the future, the network will focus on the impacts and mechanisms of the environment, climate change and human disturbance on biodiversity loss and biological invasions.

It will also provide solutions for biodiversity conservation, and promote related public education and student training, Zhu added. 
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security agreement with the European Union on June 27 during the EU leaders summit in Brussels.

The document was signed by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the side of the EU.

According to the document, Ukraine commits to reforms on its path toward the EU, including in security, intelligence, and defense.

Ukraine must also strengthen transparency and accountability measures regarding assistance received, as well as contribute to the security of the EU.

The EU commits to continuing to support the provision of lethal and non-lethal military equipment and training to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and the Ukraine Assistance Fund.

The Ukraine Assistance Fund will have a budget of 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) for 2024, according to the security agreement.

The EU and its member states have assisted 108 billion euros (nearly $116 billion) to Ukraine so far, including 39 billion euros (nearly $42 billion) of military support.

"Further comparable annual increases could be envisaged until 2027, based on Ukrainian needs and subject to political guidance by the Council (of the European Union)," the deal read.

The European Union will continue to provide training to the security and defense forces of Ukraine, in particular via the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), and to expand the cooperation between defense industries of the EU and Ukraine.

"A stronger cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry will contribute to strengthening Ukraine's ability to defend itself and will benefit the European defense industry's capacity to support both member states' and Ukrainian needs," the statement said.

The EU and Ukraine will continue to cooperate on counteracting hybrid and cyber threats, foreign information manipulation, and interference, as well as protecting critical infrastructure and demining Ukrainian territories, including the Black Sea region.

The EU also commits to supporting Ukrainian nuclear safety, its energy sector, and its transformation in accordance with EU standards.

The EU will be assisting Ukraine with its path to the EU and related reforms, including Ukraine's economic reforms to integrate it into the EU single market.

Other chapters of the document are dedicated to the provision of protection for those Ukrainians who flee from the country due to Russia's full-scale invasion and further increase pressure on Russia in order to undermine its ability to wage its war of aggression, including imposing new sanctions.

"The European Union will continue to strive for the full and effective implementation of sanctions and for addressing and countering circumvention," the document read.

The European Union also undertakes to facilitate the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

"The European Union will also continue to support all stages of the accountability cycle from investigation to proper prosecution and trial, eventually ensuring reparation and compensation to the victims."

Read also: Ukraine to start talks on security agreement with Ireland, Presidential Office says

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The shortage of air defence missiles makes it impossible to cover the power system facilities that Ukraine has already repaired or is in the process of repairing.

Source: Dmytro Sakharuk, Executive Director of DTEK, in an interview with Kyiv Post; Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Sakharuk, Executive Director of DTEK, Ukraines largest private energy company, said that Ukraine's widespread shortage of critical air defence missiles is hampering its ability to protect its critical infrastructure from Russian strikes.

For every missile that Ukraine obtains to defend against Russian attacks on its power grid, Russia has five to six missiles to launch at Ukraine.

Sakharuk noted that if Russia launched 10 missiles at any target in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces would need to respond with at least 12 air defence missiles to repel such an attack.

He also stressed that the sharp difference between the required and actual ratio of Ukrainian air defence assets to attacking Russian missiles means that the lack of interceptor missiles makes it impossible to cover the power grid facilities that Ukraine has already repaired or is in the process of repairing.

Moreover, the ISW noted that Russia's campaign of air attacks on Ukraine's power grid had already severely limited Ukraine's electricity generation capacity, and Russian forces have been able to exploit the air defence deficit caused by the lack of Western-supplied air defence systems to maximise damage to Ukraine's energy facilities throughout 2024.

To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 26 June:

The likely Islamic State (IS) affiliate Wilayat Kavkaz terrorist attacks in the Republic of Dagestan on 23 June have increased fears within the Russian information space about further attacks and instability in the North Caucasus.

The 23 June terrorist attacks in Dagestan also prompted Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov to double down on his image as a ruthless autocratic strongman capable of protecting the North Caucasus from religious extremism.

North Korea will reportedly send military construction and engineering forces to participate in "reconstruction work" in occupied Donetsk Oblast as early as July 2024.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia is not interested in any negotiations that do not result in Ukrainian territorial concessions beyond the parts of Ukraine Russian forces already occupy.

New Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov used his first phone call with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on 26 June to reiterate standard Russian threats meant to coerce the US out of supporting Ukraine as part of the wider Russian reflexive control campaign targeting Western decision-making.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 90 prisoners of war (POWs) each in a one-to-one POW exchange on 25 June amid United Nations (UN) reports of Russia's continued abuse of POWs.

Russia and Iran signed a memorandum on 26 June regarding the supply of Russian gas to Iran, following reported disagreements between Russia and the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the Russian supply of gas to the PRC.

Ukraines pervasive shortage of critical air defence missiles is inhibiting Ukraines ability to protect its critical infrastructure against Russian strikes.

Russian forces recently marginally advanced near Kupiansk.

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) published a report on 26 June detailing a significant increase in Russia's military equipment and weapons production in 2023.

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Ukrainian troops pushed Russian forces out of the Kanal neighborhood in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on June 21.

After capturing Avdiivka in February, Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially opens for Russia the way to further advances into Donetsk Oblast.

Russian troops refuse to give up on their intention of breaking through near Chasiv Yar towards other settlements in the area, Voloshyn said. Two assault operations are ongoing, he added.

"Ukrainian defenders are reliably holding the line in this area and are giving a rebuff to the Russian aggressor," the spokesperson said.

Russian troops continue intensive shelling of Chasiv Yar, including with TOS-1 "Solntsepek" multiple rocket launchers, according to Voloshyn.

"This is a terrible weapon that hits with thermobaric rockets," said Ukraine's 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, whose units were redeployed to bolster the defense of Chasiv Yar, sharing on June 26 a video which shows the town under Russia's attack.

The most fierce fighting is ongoing in the area of the Siversky Donets  Donbas canal, the military said.

Russian forces have ramped up their offensive in Donetsk Oblast, focusing one of their main efforts on Chasiv Yar.

By attacking nearby settlements such as Ivanivske, Moscow is attempting to encircle the town, whose capture would allow further advances into the region.

Read also: With all eyes on Kharkiv, Russian troops take one Donbas village after another

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Editor's note: This story is being updated.

Kyiv signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with Estonia and Lithuania at the Brussels summit on June 26, Ukraine's Presidential Office reported.

The two nations have joined 17 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France, that have signed similar bilateral treaties to help Kyiv repel Russia's aggression. The agreements are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) last July.

Earlier in the day on June 26, Kyiv also signed a security deal with the European Union.

Tallinn and Vilnius will provide Ukraine with long-term military and financial assistance, according to the agreements.

Estonia is expected to supply Ukraine with defense aid worth more than 100 million euro ($107 million) this year and will allocate at least 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually for military support in 20242027, according to the deal.

The document sets out certain components of long-term military assistance, including the types of Estonia-supplied weapons, such as artillery, anti-tank missiles, rifles, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare equipment.

Kyiv and Tallinn will also will launch a regular "strategic dialogue" to discuss security and defense issues in both countries. The two nations also are expected to deepen cooperation in the field of the military-industrial complex.

Vilnius will aim to allocate 0.25% of its GDP annually to support Ukraine's security and defense and will continue to provide humanitarian aid, according to the pact.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda. (Presidential Office)

"Lithuania will also potentially resume a military training mission in Ukraine," the statement read.

Lithuania also promised to provide Ukraine with security support and modern military equipment in the land, air, maritime, space, and cyber spheres.

The two countries agreed to counter hybrid threats and nuclear risks, as well as strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and cooperation in the field of intelligence.

Some blocks of the deal relate to bringing Russia to justice, strengthening sanctions against Moscow, and working on a compensation mechanism.

Read also: Ukraine-US 10-year security deal: 5 key takeaways

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has signed bilateral agreements with two EU and NATO member states on 27 June, as well as a security agreement with the EU.

Source: European Pravda correspondent in Brussels

Details: The signing ceremony was held before the start of the Council of Europe meeting (EU Summit), to which Ukraines president was also invited. Zelenskyy signed agreements with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Thus the number of security agreements signed by Ukraine with its partners has reached 20.

So far the texts of the signed agreements have not been made public but it is known that both Estonia and Lithuania firmly support Ukraines NATO accession, and both Nauseda and Kallas had declared their commitments to allocate not less than 0.25% of their GDP for the military aid for Ukraine.

On 27 June Ukraine also signed a security agreement with financial commitments with the EU.

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Key developments on June 27:

Ukraine, EU sign security agreement in Brussels

Ukraine signs long-term security deals with Estonia, Lithuania

Russian chemical plant reportedly targeted by drone attack

Ukraine repels Russian troops from eastern Chasiv Yar neighborhood, military says

Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join military fighting in Ukraine, official says

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security agreement with the European Union on June 27 during the EU leaders summit in Brussels.

The document was signed by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the side of the EU.

According to the document, Ukraine commits to reforms on its path toward the EU, including in security, intelligence, and defense.

Ukraine must also strengthen transparency and accountability measures regarding assistance received, as well as contribute to the security of the EU.

The EU commits to continuing to support the provision of lethal and non-lethal military equipment and training to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility and the Ukraine Assistance Fund.

The Ukraine Assistance Fund will have a budget of 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) for 2024, according to the security agreement.

The EU and its member states have assisted 108 billion euros (nearly $116 billion) to Ukraine so far, including 39 billion euros (nearly $42 billion) of military support.

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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko

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"Further comparable annual increases could be envisaged until 2027, based on Ukrainian needs and subject to political guidance by the Council (of the European Union)," the deal read.

The European Union will continue to provide training to the security and defense forces of Ukraine, in particular via the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), and to expand the cooperation between defense industries of the EU and Ukraine.

"A stronger cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry will contribute to strengthening Ukraine's ability to defend itself and will benefit the European defense industry's capacity to support both member states' and Ukrainian needs," the statement said.

The EU and Ukraine will continue to cooperate on counteracting hybrid and cyber threats, foreign information manipulation, and interference, as well as protecting critical infrastructure and demining Ukrainian territories, including the Black Sea region.

The EU also commits to supporting Ukrainian nuclear safety, its energy sector, and its transformation in accordance with EU standards.

The EU will be assisting Ukraine with its path to the EU and related reforms, including Ukraine's economic reforms to integrate it into the EU single market.

Other chapters of the document are dedicated to the provision of protection for those Ukrainians who flee from the country due to Russia's full-scale invasion and further increase pressure on Russia in order to undermine its ability to wage its war of aggression, including imposing new sanctions.

"The European Union will continue to strive for the full and effective implementation of sanctions and for addressing and countering circumvention," the document read.

The European Union also undertakes to facilitate the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

"The European Union will also continue to support all stages of the accountability cycle from investigation to proper prosecution and trial, eventually ensuring reparation and compensation to the victims."

Read also: Opinion: The EU needs to shift focus as war returns to Europe

Ukraine signs long-term security deals with Estonia, Lithuania

Kyiv signed 10-year bilateral security agreements with Estonia and Lithuania at the Brussels summit on June 26, Ukraine's Presidential Office reported.

The two nations have joined 17 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France, that have signed similar bilateral treaties to help Kyiv repel Russia's aggression. The agreements are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) last July.

Earlier in the day on June 26, Kyiv also signed a security deal with the European Union.

Tallinn and Vilnius will provide Ukraine with long-term military and financial assistance,according to the agreements.

Estonia is expected to supply Ukraine with defense aid worth more than 100 million euro ($107 million) this year and will allocate at least 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually for military support in 20242027, according to the deal.

The document sets out certain components of long-term military assistance, including the types of Estonia-supplied weapons, such as artillery, anti-tank missiles, rifles, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare equipment.

Kyiv and Tallinn will also will launch a regular "strategic dialogue" to discuss security and defense issues in both countries. The two nations also are expected to deepen cooperation in the field of the military-industrial complex.

Vilnius will aim to allocate 0.25% of its GDP annually to support Ukraine's security and defense and will continue to provide humanitarian aid, according to the pact.

"Lithuania will also potentially resume a military training mission in Ukraine," the statementread.

Lithuania also promised to provide Ukraine with security support and modern military equipment in the land, air, maritime, space, and cyber spheres.

The two countries agreed to counter hybrid threats and nuclear risks, as well as strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure and cooperation in the field of intelligence.

Some blocks of the deal relate to bringing Russia to justice, strengthening sanctions against Moscow, and working on a compensation mechanism.

Russian chemical plant reportedly targeted by drone attack

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed on June 27 that Tver Oblast came under drone attack overnight, hours after Russian Telegram channels claimed a major chemical research plant in the region had been targeted.

Images and videos shared by local residents on Russian Telegram channels appeared to show a large explosion, purportedly in the area of the Redkinsky Experimental Plant.

The Redkinsky plant is located around 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Moscow, and over 500 kilometers (315 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The Redkinsky plant is an experimental facility that produces chemicals primarily for the aviation and space industries, such as chemicals that make up fuel.

According to its website, the plant is "one of the largest chemical production facilities in Tver Oblast," with 700 employees, and "has an advantageous geographical location close to the railway and Moscow-St. Petersburg highway."

"The plant has been focused on conducting experimental work in the field of chemical industry since the early 1950s," the plant website says.

Tver Oblast Governor Igor Rudenya claimed that a drone was downed over Konakovsky district in Tver Oblast, the same area in which the Redkinsky plant is located.

The situation in Konakovsky district is "under control," Rudenya claimed, adding that there were no casualties and emergency services were at the scene.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the attack was thwarted, and four drones were downed over Tver Oblast, two were downed over Moscow Oblast, and one drone was downed over Belgorod Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.

Read also: Source: Military intelligence stops traffic on Kerch bridge, collapses accounting systems in Crimea

Ukraine repels Russian troops from eastern Chasiv Yar neighborhood, military says

Ukrainian troops pushed Russian forces out of the Kanal neighborhood in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, told Interfax Ukraine on June 21.

After capturing Avdiivka in February, Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially opens for Russia the way to further advances into Donetsk Oblast.

Russian troops refuse to give up on their intention of breaking through near Chasiv Yar towards other settlements in the area, Voloshyn said. Two assault operations are ongoing, he added.

"Ukrainian defenders are reliably holding the line in this area and are giving a rebuff to the Russian aggressor," the spokesperson said.

Russian troops continue intensive shelling of Chasiv Yar, including with TOS-1 "Solntsepek" multiple rocket launchers, according to Voloshyn.

"This is a terrible weapon that hits with thermobaric rockets," said Ukraine's 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, whose units were redeployed to bolster the defense of Chasiv Yar, sharing on June 26 a video which shows the town under Russia's attack.

The most fierce fighting is ongoing in the area of the Siversky Donets  Donbas canal, the military said.

Russian forces have ramped up their offensive in Donetsk Oblast, focusing one of their main efforts on Chasiv Yar.

By attacking nearby settlements such as Ivanivske, Moscow is attempting to encircle the town, whose capture would allow further advances into the region.

Read also: With all eyes on Kharkiv, Russian troops take one Donbas village after another

Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join military fighting in Ukraine, official says

Russia has sent around 10,000 immigrants who recently received citizenship to join the military fighting in Ukraine, said Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin at a press conference on June 27.

The individuals are reportedly in Ukraine to "dig trenches and build fortifications," Bastrykin said, implying they might not be directly involved in combat operations.

The 10,000 individuals are out of 30,000 new citizens authorities have reportedly "caught" who shirked their obligation to register for military service, he added.

In October 2023, Bastrykin suggested that individuals who recently received Russian passports but declined to serve in the military could have their citizenship revoked.

Military service is mandatory in Russia for all men aged 18-27, although Russia has vastly widened the scope of who it seeks to see in the military after huge losses suffered in its war against Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on March 31 to conscript 150,000 citizens as part of the regularly occurring spring conscription campaign, but conscripts are not officially allowed to be sent to fight abroad.

Russia has sought to replenish its military ranks through other means, including the recruitment of migrants and new Russian citizens, likely hoping to avoid changing the rules on conscript deployment or a repeat of the unpopular mobilization drive in the fall of 2022.

Migrant workers have also been sent to occupied parts of Ukraine ostensibly for construction work. However, after they arrive, reports allege that their passports are confiscated, and they are pressured to go fight.

Russia has also attempted to recruit foreigners directly from countries in the surrounding region, such as Kazakhstan or Armenia.

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After China announced broad measures to rescue its economy, Chinese stocks surged, our Chart of the Week shows. It's not the first time the country has attempted to get out of the recent doldrums, but the market's reaction says this time might be different.
Ukraine's Defence Ministry has launched the process of changing the leadership and reorganising the Main Office for Logistics Development and Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).

Source: press service of Ukraine's Defence Ministry

Details: In addition, the press service noted that the Ministry of Defence's Procurement Policy Office initiated the creation of a collegial body tasked with organising the logistics development for the AFU. This body will review existing technical documentation and ensure the adoption of new standards aligned with NATO practices and standards.

"Some of the technical specifications were developed several years ago and no longer meet the requirements of a major war. Our goal is to revise all specifications to enable as many local producers as possible to compete in tenders [held by] the State Logistics Operator and to supply the Armed Forces with high-quality logistics products," said Hlib Kanievskyi, Head of the Procurement Policy Office of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence.

Background:

NGL.media, a Ukrainian anti-corruption centre, reported on the latest procurement of flasks for the Ukrainian military worth UAH 54 million (roughly US$1.3 million). These are simple flasks for drinking water. Procurement officials from Ukraine's Defence Ministry, operating through the State Logistics Operator, purchased these flasks for UAH 355 (around US$8.7) each. It was discovered that these flasks were Chinese-made replicas priced three times higher than their actual cost. In contrast, Ukraine's National Guard recently acquired flasks from a Ukrainian manufacturer for UAH 198 (about US$4.8) each.

Investigation project Nashi Hroshi noted that representatives of the Central Office for Development and Support of Material Supply of the Ministry of Defence are to blame for the high price of Chinese-made items. This is the unit that devises technical aspects for the contractors it needs.

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Ukraine's defenders down 5 missiles and 23 drones overnight, only failing to destroy Kinzhal missile

Ukrainian defenders downed 5 of 6 missiles and all 23 drones launched by the Russians on the night of 26-27 June. The country's defence forces failed to shoot down only one Kinzhal missile.

Source: Ukraines Air Force; Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force

Details: The Russians conducted missile strikes and airstrikes on Ukraine on the night of 26-27 June, deploying air- and sea-launched missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones.

Fighter aircraft and anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force as well as mobile fire groups and electronic warfare units of Ukraines defence forces were involved in repelling the Russian air attack.

In total, the Russians used 6 missiles of various types and 23 strike UAVs, namely:

1 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missile (launched from Russias Tambov Oblast)

4 Kalibr cruise missiles (from northeastern part of the Black Sea)

1 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missile (from Russias Kursk Oblast)

23 Shahed-131/136 UAVs (from Russias Primorsko-Akhtarsk).

As a result of combat efforts, 28 aerial targets were downed:

4 Kalibr cruise missiles

1 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missile

23 Shahed-131/136 UAVs.

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Ukraines border guards have repelled a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group attack toward the village of Sotnytskyi Kozachok in Kharkiv Oblast on 26 June.

Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, on air during the 24/7 national joint newscast

Quote: "The enemy attempted to conduct military operations toward the settlement of Sotnytskyi Kozachok in Kharkiv Oblast yesterday. A sabotage and reconnaissance group entered Ukrainian territory, sparking a firefight preceded by enemy firing from other weaponry.

Fortunately, border guards have repelled this attack. Anti-sabotage reserves were dispatched to conduct a mop-up operation in the area."

Details: Despite a general decrease in sabotage and reconnaissance group activities and border attacks from Russia and Belarus in June, the border guard emphasised that defence forces must remain prepared for similar situations on any front.

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JOHANNESBURG, June 27 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday expressed his profound sadness at the deaths of two soldiers and injuries to 20 others in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The casualties of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) members were inflicted by a mortar attack on one of their bases in the town of Sake, in the eastern DRC, Tuesday.

In a statement issued Thursday, Ramaphosa offered his "deep condolences" to the families of the fallen troops as well as their commanders and colleagues.

"The president's thoughts are also with the SANDF members who are recovering from their injuries," the statement said.

Ramaphosa assured the bereaved families and the injured troops that the SANDF would take the utmost care to provide the necessary logistical and psychosocial support to all those affected.

"As we mourn the deaths and casualties inflicted on our soldiers, we value and are humbled by the sacrifices they have made for the cause of peace and stability in our region, and they shall not be forgotten," he said.

According to the statement, the South African soldiers are part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC, which was deployed in December 2023 to support DRC government efforts to restore peace and security in the eastern part of the country. 
Ukrainian government refutes reports of EU plans to impose duties on eggs and sugar from Ukraine

The Ukrainian government has checked media reports, claiming that the EU plans to launch a safeguard duty mechanism on more Ukrainian goods in the coming days, and they have not been confirmed.

Source: Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, told European Pravda in Brussels

Details: Stefanishyna, currently on a working visit to European institutions, insists that the EU has no such plans. "No new decisions on the reintroduction of duties on Ukrainian goods by the EU are being planned for the time being," she said.

Therefore, the official insisted that the information disseminated by the Financial Times, claiming that the EU intends to reintroduce duties on imports of Ukrainian sugar and eggs as early as 28 June, was false.

Background: In the spring, the EU created a safeguard mechanism to restrict free trade with Ukraine. In June, this mechanism was applied for the first time and covered only one import item  Ukrainian oats. "Trade liberalisation between Ukraine and the EU is still in place," said Stefanishyna, stressing that she does not anticipate any new restrictions.

Earlier, the Financial Times claimed that the EU would reintroduce duties on Ukrainian eggs and sugar, using a safeguard mechanism in case of the exports exceeding quota.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and European Council President Charles Michel answer questions from journalists on the first day of the European Council summit. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa

Ukraine is going to sign a security pact with the European Union, the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday.

Zelensky said the agreement was an important step towards Ukraine's "historic goal of peace and prosperity" in the EU in a post on X, ahead of his arrival to an EU leaders' summit in Brussels.

The agreement between the EU and Ukraine was drawn up after months of talks among the 27 EU member states to hammer out the pact to support the country's long-term security.

The security agreement will "enshrine the commitment of all 27 Member States to provide Ukraine with extensive support, regardless of any internal institutional changes," according to Zelenksy.

Celebrating again the start of Ukraine's membership negotiations to join the EU, Zelensky said he would meet EU leaders to thank them for "affirming the irreversibility of our European course."

Existing EU initiatives like training Ukrainian soldiers are expected to be set out again in the pact, as well as long-term commitments to supply Ukraine with artillery and air defence systems to help Kiev against the full-scale Russian invasion.

The accord with the EU is an important symbol of solidarity with Ukraine.

It follows the official start on Tuesday of negotiations for Ukraine to eventually join the bloc.

EU membership is a powerful motivator for Ukraine in their fight to defeat the Russian invasion of their country. Kiev also wants to join NATO in the future.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and French President Emmanuel Macron pose for a family photo on the first day of the European Council summit in Brussels. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security pact with the European Union at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

Zelensky signed the accord in a ceremony alongside European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The agreement between the EU and Ukraine was drawn up after months of talks among the 27 EU member states to hammer out the pact to support the country's long-term security.

As well as new plans for closer cooperation between the defence industry in Ukraine and the EU, a new EU-Ukraine crisis consulting procedure forms part of the pact.

Should Russia attack Ukraine again after the current invasion, or use nuclear weapons during the ongoing war, the EU and Ukraine are to hold emergency consultations within 24 hours at the request of either party to discuss possible support.

Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel shake hands on the first day of the European council summit in Brussels. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel shake hands on the first day of the European council summit in Brussels. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security pact with the European Union providing long-term assurances, at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

Zelensky signed the accord in a ceremony along with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Thanking EU leaders for their help, Zelensky called for more arms and stronger sanctions on the Kremlin as the "existing pressure on Russia" was not enough to stop the war.

The agreement between the EU and Ukraine was drawn up after months of talks among the 27 EU member states to hammer out the details. It is seen as a sign of unwavering EU support, despite political changes across the bloc that played out in this month's European elections.

As well as new plans for closer cooperation between the defence industry in Ukraine and the EU, a new EU-Ukraine crisis consulting procedure forms part of the pact.

Should Russia attack Ukraine again after the current invasion, or use nuclear weapons during the ongoing war, the EU and Ukraine are to hold emergency consultations within 24 hours at the request of either party to discuss possible support.

Existing EU initiatives like training Ukrainian soldiers are set out again, as well as long-term commitments to supply Ukraine with artillery and air defence systems to help Kiev against the full-scale Russian invasion.

Plans for greater cooperation defending against Russian cyber attacks and disinformation are also included.

Zelensky said the security agreement was an important step towards Ukraine's "historic goal of peace and prosperity" within the EU, in a message posted on X ahead of his arrival.

It follows the official start on Tuesday of negotiations for Ukraine to eventually join the bloc.

EU membership is a powerful motivator for Ukraine in the country's fight to defeat the Russian invasion. Kiev also wants to join NATO in the future.

The accord struck with the EU is similar to agreements going back to a NATO decision last July that individual allies would conclude bilateral deals to ensure Ukraine's long-term security.

Ukraine has already signed such arrangements with EU countries including Germany and France.

The United States and Ukraine signed their long-term security agreement at a recent G7 summit in Italy.

The agreements ensure that Ukraine will receive arms supplies and financial aid to help bridge the gap until the country's intended accession to NATO.

The timing of Zelensky's visit to Brussels was kept secret ahead of his arrival. For security reasons, Zelensky's travel plans are rarely announced in advance.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel shake hands on the first day of the European council summit in Brussels. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a security pact with the European Union providing long-term assurances, at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday.

Zelensky signed the accord in a ceremony along with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Thanking EU leaders for their help, Zelensky called for more arms and stronger sanctions on the Kremlin as the "existing pressure on Russia" was not enough to stop the war.

The agreement between the EU and Ukraine was drawn up after months of talks among the 27 EU member states to hammer out the details. It is seen as a sign of unwavering EU support, despite political changes across the bloc that played out in this month's European elections.

As well as new plans for closer cooperation between the defence industry in Ukraine and the EU, a new EU-Ukraine crisis consulting procedure forms part of the pact.

Should Russia attack Ukraine again after the current invasion, or use nuclear weapons during the ongoing war, the EU and Ukraine are to hold emergency consultations within 24 hours at the request of either party to discuss possible support.

Existing EU initiatives like training Ukrainian soldiers are set out again, as well as long-term commitments to supply Ukraine with artillery and air defence systems to help Kiev against the full-scale Russian invasion.

Plans for greater cooperation defending against Russian cyber attacks and disinformation are also included.

Zelensky said the security agreement was an important step towards Ukraine's "historic goal of peace and prosperity" within the EU, in a message posted on X ahead of his arrival.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the EU agreement with Ukraine as a "symbol of solidarity in difficult times."

It follows the official start on Tuesday of negotiations for Ukraine to eventually join the bloc.

EU membership is a powerful motivator for Ukraine in the country's fight to defeat the Russian invasion. Kiev also wants to join NATO in the future.

After the signing ceremony, Michel praised the Ukrainian president's leadership and said the EU would continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary.

"We know that you are fighting for your freedom, you are fighting for your land, for your future, for your children, but you are also fighting for our common values and principles," he said.

The accord struck with the EU is similar to agreements going back to a NATO decision last July that individual allies would conclude bilateral deals to ensure Ukraine's long-term security.

Ukraine has already signed such arrangements with EU countries including Germany and France.

The United States and Ukraine signed their long-term security agreement at a recent G7 summit in Italy.

The agreements ensure that Ukraine will receive arms supplies and financial aid to help bridge the gap until the country's intended accession to NATO.

The timing of Zelensky's visit to Brussels was kept secret ahead of his arrival. For security reasons, Zelensky's travel plans are rarely announced in advance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and French President Emmanuel Macron pose for a family photo on the first day of the European Council summit in Brussels. Benoit Doppagne/Belga/dpa
The Office of the President of Ukraine has published the text of the security agreement between Ukraine and the European Union as an association, which has just been signed in Brussels.

Source: European Pravda

Details: The document consists of a brief introductory section on common values, condemnation of Russia's war of aggression, the EU's readiness to support Ukraine in the long term, and Ukraine's European future.

The EU's military support and security commitments "will be provided in full respect of the security and defence policy of certain Member States and taking into account the security and defence interests of all Member States".

At the same time, Ukraine is committed to continuing a number of reforms envisaged by its European integration path in the security, intelligence and defence sectors. These include civilian oversight of the security and defence forces, the effectiveness and transparency of defence institutions, and the strengthening of the defence industry based on the European Defence Industrial Strategy.

Ukraine also commits to strengthening transparency and accountability measures for the assistance it receives and to "contribute positively to the security of the European Union and its Member States, including by sharing information and lessons learned as appropriate".

The main text of the document consists of a large block of commitments on security and defence, ranging from continued assistance with weapons and training for the Ukrainian military.

It also mentions cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defence industries, military and civilian mine action, civilian security sector reform and support for law enforcement; countering the proliferation of small arms, support for energy security, energy transition and nuclear security, as well as the exchange of intelligence and satellite imagery.

The second block, "Wider Security Commitments", contains sections on:

supporting Ukraine on its path to EU accession and necessary reforms,

continuing "diplomatic support to Ukraine and global outreach towards a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in Ukraine"

predictable financial support and support in reconstruction and modernisation;

gradual integration of Ukraine into the EU single market;

continued protection for Ukrainians in Europe and assistance to vulnerable groups within Ukraine;

maintaining and increasing sanctions pressure on Russia;

continuing to use the proceeds of frozen Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine;

support for mechanisms of accountability for international crimes, including the war crimes tribunal;

building regional cooperation.

The third block describes the mechanisms of consultations between Ukraine and the EU and stipulates that, in addition to the standard formats of political dialogue, the EU and Ukraine may hold extraordinary consultations by mutual agreement.

"In the event of future aggression, the European Union and Ukraine, at the request of either side, will consult within 24 hours on Ukraines needs as it exercises its right of self-defence enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter. The European Union and Ukraine will swiftly determine appropriate next steps, in accordance with these commitments, without prejudice to the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States," the document states.

It is possible to amend these provisions "in order to align with any mechanism that Ukraine may subsequently agree with its other international partners, including the participants in the Joint Declaration of 12 July 2023".

The document is closed with a formal Final Provisions section.

The agreement was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on behalf of Ukraine and by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel on behalf of the EU.

The EU member states unanimously agreed to sign the agreement.

Ukraine also signed bilateral agreements with Estonia and Lithuania in Brussels.

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The soldiers of the 24th Mechanised Brigade showed how the Russian army targets Chasiv Yar with a TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system.

Source: 24th Mechanised Brigade on Facebook

Quote: "The most fierce battles continue in the area of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal.

In order to oust the Ukrainian military, the Russians are destroying the city with a Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower system. TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems, which use thermobaric warheads, have a significant destructive effect due to the much more powerful damaging force and the explosive wave than conventional explosives of the same size."

Details: The soldiers further emphasised that because of the indiscriminate nature of this weapons operation, its employment near civilian settlements is prohibited by the Geneva Convention.

Subsequently, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States called for preventing Russia from wiping Chasiv Yar off the map.

Russia has been desperately trying to wipe out all thats left of #ChasivYar in the Donetsk region, targeting even damaged churches and civilian residential blocks of flats.



We must prevent Russia from turning it into a ghost city before it's too late.#ArmUkraineNow pic.twitter.com/IjhqKxGnVa  UKR Embassy in USA (@UKRintheUSA) June 27, 2024

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The foreign police are arriving nearly two years after Haiti first requested outside help to quell gang violence. | Credit: Clarens Siffroy / AFP via Getty Images

What happened

Some 400 Kenyan police officers arrived in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday to launch a long-awaited peacekeeping mission. The deployment is the first wave of an expected 2,500-person law enforcement effort sanctioned by the United Nations to combat gang violence roiling the Caribbean country.

Who said what

The Kenyan police will "face violent gangs that control 80% of Haiti's capital and have left more than 580,000 people across the country homeless," The Associated Press said. The mission is the "fourth major foreign military intervention in Haiti" since 1915. Haiti's previous government requested the outside help 20 months ago.



The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Chad and Jamaica said they will also contribute police or troops. The U.S. is providing most of the funding, logistics and supplies.

What next?

The international forces are expected to incrementally "tackle a long list of priorities, including retaking control of the country's main port and freeing major highways from criminal groups that demand money from drivers," The New York Times said. "Some gang leaders have threatened to respond to the arrival of the force with violence," The Washington Post said, while others have called for "dialogue."
The United Nations has warned that the continued danger to aid workers in Gaza is becoming increasingly intolerable as Israels ongoing military offensive in the enclave continues to block most humanitarian assistance and worsen an already devastating starvation crisis for Palestinians.

On Tuesday, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Muhannad Hadi, the bodys humanitarian coordinator, wrote on June 17 to the Israeli military about the dire aid situation. Gilles Michaud, the U.N.s undersecretary for security, spoke with the military on Monday, Dujarric added.

Humanitarian operations have repeatedly been in the crosshairs in Gaza, and I think you know the number of humanitarian workers that have been killed, Dujarric said. Weve repeatedly talked about humanitarian convoys shot at, and notably last Friday. Weve talked about areas that were deconflicted that were hit  hospitals, shelters and so on. And the risks, frankly, are becoming increasingly intolerable.

Eight months after Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Israeli soldiers have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza  in addition to virtually flattening most of the enclave  and more than 500 in the occupied West Bank, the latter of which is not governed by Hamas. As of May, more than 250 aid workers have been killed in the conflict, according to the U.N.

The U.N. has already suspended cooperation with the U.S.-built pier in southern Gaza since June 9, after the Israeli military used the area to kill more than 270 Palestinians in order to rescue four hostages.

Senior U.N. officials have warned Israel that they will suspend aid operations in Gaza entirely unless there is improved protection for the world bodys humanitarian workers, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

A letter U.N. officials sent earlier this month reportedly demanded that the Israeli government provide aid workers with a way to directly communicate with Israeli forces on the ground in Gaza, as well as protective equipment for the humanitarian staff.

Dujarric told reporters that the U.N. will not turn its back on the people of Gaza, and is just trying to find the space in which we operate within conditions that meet its requirements.

"I think you know the number of humanitarian workers that have been killed, said Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for the United Nations. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Were going to continue to work with the U.N. Weve been talking to the U.N. about seeing if we cant help get them personal protective gear and equipment, communications, radio communication, so that their truck drivers can feel a little bit more safe, U.S. national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday.

You cant very well blame these guys for being a little bit nervous about driving a truck into Gaza when their convoys and their trucks could be attacked by these criminal gangs and thugs, Kirby added. So were going to obviously work with them and the IDF to see what can be done about that.  But you know, it is a combat zone.

While U.S. and Israeli officials have blamed security concerns in Gaza on criminals and thugs, relief groups and their staff have repeatedly said that the danger is also coming from being shot at by the Israeli military  and from Palestinians overwhelming the trucks out of desperation, in addition to the general lawlessness resulting from mass death and displacement.

Aid workers also say the conditions have worsened since Israel invaded Rafah last month, preventing aid workers from accessing their bases in the southern Gaza city and blocking their ability to use one of the largest aid routes into the enclave. The main remaining crossing is Kerem Shalom, where aid convoys face violence and long delays at checkpoints.

In response to the latest assessment that found 96% of Gazas population facing acute food insecurity at crisis level or higher, the U.N.s World Food Programme said this week it is deeply concerned that the much reduced ability of humanitarian organizations to deliver critical assistance in the south is jeopardizing the progress made.

Hostilities in Rafah in May displaced more than a million people and severely limited humanitarian access. Meanwhile, the security vacuum has fostered lawlessness and disorder which severely hamper humanitarian operations, the group stated. WFP now fears that southern Gaza could soon see the same catastrophic levels of hunger previously recorded in the northern areas.

Trucks carrying medicine and medical supplies delivered by the World Health Organization arrive at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital with guidance from a United Nations official in Gaza City, Gaza, on June 23, 2024. Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Philippe Lazzarini, who heads the U.N. agency responsible for helping Palestinian refugees, acknowledged on Tuesday at a press conference in Geneva that there is very little positive news on the aid front  even after Israel announced this month that it would begin a tactical pause during daytime hours along a major street in southern Gaza to facilitate the arrival of more aid.

Now, when it comes to the aid delivery, I have to say it is becoming more and more complicated, Lazzarini said. It has been extraordinar[ily] excruciating over the last few weeks to bring aid. Far too many trucks have been looted and have not reached their intended destination.

The number of crossings remains far too limited, Lazzarini added. And basically, we are confronted nowadays to a near total breakdown of law and order, with truck drivers being regularly threatened or assaulted, and less and less willing to move assistance from the border to our warehouses, and from the warehouses to the people.
Under the Dome: NC ballot excludes RFK Jr., Cornel West and Constitution Party, for now

Good morning!  If a decision Wednesday evening stands, you wont see Cornel West or Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the November presidential election ballot in North Carolina. The State Board of Elections denied certification to their parties. But its not over yet. Heres what you need to know about North Carolina politics today, from our team and correspondent Stephanie Loder.

BOARD OF ELECTIONS DECISION ISNT FINAL

Three political parties seeking placement of independent presidential candidates on the November ballot were denied certification Wednesday by the North Carolina State Board of Elections Democratic majority.

The decision means Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West wont appear on the state ballot as presidential candidates with their new parties  known as We The People and Justice For All.

Alan Hirsch, the board chair, said the decision is not final.

Certification also was denied to the right-wing Constitution Party, which backs candidate Randall Terry, an anti-abortion activist, for president.

Get the full story from Kyle Ingram here.

NC LAWMAKERS VOTING TO OVERRIDE COOPER VETOES

State lawmakers moved Wednesday to override three of Gov. Roy Coopers recent vetoes.

The three vetoes include:

The Senate is expected to hold its own votes today, after the House voted Wednesday.

Get the full story from Avi Bajpai and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi here.

NC VAPING RESTRICTIONS APPROVED

New rules approved Wednesday by state lawmakers likely will ban hundreds of e-cigarette products in North Carolina stores.

The General Assembly sent legislation to Gov. Roy Cooper creating a vaping registry, which means only federally authorized vape products can be sold in the state.

Most vaping products would be illegal in the state since few have been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The bill has been criticized by the vaping industry, which argues the legislation is just a way to protect the tobacco industry.

Get the full story from T. Keung Hui here.

NC SENATE VOTES TO STRIP ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAW CHANGES

The North Carolina Senate voted Wednesday to remove an archaeological provision in House Bill 385, even after the provision had already been modified so it no longer would have allowed developers to incidentally disturb archaeological sites.

The bill in its original form drew outrage from Native American tribes and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The amendment to strike the revised language passed unanimously with all 47 senators who were present voting for it.

Sen. Norm Sanderson, a Pamlico County Republican, introduced the amendment and said, Were doing away with that. We need some more time to work with that, bring some more stakeholders online and make sure thats an adequate bill and a very good bill going forward. We will do that in the long session.

Get the full story from Adam Wagner here.

SHALOM ACT SENT TO COOPERS DESK

A bipartisan bill that defines antisemitism under state law has been sent to Gov. Roy Cooper.

Sponsored by House Speaker Tim Moore, The SHALOM ACT moved forward Wednesday in the Senate and received a nearly unanimous vote, 45-2.

The House then gave its final sign-off with a 105-3 vote.

The bill uses the definition of antisemitism adopted in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, but critics argue the IHRA definition is too broad.

Get the full story from Avi Bajpai here.

8 PROTESTERS ARRESTED AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Eight protesters, part of a group of child care providers, parents and clergy, were arrested Wednesday afternoon at the North Carolina Legislative Building after police said they refused to lower their voices while chanting their support for child care funding.

NC General Assembly Police Chief Martin Brock said police made the arrests after receiving a noise complaint.

The protesters  who included members of the North Carolina Poor Peoples Campaign, Repairers of the Breach and Forward Justice  were taking part in a day of action at the legislature to attract lawmakers attention to the child care funding cliff.

Day care facilities statewide received stabilization grants during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed them to pay employees, cover rent and susbsidize child care costs. The stabilization grant funding is set to expire Sunday, and 29% of the states child care programs expect they will have to close, a survey found.

Get the full story from Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi here.

NC GOP PUSHES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

A series of constitutional amendments advanced Wednesday to the floor of the North Carolina House. Republicans want to limit the governors appointment powers, further entrench laws allowing only citizens to vote, and uphold the states voter ID requirement.

There is no tangible impact on state law regarding the amendments dealing with elections.

However, the amendment regarding gubernatorial appointments would change the way vacancies in the elected positions of the Council of State are filled.

Get the full story from Kyle Ingram here.

INMATES SWELTER IN HEAT WAVE; WHAT IS THE STATE DOING?

While the temperature neared 100 degrees on Wednesday in much of North Carolina, thousands of inmates in the states prisons were waiting for air conditioning.

The N.C. Department of Adult Correction expects to have air conditioning in all state prison housing areas by 2026, according to a press release.

The status of work so far, according to the DAC website:

7,020 beds await air conditioning.

Work is underway to cool 6,034 beds.

1,102 bed spaces have received air conditioning since the project began in 2023.

The General Assembly appropriated $30 million for the project in 2021.

Get the full story from Vivienne Serret and Ames Alexander here.

Thats all for today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol news.

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We want to know what you would like to see in the Under the Dome newsletter . Do you like highlights from the legislature? Political analysis? Do you have a question youd like The News & Observer team to answer? Tell us here. You can also email us at dome@newsobserver.com

Dont forget to follow our tweets and listen to our Under the Dome podcast for more developments.
People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

GAZA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas.

"To all residents and displaced people in the Shuja'iya area, the new neighborhoods, Turkmen, and Al-Tuffah, for your safety, you must evacuate immediately south on Salah al-Din Street to the humanitarian zone," Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a press statement.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli military vehicles entered the Shuja'iya neighborhood, located east of Gaza City, amidst heavy artillery and air strikes, prompting thousands of residents to flee the area.

The Civil Defense Service in Gaza said in a brief statement that its crews were unable to reach some of the dead and wounded in the Shuja'iya neighborhood as a result of the bombing.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 others were taken hostage. 

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)

People leave their home in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya in the east of Gaza City, on June 27, 2024. The Israeli army on Thursday ordered residents of neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City to evacuate immediately amid the incursion of its military forces into the areas. (Photo by Mahmoud Zaki/Xinhua)
The Florida A&M University College of Law in Orlando, via FAMU

Quality Journalism for Critical Times

Fewer than half of Florida A&M University College of Law students passed the Florida Bar exam on the first attempt last year, prompting a Florida State University System governor to warn he is prepared to eliminate that program if the numbers do not improve.

The approved goal for the FAMU 2023 class of law students was 80% passing on the first attempt. The actual result for those students was 41%, a 12% decrease from the year before.

FAMU pharmacy, nursing, and physical therapy students underperformed, as well. Nursing fell 8% below the approved goal of a 90% pass rate; pharmacy fell 22% below the approved goal of 92%; and physical therapy was 13% below the approved goal of 92%.

Alan Levine, vice chair of the SUS Board of Governors, aired his complaints about the programs performance during the panels meeting on Thursday in Orlando.

Im prepared to vote to take these programs away if we cant do it the right way, Levine said. This is a disservice to those students and to the taxpayers who are paying for this, and the result they are getting is they cant pass their boards to go practice what they went to school for.

The performance statistics came up during a Board of Governors review of state university accountability plans, which include post-graduation employment status, demographics of graduates, enrollment planning, and other data. Of the 12 state universities, two were highlighted for performing lower than the rest.

The Florida Atlantic University nursing program was the other program across all state universities that performed in the red in 2023, or more than 5% below the approved goals. The FAU Boca Raton campus nursing students performed 5% lower than the approved goal for first-attempt nursing exam passing rates and the Davie campus program performed 17% below the approved goal.

Weve talked about nursing at FAU for a while now, and were here talking again about this at FAMU, Levine said. The FAMU law program has not scored within 20% of its approved goal in the last five years.

Improvement plans

Larry Robinson, president of FAMU, said the university submitted fairly intensive or comprehensive improvement plans for the four programs in 2023.

What we see is increases in all of them, but were still not at the level that would change this from red to yellow or green, Robinson said. Yellow reflects scores within 5% of a goal; green represents meeting or exceeding the goal.

Robinson said the university has collaborated on best practices for better outcomes on the bar exam with other universities. FAMU faculty learned how to better address at-risk students and adjust the curriculum to prepare them for the exam, he said.

We have begun to review the curriculum to ensure that it correlates more closely with what students might experience or be questioned about on the bar examination itself, Robinson said.

FAMU enrolls all at-risk students in bar exam prep courses and tracks graduates careers, according to Robinson.

I think making the stronger correlation between the curriculum and the exams themselves and making the test prep a mandatory part of the student experience is going to make a significant difference, he said.

The benchmark, or national average, for the bar exam first-attempt pass rate was 86% in 2023  7% higher than FAMUs.

Im a huge fan of the work thats been done at FAMU, you know that, Levine said. And Ive been a huge advocate for giving everybody the opportunity to correct these things. But not hitting our threshold for pass rates is completely unacceptable  its table stakes; this is a must-do.

Levine indicated he favors terminating the programs at the two schools.

One of the questions I have is whether or not your admission standards are improper  are you admitting people into these programs that shouldnt be in these programs? Levine said.

Thats part of the question here. Not everyone needs to be a lawyer, not everyone can go into nursing, theyre tough career paths. So, if you let somebody in for other reasons than merit or they dont meet the standards of the students that have the propensity to pass their boards, then youre not doing them a service.

The post University governor prepared to take away FAMU law, nursing, pharmacy programs appeared first on Florida Phoenix.
A trial date of June 2, 2025, has been set for Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students in an off-campus house.

The trial is expected to run until Aug. 29, 2025, precluding Juneteenth and the Fourth of July.

PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger talks to his attorney Anne Taylor before a hearing, August 18, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. (August Frank-Pool/Getty Images)

The defense still wants a change of venue, which has not yet been determined. If the venue changes, the trial date should still hold, Judge John Judge said.

The parents of 21-year-old victim Kaylee Goncalves had been desperate for a date to be set, telling ABC News in January their family is "in limbo" until trial begins.

MORE: Parents of University of Idaho victim Kaylee Goncalves desperate for trial date to be set as case returns to court

"We got to get this case over," Steve Goncalves said. "Let's do it. Let's stop playing these delay tactics, let's just get it done."

The Goncalves family said in a statement Thursday, "We are hopeful the trial stays in Latah County so as not to disrupt the scheduling order and we are praying for no more delays. We moved a little closer to justice today for Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan."

Roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, as well as Kernodle's boyfriend Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death in the girls' off-campus home in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022. Two other roommates survived.

PHOTO: A photo posted by Kaylee Goncalves only a few days ago shows University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Goncalves. The four were found dead at an off-campus house on Nov. 13, 2022. (Kaylee Goncalves/Instagram)

MORE: Idaho college murders: House demolished despite some families' objections

Kohberger, who was a criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University at the time of the gruesome crime, was arrested weeks later.

A not guilty plea was entered on Kohberger's behalf for four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

PHOTO: Bryan Koberger listens during a hearing to overturn his grand jury indictment, Oct. 26, 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. (Kai Eiselein-Pool/Getty Images)

The prosecution and defense have gone back-and-forth proposing potential trial dates at hearings this year.

On Jan. 26, the prosecution told the judge it was ready to go to trial in summer 2024. Prosecutors said summer is best because there will be out-of-state witnesses who need accommodations in Moscow, which they said is difficult while local schools are in session.

The defense argued a summer 2024 trial is not realistic for this complex case. The defense said it still had a lot of digital evidence to go through, more potential witnesses to speak with and more documents to collect from Kohberger's past and his family.

The prosecution agreed that there was a large amount of information to sift through.

MORE: Idaho college murders: Former King Road roommate recalls learning of killings

The defense recommended a summer 2025 trial if the case moved forward in Latah County, but days after the Jan. 26 hearing, Kohberger's defense filed a motion for a change of venue.

The prosecution said the case has national and international interest, so a change of venue would not solve any problem.

At a Feb. 28 hearing, the judge and prosecution proposed a trial date of March 3, 2025, while the defense asked for a June 2025 trial.

The next hearing to discuss a change of venue will be on Aug. 29.

ABC News' Julie Scott and Sasha Pezenik contributed to this report.

University of Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger to stand trial on June 2, 2025 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
An upstate New York man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting Washington, D.C. police officers during the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

James Weeks, 55, of Sodus, New York, just east of Rochester, copped to charges of assault and resisting police officers in federal court in Washington.

Surveillance video captured Weeks entering a tunnel at the Capitol built under a platform for the presidential inauguration about 3 p.m. that day. He approached the police line as fighting between rioters and cops erupted.

He reached through a broken pane of glass in a door of the building to grab a D.C. police officer.

Shove it up your a! You fat fk! Im gonna shove that up your a! Weeks allegedly yelled. Were gonna fk you up!

Weeks pushed the door open and rioters flooded in. He later struck a police officer, but was then sprayed with pepper spray by another rioter and fled the tunnel.

Weeks then entered a courtyard on the northwest side of the Capitol and joined rioters trying to break into the building there. He sprayed pepper spray through one of the broken window panes and struck the window with a wooden stick causing more panes to break.

He was arrested Feb. 1 in Albany by FBI agents. Weeks is slated for sentencing on Sept. 27.

The Justice Department said since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,450 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 500 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.

On Tuesday, Jay Johnston, an actor who appeared in Bobs Burgers and other shows, agreed to plead guilty in California. He was caught on video helping other rioters push past police officers in the tunnel and giving water to rioters.

On Wednesday, reputed Proud Boys member Troy Garrett was arrested in Florida. He was accused of assaulting police officers and being among a group of rioters who pushed a large sign with the message TRUMP 2020 KEEP AMERICA GREAT! into a line of cops eventually breaking through that line.

In May, another New York man, Troy Weeks, 38, of Greenville, south of Albany, pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers at the Capitol, also in the tunnel. Its not clear if Troy Weeks and James Weeks are related.

_____
Japanese prosecutors have charged a US Air Force member with allegedly kidnapping and raping an underage girl just before Christmas last year, Okinawa police confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.

Brennon R. E. Washington, 25, was indicted on March 27 on charges of non-consensual sexual intercourse and indecent kidnapping, a court spokesperson in Naha, Okinawas capital, told CNN, adding that the US military handed the serviceman over to the Japanese authorities on the same day.

Washington was released on bail and transferred to the Kadena US Air Base in Okinawa for custody, according to a government spokesperson. His trial will begin July 12, according to the Naha District Court spokesperson.

The courts spokesperson told CNN they do not have any details regarding the airmans legal representation.

The prosecution comes at a time when Washington and Tokyo are deepening their military alliance  in part as geopolitical tensions rise with both China and North Korea.

The alleged rape is the latest in a history of criminal cases involving US personnel in Okinawa, home to one of the largest US foreign military bases, and could exacerbate tensions with residents who have long opposed the presence of American troops and weaponry on the island.

The presence of V-22 Ospreys, a tiltrotor military aircraft, have also been a regular source of anger and protest in Okinawa following a series of recent crashes and noise complaints.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Tuesday the allegations of rape and kidnap were extremely regrettable, adding it was necessary to strongly protest against the US military and other related organizations.

The governor also said his office will take a tough stance in dealing with the situation.

Washington, the indicted serviceman, was stationed with the 18 Logistics Readiness Squadron at the Kadena Air Base in Japan, according to the US Air Force, which confirmed his rank and service record to CNN.

The 18th Wing is aware of a sexual assault allegation against a Kadena Airman involving a Japanese citizen, 18th Wing Spokesperson, 1st Lt. Alvin G. Nelson III, told CNN Wednesday.

We understand and share the local communitys concerns regarding this case, Nelson said, adding that Wing leadership was deeply concerned by the severity of this alleged crime, and has been working with local authorities to investigate the allegations.

All US service members are expected to uphold the highest standards, and the US military is committed to holding accountable those who are convicted of criminal acts, the Wing spokesperson said.

The indictment comes nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa schoolgirl in 1995, sparking a backlash against the US military on the island.

In 2016, the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US base worker in Okinawa triggered mass protests in the islands capital, with tens of thousands of residents demanding the US move its bases outside of Okinawa. The fallout resulted in curfews for US personnel on the island.

In another crime involving US personnel in Japan, a US Navy officer killed two Japanese nationals while driving down Mount Fuji in 2021.

Masataka Okano, Japans Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, called for stricter discipline and lodged a protest with the US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, on March 27, the day Washington was indicted, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

CNN reached out to the US Embassy in Japan, which said it was aware of the case but will not comment. The embassy told CNN in a phone call to contact Kadena Air Base, where Washington was based, for information on the case. CNN has contacted Kadena Air Base for comment.

Japan and the US have a mutual defense alliance and a decades old military partnership that has only been deepened in recent years by regional threats, particularly North Korea and an ever more assertive China.

US President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David in August 2023 in a show of solidarity and force against Beijing.

In what Biden hailed as a new era of cooperation, the three powers committed to a yearly trilateral summit, intelligence sharing and annual military exercises.

CNNs Haley Britzky contributed to this report.

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Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are slated to go head to head in November

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Donald Trump will likely face Kamala Harris in the 2024 race for the White House after an eventful start to the campaign.

Joe Biden pulled out of the race after intense pressure after his disastrous first debate with Trump.

The first TV debate between Ms Harris and Trump is due to take place on September 10, a few days before states with the longest in-person polling periods open for early voting.

But, the 2024 timetable is also complicated by the blizzard of litigation faced by Mr Trump, who has had to juggle campaigning with a series of court appearances.

Earlier this year, the former president was convicted on all 34 charges of falsifying business records in the first of four separate criminal cases he is facing.



Mr Trumps conviction in New York has plunged the US into uncharted legal territory and has threatened to overshadow the height of the election campaign.



The dates for the remaining three trials have been rearranged multiple times and it is possible that some or all of them will not have started by election day in November.



Here The Telegraph gives you a comprehensive overview of all the key dates coming up.

Donald Trump during the Official Pro-Am Tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 10 - TIMOTHY A. CLARY

August 19-22

The Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago.

September 10

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will go head to head for the first time in a debate hosted by ABC News. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not likely to be involved, unless he can meet the minimum threshold of 15 per cent in four national polls.

September 20

Early in-person voting opens in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia. In the weeks that follow, the window will open in all but a handful of states that do not offer early in-person voting.

November 5

Election day.

December 10

The Safe Harbour Deadline  when states have to settle any disputes over who is sent to the Electoral College, the body that formally casts the votes to decide the outcome of the election.

December 16

Electors meet in their state capitals to formally cast their votes for the Electoral College.

Rioters storming the captiol on Jan 6 2020 - Jose Luis Magana

January 6

The formal counting of votes in the Electoral College takes place at a joint session of Congress.

Following the 2020 census, Texas gained two electoral votes while Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon each gained one.

California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia each lost one.

It will be the first formal counting of the votes on Jan 6 since the 2021 attack on the Capitol.

January 20

Inauguration Day. The president-elect will be sworn into office.

Click here to view this content.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is repeating its warnings for American citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon over increasing security threats, as the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel on Lebanons southern border intensifies.

In a security alert posted Thursday, the U.S. Embassy reminded American citizens to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon, saying the security environment remains complex and can change quickly.

The embassy points out that the Lebanese government cannot guarantee the protection of U.S. citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence and armed conflict, and warns Americans from traveling to southern Lebanon, the Lebanon-Syria border area or refugee settlements.

The State Department also reposted its security warning for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza on the social media site X, reminding Americans to exercise caution and increased personal security awareness.

The warning comes one day after Canada urged its citizens to leave Lebanon, with Foreign Minister Melanie Joly saying in a statement that Canadian citizens should take advantage of commercial flights that remain available.

John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, deferred to the State Department on Wednesday when asked about whether the U.S. would issue a similar warning, but said the U.S. is working to limit fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.

Were trying to prevent an escalation of this conflict that certainly would put the people of Israel and of Lebanon at greater physical risk than the risk that is already being incurred by them, particularly those that live near the Blue Line, he said, referring to the U.N.s term for the boundary between Lebanon and Israel.

We want to prevent that outcome, which is why we have been working so hard diplomatically and intensely  to prevent a second front from opening up and an expansion of this conflict.

Kirby urged Americans to register with the State Departments STEP program, which allows U.S. diplomats to keep tabs on Americans in foreign countries, send out alerts and security warnings, and provide assistance in the event of a natural disaster or conflict.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border for nearly nine months, since Hamas launched a terrorist attack on Oct. 7 and Israel launched its war to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Both Israel and Hezbollah have ratcheted up rhetoric of a larger outbreak of conflict, with the Israeli government announcing it had approved a plan for a military offensive against Hezbollah, responding to the ongoing rocket, mortar and drone attacks launched from southern Lebanon.

And Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollahs secretary-general, has intensified his rhetoric against Israel, saying that no place is safe from its arsenal of rockets and threatening E.U. member Cyprus.

The U.S.-designated terrorist group has also published propaganda videos showing drone footage over Israeli military sites and communities.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with senior Biden administration officials on Wednesday, where he discussed the threats from Hezbollah and the possible ways to change the security situation in the northern arena, according to a readout of his meetings provided by his spokesperson.

Gallant, speaking next to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, said increasing tensions between the U.S. and Israel were emboldening Israels allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused President Biden of slow-walking weapons deliveries to Israel, a charge the White House denies.

The eyes of both our enemies and our friends are on the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, Gallant said. We must resolve the differences between us quickly and stand together  this is how we will achieve our goals and weaken our enemies.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has announced fresh sanctions against Irans petroleum sector in response to what he described as an expansion of the countrys nuclear programme which has provoked renewed fears that it is preparing to build an atomic bomb.

The embargoes  on three unnamed entities involved in the transport of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products  were announced amid a chorus of warnings of a renewed conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Irans proxy Hezbollah, the powerful Shia group that dominates Lebanon.

In a statement on Thursday, Blinken said Iran had expanded its uranium enrichment programme in the past month in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose.

Under the new sanctions, 11 vessels associated with the three embargoed organisations would be designated as blocked property.

Irans actions to increase its enrichment capacity are all the more concerning in light of Irans continued failure to cooperate with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and statements by Iranian officials suggesting potential changes to Irans nuclear doctrine, Blinken said.

He was referring to recent comments by Kamal Kharazzi, an adviser to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that the country could revise its defence doctrine to permit the building of nuclear weapons following a series of military exchanges with Israel in April.

We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb but should Irans existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine, Kharrazi said. In the case of an attack on our nuclear facilities by the Zionist regime, our deterrence will change.

The fresh sanctions were imposed a day before Iran goes to the polls on Friday in a special presidential election called to elect a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, the previous president, who was killed last month in a helicopter crash along with Hossein-Amir Abdollahian, the countrys foreign minister, and the several other officials.

Iran has previously insisted that its nuclear programme is strictly for civilian purposes, with Khamenei pointedly ruling out the development of a nuclear bomb as forbidden under Islam.

The hints at a change of policy followed a series of episodes which started with the killing of members of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in an Israeli airstrike on a diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital Damascus.

Iran responded by firing 300 missiles at Israel, all of which were shot down by US and allied missiles defence systems. In what was seen as a calibrated retaliation, Israel then fired on a radar air-defence system near the central Iranian city of Isfahan, which Iran claimed did minimal damage.

Blinkens announcement on Thursday followed talks in Washington with Israels defence minister, Yoav Gallant, who also met the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, and William Burns, the CIA director, in talks that reportedly addressed Irans recent nuclear activities.

We remain committed to never letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome, Blinken said.

IAEA officials have estimated that Iran now has enough uranium enriched to 60% purity  which could be converted to bomb-grade material in days or weeks  to build up at least three nuclear weapons.

An agreement, official known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, concluded with Irans theocratic regime during Barack Obamas presidency was intended to contain the countrys nuclear activities, but it was scrapped by Donald Trump in 2018, and replaced with fresh sanctions intended to curtail the programme through maximum pressure.

Attempts to revive the Obama-era accord under Joe Bidens administration have foundered.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership on Thursday decided to expel former defense minister Wei Fenghe from the Party for serious violation of Party discipline and the law.

Wei, who also formerly served as a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a state councilor, was deprived of his qualification as a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The CMC's disciplinary and supervisory agency launched an investigation against Wei on Sept. 21, 2023.

According to the investigation results, Wei seriously violated political and organizational discipline by helping others gain improper benefits in personnel arrangements. He also seriously violated discipline regarding integrity, accepting money and gifts in violation of relevant rules.

Wei took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others, accepting a huge amount of money and valuables in return, constituting the suspected crime of taking bribes.

The investigation also found clues about Wei's other violations.

As a high-ranking official of the Party and the military, Wei lost his faith and loyalty. His actions failed the trust of the Party Central Committee and the CMC, and severely contaminated the political environment of the military, bringing enormous damage to the Party's cause, the development of national defense and the armed forces, as well as the image of senior officials.

Wei's violations are extremely serious in nature, with a highly detrimental impact and tremendous harm, according to the investigation findings.

The Political Bureau also decided to transfer Wei's suspected criminal case to procuratorial organs of the military for examination and prosecution.

An earlier decision made by the CMC had expelled Wei from the military service and deprived him of his rank of general. 
The US, Israel, and Ukraine are negotiating to equip Kyiv with up to eight Patriot air defence systems to protect against Russian assault.

Source: Financial Times, citing five informed sources, as reported by European Pravda

Details: According to FT sources, the agreement to provide Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine was negotiated among the three countries ministries and top officials.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, and Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State, were among those who led the negotiations. There were also direct talks between Israel and Ukraine.

The agreement would most likely concern eight Patriot batteries that are more than 30 years old and will be decommissioned, as Israel announced in April. These systems, M901 PAC-2, are older than the PAC-3s currently in use in Ukraine.

However, analysts polled by the Financial Times believe that PAC-2 is entirely compatible with PAC-3. Israel has an adequate supply of interceptor missiles for these weapons, which have a longer range and a heavier warhead.

According to FT, this could make them well suited to intercept Russian aircraft firing destructive guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian cities and military sites from across the front line.

Given Moscow's influence in Syria, where Israeli air forces frequently engage Iranian-linked militants, Israel has thus far rebuffed Ukraine's demands for military aid.

In 2022, the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel submitted an official request to the government for air defence equipment that would allow Kyiv to resist Iranian ballistic missiles and Russian attack drones.

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By Daphne Psaledakis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Thursday issued fresh sanctions targeting Iran in response to "continued nuclear escalations," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

"Over the past month, Iran has announced steps to further expand its nuclear program in ways that have no credible peaceful purpose," Blinken said.

"We remain committed to never letting Iran obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are prepared to use all elements of national power to ensure that outcome."

Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Thursday's action imposes sanctions on three companies based in the United Arab Emirates the U.S. accused of being involved in the transport of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products, as well as 11 associated vessels.

Earlier this month, the Group of Seven rich nations warned Iran against advancing its nuclear enrichment program and said they would be ready to enforce new measures if Tehran were to transfer ballistic missiles to Russia.

Iran rebuked the statement, calling on the G7 to distance itself from "destructive policies of the past", said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani.

Earlier in June, the U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the watchdog and reverse its recent barring of inspectors.

Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% of weapons grade, and has enough material enriched to that level, if enriched further, for three nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.

Western powers say there is no credible civilian reason for that. Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful but officials have recently said it could change its "nuclear doctrine" if it is attacked or its existence was threatened by arch-foe Israel. That has prompted alarm at the IAEA and in Western capitals.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Doina Chiacu and David Ljunggren; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Commerce and trade ministers from the United States, Japan and South Korea vowed on Wednesday to cooperate on strategic issues including artificial intelligence (AI) safety, export controls, clean energy and semiconductor supply chains.

"We're doubling down our efforts to work together," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said at the start of the meeting in Washington.

"As we three are leading economies in manufacturing, services, technology and innovation and we have to work together to the benefit not just for our countries, but the safety and security of the world," Raimondo said.

She was joined at the inaugural trilateral meeting by Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Ken Saito and South Korean Trade, Industry, and Energy Minister Ahn Duk-geun. The meetings were decided by the countries' leaders at an August summit at Camp David.

The ministers said in a statement after the meeting they would "focus our joint efforts on a set of strategic areas designed to enhance the security and prosperity of our people and the Indo-Pacific region. We aim to prioritize cooperation to strengthen the resilience of supply chains in key sectors, including semiconductors and batteries," as well as artificial intelligence safety, critical minerals, cybersecurity and technical standard setting.

Saito said the three "agreed to realize a strong and reliable supply chain for strategic materials by working together with like-minded countries, including Japan, the United States, and South Korea, and designing a market where factors other than price are fairly evaluated."

Last month, President Joe Biden vowed to sharply increase tariffs on critical minerals from China as Washington vows to reduce China's dominance of critical mineral supply chains.

In March, a Commerce Department official said the United States was asking allies to stop domestic companies from servicing certain chipmaking tools for Chinese customers, a key part of United State push to hobble China's chipmaking capabilities.

"We expect the South Korea-U.S.-Japan industry ministers' meeting to serve as an institutional basis for deepening and developing industrial cooperation among the three countries and jointly responding to global risks," Ahn said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Sakura Murakami in Toyko and Joyce Lee in Seoul; Editing by William Mallard)
By Kanishka Singh and Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. State Department's 2023 religious freedom report on India noted violent attacks on minority groups, especially Muslims and Christians, including killings, assaults and vandalism of houses of worship.

The report on international religious freedom released on Wednesday said that in 2023, senior U.S. officials continued to "raise concerns about religious freedom issues" with their Indian counterparts.

Human rights experts say India has seen a rise in attacks on minorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently won a third term, and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"In India, we see a concerning increase in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, demolitions of homes and places of worship for members of minority faith communities," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said when the report was released, in a rare direct rebuke of India.

Criticism of India by the U.S. is usually restrained due to close economic ties and New Delhi's importance for Washington to counter China, political analysts say.

The U.S. report listed dozens of incidents. Among them was a fatal shooting of a security official and three Muslims on a train near Mumbai by a suspect who was a railway security official. A probe by Indian authorities into that case is ongoing and the suspect was in jail, according to the Indian Express newspaper.

The report cited examples of attacks against Muslims based on allegations that Muslim men were participating in the slaughter of cows or beef trading.

The Indian embassy in Washington had no immediate comment. The Indian government denies discriminating against minorities, and says its welfare policies - like food subsidy schemes and electrification drives - aim to benefit all Indians.

Rights advocates contest that and point to anti-Muslim hate speeches, the revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status, a citizenship law that the U.N. calls "fundamentally discriminatory" and the demolition of Muslim properties in the name of removing illegal construction.

The State Department report also cited violence in the northeastern state of Manipur that started in May last year between minority, mostly Christian, Kuki and majority, mostly Hindu, Meitei ethnic groups.

Hindu and Christian places of worship were destroyed in Manipur. Citing a local tribal leaders' forum, the report said over 250 churches were burnt down, more than 200 people were killed and over 60,000 were displaced.

Hindus make up about 80% of India's 1.4 billion population. Muslims include 14% and Christians over 2%.

The report mentioned anti-conversion legislation in some Indian states that rights advocates say challenges the right to freedom of belief.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Simon Lewis in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Deepa Babington)
A Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is shown on the assembly line during a brief media tour at the Boeing facility in Renton, Wash., Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP, Pool)

Boeing is being sanctioned by U.S. investigators for sharing information about a federal investigation of a door plug blowout that left a gaping hole in a Boeing 737 Max 9.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that Boeing blatantly violated the agency's investigative regulations as well as a signed agreement by providing non-public investigative information to the media and speculating about possible causes of the Jan. 5 door plug blowout on a Boeing passenger jet in Portland, Oregon.

During the incident, a panel that plugged a space left for an extra emergency door blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9. Pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injuries.

The NTSB said that during a media briefing on Tuesday, a Boeing executive provided non-public investigative information to journalists about the Alaska Airlines incident that the agency had not verified or authorized for release.

The agency said Boeing portrayed the investigation as a search to find the individual responsible for the door plug work, but the NTSB said it's focused on the probable cause of the accident, not placing blame on any individual or assessing liability.

Boeing said in a statement on Thursday that it deeply regretted that some of the statements made at the media briefing overstepped the NTSBs role as the source of investigative information.

We apologize to the NTSB and stand ready to answer any questions as the agency continues its investigation, it said.

Shares of The Boeing Co., based in Arlington, Virginia, rose more than 2% in morning trading.

The NTSB said that given its recent actions, Boeing won't have access to investigative information the agency produces about the Alaska Airlines incident, but it will keep its party status to the investigation.

The NTSB is unable to fine Boeing, as it doesn't have enforcement authority. While the agency could have stripped away Boeing's party status, the NTSB may have considered it more important to keep Boeing as a party to the investigation because of its employees expertise.

The NTSB said that it may subpoena any relevant records it requires during the course of the investigation. It also will subpoena Boeing to appear at an investigative hearing in Washington D.C. on Aug. 6 and 7. The agency said that, unlike other parties, Boeing won't be able to ask questions of other participants.

The NTSB said that it will coordinate with the Department of Justice's Fraud Division, giving them information about Boeings recent unauthorized investigative information releases related to the 737 Max 9 door plug investigation.

In May the Justice Department told a federal judge that Boeing had violated a settlement that allowed the company to avoid criminal prosecution after two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft.

After Max jets crashed in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia, killing 346 people, the FAA and other regulators grounded the aircraft worldwide for more than a year and a half.

It is now up to the Justice Department to decide whether to file charges against Boeing. Prosecutors will tell the court no later than July 7 how they plan to proceed, the department said in May.

Boeing has been under intense scrutiny of late. Earlier this month, CEO David Calhoun defended the companys safety record during a contentious Senate hearing, while lawmakers accused him of placing profits over safety, failing to protect whistleblowers, and even getting paid too much.

There has been pressure on Calhoun to resign immediately, but he has no plans to do so. Calhoun previously announced that he will step down by the end of 2024.
US stockpiles of the rare earth minerals it would need to fight a war against an adversary like China are a mystery, and experts warn it's a problem

Rare earth minerals are critical for national defense and industry.

National stockpile levels are a mystery, though.

And there are indications that the stockpile is insufficient, worrying experts.

Rare earth minerals are needed to make all sorts of things, from F-35 stealth fighters and night-vision goggles to internet fiber-optic cables and MRI machines.

They are a subset of the critical minerals deemed essential for national security. If the supply chain for these minerals is disrupted, the negative impact on the US could be considerable. Stockpile sizes are unclear, yet there are indications that levels aren't where they need to be.

Part of the military's mission at home is to keep stockpiles of goods like critical minerals on hand for emergency wartime use. Recent government research suggests that Congress knows that the stockpile levels are insufficient, but the numbers aren't made available to the public. That opacity is troubling to some experts.

In the dark on the stockpile

Although the name suggests otherwise, rare earth minerals are not exactly rare  in fact, they're relatively plentiful. But finding them in large enough deposits to mine is difficult, and the refining process, separating the minerals while they're bound up in chunks of ore, is expensive.

China dominates global markets for mining critical minerals and the labor-intensive refining process, a challenge for the US given its rivalry with China and dependence on the minerals.

The Biden administration began cutting American imports of Chinese rare earth minerals a few years ago in an effort to decrease US reliance on China for critical minerals. More recently, the White House initiated a push to forge new partnerships with allies for mining and to boost mining investments within the US.

Some experts say the lack of transparency on mineral stockpile levels within the US leaves the public in the dark about what's actually being done to curb American dependence on what the Pentagon calls its "pacing challenge" for the critical minerals it would need in a great-power conflict.

A new Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning ll multirole fighter jet parked in a hangar as it is presented to media at the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth. Orjan F. Ellingvag/Corbis via Getty Images

Gregory Wischer, who serves as a mineral consultant for Dei Gratia Minerals and has written extensively about critical minerals, suspects national stockpile levels are well below where they should be given the available information.

"Congress has broad authority to dictate to the Defense Logistics Agency how much minerals they should stockpile and which minerals they should be stockpiling," he said.

But the Department of Defense's consumption rates of critical minerals aren't publicly available either, Wischer added, explaining that it's hard to ensure critical mineral stockpiling is happening correctly if people do not know exactly how many minerals are used in an average year.

Releasing that kind of data, he said, would increase public reassurance concerning wartime preparation. "You need to have ten-times that stockpile amount for a potential conflict because we would be going through munitions so quickly," he said.

Why the stockpile matters

The Department of Defense released its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy in January to improve the resilience of the American military supply chain, in part by increasing stockpiles of critical minerals. Submarines, fighter aircraft, magnets used in missiles, radar systems, and drones all require critical earth minerals for manufacturing.

A past report for Congress on rare earth minerals for national defense, for instance, noted that a single Virginia-class submarine requires 9,200 pounds of rare earth minerals, while an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer requires 5,200 pounds.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Sampson (DDG 102) underway in the Arabian Gulf. US Navy

US partnerships with Pacific allies for mineral mining and processing are options for decreasing US reliance on China during peacetime, but Wischer argued that relying on safe ocean supply lines to move processed or raw minerals might not make a lot of sense when preparing for or waging a war in the Pacific.

"We're relying heavily on Japan and South Korea for these refined elements," Wischer said. "And if we get into a potential conflict [in the Pacific], those supply chains are in no way guaranteed to have safe transport to the United States." That makes the stockpile even more important.

A congressional report released late last year noted the 2023 stockpile report to Congress, which is not public, "discovered net shortfalls in 88 materials, valued at $14.83 billion."

Necessary for more than just defense

The US military has said that it aims to have "a sustainable, mine-to-magnet supply chain capable of supporting all US defense requirements by 2027."

As part of the "mine-to-magnet" effort  the naming for which is based on the military logistics phrase from "factory to foxhole"  the DoD awarded $20 million to a company called MP Materials to start processing and refining rare earth minerals at the company's mine in California, the largest rare earth minerals operation in the US, and the Australian-based mining company Lynas USA has been awarded nearly $260 million from the DoD to build a rare earth processing facility in Texas.

It's unknown when US-based mining operations might be able to operate at a high enough capacity to offset Chinese imports. For now, US-based mining operations can't produce enough minerals to replace Chinese imports.

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Vermont (SSN 792) at its new homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Williamson

Fabian Villalobos, an engineer and defense supply chain expert with the RAND Corporation, said that compared to some other industries, the US military is a relatively minor consumer of critical minerals. Industries such as healthcare, petroleum, transportation, and consumer electronics, as well as the Biden administration's push toward green energy, all depend heavily on these minerals.

"The National Defense Stockpile, or the NDS, is the Nation's stockpile for strategic and critical materials," said DoD's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Resilience Halimah Najieb-Locke in a congressional hearing last year. The stockpiles serve "as an important buffer during emergencies. Stockpile reserves allow us to release materials to keep key production lines operating until long-term supply chains are restored."

But in the same testimony, Najieb-Locke also argued that research has indicated that there are shortfalls within defense stockpiles of critical minerals.

"Recent disruptions and adversarial actions have underscored what we have long recognized," she said. "It is more urgent now than ever to build our capability, resilience, and environmentally friendly supply chains for critical minerals."

Read the original article on Business Insider
By Andrew Chung

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court blocked an Environmental Protection Agency regulation aimed at reducing ozone emissions that may worsen air pollution in neighboring states, handing a victory on Thursday to three Republican-led states and the steel and fossil-fuel industries that had challenged the rule.

The 5-4 decision granted requests by Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia, as well as U.S. Steel Corp, pipeline operator Kinder Morgan and industry groups, to halt enforcement of the EPA's "Good Neighbor" plan restricting ozone pollution from upwind states, while they contest the rule's legality in a lower court.

It was the latest ruling by the conservative-majority court restricting the powers of the EPA.

The EPA issued the rule at issue in March 2023 intending to target gases that form ozone, a key component of smog, from power plants and other industrial sources in 23 upwind states whose own plans did not satisfy the "Good Neighbor" provision of the Clean Air Act anti-pollution law, requiring steps to reduce pollution that drifts into states downwind.

The agency said the rule would result in cleaner air for millions of people, saving thousands of lives.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who authored the ruling, said the court granted the challengers' request because they are likely to ultimately prevail in the litigation, saying the EPA did not reasonably explain its actions.

Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett dissented, joined by the court's three liberal justices.

"The court today enjoins the enforcement of a major Environmental Protection Agency rule based on an underdeveloped theory that is unlikely to succeed on the merits," Barrett wrote.

The EPA said it was disappointed with the ruling but looked forward to defending the plan as the matter is further litigated. Thursday's action by the court "will postpone the benefits that the Good Neighbor Plan is already achieving in many states and communities," an EPA spokesperson said.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said the decision "is correct but the EPA will keep trying to legislate and bypass Congress's authority -and it has been settled by the Supreme Court: the EPA must regulate within the express boundaries of the statute that Congress passed."

The challenge followed a major 2022 ruling by the court imposing limits on the EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act to reduce coal- and gas-fired power plant carbon emissions, undermining President Joe Biden's plans to tackle climate change. The court last year also hobbled the EPA's power to protect wetlands and fight water pollution.

The challenge to the "Good Neighbor" rule was brought by Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia - all targeted by the rule - as well as pipeline operators, U.S. Steel, regional electricity generators and energy trade associations. In their suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, they argued that the EPA violated a federal law aimed at ensuring agency actions are reasonable.

The D.C. Circuit refused to block the rule pending its review, prompting the challengers to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.

Opponents have said the rule would impose unreasonable costs and destabilize power grids. The Justice Department, defending the EPA, urged the Supreme Court to consider the serious harms to public health that would result from blocking it.

'OPEN SEASON'

Environmental groups denounced the ruling. Sam Sankar, senior vice president of programs at environmental law group Earthjustice, called the ruling part of a growing pattern of anti-environmental decisions by the Supreme Court.

"The court's order puts thousands of lives at risk, forces downwind states to regulate their industries more tightly, and tells big polluters that it's open season on our environmental laws," Sankar said.

The rule implemented a federal program that applied to 23 states, but separate challenges in lower courts have already paused enforcement in 12 of them, including West Virginia.

During arguments in the case on Feb. 21, some of the conservative justices focused on the EPA's lack of explanation for how the plan can work when it now regulates just 11 states instead of 23 as intended. Liberal justices expressed concern about whether the case warranted emergency intervention by the Supreme Court at this time.

Some of the industry requests of the Supreme Court were specific. Kinder Morgan asked the justices to block the regulation as it applies to natural gas pipeline engines. U.S. Steel sought to prevent its enforcement against iron and steel mill reheating furnaces and boilers.

On Jan. 16, the EPA issued a proposed rule to enforce the "Good Neighbor" plan in five more states: Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico and Tennessee.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
Insight from Grist, The Colorado Sun, and CNN

The News

The US Supreme Court blocked a federal policy aimed at curbing air pollution that spreads from one state to another.

The Environmental Protection Agencys Good Neighbor plan, announced last year, requires upwind states to reduce air pollution that affects downwind states.

Last year, the EPA implemented its own emissions-control standards for 23 states that it determined had not provided sufficient Good Neighbor plans, leading several Republican-led states to sue.

The courts 5-4 vote temporarily blocks the EPAs plan while the legal challenge plays out in a lower court.

SIGNALS

Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories.

Decision is latest setback for an already wounded EPA

Sources: NBC News, NPR, CNN

The ruling is a loss for the Biden administration and the EPAs regulatory efforts; the conservative majority on the Supreme Court is skeptical of perceived federal overreach, and Republican officials and industry groups have long griped about the EPAs aggressive use of its regulatory powers, NBC News wrote. In the latest case, plaintiffs claimed the agency had a dictatorial approach. Nearly all of the EPAs major rules have faced legal challenges, and the court has a hair trigger on cases involving the agency, an environmental attorney said. In the last two years, the court has also limited the EPAs ability to use the Clean Air Act to combat emissions, and weakened the landmark Clean Water Act.

Good Neighbor rule pits state against state

Sources: Grist, The Colorado Sun

The Good Neighbor plan was specifically aimed at cutting air pollutants that form ozone, the main ingredient in smog, from coal-fired facilities. The agency estimated the rule would halve nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants by 2027 and prevent over 1,000 premature deaths and 1.3 million cases of asthma in 2026 alone, Grist reported. An American Lung Association official called ozones health effects a sunburn of the lungs. But the rule has sparked interstate disputes, on top of the federal legal challenge: Some Coloradans had accused Utah of not being a good neighbor for not adhering to EPA rules, as ozone drifts to the east into Colorado. But Utah lawmakers argued the federal plan would lead to the closure of vital power plants.
By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday allowing abortions for women facing medical emergencies in Idaho - for now - despite the state's near-total ban on the procedure does nothing to lift the confusion in many states surrounding when emergency abortions are permissible, according to legal experts.

The case is one of several around the United States over when abortion is legally available in medical emergencies under exceptions to state abortion bans. Doctors have said that they are unable to perform abortions that they believe are medically necessary for fear of prosecution because it is not clear what is allowed, leaving pregnant women to travel to states with more permissive laws or wait as their medical conditions worsen.

But the Supreme Court did not address any of those issues, instead dismissing the case and sending it back to a lower court.

"The court has simply kicked the can down the road," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project.

Anti-abortion groups also expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court did not decide the issue in their favor.

"Today's Supreme Court decision is a setback, but our fight for babies and moms continues," Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America state policy director Katie Daniel said.

At issue in the case was whether Idaho's abortion ban conflicts with a federal law requiring hospitals to stabilize patients with emergency medical conditions, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). President Joe Biden's administration in 2022 issued guidance stating that EMTALA overrides any state abortion bans when they conflict.

The administration sued Idaho in August 2022, claiming that Idaho's law ran afoul of EMTALA and asked a court to stop the state from enforcing it in medical emergencies. It said EMTALA can require abortions that Idaho law prohibits because it requires doctors to consider the mother's health, while Idaho allows abortion only to prevent her death.

A federal judge blocked the law, allowing emergency abortions to continue in the state. But the Supreme Court issued an emergency order allowing Idaho to enforce the ban again when it agreed to hear the state's appeal in January.

Since then, Idaho hospitals have airlifted patients facing medical emergencies into other states for abortion rather than risk violating the state ban, according to court filings.

In Thursday's order, the Supreme Court found it should not have agreed to hear the case in the first place because lower courts needed more time to work through factual and legal issues, and dismissed it - restoring the judge's order blocking the law while the case proceeds.

"What they're saying basically is, 'Oh, just kidding, we got involved too soon,'" said Dale Cecka, a professor at Albany Law School.

Other lawsuits over emergency abortions will not be affected. Those include cases over interpreting state law in North Dakota, Indiana and Tennessee, as well as a Texas lawsuit over whether EMTALA overrides that state's ban. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Texas in that case, and the Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to review that decision as well.

Even for Idahoans, the ruling's effect could be short-lived. The case will now go back to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which could again let Idaho enforce the law. The Supreme Court will likely weigh in on the issue eventually, either in the Idaho or the Texas case.

Laura Portuondo, a University of Houston Law Center professor who focuses on reproductive rights, said that dissenting and concurring opinions by the conservative justices signaled that the Supreme Court might be inclined to uphold the state law when it does consider it on the merits.

Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, wrote in a dissent that the court should have heard the case and signaled agreement with the state.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurrence expressed interest in one of the state's newer legal theories - that EMTALA, by tying its enforcement to federal healthcare funding, oversteps the government's spending authority. Barrett called the argument "difficult and consequential."

"I think that concurrence is very bad news for the Biden administration," Portuondo said.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi)
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said that it hoped that China-European Union (EU) consultations on the issue of the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) would make positive progress.

"It is hoped that the EU and China will meet each other halfway to push for positive progress in the consultations as soon as possible and reach a solution acceptable to both sides, so as to avoid the adverse impact of escalating trade frictions on China-EU economic and trade relations," MOC spokesperson He Yadong said in a press conference on Thursday.

He said that China-EU cooperation featured complementarity and mutual benefits. "The two sides have broad room for cooperation in green transformation."

On June 22, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao talked with European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis via a video link. The two sides agreed to start consultations on the EU's anti-subsidy investigation of Chinese electric vehicles.

"At present, the working teams of the two sides have maintained close communication and stepped up consultations," He said.

The European Commission earlier this month disclosed a plan to impose additional duties on imports of Chinese EVs. The move, widely criticized as protectionist, unveiled provisional tariffs ranging from 17.4 percent to 38.1 percent for Chinese EV makers despite widespread market concerns and China's objections. 
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He is pictured here in October. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

By Rachana Pradhan and Fred Clasen-Kelly

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis, as gun deaths and injuries punctuate daily life in America.

On nearly every day of 2024 so far, a burst of gunfire has hit at least four people somewhere in the country. Some days, communities have endured four or five such shootings.

The nations top doctor called on policymakers to consider gun safety measures such as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for all firearm purchases. His advisory also urges a significant increase in funding for research on gun injuries and deaths, as well as greater access to mental health care and trauma-informed resources for people who have experienced firearm violence.

In 2022, more than 48,000 people were killed by guns in the U.S., or about 132 people a day, and suicides accounted for more than half of those deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 200-plus Americans seek emergency care for firearm injuries each day, according to estimates from Johns Hopkins University research. No federal database records nonfatal gun injuries.

The Office of the Surgeon General does not set or carry out gun policy, but historically its reports and warnings have nudged policymakers and lawmakers to act.

Murthy, a physician, told KFF Health News he hoped to convey the broader toll of gun violence on the nation and the need for an urgent public health response. He cited soaring gun deaths among children and teens and noted that the mental health toll of firearm violence is far more profound and pervasive than many of us recognize.

Every day that passes we lose more kids to gun violence, Murthy said, the more children who are witnessing episodes of gun violence, the more children who are shot and survive that are dealing with a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts.

Firearm-related homicides over the past decade and suicides over the past two decades have driven the sharp rise in gun deaths, the advisory says.

Guns are the leading cause of death for children and teens, with higher death rates among Black and Hispanic youths. Researchers from Boston University found that during the height of the covid pandemic, Black children were 100 times as likely as white children to experience gun injuries. Hispanic and Asian children also saw major increases in firearm assault injuries during that time, that study showed.

Joseph Sakran, executive vice chair of surgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and chief medical officer for Brady United Against Gun Violence, said the surgeon generals declaration is a historic moment that sounds the alarm for all Americans.

But Sakran added: It cannot stop here. We have to use this as another step in the right direction. No one wants to see more children gunned down.

Murthy has long said gun violence should be framed as a health issue. He argued that the approach has been successful in combating significant societal problems, citing tobacco control efforts that took hold following the then-surgeon generals landmark 1964 report concluding that smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer and other diseases.

We saved so many lives, and thats what we can do here, too, Murthy said.

Murthys move is one of several recent Biden administration actions designed to combat gun violence, as most gun-related measures remain political nonstarters in Congress. Federal officials have allowed states to use Medicaid dollars to pay for gun violence prevention, and the White House has called on hospital executives and doctors to gather more data about gunshot injuries and to routinely counsel patients about the safe use of firearms.

While available data points to tragic outcomes across American communities, government officials and public health researchers have long been stymied by sparse federal funding devoted to gun violence research and the scope of its health effects.

Ive been studying gun violence for about 33 years now and theres still some really basic and fundamental questions I cant answer, said Daniel Webster, a gun violence researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

To really understand gun violence, you need to do more than just look at publicly available surveillance data, he said. You need to actually do in-depth studies involving the populations at highest risk for shooting or being shot.

A Brady analysis found that of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S., firearm injuries received the third-lowest amount of federal research funding through the National Institutes of Health for each person who died. The only causes of death that garnered less research funding through NIH were poisonings and falls, according to the analysis.

Sonali Rajan, an adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who researches the effects of gun violence on children, said political leaders and others need to reframe the debate on gun violence from crime to public health.

We are raising a whole generation of children for whom exposure to gun violence is normal, Rajan said.

In Michigan, we had a kid survive the Oxford High School shooting only to go to Michigan State University and see another mass shooting, she said. It is unbelievably shameful.

Serving as President Joe Bidens surgeon general since 2021, Murthy has, at times, caused political controversy with his views on gun violence.

Over a decade ago, former President Barack Obama nominated Murthy to be the nations top doctor. But Murthys support for a federal ban on the sale of assault weapons and ammunition and additional restrictions on gun purchases drew the ire of the National Rifle Association, as well as Republicans and some Democrats in Congress. The U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed Murthy to the job in December 2014, more than a year after his nomination.

Murthy has previously issued advisories on social isolation and loneliness, youth mental health, and the well-being of health workers. He said gun violence comes up in many of his conversations with young people about the mental health challenges theyre facing.

Fears around gun violence have really pervaded so much of the psyche of America in ways that are very harmful to our mental health and well-being, Murthy said.

Many other causes of death are treated differently as to understanding the problems and developing solutions, Webster said. But thats generally not what weve done with gun violence. Weve oversimplified it and overpoliticized it.

As Sakran put it: As we look at firearm injuries, theres arguably no public issue thats as urgent.

The post US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis appeared first on Virginia Mercury.
US wants to invite Armenia, Azerbaijan to upcoming NATO summit, sources tell Azerbaijani media

The U.S. is planning to invite Armenia and Azerbaijan to the upcoming NATO summit in Washington in July, the Azerbaijani media outlet Turan reported on June 27, citing unnamed sources.

Both Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have long been geopolitical foes, have previously partnered with NATO but have not directly sought membership.

Sources told Turan that the summit could facilitate bilateral talks on the ongoing peace process between the two countries and would be "a wonderful opportunity that is too good to miss." It is unclear at the time of this publication if the invitations have already been sent, and if Armenia and Azerbaijan have accepted or plan on attending.

The news came as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O'Brien is scheduled to arrive in Baku on June 27, in what will be his third trip to the South Caucasus in two months.

"We are very clear with (Azerbaijani President Ilham) Aliyev that this is a time to make peace," O'Brien said at a Senate committee ahead of the trip.

Read also: Russian peacekeepers complete withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan says

Azerbaijan undertook a successful offensive in September 2023 to reclaim the Nagorno-Karabakh region, recognized by international law as a part of Azerbaijan but de-facto under the control of the ethnic Armenian self-proclaimed republic since the early 1990s.

Peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been ongoing since then but have yet to reach a definitive conclusion.

The growing ties between Armenia and Western institutions like NATO have also illustrated the shifting tides of Russian influence in the region.

Armenia had long relied on Russia as its primary regional ally, but relations between the two countries have continued to sour after Russian peacekeepers declined to act during either the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 or the September 2023 Azerbaijani offensive that effectively concluded the conflict.

Since then, Armenia has openly sought to establish new defense partnerships.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced earlier in June that Armenia would withdraw from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance consisting of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

"We will leave," Pashinyan told the Armenian parliament, accusing the CSTO of plotting "against us with Azerbaijan."

"We will decide when to leave. We won't come back, there is no other way," Pashinyan said.

Read also: Politico: Belarus supplied arms to Azerbaijan in betrayal to Armenia

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.)  Every year, hundreds of U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) cadets arrive to begin their journey to becoming officers with the Air Force or Space Force. For most, home is hundred if not thousands of miles away, and the sponsor program offers local families and cadets a way to connect and build a home away from home.

The USAFA Cadet Sponsor Program offers cadets a way to gather support beyond the formal Academy environment, and a place to relax and unwind. The program also offers local families an opportunity to become an extended family to future military leaders.

According to a press release from USAFA, almost 400 incoming cadets still need a sponsor family. While many sponsors are associated with the military, the local community is welcome to apply. Those unsure if they are ready for a long-term commitment can apply to be a sponsor family for a day during the Class of 2028s Day Out, a single day event allowing basic cadets to leave the Academy for the first time since beginning Basic Cadet Training, July 27.

For more information on sponsor family qualifications, click here.

USAFA said the Cadet Sponsor Office strives to match sponsors with cadets who share the same interests and ideologies. By name requests can be submitted by cadets and sponsors. Once a cadet is assigned to a family, they will remain so until the cadets graduation year or until either party requests a reassignment.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.
United Steelworkers International President David McCall on Wednesday said he was confident that the Nippon Steel-United States Steel Corp. deal wont go through.

McCall, who has led opposition to the $14.9 billion deal for the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, noted the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States is due to send a report to President Joe Biden on the national security implications of the acquisition. Biden, who has already said he wants to see U.S. Steel remain American owned, can reject the deal based on CFIUS recommendations.

Also looming in August is arbitration between U.S. Steel and USW, which represents about 10,000 U.S. Steel employees, including many in the Pittsburgh region. USW said the Nippon Steel agreement violates its collective bargaining contract.

Click here to read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times.

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SANDY, Utah (ABC4)  A Utah man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly set fire to a Sandy home with one woman still inside, according to the Sandy Police Department.

Travis Don Anderson, 51, was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one first-degree felony charge of aggravated arson, two third-degree felony charges of aggravated assault, and one misdemeanor for violation of a protective order.

Anderson allegedly got into a verbal argument with one of the residents of the Sandy home, which escalated when he went outside and grabbed a gasoline can. According to court documents, Anderson reportedly splashed gasoline on the victims foot and threatened to burn the house down.

Court documents say the victim then left the house and called law enforcement. While on the phone, she noticed smoke coming from the house. The victims mother, who lived with her, was reportedly in the basement at the time of the alleged arson.

VIDEO: Crews battle massive 3-alarm Salt Lake City fire, roads shut down

Gasoline was poured on the floor of every room of the house with the knowledge that the victims mother resided in the basement, Sandy police reported in a booking affidavit. Lighting the fire created a substantial risk of bodily injury to the victim and her mother.

Sandy Police reported the victims mother was found in the basement and safely brought out of the home unharmed. The Sandy Police Department told ABC4.com that the home is now unsuitable for living due to the significant smoke damage caused by the fire.

Anderson was found a short time later near the Sandy home and taken into custody. Court documents show he is being held without bail, pending a pretrial hearing.

Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Pete Arredondo, the former school police chief of Uvalde, Texas, has been indicted on charges of child endangerment for his part in the botched response to a deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School two years ago, sources told the San Antonio Express-News on Thursday.

Another former school police officer, Adrian Gonzales, was also reportedly indicted on the same charges, handed down by a Uvalde County grand jury.

It marks the first criminal charges brought over the May 24, 2022 massacre, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed.

In the weeks and months after the school shooting, the deadliest in the states history, Arredondo received much of the blame for the delay in confronting the gunman.

Though officers from multiple agencies were on school grounds within minutes of the first shots fired, they waited more than an hour before breaching the classroom in which the shooter was known to be barricaded. Surveillance footage showed officers dawdling in the hallway outside for more than an hour.

Described by Texas state officials as the incident commander on the scene, Arredondo has stoutly defended himself, saying he did know he had been in charge. After he was fired by the Uvalde school board in Aug. 2022, his attorney described the vote as an illegal and unconstitutional public lynching.

The Express-News was unable to reach Arredondo for comment. Gonzales hung up when called by a reporter.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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Vape store debate heats up in Surfside Beach as town leaders consider new rule for businesses

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW)  As Surfside Beach officials prepare to tackle the future of vape shops in town, some residents say any attempts at controlling where they can operate may do more harm than good.

Its going to cause more of a traffic jam, traveling to another part of the community, where theres already a huge traffic jam, restaurant employee Matthew Jackson told News13 on Wednesday. They need more attention in their streets and beaches (rather) than worrying about a storefront.















The towns planning commission meets July 2, where its expected to begin talks about creating a definition of what constitutes a vape or CBD shop.

Its also possible that such businesses in the future would have to operate along Sandy Lane, keeping them away from the well-traveled Highway 17 Business corridor that runs through town.

I think we really need to stay on this as a town, because its not good for us, town council member Shawn Fallon said on Tuesday.

There are currently three vape and CBD stores within town limits.

Ibrahim Hamzah, owner of Ace Tobacco and Vape Shop along Highway 17, said he picked the location due to its ease of access.

One visitor told News13 that stores such as Hamzahs dont factor into his decision to spend time in the town.

A vape store isnt a deal breaker for a family coming to Surfside Beach. Theres no reason that should be their main concern, he said. Its not promoting it to children. Its not like theyre saying, hey, come vape. Come do all this stuff.'

Town council members want more community feedback as officials work through the issue, but one of them said on Tuesday that he worried what would happen if such stores were clustered along Sandy Lane.

Id hate Sandy Lane to turn into Seaboard. Its strip joints, vape shops and tattoo parlors. Its not even a mixture of anything. You dont have convenience stores, you dont have restaurants, Henry Kohlmann said. I dont want a place where in the shadows, you have these businesses. Theyre going to bring crime.

* * *

Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

* * *

Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW.
TILTON, Ill. (WCIA)  A village in Vermilion County has cut off the number of marijuana-related businesses within its limits.

The village unanimously approved an ordinance to limit the number of licenses to one craft growing license and one dispensary at their meeting last week. One company was trying to open another dispensary in town.

Danville City Council greenlights third cannabis dispensary

We are a town of 2,700 residents and we already have one dispensary, Billy Wear, the Tilton mayor said in an email to WCIA. I feel that there is a limited number of people that partake in their use, and that we as a board need to make business decisions on what benefits the greatest number of citizens in our town, and the people that we rely on to support our businesses.

Wear said all trustees had voiced their personal reasons for voting against the measure. The permit changes will be written up by the villages attorney.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
Tolentino backs pilot-testing of internet voting for overseas Filipinos

Senate Majority Leader Francis 'Tol' Tolentino on Thursday expressed his full support to the efforts of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to pilot test internet voting for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the 2025 mid-term polls.

In his morning radio program, 'Usapang Tol,' the senator commended Comelec Chair George Garcia, who explained how the poll governing body will implement internet-based voting for the first time in next year's elections.

Tolentino then joined the Comelec chief in appealing to OFWs to register as overseas absentee voters before the September 30 deadline.

He also asked the poll body to step up its information dissemination campaign to educate overseas Filipinos about the requirements and mechanics of online voting.

"Online voting has been my advocacy for a long time because many Filipinos abroad are disenfranchised and deprived of the right to suffrage every election. I even wrote a book about this, and I am very happy that it will now be realized," stated the senator.

He cited the struggle of Filipino seafarers, many of whom he said are unable to cast their vote because they are on duty at sea most of the time.

For his part, Garcia shared the operational difficulties of voting by mail, since many ballots are missent or not received, and end up being mailed back to Philippine embassies and consular posts.

"This is great news for our kababayans abroad. Internet voting, which is strongly being pushed by Senator Tolentino, will soon allow our OFWs to cast their vote using their cellphone, laptop, or tablet," said the Comelec Chair.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Wang Wentao, China's Minister of Commerce met with his Finnish counterpart, Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman, on Wednesday.

Wang said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Finland economic and trade relations have maintained a steady and healthy momentum. Cooperation between the countries has deepened in a range of areas, including the forest industry, agricultural and food products, information and communication, energy and environmental protection as well as winter sports.

The Chinese government has consistently been promoting high-level opening-up and is willing to enhance economic and trade ties with Finland in areas such as new energy and the circular economy, forging an open and fair business environment for the enterprises of the two countries, Wang said.

Wang emphasized that the European Union (EU) has recently taken a series of trade protectionist measures against Chinese enterprises, launched anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles despite China's opposition, and planned to impose additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in the preliminary disclosure. He deemed these actions as "unfair competition" in the name of "fair competition."

Noting that the two sides agreed to launch consultations on the basis of facts and rules, the minister said that China hopes Finland will adhere to the principle of free trade and play a constructive role in the European Union, encourage the EU to show sincerity in the consultations and meet China halfway.

Rydman said that the Finnish government attaches great importance to economic and trade cooperation with China. Moreover, the Finnish economic community has always regarded China as the most important market in the world, and it is willing to further strengthen communication and exchanges with China.

The EU and China have enjoyed success in resolving economic and trade frictions, and Finland agrees that the two sides should properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation under the framework of the World Trade Organization rules, Rydman said. 
Two bills aimed at creating more opportunities for Floridians with criminal records were vetoed by Governor Ron DeSantis in recent days.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The bills would have created more access to education and jobs.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

The first bill would have reduced the length of time criminal histories could be considered when applying for a license to become a cosmetologist or barber from five to three years.

The second would have protected in-state tuition rates for residents imprisoned in the state.

Unfortunately this is very on-brand for Governor DeSantis, said State Representative Angie Nixon (D-Jacksonville).

Nixon has co-sponsored the legislation aimed at making it easier for non-violent offenders to get cosmetology licenses for the past several years.

READ: Gov. DeSantis signs bill creating a right to stand your ground against bears

She said shes disappointed the Governor vetoed the bill, despite it passing through both chambers unanimously this year.

The in-state tuition bill passed with just five no votes in the House.

That says that he wants to continually punish people even though they have been rehabilitated. That says that he would rather those folks not have financial security, said Nixon.

In the Governors veto letters, he wrote, there may be good reason for the licensing board to have information about an applicants criminal past.

For the in-state tuition bill he wrote, We should not reward criminal activity by providing inmates with the same benefits as law-abiding citizens.

In Florida, one out of four prisoners released typically ends up back in the system within three years.

Nixon argued the goal of both bills was to bring that rate down, and help people reintegrate back into society.

READ: Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill to enhance Florida education at Jacksonville Classical Academy

Why doesnt he want to do that? Its because those private prisons, folks who have been known to donate to his campaign coffers and many of my Republican colleagues, they make more money off people being in prison, said Nixon.

Due to the fact both bills passed unanimously or near unanimously, Nixon said she is optimistic theyll be back next year.

She argued it will be up to the public to reach out to the Governor and try to convince him to sign off on the bills if they make it back to his desk.

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Four days after a violent protest outside a Los Angeles synogogue sparked national furor, more perspectives are emerging about what actually happened.

The demonstration sparked condemnation from local as well as national elected officials, including President Biden, Vice President Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Intimidating Jewish congregants is dangerous, unconscionable, antisemitic and un-American, Biden said in a statement. Americans have a right to peaceful protest. But blocking access to a house of worship  and engaging in violence  is never acceptable.

The incident has led to beefed-up police patrols in the area as well as discussions of restricting mask-wearing during protests.

It has also sparked criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian sides about police tactics.

A physician based in Los Angeles, who requested anonymity because he fears reprisals, worked as a medic during Sunday's protest outside the Adas Torah synagogue in the predominantly Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood. During the hours-long melee, in which violent clashes broke out between pro-Palestinian supporters and pro-Israel counter-protesters, he treated at least 11 people, whose injuries ranged from chest pain and shortness of breath from inhaling pepper spray to a fractured arm.

"This was probably the scariest protest I've been to," he said. "It was very apparent that our police weren't there to protect us and that any acts of violence that occurred in front of them wouldn't be met with consequences. It was a very traumatic experience, and I'm still coming to grips with it."

Read more: Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action

The Los Angeles native volunteered to work as a medic after seeing a protest flier posted on the Instagram account for the Southern California chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement. Sunday's melee prompted politicians and Jewish community groups to condemn the protest outside the religious site as an act of antisemitism. Pro-Palestinian supporters, however, say the protest was a direct response to a real estate event at the synagogue advertised as providing information on "housing projects in all the best Anglo neighborhoods in Israel."

The ad that ran in Friday's Jewish Journal did not specify the location of the real estate.

According to an archive of the website for My Home in Israel, one of the companies listed on the advertisement, homes were listed for $435,000 to $4.1 million in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and in the West Bank territories of Efrat and Ariel. Much of the international community, including the U.S. and the U.N., says that settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, which Israel disputes.

On Sunday, the medic arrived at the synagogue to find protesters gathered near the entrance. Within 20 minutes, Los Angeles police officers showed up and formed two separate lines  one on the east side of the block and another on the west, cutting off access to the area where the pro-Palestinian supporters had parked their cars, he said. The protesters were effectively "sandwiched" between the counter-protesters and the police.

"That's when I began to realize how dangerous the situation was," he said.

The officers started pushing and using batons against the protesters to try to get the crowd to disperse, he said. He said both protesters and counter-protesters used pepper spray.

Interim LAPD Chief Dominic Choi previously confirmed that a "mobile field force" tried to disperse the crowd. Choi also said the protesters had "attempted to block the entrance of the synagogue." The LAPD referred questions regarding use of force and allegations that they didn't intervene in the violence to a department news release about the protest, which didn't address those topics.

The medic said he treated at least 11 protesters, including seven who had been pepper-sprayed. One woman was sprayed three times in the face as she chanted on a megaphone, he said. He treated another person who complained of chest pain and shortness of breath after inhaling pepper spray. Another suffered a right arm fracture after being struck with a police baton, he said.

"There were a lot of people struggling to stay safe," the medic said.

Around 1:30 or 2 p.m., the medic said, he and a group of about 80 to 100 protesters decided to leave , but because they were blocked from reaching their cars by the police line, they had to use side streets through the neighborhood.

For more than an hour, a group of Israel supporters clashed with the protesters, he said, He recalled one person from the pro-Israel side yelling out, "We have the bullets, you have the blood."

Before Sunday's protest, the doctor had helped out with the pro-Palestinian encampments at UCLA and USC, he said, volunteering in the medical tent and teaching protesters basic first aid and how to respond to medical emergencies.

The Times talked to others who witnessed the protest and its aftermath, who offered their perspectives.

Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, founder of the JEM Community Center in Beverly Hills, arrived at Adas Torah on Sunday to worship during afternoon prayer and was confronted by a group yelling into megaphones. Some temple visitors were blocked from going inside, he said.

We could not pray well because these people outside were screaming, he said.

Jessica Hyam, who owns the Little Tichel Lady clothing shop a few doors down from the synagogue, heard about the protest and hired a security guard to stand outside her store. The protest started small and just in front of Adas Torah, but eventually the sidewalk in front of her store was full.

Her security guard ran inside after he was pepper sprayed.

Its our home, Hyam said, so for them to come into a densely populated Jewish area and to protest here, it doesnt feel like its part of their cause. It just feels like theyre coming and telling us, Were against you.

Sam Yebri, who watched the situation outside the synagogue Sunday, said targeting places of worship appeared to him to be a new level of escalation by protesters. Yebris family prays, eats and shops in the Pico-Robertson community and his children attend school there, he said.

He arrived outside Adas Torah around 1 p.m. and saw protesters wearing masks and green headbands chanting, Intifada, the Arabic word for a rebellion.

Eden Cohen said a handful of LAPD officers were standing at the entrance of the synagogue, apparently trying to keep protesters from going inside. Her throat and eyes burned from the bear spray that saturated the air, she said, adding that she saw Jewish people on the ground after being sprayed with the irritant as others tried to help them.

Cohen said she heard anti-Jewish slurs and calls for violence against Israeli soldiers.

Police were really not stopping the fights that were breaking out.... It was a chaotic, violent, terrifying scene that seemed to be completely out of control, Cohen said.

Videographer Sean Beckner-Carmitchel said he was hit in the back of the head by pro-Israel protesters while he covered the event. Several men followed him on Pico Boulevard shortly before 4:30 p.m. In his video, someone off camera can be heard telling the men that Beckner-Carmitchel is a member of the media.

It was nothing other than egging on violence, he said. There were no political statements being made.

After Sunday's violence, those in the crowd supporting Israel also criticized the police for not intervening.

Talia Regev, 43, who said she came to the protest "to make sure things wouldn't get out of hand," was speaking to police officers when, she said, she turned around and witnessed her friend Naftoli Sherman fall to the ground.

Sherman, 25, told a Times reporter that he was punched in the left eye by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. As he fell to the ground, some in the crowd tried to pull the man who punched him away from him while others tried to pile on top of them. When he finally got up, the left side of his face was bleeding, and his nose was broken. He walked over to the officers and asked them to call an ambulance or let him through the line, but they remained in place and told him to use side streets.

Eventually, Sherman said, he walked around the police line and went to a nearby hospital, where his nose was reset.

Regev said she stood between combatants in an effort to break up fights. She also saw someone pick up a chair and was able to talk them out of using it.

A pro-Israel demonstrator who was carrying a spiked pole was arrested, cited and released, and there were two other reports of battery, according to the LAPD. A pro-Palestinian protester also used a chemical irritant against at least two officers, which the department is investigating, Choi said.

At a public-security briefing Wednesday, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Cmdr. Steve Lurie denied the allegation that police were told to do nothing. Lurie said no officials gave an order to LAPD officers to "stand down and slow or stop any action" during Sunday's protest.

Lurie accused those gathered outside the synagogue of displaying "anger, vitriol and violence." A police liaison to the city's Jewish community, Lurie said local officials should consider whether blocking access to a place of worship during a protest should be viewed as an act of hate that could be prosecuted.

It feels to me like were moving into an area where that specific action could be considered a hate crime," Lurie said, "so were going to look into what might be filing criteria for that."

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky introduced a motion during a Tuesday L.A. City Council meeting to find more resources for security services at places of worship.

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
In August 2023, Snopes began receiving messages from readers about a social media post making an odd claim about solar panels. Over the past year, we have continued to receive messages about the post, which has been shared widely with the exact same language. To massively simplify, the post claimed that large-scale solar farms will become "thunderstorm and tornado incubators and magnets." Snopes could not find substantial or reliable evidence to support this or related claims in the post.

In order to best fact-check it, we have broken the post down into individual claims. First, we briefly investigate the identity of the post's author, before tackling the science of solar panels and tornadoes. Inside the yellow boxes, you can read the original text of the post. Below each section, we analyze the claims and correct misleading information as necessary.

Claim: 'I Am a Retired Aerospace Engineer'

The post begins as follows:

As more & more counties get more solar farmshere's some truth about solar farms. From a STEPHENVILLE resident, George Franklin: I should start by telling you what bonafides I have for writing this. I am a retired aerospace engineer. A literal rocket scientist if you will. I worked on MX (Peacekeeper) Space Shuttle, Hubble, Brilliant Pebbles, PACOSS, Space Station, MMU, B2, the Sultan of Brunei's half billion dollar private 747 with crystal showers, gold sinks and 100 dollar a yard coiffed silk carpets. I designed a satphone installation on prince Jeffry's 757. I did all of the design work for the structure of Mark 1V propulsion module currently flying on at least 3 spacecraft that I know of. Some of the more exciting projects I have worked on are not shareable. I am also am FAA certified glider pilot and FAI certified gold glider pilot. I fly both full scale and model sailplanes. I am Microsoft certified and ComTIA A+ certified.

Snopes was unable to find conclusive evidence the "George Franklin" listed as the post's author was a real person. We did find that a man named George C. Franklin worked for NASA at the Johnson Space Center, but many of the projects the author of the post mentions are not ones Franklin worked on at NASA. Additionally, if Franklin has patented anything, Snopes was unable to find it, and nobody in the Federal Aviation Administration's database named George Franklin had the certification claimed in the post. Snopes reached out to the former NASA engineer George C. Franklin for a comment, but he did not respond. Given the lack of evidence, however, Snopes is unable to confirm who wrote the post or whether that person used their real name.

Additionally, none of the qualifications listed suggest the author would be an expert on solar energy.

Claim: 'Solar Panels Are at Best About 20% Efficient'

The post then attempts to explain some of the science behind solar panels:

SOLAR PANELS are at best about 20% EFFICIENT. They convert almost 0% of the UV light that hits them. None of the visible spectrum and only some of the IR spectrum. At the same time as they are absorbing light they are absorbing heat from the sun.

Some of what the post claims here is true. Solar panels, which scientists call photovoltaic cells, are not efficient at capturing energy from the sun. Average commercial solar panels turn about 20% of the sunlight that hits them into energy, and the world record is about 48%. However, this is still much better than the zero percent turned into energy without solar panels. The author's statistics on different spectra of light (ultraviolet, visible light and infrared) are unimportant; the main point is that solar panels absorb light and, therefore, heat.

As the author claims, solar panels indeed absorb heat from the sun. However, all objects absorb heat from the sun, not just solar panels.

Temperature is a weird form of measurement. Unscientifically, it's how much something wiggles around at a microscopic level. Scientifically, it's related to the average amount of energy (thus the wiggles) found in all the particles in a substance. The more energy the substance has, the higher its temperature.

The sun heats objects by emitting light: Any object that absorbs some of that light (and again, that is literally everything) will get a tiny bit hotter based on how much light it takes in  think of the temperature difference between sitting in the sun versus in the shade. This is also why wearing a white or black shirt can make a big difference in how hot you feel  dark colors absorb more light than bright and light colors.

As part of our research for this story, Snopes reached out to numerous engineers and scientists, both inside and outside the U.S. government, who design and develop photovoltaic cells. We will update this story with any additional information they might provide as we hear back.

Claim: 'Solar Farms Will Become Thunderstorm and Tornado Incubators and Magnets'

The post continues discussing the effects that this absorbed heat could have:

This absorbed HEAT is RADIATED INTO THE adjacent ATMOSPHERE. It should be obvious what happens next. When air is warmed it rises. Even small differences in ordinary land surfaces are capable of creating powerful forces of weather like thunderstorms and tornadoes. These weather phenomena are initiated and reinforced by land features as they are blown downwind. It is all too obvious to me what will happen with the heat generated by an entire solar farm. SOLAR FARMS WILL BECOME THUNDERSTORM and TORNADO INCUBATORS and MAGNETS.

Here, the author uses some science that might seem vaguely intuitive to draw a rather shocking conclusion: As the solar panels take in light (and therefore heat) from the sun, they create a pocket of warmer air in the surrounding atmosphere that will create thunderstorms and tornadoes.

What's going on here is a minefield of somewhat-accurate statements being placed next to one another to form an "overpowering" conclusion.

Yes, heat taken in by the solar panels will be radiated into the adjacent atmosphere  over a longer period of time. Yes, warm air rises, but it takes a lot of warm air before to even make a dent in the surrounding climate. Yes, "small differences in ordinary land surfaces" are capable of creating weather, but there are many different factors that dictate the weather. Yes, weather phenomena are "initiated and reinforced by land features," but they can also be weakened and dismantled by land features.

The "buts" in every sentence here are little holes in the argument that the author conveniently skips over. So is there any actual scientific evidence that would support or refute the claim?

That story starts with the discovery that cities are consistently warmer than the countryside. This effect, which has been known about since the 1800s, is called the urban heat island effect, and many cities across the world have brainstormed and implemented plans, including planting trees and using more reflective materials in construction in order to reduce urban temperatures. The similarities here should become apparent  what the author of the post is proposing is that large-scale solar farms also create heat islands.

The scientific evidence for this is mixed. Certainly, solar panels provide excess heat to the environment, but whether that heat is enough to cause a heat island effect is questionable. Some studies found that there was a significant heat island, while others found that all the extra heat generated was contained to the solar farm and completely dissipated overnight.

This leads to a follow-up question: Do heat islands affect the weather? If so, how much? Again, the answer is quite complicated. There have been some analyses that show heat islands could help create storms, while other analyses show that heat islands actually help disperse them.

However, none of those analyses focused on the type of severe storms that cause tornadoes.

Aaron Hill, an associate professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma who studies ways to improve weather forecasting and prediction, told Snopes via email that tornadoes don't form in the way the post suggests they do.

"Simplifying tornado formation and occurrence to simply the radiation emitted (or reflected) by solar panels is a gross, error-filled representation of severe weather hazards," Hill said.

It takes a specific set of atmospheric conditions in order to make a tornado. Matthew Flournoy, a research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, explained the two key ingredients via Zoom. The first is atmospheric instability, created when warm, moist air sits underneath cold, dry air. Combine that with vertical wind shear, where the wind's speed and direction changes depending on altitude, and you have a breeding ground for severe thunderstorms that can produce tornadoes.

There are a few problems with the solar panel claim on the weather side of things, then: Hill said a solar farm would not affect any one of the key atmospheric factors that create tornadoes. Furthermore, both Hill and Flournoy said that even a very large solar farm wouldn't be big enough to create severe weather. In the United States, the atmospheric conditions to form tornadoes come from the Rocky Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico. India's Bhadla Solar Park, one of the largest in the world, is about 22 square miles. The Gulf of Mexico is about 600,000 square miles.

In other words, this isn't a problem we need to worry about.

What's more, the research conducted to figure out whether there really is a heat island effect had several proposals to counteract any potential downsides. The strategies often resembled those implemented by cities hoping to reduce their own heat islands, like deliberate design of roads to break up the heat into smaller chunks, planting greenery under the solar cells and improving solar panel technology to reflect the parts of the light spectra they don't absorb. Meanwhile, research on whether heat islands create storms in the first place has found a lot of other variables are important, too, including skyscrapers that disturb wind patterns and high levels of air pollution that give water in the air something to stick to.

Therefore, the potential heat island effect from solar farms would not be a "tornado magnet," as suggested by the post.

Claim: 'This Is Known as Black-Body Radiation'

The post continues, moving onto a different part of science.

Solar panels are dark and and they emit energy to the space above them when they are not being radiated. This is known as black-body radiation. Satellites flying in space use this phenomenon to cool internal components. If they didn't do this they would fry themselves. So solar farms not only produce more heat in summer than the original land that they were installed on, but they also produce more cooling in winter, thus exacerbating weather extremes.

Using complex scientific terms with which the public is unfamiliar (in this case, "black-body radiation") is a common tactic among people trying to spread disinformation because anyone attempting to disprove the statements must first ensure that they understand the science before approaching the claim itself. Because we already are supposed to believe the post's author is a scientist, it's natural to assume that they know about complex science that we don't.

Indeed, that's what's going on here: a description of a real scientific phenomenon that has nothing to do with the claim as a whole. Instead of having to do with the color of solar panels, black-body radiation just explains why really hot things glow. In case it wasn't already clear, no, solar farms do not "exacerbate weather extremes" because of black-body radiation. Interestingly, however, there are studies that show solar panels would reduce the urban heat island effect and bring cities back in line with their rural surroundings.

Claim: 'There Is No Such Thing as Green Energy'

With the misuse of fancy scientific language, what conclusion does the "rocket scientist" draw? Green energy is bad:

So I conclude with this. THERE IS NOTHING GREEN ABOUT GREEN ENERGY except the DIRTY MONEY flowing into corrupt pockets. There is no such thing as green energy. The science doesn't exist. The technology doesn't exist. The engineering doesn't exist. We are being pushed to save the planet with solutions that are worse than the problems.

As the specter of climate change continues to grow, environmental activists have faced increasing pushback against their efforts. Despite a 2021 analysis that found more than 99% consensus on human-caused climate change in scientific papers, many non-scientists remain skeptical. But as the consensus on human-caused climate change has become harder and harder to outright deny, anti-climate change propagandists have changed tactics. Politicians have increasingly critiqued the proposed solutions instead of the problems, and many social media posts attempt to discredit forms of environmental upkeep. This switch-up is called "new climate denial."

When the author says "we are being pushed to save the planet," it implies that anyone who says we need to save the planet is deliberately misleading the public. The part that's left out? The people doing the pushing (again, climate change advocacy is supported by more than 99% of scientific papers on the topic) say we need to save the planet from climate change.

In case it was not already clear, this is an example of one such post. One report from Agence France-Presse discovered the post dated as early as August 2022, but Snopes could not further pinpoint the post's origin.

It's also littered with discrepancies. While there are places where the author says something scientifically accurate, the post's conclusions do not follow neatly from the argument. The installation of large-scale solar farms will certainly have some kind of environmental effect  there is no such thing as a free watt of power. But green energy does exist, with the science, technology and engineering to support it.

Contrary to the post's claim, large-scale solar farms are not going to become "incubators" for tornadoes, thunderstorms and disastrous weather events. Climate change, on the other hand, is already doing just that.

Sources:

"A Long-Term View of the Gulf of Mexico." National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 27 Oct. 2020, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/long-term-view-gulf-mexico.

Barron-Gafford, Greg A., et al. "The Photovoltaic Heat Island Effect: Larger Solar Power Plants Increase Local Temperatures." Scientific Reports, vol. 6, no. 1, Oct. 2016, p. 35070. www.nature.com, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep35070.

"Center for High Efficiency Solar Cells - Fraunhofer ISE." Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/en/rd-infrastructure/center/center-for-high-efficiency-solar-cells.html. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Fthenakis, Vasilis, and Yuanhao Yu. "Analysis of the Potential for a Heat Island Effect in Large Solar Farms." 2013 IEEE 39th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2013, pp. 336266. IEEE Xplore, https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2013.6745171.

Garshasbi, Samira, et al. "On the Cooling Energy Penalty of Urban Photovoltaics: A Case Study in Sydney, Australia." Energy and Buildings, vol. 294, Sept. 2023, p. 113259. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113259.

George C. Franklin Oral History. https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/FranklinGC/franklingc.htm. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Haberlie, Alex M., et al. "The Effect of Urbanisation on the Climatology of Thunderstorm Initiation." Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, vol. 141, no. 688, Apr. 2015, pp. 66375. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.2499.

Hu, Aixue, et al. "Impact of Solar Panels on Global Climate." Nature Climate Change, vol. 6, no. 3, Mar. 2016, pp. 29094. www.nature.com, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2843.

Jabbar, Hajer Khaled, et al. "Urban Heat Islands: A Review of Contributing Factors, Effects and Data." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 1129, no. 1, Jan. 2023, p. 012038. Institute of Physics, https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1129/1/012038.

Khan, Ansar, and Mattheos Santamouris. "On the Local Warming Potential of Urban Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar Panels in Cities." Scientific Reports, vol. 13, no. 1, Sept. 2023, p. 15623. www.nature.com, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-40280-9.

Lynas, Mark, et al. "Greater than 99% Consensus on Human Caused Climate Change in the Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature." Environmental Research Letters, vol. 16, no. 11, Oct. 2021, p. 114005. Institute of Physics, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac2966.

Masson, Valery, et al. "Solar Panels Reduce Both Global Warming and Urban Heat Island." Frontiers in Environmental Science, vol. 2, June 2014. Frontiers, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2014.00014.

Niyogi, Dev, et al. "Urban Modification of Thunderstorms: An Observational Storm Climatology and Model Case Study for the Indianapolis Urban Region." Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, vol. 50, no. 5, May 2011, pp. 112944. journals.ametsoc.org, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JAMC1836.1.

"Photovoltaic Energy Factsheet." Center for Sustainable Systems, https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/energy/photovoltaic-energy-factsheet. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Physics Made Easy. Black Body Radiation - Understanding the Black Body Spectra Using Classical and Quantum Physics. 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugsvADj1wts.

---. What Is a Black Body? (Stefan Boltzmann's Law, Emissivity, Grey and White Bodies...) - Physics. 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWqzg0iqNtw.

Posts Mislead on Solar Farms' Climate Impact | Fact Check. https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.34EF4Q3. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Ramirez, Rachel. "What Is 'New Denial?' An Alarming Wave of Climate Misinformation Is Spreading on YouTube, Watchdog Says." CNN, 16 Jan. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/16/climate/climate-denial-misinformation-youtube/index.html.

Shepherd, Marshall. "Can Cities Create Their Own Thunderstorms?" Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2016/06/01/can-cities-create-their-own-thunderstorms/. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Simon, Matt. "Growing Crops Under Solar Panels? Now There's a Bright Idea." Wired. www.wired.com, https://www.wired.com/story/growing-crops-under-solar-panels-now-theres-a-bright-idea/. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Smith, Benjamin, and Zhengyao Lu. "Solar Panels in Sahara Could Boost Renewable Energy but Damage the Global Climate  Here's Why." The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2021, http://theconversation.com/solar-panels-in-sahara-could-boost-renewable-energy-but-damage-the-global-climate-heres-why-153992.

Soaking Up Sun in the Thar Desert. 19 Feb. 2022, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149442/soaking-up-sun-in-the-thar-desert.

TED-Ed. How Do Solar Panels Work? - Richard Komp. 2016. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKxrkht7CpY.

US Department of Commerce, NOAA. About Tornadoes. https://www.weather.gov/ffc/torntext. Accessed 25 June 2024.

US EPA, OW. Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect. 1 Oct. 2015, https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect.

Xie, Pengyu, and Hao Wang. "Potential Benefit of Photovoltaic Pavement for Mitigation of Urban Heat Island Effect." Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 191, June 2021, p. 116883. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.116883.
CONCORD, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  Gov. Roy Cooper visited a Concord preschool Thursday to make a case for additional funding for early childhood education.

He visited Cabarrus Bilingual Preschool, which has been operation for around 10 years, and offers teaching for both Spanish and English-speaking children in language programs before they enter public school.

Controversial mask, campaign finance bill is vetoed by NC Gov. Cooper

The trip is one of several Cooper has made across the state as those preschools and places of early childhood education are facing a funding shortfall July 1.

The funding shortfall is tied to the end of COVID relief funds and the lack of an approved state budget.

Cabarrus Bilingual has used the funds to help bring more students into the preschool and also has offered their teachers raises. Director Aurora Swain explained, without that money, services they offer could be dramatically reduced.

This would be detrimental to what is coming for these kids for their future, Swain said.

We are at a critical juncture in our state, Cooper added after meeting with students. We are in an emergency situation.

The visit to Concord comes as the State House approved a $67 million plan to keep funding in place through September, but it has yet to be passed by the Senate.

Cooper has proposed a $765 million investment in childcare, saying the state cant be first in business, and be last education.

This would allow these facilities to pay their teachers more, it would allow them to lower costs to the parents, he added.

Cooper says that We are in an emergency situation for early childhood education.

Parents also spoke about the value of these programs, which include some at-home learning.

Antonyia Rumph, a parent of three children who have made their way through Cabarrus Bilingual, said the preschool was instrumental in helping her become a nurse, while also offering her children the chance to learn a second language.

Two of my daughters are part of (gifted) and Spanish immersion programs in school today, said Rumph.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Want to help beautify the community? Come help out at a tire cleanup in Washington County

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (DC News Now)  If youre ready to get your hands dirty, theres an upcoming opportunity to help clean up Washington County.

Join the Washington County Clean County Initiative and the Creek Cleanup Project on July 27 to help beautify the community.

Boonsboro becomes model for community sustainability standards

Volunteers will float downriver to a tire dump site to remove as many tires as the boats will be able to carry.

Boats will be provided but volunteers can also bring their own boats for the cleanup event.

The event will be held at the Hancock Boat Ramp from 9 a.m. to noon. This event qualifies for Student Service Learning for Marylanders.

Anyone with questions is encouraged to email the Clean County Initiativ+e at cleancounty@washco-md.net.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.
ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  A search is underway for a Rowan County who is accused of sexually assaulting a child, authorities announced on Thursday.

The Rowan County Sheriffs Office said on May 18, 2024, deputies were called to a home along Paradise Drive, just outside Salisbury.

While at the home, it was discovered a 12-year-old child and an 18-year-old man were inside the residence. Deputies said they saw evidence to suggest that the two had been sexually involved with each other, which led to further investigation.

MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS

Crime & Public Safety

The man, identified as Steward Allen Callahan-Fletcher, of Gold Hill, NC, was arrested on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for providing the child with contraband.

Following an interview with the child and collecting further evidence, investigators said they believe intercourse and other sexual activities took place between the child and Fletcher the day of and before the response of the deputies.

Since his arrest in May, Fletcher was released from jail, and on June 25 this week, warrants were issued for two counts of first-degree statutory rape and indecent liberties with a child.

Anyone with information on Fletchers whereabouts is asked to call Det. Ryan Dangerfield at 704-216-8662 or Rowan County Crime Stoppers at 866-639-5245.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.
Warm spell comes to an end Thursday; looking ahead to the July 4th period

Thursday marks the coolest day in Chicago since June 10

String of above normal days ends at 15.

Northeast winds keep lakeshore highs in the upper 60s.

Late afternoon temperature snapshot

Predicted mid-afternoon temperatures Thursday

How much cooler than same period Wednesday?

Areas closest to Lake Michigan will feel the biggest impacts with temperatures nearly 20 degrees cooler than the same period Wednesday

Weather hazards looking ahead to July 4th period.

No sign of any significant heat with staying power across the Chicago area into at least the first week of July. The southern Plains and Southeastern U.S. is at greatest risk for seeing more extreme temperatures

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) said Wednesday that Black voters will not vote for former President Trump this November.

Speaking on MSNBCs Alex Wagner Tonight, Warnock, one of only four Black senators, said the former president is trying to take the country backward.

Donald Trump is a plague on the American conscience and the American nation, Warnock said. Theyre trying to take us backwards; Joe Biden is trying to take us forward. And the choice this November is between the America of Jan. 5 that has a place for kids like me and for Appalachian kids, poor kids, and the America of Jan. 6 that sees our neighbors as enemies.

Warnock said it was the voters of Georgia who saved the day in 2020 when they elected him, Democratic Sen. John Ossoff and President Biden.

Who would have thought that when the nation was at this critical place, that it would be Georgia that would make the difference, sending its first African American senator and its first Jewish senator to the United States Senate from a state in the Old Confederacy, a state in the old Jim Crow South. We literally gave the country a chance, he said.

From 1972 to 2016, Georgia was solidly Republican. But many credit Black voter turnout for turning the Peach State purple  and for helping elect Biden.

Recent polls, however, show Trump making inroads with Black voters, particularly Black men.

Still, Warnock, who also serves as senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, dismissed the notion that Black voters will support Trump in November.

As somebody whose name was on the ballot five times in Georgia in less than three years and who preaches every Sunday from Martin Luther King Jr.s pulpit, I think I know a little something about Black voters, and I can tell you that Black voters are not going to show up and vote for Donald Trump. Not in any appreciable numbers, Warnock said, adding that polls will fluctuate between now and November.

The truth is, most Americans arent really paying much attention until after Labor Day, Warnock said. And so, well continue to make the case that really were talking about the soul of our country.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the hiring of 10 artificial intelligence experts as the first members of its new "AI Corps," which will eventually become a 50-member advisory group. The new hires "will help DHS responsibly leverage new technology and mitigate risks across the homeland security enterprise," a press release explained.

AI shows promise for "strategic mission areas," DHS says, such as "countering fentanyl trafficking, combatting online child sexual exploitation and abuse, delivering immigration services, fortifying critical infrastructure, and enhancing cybersecurity."

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has gone so far as to say that "there is not a domain" of the department that "could not use AI, if in fact we learn how to use it responsibly" and understand the implications for civil liberties. But Americans shouldn't count on the government to stick to that standard and shouldn't assume that they'll be immune to AI-related harms just because DHS says it'll use the technology in specific ways.

DHS "has regularly rolled out unproven programs that rely on algorithms and risk the rights of the tens of millions of Americans," wrote the Brennan Center for Justice's Faiza Patel and Spencer Reynolds last month. For one, "the screening, vetting, and watchlisting regimes that are supposed to keep tabs on potential terrorism appear never to have been tested." DHS also "runs sweeping social media monitoring programs that collect information on Americans' political views and activities" despite having "demonstrated no security value," argued Patel and Reynolds.

Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) pointed out that DHS, though required "to maintain an inventory of AI use cases," did not publish an accurate one. "Although DHS has a process to review use cases before they are added to the AI inventory, the agency acknowledges that it does not confirm whether uses are correctly characterized as AI," the GAO found.

The AI Corps is one of many recent pushes to incorporate AI in more DHS activities. Earlier this year, the department launched a $5 million set of pilot programs that would "use A.I. models like ChatGPT to help investigations of child abuse materials, human and drug trafficking," "use chatbots to train immigration officials," and help create disaster relief plans, The New York Times reported. In April, Reps. Lou Correa (DCalif.) and Morgan Luttrell (RTexas) introduced a bill calling on DHS to develop a plan to implement AI and other new technologies at the U.S.-Mexico border. And an extensive AI executive order issued by President Joe Biden in October repeatedly mentions DHS as a key player in researching and applying AI tools.

"The DHS doubling down on machine learning and automated decision making is a troubling but expected turn considering federal law enforcement's insistence on spending money on the newest shiniest toy regardless of whether or not it has compelling use cases, proves ineffective, or threatens civil liberties," argues Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.

DHS is already using AI tools in broad, public-facing ways, such as for flight check-ins. Transportation Security Administration lines carry out touchless check-in at airports "by taking just a photograph" of the traveler, says DHS. That may sound innocuous enough, but it amounts to mass data collection and the mass surveillance of travelers across the country (more than usual, that is). And there's always potential for mission creep, like the collection of other biometric data.

DHS' increased AI adoption will have deeper consequences for specific groups, including migrants. In the immigration space, Guariglia warns, "more and more decisions, potentially decisions as pivotal or life and death as who gets to immigrate to the United States and who gets asylum, will be decided by computers." (Plus, border AI almost certainly won't be limited to just the border region, if other border surveillance methods are any indication.)

"Automated decision making also means having to collect a tremendous amount of information and data on peoplewhich might be collected in invasive ways or from unreliable sources. This also brings up the concern of transparency," continues Guariglia. If a migrant is turned away at the border or singled out for interrogation "because an algorithm cited them as a risk, how would the public know when or if officers are being directed by machines and where the data the decision was based on came from?"

AI tools show great promise, but it's important to remember that they're works in progress. Immigration processing, fentanyl interception, and disaster relief might all benefit from them eventually. But is it wise for those high-stakes activities to be left in the hands of a federal government using AI tools whose ethical weight and operations it doesn't fully understand?

The post Be Wary of the Department of Homeland Security's AI Ambitions appeared first on Reason.com.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Tibetology scholars have refuted the so-called Resolve Tibet Act recently passed by the U.S. Congress as groundless and futile, and urged the Biden administration not to sign the bill into law.

Researchers attending a press reception in Beijing on Thursday rebutted the act, slamming it as "long-arm jurisdiction" by means of domestic legislation intended to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

"The act is groundless and will in no way benefit the U.S. It hurts more than 1.4 billion Chinese people and is not conducive to the China-U.S. friendship," said Zhang Shigao, director of the Institute of Contemporary Studies at the China Tibetology Research Center.

U.S. President Joe Biden has not yet signed the act into law.

"As a scholar, I hope that Mr. Biden thinks carefully about it," Zhang said.

Yan Yongshan, deputy director of the center's Institute of History Studies, said the act will not change the fact that Xizang has been an integral part of China since ancient times.

"With a civilization spanning more than 5,000 years, China has always been a multi-ethnic country. Its territory has developed over the course of thousands of years, and Xizang has certainly been within the territory of China since ancient times," he said.

Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged the U.S. side to adhere to its commitments to recognizing Xizang as a part of China and not supporting "Xizang independence."

He said China will take resolute measures to firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests. 
Washingtons new bias incident hotline will launch in three counties

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN)  Washingtons new hotline for hate crimes and bias incidents will launch as a pilot program in Clark, King and Spokane counties.

On Wednesday, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced his office will lead the effort that was approved by lawmakers earlier in March. Senate Bill 5427 called for officials to begin establishing the program by Jan. 1, 2025.

70-year-old Oregon man sentenced to federal prison for selling counterfeit masks

In Washington, hate crimes are defined as assaults or threats that lead to property damage or injury due to someones race, religion, skin color, nationality, sexuality, disability, gender expression or identity. The Attorney Generals Office said bias incidents are also acts of prejudice, but arent criminal in nature and dont lead to assaults, threats or property damage.

The hotline will allow Washingtonians to report incidents over the phone and receive trauma-informed information or referrals to local service providers. In some cases, when the incident is suspected as a crime, operators will tip off law enforcement officers.

The pilot program will begin in three Washington counties by July 1, 2025. In a statement, Clark County Sheriff John Horch he is pleased about the new development as the county becomes more demographically diverse.

It will be available for residents statewide starting in 2027.

Fergusons office plans to release an annual report involving the crimes and incidents reported to the hotline.

Washington Cascades hit with hundreds of lightning strikes; 12 new fires started

The ripples of harm from hate crimes and bias incidents extend beyond the victims who are directly impacted  and they must not be tolerated, Ferguson said in a statement. This pilot will set the foundation for a first-of-its-kind centralized, statewide resource for Washingtonians to report hate crimes and bias incidents We must all work together to combat hate and stand up for individuals and communities who are harmed.

Oregon launched a similar hotline in 2020. According to the state Department of Justice, the hotline had experienced a 178% increase in reports by 2023.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Washington town to pay $15 million to parents of teen boy who drowned in lake at summer camp in 2022

SEATTLE, Wash. (AP)  A town in Washington will pay the parents of a teenage boy $15 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit they filed after he drowned during a town summer camp outing.

Darrell DJ McCutcheon, Jr., disappeared underwater in Florence Lake on Anderson Island southwest of Seattle on July 15, 2022, according to Pierce County Court records.

Driver dead, 3 passengers hurt in attack on I-5

Brett Rosen, an attorney for the McCutcheon family, told The Seattle Times this week that Steilacoom agreed to pay $15 million to settle their lawsuit in late April.

A camp employee had left 13-year-old DJ and other teenagers at the lake that day while he went to pick up another group of children and a co-worker at the ferry station nearby, court records show.

DJ, who had never swum in open water before and was not given a life jacket, was underwater for about six minutes before bystanders rescued him and began performing CPR. He was flown to a hospital and died that day, court records said.

Earnest Roberts, who was walking on the beach at the time, swam out and spotted the 13-year-old about 10 feet (3 meters) under the water and pulled him to the surface.

If he was adequately and properly supervised as part of the summer camp group  that boy would not have died, Roberts said, according to court records.

The boys parents, Tamicia and Darrell McCutcheon Sr., sued the town for negligence.

The most important thing for them is to never have this happen to another child, Rosen said.

Paul Loveless, Steilacooms administrator, and Amanda Kuehn, its attorney, declined to talk to the newspaper, citing ongoing litigation because final dismissal paperwork had not yet been filed.

In a January court filing, the town sought to dismiss the couples wrongful death claim, saying Tamicia McCutcheon had signed a waiver accepting risks including injury or death from participating in activities in or near water.

The couples attorneys argued the generic release form did not describe any situations where the children would be taken to open water.

The McCutcheons attorneys also said that camp employees planned the outing knowing they would have to transport the campers from the ferry station in two groups, leaving one by the water. That decision violated a policy in the towns staff training manual which said campers must be under the supervision of a staff person at all times during program hours, court records show.

The McCutcheons plan to use the settlement money to start a nonprofit dedicated to promoting summer camp aquatic safety and to create scholarships in their sons name, Rosen said.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
Washington wolves are at risk. Fish and Wildlife might make it worse. Why? | Opinion

Washington wolves at risk

Washingtons wolves are in serious danger. In addition to the risks they face from poaching, Tribal hunting, vehicle strikes and more, the states Fish and Wildlife Commission is currently discussing reducing their protections by down-listing wolves from endangered to sensitive.

Reducing wolf protections would make them even more vulnerable to poaching, as penalties for illegally killing a wolf would be reduced. Theyd also be more like to get killed in response to (already rare) conflicts with livestock.

These iconic animals play an essential role in our ecosystems, keeping nature healthy and biologically diverse. Premature down-listing risks undoing the small progress weve made in wolf recovery.

We must continue to protect wolves as endangered to safeguard their continued recovery and ensure they remain a vital part of Washingtons natural heritage.

Laura Kozuszek, Anderson Island

Tacoma Landlord Fairness Initiative





Over the last few years, progressives have proven they are utterly incapable of tailoring public policy to human nature. In other words, they incentivize bad behavior. From decriminalizing meth and fentanyl to preventing police from detaining suspects based on reasonable suspicion, progressives enact laws that predictably and reliably harm society.

Enter their latest ordinance: a bill that incentivizes squatting. Now, Tacoma renters neednt worry about stiffing their landlord for up to nine months at a time. I cant believe it has to be said, but no one has a right to take up residence in another persons property without paying rent.

Indeed, no one has a right to anything he or she isnt willing to work for.

Tacomas tenants rights initiative lays bare the simple fact that progressive socialists honestly believe they can get away with theft, if only they put the word democratic in front of the name.

They believe that if they convince more people to vote for them than their opponents, they are free to take what belongs to someone else.

Greg Taylor, Tacoma

Public service announcement

I tried watching the news this morning, but I changed the station. The most distressing thing for me is that I cant find a station that is telling me what is actually happening with our politics in America.

They are throwing out concerning terms like fascism, dictatorship and authoritarianism. If this is true, all Americans should be informed immediately.

I have been voting since I was 18 years old. Now Im a senior citizen. I cant believe the medias irresponsible words and deeds.

We need the media to tell us truthfully what is happening and what road we are traveling down. In the 1930s, some treated Hitler like a celebrity and we know what happened with that. We also saw recently what happened on January 6, 2021. Some say it was an insurrection. Others describe it as a fun day. Still others say it was treason.

I believe there should be a public service announcement to all Americans if there is a clear and present danger of fascism, authoritarianism or dictatorship  as well as treason, socialism and communism.

The media and politicians should stop alarming the public and try describing events differently for our understanding.

Constance D. Clay-Williams, Tacoma
June 27 (UPI) -- A mirrored monolith appeared in northern Colorado, the second such structure to be found this month.

The approximately 8-foot-high metal structure was spotted in a Bellvue field and went viral after photos were shared on Reddit.

Lori Graves, who owns the land on which the monolith was discovered, said many people have been asking about the mysterious structure at her nearby business, the Howling Cow Cafe.

Graves said she does not know where the monolith came from.

"I have ideas, but I almost don't want to ruin the mystery around it," she told KDVR-TV. "I'm not going to ask people."

The discovery comes less than three weeks after a similar monolith was found in the desert north of Las Vegas. The Nevada monolith was removed by police out of concerns about the risks from crowds attempting to catch a glimpse of it.

The Colorado monolith is four-sided, while its Las Vegas counterpart was three-sided.

The monoliths are the latest to appear mysteriously since 2020.

The structures were found in locations including Utah, California, Las Vegas, Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Romania and England's Isle of Wight. An anonymous art collective called The Most Famous Artist later took credit for several of the U.S.-based monoliths.

Another monolith was found earlier this year on Hay Bluff, near Hay-on-Wye, Wales. The origins of that structure remain unknown.
How to Watch the First Presidential Debate Between Joe Biden and Donald Trump  and What to Expect

The CNN-hosted debate on Thursday, June 27, comes as recent polls show the candidates neck and neck, and as voters express concern about the age and mental competency of both men

Ethan Miller/Getty, Scott Olson/Getty Joe Biden, Donald Trump

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off in their first presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Thursday, June 27.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are slated to participate in two general election debates before November. Neither is formally their party's nominee just yet  they will officially be nominated at the party conventions this summer  but both have secured enough delegates to become the major party candidates.

The debate, hosted by CNN, comes as recent polls show the candidates neck and neck, and as voters express concern about the age and mental competency of both men.



Related: Donald Trump Says His Future Running Mate Will Most Likely Attend the First Presidential Debate

When Does the First 2024 Presidential Debate Begin?

The first 2024 presidential debate is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 27. It is held in CNN's Atlanta studios, and moderated without a live audience by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.



Where to Watch the First Presidential Debate

Those with cable can watch the presidential debate live beginning at 9 p.m. EDT on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol and CNN Max. It will be streaming for free on CNN.com.

Most news networks and cable channels have also agreed to air CNN's debate, meaning you can find it on the live TV platforms where you're subscribed. PBS.org, C-SPAN.org and the C-SPAN Now app will stream it for free, too.



Related: Donald Trump Gets the Name of His Doctor Wrong While Touting Results of a 2018 Cognitive Test

What to Expect from the Presidential Debate

The economy, immigration and abortion are all issues that the candidates will be asked about on debate night  though more personal matters will likely also take center stage.

Since leaving office, Trump has been hit with four indictments and 88 felony charges. Just last month, the former president was found guilty of 34 felonies in Manhattan for falsifying business records to conceal a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is now awaiting three more criminal trials  two of which focus on his and his allies' efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.

Related: Every Crime Donald Trump Has Been Charged With, Explained

Meanwhile, Biden's son Hunter was found guilty of three felony charges in his federal firearm case earlier this month.

While Hunter himself is not involved in his father's campaign, Trump repeatedly brought him up during a 2020 debate with Biden, prompting the now-president to address the cameras directly and say, "This is not about my family or his family. It's about your family, the American people."

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Viewers at home may also get an idea of who Trump's running mate will be. The former president told NBC News at a campaign stop in Philadelphia over the weekend that his future running mate  who remains unconfirmed  will "most likely" attend the upcoming presidential debate.



Theyll be there, he told the outlet. I think we have a lot of people coming. It's unclear, however, whether Trump plans to publicly name his pick during the debate. He will reveal that decision sometime before the Republican National Convention in mid-July.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, while attempting to call out the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, inadvertently owned herself and fellow supporters of Donald Trump.

Speaking in Congress Wednesday night about 2025 State Department and foreign operations spending, Greene proposed reducing USAID chief Samantha Powers salary to $1, slamming her as a globalist, left-wing activist who uses government positions to force the regimes views on the American people and the rest of the world.

A person who abuses her position in government to meddle in democratic elections should be nowhere near public office, Greene said, the reality of the remark whistling over her own head.

Greene: A person who abuses her position in government to meddle in democratic elections should be nowhere near public office. pic.twitter.com/25LmsmkRqr  Acyn (@Acyn) June 26, 2024

According to former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinsons testimony before the House January 6 committee, Greene had asked the Trump administration for a pardon after the Capitol insurrection. What did she think she needed a pardon for, if not for attempting to meddle in the 2020 presidential election?



Plus, there are the charges that Trump faces for election interference in Georgia, as well as for January 6 in Washington, D.C. By Greenes logic, that means Trump should be kept far away from the White House. And theres the myriad of Trump allies who are charged for election interference in places including Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. Does Greene think that all of those officials should be barred from public office?

Greene probably wasnt thinking. She freaks out if anyone insinuates shes less than adored by the former president and convicted felon. Her words and actions have alienated her from her colleagues in Congress, and shes pushing conspiracies ahead of Thursday nights presidential debate. Its funny that she thinks Samantha Power should be far away from government, when Greene is trying so desperately to keep Steve Bannon out of prison for contempt of Congress charges directly related to election interference.

One day, the contradictions in Greenes head will drive her insane. Then again, there are a lot of people who think thats been the case for a long time.
(NEXSTAR)  Four years after clashing in a raucous debate, President Biden and former President Trump are once again set to face off on national television, with CNN veteran anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash moderating Thursday evening.

The debate will start at 9 p.m. ET inside a CNN studio in Atlanta and last for 90 minutes. The broadcast will stream live in the player below.

WATCH: Trump, Biden to debate Thursday

Unlike the 2020 debate in Cleveland, when a barrage of interruptions left former Fox News host Chris Wallace fighting to keep control, there will be new rules  many insisted on by Bidens team  for this years debate.

2024 presidential debate: What to watch for

The Trump campaign has agreed to the stipulations, which include muted microphones when its the other persons chance to speak, no studio audience, no props or prewritten notes and no opening statements, among others.

While polls show the majority of adults arent excited about either candidate, it appears that the debate could draw broad interest.

Six in 10 said they were either extremely or very likely to tune in, whether by watching the entire debate, viewing clips or following news about it, according to an Associated Press/National Opinion Research Center poll.

Heres which voters will decide the presidential race in Georgia

I think its super important, said Victoria Perdomo, a 44-year-old stay-at-home mom and a Trump supporter in Coral Springs, Florida. It shows America what youre going to see for the next four years.

Absent on the debate stage Thursday will be independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who will counter program by answering debate questions live on his own website.

CNN deemed Kennedy ineligible after failing to meet polling and ballot qualification benchmarks.

What to watch for

With rules and technology in place to prevent outbursts, interruptions and other distractions, there may be increased focus on the messages delivered by Biden, 81, and Trump, 78.

Bidens seemingly low bar for success has been created, at least in part, by Trump and his Republican allies, who have relentlessly mocked the Democratic president for apparent stumbles connected to his age for years. Trumps allies have questioned whether Biden can even stay awake and stand up for the entire 90 minutes  even as Trump has had his own flubs in his speeches at rallies. Trump defended himself Saturday about a moment during the Republican primary when he apparently confused former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He told a crowd Saturday that liberals had misconstrued what he called a moment of pure genius.

Speaker Johnson: No one expects that Joe Biden will be on cocaine at debate

Democrats are hopeful that Biden can bring the same energy he did in his State of the Union address earlier in the year. But a face-off on live television against an opponent who delights in verbal combat is very different from a scripted speech before Congress.

Bidens team is aware that he cannot afford to have a bad night with the nation watching.

CNN host fires back at Ramaswamy over terms of Biden-Trump debate

Trump, who already has a solid base of voters, will have the chance to win over swing voters and moderates. After being widely criticized for his attempts to disrupt and steamroll Biden during their first debate in 2020, it remains to be seen whether or not he can keep his cool Thursday.

Trump immunity ruling looms

While the debate in Atlanta will feature the same candidates who squared off in Cleveland and later in Nashville, a lot has changed since 2020.

President Trump has since been convicted of 34 felony counts in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush money trial, and now awaits a Supreme Court decision on his claims of immunity from prosecution.

The former presidents legal issues are expected to be a point of discussion, and if the court ruling comes down before the debate it could substantially change talking points on both sides.

How Trump, Biden, RFK Jr. are polling ahead of the first debate

If theres a decision before then, whoever that decision favors is going to be wanting to draw attention to it, Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute at Syracuse University told The Hill. I would definitely expect that to get worked into the conversation or even the moderators to pose a question on it.

If the court doesnt announce an opinion on Thursday, it could come on the final opinion day of the week, Friday.

Whats next?

A second debate between Trump and Biden is already scheduled for Sept. 10, and will be hosted by ABC.

Rumors have swirled for months about Trumps upcoming selection of running mates, a decision he could make before  or during  the Republican National Convention in July.

How to watch RFK Jr.s response to Trump, Biden debate

The vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and her yet-unnamed Republican opponent is set to happen either July 23, Aug. 13 or after both party conventions, according to The Hill.

Another important calendar date for Trump is July 11, when he will appear for sentencing after a jury convicted him on dozens of felony counts of falsification of business records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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A Black grandmother in Biloxi, Mississippi was the victim of a racist road rage incident and managed to record the disturbing episode on camera. Neco Eley was driving down U.S. 90 on her way to a doctors appointment with her 6-year-old son when a white man in a silver Mercedes-Benz started driving erratically near her.

Worried that the man would crash, Eley started filming with her phone out of her car window. Once directly behind Eley, he started to scream and threaten her with racist stereotypes and slurs. He told her to go back to Africa and that he should take [her] out that car and beat [her] with a tire iron.

He also said that if a child wasnt in the car with Eley he would snatch her phone and smash it. The harassment lasted for almost six minutes before the man gave her the middle finger and pulled off. Following the exchange, Eley told the Sun Herald that she has had trouble falling asleep.

ROADRAGE WITH A KAREN pic.twitter.com/0CVVlfN23V  Neco Eley (@TheRealistMom1) June 15, 2024

This man really hates Black people that much? she remarked to the outlet. The man seen on the tape has not been arrested; Biloxi Police confirmed Tuesday that a judge did not issue an arrest warrant on the simple assault charge Eley filed last week. However, she still plans to press forward.

Biloxi Council member Felix Gines said the language heard in the footage goes against our country and that the perpetrator doesnt need the privilege of driving on our roads. Gines added: Its been a long time since weve seen anything like that in Biloxi and we want to keep it that way.

Biloxi Police Captain Grandver Everett said his team believes the law was broken and said they will help Eley with any additional charges she may file. Everett also stated that Eleys case may lead to a disturbing the peace charge, which is classified as a misdemeanor that includes a $500 fine or up to six months in county jail.

Simple assault, which is the charge that Eley filed, has the same penalties.



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Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in the first of their two debates on Thursday night, leading up to this years presidential election. The first 2024 presidential debate will take place at 9 p.m. ET in CNNs Atlanta studios. It will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Max and CNN.com. There will not be an audience present to ensure candidates may maximize the time allotted in the debate, CNN said in a release. Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate.

More from Variety

For those that dont have cable, the best way to tune into Thursday nights CNN debate is on a live TV streamer such as DirecTV, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV  all of which have free trials if you arent looking for the monthly committment.

STREAM THE DEBATE ON DIRECTV Free Trial

This will be the first debate between Biden and Trump ahead of the 2024 election, where Trump is seeking to return to the White House. Trump notably did not participate in any of the Republican primary debates leading up to the general election.

Last month, Biden posted a video on X prodding Trump to debate him. In it, Biden made fun of Trumps criminal trial for hush money payments, of which Trump has now been found guilty on all 34 charges.

Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasnt shown up for a debate, Biden said. Now, hes acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. Ill even do it twice. So lets pick the dates, Donald. I heard youre free on Wednesdays.

Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, writing: Crooked Joe Biden is the WORST debater I have ever faced  He cant put two sentences together!  I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September. I would strongly recommend more than two debates and, for excitement purposes, a very large venue, although Biden is supposedly afraid of crowds  Thats only because he doesnt get them.

It was also reported last month that CNN plans to run commercials during the event, which has run free of ads for many years under the management of the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates.

The second presidential debate will be hosted by ABC on Sept. 10. In the meantime, stream the first 2024 presidential debate live online below:

STREAM THE DEBATE ON DIRECTV Free Trial

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For the first time this campaign season, the two front-runners for President will square off tonight discussing topics important to the American people and their campaigns.

President Joe Biden, (D), and former President Donald Trump, (R), will take jabs at each other in what is expected to be a high-profile debate.

According to CBS News, President Trump will have the final word tonight, while President Biden was able to choose whether he wanted to podium on the left or right.

The debate is hosted by CNN, but you will be able to watch it at 9pm on WHIO-TV. You will also be able to watch tonights debate on whio.com and the WHIO-TV streaming app.
WELLINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The latest New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey data shows Kiwis experienced 1.88 million incidents of crime between November 2022 and October 2023, which is "shameful," Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said on Thursday.

There were 185,000 New Zealanders who experienced 449,000 incidents of violent crime, including physical and sexual assault, and robbery in that period, Goldsmith said, highlighting the government's plan to restore law and order.

"Sadly, the survey found more New Zealanders felt unsafe than the year prior, even if they weren't a victim of a crime," he said, adding the government backs the police to do their job more effectively and will ensure there are serious consequences for crime.

According to the government's targets, there will be 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029, alongside serious repeat youth offending to drop by 15 percent.

The government also announced on Wednesday a sentencing reform package to ensure criminals face serious consequences for crime, the needs of victims are prioritized and faith in the justice system is restored.

Other measures include getting more police officers on the beat, establishing military-style academies for young serious offenders, and speeding up court processes, in order to ensure all Kiwis feel safe in their communities. 
Record temperatures in the U.S., particularly the northeast has all of us melting, including Abraham Lincoln.

A 3,000 pound wax statue of the former president, present outside an elementary school in the nation's capital, melted as temperatures hit triple digits last weekend. Pictures and videos of the statue, that have since then gone viral over social media, show Lincoln slumped into his chair, with netizens referring to it as an apt visual of how they feel in this heat wave.

CulturalDC, a non-profit organization that had commissioned the 6-foot statue, in an update on their website, said that the wax sculpture by artist Sandy Williams IV was "intended to be burnt like a candle and to change over time, but this wild heat has done a number on Lincoln."

The organization said that the congealing point (where it begins to harden or melt) of the wax used in the statue is 140 degrees "but with this record-level heat, Lincoln has slumped into his chair more than ever anticipated!"

"All that wax is leannnnnnnning back under the weight of 2024 and the state of our warming planet," CulturalDC said.

The organization added that Lincoln's head was "purposely removed" to "prevent it from falling and breaking".

"We cant guarantee hell be sitting up straight for the months ahead, but who really will be?," CulturalDC said.

More than 100 million Americans were under heat advisories or warnings from the National Weather Service last weekend. The Washington, D.C., area had record-breaking daily temperatures for two consecutive days, the weather service in Baltimore-Washington said.

On Saturday, the temperature at Dulles International Airport hit 100 degrees, breaking the previous daily high temperature record of 99 degrees set in 1988.

Video: Las Vegas Sphere sweats profusely with sunburn in extreme summer heat

A 3,000-pound wax statue of Abraham Lincoln literally melted as temperatures hit three digits over the weekend.

No plans to repair statue, says Culture DC curator

Curator and Executive Director of CulturalDC Kristi Maiselman, in a statement to USA TODAY, said that the organization does not "intend to repair the installation."

"After consulting with the Principal at Garrison Elementary and members of the local community, we have decided to remove it before students return on August 26," Maiselman said. "This timeline is only slightly earlier than our original removal date of September 1."

Maiselman added that private collectors and larger galleries have also offered to purchase the piece, but they have not yet "made a concrete decision on where the piece will go next," and are "exploring all options."

Where is Abraham Lincoln's melting statue in DC?

The statue was placed outside Garrison Elementary School on the site of Camp Barker, a Civil War-era refugee camp that housed formerly enslaved and freed African Americans.

"Commissioned by CulturalDC and supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities through the Public Art Building Communities Grant," the statue was installed in February 2024 and was meant to be on display until September 30, 2024, according to CulturalDC's website.

"The installation is a direct commentary on DCs history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps, refugee camps that housed formerly enslaved and free African Americans," CulturalDC says.

A first version of the statue was previously installed in September 2023 with 100 wicks, but a group of people lit up the wicks causing the statue to melt before its opening, as per Williams. The incident upset many community members and a new statue, the one currently on display, was commissioned soon after.

Why is Lincoln's statue in D.C. made of wax?

Part of Williams' "40 ACRES Archive: The Wax Monument," initiated in 2021, the statue is part of a "collection of artworks, events, performances, films, and installations that highlight and connect important Black histories from around the country."

The collection aims to "flip traditional expectations of public monuments and memorials on their heads, as a way of opening up community conversations about change and public memory," according to a statement by Williams.

CulturalDC, a non-profit organization, had commissioned the 6-foot statue as a direct commentary on DCs history of Civil War-era Contraband Camps, refugee camps that housed formerly enslaved and free African Americans.

Williams said that the work is "meant to be impermanent" and is meant to experience change throughout its installation. Williams added that the sculpture is meant to be interactive and reflective of the ongoing changes around it. Once the structure disintegrates or is no longer deemed publicly safe, Williams collects the wax and recycles it for another project.

"While I do often encourage these sculptures to melt, I was not expecting this version of the artwork to melt in this way," Williams said in a statement. "This melting is 100% due to the unexpected heatwaves we are experiencing on the East Coast and around the world."

"I always joked that when the climate got worse, and we were living in weather hot enough to melt these sculptures, that this work would then become environmental art. I did not expect for that day to be this past weekend," they added.

Contributing: John Bacon, USA TODAY

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abraham Lincoln's wax sculpture at Camp Barker melts amid record heat
A lawyer connected with the Washington County Republican Party (WCGOP) and a key figure in Wendi Stearman's 2020 legislative seat win agreed to pay a $25,000 fine for violating Oklahoma Ethics Commission rules.

Jonathan Krems, who defended the WCGOP in court and is the treasurer of a now-defunct super PAC that supported Stearman, must pay the fine out of his own personal funds and not from any campaign accounts, according to the June 14 settlement.

Krems admitted to multiple violations of Ethics Commission rules, including failing to register Make Oklahoma Great Again as an Oklahoma PAC, not filing reports on contributions and expenditures, and failing to report independent expenditures. He also agreed to undergo education and training as specified by the Ethics Commission before representing any PAC in the future.

Krems didn't response to attempts to reach him for comment.

Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC, which listed an Edmond address, was formed on June 10, 2020, 20 days before the primary. Krems is known as a conservative activist and attorney running Liberty Legal Solutions.

According to Open Secrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finance data, a super PAC called Conservatives for a Great Broken Arrow, also known as Vote Safe, founded by James Tackett, solely funded Krems' PAC with $50,000 for the 2020 election cycle.

It is unclear who Vote Safe's donors are, but Federal Election Commission filings link some of Tackett's for-profit companies and other super PACs connected to Tackett to Vote Safe.

Krems' Super PAC pours money into local House race

In August 2020, The Frontier reported that Krems' PAC spent $45,000 on multimedia to support then-House District 11 candidate Stearman. Stearman initially reported spending no money on her campaign during the same period.

Stearman later amended her campaign report to show she spent $4,000 on political consulting with Moir and Associates, based in Gilbert, Arizona. By the end of her 2020 campaign, which defeated incumbent state rep. Derrel Fincher and won the November 3 general election, she had spent $28,000 with the company.

Stearman lost her 2022 reelection bid against challenger John Kane. None of the PACs or Krems overtly supported or funded Stearman's reelection campaign. Stearman didn't response to requests for comment about her connection to Krems.

Since losing her seat, Stearman has focused on building a "grassroots" movement in the WCGOP leadership that has caused turmoil and split the GOP into two competing groups.

With a vow to fight political corruption and a promise to refuse lobbyist money, Stearman launched an unsuccessful attempt to unseat Oklahoma State Sen. Julie Daniels.

The FEC notified Krems on December 18, 2020, that he had failed to file a report of receipts and disbursements as required by law. Krems' PAC's last report was filed on December 31, 2020. The FEC terminated the Make Oklahoma Great Again PAC on June 8, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Lawyer for WCGOP agrees to $25K fine for ethics violations
The artist Robert Smithson once offered a definition of entropy involving a sandbox, neatly divided between black sand on one side, white sand on the other. We take a child and have him run hundreds of times clockwise in the box until the sand gets mixed and begins to turn grey. If you then ask the child to start running counterclockwise, does the sand go back to where it was? Of course not: The result, says Smithson, will not be a restoration of the original division but a greater degree of grayness and an increase of entropy.

Fighting misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories can feel like being that child running counterclockwise. Spreading info to fight the spread of disinfo can sometimes backfire: True believers double down, and those in the middle sometimes simply throw up their hands claiming they dont know who to believe anymore. Everything is already a mess, but trying to undo the damage can often feel like it just adds more messand by the end youre exhausted from running in circles.

Annalee Newitzs Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind attempts to shift this focus away from simply facts toward, as its title implies, the stories we tell about facts. Newitz begins Stories Are Weapons with Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud and the father of public relations. Its a connection that will be familiar to anyone who knows Adam Curtiss documentary The Century of the Self, and here Newitz lays out how Bernays turned his uncles project to promote mental health into a system for manipulating people into behaving irrationally. Most famously, Bernays tried to develop a market for women smokers by tapping into the feminist movement, rebranding cigarettes as Torches for Freedom and encouraging women to light up in public. As Newitz explains, it was Bernayss ability to frame facts and choices around narratives that allowed him to subtly shape consumers choices.

Bernays walked so that the Defense Department could run. In 1948, Paul Linebarger codified in one place for the first time a number of military strategies for PSYOPS (the term isnt an acronym; as Newitz points out, the military just loves using all caps), in a handbook titled Psychological Warfare. Linebarger, Newitz notes, was operating in the world that Bernays and Madison Avenue had made, but was far more interested in whether psychological pressure techniques could be used to advance American interests. Linebarger, a political science professor at Duke University, helped create the Office of War Information, the first permanent branch of the military devoted to psychological warfare, and his short book became, for many in the intelligence business, the bible on the topic, as one CIA agent put it. Relying heavily on Bernayss ideas, Linebargers influence led to a form of Cold War psyops that Newitz describes as resembling an advertising campaign backed up by violence. If you could convince a foreign populace to like the United States, great; if not, as Linebarger put it, we gave them alternatives far worse than liking us, so that they became peaceful.

Perhaps the most interesting element that Newitz unearths about Linebarger is how much of his written output was not military guidebooks but rather fiction. Under the pseudonym Felix C. Forrest, Linebarger wrote literary fiction, and as Carmichael Smith, he wrote a Cold War spy novel. But it was as Cordwainer Smith that he became most well known, writing dozens of now-canonical science fiction stories. Further, Newitz notes, Linebarger wasnt the only sci-fi author who worked in intelligence, nor was he even the first: The writer Rose Macaulay worked in the British propaganda department during World War I; Alice Sheldon wrote under the name James Tiptree Jr. while working as a CIA analyst; Larry Niven consulted for the Department of Defense, as did John Campbell. (While L. Ron Hubbard never worked for the government, one could add him to this list of those who wrote fiction and were also interested in psychological persuasion.)

Its this sensitivity to the world of narrative and imagination, Newitz suggests, that helped these writers to excel in the world of spycraft and psychological manipulation. Newitz themself is also a writer of three well-reviewed novels of speculative fiction, so their interest and sensitivity to this overlap makes a great deal of sense. In order to foster a world less riven by disinfo and psychological warfare, we need to better understand how these tools are embedded in narratives that get used to shape our world. To achieve psychological disarmament, Newitz writes in the introduction, well need to rethink the role of stories in our livesand, more importantly, to change the way we act on the stories we hear.





While it by no means shies away from the darker aspects of American culture and the hard realities were facing, Stories Are Weapons is more than just another slog through a dark and dreary world of conspiracy theories, paranoia, and creeping fascism. Throughout, Newitz stays resolutely focused on diagnosing problems for the purpose of laying out solutions, and looks for a way to write our way out of the mess were currently in.

The first third of Stories Are Weapons offers a prehistory of psychological warfare, beginning with the Indian Wars of the nineteenth century. Americas story about its westward expansion, as Newitz points out, was dependent on a paradox. On the one hand, there is what scholars refer to as the myth of the vanishing Indianthe repeatedly pushed line that wed seen the Last of the Mohicans (and every other Native people) come and go, and the West was a virgin land for whites to settle. And yet, Newitz continues, its a matter of public record that the U.S. War Department appropriated millions of dollars to fight the Indian Wars in the nineteenth century. If the enemy had already vanished  why the need for all that funding? This contradiction was essential to ginning up public support for genocide, which had to be portrayed as a melancholic, foregone conclusion by a reluctant nation carrying out its destiny.

By establishing that Americas history with disinfo began with the Indian Wars, Newitz makes clear that these tactics, as scary and frustrating and anti-American as they may seem now, were crucial to the formation of the country as we understand it. Westward expansion could not have happened without this marriage of total war and psyops. And what becomes clear in Newitzs timeline is how regularly narratives are built for the purpose of making violence seem inevitable. Stories limit interpretation, they exclude as outlying noise elements that may support counternarratives, and they create an emotional investment for a desired outcome.

From there, Stories Are Weapons turns to twentieth-century American military tactics of psychological warfare andcruciallyhow those tactics differ from the kinds of weaponized storytelling that most of us now face every time we open a social media app. Among the more fascinating discussions in Newitzs book is how very different the militarys use of psychological warfare is from the kinds of disinformation most of us are dealing with on a day-to-day basis. The American militarys use of PSYOPS turns out to have had a mixed success record, at best: For all the experimentation (via programs like the CIAs MKULTRA) to create a Manchurian Candidatestyle brainwashing program, the government has never been able to successfully condition people to act against their will. Rather, much of American propaganda has combined variations on the bog-standard leaflets-and-loudspeakers approach with hoping for the best. This strategy tended to work better during the Cold War, particularly in the wake of the Marshall Plan, when the United States was heavily investedfinancially as well as ideologicallyin winning hearts and minds.

The only propaganda tool that has ever truly worked for the U.S. is bribery, primarily in the form of humanitarian and infrastructure aid.

But that only appears to work so long as the money spigot is turned on. As Russell Snyders Hearts and Mines: With the Marines in al Anbar; A Memoir of Psychological Warfare in Iraq makes clear, the only propaganda tool that has ever truly worked for the U.S. is bribery, primarily in the form of humanitarian and infrastructure aid. But sadly, Newitz goes on to explain, the military never had enough money to pay for the damage that they had done to homes and infrastructure, and so even the bribery failed to work in the long run, leaving the U.S. PSYOPS program an old-school blunt instrument in a world where enemy tactics are agile and conditions are rapidly changing.

Contrast these efforts with the work of Russias Internet Research Agency, or IRA, a private firm once owned by Wagner Group warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, which was responsible for a massive disinfo campaign carried out via Facebook that targeted Americans during the 2016 election. Rather than persuading the enemy to change their ideology or belief, Russian psyops are all about maskirovka, or baffling people with bullshit, in the words of one American PSYOP trainer that Newitz spoke to (he even went so far as to give them a crash course on psychological warfare). In 2016, for example, the IRA set up two opposing Facebook groups: Heart of Texas and United Muslims of America. Using the social media sites algorithms to build enrollment in each, the IRA then set the two against each other, announcing a Heart of Texas protest against a Houston Islamic center and a counterprotest by the United Muslims of America. The goal was not to advance a cause so much as to simply sow division and drive conflict between Americans. The IRA also waged numerous campaigns against those who supported Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, St. Louis, and elsewhere, arguing that neither Republicans nor Democrats could do anything to rein in police violence, hoping to depress turnout and build nihilism among the Democrats base.

Unlike American tactics, in Russia, government agencies flood social media with misinformation, which does not persuade so much as overwhelm and confuse people entirely. People stop believing anything is true and retreat to cynicism and conspiracy. This approach has the advantages of being both fundamentally more destabilizing and easier to pull off. As Ruth Emrys Gordon, another online disinfo researcher who is also a novelist, says, Its hard to get people to believe things, but its easy to get them unsure and confused. The goal is to create what sociologist Jurgen Habermas called a legitimation crisis: a breakdown in meaning so fundamental that even basic communication, and the ability to agree on the most basic facts, becomes impossible.

The goal is to create a breakdown in meaning so fundamental that even basic communication, and the ability to agree on the most basic facts, becomes impossible.

When the US military engages in PSYOPS, Newitz explains, a legitimation crisis is the last thing they want. Theyre hoping to persuade people to take Americas side in a conflict, which means they want to shift the adversarys political loyalties. If the target audience doesnt believe any institution or government can be legitimate, then theres no hope of that kind of persuasion. Yet American political strategists have begun to find uses for this approach in electionsstarting with Steve Bannon and Cambridge Analytica, these tactics were used by Americans against Americans. Total war had come home.

Among its many services, Cambridge Analytica specialized in identifying voters who might have latent authoritarian leanings. Its founder, Nigel Oakes, worked in advertising before starting Strategic Communications Laboratories, or SCL, which worked on foreign influence campaigns in places like Libya, Syria, and Iran; Cambridge Analytica, a subsidiary of SCL, was formed to focus on electoral politics at home in Great Britain and the United States. Scraping Facebook and exploiting its loopholes allowed researchers to gather demographic profiles on millions of users and develop a profile of people who felt oppressed by political correctness, in the words of whistleblower Christopher Wylie. These were people, Cambridge Analytica came to believe, who could be seduced by narrative and persuasion into backing an authoritarian candidate that they might not otherwise feel comfortable publicly supporting. And these were the people that Steve Bannonthe Trump adviser who leaned heavily on the firms datasought to reach.

If the goal of military psyops was to convince the enemy to change their behavior, culture warriors like Bannon had twoentirely differentgoals: convince your audience that some of their fellow citizens are the enemy; and convince the enemy that there is something deeply wrong with their minds, and therefore they are not qualified to demand greater freedoms and personal dignity. What started as an attempt to get people to buy things they dont want, and became an attempt to win hearts and minds overseas has become this: an attempt to turn citizens against one another, convincing them that their neighbors do not deserve basic dignity.





To keep the book moving, Newitz drills down on a series of case studies rather than attempt an exhaustive history. Deeply researched and hewing to facts and history, Newitz is nonetheless, as their books title implies, interested in the meaning and value in storytelling instead of simply hammering facts and claiming truth. And while they remain clear-eyed on the problem and refuse to sugarcoat the task ahead, Newitz remains a dogged optimist, and their tone keeps the book from devolving into a merely depressing rehash of how terrible everything is these days. Particularly in the books third section, there is ample place throughout for wonder, for the celebration of Indigenous storytelling and the capacity for fiction and imagination to remake the world for good (as well as bad). It is also a book devoted to theorizing solutions, and ultimately Newitz is uninterested in a story that paints the problem as insurmountable or the cause as hopeless.

Because, just as stories wound, they can be repurposed and used to reshape this reality. Even though, Newitz notes, Americans are not engaging in democratic debate with one another and instead are launching weaponized stories directly into each others brains, nonetheless we still have the power to decommission those weapons. Newitz treats seriously the term psychological warfare as a weaponized tactic that produces its own form of trauma, arguing that we need to take the harm from psychological war as seriously as damage from total war. Using the language of therapy, Newitz concludes that the only solution to political trauma is political transformation. What does that look like?

Partly, it means awareness. Achieving psychological peace, they write, doesnt always require us to tell new kinds of stories. Instead, it involves understanding how many of our social interactions are shaped by the stories weve heard. Its about recognizing weaponized stories when they come flying at us, instead of accepting them as factual or unquestionably good. But awareness itself can come from competing, alternative stories, stories that push back against the monolithic conclusions of psychological war and offer alternatives to violence. In a chapter titled History Is a Gift, for example, they write of the importance of archives like the Southwest Oregon Research Project, or SWORP. Beginning in 1995, Jason Younker, Coquille tribal chief and anthropologist, and his colleagues began pulling out of national archives any and all material related to the Coquille nation and constructing an alternative archive, one that takes the fantasy out of history, in Newitzs words, often by collecting primary sources from the very organizations that tried to hide or ignore Indigenous claims to the land. This reconfiguration of a colonial archive offers a whole new means of creating narratives and telling stories; more than a defense against psyops, they are a commitment to a new story about identities made whole in an ongoing psychological peace process.

In the meantime, Newitz proposes ideas that may seem more familiar, such as social media first responders, online moderators who can spot propaganda outbreaks and put them out before they explode, and firebreaks such as technical features that can slow the spread of weaponized information. Hopefully, Newitz believes, this kind of work will make it easier for the public to recognize and interrupt influence operation kill chains next time.

Those of us who want a less fractured United States need a new and better definition of who that public is, one thats less vulnerable to tribalism.

There is a problem here, of course, in that these two solutions (unlike the SWORP archive) require the buy-in of both government and tech companies, which is to say, theyre nigh impossible in the current environment. But a larger difficulty is right there in that word public. At one point, it may have made sense to talk about the American public as a homogenous, unified group, but that is no longer the case. In fact, one could say that one of the hallmarks of American historyas Newitz also discussesis that the American public is usually constituted so as to exclude at least some portion of the population. As those segments of AmericansIndigenous Americans, immigrants, Black Americans, the LGBQT communityhave fought to be included in the idea of the American public, resulting in increasing pushback from illiberal segments of American society, the fiction of a single American public has shattered. We now have a series of competing definitions of what that public is, and what it means to be a true American.

Those of us who want a less fractured United States, who want our friends and neighbors to not live in fear of violent acts, either by the police or by extrajudicial forces, those of us who fundamentally believe in the American project of giving everyone an equal opportunity to prosper and thrive in this worldwe need a new and better definition of who that public is, one thats less vulnerable to tribalism. We need a story that accounts fundamentally for the people in our community who simply do not want this, who thrive on disinfo, chaos, and division. Its going to take more than rainbow-lettered In This House We Believe yard signs, and there arent any quick fixes available.

This is why the SWORP example seems particularly evocativenot only does it not require legislation or reining in social media behemoths, it also points to the long commitments needed to build new generations of stories; as much as we need to triage our current calamities, we also need to lay the groundwork for future generations. As with trees, so too with stories: The best time to tell a story about the future is 50 years ago; the second-best time is today.
What will the weather be like for the 4th of July?

What will the weather be like for the 4th of July?

DENVER (KDVR)  The Fourth of July consists of barbecuing, pool parties, fireworks, and hopefully no rain.

In 2023, severe thunderstorms hit Denver and brought heavy rain and flooding that canceled or postponed most fireworks shows. Luckily, Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Travis Michels said the seven-day forecast isnt showing rain this year.

Some Colorado cities prepare for July 4th with firework show of the future

Usually, Michels said the fourth is at 89 degrees on average, but its going to be a little hotter this year.

The Fourth of July looks mainly sunny with above-average highs in the low 90s, according to Michels.

At night, it will cool down, but only enough for a light coat if youre heading to fireworks around the Denver metro area. Once the sun sets, the lows will only dip to the 60s.

If the weather stays on track with the seven-day forecast, it will be a pleasant night and clear for Fourth of July fireworks, which will make up for last years stormy weather.

Its illegal to buy fireworks in Wyoming and bring them to Colorado

The forecast is still a week out, so the weather is subject to change. Before you make final plans for the sunny day off, keep up-to-date with the weather forecast.

Denver, Colorado weather resources

Stay prepared for storms and forecast changes, a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day and other important weather information:

The Pinpoint Weather team will continue to update the forecast multiple times each day.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  June 26, 2024, marks exactly 220 years since Meriwether Lewis and William Clark arrived in the present-day Kansas City area. The two men led the Corps of Discovery, which was commissioned by the United States government, to explore the western lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.

In their journey from St. Louis to Oregon, Lewis and Clark became the first Americans to document the landscape, observations, wildlife and Natives. The discoveries that Lewis and Clark recorded drew heavy interest from the U.S. government and settlers looking to head west.

History of the KC Massacre: How the 1933 shootout came to be

The year prior, in 1803, Congress approved the Louisiana Purchase, which more than doubled the land area of the nation. The purchase gave the U.S. lands from France that stretched from New Orleans to present-day Montana.

Since Americans and Europeans alike knew essentially nothing about these lands, the Corps of Discoverys goal was primarily to find out what farming and trading opportunities awaited the U.S. in the West. President Thomas Jefferson also wanted the Corps to make scientific discoveries and to locate the Northwest Passage, a water route to the Pacific Ocean. This would take the Corps of Discovery beyond even the lands the U.S. had purchased the previous year.

President Jefferson selected his personal aide and friend, Meriwether Lewis and a former Army officer William Clarke to lead the 43-person voyage.

The group departed in May of 1804 from the French-founded outpost, St. Louis, which was at the time the western edge of the United States. They traveled upstream on the Missouri River using oar and sail-powered boats, along with others marching on the banks.

Lewis and Clark reached the confluence of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, also known as the Kaw, on June 26, 1804. The group then began making some of the first recorded observations of the present-day Kansas City area.

American Idiot Travis Kelce recaps meeting the royal family in London

Clarks journal reads:

We rowed round it [a sandbar] and came to and camped, in the Point above the Kansas River.

Although French fur traders built an outpost, Fort Cavagnial, near what is now Fort Leavenworth in 1744, very little reliable information about the area survived. Thus, the Corps of Discovery made the first surviving documentation of the area.

While the groups records provide no mention of a large city possibly occupying the land, Lewis and Clark sparked a great deal of interest in the West. Most of this interest came from the mention of beaver pelts, Native traders who were, for the most part, friendly to the travelers and grasslands with great resources.

Some of those left inspired were the French fur-trading family, headed by Auguste and Jean Pierre Choteau. Jean Pierres son, Francois Choteau, would go on to establish the first permanent settlement in present-day Kansas City in 1821. Choteau is now known as the founder or the father of Kansas City.

Two under investigation after toddler, infant found in extreme heat

The Corps of Discoverys expedition is a two-sided story, however. While Lewis and Clarks findings led to the first settlements in the area, the settlers who followed them displaced the Osage Native Americans from western Missouri and what is now downtown Kansas City.

The Osage were forced to relocate to a reservation in Kansas in 1825, and then they were forced to relocate once again to Oklahomo in the 1870s.

While Lewis and Clark were only in the area for a handful of days, their stay and observations signaled the great changes to come in America. Today, a statue of the Corps of Discovery can be seen in Case Park on 8th and Jefferson Streets.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
A much-lauded $66 million complex with much-needed affordable housing, a park and business hub is finally being built on the site of the Wells Fargo branch that rioters set on fire in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.

Construction work began Tuesday, with backhoes busting up the parking lot and concrete curbs. A formal groundbreaking will take place Thursday with business and government officials who are hungry for more signs of progress in the challenged Lake Street corridor worst-hit during the riots.

The project, led by housing nonprofit Project for Pride in Living (PPL), is expected to be a game-changer for the city.

"This is really exciting. We need the affordable housing and needed to replace a massive empty parking lot with increased density," said Lake Street Council Executive Director Allison Sharkey. "PPL is really taking on that risk of development [after] Wells Fargo made a decision really early on that they were going to do right by the community by not just replacing a bank with a bank. They have added so much more."

After four years of planning and complicated fundraising, the six-story Opportunity Crossing will rise over 19 months, promising hundreds of construction jobs and becoming the largest rehabilitation project on Lake Street since the riots.

The 132,000-square-foot building will offer a blend of 110 affordable, one- to four-bedroom apartments, a Wells Fargo branch with a drive-thru, underground parking, plus four "commercial condos" that will be owned by entrepreneurs of color.

The site is at Lake and Nicollet by the old Kmart site and near the epicenter of the riots. The project adds to other signs of progress in the area such as the rebuilt Highland Plaza Shopping Center across the street and the lot ready for development where the Kmart once stood.

Sharkey has estimated that $120 million worth of building improvements are planned for Lake Street this summer.

The civil unrest of 2020 resulted in $500 million in damage to 1,500 buildings on and around Lake Street, Uptown, West Broadway and University Avenue in Minneapolis and St. Paul. At the time, it was the second-costliest civil disturbance in U.S. history, after the Los Angeles riots of 1992, according to insurance estimates.

Chris Dettling, the PPL real estate development vice president who returned to PPL after an eight-year absence to work on the project, said getting to this week took a long time. "We are so happy to be under construction and will be even happier when the first tenants, both residential and commercial, move in," he said.

Wells Fargo Bank, Afro Deli, the nearby Dominic's Tax Service and a Latin-owned quinceanera dress store will get keys to their new first-floor commercial spaces in September 2025 and estimate they will employ 70 workers.

Hundreds of residential tenants will move into the top five floors of the building around January 2026. It will cater to large and multigenerational families with hard-to-find three- and four-bedroom units, and it will include amenities that the neighborhood requested, said Damaris Hollingsworth, owner of the architectural firm Design By Melo.

A dozen of the apartments will go to disabled or formerly homeless Minnesotans earning 30% of the area median income. The other units are for tenants earning 50% of the area median income.

The planned project has the potential to be transformational to families. It already has been life-changing for Brazilian-born Hollingsworth.

"This is my biggest project yet. And it's a game-changer. I drive by the site and my eyes tear up," she said. Being tapped to design Opportunity Crossing "changed everything. It's been the biggest break of my life."

Not only was she able to hire more staff once she secured the PPL contract in 2021, but it led to more contracts and growth, she said.

"I can't wait to drive down Highway 35 and look over and see it fully built," Hollingsworth said. "I think I will be a little emotional for a couple of years until I get used to it."

In addition to the elevated, C-shaped design of the building, Juxtaposition Arts in Minneapolis will paint mural installations that will rotate every two years, she said.

The project is also a big win toward Lake Street's recovery and securing desperately needed affordable housing for Minneapolis families making less than $35,000 a year. The groundbreaking will bring U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Mayor Jacob Frey to the site, among others.

Klobuchar and Frey met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to tour affordable housing and to talk about the dire need for more in the Twin Cities and across the United States.

Nationally, there is a shortage of more than 7 million affordable homes for the more than 10.8 million extremely low-income U.S. families, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. And there is no state or county in the country where a renter working full-time at minimum wage can afford a market-rate two-bedroom apartment, according to the group.

PPL Chief Executive Paul Williams called the Opportunity Crossing project a successful example of "equitable development" because it involved extensive input from neighbors. It "represents the intersection of equity and community to create an asset to the neighborhood that people had a real say in designing," he said.

The city of Minneapolis has a goal to produce 349 affordable housing units each year between 2021 to 2030, so the decision to invest $34 million in various forms to bring Opportunity Crossing to fruition "was a no-brainer" and is contributing to "an unprecedented rebirth" of the entire area, Frey said.

The city's investment was only one piece. It took work, cash and many players to get the complex to the groundbreaking. Wells Fargo provided more than $35 million in loans, equity and grants. Hennepin County, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Ameriprise, the Metropolitan Council and others also kicked in millions in various types of aid.

Jon Weiss, co-chief executive of Corporate and Investment Banking for Wells Fargo, said the bank was proud to help in rebuilding and reimagining the Lake Street/Nicollet area. Besides funds, the bank, PPL and the Cultural Wellness Center met monthly with local residents to learn how the bank property might better serve the neighborhood if converted to other uses.

Erik Hansen, Minneapolis' director of Community Planning and Economic Development, called Opportunity Crossing "one of the city's more critical projects" as it replaces something that was destroyed with a positive force that strives to serve all residents.

PPL, general contractor Weis Builders and Hollingsworth are planning a second affordable housing project for the southwest corner of the old Wells Fargo banking property near Blaisdell and E. Lake Street. That plan calls for 89 apartments. Construction will begin after the funding is secured, which could take three to four years, Hollingsworth said.
Senedd member Rhianon Passmore's car number plate is seen falling off and another one is beneath it - Wales News Service

A Labour member of the Welsh Parliament was temporarily suspended after she was seen with two number plates on the front of her car.

Rhianon Passmore, the MS for Islwyn, was suspended by her party on Wednesday evening after a picture of the car was shared online showing its number plate hanging off and another beneath it.

The Welsh Labour group  led by First Minister Vaughan Gething  was reduced to 29 seats of its 60 in the Senedd chamber and in the minority for any crucial votes.

However, the party lifted its suspension on Friday after a police investigation into the incident found no offence had been committed.

South Wales Police said adhesive tape attaching the front number plate had become ineffective.

The force said it had received a report concerning a defective number plate on a car which was in the Senedd car park in Cardiff Bay.

Rhianon Passmore was temporarily suspended by Welsh Labour - Ben Evans/Huw Evans/Shutterstock

A Labour Party spokesman said: The Labour Party expects our elected representatives to uphold the highest standards in public life.

All complaints are investigated in accordance with the partys complaints procedures.

An HPI check showed that the number plate with what appeared to be adhesive tape on it was the previous registration of the vehicle until earlier this year, the BBC reported.

A spokesman for South Wales Police said: It appears that the adhesive tape which secures the number plate to the car has become ineffective and the number plate has fallen off.

The car remains on private property and as such, no offence has been identified. The owner of the car is aware of the matter.

In October 2017, Ms Passmore was arrested by South Wales Police after failing to provide a breath test.

She was later banned from driving for 20 months, fined 1,000 and had to pay 100 victim surcharge and 620 in costs.

Ms Passmore was also suspended from the National Assembly for a fortnight and was suspended by the Labour Group from July 10 2018 until Oct 1 2018.

She later apologised for the offence, referring to private struggles that I have found difficult to master.

She said on the day of her arrest she had tried to drive from Cardiff to her mothers house after drinking three glasses of wine.

Her car broke down in the St Mellons area of the city  while she was waiting for the breakdown service, the police arrived and asked her to provide a sample of breath for analysis.

Ms Passmore had said she was unable to provide a sample due to her asthma, and a lack of access to her asthma medication.

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AUSTIN (KXAN)  A registered sex offender is behind bars after an incident at a West Campus apartment complex, according to the Austin Police Department.

According to an affidavit from APD, on April 28, a detective responded to a call for services at The Standard apartment complex across from the University of Texas campus.

The arrest report states The victim said she was studying in a second floor study room when the suspect entered the room and asked if he could sit down. The victim told him no, so the suspect left, but later came back. Its at that time the victim says the suspect exposed himself to her.

The suspect was identified as Octavius Brown, 28, in the report.

Octavius Brown, 28 | Courtesy Austin Police Department

On April 30, APD reviewed the footage of the suspect, and the detective recognized the suspect. The report states the detective knew Browns address to be the Marshalling Yard.

APD contacted the facility and confirmed that Brown was still living at the Marshalling Yard, and then reviewed footage of him leaving the homeless shelter on April 27.

On June 12, the victim was able to identify Brown in a photo line-up, and he was taken into custody, according to police.

Brown was convicted of indecent exposure multiple times over the years, the affidavit said.

Man deemed incompetent in June 2023 West Campus stabbing

With multiple offenses, the charges of misdemeanors could now be enhanced to a State Jail Felony, according to officials.

This is just an offense that is unfortunately under punished, said Attorney Ben Gergen, who has no affiliation to this case. I fully expect the DAs office to do everything they can under the laws we have now to make sure that Mr. Brown does not get released on Bond and he is not back in our community any time soon.

Gergen said cases like this need to be looked at closely, especially when it comes to repeat offenders.



It is very important to highlight that this is a legislative issue, Gergen said. This is something that should be taken up at the next session, and the penalty should be increased.

Since Brown was staying at the Marshalling Yard during the incident, KXAN wanted to know what its rules and policies are.

Does the Marshalling Yard allow sex offenders to stay?

There have been no reported incidents of sexual offenses at the Marshalling Yard Emergency Shelter. In order to be an extremely low barrier shelter, the Marshalling Yard Emergency Shelter does not screen for criminal backgrounds (including sex offenses). The Shelter facility is robustly staffed by professional shelter monitors and has 24-hour security on site.  City of Austin Spokesperson.

Are women and men allowed to stay at the shelter?

Yes, the Marshalling Yard is gender inclusive accommodating both men and women. Sleeping areas in the shelter have been separated by gender. The City also operates a male-only shelter (Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH) and a women-only shelter (Eighth Street Shelter).  City of Austin Spokesperson

Does the Marshalling Yard offer counseling for people who are arrested then released?

People experiencing homelessness have diverse backgrounds, needs, and circumstances. Each client at Marshalling Yard is assigned a Case Manager. Counseling services such as mental health support, counseling or substance abuse health support are provided to individuals as requested or needed.  City of Austin Spokesperson

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
NEW YORK, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was released from custody on Tuesday, ending a 14-year legal saga with his plea deal with the United States.

He pleaded guilty to a single felony count of violating the Espionage Act, allowing him to return to his country Australia without serving additional prison time in the United States.

Assange admitted to "unlawfully obtaining and disseminating classified information relating to the national defense" in a federal court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. Chief U.S. District Judge Ramona V. Manglona declared him a "free man" after accepting his guilty plea and citing the time he had already spent in a British prison.

Assange's lengthy legal battle with the U.S. government began in 2010, when WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents regarding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2012, Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over sexual assault allegations and potential extradition to the United States.

After spending seven years in the embassy, Assange was arrested by British authorities in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum. He then spent five years in Belmarsh Prison in London, fighting extradition to the United States.

Assange's supporters viewed him as a whistleblower exposing government wrongdoing, while his critics share grave concerns about the potential harm caused by his leaks.

The U.S. administration has been facing increasing pressure from the United Nations and allies such as Australia and Germany, all urging the United States to drop the extradition and expedite the case.

In February, the Australian parliament passed a motion calling for Assange's release and return to his home country.

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden said that his administration was "considering" Australia's request.

According to court filings released Monday evening, Assange has reached the tentative deal with U.S. Justice Department. The plea deal was arranged in Saipan, where Assange flew to earlier this year after leaving the British prison, to accommodate Assange's refusal to travel to the continental United States.

The Criminal Information filed alongside the agreement indicated that Assange "knowingly and unlawfully conspired" with Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst, to obtain and disseminate classified documents.

Following the court hearing, Assange boarded a private jet to Canberra.

Assange's U.S. lawyer, Barry Pollack, expressed relief and stated that Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act.

Jennifer Robinson, Assange's British and Australian lawyer, thanked the Australian government for its diplomatic efforts. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed the need for a careful and patient approach to resolving the matter.

While Assange's legal battle in the United States has concluded, the debate over his actions and their implications for press freedom and national security is likely to continue. 
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA)  The spread of West Nile Virus continues as two county health departments say they found batches of mosquitoes infected by the virus.

In Christian County, officials reported a positive test of mosquitoes with West Nile Virus on Monday in north Taylorville. Macon County officials announced Thursday a mosquito batch that their Mosquito Abatement District tested also came back positive.

Other Central Illinois counties who have previously tested positive include Morgan, Douglas and Champaign Counties.

Health officials recommend anyone venturing outside to wear long sleeves and pants and mosquito repellent to protect from mosquito bites, which could lead to WNV.

Health officials tell US doctors to be alert for dengue as cases ramp up worldwide

During this time of year, dawn and dusk are the times people like to be outdoors to beat the heat. Dr. Chad Anderson, the Public Health administrator for Christian County, said. This is the time of day mosquitoes are most active. If you are going to be outside during these times, use EPA-registered mosquito repellent to protect yourself.

The American Mosquito Control Association has compiled more recommendations to prevent the spread of mosquitos and protect people from mosquito bites.

The Illinois Department of Public Health tracks all cases of West Nile Virus in the state on their website. They have not reported any positive cases in humans.

Health officials also ask residents to report any dead bird to the local health department to test for WNV. For general questions on West Nile Virus, any Christian County resident can call 217-824-4113. Macon County residents should call (217) 875-2722 to report standing water and 217) 423-6988 ext. 1134 to report any suspicious dead birds.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.
With 29% of North Carolina child care programs saying they would close with many in the west of the state eyeing deep cuts, legislators have advanced emergency funding before a June 30 fiscal cliff.

The N.C. State House voted late June 26 to allocate about $67 million for the first half of the July 1 fiscal year in a bill that must still be approved by the Senate. The move came as a 2021 program using hundreds of millions of dollars in federal pandemic aid to boost child care was set to end. The federally funded stabilization grants that were administered by the state helped provide more than 10,000 child care slots in Buncombe, Henderson and Madison counties, state data said.

Carolina Sisk, an assistant teacher at the Verner Center in Swannanoa, helps a student put on their shoes for an outdoor play session, June 26, 2024.

The loss of the stabilization grants would mean the closure of 29% of child care programs statewide, according to a February N.C. Child Care Resource and Referral Council survey. A report on the survey, conducted by Well World Solutions, did not make clear how many Western North Carolina programs said they would close. The Citizen Times reached out to June 26 to Well World.

Marcia Whitney, president and CEO of Verner Center, which serves 232 children as young as infants at programs in Swannanoa and Emma Elementary, said they did not want to cut salaries or raise tuition. But would have to look at eliminating positions.

"Where do we have potential? Streamlining positions and obviously cutting expenses every other place we can," Whitney told the Citizen Times four days before the funding cliff.

Those that don't receive free or subsidized care at Verner pay a monthly tuition of $1,656 for children up to 3 years old and $1,206 for those 3 to 5 years old.

Advocates have been asking the General Assembly in Raleigh to maintain the funding. But the Republican-controlled Senate and House were at a budget impasse.

Greg Borom, director of the WNC Early Childhood Coalition, said he had hoped legislators would step away from other budget issues and pass some kind of separate funding.

"We really can't go through the summer without our fragile child care landscape being stabilized," Borom told the Citizen Times June 26.

The grants were created in 2021, when Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced that $805 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act would be used to boost pay for child care workers, many of whom were quitting during the pandemic.

Carolina Sisk, an assistant teacher at the Verner Center in Swannanoa, gives a high-five to a student for cleaning up toys, June 26, 2024.

How grants affected local child care

The stabilization grants have supported more than 10,000 child care slots in Buncombe, Henderson and Madison counties, according to the N.C. Division of Child Development and Early Education.

Buncombe: 7,587 child care slots (1,022 staff positions supported)

Henderson: 4,079 child care slots (398 staff positions supported)

Madison: 231 child care slots (29 staff positions supported)

A 2023 N.C. Chamber Foundation survey found that 60% of parents with children who are ages 5 and younger said they had to miss work because of a problem with child care and 32% didnt pursue job training or continued education because of a lack of affordable child care.

Despite the stabilization grants, some child care programs that have historically faced difficulties providing services in poorer areas, continued to struggle. In October of 2023 the nonprofit Southwestern Child Development closed seven programs in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood and Jackson counties. The nearly 300 children affected were were up to 5 years in age with most receiving free or subsidized care due to income.

As the grant money was set to run out in December 2023, advocates asked the legislature for $300 million. But the General Assembly came back with $100 million that extended the grants through June.

In his recommended budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, Cooper has said the state should add another $200 million. The House has proposed $135 million and the Senate $136.5 million in their opposing and deadlocked budget bills.

A student plays on the playground at the Verner Center in Swannanoa, June 26, 2024.

Isabel Taylor, director of Bells School in Fletcher, said because of her program's small classes they charge a bit more than other centers. If the funding didn't come they would likely have to raise rates, she said.

Taylor said her main concern was for centers that serve children coming from low-income households.

"If the state supports child care then they should support the centers that are serving the most needy children," Taylor said. "The centers that serve 50% public assistance are the most deserving of help from the state."

More: NC Health Dept: 7 Western North Carolina child care centers to close, lack of funding

More: Asheville school board chair backs historic change: pay, staffing, power for teachers

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Western NC child care faces deep cut; Raleigh advances stopgap funding
Wheels or rails? NC developers say Silver Line change through Matthews is OK

Developers are high on Matthews and east Mecklenburg Countys growth potential whether the long-planned Silver Line through the area brings trains or buses.

A panel of developers offered optimism Thursday during an event hosted by the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition. It occurred as Charlotte-area leaders decide whether they can execute the 29-mile, 30-station light rail line amid uncertainty over funding. News about part of the plan potentially being scrapped or replaced with bus rapid transit prompted critical responses from some, including in Matthews and east Charlotte.

But the panelists, including Grubb Properties CEO Clay Grubb, said bus rapid transit would still attract developers who are eager to develop sites near public transit.

We go where we can get people out of cars, said Grubb, whose company works in Charlotte and more than 20 other U.S. cities.

Will bus rapid transit replace light rail in east Mecklenburg?

Charlottes tried for years to hold a referendum for a sales tax increase that pays for its multi-billion dollar transit plan, which includes the Silver Line and Red Line trains, improved bicycle infrastructure and fewer traffic fatalities. But that requires the blessing of the General Assembly, where Republican leaders have yet to be won over and called for more funding for roads.

Things came to a head in recent weeks when Matthews Mayor John Higdon spoke out over a reported new proposal that would dramatically cut the amount of new sales tax revenue allocated for rail, leading to the elimination of the portion of the Silver Line between uptown and Matthews.

Charlotte City Council member Ed Driggs previously told The Charlotte Observer the initial idea of putting 80-90% of that new revenue into rail was really unacceptable to leaders in Raleigh. Driggs didnt specify the latest allocation proposed. WFAE reported it was just 40% for rail.

One alternative Driggs said is on the table: funding for bus rapid transit in the Silver Line corridor stretching from uptown through east Charlotte and into Matthews. An earlier plan for transit along the corridor, adopted in 2002, called for bus rapid transit but was later changed to light rail.

Light rail train cars run on a fixed track, whereas bus rapid transit involves running buses in dedicated lanes or busways that often have traffic signal priority, elevated platforms and enhanced stations.

Higdon was the loudest voice pushing back on a possible shift back to bus rapid transit, saying it wouldnt spur economic growth like rail.

Developers: Certainty of timing and funding can spark growth

But Jon Morris, senior partner at the North Carolina-based developer Beacon Partners, said on Thursdays panel hes fascinated by the bus rapid transit option because of the certainty it could provide developers and those who finance their projects.

You have to have certainty of timing and funding. You got to know the mode of transportation is going to go and when its going to happen, he said.

Grubb said its critical for cities like Charlotte to find an option they can pay for, noting his company has scaled back its work in communities such as Nashville and Raleigh because they havent figured out how to finance transit.

Anytime we can get people out of cars, it makes it much more cost effective for us to build our product, he said. And we can provide a product thats much more accessible.

There are a lot of advantages of bus rapid transit, Campbell Smith of the Trammell Crow Company said, for mixed-use developments that include retail as well as housing. Smith said his company has developed properties near bus rapid transit in other cities and found it to be less expensive and less disruptive than light rail.

Placemaking is a big thing, he said. And honestly, you can create a better place, I think, with bus rapid transit.

Morris said hes encouraged by other communities, such as Miami, whove had success getting their Republican-controlled state legislatures on board with bus rapid transit.

It feels like we can get this done, he said.

Whether its on wheels or its on rails, matters less to developers when it comes to transit than whether its a reliable and attractive form of transportation for residents, Morris added.

How they get from one (place) to the next is, as long as its reliable, is irrelevant, he said.
We all have our reasons for tuning in, but thankfully there are also quite a few different ways to watch Donald Trump and Joe Biden make history

The first 2024 U.S. presidential debate, between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, has finally arrived. Taking place today in Atlanta at the CNN studios, it's set to draw international attention.

It's viewed as a debate that could change the trajectory of their campaigns. After going head-to-head in 2020, the upcoming debate will be monumental as it marks the first in U.S. history between a sitting and former president. Making their way toward November's election, it'll offer a 90-minute platform that they can use to differentiate themselves and attract voters, while trying to clear any misinformation about their positions. It's expected they'll share opposing views on immigration, abortion, the war in Gaza and more, as their performances could also look to dispel whether they're too old to be president in the first place.

The debate comes on the heels of the Biden administration releasing an ad attacking Trump's recent felony convictions. For Trump, it's expected that he'll weaponize the recent felony conviction Hunter Biden received in his gun trial.

Tune into the "CNN Presidential Debate," Thursday, June 27, at 9 p.m. ET on CNN. (AP Photo, File)

This time around, there will be no studio audience, as both Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, have also agreed to muting their microphones when the other is speaking. It's part of a new set of rules and debate format heading into Thursday night  an event that will be hosted and moderated by CNN, starting at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Canadians will be sure to watch what's going on south of the border, in what is scheduled to be the first of two presidential debates. Luckily for us, there are plenty of viewing options to choose from, including this article, which will host a live stream by CNN at the top of the page. But for now, let's get into what to know for Thursday's presidential debate.

How to watch the 2024 CNN presidential debate

Date: Thursday, June 27, 2024

Kickoff time: 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT

Streaming: CNN YouTube via Yahoo Canada, CBC Gem, CTV News

TV channels: CNN, CTV News Channel, CBC News Network, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS

Location: CNN's Atlanta studios

When and what time does the debate start

The debate will begin at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, June 27. Many networks will have their own preview shows, some starting at 7 p.m.

What channel is the debate on in Canada

Networks will be carrying a simulcast of the CNN presidential debate. If you have a cable package, such as through Bell or Rogers, youll have access to the debate. Just look for CNN, CTV News Channel, CBC News Network, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS, as part of your cable package.

For example, through Bell, CNN is on channel 500; CTV News Channel is 501; and CBC News Network is on 502. For HD, look to 1500, 1501 and 1502, respectively. For Rogers, see here.

How to stream the Trump-Biden debate

For a stream, watch the CNN Presidential Debate right here on Yahoo Canada at the top of this article. For exclusive post-debate analysis, you can also watch on CNN.

Digital services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe are other options to access channels like CNN, CTV News Channel, CBC News Network, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX and PBS.

If you don't have cable, you can also watch the 90-minute debate on CBC News Explore through CBC Gem, the public broadcaster's free streaming service. CTVNews.ca will also be hosting the broadcast on its site.

How can I watch the debate on my phone or mobile device?

CBC Gem and CTV News, as well as digital watch services like Rogers Ignite TV and Bell Fibe, are available through apps that you can download for most devices, such as your phone.

A lot has changed since former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden squared off in 2020. (Credit: AP Photo/Morry Gash)

What are the debate rules?

The debate will see major shifts from prior telecasts, which Biden and Trump have both agreed to. They include:

No live audience, which means there will be no applause or boos that could derail the conversation.

Muted microphones when its not their turn to speak.

No prewritten notes are allowed.

The only props theyre permitted to have at the lectern are a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.

They will stand behind their lecterns the entire time, limiting their mobility  with Biden on the right and Trump on the left.

There will be no opening statements from either candidate.

Trump will get the final word during closing statements, as determined recently by a coin flip.

Whos moderating the debate?

Joe Biden and Donald Trump won't be alone at the debate Thursday, June 27. Moderators Bash and Tapper of CNN will be on camera, too. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, co-hosts of CNNs Sunday morning show State of the Union, will serve as moderators.

Tapper hosts CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper and has prior debate experience. He previously moderated the first GOP presidential debate in 2015 as well as the last Democratic debate in 2020 between Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. His latest series, The United States of Scandal, highlights the most prolific political scandals of the 20th century and was picked up for a second season in May.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and author of several books, Tapper previously worked as a senior White House correspondent for ABC News, according to his biography on CNN.

"That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck, says @JakeTapper about the first presidential debate between Pres. Trump and Joe Biden. Well talk about who won the debate, who lost the debate ... One thing for sure, the American people lost. #Debates2020 pic.twitter.com/wjMnUmt2WS  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) September 30, 2020

Bash, a graduate of George Washington University, anchors CNNs Inside Politics with Dana Bash and has regularly served as moderator for numerous political town halls and debates  including six presidential primary debates in 2016 and two in 2020.

Author of the forthcoming book Americas Deadliest Election, which chronicles the 1872 presidential election, Bash launched her digital CNN series Badass Women of Washington in 2017 and premiered her latest interview series, Being, in 2021.

For more on how Tapper and Bash might approach the debate, considering their histories with both Biden and Trump, see here from Yahoo News.

No. In order to qualify for Thursdays debate, a candidate had to appear on a certain number of state ballots that would make the candidate eligible to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency. The candidate also had to reach at least 15 per cent of votes in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters, according to CNN.

Only Biden and Trump met those qualifications. Third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein failed to hit those benchmarks.

Are there other debates planned?

Yes. The second presidential debate is set for Sept. 10 and will be hosted by ABC News, with the networks own David Muir and Linsey Davis serving as moderators.

Its still unclear whether the second debate will have an audience, but ABC did confirm that it will be held during primetime.

Trump has stated he wants to have more than two debates, but no dates for a third have been set as of June 23.

With files from David Artavia at Yahoo News
Fighting against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's effort to halt a series of court-ordered depositions, former agency employees turned whistleblowers are again arguing to the Supreme Court of Texas that "Paxton's ploy" is an attempt to gaslight the judiciary to avoid giving his recorded testimony.

In a response to the state Supreme Court filed on Tuesday, attorneys for four former high-ranking deputies within the attorney general's office  who have since publicly expressed concerns over Paxton's conduct, resulting in his brief removal from office last year and a lingering dispute over a settlement in the wrongful termination case  pointed to Paxton's push to settle the case without giving his deposition as a disingenuous play counter to legal precedent.

Paxton's attorneys have argued the case should conclude in short order based on the willingness of the state's top attorney to concede to a final judgment. But the plaintiffs argue that, without the depositions, a future Legislature-funded settlement may be in jeopardy and that allowing Paxton to skirt a previously ordered testimony will act as a deterrent to future state employees looking to report improper conduct.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, middle, with is attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little sits at the defense table before closing arguments in his impeachment trial at the Capitol on Friday September 15, 2023.

"Knowing that a government defendant could cut short litigation without admitting the claims or allowing them to be developed, while continuing to publicly smear plaintiffs and curtailing any effective relief, would only chill those whom the law was meant to safeguard," the whistleblowers' attorneys wrote in the June 25 filing.

For the third time, the state's highest civil court is considering the machinations of the whistleblowers' lawsuit that began in 2020, this time based on Paxton's appeal of a Travis County District Court order in January that would have required the depositions of Paxton and three of his top deputies.

Paxton  along with First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster; Paxton's chief of staff, Lesley French Henneke; and senior adviser Michelle Smith  had been scheduled to be deposed in February prior to the current appeal to the Supreme Court.

Reiterating the necessity for a complete discovery process, the plaintiffs in the latest filing again pushed against Paxton's arguments that he and his office are immune from testifying on the situation that led to the employees' firing and that continuing the case is unnecessary based on his willingness to accept a final judgment.

"If this Court were to endorse OAGs (Office of the Attorney General's) scheme  the 'Paxton Ploy'  it would create a new procedural rule solely for the benefit of public officeholders who have something to hide," the attorneys wrote.

More: Texas AG Ken Paxton to pay $271,000 in restitution to resolve securities fraud charges

In a response to the state Supreme Court in early June, Paxton's team argued the whistleblowers have been seeking retribution and political clout in attempts to secure a future settlement in a case that has been unnecessarily extended and delayed over the past four years.

"For all intents and purposes, as a legal dispute, the case was  or should have been  over," Paxton's office wrote in its June 5 filing to court.

A previous, tentative $3.3 million agreement between Paxton and the whistleblowers failed in 2023 after Paxton asked for a legislative appropriation to fund the settlement, which prompted House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, to tap the House Committee on General Investigating to look into the situation.

Tom Glass listens as Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during Glass' campaign event for Texas State Representative District 17 at Film Alley in Bastrop on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.

Upon investigation, the House voted to approve 20 articles of impeachment based largely on Paxton's relationship with since-indicted Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, in a case that was built on many of the complaints voiced earlier by Paxton's hand-picked former deputies.

Paxton was then acquitted last fall in a state Senate trial on the matter, placing him back in office.

"It would be inequitable for the States judicial branch to assist its executive branch in engineering a judgment that its legislative branch views as a sham," the attorneys wrote Tuesday. "Plaintiffs must be able to develop an evidentiary record through discovery in support of a judgment that the State will actually pay. Without this process, a judgment is a win in only the hollowest sense."

Paxton's office did not respond to an American-Statesman request for comment on Thursday.

However, a veiled court order released publicly on Wednesday evening from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals could be an indication that Paxton and his deputies may be forced to testify as part of a federal grand jury proceeding in San Antonio, which was impaneled last year to further probe the claims of a mutually beneficial relationship between Paxton and Paul.

More: AG Ken Paxton asks Texas Supreme Court to overturn election fraud reprimand against him

While the court's order does not specifically name Paxton or the attorney general's office, the ruling removes a stay on testimony of state agency officials based on attorney-client privilege concerns, allowing a proceeding scheduled for July 2 to move forward.

Based on the timeline of the case, the type of relief being requested and the nature of the proceeding, it is believed the grand jury is looking into the relationship between Paxton and Paul.

"In the petition, the Agency asks this court to direct the district court to vacate its repeated rulings annulling the Agencys attorney-client privilege pertaining to matters implicated in a grand jury investigation into alleged wrongdoing by senior Agency personnel," the federal court filing reads. "Because the Agency fails to show a clear and indisputable right to relief, the Agencys petition fails."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Whistleblowers push against AG Paxton's effort to toss out depositions
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.

Comments made by a man running to become the next prosecutor in Jackson County about Black-on-Black crime came across as racist and were cringe worthy, his two opponents said.

Stephanie Burton, John Gromowsky and Melesa Johnson are vying for the Democratic nomination. Tracey Chappell is the lone Republican.

One of them will replace longtime Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who was first elected to the position in 2012.

During a debate earlier this month hosted by South Kansas City Democrats, Gromowsky, who is white, attacked Johnsons support for a model called transformative justice, which promotes accountability beyond traditional criminal justice avenues like incarceration, by referencing past comments she had made.

When youre talking about Black-on-Black crime and you say things like Our communitys acting just like these white folks want us to, thats transformative justice, Gromowsky said. As a member of the white community, I can tell you that we do not want Black-on-Black crime. Its bad for the community as a whole.

Some find the phrase Black-on-Black crime offensive, contending that it can contribute to a harmful stereotype and lead to policing and incarceration practices that disproportionately target Black people. It is a simplistic and emotionally charged definition of urban violence that can be problematic when used by political commentators, politicians and police executives, a report from Harvard and the National Institute of Justice said.

Gromowskys comments were in response to a speech Johnson made at a community event comprised of people of color.

Nobodys gonna save us, Johnson, who is Black, told the crowd gathered at Swope Park shortly after announcing her candidacy. And unfortunately, we have reached a point in our community where we are doing exactly what these white folks want us to do.

In a phone call with The Star, Johnson said she was having a conversation with the demographic that was there ... about hey, what we are doing to each other right now is a direct extension of the design of this country ... by us continuing to tear each other apart, we are adding to the narrative of the people that made these decisions to relegate us to certain parts of the city so that they could concentrate poverty.

Of the homicide victims from 2023, 73% were Black, according to Kansas City Police Department data. Where homicide suspects were identified, 58% were Black.

Gromowsky acknowledged that there were historical reasons for some of Johnsons comments, but said the goal of the prosecutor should be to raise everybody up.

An idea that one part of the community wishes ill on another part of the community is a false narrative, and its certainly not something that the next prosecutor should be talking about, he said. Its actually contrary to what the goals of the office would be, which is to make the community safe for everybody.

The next prosecutor should be willing, not only willing to, but reaching out to leaders in all communities to build a coalition that will allow for the expression of ideas, to allow for the exchange of information so that the priorities of the office can be set and executed.

Johnson said the next prosecutor should be able to have conversations in a culturally competent and sensitive way and actually have a credibility with the demographic most impacted by this issue.

I have a vantage point and a perspective that John Gromowsky will never have.

In terms of transformative justice, Johnson said she supports alternatives to incarceration through specialty courts and that as prosecutor, she would create an opportunity court. People charged with nonviolent crimes who make less than $20,000 would be eligible.

Burton, who is Black, said Gromowskys comments at the forum came off as racist, though she doesnt think he is racist.

In response to remarks made by both of her opponents at the debate, Burton said its not about being a white prosecutor or a Black prosecutor, but the Jackson County prosecutor.

She said the race issue was polarizing.

She added that transformative justice is a dangerous precept because she believes it takes into account the person who has caused harm, but leaves behind the victim.
Why a $1M pension error won't be addressed by legislators this year

This story was produced by Spotlight Delaware as part of a partnership with Delaware Online/The News Journal. For more about Spotlight Delaware, visit www.spotlightdelaware.org.

Delaware lawmakers will not hold hearings this legislative session to scrutinize the Carney administrations surprise, million-dollar decision last winter to revamp the states pension system for retired legislators, according to Senate leadership.

In a Monday interview with Spotlight Delaware just ahead of the final days of the legislative year, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend said lawmakers will wait until next year to consider legislation that could revert the pension back to its way of operating prior to the March change.

That change resulted in permanent pay bumps for retired legislators and one-time back-pay distributions of nearly a million dollars.

Townsends comments come three months after Spotlight Delaware reported that retired members of the General Assembly were set to receive boosts in their monthly pension payments because of an apparent failure by state officials 27 years earlier to codify a law change into the Delaware legal code.

Leaders in the Delaware General Assembly will not address an administrative error that resulted in a $1 million payment to a handful of pensioners this year.

Prior to 1997, lawmakers pension payouts were anchored to that of the highest-earning retired legislator.

In the subsequent years, Delawares pension office implemented a more standard system, whereby lawmakers received payments based on a percentage of their own highest years earnings.

But, in March, state officials decided to revert the pension back to its pre-1997 format.

That decision  which was only revealed in a letter sent March 4 to former legislators  came after officials within the Carney administration determined that Delawares legal code was never updated following the 1997 change.

In all, it was a curious and complicated development that prompted questions of how an apparent law change could go into effect, then be repealed three decades later after government officials in the executive branch determined that the law as thought was void.

Unless changed, the development also promises another bump in pay to retired lawmakers at the end of the year with the retirement of the longtime Democratic Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, who as a former Speaker of the House for a decade would be in line for one of the more significant pensions in recent years.

Following the Spotlight Delaware report in April, Townsend was among several lawmakers who expressed frustration that the Carney administration could unilaterally change an apparently ambiguous policy without alerting the General Assembly.

Townsend had told Delaware Online/The News Journal then that he and his colleagues want to get to the bottom of how the issue occurred and why legislators werent at least given a heads-up.

Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend said that an impending commission report will inform legislators on how to proceed.

But, asked Tuesday why the Senate Democrats have not yet held hearings on the matter, Townsend said he determined that the decision was made, and theres no changing it, under the constraints of a six-month legislative session, which ends this week.

Townsend further contended that a public hearing compelling pension officials to testify would result in very simplistic answers. Instead, he said, it is more productive to wait for the states official Compensation Commission to issue a report about the legislative pension later this year, then act on those conclusions next year.

Given that [the Compensation Committee] are about to convene in the coming months, it felt most appropriate to take this approach, Townsend said.

PREVIOUS REPORTING: Delaware made changes to its lawmaker pension plan 27 years ago. Why they didn't stick

Still, the decision to wait is drawing criticism from at least one retired Republican state legislator, who argued that lawmakers have the responsibility to act on what is fundamentally a policy decision.

In an interview, former Republican State Sen. Greg Lavelle questioned why Democratic leaders in the House and Senate are willing to pass laws on a variety of topics, from electric cars and state employee health care, but theyre not going to make a decision on this?

I dont understand why theyre chickens about this, he said.

In response, Townsend reiterated his belief that the Delaware Compensation Commission  which is made up of six appointees who issue salary recommendations for several statewide posts  should be given time to study best practices used by other states legislative pensions.

That should be what drives our decision-making, Townsend said.

How the error occurred

Coincidentally, it was the Delaware Compensation Commission that sits at the heart of the snafu that prompted the changes to the legislative pension system.

The 1997 law change that altered payouts for retired lawmakers didnt follow a normal legislative path, whereby the General Assembly considers a bill, passes it, and then the governor signs it into law.

Instead, the change happened after the states Compensation Commission made a recommendation that Delaware no longer anchor its retired lawmaker payouts to that of the highest-earning former legislator.

And, because of a quirk in Delawares legal code, an official recommendation from a state commission automatically becomes law if it is not rejected by a vote of both houses in the General Assembly.

In 1997, lawmakers did not reject the Compensation Commissions report about the legislative pensions.

As a result, the change ultimately became law, according to the March letter sent to retired lawmakers by Delaware Pension Administrator Joanna Adams.

But the Delaware Code was never updated, she said in the letter.

In an email sent in April to Spotlight Delaware, Adams appeared to pull back on the assertion that commission reports can become law.

Though she again noted that the Compensation Commission had the full force and effect of the law, she also stated that adding new laws is solely within the power of the legislature.

When asked if Adams interpretation is correct, Robert Scoglietti, the Delaware Deputy Controller General, pointed to state code that says commission reports do have the force and effect of law  unless the General Assembly shall by joint resolution reject the report in its entirety.

Legislative pensions are paid from the Delaware Public Employees Retirement System, an office that manages and invests worker contributions from across the state government. That means a lump sum payment to retired legislators would not hit taxpayers, but would draw down investable funds for other state pensioners. As of June 2023, the states various pension funds held more than $12 billion.

Spotlight Delaware has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking any emails sent by the Delaware Pension Office that discuss the decision to change payout to retired lawmakers.

The pension office denied the FOIA request earlier this month, and Spotlight Delaware has appealed the denial.

Get stories like this delivered to your email inbox by signing up for the free newsletter at spotlightdelaware.org/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware legislators wont address $1M pension error this year
Why the French state pension is about to bring down Macron

Emmanuel Macrons controversial pension reforms have loomed over his second presidential term  and could now be his undoing.

Under the proposals, Frances legal age of retirement will gradually rise from 62 to 64 by 2030, and citizens will need to work for 43 years  up from 42  to receive a full state pension, which averages around 1,500 (1,266) a month.

The decision has been met with bitter resistance from political opponents, unions and the French public.

Protests erupted across the country last year as millions of workers demanded the policy be reversed  as well as an improvement to economic conditions more generally.

The pensions issue is a lightning rod for angry voters, said Alex Everett, European investment manager at abrdn.

This is quite possibly the issue that brings Macron down.

Protests erupted across France last year as millions of workers demanded Macron's policy be reversed - Kiran Ridley/Getty Images Europe

This may seem like an overreaction to British workers, who have reluctantly accepted a state pension age of 66, and another rise to 67 by 2026.

France has one of the lowest retirement ages in Europe and one of the highest state pension entitlements relative to the cost of living.

The French state pension is based on a final salary calculation.

On average, pensioners receive around 74pc of their pre-retirement earnings, according to research from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The figure stands in stark contrast to just 58pc for British retirees, and an average of 68pc across the European Union.

Despite this generosity  or perhaps because of it  Mr Macron has paid a heavy political price for pushing through the painful but necessary reforms, according to George Moran, European economist at Nomura.

Mr Moran said: The pensions issue has had a permanent scarring effect upon him.

Macron got elected on this policy. But actually pushing it through has been a turning point in his political fortunes.

Voters will have another chance to vent their ire at the ballot box on Sunday.

It is the second round of a snap parliamentary election which saw the hard-right National Rally (RN) trounce Mr Macrons centrist coalition in the first round last week.

RN won 33.3pc of the popular vote, followed by the left-wing New Popular Front on 28.6pc, with Mr Macrons centrist coalition Ensemble trailing on 21pc.

This raises the possibility of RN commanding a majority in the National Assembly after the second round  even if the horse-trading and tactical voting makes predicting the number of seats next to impossible.

Mr Macrons party lost its absolute majority in 2022, and a hostile prime minister would further erode the presidents domestic authority.

If Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pens protege and the RNs 28-year-old leader, manages to command a majority and become prime minister, it would hand his party control of Frances tax and spending plans  including pensions.

Ahead of the 2022 presidential election, RN then led by Mrs Le Pen pledged to reduce the state pension age from 62 to 60.

Mr Bardella has vowed to overhaul Mr Macrons pension reforms, but his language has softened in recent weeks.

In a bid to court the vote of business leaders and present his party as fiscally responsible, Mr Bardella has dialled down his enthusiasm for fully reversing the state pension age hike.

Well see, he said, after being asked about the policy in June. Economically, Im reasonable.

Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally, has softened his vow to overhaul pension reforms - Mohammed Badra/Shutterstock

Maxime Darmet, a Paris-based economist for insurer Allianz Trade, said RN was now pursuing a partial reversal of Macrons policy.

[Mr Bardella] wants people who start work at 20 to retire at 60, after 40 years of work.

But for those who started working later, its not clear if he wants to keep the current system of 62 or 64.

However, RNs populist spending plans  including reducing inheritance tax on the lower-middle classes and cutting VAT on energy bills  have been condemned by economists as unaffordable.

One independent think tank has warned the RNs programme would increase the French deficit by 100bn this year, if fully implemented.

But on pensions, the French public is firmly on Mr Bardellas side. There is a strong desire among voters to reduce the retirement age, Mr Moran said.

He added: There is a lot of political will too, especially if we get a new parliament which will probably be composed of the extreme right and left  the centre is being squeezed.

The irony, according to Mr Darmet, is that Mr Macrons pension reforms have actually improved the situation for some groups.

Before the reforms, the minimum pension was 75pc of minimum wage for low income workers  after the reforms its 85pc.

One problem is that Macron hasnt been good at communicating the benefits of the changes.

The president has ploughed ahead out of economic necessity.

The International Monetary Fund expects Frances debt-to-GDP ratio to hit 118.5pc by 2027. It stood at 98.1pc when Macron came to power.

Public expenditure on pensions was worth 14.9pc of national GDP in 2021, according to the Eurostat  the fourth highest in the EU after Greece, Italy and Austria and well above the 12.9pc average.

Mr Macron has argued that raising the retirement age is the only way to maintain the state pension system as the retired population grows.

Without change, forecasts suggest that the pension budget could have a deficit of 13.5bn (11.4bn) by 2030.

Under the reforms, the minimum retirement age will rise gradually by three months per year from September 1, reaching 64 by 2030.

Pushing back the retirement age by two years and extending the pay-in period would bring an additional 17.7bn in annual pension contributions, allowing the system to break even by 2027, according to labour ministry estimates.

But with a truculent population willing to fight hard to maintain their generous pensions, winning the intellectual argument may prove a hollow victory for the president.

Mr Everett said: The electorate will eat from [RNs] hand on anything that will reduce the pension hit which the French public has been very unhappy with for a long time.

The argument against lowering the state pension age is that we cant afford it, but voters dont tend to think in those terms.

Pensions are an important issue in the upcoming election, Mr Moran said, and the results next Sunday will inevitably impact on the presidents political future.

Macron has promised not to resign. But if his party gets a very small share of the vote  under 10pc, say  then hell be under immense pressure.

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Why an Israel-Hezbollah war would be far more dangerous today than the last time around

We can plunge Lebanon completely into the dark and take apart Hezbollahs power in days, former Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz declared Tuesday at a conference at Reichman University in Herzliya, Israel.

It was just the latest threat from a prominent Israeli public figure against Lebanon and Hezbollah as tensions flare.

It wont be difficult for Israel to plunge Lebanon into darkness. The countrys power grid, already crippled by decades of mismanagement and the countrys economic collapse, barely functions as it is. A few well-aimed airstrikes will easily finish it off.

Taking apart Hezbollahs military power in days, however, is a far taller task.

Since its inconclusive 2006 war with the Lebanese militant group, Israel has been planning for a re-match.

Hezbollah too has long been preparing for war.

Its arsenal includes, according to Israeli estimates, at least 150,000 missiles and rockets. Israel estimates the group has already fired 5,000 since October, which means, as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech last week, much of its arsenal remains intact.

CNN has reported that Israeli officials have been surprised by the sophistication of the militant groups attacks.

These include systematic pinpoint strikes on Israels array of surveillance outposts along the border, shooting down high-flying top-of-the-line Israeli drones, and hits on Israels Iron Dome batteries and anti-drone defenses. Perhaps the biggest surprise for Israel, however, was the nine minutes of drone footage Hezbollah published online of highly sensitive civilian and military infrastructure in and around the northern city of Haifa.

Highly trained and disciplined

In addition to its weaponry, Hezbollah can probably field between 40,000 and 50,000 fighters  Nasrallah recently said more than 100,000. Many of these gained combat experience fighting alongside regime forces in the Syria civil war.

As a fighting force, Hezbollah is highly trained and disciplined, unlike many other guerrilla groups. During the 2006 war, in the experience of this correspondent, it was rare to encounter Hezbollah fighters. One day we came upon several of them in the ruins of a southern Lebanese village. They were polite but firm, devoid of boastful bluster and swagger, insisting we leave immediately for our own safety. They wouldnt take no for an answer.

Unlike Gaza, Lebanon is not hemmed in by hostile neighbors. It has strategic depth, with friendly regimes in Syria and Iraq, allowing direct access to Iran.

Over the years Israel has regularly struck targets in Syria it believed were involved in trans-shipment of weapons to Hezbollah, but all indications are those strikes have been only partially successful.

In the event of war, full-scale war, both sides will be able to inflict significant pain on the other.

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a 155mm shells across the Israeli-Lebanese border during the 2006 conflict. - Avihu Shapira/AFP/Getty Images

Fire and blood

Early this year the same Reichman University, where Gantz spoke, put out a report entitled Fire and blood: The chilling reality facing Israel in a war with Hezbollah. It laid out a grim scenario in which the Iranian-allied group would fire 2,500 to 3,000 rockets and missiles a day for weeks targeting Israeli military sites as well as densely populated cities in the center of the country. In the entire 34-day war of 2006 Hezbollah is estimated to have fired around 4,000 rockets  a daily average of 117.

It may not amount to mutually assured destruction a la Cold War, but enough destruction will be wreaked on Israel and Lebanon to make it costly for both.

At 6 a.m. on July 13, 2006  less than 24 hours after the start of the war  Israeli warplanes bombed and knocked out Beiruts Rafic Hariri International Airport. Its widely expected that if war breaks out now the airport will be one of Israels targets. But unlike 2006, in 2024 Hezbollah may be able to hit Tel Avivs Ben Gurion International Airport.

In 2006, Haifa, Israels third largest city, was in range of Hezbollahs missiles. This time those missiles are expected to reach much deeper into Israel.

Shifting strategic balance

Looking across the Middle East, the strategic balance that for so long favored Israel is changing.

Its foes are no longer corrupt and incompetent Arab regimes, but rather an array of non-state actors  from Hezbollah to Hamas to Islamic Jihad to the Houthis to militias in Iraq and Syria  in addition to Iran itself.

And because of US support for Israel, all of these players also have the US, and Western interests in the Middle East, in their crosshairs. US support was underscored by recent CNN reporting that Washington has assured Israel of its backing in the event of full-scale war with Hezbollah.

The Houthis in Yemen, once the epitome of a rag-tag tribal militia, are now, with Irans help, firing ballistic missiles toward Israel. The Houthis continue to target shipping in the Red Sea, despite the presence of a US-led armada off its shores.

The Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have largely held their fire since a series of US strikes in the aftermath of a drone attack killed three US soldiers in Jordan.

But that could change if Israel and Hezbollah go to war.

Recently Qais Al-Khazali, the leader of the powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Asaib Ahl Al-Haq, warned that if the US supports an Israeli attack on Lebanon then America should know that it will put all its interests in the region, particularly in Iraq, at risk and make them a target.

Throwing caution to the wind

And then theres Iran. Traditionally Tehran lets others fight its fights and stays in the background, but that changed in April when, in retaliation for the Israeli strike on its diplomatic complex in Damascus, Tehran responded with a volley of hundreds of missiles and drones toward Israel.

In the event Hezbollah, Irans premier regional ally, its crown jewel, is attacked by Israel, and indeed is taken apart by Israel as Gantz threatened, an Iranian response is likely.

It could merely instruct its allies to throw caution to the wind and fire at will at US interests and Israel. But then theres this: Iran sits on the Strait of Hormuz, the entry point into the Persian Gulf. In the event of a major conflict, it has long been feared that Iran would block the strait, a move that would send world oil prices skyrocketing.

Since October, tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border have fluctuated. In the last few weeks, however, those tensions have escalated and war is looking ever more likely. The rhetoric on both sides is heating up. Germany, Sweden, Kuwait, the Netherlands and others are calling on their nationals to leave Lebanon immediately. If ever there was a danger of a regional war in the Middle East, that moment is now.

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ISTANBUL, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police detained ten suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) during an operation in Istanbul on Thursday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The Istanbul Police Department's Counter-Terrorism Unit initiated the operation after identifying the suspects involved in activities with IS members in Syria and northern Iraq.

According to the report, the police identified the suspects as "terrorist fighters with foreign nationalities, deemed to pose a threat to the country."

Anadolu added that simultaneous operations were conducted at 17 different addresses across seven districts, and the detained suspects were then transported to the police station for further legal procedures.

The Turkish government designated IS as a terrorist organization in 2013, blaming it for a spate of deadly attacks in the country since 2015, including a January attack on a Roman Catholic church in Istanbul that killed one person. 
CL Skach is an American academic who has spent much of her life touring the world, teaching nations like Iraq torn apart by civil war how to redesign their constitutions. A framework of laws and embedded rights, she felt, was the key to communal existence. This book is an extended act of contrition for what she now regards as a serious error. Laws, she argues, cannot create a culture of cooperative existence. The culture has to be there first for laws to be much use. In the case of Iraq, that seems obvious. But Professor Skach has elevated her scepticism about the value of law into a general principle equally applicable generally.

She does not propose to dispense with law, but only to reduce its role as the prime source of the social order. In its place she proposes six great principles to order our communal existence. These can be summed up in one proposition: lets be nice to each other. Put like that, it sounds ridiculously naive. But she has a serious point. It is the same point political philosophers from Aristotle and Cicero to the modern day have made when they called for disinterested virtue in politically active citizens. A great American judge, Learned Hand, once observed that a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save; a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save; in a society which evades its responsibility by thrusting upon the courts the nurture of that spirit, that spirit will in the end perish. That is, in summary, her argument.

Most contentious issues of public policy do not concern relations between citizens and the state, ie the sort of things with which constitutions are mainly concerned. They spring from the conflicting interests of different groups of citizens. Measures which serve the interests of one group damage the interests of others. For example, planning restrictions protect the amenities of existing home-owners at the expense of those priced out of the housing market. Generous pensions for the old have to be paid for by the taxes of the rest. Measures to address climate change in the interests of the young and the yet unborn are inconvenient and expensive for those affected today, who have led an electoral backlash against them.

The problem with law as a way of resolving these conflicts is that lawmaking is usually a competition in the exercise of electoral or political clout. The contestants are groups united by a common interest in the outcome and only occasionally by moral principle. It is the job of politicians to compromise between them. This often means that the problem, however pressing, is not resolved at all because too many people have an interest in the status quo. This can only be changed if people can be persuaded to look beyond their own immediate interest to the welfare of society as a whole.

American academic CL Skach, author of How to Be a Citizen - Anthony Sajdler/Bloomsbury

This is a big ask. Yet, as Skach argues, there are good reasons why people should want to do it. Not only is it morally right, it is also a useful protection against autocracy. If there is less voluntary cooperation, there will be more legal compulsion. If pressing collective problems can only be resolved by autocracy, then sooner or later autocracy will follow.

Unfortunately, she is better at identifying the problem than at finding a solution. Her six great principles are really no more than moral exhortations. Dont put your trust in leaders; exercise your rights responsibly; discuss your differences with your fellow citizens; try to be more self-sufficient, more climate aware; empathise with other ethnic or religious groups. She urges us to go out into what she calls the piazza, a figurative and idealised public space reminiscent of the republican city-states of Renaissance Italy, where she supposes that citizens associated spontaneously with a common interest in the welfare of all of them.

Skach develops her theme with many examples of selfless cooperation between citizens. But they all involve groups of people with a natural affinity, ethnic, social or cultural, who identify with each other. Renaissance Italian cities were small places. The piazza was a gathering of like-minded people. All experience suggests that people tend to associate with others like themselves, except in the face of imminent catastrophe such as war, fire, famine, etc. Modern societies are too large and too diverse for selfless virtues to be practised on a big enough scale to affect national politics.

We may therefore have to be satisfied with messy and opaque compromises until either the problem goes away or else catastrophe is so imminent that self-interest makes us pull together. There has been no shortage of prophets, seers and moralists to warn us of the problems of interest-based politics. Professor Skach is only the latest in a long line. It is good to be reminded of our dilemmas. Ultimately, however, we may have to take humanity as we find it.

Lord Sumption is a former Justice of the Supreme Court. How to Be a Citizen is published by Bloomsbury at 20. To order your copy for 16.99 call 0808 196 6794 or visit Telegraph Books

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UC Davis employee Beth Bourne is a prominent anti-transgender activist who has accosted drag performers and called out trans coworkers by name on social media. She is a serious safety threat to the universitys LGBTQ+ students and faculty members.

In a recent viral video, Bourne confronts a group of drag queens filming a video at the Alohilani Resort in Waikiki on June 23. She accused the performers of degrading women and engaging in misogyny by performing in drag. The resort is hosting a brunch this Sunday, during Pride Month, that will feature drag performances.

Opinion

This type of behavior is unacceptable, Hawaii Democratic Governor Josh Green said in a statement Monday. It is not aloha and we will not tolerate it from anyone.

On Tuesday, UC Davis responded to the viral video in an inadequate statement that addresses Bournes obvious First Amendment rights but doesnt do enough to directly state how harmful Bournes words and actions are to the universitys queer and trans students and staff.

We condemn these statements as deeply hurtful, the universitys statement (which does not name Bourne) reads. While the employees comments are protected by the First Amendment, they do not reflect the values of respect and belonging that form the foundation of our campus community.

Notably, Bourne has not kept her work life and her transphobic crusade separate: Her X account (formerly Twitter) is filled with criticisms of the universitys trans population.

She has posted names and photos of trans colleagues and called out LeShelle May, wife of Chancellor Gay May, for promoting the trans agenda and the erasure of women.; She has also talked about working to expose the indoctrination into the trans cult within UC Davis Health; and accused the UC Davis School of Medicine of brainwash(ing) students and staff on gender woo-woo.

Bournes vocal social media call-outs of her employer are, at best, unprofessional and, at worst, threatening trans colleagues and those who support them. She is spreading conspiracies on the internet about the university and making herself out to be an insider working to expose a massive cover-up: that a public university in California is trans-inclusive.

UC Davis representative Andy Fell was asked whether the university is currently reviewing the terms of Bournes employment and the extent to which she interacts with students as a program coordinator at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Fell said: At this time I dont have anything to add beyond what is in the statement.

What it means to be a woman

Bourne believes that drag performances are offensive to women.

This line of thinking, which is popular among TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) like J.K. Rowling, holds that there are real women (those assigned female at birth) and individuals (including trans women and drag performers) whose attempts to pass as female are somehow invalidating and threatening to the womanhood of real women.

This is an extremist viewpoint that considers the very existence of trans people a threat  even though trans people are over four times more likely to be victims of violence than a person who identifies with their gender assigned at birth.

In reality, theres not one right or real way to be a woman. Trans women might not have periods or be able to get pregnant, but is that all it requires to be a woman? To menstruate and have babies? Certainly not. I have always felt like a woman. And just because this realization came later for others doesnt mean they arent  or cant be  women.

UC Davis responsibility

Its no stretch to worry that Bournes escalating activism could lead to the harm of queer and trans students at UC Davis.

Bourne was served a temporary restraining order from Davis Joint Unified School District for sharing teachers personal information. She was also at the center of a controversy last December in which an employee of the City of Davis main library asked the Yolo County chapter of Moms for Liberty, which Bourne chairs, to leave the space after a discussion about transgender issues turned transphobic  specifically after a speaker present began to call transgender female athletes biological men. In response, six bomb threats were made against Davis-area schools and the main library, all of which contained anti-LGBTQ+ language.

UC Davis is not wrong to support Bournes First Amendment rights. But the First Amendment is not absolute. Were not allowed to scream fire in a crowded movie theater. As the ACLU says: To be clear, the First Amendment does not protect behavior on campus that crosses the line into targeted harassment or threats, or that creates a pervasively hostile environment for vulnerable students.

Bourne clearly has a vendetta against trans people. She works on a college campus where queer and trans students have a right to be. This is a workplace issue as well. To be a trans-inclusive campus community, UC Davis should condemn hate in all its forms and yes even investigate firing Bourne for violating Title IX of the Civil Rights Act and state law that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

Sooner or later, Bournes vendetta could collide with her work  and the lives of students UC Davis is charged to protect. Bourne should not be working around queer or trans individuals, period. UC Davis will be to blame if even one student is harmed by Bournes intolerance.
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KSNW)  A Wichita man who was wanted on suspicion of several charges was found by deputies in Pueblo County, Colorado.

A news release says Pueblo County Sheriffs Special Investigations detectives arrested the Wichita man, 40, after receiving a tip that he was possibly staying at the Days Inn in Colorado City.

Kansas authorities had been looking for him and said he was considered dangerous. They heightened the search after they learned he made repeated homicidal statements.

Another mysterious monolith appears  this time in Colorado

The man was noted to have a criminal history involving weapons and was known to carry firearms.

PCSO detectives responded to the Days Inn and found the car the man was reportedly driving in the parking lot. They confirmed he was at the hotel, and with assistance from the U.S. Marshals, detectives devised a plan to get him to leave his hotel room.

The man was taken into custody without incident. He is currently being held on suspicion of felony aggravated assault with a firearm, criminal discharge into a dwelling, felony stalking, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, two counts of criminal threat, and criminal damage to property.

The man was booked into the Pueblo County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Kansas.

KSN does not name suspects until formal charges have been made.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
Firefighters on Thursday battled wildfires across Oregon, Washington, and New Mexico that have burned thousands of acres of land, destroyed homes and killed at least two people.

The so-called Darlene 3 fire broke out in central Oregon on Tuesday and scorched more than 2,415 acres by Wednesday morning, prompting officials in the rural city of La Pine  population 2,500  to issue evacuation orders and warnings, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NICC).

As of Thursday morning, the east side of town and surrounding areas were under a level three evacuation order, the highest level, while residents in the west were asked to prepare to flee their homes. Officials have contained the fire by 30% but expect "winds and warm temperatures" on Thursday to test established control lines.

A video posted on Facebook by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office showed massive clouds of smoke rising over several homes surrounded by dense woodlands. La Pine is located about 30 miles southwest of Bend, Oregon.

To the north, firefighters made headway against the Long Bend fire, which erupted in central Oregon on Saturday and has ripped across more than 1,000 acres of land, according to NICC. The blaze knocked out power to homes and temporarily closed a portion of the Wapinitia Creek, about 100 miles southeast of Portland.

Officials contained the blaze by 90% and were working to secure containment lines as aircrafts dumped water over the fire and officials warned boaters of hot ash pits, rolling rocks and other hazards. The causes of both fires were still under investigation, officials said.

Meanwhile, authorities were working to clamp down on blazes across New Mexico and Washington.

Officials say gusty winds and high fire conditions fueled the quick growth of the Darlene 3 Fire, causing evacuations in central Oregon.

Firefighters battle blazes in New Mexico; several people still missing

In New Mexico, firefighters gained momentum in the battle against two blazes that have forced thousands from their homes and killed at least two people.

The South Fork and Salt fires have scorched 17,569 and 7,939 acres of land, respectively. They broke out on June 17 and have damaged over 23,000 structures and displaced about 8,000 people.

The South Fork fire continues to burn on Mescalero Tribal land, U.S. Forest Service land and areas around Ruidoso, a village set in the Sierra Blanca mountain range southeast of Albuquerque.

As of Wednesday, key roads remained closed as search and rescue crews scoured the area for eight missing people. Meanwhile, the FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrests of the people who may have started the fires. No suspects have been named and federal authorities did not say how the fires were started.

Washington blaze destroys 17 homes as other fires break out

Firefighters in Washington have mostly contained the so-called Slide Ranch fire that ripped across more that 3,000 acres in Yakima County since the weekend.

The fire destroyed at least 17 homes and damaged at least 10 others, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NICC). Officials have not said exactly what started the fire but the NICC said the cause was "human" without providing more details. The blaze has been contained by 75%.

In the north, a dozen crews of emergency responders equipped with helicopters and fire engines fought the Pioneer fire in steep, mountainous terrain.

More than 4,600 acres of Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest land as well as surrounding private land were have been scorched. About 150 residences are "threatened" by the fire, which so far has left 20 buildings with "minor structure" damage, according to NICC.

While firefighters are unable to directly attack the fire because of the "extreme terrain," they established containment lines to protect private homes and federal infrastructure.

Contributing: Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Journal; Aaron A. Bedoya, El Paso Times; Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfires scorch thousands of acres in Oregon, Washington, New Mexico
As new wind lease areas are eyed off Cape Cod, leaders seek 'a seat at the table'

Three ocean areas east of Cape Cod may be some of the next marine real estate to be auctioned for offshore wind energy production, with some turbines possibly distantly visible, in very clear conditions, from the Atlantic Ocean bluffs in Truro.

Located due east of Wellfleet and Truro, the areas total 363,305 acres starting about 24 miles offshore and stretching eastward. They are among eight potential lease areas  adding up to nearly a million acres  that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has delineated for offshore wind projects off the coasts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.

In anticipation of the sale, local legislators are working to ensure the outermost Cape towns are part of the discussion and residents are kept well-informed. The federal government is also gathering public comments.

"I'm proud of the progress we've made with Vineyard Wind and encouraged to see additional projects. Of course, the details always matter on these projects," state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, said.

Vineyard Wind 1 is the country's first industrial-sized offshore wind farm, located south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, according to the company.

This map, created by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, shows the proposed offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine. Three are due east of the Cape Cod towns of Truro and Wellfleet.

Gulf of Maine a new host to offshore wind

The first-ever offshore wind energy auction in the Gulf of Maine Wind Energy Area is slated to open this fall, with additional lease areas proposed to be added in 2028. According to federal agency, together the first eight areas have the potential to generate 15 gigawatts of renewable energy, which would power more than five million homes.

Besides the proposed areas east of Wellfleet and Truro, three of the eight lease areas are due east of Boston, beyond the eastern boundary of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary at the mouth of Massachusetts Bay. Two are due east of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and southeast of Portland, Maine.

"In identifying these areas, BOEM prioritized avoidance of offshore fishing grounds and identification of vessel transit routes, while retaining sufficient acreage to support the regions offshore wind energy goals," the agency stated in a release.

Keeping Cape Cod towns in the loop

On Tuesday, Cyr and state Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown, hosted a virtual meeting with town managers and Select Board members from Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown so they could learn more about the plans.

"So, what we've been working to do is to make sure that Chatham up to Provincetown have a seat at the table," Cyr said.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management representatives "answered a lot of questions" for the local officials, he said, "and we were also joined by stakeholders from Martha's Vineyard who shared their experience and best practices related to their engagement with Vineyard Wind."

He and Peake are also pushing for the federal agency to expand its outreach to include public sessions for residents of the easternmost Cape Cod towns to learn more about the plans and ask questions.

"It's understandable that Outer Cape and Lower Cape residents have questions and concerns about these projects. I think it's essential that BOEM have a presence in our communities," Cyr said. He said so far the closest the agency has come with public sessions is Plymouth.

A Vineyard Wind project turbine on April 29, located 12 miles south of Martha's Vineyard

How could new lease areas affect the Cape?

Contrary to circulating rumors, projects offshore of the easternmost Cape Cod towns are not expected to make landfall there. Interconnection points, according to Cyr, "would probably be Salem or Plymouth" at the site of the former Pilgrim nuclear power plant.

Nick Krakoff, a senior attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation, also said it is "very unlikely" for cables to come ashore on the outermost parts of the Cape, which is dominated by the Cape Cod National Seashore, especially since coming ashore there would necessitate routing cables a long distance to connect into the ISO-New England power grid.

Krakoff anticipates cables would interconnect in Boston or Plymouth, and possibly Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

"The issue is, they want to interconnect to the grid where most of the demand or load is," he said. "Right now, there's some grid constraints basically from Maine down to Boston." The same holds true for the power grid on the eastern and outermost parts of Cape Cod.

Seashore spokesperson Linzy French in an email on Tuesday noted that the National Park Service is also "actively participating" in the federal Bureau of Ocean Management's Gulf of Maine commercial offshore wind review and analysis.

The National Park Service's role in the planning is to provide on ongoing expertise on how the project may affect the Cape Cod National Seashore and other sites where the service has an administrative role, French wrote.

Could offshore wind farms be seen from shore?

Should projects move forward off the Cape, visibility of any turbines from shore would be limited, according to Cyr.

"My understanding is they may be visible on a clear day from the Truro bluffs," he said, but it would depend on the height of the turbines and how clear conditions are.

Cyr said the biggest questions he has "are related to environmental and marine life impacts, how these projects would interact with our fisheries, and about the lighting of these projects at night." He, for one, demands that everything possible is done "to preserve the dark skies we have."

Beyond that, Cyr said there could be a good opportunity for the eastern and outer parts of Cape Cod to host an offshore wind operations and maintenance facility, "which could mean dozens of year-round labor jobs" for local residents.

Advocating for the marine environment

Krakoff said the Conservation Law Foundation has also been deeply involved with the process to designate the proposed lease areas, which join proposals for new offshore wind areas in other parts of the country, from Oregon and California to the central Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Mexico and Hawaii. Initially, he said, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed designating almost the entire Gulf of Maine for potential offshore wind production.

"Over the past two years, they've winnowed it down considerably," he said. "Throughout the process, we've advocated for BOEM to exclude certain areas."

The foundation's advocacy has focused on protection of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, as well as sensitive populations and habitats.

Overall, Krakoff said, "we have more general concerns about how do you develop (offshore wind) responsibly" to minimize impacts on right whales, Atlantic cod and "the benthic and rocky habitats that are important to a lot of marine species."

Public invited to comment

A public comment period on the lease sites is coming to a close on July 1. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is specifically seeking feedback on various aspects of the proposed lease areas, including size, orientation and location of the eight lease areas and which areas, if any, should be prioritized for inclusion or exclusion from this year's scheduled lease sale.

To submit comments, visit Regulations.gov. In the search box, enter BOEM-2024-0026 and click Search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments.

Meanwhile, a second public comment period for a draft environmental assessment just opened on June 21 and will continue through July 22. The assessment considers site characterization surveys  such as biological, archeological, geological, and geophysical surveys and core samples  as well as installation of meteorological buoys expected to occur following issuance of leases, according to the agency.

To submit comments, visit Regulations.gov and enter BOEM-2024-0030 into the search box.

Virtual meetings are also scheduled for reviewing the draft environmental assessment, on Monday, July 8 at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, July 10 at 5 p.m. Registration links for each meeting are available at www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine

Heather McCarron can be reached at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on X @HMcCarron_CCT

The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Wind farm areas east of Truro, Wellfleet potential in federal auction
Winnebago Tribe celebrates return of land taken along the Missouri River

Missouri River in Cass County. (Courtesy of the Nebraska State Patrol)

LINCOLN  The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is celebrating the righting of a five-decade-old wrong.

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill last week that will return about 1,600 acres of land to the tribe along the Missouri River that was taken illegally in the 1970s for a proposed recreation project.

That was pretty exciting news. We held a victory celebration the day it passed  brought drums out, sang some victory songs, said Winnebago tribal spokesman Garen Coons.

It was a good remembrance of the long, hard fight the tribe had to go through, he added.

Another celebration is planned after President Joe Biden signs the bill into law.

The Winnebago Reservation, north of Omaha, originally sat exclusively on the west bank of the Missouri River, according to the Treaty of 1865. But the rivers channel later shifted westward, and some tribal land, including the 1,600 acres involved, now sit on the Iowa side of the river.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as part of a proposed recreation project, acquired the 1,600 acres in the 1970s via eminent domain, which triggered years of legal battles.

Coons said that since 2017, bills have been introduced in Congress to return the property to the tribe but have languished.

This year, a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., finally got over the finish line.

I look forward to seeing this bill signed into law, Fischer said in a press release.

The Senate bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Iowa Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. The House version of the bill was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, and co-sponsored by Nebraska Reps. Adrian Smith, Mike Flood and Don Bacon.

The land, which had been managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will remain as conservation land, according to Coons. The only difference is that those wishing to hunt on the property must now obtain a tribal hunting permit.

The post Winnebago Tribe celebrates return of land taken along the Missouri River appeared first on Nebraska Examiner.
FILE - Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos speaks during an interview at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2023. Vos on Friday, June 7, 2024, challenged signatures on petitions filed seeking an election to recall him from office, saying there were not enough valid ones. (AP Photo/Harm Venhuizen, File)

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday rejected an effort to force a recall election of the state's top Republican after determining that not enough valid signatures were collected.

The vote by three Republican commissioners and one Democratic commissioner means Assembly Speaker Robin Vos will not have to stand for a recall election unless a court intervenes. Vos was targeted for recall by fellow Republicans and supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Recall organizers targeted Vos, the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin history, after he refused calls to decertify President Joe Bidens narrow win in the state. Bidens win of about 21,000 votes has withstood two partial recounts, lawsuits, an independent audit and a review by a conservative law firm.

Vos further angered Trump supporters when he did not back a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe, the states top elections official.

Elections commission staff had determined that petition circulators submitted 16 more valid signatures than needed to force a recall election of Vos. But the commission broke with the staff recommendation Thursday and threw out an additional 188 signatures because they were collected beyond the 60-day petition circulation window.

Recall organizers had argued they should be counted because the submission deadline was extended by two days due to the Memorial Day holiday. But commission members who pushed for rejecting the signatures said that the law allowed for moving the date for filing the petition, but that the 60-day deadline for collecting signatures remained unchanged.

The commissions decision can be appealed to circuit court.

The recall committee issued a statement calling for the elections commission to be dismantled.

The WEC has demonstrated that it is set up to protect those in power rather than to fairly administer elections and uphold election laws, the Racine Recall Committee said. This action silences the voices of Racine County and denies justice to the voters.

Democratic Commissioner Mark Thomsen urged the panel not to block the recall over what he called a technicality.

Why should I ignore these 6,000 folks and their right to recall?" he said. "Havent they met their burden to at least get the vote?

Republican Commissioner Don Millis, who was appointed by Vos, made the motion to reject the petition for not having enough valid signatures.

I disagree with the idea that were giving Rep. Vos a pass," Millis said. I feel very strongly that any signatures collected on May 27 and May 28 are not valid. I dont think that were denying anyones right to recall. It certainly is a close call in terms of the number of signatures.

Vos has derided those targeting him as whack jobs and morons." He did not appear at the meeting, but his attorney argued for not counting the signatures collected past the 60-day deadline.

This is the easiest way to resolve this," attorney Matthew Fernholz said.

Trump supporters, including former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, on May 28 submitted more than 9,000 signatures to trigger the recall election.

They needed 6,850 valid signatures to force a recall election in the district where Vos was elected to serve. There were 6,866 valid signatures collected from that district before the commission voted Thursday to reject the additional 188, leaving them with 6,678.

Democratic Commissioner Carrie Riepl joined the three Republican members in voting to reject the recall. She did not give a reason for her vote during the meeting.
Woman Accused of Using Fortune Telling Services as Ruse to Rob $12K from Another Woman at Gunpoint

Carola Mitchell was charged with robbery with a firearm and kidnapping in the first degree with a firearm, according to police

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Carola Mitchell

A woman was arrested after police say she used the guise of providing psychic services in order to rob someone at gunpoint, according to news sources.

Carola Mitchell, 52, was charged with robbery with a firearm and kidnapping in the first degree with a firearm, in addition to three out-of-county warrants, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office online booking records.

Officers said on May 16, Mitchell had gone to a home and asked the woman who answered the door where she could buy Mexican food and requested some water inside before offering some psychic services, according to WTSP-TV, WFLA-TV and Fox 13 News.

Judith Ramirez told Fox 13 News that her mother-in-law had answered the door and she had briefly checked who was at the door before going into another room to check on her baby. She claimed that was when Mitchell pulled out a gun on her mother-in-law and demanded money.

"She told her that if she doesn't give [her] the money, she was going to hurt us, my baby and I. And then she's like, Okay, so she gave her the money," Ramirez recalled to the outlet.

Police said Mitchell stole $12,000 in cash before fleeing in her car, per WFLA-TV. A neighbors house managed to capture footage of a white Nissan Rogue leaving the area around the time the robbery occurred, per the outlet.

After a month-long investigation, officers eventually traced the car to Bradenton, Fl., and Mitchell was arrested, police told WFLA-TV.

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Police said the woman had been using her psychic services as "a ruse to gain entry into victims' homes to commit robberies or thefts of cash and jewelry," per WFLA-TV and WTSP-TV.

Investigators also requested a warrant to search Mitchells device after she told them that she always kept a phone with her, which they believed may have been in her possession during the robbery and may lead them to other potential victims, per the outlets.

The Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment on the incident.

Ramirez shared that the frightening incident had an impact on her mother-in-law, saying, "It's really scary, because [my] mother-in-law, when she talks about it, she still cries. The money is gone, but we're happy that we are okay and nothing happened to us.

Mitchell is currently being held at Falkenburg Road Jail without bond.



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Read the original article on People.
BRUSSELS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Ukraine signed a security agreement during the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.

"These commitments will help Ukraine defend itself, resist destabilization, and deter future acts of aggression," said European Council President Charles Michel on social media platform X. 
Hes worked for Tacoma Fire for 31 years, the last five as chief. His last day is June 30

Tacoma Fire Chief Tory Green is turning in his keys to the fire truck.

Green recently announced that, effective June 30, he is retiring from the Tacoma Fire Department after 31 years  five of which he spent at the helm.

The department noted in a Facebook post that Green led Tacoma firefighters during the challenges of the coronavirus-pandemic response. He also implemented the basic life support transport program, implemented an alternative response program for behavioral health crisis (HOPE Program), and focused on firefighter safety and mental health.

An interim replacement, assistant chief Sionna Stallings-Alailima, will take over until the appointment of a permanent head.

On Wednesday morning, the city of Tacoma honored Green and four other soon-retiring department directors on its government Facebook page.

Thank you for your service Deputy City Manager Kurtis Kingsolver, TERS Director Tim Allen, Tacoma Fire Department Chief Tory Green, Community and Economic Development Director Jeff Robinson, and Tacoma Environmental Services Director Mike Slevin, the city wrote in the post. We appreciate your dedication and commitment to Tacoma over the years and wish you the very best in retirement!

Many well-wishers commented on the Fire Departments post announcing Greens departure.

Thank you for your service!!! replied Pierce County Council member Robyn Denson.

The Eastside Neighborhoods Advisory Council of Tacoma shared the departments post, along with the caption: Thank you for your service Chief Green. It was always great working with you. Happy retirement [fire-extinguisher emoji].

Before ascending to department head in 2019, Green served as deputy chief of administration for seven years, The News Tribune reported at the time. His priorities included department diversification and improvements to outdated fire stations. Green previously worked as a training and medical services officer and as assistant chief of emergency medical services.

The News Tribune in 2016 also covered then-Deputy Chief Greens recommendation to fire two recruits accused of cheating on a test  and, in a 2017 investigation, pressed him on how a firefighter with a history of drug use had gotten hired.

Green has also worked to raise awareness about firefighter health amid a trend of duty-related cancer deaths.

A Tacoma native, Green worked under four chiefs, including predecessor Jim Duggan, according to the city. He helped usher in the EMS levy-lid lift, passed by voters last year, and has advocated for the fire levy-lid lift that will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)  A small fire broke out on the worlds largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbeans Icon of the Seas, on Tuesday.

A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told USA Today that the fire was quickly extinguished and isolated to a crew area. No one was hurt. The ship was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico when the fire broke out.

The spokesperson said the ship briefly lost power, however, backup power was activated immediately and the main power systems were resorted. The ships itinerary was not impacted by the fire or power outage.

The Port of Miami-based Icon of the Seas set sail on a week-long Western Caribbean cruise on Saturday, according to CruiseMapper. It is scheduled to return to Miami on Saturday, June 29.

The Icon of the Seas set sail for the first time in January. It can hold up to 7,600 guests and 2,350 crew members.

News Channel 8 reached out to Royal Caribbean to learn more about the fire.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
PULASKI, Wis. (WFRV)  A World War II Veteran, who was drafted once he turned 18 and was unable to complete his senior year, received an honorary Pulaski High School diploma on Wednesday.

Jack Kraszewski was drafted into the 553 Anti-aircraft Battalion, Ninth Division on March 1, 1943, and as a result, was unable to finish his senior year at Pulaski High School. On June 26, 2024, Kraszewski was presented with an honorary diploma.

Jack Kraszewski (Pulaski Community School District)

No shortage in opposition: Woodford emphasizes importance of new housing at taskforce meeting

Officials with the Pulaski Community School District (PCSD) say that at the presentation, Pulaski Area Community Education Director Mark Heck read a proclamation that former 8th District U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives paying tribute to Kraszewski for his World War II service.

Kraszewski landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and later fought in a key World War II turning point, the Battle of the Bulge.

Back in May, Kraszewski was honored in a parade in Pulaski, and earlier in June he was among WWII Veterans who attended ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.
Worse than prisoners of war; Ohio couple accused of torturing adopted children

An Ohio mother and father are accused of torturing and cruelly abusing their five adopted children.

Shackled and slumped Matthew Edmundson appeared in front of a Clermont County Judge to turn herself in, according to our news partners at WCPO.

The 49-year-old is facing child abuse charges.

The victims are her five boys.

First fostered, then adopted, with her husband Charles Edmonson who is already serving a three-year sentence for a sex crime.

Investigators in the case said Charles had videos on his phone of his children being punished.

It was merely a happenstance that we found all this incriminating evidence regarding the horrible abuse of these of these special needs children, Mark Tekulve, Clermont County prosecutor said.

>> Man accused of killing pregnant woman, teen still on the run; U.S. Marshals offering reward for info

Prosecutors said the five kids were kept in a dungeon when they were punished, and they had no food or clothing.

Their mother would then talk to the children through a camera similar to cameras pet owners would talk to their pets through, the prosecution said.

The sheriffs office said the children had been in and out of the hospital for bruising, bleach burns and potential internal bleeding.

Matthew and her husband Charles have told the kids not to talk to anybody. We have that on video. Youre not just talking to anybody. Police are bad, CPS bad adults are bad. Dont talk to the nurse talk to nobody, Dattilo said.

>> Daughter finds her mother and father dead inside home in Preble Co.

The children have been relocated to foster care since February.

Both the defense and prosecution said they are safe and are starting to share their story.

A judge set Matthews bond at $500,000 with the condition of having no contact with the alleged victims.

Both Matthew and Charles were indicted on five counts of child endangering, third-degree felonies.

If convicted, they could face up to 18 years in prison.








WVU Tech president responds to prospect of new local government in City of Beckley

WVU Tech president responds to prospect of new local government in City of Beckley

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS)  The president of West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley said he was looking forward to working with an incoming mayor and four newly elected Beckley Common Council members in the City of Beckley, who are expected to be in office soon.

The new elected officials, along with interim city manager Billie Trump, will be sworn in on July 1, 2024.

Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, a native of Welch, offered the comments on Monday, June 24, 2024, one day before the current Beckley Common Council met for the last time.

The deepest river in West Virginia

Dr. Stuart said the city and the college are a communiversity, and that he was dedicated to the partnership during the next chapter in the city.

We went to focus on making sure that the mayor and the new city council make sure they know who we are, make sure they know what we do, make sure that they know we can, shall, and will be willing to do it with them, too, Dr. Stuart said.

The college president said WVU Tech officials plan to offer welcome packets to the new mayor and new members of Council.

Jelly Roll to bring his Beautifully Broken tour to West Virginia

Dr. Stuarts comments followed those of incoming mayor Ryan Neal, who said he embraced the idea of including WVU Tech as part of the citys identity.

Outgoing Mayor Rob Rappold, who opted not to run in the past election, had proposed the idea of Beckley as a cool college town when he was first elected as mayor in 2016.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
Tents of a protest camp stand in a forest near the Tesla factory. Following the discovery of a bomb from the Second World War near the US electric car manufacturer's factory, the establishment of a restricted area is being examined. Environmental activists have been protesting against the expansion of the Tesla site with a protest camp in the forest since the end of February. Lutz Deckwerth/dpa

German authorities were on Thursday mulling the creation of a restricted area near the controversial Tesla plant just outside Berlin after an unexploded wartime bomb was found in the outlying forest.

The same woodlands have been occupied since February by environmental activists protesting against the expansion of the electric car factory located in Grunheide in the state of Brandenburg.

The bomb dating to World War II was found in the area of the planned enlargement, Nico Bauermeister, head of Grunheide's public order office, told dpa.

It was unclear whether the protesters' camp with several tree houses would have to be evacuated.

According to Bauermeister, discussions were under way about how large the exclusion zone would need to be to safely detonate the bomb.

Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stubgen warned in April that the woods could be contaminated with old explosive ordnance, which in turn created a dispute with the environmental authorities.

"We consider the risk to be very high," Stubgen told the state parliament's interior committee at the time.

He called on the state's environment minister, Axel Vogel, to have the risk of explosive ordnance in the state-owned woodland clarified.

Tesla's only European plant, which opened around two years ago, is located close to the forest.

The car manufacturer wants to expand its site to include a goods station and logistics areas. Activists see considerable environmental risks in the plans because the site is located in a water protection area. They also oppose the imminent deforestation.
New York to ban phones in citys classrooms amid fears for fully addicted childrens mental health

New York's classroom phone ban will affect around 915,000 students in the city - John Minchillo/AP

Schools in New York City are planning to ban the use of mobile phones amid concerns over childrens mental health.

Americas largest schools system announced the move on Wednesday following a detailed consultation with medical professionals.

Our kids are fully addicted to these phones, weve got to do something about it, said David Banks, New York City schools chancellor, in an interview with broadcaster NY1.

He said the new rules, which will be announced in full next month, will affect around 915,000 students.

In a bid to ease fears of parents being unable to contact their children, Mr Banks said the new rules would allow devices in school grounds but their use would not be permitted during school hours.

We want you to be able to bring your phone to school because the minute that school is over, you need to be in communication with your family, he said.

David Banks, New York City schools chancellor, said the new rules would allow devices in school grounds but their use would not be permitted during school hours - New York Daily News

The ban is a significant departure from existing rules which allow individual head teachers to set their own mobile phone policy.

As a result, New York schools have employed a variety of approaches with some collecting phones at the start of the day or others instructing students to put their devices in lockable pouches.

In 2015, then New York mayor Bill de Blasio scrapped an outright ban on mobile phones in the citys schools implemented by his predecessor Michael Bloomberg.

At the time, he said it was unfair to pass on costs relating to the law to families in low-income communities.

Mr Banks said the new plan would not mean any additional costs for students. We dont want kids to have to pay a dollar to leave their phone in a bodega across the street, he added.

Kathy Hochul, the Democrat governor of New York, is planning to follow the citys lead by proposing new legislation that would prohibit smartphones in schools across the whole state.

In California, Gavin Newsom, the Democrat governor, last week promised to limit the use of smartphones during the school day.

The school board in Los Angeles - the second biggest school district in the country behind New York city - also recently approved restrictions that will go into effect in January.

Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, signed a similar measure into law last year.

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NEW YORK  The nations largest school system on Wednesday said it is planning to prohibit cellphone use during the school day, a major policy shift that comes as the Biden administration issues new warnings about the threat social media poses to children.

New York City Public Schools will announce the rules early next month, Chancellor David Banks said, responding to widespread concern about youth mental health.

He said the district, which is controlled by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, consulted medical doctors as it developed the ban. It will affect about 915,000 students.

"Our kids are fully addicted to these phones," Banks said in an interview on NY1. "We've got to do something about it."

Why it matters: The ban in New York City comes amid a nationwide movement to curb phone use in schools and growing worry about how smartphones are affecting children today.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrote in a New York Times op-ed last week that social media is so harmful to kids, Congress should force apps to include warning labels, just like those required on cigarettes and alcohol.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, vowed last week to limit the use of smartphones during the school day. The school board in Los Angeles  the second biggest school district in the country  also recently approved restrictions that will go into effect in January. And in Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year signed a similar measure into law.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul  a Democrat who recently signed a bill that would require social media platforms to turn off personalized recommendation systems for pupils  is also planning to propose legislation that would prohibit smartphones in schools statewide.

The details: In New York City, the district is trying to navigate worry from some parents that cellphone restrictions will make it more difficult for them to reach their children.

Banks said the new rules would allow students to bring their devices to school, but they will be off limits during school hours.

We want you to be able to bring your phone to school because the minute that school is over, you need to be in communication with your family," he said.

The move will be a significant departure from current practice, which allows individual school principals to come up with their own policies. Schools have employed different approaches  some collecting phones at the start of the day or making pupils put their devices in lockable pouches.

In 2015, then Mayor Bill de Blasio scrapped a citywide school phone ban instituted by his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg. At the time, he dismissed it as an unfair practice given that it was primarily enforced at schools with metal detectors in low-income communities. Banks said the new program would not pass on any costs to students.

We dont want kids to have to pay a dollar to leave their phone in a bodega across the street, he said.

Whats next: Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, urged the city to take a step back and assess the best way to tackle the issue.

If you talk to any individual teachers, they will say, 'get rid of cell phones in the classroom,' Mulgrew said in a statement. We need to workshop the issue this summer to get a broader take from our membership, about what works and doesnt from schools that already collect cell phones.
The nations largest school district could move to ban cell phones for students as early as this January. New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks said Wednesday that phone use is significantly impacting education.

We recognize the problem and that it is a major issue, he told WNYW.

Banks said the district is finalizing a policy to bar phones at more than 2,000 schools for more than 1 million students. He said the policy will be officially announced in the coming weeks.

New York City wouldnt be the first major school district to nix phones. Los Angeles Unified School District voted last week to bar the devices starting in 2025.

Kids no longer have the opportunity to just be kids, said Los Angeles board member Nick Melvoin, who introduced the measure. Im hoping this resolution will help students not only focus in class, but also give them a chance to interact and engage more with each other  and just be kids.

The trend to ban cell phones has become increasingly popular with local districts, with some schools implementing cell phone spots where students have to turn in their phones at the beginning of the day and cant get them until the end. Some states, such as South Carolina, are looking at banning cell phones in all public schools statewide.

Other districts have taken creative solutions to lock away devices, including partnerships with startup companies.

Renesha Parks, chief wellness officer at Richmond Public Schools in Virginia, told The Hill in December of a pilot policy implemented in six schools at the beginning of 2024 to stop cellphone usage, partnering with Yondr, which creates magnetic pouches for cellphones. The measure impacts around 4,200 students and costs approximately $75,000.

Its a very costly initiative. But we do feel like it will decrease the amount of infractions that are happening as a result of students cellphone use and increase productivity and academic instruction in the classroom. Its worth the investment, Parks said.

In 2020, government data found almost 80 percent of schools banned cellphones for nonacademic purposes, but enforcement varies widely nationwide.

Lexi Lonas contributed.

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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani security forces dismantled a terrorist network of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and arrested its two top commanders, Home Minister of the country's southwest Balochistan province Zia Ullah Langau announced on Wednesday.

The home minister told a press conference in the provincial capital of Quetta that law enforcement agencies carried out an intelligence-based operation that led to the dismantlement of a terrorist network and arrested its commanders Nasrullah alias Maulvi Mansoor and commander Idress alias Irshad.

The minister added that the detained terrorist commanders were actively engaged in terrorist activities in Balochistan against security personnel and development projects with the help of "foreign hostile forces."

On the occasion, the minister shared a video statement of the terrorist named Nasrullah in which he admitted that he has been a member of the TTP for the last 16 years and participated in several terrorist attacks on public and security forces.

The terrorist said that he fled to Afghanistan after Pakistani security forces launched the anti-terrorism operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014 and he remained involved in cross-border terrorist acts from the Afghan province of Paktika.

The terrorists revealed that the TTP joined hands with the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and he was appointed commander to conduct joint attacks in Balochistan to sabotage the development projects in Pakistan. 
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels on June 27 to meet with European officials and sign a security agreement with the European Union.

The EU is expected to join 17 countries, including the U.S., Japan, U.K., Germany, and France, that have signed similar bilateral treaties to help Kyiv repel Russia's aggression.

"It (the agreement) will for the first time establish the commitment of all 27 member states to provide Ukraine with broad support despite any internal institutional changes," Zelensky said via his Telegram channel.

According to an unnamed senior EU diplomat cited by Polish media RMF on June 24, the future security agreement between Ukraine and the EU consists of two parts.

The first is related to security and defense, including "nine specific commitments:" modern equipment supply for Ukraine, Ukrainian personnel training, demining, and support of Ukraine for nuclear and cyber security, among others. The second part deals with civilian aspects, primarily Ukraine's prospect of EU membership.

The document also allegedly includes a pledge to protect Ukrainian refugees, prosecute those responsible for war crimes, continue to impose sanctions on Russia and use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, in particular, its reconstruction and economy.

Read also: Opinion: The new EU leadership must unite on China

During his visit to Brussels, Zelensky will also hold bilateral talks with the leaders of the EU and member states. Apart from the deal with the EU, the Ukrainian president will sign two more agreements with EU countries, Zelensky's post said, without specifying the details.

The visit comes two days after the long-awaited beginning of accession negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine.

"Today, I am in Brussels to take part in the meeting of the European Council and to thank all the leaders of Europe for their unity and for confirming the irreversibility of our European course," added Zelensky.

Ukraine received EU candidate status in June 2022. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council agreed on it a month later.

The commission then presented the negotiation framework and said the two countries were ready to begin the talks by the end of June.

Despite the agreement, Ukraine's entry into the EU most likely remains years away. Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said last month that Kyiv could join the bloc in 2030.

Read also: Ukraine, Moldova begin EU accession talks in Luxembourg

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky: 'Ukraine doesn't want war to last for years,' looking ahead to 2nd peace summit

A detailed action plan should be prepared to consider at Ukraine's second peace summit over the next few months, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists in Brussels on June 27, Ukrinform reported.

Such a plan should include steps related to "all the crises" caused by Russia's full-scale invasion, according to Zelensky.

Switzerland hosted Ukraine's global peace summit on June 15-16, with over 90 countries and organizations in attendance. Seventy-eight states and four organizations signed the final joint communique of the peace summit on June 16. Nine more states joined the document after the event.

Kyiv is planning to arrange a second global peace summit before the end of 2024. Kyiv hopes to develop a new joint peace plan based on Zelenskys 10-point peace proposal, although is open to opinions from other countries.

"We don't have much time. We have a lot of injured, killed, both military and civilians. So we do not want this war to last for years. Therefore, we have to prepare this plan and put it on the table at the second peace summit," Zelensky said.

Ukraine wants the talks to be open, the president added.

Some countries that participated but were notably absent from the list of signatories included India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

China refused to participate due to Russias absence and reports emerged on June 13 that Beijing was pushing its alternative peace plan.

Read also: Ukraines Peace Summit is over  what were its highs and lows?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The chair of the Federal Communications Commission asked AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and other cable and telecom carriers to detail efforts to crack down on fraudulent political robocalls that are generated by AI, the agency said Thursday.

Last month Steven Kramer, a Louisiana Democratic political consultant, was indicted over a fake robocall imitating U.S. President Joe Biden seeking to dissuade people from voting for him in New Hampshire's Democratic primary election.

The FCC in May proposed to fine Kramer $6 million over the robocalls it said used an AI-generated deepfake audio recording of Bidens cloned voice, saying its rules prohibit transmission of inaccurate caller ID information. Kramer has pleaded not guilty.

The FCC also proposed to fine Lingo Telecom $2 million for allegedly transmitting the robocalls.

"We know that AI technologies will make it cheap and easy to flood our networks with deepfakes used to mislead and betray trust," FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel wrote to the companies in a letter first reported by Reuters. "It is especially chilling to see AI voice-cloning used to impersonate candidates during elections. As AI tools become more accessible to bad actors and scammers, we need to do everything we can to keep this junk off our network."

There is growing concern in Washington that AI-generated content could mislead voters in the November presidential and congressional elections. Some senators want to pass legislation before November that would address AI threats to election integrity.

Rosenworcel asked the carriers -- including T-Mobile, DISH Network, Charter Communications, Cox and Frontier -- to answer questions by July 15, including whether they have dedicated human or technological resources to identify generative AI voices, and what other steps the companies have taken to address unauthorized AI messaging campaigns during elections.

Charter Communications said it has long taken an aggressive approach to addressing robocalls.

"We'll continue working alongside the FCC and our industry partners to protect our customers as this risk continues to evolve," the company said.

The other carriers declined to comment or referred questions to industry trade group USTelecom.

"When it comes to fighting scams and spam calls, our partnership with the FCC is rock-solid," the group's CEO Jonathan Spalter said. "Americas communications providers are all in on putting an end to illegal robocalls and going after any AI-based scam calls that hit consumers."

Rosenworcel separately has proposed the FCC require broadcast radio and television political advertisements to disclose whether content is generated by AI.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Rod Nickel)
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Thursday revived a software engineer's proposed class action claiming Meta Platforms refused to hire him because it preferred to give jobs to foreign workers who are paid lower wages.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling said that a Civil War-era law barring discrimination in contracts based on "alienage" extends to bias against U.S. citizens.

The decision reverses a California federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit by Purushothaman Rajaram, a naturalized U.S. citizen who says Meta passes over American workers for jobs in favor of cheaper visa recipients. Rajaram is seeking to represent a class that includes thousands of workers.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company in court filings has denied wrongdoing and said Rajaram failed to show that Meta intended to discriminate against U.S. workers.

Daniel Low, a lawyer for Rajaram, said that bias against U.S. citizens is a significant problem in the tech industry.

"We expect that this ruling will lead to more lawsuits seeking to end such discrimination," Low said in an email.

The 9th Circuit had never before addressed whether the federal law, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, provides protections from hiring discrimination for U.S. citizens.

The only other appeals court that has considered the issue, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit, said the law does not prohibit bias against U.S. citizens in a 1986 decision. The split created by the 9th Circuit on Thursday raises the chances that the U.S. Supreme Court could take the case if Meta appeals.

Conservative groups have increasingly cited Section 1981, which also bars race discrimination in contracts, in challenging companies' diversity initiatives and the hiring of foreign visa workers.

Thursday's decision could be a major boon to plaintiffs in a growing number of cases alleging bias against U.S. workers, at least in California and the eight other states covered by the 9th Circuit. Unlike Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law banning workplace discrimination, Section 1981 does not cap the damages that plaintiffs can receive if they win lawsuits, and it does not require them to file complaints with government agencies before suing.

Apple last year agreed to pay $25 million to settle a U.S. government lawsuit accusing the tech giant of illegally favoring immigrant workers over U.S. citizens and green card holders for certain jobs. The company denied wrongdoing.

And last month, a conservative legal group founded by former Trump administration officials called for a federal investigation into Tyson Foods' alleged practice of disproportionately hiring foreign workers, including minors and people in the U.S. illegally. Tyson called the claims "completely false."

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Alexia Garamfalvi and Nick Zieminski)
Engineers wearing augmented reality headsets test the placement of a scaffolding design before it is built to ensure accurate fit in the largest clean room at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. | Credit: NASA

Engineers at NASA are turning to augmented reality (AR) to build spacecraft more efficiently and with greater accuracy.

The Roman Space Telescope team has already started applying the technology while working on the next-gen observatory  its next major eye on the sky after the James Webb Space Telescope 's massive success. Roman is currently being assembled at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the agency said AR has already saved days' worth of work. Tasks that would typically require multiple engineers and technicians were also able to be completed with way less effort.

With augmented reality headsets and advanced measuring techniques, the NASA team has been able to project digital models of the telescopes components into the real world. This allows them to align parts with an accuracy down to thousandths of an inch and identify potential interference before any manual assembly takes place.

"We've been able to place sensors, mounting interfaces, and other spacecraft hardware in 3D space faster and more accurately than previous techniques," said Ron Glenn, a NASA Goddard engineer, in a press release . That could be a huge benefit to any programs cost and schedule."

Related: NASA's Roman Space Telescope will hunt for the universe's 1st stars  or their shredded corpses, anyway

This could be a game changer as constructing a spacecraft is no easy feat. These structures must be lightweight, yet capable of withstanding extreme conditions; they must contain numerous complex systems, yet have components that snap together seamlessly. Procuring this type of machine requires extensive theorizing, rigorous testing, and, often, quite a bit of money. It even introduces significant complexity during manufacturing  consider how a slight aberration on one of the Hubble Space Telescope 's mirrors before it launched in 1990 led NASA to create an entire mission that required astronauts to fix it in Earth orbit.

Furthermore, the virtual nature of augmented reality also means information is readily available to anyone linked into the AR. For instance, an engineer can quickly reference important information on the spot, from big-picture structural guidelines all the way down to torque specifications for individual bolts  all accessible via different hand gestures.

There is also the added benefit that remote engineers can provide input virtually from wherever they are. "Partners at other locations can collaborate directly through the technicians' point of view, explained Aaron Sanford, another engineer working on the project. "Using QR codes for metadata storage and document transfer adds another layer of efficiency, enabling quick access to relevant information right at your fingertips. Developing AR techniques for reverse engineering and advanced structures opens many possibilities such as training and documentation."

But the benefits go beyond just time saving, with Glenn emphasizing that AR has allowed the team to achieve more than they initially expected. "The original project goal was to develop enhanced assembly solutions utilizing AR and find out if we could eliminate costly fabrication time," he said. "We found the team could do so much more."
Nokia to acquire Infinera in $2.3 billion deal to scale up optical network

(Reuters) -Nokia will acquire Infinera Corp in a deal with an enterprise value of $2.3 billion, the companies said on Thursday, as the Finnish firm looks to expand its optical network business, especially in the North American market.

Shares of Infinera surged nearly 22%.

The deal price of $6.65 per share represents a premium of 26.4% to Infinera's closing price of $5.26 on Thursday.

Nokia will pay Infinera at least 70% in cash. Infinera's shareholders can elect to receive up to 30% of the aggregate consideration in the form of Nokia's American Depositary Shares, the companies said in a statement.

The deal is expected to add to Helsinki-based Nokia's comparable earnings per share in the first year after close and over 10% to profits by 2027.

San Jose, California-based Infinera makes optical semiconductors and networking equipment for fixed line and mobile telecommunications networks.

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Pooja Desai)
Swiss companies are pioneering revolutionary batteries that can charge in one minute: 'The only way of meeting the enormous rise in demand for high-performance batteries'

ETH Zurich is celebrating big news from two battery companies that are spin-offs of university research. They are leveraging Swiss industry expertise that involves novel layered production techniques.

BTRY is the maker of an ultra-thin solid-state battery that "charges in minutes [and] stores for years," per the designers. 8inks offers a battery manufacturing process that experts claim allows power packs "to reach their full potential."

It's all happening in Switzerland, where leaders are working to meet ambitious climate goals by the end of the decade and beyond. The impact of these operations  from battery production to performance  could resonate throughout the entire energy storage sector.

"When it comes to excellent production techniques, we can build on a very good foundation here in Switzerland," 8inks' Paul Baade said in an ETH press release.

For BTRY's part, the thin product looks a bit like a square of sandpaper. The cells are stacked on top of each other, providing fast charge speeds and high storage capacity. The designers said on the company website that the batteries can be tailored for specific needs.

The solid-state electrolyte isn't flammable like common batteries in smartphones and other devices that use a liquid version. It works well in a wide temperature range, too. The vacuum manufacturing process doesn't require harmful solvents, per ETH and the company.

The experts cited powering storage for medicines at low temperatures during transportation and even applications in outer space as possible tasks for the tech.

"Our goal is to establish our own pilot production in Switzerland in around two years and to develop into a global manufacturer of batteries in the long term," BTRY co-founder Moritz Futscher said in the press release.

At 8inks, the team is bucking three decades of battery manufacturing practices with a new process using a multi-layer coating method. The innovation builds the power pack in part by applying up to eight or more "thin coats of the active material in which the lithium-ion is stored," per an ETH description. This allows for versatility and tailoring of solid-state cell thickness, improving performance.

The coating can be seen streaming into form in a video clip shared by ETH Zurich.

Importantly, the experts tout greater energy and power densities, cycle life, and safety with the sustainable method. For now, 8Inks is testing its process for coin packs and pouch batteries that are common in smartphones and other devices. However, the experts said the innovation is meant to be scaled up for use in electric vehicles.

"We aim to use our manufacturing technique to develop solutions for the storage of renewable energies. This is the only way of meeting the enormous rise in demand for high-performance batteries in the long term," Baade said in the ETH summary.

Better batteries can hasten the adoption of cleaner electric technology in our world, including vehicles, mowers, and even heavy equipment.

By switching to an electric mower, you can save hundreds of dollars in fuel and maintenance costs, as well as prevent about 2,600 pounds of harmful air pollution from being released during a decade. The fresher air can have a big impact, as planet-warming fumes are linked to the likelihood of more severe weather events, per NASA.

Cleaner air also improves human health, as poor air quality caused by pollution can contribute to asthma, among numerous other ailments.

For now, it seems leaders at the ETH spin-offs have room to grow in Switzerland.

"There are numerous companies developing precisely the high-quality hardware and components that will enable us to establish and market our production systems in the long term," Baade said in the ETH report.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's space agency on Thursday said the United States needs to remove its self-imposed barriers that have hindered collaborative efforts of the two countries' scientists in the space sector.

At a press conference in Beijing, Bian Zhigang, deputy head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), responded to an inquiry about the possibility of American scientists investigating the samples retrieved by the Chang'e-6 mission from the far side of the moon.

"China has always been open to exchanges and cooperation with the United States in the field of space," said Bian. "However, the current challenges primarily stemmed from U.S. domestic legislation such as the Wolf Amendment."

In 2011, the U.S. Congress passed a law known as the Wolf Amendment, prohibiting U.S. government agencies, including NASA and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, from cooperating with China on space activities.

China welcomes researchers from all countries to submit applications according to the CNSA procedures, according to Bian.

"American scientists do hold the prospect of investigating the samples collected in the Chang'e-6 lunar mission. If the U.S. side sincerely hopes to promote cooperation between the two countries, it must take practical measures to remove these obstacles," he said.

Noting that China's remarkable achievements in space are a testament to the dedication and ingenuity of its own people, Bian said that the Wolf Amendment had failed to deter China's progress but inadvertently created a stumbling block for the United States itself.

Scientists have published more than 1,900 papers using data from China's lunar exploration missions, according to Bian.

China encourages Chinese and foreign scientists to collaborate on scientific research involving lunar samples and data, striving for more original and groundbreaking results, he said.

Nevertheless, the official cited some examples of the two country's collaborative efforts, such as the establishment of an intergovernmental dialogue mechanism for civil space cooperation.

Also, in response to U.S. requests, the CNSA has initiated an exchange mechanism for Mars probe orbital data, a framework designed to evaluate potential collision risks for all Mars probes in orbit, he added. 
Chicken farm owner Xu Qiyong and students of the Tencent Class of Shenzhen University observe the black-feathered and black-boned Silkie chicken in Tiantaishan Village in Chishui City in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Jan. 27, 2024. (Photo by Cheng Yihui/Xinhua)

GUIYANG, June 27 (Xinhua) -- In a remarkable advancement in China's technology sector, consumers of Chishui Silkie chickens will soon be able to monitor how their "foster chicken" -- the one ultimately destined for their dinner table -- is fed and raised on remote farms, all from their mobile phones.

Xu Qiyong, owner of a chicken farm in Tiantaishan Village in Chishui City in southwest China's Guizhou Province, has conceived a new application based on an AI-based smart breeding system.

The technology, developed by Tencent Cloud and students of the Tencent Class of Shenzhen University -- a program launched by the university and tech giant Tencent -- has been installed on Xu's farm, spanning 256 sheds spread across 1,000 mu (about 66.67 hectares) of bamboo-covered hillside.

Managing flocks of free-roaming chickens across such a vast farm came as a challenge for breeders, with predators like wild dogs posing a threat and occasional infections potentially leading to massive outbreaks before they could be detected.

The AI-based system has transformed the poultry farm in terms of mitigating disease outbreaks, keeping the chickens safe from attacks by wild animals and boosting the share of chickens finally delivered to butcher houses by about 30 percent.

In Xu's farm, every chicken has a chip affixed to its leg which serves as a pedometer, detecting early signs of disease by identifying inactive chickens.

The chicken farm is also equipped with surveillance sensors that continuously monitor intrusions by wild dogs or breaches in the fence in real time, Xu explained, noting that he plans to launch the "foster chicken" application in July.

Chishui boasts a long history of breeding black-feathered and black-boned Silkie chickens, prized for their amino acid-rich meat and eggs, which are increasingly sought after by health-conscious consumers.

Xu, a seasoned media professional, quit his job at the end of 2022 and leased the chicken farm to start his own business. His confidence in the industry was reinforced by the fact that Chishui -- a city home to 1 million mu of bamboo forests -- is committed to developing a non-timber forest-based economy.

Xu reached out to Tencent for potential cooperation after learning about AI-enabled goose breeding carried out by the same team in Shenzhen, leading to a successful partnership deal.

Since implementing AI technology on his farm last year, Xu has already sold around 100,000 Silkie chickens and 300,000 eggs.

The AI-powered Silkie chicken breeding project has even garnered attention from outside China, as the developer team has received inquiries from research institutes in Pakistan and ranchers in Australia, according to Feng Yuhong of the College of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Shenzhen University.

At present, the Tencent Cloud and students of the Tencent Class of Shenzhen University, in partnership with Guizhou University as well as other institutes, are developing a large language model for poultry breeding, including a question-and-answer database based on the large language model that can assist breeders in navigating through various challenges.

Feng said the team also plans to enact an industry-wide standard for digitalized and intelligent breeding of poultry based on the large language model which can help expand the market reach for more poultry breeds like the Silkie chickens in Chishui. 

A chicken farm equipped with cameras is seen in Tiantaishan Village in Chishui City in southwest China's Guizhou Province, April 25, 2024. (Photo by Cheng Yihui/Xinhua)

Students of the Tencent Class of Shenzhen University set up AI systems at a chicken farm in Tiantaishan Village in Chishui City in southwest China's Guizhou Province, June 27, 2023. (Photo by Cheng Yihui/Xinhua)
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CANBERRA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Future marine heatwaves will put corals at severe risk of bleaching for longer periods than previously seen, an Australian research has warned.

In a study published on Thursday, researchers found that extended global bleaching events in the future could significantly disrupt coral spawning.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon that occurs when corals that are experiencing heat stress expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissue, turning the coral completely white. Corals that have been bleached are not dead but are more likely to die from starvation due to a disruption in the photosynthesis process.

The research, which was led by Camille Mellin from the Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide, found that as global warming drives more marine heatwaves in the future, bleaching events will last longer than previously predicted.

"Our results show that by 2080, coral bleaching will tend to start in spring, rather than late summer, which could potentially threaten coral reproduction success," Mellin said in a media release.

"In many regions, coral spawning occurs once a year, in spring, and our modeling projects a high risk that coral bleaching will coincide with this reproductive event, which will be devastating for thousands of coral species."

The study also involved researchers from James Cook University, the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and France's University of Montpellier.

It found that biodiversity-rich coral reefs along the equator will face the greatest risk of severe coral bleaching this century.

Damien Fordham, a study co-author from the University of Adelaide, said reefs in those regions, including Indonesia's Coral Triangle, could experience near-constant bleaching conditions by the end of the century.

Scientists from AIMS in April reported that bleaching was observed on 73 percent of Australia's Great Barrier Reef during the summer of 2023/24, marking the fifth major bleaching event on the iconic reef since 2016. 
We have been publishing most of our articles on the Russian invasion of Ukraine within TEFI since the project was launched, so we are particularly proud that we are not reporting on the war according to the taste of Russian propaganda. Among our TEFI partners, SME is also on the banned list.

The Russian sanctions affecting 444 and several major European newspapers were to be condemned by the EU in a joint statement, but the Hungarian government was the only one to block it on Wednesday. As a result, Josep Borrell had to issue the statement independently.

Mate Paczolay, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, confirmed that Hungary was the only member state that did not contribute to the adoption of the joint EU statement. The reason is that the EU also decided to withdraw the European broadcasting rights of three Russian media outlets together with the declaration. In Hungary's view, banning the three Russian media was already contrary to European values of freedom of the press, and "the Russian reaction to this clearly shows that any such decision and manifestation will lead to severe retaliatory measures from the Russian side, which is contrary to the interests of the Union."

According to the Hungarian government, the statement could only have led to further Russian retaliation. It is difficult to explain why the Hungarian government did not contribute to the adoption of the joint statement when a Hungarian media outlet was on the Russian ban list. Viktor Orban has never appeared independent regarding Russia. With this step, he has essentially admitted openly that he no longer has enough leeway from Moscow to maintain even a semblance of sovereignty.

After all, all countries, regardless of their form of governmentwhether liberal, conservative, left-wing, fascist, Nazi, or even a royal houseoutwardly protect their citizens when others harm them. This protection is a fundamental aspect of sovereignty, irrespective of what the current leadership thinks of those citizens. This stand has nothing to do with what the country personally thinks of those it stands up for abroad.

It is not sad and inexplicable because it is about us. In fact, the whole thing is just instant publicity for 444. From our point of view, the best scenario is for the Fidesz government, in alliance with Moscow, to turn openly against us.

However, if we broaden our perspective, there are few things sadder than the Hungarian government not defending a Hungarian newspaper when attacked by a foreign power. It is the same as not protecting a Hungarian citizen who is physically attacked abroad. We are not talking about one Hungarian citizen but about 70. The principle and the resulting practice, which is not only a democratic minimum but also a practice in autocracies, is that a country unable to protect those who make it up appears weak.

It is worth comparing this reaction of the Hungarian Government with, for example, when Ukraine put another Hungarian company, OTP, on the blacklist of international sponsors of war. The Hungarian government protested vehemently and many times, later refusing to vote in favor of EU aid to Ukraine, citing this as an excuse.

Moreover, the Hungarian government has not only failed to protect us from Putin, but it has actively prevented all EU countries from doing so as a united front, all in the interests of Vladimir Putin.

Anyone who does not treat all his citizens equally is treating all his citizens badly. He who is selective and refuses to represent X now will do the same to Y next. The Fidesz government is thus cutting down the tree beneath itself in the long term. Everyone knows that where there are exceptions, he too may one day be an exception.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he and French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the development of bilateral relations and agreed to further strengthen them, at a meeting in Paris.

Currently 45,000-50,000 Hungarian families make a living at French-owned companies in Hungary, and bilateral trade turnover has doubled in ten years, Orban said, adding that one of Frances biggest companies was also involved in the Hungarian states reacquisition of Liszt Ferenc International Airport.



Orban said he had met representatives of that company on Tuesday, and today he and Macron had reaffirmed that this was not merely an investment but also a major development programme that was important to both France and Hungary.



Orban said they had also spoken about European affairs at their meeting. He noted that France is leading a European nuclear coalition of EU countries that say clean energy is impossible without nuclear energy.



Hungary has been a part of the coalition since the beginning, he noted, adding that they had clarified the details of their cooperation in the matter.



The prime minister noted that French companies are also heavily involved in the upgrade of Hungarys Paks nuclear power plant.



Orban said he and Macron had also agreed on expanding their defence industry cooperation. France has already brought defence industry investments to Hungary, but the two countries are also exploring new opportunities for cooperation, he said.



Orban: France Backs Hungarys EU Agenda

France also supports Hungarys programme for its upcoming European Union presidency, with its focus on strengthening the European economy, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.



In an interview with Hungarian public media, Orban noted that Paris was his third stop in a series of meetings with EU heads of state and government after talks in Berlin and Rome.



Hungary is taking over the EUs rotating presidency next month, he said, adding that his talks with Macron had covered French-Hungarian relations and the blocs next six months.



After Berlin and Rome, we reached an agreement here as well and received approval for the next six months under the Hungarian presidency to be about improving the competitiveness of the European economy, the prime minister said.



Orban said he and Macron had also touched on EU enlargement in the Western Balkans. He said certain Western Balkan countries had been waiting for 15 years to join the EU. This is incorrect, bad, perhaps even humiliating, Orban said.



He said an overwhelming majority of member states wanted the Western Balkan countries, including Serbia, to join the EU as soon as possible, adding that Hungary would work towards this in the coming period.



Orban: Hungary in Favour of Involving Everyone in EU Decisions

The European Unions leadership positions have been decided, but Hungary has always been in favour of involving everyone in European decisions, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.



Orban said it was not good if the most important positions for the next five years along with their corresponding programmes were divided up on a party basis by those who appointed themselves for this, warning that it was never good if there was a governing party and an opposition, a majority and a minority in the EU.



Everyone should be included, he said, adding that this step had become a coalition of the parties supporting the war and migration, which Hungary had a duty to oppose.



Orban: Hungary Focused on Ceasefire, Peace

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris had also covered the war in Ukraine, noting that Hungary and France had significant disagreements in the matter.



I made it clear to the president that Hungary isnt concerning itself with either Ukraine or Russia; its concerning itself with peace, the prime minister said.



He said Hungary was not against one country or another, but against war. Its the war that we want to stop, so the most important goal for us is for there to be a ceasefire as soon as possible and to prevent further deaths, he said.



In response to a question, Orban said Chinese-Hungarian relations were not a topic of discussion at the meeting. Everyone knows that Hungary has had balanced and good relations with China since historical times, and China has also elevated its cooperation with Hungary to a very high level, he said.



He said the EU was aware of Chinas role in the modernisation of Hungarys economy, and China has offered Hungary a role in the modernisation of its own economy. This entails an ever-increasing economic cooperation, to which the Europeans have no objections, nor can they, he said.



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Nursing is a career path with immense opportunities in the global job market. In addition to being employed in local hospitals and medical centres, nursing graduates from Ghana work in the world's most prominent health institutions, especially in the US and Europe. Additionally, most of the nursing schools in Ghana are accredited by most global institutions, thanks to their progressive approach to training professionals.

A happy nurse and male graduate standing outside the college. Photo: Daniel Buah/Science Photo Library, Michael Jung (modified by author)

Source: Getty Images

What is the best nursing school in Ghana? The University of Ghana is one of the best institutions. Thanks to growth in the training of medical professionals, Ghana has tens of great nursing schools. You are guaranteed to become a professional and certified medical practitioner with these institutes.

List of nursing schools in Ghana

Nursing is a profession within the healthcare sector focused on helping individuals, families, and communities attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Here are the best nursing schools in Ghana and their fees, courses, and requirements.

1. University of Ghana: School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM)

This school is a branch of the College of Health Sciences, an esteemed college that has produced thousands of outstanding nurses and midwives in Ghana and abroad. The school comprises five departments: Community Health, Maternal and Child Health, Research Education and Administration, Adult Health, and Mental Health.

Degree requirements

Two types of candidates are considered for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programme: Diploma in Nursing Holders (enter at Level 200) and West Africa Senior High School Certificate or its equivalent.

WASSCE applicants

For WASSCE, applicants are required to have all school requirements. They must also have a minimum of C6/D in Core courses and a minimum of C6/D in each chosen subject, particularly in sciences.

Diploma holders

Two types of diploma holders will be accepted for admission: Holders of a Diploma in Nursing from a recognised nursing college with a CGPA of at least 3.25 and Holders of a Diploma in Nursing Education/Administration from a recognised university with at least a B+ average or second-class upper.

Fees

The approved fees for 2023 to 2024 for undergraduates, postgraduates and international students are as follows for Ghanaian students.

Undergraduates-regular section A

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 GHC 3,770 GHC 3,476 GHC 3,074 GHC 2,836

Note: First-year students in the School of Nursing at levels 200 and 300 will pay GH 3,980 and GH 3,578, respectively.

Undergraduates-full-fee-paying section B

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 GHC 8,925 GHC 8,996 GHC 8,787 GHC 8,549

Note: First-year students in the School of Nursing at levels 200 and 300 will pay GH 9,500 and GH 9,291, respectively.

Postgraduate

1st tier 2nd tier 3rd tier GHC 12,671 GHC 11,199 GHC 7,341

International students-Undergraduate

Year 1 African nationals $6,813 Non-African nationals $ 9,276 Year 2 African nationals $6,743 Non-African nationals $8,814 Year 3 African nationals $6,743 Non-African nationals $8,814 Year 4 African nationals $8,814 Non-African nationals $8,814

2. Valley View University: School of Nursing and Midwifery

Are you looking for a university offering value-based Christian education for nurses? If so, Valley View University is the perfect institution for you. The School of Nursing and Midwifery offers three programmes: BSc Mental Health, BSc Midwifery, and BSc Nursing.

Requirements

The basic requirements for admission into the first-degree programme include 18 to 35 years and the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Exam (WASSCE) and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination(SSSCE).

WASSCE and SSSCE applicants must have three credit passes in three principal subjects and three credit passes in three applicable optional subjects to be eligible for admission to the degree in Nursing and Midwifery programmes.

WASSCE Candidates must have credit passes (at least A1 to C6) in six subjects, including three primary subjects: Science, mathematics, and English and three suitable electives.

SSSCE candidates must obtain credit passes (A to D) in six disciplines, including three core subjects: English, mathematics, and science, and three related electives.

International students may be admitted based on qualifications from their native nation, for which the West African Examination Council will assess equivalencies. Students from non-English-speaking states must provide evidence of their English language proficiency.

Individuals with diplomas from recognised institutions and those with Health Assistant Clinical (HAC) and Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) certifications will be accepted after completing an NMC-recognised Access Course.

Fees

The following is the fee structure for fresh and continuing Valley View University's School of Nursing and Midwifery undergraduates.

Continuing student's fee per semester

Program Tuition GHC School of Nursing and Midwifery (HAC/NAC  Evening Mode 4,900 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options  Evening Mode) 4,450 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options  Summer Mode) 3,720

Fresh student's fees per semester

Program Tuition GHC School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options 5,100 School of Nursing and Midwifery (HAC/NAC  Evening Mode) 5,100 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options  Evening Mode) 4,650 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options  Summer Mode) 3,920

International student's fees per semester

Program Continuing students Fresh students School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options) $1,295 $1,625 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All OptionsEvening Mode) $1,525 $1,656 School of Nursing and Midwifery (All Options  Summer Mode) $1,495 $1,626

3. Central University

Central University is one of the best private nursing training schools in Ghana. The institution offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Central University is one of the best private nursing training schools in Ghana. Photo: Olelole

Source: Getty Images

Requirements

SSSCE holders must score twenty-four or higher in six subjects, including A to D in all three primary subjects: English, mathematics, and integrated science. They should have minimum passes (A to D) in three optional subjects: Science, agricultural science, general arts, and home economics.

WASSCE candidates must have a total score of 36 or higher in six subjects, including A1 - C6 in all three main subjects: Mathematics, English, and integrated science and a minimum of passes in three optional subjects from general arts, science, home economics, and agricultural science.

International candidates must have their results translated into English. Additionally, applicants must be able to communicate in both written and spoken English.

Applicants with a Registered Nursing (RN) Diploma from a recognised institution may apply. These applicants may transfer credits from an earlier course of study with acceptable references and recommendations. Applicants with a State Registered Nurse (SRN) qualification should have a recognised reference and at least three years of experience.

Fees

The school fees per semester for fresh undergraduate students is GHC 5,491 and $2,059 for international students.

4. Western Hills School of Nursing

Western Hills School of Nursing is an Accra-based institution offering different programmes. It is one of the best private nursing schools in Ghana.

The main courses are the diploma in Registered General Nursing Programme (RGN), certificate in Medicine Counter Assistant (MCA), and Registered Nurse Assistant Clinical (RNAC).

Even though the school is private, all applicants must have an aggregate score of at least 30 in the three elective subjects and the other three core subjects. Professionals may also apply if they have the relevant documents proving they are already practising nurses.

Once you have met the requirements, contact the school for and fee structure at 0208 133 464 or 0244 834 200.

5. Ophthalmic Nursing School Korle Bu

Ophthalmic Nursing School is one of the government-owned training colleges in Ghana. The school offers programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Since the slots are limited due to the high number of applicants, one must pay attention when the college releases the application dates.

Requirements

Students seeking admission to an Ophthalmic Nursing Korle-Bu must purchase the Voucher from GCB or ADB and apply online.

If the application is successful, the Ophthalmic Nursing School Korle Bu will invite you to an interview. The main goal of the screening is to confirm your certificates and ability to pursue the applied course.

6. Martin Luther King Health Training School

Martin Luther King Health Training School is an Accra-based college offering nursing courses at the certificate level. The nursing programmes offered include Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC) and Nursing Assistant Clinical (HAC).

Martin Luther King Health Training School is an Accra-based college offering nursing courses at the certificate level. Photo: ROGER YEBUAH

Source: Getty Images

Requirements

The school adheres to the Nursing and Midwives Council of Ghana's admittance requirements. It accepts graduates of second-cycle institutions such as SSSCCE and WASSCE.

SSSCE candidates must score 27 or higher, including (A-D) in three core areas: English, mathematics, and integrated science and (A=E) in any three optional subjects from a programme of study.

WASSCE candidates must get an aggregate score of 42 or higher, including (A1-C6) in three core courses: English, mathematics, and integrated science and (A1 to E8) in any three optional areas from an academic programme.

Fees

All candidates should contact the finance department for details on the fee.

7. Health Concern Ghana

Health Concern Ghana is a private college offering nursing courses. The Ghana Nursing and Midwifery Council accredits the Accra-based college to provide different programmes. The college offers two areas of study: A diploma in Midwifery and a Nurse Assistant Clinical (NAC).

Requirements

You must have a WASSCE result of A1 - E8 to qualify for NAC. On the other hand, the college admits students to its diploma programme if they have a Post Nurse Assistant Clinical certificate or relevant qualification. You can get the application forms at the Accra campus if you meet the minimum requirements.

Fees

Contact the institution for information about the fee structure.

8. St Karol School of Nursing

St Karol is an accredited nursing school in Ghana. What course does the Karol School of Nursing offer? It offers a BSc degree in Registered General Nursing (RGN).

Requirements

The admission policy does not include age restrictions for candidates. WASSCE candidates must have a grade of C6 in English, mathematics, social studies, or integrated science, as well as three optional grades in general arts, general science, or home economics. Candidates holding a Diploma (Nursing) qualification are usually admitted to levels 200 or 300.

Fee

St. Karol School of Nursing/Colleges of Education may have different charges; therefore, students should consult the Colleges before making any payments.

9. Kumasi Nurses and Midwifery Training School

Kumasi Nurses and Midwifery Training School is one of the nursing training schools in Ghana. It offers BSC programmes in nursing and health courses. The nursing programmes offered include:

Diploma in Registered General Nurse (RGN)

Registered Mental Nurse (RMN) diploma

Diploma in Registered Community Health Nurse (RCHN)

Certificate in Community Health Nursing (CHN)

Ophthalmic Nursing

Public Health Nursing

Peri-Operative Nursing

Critical Care Nursing

Requirements

You must be 18-35 to apply for any programme. The school also accepts applications from practising professionals interested in pursuing higher education. The school does not offer online applications. However, you can contact the college or visit the office for the application forms.

Fees

Contact the institution for details about the fee requirements.

10. Narhbita School of Nursing

The Narhbita School of Nursing is a private tertiary healthcare institution in Tema, Ghana's Greater Accra Region. The nursing programmes offered by the institution include:

BSc Nursing (Regular)

BSc Nursing (Access route)

BSc Nursing Top-Up

Registered General Nursing(RGN) Diploma

Registered Nurse Assistant (Clinical)

The Narhbita School of Nursing is a private tertiary healthcare institution in Tema, Ghana's Greater Accra Region. Photo: ROGER YEBUAH

Source: Getty Images

Requirements

The following are the admission requirements for BSc Nursing and Registered General Nursing(RGN) courses.

BSc Nursing (regular) - 4 years

Candidates with SSSCE certificates must have a total aggregate of 24 or better in six subjects, including an A to D in three subjects: English, mathematics, and integrated science, and at least credit in elective mathematics, biology, physics, or chemistry.

Candidates with WASSCE results must acquire at least six credit passes A1 to C6 in three principal subjects, namely English, mathematics, and integrated science, and in optional subjects in any of the following: Electives in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology.

BSc Nursing (Access route)

The program is available only on weekends. Entry criteria include Qualified Nurse Assistants (clinical). Applicants must also successfully finish an Access course. Participants will be assigned to level 200 to begin their three-year BSc Nursing curriculum.

BSc Nursing Top-Up

The program is available only on weekends. Qualified nurses with diplomas from recognised institutions will be allowed to Level 300 of the programme.

Note: No entrance examination

Registered General Nursing(RGN) Diploma

Applicants holding SSSCE certificates must possess a total cumulative score of 24 or higher in six subjects, comprising AD in all three main subjects, English, mathematics, and integrated science, and a minimum of credit in three elective areas.

Applicants holding WASSCE Certificates must have at least six credit passes, A1 to C6, in three primary areas and three optional subjects, for a total average of 36 or above.

Registered Nurse Assistant (Clinical) - 2 years

Applicants holding SSSCE certificates must possess a total aggregate of 30 or above in three core courses, including A to E in all three core areas: English, mathematics, and integrated science and A to E in any three optional subjects.

Candidates with WASSCE certificates must possess a total score of 48 or higher and (A1-E8) in three core areas: English, mathematics, and integrated science, as well as A1 to E8 in three elective subjects.

Fees

The registration process requires the payment of fees. Applicants must pay the minimum needed fees before proceeding with academic registration.

Ghana has numerous institutions offering different nursing courses. Photo: Michaeljung

Source: Getty Images

How many years does it take to study nursing in Ghana?

It takes 2 to 4 years to study nursing in Ghana. The duration will depend on the type of nursing program you are undertaking.

How do I apply for nursing school in Ghana?

There are different institutions in Ghana offering different nursing courses. Each institution has different entry requirements. Before applying for any nursing course, applicants are encouraged to visit the school of interest for the requirements and specifications.

Where do I get the admission forms for the nursing schools in Ghana?

To obtain the admission forms, visit the institution's website for instructions. Some nursing schools, however, do not accept online applications and will need you to make a personal visit.

How much does a nurse earn in Ghana?

According to Glassdoor, a Registered Nurse's total monthly compensation in Ghana is alleged to be GHS 4,900, with an average of GHS 2,500.

The above list contains some of the best Nursing schools in Ghana. The schools highlighted have invested in better facilities and offer some of the best programmes. The relevant ministry monitors the admission requirements regularly to ensure only the best get into the profession.

Yen.com.gh shared a piece on African University College of Communication courses, fees, and admission requirements. Since its establishment 16 years ago, the admission process has been seamless, as the main objective of the college is to train Ghanaians in journalism.

Honourable Yankah, a former member of parliament in the Fourth Republic of Ghana, started the institution. AUCC's objective was to fast-track the front to the growing need for communication today.

Source: YEN.com.gh
New Delhi: Ratan Tata, widely known for his deep affection for dogs has once again shown his compassionate side. The former chairman of Tata Sons recently took to Instagram with an urgent plea to help a seven-month-old dog in critical condition at his Small Animal Hospital in Mumbai. The pup is battling suspected tick fever and severe anaemia and desperately needs a blood donor to survive.

In his Instagram post, Tata shared specific details about the dogs condition and urgently called on the people of Mumbai to help. He wrote,"I would really really appreciate your help. This 7-month-old dog at our animal hospital needs an urgent blood transfusion. He is admitted for suspected tick fever and life-threatening anaemia. We urgently need a dog blood donor in Mumbai."

For it to reach more people, he shared the same image in his instagram story with a clear and direct message Mumbai, I need your help."

The post quickly went viral and gained hundreds of thousands of likes and continues to grow. Many people reacted by offering help for the dog while others applauded Mr. Tata's compassionate gesture.

One user commented, Respect Button for Ratan Tata Sir.

Another wrote, Sir you are really doing things that I want to do in my life one day when I become a billionaire.

A third user remarked, If Ratan Tata sir can do it, then why cant we?

A fourth user said, This man won in life! He did!

while a fifth added, A man with zero haters.

This isn't the first instance of Tata using social media to help animals in need. Earlier, he posted about an abandoned dog discovered near Sion Hospital and appealed to find the owner. He ensured the dog received care in the meantime.

Recently, he launched the Small Animal Hospital and described it as his "dream project." This unique animal hospital spans over 98,000 square feet across five floors in Mumbai's Mahalaxmi area, with a capacity of over 200 beds.
New Delhi: Vedanta Ltd, a globally diversified natural resources company has announced a policy to financially support transgender employees for higher education. They have introduced a policy offering up to Rs 1 lakh in financial support for professional education. This initiative targets transgender employees who have been with Vedanta for at least 18 months, according to a statement from the company.

"It gives me immense joy to announce our financial support policy for higher education, which reflects our commitment to empowering our transgender employees. (Also Read: 6 Key Health Insurance Claim Rule Changes You Need To Know: Details Here)

"By investing in their professional growth, we aim to create an environment that is equal, and champions the well-being and personal development of each and every employee," Priya Agarwal Hebbar who serves as Director of Vedanta Ltd and Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Ltd, stated. (Also Read: I Need Your Help: Ratan Tata Appeals To Mumbaikars For Saving Critically Ailing Stray Dog)

Central Electricity Authority organised awareness prog for school students

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), under the Ministry of Power and National Federation of Engineers for Electrical Safety (NFEES), organised an awareness programme for school students, an official statement said on Thursday. All-India Electrical Safety awareness programme was organised on Wednesday on the occasion of 'Electrical Safety Day', the Ministry of Power said.

At the event, CEA Chairperson Ghanshyam Prasad launched a handbook titled 'Electrical Safety Handbook for Students', which helps in understanding basic electrical principles to recognise potential hazards and adopt best practices for prevention. (With PTI Inputs)
Every Hindu lunar month, on the Krishna Paksha Ashtami tithi, is when people celebrate Kalashtami, also known as Kala Ashtami, in honour of Lord Bhairav. Kalashtami is observed with great fervour and dedication across the nation. Every year, there are twelve occasions to celebrate Kalashtami. June 28, 2024, is the approaching day of the month of Ashadha's Kalashtami.

Date And Time

The sunrise and sunset on the day of Kalashtami are predicted to occur at 05:48 AM and 07:12 PM, respectively. June 28 at 04:27 PM is when the Ashtami tithi begins, and it ends at 02:20 PM the next day.

Rituals

The day of Kalashtami is a day of stringent vrat observation for devotees. It is thought that those who observe the vrat will be fortunate to experience wealth and happiness. It is believed to be auspicious to recite the Kaal Bhairav Katha and chant mantras honoring Lord Shiva on this day. In the evening, devotees also go to the temples dedicated to Lord Kaal Bhairav and offer special prayers. This day is dedicated to Brahmin Bhoj.

Additionally, it is customary to feed dogs on this day because it is believed that a black dog represents Lord Bhairav. On this day, dogs are given milk, curd, and treats.

Worshiping Lord Bhirav on this day is said to erase all hardships and barriers from a person's life. On this day of Kalashtami, may Lord Bhairav bestow riches and prosperity to everyone.

Significance

Every month on the eighth day of the waning moon (Krishna Paksha), followers celebrate Kalashtami, a momentous occasion for those wishing to receive blessings from Lord Bhairava.He is regarded as the guardian against evil forces, bringing success, bravery, and freedom from spiritual bonds. On this day, devotees visit Bhairava temples, do pujas, recite mantras, and observe fasts.
New Delhi: The UN General Assembly has declared June 27th as the International Day for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSME). The Day is observed to celebrate the role of MSMEs in driving economic growth and generating jobs.

Acknowledging the role of the MSMEs in the nation's progress, the Indian government has introduced several significant programs to support their development.

Here are 5 flagship schemes introduced by the Indian government for MSME sector in the country

1. Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)

PMEGP assists entrepreneurs in setting up new units in the non-farm sector. It aims to provide employment opportunities to traditional artisans/ rural and urban unemployed youth.

2. Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)

The CGTMSE aims to provide credit guarantee support to Member Lending Institutions for credit facilities sanctioned by them to MSEs, especially in the absence of collateral. The increased use of guarantees as a credit enhancement tool instills optimism for the future of entrepreneurship, fostering collateral-free lending.

3. Entrepreneurship Skill Development Programme (ESDP)

The ESDP aims to promote new enterprises, build the capacity of existing MSMEs, and inculcate entrepreneurial culture in the country. About 40% of the targeted beneficiaries of ESDPs are mandated to be from weaker sections of the Society i.e., SC, ST, women, and physically handicapped.

4. MSME Champions Schemes

This scheme comprises three components - MSME-Sustainable (ZED), MSME-Competitive (Lean), and MSME-Innovative (for Incubation, IPR, Design, and Digital MSME). The scheme aims to promote competitiveness amongst Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

5. Micro and Small Enterprises  Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP)

The scheme aims to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) for their holistic development. This is done by adopting a cluster approach through financial assistance such as the GoI grant for establishing Common Facility Centers (CFCs) in the existing clusters and for establishing new or up-gradation of existing industrial areas, etc.
New Delhi: The trial court in Delhi ordered 3-day custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following his arrest by the agency in connection with the Delhi excise policy case. Special Judge Amitabh Rawat explained that Kejriwal's custody was necessary due to the investigation's findings, his alleged role, and the need to confront him with the evidence. He also cautioned the agency against being "overzealous."

The court declined to declare the arrest illegal, stating that while the timing of the action might be "circumspect," it cannot be the sole reason to deem the arrest unlawful.

Here Are Top Developments:

The judge stated that investigation is the CBI's prerogative, but the law includes certain safeguards. He based his decision on the evidence presented and determined that the arrest could not be considered illegal at this point in the case. However, the judge warned the agency not to be overly zealous. The judge directed the authorities to conduct a medical examination of Kejriwal and permit him to meet with his wife and lawyer every day for 30 minutes. As per reports, the Delhi CM is allowed to keep Bhagwadgeeta with him. Home-cooked food is also allowed during the remand period, the court said. The CBI's move followed the Delhi High Court's decision to stay the bail granted to the AAP chief by the Rouse Avenue court a few days earlier. According to the CBI, Kejriwal allegedly requested monetary contributions to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who was then a YSRCP Lok Sabha MP, in exchange for support for the liquor business in the national capital. The CBI identified him as one of the primary conspirators involved in the irregularities associated with the now-cancelled excise policy of 2021-22. The agency also alleged that AAP received Rs 100 crore as kickbacks and funneled Rs 44.45 crore for the Goa election campaign. According to ANI, during the hearing Kejriwal told court, "They are tarnishing our image in the media by using unnamed sources. Their plan is to make it headline news that Kejriwal has shifted all the blame to Manish Sisodia." He denied that he ever gave any statement against Manish Shishodia. Delhi CM added, "Manish Sisodia is innocent, Aam Aadmi Party is innocent. I am also innocent." In response to Kejriwal's accusation, the CBI stated that no source had made such claims. The agency's lawyer clarified that he was presenting arguments based on factual evidence. In response to the Chief Minister's arrest, Arvind Kejriwal's wife, Sunita Kejriwal, criticized the Centre, claiming that the entire 'system' is working to keep her husband in jail. She stated that this is unlawful and likened it to 'dictatorship' and 'Emergency'. On June 20, the trial judge approved bail for Kejriwal in the money laundering case. The following day, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed an urgent petition with the High Court challenging the bail decision. After extensive arguments from both parties, the High Court reserved its decision on the ED's request to suspend the bail order, thereby delaying Kejriwal's release until the court's ruling.

(Based on inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday and assured that the government is committed to investigating the paper leak issue fairly and strictly punishing the guilty one. The president also highlighted the Ayushman Bharat scheme and said that all the elderly above 70 years of age will get the benefit of free treatment under the scheme.

While addressing a joint session of both Houses of Parliament President Murmu asserted that it is a continuous effort of the Government to ensure that the youth of the country gets the adequate opportunity to display their talent.

"My government is committed to a fair investigation of the recent incidents of paper leaks as well as stringent punishment for the guilty. Even before this, we have seen paper leaks in different states. Rising above partisan politics, a nationwide concrete solution is needed for this. Parliament has formed a strict law against irregularities in examinations," she said.

President Murmu also said that under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, all the elderly above 70 years of age will get the benefit of free treatment.

#WATCH | President Droupadi Murmu addresses a joint session of both Houses of Parliament, she says "My government is going to take one more decision, all the elderly above 70 years of age will get the benefit of free treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Due to frequent pic.twitter.com/Dt14InL2xA  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

She further highlighted the benefits of GST and said, "Today GST is creating a medium to formalize India's economy, to make trade and business easier. For the first time in the month of April, GST collection has crossed the level of Rs 2 lakh crore. This has increased the profit of the states."
Tajikistan cherries quickly enter Chinese market thanks to efficient customs clearance at airport in China's Xinjiang

People's Daily Online) 09:28, June 27, 2024

Recently, 645 kilograms of cherries from Tajikistan arrived at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Just one day later, these cherries were on the dining tables of Chinese consumers.

Customs officials inspect imported goods at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

Customs officials at the airport efficiently inspected the cherries as soon as they arrived.

"Dear clients, the imported cherries you ordered are expected to arrive at the international cargo department of Urumqi Diwopu International Airport at around 10 o'clock. Please pick them up as soon as possible!"

Yin Zifen, business manager of an international freight forwarding company, promptly notified her clients in a WeChat group.

Staff members of a logistics company unload imported cherries from an airplane at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo/Zhang Cong)

Every year from May to June, cherries from countries such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan become a hit with Chinese consumers due to their tender flesh and juicy flavor. China is currently the largest consumer market for cherries from Central Asia.

The cherries imported from Tajikistan were transported through the belly cargo transportation service provided by China Southern Airlines, with staff members ensuring seamless operations such as unloading, sorting, and loading.

Customs officials supervised the unloading process on-site, and within half an hour, the cherries were transported to the designated customs area for imported fruit, where two customs officials efficiently completed the clearance inspection in 30 minutes.

Urumqi Diwopu International Airport has the advantage of short processing time and fast customs clearance.

The airport customs office has facilitated the creation of a dedicated pathway for imported fresh fruit and implemented a streamlined process for expedited clearance of perishable, high-priority, and special items. This has reduced the time required for customs procedures and allowed for immediate inspection and release, ensuring the prompt entry of cherries into the domestic market.

A man consults a customs official at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

"My company handled 31 batches of imported cherries through Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in 2023. With market demand increasing, the import volume will continue to grow," said Yin.

Over 4 tonnes of cherries imported from Tajikistan have already passed through Urumqi Diwopu International Airport this year.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the issue of POGOs and online gambling

June 27, 2024

PAGCOR needs to step up its game in shutting down POGOs and all forms of online gambling!

The mounting evidence against POGOs, linking them to various crimes such as torture, kidnapping, murder, and human trafficking, demands urgent action from PAGCOR. As the authorized gaming regulator, PAGCOR has unfortunately failed to ensure that these POGO operators conduct their business operations above board. In fact, the POGOs raided in Bamban, Tarlac, and Porac, Pampanga were both ex-PAGCOR licensees found to be running scam operations.

Kung totoong seryoso ang PAGCOR na gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin, hindi na dapat nangyayari ito.

Aside from POGOs, we urge PAGCOR to investigate other forms of online gambling that are easily accessible to anyone with a mobile device. This should be a concern as their attractive advertisements on various social media platforms can entice anyone to play.

This is why we reiterate our call not only to completely ban POGOs but also all forms of online gaming. We call on our colleagues in Congress to fast-track the passage of Senate Bill No. 1281, which seeks to prohibit all forms of online gambling.

There should be no debate that the social costs of gambling far outweigh any benefits. We must put an end to this once and for all.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's commerce ministry said on Thursday that it has received application materials submitted on behalf of the domestic machinery and electronic products sector concerning the EU's barrier investigation.

The ministry is reviewing the materials submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), He Yadong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, told a press conference.

"We are highly concerned that some practices of the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) have had a serious negative impact on Chinese enterprises' exports to and investment in Europe, to which we have repeatedly expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition," He said.

Since February, the EU has launched investigations against Chinese enterprises in accordance with the FSR, involving machinery and electronic products such as railway locomotives, photovoltaic, wind power and security inspection equipment, according to the CCCME.

The investigations have not only hindered the entry of Chinese products or services into the EU market and Chinese enterprises' investment in Europe, but also undermined the competitiveness of Chinese enterprises in Europe and affected the overall economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, according to the CCCME.

The chamber is taking active measures to protect the interests of Chinese industries and enterprises through legal channels, it said.

The CCCME is an industry-based, nationwide non-profit organization voluntarily formed by various economic types of entities engaged in areas of manufacturing, import and export, and related activities of machinery and electronic products in China. It has more than 10,000 member enterprises. 
Delhi Water Crisis: On Thursday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors raised slogans against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house, protesting the ongoing water crisis in the capital.

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi accused BJP councillors of disrupting House proceedings, stating, "Every time, BJP councillors disrupt the House over issues unrelated to the Municipal Corporation. Today, we needed to discuss monsoon preparations and drain cleaning, but this was not possible."

#WATCH | BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri along with party workers stage protest over water crisis in the national capital pic.twitter.com/5SHi6FdYHE  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri led a protest with party workers over the water crisis. Meanwhile, residents of Okhla Phase 2 and Kusumpur Pahari received water supply through tankers, bringing some relief amid the shortage. However, residents reported that tap water remains dirty and supply is inconsistent.

Meanwhile, Residents of Okhla Phase 2 and Kusumpur Pahari in Delhi heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as they received water supply through tankers amid acute water shortage in the national capital.

Virendra Pandit, a resident said, "There is a slight improvement in the water supply but we are still facing a water crisis. Except for some days, we have been provided proper water supply. Our water problems have been resolved to some extent."

When asked about the tap water supply, he said, "We have been receiving dirty water in taps for the last three to four years. Hence, we are not using it." In a related development, AAP Minister Atishi, who began an indefinite hunger strike on June 22 demanding Haryana release Delhi's water share, was hospitalized due to deteriorating health. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav visited Atishi at Lok Nayak Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU.

The AAP alleges that Haryana is supplying 100 million gallons per day less water than required, affecting 28 lakh Delhi residents. Despite heavy rainfall providing temporary relief from the heat, the water crisis remains a critical issue.

On Tuesday, AAP leader Sanjay Singh announced the end of Atishi's hunger strike but vowed to continue raising the issue in Parliament and urged the Prime Minister to address Delhi's water needs.
In a startling development in the Maldives, Minister Fatima Shamnaz Ali Salim has been arrested by Maldives Police on allegations of practicing black magic on President Muizzu. This unprecedented accusation has brought attention to the practice of black magic in political circles, where Shamnaz, the Minister of Environment, allegedly sought to influence the President for personal gain. In today's DNA, Anant Tyagi analyses the incident in Maldives.

Minister Fatima Shamnaz Ali Salim in the Maldives Cabinet has been arrested by Maldives Police. Fatima is accused of performing black magic on the President. This means an attempt was made to influence Muizzu, who promotes the religious narrative in his country.

Shamnaz wanted to carve out a special place for herself in President Muizzu's eyes by performing black magic. By doing all this, Shamnaz intended to obtain a good and big position in the government. Fatima Shamnaz wanted the President to listen to her and act upon her suggestions.

Fatima Shamnaz had considerable influence in the Cabinet... and she often appeared close to Muizzu. Although, Fatima was not happy with the Ministry of Environment. She wanted a bigger position and more power in the Cabinet. And to achieve this, Fatima resorted to black magic on the President.

Police have also arrested Shamnaz's brother and a tantrik on charges of black magic. Both were arrested on June 23. After the arrests, the court has remanded Fatima for 7 days.

There's another angle to this mystery of black magic in the news. It is also said in Maldives that some time ago, Shamnaz leaked a video of Muizzu's wife, showing her dancing and singing in a pub. To retaliate against this, Muizzu's wife and First Lady have implicated Fatima.

In Maldives, black magic is called 'Fanditha' or 'Shihiru'. In 2015, a warning was issued regarding increasing cases of black magic in Maldives. The government then advised people to stay away from it, but despite this, cases of black magic have continued to rise in Maldives.
Mumbai: The finger tip found inside an ice cream cone recently in Mumbai's Malad area is that of an employee of an ice cream factory in Indapur in Pune as per DNA tests conducted during the probe, a police official said on Thursday. The Forensic Sciences Laboratory report that was received during the day said the DNA found in the finger tip and that of ice cream factory employee Omkar Pote were the same, he said.

"A part of Pote's middle finger was cut during the process of filling ice cream at the Indapur factory. It was later found in the ice cream cone ordered by a Malad based doctor who alerted authorities," the official added.
On Thursday, the President of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, implored the government to implement robust measures to ensure the safety and security of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatris this year.

Highlighting the critical need for security, Dr. Farooq emphasized that it should not come at the expense of the public. "The stakes are high. The government must ensure that all necessary arrangements are in place for the Amarnath Yatra.

While security for the Yatris is crucial, it shouldn't inconvenience the public. There is a pressing need to strike a balance so that security measures don't disrupt normal public transportation and emergency services. The issue of restrictions on civilian vehicles along the Amarnath Yatra routes should be addressed, as it is impacting tourism in the Kashmir Valley, especially during the peak season currently underway.

"Let's ensure both the pilgrims and local businesses can thrive during this sacred time," he said.

Dr. Abdullah also advocated for the implementation of well-coordinated strategies to effectively handle the anticipated surge in pilgrims, including traffic control, parking arrangements, emergency response protocols, sufficient medical facilities, and disaster management plans to address any health-related issues or emergencies that may arise during the pilgrimage.

Highlighting the critical need to prioritize the safety and well-being of pilgrims, Dr. Farooq urged the government to implement comprehensive emergency and safety measures for Yatris to prevent a repeat of last year's tragic incident, where several Yatris lost their lives due to a flash flood caused by a cloudburst near the Amarnath Cave shrine.
MBA Distance Education Overview

A distance MBA is therefore a vocational study system for working professionals looking forward to enhancing their knowledge without compromising their other responsibilities. A distance MBA differs from an MBA that is conducted on the campus of a university, and a student is able to download coursework and attend lectures through the internet, irrespective of his location. Due to the flexibility that comes with this mode of learning, it helps working people, people with family responsibilities, or people who cannot afford to transfer to a different institution for education.

A distance MBA, in most cases, provides similar exposure as an MBA from a campus and focuses on the fundamentals of business management, which include finance, marketing, operations, and strategic management. It becomes evident that the opportunities for communication are vast since it adopts an asynchronous format, thereby allowing students to engage with faculty and other students virtually in forums, video conferencing, and project collaborations. Moreover, many programmes include the use of technology facilities like e-books and connected libraries; this also contributes to the learning process.

Some characteristics of a distance MBA are likely to favour this decision, flexibility being one of the most prominent. This way of studying allows students to make a shift in their timetables depending on their work and personal engagements, thus offering the student a way of managing his or her time well. In addition, this mode of study is often more affordable since no expenses have to be spent on transportation, accommodation, or any of the facilities that come along with conventional learning institutions. In sum, a distance MBA is indeed a convenient and viable option for higher learning for people interested in enhancing their business skills and professional portfolio while still maintaining their existing employment status.

Distance MBA Advantages

To sum it up, the distance MBA has a number of benefits, which is why many people would wish to pursue it when going for a business career. The relative advantage born from the theory is flexibility. Students can attend classes as well as download lectures and coursework, which makes it easier for them to learn with little interference from societal values. It is especially advantageous for working individuals, parents, and others with a range of responsibilities outside of class because they can easily attend class while still fulfilling their obligations.

It is also important to note that distance MBA programmes are cheaper as compared to traditional MBA programmes. Such programmes have been found to have relatively cheaper tuition fees as compared with regular campus-based MBA programmes. Moreover, students reduce transportation costs, accommodation, and use of facilities within campus. The fact that one can even work while studying also implies that the students are in a position to sustain their earnings, hence the impacts of finance, as we see with most full-time learning institutions.

Another advantage of a distance MBA is that students have the opportunity to be members of a large and very diverse group of students and faculties. It should also be emphasised that communicating with people across the world can enrich the learning process, given that students can gain insights into various business environments. Such instruments include discussion forums, group assignments, and virtual conferences that guarantee students will have adequate opportunities to interact in and outside the classroom.

Distance MBA in Delhi

The distance MBA in Delhi NCR, is an opportunity to complete an MBA programme conveniently; therefore, this mode of study is suitable for people with no time for traditional learning. Given the fact that Delhi is one of the prime commercial nerve centres of India, lack of practical field experience is not an issue that a distance MBA faces in Delhi. Various institutions in Delhi engage industries to maintain curricula that reflect current knowledge and practices.

Studying for an MBA from a distance in Delhi is easy for students to achieve because they get the advantage of pursuing their studies alongside their job and family responsibilities, thus online lectures, study materials, and interactive sessions. It assists in the establishment of a professional network since the class is composed of studentss fellow peers, faculty, professionals, and others from the same field.

Additionally, students benefit from the lower costs associated with distance learning, avoiding expenses related to commuting and accommodation.

A distance MBA in Delhi combines the flexibility of online education with the dynamic opportunities available in one of Indias leading business centres. It provides a cost-effective, practical, and modern approach to achieving a prestigious business qualification, enhancing both knowledge and career prospects without the need to compromise on current professional or personal responsibilities.

How to Get Admission to MBA Distance Education

To secure admission for MBA distance education, candidates typically need to follow a straightforward application process. Firstly, research and identify accredited institutions offering distance MBA programs. Once you've selected potential universities or business schools, carefully review their admission requirements and deadlines.

Common prerequisites may include a bachelor's degree from a recognised university, relevant work experience, and sometimes standardised test scores like the CAT, MAT etc, although some programmes may waive these requirements.

Prepare and gather all necessary documents, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, a resume or CV, and a statement of purpose outlining your academic and career goals. Complete the online application form, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

Some institutions may require an application fee. Overall, careful planning, thorough research, and attention to detail are essential for a successful admission into an MBA distance education program.

About NEEV Education

Neev is a career counselling organisation that provides supervision services among students. With 20-25 years of experience in online and distance learning counselling, Neev is one of the oldest and most trusted institutes in this domain. It boasts a vast alumni network of over 25,000 students employed in various MNCs. Neev helps students in finding the right course, program, and university to support their valuable careers in the future. The organisation offers 24/7 assistance with no hidden fees or charges.

(This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Ltds Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility, liability or claims for any errors or omissions in the content of the article. The IDPL Editorial team is not responsible for this content.)
India and Russia are all set to enhance their strategic partnership with a potential visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow in early July. This visit will mark Modi's first trip to Russia in nearly five years and is set to include wide-ranging discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Here are the 7 key aspects of the visit:

1. PM Modi's First Trip To Russia In Five Years

India and Russia are considering the possibility of a brief visit to Moscow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early July for wide-ranging talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to diplomatic sources. This would mark Modi's first trip to Russia in nearly five years, with his last visit occurring in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in Vladivostok.

2. Preparations Underway

Although there is no official confirmation from the Indian side regarding Modi's potential visit, a Kremlin official in Moscow stated that active preparations are ongoing for the trip. Yuri Ushakov, an assistant to the Russian president, confirmed, "We are preparing a visit by the prime minister of India. The dates are yet to be finalized as they are announced by the parties in agreement."

3. Tentative Dates and Schedule

Diplomatic sources revealed that the Indian prime minister's day-long visit is being tentatively planned around July 8, but there is no final confirmation on the date, and various options are still being explored. Modi and Putin are expected to hold the India-Russia annual summit after a three-year hiatus.

4. India-Russia Annual Summit

The India-Russia annual summit, which alternates between the two countries, is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in their strategic partnership. So far, 21 summits have taken place, with the last one held on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi. During that summit, 28 MoUs and agreements were signed, and a joint statement titled "India-Russia Partnership for Peace, Progress, and Prosperity" was issued.

5. Previous Bilateral Interactions

Prime Minister Modi and President Putin last held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022. During that meeting, Modi urged Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine, stating, "Today's era is not of war."

6. India's Position on the Ukraine Conflict

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Modi has engaged in several telephonic conversations with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Reflecting its strong ties with Russia, India has not condemned Moscow's invasion and maintains that the crisis should be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. Additionally, India's import of Russian crude oil has significantly increased despite the G7 price cap and growing Western discontent.

7. Upcoming Engagements

The Kremlin's comments on preparations for Modi's visit come as the Indian prime minister decided to skip the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan from July 3 to 4. Russia is set to host the annual BRICS summit in October, and Russian officials hope for Modi's participation. Russia has been a longstanding and reliable partner for India, with the development of India-Russia relations being a key pillar of India's foreign policy.
New Delhi: Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the Congress student wing, on Thursday, held a protest demonstration over irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination at the Delhi office of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

In the visuals, protesters are raising their voices against NTA and calling for a ban on the agency in connection with recent exam irregularities.

#WATCH | Delhi: Varun Choudhary, National President NSUI says, "We are continuously demanding from the government that NTA should be banned...Students now do not believe in the examination being conducted by the NTA...Today we peacefully protested...the BJP government is not https://t.co/QZbigaLD87 pic.twitter.com/Nm3RbHtUVn June 27, 2024

NSUI activists barged inside the office of the NTA in Delhi and raised slogans of "shut down NTA". In the clip, members of the Youth Congress raised slogans inside the building of the NTA against the irregularities in the NEET exam.

NSUI National President Varun Choudhary said that they are continuously demanding the ban of NDA. "Students now do not believe in the examination being conducted by the NTA...Today we peacefully protested...the BJP government is not taking any action in this issue and neither they are banning the NTA..."Earlier, Rajasthan NSUI President Vinod Jakhar demanded strict action against those who were responsible for NEET-UG exam irregularities.

#WATCH | Delhi: Varun Choudhary, National President NSUI says, "We are continuously demanding from the government that NTA should be banned...Students now do not believe in the examination being conducted by the NTA...Today we peacefully protested...the BJP government is not https://t.co/QZbigaLD87 pic.twitter.com/Nm3RbHtUVn  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Earlier, Rajasthan NSUI President Vinod Jakhar demanded strict action against those who were responsible for NEET-UG exam irregularities.

"Immediately cancel this paper (NEET-UG), re-take the exam, and take strict action against those responsible," Vinod Jakhar said, ANI reported.
New Delhi: The new development in the NEET-UG 2024 Paper leak scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made its first arrests on Thursday in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case. The investigating agency arrested two persons from Bihar's Patna, officials said.

Two suspects identified as Manish Prakash and Ashutosh Kumar, were arrested from Patna in connection with the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam. Two other suspects, Chintu and Mukesh, were taken into remand by the CBI. They were moved from Beur Jail and underwent medical examinations before being taken to the CBI office.

The CBI has filed six FIRs in the NEET paper leak incident till now.

Manish and Ashutosh allegedly offered secure locations to candidates before the examination where they were given leaked papers and answer keys, the officials said.

The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to medical courses like MBBS, BDS and other related courses in government and private universities across the country.

This time NEET-UG annual examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 different centres in 571 cities, including abroad. More than 23 lakh candidates appeared for the medical entrance test.

The CBI registered its first FIR on Sunday, a day after the ministry announced to handover paper leak case to a central agency.
The results of the Lok Sabha elections on June 4 revealed several insights into the desires of the Indian populace. One significant observation, highlighted by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, is that India is not a 'Hindu Rashtra.'

"That India is not a Hindu Rashtra only has been reflected in the election results," Sen told a Bengali news channel at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, reported PTI.

The eminent economist emphasised the necessity of being politically open-minded, particularly given India's status as a secular country with a secular constitution. He expressed that he did not consider the notion of transforming India into a Hindu Rashtra to be appropriate.

Sen believes that the loss of the BJP's seat in the Faizabad Lok Sabha can be interpreted as a rejection of the BJP's efforts to create a Hindu-centric identity for India.

Building the Ram Temple and spending so much money to portray India as a Hindu Rashtra, this should not have happened in the country of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the 90-year-old economist said.

He also expressed the view that the new Union cabinet is essentially a replica of the previous one. According to him, the ministers retained similar portfolios, and even with a minor reshuffle, those with political power remained influential.

Adding that the practice of putting individuals behind bars without any trial is still prevalent, Sen reminisced about his childhood during British rule, recalling how people were jailed without trial.

Sen expressed disappointment that, despite their hopes for a change post-independence, the Congress party failed to put an end to this practice. However, the Nobel laureate said, This is more in practice under the present government.

(Based on inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: INDIA bloc leaders chaired a meeting on Thursday at Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi. The senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said that the alliance has discussed about strategies and now the opposition is in attacking mode towards the government.

A meeting of INDIA bloc leaders was held at the residence of Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the opposition's strategy for the remaining session.

"We discussed on our strategies for the remaining four days. There will be a 'motion of thanks' following the President's address. We also discussed that. Today, we talked about multiple issues including how the speaker of the Lok Sabha was elected and the President's joint address", Ramesh said, ANI reported.

Congress leader further said that the opposition will be in attacking mode.

"The opposition will be in attacking mode. The mandate of the Lok Sabha polls is a personal, political and moral defeat of the Prime Minister. The opposition will remind him of this every day", he said.

Several prominent leaders were also in the meeting including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Gaurav Gogoi, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Hanuman Beniwal, DMK MP T Siva, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.

While speaking about the key meeting, DMK MP T Siva said, "We will give notices (in Parliament) on the NEET issue tomorrow."

After attending the opposition meeting at Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also said that we will raise the voice in parliament against all the issues burning in the country.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The latest China-Austria and China-U.S. cooperation projects on giant panda protection will promote global biodiversity conservation and enhance the friendships between Chinese and foreign peoples, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily press briefing on Thursday, in response to a related query.

Mao said that Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria and the San Diego Zoo in the United States are both world-famous zoos. China has been cooperating on giant panda protection research with the two zoos for more than 20 years, achieving fruitful results, making positive contributions to improving the level of giant panda protection research, and enhancing friendships between peoples.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association and Schonbrunn Zoo signed a new cooperation agreement on international giant panda conservation and research on June 26, she said. And a new pair of giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will be sent to Austria as part of a 10-year cooperation project. Giant pandas Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang, who currently live at Schonbrunn Zoo, will return to China this year.

"Giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have taken a flight to the San Diego Zoo in the United States this morning," Mao said, noting that China and the United States have made various preparations in accordance with the relevant requirements and technical standards for international cooperation on the protection of giant pandas to ensure their health and safety during the flight.

Chinese experts will remain in the United States for about three months, accompanying the two giant pandas through their quarantine period and helping them adapt to their new living environment. The public will be able to learn about their daily lives in many ways, Mao added.

"We believe the latest China-Austria and China-U.S. giant panda protection cooperation projects will contribute to promoting the health and well-being of giant pandas, to improving our ability to protect endangered species such as the giant panda, to promoting global biodiversity conservation, and to enhancing the friendships between Chinese and foreign peoples," she said. 
New Delhi: The sengol installed next to the speakers chair last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again surrounded by controversies, as soon as the parliamentary sessions kicked off this week. The opposition MPs are questioning the relevance of the 'sengol' in a democracy by labelling it Rajdand (Kings stick). While the BJP is accusing them of disrespecting Indian culture.

The ongoing debate over 'sengol', a handcrafted, gold-plated sceptre about 5-feet long, has been triggered by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP RK Chaudhary's letter to Speaker Om Birla. The MP from Mohanlalganj has said the 'sengol' must be replaced by a copy of the Constitution.

Chaudhary while talking about the matter told ANI, "The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by 'Raja ka danda' or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution."

The former Uttar Pradesh minister called for the 'sengol' to be replaced with a copy of the Constitution to save democracy.

The SP chief backed his party MPs demands and said, When the Sengol was installed, the PM bowed before it. He might have forgotten this while taking the oath. Maybe our MP's remark was to remind him of that," reported ANI.

The Samajwadi Party, under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, achieved a remarkable performance by winning 37 seats in Uttar Pradesh, making it the third-largest party in this Lok Sabha.

However, the BJP leader responded to the Opposition's 'sengol' criticism and said that the Samajwadi Party previously attacked and insulted Ramcharitmanas, and now they are targeting Sengol, which is an integral part of Indian and especially Tamil culture. The DMK must clarify if they endorse this disrespect towards 'sengol'," he stated.

The Opposition's 'sengol' protest is part of their effort to challenge Narendra Modi 3.0. Throughout this session, the Constitution has been a key symbol for the Opposition. On the first day, top leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav held a demonstration in Parliament, holding copies of the Constitution. Many Opposition MPs, including Gandhi and Yadav, carried copies of the Constitution while taking their oaths.
New Delhi: Several parts of the national capital received heavy rainfall on Thursday bringing relief from the continuous heat and scorching sun. However, the temperature has decreased a few degrees the monsoon current is expected to arrive by the end of this week, said a private weather agency forecast on Wednesday cited by PTI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has not provided any information regarding the expected timing of the monsoon's arrival in the national capital. The weather update on Wednesday predicted heavy rainfall in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi on June 28th and 29th, 2024.

27/06/2024: 07:25 IST; Light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-40 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of few places of Delhi ( Alipur, Burari, Seelampur, Shahadra, Lodi Road, Lajpat Nagar, Tughlakabad), NCR ( Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station,  RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) June 27, 2024

The weather department has said that intermittent rain could occur throughout the day in Delhi-NCR today. Rain may continue in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurugram until 10 a.m.

Light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds, with speeds of 30-40 km/h, are expected over and in adjoining areas of several places in Delhi (Alipur, Burari, Seelampur, Shahadra, Lodi Road, Lajpat Nagar, Tughlakabad) and NCR (Loni Dehat, Hindon AF Station

As per the news agency, the monsoon typically enters Delhi between June 27 and 29.

Last year, it arrived on June 26, while the first monsoon showers of 2022 were documented on June 30, as per available data.

--  28  29 , 2024      (64.5-115.5 )     (115.5-204.4 )      pic.twitter.com/N0tM01j7PW  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 26, 2024

On Wednesday, the Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi's main weather station, recorded a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius, which is two degrees above the normal mark.

The city's weather patterns have been influenced by a western disturbance, leading to a decrease in maximum temperatures. Pre-monsoon showers in Delhi have provided some relief from the intense heat.

#WATCH | Parts of Delhi receive heavy rainfall, bringing respite from heat.



Visuals from Rao Tularam Marg. pic.twitter.com/uybB5oMhSq  ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2024

Delhi had experienced scorching temperatures, with nine heatwave days recorded in June so far, contrasting with none in 2023 and 2022.

(With inputs from PTI)
As the global fashion community eagerly anticipates Paris Fashion Week 2024, India celebrates a moment of immense pride. Recently seen winning hearts at Cannes and having graced the 77th Cannes Film Festival 2024, Deepti Sadhwani is now set to mesmerize at Paris Fashion Week. Her journey from Cannes to the pinnacle of fashion in Paris highlights her versatility and influence in both cinema and haute couture.

Deepti Sadhwani, renowned for her grace and style, will be attending the top-notch designer events and fashion shows by luminaries such as Franck Sorbier, Peet Dullaert, Ardazaei, and Zuhair Murad. Her presence at Paris Fashion Week's Haute Couture segment follows her earlier attendance at Couture Week in January, reinforcing her commitment to the highest echelons of fashion.

The Paris Fashion Week is not just a showcase of trends; it is a stage where cultures converge and creativity flourishes. Deepti's participation underscores the global appeal of Indian fashion and its seamless blend of tradition and modernity. Her outfits, carefully curated and designed to dazzle, are poised to capture hearts and headlines alike.

Deepti Sadhwani's journey at Paris Fashion Week 2024 is more than a personal achievement; it's a testament to the burgeoning influence of Indian designers on the global stage. As she prepares to grace the runways amidst esteemed peers and iconic designers, her presence symbolizes the rich heritage and contemporary vibrancy of Indian fashion, resonating with audiences worldwide.
New Delhi: Benchmark indices rebounded after falling in early trade on Thursday, with the Sensex breaching the historic 79,000-mark for the first time and the Nifty hitting its fresh record high, amid buying in blue-chip stocks.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 339.51 points to hit its new lifetime peak of 79,013.76 after falling in early trade, helped by buying in blue-chips Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank.

The Nifty also bounced back, rising 97.6 points to hit its fresh all-time high of 23,966.40.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, UltraTech Cement, JSW Steel, Reliance Industries, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Finance, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Tata Steel were the biggest gainers.

Maruti, Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies and Larsen & Toubro were the biggest laggards.

"The market will remain bullish in the near-term despite the valuation concerns, and the ongoing momentum has the potential to take the Sensex to 80,000 levels.

"A healthy trend in the market is that now the up move is being led by fundamentally strong largecaps in sectors like banking and telecom. With RIL, which had not participated in the rally till yesterday joining the bull bandwagon, the rally has the strength to continue," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were trading lower.

US markets ended in positive territory on Wednesday.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 3,535.43 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.21 per cent to USD 85.07 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 620.73 points or 0.80 per cent to settle at a new closing peak of 78,674.25 on Wednesday.

The Nifty went up by 147.50 points or 0.62 per cent to settle at a record closing peak of 23,868.80.
New Delhi: The sensex and Nifty achieved new milestones on Thursday and surpassed 79,000 and 24,000 points for the first time, respectively. The sensex closed at 79,243 points after gaining 568 points. The Nifty reached 24,044 points with a 175 point increase, marking on all-time high for both indices.

Today, several stocks are in the spotlight on Dalal Street, including Whirlpool of India, Ultratech Cement, and RVNL (Rail Vikas Nigam Limited). According to Zeebiz, here are the stocks that made headlines today:

1) PB Fintech: PB Fintech, a fintech firm, saw its shares rise by over 2 per cent, closing at Rs 1,380.25. Earlier in the day, the stock hit a new 52-week high. This increase came as Citi reiterated a buy recommendation on the stock, setting a target of Rs 1600. (Also Read:

2) Whirlpool of India: Whirlpool of India saw its shares in the consumer durables sector rise by 9 per cent, closing at Rs 2005. This surge came after Bosch expressed interest in acquiring the company's parent entity.

3) UltraTech Cement: UltraTech Cements shares rose by 5 per cent, closing at Rs 11,750, following its acquisition of a stake in India Cements. Further, the stock also hit a new high during the day.

4) Route Mobile: Route Mobiles shares closed with a gain of 13 per cent at Rs 1,855. This increase followed a strategic agreement between Route Mobile and Microsoft with Proximus Group.

5) RVNL: RVNL, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited shares closed higher as the company secured a contract worth Rs 72.73 crore from North Central Railway for EI-based Automatic Signaling in the Dhaulpur-Gwalior Section.
New Delhi: Health experts stressed the importance of increasing the number of hospital beds in the country during a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Thursday. They emphasised that the current availability is below the standards set by World Health Organization (WHO).

Girdhar Gyani, Director General of the Association of Healthcare Providers said, "We have presented to the government the data that there are less than two beds per thousand population in our country, while WHO requires that there should be 3.5 beds per thousand population. Over and above, we have told them that there is a great disparity in terms of bed density," (Also Read: Vedanta Announces Financial Support For Transgender Employees' Higher Education)

The experts also pointed out that in regions like Bihar, the shortage of hospital beds forces patients to travel long distances for treatment "Karnataka has got 4.2 beds per 1,000 population, while Bihar has got only 0.3 beds per 1,000 population. So this makes Bihar population travel all the way for treatment," Dr. Gyani explained. (Also Read: 6 Key Health Insurance Claim Rule Changes You Need To Know: Details Here)

Additionally, the experts proposed that certain adult vaccines, such as the influenza vaccine and the cervical cancer vaccine for women, should be provided at subsidized costs. "Certain adult vaccination is a very important point. People do not know there is adult vaccination. Like we have influenza.

There is a vaccine available for cervical cancer in women, and those people don't know about it. So we want to provide some vaccines, either free or at the subsidized cost to the population," Dr. Gyani added after the meeting with the finance minister.

The experts also highlighted that, under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, patients often need to go to private hospitals because 85 per cent of tertiary care beds are in the private sector. They suggested implementing a co-payment scheme for Ayushman Bharat patients to access treatment in private hospitals.

"We are suggesting let there be a co-payment scheme. That means certain higher-end hospital patients can go and over and above the government reimbursement they should be allowed to pay cash from their own side so this will provide flexibility to the patient," Dr. Gyani said. (With ANI Inputs)
New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced on Thursday that it has, with the concurrence of the government of India, decided to put in place a revised Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries for 2024 to 2027. Under this Framework, the Reserve Bank of India would enter bilateral swap agreements with the central banks of SAARC countries, who want to avail of the swap facility.

The SAARC Currency Swap Facility came into operation on November 15, 2012 with an intention to provide a backstop line of funding for short term foreign exchange liquidity requirements or balance of payment crises of the SAARC countries till longer term arrangements are made. (Also Read: Vedanta Announces Financial Support For Transgender Employees' Higher Education)

Under the Framework for 2024-27, a separate INR Swap Window has been introduced with various concessions for swap support in Indian Rupee. The total corpus of the rupee support is Rs 250 billion. The RBI will continue to offer the swap arrangement in US dollar and Euro under a separate US Dollar/ Euro Swap Window with an overall corpus of $2 billion. (Also Read: I Need Your Help: Ratan Tata Appeals To Mumbaikars For Saving Critically Ailing Stray Dog)

The Currency Swap Facility will be available to all SAARC member countries, subject to their signing the bilateral swap agreements. Apart from India, the other SAARC member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Realme C61 India Launch: Chinese smartphone brand Realme has announced the official launch date of the Realme C61 in the Indian market. The handset is expected to succeed the Realme C51 in the country, which was launched in September last year.

The Realme C61 is set to launch on June 28, 2024, targeting the entry-level market. It will be launched in India in three 4GB RAM + 64GB, 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB. The phone will come in Marble Black and Safari Green colour options.

Realme C61 Price, Bank Offer:

For the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model, the smartphone is priced at Rs 7,699. The 4GB+128GB carries a price tag of Rs 8,499 and 6GB+128GB is priced at Rs 8,999. The phone will go on sale in India on June 28 at 12 pm IST across Realme India's website, Flipkart, and offline stores.

Realme C61 Availability:

Consumers can purchase the 6GB + 128GB variant with a Rs. 900 discount for the ICICI, SBI, and HDFC Bank customers, making it available for Rs. 8,099 during the initial online sale. On the other hand, the sale will end on July 1 for offline retail stores, and only the 4GB variants will be available for offline purchase.

Realme C61 Specifications:

The upcoming smartphone is powered by a UNISOC T612 octa-core processor with up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and loaded with a 5,000mAh battery, the brand claims. The smartphone will sport a 32MP primary lens in a dual-camera setup and packed with an AI Boost engine

The smartphone features a 32MP primary lens in a dual-camera setup with a 4-in-1 pixel binning technology to produce darker photos at night, as per the company. Moreover, the brand has confirmed the phone will be equipped with an IP54 water and dust resistance rating. It will also offer a reinforced glass for its display.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and its affairs have nothing to do with Japan, a Chinese defense spokesperson said on Thursday in response to a media query regarding a draft evacuation plan by the Japanese government, which some people believe is formulated to cope with a so-called "Taiwan contingency."

According to media reports, the Japanese government is considering evacuating residents of Sakishima islands in Okinawa prefecture to the Kyushu and Yamaguchi prefectures in the plan.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests and bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations, stressing that it is the red line that must not be crossed.

During its long time colonial occupation of Taiwan, Japan committed countless atrocities against Chinese people, Wu said, stressing that the Japanese side should reflect on its history of aggression and exercise caution in its words and deeds.

The spokesperson urged Japan to adhere to the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan and its commitments, and stop using the Taiwan question to provoke confrontation.

Wu emphasized that the one-China principle is a prevailing consensus in the international community and a basic norm governing international relations.

He said whoever attempts to interfere in China's internal affairs or hinder China's reunification will face resolute and strong actions by the Chinese people. 
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- As an important window for the rest of the world to understand China, the 2024 Summer Davos once again brings the vitality and resilience of Chinese economy into the spotlight.

As the world grapples with economic uncertainties and geopolitical shifts, the gathering not only brings cooperation opportunities but also offers insights into China's future economic trajectory.

China's robust economic performance has been a key topic for discussion, not least in light of the "China collapse" narrative emanating from Washington.

This bad-mouthing notwithstanding, China has been demonstrating strong economic growth, effective policy measures, and resilience in the face of global economic challenges.

China's ability to maintain steady economic growth against headwinds has been noteworthy. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that China's GDP grew 5.3 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024.

China's proactive fiscal policies, coupled with prudent monetary measures, have helped stabilize the economy and stimulate investment. The resilience of the Chinese economy is further evidenced in its robust export performance and the rapid recovery of key industries post-pandemic.

Thanks to China's commitment to a high-quality opening-up policy and the deepening of its reforms, a more balanced and sustainable economic structure is taking shape.

This structure, focusing on boosting domestic consumption, advancing technological prowess, and enhancing industrial capabilities, is set to steer the Chinese economy out of global economic turbulence.

This year's forum has also brought together global leaders, industry experts, and influential thinkers to discuss pressing economic challenges and explore innovative solutions. The emphasis on green development and technological innovation highlights China's commitment to sustainable growth and its leadership in the global transition towards a low-carbon economy.

China is now home to more than 400,000 high-tech enterprises and over 100,000 specialized and sophisticated small and medium-sized enterprises, which produce new and unique products.

At this year's forum, many participants express their strong interest in cooperation with China's hi-tech sector, demonstrating global recognition of China's innovation capabilities.

They also have high expectations for China's role in contributing to a more just global economic and technological order. Tanvi Ratna, founder and CEO of the Indian research organization Policy 4.0, told Xinhua that as China becomes more active in artificial intelligence (AI) governance, it will help make AI more equitable.

This year's Summer Davos meeting comes at a critical juncture as the world is still grappling with the growth predicament and the persistent threat of protectionism.

As global economic challenges persist, it only fractures economic interdependencies between regions and aggravates tensions and conflict to pursue narrow self-interests at the expense of others, or resort to regressive measures like decoupling, disrupt supply chains, and erect isolationist barriers.

Such moves risk plunging the world into a destructive cycle where heightened competition for a larger share leads to a diminishing economic pie for all.

Over the past years, China's role in global economic governance has become increasingly prominent. As the world's second-largest economy, China's commitment to win-win cooperation is facilitating sustainable economic growth worldwide.

With development initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and multilateral platforms such as the Summer Davos, China is firmly committed to strengthening international economic cooperation, building infrastructure, and promoting technological advancement on a global scale.

The 2024 Summer Davos has brought to the fore the importance of understanding China's economic realities beyond the anti-China rhetoric from Washington. As China continues to develop, it will bring vast opportunities for cooperation, investment and common growth to the rest of the world. 
LA PAZ, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Bolivian President Luis Arce, flanked by his cabinet and Vice President David Choquehuanca, on Wednesday called on the Bolivian people to mobilize against an attempted coup and defend democracy.

"The Bolivian people are summoned today; we need the people to organize and mobilize against the coup d'etat and in defense of democracy. We cannot allow attempted coups to once again take Bolivian lives," Arce said in a message to the nation from the government headquarters, called La Casa Grande del Pueblo.

The president said he and his aides were standing firm, and urged social organizations to guide the people in defending the democratic order.

"Here we are, the national government with all its ministers, firm with its vice president, firm here in Casa Grande to confront any attempted coup, any attempt that threatens our democracy," he said.

The statement came shortly after soldiers marched on Plaza Murillo, a square outside the seat of government, led by General Juan Jose Zuniga, commander of the army, and forced their way into the old government headquarters, Palacio Quemado.

The presence of armed troops has generated a strong response from citizens, who have begun to gather in the streets surrounding Plaza Murillo, the epicenter of Bolivia's political power, to denounce the military move.

Representatives of social organizations in different parts of the country also demonstrated in defense of democracy, joining the president's call to protect the constitutional order. 
MOGADISHU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Fostering a vibrant and inclusive private sector in Somalia is crucial for inclusive and sustainable economic growth, job creation, and resilience against fragility, the World Bank said in a new report.

In a report released on Wednesday evening, the World Bank said this will require concerted efforts to address policy and regulatory gaps, enhance infrastructure, and unlock investment opportunities across key sectors.

The Somalia Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) report notes that while private businesses have been remarkably resilient and presently provide most of the products and services on offer in the country, productive tradable sectors remain subdued and fall short of providing a strong basis for structural transformation.

"Somalia can develop and deepen reforms that enable effective and equitable formal institutions and regulatory frameworks that facilitate private sector-led economic transformation," said Kristina Svensson, World Bank country manager for Somalia.

The report also finds that low economic integration and a minimal complexity of foreign direct investment (FDI) weigh on the productivity growth prospects of the Somali private sector, limiting opportunities for trade, technological advancement, and efficient resource allocation.

The CPSD highlights private investment opportunities that are feasible and critical to creating markets in the near term in key sectors such as energy and finance.

In particular, the report identifies upgrading the on-grid energy infrastructure, supporting greater use of renewable technologies, investing in digital financial services, and expanding access to microfinance, as the opportunities with the highest development impact and most feasibility in the current Somali context.

The report says the private sector activity is concentrated on commerce and other, mostly non-tradable, consumption-driven services, noting that this consumption-driven growth often benefits a few firms that leverage their market-dominating positions.

Cheick-Oumar Sylla, IFC's director for North Africa and the Horn of Africa, said continued policy reforms will ensure that private sector participation continues to support Somalia's journey toward sustainable and lasting economic development.

"The Country Private Sector Diagnostic highlights how the private sector can play an even greater role in unlocking the country's full potential," Sylla said.

According to the World Bank, Somalia's private sector accounts for an estimated 95 percent of total jobs created, and marshaling the private sector to support the country's development is critical for reconstruction, transitioning from fragility, and generating more inclusive economic dividends for its people. 
A Palestinian child with cancer waits to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said.

"The cases are mostly leukemia and are curable, but they are now at risk of death due to the lack of treatment and necessary health care, and that is why we need to approve their travel," Mohammed Zaqout, director general of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, said during a press conference at the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis, where the children were discharged.

Children's relief associations in the United States, and the World Health Organization coordinated to help with children's travel, Zaqout said.

The way in which the patients exited is "difficult and complicated," which "has not and will not" be an alternative to the Rafah land crossing, he added, noting the children would receive treatment in Egypt.

According to Zaqout, the health authorities in Gaza have documented over 25,000 medical cases requiring treatment abroad, with 10,200 cases related to cancer. Among these, there are 980 pediatric cancer cases, with 250 necessitating urgent and immediate transfer due to the imminent threat of mortality.

Zaqout called on the international community to help Gaza patients to leave and to advocate for the reopening of the Rafah crossing.

On May 7, the Israeli army announced the imposition of "operational" control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which led to the cessation of aid delivery from Egypt into the Gaza Strip through the crossing. 

A woman holds a child with cancer waiting to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A man holds a child with cancer waiting to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian child with cancer waits to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A man holds a child with cancer waiting to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian child with cancer waits to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

A Palestinian child with cancer waits to leave for treatment abroad at the Nasser Medical Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 27, 2024. Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad for the first time since the Rafah border was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
COLOMBO, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) modernized farms and introduced Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to over 600 smallholder vegetable farmers in Sri Lanka, according to a statement on Thursday.

The FAO said in the statement that the initiative focused on equipping targeted farmers with the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively adopt modern, climate-resilient approaches to agriculture.

Emphasizing the adoption of GAP, participants were provided with agriculture kits tailored for a land area of 0.25 acres. These kits comprised essential components such as drip irrigation systems, plastic mulch, insect-proof nets, and Galvanized Iron (GI) pipes, enabling efficient resource utilization and cost reduction, according to the FAO.

The FAO said it also facilitated capacity building through Farmer Field Schools (FFS), empowering farmers with the expertise necessary to achieve GAP certification.

Smallholder farmers received cash assistance through the World Food Programme (WFP), helping them meet their food and nutrition needs during the transition phase, the FAO added. 
BEIRUT, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Hezbollah official was killed on Thursday in an Israeli air strike targeting his motorcycle in the Western Bekaa District in eastern Lebanon, Lebanese military sources told Xinhua.

The sources, who spoke anonymously, said an Israeli drone targeted the motorcycle with an air-to-surface missile in the center of the town of Sohmor, killing its driver.

According to the sources, the driver, Ali Ahmed Alaa El-Din, served as a military official in Hezbollah, operating within the Department of Military Operations in Western Bekaa. He had also been involved in field military activities in the border region of southern Lebanon.

During the past few days, the border areas in southern Lebanon witnessed an escalation between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. 
CHENGDU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A pair of giant pandas from China are heading to the San Diego Zoo in the United States, the first to enter the country in over two decades.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao left their hometown in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday, transiting through Hong Kong. Sent as part of a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation program, the duo are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Thursday, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

This marks a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between the two countries, following an agreement signed in February between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Diego Zoo.

"This is a historic conservation partnership that will help protect these magnificent creatures and their habitat," tweeted Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego, who attended a farewell ceremony in Ya'an, where the pandas had been residing.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), are accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians on their journey.

According to Gloria, the pair could attract more visitors to the San Diego Zoo. "We anticipate a 20 to 40 percent boost in attendance...because we know people love these creatures."

"I understand the special place the giant pandas are here in China," said Gloria. "These are ambassadors, kind of like an icon for this nation."

Li Desheng, deputy director of the CCRCGP, expressed hope that Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will serve as a bridge, bringing the people of China and the United States closer together.

The CCRCGP has carried out scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, achieving fruitful results in the protection, breeding, and disease control of giant pandas.

The San Diego Zoo was the first U.S. zoo to forge a collaborative conservation program with Chinese partners. It also shares a special bond with the pandas, as Yun Chuan, a nearly five-year-old male, is the son of Zhen Zhen, who was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007.

According to the official website of China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, as of June this year, China has collaborated with 26 institutions across 20 countries to promote giant panda conservation. There are more than 50 giant pandas currently living overseas.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the Renmin University of China, noted that he has seen widespread affection for giant pandas among people worldwide, including those in Japan, France and other countries, particularly among young people and children.

Speaking about the preparations for the arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, Paul Baribault, CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said that they have expanded the living space for the pandas.

"We've also been preparing all their food. So it feels right like they're right at home," Baribault added. 
Russia has expressed its support for the initiative to restore diplomatic relations with Georgia, as stated by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a recent briefing."We still believe that this [normalization of relations] is in the interests of our two nations," Zakharova said. "We support any initiatives that help Russian-Georgian normalization. In this context, we welcome this initiative. We are ready to follow this path."Zakharova emphasized that the normalization of relations is beneficial for both countries and reaffirmed Russia's readiness to proceed with efforts to improve bilateral ties.Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of Georgia's parliamentary majority criticized sanctions and called for fair treatment from friendly nations. Mdinaradze compared current accusations against the Georgian Dream government to the actions of the United National Movement, a former ruling party in Georgia."What sanctions are you talking about? You have not sanctioned a single person during the National Movement, are you sanctioning me for passing a law that you also have in your country - for this?" Mdinaradze questioned. He referenced the tragic case of Sandro Girgvliani, who was murdered during the National Movement's rule, suggesting that his government is being unfairly targeted in a similar manner.Mdinaradze argued that the Georgian government should not be punished for fighting for the country's independence."Just because I'm a friend and not your agent, just because I'm fighting for the independence of my country, don't punish me for that," Mdinaradze asserted. He expressed frustration that calls for fair treatment are often misinterpreted as attacks, particularly by media outlets affiliated with the National Movement.Mdinaradze warned against the changing trends in international relations, which he believes unfairly target small but proud countries like Georgia. He vowed that Georgia would resist being controlled by external agents.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A commerce ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged Canada not to resort to protectionism in the disguise of "fair competition," after Canada unveiled its plan to launch a consultation process concerning Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

Spokesperson He Yadong told a press conference that the ministry had taken note of Canada's announcement that it would launch a 30-day consultation process on potential policy responses to Chinese EVs, starting from July 2.

The development of China's EV industry is a result of open competition, said He, adding that Chinese EVs are welcomed by global users, including those in Canada, and have contributed greatly to tackling climate change and promoting a green transition.

Canada has long declared its support for free trade and is a beneficiary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules-based multilateral trading system, said He. The spokesperson also said that the Canadian side should respect the facts, abide by WTO rules, and create a fair, non-discriminatory and predictable market environment for the common development of the EV industry in both countries.

He said that China will pay close attention to the follow-up moves of the Canadian side and firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies. 
People attend the Evidence-Based Approaches to Elephant Conservation seminar in Gaborone, Botswana, June 25, 2024. Elephants are migrating to unpredictable areas in search of food and water as a result of climate change, experts have told an elephant conservation meeting in Gaborone, Botswana's capital. (Photo by Metlha Ngubevana/Xinhua)

GABORONE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Elephants are migrating to unpredictable areas in search of food and water as a result of climate change, experts have told an elephant conservation meeting in Gaborone, Botswana's capital.

Speaking at the Evidence-Based Approaches to Elephant Conservation in Botswana seminar, Keoikantse Sianga, senior lecturer in wildlife management at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said their data clearly show that the availability of permanent water and forage influences elephant movement patterns.

During the wet season, elephants at the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in central Botswana go as far as Zimbabwe, and during the dry season, they come back to the reserve, where there are artificial water points constructed by the government to help animals with water during the dry season, he said, citing data collected by his university and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.

"During dry seasons the elephants focus on points where there is permanent water. We see water as the key driver. Water influences the movement," Sianga said.

The animals move throughout the year in search of water and food, sometimes causing damage to property for local communities and contributing to the country's growing incidence of human-wildlife conflicts, he said.

According to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks statistics, 11,938 cases of human-wildlife conflict incidents were reported in the 2022-2023 period, compared to 11,993 in the 2023-2024 period.

Botswana has 131,909 elephants, and the country has designated 40 percent of its total land for wildlife protection. 

Tourists watch an elephant in Chobe river of Kasane village, Botswana, Sept. 23, 2022. Elephants are migrating to unpredictable areas in search of food and water as a result of climate change, experts have told an elephant conservation meeting in Gaborone, Botswana's capital. (Photo by Metlha Ngubevana/Xinhua)
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have announced the allocation of 496 million yuan (about 69.59 million U.S. dollars) from its natural-disaster relief fund to assist flood control efforts across a broad swath of the country.

The emergency funds were jointly allocated by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Emergency Management, according to a statement released by the MOF on Thursday. Previously, the two departments had already advanced 346 million yuan to support measures aimed at fighting the floods.

The funds will be used to support flooding and disaster control work in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi.

The ministry said the allocated funds will be channeled to support search and rescue operations, evacuate affected people, detect secondary disasters, and repair damaged houses.

Persistent rainfall has battered many of China's regions this summer, damaging roads and buildings, and leading to casualties.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday raised the emergency responses to flooding to Level III in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Hunan, following a decision by the national observatory to issue red alerts for rainstorms in these areas.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Wednesday called for strenuous emergency response and disaster relief efforts, with floods and drought affecting some parts of the country.

He called for efforts to strengthen organizational leadership and overall coordination as well as initiatives to deploy emergency personnel and materials in advance in order to be fully prepared for rescue and disaster relief work in the event of destructed roads, damaged networks and power cuts.

China has a four-tier flood-control emergency response system, with Level I being the most urgent response, and a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow, and blue. 
NAIROBI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- International conservationists are meeting in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Thursday to seek ways of enhancing conservation efforts in Africa.

The conference, organized by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which is the first of its kind in Africa, is expected to come up with resolutions that will help transform responses to the biodiversity loss amid the climate crisis in Africa.

IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar said that the African continent is facing significant challenges due to the dual crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss.

"The continent is severely impacted, necessitating the need for coordinated nature-climate action at the regional level," Aguilar told participants from across the world.

The three-day forum, whose theme is "African solutions for nature and people -- creating transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa," is being attended by 700 delegates.

Razan Al Mubarak, president of the IUCN, said that there is a need for partnerships with the private sector to drive the conservation agenda. She called for public and private partnerships in the management of conservation to help create green jobs alongside protecting the environment.

David Obura, chairman of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, a body that seeks to improve the interface between science and policy on issues of biodiversity and ecosystem services, called for the need to create transformative responses to the biodiversity and climate crisis in Africa.

"We need to welcome investors in the biodiversity conservation agenda to boost African solutions in the conservation of nature," Obura said.

The delegates recognized the role played by indigenous communities in the management of nature in the continent, and suggested that countries draw up plans so they can as well benefit from the revenue generated from natural resources such as game reserves. 
VIENTIANE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) pledged to toughen their stance against transnational crime, with closer cooperation being emphasized during the 24th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC).

According to the Lao Security News report on Thursday, the 24th SOMTC and its related meetings kicked off in Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday.

The meeting will devise policies, plans, and projects and coordinate the implementation of work involved in the fight against transnational crime in the ASEAN region.

During the meeting, delegates will share views and assess the situation and trends of transnational crime in the region and the world.

In the future, more information will be shared between ASEAN member countries concerning transnational crime, while the capacity of law enforcement officers will be enhanced.

ASEAN nations will strengthen their cooperation in this field, and source more technical assistance and funding from partner countries and international organizations to enhance the bloc's capacity to combat transnational crime. 
Residents buy pork at a wholesale market in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

By Xinhua writers Jiang Tingting, Zhang Tuo and Hao Wangle

BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Officials and industry insiders in the European Union (EU) called for dialogue with China, after China's Ministry of Commerce launched an anti-dumping investigation into pork imports from the bloc.

The year-long probe was initiated on June 17 at the request of the China Animal Agriculture Association.

EU is China's largest source of pork imports, exporting 3.3 billion U.S. dollars worth of pork and related products to China last year.

EU officials and pork producers have voiced their worries about China's possible anti-dumping duties on the bloc's pork exports, saying such measures could deal "a heavy blow" to the sector.

Ksenija Simovic, senior policy adviser for trade at Copa-Cogeca, Europe's largest farmer lobby, said "The European Commission should ensure that our sector does not bear the burden for disputes involving other sectors."

CHINESE PRODUCERS HURT

In its petition submitted to the Ministry of Commerce, the Chinese association said the prices of EU pork exports showed a significant downward trend from 2020 to 2023, falling 8 percent during the period.

The continuous price decline has forced domestic pork producers to slash their prices by 20-50 percent, which has undermined the interests of the domestic industry, it said.

Pork is the main source of animal protein for Chinese people, accounting for nearly 60 percent of residents' meat consumption.

As the world's largest producer and consumer of pork, China has been expanding imports from the EU, which accounted for 54 percent of the country's total pork imports from 2020 to 2023.

According to the EU's 2023-2027 mid-term budget, the bloc pays 194 billion euros in agricultural subsidies directly to its member states, averaging 38.8 billion euros per year. Of the total, 82 percent could possibly go to high-emission livestock industries, including pig raising and related sectors, said the petition.

"The large amount of subsidies provided by the EU and its related member states has seriously distorted the market environment of fair competition," said a source from the association.

EU SUPPLIERS' WORRIES

Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas told reporters in Madrid that he hopes and expects that "there will be room for understanding, for negotiation, and to avoid the imposition of tariffs on agricultural and food products."

Spain is the biggest EU pork supplier to China, followed by the Netherlands, Denmark and France. Spain exported 560,488 tonnes of pork products worth 1.2 billion euros to China in 2023, representing 20.3 percent of its total pork exports by volume and 13.7 percent by value, according to Interporc, Spain's pork producers' association.

The anti-dumping measures could impact Europe badly because a large portion of the bloc's pork exports to China are pig ears, noses, feet and offal that are rarely consumed by Europeans.

"It is not easy for the bloc to find an alternative market in a short time," said Zhao Yongsheng, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics.

As many pork producers in the EU rely heavily on export markets, losing the vast Chinese market would result in "significant losses for EU pork traders," said Bai Ming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

CALLS FOR DIALOGUE

The European Commission has proposed to levy provisional additional tariffs of up to 38.1 percent on China-made EVs starting from early July, after initiating an anti-subsidy investigation last year.

"The commission initiated the investigation on its own. But such an ex officio initiation without having received a complaint is more likely to be politically inclined," said Sun Lei, a lawyer and senior partner with Dentons, a law firm.

Industry specialists said that the strong export of China's NEVs is well underpinned by its industrial chain, which has built up its strength under full market competition, not state subsidies.

If the EU could impose additional tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars citing the excuse of unsubstantiated subsidies, it would be justifiable for China to levy taxes on the EU's heavily-subsidized agricultural sector, they said.

Amid strong opposition from China and some EU member economies, the bloc has agreed to start talks with China on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

During a meeting with German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck on Saturday, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said China is willing to consider the reasonable concerns of both parties to avoid the escalation of trade frictions in a rational and professional manner.

Mauro Portela Lorenzo, trade officer from the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Shanghai, told Xinhua that all Spanish manufacturers involved are keen to collaborate and proactively provide all necessary information in seek of a favorable investigation outcome.

He said he hopes "there will be a positive solution to this investigation."

Zhao believed that the door for trade negotiations between the two parties is open. "China, which has the initiative in terms of market access, technology, industrial chains, and logistics, is willing to accommodate the interests of both sides during negotiations," he said.

Bassas Romeu Gerard, chairman of Salomei, a Spanish manufacturer of sausages, said he hoped China and the EU can lower tariffs to boost bilateral trade.

The company set up a subsidiary in the city of Xuanwei, southwest China's Yunnan Province, in late 2023, and uses pork from both China and abroad as raw material.

"Dialogue and consultations are definitely the right way to solve disputes and avoid a vicious spiral of trade friction escalations," he said. Enditem

(Wu Meng and Zhou Rui contributed to the story) 
HEFEI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Dong Yunhu, a former senior legislator of Shanghai, stood trial at the Intermediate People's Court of Hefei in east China's Anhui Province on Thursday.

Dong was former secretary of the leading Party members' group of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and former chairman of the committee.

According to the Hefei municipal procuratorate, Dong took undue advantage of his various positions from 2002 to 2023 to assist relevant organizations and individuals in matters concerning financing and loans, land transfer, business operations, and personnel arrangements. In return, he illegally accepted money and valuables worth over 148 million yuan (about 20.8 million U.S. dollars).

At the trial, the prosecutors presented evidence, which was examined by the defendant and his defense counsel. The two sides gave their respective accounts, according to a court statement.

Dong pleaded guilty and expressed remorse in his final statement.

The verdict will be announced in due course. 
DAMASCUS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and one military personnel wounded as a result of a new Israeli missile attack that hit several military sites in southern Syria on Wednesday night, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said.

Israel initiated an aerial attack on the southern region of Syria late Wednesday from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting multiple locations, the ministry said in a statement.

The Syrian air defense managed to intercept some of the missiles, shooting them down in the process, it said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the attack in the Sayyida Zaynab suburb in the southern countryside of Damascus.

The UK-based watchdog group said the Israeli missiles directly targeted the location where vehicles were stationed at the service center of the Jihad al-Bina Foundation, affiliated with the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian militias in the vicinity of the Sayyida Zaynab area.

It said ambulances rushed to the targeted site as columns of smoke rose from there.

The Syrian air defense system launched missiles to intercept the Israeli attack, it added.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Syrian military sites, especially those believed to be housing pro-Iran militias or weapon storage facilities linked to the Lebanese Hezbollah, a longstanding adversary of Israel in the region. 
TUNIS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia sent on Thursday a plane loaded with 14 tons of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Tunis Afrique Presse (TAP) reported.

"The plane took off from the Tunis-Carthage International Airport in the capital Tunis to El-Arish International Airport in North Sinai, an Egyptian province bordering Gaza," Mustapha Ferjani, minister-advisor to the Tunisian president, was quoted by the TAP as saying.

"Tunisia continues its support for the Palestinian brothers in their heroic resistance against the war crimes and destruction committed by the occupying army," Ferjani said, condemning the violations and crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, "the most heinous of which is the famine affecting infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly."

On Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned that the entire Gaza Strip is at high risk of famine.

The alarm was raised as a new report has shown that almost the entire population is facing "acute food insecurity, with 1 in 5 Gazans being on the verge of famine," FAO stated. 
LA PAZ, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The attorney general's office of Bolivia has accused former general commander of the Army Juan Jose Zuniga of terrorism and armed rebellion, following a failed coup against President Luis Arce on Wednesday, according to media reports.

The office issued a warrant for Zuniga's arrest after he was detained in the city of La Paz in an operation coordinated and presided over by Deputy Interior Minister Jhonny Aguilera. Arce also reportedly named new heads of the military.

At least 9 people were wounded by bullets in the attempted coup, local media quoted the country's Interior Ministry as saying.

The Prosecutor's Office for the Department of La Paz immediately formed a commission of prosecutors to thoroughly investigate the attempted coup.

Jose Luis Tarquino, head of communication of the Attorney General's Office, announced the beginning of a criminal investigation against Zuniga and others involved in the attempted coup.

"Given the latest events that occurred in the city of La Paz, the Attorney General ordered the initiation of all legal actions that correspond to the criminal investigation against Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga and all other participants in the events," Tarquino said, adding that an immigration alert was issued against Zuniga to prevent his possible escape from the country.

Amid the tension and uncertainty, Arce and his cabinet reaffirmed their firm stance against any attempts at destabilization, and pledged to maintain peace and order in the country.

Arce, flanked by his cabinet and Vice President David Choquehuanca, also called on the Bolivian people to mobilize against an attempted coup and defend democracy on Wednesday.

Zuniga, led the troops at Plaza Murillo and other groups of uniformed men who forcibly entered the old Government Palace, adjacent to the government headquarters.

Wearing a war uniform, the military leader got out of an armored vehicle and told journalists at the scene that the move was in response to an alleged atrocity against the Armed Forces.

"Enough of impoverishing our country, enough of humiliating the military. We have come to express our annoyance," he said.

The incident happened just hours after a rumor circulated that Zuniga was being relieved of his position as commander of the Armed Forces for having made controversial political statements against former president Evo Morales.

The presence of armed troops has generated a strong response from citizens, who have begun to gather in the streets surrounding Plaza Murillo, the epicenter of Bolivia's political power, to denounce the military move.

Representatives of social organizations in different parts of the country also demonstrated in defense of democracy, joining the president's call to protect the constitutional order. 




At the invitation of the government of Panama, President Xi Jinpings special envoy and Minister of the General Administration of Customs Yu Jianhua will attend Panamas presidential inauguration ceremony in Panama City on July 1.

AFP: Environmental activists protested outside Chinese embassies in 10 countries this week, demanding that Chinese state-owned banks stop cooperation with French energy company TotalEnergies to terminate the construction of an oil pipeline project in Africa. How does China view their demand? What is your comment on the prospects of the project?

Mao Ning: I am not familiar with the details you mentioned. Let me say broadly that China attaches great importance to environmental protection. The cooperation projects in Africa that we take part in are conducive to sustainable local economic and social development.

Shenzhen TV: We noted that China Wildlife Conservation Association announced yesterday that it has signed agreement with Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria on a new round of giant panda conservation cooperation and that a pair of giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are bound for San Diego Zoo in the US to begin a new round of China-US cooperation on giant panda conservation. Can you give us more details?

Mao Ning: Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria and San Diego Zoo in the US are both famous zoos in the world. Our giant panda conservation cooperation programs with the two zoos date back to over 20 years ago. Both have been fruitful and contributed a lot to giant panda conservation and research and the affinity between our peoples.

We understand that China Wildlife Conservation Association and Schonbrunn Zoo in Austria officially signed the agreement on the new round of giant panda conservation and research cooperation yesterday. A new pair of giant pandas will be selected from China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and travel to Austria for a 10-year conservation cooperation project. Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang, the two giant pandas who currently live in Austria, will return to China later this year. The pair Yun Chuan and Xin Bao left China this morning on charter flight for San Diego Zoo. China and the US have made full preparation in line with the requirements and technical standards for giant panda conservation cooperation to ensure their health and safety during the flight. Chinese experts will stay in the US for about three months until the pair end their quarantine period and become accustomed to their new home. There will be various ways for the public to learn about what their life will be like.

We believe that the new round of China-Austria and China-US giant panda conservation cooperation will contribute to the health and well-being of giant pandas, the capacity for protecting giant pandas and other endangered species and efforts to promote global biodiversity conservation and the friendship between the people of China and the rest of the world.

AFP: Italian police said they have busted a cross-border trafficking network which used luxury cars to smuggle Chinese migrants into Italy and forced them to undertake unpaid labor. Did China and the Italian police communicate or cooperate on the case? Can you provide more information?

Mao Ning: Im not familiar with what you mentioned. I would like to stress that Chinas position on the issue of illegal migrants is consistent and clear. China opposes and fights all forms of illegal migration, and engages in active international cooperation on this front.

Reuters: This is about the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Conference tomorrow. How many representatives from foreign governments or foreign leaders will attend the conference? And who are they please?

Mao Ning: Thank you for following the commemorative events. The Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence will be held tomorrow. We will release timely information on the event. Please stay tuned.

CCTV: Its reported that yesterday Bolivian general commander Juan Jose Zuniga led armed forces to storm the presidential palace, Congress and other major national institutions and sought to have dialogue with President Luis Arce. President Arce denounced the irregular movement of some army units and dismissed Juan Jose Zuniga. Zuniga and the soldiers soon pulled back. The Bolivian government said they have defeated the coup attempt. Whats Chinas comment?

Mao Ning: China noted the reports on the irregular movement of troops in Bolivia. As a good friend and good partner of Bolivia, China hopes and believes that the Bolivian government has the capability of handling it properly and maintaining national peace, stability and development, which is in the fundamental and long-term interest of the Bolivian people.

Global Times: It was reported that on June 25, the Japanese government decided at a cabinet meeting and issued relevant order to expand the continental shelf in the waters of the Ogasawara plateau region east of Chichijima in Ogasawara islands. The expansion covers about 120,000 square kilometers. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Japan will have preferential right to the seabed resources in this area. What is Chinas comment on this?

Mao Ning: We noted that back in 2012, the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) adopted the Recommendations of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in regard to the submission made by Japan on 12 November 2008 relating to the outer limits of the extended continental shelf in Ogasawara. Rather than revising its claims in accordance with the recommendations of the CLCS, Japan has unilaterally expanded its claims, which contravenes the stipulations of UNCLOS and universal practice. Its important to note that the outer limits of extended continental shelf can only be final and binding when they are delimited on the basis of the recommendations of the CLCS. Otherwise, they shall not be acknowledged by the international community. China believes that any application on the outer limits of extended continental shelf filed by the State Party should strictly abide by the principle of common heritage of mankind enshrined in UNCLOS, and should not infringe on international seabed or harm the overall interests of the international community.

TVT: Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the relations between China and Venezuela. Last year, the two countries raised the level of their relationship. I would like to ask you what are Chinas expectations for the coming years regarding Venezuela?

Mao Ning: Last September, President Xi Jinping and President Nicolas Maduro elevated China-Venezuela relations to an all-weather strategic partnership. Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, a milestone that has unique significance for the future of our ties. China stands ready to work with Venezuela, be guided by the important common understandings reached by the two presidents, take stock of the experience drawn from the success of our 50-year bilateral relations, and achieve greater progress in China-Venezuela relations.
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday that it will launch an expiry review of anti-dumping measures aimed at toluidine, an organic chemical imported from the European Union (EU).

China in 2013 imposed anti-dumping duties on toluidine imported from the EU, with rates ranging from 19.6 to 36.9 percent. In 2019, China opted to extend these duties for another five years, according to a statement from the ministry.

Toluidine is widely used in the production of dyes, medicines and farm chemicals.

The expiry review, requested by domestic toluidine producers, will determine if terminating anti-dumping measures will lead to continued dumping and harm, the statement said.

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said it will maintain the anti-dumping duties during the review, with scope and rates remaining unchanged.

Currently, the rates are 19.6 percent for toluidine imports from LANXESS Deutschland, GmbH, and 36.9 percent for those from other EU companies, the statement said.

Toluidine imports from Britain will be exempt from anti-dumping measures starting June 28, according to the statement. 
SYDNEY, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A man has been arrested on Thursday after a woman was found dead at home in Sydney's inner-west.

New South Wales Police Force said in a statement that just after 11:00 a.m. local time, emergency services were called to a home on Clements Street in Russell Lea, following reports of a domestic incident.

With approximately 5,000 residents, the suburb is located some 6 km west of Sydney's central business district.

Upon arrival, officers found the body of a woman in her 50s, whose identity has not been formally confirmed.

A 42-year-old man, known to the woman, was arrested at the scene before being taken to Burwood Police Station.

Detective Superintendent Christine McDonald told local media that the female victim sustained "significant and multiple" stab injuries to her upper body.

Police are currently investigating the stabbing as a domestic violence incident, as the pair lived together, while it is not believed that they were in an intimate relationship, McDonald noted at a press conference. 
ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The United States spent the 20th century overthrowing democratically elected governments, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said, in response to the U.S. Congress call for an impartial probe into Pakistan's general elections held earlier this year.

Posting the screenshots of different reports of alleged intervention in the past U.S. Presidential Elections, Asif said on X, formally Twitter, that "let's look at their history of irregularities in 2016 and 2020 elections, both Democrats and Republicans accused of foreign intervention and rigging, how about asking the United Nations for probe."

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted in favor of an impartial investigation into the claims of election manipulation in Pakistan following this year's general elections.

Additionally, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, "We believe that the timing and context of this particular resolution do not align well with the positive dynamics of our bilateral ties and stems from an incomplete understanding of the political situation and electoral process in Pakistan." 
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson has voiced strong opposition to the United States and some other Western countries for shifting the blame over the Ukraine crisis.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a press conference on Thursday when responding to an inquiry concerning the recent G7 Leaders' Communique.

Wu pointed out that data shows that over 60 percent of the weapon components and dual-use goods imported by Russia are from the United States and other Western countries.

This practice of maintaining trade with Russia while interfering with and undermining normal cooperation between China and Russia is extremely hypocritical, he said.

"Instead of reflecting on their own roles in the Ukraine crisis, the United States and other Western countries have repeatedly shifted the blame onto China, which we firmly oppose," the spokesperson said.

China has been conducting normal economic and trade exchanges with all countries, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, but does not provide lethal weapons to any side in the conflict, while strictly controlling the export of dual-use items, Wu said.

China has always stood on the side of peace and the right side of history. It firmly opposes groundless accusations, and will continue to play a constructive role in the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, he said. 
BUCHAREST, June 27 (Xinhua) -- An event to promote tourism and tea culture of China's southwestern Guizhou Province was held at the China Cultural Center here on Wednesday, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty of Guizhou Province to the Romanian audience.

The event featured a cultural and tourism promotion video clip and a photo exhibition, and provided guests with opportunities to interact with the intangible cultural heritage, such as tasting Guizhou tea and drawing traditional Guizhou embroidery patterns.

Han Chunlin, Chinese ambassador to Romania, expressed his hope that this cultural and tourism platform would promote mutual learning between the two civilizations.

Cristian Barhalescu, chairman of the southeast region of the Romanian National Travel Agency Association, said that the long-standing friendly exchanges between Romania and China, along with cultural and tourism initiatives, would further strengthen the ties between the two nations.

Hosted by the Bucharest Chinese Cultural Center and the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the event attracted around 100 representatives from Romania's tourism departments, industry associations and travel agencies. 
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A commerce ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged Canada not to resort to protectionism in the disguise of "fair competition," after Canada unveiled its plan to launch a consultation process concerning Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

Spokesperson He Yadong told a press conference that the ministry had taken note of Canada's announcement that it would launch a 30-day consultation process on potential policy responses to Chinese EVs, starting from July 2. 
MANILA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Seven suspected rebels have been killed in a clash in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila, the Philippine military said on Thursday.

In a report, the military said the fighting broke out between a band of the New People's Army rebels and government forces on Wednesday afternoon in Pantabangan town.

No soldier was killed or wounded in the clash. 
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26 (Xinhua) -- One was killed and three others were injured Wednesday afternoon inside a vehicle on Interstate 5 in Federal Way in the U.S. state of Washington, according to State Patrol.

State Patrol troopers responded to the scene on northbound I-5 and found four people in a black BMW. The male driver died from being stabbed.

One male passenger was shot multiple times, and another male passenger and a female passenger each had multiple stab injuries. They were sent to the hospital for treatment, according to State Patrol. 
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Thursday warned that Lai Ching-te, leader of the Taiwan region, and others who attempt to falsify history and split the Chinese nation would surely be condemned by history and punished by law.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, remarked at a press conference when inquired about Lai's recent comments.

Wu stated that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, stressing that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

"No matter how Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities try to distort or deny it, this basic fact will not change, nor will the family bonds between compatriots on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait be severed," the spokesperson said.

He went on to emphasize that every time "Taiwan independence" separatists make provocations, the People's Liberation Army will respond with stronger countermeasures, which will pave the way for the resolution of the Taiwan question. 
YAOUNDE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed after an improvised explosive device went off along a road in Cameron's war-torn English-speaking region of Northwest, witnesses and local police said on Thursday.

Police told the local media that the blast occurred late Wednesday along the Bali-Batibo road in the region when a vehicle carrying passengers stepped on the device, which was planted along the road to target soldiers who regularly patrol the region.

The victims, according to witnesses, were three local civilians who were returning from a market.

Police said they believe the incident was set up by armed separatist fighters, who have been operating in the region since 2017.

Armed separatists want to secede from the largely French-speaking Cameroon and create an independent nation in the English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest. 
Sit-in at the Department of Justice in Support of Pro-Life Political Prisoners: Nine Young Activists Risk Arrest

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust

June 26, 2024

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- Nine young anti-abortion activists are risking arrest during a sit-in protest in support of nine pro-life inmates, and against the Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).

More than thirty activists from Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust will assemble on the corner of Pennsylvania and 10th NW, outside of the Department of Justice on Thursday, June 27th at 12 noon. They will call for the pardon and release of the nine anti-abortion political prisoners and the repeal of the FACE Act. Nine youths, representing the nine individuals who were politically targeted by the Biden DOJ, will sit down outside of the entrance of the building.

The nine political prisoners were recently sentenced to years in prison for peacefully praying inside the notorious abortion facility, Washington Surgi-Clinic. The prayerful sit-in unleashed the ire of Biden officials. Since that event, more than fifty peaceful anti-abortion activists have been targeted and arrested for FACE Act violations. In the previous decade, only seventeen activists had been arrested for the same crime.

Clearly, this is political persecution. Biden and Harris have made abortion their main re-election talking point; they have to show progress on the issue, said Jocabed Torres, an activist with the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. They are arresting prayerful grannies rather than hunting down the violent arsonists who have burned down pregnancy care clinics.

Passed in 1994, the FACE Act prevents the entrances of reproductive health clinics from being blocked through protests, intimidation, or destruction. As written, FACE Act applies to actions at abortion facilities and life-affirming pregnancy care centers. Since 2020, at least 350 pro-life clinics and organizations have been targeted with intimidation, arson, violence, and vandalism. Unlike the prayerful sit-ins at abortion facilities, these aggressions in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade violate the FACE Act. To date, only three pro-abortion advocates have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit intimidation at a pregnancy resource center in Florida. The DOJ has not made arrests in the other cases.

The FACE Act is a draconian response to peaceful protest. If we did this same sit-in at an abortion clinic, these activists would be facing up to 10 years in prison, said Emma Craig, Media Coordinator for Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust. FACE is being used by this administration to shut down pro-life speech; it should be repealed.

The Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust is a non-profit organization founded to train young adults in effective, peaceful, anti-abortion action. Last summer Survivors led an effort to prevent the DuPont all-trimester abortion business from expanding to Beverly Hills, CA. Their efforts were rewarded when DuPonts lease was rescinded by the buildings management company.

SOURCE Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust

CONTACT: Emma Craig, Media Coordinator, 707-980-8825, info@survivors.la
NEW DELHI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested two persons for their alleged active role in getting the question paper of the medical entrance test, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG, leaked last month.

Both the persons, identified as Manish Prakash and Ashutosh, were arrested from Patna, the capital city of the eastern state of Bihar after the CBI personnel grilled them at length. The controversy over the NEET-UG question paper leak has continued to rock the country for over three weeks.

After much clamor from students and academia, on June 22, the federal Ministry of Education entrusted the CBI to carry out a comprehensive probe into the alleged NEET-UG question paper leak. Over 2.3 million students appeared for the medical entrance examination on May 5.

Before the CBI was entrusted the task, the police had arrested as many as nine persons over their alleged role in the question paper leak case. 
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Since its democratic reform was initiated 65 years ago, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has witnessed economic and cultural prosperity, all-around social development, improved environment, and better lives of the people, said a senior expert Thursday.

Zhang Shigao, a senior expert with the China Tibetology Research Center, made the remarks at a meeting held by the All-China Journalists Association to mark the 65th anniversary of the democratic reform, which eradicated the long-lasting feudal serfdom in Xizang.

During the meeting, Zhang and other experts shared their views on matters such as human rights situations, pairing-up assistance for the region and the region's tourism.

Zhang noted that in 2023, Xizang's regional gross domestic product (GDP) neared 240 billion yuan (about 33.7 billion U.S. dollars) and posted one of the highest growth rates in major economic indicators nationwide.

The region has built a modern education system covering preschool, basic, vocational and higher education as well as continuing education and special education, Zhang added.

With redoubled green efforts, the region has also expanded the size of its ecological preservation zones and further restored biodiversity. For various ethnic groups living in the region, their lives have been improved and their sense of happiness greatly boosted, said Zhang. 
A participant speaks in an interview during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants exchange contact information during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants listen as a speech is delivered during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Journalists interview a participant during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants pose for a group photo during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants talk to each other during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

A volunteer (L) and a participant look at an electronic screen during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants shake hands outside a strategic partners bilateral room during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants listen during a discussion in the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants chat outside the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 26, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants chat during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants listen to a speaker during the 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, at the Dalian International Conference Center in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 25, 2024.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event, held from June 25 to 27, gathers over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Participants attend a forum during the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Staff members prepare beverage at the Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

This photo taken on June 27, 2024 shows an interior view of Dalian International Conference Center, venue of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

The closing meeting of 2024 Summer Davos is held in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

A concert is held during the closing meeting of 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Participants try AI digital image in the exhibition area of 5G new calling in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Participants attend a forum during the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Participants attend a forum during the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Participants walk out after the closing meeting of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab (3rd R, front) attends the closing meeting of the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, June 27, 2024.

The 15th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, concluded in northeast China's coastal city of Dalian on Thursday.

Featuring the theme "Next Frontiers for Growth," the event gathered over 1,700 leading figures from the public and private sectors in more than 100 countries and regions to jointly explore new drivers and pathways for global economic growth. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)
This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province.(Xinhua/Xue Chen)

CHENGDU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A pair of giant pandas from China are heading to the San Diego Zoo in the United States, the first to enter the country in over two decades.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao left their hometown in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday, transiting through Hong Kong. Sent as part of a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation program, the duo are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Thursday, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

This marks a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between the two countries, following an agreement signed in February between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Diego Zoo.

"This is a historic conservation partnership that will help protect these magnificent creatures and their habitat," tweeted Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego, who attended a farewell ceremony in Ya'an, where the pandas had been residing.

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Yun Chuan at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), are accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians on their journey.

According to Gloria, the pair could attract more visitors to the San Diego Zoo. "We anticipate a 20 to 40 percent boost in attendance...because we know people love these creatures."

"I understand the special place the giant pandas are here in China," said Gloria. "These are ambassadors, kind of like an icon for this nation."

Li Desheng, deputy director of the CCRCGP, expressed hope that Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will serve as a bridge, bringing the people of China and the United States closer together.

The CCRCGP has carried out scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, achieving fruitful results in the protection, breeding, and disease control of giant pandas.

The San Diego Zoo was the first U.S. zoo to forge a collaborative conservation program with Chinese partners. It also shares a special bond with the pandas, as Yun Chuan, a nearly five-year-old male, is the son of Zhen Zhen, who was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007.

According to the official website of China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, as of June this year, China has collaborated with 26 institutions across 20 countries to promote giant panda conservation. There are more than 50 giant pandas currently living overseas.

Wang Yiwei, a professor at the Renmin University of China, noted that he has seen widespread affection for giant pandas among people worldwide, including those in Japan, France and other countries, particularly among young people and children.

Speaking about the preparations for the arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, Paul Baribault, CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said that they have expanded the living space for the pandas.

"We've also been preparing all their food. So it feels right like they're right at home," Baribault added. 
JUBA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- There is a shortfall in funding for humanitarian needs in South Sudan despite huge needs, a UN official said on Thursday.

Guang Cong, deputy special representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Officer-in-Charge of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said only 18.3 percent of the 1.8 billion U.S. dollars required for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has been received as of June 23.

"The overall humanitarian and economic conditions are worrying. The worsening economic situation has negative implications for the political and security situation, considering the transition now requires financial outlays more than ever," Guang said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

An estimated 7.1 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity mostly in locations affected by climate-related shocks, economic crisis, and conflict, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

In May, 47 humanitarian access incidents were reported, marking a 42 percent increase from April, he said. "Of these, 23 incidents involved violence against humanitarian assets and personnel. We condemn attacks against humanitarian personnel and urge the government, at all levels, to protect humanitarian personnel and assets," Guang said.

The UN official expressed concern about the looming floods in the country, warning that it will worsen the already dire humanitarian situation in the country and might as well disrupt the conduct of elections.

He said the floods have implications for accessibility to communities as the country prepares for elections and the overall security situation because of its impact on grazing, displacement of populations in low-lying areas, and agriculture resources.

Guang said the UN presented the joint government-humanitarian community flood preparedness draft plan on June 19 to the government, which targets 2.4 million people out of the 3.3 million estimated to be affected by flooding.

The plan requires 269 million dollars out of which 84 million dollars is estimated for mitigation and preparedness activities. 
Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024. Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said on social media platform X that only a small number of UNRWA health centers remain operational in Gaza.

It said that its teams in Nuseirat in central Gaza continue to serve local families, but a severe shortage of medicine and fuel is hampering lifesaving operations.

In a separate X post, the UNRWA said piles of waste and sewage surround the Palestinians in Gaza. "Health conditions keep worsening due to crowded shelters, lack of food, water and fuel, minimal access to medical supplies, and summer heat," it said.

Twenty-one Palestinian children with cancer left Gaza on Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing for treatment abroad, the first time for patients in the strip to leave since the Rafah border crossing was closed in early May, the health authorities in Gaza said.

The way in which the patients exited is "difficult and complicated," which "has not been and will not be" an alternative to the Rafah land crossing, Mohammed Zaqout, director general of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, said during a press conference.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 others were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll from the conflict climbed to 37,718, the Gaza-based health authorities said on Wednesday. 

Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024.

Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024.

Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024.

Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024.

Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Sewage water is seen in the middle of a street between destroyed buildings in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on June 30, 2024.

Health conditions in the Palestinian coastal enclave of Gaza Strip keep worsening as residents desperately need health care, a UN refugee agency said on Thursday. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
BEIJING, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Thursday met with visiting Mozambican Defense Minister Cristovao Chume in Beijing.

Acknowledging the close exchange and fruitful cooperation between the two militaries, Dong said that deepening bilateral military cooperation is of strategic significance to achieving common development and maintaining regional stability.

China is willing to work with Mozambique to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and take military relations to a new level.

Noting the lasting friendship between the two militaries, Chume expressed the hope that both sides will continue to strengthen friendly exchange and create new highlights in their cooperation. 
XIONG'AN, Hebei Province, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A conference on the practice of the Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province was held on Thursday, gathering more than 230 leaders and representatives of political parties from nearly 40 countries.

Themed "A Millennium Prospect for the Coordinated Development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region," the conference shared Xiong'an's achievements in practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The event was co-hosted by the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, and the Party Work Committee of the Xiong'an New Area.

The establishment of the Xiong'an New Area is a pioneering move of the CPC, aiming to solve the problems facing modern urban development, explore an optimal development model for densely populated and economically intensive areas, and promote the construction of high-level modern cities, said Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

Ni Yuefeng, secretary of the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, said that the province will prioritize planning, implement various tasks that would relieve Beijing of functions non-essential to its role as China's capital, strengthen capacity building for scientific and technological innovation, and make new progress in the construction of the Xiong'an New Area.

At the conference, grassroots representatives of various sectors in the Xiong'an New Area told stories of the development and changes in Xiong'an from aspects of urban planning, sci-tech innovation, ecological conservation and community governance.

Foreign participants said that the Xiong'an New Area is a successful practice of Chinese modernization, and they expressed the hope to strengthen exchanges with the CPC, deepen exchanges of experience on state governance and promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

In April 2017, China decided to establish the Xiong'an New Area as part of a strategy to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Xiong'an was designed to be a smart, livable city that is innovative, green and free from "urban ills." 
BERLIN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Germany's new citizenship law took effect on Thursday, enabling quicker naturalization and allowing multiple passports.

A central election promise of the current government, the reform allows naturalization after five years instead of eight, provided that applicants demonstrate successful integration, proficiency in German, and financial independence while retaining their original passports.

Exceptional integration, such as outstanding job performance and alignment with national values, could further reduce the requirement to three years, noted Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.

"Many immigrants feel German, but do not want to cut ties with their country of origin," a German government statement said, adding that in the future, foreigners "will no longer be required to give up part of their identity."

With this reform, Germany aims to address its low naturalization rate of 1.1 percent, which is below the European Union average of 2 percent. One in eight foreigners residing in Germany does not possess German citizenship, though millions have lived there for over 10 years.

Europe's largest economy relies heavily on the immigration of workers due to its aging population. According to the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), around 1.8 million jobs were reported "unfilled" in 2023.

This year alone, Germany's economy is expected to lose production capacity worth 49 billion euros (52.4 billion U.S. dollars) due to labor shortages, according to a recent study by the German Economic Institute (IW).

The German government continues to ease legal barriers for skilled workers from outside the EU and has initiated agreements with countries such as India and Vietnam for targeted labor migration.

The new citizenship law is intended to further enhance Germany's appeal as a business and work destination for foreigners. (1 euro = 1.07 U.S. dollar) 
KHARTOUM, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Thursday warned of the risk of famine in 14 locations across Sudan.

"The risk of famine threatens residents, people uprooted by the war and refugees in no less than 14 areas covering Greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, and Al Jazira states, as well as hotspots in Khartoum," the UN said on its website, citing the latest report by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a multi-partner initiative for improving food security and decision-making.

"Even worse, 755,000 people face phase-five 'catastrophic' conditions in 10 states, including in Greater Darfur as well as South and North Kordofan, Blue Nile, Al Jazira and Khartoum," it said.

It noted that 8.5 million people, or 18 percent of Sudan's total population, now suffer from the phase-four "emergency" level of food insecurity.

Sudan has been embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since mid-April 2023, which has claimed more than 16,650 lives, according to the Sudan situation report updated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on June 24. 
Susan Tassone's Purgatory Book for Children Honored at Catholic Media Association Awards

Acclaimed Author and Purgatory Expert's Groundbreaking Children's Book a Winner in Five CMA Categories



NEWS PROVIDED BY

Susan Tassone

June 27, 2024



CHICAGO, June 27, 2024 /Standard Newswire/ -- "New Friends Now and Forever: A Story about the Holy Souls" children's book by seasoned best-selling author Susan Tassone, has received 5 prestigious awards from the Catholic Media Association (CMA) June 18-21 in Atlanta, Georgia.



Tassone brings the Catholic Church's teachings about death, purgatory, and prayer to children ages 6-10 in an endearing and uplifting way. Vibrant and captivating illustrations by Yorris Handoko draw young readers into a world of friendship and faith.



Honored in 5 distinct categories, "New Friends Now and Forever" earned more than any other 2024 Catholic children's book.

Front Cover Artwork: 1st Place



Faith Formation: 2nd Place



Self-Published Children's Books: 2nd Place



Design and Production Children's Book: 3rd Place



Children's Book Reader: 3rd Place

CMA Judges Voice Enthusiastic Praise



"This engaging children's story offers a creative approach to educating young Catholics about death, prayer, purgatory, and Heaven in a safe and accessible manner. With vibrant illustrations and a heartwarming narrative, it provides thought-provoking content that is suitable for all ages."



"This book is stunning, seamlessly blending captivating illustrations with engaging storytelling about Purgatory. . .With clarity and age-appropriate examples, the author presents the concept of Purgatory in a manner easily grasped by young readers, offering guidance on how they can pray for those seeking Heaven."



"I am deeply honored and grateful for these recognitions, said Tassone. This pioneering storybook was a labor of love. It's incredibly rewarding to see it resonate with readers and media professionals. Now we have a book that provides solid faith formation about this often-misunderstood doctrine that will benefit all future generations!"



A Top-Seller



With 11,000 copies sold since its release in June 2023, Tassone is especially grateful to Detroit's Archbishop Vigneron for providing this book as a faith formation resource for all its schools and parishes.



Bulk orders for dioceses, schools, parishes and bookstores contact the author.



Orders are being placed now for November celebrating the month of the Holy Souls. Known as the "Purgatory Lady," Susan Tassone has dedicated her life to researching, writing and speaking about purgatory is author of 15 best-sellers including "Day by Day for the Holy Souls in Purgatory" and "St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Holy Souls in Purgatory." She provides resources of the highest quality that present the beauty of Church teaching and enable Catholics of all ages to respond in faith.



SOURCE: Susan Tassone



CONTACT: Susan Tassone, Author, 312-315-5162, stassone25@gmail.com



Related Links



https://susantassone.com


BAGHDAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A Shiite militia in Iraq on Thursday claimed responsibility for launching joint missile attacks with Yemen's Houthi group on a site in the Haifa port in northern Israel.

The militia, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, said in an online statement that its fighters carried out a joint operation with the Houthi group by launching missile attacks on "a vital site in Haifa."

It said the attacks were carried out "in solidarity with the people in the Gaza Strip," vowing to continue to target "the enemy's strongholds."

Earlier in the day, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced in a televised statement that the group had conducted "a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in brotherly Iraq that targeted a vital target in Haifa with several cruise missiles," noting that "the operation achieved its goal successfully."

Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict on Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has launched multiple attacks on Israeli targets and U.S. bases in the region. 
This photo taken on April 18, 2024, shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

The panda pair, the first to enter the United States in over two decades, will travel to San Diego Zoo soon after their arrival in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Two giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, arrived in California, the United States, Thursday morning on a chartered flight from China, for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between China and the United States.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The black-and-white bears departed from the Bifengxia Panda Center at Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province Wednesday evening.

The duo, transited through Hong Kong and arrived in Los Angeles International Airport, were accompanied by five experienced breeders and veterinarians during the journey.

The panda pair, the first to enter the United States in over two decades, will travel to San Diego Zoo soon after their arrival in Los Angeles. The giant pandas will be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, per standard procedure, and the public debut date will be announced after the animal care team feels the bears are ready to meet visitors.

The CCRCGP has conducted scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, disease control of giant pandas and related public education. 
A boy cools off at the Fontana di Trevi in Rome, Italy, on Aug. 22, 2023. Italy is in the grip of its third major heatwave of this summer, as the hottest two-year period on record continues in the country. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

A total of 17 Italian cities will receive heat warnings this weekend as the country has suffered from unusually hot and dry summers over the last two years.

ROME, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 17 Italian cities will receive heat warnings this weekend, the country's Ministry of Health said Thursday, suggesting another unusually hot summer could be in the works.

The ministry said that 17 of Italy's 27 cities it monitors will be under Level 2 heat alerts starting Saturday, including the Tuscan capital of Florence, the Sicilian capital of Palermo and Italy's capital city of Rome.

Most of the northern part of the country is expected to avoid the worst temperature rises. However, in the northeastern corner, the cities of Trieste and Verona are likely to be hit hard by the heat. The ministry announced that the heat alerts will remain in effect until at least Monday.

People refresh themselves with water near the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, on Aug. 22, 2023. Italy is in the grip of its third major heatwave of this summer, as the hottest two-year period on record continues in the country. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

A Level 2 heat alert indicates that the weather poses a health risk, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with serious medical conditions. The ministry recommends that people in cities hit the hardest by the heat stay indoors between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. local time and take other precautions to avoid heat-related illness.

According to the Italian weather monitoring site Il Meteo, temperatures in nearly a dozen cities are expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) by Saturday, due to warm weather currents traveling north from Africa.

Italy has suffered from unusually hot and dry summers over the last two years. Average temperatures in Italy have increase by 1.1 degrees in the last 30 years. 
JUBA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 750,000 vulnerable individuals in South Sudan have benefited from access to improved water, sanitation, education, and health facilities under the Enhancing Community Resilience & Local Governance Project (ECRP) phase I, the World Bank said Wednesday.

The four-year project, funded to the tune of 45 million U.S. dollars by the World Bank, was implemented by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on behalf of the government of South Sudan.

Firas Raad, the World Bank country manager in South Sudan, said during the closing ceremony of phase I of the project in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that the project has improved access to basic infrastructure, strengthened community institutions, and enhanced livelihoods.

"We are quite proud of the fact that the ECRP I, was one of the key projects within the country that mobilized rapidly to support services for communities affected by the 2016 conflict, it provided an opportunity to complete the backlog of unfunded sub-projects under the previous local project," Raad said.

He observed that phase I of the project involved all segments of society, including women, youth, internally displaced persons, ex-combatants, and persons with disabilities, in the local development process. "This inclusive approach, which mobilizes all stakeholders on the ground, is an important contributor to social cohesion in the country and, in turn, promotes greater peace and stability," Raad said.

Under the project, more than 345 complete physical infrastructures including 33 primary school blocks, 31 health facilities, 258 water facilities, 11 market sheds, nine community access roads, and four community youth centers built in 20 counties were handed over to the government of South Sudan.

Petronella Kasaka Halwiindi, the UNOPS country manager in South Sudan, said the project has created a lasting impact in the communities across the 20 counties in all the 10 states in the country.

"We have read stories of women who are now able to give birth in clean spaces, with the help of health workers because we established special one health facilities that were constructed and electrified, enrolment and retention rates have increased due to the 68 learning spaces created and sanitary facilities that we constructed in these primary schools that were crucial in keeping girls in school," Kasaka said.

She observed that the project has built the capacity of Boma and Payam development committees to meaningfully decide on what development activities they ought to prioritize in their areas.

Paul Segawa, acting project manager for the ongoing ECRP II project, said the second phase of the project is largely focused on disaster risk management, such as flood mitigation and climate shocks.

"The project has already started; it is two years down the road already, and we still have about three years to go, so right now, we are ramping up our activities in terms of community infrastructure and disaster risk management; we are putting a lot of emphasis on flood mitigation and climate shocks. We are ramping up activities in flood protection infrastructure and flood investments," Segawa said. 
UNITED NATIONS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday extended the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until Dec. 31, 2024.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2737, the Security Council also requested the UN secretary-general to ensure that UNDOF has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate "in a safe and secure way."

The 15-member council stressed that Israel and Syria are obliged to "scrupulously and fully respect" the terms of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, and called on them to exercise maximum restraint and prevent any breaches of the ceasefire and the area of separation.

It also encouraged them to take full advantage of UNDOF's liaison function regularly to address issues of mutual concern.

The Security Council also called all groups other than UNDOF to abandon all UNDOF positions and return the peacekeepers' vehicles, weapons and other equipment, and further called on all parties to cooperate fully with UNDOF operations to ensure its freedom of movement, the security of the UN personnel carrying out their mandate, and unhindered and immediate access for them.

UNDOF was established in 1974 and has since been re-authorized every six months. It was last renewed on Dec. 21, 2023. 
HARARE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's central bank announced on Thursday that it has revised the country's growth forecast for this year down to two percent from a previous estimate of 3.5 percent.

In a statement, John Mushayavanhu, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), noted that despite the effects of the El Nino-induced drought, the Zimbabwean economy has remained resilient and is expected to grow by about two percent this year.

The drought cut Zimbabwe's cereal production by 77 percent, leaving about 60 percent of the country's population food insecure and in need of food aid, according to the government.

In April, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster over the drought, and the government has appealed for more than 3 billion U.S. dollars to respond to the drought crisis.

According to Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe's post-COVID-19 economic recovery has been strong and remains on a positive trajectory. 
DAR ES SALAAM, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Tanzania for making remarkable progress in its health status.

In its WHO Tanzania 2022-2023 Biennial Report released Thursday, the UN health agency said a healthy population is necessary for the prosperity of the Tanzanian economy.

The 62-page report catalogs several achievements in Tanzania's health sector, including a substantial reduction in maternal mortality rates. It notes that pregnancy-related deaths fell sharply from 556 per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 104 in 2022.

According to the report, Tanzania made significant strides in increasing vaccination coverage from less than 2.8 percent in 2021 to 53.8 percent in 2023 by leveraging WHO-supported initiatives.

The report notes that Tanzania's rapid and coordinated response to the Marburg virus outbreak in 2023, in cooperation with WHO, successfully contained the outbreak, protected communities, and prevented further spread.

Another remarkable achievement was Tanzania's parliament's adoption of the Universal Health Insurance Bill, facilitated by technical guidance and reviews from the WHO and partners.

"Our commitment to the people of Tanzania remains unwavering. Together with our partners, we will continue to innovate, advocate, and strive toward achieving better health outcomes for all in the next biennial and beyond," said Charles Sagoe-Moses, the WHO Tanzania country representative. 
NAIROBI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The hunting of elephants along the Kenya-Tanzania border for their tusks should be stopped to save the giant land mammals from extinction, a group of international scientists said Thursday.

In a letter published by Science, an international journal, 24 biologists, zoologists, and conservationists warned against trophy hunting of elephants along the Amboseli ecosystem that spans the Kenya-Tanzania border amid threat to tourism and the livelihoods of local communities.

According to scientists, five male adult elephants with tusks weighing more than 100 pounds (about 45 kg) were shot by trophy hunters in Tanzania in late 2023 and early 2024, posing a new threat to the survival of the iconic giant herbivore.

These elephants, according to wildlife biologists, were among the most magnificent species of the cross-border population studied for 51 years by the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP) in Kenya.

Despite being banned in Kenya for the last 50 years, trophy hunting is permitted in neighboring Tanzania though hunters are not allowed to shoot elephants in the vicinity of Amboseli National Park to help protect the cross-border species.

Cynthia Moss, the founder and director of the AERP, noted that elephants in this ecosystem that straddles Kenya and Tanzania have thrived in the decades when the hunting ban was honored.

"These elephants are not only sources of great scientific knowledge and key attractions for the ecotourism economy, but also represent a unique and irreplaceable natural wildlife heritage for the people of both countries and the world," Moss said.

Genetically predisposed to have some of the largest tusks on the African continent, the Amboseli elephants have historically been protected from both legal and illegal hunting, said Joyce Poole, director of ElephantVoices, an international elephant protection lobby, and a lead author of the letter.

Poole noted that the Amboseli cross-border elephant population holds immense scientific value, representing one of the last gene pools for large tusks, hence the need to place a ban on their hunting and safeguard their genetic future.

The scientists in their letter observed that 70 percent of African elephants are found in transboundary populations, and their hunting could disrupt ecosystem balance in neighboring countries.

Hosting more than 2,000 elephant populations, the Amboseli National Park and ranges cover about 30,000 square kilometers across Kenya and Tanzania, noted the scientists.

In addition, there are 65 elephant families in this population while 17 families totaling 365 members frequently cross into Tanzania, said the scientists, adding that older males with huge tusks are the primary target for trophy hunters. 
ISLAMABAD, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved joint venture projects between Chinese and Pakistani companies regarding the transfer of Chinese industries to Pakistan, the Prime Minister's office said in a statement here.

Presiding over an important meeting on the Board of Investment affairs, Sharif said that promoting domestic and foreign investment remains the government's top priority, the statement added.

"The government is taking all possible measures to provide a business-friendly environment for traders and investors," he said.

Sharif also instructed a review of the draft legislation for the one-stop-shop in the special economic zones (SEZs), to facilitate Chinese and other investors interested in setting up joint venture projects in the SEZs.

There is significant potential for the relocation of Chinese industries such as textiles, leather, footwear, and others to Pakistan, said the prime minister, highlighting the importance of this initiative.

During the meeting, the secretary of the Board of Investment provided a detailed briefing on the steps being taken regarding the relocation of Chinese industries to Pakistan. 
HANOI, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese National Assembly on Thursday approved a ban on driving with any level of blood alcohol, as part of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, local media reported.

The zero blood and breath alcohol provision has been implemented for several years in Vietnam, but only now is set to become law, VnExpress reported.

The National Assembly Standing Committee said maintaining the zero-alcohol tolerance aimed to protect the life, health and property of citizens and safeguard social resources. It will help establish a culture of "no drinking and driving."

Drivers with alcohol will face a penalty of 2 million Vietnamese dong (78 U.S. dollars) to 8 million dong (314 U.S. dollars), and have license suspended from 10 to 24 months depending on their level of alcohol, according to the newly-passed law. 
Nazrin Abdul

At the "Air Cargo China 2024" exhibition, Silk Way West Airlines, a leading cargo carrier in the Caspian and Central Asian regions, signed a memorandum of understanding with China Henan Aviation Group. This partnership aims to establish a robust bilateral hub connecting Asia-Pacific with Europe, the Americas, and Africa, enhancing air cargo efficiency between Zhengzhou and Baku, Azernews reports.

Silk Way West Airlines' participation in "Air Cargo China 2024" marks its global expansion ambitions and pursuit of new business opportunities. The airline's debut at this prestigious event underscores its commitment to strengthen its presence in Asia and forge new partnerships in the international air cargo sector.

Having successfully operated in China for over a decade, Silk Way West Airlines continues to expand its services and network. The memorandum with China Henan Aviation Group signifies a milestone in enhancing relations and exploring new avenues for growth.

The collaboration leverages the strategic locations, extensive route networks, and valuable resources of both partners. Silk Way West Airlines and China Henan Aviation Group aim to significantly increase cargo route frequency between Zhengzhou and Baku through joint efforts. This initiative positions Zhengzhou as a pivotal hub in the Asia-Pacific region and Baku as a key gateway to Europe, America, Africa, and beyond.

"We are excited about our partnership with China Henan Aviation Group," said Jenny Cao, Vice President of Asia-Pacific at Silk Way West Airlines. "This collaboration will boost our cargo throughput and volume in Zhengzhou, supported by efficient ground operations. It marks a significant step towards enhancing bilateral cooperation under the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative."

Established in 2012 in Baku, Silk Way West Airlines operates a fleet of 12 modern cargo planes, including Boeing 777F, Boeing 747-8F, and 747-400F, based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. The airline conducts hundreds of monthly flights and plans to upgrade its fleet by 2030 to meet global logistics demands, emphasising sustainability and efficiency.

With an annual cargo turnover exceeding 500,000 tons, Silk Way West Airlines serves over 40 destinations across America, Europe, CIS countries, the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Asia.
VIENTIANE, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Laos' Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has launched a national strategy on climate change towards 2030 and a booklet about climate change, aiming to build climate change resilience.

A ceremony to publicize the strategy and the booklet took place in capital Vientiane on Wednesday, Lao National Radio reported on Thursday.

Speaking at the event, Lao Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Phouvong Luangxaysana said the Lao government places a strong emphasis on efforts to resolve the climate change issue.

The Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is currently formulating the low greenhouse gas emissions strategy and the decree on carbon credit in Laos.

These important policies and legislative documents will be used as a framework by government bodies at the central and local levels to carry out the work required to slow climate change.

The government is also working towards the goal of reducing the emission and absorption of greenhouse gas to zero by the year 2050. 
Cambodia's Health Minister Chheang Ra (6th L, back) poses for a group photo with members of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 27, 2024.

Cambodia on Thursday awarded the government's honorable medal decorations to the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team after they had successfully completed their one-year mission in helping the country fight the COVID-19 and other diseases. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday awarded the government's honorable medal decorations to the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team after they had successfully completed their one-year mission in helping the country fight the COVID-19 and other diseases.

Cambodia's Health Minister Chheang Ra presented the "Royal Order of Monisaraphon" medals to Liu Zhen, visiting president of the Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences, and the eight TCM experts in the second batch at a ceremony held in Phnom Penh.

The minister said the medals were conferred in recognition of their significant contributions to help treat patients and train Cambodian medical practitioners in using TCM.

"The TCM medical aid team has not only helped save Cambodian patients' lives, but also contributed further to deepening the bond of friendship between China and Cambodia," Ra said.

"The presence of the TCM medical aid team in Cambodia is a model of long-term friendship and cooperation between Cambodia and China in the area of health," he added.

Ra said Cambodia was pleased to continue cooperating with China in the promotion and development of TCM in the Southeast Asian country.

According to the minister, China has dispatched its TCM medical aid team to assist Cambodia in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic at the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital in Phnom Penh since March 2022.

Since then, two batches of the TCM medical aid team have completed their missions in the kingdom, he said.

He added that the first batch TCM medical aid team accepted about 9,600 Cambodian patients from March 2022 to mid-2023, and the second batch team provided clinical services to 11,175 patients from mid-2023 to date.

Tan Sokun, director of the Cambodia-China Friendship Preah Kossamak Hospital, said TCM has gained popularity in Cambodia, thanks to its efficacy and safety in treating a number of diseases.

TCM is efficacious in healing issues such as osteoporosis, insomnia, infertility, pain, chronic cough, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease. It consists of therapies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and Tuina remedial massage. 

Cambodia's Health Minister Chheang Ra (L) presents a medal to Liu Zhen, visiting president of the Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 27, 2024.

Cambodia on Thursday awarded the government's honorable medal decorations to the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team after they had successfully completed their one-year mission in helping the country fight the COVID-19 and other diseases. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

Cambodia's Health Minister Chheang Ra (L, front) presents a medal to a member of the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team at a ceremony held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 27, 2024. Cambodia on Thursday awarded the government's honorable medal decorations to the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical aid team after they had successfully completed their one-year mission in helping the country fight the COVID-19 and other diseases. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)
A man walks past an electronic screen showing the real-time exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo, Japan, June 27, 2024.

The U.S. dollar rose as high as 160.88 yen in New York, marking the Japanese currency's weakest level since December 1986 and surpassing 160.24 yen hit on April 29, a level that prompted Japan to intervene by buying the yen for the U.S. currency. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

TOKYO, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese yen continued to fall against the U.S. dollar to the upper 160 range early Thursday in Tokyo after slumping to its lowest level in over 37 years as traders grew wary of another possible market intervention by Japanese authorities.

The U.S. dollar rose as high as 160.88 yen in New York, marking the Japanese currency's weakest level since December 1986 and surpassing 160.24 yen hit on April 29, a level that prompted Japan to intervene by buying the yen for the U.S. currency.

Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki on Thursday expressed "strong concerns" about the impact of the yen's depreciation on the economy. Noting that "rapid and one-sided" yen moves are undesirable, he said Japan is looking at what is driving the yen's fall and will take necessary action if needed.

On April 29 when the U.S. currency briefly climbed to 160.24 yen, its highest level in 34 years, the Japanese government and the Bank of Japan apparently stepped into the market and spent some 9.8 trillion yen (61.64 billion U.S. dollars) to prop up the currency. 

A man walks past an electronic screen showing the real-time exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo, Japan, June 27, 2024.

The U.S. dollar rose as high as 160.88 yen in New York, marking the Japanese currency's weakest level since December 1986 and surpassing 160.24 yen hit on April 29, a level that prompted Japan to intervene by buying the yen for the U.S. currency. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)

A bus passes an electronic screen showing the real-time exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo, Japan, June 27, 2024.

The U.S. dollar rose as high as 160.88 yen in New York, marking the Japanese currency's weakest level since December 1986 and surpassing 160.24 yen hit on April 29, a level that prompted Japan to intervene by buying the yen for the U.S. currency. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
Chinese sailors wave good-bye to their Vietnamese counterparts after the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 27, 2024. The Chinese and Vietnamese navies concluded their 36th joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf on Thursday. The two sides each sent two vessels for the two-day patrol. The Chinese navy dispatched the two vessels Tongling and Hanzhong. The patrol, a routine activity in line with an agreement signed by the two countries in 2005, aims to deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. (Photo by Zhou Luyao/Xinhua)

GUANGZHOU, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Vietnamese navies concluded their 36th joint patrol in the Beibu Gulf on Thursday.

The two sides each sent two vessels for the two-day patrol. The Chinese navy dispatched the two vessels Tongling and Hanzhong.

During the patrol, the Chinese and Vietnamese naval vessels shared information on their respective courses, as well as on hydrometeorological, maritime and air conditions via maritime communication.

The two sides also conducted joint search and rescue, and signal light drills.

The patrol, a routine activity in line with an agreement signed by the two countries in 2005, aims to deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. 

A Vietnamese vessel patrols during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Zhou Luyao/Xinhua)

A Chinese sailor gives order during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Tong Jiajun/Xinhua)

Chinese sailors send light signals during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Tong Jiajun/Xinhua)

A Chinese vessel patrols during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Tong Jiajun/Xinhua)

Chinese sailors wave good-bye to their Vietnamese counterparts after the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 27, 2024. (Photo by Li Zhengsong/Xinhua)

Chinese sailors wave good-bye to their Vietnamese counterparts after the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 27, 2024. (Photo by Li Zhengsong/Xinhua)

Chinese and Vietnamese navies conduct a search and rescue drill during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Li Zhengsong/Xinhua)

Chinese sailors make a search plan during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Tong Jiajun/Xinhua)

Chinese vessels patrol during the 36th joint patrol of Chinese and Vietnamese navies in Beibu Gulf in the South China Sea, June 26, 2024. (Photo by Li Zhengsong/Xinhua)
MANGOCHI, Malawi, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The Danish Red Cross has embarked on a cash distribution exercise to households affected by El Nino-induced floods and dry spell in Malawi's eastern lakeshore district of Mangochi.

The organization rolled out the exercise Tuesday through the Malawi Red Cross Society and the program is to run from June to September, targeting over 700 households with each getting 29 U.S. dollars per month to maintain their livelihoods.

A sum of 109,000 U.S. dollars is expected to be distributed in the program, according to Nuria Beneitez, acting country manager for the Danish Red Cross.

She told local media that her organization's mission is to help Malawi's government create resilience of communities against climate shocks.

Spokesperson for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs Chipiliro Khamula told Xinhua Wednesday that the country continues to receive support from international organizations since President Lazarus Chakwera declared a state of disaster in most districts of the country in March.

Malawi still needs over 440 million dollars to assist over 2 million affected households, hence the support by the Danish Red Cross has come at an opportune time, Khamula said. 
MOSCOW, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Changes may be made to the Russian nuclear doctrine in light of the Ukrainian conflict, local media reported Thursday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Ryabkov said "further clarifications" would probably be made to the doctrine to reflect the experience from the Ukrainian conflict "when the classic old interpretation of nuclear deterrence did not work properly," RIA Novosti reported.

Russia is ready to do everything to ensure its security, and "Western provocateurs" must understand this, Ryabkov said.

He also noted, however, that everything must be done to prevent a slide into the use of nuclear weapons. 
LOS ANGELES, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Two giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, arrived in California, the United States, Thursday morning on a chartered flight from China, for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between China and the United States.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The black-and-white bears departed from the Bifengxia Panda Center at Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province Wednesday evening.

The duo, which transited through Hong Kong and arrived in Los Angeles International Airport, were accompanied by five experienced breeders and veterinarians during the journey.

The panda pair, the first to enter the United States in over two decades, will travel to San Diego Zoo soon after their arrival in Los Angeles. They will be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, per standard procedure, and the public debut date will be announced after the animal care team feels the bears are ready to meet visitors.

The CCRCGP has conducted scientific research cooperation with San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, and disease control of giant pandas, and related public education.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Nearly 1,900 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi in China, rising from 1,100 in the 1980s.

As one symbol of the cooperation, Yun Chuan is the son of Zhen Zhen, who was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007, and the grandson of Baiyun, who lived at the zoo for more than 20 years. Then-27-year-old Bai Yun and her son, Xiao Liwu, San Diego Zoo's last two giant pandas, were sent back to China in 2019 as the zoo's last conservation agreement with China ended.

Many San Diego residents, tourists, as well as park officials were reluctant to say goodbye to those giant pandas, which have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples. They have been looking forward to welcoming the beloved zoo icon back.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the San Diego Zoo family," said Paul Baribault, the president and chief executive officer for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in a press release, noting that the nonprofit conservation organization's long-standing partnership with its Chinese partners "has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species."

Baribault told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Sichuan earlier this week that the whole organization is excited to welcome the pandas and has "been doing quite a bit to get ready" for their arrival.

"We are getting their spaces all set and expanded the space for them, making it even better than it ever was before," he said, adding, "We've also been preparing all their food. Our scientists have been getting ready. Our teams have been coming over here to get to know the pandas. So that transition is smooth and easy for them." 
Italian drinks major Campari has denied claims it is being investigated by prosecutors over alleged tax evasion.

A report by news agency Reuters yesterday (26 June) claimed prosecutors in Milan had opened an investigation into the holding company that controls Campari  Lagfin  citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

It said tax police uncovered around 1bn ($1.07bn) of unpaid taxes from 2018 to 2020 owed by the Luxembourg-based Lagfin.

In a responding statement, the Aperol brand owner rebuffed the allegations regarding Campari and any of its subsidiaries.

It said: In relation to some articles published on June 26th by the media, Campari Group clarifies that neither Davide Campari-Milano N.V. nor any of its subsidiaries are under investigation by the authorities.

Therefore, no impact is expected for Davide Campari-Milano N.V. nor for any of its subsidiaries.

Lagfin told Reuters: The company has always fulfilled its tax obligations with the utmost scruple in all the jurisdictions where it operates and considers any potential objection to be devoid of any basis.

In a note to clients, Trevor Stirling, an equity analyst covering the beverages sector at AllianceBernstein, questioned the connection between Campari and Lafgin and called the headlines misleading.

He wrote: Lagfin is the Luxembourg holding company of the Garavoglio family which owns 51% of Campari. So we see no direct implications for Campari itself.

Stirling added: In our view, a worst case would be that there is a formal investigation, that Lagfin is found to have underpaid taxes and has to make a substantial back payment.

However, Lagfins stake in Campari is worth 5.8bn; and unless it is already highly levered, we think that surely some friendly bankers would be willing to lend against this stake.

In an extremely unlikely scenario, Lagfin might have to sell some of their Campari shareholding, which would still leave it with a massive majority of the voting rights. However, we believe that in this extremely unlikely scenario, there could be a temporary stock overhang until, the market digests the placement.

"Campari Group rebuffs tax-evasion probe claims" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
As predicted, McLaren is operating from a temporary setup at the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend as their regular Team Hub unit undergoes a deep clean following a fire in Barcelona.

Disaster struck McLaren during the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday morning when a suspected electrical issue sparked a blaze in the kitchen of the Woking-based outfits hospitality center.

Thankfully, everyone was evacuated safely, with only one team member requiring a precautionary hospital visit due to smoke inhalation. However, the fire significantly damaged the motorhome, rendering it unusable for the rest of the race weekend.

McLarens crews have been working tirelessly to clean and repair the damage. But initial efforts focused on a quick turnaround for the next race, but a more thorough deep clean is now underway in Germany.

While there's a chance the Team Hub might be ready for the British Grand Prix, a return before the summer break seems more likely.

Unwilling to let the setback hinder their operations, McLaren has secured a temporary motorhome from their German engineering base partner, Schuler.

While obviously smaller than their usual Team Hub unit, the limited number of guests expected at the Red Bull Ring this weekend allows McLaren to function with minimal disruption.

The temporary facility offers adequate space for engineers and can provide meals for mechanics when needed. McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have had their driver rooms relocated to the Performance Centre, alongside team principal Andrea Stella's office.

While the fight for victory on the track is fierce, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella highlighted the remarkable logistical support his team received from its rivals, and the FIA, in Barcelona.

The assistance, the solidarity, the sympathy, the support we received from each and every one of all the other teams, F1, and the FIA, it gave us, I think a genuine true emotion," commented the Italian. "We were touched.

"I was talking with another member of the team about the sense of community that we have in this paddock, and that sometimes we forget about that because we are here to compete with each other."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
ST. LOUIS  A $1.2 billion redevelopment project for the St. Louis riverfront is one step closer to taking shape as board members approved a key tax break.

On Tuesday, board members with the St. Louis Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority approved a sales tax exemption on construction materials for a riverfront plan known as the Gateway South Project.

A resolution passed Tuesday will allow the LCRA to issue up to $155 million in taxable industrial revenue bonds to finance the first phase of the project. The LCRA approved several other incentives and tax abatements prior to Tuesday to help the project moved forward.

Massive Alton, Illinois sinkhole swallows light pole

Led by developer Good Developments Group, the riverfront plan calls for a 100-acre, mixed-use district that focuses on the construction industry just south of the Gateway Arch.

Early stages of development would include facilities and logistics infrastructure for firms manufacturing building modules and building components. Later stages would include residential housing, offices, retail space and more.

The exact timeline for the project remains up in the air, though the development is expected to take several years to complete. Good Developments Group has not responded to FOX 2s request for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.

NOTE: Video is from FOX 2s coverage of the riverfront plan in February 2023.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Nazrin Abdul

In Azerbaijan, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy, comprising 99.6% of all businesses, Azernews reports.

The Small and Medium Business Development Agency, part of the Ministry of Economy, reports that 96.8% are micro-enterprises, 2% are small enterprises, and 0.8% are medium enterprises.

Globally recognised on June 27 as the Day of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises since 2017, this day highlights their pivotal role in sustainable development and the economy. SMEs are acknowledged as drivers of economic growth, providing employment, reducing poverty, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and contributing significantly to achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Worldwide, SMEs constitute about 90% of all companies, employing 60-70% of the workforce and generating 50-60% of GDP.

In Azerbaijan, the categorization of micro, small, medium, and large businesses was formalised by a Cabinet of Ministers' Decision in 2018. Micro-enterprises employ up to 10 individuals and earn up to 200,000 manats annually, while small enterprises employ 11-50 people with annual earnings of 200,000 to 3 million manats. Medium enterprises have 51-250 employees and earn between 3 and 30 million manats annually.

The sectors where Azerbaijani SMEs are most active include trade, agriculture, construction, processing, logistics, industry, tourism, public catering, and transport. Over the past five years, under the new SME classification criteria, the number of SMEs has increased by 54%. Their contribution to the non-oil/gas sector's added value has risen from 23.5% to 27.2%, generating approximately 17.2 billion manats in added value. Employment in SMEs has grown by 31%, surpassing 370,000 workers.

In 2023, the turnover of Azerbaijan's SME sector reached 43.8 billion manats, marking a 13% increase from 2022. This growth reflects positive trends in company numbers and criteria compliance, with approximately 5,300 companies meeting growth standards.

The government provides extensive support to entrepreneurs and SMEs, including tax incentives, customs benefits, infrastructure development, preferential loans, and subsidies. The Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMB) plays a pivotal role in enhancing state policy effectiveness, implementing institutional support, and facilitating business establishment and growth.

Looking forward, Azerbaijan aims to further digitise SMEs, enhance their role in transitioning to a green economy, and support their activities in recently liberated territories. This strategic focus aligns with Azerbaijan's broader socio-economic goals outlined in the "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" strategy, reinforcing SMEs as a cornerstone of economic growth and employment.




Image source: Getty Images

When you stride through the doors of Costco, ready to conquer your grocery list and perhaps indulge in a delectably inexpensive hot dog combo, you're stepping into a world brimming with more than just bulk goods. Costco is the kingdom of oversized everything -- from packs of socks to barrels of pretzels -- but it's also a treasure trove of membership perks that are all too easy to overlook amid the bustling aisles.

Let's peel back the layers of the Costco cake (which, by the way, is another excellent reason to visit) and reveal the top three Costco perks you might be missing out on. These aren't just added bonuses; they're game-changers that can enhance your personal finances, protect your assets, and support your business endeavors.

1. Travel discounts

Think of Costco the next time you're daydreaming about a vacation. Through Costco Travel, your membership unlocks a world of travel discounts that can make those dreams a reality. Imagine jetting off to an exotic beach or exploring a bustling European city, knowing you snagged the adventure for a steal.

Costco offers great deals on vacation packages, car rentals, and cruises. Its travel perks often come with little extras like room upgrades or Costco Cash Cards, making your trip a bit more special. And Executive members receive 2% back on Costco Travel purchases as part of their annual reward certificate. Before you book your next escape, take a peek at what Costco Travel has to offer -- it might just be the best decision you make for your travel budget.

2. Insurance coverage

Most of us think about groceries and gadgets when we think of Costco, but how about insurance? Costco partners with top insurers to provide you with discounts on health, dental, auto, and home insurance. For example, Costco Gold Star and Business members can enjoy a 15% discount on Figo Pet Insurance, where available.

Whether you're buying a new car through the Costco Auto Program or protecting your home, these services offer the security of knowing you're covered, often at a fraction of the usual cost. The next time you pass by the service desk, take a moment to ask about the insurance perks -- your wallet will thank you.

3. Business services

If you're nurturing a budding enterprise or steering a thriving business, Costco's Business Services might be the secret weapon you need. From payment processing to payroll solutions, Costco provides a suite of tools designed to streamline operations and cut costs.

For example, could your business be overpaying for credit card processing? Well, Elavon's payment processing service, available through Costco, offers a compelling option for Executive members. On average, members have reported saving approximately $1,574 annually on their credit card processing fees. This substantial saving could be a game-changer for your business, so it's worth taking a closer look to see if it aligns with your financial strategies and goals.

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Take advantage of all your Costco membership's perks

So, the next time you're navigating your local Costco, laden with your shopping haul, remember: there's a whole lot more on offer than what meets the eye. Whether planning your next great vacation, safeguarding your treasured possessions, or pushing your business forward, your Costco membership is a gateway to an array of exciting perks.

Dive into these opportunities, chat with the friendly staff members about what's available, and maximize your membership. Trust me, it's worth exploring every nook and cranny of those Costco perks. You never know what might change your life -- or at least make it a little easier and cheaper.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

If youre shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, youll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period.

Click here to read our expert recommendations for free!

We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and JPMorgan Chase. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

3 Costco Perks You're Probably Missing Out On was originally published by The Motley Fool
Ruffo de Alba Forwarders, SAI Logistics Experts and Moving Technologies of America were investigated for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. (Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

The Department of Labor has ordered three cross-border logistics companies in the San Diego area to pay $840,000 in back wages and fines to warehouse and transportation workers.

The wages were recovered from Ruffo de Alba Forwarders LP, SAI Logistics Experts Inc. and Moving Technologies of America Inc. for 32 Mexican nationals, some paid as little as $2.77 an hour, according to a news release.

Companies along the U.S. southern border that mistakenly believe they can exploit Mexican nationals by paying illegally low wages should take note of the outcome of these investigations, Min Park-Chung, Wage and Hour Division district director in San Diego, said in the release. To root out employers who abuse and exploit workers for profit, the division is working closely with the Consulate General of Mexico to educate Mexican nationals about their rights as workers.

The Labor Department said Moving Technologies of America, a subsidiary of Vadeto Group LLC, paid five workers as low as $2.77 per hour in Mexican pesos.





Investigators said Edgar Vargas, owner of Moving Technologies of America, alleged the workers were independent contractors paid by OGEID Formacion Empresarial SA DE CV in Mexico, which investigators determined was another Vadeto Group subsidiary.

Vargas tried to mask the workers employment status by assigning them code numbers to use in place of their names when signing the companys visitor log, investigators said.

A cease-and-desist letter was also issued against Vargas and Moving Technologies of America due to alleged retaliation against workers who cooperated with investigators.

Following its investigation, the labor department recovered $75,132  representing $37,566 in back wages and an equal amount in damages  for the five employees and assessed $3,324 in penalties to Vargas and Moving Technologies of America for repeated disregard of the law.





Ruffo de Alba Forwarders and SAI Logistics Experts used similar underpayment practices against Mexican National employees.

Ruffo de Alba Forwarders paid 14 workers at rates of $3.27 per hour in Mexican pesos, while SAI Logistics Experts paid 13 workers $3.86 per hour in Mexican pesos, investigators said.

Ruffo de Alba Forwarders and owner Andres Ruffo was ordered to pay $222,899 in wages owed to its 14 workers and damages totaling $445,798, as well as $8,645 in penalties for their misconduct to the department.

SAI Logistics Experts was ordered to pay $318,249 in wages, overtime and liquidated damages owed to 13 workers and pay the department $8,645 in penalties.

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In a related case, the department filed a lawsuit against Calexico, California-based NBG Logistics Alliance Inc. on June 21 for allegedly obstructing a similar investigation and retaliating against employees. The company also has a location in San Diego.

Investigators allege NBG Logistics Alliance ferried employees to a local fast-food restaurant quickly when investigators showed up at an NBG warehouse.

The employees were then told to return to Mexico, preventing them from meeting with investigators onsite, the Labor Department said. The company later fired some of the workers shortly after. The department seeks a preliminary injunction forbidding further retaliation against workers and interference with the investigation.





The post 3 logistics companies ordered to pay $840K for underpaying workers appeared first on FreightWaves.
ZANESVILLE  The Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority will build a 201,600-square-foot Class A commercial building configured for light manufacturing/warehouse space at 305 Prosperity Parkway in Zanesville.

A $4 million loan from the Ohio Department of Development through the Rural Industrial Park Loan program will assist in financing the $17 million dollar project.

The Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority will construct a new 201,600 square-foot Class A commercial building, as seen in this rendering. The new building will not only help to attract new businesses to the Zanesville-Muskingum County area, but it will also help existing businesses grow and expand, Matt Abbot, director of the port authority, said.

The loan program promotes economic development by providing low-interest direct loans to eligible applicants for financing the development and improvement of industrial parks and related off-site public infrastructure improvements. Its part of ODDs efforts to boost businesses and enrich communities.

More than $10.5 million was released last week by ODD through either the Regional 166 Direct Loan program, the Roadwork Development Grant (629) program, or the Rural Industrial Park Loan program.

Its very exciting, said Matt Abbot, executive director of the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, who expects construction to begin later this year. This has been ongoing for quite some time now. It will provide our community with a true asset that meets the true demand for speed to market.

Building details and impact

The total project cost is $17,215,876 million. Abbott said the $4 million from the state joins another multi-million grant expected from the state that is still to be announced. Marker Development will chip in whatever remains, he said.

The new building is expected to be completed sometime in 2026. It will feature 20 dock doors, two drive-in doors, 32 feet clear height, precast concrete walls, and the ability to expand trailer parking on an 11.5-acre parcel within the 200-acre National Road Business Park. It will create at least 50 full-time equivalent jobs at the project site.

What dictates to us what our needs are as a community is what the business community is telling us they need, said Abbot. We dont have a lot to offer in commercial and industrial building space. We recognized the void in that. And we had missed some (business) opportunities because of that.

Abbot said the new building will not only help to attract new businesses to the Zanesville-Muskingum County area, but it will also help existing businesses grow and expand.

We have to have this type of stick in the community to give them an opportunity to grow and not have to relocate out of state, said Abbot. Thats the number one goal of our organization is business retention and keeping the companies we have and ones that are in growth mode.

He said the building is unique regionally as well, and will assist other companies outside of Muskingum County, should there be a need.

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Its flexible for what can be stored there, said Abbot. It could house one company or it could house multiple companies.

He said theres a unique opportunity for companies who come in early and sign on for space while the facility is being built.

Interested parties would have an opportunity to cater the facility to a way thats more conducive to their operation and business, said Abbot. As we break ground and start construction, we will have a lot of leads and a lot of interest.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority plans commercial building
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Dowlais Group implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

The top 19 shareholders own 51% of the company

Insiders have bought recently

Every investor in Dowlais Group plc (LON:DWL) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. With 78% stake, institutions possess the maximum shares in the company. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Dowlais Group.

See our latest analysis for Dowlais Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Dowlais Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Dowlais Group. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Dowlais Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Dowlais Group. Our data shows that Fidelity International Ltd is the largest shareholder with 6.3% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and Capital Research and Management Company, with an equal amount of shares to their name at 4.7%.

Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 51% of the ownership is controlled by the top 19 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

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Insider Ownership Of Dowlais Group

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Dowlais Group plc in their own names. It is a pretty big company, so it would be possible for board members to own a meaningful interest in the company, without owning much of a proportional interest. In this case, they own around UK4.1m worth of shares (at current prices). Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 20% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Dowlais Group you should know about.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Investing in mutual funds for retirement is never too late. And the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be an excellent tool for investors looking to invest in the best funds.

The easiest way to judge a mutual fund's quality over time is by analyzing its performance, diversification, and fees. Using the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of over 19,000 mutual funds, we've identified three outstanding mutual funds that are ideally suited to help long-term investors pursue and achieve their retirement investing goals.

Let's break down some of the mutual funds with the top Zacks Mutual Fund Rank and the lowest fees.

DFA US Core Equity 2 I (DFQTX) has a 0.19% expense ratio and 0.16% management fee. DFQTX is part of the Large Cap Blend section, and these mutual funds most often invest in firms with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more. By investing in bigger companies, these funds offer more stability, and are often well-suited for investors with a "buy and hold" mindset. With yearly returns of 15.14% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

Columbia Small Cap Value I Class R5 (CUURX). Expense ratio: 0.91%. Management fee: 0.81%. CUURX is a Small Cap Value fund, and these funds are known for investing in companies with market caps under $2 billion. This fund has managed to produce a robust 13.12% over the last five years.

Vanguard Strategic Equity Fund (VSEQX) is an attractive large-cap allocation. VSEQX is a Mid Cap Blend mutual fund that typically features a portfolio filled with stocks of various sizes and styles; it allows for a diversification strategy focusing on companies with market caps between $2 billion and $10 billion. VSEQX has an expense ratio of 0.17%, management fee of 0.16%, and annual returns of 13.28% over the past five years.

There you have it. If your financial advisor had you put your money into any of our top-ranked funds, then they've got you covered. If not, you may need to talk.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Get Your Free (CUURX): Fund Analysis Report

Get Your Free (VSEQX): Fund Analysis Report

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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research
(Bloomberg) -- Anduril Industries Inc. is in talks with Peter Thiels Founders Fund and other investors to raise $1.5 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, in what would be one of the years largest funding rounds not exclusively focused on artificial intelligence.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Investors were anxious to put money into the round, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. There was $5 billion worth of demand from investors for the deal, said some of the people, but the company chose to take a smaller sum.

The deal would value the startup, co-founded seven years ago by Oculus headset creator Palmer Luckey, at $14 billion including dollars raised. The Information earlier reported details of the discussions. Anduril did not comment on the talks.

VC demand for a piece of the startup underscores Silicon Valleys growing interest in defense technology. Investors have poured money into the industry over the last year with hopes that the Pentagon will seek to update its technology and make bets on new startups. Historically, its been difficult for new companies to do business with the government.

Investor interest in Anduril picked up after the startup was selected by the US Air Force in April as one of two vendors to move forward on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, one person said. Anduril is proud to pave the way for other non-traditional defense companies to compete and deliver on large scale programs, the company said in a statement about the contract.

The company will put the money toward research and development and scaling up manufacturing, one person said. It could also seek to make acquisitions, another person said.

Founders Fund is slated to co-lead the investment with Sands Capital. The details of the deal are in flux and could still change.

--With assistance from Lizette Chapman.

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(Photo: Business Wire)

(Photo: Business Wire)

(Photo: Business Wire)

(Photo: Business Wire)

Ant International announces momentum in serving global MSMEs across its businesses  Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst, ANEXT Bank and newly-introduced bettr

Ant International launches the second edition of SisBerdaya in Indonesia with DANA, and shares milestones in its 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion program

In celebration of International MSME Day, Ant International launches global "Embrace the Power of Small" campaign featuring the stories of three entrepreneurs, across out-of-home billboards, TV and social media

SINGAPORE, June 27, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On 2024 International MSME Day, Ant International, a digital payment and financial services leader, shares that it supports almost 100 million Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) worldwide across its businesses and partner programs; and reinforces its commitments towards MSME digitalization and inclusion through the expansion of its services, new programs for skills development with industry partners, and a new global campaign.

"MSMEs are the lifeblood of our economies, driving innovation, employment, and inclusive development," said Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International. "Their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit deserve to be celebrated and nurtured. At Ant International, we firmly believe in the power of small and that small businesses can make a big impact. Fintech innovations today unlock new possibilities for small businesses to dream boldly and compete globally. Together with our partners, we want to ensure that every business and every person will have access to the knowledge, network, and digital tools to help them achieve their goals."

Empowering growth for MSMEs through digitalization

Across its businesses, Ant International offers solutions that enable MSMEs to digitalize, opening new growth opportunities.

Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions operated by Ant International, announced an expansion of its global acceptance. As of June 2024, Alipay+ is accepted by over 90 million merchants in over 66 markets, connecting businesses to users of 30 international payment partners. With travel picking up and tourism a key driver of many local economies, this enables many small businesses to connect with global mobile-first consumers in a simple, cost-efficient manner.

A key development in driving digitalization at scale is through Alipay+s integration with national QRs. Alipay+ is currently integrated with the national QRs of Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, which counts MSMEs as majority of its merchants. In Singapore, Alipay+ transactions at hawker stalls have increased 52% in H1 2024, compared to H2 2023. In Malaysia and South Korea, Alipay+ transactions increased 44% and 54% respectively via PayNet and ZeroPay, in Q2 vs Q1 2024. Alipay+ also has partnerships with national QRs in Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

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As a leading provider of digital payment solutions, Antom supports merchants of all sizes, including MSMEs, across over 40 countries and regions. Through a single integration, Antom connects them to more than 250 payment methods in over 150 markets. Its D-store solution enables MSME merchants to digitalize their operations and set up an online store in just 10 minutes with zero upfront cost. Over 5000 outlets have already onboarded this solution, with average monthly transactions growing by 27% in Q2 vs Q1 2024.

In supporting MSMEs to do business globally, WorldFirst empowers more than 1 million SMEs with international payments to 200+ markets in over 100 currencies. To enable more SMEs to do cross-border trade, WorldFirst will expand to more markets in Southeast Asia and Europe this year. ANEXT Bank, a digital wholesale bank incorporated in Singapore, recently celebrated its second anniversary, with two times year-on-year increase in its customer base, of which 69% are micro businesses. To further support regional MSMEs, ANEXT Bank has introduced its second batch of SME Friends of ANEXT with forward-thinking small and growing businesses to co-create the "digital bank of tomorrow".

Ant International has also recently unveiled bettr, a new global digital lending service to provide micro lending to MSMEs through embedded finance partnerships, further accelerating financial inclusion.

Harnessing industry partnerships to drive MSME development

Ant International believes in open industry collaboration to jointly support knowledge and skills development for MSMEs.

In Indonesia, Ant International and DANA will launch the second edition of SisBerdaya, an initiative that provides female micro entrepreneurs training, mentoring, and educational programs in business management and digital skills. Started in 2023, the first edition drew more than 2700 applicants, with 180 participants undergoing a one-month training, and grants awarded to 30 entrepreneurs.

In collaboration with the International Finance Corporation, 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion is an open learning platform to help future digital leaders develop more skills to drive greater impact within their communities. As of 2023, with the support of 40+ global strategic partners, more than 6,000 individual talents from 100+ countries and regions completed the 10x1000 learning programs, of which 90% are from developing markets and 60% work in MSMEs.

Earlier this year, Ant International launched Programme Sirius, with the support of 13 Asia Pacific fintech leaders to empower MSMEs in their transition towards sustainability, in line with the United Nationals Sustainable Development Goals.

Global campaign to Embrace the power of small

In celebration of International MSME Day, Ant International launches its "Embrace the power of small" campaign featuring three business owners and their journeys of digitalization. The business owners are:

Cholthicha Joyyangsuk (Numwan), Thailand  a micro entrepreneur in Bangkok selling Thai desserts on her tuktuk. With Alipay+, she can now easily accept mobile payments from tourists, sharing a slice of culture, while giving her access to a wider pool of customers.

Lem Cheong, The Hainan Story, Singapore  inspired by his grandmas rich heritage and flavourful recipes, Mr Cheong aims to evolves traditional dishes, just as he evolves his business with digital tools like Antoms D-store solution to simplify his store operations.

Lewis Ames, Wrimes Cosmetics, UK  starting with neon face paint and pivoting to pet care during the pandemic, Mr Ames uses WorldFirst to pay his suppliers and collect payments from marketplaces easily, so he can grow his business from Stevenage to the world.

These stories will be featured on out-of-home billboards, starting in Europe, in time for the UEFA EURO 2024, of which Ant International is the Official Payment Partner, and rolled out to other global markets, and also on TV and social media.

About Ant International

Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realize their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240626356788/en/

Contacts

Scott Lai

Ant International

Scott.lai@antgroup.com
Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (KLSE:ASTRO) First Quarter 2025 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: RM772.5m (down 9.8% from 1Q 2024).

Net income: RM17.0m (up 22% from 1Q 2024).

Profit margin: 2.2% (up from 1.6% in 1Q 2024).

EPS: RM0.003 (in line with 1Q 2024).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad Earnings Insights

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to decline by 1.4% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, while revenues in the Media industry in Malaysia are expected to remain flat.

Performance of the Malaysian Media industry.

The company's shares are down 8.6% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

You should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad (including 1 which is significant).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
In the past year, the Australian market has shown a robust increase of 8.9%, with expectations of earnings growing by 14% annually. Given this positive backdrop, growth companies with high insider ownership can be particularly appealing as they often indicate a strong alignment between company management and shareholder interests.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Australia

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Hartshead Resources (ASX:HHR) 13.9% 86.3% Cettire (ASX:CTT) 28.7% 26.7% Acrux (ASX:ACR) 14.6% 115.3% Plenti Group (ASX:PLT) 12.8% 106.4% Hillgrove Resources (ASX:HGO) 10.4% 45.4% Change Financial (ASX:CCA) 26.6% 76.4% Biome Australia (ASX:BIO) 34.9% 114.4% Botanix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:BOT) 11.4% 120.9% Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) 16.4% 62.3% Argosy Minerals (ASX:AGY) 14.5% 129.6%

Click here to see the full list of 90 stocks from our Fast Growing ASX Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

We're going to check out a few of the best picks from our screener tool.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Botanix Pharmaceuticals Limited, based in Australia, focuses on the research and development of dermatology and antimicrobial products with a market capitalization of approximately A$574.93 million.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its research and development activities in dermatology and antimicrobial products, totaling A$0.44 million.

Insider Ownership: 11.4%

Botanix Pharmaceuticals, despite its modest revenue of A$437K, is positioned for significant growth with expected annual revenue increases of 120.4% and profit projections turning positive within three years. The company's anticipated Return on Equity is very high at 43.9%. However, recent activities including a follow-on equity offering of A$70 million suggest some financial strain, as indicated by less than one year of cash runway and shareholder dilution over the past year.

ASX:BOT Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Flight Centre Travel Group Limited operates as a travel retailer serving both leisure and corporate sectors across Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately A$4.41 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its leisure and corporate travel services, amounting to A$1.28 billion and A$1.06 billion respectively.

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Insider Ownership: 13.3%

Flight Centre Travel Group has recently become profitable and is trading at 19% below its estimated fair value, highlighting potential undervaluation. The company's earnings are expected to grow by 18.81% annually, outpacing the Australian market's forecast of 13.6%. Additionally, revenue growth projections of 9.7% per year also exceed the national average of 5.4%. Despite these positive indicators, Flight Centre's insider ownership dynamics remain static with no significant buying or selling reported in the past three months.

ASX:FLT Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Technology One Limited is a company that develops, markets, sells, implements, and supports integrated enterprise business software solutions both in Australia and internationally, with a market capitalization of A$6.01 billion.

Operations: The revenue for Technology One is primarily derived from three segments: Software (A$317.24 million), Corporate (A$83.83 million), and Consulting (A$68.13 million).

Insider Ownership: 12.3%

Technology One, an Australian software firm, showcases strong insider ownership and robust growth metrics. Its earnings are projected to increase by 14.3% annually, surpassing the broader Australian market's growth rate of 13.6%. Additionally, its revenue is expected to grow at 11.1% per year, outpacing the national average of 5.4%. Despite a high Price-To-Earnings ratio of 54.8x compared to its industry average of 60.2x, the company has demonstrated solid profitability with significant recent increases in both revenue and net income as reported in its latest half-year results.

ASX:TNE Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Taking Advantage

Click here to access our complete index of 90 Fast Growing ASX Companies With High Insider Ownership.

Already own these companies? Bring clarity to your investment decisions by linking up your portfolio with Simply Wall St, where you can monitor all the vital signs of your stocks effortlessly.

Streamline your investment strategy with Simply Wall St's app for free and benefit from extensive research on stocks across all corners of the world.

Want To Explore Some Alternatives?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years.

Companies discussed in this article include ASX:BOT ASX:FLT and ASX:TNE.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia has granted planning approval for the Central-West Orana renewable energy zone (REZ) transmission project.

The approval paves the way for the construction of transmission lines and energy hubs to connect large-scale renewable energy sources to the electricity grid.

The project will attract A$20bn ($13.3bn) in private investment across solar, wind and energy storage projects.

During its peak construction phases, the project will create 5,000 jobs.

As a critical component of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, the Central-West Orana REZ will supply clean energy to households and businesses throughout the state.

It will transmit 4.5GW of electricity, sufficient to power 1.8 million homes.

The approved transmission lines will facilitate the construction and operation of roughly 240km of lines and accompanying infrastructure within the Central-West Orana REZ.

To advance with planning approval, the NSW government imposed almost 100 conditions to support the transmission projects rollout.

Covering 20,000km, the Central-West Orana REZ encompasses cities and towns such as Dubbo, Dunedoo and Mudgee.

The project will achieve financial closure in the latter half of 2024, with construction scheduled to begin towards the end of the year. Initial project operations are projected to commence in 2028.

NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe stated: This is the first REZ transmission project in the country to obtain planning approval, paving the way for a significant boost in renewable energy generation to replace aging coal-fired power stations.

Its not just about clean energy. This project will bring long-term financial benefits to both NSW electricity consumers and the local communities that will host the Central-West Orana REZ.

The Minns Labor government will continue to work closely with communities, the Australian government and the preferred network operator to finalise the project.

"Australias Central-West Orana REZ transmission gains planning approval" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Fatime Letifova

Work is underway to sign a lasting peace agreement with Armenia, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov as he told at a briefing held after the meeting with his Georgian counterpart, Ilya Darchiashvili, in Tbilisi.

"A few days ago, Azerbaijan presented the latest draft of the peace agreement to Armenia," he said.

He mentioned that Armenia's constitution still contains a clause regarding territorial claims to Azerbaijan. This remains one of the biggest obstacles to peace. We expect Armenia to take appropriate steps in this direction.

"Positive progress has been made towards signing the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Contacts between the border delimitation commissions are also ongoing, and we expect to hear positive news in the near future," added the minister.
Mighty Craft managing director Katie McNamara is stepping down from the Australian group and leaving its board of directors as of 12 July.

McNamara, who joined Mighty Crafts board of directors in April 2023, will be replaced by the groups chairman Grant Peck. Mighty Craft said McNamara had come to the end of her fixed-term contract.

The board and management would like to take this opportunity to thank Katie for her significant contribution and leadership of the business, Mighty Craft chairman Peck said. Katie has supported the company through some challenging times, and we are grateful for her dedication.

Peck will act as executive chair of Mighty Craft and serve as interim CEO three days a week. He will take up his new roles on 1 July. Peck has been given a six-month contract and a fee of A$200,000 per annum ($122,147).

Mighty Crafts former CEO and MD Mark Haysman stepped down from his positions at the company last May.

The fresh change at the top of the business comes amid financial headwinds for the company.

Mighty Craft secured an agreement with senior lender Pure Asset Management in a bid to reduce its debts in May. As part of the deal, the group sold 7.5% of its business to Pure Asset Management.

McNamara said at the time: The royalty swap represents further meaningful debt reduction, which is a key focus of the MCL board.

This, combined with the A$2.3m debt reduction announced in Q3 FY24 and the proposed flow of funds from the settlement of the 78 Degrees and Mismatch sale, will represent over A$10m of debt reduction across H2 FY24.

In Mighty Crafts third quarter ended 31 March, the group posted revenue of A$19.8m, down 22% year on year. It had a net operating cash flow loss of A$2.4m.

In May last year, it launched a strategic review that included taking A$10m from the sale of some of its smaller brands like Jetty Road and Foghorn Breweries.

In April, Mighty Craft said it was in early talks with the shareholders of Better Beer  in which it owns a 33% stake  over a possible merger.

The companies are looking at a deal that would see Mighty Craft buy the remaining shares in Better Beer. In return, Better Beers shareholders would be issued shares in Mighty Craft and a subsequent capital raise.

"Australian group Mighty Crafts managing director steps down" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Beijing is backing down from a law that would have punished those wearing clothes that "hurt the feelings of the Chinese people" amid a public backlash.

In September, the standing committee of the National People's Congress published draft legislation that would, among other things, outlaw speech and dress deemed to criticize the Chinese nation or people. Those found guilty could be detained for up to 15 days or fined 5,000 yuan ($688). The law was proposed amid an increased emphasis on patriotism by the Chinese government.

The proposal caused public outcry, due to the vagueness of what hurting "the feelings of the Chinese people" could mean. Just a week after the draft law was published, 90,000 people had submitted almost 110,000 suggestions, according to state media outlet China Daily. Legal experts quoted in the Global Times, another state media outlet, called for the terms to be clarified in legislation.

Beijing is now prepared to revise the law, reports Legal Daily, a Chinese-language outlet associated with the Communist Party of China. The outlet acknowledged the subjective nature of hurting "the feelings of the Chinese people," and concerns that law enforcement could abuse such a rule.

Experts pointed to a case in August 2022 where Chinese police officers briefly detained a woman for wearing a kimono, a traditional Japanese clothing. She was charged with "picking quarrels and provoking trouble;" she later apologized for "hurting our nations feelings," according to the South China Morning Post.

Last September, uniformed officers asked a woman to leave a park in Wuhan, after her clothes were mistaken for a Japanese kimono.

Nationalism in China

Analysts have previously noted that younger Chinese are more nationalist than their predecessors, and are more willing to defend the country against alleged slights. Consumers are increasingly turning to domestic brands and rejecting foreign brands that have allegedly insulted China through their actions.

But not all Chinese companies benefit from more patriotic shoppers.

Earlier this year, nationalists accused Chinese bottled water company Nongfu Spring of using Japanese imagery on its products. Convenience stores pulled Nongfu's products off the shelves, and social media users called upon shoppers to buy from a rival brand instead. Nongfu lost about 30 billion Hong Kong dollars ($3.8 billion) in market value in just two weeks.

Even Huawei, China's tech champion, isn't immune. Nationalists attacked the firm's choice to name its homegrown processor "Kirin," the Japanese name for a mythical beast.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
Donald Trump wasnt the only one to get a fundraising boost off his New York hush money conviction  so did Joe Biden.

The president's campaign had its single biggest day of online fundraising the day after Trump was convicted, according to a POLITICO analysis of federal campaign finance data. And as the money flowed in, his political operation also drew more new donors the day of the verdict than any day since Biden launched his campaign last year.

The surge is particularly notable because Trump seized upon his conviction for fundraising purposes  but Biden didnt. The president and his campaign had resisted making political hay out of the trial prior to the verdict, and even afterward only slowly ramped up its attack on the convicted felon. And the campaign hasnt touted his post-conviction online fundraising.



But data from ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, shows a clear surge on May 30, the day the New York jury handed down the guilty verdict, and the day after. On those two days, the campaign brought in totals six times higher than Biden's typical fundraising day. The boost for the incumbent, and a smaller one for down-ballot Democrats, made the day after Trump's conviction the biggest overall fundraising day on ActBlue so far this cycle.

The total amount  $8.1 million for Biden's campaign and two joint fundraising committees on May 31, per a campaign official  still pales in comparison to what Trumps campaign said it raised in the aftermath of his conviction. The former presidents massive intake of donations helped him overtake Biden in cash on hand.

But the surge in financial support for Biden suggests the conviction was a wake-up call for many grassroots donors who have been holding back so far this cycle, and its a much-needed moment of fundraising energy for Bidens campaign.

Big moments, big energy, big emotions  plus competent digital fundraising  equals massive success. I think you saw that with the Biden team, said Mike Nellis, CEO of Authentic, a Democratic digital fundraising agency.



The conviction may have awakened small-dollar Democratic donors who werent paying attention

As online fundraising has stalled this cycle after years of colossal growth, Democrats and Republicans are seeing diverging fundraising patterns.

Trump and Republicans have reaped massive fortunes off the former presidents previous legal developments. Democrats have long had a stronger online fundraising operation and similarly used to thrive off news cycle-driven fundraising. Events like the 2022 Dobbs decision, which eliminated the federal right to an abortion, drove donors to ActBlue at record rates.



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Thats been far more muted this year. Biden and Democrats have not seen the same news cycle-driven fundraising, and when asked about the post-conviction bump, a Biden campaign official emphasized its focus on building a reliable donor base. The operation now has more than 250,000 recurring donors, the official said, and had its best month from recurring donors in May, raising $6.5 million.

The Trump verdict cut through for Democratic donors in a way that little else has this cycle.

Bidens campaign and the joint fundraising committees Biden Victory Fund and Biden Action Fund brought in more than 69,000 ActBlue donations on May 30 and 114,000 donations the next day. A normal day last month brought in just over 14,000 donations.

Nearly 78,000 of those post-conviction donors gave for the first time this cycle, POLITICOs analysis found.

And the surge surpassed Bidens post-State of the Union address boost, which had previously been the campaigns best online fundraising day.

Overall, May 31 was ActBlues best day so far this cycle, even rivaling some of the best single fundraising days around Dobbs. (The record-breaking fundraising around that decision was sustained over several weeks by discrete news events  the leak, the decision itself, and its aftermath  and is almost certainly far greater than the total amount of money prompted by Trumps conviction.)

Trump blared his fundraising totals, while Biden tread lightly

Within minutes of the conviction, Trumps campaign immediately sought to fundraise, deeming himself a political prisoner in a flood of emails and text messages to supporters.

Trumps campaign said it had raised nearly $53 million in the 24 hours after the conviction, though that figure wont be verifiable until next month. It blasted press releases touting its fundraising totals and continued to send appeal after appeal asking for more money tied to the verdict.

Bidens campaign, by contrast, took a subtler approach. A post-conviction campaign fundraising email noted there was only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office. The campaign didnt even mention the verdict until the next day  and only did so by noting the massive cash haul Trumps campaign brought in and asked donors to chip in to help Biden fight back.

His supporters are clearly fired up by his conviction. We need ours to be too, one email said.

That kind of messaging was likely very effective, said Kenneth Pennington, partner at the Democratic digital firm Middle Seat.

When people hear Trump is getting all this money from his donor base off of it, Democratic donors are automatically like, OK, how do we counter that? Pennington said.
Bitwise: U.S. Spot Ethereum ETFs Could See $15B in Net Flows

As the launch of spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) draws near, Bitwise's chief investment officer Matt Hougan predicts these ETFs could attract significant capital into the market. Hougan expressed bullish sentiment about the potential impact of spot Ether ETFs, suggesting that Ethereum ETFs could attract $15 billion in net flows within their first 18 months.

Hougan's projection is rooted in a detailed analysis of several factors, including comparisons of Ethereum's market capitalization to Bitcoin's, the international crypto ETP market, the anticipated conversion of Grayscales Ethereum Trust (ETHE) to an ETF, and the dynamics of spot Bitcoin ETFs carry trade.

According to Hougan, investors are likely to allocate funds to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs in proportion to their market caps. "U.S. investors have already poured $56 billion into spot Bitcoin ETPs," Hougan noted, predicting this figure could reach $100 billion by the end of 2025 as these ETFs gain traction on major platforms like Morgan Stanley. Using this $100 billion benchmark and accounting for Grayscales $10 billion Ethereum Trust conversion, Hougan estimates spot Ethereum ETFs might see a net flow of $25 billion.

To further substantiate his estimate, Hougan examined international ETF markets, discovering that Canada and Europe exhibit similar investment splits between Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs. In these regions, Bitcoin ETPs constitute roughly 78% of the assets under management (AUM), while Ethereum ETPs make up about 22%.

"The near-identical asset splits across geographies suggest this distribution accurately reflects ETP investors' demand for BTC and ETH," Hougan explained. Given that international Ethereum ETFs represent only 22% of the combined market share compared to Bitcoin, the estimate for potential inflows into Ethereum ETFs is adjusted from $25 billion to $18 billion.
Exterior of a Booking.com office in Amsterdam. Booking.com for Business saw its roster of room nights booked jump 65% last year. Robertvt / Adobe Stock

When an online travel company has a fast-growing business unit, it usually doesnt take much prodding to get officials to tout it. But thats not the case with Booking Holdings and its nine-year old business unit, Booking.com for Business.

Booking.com for Business has an exclusive partnership with travel-management company CWT, which provides it with 24/7 customer service and fulfillment, as well as flight, car rental and hotel inventory, including loyalty rates and rewards from the big chains that are usually only available on hotel websites.

With CWT slated to be acquired by American Express Global Business Travel, we asked Booking.com what would happen to the partnership.

We also wanted to know more about the strategy and details about the units growth, and how business travel might relate  or not relate  to Bookings Genius Rewards program.

Booking.com doesnt break out any numbers for Booking.com for Business, which has its product team located in Singapore, and declined to comment for this story. Amex GBT also wouldnt comment.

Booking.com for Business By the Numbers

However, Skift found some numbers for Booking.com for Business through its partner, Serko, which powers the Booking.com for Business platform. Serko is a public company that trades in New Zealand and Australia.

As seen in the chart below, Booking.com for Business saw its completed room nights (net of cancellations) jump 65% to 2.5 million in fiscal 2024, which ended March 31, according to Serkos annual report.

Booking.com for Business gets inventory from multiple sources, including direct hotel relationships, bed banks, CWT, and global distribution systems. Serkos completed room night figures do not include room nights from global distribution systems when Bookings customers book them on its platform. So the actual number of Booking.com for Business completed room nights might be higher than 2.5 million.

Booking.com for Business makes up virtually all of Serkos activities in unmanaged business travel, which means small- to medium-size businesses without formal corporate travel policies. These types of businesses are Booking.com for Business target customers.

Booking.com for Businesss room nights makes up just a tiny portion of those at Booking Holdings, which had revenue in 2023 of more than $20 billion. The completed room nights that Serko cites for Booking.com for Business are fewer than 1% of Booking Holdings room nights.

Instead of commenting on Booking.com for Business, Booking Holdings may want to emphasize that it is focusing on its core leisure travel business, as well as expanding flights and AI-related products.

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Booking.com for Business Room Nights and Active Customers

The accompanying chart also shows that Booking.com for Business roster of active company clients grew 10% in fiscal year 2024, to 172,000. (Note that the number of active clients fell by 4,000 in the second half of the year compared with the first half.)

Clients include the University of Chicago, Rt Motorsports, New York Institute of Finance, softserve, and Mark Miller Subaru in South Towne, Utah, according to the Booking.com for Business website.

Serkos revenue, primarily consisting of hotel commissions, grew 4% in fiscal year 2024, the company stated. The chart shows that Serkos average revenue per Completed Room night was 10.09 euros ($11) in the first half of fiscal 2024 and 9.38 euros ($10.22) in the second half.

No one has disclosed Booking.com for Business revenue, or CWTs from the partnership.

Booking.com for Business Strategy

In April, Serko announced that it had renewed a 5-year partnership with Booking.com.

Our renewed partnership with Booking.com for a further five years, as announced on 30 April 2024, is a major milestone  providing a strong foundation for future global scale, Serko stated. We are executing plans with Booking.com to deliver further growth through customer acquisition and activation, and expansion of the product offering.

Serko stated in public filings that other elements of Booking.com for Business growth strategy are to up the use of incentives and loyalty offerings to increase road warriors repeat business, and to improve the post-booking experience to retain customers.

Booking.com also plans to add features for managed travel programs, which would mean trying to attract larger corporations.

Serko announced this week that it hired David Holyoke, formerly head of commercial strategy at Airbnb, to lead its unmanaged business travel unit.

Although Booking Holdings didnt want to comment for this story, Joshua Wood, Booking.coms director of business travel, has given at least a couple of talks at Serko events over the past couple of years about the partnership and strategy.

See one of the interviews in the video below.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
US-based Physicians Hearing Network (PHN) is implementing a cognitive assessment platform developed by BrainCheck into its standard hearing care service provision.

With more than 270 member providers spread across 12 US states, hearing aid services provider PHN has said the move would enable its network physicians to offer complimentary cognitive screening alongside hearing tests.

Im excited for our patients and the physicians we partner with because were solving an unmet need by providing screening for both hearing and cognition in the convenient setting of their physicians office, said PHN CEO William McCrae.

BrainCheck is the developer of a digital platform designed to help physicians check the cognitive health of patients and determine if further testing may be needed.

The companys standard test battery, Assess, is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Class II medical device that detects signs of cognitive impairment through a suite of memory tests, neuropsychological tests around attention, and its Digit-Symbol Substitution test to assess executive function.

BrainCheck Assess has been clinically proven to offer accuracy on par with traditional tests, such as the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) exam, Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

In addition, BrainChecks Plan helps clinicians build, document, and deliver care plans for patients with cognitive decline, post-diagnosis.

A 2023 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that older adults with greater severity of hearing loss were more likely to have dementia, but the likelihood of dementia was lower among hearing aid users compared to non-users.

The study also found that for adults at increased risk of cognitive decline, hearing loss intervention slowed down loss of thinking and memory abilities by 48% over three years.

In March 2024, BrainCheck concluded a $15m venture funding raise. Led by Next Coast Ventures, S3 Ventures, and UPMC Enterprises, BrainCheck said the funding would help it accelerate its commercial traction and expand innovation within its product portfolio.

"BrainCheck partners with Physician Hearing Network on cognitive health tool" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
We recently compiled a list of the 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) stands against the other ice cream stocks.

Regarded as the most favorite dessert globally, ice cream has its popularity game quite high in the U.S. as well, where it leaves an impact of a massive $11.4 billion every year, while, at the same time, giving out $1.9 billion in direct wages, according to IDFA! Also, the U.S. saw 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream getting produced in the country in 2023, showcasing the desserts staggering popularity in the country. For all the ice cream lovers, we have also curated a list which you can view to see all the best ice cream brands in the U.S. so that you can fulfill all your ice cream cravings in the best way!

In addition to this, average per capita consumption in the country amounts to over 4 gallons every year, and with a huge population of 341 million, thats quite a lot of consumption! In terms of consumption, New Zealand, the U.S., and Australia are the 3 countries that top the charts, with per capita annual consumption rates of 28.4 liters, 20.8 liters, and 18.0 liters, respectively!

As such, the global ice cream industry is racing quickly toward the sky, as, after sitting at the $76.1 billion mark in 2023, its on its way to hitting $132.3 billion in 2032. That boasts a CAGR of 6.7%, which is quite staggering, according to Fortune Business Insights. Ice cream-making giants like Ben & Jerry's, Walls, Magnum, to name a few, dominate the global ice cream industry with a market share of 20%.

Also check out 15 largest Ice Cream Companies in the World.

Moving on to recent shifting trends of the industry, one interesting trend that has emerged related to flavors, wherein, plant-based and vegan ice creams are growing in popularity. As reported by Straits Research, the global vegan ice cream market size is expected to expand from its market size figure of $623.63 million in 2022 to $984.16 million by 2031, boasting a CAGR of 5.2%. Furthermore, ice creams are planned to be given a new touch by the makers by bringing in the element of spice in ice creams! Crazy, right? In Germany, it is reported by Tetrapak that 34% of ice cream consumers are keen on trying out ice cream flavors with spice in them.

With these innovations emerging, the global ice cream industry is expected to generate over $100 billion in the coming decade, and with the given demand stats we discussed above, its quite certain how the ice cream market is one to look at in 2024 and the coming years. Hence, here we are going to discuss 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 so that one can capitalize on the booming times to come in the ice cream industry.

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Methodology

To curate our list of 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024, we gathered a list of all companies with a significant presence in the ice cream industry. We then further narrowed down on the basis of their upside potential and ranked the finest remaining companies by their number of hedge fund holders as of Q1, 2024, using Insider Monkey's database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds. For stocks with equal number of hedge fund holders, we used their upside as the tiebreaker.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

10 Countries with Best Work-Life Balance in the World

A Chili's Grill & Bar restaurant filled with happy customers enjoying a meal.

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors holdings: 31

Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE:EAT) is a restaurant chain that owns brands like Chili's Grill & Bar, Maggiano's Little Italy and Its Just Wings.

For the quarter ending 31 March 2024, the company posted an operating margin of 14.2%, which is an 80-basis point uptick on a year-over-year (YoY) basis. On the other hand, the EBITDA for the quarter was recorded at $122 million, with year-to-date EBITDA seeing an increase of 31% to $302 million.

As of Q1, 2024, 31 hedge funds that Insider Monkey tracks have a stake in the company, comprising a value worth $391.8 million. Holocene Advisors has the largest interest in the stock, with an invested value being $134 million. 10 out of 19 analysts are of the hold opinion, putting faith in the companys plans to up its financial position, as stated in the following comments by Brinker International:

Our significantly improved cash flow generation gives us more flexibility to reinvest in our brands while also reducing leverage to strengthen our balance sheet and manage borrowing costs. For the quarter, we recorded approximately $50 million of capital expenditures, with a focus on capital improvements to existing restaurants, updating IT systems, reimages at both brands, and new restaurant development. We opened two new restaurants during the quarter, both of which are off to great starts, averaging more than $100,000 in weekly sales, nicely above Chilis brand average. These, along with our new openings earlier in the fiscal year, continue to demonstrate a good guest appetite for Chilis coming to their specific market.

Overall EAT ranks 6th on our list of the best ice cream stocks to buy. You can visit 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 to see the other ice cream stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of EAT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EAT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
CDK Global said Wednesday that it has been able to bring a small initial test group of car dealerships back online, a week after a crippling software outage left thousands of car sellers across North America at a standstill.

We have successfully brought a small initial test group of dealers live on the Dealer Management System (DMS), and once validation is complete, we will begin phasing in other dealers, a statement said.

The company said its also working to bring additional applications back online, such as its customer relationship management and service solutions, as well as its customer care channels.

Dealerships have been grappling with with submitting their month-end financial reports during the system outage, so CDK said it created a resource center with commonly used documents and forms to support their sales and service efforts.

Auto dealerships use CDKs software to manage everything from scheduling to records, and CDK said Saturday it has begun restoring its software.

On Tuesday, CDK said it doesnt believe its systems will be back online before June 30, a major blow for dealers in the middle of a busy car-buying season. However, the company has suggested several times that a fix is in order, only to then say that its systems would remain out of commission longer.

A systems outage caused by a cybersecurity incident has paralyzed nearly 15,000 car dealerships across North America since last Wednesday.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
25 June marked a significant milestone in Turkiye's legislative landscape as Google, represented by a high-level delegation, participated in the Digital Media Commission's session on Digital Copyright Law.

Huseyin Yayman, Chairman of the Digital Media Commission, set the stage for the unprecedented meeting, stressing the importance of uniform standards and asserting, "Just as in European norms, news must be subject to copyright."

Duygu Yucesoy, Manager of Google's Government Relations and Public Policy Unit, expressed readiness to engage with all stakeholders. Tolga Sobac?, Head of Google Advertising and Marketing Government Relations, pledged full compliance with regulations enacted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Chairman Yayman opened the 8th Meeting of the 28th Legislative Term, welcoming Google's involvement in discussions crucial to the media industry. He highlighted previous consultations with experts and stakeholders and underscored the challenges of intellectual property misuse impacting corporate revenues.

"In line with European standards, news must be copyrighted," Yayman emphasized, advocating consensus-building with Google and other search engines. He addressed digital media issues, citing platforms like TikTok and urging stricter content controls to align with societal values.

Discussions extended to artificial intelligence and its regulatory implications, with plans for a commission to navigate Turkiye's digital landscape.

Google's participation included senior executives led by Tolga Sobac?, alongside legal representatives like Gonenc Gurkaynak and copyright expert Adrian Timar.

"We are prepared to engage with all stakeholders," affirmed Duygu Yucesoy during the presentation, emphasising dialogue and consultation.

Tolga Sobac? reiterated Google's commitment: "As Google, we respect and will comply with Turkish Grand National Assembly regulations."

Adrienn Timar presented global examples of copyright frameworks, highlighting regional variations in Canada and Austria.

Gunenc Gurkaynak addressed Google's approach to market-specific copyright practices, pledging adherence to legal frameworks formulated by Turkish authorities.

Chairman Yayman concluded, reflecting Google's commitment to legislative cooperation: "Formulate the legal framework, and we will adhere. We are aligned on this matter and agree on the enactment of legislation."

The Digital Media Commission's session concluded with a unified commitment towards shaping Turkiye's digital future and ensuring robust copyright protections.

This news piece encapsulates the key discussions and commitments made during Google's participation at the Turkish Grand National Assembly, emphasizing their role in advancing digital copyright legislation in Turkiye.
The European Unions (EU) decision earlier this month to hike import tariffs on Chinese made battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by up to 38% has rattled the Chinese automotive industry, both domestic manufacturers and foreign joint ventures, with many companies calling for retaliatory duties to be imposed on European imports.

A meeting was hosted in Beijing last week by China's Ministry of Commerce to discuss the EUs decision with the countrys leading domestic automakers which is understood to have included SAIC Motor, BAIC Group and BYD Auto as well as with representatives of foreign automakers such as BMW and Volkswagen.

The higher EU import tariffs are scheduled to go into effect on 5 July, after the European Commission (EC) claimed that Chinese BEV manufacturers have unfairly benefited from substantial government incentives for over a decade. An investigation launched last October by the EC found that government subsidies were pervasive throughout Chinas entire BEV production process, from the production of raw materials for battery cells through to vehicle manufacturing and shipping, with batteries often supplied at below market prices.

China overtook Japan to become the worlds largest vehicle exporter last year, with shipments surging by 57% to 5.2m units worth US$102bn, according to Chinese government data. Exports in the first five months of 2024 rose by 26% to 2.45m units, valued at US$46bn. This includes vehicles produced in China by Chinese and overseas manufacturers.

Separate data released by the European automobile manufacturers association (ACEA) shows that a total of 438,034 BEVs were imported by the EU from China in 2023, valued at EUR9.7bn, while the EU exported just 11,499 BEVs to China worth EUR852m.

The ECs executive vice president, Valdis Dombrovskis, said in a statement: In this particular case, we had no option but to act in the face of soaring imports of heavily subsidised BEVs produced in China and their rising share of this market in the EU."

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference in Berlin last month that Europe needed to take steps to prevent China from flooding the market with subsidised electric vehicles.

The additional tariffs proposed by the EC vary between 17% and 38%, in addition to the existing 10% import duty, and partly reflect the level of collaboration each company contributed to the investigation. According to reports, BYD Auto will incur an additional tariff of 17% and Geely Auto 20% while SAIC Motor faces an additional 38%. Imports from China by Tesla and BMW, which are also seen to benefit from Chinas subsidized supply chain, will incur additional duties of 21%.

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The EC decision follows a similar move by the US government which applied 100% tariffs on Chinese made BEVs in April to develop its own BEV industry and supply chain. This move is also viewed as being part of a broader political and economic war being waged between the worlds two largest economies, with the US looking to also protect sensitive industries such as semiconductors and AI software.

Earlier this week the Canadian government announced it is also considering introducing additional import tariffs on Chinese BEVs, after a 30-day consultation period, with deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland claiming the countrys automotive industry is threatened by unfair competition from Chinas state-directed policy of overcapacity that is undermining Canada's EV sector ability to compete in the domestic and global markets.

She added that Chinese producers are quite intentionally generating a global oversupply that undermines EV producers around the world. It has since been pointed out that the only BEV model exported to Canada from China so far is the Tesla Model Y but others brands and models will no doubt follow.

Some foreign vehicle manufacturers based in China have spoken out against the ECs planned tariffs hikes. BMW, Volkswagen Group and Mercedes-Benz have significant manufacturing operations in the country and are implementing plans to establish major BEV production hubs to export to global markets, including to the EU. They are looking to benefit from Chinas established, subsidised BEV supply chains and also use local content for connected/smart technologies, a segment also being encouraged by the Chinese government.

BMWs CEO Oliver Zipse last month told reporters: We dont think our industry needs protection. You can easily endanger the advantage of operating globally by introducing import tariffs. China currently accounts for around one third of BMWs global sales.

Simon Schutz, spokesperson for the German automotive industry association VDA, earlier this month said: The German automobile industry is not in favour of the tariffs because they do not believe tariffs are a good measure to resolve this conflict."

Industry analysts have also suggested that imposing duties on Chinese BEVs could backfire, as new EU CO2 emission standards scheduled to be introduced next year will require much higher BEV sales volume. Most BEVs sold in the EU have significant Chinese content.

The Chinese government has so far resisted calls by local automakers to introduce retaliatory measures, hoping to avoid another trade war with a major trading partner. It has called on the EU to cancel its planned import tariffs and choose instead to hold talks with a view to reaching a negotiated settlement.

Chinese premier Li Qiang, speaking at a conference this week, said countries should work closely together, reject bloc confrontation, oppose decoupling and disconnection, maintain the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains, and promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation.

Robert Habeck, Germanys vice chancellor and minister for economic affairs and climate, this week called for the two sides to engage in talks and avoid an escalating dispute over tariffs while chancellor Olaf Scholz has also been pushing for such talks.

Some EU-based vehicle manufacturers such as Stellantis, which comprises the Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, Opel/Vauhall and Chrysler/Jeep brands, have a much smaller presence in China and do not stand to benefit to the same extent as German automakers, directly or indirectly, from Chinese government subsidies and from partnerships with Chinese suppliers.

"China calls on EU to rethink BEV tariffs" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Beijing and Hanoi should further strengthen cooperation while properly handling their disputes in the South China Sea, President Xi Jinping told Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Wednesday.

"The two sides should properly handle our maritime issues, accelerate joint maritime development and together maintain regional peace and stability," Xi said to Chinh at Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

Their meeting followed on Xi's visit with Hanoi's leadership last December and took place as China seeks to bolster ties with Vietnam amid fierce competition with the United States for regional influence.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Chinh's working trip came on the heels of an official visit to Hanoi last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin. And it marked the prime minister's first official visit since Vietnam's political turmoil in March when three of its top five leaders stepped down.

On Wednesday, Xi restated his pledge made in December with Vietnamese Communist Party boss Nguyen Phu Trong to build a "China-Vietnam community of shared destiny with strategic significance".

The two countries should expand cooperation in their economies and trade, the Chinese leader said, as well as maintain high-level exchanges and advance the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing's global trade and infrastructure investment scheme.

"China is willing to encourage more Chinese enterprises to increase their investment in Vietnam and [we] hope that the Vietnamese side will provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises," Xi said.

For its part, Vietnam regarded strategic mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation with China to build a community of shared destiny a "top priority and strategic choice" in its foreign policy, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted Chinh as saying.

"This cannot be undermined by outside provocations and interference," Chinh reportedly said.

Vietnam supported China's entry to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the prime minister added, and "opposes the politicisation of trade and tech issues".

Chinh said Vietnam was willing to boost multilateral collaboration and manage differences "appropriately".

Chinese Premier Li Qiang (right) shakes hands with Chinh at the World Economic Forum in Dalian on Tuesday. Photo: AFP alt=Chinese Premier Li Qiang (right) shakes hands with Chinh at the World Economic Forum in Dalian on Tuesday. Photo: AFP>

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During his trip to China, Chinh attended the World Economic Forum in Dalian. There he met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and called for enhanced trade and investment.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and a major foreign investor.

In recent years, Vietnam has become a popular destination for manufacturing and supply chains as some companies exit China against the backdrop of Sino-American trade tensions.

At the same time, Hanoi has elevated aspects of its relations with Washington and its allies into strategic partnerships.

Notwithstanding closer Sino-Vietnamese economic ties, the neighbouring Asian countries have unresolved territorial disputes in the South China Sea, alongside claims by the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Taiwan.

China and Vietnam have each argued they have rights to the resource-rich waters and built artificial islands to reinforce actual control there. In 1974 they fought briefly over the Paracel Islands and in 1988 engaged in a military skirmish over the Spratly Islands.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Sales of Zeekr EVs have jumped in Russia in the last year, according to data from Russian analytical agency Autostat.

From May 2023 to April 2024, 20,500 new EVs were sold in the country, an increase of 350% on the previous year, with Chinese brands accounting for over half of sales, Reuters reported.

In comparison, Russian automakers sold fewer than 4,000 new EVs in that time.

Chinese automakers have rapidly filled the gap left by western automakers in Russia, since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and subsequent economic sanctions imposed by the EU.

While the Europe and US have sought to propose import tariff hikes on Chinese EVs over fears of unfair competition, Russia, a trade ally of China, has welcomed Chinese brands into its auto sector.

"Chinas Zeekr sales surge in Russia" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings fair value estimate is US$1.88

Current share price of US$1.33 suggests Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings is potentially 29% undervalued

The US$2.23 analyst price target for CCO is 19% more than our estimate of fair value

Does the June share price for Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings

The Model

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) -US$25.0m US$27.0m US$48.0m US$65.7m US$83.2m US$99.2m US$113.3m US$125.4m US$135.7m US$144.4m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 36.91% Est @ 26.55% Est @ 19.30% Est @ 14.22% Est @ 10.67% Est @ 8.18% Est @ 6.44% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 12% -US$22.5 US$21.6 US$34.6 US$42.4 US$48.1 US$51.4 US$52.6 US$52.2 US$50.6 US$48.3

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$379m

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 12%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$144m (1 + 2.4%)  (12% 2.4%) = US$1.6b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$1.6b ( 1 + 12%)10= US$537m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$917m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$1.3, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 29% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings

Strength

Debt is well covered by .

Weakness

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value.

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Has less than 3 years of cash runway based on current free cash flow.

Total liabilities exceed total assets, which raises the risk of financial distress.

Not expected to become profitable over the next 3 years.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, we've compiled three relevant aspects you should look at:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (at least 1 which can't be ignored) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does CCO's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has filed lawsuits against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Thursday, alleging unfair targeting and opaque practices.

The legal challenges, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accuse the agencies of overregulation and failing to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

The exchanges legal action seeks to counter what it views as a concerted effort by the SEC and FDIC to undermine the cryptocurrency sector by restricting access to banking services and withholding information.

Coinbase has criticized the SEC for using privacy claims to conceal its regulatory methods, particularly concerning Ethereums proof-of-stake transition and other crypto entities.

The FDIC is similarly under fire for advising banks to halt the expansion of crypto-related services through pause letters, a tactic Coinbase likens to the controversial Operation Choke Point.

Coinbases dispute with the SEC also includes a previous lawsuit from April 2023, where the exchange demanded a definitive stance on crypto-specific regulations.

Despite discussions since July 2022, the SEC has yet to provide clear guidelines, opting to enforce existing securities laws that Coinbase argues are ill-suited for cryptocurrencies.
Georgia has been dubbed the battery belt of the South, the e-mobility capital of the U.S., and a clean energy manufacturing leader by the governor and business executives across the state.

Were the buckle of the battery belt, said Chris Clark, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. North Carolina has some projects and South Carolina has a few. Tennessee has a few. But no one has near the capacity that Georgia has built out when you consider Frayer, SK Battery, Hyundai, KIA, Rivian, and Archer Aviation.

Since 2021, more than $32 billion dollars have been invested in clean energy projects, the most of any state in the country  by $14 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Columbus and Muscogee County have been left out of the clean energy boom so far due to reasons out of the citys control, such as location and available land to develop. However, business leaders say they are working to create more available land and higher education systems in Columbus are creating a force of workers to entice manufacturers.

This is an industry that has added billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to Georgia, said Greg King Associate vice president of economic development for Georgia Tech.

SK Battery, Rivian, and Archer Aviation are in northern Georgia or Atlanta metro. Q-cells, the U.S. largest solar panel manufacturer with over 4,000 employees is in Daltonand expanded to Cartersville, Georgiaboth outside of Atlanta.

Augusta, Savannah, West Point and parts of rural Georgia have all attracted (and in some cases, sustained) clean energy manufacturing.

This week Climate Power, the climate communication organization, reported Georgia has amassed 30,661 clean energy jobs since 2022 from 41 projects, creating an up swell of economic growth while transitioning energy sources and phasing out fossil fuels.

The biggest sector in the U.S., by far, is battery manufacturing. Those batteries are used mainly for utilities to pair with solar to store energy, or for electric vehicles.

Over 300,000 new jobs have been created across the United States in the last two years.

Georgias clean energy ecosystem is a diverse mix of solar panel parts, battery manufacturing, and EV manufacturing and components.

Clean Energy

Columbus big ticket employers are in cybersecurity with TSYS Global Payments and Synovus, and aviation from Pratt and Whitney. These three combined businesses pull in 8,000 employees. Pratt & Whitney currently has 1,850 and their $200 million expansion will add 400 employees, according to Mitchell.

But Kia in West Point draws about 30% of its 2,700 employees from Muscogee County, Mitchell said.

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Clark said Columbus does have some unique challenges when it comes to its location and population.

What attracts manufacturers: land and location

Land, a skilled workforce and proximity to transportation hubs like airports, shipping ports and railways are what experts say attract these large manufacturing investments.

The average economic development project requires 70 to 100 acres of land, Jerald Mitchell, president of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, said. Large plants are more in the 1,000-acre range.

KIA Georgia in West Point is 2,200 acres, for example.

A large swath of our county is taken up by the military installation (Fort Moore), Mitchell added. Plus most of Muscogee County does not have land suitable for construction.

North Muscogee is covered in rock and most of Southern Muscogee is wetlands, according to Mitchell.

Clark said the Norwegian battery company, Freyr, selected Newnan, likely because of location and the workforce that they could get from Georgia Tech.

They are centrally located to I-85 and surrounded by highly populated countries to draw workforce, Clark said. (Manuacturing in Columbus) could draw workforce from Harris County and Troup County but when you go further south you dont have the pull nor if you go east.

Clean Energy.

The $2 billion, 300-acre plant currently under construction in Bridgeport Industrial Park in Newnan will bring 700 jobs, explained Jason Peace, senior vice president of business development at Freyr.

We needed a certain amount of land, we needed an adequate talent pipeline, and we needed good logistic plans via rail, Peace said. We sourced 130 sites in 35 states and narrowed the criteria down. Then narrowed again to 50. Then narrowed to six sites across six states.

The final two were between a site in Arizona and Newnan, Peace told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Columbus did not come up on the consulting site search team, JLLs radar, he added.

Outside of Savannah, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America poured billions into expanding its Metaplant operations in Bryan County to add EV capacity and 400 jobs to its existing workforce of 8,000.

Employees inside the Freyr plant in Norway

Hyundais Metaplant is less than 30 miles from the Port of Savannah, the single-largest and fastest-growing container terminal in the U.S. with two Class 1 rail facilities on-site provided by Georgia Central Railway, said Michael Stewart, director of public relations for Hyundai. It is adjacent to Interstate 16 with immediate access to I-95 and I-16 highways.

Bainbridge, a town of 15,000 people tucked in the Southwest corner of the state, is two hours south of Columbus. It was selected to host Anovion, a synthetic graphite lithium-ion battery plant. The company invested $800 million and reports that it will add 400 jobs once the 300-acre plant is complete in 2026.

We have excellent rail and available land, said Rick McCaskill, executive director of the Bainbridge and Decatur County Economic Development Authority. We have CSX and Georgia SW railways that connect to Norfolk Southern.

Columbus Chamber of Commerce President, Jerald Mitchell, believes Columbus is well positioned to attract clean energy and has been approached by clean energy groups recently. Mayor Skip Henderson did not respond to multiple requests asking whether clean energy businesses have inquired about setting up shop in Columbus.

Were doing the hard work as it relates to addressing land and workforce, he said. We have two sites that are currently ready for industrial construction at the Muscogee Technology Park that are 17 and 36 acres, he said. The Columbus Chamber of Commerce president said they are in the processing of clearing and grading a 64-acre site and another 62-acre site at the Tech Park.

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CSU & Columbus Tech prep the talent pipeline

The workforce that the EV megaplants, solar cell, or battery manufacturing plants require are people to manage the robots, explained Martha Todd, president of Columbus Technical College.

Peace, Freyrs business development leader, said they look for troubleshooters who can solve problems and good collaborators. A two-year tech degree with heavy automation background in robots, controllers, sensors, and being able to troubleshoot is our workforce profile.

Computers and robotics are second to the health science associates degree in popularity at Columbus Tech, according to Todd.

To answer to the call of what Todd calls the increased need for maintenance technology within the automotive technology program, Columbus Tech created an electric vehicle technology program last year. Last year there were about a dozen students in the classroom, but Todd is confident that this program will continue to grow.

About 75% of the students work part-time while attending Columbus Tech, and the average age is 27.

Headshot of Columbus Technical College president, Martha Ann Todd.

Students who work in automotive shops are recognizing this need, Todd said. They say, My shop is getting more and more calls for electric repair.

The needs of manufacturing are different now than 30 or 40 years ago. Its learning how to maintain systems and keep them operating.

Both Columbus Technical College and Columbus State University (CSU) are the linchpins that are prepping the clean energy workforce.says who?

The robotics program at CSU is just a few years old with about 60 students in the program, President Stuart Rayfield told the Ledger-Enquirer. We have seen exponential growth in this program.

Rayfield also said CSU is positioning itself well for the clean energy industry with advanced manufacturing programs.

Clean energy industries are going to require a bachelor or masters to support the advanced part of advanced manufacturing, she said. Were looking at how we can develop curricula to support that degree program that spans across computer science, business, to support the advanced manufacturing industry.

Jerald Mitchell is the Columbus Chamber of Commerce president and Chief Executive Officer.

Mitchell emphasized that the workforce is the most critical piece he hears about in every deal.

Its not just the robotics jobs, but the EV ecosystem products that Mitchell thinks could have a place in Columbus.

I believe we will attract these jobs because this industry is hot in the South. Tires for EVs will be different from combustion engine vehicles, for example. The entire EV ecosystem needs to be supported.
As global markets exhibit mixed signals with the S&P 500 reaching all-time highs and technology stocks showing modest gains, investors are navigating through a landscape marked by cautious optimism and shifting economic indicators. In this context, dividend stocks like d'Amico International Shipping offer a compelling consideration for those looking to potentially enhance portfolio stability amidst fluctuating market conditions.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Ping An Bank (SZSE:000001) 7.10%  Allianz (XTRA:ALV) 5.33%  Business Brain Showa-Ota (TSE:9658) 3.47%  Globeride (TSE:7990) 3.66%  Huntington Bancshares (NasdaqGS:HBAN) 4.88%  Kwong Lung Enterprise (TPEX:8916) 5.90%  KurimotoLtd (TSE:5602) 5.04%  Banque Cantonale Vaudoise (SWX:BCVN) 4.45%  FALCO HOLDINGS (TSE:4671) 6.69%  GakkyushaLtd (TSE:9769) 4.05% 

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Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: d'Amico International Shipping S.A. operates globally as a marine transportation company, with a market capitalization of approximately 858.82 million.

Operations: d'Amico International Shipping S.A. generates its revenue primarily from the product tankers segment, which brought in $530.88 million.

Dividend Yield: 6.5%

d'Amico International Shipping has demonstrated a mixed performance as a dividend stock. Despite its high yield of 6.54%, ranking in the top 25% of Italian dividend payers, the company's dividend history is marked by volatility and unreliability over the past decade. However, both earnings and cash flow adequately cover its dividends, with payout ratios standing at 26.3% and 26.2% respectively, suggesting sustainability from a financial perspective. Recent activities include a 40.3 million follow-on equity offering and stable quarterly earnings growth, indicating some level of financial activity and corporate development.

BIT:DIS Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Vivant Corporation operates in the Philippines, focusing on generating, distributing, and retailing electric power through its subsidiaries, with a market capitalization of approximately 16.38 billion.

Operations: Vivant Corporation's revenue is primarily derived from generating, distributing, and retailing electric power in the Philippines.

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Dividend Yield: 3.5%

Vivant Corporation exhibits a complex profile for dividend investors. Its dividends, while growing over the past decade and reliably distributed, are not well-supported by free cash flows or earnings, with recent financials indicating dividend payments exceeding cash flows. The company's Price-To-Earnings ratio stands at 8.5x, below the Philippine market average of 9.2x, suggesting some value potential despite its challenges in sustaining dividends from operational cash flow alone. Recent board changes could influence future financial strategies and dividend policies.

PSE:VVT Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Univacco Technology Inc., operating under the UNIVACCO brand, engages in the stamping foil industry both in Taiwan and internationally, with a market capitalization of approximately NT$4.54 billion.

Operations: Univacco Technology Inc. generates revenue primarily from its Vacuum-Evaporated Thin Films and Optoelectronic Materials segment, totaling approximately NT$2.55 billion.

Dividend Yield: 3.6%

Univacco Technology's dividend history shows inconsistency, with significant fluctuations over the past decade, despite a recent increase in dividends. The company's dividend yield at 3.63% is below the top quartile in its market. Financially, Univacco is trading at 57% below estimated fair value, and its dividends are well-covered by both earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 61.5% and 45.5%, respectively. Recent corporate actions include a share buyback program and a decrease in annual dividend payout announced on May 23, indicating potential shifts in capital allocation strategies.

TPEX:3303 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include BIT:DIS PSE:VVT and TPEX:3303.

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General Mills Inc (NYSE:GIS) showcases robust brand portfolio and market presence as key strengths.

Challenges include intense competition and reliance on key suppliers for raw materials.

Opportunities for GIS lie in expanding its global footprint and leveraging consumer trends.

Threats involve potential cybersecurity risks and environmental regulatory pressures.

On June 26, 2024, General Mills Inc (NYSE:GIS), a global leader in branded consumer foods, filed its annual 10-K report, revealing a comprehensive overview of its financial health and strategic positioning. With a diverse product portfolio that includes snacks, cereals, convenient meals, and pet food, General Mills Inc has established a strong presence in the food industry. The company's financial tables indicate a solid performance, with a notable market capitalization of $37,084 million as of November 26, 2023. The following SWOT analysis delves into the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as presented in the 10-K filing, providing investors with a nuanced understanding of General Mills Inc's potential.

Decoding General Mills Inc (GIS): A Strategic SWOT Insight

Strengths

Robust Brand Portfolio: General Mills Inc's strength lies in its powerful array of brands, including Cheerios, Nature Valley, and Blue Buffalo, which resonate with consumers globally. The company's brand equity is built on a foundation of quality, trust, and consumer loyalty, which has been cultivated over 150 years. This brand strength is reflected in the company's ability to maintain premium pricing over generic and private label products, ensuring a competitive edge in the market.

Operational Efficiency: General Mills Inc's operational prowess is evident in its efficient supply chain and innovative product development. The company's strategic joint ventures, such as Cereal Partners Worldwide with Nestle and Haagen-Dazs Japan, Inc., exemplify its ability to collaborate and expand its global reach. Additionally, the company's grain merchandising operation provides informed access to commodity markets, aiding in the management of raw material costs and ensuring product quality.

Weaknesses

Dependence on Key Suppliers: General Mills Inc's reliance on a limited number of suppliers for essential raw materials like grains, dairy, and sugar could pose a risk to its operations. Fluctuations in commodity prices and supply chain disruptions can impact the company's cost structure and profitability. While the company has strategies in place to manage these risks, the inherent dependence on key suppliers remains a vulnerability.

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Concentration of Sales Channels: The company's significant reliance on Walmart, which accounted for 22 percent of its consolidated net sales in fiscal 2024, could be a potential weakness. Any adverse changes in this relationship or shifts in Walmart's strategies could materially affect General Mills Inc's sales and market position.

Opportunities

Global Expansion: General Mills Inc has the opportunity to further penetrate international markets, particularly in emerging economies where demand for branded food products is growing. By leveraging its existing joint ventures and exploring new partnerships, the company can tap into new consumer segments and diversify its revenue streams.

Consumer Health Trends: With increasing consumer focus on health and wellness, General Mills Inc is well-positioned to innovate and expand its offerings in nutritious and organic products. Capitalizing on this trend can attract health-conscious consumers and drive growth in its wholesome natural pet food and yogurt categories, among others.

Threats

Intense Competition: The food industry is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for market share. General Mills Inc faces competition from both large multinational corporations and local manufacturers, which could pressure the company to engage in price wars or increase promotional spending, potentially eroding profit margins.

Cybersecurity Risks: As a global enterprise, General Mills Inc is exposed to cybersecurity threats that could compromise sensitive data and disrupt operations. While the company has a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy in place, the evolving nature of cyber threats poses a constant challenge.

In conclusion, General Mills Inc (NYSE:GIS) presents a strong market presence backed by a portfolio of trusted brands and efficient operations. However, it must navigate the complexities of supplier dependence and concentrated sales channels. The company's opportunities for growth lie in global market expansion and aligning with consumer health trends. Yet, it must remain vigilant against the competitive landscape and cybersecurity risks. General Mills Inc's strategic initiatives and risk management practices will be crucial in leveraging its strengths and opportunities while mitigating its weaknesses and threats.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Denmark is looking to introduce the worlds first tax on carbon emissions from livestock farming, the countrys government has confirmed.

From 2030, farmers will be charged DKr300 ($43) per ton of carbon dioxide produced per year. In 2035, this will go up to DKr750 per ton of CO2 released.

A 60% tax deduction, however, means farmers effectively pay DKr 120 per ton of CO2 emitted and DKr300 five years later.

To support the move, the government will also offer around Dkr40bn in subsidies.

The tax proposals were agreed by seven negotiation parties yesterday evening (25 June). These included the Danish Society for Nature Preservation, the Council of Food & Agriculture, Danish Metal Workers Union, the farm workers union NNF, Local Government Denmark and the Confederation of Danish Industry.

Denmark's government has been assessing a possible farming emissions tax since February.

The implementation of the plans is contingent on approval from the national parliament, which is expected occur in August.

If approved, the carbon tax is predicted to cut Denmark's greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8m tonnes of CO2 in 2030. This in turn, the government says, will help it move closer to its 2030 target of slashing emissions by 70% compared to a 1990 baseline.

In a statement, Jacob Jensen, the country's Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, said the country was writing a new chapter in Danish agricultural history with the latest agreement.

He added: Denmark is a proud food-producing nation, where we have some of the world's most skilled farmers, for whom we now ensure a stable framework to continue producing world-class food for many years into the future.

With the agreement, we create growth and jobs throughout the country, while taking good care of our climate, environment and nature. At the same time, we are investing in the young farmers of the future, who must carry on the torch and ensure continued development - and not winding down - of Danish food production.

The world lacks food and climate solutions, and Danish agriculture can contribute to both parts, helped by this agreement.

Nicolai Wammen, the country's Finance Minister, said: Today is truly historic for Denmark. For the climate, for our nature and for Danish agriculture. We are investing in the future of our agricultural sector, initiating a transition with shared ambitions and goals - laying the tracks to what our country will look like in five, ten and 20 years from now.

"We know that a CO2 tax model aligned across all sectors gives us the lowest societal costs in total. What we have now done from industry sectors to agriculture shows us that an ambitious green transition is possible.

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Mark Howden, director of the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University and a member of the Expert Panel on Livestock Methane added the move should act as an example for other nations to follow.

The world can no longer afford to ignore the third of global emissions produced by the agri-food sector, he said.

The solutions needed to make a significant cut in agricultures climate footprint already exist - but financial incentives like the Danish tax could assist them being implemented at scale.

This policy package looks like it can push down on greenhouse gas emissions efficiently at the same time as generating benefits for farmers and for biodiversity. Recirculating the proceeds of the tax into a transition support fund for the farm sector, if handled strategically with an appropriate research and development component, could generate a new wave of innovation and new opportunities.

New Zealand also presented a plan to charge agricultural farmers for their greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.

The proposal, which looked to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions, received heavy criticism at the time from the national farmers' federation, Federated Farmers of New Zealand.

Reports earlier this month indicated the centre-right coalition government, elected last November, intended to scrap such plans.

"Denmark to bring in worlds first tax on livestock emissions" was originally created and published by Energy Monitor, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Doordash has recently expressed interest in acquiring the British food delivery company Deliveroo, but discussions between the two companies have stalled due to differences in valuation, Reuters has reported.

Sources told the publication that there are currently no active discussions between the companies.

Both Doordash and Deliveroo have refrained from commenting.

The global food delivery sector has experienced a downturn in demand since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this has been a major contributing factor to Deliveroos share performance struggles since its March 2021 initial public offering (IPO).

Deliveroo collaborates with 180,000 restaurants and retailers and maintains a fleet of 140,000 riders.

Deliveroo has reported a 2% increase in order growth in the first quarter of 2024, driven by its performance in France, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.

Its gross transactional value rose 6% to 1.83bn, indicating a measure of orders placed through its platform.

Amazon holds the largest share in Deliveroo with a 13.23% stake, followed by DST Global at 7.54%. Deliveroo CEO Will Shu possesses a 6.46% share, according to London Stock Exchange Group data.

Shu, who co-founded Deliveroo in February 2013, initially held Class B shares granting him significant voting rights, but these were converted to Class A shares this year as per the company's IPO prospectus.

With a market value of $46.57bn, Doordash first considered purchasing Deliveroo in 2022, but neither company commented on the speculation.

Doordash CEO Tony Xu, interviewed in the Financial Times in 2024, revealed the company's strategy to expand beyond the US market.

This strategic shift was underscored by Doordash's acquisition of Finnish rival Wolt in 2021 for $8bn.

Through Wolts acquisition, which closed in June 2022, DoorDash aimed to expand its global footprint, accelerate product development and enhance investment efficiency.

"Doordash-Deliveroo takeover talks collapse in valuation clash " was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Edge Total Intelligence (CVE:CTRL) Full Year 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$3.82m (up 6.9% from FY 2022).

Net loss: US$1.21m (loss narrowed by 81% from FY 2022).

US$0.057 loss per share (improved from US$0.14 loss in FY 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Edge Total Intelligence shares are up 17% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 6 warning signs for Edge Total Intelligence (of which 2 are a bit unpleasant!) you should know about.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Amid a backdrop of economic resilience and cautious optimism in European markets, the Netherlands continues to present intriguing opportunities for dividend-seeking investors. As global uncertainties persist, the stability and potential for steady income from Euronext Amsterdam's prime dividend stocks become increasingly attractive.

Top 5 Dividend Stocks In The Netherlands

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Acomo (ENXTAM:ACOMO) 6.76%  ABN AMRO Bank (ENXTAM:ABN) 9.88%  Randstad (ENXTAM:RAND) 5.37%  Signify (ENXTAM:LIGHT) 6.70%  Koninklijke KPN (ENXTAM:KPN) 4.23%  Koninklijke Heijmans (ENXTAM:HEIJM) 4.68% 

Click here to see the full list of 6 stocks from our Top Euronext Amsterdam Dividend Stocks screener.

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Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: ABN AMRO Bank N.V. offers a range of banking products and financial services to retail, private, and business clients both in the Netherlands and globally, with a market capitalization of approximately 12.74 billion.

Operations: ABN AMRO Bank N.V. generates revenue primarily through three segments: Corporate Banking (3.50 billion), Wealth Management (1.59 billion), and Personal & Business Banking (4.07 billion).

Dividend Yield: 9.9%

ABN AMRO Bank's dividend sustainability is currently supported by a payout ratio of 47.9%, with expectations to maintain similar coverage in three years. Despite this, the bank's dividends have shown volatility over the past eight years, indicating some level of unpredictability in its payments. Recent strategic expansions into Germany through acquisitions, such as Hauck Aufhaeuser Lampe for 672 million and potential acquisition of HSBC's German private bank, are set to increase assets under management significantly, which could impact future financial stability and dividend policies.

ENXTAM:ABN Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Koninklijke KPN N.V. operates as a telecommunications and IT service provider in the Netherlands, with a market capitalization of approximately 13.95 billion.

Operations: Koninklijke KPN N.V. generates revenue through three primary segments: Business (1.84 billion), Consumer (2.93 billion), and Wholesale (0.70 billion).

Dividend Yield: 4.2%

Koninklijke KPN's recent strategic moves, including a 498.41 million fixed-income offering and the creation of TowerCo with Dutch pension fund ABP, underscore its efforts to enhance infrastructure and shareholder value. Despite these initiatives, KPN's dividend yield of 4.23% trails behind top Dutch dividend payers. The company maintains a payout ratio of 78.4%, supported by earnings and cash flows (cash payout ratio: 59.6%), yet its dividend history shows instability over the past decade, reflecting some risk in consistency of returns to shareholders.

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ENXTAM:KPN Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Signify N.V. operates globally, offering a range of lighting products, systems, and services across Europe, the Americas, and other regions, with a market capitalization of approximately 2.92 billion.

Operations: Signify N.V. generates revenue from its conventional segment, totaling 0.56 billion.

Dividend Yield: 6.7%

Signify's recent share buyback, completed for 11.9 million, aligns with its strategy to manage share dilution from employee incentive plans. Despite a robust dividend yield of 6.7%, among the top 25% in the Dutch market, Signify's dividend history is marked by volatility over its 7-year payout period. Financially, Q1 sales dropped to 1.47 billion from 1.68 billion year-on-year, but net income improved to 44 million from 25 million, reflecting some resilience amidst challenges.

ENXTAM:LIGHT Dividend History as at Jun 2024

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include ENXTAM:ABNENXTAM:KPN and ENXTAM:LIGHT

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By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Treasury and the U.S. Agency for International Development are calling leaders of multilateral development banks into an urgent meeting on extreme heat and its devastating impact on developing countries, according to Treasury officials.

The private, virtual meeting on Thursday morning - the first of its kind - is aimed at finding ways to shift more resources to help countries build climate resilience and adaptation to reduce extreme heat damage amid a summer of record temperatures globally, the Treasury officials told Reuters.

While investments to fight climate change have increased dramatically in recent years, much of that growth has gone towards the transition to clean energy sources and reducing carbon emissions, not in helping countries adapt to the harmful impacts, including more severe droughts, wildfires, violent storms and rising ocean levels.

As heat waves grip the world and claim at least hundreds of lives, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will use the meeting to tie the urgent needs of developing countries hardest hit by high temperatures to broader work that multilateral development banks are doing to increase their lending capacity to help fight climate change and other global crises.

"Extreme weather events, including heat waves, continue to become increasingly severe and frequent, from the East Coast of the United States to India," Yellen said in remarks to the banks seen by Reuters. "Mitigating and responding to these events, and addressing climate change more generally, is a key priority for the Treasury Department."

Yellen will tell the World Bank and its sister institutions that they should link temperature increases to their assessments of developing countries' climate resilience and adaptation.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who in March launched a summit and an "action hub" to focus international donor attention on the issue, said that of 400 projects funded by the climate investment funds, only seven dealt directly with extreme heat.

"The multilateral development banks are our only hope of securing enough funding to directly address the scale of the extreme heat crisis," she said, adding that rising temperatures were likely killing tens of thousands of people each year and are estimated to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030.

USAID is investing over $8 million in heat-resilient schools in Jordan, as extreme temperatures sap learning and shut classrooms.

World Bank Senior Managing Director Axel van Trotsenburg is participating on behalf of World Bank President Ajay Banga, while Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Ilan Goldfajn and Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa will attend. Heads of the African Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agency also will participate, Treasury officials said.

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An IDB source said Goldfajn will emphasize that heat mitigation is a key part of the bank's climate strategy. The bank in 2023 provided $100 million in technical assistance on climate issues and extreme heat, including helping Chile develop strategies to keep cities cooler by using green roofs, green space corridors and reflective infrastructure surfaces.

Goldfajn also will discuss the bank's work in helping lead the development banks to work in a more coordinated fashion to achieve greater scale and impact to fight climate change. That has included the development of innovative financing instruments such as the use of International Monetary Fund reserve assets to back hybrid capital, the source said.

(Reporting by David Lawder; editing by Lincoln Feast and Rosalba O'Brien)
Thousands of jobs across the medtech sector have been slashed by multinationals throughout the first half of this year, with research and development (R&D), diagnostic testing and North American facilities being the hardest hit as companies look to secure greater returns for investors.

Giant corporations including Johnson and Johnson (J&J), Philips, and Siemens Healthineers have all seen significant workforce reductions over the course of the first half of 2024, ranging from hundreds to thousands of staff members made redundant.

In the case of Philips, the chain of events leading to job cuts is due to a 2023 filled with recalls and quality issues, as well as an initiative to restructure itself globally in the hope of remaining profitable. In 2023, the company announced that it was cutting approximately 13% of its workforce, equating to 6,000 jobs worldwide.

Despite this, the company has seen relatively marginal savings over the year in which the cuts were enacted. In its 2022 year-end financial report, the company reported a financial loss of 1.6bn ($1.71bn). In its 2023 year-end report, the company was able to report losses of only 115m.

However, Philips has been far from alone in terms of reaping the rewards of large-scale job cuts. The layoffs come following a call from within the medtech industry itself for the EU and US to ensure companies have greater access to trained and skilled workers. To that end, Medical Device Network is examining the scale of job cuts across the industry since the Covid-19 pandemic and the seemingly contradictory calls from the industry for more skilled workers.

Sights on Siemens

At the annual 2024 MedTech Forum in Vienna, one of the chief talking points across multiple sessions was the impending nature of workforce sustainability in the healthcare sector, with research carried out by event hosts and industry body MedTech Europe finding that in order to maintain its current healthcare standard, by the year 2040 one in every four European workers will need to be a healthcare worker. The sentiment, echoed by many at the conference, seemingly does not apply to the similarly beleaguered US-based workforce.

In November 2023, Siemens Healthineers cut an additional 300 jobs as it sought to shutter its Healthcare Diagnostics manufacturing facility in Flanders, New Jersey. Bringing the total number of job cuts in the region up to 750 as the company looks to relocate its still existing manufacturing and R&D closer to home, namely the Republic of Ireland. The cuts come amid a drive by the company to restructure the entirety of its mostly US-based diagnostics division, with the aim of saving 300m yearly by 2025. At the time of the announcement, Siemens Healthineers stock stood at 47.97 per share; at the time of writing that stock price has risen to 53.60 per share.

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Speaking with Medical Device Network at the cocktail reception of the MedTech 2024 Forum, former CEO and now senior executive for Siemens Healthineers, Martin Fuhrer, defended the job cuts arguing that they did not undermine calls for greater access to skilled healthcare staff.

Fuhrer said: It is about having the right jobs in the right places. The job cuts that happened in Flanders come because of portfolio product decisions we made and that is it. What you need to look at is the global workforce in health. As a net, we are increasing our workforce. As a global company, you have to move people from one location to another, as a result of geopolitics and reacting to the market.

When asked why US-based jobs had been effectively relocated to Ireland, Fuhrer detailed that the diagnostic products produced in the New Jersey facility see higher demand in the EU than they do in the US, incentivising the company to move production, especially in the wake of the supply chain disruption. Pressed as to whether such savings could be achieved without cutting on-the-ground staff, instead by reducing pay in managerial sectors or by reducing dividends to investors, Fuhrer was adamant that it was not possible.

Fuhrer added: Do I feel sorry for them? Absolutely, yes, but we are a global company, and we need to shift products closer to the markets as a result of the Covid pandemic and supply chain disruption. If we didnt do that, we would again run directly into logistics challenges that would lead to patients going undiagnosed or not cared for because we dont have the right products in the right place at the right time.

These decisions are never made easy, but we have to make them.

At its annual shareholders meeting in April of this year, the current supervisory board of Siemens Healthiness approved a dividend proposal of 0.95 per share for fiscal year 2023. Usually paid out from net income, Siemens Healthineers pays out approximately 70% of its 426 net income from 2022 in dividends, representing a payout of approximately 298.2m.

Siemens is not entirely alone; the practice of reshoring supply chains has been becoming increasingly prevalent across the medtech space in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this case, Siemens is 'nearshoring' or 'friendshoring', a practice whereby supply chains are relocated to closer/friendlier countries with more agreeable trade terms. Research by GlobalData found that as many as 90% of companies involved in the practice saw positive results from the move.

Industry trends

Many of the lay-offs have their roots in the unparalleled growth the largely US-based diagnostics scene experienced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its unique set of restrictions and occasional benefits that saw some areas of the health tech space benefit whilst others faltered.

One of the areas that saw significant growth for evident reasons was the in vitro diagnostics scene, with governments worldwide directly incentivising the development of more and more complex Covid-19 rapid antigen tests in the hope of curtailing the spread of the virus.

Selena Yu, healthcare analyst for GlobalData, detailed how, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, many companies hoped to translate the direct investment into more varied and marketable tests off of the back of Covid-19 investment, but these hopes did not materialise, leaving diagnostics companies with over-investment in a quickly dwindling and busy market.

Yu said: [Diagnostics companies] made a lot of money during the Covid-19 years and now, since Covid is less and less of a thing, many of these companies are writing it as a loss because they upscaled so much in terms of Covid production. Companies like Siemens put a lot of money in R&D around Covid-19 testing and now that testing is no longer as lucrative, they have back-peddled and tried to make some of their tests multi-panel or more accessible. They tried to use that money put into R&D and rebrand these tests as new kinds of tests, and from what we can see that has not been very successful.

Yu detailed how throughout the Covid-19 era the US diagnostics space found itself quickly taken over by giant corporations such as Roche or Abbot, which already had significant dominance in the market prior to the pandemic. However, with large investments being made into the diagnostics market driven sharply upward by an increased demand for testing, many smaller medtech companies similarly looked to get involved in a market that was quickly appearing saturated in hopes of a quick turnaround.

Yu added: Smaller companies, where many other lay-offs are also coming from, would look to develop their own Covid-19 tests and end up getting acquired by these giant companies, which then look to dissolve them. For the US there are emergency authorisations of Covid tests still coming through today. This, I think, goes to show just how much money these companies put into Covid-19 testing during the height of the pandemic.

As the economic boom experienced by the diagnostics industry begins to dwindle as the Covid-19 pandemic fades into popular memory, so too will much of that boom-era investment. This means that while many companies may continue to try to push their overstretched diagnostics wings to become profitable, it is likely that further job cuts and redundancies will follow as they begin to realise that the industry has moved on.

"Explainer: Why have there been so many job cuts in MedTech?" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Pakistan to strengthen action, cooperation for drug-free society: PM

Xinhua) 09:50, June 27, 2024

ISLAMABAD, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated his country's firm determination to strengthen action and cooperation to collectively achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse.

"The menace of drug abuse is a global concern unconfined by territorial boundaries plaguing the society. The Pakistani government places utmost priority on addressing the issue of drug abuse and taking effective measures to combat illicit trafficking," the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In collective efforts to fight against the menace of drug abuse, Sharif underlined that the country needs to align with internationally recognized best practices, placing a strong emphasis on upholding human rights and guaranteeing that individuals grappling with addiction receive the essential support they need.

"This encompasses improving accessibility to medical and psychological services for rehabilitation, as well as integrating scientific research into policy formulation," he added.

Highlighting that combating the illicit trade and trafficking of drugs is a shared responsibility, the prime minister urged the stakeholders including non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the media to actively support Pakistan's efforts in tackling drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigmatization of drug users.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
As European markets show signs of recovery, with Germany's DAX index recently marking a notable gain, investors are keenly watching for opportunities. In this context, identifying stocks that appear undervalued becomes particularly compelling, offering potential for significant adjustments to their market valuations in light of current economic conditions.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Germany

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Kontron (XTRA:SANT) 19.20 31.32 38.7% Novem Group (XTRA:NVM) 5.56 10.77 48.4% Verbio (XTRA:VBK) 17.47 28.16 38% MTU Aero Engines (XTRA:MTX) 220.90 397.82 44.5% Stratec (XTRA:SBS) 45.25 79.74 43.3% CHAPTERS Group (XTRA:CHG) 23.00 44.74 48.6% SBF (DB:CY1K) 3.20 5.29 39.5% Your Family Entertainment (DB:RTV) 2.40 4.08 41.2% Redcare Pharmacy (XTRA:RDC) 118.50 197.69 40.1% Dr. Honle (XTRA:HNL) 19.80 33.21 40.4%

Click here to see the full list of 32 stocks from our Undervalued German Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener

Overview: Adidas AG operates globally, designing, developing, producing, and marketing athletic and sports lifestyle products across multiple regions, with a market capitalization of approximately 39.67 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue from various regions, with 5.16 billion from North America, 3.20 billion from Greater China, and 2.31 billion from Latin America.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 30.3%

Adidas AG, priced at 222.2, is currently trading 30.3% below its estimated fair value of 318.7, indicating significant undervaluation based on discounted cash flow analysis. Recently turning profitable with a net income of 170 million in Q1 2024, Adidas has shown a promising recovery with earnings per share improving from a loss last year to 0.95. The company's earnings are expected to grow by 41.3% annually over the next three years, outpacing the German market's growth forecast of 18.6%. Additionally, revenue growth is projected at 7.9% per year, also above the market average.

XTRA:ADS Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Overview: Redcare Pharmacy NV is an online pharmacy operating across the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and France with a market capitalization of approximately 2.41 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from two segments: the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) contributing 1.62 billion and other international markets adding 0.37 billion.

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Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 40.1%

Redcare Pharmacy is currently valued at 118.5, well below its fair value of 197.69, highlighting a significant undervaluation based on discounted cash flow. Despite recent shareholder dilution, the company's revenue growth at 17% annually outstrips the German market's 5.2%, with profitability expected within three years. Q1 2024 showed improved sales of 560.22 million and a reduced net loss of 7.81 million compared to last year, indicating positive financial momentum despite ongoing challenges.

XTRA:RDC Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Overview: SAP SE, along with its subsidiaries, operates globally offering applications, technology, and services with a market capitalization of approximately 215.58 billion.

Operations: The company generates 31.81 billion in revenue from its Applications, Technology & Services segment.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 31.6%

SAP SE, a significant entity in the tech sector, is currently trading below its fair value by over 20%, indicating potential undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. Despite this, earnings are expected to grow at an impressive rate of 33.5% annually over the next three years, outpacing the German market's forecasted growth. However, its revenue growth projection of 9.3% per year is modest compared to some industry peers. Recent strategic alliances and product enhancements underscore SAP's commitment to innovation and market expansion, which could support future financial performance despite current challenges like a substantial one-time financial impact reflected in recent earnings reports.

XTRA:SAP Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Turning Ideas Into Actions

Unlock our comprehensive list of 32 Undervalued German Stocks Based On Cash Flows by clicking here.

Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments.

Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include XTRA:ADSXTRA:RDC and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
North American frozen-meals manufacturer Inovata Foods has received an investment from US private-equity firm Swander Pace Capital.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Inovata Foods founder Steve Parsons said the backing will accelerate our capacity expansion plans.

Meanwhile, CEO Chad Parsons said the company will continually invest in the robust capabilities of our manufacturing facilities.

The Canada-based company, which was founded in 1989, sells its frozen-meals in Canada and the US to retailers and foodservice channels.

The investment marks Swander Paces tenth in Canada, including prior investments in Voortman Cookies, Recochem, Kicking Horse Coffee, Lavo, Pineridge Bakery and Liberte.

We are truly excited to partner with the Parsons family and the Inovata Foods team, known for their unwavering dedication to quality and customer service, said Tyler Matlock, managing director at Swander Pace.

As the demand for premium private-label meal solutions continues to grow, we see Inovata as the ideal platform to capitalise on these trends. With extensive experience in private-label and food manufacturing throughout North America, we believe we are uniquely positioned to help foster Inovatas growth and leadership position in the industry.

Inovata Foods has a 45,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Edmonton, Alberta, and a 95,000 sq ft manufacturing facility located 100 miles from the US border in Tillsonburg, Ontario.

Selecting the right partner was crucial for us, and we deliberately chose Swander Pace due to their proven track record and shared values and vision for growth, said Parsons.

He added: The partnership with Swander Pace will allow us to accelerate our execution efforts and continue to deliver best-in-class quality.

The Ontario-based company produces a variety of frozen ready-meals, ranging from pasta and noodle dishes to Indian-style curries and paella.

Earlier this month, another Swander Pace-backed company, apple cider vinegar maker Bragg, was reportedly exploring a sale that could value the business at $500m, including debt.

"Frozen-meals maker Inovata Foods receives Swander Pace backing" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
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Dublin, June 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Genome Editing Technologies Market Report 2024-2034" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



World revenue for the Genome Editing Technologies Market is set to surpass US$6.3 billion in 2024, with strong revenue growth through to 2034.

Emerging economies such as China, India, South Africa, Mexico, Singapore, Brazil, Russia, South Korea, Indonesia, and Turkey are becoming significant players in the genome editing technologies industry. China, in particular, has made substantial investments and advancements in genome editing, propelling the nation to the forefront of global research and application. Institutions like BGI Genomics and Huada Genomics Institute are leading efforts in CRISPR-Cas9 technology, achieving breakthroughs in human health and significant strides in agriculture.

These advancements address critical issues such as food security and sustainability, presenting a significant long-term growth opportunity for life science research in the Chinese market. The country's spending on R&D surpassed US$458.5 billion in 2023, an 8.1% increase from the previous year, reflecting rising health demands from an aging population.



India and Brazil are also making notable progress in genome editing technologies. India, with its vast population and burgeoning biotechnology sector, has companies like Rasi Seeds and MedGenome spearheading research in crop improvement and personalized medicine. This focus on healthcare and agriculture highlights India's commitment to leveraging genome editing for societal benefit. Similarly, Brazil is recognizing the potential of genome editing to address its healthcare and agricultural challenges. Institutions like Embrapa and companies like Recepta Biopharma are actively developing novel therapies and crop varieties tailored to the country's needs, driving advancements in precision medicine and agricultural productivity. These efforts position Brazil as a key player in the global genome editing landscape.



Off-target Effects of CRISPR Technology Likely to Challenge Industry Growth



One major limitation of gene editing technology is the off-target effects of CRISPR-Cas9. While CRISPR can target specific genes with high precision, it can also cause unintended alterations at other sites in the genome. These off-target effects present risks and challenges, making it essential to ensure precise targeting to avoid unwanted changes and adverse outcomes. Researchers are improving CRISPR procedures to increase specificity and reduce off-target effects through advancements in guide RNA design, high-fidelity Cas9 variants, and bioinformatics tools.



Off-target effects pose significant concerns for the safety and efficacy of genome editing treatments, impeding market demand. Unintended genetic changes can lead to harmful side effects, potentially introducing new mutations or exacerbating existing conditions. Regulatory scrutiny and public perception further hinder market growth. Regulators, like the FDA, require rigorous testing to ensure safety, which is time-consuming and costly. Public skepticism about the risks of off-target effects can also deter patients from seeking genome editing treatments. To address these challenges, researchers are developing new tools and techniques to enhance CRISPR precision and mitigate off-target effects, aiming to boost confidence and demand in the market.



Key Questions Answered

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How is the genome editing technologies market evolving?

What is driving and restraining the genome editing technologies market?

How will each genome editing technologies submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2034?

How will the market shares for each genome editing technologies submarket develop from 2024 to 2034?

What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2024 to 2034?

Will leading genome editing technologies markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?

How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2034 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2034?

Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?

What are the genome editing technologies projects for these leading companies?

How will the industry evolve during the period between 2024 and 2034? What are the implications of genome editing technologies projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?

Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the genome editing technologies market?

Where is the genome editing technologies market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?

What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?

What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?

Key Market Dynamics

Market Driving Factors

Rising Number of Genomic Projects Coupled with the Government Funding

Rising Adoption of Genome Editing Technologies

Rising Burden of Chronic Diseases

Increasing Applications of Genomics for Medicine, Agriculture, and Biotechnology

Market Restraining Factors

Off-target Effects of CRISPR Technology

High Cost of Genome Editing Technologies

Regulatory Hurdles for Genome Editing Technology Application

Market Opportunities

Rising Demand for Genome Editing Technology in Emerging Economies

Strong Product Pipeline with Genome Editing Technology

Collaboration and Partnerships among Genome Editing Technologies Companies

Segments Covered in the Report

Technology

CRISPR

TALEN

ZFN

Meganucleases

Others

Application

Genetic Engineering

Cell Line Engineering

Animal Genetic Engineering

Plant Genetic Engineering

Others

Drug Discovery & Development

Diagnostic Applications

End-users

Biotechnology Companies

Pharmaceutical Companies

Academic & Government Research Institutes

Other End-users

In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 22 leading national markets.

The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Genome Editing Technologies Market, with a focus on this segment of these companies' operations.



Leading companies profiled in the report

Agilent Technologies

Caribou Biosciences

Cellectis

Cibus

CRISPR Therapeutics

Danaher Corporation

Editas Medicine

GenScript

Intellia Therapeutics

Lonza

Merck

Precision Biosciences

Recombinetics

Revvity

Sangamo Therapeutics

Takara Bio

Tecan Trading

Thermo Fisher Scientific

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xffbh5

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Goldman Sachs Unleashes $3.4 Billion Fund To Exploit Real Estate Market Fluctuations

Goldman Sachs has raised $3.4 billion for its Vintage Real Estate Partners III fund, which specifically invests in shares of real estate funds. This capital will be used to purchase stakes in these funds, often involving owning parts of large property portfolios or development projects.

The $3.4 billion pool is one of the biggest amounts of money aimed at buying shares in private real estate funds. Its 23% more than the $2.75 billion Goldman Sachs raised for a similar fund in 2020. In May, Goldman Sachs raised $7 billion to lend to real estate investors and developers, as they believe this market does not have enough funding.

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Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." This real estate fund, offering an 8% yield, makes earning passive income easier than ever.

According to The Wall Street Journal, it benefits from the fact that other investors and fund managers are facing cash shortages and need to sell their shares. This creates good opportunities for Goldman Sachs to buy these shares at potentially lower prices.

Goldman's latest fundraising effort ended six months after competitors Blackstone and Ares Management raised funds focused on property investments. Late last year, Blackstone raised $2.6 billion for its real estate fund, its largest amount yet. Ares raised $3.3 billion for its real estate fund, just under its $3.5 billion goal.

Goldman Sachs says the money in its new fund can be used to buy shares of real estate funds from big investors and support deals where fund managers want to give all investors in a fund a chance to cash out at the same time so they dont have to sell their assets at subpar prices.

According to the company, Goldman Sachs oversees more than $2.8 trillion in assets worldwide as of Dec. 31, 2023. Since its start in 1998, Goldman Sachs Vintage Strategies has become one of the largest secondary investors, investing over $70 billion.

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Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are bullish on one city that could dethrone New York and become the new financial capital of the US. Investing in its booming real estate market has never been more accessible.

The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement  How do you compare?

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This article Goldman Sachs Unleashes $3.4 Billion Fund To Exploit Real Estate Market Fluctuations originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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Australias Hammer Metals has signed a joint exploration agreement with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining, to develop the Bullrush Project in north-west Queensland.

The agreement could see Sumitomo earn up to an 80% interest in the project by funding exploration and feasibility studies.

Under the agreed terms, Sumitomo will pay Hammer an initial farm-in fee of A$100,000 ($66,613) within ten days of the agreement signing.

Sumitomo is also committed to funding a 2,000m drilling campaign within the first 12 months.

To earn a 51% stake, Sumitomo must invest A$4.5m over four years. If Sumitomo chooses to invest another A$2m within one year, its stake could increase to 60%.

The agreement further stipulates that upon Sumitomo completing the second farm-in period, Hammer has the option to either contribute proportionally to exploration costs to maintain a 40% interest or allow Sumitomo to increase its stake to 80% by solely funding the pre-feasibility study (PFS).

This PFS will evaluate the potential for a mining operation, targeting production of at least 100,000 tonnes of copper equivalent metal over the mine's life.

The Bullrush Project includes sections of the Williams-aged Wimberu Granite, spanning 87km of the Mount Isa Project area.

The area is characterised by geophysical signatures indicative of iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) mineralisation.

Hammer managing director Daniel Thomas said: We are excited to broaden our relationship with Sumitomo Metal Mining Oceania through a new joint exploration agreement covering the highly prospective Bullrush Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold Project.

We look forward to further strengthening our relationship in the quest for the development of a large-scale copper and gold mine in the Mount Isa district.

Bullrush features a large coincident gravity and magnetic anomaly under moderate cover with no previous drilling. The nearby Devoncourt Project (<10km) demonstrates that the large Williams age granite intrusion is a fertile host for copper and gold mineralisation of IOCG style.

With a commitment to drill this compelling target in the coming year, Hammer and its shareholders have another exciting opportunity to make a breakthrough copper discovery in this world-class metal province.

"Hammer Metals partners Sumitomo on joint exploration in Queensland" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
As global markets navigate through varying economic signals, Hong Kong's stock market presents a mixed landscape with the Hang Seng Index showing modest gains amidst broader regional challenges. This context sets an intriguing stage for investors considering dividend stocks, which are often prized for their potential to provide steady income in fluctuating markets.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Hong Kong

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank (SEHK:3618) 8.18%  CITIC Telecom International Holdings (SEHK:1883) 9.84%  China Construction Bank (SEHK:939) 7.42%  S.A.S. Dragon Holdings (SEHK:1184) 8.84%  China Electronics Huada Technology (SEHK:85) 8.33%  Bank of China (SEHK:3988) 6.65%  China Mobile (SEHK:941) 6.41%  Sinopharm Group (SEHK:1099) 4.21%  International Housewares Retail (SEHK:1373) 8.89%  Shougang Fushan Resources Group (SEHK:639) 8.97% 

Click here to see the full list of 89 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's explore several standout options from the results in the screener.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Financial Street Property Co., Limited operates in property management and related services across the Peoples Republic of China, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$0.84 billion.

Operations: Financial Street Property Co., Limited generates revenue primarily through property management and related services, totaling CN1.51 billion.

Dividend Yield: 8%

Financial Street Property Co., Limited, despite a short history of dividend payments, has shown commitment to increasing dividends with a recent announcement on June 6, 2024, proposing a final dividend of RMB 0.173 per share for 2023. The company's earnings have grown modestly by 5.8% over the past year to CNY 128.1 million and support the dividend with a payout ratio of 50.4%. However, its dividend track record remains volatile and less established in the Hong Kong market compared to long-standing payers.

SEHK:1502 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Chengdu Expressway Co., Ltd. operates and manages a network of expressways in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$3.33 billion.

Operations: Chengdu Expressway Co., Ltd. generates its revenue primarily from the development, operation, and management of expressways in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

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Dividend Yield: 8.8%

Chengdu Expressway Co., Ltd. is trading significantly below its estimated fair value, offering a potentially attractive entry point for dividend investors. With a solid dividend yield of 8.76%, higher than the Hong Kong market average, and supported by a low payout ratio of 46.1% from earnings and 31.1% from cash flow, the dividends appear sustainable despite the company's relatively short history of dividend payments spanning just five years. However, recent financials show a slight decline in net income year-over-year, which could signal caution regarding future earnings stability necessary to maintain or grow dividends.

SEHK:1785 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Best Pacific International Holdings Limited operates in manufacturing, trading, and selling elastic fabric, elastic webbing, and lace, with a market capitalization of approximately HK$2.20 billion.

Operations: Best Pacific International Holdings Limited generates HK$834.34 million from its elastic webbing operations and HK$3.37 billion from its fabric and lace business.

Dividend Yield: 7.2%

Best Pacific International Holdings recently declared a final dividend of HK$0.1138 per share for 2023, indicating a commitment to shareholder returns despite its unstable dividend history over the past decade. The company's dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 50% and 23.9%, respectively. However, its dividend yield of 7.16% is below the top quartile in Hong Kongs market, suggesting room for improvement in attractiveness to income-focused investors.

SEHK:2111 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Key Takeaways

Click this link to deep-dive into the 89 companies within our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

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Simply Wall St is a revolutionary app designed for long-term stock investors, it's free and covers every market in the world.

Contemplating Other Strategies?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include SEHK:1502SEHK:1785 SEHK:2111 and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
We recently published a list of the 10 Best of Breed Stocks to Buy For The Third Quarter of 2024 According to Bank of America. Since Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) ranks 8th on the list, it deserves a deeper look.

Analysts at BofA Securities recently published a list of best of breed stocks for the third quarter of 2024, which they believe are the top choices for investors on the back of their high quality, liquidity, earnings growth and margin upside when compared with peers. BofAs best of breed basket of stocks has reportedly outperformed the MSCI All Country World Index (NASDAQ:ACWI) by 584 basis points, and returned a whopping 470% since its inception in April 2010.

Bank of America analyst Michael Hartnett thinks these best of breed companies have strong balance sheets, cash flow and high EPS growth as well as competent management. Hartnett believes these companies generate the best relative returns in the long term and can protect investors against short-term volatility.

For this article we scanned BofAs best of breed basket of stocks and picked 10 companies with the highest number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Is Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) Best of Breed Stocks to Buy For The Third Quarter of 2024 According to Bank of America?

A state-of-the-art commercial jetliner taking off, displaying the modernity of the company's aerospace and defense division.

Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 44

HWM is one of the stocks in BofAs best of breed stocks list. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) is soaring after the company upped its earnings estimate for the year on the back of rising demand. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) revenue in the first quarter jumped 14% year over year. Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) is well-diversified and can offset slowness in different market segments of the industry. Its business spans across Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures and Forged Wheels. During the first quarter the company generated FCF of $95 million, while it has $533 million in cash and cash equivalents, more than enough to pay the $205 million debt maturing this year.

During the Q1 earnings call the company talked in detail about guidance and effects of Boeing-related headwinds on its business:

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Demand for air travel continues to be very strong. And if anything, will be constrained during the summer season by the availability of new aircraft, especially narrow-body aircraft. Asia-Pacific travel, which has been lagging the U.S. and Europe has been increasing rapidly. And is now back to approximately 90% of pre-pandemic levels. International Asia-Pacific travel was up approximately 50% in the recent months and speaks well to future aircraft demand especially wide-body aircraft. Freight requirements also continue to be robust. The one item that needs to be set out is the fact of the FAA restrictions on the Boeing 737 MAX production of 38 per month in the light of continuing quality problems at Boeing. These facts are extensively reported in the press and have resulted in lower production, well below the prior levels of approximately 30 aircraft per month, which in itself was well below the 2023 targets of 38 aircraft per month. Clearly, the prospect of going up to rate 42 and rate 47 per month is now unlikely in 2024. This has caused Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) to completely replan our year. And weve concluded that a further reduction in build to approximately 20 aircraft per month average for the year is a more secure assumption than that previously reported of 34 aircraft per month.

Read the entire earnings call transcript here.

Average analyst price estimate on the stock is $85.95, which presents a 10% upside potential from the current levels. Wall Street expects Howmet Aerospace Inc.s (NYSE:HWM) earnings to grow 30.40% this year, 20% next year and 22% on average for the next five years on a per-annum basis. Based on these growth estimates, the stocks P/E of 32 is justified.

Overall, Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) ranks 8th on Insider Monkeys list titled 10 Best of Breed Stocks to Buy For The Third Quarter of 2024 According to Bank of America. While we acknowledge the potential of Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM), our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE:HWM) but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These Stocks.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Key Insights

Civmec's estimated fair value is S$1.54 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Civmec's S$0.82 share price signals that it might be 46% undervalued

The average premium for Civmec's competitorsis currently 95%

How far off is Civmec Limited (SGX:P9D) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Civmec

The Model

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$67.8m AU$62.4m AU$56.3m AU$52.9m AU$51.0m AU$50.1m AU$49.7m AU$49.8m AU$50.2m AU$50.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -5.99% Est @ -3.57% Est @ -1.87% Est @ -0.68% Est @ 0.16% Est @ 0.74% Est @ 1.15% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.4% AU$63.2 AU$54.1 AU$45.5 AU$39.8 AU$35.8 AU$32.7 AU$30.3 AU$28.2 AU$26.5 AU$25.0

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$381m

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.1%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.4%.

Story continues

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = AU$51m (1 + 2.1%)  (7.4% 2.1%) = AU$985m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$985m ( 1 + 7.4%)10= AU$484m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$865m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$0.8, the company appears quite good value at a 46% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Civmec as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.144. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Civmec

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Construction industry.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Construction market.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for P9D.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Civmec, there are three further items you should consider:

Financial Health: Does P9D have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does P9D's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the SGX every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Swatch Group is CHF270 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Swatch Group is estimated to be 30% undervalued based on current share price of CHF189

Analyst price target for UHR is CHF227 which is 16% below our fair value estimate

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of The Swatch Group AG (VTX:UHR) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Swatch Group

The Calculation

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (CHF, Millions) CHF824.0m CHF632.3m CHF657.0m CHF673.6m CHF685.9m CHF695.0m CHF701.9m CHF707.2m CHF711.3m CHF714.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Est @ 2.52% Est @ 1.82% Est @ 1.33% Est @ 0.99% Est @ 0.75% Est @ 0.58% Est @ 0.46% Present Value (CHF, Millions) Discounted @ 5.2% CHF783 CHF571 CHF564 CHF550 CHF532 CHF513 CHF492 CHF472 CHF451 CHF431

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CHF5.4b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 5.2%.

Story continues

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = CHF715m (1 + 0.2%)  (5.2% 0.2%) = CHF14b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CHF14b ( 1 + 5.2%)10= CHF8.6b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is CHF14b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CHF189, the company appears a touch undervalued at a 30% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Swatch Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 5.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.088. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Swatch Group

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Luxury market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Paying a dividend but company has no free cash flows.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Swiss market.

Next Steps:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Swatch Group, we've put together three additional items you should further examine:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Swatch Group , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does UHR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Swiss stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
nvidia stock

Before we read too much into Nvidias 400bn share price slide, lets put it in context.

Yes, the shares fell by 13pc in three days either side of the weekend, easily meeting the usual definition of a correction.

But lets not forget that they had risen by 78pc since April. A company that was already one of the biggest in the world almost doubled in two months to briefly become the largest ever. It is hardly surprising that it should have paused for breath.

Alongside the focus on Nvidia, theres been a lot of talk about Cisco this week. Its not hard to see why.

The share price chart of the company that came to symbolise the internet mania of 25 years ago looked uncannily like Nvidias until its customers stopped spending after the bubble burst in March 2000. Like Nvidia, its shares had grown tenfold in a couple of years. Within a year it had lost more than 80pc of its value.

I dont think that is the template for Nvidia. But I may be wrong. I have no idea how the AI revolution will pan out or who its biggest beneficiaries will be. Just as we didnt know in 1999 how the internet would evolve or who its winners would be.

As it turned out, it was not the companies which built the internet that benefited most but those who piggybacked on the expensive new infrastructure. Maybe it will be a similar story this time with Nvidias chips.

In one important way todays stock market boom is unlike the dotcom period. Such has been the sales and earnings growth of the market leaders this time around that valuations never reached excessive levels.

According to Goldman Sachs, the seven biggest companies today are half as expensive, as a multiple of profits, as the seven biggest were in 2000. They are cheaper too than the largest companies were at the height of the Japanese property and stock market bubble in 1989. They are also less expensive than the Nifty 50 stocks that led the market rally in the early 1970s.

But there are enough straws in the wind to be concerned. The first is the disconnect between the market leaders  the Fab Five  and the rest of the market. Since March, five tech giants have seen their share prices rise by 11pc on average while the other 495 shares in the S&P 500 have fallen by 2pc.

Just as interesting is who the relative winners and losers have been. The most defensive stocks (utilities and consumer staples) have held up much better than the most cyclical companies (industrials, materials, energy). That tells me that investors are worried about the outlook  they are looking for safe havens.

Three other things concern me about Nvidias recent surge.

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First, it seems illogical that it and the companies to which it is selling its powerful (and expensive) chips should both be riding high. The flip side of Nvidias revenue windfall is surely a rise in its customers costs. It must be good for one or the other. But both at the same time?

Second, it is telling that founder Jensen Huang and other directors at Nvidia are selling meaningful amounts of the companys stock after the recent surge in price.

Share sales are less significant than share purchases because there are plenty of good reasons to raise funds but only one reason to buy a stock. More than one director reducing their holding at the same time is rarely a good sign, however.

It is telling that Nvidia founder Jensen Huang is selling meaningful amounts of stock after the recent surge in price - AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying

Finally, I notice that hedge funds started to unwind their heavily over-crowded long positions in Nvidia about two weeks ago. These fickle investors are often the canary in the coal-mine at turning points.

My biggest concern about Nvidia is that many people are more heavily exposed to the companys shares than they realise. Even if a fall in the value of this one stock does not trigger a wider negative shift in sentiment (I think it would), then the outsize presence of Nvidia in many investment portfolios is a reason to be worried.

Many novice investors start their investing journey with a global index-tracking fund. For good reason. It appears to offer an attractive combination of low cost and broad diversification. Even Warren Buffett said 10 years ago that, after his demise, his wife should invest 90pc of her money in a low-cost S&P 500 tracker. Im not sure he would say the same today.

Thats because a US or Global tracker fund is a massive bet on the tech sector. Far from being a low-risk investment, it has become a gamble on a continuation of the investment status quo.

A look at the top holdings of one representative tracker, the L&G Global Equity Index Fund, bears this out. More than a fifth of the fund is held in just 10 stocks, eight of which are technology companies and nine of which are American. One pound in eight of an investment in this fund is in Microsoft, Apple and Nvidia.

And this concentration is not just a US phenomenon. If you were to buy an emerging market tracker fund, you might be surprised to know that 8pc of your money is invested in just one company: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Want to track the European stock markets? Almost a tenth of your cash is in just two companies: Novo Nordisk and ASML.

I dont know how the Nvidia story unfolds from here. But I do take from this weeks setback three important nuggets of investment wisdom. Know what you are investing in. Beware when share prices head straight up the page. And remember that it is rarely different this time.

Tom Stevenson is an investment director at Fidelity International. The views are his own.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Royal Assyrian Advisor and Julian Assange

Within the magnificent stone halls of the Neo-Assyrian Empire's court in the 7th century BC, the name of the scribe Ahikar was synonymous with integrity.

A royal advisor and chronicler who served under kings such as Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, Ahikar was mandated to record important matters of the state, and provide his lords with wise counsel they could use to better serve the ends of the Empire.

Yet his proximity to power didn't come without risk. As advisor, Ahikar was sometimes required to critique the actions and decisions of leaders in the Assyrian capital Nineveh and beyond. In this role, Ahikar always maintained absolute honesty and a steadfast commitment to truth and justice--a fact that would eventually see him buried in an avalanche of ruin.

The one who would ruin him? None other than his adopted son and nephew Nadin.

Jealous of his foster father's respect at court, Nadin hatched a plan to use Ahikar's respected qualities against him. He concocted a series of false accusations, painting Ahikar as a traitor who believed the king wasn't honourable enough to hold his position, and was subsequently plotting to oust him from power.

Nadin falsified evidence, which quickly turned the king against his once-favoured servant. In the end, the king issued a swift and severe decree: Ahikar was to be executed for his supposed crimes.

But fate had other plans.

Ahikar's would-be executioner was a long-time admirer of the scribe's work, praising his lifetime of service to wisdom and virtue. In a daring act of compassion that risked his own life, the executioner spared Ahikar and hid him away. Ahikar's supposed death was mourned by many, yet he lived on in the shadows.

With Ahikar out of the picture, Nadin assumed his father's former position of power.

In time, however, Nadin's mismanagement and corruption became increasingly evident, causing unrest amongst the court and the Assyrian people. Despite believing Ahikar was dead, the populace continued to cherish his wisdom and stories. Doubts about Nadin grew, and loyalists to Ahikar quietly gathered evidence of his deceit.

The truth, like a seedling pushing slowly through soil, began to surface.

Eventually, undeniable proof of Nadin's treachery and failure to lead came to light, compelling the king to re-examine the case. Realising the grave injustice, and discovering that his former scribe still lived, the king ordered Ahikar to be brought forth from hiding.

Ahikar's return was met with joy, and he was reinstated to his rightful position. Truth and integrity ultimately prevailed, mirroring the enduring power of honesty and justice, just as Ahikar's teachings had persisted through his supposed demise.

Released

In case you missed it, Julian Assange has been set free.

After 1401 days in London's Belmarsh prison, and 2,487 days prior in the embassy of Ecuador, he stepped on a plane at London's Stanstead prison bound for Australia late on Monday night.

On the way, Assange was required to make a stop on Saipan in the middle of the Pacific to face a US judge who would officially sentence him. His punishment was to serve five years in prison, which took into consideration the time he had already languished in Belmarsh.

As I write this, a mere five hours ago, Assange stepped out of the courthouse on Saipan a free man. Thus ending a 14-year saga that saw him branded as one of the United States' most pursued enemies.

His crimes? Revealing footage to the public via WikiLeaks that showed the United States government committing war crimes in Iraq. This included the now infamous "Collateral Murder" video depicting a US Army Apache helicopter gunship that gunned down more than a dozen unarmed people--including two Reuters journalists--without provocation.

Because of that, for nearly fourteen years his life has been robbed from him as those in power sought to hide their inadequacies from the world by killing a good man who dedicated his life to the truth.

And remember, they did try to kill Assange.

In 2021, Yahoo! News confirmed that former CIA director Mike Pompeo instructed the agency to make plans for kidnapping and murdering Assange.

And as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton allegedly asked if they could just "drone" him.

Mirroring the story of Ahikar, Assange's truth could not be suppressed. And much like the Assyrian scribe, much of it is due to the public's increasing support of him over time.

When WikiLeaks gained prominence between 2010 and 2012, less than a quarter of Americans opposed prosecuting Julian Assange or WikiLeaks. However, as the US government's prosecution of Assange increasingly appeared corrupt and unjust, public support for him had almost doubled by 2023.

Assange's win this week was only possible thanks to over a decade of unwavering public support and advocacy.

If you're reading this, you're among the growing number of people globally who can see the trend of our governments becoming more authoritarian. If it doesn't concern you, it should.

Many of us are afraid of the powers-that-be who have seemingly unlimited power to surveil us, intercept our communications, and gradually strip away our rights. Or like Assange, potentially imprison us for over a decade for revealing crimes of the powerful.

But we shouldn't be afraid. Assange's case proves that with enough support and pressure, we can win.

It's hackneyed, but true: People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of the people. They exist to serve us, not the other way around.

Assange's victory is one we all share.

It's a win for journalism, personal sovereignty, and the right to know when our governments are up to no good.

We should use this event as a reminder of how important personal liberty is for all of us. This won't be the last time we see a case like Assange, especially as we remember the likes of Edward Snowden who are still considered enemies of their own country for being allies of the people.
It might be of some concern to shareholders to see the Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) share price down 14% in the last month. But at least the stock is up over the last five years. In that time, it is up 44%, which isn't bad, but is below the market return of 94%. While the long term returns are impressive, we do have some sympathy for those who bought more recently, given the 39% drop, in the last year.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

See our latest analysis for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During five years of share price growth, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile actually saw its EPS drop 2.3% per year.

By glancing at these numbers, we'd posit that the decline in earnings per share is not representative of how the business has changed over the years. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics.

In fact, the dividend has increased over time, which is a positive. Maybe dividend investors have helped support the share price. We'd posit that the revenue growth over the last five years, of 39% per year, would encourage people to invest.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile the TSR over the last 5 years was 70%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

Investors in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a tough year, with a total loss of 38% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 25%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 11% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (1 is concerning) that you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Iluka Resources is AU$13.18 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Iluka Resources is estimated to be 50% undervalued based on current share price of AU$6.64

Analyst price target for ILU is AU$7.92 which is 40% below our fair value estimate

Does the June share price for Iluka Resources Limited (ASX:ILU) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Iluka Resources

The Method

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) -AU$369.2m -AU$515.3m AU$142.4m AU$473.2m AU$458.3m AU$452.0m AU$450.7m AU$452.8m AU$457.4m AU$463.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Analyst x3 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -1.38% Est @ -0.29% Est @ 0.48% Est @ 1.01% Est @ 1.39% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.5% -AU$343 -AU$446 AU$115 AU$354 AU$319 AU$292 AU$271 AU$253 AU$238 AU$225

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$1.3b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.3%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.5%.

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Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = AU$464m (1 + 2.3%)  (7.5% 2.3%) = AU$9.0b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$9.0b ( 1 + 7.5%)10= AU$4.4b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$5.6b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$6.6, the company appears quite undervalued at a 50% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

The Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Iluka Resources as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.5%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.144. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Iluka Resources

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Metals and Mining market.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Australian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Australian market.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Iluka Resources, we've compiled three important factors you should assess:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Iluka Resources , and understanding this should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does ILU's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the ASX every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
As global markets continue to navigate a landscape marked by modest gains and shifting investor sentiments, the focus on fundamental company characteristics remains crucial. High insider ownership often signals strong confidence in the company's future from those who know it best, making such stocks potentially attractive in the current environment of cautious optimism and economic recalibration.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth Medley (TSE:4480) 34% 28.7% Gaming Innovation Group (OB:GIG) 20.2% 36.2% Global Tax Free (KOSDAQ:A204620) 18.1% 72.4% KebNi (OM:KEBNI B) 37.8% 90.4% HANA Micron (KOSDAQ:A067310) 20% 93.4% Credo Technology Group Holding (NasdaqGS:CRDO) 14.8% 84.4% EHang Holdings (NasdaqGM:EH) 32.8% 74.3% Seojin SystemLtd (KOSDAQ:A178320) 26.4% 48.1% Vow (OB:VOW) 31.8% 97.6% Adocia (ENXTPA:ADOC) 12.1% 104.5%

Click here to see the full list of 1458 stocks from our Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Here's a peek at a few of the choices from the screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Perfect Presentation for Commercial Services Company provides ICT services and technology solutions in Saudi Arabia and globally, with a market capitalization of SAR 4.40 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue through three primary segments: Call Centre Services at SAR 312.83 million, Operation and Maintenance Services at SAR 369.64 million, and Software Licenses and Development Services at SAR 397.48 million.

Insider Ownership: 9.1%

Perfect Presentation for Commercial Services is poised for substantial growth with earnings expected to increase by 23.5% annually, outpacing the SA market's 6.9%. Despite a high forecasted Return on Equity at 35.9%, the company struggles with debt coverage by operating cash flow. Recent amendments in company bylaws and multiple project awards, including a significant SAR 200 million Ministry of Health contract, underscore its active expansion and operational scaling efforts, supporting a positive financial outlook for the coming years.

SASE:7204 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: China Railway Prefabricated Construction Co., Ltd. specializes in the prefabricated construction sector and has a market capitalization of approximately CN3.53 billion.

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Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from the prefabricated construction sector.

Insider Ownership: 25.2%

China Railway Prefabricated Construction has demonstrated a notable rebound in sales, doubling to CNY 318.25 million from the previous year, despite maintaining a net loss. The company's revenue growth is projected to surpass the Chinese market average at 19.2% annually. Recent bylaw amendments could further influence corporate governance and strategic direction. Although profitability is not currently achieved, it is expected within three years, aligning with an ambitious growth trajectory in a challenging sector.

SZSE:300374 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd. is a company based in Taiwan that specializes in the production and sale of precision springs, stamping parts, hinge components, and more, operating also in Singapore and China, with a market capitalization of approximately NT$44.21 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from pivot products at NT$10.50 billion, with additional income from MIM products and milled car parts products at NT$385.78 million and NT$102.56 million respectively.

Insider Ownership: 21.7%

Shin Zu Shing has shown robust financial performance with a recent surge in sales to TWD 2.89 billion and net income reaching TWD 314.86 million, marking significant year-over-year growth. Despite high volatility in its share price, the company's revenue is expected to grow at 19.6% annually, outpacing the Taiwan market forecast of 11.7%. However, profit margins have declined from last year's figures. The companys earnings are projected to expand significantly over the next three years.

TWSE:3376 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Summing It All Up

Embark on your investment journey to our 1458 Fast Growing Companies With High Insider Ownership selection here.

Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments.

Invest smarter with the free Simply Wall St app providing detailed insights into every stock market around the globe.

Searching for a Fresh Perspective?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years.

Companies discussed in this article include SASE:7204 SZSE:300374 and TWSE:3376.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Recent fluctuations in the Switzerland market, highlighted by a downturn influenced by concerns over U.S. economic data and Federal Reserve interest rate decisions, have left investors cautious. Amidst these conditions, identifying undervalued stocks on the SIX Swiss Exchange could present opportunities for value-seeking investors.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Switzerland

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) COLTENE Holding (SWX:CLTN) CHF47.00 CHF75.89 38.1% Burckhardt Compression Holding (SWX:BCHN) CHF584.00 CHF824.20 29.1% Julius Bar Gruppe (SWX:BAER) CHF50.92 CHF96.39 47.2% Sonova Holding (SWX:SOON) CHF274.80 CHF449.16 38.8% Temenos (SWX:TEMN) CHF61.00 CHF84.36 27.7% Comet Holding (SWX:COTN) CHF357.50 CHF546.94 34.6% SGS (SWX:SGSN) CHF80.76 CHF122.80 34.2% Medartis Holding (SWX:MED) CHF69.70 CHF120.61 42.2% Kudelski (SWX:KUD) CHF1.44 CHF1.87 22.9% Galderma Group (SWX:GALD) CHF76.49 CHF150.16 49.1%

Click here to see the full list of 13 stocks from our Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

Let's dive into some prime choices out of from the screener

Overview: Medartis Holding AG is a global medical device company that specializes in developing, manufacturing, and selling implant solutions, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 946.57 million.

Operations: The company generates CHF 212.01 million in revenue from its medical products segment.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 42.2%

Medartis Holding is significantly undervalued based on discounted cash flow, priced at CHF69.7 against a fair value of CHF120.61, indicating a 42.2% undervaluation. Despite recent shareholder dilution and low forecasted return on equity at 7%, the company's earnings are expected to grow by 60.44% annually over the next three years, outpacing the Swiss market's growth. Additionally, revenue growth projections stand at 13.3% annually, also above market averages.

SWX:MED Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Overview: Sika AG is a specialty chemicals company that operates globally, offering products and systems for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and automotive industry, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 41.71 billion.

Operations: The company generates CHF 9.45 billion from its construction industry products and CHF 1.78 billion from industrial manufacturing products.

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Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 18.9%

Sika, priced at CHF260, trades 18.9% below its estimated fair value of CHF320.77, reflecting a modest undervaluation based on discounted cash flows. While the company's debt level is high, it is poised for robust growth with earnings expected to increase by 12.53% annually and revenue forecasted to grow at 6.2% per yearboth rates outpacing the Swiss market averages of 8.4% and 4.4%, respectively. Recent expansions in China and Peru underline Sika's strategic initiatives to enhance its global manufacturing footprint and product offerings in emerging markets.

SWX:SIKA Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Overview: Sonova Holding AG is a company that produces and distributes hearing care solutions for adults and children across various global regions, with a market capitalization of approximately CHF 16.38 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is primarily generated from two segments: Cochlear Implants, which contributed CHF 282.40 million, and Hearing Instruments, which brought in CHF 3.36 billion.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 38.8%

Sonova Holding, with a current price of CHF274.8, is valued significantly below our calculated fair value of CHF449.16, indicating a potential undervaluation. The company's earnings are expected to grow by 9.91% annually, outperforming the Swiss market prediction of 8.4%. Despite its high debt levels, Sonova's return on equity is anticipated to be strong at 26.2% in three years. Additionally, its revenue growth forecast at 7.1% yearly also exceeds the market average of 4.4%. Recent financial results showed robust performance with sales reaching CHF3.63 billion and net income at CHF609.5 million for the full year ended March 2024.

SWX:SOON Discounted Cash Flow as at Jun 2024

Turning Ideas Into Actions

Dive into all 13 of the Undervalued SIX Swiss Exchange Stocks Based On Cash Flows we have identified here.

Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance.

Elevate your portfolio with Simply Wall St, the ultimate app for investors seeking global market coverage.

Curious About Other Options?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include SWX:MED SWX:SIKA and SWX:SOON.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Welcome to the WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Newsletter presented by Chevron Renewable Energy Group. In this issue, cargo theft in Memphis, truck stop dating, trucker health and more.

Chevron Renewable Energy Group provides liquid fuels to help power the lower-carbon energy journey  with leading-edge quality, go-to-market agility, lower-carbon solutions and strategic partnerships. Visit regi.com today.

Thieves target Nike truck in Memphis

Fox 13 Memphis

Brazen  Monday evening three men targeted a Nike truck stopped at a stoplight in Memphis, Tennessee. Fox 13 reports, Investigators said the robbery happened just a few feet away from the Nike logistics center on New Frayser Boulevard.



It was the craziest thing Id ever seen.  Charles Moore



Charles Moore, a local Lyft driver, caught the action firsthand as he had just dropped off a passenger near the Nike facility. Three men in a Ford F-150 pulled up behind the Nike truck at a stoplight, where they popped the seal of the container and began unloading boxes of sneakers into their vehicle.



According to Moore, the semitruck driver seemed completely unaware of the brazen robbery. Fortunately, he followed the driver and let him know what had just happened. Moore also took pictures of the incident and shared them with the victims trucking company. He received a thank-you from the president of the truckers company.



Investigators are still looking for the suspects.





Fox 13

Not the first time  Nike has been a hot target for thieves in Blues City. In February of last year, a group of thieves entered a Memphis warehouse where they stole 10-20 boxes of Nikes.



According to Fox 13, Employees surround the robbers and one even tries to hit them with a broom, but one of the thieves pulled out a gun. Unfortunately the thieves got away and the crime remains unsolved.

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Just after Labor Day in 2022, cargo thieves stole over $800,000 worth of Nike sneakers and apparel after breaking into more than 20 trailers at the companys distribution center located on Shelby Drive and Lamar Avenue.



Earlier this year Nike was hit with a train robbery, where $50,000 worth of sneakers were stolen from a box car. According to WKRN, A day later a concerned citizen submitted an anonymous tip stating that several cases of Nike shoes were stolen. In that case, nine were arrested for the thefts at the CSX facility.

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Its not just Nike  I asked my network of truckers, freight brokers and logistics professionals what their experiences in Memphis have been. The responses didnt paint a pretty picture.



We ran a straight truck from NC to Memphis twice per week. Our drivers would unload then drive 30 mins back home before finding a motel. No staying in Memphis.  X user @recomms



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Joseph Daniel at Gego Tracking Solutions  I had a driver deliver in Olive Branch MS my first year in freight, had what I was told could be bullet holes in his trailer upon arrival at the consignee



Ryan Ruppel at SUNTECKtts  Driver had his trailer broken into while he was in the truck parked in the shippers lot. He did let me know that he wasnt worried about ithe shoots back.



Adam Patton at Steam Logistics  My driver was murdered last Thanksgiving at the Loves by the airport. I advise my drivers to not stop unless you have to.



Sound off  Whats your experience with running cargo through Memphis? Email me.

Fitness is truckers No. 1 issue, according to ATRI

ATRI

Shipping shape  Move over truck parking; fitness is top of mind of mind with drivers. According to a new survey by ATRI, 42.2% of women and 30.2% of men consider no and/or limited access to exercise facilities their biggest issue.

Mark Manera and I have been doing our own work to help shine a light on this via our Squats Across America Challenge. Thank you to everyone who has done their 10 air squats and tagged us online. Theyve been amazing. Take a look!

Get to squatting, get to tagging us and get to inspiring our community to get up and get moving this summer.

This is the greatest argument youll ever see for truck drivers wearing Crocs

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Lowlight of the week

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Can you find love at Loves?

X

Truck stop romance  The other day X poster Hickman suggested that single men across the country start driving around the U.S.A. and start looking for steady girlfriends at truck stops.

That got me curious. Can love be found at Loves? So, I asked my network. Heres what you had to say:

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Have you found love at a truck stop? Email me your story.

Rate The Strap Work shirts have arrived

Head on over to WTTGear.com to get your Rate The Strap Work T-shirt. Theyre $30 and made from some of the softest Bella & Sebastian cotton around. Readers of this newsletter can take 10% off with code WTTFans. Get yours today right here.

WTT Friday

Bipartisan bill to fight freight fraud  This Friday on WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Im joined by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Associations Lewie Pugh to talk about two of the biggest issues facing trucking: freight fraud and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Well find out what OOIDA is doing to get drivers voices heard on this issue.

Did the RXO-Coyote purchase kick off a summer of M&A? Well catch up with Craig Decker at Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. to find out how these next few months will play out.

Thomas Kowalski at CtrlChain is achieving truly integrated logistics without the headache.

Plus, latest news, weirdness and trends.

Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXMs Road Dog Trucking Channel 146.

Now on demand



Uber Freight and Aurora team up on autonomous Drivers-as-a-Service

The rest of the noise

Thanks for reading, and feel free to forward this to a friend.



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The post Just steal it: Why carriers avoid Memphis | appeared first on FreightWaves.
Kevin O'Leary Calls San Francisco A 'Wasteland' And Says 'It Is Not America Anymore'

In an interview with Cavuto: Coast to Coast on Fox News, Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary said political mistakes have caused San Francisco's demise, likening it to a "wasteland."

Walk around San Francisco. It is not America anymore," O'Leary said. "It just isn't."

Don't Miss:

If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it ?

Elon Musk has reportedly bought 6,000 acres of land just outside of this city. Heres how to invest in its growth before he floods it with new tech workers.

O'Leary discussed businesses shutting down in the city, including those that closed due to the recent minimum wage hike to $20 per hour.

What a wasteland. All of these places shutting down," O'Leary said. "It is not a partisan argument. When a Walgreens shuts down and a drug store shuts down and a convenience store shuts down, a bodega shuts down, that's nothing to do with whether you're blue or red."

O'Leary also mentioned the issue of safety in the city, stating that if you're in the city, "You have to take an Uber one block to your hotel, or you get executed."

Trending: This real estate fund backed by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi gives you instant access to a portfolio of rental properties, and you only need $100 to get started.

O'Leary placed much of the blame for the downfall of San Francisco on California Governor Gavin Newsom, because you have to "blame the top manager," adding that he lacks executional skills.

I think Gavin Newsom, for his interest in running for president, should probably fix California now, because everybody in the country has figured out that place is a disaster, O'Leary said.

O'Leary, known for investing in startups like those that appear on Shark Tank, told Fox News that he no longer invests in startups in California.

It is not a place to do business," O'Leary said. "It's not in business."

Keep Reading:

Image Credit: Flickr

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Story continues

This article Kevin O'Leary Calls San Francisco A 'Wasteland' And Says 'It Is Not America Anymore' originally appeared on Benzinga.com

 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Land Securities Group's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

A total of 16 investors have a majority stake in the company with 50% ownership

Insiders have been buying lately

If you want to know who really controls Land Securities Group Plc (LON:LAND), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 87% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Land Securities Group.

View our latest analysis for Land Securities Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Land Securities Group?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Land Securities Group. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Land Securities Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Land Securities Group. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc. with 10% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 5.0% and 4.8% of the stock.

A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 16 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Land Securities Group

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that Land Securities Group Plc insiders own under 1% of the company. Keep in mind that it's a big company, and the insiders own UK3.4m worth of shares. The absolute value might be more important than the proportional share. Arguably, recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 12% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Land Securities Group. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Land Securities Group better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Land Securities Group (including 1 which is potentially serious) .

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
There's a reason 42% of Americans are convinced that Social Security might one day cease to exist, according to 2023 data from Northwestern Mutual. The program is facing a serious decline in payroll tax revenue, its primary source of funding, in the coming years as older workers retire in droves.

The good news, though, is that Social Security is by no means at risk of disappearing completely. Even though the labor force might shrink in the coming years, it's not going away, which means that Social Security isn't, either.

Image source: Getty Images.

However, there has been talk of Social Security cuts once the program's trust funds run dry. And recent projections put the program's combined trust fund depletion date at 2035. That date could of course shift in the coming years, though -- for better or worse.

Of course, the idea of Social Security cuts may be scary to current and future retirees alike. But it's important to realize that Social Security has faced benefit cuts before, and they've never actually happened. So there's really no reason to panic this time around.

Lawmakers have options for preventing cuts

Social Security cuts have the potential to upend millions of people's finances. That's something lawmakers are aware of, so it's fair to assume that they'll do what they can to prevent benefit cuts in the not-so-distant future -- even if they do seem to be dragging their feet to some degree.

In fact, current and future retirees can take comfort in the fact that lawmakers have multiple options for avoiding Social Security cuts. One is to raise the wage cap for Social Security tax purposes. Currently, workers don't pay into Social Security on wages above $168,600, but lifting that threshold could pump more much-needed revenue into the program.

There's also the possibility of raising the Social Security tax rate, which is currently 12.4%. Is that something workers today might grumble about? Absolutely. But is it a viable solution? It sure is.

There's also the idea of moving full retirement age back by a few years instead of leaving it at 67 for workers born in 1960 or later. Some might argue that forcing workers to wait longer to be eligible for their complete monthly Social Security benefit is a terrible idea. But given a general increase in life expectancies, it's also not a totally unreasonable solution.

Prepare for benefit cuts, just in case

Social Security has been in dire financial straits before, yet the program has never had to resort to cutting benefits. So don't panic just yet or resign yourself to seeing your retirement paycheck shrink.

On the other hand, it's a good idea to prepare for benefit cuts, just in case. If you're retired currently, assess your expenses. Downsizing to a smaller home could make it so you're spending less monthly, allowing you to add to your savings. You could also consider part-time work, which may be easier these days thanks to the booming gig economy.

If you're still working, gearing up for Social Security cuts is a simple matter of saving more -- something you have an opportunity to do as long as you're earning a steady paycheck. Increasing your monthly 401(k) or IRA contributions by even $50 or $100 per month could leave you with a much larger cushion down the line, especially if you're investing your money aggressively in the stock market (which is something you should be doing to generate strong returns in your portfolio).

It's natural to be worried about the idea of getting less Social Security. But don't automatically assume your benefits are going to shrink. Lawmakers have never let that happen before, and that's something to take comfort in.

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Lawmakers Have Never Let Social Security Cut Benefits Before. Why's Everyone So Worried About It Now? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Ten Years After ISIS Invaded Mosul -- Where Does That Leave Iraq's Indigenous Assyrians?

A member of the Khabour Guards (MNK) Assyrian Syrian militia, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), walks in the ruins of the Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, which was previously destroyed by Islamic State (IS) group fighters, in the village of Tal Nasri south of the town of Tal Tamr in Syria's northeastern Hasakah province on Nov. 15, 2019. ( Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images) My relatives fled Mosul to save their lives before ISIS invaded and seized power in the summer of 2014. The invasion of Iraq's second largest city not only uprooted my relatives, Indigenous Assyrians, but it also led to the genocide of Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs (Christians), as well as Shiite Muslims, and Yazidis. Ten years have passed since radical Islamic militants invaded Mosul, known as biblical Nineveh, once a capital of the ancient Assyrian empire, destroying anything and killing anyone who did not submit to their deranged version of Islam. Have things improved for Iraq's Indigenous Assyrians following ISIS' defeat?

In 2014, I was a graduate journalism student in Chicago, alarmed at the news occurring half a world away--where my relatives, whom I never met at the time, were facing religious persecution head-on.

I recall telling my classmates that the invasion of Mosul would lead to widespread destruction in the region and the genocide of those who did not submit to their radical ways. I was met with laughs and shrugs--they couldn't care less and did not believe ISIS would turn into what it infamously became--a nonstop killing machine, hungry to control more swaths of land at the expense of Indigenous Communities, whose art they destroyed and sold on the black market in their lucrative "antiquities division." The response from my colleagues shouldn't have surprised me then, as the plight of Indigenous Peoples is often overlooked, time and time again, the world over. As gruesome reports emerged, my classmates later conducted their own reporting on how Chicagoans were being impacted by events occurring in the Middle East.

Putting the destruction of millennia-old art aside, many suffered greatly at the hands of ISIS. And some families are still suffering. Women and girls remain missing. Taken as sexual slaves by ISIS militants, Yazidis and some Assyrians were forcibly abducted from their families and told to convert and submit. An estimated 2,700 girls are missing today. The world has overlooked their plight and the plight of those who survived the genocide at the hands of radical Islamic terrorists. With headlines refreshing every 24 hours, there is little to no attention offered to those that lived under ISIS' wrath--attention that was minimal while events were occurring in real time.

Saint Odisho Monastery in northern Iraq is pictured. The monastery was previously bombed and destroyed by both Saddam Hussein and Kurdish forces. The Assyrian community in the diaspora raised funds multiple times for its reconstruction. ( Ramsen Shamon)

Assyrians, much like their fellow citizens in Iraq, were not compensated for the destruction of their homes and places of worship by terrorists, nor for having to essentially start their lives over from scratch--whether within Iraq, or outside the country. While baseless Iraqi laws exist to "ensure" compensation from hardships and honoring the rights of diverse groups within the country, corruption and disenfranchisement reign supreme and are tokens of Iraqi politics. What justice can be granted to survivors when justice does not exist in Iraq?

Much of the reconstruction of destroyed buildings lays on the shoulders of Assyrians in the diaspora, who raise funds to rebuild churches, support local businesses, and try to safeguard what dwindling numbers of the Indigenous Community remains despite the odds stacked up against them. Organizations like the Assyrian Aid Society, A Demand For Action, Shlama Foundation, Iraqi Christian Relief Council, Nineveh Rising, and Yazda work tirelessly and step in to provide aid and fund essential economic and rebuilding projects in Iraq, where the Iraqi government is virtually nonexistent.

Faces of characters from a biblical scene painted on the side of a church have been defaced by Islamic State during their occupation of the predominantly Christian village of Bartella on Oct. 23, 2016. ( Carl Court/Getty Images)

Pre-2003, the Christians in Iraq numbered 1.5 million. That number is now estimated to be between 100,000-200,000. The dismal figure highlights the exodus of Iraq's Indigenous Peoples due to war and persecution throughout recent years, and a lack of support from both the international community at-large and Iraq's federal government in addressing persecution and discrimination in Iraqi society. While Pope Francis' 2021 trip to Iraq was met with much fanfare, ultimately very little changed for local Christians following the historic visit.

A NGO will occasionally chip in with the remodeling of a destroyed church. Recently, UNESCO helped rebuild a church in Mosul, 10 years after it was destroyed. That begs the question: What is the point of rebuilding and remodeling churches if there are no congregants to pray in God's home? Much of Mosul today has nowhere near the Christians it once had, and it is difficult to project if they will ever return. My relatives have not returned to their home in Mosul and instead have sought refuge in a neighboring Iraqi city. Others who lived under ISIS have entirely left Iraq.

This picture taken on Nov. 19, 2021, shows a view of the rubble of broken tombstones, damaged by Islamic State (IS) group fighters during their occupation of northern Iraq, at the Chaldean Monastery of St. George in Mosul. ( Zaid Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)

The reality of not fleeing from one's home for safety is not the basis for one to live freely and with respect. Sure, fighting due to ISIS has relatively ceased and is not disrupting the lives of Assyrians in Iraq. But combat in general has not stopped. Turkey's incremental encroachment in northern Iraq against Kurdish militants belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which the U.S. classified as terrorists, is ongoing. Assyrians and their ancestral lands, especially in the Nahla Valley, are once again in crossfire and such a reality seems difficult to change with virtually no support from outside the community. The existence of Assyrians and Yazidis on their Indigenous lands remains precarious at best.

Ramsen Shamon is a deputy opinion editor at Newsweek.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, UMS Holdings Berhad fair value estimate is RM2.71

Current share price of RM2.30 suggests UMS Holdings Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

Peers of UMS Holdings Berhad are currently trading on average at a 393% premium

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of UMS Holdings Berhad (KLSE:UMS) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for UMS Holdings Berhad

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM4.83m RM5.75m RM6.59m RM7.33m RM7.98m RM8.56m RM9.09m RM9.58m RM10.0m RM10.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 25.93% Est @ 19.21% Est @ 14.52% Est @ 11.23% Est @ 8.92% Est @ 7.31% Est @ 6.18% Est @ 5.39% Est @ 4.84% Est @ 4.45% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM4.4 RM4.7 RM4.9 RM5.0 RM4.9 RM4.8 RM4.7 RM4.5 RM4.2 RM4.0

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM46m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM10m (1 + 3.6%)  (10% 3.6%) = RM167m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM167m ( 1 + 10%)10= RM64m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM110m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM2.3, the company appears about fair value at a 15% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at UMS Holdings Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.023. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for UMS Holdings Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Currently debt free.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Trade Distributors market.

Opportunity

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine UMS' earnings prospects.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For UMS Holdings Berhad, there are three additional aspects you should look at:

Risks: You should be aware of the 2 warning signs for UMS Holdings Berhad we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! Other Top Analyst Picks: Interested to see what the analysts are thinking? Take a look at our interactive list of analysts' top stock picks to find out what they feel might have an attractive future outlook!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
nortonrsx / iStock.com

If you took out student loans to fund your higher education, how does it feel to reflect on this debt?

Its not too surprising to hear that a significant percentage of American borrowers regret taking out student loans. In April 2024, The Boston Globe reported findings from their survey conducted by Emerson College Polling in partnership with the Globe Magazine. Results from the survey, which polled 6,000 New Englanders, revealed 52% of respondents regret their student loans.

Despite these survey results, not all borrowers regret their student debt. For Blair Huddy, self-made millionaire and founder and CEO at Hudson Davis Communications, taking out student loans allowed her to get her foot into doors where she might not have opportunities otherwise. Heres her story of the career rewards she experienced because of student loan debt.

Find Out: How Much Does the Average Middle-Class Person Have in Savings?

Read Next: $10K or More in Debt? See If You Could Become Debt-Free (for Less Than You Owe)

Funding Undergrad and Graduate Degrees Via Student Loans

Huddy told GOBankingRates she borrowed about $48,000 for her undergraduate degree and $180,000 for her graduate degree.

After receiving a settlement from a severe car accident, Huddy was able to put the money towards paying off her undergrad debt. However, she said she still owes about $80,000 on her graduate loan. For this loan, she makes a monthly payment of $1,000.

I have a standard repayment plan, so the amount doesnt go up, but my schools both qualify me for borrower defense, so I will likely get discharged on the second loan, Huddy said.

Learn More: Im a Frugal Self-Made Millionaire: 6 Things I Never Waste Money On

I Wouldnt Be Where I Am Today Without My Education

As expensive as student loan debt is, many borrowers know its the kind of debt that acts as an investment in their future. Huddy isnt sure she would be where she is today if she hadnt borrowed student loans for the education and experience she currently has on her resume. Its such an impressive resume that Huddy told GOBankingRates it often elicits compliments about her pedigree.

The Trojan network is strong, she said, referring to the degree she obtained at the University of Southern California (USC). It gets me into rooms I dont think Id be in otherwise.

And while Huddy said she didnt experience true financial success until she started her own company, she might not have become a CEO without her degree. Student loans not only opened up doors for gaining experience and expertise, but doors also opened for meeting people that could help her advance in her career.

Story continues

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Self-Made Millionaire: Why I Dont Regret Taking Out Student Loans
A high-profile downtown Lexington hotel could be in for a major facelift.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority board on June 26 gave preliminary approval for incentives for a potential $66 million renovation of the 17-story, 47-year-old hotel at 401 W. High St.

Thats the location of the current full-service Hyatt Regency connected to Rupp Arena and Central Bank Center, a major downtown lodging fixture.

The proposed project would be eligible for incentives up to $16.5 million, which were unanimously approved.

Nik Feldman, the hotelier behind The Manchester hotel in the Distillery District on Manchester Street, is affiliated with the project and spoke with the board.

Lexingtons Rupp Arena and the Hyatt Regency Hotel in October 1982 at left, and in October 2022 at right.

Work on the new Lexington Civic Cener and Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Lexington, October 3, 1976. In the foreground, what is now Triangle Park, was used as a parking lot for the construction workers.

No details were immediately available about the proposed project. The group met in a closed session that was not open to the media or the public at the request of Feldman.

Feldman declined to comment.

Wes Murry, co-founder of Castle & Key Distillery in Woodford County and local venture capital firm Hunsicker, also is an investor in the hotel project.

A state tourism board approved potential incentives for a possible project that would include major renovations to the Hyatt Regency hotel next to Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington.

A staircase between Rupp Arena, the Central Bank Center and Hyatt Regency which links High Street and Main Street. In 2022 the convention center completed a $310 million overhaul and expansion.

History of Rupp Arena, convention center, Hyatt hotel

Construction of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington at the corner of High Street and Broadway started in 1975 as part of the Lexington Center which included the convention-exposition hall, Rupp Arena, a shopping mall and the 17-story hotel. The Hyatt opened in 1977 and currently has 366 rooms and suites, the BlueFire Bar & Grill restaurant, a pool, as well meeting spaces and event venues and a walkway connecting it to the Central Bank Center and Rupp.

In 2010, the hotel finished a multi-phase, $17.5 million renovation that started in 2007. Economic downturn slowed the renovation work, which included the guest rooms, public areas, fitness room and corridors, lobby bar and Glass Garden restaurant as well as new windows and heating and air conditioning systems. The indoor pool was redone with an outdoor deck.

Central Bank Center completed a $310 million overhaul and expansion of the convention center in 2022.

Other Lexington hotel project

In June 2023, Feldman and another hotelier opened The Manchester high-end hotel, with the Granddam restaurant and Lost Palm, an Art Deco rooftop bar, on Manchester Street. The boutique hotel has 125 guestrooms. The $300 million project sits between the Pepper Distillery campus and the coming Gatton Park on Town Branch behind Rupp Arena.

The BlueFire Grill is the restaurant in the lobby of at Hyatt Regency in downtown Lexington.

People magazine names trendy Lexington bar among 50 most beautiful US restaurants

New Mexican restaurant opening in Lexingtons Distillery District with unique features

Lexington to give $2 million from infill fund for projects outside growth boundary

Story continues

Heres how much taxpayer money Lexington Sporting Club could receive for stadium, fields

Lexingtons 2-mile downtown trail system wins another national award
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)  Maryland wants to help people once convicted of marijuana-related offenses land jobs in the state's legal cannabis industry.

Gov. Wes Moore announced the new workforce development program on Thursday. Last week, he signed an executive order pardoning people for more than 175,000 misdemeanor cannabis charges, affecting tens of thousands of individuals.

People interested in the new program will have the option of taking eight instructor-led, self-paced courses taught by industry experts, licensed operators and college professors. After completing 100 hours of virtual coursework, participants may enroll in a two-day, in-person course for 16 hours of hands-on occupational training. The in-person sessions will be offered once a month beginning in November at locations across the state, but none of the training will be be mandatory.

The Cannabis Workforce Development Program will be free to eligible applicants as Maryland seeks to reduce barriers to employment in the marijuana industry. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis starting July 1.

Through this program, individuals adversely impacted by cannabis criminalization will be able to receive real-time, hands-on experience and access to job placement, said Will Tilburg, director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration.

Maryland legalized recreational marijuana last year after voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2022. The state decriminalized possessing small amounts of cannabis on Jan. 1, 2023. In all, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis.

This groundbreaking collaboration will support Marylanders interested in joining the states growing cannabis industry and prioritize individuals and communities directly impacted by the War on Drugs, Moore said in a statement.
BERLIN (Reuters) -Mercedes-Benz is investing more than previously planned in combustion engine technology, including 14 billion euros ($15 billion) this year on its passenger cars, its chief executive told German publication Wirtschaftswoche.

The premium carmaker was investing in factories and in research and development, reworking the drive train of its hybrid cars so that it "lasts well into the next decade", Ola Kaellenius said in comments published on Thursday.

It had also spent "much more" than it usually would on a facelift of the combustion engine version of its flagship S-Class, due to hit the market in mid-2026.

"Our engines will always be at the very highest technological level. Otherwise, we would suddenly stall our combustion engine business in 2027/28," he added.

Kaellenius' comments come after the executive told investors in February that the company would keep sprucing up combustion engine models amid slower demand for electric cars.

The carmaker had long said it was preparing for 100% of sales to be all-electric by 2030 "where market conditions allowed", but Kaellenius said earlier this year the company now expected just 50% of sales to be electrified vehicles, including hybrids, by the end of the decade.

($1 = 0.9355 euros)

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Miranda Murray, editing by Thomas Seythal)
Metsa Board has announced that the renewed folding boxboard machine installation at its Simpele mill in Finland will take place in late 2025.

The approximately 60m ($64m) investment, announced in April this year, is expected to improve the quality of folding boxboard and scale up production at the mill.

The initiative is part of a broader investment programme designed to update the facility's operations.

Metsa Board Simpele mill VP Toni Tahvanainen said that the improvements would particularly benefit MetsaBoard Classic FBB's surface quality and printability, which are crucial for demanding segments such as food and pharmaceutical packaging

Tahvanainen said: "This investment will help us stay ahead in the tough international competition for premium end-uses."

The technology for the upgrade was acquired in June.

"The shutdown will last about a month, during which we will complete the installation of the new predrying and the coating section," Tahvanainen added.

The revamped board machine is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025.

Currently, the Simpele mill's annual production capacity stands at around 300,000 tonnes (t).

The modernisation will modestly increase this figure, adding approximately 10,000t to the mill's output.

The investment programme aligns with Metsa Board's sustainability goals, particularly its ambition to eliminate fossil-fuel use in paperboard production by 2030.

Tahvanainen said: "Currently, we use LPG [liquified petroleum gas] for drying the coating and also in sheet packing. The renewal will replace this with drying systems powered by fossil-free electricity."

This modernisation represents the initial phase of the mill's comprehensive investment programme, which will also see upgrades in mechanical pulp production, the finishing area, and the construction of a new power plant.

"Metsa Board Simpele mill to install renewed board machine in 2025" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
(Bloomberg) -- Micron Technology Inc., the largest US maker of computer memory chips, dropped after its forecast disappointed investors seeking a bigger payoff from artificial intelligence mania.

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Fiscal fourth-quarter sales will be $7.4 billion to $7.8 billion, the company said in a statement Wednesday. While the average analyst estimate was $7.58 billion, some projections were above $8 billion. Profit will be about $1.08 a share, minus certain items, versus a projection of $1.02.

Though Micron is getting a boost from the AI computing boom, demand is still sluggish in its traditional markets, such as personal computers and smartphones. Those areas are only beginning to recover from a historic slump last year.

The shares fell 5.5% at 9:37 a.m. in New York after trading opened. Micron had rallied 67% this year before Wednesdays close, lifted by investor expectations that it will be one of the main beneficiaries of AI spending.

In the third quarter, which ended May 30, Microns revenue rose 82% to $6.81 billion. The Boise, Idaho-based company reported a profit of 62 cents a share, excluding certain items. That compares with estimated sales of $6.67 billion and a projected profit of 50 cents a share.

Micron sells a vital component of AI hardware  high-bandwidth memory  that works with processors from Nvidia Corp. to crunch data. The memory, known as HBM, can serve up information more quickly, helping computing systems develop and run AI models.

Micron sold $100 million of new HBM3e chips in the just-completed quarter and predicts that total sales of high-bandwidth products will rise to several hundred million dollars in the current period. It will then increase to multiple billions in fiscal 2025, which runs through August of that year.

Ramping up production of this new memory has been a challenge. Due to the difficulty of increasing factory output  and qualifying the chips to work with computer systems  supply effectively has a hand brake on it, Manish Bhatia, Microns executive vice president of global operations, said in an interview.

In light of those constraints, the company expects pricing to steadily increase. Theres also less chance of the memory market returning to an inventory glut, an issue that has long plagued the industry.

Story continues

The company is on course to spend about $8 billion on new plants and equipment in fiscal 2024. That budget will increase materially next year in support of construction at sites in Idaho and in New York state.

The Idaho facility wont contribute to supply until fiscal 2027, with the New York site coming the following year, Micron said. But the timing may depend on Microns analysis of supply and demand.

In a slide presentation, the company said that PC-industry unit sales remain on track to increase by a percentage in the low single digits in calendar 2024. Smartphone units will gain by a low- to mid-single-digit range. The company expects AI features to help spur demand for phones and PCs heading into 2025.

Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Mehrotra reiterated a view that 2024 would mark a rebound for the memory chip industry, with record sales coming in 2025.

Micron competes with South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. in selling chips that provide short-term memory in computers and phones. They also makes flash memory, which handles longer-term storage in those devices.

(Updates share price in the fourth paragraph.)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
As digital solutions like Visa's new emergency card service reshape financial interactions globally, the Singapore market is also experiencing shifts that reflect broader technological advancements and consumer behavior changes. In this dynamic environment, dividend stocks such as Multi-Chem offer investors potential stability and regular income, qualities that are increasingly valuable in rapidly evolving markets.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Singapore

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating BRC Asia (SGX:BEC) 7.58%  Civmec (SGX:P9D) 6.03%  Singapore Exchange (SGX:S68) 3.57%  Multi-Chem (SGX:AWZ) 9.14%  UOB-Kay Hian Holdings (SGX:U10) 6.92%  China Sunsine Chemical Holdings (SGX:QES) 6.27%  UOL Group (SGX:U14) 3.84%  Bumitama Agri (SGX:P8Z) 6.65%  Singapore Airlines (SGX:C6L) 7.05%  Sing Investments & Finance (SGX:S35) 6.00% 

Click here to see the full list of 20 stocks from our Top SGX Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's uncover some gems from our specialized screener.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Multi-Chem Limited is an investment holding company that distributes information technology products across regions including Singapore, Greater China, Australia, and India, with a market capitalization of SGD 238.75 million.

Operations: Multi-Chem Limited generates revenue primarily through its IT business in Singapore (SGD 372.78 million), followed by other international markets (SGD 153.93 million), Australia (SGD 54.60 million), India (SGD 40.56 million), and Greater China (SGD 34.96 million), with a smaller contribution from its PCB business in Singapore (SGD 1.79 million).

Dividend Yield: 9.1%

Multi-Chems dividend yield of 9.14% ranks in the top 25% in Singapore, supported by a payout ratio of 80.7%, indicating earnings sufficiently cover dividend payments, despite a volatile track record over the past decade. The firm trades at a 45% discount to estimated fair value and has seen earnings growth of 35.6% last year, enhancing its appeal but raising sustainability concerns given past fluctuations and significant insider selling recently. Recent board changes might impact governance dynamics and oversight going forward.

SGX:AWZ Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited operates a financial services business spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greater China, and other Asia Pacific regions, with a market capitalization of SGD 64.76 billion.

Story continues

Operations: Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited generates its revenue from financial services across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Greater China, and various other Asia Pacific regions.

Dividend Yield: 5.8%

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, while trading at a 48.6% discount to its estimated fair value, exhibits a mixed dividend profile. Its dividend yield of 5.83% is below the top quartile in Singapore's market, and its payout ratio stands at 52.9%, suggesting dividends are currently covered by earnings but have shown volatility over the past decade. Recent corporate activities include multiple fixed-income offerings and establishing a subsidiary in China, indicating strategic expansion but no immediate impact on dividends or earnings for 2024.

SGX:O39 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Singapore Exchange Limited operates as an integrated securities and derivatives exchange with related clearing houses in Singapore, boasting a market capitalization of SGD 10.14 billion.

Operations: Singapore Exchange Limited generates revenue primarily from two segments: Segment Adjustment at SGD 843.68 million and Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities at SGD 371.53 million.

Dividend Yield: 3.6%

Singapore Exchange Limited has seen a 10-year growth in its dividend payments, supported by a stable payout ratio of 63% and cash payout ratio of 79.1%, ensuring dividends are well-covered by both earnings and cash flows. However, its current yield of 3.57% trails behind the top quartile in Singapore's market at 6.25%. Recent activities include participation in industry conferences and an upcoming dividend payment scheduled for May 3, 2024, reflecting ongoing operational engagement and shareholder commitment despite a lower yield comparative to peers.

SGX:S68 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include SGX:AWZ and

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Artificial intelligence (AI) took centre stage at MWC Shanghai, the regional edition of the world's largest mobile communications industry trade show, as China's telecommunications network operators and equipment suppliers look to advances in the technology to bolster their businesses.

Senior executives from China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corp presented their AI strategies at Wednesday's opening of MWC Shanghai, which runs until Friday. The event's main themes are the "AI Economy", "5G and Beyond" and "Manufacturing DX", referring to digital transformation.

China Mobile - the world's largest wireless network operator by number of subscribers, with 998.44 million at the end of May - is pushing AI initiatives that cover native applications, emerging technologies and so-called future industries, according to chairman Yang Jie's remarks at the conference.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

New AI initiatives form part of a broader trend for telecoms network operators to transform their businesses amid slowing user growth around the world, China Unicom chairman Chen Zhongyue said in his keynote address.

Showing the telecoms industry's sharpened focus on artificial intelligence, an AI processor from Nvidia was put on display at the opening of the MWC Shanghai trade show on June 26, 2024. Photo: AFP alt=Showing the telecoms industry's sharpened focus on artificial intelligence, an AI processor from Nvidia was put on display at the opening of the MWC Shanghai trade show on June 26, 2024. Photo: AFP>

"The traditional business based on network communications is becoming saturated, and the growth in user numbers is slowing down," Chen said. He cited data showing mobile broadband user growth for major telecoms operators worldwide had dropped to 2.3 per cent at the end of last year, from 34.3 per cent in 2014.

Chen's remarks were echoed by China Telecom chairman Ke Ruiwen, who said that the company - the world's largest fixed-line network operator, with 192.84 million wireline broadband subscribers - is now in the process of developing its "service, technology and security-oriented business".

Ke pointed out that China Telecom is now enhancing the supply of intelligent computing power via its network platforms Huiju, Yunxiao and Xirang. The company is already the mainland's biggest data centre services provider.

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The shift in strategy by three of the world's largest telecoms network operators reflect their industry's response to increased demand for AI, which calls for more data capacity, digital infrastructure and related services to serve enterprises and consumers.

That sharpened focus on AI, however, potentially face challenges from the Biden administration's reported investigation of China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom over concerns these firms could exploit access to American data through their US cloud computing and internet businesses by providing it to Beijing.

People walk past Huawei Technologies' booth at MWC Shanghai on June 26, 2024. Photo: AFP alt=People walk past Huawei Technologies' booth at MWC Shanghai on June 26, 2024. Photo: AFP>

For US-sanctioned Huawei, its executives at the event stressed the roll-out this year of networks based on 5.5G technology, marketed as 5G-Advanced, by China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and Hong Kong telecoms services provider HKT. These firms comprise some of the operators belonging to Huawei's 5G-A Pioneers Programme.

5G-Advanced networks are meant to support advanced applications like AI, while providing enhanced mobility and high reliability. At MWC Shanghai, Huawei also launched a joint initiative for high-quality mobile video development in the AI era with global operators, industry customers and other relevant organisations.

"2024 marked the first year of our 5G-A commercialisation and the first year for AI to enter the [network] terminals," David Wang, chairman of Huawei's information and communications technology infrastructure managing board, said on Wednesday. He expected this industry development to "open the era of mobile AI and make intelligent services ubiquitous".

ZTE Corp's booth at this year's MWC Shanghai trade show featured full-stack intelligent computing solutions. Photo: Handout alt=ZTE Corp's booth at this year's MWC Shanghai trade show featured full-stack intelligent computing solutions. Photo: Handout>

ZTE, the crosstown rival of Huawei in Shenzhen, highlighted its AI innovations at MWC Shanghai, including a series of eyewear-free 3D products powered by AI and its Nebula Telecom Large Model that can help enterprise clients with digital transformation projects.

Like Huawei, ZTE faces scrutiny in the US. The Federal Communications Commission is moving to prevent Huawei, ZTE and other foreign tech companies from certifying wireless equipment over concerns that they pose a threat to national security, according to a Reuters report last month.

ZTE also touted at the trade show its "AI for All" strategy, which covers a wide range of AI devices. These include smartphones, tablets, laptop and desktop computers, and other mobile internet products.

Cao Ming , president of Huawei's wireless network products, speaks at MWC Shanghai on June 26, 2024. Photo: SCMP alt=Cao Ming , president of Huawei's wireless network products, speaks at MWC Shanghai on June 26, 2024. Photo: SCMP>

Honor, the smartphone business spun off from Huawei in 2020, talked up the potential of AI at MWC Shanghai, joining its Chinese peers Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi in touting this development.

"AI is revolutionising our lives and driving the smartphone industry forward," Honor chief executive George Zhao Ming said. "On-device AI ... is uniquely positioned to deliver services that are tailored to our preferences."

Honor rolled out two new offerings at the trade show: an AI-enabled display that can protect eyesight and a deepfake detection feature that alerts users immediately when such an incident occurs.

Tech research firm Counterpoint has forecast global shipments of generative AI-enabled smartphones to exceed 100 million units this year, up from about 47 million in 2023.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
When armed Houthi rebels first descended from a helicopter to hijack the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on 19 November, few could have pre-empted the global fallout in freight rates, shipping routes, and crew safety that would follow.

Seven months of Houthi attacks later, western shipping companies are frantically pursuing alternatives to the Suez Canal and Red Sea route, which saves more than a week in voyage time between Europe and Asia.

Circumnavigating the Cape of Good Hope has been the most common approach, with container journeys around Africa skyrocketing since last October. But adding roughly 11,300km to already considerable distances is far from a feasible long-term solution.

Russia has looked to take advantage of the Red Sea disruption to turn the Northern Sea Route (NSR) into a new Suez Canal.

For years, NSR activity has been rising. In 2021, around two million tonnes of cargo passed through the NSR, a record level of international transit  until all shipping in the Arctic came to a complete halt following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent US and European sanctions. For the first time in 15 years, there were no international transits through the NSR, even by Chinas state-owned COSCO.

Arctic routes are now returning, driven by Russian and Chinese momentum and a global obsession with the regions vast untapped natural resources; an estimated 13% of the worlds undiscovered oil and 30% of undiscovered natural gas.

Earlier this month, Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom signed an agreement with Chinese line Hainan Yangpu New Shipping to potentially operate a year-round NSR through the Arctic Circle. The deal also involves collaboration in the design and construction of new ice-class container ships.

According to the Russian Governments plans, if companies follow through on projects involving liquefying natural gas, precious metals, gas condensate, coal, oil, and other commodities, 80 million tonnes of cargo per year could be shipped via the NSR between Europe and Asia by the end of 2024.

All of this comes amid Moscows wider plans to invest around 20bn ($21.39bn) up to 2035 on the NSR development project.

A route suited for Russian icebreakers

Three shadows linger over the NSRs commercial viability: ecology, geopolitics, and cybersecurity.

Ecologically, there are physical challenges the Arctic Circle poses to vessels attempting to traverse its icy terrain. In the North Pole, sea ice covers the largest area at the end of winter (in March), and thaws to its smallest area in September each year.

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Climate change, however, is occurring four times faster in the Arctic Circle than anywhere else on the planet. Vast chunks of Arctic ice are melting due to rising temperatures, a phenomenon that the shipping industry plays its own part in, accounting for 3% of global carbon emissions.

Even as the Arctics annual ice-free window for transits elongates each year, the NSR is not yet a viable alternative, according to Isabel Hilton, visiting professor at Kings College London.

Ships must travel more slowly in the Arctic environment and strengthened hulls and ice-breaker escorts remain important despite the rising Arctic temperatures and the rapid melting of the sea ice, Hilton tells Ship Technology.

Despite its potential, most of the commercial traffic so far on this route has been LNG heading from Russian facilities to Japan and China in specialist vessels.

Russia's single-deck icebreaker Mudyug in the ship fairway of Kanonersky Island, St. Petersburg. Credit: Artem Priakhin/Getty Images

Icebreakers are still a necessity in the Arctic. Russia has consolidated its monopoly over the NSR by growing its fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers  the only such fleet in the world.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has openly recognised the gulf in icebreaker capabilities compared to Russia, which boasts at least 28 icebreakers to Washingtons two.

Last year, Russian authorities docked the nuclear-powered Sevmor, a 34,600-deadweight tonnage (dwt) vessel carrying up to 1,324 TEU. The ship will serve on the NSR, while Russia has also commissioned a new nuclear-powered icebreaker Ural (7,154 dwt) alongside it.

The sheer size of the Arctic shorelines along the NSR poses a separate issue, as does the inhospitable nature of the region.

Part of Russias investment has funded an increase in the number of Arctic ports of call from four to 11, authorities say, with the NSR extended to the far eastern city of Vladivostok.

Between Murmansk and the Bering Strait, however, the NSR passes along 2,500 miles of nearly desolate Siberian tundra, where the lack of port infrastructure along the route results in ships being unable to receive assistance in the case of a breakdown or damage.

Operating in such remote regions under harsh conditions also results in higher insurance premiums for cargo ship operators, albeit not to the extent of Red Sea freight prices.

The NSR is a Sino-Russo-dominated theatre

The second cloud lingering over the NSRs internationalisation is geopolitical. With Russian officials still divided over legislature which would authorise foreign flagged vessels transit, will the NSR ever become commercially viable for shipping companies harking from Western countries at odds with Moscow and Beijing?

Amid Russias sustained offensive into Ukraine and increasing ostracisation from the US and European nations, the likelihood is low.

In a similar expansionist spirit, analysts at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies say Russian President Vladimir Putin personally identifies with Russias Arctic ambitions, seeking to use the narrative of man conquering nature as a cornerstone of contemporary Russian nationalism.

To do so, Russia looks to its allies: primarily China.

Chinese premier Xi Jinping has made no secret of his interest in the NSR, says Hilton, who is also the founder of China Dialogue.

Chinas interest has been further fuelled by the blockage of the Suez Canal by the stranded Ever Given in 2021 and the recent upsurge of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Hilton tells Ship Technology. China, with its close connection with Iran, has suffered less than others, but accidents can happen.

Russian and Chinese state energy, shipping and logistics companies have struck various NSR deals under the guise of allies Vladimir Putin (left) and Xi Jinping (right). Credit: Alexey Druzhinin/Getty Images

While Putins tactics have been explicit and offensive, bulking out Russias vast icebreaker fleet and building ports along the NSR, Beijings approach has been subtler.

Geographically speaking, Chinese coastlines do not border the Arctic. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) does not claim sovereignty on under-continental shelves or water in the region  but defines itself as a Near-Arctic State in a push for governance.

Chinas access to the Arctic waters is also closely connected to its relationship with Russia, which is currently warm but historically a mixed picture, Hilton adds. China is playing a long game in its strategic thinking as an observer in the Arctic Council and an active participant in polar research and in discussions on fishing and mineral extraction, and although a year-round NSR is still some years away, China aims to be well positioned when it happens.

Such dominance is unlikely to see equivalent involvement from the US or Western allies, although some Russia and China-friendly states will look to benefit from the two powers NSR project, as seen last year when Dubais DP World struck an NSR shipping deal with Rosatom.

A hotbed of Forest Blizzard cyberattacks

The predominant doubts around the NSR are ecological and geopolitical, but a third issue lies in the murky world of cybersecurity.

So far in 2024, there has been a drastic spike in cyberattacks targeting vessels in the Barents Sea, the boundary of which (the Kara Strait) marks the start of the NSR.

The Russian Military Intelligence Services (GRU) Forest Blizzard is a primary threat actor. According to Norwegian cybersecurity firm NORMA Cyber, cyber espionage operations in the region are targeting the logistics, transportation, and energy sectors.

A high concentration of maritime infrastructure-targeting cyberattacks have been focused on the Barents Sea, which borders the Kara Strait and the start of the NSR. Credit: NORMA Cyber's Annual Threat Assessment 2024

Also known as Fancy Bear or APT28, Forest Blizzard is built around network reconnaissance, using port-scanning, brute force, or password spraying activity to identify vulnerabilities or steal credentials for further cyber operations.

Much of this activity, particularly GPS jamming, has reportedly originated from bases in the Gulf of Finland, likely from the Russian island of Gogland.

This data is based on government tracking and reports by ship operators, which belong to the Norwegian Shipowners Association, a NORMA Cyber official tells Ship Technology.

A NORMA Cyber official analyses the cybercrime groups targeting shipping companies with ransomware attacks in Oslo, Norway, on 12 June 2024. Credit: Alex Blair

While serious incidents have largely been avoided, this hotbed of hostile cyber activity on the southern edge of the NSR may be enough to make cargo operators think twice before jetting off into its already hazardous waters.

Should melting ice and Red Sea turbulence continue  or escalate  shipping firms will be forced to find alternatives to the Suez Canal.

But, while Russia and China continue to convert grand NSR ambitions into action, the routes commercial viability, at least globally, remains limited by ecological obstacles, geopolitical tensions and uncurbed cyber threats.

"Will the Northern Sea Route become commercially viable in the near future?" was originally created and published by Ship Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The X-plane for DARPA's Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (Shepard) program has received its official designation, the XRQ-73.

Northrop Grumman's Aeronautics Systems division in Redondo Beach, CA, is the program's prime contractor. The aircraft concept specialists at the Burt Rutan-founded Scaled Composites are a major supplier.

Shepard is an X-prime program that hopes to leverage technology from the previous Great Horned Owl project, notably the series hybrid electric architecture and other components. Great Horned Owl was a program started in 2011 by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) to develop an extremely quiet surveillance drone. The project was supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

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The XRQ-73 will be a Group 3 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) that weighs about 1,250 pounds. DARPA expects the aircraft's maiden flight to take place by the end of the year.

According to Steve Komadina, Shepard program manager, DARPA's X-prime program takes emerging technologies and burns down system-level integration risks to mature a new missionized long-endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly. Komadina says the program will further develop specific propulsion architecture and power class as a model of potential benefits for the Department of Defense.

The DARPA team includes individuals from AFRL, the Office of Naval Research, and other service members.

Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies are also working on the project.

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Norway's oil and gas company Var Energi has discovered commercial oil and gas with gross recoverable resources of 1839mboe in the North Sea, near the Norwegian coast.

This discovery is near the partially electrified Gja platform, operated by Var Energi.

The Cerisa exploration well, along with previous discoveries in Gja North and Ofelia/Kyrre, connects to the Gja field using existing infrastructure, said the company in a statement. The field has an estimated total recoverable resource of up to 110mboe.

The Cerisa discovery is 17km north-east of the Var Energi-operated Gja platform and 5km from the Duva subsea template. The Gja field is approximately 80km south-west of Flor on the Norwegian coast

Torger Rd, Var Energis COO, said the discovery: Demonstrates the potential to unlock further resources in the area and adds to the value accretive synergies resulting from the Neptune transaction.

He added that it adds more high-value, low-carbon barrels, supporting our target to deliver 350,000400,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 2025 and beyond.

Over the past five years, Var Energi has maintained a discovery rate of more than 50%, with finding costs of less than $1 per barrel post-tax.

The Cerisa discovery is currently being integrated into the Gja North and Ofelia/Kyrre project team to facilitate the rapid development of these four discoveries for production, Var Energi said in the statement.

The Cerisa exploration well and three side-track appraisal wells were drilled by the semi-submersible drilling rig Deepsea Yantai. According to the company, none of the wells encountered oil-water contact, suggesting a potential upside to the estimated resource range.

However, the discovery is likely to draw fire from environmentalists, who are looking for ways to move away from exploration in the region. In March, climate activists in four nations blocked entry to North Sea oil infrastructure as part of a synchronised pan-European nonviolent protest.

Oil and gas terminals were blocked in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, with activists protesting the ongoing extraction of North Sea fossil fuel reserves.

Despite much controversy over oil and gas discoveries in the North Sea, this discovery presents a potential opportunity for resource expansion, as the absence of oil-water contact in the drilled wells indicates the potential for increased oil reserves.

"Norways Var Energi discovers major North Sea oil and gas resources " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI

Nvidia stock is still cheap based on a forward price-to-earnings multiple, a hedge-fund manager says.

Eric Jackson expects Nvidia stock to hit $250 a share by year-end, doubling from current levels.

Its market cap could hit $6 trillion, bolstered by strong chip sales and investor euphoria, he said.

Nvidia stock is set to continue its wild rally through the end of the year, according to the hedge-fund manager Eric Jackson of EMJ Capital.

Jackson expects Nvidia stock to hit $250 by the end of the year, representing an upside of 101% from current levels.

Such a rally, if it materializes, would value the AI-chip company at a stunning $6 trillion.

And it's all because Nvidia stock is still cheap on a valuation basis, according to Jackson.

"Over the last five years, Nvidia's average look forward price-earnings multiple has been 40 times," Jackson told CNBC on Tuesday. "Yesterday, after this two-day correction, it was 39 times forward price-earnings. But there have been three times in the last five years where it's had a look forward price-earnings multiple of over 50X, and two times in the last five years where it's gotten just about to 70X, and then it pulled back. So we just haven't seen that euphoria yet."

Jackson is betting that as investors start to focus on Nvidia's earnings potential in 2025 and 2026, euphoria could drive Nvidia well above its average forward P/E multiple and closer to its peak.

"This is a high flyer, and expectations can reset on a bad earnings report, but they can also get equally overhyped on good news. And despite the fact the stock has had this enormous run, the euphoria hasn't yet caught up in terms of the go-forward multiple," Jackson said.

Shares of Nvidia have already soared 151% year to date, and the chipmaker was briefly the most valuable company in the world at its peak last week, with a market valuation of about $3.3 trillion.

"I think what's going to happen in the second half of this year, as people start to see how well the Blackwell chips are selling, how good the gross margins are on those, and start thinking about what's to come with the Rubin chips around the corner, I think we'll start to see that euphoria reflected in a lofty go-forward price-earnings multiple, and if that happens, this thing can go to $6 trillion market cap," Jackson said.

Jackson added that Nvidia had a sizable lead over its competition and would take advantage of that for years to come. Additionally, Jackson said that comparisons of Nvidia today to Cisco during the dot-com bubble were unfounded.

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"This is not Cisco in the dot-com era. Back then, Cisco's go-forward P/E multiple got to a peak of something like 136X. Again, we're below the mean for the last five years. So even though the stock has done so well, it is still relatively cheap compared to where it was trading in the past," Jackson said.

Jackson isn't the only one on Wall Street who is still bullish on the stock even when accounting for its massive run over the past year.

Constellation Research and Rosenblatt have a $200 price target for Nvidia stock, while Bank of America recently reiterated its $150 target.

While Nvidia's long-term prospects remain bullish, according to Wall Street, that does not mean it is immune from sharp declines.

Shares of Nvidia wiped out more than $400 billion in market value earlier this week, with the stock staging a three-day correction of 16%.

Read the original article on Business Insider
David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. As with many other companies Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) makes use of debt. But the more important question is: how much risk is that debt creating?

Why Does Debt Bring Risk?

Debt assists a business until the business has trouble paying it off, either with new capital or with free cash flow. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. However, a more common (but still painful) scenario is that it has to raise new equity capital at a low price, thus permanently diluting shareholders. By replacing dilution, though, debt can be an extremely good tool for businesses that need capital to invest in growth at high rates of return. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together.

Check out our latest analysis for Occidental Petroleum

What Is Occidental Petroleum's Debt?

As you can see below, Occidental Petroleum had US$19.0b of debt, at March 2024, which is about the same as the year before. You can click the chart for greater detail. However, because it has a cash reserve of US$1.27b, its net debt is less, at about US$17.7b.

A Look At Occidental Petroleum's Liabilities

The latest balance sheet data shows that Occidental Petroleum had liabilities of US$8.81b due within a year, and liabilities of US$34.5b falling due after that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of US$1.27b as well as receivables valued at US$3.27b due within 12 months. So its liabilities total US$38.8b more than the combination of its cash and short-term receivables.

This deficit is considerable relative to its very significant market capitalization of US$55.9b, so it does suggest shareholders should keep an eye on Occidental Petroleum's use of debt. Should its lenders demand that it shore up the balance sheet, shareholders would likely face severe dilution.

In order to size up a company's debt relative to its earnings, we calculate its net debt divided by its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) divided by its interest expense (its interest cover). The advantage of this approach is that we take into account both the absolute quantum of debt (with net debt to EBITDA) and the actual interest expenses associated with that debt (with its interest cover ratio).

While Occidental Petroleum's low debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.5 suggests only modest use of debt, the fact that EBIT only covered the interest expense by 6.1 times last year does give us pause. So we'd recommend keeping a close eye on the impact financing costs are having on the business. The modesty of its debt load may become crucial for Occidental Petroleum if management cannot prevent a repeat of the 58% cut to EBIT over the last year. Falling earnings (if the trend continues) could eventually make even modest debt quite risky. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Occidental Petroleum's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting.

Finally, a business needs free cash flow to pay off debt; accounting profits just don't cut it. So the logical step is to look at the proportion of that EBIT that is matched by actual free cash flow. Over the last three years, Occidental Petroleum actually produced more free cash flow than EBIT. That sort of strong cash generation warms our hearts like a puppy in a bumblebee suit.

Our View

Neither Occidental Petroleum's ability to grow its EBIT nor its level of total liabilities gave us confidence in its ability to take on more debt. But its conversion of EBIT to free cash flow tells a very different story, and suggests some resilience. Looking at all the angles mentioned above, it does seem to us that Occidental Petroleum is a somewhat risky investment as a result of its debt. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since leverage can boost returns on equity, but it is something to be aware of. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Occidental Petroleum .

If, after all that, you're more interested in a fast growing company with a rock-solid balance sheet, then check out our list of net cash growth stocks without delay.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
'One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure' Proves True For A Waste Management Company That Has Recovered Over $10 Million In Thrown-Away Coins

There's an old saying that goes, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," and a waste management company in Pennsylvania proves this to be true, recovering over $10 million in discarded coins.

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Pennsylvania waste collecting company Ash Processing at Reworld, located in Morrisville, Bucks County, has collected over $10 million from discarded coins. Fox Business reported that the company aims to "bridge the divide between trash and treasure" by sorting through piles of incinerated trash for any loose change they can find. In addition, they also operate facilities that burn trash to generate fuel. Rebecca Guardino, Director of Ash Processing at Reworld, told Jeff Flock from Fox Business, who visited the sorting facility, that they usually get an assortment of materials, but "This is about the quarter-sized particles where we usually get ... a little bit of hardware, but mostly quarters."

Guardino had shown Flock around the sorting facility and explained how the whole process worked. The process starts with the machines that sift through the huge piles of incinerated trash. The machines have small round holes that force the coins to fall through, where they're then sorted into bins. From there, Guardino explained that the coins go through a washing station and are spread out onto a rack to dry. Guardino tells Flock, "This allows us to better sort the coins, to determine what coins are in good condition or have been damaged, but it also lets us know which denominations were dealing with."

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According to Reworld, Americans throw away nearly $68 million of change each year. Why? Because nowadays, coins are considered as good as junk for many Americans. Places that used to take coins, like toll booths and buses, now also accept card and online payment methods, and the U.S. quarter has lost most of its buying power compared to the U.S. dollar. Robert Whaples, an economics professor from Wake Forest University, explains why coins are discarded nowadays. "If you lost a $100 bill you'd look for it. If you lost a $20 bill you'd look for it. If you lost a book, you'd look for it," he added, "But a penny, you're just not going to look for it."

According to Reworld, these discarded coins get sucked up by vacuums and end up in local landfills. It was in 2017 that Reworld started collecting change after noticing how many coins were appearing in the trash. Once the coins have been collected out of the trash, they are then restored to be reintroduced back into the economy via local banks. However, Whaples believes that the government should stop making the penny because, unlike dollar notes, coins are harder to circulate through the economy as most coins stay hidden at the bottom of people's purses or in their homes. When did you last look underneath your sofa cushions and car seats? You'll likely find coins that have been left there for ages. MSN reported that the U.S. Mint spent $707 million making coins in 2023.

However, just because Reworld gathers between $500,000 to $1 million in coins a year to reintroduce into the economy doesn't mean that these coins are actually wanted even by banks. According to MSN, Capital One, TD Bank, and PNC have removed their coin-counting machines due to low customer use.

But employees at Reworld love finding coins, especially buffalo nickels made between 1913 and 1938. Angelo Geraci, Reworld's operations supervisor, shared, "As a child, I used to get excited about buffalo nickels, I thought they were rare. Here, we have jars and jars of buffalo nickels."

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War in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, saber-rattling in China  theres no question that the global security situation is turning chaotic. Closer to home, the halls of Congress are seeing an unusual degree of bipartisan agreement on defense spending. And in the stock markets, investors are taking a closer look at aerospace and defense stocks.

Military actions are notorious for running through supplies faster than expected, and defense contractors are looking at increased orders coming in for the foreseeable future. In addition, technological changes are altering the ways that militaries are structured  unmanned aircraft and ships, particularly, are coming into their own as autonomous technology improves and are likely to permanently alter air force and naval fleet compositions.

These are only a few of the factors impacting defense sector stocks. Covering the aerospace-defense sector for the investment firm BTIG, analyst Andre Madrid is especially mindful of the increasing demand from governments and militaries.

We are currently seeing some of the strongest bipartisan support for defense spending since the Reagan administration and the late Cold War The Russo-Ukrainian conflict, rapidly escalating into one of the deadliest European land wars since World War II, has raised concerns among Americas allies in Europe, who have now agreed to rapidly accelerate defense spending. This surge in defense spending will mean more demand from American suppliers, as the European defense supply chain is ill-equipped to tackle the spike in orders, Madrid opined.

Looking ahead from this stance, Madrid has picked out two aerospace and defense stocks as solid buys for the near-term. Weve used the TipRanks database to find out what the rest of the Street has to say about his picks. Lets take a closer look.

Northrop Grumman (NOC)

The first stock on our list, Northrop Grumman, is the modern incarnation of two famous aircraft design bureaus. Both Northrop and Grumman were active in the aircraft industry before World War Two, and both companies were well-known for their combat aircraft designs during the war; Northrops P-61 was one of the first purpose-designed night fighters, and Grummans F6F was the most-produced and most successful naval fighter plane of the war. The two companies merged in 1994, and today Northrop Grumman is known for its involvement in such important aircraft programs as the B-2 bomber and its successor, the B-21; the Navys E-2 aerial radar aircraft and C-2 transport aircraft; and the Air Forces T-38 supersonic trainer.

In addition, the company is heavily involved in electronic warfare, digital integration systems, the development of directed energy weapons, ballistic missiles, the unmanned Manta Ray long-range submersible, minehunting systems, the NASA Artemis launch system, and even old-fashioned munitions production. Northrop Grumman today is one of the go-to companies that the Pentagon and other US and foreign governmental and military agencies rely on to build and maintain weapons systems and to produce the tech that will support future weapons.

Defense is, and always has been, big business, and Northrop Grumman raked in $39 billion worth of revenue last year. In the first quarter of this year, the company saw a top line of $10.1 billion, up 8.6% year-over-year and some $340 million better than had been anticipated. The firms earnings, by GAAP measures, came to $6.32 per share, 55 cents per share ahead of the forecast.

In two important metrics that bode well going forward, Northrop Grumman saw net contract awards in 1Q24 come to $6.5 billion. The company reported a work backlog of $78.9 billion.

In short, Northrop Grumman is a defense contractor in a solid position, and BTIGs Madrid sees that as the foundation for continued successes going forward. He writes of NOC, We expect the company to be one of the fastest growing among the defense prime contractors through the remainder of the decade for two reasons: 1) exposure to high-growth end markets, like space and 2) incumbency on multiple critical Programs of Record (PoRs) that are deemed critical to national security. Coupled with strong free cash flow that is largely returned to shareholders through the form of buybacks and dividends, we see NOC as the most attractive long-term defense name.

Quantifying this stance, Madrid puts a Buy rating on these shares, along with a $565 price target that points toward a one-year upside potential of almost 32%.

Overall, Wall Street is willing to buy in here, but is less bullish than BTIG. The stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, based on 15 recent reviews that include 6 to Buy, 8 to Hold, and 1 to Sell. The shares are priced at $431.49 and their $509.27 average price target implies an 18% gain for the coming year. (See NOC stock forecast)

AeroVironment (AVAV)

Next up on our list is AeroVironment, a leader in the global market for the development and deployment of multi-mission autonomous smart robots. These can include unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), high-altitude pseudo-satellites (HAPS), and even offensive-oriented loitering munition systems (LMS). AeroVironment is a tech provider, making available the solutions to bring together the latest advances in robotics, sensors, AI, connectivity, and data analytics. The company has seen that unmanned vehicles have the potential to save lives on the battlefield, and to transform the ways that armies fight.

This defense tech firms chief set of products is its line of unmanned, runway-independent, reconnaissance drones. These small aircraft can be launched by a crew of soldiers, in almost any condition. They can be deployed from tanks, fighting vehicles, communications trucks, even small boats  and once up, they can orbit the battlefield while providing real-time surveillance and communications capabilities to the troops.

AeroVironments uncrewed ground vehicles are small, tracked robots designed to put eyes on the ground. Able to traverse varied terrain, supported by small vehicles and even man-portable control units, these robots can scout the enemy and provide 360-degree video surveillance.

The companys third main class of drones is the loitering munition system. These remote-controlled aircraft can orbit above the fighting areas, monitoring the ground situation  while carrying a load of munitions. The operator can deliver them when needed, with precision.

Turning to the financials, AVAV beat expectations in its just-released FQ4 (April quarter) print. Revenue climbed by 5.9% YoY to a record $196.98 million, beating the analysts forecast by $7.99 million. At the bottom-line, non-GAAP EPS of $0.43 outpaced projections by $0.22, although that figure represented a big drop from the $0.99 generated during the same period last year.

Looking ahead, for fiscal year 2025, the company sees revenue hitting the range between $790 million and $820 million, at the midpoint below consensus at $809.7 million. This, combined with the big earnings drop, could be a possible explanation for investors downbeat reaction to the display.

However, assessing AVAVs prospects, for Madrid, it is this companys combination of high-end products, strong demand, and proven ability to deliver, that all add up to an upbeat assessment. We see the company as the predominant unmanned system pure play with strong operational heritage across multiple decades, said the analyst. We see AeroVironment as a beneficiary of unmanned systems spending both domestically and abroad. We look favorably on the strong margin profile of the Small UAS product line and the proven capability of the Switchblade loitering munitions platform in Ukraine and beyond. We expect expansion into international markets to continue, serving as a tailwind to both sales and margins.

The BTIG analyst rates AVAV shares as a Buy, and his price target, set at $255, suggests an upside of 32% over the coming months.

While there are only 3 recent analyst reviews here, they are all positive  making the Strong Buy consensus rating on the stock unanimous. The shares are priced at $192.81 and have an average price target of $228.33, indicating room for an 18.5% increase by this time next year. (See AVAV stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Amid a backdrop of fluctuating market conditions, Japan's stock markets experienced negative returns last week, with uncertainties around the Bank of Japans monetary policy affecting investor sentiment. In such an environment, companies like PeptiDream that boast high insider ownership may offer investors a sense of stability and alignment of interests between shareholders and management.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Japan

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth SHIFT (TSE:3697) 35.4% 26.8% Kanamic NetworkLTD (TSE:3939) 25% 28.9% Hottolink (TSE:3680) 27% 57.3% Medley (TSE:4480) 34% 28.7% Micronics Japan (TSE:6871) 15.3% 39.8% Kasumigaseki CapitalLtd (TSE:3498) 34.8% 44.6% ExaWizards (TSE:4259) 24.8% 91.1% Soiken Holdings (TSE:2385) 19.8% 118.4% AeroEdge (TSE:7409) 10.7% 28.5% freee K.K (TSE:4478) 24% 81%

Click here to see the full list of 99 stocks from our Fast Growing Japanese Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: PeptiDream Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of constrained peptides, small molecules, and peptide-drug conjugate therapeutics, with a market capitalization of approximately 321.43 billion.

Operations: The company primarily generates revenue through its biopharmaceutical development activities, focusing on novel peptides and molecular therapeutics.

Insider Ownership: 26.1%

PeptiDream, a Japanese biotech firm, recently enhanced its financial outlook for 2024, doubling its operating profit forecast to JPY 20.10 billion and nearly doubling expected net profit to JPY 14.00 billion following strategic expansions with Novartis. This includes an upfront payment of US$180 million and potential milestones up to US$2.71 billion, emphasizing PeptiDream's robust growth trajectory in peptide-based therapeutics. Despite high market volatility and lower current profit margins compared to last year, the company's innovative edge in drug development is clear with promising clinical studies underway for renal cell carcinoma diagnostics using its proprietary technology.

TSE:4587 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Rakuten Group, Inc. operates in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications sectors serving a diverse global clientele with a market capitalization of approximately 1.83 trillion.

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Operations: The company generates revenue through its operations in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications.

Insider Ownership: 17.3%

Rakuten Group is positioned for notable growth with forecasted revenue increases outpacing the Japanese market. Despite trading significantly below its perceived fair value, Rakuten anticipates becoming profitable within three years, aligning with a strategy of robust operational expansion as evidenced by a recent $1.99 billion bond issuance. Challenges remain, including modest projected return on equity and abandoning plans to list its securities unit, reflecting a cautious approach amid broader financial strategies.

TSE:4755 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: BayCurrent Consulting, Inc., a company based in Japan, offers consulting services and has a market capitalization of approximately 495.07 billion.

Operations: The firm generates its revenue primarily through consulting services in Japan.

Insider Ownership: 13.9%

BayCurrent Consulting, with its substantial insider ownership, is trading at 59.1% below its estimated fair value, indicating potential undervaluation. The company's earnings and revenue are expected to grow at 18.41% and 18.3% per year respectively, outpacing the Japanese market averages of 8.9% for earnings and 4.2% for revenue growth. Despite this promising outlook, the share price has shown high volatility recently. Additionally, a recent share buyback program for 3.60 billion suggests a focus on shareholder value and capital efficiency.

TSE:6532 Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Turning Ideas Into Actions

Dive into all 99 of the Fast Growing Japanese Companies With High Insider Ownership we have identified here.

Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive.

Streamline your investment strategy with Simply Wall St's app for free and benefit from extensive research on stocks across all corners of the world.

Want To Explore Some Alternatives?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years.

Companies discussed in this article include TSE:4587 TSE:4755TSE:6532 and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Amidst a backdrop of heightened uncertainty about the Bank of Japan's future monetary policy moves, Japan's stock markets experienced a slight downturn last week. In such an environment, high-yield dividend stocks like Persol Holdings Ltd may attract investors looking for potential stability and income in their portfolios.

Top 10 Dividend Stocks In Japan

Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Yamato Kogyo (TSE:5444) 3.87%  Business Brain Showa-Ota (TSE:9658) 3.47%  Globeride (TSE:7990) 3.66%  Yahagi ConstructionLtd (TSE:1870) 3.57%  Koei Tecmo Holdings (TSE:3635) 3.51%  HITO-Communications HoldingsInc (TSE:4433) 3.49%  KurimotoLtd (TSE:5602) 5.04%  FALCO HOLDINGS (TSE:4671) 6.69%  GakkyushaLtd (TSE:9769) 4.05%  Innotech (TSE:9880) 3.91% 

Click here to see the full list of 374 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of our picks from the screened companies.

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Persol Holdings Ltd. (TSE:2181) operates globally, offering human resource services under the PERSOL brand, with a market capitalization of approximately 516.09 billion.

Operations: Persol Holdings Ltd. specializes in providing diverse human resource services on a global scale.

Dividend Yield: 4%

Persol Holdings Ltd. has announced a significant share repurchase program, planning to buy back up to 5.41% of its shares for 20 billion, aiming to enhance shareholder returns by March 2025. Despite a reasonable payout ratio of 65.1%, indicating earnings coverage, the company's dividend history over the past decade has been marked by volatility and inconsistency in growth. Trading at a notable discount to estimated fair value and with earnings expected to grow annually by 11.56%, the stock offers potential upside but with caution due to its unstable dividend track record.

TSE:2181 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: France Bed Holdings Co., Ltd. operates in Japan, focusing on medical services and home furnishing and health sectors, with a market capitalization of approximately 43.79 billion.

Operations: France Bed Holdings Co., Ltd. generates 38.87 billion from its Medical Services segment and 20.01 billion from its Interior Health segment.

Dividend Yield: 3.1%

France Bed Holdings Ltd. maintains a stable dividend history, with a recent increase to 22.00 per share for FY 2024 from 20.00 the previous year, signaling consistent shareholder returns. With earnings and cash flows adequately covering dividends (payout ratios of 44.7% and 43.9%, respectively), the financial structure supports ongoing payments despite a modest yield of 3.08%. The company's recent performance includes an earnings rise to JPY 3,134 million and sales growth, projecting continued operational strength into FY 2025 with expected net sales of JPY 61 billion and an operating profit of JPY 4,800 million.

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TSE:7840 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: 

Overview: Nice Corporation, with a market cap of 23.53 billion, specializes in importing, distributing, and selling building materials for housing both in Japan and internationally.

Operations: Nice Corporation generates revenue primarily through its Building Materials segment, which brought in 172.76 billion, and its Housing segment, which contributed 45.84 billion.

Dividend Yield: 3.3%

Nice Corporation offers a dividend yield of 3.26%, lower than the top quartile in Japan's market. Despite this, dividends are well-supported by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 16.8% and 11.1% respectively, indicating financial health for continued payments. However, the dividend history has been marked by volatility over the last decade, reflecting inconsistency in payouts which may concern investors looking for stable returns. Trading at a significant discount to fair value suggests potential undervaluation or underlying issues impacting investor confidence.

TSE:8089 Dividend History as at Jun 2024

Where To Now?

Embark on your investment journey to our 374 Top Dividend Stocks selection here.

Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive.

Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors.

Looking For Alternative Opportunities?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include TSE:2181 TSE:8089 and

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
A street view of several businesses, including a Pinkie's store, depicts Odessa in the 1950s.

What started with a redheaded Prohibition revolutionary recently celebrated its 90th anniversary of business in Texas, according to a company news release.

Pinkie's, a Texas-born chain for alcoholic beverages, was incorporated in March 1934, less than 1 year after the end of the Prohibition. The business is named after its creator, Thomas "Pinkie" Roden, who ran the business until the late 1980s.

Pinkie's, a retail chain of alcoholic beverages, is celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2024.

We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers, dedicated employees, and supportive partners who have been integral to our success throughout this remarkable journey, said Austin Keith, president. This anniversary signifies not only the years of hard work and determination but also the immense potential that lies ahead as we continue to revolutionize the package store landscape.

Moving forward, Pinkie's hopes to look into new markets, grow its selection and continue "delivering exceptional value to its customers," according to the release. Currently, Pinkie's has locations in Abilene, Alpine (Twin Peaks Liquors), Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Snyder and Sweetwater, and employs more than 175 people.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Odessa-born Pinkie's chain reaches 90 year anniversary
Port Canaveral on Wednesday approved a six-month extension of the port's contract with Norwegian Cruise Line, while the port and the company aim to work out a longer-term deal.

Port Canaveral CEO John Murray says he hopes one of the results will be the port gaining a greater presence of Norwegian ships in the future.

Since 2014, Norwegian has based some of its newest and largest ships at Port Canaveral, but mostly one at a time. From now through early 2026, six different Norwegian ships will rotate into and out of Port Canaveral. For a short time in early 2026, there will be three Norwegian ships based at Port Canaveral.

The Norwegian Epic is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral in October.

Previous deal with Norwegian: Norwegian Cruise Line signs new deal with Port Canaveral involving Escape, Getaway, Prima

Under the existing operating agreement, which was scheduled to expire on June 30, Norwegian operates the Norwegian Jade on a seven-day itinerary out of Cruise Terminal 10.

The amendment port commissioners unanimously approved Wednesday extends the term of the operating agreement for six months. Norwegian will continue to operate the Norwegian Jade out of Port Canaveral until August. The Jade then will be replaced in October with the Norwegian Epic, on seven-day itineraries out of Terminal 10.

The extension allows 19 home-port calls by Norwegian ships from July 1 through Dec. 31, resulting in a minimum guaranteed payment of $1.52 million to the port.

In the meantime, the port staff and Norwegian representatives will continue to discuss longer-term deployment options.

Here is the current plan for Norwegian ship deployments out of Port Canaveral:

Norwegian Jade: Saturday sailings through August 2024. The ship has a double-occupancy capacity of 2,353, was built in 2006 and was refurbished in 2022.

Norwegian Epic: Saturday sailings from October 2024 to April 2025. The ship has a double-occupancy capacity of 4,070, was built in 2010, and was refurbished in 2020.

Norwegian Aqua: Saturday sailings from April 2025 to August 2025. The new ship is under construction, and will debut at Port Canaveral. It has a double-occupancy capacity of 3,571.

Norwegian Joy: Saturday sailings from November 2025 to April 2026. The ship has a double-occupancy capacity of 3,776, was built in 2017, and was refurbished this year.

Norwegian Breakaway: Tuesday and Friday sailings from January 2026 to February 2026. The ship has a double-occupancy capacity of 3,903, was built in 2013, and was refurbished in 2020.

Norwegian Prima: Sunday sailings beginning in November 2025. The ship has a double-occupancy capacity of 3,099, and was built in 2022.

Port Canaveral is the world's second-busiest cruise port. Five cruise lines base ships at Port Canaveral  Carnival, Disney, MSC, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Celebrity and Princess will add ships to the Port Canaveral lineup later this year.

DeSantis signs port charter amendments into law

Legislative delegation debate: Florida legislators reject proposal to boost Port Canaveral commissioner pay by 91.5%

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill that includes a series of amendments to Port Canaveral's charter. This is the last step in a once-a-decade process for updating the charter that includes recommendations from the port's 10-member Charter Review Committee; approval by the Canaveral Port Authority; then approval by the Florida House and Senate.

Among the changes in the port charter are ones that deal with stricter requirements for leases of greater than 30 years, which Port Canaveral Vice President and General Counsel Craig Langley has described at the "most impactful" for the port of the Charter Review Committee's recommendations. Other changes involve various procedures for soliciting contracts with vendors; expansion outside of Brevard County of the port's foreign trade zone, which offers tax advantages to participating businesses; and use of online legal notices.

The charter also has a new section, under which Port Canaveral would be required to "take reasonable measures to support the commercial space launch industry." SpaceX uses the port facilities in its recovery of boosters and other launched space hardware, and Blue Origin will be following suit.

Port CFO leaves for job in Tampa Bay

Michael Poole, who has been Port Canaveral's chief financial officer since May 2018, has left the port for a CFO position at Port Tampa Bay.

Prior to his joining Port Canaveral, Poole spent more than a decade as chief financial officer at JaxPort in Jacksonville, and was deputy port director at the Port of Pensacola for nine years.

"Mike was well-respected and did a great job here," Murray said at Wednesday's Canaveral Port Authority meeting.

Murray said a new CFO will be in place by mid-July.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Port Canaveral extends contract with Norwegian Cruise Line
Approximately a quarter of Americans have had their medical records leaked, with research finding that more than 79.6 million people have been caught up in data breaches. Around 71% of the breaches originate due to the hacking of a healthcare provider.

Research carried out by the US-based cybersecurity company Incogni, alongside data published by the US Department of Health and Human Services, detailed how since 2020, healthcare providers were reported to have experienced 1,572 breaches, accounting for 57.6% of all American healthcare profiles that have been exposed.

At the same time, the report by Incogni found the same pattern with reported ransomware attacks finding that since 2020 approximately 76.1% of attacks targeted healthcare providers. The most common cause for a breach is described by the research as hacking and IT incidents, accounting for 1,622 breaches and affecting 136.8 million healthcare profiles.

The biggest breach named in the report was the 2021 breach of the optometry company 20/20 Eye Care Network, which saw the healthcare data of approximately 3.3 million Americans breached after hostile actors were able to access the companys cloud storage systems.

Darius Belejevas, head of data protection service Incogni, said: The transition to electronic health systems has undoubtedly brought numerous benefits to the healthcare sector, but it has also introduced significant risks. The exposure of sensitive health information can have devastating consequences for individuals, as their data might be further used by data brokers or even criminals. Incogni advocates for more stringent privacy and security measures for entities that manage patient information.

As breaches continue to compromise patient privacy, they also put patients safety at risk and erode their trust in the healthcare system. Moreover, they can lead to identity theft, medical fraud, and other forms of exploitation.

The healthcare-centric cybersecurity market is expected to steadily grow alongside the rise in attacks on healthcare facilities. Research by GlobalData found that the global cybersecurity market will be worth $334bn by 2030, having grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% between 2022 and 2030. Additionally, separate research by UK cybersecurity company Sophos, found that only 24% of healthcare organisations were able to disrupt a ransomware attack before the attackers encrypted their data  down from 34% in 2022.

The reasons for cyberattacks on healthcare facilities vary across several causes, but in the past few years cyberattacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities have been used as a tool for disruption from hostile states such as Russia.

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"Quarter of all American healthcare records have been breached" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Russia and Iran have entered into an MOU regarding the transfer of natural gas from Russia to Iran.

This agreement was signed between the National Iranian Gas Company and Gazprom. It sets the stage for Iran to import Russian gas and subsequently export it to neighbouring countries.

The MOU was formalised in Tehran, in the presence of Iran's Interim President, Mohammad Mokhber, and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller.

According to the MOU, Iran will buy gas from Russia and then sell it to Iraq, Turkiye and Pakistan at a higher price, Xinhua reported, citing official Iranian news.

Mokhber highlighted the strategic significance of the deal, stating that the MOU for the supply of gas is key for both nations and the region.

He added that the agreement sends a strong message to the world and marks the commencement of a collaborative path in gas cooperation between Iran and Russia.

Iran, which possesses the world's second-largest gas reserves after Russia, has been a target for Moscow's energy sector ambitions.

However, US sanctions have impeded Iran's ability to fully exploit its gas reserves and hindered technological access.

Gazprom, which has experienced a significant decline in its European gas sales due to the conflict in Ukraine, reported nearly $7bn (Rbs597.12bn) in losses last year, its first annual loss since 1999.

The Russian energy giant had previously signed an MOU with the National Iranian Oil Company in July 2022, valued at approximately $40bn, but no definitive agreements have resulted thus far.

Under that agreement, Gazprom was to assist in developing oil and gas fields in Iran and engage in liquefied natural gas projects and pipeline construction.

"Russia signs gas supply MOU with Iran " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
For truckload brokerage firms, big is better.

And RXO Inc. will join the ranks of the big players when it closes on its $1.025 billion acquisition of Coyote Logistics at the end of 2024. The transaction is expected to catapult RXO to the third largest North American freight broker, essentially taking over the spot held by Coyote. C.H. Robinson Worldwide holds the top spot as the largest freight brokerage firm, followed by Total Quality Logistics. RXO was spun off from former parent XPO in November 2022.

More from Sourcing Journal

RXO is currently the eighth largest, according to TD Cowen analyst Jason H. Seidl. He described the purchase price as reasonable and at the low end of what we anticipated Coyote would sell for.

We are encouraged to see that there is minimal customer overlap with Coyotes business heavily focused on SMBs and RXOs legacy business focused on larger enterprise customers, Seidl said. There are also differences in terms of carrier base. Coyote tends to focus on smaller carriers while RXO has access to larger fleets.

SMBs are small- to medium-sized businesses that typically have fewer than 100 employees and less than $1 billion in annual revenue. Seidl said his estimates indicate that the deal is immediately accretive to EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and EPS, or earnings per share, even with debt and equity issuance. RXO said it will pay for the deal on a cash-free, debt-free basis, using a mix of equity and debt that includes $300 million of committed equity from MFN Partners and $250 million of committed equity from Orbis Investments. RXO also said the deal could provide annualized cost synergies of at least $25 million.

UBS analyst Thomas Wadewitz said his firm hosted a private company brokerage and logistics forum in April where the general conclusion among brokers was that scale matters and the big will continue to get bigger, despite challenges for overlaying one large broker on top of another large broker. Clearly the brokers believe in a longer term trend where scale and skill enable the large brokers to gain share and become an even larger part of the market, he noted.

Put in the context of RXOs deal to acquire Coyote, Wadewitz said the acquisition is a significant strategic positive for RXO. He noted potential integration risks in the areas of people and information technology, citing to the 2015 Echo-Command combination of brokers where integration was challenging in those two key categories.

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Coyote is generally viewed as a good quality asset which has significant scale and a strong customer base. We believe there is value from scale in truck brokerage which enables a broker to have better visibility to the cost of capacity, access to more capacity and also a stronger relationship with large shippers, Wadewitz said. Strength in different customer verticals for RXOindustrial, retailand Coyotefood, beverage, transportationreduces risk of customer attrition.

Wadewitz said the acquisition gives RXO strong leverage to a potential upturn in the truckload and brokerage markets. The analyst noted that the deal comes at what could be the end of a period of declining activity where the next stage is a transition to expansion.

United Parcel Service (UPS) acquired Coyote, a 3PL, in July 2015 for $1.8 billion. UPS is selling Coyote at a time when it was looking to cut costs as it focuses on its core parcel services. In January, UPS eliminated 12,000 positions, resulting in $1 billion in cost savings. And in March, the company unveiled a cost-cutting program dubbed Network of the Future that is expected to save $3 billion by the end of the 2028 fiscal year. The plan also calls for the closure of 200 facilities as UPS leans into automation across its logistics network.
Meridian Funds, managed by ArrowMark Partners, released its Meridian Hedged Equity Fund first quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the same can be downloaded here. Risk assets continued to rise while market volatility remained low in the first quarter, perhaps indicating that investors are becoming somewhat complacent. In the quarter, the fund appreciated 5.46% (net), trailing its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, which returned 10.56%. Also, the Fund slightly lagged behind its secondary benchmark, the CBOE S&P 500 Buy/Write Indexs 6.02% return. In addition, you can check the top 5 holdings of the fund to know its best picks in 2024.

Meridian Hedged Equity Fund highlighted stocks like Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH), in the first quarter 2024 investor letter. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) is a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies. The one-month return of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) was -8.07%, and its shares lost 12.64% of their value over the last 52 weeks. On June 26, 2024, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) stock closed at $10.71 per share with a market capitalization of $1.109 billion.

Meridian Hedged Equity Fund stated the following regarding Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

"Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) is an international specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty products, with a focus on hair color and hair care. The company has two segments: Sally Beauty Supply (SBS), which serves retail customers and salon professionals, and Beauty Systems Group (BSG), which serves professional stylists and salons. The company has faced several challenges in recent quarters, impacting both the top and bottom lines. The lower- to middle-income consumer who shops at SBS has felt pressure from inflation and has been more cautious with their spending. This has led to softer traffic at SBS as customers have been extending the time between hair treatments and buying fewer discretionary items. Unfavorable weather conditions in the early part of the second quarter of fiscal 2024 further pressured traffic. This is especially impactful to SBS, as it is the larger and higher[1]margin segment for the company. Despite near-term headwinds, Sally Beauty is implementing several initiatives that should benefit the company over time. The company has launched several programs, including the Studio by Sally store concept and the Licensed Colorist on Demand online platform, that should drive customer engagement and retention. Sally Beauty has also launched a new store concept called Happy Beauty Co., a value-focused beauty store with all items priced under $10. The company is also focused on increasing the penetration of its owned brands across its segments, which carry higher margins than national brands. We expect these initiatives will aid in a return to positive comparable sales growth over time and help drive margin expansion. Given the uncertainty of the timing of these turnaround initiatives, we re-hedged our exposure to the stock during the period."

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Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) is not on our list of 31 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 21 hedge fund portfolios held Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) at the end of the first quarter which was 19 in the previous quarter. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:SBH) consolidated net sales for the quarter decreased by 1.1% to $908 million, while consolidated comparable sales decreased by 1.5%. While we acknowledge the potential of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is as promising as NVIDIA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SBH) was among the top contributors to the Meridian Hedged Equity Fund in the previous quarter. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2024 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

READ NEXT: Michael Burry Is Selling These Stocks and A New Dawn Is Coming to US Stocks.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey .
leekris / Getty Images/iStockphoto

As the second-largest state by population and land area in the nation, Texas has a little bit of everything, from small towns to major cities. The states low cost of living and tax incentives for both residents and corporations have caused a major population boom, with nearly a half-million people moving to the former republic in 2023.

Find Out: What Is the Median Household Income for the Upper Middle Class in 2024?

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Whether you are looking in the Pineywoods of Eastern Texas or the Panhandle to the North, you can rest assured that the state wont disappoint. Unique topography throughout each region and plenty of job opportunities make it a true destination for those looking to relocate. While the state is considered affordable, some areas are undoubtedly more cost-effective than others. The cost of housing can range from well below the national average to nearly double, depending on where you live.

Before you pack your moving boxes for the land where the stars and stripes are big and bright, see why these Texas cities have the highest and lowest cost of living so far in 2024.

Wealthy people know the best money secrets. Learn how to copy them.

Bee Cave, Texas

At the top of the list is Bee Cave, Texas. A small city with a population of only 8,771, this Hill Country gem has the highest cost of living in the state. Housing expenses are the driving force behind this trend. According to Zillow, the average home value in Bee Cave is $924,203. While home prices have been down approximately 2.8% over the past year, many remain unaffordable for middle-class families. Fueling these eye-opening housing prices are mega-mansions located throughout Bee Cave.

While many people love the small-town vibe of the Austin suburb, the cost of living is exorbitant and unlikely to come down drastically, given the limited area in the city. The charming city, which dates back to 1870 and is named for the honeybees that inhabited a nearby limestone cave, has just over a dozen neighborhoods. Many are gated or master-planned communities that come with a hefty price tag.

Explore More: Heres the Living Wage a Single Person Needs To Live Comfortably in Arizona

Cost of Living Factors

In addition to high housing prices, residents of Bee Cave can also expect to pay slightly higher than the national average for groceries, transportation and healthcare. It costs approximately $66,104 in annual expenses to live in the suburb. Youll need to budget around $5,732 each year for groceries and $5,944 for healthcare costs. Transportation will cost you another $7,649 annually, around 10% more than the average in the U.S. Utilities are the only bargain in Bee Cave, costing you just under what the average person would pay nationwide.

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Lockney, Texas

While Bee Cave may have the highest cost of living in the state, Lockney has the lowest. The town, located in Floyd County, has a population of just 1,720. The small city is about an hours drive from Lubbock and dates back to 1889, but was incorporated in 1907. Newly minted residents will love the affordable housing available in the area. Zillow places the current average home value in Lockney at $88,418, down 14.3% over the past year.

Cost of Living Factors

The cost of living in the town is over 32% less than the national average. GOBankingRates research indicates that it would take approximately $25,866 in annual expenses to live in the area. Almost all categories, from housing to transportation, are considerably lower than the nationwide average. You would need around $5,127 for groceries each year and $4,526 in utilities.

Healthcare is the only item where you will likely pay more than the average person in the U.S. It is anticipated that you would need $6,651 on average to cover healthcare costs each year in Lockney. Luckily, youll save on transportation, which is over one-third less than the average in America. Plan to budget $4,451 for transportation expenses if you decide to move to the rural community.

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed 6,300 cities across the United States to find the cheapest and most expensive cost of living cities in each state. First GOBankingRates found the cost of living indexes as sourced from Sperlings BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for all residents, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost can be calculated for each city. The total population was sourced from the US Census American Community Survey, and the livability index was sourced from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 21, 2024.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: See Why These Texas Cities Have the Highest and Lowest Costs of Living So Far in 2024
Sibanye Stillwater is considering the closure of its palladium mine in Montana, US, if palladium prices do not recover from their current slump, reported Bloomberg News, citing the companys CEO Neal Froneman.

Froneman was reported by the news agency at a London conference as saying: The future of Stillwater remains in the balance.

I mean it is as simple as that. If there is no correction in the price soon, as strategic as it is, we will have to put it on care and maintenance.

Earlier this year, Sibanye announced a $2.1bn writedown on its US assets, attributing the loss to a sharp decline in palladium prices, increased operational costs and challenges in executing an expansion plan.

In 2017, the South African mining company acquired the Montana site through the $2.2bn purchase of Stillwater Mining and had already reduced some positions at the mine to reduce expenses.

Despite the challenges, Froneman described the Montana mine as a "strategic asset" in March, stating that "it was not due for closure at this stage".

He emphasised the necessity for the mine to become profitable, even amidst the ongoing palladium price depression.

Palladium is primarily used in catalytic converters for vehicles to reduce emissions.

Since March 2022, the price of palladium has plummeted by approximately 70%.

Demand for palladium is under threat due to the automotive industry's transition towards electric vehicles, which do not require catalytic converters.

In April this year, Sibanye-Stillwater said it plans to close its lossmaking 4 Belt (4B) shaft at the Marikana platinum operations, putting 855 jobs at risk.

The miner recently also started Section 189 consultations as part of its gold operations restructuring plan. The move is set to affect 3,107 employees and 915 contractors.

"Sibanyes US palladium mine could face closure amid price slump" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
By Jihoon Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's exports are expected to have risen for a ninth consecutive month in June, with semiconductor sales to the U.S. leading the increase, although the growth rate likely slowed on calendar effects, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday.

Exports in June from Asia's fourth-largest economy are forecast to have risen 6.3% from a year earlier, according to the median estimate of 11 economists in the survey.

That would be weaker than an annual rise of 11.5% in May and the slowest since March, but most economists attributed it to unfavourable calendar effects. There were 21.5 working days in June this year, compared with 23 in the same month last year.

South Korea is the first major exporting economy to report monthly trade figures each month, providing an early glimpse into the state of global demand.

"The trend of growing exports likely continued as semiconductor exports remained robust," said Chun Kyu-yeon, economist, Hana Securities.

"Solid demand in the United States is seen leading demand for South Korean exports, with U.S.-bound shipments now accounting for about 20% of the total," Chun said.

In the first 20 days of this month, exports rose 8.5%, as shipments of semiconductors jumped 50.2%. By destination, exports to the United States rose 23.5%, while those to China climbed 5.6%.

South Korea's exports are expected to recover towards record-high levels in the first half of this year, the finance minister said earlier.

In the second half, exports will likely be supported by an economic rebound in regions other than the United States, but annual growth rates might weaken due to high comparison bases, economists said.

The poll also forecast that imports in June fell 2.2% from a year earlier, after a 2.0% decline in May.

The country's trade balance is expected to post a surplus for the 13th straight month, with the median estimate at $5.24 billion, widening from $4.86 billion in May, which was the biggest since December 2020.

South Korea is scheduled to report trade figures for June on Monday, July 1, at 9 a.m. (0000 GMT).

(Reporting by Jihoon Lee; Polling by Devayani Sathyan and Milounee Purohit in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonali Paul)
Stratasys and Ricoh USA have enrolled the first patient in a clinical study to assess 3D printed models for preoperative planning in orthopaedic oncology.

The research aims to compare 3D printed anatomical models efficacy against the current standard of care, which involves CT or MRI imaging, to potentially improve surgical outcomes.

As part of the study, the companies will assess if the use of these models can lead to reduced operating times, less blood loss, and a decrease in procedural complications.

The experimental group will use the 3D-printed models alongside imaging while the comparator group will rely solely on imaging for their preoperative planning.

Stratasys Medical vice-president Erez Ben Zvi said: The collaboration brings together unparalleled experience and innovation in medical imaging and 3D printing and, if successful, may establish anatomical models as a new standard for patient treatment in tumour removal from bones.

Scheduled for a 12-month period, the prospective, multi-centre randomised controlled study involves up to 150 subjects at three different sites.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Corewell Health have already agreed to participate.

Ricoh USA Additive Manufacturing managing director Gary Turner said: We are thrilled to co-sponsor this important clinical trial alongside our longstanding partners at Stratasys to further demonstrate the potential impact of 3D patient-specific modelling, as well as accelerate the adoption of this technology to better serve a broader population.

Earlier this month, Ricoh USA unveiled its Point of Care 3D medical device manufacturing facility in the US.

Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the RICOH 3D for Healthcare Innovation Studio will provide clinicians with immediate access to 3D-printed anatomic models for surgical planning and patient education.

"Stratasys and Ricoh USA enrol first subject to assess 3D models in orthopaedic study" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court cleared the Biden administration to communicate freely with social media companies in an election-year ruling that bolsters the governments ability to seek removal of what officials see as misinformation.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The justices, voting 6-3, tossed out court-imposed restrictions on contacts by the White House and several federal agencies. A federal appeals court said the curbs were warranted because government officials had unconstitutionally coerced platforms into taking down posts about the pandemic and the 2020 election.

Writing for the high court, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the justices didnt need to resolve the First Amendment issues in the case because the challengers  two states and five of their residents  lacked legal standing to press their lawsuit against the federal government.

The challengers failed to show any concrete link between their injuries and the defendants, Barrett wrote. This courts standing doctrine prevents us from exercising such general legal oversight of the other branches of government.

Although the ruling gives the administration a freer hand to talk to social media companies, its not clear how active the government will be as the November election approaches. Even after the Supreme Court temporarily lifted the restrictions in October, the administration remained cautious and wasnt in touch with platforms about election-related matters, an official who works on those issues said in March.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this month said there has been less communication between the tech companies and government officials in light of the Supreme Court case and broader pushback from Republican lawmakers.

Politicization of the threat of disinformation is detrimental to the security mission, Mayorkas told a group of Bloomberg News reporters and editors.

Threats Online

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the ruling will allow the administration to urge social media companies to protect the safety and security of Americans.

This Administration engages with social media and other technology companies on critical topics, including terrorism threats, foreign malign influence campaigns, online harassment of women and children, and mental health of children and adolescents, Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The Supreme Courts decision today ensures this work can continue as the country faces ongoing threats online.

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Three conservative justices  Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch  dissented. Writing for the group, Alito said the ruling permits the successful campaign of coercion in this case to stand as an attractive model for future officials who want to control what the people say, hear, and think.

Alito wrote the behavior of social media companies was blatantly unconstitutional, and the country may come to regret the Courts failure to say so.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined the majority.

Content Moderation

Major tech companies hailed the ruling.

Its critical that the Supreme Court distinguish between the independent content moderation decisions made by social media companies and communications from government actors, said Jess Miers, senior legal advocacy counselor with Chamber of Progress, which counts Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. among its funders. At the end of the day, their content moderation decisions and platform policies are their own.

Some election experts said the courts decision will enable the government and platforms to work more closely together to prevent foreign influence campaigns during the election season. Nicole Gill, executive director of tech watchdog group Accountable Tech, said cooperation is essential to preserving public safety and a healthy democracy.

The underlying issue in the case was how much power the government has to tackle falsehoods without running afoul of the Constitutions free speech clause. Missouri, Louisiana and five of their residents sued over what they called a sprawling federal Censorship Enterprise involving dozens of officials and at least 11 federal agencies.

A federal trial judge agreed and issued a sweeping injunction restricting contacts by hundreds of thousands of government workers. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals narrowed the injunction but left it intact against the White House, the FBI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

The Supreme Court put the 5th Circuit ruling on hold in October over the dissents of Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch.

Its the fourth time this year that the Supreme Court has reversed a high-profile ruling from the conservative 5th Circuit, whose far-reaching decisions have proved impossible for the nations highest court to ignore.

The high court previously overturned a 5th Circuit ruling that would have barred mail-order prescriptions for mifepristone, the drug used in more than half of US abortions. As with the social media case, the Supreme Court said anti-abortion doctors and organizations lacked standing to sue.

The justices also reversed a 5th Circuit decision that would have allowed firearm possession by people under domestic-violence restraining orders, as well as a 5th Circuit ruling that threatened the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus funding system.

The Supreme Court will rule in the coming days on two other significant 5th Circuit decisions, one that would let Texas regulate social media content and another that would limit the ability of the Securities and Exchange Commission to press cases before in-house judges.

The social media case is Murthy v. Missouri, 23-411.

--With assistance from Erik Larson and Emily Birnbaum.

(Updates with comment from tech industry, White House.)

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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court is putting the Environmental Protection Agencys air pollution-fighting good neighbor plan on hold while legal challenges continue, the conservative-led courts latest blow to federal regulations.

The justices in a 5-4 vote on Thursday rejected arguments by the Biden administration and Democratic-controlled states that the plan was cutting air pollution and saving lives in 11 states where it was being enforced and that the high courts intervention was unwarranted.

The rule is intended to restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution. It will remain on hold while the federal appeals court in Washington considers a challenge to the plan from industry and Republican-led states.

Writing for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the states are likely to win in the end, among the factors justifying the court's decision to block the plan for now.

In dissent, Justice Amy Coney Barrett was joined by her three liberal colleagues. Barrett said she doubted the states and industry would ultimately prevail.

Yet the high court's order, leaves large swaths of upwind States free to keep contributing significantly to their downwind neighbors ozone problems for the next several years, she wrote.

In a statement, the EPA noted that court's action was not a final decision. The EPA is disappointed in todays ruling, which will postpone the benefits that the Good Neighbor Plan is already achieving in many states and communities, the EPA said.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, has increasingly reined in the powers of federal agencies, including the EPA, in recent years. The justices have restricted the EPAs authority to fight air and water pollution  including a landmark 2022 ruling that limited the EPAs authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming. The court also shot down a vaccine mandate and blocked President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness program.

The court is currently weighing whether to overturn its 40-year-old Chevron decision, which has been the basis for upholding a wide range of regulations on public health, workplace safety and consumer protections.

Three energy-producing states  Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia  have challenged the air pollution rule, along with the steel industry and other groups, calling it costly and ineffective. They had asked the high court to put it on hold while their challenge makes it way through the courts.

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The challengers pointed to decisions in courts around the country that have paused the rule in a dozen states, arguing that those decisions have undermined the EPAs aim of providing a national solution to the problem of ozone pollution because the agency relied on the assumption that all 23 states targeted by the rule would participate.

The issue came to the court on an emergency basis, which almost always results in an order from the court without arguments before the justices.

But not this time. The court heard arguments in late February, when a majority of the court seemed skeptical of arguments from the administration and New York, representing Democratic states, that the good neighbor rule was important to protect downwind states that receive unwanted air pollution from other states.

The EPA has said power plant emissions dropped by 18% last year in the 10 states where it has been allowed to enforce its rule, which was finalized a year ago. Those states are Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. In California, limits on emissions from industrial sources other than power plants are supposed to take effect in 2026.

The rule is on hold in another dozen states because of separate legal challenges. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

States that contribute to ground-level ozone, or smog, are required to submit plans ensuring that coal-fired power plants and other industrial sites dont add significantly to air pollution in other states. In cases in which a state has not submitted a good neighbor plan  or in which the EPA disapproves a state plan  the federal plan was supposed to ensure that downwind states are protected.

Ground-level ozone, which forms when industrial pollutants chemically react in the presence of sunlight, can cause respiratory problems, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. People with compromised immune systems, the elderly and children playing outdoors are particularly vulnerable.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a nationwide settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma that would have shielded members of the Sackler family who own the company from civil lawsuits over the toll of opioids but also would have provided billions of dollars to combat the opioid epidemic.

The decision also could affect other major bankruptcies, including the $2.4 billion bankruptcy plan for the Boy Scouts of America that has been approved by a federal judge, lawyers said.

After deliberating more than six months, the justices in a 5-4 vote blocked an agreement hammered out with state and local governments and victims. The Sacklers would have contributed up to $6 billion and given up ownership of the company but retained billions more. The agreement provided that the company would emerge from bankruptcy as a different entity, with its profits used for treatment and prevention.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said nothing in present law authorizes the Sackler discharge.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

Opioid victims and other future victims of mass torts will suffer greatly in the wake of todays unfortunate and destabilizing decision, Kavanaugh wrote.

The high court had put the settlement on hold last summer, in response to objections from the Biden administration.

It's unclear what happens next, though people involved in the case said they expect talks to resume. The members of the Sackler family branches who own Purdue suggested theyll return to negotiations.

The unfortunate reality is that the alternative is costly and chaotic legal proceedings in courtrooms across the country, they said in a statement. While we are confident that we would prevail in any future litigation given the profound misrepresentations about our families and the opioid crisis, we continue to believe that a swift negotiated agreement to provide billions of dollars for people and communities in need is the best way forward.

Edward Neiger, a lawyer representing more than 60,000 overdose victims, called the decision a major setback.

The Purdue plan was a victim-centered plan that would provide billions of dollars to the states to be used exclusively to abate the opioid crisis and $750 million for victims of the crisis, so that they could begin to rebuild their lives," Neiger said in a statement. "As a result of the senseless three-year crusade by the government against the plan, thousands of people died of overdose, and todays decision will lead to more needless overdose deaths.

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An opponent of the settlement praised the outcome.

Ed Bischs 18-year-old son Eddie, died from an overdose after taking OxyContin in Philadelphia in 2001.

The older Bisch, who lives in New Jersey, has been speaking out against Purdue and Sackler family members ever since and is part of a relatively small but vocal group of victims and family members who opposed the settlement.

This is a step toward justice. It was outrageous what they were trying to get away with, he said Thursday. They have made a mockery of the justice system and then they tried to make a mockery of the bankruptcy system.

He said he would have accepted the deal if he thought it would have made a dent in the opioid crisis.

Hes now calling on the Department of Justice to seek criminal charges against Sackler family members

Arguments in early December lasted nearly two hours in a packed courtroom as the justices seemed, by turns, unwilling to disrupt a carefully negotiated settlement and reluctant to reward the Sacklers.

The issue for the justices was whether the legal shield that bankruptcy provides can be extended to people such as the Sacklers, who have not declared bankruptcy themselves. Lower courts had issued conflicting decisions over that issue, which also has implications for other major product liability lawsuits settled through the bankruptcy system.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee, an arm of the Justice Department, argued that the bankruptcy law does not permit protecting the Sackler family from being sued. During the Trump administration, the government supported the settlement.

The Biden administration had argued to the court that negotiations could resume, and perhaps lead to a better deal, if the court were to stop the current agreement.

Proponents of the plan said third-party releases are sometimes necessary to forge an agreement, and federal law imposes no prohibition against them.

But the court majority that also included Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Clarence Thomas disagreed.

The Sacklers seek greater relief than a bankruptcy discharge normally affords, for they hope to extinguish even claims for wrongful death and fraud, and they seek to do so without putting anything close to all their assets on the table, Gorsuch wrote. Nor is what the Sacklers seek a traditional release, for they hope to have a court extinguish claims of opioid victims without their consent.

Congress could write special rules for opioid-related bankruptcies, he wrote.

And Kavanaugh, in dissent, urged lawmakers to do just that. Only Congress can fix the chaos that will now ensue, he wrote.

Jason Amala, a lawyer representing more than 1,000 men who allege they were sexually abused as children by Boy Scout leaders and volunteers, said the decision could affect the Boy Scouts plan and others that employ similar releases from liability.

The Supreme Courts decision is pretty simple, Amala said in a statement. If you hurt someone, you and your insurance company will have to pay fair value to settle their claim. If you want bankruptcy protection, you will have to file your own bankruptcy, disclose your assets and liabilities, and pay whatever amount a bankruptcy judge decides is appropriate.

OxyContin first hit the market in 1996, and Purdue Pharmas aggressive marketing of it is often cited as a catalyst of the nationwide opioid epidemic, with doctors persuaded to prescribe painkillers with less regard for addiction dangers.

The drug and the Stamford, Connecticut-based company became synonymous with the crisis, even though the majority of pills being prescribed and used were generic drugs. Opioid-related overdose deaths have continued to climb, hitting 80,000 in recent years. Most of those are from fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.

The Purdue Pharma settlement would have ranked among the largest reached by drug companies, wholesalers and pharmacies to resolve epidemic-related lawsuits filed by state, local and Native American tribal governments and others. Those settlements have totaled more than $50 billion.

But the Purdue Pharma settlement would have been only the second so far to include direct payments to victims from a $750 million pool. Payouts would have ranged from about $3,500 to $48,000.

Sackler family members no longer are on the companys board, and they have not received payouts from it since before Purdue Pharma entered bankruptcy. In the decade before that, though, they were paid more than $10 billion, about half of which family members said went to pay taxes.

The case is Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, 22-859.

___

This story has been corrected to show Chief Justice John Roberts was a dissenter, not Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

___

Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.

___

Follow the APs coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.
As global markets navigate through a mix of economic signals, with some regions showing signs of slowing while others display modest growth, the Swedish stock market remains a point of interest for investors looking for growth opportunities. In this context, companies with high insider ownership can be particularly appealing as they often indicate a strong alignment between company management and shareholder interests.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In Sweden

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth CTT Systems (OM:CTT) 16.9% 21.6% BioArctic (OM:BIOA B) 35.1% 50.9% Sileon (OM:SILEON) 33.3% 109.3% KebNi (OM:KEBNI B) 37.8% 90.4% edyoutec (NGM:EDYOU) 14.6% 63.1% Biovica International (OM:BIOVIC B) 12.7% 73.8% Calliditas Therapeutics (OM:CALTX) 11.6% 52.9% Egetis Therapeutics (OM:EGTX) 17.6% 98.2% Yubico (OM:YUBICO) 37.5% 43.4% SaveLend Group (OM:YIELD) 24.9% 103.4%

Click here to see the full list of 85 stocks from our Fast Growing Swedish Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

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Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: BioArctic AB (publ) focuses on developing biological drugs for central nervous system disorders, with a market capitalization of SEK 19.70 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its biotechnology segment, totaling SEK 252.21 million.

Insider Ownership: 35.1%

BioArctic, a Swedish biopharmaceutical company, is navigating a challenging phase with significant revenue decline and net losses as reported in Q1 2024. Despite this, the company's strategic focus on Alzheimer's treatment innovation remains strong, underscored by recent approvals in South Korea for Leqembi and ongoing collaborative research with Eisai Co., Ltd. Analysts predict substantial future revenue growth (40.8% per year) and expect BioArctic to become profitable within three years, reflecting potential recovery and growth despite current financial setbacks.

OM:BIOA B Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: AB Sagax (ticker: OM:SAGA A) is a property company active in Sweden, Finland, France, Benelux, Spain, Germany, and other European countries with a market capitalization of approximately SEK 93.07 billion.

Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily through real estate rentals, amounting to SEK 4.47 billion.

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Insider Ownership: 28.3%

AB Sagax, a Swedish real estate company, has recently raised 500 million through green bond issuances, signaling robust financial activity. Despite this influx, the company's debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. However, AB Sagax shows promising growth prospects with earnings expected to increase 33.4% annually and revenue forecasted to grow at 9.3% per yearboth rates surpassing the Swedish market averages. This performance comes amidst a backdrop of high insider ownership but also shareholder dilution over the past year.

OM:SAGA A Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Wallenstam AB (publ) is a property company based in Sweden, with a market capitalization of approximately SEK 32.43 billion.

Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from two segments: Stockholm, which contributes SEK 920 million, and Gothenburg, with SEK 1.89 billion.

Insider Ownership: 35%

Wallenstam AB, a Swedish company with substantial insider ownership, recently reported a significant increase in Q1 2024 earnings, with net income rising to SEK 333 million from SEK 48 million year-over-year. Despite this growth and no major insider sales in the past three months, challenges persist as interest payments are poorly covered by earnings. The company is expected to become profitable within three years, with revenue growth projected to outpace the Swedish market. However, its forecasted return on equity remains low at 4.6%.

OM:WALL B Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Where To Now?

Dive into all 85 of the Fast Growing Swedish Companies With High Insider Ownership we have identified here.

Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive.

Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor.

Searching for a Fresh Perspective?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years.

Companies discussed in this article include OM:BIOA B OM:SAGA A and OM:WALL B.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Warren Buffett points to a framed copy of The New York Times from the 1929 stock market crash, hung on a wall in the Berkshire Hathaway offices. "Becoming Warren Buffett"/HBO

Warren Buffett didn't just rely on financials and listings to pick winning stocks in the early days.

He spent weeks counting railcars, went to see "Mary Poppins," and tested the American Express brand.

"Buffett's Early Investments" outlines how the investor vetted bosses and hunted down shares to buy.

There's a common perception that Warren Buffett struck gold as a young investor by poring over long lists of stocks and scooping up the cheapest ones. But he went to far greater lengths to understand what he was buying before he pounced, a recent book points out.

Author Brett Gardner details several examples of the Oracle of Omaha's dogged pursuit of information in "Buffett's Early Investments: A new investigation into the decades when Warren Buffett earned his best returns."

The future billionaire and Berkshire Hathaway CEO skipped class to attend annual meetings or paid others to go and ask questions for him. He flew around the US to meet company executives and looked into their personal finances, habits, and motivations.

During a 2010 interview, Buffett's biographer Alice Schroeder also discussed Buffett's technique. "He behaves like an investigative journalist. "All this stuff about flipping through Moody's Manuals picking stocks  it was a screen for him, but he didn't stop there."

Here are 6 of the most striking examples of Buffett's rigorous approach:

Before investing in Disney in 1966, Buffett went to see Walt Disney, who gave him a tour of Disneyland and walked him through his plans for the company. Buffett also went to see Disney's latest blockbuster in a New York City theater to gauge its long-term value. "Here I am with a briefcase at 2:00 in the afternoon, heading in to see 'Mary Poppins,'" he once told a class of college students. "I almost felt like I had to rent a kid." Prior to piling into American Express in 1964, Buffett assessed whether the company's salad oil scandal had tarnished its brand. "Buffett started dropping in on Omaha restaurants and visiting places that took American Express cards and Travelers Cheques," Schroeder writes in "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life." He also tasked a friendly stockbroker with digging into the business, which produced a foot-high pile of research on American Express bank tellers and officers, restaurants, hotels, and credit-card holders. The investigation satisfied Buffett that the business was going strong and customers still trusted its products. Buffett told Forbes that he "spent the better part of a month counting tank cars in a Kansas City railroad yard" in 1965. The investor was digging into Studebaker and wanted to gauge the demand for STP, a gasoline additive sold by one of the vehicle maker's subsidiaries. He knew where Studebaker was sourcing a key ingredient for STP, and how much it needed to produce one can. Tallying railcars indicated that STP production was ramping up, prompting him to pounce on the stock. Warren Buffett as a young man. KMTV Omaha/Jeremy Harris Lipschultz/YouTube As a graduate student, Buffett took a train from New York City to Washington on a Saturday morning in 1951, only to arrive at Geico's offices and find the doors locked. He banged until a bemused janitor let him in and directed him to the only other person he'd seen in the building: Lorimer Davidson, the future CEO of the insurance company. Buffett seized the chance to pepper Davidson with questions about insurance for four hours. The answers confirmed he'd found a winner; he went on to invest about two-thirds of his net worth in the stock, and Berkshire acquired the business in full in 1996. In the mid-1950s, Buffett dispatched a partner to track down shares of National American Fire Insurance held by farmers scattered across Omaha. "He cruised around the state in a red-and-white Chevrolet, showing up in rural county courthouses and banks, casually asking who might own shares of National American," Schroeder writes about Buffett's associate in her book. "He sat on front porches, drinking iced tea, eating pie with farmers and their wives, and offering cash for their stock certificates." Buffett took a different tack in his search for Union Street Railway stock in 1954. The company was seeking to buy back shares by running ads in a local paper, so Buffett ran his own ad inviting stockholders to sell to him instead, Schroeder writes. He also woke up at about 4 a.m. on a weekend to drive to New Bedford, Massachusetts, and meet the company's boss.

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Buffett is known for investing based on fundamentals like company cash flows and price-to-earnings ratios. But Gardner's examples show he ventures far beyond financials and is both persistent and creative in his information hunts and stock searches.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Energy billionaire Sarath Ratanavadi, Thailands second-richest person, is accelerating his push into data centers to tap a booming market fueled by rising demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

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His energy company, Gulf Energy Development Pcl, and its partners plan to spend an additional 10 billion baht ($271 million) to double their outlay on a data center facility in suburban Bangkok. The expansion will increase the centers energy consumption to 50 megawatts from a previously announced 25 megawatts, with completion expected in March, Gulf Energy Chief Financial Officer Yupapin Wangviwat told reporters Thursday.

Sarath is expanding his empire into virtual banking, cryptocurrency trading and other technology businesses as electricity generation in Southeast Asias second-biggest economy has excess capacity. Demand for data centers is rising in the region, with global tech companies spending billions of dollars to spur cloud computing and AI services.

We set the expansion of the second phase now because we expect a surge in demand for our data center services, Sarath said at the press conference in Bangkok. A jump in AI adoption and cloud computing will substantially increase demand for our data center bandwidth.

Technology and other non-power businesses are expected to contribute a significant proportion of Gulf Energys revenue in the near future, said Sarath, declining to elaborate. Earlier this week, Gulf Energy and Alphabet Inc. held a joint briefing about their cloud computing partnership in Thailand.

Sarath has a net worth of $9.1 billion, making him Thailands richest person after property tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Shares of Gulf Energy have declined 8.5% this year, compared with a 7.5% drop in the benchmark SET Index.

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
As the U.S. stock market experiences uplifts with notable gains in major indices like the Nasdaq, driven by significant milestones such as Amazon's market cap reaching $2 trillion, investors are keenly watching for opportunities that combine growth potential with strong insider commitment. Companies with high insider ownership and robust earnings growth are particularly compelling, as they often signal confidence from those who know the business best.

Top 10 Growth Companies With High Insider Ownership In The United States

Name Insider Ownership Earnings Growth GigaCloud Technology (NasdaqGM:GCT) 25.9% 21.3% PDD Holdings (NasdaqGS:PDD) 32.1% 23.2% Atour Lifestyle Holdings (NasdaqGS:ATAT) 26% 21.7% Duolingo (NasdaqGS:DUOL) 15% 48% Super Micro Computer (NasdaqGS:SMCI) 14.3% 40.2% Bridge Investment Group Holdings (NYSE:BRDG) 11.6% 98.2% Credo Technology Group Holding (NasdaqGS:CRDO) 14.8% 84.4% Carlyle Group (NasdaqGS:CG) 29.2% 23.6% BBB Foods (NYSE:TBBB) 22.9% 100.1% EHang Holdings (NasdaqGM:EH) 32.8% 74.3%

Click here to see the full list of 185 stocks from our Fast Growing US Companies With High Insider Ownership screener.

Let's review some notable picks from our screened stocks.

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. operates globally, offering marine and adventure travel experiences with a market capitalization of approximately $470.02 million.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily through its marine expeditions and land experiences, totaling approximately $400.22 million and $179.55 million respectively.

Insider Ownership: 31.4%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 114.0% p.a.

Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, a growth company with significant insider ownership, recently expanded its fleet by acquiring two Galapagos expedition vessels, signaling strong commitment to this unique market. Despite a recent net loss of US$3.98 million in Q1 2024, the company is expected to become profitable within three years with forecasted earnings growth of 113.99% per year. Insider transactions in the past three months show more buying than selling, emphasizing confidence from those closest to the company's operations.

NasdaqCM:LIND Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Pagaya Technologies Ltd. is a technology company that utilizes data science and proprietary AI technology to serve financial institutions and investors globally, with a market capitalization of approximately $851.51 million.

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Operations: The company generates its revenue primarily from the Software & Programming segment, totaling $870.69 million.

Insider Ownership: 19.7%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 127.6% p.a.

Pagaya Technologies, a company with significant insider buying over the past three months, is trading at 77% below its estimated fair value, indicating potential undervaluation. Despite a forecasted low return on equity of 9.2% in three years and slower than desired revenue growth at 15.9% annually, the company has managed to reduce its net loss significantly from US$60.97 million to US$21.23 million year-over-year as of Q1 2024. The firm also actively participated in multiple industry conferences, suggesting a strong focus on strategic growth through visibility and networking.

NasdaqCM:PGY Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Jun 2024

Simply Wall St Growth Rating: 

Overview: Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited operates in the People's Republic of China, focusing on developing lifestyle brands centered around its hotel offerings, with a market capitalization of approximately $2.48 billion.

Operations: The company generates revenue primarily from its Atour Group segment, which posted CN5.36 billion in earnings.

Insider Ownership: 26%

Earnings Growth Forecast: 21.7% p.a.

Atour Lifestyle Holdings has recently completed a follow-on equity offering raising US$169 million, indicating active capital management. Despite substantial insider transactions and board changes, including the resignation of director Mr. Hongbin Zhou, the company demonstrates strong financial performance with significant year-over-year revenue and net income growth. Analysts predict a 50.4% potential rise in stock price and forecast earnings to grow by 21.7% annually, outpacing the US market average significantly. However, shareholder dilution occurred over the past year which may concern some investors.

NasdaqGS:ATAT Ownership Breakdown as at Jun 2024

Make It Happen

Unlock our comprehensive list of 185 Fast Growing US Companies With High Insider Ownership by clicking here.

Are you invested in these stocks already? Keep abreast of every twist and turn by setting up a portfolio with Simply Wall St, where we make it simple for investors like you to stay informed and proactive.

Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor.

Interested In Other Possibilities?

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.The analysis only considers stock directly held by insiders. It does not include indirectly owned stock through other vehicles such as corporate and/or trust entities. All forecast revenue and earnings growth rates quoted are in terms of annualised (per annum) growth rates over 1-3 years.

Companies discussed in this article include NasdaqCM:LIND NasdaqCM:PGY and NasdaqGS:ATAT.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
We recently compiled a list of the 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD) stands against the other ice cream stocks.

Regarded as the most favorite dessert globally, ice cream has its popularity game quite high in the U.S. as well, where it leaves an impact of a massive $11.4 billion every year, while, at the same time, giving out $1.9 billion in direct wages, according to IDFA! Also, the U.S. saw 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream getting produced in the country in 2023, showcasing the desserts staggering popularity in the country. For all the ice cream lovers, we have also curated a list which you can view to see all the best ice cream brands in the U.S. so that you can fulfill all your ice cream cravings in the best way!

In addition to this, average per capita consumption in the country amounts to over 4 gallons every year, and with a huge population of 341 million, thats quite a lot of consumption! In terms of consumption, New Zealand, the U.S., and Australia are the 3 countries that top the charts, with per capita annual consumption rates of 28.4 liters, 20.8 liters, and 18.0 liters, respectively!

As such, the global ice cream industry is racing quickly toward the sky, as, after sitting at the $76.1 billion mark in 2023, its on its way to hitting $132.3 billion in 2032. That boasts a CAGR of 6.7%, which is quite staggering, according to Fortune Business Insights. Ice cream-making giants like Ben & Jerry's, Walls, Magnum, to name a few, dominate the global ice cream industry with a market share of 20%.

Also check out 15 largest Ice Cream Companies in the World.

Moving on to recent shifting trends of the industry, one interesting trend that has emerged related to flavors, wherein, plant-based and vegan ice creams are growing in popularity. As reported by Straits Research, the global vegan ice cream market size is expected to expand from its market size figure of $623.63 million in 2022 to $984.16 million by 2031, boasting a CAGR of 5.2%. Furthermore, ice creams are planned to be given a new touch by the makers by bringing in the element of spice in ice creams! Crazy, right? In Germany, it is reported by Tetrapak that 34% of ice cream consumers are keen on trying out ice cream flavors with spice in them.

With these innovations emerging, the global ice cream industry is expected to generate over $100 billion in the coming decade, and with the given demand stats we discussed above, its quite certain how the ice cream market is one to look at in 2024 and the coming years. Hence, here we are going to discuss 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 so that one can capitalize on the booming times to come in the ice cream industry.

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Methodology

To curate our list of 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024, we gathered a list of all companies with a significant presence in the ice cream industry. We then further narrowed down on the basis of their upside potential and ranked the finest remaining companies by their number of hedge fund holders as of Q1, 2024, using Insider Monkey's database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds. For stocks with equal number of hedge fund holders, we used their upside as the tiebreaker.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A cook in a busy kitchen assembling cheeseburgers for orders.

McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors holdings: 63

McDonalds, as most people might already know, is a fast-food giant, based in the U.S., having franchises in over 100 countries.

The stock has seen a fall of 1.6% in the last one year, amidst the Israel-Gaza conflict, and it has seen a fall of 11%, currently trading at $251.6, as of 13th June 2024. And this is the buy time for this stock, as the analysts, along with many others eye the price target of this stock at a whopping $310.38; analysts have set the target price at $311.5! Once this Israel-Gaza conflict eases out in the eyes of consumers, who are currently boycotting McDonalds products, the share price is expected to inevitably rise, which might be the reason why analysts are positive about the stock.

As of Q1, 2024, 63 hedge funds have a stake in the stock, carrying a combined value of $2.3 billion! Citadel Investment Group and Bridgewater Associates are the biggest hedge fund investors in the stock, with investments of $665 million and $343.4 million, respectively.

Overall MCD ranks 2nd on our list of the best ice cream stocks to buy. You can visit 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 to see the other ice cream stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of MCD as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than MCD but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
TotalEnergies has inked an agreement to acquire a 60% interest and operatorship in Block STP02, located offshore Sao Tome and Principe, for an undisclosed sum.

The French energy giant will acquire the stake from the National Petroleum Agency of Sao Tome and Principe (ANP-STP).

The existing licence holders, Sonangol (30%) and ANP-STP (10%), will hold the remaining stakes.

Block STP02, situated 60km off the coast of Principe, spans 4,969km and lies within an emerging basin.

It is situated next to Block STP01, where TotalEnergies also holds a 55% operatorship alongside partners Sonangol and ANP-STP.

TotalEnergies senior vice-president of exploration Kevin McLachlan said: Following the encouraging prospectivity interpreted on the 3D seismic data on adjacent Block STP01, TotalEnergies continues to progress its exploration effort in Sao Tome and Principe, by entering this promising licence, thereby maintaining the optionality of the company's portfolio.

The completion of this transaction is contingent upon receiving the green light from the relevant authorities.

This move by TotalEnergies follows the announcement in December 2023 by Petrobras regarding its acquisition of stakes in three exploration blocks within the same region.

Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas entity, secured a 45% interest in blocks 10 and 13, and a 25% interest in block 11.

This marked Petrobras' re-entry into exploratory activities in Africa.

Last week, TotalEnergies agreed to divest its fully owned subsidiary in Brunei to Hibiscus Petroleum for $259m (242.19m).

TotalEnergies EP Brunei holds a 37.5% operated interest in the MLJ field in Block B.

"TotalEnergies to acquire 60% stake in Block STP02 offshore Sao Tome and Principe " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.







The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Wealthy donors forked over a record $50.5 million at a recent fundraising dinner for former President Donald Trump, but they could also reap big benefits if he returns to the White House.

At the dinner, hosted by billionaire investor John Paulson, Trump told the crowd that one of his core issues for a second term would be extending the sweeping tax cuts that congressional Republicans approved in 2017. While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced taxes for most Americans, the rich benefited far more than others.

The speech outlined yet another divide between Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and President Joe Biden, who is campaigning on raising taxes on the wealthy to fund his social and other priorities while protecting those who earn less than $400,000 a year from tax hikes. Bidens campaign wasted little time attacking Trump for promising tax giveaways to billionaire donors.

Now, Trump is making it clear to his billionaire buddies that hell take his first chance to double down on tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy  all while he fights to rip away Americans health care, gut Social Security and Medicare, and raise costs on working families, Sarafina Chitika, a Biden campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.

The fate of the 2017 laws individual tax provisions, which are set to expire at the end of next year, will depend on which party wins control of the White House and Congress in November.

More than 60% of the benefits were expected to go to those whose incomes are in the top 20%, according to a 2018 analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan research group. More than 40% of the benefits were expected to go to those in the top 5%.

Those making between $500,000 and $1 million were expected to get an average tax cut of about $21,000, lifting their after-tax incomes by 4.3%, according to the centers estimates. Those who earn $1 million or more would enjoy an average tax cut of about $70,000, raising their after-tax incomes by 3.3%.

Only a little more than a quarter of those in the lowest-income households would see their taxes reduced. Their tax cut would be about $200, on average. However, most would see little or no benefit.

If the tax cuts are extended, the pattern of who benefits is likely to be similar, according to the center.

The wealthy have already been served well by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which also included multiple corporate tax changes.

Most everybody in every income group got a tax cut, but the highest-income people got by far the biggest tax cut, said Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the center.

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The law reduced individual and corporate income tax rates, repealed personal exemptions, increased the standard deduction and child tax credit, limited or restricted certain itemized deductions and doubled the estate tax exemption, among other provisions.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the correct information from the Tax Policy Center about the distribution of tax benefits from the 2017 law.

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(Bloomberg) -- Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. agreed to a series of worker benefits to resolve a longstanding state lawsuit in Massachusetts that challenged drivers employment status as independent contractors, putting a stop to the companies bid to take the issue before voters in November.

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The companies also will pay a combined $175 million to the state to settle allegations they violated Massachusetts wage and hour laws, state Attorney General Andrea Campbell said Thursday in a statement. Most of the funds will be distributed as back pay to current and former drivers who were underpaid by the companies, she said.

Uber and Lyft will put in place a minimum wage standard of $32.50 per hour for active driving time, offer paid sick leave and pay a cash stipend for health insurance, among other changes, Campbell said in the statement.

Weve resolved historical liabilities by constructing a new operating model that balances both flexibility and benefits, Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West said in a separate statement.

Shares of Uber rose 3.2% at 10:04 a.m. in New York on Friday. Lyfts shares gained 4.7%.

Campbells lawsuit against Uber and ride-hailing peer Lyft had been at trial with closing statements expected Friday. The agreement announced Thursday ends the case and takes away the ambiguity that some of these gig economy companies were facing with the prospect of a significant wage and hour judgment against them, said Joshua Nadreau, a regional managing partner of Fisher & Phillips LLP, who represents employers in classification cases.

As a result of the settlement, Uber and Lyft will withdraw their support of an industry-backed referendum on the 2024 state ballot that asks voters to cement gig workers status as independent contractors.

Uber and Lyft have sought for years to reach deals with unions and lawmakers in the US that would provide drivers with new benefits, while ensuring the firms can still classify them as independent contractors. That designation excludes workers from traditional employment rights such as an hourly minimum wage and the ability to unionize.

The companies are eager to temper classification issues through state-level negotiations as they seek to curb overhead costs to sustain their business model. Uber had hoped to model agreements in Massachusetts and other states on a similar deal it struck with the New York attorney general last year, which also keeps drivers classified as contractors.

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Ubers legal tactics have effectively prevented any court from actually ruling on the question of driver status, and this case from the attorney general was the one hope to actually get a court ruling on that in Massachusetts, said Shannon Liss-Riordan, a plaintiffs attorney who brought a landmark worker classification case against Uber in 2013. The settlement means were never going to get that answer, at least not for the foreseeable future, she said.

The settlement offers immediate relief to drivers, according to a lawyer with the AGs office who worked on the case. It rules out a lengthy appeal by the companies had the state won the lawsuit to classify drivers as employees, the lawyer said, adding that the benefits negotiated by the parties are more than what the industry-backed ballot initiative proposed.

The deal also clears a major policy hurdle this year for the gig companies, which are awaiting a decision from the California Supreme Court on the fate of a 2020 voter-approved ballot measure that classifies drivers as contractors.

A different referendum, to offer a form of collective bargaining for drivers without designating them employees, is still headed for the ballot. The local Service Employees International Union chapter, which has been pushing that measure, said Thursday it intends to forge ahead.

The reality is they are going to be treated as independent contractors for the coming years and so we have to deal with that reality, said Manny Pastreich, president of SEIU Local 32BJ. The attorney generals agreement is a healthy step forward, because it establishes new minimum standards for drivers treatment, Pastreich said. Ultimately, our fight for these drivers is not about minimum standards, but about going beyond that and having a voice to fight for whatever they care about.

Under the Massachusetts agreement, Uber and Lyft will pay drivers a minimum of $32.50 per hour spent on the way to pick up a passenger and during a ride. That excludes the waiting time between each ride. The companies also will also provide chat support for drivers in multiple languages including Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Lyft said it expects to make its full payment of $27 million in back pay by the first quarter of 2025 and sees no material impact on its 2024 guidance. It accrued $19.1 million in the first quarter of this year for the payment and the remaining amount will be expensed in the second quarter, the company said.

--With assistance from Allie Reed and Josh Eidelson.

(Updates share price.)

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2024 Bloomberg L.P.
PARIS, June 27, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has signed an agreement to sell to The Prax Group its entire interest in West of Shetland assets in the United Kingdom (Laggan, Tormore, Glenlivet, Edradour and Glendronach fields, the onshore Shetland Gas Plant and nearby exploration licenses). The transaction is subject to approval from the relevant authorities.

These mature assets currently produce about 7,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day in TotalEnergies share, made up of around 90% of gas. The transaction involves the transfer of relevant employees from TotalEnergies to Prax in compliance with the applicable legislation.

"This transaction is in line with TotalEnergies strategy to continuously adapt its portfolio by divesting mature non-core assets," said Jean-Luc Guiziou, Senior Vice President Europe for Exploration & Production at TotalEnergies. "TotalEnergies remains committed to the UK through both its upstream portfolio in the North Sea (Elgin-Franklin, Culzean and Alwyn fields) and its Integrated Power and Renewables portfolio."

***

About TotalEnergies in the United Kingdom

TotalEnergies has been present in the UK for more than 60 years, employing more than 1,800 people across the energy value chain.

As one of the countrys leading oil and gas operators, the Company operates around 30% of the UK Continental Shelfs gas production, with average daily production of 142,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) in 2023 in company share.

TotalEnergies is deploying its Integrated Power strategy in the UK, which combines renewable power production and flexible power generation capacities. Its renewable portfolio in the county includes 1.1 GW of gross installed capacity (Seagreen offshore wind farm) and 4.5 GW under development. It was complemented in 2024 by the acquisition of gas-fired power plants (CCGT) with total output of 1.3 GW.

The Company is one of the UKs largest suppliers of gas and electricity to businesses and the public sector. TotalEnergies also offers EV charging solutions and markets petroleum products including lubricants, aviation fuel, bitumen and specialty fluids.

The Company is also present in the CCS business through its 10% interest in the Northern Endurance Partnership.

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to provide as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.

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@TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies

Cautionary Note

The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Wednesday struck down part of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's 2022 rollback of rules that critics said impeded the independence of proxy advice firms that help investors vote in corporate elections.

By a 3-0 vote, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the SEC's explanation for rescinding rules adopted just two years earlier during the Trump administration was "arbitrary and capricious and therefore unlawful."

The rollback covered requirements that proxy firms such as Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis notify companies about their advice no later than when they notify clients, and provide clients a means to obtain companies' written responses to that advice.

In announcing the changes, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said it would promote "the timeliness and independence of proxy voting advice, which would help to protect investors and facilitate shareholder democracy."

An SEC spokeswoman said the regulator is reviewing the decision and will determine its appropriate next steps.

The rollback was challenged by Natural Gas Services Group, which supplies compression equipment to the energy industry, and the National Association of Manufacturers.

"Today's decision confirms that federal agencies are bound by the rule of law, even as administrations change," Linda Kelly, the trade group's chief legal officer, said in a statement.

The dispute is part of a long-running battle over how to regulate firms that advise investors how to vote on corporate matters such as shareholder proposals, the election of directors, and whether to approve mergers.

Writing for the appeals court, Circuit Judge Edith Jones said the SEC failed to adequately explain what was wrong with its earlier finding that the 2020 rules posed little or no risk to the timeliness and independence of proxy voting.

She also said the SEC failed to reasonably explain why the risks were so significant that rescission became necessary.

"This was the agency equivalent of saying, 'That was then--this is now,'" Jones wrote.

The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit is perhaps the most conservative of the 13 federal appeals courts. The three judges in Wednesday's panel decision were appointed by Republican presidents.

The case is National Association of Manufacturers et al v SEC et al, 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 22-51069.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, editing by Deepa Babington and Diane Craft)
The US House of Representatives held hearings on Wednesday on several proposals concerning trade with China, including possible restrictions that could limit Chinese electric vehicles on US streets, block Chinese semiconductors and components from the US market and impose fees on Chinese-made ships looking to dock in US ports.

On a day with multiple House hearings, federal officials and members of Congress repeatedly raised the need to address the national security risks and unfair trade practices posed by China's technology sectors.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told a House subcommittee that her department intends to roll out regulations on Chinese electric vehicles concerning data collection and privacy issues by the end of this year.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"Let's say we had a million Chinese cars on the road, all connected, all collecting data from Americans - all of that is going back to Beijing," she told the subcommittee on innovation, data and commerce.

"So we are being very aggressive," Raimondo said.

The rules the department is drafting, she said, could cover "everything from banning Chinese EVs on the roads in America, to regulations on their software - maybe all the data has to be housed in America".

Raimondo added that her concerns lay in "the national security issue of all this data making its way back to the Chinese military".

"We are being very aggressive" considering new restrictions on Chinese-made EVs, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. Photo: AP alt="We are being very aggressive" considering new restrictions on Chinese-made EVs, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. Photo: AP>

She also said the department was reviewing public comments on the security risks of connected vehicles, to understand the ability of cars to communicate with external systems, potentially including the capture of data or the remote capacity to disable or manipulate other vehicles.

Raimondo said that the department's budget provides resources to strengthen the US relationship with allies to "shape the strategic environment in which we operate vis-a-vis China".

At another hearing, this one by the House select committee on China, lawmakers heard proposals from American experts on tackling Chinese dominance in semiconductors, shipbuilding and drones.

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Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, the committee's senior Democrat, argued that failing to address such challenges could "invite aggression".

Krishnamoorthi advocated reinstating an import surge protection mechanism established when Beijing joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

"It's time to revive and modernise section 421," he said, a rule created to enable the US to impose short-term tariffs to mitigate market disruptions caused by sudden increases in imports from China's cheap manufacturing sector. The section expired in 2013.

US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, has been a vocal critic of China's policies. Photo: Reuters alt=US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, has been a vocal critic of China's policies. Photo: Reuters>

Krishnamoorthi accused China of denying US companies access to its market while flooding the US with heavily subsidised goods.

He noted that DJI, a Chinese drone maker that is a global leader in the industry, accounted for 90 per cent of the US consumer market while Skydio, a manufacturer based in San Mateo, California, had to pull out last year of the US market due to DJI's lower prices.

A Skydio drone selling for US$1,000 was up against a comparable DJI drone that costs US$300, Khrishnamoorti said, contending that DJI was subsidised by the Chinese government.

The select committee and its witnesses seemed to agree that the Chinese Communist Party intends to control technologies and sectors that will determine future conflicts; They also said that China had about 235 times more shipbuilding capacity that the US, and that it was heavily investing in older-generation semiconductors.

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat whose district includes much of Silicon Valley, said he supported the demands labour unions had made that the US impose dock fees on Chinese-made ships, contending that the sector was heavily subsidised by Beijing.

In April, the United States Trade Representative opened an investigation into China's maritime, shipbuilding and logistics sector for "unfair and non-market practices".

Docking fees of about US$1 million per cargo freighter, Khanna said, "would be less than US$50 per container, which would mean that Americans may have to pay a few cents more for their jeans or shirts so that we can have American-made ships again".

Khanna criticised the US Chamber of Commerce, a leading business lobby, for opposing the move.

"They testified 'No, we can't pay a few cents more' ... This is the philosophy that bankrupted and deindustrialised America for cheap labour for cheap prices," Khanna said.

"We kept sending our industry overseas to China and we're still doing it."

Representative Andy Barr, Republican of Kentucky, said he supported a dock fee "because I think China is an exceptional case", but acknowledged that was effectively a "protectionist policy" that "could evolve into something beyond China".

"I do not believe that we should try to counter China by imitating Chinese industrial policy," Barr said.

Christopher Miller, author of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology, told the committee that while US President Joe Biden's administration had enacted some safeguarding measures "there is more work to be done", especially for semiconductors that operate both drones and ships.

Miller, a professor at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, claimed that in recent years, Beijing had poured billions of dollars of subsidies into lower-tech "foundational chips", used in everything from cars to laptops.

"If you project current trends forward, China is poised to see its share of the foundational chip market increased dramatically," he said.

"Some of these chips will be sold into Chinese markets, but many will be sold into Western markets unless policy changes," he said, calling for new outbound investment restrictions on lower-end chips.

Biden issued an executive order last year that restricts outbound US investment in advanced technologies like hi-tech chips, AI and quantum.

"Investment flows into China's chip industry have declined substantially and the new outbound investment restrictions will put further limitations on any investment into the Chinese chips," Miller said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

The US Treasury sanctioned nearly 50 entities tied to an Iranian shadow-banking network.

The Treasury says these firms conceal revenue used by Iran's military to support Houthi and Russian operations.

The funds allow Iran to produce drones used by Russia against Ukraine, a Tuesday release said.

Iran's "sprawling" shadow-banking network has fallen into the crosshairs of the US Treasury Department, which sanctioned close to 50 entities and individuals tied to these lenders.

In a Tuesday announcement, the department described a web of exchange houses and foreign cover companies that are concealing revenue gained by Iran's military, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Treasury says these funds, equalling billions of dollars since 2020, are helping procure and develop advance weapon systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles.

The hidden revenue is also used to support the actions of the Houthi rebels, a Yemeni group behind the Red Sea attacks on commercial vessels, the release said. Meanwhile, the Treasury says the produced drone weaponry is making its way to Russia, boosting battlefield efforts against Ukraine.

Backing this income is the illegal sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals, according to the announcement. Sanctioned targets reportedly include firms helping launder the revenue generated from this activity, and involve companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and the Marshall Islands.

"The United States is taking action against a vast shadow banking system used by Iran's military to launder billions of dollars of oil proceeds and other illicit revenue," Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in the report. "We have sanctioned hundreds of targets involved in Iran's illicit oil and petrochemical-related activity since President Biden took office, and we will continue to pursue those who seek to finance Iran's destabilizing terrorist activities."

Iran has previously been accused of fueling Russia's war effort with drone sales, and the Kremlin has increasingly become reliant on its technology.

While Western sanctions have tried to hamper Moscow's own production, Iran has sourced needed manufacturing parts from Asian suppliers, bypassing restrictions placed on the country.

The Treasury's new measures come just weeks after it announced a separate slew of wide-sweeping sanctions on Russia-friendly financial institutions, in an effort to slash any remaining financial lifelines keeping Moscow afloat.

But while the restrictions will definitely create economic pains for the country, think tank expert Alexandra Prokopenko has warned the move is too late to make a major difference.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Customers of major US telecommunications companies including AT&T Inc., T Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. are reporting issues connecting to their networks while outside of the country.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Verizon confirmed in a statement on Thursday that a third-party communications provider is having issues making voice and data connections with US-based customers traveling overseas. Verizon is actively working with its roaming provider to resolve the issue, and 70% of calls and data connections are going through, spokesman Richard Young said.

A spokesperson for T-Mobile confirmed it was one of several operators impacted by the issue and that its working to resolve it. AT&T said that while its network is functioning normally, some customers traveling internationally may be experiencing disruptions.

Were working with one of our roaming connectivity providers to resolve the issue, the company said in a statement.

The third-party provider is Syniverse Technologies, according to two people familiar with the issue who asked to not be identified because the information isnt yet public.

In a statement, Syniverse said the company began experiencing intermittent connectivity issues on the morning of June 26. It is working closely with its network partners to resolve the issue.

We understand the inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience as we navigate this challenge, the company said.

On June 20, Syniverse said mobile operators need to reach agreements with roaming partners and fully test new software to ensure it works with older networks. A representative for Carlyle Group Inc., an investor in Syniverse since 2011, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mobile phone customers including actor Patrick Schwarzenegger and Nikhil Goel, Archer Aviation Inc.s chief commercial officer, took to social media platform X to voice concerns. Schwarzenegger is in Thailand filming the third season of the TV series White Lotus and is still without service.

Nick Ponton, a 38-year-old producer from New York, said he and his mother were stranded in Seaham, a seaside town on the east coast of the UK, after their phones stopped working around 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday. The Verizon customer  unable to use a ride-hailing app  walked along a highway before hailing an off-duty taxi.

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Bridget Arnold, a Maryland resident whose daughter is studying abroad in Munich, said she couldnt call and was only able to speak with her through WhatsApp when her daughter had a Wi-Fi connection. Arnold said shes disappointed that her carrier, Verizon, hasnt told those impacted about the issue.

They could send out an email to their customers, and at least let people know that theyre aware, she said in an interview. I actually test software, and one of the things we do, when something is going wrong, we let our customers know.

(Updates with Syniverse comment starting in sixth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2024 Bloomberg L.P.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Verona Pharmas Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) as a maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adult patients.

Ohtuvayre is an inhaled dual inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 3 and phosphodiesterase 4 enzymes and has bronchodilator and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory effects.

Verona plans to launch the therapy in Q3 this year. With substantial funding of up to $650m secured, Verona Pharma is well-positioned to distribute Ohtuvayre in the US, ensuring its availability even beyond 2026, said Asiyah Nawab, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData.

GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology.

The Ohtuvayre approval was based on the positive results from Phase III ENHANCE-1 and ENHANCE-2 trials (NCT04535986 and NCT04542057). The data from the pooled analysis of the studies showed significant improvements in the symptoms of COPD exacerbations, including dyspnea, breathlessness, cough, sputum, and chest symptoms, in patients with moderate to severe COPD.

Ohtuvayre is expected to generate global sales of $1.1bn by 2029, per a GlobalData analysis. The therapys major competitor is Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals blockbuster therapy Dupixent (dupilumab). The US FDA is set to decide on the approval of monoclonal antibody, that targets both interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13), in September.

Dupixent has been approved for five other indications namely atopic dermatitis, asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, eosinophilic esophagitis and prurigo nodularis. Such broad use is expected to increase Dupixent sales, with the therapy expected to generate $19.8bn in global sales in 2029, as per GlobalData analysis.

Verona is also looking to expand the number of labelled indications for Ohtuvayre. The company plans to start a Phase II trial evaluating the therapy in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, a respiratory condition where lung bronchi are damaged by repeated infections and inflammation. The company is expecting US FDA clearance to start the clinical trial, in the second half of this year.

The company also plans to start a Phase II trial evaluating Ohtuvayre as a fixed-dose combination treatment with a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, glycopyrrolate, as a maintenance therapy for COPD. Verona intends to submit a related investigational new drug application (IND) to the FDA in the second half of this year.

"Verona scores FDA approval for Ohtuvayre as COPD maintenance therapy" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.

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An office of The Agency, founded and owned by reality TV star Mauricio Umansky, at 111 N Broadway Ave., Suite 1, in downtown Edmond.

EDMOND  It's not Beverly Hills. It's not the Bahamas. It's not even Oklahoma City. It's suburban Edmond, but it's where reality TV star Mauricio Umansky decided to locate The Agency Oklahoma City, the first Oklahoma office for his global boutique real estate brokerage, The Agency.

It turns out it's not just "location, location, location" that drives the elite real estate mogul, star of the hit Netflix series "Buying Beverly Hills," Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and a recent contestant on ABC-TV's "Dancing with the Stars."

The grand opening at 111 N Broadway Ave., Suite 1, in downtown Edmond, was recently held, a few days after the multimillionaire opened another local office for the billion-dollar company in ... Tyler, Texas?

It's people, Umansky said. In Oklahoma City/Edmond, that means it's Wyatt Poindexter and Wayne Kirby, two longtime OKC-area agents who have gone in as partners as franchise owners of The Agency. Umansky came here for the grand opening.

The Agency on expansion to Oklahoma City: People first, then market

"The way we look at expansion for ourselves and The Agency, it's really about people first," Umansky told The Oklahoman. "I'm always looking for people, then I look at the market. If I find the right people, and then I happen to look at the market, and it has a large enough addressable market, I go into it."

So, people potential first, then market potential.

"That's sometimes why you'll see us make an unconventional move, because we feel like we've found the right people and the right partners to open up our company," he said.

Poindexter said the opening a "marks a major milestone for the real estate industry in Oklahoma City." The Agency is one of a handful of brokerages specializing in luxury homes in the OKC area. Another is Sage Sotheby's International Realty, which came to Nichols Hills in 2017. Other brokerages also have luxury specialists.

Real estate agents Ryan Hukill and Sommer Hibdon-Dodd at The Agency Oklahoma City, owned by reality TV star Mauricio Umansky, at 111 N Broadway Ave., Suite 1, in downtown Edmond.

Agents gets an advance hint that 'something big was brewing' with The Agency Oklahoma City

The Agency got real estate agent Ryan Hukill's attention when he got advance notice it was coming  by happenstance. He'd sold real estate under three brands, small and then-local Paradigm Realty, then large national brands Keller Williams and ERA. He was settled with ERA Courtyard in OKC.

"I was happy where I was, but I had an itch inside me that there was something more I could offer my clients, especially in this strange post-COVID market," he said, recalling the night last November when a stop at a Pauls Valley gas station sent his career in a new direction. "I looked up from the pump and saw Wayne Kirby.

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"What a fun coincidence. Then Wyatt Poindexter came around the car and I realized they were together. The fun coincidence quickly turned mysterious and compelling. Knowing them both well, each from separate brokerages, I had no doubt that something big was brewing."

It was too big for Hukill to ignore.

"I've known these guys for many years and if you asked me to name two people in the business with more integrity, I'd hit a brick wall. I knew whatever they were up to, I had to be a part of it," he said "So here I am, watching not only my own business boom in this unpredictable market, but watching The Agency as a whole grow rapidly. The group of people we have here is truly a dream team, collaborating together like I've never witnessed before."

Farrah Brittany, Mauricio Umansky, and Alexia Umansky in a scene from the Netflix series "Buying Beverly Hills."

The Agency, reality TV star Mauricio Umansky's luxury real estate brokerage, keeps expanding

The Agency launched 29 new offices in 2023, and more, and more in the works, in 2024.

We are thrilled to launch our first office in Oklahoma, Umansky said. "Wyatt Poindexter and Wayne Kirby bring a wealth of experience and a sterling reputation, and we are excited to collaborate with them in building a formidable presence for The Agency in Oklahoma City as we continue our mission of redefining the real estate experience in cities across the U.S. and beyond.

The Agency Oklahoma City highlights OKC to the company's global network

Wyatt Poindexter, co-managing partner of real estate firm The Agency Oklahoma City, which has opened an office at 111 N Broadway, Suite 1, Edmond. It is the first office in Oklahoma for The Agency, based in Los Angeles. PROVIDED/The Agency

Said Kirby, We have long admired The Agencys unparalleled commitment to white glove service and are honored to represent the brand here in Oklahoma City. The regions high quality of life, dynamic economy, and strong local culture all align perfectly with The Agencys ethos, and we cannot wait to highlight our market to the brands global network.

Poindexter said he and Kirby were thrilled to open The Agencys first office in Oklahoma.

"The real estate market in Oklahoma City and its surrounding regions is thriving, and we are honored to represent The Agency brand within our community as we look to take our business to the next level, he said.

Sign Up: Weekly newsletter Real Estate with Richard Mize

Wayne Kirby, co-managing partner of real estate firm The Agency Oklahoma City, which has opened an office at 111 N Broadway, Suite 1, Edmond. It is the first office in Oklahoma for The Agency, based in Los Angeles.

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Buying Beverly Hills' Mauricio Umansky opens The Agency Oklahoma City
We recently compiled a list of the 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) stands against the other ice cream stocks.

Regarded as the most favorite dessert globally, ice cream has its popularity game quite high in the U.S. as well, where it leaves an impact of a massive $11.4 billion every year, while, at the same time, giving out $1.9 billion in direct wages, according to IDFA! Also, the U.S. saw 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream getting produced in the country in 2023, showcasing the desserts staggering popularity in the country. For all the ice cream lovers, we have also curated a list which you can view to see all the best ice cream brands in the U.S. so that you can fulfill all your ice cream cravings in the best way!

In addition to this, average per capita consumption in the country amounts to over 4 gallons every year, and with a huge population of 341 million, thats quite a lot of consumption! In terms of consumption, New Zealand, the U.S., and Australia are the 3 countries that top the charts, with per capita annual consumption rates of 28.4 liters, 20.8 liters, and 18.0 liters, respectively!

As such, the global ice cream industry is racing quickly toward the sky, as, after sitting at the $76.1 billion mark in 2023, its on its way to hitting $132.3 billion in 2032. That boasts a CAGR of 6.7%, which is quite staggering, according to Fortune Business Insights. Ice cream-making giants like Ben & Jerry's, Walls, Magnum, to name a few, dominate the global ice cream industry with a market share of 20%.

Also check out 15 largest Ice Cream Companies in the World.

Moving on to recent shifting trends of the industry, one interesting trend that has emerged related to flavors, wherein, plant-based and vegan ice creams are growing in popularity. As reported by Straits Research, the global vegan ice cream market size is expected to expand from its market size figure of $623.63 million in 2022 to $984.16 million by 2031, boasting a CAGR of 5.2%. Furthermore, ice creams are planned to be given a new touch by the makers by bringing in the element of spice in ice creams! Crazy, right? In Germany, it is reported by Tetrapak that 34% of ice cream consumers are keen on trying out ice cream flavors with spice in them.

With these innovations emerging, the global ice cream industry is expected to generate over $100 billion in the coming decade, and with the given demand stats we discussed above, its quite certain how the ice cream market is one to look at in 2024 and the coming years. Hence, here we are going to discuss 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 so that one can capitalize on the booming times to come in the ice cream industry.

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Methodology

To curate our list of 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024, we gathered a list of all companies with a significant presence in the ice cream industry. We then further narrowed down on the basis of their upside potential and ranked the finest remaining companies by their number of hedge fund holders as of Q1, 2024, using Insider Monkey's database that tracks the activity of 920 hedge funds. For stocks with equal number of hedge fund holders, we used their upside as the tiebreaker.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletters strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

A supermarket shelf overflowing with a variety of fast-moving consumer goods.

Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors holdings: 20

With brands like Horlicks, Knorr, Magnum, The Vegetarian Butcher, Walls, Ben & Jerrys, and Hellmanns under its belt, Unilever PLC (NYSE:UL) is a leading consumer goods manufacturer. It produces and sells a range of products including ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos, and everyday household care products.

The companys solar energy initiatives in its warehouses mean a bright outlook for its ice cream businesses for most of the rest of 2024, while the sun shines bright in regions of Pakistan, Turkey, and Mexico; for instance, this period results in cost-cutting of $205,675 every year in its Izmir warehouse in Turkey alone.

Analysts have their eye on a price target of $56.59 from its current price of $55.59, which is an upside of 2%; also, the price target of the analysts goes as high as $66.13 which might also be the reason why nine analysts are of the buy opinion, while six are of the hold opinion. From Insider Monkeys database of hedge fund investors, 20 hold an interest in the companys stock, with their holdings' combined value standing at $952.5 million, indicating why one should consider this stock.

With underlying sales growth of somewhere between 3% and 5% already predicted by the company earlier in the year, it recorded Underlying Sales Growth (USG) of 4.4% for the latest quarter, ending 31 March 2024. The ice cream segment, on the other hand, produced underlying sales growth of 2.3%, with a turnover growing from $1.84 billion in the first quarter of 2023 to $1.95 billion in the current quarter!

Overall UL ranks 8th on our list of the best ice cream stocks to buy. You can visit 11 Best Ice Cream Stocks to Invest In 2024 to see the other ice cream stocks that are on hedge funds radar. While we acknowledge the potential of UL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than UL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: Analyst Sees a New $25 Billion Opportunity for NVIDIA and Jim Cramer is Recommending These 10 Stocks in June.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
A potential Brazilian acquirer is walking away from its bid for International Paper (NYSE: IP) after the target rebuffed its overtures.

Investors hoping for a big premium are disappointed, sending IP shares down 8% as of 1 p.m. ET.

IP chooses independence

International Paper is already part of a wave of consolidation sweeping the paper and packaging industry, with a deal in place to buy British rival DS Smith. But in early May, IP switched from hunter to hunted when news broke that Suzano of Brazil was weighing an offer for the U.S.-based company.

On Wednesday, Suzano said it has terminated its effort to acquire International Paper after IP was unwilling to engage. Suzano said it walked away after IP was unmoved by the highest price it was willing to pay.

Suzano was reportedly willing to pay as much as $15 billion in cash for IP.

Enthusiasm for the potential deal was tempered by concerns that the United States government would be reluctant to allow a foreign acquisition of one of its natural resources titans. There was also no public indication that any large International Paper shareholders were pressuring IP management to negotiate.

Is International Paper a buy?

As I said when the stock initially spiked due to takeover rumors, it is dangerous to buy on deal talk. A quick drop is no surprise now that Suzano has walked away. But not all is lost for International Paper as it charts its course as an independent.

The company is in the early stages of an effort to make its operations more efficient and potentially divest lower-margin divisions like its cellulose operation, which could fetch as much as $2 billion in a sale. There is also the potential for upside assuming the DS Smith deal closes and International Paper can integrate it successfully.

None of this is going to provide the instant boost a takeover would have provided, but there is every reason to believe patient investors can still be rewarded by buying IP stock.

Should you invest $1,000 in International Paper right now?

Before you buy stock in International Paper, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and International Paper wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $774,526!*

Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.

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See the 10 stocks 

*Stock Advisor returns as of June 24, 2024

Lou Whiteman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends DS Smith. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Why International Paper Stock Is Falling Today was originally published by The Motley Fool
Members of the Colorado Supreme Court seemed sympathetic last week to the idea that trial judges, under the current rules for criminal cases, cannot restrict defense attorneys from investigating postconviction claims their clients raise when at least one of the claims has merit.
Colorado Republican Party officials who want to fire state GOP chairman Dave Williams submitted a petition Wednesday demanding that Williams call a meeting of the party's state central committee to consider whether to remove him from office.
A known violent offender in Colorado Springs was arrested Wednesday afternoon as part of a special investigation into local offenders with ties to gang firearms offenses.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, detectives with the department's Strategic Investigations Unit initiated an investigation into several known, violent criminals in Colorado Springs, all of which had connections to local gangs for firearm-related offenses.

Through this investigation, detectives identified 22-year-old Ramon Garcia  an offender prohibited from owning a firearm to any degree due to a violent felony conviction, police said.

Through investigative efforts, detectives learned Garcia had multiple firearms, had been providing firearms to juveniles, and carried a history of eluding law enforcement.

On Wednesday, police followed Garcia to the 7700 block of Penway Heights. The department's Tactical Enforcement Unit contacted him after seeing him walk to his car alongside a 17-year-old juvenile.

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According to detectives, a handgun with a "Glock switch," was discovered concealed on the body of the 17-year-old suspect.

"A Glock switch is an aftermarket device attached to a semi-automatic handgun, making the handgun capable of fully automatic fire," according to the department.

Detectives later acquired a search warrant of Garcia's apartment where they discovered and seized an AR-style rifle and a 50-round drum-style handgun magazine.

According to police, Garcia is facing charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, providing a handgun to a juvenile, and possessing a dangerous weapon, alongside additional firearm-related offenses.

The juvenile offender, who will not be identified per Colorado state law, is also facing firearm-related charges.
An adventure like "bikepacking" the Colorado Trail is not a trip to be taken lightly, but with adequate preparation and planning, it is sure to be a ride of a lifetime.

The 549-mile long trail from Denver to Durango is unique to Colorado and is one of the premiere long-distance bikepack (like backpacking, but on a bike) trips in the United States. The technical nature of the trail and length in the wild warrants packing gear relevant to being exposed to the sun, rain, being at high elevation and in remote spots for extended periods of time.

Most bikepacking gear is similar to backpacking gear, from your tent to your clothes, but the greatest choice difference to make is what kind of bicycle to ride: Full rigid, hard tail or full suspension?

For my bikepack, I narrowed down my gear list to the following:

Bike gear

Rocky Mountain Instinct 930, 29" dual suspension mountain bike

Topeak front fork rack with dry bag and bungees

Top tube bag

Multi-tool

Two extra tubes, 29 inch

Chain lube

Hand pump

Garmin 840 GPS bike computer

Riding gear

Helmet

Riding gloves, two pairs

Waterproof hiking boots

Hip pack, 7L

Small back pack, 24L

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Camping gear

Ultra light weight bikepack tent

Sleeping bag, 25 degree

Ultra light sleeping pad

Headlamp

Utility knife

Fire starter and lighter

Water filter bag

Assorted bungees, straps, zip ties and rope

Small cache of plastic bags

Pack towel

Small first aid kit

Spork

Clothing gear

High wicking riding shorts with padding, and convertible pants

Hiking and biking specific socks

High wicking underwear

Rain jacket

Beanie

Neck-gaiter

Long sleeve base layer

Short sleeve base layer

Food stuffs

Trail mix

Honey Stinger Waffles

Energy gels

Peanut Butter energy bars

Nutrition drink mix

Personal gear

Sunscreen

Toilet paper - biodegradable

Battery pack unit

Fujifilm XT-2 camera with 18-55 lens

GoPro 10 with bike mounts

Beginning in late-July, I'll be heading into Colorado's wilderness for two weeks to bikepack the Colorado Trail, documenting the trek with daily ride segments of the experience for the Denver Gazette and Gazette. I'll be looking at some environmental impacts to the trail through hiker and biker usage and weathering on the trail along with finding and sharing stories from hikers and bikers while they experience the adventure of the truly unique Colorado Trail.

Come back to the Denver Gazette and Gazette websites starting July 20 to find trail reports and short video segments of the bikepacking trek.
DENVER  A man arrested in connection to a fatal shooting in southern Colorado allegedly killed a man by shooting him in the head, and wounded two others, according to court documents.

Henry Corral, 44, was taken into custody following an intensive search that authorities said involved him fleeing from a vehicle crash and an attempted carjacking.

Officers found the three victims after responding to a report of shots fired at The Sunset Inn in Alamosa at about 2 a.m. Sunday. The city of about 10,000 people is roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the New Mexico border.

According to an arrest affidavit for Corral released Wednesday, Corral's wife had been spending time with Manuel Flores, a childhood friend who was recently released from prison and visiting from the Denver area. Flores was wounded in the shooting as well as his friend Gabriel Pina, the affidavit said. The man who was killed, Aurelio Pina, was identified as Gabriel Pina's father.

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The affidavit did not say why Corral is alleged to have shot the three men. According to the document, Corral's wife said the couple had been discussing separating or divorcing.

Corral is being represented by James Waldo, an attorney from the public defender's office, which does not comment on its cases to the media.

Corral, who was taken to the hospital after the crash, appeared in court on Wednesday for the first time since his arrest. Judge Jason Kelly ordered that he continue to be held in jail unless he is able to pay a $5 million cash bond, setting the amount so high because of the allegations against him and his criminal history.

District Attorney Anne Kelly described the shootings as an execution and attempted executions. She told the judge that Corral has twice before been charged with first-degree murder, in 2000 and 2016, when he plead guilty to less serious charges in both cases. After spending time in prison for the 2016 case, when Corral was released, he tried to kill his girlfriend by strangling her, she said.

Over the weekend, Corral fled so fast in a stolen car in a rural area that he flew over two irrigation ditches and then landed the car in a field, Kelly said. Authorities think he then set the car on fire in an attempt to get rid of evidence of the shooting, which is believed to be a weapon and a cellphone, she said.
The man accused of killing one and injuring another during a shooting near Palmer Park last year was sentenced to 50 years in prison after accepting a plea deal on Thursday.

Donnell Chess, 23, appeared in court on Thursday morning for an arraignment hearing. Chess was accused of starting a shootout at a parking lot near 2727 Palmer Park Blvd. on May 7, 2023, that killed Jalyn Tyre Lagrue and injured a woman.

Chess was arrested a few days after the shooting and was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault and more.

At the time of the shooting Chess had three open criminal cases in El Paso County, two misdemeanor criminal mischief cases and a felony cruelty to animals and weapon possession by a previous offender case.

At the time of the shooting Lagrue was out of custody on a $2,000 surety bond, according to court records.

At Thursday's arraignment hearing attorneys on the case announced to the court that a plea agreement had been reached, and Chess would be entering guilty pleas on both open felony cases.

Shortly after Chess pleaded guilty to an amended charge of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and a violent crime sentence enhancement. In his second felony case Chess pleaded guilty to both charges.

The plea agreement, which saw Chess accept a total of 50 years in the Department of Corrections across all charges, was not well received by all of the families of the victims.

The mother and father of the woman who was shot during the incident but survived were both outspoken about their disagreement with the plea agreement during their victim impact statements.

"This sentence falls well short," the victim's father said to the court.

"One day (Chess) will be out of prison while my daughter may suffer from this for the rest of her life," the victim's mother said. "He attempted to kill my daughter."

Afterwards, prosecutor Andrew Vaughan explained to the court why the prosecution opted to offer the plea deal. Vaughan stated that a conviction on first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison in the state of Colorado, may have proven difficult due to a lack of evidence of pre-meditation.

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Vaughan went on to state that the primary piece of evidence against Chess is a video of the shooting, which clearly depicts Chess discharging his firearm, but does not show evidence of what led to the shooting, which could be needed for a conviction on first-degree murder.

However, Vaughan did note he had spoke with the surviving victim about the plea agreement and that she felt it was "a bit on the low side," regarding the sentence.

Chess' attorney, Tina Tussay, added that Chess himself was shot three times during the altercation, and it was never determined who else was discharging a firearm.

"My client did not feel like he was going to leave the parking lot alive," Tussay said.

Family members of Lagrue also gave victim impact statements to the court, and while they didn't express any disagreement with the plea agreement they did speak at length about the impact that Lagrue's death has had on their family.

"You took my kid's only uncle away from them," Megan Williams, Lagrue's sister, said to the court. "You, Donnell (Chase), should be ashamed of yourself."

Chess declined to give a statement to the court.

Judge Eric Bentley approved the terms of the plea agreement and sentenced Chess to the pre-determined 50 years in the Department of Corrections.

The plea states that Chess will serve 48 years in prison for pleading guilty to the second-degree murder charge which will run concurrent to the 32-year sentence for pleading guilty to first-degree assault. Chess will serve 2 years in prison to run consecutively with the homicide sentence for pleading guilty to the weapon possession by a previous offender charge in his second case.

The two criminal mischief misdemeanors were dismissed as part of the plea.
Fire officials in Pueblo County are utilizing a full suppression strategy in battling the Oak Ridge fire that remains at 0% containment on Thursday, six days after being sparked by lightning, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team.

Officials said the fire had surpassed 1,000 acres and remained at 0% containment by Wednesday evening. A Thursday morning flyover conducted by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control's Multi-Mission Aircraft estimated 1,025 acres burned so far.

Incident Commander Casey Cheesbrough said Thursday that crews would be utilizing a combination of tactics to slow the fire spread, including having airtankers dropping fire retardant on the blaze and helicopters dropping water.

Additionally, crews will be working to construct hand and dozer lines along the fire edge where it is safe to do so. Crews will continue to construct indirect lines as well where direct access to the blaze is not possible.

According to Cheesbrough, approximately 226 fire personnel are on the scene Thursday morning.

Firefighters are said to have made progress through Wednesday as crews continued to reinforce hand and dozer lines on the east and northeast perimeters of the blaze as a way to keep the fire from spreading toward Beluah.

"The remaining fire perimeter in the northern and western portion and to the south, is in steep and rugged terrain and unacceptable to safe ground operations," Cheesbrough said.

"In those areas, aviation resources worked aggressively to slow the fire's progression with airtankers dropping eight loads of retardant along the remaining fire perimeter and helicopters dropping water throughout the day to slow the fire's progression."

Cheesbrough continued, saying the work conducted by the aviation crews has allowed fire managers to scout areas where firefighters can continue to construct indirect fire lines utilizing natural features like rock outcroppings, roads and trails.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Troy Mueller, operations detections chief for Rocky Mountain Area, said the biggest challenge has been the inaccessibility in those steep rugged areas, making it impossible to deploy ground forces safely.

"We are not sure how long this fire is going to burn, Mueller said, "There will be an increase in acreage due to the fire continuing to burn out in this rugged, steep areas where we are not able to put firefighters."

Mueller added that the northwest area have been the biggest area of growth in the last two days, and they've estimated it would take six hours to get a crew out of that area if they were to put them in there right now.

The aerial bucket drops and water tankers have been successful in suppressing the fire, but it isn't putting the fire out.

"We realize that this fire is going to be on the landscape for a while, and that we're not going to be able to put the forces in here to reinforce those areas where we're putting down retardants and water drops," Mueller said.

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For handling the fire, one option the team is looking at is utilizing the burn scar from the 2016 Junkins Fire, which Meuller said they are confident the fire would not run through the burn scar.

Officials said they have several plans in how to handle the fire. "You can fight fire and try to predict where it goes, but a fire is going to do what it wants to do," Mueller said.

Temps Thursday have cooled slightly south of Colorado Springs in the fire's territory, along with an increase in humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms will potentially bring an opportunity for heavy rainfall, hail and gusty winds, according to the National Weather Service.

According to Mueller, the wind from the thunderstorms have been pushing the smoke back to the southeast toward towns. He said residents may see more smoke, but there is not a current cause for concern of the fire spreading in that area.

To ensure it doesn't, there is a team monitoring the area, and there are also three air quality monitors to make sure the air quality does not become unsafe for the Beulah community.

Mandatory evacuation orders for residents along the Middle Creek Canyon Road remain in place Thursday morning. Residents of Vine Mesa, Cascade Avenue, Pine Avenue and Beluah Highlands Road remain under a pre-evacuation status.

The U.S. Forest Service announced a months-long closure beginning Wednesday of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests and the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands due to the impacts of the Oak Ridge fire, according to a social media announcement from the agency.

According to Forest Service officials, the closure will be in effect through July 26, unless rescinded, the post states.

Additionally, Middle Creek Road, the Pueblo Mountain Park and the Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center are temporarily closed to the public .

First off, the Pueblo Mountain Park is NOT currently in danger, Park officials said.

However, NWDC is committed to fully supporting the Oak Ridge fire firefighting efforts. As a result, as of Wednesday, NWDC will be temporarily closing the park to visitors until further notice.

To keep roads clear for emergency services and potential evacuees, Sheriff Lucero has requested that people who do not live in Beulah avoid coming to the area. During this closure, local residents will not have vehicle access to the park and are encouraged to limit their use to essential activities only.

Lastly, a Temporary Flight Restriction above the fire zone also remains in place Thursday.

"Please do not fly drones or unauthorized aircrafts in the area as they are a danger to firefighting aerial operations. Remember, if you fly, we can't," officials said.
A reptile store in northern Colorado Springs was hit by a smash and grab early Wednesday morning, walking away with just under a dozen reptiles.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, officers received a call for service at the Scales 'N Tails store on North Academy Blvd at approximately 5:06 a.m. regarding broken glass.

Security footage of the break-in shows a group of four suspects breaking through a glass window to make entry into the store.

At this time, CSPD investigators are still working to identify the suspects. If located, the suspects could face charges of 2nd degree burglary, theft and criminal mischief, CSPD PIO Caitlin Ford told the Gazette.

Scales 'N Tails reported that five ball pythons and six bearded dragons were stolen along with a cage and cage decorations. Five of the six bearded dragons were babies, according to the owner.

According to the store's social media post sharing the security footage, owners of the store fear the stolen reptiles will not get proper care and are in grave danger.

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"Ultimately, we want to get the animals back," owner Ronald Bohnert Jr. said. "Our main goal, obviously, is to catch the people, that's a bonus, but if they dropped them off on our front porch, that would be great."

Bohnert said none of the animals taken were venomous, the concern is more for the animals' safety.

Bohnert believes the suspects involved in Wednesday's break-in are the same individuals who attempted to break in Monday night. Bohnert says the group threw rocks at the front door, and despite causing enough damage for the door to need to be replaced, were unable to get in.

On Wednesday morning, the group first attempted to pull the door off using their vehicle, unsuccessfully. The suspects then threw rocks at the service window and were able to gain entry that way.

No money was taken and no damage was done to the interior of the store. Bohnert is unsure at this time if he will be setting up a GoFundMe to aid in replacing the broken exterior glass, but is considering it.

"I'm frustrated and I'm upset," Bohnert said. "I feel violated, obviously, because they came into our workplace where we serve the community."

Police are investigating the robbery.
Barry Fagin is Senior Fellow in Technology Policy at the Independence Institute in Denver, and the author of "The Radical Center". His views are his alone. Readers can contact Dr Fagin at barry@faginfamily.net.
5th Congressional District Republican primary victor Jeff Crank takes the stage Tuesday with his wife, Lisa Crank, to the applause of supporters in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs Councilman Dave Donelson raises his hand at the meeting on whether to refer a question to the Nov. 5 ballot so residents can decide if the city should limit building heights in downtown.
Colorado Republican Party officials who want to fire state GOP chairman Dave Williams submitted a petition Wednesday demanding that Williams call a meeting of the party's state central committee to consider whether to remove him from office.

Williams, a former Colorado Springs legislator, lost a primary Tuesday to former talk show host and conservative operative Jeff Crank for the 5th Congressional District seat held by retiring U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn.

Fellow Republicans began gathering support to oust Williams earlier this month after he signed a mass email sent by the state party attacking the LGBTQ community's Pride Month, referring to its participants as "godless groomers."

Criticism mounted after the state GOP posted a call on social media to "Burn all the #pride flags this June," and by last week more than a dozen county Republican parties had passed resolutions calling on Williams to resign or face removal.

"He has 10 days to call that meeting," Todd Watkins, the El Paso County GOP's vice chair, told Colorado Politics. " If he does not call that meeting in 10 days, we will call it."

Watkins said organizers turned in 113 signatures from members of the state party's roughly 440-member governing body, meeting the requirement under party bylaws to force party officials to convene a special meeting within 30 days. Under the bylaws, it would take an affirmative vote from 60% of those in attendance to remove a party officer.

The petition's organizers believe they have more than enough support to vote Williams from office, Watkins said.

"We request that the special meeting be held in person, with closed paper ballot voting, on a Saturday, and at an acceptable time and place, so all (central committee) members will be able to attend," the petition read.

Williams didn't respond to a request for comment after Watkins delivered the petition. Previously, he told Colorado Politics that he has no plans to step down and intends to keep his job.

Watkins took over as the public face of the effort to boot Williams after the Jefferson County GOP's executive committee censured the county party chair, Nancy Pallozzi, for launching the petition drive without clearing it with them first.

Watkins said Williams' divisive remarks about Pride Month might have sparked the petition, but he added that Republican signers have signed on for multiple reasons.

"Its a laundry list," Watkins said.

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Among the reasons Republicans cite, he said, are Williams' refusal to step aside as party chairman when he declared his congressional candidacy and the party's decision to take sides in contested primaries this year, throwing its tradition of neutrality out the window.

"They didnt just endorse people," Watkins said, noting that Williams and his cohorts, including state vice chair Hope Sheppelmann and party secretary Ferguson, openly attacked Republican candidates in the run-up to Tuesday's primary.

While the state GOP passed a bylaws change last fall allowing the party to back candidates who met certain criteria in primaries, Watkins said the amendment was "so poorly written, it actually says the opposite of what they think it says. There are yoga instructors that wish they were as flexible as that sentence."

Watkins said the state party's track record endorsing in the primary underlined why he wants Williams to go.

"You dont enter into removal of elected officers lightly, unless you have good cause," Watkins said. "I think we have good cause. I think yesterday showed exactly what that cause was. I don't know of anyone who thinks it was OK to use the party name and the party machinery and lose that horribly."

Only four of the 18 candidates the state party endorsed in contested primaries won the Republican nomination on Tuesday, Watkins noted, adding, "Youre not going to get brought up to the majors on a record like that."

Scheppelman told Colorado Politics on Wednesday that there's a possibility the petitioners can air their grievances at a recently announced central committee meeting set to take place later this summer, but only if the petition passes muster.

"Yes, theres a special meeting called for Aug. 31, and the signatures will first need to be verified and adjudicated with the State Executive Committee before their request will be added to the special meeting agenda," Scheppelman said in a text message.

Watkins said the party officer's proposal is counter to state GOP bylaws.

"We're following the black-and-white letter of our bylaws," he said. "If the petition is submitted, then you call the meeting. You need 25%. We got that. Lets go."

If the meeting is called, it won't be the first special meeting of the central committee convened since Williams took over as party chair in early 2023.

Last December, Monument Republican Darcy Schoening, the state party's director of special initiatives, submitted a petition to hold a meeting to decide whether the Colorado party would formally endorse former President Donald Trump ahead of the state's March presidential primary.

Within days of Schoening announcing she was gathering signatures, the state party had scheduled a meeting for mid-January, where central committee members approved a resolution to support Trump.
Early risers wait for the sunrise from the east overlook on the summit of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Saturday was the first sunrise opening since 2018 because of the construction of the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex that was completed in the summer of 2021. The next sunrise opening will be Sept. 11. A timed entry permit and admission must be purchased in advance online at DrivePikesPeak.com. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
No one can take away Taiwan compatriots' right to learn Chinese culture: mainland spokesperson

Xinhua) 10:13, June 27, 2024

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, takes questions at a regular press conference in Beijing, capital of China, June 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday stressed that no one can take away Taiwan compatriots' right to receive education on Chinese culture and learn about the history of the Chinese nation.

Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a media query regarding recent criticism of the current school curriculum guidelines in Taiwan, which have removed plenty of content of Chinese history and culture.

The "toxic curriculum guidelines" promoted by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities are misleading juveniles in Taiwan away from their cultural roots, which has raised deep concerns among the public, Zhu said.

She stressed that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are part of the Chinese nation and Chinese culture is their mutual spiritual lifeblood.

Zhu welcomed Taiwan compatriots, especially juveniles, to travel to the mainland and visit places where classical Chinese literature works were written and key historical events in Chinese history took place.

"Whatever has been erased in textbooks in Taiwan can be found, seen, and experienced on the mainland," she said.

Zhu said that many internet influencers in Taiwan had shared their experiences of travelling on the mainland via videos, which have enhanced mutual understanding between compatriots from the two sides of the Strait.

She also noted that mainland dramas such as "Fan Hua" (or "Blossoms Shanghai") and "Qing Yu Nian" (or "Joy of Life") had made a hit among audiences in Taiwan. "We hope that cross-Strait exchanges of personnel and in other fields can be normalized as soon as possible so that entertainers from both sides of the Strait can make smooth exchanges and provide audiences with more good works," she said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Students demonstrate calligraphy works at the "Chinese Culture Meets Students of Sri Lanka" event held in Malabe, Sri Lanka, June 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Yue)



Nineteen-year-old Sri Lankan boy Senuda Sapumal was carefully watching the Chinese calligraphy demonstrated by his Chinese teacher, dipping his brush in ink cautiously, and succeeded in writing two large Chinese characters on the paper: "Friendship." Around him, dozens of students of similar age observed attentively and were eager to try.

"Chinese Culture Meets Students of Sri Lanka," hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, was held on Tuesday at the Sri Lanka Boys' Model School in Malabe. Under the guidance of Chinese teachers, the Sri Lankan youths born after the year of 2000, who were also called Generation Z, immersed themselves in Chinese traditional culture by practicing calligraphy, learning paper-cutting, and training in martial arts.

"I've seen Chinese kung fu movies and Chinese chopsticks in restaurants, but this is my first time experiencing Chinese culture by myself. It is amazing!" Sapumal proudly held up his calligraphy work and posed for a photo to capture the exciting moment.

The students here are no strangers to China. Sapumal recalled that his teacher told them their school uniforms were donated by China. "China, 'Friendship,'" he said.

On the other side of the classroom, a long display table was filled with Chinese crafts: Peking opera masks, enamel vases, fan screens, and craft tea sets. Many students paused in curiosity and watched them.

"What do the masks signify?" "During which festival do you hang lanterns?" "Which Chinese zodiac sign belong to me?" The students eagerly asked questions. Upon receiving answers, several senior students quickly pulled out photos from their phones to show traditional Sri Lankan masks and paper lanterns from the local Vesak festival. "It turns out Chinese culture is very similar to ours. It feels like China is closer to us now," said the students.

Zhang Min, a teacher at the Bandaranaike Center for International Studies in Sri Lanka, said that the serial events of "Chinese Culture Meets Students of Sri Lanka" will be brought to 11 primary and secondary schools in Sri Lanka within six months, and the current program is the third one.

"I teach Sri Lankan students Chinese paper cutting. Whenever the children open their cut-out designs, their expressions of surprise are like a result of 'a magic moment.' For many times, some students told me they would hang the paper-cuts on their windows at home to share the joy with their families. I hope that such immersive experiences will plant seeds of Chinese culture in the hearts of local students, seeing them gradually taking root and thriving."

"I am about to enter university and I'm preparing to study architecture in China. That's what I have always dreamed of," said Sapumal.
StreetMap Questionnaire

brainstorming sessions and iterative incremental feedback

HEC Paris MBA and Said Business School, University of Oxford.

Neeraj's success story deep-dive (link below)

Check out the deep-dive into Neeraj's success journey here:

When Neeraj first reached out to me (prior to his GMAT), I found his profile interesting: a good mix of Operations and HR Consulting experiences across India and the UAE. He was focused on the Top EU/ UK MBA programs, with post-MBA goals in strategy consulting. We decided to reconnect after his GMAT, and a few weeks later, we did.To start with, our robust '' helped crystallize Neeraj's professional/ personal experiences and career-goals, guiding our discussions to prioritize target B-schools.Through a mix of, which Neeraj actively sought and acted on, we were able to identify high-impact anecdotes for the essays and interviews. His insights on the consulting industry (being a HR consultant himself) also gave us interesting pointers to craft a solid narrative tailored to the specific B-schools.Seven months ago, our first conversation centered around Neeraj's goal of getting into a top EU/ UK B-school. I'm indeed glad that our journey has resulted in admits from not just one, but two of the most selective MBA programs:Check outcovering his motivations for an MBA, GMAT preparation strategies, MBA application process, interview experiences at HEC and Oxford, experience working with admitStreet, and tips for MBA applicants!Regards,ArvindFounder, admitStreet | Schedule a free chat W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com
A new quick-response unit truck was anonymously donated to a volunteer fire department, but some members of the board may not want it.

The Canyon Creek Rural Fire District volunteer fire department was gifted a $55,000 truck from a community member in Canyon Creek on June 22, something the department has been requesting for months from the board, Chief Jonathan Cunningham said.

The money for the truck was donated to the Canyon Creek Volunteer Fire District Auxiliary that purchased the vehicle for the department.

A 2024 Dodge Ram 2500HD Tradesman rolled off the lot and into the garage at the fire department awaiting its upgrades like Rhino Bed Liner, lights, decals, toppers and more through donations from the Canyon Creek Fire Auxiliary.

A quick-response unit vehicle responds to every call the department goes to for medical purposes, and since receiving the truck it has already been used at three calls.

It caused a stir from the board, according to Cunningham, since he has been pushing for a new command and quick-response unit vehicle, but faced pushback from some on the board of trustees.

"I have no idea why anybody could look a gift horse in the mouth and say 'no.' We're not costing the taxpayers any money," Cunningham said.

The five-person board consists of Rick Grady, board chair, Jim Thomas, vice chair, Ellen Eskildsen, secretary, Wendy Smith-Adamson, treasurer, and Max Eskildsen, trustee.

Grady and Max Eskildsen declined to comment on the matter, with Eskildsen claiming he could not comment since it has to be voted on at the next board meeting, which is July 15.

Thomas, who was in support of the new vehicle, was shocked by the generosity of a community member and said "thank you" to them in his interview.

He added that it was a great situation on one hand because the community member felt philanthropic enough to donate that amount of money and stay anonymous, but it was sad because they had to donate money to make it happen.

"The board of trustees is not doing its job. It is too busy trying to do the chief's job," Thomas said.

The vice chair said he has served on multiple boards and is taking training courses online through Gov. Greg Gianforte's office on the best board practices.

Thomas said there was a lesson on how to identify a dysfunctional board and he said every one of the points applied to the Canyon Creek Rural Fire District board of trustees.

Thomas and Cunningham continued to show gratitude toward the anonymous donor, but had similar opinions regarding the "dysfunctional" board.

At a previous meeting, Thomas made a motion to allow the department to purchase a new QRU vehicle and was outvoted by his fellow board members.

"It's always 'me, me, me' and not about the community," Thomas said.

Cunningham said two or three board members show a disregard for himself and the firefighters at the department. "It's their say, their way," Cunningham said.

There are eight firefighters listed on the fire district's website.

The department's previous vehicle was a 2014 GMC Yukon that was donated by the West Valley Fire Department. Cunningham said Canyon Creek was grateful for the department's donation, but it was costing more money than it was worth.

He said the Yukon had to have an engine replaced and the transmission blew out in March. The volunteer department has been operating without a QRU vehicle since then and did not want to put a $5,500 transmission into a $6,500 vehicle, Cunningham said.

The transmission caused the vehicle to break down multiple times, so having a brand new vehicle with a warranty will be more cost effective in the long run for the community and department.

The board will have to vote on whether the department can accept the donation and Cunningham and Thomas do not know what will happen if the board votes against it.

Earlier this year, three board members and the former chief of the department resigned due to "the way the board was going," Thomas said.

"If this doesn't get approved, come hell or high water, I will make sure that our community has medical responding to their house when they call 911," Cunningham said.

The next board meeting is 6:30 p.m. July 15 at the firehall. The meeting can be viewed on Zoom through a link on the website.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to say the money for the vehicle was donated to the Canyon Creek Volunteer Fire District Auxiliary.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for Idaho hospitals to provide emergency abortions, for now, in a procedural ruling that left key questions unanswered and could mean the issue ends up before the conservative-majority court again soon.

The ruling came a day after an opinion was briefly posted on the court's website accidentally and quickly taken down, but not before it was obtained by Bloomberg News.

The final opinion appears largely similar to the draft released early. The 6-3 vote reverses the court's earlier order that had allowed an Idaho abortion ban to go into effect, even in medical emergencies.

The limited ruling sidesteps a ruling that could have taken political center stage in an election year where abortion has been an animating issue. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults favor protecting access to abortions for patients who are experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.

The Biden administration sued Idaho to allow abortions in emergency cases where a woman's health was at serious risk.

Dismissing the case now makes sense because the contours of the issue have changed in the last several months, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote in a concurrence joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

I am now convinced that these cases are no longer appropriate for early resolution, Barrett wrote, pointing to revisions Idaho made to its abortion ban and the Biden administration making clear that its arguments were aimed at rare cases.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the court should decide now, arguing the earlier order meant Idaho doctors were forced to watch as patients suffered or airlifted out of state for care.

We had ample time to consider this issue," she said, underscoring her views by reading a summary of her opinion aloud in the courtroom. Not doing anything is problematic for several reasons."

Conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who authored the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, also disagreed with the decision to dismiss the case now, though he differed on why. Joined by Justice Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas, he suggested the court should side with Idaho. Federal health care law conclusively shows that it does not require hospitals to perform abortions," he wrote.

The majority decision to dismiss the case means the issues at the heart of it remain unresolved and the same justices who voted to overturn the constitutional right to abortion could soon be again considering when doctors can provide abortion in medical emergencies.

The premature release marked the second time in two years that an abortion ruling went out early, though in slightly different circumstances. The courts seismic ruling ending the constitutional right to abortion was leaked to Politico.

The ruling came in a case filed against Idaho by the Biden administration, which argued that doctors must be allowed to provide emergency abortions under a federal law when a pregnant woman faces serious health risks.

Democratic President Joe Biden said the court's order ensures that Idaho women can get the care they need while the case continues to play out.

Doctors should be able to practice medicine. Patients should be able to get the care they need, he said.

Idaho had pushed back, arguing that its law does provide an exception to save the life of a pregnant patient and federal law doesn't require expanded exceptions.

Doctors in Idaho said that the law wasn't clear on when they could provide abortions in emergencies, forcing them to airlift pregnant women to other states for emergency care on several occasions since the high court had allowed the ban to go into effect in January.

The justices found that the court should not have gotten involved in the case so quickly, and majority reinstated a lower court order that had allowed hospitals in the state to perform emergency abortions to protect a pregnant patients health.

The opinion means the Idaho case will continue to play out in lower courts, and could end up before the Supreme Court again. It doesn't answer key questions about whether doctors can provide emergency abortions elsewhere, a pressing issue as most Republican-controlled states have moved to restrict the procedure in the two years since the high court overturned Roe v. Wade.

In a similar case, the state of Texas also argued that federal health care law does not trump a state ban on abortion and the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state.

The Idaho ruling doesn't appear to affect that finding. The Biden administration has appealed the case in Texas, leaving another avenue for the issue to appear before the high court. The justices are unlikely to even consider whether to take up the Texas case before the fall.

Notable Supreme Court cases of 2024

Supreme Court upholds a gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims The justices ruled in favor of a 1994 ban on firearms for people under restraining orders to stay away from their spouses or partners.

Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on bump stocks, gun accessories used in 2017 massacre The high court found 6-3 that the Trump administration did not follow federal law when it reversed course and banned bump stocks.

Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication The Supreme Court has preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year.

Supreme Court clears the way for the NRAs free speech lawsuit against an ex-New York official The unanimous opinion reverses a lower court decision tossing out the gun rights groups lawsuit against ex-New York State Department of Financial Services Ssuperintendent Maria Vullo.

Supreme Court finds no bias against Black voters in a South Carolina congressional district The Supreme Court has preserved a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, rejecting a lower-court ruling the district discriminated against Black voters.
Ling Ziyi had an extra reason to feel special on the most important day of her four years of undergraduate studies at Beijing Normal University, as she proudly wore the university's newly designed gown for her graduation ceremony on Wednesday.

"I was really excited when I received the traditional Chinese-style gown several days before the ceremony," said the 22-year-old graduate of the School of Arts and Communication. "Each gown is embroidered with the university emblem, the school motto and our name and student number, symbolizing that each student at the university is unique."

A design team led by Oscar-winning art director Ye Jintian, also known as Tim Yip, spent three years designing and improving the exclusive gowns.

The team selected colors from the traditional Chinese palette for the gowns of those receiving bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, and chose a faint magnolia pattern to represent the students' tireless pursuit of a noble spirit.

Ling, who will undertake postgraduate studies at the university, expects to get a master's graduation gown next.

"The gown is not only a unique and meaningful graduation gift, but also reminds us, no matter where we go, that we need to keep in mind the spirit of our school motto," she said.

"We will carry the expectations and wishes of our alma mater, making positive contributions to society," she added.

It has become popular among the nation's graduates to wear traditional Chinese-style decorations, such as a graduation cap embellished with zanhua, a traditional floral headdress, and yunjian, a decorative shawl draped over the shoulders. This year, more universities like Beijing Normal University have joined this trend when upgrading their gowns.

For example, a design team from Shandong University's School of Mechanical Engineering created the exclusive yunjian for graduates of the university in Jinan, Shandong province.

The yunjian features the spring swallow, which represents good luck in Chinese culture, and a carp leaping over a dragon gate, which symbolizes a bright future for the graduates.

Some graduates also choose to wear items of hanfu  traditional attire of the Han ethnic group that includes horse-face skirts, which feature a distinctive pleated design  beneath their graduation gown while posing for photos or attending their graduation ceremony.

"In fact, it is not the good sale sales season for hanfu in the summer, but we recently received a large number of orders for yunjian and horse-faced face skirts," said Yao Chixing, general manager of Luoruyan Hanfu Company Co in Caoxian. "Products with elegant and atmospheric styles featuring traditional Chinese patterns such as auspicious clouds and flowers have better salessell well."

Li Jie, dean of the School of Fashion Design at Shandong University of Art and Design, said that the trend of Chinese-style attire during graduation season is not a superficial trend, but rather a manifestation of the fashion industry's dedication to the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese culture.

The young generation continuously strengthens its sense of identity with local culture, infusing traditional attire with a sense of ceremony and providing momentum for the flourishing of Chinese-style fashion, Li said.
DECATUR  A second suspect whose arrest police said solved a 13-year-old Decatur murder case is now incarcerated in the Macon County Jail.

Records show Bobby Lee Gipson, 34, was booked into the jail at 11:02 a.m. Wednesday after being extradited from Sevierville, Tennessee, where the Decatur man had been living.

Gipson is set to appear Thursday in Macon County Circuit Court, where he will face murder charges in the Aug. 4, 2011 robbery and shooting death of 17-year-old Caleb Witty.

Michael I. Wallace, 34, of Decatur, is also charged in Witty's death. He appeared in court on murder charges June 6, when Judge Jeffrey Geisler denied his pretrial release.

Wallace is scheduled to be back in court July 12 for the appearance of his defense counsel.

Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel announced the charging of Gipson and Wallace by grand jury indictments on June 5. The chief had hailed the work of his detectives in breaking the case and said it was finally cracked when a crucial piece of information, which he did not identify, became known.

And as soon as we had it, our team of detectives and investigations commanders were all over it, and they have been relentless since then, Brandel previously said during a news conference.

The Witty's death in 2011 shocked Decatur. He had been making his way home from the Decatur Celebration with his then-14-year-old sister when they were accosted in what police described as a robbery attempt.

Witty stepped in front of the gunmen to protect his sister and was shot to death in the 2200 block of East Johns Avenue, police have said.

True Crime: Cold cases of Central Illinois Timothy Norris - 2015 Terry Punke - 2013 Haileigh Eichhorn - 2013 Robert Jeronimus - 2012 Caleb Witty - 2011 Aaron O'Brien-Ishmael - 2007 Dalton Mesarchik - 2003 Vinsint Malone - 1996 Sherry L. Lewis - 1994 Jennifer Lockmiller - 1993 Hendricks murders - 1983 Robert and Marcia Edwards - 1983 Jamie Walter - 1978 G. Ray Timmons - 1977 Carol Rofstad - 1975
DECATUR  Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association will hold a free drainage workshop with a focus on water quality practices from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 30 at Richland Community College Shilling Center, One College Park, Decatur.

The discussion will include "a deep dive on edge of field practices for tile drainage treatment, government and private cost share opportunities, (waters of the United States), and jurisdictional wetlands and determination information," the agency stated. "Contractors will also learn about the business opportunities associated with edge of field practice installation, trench safety, surveying basics, and plastic drainage pipe specifications and installation parameters during the afternoon session."
DECATUR  Students will likely have a much stricter policy on cellphones at school in Decatur beginning with the new school year, which starts Aug. 12.

Under the proposed rules, students in kindergarten through eighth grade will have to put their phones, powered off, into their lockers or in a secure location provided for them during the school day. High school students also will have to turn their phones off and put them in their locker during the school day, but they will be allowed to use their phones during lunch breaks.

The policy also would apply to items like earbuds, smart watches and tablets.

Superintendent Rochelle Clark acknowledged that students, and some families, are likely to oppose the changes.

In the beginning, let's be honest, it's going to be rough, she said.

Clark presented the policy proposal to school board members on Tuesday after discussions on the subject at several previous meetings. The plan is still being finalized, with the board expected to vote on the final policy at its July 9 meeting.

Clark said security personnel would remind students as they arrive in the morning that they must put their devices away and of the consequences, which will be included in the final policy. Administration would handle any infractions, rather than other staff.

Clark said she took surveys of staff at all grade levels, from teachers and teaching assistants to administrators, with 593 responses to the survey. She also received a number of suggestions for ways to implement such a policy.

Some teachers allow students to use the calculator function on their phones in class, or use their phones to access websites used during lessons. To avoid this, Clark said, the district must purchase calculators adequate to perform any function needed for math classes, that internet connections are strong and fast so district devices can access any websites needed for classes, and that office phones are working and are promptly answered in case a family needs to contact a student during the school day in an emergency.

She plans to employ every option for communication with district families to ensure everyone knows the new policy by the first day of school. Extra security and an additional school resource officer will be hired to address families' concerns that students need phones in case there is a threat to the schools.

Building administrators will hold assemblies to acquaint students with the expectations regarding phones as well as other student conduct guidelines. Student Services will track discipline associated with cell phones so at the end of the coming school year, district administrators can see if the policy decreases disruptions during the school day.

I'm glad we're talking about this, said board member Will Wetzel. I'm pleased to see we're moving forward. I think it will be a benefit.

New mental health services

In other business, the board approved a three-year agreement with Cartwheel, a mental health care provider that offers a virtual platform to provide services to students and their families. Employees already have such a service, but could also be served by Cartwheel if necessary.

Students can be referred to Cartwheel, which will provide the district with a psychiatrist and 23 clinicians, who among them can speak 10 languages including American Sign Language, said Eldon Conn, director of student services. Schools can refer students to Cartwheel and someone will respond within 24 hours. Information will be shared with families and the district but, Conn said, nothing that falls under doctor/patient confidentiality. All the district will know is that a student who was referred for help was contacted, and accepted or declined treatment if treatment was indicated.

The company can also offer assistance to students who are candidates for expulsion or have been expelled, and to students who are chronically absent, to help address concerns and challenges in those students' lives.

The service is covered by all insurance, including Medicaid, and the district will pay $243,000 for the three-year contract and there will be no cost to families.

5 emerging trends that will change how you use your phone in 2024 What to watch for Augmented reality integration AI technology Expanded biometric security technology 5G network integration Foldable phones
In 1942, a long-sealed tomb from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) in the Zidanku (literally "bullet storehouse") area on the outskirts of Changsha, Hunan province, was plundered by grave robbers who stole the earliest silk manuscripts ever found in China.

Eight decades later, they are still the only known silk manuscripts of the Chu state from the Warring States Period excavated in China.

Not long after they were unearthed, they were collected by Cai Jixiang (1898-1979), a local dealer in antiques and amateur historian who studied them. In 1946, John Hadley Cox (1913-2005), an American teacher at Yali High School in Changsha, is said to have cheated Cai and illicitly took the silk manuscripts to the United States.

The artifacts then passed through many hands in the US and were finally housed in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. At the same time, Cai attempted to retrieve them but never succeeded.

More than 80 years later, hope has resurfaced of reuniting the precious artifacts with China from the return of a box cover that is viewed as evidence of their circulation in the US handed over from the University of Chicago to China. The box was used to hold the manuscripts, with labels from Fogg Art Museum that can prove the manuscripts were collected at the museum on Sept 16, 1946, an important piece of the evidence chain of the manuscripts' complex journey in the US.

The returning ceremony was held at the International Conference on the Protection and Return of Cultural Objects Removed from Colonial Contexts in Qingdao, Shandong province, on June 20 as part of the 2nd council meeting of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia.

"Since its unearthing in Changsha in 1942, the Zidanku silk manuscript story has spanned 82 years. It's a fragmentary story with bizarre plots that make people feel heartbroken," says Li Ling, a veteran archaeology professor at Peking University, who has devoted himself to studying the manuscripts for 44 years.

He explains that the story of looted artifacts has many similar versions in colonial and semi-colonial countries, where items from ancient sites were sold or robbed and are now spread around the world.

"As a result, when we want to study these sites, we need to investigate where the relics are now and piece together information," says Li.

Li says from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), silk coexisted with jiandu, or bamboo and wooden slips, as writing materials before the wide use of paper.

Studies show that the Zidanku manuscripts describe the relationship between humans and heaven with more than 900 Warring States Period characters and pictures of mythical gods. They have three parts  the former two are about traditional Chinese almanacs and the third part is about the application of shushu, or ancient China's occultism in military affairs, Li says.

One of the highlights is the "ordinances of the five agents", an ancient way of dividing a year into 30 solar terms and five parts, each lasting 72 days based on wuxing, or five agents, the five elements in ancient Chinese philosophy. This is different from the systems now followed dividing a year into four seasons, 12 months and 24 solar terms.

"Zidanku manuscripts are important not only as the earliest silk manuscripts in China written with Warring States Period characters but because they reflect the outlook on the universe, philosophy and religion of ancient China," Li says.

He says Zidanku manuscripts are just like China's version of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the oldest surviving manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. "The scrolls, dating back to 200-100 BC, were unearthed five years later than Zidanku manuscripts, which date back to 300 BC. Just as the Dead Sea Scrolls are important for the study of Western and Christian culture, the Zidanku manuscripts open a door for us to glimpse into the ancient Chinese world of occultism," says Li.

He says people often have the impression that ancient Chinese people highlighted liberal arts more than technologies, but it has been found not true. For example, in Yiwenzhi, a section of the Book of Han authored by historian Ban Gu (32-92), more than half of the content is about the art of war, shushu and technology.

"Ancient Chinese cared a lot about natural law, the universe, the human body, medicine and military affairs. These things occupy half of ancient China's academic studies," says Li. "This half is often ignored, but unearthed discoveries like the manuscripts help us open the door to this world."

Li has traced every part of the manuscripts' journey from China to the US and published his famous collection Zidanku Silk Manuscripts in 2017, elaborating on his investigation of how the artifacts were unearthed, transported to the US and their circulation.

Archaeologist Lothar von Falkenhausen at the University of California, Los Angeles, says although the manuscripts have been in the US for eight decades, they have only been seen by the people over two days  once in 1968 and the other in 1990.

"Since they are fragile and cannot be exhibited for a long time, they have rarely been showcased. And ordinary people can hardly understand their significance," says Von Falkenhausen.

"The manuscripts should be returned to China's academia as soon as possible, since almost all scholars who can understand and study the manuscripts are in China," he adds.

Li also mentions the tomb that yielded the Zidanku manuscripts was re-excavated by the Hunan Museum in 1973, uncovering another big discovery of a silk painting depicting a man riding a dragon. It is one of the only two Warring States Period silk paintings preserved to date.

"Half of the cultural relics from the same tomb are in China and the other half are in the US. I hope they can be brought together for academic research," says Li.

Sinologist Donald John Harper, a professor at the University of Chicago, has also been involved with studying the manuscripts for decades. He highlighted the cooperation between Chinese and US scholars in the research of the artifacts.

"I have been acquainted with Li for four decades. We are colleagues and good friends and I think highly of our friendship. Chinese and US Sinologists have had good cooperation for nearly half a century, which is good for our research and protection of such relics," says Harper.

Li says silk manuscripts have only been found in the Zidanku tomb and the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) Mawangdui tombs in Changsha. The latter has been known for the discovery of a perfectly preserved female body in 1972.
GUEST RESEARCH: Australian data appears to be the favoured target for cyber attackers, with organisations reporting the highest rate of data breaches across the globe in 2023. This is one of the key Australian findings from the latest research by Rubrik Zero Labs. The report found data breaches were almost 50% more common in Australia than the global average.

Rubrik Zero Labs new The State of Data Security: Measuring Your Datas Risk report offers insights on real-world risks against data as the pace and volume of cyber events continues to increase globally, aided by the explosion of data in the cloud and the realities of modern computing environments. Rubrik Zero Labs studies the challenges organisations face to protect their crown jewels  their data  as well as how to reduce data risk and prepare for the evolving risk cycle before, during, and after a cyberattack.

After surveying IT security decision makers at companies with 500 or more employees, the research found 82% of local organisations experienced a cyberattack in 2023. Of these, data breaches were the most prevalent style of attack comprising 54% of incidents, compared to the global average of 38%. Business Email Compromise attacks were the second most common attack method, witnessed in 45% of incidents.

Rubrik vice president APJ Antoine Le Tard said the findings showed cyber resilience  rather than merely cyber prevention  was more important than ever.

Australia is a mature market and early adopter of cloud and many enterprise security technologies. As such, local organisations have been investing heavily in perimeter security for the past decade, yet Australia holds the unenviable title of leading the world in data breaches, Le Tard said. This shows it's time to think beyond the perimeter and shift towards cyber resilience strategies.

With many local organisations adopting hybrid environments to modernise their businesses, attacks were witnessed across all aspects of their infrastructure. Cloud environments were the most targeted in Australia, with 75% of local respondents reporting malicious activity. SaaS recorded the second most malicious activity, reported by 60% of respondents, followed by on-premise infrastructure with 46%.

The cloud is a powerful business enabler but it comes with inherent risk  particularly with vulnerable sensitive data, Le Tard said. According to Rubrik telemetry, there are a number of security blind spots when it comes to the cloud. Most data we see in a standard cloud instance is object storage  so it has far lower security coverage than other areas  yet more than a quarter of object storage data is sensitive data, such as protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII).

While data breaches were the most common attack type experienced in Australia, ransomware accounted for more than a third (36%) of local cyber incidents. In these cases, 97% of enterprises reported paying a ransom to recover data or stop an attack. In 70% of cases, a ransom was paid following an encryption event and in 54% it was paid due to extortion threats.

The high percentage of businesses paying a ransom following an encryption event suggests many Australian organisations are placing too much faith in perimeter defences. They simply arent prepared to recover their own data following a successful attack, Le Tard said. A comprehensive backup strategy is the best defence in these cases. It allows the victim to rapidly recover their own data without having to pay the attackers  but investing here often requires an organisation to accept breaches are inevitable.

The Rubrik Zero Labs research unit pairs Rubrik telemetry across its customer base of more than 6,100 organisations with findings from a survey conducted by Wakefield Research of more than 1,600 IT and security leaders  half of which are CIOs and CISOs. Additionally, this study incorporated data from two Rubrik partner organisations and five other research organisations in an effort to provide the most objective findings. Additional key findings from the Australian data include:

Throughout 2023, Australian organisations experienced an average of 28.17 attacks  on par with the global average of 28.12. This figure encompasses all attack types including business email compromise, data breach, ransomware, insider event, and inadvertent data exposure. In Australia, ineffective back-up and recovery solutions were the second most common limiting factor noted in the wake of a cyberattack (21%), second to only a lack of leadership involvement (22%). A lack of security expertise within the organisation was noted by 17% of Australian organisations. In the wake of an attack, the most common action Australian organisations took was to increase spending on new technologies or services (77%). This was notably higher than the global average of 55%.

To read the full report, visit https://rubrik.com/zero-labs.
COMPANY NEWS: Cloudera, the data company for trusted enterprise AI, today announced that Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) has selected Cloudera to help achieve its vision of growing into a global banking and financial services leader. Through this partnership, BNI is looking to harness the value of its enterprise data with the power of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) to innovate and improve banking services through an elevated customer experience and increased operational efficiency.

As it continues its four-year transformation journey, BNI is utilising genAI with Cloudera and exploring Nvidia technology as its engine. Its near-term focus is the further enhancement of regional and commercial banking office productivity as well as the bolstering of its credit mechanism and transaction banking platform for a richly personalised customer experience.

BNI is among the first customers globally to trial Clouderas AI Inference service powered by Nvidia NIM  part of the Nvidia AI Enterprise software platform  for multiple use cases leveraging genAI and machine learning. Cloudera AI Inference streamlines the deployment and management of large-scale AI models, delivering high performance and efficiency while maintaining strict privacy and security standards. BNI is deploying the service within its own virtual private cloud to provide a production-grade servicing environment for hosting predictive, genAI, and large language models with an additional layer of protection and control.

This latest deployment builds on BNIs existing usage of Cloudera solutions that will enable the bank to rapidly scale up its genAI operations to underpin its transformation journey, such as delivering a knowledge-based co-pilot for BNI employees as well as richly personalised customer service. With the necessary infrastructure and maintenance processes in place, BNIs data science teams can now deploy AI models quickly, securely, and cost-effectively while maintaining full control over their data. This strong collaboration among BNI, Cloudera, and Nvidia will allow BNI to continue innovating and thus further strengthen its presence in the market by offering greater value to our customers and stakeholders, said BNI senior vice president Billie Setiawan.

Notably, Clouderas AI Inference service offers market-leading inference performance for both proprietary and optimised open-source models. Key features include an easy-to-use interface, real-time low-latency predictions, up to 36x faster AI model inference on Nvidia GPUs, and advanced deployment patterns. The full release is expected to be in August.

We are thrilled to collaborate with BNI as they leverage the power of genAI and data that fuels it to drive innovation and achieve their business goals. Clouderas industry-leading data platform provides one of Indonesias largest state-owned banks with the scalability, security, and flexibility that they need to unlock the transformative potential of genAI. This collaboration is a testament to Clouderas commitment to helping Indonesian enterprises like BNI achieve their digital transformation goals, said Cloudera country manager Indonesia Sherlie Karnidta.

Generative AI-driven banking demands top-tier AI technologies to meet the diverse needs of a global customer base, said Nvidia global vice president of financial services Malcolm deMayo. Clouderas AI Inference service, combined with Nvidia NIM, delivers the performance and security needed for Bank Negara Indonesia to achieve its innovative AI-driven banking goals.

Representatives from BNI recently visited Clouderas and Nvidias respective Executive Briefing Centers in Santa Clara, California, United States of America, where they met with Cloudera and Nvidia leaders to chart BNIs genAI journey. Key topics discussed included the pilot project of Clouderas latest Nvidia NIM-powered AI Inference service, which is currently under technology preview, and best-in-class approaches and innovative Cloudera and Nvidia technologies to support Indonesias largest state-owned bank in reaching its transformation goals.
FLAIM says the donation, made in collaboration with UK firefighting vehicle manufacturer North Fire and charitable organisation the Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation, aims to provide accessible and feels-real firefighter training to prepare first responders for frontline work.

Emerging from Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation at Deakin University and leveraging over a decade of PhD expertise in robotics engineering, FLAIM pioneered the worlds first multi-sensory firefighter training solution.

The FLAIM Trainer safely replicates the stress and uncertainty of real-world fire scenarios with a kinaesthetic feels-real experience to enhance firefighter readiness.

Flaim says the State Emergency Services of Ukraine face significant ongoing challenges in the unpredictable nature and high frequency of firefighting incidents which call for rapid upskilling to meet the demands of frontline duty.

In response to their limited access to resources and facilities, FLAIM Systems and North Fire say they have collaborated with the Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation to provide Ukrainian firefighters with accessible, on-demand firefighter training - and FLAIM Systems donation of a FLAIM Trainer allows firefighters to train for a diverse range of complex scenarios, ensuring they are well-prepared for the dynamic challenges they may encounter in the field.

FLAIM Trainer is a fully immersive firefighter training solution, combining a broad range of high-fidelity virtual reality firefighter training scenarios with industry standard branch, hose and breathing apparatus equipment, explains FLAIM.

FLAIMs proprietary technology simulates the physical response of an operational fire hose and replicates the heat of the fire through a thermal vest. Deployed in over 45 countries, FLAIM Trainer equips firefighters with the necessary skills to respond effectively in high-risk situations.

As FLAIM training is virtual, there is no carcinogen exposure to the trainee or trainer, and 2,000 hours of annual training in one system saves the equivalent of 20 million litres of water and 27 tonnes of carbon emissions. comments FLAIM.

FLAIM Systems CEO, Simon Miller, said: FLAIM Systems objective is to provide accessible firefighter training to first responders, with the belief that everyone who needs to fight fires should be equipped with the necessary skills to safely and effectively respond to the dangerous nature of the task. By collaborating with North Fire and the Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation, we were proud to donate a FLAIM Trainer to provide accessible firefighter training and assist with upskilling new recruits.

This donation follows FLAIM Systems' development of more than 80 different virtual training scenarios that allow firefighters to train across different situations with no risk to their health or the environment. With more than 10 million professional and volunteer fire fighters around the world, our technology offers the potential to make training safer for firefighters and the environment on a global scale.

FLAIM is proud to work with more than 45 emergency services agencies, defence and higher education organisations and private enterprise around the world, and we look forward to scaling our near-term opportunities in Australia, the USA and UK.

Founder and Managing Director of North Fire, Oliver North, said: FLAIM Systems have, with this donation, given the firefighters of Ukraine a truly world-class conduit to refine their skills and competency in what is a hugely challenging operating environment. I brought the FLAIM Trainer to Kyiv this week onboard another firefighting vehicle which we have donated alongside my brilliant colleagues at the Ukrainian Firefighters Foundation. Significantly, this is the very first system of its type in the country, which is going to make a huge difference to the brave rescuers of Ukraine.
I looked forward to trying Microsoft's new Copilot+ AI PC to see the goodness and seamlessness of its AI smarts, only to find, well, it's disappointingly dumb on the first try out of the box. Fortunately, with effort, including dealing with a lying AI, you can pull through.

Excitedly, I accepted Microsoft's offer to test out a brand new Surface laptop, 7th edition, the latest in the company's hardware range, which was only released to the public in June. Not only is it a new model laptop, but it ushered in a new genre of PC - the Copilot+ PC, a standard that Microsoft has set which requires, among other things, the device includes a neural processing unit capable of a minimum of 40 trillion operations per second, a minimum of 16GB of RAM, and a minimum of 256GB storage.

These numbers - especially the NPU - are all about holding, and running, more than 40 built-in AI models. These models are implemented in silicon and are on the device; you can perform a range of AI tasks online or offline, and at no charge save for the PC itself. Unlike ChatGPT or other popular online AI tools, you don't need to purchase and consume credits because you're not using cloud resources.

There is a lot of promise. When the Surface Laptop 7 was first announced I thought this could be my dream machine that would become my daily driver for all my work and creativity. But, in reality, you're going to find a rocky start.

Firstly, the Surface Laptop 7th edition is a beautiful piece of hardware. and runs with a snappy ARM-based Snapdragon X 12-core X1E80100 CPU @ 3.40GHz. It has a 10-point touch screen and has been designed to be the most easily-repairable Surface device ever. The back cover can be easily removed with a little bit of work. First, pull off the sticky feet that cover the screws, unscrew them, and slide the back off. Inside the laptop, you'll find helpful notes telling you the quantity and type of screws for each part. The battery and SSD are easily removed and replaced. Unfortunately, the RAM is not replaceable. Also, note that you'll void the warranty if you pull the back off yourself. It's designed to be easily repaired by an authorised technician, but not so much for user-servicing or upgrading.

As a laptop in general, and specifically, as a Windows laptop, it's a delightful, responsive unit, especially with ARM-native applications. Intel-based apps will still run, via Prism, which is more than twice as performant than Rosetta 2 was on previous ARM devices.

It has 22 hours of battery life, HDR, 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision IQ, can drive 3x 4K displays, and includes 2x USB-4 ports, a USB-A port, a headphone jack, and a Micro SDXC slot. It is made from 100% recycled aluminium and 100% recycled rare earth minerals. It features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and can have up to 64GB RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. It includes a Full HD Surface Studio camera, with studio microphones with voice focus. Omnisonic speakers support Dolby Atmos and AI-enhanced sound. Pricing begins at $1899 here in Australia for the base 16GB/256GB model. You definitely get a solid, stylish, delightful, and long-lasting laptop for your money that makes Windows 11 really fly.

However, it's no mere PC. This is, after all, the standard-bearer for Copilot+ PCs. And here is where the disappointment set in.

Microsoft speaks about the out-of-the-box things the Copilot+ PC can do. For instance, it can translate voice on the fly from whatever app you use. It can generate text. It can generate imagery. And, it can co-create art with you in Microsoft Paint.

Yes, Microsoft Paint has an artificial intelligence uplift. In theory, anyway. The idea is you give it a text prompt, then start drawing, and while you draw, the Cocreator AI will make a similar image following your style and your prompt. For example, you might say you want to draw a sea turtle with coral around it. Then you begin making a greenish-blob in the middle of the window, and yellow and red blobs on the sides. Watch in amazement as the Cocreator produces a green turtle with red and yellow coral - understanding your prompt and interpreting your image and combining it all to make artwork for you, with you.

Well, that's the promise.

So! What happened when I fired up Paint? Nothing. It was just Paint.

I tried drawing. No Cocreator showed. I tried looking for toolbars or menus or buttons or anything that gave a skerrick of a hint of being AI-infused. Nothing.

I pushed the Copilot button on the keyboard. No obvious tools or shortcuts there. So, I asked Copilot. It said, open Paint, click the Cocreator icon.

What Cocreator icon?

Then Copilot tried gaslighting me by saying it made a mistake; Cocreator isn't available in Paint in Windows 11 at all.

I tried, and tried.

But then ... a possible lead ! I need Paint version 11.2309.20.0 or higher!

Sure enough, the version of Paint on the device is less than this; it is Paint 11.2302.20.0.

Of course, let me note Windows checked for updates during installation. And, why would the Copilot+ PC - the first of its kind, the flagship Surface Laptop 7 - ship with a lower version of Paint that required to use its features?

In fact, the Store did have version 11.2404.1020.0, and sure enough, now the Cocreator icon appears (but perversely, the 'About' menu item which told me the version number has now gone.)

While I'm at it, the Store also has a nice new "AI Hub" section, listing AI-infused apps you can download, like Adobe Lightroom, Snapchat, a tool called 'Be my eyes' which aids the visually impaired/people with low vision, along with many more. However, it didn't distinguish those that were AI-apps using cloud services, or those that made use of the Copilot+ AI PC specifically. For example, Microsoft is clear one of the on-chip models is an LLM that can be used for text generation. But clicking several chat generating apps in the AI Hub in the Store revealed they were all using ChatGPT or other services - and which, in turn, means they don't run on-the-device, they can't be used when offline, and they have limited free-use, or require payment to unlock full capabilities.

Unlike Paint, with its Cocreator capabilities, there is no built-in Windows tool to take advantage of text generation - except while editing text, iTWire did find you can highlight text to bring up a "reword with Copilot AI" option.

As an example, here's a sentence:

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy sleeping dog.

Rewriting with Copilot AI gives us:

The swift brown fox leaped over the slumbering dog.

Maybe more interestingly, here's a revision of the opening paragraph of this story:

I was eager to test Microsoft's new Copilot+ AI PC, anticipating the excellence and fluidity of its AI capabilities. However, my initial experience straight out of the box was underwhelming. Despite this, with some perseverance, including navigating challenges with an untruthful AI, it is possible to make progress.

You can tune the response. Here's the "funny" version:

I was excited to test out Microsoft's latest Copilot+ AI PC, eager to witness the brilliance of its AI capabilities. However, my initial experience was underwhelming, to say the least. It seemed to have left its smarts at the factory! But, with some persistence and navigating through a few fibs from the AI, it's possible to get things on track.

And here's the short, professional version:

I anticipated experiencing the advanced AI capabilities of Microsoft's new Copilot+ AI PC, expecting a seamless and intelligent system. However, my initial experience was underwhelming. Despite this, I believe that with persistence and addressing the challenges, including the AI's inaccuracies, it is possible to navigate through the issues.

Hmm, short? Let's try professional, long:

I anticipated experiencing the advanced capabilities of Microsoft's new Copilot+ AI PC, expecting a seamless integration of AI intelligence. However, the initial encounter was underwhelming, as the system did not meet expectations straight out of the box. Despite these challenges, including navigating through misleading AI responses, perseverance can lead to a satisfactory resolution.

Ok, you get the idea. Annoyingly, if you tab to a different window to do something else while Copilot AI thinks about its response, the window goes away! You have to sit and wait for it to work - no multitasking allowed - or you won't get a result.

Back to Paint. Now I have the Cocreator icon I was looking for, finally.

Let's do something with it. Here's a prompt and a picture - "A black knight on his horse, resting under a tree". The left is my fine artwork, the right is Paint's Cocreator output, modifying and adjusting as I drew.

It wasn't without tweaking; my first attempt at the horse tail was misinterpreted by Cocreator as another horse head, facing the opposite direction, standing behind this one. And the tree is weirdly in a different place. But there's no denying that's cool. So much so that I feel like saying "ok, Copilot+ PC, all is forgiven now."

Still, imagine if the magical experience of the Copilot+ PC was what you encountered when you first turned it on, without having to battle with the computer, and with its AI that flat-out told me Windows 11 Paint did not offer Cocreator. Only when I persisted did it say I should update Paint via the Microsoft Store. This soured the first experience, but here we are now, generating AI art based on my own design not much time later.

That said, it's clearly not perfect, and seems to be relying more on the prompt than my own design:

What does Copilot have to say about this?
Wanda Film and IMAX China held a signing ceremony at the Beijing CBD branch on Tuesday to announce an agreement to upgrade the IMAX Laser System for Wanda in 61 cinemas covering Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities. This upgrade aims to enhance viewer experience by enhancing clarity, contrast, and brightness.

Cao Zengkai, IMAX China's vice-president of marketing, said that IMAX has successfully addressed the issue of thermal expansion and contraction of the prism in traditional laser projection systems, which previously affected picture clarity.

"It enables viewers to see clearer, brighter and more colorful images," he said.

In addition to the equipment upgrades, Wanda Film is also renewing its contract with IMAX for up to 37 of its theaters for five years and plans to add up to 25 new IMAX screens over the next three years.

The CBD branch, the first stop of the upgrading program, featured a screening of Pixar's latest animation Inside Out 2 at the ceremony to provide the audience with a glimpse of the latest IMAX laser screening system.

Chen Zhixi, chairman and CEO of Wanda Film, said that they selected the CBD branch, which opened in 2011, for the ceremony due to its deep connection with the audience.

"The CBD branch has witnessed my growth as a filmmaker and the golden decade of China's rapid development of movies.

"From digital to laser, this place carries too many memories of filmmakers and movie fans; today, a new era of movie watching in CBD is about to begin. We look forward to the upgraded flagship cinema to establish a better communication platform between the industry and the audience, so that more movies will bloom here," she said.
At a press conference promoting his new film "A Legend," kung fu megastar Jackie Chan expressed his pride and happiness in contributing to retrieving China's national treasures scattered around the world.

Jackie Chan speaks at a press conference for "A Legend" in Beijing, June 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Bona Film Group]

"I always see China's cultural relics in museums abroad, so I raised this question in my film 'The Myth': Why are our cultural relics in their possession? They say it's for safekeeping, but isn't it actually plunder? Since they are ours, they should be returned to us," Chan said.

He recalled making the film "CZ12" (2012), in which his character leads a team to recover artifacts taken from the Old Summer Palace, specifically the bronze heads of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals looted in the 1800s. "After the film debuted, two of these heads were actually returned!" Chan said, hinting that his film perhaps played a part. The bronze rat and rabbit heads were returned to China in 2013.

"At that time, I felt there were two reasons for their return: one is that our country has become powerful, and the second is possibly due to the influence of my movie. We filmmakers should convey messages to the world. If making movies allows me to contribute to the preservation of Chinese culture and the protection of Chinese national treasures, then I feel very happy," he said.

Chan's new film "A Legend" directed by Stanley Tong, also features a captivating plotline about him searching for and retrieving national treasures.

The sister film to the 2005 hit "The Myth" will debut in cinemas across China on July 12, with advanced screenings starting on July 5. In this new installment with some nostalgic elements, Chan plays an archaeologist who uncovers a powerful jade artifact. This discovery propels him and his assistant, played by pop star and actor Lay Zhang, back to the tumultuous Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 24). During their journey, they meet a beautiful princess from the nomadic Xiongnu tribes, which sets the stage for their own legendary tale.

A standout feature of the film is the use of AI technology to depict a 27-year-old version of Chan as an ancient Chinese general. But Chan, 70, laughed, saying he cannot be young again: "The magic of cinema can bring me back to youth, and that's good, but I like what I am now. I'm happy I'm old."

Cast and crew of "A Legend" pose for a photo at a press conference promoting the movie in Beijing, June 25, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Bona Film Group]

Beyond embracing cutting-edge technology, the film features breathtaking shots of ancient battlefields and vast cavalry charges, utilizing over 1,300 men and 10,000 horses. These epic scenes were filmed on location in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, eschewing CGI to create a more realistic portrayal.

"It is my first time going back to my hometown to make such a big-budget film starring Jackie Chan, and my father is a big fan of Chan, so I feel so proud!" said Uygur actress Gulnezer Bextiyar, who plays the princess in the film. "I hope through this film, more people can see the beauty and charm of our Xinjiang."

Yu Dong, founder and chairman of Bona Film Group, thanked the great support from local partners and government in Xinjiang, and recalled "The Myth" made history 19 years ago when it was China's first blockbuster to pass the 100 million yuan mark despite the relatively low movie ticket prices. "Now, 'The Legend' will also bring a richer viewing experience to audiences nationwide during the summer season," he promised.
Students attending a Nebraska State College System campus in Peru, Wayne or Chadron will pay a little more in tuition for the coming 2024-25 school year.

On June 13, the state college systems Board of Trustees approved a 2.1% tuition increase for undergraduate students enrolled full-time on campus.

The per-credit hour cost for both in-state and out-of-state students will rise from $192 last year to $196 this fall, which will amount to roughly $5,880 for a full course load of 30 credit hours.

In-state graduate students can expect to pay $245 per credit hour, which is up from $240 last year, while out-of-state graduate students will pay $490 per credit hour, which is a $10 increase over the previous cost.

This year's increase follows a 3.2% tuition increase passed by the board last year.

According to the Board of Trustees agenda, the boost in tuition revenue will close a budget shortfall created by staffing cost increases exceeding state appropriations this year.

State college employees will receive a 4.25% salary increase this year, representing a $2.9 million increase to the systems total budget.

Approximately 60% of the salary increase was paid for through an increase to the state colleges appropriations from the Legislature, the agenda said.

The state college system was also able to redirect funds from other cost areas that came in lower than projections to the staff compensation increases, which allowed it to minimize the tuition, the college system said.

For example, the Nebraska State College System expected health insurance costs to rise 7% this year, but the actual increase came to just under 2%. Property insurance costs rose 12% rather than the 42% administrators anticipated based on historical data.

The excess state funds appropriated for both of those increases was shifted to salary increases, with the state college system opting for a small tuition increase to offset the remaining shortfall.

With each 1% of tuition increase generating approximately $310,000 annually, the state college system recommended a 2.1% increase to cover the remaining shortfall this year.

The tuition increase is expected to generate approximately $648,353 in new revenue, according to the agenda item.

Trustees also approved the 2024-25 operating budget for the systems campuses in Peru, Wayne and Chadron totaling roughly $188.4 million.

Top Journal Star photos for June 2024


U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared "gun violence" a public health

crisis Tuesday, citing fake mass shooting data to support his claim.

(Photo from licensed Shutterstock account.)

United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared that "gun violence" constitutes a public health crisis Tuesday but cited fake mass-shooting data from the long-debunked Gun Violence Archive to support his spurious claims.

Murthy presented his finding in a 40-page Surgeon General advisory, titled "Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America."

"While mass shooting deaths represent only about 1% of all firearm-related deaths in the U.S., the number of mass shooting incidents is increasing. According to data published by Gun Violence Archive, the U.S. experienced more than 600 mass shooting incidents each year between 2020 and 2023, compared to an average of less than 400 annual mass shooting incidents between 2015 and 2018," the Surgeon General's advisory states.

In his report, Murthy cites data from the Gun Violence Archive more than four times.

Founded in 2013, the GVA quickly became the administration's source of choice for mass-shooting data because they hype the numbers. The small nonprofit came up with its own extremely broad definition of a mass shooting, which says anytime four or more people are killed or even slightly wounded with a firearm regardless of the circumstances, it's a mass shooting. For example, according to the GVA there were 417 mass shootings in 2019. The FBI says there were 30, because it uses a much narrower and more realistic definition, which excludes gang-related and drug-related shootings, which the GVA includes in its data. .....
1. Yes. They look better and require less maintenance. Most high-end housing areas have them.

2. Yes. Wood fences can weather and look unsightly, plus masonry walls help to block sound.

3. No. Residents should have a choice of what kind of barriers are put up near their homes.

4. No. Allowing a variety of materials will be better for aesthetics, and costs may be lower.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say. Masonry walls may be sturdier, but mandating them is problematic.

Vote

View Results
A visitor looks at silver jewelry at the 8th China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 26, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Businessmen from many parts of the world have gathered in northwest China's Xinjiang, displaying exquisite goods such as French wine, Serbian coffee, Australian chocolate and Ghanaian drums.

The 8th China-Eurasia Expo, held at the Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, commenced Wednesday in the regional capital of Urumqi.

Themed "New Opportunities of Silk Road, New Vitality for Eurasian Cooperation," the expo will run until Sunday. It has drawn over 1,900 participants from 50 countries, regions and international organizations, showcasing over 6,000 varieties of products.

The expo, which has been successfully held seven times, has become an important channel for economic and trade cooperation between China and Eurasian countries, said Gao Yunlong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, at the opening ceremony.

China and Eurasian countries are highly complementary in economy and have close connections in industrial and supply chains, he said, expressing the hope for the two sides to enhance strategic synergy, deepen cooperation and jointly create a new chapter in Eurasian collaboration.

"This is our first time participating in the China-Eurasia Expo, and we hope to achieve fruitful results here in Xinjiang," said Nebojsa Terzic at the Serbian pavilion. He expressed the belief that the event will further cultivate Chinese consumers' appetite for high-quality Serbian products.

Covering an area of 140,000 square meters, this year's expo encompasses four major exhibition zones including investment cooperation, international exhibitions, special industries and equipment manufacturing.

"We have brought multiple exhibits, including lightweight construction machinery, recyclable construction elevators, and a 5G tower crane simulation cockpit," said Zhang Heng, general manager of the Xinjiang branch of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.

Attributing their rapid overseas expansion to the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative, Zhang expected more collaboration with overseas clients. "We're already close to finalizing a project in Kazakhstan," Zhang added.

This year's expo has also set up a special pavilion for the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ), aiming to showcase its unique features, progress and achievements of three areas in Urumqi, Kashgar and Horgos.

As the first pilot FTZ in China's northwest border areas, Xinjiang FTZ was officially established in November 2023. The FTZ has since embarked on an array of reform initiatives, marking a robust start to its development.

From January to April this year, the total import and export volume of the Xinjiang FTZ reached 38.5 billion yuan (about 5.4 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 27.92 percent of the total import and export volume of Xinjiang.

Frances Wu, an exhibitor from Australia, spoke highly of Xinjiang's geographical advantage of being close to Central Asia. The company hopes to leverage this expo to gain in-depth understanding of the policies of the Xinjiang FTZ, and intends to invest and establish factories in Xinjiang, with the aim of processing high-quality Kazakh camel milk powder.

"Being close to the source of raw materials, if we can establish production facilities in Xinjiang, the market prospects for our products will undoubtedly be very promising," he noted.

Li Xuan, an official at the regional department of commerce, stated that Xinjiang will fully leverage the platform of the China-Eurasia Expo to develop public service products that facilitate exchanges and collaboration among countries in Asia and Europe.

Since 2011, seven sessions of the China-Eurasia Expo have been successfully held, yielding fruitful results. During past expos, more than 12,200 domestic and foreign exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions exhibited, attracting a total of 2.16 million visitors.
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The city of Busan announced that it has ramped up preparations to welcome summer tourists.

Yesterday at 10:30 a.m., an event to inspect the citys readiness to welcome visitors was held at Dadaepo Beach Park.

This event saw the participation of 15 related organizations and included service site inspections, meetings with relevant organizations, the signing of a win-win agreement, and a campaign to ensure a pleasant experience for all tourists.

Mayor Park and various officials conducted a thorough review of tourist services, focusing on eradicating price gouging, managing hygiene and infectious diseases, providing friendly service, and ensuring safety. They also discussed measures to address any inconveniences tourists might face.

Following the inspection, a pledge for better tourism services was made. The event concluded with a campaign in the Dadaepo Sashimi Food Town area, aiming to promote fair pricing and improved services in tourism-related businesses.

Starting from July, Busan launched a large-scale campaign centered around major tourist spots like beaches, aiming to cement its image as a global tourism hub.

Mayor Park recently addressed the issue of exorbitant prices at popular spots like Shindong-A Market and Jagalchi Market, urging merchants to cooperate in providing reasonable prices, friendly service, and maintaining hygiene.

The city also enhanced its tourist information centers, offering multilingual services, and supported the training of cultural and tourism interpreters. ,

The Visit Busan Pass was introduced to provide convenient transportation and entrance access, alongside various improvements to make the city more tourist-friendly.
Sean Rowe, a 49-year-old bishop from western Pennsylvania, on Wednesday became the youngest person ever elected as leader of the Episcopal Church.

He immediately issued a sobering call for the church, which has faced division and chronic membership loss, to confront an existential crisis that he compared with the steel industry collapse in his native Rust Belt.

Rowe, who leads two small dioceses along Lake Erie, will succeed Bishop Michael Curry, the first African American to hold the position, when Currys nine-year term ends on Nov. 1. The presiding bishop serves as the denominations chief pastor, president and CEO.

Rowe was elected on the first ballot in the House of Bishops, which convened behind closed doors Wednesday in the Episcopal cathedral in Louisville. Rowe received 89 votes, the required majority, with other votes widely dispersed among the other four candidates.

The House of Deputies, consisting of clergy and lay people, confirmed his election with 95% of the vote, followed by strong applause.

The only presiding bishop to take the post at a younger age than Rowe was the first one, William White, who was 41 when he served briefly in 1789 when there was no leadership election.

Rowe was 32 in May 2007, when he was elected bishop of the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, based in Erie. For almost 12 years, he was the youngest bishop in the Episcopal Church.

In 2019, he also began overseeing the Diocese of Western New York, based in Buffalo. The adjacent dioceses, with less than 10,000 members between them, have been collaborating on ministries in recent years. He said that sort of collaboration is just one example of how the church needs to adapt to new realities.

Its not too strong to say that were facing an existential crisis, Rowe told the House of Deputies after his election. Its not because our church is dying, or because weve lost the belief in the salvation of God in Jesus Christ, but because the world around us has changed and continues to change. It changes all the time. And God is calling us ever more deeply into the unknown.

The Episcopal Church is an offshoot of the Church of England in the United States and has been the spiritual home of many of the American founding fathers and U.S. presidents.

But as with other mainline Protestant denominations, membership in the Episcopal Church has declined for decades. After peaking at 3.4 million in 1959, it had fallen to 1.9 million when Curry was elected leader in 2015 and dipped to under 1.6 million in 2022. Average Sunday church attendance for Episcopalians nationwide was 614,241 in 2015; by 2022 it had dropped to 372,952.

Rowe compared the churchs challenges to the collapse of the steel industry, which had employed his grandparents, when he was growing up in Pennsylvania.

Ive been around to see things that I love go away, he said. I watched everything that I had known evaporate.

He cited tensions within the denomination, without giving specifics, and called on members to be more gracious and forgiving toward each other. He called on them to turn their anger at injustice instead of turning it inward on each other.

Still, he offered reassurance by quoting the late Catholic monk and author Thomas Merton  a favorite son of the conventions host state of Kentucky  about proceeding in faith despite uncertainty.

You do not need to know precisely what is happening to embrace challenges with courage, faith, and hope, he said.

Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Rowe graduated from nearby Grove City College in 1997 with a bachelors degree in history. He graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2000, before returning to western Pennsylvania.

The bishop is known for his research and work on organizational learning and adaptive performance in the church. He earned a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University in Erie in 2014.

After the election, Curry praised his successor, crediting Rowe with both a vision and a sense of the mechanics that will help us get there.

Curry, in opening remarks to the General Convention on Sunday, urged delegates to remain optimistic.

This Episcopal Church is stronger, more durable and has a future that God has decreed and that God has figured out, he said. Dont you worry about this church. Dont you weep and dont you moan. Just roll up your sleeves and lets get to work. Thats our future.

Throughout his ministry, Curry has been an outspoken leader on a range of challenging issues, including racial reconciliation, climate change, immigration policy, and LGBTQ+ equality. Among his favored causes: establishing ecumenical summer day camps for children, creating networks of day care providers, and encouraging large investments in urban neighborhoods.

In 2018, he became a global star with a stirring sermon at the widely televised royal wedding of Britains Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Curry, 71, has battled a variety of health problems since May 2023, when he was hospitalized for treatment of internal bleeding and an irregular heartbeat. In March, doctors successfully surgically inserted a pacemaker as part of ongoing treatment.

Across the country, houses of worship are going solar Across the country, houses of worship are going solar Across the country, houses of worship are pursuing solar systems At First Lutheran, the solar installation will pay dividends in use long after the investment has been paid off
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China's Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday that it will launch an expiry review of anti-dumping measures aimed at toluidine, an organic chemical imported from the European Union (EU).

China in 2013 imposed anti-dumping duties on toluidine imported from the EU, with rates ranging from 19.6 to 36.9 percent. In 2019, China opted to extend these duties for another five years, according to a statement from the ministry.

Toluidine is widely used in the production of dyes, medicines and farm chemicals.

The expiry review, requested by domestic toluidine producers, will determine if terminating anti-dumping measures will lead to continued dumping and harm, the statement said.

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said it will maintain the anti-dumping duties during the review, with scope and rates remaining unchanged.

Currently, the rates are 19.6 percent for toluidine imports from LANXESS Deutschland, GmbH, and 36.9 percent for those from other EU companies, the statement said.

Toluidine imports from Britain will be exempt from anti-dumping measures starting June 28, according to the statement.
Lake Geneva aldermen are considering working with one of three firms to assist them with hiring a new city administrator.

City officials are in the process of searching for a new city administrator after current City Administrator Dave Nord announced his retirement.

Nord is set to officially retire July 7.

Lake Geneva aldermen are considering hiring either Wisconsin City/County Management Association, Public Administration Associates or GovHR USA to assist them with hiring an interim city administrator and permanent city administrator.

All three firms were recommended by Nord.

Members of the City Councils Personnel Committee discussed the services that each firm offers during a special meeting June 19.

Wisconsin City/County Management Association

Wisconsin City/County Management Association is a group of senior advisors who help municipalities and counties fill positions. The group offers a database of candidates who are looking for a job in city or county administration, provides information about hiring a candidate and has associates who are available to serve in interim positions.

They help through guidance. They guide us through the process, Alderwoman Cindy Yager said. It pretty much covers all of the same things that the other headhunter companies cover. They pretty much do the same processes and procedures that all three headhunter companies do, as well.

However, Yager said the Wisconsin City/County Management Association is not a professional search firm.

They made it a point to say the are not a professional search firm and because of that there is no cost involved in using them, none, Yager said. So thats part of what we have to weigh when we look at their materials and information and have further discussions with them. Do we want to go no cost and be able to utilize their information knowing theyre not a professional search firm?

Alderwoman Linda Frame said she is concerned that the Wisconsin City/County Management Association is not a professional search firm, because that is the type of company city officials are planning to hire.

What concerns me, and I was all geared up for it, is the fact that theyre not a search firm, and thats what were looking for, Frame said.

Yager said officials from the Wisconsin City/County Management Association would probably post the city administrator job on their website and within the Lake Geneva area.

Theyre ability to put a post out is definitely most likely regional than anything else for this area, Yager said. But its a website so anybody looking would have access to see the posting, as well. But I believe youre correct in the fact that theyre not going to go out and search for people.

Public Administration Associates

Representatives from Public Administration Association would assist city officials with hiring an interim and permanent city administrator.

The interim city administrator would work between 20 hours to 30 hours a week until a permanent city administrator is hired.

Its a normal process to have them 20-plus hours a week depending on our needs, Yager said. These interims have been city administrators in the past, so they would have knowledge and the skills and the ability to help us work through any important issues that need to be worked through until we get the full-time person.

Yager said Public Administration Associates officials offer a 12-step process in hiring a permanent city administrator including meeting with city staff; advertising and promoting the position; receiving and reviewing applications; contacting finalists; arranging interviews and site visits; and preparing employment agreements.

The process for hiring a permanent city administrator, using Public Administration Associates, could take about three months.

City officials worked with representatives from Public Administrative Associates when they hired Nord to the position in 2018.

Frame said Public Administrative Associates officials have worked with other Walworth County communities in filling positions. She said one of the co-founders is former Walworth County Administrator David Bretl.

They have a stellar reputation, Frame said. I mean one of the founders worked in Walworth County for 40 years.

However, Yager said Nord informed her that the company tried to hire him for another community a couple of years after he started working in the city of Lake Geneva.

He didnt think that was appropriate because he had only been two years in the job and he had been recruited by them, so he felt like they were now headhunting him, Yager said. In all honesty with everything they sent me, they look like an up in up company. So really my only concern is the comment from Dave, at this point in time.

GovHR USA

Representatives from GovHR USA also would help city officials with hiring an interim city administrator and permanent city administrator.

Company officials would assist the city with developing and posting a job description for the position.

Yager said GovHR representatives informed her that they would consider candidates who have experience working in tourists communities.

GovHR said something about candidates having a knowledge and background in resort communities would be great, Yager said.

Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said the company recently helped the Geneva Lake Environmental Agency hire an executive director.

Yager said she has received positive comments from organizations that have worked with GovHR.

I honestly have a few people from committees that I work on who recommend these people as being a good service, she said.

Yager said representatives from all three companies have indicated that they already have candidates in mind for the interim position and permanent position.

All three of them were right in line with saying, Oh yeah, we got people already, Yager said. One company said one candidate is actually chomping at the bit and really wants this job badly.

Next steps

Members of the Personnel Committee were set to have a conference call with representatives from all three companies Friday, June 28.

The committee members are set to recommend hiring a company during their July 1 meeting, which will be held 4 p.m. in the city hall building, council chambers, 626 Geneva St.

Members of the City Councils Finance, Licensing and Regulation Committee are set to vote on the recommendation July 2.

The full City Council will then vote on which company to hire.

All in all, I dont think we can go wrong with any of them, Yager said. It just depends on how we want to move forward as a group and what we feel would be the most important qualities and values.

Alderwoman Peg Esposito said the City Council should hire the company that would best meet Lake Genevas needs.

I think part of the selection is going to be chemistry and how do we feel they come across to us, Esposito said.

Alderman Joel Hoiland said city officials should conduct a nationwide search in hiring a new city administrator.

We need to find the very best person and we need to spread our wings to find the very best person, Hoiland said. Obviously, we would like somebody who has experience in Wisconsin, they would be familiar with Wisconsin statutes and municipal codes and things of that nature. But frankly, I think we should reach wide.

Nord was hired as Lake Genevas city administrator in November 2018 to replace former City Administrator Blaine Oborn, who left the position in July of that year to accept a similar job in the state of Washington.

Before coming to Lake Geneva, Nord served as an interim public works director for the city of Beloit. He also worked as the city manager for Dixon, Illinois and the village administrator for Cherry Valley, Illinois.

Fourth Annual Lake Geneva Bacon Fest runs through June 2 Lake Geneva Bacon Fest features a variety of food vendors selling bacon-inspired dishes Members of Soul Chasers perform during Bacon Fest
A session titled "What Does the Belt and Road City Look Like?" is held during the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, Liaoning province, June 26, 2024. [Photo by Wang Yiming/China.org.cn]



Experts and government officials emphasized the crucial role of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in promoting green and sustainable urban development on Wednesday at the 2024 Summer Davos in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning province.

Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs of Nigeria, highlighted several infrastructure projects in Nigeria built by companies from Dalian, citing examples such as new railway lines and the deep sea port.

"The BRI is decongesting megacities like Lagos, making them more livable," he said. Tuggar stressed that sustainability should be considered from the viewpoint of the average Nigerian, with a focus on mobility, urban living, and access to essential amenities like electricity.

"The advantage of the Belt and Road is that it's being built in a sustainable and green way. We must always view it from an African perspective," he added.

Lourdes Casanova, senior lecturer and director of the Emerging Markets Institute at Cornell University, echoed Tuggar's viewpoints. "As the minister from Nigeria said, if you don't have trains, roads or enough energy, people will resort to more polluting sources like cutting trees for firewood," she said.

Casanova pointed out that BRI provides emerging markets with investment alternatives beyond the United States and Europe. "China is able to execute infrastructure projects in trains, ports and electricity for emerging markets. These projects are done on time and cost-effectively, opening up opportunities for these markets," she said.

Gao Guoli, president of the China Center for Urban Development, discussed the extensive cooperation between China and BRI partner countries over the past decade in green development, park construction, climate change response and biodiversity.

According to Gao, these collaborations include building floating photovoltaic power stations, low-carbon demonstration parks, implementing South-South cooperation plans, and carrying out biodiversity corridor projects. "These efforts have optimized the energy structure and enhanced the capacity of partner countries to address climate change and biodiversity protection," Gao said.

Ma Jun, chairman of the Green Finance Committee of the China Society for Finance and Banking, emphasized the importance of green finance in supporting sustainable projects. "China has built a large green lending market, supporting projects like renewable energy and low-carbon transportation," he said, adding that many developing countries lack the standards and mature green finance markets needed for refinancing.

Ma highlighted the establishment of the Green Investment Principle for the Belt and Road, launched in 2018 to build capacity in emerging markets. "We've also set up many working groups with the goal of training 100,000 specialists in green finance within emerging markets by 2030," he said, stressing the importance of this initiative in fostering local green financial systems.
On 26 June a US judge sentenced Hondurass former president(2014-2022), to 45 years in prison for cocaine importation and related weapons offences.

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On 26 June US Secretary of Homeland Securityannounced a drop in encounters with migrants on the border with Mexico since US President implemented a sweeping asylum ban earlier this month.

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On 26 June Argentinas Security Ministerstated she had met with Presidentto discuss a high-profile missing child case that has grabbed headlines in Argentina and worldwide.

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On 26 June Brazilian indigenous rights activists took to the streets in the capital, expressing concern over the approximation of the government led by Presidentto large agribusiness companies, among other criticisms.

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You are here: China

Senior Chinese lawmakers met on Wednesday to hear reports on bill deliberations during the ongoing legislative session.

The meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee was presided over by Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting heard reports on the deliberation of bills during the session, including suggestions for modifying a draft law on rural collective economic organizations and draft revisions to the frontier health and quarantine law.

Based on the deliberations, revisions have been made to relevant draft normative documents, and draft legal decisions have been prepared.

The meeting decided to submit the updated normative documents to the ongoing session of the NPC Standing Committee for review.
Shares in American technology company Nvidia have risen sharply during the past year. The increases have given the company a market valuation of more than $3 trillion.

Last week, the price of Nvidias shares made it the worlds most valuable company for a short time, ahead of Microsoft and Apple. On June 20, Nvidias estimated market value reached $3.34 trillion. At that time, Microsofts market value was listed at $3.30 trillion, while Apples valuation was $3.22 trillion.

But Nvidias share price then dropped sharply, reducing the companys valuation. Later the share price rose again, including a five percent increase during Tuesdays trading.

Some financial experts said the recent movements in Nvidias share price helped drive gains across the U.S. stock market. They noted that Nvidia has grown to become one of the largest and most influential companies on the stock market.

What path did the company take to get where it is today?

The company was formed by three engineers  Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem  who first discussed their ideas for the business over dinner. Their main goal was to design and build a computer chip that would make graphics used for video games faster and more realistic.

Nvidia was founded in 1993. At the time, the business centered on the production of chips built to support high-level graphics operations. This development continued and in 1999, the California-based company invented the graphics processor unit, or GPU. This move was widely seen as helping to drive a big increase in computer gaming and redefine computer graphics.

Nvidias business expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic when gaming increased in popularity while people were under stay-at-home orders.

Today, the company is centered on producing specialized computer chips designed to support artificial intelligence (AI) operations. The chips run powerful processing systems used to train AI systems. These tools  such as OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles Gemini and Apples Apple Intelligence  are trained and developed on huge amounts of internet data.

Huang currently serves as Nvidias chief executive officer (CEO). During a conference call last month with industry experts, he predicted that companies using Nvidia chips would be looking to build new data centers called AI factories.

Huang added that training AI models is becoming a faster process as the systems learn to become multimodal. He said this means they are able to understand text, speech, images, video, and other forms of data and can also reason and plan.

People kind of talk about AI as if Jensen just kind of arrived like in the last 18 months, like 24 months ago all of a sudden figured this out, said Daniel Newman. He heads the technology research company The Futurum Group. But if you actually go back in time and listen to Jensen talking about accelerated computing, hes been sharing his vision for more than a decade, Newman told the Associated Press.

Newman said Nvidias GPUs have played an important part in the companys recent success by filling an immediate need for specialized AI chip products.

They took an architecture that was used for a single thing, to maybe enhance gaming, and they figured out how to network these things, Newman said. He added, They basically ended up creating a market that didnt exist, which was GPUs for AI, or GPUs for machine learning.

Technology experts say GPUs are designed to more easily process the specific kind of math involved in AI computing. By comparison, other processing systems are built to deal with a wider range of operations, but with less efficiency.

OpenAI's ChatGPT, for example, was created with thousands of Nvidia GPUs. And Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly secured GPUs from Nvidia for his startup company, xAI.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press and Reuters.

Quiz - Demand for AI Computing Power Makes Nvidia a Top Valued Company Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_____________________________________________

Words in This Story

chip  n. a small part of a computer that stores and helps process information

graphics  n. images shown on a computer screen

figure out  v. (phrasal) to finally understand something or someone after a lot of thought

accelerate  v. to start to happen more quickly

decade  n. a period of 10 years

enhance  v. to improve something

efficient  adj. working well and not wasting time or energy
Some U.S. cities are building housing, called micro communities, that is meant to combat increasing homelessness. The housing units in these communities are small and built quickly.

Unlike group shelters, micro communities give each homeless person his or her own living space. Officials say they believe the communities, when combined with other services, can put their residents on a path to permanent housing more effectively than other projects for the homeless.

A micro community

The Melody is a micro community built on a former parking lot in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Officials built 40 small studio apartments from shipping containers. Each studio has many things needed for the home. These include a single bed, a heating and cooling system, a microwave oven, a TV, a desk, a sink and a bathroom. The area also has plants, green plastic ground covering, and a place to walk dogs.

Cynthia Diamond is a 61-year-old former cook who uses a wheelchair. She has been homeless for many years. Now she lives at The Melody. She told reporters that she is very thankful to live in the community and enjoys having her own living space. I have my own door keyIm going to stay here as long as the Lord allows me to stay here, she said.

The city of Denver, Colorado, has built three micro communities. It has also turned hotels into housing for the homeless. In Los Angeles, a 232-unit community has two buildings, each with three levels that are made from shipping containers.

The latest information says over 1,500 people in Denver have joined its housing program. Over 80 percent of those who joined are still in the housing.

Both Atlantas and Denvers programs act as steps to help people find jobs and permanent housing. Denver aims to move people from the micro communities into permanent housing within six months.

That includes Eric Martinez, aged 28, who has been homeless for much of his life. He said homelessness makes me feel less of a person. I had to get out of it.

The services in the micro communities are mostly centralized. They offer treatment for mental health, drug and alcohol abuse. They also provide advice, job training and other forms of help. Martinez said the community has been very uplifting and supporting.

Peter Cumiskey works at The Melody in Atlanta. He said the micro community is able to serve every level of a persons needs, from security and shelter, all the way up to self-actualization and the sense of community.

Program costs and development

The city of Denver built a total of 160 small structures. Denvers mayor Mike Johnston told the Associated Press (AP) that it took about six months to complete them. Each unit costs $25,000, he said. One thousand converted hotel units cost about $100,000 each.

The Melody project in Atlanta took four months to build. Each unit costs about $125,000. Support workers and security operations cost about $900,000 a year.

Andre Dickens is Atlantas mayor. He wants to supply 500 units of quickly built housing on city-owned land by December 2025.

Few people in Atlanta expressed worry when The Melody was announced last year. However, as city officials look to expand rapid-housing areas, they know people might not support the idea.

In Denver, Johnston said he attended at least 60 meetings with residents in six months as the city tried to find places for the new communities. Local residents expressed worry about issues such as waste and safety.

What they are worried about is their current experience of unsheltered homelessness, Johnston said. He said city officials needed to show residents that micro communities could be successful. With the existing projects, he now says he has some proof to reduce residents concerns.

As for Martinez, he keeps all his belongings ready in case he has to move although he says he feels secure in his small home with his cat, Appa.

He is now preparing for the next steps in his path towards permanent housing. He has a date for a meeting about a new job. The next step for him is to receive a document showing he qualifies for financial support from the city to rent an apartment.

Im always looking down on myself for some reason, he said. But I feel like Ive been doing a pretty good job. Everyone is pretty proud of me, he added.

Im Andrew Smith. And I'm Anna Matteo.

R.J. Rico and Jesse Bedayn reported this story for the Associated Press. Andrew Smith adapted it for VOA Learning English.

________________________________________________

Words in This Story

unit n. one of a group of homes in a development or apartment building

resident n. a person who lives in a place

parking lot n. a large flat area where people can put their cars for a period

studio apartment n. a home in a building that has one living space and a bathroom

allow v. to permit

rent v. to pay to use property, such as an apartment or a car, that is owned by someone else
The United States has been found guilty of violating international law by supporting armed Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

The International Court of Justice ruled that the US should compensate the country, although it has not yet fixed an amount.

But the Reagan administration has boycotted the case and says it will ignore the verdict of the United Nations court.

In the US there have been demonstrations against a vote by Congress in favour of aid to the Contras.

About 40 people were arrested during a protest in Minneapolis, and in Cleveland a group of demonstrators lay on the pavement to block the entrance to the federal building.

The UN court found the US guilty of contravening law by training, arming and financing paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua.

These activities included the laying of mines in Nicaraguan waters in early 1984, as well as attacking a naval base and patrol boats.

The court held, by 12 votes to three, that the US was in breach of its obligations under customary international law not to use force against another State, not to intervene in its affairs, not to violate its sovereignty and not to interrupt peaceful maritime commerce.

It ruled the US was under an obligation to make reparation to the Republic of Nicaragua for all injury caused by the breaches.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The US persisted with its refusal to recognise the courts judgement until it was announced in 1991 that, at Nicaraguas request, proceedings for compensation would be dropped.

Americas illegal paramilitary campaign of the 1980s was aimed at overthrowing Nicaraguas left-wing government.

The Sandinistas had begun redistributing property and made notable progress in the sphere of education.

But the US regarded them with suspicion, fearing their policies were hostile to American interests.

Former Secretary of State George Schultz is reported to have warned, in March 1986, that if the Sandinistas succeed in consolidating their power, then all the countries in Latin America, who all face serious internal economic problems, will see radical forces emboldened to exploit these problems.
The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the arrest of a suspect in a case of aggravated theft that occurred on a flight from Singapore to Macau on June 24.

According to authorities, the incident was reported to the Airport Superintendents Office of the Public Security Police at 11:37 p.m. on June 24.

Four non-local residents, three women and one man, reported that their belongings had been stolen and they had lost a total of approximately MOP23,500 in cash from their hand carry luggage during the flight.

The investigation allegedly revealed that a male passenger, identified as 52-year-old Chai, an unemployed mainland China resident, was witnessed by the cousin of one of the female victims rummaging through her handbag while she was away from her seat.

The cousin immediately informed the cabin crew, who then made an announcement for all passengers to check their belongings.

Three of the other passengers, the remaining victims, discovered that items had been stolen from their luggage as well. The losses included RMB2,400, HKD14,500 and SGD800.

When the flight landed, the cabin crew contacted the police, and a search of the aircraft led to the recovery of the stolen currencies, which were found hidden in various locations on the plane, including overhead compartments and under seats. The recovered money matched the amounts reported stolen by the victims.

The suspect has refused to cooperate with the investigation, and several foreign currencies and plastic bags like those used to conceal the stolen money were allegedly seized from him.

The authorities have said they will continue to investigate whether the suspect is involved in other similar cases and if there are additional victims. Howard Tong
Seemingly every afternoon in Irans capital, police vans rush to major Tehran squares and intersections to search for women with loose headscarves and those who dare not to wear them at all.

The renewed crackdown comes not quite two years since mass protests over the death Mahsa Amini after she was detained for not wearing a scarf to the authorities liking. A United Nations panel has found that the 22-year-old died as a result of physical violence wrought upon her by the state.

Aminis death set off months of unrest that ended in a bloody crackdown, and for a time morality police disappeared from the streets. But now videos are emerging of women being physically forced into vans by police as lawmakers continue to push for harsher penalties. Meanwhile, authorities have seized thousands of cars over women having their hair uncovered while also targeting businesses that serve them.

The renewed hijab push, which police are calling the Noor  or Light  Plan, began before President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash, and whoever wins a vote to replace the hard-line cleric on Friday will have an influence over just how intense it becomes  and how Iran responds to any further unrest.

An intervention  under the Noor Plan will take us into darkness, reformist presidential candidate Masoud Pezeshkian recently told a group of female supporters

Enforcement began ramping up in April, with videos spreading online showing women having violent encounters with female enforcers dressed in the all-encompassing black chador alongside uniformed police officers.

While police havent published arrest numbers about the crackdown and media havent given it major attention, its widely discussed in Iran. But still, many women continue to wear their hijabs loosely or leave them draped around their shoulders while walking in Tehran.

On a recent afternoon in northern Tehran, women sat in cafes and other public places, as a police officer in his 50s told those passing by: Please cover yourselves, ladies, and then muttered audibly: My God, I am fed up repeating this without getting any attention.

We know the police are not eager to fight women, but they are under pressure to, said Fatemeh, a 34-year-old math teacher who gave only her first name for fear of reprisal. Sooner or later, the authorities will realize that it would serve their interests better to pull back.

Iran and neighboring Taliban-controlled Afghanistan are the only countries where the hijab remains mandatory  even conservative Saudi Arabia has dialed back on its morality patrols. While women attend school, work and can manage their own lives in Iran, hard-liners insist that the hijab must be enforced.

The garment has long has been entwined with politics in Iran. Former ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi banned it in 1936, part of his efforts to mirror the West. The ban lasted only five years, but many middle and upper-class Iranian women chose not to wear it.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, some of the women who helped overthrow the shah embraced the even more conservative chador. But others protested a decision by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to order women to wear hijabs in public. In 1983, it became law, enforced with penalties including fines and up to two months in prison.

Aminis death in September 2022 sparked months of protests and a security crackdown that killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained. But less than two years later, hard-liners within Irans theocracy have pressed forward with a crackdown.

The governments insistence on enforcing the hijab also reflects its conspiratorial view of the world. Irans national police chief, Gen. Ahmad Reza Radan, has alleged without providing evidence that the countrys enemies plan to transform the nations culture by encouraging women to avoid the veil.

Already, tens of thousands of women have had their cars arbitrarily confiscated as punishment for defying Irans veiling laws, Amnesty International said in March. Others have been prosecuted and sentenced to flogging or prison terms or faced other penalties such as fines or being forced to attend morality classes.

On Saturday, police said they would release some 8,000 vehicles held over women not wearing the hijab in them for the Eid al-Ghadir holiday marked by Shiites.

Theres also been a push to close down businesses that serve women who arent wearing hijabs.

The Islamic Republic is using the distraction of its presidential election to go after its women activists and cow them into silence through imprisonment and abuse, said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. The center said at least 12 women activists have been sentenced to prison since Raisis deaths for their work.

But there are signs that Irans government, and 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, know there are risks to escalating enforcement. A bill passed by Irans parliament that could impose 10-year prison sentences for hijab violations has yet to be approved by the countrys Guardian Council, a panel of clerics and jurists ultimately overseen by Khamenei.

So far among the presidential candidates, only Pezeshkian has criticized the hijab law. Others, including current parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, asked for the law to be implemented in a softer way. Candidate Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a Shiite cleric, criticized the use of violence against women, saying police should use the language of trust and gratitude rather than the baton. NASSER KARIMI & JON GAMBRELL, DUBAI, MDT/AP
The Macau Union Medical College Hospital has made changes to its Strategic Development Committee members as it prepares for its September opening. Zhao Yupei has stepped down as chairman while Zhang Shuyang and Li Wei have become honorary advisors. The SAR government is still liaising with the mainland to appoint a new chairman and various members. The hospital has thanked Zhao, Zhang and Li for their early contributions. It has also thanked the National Health Commission and Peking Union Medical College Hospital for their support and guidance on the matter.

Related
The Cultural Affairs Bureau has opened applications for local cultural and creative entities to participate in the Craft Market in the Greater Bay Area in Guangzhou in August. The bureau said applications are free and will be accepted until July 2. As the largest platform for selling Macau cultural products, the market helps brands do trial runs and promote development. Last years event was well received. This year, the event will be held August 23-25 at Lumina Guangzhou. A Macao Fashion Pop-up Store will showcase original fashion and expand sales channels in the Greater Bay Area region. The market supports goals of the culture development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.

Related
The Judiciary Police (PJ) has arrested a 44-year-old male suspect, Chan, for his involvement in aggravated theft and improper access to a computer system.

The victim is a middle-aged female Macau resident. In late August 2020, the victims husband passed away in Macau due to an illness. It was not until February 2023, when the victim was dealing with her husbands inheritance, that she discovered his Hong Kong Dollar and Macau Pataca bank accounts had been emptied.

Investigation revealed that about MOP140,000 (around HKD70,314 and MOP66,957) had been transferred out of the deceaseds accounts and into the bank account of the suspect, Chan, in 15 instalments between September 1-3, 2020.

It was determined that, on the day the victims husband passed away, the suspect went to the familys home and claimed the victims cell phone had been purchased with his money and needed to be retrieved. The family members, knowing the suspect, handed over the phone without question.

The suspect then unlawfully accessed the deceaseds mobile banking account and proceeded to transfer the substantial funds out of the accounts over the course of three days, clearing out the balances.

When the victim discovered the missing funds in February 2023 and reported the incident, the police launched an investigation. On the morning of June 25 this year, the suspect was arrested as he was attempting to leave Macau. HT
In the first five months of this year, the Judiciary Police (PJ) detained 74 drug suspects, with 25 individuals arrested for drug trafficking and 46 for drug consumption. The PJ report revealed that three were between the ages of 16 and 21.

Police authorities apprehended 128 suspects involved in 61 drug cases last year, according to data from the PJ, who published a report on drug-related crimes in the city from January 2021 to May of this year.

Data shows that 92 individuals arrested for drug trafficking, 30 for drug consumption, and six for other drug-related offenses such as drug manufacturing, possession of narcotics, psychotropic substances, drug paraphernalia, and encouraging drug use, representing a 29% increase compared to the previous year.

The government investigated 50 drug trafficking cases last year, a number lower than in 2021 but higher than in 2022.

This rise was primarily attributed to Macaus return to normalcy with the reopening of major border checkpoints in 2023 and the emergence of new drug trafficking routes by criminal organizations in neighboring areas.

The PJ report indicated nine individuals under the age of 21 were involved in drug offenses last year, emphasizing that, despite all of them being non-local residents and the percentage of young people engaged in drug crimes being extremely low, the risk has increased due to the recovery of Macaus economy and improved cross-border transportation links that drug gangs from outside Macau attempt to exploit. LV
You are here: China

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an, southwest China's Sichuan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Two giant pandas departed from Ya'an City in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday evening, embarking on a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation in the United States.

It marks a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between the two countries, following the agreement signed in February between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the San Diego Zoo.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The duo are accompanied by experienced breeders and veterinarians during the journey.

The pair will transit through Hong Kong and are scheduled to arrive in the United States on Thursday.

The CCRCGP has conducted scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding, disease control of giant pandas and related public education.
Sands China Ltd. held its third annual Sands Cares Global Food Kit Build Tuesday to benefit community partner Caritas Macau. More than 280 volunteers from Sands China and Caritas Macau gathered at The Venetian Macaos Cotai Expo to assemble 3,000 food kits containing 21 tons of staple foods.

The food kits, which each contain 18 items like rice, oil and canned goods, will be distributed to the elderly, disabled, poor families and food bank recipients in Macau through Caritas Macau service points in July and August.

This event represents one of our most important contributions to the Macau community, as our team members once again demonstrated their commitment, said Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd.

Addressing food insecurity is a key focus of Sands Cares. Sands China has partnered with Caritas Macau since 2022 to assist at-risk communities. Paul Pun Chi Meng, Caritas Macau secretary-general, thanked Sands China for organizing the effort and involving senior volunteers, helping fulfill basic needs.
The new prime minister of the Solomon Islands said yesterday that his visits to Australia and China are focussed on creating jobs in the developing South Pacific island nation.

Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele met his counterpart Anthony Albanese in the Australian capital of Canberra, during his first overseas trip since being elected last month. Manele will next visit China, and then Japan.

We are keen to work with all partners, with Australia and China, (on) how we can partner together to create transformational projects and programs in Solomon Islands that create jobs, Manele said at a joint press conference with Albanese.

The Solomons is on the front line in competition between the United States and China for influence in the Pacific.

During the five-year term of Maneles predecessor, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Chinas influence increased dramatically.

The election of Manele, Sogavares former foreign minister and chosen successor, suggests the country will continue to follow a similar direction.

Albanese said Australia provides economic support for its Pacific neighbors that has mutual benefits and is not transactional. MDT/AP
A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight yesterday, South Koreas military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan.

Later yesterday, South Korea conducted live-fire drills along its disputed western sea boundary with North Korea, its first since it suspended a 2018 agreement with the North aimed at reducing front-line military tensions in early June.

The North Korean missile was launched at about 5:30 a.m. and was aimed toward the Norths eastern waters before the failure, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Missile fragments were scattered in the water up to 250 kilometers from the launch site near North Koreas capital, it said. No damage was immediately reported.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said it believes the weapon was a solid-fueled hypersonic missile. The launch generated more smoke than normal launches, possibly because of an engine fault, it told South Korean reporters at a background briefing. The contents of the briefing were shared with foreign media.

In a three-way phone call, senior diplomats from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan condemned the missile launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions and agreed to maintain close coordination in response to North Korean threats, according to South Koreas Foreign Ministry.

North Korea has performed a series of hypersonic missile tests since 2021 in an apparent effort to acquire an ability to penetrate its rivals missile defense shields. Foreign experts question whether the missiles have achieved their desired speed and maneuverability during the test flights. In recent years, North Korea has also been developing more missiles that use solid propellants, Launches of such missiles are harder to detect than liquid-propellant missiles, which must be fueled before liftoff.

Wednesdays missile test came as the rival Koreas are engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare using balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts.

South Korea said North Korea launched large balloons carrying trash across their border Tuesday night for the sixth time since late May. About 100 balloons with bags of paper waste reportedly fell in South Korean territory.

The balloons resulted in the suspension of takeoffs and landings at South Koreas Incheon International Airport, about an hours drive from the border, for three hours early Wednesday, in the second such disruption since the Norths balloon launches began on May 28, according to South Korean aviation authorities.

North Korea says it is responding to balloons launched by South Korean activists that carried political leaflets into the North. On June 9, South Korea briefly conducted propaganda broadcasts from loudspeakers along the border for the first time in years in response to the North Korean balloons. South Koreas military said Monday it is ready to turn on its loudspeakers again.

On Wednesday, South Korean forces on front-line islands fired 290 artillery and missile rounds into the waters near the Koreas western sea boundary, the site of several bloody naval skirmishes since 1999, the South Korean marine corps said. It said South Korea will regularly conduct firing drills there.

Such firing exercises were prohibited under the 2018 tension-easing deal with North Korea, which required both countries to cease all hostile acts along their land and sea borders. The deal had already been in danger of collapsing in recent months, with the two Koreas firing artillery rounds near the sea boundary in January and taking other steps that violated it.

Also Wednesday, South Korea and the U.S. flew 30 advanced fighter jets as part of joint drills this week. HYUNG-JIN KIM, SEOUL, MDT/AP
Companies like Shein that are shifting headquarters and erasing connections to China are making a mistake. No one buys it.

An economic slowdown at home has prompted Chinese firms to seek growth abroad, but the escalating US-China geopolitical tensions are getting in the way of doing business. Some are choosing to play down their connections to China. A few have gone too far.

The latest absurdity came from fast-fashion e-commerce retailer Shein Group Ltd, founded in China, but now headquartered in Singapore. In a speech at the Milken Institute Conference last month, Shein executive chair Donald Tang claimed it was essentially an American company, even though most of its suppliers are in China.

Shein has been trying to downplay this remark, wary of Beijings wrath as it still needs a regulatory green light to go public in the West.

The urge to pigeonhole a company  where it is from and the industry it belongs to  can be as ignorant as asking immigrants where their loyalty lies. However, sometimes these questions do matter. For instance, pitching itself successfully as a tech firm rather than a real-estate agent, WeWork Inc at its 2019 peak commanded a US$47 billion valuation. It filed for bankruptcy last year.

In Sheins case, one can see why the e-commerce giant might want to cleanse its Chinese-ness. The retailer needs to go public and give long-time venture backers, such as Sequoia Capital and General Atlantic, an exit. Already, some investors have gotten impatient, selling shares in private markets at deep discounts. Being seen as a Chinese company limits demand for the initial public offering, especially from US-based pension and endowment funds, or global investors wary of Washingtons economic sanctions.

Is it even possible to erase ones Chinese features? TikTok, an important marketing venue for Shein, spent years trying to distance itself from its Beijing-based parent ByteDance Ltd. It established a US headquarters and its chief executive is Singaporean. The social video app still faces a possible ban under a new law in the US.

Even some companies with no Chinese origins are under scrutiny simply because they want to capitalize on the countrys technology. For example, Anzu Robotics founding partners are American, its headquarters is in Texas, its drones are assembled in Malaysia and run on servers sitting in Virginia. However, since Anzu licensed the drone design from Shenzhen-based DJI, and about half of its parts came from China, lawmakers are frowning upon the start-ups business model.

Nor would it be wise to downplay ones ties to China. In Sheins case, its main selling point is the expansive supply chain there. It contracts with thousands of factories across the nation that churn out tens of thousands of new styles daily. Shein and Chinese rival Temu are now attracting more repeat shoppers than eBay Inc, largely because their products are cheap.

To be sure, the anti-China sentiment is real. These days, whenever I write something slightly critical about the US economy or showcase positive things in China, I get e-mails accusing me of being a spy for the Chinese Communist Party. This kind of vitriol was not at all present when I was living in the US in the 1990s and 2000s.

I do not mind these comments, but some Chinese are genuinely hurt. Businesspeople just want to make money and keep investors happy. They do not agree with Beijings high-stakes jostle with Washington and certainly do not want to be the victim of it.

Some are also running away from Chinese President Xi Jinpings () common prosperity drive, and want a fresh start abroad. Conscious of the political environment, the first instinct for many is to keep their heads down and pretend they are not Chinese.

It is a mistake.

From electric vehicles to smart home appliances and cross-border e-commerce, Chinese companies are gaining market share because of their access to the vast industrial catalogue and efficient supply chains at home. That gives them an edge, so they might as well celebrate it. There is no shame in being Chinese.
* Mass Tourism

 Amid IVS expansions, demand for package tours has skyrocketed by 187% y-o-y, while the hotel industry is exhibiting favorable trends

* Integrated resorts | Non-gaming revenue projected to be 15% of total income

* Finance | Macau Pass eyes boosting competitiveness in the GBA

* Investment accounts of Macau residents had recorded a total of MOP1,104.5 billion at current market value, a rise of 9.7%

* Lawmaker calls for deeper look into fraud case trends

* As Iran presidential vote looms, tensions boil over renewed headscarf crackdown

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Thursday, June 27, 2024  edition no. 4511
Tourism numbers jumped significantly in Macau during May according to data released by the Statistics and Census Service.

Package tour visitors to Macau increased 187.3% to 242,000 compared to the same month last year, with visitors from mainland China making up 219,000 of that totala 173% rise. International package tours soared 522.2% to 18,000, with sizable gains from South Korea and India.

For the January through May period, package tourists grew 225.3% to 928,000. Mainland China visitors comprised 828,000 of that figure, up 198.5% year-over-year. International tours skyrocketed 1,404.3% to 88,000, fueled by outsized growth from South Korea and India.

Meanwhile, 46,000 Macau residents purchased outbound travel services in May, a 28% increase. From January to May, 202,000 residents booked outbound trips, rising 49.3% from the prior year period.

Hotel data also showed positive signs in May. There were 143 establishments with 47,000 available rooms, both a modest increase from a year ago. The occupancy rate jumped 4.9 points to a robust 83.6%. International guest arrivals surged 66.1% while mainland China rose 9.7%.

For the first five months, hotel occupancy improved 7.7 points to 84.3%. Total guests increased 25% to over six million, indicating that a rebound is underway in Macaus crucial tourism sector following the pandemic downturn.

Macau was ranked the most satisfactory destination for outbound tourists from the Chinese mainland during the first quarter of this year  the first time it has received such a designation  thanks to a number of favorable policies that have bolstered the citys tourism industry.

According to the China Tourism Academy, Macau scored 83.49 on the satisfaction-level rankings of destinations visited by mainland outbound tourists, ranking No 1, while Hong Kong secured the seventh spot with 81.77.

The results can be attributed to the expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme, which allows travelers from more mainland cities to visit Hong Kong and Macau, as well as the distribution of consumption vouchers and easier customs clearance, Dai Bin, president of the CTA, said in an article published on the academys WeChat account recently. Victoria Chan
The United Nations food agency earlier this week strongly condemned the looting of food supplies and burning of one of its warehouses over the weekend in a war-torn area in Myanmars western state of Rakhine.

A statement released by the World Food Program said the destroyed building in Rakhines Maungdaw township held 1,175 metric tons of food and supplies  enough to sustain 64,000 people for a month in case of an emergency.

The incident, which happened on Sunday, makes even more desperate a humanitarian crisis caused by bitter fighting between Myanmars military government and guerrillas of the Arakan Army belonging the Rakhine ethnic minority, which seeks autonomy from the central government.

The wider context of the fighting is Myanmars nationwide civil war, in which pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority armed forces battle the countrys military rulers, who took power in 2021 after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The fiercest fighting is currently taking place in Rakhine. The U.N. says that more than 3 million people have been displaced nationwide by fighting since the 2021 army takeover, causing a massive and largely unmet need for humanitarian assistance.

The WFP also called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under International Humanitarian Law to ensure that humanitarian facilities and assets are respected and protected, and safe and secure access is provided for the delivery of vital assistance to those in urgent need.

The statement did not identify the perpetrators of the looting. The Arakan Army blamed the attack on army soldiers and local Muslims said to be fighting alongside them.

However, Nay San Lwin, a co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, an advocacy group based outside of Myanmar, said in a message to The Associated Press that members of both the Arakan Army and Myanmars military had been separately involved in the looting and burning of the WFP warehouse, which held more than 20,000 bags of rice.

Maungdaw, in northern Rakhine and close to the countrys border with Bangladesh, appears to be on the verge of being seized by the Arakan Army.

Several days ago, the guerrilla group urged the residents of Maungdaw, who are mostly from the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority, to evacuate from their houses urgently for their safety.

In May, the Arakan Army took over another Rakhine city, which like Maungdaw has a majority Rohingya population. At the time, the military government and the Arakan Army each blamed the other for burning down most of the city and forcing its residents to leave. MDT/AP
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos will not face a recall election this fall, the Wisconsin Elections Commission decided Thursday after determining the petitioners fell short of the number of valid signatures needed to force a vote.

The decision strikes down the second recall effort against Vos, one of the Legislatures most powerful Republicans who has been targeted by some within his party, including supporters of former President Donald Trump, for not pursuing impeachment of the commissions nonpartisan administrator Meagan Wolfe.

While commission staff earlier this week determined that recall organizers had submitted 16 more valid signatures than was needed to force a recall election, the commission ultimately voted 4-2 to reject the effort after determining that close to 200 of the signatures submitted were collected after the deadline set by state law. The bipartisan commission is not required to follow staff recommendations.

Shortly after the commissions vote, the Racine Recall Committee called for the immediate dismantling of the agency.

Democratic commissioner Carrie Riepl joined her Republican colleagues Don Millis, Bob Spindell and Marge Bostelmann in the decision, which brought the total number of valid signatures down to 6,678, below the 6,850 needed in Vos old 63rd Assembly District to force a recall. Riepl did not provide a reason for her vote during the meeting.

Organizers behind the recall effort had 60 days, or until May 26, to collect signatures. However, that period ended the Sunday before Memorial Day, meaning the holiday weekend pushed the date that petitions had to be turned in to the following Tuesday, May 28.

The four commissioners determined that roughly 188 signatures collected on May 27-28 cannot be counted, with Democratic commissioners Ann Jacobs and Mark Thomsen opposed.

Recall organizers argued signatures collected on those dates should be counted because the holiday weekend extended the deadline to file petitions. The group did not say whether it plans to appeal the decision in circuit court.

Thomsen argued the motion to reject the signatures  made by Millis, Vos appointee to the agency  was based on a technicality and essentially gives the most powerful person in the Assembly a free pass.

If we just do that, this whole state is going to think this whole thing is just rigged to keep power, and we cant do that, Thomsen said before the vote.

Personally, I think the recall is a waste of time and waste of money, but there is a constitutional right for these folks, he said. And for us to say we are going to throw the sufficiency out now on this technical rule  is going to be a farce.

Millis said recall organizers were notified that any signatures collected after the 60-day window would not be counted.

I disagree with the idea that were giving Rep. Vos a pass, Millis said. I feel very strongly that any signatures collected on May 27 and May 28 are not valid. I dont think were denying anyones right to recall. It certainly is a close call in terms of the number of signatures.

Recall organizers said in a statement after the vote the commission has demonstrated that it is set up to protect those in power rather than to fairly administer elections and uphold election laws.

Trump supporters, including former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, in March submitted more than 9,000 signatures seeking to recall Vos, but the elections commission denied the request after determining only 5,905 signatures were valid. Organizers launched the second recall effort days after elections commission staff said the first attempt had fallen short.

Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson earlier this year said her office had fielded numerous calls about possible identity theft from electors who said their names had fraudulently been added to the first recall petition effort.

The recall drive was launched by Republicans frustrated that Vos, R-Rochester, refused Trumps request to overturn Wisconsins 2020 presidential election. Overturning the election is not something the speaker is empowered to do under state law and the state Constitution.

Vos further angered the group by not pursuing impeachment of Wolfe, as some Republicans have demanded.

Vos did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Photos: Tiempo Libre performs at Concerts on the Square
America has experienced some embarrassingly cultic, racist, and repressive moments over the past couple hundred years: the Mormon polygamy experiment in the 19th century; Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow politics in the south after the Civil War; the anti-Chinese riots in San Francisco in the 1870s; Woodrow Wilsons crack-down on free speech during World War I; internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II; McCarthyisms liberals are pinko communists campaign in the 1950s, to name just a few. The leaders of those movements all knew they were turning the citizenry in an anti-American direction, but were too drunk on ignorance, self-importance, and power to stop themselves from going there.

Now MAGA Republicans have thrown all caution to the wind and are promoting violence and a radically altered version of current events to undergird their strategic objective, which is to destroy the Democratic party. Framing a pedestrian court conviction as an evil Democrat conspiracy reminds me of Lenins Bolshevik party that proudly proclaimed, Lying is justified by our objectives.

Joe Biden, for his part, is conducting an only slightly less sinister policy in which he has been supporting a far-right Israeli rulers crusade to decimate and starve Palestinian civilian neighborhoods. However, the bad guys he is chasing are not much worse than Benjamin Netanyahus brainwashed and war-sotted Likud party members. Biden is now backtracking a bit by disingenuously announcing various ceasefire proposals that are destined to failure because they are not supported by either one of the two powers involved. Notably, the people of those two nations have little to no say in the futile charade being acted out in their names, and neither do Americans.

The United States is experiencing perhaps the most shameful parade of political servility ever seen on this continent in the past 400 years, rivaled perhaps only by the communist and fascist movements in 20th century Europe and our own Civil War. Our two political party bosses demand loyalty to their causes even in the midst of the least exemplary performances by two opposing American presidents ever paired up in an election.

Donald Trump wants loyalty to his every whim based on the thin pretense of his love for God, pregnant mothers, and his fabulous business methods which undergird his ability to fix every broken thing in America. Joseph Biden demands similar abject loyalty to his personal agenda even as he presides over the worst American-sanctioned religious persecution (Jews and Christians against Muslims) that this so-called tolerant nation has ever participated in.

The great irony is that American citizens claim to be libertarian islands unto themselves, whereby they cotton to nobodys commands but their own. They also claim to be champions of religious freedom. In fact, they easily fall in line behind authoritarian personalities, turning over their rights and responsibilities to the preferred leader-in-charge. In truth, there doesnt seem to be a citizen left in America who can bring an actual spirit of independence, intelligence, equality and justice into the room.

It is time for this nation to get educated as to what a true democracy requires of its people and to give birth to a wide variety of smart new political parties that can reconstruct our shipwrecked political party system around ethical principles.